A Path To Real Clarity for Your Business

Chris Kisley, President and CEO of Life Long Leadership, recently came to my office and sat with me as we answered the Six Core Questions for Organizational Clarity from Patrick Lencioni’s The Advantage for my company.

1. Why do we exist? (Core purpose)
2. How do we behave? (What are our values?)
3. What do we do? (Business definition)
4. How will we succeed? (A collection of intentional, purposeful and unique decisions a company or team makes to give itself the best chance to maximize success)
5.    What is most important right now? (Thematic Goal – every organization, if it wants to create a sense of alignment and focus, must have a single top priority within a given period of time.)
6. Who must do what?

Mind you, we’ve been working on these for several weeks, but now it was time to nail the answers down.

I can’t say enough about how much I appreciate Chris and her incredible gifts for combining the core of who I am with corporate business wisdom in order to help me steer my company in the right direction.

Whether you are running a company or a department in a company, answering the six questions will bring a level of clarity that you and your team have not seen yet.

I’d like to share some of the general takeaways from my time with her that I think might be valuable for you.

1. Really understand who you are, using insights from those who are discerning and can articulate their perceptions of you.

Turning the windows in my office into writing boards, the first thing she wrote was my Myers-Briggs type (ENFJ) and my top five strengths from StrengthsFinder (1. Communication 2. Strategy 3. Empathy 4. Achiever 5. Developer).

She then turned to me and said, “As I have experienced you, you are a strong J.”  I was floored.  I had not seen myself that way at all.  As she explained the ways in which I come across as a strong J, I gained invaluable insight and understanding as to how I am coming across to others.

More than that, I started realizing that I was “trying to be” a low J because I love some of the qualities of P’s.

Feedback can feel intimadating and exposing, but when it comes from a trusted source who knows you and is for you, it can be paramount to your success.

2. Know how you work best and get rid of the last vestiges of who you think you “should” be.

The insight from that first point above, coupled with my answers to Lencioni’s first three questions, showed her that I try to super-specialize.  “You keep trying to box yourself in,” she said.  “You need to be broader so you can have multiple avenues to get to what you want to do most. It makes sense that you want to box yourself in because, as a J, you want to know what box you fit in.”  Man, those words rang so, so true.

My mom is a strong P.  I admire her so much.  The way things come together for her, with her ability to put out fires quickly, and seamlessly adjust to change is almost magical.  It’s part of what makes her a top surgeon.

Growing up, I wanted to be like that.  However, that’s not how I was wired.  Consequently, like many of you, several years ago I had to make concerted efforts to be who I am and stop trying to be someone I wasn’t.  I had to embrace the fact that unless I am discussing something I am very familiar with, things just don’t fall in place for me like they do for her.

I kept holding on to being a low J.  But a shift has occurred.  I may not be as strong of a J as Chris shared with me, but her words have helped me to just be, and enjoy my own wiring.

How can you start to operate out of your more authentic self?

3. Lead with your desires.

I am really fortunate in that I absolutely love what I do.  I love coaching individuals, groups and teams, but even more, I love delivering trainings.

When we were coming up with a list of the conferences where I should do my trainings, Chris asked me what I am passionate about.  “I’ve always loved innovation and technology,” I replied. “I might not know how the latest gadgets work, but I do love using them so much that usually I am an early adopter.”

Consequently, it turns out that my passion for innovation and for the leadership development trainings that I do are a natural fit for technology conferences.  Our new intern, Megan Koh, is already at work applying on my behalf to different tech conferences where I can train leaders.

What are your desires and how can you see them come to fruition in your business? What topic or problem stirs you the most? Begin brainstorming ways you can lead from your desires.

4. Understand how your industry and target audience works.

In the leadership development industry, who I hire will influence my target audience.  I’ve dreamed of increasing the amount of trainings (or facilitations) I do to about 50% of my practice, then spending the rest of the time with individuals, groups and teams, and growing and developing my own team.

I thought I should hire more coaches to cover for the time I want to spend facilitating or training, but I learned from Chris that if I do that, I will get more coaching work.  Instead, I should be hiring more people who can train or facilitate.  Then I will get more training and facilitation work.

Make your hiring intentional to the audience you want to reach and the goals you want to pursue within your company.

5. Know what you will not do.

When we got to the question, “How will we succeed?” we started off by making a list of what we will not do.  Seeing that list confirmed that I need to stay in my strike zone, and not take on things for which I am not best-suited, just to please my clients.

I was already saying, “No” a lot, but I believe I have the clarity now to say “No” to more.

You can start by making a list of “things you do” and “things you do not do” within your company. Talk with your team as you determine what is most essential for your overall productivity.

6. Know that you will adjust your answers to the six core questions as you get deeper into your work.

When we finished, I felt incredibly clear on who my company is and, more specifically, how I was going to pursue what I want to pursue.  It was so comforting and relieving.  My stress levels dropped.

I felt like one of my twins in a playpen.  When my twin boys were crawling but not yet walking, they would often cry if they were on the floor.  But if my wife or I would put them in the playpen, they would be immediately comforted and begin having fun.

I now have clear direction, focus, and know how to utilize my time and resources.

One last thing Chris mentioned was that I need to remember that the clarity I have now will become even sharper as I get farther into fulfilling the plan.  In other words, I will be further tweaking my responses to the six core questions as I go.

I am really good with that insight.  Even though I prefer routine, I love having options to plug into the routine, especially when the routine starts feeling a little old.

Chew On This:

• How can you begin walking through Lencioni’s six core questions for organizational clarity with a trusted source?
• What question feels most challenging to answer and why?

Ryan C. Bailey is President and CEO of a company that catalyzes the transformation of leaders’ lives.

*This blog is an amalgamation of a few different clients.  No one single client is being singled out.

7 Steps To Increase Your Desire to Reach Goals

OK, here we go... 2017 is already in effect.

You’ve set some goals for the new year.  Some you really want, and probably there are one or two you should want, but do not.  There may be one in particular.  You know it is the right goal to have.  It is worth your time to pursue it, and fulfilling it will do a lot of good for you and your team as a whole.

But if you are honest, you will admit that your level of motivation to reach the goal is not high. You are just not that committed to it.  You can think of reasons why it would be a good goal to accomplish this year, but if you are not really committed, your chance of reaching the goal is low.

The good news is that you can increase your desire for it in 7 steps:

1. Get the plan together.

First, learn everything you can about how you can attain your goal.

Talk to those who have achieved it and ask them how they did it.

Once you’ve gathered the info, had the conversations, and digested it all, form a plan.

Make sure that you can clearly visualize how the plan will be fulfilled.

2. Get attached to the plan.

The next step is to really get attached to the plan.  You do this by filling your environment with reminders to go for the goal.  You can change your screensaver, put up post it notes, look at motivational videos around your goal, and more.

If you are really going to get attached to the goal, let positive, affirming people know about it. Forming a mini-support network would be huge here.

3. What good can come if you accomplish it?

If you have followed some of my previous blogs, you will know that this next step is a staple of mine that works.

Create a Google doc with the question, “What Good Can Come If I Accomplish ________?” (Fill in the goal). Every time you think of something good that can come, put it on that Google Doc.  You want to get as long of a list as possible here.  The more you can come up with, the better.

Don’t be afraid to ask friends what good they can see coming from it, and even researching about the benefits of _______ (insert your goal).

4. Burn the ships: What's keeping you back?

Since you took the time to see that this goal was worthy of your time and talent to pursue, take the time now to burn all the ships that can steer you away from its fulfillment.

What has held you back from fulfilling this goal in the past?  Whatever it is, the time has come to deliberately remove or offset it.  Say your goal is to be more appreciative of your team, to notice the good they have achieved, and not just be quick to point out the flaws or focus on the negative.  One thing that has motivated you to set this goal is your anxiety over what you believe the consequences will be if your team fails to do their job right.  It is still important that you point out what is off, but try offsetting that with three things they have done right.  That is a way to balance off the negative.

5. Burn the ships: Your negative beliefs.

In a previous post, we talked about core beliefs and their power to influence our behaviors.

If there are core beliefs that are holding you back from accomplishing this goal, it will help you to move forward if you can make progress towards replacing the negative ones you have identified.

6. Daily complete small steps towards the goal - what small step am I going to complete today?

Break down your goal to small doable steps, and ask yourself what small step will you accomplish today.  If you keep working towards your goal daily, and you keep experiencing wins because the steps are doable, then you will see your desire increase even further.  (Don’t be surprised if you desire to do more than just the small step you set out to accomplish.  But be careful.  Sometimes doing more than the small steps helps, but sometimes it can throw you off your rhythm.  Test and see what works for you.)

7. Keep finding reasons to fight for it.

Throughout the entire process, keep coming back to number 3.  This will help you to move even further in growing your desire.

Increasing desire is one of the top ways to see your goals accomplished. You don’t have to stay stuck in low desire and just will yourself into accomplishing your goals. Add desire to your will, and you will accomplish great things!

Chew On This:

• What would change in your life if you learned to increase your desire for goals that you are only half-heartedly pursuing?

Ryan C. Bailey is an Executive Coach who helps business leaders develop in-demand high performing teams.

Stay in the Strike Zone by Discovering Your Bent

Everyone has something that they are especially gifted in.  It is something that is really them, something they can use to effect the greatest good for the greatest number. Do you know what yours is?

Or, to put it another way, do you know what your “thing” is?

Your thing, or your bent, is something you could apply anywhere in life.  Typically, it transcends arena, but you would especially use it at work, since you spend so many hours there.

Clients have shared things like:

• “I innovate”
• “I refine”
• “I make things right”
• “I bring order out of chaos”

Do you see how any of those things could apply anywhere in life?  Do you see how someone could be innovative at work but also at home--planning meals, parenting, etc?

That is what you are looking for.

Is there something stirring in you now that you think may be your thing?  Maybe you are still not sure.

I ask my clients three different questions to help them discover their thing:

• What have your greatest accomplishments had in common?  What have you been known for?

If you can’t think of what to list as your greatest accomplishments, then start by telling yourself your own story and see what stands out as the greatest accomplishments or something you were known for. Let me tell you a little bit of my story to help you see how I discovered what my thing is, and maybe that will help you discover yours.

I was the little kid who knew everyone’s secrets.  Two friends would be at odds with each other, and both would talk to me without ever knowing that the other was doing the same thing.

I went to the second largest high school in the country, Brooklyn Tech.  There were so many students that when we walked the stage to get our diplomas at graduation, some of my friends and I remarked that we had never seen some of the people on stage before.

Somehow at school my name got around as the guy you talk to if you are having girlfriend/boyfriend problems or “parent issues."

My mother, who is a surgeon but goes by her last name Paoli, used to jokingly answer our home telephone line by saying, “Dr. Bailey’s line," then hand me the phone.

Everyone knew that I was going to be a therapist (no one knew what coaching was back then).

When I started heading in the therapy direction, my parents encouraged me to go into business. I did.

Throughout my time working for a stockbroker (who eventually became a venture capitalist), writing business plans, and being a financial consultant, clients would say things like, “You know you sound like a therapist”;  “You ask questions like a therapist”; “Are you sure you are not a therapist?”

Eventually I became a therapist, but despite really enjoying therapy, I missed the business world.  My wife started saying things like, “It’s a shame you have this expensive business degree but use it only for your business."

Then she read an article on coaching and exclaimed, “Ryan this is you!!!  This is so you!!!  You’ve got to read it!”

Since a lot of my therapist friends at that time pooh-poohed the idea of coaching, I did not read it.

But my wife persisted over the next few days until I finally relented and read it.

I’m glad I did, because she was right again.  It was me.

I immediately bought a book on coaching, then hired my own coach, got trained, and began calling counseling clients whom I had not seen in years.  Since many of them were executives, I added executive coaching to my list of services.

When I looked at my biggest successes in counseling and executive coaching, what they had in common was that I “got to the heart” and worked at that level.

• What have others told you that you did to achieve the greatest home runs?

To gain confirmation on the “getting to the heart” thing, I contacted clients who had experienced home runs and asked them, “What did I do that most helped you to have the home run you experienced during our time together?”

The vast majority said some version of, “You got to the heart.”

I could have just started with this step if I would have thought of it.  But the home runs were in seemingly different areas (i.e. porn addiction recovery, marriage counseling, leadership development, high performance team formation, etc.).

What about you?  What’s your story?  What does it reveal about what your “thing” is?

• What natural gifts do you have that have always been better than average and make you feel alive when you use them?

A third way you can discover your "thing" is to ask, “What have I always done at a better than average level?”  See if any of those gifts can be applied across your life.

With some of them you may have to look deeper.

For example, I had a client who was in his 50’s, who said, among other things, that he was always able to hit a great forehand.  When we analyzed what he did to hit that great forehand consistently, and what he experienced while hitting the best forehands, he described how he would get into a zone where the court would look huge so it felt like he could not miss.

We then worked on ways for him to get in that zone more often.

The more he got into the flow of that zone in any area of life, the better he did.

So he became intentional about “getting into the zone”.

Once you discover what your thing is, use it intentionally in any and every area of life.  The more you do that, the more you stay in your strike zone.

The more you stay in your strike zone, the more you will see your “thing” as a gift.

The humility that comes from seeing that brings real contentment and a desire to use your gift as much as possible for the greatest ends.

You will also experience more confidence, more meaning, and even taste joy.

Finally, you will also notice that your gift can be improved and grown.  Making small incremental progress brings a sense of true enjoyment.

When team members discover what their thing is and directly apply it to their role, their engagement goes up, camaraderie increases, and they become much more helpful to their fellow team members.

As a final thought, make sure you can explain what your “thing” is in less than seven words (preferably four or less).  You will love the clarity that comes from that exercise.

Chew On This:

• What would be different about your life if you discovered what your “thing” is and constantly used it at work?

Ryan C. Bailey is an Executive Coach who helps business leaders develop in-demand high performing teams.

What Every Boss Wishes You Would Do When You Royally Mess Up

I was waiting in a client’s office.  She was running late from a meeting with her boss.

After walking in, closing the door behind her, and giving me one of those appropriate corporate hugs she said, “I am in big, big trouble.  I mean it is bad, Ryan.  I have really failed.”

Then she described how she screwed up.

It was bad.

Now mind you, she is at that level in a Fortune 500 company where you never have to guess about competency.  If you get to that level, you have gone through a tremendous vetting process.  So for her, there was a lot more fear involved as she struggled with how to rebuild credibility.

Moreover, her boss has a reputation for being completely insensitive, harsh, and lacking in grace.

She debated as to whether or not she could fix it before anyone knew.

But when she thought through the question of what she would want her direct reports to do if they were in her shoes, she decided she would want them to tell her.

Then she flipped back.

She wondered if her boss’s reputation did not warrant that she hide the error.

Later she realized that if he ever found out, she would probably be terminated because he would feel he could not trust her again.

How many of us have been in similar shoes?

In toxic work environments, there is a high level of manipulation, covering up, blame-shifting, office politics, positioning, and often backstabbing.  Toxic work environments are toxic because managers have not embraced their responsibility to create a culture where it is safe to risk for the greater good or to own our mistakes when they are made.

If you find yourself in a toxic environment, the plan that I present below will feel really uncomfortable.

I hate to say it, but if your work environment is toxic and there is no desire on the part of your superiors to move towards health, I really hope you can quickly find a place where your gifts are valued and the environment is healthy.

Fortunately for my client, despite her boss’s reputation, the overall work environment is fairly healthy.

Here is the plan that my client and I came up with.  It worked for her, and I hope it works for you:

1. Fully own your mess-up, with no “marketing” whatsoever.

The conversation can open with the following: “Bob, I made a real mistake.  I did X, and it cost Y. I apologize.”

Do not try to blame-shift, minimize, rationalize, or “market” what happened.  Be direct.  Be succinct.  Fully own it.  And don’t forget to apologize.

Make sure to let your boss know that you will also be owning it to whoever else is involved.

If you do not own it, know that if it is major, it will probably be discovered and your boss will be more likely to fire you because your deception has led to a breach of trust.  Toyota Chairman Katsuaki Watanabe explains it best in an interview with Harvard Business Review:

“Hidden problems are the ones that become serious threats eventually. If problems are revealed for everybody to see, I will feel reassured. Because once problems have been visualized, even if our people didn't notice them earlier, they will rack their brains to find solutions to them.”

2. Give alternatives for how you think it can be resolved.

“I have a few suggestions for how to resolve it….” This part of the sentence shows them that you are coming up with options, not just the problem.  It shows that you have fully owned it and that you own the ripple effect.

3. Ask them for input and collaborate to build a solid plan.

“...And I am looking for your insights to build a plan that will bring us to resolution.”  This second part of the sentence encourages your boss to partner with you to solve it.

Your boss may have an initial reaction that seems negative.  However, the higher up you go in a large company, the higher the emotional intelligence tends to be.  So don’t be surprised if they regulate their emotions and even move towards protecting you, and showing you grace.

4. As you and your boss work to develop the plan, pay close attention to why your boss is suggesting what they are suggesting.

Hopefully, you will begin to brainstorm together as to how to handle the situation.  Your boss will want to hear your options first, which will help him/her to see your heart better.

Then your boss will probably refine the option they think is best.

Seek to understand the reasons for the suggestions they are giving you.  The “why” will give you insights that you will be able to use throughout your career.

You will learn how they view an issue, how to protect corporate culture, and, hopefully, how to extend grace when those under you fail.

Be sure to share how you plan to prevent yourself from making such a mistake again.  Never just say, “It won’t happen again.”

Ask for their input. You can say, “In the future I will pay attention to the triggers that led me to lose my cool” (preventative), but then ask if they see things you could do that would encourage growth, like signing up for a course on how to build better work-relationships, for example.

5. Afterward, continue to prove that you’ve grown from your mess-up.

Fully commit to implementing the plan you discussed.

Execute with all you have.

Use the insights that you learned in the brainstorming session in multiple contexts.

People who have grown from mistakes don’t live in self-condemnation.  Instead, they forgive themselves and enjoy the restoration they have been given.  Be grateful for it.  Share your gratitude with your boss and even others on the team, if it is appropriate to do so.

You are still competent and valuable.  You just screwed up and proved you are human.  Don’t be surprised if your boss and others pull closer to you as they see you display the humility and gratitude that come from growing through a mess-up.

You will rebuild credibility faster by having multiple small wins than one big win.  So don’t look for the home run; focus instead on consistent base hits.

As an FYI, the next time I met with my client, she said her boss had done the unexpected.  He really jumped in to protect her.  He was completely gracious and even shared one of his own big failures.

Chew On This:

• What are you hiding that needs to be owned?  What would be the consequence if it were discovered?

Ryan C. Bailey is an Executive Coach who helps business leaders develop in-demand high performing teams.

MBTI Bite: 3 Tips for Working With Intuitives (N's on Myers-Briggs)

You know us iNtuitives.... We are your big picture, forward-looking, imaginative members of the work team.  When a detail-oriented person (S on Myers-Briggs) is going through the facts of a situation, the N is disinterested and unimpressed. We will be among the first to pick up our phones to check for texts and emails. No, we don’t have ADD.  It is just that as we iNtuitives hear the facts, we search for the meaning behind them rather than focus on the facts themselves.  Then, when as little as 30% or so of the facts are out, we will see a pattern and “lock and load” on it.  

Intuitives are often described as theorists or dreamers.  We live in the future.  We love innovation and are drawn towards shiny new things (well, maybe we do have ADD.... just kidding).  

We also like fuzzy facts and guessing the meaning behind those fuzzy facts.  

You can spot us by the metaphors we use (see “lock and load” above).

Since iNtuitives make up only 27% of the population (vs. 73% for their opposite Sensor types), it would be easy to underutilize the gifts that iNtuitives bring to a meeting or project.

Here are three tips that can help you work more effectively with iNtuitives:

1. Ask them what possibilities or alternatives they see for resolving a problem.

In many meetings, alternatives are not discussed.  Those who have the bigger titles or are the most credible in the room tend to state their opinion, and the rest of the team agrees.

If you know you have a couple of iNtuitives in the meeting, why not ask them what possibilities and alternatives they might see before the big cheese in the room gives his opinion? This will broaden the discussion and help the team come to better decisions.

2. Realize that their instincts are reliable.

INtuitives get a hunch about things, and they are usually more right than not.  They may not be perfect, but their gut instinct should be taken seriously.  

Since iNtuitives live in the future, they will often describe future events as if they are happening in the present.  Don’t be thrown off by this.  They can just “see” it happening a certain way, and this gift can provide valuable insight for decision making.

This “future sight” also means that iNtuitives can often spot a trend before the data emerges to support it.  

3. If you need to give a lot of details in a meeting....

        3a. Tie in the facts you are relating with what the iNtuitives are passionate about. 

In past meetings, you may have sensed that your iNtuitives start to get restless if the presentation is heavy with facts and details.  You need to let them know how these facts relate to something they are passionate about.  This will increase their staying power.

        3b. Ask them to spot any patterns they see.

Another way to keep them engaged is to ask them to jot down what patterns they see amongst all the facts.  If they can write them down as you (or the presenter) are talking, that will keep them interested and engaged.  

        3c. Ask them to spot any possibilities or future trends.

This is similar to 3b above.  If they are alert for possibilities or future trends among the facts they are hearing, it will be easier for them to pay attention.  Once again, ask them to write down their observations for discussion later.

Although iNtuitives make up only 27% of the population, we have gifts that can help Sensors shine.  The idea is to give iNtuitives space to do something different from what is typically done.  Let them discuss the trends, possibilities, alternative solutions, and future-ramifications of a situation. Then, if you are a Sensor, add these insights to your data to see if you come up with a better solution.

Chew On This:

• How will you run your meetings differently, to incorporate the gifts of iNtuitives?

Ryan C. Bailey is an Executive Coach who helps business leaders develop in-demand high performing teams.

*This blog is an amalgamation of a few different clients.  No one single client is being singled out.

10 Characteristics of High-Performing Teams: Part 1

In my previous post, I outlined five principles for turning your team into a team that everyone wants to work for.  In the next two posts, I will break down 10 characteristics of High Performing Teams (HPT).

I delivered a workshop on HPT’s in New York to the top sales group of a company.  On a white board were listed the 10 characteristics of high performing teams.  Those characteristics are:

1. Open & Clear Communication
2. Defined Roles & Responsibilities
3. Mutual Trust
4. Effective Decision-Making
5. Coordinative Relationships
6. Clear Goals
7. Participative Leadership
8. Managing Conflict
9. Value Diversity
10. Positive Atmosphere

The members of this 40+ team were asked to go up and put a check mark next to the top three characteristics that they believed the team already did really well.

This time there were four characteristics that did not get a single check from more than 40 people.

The leader of the team stopped me and asked her team, “What would it take for those four areas to reach the same level as the top 3?”

The conversation that followed was phenomenal as the team articulated real suggestions and gave the type of feedback that normally teams only divulge in a strictly confidential interview-style 360-degree-review.  All feedback was received really well and it served as a rallying cry that propelled the team closer.

Let’s break down the first five characteristics of high performing teams in this post and then we will cover the other five in the next week's post. .

These characteristics are not in order.

Open & Clear Communication

On high-performing teams, people say what they mean.  They express their opinions, preferences, and disagreements.  Those of us who are more feeler-types on Myers-Briggs may say it with more tact than thinker-types often do. But sometimes, because of our tact, we are not as clear right away as our thinker-counterparts are.

Being open and clear is a skill that can be developed.  Those of us who are extroverted often need to verbally process first, then we can get clear.  Those of us who are introverted usually think before we speak.

You know you are being open if there is no marketing to what you are saying.  That is you are authentic and can be pinned to your position.  There is sometimes a sense of risk that I feel when I am being open, but that risk quickly goes away as I sense others drawing closer to me.

The communication is only clear when everyone can repeat back what you said or better yet, paraphrase it in a way that gets to the heart of what you said.  Make sure on the major points that you ask your team if they understand what you said.

Defined Roles & Responsibilities

If you asked your team to write a job description for how they actually spend their time, would it match the one you would write as to how they should be spending their time?

As the book Essentialism stresses, everyone needs to know the most core part of their role.  They need to go all in there.  What percentage of your direct report’s time is on what is most essential?  Find ways to increase that time if it is not where it needs to be.

It is important that everyone knows each other’s role and what they are specifically responsible for.  If this is not clear, there is going to be some grief and heartache especially from the Judgers (see Myers-Briggs type) as they see people crossing boundaries.  Moreover, you probably won’t be producing superior results without this kind of clarity.

Mutual Trust

Trust comes from understanding how each person is wired, that includes knowing their core driver.  It also comes from repeated experiences where you can experience the other’s integrity.

I have seen team members, especially those who are being on-boarded on to the team, move to trust quickly with an understanding of each team members’ Myers-Briggs type and the one-pager that I mentioned in the previous post.  You want a tool that helps people really get one another quickly and you will see trust soar.

You will know that it is there because you will sense the team fighting for one another and you will sense that the environment is positive and comfortable even though team members push one another to get the best out of each other.

In the cases where someone has acted without integrity or where there are misgiving between team members.  Good effective conflict resolution that always includes ownership and forgiveness will also improve trust.

Effective Decision-Making

According to Bain & Company, the qualities of effective decision making are:

• Quality - “How often do you choose the right course of action?”
• Speed - “How quickly do you make decisions compared with your competitors?”
• Yield - “How often do you execute decision as intended?”
• Effort - “Do you put the right amount of effort into making and executing decisions?”

If you track the decisions you and your team have made a year or two ago, how would you say you and your team are doing?

What can you do to improve in any of those four areas?

Becoming a team that makes consistently effective decisions will increase productivity.

Coordinative Relationships

As result of the four characteristics listed above is that teams know how to communicate and coordinate tasks and responsibilities in a way that they outperform.  They know when they are coordinating tasks how to support one another throughout the process.  There is a sense of intrinsic accountability that will come through.  Sometimes it needs to be formalized but for the most part the team members’ tasks are not only in their wheelhouse but out of desire to accomplish their goal with excellence.

Chew On This: Out of the 5 characteristics listed above, which one would you most want to strengthen?

Ryan C. Bailey is an Executive Coach who helps business leaders develop in-demand high performing teams.

Turn Your Team Into the Team Everyone Wants to Work For

I sat in a board room with a business leader as we waited for his five direct reports to show.  As they walked in, the energy of the room was electric.  There was lots of humor and a real sense of camaraderie that only comes from having high levels of trust.

My job was to observe and at the end of the meeting give feedback that would advance excellence across the team.

As the meeting started, the leader who brought me said there was only one agenda item, which was: how to double their division in less than five years.

As they dove in, it was obvious everyone loved being on that team.  They were different personalities who’ve learned to leverage each other’s skills and talents.  They jumped in with various options.  Sometimes those options were ripped apart but they always tried to find the good in what someone suggested.  At one heated point a member of the team challenged another member.  She said something to the effect of, “It doesn’t feel like you are all in right now.  I’ve seen you come up with better.  Get in!”

The member nodded his head, sat up, and focused.  When he came up with a really good suggestion, she loudly said, “Yes that’s it... It’s awesome when you are all in.”  He smiled back and they kept going.

This team doubled the size of their division in four years, not five.

This is what is known as a high-performing team.

Everyone likes to think that their team is a high performing one.  However, high-performing teams have four characteristics.  They are a group of people...

• …with specific roles and complementary talents and skills.
• …who are aligned with and committed to a common purpose.
• …who consistently show high levels of collaboration and innovation.
• …who produce superior results.

These teams are found in the companies everyone wants to work for.  These teams are alive and energetic.  The get a lot done and they don’t waste time.  They want it.  They fight for it.  They don’t stop until they blow out their goals.

What if I told you that you can turn your team into a high-performing one?  

Step 1: Assess the team you have.

Do you have the right people in the right positions?  How do you know if you do?  You need people who are qualified to their roles.  They have the skills to fulfill their role but they also are fully committed.  Commitment often shows up by the amount of drive they have.  Are they hungry?  Do they want to succeed?  Do they want the team to reach its goals?  Where is their heart?  I would take someone with heart who had adequate skill over someone who had no heart and had expert skill any day.  The one with adequate skills will grow and become better.

As you assess your team, are there members who are floundering and probably could be in a role that suits them better?

On one team I worked for, after we completed a team Myers-Briggs map, a member finally understood why she was feeling like a square peg trying to get into a round hole.  She talked with her boss and they found a role she was better suited for.

Step 2: Discover the holes or blind spots on the team.  

Now of course we don’t see our own blind spots.  That’s where an objective outsider and/or tool can really help.  For the team from the above point, when we charted the Myers-Briggs team map we saw that the team needed to bring in a team member with a certain two-letter type.  Fortunately for them they were considering someone for promotion onto that team that fit that type.

Diversity on business teams is a must.  The greater the diversity on the team the higher the chances that blind spots are covered.  When they learn to leverage each other’s strengths, poetry happens.

There are other things to look at as well when selecting the right team members but we will have to save that for a future post. Once you have the right team members, you move onto the third step.

Step 3: Increase the emotional intelligence of the team.

Did you know that 58% of all job performance is directly based on emotional intelligence (EQ)?  What this means is that someone’s IQ and skills got them the job, but the promotions come from increasing EQ.

Unlike IQ, EQ can be increased.

A tool I love to use for increasing the emotional intelligence of individuals and teams is the EQi-2.0 Assessment.

This tool will give you 30 strategies specifically tailored to you that will increase your EQ.  It is one of the best-bang-for-the-buck strategies I can give my clients. (If you're interested in taking this assessment or learning more about EQ, email info@theunburdenedexecutive.com.)

As the team works together to support and encourage each other to increase their collective EQ, watch how the bottom-line rises as well.

Step 4: Get your team to understand one another. 

Teams need to know:

• How to successfully work with one another
• What energizes one another
• What frustrates one another
• What stresses one another out
• How to tell if another member on the team is in the grip

There is a one-pager that I give to the teams that each member tailors until it completely fits them and then they all receive copy of each others.

Clients who are serious about advancing excellence across their teams tell me how they quickly glance at it before one-on-one’s or even in small group meetings.  Some keep these one-pagers up on their laptops for quick access to review during a meeting so they can connect better to those whom they are working with.

I also encourage clients to know what one another’s core drivers are.  You can discover what your team’s core driver in this previous blog post.

As teams get to know each other well, they trust each other more.

They know one another’s strengths and challenge areas.  They focus on the strengths and contain the challenge areas.

As trust increases they become grateful for how each member is different and is able to compliment them.

Step 5: Collaborate like champions.

High-performing teams collaborate really well.  Since they believe in one another they also push each other when they don’t sense they are getting the best from one another.  They are relentless in the pursuit of truth and they will attack what seems off.  They do not attack each other personally.  They attack the ideas and look to sharpen and refine them and grow them.

When there is conflict, they seek to understand the other first and they ask for permission to share their side.  They let one another know that they are for them and not against them.  They are quick to own whatever was wrong about what they did and they are also quick to forgive.

In my upcoming posts I will break down 10 characteristics that make up high-performing teams.  This will give you more meat to apply to the principles above.

Chew On This: If your team was a team “that everyone wanted to work for,” what difference would that make to your goals?

Ryan C. Bailey is an Executive Coach who helps business leaders develop in-demand high performing teams.

MBTI Bite: 3 Tips for Working with Introverts

I used to think that in order to be a top business leader, you had to be an extrovert.  However, after working with some introverts, I now know that is not true.

I am currently working with a Senior Vice President of a global Fortune 1000 company who happens to be a solid introvert.  What I love about him is how he takes in information, processes it, and then makes succinct statements that are really powerful.  None of the fumbling-around-verbally-processing-sometimes-sticking-my-foot-in-my-mouth that I, as an extrovert, can do.

If we are at a function, he does engage others, but after awhile he starts to get people-d out.  He tries to smile and be gracious, but it is obvious he needs his alone time.

As an introvert, he really shines when he has a solo project to work on.  I have worked with him through his last five promotions.  The higher up he moves, the more he is working through others to get the work done.  However, we noticed that he becomes a little bored and at times drained through the constant meetings required to keep his direct reports updated and their work refined.

One of the things revealed in a coaching meeting was that he needed one critical solo project to work on, while fulfilling his other duties.  Since we have implemented that, there has been no more boredom, and he handles the direct reports with his one-on-one’s feeling less drained.

How To Work With Introverts

As is implied in the above paragraphs, there are a few things to keep in mind when working with introverts.

1. Give them time to process – As introverts listen, they formulate their answers in their heads and then they speak.  They may pause before responding.  One way to maximize their ability to process in this way is to favor email over discussion.  This is not to say that they would not profit from face-to-face meetings, but sometimes they would rather take in the details and chew on potential responses ahead of the meeting, especially if they are J’s (Judgers on Myers-Briggs).
2. Protect their alone time – Are you noticing that an introvert’s calendar is getting filled with meeting after meeting?  Try giving them a chance to take a significant break to process what they’ve been taking in and also recharge their batteries.  Please don’t disturb them during this time as they want to be fresh for the next round of face-to-face meetings
3. Give them a solo project to work on – Yes, introverts can work in a team and collaborate well, but they tend not to like the office gossip or the small talk.  They want to get into the work, perform their role well, and move on to the next meeting.

When working with an introvert, be sure to give them one solo project that matches their gift-sets.  If they are being “forced” into constant group work, you could start to see discouragement set in.  Even in group work, make sure they get some time to work alone on their own on a piece of the project, and then allow them to come back into the larger team.

Introverts are rising fast in the marketplace.  Those who are rising leverage their strengths, learn to work with their constraints, and communicate their needs to their team members so that all are aware of how to work with them successfully.

If you are leading a team with introverts encouraging them to do the same will increase their engagement.

Chew On This: Do you know which of your team members are introverts?  How can you help them to shine?

Ryan C. Bailey is an Executive Coach who helps business leaders develop in-demand high performing teams.

7 Steps to Writing a Personal Development Plan

Many of you may have written your personal development plan (PDP) for this year at the end of last year.  Do you remember all of what you wrote?  Have you been tracking how you’ve been doing?  Has the plan been placed on the sidelines because there have been too many fires to put out?

Let’s whip out your PDP and see if there is a way to write it where you really do remember your goals and feel, not only inspired, but actually achieve them.

When I first started corporate coaching, many of the PDP’s I saw were littered with intangible or vague goals. For example, one client wrote that one of his PDP goals for that year was, “To become a better leader.”  While that goal sounds good on the surface, there is no way to clearly tell if they achieved that goal.  This is in part because they have not defined what they mean by “better leader.”

The other thing that I noticed is that several had too many PDP goals… one client had 11.  Most had at least 5.  When I asked them how many of their PDP goals they did achieve, the answers that came back were embarrassingly sad.  Most could not tell me all their goals.  When they looked up their PDP, the number hit was less than 25%.  I could completely relate to them as I have at different times in my life designed elaborate goals for myself.  If I was asked the same question, I would have been in a similar place.

So, how are you doing so far this year?  Are you on track?  How about your team?  Are they on track?  If you are, that’s great!  I would love to hear your thoughts as to what helped you and your team get there.

If you are like most out there, you have already forgotten your PDP or have only focused on one or two areas.  I would hate for you to feel bad or defeated.  If you’ve forgotten, I bet your team has as well.

To break this pattern, you just have to rewrite your PDP in a way that is tailored to your core.  If you do, you will find all the motivation you could ever want to achieve it.

How to Write a Personal Development Plan

Here is what has worked for me and many of the clients I have coached.  When writing your PDP goals you need to...

1. Know the most essential part of your role.

What is the most indispensable part of your role?

Whatever that is, go all-in on that part.  Does the way you spend your time reflect a focus on that most indispensable part?  You want to develop your main PDP goal around that area.

In my role as a coach, counselor, and corporate trainer, the most essential part of what I do it is to connect to my clients at a core level–to get to the heart of their concerns and address their issues.  If I whittled that down even further, I have noticed that if I nail what is at the core of their concerns, addressing the issues becomes a lot simpler.

2. Know your essential intent.

I have shared about the book Essentialism by McKeown in previous posts.  If you have not read Essentialism, I would highly recommend that you put that book at the top of your reading list. One concept in the book is that each of us has an essential intent, which has to do with what you were built for.  Look across your life... what do you naturally do better than others?  What are some themes that help you excel in your personal and professional life?  What accolades have you received? What do those accolades have in common?

When I was trying to figure out my essential intent, I asked my wife, friends, clients and mentors what they thought it was.  The most common response was that I get to the heart of the matter quickly.  That is, if a friend is talking about something, a client has an issue they want to address, or if a group wants me to deliver a workshop on a given topic, as they are speaking, I am listening for what is at the root of their words.  Then I repeat back to them what I sense the core is to make sure that I understand.  If I am off, then I keep listening and asking for clarification until I get it.

When we work from our essential intent, motivation comes easy.  We are in our strike zone and we typically feel more alive.  Therefore, finding your essential intent is, for lack of a better way to say it, essential.

3. Line up your essential intent with the most essential part of your role.

As you can see, I built a business around my essential intent.  How about you?  Does your role fit your essential intent?  If not, is there a way that your role could be tweaked so that it fits your essential intent?  If not, could it be a sign that you were not built to do what you are doing?  (If you want help discovering what you were built to do I have a rough draft of an e-book that my team is working on.  I would love insights to improve it so I would be happy to send it to you.)

Now look at your team.  Do you have the “right people on the bus?"  Are they in roles that allow their essential intent to shine?

If your essential intent and essential part of your role line up then great.  Now, how could you better align your essential intent with the most essential part of your role to maximize your time and efforts?

4. Make it tangible.

If I say my PDP goal is, “I want to get to the heart better,” then defining “better" would be the first step.  I would define “better" as having more moments where my clients say something to the effect of, “That’s it!” (implying what I said was the core of the issue).

Next, look for how your goal could happen.

Three options for improving the ability to get to the heart better are:

1. I could improve listening skills.
2. I could learn how to ask better questions.
3. I could also work on how I repeat back or paraphrase what I hear my clients say.

I had a client say that part of his role is that he needs to make speeches from time to time.  He hated public speaking but truly was in the right role for his essential intent.  The problem he had with delivering speeches was his nervousness.  So, he set a goal of “not getting obviously nervous when he presented."  This is not a tangible goal.  How would someone observe that he achieved it?  So we broke down the signs that showed that he was nervous which included:

1. Shaking hands
2. Becoming tongue-tied
3. Forgetfulness

When asked which of those would he want to focus on he said, “Definitely my hands shaking.  That starts the downhill spiral for me.”  So that was the tangible goal we set.

5. Create a S.M.A.R.T. goal.

As you may have seen elsewhere, the acronym S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.  As I look at mine, one way I can get to the heart faster is by improving my listening skills.  So my S.M.A.R.T. goal for this year is:

“By December 31, 2016, I want to have implemented 2 better listening principles or techniques to such a degree that 3 longer-term clients say I have improved my listening skills.”  Obviously, I will let them know I am looking to improve my listening skills and would welcome their feedback at the end of the year.

6. If there is another thing your company is insisting that you work on then make that the other S.M.A.R.T. goal.

In many of the companies I coach for, the leader who brought me in already has ideas as to what they want to see their direct reports work on.  I encourage those leaders to look at the most essential part of their direct report’s role and to choose a goal that helps improve that one area.  I also ask them how they would know that goal is accomplished.  Then I suggest we bring the direct report into the conversation so all of us can turn that goal into a S.M.A.R.T. goal.

7. Ask how they want to be held accountable for those two goals.

What is implied in the above points is that killer PDP’s have one or two areas to work on for that year.  If your direct reports make significant progress in just one or two areas you will notice much higher engagement.  You will notice that they love their work more.  You will sense the confidence in them grow and the desire to have new challenges increase.  They will also value you immensely.

Now when it comes to accountability, they may not need as much.  But draw them into the process so that the accountability fits their personality and style.

Developing a killer PDP will turn those who are meant to be on your team into highly engaged and productive people who genuinely want to exceed expectations.  Your job as their leader would be to create an environment where they can flourish.

Ryan C. Bailey is an Executive Coach who helps business leaders develop in-demand high performing teams.

Listen to Your Heart, It's Your Core Driver

Think of those a part of your business for a second.  Can you imagine what it would be like to know what truly drives your employees?  I will tell you a secret…it is not money.  If they were to answer with “money,” I would encourage you to dig a bit further and ask, “What does money represent to you?”  Then listen carefully.  You are close to hearing what the true driver is.  Look for the principle.  Look for something that applies, not just at work, but across the board; something that drives most of their decisions.

You will probably also discover that this core driver at times is used appropriately and at other times it is used inappropriately.  If your employee has an over-desire to a core driver, they will be a slave to it.  It will truly master them and unfortunately will lead to destructive ends.

If they have this core driver in proper balance, then you will find an employee who is in a healthier place and gives gifts in keeping with that core driver.

The Six Categories of Core Drivers

Over the years, I have found that the true drivers can be broken down into six categories.  The acronym for remembering these true drivers is S.L.A.V.E.S.

S.L.A.V.E.S. stands for:

1. S ecurity
2. L ove
3. A cceptance
4. V alue
5. E njoyment
6. S ignificance

Find ways to motivate them according to the core driver they value.  For example, if they have an over-desire toward acceptance, you can still motivate them through showing them acceptance, but be sure to point them toward the balance of it.  You can say something to the effect of, “I am so glad you are here.  You are one of us.  I want you to feel at ease and rest and know that you belong.”

If you sense they are over-working to maintain that level of acceptance, then reassure them by saying, “I am concerned about how much you are working.  I wonder how long you can keep this pace up.  I would hate for you to burn out or to be less effective when you really need to be at your best.”

Discover what the core driver is by asking them or yourself:

• What does X represent to them/me? (Above it was “money”)
• When have I seen an inordinate emotion from them/myself?  Which of the six core drivers was at play when that happened?
• What do they repeatedly talk about?  What does that represent to them?
• When they/I make a mistake or screw up somehow, what do they/I most fear losing?

Chew On This: What is your core driver?


Ryan C. Bailey is an Executive Coach who helps business leaders develop in-demand high performing teams.