By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Focus is an easy word to say or action to request. However it can be quite another thing to actually focus on important actions, given the multitude of distractions that bombard us each day. Important deliverables coupled with tempting distractions add to the pressure-cooker environment we fondly know as the workplace. Yet as leaders we must maintain our calm, our focus. As you seek to deliver world-class results amid the tremendous pressures you are under, keep the following six recommendations in mind. They may not only enhance your ability to handle pressure…they may change your life. 

1. Planning. Studies tell us that there is a relationship between taking time to plan, and the resulting productivity: something like a 1:3 ratio or greater. For example, taking 20 minutes to effectively plan your day can lead to you feeling like you got an extra hour of work accomplished. In other words, if you utilize day planning (many of you have taken our time management course that covers this in detail), an eight-hour workday can generate nine hours of productivity. Nice.

2. Exercise. Of course exercise is high on the list. It releases healthy endorphins, gets unhealthy toxins out of our bodies, is fun, and increases our oxygen intake. All of which lead to greater relaxation. Now go find something that makes you sweat that is fun to do. I will let you choose the appropriate activity.

3. Delegate. No, you cannot delegate away everything that is stressing you out. However, realize that you are not alone, even if you are a sole-proprietor. Rely on your team or outside resources to help you better manage the crush of work. Lone wolves die alone. By including others during our journey through work we help them grow and make the ride more fun.

4. Laugh. When we were little kids we laughed over 400 times a day. We also heard the word “no” over 200 times per day, but we won’t talk about those moments. As adults we laugh less than 40 times per day. What happened to us? Folks, while the game of work may seem long, the ride of life is short. Fill your day with a few more laughs. Between the Internet and reflecting on some of the hairstyles you sported during high school, a laugh is only a moment away.

5. Prioritize. Surprisingly, few leaders take their beefy list of projects, initiatives, and deliverables and prioritize them. During our leadership boot camps we cover a construct we call a priority communication tool. It helps leaders put a structure on what needs to be accomplished, and then determine where to start and why. Whether you use our tools or something from your bag of goodies, get clear on your work priorities. The resulting communication with your team members and the accomplishments that occur will amaze you. 

6. Decisiveness. Many leaders get themselves in a productivity bind because they procrastinate or make too many wishy-washy decisions. Sometimes it is better to make a wrong decision, in a decisive manner, than to prolong decision-making while you search for a perfect roadmap. Certainly the vast majority of decisions made by leaders must be good ones. However, once in a while we have to take a stand or trust our instincts, they are seldom wrong.

Bottom Line: The pace of our work-world is not going to slow down any time soon. In fact, technology and a global marketplace are going to continue to drive a faster pace. As thoughtful leaders, we owe it to ourselves and to our teams to embrace behaviors that will best allow us to handle the pressures of responsibility. You have the tools, you have the will. Go forth and make a difference!    

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Please do so, as long as you do not alter the content or embedded links. Also, please include the following information: Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. Doug’s book, Leadership Simplified, as well as audios and videos are available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about coaching and training services, contact Doug today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2012 Leadership Simplified. All rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Jack was a top-of-the-line leader, whom was admired by the people he led. He was intelligent and confident, and utilized cutting-edge management tools and leadership techniques. Jack was a highly-valued performer for his company. Along his leadership journey, however, something happened to Jack. He became comfortable with his “winning formula,” got set in his leadership ways, and stopped coaching and growing his people. Over the years his leadership methods became dated and ineffective. Even the language he used when communicating with team members was viewed as old-school. Ultimately, he lacked a cutting-edge flair, and people lost confidence in him.

Have you ever met or worked with someone like Jack? A terrific professional whom, at some point, lost their edge? Working with the Jack’s of the world can be an awkward, frustrating experience. So how do we avoid becoming one of those leaders who gets stuck in our own winning formula, and in the process becomes irrelevant and ineffective? The short answer is to concentrate on coaching and developing your people. That’s right, the best leaders are not only good at the functional aspects of their job, but they strive to continually grow their team members. They understand that teaching others reinforces best practices. In addition, these leaders gain a bonus – their creative juices keep flowing, which feeds their personal thirst for life-long learning. They realize that they must continually grow their own knowledge base if they are to be effective in transferring meaningful knowledge to their team members. This calls for them to read, learn, explore, and frequently connect with thought-leaders. 

Bottom Line: Leaders who enable coaching and development in the workplace increase results because their people can do more. They also force themselves to stay current on cutting-edge leadership tools and techniques in order to meet the needs of their valued team members. In the process, leaders who coach and develop team members raise the bar regarding their own leadership excellence.   

Do you want to use this newsletter in print or online? 

Please do so, as long as you do not alter the content or embedded links. Also, please include the following information: Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. Doug’s book, Leadership Simplified, as well as audios and videos are available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about coaching and training services, contact Doug today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2011 Leadership Simplified. All rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

You are part of a team engaged in a strategic planning session. You spend all day together. Numerous brilliant ideas are bantered about. The desired results of your strategic planning vision are beautifully articulated by one of the team members. By the end of the day everyone is energized and ready for a terrific year. Then the dark side of reality rears its ugly head: All the participants return to their regular grind and nothing happens regarding your lauded strategic plan. It simply gathers dust. Does this sound familiar? Most of us have been there – shaking our heads a few weeks after an energizing experience wondering when the exciting changes will take place.

My friends, strategic planning does not have to be (and should not be) as described above. If facilitated correctly it is not only an energizing experience, but one that can hold a handsome return-on-investment for your organization. Simply follow 6-steps to strategic planning success.   

Step 1: Select a Facilitator: Okay, okay, okay; this is a totally self-serving step. However, for a meaningful strategic plan to be developed, all the proper minds need to be participating. If one of those minds is leading the strategic planning parade, your team is either missing out on their input or being overwhelmed by their opinions and contributions. Take my advice, hire a facilitator to lead your team through the strategic planning process.  

Step 2: Review Structure.  We live in a wonderful, dynamic time. The pace of change is astounding. As such, if your organizational structure has not been critiqued in a while, now could be the perfect time to make some tweaks. I take some of my clients through a “blank org chart exercise” that helps them open their minds to an enhanced structure. Another way to think about the structure of your organization is through the lens of workgroup alignment, which seeks to blend talent, needs, the marketplace, and potential. Remember this: A strategic plan has a much greater chance of success if it has an optimal team structure.

Step 3: Analyze People.  Most of us are fortunate to have throngs of high-performing professionals populating our ranks. On occasion, there are team members who either by their performance or interpersonal behavior, do not fit. The strategic planning process is the perfect time to recognize your best team members and to build retention walls around them. It is also a good time to identify your weak links in order to decide if they should be onboard. If you field the right players and place them in the right structure you are more than halfway home.

Step 4: Address Processes. Over the past few years many organizations have experienced a great deal of ebb and flow. The strategic planning process can serve as a good reminder to review your organization’s processes and procedures. You may want to modify or delete items, or you may realize that some process mapping is needed. Wherever this step leads you, make certain that your organization needs every policy and procedure that is in place. Red tape can be a productivity killer. Make certain your procedural tape is a necessary impediment.    

Step 5: Create Actions. Fewer than 25% of workplace change initiatives are successful. A big part of their failure has to do with a lack of meaningful action plans. Since most strategic plans involve some type of change, smart leaders seek to include an action plan during the planning process. Creation of the action plan itself is a six-step process, however, it is essential that it clearly identifies the tasks to be accomplished, states who owns each task, and highlights the specific date by which each task will be achieved. A salient action plan creates accountability and provides leaders with a follow-up tool.

Step 6: Implementation. With a meaningful action plan created, the name of the game becomes execution. Leaders should challenge their team members to stay in integrity with regard to the action plan tasks to which they have committed. As team members deliver on their promises, leaders are provided an opportunity to praise and positively reinforce their efforts. In addition, team member accomplishment opens the door for leaders to communicate with the broader organization regarding the marvelous things that are being achieved.  

Bottom Line: Strategic planning can deliver huge dividends or be a colossal waste of time. Make it the former by engaging a professional to assist you, reviewing your structure and people, and addressing needed internal procedures and actions. This all leads to meaningful implementation, which is really nothing more than keeping our promises, cheerleading, and communicating achievements. So there you have it leaders, six steps to effective strategic planning. Go forth, drive results, and do not forget to have some fun during the journey!

Do you want to use this newsletter in print or online? 

Please do so, as long as you do not alter the content or embedded links. Also, please include the following information: Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. Doug’s book, Leadership Simplified, as well as audios and videos are available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about coaching and training services, contact Doug today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2011 Leadership Simplified. All rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

These are interesting days, and within them leaders sometimes have to deliver tough messages. This time of year it is not uncommon for performance reviews to be taking place, or budget discussions, or reductions in force, or realignment of resources, or strategic planning. All of these actions and processes can contain difficult, yet necessary conversations. Regardless of the topic, many leaders are apprehensive to drive a challenging conversation within an appropriate timeframe. The difficulty lies not in the leader’s lack of ability to successfully hold a difficult conversation, but rather because they are not properly prepared for the discussion. Once prepared, most leaders can deliver tough love in a most effective way.

So what are the steps involved in holding a difficult conversation? Keep reading my friends, the five steps leading to your “tough talk” success are listed below.

Step 1: Analyze the Situation. As you ponder the circumstances of the conversation, ask yourself the following five questions:

1. What potential positives could result from the conversation?
2. What are the pitfalls and drawbacks?
3. What are the ramifications of delaying or avoiding the conversation?
4. What are the two core deliverables I want to result from the conversation?
5. What topics do I want to avoid during the discussion?

Step 2: Craft a Strategy. The answers to the questions contained in Step 1 will help you craft the best strategy possible. Here are five additional items to consider while crafting your strategy:

1. Where is the best place to hold the conversation (i.e., your office, a conference room, etc.)?
2. How do you want to physically position yourself (i.e., behind a desk, on the same side of a conference table, on the opposite side of a conference table, etc.)?
3. What will be the best opening to the conversation? In this regard, think strategically about the qualities of the team or audience with whom you will be meeting.
4. How will you handle potential objections?
5. What tone of voice and body language should you use? More about these in Step 4.

Step 3: Practice and Prepare. When I coach leaders on presentation skills, the number one rule I implore is to practice, practice, practice! Well, if you are entering into a crucial conversation, it is worth your time to practice the core content of the conversation at least five times. Note that practice does not make you sound scripted. Rather, the purpose of practice is to make you so comfortable with the topic at hand that you will be able to concentrate on more important matters, such as the reaction and comments of the team member you are addressing. The last thing you want during a difficult situation is to be struggling to articulate your position on a matter. By practicing you will obliterate your potential struggles and better lock-in on the nuances of the conversation.

Step 4: Deliver with confidence. This is where you seek to have a perfect marriage of the words you have chosen, the tone of your voice and your body language. In particular, your tone and body language play a critical role. Seek to have a firm tone of voice. If your voice is harsh it may spur a confrontation, while if it is too nurturing you may come across as wimpy. Also, make certain that you maintain solid eye contact while leading the conversation. In addition, your facial expressions should mirror your message. Lastly, do not cross your arms. This may create a combative atmosphere. Keep your posture open, and let your eyes and tone send the message that you are confident. 

Step 5: Follow Up, Reinforce, and Chart Progress. Most leaders make a huge mistake after they successfully hold a difficult conversation: They heave a sigh of relief and move on to the next item on their To Do List, thus totally forgetting about the conversation that just took place. Big mistake. What smart leaders do is tickle their calendars with specific milestone dates when they will casually check in with the team member or group. During the check-in meetings the leader can effectively determine if the conversation was taken to heart. Also, is the team member or group engaging in the specific actions or behaviors that were called for during the initial meeting? And most importantly, positive actions can be reinforced and anything that was misunderstood or not acted upon can be corrected. Often times, leaders do not execute this crucial step because it sometimes leads to yet another difficult conversation. Let your follow ups keep things moving forward and thus mitigate the need for future tough talks. Remember: Communication and consistency is king.

Bottom Line: Leaders sometimes have to deliver difficult messages or confront a tough audience. No matter what mix of challenges you face, effectively drive difficult conversations by embracing a 5-Step formula. If executed correctly you will find yourself delivering tough love in a more confident and expeditious manner, while experiencing better results on the back end.

Do you want to use this newsletter in print or online? 

Please do so, as long as you do not alter the content or embedded links. Also, please include the following information: Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. Doug’s book, Leadership Simplified, as well as audios and videos are available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about coaching and training services, contact Doug today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2011 Leadership Simplified. All rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Whether you work in a large organization or small, the odds are good that you experience some level of office politics. Many people, even leaders, choose to ignore the political currents of work. Frankly, I am not a big fan of them myself. Bureaucracy, however, is a part of organizational life, thus needs to be understood. In fact, possessing a level of organizational awareness is part of emotional intelligence. More about that in later newsletters.

So let’s shift gears and review five items to keep in mind while negotiating the web of organizational life.

1. Understand the organizational agenda. In other words, seek to have clarity on the  medium and long-term goals of the organization. If you are not clear – ask questions of leadership to ensure you know where the big bus is heading. If you are the leader, make certain your team is clear on where you are driving the organization.

2. Balance needs. You have business goals that you want to accomplish – this is a good thing. Do not let your personal agenda, however, trump the organizational agenda. When your business goals are in conflict with the organizations goals, trouble will appear on the horizon.

3. Fight the right battles. If you fight every battle that comes your way, you may have some level of satisfaction, but your internal colleagues will perceive you as combative. As such, reserve your confrontational energy for the battles that are most important to you and your team.

4. Develop collaborative relationships. To the best of your ability, build workable relationships with your peers, direct reports, and superiors. The artful use of working agreements will greatly assist you with this endeavor. Remember: as your organization grows larger it becomes imperative that you build healthy collaborative relationships with as many people as possible.

5. Agile communication. The leaders who are agile tend to anticipate what the future will bring. In this regard, seek to be anticipatory with your communication. If you are driving an initiative, make certain to keep key influencers apprised of your actions before they learn about them in a meeting or a report. Ask for the opinion of others and build a feeling of team involvement.    

In sum, think strategically about your organization. Understand its politics and objectives. In the process, grow your relationship base and focus on mutually-beneficial needs.

Do you want to use this newsletter in print or online? 

Please do so, as long as you do not alter the content or embedded links. Also, please include the following information: Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. Doug’s book, Leadership Simplified, as well as audios and videos are available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about coaching and training services, contact Doug today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Studies have shown that fewer than 25% of workplace change initiatives are successful. Many of you reading this newsletter are probably in disbelief that the percentage is that high. It seems as though the pace of change is increasing at an accelerating rate. Yet, few organizations appear able to seamlessly implement positive change. As leaders, it is our job to help our team members keep up with important changes, while still keeping them focused on performing important duties and job functions. This is no easy task. Often times leaders make everyone’s job more difficult by not taking control of change. You may ask (in a flummoxed tone of voice, no less): “How the heck do we control change in the workplace?” The answer is a six-step change-process journey. As luck would have it, each step is detailed below.

1. Involve Team Members. To the best of your ability involve people in the change process. Let them be part of facilitated roundtables or participate in surveys. You do not have to commit to every idea they have regarding change, however, you may be surprised at their level of sophistication with regard to dealing with change. Remember: the more team members are involved in the early phases of the change process, the higher the probability that they will buy into the final changes that are rolled out.

2. Obtain a Clear Understanding. Many leaders learn about or receive direction concerning change and go off half-cocked to “drive change.” Typically, these leaders do not entirely understand the nuances surrounding the change. Rarely have they contemplated the medium-term and long-term consequences associated with the changes they are driving. There are always consequences to change, aren’t there? So my advice is to make certain that you clearly understand the changes that are being requested. In addition, seek to anticipate the good or potentially unpleasant byproducts that may occur as a result of the change.

3. Strategy. Strategic thinking is paramount to a successful change effort, yet it is so seldom mapped out. Yes, that’s right. Map out the strategic steps involved in your change initiative. Note: only do this if you want to be part of the 25% of organizations that successfully roll out important changes. Since people tend to only remember about 20% of what they hear (Dale, 1969), make certain you supplement the verbal diatribe associated with change with a written road map of where you and your team are going.  

4. Pre-Communication. Nothing resonates with people facing change quite like getting a little heads up on what’s coming down the pipe. Greasing the organizational wheels with tidbits of communication regarding upcoming changes gives team members a chance to mentally prepare for the changes about to take place. In addition, frequently communicating updates about the forthcoming changes will greatly assist in stemming the evil buzz that may stir on your organization’s grapevine.

5. Implementation. With most change initiatives, the implementation phase is the difficult part of the process. This should not be the case. The heavy lifting should take place before the rollout of change. If you have involved team members on the front-end of change, and you have created a written step-by-step plan of action, implementation should be a breeze. Simply follow your road map, communicate alterations to the road map, and positively reinforce the positive behavior you observe. The leader’s job during implementation is to observe, communicate, and cheerlead.

6. Post-Communication. Don’t let this secret out, but leaders can actually communicate after they have successfully rolled out a change initiative. This is arguably the most important part of the process because it sets the tone for future, successful changes. Your post-communication should take the form of reporting the good, bad, and the ugly of the recently implemented changes. Let team members know the result of their hard-work and efforts. Were the targets you set met? If so, state why and give proper kudos. Are there stories to share? Funny tales are particularly good for morale. Who are the change-heroes that deserve recognition? Give them praise publicly or privately, as they prefer.

Bottom Line: Change is a process, not an event. In order for change to be implemented elegantly, effectively, a strategy must be mapped out and executed. You will not be disappointed by the results. Mainly because the results you drive will be positive.

Until next time, be well.

Do you want to use this newsletter in print or online? 
Please do so, as long as you do not alter the content or embedded links. Also, please include the following information: Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. Doug’s book, Leadership Simplified, as well as audios and videos are available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about coaching and training services, contact Doug today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2011 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Gerald was adding people to his organization like a madman. He was fortunate that his business was growing and he was bringing on people quickly. One of his best friends, Susan, worked for an organization that was in trim mode. They had been experiencing reductions in force over the past 18 months. While Gerald and Susan’s businesses seemed to be going in opposite directions, they actually had similar issues: how to best align their organizational talent with the many needs of the business, the ebb and flow of the marketplace, and the potential that exists within the business. Let’s take a look at each one of these areas, beginning with talent.  

Talent. You may be adding talent to your workgroup, or reducing talent, or maintaining talent. Regardless of the direction, I bet the talented people that populate your organization are busy. Busy can be a good thing, as long as the right people are doing the right tasks. Over the past three years many organizations have experienced wholesale shifts in the makeup of their workforce. Yet, few have taken a moment to take stock of their talent pool and ensure that each person is properly aligned with their individual passion, as well as what they are best suited to do. It is not a lengthy process to align talented people with their passions and appropriate duties. It merely takes some strategic thought. For example, a client of mine recently took stock of their talent and shifted several people to different areas of the company. The leaders communicated the changes nicely, and each team member was amenable to the move. The results they have experienced are better morale and smoother productivity.

Need. Wants and needs are different things. Many businesses are structured according to the wants of the organization, which is not always the most effective structure. Smart organizations seek to create a marriage of the most critical needs of the marketplace with the needs of their top talent. An example of this is Google, which does a terrific job of creating a cool and fun way for us to search for information on the Internet. At the same time, they focus on creating a cool and fun culture in which their team members work. Many team members have the freedom to work from different offices in different cities as they perform their job functions. Google’s creative, flexible culture leads to attracting and retaining the right talent. Google’s talent is also right in synch with the needs of the marketplace.

Market. Does your market seem to be more fluid than you would like? Welcome to the club. With the fast pace of technological innovation, coupled with a widening global marketplace and the Internet (the great equalizer), the odds are good that your market is not solidly stable. As such, you may want to consider reinvention on a regular basis. In other words, take stock of your business or workgroup every two years and think very creatively about how you could serve your changing market in new, robust ways. Recently, I recommended this idea to a group of entrepreneurs and they responded with “Every Two Years!” Then they looked at each other and said: “Hmmmmnn, we should probably reinvent every 12 months.” Whatever your preferred time-frame, go through some type of reinvention or visioning exercise every couple of years. You will be amazed at the ideas generated and the information gathered in the process.

Potential. We live in a more abundant place than most people realize. Opportunities are all around us. Yet so many leaders and sales professionals allow themselves to get sidetracked by difficult challenges, and the doom-and-gloom rhetoric of the media. In the process, they lose sight of the fact that never before have we lived in a workplace with the world open to our goods, services, and ideas. Never before have we had the gift of such an array of communication options, all possessing the promise of lightning-speed connections. We are doing business in a truly exciting time that is brimming with the potential for growth and expansion. So what is the problem? Answer: Myopia. Tunnel vision. Too many leaders possess it; too few seek a cure. I will stop here and leave you with this: Visualize Success. Walt Disney did, and despite all of his rides breaking down on their first day of operation, things turned out pretty well for Walt and his team. Do not become defeated by one-day or short-term issues. Realize that potential is always a long-term prospect.   

Bottom Line: In this crazy, fast-paced business world it is easy to keep your head down and run as fast as you can to keep up with a litany of tasks, duties, and opportunities. Whether you are a team leader, a sales leader, an entrepreneur, or a philanthropist, it may be worth your time to look up, take a breath, and assess the alignment of your team with your marketplace. If you need a hand, call me. If you take on this beast yourself, bravo. However you proceed, you will know when you get it right because you will smile and utter one word: “Perfect.” Now, go execute my friends.

Do you want to use this newsletter in print or online? 
Please do so, as long as you do not alter the content or embedded links. Also, please include the following information: Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. Doug’s book, Leadership Simplified, as well as audios and videos are available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about coaching and training services, contact Doug today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2011 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Many leaders approach me and ask: “Doug, how can I help my team stay motivated and deliver vibrant results, while minimizing team member turnover?” Okay, they do not always use the word “vibrant,” many say “kick-butt.” My answer though, is the same: Coach your people – help them grow and learn. In the process, successful leaders accelerate their personal growth curve as they help others to develop. So how can leaders go about coaching when they have so many other demands? Answer: Integrate the follow mindsets and actions into the fiber of their work life.

1. Coaching is constant. Realize that developing people is not an occasional or one-time event. Rather, informal coaching is an activity that powerful leaders engage in every day. If you want your team to consistently perform at a high level, make certain you observe team member behaviors and proactively provide feedback on a daily basis.
   
   
2. Ownership. It is the coach’s responsibility to drive formal development activities. While team members certainly have a huge stake in their development, the learning process should be driven and monitored by the coach (i.e., you).  
   
   
3. Have a plan. The creation and sharing of a formal coaching plan is a crucial step in the development process. It is a growth roadmap that serves as a compliment to the casual coaching that you offer each day. A coaching plan should contain an outline of the process, the results that are desired, a list of the team member’s strengths, and a detail of the topics that will be covered over a specified timeframe. The rollout of each coaching plan, as well as the process itself, should be conducted on a one-on-one basis.
   
   
4. Partnership. Once a formal coaching plan has been discussed with a team member, it is important to seek their buy-in. You may ask them to demonstrate their commitment by signing the coaching plan. 
   
   
5. Tailor. While you may possess a particular leadership style, a good coach is often a chameleon. It may be necessary for you to adjust your leadership style so that it fits seamlessly with a team member’s personality, skill level, experience, and potential. More than likely the members of your team have varied levels of the above traits. As such, their needs will call for you to adjust your approach in order to be the most effective coach for them.
   
   
6. Time allocation. It is a brutal reality, but a coach only has so much time to offer team members. As such, it is critical that coaches “force rank” team members from most valuable to least valuable in order to clearly understand who the high performers are, as well as who possesses high potential. By allocating the lion’s share of your time to high-value categories you will be maximizing your team’s potential results. Spending a disproportionate share of your time coaching underperformers is unfair to the people who are producing, and will ultimately stunt your team’s results. Picture a basketball game. Who does the coach talk with most during the game, the people on the bench or the people scoring the points?     

Bottom Line: The prescription for the development of team members and the fine-tuning of leadership skills lies with coaching others. By helping your team members to grow, you will stay sharp and build positive energy. The results will be a team that performs at a high level, and a leader with their fingers on the pulse of their talent pool.

Until next time, be well.           

Do you want to use this newsletter in print or online?
Please do so, as long as you do not alter the content or embedded links. Also, please include the following information: Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. Doug’s book, Leadership Simplified, as well as audios and videos are available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about coaching and training services, contact Doug today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

© 2011 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Welcome to the summer blockbuster season. Perhaps you have seen some of this year’s cinematic offerings, featuring a bevy of larger than life figures wielding special-fantastic powers. Well, the business world has a superhero to unveil as well. The superhero of our adventure, however, is a seemingly ordinary leader who possesses an increasingly rare power. Our leader has the power to hold other people accountable. Let’s call her Captain Accountability. (Okay, this newsletter gets a bit cheesier, but in a moment there are some golden nuggets for you to ponder). Yes, Captain Accountability can do it all: Communicate, collaborate, build a great team, and get things done. Captain Accountability cuts through staffing and budgetary kudzu like a knife. My, my, how does she do it? Let’s take a look at the components of her secret powers.

1. A sense of duty. Captain Accountability feels a deep sense of commitment to her organization. Her desire to serve and strengthen the organization overwhelms her inherent temptation to be non-confrontational. As such, she is professionally confrontational with regard to holding people accountable to their commitments and duties.  

2. Effective non-verbal communication. Captain Accountability has command of her non-verbal communication. She ensures that her facial expressions and gestures accentuate her verbal messages. Also, she never crosses her arms (unless she is purposely trying to intimidate someone). The result of her non-verbal mastery is that she conveys clear messages that “stick.”

3. A mantra of collaboration. Captain Accountability’s organization has several areas of responsibility and each is critically dependent on the other. She understands that in a matrix structure such as her company’s, collaboration between leaders and team members is paramount to overall team success. More than just stressing collaboration, she has made collaborative efforts and successes a measure that appears on each team member’s annual review.

4. Building and reinforcing a sense of team. This trait is one of the hallmarks of Captain Accountability. She sponsors workplace team building events, rewards team members who are nominated by their peers for going above and beyond the call of duty, and makes public announcements every time her team helps the community.

5. Results-driven. At the heart of things, Captain Accountability is driven by team accomplishment. And nothing drives results more efficiently than holding people accountable.    

Bottom Line: Real superheros do not wear a cape, transform, or turn green – they are much more than that. The kind of superhero that I would pay money to see is authentic, focused, fair, and expects the best from their team members. At the end of the day a real superhero holds themselves and others accountable for delivering standout results. And nothing positively transforms people more than that. 

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available atwww.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2011 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

From time-to-time one of your team members may get out of line. It happens. And when it does, it disrupts the rhythm and results of the team. As leaders, we know that we should address the situation. Yet, sometimes things seem to quell and it is just too deliciously tempting to let the situation slide by and pretend that no harm occurred. In other words, some leaders choose to be non-confrontational. But what are the long term implications of such leadership behavior? Answer:

1. Rogue team members may feel unjustifiably empowered
2. Team members may question your leadership ability  
3. Personality conflicts may form or escalate
4. “Us versus Them” may spring up between functional areas

In other words, negative consequences almost assuredly occur when leaders do not promptly confront a behavior or performance issue in their workplace. The question then becomes: “What should a leader who is really a non-confrontational person do?” The answer is as follows:

1. Be intentional about embracing a mindset of “being tough on the issues and easy on the person.” In other words, simply focus on confronting the issue at hand. Too many leaders view difficult conversations as personality clashes. It is not. It is simply a leader being responsive to a negative stimulus in the workplace. No need to raise your voice or get red in the face.

2. Take a deep breath and control what you can control – your behavior. Obviously you cannot control the behavior of the individual(s) creating a workplace confrontation. But you can influence their behavior. In the process, stay focused on your behavior – and control it.

3. Be specific. Seek to address the issue in very specific terms. This means detailing what your observance or understanding is of the issue, and how it impacts the team. Do not feel like you have to candy-coat things. Just focus on the issue, and layout the facts and consequences.

4. Know when to create a working agreement. This is a collaboration tool that is mission-critical for leaders to know about and to use effectively. A working agreement details workplace expectations, and sets the tone for a solid working relationship. When a leader needs to confront a workplace issue, a working agreement is often a useful tool.

Bottom Line: Becoming professionally confrontational is a process. Many people need to become less confrontational. For the rest (or majority) of you: Embrace the right mindset, utilize a proven tool, implement a process, and get tough on those thorny issues.

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available atwww.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2011 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Ted was a superstar leader with a problem. He had been leading his organization for over a decade. He worked hard, and smart, and had led his organization successfully during times of smooth sailing, as well as rough waters. The Board of Directors was enthralled with Ted’s consistent results and world-class management of his people. Each year Ted’s Peer 360 Reviews were off-the-charts good. Ted was not troubled by the competition, or regulations, or even the slowly improving economy. Ted’s concerns were centered in identifying and developing his successor. You see, Ted was planning on retiring in three years and he viewed the organization as a perpetuity – he wanted to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

Ted realized that over the past few years he had been so focused on managing the company’s operations and its people that he had neglected to train and develop internal team members who could assume his position, as well as other high-level positions within the company.

As he sought to strengthen and protect his organization by developing its team members, Ted became a student of succession planning. The first thing that Ted learned was that succession planning is a two-tiered process. The first tier involves identifying internal team members with the potential to fill important positions within the organization. The second tier is engaging in a structured training development program that increases the leadership skills of appropriate team members. The latter actions position valued team members so that they will be best equipped to assume greater responsibilities.

As Ted began to think strategically about the succession planning process, he realized that it held the promise to accelerate the transition of qualified team members from individual contributors to managers and leaders. Energized by the possibilities, Ted made a list of the benefits of succession planning. It subsequently became a mantra with the C-level team, known simply as The Lucky 13. Ted’s list stated that succession planning:

1. Prepares current team members to assume important organizational positions
2. Develops skills and abilities of talented team members
3. Better positions the organization for long-term growth
4. Enhances team member capabilities and overall company performance
5. Improves employee engagement with the organization
6. Elevates team member commitment to the organization
7. Builds a retention wall around key team members  
8. Creates excitement regarding career development
9. Contains milestones that can assist with tracking skill improvement, as well as gaps in skill capabilities
10. Illustrates organizational support of key team members
11. Reduces the need and expense of recruiting external leadership talent
12. Strengthens a culture committed to leadership continuity
13. Strengthens the organization’s knowledge base

The Board of Directors was excited about Ted’s ideas regarding succession planning. They viewed succession planning as a means to create sustainable leadership, to ensure smooth business continuity, to improve team member morale, and to reduce a myriad of risks.

Ted and his leadership team crafted a five-part plan to implement their company’s succession strategy:

Part 1:  List the key roles requiring succession

Part 2:  Gain clarity on the core capabilities associated with each role

Part 3:  Identify team members with the potential to be successful in each role or multiple roles

Part 4:  Create a formal coaching and development program to enhance the skills and toolbox of appropriate team members

Part 5:  Implement and appropriately measure the action items

Bottom Line: By thinking strategically and taking a long-term view, Ted was able to collaborate with his upper-level leadership team and craft a meaningful succession plan for his company. In the process, short-term and medium-term results will also be increased. There is not much downside to succession planning. And remember, the more people you involve in the process, the more ownership they will take regarding the results.

Until next time, be well.

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available atwww.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2011 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Ralph was perplexed. He was technically excellent at his job, and he felt that fact alone should earn him high praise at work. Ralph led a group of seven people. They operated more like seven independent contractors, as opposed to a team. When it came annual review time, Ralph got bludgeoned – this surprised and perplexed him. Sidebar: the fact that annual reviews should never be surprising is an entirely different topic. In any case, Ralph was admonished for not coaching and mentoring his people. Low team morale was also highlighted. Ralph was not fearful for his job, but he was definitely scratching his head. He sought out a long-time friend at work, Sue, and asked her about his predicament. Sue shared four areas for Ralph to ponder.

First of all, Sue said, “realize that leadership is a team game.” Ralph loved the tasks involved in what he perceived to be his core job. That is why he was technically excellent. Sue highlighted that Ralph’s core job was actually to lead. She quoted her favorite leadership consultant when she told him: “Leaders impact culture! ®” As such, it was time he focused on the culture of his group and molded them into a collaborative team.

The second area Sue touched on was “to lead a team you have to know your players.” Ralph hung his head as Sue spoke these words. He knew what his people were capable of at work, but he really did not know them as people. He did not know what moved them. He did not know about their vision, dreams, and goals. He did not understand their true potential. Sue asked Ralph a pointed question: “How can you have positive team morale if you do not really know your team?” She also asked Ralph if was sincerely interested in knowing his players better. Ralph stated that he was. Sue then said, “Utilize ‘small talk is big talk’ and connect with your people.” As he looked up, Ralph smiled. He knew just what Sue was referring to – he needed to carve out times during the day to proactively check in with his team members and get his fingers on the pulse of his workgroup first hand.

The third area that Sue highlighted was to build trust by consistent action. Sue asked Ralph, “Do your people trust you?” Ralph’s sheepish reply was, “I don’t know.” Sue’s response was blunt, “Then they probably don’t.” The words stung Ralph, but he knew they were true. Sue continued, “Your team members probably do not mistrust you, they just do not know you very well. So win them over! You are a great guy. Show your people that you care about them. Learn about them. Support them more. Once you start behaving in this manner though, you cannot stop. Your actions must be sincere, and they must consistently carry on – or they will mistrust you.” Ralph smiled, he could feel the leadership energy building inside of him. Ralph asked Sue a question, “You do these things, don’t you Sue?” She smiled and laughed, “Of course I do…..because I want to, and because I believe it is the right way to lead.” With that she added, “It also gives me the cache I need with my people when I need to have tough conversations with them.”

The final area Sue touched on was to coach and develop team members. She implored Ralph to create a coaching plan of action for each of his team members. “Sometimes I do the coaching myself, and sometimes I bring in outside coaches,” Sue said. As she finished, Sue stated with confidence, “What matters is that I enable coaching actions that help my people grow and learn.” Ralph added, “With the pace and frequent changes in our workplace, coaching would help people be better positioned for the future.” Sue nodded and added, “And it will continually build trust because your people know you are looking out for their best interests.” Ralph nodded in agreement.

After their conversation, do you think Ralph hugged Sue? You betcha. A big ‘ole bear hug, I might add. As Ralph executed Sue’s sage advice, he realized that she effectively saved his leadership career. Eighteen months later, Ralph leads a real team. He is still technically excellent, and also receives darn good performance reviews. It goes without saying that he treats Sue to lunch on a regular basis.

Until next time my friends, be well.

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available atwww.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2011 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Meg Whitman, the former CEO of eBay once said “Every business has a baby tiger.” What she meant by this statement is that most businesses have at least one, ultra-talented employee who moves to the beat of their own drummer. These baby tigers are, in a business sense, wild. They crush the spirit of their peers because they do not even try to play nice in the sandbox. They feel that their talent and accomplishments overshadow others in the organization. Their viewpoint is “org chart be damned, I report to the president.” C’mon, you know someone like this, don’t you? Most of us have experienced the splendor of collaborating with a baby tiger at some point in our career.  

Most leaders view their baby tiger as a rogue team member who needs to be tamed. Changing baby tigers is rarely successful and typically ends badly – they either leave the company which ends up hurting your bottom line, or they stay, pout, and stop being productive. So what is a leader to do with these beasts? The answer lies with attempting to place your baby tiger in a position in which they can thrive. Okay, so you just said “no duh.” What I really mean is this: think strategically about your baby tiger and seek to position them in one of three ways.

The first strategy is to make your baby tiger a sole-producer and isolate them from others in the organization. Surprisingly, baby tigers are passionate about the end game (i.e., the finished product, serving the customer, creating things, etc.). As such, you can have them interact with other people, just not the people within your organization. Oh, and be certain to have your baby tiger report to the president or someone very high in the organization. This will appeal to their highly developed sense of self-worth. The problems this creates with other team members will be covered in future newsletters.

The second strategy is to partner them with a team member who has off-the-charts good emotional intelligence. You know, that high-flyer in your organization that seems to get along with everyone. While their amiability will be challenged by getting along with a baby tiger, they may end up serving as just the right buffer between the broader workgroup and your renegade. When this strategy is successful, everyone grows in the process and the bottom line is maximized.

The third strategy is to jettison your baby tiger.  If your stomach or your team is turning sour due to the tumult caused by your baby tiger, relieve yourself of the discomfort, and the tiger of their duties. In other words, tell your baby tiger to find a different jungle in which to create chaos. What you lose in productivity, you will gain in solace, team harmony, and focus.  

Bottom Line: Leaders impact culture®. In the process, leaders help to structure a workforce that delivers optimal results in a rapidly-changing marketplace. If you can strategically position a baby tiger so that they enhance your business, do so and be creative in the process. If they are just too wild and wooly for your corporate culture, recognize it early on and cut ties. And do not forget, in this case doing nothing is not an option.

Until next time, be well. 

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available atwww.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2011 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

When I was in China recently I had an opportunity to observe a variety of Chinese managers. While most of my observations took place in manufacturing facilities, several were in service-oriented settings. So what was the common leadership style I observed? The answer: pretty darn directive and authoritarian. Were the subordinates I observed compliant? Answer: you betcha – I do not believe they had many alternatives. My experience got me thinking about the topic of leadership identity, which means: “How do you want to be described or remembered as a leader?” A few of the many areas that can identify the legacy and reputation of a leader are shown below.  

1. Followership – Creating an atmosphere where team members willingly follow a leader is no small task. It takes a leader who has a consistent leadership approach, yet is agile in their thinking. The leaders I know who have the best followership are very intentional with regard to coaching and mentoring their team members. If received religiously, many times team members do not even realize they have been coached. Followership is also fostered when team members know that their leader is courageous in support of the team, and combative when appropriate.

2. Leadership Methodology – The methods and tools used by leaders says a lot about their style and effectiveness. Do you use dashboards and metrics to help you track results? What about techniques such as MBWA (managing by wandering around) and small talk is big talk? Are your methods consistent or are they scattered? How your team perceives your leadership methodology probably mirrors how they describe you to others.      

3. Comfort with Leadership – If you are comfortable in your leadership skin, it will show. It will also help team members to be confident about your ability to lead and direct. If you feel awkward as a leader, you will look awkward as a leader. Your people will notice this and it will put them on edge as a result. If you do not believe this, consider a concert conductor who appears disorganized, or a quarterback who appears fearful as he calls out a play. Their team can tell that things are not optimal. Seek to be confident, and you will optimize results in the process.  

4. Succession Development – Grooming your potential replacement is a large part of your leadership identity. Many low-skill or low-confidence leaders purposely do not develop others because they fear they will be replaced by the person they groom. In the process they withhold information that would otherwise help a team member to grow and the team to flourish. What these leaders fail to recognize is that the ability to coach, to teach, to improve others is one of the best qualities a leader can possess. By skillfully providing succession alternatives, a leader illustrates that they are invaluable to the organization and can be useful in an array of capacities. If you have not identified and begun to groom a potential successor, please do so today.

In closing, in order to take stock of your leadership identity, answer the following questions:

1. Do I have followership? If so, do they follow me for the right reasons or because of my title?
2. Have I developed a leadership methodology, or am I really a manager whose leadership techniques are all over the board?
3. Am I comfortable in my leadership skin? In other words, does my preferred style suit me and the goals that my team needs to accomplish? Also, do I possess a variety of styles that get the job done, and am I comfortable with them?
4. Are the high-potential members of my team being developed to move into my position and beyond?

Now plan an appropriate strategy, take action, and continue to elevate your leadership acumen!

Until next time, be well.

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available atwww.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2011 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Recently I spoke to a group about teamwork. While it is always fun to speak publicly, this occasion was especially festive because awards were being bestowed on their employees of the month, as well as their team of the year. In a sense I was preaching to the choir about teamwork, nevertheless, we celebrated team successes and reaffirmed four keys to great teamwork. Now I could have easily listed 30 elements of teamwork, but there was only time to address a handful. The items discussed during the keynote speech were as follows:

1. Trust – A strong sense of trust is the foundation of every high-functioning team. Trust is built by doing what we say we are going to do. In other words, integrity builds trust. A team culture that is built on integrity creates a reliability factor that permeates the organization and delivers solid results.

Example: In the early days of the space program, one of the NASA astronauts had some butterflies about his upcoming mission to the moon. He was on the first mission to explore the lunar surface. He approached NASA’s lead engineer to learn more about the technical aspects of the mission. The engineer was brutally honest with the astronaut. He said: “I don’t know how we are going to get you to the moon. And once you are there, I don’t know how we are going to get you back home.” After a pause, the engineer added one more comment that strangely calmed the astronaut and gave him confidence that the mission would be successful. The engineer added: “If you don’t make it to the moon, or if you don’t make it back, it won’t be because of me.” Pointing to his chest own chest, the engineer reiterated: “It won’t be because of me.” This “take responsibility” attitude permeated NASA during the Apollo missions. Because people took individual responsibility, a deep sense of trust flowed through the entire organization. The feeling of trust helped everyone in NASA work with more confidence. The entire team became confident that they would land astronauts on the moon, and bring them home. Their mission was ultimately, wildly successful.

2. Expectations – Far too many team members go about pursing goals without sharing clear expectations of what they expect from their teammates. By not sharing your expectations of excellence with those around you, a feeling of simply “meeting expectations” may result. If you are reading this newsletter, you are the not the type of professional who simply wants to meet expectations. Teams begin to perform at a high level when two actions occur: First, individual team members strive to do their best; Second, team members communicate that they expect their teammates to perform at a high level. There is power when peers hold each other to high standards.

Example: The Green Bay Packers just won their fourth Super Bowl. It pains me to write this, as I was born in Chicago. Nevertheless, those pesky cheeseheads are champs again – congrats. Aaron Rodgers, their outstanding quarterback, was the MVP of the Super Bowl. It was a breakout year for Aaron as he led his team both on and off the field. On the field he performed magnificently – just as he expected himself to do. In the locker room, however, he was a leader as well. He frequently, passionately communicated to his teammates that he expected them to perform with excellence. Over the course of the season several of his teammates commented about Aaron’s locker room leadership  during press conferences. They stated that Aaron Rodgers told them, repeatedly, that he not only expected them to catch the ball, but also to get a first down, or a touchdown, or to make something positive happen. He expected great blocking, outstanding running, and teamwork. Well, on February 6, 2011 (my birthday, by the way), Aaron Rodgers’ teammates performed superbly, as did Aaron. The result was success. The result was a championship!

3. Feedback – I was tempted to place communication here, but high-performing teams possess the quality of trust - which carries the added advantage of team members being able to share candid feedback with each other. Yes, yes feedback is a type of communication. However, if delivered correctly it can be quite impactful. When sharing feedback, high-performing team members tend to be very specific – with praise, as well as constructive criticism. In addition, feedback that possesses the most stickability contains roughly three positive items to every one constructive item offered. Effective feedback reinforces good team habits, and catches unmet expectations before they turn into major issues.

Example: Tina was a leader at a large distribution company, which was having a few quality and morale issues. She wanted to address the situation, but was unsure of a proper plan of attack. Tina and I brainstormed on the issue in order to flesh out a variety of paths for her to follow. The first strategy she implemented involved actions that she could directly control. She decided that for one full week she would embrace a mantra of “catching people doing something right.” In sum, Tina began to share a bevy of very specific compliments with her team members on the good things they did. Even after one week the atmosphere in her work unit was improved – they began to catch her doing things right as well, so it contained unexpected side benefits. The next week, she began to implement a 3-positive to 1-constructive feedback strategy. Something interesting happened: because she was so specific on the positives that her team was accomplishing, they were open-minded to the one, very specific, piece of constructive feedback she shared. Over the ensuing months, Tina was brilliantly consistent with regard to sharing feedback in a three-to-one ratio, as well as being very specific with the praise portion of the program. The final result was a terrific improvement in morale, and an error rate that plummeted.

4. Leadership Influence – This is the portion of the program where I get to share Doug Van Dyke’s definition of leadership: “Leaders impact culture.” Leadership can be located anywhere in an organization – top to bottom to sideways. But the true leaders are the people who are shaping and influencing the culture of the organization. Leadership is not about title, it is about influence - and leaders can shape an organization in a positive direction, or a not so positive direction.

Example: Elliott (name changed to protect the guilty) owned a service-based business. He was interested in having his team engage in a workplace team building initiative in order to help them focus more on goal attainment and to reduce a feeling of “us versus them” between their sales and operations units. Prior to the initiative Elliott stated that “No one in this company takes deadlines seriously.” He also mentioned that there was tension between a small group of sales people and the operations group that made up the lion’s share of the company headcount. As the starting time of 8:00am on the day of the initiative approached, 21 of the 24 invited attendees were in their seats. At 8:00am sharp the facilitator turned to Elliott and asked: “Shall we get started?” That is when the source of the company’s major issues became clear. Elliott stated: “Well, we are missing three people, let’s give them 10-minutes to get here and then we will start.” There was an audible groan from the team, and the facilitator was shocked. What Elliott had done was to punish good behavior, people arriving on time, and stroked the bad behavior of arriving late. In addition, he had shown favoritism to the people who were not yet seated. It was no wonder that the team did not take deadlines seriously – the owner of the company was laissez-faire with regard to them.

At 8:10am the three tardy team members arrived – the sales team. The initiative began and it turned out to be a successful event. The real work, however, lay ahead. After the day’s event, the facilitator met with Elliott and brought to his attention that it was, more than likely, his actions were creating/reinforcing the major challenges faced by his company. Fortunately, Elliott was receptive to the feedback, as well as to adjusting his behaviors to be more consistent with the desired expectations he had for his team. He began to start meetings on time, and played no favorites. People got the message and deadlines began to be met. The sales team also became more integrated with the overall team. To this day, years later, Elliott embraces the notion that his behaviors drive the habits and shape the culture of his company.    

Bottom Line: Effective teamwork is a force multiplier. It drives productivity. It reinforces morale. It delivers results. Leaders impact the culture of organizations. In essence, the deliverables you desire are well within your control – lead wisely and enjoy the journey.  

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available atwww.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2011 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Hopefully your New Year is percolating along. Many industries are experiencing an uptick in their business activity and results. Fan those flames leaders! In an effort to help you guide your way, we here at Leadership Simplified wanted to share four insights regarding the remainder of 2011. Your thoughts and additions to our list are strongly encouraged.

1. An improving economy. Corporate revenues and profits are growing organically again. In other words, companies have improved earnings as much as possible through cost cutting measures. Current and future financial growth solidly resides in growing the business the old fashioned way – by selling more stuff and skillfully ensuring sufficient profit margins. This calls for the operations side of the business to be organized efficiently and communicating effectively with their sales brethren. On the flipside, the sales team needs to have their prospect outreach and negotiations game on. All areas of the business need to be ready and willing to collaborate.

2. A renewed focus on training and development. For the past 2 – 3 years many companies have placed growing their people on the sidelines. As people are charged with doing more with less, however, it becomes imperative that their skills are continually sharpened and increased. How do leaders best grow the skills of their people? Answer: embrace a leadership style that is focused on coaching, and implement a healthy regiment of training. If conducted properly, training and development should deliver an observable, positive difference in team members. In other words, you should experience a handsome ROI, as opposed to sunk cost.

3. A languishing job market. Unfortunately, as companies continue to be conservative with their cash reserves, job growth will be sluggish. In the short run this is bothersome – especially to overworked teams and frustrated job seekers. In the long run, it is also a bit of a concern, as the U.S. economy appears to be recalibrating to a growth mode that contains a high level of unemployment. More on this issue in future newsletters. For now, most organizations are faced with efficiencies through better team work, as well as leveraging technological advances and opportunities. Leaders should be instilling or reinforcing a mindset that challenges team members to reengineer their processes and automate as many actions as possible.

4. The continued emergence of the Internet. This past holiday season was a bastion of success for Internet retailers. Clearly, the ease of comparison shopping and the Internet’s convenience has integrated online purchasing into the psyche of the mainstream shopper. The fact that we live in an instant gratification society does not hurt either.
   
   Business consumers are increasingly conducting their search and due diligence on the Internet. In other words, if a client has recently purchased your products or engaged your services, they more than likely checked out your website thoroughly beforehand. More importantly, make certain that your online presence reflects your desired image and that your goods and services are readily available for easy purchase via the Internet!

In future communiqués we will address banking, real estate, and a cadre of other areas. For now, we rest with a list of four items for your consideration. Make 2011 soar – you have the power!    

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available atwww.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2011 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

There are a host of leadership theories that exist. Heck, every time a dissertation on leadership is written some new fangled slant on leadership takes shape. While the science of management is fairly straightforward, the art of leadership can be complicated. As such, we here at Leadership Simplified seek to cut through the kudzu and deliver pragmatic advice on how to effectively lead your team and deliver solid results for your organization in the process.  

Employee motivation is a topic that frequently comes up when discussions about leadership take place. There are two camps regarding motivation. The first centers on how leaders motivate team members. The second states that motivation comes from within us. Now certainly the leader’s actions and behaviors influence the behavior and results of subordinates, however, I believe core motivation is derived from the makeup of an individual. Perhaps the topic of motivation is a matter of semantics. In my view, leaders should focus on their own behavior, the type of leadership style they use, and the actions they take. If leaders deliver these three areas in a positive fashion and they “motivate” team members in the process, so be it. Let’s take a quick look at each area. We begin with leadership behavior.

One of the core functions of a leader is to help team members down a path that results in positive outcomes. Along the journey, leaders should focus on specific behaviors that will guide team members. It is critical that leaders lead by example. Not long ago a company, that will herein remain unnamed, implemented an enterprise system that completely changed their operating procedures. In theory, the new system would add great efficiencies to the business. That is, if everyone in the company embraced and used the system. All employees needed to be trained. The two owners of the company unfortunately believed that they were too busy and somehow too important to attend the subsequent training sessions. Initially, the other 150 employees eagerly attended the training. Their enthusiasm for the new system waned, however, due to the owners’ lack of involvement. In addition, during casual conversations it was evident that the owners could not intelligently discuss the nuances of the company’s new operating system. What did their lack of leading by example cost? Answer: $500,000 via an unused operating system, plus hundreds of man-hours lost on wasted training, plus deteriorated morale. Do not let set up your team members for disappointment – lead by example whenever possible!

Next, we take a look at leadership style. It is important that leaders choose the appropriate style for a given situation. In times of chaos or great change, a leader should employ a controlling style. During chaotic times (and whether we like it or not, change creates chaos) team members are looking for a take-charge person who speaks with confidence about events impacting the business and discusses the direction in which the company is headed. In contrast, in times of relative calm, when a team is performing well, a cheerleading style is appropriate. During stable times, a high performing team responds well to a leader who stokes the fire and maintains positive momentum. For those times in between chaos and calm, a leader would do well to embrace more of a coaching style. Helping team members to grow and learn is always a positive. Also, a coaching style deepens bench strength and helps increase team member retention.

Next we examine four overarching actions that leaders should embrace. First, communicate clear expectations to team members. While you are at it, listen to their expectations of you. If both of you meet each other’s expectations, the game of work is 75% won. Secondly, constantly develop your people so that they grow their professional competencies (see coaching style above). Third, consistently reinforce a compelling mission and future vision for the company. People love to follow visionaries – especially those who walk the talk. Lastly, on a monthly basis highlight the major priorities on which the company is focused. By frequently communicating top organizational priorities, a leader can ensure that all (okay, a majority of) team members are rowing in the same direction.

Bottom Line: Leaders need to behave in a fashion that models how their team members should behave. In addition, based on the situations they encounter, leaders need to be intentional about the style with which they lead. When a leader blends the right behaviors and style for a given situation at hand, they increase the probability that people will follow their lead. Lastly, when leaders add result-driving actions into the mix, they create an unstoppable force. But you know this; just make certain that others do as well.  

May your success in 2011 be unstoppable my friends. Until next time, be well!

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available atwww.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2011 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Inez is a detail-oriented, deadline-focused leader. She manages a team of six people, and is known for “getting things done.” Inez’s boss, Carol, appreciates her efficiency. She also senses a morale problem in Inez’s department. Carol’s intuition is spot-on, because Inez’s team members are not big fans of her methods. What Carol learned through casual conversations is that Inez asks a lot of questions. Typically, this is a good thing. Inez’s style, however, is to ask the questions in rapid-fire succession, using a terse tone of voice. Inez also begins her questions with one of two words: “Why” or “What.” Her staccato conversations end up sounding something like this:

            “Why did you prepare that….?”

            “What happened next?”

            “Why did they react that way to your request?”

            “What did you do then?”

While Inez’s team members respect her industry knowledge and her accomplishments, they are weary of her one-sided conversations. After conversing with Inez, her team members feel interrogated. In fact, when Inez is not around, they refer to her as Inez the Interrogator.

In an effort to help Inez transform her verbal queries into meaningful conversations, Carol met with her one-on-one. Carol began by quoting Jack Welch, the legendary leader GE, who stated that once someone becomes a leader they begin providing fewer answers and start asking better and better questions. Carol praised Inez for her use of questions to drive conversation. She also mentioned that the structure and tone of voice used during questioning can make a difference between people feeling part of a meaningful exchange of information versus interrogated. Carol’s comments resonated with Inez – several times she had overhead people referring to her as The Interrogator. As she continued, Carol stated that the artful mastery and use of a variety of open-ended questions can serve many purposes. Carol listed just a few of the ways that effectively delivering open-ended questions could assist Inez:     

• Controlling a conversation without appearing in control
• Gaining knowledge of the team member’s perspective
• Learning what may be influencing the team member’s decision-making

Inez nodded as she listened to Carol. She then stated she wanted to learn about how to better structure her questioning. Carol smiled and then listed several words and phrases that can begin meaningful open-ended questions.

• Describe…….
• Explain…..
• How…..
• Where……
• Share with me……
• Tell me about…..
• Tell me more about…..
• What……

Carol highlighted that there is nothing wrong with starting a question with the word “what.” She reinforced that starting open-ended questions with a good variety of other words and phrases will make the other person feel part of a sincere conversation, as opposed to feeling picked-clean of information. Inez agreed. Carol continued by asking Inez how others may feel when the word “why” begins a question.

    After a moment Inez said: “I guess it could make them feel defensive.”

    “Exactly,” Carol said. “So if you feel compelled to use the word ‘why,’ bury it in the middle of a question, rather than using it in the beginning.”

    “Makes sense,” said Inez. “Please tell me more about tone of voice.”

Carol stated that tone of voice is difficult to monitor, since we tend to pay little attention to our tone during conversation. She mentioned that our emotions usually control our tone of voice. This struck a chord with Inez, who was usually stressed-out. “That is why my voice is so terse,” Inez said, as if experiencing an epiphany. “Bingo,” said Carol, “Just practice softening your tone. It will take time, but soon you will easily master your tone of voice.”  

Inez immediately embraced Carol’s advice. She started her open-ended questions with a variety of words and phrases. She also concentrated on using more appropriate tones of voice.

Fast forward eleven months. Without the distraction of Inez’s interrogative style, her team members bore witness to Inez’s passion for their success, and her abilities to lead effectively. There was less tension and people were interested in speaking with Inez because they knew they would be engaging in an actual conversation. As the team relaxed, people smiled more, including Inez. Soon, she had a different nickname, Inez the Enlightened – less alliterative, but certainly more complimentary.

Bottom Line: In a stress-filled work-world it is easy to turn into Joe Friday and ask for just the facts. As leaders, we must continually build rapport with team members and promote positive morale. Luckily there are an abundance of ways we can do this. Asking terrific, open-ended questions is one of the foundational ways that leaders show their competence. It uncovers troves of information, while involving people in the discovery.

Until next time my friends, be well. 

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available atwww.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Bob has been leading teams for over 20 years. He enjoys leading people and seeing teams succeed. Last year Bob was asked to lead a new, nine-person operations team being formed by his company. As usual, Bob was charged with delivering standout results. The only difference between Bob’s previous teams and his new assignment was that he was the only person located at corporate headquarters. Everyone else was sprinkled around the globe – six in the United States, and three in Western Europe. Due to his tenure with the company, Bob knew most of his team members and they got along just fine. He did a good job of getting to know the two team members who were new to him. As his work unit started operations, Bob felt comfortable. While this was the first time that any of the team members had worked in a virtual environment, everyone expressed confidence and comfort with the arrangement. Bob had many tasks to accomplish, as did each member of his team. If everyone focused on their individual deliverables, Bob’s assignment would be a piece of cake.

At first the team performed well. Bob received everyone’s assignments, collated the results, turned in the final deliverable, and voila, positive results. Bob communicated with individual team members as needed and occasionally held team teleconferences. Since it was a virtual team, Bob saw little need for much team interaction. Everyone seemed happy to focus on their individual silo. By the end of the first quarter Bob had received no complaints from his team, or from his bosses. By the end of the second quarter however, team performance slipped. Several people began to miss deadlines and work began to get sloppy. Bob found himself working seven days a week to clean up mistakes and missed assignments. Most of his conversations with team members were corrective in nature and Bob’s tone of voice that was frustrated or angry.

Before things got too out of hand, Bob began to research the topic of leading virtual teams. The information Bob uncovered surprised and shocked the socks off him. Bob found out the following:

0. Virtual teams place even greater demands on team leaders than traditional on-site teams, demanding 50% more time investment (Dyer, Dyer, & Dyer, 2007).
0. When leading virtually, miscommunication increases because a leader is not privy to important nonverbal cues that register unease, confusion, agreement or disagreement (O’Brien, 2010).  
0. People involved in virtual meetings often feel a lowered sense of accountability. During in-person meetings team members show up - physically and mentally. They tend to be more prepared and participative (O’Brien, 2010).
0. During virtual meetings, team members may do things they would not do in person, such as checking sports scores or having side conversations (Stack, 2010).
0. For virtual teams that are connected across time and space by electronic media, the relationship function is even more critical that in traditional on-site teams (Northouse, 2010). 
0. The leader of a virtual team must understand the causes of silence, misunderstanding, and slights, without any of the usual signs to guide them. Also, virtual teams experience slower development of trust, cohesion, and shared goals (Orvis & Lassiter, 2008).
0. When leading virtual teams it is critically important to build a team relationship before focusing on tasks or problems facing the team.

After reviewing his research for the third time, Bob sat back in his chair and wiped his brow. He had much work to do. He sought advice from his boss and others regarding what behaviors and actions he should embrace as the leader of a virtual team. The initial response Bob received is shown below.

0. View your role as a collaborative facilitator. In other words, seek to orchestrate the team. Also, during team meetings frame questions that call for team members to interact and solve issues/opportunities together.  

      2.   Hold succinct meetings that are crisp and well-planned. Use an agenda that is distributed in advance of the meeting, and begin/end the meeting on time.  

0. Workplace teambuilding. Often times, leaders think of teambuilding only when people are actually onsite. Realize that it is even more important to conduct workplace teambuilding with distance teams. An example: 

•  
  • Conduct a teleconference exercise during which team members predict via a detailed description, each other’s work environment. The closest to the actual work environment wins a small prize. Note: this exercise will help you determine who is a jokester, who is a pragmatist, and who does not give a darn. 

0. Get visual. Skype or use other technologies that allow team members to gain a visual image of other team members.  

      5.   Set expectations of everyone’s behavior during teleconferences and videoconferences. Some items to consider: 

•  
  • Each team member will be expected to ask at least one question.
  • Engagement. Expect people to pay attention (they will do this if you deliver a meeting that is well thought out).
  • Single-task. Studies have shown that multi-tasking is not all is it cracked up to be. It is particularly wasteful during teleconferences. Challenge your team members to have enough self-discipline to single-task during virtual team meetings.  

0. Accountability. Agree to a system that will allow team members to hold each other accountable for various tasks and behaviors. Also, have agreed upon rewards and repercussions for achievement or missing the mark. 

      7.   Communicate frequently (does this one even have to be listed?). 

Bottom Line: In order for leaders of virtual teams to be successful they need to spend more time leading than they would with a traditional, in-person team. These leaders must be creative, conduct succinct meetings, and communicate in a manner that connects with far away team members. Building and growing skill sets has never been more important, especially for the virtual leader!

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Transparency is an oft used word these days. Tossed about by politicians and business-folk alike, the term transparency is rarely defined by its users and seldom supported by salient examples. This newsletter takes a quick look at transparency as it pertains to leadership. 

First of all, how do we define the transparent leader? The dictionary offers an array of answers, but I like this one: “Open, frank, candid.” I will also add the traits of consistency and predictability. So for our discussion, the transparent leader is defined as: A person who is open, frank, and candid, and leads in a consistent, predictable manner. Now that we are clear on the qualities that a transparent leader possesses, let us take a look at the types of actions that transparent leaders commonly practice. 

0. They are very clear about what they and the organization are trying to accomplish. The transparent leader clearly communicates the mission of the organization and why it matters. 
    
0. They succinctly state how the organization is going to accomplish what it sets out to do. The transparent leader lays out the strategy and supports why it will be effective.
    
0. They show how they are going to get people behind it. The transparent leader communicates the roles that team members play and why those roles are critically important to the success of the organization and the team members.  
    
0. They lay out direction. The transparent leader crafts a compelling vision for the future and frequently communicates milestones that are accomplished. In addition, the contributions of team members are frequently recognized and acknowledged as positively moving the organization forward.  

Bottom Line: Being a transparent leader builds trust, and trust is the cornerstone of effective leadership. When team members trust that their leader will be open, candid, and predictable, they do not have the distraction of leadership inconsistencies. As a result, team members can focus on their tasks and goals. In other words, the organization is clearly focused on the greater mission. Transparent leaders help their teams achieve more, with less stress, and fewer distractions. 

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Sue is a terrific producer. She is the backbone of her team with regard to getting things done. The overall team is doing well, however, it is recognized that Sue drives much of the core production that makes the office successful. While she is not the leader of the team by title, her actions and her words are influential. In essence, Sue has cache, as well as the ability to shape the demeanor and morale of the team. Sounds great doesn’t it? Stay tuned.

Next we examine Sue’s behavior during staff meetings. Typically, Sue is recognized during staff meetings as the top-producer for the period. She beams when this occurs and grandly accepts individual praise, without sharing any credit with the support team which toils to help her during the production process and to service her customers. When issues or problems are discussed, however, Sue wields a hammer. She is not shy about throwing an individual under the bus. In addition, even though she might possess some fault, she never acknowledges that fact. She is accusatory as opposed to inclusionary. Sue points a finger rather than acknowledging that the work unit is one big team and thus she is included in the problem. Consider the following two statements, which really say the same thing:

a. “I can’t believe that these things can’t get done correctly. I mean, every time I send a file to field support they seem to screw it up. Look at what happened to the Miller file. I should probably just do these things myself.”

b. “Let’s discuss the Miller file, if we may. Perhaps my instructions were unclear or the deadline was too aggressive. The bottom line is: I would like to figure out a way that files like the Miller’s could flow more smoothly through our system.”

Which statement do you think Sue gravitates toward? You guessed it, “a” which is a very accusatory statement. With a bit of targeted, one-on-one coaching, her boss could easily have her uttering nice inclusionary statements like item “b.” If Sue were to include herself in the issue at hand, she would actually build morale. Her team members already view her as a rainmaker and a hard worker. If she would include herself as part of an issue that needs to be fixed (because she is part of the issue), her cache would grow even more. Just imagine what positive things would happen if Sue began to actually share credit with others when she received individual recognition? The sky is the limit for Sue and her team. But it all boils down to her leader. In this case there are at least two actions that Sue’s boss should take.

0. Coaching. Sue’s boss needs to meet with her privately and reinforce the specific positives that she brings to the work unit, as well as highlight the language and behavior he expects from Sue during team meetings. Sue will need more than one coaching session. She will need a coaching plan that is delivered over a period of a several months. The reason for coaching over a period of time is because we do not snap our fingers and change behavior. It is a process that takes time. In this instance, the time, effort, and focus needed are a worthy investment. Positive results with regard to Sue’s staff meeting behavior would lead to staggeringly positive results for team morale and productivity.

0. Working Agreement. This situation is perfect for a collaboration tool I call a Working Agreement. The working agreement process is a chance for the various groups in the office to share clear expectations with each other. Whether the working agreement meetings are led by Sue’s boss or an outside facilitator, the outcomes will be better communication, enhanced collaboration, more productivity, and an increased bottom line. 

And speaking of the bottom line, in this situation it is as follows: Do not let the behavior of one individual hijack the morale of your office. Even if it is your top producer, take a stand and provide them with specific feedback and expectations. If they leave, you will be better off in the long run. If they choose to enhance their behavior, you will have increased the success of your team. Either way, the team wins. The only way the team loses? Status Quo.

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Results are important. A lot of our focus here at Leadership Simplified is on delivering positive results. If you desire not only short-term results, but long-term results, you should also pay attention to the methods you as a leader use to drive results. This desire, to deliver consistent positive outcomes, brings us to the topic of leadership style. In order to take a quick look at the impact of leadership style, we examine the underpinnings of a mayoral race in Washington D.C. The current mayor Adrian Fenty should, by many results-oriented measures, be a shoe-in in the next election. The polls, where he is trailing badly, tell a different story. The reason he is far behind in the polls? The answer is found from a quote in a recent report by NPR: “With a strong national reputation and a record that other mayors would be proud of, many expected Fenty to coast to re-election. But instead he’s in a battle, mostly because of what some call an arrogant, aloof and aggressive style of leadership.” In other words, Mr. Fenty’s style of delivering results is imperiling his ability to continue to deliver positive outcomes.

The “style” approach to leadership emphasizes the behavior of the leader (Northouse, P.G. 2010, Leadership Theory and Practice). In his book, Northouse references researchers who state that the style approach to leadership is composed of two kinds of behaviors: task behavior (getting things done) and relationship behaviors (helping others feel comfortable with the situation). 

In Mr. Fenty’s case his impressive results are being overshadowed by his in your face leadership behavior. While he has excelled at attracting support talent, making pragmatic changes, and improving measurable outcomes, he has done it in a manner that did not build relationships and trust. While it may be too late for Mr. Fenty to adjust his style in order to maintain his leadership position, what should others do who are in a similar, non-political circumstance? Let’s take a look at four (4) path-goal items (Northhouse 2010) to consider:

0. Define Goals – while Mr. Fenty has probably defined goals well, perhaps he could embrace a more visionary, inclusionary manner when doing so. The more it sounds like a team vision and goal, the more the team will be on board.
0. Clarify Path – if the mantra for the path is “do it now,” things may get done, but for how long? The more a leader empathetically verbalizes a path and how that path will benefit its travelers, the more people will eagerly stay on the path.
0. Remove Obstacles – a leader who orders others to remove rocks in the road, manages obstacles. A leader who is out in front, perspiring, helping to move those same boulders is leading the way. Morale: get your hands dirty when there are thorny issues. Your people will notice.
0. Provide Support – this is where the concept of participative leadership takes shape.  According to Northouse, participative leadership “consists of inviting subordinates to share in the decision-making…obtaining their ideas and opinions, and integrating their suggestions into how the organization will proceed.”

More than likely, Mr. Fenty will be job hunting soon. Do not suffer the same fate. Look in the mirror (or engage in a 360 degree peer review process) and tweak your leadership style. Be strategic and match your style to fit your team’s personality and the culture of your organization. The result? Ahh, sweet longevity! 

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

A friend of mine sees in colors. Well, many of us see in color. My friend, however, sees letters and numbers in color. For example, as you and I think of letters or utter numbers, our minds eye sees them in black in white. John, my friend, sees a broad spectrum of color. His letter “Q” is bright orange. John’s “D” is a soft shade of blue. Every letter and number of John’s colorful, wonderful world has a unique color. John’s condition is called synesthesia. And if ever I was going to have a condition, I believe that I would choose synesthesia. John is in his forties and it is only recently that he discovered that he has synesthesia. In other words, and more amazing to me, is that John just discovered that you and I do not have synesthesia. So what was it that led John to a mutually-surprising discovery? The answer: a simple question that unlocked a treasure trove of information.

The question that John asked his wife one morning was: “Honey, what color is your J?” After a fair amount of staring at each other, John and his wife learned that they see things differently, literally. Yet, of course, they get along famously. The point of all this is to illustrate the power and discovery that lies in asking terrific questions. When I conduct sales training, I ask the audience how sales people show their competence. A variety of answers are usually volleyed my way. The correct answer, in my opinion, is: Sales people show their competence by the quality of their questions. Ponder that statement for a moment and perhaps you will agree. If you do, you may further agree that the best leaders also ask terrific questions. So now we will examine some of the marvelous opportunities that asking good questions create.

0. An opportunity to listen and learn. In fact, when I conduct communication and leadership workshops, the listening skills portion of the program is actually called “Listen and Learn.” There is just so much we can learn from sincere listening:
   0. The other person’s point of view (like it or not)
   0. The level of passion that they have towards the topic (via their tone of voice)
   0. Information and facts that they believe are true (sometimes they really are correct)
0. An opportunity to be consultative. Good consultants are investigative. They probe and learn root causes of issues and opportunities by asking leading questions that unlock critical information that is stored in their clients’ minds. When those critical thoughts and insights are shared with a talented professional, marvelous actions can begin to take shape. But only if the right questions, at the right time, and in the right manner are asked. 
0. An opportunity to be empathetic. The quality of empathy is part of the social awareness competency of Emotional Intelligence. Many people are wired with empathy. For many others, however, empathy is a bit foreign. No matter where you are on the empathy scale, asking great questions will position you correctly during important conversations.
0. An opportunity to paraphrase. When we paraphrase, or mirror back to a person the sentiment that was shared with us, we use the most powerful communication technique known to man. I will save my diatribe on paraphrasing for another newsletter, however, it is paramount that great leaders and sales people master this important skill. But without the ability to ask great questions and then listen effectively, the skill of paraphrasing is lost. Communication is a process. And the process begins with questions, and continues with silence.   

Your question may now be: What questions should I ask, and when should I ask them? The answers are:

0. Begin to make a list of salient questions. They may be questions you ask on a regular basis. They may be questions that others have asked of you. Regardless, catalog them.
0. Practice. Continually weave the quality of asking great questions into your life. Practice with your colleagues, your significant other, your children, and importantly, with people that you do not even know.  Practice makes perfect; and we want to ask perfect questions.  

Well, there you have it, a colorful exchange of why we show our competence by asking great questions. Now go practice and make some positive things happen today!

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Last week Geely Holding Group, a privately-held Chinese auto company purchased Volvo from Ford. The tidy little $1.5 billion transaction provides Geely, a relative auto-newbie, with a global footprint and presents it with enormous collaboration challenges (more on that in a moment).

The Geely deal follows on the heels of the December 2009 sale of a portion of GM’s Saab unit to Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company, and the 2009 sale of GM’s Hummer brand to Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company. Apparently, the Chinese government has been, as USA Today (August 2nd edition) put it, “…encouraging Chinese companies to expand abroad, taking advantage of the global economic crisis to acquire assets at lower prices.” In other words, China is leveraging the staggering amount of cash they possess in order to diversify their investments and purchase relative bargains that have huge revenue or brand upside potential. Smart. Sounds like an investment strategy that some of you should ponder as well. Ah, but that is for another newsletter and another day.

Now, back to Geely and the collaboration challenges they will face with getting their 13-year old, entrepreneurial-oriented Chinese concern to work seamlessly with a well-established, Nordic-based, labor-union intensive company. This is a tall order by any means. So I thought I would provide a strategy on how a company like Geely, like yours, like any organization facing huge workplace collaboration issues can begin to address the situation.  

0. Have a Process. The process I recommend in this case is called a working agreement. In a nutshell, it is a construct that seeks to flesh out the expectations that leaders and teams have of one another. It also works beautifully between individuals at any level of an organization who desire to collaborate more effectively. The potential results that working agreements deliver are the following:

•  
  • The elimination of “us versus them” in the workplace
  • Productivity from a situation where a leader and a team were at odds
  • The resolution of a dispute between two quarreling leaders
  • Fast, effective rapport building between a new leader and their team
  • Increased coordination between peers in a matrix organization
  • Reduction in mistakes and misunderstandings that were caused by geographical separation

I believe that Geely will be searching for some or all of the above stated results. As such, they will need to embrace a process that points their combined team down a collaborative path.

0. Communicate to Create Buy-In. Once a collaboration road map has been decided, it is leadership’s responsibility to create buy-in for the process. This is accomplished by:
   0. Effectively describing the process and its timeframe
   0. Explaining why the initiative matters to the organization
   0. Creating a picture of the desired outcomes of the process
   0. Telling team members why it matters for them professionally

This may sound easy, but this is where most leaders blow it. In effect, they under-communicate. When change and collaboration initiatives are taking place, it is impossible to communicate too much. Thus, once a collaboration process is put in place, a communication plan needs to be created that will bring the process to life. Communicate frequently and using a variety of methods (verbal, email, memos, videoconference, and teleconference). In other words, the frequency of your communication will not only provide clarity regarding the process, but also underscore the collaboration initiative’s importance.

0. Follow Up. When we talk about workplace collaboration, what we are really discussing is people changing their behavior. Behaviors are interesting, and not easily changed. Unlike learning some rote skill which uses just one portion of the brain, behaviors are speckled throughout many areas of the brain. In other words, our behaviors are all over the place in our minds. That is why changing behaviors is so difficult – we have to connect a lot of dots, in a lot of places. It is essential that proper follow up takes place to ensure that desired, new behaviors take place. If they are not, intervention measures can be quickly implemented so that the change process is not undermined.  

0. Measure Results. Increased collaboration can be difficult to measure in some organizations. If a direct measure such as increased production, heightened revenues, cost savings, or net profit is not available, consider using a survey or some subjective observation before, and then after the initiative. Catalog results, and learn from the journey.

The justification for all of your workplace collaboration efforts will be told in the results. And a workplace that collaborates well, delivers solidly. Bank on it! 

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Prior to starting my company in 1997 I spent 14 years in the corporate world. I enjoyed the experience. Whether I was leading a sales team, working with small or large customers, or starting a new market area, I always treated my assignment like it was my own business. Similarly to many of you, I started my career as part of a team, an individual producer. The more I achieved, the more responsibilities I received. Until one day, about four years into my career, I became a leader. Like many of you I was thrown into the position. With no training and little guidance, I was left to manage both the people and the situation as best I could. Luckily, I hired and inherited some terrific professionals along the way. Also, I had a pretty good head on my shoulders (thanks, mom and dad), so I muddled my way through the twists and turns of leadership. All the time, I was still responsible for team results, my individual production, and attendance at (ugh) corporate meetings. Along the journey, I became fascinated by human behavior and the effect of different leadership styles on work behavior. I began to take leadership courses and attend seminars. During my corporate tenure I picked up my MBA. Much later, I started my own company in order to work with leaders and to be involved with the profession of leadership.

So where am I going with this little tale? Well, so many of us are responsible for so many things, such as individual production, that it is easy to lose sight of our key role: being a leadership professional. What I mean to say is this: if you are focused more on your individual production, or on moving your career or business forward than you are on being a great leader, you are actually hurting your production and stunting your career or business growth.

Leaders:

0. Impact culture. This leads to a healthy (if you are a good leader) or a dysfunctional (if you are a lesser leader) atmosphere in your organization. 
0. Ensure results. Good leaders tend to have a remarkable record of team achievement – even during adverse market conditions.  
0. Maintain good morale. When a corporate culture is healthy, it is easier to inspire people and unleash the motivation that lies within them. 
0. Communicate clearly and frequently. This leads to a well-informed team and a minimized grapevine. Remember: people only retain about 20% of what they hear, and 10% of what they read. If you want your important communications to stick – repeat them. Frequently.  
0. Develop talent. If you are not grooming a replacement and increasing your bench strength, you are doing a disservice to your people, your organization, and yourself.         

Could I go on with this list? You betcha. Together, you and I could list 100 or more leadership qualities that bear comment. That is the point. Leadership is a comprehensive profession. It is reserved for the highest of talent. If you are not already a student of leadership, become one. And share your wisdom and your stories with others.

Until next time. Be well.

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and business planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug help your team work together better, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Change is in the air. Perhaps your organization is experiencing some. Following closely on the heels of change is the topic of collaboration, and as you well know just because a team is working well together before a change does not ensure that they will work together well after change. So as a leader there are a myriad of items to consider. The most important of which is this: “How do I best evoke positive change and encourage collaboration?” 

There are three core actions leaders can take to positively drive change and foster collaboration.

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Action #1: Share Expectations. Communicate clearly what you expect from your team and/or top performers. Be realistic and specific about what you expect. Also, be open to your team’s expectations of you. Be certain to use a positive tone of voice during these conversations and express confidence that the expectations will be realized. For more details about effectively sharing expectations check out our working agreement audio. 

Action #2: Create Buy-in. This is such an easy area to discuss, yet such a difficult one to master. Remember this: creating buy-in is more than communicating changes, expectations, or desired behavior. Your challenge as a leader is to position changes so that your team paraphrases your words in a manner that convinces you they understand and embrace your message. If they do not articulate your desired changes and express an interest in achieving them, trust me, you do not have buy-in.

Action #3: Lead by Example. Great leaders do what they say they are going to do. When the winds of change appear, they are in the front of the boat setting the sails. (Did I really just write that?) Anyway, great leaders feel a commitment to set a solid example. They also expect others to follow accordingly.  

Bottom Line: By focusing on these three core actions, leaders can positively effect change, and maintain or increase team collaboration. By setting a fine example, they also provide a focusing point for their people to follow.   

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and sales consultant, executive coach, and business planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug speak at your next event, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Gary is a regional leader. He has a team under his direct command, plus he has several smaller units for which he is responsible. The other units are geographically dispersed, which causes Gary to travel quite a bit. Gary reports to the president of the organization, who is located far away from Gary’s region. Since Gary is travelling frequently, he tends to delegate things – everything! As such, he is disconnected from operations, happenings, and his people. His team feels rudderless. Lacking definitive leadership, they are often left to figure things out for themselves. Gary’s boss is not happy about the results of Gary’s region or the manner in which Gary orchestrates his team. Since Gary is incredibly busy and works 60+ hours per week, he is confused by the negative feedback from his boss. So just what is going on here and why isn’t this situation working? The answer lies in a better understanding of viewpoint and leadership positioning.

First let’s look at viewpoint. Gary views himself as the highest level of leader – setting vision and merely overseeing the units of his empire. I call this a satellite leader. On the other hand, Gary’s boss is looking for an aerial leader – someone who is directly involved in leading his people to a positive result. Clearly Gary and his team are disconnected. Unfortunately for Gary, he and boss are disconnected as well. Gary needs to adjust his working style and his behaviors fast or trouble will ensue. So how does Gary begin to make adjustments? First, he needs to understand the differences between leaders who are a foot-soldier, an aerial, or a satellite. Second, he needs to accept the fact that his boss desires for him to operate as an aerial leader. Third, he needs to embrace the leadership core competencies associated with his role. The information that Gary needs to absorb is encapsulated below.

Foot-Soldier – These are the leaders that are physically positioned where the rubber meets the road. Not only are they located in the thick of where production, delivery, or customer service is taking place, they are often shoulder to shoulder with the team members who are directly connecting with customers. Foot-Soldier leaders are critical to the organization because they oversee the effective implementation and delivery of the organization’s promises. These leaders are commonly referred to as working managers. Some of the critical core competencies that these leaders need to possess are:

• Listening skills
• The ability to give clear direction
• Use and understanding of body language
• Collaboration
• Micro problem-solving skills
• Multi-tasking
• Agility – the ability to switch hats at a moment’s notice

Aerial – These leaders are directly involved with team members, while they maintain a bird’s eye view of processes, operations, and the delivery of goods and services to customers. They may sometimes be involved in day-to-day operations and issues, however, much of the time they are coordinating, communicating, delegating, providing direction, and problem-solving. Aerial leaders are important to the organization because they bring a broader viewpoint to the workgroups they touch, while still possessing the abilities to pitch in with day-to-day duties when needed. This type of leader is often referred to as a general manager, a project manager, or a regional manager. Some of the critical core competencies that these leaders need to possess are:

• Asking great questions
• Listening
• Paraphrasing (This is a paramount skill for aerial leaders!)
• Collaboration with others and other departments/regions
• Presentation skills
• Effective delegation
• Good use of prioritization tools
• Macro problem-solving skills
• Building a sense of team

Satellite – These leaders set the vision and goals for the organization. They see the entire organization and think of it in its entirety. The Satellite leader rarely gets involved in the minutia of daily function, choosing rather to review metrics and dashboards in order to analyze the effectiveness of strategies and work units. Satellite leaders are critical to the organization because they create and adjust corporate culture. A strong satellite leader will inspire breakout results, while a mediocre satellite leader sets the table for run-of-the-mill results. This type of leader is often referred to as the CEO, the president, or the head of distribution. Some of the critical core competencies that these leaders need to possess are:

• Communication, communication, communication!
• Facilitative skills
• Presentation skills
• Brainstorming skills
• Priority management skills
• Delegation and follow up skills
• Decisiveness
• A keen ability to negotiate
• High emotional intelligence

Once Gary reviewed the above information he realized that even though he aspired to be a satellite leader, he was clearly an aerial leader. The light went on that he needed to be more involved with his team – and lead! He began to delegate less (especially his authority) and to do more. He travelled less and used the technology of videoconferences more. How did his people respond? Warily at first, unable to discern if the new behaviors would continue or not. But when consistency was embraced, the team responded nicely: bellyaching less, producing more, and delivering improved financial results.

Bottom Line: Determine whether you and the leaders around you are foot-soldier, aerial, or satellite leaders. Then, make certain that correct positioning is realized and accepted, and that the proper competencies of leadership are in place. If coaching is necessary, conduct it or arrange for it. What you will receive for your analysis and actions is better leadership alignment, a clear chain of command, and an improved top and bottom line.

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and sales consultant, executive coach, and business planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug speak at your next event, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved. 

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

“The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

                        -  George Bernard Shaw

In this newsletter we take a quick look at a leader named Robert. He had a vision, and a story to tell. Robert was tired of some of the bad habits and mediocre performance he witnessed in the workplace. He believed his team was much better than the results they had been delivering. Robert wanted to convey his desire for his team to improve – and he had several specific behaviors and results that he was looking for. His message was to be delivered during his team’s weekly group meeting. Robert prepared well for the meeting and was optimistic as his team gathered together in a conference room. He did a fine job of creating a positive atmosphere, as well as stating a compelling business case. While he was talking, Robert observed heads nodding in agreement and good eye contact. He was encouraged. “They get it,” he thought to himself. Everyone seemed energized as they left the meeting. Many of the team members thanked him for his vision and candor. Robert was on a cloud – prepared to see the kind of performance he knew his team was capable of achieving.

The next day Robert’s team worked in an inspired fashion. Robert heaved a sigh of relief and focused on his regular tasks and customers. Two weeks later Robert tore himself away from his personal agenda and took time to observe his team. What he witnessed shocked and angered him. Everyone was doing what they had always done – bad habits, sloppy work, etc. Robert was incensed. He thought to himself, “I know they got the message, they were nodding and looked me right in the eyes during our meeting – what the heck is going on?”

What is going on indeed! Have you ever experienced a scenario such as Robert’s? I bet you have. In addition, I bet you were fuming at the thought of your team not responding to your well-timed, well-delivered message. So what’s the deal? Why are messages like Robert’s not sticking the way they are intended? The answer is simple: we are dealing with people, not robots, and people need reinforcement and follow up in order to effect change.

So often when we are looking to change things in the workplace, the changes we desire have to do with people behaving differently. Well, to affect new behaviors there needs to be time and reinforcement. Consider someone who is learning a new sport or attempting to quit smoking. They typically do not master a concept as soon as it is introduced. Rather, they have to concentrate, make some mistakes, and practice before their new behavior is realized. Likewise, in the workplace, leaders cannot simply utter a new vision and expect their team to embrace it and run with it. At a minimum the message must be restated. Consider the following statistics:

• People retain approximately 10% of what they read
• People retain approximately 20% of what they hear
• People retain approximately 70% of what they experience

If people only retain 20% of what they hear, and you deliver one verbal message, how can you expect your people to deliver what you ask? Just doing some simple math would connote that the message should be delivered at least five times in order to have any hope of it sticking. This brings us to an important realization: It is the leader’s job to make certain that the message that is delivered sticks. That’s right. Most leaders believe that once an important message or directive has been delivered they are somehow off the hook, and the pressure is now on their people to perform. This is not correct. The leader is never off the hook and, frankly, is not leading very well if they do not repeat important messages (without ire) many times, and serve the message to their people via different mediums.

I like to refer to the five “exposures” I recommend as “The Power of 5.” It is a nice number to keep in mind when you are unveiling new initiatives, praising and reinforcing, or driving change. The exposures can range from verbal exchanges at meetings, to memos, to phone calls, to emails. The important elements are the clarity of the message, coupled with meaningful repetition. In other words, there needs to be passion in our presentation – anything less will be sniffed out by workplace team members and treated like a worthless corporate initiative, not worthy of embracing.   

Bottom Line: By passionately repeating critical information and important desired behaviors, leaders drive home the point that what they are saying matters and is deserving of team-member action.

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and sales consultant, executive coach, and business planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug speak at your next event, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved. 

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

I coach 7-year old soccer. No, I am not a masochist. The children are learning fundamentals and having a lot fun – that is what matters right now. My youngest son plays on the team. He is a natural defender. As such, he only scores on occasion. During a recent game, however, we were short-handed and in need of a goal. Late in the game I took Noah, my son, off to the side and said to him: “Noah, the team needs a goal. I fully expect that you will score a goal before this game ends.” Sidebar: I am not one of those parents; we simply needed a little goal, that’s all. Back on task - Noah nodded and said, “Okay daddy.” He then ran out there and promptly scored a goal.

Now if Noah had not scored a goal, no one would have been upset. He always plays his heart out. But, he has all the skills and abilities to score a goal – why not tap into that potential. And that’s the real topic of this narrative: articulating expectations to team members in a fashion that taps into their viable potential. So without further adieu, I offer you six traits to keep in mind when you are sharing your expectations with your valued team members. 

0. Be realistic. Make certain that the person can attain what you expect. If your expectation is too “pie in the sky,” you are setting someone up for failure. Instead, be realistic and give everyone a chance to win!
0. Be specific. Not only about your expectations, but also about the specific impact that delivery of your expectations will have on other team members. In other words, help your people lock into the big picture by understanding how their performance impacts the greater good. 
0. Tone of voice. It is difficult to hear our own tone of voice. Especially when we are we are stressed, which is a fair amount of the time. When we are stressed, our tone of voice can easily become terse – certainly harsher than we intend. If you share expectations in an inappropriate tone, you may build a perception that you are dictatorial, when in actuality you are attempting to be participatory. As best you can, check your tone and make sure it matches the message you desire to convey. Note: this behavior is doubly important when expectations are being delivered over the phone.
0. Body language. About 55% of the impact of communication is delivered via our body language. Thus, it truly is not what we say, but how we say it. So, similar to tone of voice, make certain that the body language you project mirrors the intent of your expectations. 
0. Express confidence. Let your team members know that you are confident that they will meet or exceed your expectations. This is important for several reasons. First, it is the truth. Second, showing sincere confidence in others builds their self-esteem. In a world gone mad, we all need a nice dose of self-esteem building now and again. Finally, your expression of confidence will also build their feeling of confidence in you as a leader. Make certain that you use terrific eye contact when expressing confidence in others.
0. Celebrate. Whether you celebrate by lauding praise, sharing money, or showering confetti, celebrate in some fashion when someone meets or exceeds your expectations. Most leaders do not hesitate to share constructive criticism when someone misses the mark. Why are so many so slow to praise a job well done – even if it is expected that the job will be well done? Do not hoard celebratory moments, let them fly. There is never a downside to celebration.   

Bottom Line: Just because someone has a job description, or even because they have been doing a good job for years, does not mean that what we expect of them cannot be reinforced. The people on our teams are not mind readers. Tell them what you are thinking. Tell them what you truly expect from them. Challenge their potential. Celebrate more. Then, sit back and watch your team soar.

Until next time….be well.

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and sales consultant, executive coach, and business planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug speak at your next event, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved. 

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com 

“I get 300 emails a day!” That’s what a colleague confessed to me recently. My question to her was: “How do you handle that?” Her response was filled with resignation: “Not well,” she answered.

Perhaps you experience something similar to my friend – an abundance of non-spam emails throwing themselves at your virtual feet and begging for your precious time and attention. Just as email can serve as an easy form of communication, it can be a productivity killer when it is voluminous and non-prioritized.

So what are the email-frustrated and overwhelmed to do? Here are four strategies to consider:

0. Day Plan. In other words, set designated times during the day that you will review and act on your email. Four times per day is acceptable, more than that is, well, getting a bit obsessive. Nothing should be sent via email that can’t wait three hours anyway. Also, resist the urge to scan your emails during non-designated times. As such, turn off those devilish pop-up email notification tools. Ninety-five percent of the time, all they do is create a distraction that crimps your focus.

Face the fact that if something requires your immediate attention, you should receive a phone call as opposed to an email. This sentiment is elaborated on in a recent newsletter I penned entitled Hierarchy of Communication. The message is this: Do not let email rule your day. Take charge. And plan accordingly.

0. A – B – C’s. To the best of your ability, request that people who send you regular emails prioritize them. By this, they would place a letter (i.e., A, B, C) in front of the subject/topic of their email. For example:

To: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 

Subject: B – Follow up from last Friday’s meeting

The answer to what you are thinking is “Yes.” Yes, in the beginning, everyone who embraces your request will place an “A” in their subject line, especially customers. This is not a bad thing. In fact, it is a good thing. It shows that people are embracing a system that can help you prioritize volumes of data, and it is good for them because they are having thoughts of prioritization as well. At a minimum, this strategy can easily be implemented within a department or in a small business. If you communicate the strategy and you begin to adhere to it, others will follow your lead.     

0. Find an email whisperer. Some of you are lucky enough to have an administrative assistant – bravo! Use them, or find inexpensive virtual assistance via elance.com or other reliable outlets. With proper instruction, you can assign the task of taking your non-prioritized email and having someone place it in proper order for your review. Viola, an inbox of hundreds of emails can be whittled down to a handful of essential pieces of correspondence that merit your time today.

0. Jott It. This strategy is all about using technology tools to save time and increase your ability to respond to critical correspondence. A tool called Jott (www.jott.com) connects your cell phone to a service that allows you to dictate verbiage; then the service transcribes what you dictated and sends you an email with the result. Sound easy? You bet it is. And for $3.95 per month why not give it a whirl? By the way, I do not receive any royalties from Jott, they have simply created a good tool for professionals to consider.

Interested in more ideas? Send me an email requesting additional thoughts on efficiency. Place an “A” in the subject line if you don’t mind. You are important to me. Until next time……   

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and sales consultant, executive coach, and business planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug speak at your next event, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved. 

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com 

Recently I was speaking to an organization and they asked me to state my definition of strategic leadership. This is one of my favorite questions, and my answer is quite succinct: “Leaders impact culture.” In fact, the question was a great lead-in to topic, which was Leading the Future. Rather than replicate the entire speech here, I will share a two of the areas that resonated with the leaders in the audience. As always, I welcome your feedback and thoughts on the various topics.  

0. Leaders impact culture. The example I like to use to back up this viewpoint is a real-life story – the names will be changed to protect the entirely guilty. Not that long ago, I was asked to deliver a workplace teambuilding and skill building session to a team of 24 people. The session was slated to run from 8am – 4pm. At eight o’clock 22 of the 24 people were in their seats and I turned to the owner of the company (let’s call him Clifford) and asked: “Shall we begin.” What do you think he said? Answer: the wrong words. Clifford said: “Well, we are missing two people. Let’s give them a few minutes and then we will begin.” I bit shocked, I turned to the audience and witnessed several dropped jaws. Ten minutes later, two staff members sauntered in and, with faint apology, took their seats. The session began and it turned out to be a great day. However, it was obvious that the origin of the team’s issues (a laissez faire attitude toward deadlines, and “us versus them”) lay not with the team, but rather with their leader. Without realizing the impact of his actions, what Clifford was doing was punishing his punctual team members and rewarding poor behavior (i.e., showing up late). In addition, his favorite people in the office were the ones who were consistently tardy. His soft treatment of them created animosity within the larger group, which often sought to undermine the offending parties.  

As a sidebar, I coached Clifford one-on-one and he was very receptive to changing his behaviors in order to positively impact the results delivered by his team. Within two  months of Clifford holding people more accountable, and being maniacal about starting meetings on time, his team responded by being serious about deadlines and eliminating the undermining behavior which had been taking place.             

Bottom Line: If you like the culture of your organization, wonderful, keep leading by the terrific example you set. If, however, you are not thrilled with the culture you experience, change your behavior and see if those you influence don’t begin to positively change as well.    

0. Visionary leaders understand and use technology. When the telephone was invented it was revolutionary for the business world. Suddenly, a leader could pick up a device, dial a set of numbers and talk with another person of influence who was hundreds of miles away. Amazing. As with most new technologies, leaders are quick to fantasize about the potential benefits of the new technology, yet they often are slow to personally embrace the technology. With the telephone for instance, many leaders sent their secretaries to training, so that they could operate the telephone (i.e., dial a telephone number) and hand the phone to the executive. Doesn’t it sound silly, having someone else dial a telephone for us? Yet, the combination of ego (thinking that the devise was plebian and thus beneath them) and fear of the unknown, caused most executives to delegate real knowledge and understanding to others. In this case, who truly understood the nuances of the new technology? The answer: the secretary. The person who was best positioned to create ideas, expand the capabilities, embrace the scope, and envision the potential of the new technology was NOT the leader. Interestingly, leaders such as Carnegie and Rockefeller who learned about the telephone first-hand, used it the most and implemented strategies that grew the revenues and profits of their business.

Surprisingly, in today’s business world there are executives and entrepreneurs who are unable or refuse to manipulate word and excel documents; or who cannot efficiently set up and manage email files; or who fail to understand the power and strategy of social media. Similar to their telephone disadvantaged ancestors, it is only a matter of time until these leaders become irrelevant, unable to properly strategize in a changed world; and ill-positioned to implement actions – no matter how well-delegated.     

Bottom Line: Like it or not, the business world has changed and it is driven by technology. Computers (and our cell phones) are the pencils of the 21^st century. Imagine doing business in the 20^th century and not being able to wield a pencil – silly. Imagine doing business and the 21^st century and not possessing some semblance of technological acumen……

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and sales consultant, executive coach, and business planner. He is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug speak at your next event, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved. 

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com 

Jason finally joined LinkedIn. He quickly became engrossed with his connection possibilities. Soon he transcended business activity (and work-sanity as we know it) and began to rediscover old friends and acquaintances via a blur of social media. Minutes turned into hours and, voila, Jason’s afternoon of productive labor was sucked into a vortex of misused social media.

The above scenario is every leader’s nightmare – team members obliterating real productivity by engaging in the wrong kind of social media. Fortunately, our leadership dreams do not need to end in darkness. The issue becomes, however, how do we avoid social media folly? The answer is easy, just follow these simple guidelines: 

0. Reach a consensus regarding approved social media for your company or team.  My recommendation is to choose three or four (no more) social media that are a fit for your organization. The big kahunas on the block are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. There are a litany of others, all with interesting bells and whistles, and followed by loyal bands of devotes.
    
0. Have a strategy.  Studies have shown that fewer than 5% of organizations have any kind of social media strategy – don’t be part of the 95%. You know your business and your market. Learn more about selected social media. As you learn, it will become clear which ones are a fit for your brand and sales channels. 
    
0. Time Management. Perhaps the most important of all these guidelines is to coach your people so that they manage their social media time effectively. Think of it this way, if your team members were debating on the merits of attending an in-person networking event, they would weigh travel time to and from the event, as well as the length of the event versus the perceived benefits that could result from their precious investment of time. Encourage them to think of and plan their social media time in the same manner. We have to manufacture time, and not waste a minute of it.   
      
0. Track Results. As Peter Drucker correctly stated: “You can only manage what you measure.” Therefore, the results that are achieved from social media strategy clearly need to be tracked. Determine what trackable measures make sense for your business and communicate your expectations to your team. Think goals. The clearer you define them, the more your team will strive to blow them out.

Social media is not a fad. It will change in shape and form, but it needs to be embraced. If you are having trouble conceptualizing the merits of social media, simply view it as another means of communication, of reaching out and connecting with others. We have more means than ever before to communicate our message, and if we communicate effectively the results we can achieve are impressive and measurable. In the process, you will give your valued customers and prospects an abundance of methods to connect with you. 

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and communication consultant, executive coach, and business planner. His mom often complemented him for having a “darn good head on his shoulders.” Doug is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug speak at your next event, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.  

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com 

I fly a lot. Like most of you who travel, I recognize that TSA (aka: airport travel Nazis) is a joke. Since I enjoy observing people and am a student of human behavior, I am not annoyed by the airport security experience. Rather, I am entertained by the Keystone Cops manner in which TSA folks adhere to their rules and bureaucracy while attempting to herd completely competent people through a “safety system.” Marvelous! Based on my observations, if someone wanted to fly with a weapon or several ounces of toxic materials, they would find a way (okay, easily) to circumvent TSA’s gauntlet. This is despite our government spending millions of dollars on high-tech equipment that we travelers funnel through. In my view, it would make better sense to have a few, highly intelligent, observant people who are rich on common sense wandering around our airports and empowering them to use their wits in order to stop, question, and search suspicious characters. I would feel a lot safer if our airports were armed with more common sense and less x-ray equipment. You know, just by being observant of others and having a reasonably good head on your shoulders you can make it pretty far in life. And maybe even catch a few bad guys along the way.

So what does this have to do with leadership? The answer: A lot really.

Too often, I observe leaders who are caught up in the bureaucracy and rules of their companies. They blindly follow the written rules, sometimes to the detriment of individuals and even their organization. Now, make no mistake – I am not naïve. I realize that as soon as a group has more than two people you have bureaucracy. Also, rules are the bedrock of corporate structure. So I am not recommending the abandonment of order in favor of chaos. I merely believe that many leaders need to use their noodle more and act like, well, people. Here are three, common sense thoughts that come to my mind:  

0. Common sense usually leads to common good. It is rare that I see someone exact good judgment and it turns out badly (for anyone). Some leaders break the rules or rail against bureaucracy in order to pursue actions they believe make sense. Bravo! Most of the time if a rule stinks, and you do not know its origin, the rule was probably some pet peeve of a dinosaur long extinct from the organization. In sum, keep bucking the system when you perceive that the system needs changing. This of course brings us to the next item, change.    

0. Change is your friend. That’s right leaders, do not fret every time change rears its morphing head. Instead, look for things you can change. Positively change, that is.

This is the best time ever to be in business. You read that right. We have broader markets (i.e., the globe), with more prospects, and more means to communicate. Note: social media is merely a collage of new communication methods for your message. Wow – we are lucky. We have a host of opportunities veiled in a swirl of change. Realize this leaders: opportunity is the companion of change. And who doesn’t desire more opportunities these days. As such, lead change; lead your team to opportunities; do it now.

0. Growing (i.e., developing) team members is the best way to grow your business. Never before has collaboration been so important in business. This means that leaders must have seamless collaboration with their teams. In addition, there needs to be meaningful collaboration with customers, vendors, and the array of means that your products and services are delivered these days. How do leaders enable this? Answer: communication and workplace teambuilding. I will focus here on the latter. Leaders, workplace teambuilding rocks. Whether your team goes to lunch together, or a ballgame together, or volunteers for a cause together, or pursues a facilitated event, recognize that frequent team activities make common sense and should be pursued. We are social animals. We don’t even have to like each other, but we do have to function together. Knowing that someone you don’t like admires the same ballplayers as you, or is really fun during a teambuilding exercise can take the edge off an otherwise prickly work relationship. Teambuilding activities rarely have the opposite effect.   

Bottom Line: Use your common sense. While you are at it, scout out the people on your team with good heads on their shoulders, and cultivate them as leaders. The results will elevate the level of common good, and that ain’t a bad thing.

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and communication consultant, executive coach, and business planner. His mom often complemented him for having a “darn good head on his shoulders.” Doug is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug speak at your next event, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.  

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com 

Let me be clear about something right from the start: I am not an Alabama Crimson Tide fan. Some of you are. Bully for you. I am not. Yet, one of the cornerstones of this newsletter involves the Alabama football coach, Nick Saban and the impact his actions have had on the school’s football program. So while it is painful for me to write about ‘Bama, the topic at hand is bigger than me (or my football allegiances). 

Three years ago Nick Saban took over a beleaguered Alabama football program. The previous year they won just about as many games as they had lost. This is not bad for some programs, but for a storied program such as Alabama’s, it was unacceptable. Saban was hired to right the ship and return the program to national prominence.

When most leaders are faced with such a challenge, they set a vision of the final result – in this case, a national championship. This is a logical vision. In this case, however, Saban focused the team on the journey more so than the destination. What coach Saban zeroed in on was the process of winning. In a USA Today article written Steve Wieberg, Nick Saban described his philosophy this way:

“I'm not result-oriented. I'm more process-oriented. So every day, I'm thinking about what we have to do to continue to get better. Once you accomplish one thing, you've got to get to the next one. Was (beating) Florida the end or the beginning? Was the U.S. hockey team beating Russia (in the 1980 Winter Olympics) the end or the beginning? It was the beginning for those guys; they had to beat Finland to go on and win the gold medal. It keeps growing, and you've got to stay focused on the process and not necessarily the outcome.”

So leaders, let’s take a broader view of success for a moment. Here is my take on the qualities necessary to establish a process of winning.

0. Individual and Team Discipline. The first step in implementing a successful process involves a commitment from the leader to consistently support the process. This takes discipline. Moreover, if only the leader commits to the process, there will be failure. It takes team discipline as well. It seems clear to me that Nick Saban has personal discipline. So just how did he set the stage for team discipline? See #2 sports fans.

0. Communication. It is the leader’s responsibility to clearly communicate the parameters of the process, AND to build excitement around the implementation of the process. Saban most assuredly communicated the process of winning to his team. It is my bet that he also relentlessly repeated his message until it became a mantra for his team. Recently, I helped a leader implement the process of winning with their team. The leader did a fine job of communicating the concept and what possibilities it could hold. What was missing was the crucial step of building real excitement with the team. What was missing was creating buy-in. I asked the leader: “Have you turned the core concepts of your process into a mantra for your team?” “Pardon?” He answered. We worked on this together and the process is now a mantra. Note: the ability to create buy-in with your team is one of the hallmarks of a gifted leader.      

0. Tracking Behaviors. In a madcap world, it is easy to zigzag from one behavior to another. Once committing to a process of winning however, consistent behavior is needed. When the Chicago Bulls were in their championship years, they had a playoff regiment. Each morning they had breakfast and did weights. The afternoon consisted of a team practice, strategy sessions, and rest. They arrived at the same time before each game. They executed beautifully during the game and then engaged in post-game interviews. They would then repeat this routine. And repeat they did – six championships during an eight year span. During the course of their victorious run, you could just about set your watch by their individual and team behaviors. Do you think Saban set a rigid regiment for his team? You betcha! Saban’s regiment established a rhythm for his team. As they racked up victories, that rhythm became stronger and stronger, as well as easier for the players to endure.     

0. Time and Regularity. No, this is not about Metamucil. Executing behaviors again and again, at the same time or on regular time intervals will lead to measurable, positive results. Many of you use my day planning system, which is the cornerstone for creating the habit of behavioral regularity. An example of what time and regularity can produce is the process of writing a book. One hour of writing each day equates to roughly 250 words of publishable prose. Do that for 180 days and voila, you have produced a word count that is acceptable for a business book. Sidebar: I have written non-fiction and fiction books using this time system. Shifting back to Nick Saban, he is a huge fan of schedules and regularity during important processes.

Aside from reenergizing the State of Alabama and the school’s alumni, what has been the net result of Nick Saban’s quality process? The answer: a national football championship, with apparently no recruiting violations – impressive! Just imagine what a consistently delivered “success process” might do for your business? Imagine what a dose of discipline, coupled with superb time management would do for your life and your passions? So go now and put on your coaching hat. Create some buy-in, stay true to your mission, and make incredible results happen through a process of success!

Van Dyke is a leadership and communication consultant, executive coach, and business planner. He is a die-hard Florida Gators fan who, like everyone else over the age of 21, looks ridiculous dressed in orange and blue. Doug is also the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug speak at your next event, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.  

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Greetings leaders and welcome to 2010, a year that will be filled with interesting challenges and incredible opportunities! Challenges, you say? You betcha. We are still embroiled in a sputtering economy, speckled with financial landmines. Opportunities? Oh yes. The best leaders I know have shown great agility in embracing changing price points and customer expectations, which positions them well to thrive in the beginning of a new decade. In addition, they have engaged their teams in multi-day strategic planning sessions. The action plans stemming from these sessions contain gold (pricing strategies, marketing ideas, new directions for old product lines, customer satisfaction tactics, an affirmation of corporate culture, and talent development plans). From a corporate standpoint, I refer the latter item as breeding leaders.

What I mean by breeding leaders is to ensure that your organization can consistently pluck talent from your fold in order to lead your organization into the future. This ability creates a consistent corporate culture, with minimal disruptions when leadership changes occur. The implementation of breeding leaders sounds easier than it is. High-performing organizations, however, have positioned themselves nicely in this area. Let’s take a look at the four steps necessary to mirror their competitive advantage. 

0. Direction. Crafting a direction for your organization is paramount to its success. The artful communication and reinforcing of your vision is also a critical component. An overall Success Plan (some might say business plan) is broad in scope, yet narrow with regard to meaningful action. If you do not have one, build one soon. 
    
0. Intelligence. Yes, yes IQ and EQ are marvelous things to possess. However, knowledge and data about your market, competitors, trends, and, gulp, the economy are critical to an organizationssuccess. Some of the best ways to gather these types of intelligence are:

• Industry reports
• Surveys
• Customer roundtables
• Conversations with experts and consultants
• Newspapers (Remember them?) and trusted Internet data
• Conferences that include known industry specialists 

0. Succession Planning. This is a key component of your overall success/business plan. The keyword here is planning. Without a plan, a guide of sorts, nothing congruent is going to happen. Planning here connotes that internal team members are being groomed and are in line for specific leadership positions. The gold standard for succession planning is General Electric. They have such a structured succession plan that when someone is promoted or leaves the company, an announcement regarding their successor is announced on the same day as their departure or ascension. The same day. Wow. Now that is good planning! 
      
0. Talent Development. Certainly you develop your people. That is a big part of what good leaders do. How structured are your actions? Not very? Do not worry, you are not alone. Consider creating a system, a rhythm, for how you grow talent. Also, consider hiring a coach to work with your high-performers and high-potential team members. Whatever methods you pursue, if done smartly you will recognize a handsome ROI on your time and investment in outside resources. 

Is this newsletters self-serving? Of course. I am a professional coach, consultant, and strategist. So are you. Use this information wisely and structure your actions as appropriate. Do not allow the direction of your company to be a wavy line. Rather, focus your actions in 2010. Set your sights on what you desire to achieve, and make it happen. Economy be damned. 

Be well, my friends. Let’s make 2010 sizzle.

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and communication consultant, executive coach, and business planner. He is the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug speak at your next event, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2010 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.   

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Recently, I read an article about Yo Yo Ma, the renowned cellist. While the article highlighted several of his accomplishments, it also delved in to what motivates him. Early in his career, the thrill of travel excited him. In his thirties, he enjoyed collaboration with other talented professionals. Once he and his wife had children, however, he began to question the meaning of his profession. Importantly, he assessed how he could make a difference in the world. Yo Yo Ma also listed the personal quality that he believes is the most valuable to possess. He put it this way: “The most important thing we can do as humans and enlightened people is to be empathetic.” Perhaps there is a lesson for enlightened leaders in Ma’s statement. Let’s look a bit further.

Good old Webster’s defines empathy as “understanding and being sensitive to the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another without having the feelings, thoughts, and experiences fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.”  Does being an empathetic leader mean being wimpy? No, no, my friends. You can still be quite strong, and direct, and effective while being empathetic. However, being an empathetic leader does call for three key abilities.

0. The ability to tap into your EQ. The trait of empathy is tied to emotional intelligence or EQ (emotional quotient). As such, seek to understand or expand other EQ items such as optimism that can enhance empathy characteristics. For many leaders, focusing on the emotions that other team members are feeling is very difficult. They would prefer to be strictly rational, logical. For these professionals, an expanded knowledge of EQ is important. Here is the good news: EQ can be learned. That’s right! We can grow our intelligence and get smarter (lots smarter). In the process, we can broaden our leadership impact by effectively modeling empathy in appropriate situations.
   
   
0. The ability to convey. What I mean here is that you are able to communicate in a fashion that lets others know you understand how they are feeling. This ability centers on the skill of asking terrific open-ended questions, listening attentively, and using power paraphrasing during your responses. Your ability to convey your understanding will forge higher, more meaningful collaborative relationships with team members. If you need some brushing up on the mission critical skills of questioning, listening, and responding, consider reading a spiffy book named Leadership Simplified or listening to the related communication CD. 
   
   
0. The ability to implement. Gathering information, embracing concepts, and learning skills is all well and good. Nothing impacts positive results, however, quite like implementation. A leader’s ability to take concepts and plans and turn them into strategic reality is paramount to team success. So how do leaders improve their ability to implement? Answer: A cocktail of focus, guts, and trial and error.

First, leadership calls for focus. There are a lot of leaders who get caught up in management fads and “good ideas” suggested by a smattering of peers. Blindly following these can lead to a directional zig-zag that can confuse team members and hurt productivity. But focus calls for leaders to quickly sift through this kudzu and keep their sights on the strategic plans they crafted the previous year or quarter. Note: there is nothing wrong with intelligently tweaking strategic plans from time to time.

The second item pertaining to implementation is guts. It takes some chutzpa to implement. There are risks. And great leaders always take risks – calculated ones. In contrast, most poor leaders are so risk averse that they miss out on opportunities that would have otherwise catapulted their organizations forward.

The third item is trial and error. Leadership calls for us to try things. If we are good, most of the things we try work out well. Some things do not. Smart leaders learn a lot from setbacks. Take that learning and inject it into your next calculated, strategic risk. Realize this: when we stop trying new things, when we cease to innovate, when we stop reinventing our organizations, we are dead in the water.       

Bottom Line: Change seems to be happening at a faster pace than ever. Performance expectations are high, and they are not going to diminish anytime soon. As quality professionals we must intelligently lead our teams through an aggressive marketplace. It is easy to become Attila The Hun when faced with this scenario. During this holiday season, take a step to the side and tune in to what your team members might be feeling. Use high-level communication skills to make certain you are on-target with your understanding of their feelings and perspective. Seek to be an empathetic leader. It does not mean you have to be a big softie. The result of your empathy will be a richer understanding of your team’s psyche, coupled with ideas on how to propel their success to a higher level.

Merry Christmas, my friends. Be safe, enjoy many wonders, and be thankful!   

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and communication consultant, executive coach, and business planner. He is the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug speak at your next event, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2009 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.   

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Lester receives an email from a customer that makes his blood boil. He knows he should calm down before responding, and he gives himself a few hours to do so. As he composes his response he attempts to be as objective as possible. He reviews his reply thoroughly and deems it to be rational, factual, and professional. He is still steamed about the initial email, but he needs to respond. He hits send. Very soon thereafter, a potpourri of other things begin hitting – the fan that is. Lester is sent an urgent message by his boss. Apparently, the client is fuming about Lester’s most recent correspondence, and they went straight over Lester’s head in order to threaten to move their business elsewhere. Lester is dumbfounded. Just prior to entering his boss’s office he reads a copy of his email to the customer. It does not seem to read the way Lester intended. Did the words mysteriously juxtapose between the time Lester sent the email and now? Hmmmn. Lester enters the office sheepishly, fearing a distasteful earful from his boss. 

Has anything like this ever happened to you or a “friend” of yours? Most of us have had experiences when, upon retrospect, we just wish we had not touched that darn Send button. It is an awful feeling, and the results can transcend the universe of awful as well:

• Opening wounds and hurting feelings
• Crushing what was previously a solid rapport
• Needing a boatload of time to mend fences
• And even losing profitable customers

In this example, the customer did not move their business. Luckily, Lester’s boss was able to calm the customer down. Lester actually continued to manage the account. Further, since his boss views Lester as a solid team member, he perceived the situation as a good coaching opportunity. Lester was relieved that the focus of the conversation with his boss centered on learning and not on admonishment. So what lessons did Lester learn? Answer: Quite an array. 

Lesson 1: Use a proof buddy. One of the cardinal rules of sending important correspondence is to have it reviewed by a trusted colleague prior to mailing. If Lester had followed this one simple rule he would have saved himself a world of pain. It was also recommended to Lester that he learn more about the 11 essential email habits needed to survive in today’s business world.      

Lesson 2: Keep organizational sensitivity in the forefront of your mind. In other words, when a potential conflict arises with a customer, colleague, or vendor, give your boss or an appropriate team member a heads up. You do not have to request their immediate involvement in the issue; merely mention what is going on. Often times, they will share sage advice that if acted upon reduces the risk of losing the customer and quells your burgeoning stress level.    

Lesson 3: Abide by the Hierarchy of Communication. This is the biggest lesson that Lester learned. He never thought of prioritizing modes of communication based on their impact. If he had, he would have realized that you should never answer an email that makes your blood boil with another email. Rather, you should elevate your response to a higher-impact means of communication. The following is the hierarchy of communication as it was laid out to Lester by his boss.       

Level 1: In-person communication. This is the big kahuna of interpersonal communication. A face-to-face meeting allows us to employ every aspect of powerful communication. We are able to witness the other person’s body language as they speak. More importantly, we see their authentic reactions to our comments and hear their tone of voice.  Studies have shown that body language accounts for 55% of the impact of communication, and tone of voice carries 38% of the impact. As such, if you have a ticklish situation or an important sale to close, do not miss out on an opportunity to get in front of the person.  

Level 2: Webinars, Skype, and other real-time computer tools. While not as powerful as in-person communication, this venue allows everyone to see facial expressions and experience a few other non-verbal cues.

Level 3: Telephone. No body language here, but still the ability to hear tone of voice. The telephone allows us to use our tone of voice to reinforce our message. In addition, we receive immediate tone of voice feedback to our messages from our listeners. This would have been the appropriate elevation of communication for Lester to pursue in response to his customer’s scathing email.

Level 4: Email. The only tone of voice we have with email is word choice, structure, and capitalization. Avoid the latter. A nice advantage that email possesses over the telephone is that the information can be read numerous times. Also, you have time to compose your response. The trouble is, if you are in a good mood and insert something such as a light joke, and the receiver is in a bad mood, they could misinterpret your humor. It is usually wise to play it straight with this medium. Note: Lester broke a big law regarding the hierarchy of communication when he responded in electronic format to a confusing customer email. He needed to upgrade at least one level to telephone communication if he wanted to give himself the best chance of smoothly defusing a bubbling situation with a customer.  

Level 5: Letter. Typically I rate a letter received in the mail above email – I like the personal touch. For our purposes here, I did not because of the time delay associated with responding to a written letter. Email has an advantage due to its rapid response-ability. Tip: just like you would never want a typo or grammar error in a stamped letter, keep to the same standard when you prepare email correspondence.

Level 6: Instant messenger. It is quick, it is easy, and it is conversational. A more casual tone is allowed with instant messenger, as well as a level of forgiveness regarding typos and abbreviations. If your customer likes instant messenger, have a ball. If not, remain in the world of email, and keep your standard of professionalism elevated as such.

Level 7: Text messaging. Welcome to the low man on the totem pole regarding communication. Rapid fire, super casual, often filled with typos and grammatical errors. Don’t even talk to me about abbreviations – yikes! Do I sound old school? You betcha. Do I receive and send text messages? Absolutely. Here is my tip: while there is a growing trend in sending text messages, be careful with customers – make certain they are receptive to text correspondence (especially if they are a boomer or older).

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, the Lester Lessons. Next time some business interaction makes your blood boil, remember to review the hierarchy of communication, think strategically, and take a chill pill. The positive outcomes will amaze you.

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and communication consultant, executive coach, and business planner. He is the author of Leadership Simplified – THE Field Guide for Savvy Leaders.  Doug’s audios and videos are also available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug speak at your next event, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

© 2009 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.  

By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

Recently, a client of mine, let’s call him Phil, connected on Facebook with one of his newer vendors. Phil has known the vendor, let’s call him Larry, for years. While Phil does not know Larry well personally, he respects the heck out of him professionally. So much so that he has outsourced sensitive business tasks to Larry’s care.

Phil does a fair amount of social marketing, so as a normal course of networking he invited Larry to join him on Linked In, Twitter, and Facebook – where Phil also maintains a fan page for his business. Phil anticipated that his social marketing connections with Larry would strengthen their business relationship, as well as their businesses in general. Goodness, was Phil in for an education!     

Larry was delighted to receive Phil’s social media invitations and he quickly accepted all of them. Once Phil saw Larry’s acceptances, he pulled up Larry’s Facebook page – as much out of curiosity as anything else. As Phil glanced over the information, he was shocked to see comments from Larry’s friends about what a wild man he had over the weekend, which just happened to be the day before Larry was supposed to begin working on important tasks for Phil’s clients! In addition, the Facebook page contained a smattering of photos showing Larry in compromising positions. As Phil learned more about Larry, he felt sick to his stomach about his decision to hire him.

The next day, Phil called several friends and colleagues to vent about his situation with Larry. He told them he was conflicted. That on the one hand, Larry seemed like a capable professional. But now, on the other, he seemed quite irresponsible. He mentioned that he felt like a prude – sure he loved to have fun, but that he had an expectation that professional relationships would stay respectful. He was saddened by his sudden loss of respect, and trust, for Larry.

With the urging of his friends, Phil met with Larry and expressed his concerns. While the conversation was helpful, Phil could not get his arms around the inconsistent image he now held of Larry. He decided he could not maintain a long-term working relationship with someone he did not entirely trust and respect.

Shifting gears, perhaps you have experienced something similar to Phil’s disillusionment with Larry. Hopefully, you have not “pulled a Larry.” I share this story with you in order to highlight three strategic items to consider about social networking.

0. Determine which social media are right for you. In addition, determine specifically what outcomes you desire to experience for each social media outlet. For example, I engage in Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, and very soon, Digg – all for different reasons and all to connect with specific audiences. Linked In provides an alternative communication channel for valued colleagues and customers, as well as a convenient method to offer and request recommendations. Twitter serves as a method to create an alternative professional following, and to highlight certain keywords that fit into our search engine optimization strategy. Digg is a means to promote articles and blog posts that I have written and to entice interested parties to visit our website. Facebook is a means to connect with old friends in order to rekindle meaningful experiences. 
   Bottom Line: Know why you are doing something, and be strategic in your methodology.
    
0. Play it straight. We all love to have fun! However, you would not attend an in-person networking event and get embarrassingly inebriated in front of valued customers and prospects, would you? You wouldn’t, right? No, you would tend to keep your wits about you. Well, social networking is conceptually identical. In other words, if you are going to engage in a networking tool for professional purposes, stay within the realm of professionalism.
   Bottom Line: If one of your reasons to engage in social media is to connect with your party animal friends, do not accept Facebook invitations from valued clients. 
    
0. Be mindful of time. Sometimes people access the Internet and suddenly lose all sense of space and time. They teleport themselves to Time Suck Land. Think about social networking in the same terms that you ponder in-person networking. In other words, when engaging in social networking, ask yourself this question: What business value do I anticipate gaining by the networking time I plan on spending? 
   Bottom Line: Don’t waste your precious time, or other’s time, with social media drivel. Connect in a meaningful and powerful manner. Be authentic, show people some of the more intricate sides of you, and in the process make sane judgments. 

Happy surfing and scribing everyone. Until next time, be well! 

© 2009 DVD Consulting Incorporated, all rights reserved.  &