Organizational ‘Turbulence’

I heard a great new term from a colleague of mine today. We were talking about the inability of some managers to effectively communicate with staff and he said that to him this was the primary source of organizational ‘turbulence.’ Let me clarify a bit. The types of miscommunications we are discussing here typically refer to either a manager who does not reveal his or her organizational goals to those who are supposed to operationalize them, or more often, someone who changes direction mid-stream but does not inform others of the change. In many circumstances, this type of person is invaluable when it comes to the origination of a project or goal because he or she is able to take a very broad look at all of the possibilities and ask a wide range of key questions. Most often, these individuals are considered visionary at the start of a project because they can see all of the possibilities before settling on a single direction. However, the ‘turbulence’ factor comes into play after a plan has been developed, articulated, and put into action and staff are working toward its objectives. Then, the manager, seeing all of the options, decides that there is a better (more interesting?) way of going about things. Unfortunately, this information is not then communicated to others already well down the path toward the original goals until and unless the discord between the original direction and the ‘new’ path becomes apparent. The result of this of course is that a great deal of work is unnecessarily wasted and, if this pattern repeats itself too many times, the manager becomes untrustworthy to staff who are now hesitant to follow any directions from him/her for fear that in just a short while things will change. This ‘turbulence’ problem appears often

A Coach is a Coach… A Team is a Team

Growing up and then into adulthood I have been heavily involved in a wide variety of sports as an athlete, official, and coach. What I have noticed as I transitioned from being part of these recreational endeavors to my career is that the same general principles apply in both worlds. In short, a coach is a coach, and a team is a team, regardless of the environment. I tend to think of leadership in terms of appropriately coaching and guiding those to whom you are accountable (and I believe leaders must recognize that they are accountable to the people who follow them!).On the football field, for example, the coach is the individual who creates the vision and the energy that is designed to encourage successful outcomes from the players. While the coach can, and does, draw up dozens of plays, and even select the one at any given point in time that he thinks is most likely to lead to a positive outcome, ultimately the best/most the coach can do is stand back and watch from the sidelines and hope that the guidance and direction he has imparted on the players was enough to ensure that they will work together effectively and be able to carry out their assignments. As I recently heard a college player say during an interview about his coach, “We have a great deal of respect for…but when it comes right down to it, he can’t make us win. We [the players] are the ones who have to make the plays on the field.” Is this in any way different from the skilled leader in an organization? As a leader, one of the most important roles that you perform is to provide a mission and an overarching strategy and then provide ample direction and appropriate

Do it – RIGHT NOW!

Have you ever been scared…really scared? I don’t mean the ‘butterflies in my stomach’ type of nerves we all feel when we have to make a big presentation. I am talking about the sort of paralyzing fear that renders you unable to make changes when you know they must be made. How many of us currently work where we work or do what we do as a result of this kind of fear? If you are honest with yourself, are you doing what you most want to do? We all have our own personal passions. Taking the sometimes large and scary steps to follow those passions though can seem virtually impossible. But what if… … Continue readingDo it – RIGHT NOW!

What Have You Done Today?

I recently heard this song by Heather Small, and I must say it is one of the most inspirational pieces of music I have ever heard. It makes me want to fly… Proud by Heather Small I look into the window of my mind Reflections of the fears I know I’ve left behind I step out of the ordinary I can feel my soul ascending I am on my way Can’t stop me now And you can do the same What have you done today to make you feel proud? It’s never too late to try What have you done today to make you feel proud? You could be so many people If you make that break for freedom What have you done today to make you feel proud? Still so many answers I don’t know Realize that to question is how we grow So, I step out of the ordinary I can feel my soul ascending I am on my way Can’t stop me now And you can do the same What have you done today to make you feel proud? It’s never too late to try What have you done today to make you feel proud? You could be so many people If you make that break for freedom What have you done today to make you feel proud? We need a change Do it today I can feel my spirit rising We need a change So do it today ‘Cause I can see a clear horizon What have you done today to make you feel proud? So, what have you done today to make you feel proud? ‘Cause you could be so many people If you make that break for freedom So, what have you done today to make you feel proud? What have you done today

Baby Steps

To get to any destination, you must first start making progress toward that goal. Sounds simple enough. However, too many of us don’t head in the direction we want to go because we see the chasm that lies between here and there and think that we somehow must get there in a single giant leap. Instead, we should be considering ways that we can get where we want to be by making a series of baby steps in the right direction. Taking small, well-planned, and thought-out steps to achieve our end goals allows us a great deal of flexibility. With baby steps: … Continue readingBaby Steps

How Will You Lead?

Management literature is filled with all sorts of definitions and descriptions of leadership styles and behaviors. Whether you read The One Minute Manager, The Leadership Imperative, or The Consultative Approach, the same basic tenets apply. Those who are visionary, flexible to changing environments, and who provide their teams with the flexibility to excel in their particular strength areas will invariably find success. Those who provide unclear directions, change directions frequently, communicate poorly, and either berate or ignore their staff will almost certainly be miserable failures. Given that, and the fact that literally thousands of books on (presumably good methods of) leadership exist, how will you choose to lead? I want to first emphasize that leadership behavior, like all other human behavior, is a choice that we make. Though born or raised with certain innate characteristics, we each have the ability to decide how we are going to interact with others. Every day you are given the gift to wake up and decide on your mood, your outlook on life, and how you will treat those around you. The first step in becoming a good leader, or more specifically, a leader who encourages the best in her employees, is to decide to bring a positive, supportive attitude to work. The rest tends to flow from there. People who are generally positive and upbeat, even when facing obstacles and challenges, typically find that they can accomplish more, more efficiently, and more creatively than leaders who rule with an iron fist or who are overtly negative. Like so many other parts of our lives, leadership starts with attitude. And only one person can create and foster your attitude…YOU! Start down the path to making yourself an exceptional leader. Decide to bring the best of you to the game, and you will surprise yourself

How Do You Know Real Leadership?

There are lots of books and discussions about the meaning of leadership. You could spend literally thousands of dollars on texts that suggest they know the real definition of leadership. While many of these probably can give you a good theoretical view, and some may even come close to giving you a picture of what leadership looks like, I don’t think you really understand it until you see it in action. In a very bad situation this week I got an opportunity to see an extraordinarily good example of leadership take place. Our agency recently announced some of the most severe layoffs in its history. As you can imagine, this has caused an enormous amount of unrest and pain throughout the organization. Some of the folks losing their jobs have been with the agency for 20 years or more. It is a painful and heartbreaking time, but unfortunately, one that could not be avoided. It would have been easy for our executive leaders to hide behind the veil of budget cuts and simply hand down the mandate of these layoffs. One person in particular though demonstrated exactly what it means to be a true leader. Our Deputy Director came around to speak personally with each of the individuals directly affected by the layoffs. He had no personal agenda other than to touch base with them, see how they were faring, and to find out how he could be supportive. This process has been exceptionally difficult for him, watching people he has worked with for years struggling and having to go through such a difficult time. His professionalism, patience, and willingness to really listen and be compassionate as they shared their fears and frustration were invaluable. Throughout, he maintained his composure and let people vent, express their feelings, and share with

Do What You Can…

I have been reminded of that conversation frequently lately as I have watched people around me go through some amazingly difficult times at work. A major layoff hit their organization, and them personally. Watching them, I was struck by how some of them were able to roll with the punches, while others, seemingly, were decimated by the events. Finally, one day, while working with one of my clients, it hit me. While I certainly agree with Curly’s assessment that we each have to find that one thing inside of us that ignites our passion, there is yet one other characteristic that is necessary for anyone to be successful; the one factor that, if absent, will complete eliminate the possibility of growth, change, and success. HOPE! “Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope” Take away hope and you completely take away a person’s motivation and strength. A person who feels their situation is hopeless and who sees no possibility that things can change and improve will simply give up. Human beings thrive on hope. We continually hope and dream of better circumstances. It is what drives us to take on new challenges, learn new skills, and attempt things that may seem impossible. The simple hope that we can accomplish these things keeps us striving for more. I am convinced that the greatest thing we can do for those around us is to cultivate hope. Focus your energies on what is possible, rather than what is not, and you will find a world of opportunity opening up. A good friend of mine likes to say “Do what you can, not what you can’t.” When the walls are crashing in around you and you

Dare to Choose

Several years ago, I worked with a large organization in the midst of some substantial structural changes. Over the course of several months, as we re-created their entire foundation and processes, we came together to develop agreements about what we believed was necessary for each individual, and by extension the organization, to be successful. I have held on to this and shared it many times since. Dare to Choose … Continue readingDare to Choose

Hey Buddy, Can You Spare Some Change?

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of change that seems to be constantly going on around us. If you ever doubt that, live in a house with 4 adolescent boys, as I do, and try and follow what is going on in their lives from day to day. I promise you, that the speed and magnitude with which things change will boggle your mind. On the same track though, we are presented with virtually endless amounts of change in our professional lives. Many of us have had several jobs in our careers, even if they are all within the same organization. Or we may have experienced a fundamental change in the organizational structure where we work so that we report to someone new and now have to adjust to the way this person manages. Regardless of the types of change we are talking about though, the important thing to bear in mind is not so much the change itself, but how we react to that change. As you find yourself in situations of upheaval or change, whether good or bad, you will often find yourself becoming exceptionally stressed, tired, and unable to focus. The key is to find ways to mitigate the impact of the change on the other aspects of your life. Find things you enjoy doing, get away from the situation for a while, or work to discover the opportunities in the new environment. Whatever the case, for your own well-being (and as my wife will attest, for the betterment of those around you), focus on getting the lessons you can out of the change, and you are likely to be more successful in managing the stress and emotion that accompanies it. … Continue readingHey Buddy, Can You Spare Some

Tag: Management Theory