The Icing on the Cake

For the last 7 years, I’ve been asking participants in my seminars, “What words of encouragement have you been given at work?”

And then I stand back and watch to see who’s writing something down.

Most people have an answer. But not everyone. Depending on the audience, I’d say somewhere between 5% and 15% of people struggle to think of positive words that have been directed to them in the workplace.

Pat Summitt, the former head basketball coach of the University of Tennessee’s Lady Vols (and second winningest NCAA coach of all time), stated, “In the absence of feedback, people will fill in the blanks with a negative. They will assume you don’t care about them or don’t like them.”

And that’s a shame, because it impacts motivation and productivity.

Glassdoor, the career and job analysis website, determined that 4 out of 5 employees work harder when their boss steps up and shows appreciation for their work. Appreciation is a huge motivator.

But as noted by one of my class members, “Routine or flip thank yous don’t mean a lot; thoughtful and articulate are much more impactful.”

Thus, You’ve Got to Get This Right!

If you’ve ever witnessed one person speaking of another, and found yourself with a lump in your throat, or a tear in your eye, you’ve experienced the power of a HEARTFELT TRIBUTE! Remember that feeling.

It only comes from real, authentic, unbridled … thankfulness.

As a leader, you can certainly name many reasons why it’s easy to become cynical, disgusted, angry, disengaged, frustrated. But what about thankful? Good reasons abound for a generous spirit. Are you actively doing the hard work of quieting the noise around you, and being appreciative of people coming to work, and trying their best in difficult times? Why can’t you be the one in leadership that cherishes people, and lets it be known?

Express your gratitude. Authentically. And from the heart.

It will make things better. For everyone.

– Jerry Strom

Twitter: @JerryRStrom. For more information about our leadership and team development programs, please visit http://www.JerryStrom.com . Join the mailing list to receive new articles as they are published. This article is based on research conducted for ‘Words of Encouragement,’ by Jerry Strom & Company, Inc. Find short insights on Twitter at #WordsofEncouragement.

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Making Up for Lost Time

Over the years, various leaders have come to me following discussions of “legacy,” and expressed their desire to do something (or whatever they can) to make up for lost time and opportunities at work to leave something of lasting significance behind.

They’d come to realize legacy is a scoreboard – tallying up all the plusses and minuses of the way they’ve worked with others. It isn’t just a measure of getting the job done or delivering business results … but a statement of how they went about it, and the residual effects of their methods.

Legacy measures relationships – the overall sum of their interactions. And how people feel about the leader? Respect for some. Resentment of others.

At some point, they’d begun to wonder how they’ve done on a personal level?

Can They Change?

If they were to do things differently, the question is, “How hard would it be for them to change the way they treat, train, encourage, and support their people?” Fortunately, it’s never too late to increase the positive deposits they make into their relationships account. But simply stated, “They gotta wonna.” Every leader must decide if they’re willing to put in the effort to clean up this area of their leadership practice?

Even the most “stubborn, results-only, no B.S., stick-to-the-facts and get-the-job done” leader, can succeed by implementing some simple fixes that improve the way people respond to them. The pay-off is in the quality of the work that gets done.

What Could They Do to Make a Positive Difference?

I suggest, why not go to their direct reports and ask, “What can I do to help you become more successful?” That would be a good start.

And then pour themselves into their staff’s personal / professional growth. That means across-the-board – with everyone – not for just a chosen few. Becoming a proactive mentor, champion, and supporter.

This means going beyond encouraging, but participating-in, and celebrating their progress. Showing each person that she/he believes in them … and they are, or can become, the most capable workers in the business. The leader exists to help them make steady progress / advancement / get results.

It also means making sure they know how important their work is. How important their contribution is. How confident the leader is in them. How thankful he/she is for their efforts. How much they’re valued.

What’s the Main Point?

Of course, a longer “to-do” list can be made, but these points illustrate that leaders who leave a legacy (achieve a lot) are those who focus on finding greatness in every person. And actively pursue it. As stated in Sheryl Sandberg’s book, ‘Lean In,’ “… performance is highly dependent upon the reaction people have to one another.”

Leaders leaving a true legacy don’t ignore their workers, or compete with them, or diminish them, or try to fix every fault. They don’t harbor ill-will. They set aside differences and work for the benefit of all. They take imperfect people (which includes themselves) and build them up. They root for them. Put effort into them. Care about them.

When Do They Do This?

Regularly. Every day. At all times. They see this as the focus of their position. It’s their work. And it’s what’s important. It’s what succeeds … and makes the business succeed. It becomes excellence in all their endeavors.

Everyone wins with that.

– Jerry Strom

Twitter: @JerryRStrom. For more information about our leadership and team development programs, please visit http://www.JerryStrom.com . Join the mailing list to receive new articles as they are published. This article is based on research conducted for ‘Relationships at Work Research,’ by Jerry Strom & Company, Inc. Find short insights on Twitter at #Relationships Report

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Running “Scarred”: Undoing the Damage

England and France fought a war for over a hundred years (all starting with a family dispute among the royals).

The medieval fortress of Chateau de Castelnaud, which sat on cliffs high above the Dordogne River Valley, enjoyed an important strategic defensive position during the conflict. From those heights, one could see for miles into the distance, covering both land and river.

But even given its impressive height, walls, and battlements, Castelnaud changed hands numerous times during the Hundred Years’ War. I’m sure whoever had it at the time “gave the territory below a pretty good look every day … making sure there weren’t any immediate threats on the horizon.”

They were well aware it wasn’t impervious to danger. Or defeat.

The Leadership Lesson?

Every workforce has people who wear the scars of previous battles. In one way or another, they’ve been wounded on the job … (maybe not so much physically, but more so, psychologically).

Human interactions are frightfully difficult – fraught with missteps, misunderstandings, communication failures, and a thousand other perceived “wrongs.” Perhaps those injuries were inflicted by the way they felt a previous boss, supervisor, or coworker, treated them? Or the way the organization operated or was perceived?

Work experiences gone wrong and never (or poorly) addressed, result in hurts that are never healed. As John Mayer sings, “You’re no one until someone lets you down.”

That’s why so many workers assume a “defensive position” – to protect themselves from further pain.

The Reality is that Scars Affect Motivation and Performance.

As the boss, you may think people should just “get over it” and get on with it, because you can’t fix everything. It may not even be you or anything you did – but something happened.

So when you see overly-sensitive, cautious, distrustful, partially-committed workers, you can assume there’s something that needs help. Figuring out what the problem might be, and how you can approach this person (these people), will ultimately determine how effective you are at restoring them as good workers, and returning the workplace to a healthy environment.

It’s the Responsibility of Leading.

Undoing the damage begins with resetting relationships on many levels – worker-to-worker, worker-to-supervisor, worker-to-organization, team-to-team, office-to-office, etc. The persistent need for renewal includes apology and forgiveness. Putting in the time and energy to do that demonstrates your level of “care,” and positively impacts everyone involved.

That’s hard to achieve. But necessary and worth the effort.

– Jerry Strom

NEXT MONTH: “Making Up for Lost Time”

Twitter: @JerryRStrom. For more information about our leadership and team development programs, please visit http://www.JerryStrom.com . Join the mailing list to receive new articles as they are published. This article is based on research conducted within ‘Leadership Challenges: Developing Confidence in the Future,’ by Jerry Strom & Company, Inc. Find short insights on Twitter at #LeadershipChallengesSurvey

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Running Scared.

Everyone’s afraid of something.

Politicians are afraid they won’t be reelected. Business leaders are afraid they won’t “hit their numbers.” Managers are afraid their reports won’t perform, or they’ll lose their bonuses. Supervisors are afraid they’ll look bad if “they don’t have all of the answers.” Workers are afraid their workload, or their schedule, or their systems, or “who knows what” will change.

From top to bottom, fears abound at work, especially for those trying to lead.

Leaders can be fearful of holding people accountable or having difficult conversations. They may be afraid they can’t motivate their staff, or that they’ll be forced to explain poor results. Or that they’re in danger of losing the support of their bosses, or subordinates. Down deep, leaders may fear they no longer have the energy, or the interest to care about their people, or the job, as much as they once did. They fear failure, or the perception of such.

Fear is an impediment that is a self-fulling prophecy – which leads to poor performance (or at least, underperformance). It’s not a healthy emotion.

Our fears push us to act in our own self-interest – which is seldom good for the organization, or anybody else. They blind us to possibilities. They cloud our decisions. They cause us to question ourselves. They alter our mood. They ratchet up our stress, and negatively impact our health. They hurt us at work and we take them home. And, they do the same to the people we lead.

Stop Right There

Some of you are saying, “I don’t agree, because fear heightens awareness, alerts us to danger, motivates us to act. Fear brings out our competitive nature and drives us to reach our immediate goals. Fight or flight are strong survival instincts.”

OK. Live that way if you want. But I don’t want to work for you.

Living in a constant state of fear and tension is not good for the soul. We weren’t created to be that afraid.

Jim Fannin, author of ‘S.C.O.R.E.: The Five Keys to Optimum Achievement,’ says the secret formula for thinking like a champion includes “optimism, relaxation, and enjoyment” as essential aspects of performance. I believe he’s right. Doubt is disabling.

“My job is to do my job, and to enjoy doing my job, so I can come back tomorrow and do my job.” I overheard that statement from an emergency room doctor, describing his frustration with an over-bearing, overly-controlling, difficult new boss. Isn’t that the goal? To be set free to do the work?

Lead in a Positive Direction

I prefer leaders who are confident in and comfortable with themselves. The one’s who believe that things always work out in the end. Good things are in the process of happening. People will do their best and be their best when they work in a positive environment. We’ll be fine. We can move forward with the assurance we can meet our challenges without trepidation. We will succeed. Everything’s going to be OK. And we have nothing to fear.

Are you with me?

Don’t be afraid to lead this way.

– Jerry Strom

 

NEXT MONTH: “Running Scarred,” undoing the damage.

Twitter: @JerryRStrom. For more information about our leadership and team development programs, please visit http://www.JerryStrom.com . Join the mailing list to receive new articles as they are published. This article is based on research conducted within ‘Leadership Challenges: Developing Confidence in the Future,’ by Jerry Strom & Company, Inc. Find short insights on Twitter at #LeadershipChallengesSurvey

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Value Judgments

An old friend often said, “A cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.” He was a salesman who regularly dealt with people who mainly thought about getting things cheaper (while often forgetting the other side of the equation – “what they were getting for their money.”) They could compare prices, but they weren’t so good at judging value.

Making judgments is a big part of leadership – deciding is a daily activity.

When we do it well, good judgments lead to good results. When done poorly, our credibility as well as our outcomes suffer.

Unfortunately, surveys I’ve gathered indicate many leaders are seen as bad decisionmakers. The workforce thinks their bosses are poor judges of both talent and situations. And, equally as many leaders frustrate their employees by avoiding to make decisions at all (or at least on a timely basis).

All of this is dispiriting within the organization, because it leads to the belief that good efforts will be overlooked, unrecognized, and un (or under) appreciated by those in charge. Or that situations will be mis-managed, because they’re poorly understood and addressed. In many cases, the boss is simply considered to be out-of-touch.

So How Can We Improve our Leadership?

Today’s leaders need to know what’s valuable.

Not just what the organization tells us that it values, that it measures, that it wants from us. (Yes, there’s a lot that’s already in place … which is important, but incomplete.) We need more.

To be our best, we need to make it deeply personal.

We need to know what “we value” based on our own real life, individual beliefs, principles, experiences. And we need to figure that out for ourselves. To come to those realizations, we need to intentionally think, examine, and bring these thoughts into our conscious understanding of who we are and should be.

Then, and only then, can we significantly use these “things we value” as a personal guide for our behaviors and daily interactions.

Having and understanding our values gives us the criteria to compare one thing with another, and makes us a unique contributor. Over the course of time our values will define how we “lead,” make judgments, evaluate people, handle situations, and go about our work.

They create our identity. And, they are the basis upon which we can get extraordinary results. Values are “difference-makers,” separating us from run-of-the-mill management.

– Jerry Strom

Twitter: @JerryRStrom. For more information about our leadership and team development programs, please visit http://www.JerryStrom.com . Join the mailing list to receive new articles as they are published. This article is based on research conducted for ‘The Fault Lines Survey: The Biggest Mistakes a Leader Can Make,’ by Jerry Strom & Company, Inc. Find short insights on Twitter at #FaultLinesSurvey

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Who Should Lead?

For the last 3 years, I’ve been researching the question of what is it that shows someone is suitable for a leadership position? With over 500 people participating in the survey, you can imagine a long list of attributes have been identified. And they have. But while that’s true, the results are much simpler, and (perhaps) more surprising than you would think.

So, who should lead? Wouldn’t it make sense that education, training, work experience, personal competence, and a demonstrated ability to do the work should be the number #1 criteria? (That would make sense, because it’s how people are normally hired, evaluated, promoted, paid, and recognized.) Right?

Well, this survey shows that those things aren’t what’s most important. (Emphasis “most” important.) And the data show it isn’t even all that close in terms of the type of leader that’s most desired.

Who’s the most suitable leader?

It’s those who “Relate Well with Others.”

By far and away, these are the people who are deemed to be the best. Simply put, they have people skills. Technical skills are important, but insufficient.

Suitability is judged by both the beliefs people hold of them (basically how they “come across” to others and are perceived), as well as, by the quality of the personal interactions people have experienced with them. Put together, these relationship measures (feelings) explain who’s attractive as a leader, and who isn’t.

Those considered to be the most fit for leadership are seen as understanding – having empathy for others; demonstrated by being good listeners, approachable, open, flexible, and sincerely caring. They are known to invest effort into teaching, mentoring, guiding, communicating, motivating, inspiring, and serving others.

One’s suitability is also evident by their willingness to step up; showing initiative and taking action. They are respectful of others, confident, poised, and have a positive view/attitude. High standards of personal character are not only desired in leaders, but integrity is admired and valued.

What’s obvious is that suitability begins with “person”ability. And that’s who we want leading us.

– Jerry Strom

Twitter: @JerryRStrom. For more information about our leadership and team development programs, please visit http://www.JerryStrom.com . Join the mailing list to receive new articles as they are published. This article is based on research conducted for ‘The Suitability for Leadership Survey,’ by Jerry Strom & Company, Inc. Find short insights on Twitter at #SuitabilitySurvey

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Use Your Credit Card

If you’re good at your job, I mean really good at it, much of what you do will be unseen and unappreciated by others. That’s because it isn’t always easy to recognize the ways in which you are influencing the work and the workplace – things that you do (without fanfare) that positively impact people, and the work product, and enable them to be great.

Great leadership is often subtle. And behind the scenes.

Your role requires you to subordinate your needs for affirmation for the needs of the people you lead to be encouraged, and lifted-up. That means pulling out your “Credit Card” on a regular basis. In other words …

Look for opportunities to highlight the good things that are happening at work, and be the first person to give credit to the people involved. Find ways to single out their efforts, and champion them. Brag ’em up. Show them you saw what they did, and that you’re proud of them. Make them the stars. Don’t talk about you … talk about them. Get behind them. Give them the limelight.

That’s how to create a winning environment.

The reward, for most leaders, won’t be any sort of public recognition for themselves. It can only be satisfaction, “self-satisfaction.” Knowing you did your job, and led your team well. That should be enough.

One of my students taught me long ago, as a leader, “It’s not about you, but it’s up to you!” Have a great new year.

– Jerry Strom

Twitter: @JerryRStrom. For more information about our leadership and team development programs, please visit http://www.JerryStrom.com . Join the mailing list to receive new articles as they are published. This article is based on research conducted for the *’The Relationships Report: The Linkage between Leadership and Relationships,’ by Jerry Strom & Company, Inc. Find ‘How Leaders Build Relationships at Work’ at http://www.jerrystrom.com/research/js_relationships.html short insights on Twitter at #RelationshipsRPT

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What Are You Building?

I met a teacher this summer who had just finished his first year working at a charter school after serving in the public school system for 27 years. When he took the job, he was told the school was there to “build community.”

His class covered two grade levels, and he shared the responsibilities with a brand new teacher who had just graduated from school herself. So, he not only had students to teach, but a fellow teacher to lead as well.

He told me with all of his teaching experience he had the mechanics of the job down pat – following a curriculum, maintaining classroom discipline, staying on schedule, testing, grading, and dealing with parents and administrators. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t struggle.

You see, he said it took him over half-a-year to begin to understand what “building community” was all about. He initially thought of it as a slogan and didn’t give it much thought. He was focused on “teaching the facts, and achieving the test scores.” Only later did he begin to realize that “building community” was the real reason for him to go to work … influencing the hearts, minds, and behaviors of his students to become outstanding citizens. (Interestingly, his inexperienced co-teacher seemed to grasp this idea much quicker than he did!)

What Does This Mean for Leaders?

Being able to perform a job function only means that the mechanics are being done. It doesn’t mean that the larger goal of the organization is being met.

Leaders must see the performance of work in a larger context – that of achievement. And, to get there, they must first decide what it is that they are building? To what end are they striving? What’s the real goal? The answer to those questions are the essence of “vision,” and it’s why it’s so important.

People follow vision. So get on board. Look beyond the task, and begin to lead. Defining what you’re building will guide you to great places.

– Jerry Strom

Twitter: @JerryRStrom. For more information about our leadership and team development programs, please visit http://www.JerryStrom.com . Join the mailing list to receive new articles as they are published. This article is based on research conducted for the *’The Relationships Report: The Linkage between Leadership and Relationships,’ by Jerry Strom & Company, Inc. Find ‘How Leaders Build Relationships at Work’ at http://www.jerrystrom.com/research/js_relationships.html short insights on Twitter at #RelationshipsRPT

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Remember What We Learned

Wherever I go and with whoever I’m working, I’m always interested in discovering what leadership lessons are to be learned and how they can be applied to improve our responses in the future.

12 years ago, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, some very important leadership principles were shared with me by my Federal clients. I want to give you a list, because these insights provide a template for action that goes well beyond a singular response to a natural disaster. These leadership practices are applicable in virtually any leadership endeavor. I hope you find a way to apply them in your everyday work.

And I hope you are praying for and supporting the efforts along the Gulf Coast in the midst and wake of Hurricane Harvey.

Leadership Lessons Learned from Katrina

  • It’s more important to focus on helping people than pointing fingers
  • Those with a take charge attitude accomplished the most (made the biggest impact)
  • A clear voice from the top is needed … communicate … communicate … communicate
  • People will respond to a need if given the opportunity
  • We must be aware of how people react (especially to a traumatic incident) to truly help them
  • Pondering decisions, when decisive action is needed, leads to frustration
  • Lots of small groups getting things done is the best way to get a lot done
  • Admit failures, where necessary, and move forward

– Jerry Strom

My thanks to all those who contributed their thoughts, ideas, and insights immediately following Hurricane Katrina. Follow me on Twitter: @JerryRStrom. For more information about our leadership and team development programs, please visit http://www.JerryStrom.com .

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The “First Responders”

I believe the majority of us have great respect for those who put themselves in harms’ way – risking their own personal safety to help others and protect society.

First responders deserve the admiration.

They also teach us an important leadership lesson.

When problems arise at work, leaders need to proactively address the issue; “running toward it, rather than backing away.” But that’s not always what we see. Too many leaders avoid conflict to the detriment of their credibility and the productivity of their teams. They don’t recognize the emergency – foolishly hoping issues will just go away, or that “fires” will burn themselves out. Fires seldom do. Instead, these smoldering discontents can rage just below the surface and have a devastating long-term impact on the organization or work-group.

If you want to see what happens when you let things go – there’s a very public, recent example at Wells Fargo Bank. They had an ethical lapse, which began as a poorly thought-out incentive system. Over time, it resulted in bad behaviors (the opening of thousands of unauthorized accounts) which ate away at their business, eroded the public’s confidence, and tarnishing their bank’s reputation. It was a structural issue that morphed into something much more menacing.

More commonly, leaders will need to resolve conflicts, since people problems represent the “Biggest Leadership Challenge” most leaders have experienced at work. They’re difficult to handle, but doable. Procrastination or avoidance in any form is always detrimental to the morale, commitment, energy, and production of the unit.

If you’re not taking action … you’re not leading.

Look at action as your responsibility. That means setting aside personal convenience, staying on top of things, and getting involved in the clean up when it’s needed. Employees expect it of you. The earlier you respond the easier problems are to identify and solve. Be a good leader – be a “First Responder.”

– Jerry Strom

Twitter: @JerryRStrom. For more information about our leadership and team development programs, please visit http://www.JerryStrom.com . Join the mailing list to receive new articles as they are published. This article is based on research conducted for the *’The Strong Points Survey’ by Jerry Strom & Company, Inc. Look for short insights on Twitter at #StrongpointsRPT

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