ITLP Tuesday Readings

Nancy Lublin, CEO of Do Something, is the author of this week's Tuesday Reading, How to Write a Mission Statement That Isn't Dumb. Her article appears in the December 1, 2009 issue of FastCompany.

Lublin argues that our mission statements don't have to be dumb, that is, neither clear nor useful. They should, she continues, "convey clearly what the work unit is trying to do." The concept of BHAG - a big, hairy, audacious goal - introduced by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras - provides a good model: a unifying focal point plus a clear measure of what constitutes success.

Amazon.com's BHAG for the Kindle is a great example: "Every book, ever printed, in any language, all available in less that 60 seconds."

So, my challenge to you: Write a mission statement - for yourself, for your team, for ... - with a goal that's an action that is quantifiable. Reflect on what you've written, on your ambitions. Rewrite until it reflects the difference you want to make.

Thanksgiving Day is later this week. All of us associated with the Leaders Programs have much to be thankful for this year including our opportunities to work with you as you continue your leadership journeys.

. . . . . jim

Posted by Jim Hall at 11:51 AM | Permalink

In his piece, "Using Curiosity to Create Accountability with Powerful People", Roger Schwarz (of the Skilled Facilitator) notes that when people are accountable to you, you [should] expect then to explain the key decisions and actions they have taken. Yet, when we are talking with people who have more power than we do, we stop asking questions, we stop being curious. In this piece, Scvhwarz suggests four questions that you might ask in these situations along with ways to set the context:

1. "Are you open to exploring [a certain topic]?" . . . This is a great question to ask to start off the conversation. It will let you know immediately whether the person is willing to proceed. If they say they are not willing, you can follow-up by saying, "Can you share your thinking about why it's a closed issue for you? I'm not asking to get you to change your mind; I would just like to understand better."

2. "Can you help me understand what about the solution doesn't work for you?" . . . This is a great question to ask when someone has turned down your proposed solution. It moves the conversation from focusing on positions to understanding the interests that the person needs to meet. Better yet, if you talk with the person before you propose a solution, you can ask, "What needs of yours do we need to meet? I'm asking so that we make sure our solution incorporates this."

3. "What, if anything, would influence you on this issue?" . . . Rather than spend a lot of time and energy guessing what will lead a person to adopt your proposal or change her mind about a decision, this question asks the person to give you that information. It saves everyone time. A variation of this question is "What would need to happen for you to be willing to [take a certain action]?"

4. "How, if at all, do you see yourself contributing to the problem?" . . . If your heart started beating faster when you read this question, it's because this question raises the level of accountability. You are asking the person to move beyond sharing his reasoning to sharing ways in which he is partly responsible for a problem that has been identified. If you feel uncomfortable with this question, it may be because you are assuming that it's inappropriate to ask people with more power to be accountable for their contributions. If you feel this way, this is an important assumption to explore. It will limit your ability to have important conversations and to obtain information you need to help people with more power.

Posted by Jim Hall at 9:43 AM | Permalink

Over the past several years, I've seen a number of articles about personal branding. My favorite is a piece Tom Peters wrote some two years ago - The Brand Called You - that appeared in FastCompany on December 18, 2007. Peters' piece is this week's Tuesday Reading.

Peters begins by noting that today almost everything is branded, including almost everything you are wearing as well as your university and some of its more significant constituent parts. He argues that we need to understand the concept of branding, particularly as it relates to your own personal brand, "You." The point is that you have a brand whether or not you make that brand work in your behalf.

So, what about the brand, You? Peters argues that thinking of yourself as a brand leads you to think about being visible, to realize that everything matters, and to understand that style and substance really matter.

To begin thinking about yourself as a brand, you might ask questions such as:

• What is it that makes my product or service distinctive? EXERCISE: Write it out now - 15 or fewer words. Read and revise often.

• What feature or benefits does "You" offer? E.g.,

  • Do you deliver on-time, every time?
  • What strategic needs do you meet?
  • Do you think strategically about your responsibilities?
  • Do you address issues before they become crises?
  • What have you accomplished that gives you a real sense of achievement?
  • What do you consistently do that adds value?
  • Are you loyal - to your colleagues, to your team, to your project, to your customers, to your values, and to yourself?
  • Do you continue your personal development?

• What's the "pitch" for "You"? What makes you visible? The extra project, volunteering, how you show up. (Catherine Kaputa, founder of Selfbrand, LLC asks: "Do you have a visual identity that ... is consistent with your personal brand ...?")

• Does your network of relationships support your brand? If not, what do you need to do to improve?

In our always connected and communicating world, the brands that stand for something relevant and that build positive perception and expectations are the ones that succeed. And, so it also is with personal brands.

So, take a moment to look at how you are seen from this point of view. And, if changes are needed, make them a priority.

. . . . jim

Posted by Jim Hall at 8:33 AM | Permalink

Today's reading Lessons from Your Leadership Journey is a recent entry in Brian McDonald's blog at the ITLP Leadership Development Community Practice website.

Early in every Leadership Program cycle, everyone has an opportunity to reflect on their past experiences as a leader and identify lessons they learned from these experiences. In doing this, some people focus on the experience, while others go a step further and ask the question, what did I learn? Still others ask how did what I learn influence the way I lead today?

Brian's post urges you to go back to the leadership journey you completed in your cycle of the program. Update it. (And, for those who have lost track of your work then, do take some time once again to reflect on your journey.) And, then look for themes, insights that you believe currently influence your behavior.

After you've done this, you are ready to explore how you might build on, refine, or add to your learnings as you look ahead. Brian argues that understanding these experiences and being explicit about both what you learned and the resulting practices can significantly enhance your ability to be a more effective leader. The lessons learned no doubt inform your beliefs about leadership and influence your behavior.

. . . . jim

Posted by Jim Hall at 2:03 PM | Permalink