Leaders developing leaders.

Leadership

What’s My Message?

The art of communication is the language of leadership.
–James Humes

We think we’re good communicators, we think our message is understood; we’re often wrong.

Levels of understanding differ and it’s up to us as leaders to assess each situation. We need to adapt to differing styles and we need to remember that communication is not a one way exchange. Most importantly, we need to remember to communicate with others in THEIR language.

Things to consider:

  • What level of detail is desired?
  • Should the “bottom line” message come first with supporting details to follow?
  • Avoid getting too “wordy”
  • Ensure your message is organized and your grammar correct; plan, prepare, practice!
  • Don’t race through your message; be aware of the speed in which you’re speaking
  • If it’s a complex message, break it down into smaller bullet points or sub messages
  • Allow time for your message to be processed
  • If there will be impacts, share what they will be
  • Are there any takeaways or expectations? Request they be repeated backEveryone has a story about communication gone wrong – the delivery was well intended but somehow the message was garbled. (This happens both professionally and personally). If you are the sender, ask the receiver to share what they heard, and ask for their perceptions. If you’re the receiver, and especially when the message seems off, ask for clarity.  Perceptions left un-discussed can haunt us.

Do you ensure your messages are accurately interpreted?

To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.
Tony Robbins

Be Purposeful With Behaviors

Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge.
–Plato

The last piece of our VMGM (Vision, Mission, Goals, Measures) discussion is related to BEHAVIORS. We must be purposeful with our behaviors, and bottom line, all of our behaviors must support the achievement of our VMG.

This obviously requires that we are intimately aware of our VMG, that we are not only very clear on our role, but that we have a deeper understanding of HOW our role impacts successfully living and achieving our Vision, Mission, and Goals.

As Plato says our BEHAVIOR flows from our desire, emotion, and knowledge.

We also have to ensure our key processes and strategies are linked with our vision, mission and goals. This includes:

  • Hiring
  • Training and development
  • Performance Appraisals
  • Rewards and Recognition
  • Communication plans (the mode, the frequency, the level of content)
  • Change (anything new?)
  • Conflict (managing differences and expectations)

Do you want your behaviors to be modeled by others? Be honest! Ideally we’ll see positive behaviors in others, and if we’re truly effective leaders, some of those behaviors we observe may have been influenced by our own actions and behaviors.

You know the old clichés:
Walk the talk. Practice what you preach. Lead by example. Actions speak louder than words. Don’t ask others to do something you’re not willing to do. Be continual learners. Practice and apply new learnings. Be open to feedback. Listen twice as much as you talk.

Bottom line: be aware that we as leaders are indeed observed so model the behaviors that will help us, our colleagues, and our direct reports achieve the vision, mission, and goals for our organization.

Behavior is what a man does, not what he thinks, feels, or believes.
—Emily Dickinson

Goals and Measures – Keys To Success

People with goals succeed because they know where they are going.
–Earl Nightingale

We’ve discussed how VISION statements are dreams or aspirations that provide direction and also how MISSION statements provide us with clarity and personalize our VISION statements. The next key elements for success include GOALS and MEASURES.

GOALS add even more clarity to our vision and mission statements and ACTION is required.    Think in terms of what, when, and how the actions will be executed, by whom, and in what time frame. (Dates must be identified, even if they are only target dates).

GOALS keep us moving forward. They help us focus and track progress towards what we’d like to achieve. No one knows why a written goal is more effective than one that’s known and understood but not committed to paper. Some psychologists theorize that writing triggers important processes in the subconscious, which in turn inspires action towards achieving those written goals. So, don’t keep your goals in your head, document and share them!

It’s okay to start small. Consider one to three goals you wish to accomplish this year. Make sure they are clear; if the goals require others to be involved ensure that the “supporting” cast knows their roles, and that time frames, tasks, and ownership are assigned. (ex. Who’s going to what by when with weekly check-ins).

Note: Understand that goals can be changed or dropped – the idea is to keep on target with your desired results. Sometimes goals must change when dependencies or personal or organizational strategies and priorities change. That happens. Communicate the “what and why”, and document and share the new goals.

Don’t neglect to include measures that track your progress. Have milestones been met? Why or why not? Celebrate your successes and assess any misses (what kept you off track? What’s needed to gain momentum and move forward?)

What would it take for you to get excited and motivated to realize your goals? Determine what you want to achieve, make a plan, commit to it, and go for it!

Sticking to good habits can be hard work, and mistakes are part of the process.   Don’t declare failure simply because you messed up or because you’re having trouble reaching your goals. Instead, use your mistakes as opportunities to grow stronger and become better.—Amy Morin

Vision versus Mission

Outstanding people have one thing in common: An absolute sense of mission.
–Zig Ziglar

Last week we talked about VISION statements and shared that they are a dream or aspiration that provide us with direction. This week we’ll take it a bit deeper and talk about MISSION. Mission statements bring clarity to our vision; it represents what we must do to support realizing our vision, and it personalizes it for us.

Below are a few comparison examples of vision and mission statements:

ZAPPOS
VISION: Our purpose is to live and deliver WOW!
MISSION: As we continue to grow, we strive to ensure that our culture remains alive and well through our 10 Core Values:

Deliver WOW Through Service
Embrace and Drive Change
Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
Pursue Growth and Learning
Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
Do More With Less
Be Passionate and Determined
Be Humble

AMAZON
VISION: To be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.
MISSION: Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking.

MICROSOFT
VISION: To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
MISSION: Empower people through great software anytime, anyplace, and on any device, and to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.

TARGET
VISION: Make Target your preferred shopping destination in all channels by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and exceptional guest experiences by consistently fulfilling our Expect More. Pay Less. Brand Promise.
MISSION: We fulfill the needs and fuel the potential of our guests. That means making Target your preferred shopping destination in all channels … Besides getting paid, the “company mission” is the most important thing for a Target employee.

Note: Target also stated that comparably data clearly shows that a focused mission statement and cohesive core company values are vital to maintaining employee alignment.

PEOPLETEK
VISION: Creating Worldwide, Individual, Team and Organizational Excellence
MISSION: Connecting leaders, teams and organizations to the coaching development and tools they need to be successful

As you read through them, did you think the MISSION statements added clarity each VISION? Does your workplace have both VISION and MISSION statements? Do you know how to support them?  Stay tuned!

Stay focused on the mission.
— Naveen Jain

Having A Known Vision

VISION = A dream or aspiration that provides direction and guides us to a place far away. It may be unattainable, but we can focus our attention and make strides for ideally getting there.

Having written VISION, MISSION, GOALS, and MEASURES is old “news”, but they are essential elements for achieving the results we (and our organization) desire. Not everyone has a vision statement and struggle creating one, so we wanted to share a few:

ZAPPOS: Our purpose is to live and deliver WOW!

AMAZON: To be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.

FORD: People working together as a lean, global enterprise to make people’s lives better through automotive and mobility leadership.

MICROSOFT: Empower people through great software anytime, anyplace, and on any device, and to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.

DISNEY: To make people happy.

CVS: We will be the easiest pharmacy retailer for customers to use.

TARGET: Make Target your preferred shopping destination in all channels by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and exceptional guest experiences by consistently fulfilling our Expect More. Pay Less. Brand Promise.

And ours:
PEOPLETEK: Creating Worldwide, Individual, Team and Organizational Excellence.

As you can see, some visions are very simple and to the point, and others add a bit more detail. There is no right or wrong vision statement as long as it’s a dream or aspiration that provides direction.

Do you have and support a vision statement? Is it understood and shared across the organization?

Good leaders have vision and inspire others to help them turn vision into reality. Great leaders create more leaders, not followers. Great leaders have vision, share vision, and inspire others to create their own.– Roy T. Bennett, author The Light in the Heart

Listen for Energizers

One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.
—Bryant H. McGill

When you saw “Listen For Energizers” what came to mind? That it was a weird subject? Energizers are a part of magic dust and should be both listened for, and shared.

When you’re having one on one feedback or update sessions, do you listen (and watch) for excitement? Enthusiasm? Joy? Do you watch for levels of engagement? Does the person lean in?

This is all part of someone’s magic dust and as leaders it’s something we need to pay attention to. Not only is this respectful, it provides us with an understanding of how others feel, and shows that we’re interested in the person.

We don’t always have a lot of latitude when assigning work, projects, or tasks, but whenever possible, it behooves us to consider the requirements and match them with not only the skill-set, but with each person’s magic dust. Note: Often skills that are well done are linked with magic dust, but not always.

As leaders it’s important to pay attention to the type of work that others thrive on, and it’s equally beneficial for us to share our own interests with those we report to. We’re not saying you’ll only be given work that you enjoy doing (wishful thinking!), but if we’re candid about what kind of work we find most enjoyable, maybe we’ll be lucky enough to get more of those assignments.

Capitalizing on personal strengths will help with achieving results, as well as increasing satisfaction levels within the work culture.

Do you listen for energizers?

Listening is a master skill for personal and professional greatness.
—Robin S Sharma

Known and Unknown Gifts

One of my greatest talents is recognizing talent in others and giving them the forum to shine.—Tory Burch

Last week we asked if the happy factor was part of your magic dust. Was this hard to answer? Did you think about your general disposition and how you view life? Perhaps you considered whether you think more about the negatives in your world than the positives?

How you view the world is likely to be impacted by your magic dust. (For those that missed it, we suggested thinking of magic dust in terms of what you’re good at, what comes easy to you, your unique skills and abilities, and what you enjoy doing.)

Remember the Johari Window? It consists of four window panes:

OPEN: This is our conscious self – our attitudes, behaviors, motivation, values, way of life – not only are we are aware of them, but they are also known to others.

HIDDEN: Our hidden areas are not known to others unless we choose to share them.

BLIND: There are things about ourselves which we do not know, but that others see. (This is when feedback is invaluable).

UNKNOWN: We and others are not aware of what falls in this quadrant. Sometimes something new reveals itself.  Ex. Art, sports, or other new talents and skills are discovered.

Give thought to the 4 window panes:

  • What magic dust is known to both you and others?
  • Do you have a talent/skill that is only known by you? Is there a reason to not share it?
  • Have you ever received feedback or been told you have a special skill or add value in a way that was a surprise to you?
  • For those that have gone through the 363 feedback process, are your “self ratings” aligned with the ratings provided by others? Were there any surprises?

Now think about colleagues and your immediate boss – can you identify their magic dust? What makes them stand out? Take a few minutes to think about what you view as their special skills and talents.

If you’re comfortable doing so, share your thoughts with them. You may have the ability to enlighten them and expand their “open” window!

It’s good to test yourself and develop your talents and ambitions as fully as you can and achieve greater success; but I think success is the feeling you get from a job well done, and the key thing is to do the work.—Peter Thiel

The Happy Factor

We believe we should work hard in order to be happy, but could we be thinking about things backwards?
—Shawn Achor

Have you ever worked for someone that made you enjoy being around them? That you felt uplifted, happy, and inspired, and that you wanted to help them achieve desired results?  Better yet, that YOU are that type of leader?

Psychologist Shawn Achor’s TedTalk shares that “happiness inspires us to be more productive”. Some leaders have a special gift (aka “Magic Dust”) that authentically influences the workplace happy factor.

Achor’s studies found that it’s not necessarily the reality that shapes us, but rather the lens through which our brains view the world that shapes our reality.

His studies provided some interesting data:
90 percent of our long-term happiness is predicted not by the external world, but by the way our brain processes the world

25% of job successes are predicted by IQ, and 75 percent of job successes are predicted by optimism levels.

He also shares that our brains can be re-wired to become more positive and provides the following five tips for creating lasting and positive change:

  1. Write down three new things that you’re grateful for 21 days in a row (each day must have 3 new items)
  2. Journal your positive experience
  3. Exercise
  4. Meditate
  5. Conduct random acts of kindness

Is an element of your magic dust the happy factor? How do you impact the happy factor of others?

Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits.—Thomas Jefferson

The next leadership tip will include the Johari Window. This is very helpful for expanding on your Magic Dust. Your known and unknown gifts help you to become the very best leader.

What’s Your Magic Dust?

The meaning of life is to find your gift.  The purpose of life is to give it away.
—Pablo Picasso

Are you familiar with our term “magic dust”?  Some think of fairy dust or Peter Pan’s Tinkerbell flitting about.  Not exactly!

Think in terms of what you’re good at.  What comes easy to you? What unique skills and abilities do you possess that impact your level of effectiveness? What do you like doing? (Chances are you’re good at it).

How do you use and apply your special gifts? Do you make others aware of them? Better yet, do you use them to help achieve results and to develop others?  These skills and abilities are our gifts, and that’s what we call “magic dust”.

Our “magic dust” differentiates us from others and often guides us to the type of work or career we find fulfilling. It’s fairly easy and natural to identify what we don’t like doing, and we generally know what we are not good at, but we’re not always aware of why we feel we had a great day at work and just in general feel good.

Are you able to define a good work day? What gives you a sense of accomplishment? Does it include leading others or contributing to their success? Leadership can be formal (ex. direct reports, matrix management, project manager, mentorships, etc), or it could be informal, where your skills lend themselves to you taking “charge”.

This could be related to your ability to build relationships, achieve common goals and objectives, apply your technical savvy, or simply that you are respected, appreciated, and looked up to.

What leadership qualities do you bring to your team or organization?  Are you able to integrate your gifts/strengths both in your career and in your personal life?  It’s great when your ambition and talents serve you rather than enslave you!

This may sound funny, but we have worked with leaders that excel at what they do, are acknowledged and rewarded for their accomplishments, but they quite simply don’t LIKE what they’re doing!

Hopefully that does not apply to you! What made you choose the position you currently have? Do you find it motivating and energizing?

Knowing what you enjoy and where you add the most value will energize you. Using those gifts and skills will increase your level of fulfillment, and sharing them with others will add to your sense of purpose.

What’s your “magic dust”?

Over the years, I’ve learned that a confident person doesn’t concentrate or focus on their weaknesses – they maximize their strengths.—Joyce Meyer

The Critical “C’s”

The key to an ideal workplace, in one hyphenated word, is this: self-awareness.
–Neil Blumenthal

Awareness continues to be our theme and we suggest conducting a self assessment in what we call the Critical C components.  Rate yourself 1 – 10 in each category (10 = highly effective); any area that scores less than 8 can be considered a target growth area:

SCORE
Clarity                                   _____
Communication                  _____
Coaching                               _____
Courage                                 _____
Compassion                          _____

In the past we’ve only talked about 5 Critical C’s, but we ran across a quote by Zig Ziglar that said “you must make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change“, so we’re adding 3 more:

SCORE
Choices                                _____
Chances                               _____
Changes                               _____

Some may be easier to rate than others; ask colleagues, trusted friends, and even family members how they would rate you. It’s a simple form of feedback that may provide you with some great insights. It’s also a great starting point to identify where you are today, and gets you thinking about where you want to be.

Determine what’s most important to you and listen to your inner voice. What behaviors can you modify?  Eliminate? Incorporate?

We all benefit from increasing our awareness levels as it enhance relationships, improves results, and drives us to be a more effective leader. Where will you start?

Working together on solving something requires a high level of humility and a
high level of self-awareness.–Paul Polman