Coaching Tips for the Top

Effective Collaboration

2008-10-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

The word collaboration has become widely used but is it just empty rhetoric?

Collaboration is defined as "the act of working together to produce or create something." In this complex business environment people are being asked to share knowledge freely, to learn from one another, to shift workloads flexibly, to help one another complete jobs and meet deadlines, and to share resources-in other words, to collaborate. This activity is about behavior, work habits, culture, management, and business goals and value.

With that said I ask, "How likely are your employees to say they "sink or swim" together, want one another to succeed, or view their goals as compatible?"

Bringing people together is no longer a choice ... it is the only way to assemble the knowledge and experience required to accomplish the complex tasks your organization faces.

Here are Six Ways to Build Collaboration

1. Model collaborative behavior - Your actions send a clear message - do yours "say" collaboration is important? When the senior team works well together and internal communication is frequent and open the collaborative nature trickles down throughout the organization.

2. Create a culture of generosity - Regular mentoring and coaching helps establish a culture of generosity and cooperation in place of a more transactional "I'll do this for you if you do that for me" culture. When individuals give freely of their time to support the success of another employee everyone wins.

3. Ensure the right skill set - Employees are encouraged to cooperate and they want to cooperate, but do they know how? Crucial skills include holding difficult conversations, appreciating others, questioning to clarify ideas, attentive listening, disagreeing in a constructive way and productively resolving conflicts. Explicitly develop these skills - don't let it be left to chance.

4. The right team leaders - Teams need strong leadership and strong leaders are often task- or relationship-oriented. When a complex problem is at hand assigning leaders who are both task- and relationship-oriented will support the high level of collaborative behavior required for success. Which of your leaders possess strong project management skills and the ability to foster the environment of trust and cooperation which supports knowledge sharing?

5. Role clarity - Collaboration improves when the roles of individual team members are clearly defined and well understood. Without such clarity, team members are likely to waste too much energy negotiating roles or protecting turf, rather than focusing on the task.

6. Rewards - How does your company reward its employees? In a culture of collaboration rewards are based on team performance - it can't be a zero sum game or heavily weighted to individual results.

Does your organization's culture truly support collaboration? Strengthening your organization's capacity for collaboration requires a combination of long-term investments in building relationships and trust and developing a culture in which senior leaders are role models, AND smart short-term decisions about the ways teams are formed, roles are defined, and challenges and tasks are articulated.

Management Mistakes

2008-09-08T08:04:00.001-07:00

7 First Time Management Mistakes to Avoid

Written by Mark F. Herbert
[Contributing Author]

We have all seen it happen. Wear a tie tomorrow you are the new manager. A recent survey by a Philadelphia based consulting group indicated that 40% of new managers fail in their first 18 months by getting fired, bowing out of the position, or receiving a bad review. The same survey cited a survey of 825 human resource managers as identifying the number one issue for new managers is failing to build effective partnerships and teamwork. The following 7 mistakes are the most common made by newly promoted managers:

1. They fail the “politics quiz.” Organizational politics are a fact of life. Don’t sacrifice key relationships because a colleague or subordinate has a talent for getting face time.

2. Don’t try to “clone” yourself. Of course you’re brilliant, that’s why you were promoted. However, good management is getting the best out of the staff you have. Improving employee performance is a process not an event.

3. Failing to communicate. You avoid giving feedback because you are sensitive to past relationships. People desperately need and desire good, balanced feedback.

4. The Sprint. Don’t try to accomplish everything on day one to validate management’s decision. Learn your staff and their capabilities. All priorities aren’t equal.

5. Trying to be Dr. Feelgood. Everybody wants something and it’s hard to say no. Special, confidential deals never stay that way. Your job is to be the boss, not their friend.

6. You’ve arrived. Management is a continuing improvement and learning process. Seek out opportunities to improve your skills and refine them.

7. You’re the star. It is very tempting to fall back into doing the “technical” things you did before. You were good at it. Competing with your staff is bad management. You need to transition from player to coach.

Avoiding these mistakes and building your own network and skill sets are important success factors for any manager - no matter how long they have been doing it.

Mark F Herbert & Associates, Inc is a management-consulting firm offering organizationally specific solutions to companies and organizations on a regional and national basis. Mark F. Herbert is president and principal consultant. He has been a speaker regionally and nationally on HR related topics. Visit his blog at New Paradigms, LLC

Promotion Derails Career?

2008-08-05T12:40:00.000-07:00

I've worked at my company for 5 years and prior to the last 6 months have been very happy. Six months ago one of my coworkers was promoted to direct our department. This is an individual whom I greatly respect so I was looking forward to working under his leadership. However, since his promotion communication within our department has totally broken down, once enthusiastic employees have become apathetic and a few of our best workers are looking for other jobs. The most significant problem seems to be the new boss' communication style - everything from assignments and information exchanges to problem solving dialogue happens via e-mail. He never picks up his phone and often keeps his door closed. We've transitioned from a team that always talked to each other to one that only communicates via e-mail. Confusion, misunderstandings, bad feelings, poor quality work, missed deadlines, and unhappy customers abound in our department. What can I do?

Communicating solely via e-mail is incredibly ineffective yet my sense is that your boss suffers from more than just a poor communication style. Often when a superstar contributor is promoted to a leadership role he or she suffers a loss of self-confidence. The new position comes not only with new responsibilities but also high expectations of the new boss and the new direct reports. Your boss may have initially felt excited by the new position but over time that excitement transitioned to feelings of inadequacy and overwhelming ineffectiveness. In response to these feelings your boss has, unfortunately, retreated to his office and is probably using e-mail as a shield from the risk of face-to-face interactions.

This situation is not something that will go away on its own but will continue to get worse with time. Your boss needs support. If he's unable to reach out for it you may consider initiating a conversation. Depending on the kind of relationship you and your boss had prior to his promotion you may start by talking with him. Mutual trust and respect between the two of you is key to the success of this conversation. By expressing your concern and genuine interest in supporting him and his success you have the potential to shift the direction and inspire your boss to reach out for help.

If you don't feel you can approach your boss in this way I encourage you to find someone else in the organization whom you trust and talk through options with that individual. Someone with an understanding of the business culture will be able to identify what type of support your organization's leadership will embrace. Options for support include a mentor, internal coaching, or hiring an external coach.

Reaching out to support someone in your organization, whether he or she is a co-worker, a peer or your boss, is one of the greatest acts of kindness. I applaud your courage and willingness to participate in the success of your fellow employees.

Take Control of Your Schedule

2008-08-05T12:39:00.001-07:00

"My schedule is crazy, my workload heavy, and the demands of my job and family unrelenting. I am doing everything I can to just stay above water and not drown."

Sound familiar? Is it true for you or your employees? What are you doing about it?

"I keep doing it - I just need to get through the next few weeks and then things will slow down."
or
"Some things just are not getting done - there's no way I can keep up."

If the craziness is no longer working for you and you are looking to regain some control of your schedule here are some tips to help.

It is impossible to manage your time if you don't know how you are spending this limited resource. Start by assessing your time utilization.

1. For the next week document how you spend your time. Write down all of your activities and the time committed to each. Include everything - scheduled and unscheduled events, commuting, meals, e-mail, TV, conversations at the coffee pot, etc.

2. After completing your documentation ask yourself the following questions
a. What did you actually spend your time doing?
b. On what did you anticipate/ expect to be spending your time?
c. How do you feel about how you are actually spending your time?
d. What action will you take from what you observed?

Now that you have a good handle on what's filling your schedule let's look at habits you can develop to help you regain control of your time.

1. Sitting on e-mail is a huge time waster. Build blocks of time into your schedule to read and respond to e-mail. If you have a handheld device first respond to a message by asking yourself "is this urgent or could it wait until later?" Chances are it can wait.

2. Do you have an assistant? This person can be your right hand and a key to your success. Learn to ask for help and cultivate a good working relationship with your assistant.

3. Take care of yourself. Having control of your time takes energy and stamina. Pay attention to what you are eating. Have breakfast at home and resist that pastry at the morning meeting. Get away from your desk even if you only walk to the bathroom or kitchen to wash your hands. Better still go outside for a walk around the block.

4. Develop a routine. Get up and go to bed at the same time. Arrive to and leave work at the same time. Schedule coffee with colleagues. Schedule dinner with you family. When developing a routine look for balance between rigid and flexible. Sticking to a routine requires discipline but it can also be taken too far.

It all makes sense and seems easy enough yet taking control of your schedule is going to require time and effort. This investment is worth it if you are truly tired of the craziness. The pace of business will continue to increase. Take control of your time right now and develop the habits that will support your success today and in the fast paced days to come.

Difficult Conversations

2008-05-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

If you spend 20 years in business and never have the experience related below, you're either one of the greatest business leaders ever born, you're extraordinarily luck - or you're not listening. Consider this situation:

Hal, the CEO of a high tech company, is about to have a difficult conversation. He just received a call from one of the company's most valued customers who was very upset by a confrontation with Hal's employee Joe. Joe is the company's strongest "tech guy" and after 10 years of exemplary performance was promoted to a leadership role. Since his promotion Joe has upset this particular client on 2 occasions and Hal is beginning to wonder if promoting Joe was a mistake. After the first incident Hal did nothing hoping Joe would recognize the problem and work it out with the client. Faced with a second incident Hal can not delay confronting Joe.

An important concept for Hal to embrace is curiosity. He has already heard the client's version of the story so by staying curious Hal can introduce the conversation without the judgment that would cause Joe to move into a defensive stance. By inviting Joe to share his story ... his version of who said what and who did what, Hal is communicating that he's not taking sides but moving the disagreement toward an amicable resolution.

Another benefit of this non-confronting approach is Hal has created an opportunity to coach Joe. Through a series of questions Hal can uncover what motivated Joe during his client interaction. A few sample questions include:

What did you intend to accomplish?
How did you analyze the situation?
How did you decide what to do?

Hal can then support Joe to develop a new approach to future interactions. A few sample questions to achieve this include:

What actions will you take?
How will you monitor progress?
In what ways can I support you?

Difficult conversations provide excellent opportunities to support the growth and development of your employees - and your growth as a business leader. Get excited about and engaged in difficult conversations and they'll get less difficult over time!

WHAT IS THE BLUE-PRINT OF A LEADER TODAY?

2008-04-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

Gareth English, innovation consultant, OPP, says: "We can see now the coming together of a number of threads: the leader is no longer a technical expert, but an expert in achieving greater organizational success through the people and processes established. While it is important that they have drive, intellect and the ability to influence, they are part of something larger than themselves. A truly successful leader must be able to put the needs of the organization first, rather than simply working towards what feels good to them. Modern leaders are focused on the needs of the business, and the modern business needs to maximize performance.

To deliver results, a leader must achieve four goals. First, they must increase trust and communication. Second, they must manage conflict, ensuring that diverse opinions are considered and that there is neither open hostility nor passive aggression. Third, they must build organizational capability, avoiding the temptation to be a hero, but instead ensuring that the succession plan puts the organization in a position of strength when they leave it. Finally the leader must align the structure and competitive strategy of the business to meet customer needs and stakeholder requirements."

Feedback … How to ask for it!

2008-02-20T15:01:00.002-08:00

When it comes to asking for feedback individuals tend to fall into one of three categories. Those who

1. Never ask 2. Ask poorly 3. Ask skillfully

The most successful individuals in business, the ones who rise to the highest levels in their organization, ask for feedback. Asking is the only way to uncover blind spots.

There are lots of ineffective ways to ask for feedback. Some ask questions like “What do you think of me?”, “How am I doing?”, or “What am I doing wrong?” These questions give the individual providing feedback the uncomfortable options of lie or share the truth. In power relationships where the boss is asking for feedback all kinds of issues influence the answer because the answer has consequences. Can an employee really trust their boss will not become angry about the feedback at a later time?

One effective way to ask for feedback is using the question “How can I do better?” This question is future oriented and the future is where change is possible. Also, while employees shy away from criticizing the boss (to your face) they are usually eager to provide advice.

Of equal importance is a willingness to do something with the feedback. Show the people you work with you are sincere in your effort to do better by acting on their advice.

Make asking for feedback a regular practice and watch your career take off.

Celebrate Success

2008-01-28T10:59:00.000-08:00

When was the last time you ...

shared good news about your organization with your staff?

congratulated your team on a job well done?

expressed appreciation to an individual for his or her extra effort?

Remember to celebrate success at all levels. There are few, if any, better ways to foster a positive work environment. Happy employees are productive employees and productive employees have a positive impact on your organization's bottom line.

Relationship Strength

2008-01-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

Do you take your relationships for granted or are you giving them the attention needed to thrive? Think of 1 or 2 of your strongest relationships and pause for a moment to consider why they are strong.

Do your answers have anything to do with mutual respect, mutual trust, and freedom of expression? Probably.

Mutual Respect exists when

Value person for who they are … not what they do

Have good intentions … may make mistakes yet want to do best

Mutual Trust exists with

Sincerity … words match deeds

Competence … person has skills to follow through on commitments

Freedom of Expression exists with

Ability to say whatever is needed without reprimand

Willingness to be influenced

Now pause for a moment to consider if your organization’s culture supports strong relationships.

Perfectionism

2008-01-16T12:50:00.000-08:00

Do you have a perfectionist in your group? Someone who gets too bogged down in the details of the work--spending unnecessary time perfecting details that aren't an essential priority? Someone who is always tweaking and refining? Perfectionism isn’t about effort – giving 150%, but about being exact.

Having a perfectionist on your team can lead to problems. Their “I can do it better” attitude is divisive and creates unnecessary tension. They tend to not work collaboratively. Longer and longer work hours lead to burn out but not increased productivity. Their ongoing demand for perfection tends to leave them with feelings of failure. And they tend to be lousy delegators.

What’s possible? Change happens when someone sees things from a new perspective and engages in new activities. To help the individual see the draw backs of their behavior share a situation in which their perfectionism created a breakdown in the work environment, i.e. a missed deadline or open conflict with a coworker, and talk it through. Ask open-ended questions.

1. What did you hope to accomplish through your efforts?

2. What are some specific ways that you could have moderated your goals?

3. What consequences might have resulted from such changes?

Once the individual begins to see a different picture, work with him to set goals that are easier to achieve and within the realm of his possibilities. Moderate your employee’s expectations – shifting their focus away from faults and flaws – and then watch their performance and self-esteem soar.

Realize Your Goals

2008-01-16T11:54:00.000-08:00

By now most of us have decided on some goals for the year and while our commitment to them remains high the effort required to move us toward achievement may have started to wane. This probably comes as no surprise since fewer than 10% of people who set goals or resolutions actually achieve them. Do you want to be in the 10% or the 90%?

What can you do differently to ensure you realize your goals? Here are four steps that will support forward momentum.

1. Write your goals down. Writing them down makes them real and heightens your commitment. Before finalizing your goals ask yourself a few questions. Is this goal a priority for me? Is this only a good idea or something that I’m passionate about achieving? What could get in the way of me realizing my goal?

2. Set benchmarks. Recognize the path to realizing your goals involves many small steps. It is important to balance focus on the end result with the effort necessary to move you toward your goal. Plan out your path and acknowledge your progress as your reach each benchmark.

3. Believe and visualize. Do you know the story about the group of basketball players who spent one hour visualizing making baskets, while another group actually practiced? The visualizing players had better seasons! So visualize yourself in 2009 with all your goals achieved. What would that look like? How would it feel? Visualize once a day and see the difference it can make in your life.

4. Accountability. Have you ever talked yourself out of your goals? As the gap between setting goals and commencing the work widens we often rationalize giving up our goals because “they really weren’t that important anyway.” Narrow the gap by engaging the support of others. Start by telling other people about your goals. Ask a few trusted friends or associates to help you stay on track. If your goal is fitness related you could hire a personal trainer or find a buddy to work out with – someone you can hold accountable too. If your goal is professional development you could hire a professional coach or partner with a trusted coworker.

Take charge of achieving your goals. Commitment inspires action and action reinforces commitment.

Make 2008 the year you realize your goals!

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-20T14:25:00.000-08:00

We are taking a few weeks off and will resume providing weekly "Coaching Tips for the Top" in January 2008.
Wishing you each a joyous Holiday and prosperous New Year!

Welcome Bad News

2007-12-09T10:16:00.000-08:00

When you are presented with bad news do you react or respond? Is your reaction impulsive and emotional or do you respond by taking a deep breath followed by asking questions?

It is important for employees to feel comfortable sharing bad news. To encourage your employees prod them during conversations to tell you what’s wrong as well as right. Ask, “What’s the toughest thing you’re dealing with right now?” or “What would make it easier for you to cooperate with your co-workers?”

Don’t scowl the minute they raise a conflict or insist you “don’t want to hear about it.” A culture where bad news is not accepted allows tensions to build – tensions that may explode later. Preventing conflict is even better than skillfully resolving conflict!

Managing The Boss

2007-12-03T13:25:00.000-08:00

Managing your boss is an area of management ripe for conflict. This is a multidimensional issue so I’ll focus on managing your boss as it relates to setting priorities. And I'm going to assume that the boss isn't pushing off his work on the staff but is equally as overwhelmed.

How often do you find yourself working in “fire drill” mode because everything seems to be a priority? Unfortunately the management style of many executives is to delegate work in a reactive way without thought to communicating priorities. The boss may not even think of developing priorities for his own work responsibilities.

The lack of guidance regarding priorities may seem to communicate that the task "of the moment" is top priority. Unfortunately as team members jump from fire to fire everyone finds themselves in the middle of lots of projects. Having work partially complete with limited opportunity to wrap things up ... without working crazy hours, wears everyone down. The good news is the boss is not doing this on purpose and is quite often unconscious of the issues and turmoil his style creates.

What can you do? Though it may be difficult to approach the boss having a conversation about priorities is only path to change. Let your boss know that you want to respond to the requests in a way that supports him most effectively and that you aren't always able to figure that out on your own. Have a list of all your tasks and projects and ask for guidance around priorities and deadlines. Don't be afraid to negotiate when you can reasonable get something completed. Also if there is anything someone else can help you with ask your boss for support getting extra resources for special projects.

Please don’t expect miraculous things from the initial conversation. Remember change takes time so stick with it. Raise questions in the moment. When you are engaged in a project and your boss approaches you with something new ask which is a priority.

Tying your requests back to supporting your boss will help build a more trusting relationship and can help your boss shift his management style.

Conflict Resolution

2007-11-25T17:37:00.000-08:00

Dan is notorious for withholding bits of information and “forgetting” to follow-up. His behavior is a nuisance yet Phil, Dan’s boss, continuously lets it slide. As the weeks pass Dan’s behavior further deteriorates frustrating his direct reports and co-workers. Dan misses key deadlines, argues with other employees, and conceals customer issues. Despite the serious nature of the problems Phil does not address Dan’s behavior.

How effective are your conflict resolution skills? Are you a Phil, avoiding conflict by putting your head in the sand hoping it will pass you by? If you reflect back upon the conflicts you have encountered throughout your career you will easily recognize that few resolved them self and most escalated.

The ability to resolve conflict has become a must have skill. Business leaders cannot afford the lost productivity, lost time, stifled creativity, or low morale that result from unresolved conflict.

So what can you do?

Acknowledge conflict exists – every manager faces conflict. When the elephant in the room is given a name people begin to feel free to discuss and resolve issues.
Become a skillful communicator – communication has two sides, speaking and listening. Carefully discern which will support the best outcome.
Set a good example – role modeling will inspire your team to approach conflict in a new way.

As you mindfully change your approach to resolving conflict you will make a significant impact on your relationships and your organization’s business results.

Who doesn’t want that?

Nonperformance

2007-11-20T13:40:00.000-08:00

A month ago your employee John was assigned to a special project team. After 3 weeks you begin to receive complaints from team members that John is not completing his assignments. John’s nonperformance is affecting the team’s ability to meet its commitments.

You know John spends all day at this desk, typically even working through lunch, so the complaints come as a surprise. It would be easy to tell John to "shape up" yet because he has a record of getting his work done you decide to approach the issue as a development opportunity.

Here are some questions that will help John become more aware of what he is and is not accomplishing during the workday.

What did I accomplish today?
What tasks remain incomplete?
What excuses, stories, or justifications do I have for not fulfilling my commitment to complete the tasks?
What events, people, or personal limitations got in the way of completing the work?
What action will I take now?

Once John recognizes what’s getting in the way, the path to change can open.

Unnecessary Conflict

2007-11-12T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hal is the company superstar. He hits the sales targets and generates considerable revenue for the organization. As a result Hal is rewarded handsomely.

While other employees respect Hal for his business results they bristle when he walks in the room. Not only is Hal the company superstar, he is the company jerk. His words and tone cause unnecessary conflict, which has to be managed before anything gets done. Hal is aware how others respond to him, yet because his performance is generously rewarded does not believe his actions are inappropriate.

Hal is not an anomaly in the corporate world. Many individuals are elevated to the executive ranks based on high performance only to find a spotlight shining on their fatal flaws.

Believe it or not executives like Hal can change. More important, if the individual is loyal to the organization and success minded he will want to change. A place to begin is uncovering how the individual initiates the conflict. The following reflection questions can support the discovery process.

Do you use insensitive language?
Do you raise your voice often?
Do you use demeaning terms?
Do you use negative humor?
Do you offer conclusions, solutions, statements, dictates or answers early in a transaction?

The "Devil's Advocate"

2007-11-05T12:28:00.001-08:00

Bob is the “devils advocate” dialed up to maximum. Any idea a team member raises is met with Bob fiercely arguing the opposite position. Every meeting that Bob attends either results in a heated argument or total silence. Bob’s true intention is to add value by surfacing both sides of every idea. In Bob’s words, “Aren’t good decisions the result of thoroughly evaluating all the options?” What Bob fails to realize is that his approach does not add value to the decision making process. It is divisive and alienating.

As Bob’s boss you have been inundated with complaints and defusing the resulting conflicts has turned into a part-time job. What are your options? The only respectful place to start is sitting Bob down for an honest conversation. Second you can begin to support change by offering Bob a few self-reflection questions. Some possible questions are:

What did you speak up for in meetings today?
What was the effect of your speaking up?
Is this the effect you intended?

Conflict Resolution - An Introduction

2007-11-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

To ensure I'm addressing subjects meaningful to this audience I polled a few executives to surface topics of interest. Several individuals identified conflict resolution as a hot concern in their organization so I plan to commit several editions of "Coaching Tips for the Top" to this subject.

Before I launch into any subject I first turn to my trusty dictionary to look up key words.

conflict n. 1 A state of open, often prolonged fighting; a battle or war. 2. A state of disharmony between incompatible or antithetical persons, ideas, or interests; a clash.
v. 1. To be in or come into opposition; differ.

resolution n. 3. A course of action resolved on. ...... resolve v. 6. To find a solution; solve.

Conflict resolution is reactive .... one is responding to a conflict. Since forward thinking and problem avoidance are valued in our business culture I want to also touch on the idea of "conflict elimination". Is it possible to handle a conflict - not conflict in general, in a way that eliminates future incidence?

eliminate v. 1. to get rid of; remove.

Most of us are able to recognize when we come face to face with conflict. All too often one of us blinks and in that split second conflict has become the 800 pound gorilla in the room. While recognizable and pretty familiar the illusive aspect of conflict is its many sources. I wish I could provide you with a handy one size fits all approach to resolving conflict but conflict resolution is not a science .... it is an art.

The "Coaching Tips for the Top" that follow will address the more common sources of conflict.

definition source: The American Heritage College Dictionary, Third Edition.

Business Ethics, Part 5 of 5

2007-10-29T06:15:00.000-07:00

The last of Mr. Byron’s “Ten Classic Ethical Principles” …

I sense many of you will have strong feelings about the inclusion of love on Mr. Byron’s list. Some may believe love has absolutely no place at work. To you please consider the question, “Is there just one kind of love, a love that’s only place is in our close relationships?”

There will also be individuals who feel love is critical to organizational success. The individuals who say “I love my job.” They often bring a passion to their work that inspires others and energizes their organization. Is this the love to which Mr. Byron refers?

Whether you are perched on the fence or solidly on a side I ask that you consider what expanding love in your work could mean for you.

Excerpt from The Power of Principles

“I’ve identified ten classic ethical principles and invite the reader to come up with his or her own understanding of each one. You are the world’s leading expert on your own opinion. It is important that you articulate your own opinion on these matters so that you can assess how widely shared, in your present or future workplace, are your values and the understandings you have of these classic principles. Remember, a culture is a set of shared meanings and values. How widely shared are your meanings and values relative to these ten points?

….

Tenth, the Ethical Principle of Love. I see this as a principle, an internalized conviction, that prompts a willingness to sacrifice one’s time, convenience, and a share of one’s ideas and material goods for the good of others.”

Byron, S.J., William J., The Power of Principles: Ethics for the New Corporate Culture, Orbis Books, 2006. Chapter One, Old Ethical Principles, pp 5-6.

Business Ethics, Part 4 of 5

2007-10-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

The next three of Mr. Byron’s “Ten Classic Ethical Principles” …

As you read this excerpt please consider a few questions.

Are these principles part of what I consider important?
Do they currently influence my actions and choices?
How might they in the future?

Excerpt from The Power of Principles

“I’ve identified ten classic ethical principles and invite the reader to come up with his or her own understanding of each one. You are the world’s leading expert on your own opinion. It is important that you articulate your own opinion on these matters so that you can assess how widely shared, in your present or future workplace, are your values and the understandings you have of these classic principles. Remember, a culture is a set of shared meanings and values. How widely shared are your meanings and values relative to these ten points?

….

Seventh, the Principle of Social Responsibility. This points to an obligation to look to the interests of the broader community and to treat the community as a stakeholder in what the corporation or organization does.

Eighth, the Principle of the Common Good. This operates as an antidote to individualism; it aligns one’s personal interests with the community’s well-being. This may indeed be the most difficult of all these principles around which to form an organizational consensus relating to the common good of the corporation and then relating that understanding to an understanding of the broader common good outside the organization.

Ninth, the Principle of Subsidiary. This might best be understood in terms of delegation and decentralization, keeping decision making close to the ground. (I’ll call it the principle of delegation when I give it fuller treatment in Chapter 11, simply because “subsidiary” is an unfamiliar term to most American readers.) It means that no decision should be taken at a higher level that can be made as effectively and efficiently at a lower level in the organization. This could be viewed as a “principle of respect for proper autonomy.” It could also be understood in terms of Saul Alinsky’s “Iron Rule” for his Industrial Areas Foundation: “Never, never do for others what they can do for themselves.””

Byron, S.J., William J., The Power of Principles: Ethics for the New Corporate Culture, Orbis Books, 2006. Chapter One, Old Ethical Principles, p 5-6.

Ethics in Business Decision Making

2007-10-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

While doing research for this article I found lots of information describing corporate evildoers, a list of 100 top corporate citizens and volumes of university produced case studies. Everything I found described the actions, the good and the bad, and speculated on the question “What motivates unethical choices?”

The writing contained very little that inspired self-reflection or discussion on the subject of motivating ethical decision-making.

So what does motivate individuals to make choices one would label ethical? How do we each discriminate right from wrong? What are the accepted rules of right conduct?

I believe the answer is rooted in one simple statement “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Though simple it challenges us to be forward thinking and considerate of the consequences of our choices. Good intentions are irresponsible intentions if projects are initiated without exploring all the possible outcomes. Will we get it right 100% of the time? Even if a decision is made based on the best information available and sound assumptions, the answer is no.

It is critical to understand that while one choice puts a project into motion, continuously assessing progress, checking assumptions, and making mid course corrections sustains the integration of ethics in decision-making.

What can you do? Find a compass that will support your ethical decision-making – maybe it is the simple statement that I’ve shared. Ask questions. Evaluate your current work environment.

Does your organization’s top leadership role model ethical decision-making?

What does your organization reward? Doing what is best for all the stakeholders or pure revenue and sales generation?

When evaluating project costs and benefits are only financial factors taken into consideration? How about the implications for all stakeholders?

Regardless of the answers you do have the power to make a difference. I encourge you to foster open dialogue with your team. Start talking about ethical decision-making, and start with the small issues so when the big ones come along no one is intimidated to ask the tough questions.

Business Ethics, Part 2 of 5

2007-10-08T05:47:00.000-07:00

As I read and re read Mr. Byron’s “ten classic ethical principles” I find myself with more questions than answers. My first response to the discomfort of being in question? Rush to find answers! I often find that life, job, and family are only hungry for answers.

As you explore what these principles mean in your life I hope you will hang out in the questions. Here are a few questions to consider

Are these principles part of what I consider important?
Do they currently influence my actions and choices?
How might they in the future?

Excerpt from The Power of Principles

“I’ve identified ten classic ethical principles and invite the reader to come up with his or her own understanding of each one. You are the world’s leading expert on your own opinion. It is important that you articulate your own opinion on these matters so that you can assess how widely shared, in your present or future workplace, are your values and the understandings you have of these classic principles. Remember, a culture is a set of shared meanings and values. How widely shared are your meanings and values relative to these ten points?

….

Fourth, the Principle of Human Dignity. This bedrock principle of all ethics—personal and organizational—acknowledges a person’s inherent worth. It prompts respectful recognition of another’s value simply for being human.

Fifth, the Principle of Participation, workplace participation in this case. This principle respects another’s right not to be ignored on the job or shut out from decision making within the organization.

Sixth, the Principle of Commitment. What I have in mind here is that a committed person can be counted on for dependability, reliability, fidelity, loyalty.”

Byron, S.J., William J., The Power of Principles: Ethics for the New Corporate Culture, Orbis Books, 2006. Chapter One, Old Ethical Principles, p 5.

Business Ethics, Part 1 of 5

2007-10-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

Business Ethics is such an important topic that I plan to dedicate the October “Coaching Tips for the Top” to the subject. Events of the last few years have inspired a lot of discussion about the absence of ethics in business. I was recently introduced to a powerful book by William J. Byron, S.J. on this subject and am so inspired by the content that I want to share Mr. Byron’s words. He discusses “ten classic ethical principles” which are pretty weighty so I’ll include a few each week. As you read each week’s segment please consider a few questions:

Are these principles part of what I consider important?
Do they currently influence my actions and choices?
How might they in the future?

Excerpt from The Power of Principles

“I’ve identified ten classic ethical principles and invite the reader to come up with his or her own understanding of each one. You are the world’s leading expert on your own opinion. It is important that you articulate your own opinion on these matters so that you can assess how widely shared, in your present or future workplace, are your values and the understandings you have of these classic principles. Remember, a culture is a set of shared meanings and values. How widely shared are your meanings and values relative to these ten points?

First, the Principle of Integrity. I think of integrity in terms of wholeness, solidity of character, honesty, trustworthiness, and responsibility. What would you add or subtract from that list?

Second, the Principle of Veracity. This, to me, involves telling the truth in all circumstances; it also includes accountability and transparency.

Third, the Principle of Fairness. By this, of course, I mean justice, treating equals equally, giving to everyone his or her due.”

Byron, S.J., William J., The Power of Principles: Ethics for the New Corporate Culture, Orbis Books, 2006. Chapter One, Old Ethical Principles, p 5.

Regaining Control of Your Time

2007-09-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

A follow up to September 10’s Time Management Tip

Bob, a vice president with a large general contracting company, carefully tracked his time over a two week period. After analyzing the data he was surprised to discover that his 72 work hours are spend doing the following:

40% responding to unanticipated situations,
10% checking and responding to e-mail,
30% attending meetings,
5% doing his own work,
5% listening to Henry complain,
5% doing administrative tasks (scheduling appointments, making copies, etc.),
5% on miscellaneous breaks.

Bob’s own work is suffering so he’s serious about taking control of his time. What can Bob do differently?

Here are a few suggestions.

1. Bob could further evaluate the almost 29 hours he spends responding to unanticipated situations. How many times was his expertise really needed verse how many times was an employee looking to Bob to solve his or her problem? If an employee comes to the door when you are in the middle of something it is okay to ask a few questions before dropping everything. Try “Is this urgent or could it wait 30 minutes until I complete this task?” You’ll be surprise how often someone resolves their own issue in that 30 minutes.

2. Build blocks of time into your schedule to respond to e-mails. Sitting on e-mail is a huge time waster. If you have a Blackberry respond to a message by asking yourself “is this urgent or could it wait until later?”

3. Get rid of Henry the complainer. If Henry’s complaints are legitimate either work to alleviate them or send him to someone who can appropriately address the issues. If Henry’s complaints are way off base take control of the conversation and tell him you don’t agree. You want to nip this in the bud.

4. Bob has an assistant who can be doing 90% of his administrative tasks. Learn to ask for assistance and cultivate a good working relationship with an assistant. This is the person who is going to look out for you.

Delegating

2007-09-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

Anyone in your organization doing the work of a team because he or she doesn’t delegate? Most leaders find delegating takes a lot of effort. Effort that is worth expending because everyone’s success, the executive, team, and organization’s, depends on it. What can make the effort successful?

Here’s a scenario: You need a financial report illustrating the fiscal health of your department over the last 6 months. You could generate the report yourself but a few of your team members could also complete the project.

Where do you start? Have a conversation to clearly define what you need and when you need it. Talking through the project provides you and your staff member an opportunity to uncover the details and create a roadmap.

Beware … of a command and control approach – telling an individual what to do, getting the “I understand” head nod, and then dismissing the person to do what you’ve asked.

Next, set up a schedule for monitoring progress and then follow through. It is great news if things are moving forward as needed. If things are not going well you have the opportunity to support your employee to get the project back on track. Let me repeat … support your employee to get the project back on track … not take over completing the work.

Ask questions to get to the root of the situation. Some possible reasons things aren’t going well include

· additional detail or clarity is needed
· additional resources are needed
· competing priorities exist

Notice that “your staff members are incompetent, lazy, saboteurs” is not on the list!

You may go through several cycles on the path to project completion – stick with it. Delegating frees up time for you to focus on strategic issues, communicates that you trust, respect and value the people working for you, and develops tomorrow’s executive leaders.

Effective delegating does take practice. Learn to be the guiding hand that supports others to achieve superior business results.

Time Management

2007-09-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

Is time management a problem yet your executive doesn’t seem to be over committed or struggling with setting priorities?

In order to best diagnose the cause of a time management problem the executive must do an assessment of their time utilization. How are they spending this limited resource?

Here’s an assessment exercise you can offer your executive.

1. For the next 2 weeks document how you spend your time. Write down all of the activities and the time committed to each. No one will see this information so please include everything – scheduled meetings, unscheduled meetings, phone calls, e-mail, administrative responsibilities, conversations at the coffee pot, lunch, etc.

2. After completing your documentation ask yourself the following questions to evaluation your data.
What did you actually spend your time doing?
On what did you anticipate/ expect to be spending your time?
How do you feel about how you are actually spending your time?
What action will you take from what you observed in this exercise?

Setting Priorities

2007-09-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

Is anyone in your organization missing deadlines because they are overwhelmed by job responsibilities? Many people find themselves pulled in several directions due to diverse project and team responsibilities. And they report to, or are accountable to, several people with conflicting priorities.

How can you support others to set priorities?

1. The best support you can provide is to ensure the individual understands the culture and the criteria important to establishing priorities. Are priorities always set by deadline? How does senior leadership influence priorities?

2. Periodically ask what support the individual needs to be successful. He or she may feel too overwhelmed to even ask for help.

3. The following questions also support an individual to successfully evaluate priority actions on a daily basis:

What is most important for me to accomplish today?
What is most important for me to communicate today?
What actions will move me toward fulfilling my responsibilities?

Setting priorities and using them to guide actions causes a dramatic increase in productivity – try it out.

Over Committed?

2007-08-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

Are your executives over committed? Do they have any of these symptoms:

· Chronically late to meetings?
· Drop in work quality?
· Work many hours of overtime?
· Feel tired and stressed?

In the fast pace of today’s business climate many executives suffer from these symptoms. They get caught in the whirlwind of meetings, problems, e-mails, and phone calls, and lose an awareness of how they are investing their precious time. Have you heard any of your employees say, “I did a lot today but I didn’t get anything done.”

If executives intentionally choose how to spend their time the results are greater productivity and lower stress. Unplanned events will always arise but a plan of action will ensure the unplanned events are the exception not the rule.

Here’s a simple scheduling and debriefing practice to share with an over committed executive.

1. Each day before leaving work, make a “To Do” list for the next day inclusive of a time schedule. Include all meetings, preparation, and travel time.

2. The ask the following questions:
· Is this scheduled really possible, given how often I’ll be interrupted?
· If not, what action can I take now?
· Can one of my staff take on this responsibility? Do I really need to do it myself?

3. Debrief at the end of the day with the following questions:
· What did I accomplish today that’s important for my goals?
· How can I correct tomorrow’s scheduling by what I learned today?

This practice may seem too simple to alleviate the symptoms of over commitment yet I challenge you to have your executive try it for 2 weeks. The small investment will yield a great return.

Coaching in the Moment

2007-08-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Coaching in the Moment

A significant issue is elevated to your level and after evaluating the information you understand the problem developed because one of your employees made a series of bad decisions. What do you do? Take care of the issue yourself? Blow up at the employee? While many executives often choose one of these two options, a third possibility does exist.

Coaching in the moment is a very powerful means of guiding an employee to a successful outcome, and is also quite effective in "de-briefing" after something hasn't gone quite as well as you would have liked. Here's a brief process to help you effectively coach your employees:

Start by uncovering what lead the employee to their decisions. Come from a place of curiosity and ask a few simple questions.
What did you intend to accomplish?
How did you analyze the situation?
How did you decide what to do?

Beware ..... of asking, "Why did you do that? as the question often triggers justification and defensiveness.

Second, invite the individual to see the issue from a different point of view. The wisdom gained through your experience will open up an opportunity for your employee to see the situation in a new way.

Beware ..... of shifting into a problem solving approach and sending the employee off with a directive.

Third, coach your employee to develop his or her own action plan. Questions to guide this process include:
What actions will you take?
How will you monitor progress?
In what ways can I support you?

I encourage you to try using this tool. While it may initially feel uncomfortable practice will bring proficiency.