THE CENTER FOR CORPORATE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT · • Others come to you to complain about all of the “terrible things” that are going on • You feel you are being treated

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THE CENTER FOR CORPORATE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

SUPERVISION AND FRONTLINE LEADERSHIP:

TIPS ON HOW TO ENHANCE YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACCOUNTABILITY ..........................................................................................................................3JUST DO IT: HOW TO IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS 8 LEVELS OF ACCOUNTABILITY ............. 4ARE YOU DEFINING “ACCOUNTABILITY” CORRECTLY? ......................................................7

COACHING ..................................................................................................................................... 9USE THESE 9 TACTICS TO EFFECTIVELY INFLUENCE OTHERS ........................................... 10

CONFLICT ...................................................................................................................................... 125 GUIDELINES FOR DEALING WITH DIFFICULT BEHAVIORS .............................................. 13HAVING A DISAGREEMENT? ASK PERMISSION TO HAVE A CONFLICT CONVERSATION ................................................ 15

DECISION MAKING ....................................................................................................................... 16TWO COMMON DECISION MAKING TRAPS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM ........................... 17EENY, MEENY, MINY, MOE – 4 OPTIONS FOR DECISION MAKING...................................... 18WHO’S MAKING THE DECISIONS AROUND HERE? ............................................................ 2010 X 3 = BETTER DECISIONS...................................................................................................22

FEEDBACK .....................................................................................................................................24BREAKING THROUGH DEFENSIVENESS: 5 STEPS TO HELP EMPLOYEES HEAR CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK ....................................25

LEADERSHIP .................................................................................................................................28OUR VALUES: THE FOUNDATION OF GREAT LEADERSHIP .................................................29THE KEY TO EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT: FOCUS ON STRENGTHS ...................................... 31

MOTIVATION .................................................................................................................................34PLAN FOR SUCCESS: DEVELOPING THAT EXTRA EFFORT .................................................35

TEAM BUILDING ...........................................................................................................................36THE CIRCLE OF INVITATION ..................................................................................................37

CONTACT INFORMATION .............................................................................................................38

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ACCOUNTABILITY



JUST DO IT: HOW TO IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS 8 LEVELS OF

ACCOUNTABILITY Written By: Kent State Facilitator Kristy Frieden

It seems that in every class I teach, I’m asked, “How can I get my direct reports to do what they are supposed to do?” I hear comments like, “I feel like I’m a babysitter” or “No one takes initiative” or “Everyone comes in and dumps their problems on me and expects me to fix them.” These comments are all too common. So how do we get our employees to take initiative and get the job done?

Let’s begin with the relationship

between accountability and engagement. Getting your employees engaged in their work is an important aspect of accountability and sets the stage for a healthy, productive work environment. The level of ownership someone takes for the job they do is key. How are you ensuring that your employees are engaged? An engaged employee can yield up to 57 percent more discretionary effort than one who is not engaged.

Three important strategies for creating employee engagement include:

Focusing on Strengths – This involves paying attention to what your employees are doing well and then letting them know. Sure we all have weaknesses, but a boss who is paying attention to

what an employee does well, gives that employee confidence that they are not always under the microscope that reveals weaknesses. Strengths are where someone can excel. It’s where their passion is. It’s the value they can bring to the team or organization.

Developing a Positive Boss/Employee Relationship – This strategy will help to promote employees to be more engaged. Do you know that you need five positive interactions for every

one negative interaction to have a healthy, happy relationship? Think about your direct reports. What are your interactions like? Are you asking about their families, personal interests or lives outside of work? Are you paying attention to what is going right? If the answer is no and your interactions are focused more on corrections or providing critical feedback, concentrate on including more positive interactions.

This basic strategy can have lasting positive impact on your relationship and, in turn, will impact how hard someone will work for you.

Creating Emotional Safety – This strategy builds on the ability to focus on strengths and positive interactions, but it also includes how “safe” we make the work environment for our employees. If you

are moody, with many highs and lows throughout the day, it can make it very difficult for your employees to feel safe emotionally. Your employees need you to be consistent and fair during interactions, as well as being confident that you will not call them out or embarrass them in public. Difficult discussions need to happen behind closed doors with the communication of clear positive intentions.

WIIFM (What’s in it for me?) – Once the stage is set, and we’ve created the most productive, positive work environment we can, we need to understand the employee’s motivation (WIIFM). Are they simply here for the paycheck, the benefits, challenges, gaining new knowledge, getting promoted, etc.? This information is important to know. Do you know your employee’s career goals? If not, why not? This is one of the most basic and best questions to ask as you attempt to uncover an employees’ intrinsic motivation. Once you know that answer, partner with them to help them get what they need out of their position by coaching, guiding and mentoring

them. The more they feel you are supportive of what they want to do, the more they will be supportive of your agenda and organizational goals.

The Accountability Ladder – The book “The Oz Principle - Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability,” by Conners, Smith and Hickman, is a fantastic book in understanding accountability. Their definition of accountability is a great

one, “a personal choice to rise above one’s circumstances and demonstrate the ownership necessary for achieving the desired result.”

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Among other things, this book helps supervisors diagnose where their employees may be on the ladder of accountability Included below are the eight levels of the Accountability Ladder:

1. The first and lowest level is someone who is unaware of the situation. This may be someone who is new, on medical leave or just clueless as to what the expectations are.

2. The second level moving upward is someone who

blames others for what is going on. They sound something like this, “If it wasn’t for my new boss, I wouldn’t have to do it this way” or “This new software program is terrible and it adds more work to my plate” or “My new co-worker is making me look bad.” I am sure you have heard blaming like this.

3. The third level on the ladder is rationalizing. A person who rationalizes will say something similar to, “I’ve been doing it this way for 20 years, it works just fine and I’m not about to change now.” Sound familiar?

4. Level four is hope it goes away. This is someone who thinks that if they just wait long enough, or wait until their boss isn’t looking; they can go back to doing what they want to do.

Levels one through four are considered “Below the line” or victim positions. I am sure you have encountered individuals like this. Some of your employees may be below the line if you have heard excuses similar to the following:

“That’s the way we’ve always done it.”

“It’s not my job.”

“I didn’t know you needed it right away.”

“It’s not my fault.”

“That’s not my department.”

“No one told me what to do.”

“I’m waiting for approval.”

“I don’t know.”

“I forgot.”

“I’m too busy to do it.”

“No one invited me to the meeting.”

“Nobody’s followed up with me, it can’t be that important.”

Have you heard any of your employees, colleagues or co-workers say one or more of these excuses? Be honest, have you said them? Of course you have! We all have.

But the point is that if you continue making excuses, or you have employees that are constantly saying these types of statements, it is an indication that you most likely are below the line.

The next four levels are considered to be “Above the Line” positions on the ladder, and are more proactive and empowered positions.

5. Level five is acceptance. This level is at least accepting of the new change, process, software, technology, etc.

6. Level six is look for my role. This is someone who is not only accepting of whatever it is that has to be done, but looking to specifically identify their role in it.

7. Level seven is look for solutions. In every new process or new way of working, there can be conflict or challenges. Instead of letting it stop them, this person actively looks for solutions to these challenges.

8. And finally level eight is just do it! This is the person who does what it takes to get the job done.


Just do it!

Look for Solutions

My Role

Acceptance

Hope it Goes Away

Rationalizing

Blaming

Unaware of the Situation1

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Take a moment to identify where your employees are on this ladder and also where you may be. If you or others are above the line, great job! Keep up the good work! Make sure you are telling those individuals what a great job they are doing.

Are you below the line? Review the following check list to see:

• You feel you don’t have any control over your present circumstances

• You blame others • You focus more on what you cannot do rather than on

what you can do• Others come to you to complain about all of the “terrible

things” that are going on• You feel you are being treated unfairly and you don’t think

you can do anything about it• You are defensive in your communication with others• You focus on all of the reasons something can’t be done

Moving Up the Ladder – So how do we get others or ourselves above the line? Take a few moments to answer the following questions:

• What is within your control?• What brings you here every day?• What is working for you?• What are your strengths? • What do you enjoy?

What did you notice about these questions?

They are all positively focused. Spending the time to answer them hopefully gave you a new perspective or place to focus your emotional energy. These are also great questions to ask your employees if you feel they are struggling below the line. Questions like these can really open up discussion and help someone refocus.

Coaching People Above the Line – There are five steps to follow when coaching others above the line. These include:

1. Actively listen 2. Acknowledging what is being said3. Asking4. Providing feedback on how to

move forward5. Committing to support their efforts

The most critical piece of this coaching model is number three. After you have spent time listening and acknowledging your employee’s current challenges, the question you need to

ask them is, “Given your current circumstances, what else can you do to move forward?” This helps shift them from victim mode to action. Once they begin to talk about what else can be done, make sure you provide them with the feedback and the support they need to move ahead.

All of us have been below the line. All of us know what it’s like to feel as if we are being treated unfairly and are trapped in our current circumstances.

The Accountability Ladder is a great way to diagnose where you or your employees are. The ability to understand and help individuals work

through the reasoning of why living “Below the Line” can cause undo stress and overall misery, can help them move to a position that may be healthier and happier in the long run.



So what is

accountability?

Simply, put it

is action.


ARE YOU DEFINING “ACCOUNTABILITY” CORRECTLY?

Written By: Kent State Facilitator Deborah Easton

Say the phrase, “We need to hold people more accountable” to your team and most of them will likely have a negative reaction. Why? Because for many, the connotation of the

word “accountability” was created by an unpleasant experience involving blame, coercion, criticism and more work. What we say we mean versus what they perceive is often contradictory.

So what is accountability then? Simply put, it is action. Supposing someone walks out of the break room and spills coffee without realizing it. The first person to happen upon the spill needs to take action to clear the problem either by cleaning it up themselves or by putting a yellow cone over the spill and calling the person with the proper equipment to do the job. That person was affected by the problem and therefore needs to have impact on the solution. This is accountability.

Unfortunately, it is human nature that some people would instead complain about the spiller’s carelessness and leave the problem for the next person to discover. This lack of accountability is often created by the belief that only the person who caused the problem should be responsible for fixing it. It is essential to reinforce the concept that accountability means: if you are affected by a problem, you must have impact on the solution. “But,” you might say, “I am not the person in charge and cannot make a final decision about a perfect solution.” So what? By being a person affected by the problem you are in the perfect position to recommend a solution and influence the decisions made about solving the problem. Your perspective is invaluable to really fixing the problem.

While this definition seems simple in description, it is not always simple for people to embrace in implementation. Symbolic messages often contradict these expectations. For example, supposing “Jane” saw a problem and was affected by it, took steps to solve the situation and then had an entire department mad at her for “overstepping boundaries and getting involved in someone else’s business.” Perhaps she was even accused of “trying to make the other department look bad.” After this type of defensive reaction from the people she was trying to help, why would Jane be willing to impact solutions for these people ever again?

As a manager, would you be willing to take the time necessary to mediate this conflict? And would you be able to do this in a way that didn’t create the perception that Jane is now “teacher’s pet?” Office politics can create the perception that accountability means doing what the manager wants in order to gain favor with that manager, not doing what is right for the benefit of everyone.

Another symbolic message that interferes with implementing accountability is the issue of blame. The focus should be

on what went wrong and how we fix it, not on who did something wrong. Saying this is not enough. For example, think of the last time you attended a problem-solving meeting. What percentage of the time was spent analyzing who caused the problem versus what percentage of the time was spent on brainstorming solutions and planning an actual course of action? If the meeting was all about the problem, then symbolically people see accountability as blame just because

of the amount of time you didn’t spend discussing action. Also consider this: if you are a supervisor, do you spend most of your time with direct reports correcting mistakes or giving praise for a job well done? If the majority of interaction is focused on correction, then accountability means blame and criticism to your team.

It is also critical to acknowledge that accountability isn’t just about getting the job done. We are also accountable for the impact we have on other people. Often we say that people are our greatest asset, yet there are far too many examples of inappropriate impact on others being ignored. How many times in your career have you seen someone rewarded for meeting his goals without anyone noticing how many people he bullied into making that happen? It is critical that managers take as much time talking about soft skills competencies in the performance review as they do discussing goal achievement.


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Obviously it is much easier to talk about productivity, quality and attendance because there are numbers to support the evaluation, but the team’s success is dependent upon everyone acting accountably toward one another in both

productivity and interpersonal behavior.

Perhaps the most important situation to consider in defining accountability is how you encourage change. Change makers are often so enthusiastic about their plan for change that they fail to realize the amount of time they took in researching ideas, discussing best approaches and deciding the best means of implementing the change. This process allowed the change-maker’s time to become comfortable with the new initiative. What often happens next, however, is that the new initiative is announced with enthusiasm – which is great. But then people are told they are now accountable for implementing this change without providing a similar getting-used-to-the-idea timeframe. Accountability for change then appears to mean being coerced into more responsibility and more work.

Instead, leaders must be accountable for influencing buy-in; including time scheduled for the change-implementers to offer suggestions for fine-tuning the implementation process. This creates accountability for the success of the new initiative.

So, if you are trying to coach someone to be more accountable, it is important to consider your work environment and the symbolic messages that define accountability. No conversation takes place in a vacuum.

Your words may be overpowered by the actions people see on a daily basis. And once you have analyzed the environment, then analyze your own symbolic messages as a coach. How effectively are you encouraging risk-taking for example? Aversion to risk leads to lack of action, which results in a lack of accountability. How conscious are you of your word choice during a coaching conversation? Are you keeping the focus of the conversation on the incorrect action the person chose or are your words describing the person as being wrong?

Meaning is created in the mind of the receiver of the message. Defining accountability requires much more thought than simply putting a poster in the break room that states: “Accountability = action.” We must create definitions of accountability throughout our work environment if we are going to be successful in coaching individual accountability. Take action today toward this goal. That is everyone’s accountability.



COACHING




USE THESE 9 TACTICS TO EFFECTIVELY INFLUENCE OTHERS

Written By: Kent State Facilitator Amy Shannon

Do you ever wish people would just do what you asked and that you could get people to follow through on their part of the project? Maybe you wish you could get your point across better, or perhaps you have trouble saying no? The solution to all of these situations is learning how to influence others well.

Luckily, the ability to influence others isn’t just an innate ability that some leaders are born with; it is a skill that you can learn. More then making your life easier, influencing others is an essential tool to being successful in the workplace. The truth is, we are all influencing one another all the time, whether we know it or not. The real question is in what direction are you influencing others and is it the one you want?

Influence is simply attaching pain to the direction you don’t want someone to move toward and attaching pleasure to the direction to which you do want them to move. That means our natural reactions to people are forms of influence, even a cold reply or a warm word of encouragement can influence how people will behave in the future. If you’re not intentional and conscious of how influence works, those natural reactions could make matters worse.

In the workplace we tend to think of this simply as a manager rewarding or disciplining an employee, but we can and do influence our peers and managers. Maybe you wish your employer communicated with you better or you wish your colleague didn’t wait until the last minute to get their part of the project done. You can influence them by rewarding the behavior you are seeking and even attaching pain to behavior you prefer would change. But first, you’ll have to figure out what brings them pain and pleasure. You have to know your audience.

Now at this point, some of you might be thinking that

‘influencing others’ sounds like a euphemism for manipulating others. To this I’d say manipulation is just one form of influencing others, and a negative ineffective one at that. Manipulation quickly backfires when, not if, people see through it. To be truly effective at influencing others, whether you’re using pain or pleasure, you have to think about the other person first and what’s best for them.

While this is counter to human nature and business culture, the people who are most effective at influencing others are those who have mastered the art of creating win-win situations. Win-wins transform influencing from a tug-of-war into a team pulling together to achieve the same goal.

If influencing others isn’t manipulation then what exactly is it? It can look very different in a number of circumstances, but some of the best tactics you can use are positive ones. How many people have been inspired to change their behavior by Gandhi’s quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” I know I have and inspiration is just one tactic you can use and will learn about in the Kent State program, Influencing Others that I facilitate. A more concrete example is when your teachers give you grades that either reward excellent work or attach some pain to correct a mistake. They are trying to influence you with your best interest in mind – namely teaching you how to succeed in your field. In turn, by successfully helping you succeed in your field, they are succeeding in theirs – teaching – so you both win.

In principle this might all sound very simple, but in practice it can get tricky. Influence isn’t a math formula, it’s a dialogue and sometimes a chess game. To learn the rules and tactics of this dialogue, in the program, we’ll start by going over the 9 tactics for influencing others that I recommend, and how and when to use them. Then we’ll take the opportunity to practice using them in real-life situations with small group activities.

Part of that practice will be learning how to use these tactics as a situation escalates. The first five on the list are soft tactics and should always be used first. They’re positive and easily create win-win situations. The last four should be used sparingly and only after other tactics have been tried. The last two especially should only be used as a last resort because they don’t create win-win situations, which means you’ll have to use more time, energy and power to be successful. Not to mention it harms the relationship, which will hinder your ability to influence them in the future.



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Use These 9 Tactics for Effectively Influencing Others

1. Logic – Convince someone by using factual, logical and step-by-step reasoning.

2. Inspiration – Suggesting what may happen as opposed to fact-based reasoning. This appeals to emotions more than logic.

3. Participation – Asking a number of questions where the answers will lead the other person to draw his own conclusions.

4. Uplift – Making someone feel good about him/herself and start listening to you.

5. Deal – Offering something in return for something. Quid pro quo (Latin) “this for that.”

6. Favor – Asking for something you want.

7. Collective – Using the view of other people to influence someone.

8. Policy – Authority is effective as a quick response to a problem. It is very blunt and sometimes provocative.

9. Force – Exercising power. Always a last resort.

Part of using each of these tactics well is setting the appropriate atmosphere, what Stephen Covey calls the psychological air, in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Creating this psychological air begins by getting to know your audience. You start by listening. This not only helps you get to know the person, but when a person feels heard they are more likely to listen in return. Just as influencing others appears to be a simple equation at first, listening appears simple, but takes skill and intentionality to do well.

Influencing others is a powerful tool in business and in life that it is essential for every manager and leader to develop to be successful. In the process, it will create a healthier, more productive atmosphere of collaboration in the workplace, where everyone can win, and work is done effectively and efficiently. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to start out with a natural talent for influencing others to become effective at using these tactics. Learning is a process and the Influencing Others program will give you the tools to start developing your abilities, but it will be up to you to put in the work and continue to develop these skills on your own. It will take time and hard work to master the ability to influence others well, but it will pay enormous dividends in your life and career.




CONFLICT



5 GUIDELINES FOR DEALING WITH DIFFICULT BEHAVIORS

Written By: Kent State Facilitator Deborah Easton

Have you ever seen an adult engage in a tantrum usually exhibited by a toddler? Have you ever been the recipient of someone’s silent treatment? Have you ever found yourself doing a favor for someone while wondering how you allowed yourself to be maneuvered into doing something you really didn’t want to do?

Most of us have had experience with people who regularly break the rules of polite decorum and who frequently disregard others’ boundaries. Often they expect us to excuse their actions because they say the situation caused them to

behave in an inappropriate way or they claim we caused them to react with a particular behavior. The truth is we are all accountable for our choices of actions. Granted, sometimes our emotions take over rational thought and these emotions can lead to exhibiting inappropriate behaviors. This is not an excuse, however, for simply saying and doing what we want and then maybe apologizing for it later. In fact, an apology may not be sufficient amends for inappropriate behavior regardless of its cause. Have you ever been around kids who are being taught to apologize when they have done something wrong? They often go through a phase of behaving badly and then figuring the apology will make up for it. This mindset doesn’t change until other consequences to their actions are assigned in addition to the apology being offered.

But why do adults exhibit difficult behaviors without regard for the behavior’s effect on others? Adults should have been taught this lesson that apologies may not amend the infraction, right? Not necessarily. Most often these behavioral choices have become habit over time because the actions have been positively reinforced. For example, if a person has thrown tantrums since the age of two and the most consistent result was that people gave in to the tantrum demands in order to silence the outburst, why would that person stop throwing tantrums at the age of 42? Why stop doing what has worked?

The most important strategy for dealing with difficult behaviors, therefore, is not to give positive reinforcement to the bad behavior. This sounds simple, but this implies that we must become comfortable confronting conflict and setting boundaries with others, even at the risk of the relationship. What if the person is your supervisor and you need to keep your job, for example?

There are many reasons people give for not standing up to bad behavior in others. How many of the following reasons have you used?

• Their defensive reaction isn’t worth talking to them.• They might retaliate.• That’s just the way they are and I really don’t believe

people change.• The only way to deal with them is to become loud and

emotional and I really resent having to do that.• I don’t have any power in this situation.

It is easy to find reasons not to stand up to bad behavior. Who wants the emotional upheaval that the confrontation might cause? The problem is that our silence has given tacit approval to the behavior and when it happens again our reaction is even more resentful than the first time. The longer we wait to address the behavior, the stronger our resentment. The stronger our emotions, the more likely we are to exhibit inappropriate behavior in response.

So, what is wrong with “getting in someone’s face” when we’re fed up with their behavior? Several things:

1. We are now focused on ensuring they know how mad we are instead of focusing on describing the inappropriate behavior and what alternative behavior is acceptable to us

2. We are now acting in ways that we wouldn’t tolerate from others

3. We have lost our dignity and made it clear that explosive conversations are OK with us

4. We have set up a score-keeping focus in the relationship

Other strategies people employ in the face of difficult behavior are equally ineffective. Many times people choose to exhibit the same behavior as the perpetrator just to make them “see how they like being treated this way.” The problem is that what has been communicated is that you approve of that behavior so much that you are willing to engage in it yourself. Sometimes people try memorizing the perfect comeback. This rarely works because the person does not say to you what you thought they were going to and your memorized lines make no sense in the real scenario. Or, often people begin psychoanalyzing the person in order to embark upon a plan to change them. They then expend massive amounts of energy and become entangled in the drama of that person’s life only to discover that the person enjoys the attention but will continue to behave the way they always have. Many of these strategies make us feel better in the short term, but do little to ensure we will not be the target of the difficult behavior in the future.


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So what strategies do work in standing up to difficult behavior? Here are five guidelines:

1 Separate the person from the behavior. If you criticize for being a bad person, their defensiveness will truly create a rift in the

relationship. Keep your focus on disapproving of the choice of action that person has made. You will be better able to demonstrate respect for that person during the conversation (whether that’s how you feel about them or not is irrelevant). Being respectful while describing inappropriate behavior prevents you from looking so emotional that the person disregards your comments.

Standing up to bad behavior is not the same as fighting back. Fighting back means you are engaging in counter attacks or trying to be

as loud and abrasive as they are or worse yet, trying to out-maneuver their games. In any case, you will be just as guilty of difficult behaviors as they are. Standing up means you are describing the behavior that is inappropriate and stating what behavior is acceptable to you instead. Period. No justifications, just expectations.

Do not take their behavior personally no matter how personal the attack is. What drives most people’s difficult behavior is that they perceive an obstacle to what they want. You just

happen to be that obstacle at that moment. This does not mean that you allow inappropriate personal comments against you. It just means that while you express your refusal to accept the comments, you can remain calm and dignified because you have not internalized their words. Remember what Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Do not give consent.

They own their behavior. Some difficult behavioral types will attempt to blame the target of their behavior for “being too sensitive.” They use this technique to diminish the validity of the

comments of the person who is standing up to their attack. Do not take the bait on this strategy. Their behavioral choice was inappropriate and you are confronting them about it. Period. State what actions you expect from them. Set your boundaries. If you have been hurt by their behavior or comments, do not allow them to convince you that you are over-reacting. Especially do not accept the passive-aggressive strategy they might use of “I was just kidding, can’t you take a joke?” Tell them, “Yes I can and I believe you were actually making a serious comment that needs to be discussed.” Then guide the conversation from there.

Provide an alternative behavior. If this person’s choice of behavior truly is due to habit and getting away with it for years, they obviously need coaching in what to do instead. For example,

if you have a colleague who constantly barges into your office unannounced, tell them you cannot listen when you are caught off guard and state that you will be unable to talk with them in the future unless they knock first or call before they drop in. You could also make it rewarding to follow your instructions by stating that you would be happy to set up a weekly 10-minute meeting during which they will have your full attention. The format is simple: State what current behavior is not acceptable to you and why and what new behavior would be advantageous to both of you. Be open to their suggestions of what to do differently since this is a good sign that they are willing to change how the two of you interact.

Dealing effectively with difficult behaviors is not about winning or losing. In fact, if you take a winner-take-all approach, you have actually agreed to an on-going battle with this person that encourages both of you to exhibit behaviors that become more and more inappropriate over time in order to win. There is no prize for this contest. Everyone loses dignity, trust and the willingness of on-lookers to interact with either of us, to name but a few. Remember, the goal here is “dealing with difficult behaviors,” meaning stating expectations of what actions are acceptable to us. The goal is not “changing difficult people.” We can only truly change ourselves. Responding assertively, yet tactfully in the face of unacceptable behavior is a good change for each of us to make. This is personal power. Engaging in their bad behavior to “win” is giving our personal power over to someone exhibiting questionable choices.

Do not give up too quickly. Some people will test you often to determine your resolve to stand up for yourself. They are hoping you will get tired of the effort. But aren’t you worth it?


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HAVING A DISAGREEMENT? ASK PERMISSION TO HAVE A

CONFLICT CONVERSATIONWritten By: Kent State Facilitator Ned Parks

The amygdala controls the fight or flight response of the brain. This response is automatic and does not distinguish between real and perceived threat. When you feel threatened in any way, the amygdala kicks into high gear and triggers a neural response in the hypothalamus. From there, it is a cascading system that impacts blood pressure, blood sugar and the immune system.

Without turning everyone reading this into a Ph.D., let’s just say diving into a conflict conversation with no warning is not the best idea.

Suppose you made someone angry. They yelled at you and stormed off. You decide you are not going to let this just sit there so the next day at work you prance in their office and start a conversation about how they treated you the day before.

They raise their voice and the whole thing careens down a hill with no brakes.

Try asking permission to have a conversation with them.

It might sound something like this, “Good Morning Jane, can we find some time later today to talk through our conversation from yesterday?”

Surely Jane knows what you want to talk about. She might say,

“Sure can we meet at 11:00?” or she might say,

“Not now I am still pretty salty about it.” Or

she might say, “No.”

No matter the answer, in all probability your request to have the conversation most likely de-escalated the conflict, instead of having the opposite effect.

“Ned, what if she says no?” Then you have no choice but to respect that answer and walk away. That does not mean I will not ask again tomorrow. Because I will.

In my experience, the individual will come to you before you ask again. I have grown to believe that a “no” really means not now.

The whole premise behind the asking permission is to get the person to admit there is a problem and get their buy-in to resolve it. It also helps to keep the amygdala from jamming into overdrive, which is never a good thing.

Yes, this works at home as well. (Wink-Wink)



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DECISION MAKING

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TWO COMMON DECISION MAKING TRAPS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

Written By: Kent State Facilitator Bob Jewell

Stripped down to its essentials, business is about one thing: making decisions. Therefore, decision making is an important skill of leaders in all levels of an organization. It’s also one of the toughest and riskiest skills. It is a skill that can be sidetracked by a number of psychological traps that can undermine decisions. These traps can even cause great leaders to make bad decisions at times. Sometimes the cause is bad luck or poor timing, but more often than not

bad decisions are the result of biases that as humans we bring into our decision making processes.

The two most common traps that impact decision making are known as:

Before I explain them, consider the following business decision. In the spring of 2000, the founder of a start-up mail-order video-rental company flew to Dallas to meet with executives of video-rental giant Blockbuster and propose a partnership. His offer was to sell his video-rental company to Blockbuster for $50 million and together they would create a new video-rental brand. It is reported that Blockbuster executives “laughed him out of the room.”

The start-up company Blockbuster turned down was Netflix. In 2010, Blockbuster would file for bankruptcy and today Netflix is worth approximately $33 billion. At the time, Blockbuster’s business model had two major flaws – high expenses from running thousands of retail locations and its major source of revenue was coming from charging late fees to its customers. Netflix on the other hand was introducing subscriptions for renting videos and allowing customers to keep them for as long as they wanted or return it and get a new one.

So, which of the two common biases were in play in the above Blockbuster/Netflix example? Actually, both were. Let’s start with confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is defined as developing a quick belief about a situation and then seeking information that confirms that belief.

This bias impacts not only how we gather information about a situation, but also how we recall information and interpret it. Gathering and analyzing information are important steps in any effective decision making process. Clearly, at the time, Blockbuster’s success prevented their executives from identifying the flaws in their business model. In Netflix, they saw an upstart company with a business model different than their up-to-that-time successful model.

Blockbuster executives also exhibited overconfidence in their decision to ignore Netflix’s offer. Overconfidence bias is defined as thinking we know more than we do about how the future will unfold or about our knowledge on a subject. It can lead to significant miscalculations of risk. Admittedly when you’re making a lot of money with your current business model why should you consider changing it? Or, for that matter, take advice from a start-up company with no retail stores and just a few employees. Overconfidence is the same trap that led IBM to decide not to invest heavily in the personal computer market. It’s been said that the trouble with ignorance is that it feels so much like expertise.

Here are a few ideas as to how to avoid these traps. First, be aware of these biases. When it comes to business decisions, there is rarely such a thing as a no-brainer. Our brains are always at work when we make decisions. Forewarned is forearmed. Another effective method of

avoiding these traps is to have a decision making process that walks the decision maker through a series of logical steps such as defining the question, establishing objectives to be achieved by answering the question, generating answers that are in alignment with the objectives and evaluating risk. By using a process, you’re not turning over the entire decision making process to intuition. Having an effective decision making process actually leads to a final method for avoiding these two common decision making traps. Your decision making process should let you know when it is appropriate to involve others in the decision. You should involve people who are willing to tap you on the shoulder and question your biases or give you another point-of-view. Good luck with all your decisions!


1. Confirmation Bias

2. Overconfidence Bias


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1. Autocratic

2. Consultative

3. Democratic

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EENY, MEENY, MINY, MOE:4 OPTIONS FOR DECISION MAKING

Written By: Former Kent State Facilitator Tim Kraft

Some very interesting people attended the leadership skills programs I’ve taught. One was Dan, a recently promoted supervisor who’d spent many years in the Navy. In the program, we talked about the value of having discussions with employees regarding work assignments, upcoming changes and decision making. It was critical, I explained, to listen to employee input and concerns, and then reach consensus on the best way forward.

Dan struggled mightily with this concept and readily admitted he longed for the simple and straightforward military-style of management. “It was nice,” he said, “to just tell someone to do something and know they would carry out the orders. I say it; you do it.”

He especially struggled with the skill of team decision-making. With his military background and combat leadership role, it was engrained in him that decision making was strictly done with a top-down, autocratic approach. We discussed in class how this was, no doubt, essential with most military decisions, especially in battle.

His fellow classmates talked about how that autocratic style of decision making couldn’t be his only or first choice as a manager. Employees are likely to move on quickly to another job when faced with an autocratic boss who couldn’t care less about what his or her employees have to say.

Supervisors and managers have four options when it comes to decision-making style:

Each has its own positive and negative attributes.

AutocraticThis military-style of decision making has the obvious benefits of speed and simplicity. There’s no discussion or deliberation, and sometimes that’s appropriate. Some decisions just have to be made right now.

This could also be the right style to use when you are truly the only person with the information needed to make a good decision. This is often the case when making decisions about confidential matters or personnel issues.

As mentioned above, employees typically don’t enjoy working for an autocratic leader. And, since they weren’t part of the decision making, they will be less enthusiastic about supporting it. They may feel excluded and resentful, particularly if you make what they perceive to be a poor decision.

Which brings up another outcome of autocratic decisions; you own it. You acted on your own, so you are solely responsible for the outcome. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Leaders must sometimes make big decisions, perhaps contrary to what is either popular or considered to be the right decision. If that decision proves to have been a good one, your reputation and credibility skyrocket. If the outcome goes sideways, your reputation will suffer and your leadership abilities questioned. Autocratic decision-making can be risky.

Consultative In consultative decision-making, you still make the decision and own the outcome, but you don’t make the choice on your own. Instead, you ask others for their input. You may be “running your idea up the flagpole” to see how people will respond or may really be in doubt about the best choice and need the opinions of others.

You are, of course, an intelligent, insightful and thoughtful leader; but you can’t know everything about everything. Input from others ensures you will benefit from their perspectives and knowledge. This assumes you ask the right people. Getting input only from people you think will agree with you does little to improve decision quality. It’s far better, although more challenging, to consult those who you know will question your decision.

Asking others for input pays off in increased engagement. It demonstrates you value them and their opinion. That, however, can come back to bite you. Your decision probably won’t align with the input of everyone you consult. It requires a skillful manager to keep someone’s trust and support when you ask their opinion and then fail to follow it.


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This is one of the slower decision-making options. The consultation process may take some time.

As with autocratic decision-making, you own the decision. But in most cases it will be a better decision as a result of the input gathered from others.

DemocraticIt’s probably fair to describe the next style, democratic decision-making, as the opposite of autocratic. When you opt for a democratic decision, you delegate control. In most cases, this process moves pretty quickly. The group votes and the majority carries the day. Hopefully, there will be some deliberation and discussion rather than a straight up-or-down vote, but that’s up to the team.

One of the biggest drawbacks to this style is that there’s little accountability. No individual is responsible for the outcome. Another drawback is that, if the group is polarized on the issue, only the winners will strongly support the outcome. Not only might the “losers” remain opposed to it, they may actively attempt to undermine it to prove the wrong choice was made.

One strong caveat when delegating decision making is that you need to be clear regarding what you are asking them to decide. Be explicit about the scope, goals and parameters of their charge. You can document this in writing or verbally share the information with the group. If you do the latter, have someone replay what he or she heard. That process almost always uncovers misunderstandings.

Consensus I saved the best for last. I say “best” meaning this is typically the decision-making style that provides the best overall outcome.

When you decide by consensus, you give up total control of the decision; it belongs to the group, with you facilitating the process. Everyone has a voice, ensuring the broadest range of input and perspectives. You benefit from the knowledge and experience of all members of the group, increasing the likelihood they will select or develop the optimal course of action.

The group owns the decision, making buy-in for the outcome the strongest of the four decision-making styles. They are each responsible for the outcome and will, therefore, be more committed to its success.

The biggest downside is that this is the most time-consuming option. Reaching consensus can be laborious, requiring skillful facilitation on your part. In the end, it may not be possible to reach consensus. When that happens, the best fallback approach is democratic.

What’s the Right Decision-Making Style?

Asking that question is like asking what is the most important tool in your toolbox. Each tool has a different purpose and each of these decision-making styles are the right style to use in different situations. You will routinely be faced with decisions, from trivial to critical. Depending on the nature of the decision, how urgently a decision is needed and other factors, you can choose the most appropriate decision-making style.

Choose wisely. Managing the decision-making process well will ensure making the best choices for your organization, building team engagement and enhancing your reputation as an effective manager.


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WHO’S MAKING THE DECISIONS AROUND HERE?

Written By: Kent State Facilitator Bob Jewell

In my last article, I wrote about two of the common traps decision makers can fall into. In this article, I’d like to share two key questions that must be addressed when making a decision – who should make the decision and who should be in involved in the decision. The answer to the first question is pretty straightforward – generally it’s the individual who is in charge. But the decision maker has some options when it comes to the second question. Let’s explore them.

There are four styles the decision maker can choose from when making a decision:

Authoritative is when the decision maker gets no input before making the decision. Consultative is when the decision maker gets input from individuals before making the decision. Participative is when the decision maker gets input from a group of people before making the decision. And, Consensus is when a group of people makes the decision. Before discussing the selection of these styles in decision making, it’s important to know that there are two significant parts of a great decision making process:

1. Quality Thinking2. Acceptance/Implementation

Quality Thinking is where the question the decision is about is determined, outcomes are identified, information/options are gathered and analyzed, and a decision is made. A lot of people think the decision making process is over at this point. However, what good is all your quality thinking if the decision doesn’t get accepted and implemented?

I’m willing to bet that most of you reading this article have experienced quality thinking poorly implemented when it came to a decision in your workplace (or in your personal life).

Acceptance/Implementation is where the decision comes to life and impacts the organization in a manner that achieves the outcomes on which the decision was focused. Research has found that the style the decision maker uses to make the decision can have a significant impact on the decision maker’s ability to get the decision fully implemented and sustain the decision.

In 2002, Professor Paul Nutt at The Ohio State University reported results from a study of over 400 decisions that had been made by managers in medium to large organizations. He interviewed key participants in the decisions over a two-year period after the decisions were made. He concluded that over half of the decisions were never implemented or unraveled within two years after the decision was made. Professor Nutt collected data on many aspects of the decision making process and found that though some decisions failed because of cognitive issues such as poor framing of the decision or biases like I wrote about in my earlier article, a more significant factor in the success of a decision was the involvement and participation of key stakeholders in the decision. Decisions that used participation to foster implementation succeeded more than 80% of the time. Dr. Nutt’s findings remind us that great decision making is not merely a matter of quality thinking, but also of ensuring that the decision will have the necessary support and commitment to be effectively

implemented and sustainably achieve results. Note that three of the four styles of decision making listed above involve some form of participation.

Besides fostering the successful implementation of a decision, the use of participation in decision making can have other benefits such as building positive relationships among group members and aligning group members with the goals of the organization. One of the negatives I often hear about participation is that it slows down the decision making process. Though I agree with this observation, I’m not so sure slowing down a decision is necessarily a bad idea (unless you’re in an emergency situation where immediate action is a crucial element of success). A more deliberative decision making process can often help you avoid many of the common decision making traps such as confirmation and overconfidence bias (see early article).

1. Authoritative

2. Consultative

3. Participative

4. Consensus


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So how do you know which style (Authoritative, Consultative, Participative or Consensus) to use when? Dr. Victor Vroom of Yale School of Management has devoted his career to understanding the links between decision making and effective leadership. His work resulted in a set of seven situational factors that when held up against the decision at hand will answer the question as to which style is appropriate. Two of

the factors address “leader expertise” and “group expertise.” The less expertise the leader has with regards to the decision the more expertise the group (typically the leader’s direct reports) have, the more you should lean towards Participative or Consensus and avoid Authoritative. Two of the other situational factors in Dr. Vroom’s model

address “importance of commitment” and

“likelihood of commitment.” These factors have proven to be a huge predictor of a successful implementation.

In closing, participation and what form it should take are significant factors in making great decisions. Next time you find yourself in a decision making situation consider the style you use and who should be involved. If you’ve already made a decision and the implementation is not going well, consider that you may have used the wrong style.



10 X 3 = BETTER DECISIONSWritten By: Former Kent State Facilitator Tim Kraft

No matter what your job or level in your organization, you have to make an unending stream of decisions. Many of them you can easily make on the fly because you have all the information you need and the results of a bad or incorrect decision are minor:

Would the brown or black shoes go better with this outfit?

Which task should I work on next?

Should I listen to AC/DC or Enya while I work on the budget?

Other decisions require deeper thought because of their importance:

Do I buy a new computer or keep using my old one?

Should I hire a new employee or keep getting by with the existing team?

Should I attend a business conference or stay home?

One of the common traits of human behavior is that, when making decisions, we typically evaluate the choices based on our perspectives and emotions at the moment. That results in decisions focused on the “right-now” or a very short-time horizon. You can probably recall impulse purchases that seemed like a great idea at the time, but once you got the item home, you wondered what in the world you were thinking.

I have just such a purchase on my desk right now. My wife and I visited a store in Columbus, Ohio that had dozens of humorous thoughts painted on rustic wood. Our favorite one read, “Your stupid is showing. You might want to tuck that in.” Hilarious! We must have that!! But we’re feeling pretty stupid ourselves, having spent $40 for something that went straight to the garage sale box.

When people recall some of their worst decisions, they can almost always site some emotion that drove them to make that decision. Whether it was anger, jealously, greed or another of our more base feelings, they are often the culprit when smart people make dumb choices.

This is true in both our professional and personal lives.

A powerful but simple way to see through the short-term emotions and take a clearer, longer-term view when it comes to decision making is the 10-10-10 process. This short, simple technique ensures that you consider the long-term consequences, good and bad, of your decisions. The process was the brainchild of Suzy Welch, author and former editor-in-chief of the Harvard Business Review, who described it in her book “10-10-10: A Fast and Powerful Way to Get Unstuck in Love, at Work, and with Your Family.”

Here’s how it works. When faced with an important decision, ask yourself these questions about your response:

What will the consequences be in the next 10 minutes or the short term?

What will the consequences be in the next 10 months or the mid-term?

What will the consequences be in the next 10 years or the long term?

I often change the increments to 10 minutes, 10 days and 10 months because it’s hard to look out 10 years. The benefits of the process are the same as long as you consider the decision’s short-, medium- and long-term consequences.

Taking a minute to run your pending decision through this process helps reduce the number of times you will look back with regret on a decision. Projecting the consequences into

the future ensures fewer “What was I thinking?!”

and more “That was brilliant!!” decisions.

10-10-10 Applied to Delegation

The 10-10-10 process is an effective technique when making any significant decision, but it is especially valuable for managers and supervisors when thinking about a delegation opportunity. Using the process encourages them to take a longer view that increases their success in developing new strengths and skills in their subordinates. How so?




Let’s say you are Jamie’s manager and thinking about delegating responsibility to her for preparing a monthly report to your company’s leadership team. Your self-talk would probably be along the lines of:

“I’ll probably spend more time explaining the assignment than it would take to do it myself. Jamie hasn’t done this before, so it’s going to take longer for her to do it than it would for me, and there’s a good chance she’ll make errors.”

And, naturally, the delegation doesn’t happen. That’s short term, 10-minute-away thinking. Let’s zoom out to the medium-range timeframe and reconsider the decision from that perspective.

“I still have to check the reports before they go to the leadership team, but Jamie does most of the work on it now and that frees time on my calendar. It also gives her some face time with our leadership she hadn’t had before. That increases her self-confidence and engagement.”

Now we’re seeing mostly positives. Let’s recalibrate again, this time to the long-range view.

“I don’t have to worry at all about that routine report anymore. I built a lot of trust with Jamie because she knows I support her professional development. She’s added new skills and is eager to take on other responsibilities. That gives my area more depth and resilience, and builds my reputation as an effective manager.”

When viewed in the long-term timeframe, there are nothing but positives and they all represent significant organizational benefits.

Summary In describing Welch’s book, one reviewer called 10-10-10

a “transformative solution ... helping us tease apart our deepest goals and values, candidly face our fears and dreams, and rid ourselves of frustration and regret.”

Wow, a life free of frustration and regret. That might be a reach. But there’s no doubt that spending a minute or two running your decisions through the 10-10-10 filter will help you consistently make better professional and personal decisions.



FEEDBACK




BREAKING THROUGH DEFENSIVENESS:

5 STEPS TO HELP EMPLOYEES HEAR CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK

Written By: Kent State Facilitator Kristy Frieden

Providing difficult feedback to an employee is one of the most challenging tasks for a supervisor. Nobody likes having to tell someone that they are not doing a good job. And certainly nobody wants to hear it. Employee defensiveness, even complete denial of the situation, can often be a typical employee response. So how do we provide employees with the feedback they need, while minimizing their negative response? There is a way, but it requires a new approach to the situation on our part as supervisors. Let’s take a closer look.

Inference vs. Behavior

To begin, it’s imperative that we understand the difference between inference and behavior. An inference is our opinion, it is not always fact. It is a conclusion we have drawn based upon our observation of a person or situation. A behavior on the other hand is fact. It is something we can see someone do or hear someone say. We can describe it. A behavior is the most important piece in providing feedback. When we are offering feedback to one of our employees, we need to speak about behaviors not inferences.

Below is a chart that provides a common inferences we may use and associated behaviors. Keep in mind, there can be many different behaviors that lead a person to make an inference.

So why is utilizing behaviors so important in providing feedback? Because behaviors are facts. Inferences are our opinions based on what we observe. We are essentially

passing our judgment on to someone when we are utilizing inferences. When employees feel judged, they immediately become defensive and can argue and deny what we are saying. Behaviors are factual and less likely to create emotional responses. They know they did it. We, as supervisors, know they did it. Now it’s up to them to determine if they continue to do it. The ball is in their court.

Inference Associated Behavior

LazyDoes not complete tasks

on time

Sloppy Uniform wrinkled

UnorganizedUnable to find information

needed to complete reports

Not a team playerDoes not volunteer to

help co-workers

Bad attitudeNeeds to be told

next steps in completing project

Poor CommunicatorDoes not respond to emails

within 24 hours




The use of behaviors is also important when providing positive feedback. For example, if after a meeting that I conducted, my boss tells me “good job,” does that really tell me anything? Sure I am happy that he recognized me, but I don’t know what he is recognizing me for. As an employee it is important for me to know so I continue doing that specific behavior. The following are examples of positive inferences and specific supporting behaviors.

Utilizing behaviors takes practice. We are so used to speaking in inferences and also receiving feedback in inferences. It takes a little extra effort, but it is worth it to give employees actionable feedback that they can utilize.

5 Steps to Feedback

Now that we know what words to use during our feedback discussion, we need to understand a model, that when utilized, will give us confidence as supervisors and also place responsibility on the employee.

The model for providing feedback includes 5 important steps:

1. Question to the Employee: What went well?2. Question to the Employee: What can be improved?3. Supervisor Statement: This is what went well…4. Supervisor Statement: This is what can be improved…5. Question to Employee: What will you do differently

next time?

The first step in the model is asking the employee, “What went well?” This is probably an unusual question based on the way we have been providing feedback in the past, especially if it is critical feedback. But there are several very important reasons we do this. First, it starts on a positive note. It helps the employee take a look at the situation and discover what he or she did correctly. Second, it starts the model with the question to the employee. It gets the employee involved right away. Third, it shows that as the supervisor, you are wanting to hear the employee’s perspective, and not only that, but the positive side of it first.

The second step of the model again asked the employee a question, “What can be improved?” This is where we want to hear the employees’ thoughts on what happened and what part they played in it. Notice the question is not, “What did you screw up?” This is done intentionally. “What could you improve upon?” is also a forward thinking question. It is not a question about rehashing the past, but looking at a situation in terms of development and what can be learned when moving forward.

The third step in this model is now the supervisor’s turn. Again like step one, we are focusing on the positives of the situation. We are taking the time to discuss what we believe went well as we reflect on the circumstances being discussed. Reminder, make sure to utilize behaviors and not inferences!

The fourth step is our opportunity to share with the employee what we believe could be improved upon from our perspective. Again, we are discussing this as a teachable moment. A way to discuss what happened, but reframing in terms of what can be improved upon. Once again, be specific and speak about behaviors not inferences!

The fifth and final step of the discussion is the most important. It is the question back to the employee, “What will you do differently next time?” Why is this question so important? There are several reasons. For one, it gets the employee engaged in the next steps. It is not the supervisor telling the employee what to do, it is the employee telling the supervisor what he or she is going to do. The ownership begins and ends with the employee. Also, it allows us to know if the employee heard anything we said during the discussion. Does he or she really get it? Does he or she know what has to be changed? Of course the supervisor can add or revise anything necessary in this step, but it does place the ownership on the employee.

Inference Associated Behavior

Team playerAsks if teammates need assistance

Good communicatorAsk for understanding once

directives are given

Trustworthy Admits mistakes

Solution focusedIdentifies problem and offers

a solution

Passionate Sets and achieves goals

CollaborativeAsks others opinions

in meetings

Positive attitude Smiles




The Larger View of the Model

As we step back and look at the model as a whole, hopefully several items stand out. One, the order. It is very important that we are allowing the employee to engage in self-feedback first. It allows you, as a supervisor, to hear the employee’s perspective. This is critical because we can then customize our message. Since we have an understanding of his or her perspective we can begin from there.

When you consider it, the employees’ perceptions of the problems can go one of three ways. The first is that they tell us everything we have to talk with them about. They have full knowledge of the situation and what to do to fix it. Second, they get it partially correct. They tell us some of what we need to discuss with them, but we need to fill in what they missed to complete the picture. Third, they have no idea what they did and we have to tell them. No matter how it goes, we are getting information from the employees first and then customizing our message so they can better understand our perspective.

Another great benefit for utilizing this approach is that if we use it often enough, our employees will come to expect it and know that they have a part to play in it. They’ll realize that they need to come prepared to talk about their aspect of the situation, in a very deliberate, but also constructive way.

The model also communicates to the employees that as their supervisor, we are paying attention to the whole situation, both positive and negative. It communicates that we are utilizing this as developmental opportunity.

It communicates faith in our employees and our understanding that the “next time” we believe they will do things better.

Other Uses

I want to acknowledge that this model works for many different situations, but certainly not all of them. If an employee has done something so severe or significant that it causes a threat to the safety of oneself or others, or he or she is causing harm to the organization, a more decisive, direct approach needs to be taken. But for all other teachable moments, this is a fantastic choice.

The model also works when you sit down to discuss a performance review. Simply start the discussion of the evaluation period utilizing the model, then get into the specifics of the review.

Another good use for this model is with a group or team after a project or an incident. It’s a great way to debrief the situation without placing blame, while looking toward the future.

In Conclusion

Referring to specific behaviors and not utilizing inferences provides more effective employee feedback, and the use of this model, assists any supervisor in offering actionable feedback. These two important concepts will allow employees to hear constructive feedback and reduce defensiveness. It also assists in empowering employees to take ownership of a situation and learn from it.



LEADERSHIP




OUR VALUES: THE FOUNDATION OF GREAT LEADERSHIP


What is it about someone that makes them a great leader? Is it their status, outgoing personality, likeability, relatability, vision, ability to create a great strategy and execute it? I’ve always been interested in the subject of leadership and what makes some people so good at it, while others (despite all the classes they take, books they read or coaching they receive) are not. As an avid reader on the topic and observer of others, I find that the foundation of great leadership is self-awareness.

The idea of self-awareness is broad and complex. There are many areas for leaders to be aware of; their strengths and weaknesses, their personal triggers, the way they typically respond to others, their preferred method of communication, how they handle stress and conflict, and the list goes on. But I find that one of the most important and foundational areas leaders need to be aware of is their personal values and how those values impact their daily lives, and therefore how they lead others.

Emerson once said, “What you are shouts so loudly in my ears, I cannot hear what you say.”

So why is the knowledge of our personal values key to being a great leader? The answer to this is because values drive behavior. Here’s how it works – our personal values (our beliefs about what is most important to us) impact our thinking, which ultimately impact our behavior. Our behavior is the ultimate expression of what we value. For example, if I value personal health and wellness, then making healthy food choices, getting the proper amount of sleep and exercising are the behaviors that I demonstrate. Here is another example, if I value personal development and education, attending classes and seminars, reading books and being open to hearing others’ opinions would be the behaviors that I would demonstrate. If I say I value an idea, then my behaviors better back it up. Oftentimes what leaders say, and what they do, aren’t congruent. If that happens, people assume they are untrustworthy and therefore will not follow them.

The first step in knowing what we value is to try and clarify what those values may be. Remember that our values drive our behavior and guide the choices we make in our daily life. The book “Becoming a Resonant Leader: Develop Your Emotional Intelligence, Renew Your Relationships, Sustain Your Effectiveness” by Mckee, Boyatzis and Johnston (2008) has an excellent values exercise. The following is adapted from that exercise.

1. Take a look at the following list of values and identify your top 10. Try not to over analyze. Go with your gut reaction. Also, identify what values are most important to you and not what you think your values SHOULD be.

2. Now identify your top five and rank them in order, one being the most important.

3. Once you have ranked your top five, now take some time to think about how you demonstrate these values in your daily life both at work and home. This is a great way to begin noticing how your values guide your choices, behavior and your life.

Once we have gained this piece of self-awareness, it’s time to explore how these values impact us as leaders, and in turn, impact those that we lead. First of all, our personal values drive the expectations of those around us both at home and work. If we are in a leadership position, our values, whether we recognize it or not, are setting the expectations of those we lead. For example, let’s say I value personal development; I am going to expect my employees to do that as well. I may encourage my employees to attend seminars or professional meetings. I may recommend and encourage employees to read books that I find interesting. I may also spend time hearing others’ opinions and perspectives.


• Accountability• Achievement• Adventure• Analytical • Autonomy• Belonging• Caring• Cheerful• Citizenship• Clean• Compassion• Competitive• Controlled• Courageous• Creativity• Dependable• Discipline• Economic security• Expression• Fairness• Family• Forgiveness• Freedom• Friendship• Fun• Gratitude• Honesty• Hope

• Humor• Independent • Innovative• Integrity• Intellectual• Joy• Kindness• Leisure• Love• Nature• Open-minded• Order• Persistence• Personal Develop-

ment• Pride• Religion• Respectful• Responsible• Risk taking• Spirituality• Success• Teamwork• Tidy• Winning• Wisdom• Others not listed?




I may even be unknowingly evaluating my employees on their effort in personal development throughout the year and judge them accordingly.

Here is another example, Let’s say your boss values success and status. Someone like this may put undue pressure on his subordinates to achieve and perform. If they fall short, or make a mistake, he may be very harsh in his critique of their work. He may expect employees to sacrifice their personal lives for the success of his department or the organization.

As leaders, it is imperative for us to share our personal values and expectations with our subordinates. If not, they are playing a game that they can never win because they don’t know the rules. If we value accountability, we need to tell them what we expect from them in this regard and ALSO what they will expect to see from us. If we value family, let them know our thoughts on work/life balance and our personal policy on achieving it. If we value a sense of belonging, tell them our expectations around their commitment to the team, working together and what we will be doing as their leaders.

Walk the Talk – Not only do we need to communicate our values and our expectations around those values, but we also need to walk the talk. If we value respect and expect it from our subordinates, we better be the role model for giving respect. If we value honesty, all of our communications must be transparent and honest. If we value fairness, our employees will be expecting to be treated fairly and equitably. The true test of a great leader is someone who knows their values, explains their expectations and lives out their values on a daily basis.

The Calendar Test – Now that we’ve identified our values, does our daily life reflect them? What we truly value is where we spend our time and money. So spend the week actually keeping track of what you do and how long you do it. Did you say you value family? Does the time you spend with them reflect that? Do you say you value health? How much of your daily activities revolve around healthy habits? This exercise can be amazingly eye opening and may show you areas where you should be walking the talk more often.

Employee Values – Every individual brings his or her own unique set of circumstances, experiences, backgrounds and personal values to his or her organization. Another indication of great leaders is to have an honest one-on-one conversation with the people that we supervise to understand where they are coming from.

Questions like:

1. Where do you see yourself in five years?2. What are the most important traits you value in

yourself?3. What qualities do you need in a boss?4. What brings you the most joy at work?

These are all great questions to open up the conversation in uncovering personal values.

Organizational Values – These are also tremendously important in determining a workplace culture. A set of core organizational values can establish a set of workplace norms and practices, set aspirational goals for people, describe how people should behave, describe to customers what they can expect, guide daily decision-making of employees and define the culture. They should also be the basis for key processes like hiring, staffing, communication and evaluation. Establishing not only a core set of company values, but also guidelines as to what specific behaviors demonstrate these values, is a crucial piece of organizational and leadership effectiveness that is sometimes missed.

If an organization is struggling, looking at how employees behave and treat each other (and the customers) is the best starting point in diagnosing and also fixing the problem. However, it is certainly not the easiest. Setting new standards, new modes of operation and creating rewards and consequences for EVERYONE, including top levels of leadership, are key.

Clarifying, living and communicating our personal values as leaders is the building block to great leadership. Knowing and understanding our employees’ values helps to build relationships and inspire followership as well. Consistently evaluating how the organization demonstrates its values by looking at how we operate together, keeps us accountable and on the right track for success.




THE KEY TO EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT: FOCUS ON STRENGTHS


Can you answer yes to the following question?

At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?

According to the author Tom Rath in the book “Strengths Finder 2.0,” those who answered yes to this question are six times more likely to be engaged in their work and three times more likely to have a better quality of life in general. According to this study by the Gallup organization of over 10 million people, only a third of them “strongly agreed” with this statement.

When promoting employee engagement, why is focusing on strengths so important?

Focusing on employee strengths, not weaknesses, is not only a benefit to the employee and key to their overall happiness, but it also can change the mindset of us as supervisors and help us to feel better about the way we’re leading. Also, we get better results and performance from our employees.

Let’s take a closer look at this idea.

Our society seems to be focused on deficits, weaknesses and bad news.

It starts while we’re young. Seventy-seven percent of parents in the United States think that the lowest grades deserve the most attention (Rath, Strengths Finder 2.0). I know, because I used to be one of them. My daughter, who was in fifth grade at the time, came home with a report card that was all A’s and B’s except for a D in math. What do you think was the first thing out of my mouth when I looked at that report card? “What the heck is this, a D in math?” My mind was racing about what we had to do, as I focused on her poor math grade; a tutor, extra help, a meeting with the teacher? I was so focused on that D, I didn’t even bother to congratulate her on the other wonderful grades she received. In other words, I was not focused on her strengths in the least. I was totally focused on her weaknesses and how we were going to fix them.

At work, this also happens. We get fixated on our weaknesses; of ourselves, our employees, other departments and our organization as a whole. We fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others, comparing our employees to each other or even comparing our organizations to others; whatever “they” are doing well, we need to fix us to be more like them.

I am not suggesting that we can ignore our weaknesses completely.

We have to have a certain level of competence to pass a subject, graduate or perform our jobs, but once we have a certain level of competence, focusing on strengths is a much more productive road to take.

Understanding the Difference Between Strengths and Weaknesses

Let’s use a sailboat metaphor to help understand the difference between strengths and weaknesses. Pretend this sailboat is us. If there are holes in the boat (our weaknesses) we would have to spend some of our time fixing them, otherwise the boat would sink (or we wouldn’t be proficient in what we needed to do). But even when we fix the holes, this wouldn’t get us very far. We as individuals need to put up our beautiful sails (our strengths) to be able to catch the wind and move forward to get things done. Our sails (strengths) give us the energy and ability to make great things happen. They give us a clear direction in our lives and give us the ability and motivation to get there. (Biswas-Deiner, Practicing Positive Psychology Coaching; Assessment, Activities and Strategies for Success)

Our Unique Basket of Gifts

At birth, we have all been given a unique basket of gifts. We need to realize that everything needed to succeed is within our perfect basket. We need to stop comparing our basket with others. “Sally has a lot of sunflowers in her basket. I wish I had sunflowers.” Or “I only have a bunch of carnations. Life would be so much better if I had more roses.” Doesn’t that sound silly? So what‘s in your basket? Take a moment to self-reflect.




Recall a time when you were at your best…

1. Where were you?2. What were you doing?3. How did you feel?4. What was the benefit for yourself and others?

This exercise will help identify what types of activities give you the most joy. Be as specific as possible. The more detail you can recall, the better.

Again, why should we focus on strengths?

When we focus on strengths we see and feel success happen. We experience an enormous amount of growth. Think about it; when we work on our weaknesses we become average. When we focus on our strengths we become outstanding! Also, as we utilize our strengths we enjoy bursts of energy and happiness. And remember, what you focus on grows! Strengths help us to do our best, give us the greatest sense of meaning, allow us to enjoy our lives to the fullest, give us a deeper sense of connection and increase our satisfaction and joy in all domains of our lives. (Seligman, Flourish; A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being)

So what is a strength?

According to Rath, the strength formula is T x I = S. Our talent (our natural way of thinking, feeling or behaving) times our investment (time spent practicing, developing our skills and building our knowledge base) equals a strength (the ability to provide near perfect performance.)

Look For the SIGNs

Another way of determining your strengths is to think of the acronym S.I.G.N.:

Utilizing our strengths is a feeling. We know when we are experiencing a strong moment when we feel:

PowerfulConfidentNaturalSmoothOn fireAuthentic“That was easy”Awesome“When can I do this again?”

On the other hand, we know we are experiencing weak moments when we feel:

Drained“Time’s going by slowly”“I can’t concentrate”FrustratedWiped outForcedIrritatedBored“Why can’t the new guy do this?”

Supervisors Be Aware

Because our strengths are only known to us as individuals based on the feelings we are experiencing, as a supervisor, we must be cautious when identifying the strengths of our employees. Just because someone is good at something, does not mean it is a strength. For example, just because Tom is good at completing highly technical reports, does not necessarily mean that completing the reports is a strength of Tom’s. He may have the knowledge and skill to complete the reports, but the activity drains him and makes him dread coming to work. As we are observing employees, here are the behaviors that may indicate someone is demonstrating a strength:

SUCCESS - When you do it you feel effective

INSTINCT -Before you do it, you actively look forward to it

GROWTH -While you are doing it, you feel inquisitive and focused

NEED -After you have done it, you felt fulfilled and authentic

(Buckingham, Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance)

• Raising inflection when speaking

• Rapid speech• Wide eyes and

raised eyebrows

• Smiling and laughing• Increased hand gestures• More fluent speech• Better posture




When someone is speaking about a topic that they are interested and competent in, they are naturally more excited and comfortable. The above behaviors are normally exhibited either when someone is discussing their strength or actually doing it.

Observation may be our first indication, but actually talking with our employees regarding what we are observing and having a conversation about it, is the most effective way in confirming what we are concluding. Questions like:

1. What is an activity/skill that you are really good at?2. How do you feel when you are doing it?3. What have you been recognized for doing really well?4. What activities/projects do you look forward to doing?

The above questions are great in getting to know our employees’ strengths and also building rapport and engagement.

Once we have a good understanding of our employees’ strengths, there are two important things we can do to help increase engagement. The first is to actually recognize and provide feedback and appreciation for the job they do while demonstrating their strengths. This shows that we are paying attention to what they are doing well. The second is to give our employees specific tasks that highlight their strengths. Helping people incorporate more opportunities to utilize their strengths increases their engagement, job satisfaction and overall enhancement of their quality of life.

Focusing on employee strengths is a major driver for employee engagement.

Again from the book Strengths Finder 2.0, this statistic certainly confirms it:

Enough said.

The following are your chances of being actively disengaged:

√ If your manager ignores you

√ If your manager focuses on your weaknesses √ If your manager focuses on your strengths

40%

22%

1%



MOTIVATION

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PLAN FOR SUCCESS: DEVELOPING THAT EXTRA EFFORT

Written By: Kent State Facilitator Scott Tackett

“Applying one extra degree of temperature to water means the difference between something that is simply very hot and something that generates enough force to power a machine — a beautifully uncomplicated metaphor

that ideally should feed our every endeavor — consistently pushing us to make the extra effort in every task, action, and effort we undertake.”

—S.L. Parker, 212°: The Extra Degree

As we approach another end to the business year and, hopefully, are planning for the coming business year, I genuinely encourage you all to reflect upon the past year’s successes and failures to determine where that one extra degree of effort either made the difference or could have made the difference in your businesses.

Did you make tough choices and decisions each and every day that led to organizational success or did you choose the easy route?

Did you exhibit the characteristics necessary for courageous leadership – authenticity, giving and receiving feedback, and only surrounding yourself with the best possible people – or were you content with the status quo, where self-protection and minimal risk-taking were more comfortable and certainly required less effort?

Did you demonstrate the passionate commitment to each of your goals that you were so enthusiastic about at the beginning of 2016 or did you rationalize to yourself at some point that it just wasn’t worth it?

Every successful business leader will tell you that there is no magic wand, no silver bullet and no quick fix to obtain great results. The real key to their success is self-discipline and the ongoing willingness to drive persistent, maximum effort in each endeavor. Without this determination and energy, lasting success cannot be obtained.

So how do you achieve the self-mastery of engaging in the extra effort necessary to reach your vision of success? The answer is two-fold, and while it appears to be rather simple, it’s not always so easy.

First, it takes 100 percent commitment. Total commitment to achieving your goals will enable you to put forth that little extra effort that will mean the difference between succeeding and remaining the same or possibly worse off than you were before.

Second, you must cultivate powerful, positive habits that become part of your lifestyle, not just some of the time, but all of the time. Keep in mind, however, that poor habits are just as powerful and destructive and can destroy your leadership capabilities. Don’t mix up the two.

So as you plan for success new year, try planning to make extra efforts in the following critical areas of importance found in all organizations:

Client services (internal and external)Financial performanceProcess and systemsStaff alignment and development

As S.L. Parker says in 212°, “How many opportunities have you missed because you were not aware of the possibilities that would occur if you applied a small amount of effort beyond what you normally do?”

“How many opportunities have you missed because you were not aware of the possibilities that would occur if you applied a small amount of effort beyond what you normally do?”

– S.L. Parker 212°: The Extra Degree


https://www.kent.edu/yourtrainingpartner/profile/scott-tackett

TEAM BUILDING

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THE CIRCLE OF INVITATIONWritten By: Kent State Facilitator Ned Parks

Gather in a circle? Ned, are you crazy? This is a workplace not some hand holding part of a kumbaya love fest!

No I am not crazy and you don’t have to be kumbaya love fest to pull this off.

The circle is the most prevalent geometric shape natural to nature. Everything you see has a circular shape to it; the moon, earth, sun, clouds, trees, animals, (some of us are a little more circular than others) and so on.

Since the beginning of mankind people have been gathering in circles. To this day, indigenous people gather in circles, mainly because there is no man made architectural structure like a conference room or a classroom that dictates how they should sit. When the tribe gathers they just begin to sit looking at each other, then a circle forms and before long they are all together. What is interesting to see when people gather like this is that there is no position in the circle for the person of power. In other words, there is no front of the room where the teacher stands or the head of the conference table where the boss sits.

You have all been in the following situation. There is a meeting in the boardroom. You walk in and there is one seat available and you start looking for the boss. You do not see the boss and your co-workers start snickering and ask you where you are going to sit.

That is a typical response to a Western European/American hierarchical meeting arrangement. If the tables had been gone and the chairs were set in a circle, you would not have looked. It would just be natural to take the next available seat. Since there is no position of power in a circle we don’t even think to look for one.

You all know King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Whether King Arthur was real or the stuff of great legend is a topic for another day. Many legends and myths are false on the outside and true on the inside.

The inside story is that King Arthur used the round table given to him by his father-in-law as part of a dowry and it was the place for the King and Knights to meet to avoid conflict and to flatten the authority without wiping it out altogether.

I was first introduced to using this when I was in the Army. A commander I worked for would have small staff meetings around his coffee table in his office. They were relaxed and none of us ever forgot who was in charge or who out ranked whom.

If you have toolbox talks, tailgate meetings or stand up meetings you will notice they all naturally form a shape of a circle.

In my program, Crash The Barriers: Build the Team, we practice an exercise using the circle to understand how it can be used at work.

If you want to try this for your next staff meeting, just put the chairs in a circle prior to the group coming in. At first your co-workers may not be sure of it, but once you and everyone notices that the meetings run shorter and more is accomplished with less struggle, you will begin to use circles more and more.

Happy Teambuilding!


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http://www.kent.edu/yourtrainingpartner/crash-barriers-build-your-team


KENT STATE UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FOR CORPORATE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Kent State University’s Center for Corporate and Professional Development provides employee training and development in a broad range of competencies, including supervisory, management and leadership development, human resources, project management, continuous improvement and all the softer skills such as dealing with conflict and change, team building, interpersonal communication skills, business writing, among many others.

Our facilitators come to your organization, tailor the training and deliver it on-site. We also offer a catalog of convenient open enrollment professional development programs and certifications.

• High-quality, Comprehensive Training and Consulting• Added Value and Continuous Support• The Economies of Using Kent State for Your Training Needs

For more information, contact The Center for Corporate and Professional Development:

[email protected]

Kent State UniversityThe Center for Corporate and Professional Development

Administrative Services Building – Second FloorP.O. Box 5190

Kent, OH 44242



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THE CENTER FOR CORPORATE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT · • Others come to you to complain about all of the “terrible things” that are going on • You feel you are being treated