ACCOUNTABILITY 101: Installment #1 The Accountability End Game: A Culture of Owners, Not Renters

Alex is a nice young man. He does good (but not great) work as a case manager. In other areas, his performance is pretty uneven. He is regularly tardy; calls in “sick” frequently and at the last minute; and has a habit of taking extended lunches and breaks. Others have noticed this pattern. Some, including his boss, Jerry, look the other way, because he’s such a nice guy.

Most of us know someone like this.  They “phone it in,” and drive the rest of us crazy because everyone else is left picking up the pieces to make sure his work gets done.  We would all rather work with someone like this:

Karen is an administrative assistant. As she and I walked together through her department, she stopped frequently to give directions to several lost clients. She picked up trash, straightened up chairs, and greeted her colleagues across the organization by name. I just knew she was a joy to work with, making sure her work was done well and, at the same time, helping others so that everyone around her was successful.

What’s the difference?  Karen is engaged, cares about her work, her teammates, everything about what she does. Alex, not so much.

 Karen is “leading from her seat,” an expression from the inaugural volume of my Everyday Leadership Series. Take the Lead, which means she has taken on the responsibility to be the very best administrative assistant she can be.  She is admired, listened to, and her coworkers accept her help. She gets the long-term vision of what it might be like if we all showed up as our best selves each day. And she also intrinsically operates from something even more fundamental. She understands what it means to be an owner!

Several years ago, I was facilitating an educational program when someone asked me a question about how you get someone to be fully accountable for their work. Instead of answering her outright, I asked her this provocative question: What’s the difference between someone who owns their home and rents it?

This analogy is not intended as a “put down” to owners, renters or landlords. I have owned my own home, rented my home, and I have been a landlord, and I sincerely believe that an owner has a different attitude or mindset about their home than someone who is renting. (Do you agree with me?) 

Here are some of the sentiments that I think owners often have:

“I’m proud of my property! The way that I maintain and enhance this home is a reflection on me”

“Everything that I do creates more value in the property.”

“If something needs attention, it’s on me to get that done.”

“I’m in this for the long haul.”

And these are some of the ways that renters may think:

“I’ll do what I’m obligated to do in my renter’s agreement (contract), but not a whole lot more.”

“I’m not going to live here forever, so I’m not going to improve things too much. After all, what would I get out of it?”

“If something goes wrong, I’m not responsible. It’s the owners’ problem to handle. I have his number programmed into my phone.”

It’s not hard to see where I’m going with this.  Working in the “same-old same-old” pattern of boss/employee creates a culture of renters. A person taking responsibility not only for their own position but for the overall well-being of entire organization is an owner.

Let’s revisit the two people with whom I started this post.  Karen, the conscientious administrative assistant “owns” her work.  Alex, the case manager, is a renter and unfortunately a fairly poor one at that. Alex is just doing his j-o-b so he can get his paycheck. He’s unhappy, and it shows. Karen gets that leading from your seat, coaching others around you and achieving full throttle engagement is the power and freedom that comes from

being an ‘owner’ of the organization.

What she does every day at work is more than a “j-o-b”: it fulfills her, she has purpose, and she elevates those around her as well.

This analogy should be pretty obvious. It’s the foundational idea of workplace accountability. At its core, a fully accountable culture is full of owners rather than renters!

To be continued…. Look for our next post, The Self-Employed Mindset!

If you're interested in developing a culture of owners within YOUR organization, my latest book, Own It!, is a great place to start.   Own It!  and it's predecessor, Take The Lead are both available for purchase on the Vantage International website.   

Click here to order a copy of Own It! today

A Conspiracy of Goodness at Work

The first time that I came across this power phrase—a conspiracy of goodness—was in a story about a small French mountain village, Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. During World War II, the entire town took the great risk to quietly shelter five-thousand Jews during the Nazi occupation of France. They were ordinary people, often poverty stricken themselves, doing the right thing day in and day out, not for days but for years! Not one person broke the commitment. And not one Jewish person was lost. It is said that these were a very solid, independent and simple people who ‘acted without agonizing instead of agonized without acting.’
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Now, admittedly, the work of everyday leadership may not rise to this same magnitude or consequence; but that doesn’t mean that it is any less worthy. We too must be courageous and tenacious. And we must be committed to taking action and doing the right thing, not only when it’s easy or a ‘good hair’ day for us, but rather, day in and day out for the longer term.

What would a conspiracy of goodness look like and feel like at work? For me, it’s all about coming together and co-creating a virtuous cycle instead of the vicious cycle with which we’re more familiar. Here are some everyday ideas to kick start your thinking:

• All of us would choose to show up as capable adults at work and do the right thing throughout the day. Even when others make a different choice. That’s my express definition for accountability.
• We would all choose to be constructive rather than destructive in our relationships.
• We would all make and keep our commitment to be a good influence on our team culture and its performance.
• We would all take the risk of standing up to bullying and intolerance.
• We would all welcome new team members and help them to more easily fit in and belong.
• We would all do these kinds of things unconditionally; without expecting something in return. We would do this because we realize that doing the right thing is its own reward.
• We would all regularly discuss ‘doing the right thing’ and decide together what exactly that is in different situations.
• We would all work together to co-create a sense of goodness within our team.

And the list could go on…..

Can we actually unite, make plans and then with unswerving resolve, work collaboratively to bring about a really good result? Think about it, we probably do it in small bursts today and don’t give ourselves nearly enough credit. What if we played big and thought about it on a larger scale??


Leadership Dare

* If you find the idea of a conspiracy of goodness as intriguing as I did, then learn something more about its origins!  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Chambon-sur-Lignon

* Identify what you can do to rally your team mates together and co-create a conspiracy of goodness on your team.

A LEADERSHIP LESSON FROM MARS

I saw the movie, The Martian, shortly after its 2015 release. At the time, I thought that it was a good but not great movie. Matt Damon stars as astronaut Mark Watney on a mission to Mars. (I feel obliged to call a Spoiler Alert here. I’m about to reveal important details of the plot). He’s stranded on Mars alone when his team mates leave for the return trip to earth. He’s rescued and returns heroically to earth. And he continues his career on earth as an instructor in the Astronaut Candidate Program.

I saw the movie again recently and I still don’t think it’s going to win any awards. But… what did catch my attention was both the quantity and quality of memorable leadership moments that are tucked into this two hour film. There are the obvious ones about perseverance, resilience and MacGyver-esque innovation. All worthy topics.

But my favorite leadership lesson came at the very end of the movie, when Mark Watney gave the new class of astronaut candidates a dose of reality based leadership as he described the most important take-away from his experience on Mars. Here’s what he said: “This is space; it does not cooperate. At some point, everything’s going to go south on you – everything! And you’re going to say, this is it. This is how I end. Now, you can either accept that or you can get to work. That’s all it is. You just begin. You solve one problem; one challenge; then you solve the next one. If you solve enough problems, you get to come home.” Simple. Powerful. Brilliant.

I think this leadership lesson applies directly to you and me as we face daily challenges in our work. Ditch the drama. Stop catastrophizing. Lighten up. Be a serial solution seeker. Repeat the next day.

The Power of One Liners

Comedians deliver them artfully and get big laughs. Singles use them to start a conversation and maybe a relationship. Advertisers use them to get you to buy stuff. And politicians rely on them to win your vote.

When it comes to coaching and teaching, one liners can also promote growth and learning; help us to sustain awareness and new habits and, perhaps most importantly, provide a simple way to pass along ideas and share knowledge (maybe even wisdom) with our colleagues. One of Vantage International’s clients fondly coined the phrase ‘Leta-isms’ to describe her favorite one liners from my own conversations and educational programs!!  

“We love to have you work with us.  We call your one liners "Leta-isms" in Library Land.”     Kathy

One liners are effective because they are:

• Easy to remember and repeat
• Memorable in some way – a unique way of thinking about something; humorous or entertaining; or just plain clever
• Worth remembering – they make a point 

  

Be aware that not all of my one liners are my original material. I’ve collected powerful phrases that have helped me to grow and achieve success over a decade on two; and I generously sprinkle them throughout my coaching conversations, public and private because they do the same for others.

Here is a list of the Vantage International team’s favorite ‘Leta-isms’:

• Own the moment!
• Be the best version of yourself each day!
• Big doors swing on small hinges.
• Know yourself to grow yourself.
• Lead from your seat.
• Be memorable in a good way each day.
• Don’t let anyone or anything dull your sparkle.
• Be better and different. 
• Reach for the stars and settle for the moon.
• Good is the enemy of great. (From Jim Collins)
• Practice leadership & followership every day.
• What you permit, you promote.
• Manage things…Coach people.

Now it’s your turn! What’s that one thought, one quote, one word or phrase that made a huge difference for your leadership trajectory? What’s your favorite one liner?

Re-member Your Team

EXPRESS COACHING MOMENT

‘Re-member’ Your Team

For those of us who lead teams, one of our most urgent and important priorities is to attract, cultivate and keep world class talent. Having a team filled with exceptional performers doesn’t just give you bragging rights; it’s one of the few remaining ways to distinguish yourself and your work from the competition. It’s one of your best competitive edges! And it doesn’t just happen on its own either.

That means that we must intentionally set aside time from our often insanely busy schedules to aim ourselves at this work. And when we’re really tight on time, which is almost always, we tend to focus far more on the first two elements of the talent equation – recruiting the best (attract) and growing and building our bench strength (cultivate). It’s hard for me to argue with this approach; we can’t live without them.

But let’s not forget that third element – retention. Keeping top performers once they’ve joined us. What are we doing to ‘re-member’ our longer tenured stars & superstars?  To once again, emphasize how proud and appreciative we are to have on our team? To sing their praises? To give them our undivided attention? To re-ignite their passion and enthusiasm? To refresh their energy?

It’s time to stop taking our strongest & longest performers for granted. One best practice to consider is conducting ‘stay’ interviews. Of course, we make time for interviewing recruits. And we find time for exit interviews, often asking what we could have done differently to keep the person. Stay interviews give us an opportunity to answer that powerful question before it’s too late to make a difference.

Leadership Dare – Pick two tenured top performers and schedule an hour with each. Tell them what you’re up to and ask them to think about ways that you can help them to be happier and more fulfilled. Thank them for their leadership and tell them what their contribution means to you and the team.

Don’t think you have the time? Think of this as an investment….a trade-off. There just might be one less exit interview in your future!!

Optimism is a choice!

Optimism comes from the Latin word for ‘the best.’  It simply means favoring the best possible outcome. For me, there are two brands of optimism:

·         Unrealistic optimism (aka naïve realism) – The thinking here is that great things will happen almost automatically.  Positive thinking alone can transform our wishes and hopes into reality.

·         Realistic optimism – Still a vigorously constructive mental model that views people as active agents who help make things happen. Realistic optimists know that in order to be successful, they’ll have to be courageous, answer the call to action, plan well, access resources, persist, bounce back, carry on and follow through!

I choose to be a realistic optimist!  For me, it’s not naïve, romantic or idealistic; rather, it’s an asset through which I (and my clients) can become my best self and make a difference through my relationships and my work.  Research associates it with greater measures of health & well-being; longer life expectancy; and more general happiness & prosperity.  At work, it’s an essential catalyst for change & improvement as well as creativity & innovation.

Right about now, some of you may be thinking - ”That’s great but…isn’t optimism part of a person’s hardwiring or isn’t it something that you get from your earliest experiences that gets embedded in your psyche?”  

My answer is yes, optimism is hardwired and yes, it may come more readily if we were exposed to it regularly as kids.  Each of us has a unique endowment and experiences in our formative years.  But that’s only part of the story.  Research tells us that education & personal effort can trump your starting point.  Even our genes need regular input to work properly as we grow & develop!  To a large extent, then, realistic optimism is a CHOICE!

Let me give you a simple little example from my own childhood.  One of my mother’s favorite phrases was ‘bad things happen in threes!”  She really seemed to believe this with certainty and went to great lengths to point out many threesomes. I grew up with this mantra in my head.  If something bad happened to me, I would try to game the system be forcing two (small, benign) ‘bad’ things to happen quickly so that I could get clear of that particular cycle.  Finally, there came a point in time, when I realized (through education) that it really wasn’t true and I laughed it off and went on.

I agree with Rick Warren who says, “We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.”  Realizing that your past doesn’t necessarily predict your future frees a person and opens you up to sparks of possibility around you.

Cultivating the habit (yes, I said habit!) of realistic optimism is more critical today to overall success than ever before. Why? Because we are navigating powerful currents of change; because our work is more complex, our environment more unpredictable and our pace is blistering. We need every edge to be our best selves.

My coaching question to each of you is….Through what lens will you choose to view your workplace, your community, even our world?

For the remainder of this month, take my leadership dare:

Commit to an optimism upgrade!!

Upgrade 1: This week, think about Rick Warren’s quote, noted above. Are the leftovers from your past that are holding you back or keeping you stuck? Identify them clearly and specifically. Then, for each, identify one thing that you are willing to do to free yourself from its influence.

Upgrade 2: Take a vacation (preferably a long one) from ‘the news’. I think it would be pretty discouraging to see the world exclusively through the lens of the media news.  For me it’s a distorted view. The news reports on things (mostly bad and sensational) that happen, not things that don’t happen. When was the last time that a TV crew reported happily on how many countries weren’t at war or cities that haven’t had a mass shooting? In many cases, when you look at the whole picture, the facts tell a surprisingly optimistic story.

Upgrade 3: Reclaim the word ‘do-gooder’! The heck with those who think this word is anything but a wonderful compliment.  This week, make it a point to make a positive difference in the lives of your colleagues, clients and significant others in your workplace. Consider it your super power for the week!

Upgrade 4: Avoid catastrophizing!  Stop thinking about or expecting the worst – from people, situations or experiences. We’re talking about realistic optimism here, so skip the rose colored glasses. We need to seriously attend to problems and challenges without minimizing or discounting them. But portraying everything as a ‘catastrophe’ is overboard and counter-productive. It contributes to a culture of fear and robs us of our most valuable resource when it comes to problem solving….our creative mind. 

Twenty Seconds of Insane Courage

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of speaking at Cumberland Valley High School's 2015 Baccalaureate Ceremony in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.   I was asked to offer an energetic, inspirational message.  And while I did my best to deliver, I also must say that I left feeling personally inspired by the experience.  It was a thrill to look out onto a sea of fresh young leaders, engaged and engaging, poised to rush head on into the world. A true ‘kairos’ moment when opportunity and action intersect!

 Here’s to a generation of leaders already leading from their seats!!

In lieu of a traditional June blog we thought it might be nice to share the presentation I gave to the graduates. It's fun and lighthearted: The top ten countdown for insane courage offers small reminders that are always beneficial to revsit from time to time!!

The Insane Courage Countdown....Enjoy!!

Graduation Presentation: 20 Seconds of Insane Courage from VantageInter

What Can A Rose Teach Us About Workplace Relationships?

It seems like forever ago that I came across ‘The Rose Story.’ I don’t remember the source or the circumstances; what I do remember is that it was one of those mini AHA moments for me. A real whack on the side of my head!

The Rose Story popped into my mind twice in the past few weeks as I was engaged in two separate but similar coaching conversations. In both cases, capable leaders committed to the coaching model were struggling with disappointment and frustration.  In one situation, the leader was second guessing herself for promoting a rising star to a challenging position. From the leader’s perspective, the individual was ‘letting her down’ by not rising to the occasion. In fact, the newly promoted team member seemed overwhelmed and unsteady in the role. The leader was increasingly frustrated by the amount of time, energy and attention that was personally required of her to support this person and the work.

In the other case, a savvy, experienced leader was impatient, unsupportive and overly critical of a new colleague. From the experienced leader’s perspective, the new colleague had not ‘earned’ an executive position; she was immature, overly eager and inexperienced.  And now they were peers; it just didn’t seem fair or reasonable to her.

I think that it’s too easy to fall into such traps. Using ourselves as we are today as the gold standard for everyone else. And perhaps conveniently forgetting our own missteps and insecurities on our leadership journeys. If we are to become more masterful coach leaders, then most of us must fundamentally shift our thinking about the people around us at work. We need to begin to acknowledge and affirm that we are all capable, smart, talented, creative, willing and accountable. We have to understand that we are at different stages of leadership & professional maturity; and of education & experience. And that different is okay. It doesn’t mean less than or inferior. That’s the powerful lesson that a rose can teach us about the people with whom we work. And by teaching us about others, it simultaneously enlightens us about ourselves. Read on for your own personal AHA moment: 

 THE ROSE

When we plant a rose seed in the earth, we notice that it is small but we do not criticize it as “rootless” and “stemless”. We treat it as a seed, giving it the water and nourishment required of a seed. When it first shoots out of the earth, we don’t condemn it as “immature” and “under-developed”; nor do we criticize the buds for not being open when they appear. We stand in wonder at the process taking place and give the plant the care that it needs at each stage of its growth. Finally, as the rose’s bloom fades and the petals fall, we gather them and use them for fragrance and healing. The rose is a rose from the time it is a seed to the time it dies. Within it, at all times, it contains its whole potential. It seems to be constantly in the process of change; yet at each state, at each moment, it is perfectly all right as it is.

Here’s your May leadership challenge:

Week 1:  Keeping the Rose Story in mind, reach out to someone around you who is starting a new leg of their career journey (or maybe taken on a significant challenge) and nurture & nourish that person. Recognize their potential. Express belief in them; encourage & feed them through affirmation. Then stand back and watch them take root!!

Week 2: Share the Rose Story with others. Your team. Someone who may be struggling with self-doubt. Using coaching questions ask people what it means to them and how we can apply it to our relationships at work.

Week 3: Perfect enough! That’s the theme of our leadership challenge this week. The Rose Story applies to you too. You are perfect enough right where you are. You care enough. Know enough. Do enough. Make it a priority to tend to yourself. Affirm and appreciate who you are today and look to be both better and different every day. I often tell myself, “I’m satisfied with who and where I am while eagerly anticipating even more in the future!)

Week 4: Collect Positive Aspects! The final leadership dare of the month is to purposefully look around your workplace. Celebrate the wonderful diversity. Rejoice that everyone isn’t exactly like youJ Think of each member of your team or work group and identify one or two things that are positive or great about them. What are their special talents? What unique contribution do they make? Then make it a point this week to share your insights.  Give them the care and attention that they want and need to build and grow themselves.

See the Good!

As we settle in to the beginning of another new year, it feels as though it’s the ideal time to refresh our thinking and power up our commitment to intentionally acknowledge what’s right or what’s work around us – in our own lives and with our own work, with our team efforts and with our organization as a whole. (Yeah, I know, this is almost an ‘anti –new year’s resolution’ approach. It’s by design!)

We become what we think about all day long, right? 

Beginning any meeting, conversation, or even a new year, with a firm focus on what’s working around you creates a solid foundation for building enthusiasm, confidence and momentum for more. It gets us on a roll and moving in the right direction. As coach leaders, acknowledging everyday successes is one small way of building and growing ourselves and those around us. And you may be surprised to discover just how many things went well when you put your mind to it! Woo Hoo!!

So let’s get right to it! Take a long look in the rearview mirror at 2014. As you consider the following powerful questions, remember, big doors swing on small hinges; little stuff matters!!

• What are all of the things that went really well for you in 2014? Already this year?
• What was the ‘best’ mistake that you/we made in 2014 that provided great learning for you/us? 
• What was the biggest risk that you took in 2014? Personally? Professionally?
• What was the biggest stretch for you as a leader in 2014?
• What was THE best learning moment of 2014 for you?
• What is your favorite example of someone around you leading from their seat in your organization?

Now, you have to admit, 2014 was full of thrills, adventure and, yes, even, successes (or successes initially disguised as failure)!! And there’s more good news…you don’t have to wait until next January to see the good in 2015!

If you’re not stretching and growing, you’re done!

I have a friend who has an offbeat saying for every occasion. The title of this piece is one saying that she shared frequently with me. Her point is that the process of learning and developing Is a never ending journey. I can testify to the fact that playing a part in someone else’s success strategy by helping them to be both better and different is incredibly rewarding.

As coach leaders, I believe that it’s our responsibility to care enough about others around us at work to engage with them in the growth process. And by others, I mean our direct reports, our peers, our teammates and even our boss! Through a collaborative and supportive relationship with us, someone may find their courage and dare to reach to the next level of their potential. And that’s a Wow for all involved! Notice that I said – collaborative and supportive relationship! We need to check in on our intention during this work to be sure that it’s pure. This isn’t about us being manipulative even subtly; for example, to get someone to do what we want them to do because that meets our needs or agenda.

Professional growth typically involves several core elements. I’ll briefly introduce each here and we’ll do a deeper dive on and a leadership dare for several of them throughout the month. As you consider each of these, reflect at two levels – think about your own development and then think about assisting others with their development work.

Risk – Growth isn’t about playing small or playing it safe. The performance challenge here is to move beyond our current limitations. Pretty exciting stuff and pretty scary too. It’s often not enough to settle for modest progress these days. Playing small isn’t serving our organizations.

Expansion – Professional growth involves expansion in some way or another. Moving to the next level; doing more of something; breaking with and breaking through habits.

Visioning – When it comes to people growing, we have to have a destination in mind – the desired future. Crafting a vision and a route and then holding it vividly in our mind’s each day is how top performers in all fields achieve their goals. The Cheshire Cat in ‘Wonderland’ said it best to Alice: “Alice came to a fork in the road. 'Which road do I take?' she asked. 'Where do you want to go?' responded the Cheshire Cat. 'I don't know,' Alice answered. 'Then,' said the Cat, 'it doesn't matter.”

Stickiness or Sustainability – Growth is about both internal and external change. We’ve got to replace current (maladaptive) habits with fresh ones so that they become a permanent part of who we are and what we do. In other words, intentionality needs to be woven into all growth work. It’s what gives us courage to create and then hold onto a bigger picture of ourselves.

By now you might have concluded that truly challenging others to grow can be a demanding experience. You’re right! But the alternatives, stagnation; settling for ‘average’ or dysfunctional comfort (or according to my friend, being done/‘dead’ professionally) simply aren’t acceptable.

Here’s your leadership dare: Demonstrate the power of growth by growing yourself first. You first!  

“At the boundaries, life blossoms”     -James Gleick 

Assist Others To Identify Their Greatness

Lots of people tell me it’s so much easier to focus on what’s wrong with them (their ‘weaknesses or what they’re not good at) versus what they’re really, really great at. I think that’s because it’s a long standing habit for many of us. We’ve focused there for so long, it’s come to define us. It’s what our self talk is all about. This often limits a person’s willingness and ability to stretch into more challenging assignments, take some risk at work and perform at higher levels. In other words, it can prevent people from leading from their seat!

It’s in everyone’s best interest to help people own the best that is in them!  If we’re tuning into others regularly and training our eyes and ears to unearth strengths, we can see someone else’s potential long before they do. So, as a coach leader, what can you practically do to help others look in the mirror and see what you see? Here are some ideas that you can implement lickety split:

1. Work on yourself first! Let’s get better at uncovering the brilliance in others. Pick one person each day for a week and list all of the assets or positive qualities that s/he has. Be sure to select a variety of people, not only those for whom you already have an affinity.
2. Share your thoughts with each person and listen/observe their feedback.
3. Complete a learning exercise with your team. Ask each person to identify their own signature strengths and their growing edges (this is my reframing of ‘weaknesses’). Review and discuss in detail in your one-on-one meeting OR, if the team is ready for a challenge, review and discuss together at a team meeting!
4. Check out the strengths finder website, www.strengths-finder.com , for other potential tools and techniques. 

The Look and Feel of Everyday Leadership

If you haven’t already heard, nominations for Vantage International’s 2nd annual Take The Lead (TTL) Award are now being accepted! Woo Hoo! This is both an exciting and rewarding time here at our headquarters because we get to hear about the inspired actions of the many everyday leaders in today’s workplace from people like you!  We celebrate the fact that we are intentionally making a contribution to the movement  to re-imagine who we are at work and how we get our work done together. In partnership with each of you, we’re redefining leadership and that’s nothing short of revolutionary!!

Here’s my leadership dare for each of you: Make a commit to nominate an individual or a team (yes, this year, we’ve added a team category!) for the TTL Award and then take action to get it done! For some of us, that means that we’ll have to refocus our own leadership lens and see our team mates, co-workers and colleagues differently than we have in the past. The great news is that everyday leaders are everywhere!! At every level and layer in every organization around the world.

How do you spot an everyday leader?  No one is perfect, but everyday leaders really do set themselves apart by their thoughts, attitudes, behaviors and how they relate to others. What are the attributes and attitudes of someone who leads from their seat every single day? Here are some tell-tale signs that an everyday leader is at work ;-) They…

¬  Act as accountable adults day in and day out at work

¬  Know their job inside & out

¬  See themselves as an ‘owner’ of the organization

¬  Directly connect their everyday work to the organization’s overall success

¬  Look for ways to be different & better daily (because stakes are high)

¬  Know what others do & how it fits with their ‘stuff’

¬  They rarely offer excuses. Instead, they work with creativity, grit & gusto

¬  Assume they have only part of the picture and value other ideas to get the full picture

¬  Avoid constant comparisons (e.g., She took a longer break. He gets all of the best assignments)

¬  Actively help others to be at their best

¬  Applaud & celebrate their team or department

¬  Listen with a cooperative ear

¬  Tune in to their own self-talk and CHOOSE the messages that they send to themselves throughout the day

¬  Choose to be upbeat rather than beaten up

So, what do you think about this list? Does someone(s) come to mind? Hope so!

Because I’m on the lookout for everyday leaders, I see them everywhere and not simply in my clients’ organizations!  That's supremely satisfying for me personally!.  Once you train your own leadership lens differently, you’ll see them too --- sometimes hidden in plain sight. The person in the next cubicle. Our ‘go-to’ team member. The gal at Starbuck’s who lifts your spirits every single morning without fail. The reservationist at a hotel. The administrative assistant at your physician’s office. And the list goes on and on…

Consider these three stellar examples of everyday leaders at work:

Everyday Leader #1 – A competent security guard at a NY casino, Cora, goes far beyond her j-o-b description to connect with guests.  She greets everyone warmly, and returning guests by name! Her special brand of service helps each person to feel uniquely valued by the organization. She generously shares tokens of appreciation – handmade jewelry – with everyone. She is an amazing bright spot. Truly selfless. Positive and appreciative. Creative. I look forward to seeing her each time that I visit!!  And based on the crowd that gathers around her security desk at times, others feel the same way that I do!

Everyday Leader #2 – On a recent flight from Baltimore to Boston, I was thoroughly impressed with the entire Airtran/Southwest crew. They looked and acted happy, yet completely professional. They were engaged with each passenger and I simply know that I was not the only person to feel ‘special.’ They sincerely thanked you for being with them that day; and they did everything it their power to assure a smooth, safe and pleasant experience. And…they delivered!!! I fly frequently, so it takes a lot to get my attention. I cannot remember the last time that I exited a plane smiling!  This crew was memorable in a good way!  They are a team of everyday leaders.

Everyday Leader #3 – We’re currently installing a geothermal heating system in our home and the company representative really lead from his seat throughout the process. He arrived early for our appointment; complimented our home; connected with us; knew his ‘stuff’ inside and out.  He listened carefully to our questions and gave us honest answers. Kept his promises in terms of follow-up.; even sent us a personal thank you note!  It was so easy for both my husband and I to develop swift trust with this professional. Does this sound like someone with whom you would want to work?

Now the ball’s in your court.  It’s your turn to recognize someone for the difference that they make at work. To acknowledge and appreciate someone else’s greatness. .And to celebrate what’s right or good in our world of work!  Make a commitment to nominate someone. And then make a plan to get that nomination completed!

Submit your Everyday Leader nomination here:  http://www.vantage-inter.com/2013-ttl-award/2014-ttl-award

Stay tuned as we’ll be posting related leadership tips/dares throughout November!!

Leadership Dare 1 – Complement someone on the way in which they lead from their seat each day. Be specific in your description. Make it a surprise. Thank the person for setting such a fine example..

 Leadership Dare 2 – Add a section to your regular staff meetings called ‘Everyday Leadership’ moments. Ask all participants to come prepared to describe a recent example of everyday leadership at work in your organization.
 

Ask, Don’t Tell

If you really, really want to build richer relationships at work, help others to lead from their seats, create a culture of owners and become a more influential force in your organization, then you need to make it a priority to master the art of asking great questions!  Now, there are many different types of questions. Background questions. Open-ended and close- ended ones. Confirming questions. Then there are the ones to which I’m referring - the powerful, provocative kind. The ones that:

• Have a purpose beyond information
• Can interrupt a typical thought process
• Have the potential to result in a breakthrough or an aha moment
• Come from and/or follow clearly listening to someone
• Are almost always followed by silence as you allow the question to marinate in the other person’s
• Stem from genuinely wanting to help someone(s) learn & grow.

Asking powerful, provocative questions (or practicing collaborative inquiry, as it’s called) is a hallmark skill of the coach leader. What makes mastery of this skill so challenging is that most business professionals have been conditioned for a very long time to use a telling approach in their communication – I’ll tell you what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. I’ll direct this team, this project, this work. I’ll lobby for my preferred solution. Telling rather than asking is one of those habits that I’m encouraging you to unlearn! Now!

Let’s really think about the strategic advantages that cultivating a habit of asking instead of telling delivers to you, to the other person(s) and to your organization:

•   A powerful question invites the other person(s) to come up with their own solutions. That’s big! It fosters a greater sense of ownership and opens up the opportunity for others to ‘lead from their seats.’
• It can be a portal for innovation and creativity. You may have a good solution to a problem. You may have one right answer for a situation. But someone else might have an even better one! Someone else’s idea could be a best practice.
•  Asking someone for their thoughts or opinions says to that person, “ I value your perspective. I think you’re smart and capable. I trust you.”
•  A shift from telling to asking helps us to acknowledge that we’re not the only person with worthy ideas.
• Asking intentional questions allows us to fulfill the #1 priority for us all in business – to build and grow others around us! Think about the boost of confidence that someone may feel when you ask a question and really listen to their ideas and solutions! 

Developing the self-discipline of asking questions more often will have a huge payoff for you and the organization. But it’s a skill and perfecting a skill takes time, energy, desire, focus and practice. Also, it will take more time to ask questions than tell someone what to do. You need to decide if that short term investment of time is worth the long term dividends of building more independent thinkers and leaders around you! I’m hopeful that you’ll say YES to this opportunity. I’m rooting for each of you!

Powerful, probing questions share some features. They’re:

• Non-judgmental, non-critical
• Simple & straightforward. In fact, most times, the simpler they are, the better they are.
• Asked with a neutral tone of voice
• Followed by silence & clear listening. Yes, you actually have to listen to the other person’s response.

Piece of cake, right? Not so fast. Take it from someone who has been refining my questioning habit for a very long time, it’s simple but not easy to do day in and day out.  So let’s make certain that we have a shared understanding of these points by using a few examples.

Example 1: One of the best questions is also one of the simplest and most effective: “What do you think?” In fact, Tom Peters calls this sentence the four most powerful words in business!  You ask this question and then you listen and allow the other person to think about it and offer their ideas. It sends all of the right messages to the other person – you’re valued; you’re smart and capable; your idea might be the best idea….

Example 2: Here’s an example of how to make-over a same old same old comment into a strong coaching question:

            From: You’re always late in getting out our meeting minutes!

            To: What’s the timeline that you typically follow for releasing our meeting minutes?

So, how can you sharpen your inquiry ability so that you develop the habit of asking, rather than telling and, once you’re in the rhythm of asking, turning good questions into great ones? Here are some do-ables to get you started:

• Start asking more questions! Duh. Make the choice and work through that feeling of awkwardness. It’ll pass. Repetition & determination are your dynamic duo.
• Preare for one-on-one and team meetings by jotting down some possible questions related to key topics. Cultivate the habit of checking those questions before speaking.
• Create a ‘powerful questions’ bank. Think ahead about typical situations that you encounter in your organization and create one or two coaching questions for each. For even more impact, make it a team project.
• Use the go-to question – “What do you think?” Don’t forget to follow it with silence (yes, shutting up is a great skill to master!).
• Find a partner and work on this together. Ask your partner to highlight any missed opportunities to use the ask, don’t tell approach.
• Put your mind and heart to it. To change your habit, you’re going to have to be aware and intentional. You’ve gotta want this new habit to catch fire.
• To sum it all up, coach leaders intentionally replace the habit of “telling people around us what to do” with the new habit of asking questions of others. This is immensely beneficial because it allows the other person to create their own solutions, to take moderate risks, to become more effective decision makers, and to more fully engage in the everyday life of the organization.

Sometimes, I’m asked if asking more questions is really that big of deal. What do you think?

***RELATED LEADERSHIP TIPS***

Leadership Tip #1

Take the Tom Peters challenge to jump start your new inquiry habit! Pick a work day in the next week. For that day, make it your business to ask the question “What do you think?” in appropriate situations. Keep track of the number of times that you say it. At the end of the day, check your total. Notice what difference that question made. Celebrate new insights and relationship wins. Sustain this newly acquired habit.

Leadership Tip #2

Here are two of my favorite quotes on questioning for you to contemplate:

"We thought that we had the answers, it was the questions we had wrong." – Bono

"The uncreative mind can spot wrong answers, but it takes a very creative mind to spot wrong questions." - Antony Jay

Leadership Tip #3

How about spicing up your regular meetings by using the following questioning framework:

• What are all of the things that are working?
•  How did all of those things end up working?
• What’s not working yet?
•  How can we make things even better?

This can really shake things up and create a surge of energy!