For many people, the reasons behind our success or failure in managing the day-to-day demands of life feel mysterious and difficult to understand. Not only are there the everyday challenges to contend with, but often we experience emergencies that require additional energy to address. When you take these demands and consider the added dimension of our goals and aspirations for the future, it can feel overwhelming to find a path forward.
When coaching a person or consulting with an organization that is having a hard time meeting the on-going demands of their circumstances, I invite them to make an honest assessment of their formula for success. Borrowing from the psychologist and researcher Howard McClusky’s theory of margin, we can identify the fundamental variables that influence their success. If they are not achieving at the level they want, the simple formula indicates what changes could be made to improve results and create greater satisfaction.
The formula looks something like this: LOAD/POWER = MARGIN. Load represents the total internal self and external social demands that must be met in the course of living (i.e. family and career obligations as well as goals and personal expectations, etc.). Power is equivalent to the resources we have at our disposal to meet those demands (i.e. financial resources, time, supportive relationships, accumulated skills, resiliency, etc.). Margin is the excess of power at our disposal that can be utilized to meet both expected and unexpected challenges that arise.
Obviously, a person with a high margin of excess power is in a better position to successfully adjust to emergencies that arise, as well as to apply their surplus power to new areas of growth and development. When a person or organization’s load is much greater than the available reserve of power, the inverse margin can create tremendous stress and limited success. The question becomes how can we increase our power or decrease our load so that our margin for success grows?
After taking an inventory of all the factors pertaining to their load and power, I then ask the client to create a start doing and stop doing list. This list becomes a guide for selectively reducing the load factors and intentionally surrounding them with power factors to get their margin into better balance. The conversation could go something like this:
- Client: I have way too much on my plate right now to be successful at the things that matter most!
- Coach: Okay, let’s take a look at everything on your plate and prioritize your commitment to these things. This will give you the chance to let go of responsibilities that are negotiable.
- Client: Okay, as much as I would like to hold on to this, I guess I need to let go of activity x.
- Coach: Good, now that you’ve looked at the LOAD factors, let’s look at ways to shore up resources and increase your POWER. What available or easily acquired resources could we add to help you in your everyday experiences?
- Client: I never ask my colleagues for advice and they are much more experienced than me. Also, I forget that I have paid time off that I never take – maybe I should give myself some down time between big projects.
- Coach: Great, what else?
As this conversation progresses, ideally the MARGIN gets into a better balance and the client is now aware of a tool they can use to identify and improve their formula for success. Imagine what’s possible when you adjust your formula for greater success.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Whitewashing
Let’s face it; everything is not created equal in the workplace. One of the most common mistakes managers and leaders make is to treat all outcomes the same. This is often called whitewashing because everything is made to look the same on the surface.
When we treat all goals and outcomes the same, we inadvertently divert our energy and attention away from the most critical priorities. In a challenging business environment, this distraction from essential priorities can be a fatal flaw.
Although it can be important to consistently check tasks off your to do list, if your efforts are focused on the easier, but less critical priorities, then you risk leaving the more difficult challenges left undone. This requires us to be brutally honest about what matters most and to make hard choices about goals that we may not succeed at initially.
All of us, especially managers and leaders must distinguish good successes from okay successes in order to instill “top of mind focus” on the most essential priorities. When we do this, we’ll stop whitewashing and the true colors of our goals and objectives will shine through.
When we treat all goals and outcomes the same, we inadvertently divert our energy and attention away from the most critical priorities. In a challenging business environment, this distraction from essential priorities can be a fatal flaw.
Although it can be important to consistently check tasks off your to do list, if your efforts are focused on the easier, but less critical priorities, then you risk leaving the more difficult challenges left undone. This requires us to be brutally honest about what matters most and to make hard choices about goals that we may not succeed at initially.
All of us, especially managers and leaders must distinguish good successes from okay successes in order to instill “top of mind focus” on the most essential priorities. When we do this, we’ll stop whitewashing and the true colors of our goals and objectives will shine through.
Monday, November 23, 2009
“Get Rid Of Your URPs”
One constant in the complex and diverse world of human relationships is that everybody, no matter how good of a communicator they are, experiences times when communication breaks down and they just get stuck. One of the questions that is often asked in these moments of confusion or hurt is “how did this happen”? While the variables involved with answering this type of question are vast and sometimes beyond our individual control, there is often a dynamic in play that can very much influence our communication experiences and overall relationships.
An Unwanted Repetitive Pattern (URP) is a term that describes the assumed role that a person often falls into when they are communicating with someone else. These are the all too predictable patterns of communication, which in the moment seem unavoidable and even inescapable to the participants. They may often take the form of arguments, nag-withdrawal patterns and other events that steadily diminish the quality of relationships one conversation at a time. I would venture a guess that everyone experiences URPs of some kind in their significant relationships. Pearce and Cronen coined this term in their communication research and the concept is described here as a tool for seeing how each of us may unconsciously keep falling into these unwanted circumstances.
A quick example might help to clarify the concept: Imagine a husband and wife are working hard to be partners in their marriage. The pressures of managing the family, the home and all the stuff take a toll and are often the source of their arguments. Based upon their deeply held attitudes about money, each time things get tight with the family budget, the couple participates in nearly the exact same conversation. Each person performs the same role, with nearly the same words and behaviors. Despite the fact that this repetitive pattern causes hurt and is not really helping them to address their issues, it continues to repeat itself.
The physics of these URPs works something like this: Throughout our relationships we develop a strong sense of what we think we “should do” in a specific context. Over time, whenever that familiar context presents itself, the same set of behaviors naturally recurs. Rather than stopping to evaluate what we want out of a given situation, we effortlessly replay a similar pattern of words, non-verbal communication cues and attitudes that embody this sense of what we ought to be doing. For people who have experienced a dysfunctional relationship with a co-worker, significant other, friend or family member, they often describe the URP as an invisible force that pulls them in a specific direction or pattern of communication.
If you find yourself experiencing a URP, there are a couple of things you can do to disrupt the pattern. The first thing is to notice the dynamic when it occurs. Focus on exactly what the “should” is and observe the specific context that evokes the strong knee-jerk pattern of attitudes and behaviors. When you become more comfortable noticing the pattern, begin to ask these two questions: 1) What would I choose to create in this relationship instead of the URP? and 2) How would these changes alter this relationship so that a new context emerges?
By focusing and eventually getting some clarity on these two questions, it becomes possible to get the leverage needed to change the strong pull of a URP. Although they can be difficult to shift because of their years of strong influence upon us, URPs can be replaced by confident and intentional choices for more effective communication and better relationships. Imagine what’s possible when we ditch our URPs and replace them with more satisfying interactions with others!
An Unwanted Repetitive Pattern (URP) is a term that describes the assumed role that a person often falls into when they are communicating with someone else. These are the all too predictable patterns of communication, which in the moment seem unavoidable and even inescapable to the participants. They may often take the form of arguments, nag-withdrawal patterns and other events that steadily diminish the quality of relationships one conversation at a time. I would venture a guess that everyone experiences URPs of some kind in their significant relationships. Pearce and Cronen coined this term in their communication research and the concept is described here as a tool for seeing how each of us may unconsciously keep falling into these unwanted circumstances.
A quick example might help to clarify the concept: Imagine a husband and wife are working hard to be partners in their marriage. The pressures of managing the family, the home and all the stuff take a toll and are often the source of their arguments. Based upon their deeply held attitudes about money, each time things get tight with the family budget, the couple participates in nearly the exact same conversation. Each person performs the same role, with nearly the same words and behaviors. Despite the fact that this repetitive pattern causes hurt and is not really helping them to address their issues, it continues to repeat itself.
The physics of these URPs works something like this: Throughout our relationships we develop a strong sense of what we think we “should do” in a specific context. Over time, whenever that familiar context presents itself, the same set of behaviors naturally recurs. Rather than stopping to evaluate what we want out of a given situation, we effortlessly replay a similar pattern of words, non-verbal communication cues and attitudes that embody this sense of what we ought to be doing. For people who have experienced a dysfunctional relationship with a co-worker, significant other, friend or family member, they often describe the URP as an invisible force that pulls them in a specific direction or pattern of communication.
If you find yourself experiencing a URP, there are a couple of things you can do to disrupt the pattern. The first thing is to notice the dynamic when it occurs. Focus on exactly what the “should” is and observe the specific context that evokes the strong knee-jerk pattern of attitudes and behaviors. When you become more comfortable noticing the pattern, begin to ask these two questions: 1) What would I choose to create in this relationship instead of the URP? and 2) How would these changes alter this relationship so that a new context emerges?
By focusing and eventually getting some clarity on these two questions, it becomes possible to get the leverage needed to change the strong pull of a URP. Although they can be difficult to shift because of their years of strong influence upon us, URPs can be replaced by confident and intentional choices for more effective communication and better relationships. Imagine what’s possible when we ditch our URPs and replace them with more satisfying interactions with others!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Today's Barrier: Fear & Anxiety
In this economy, uncertainty is all around. When that uncertainty gives way to a a deeper sense of fear and anxiety, there are many immediate challenges with learning and performance.
With fear and anxiety at the core, related barriers such as a loss of focus on priorities, decreased motivation to tackle difficult challenges, and low resilience to adversity quickly come into the picture. More subtle, but no less important, are the barriers that slowly erode our long-term success in the workplace. These include decreased trust in the relevance of our work, loss of urgency for achieving difficult goals, and the inability to relate to and collaborate with others effectively.
If you discover that you are operating with consistent feelings of fear and anxiety, make an effort to name the specific causes of concern as they surface. By bringing these into the open, you have a chance of exposing the assumptions that often leave us feeling paralyzed. Once you see the source, simply notice how the factors show up and what outcomes they cause. This process will also bring into focus the things that you can actually influence, as well as the external factors that you simply have to accept and adapt to.
The cost of being overrun by fear and anxiety is too steep to stay in that frame of mind, so look to make subtle shifts toward empowerment as you exert influence over the incremental changes you can manage with confidence.
With fear and anxiety at the core, related barriers such as a loss of focus on priorities, decreased motivation to tackle difficult challenges, and low resilience to adversity quickly come into the picture. More subtle, but no less important, are the barriers that slowly erode our long-term success in the workplace. These include decreased trust in the relevance of our work, loss of urgency for achieving difficult goals, and the inability to relate to and collaborate with others effectively.
If you discover that you are operating with consistent feelings of fear and anxiety, make an effort to name the specific causes of concern as they surface. By bringing these into the open, you have a chance of exposing the assumptions that often leave us feeling paralyzed. Once you see the source, simply notice how the factors show up and what outcomes they cause. This process will also bring into focus the things that you can actually influence, as well as the external factors that you simply have to accept and adapt to.
The cost of being overrun by fear and anxiety is too steep to stay in that frame of mind, so look to make subtle shifts toward empowerment as you exert influence over the incremental changes you can manage with confidence.
Monday, November 2, 2009
“Distraction from Multitasking”
Multitasking has been widely recognized as an important skill in today’s fast paced and competitive business environment. By completing multiple tasks simultaneously, the idea is that one can do more with less time and in the process withstand the multiple interruptions and pressures of the modern workplace.
However, new research indicates that multitasking not only results in the loss of time, but it reduces our overall effectiveness and the accuracy of our work. It turns out that the busyness associated with switching back and forth between tasks reduces the valuable self-talk and mental processing time we actually need to make good decisions. Rather than saving us time and money, multitasking can represent as much as a 40% reduction in our overall productivity. That’s not very efficient.
While channel surfing, reading a magazine and eating a snack on the couch at home is harmless, reducing your productivity at work by 40% could leave you out of a job. The next time you’re tempted to email, voicemail and rehearse a presentation all at once, think about the benefit of focusing on each task separately until they’re complete. It’s about going slow to go fast.
However, new research indicates that multitasking not only results in the loss of time, but it reduces our overall effectiveness and the accuracy of our work. It turns out that the busyness associated with switching back and forth between tasks reduces the valuable self-talk and mental processing time we actually need to make good decisions. Rather than saving us time and money, multitasking can represent as much as a 40% reduction in our overall productivity. That’s not very efficient.
While channel surfing, reading a magazine and eating a snack on the couch at home is harmless, reducing your productivity at work by 40% could leave you out of a job. The next time you’re tempted to email, voicemail and rehearse a presentation all at once, think about the benefit of focusing on each task separately until they’re complete. It’s about going slow to go fast.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Patterns That Sustain Barriers: One Strong Leader
Some of you have asked me to say more about the patterns that sustain barriers to learning and performance in the workplace. Here is a brief explanation of one that I see quite often in teams. The platform of this blog does not enable me to include the image, but picture a cycle for the following six stages to get a feel for this pattern:
One Strong Leader -
1) In a void, one outspoken, strong person steps up to lead the team;
2) Others fall back and are less engaged as a result;
3) As new challenges arise, the pattern re-enforces a “if nobody else will step up, I have to just go it alone” attitude and the leader is even more disproportionally engaged;
4) As time goes on, the lack of invitations for more engagement from the leader further alienates team members results in hurt feelings;
5) This lack of collaboration and open communication over time prevents issues from being discussed; and finally
6) The growing resentment re-enforces and sustains the existing pattern of one strong leader.
In this situations, it is critical for the strong leader to maintain a broader awareness of the team dynamic. Despite their good intentions, strong leaders must recognize that going it alone is seldom - if ever - a good option. He or she must work hard to engage others, especially those that may not be as outspoken. As far as the team members, it is not reasonable to withdraw and complain. That makes them complicit in the team dysfunction. Everyone must work hard to express their concerns, then step up to the plate to take responsibility for rectifying their part of the problem.
One Strong Leader -
1) In a void, one outspoken, strong person steps up to lead the team;
2) Others fall back and are less engaged as a result;
3) As new challenges arise, the pattern re-enforces a “if nobody else will step up, I have to just go it alone” attitude and the leader is even more disproportionally engaged;
4) As time goes on, the lack of invitations for more engagement from the leader further alienates team members results in hurt feelings;
5) This lack of collaboration and open communication over time prevents issues from being discussed; and finally
6) The growing resentment re-enforces and sustains the existing pattern of one strong leader.
In this situations, it is critical for the strong leader to maintain a broader awareness of the team dynamic. Despite their good intentions, strong leaders must recognize that going it alone is seldom - if ever - a good option. He or she must work hard to engage others, especially those that may not be as outspoken. As far as the team members, it is not reasonable to withdraw and complain. That makes them complicit in the team dysfunction. Everyone must work hard to express their concerns, then step up to the plate to take responsibility for rectifying their part of the problem.
Monday, October 12, 2009
“How to Bring Out the Best in Others When All You See is Their Worst”
There’s nothing better than hanging up the phone or walking out of a meeting when the person you worked with not only did their job, but they made it easier for you to do yours too. Unfortunately, the reason it feels so refreshing is because it doesn’t happen very often. Too frequently our interactions with associates, customer service reps and clients result in disappointment and ineffective outcomes.
Working with difficult people is a defining experience for all of us. It’s a universal occurrence for everyone because we interpret behavior differently and at some point, each of us becomes the difficult person to someone else. For those who are good communicators and consistently courteous, it may be a bad day here and there. For others who have significant challenges with interpersonal effectiveness, they may not ever ‘play nice’.
Arrogant, smug, condescending, patronizing, inept, sarcastic, blasé, uninformed – these words are often used to describe the behavior and/or personality of a difficult person. Despite the fact that it can feel intentional, many difficult people are simply producing behaviors from the negative side of their personality. In other words, we’re working with them when they are not operating from their strengths. Understanding what makes people feel difficult to us often makes it less frustrating to deal with them. When we encounter a difficult person, one of the best things we can do is to observe how we are triggered by them and take personal responsibility for shifting the interaction to a more positive place.
How can we turn the tide when we get off on the wrong foot with a person? How can we make progress when it seems a person’s only objective is to prevent it? And, how can we inspire others to think and act in more helpful ways? Consider the following strategies to help bring out the best in others when all you see is their worst:
When There Is Confusion
When a situation turns negative, often there is some degree of confusion or miscommunication involved. Before things get worse, ask the person to clarify their understanding of the situation. Listen respectfully to de-escalate emotions and then offer your perspective. Use it as an opportunity to be crystal clear about the situation.
When It Is A Question Of Motivation
It’s not our responsibility to help other people enjoy their lives or like their jobs. However, human nature is a blend of complex emotions and at times we have to know how to motivate others to help us. If they do not offer to provide the support you need, find a way to connect with this person to motivate them to work with you.
When It Is A Question Of Skill
When the skill level required to complete a task is too far out in front of a person’s ability, they can often be stretched to the point of negative stress and defensive action. To avoid exacerbating the situation, attempt to balance the skill gap with your own abilities, or attempt to work with someone who possesses the necessary knowledge and skills.
If They Become Defensive
If you anticipate that the person will react defensively, avoid interrogating questions and try to describe the problem/request in more objective terms. Use non-blaming language, remain calm, keep a sense of humor if you can, and try to make it a mutual problem to solve. Always be tough on the problem and easy on the people.
If You Feel Like Giving Up On Them
Don’t give up on a person too soon! There are some people that are difficult to work with no matter what approach you take, however, most people are not like that. Facing an initial obstacle or road block does not warrant the conclusion that ‘I just can’t work with this person’.
The next time you interact with a difficult person, hang in there and take the high road whenever you can. Imagine what’s possible if we all brought out the best in others when all we saw was their worst...
Working with difficult people is a defining experience for all of us. It’s a universal occurrence for everyone because we interpret behavior differently and at some point, each of us becomes the difficult person to someone else. For those who are good communicators and consistently courteous, it may be a bad day here and there. For others who have significant challenges with interpersonal effectiveness, they may not ever ‘play nice’.
Arrogant, smug, condescending, patronizing, inept, sarcastic, blasé, uninformed – these words are often used to describe the behavior and/or personality of a difficult person. Despite the fact that it can feel intentional, many difficult people are simply producing behaviors from the negative side of their personality. In other words, we’re working with them when they are not operating from their strengths. Understanding what makes people feel difficult to us often makes it less frustrating to deal with them. When we encounter a difficult person, one of the best things we can do is to observe how we are triggered by them and take personal responsibility for shifting the interaction to a more positive place.
How can we turn the tide when we get off on the wrong foot with a person? How can we make progress when it seems a person’s only objective is to prevent it? And, how can we inspire others to think and act in more helpful ways? Consider the following strategies to help bring out the best in others when all you see is their worst:
When There Is Confusion
When a situation turns negative, often there is some degree of confusion or miscommunication involved. Before things get worse, ask the person to clarify their understanding of the situation. Listen respectfully to de-escalate emotions and then offer your perspective. Use it as an opportunity to be crystal clear about the situation.
When It Is A Question Of Motivation
It’s not our responsibility to help other people enjoy their lives or like their jobs. However, human nature is a blend of complex emotions and at times we have to know how to motivate others to help us. If they do not offer to provide the support you need, find a way to connect with this person to motivate them to work with you.
When It Is A Question Of Skill
When the skill level required to complete a task is too far out in front of a person’s ability, they can often be stretched to the point of negative stress and defensive action. To avoid exacerbating the situation, attempt to balance the skill gap with your own abilities, or attempt to work with someone who possesses the necessary knowledge and skills.
If They Become Defensive
If you anticipate that the person will react defensively, avoid interrogating questions and try to describe the problem/request in more objective terms. Use non-blaming language, remain calm, keep a sense of humor if you can, and try to make it a mutual problem to solve. Always be tough on the problem and easy on the people.
If You Feel Like Giving Up On Them
Don’t give up on a person too soon! There are some people that are difficult to work with no matter what approach you take, however, most people are not like that. Facing an initial obstacle or road block does not warrant the conclusion that ‘I just can’t work with this person’.
The next time you interact with a difficult person, hang in there and take the high road whenever you can. Imagine what’s possible if we all brought out the best in others when all we saw was their worst...
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Doing Less with Less
The business world is booming with axiomatic statements about the need to do more with less. Unfortunately, the tales of workforce reduction are turning into a kind of bragging right. The other day I heard a manager smugly say that she is now doing the work of three people! Really?
The downturn is definitely requiring more from everyone, however, in most cases people are simply doing less with less. It is a myth to think that one can flip a switch and double or triple their capacity overnight. While the fat trimming does create more capacity, it is not at the level required by most cutbacks. So what does this mean for those who survive the cutbacks? Let’s use process of elimination to get to a reasonable conclusion:
Should we just multitask more?
No, multitasking is not the answer. Although multitasking has been widely recognized as an important skill in today’s competitive business environment, research indicates that multitasking not only results in the loss of time, but it reduces our overall effectiveness and the accuracy of our work.
Should we just work more days and longer hours?
No, working harder is not the answer. While there may be some short-term benefit from this extra time, burn out from this tact would further cripple the productivity of the workforce.
Should we re-focus our priorities on the most essential organizational objectives and then set aside the appropriate level of resources required to meet them?
Yes, in my experience this is the best response to the often unreasonable mandate to do more with less.
Let’s face it; everything is not created equal in the workplace. One of the most common mistakes managers and leaders make is to treat all outcomes the same. This is called whitewashing because everything is made to look the same on the surface. When we treat all goals and outcomes the same, we inadvertently divert our energy and attention away from the most critical priorities. In a challenging business environment, this distraction from essential priorities can be a fatal flaw. The valiant, but miserable attempts to do “more with less” risks leaving the more difficult challenges left undone.
Focusing on priorities in this way requires us to be brutally honest about what matters most and to make hard choices about which goals are just not that important. In the end, you’ll get more of what matters most – done.
The downturn is definitely requiring more from everyone, however, in most cases people are simply doing less with less. It is a myth to think that one can flip a switch and double or triple their capacity overnight. While the fat trimming does create more capacity, it is not at the level required by most cutbacks. So what does this mean for those who survive the cutbacks? Let’s use process of elimination to get to a reasonable conclusion:
Should we just multitask more?
No, multitasking is not the answer. Although multitasking has been widely recognized as an important skill in today’s competitive business environment, research indicates that multitasking not only results in the loss of time, but it reduces our overall effectiveness and the accuracy of our work.
Should we just work more days and longer hours?
No, working harder is not the answer. While there may be some short-term benefit from this extra time, burn out from this tact would further cripple the productivity of the workforce.
Should we re-focus our priorities on the most essential organizational objectives and then set aside the appropriate level of resources required to meet them?
Yes, in my experience this is the best response to the often unreasonable mandate to do more with less.
Let’s face it; everything is not created equal in the workplace. One of the most common mistakes managers and leaders make is to treat all outcomes the same. This is called whitewashing because everything is made to look the same on the surface. When we treat all goals and outcomes the same, we inadvertently divert our energy and attention away from the most critical priorities. In a challenging business environment, this distraction from essential priorities can be a fatal flaw. The valiant, but miserable attempts to do “more with less” risks leaving the more difficult challenges left undone.
Focusing on priorities in this way requires us to be brutally honest about what matters most and to make hard choices about which goals are just not that important. In the end, you’ll get more of what matters most – done.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Mediation Tips For Business Owners
Today’s current business owner and tomorrow’s entrepreneur alike require a range of critical skills to successfully navigate the challenges of doing business. Often overlooked and undervalued are the soft, people skills that mark the difference between deal-making and deal-breaking. One’s ability to mediate opposing interests and find win-win solutions in the face of conflict is a considerable leverage point that can save time, money and get results.
Here are a few quick tips for the businessperson to remember when opposing viewpoints or agendas need to come together:
- Attack the problem, not the person. Remember to be hard on the substance of the dispute but soft on the people. Although emotions may rise, both parties are in the same situation. Step back, separate the person from the problem and make a good faith attempt to put energy into solutions vs. blaming.
- Reframe for easier understanding. The way you speak your mind is often more important than what you say. To hear and be heard, use open language that expresses the simple points. Avoid comments embellished with condescending jargon, personal attacks or negative tones.
- Find ways to create more value. It is easy to focus on a ‘fixed-pie’, or a finite set of value when competing. Try to expand the pie by understanding deeper interests that could lead to other possible points of agreement.
Here are a few quick tips for the businessperson to remember when opposing viewpoints or agendas need to come together:
- Attack the problem, not the person. Remember to be hard on the substance of the dispute but soft on the people. Although emotions may rise, both parties are in the same situation. Step back, separate the person from the problem and make a good faith attempt to put energy into solutions vs. blaming.
- Reframe for easier understanding. The way you speak your mind is often more important than what you say. To hear and be heard, use open language that expresses the simple points. Avoid comments embellished with condescending jargon, personal attacks or negative tones.
- Find ways to create more value. It is easy to focus on a ‘fixed-pie’, or a finite set of value when competing. Try to expand the pie by understanding deeper interests that could lead to other possible points of agreement.
Monday, September 14, 2009
The Knowing-Doing Gap
Each year more than $60 billion dollars is spent on training programs in and by organizations in the United States. It is estimated that an additional $46 billion is spent on various types of consultants who offer their advice to individual and organizational clients. The question is, are these dollars well spent? When people attend trainings, workshops and retreats, or work with consultants to address problems, do they take the new information, knowledge and skills and implement them back in the workplace?
While we learn valuable new ideas and skills at these events, we often become quickly and painfully aware of the challenge of turning them into real changes. This gap between knowing and doing is something that must be understood and addressed if our money spent on training and development is going to be worth the investment.
While the gap is widely experienced, it is surprisingly under-researched. A promising long-term goal is to develop a research-based model to help people understand and close their gaps. In the meantime, I offer the following insight as a starting place to help you turn ideas into action.
I use a simple formula to understand what the nature of the gap is:
This equation illustrates the variables involved and it can be used in the form of questions to guide our thinking both before and after a training or other learning event. Questions like: How well do I understand the topic and how can I improve my knowledge of it? What is my current level of motivation and will that be sufficient when the initial excitement wanes? What are some obstacles to be aware of in changing behaviors or implementing change?
In addition to the above formula and questions, consider the following reminders as well:
Measure your goals on the substance of new knowledge and skill, not on excitement alone. We often experience a let down in motivation as we return to the “real world” and confront the obstacles to implementing new ideas and making real changes. Therefore, as we focus energy and attention on understanding and surrendering to the obstacles that could prevent us from “doing”, we are able to apply our motivation and excitement and keep our anticipated goals in proper perspective.
Start small and be specific. One of the biggest culprits of the “retreat letdown” or knowing-doing gap is the lofty expectation of how much new information/behavior can be implemented. Behavior change takes time and can best be accomplished in focused, incremental spurts. Start small, take one thing at a time and don’t give up.
Take a positive learning attitude. When you find obstacles to implementing new knowledge/skills, try to assess why the block is there. Avoid turning negative and becoming pessimistic. Imagine what’s possible when we can close or eliminate the gap between knowing and doing...
While we learn valuable new ideas and skills at these events, we often become quickly and painfully aware of the challenge of turning them into real changes. This gap between knowing and doing is something that must be understood and addressed if our money spent on training and development is going to be worth the investment.
While the gap is widely experienced, it is surprisingly under-researched. A promising long-term goal is to develop a research-based model to help people understand and close their gaps. In the meantime, I offer the following insight as a starting place to help you turn ideas into action.
I use a simple formula to understand what the nature of the gap is:
Understanding of knowledge/skill + motivation to improve – internal/external obstacles = GAP
This equation illustrates the variables involved and it can be used in the form of questions to guide our thinking both before and after a training or other learning event. Questions like: How well do I understand the topic and how can I improve my knowledge of it? What is my current level of motivation and will that be sufficient when the initial excitement wanes? What are some obstacles to be aware of in changing behaviors or implementing change?
In addition to the above formula and questions, consider the following reminders as well:
Measure your goals on the substance of new knowledge and skill, not on excitement alone. We often experience a let down in motivation as we return to the “real world” and confront the obstacles to implementing new ideas and making real changes. Therefore, as we focus energy and attention on understanding and surrendering to the obstacles that could prevent us from “doing”, we are able to apply our motivation and excitement and keep our anticipated goals in proper perspective.
Start small and be specific. One of the biggest culprits of the “retreat letdown” or knowing-doing gap is the lofty expectation of how much new information/behavior can be implemented. Behavior change takes time and can best be accomplished in focused, incremental spurts. Start small, take one thing at a time and don’t give up.
Take a positive learning attitude. When you find obstacles to implementing new knowledge/skills, try to assess why the block is there. Avoid turning negative and becoming pessimistic. Imagine what’s possible when we can close or eliminate the gap between knowing and doing...
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Not All Halos Are Created Equal
In his book The Halo Effect, Phil Rosenzweig does us all a favor as he defines one of the most intrinsic barriers to learning and performance in the workplace. While there can be several types of “Halo Effects,” essentially the barrier occurs when we make specific evaluations based on a general impression. For example, if we really like the CEO of a company and we see the firm attain great financial results, we might conclude that the company’s leadership and associated strategy is the reason for the firm’s success. In reality, the factors contributing to the firm’s financial outcomes may be unrelated to either the leadership style or strategy implemented by the CEO.
Without going into too much detail, the reason that Halos are all around us is because of our tendency to quickly take in vast amounts of data and to take short cuts in sorting what is important from what is not. While this tendency to generalize has helped humans survive lots of physical danger (that rustling noise might be a tiger in the bushes), it also creates many cognitive problems for those seeking great decisions based on nuanced information.
It turns out that vast amounts of business literature and self-help programs promise to identify the keys to success, but many (perhaps most) of them are based on data, information and assumptions that have been distorted in some way or another by the Halo Effect. As Rosenzweig points out in the following book excerpt, the Halo Effect can also result in other business delusions:
- The Delusion of Absolute Performance: Company performance is relative to competition, not absolute, which is why following a formula can never guarantee results. Success comes from doing things better than rivals, which means that managers have to take risks.
- The Delusion of Rigorous Research: Many bestselling authors praise themselves for the vast amount of data they have gathered, but forget that if the data aren't valid, it doesn't matter how much was gathered or how sophisticated the research methods appear to be. They trick the reader by substituting sizzle for substance.
- The Delusion of Single Explanations: Many studies show that a particular factor, such as corporate culture or social responsibility or customer focus, leads to improved performance. But since many of these factors are highly correlated, the effect of each one is usually less than suggested.
To avoid the adverse impacts of the Halo Effect, I recommend developing a brief checklist prior to implementing important decisions. This list could include questions that force us to review the assumptions that we may have left unchecked throughout our process, including: “What conclusion(s) did I have to accept to arrive at this decision? Can I trust these conclusions or should I revisit them in some way? Where might there be Halos in and around this decision? What new information and data is required to make a better decision?”
If we do this well, we can expose Halos and both elevate the level of discussion within our team and enhance our own capacity to think critically about the variables leading to a decision.
Without going into too much detail, the reason that Halos are all around us is because of our tendency to quickly take in vast amounts of data and to take short cuts in sorting what is important from what is not. While this tendency to generalize has helped humans survive lots of physical danger (that rustling noise might be a tiger in the bushes), it also creates many cognitive problems for those seeking great decisions based on nuanced information.
It turns out that vast amounts of business literature and self-help programs promise to identify the keys to success, but many (perhaps most) of them are based on data, information and assumptions that have been distorted in some way or another by the Halo Effect. As Rosenzweig points out in the following book excerpt, the Halo Effect can also result in other business delusions:
- The Delusion of Absolute Performance: Company performance is relative to competition, not absolute, which is why following a formula can never guarantee results. Success comes from doing things better than rivals, which means that managers have to take risks.
- The Delusion of Rigorous Research: Many bestselling authors praise themselves for the vast amount of data they have gathered, but forget that if the data aren't valid, it doesn't matter how much was gathered or how sophisticated the research methods appear to be. They trick the reader by substituting sizzle for substance.
- The Delusion of Single Explanations: Many studies show that a particular factor, such as corporate culture or social responsibility or customer focus, leads to improved performance. But since many of these factors are highly correlated, the effect of each one is usually less than suggested.
To avoid the adverse impacts of the Halo Effect, I recommend developing a brief checklist prior to implementing important decisions. This list could include questions that force us to review the assumptions that we may have left unchecked throughout our process, including: “What conclusion(s) did I have to accept to arrive at this decision? Can I trust these conclusions or should I revisit them in some way? Where might there be Halos in and around this decision? What new information and data is required to make a better decision?”
If we do this well, we can expose Halos and both elevate the level of discussion within our team and enhance our own capacity to think critically about the variables leading to a decision.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Will You Notice Your Breakthrough?
In a recent coaching session I worked with a client who was in the process of pondering a significant life change. She expressed a deep level of frustration and confusion concerning the direction she should take. The stress of being in limbo seemed to only add to the urgency and frustration of her situation. At stake was the classic choice of “taking the leap” vs. “staying put and playing it safe”.
Rather than keeping the conversation at the intellectual level, I shifted directions and asked her what she noticed when she imagined saying yes and moving forward with the decision. I then asked her what she noticed about her body language, tone of voice and general mood when she pondered the no decision.
After a few minutes of reflecting, she said “When I think about the yes decision, I become excited…I feel energetic and alive…and I straighten right up…When I imagine saying no, I slump down a bit and I feel tired and frustrated”. Following up I asked her what she thought her physiology was telling her that her brain could not. At this point, she got the breakthrough that she was looking for and made her decision. I don’t think she would have arrived at that point unless she stopped to notice the subtle signs that were all around her.
How do you determine the critical choices you need to make in life? Perhaps the more practical decisions are informed by what you can rationally decide through your own assumptions, logic and reasoning. But what about those tricky decisions that tie you up in knots and leave you stranded at the crossroads?
If you are at a juncture in life where you want to make a change or decision of some kind, it’s important to avoid an all too familiar trap that distracts us from noticing the important, but subtle pieces of the puzzle. I call this distraction “expecting a revelation”. It’s the expectation that we must have a “big discovery” or a “life-changing confirmation” in the form of a lighting bolt, which will somehow illuminate the path forward. By setting our sights on this big moment in the sky, unfortunately we can miss the opportunity to notice the stream of quieter moments that often hold the key we’re waiting on.
If you’re hoping to find a way through a conflict, tune in to an inner gut feeling about a decision you need to make, or discover a path toward reaching your goals, following these steps may help you notice that the answer is right in front of you:
- First, make a conscious choice to set aside the analysis and self-talk in order to listen for something new;
- Next, take a few minutes to simply listen to what you feel as you reflect on the various aspects of the issue or decision you’re faced with – there’s no need to label or interpret the feelings at this point, the goal is to become aware of them;
- Next, think about moving along a continuum from 1) unconscious awareness about your thoughts and feelings to 2) noticing, then to 3) focused attention on the insights behind your thoughts and feelings; and
- Finally, because it’s usually the internal obstacles that hold us up more than the external ones, bring intentional focus and attention on any remaining concerns or doubts. Noticing and focusing on these can reveal new understanding, angles and insights that you can then integrate it into your larger process of decision-making.
At the end of the day, we have a measure of choice and control over what we are aware of, but what we are unaware of controls us. To access the subtle insights that can help you navigate the day-to-day relationships, interactions and decisions you’re faced with, try the simple act of noticing and becoming more aware of the feelings and impulses of your experience. They will inform your actions and decisions in positive ways. Imagine what’s possible when we focus our attention on the little things that allow us to notice the breakthrough we seek.
Rather than keeping the conversation at the intellectual level, I shifted directions and asked her what she noticed when she imagined saying yes and moving forward with the decision. I then asked her what she noticed about her body language, tone of voice and general mood when she pondered the no decision.
After a few minutes of reflecting, she said “When I think about the yes decision, I become excited…I feel energetic and alive…and I straighten right up…When I imagine saying no, I slump down a bit and I feel tired and frustrated”. Following up I asked her what she thought her physiology was telling her that her brain could not. At this point, she got the breakthrough that she was looking for and made her decision. I don’t think she would have arrived at that point unless she stopped to notice the subtle signs that were all around her.
How do you determine the critical choices you need to make in life? Perhaps the more practical decisions are informed by what you can rationally decide through your own assumptions, logic and reasoning. But what about those tricky decisions that tie you up in knots and leave you stranded at the crossroads?
If you are at a juncture in life where you want to make a change or decision of some kind, it’s important to avoid an all too familiar trap that distracts us from noticing the important, but subtle pieces of the puzzle. I call this distraction “expecting a revelation”. It’s the expectation that we must have a “big discovery” or a “life-changing confirmation” in the form of a lighting bolt, which will somehow illuminate the path forward. By setting our sights on this big moment in the sky, unfortunately we can miss the opportunity to notice the stream of quieter moments that often hold the key we’re waiting on.
If you’re hoping to find a way through a conflict, tune in to an inner gut feeling about a decision you need to make, or discover a path toward reaching your goals, following these steps may help you notice that the answer is right in front of you:
- First, make a conscious choice to set aside the analysis and self-talk in order to listen for something new;
- Next, take a few minutes to simply listen to what you feel as you reflect on the various aspects of the issue or decision you’re faced with – there’s no need to label or interpret the feelings at this point, the goal is to become aware of them;
- Next, think about moving along a continuum from 1) unconscious awareness about your thoughts and feelings to 2) noticing, then to 3) focused attention on the insights behind your thoughts and feelings; and
- Finally, because it’s usually the internal obstacles that hold us up more than the external ones, bring intentional focus and attention on any remaining concerns or doubts. Noticing and focusing on these can reveal new understanding, angles and insights that you can then integrate it into your larger process of decision-making.
At the end of the day, we have a measure of choice and control over what we are aware of, but what we are unaware of controls us. To access the subtle insights that can help you navigate the day-to-day relationships, interactions and decisions you’re faced with, try the simple act of noticing and becoming more aware of the feelings and impulses of your experience. They will inform your actions and decisions in positive ways. Imagine what’s possible when we focus our attention on the little things that allow us to notice the breakthrough we seek.
Monday, August 24, 2009
New Pod Casts
Check out the three latest additions to the Breaking Barriers podcast! Download them free on iTunes and enjoy the fresh ideas and insights for success at work, at home and in life.
Whitewashing - Put down the to-do list and thing about what really matters.
Pain is Changeful - Don't waste one ounce of painful change.
Inability to Let Go of the Past - There is nothing quite as strong as the gravitational pull of the past.
Whitewashing - Put down the to-do list and thing about what really matters.
Pain is Changeful - Don't waste one ounce of painful change.
Inability to Let Go of the Past - There is nothing quite as strong as the gravitational pull of the past.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Make the Most of Every Complaint
Complaining has gotten a bad wrap. Just today I saw a bumper sticker that said “Stop Global Whining” – a coy reference to everything that is annoying about complaining (and complainers), yet a statement that overlooks the fact that every complaint holds the potential for something powerful - an opportunity for real change.
A complaint is like the tip of an iceberg – it is a small representation of something bigger that exists below the visible surface. While complaints often appear to be simple, negative reactions, they are also a sign of things that matter to us. Revealing what is below the surface of our complaints can help us connect to what matters most.
Psychologists Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey provide insight into the way our surface-level complaints represent something powerful when they say: “We would not complain about anything unless we cared about something.” During a recent conversation with a coaching client who shared a significant complaint with me, I used an activity based on Kegan and Lahey’s work to help him follow the path of his complaint to his underlying values and priorities.
- His complaint, which was said with equal parts venom and hopelessness, went something like this: “I can’t stand it when people talk behind each others’ backs, the constant backbiting and gossip is killing morale”.
- After acknowledging what he said and telling him I appreciated how strongly he felt about it, I asked him to take that complaint and restate it in the form of a commitment – in other words, behind the complaint, what is your commitment? He replied, “Well, I guess I’m committed to more open and direct communication with colleagues at work”.
- Great, I said, now as you think about your commitment, what are you doing or not doing that prevents your commitment from being fully realized? “Um, I don’t speak up when colleagues gossip about others. And, I won’t always speak to a person directly when I have an issue with them.”
- Okay, now looking at your behavior, are you also committed to something else – do you have a competing commitment? After some thought, he replied “Yes, I guess I’m also committed to not being seen as some ‘righteous crusader’, or ‘condescending watchdog’. And, I want people to feel comfortable with me.”
- We discovered that he holds several commitments that are working against each other. Now, I said, when you look at your competing commitments, do you see a big assumption that holds them together? “Yes! I assume that if people do see me as the righteous crusader then they will avoid me, I would eventually become shunned and have no real connections at my office, and then work would become a nightmare.”
In review, I asked him what he noticed about the exercise. Like the many others who I have done this activity with, he was amazed at the way his competing commitments and assumptions had created a frustrating cycle of disappointment. He said, “I’ve been feeling like a whiner, but now I can see my convictions and use those in a more productive way”.
Rather than looking outward and blaming others for his dissatisfaction, he had a new framework to observe his own internal choices that contributed to his complaint. The next time you complain, try to follow it below the surface and see if it leads you to what matters most.
A complaint is like the tip of an iceberg – it is a small representation of something bigger that exists below the visible surface. While complaints often appear to be simple, negative reactions, they are also a sign of things that matter to us. Revealing what is below the surface of our complaints can help us connect to what matters most.
Psychologists Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey provide insight into the way our surface-level complaints represent something powerful when they say: “We would not complain about anything unless we cared about something.” During a recent conversation with a coaching client who shared a significant complaint with me, I used an activity based on Kegan and Lahey’s work to help him follow the path of his complaint to his underlying values and priorities.
- His complaint, which was said with equal parts venom and hopelessness, went something like this: “I can’t stand it when people talk behind each others’ backs, the constant backbiting and gossip is killing morale”.
- After acknowledging what he said and telling him I appreciated how strongly he felt about it, I asked him to take that complaint and restate it in the form of a commitment – in other words, behind the complaint, what is your commitment? He replied, “Well, I guess I’m committed to more open and direct communication with colleagues at work”.
- Great, I said, now as you think about your commitment, what are you doing or not doing that prevents your commitment from being fully realized? “Um, I don’t speak up when colleagues gossip about others. And, I won’t always speak to a person directly when I have an issue with them.”
- Okay, now looking at your behavior, are you also committed to something else – do you have a competing commitment? After some thought, he replied “Yes, I guess I’m also committed to not being seen as some ‘righteous crusader’, or ‘condescending watchdog’. And, I want people to feel comfortable with me.”
- We discovered that he holds several commitments that are working against each other. Now, I said, when you look at your competing commitments, do you see a big assumption that holds them together? “Yes! I assume that if people do see me as the righteous crusader then they will avoid me, I would eventually become shunned and have no real connections at my office, and then work would become a nightmare.”
In review, I asked him what he noticed about the exercise. Like the many others who I have done this activity with, he was amazed at the way his competing commitments and assumptions had created a frustrating cycle of disappointment. He said, “I’ve been feeling like a whiner, but now I can see my convictions and use those in a more productive way”.
Rather than looking outward and blaming others for his dissatisfaction, he had a new framework to observe his own internal choices that contributed to his complaint. The next time you complain, try to follow it below the surface and see if it leads you to what matters most.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Composure Under Pressure
In sports, an indispensable key to success is the ability to maintain composure and execute your objectives in the face of intense pressure. I can still hear the surly words of my college lacrosse coach as I’m being surrounded by three aggressive defenders: “Sostrin, composure! You dictate where you’re going, not the other way around!”
This lesson from sports is quite applicable to our experiences in the workplace – particularly in today’s age of rapid change, shrinking resources and increasing demands. Rather than being reactive and letting the onslaught of challenging circumstances dictate our course, we can keep our composure and remain focused on our goals and objectives.
Challenges to our composure are everywhere. Anytime we experience a disagreement or conflict, a clash of personality, external pressures like tight timelines and tight budgets, or anytime someone else makes us the object of their unhappiness, the pressure is on. I would argue that composure is one of the most underrated traits of successful managers and employees and that if we cultivate it intentionally we can improve our success.
When we lose our composure, our attitudes and behaviors recede into a realm of reactionary, often personality driven behaviors. Rather than assertively working toward a solution, our flustered and disjointed actions can inflame the situation and ultimately take more energy than just dealing with the problem directly. Our composure can unravel in the moment when our knee-jerk reactions and self-talk turn negative. Thoughts such as “This hassle is the last thing I need right now…I don’t deserve this aggravation…and I shouldn’t have to be dealing with this right now” are personal reactions that distract from the challenge at hand and may do more to psych us out of proactive action than the issue itself.
If you need it, go ahead and give yourself a minute to sulk and feel like things aren’t fair. But once that minute of indulgence has passed, breathe deep and let it go, accepting the situation as it is for what it is. While some people seem to effortlessly exude cool, calm and collected attitudes, others need to work a little harder on it. Either way, consistently maintaining our composure is something we can all do. The following tips will help you step up when it’s crunch time crunch:
- Give yourself a minute to vent and collect yourself;
- Assess the situation objectively and don’t let your own or someone else’s personal reaction cloud things;
- Gather all relevant information to understand the issue;
- Look at the deeper root cause of the problem and don’t get distracted by emotional interpretations of it; and
- Lead by example and take simple, focused action on what can be influenced.
You can tell you are composed when you breathe easily, remain centered and acknowledge the pressure and challenge of the moment without adding to it with your own angst. Keeping your composure is not only a key for your own individual success, but by example it can also inspire confidence in others. Imagine what’s possible when we rise to the occasion and keep our composure when the pressure is on.
This lesson from sports is quite applicable to our experiences in the workplace – particularly in today’s age of rapid change, shrinking resources and increasing demands. Rather than being reactive and letting the onslaught of challenging circumstances dictate our course, we can keep our composure and remain focused on our goals and objectives.
Challenges to our composure are everywhere. Anytime we experience a disagreement or conflict, a clash of personality, external pressures like tight timelines and tight budgets, or anytime someone else makes us the object of their unhappiness, the pressure is on. I would argue that composure is one of the most underrated traits of successful managers and employees and that if we cultivate it intentionally we can improve our success.
When we lose our composure, our attitudes and behaviors recede into a realm of reactionary, often personality driven behaviors. Rather than assertively working toward a solution, our flustered and disjointed actions can inflame the situation and ultimately take more energy than just dealing with the problem directly. Our composure can unravel in the moment when our knee-jerk reactions and self-talk turn negative. Thoughts such as “This hassle is the last thing I need right now…I don’t deserve this aggravation…and I shouldn’t have to be dealing with this right now” are personal reactions that distract from the challenge at hand and may do more to psych us out of proactive action than the issue itself.
If you need it, go ahead and give yourself a minute to sulk and feel like things aren’t fair. But once that minute of indulgence has passed, breathe deep and let it go, accepting the situation as it is for what it is. While some people seem to effortlessly exude cool, calm and collected attitudes, others need to work a little harder on it. Either way, consistently maintaining our composure is something we can all do. The following tips will help you step up when it’s crunch time crunch:
- Give yourself a minute to vent and collect yourself;
- Assess the situation objectively and don’t let your own or someone else’s personal reaction cloud things;
- Gather all relevant information to understand the issue;
- Look at the deeper root cause of the problem and don’t get distracted by emotional interpretations of it; and
- Lead by example and take simple, focused action on what can be influenced.
You can tell you are composed when you breathe easily, remain centered and acknowledge the pressure and challenge of the moment without adding to it with your own angst. Keeping your composure is not only a key for your own individual success, but by example it can also inspire confidence in others. Imagine what’s possible when we rise to the occasion and keep our composure when the pressure is on.
Monday, July 13, 2009
July Blog Feature - OD Practitioner Journal
Jesse Sostrin just published his article "A Conceptual Framework of Barriers to Workplace Learning and Performance" in the OD Practitioner Journal vol. 41 No. 3.
To read the full piece anytime this month, send a comment and request a PDF. Here is an excerpt:
Introduction
The workplace has changed dramatically over the last 50 years. This evolution is marked by significant and wide-sweeping trends, including accelerating technology,
increased global competition and movement toward a service-driven economy. Collectively, these and many other imposing changes require a new approach to defining and measuring the effectiveness and overall success of not only individual productivity at work, but also our collective human capital—I call it continuous workplace learning and performance. I define continuous workplace learning and performance as the consistent acquisition and application of the attitudes, values, knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully fulfill specific job functions that are consistent with the organization’s desired business outcomes.
Moving beyond this technical definition,continuous learning and performance is a recognition that each day in the workplace presents the critical choice to innovate or decline and to learn or lapse. Developing a discipline of continuous workplace learning and performance is not only the competitive advantage of the 21st century—it is a matter of survival for individuals,teams, and organizations competing
in the modern workplace.
Unfortunately, barriers to continuous workplace learning and performance are everywhere, all the time. Some barriers subtly impact everyday communication and decision-making, while others are more systemic and have adverse impacts on things like workforce selection and retention. Regardless of the nature and impact of specific barriers, they undermine our ability to learn and perform. In many cases barriers are often sustained in the workplace because they are elusive and difficult to address. Considering the changing nature of work and the mandate for continuous learning and performance,it is no longer an option to endure barriers. A new system for accurately identifying and broadly addressing barriers to workplace learning and performance is required.
For Organization Development (OD)practitioners and their clients, acknowledging the presence of barriers is not a novel concept. The premise of most OD interventions in fact is to either react to or proactively intervene against some kind of barrier. However, the ability to successfully resolve issues related to barriers relies exclusively on our ability to accurately identify the barrier and its root causes, as well as its interdependent parts. The fact is, each year billions of dollars are spent on training and development programs,expensive consultants and change initiatives within organizations of all types. For organizations and their leaders to fully maximize these types of investments it is critical to accurately identify the specific barriers to learning and performance experienced by both individuals and teams in the workplace.
After working as an OD practitioner for more than 10 years, I became increasingly frustrated by the lack of a comprehensive model that could help identify and provide context to the many recurring barriers experienced by clients across industries. From a practical standpoint, I was also concerned by the lack of a reliable assessment tool that could help to effectively “connect the dots” and identify the intertwined, systemic barriers experienced by my clients. In time, I resolved to channel my frustrations into academic research that could potentially add benefit to both scholars and practitioners working in the field of OD. The specific goal of my research was to identify and organize a wide range of barriers to workplace learning and performance into a conceptual framework that illuminates this phenomenon in the context of the changing demands of today’s work environment. This article presents a summary of my research, including a description of the model and a discussion concerning implications for OD practitioners.
To read the full piece anytime this month, send a comment and request a PDF. Here is an excerpt:
“Considering the changing nature of work and the mandate for continuous learning and performance,it is no longer an option to endure barriers. A new system for accurately identifying and broadly addressing barriers to workplace learning and performance is required.”
Introduction
The workplace has changed dramatically over the last 50 years. This evolution is marked by significant and wide-sweeping trends, including accelerating technology,
increased global competition and movement toward a service-driven economy. Collectively, these and many other imposing changes require a new approach to defining and measuring the effectiveness and overall success of not only individual productivity at work, but also our collective human capital—I call it continuous workplace learning and performance. I define continuous workplace learning and performance as the consistent acquisition and application of the attitudes, values, knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully fulfill specific job functions that are consistent with the organization’s desired business outcomes.
Moving beyond this technical definition,continuous learning and performance is a recognition that each day in the workplace presents the critical choice to innovate or decline and to learn or lapse. Developing a discipline of continuous workplace learning and performance is not only the competitive advantage of the 21st century—it is a matter of survival for individuals,teams, and organizations competing
in the modern workplace.
Unfortunately, barriers to continuous workplace learning and performance are everywhere, all the time. Some barriers subtly impact everyday communication and decision-making, while others are more systemic and have adverse impacts on things like workforce selection and retention. Regardless of the nature and impact of specific barriers, they undermine our ability to learn and perform. In many cases barriers are often sustained in the workplace because they are elusive and difficult to address. Considering the changing nature of work and the mandate for continuous learning and performance,it is no longer an option to endure barriers. A new system for accurately identifying and broadly addressing barriers to workplace learning and performance is required.
For Organization Development (OD)practitioners and their clients, acknowledging the presence of barriers is not a novel concept. The premise of most OD interventions in fact is to either react to or proactively intervene against some kind of barrier. However, the ability to successfully resolve issues related to barriers relies exclusively on our ability to accurately identify the barrier and its root causes, as well as its interdependent parts. The fact is, each year billions of dollars are spent on training and development programs,expensive consultants and change initiatives within organizations of all types. For organizations and their leaders to fully maximize these types of investments it is critical to accurately identify the specific barriers to learning and performance experienced by both individuals and teams in the workplace.
After working as an OD practitioner for more than 10 years, I became increasingly frustrated by the lack of a comprehensive model that could help identify and provide context to the many recurring barriers experienced by clients across industries. From a practical standpoint, I was also concerned by the lack of a reliable assessment tool that could help to effectively “connect the dots” and identify the intertwined, systemic barriers experienced by my clients. In time, I resolved to channel my frustrations into academic research that could potentially add benefit to both scholars and practitioners working in the field of OD. The specific goal of my research was to identify and organize a wide range of barriers to workplace learning and performance into a conceptual framework that illuminates this phenomenon in the context of the changing demands of today’s work environment. This article presents a summary of my research, including a description of the model and a discussion concerning implications for OD practitioners.
Monday, July 6, 2009
“What’s Your Emotional Bottom Line?”
In business we pay attention to the bottom line as a measure of net income and as an indicator of the health and potential of an enterprise. But in our own lives, what helps us gauge our current health and potential for success? Our emotional bottom line can be an enlightening interpersonal benchmark of what’s working and what’s not working for us.
An emotional bottom line is the difference between what you need and what you are getting. A healthy emotional bottom line means that in general you are getting your needs satisfied more often than not. For example, if a person has an expressed need to feel challenged in their position at work, a healthy emotional bottom line would indicate that in general they enjoy a sense of challenge on most days at work. This can be measured by identifying and reflecting on his or her various roles and responsibilities and documenting what aspects provide reasonable degrees of challenge.
Similar to a businesses’ bottom line, our emotional bottom line can help us to be reflective about a given situation to determine whether or not we need to address any gaps. While working with a client recently, I had the opportunity to help them articulate their emotional bottom line related to a contentious issue in the workplace. My client explained that she had repeatedly felt “shut out” and “undermined” by a dominating colleague. During meetings, she was unable to present her own ideas without fear of being interrupted or sidetracked. This led to anxiety and an ever-present, underlying sense of worry. I asked the client what she needed in this situation. She explained that she desired mutual respect with her colleague and wanted the freedom to express ideas on her own terms, without fear of sabotage. When asked where her emotional bottom line was right now, she explained that in general, most days left her feeling frustrated and unable to meet her needs.
As we probed on the related issues more deeply, the realization of an unhealthy bottom line helped the client to assess how important these emotional and psychological needs were, what negative effects their absence were having on her life inside and outside of the workplace and, most importantly, what assertive action she was willing to commit to in order to improve her emotional bottom line related to these particular needs.
Walking yourself through this type of reflective exercise to measure your own emotional bottom line can add a lot of value at both a personal or team level. It helps to put something very subjective into a more objective framework, making it easier to talk about difficult interpersonal issues. The New Year is often a time to create resolutions for future changes in our lives. Rather than updating our 2006 New Year’s resolution lists for 2007, imagine what’s possible if we took an honest look out our emotional bottom lines?
An emotional bottom line is the difference between what you need and what you are getting. A healthy emotional bottom line means that in general you are getting your needs satisfied more often than not. For example, if a person has an expressed need to feel challenged in their position at work, a healthy emotional bottom line would indicate that in general they enjoy a sense of challenge on most days at work. This can be measured by identifying and reflecting on his or her various roles and responsibilities and documenting what aspects provide reasonable degrees of challenge.
Similar to a businesses’ bottom line, our emotional bottom line can help us to be reflective about a given situation to determine whether or not we need to address any gaps. While working with a client recently, I had the opportunity to help them articulate their emotional bottom line related to a contentious issue in the workplace. My client explained that she had repeatedly felt “shut out” and “undermined” by a dominating colleague. During meetings, she was unable to present her own ideas without fear of being interrupted or sidetracked. This led to anxiety and an ever-present, underlying sense of worry. I asked the client what she needed in this situation. She explained that she desired mutual respect with her colleague and wanted the freedom to express ideas on her own terms, without fear of sabotage. When asked where her emotional bottom line was right now, she explained that in general, most days left her feeling frustrated and unable to meet her needs.
As we probed on the related issues more deeply, the realization of an unhealthy bottom line helped the client to assess how important these emotional and psychological needs were, what negative effects their absence were having on her life inside and outside of the workplace and, most importantly, what assertive action she was willing to commit to in order to improve her emotional bottom line related to these particular needs.
Walking yourself through this type of reflective exercise to measure your own emotional bottom line can add a lot of value at both a personal or team level. It helps to put something very subjective into a more objective framework, making it easier to talk about difficult interpersonal issues. The New Year is often a time to create resolutions for future changes in our lives. Rather than updating our 2006 New Year’s resolution lists for 2007, imagine what’s possible if we took an honest look out our emotional bottom lines?
Monday, June 29, 2009
"Paradise Found: Dealing With Noisy Vacation Rentals Next Door"
A friend who lives next to a vacation rental asked me for some advice in dealing with difficult, short-term neighbors. I shared this with him - perhaps it can help you or someone you know.
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When you love where you live, it can feel like paradise has been found. Unfortunately for some neighbors and residents, it feels like paradise lost when the peace, quite and continuity of daily life are interrupted by the commotion from nearby vacation rental properties. The central coast has been, and hopefully always will be, an attractive destination for visitors. This means local residents need constructive strategies to successfully address concerns that may arise from the numerous vacation rentals in our area.
The dynamic between locals and visitors is a classic example of converging expectations that couldn’t be more diverse. Local residents tend to value the ownership and pride they have in their community. They have come to expect their neighborhoods and communities to look and feel a certain way, including the pace of daily life and the peace and quiet that small communities enjoy. Vacationers on the other hand - while seeking some rest and relaxation - are looking for a break from their day-to-day routines. They are more likely to stay up late, listen to music and enjoy outdoor barbecues and social events as they make full use of the their (expensive) rental house. Neither local residents nor vacationers are necessarily more or less justified in their expectations than the other. However, when there is a clash of expectations hurtful conflict can erupt.
Whether it is a concern about yard maintenance, property lines, or traffic safety, part of the solution lies in forming collaborative relationships with property management companies who are responsible for enforcing rules. These property management companies are accountable to the property owners for generating rental income and keeping the units intact. In addition, proactive communication with the actual renters and home owners can give you the opportunity to air out concerns. If you are struggling with these issues, the following tips may help you navigate your way through the conflict:
Remember Things Aren’t Personal – Imagine a typical vacationer; they can’t wait to truly get away for the weekend with a few close family friends at a beach house. They’re ready to get some much needed rest and relaxation as they pick up their favorite meat and plan a BBQ out on the deck for the entire group, including some time in the hot tub on the deck! The property manager made it clear that dogs are not allowed inside the home so they set up an area in the backyard for their three dogs…If you are the next door neighbor who is bothered by the noise and the constant commotion; it’s helpful to remember that the vacationers are doing exactly what vacationers do. They are not necessarily intending to keep you up late or to disrupt the neighborhood.
Take Initiative to Talk to Your Neighbors (Vacation Renters and Home Owners) – While it can feel really stressful, the cost of living with unresolved conflict can hurt more than the challenge of addressing the issue head on. If you experience concerns of any kind, make an effort to talk to your neighbors, the home owner or the property management company directly. Use the following roadmap as a guide:
1. First, agree to have a conversation to explore the issues, assumptions, feelings and potential next steps.
2. Next, take time to clarify the situation to get both perspectives squarely out in the open. Try to focus attention on identifying the substantial issues and then break those down into separate pieces (remember, be hard on the problem and easy on the people).
3. For each issue, generate options that can potentially satisfy the underlying needs of both people.
4. As agreements begin to form, commit to a resolution and discuss how the solution can be implemented successfully.
-----------------------------------------------------
When you love where you live, it can feel like paradise has been found. Unfortunately for some neighbors and residents, it feels like paradise lost when the peace, quite and continuity of daily life are interrupted by the commotion from nearby vacation rental properties. The central coast has been, and hopefully always will be, an attractive destination for visitors. This means local residents need constructive strategies to successfully address concerns that may arise from the numerous vacation rentals in our area.
The dynamic between locals and visitors is a classic example of converging expectations that couldn’t be more diverse. Local residents tend to value the ownership and pride they have in their community. They have come to expect their neighborhoods and communities to look and feel a certain way, including the pace of daily life and the peace and quiet that small communities enjoy. Vacationers on the other hand - while seeking some rest and relaxation - are looking for a break from their day-to-day routines. They are more likely to stay up late, listen to music and enjoy outdoor barbecues and social events as they make full use of the their (expensive) rental house. Neither local residents nor vacationers are necessarily more or less justified in their expectations than the other. However, when there is a clash of expectations hurtful conflict can erupt.
Whether it is a concern about yard maintenance, property lines, or traffic safety, part of the solution lies in forming collaborative relationships with property management companies who are responsible for enforcing rules. These property management companies are accountable to the property owners for generating rental income and keeping the units intact. In addition, proactive communication with the actual renters and home owners can give you the opportunity to air out concerns. If you are struggling with these issues, the following tips may help you navigate your way through the conflict:
Remember Things Aren’t Personal – Imagine a typical vacationer; they can’t wait to truly get away for the weekend with a few close family friends at a beach house. They’re ready to get some much needed rest and relaxation as they pick up their favorite meat and plan a BBQ out on the deck for the entire group, including some time in the hot tub on the deck! The property manager made it clear that dogs are not allowed inside the home so they set up an area in the backyard for their three dogs…If you are the next door neighbor who is bothered by the noise and the constant commotion; it’s helpful to remember that the vacationers are doing exactly what vacationers do. They are not necessarily intending to keep you up late or to disrupt the neighborhood.
Take Initiative to Talk to Your Neighbors (Vacation Renters and Home Owners) – While it can feel really stressful, the cost of living with unresolved conflict can hurt more than the challenge of addressing the issue head on. If you experience concerns of any kind, make an effort to talk to your neighbors, the home owner or the property management company directly. Use the following roadmap as a guide:
1. First, agree to have a conversation to explore the issues, assumptions, feelings and potential next steps.
2. Next, take time to clarify the situation to get both perspectives squarely out in the open. Try to focus attention on identifying the substantial issues and then break those down into separate pieces (remember, be hard on the problem and easy on the people).
3. For each issue, generate options that can potentially satisfy the underlying needs of both people.
4. As agreements begin to form, commit to a resolution and discuss how the solution can be implemented successfully.
Monday, June 22, 2009
"Playing Nice" - Another Pattern That Sustains Barriers
Last week I reviewed a pattern of thought and behavior that can really hurt a team's ability to perform at optimal levels. Here is another team dysfunction that I see play out across industries. I call it "Playing Nice," and here's how the cycle goes:
A) The team establishes a non-hierarchical (flat) mode of decision-making where everyone feels welcome to speak their mind and voice their opinions;
B) Maintaining this apparent harmony becomes an unwritten goal of the group;
C) As barriers or issues emerge within the team, the team makes no room for making waves when unpopular choices might be required to fix things;
D) As a result, accountability for addressing problems decreases and team members do not have an outlet for their concerns;
E) Over time, the implicit rule of “playing nice” outweighs incentives to address barriers and the dysfunctional pattern is sustained...
This pattern of "playing nice" can easily erode confidence in and capacity for learning and performance. A way to avoid this is to separate the person from the problem and when issues arise - attack the problem, but not the person. This can preserve a respectful tone in the group, but not at the expense of having tough conversations that lead to better decisions.
A) The team establishes a non-hierarchical (flat) mode of decision-making where everyone feels welcome to speak their mind and voice their opinions;
B) Maintaining this apparent harmony becomes an unwritten goal of the group;
C) As barriers or issues emerge within the team, the team makes no room for making waves when unpopular choices might be required to fix things;
D) As a result, accountability for addressing problems decreases and team members do not have an outlet for their concerns;
E) Over time, the implicit rule of “playing nice” outweighs incentives to address barriers and the dysfunctional pattern is sustained...
This pattern of "playing nice" can easily erode confidence in and capacity for learning and performance. A way to avoid this is to separate the person from the problem and when issues arise - attack the problem, but not the person. This can preserve a respectful tone in the group, but not at the expense of having tough conversations that lead to better decisions.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Patterns That Sustain Barriers to Learning & Performance
Some of you have asked me to say more about the patterns that sustain barriers to learning and performance in the workplace. Here is a brief explanation of one that I see quite often in teams. The platform of this blog does not enable me to include the image, but picture a cycle for the following six stages to get a feel for this pattern:
One Strong Leader -
1) In a void, one outspoken, strong person steps up to lead the team;
2) Others fall back and are less engaged as a result;
3) As new challenges arise, the pattern re-enforces a “if nobody else will step up, I have to just go it alone” attitude and the leader is even more disproportionally engaged;
4) As time goes on, the lack of invitations for more engagement from the leader further alienates team members results in hurt feelings;
5) This lack of collaboration and open communication over time prevents issues from being discussed; and finally
6) The growing resentment re-enforces and sustains the existing pattern of one strong leader.
In this situations, it is critical for the strong leader to maintain a broader awareness of the team dynamic. Despite their good intentions, strong leaders must recognize that going it alone is seldom - if ever - a good option. He or she must work hard to engage others, especially those that may not be as outspoken. As far as the team members, it is not reasonable to withdraw and complain. That makes them complicit in the team dysfunction. Everyone must work hard to express their concerns, then step up to the plate to take responsibility for rectifying their part of the problem.
One Strong Leader -
1) In a void, one outspoken, strong person steps up to lead the team;
2) Others fall back and are less engaged as a result;
3) As new challenges arise, the pattern re-enforces a “if nobody else will step up, I have to just go it alone” attitude and the leader is even more disproportionally engaged;
4) As time goes on, the lack of invitations for more engagement from the leader further alienates team members results in hurt feelings;
5) This lack of collaboration and open communication over time prevents issues from being discussed; and finally
6) The growing resentment re-enforces and sustains the existing pattern of one strong leader.
In this situations, it is critical for the strong leader to maintain a broader awareness of the team dynamic. Despite their good intentions, strong leaders must recognize that going it alone is seldom - if ever - a good option. He or she must work hard to engage others, especially those that may not be as outspoken. As far as the team members, it is not reasonable to withdraw and complain. That makes them complicit in the team dysfunction. Everyone must work hard to express their concerns, then step up to the plate to take responsibility for rectifying their part of the problem.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Pain is Changeful
Riddle: What is really good for us, feels really bad for us, is something that we avoid and yet is something that’s ultimately unavoidable? Change.
Despite our valiant efforts to fend it off with repetitive behavioral routines and comfortable patterns of thinking, change is all around us and is a natural part of life. While it’s true that change can sometimes be really painful, it is also true that pain is changeful. This is more than a distinction without a difference - so if you are confused, stick with me.
More than just a clever way to reframe a problem or negative experience, looking at pain as a source of positive change is an efficient and practical choice. Pain from change can come in many forms, including: frustration over unmet expectations, disappointment over lost opportunities and grief from broken relationships to name a few. Rather than seeing these painful experiences as a nuisance or something to “get past”, why not embrace them as a vehicle to accelerate the change we experience?
The following tips may help you find the focus and sustain the motivation to stick with the pain and use it as a catalyst to change:
1) Keep Perspective – It is critically important to keep things in perspective so that we can process our experiences accordingly. A frustrating experience may feel like a “mountain”, but if we capture a wider vantage point when the initial sting subsides, we may actually recognize it as just a “small hill”. Keeping perspective will reduce wasted energy and potential over-reactions.
2) Find The Teachable Moment – If pain is truly going to be changeful, we have to find the teachable moment. Maybe the lesson is about our own misguided efforts, perhaps we didn’t listen enough or perhaps we didn’t stand up for what we knew was right. Either way, the important thing is to capture the lesson and fully integrate into our experience for next time.
3) If I Feel Something, They Feel Something – If your pain stems from some kind of relationship concern, chances are just like you feel something, the other person involved also feels something. This recognition can be a humanizing force and it is an important reminder that if we get out of our own shoes, we’re likely to be less attached to our own emotional pain as we empathize and connect with others.
The next time you feel pain or discomfort, think changefully and use the experience for your own growth and development.
Despite our valiant efforts to fend it off with repetitive behavioral routines and comfortable patterns of thinking, change is all around us and is a natural part of life. While it’s true that change can sometimes be really painful, it is also true that pain is changeful. This is more than a distinction without a difference - so if you are confused, stick with me.
More than just a clever way to reframe a problem or negative experience, looking at pain as a source of positive change is an efficient and practical choice. Pain from change can come in many forms, including: frustration over unmet expectations, disappointment over lost opportunities and grief from broken relationships to name a few. Rather than seeing these painful experiences as a nuisance or something to “get past”, why not embrace them as a vehicle to accelerate the change we experience?
The following tips may help you find the focus and sustain the motivation to stick with the pain and use it as a catalyst to change:
1) Keep Perspective – It is critically important to keep things in perspective so that we can process our experiences accordingly. A frustrating experience may feel like a “mountain”, but if we capture a wider vantage point when the initial sting subsides, we may actually recognize it as just a “small hill”. Keeping perspective will reduce wasted energy and potential over-reactions.
2) Find The Teachable Moment – If pain is truly going to be changeful, we have to find the teachable moment. Maybe the lesson is about our own misguided efforts, perhaps we didn’t listen enough or perhaps we didn’t stand up for what we knew was right. Either way, the important thing is to capture the lesson and fully integrate into our experience for next time.
3) If I Feel Something, They Feel Something – If your pain stems from some kind of relationship concern, chances are just like you feel something, the other person involved also feels something. This recognition can be a humanizing force and it is an important reminder that if we get out of our own shoes, we’re likely to be less attached to our own emotional pain as we empathize and connect with others.
The next time you feel pain or discomfort, think changefully and use the experience for your own growth and development.
Monday, June 1, 2009
The Wisdom of Being Here Before
“We miss an opportunity for future
success when we fail to learn from
past experience.”
Within business circles we don’t talk about wisdom as much as we should in the context of building and maintaining successful organizations. Complex thought processes, decision-making and interpersonal relationships are recurring cycles at the heart of every business venture, and wisdom is an asset that leaders can use to accelerate informed decision-making and cohesion around personnel, operational and strategic issues.
As a leader who is always looking for insight to help me be more effective in my work, I have encountered a very powerful tool that we all have equal access to – I call it “The Wisdom of Being Here Before”. I define wisdom as ‘the intersection of our intuitive understanding of people and things and the ability to aptly apply that understanding to real experience’. “The Wisdom of Being Here Before” (WBHB) is a special understanding that can be uniquely applied to business situations that recur repeatedly.
There are a lot of things that leaders know; in fact, there are billions of pieces of information and bits of data that are available at the touch of a mouse. However, wisdom is different than information and in my experience it comes from the teachable moments of the natural business life-cycle. The cycle of business inevitably brings us back to similar, sometimes identical, situations that we have encountered in the past. For example, an economic downturn decreases the attractiveness of R&D expenditures. The loss of these endeavors can significantly hinder the development of new, revenue-generating products and services that can help solve the current economic problem. The considerations and ultimate decision around how to proceed with R&D projects is a cyclical business cycle that comes and goes as the external economic environment ebbs and flows.
As another example, one of the most important, and often frustrating, components of business is recruiting, selecting and managing a successful workforce. Yet the pitfalls inherent in the HR experience can create a repetitive cycle of turnover that hinders morale, drains earning potential and bogs down organizational success
Unfortunately many people interpret these recurring cycles as failures (i.e. I thought we solved that problem last year!). This negative interpretation can be a source of frustration and hopelessness because it emphasizes the external cycle of business that is out of our control. Another much more productive interpretation of the recurring cycle is that we recognize the opportunity to approach a familiar problem or challenge with the strength of our prior experience that makes us stronger and more focused on what matters most.
For many leaders, in our rush to accomplish things we actually lose efficiency by not fully integrating the WBHB. This highlights the importance of maintaining the mindset of a learner. Leaders who understand the importance of keeping an open, developmental attitude are able to ask questions in real time such as: What is this circumstance teaching us? How can that be applied to future situations? When that future situation arises, these leaders are able to draw upon their intuitive understanding of people and things and then apply that understanding to their real, present experience, thus avoiding the negative interpretation.
As an emerging leader, I did not understand the WBHB. When a cycle of business would return me to familiar ground, I was often frustrated; more interested in blaming myself for the need to “repeat” something that should have already been completed. As an established leader, I now see the WBHB as an invaluable asset to draw upon when confronted with a tough, but familiar decision. I see it as both a reminder that things always remain in flux and ultimately, start again – and at the same time I can bring my experience, deep insight, confidence and wisdom to each new beginning.
The next time you find yourself re-doing a marketing campaign or getting bogged down with all-too-familiar HR issues, imagine what is possible if you fully integrate the WBHB.
success when we fail to learn from
past experience.”
Within business circles we don’t talk about wisdom as much as we should in the context of building and maintaining successful organizations. Complex thought processes, decision-making and interpersonal relationships are recurring cycles at the heart of every business venture, and wisdom is an asset that leaders can use to accelerate informed decision-making and cohesion around personnel, operational and strategic issues.
As a leader who is always looking for insight to help me be more effective in my work, I have encountered a very powerful tool that we all have equal access to – I call it “The Wisdom of Being Here Before”. I define wisdom as ‘the intersection of our intuitive understanding of people and things and the ability to aptly apply that understanding to real experience’. “The Wisdom of Being Here Before” (WBHB) is a special understanding that can be uniquely applied to business situations that recur repeatedly.
There are a lot of things that leaders know; in fact, there are billions of pieces of information and bits of data that are available at the touch of a mouse. However, wisdom is different than information and in my experience it comes from the teachable moments of the natural business life-cycle. The cycle of business inevitably brings us back to similar, sometimes identical, situations that we have encountered in the past. For example, an economic downturn decreases the attractiveness of R&D expenditures. The loss of these endeavors can significantly hinder the development of new, revenue-generating products and services that can help solve the current economic problem. The considerations and ultimate decision around how to proceed with R&D projects is a cyclical business cycle that comes and goes as the external economic environment ebbs and flows.
As another example, one of the most important, and often frustrating, components of business is recruiting, selecting and managing a successful workforce. Yet the pitfalls inherent in the HR experience can create a repetitive cycle of turnover that hinders morale, drains earning potential and bogs down organizational success
Unfortunately many people interpret these recurring cycles as failures (i.e. I thought we solved that problem last year!). This negative interpretation can be a source of frustration and hopelessness because it emphasizes the external cycle of business that is out of our control. Another much more productive interpretation of the recurring cycle is that we recognize the opportunity to approach a familiar problem or challenge with the strength of our prior experience that makes us stronger and more focused on what matters most.
For many leaders, in our rush to accomplish things we actually lose efficiency by not fully integrating the WBHB. This highlights the importance of maintaining the mindset of a learner. Leaders who understand the importance of keeping an open, developmental attitude are able to ask questions in real time such as: What is this circumstance teaching us? How can that be applied to future situations? When that future situation arises, these leaders are able to draw upon their intuitive understanding of people and things and then apply that understanding to their real, present experience, thus avoiding the negative interpretation.
As an emerging leader, I did not understand the WBHB. When a cycle of business would return me to familiar ground, I was often frustrated; more interested in blaming myself for the need to “repeat” something that should have already been completed. As an established leader, I now see the WBHB as an invaluable asset to draw upon when confronted with a tough, but familiar decision. I see it as both a reminder that things always remain in flux and ultimately, start again – and at the same time I can bring my experience, deep insight, confidence and wisdom to each new beginning.
The next time you find yourself re-doing a marketing campaign or getting bogged down with all-too-familiar HR issues, imagine what is possible if you fully integrate the WBHB.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Avoid Change Fatigue
This week’s blog post marks the last in a four-part series – Breaking Barriers (In) Real-Time. Each week in May I will be exploring popular examples of emergent issues in business and popular culture. These issues will be analyzed through my Breaking Barriers system of professional development. I hope that the insights gleaned from these everyday examples will provide accessible, constructive support for you as you navigate similar challenges.
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One of the most common barriers I see in today’s organization is Change Fatigue. Government is not immune either and nowhere is this barrier more prevalent than in the Administration of President Obama. With an onslaught of complex issues, including both domestic and international crises, each day the challenges for the Administration grow and I would argue the capacity to deliver diminishes accordingly.
In essence, change fatigue occurs when an individual or team experiences too many convergent changes over a short period of time. These often tumultuous times can lead to a number of debilitating issues. Three of the most prominent outcomes from change fatigue include: 1) information overload; 2) decrease in quality of work and overall performance; and 3) resistance to future changes that may be necessary. In less elegant terms, change fatigue can be summed up like this: when everything happens at once, nothing works well.
I have no inside view of the inner workings of the White House, however, I see the adverse impacts and the onset of change fatigue occurring as we speak. The messages and promises from the campaign are eroding, priorities seem to be jumbled as goals and initiatives are convoluted and key staffers seem to be making more uncharacteristic mistakes (See the first post in this series for more on this).
If you or your team is in the midst of rapid change, the following tips could help to alleviate the burden and avoid change fatigue:
- Make sure the change is essential. Optional changes should be put on hold in order to avoid adding unnecessary elements to the mix.
- When implementing change, provide your people with full context for why the changes are needed. This will create association with the mandate for change, as well as personal connection with the need for and upside of the expected results.
- Always provide follow-up and on-going support to key team members so that the change effort remains vital, connected and achievable.
Following these three tips will help the team embrace change and keep morale at optimal levels.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One of the most common barriers I see in today’s organization is Change Fatigue. Government is not immune either and nowhere is this barrier more prevalent than in the Administration of President Obama. With an onslaught of complex issues, including both domestic and international crises, each day the challenges for the Administration grow and I would argue the capacity to deliver diminishes accordingly.
In essence, change fatigue occurs when an individual or team experiences too many convergent changes over a short period of time. These often tumultuous times can lead to a number of debilitating issues. Three of the most prominent outcomes from change fatigue include: 1) information overload; 2) decrease in quality of work and overall performance; and 3) resistance to future changes that may be necessary. In less elegant terms, change fatigue can be summed up like this: when everything happens at once, nothing works well.
I have no inside view of the inner workings of the White House, however, I see the adverse impacts and the onset of change fatigue occurring as we speak. The messages and promises from the campaign are eroding, priorities seem to be jumbled as goals and initiatives are convoluted and key staffers seem to be making more uncharacteristic mistakes (See the first post in this series for more on this).
If you or your team is in the midst of rapid change, the following tips could help to alleviate the burden and avoid change fatigue:
- Make sure the change is essential. Optional changes should be put on hold in order to avoid adding unnecessary elements to the mix.
- When implementing change, provide your people with full context for why the changes are needed. This will create association with the mandate for change, as well as personal connection with the need for and upside of the expected results.
- Always provide follow-up and on-going support to key team members so that the change effort remains vital, connected and achievable.
Following these three tips will help the team embrace change and keep morale at optimal levels.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Doing Less With Less
This week’s blog post marks the third in a new four-part series – Breaking Barriers (In) Real-Time. Each week in May I will be exploring popular examples of emergent issues in business and popular culture. These issues will be analyzed through my Breaking Barriers system of professional development. I hope that the insights gleaned from these everyday examples will provide accessible, constructive support for you as you navigate similar challenges.
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Lately, the business world is resounding with axiomatic, hyperbolistic statements about the need to do more with less. The disconcerting refrain goes something like this: “We’re laying off half of our workforce, those who remain will just have to do more with less.” Unfortunately, these positive reframes on staff reduction are turning into bragging rights. The other day I heard a manager say that she is now doing the work of three people! Really?
I’ll be the first to say that the downturn is requiring more from everyone, however, in most cases people are simply doing less with less. It is a myth to think that one can flip a switch and double or triple their capacity overnight. While the fat trimming does create more capacity, it is not at the level required by most cutbacks. So what does this mean and what should you do? Let’s use process of elimination to get to a reasonable conclusion:
Should we just multitask more?
No, multitasking is not the answer. Although multitasking has been widely recognized as an important skill in today’s fast paced and competitive business environment, new research indicates that multitasking not only results in the loss of time, but it reduces our overall effectiveness and the accuracy of our work. It turns out that the busyness associated with switching back and forth between tasks reduces the valuable self-talk and mental processing time we actually need to make good decisions. Rather than saving us time and money, multitasking can represent as much as a 40% reduction in our overall productivity. That’s not very efficient.
Should we just work more days and longer hours?
No, working harder is not the answer. While there may be some short-term benefit from this extra time, burn out from this tact would further cripple the productivity of the workforce.
Should we re-focus our priorities on the most essential organizational objectives and then set aside the appropriate level of resources required to meet them?
Yes, in my experience, this is the best anecdote to doing less with less. Let’s face it; everything is not created equal in the workplace. One of the most common mistakes managers and leaders make is to treat all outcomes the same. This is often called whitewashing because everything is made to look the same on the surface.
When we treat all goals and outcomes the same, we inadvertently divert our energy and attention away from the most critical priorities. In a challenging business environment, this distraction from essential priorities can be a fatal flaw. The valiant, but miserable attempts to do “more with less” risks leaving the more difficult challenges left undone. This requires us to be brutally honest about what matters most and to make hard choices about goals that we may not succeed at initially. All of us, especially managers and leaders, must distinguish good successes from okay successes in order to instill “top of mind focus” on the most essential priorities. When we do this, we’ll stop whitewashing and the true colors of our goals and objectives will shine through.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lately, the business world is resounding with axiomatic, hyperbolistic statements about the need to do more with less. The disconcerting refrain goes something like this: “We’re laying off half of our workforce, those who remain will just have to do more with less.” Unfortunately, these positive reframes on staff reduction are turning into bragging rights. The other day I heard a manager say that she is now doing the work of three people! Really?
I’ll be the first to say that the downturn is requiring more from everyone, however, in most cases people are simply doing less with less. It is a myth to think that one can flip a switch and double or triple their capacity overnight. While the fat trimming does create more capacity, it is not at the level required by most cutbacks. So what does this mean and what should you do? Let’s use process of elimination to get to a reasonable conclusion:
Should we just multitask more?
No, multitasking is not the answer. Although multitasking has been widely recognized as an important skill in today’s fast paced and competitive business environment, new research indicates that multitasking not only results in the loss of time, but it reduces our overall effectiveness and the accuracy of our work. It turns out that the busyness associated with switching back and forth between tasks reduces the valuable self-talk and mental processing time we actually need to make good decisions. Rather than saving us time and money, multitasking can represent as much as a 40% reduction in our overall productivity. That’s not very efficient.
Should we just work more days and longer hours?
No, working harder is not the answer. While there may be some short-term benefit from this extra time, burn out from this tact would further cripple the productivity of the workforce.
Should we re-focus our priorities on the most essential organizational objectives and then set aside the appropriate level of resources required to meet them?
Yes, in my experience, this is the best anecdote to doing less with less. Let’s face it; everything is not created equal in the workplace. One of the most common mistakes managers and leaders make is to treat all outcomes the same. This is often called whitewashing because everything is made to look the same on the surface.
When we treat all goals and outcomes the same, we inadvertently divert our energy and attention away from the most critical priorities. In a challenging business environment, this distraction from essential priorities can be a fatal flaw. The valiant, but miserable attempts to do “more with less” risks leaving the more difficult challenges left undone. This requires us to be brutally honest about what matters most and to make hard choices about goals that we may not succeed at initially. All of us, especially managers and leaders, must distinguish good successes from okay successes in order to instill “top of mind focus” on the most essential priorities. When we do this, we’ll stop whitewashing and the true colors of our goals and objectives will shine through.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Organizational Success-Handicapping
This week’s blog post marks the second in a new four-part series – Breaking Barriers (In) Real-Time. Each week in May I will be exploring popular examples of emergent issues in business and popular culture. These issues will be analyzed through my Breaking Barriers system of professional development. I hope that the insights gleaned from these everyday examples will provide accessible, constructive support for you as you navigate similar challenges.
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Even if you are not a closet astrophysicist, you have most likely been impacted by the Hubble Space Telescope. Since its launch in 1990, the stunning images of distant stars and galaxies returned by Hubble have shown up in movies, websites and even popular art. A slew of scientific discoveries and affirmations have resulted from the work of this school bus-size instrument. Yesterday the most expensive repair team launched into space to give Hubble “a hug” as one astronaut put it. They are changing out computers, updated hardware and increasing its capacity to deliver even better results. This is the last repair mission and the Hubble will go offline on or around 2014 so that a next generation telescope can get its moment in the sun.
What? One of the most productive instruments NASA has launched will be relegated to the space junk scrap heap while it is still going strong? Okay, major disclaimer here: I am a doctor, but not the kind that is qualified to comment on the science and political inner-game at work here. That being said, in this scenario I see an all-too familiar organizational performance barrier that must be discussed. I call this barrier organizational-success handicapping. I describe this barrier as strategic and operational behavior that creates or attracts obstacles that limit success.
In essence, NASA is abandoning a relatively cheap, productive and reliable first-generation instrument for the promise of something more expensive, hopefully just as productive - and uncertainly reliable – next generation telescope. But why? It is not because the scientific community and the world of amateur star gazers have tired of the breathtaking Hubble pictures. I argue that it is part of a culture that needs such a strong justification for failure (in order to maintain credibility for political and budgetary reasons) that at times they inadvertently induce that failure.
This is similar to the opposite of a sunk-cost fallacy. A sunk-cost fallacy occurs when someone has put so much time, energy and resources into a failing project that they refuse to call it quits – even when they know it will never succeed. On the flip-side, NASA’s barrier of organizational-success handicapping follows a pattern of building road blocks when there are none to be found. This barrier is especially problematic because it creates a nexus of other performance issues and reduces efficiency and capacity for leveraging successes that do occur. For the sake of everyone, let’s hope that there are people working to change the culture so that this form of handicapping does not erode the runaway success of missions like Hubble in the future.
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Even if you are not a closet astrophysicist, you have most likely been impacted by the Hubble Space Telescope. Since its launch in 1990, the stunning images of distant stars and galaxies returned by Hubble have shown up in movies, websites and even popular art. A slew of scientific discoveries and affirmations have resulted from the work of this school bus-size instrument. Yesterday the most expensive repair team launched into space to give Hubble “a hug” as one astronaut put it. They are changing out computers, updated hardware and increasing its capacity to deliver even better results. This is the last repair mission and the Hubble will go offline on or around 2014 so that a next generation telescope can get its moment in the sun.
What? One of the most productive instruments NASA has launched will be relegated to the space junk scrap heap while it is still going strong? Okay, major disclaimer here: I am a doctor, but not the kind that is qualified to comment on the science and political inner-game at work here. That being said, in this scenario I see an all-too familiar organizational performance barrier that must be discussed. I call this barrier organizational-success handicapping. I describe this barrier as strategic and operational behavior that creates or attracts obstacles that limit success.
In essence, NASA is abandoning a relatively cheap, productive and reliable first-generation instrument for the promise of something more expensive, hopefully just as productive - and uncertainly reliable – next generation telescope. But why? It is not because the scientific community and the world of amateur star gazers have tired of the breathtaking Hubble pictures. I argue that it is part of a culture that needs such a strong justification for failure (in order to maintain credibility for political and budgetary reasons) that at times they inadvertently induce that failure.
This is similar to the opposite of a sunk-cost fallacy. A sunk-cost fallacy occurs when someone has put so much time, energy and resources into a failing project that they refuse to call it quits – even when they know it will never succeed. On the flip-side, NASA’s barrier of organizational-success handicapping follows a pattern of building road blocks when there are none to be found. This barrier is especially problematic because it creates a nexus of other performance issues and reduces efficiency and capacity for leveraging successes that do occur. For the sake of everyone, let’s hope that there are people working to change the culture so that this form of handicapping does not erode the runaway success of missions like Hubble in the future.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Inside Blinders
This week’s blog post marks the first in a new four-part series – Breaking Barriers (In) Real-Time. Each week in May I will be exploring popular examples of emergent issues in business and popular culture. These issues will be analyzed through my Breaking Barriers system of professional development. I hope that the insights gleaned from these everyday examples will provide accessible, constructive support for you as you navigate similar challenges.
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Last week Vice President Joe Biden found himself embroiled in another gaffe; this time regarding his supposed personal advice to family members on how to avoid exposure to swine flu. Slightly led into the off-message comments by the interviewer, Vice President Biden seemed to relish the chance to speak for the crisis. While many in the media immediately dismissed the comment as “Joe being Joe,” I recognized a barrier to learning and performance that played a role in his collapse. I refer to this barrier as Inside Blinders and it means that you narrowly see yourself as you want to, not as others do.
As I watched the interview, to me there was a visible instant of choice - the split second in which Mr. Biden made a decision to share the hard truth regarding the crisis in an unabashedly honest way. Perhaps this is too generous for a public figure known for not always thinking before he speaks; but my guess is that his calculation included the assessment that keeping things real with the American public would be better than providing stock answers that don’t actually say anything.
While this kind of candor could really work as a refreshing alternative for the constant media drone of safe political statements, in this case it didn’t. For the 25 second unscripted portion of the interview, The Vice President saw himself as a brave truth teller and did not perceive the public’s view of him as the voice of the administration’s policy on the crisis. The Vice President’s inside blinders made it infeasible for him to measure the cost of his candid comments. As a result, he was not only off the political message and inconsistent with the administration’s health advisory, he appeared naïve and over-reaching about the nature of the threat.
The negative impact of these Inside Blinders does not to suggest that a person should operate exclusively at the whim of others’ perceptions. However, if we can learn to shape our attitudes, behaviors and choices with respect to a balance between how we see ourselves and how other people view us, our calculations can produce better net results. My guess is that this won’t be the last time this happens to the Vice President, so stay tuned for an update…
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Last week Vice President Joe Biden found himself embroiled in another gaffe; this time regarding his supposed personal advice to family members on how to avoid exposure to swine flu. Slightly led into the off-message comments by the interviewer, Vice President Biden seemed to relish the chance to speak for the crisis. While many in the media immediately dismissed the comment as “Joe being Joe,” I recognized a barrier to learning and performance that played a role in his collapse. I refer to this barrier as Inside Blinders and it means that you narrowly see yourself as you want to, not as others do.
As I watched the interview, to me there was a visible instant of choice - the split second in which Mr. Biden made a decision to share the hard truth regarding the crisis in an unabashedly honest way. Perhaps this is too generous for a public figure known for not always thinking before he speaks; but my guess is that his calculation included the assessment that keeping things real with the American public would be better than providing stock answers that don’t actually say anything.
While this kind of candor could really work as a refreshing alternative for the constant media drone of safe political statements, in this case it didn’t. For the 25 second unscripted portion of the interview, The Vice President saw himself as a brave truth teller and did not perceive the public’s view of him as the voice of the administration’s policy on the crisis. The Vice President’s inside blinders made it infeasible for him to measure the cost of his candid comments. As a result, he was not only off the political message and inconsistent with the administration’s health advisory, he appeared naïve and over-reaching about the nature of the threat.
The negative impact of these Inside Blinders does not to suggest that a person should operate exclusively at the whim of others’ perceptions. However, if we can learn to shape our attitudes, behaviors and choices with respect to a balance between how we see ourselves and how other people view us, our calculations can produce better net results. My guess is that this won’t be the last time this happens to the Vice President, so stay tuned for an update…
Monday, April 27, 2009
In honor of the Nat Geo feature, Waking the Baby Mammoth, here is a reprise of a column I published last year.
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Popular legend suggests that elephants instinctively leave their group when they reach an older age and then guide themselves toward a special place known as the Elephant Graveyard. When their journey is done, they die there alone, far away from the group - perhaps so that their passing does not adversely impact the herd or slow them down in any way.
Whether true or not, I think human nature can learn something important from watching this animal instinct in action. There are elephants all around us - at home, at work and throughout our community. Only the DNA of these elephants is formed from the miscommunications, unresolved conflicts, unmet expectations, denials and outbursts we experience in the course of our day-to-day lives.
The old saying “the elephant in the room” describes these often unmentionable issues that are known by most to be present, yet overwhelm or intimidate direct conversation about their nature and influence.
How many aging elephants are lingering in your office, board room or living room? What is stopping you from giving them permission to go away and die so that you can move on, unencumbered by the weight of their memory? The following suggestions are offered here as a resource to address your “elephant in the room”:
Make the undiscussable discussable – Whether the issue is between two or twenty-two people, reduce the stigma of discussing the issue by requesting an open, honest and safe discussion.
Put the elephant in all three dimensions – The proverbial blind men touching different parts of an elephant and all describing something very different is a helpful analogy. Don’t assume that everyone “knows exactly what’s going on here”. Invite people to share their perspective on the issue and don’t judge the way in which perspectives are different concerning the nature and causes of the issue.
Focus everyone on moving forward – Pose a powerful question to start down the path of resolution. Asking “what do we need to do to make peace with this and move on?” will initiate a conversation of possibilities and perhaps forgiveness and peace.
Implementing these three suggestions will be difficult for sure. However, they offer a possible way through the deeply-rooted issues that bog you and others down.
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Popular legend suggests that elephants instinctively leave their group when they reach an older age and then guide themselves toward a special place known as the Elephant Graveyard. When their journey is done, they die there alone, far away from the group - perhaps so that their passing does not adversely impact the herd or slow them down in any way.
Whether true or not, I think human nature can learn something important from watching this animal instinct in action. There are elephants all around us - at home, at work and throughout our community. Only the DNA of these elephants is formed from the miscommunications, unresolved conflicts, unmet expectations, denials and outbursts we experience in the course of our day-to-day lives.
The old saying “the elephant in the room” describes these often unmentionable issues that are known by most to be present, yet overwhelm or intimidate direct conversation about their nature and influence.
How many aging elephants are lingering in your office, board room or living room? What is stopping you from giving them permission to go away and die so that you can move on, unencumbered by the weight of their memory? The following suggestions are offered here as a resource to address your “elephant in the room”:
Make the undiscussable discussable – Whether the issue is between two or twenty-two people, reduce the stigma of discussing the issue by requesting an open, honest and safe discussion.
Put the elephant in all three dimensions – The proverbial blind men touching different parts of an elephant and all describing something very different is a helpful analogy. Don’t assume that everyone “knows exactly what’s going on here”. Invite people to share their perspective on the issue and don’t judge the way in which perspectives are different concerning the nature and causes of the issue.
Focus everyone on moving forward – Pose a powerful question to start down the path of resolution. Asking “what do we need to do to make peace with this and move on?” will initiate a conversation of possibilities and perhaps forgiveness and peace.
Implementing these three suggestions will be difficult for sure. However, they offer a possible way through the deeply-rooted issues that bog you and others down.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sorry, But That Was Bad Advice
I was surprised to read the advice given by a syndicated columnist in yesterday’s newspaper. She was asked for feedback on how to approach an emerging conflict between neighbors. The issue at hand involved intrusive backyard lights that created an uncomfortable glare and disrupted serene, nocturnal hot-tubing. After one attempt to talk about things without a solution, the concerned neighbor asked for help with an emphasis on wanting to avoid escalating the situation. In short the columnist’s advice was to write a formal cease and desist letter and send it by registered mail. And, if that didn’t change things, she should hire an attorney and begin the litigation process. Thanks for coming.
My blog is not designed to give advice directly, but I feel the need to break tradition here and offer some advice to the neighbor who wrote to this syndicated columnist (wherever they are) and to any other people in similar situations who may have read the response. For starters, do not follow that advice.
The registered letter and threat of litigation is the equivalent of snuffing out a candle with a leaf blower. It is an unnecessarily confrontational approach and it is this kind of advisement that often prevents issues like this from being resolved without long-term, negative effects. The adversarial approach that she recommended is shortsighted for the following reasons:
• Registered letters and threats from attorneys invite a volley of tit for tat exchanges that solidify barriers to communication and close the door on reasonable discussion;
• By shifting toward a “win-lose” approach to addressing the issue, common sense is tossed out the window as the focus turns toward proving right and wrong according to CC&Rs, code enforcement issues, HOA rights, etc.; and
• By using external channels to communicate, the person with the most incentive to settle the dispute is made powerless to make those requests directly thus reducing the urgency to settle the matter and the potentially cathartic aspects of conflict resolution.
For individuals experiencing neighbor issues, there are other options to consider that hold more promise for a successful and lasting resolution, including:
• Call your local mediation center. Most communities have one and they offer a wealth of expertise on non-adversarial means of dealing effectively with conflict. They can coach you on an approach or help to convene a mediation session between both sides. San Luis Obispo County residents can contact Creative Mediation at 805-549-0442 or www.creativemediation.net.
• If you want to go it alone, try to speak with the person face to face before sending threatening letters or hiring expensive attorneys. You can use the following steps as a guide for these conversations:
o Invite them to discuss the issues openly
o Vent frustrations and concerns openly, but not in an accusatory manner
o Separate the people from the problem by focusing on issues, not personalities
o Instead of standing firm in positions, focus on the underlying interests
o Brainstorm solutions that can satisfy both sides’ interests
o Agree to a mutual and concrete resolution with clear tasks and timelines
While a proactive approach like this may feel more challenging, it offers the potential to work things out faster, with less stress, and in a manner that strengthens relationships in the long-run. Imagine what’s possible when neighbors mediate more and litigate less.
My blog is not designed to give advice directly, but I feel the need to break tradition here and offer some advice to the neighbor who wrote to this syndicated columnist (wherever they are) and to any other people in similar situations who may have read the response. For starters, do not follow that advice.
The registered letter and threat of litigation is the equivalent of snuffing out a candle with a leaf blower. It is an unnecessarily confrontational approach and it is this kind of advisement that often prevents issues like this from being resolved without long-term, negative effects. The adversarial approach that she recommended is shortsighted for the following reasons:
• Registered letters and threats from attorneys invite a volley of tit for tat exchanges that solidify barriers to communication and close the door on reasonable discussion;
• By shifting toward a “win-lose” approach to addressing the issue, common sense is tossed out the window as the focus turns toward proving right and wrong according to CC&Rs, code enforcement issues, HOA rights, etc.; and
• By using external channels to communicate, the person with the most incentive to settle the dispute is made powerless to make those requests directly thus reducing the urgency to settle the matter and the potentially cathartic aspects of conflict resolution.
For individuals experiencing neighbor issues, there are other options to consider that hold more promise for a successful and lasting resolution, including:
• Call your local mediation center. Most communities have one and they offer a wealth of expertise on non-adversarial means of dealing effectively with conflict. They can coach you on an approach or help to convene a mediation session between both sides. San Luis Obispo County residents can contact Creative Mediation at 805-549-0442 or www.creativemediation.net.
• If you want to go it alone, try to speak with the person face to face before sending threatening letters or hiring expensive attorneys. You can use the following steps as a guide for these conversations:
o Invite them to discuss the issues openly
o Vent frustrations and concerns openly, but not in an accusatory manner
o Separate the people from the problem by focusing on issues, not personalities
o Instead of standing firm in positions, focus on the underlying interests
o Brainstorm solutions that can satisfy both sides’ interests
o Agree to a mutual and concrete resolution with clear tasks and timelines
While a proactive approach like this may feel more challenging, it offers the potential to work things out faster, with less stress, and in a manner that strengthens relationships in the long-run. Imagine what’s possible when neighbors mediate more and litigate less.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Three Quick Mediation Tips For Business Owners
Today’s current business owner and tomorrow’s entrepreneur alike require a range of critical skills to successfully navigate the challenges of doing business. Often overlooked and undervalued are the soft, people skills that mark the difference between deal-making and deal-breaking. One’s ability to mediate opposing interests and find win-win solutions in the face of conflict is a considerable leverage point that can save time, money and get results.
Here are a few quick tips for the businessperson to remember when opposing viewpoints or agendas need to come together:
Attack the problem, not the person. Remember to be hard on the substance of the dispute but soft on the people. Although emotions may rise, both parties are in the same situation. Step back, separate the person from the problem and make a good faith attempt to put energy into solutions vs. blaming.
Reframe for easier understanding. The way you speak your mind is often more important than what you say. To hear and be heard, use open language that expresses the simple points. Avoid comments embellished with condescending jargon, personal attacks or negative tones.
Find ways to create more value. It is easy to focus on a ‘fixed-pie’, or a finite set of value when competing. Try to expand the pie by understanding deeper interests that could lead to other possible points of agreement.
Here are a few quick tips for the businessperson to remember when opposing viewpoints or agendas need to come together:
Attack the problem, not the person. Remember to be hard on the substance of the dispute but soft on the people. Although emotions may rise, both parties are in the same situation. Step back, separate the person from the problem and make a good faith attempt to put energy into solutions vs. blaming.
Reframe for easier understanding. The way you speak your mind is often more important than what you say. To hear and be heard, use open language that expresses the simple points. Avoid comments embellished with condescending jargon, personal attacks or negative tones.
Find ways to create more value. It is easy to focus on a ‘fixed-pie’, or a finite set of value when competing. Try to expand the pie by understanding deeper interests that could lead to other possible points of agreement.
Monday, April 6, 2009
NEGOTIATION 101
Last weekend a colleague asked for some tips on negotiation so I thought I would share a few tips with my readers. These are general concepts, so connect with me if you have a specific situation that you have difficulty applying them to. In the meantime, check out my "Breaking Barriers" podcast updates on iTunes!
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Negotiation is a reflection of the dynamic world in which we live and it plays a significant role in our day-to-day lives. If we look at the world as a melting pot where differing needs, perspectives and desires constantly crash into each other, then negotiation - in some form or another - is the primary process of addressing these differences. A child’s bedtime or curfew, what movie the group will see, where the family will take a vacation, and how a business strategy will be designed and implemented are just a few simple examples of the everyday negotiation that we do.
Considering the fact that we are all negotiators all of the time, why isn’t there more attention paid to the knowledge and skill required to do it well? I am often asked for insights on successful negotiation and in response to those requests, this column features a summary of the guiding ideas that have helped me in my personal negotiations as well as the professional negotiations I have been a part of.
Negotiate Interests – Our interests explain the underlying reasons why we want things. Rather than trying to negotiate hard and immobile positions (i.e. “Your curfew is going to be 10:00 pm!”), discuss interests which can often be met in multiple ways (i.e. “I’m concerned that you will not get enough rest in order to be productive at school and soccer, so a 10:00 pm bedtime seems like it would give you ample sleep.”)
Be Hard On The Problem And Soft On The People – The first step toward successful negotiation is to frame differences as mutual problems to be solved. Getting both people in a more objective mindset can give you the opportunity to be hard on tackling the problem, but in a way that doesn’t personalize disagreements and reduce communication and goodwill.
Know What Matters To You – Some say that preparation is the most important part of any negotiation. It is vital that you know what your ‘walk away outcome’ really is. Often called a BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), this bottom line helps you set a parameter about what will work for you. If you are unable to reach a negotiated settlement that is as good as or better than your BATNA, then you walk away.
Spend Time Understanding Their Perspective – Listening is not simply waiting for your turn to speak. Effective listening involves setting aside your own thoughts, defenses and judgments long enough to truly get inside their thinking about the problem. Understanding their interests is a key to generating options and solutions and when negotiations fail, it is often because the underlying interests and perspectives of both sides were not fully explored, understood and integrated into the discussion.
Break Issues Down Into Smaller Pieces – In complicated situations, getting stuck can hurt momentum and challenge the will of even the most optimistic negotiators. If you find yourself stuck at impasse, try breaking down issues into smaller pieces and addressing them one at a time, starting with the simpler ones. This may jumpstart a bigger breakthrough from an incremental level.
Validate The Other Sides’ Concerns – Problem solving often can’t occur until people have thoroughly expressed the impact of their experiences. We can accelerate the problem-solving phase of negotiation by earnestly acknowledging and validating the other sides’ concerns. This is not the same as agreeing with them, it simply helps them disarm their need to hold tight to past reactions and shift their thinking to future possibilities.
Seek Solutions That Will Satisfy Their Issues, As Well As Your Own – After the concerns of both sides have been fully understood and the underlying interests have been surfaced and put squarely on the table – it is time generate options and solutions. As proposals turn into potential areas of agreement, test them by asking if it satisfies both sides’ interests. Only mutually satisfying outcomes have the potential for durable agreement.
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Negotiation is a reflection of the dynamic world in which we live and it plays a significant role in our day-to-day lives. If we look at the world as a melting pot where differing needs, perspectives and desires constantly crash into each other, then negotiation - in some form or another - is the primary process of addressing these differences. A child’s bedtime or curfew, what movie the group will see, where the family will take a vacation, and how a business strategy will be designed and implemented are just a few simple examples of the everyday negotiation that we do.
Considering the fact that we are all negotiators all of the time, why isn’t there more attention paid to the knowledge and skill required to do it well? I am often asked for insights on successful negotiation and in response to those requests, this column features a summary of the guiding ideas that have helped me in my personal negotiations as well as the professional negotiations I have been a part of.
Negotiate Interests – Our interests explain the underlying reasons why we want things. Rather than trying to negotiate hard and immobile positions (i.e. “Your curfew is going to be 10:00 pm!”), discuss interests which can often be met in multiple ways (i.e. “I’m concerned that you will not get enough rest in order to be productive at school and soccer, so a 10:00 pm bedtime seems like it would give you ample sleep.”)
Be Hard On The Problem And Soft On The People – The first step toward successful negotiation is to frame differences as mutual problems to be solved. Getting both people in a more objective mindset can give you the opportunity to be hard on tackling the problem, but in a way that doesn’t personalize disagreements and reduce communication and goodwill.
Know What Matters To You – Some say that preparation is the most important part of any negotiation. It is vital that you know what your ‘walk away outcome’ really is. Often called a BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), this bottom line helps you set a parameter about what will work for you. If you are unable to reach a negotiated settlement that is as good as or better than your BATNA, then you walk away.
Spend Time Understanding Their Perspective – Listening is not simply waiting for your turn to speak. Effective listening involves setting aside your own thoughts, defenses and judgments long enough to truly get inside their thinking about the problem. Understanding their interests is a key to generating options and solutions and when negotiations fail, it is often because the underlying interests and perspectives of both sides were not fully explored, understood and integrated into the discussion.
Break Issues Down Into Smaller Pieces – In complicated situations, getting stuck can hurt momentum and challenge the will of even the most optimistic negotiators. If you find yourself stuck at impasse, try breaking down issues into smaller pieces and addressing them one at a time, starting with the simpler ones. This may jumpstart a bigger breakthrough from an incremental level.
Validate The Other Sides’ Concerns – Problem solving often can’t occur until people have thoroughly expressed the impact of their experiences. We can accelerate the problem-solving phase of negotiation by earnestly acknowledging and validating the other sides’ concerns. This is not the same as agreeing with them, it simply helps them disarm their need to hold tight to past reactions and shift their thinking to future possibilities.
Seek Solutions That Will Satisfy Their Issues, As Well As Your Own – After the concerns of both sides have been fully understood and the underlying interests have been surfaced and put squarely on the table – it is time generate options and solutions. As proposals turn into potential areas of agreement, test them by asking if it satisfies both sides’ interests. Only mutually satisfying outcomes have the potential for durable agreement.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Not Enough Gas In The Tank
Have you ever tried to start something new – going back to school, launching a business or starting a new project at work – only to discover shortly after beginning the effort that you did not have enough time, energy or skills to make it work?
Too often we find ourselves in a situation of inevitable failure. These false starts can wreak havoc on our confidence and diminish future possibilities. Often the problem is that we simply don’t have enough gas in the tank.
David McClusky called this “Insufficient Margin” and it happens when a person experiences more demands than they have energy and resources to match them. For example, if you have career, family and social responsibilities, as well as financial concerns and other day-to-day challenges, then you need to have an equivalent set of resources such as time, money, motivation and support from others to meet them.
When the pressures we face outweigh the resources we have to meet them, we might not have enough gas in the tank to take on something new. Before you take on the next exciting challenge, take an honest assessment of what’s on your plate and make sure you have the available skills, resources and motivation to match them.
Too often we find ourselves in a situation of inevitable failure. These false starts can wreak havoc on our confidence and diminish future possibilities. Often the problem is that we simply don’t have enough gas in the tank.
David McClusky called this “Insufficient Margin” and it happens when a person experiences more demands than they have energy and resources to match them. For example, if you have career, family and social responsibilities, as well as financial concerns and other day-to-day challenges, then you need to have an equivalent set of resources such as time, money, motivation and support from others to meet them.
When the pressures we face outweigh the resources we have to meet them, we might not have enough gas in the tank to take on something new. Before you take on the next exciting challenge, take an honest assessment of what’s on your plate and make sure you have the available skills, resources and motivation to match them.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Start Thinking Like A Mediator
Imagine, two sisters are bitterly arguing over a single orange, both claiming it is theirs alone. After intense bickering, their Mom enters the room determined to end the dispute and regain peace and calm in the house. She snatches the orange, takes a knife, and proceeds to cut it down the middle, giving half to one sister and half to the other. Following a stern reminder to keep quiet, Mom retreats back to her room leaving both of the sisters to pick up where they left off.
Problem solved? Not exactly, because the story doesn’t end there…
Before we see what comes of these two sisters and the controversial orange, think about a recent conflict you’ve been involved in. We’ve all been there – the point where communication breaks down, walls come up, and we spend more time blaming others for our problems than focusing on potential solutions.
Unfortunately, conflict can also be an expensive and damaging force that destroys even the best relationships and significantly reduces our overall effectiveness. Take a minute right now and consider the costs of unresolved conflict at work, at home and in your personal life. Some of the negative outcomes you’ve experienced may include: physical and emotional stress, reduced productivity, even safety concerns or expensive legal fees. In addition to these negative outcomes, the emotional wake that trails us when we are caught up in a conflict can put a wedge in our relationships and prevent us from being at our best.
Each of us could significantly reduce or eliminate these negative consequences if we began to “start thinking like a mediator”. Thinking like a mediator begins with an attitude shift, where conflict is seen not as a problem to be avoided, but as an opportunity to improve relationships and get more of what we want and need. Thinking like a mediator means you focus on future possibilities, not past mistakes.
How can you start thinking like a mediator? Consider the story of ‘The Orange and the Sisters’ again, which captures a simple lesson about what’s at the heart of conflict. We left off with Mom splitting the orange down the middle. One sister proceeds to juice her half of the orange and throw the peel in the trash. The other sister scoops out the fruit and throws it in the trash, then takes the zest from the peel and uses it to make a cake.
In this situation, if Mom had thought like a mediator she would have been able to help each of the sisters explain what they wanted, why it was important to them and what type of potential resolution they could both live with. Although each sister’s position was mutually exclusive (It’s my orange, you can’t have it), their underlying interests were much more compatible (I want the fruit; I just want the peel). If Mom thought like a mediator, she could have helped each sister achieve 100% of what they wanted, rather than 50%.
This story offers a simple analogy regarding the importance of understanding what’s going on below the surface of a conflict and it can be applied to any disagreement, large or small. The next time you find yourself feeling stuck in the middle of a conflict, remember the moral of the story and try to follow this roadmap to a successful resolution:
1) First, agree to have a conversation to explore the issues, assumptions and feelings involved. Relationships are built one conversation at a time. By agreeing to sit down and talk things out, you have the opportunity to chart a new course and a better direction for that relationship.
2) Next, take time to clarify the situation to get both perspectives squarely out in the open. It is important to acknowledge the impact of the conflict, then model new ways to make amends. Try to focus attention on identifying the substantial issues and then break those down into separate pieces. Remember; be hard on the problem and easy on the people.
3) As issues surface, generate options that can potentially satisfy the underlying needs of both people. You don’t always have to have something brilliant to propose; just start getting supportive ideas on the table.
4) And finally, as agreements begin to form, commit to a resolution and discuss how the solution can be implemented quickly and effectively.
This road map can take you from avoiding problems to achieving solutions. Imagine what’s possible if we all started thinking like mediators!
Problem solved? Not exactly, because the story doesn’t end there…
Before we see what comes of these two sisters and the controversial orange, think about a recent conflict you’ve been involved in. We’ve all been there – the point where communication breaks down, walls come up, and we spend more time blaming others for our problems than focusing on potential solutions.
Unfortunately, conflict can also be an expensive and damaging force that destroys even the best relationships and significantly reduces our overall effectiveness. Take a minute right now and consider the costs of unresolved conflict at work, at home and in your personal life. Some of the negative outcomes you’ve experienced may include: physical and emotional stress, reduced productivity, even safety concerns or expensive legal fees. In addition to these negative outcomes, the emotional wake that trails us when we are caught up in a conflict can put a wedge in our relationships and prevent us from being at our best.
Each of us could significantly reduce or eliminate these negative consequences if we began to “start thinking like a mediator”. Thinking like a mediator begins with an attitude shift, where conflict is seen not as a problem to be avoided, but as an opportunity to improve relationships and get more of what we want and need. Thinking like a mediator means you focus on future possibilities, not past mistakes.
How can you start thinking like a mediator? Consider the story of ‘The Orange and the Sisters’ again, which captures a simple lesson about what’s at the heart of conflict. We left off with Mom splitting the orange down the middle. One sister proceeds to juice her half of the orange and throw the peel in the trash. The other sister scoops out the fruit and throws it in the trash, then takes the zest from the peel and uses it to make a cake.
In this situation, if Mom had thought like a mediator she would have been able to help each of the sisters explain what they wanted, why it was important to them and what type of potential resolution they could both live with. Although each sister’s position was mutually exclusive (It’s my orange, you can’t have it), their underlying interests were much more compatible (I want the fruit; I just want the peel). If Mom thought like a mediator, she could have helped each sister achieve 100% of what they wanted, rather than 50%.
This story offers a simple analogy regarding the importance of understanding what’s going on below the surface of a conflict and it can be applied to any disagreement, large or small. The next time you find yourself feeling stuck in the middle of a conflict, remember the moral of the story and try to follow this roadmap to a successful resolution:
1) First, agree to have a conversation to explore the issues, assumptions and feelings involved. Relationships are built one conversation at a time. By agreeing to sit down and talk things out, you have the opportunity to chart a new course and a better direction for that relationship.
2) Next, take time to clarify the situation to get both perspectives squarely out in the open. It is important to acknowledge the impact of the conflict, then model new ways to make amends. Try to focus attention on identifying the substantial issues and then break those down into separate pieces. Remember; be hard on the problem and easy on the people.
3) As issues surface, generate options that can potentially satisfy the underlying needs of both people. You don’t always have to have something brilliant to propose; just start getting supportive ideas on the table.
4) And finally, as agreements begin to form, commit to a resolution and discuss how the solution can be implemented quickly and effectively.
This road map can take you from avoiding problems to achieving solutions. Imagine what’s possible if we all started thinking like mediators!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Whitewashing
Let’s face it; everything is not created equal in the workplace. One of the most common mistakes managers and leaders make is to treat all outcomes the same. This is often called whitewashing because everything is made to look the same on the surface.
When we treat all goals and outcomes the same, we inadvertently divert our energy and attention away from the most critical priorities. In a challenging business environment, this distraction from essential priorities can be a fatal flaw.
Although it can be important to consistently check tasks off your to do list, if your efforts are focused on the easier, but less critical priorities, then you risk leaving the more difficult challenges left undone. This requires us to be brutally honest about what matters most and to make hard choices about goals that we may not succeed at initially.
All of us, especially managers and leaders must distinguish good successes from okay successes in order to instill “top of mind focus” on the most essential priorities. When we do this, we’ll stop whitewashing and the true colors of our goals and objectives will shine through.
When we treat all goals and outcomes the same, we inadvertently divert our energy and attention away from the most critical priorities. In a challenging business environment, this distraction from essential priorities can be a fatal flaw.
Although it can be important to consistently check tasks off your to do list, if your efforts are focused on the easier, but less critical priorities, then you risk leaving the more difficult challenges left undone. This requires us to be brutally honest about what matters most and to make hard choices about goals that we may not succeed at initially.
All of us, especially managers and leaders must distinguish good successes from okay successes in order to instill “top of mind focus” on the most essential priorities. When we do this, we’ll stop whitewashing and the true colors of our goals and objectives will shine through.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Change Your Routine
If you’ve ever tried to break a habit at work or in your personal life, then you know how difficult it can be to get out of a pattern and start a new routine. Despite this difficulty, there are some routines that are worth changing. In prior posts I have written about ways in which we sometimes project outward attitudes that are then contradicted by our behaviors. In this vein, defensive routines are important habits to examine.
As Chris Argyris defines them, defensive routines are like mixed-messages, which over time blind people to their contradictory nature. Over time, we accept these mixed messages as simple truth. This welcomed conundrum is a sort of double-bind, which is maintained as a means of preventing embarrassment, avoiding a perceived threat or awkward situation, maintaining the status quo and avoiding unwanted change. As these messages are institutionalized over time, they can take on the force of a cultural taboo, making an honest dialogue about them off limits.
It is important to note that these defensive routines represent dynamic and complicated behaviors and require a certain level of what Chris Argyris calls "skilled incompetence”. Essentially, even though one individual may know that another person is also aware of an issue that is a problem of mutual concern, they both choose to act as though neither of the parties knows anything. They both may do this in a skilled manner in order to perpetuate a believable cover-up. The very attitudes and behaviors that support these cover-ups are an example of a defensive routine and over time they serve to prevent the learning that is necessary to bring about both individual and organizational changes for improvement. If you think you are experiencing a defensive routine, answer these four questions to see what is happening at a deeper level.
1. Are you or others sending a message that is inconsistent?
2. Are you or others acting as if the message is not inconsistent?
3. Are you or others in any way making this inconsistency undiscussable?
4. And, are you or others making the pretense that there is no inconsistency, or that it is discussable?
If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, perhaps you are in the midst of a defensive routine. If you discover the presence of a defensive routine, it is critical to fully understand what it is and then devise a way to address it. No individual, team or organization is immune to developing defensive routines and it is important not to let responses to them include simple quick fixes or band-aid solutions. As a way to avoid developing or sustaining such routines, individuals can begin to practice more open communication by making it acceptable to freely and respectfully question interpersonal dynamics or business practices.
Once an environment of openness is established, there is an activity that can promote discussion about the nature of the defensive routine. Often called the “left-hand/right-hand column”, individuals focus on the identified problem, and then use a blank page to reveal things that they say and things that they think about the issue. After writing a brief description of the defensive routine as they see it, they begin in the right-hand column where they write down exactly what they have said about the situation. Then, in the left-hand column, they write down things that they think but do not say or act upon. The following questions can be discussed in order to contrast the difference between the two columns:
1. What factors have led me to think and feel this way?
2. What was my intention and what was I really hoping to accomplish?
3. How might my comments have contributed to the difficulties?
4. Why didn't I say or act upon what was in my left-hand column?
5. What assumptions might I be making about the other person or people involved?
6. What are the costs of operating this way? What are the payoffs?
7. How can I use my left-hand column to improve my communication and behavior on this issue?
Although it can take time and energy, identifying and addressing these defensive routines can accelerate the learning process and help us achieve our goals more consistently. Imagine what’s possible when we drop our defensive routines and take risks to learn the very things that can help us discover new kinds of success.
As Chris Argyris defines them, defensive routines are like mixed-messages, which over time blind people to their contradictory nature. Over time, we accept these mixed messages as simple truth. This welcomed conundrum is a sort of double-bind, which is maintained as a means of preventing embarrassment, avoiding a perceived threat or awkward situation, maintaining the status quo and avoiding unwanted change. As these messages are institutionalized over time, they can take on the force of a cultural taboo, making an honest dialogue about them off limits.
It is important to note that these defensive routines represent dynamic and complicated behaviors and require a certain level of what Chris Argyris calls "skilled incompetence”. Essentially, even though one individual may know that another person is also aware of an issue that is a problem of mutual concern, they both choose to act as though neither of the parties knows anything. They both may do this in a skilled manner in order to perpetuate a believable cover-up. The very attitudes and behaviors that support these cover-ups are an example of a defensive routine and over time they serve to prevent the learning that is necessary to bring about both individual and organizational changes for improvement. If you think you are experiencing a defensive routine, answer these four questions to see what is happening at a deeper level.
1. Are you or others sending a message that is inconsistent?
2. Are you or others acting as if the message is not inconsistent?
3. Are you or others in any way making this inconsistency undiscussable?
4. And, are you or others making the pretense that there is no inconsistency, or that it is discussable?
If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, perhaps you are in the midst of a defensive routine. If you discover the presence of a defensive routine, it is critical to fully understand what it is and then devise a way to address it. No individual, team or organization is immune to developing defensive routines and it is important not to let responses to them include simple quick fixes or band-aid solutions. As a way to avoid developing or sustaining such routines, individuals can begin to practice more open communication by making it acceptable to freely and respectfully question interpersonal dynamics or business practices.
Once an environment of openness is established, there is an activity that can promote discussion about the nature of the defensive routine. Often called the “left-hand/right-hand column”, individuals focus on the identified problem, and then use a blank page to reveal things that they say and things that they think about the issue. After writing a brief description of the defensive routine as they see it, they begin in the right-hand column where they write down exactly what they have said about the situation. Then, in the left-hand column, they write down things that they think but do not say or act upon. The following questions can be discussed in order to contrast the difference between the two columns:
1. What factors have led me to think and feel this way?
2. What was my intention and what was I really hoping to accomplish?
3. How might my comments have contributed to the difficulties?
4. Why didn't I say or act upon what was in my left-hand column?
5. What assumptions might I be making about the other person or people involved?
6. What are the costs of operating this way? What are the payoffs?
7. How can I use my left-hand column to improve my communication and behavior on this issue?
Although it can take time and energy, identifying and addressing these defensive routines can accelerate the learning process and help us achieve our goals more consistently. Imagine what’s possible when we drop our defensive routines and take risks to learn the very things that can help us discover new kinds of success.
Monday, March 2, 2009
What’s Your Formula For Success?
For many people, the reasons behind our success or failure in managing the day-to-day demands of life feel mysterious and difficult to understand. Not only are there the everyday challenges to contend with, but often we experience emergencies that require additional energy to address. When you take these demands and consider the added dimension of our goals and aspirations for the future, it can feel overwhelming to find a path forward.
When coaching a person or consulting with an organization that is having a hard time meeting the on-going demands of their circumstances, I invite them to make an honest assessment of their formula for success. Borrowing from the psychologist and researcher Howard McClusky’s theory of margin, we can identify the fundamental variables that influence their success. If they are not achieving at the level they want, the simple formula indicates what changes could be made to improve results and create greater satisfaction.
The formula looks something like this: LOAD/POWER = MARGIN. Load represents the total internal self and external social demands that must be met in the course of living (i.e. family and career obligations as well as goals and personal expectations, etc.). Power is equivalent to the resources we have at our disposal to meet those demands (i.e. financial resources, time, supportive relationships, accumulated skills, resiliency, etc.). Margin is the excess of power at our disposal that can be utilized to meet both expected and unexpected challenges that arise.
Obviously, a person with a high margin of excess power is in a better position to successfully adjust to emergencies that arise, as well as to apply their surplus power to new areas of growth and development. When a person or organization’s load is much greater than the available reserve of power, the inverse margin can create tremendous stress and limited success. The question becomes how can we increase our power or decrease our load so that our margin for success grows?
After taking an inventory of all the factors pertaining to their load and power, I then ask the client to create a start doing and stop doing list. This list becomes a guide for selectively reducing the load factors and intentionally surrounding them with power factors to get their margin into better balance. The conversation could go something like this:
Client: I have way too much on my plate right now to be successful at the things that matter most!
Coach: Okay, let’s take a look at everything on your plate and prioritize your commitment to these things. This will give you the chance to let go of responsibilities that are negotiable.
Client: Okay, as much as I would like to hold on to this, I guess I need to let go of activity x.
Coach: Good, now that you’ve looked at the LOAD factors, let’s look at ways to shore up resources and increase your POWER. What available or easily acquired resources could we add to help you in your everyday experiences?
Client: I never ask my colleagues for advice and they are much more experienced than me. Also, I forget that I have paid time off that I never take – maybe I should give myself some down time between big projects.
Coach: Great, what else?
As this conversation progresses, ideally the MARGIN gets into a better balance and the client is now aware of a tool they can use to identify and improve their formula for success. Imagine what’s possible when you adjust your formula for greater success.
When coaching a person or consulting with an organization that is having a hard time meeting the on-going demands of their circumstances, I invite them to make an honest assessment of their formula for success. Borrowing from the psychologist and researcher Howard McClusky’s theory of margin, we can identify the fundamental variables that influence their success. If they are not achieving at the level they want, the simple formula indicates what changes could be made to improve results and create greater satisfaction.
The formula looks something like this: LOAD/POWER = MARGIN. Load represents the total internal self and external social demands that must be met in the course of living (i.e. family and career obligations as well as goals and personal expectations, etc.). Power is equivalent to the resources we have at our disposal to meet those demands (i.e. financial resources, time, supportive relationships, accumulated skills, resiliency, etc.). Margin is the excess of power at our disposal that can be utilized to meet both expected and unexpected challenges that arise.
Obviously, a person with a high margin of excess power is in a better position to successfully adjust to emergencies that arise, as well as to apply their surplus power to new areas of growth and development. When a person or organization’s load is much greater than the available reserve of power, the inverse margin can create tremendous stress and limited success. The question becomes how can we increase our power or decrease our load so that our margin for success grows?
After taking an inventory of all the factors pertaining to their load and power, I then ask the client to create a start doing and stop doing list. This list becomes a guide for selectively reducing the load factors and intentionally surrounding them with power factors to get their margin into better balance. The conversation could go something like this:
Client: I have way too much on my plate right now to be successful at the things that matter most!
Coach: Okay, let’s take a look at everything on your plate and prioritize your commitment to these things. This will give you the chance to let go of responsibilities that are negotiable.
Client: Okay, as much as I would like to hold on to this, I guess I need to let go of activity x.
Coach: Good, now that you’ve looked at the LOAD factors, let’s look at ways to shore up resources and increase your POWER. What available or easily acquired resources could we add to help you in your everyday experiences?
Client: I never ask my colleagues for advice and they are much more experienced than me. Also, I forget that I have paid time off that I never take – maybe I should give myself some down time between big projects.
Coach: Great, what else?
As this conversation progresses, ideally the MARGIN gets into a better balance and the client is now aware of a tool they can use to identify and improve their formula for success. Imagine what’s possible when you adjust your formula for greater success.
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