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The Naked King

Brian was a proud leader.  He’d driven his organization forward with growth and innovation and developed a team of high performing individuals.  Yet as Brian exuberantly pushed toward greater investor returns and new opportunities, he simultaneously generated friction among his team.  Unbeknownst to Brian, the team felt restrained, held back, and at times disengaged.  Why didn’t Brian know?  Brian, was a naked King.

As in Hans Christian Andersen’s tale the Emperor’s New Clothes, Brian like many of today’s leaders, shares a common circumstance as the King and his minions in the well-known fable.  Employees, even at the executive level, are like the townspeople, withholding information and feedback.  Why does this happen?  

Leaders, like the rest of us, seek out positive and encouraging feedback, and resist negative or contradictory information.  Similarly, a leader’s style in managing difficult situations is likely to mirror the rest of society and venture toward conflict avoidance (seen as negating or ignoring an issue), or confrontation (seen as bullying or intimidating behaviors).  Further complicating the situation, the power and influence of a leader combined with these common character traits, become more pronounced and more challenging for others to overcome.  

But does our leader know s/he is naked?  Some, no doubt are aware.  These leaders hope to keep others in the dark.  They tend to be secretive and closed off, and their organizations are likely to have heavy turnover.  But most leaders, like Brian, are at best mildly aware.  They are friendly and open, get along well with others, and make an effort toward being available.  They take their ability to be engaging, friendly, and socialize with their staff as evidence that their leadership is strong and healthy.  The problem however, is that they do not invite feedback and criticism.  If it’s hard to give feedback to a friend, what happens when s/he is also your boss?  Forget about it.

So what can the naked King do?

Given that the risks are too high for clear feedback to come through internal efforts, Leaders who want to know what their team is thinking will need to consider getting outside help.  Through quasi-360° evaluations conducted by a consultant or coach, a leader can learn of the concerns which exist in the organization, and of his/her leadership style, while minimizing fear and resistance among the staff or executives who are providing the feedback.  But that’s only step 1.  Step 2 is to utilize that feedback and prove to your team that it was worth their effort, and risk, to provide it.  This will most likely entail executive coaching, as well as a degree of transparency regarding your knowledge or acceptance of the feedback and your efforts to remedy the situation.  Steps 3 through infinity will be to keep that conversation going.  Encouraging others to give feedback in real time – not after the King has walked naked through the town.

Be A Leader Worth Following

Before I begin any workplace engagement, I ask the person informing me of the problem one important question:          

“If I determine that you are at the core of some of these issues, how do you want me to tell you?”  I ask this because problems do not happen in isolation.  Very commonly, they trickle down from the top.  From leadership missteps to flaws in the organizational structure.  My role, as I see it, is not just helping the individuals, but the company as a whole.

 

          From this vantage point, I have learned a lot about the characteristics that make a good leader, and about those well-intentioned qualities that sometimes undermine growth and success.

Here is what all leaders should know:

Leaders should be visionaries – Look ahead at what is coming, determine where the organization is heading; Great leaders must be reflexive and able to pivot and adjust as situations emerge – both internally and externally.  Whether it is adjusting to market fluctuations or acknowledging a gap in training or technology, a great leader takes swift action to rectify a problem and funds a budget that can support unforeseen demands. 

Leave people issues to your managers – Nothing undermines organizational stability more than a leader who inserts him/herself into staffing issues.  It undermines the authority of your managers, disrupts the process of addressing behavioral issues, and leads to claims of favoritism and unfair work practices.

Keep connected with your staff – on a macro-level.  Instead of having an “open-door” policy (which invites complaints that belong at the manager level) make a habit of walking through your office, getting to know your staff, and learning what is/isn’t helping them to get the job done.  Your focus is on the organization, and your staff is the first to know if an initiative isn’t working.  Engage with them for the purpose of making the company better.

Recognize the impact of employee morale – While leaders need to stay out of the fray, they must also support initiatives that help or engage their employees.  If employees are championing a measure – do what you can to support it.  This may mean investing in training, supporting team development, or bringing in a consultant to resolve conflicts that are undermining communication or productivity.  Be aware that budget constraints are rarely seen by employees as an acceptable reason for stalling on these efforts. They will quickly look to other expenditures that should be cut.  Address their concerns in a fashion that demonstrates their value to you and the organization – the return on your investment will be palpable. 

Set a positive and inspirational tone – for the whole team.  At regular intervals (preferably at an all-staff meeting) share the direction of the company, and what is expected of them to make the vision a reality.  Every member of your team should recognize their importance and contribution to the company’s success, and should feel motivated to help the company get there.

Model honesty – Owning mistakes and taking responsibility for making things better is vital to long-term success.  Modeling this behavior – whether acknowledging a venture didn’t go as planned, or that lay-offs will be necessary – isn’t easy, but it goes a very long way toward creating accountability and shared responsibility for success.  By humbly owning your mistakes, you demonstrate the importance of this virtue while also silently encouraging your team to inform you if they foresee problems on the horizon. 

D.I.Y. – A Plan for Culture Change

What’s your company’s culture?  I’m not asking what you want it to be, or what you tell your customers or clients.  I mean what are the day to day behaviors that are encouraged, rewarded and repeated by members of your team?  Is success based in camaraderie or cut-throat attitudes?  Do your foster teamwork or territorial behaviors?  An organization’s culture is not about what you say, but what you do.

As we start the New Year, this may be the perfect time to begin looking at making change, building upon what works, eliminating what doesn’t, and creating the culture your organization needs to succeed.  This isn’t about making a statement or creating a Phantom Culture.  This is about making deep, meaningful change.  Identifying and developing the culture that you want requires vision, planning, and commitment.

Vision – Know what you want the culture to be.  You may not be able to define the specifics, but you know that behaviors, attitudes, or teamwork will be different.  Have a vision, for how work will flow, people will function, and how business will be conducted.  As you determine your ideal, you can begin identifying what does, and does not, currently support that ideal.  Find your dream-team – those who are dedicated to creating that ideal.  They are needed to move any vision forward.

Planning – The vision is your end-game.  Planning is where you begin the work to get there.  Assemble your dream team and support them with time, space, and any other necessary tools to begin working toward that goal.  This team will need to work collaboratively to identify the specific qualities, in terms of behavior and performance, which will support the vision.  They will more fully imagine the vision, while refining the needs that the vision identified, and breaking them down into action steps.

Commitment – Having the vision, and carry-through of developing a plan will not change your culture unless you are committed to implementing it in every way possible.  Creating a culture and standing behind it means addressing those behavioral and performance standards during routine feedback, annual performance reviews, and everything in between.  It means holding every employee, at every level of the organization, accountable to that same standard, and it means making hard decisions when someone doesn’t “fit” your culture. 

Creating a new company culture is not simple or easy, but it yields impressive results.  When you identify and support your top performers, loyalty and productivity rise.  When you eliminate those on your staff who don’t demonstrate competency or accountability, you remove errors and stagnation.  A new culture allows you to promote the skills your organization needs to be its best, while removing the human hurdles that limit success.  The result - You create a dynamic team that can accomplish great things.  And who doesn’t want, and need, that? 

Employer Lessons from the Donald Sterling Incident

Do you have a Donald Sterling at the helm of your agency?  Perhaps he or she is on the Board of Directors, in a position of leadership, or serving as a manager or supervisor.  Maybe he or she is even your newest hire.  The thing is, you usually don’t know until their hateful thoughts or behaviors are somehow exposed.  While it is easy to rally around a common enemy like Donald Sterling, what this story really brings to light is the fact that there are those with racially offensive and prejudicial views all around us.   It is how we handle them, and the situation that exposes their hateful thoughts or actions that makes the difference.

To begin with, don’t imagine that by ridding yourself of the “bad seed” that you no longer have a problem.  That may be the first step, but there is healing and an aftermath to contend with.  An incident, like that involving Sterling, may bond a team together, but it also leaves raw nerves and a level of distrust in its wake.  Who else has these views or opinions?  What is going to happen next?   

   

1. Get in front of the issue – Hold a meeting with staff.  Whether the full organization is aware or just a small group of staff, quick action is key to managing the issue and containing its damage.  Meet with those who are aware and affected immediately after the issue has been exposed and discipline or termination has been administered. 
2. Acknowledge and Inform – Staff already know about the problem, but they need to hear it from you, to know you understand it as well.  Do so, and tell them what has been done to rectify the situation.  If this behavior led to termination, say so.  Owning that decision is important.  If discipline or training were decided upon instead, inform your staff more generally that actions have been taken and that you are closely monitoring the situation.  Recognize that the more egregious or offensive the behavior, the less staff are going to tolerate complacency in managing it.
3. Discuss policy – Be specific and detailed as you describe company policy in managing the issue.  Keep your focus on what is expected - both with regard to staff behavior and with their responsibility for informing about the behavior of others.     
4. Call to Action – Healing.  What is most needed after a traumatic incident or other organizational shake-up is healing.  Identify it – and describe what is going to happen next.  Will the company provide training on issues such as sensitivity?  Is any corporate restructuring necessary?  How are staff expected to behave (i.e. is gossip about the issue forbidden)?
5. Build on the strengths of the team.  End the meeting by beginning the healing process.  Describe the positives that have come out of this difficult circumstance (i.e. staff are more bonded together; this brought a heightened awareness of issues we need to resolve).  List the good qualities that remain true of the team/group affected.  Have and share an optimistic outlook for what the future will hold.

Overcoming a crisis can be a defining moment for any team – NBA or not.  Define your company by building on the positives as you address the challenges.

Changing The Phantom Culture

Google the words “company culture” and you’ll find nearly ¾ billion results.  Yet ask business leaders to define their company’s culture or to discuss ways their culture was created or changed, and the results are minimal.  Company culture it seems, is a bit of an enigma. 

On the surface, it’s often characterized as a product of the company’s values, beliefs, and behaviors.  But when the stated values, beliefs, and behaviors take a detour from the reality of daily business activities, the culture isn’t living up to the mission of the organization.  And most certainly the employees know it, further destabilizing the potential of that purported culture to ever take hold.  As an added concern, the opportunity for the company culture to positively impact clients, customers, and consumers is lost as well.

So where does the declared culture separate from reality?  The divide occurs through daily interactions, and decisions, through policies and practices.  Look to the following to determine where your culture is truly defined:

1.      Rewards.  Who and what is promoted in your company?  Are the hardest and most competent workers rewarded in kind?  Do employee attitude or workplace relations factor into opportunities and pay raises?  How are requests for paid time off granted?  Also looks at areas of nepotism, loyalty (regardless of competency), and highest sales performance (regardless of attitude).  How each of these is rewarded will also impact your company culture.

2.      Punishment.  Who is terminated and why?  Does poor behavior, insubordination, dishonesty, or other problem behavior get addressed – and punished – in a swift and decisive manner?  Are problem people allowed to move about seemingly untouched?  How many opportunities is staff given to change/improve before consequences set in? 

3.      Communication.  How open are the channels of communication?  Do staff have a voice in discussing things that impact them – like a new computer program or a recent update to how work-load is to be calculated?  Or are they blind-sided or surprised by things that are occurring or changes that are implemented?  Can staff adequately rely on the chain of command for getting information to or from where it needs to be?  Is communication one-way (ie: top-down) or reciprocal? 

4.      Teamwork.  How do people work together?  Are teams thoughtfully created with competent leaders put in charge?  Is blame or finger-pointing a problem?  Are accountability and personal responsibility being reinforced?  Are collaboration and operational reciprocity a reality or are people or divisions siloed and disconnected? 

5.      Conflict Management.  How are tensions or conflicts managed?  Are people encouraged to seek help or left to deal with issues themselves?  Are people in leadership roles trained in basic conflict management?  When help is offered, is it legitimate and multi-tiered or superficial and temporary?  Do managers and leaders receive training in employee relations or conflict management?    

The above questions offer just the start for examining the factors which determine your company's true culture.  We hope they pose a healthy challenge to all companies looking to create or improve their own company culture.

State of the...Company

Every January our Commander in Chief presents a State of the Union or Inaugural Address.  Setting your own political ideologies aside, business leaders should take note of the address and the purpose behind it.  This address is a leadership strategy – one that can be implemented within any company, team, or organization.   The Inaugural Address or State of the Union inspires, explains, motivates, and builds enthusiasm for what is both desired and possible. 

Translate that to a business model, and you are offering your staff a glimpse into your views on the recent past and your goals for the coming year.  You are building a sense of unity, a feeling of pride, and a desire to give the best of oneself in those who hear your own address.  Do you acknowledge the hard times?  Yes.  Will you sometimes have to acknowledge that there may be more hard times to come?  Yes.  But you also have this forum to explain what you can/will do to lessen the impact of these hard times and to plant seeds of hope for the positive changes that are on the way.

The “State of the Company” address may be the one time each year you address your staff or team in this manner, so make it count.  Be sure to include:

1.     Gratitude for their commitment to your company, team, or organization.
2.     Recognition for their hard work and effort to reach goals.
3.     Awareness of any difficulties of the past year (or more if this is your first such address).
4.     Appreciation for the success and accomplishments of the past year (or longer).
5.     Goals and/or changes to come in the year ahead.
6.     An acknowledgement of what it will take to reach those goals (of them and you).
7.     A request for their commitment to making those goals or changes happen.
8.     Repeat of Gratitude – this time with a focus on moving forward.

Strong leadership requires communication, inspiration, a vision for the future, and a building of trust – both up the corporate ladder and down.  As you craft and deliver your “State of the Company” keep these ideals in mind.

If we can be of help in addressing these and other leadership challenges, through executive coaching, training, or other services, please contact us.