Leadership – Page 19 – Fast:Forward Farther

January 30, 2015January 31, 2015

Solid Feedback

During this first month of the year, three clients asked for help on the annual review they needed to give a specific employee. Each had concerns about how to address challenges – knowing their direct reports were likely to react poorly.

My response was to have them stand up, look toward me and describe what they saw over my shoulder. Then I asked them to turnaround and look out the window. “How much of what you see now is the same as when you just looked at me?”

They quickly understood: what happened during 2014 is in the past and nothing will change that. The goal of a review is to look forward… identifying what went well and what didn’t – then mutually agreeing to build on strengths and work on areas that need improvement. The approach should be a robust dialogue about opportunity – not a “you did a good job, but…” listing of shortcomings.

Back in the day when I was managing a lot of people, I kept a cartoon on the bulletin board of my office: ‘If you don’t have something good to say, drop it in the employee’s file and save it for his review.’ It was a reminder to address issues throughout the year as they appeared: to create a culture of continuous improvement, instead of a company with an environment of fear and dread over a once-a-year meeting.

Last week one of the clients sent me an email update: “Had the review with Joe today. It went well. Calm. Cool. Collected.”

January 1, 2015December 23, 2014

Lessons Learned – #1

As we celebrate the beginning of a New Year, here are two organizations that touched my heart in 2014:

RAINN (86 score on Charity Navigator/91% of donations at work) – So much in the news is about violence against women… and the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network is the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization

First Book (96/98%) – Transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education, this non-profit has distributed more than 120 million books and resources to programs and schools in low-income areas

December 31, 2014December 23, 2014

Lessons Learned – #2

Here is the second best thing I learned this year:

Deep Dive – I was able to speak with CEOs at a handful of Fortune 500 companies this year. Obviously, these are smart folks who know how to adapt to the demands of the board, address Wall Street with confidence and drive employees to meet expectations. Many are challenged by the ability to communicate a higher purpose – vision that has little to do with financial results. As one of my clients said: “When the mailroom person knows what’s in the CEO’s heart, then you really have an amazing company.”

December 30, 2014December 23, 2014

Lessons Learned – #3

The third best lesson I learned in 2014:

Polar Opposites – At a restaurant in Toronto the waiters are deaf and the only way to order is by using ASL. While that may seem like a marketing approach, what’s at work is reverse systematic bias. If you want to eat, adapt to a different set of rules. The onus is on the customer, not the person with the disability. There is much tension in this country around justice… and the solution might be to consider what others have to accept in order to exist within the systems that are creating the challenges.

December 29, 2014December 23, 2014

Lessons Learned – #4

Number four among the best lessons I learned this year:

Seek First – The best parable I heard this year? “A mother, whose daughter was addicted to sweets, approached Ghandi and asked him to speak to the girl. Ghandi said: ‘Bring your daughter back to me in three weeks’ – so the mother did. He took the girl aside and told her all about the harmful effects of too many sweets and the importance of stopping bad habits. The mother thanked him and asked, ‘Why didn’t you just tell her that three weeks ago?’ Ghandi replied: ‘Because three weeks ago, I was still addicted to sweets.'”