ITLP Tuesday Readings

Today's reading is "Candor, Criticism, Teamwork" by Keith Ferrazzi, CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight, a research-based consulting and training company. He is also author of the book Who's Got Your Back. The essay first appeared in the HBR blog.

Ferrazzi begins by noting that while the desire to avoid conflict is understandable, it is one of the most debilitating factors in organizational life. Absence of candor, Ferrazzi notes, contributes to longer cycle times, slower decision making, and unnecessary prolonged discussions.

Ferrazzi Greenlight research at more than 50 companies over the past three years has identified "observable candor" as the single behavior that best predicts high-performing teams. Forthrightness should not just be encouraged but required.

The research also identified three techniques can help everyone interact more directly:

1. Break large group meetings into smaller groups. In large meetings the louder, more confident voices always dominate. Even strong team members often have difficulty in taking a risk and speaking up. One way to get the "different" voices heard is to divide the meeting into smaller groups to brainstorm the issue. Small groups promote openness and higher risk taking and, thus, different voices will be heard when the small group discussions are reported out.

2. Designate a "Yoda." Star Wars had the wise Jedi Master, Yoda; today's discussions will often benefit from advocates for candor. In a meeting Yoda's job is to notice and speak up when something is left unsaid. The Yoda may also call out behavior that in unconstructive or disruptive. The Yoda for a meeting can be a volunteer, a designee, or a rotating meeting assignment.

3. Teach "caring criticism." Constructive feedback almost always hurts, even when its purpose is to improve performance or avoid mistakes. However, delivered well it is essential for high performing organizations. So, we all need to learn to deliver and receive constructive feedback in a way that enables each of us to see the feedback as a gift given and received. This most often will happen if the "gift" is given in the form of dialogue rather than a declaration: "I'm not sure I understand how you cane to that course of action. Can you help me understand?" rather than "That's wrong!"

Ferrazzi notes that true collaboration is impossible when people don't trust one another or speak with candor. Since you have to be able to ask questions or propose answers that may be wrong to work together effectively, it's important to create a candid environment built upon respectful and honest relationships.

Won't you give this a try this week? . . . . jim

EXTRA : "In every encounter with someone else, however long or short, we should make him feel we're 100 percent there for him at that moment, with nothing else to do except be with him and do whatever needs doing for him. Good maners, yes, but also heartfelt availability. This is very difficult, since we have a strong sense of proprietary rights to our time and easily tend to get upset if we can't organize it as we choose. But this is the price of genuine love." -- Jacques Philippe

Posted by Jim Hall at 12:35 PM | Permalink

Thank you to Greg Anderson for this quote:

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." ~ Albert Einstein

Thanksgiving is a time to stop, reflect, and count our blessings. There is always something to be grateful for.

How we think affect how we feel, and how we feel affects how we think. Pay attention to your thoughts. Start by paying attention to the basic things, like being alive, having a friend or loved one, a job, living in America, breath.

You have so much more than that. Life is a miracle. You are a miracle. Treat yourself as such and celebrate!

I am thankful that you have crossed my path. Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by Jim Hall at 12:38 PM | Permalink

Today's Tuesday Reading comes from Leading Effectively, the blog of the Center for Creative Leadership and is "'Doing' and 'Being' a Leader: Not the Same Thing." The blog post is by Clemson Turregano who designs and delivers CCL leadership programs for senior military and government officials.

Turregano begins his essay with a story about George, a colleague at the Center for Creatve Leadership (CCL). George always begins a workshop series with three questions:

• Where were you when you were 5 years old?
• What were you doing 7 years ago?
• What do you want to be in 10 years?

The first question discovers the diversity of the class. The second usually demonstrates generational positions. The third, while the most important, is really a trick question which turns on a slight change in the language. The "do" from the second question becomes "be" in the third.

We're "doing" the job when we're promoted to the next position, when we check the process, improve quality, make sure staff are happy at their work, etc. This is "doing" leadership. "Being" a leader involves understand yourself, your context, and what you want your future to be. "'Being' a leader involves being fully present with a person, understanding their needs, and fully listening to their concerns." A leader turns aside and focuses on the other person, making "being" with them the most important priority at the moment.

The purpose of George's question is to begin the process of breaking down the barriers built up by the constant pressure of "doing" and enable each individual in the group to start the work to "be" better leaders.

I invite you to take some time this Thanksgiving season to think about what being a leader would look like for you. Then, you can begin to work on that vision.

. . . . jim

Posted by Jim Hall at 11:07 AM | Permalink

Today's Reading, "What Would the Next CIO Do? How to Preempt Your Successor" is deceptively titled. If you are a leader, the article is really for you! The essay's author is Bryon Payne, CIO at North Georgia College and State University, and it first appeared at cio.com.

Payne's thesis is very simple: new leaders come into a new role with a lot of energy. They search out the more-or-less obvious issues and act on them. So the question is why don't you take the time to identify those pressing issues and create an action plan?

Payne believes that there are three areas of concern:

1. Pain points. These are the annoying problems that, in reality, are easily solved; i.e., low-hanging fruit. Connect to your clients and identify these pain points, and do something about them.

2. Jackhammer issues. During much of World War II, I lived with my grandparents in a house that was about 20 feet from a regularly used railroad track. I became so used to the train passing by that I never heard it. Same way about your colleagues and customers. They often have to employ workarounds and jump through hoops to get their work done. How can you eliminate these persistent annoyances?

3. Relationship rescue. What necessary relationships are in a state of disrepair and need to be rebuilt or are nonexistent? Make a list of the relationships that you need for your organization to function well and do the work that is needed.

So, create an opportunity to look through the lens of a person who would be a new leader in your place, and take on the issues the he or she would see. It will make a world of difference!

. . . . jim

Posted by Jim Hall at 12:01 PM | Permalink

"It is wiser to find out than to suppose." ~ Mark Twain

Do you assume you know what people are thinking? Ask! Do you assume you know why someone behaves the way they do? Ask! Do you assume others perceive you as you perceive yourself? Ask!

Byron Katie at thework.com created 4 simple questions to ask yourself:

1. Is it true?
2. Can you absolutely know that it's true?
3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?
4. Who would you be with out the thought?

Posted by Jim Hall at 10:12 PM | Permalink

Today's Tuesday Reading is "Questions That Lead to Results". This article comes from the Wharton Leadership Digest's Nano Tools for Leaders and was contributed by Marilee Adams, President and founder of the Inquiry Institute and author of "Change Your Questions, Change Your Life."

The goal of this Nano Tool is to change your and your team's mindset from being "stuck" to finding possibilities and solutions.

Adams notes that our mindsets are determined by the questions we ask: "Learner Questions" which are open-minded, curious, and creative or "Judger Questions" which focus on the problems rather than solutions and often lead to defensive reactions and inertia.

It's natural to ask both Learner and Judger Questions. Leaders who can effectively distinguish between the two and cultivate a Learner's mindset can improve the performance, productivity, and morale of their teams and organizations. It will also increase their individual success as a leader.

This means asking more Learner Questions such as

• What are the facts?
• What am I assuming?
• How can I help?
• What's possible?

and not Judger Questions such as

• Who's to blame?
• How can I prove I'm right?
• How do I protect my turf?
• Why bother?

Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robertt Sulton of Stanford point out that there's often a gap between what we know - that asking Learner Questions are crucially important - and what we do - too often asking Judger Questions. Often the Judger Questions just come out: it's very difficult to make that change.

Yet, research shows that it is a worth the effort. Teams that operate with a Learner mindset are more productive, motivated, and engaged.

Adams proposes three action steps to help each of us move to a Learner mindset:

1. Work on your own mindset first. Are you focusing on asking Learner Questions? To help you, take the time to create Learner Questions that focus attention on achieving your goals.

2. Elevate the quality of your meetings. For meetings you lead or attend, carefully prepare, including developing a set of Learner Questions designed to help move your agenda forward.

3. Boost your team's energy, engagement, and productivity. Pay attention to the questions your team members ask and explore their impact. Help the team learn to ask Learner Questions. As you do this, be careful that you consistently model the Learner behaviors yourself and acknowledge your team as they begin to make the shift.

Now is the time for you to take a hard look at the questions you ask and take steps to develop a Learner mindset. Perhaps you can make it a priority for work this week.

. . . . . jim

Maya Angelou: "I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back."

Posted by Jim Hall at 2:26 PM | Permalink