Category Archives: Change Management Theory

Coming Back Stronger | Drew Brees (1 of 2)

October 16, 2010   admin

I am reading a great book by New Orleans Saints Quarterback, Drew Brees titled, “Coming Back Stronger.” (If you are challenged with your present circumstances, let me recommend Drew’s book to you.) In this book, Drew talks about the mysterious value of adversity and how, “that which doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.” (Brees, 2010) He draws from his real life examples and suggests ways of finding the good in bad things that may come from just living life.

One of the intriguing concepts in the book relates to Drew’s acrostic on faith. ‘Keeping the faith’ so to speak is one of the required mental processes to excel in adversity. From a team perspective, Drew breaks down faith into five pieces so here is the diagram.

Fortitude

Attitude

Integrity

Trust

Humility

Let’s look at each piece in more detail. (Please understand my thoughts below are mixed with Drew’s views from his book.)

Fortitude

One part of getting through difficult things is simple grit. There is more to it than this but a ‘never say die’ outlook makes a huge difference. Think about most anybody who succeeds whether in business, sports, school, etc. Having a great heart that keeps going is important. At times, pushing ahead seems to take sheer will and a mindset that will not give up or give in.

Many years ago when I was in Air Force Pilot Training, there were days when I just wasn’t having fun. Once the romance of flying jets disappeared, becoming qualified was a lot of work (just like anything else worth achieving). There were days where other more qualified, more talented student pilots washed out of the program for a variety of reasons and I often wondered if I would be next. It was during these hard times that a simple determination carried me. Graduation day was sweet indeed!

Ideas – What area of your life could use more fortitude? Is there something that looks tough where a better mindset of fortitude will help you push through to achievement or success? Are you taking responsibility in all ways so fortitude is just the natural outcome?

Attitude

It is one thing to persist in the face of difficulty but it’s quite another to do so with a positive attitude. While a positive attitude alone is not enough, a super attitude combined with other important pieces (such as fortitude) is a remarkable combination.

I believe it’s General Colin Powell who says, “Optimism is a force multiplier.” I take his quote to mean there is energy and motivation with optimism. A positive attitude linked with a clear-headed view of reality is powerful and contagious.

Ideas – What area in your life could use a boost from optimism? Are you persevering in something but doing so with a lousy attitude? How will an attitude improvement strengthen your resolve to succeed in spite of obstacles?

Integrity

Being and acting as an integrated, whole person is one key part of happiness. It is also the pre-work to having great personal and professional relationships. If I look good on the surface but have problems with my integrity, I will never enjoy relationships as I otherwise might.

An important concept in reaching higher to personal success is first doing the inner work. This is all about integrity. Over time, I cannot have one area of my life where I do right and another where I do wrong. I can’t compartmentalize my character. You and I are whole people. Think about this …

Let’s say a hypothetical person named Joe wakes up in the morning. He remembers how badly he treated one of his family members over the weekend and is holding  a grudge. Further, as he gets ready for work, he has a nasty argument with his wife due to selfishness and ego. How do you think Joe’s day will go at work? Will he be able to completely wall off his work life from his personal life day after day? Nobody is strong enough to compartmentalize this well.

This is why integrity is so important. If any of us wants a good life in one area, we must work to have a good life in all areas. This about living by timeless values and conscience. It’s about life-long satisfaction across the board. Working through adversity while improving integrity is a sure recipe for long-term success.

Ideas – How am I doing when nobody else is around? What areas could I improve by listening to my conscience more? What integrity advice would I receive from those I respect or love most?

Next time, we’ll look at adversity related to the last two areas of trust and humility.

Reference

Brees, Drew (2010). Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the hidden power of adversity. Carol Stream, IL. Tyndale House Publishers.

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Characteristics of Personal Mastery (2 of 2)

September 25, 2010   admin

Last week we began exploring personal mastery. You may recall, we divided this into five areas.

  • Heart
  • Legacy
  • Mind
  • Action
  • Treating others well

We looked at heart and legacy last time so let’s continue with the last three areas and a few last thoughts on possible application.

Mind

Definition: Creativity, logic, imagination, and possibilities.

In our society, being logical is considered a strength. In reality, being logical is just a tool (like the other areas) and can be good or bad depending on its use. To be coldly logical about what brand of toothpaste to buy is perfectly fine. To be calculating and strictly logical with people will not build relationships like they could be otherwise.

Logic is powerful though. Logic helps explore, create, and refine. Logic builds great things! Mastering the mind is, in some ways, rediscovering the inner child. Please stay with me.

Who are the most creative among us? A child often does better in this category. Why? Creativity is not rewarded in many environments because it can be disruptive with questions.  And yet, being loyal to the organization’s purpose will ensure the organization survives long-term. This will require some imaginative engagement and exploration.

In some cases, gain in mind mastery is like taking a cork out of a bottle … let the naturally creative and imaginative child partner with the wise adult in you. For example, when facing a challenging decision, in addition to thinking through the issues logically, give place to the dreamer as well.

In an ‘adult setting,’ you can do this by simply telling someone who is demanding a decision, ‘Let me think about it and get back to you.’ Then walk down the hall or look at another priority while your sub-conscious chews on the problem. It is amazing how an unleashed imagination linked with mature logic can find a new solution to a difficult problem. Try it!

Action

Definition: Decisive, measured, rational, bold, courageous, and considerate.

It’s one thing to make a decision and it can be quite another to act upon the decision. Some could argue a decision without action is not a decision but let’s not go there …

Several years ago, I was faced with a difficult personnel problem. As I talked with the supervisor team and pondered on the facts over a few weeks, I started to realize in my ‘gut’ what I needed to do. The fact was, what I perceived as the right thing was going to be very hard.

As I cast about in my mind for another (easier) solution, I was blank. Finally, what broke the logjam was when I put myself in the position of a front-line employee and asked myself, ‘What would I expect the boss to do?’ Difficult or not, it was time to do the right thing.

Achieving some level of personal mastery in the heart, mind and legacy areas will not matter without mastery in the area of action. Theory is easy; action can be quite hard to do. A partial solution in motion is infinitely better than a perfect plan that stays on the shelf.

There comes a point where ‘just do it’ is the best advice. If you or I listen to conscience, we know when this point is. The fascinating thing is mastery in the other areas help mastery in the category of action. In other words, it is important to work all the areas together.

Treat Others Well

Time to stick my neck out … if more people used this section title as a mantra, we would not need the variety of government-imposed mandates for hiring and promotions. Treating other people consistently well regardless of who they might be is a powerful tool for good.

One of the lessons I learned while serving in the military was to give feedback based on BEHAVIOR. On any military team, it didn’t matter what you looked like, where you came from, how you talked, your education, and so on. What mattered was behavior. What you did was what mattered … and that is as it should be. This taught me the importance of focusing on the output and to coach based on the actions and results.

Treating others well means I ‘assume’ everyone else has equal potential of achieving success in whatever area. It is still essential to hire smart and realize everyone is completely unique. However, once someone is on the team, treat them well and let them rise to the challenge. In most cases, they will! If not, they simply may be in the wrong seat on the bus.

Summary

Here are application thoughts to get you started.

Heart – Mastery is about using emotional data in a healthy perspective.

  • During the next few days, notice when you are angry. Being mad is often a secondary emotion – meaning there is another emotion underneath.
  • Try to discover what is underneath your anger.
  • Next, ask ‘why.’
  • Once you understand the driver, use this emotional data in the same context for decision making. What is the emotion telling you? Why, for example, are you afraid in this situation? Use this to learn about yourself and the setting.
  • Do not let others decide your emotional state. (‘He makes me so mad. She makes me sad.’) Make the choice yourself and then own it.

Legacy – Moving toward mastery in this area requires balancing the long-term against the present.

  • Let the long-term decide your purpose. Let purposes and values dictate your actions in the present.
  • Work to discover both your long-term purpose (why are you here?) and life-long values (how will you decide and treat others?).

Mind – Mind mastery comes from using both cold, hard logic AND creative imagination.

  • Select a problem that needs solving. Pick it apart with logic. Next, throw it over to your sub-conscious and let the issue ‘marinate’ for a while. What dreamy solutions come to mind? Now COMBINE the two approaches into one. What great options do you find?
  • Read books or listen to books on CD or watch educational videos to exercise your mind.

Action – Becoming a master in this category means doing well in the other areas and then stepping out decisively.

  • Choose one decision you have procrastinated on and do something about it … this week … by Friday! If necessary, commit to someone about your intent so that person will hold you accountable.
  • Do something physical this week at least three days for 30 minutes (not necessarily just jogging or working out but most any activity beyond sitting at the computer).

Treat Others Well – If you want friends, be friendly.

  • Work on treating others well this week regardless of how you feel. None of us is perfect but we can all improve on consistency.
  • Make one new friend this week.
  • Work on using first names more with everyone from acquaintances to close friends.

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How to Create Your Ideal (2 of 2)

August 27, 2010   admin

Last week we looked at how to create something better by using a method called “going out and coming back.” This uses imagination to define a detailed, desired future state in a personal or professional setting. Once the picture is alive, I suggested going out and being that painting! While this may sound mildly challenging to impossible, there are ways, in many cases, to make progress.

There are any number of possible problems you may encounter while trying to influence a stable environment (even if it’s dysfunctional). The responses to the following key questions are very important. Here are the questions.

  1. How strong is the opposition?
  2. How much does it matter?

Before we look at the possible answers, let me emphasize the importance of building and maintaining trust as much as possible … always. There can never be too much trust. Building trust is all about small kindnesses, making and keeping promises, considering others while being honest with them at the same time. Trust is built over t-i-m-e. Others need to see a pattern to decide that you or I are/am trustworthy. With that, let’s look at each one.

Low Opposition, It Matters Little – This is the easiest situation where the opposition is low and it doesn’t matter much anyway. The future looks bright!

Solution: Keep doing what you’re doing and accelerate your efforts to be the ideal painting.

High Opposition, It Matters Little – This is an area where you may not feel your job is threatened but life is uncomfortable or downright miserable. Chances are, the problems may stem from low trust in the environment. Work to improve trust with those in opposition.

On the personal side, the loud opposition may be from those who have less authority such as children. This does not mean their voices do not count but does mean “consider the source.”

Solution: Keep doing your good work and build trust with those who oppose you.

Low Opposition, It Matters a Lot – This scenario may be one where your job could be threatened eventually. Significant opposition, whether of a low or high amount, usually comes from a boss or other high-placed person in the organization. One important approach is to try to uncover unmet needs. Is the opposition from a lack of understanding? Are you being perceived wrong?

In a personal setting, a close friend or spouse may give some push-back. Again, can you discover unmet needs? This can easily include better two-way understanding.

Solution: Keep doing your positive work and look for unmet needs.

High Opposition, It Matters a Lot – Of course, this is the most difficult of the outcomes. You are strongly opposed and it matters a lot. At work, this could be your direct supervisor who is completely opposed to your efforts. If this is the case, you need to choose whether the environment is worth holding out for over the long haul. Have you mis-judged the organization and it’s possible to take another and better tactic? Is some of the opposition based simply on misunderstanding? Are there any allies in the setting from which you could gain advice?

If this is personal, you are in a tough spot. Not impossible, just tough. First, ask the question, is this setting valuable … long-term? Also, consider your commitments. A commitment to a spouse may be different from a commitment to a friend. Further, what is the current state of trust? If you have behaved in the past to hurt trust, it will take time to regain just an average level of trust. You may need to be patient.

Solution: Pull back, build trust, discover unmet needs OR look for another setting. If you decide to stick it out, be ready to work hard for an extended period.

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How to Create Your Ideal (1 of 2)

August 19, 2010   admin

Here is a way to create something better. In my coaching, I call it “going out and coming back.” Not very original or creative but it works. The idea is to move into the future, define as much as possible out there and then come back to reality and decide on ways to get to the desired future state. Here is a practical exercise.

Pick a setting. It could be in your personal or professional life. Let’s pretend you choose your overall work life. Using your imagination, what is the ideal? How do others treat you? What do customers say about your organization? What do they say about you? What do they tell their friends? What are people systems like? How is the teamwork? What is the creativity level? How are processes efficient and useful? Let your day-dreaming go and try to make the picture as real as possible in your head. Now, write down the details of your ideal. Be sure to include the typical behaviors when everything that can go wrong does. Be the best “fly on the wall” possible.

Now that you have created a pretend painting in your head, go out and “be” that painting. What?!? You might say, “You don’t know my boss … he’s a real jerk.” Or maybe the paperwork rules are killing us. Or … fill in the blank. The suggestion stands. Go out and be this incredibly, profound, amazing painting. It is easy to blame others (I’ve done my share of it) or make excuses why things are not as good as they could be. Within your circle of influence – not just your job description – start doing those things that will lead to the ideal over time. You may need to do this in many steps if current reality is very different from the future ideal.

Let’s address two possible scenarios with the easier one first.

Scenario #1 – In your imagined ideal, maybe you saw all members of the organization treat each other with respect, regardless of position, time with the company, education and so on. You can immediately start respecting everyone you meet and interact with in the environment. The challenge comes on how to deal with those who do not share your newfound attitude. If you want to influence positive change, you must persist even in spite of blockheads. (Sorry, that wasn’t very respectful.) The test of making positive behavior stick is to do so over time with consistency – especially when it is difficult. Do not be obnoxious about it, just do it consistently. Hint: One of your secret weapons is tasteful humor at key points of stress.

Scenario #2 – As you painted the picture above, you saw no unnecessary red tape in the paperwork war. In most companies, you cannot simply stop following policy or paperwork requirements without explanation. In fact, failing on the administrative side might lead to an early, prolonged vacation and the current re-employment environment is pretty tough. Remember to break the goal into manageable pieces. What small steps do you think could slowly move the setting toward the imagined ideal? Start with the least sacred in the environment and then talk with your supervisor about the process. Make suggested solutions – do not just throw rocks. You are trying to find an ally, not make somebody defensive. Make a genuine case for how this will help the profitability of the company or increase the quality of service to the customers. Hint: Make proposals that move toward your ideal AND help the other person do his or her job better (and look better too).

Next week we will explore potential consequences of your action plan and ways to change the plan to maximize the chances of success.

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The Importance of Trust

August 10, 2010   admin
Photo by return the sun

With your indulgence, here is an excerpt on trust from a book I wrote two years ago.

Trust is At the Root

“The root of all effective human relationships is trust. All relationships have trust in some form or another or else the bond will not last. Trust is so pivotal to all human interaction and is a business imperative. Those who scoff at building and maintaining trust in a business or other setting do so at their own peril. Productivity and creativity are higher when trust is valued. If trust is not important, productivity and creativity will become sluggish and eventually disappear.

Most people know that treating others with trust and respect will bring very positive outcomes and yet how many of us struggle to do just this? Many of us could make an impassioned argument for the importance of great communication (to include deep listening) only to find ourselves moving too quickly past a conversation with a spouse, child or co-worker. What did she say? What did he mean? These and other questions are all important to process carefully in the moment.”

Why Does Trust Matter?

“Why is trust important to leadership and healthy cultures? Without trust, individuals are not open with each other. They hide behind a façade for personal protection. In spite of outward bravado, most people gravitate toward those they can enjoy on some level in a two-way exchange. In any healthy human relationship there is a basic question under the surface that says, “How much do you care about me?” Most people will not maintain a long-term friendship with someone who belittles them, tears them down or devalues them. We have all worked at some point for a boss who was impossible to please. You can be sure there was some sort of negative reaction going on first internally and then sometimes externally.

Think back to that boss who was always unreasonable and treated you poorly. What if he or she would have approached you asking for input on an upcoming project? If you knew your ideas were consistently not valued or used, how likely would you have been to contribute openly? You might have made some helpful comments depending on your personal values but probably stopped short of full input.

On the other hand, think back to working for a boss who brought the best out of you. This person consistently appreciated participation and implemented at least some of your thoughts into a final solution. Now, how likely would you be to offer thoughts on an upcoming task? It was probably hard to shut you up! Why the difference between the two scenarios? In one word: trust. Over time, most healthy people do not gladly go where uninvited in relationships.” (Friesen, 2008)

Here are some ideas for application.

  • Think of an individual you highly respect. What specific things does or did this person do to increase your respect? If you had a problem and took it to this person, what was the response? How do you see this linking to trust? Choose one behavior or principle you would like to model from your example.
  • List the top five to ten people in your life. In the course of daily life, practice deeply listening to each of the individuals on the list with any of your normal interactions with them (eyes off the computer screen or Blackberry, phone down, etc.). What do you learn? How does this build trust?
  • Choose one person with whom you would like to re-build trust. Without any defensiveness, apologize if needed with no strings attached. Give forgiveness without the other needing to request it. Now, start to extend small, consistent kindnesses over time. How does this repair the relationship weeks and months? Who’s next?

Reference

Friesen, Mike (2008). Expected End: What Culture Is, Why It Matters, and How to Improve It. Chehalis, WA. Lulu Press.

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Status Quo and Innovation

April 20, 2010   admin

Status quo or innovation? Most people prefer one or the other but the truly effective organization will embrace both. Status quo ensures stable operations for the current employees and customers while innovation ensures the organization changes to meet the needs of a changing marketplace. How does your organization see status quo and innovation? Is it an “or” question or an “and” question?


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