Denisoff Consulting Group » Coaching for Managers

Motivating Employees in the Real World

admin — Tue, 10 May 2011 18:53:45 +0000

Last week a friend of mine shared a powerful link on YouTube by Daniel Pink and his work from his book Drive on motivating employees. The message although not entirely new is shared well with subtle insights that are valuable to leaders. For a long while now we have known that money is not the prime motivator for people in complex jobs. As Pink rightly points out, the real motivators are autonomy, challenge, mastery and the ability to make a contribution.

That is all well and good and makes a lot of sense and is even inspirational. But the challenge with any presentation like this is how to make it reality. The workplace is not a neat and tidy place nor is it always inhabited by people with pure motives or high maturity. All those cool diagrams on the whiteboard and bullet points may sound so lovely and truly resonate with us but life is not a safe white board or auditorium. This however does not negate any of what is being said. The key then is to take what is being presented and make it work for you as a leader.

Step one is to always be clear on the goals. Without this foundational step, things become unraveled and turn to chaos. As a leader, be sure to be clear on the standard in excruciatingly vivid detail. Too many leaders are more interested in keeping control and managing the people towards results when in fact it is much better to manage the results and lead the people. But this is scary to the lesser manager because in the end they know the buck stops with them.

The rule then to unleash the autonomy, challenge, mastery and the ability to make a contribution for your employees is to be crystal clear what the results are and how those results are non-negotiable. And you as a leader in turn must let go, go with the flow or even laugh at all the rest.

This is related to my maxim that “All leaders must be in control without being controlling.”

You do not want to waste time and demotivate your employees on the ticky tack stuff. Let them be who they are and let them approach things in their own way. But only and always be uncompromising on the results.

Meetings and Deferring Decision-Making

admin — Tue, 03 May 2011 15:21:49 +0000

Ah meetings, you love them or you hate them. Of course many meetings, if not most, are poorly run. Isn’t that amazing after all the books and training classes on holding effective meetings they still can be painful and wasteful. People have been making jokes about bad meetings for over a decade and yet they seem to persist.

Of course when you go to a well run meeting that has a purpose and stays on that purpose, it feels awesome, empowering and dare I say invigorating. But today I just want to call out those people who use meetings to defer Decision-Making. I have been observing this more and more over the past years. Managers will have a meeting on a very important subject and it just does not seem to go anywhere, it just meanders. Now, I am not talking robust brainstorming or intense discussion, I am talking about meaningless rehash or conversations about non-critical issues for the sake of…I really do not know what. But it seems that the manager does not want to be decisive and make a decision. There is such a hesitance these days with so many managers to make a decision and move forward—this is very weak.

And the capper is that these managers will hold meeting under the false pretense of getting everyone’s input or trying to build consensus. (And don’t even get me started on the bastardization of Consensus Building.) Both of those things are good and important but if you already got them, no need to go back over and over.

So, if you are a leader who might be using meetings to delay decision-making, please stop! Be honest with yourself about this. Artificially delaying decision-making creates a whole array of issues including timing issues of original challenge, disengagement of the team, loss of momentum and a backlog of other decisions that you have to make. Get good as being decisive and learn a variety approaches to decisions-making.

If you are in a meeting that feels like its sole purpose is to be an accomplice in deferring a managerial decision, be bold and help the manager frame the issue, identity a decision-making process, and move forward. Be comfortable with respectfully asking the purpose of the meeting and about relevant milestones regarding key decisions.

Working Hard at Hardly Working: The tragedy of underworked employees- Part 1

admin — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:37:47 +0000

Today’s blog is by our Program Director for the Coaching Cadre, Chuck Allen.

Imagine getting paid a generous salary for this job:

Comfortable window office
New computer
No one looking over your shoulder
Generous deadlines
Predictable eight-hour day
Freedom to listen to music and surf the internet at your desk

Sounds pretty sweet, huh? It’s not. Believe it or not, this job is hell.

You must punch a timecard each time you arrive at work, leave at the end of the day, or take a break. If you are late for work by more than three minutes, or if you forget to take a break when one is scheduled, you must write a note of explanation that goes into your work file. And here’s the kicker: You may have up to five hours of actual work to complete each week. To put it another way, out of a typical eight-hour workday, you have less than an hour of actual work.

I’m not making this up. This is an actual job a friend of mine had for more than two years. That was two years of misery.

Recently a number of friends and clients have quietly confessed to me that during their workday they have a lot of time on their hands. The boredom is almost painful at times they say. And they are unwilling to discuss the situation with their bosses for fear of getting fired.

Because of the nature of surveys, it would be nearly impossible to find out how common this phenomenon is. Even in anonymous surveys, people would be unwilling to admit that they are not earning their keep. But I suspect this scenario is more common than most people think.

There is a part of our brain that guides us to seek out comfortable situations and avoid stress or challenge.

This is the part of us that wishes to sustain the sense of “free ride” that comes with being underworked. On some level, we actually believe that “down time” is the most desirable state we can find ourselves in. Well, it turns out this is wrong. We actually need a certain amount of stress and challenge in order to thrive and find satisfaction in daily life. Boredom extracts such a heavy toll on our minds and bodies that it may as well be stress.

Part -2 to follow.

Leadership as Great

Talent Magnet -Part III (Next Steps)

admin — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:30:19 +0000

Got a few emails from the previous post that I would like to address in general terms.

Every company has these processes (Recruiting, Performance Management, Rewards, and Employee Development) in place. But we all know from personal experience that some companies and some managers are better at implementing and leveraging these processes.

If you are a manager and you are just going through the motions with these processes you are not leading in an exceptional way. If you are not meeting deadlines associated with these processes, you are not as committed to being an exceptional manager as you may think you are. If you are not seeing these processes as integral to your job as a manager you are missing the boat.

These processes are not ends in themselves.

Their purposes are to fully engage the employee and get the best performance out of them today and in the future. Like anything in this world, these processes have flaws and limitations. Great managers overcome these limitations.

If your company does not have a great Performance Management process you have some choices. You can complain about and minimize the process or you can informally overcome the process and make it valuable through your own approach by adding your own checkpoints or conversations in your style. It is what great managers do.

And yes, I know that we are all very busy. I also know that not all HR departments are facilitators to these processes. But in the end, “so what?” Great managers make every interaction count with their reports whether a formal review or informal conversation. That is what we will build on for next time.

Talent Magnet -Part II (The Basics)

admin — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 03:35:50 +0000

So if you want to magnetize yourself to attract, keep and leverage the best talent and high performers you need to start with the basics. And the best place to start is by maximizing the Talent Lifecycle process which includes Attraction and Selection, Performance Management, Individual Development and Rewards & Recognition. So here are a few thoughts for each step in the process.

Attraction and Selection

Two important things to remember: 1- Take the time to clarify the role that you are trying to fill. Rarely is the official HR job description adequate. Really get excruciatingly clear on what is needed in terms of skill, experience, leadership capacity and cultural fit.

2- Do not hire just to fill a position. One bad hire will give you headaches and problems for a long time.

Performance Management

If you know me you know I have strong opinions on Performance Management being done well (as so few companies do it well.) And every few years someone writes a book on eliminating the Performance Management process. But if you read these books deeply, they are really saying do Performance Management right. Three things to keep in mind for PM;

1-It is not something you do in addition to your job, getting people to perform if you are a manager is your job.

2- The dialogue should drive the process not the paperwork. And 3- Strive for no surprises for the employee at the year-end evaluation. Give solid honest feedback throughout the year.

Individual Development

Real simple here, make sure your reports have a clear and robust personalized development plan. If they do not have one in place, it communicates that you are not interested in their well being and you will disenfranchise them.

Rewards and Recognition

When it comes to rewards and recognition beyond financial compensation one size does not fit all. Take the time to learn what is important to your reports collectively and individually. Look for clues in their workspace and listen for clues during your conversations with them. In fact, when appropriate ask them to provide input into the R&R planning. Just making the effort communicates that you are looking out for their best interest.

Making sure that you are leveraging the Talent Lifecycle process is the first step in becoming a Talent Magnet. Intermediate thoughts forthcoming…

Talent Magnet -Part I

admin — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 16:11:11 +0000

I am in the process of finishing up a presentation for an upcoming conference. I have been asked to speak on ways how managers can become “Talent Magnets.” Formally speaking, this topic is about how managers can utilize the talent lifecycle (recruiting, performance management, development and recognition) to get, develop and keep the best employees working for them.

It is such a great topic as I get deeper and deeper into it. And so basic. And what is funny about this topic is that it is obvious to the observer what managers are good at this and which ones are not. Plus the reality is that a manager only succeeds if his/her people are successful. Keep in mind that being a talent magnet does not mean being well liked. In fact there are plenty of people that I like, I mean really like and think they are great people, but not all of them would I want to work for if you know what I mean.

There is a very powerful maxim we consultants use a good deal:

“People do not quit companies they quit managers.”

This is very true and so is the corollary that people work hard for their bosses not for their companies. You see the boss is the company in a very real sense to the direct report. I see this all of the time, great managers whose people would do anything for them. They go the extra mile even when the manager is not there. They are excited to perform well for the manager and the team as a whole. I can think of quite of few instances where a manager left a company to go work somewhere else and his/her team followed them there, often for less pay because of the respect and admiration for the manager.

This is all warm and fuzzy I know but here is the kicker, this type of manager gets things done and performs at a higher level then his/her peers.

Are you this type of leader where people from inside of the organization are knocking over walls to come work for you?

If this is not totally the case read Part II of this blog in a few days for some practical tips to get you there.

Keep Your Employees Engaged During the Economic Downturn

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:17:52 +0000

The current economic downturn has been going on for a while and many indicators suggest that it will continue for quite a bit longer. This is depressing even to type out. It has been a long haul for sure. I have seen firsthand companies responding to this reality with important measures including layoffs and/or reductions in pay. This can weigh heavy both on employees and managers alike.

And as a manager, even during these times, you are to set the tone being both grounded and optimistic with your direct reports.

A major part of your role is to keep the troops engaged, productive and connected. The temptation for a lot of managers is to either ignore the situation or to add to the negative anxiety, neither of which is acceptable for a great leader.

Employees these days are pretty sophisticated at all levels from blue color to the young professional. The pervasiveness of the 24/7 news cycle, internet, twitter, blogs etc. keeps employees tuned in to the reality of things. A manager must not only acknowledge this but leverage it. Employees understand the tough times, and most understand even things like pay freezes or reductions in pay. But as a manager you still must keep the employees engaged and working effectively. This means keep doing what you are supposed to be doing in terms of coaching, giving feedback, and interacting with your team.

This also means keep the Performance Management schedule. Not that long ago I witnessed a company that stopped doing any Performance Reviews or Yearly Goal Setting with their employees. Their rationale was because they were afraid if they did the employees might expect a raise and the company was not in a position to accommodate that. I mean how demoralizing is that, not only are the employees not going to get any raises but they now were going to be deprived from credible feedback, career development and basic concern. This, not the lack of raise, is what will truly disengage employees.

In an article from HR Executive online, http://www.hreonline.com , coming out on September 2nd, a survey of over 800 HR executives found that the top three things keeping these executives up at night are

1-Keeping Employees Engaged and Productive

2- Retaining Key Talent

3- Developing leaders

The reality is an employee’s manager has the most influence on those above issues. So do not shy away from talking honestly about the current economic situation and the impact on the company with them. But most importantly keep up paying attention and investing efforts into your reports. Done well you will strengthen your bond with them, keep them from leaving or giving up and will develop them to meet the needs of the company’s future.

“Let me know what you think, but think before you let me know.”

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:14:45 +0000

We all have heard the timeless saying “Think before you speak.” And it is a good one to heed especially in our jobs. It however has become more difficult through the past years to take the time to think things through as the pace of work has increased almost beyond comprehension. Additionally, I believe along with this increased speed of business, the drama factor in some organizations has also increased. (And you know how I feel about drama.) Some of the comments that come out of people’s mouths amaze me. And these people are smart and bright but not only miss opportunities to add real value but start to diminish their credibility with non-intelligent responses.

Great leaders always are grounded and continuously build up their Emotional Intelligence so they can respond effectively in intense times. Whether an introvert or extrovert or a person who prefers tasks or people, great leaders stay in the moment and activate their brilliance and thinking capacity.

The reality is, every time you speak you will either add or take away from your credibility.

Smart leaders always think before they speak. They read the audience, they craft the message in such a way that it will be appropriately received and they bring in actual business analysis to the discussion. Like I always say, ask yourself “How does the topic at hand the impact the business.”

Many organizations these days understand the importance for getting ideas and feedback from all of their constituents. Executives and managers are much more adept at getting others’ ‘take on things’ and tapping into diverse perspectives. So you should always be prepared to speak. Unfortunately, I have been getting this comment from a good number of folks as of late, “He/She caught me off guard.” If you are a great leader you should never (all right almost never) be caught off guard. High performers always bring their “A-game.”

I just heard one of the best quotes of the year from a very fine CEO. Mike Seyle, CEO of the World-Class International Architectural Design firm Wimberly Allison Tong and Goo, was commenting on his expectations of his executive team and senior leadership. He is really great at getting the best thinking and ideas from his people. From these different perspectives he has a tremendous way of synthesizing them into a robust and actionable plan. But for this approach to work, his staff must bring thoughtful and logical perspectives to the table. He pushes his people to really think things through on many levels so they can put forth their best ideas. Or as Mike simply puts it

“Let me know what you think, but think before you let me know.”

Well said, well said.

Getting Feedback for Leaders Part 4: Reaching Out

admin — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:59:00 +0000

As was said earlier in this series, it can be hard for managers to get candid and honest feedback. The bigger your title, the less of a chance people will volunteer feedback to you, especially tough feedback.

Great leaders set the stage early with the people they work with–their boss, peers and direct reports– so they can get a constant flow of feedback. Hopefully your boss is giving you balanced, candid, and timely feedback. But with your peers and direct reports you have to take the initiative. Develop an agreement early with the folks that you work with that you are open and want, or actually require, their feedback and that they will never hurt themselves if the feedback is given in the spirit of helping and in a timely manner. Make this clear over and over until they get the point. Generally people will test the water with a few lighter items until they can feel comfortable with coming to you on the harder things.

But if you ever overreact, get angry or deflect, just know that you just closed off the feedback faucet.

Periodically a manager should ask each direct report: “What can I do better to support your success?’ or “What do you need from me to be more effective?” And when you do this, please do so in a neutral area like a conference room or even at the lunch table. Do not do this behind your desk as the desk can create a barrier to an open conversation. Be insistent on these questions and do not settle for milk-toast responses. Get the good stuff!

It is amazing to me how many managers think that asking these questions will show weakness or incompetence. This is simply not true. You are successful when they are successful, so by giving them what they need to be effective increases their chance of success. This is what leaders are supposed to do. And if they do not come through you can feel good about doing your part in setting them up to win.

Getting Feedback for Leaders Part 3: The 360 Feedback Report

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 04:32:23 +0000

An amazingly effective way to get feedback as a leader is by participating in a 360 Feedback process. As most of you may know this is a formal process by which to gather feedback in a safe and anonymous environment from a variety of perspectives all around you, hence the term 360 from a 360 degree look. Feedback is solicited from your boss, your peers, and your direct reports. Often leaders can also solicit feedback from vendors or suppliers.

The key is to get perceptions from people who know you well in terms of your leadership skills and style, communication, and other core leadership competencies.

I often ask participants in the process if they want to include their spouse in the list of respondents. I usually get a chuckle and an ‘are you serious?” (And yes I am.)

The feedback is collected either through interviews or with an electronic survey. All of the respondent’s feedback is kept anonymous. The only exception is that the boss’ feedback is not. The rationale to this is that if your boss cannot be open and direct with you than we have big trouble. There is a proper process of how to receive the feedback and turn it into an action plan. Please look for my upcoming whitepaper in the autumn that will cover the steps and methodology to an effective 360 Feedback process.

In the great majority of my executive coaching assignments I use the 360 process at some point. Generally it is done earlier in the coaching relationship. It is a very powerful process.

For most leaders they know what is coming with usually one or two surprises in their blind spot. For other leaders, it can be a big time reality check.

Either way it is an awesome experience to fine tune or if necessary overhaul different aspects of your leadership ability. Whether the feedback is fully accurate or just a firmly held perception the leader still must respond to it in the best way possible.

It is akin to someone telling you that you have a piece off broccoli in your teeth right before you take the stage to give your big keynote presentation. It feels a little uncomfortable when you are told but you are very grateful that you now know and can make things right. If you have never taken part in the 360 Feedback process it may be time so I invite you to investigate further. For those who have already participated in the process I recommend to my clients that they should participate in the process at least every 2-3 years.

Denisoff Consulting Group » Coaching for Managers

Motivating Employees in the Real World

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Meetings and Deferring Decision-Making

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Working Hard at Hardly Working: The tragedy of underworked employees- Part 1

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Talent Magnet -Part III (Next Steps)

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Talent Magnet -Part II (The Basics)

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Talent Magnet -Part I

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Keep Your Employees Engaged During the Economic Downturn

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“Let me know what you think, but think before you let me know.”

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Getting Feedback for Leaders Part 4: Reaching Out

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Getting Feedback for Leaders Part 3: The 360 Feedback Report

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