Blog

Recalculating Leadership Paradigms: Adding a New Avenue to the Path of Leadership Effectiveness

Tuesday, 30 April 2013 14:59

Paying the “Price” of Innovation: There are no Free Lunches

Monday, 15 April 2013 06:17

Innovation. The very word conjures breakthrough products, magazine covers, and celebrity status. But those associations are too good to be the whole story. It requires a closer, more balanced, look. Innovation comes at a cost to leaders, teams and the organization.   

 

Organizational Culture and Policy Change

Attention to measures, accountability and efficiencies have dominated organizational initiatives in the last few years. Innovation thrives on exploration, curiosity and discovery, rather than productive performance. It takes time to identify new options or synergies. Google and 3M are known for providing some of their employee’s discretionary time. How much time are you willing to provide? Which employees would be eligible? Can you shift from a short-term mindset to a longer time frame to develop and test those ideas? What changes to your reward system are necessary to support and maintain innovation?

 

Change in Leadership Practices

A leader’s role is typically defined as setting goals and measuring performance. While coaching and analytical thinking have been added in the last decade, leading for innovation requires additional skills. Engagement, risk taking, supporting setbacks and building resilience have become critical to innovation. 

 

Overcoming the fear of failure or the stigma attached to anything less than stellar success stems from leaders who are willing to challenge thinking and insist on asking hard questions. One leader I worked with had a practice of starting each staff meeting with the question: What mistake have you made and what have you learned from it? It certainly set a standard for creative thought. Great ideas can come from any part of the organization. What are you doing as a leader to support the probing questions and assumption testing? You might be surprised what a brand new team member might ask and the opportunities those questions open.

 

New Support for Collaboration and Cross Functional Teaming

Did you know that the Wizard of Menlo Park, Thomas Edison worked with a team? In fact, several of his patents included the name of his teammates. While we have the image of the lone inventor, innovation thrives in teams. Cross-functional teams have one of the strongest track records for innovation. Combining engineering and medicine has provided breakthroughs in cardiology, orthopedics and more. The field of bioinformatics is just one example of how new fields of study can arise at crossroads of traditional functional definitions. What kind of teaming are you relying on? Is the team’s culture based on competition or collaboration? Is it siloed in one functional area or expanded across areas of expertise. And, how is teamwork rewarded?

 

Stand Up for Cancer Research efforts (SU2C) have demonstrated how the hero inventor must be transformed into a more collaborative effort not only across disciplines but also across organizations. Instead of researchers striving to be singled out for a Nobel Prize, the need to digest a torrent of data and complex interactions mandates a different approach across research centers. How can leaders build teams, overcome turfdoms, and create collaboration to identify new opportunities and solve intricate problems?   

 

Is Innovation Worth the Price?

Recognizing the fact that there is a cost associated with innovation, does not mean that the costs outweigh the benefits. The pay-off in market leadership, new business models, product introduction and extension, service to customers and personal significance more than compensate for the adopting the quest for innovation. Just because a lunch is not free, does mean that you forgo the meal. It can still be a delicious delight.

Superheroes and Supervillains: Reliance on Command and Authority Power

Thursday, 04 April 2013 13:58

Command and authority power result in speedy compliance, clear direction, and action. Using the “do it because I said so” approach rarely requires discussion or heated debate. 

 

However, the salute and execute approach can be very helpful. During a crisis, the use of command power saves lives and organizes action. In the case of Hurricane Sandy or another critical safety issue, the use of a command is a natural, effective, and reasonable approach. 

 

Moviemakers create our superheroes. From Iron Man to Superman or Spiderman, they give directives to help others. We also associate command power with movie villains, from Darth Vader to the Godfather. In the Lord of the Rings, the search for the one ring of power pitted the good Hobbit Frodo again the lidless eye, Lord Sauron. Their dictates and motivation stem from greed and ego.

 

Command power: decisiveness, direction, and clear expectations

 

Despite a negative reputation, command power can aid others, create positive outcomes, and direct needed resources to the most critical problems. Medical triage might be one example. Doctors yell assessments about who should be treated first.  The other medical staff follow their directions and save lives.   

 

While events like the 2009 crash of US Air 1549 happily do not happen as often as medical triage, it highlights again the benefits of command power. When the geese hit the engines shortly after take-off,  Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger landed his disabled plane safely on the Hudson River. His decisive actions saved 155 lives.

 

In the corporate world, command power can provide clear goals and initiatives, create standards, align energies, and ensure high levels of performance.

 

There is a downside to using command power when the situation does not warrant it. This impersonal approach can create passivity, low levels of risk taking, and withholding information. It can also breed fear and crush personal motivation.

 

Authority power: clarity and unity vs. bureaucracy

 

Organizations grant authority power by title, position, and office space. Pay and  perks including furnishings are metered out by position and title. In some organizations people of a specific rank prefer to speak only to those of an equal rank or higher. 

 

The popular series Downton Abbey lays out the hierarchy not only upstairs but also downstairs. The “this is the way it is to be” approach clarifies the chain of command and responsibilities without regard to personality or personal connections. 

 

With military, police, fire and medical staff, uniforms are a part of their authority. But even those without a uniform feel the role they play when they accept a title. Each title – professor, board chairperson, or elected mayor – has a role to play. Each recognizes the duties and obligations that accompany a position.

 

Organizations tend to use authority power to ensure appropriate decision review, set a direction or goal, and create unified action for goal achievement. However, authority power can become a morass. In one organization, there were seven signatures up the chain of command required to hire a security guard. Other war stories about approving travel reimbursement or multiple rejections of key decisions due to the submission of a proper form become part of an organization’s lore. It also creates a cumbersome bureaucracy that creates barriers to success.

 

The election of Pope Francis offers interesting insight into authority power. The pope has infallible power and substantial public and private obligations. In the first month after his election, there are signs that he will break from some traditions and practices as he sets a model of humility and service. It just may be that a pope can serve just as well as pope without wearing red shoes.

 

When those in authority rely on authority all the time, they are playing a dangerous game. The trump card of authority has its limits. It cannot produce commitment, loyalty, or develop future leaders.  

 

To use power effectively it must match the situation. While it might be tempting to rely on one or two power levers, all seven must be in your tool kit. What are the signals you observe that tell you when to use which of the power levers? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
 

 

Untapped Power of Recognition: Investing in Praise and Feedback

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 16:09

 

Expanding recognition power enhances engagement, satisfaction, employee retention, collaboration, innovation, performance. Why would a leader neglect such a powerful leadership tool? Too often recognition is confused with tangible rewards so the short- and long-term benefits are missed.

 

Let’s explore the potential behind recognition power.

 

What is recognition power?

Some leaders think recognition is limited to tangible rewards – a bonus, a raise, a promotion – and consequently ignore the intangible power of praise and recognition.

 

One leader told me, “They get a paycheck and an annual review, that’s enough recognition.” News flash: These are not enough. In a 2010 Harvard Business Review brief researchers Teresa Amabile and Steven J. Kramer explained that most people today are motivated by a sense of progress. In particular, the  younger generations – the Gen X’ers and Millenials – thrive on constant praise, recognition and feedback.

 

Without recognition, high performers revert to being average. If excellence receives little response, why put effort into any task?  Why use discretionary effort or display initiative?

 

Benefits and examples of recognition power

Recognition takes time rather than money. It can actually be quite easy. The following are some effective examples I’ve seen implemented to achieve different results:

 

1.     Recognition from customers

A study of nurses found that hand written thank you notes was the most meaningful recognition possible. For call center customer service representatives,  it was a weekly printout of voicemail surveys praising them.  

 

 

2.     Recognition from the team

Instead of relying on management to recognize performance, the team can provide timely and specific recognition. One director I’ve worked with would have a quick, five-minute meeting on a Friday afternoon and ask, “Who helped you this week?”

 

When someone spoke up the person they thanked was given a Klondike bar – a Klondike bar!   The simple act boosted engagement and created a culture where the staff recognized each other.

 

3.     Recognition as respect

A labor dispute was brewing because a plant leader didn’t say a simple “hello” to his workers. Many in the workforce interpreted this as disregard. The simple act of informing an introverted manager of how his action was being interpreted changed the tone and contributed to improved trust, respect and communication.

 

4.     Recognition as visibility and pride

Another form of recognition is when a worker’s performance is recognized by upper management. For example, when an employee prepares a key report, recommendation, or suggestion, he or she should have his or her name on the report or be asked to attend the meeting wherein it is presented. This not only offers intrinsic pride but also increases confidence and sustains excellence. 

 

5.     Recognition of innovative thinking and initiative

Organizations require innovation to stay competitive and effective. If you want to foster a culture of innovation in your organization, then you must recognize initiative, not just outcome. One leader would start her staff meeting by asking, “Who has tried something new?” This simple question set an expectation that out-of-the-box thinking was important, even if the idea was not a slam dunk success. After all, the Lisa computer was the precursor to the Mac. We have to recognize those who overcome any fear of failure by speaking out, by engaging people and issues, and by proposing new solutions and alternatives.

 

While recognition is not currently a common practice, it is one that sustains performance, encourages thinking, and supports initiative. Recognition has a return on investment that every leader must recognize. What additional approaches or techniques have you seen or used to recognize others? Share your ideas in the comments below.

 

Degrees of Separation: Leveraging Your Personal Power in an Increasingly Connected World

Monday, 04 March 2013 12:35

While “six degrees of separation” has historically been a standard reference point, today technology and social networking sites have helped to cut this figure in half. In our world it is easier to connect than ever before. However, all connections are not equal. An acquaintance is not the same as a friend or confidante. Understanding how to use your personal power enables you to expand your circle of influence and power.

Every relationship starts with an introduction and a period that might be dubbed the “get to know you” stage. It is when we learn small tidbits about another person’s background, skills, and experiences. Some people enjoy working a crowded room, displaying a mastery of the fine art of networking, while others intermingle more cautiously.  Whatever the speed, the ability to make contacts and new acquaintances expands our personal or Linkage power.

Linkage power stems from conferences, cocktails, social media, etc. and is marked by the exchange of business cards or contact information. These connections are beneficial but restricted. The “mileage” is limited to other surface connections.
 

Translating the typically superficial linkage connection into Relationship Power takes time, respect, and mutual exchange. Only then can you really “count” on another person or group. The benefits of learning to effectively foster Relationship Power include: increased job satisfaction, improved team spirit and loyalty, and the sharing of insights and information.
 

Cultivating a relationship entails iterative interactions that increase comfort and deepen a sense of mutual ties. Commonalities are discovered and differences respected as connections are transformed into relationships. Evidence of relationship power varies from a mentor who offers guidance, a team member who has your back, or a colleague who gives you a heads up. In addition, there is a sense of reciprocity in a relationship.  Favors are returned, increasing the strength of the bond. Going above and beyond the call of duty to help another is the hallmark of a solid relationship.

If you are interested in expanding your personal power, here are a few tips to help you build both Linkage and Relationship:

6 Tips for Enhancing Linkage Power
     1.     Just do it. Set aside time and make it a priority
     2.     Attend social events and meetings
     3.     Embrace technology. Find opportunities to interact digitally
     4.     Be visible and accessible
     5.     Build connections within your group as well as across the organization
     6.     Pay it forward; help to connect others

6 Tips for Enhancing Relationship Power:
     1.     Show sincere interest in another’s ideas, initiatives, and successes
     2.     Listen to concerns and suggestions while exploring potential solutions
     3.     Take time to connect on a professional and personal level
     4.     Maintain personal contact
     5.     Request feedback and input
     6.     Demonstrate respect personal values and/or cultures

Take a moment to assess your personal power practices. What will expand your network? What will deepen those connections into relationships? Today is a good day to capitalize on your “three degrees of separation.” 

Mastery is Merit

Friday, 15 February 2013 16:11

You are probably familiar with the saying “there is no substitute for experience” and perhaps can even attest to its accuracy. Over the past several weeks we have redefined power and explored the new and popular Systems Power lever. As the opening sentence alludes, this week I am delving into Mastery Power. That is, the power stemming from experience, training and education.  In a recent study on power practices, the power of expertise ranked high - it was the third most cited. Not surprising, as it is a key contributor to organization success, it warrants attention and support.

 

Those who exercise Mastery Power are recognized and highly valued. Mastery Power even And, it operates independently of formal titles. There are some without a prestigious rank that are sought out for advice.

 

Mastery provides insights that not only enable better decision-making but also reduce risk but this cannot be attained overnight. In fact, it may take as much as 10,000 hours of practice to be a true master. This may seem extreme, but take for example the historic guild system. There was a progression from an entry-level apprentice to journeyman before being recognized as a master and the same is true today. It takes time and effort to develop the skills necessary to begin exercising Mastery Power. Whatever the investment of time, training and practice, it pays off.  

 

The benefits of Mastery Power include the ability to:

     •     Offer new alternatives
     •     Assist others by designing or explaining processes
     •     Apply their skills to develop new perspectives in a time of change
     •     Coach others and develop talent for the future

 

While we all realize the benefits, many organizations face the problem of losing mastery through retirements or the loss of key talent. How is your organization developing Mastery Power? Are those who currently have Mastery Power mentoring and coaching others? Are your current masters stuck operating in a tried and true universe?

 

Our complex and changing world requires more mastery than ever before. What are you doing to develop your mastery? What are the areas you foresee a need for mastery in the future?  What can you do to help others develop their mastery? 
 

Working the System Instead of Fighting It

Friday, 25 January 2013 15:40

In my last blog "Which is More Detrimental: Power or Powerlessness?" I redefined the term “power” to challenge common misconceptions and introduced the seven levers necessary to effectively wield power. This week, I will take an in-depth look at one power lever that is often dismissed out of sheer misunderstanding: system power. 
 

We have all heard the saying, “You can’t fight the system.” But the truth is: systems are powerful and useful. You can exhaust yourself by continually struggling against it or you can learn to effectively leverage system power by understanding system nuances.
 

A system can be defined as “a group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a complex whole.” Translated this means that systems include the organization’s structure, policies, rules, standard practices, established processes, and plans. While they may be documented and fairly consistent, you can still use them to influence action, impact decision-making, and align activities.
 

The research conducted by Enterprise Management indicates that the system power lever is the most widely used type of power in both business and government. Constructive use of systems levers include:

Which is More Detrimental: Power or Powerlessness?

Friday, 11 January 2013 11:59

What comes to mind when you think of powerful leaders? Do you envision the trustworthy, inspiring, and successful leader who steadfastly focuses on goals and who fosters genuine loyalty in his/her followers? Or do you see the ever lurking evil leader who craves power for personal gain, trampling whatever (or whoever) gets in his/her way? Power has long been viewed as a double-edge sword and as such has been cast out of business operations for fear of corruption. But what if power is the key element missing from your career?

Power Paradigm

Power, as many view it, is limited so it must be preserved and never diluted. A limited pie that only has so many servings. It is for the aristocrat, the superior, the wealthy, the elite, the titled and the cagey. This self-serving definition expects nothing more than ill intentions, misuse and abuse. The result is that power becomes the elephant in the room that no one acknowledges. Ignoring and banning the topic does not solve the problem or erase the harm. Certainly the misuse of power comes at a cost but what is the cost of prevalent powerlessness?

The Problem with Powerlessness

Powerlessness puts you in a box. It limits you to a salute and execute mentality. When you are powerless you have no sense of ownership, you have limited job satisfaction, you have no room to show initiative and are less productive. One who lives in powerlessness lives by a list of shoulds: “you must do this at this time,”  “you should produce that,” “you should…” Powerlessness seeps into the crevices of an organization, slowing its momentum and sapping commitment. Powerlessness keeps organizations and individuals alike stuck in the past and in a rut. So what is the alternative?

Power is Energy

We need to re-define and understand power as the “ability to act or produce an effect.”  Like electricity, power moves us and enables us to perform. It aligns interests and gains support, which is the essence of leadership. It enables choices, builds confidence, and increases agility in the face of change. Power stirs calm and vital energy beyond anything bestowed by a formal title or position. It is an awareness that the ability to impact results, sway decisions, and respond to change is accessible to everyone. It is knowing YOU can make a meaningful contribution. Innovation, initiative, discretionary effort, and ownership stem from a personal sense of power.  Since power is leadership, we need to encourage both the training and application of effective power.

 

Pushing Past the Past

Embracing power means moving from the realm of shoulds into the realm of coulds: “I could do something different,” “I could enable, enlarge, expand, innovate…” It begins by employing a new power mindset. The great Greek mathematician and physicist Archimedes famously stated, “Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough and I will move the world.” If he could think he could move the world, what is it that you could do? Once you understand how to apply your power you can also leverage your influence to move what appears to be immobile. You just need the right tools used in the right way. 

I believe there are seven power levers that provide a path for you to move from should to could:

A true leader who understands power will know when and how to exercise each of these levers for optimal success. Over the next seven blogs we will begin an in-depth exploration of each and how you can use each lever to effectively wield your power.

Fast, Simple and Wrong: Changing the Quick Fix Mindset

Monday, 06 August 2012 00:00

In a complex world, speedy solutions rarely work. Unintended consequences, time lags, and interconnected systems whirl risk and ramifications to side track easy solutions.

Ralph Kilmann’s 1991 book Managing Beyond the Quick Fix remains valid today--leaders need a new mindset that goes beyond simple response toward sustainable resolutions. In a rush to action, symptoms divert attention from root causes. Are today’s problems, issues, or opportunities really simple? Leaders should not be being playing the equivalent of speed tic-tac-toe where getting to any win first is the goal.

Acting is critical but it must be the right action at the right time in the right way for the right results. A quick overview, a readymade response or reverting to “what we have always done” cannot substitute for careful analysis, critical thinking, creative solutions, and integrated planning.

Dr. Paul Nutt in his 2002 book Why Decisions Fail reported that 80% of decisions are made without considering an alternative. While it is understandable that past success is alluring, the financial advisors caution that past success is not a guarantee of future success also holds true in other fields. Leaders do not need speed as much as they need accuracy and sustainability.

This means that the leader’s role as the person with “all” the answers must change. Instead of thinking that leadership equates to the font of all knowledge, leader’s real role is to ask penetrating questions. It is discovery, innovative and systems thinking, not the “tried and true,” that deliver lasting results.

The next time a binary choice is offered, recognize it as trap. Few situations in life have only two options. And many have learned to present one reasonable proposal paired an unworkable. The apparent easy choice leads into the uncharted school of hard knocks territory. Instead, allocate time to examining assumptions, identifying multiple options, and considering both the possible and improbable before making the decision. Speed is not the answer on the highway or in organizations. Remember it was the tortoise and not the hare that won the race. Take the time and involve the right resource to get it right the first time.

Blind Spots that Sabotage Culture Change

Tuesday, 27 March 2012 15:48

As anyone who has ever driven a car knows, blind spots are potentially lethal. This holds true in leading business organizations as well on the road, so it’s time we worked to eliminate them from one of the most critical business tasks of our age: culture change.
The danger of blind spots helps explain the continued popularity of Kaplan and Norton’s book The Balanced Scorecard. That influential book, after all, addressed the value of having multiple measures or perspectives. Incomplete scorecards resulted in ignored aspects or blind spots.
Now, culture change initiatives must adopt this practice. To date, culture change initiatives generally concentrate on values, mission, personal interaction, and morale. All of these are important, but together they represent an incomplete picture. These blind spots help explain the poor rate of success –: in the 11-30% range – among such initiatives.
To address those blind spots, I propose that the culture change scorecard needs to incorporate three additional factors:
Efforts to empower employees typically fail because words and actions send different messages. Power remains a valued commodity when seen from a narrow perspective connected to monarchs and monopolists. While the concept of power is emerging, power symbols remain in the workplace, from the offices to organizational charts. Extreme compensation gaps, for example, convey a power-related message that is louder than any tag line or mission statement ever could be. Such signals – and there are many – help reinforce cultures that tend to be more hierarchical and less flexible, even amid well-meaning culture-change programs striving for flatter organizations.
An organization’s risk orientation is also a critical culture-change factor. The definition of an “acceptable” level of risk varies not only across industries but across organizations. Managers may give lip service to innovation, but this will not resonated if there are high penalties for failure. What gets rewarded will get done and what gets punished or discounted will be avoided. This is not to suggest that a higher risk orientation is always desirable. However, there does need to be an alignment between management’s call for greater innovation – which often requires taking intelligent risks – and the culture that must reinforce management’s message.
Culture change requires a combination of short-term and long-term thinking, but some organizations focus on one direction at the expense of the other, making change-management effort difficult or even futile. In firms that focus on the short-term, quarterly goals may be chased at the expense of making investments in the future, and this can harm the ability to the react effectively to future developments. R&D, for example, can be cut back in the short-term but, over the long term, this can be disastrous for company that need to keep ahead of the competition. Likewise too much focus on a desired future state can lead to cash flow issues that jeopardize the whole organization.
By incorporating these three factors into a change-management model and adding new benchmarks to measure power distance, risk orientation and time horizon, we will have the peripheral sight as well as the hindsight and foresight needed to help drive culture change.