Leadership Today - Practical Tips For Leaders

Summary

Being able to effectively manage change is an essential skill for any leader. In this episode we explore the stages of change that people work through, and what they need from their leaders to support the change.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 25 of the Leadership Today Podcast where each week we tackle one of today's biggest leadership challenges.

Change is an essential part of the modern workplace. Hardly a week will go by without some kind of change that we need to manage. Some authors have likened working through change to the stages of grief. The five stages of grief (Denial, Anger, Depression, Bargaining and Acceptance) were Initially developed by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. She actually used these labels to describe the stages that terminally ill patients go through as they process what their illness means to them. It was then applied to people grieving the loss of a loved one, however research shows that grief is complex, and doesn't necessarily follow neat stages.

Cynthia Scott and Dennis Jaffe proposed that people move through four stages when coming to terms, and eventually engaging, with change - Denial, Resistance, Exploration and Commitment. Like the stages of grief, these don't necessarily play out as neatly as the model would suggest, however it's an extremely helpful framework for leaders in understanding how they can support and encourage people through change.

In the first stage, Denial, a person is trying to avoid the change by not taking action. They often act like nothing has happened. When they are forced to discuss the change, they may question the evidence behind the need for change, or blame those driving the change. I remember working through an office move. We had been in the same location for many years, but our lease was coming to an end, and the building managers didn't want to renew the lease. So we found a new location and encouraged people to start clearing up around their areas to get ready for the move. I remember one person that didn't seem to be involved in the clearing up. As I spoke to them, they were clearly in denial about the change. In fact they thought it was an elaborate ruse to get people to clean up their areas, and that we wouldn't be moving office at all. And while that seems a little strange, it speaks volumes about what people need at this stage of change. Firstly, leaders need to accept that denial is a normal part of the change process. People need time and further information so they can get used to the change. As a leader you also need to expect that productivity will drop. I'm yet to hear of anyone who has moved offices without a pretty significant impact on productivity, and that will be the same for any other major change.

In the second stage, Resistance, people take on a more active opposition to the change. Active and passive resistance starts to occur. People can end up complaining, demonstrate frustration, and even become depressed. They will identify and raise numerous reasons why the change won't work. As a leader, this can be quite challenging. You might even find yourself starting to doubt the ability for the organisation to change at this point. It's important to recognise that you can't get people through this stage with logic and reason. Additional data and evidence is unlikely to help. What people need is a leader who will listen to them and acknowledge the emotional component of the change. It's really important to maintain your own composure at this point too. It's very easy to become angry and argumentative yourself, which will only inflame the situation further. Instead, encourage the team to keep talking to you and each other about the change, and particularly focus on what lies ahead, while also recognising the feeling of loss about what is in the past.

Exploration is the third stage and, as the name suggests, this is when people start to actively engage with the change. At this stage people will want to come up with new ideas, to solve problems, and to try new things. While this is positive, it is worth recognising that this will distract people from core business. That inevitable drop in productivity will continue into this stage, despite the enthusiasm and energy people are demonstrating. As a leader you will need to focus people's energy at this stage towards productive tasks. Think about how people can work together to progress the change. It's also worth noting that people will reach this stage at different points, and may even cycle back into Resistance if they don't feel their efforts are being recognised. You will want to encourage people to support others through the change - those in Exploration can really help those in the Resistance stage, so think about how you might engage people in that way.

The fourth and final stage is Commitment. Here people feel comfortable with the change, and are confident and in control. They will become more productive as the distracting elements of the change have been addressed. As a leader, it's tempting at this stage to think your job is done. However, you should take the time to celebrate and recognise people's efforts in working through the change. You can also help prepare people for the next change by reflecting on lessons learned.

This week you could reflect on the changes that are occurring in your workplace. What stage are you up to in the change? Where do you think members of your team are at? What do they need from you to make it to the next stage?

Thanks for joining me again this week. And a quick update - I've released a one day Leadership Foundations program, targeted at frontline to mid-level leaders. It covers:

• Leadership and motivation
• Leadership styles
• Coaching and feedback
• Focus and resilience

The feedback on the program has been great. If you or someone else in your organisation would be interested in learning more about the program, make contact with me via the leadership.today website. I'm also working on an online version of the program people can undertake over a two week period, so let me know if you're interested in a discounted trial. See you next week.

References

Cynthia Scott and Dennis Jaffe (2006) Change Management: Leading People Through Organizational Transitions

https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/supersurvivors/201707/why-the-five-stages-grief-are-wrong

Summary

Learning new things can be painful. Understand why that's the case can help us, both as learners and leaders, to become more effective. This week we look at a framework to help us understand the predictable stages of learning, and what that requires from us as leaders.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 24 of the Leadership Today Podcast where each week we tackle one of today's biggest leadership challenges.

When's the last time you learned something new? How did that feel?

The workplace is changing rapidly, which means as leaders we are often needing to try things that we haven't tried before. But learning something new can be hard - it typically involves an element of feeling awkward. Why is that? And what does it mean for us and our teams?

Chances are that at some point in your life your learnt to drive a car. You may have even taught someone else to drive.

What does it feel like as the learner heads towards a car for their first lesson. They're no doubt a little nervous, but are also typically keen to give it a try. Often there's an assumption that driving a car can't be that difficult - after all, they've seen thousands of others do it every day - how hard can it be? Martin Broadwell described four levels of learning back in 1969, and he referred to this stage as Unconscious Incompetence - the learner doesn't know what they don't know. They can't possibly know how hard it might be to learn to drive a car because they've never done it before. The leader needs to invest effort and time in helping the learner at this point, as they're likely to need really clear directions.

So what happens in those first few lessons? No doubt the learner stalls the car, maybe forgets to indicate, or even has a near miss with another car. They might choose the wrong gear or clip the kerb while taking a corner. Their lack of skill in the task is quickly uncovered. But what does that feel like? It feels awful. Every element of driving at this stage takes a lot of thought and planning - knowing where to position the car in the lane, what kind of distance to keep from the car in front, how to translate the images in the mirror to know where other cars are. Broadwell called this Conscious Incompetence - the learner is all too aware of just how much they don't know, and it often feels awful. Unless there's sufficient motivation, the learner may even give up at this stage. What the learner needs at this stage is plenty of encouragement to keep on learning.

Let's assume the learner sticks with it. Over the next year they're likely to become better at driving. Things will become more predictable and in control. They will still need to concentrate on elements of driving, but it will start to feel more comfortable and natural. They need fewer directions from the leader, aside from the occasional new element of encouragement. Broadwell called this stage Conscious Competence - the learner now knows how to do the task, but it still requires quite a lot of conscious thought and effort.

And, over time, if the learner driver continues to gain experience and develop their skills, eventually they will reach Unconscious Competence. This is the stage where the skill becomes automatic. Have you ever had that experience of driving somewhere and not remembering much of the trip? That's likely an example of Unconscious Competence. All the gear changes, lane changes, braking, accelerating, mirror checks and everything else becomes automatic - only exceptional circumstances are likely to require you to use conscious thought and effort. You don't need much input from the person training you - they have effectively delegated the task to you. The leader needs to adapt their approach to the learner at this stage, otherwise they end up becoming the equivalent of a back seat driver - barking directions at someone who is perfectly capable of doing a great job. While this stage is great as a learner, it can make it hard to then teach someone else that skill. It can be hard to remember what it was like to learn to drive. There can be elements of driving that you find difficult to explain because they've become automatic over the years.

I remember stepping into my first leadership role. There was so much in the role that was new - motivating others, analysing finances, putting together a business plan, hiring staff, laying off staff - it was almost overwhelming. I was absolutely aware of my short comings and just how much I needed to learn. Fortunately I had people around me who were prepared to invest in my development, and I was also motivated to keep going. But it did lead me at points to question my ability - perhaps I was the wrong person for the job - surely someone else could do this better than I could? And it also challenged me as my team became more and more capable. Was I willing to delegate things entirely? Or did I want to retain some control, just like the back seat driver?

Putting ourselves in the position of Conscious Incompetence is a necessary part of growth and development. And helping others through this stage with support and encouragement is critical if we are to retain our best people and keep them motivated.

What parts of your role fall in the Conscious Incompetence stage? Are there new challenges on the horizon that might push you back into that zone for some tasks?

Where do your team members fall on their various responsibilities? Are there some that require additional support? Do you need to fully delegate to others who are now performing well, and stop back seat driving?

How can you use this framework to prepare others for new responsibilities?

I hope you found this episode helpful. I'm so grateful for those of you who download the podcast each week and share it with others - it makes a huge difference. Leadership Today is now one of the top leadership podcasts on Spotify, which means even more people are discovering the podcast and working on their leadership. I look forward to speaking with you again next week.

Summary

Conflict - love it or hate it, you're going to end up facing conflict at some point. In this episode we discuss some ways of tackling conflict head on.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 23 of the Leadership Today Podcast where each week we tackle one of today's biggest leadership challenges.

What comes to mind when you hear the word 'conflict'? When I ask this question on leadership programs, the first things people typically think of are negative. But research suggests that conflict isn't automatically bad, but neither is it always good. There's something about the way in which conflict is managed that makes a difference.

What is conflict?

Conflict occurs where two or more people aren't thinking alike - where they have differences of opinion, or where their interests don't align. In this way conflict is the product of diversity - of diverse views, diverse experiences and diverse ways of thinking. We know that diversity, when harnessed and managed, has a broad range of positive impacts on organisational performance. But diversity brings with it conflict which also needs to be managed.

Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilmann define conflict situations as "those in which the concerns of two people appear to be incompatible." This definition highlights that in conflict concerns only need to appear to be incompatible - it is entirely possible that with further exploration seemingly incompatible interests may actually be reconciled.

How do we approach conflict?

We typically approach conflict based on our preferences and previous experiences of conflict. There's also a cultural overlay, with different cultures varying in how comfortable people are with disagreements. Depending on these factors, when it comes to conflict it's easy to take an all or nothing approach - to either argue forcefully for our position, or to avoid the conflict altogether. There are times when these approaches can be valid, but those times are the exception rather than the rule.

Our goal in managing conflict is to make the most of the diversity - to actively engage in discussion. To refine ideas and improve them by making the most of a diversity of views. And it's also to build and maintain healthy working relationships. There may be little point winning an argument if it also means losing a key partnership. And of course we want to conclude with a clear way forward.

With those goals in mind, here are some tips for tackling conflict head on in a healthy and constructive way:

1. Start with you - why does this issue matter to you? What's your ultimate goal, not just the initial position you've taken? What have been your experiences of conflict in the past? What emotions is this conflict likely to produce in you? Are you prepared to shift your position in the face of additional information? You might consider self-assessments such as the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument as these can boost awareness of how you typically approach conflict.
2. State your intent - that you want to resolve the conflict and build the relationship. That you want to arrive at a better solution. Also let people know the extent to which you're willing to change your position based on new information or perspectives.
3. Agree ground rules. Members of a senior leadership team I served on were clear that we wanted to have robust discussions, and that it was okay for not all of us to have the same perspective. But while we didn't always agree, we made sure we left each meeting on the same page - talking about the final outcome as if we had come up with the approach ourselves, even if we had been arguing against it 20 minutes earlier. You might agree to keep things confidential, to be frank - whatever it might be, discussing ground rules helps.
4. Listen - and really listen - to the other position. Listen to understand rather than just argue back. So often we're concentrating on only hearing opportunities to disagree and argue back rather than really trying to understand what's important to the other person, and why it's important to them. I remember going into a potentially heated conversation with one word written in all capitals at the top of my notepad - that word was LISTEN. Genuinely seeking to understand the other person's position took all the heat out of the discussion.
5. Shake hands. Whether figuratively or literally but, either way, leave on a positive note. Leaving a disagreement unresolved can lead to it festering and sapping energy.

Perhaps the best advice on conflict is the quote from Karl Weick - "Argue like you're right and listen like you're wrong."

If you found this podcast helpful, you might also find episode 6 on assertiveness helpful as well - you can find it and all our precious episodes at leadership.today You can also use the connect link there to follow me on LinkedIn, to join our Facebook group, and to receive email updates about new episodes.

References

Riaz, Muhammad & Junaid, Fatima. (2013). Workplace Conflict: Constructive or Destructive. SSRN Electronic Journal. 10.2139/ssrn.2247886.

Reference: Thomas, K. W., and Kilmann, R. H. "An Overview of the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI)."Kilmann Diagnostics Website (2009).

As we prepare for 2019, we're taking the opportunity to replay some of our most popular episodes from 2018. Enjoy!

As we prepare for 2019, we're taking the opportunity to replay some of our most popular episodes from 2018. Enjoy!

As we prepare for 2019, we're taking the opportunity to replay some of our most popular episodes from 2018. Enjoy!

As we prepare for 2019, we're taking the opportunity to replay some of our most popular episodes from 2018. Enjoy!

Summary As the end of the year fast approaches, we take a look at goal setting - something we all know a lot about, and yet we're lousy at it. Here are four ideas that might help.

Transcript Welcome to episode 22 of the Leadership Today Podcast where each week we tackle one of today's biggest leadership challenges.

If I was to ask you "Tell me about the best approaches to goal setting?", you're pretty likely to mention SMART goals. We all know goals work best when they're Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based. And yet as human beings we are still pretty lousy at setting and following through on goals. Today I want to focus on four quick tips for setting better goals.

A few years back I set a goal for myself - I said "I want to become a better cook". So I dutifully picked up Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals book - that sounded pretty achievable. I picked out a meal and got to work. Well, 90 minutes, one fennel and three fry pans later, the meal still didn't look anything like the photo in the book. Plus I discovered that Jamie hadn't factored in cleaning up time to the 15 minutes. I gave up.

Around the same time I set myself another goal - "I will go for a run every day of the week except Sunday". Now I had tried running before, even setting a goal to run three times a week. But the inevitable happened - Monday it was a little cold, Tuesday I just wasn't feeling it, Wednesday there was the sound of rain on the roof - and so on until Saturday. To make up for the lost days I would then run three times as far on Saturday and injure myself, knocking out running for another week. In contrast, my "run every day except Sunday" strategy has held up for over a year. So what made that goal stick, unlike my goal around becoming a better cook?

The first difference is word choice - there's a big difference between "want" and "will". If you say you want to do something, you're indicating a preference. If you say you will do something, you're stating a commitment. Commitments trump preferences any day. Always make sure you express your goal as a "will" statement. Second is the middle part of SMART goal setting - Achievable. This is partly about setting a goal that you think is possible. But it's also about setting goals that you can actually mark off as complete. The beauty of the "run every day except Sunday" goal is that I either completed it in a particular week, or I didn't complete it that week. Test the wording of your goal to make sure it is something you can actually mark off as complete.

The third key for me was clearly picturing how the process of completing the goal would make me feel. The reality of starting a run on 46 year old knees is not pretty - the first few steps never feel great. But one minute into the run I always feel great, so I focus on that moment as I roll out of bed. And the fourth key is identifying why the goal matters to you. If you set a goal that doesn't matter to you, just cross it out - you're never going to achieve it. For me, running is about keeping fit for my family and my work, both of which I love. Running was part of a broader purpose.

As you set goals for yourself, remember to say "will" not "want", make it something you can mark off, picture the benefits of the process, and identify why the goal matters to you.

That's our final Leadership Today Podcast for 2018 before we take a break. We're on track to sail through 10,000 podcast downloads around about Christmas Day. And I really appreciate the feedback people have provided about the podcast, and for you taking the time to listen. I hope it has been helpful in your leadership development.

Over the remainder of December and into January we will be featuring four of our most popular episodes, before we kick off again in February. Best wishes for you and your loved ones for 2019.

This week we explore the links between optimism and resilience, using the example of a terrifying real life hang gliding experience.

Welcome to episode 21 of the Leadership Today Podcast where each week we address some of today's biggest leadership challenges. This week we are looking at optimism and resilience.

Have you ever had a travel experience that didn't quite go to plan. Chris Gursky certainly has. Chris recently travelled from his home in Florida to Switzerland. He was particularly keen to have a tandem hang gliding experience over the picturesque Swiss countryside, so he booked that in for the first day of his holiday. The YouTube video of his first flight (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLBJA8SlH2w&t=9s) shows an excited Chris and his pilot running towards their take off from high on a mountainside. As soon as they took off though Chris and the pilot realise something has gone horribly wrong - the harness Chris is wearing is not actually clipped on to the hang glider, leaving Chris to hang on for dear life. Chris has one hand on the steering bar and one hand on the pilot for most of the flight, not sure of how long he could hold on. The pilot tries for an early landing, but is unable to control the steering while also trying to hold on to Chris, leaving the hang glider to travel over an even greater drop - some 4,000 feet from the ground. After an excruciating two minutes, the hang glider finally nears the ground travelling around 45 miles per hour, with Chris letting go just before it lands. Chris walked away with a broken wrist from the landing and a torn bicep muscle from holding on so hard. Amazingly, despite the ordeal, Chris said "I will go hang gliding again as I did not get to enjoy my first flight."

Chris' story demonstrates the two main elements of resilience - holding on and bouncing back. On the one hand, resilience is about your ability to withstand difficult circumstances - to hold on despite the odds - which Chris literally demonstrated during his hang gliding experience. And resilience is also about your ability to quickly bounce back from setbacks - much like Chris' desire to go hang gliding again, despite his near death experience.

So much of our experience of life is shaped by the lens through which we view events, rather than the events themselves. Shawn Achor in his book "The Happiness Advantage" says that if researchers knew everything about your situation, they can only predict 10% of your happiness levels. Around 50% of our happiness is determined by a so-called genetic set point, with the remaining 40% being determined by our thoughts and actions which, of course, we can alter.

Our resilience links closely to our level of optimism. Martin Seligman describes this in his book "Learned Optimism". As the title suggests, Seligman has long argued that optimism can be learned, just as early behavioural experiments with animals demonstrated that helplessness and pessimism can also be learned. Seligman outlines three ways in which optimists and pessimists differ when seeking to explain the causes and impacts of events - personalisation, permanence and pervasiveness - the three P's.

Let's look at these three P's using an example of a setback. Alan is reversing his car into a tight spot in the city when he hears breaking glass and the hiss of a tyre going flat. It turns out he has backed over a glass bottle, badly puncturing a tyre on his car.

Consider the three P's if Alan took a pessimistic view of this situation:

• Personalisation - Alan immediately blames himself - he should have noticed the bottle and been more careful while parking the car - it's all his fault.

• Permanence - these kinds of things always happen to him - this flat tyre is going to take ages to change and then repair - it's ruined his whole week.

• Pervasiveness - now he's going to be late for the show tonight, which means his girlfriend is going to be unhappy with him - he'll be grumpy at work all week, and he just can't be bothered going to the gym in the morning now.

What about if Alan took an optimistic view of the same situation:

• Personalisation - this could have happened to anyone, and whoever left the bottle there was pretty careless - it's not really Alan's fault at all

• Permanence - Alan will be able to change the tyre quickly after the show - it's a 15 minute job at the most, and doesn't really impact his evening or week

• Pervasiveness - it's just a flat tyre - things in his relationship and at work are going well and the rest of his life is pretty positive - it's no big deal

You can see how an optimistic mindset would make Alan more resilient, both in the moment with the punctured tyre, but also in bouncing back from a potentially negative situation.

Interestingly, when positive things happen, the thinking styles are reversed. The optimist will be more likely to take credit for the positive outcome, to see it as another sign of things to be grateful for, and will let the positive experience flow into other areas of their life. The pessimist, in contrast, will tend to put the positive outcome down to luck or the efforts of others, limit its impact in time, and see it as a small and contained part of their life.

You can learn to be more optimistic in the moment. Just understanding these differences in thinking styles will make you more aware of your own thought patterns in both positive and negative situations. You can then treat your initial thoughts as opinions rather than facts. For example, if something goes wrong, you might tell yourself "you're an idiot - you can never get anything right". Instead of just accepting this negative thought, treat it as an opinion which can be challenged. Is it really your fault? Do you always get things wrong, or are there examples of things you do well? What are some other explanations or ways of viewing the situation? Train yourself to look at alternative explanations rather than just accepting the first negative thought that comes into your head.

There's also the 'boring but important' aspects of a healthy life that help to build resilience and optimism, namely diet, sleep and exercise. Connections with friends and family also matter. As does taking the time to slow down and be grateful for all the positive things in our lives - noting down three new things each day to be grateful for is a simple and effective practice that helps us to focus on the positives in life.

This week, think of Chris Gursky and his terrifying hang gliding flight. By holding on and then quickly deciding to give hang gliding another try, Chris provides a powerful demonstration of resilience in action.

Martin Seligman - Learned Optimism

Shawn Achor - The Happiness Advantage

Summary

As leaders, there's always a risk of blaming people rather than processes. This week we look at a technique that helps us to avoid playing the blame game.

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to episode twenty of the Leadership Today podcast. Each week we provide practical advice to address some of today's biggest leadership challenges. In this episode we're looking at ways to avoid playing the blame game.

As leaders, there's always a risk of blaming people rather than processes. Something goes wrong and the first thing we want to identify is who is to blame. After all, we're responsible for the processes, so there's a built-in desire to protect ourselves by blaming some incompetent or malicious individual rather than our wonderfully crafted systems. Blaming people is a pretty natural way of defending ourselves and maintaining our self esteem. However, it's not a great way of building trust, getting to the root cause of problems or improving performance. If a leader is constantly blaming their people, you have to wonder - who hired these people, and who has been managing their performance? It's the same leader who's now playing the blame game.

When leaders play the blame game, it leads to fear, and fear leads to cover ups, and cover ups lead to increased risk. Who would raise a concern when they know there's a risk of being blamed and all the negative consequences that come with that? The team quickly learn the importance of sweeping things under the carpet. And that seems fine in the short term, until the issues mount up and are impossible to ignore.

So, as leaders, it can be helpful to have a technique that allows us to get to the root cause of problems without automatically blaming people.

One simple tool is called 5 whys, originally pioneered by Sakichi Toyoda as part of the Toyota Production System. While it was initially conceived as an engineering method, it works equally well on any sort of problem you're likely to encounter in the workplace. As a result, it has been incorporated into a broad range of continuous improvement methodologies.

To use the 5 whys approach, you start with the problem, then look for the preceding cause of the problem by asking 'why' - why did the problem occur. The idea being that after you've worked backwards by asking 'why' five times, you should be at or pretty close to the root cause of the problem. One of the principles is that you can't have human error as the root cause - instead, you need to focus on the process, not the people. 5 whys is fact driven and logical - it's about evidence rather than opinions. This takes a lot of the heat out of the approach.

Let's look at an example to bring the 5 whys approach to life. You hang up the phone from a disgruntled customer. They've just visited your local store to find their favourite item was out of stock. To make things worse, they had actually called the store the day before to confirm the item would be in stock, and were told new stock was arriving overnight and would be there the next day. Now they're going to take their business elsewhere. Your natural inclination is to ring the store manager and tell them off for letting the customer down by not keeping enough stock and overpromising to the customer - a classic blame game response. Instead you call the store manager and try to figure out the root cause.

1. Why was the store out of stock? Because the scheduled order hadn't arrived.
2. Why did the scheduled order not arrive? Because the delivery truck broke down on the way to the store.
3. Why did the delivery truck break down? Because of a broken fan belt.
4. Why did the fan belt break? Because the truck hadn't been serviced.
5. Why hadn't the truck been scheduled? Because there wasn't a schedule in place for truck servicing.

The lack of a schedule for servicing our fleet of trucks was the root cause for the stock outage.

It turned out the root cause didn't have anything to do with the store manager - the problem was in an entirely different part of the organisation. The risk now is that we try to track down who is responsible for truck servicing schedules and blame them. Instead, a much more constructive approach is to look at this as a shared problem, and something that can be avoided in the future through continuous improvement. In fact, fixing the truck servicing might help to avoid a whole range of other problems in the future - ones that wouldn't have been avoided if we had just berated the store manager.

Now, 5 whys as a technique is not perfect. For example, it tends to uncover one root cause, when there may be several. And there's nothing magical about 5 whys - it might only take 3 whys, or perhaps 10 whys to get to the root cause. And sometimes the problem is a person. But the principle of looking at processes and systems first before blaming people is one that any leader can bring to their approach.