#1: A Commitment to Commitments

How many times have you made plans to meet with an employee, only to postpone and postpone as other more urgent issues come up?  How often have you put-off having that performance review session?  Do you find yourself saying "We need to sit down soon" but it somehow seems to happen?

There are few leadership attributes that more consistently show-up as critical to a person’s success that this one… FOLLOWING THROUGH ON COMMITMENTS.

Commitments are promises, plain and simple. When a leader  consistently keeps them, he or she is seen as someone who can be counted on, who truly cares about his people, and who is mastering his priorities. This drives admiration as well as aspiration- your people want to model the same behaviors with their peers and their teams. When a leader doesn’t follow-through, he loses a little credibility each time. People begin to see the leader as unreliable, not caring, or unable to take charge of the day- letting events overtake him.

What can help you keep your commitments?

• When someone makes a request requiring your commitment of time, PAUSE before responding.  Think about what else is on your plate, and what is realistic. Then either agree to the commitment or make a counter-offer that you are confident you can keep.
  
• Once you’ve made the commitment, SCHEDULE time for it there and then.  This sounds so simple, and yet is so often overlooked. We often make vague agreements that are not time-specific. The result: that "by year-end" performance discussion happens long after the ball falls in Times Square… if at all.  So plan, plan, plan, and make sure you put it in the calendar. 
  
• WATCH OUT for false urgencies that can get in the way.  In our 24/7, always connected, meeting-heavy worlds, it’s easy to fall into the trap of letting the latest "urgent" request throw you off your game.  Just as you used the PAUSE before making the original commitment, use it again before breaking it. Stop and ask yourself: "Does this new urgent item rank so high in both real urgency and criticality that it MUST push the prior commitment off?"  You’ll find that many of these ‘drop everything’ emergencies can actually be delayed or delegated.
• Finally, always remember- your people are your greatest asset. If you’re not making time for them, and keeping to it, you’re missing an opportunity to develop and retain them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#2: Delegation Excellence

 

 

Delegation is a crticial competence for leaders. We move our agendas along, and get most things done, by working with or through others. We depend on them to provide us critical information and complete tasks. 

Ask yourself: How often do I just do it myself because "it will be faster than teaching someone else to do it"? When I do delegate, how often do my requests get fulfilled… How often do I get back what I’ve requested on time… How often does it meet the quality standards required? 
To be effective in getting what we want, we need to master the art of delegation.

What can help you get desired results when delegating?

 

 

 

 

•  First, remember that delegation is not just about you getting more work done. It’s about developing the talents of your team. People managers at all levels, particularly when new to a more senior role, are often tempted to continue the doing at the expense of leading. This leads to overwork and lack of time to focus on strategically important activities. It also prevents his team members from developing essential talents. 
   
• Second, don’t see delegation as an all-or-nothing choice. As you look at each item on your list of things to be done, ask yourself… "Is this something someone else could do with some coaching or training?"  "Could someone do part of this?" Remember, your role as a leader is to develop and support your people. You can do this by either partially or fully delegating it.
   
• Third- FRAME each delegation request clearly and explicitly. A clear request must contain three elements. To illustrate them, let’s assume Mary stands up in her staff meeting and tells the 2 financial analysts present (Bob and Jill) that she needs a detailed accounting of expenses for the department on her desk ASAP.  Sounds clear?  Let’s see. 

 

 

 

 

• Finally, when you do delegate, keep in mind the S.E.T. rule:

 

 

Follow these steps and you will soon see the results: A more engaged and capable team getting more work done, and more time for you to focus on what really matters!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#3 Powerful Meetings

 

 

Meetings aren’t just big events, like your weekly staff meeting or periodic project meetings. They occur every day… often as a discussion between you and a colleague or staff person. How many do you have in a typical day? If you’re like many of our clients, your calendar is filled with meetings… 3, 4, 5 or more in a single day. We often hear clients tell us they need to set aside time to get "real work" done at the end of the day, after the meeting marathon ends!  What if all of those meetings were truly productive? What if they weren’t an interference with "real work"? What if they were real work, with real progress and real outcomes?  They can be!

 

 

 

 

 

To be effective and efficient, we need to master the art of the powerful meeting.  Here’s a simple formula:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ABCDE’s of powerful and purposeful meetings

 

 

A- Agenda

Every meeting, big or small, long or short, must have an agenda with clear objectives and items to be covered. Ideally, the agenda is not created in isolation, but collaboratively. Encourage the other participants to contribute agenda items in advance.  Then make sure that materials are prepared and distributed in advance of the meeting so that the details can be reviewed prior to the meeting, and the meeting can focus on making decisions, not information sharing.

B- Behavior setting

This is particular important for group or team meetings. Establish a set of agreed-upon norms for meeting behavior. I often suggest the 3P’s of meeting behavior as a start:

 

 

 

 

 

• Preparation: Everyone agrees to come into the meeting having read all materials distributed in advance, ready to discuss and make decisions. 
• Participation: Everyone agrees to actively engage in the dialogue (see "C" below).  If someone is silent or seems less-than-engaged, other team members will actively seek to bring out their views.
• Presence: Everyone agrees to not only be physically present (and arrive on time) but mentally present and focused.  This requires eliminating distractions like cell phones and email.  Look around the table at your next meeting and notice how many people are sending emails on a blackberry or treo during the meeting. If you are presenting or speaking, how frustrating is this?  If the meeting is important, 100% presence by all is important. 

C- Communication

Communication is all about dialogue. And dialogue is a like a dance- it takes two to tango! All too often we observe teams in what they think is dialogue, but is in fact people speaking across or over one another. This is not dialogue; it’s speech-giving. Dialogue requires two things: deep listening and constructive speaking. 

Listening is not a passive activity. REAL listening requires focus and true engagement with what the other person is saying. And it takes work.  Listening is not politely waiting for John to finish speaking so you can get your point across.  It is about hearing what the other person says, understanding it, and fully considering it. Real listening also requires asking for clarification, paraphrasing what was said to check for understanding, and appreciating the contribution being made, whether you agree or not. 

Constructive speaking requires you to frame your input appropriately, taking into account what you have heard. It requires expressing your point of view clearly and succinctly, and allowing for others to comment or build on what you’ve said. It’s about advocating a particular view and then being in inquiry mode- sincerely wanting to hear what others’ views are, and trusting that the outcome of the dialogue will be more powerful than your own idea in isolation could have been.  If that’s not true, than why are you meeting in the first place??????

D- Do Next

In every meeting, capture all action items. This is not the minutes of the meeting. Minutes are typically long, detailed, process (not action) oriented, and rarely read by anyone.  A crisp clear set of next steps, in contrast, is all about action: What was decided (either to put into action or to explore in depth as follow-up), who is accountable for it, and when it is to be completed.  Keeping a visible and running list of these action items as the meeting proceeds is simple and keeps the group focused. Before leaving, be sure to review the next steps. 

E- Evaluation (of effectiveness)

Finally, before leaving the meeting, whether a conversation between two people of an all-hands workshop, ask the other or the group for feedback on the meeting’s effectiveness. Did we accomplish our objectives?  What went well?  What could we have done differently to improve the meeting’s effectiveness?  Capture this critical input and act on it… continually improving the process. 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow these steps and you will soon see the results: Better use of your time, and meetings that move critical issues and action items forward. "Real work" will be happening in meetings, not just before and after them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

#4 "Getting to No"

 

As your duties expand as a leader, you likely find you are called on to do much more than you have ever been asked to do before, and having many people asking for your time.
 
When you learn to say "NO" you are not closing the door on your responsibilities, but rather you are making sure that you can meet your commitments and accomplish the maximum possible in the time available to you.  Time is your most valuable resource… spend it wisely.
 
To be able to say no you need to live by these three principles:

 

 

 

 

 

• I will remember that I can’t do everything. 

   

• I won’t agree to undertake a task or project that I know I will not be able to complete in the timeframe required.
  

   

• I will not make commitments that are inconsistent with the goals and objectives I have set for myself.
  

   

If you keep these principles in mind, you will find it easier to justify (and explain) why some requests must be turned down.  You will also find that you are better able to accomplish the things that you have prioritized as must-do.

Once you have made your decision to say no more often, your commitment is now a matter of discipline.  Keeping focused on the value of your time to the organization is key… you’re not saying no for the sake of saying no, you’re doing so for an important reason.

Here are a few suggestions to master the art of NO:

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Recognize that a desire to please often prevents us from saying no. But when eventually we can’t continue, we let them down and both parties suffer.
  
• Replace the task refused with something better (a counter-offer). For example, you can contribute a lot without being put on a committee or doing every task requested of you.
  
• Instead of providing an answer then and there, tell the person you’ll give their request some thought and get back to them. This will allow you to give it some consideration, and check your commitments and priorities.
• There’s always the escape hatch, "I’ll consider (or I may be in a different position) AFTER I complete Project X." 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow these steps and you will soon see the results: Better use of your time and increased capacity to focus on those things that only you can do. 

 

 

 

#5: People-Focused Planning

For those of you who have plans in place for 2009, now is a good time to hone them, particularly in light of the changes taking place economically. For those of you who have not, it’s now or never. The new year is only weeks away, so there is no better time to ensure that upcoming goals are clear, targeted and aligned to produce expected results.

But beware! It’s easier to plan numbers than to plan employee behavior. Progress happens through people. This means that time and effort should be devoted to how you will achieve your goals at the same time that you are defining what those goals are. 

This is where the "soft side" of business planning comes in to complement the harder side. Training, mentoring, management and leadership skills, communication, and role modeling are all vital components to how organizations drive and shape behaviors to support the successful accomplishment of goals. 

So after the numbers are set, start another round of planning by answering questions like:

 

• Goals and objectives: What has to happen? In December 2009, what will it take for you to look back and see the year as having been successful? Not just the quantitative, but the qualitative as well. Make sure the picture is clear and is communicated in a compelling way. This is particularly important if growth is going to be sharply lower. For people accustomed to 20% annual revenue growth, what is the positive vision for a low growth year? Create a compelling vision that is both aspirational AND grounded in reality.
  
• Get specific: If we are to achieve our goals, what does each individual and department need to do? Break down the goals and objectives into specific measures of success for each department and ultimately each person. Make sure there is a clear and meaningful win for each and every person, and that the connection between individual and organizational goals is clear and well-understood.
  
• Create roadmaps: How do I want my employees to accomplish this? What behaviors will be required? Define clear expectations, and make sure you discuss and agree with each of your people on exactly what is expected and what it will take to get there. This is particularly critical if expectations for 2009 are significantly changed from the past. And expectations are a two-way street. It isn’t all about your organization’s goals. What are your people’s goals for themselves? Do they have promotion aspirations? Do they want to take on new challenges? Make sure you understand their personal aspirations, and fit those that are realistic into the plan.
  
• Understand what is needed:  Based on the expectations and our agreed-upon roadmap, what support does each person need? This is the all-too-often missed step in the process. Will they need special training? What coaching or mentoring will they require from me? Don’t just assume you know what they need… ask them… and make sure those resources are made available. Typically, the most precious one is the one in shortest supply - YOUR TIME. So plan ahead and build that coaching and mentoring time into your personal plan. If you don’t, I can almost guarantee it won’t happen. Also ask yourself: What qualities and values do I need to be modeling throughout the year? Be sure to "check-in with yourself", and also get feedback throughout the year, to ensure that you are walking-the-talk.

   

   

With the planning process underway, check in as you go forward:  Busy leaders often falsely believe, or hope, that they can simply set clear goals, give people resources, and get out of the way. They view planning as an annual event. Instead, look at planning as a continuous process. Over the course of the year, get together for both scheduled and ad hoc meetings with each person to check-in. This has twin benefits: First, it ensures that everyone is on-track - including you, slippage or problems are caught early, and milestone achievements are acknowledged and celebrated. Second, these interim meetings are not about ratings, rankings, or compensation reviews, so you can focus entirely on development of the person. 

 

 #6: Unleashing Your Creative Leadership Gifts

Creative leadership competencies* are those that enable you to achieve results, bring out the best in others, lead with vision, enhance your development, act with integrity and courage, and improve organizational systems.  Each of us has many of these talents within us. So what can get in the way of their flourishing? 

Reactive tendencies* are leadership styles that emphasize caution over results, self-protection over productive engagement, and aggression over building alignment. Each of them is useful in the right amount, but overemphasis on any of these self-limiting styles takes your attention away from creative leadership. 

Look over this list and think about which of the three reactive tendencies sounds like the biggest challenge for you. We all display varying degrees of each, but most of us will find that we tend to fall into over-using one of these most often. 

Complying  
Conservative- think and act conservatively, follow procedure, and live within prescribed rules.
Pleasing- seek others’ support and approval to feel secure and worthwhile.
Belonging- conform, follow rules, and meet the expectations of those in authority.
Passive- cede power to others and to circumstances outside your control.

Protecting  
Arrogance- project a large ego–behavior that is experienced as superior, egotistical, and self-centered.
Critical- taking a harshly critical, questioning, and cynical attitude.
Distance- withdrawal, remaining aloof, emotionally distant and above it all.

Controlling  
Perfect- need to attain flawless results and perform to extremely high standards to feel secure and worthwhile.
Driven- being in overdrive. It is the belief that worth and security is tied to accomplishing a great deal through hard work.
Ambition- need to get ahead, move up, be better than others. It’s a powerful motivator, but can become negative-overly self-centered and competitive.
Autocratic- the tendency to be forceful, aggressive and controlling.

Now think about how your main reactive trait gets in the way of success. Ask yourself:

• If COMPLYING: What impact is this having on my ability to be decisive and produce results?
• If PROTECTING: What impact is this having on my being trusted and connecting with my team and colleagues?
• If CONTROLLING: What impact is this having on my ability to foster growth and development of my team?

You can address these tendencies by following these steps:

• Become aware… Check-in with yourself regularly to realize when you are in reactive mode. Notice the situations which tend to take you into this reactive space, and be especially aware during those times
• Reflect on the underlying thoughts and beliefs that drive you to the reactive zone (I must ____, I should ___, …)
• Question those automatic thoughts and beliefs… what would I need to start or stop believing to take a different approach?
• Practice the different approach
• Notice the benefits of the new approach… this is the powerful motivator to help propel you forward!

* From The Leadership Circle (TLC). Steve is certified to administer the TLC 360 Profile.