Tag Archive for: Articles by David Irvine

The Key To Building A Strong Organizational Culture

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In my leadership development work I meet some amazing leaders all across the country. One of the executives in a recent program on Leadership Excellence validated my principles by expressing that there is more to excellence than setting high standards and achieving operational results. “Along with operational excellence, you have to have people excellence,” she explained. She makes it a practice to stay in touch with her team. It’s about caring about your people, but not just caring that they are healthy and are getting enough rest. It’s also caring that they are developing, growing, and finding fulfillment in their work.

Once a month she meets with each member of her team for half an hour. Here is what is on the agenda:

  1. She asks how their life is at work and away from work.
  2. She asks how their career is progressing.
  3. She asks for feedback about how supported they are feeling by her.
  4. Then she asks what kind of development or learning project they are involved in that is rewarding and gratifying to them. This last piece often requires some coaching on her part to assist them in finding a fulfilling project.

She spoke of one of her IT managers who is involved in a software project that she is deeply passionate about. Apparently it takes up about ten percent of her time. It is not directly impacting or contributing to her job requirements short term, but it is extremely rewarding to her and will help her be a better IT manager long term. It’s an area where she can become an internal expert and coach and mentor others in the future.

It’s risky to offer this to the people that you serve. In order to build a strong organizational culture, you have to be willing to sometimes let your best people leave for work in other areas in order to help them grow. They may even develop themselves and leave the organization. But this kind investment in people will always have a good long-term return. The best people will want to work for you, and you’ll get the best out of those who do.

What are you doing to develop and grow the people you serve?

Be a Good Leader By Being A Good Person

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John Coltrane, the great American jazz saxophonist and composer, once said that to be a better artist you have to be a better person. He could easily have been talking about leadership. My research and observation of leaders during the past couple of decades has demonstrated clearly that great leadership can’t be reduced to techniques or a title. Great leadership comes from the integrity and character of the leader.

Here’s some of what I’ve learned about leadership:

  • There’s a difference between a boss and a leader. You can get promoted to “boss”, but you can’t be promoted to “leader”. You have to earn the right to be called a leader.
  • You aren’t a leader until someone says you are. Leadership is defined by those around you, not by size of your office or the title behind your name.
  • Leadership is a decision. If you have decided to make the world better through others, you are on your way to earning the right to be called a leader.
  • To be called a leader, you need followers. Not followers in the traditional sense who blindly obey because they have to, but followers who have a choice, and they choose to follow you. Leadership is the art getting people to want to do what must be done.
  • Leadership is about creating results through others – without the use of positional power. It’s about presence, not position. The question is: Where does that sense of presence come from? How does one develop that presence?

After years of research and observation, I’ve come to understand that sense of presence comes, essentially, from being a good person. It’s that easy, and it’s that difficult. Here are a few ways to develop your leadership presence by being a good person:

  1. Character. We’ve all met people in our work experience who are bright, talented, competent, good at making deals, but something about who they are as a person got in the way of all their ability. Character is about moral integrity, acting honestly and ethically. It’s also about relational integrity, being accountable – having the ability to be counted on. It’s earning the trust of others by being trustworthy. It’s about earning the respect of others through self-respect. People of strong character are integrated human beings.
  2. Caring. In a recent coaching session with an executive, we were discussing possible reasons for the lack of results from his team. When I asked him, “Do you care?” he kept going on about his frustration for the lack of accountability on the team and the poor attitude of his employees. I pushed further, “I know you care about results, but do you care about the people around you? Do you care about what matters to them, about their families and their values and their unique gifts?” After a long pause he shrugged his shoulders and said, “No, not really.” I then suggested he do his organization and himself a favor and step down from the responsibility of management. To lead you have to connect. To connect, you have to care. You can’t fake caring, just like you can’t fake character. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Leadership is a largely a matter of caring about people, not manipulating them.
  3. Centered. Centered leaders know their worth, strength, and security comes from within. Because they don’t define themselves by their external environment, they are able to maintain calmness in the midst of the storms, security in the midst of failure, and perspective in the midst of success. Centered leaders are guided by an internal compass based on their own values and their own approach to life rather than on the fleeting opinions of others or comparisons to others. They are focused on what matters and are able to go within and find inner strength, wisdom, and stability, even in the midst of a demanding external world.
  4. Contribution. Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, have devoted much of their energy to global development philanthropy. While in Ottawa to discuss overseas aid with the Canadian government, he said, in part, “In countries such as the U.S. and Canada, where a lot of people are doing quite well, the question is: Can you take your loyalty and your values and go further than yourself and your family, even beyond your region and your country? Can you have, as a member of the human race, the idea that you would volunteer time or your voice, or whatever means you have to give? You’re connecting yourself with the improvements needed around the world: eradicating polio, for example, or making sure there’s enough food for poor children. I think that … people want to be associated with more than their own success – they want to have knowledge and a sense of progress that they contributed to [something beyond themselves]… We call that our ‘global citizenship’ movement.” Bill Gates understands that being a good person means allowing your success to overflow into making life better for others.  This commitment to contribute beyond yourself, whether it’s across the world or across the corridor outside your office door, is what makes a great leader.

Being a good leader by being a good person cannot be taught in a leadership course or textbook. But it can be learned. It can be developed. My dad would say that it can be caught even though it can’t be taught. It’s means your motive is to do good by being good. And it amounts to leading well by living well.

From Leadership Training To Leadership Development: The Duty To Care

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I just got off the phone with my friend and colleague, John Knapp, Retired Deputy Minister of Alberta Agriculture and author of The Leader’s Practice Guide: How to Achieve True Leadership Success. John is one of the old school leaders with true character. But John was not only a leader with class, he was one of those rare leaders who cared. He cared about his work. He cared about the citizens of this province. And he cared about the employees he served. In his more than thirty years with the public service, it was never a just a job to him. It was a career, an opportunity to contribute, a duty to care.

Today we spoke of the mistake that so many leadership development programs make regarding leadership training. There is still far too much emphasis on the technical components of leadership training: strategic planning, project management, budgeting, HR management, and product development efficiency, to name a few.

As important as these areas are, they still don’t speak to the core of leadership: learning how to connect with people, build trust, inspire a shared vision, communicate clearly, mentor and engage people, and hold people accountable in respectful ways. This is what John would call “the leader’s duty to care.”

Here is how to design leadership training programs that teach people how to care:

  1. Turn leadership training programs into leadership development programs that affirm caring as an important value in your organization.
  2. Identify and shine a light on leaders of strong character and leaders who care.
  3. Create space for mentoring by leaders that are respected.
  4. Weed out the bad bosses by removing them from leadership positions and help them find roles that may be more technical in nature. Most bad bosses – at least those worth keeping – will thank you for doing this.
  5. Create a workplace that operates on values rather than rules, ensuring that every leader is held to account for living the values that are espoused.

In short, you can’t ‘train’ leaders in the duty to care. But you can certainly develop the duty to care in the culture that you lead.

The Big Value Of Small

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According to the Greek storyteller Aesop, a little mouse ran up and down a sleeping lion who awoke, grabbed the poor helpless rodent and opened his big jaws to swallow him.

“Pardon, O King,” cried the little mouse, “Please forgive me. I promise never to climb on you again. And if you let me go, who knows what I may be able to do for you some day.”

The lion was so intrigued by the idea of a mouse being able to help him that he lifted up his paw and let the critter go. Some time later, the lion was caught in a trap, and the hunters tied him to a tree while they went in search of a wagon to transport him to the king. Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the lion’s sad plight, quickly jumped at the opportunity to help him. He gnawed away the ropes, setting the lion free.

We live in a society that values big. Big profits. Big paycheques. Big companies. Big titles. Big fame. Big offices. In this world of big it’s easy to get the crazy idea that you aren’t valuable if you are small, or perceive yourself to be small. But Aesop’s little tale of the lion and the mouse teaches a wise lesson. The tiny mouse is every bit as valuable as the lion. According to Aesop, importance is not based on size, but rather on the value you bring to others. It’s a simple matter of changing the context. The person who brings the most value is the most valuable.

I spoke with a good client the other day, a manager in a university, whose employees run the fitness centers, indoor tracks, pools, courts, and arenas for students. They drive the Zambonis, keep the pools clean and look after students when they come to work out or play in the facilities. And, in an institution where the academic mandate is the highest priority, these employees don’t feel valued. “All they do is keep the buildings clean, the rinks and the fitness centers maintained.”

“So that students have a chance to keep themselves renewed, refreshed, connected, and healthy amidst a busy academic life,” I concluded for her.

Who’s to say that those who provide for the health of a student and the health of the community in which that student lives are any less valuable than the professors who hand out the grades and grant the degrees. Without a healthy, well-rounded student, the degree doesn’t mean much. And without a great student experience, they are going to find other universities. Everyone is unique, and everyone has value. Everyone makes a contribution.

And each person’s unique contribution is vitally important.

Value isn’t measured by the size of your office, the size of your paycheque, or the size of your business. Value is measured by your contribution to others.

How are you making people around you feel valued? Here are five simple strategies.

  1. Believe in yourself. In order to believe in others, you have to believe in yourself. Henry Ford once said, “Whether you believe you can or you believe you can’t, you are right.” Everyone is talented, unique, and has something to offer. If you don’t believe that applies to you, then start hanging around people that believe it and soon it will start sinking in.
  2. Get moving. Don’t wait to be appreciated or valued. My dad used to tell me that waiting is not a very good strategy. Instead of waiting, bring to others whatever you expect from others. Instead of waiting to be seen as being valuable, bring more value, every day, to the people in your life. If you want to be appreciated, get so busy appreciating others that you don’t have time to feel sorry for yourself.
  3. Stop to recognize beauty. Don’t take people for granted. Especially not your best people. We’re all busy. Like beauty, you don’t see the value others bring when you’re in a hurry. Slow down. The best way to recognize value is to stop and listen to what people have to say. Listen for their opinions. Listen for their input. Listen for their wisdom. Stop every so often to recognize the beauty and the value in the people around you. Express appreciation. You never know when you may be in need of their unique talents.
  4. Create space. Just as you have to recognize the value of others, you also have to pay attention to people or projects that aren’t adding value to your life or your business. When people or projects are sucking the energy out of you or your organization, it might be time to let go and move on.
  5. Choose quality over quantity. Don’t strive to be the biggest. Instead, strive to be the best. Don’t confuse the concept of doing big things with doing great things. It’s not about making the news; it’s about making a difference. Bigger is not the objective. Bigger is a side effect – when you are committed to bring value instead of size to whatever you do.

When it comes to bringing value to others, the little things are the big things. How do you bring value to those you serve? I’d love to hear from you.

The Roots Of Employee Accountability

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“There are a thousand hacking at the branches… to one who is striking at the root.” – Henry David Thoreau

Certain species of bamboo trees in Southeast Asia grow less than an inch in four years, but in their fifth year will grow over a hundred feet. An unseen root system develops below the surface that enables the plant to support its enormous growth in that fifth year.

All systems, whether they are bamboo trees or employee accountability systems, require solid roots to be both enduring and regenerative. After all, it’s not the fierceness of the storm that determines whether we break, but rather the strength of the roots that lie below the surface. Far too many employee accountability and performance management systems don’t have a strong, established root system. Tasks are assigned to employees in a haphazard way, hoping that the worker will “figure it out” and deliver an adequate, even superior, performance, or alternatively, you find yourself coerced into using a rigid, bureaucratic performance review system that is demeaning and disconnected with the needs of the human spirit. If either of these are your accountability process, you will soon realize that neither ‘hope’ nor rigidity are very effective strategies for holding people accountable.

An effective, engaging, and enduring employee accountability process must grow from good roots. After helping organizations develop accountability processes for more than two decades, I have found seven key principles that form strong roots of accountability in a workplace.

  1. Clarity. Ambiguity breeds mediocrity. People need to have pristine clarity about what is expected of them in terms of operational results as well as expected behaviors. Whenever possible, write down what you expect from each other. Visibility drives clarity. But the most important thing to be clear about is the results expected. If it’s in your area, function, or project, you are accountable. The organization is depending on a set of results. Accountability – the ability to be counted on – is about making a promise to deliver.
  2. Agreements. A request is not an agreement. Clear expectations must be followed up with a mutually decided upon arrangement. Every request needs a question, “Can I count on you to meet my expectation?” Be sure the person you are holding accountable has the resources, the capability, and the willingness to come through.
  3. Support. Accountability without support is pressure. To be sustainable, every agreement must come with support requirements. Whenever you expect something from someone, it is vital to ask how you can support them. Support requirements make the accountability agreement mutual and respectful.
  4. Connection. Accountability without connection is compliance. In the age of the internet, everybody is communicating, but few are actually connecting. You can’t hold employees accountable by emailing them your expectations. You have to get out of the office, get in front them, and make the connection. Connection is about listening, supporting, and being genuinely interested. You’ll have a hard time holding anyone accountable for long if they don’t believe you care – not just about the results they produce, but also about who they are as a person.
  5. Authenticity. Accountability without passion is drudgery. Often, if people aren’t accountable, it means they don’t have enough reason to be accountable. It’s a whole lot easier to hold someone accountable when you have helped them identify their passion and make the link between meeting your needs and meeting their own. Commitment has to be authentic in order to last.
  6. Consequences. Accountability without consequences is meaningless. But consequences are not the same as punishment. Consequences are the result of delivering – or not delivering – on your agreements. If you do what you say you are going to do, there are positive consequences. If you fail to do what you agreed to, there are negative consequences. It’s important to negotiate and clarify consequences as early as possible in the agreement process. Consequences are the some of the key motivators to accountability. Be sure to explore both the internal and external consequences of honoring your agreements.
  7. Follow up. What is the required follow up? How often – and when – do you need to meet to ensure the accountabilities to each other are met? These are vital questions in the accountability process.

You might have noticed that the fundamental principles that form the roots of an effective accountability process with others are also the principles that underlie accountability agreements with yourself. Whether keeping agreements to others or yourself, or holding others to account, be sure to take the time to ensure good roots.

Supervisory Skills: Make the Journey Worthwhile

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Do you ever worry that you do not have what it takes to be a good manager; that your supervisory skills fall short of your staff’s expectations? If you do worry about it, what are some of the things you can do to gain the skill and confidence to perform at a higher level? let’s discuss some very simple yet powerful supervisory skills you can employ immediately.

Fundamentally, if you focus on becoming a better you, then you can acquire and embody the skills that will give you a career edge and help you to reach your goals by leading your team to achieve theirs. You are responsible for your own success and ultimately the success of your team, so make the journey worthwhile.

Improving your leadership skills involves a plan of learning and doing, reacting and progressing – a journey that can inspire your team by example. Implement these positive steps into your skill set and enjoy the benefits!

Create a positive learning environment

  • Frequently take the time to focus on your people rather than the tasks at hand and find out what makes them tick. Provide people the opportunity to receive both High Task (technical, strategic, tactical) as well as High Touch ( attitude, behavioral, cultural) learning, and your employees will give you higher grades for your efforts.
  • Sometimes creating a positive learning environment can be as simple as keeping offices at a comfortable temperature, having a water cooler or coffee machine or letting your staff decorate their own space. Explore different avenues and implement solutions based on the needs of your team.

Allow people to make mistakes

  • This step is imperative to developing your supervisory skills and is often the biggest hurdle to jump. One can choose to see mistakes as failure, obstacles, or opportunities. The manner in which you view mistakes is entirely up to you. If you use these situations wisely, you can instill confidence in your employees.
  • Guide them to learn from mistakes. Offer them a vehicle to improvement and they become less likely to make the same mistake twice. In turn, they will appreciate you for how you handled the situation – turning them into the kind of people that will help you move up the organizational ladder.
  • By offering employees support and guidance when they make mistakes, you will garner goodwill and trust. They will see that you have their best interest at heart, which will improve employee morale and increase productivity. People will naturally work harder for someone who encourages and supports them. When mistakes are made, help your employees provide a solution. Their gratitude will be reflected in the increased quality of their work.

Evaluate variables that both increase and decrease performance

  • At the end of every week, evaluate when performance was good and when it was lacking. This can prove to be beneficial, as you will begin to identify patterns of behavior – both positive and negative and will prove to be a useful tool in your skills toolbox.
  • Once performance problems and successes are identified, you can begin introducing strategies to bring poor performance up to par, and allow good performance to grow even more. Try to understand what motivates employee behavior by evaluating your leadership style and adjusting it accordingly for the engagement style of each employee. Being open and honest with your staff members fosters a team relationship rather than a boss-employee relationship. Be a leader, not a boss.
  • The more time you spend with your employees, the better off you will understand them and their behavior patterns. This can provide you with the information needed in order to produce better results. Again, it’s a matter of growing your supervisory skills and enabling your team to function in a trust-based culture to produce to the maximum of their capacity and be recognized for their accomplishments.

Manage differences between others

  • Recognize that people think and act differently. It is important to understand that people will have differing opinions. However that does not necessarily mean that something is wrong. There can be two totally different methods of achieving a desired outcome that are both equally effective.
  • Training your team to understand the concept of different methods of approach allows them to begin managing the differences between each other. This will definitely make your job easier. It takes knowledge of individualistic communication styles to know how to manage differences, especially in a situation of interpersonal conflict. Your coaching here will make all the difference in how people respond in kind.

These are some supervisory skills that can improve the chances of your teams’ success. Be aware of the potential rewards that you stand to gain from working with and supporting a positive atmosphere of good morale and teamwork.

By exercising your learned supervisory skills, you are providing your people with leadership and direction. Fostering a more effective team will help make the journey worthwhile. For additional information on management / supervisory skills, feel free to look at our website vantagepath.com.