Vedere Consulting
Musings on leadership (including self-leadership) by an executive coach with 30 years experience training, consulting with and coaching leaders.Monday, March 24, 2008
Why Can't They Treat Us Like Human Beings?
Karl Albrecht, in his book, Social Intelligence, relates a story told to him by an anti-union labor consultant, Tom Puffer. Puffer once had an impromptu conversation with a man who identified himself as a union organizer. Puffer was struck by what the man said:
“’You know, there’s one thing company executives could do that would make my job infinitely harder; one thing that would actually reduce our win rate in
unionizing their companies. If they would fire all the supervisors
(italics Albrecht's) who bully and oppress their employees, we’d have an
uphill battle. That’s what we capitalize on—an alienated workforce of
people who feel like they’re not being treated like human beings.’”
Puffer said the man had something even more provocative to say, “’I have no
hesitation about telling you this, because I know they won’t do it (italics
Albrecht’s). The blockheads that run the companies we go after just don’t
get it. Apparently, it’s too simple for them.’”
What an indictment! It’s one that was echoed by Meg Wheatley in her recent keynote address at the Global Girl: Intimate Leader Symposium in Richmond. She said that “people in today’s organizations feel disregarded” and that they wonder “why can’t they treat us like human beings?”
Why can’t they indeed? In a world where human capital is touted as our organizations’ chief competitive advantage, where best-selling leadership books, business schools and innovative companies have shown thousands of leaders the link between compassionate, respectful, strengths-based leadership and productivity and profitability, many an organizations’ managers still fall short. I know this because I hear about them in the latest business and leadership publications, from my colleagues and from my clients.
Oppressive bosses exist at every organizational level—from top executives to front-line supervisors. They play havoc with employee morale. Some of their employees leave, others check out, others soldier on despite the lack of support. All this impacts productivity, creativity, innovation—things most organizations say they want. What shocks me is how often people so totally unsuited for managing others are hired into those jobs and are kept there despite rumblings from below. Do senior leaders know the price their organizations pay for such poor leadership?
What does it take to treat employees with respect? I’ve asked a similar question to hundreds of participants in my workshops over the years and their answers are consistent. People who manage others need to believe that their role as people manager is crucial to their success. It isn’t an afterthought to be undertaken when and if you have time after your “real work” is done. The best managers value others and their contributions. They see strengths and work to bring those out in the people who report to them. They listen. They let employees solve their own problems and they solicit their employee’s opinions. They set clear expectations and give people the tools to achieve them.
If your organization could be unionized, do you have managers who would make union organizing difficult or easy? Take a hard look.
Labels: Leadership
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Sometimes We All Have to Walk to Dot's
Years ago, when our children were small, we would occasionally walk to a neighborhood restaurant called Dot’s for dinner. Dot’s is located about a mile from our house and the boys inevitably complained that it was too far to walk. To my husband’s and my environmentalism and love of the outdoors, driving one mile was blasphemy. Our children, when faced with the choice of walking to Dot’s or not going at all, would reluctantly choose to walk. I think the allure of Dot’s chocolate pie was strong enough to overcome almost any objection.
It wasn’t that the complaining stopped. My husband and I were sure to hear many groans on the way as the boys had second thoughts about whether Dot’s was worth it. How did we keep them going? First, we would turn around and say, “Look how far we’ve already come!” The boys would look backward and see how much they’d already achieved, and that gave them a boost that was usually good for a couple of blocks. Second, one of us—my husband or I-- would race ahead and hide. The boys would get caught up in a game of hide-and-seek and run to see if they could find which tree Mike or I had hidden behind. When they “caught” one parent, the other would go ahead and find another tree. Before anyone knew it, we’d be in front of Dot’s.
At one time or another, we all have to walk to Dot’s. We all have to do something distasteful or boring or difficult. We know we need to do it because the end result is worth it, but we dread what we have to do to get there. Over time, we develop strategies to help us get going and keep going. When we procrastinate or put off these necessary tasks, it is these strategies that help us reach difficult goals. It’s also true, I think, that sometimes we forget these strategies and things that are important to us don’t get done. It might be taking time to think through an important long term strategy, it might be leaving work early to be with family, it might be starting to exercise or lose weight. I find that many small business owners put off developing or implementing a marketing strategy. Many executives I’ve worked with have a hard time cutting back their long work hours.
It’s with these important tasks that remembering what we already know can be really helpful. For me, my strategies are similar to the ones I used with our children when we walked to Dot’s. When I’ve begun something difficult or distasteful, I look back to see how far I’ve come. That gives me an energy boost to go on. When I’m stuck, sometimes I stop and ask myself how I could make this fun. For example, when I’m putting together a lengthy proposal for a potential client, I’ll take my computer outside and work in the garden, or I’ll go to a favorite spot in the house or I’ll play some great music. Before I know it, I’m done!
I’m telling you about my strategies for dealing with tough jobs, not because they are the best solutions, but because I think sharing what we know can give someone an idea that will help them over a hump. In that spirit, I invite you to respond to this post and share how you “get yourself to Dot’s.” You just might have the idea that helps someone do something important they’ve been putting off for too long.
It wasn’t that the complaining stopped. My husband and I were sure to hear many groans on the way as the boys had second thoughts about whether Dot’s was worth it. How did we keep them going? First, we would turn around and say, “Look how far we’ve already come!” The boys would look backward and see how much they’d already achieved, and that gave them a boost that was usually good for a couple of blocks. Second, one of us—my husband or I-- would race ahead and hide. The boys would get caught up in a game of hide-and-seek and run to see if they could find which tree Mike or I had hidden behind. When they “caught” one parent, the other would go ahead and find another tree. Before anyone knew it, we’d be in front of Dot’s.
At one time or another, we all have to walk to Dot’s. We all have to do something distasteful or boring or difficult. We know we need to do it because the end result is worth it, but we dread what we have to do to get there. Over time, we develop strategies to help us get going and keep going. When we procrastinate or put off these necessary tasks, it is these strategies that help us reach difficult goals. It’s also true, I think, that sometimes we forget these strategies and things that are important to us don’t get done. It might be taking time to think through an important long term strategy, it might be leaving work early to be with family, it might be starting to exercise or lose weight. I find that many small business owners put off developing or implementing a marketing strategy. Many executives I’ve worked with have a hard time cutting back their long work hours.
It’s with these important tasks that remembering what we already know can be really helpful. For me, my strategies are similar to the ones I used with our children when we walked to Dot’s. When I’ve begun something difficult or distasteful, I look back to see how far I’ve come. That gives me an energy boost to go on. When I’m stuck, sometimes I stop and ask myself how I could make this fun. For example, when I’m putting together a lengthy proposal for a potential client, I’ll take my computer outside and work in the garden, or I’ll go to a favorite spot in the house or I’ll play some great music. Before I know it, I’m done!
I’m telling you about my strategies for dealing with tough jobs, not because they are the best solutions, but because I think sharing what we know can give someone an idea that will help them over a hump. In that spirit, I invite you to respond to this post and share how you “get yourself to Dot’s.” You just might have the idea that helps someone do something important they’ve been putting off for too long.
Labels: Self Leadership: Procrastination
Sunday, March 9, 2008
To Inspire, You Must Reach Our Hearts
How many workhops or talks or meetings have you attended where you quickly forget most of what was said? How often do people forget what you say?
Several years ago I attended a workshop led by Meg Wheatley, and to this day I remember what she said. She talked about how the pioneers traveling to the West had to carry everything they needed for their new home in one wagon. Obviously they had to make choices about what to take—what would be important for the trip and for surviving in a strange new land. They loaded their wagons to the gills so they could carry as much as possible.
The pioneers were ok travelling across the flat prairies, but when they reached the difficult passages through the Rockies and the mountain ranges beyond, they realized their wagons were too heavy to climb. Now they had to choose again—and the choices they made would determine whether they survived or not. What was essential? What could they leave behind?
Meg said we are the new pioneers. We are travelling to a strange new land—changes are coming to our organizations and our world that we now only dimly understand. We will have to makes choices about what attitudes, what behaviors are essential for us in this new world—and our survival depends on the wisdom of our choices.
Whether you buy into Meg’s argument or not, isn’t it amazing that I remember so much about it? It's not because my memory is so good (in fact several people close to me would tell you quite the opposite). It’s because what Meg said is memorable.
Meg was back in my hometown of Richmond, Virginia this week and I heard her again. Her message was different, but just as compelling . Everyone I’ve talked to has mentioned something she said that really stuck with them.
What did she do that made her presentation so memorable? It was simple, really. She used images instead of words. Her slides featured vivid photographs that illustrated her points—probably 75% of any slide was the image, less than 25% were words. The words she did use were potent: “walk out so you can walk on,” “there’s nothing wrong with a broken heart,” “a leader is anyone willing to help.” She told stories (parables, really) that brought her message alive. She asked provocative questions. She talked about something bigger than herself.
It doesn’t take a famous author to do this. Terry Newell of the Federal Executive Institute has written about a director of a Veterans Service Center who inspired her employees by telling them stories about real disabled war veterans and reminding them that “behind every folder is a face.” Yet how many calls to action, how many important messages fall flat and are quickly forgotten? Leaders often fail to craft a message so people can hear it. They insist on focusing on words alone, formal charts, dry language.
Meg talked about the importance of reaching the heart as well as the mind. How she told us was as important as what she said—what she did reached our hearts. I hope more leaders will follow her example.
Several years ago I attended a workshop led by Meg Wheatley, and to this day I remember what she said. She talked about how the pioneers traveling to the West had to carry everything they needed for their new home in one wagon. Obviously they had to make choices about what to take—what would be important for the trip and for surviving in a strange new land. They loaded their wagons to the gills so they could carry as much as possible.
The pioneers were ok travelling across the flat prairies, but when they reached the difficult passages through the Rockies and the mountain ranges beyond, they realized their wagons were too heavy to climb. Now they had to choose again—and the choices they made would determine whether they survived or not. What was essential? What could they leave behind?
Meg said we are the new pioneers. We are travelling to a strange new land—changes are coming to our organizations and our world that we now only dimly understand. We will have to makes choices about what attitudes, what behaviors are essential for us in this new world—and our survival depends on the wisdom of our choices.
Whether you buy into Meg’s argument or not, isn’t it amazing that I remember so much about it? It's not because my memory is so good (in fact several people close to me would tell you quite the opposite). It’s because what Meg said is memorable.
Meg was back in my hometown of Richmond, Virginia this week and I heard her again. Her message was different, but just as compelling . Everyone I’ve talked to has mentioned something she said that really stuck with them.
What did she do that made her presentation so memorable? It was simple, really. She used images instead of words. Her slides featured vivid photographs that illustrated her points—probably 75% of any slide was the image, less than 25% were words. The words she did use were potent: “walk out so you can walk on,” “there’s nothing wrong with a broken heart,” “a leader is anyone willing to help.” She told stories (parables, really) that brought her message alive. She asked provocative questions. She talked about something bigger than herself.
It doesn’t take a famous author to do this. Terry Newell of the Federal Executive Institute has written about a director of a Veterans Service Center who inspired her employees by telling them stories about real disabled war veterans and reminding them that “behind every folder is a face.” Yet how many calls to action, how many important messages fall flat and are quickly forgotten? Leaders often fail to craft a message so people can hear it. They insist on focusing on words alone, formal charts, dry language.
Meg talked about the importance of reaching the heart as well as the mind. How she told us was as important as what she said—what she did reached our hearts. I hope more leaders will follow her example.
Labels: Leadership:Vision
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