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In this edition:
Marshall Goldsmith on "Don't Just Check the Box"
Patricia Wheeler on "Do You Show Them That You Care?"
Alliant International University announces the Marshall Goldsmith School of Management: Alliant welcomes Marshall Goldsmith, considered one of the 50 most influential thought leaders today. His ground-breaking human approach to business is a natural fit with Alliant's graduate and undergraduate business curriculum. Stay tuned as the Marshall Goldsmith Library, now connected with the University, brings you even more resources for your business success.
Don't Just Check the Box
By Marshall Goldsmith
A few years ago, I was in a doctor's office dealing with back problems (aggravated by my constant air travel). After running a few tests, the doctor sat me down and rattled off 10 different exercises that I was supposed to do regularly. He spoke very quickly. Knowing what I know about communication, I realized that there was no way I was going to remember what he said, much less understand it or do it! He assumed that once he had made the correct diagnosis and told me what to do, his job was done. He had checked the box on his to-do list. Time for the next patient!
One of the great causes of corporate dysfunction is the glaring gap between "I say" and "they do." It's a huge false assumption to believe that just because people understand, then they will do. Like this doctor, leaders all too often believe that their organizations operate with strict down-the-chain-of-command efficiency. In a perfect world, every command is not only obeyed but obeyed precisely and promptly, almost as if it were a fait accompli. The manager never has to follow up -- because he said it -- it was done.
I dealt with this head-on with a client, a CEO of a major high-tech firm. He was 54 years old with a degree from MIT. He was also -- like most of my clients -- extremely action-oriented and impatient. Surveys indicated that his employees felt they didn't understand the company's mission and overall direction. "I don't get it," he groaned. "I clearly articulated the mission and direction in our team meeting. I've summarized it in a memo, which was immediately distributed. See, here's the memo! What more do they want?"
I thought he was kidding, that he had a very refined sense of irony. Making people understand the company's mission doesn't happen by fiat. It also doesn't happen overnight. Surely this smart CEO understood how difficult it was to communicate even a simple message. But by the pained expression on his face, I could see he was serious and (if only in this one area of management) clueless.
"Let's review," I said. "How was this memo distributed?"
"By email," he replied. "It went to everyone."
"Okay. How many people actually read the memo?"
"I'm not sure," he said.
"Of those who read the email, how many do you think understood the message?"
He thought for a second and said, "I don't know."
"Of those who understood it, how many actually believed it was serious - not just PR hype?"
He shook his head.
"Of this dwindling group of believers, how many remembered it?"
Another sorry head shake.
"That's a lot of unknowns for something you regard as vital to your company's existence," I said. "But that's not the worst part. Once you eliminate all those people -- and it's quite possible there aren't many people left -- how many people do you think will change their behavior based upon the memo? How many will begin living and breathing the company's mission because of your memo?"
The CEO just grimaced and shrugged his shoulders.
I tried to revive his spirits by pointing out that the deeper issue was his mistaken belief about communication, not this memo.
"The only thing you're guilty of," I said, "was that you checked the box. You thought your job was done when you articulated the mission and wrote the memo, just one more item on your to-do list. You moved on. Mentally, you smiled and said, 'Next!' "
Like most extremely busy leaders, this CEO wanted to believe that after he communicated direction, people heard him, understood him, believed him, and then executed. I can understand why executives persist in thinking this way. We all want to believe that our comments have great meaning. We usually assume that the people around us are smart, and they can understand what we're saying and see the value of our remarks. We're often busy and overcommitted. We all wish we could just move on to the next item on our list.
The good news for every manager, including my CEO friend, is that this false belief has a simple cure. It's called "follow-up." After communicating, follow up to make sure that people really understand, talk with them to get a read of their buy-in, and involve them to make sure that they're committed to execution. Follow-up may take a little time, but it's less than the time wasted on miscommunication.
If you're just checking the box, add one more item to your to-do list: Start changing your ways.
Marshall Goldsmith is a world authority in helping successful leaders achieve positive, measurable change in behavior: for themselves, their people and their teams. He has been named one of the top 50 leaders influencing the field of management over the last century (American Management Association), one of the five most respected executive coaches (Forbes) and among the top ten executive educators (Wall Street Journal). He is the founder of the Alliance for Strategic Leadership and Marshall Goldsmith Partners. Marshall invites you to visit his library (MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com) for articles and resources you can use. This article was originally published in Fast Company Magazine, February 2005.
Do You Show Them That You Care?
by Patricia Wheeler
Bill was trying hard to control his reactions during our debriefing session on his 360 feedback. Like most leaders, he zeroed in on the negative comments, bypassing the many positive results. He was primarily concerned with his boss' comments. Bill pointed out, accurately so, that his manager's positive comments were only mildly complimentary. Comments from peers, customers and direct reports were glowing. But Bill was disappointed. I knew his manager, a tough taskmaster who led with his dissatisfactions. And I knew that Bill was among many people in the company given clear messages about what they were doing wrong and only minimal information about what they were doing right.
An experienced senior staffer, Bill was philosophical. He knew his boss was a man of few words, many of them negative. With my encouragement, he formulated an action plan to leverage his strengths and take steps toward correcting what his boss saw as weaknesses.
What is likely to happen with Bill and his team as a result of this experience? Without experiencing the support and endorsement of his manager, he will, over time, probably be less than fully engaged behind his mission. If his trajectory is like a number of leaders I have met, he will have concluded that it is in his best interest to not take risks, be very careful about the decisions he makes and basically play not to lose. He may eventually choose to leave this boss and perhaps this organization as well - a very common and expensive experience to both Bill and the company. Bear in mind, Bill may not even notice at first that he is less engaged. But without his boss' recognition and acknowledgement as an important contributor to his company's success, he is not as likely to be fully on board or know how to become even a better player.
What do we know about why talented employees leave? It's often not about the money, especially within the senior leadership ranks. The majority of knowledge workers, like the rest of us, want to feel that we are recognized, valued and supported by our leaders in doing important and challenging work.
What's the real cost of losing a talented executive? There are the hard costs, including recruitment fees, interviewer time, sign-on packages and the learning curve needed to bring a new employee up to speed. Add to this the intangible costs: the loss of momentum as new team and customer relationships must be formed; time lost as employees speculate about the style and expectations of the new leader, and loss of credibility of the existing management team in the eyes of the employees, the Board and the Street. Studies show that the cost of losing a senior contributor is at least one and a half to two times that individual's salary.
Should feedback be all glowing and positive? Of course not. We all need to know where we are falling short of the mark and how we can improve. Leaders can and must deal with the hard truths. But we need the other side of the coin as well - deliberate, spoken acknowledgement about contribution and good work. Leaders, your words mean a great deal to your employees....and what you don't say is often as powerful as what you do, especially when the unspoken is misunderstood.
What can leaders do to keep their key talent engaged and motivated?
1.Talk with your direct reports. Ask what motivates them. Find out who they truly are as people. Believe me, it affects how they do their job.
2.Be sure they know how they fit into the organization and its mission. Everyone wants to know how they are valued.
3.Make sure that when you tell people what not to do, you tell them what you want them TO do. The brain does not process negatives. If you don't believe me, try very hard NOT to think of a green hippopotamus.
4.Give thanks for jobs well done....and notice when people are moving in the right direction, even when their execution falls short of your standards.
Remember, showing that you care, regularly and clearly, will drive engagement. And engaged workers care more strongly about performing to the best of their ability. The only cost is your words and a bit of your time.
Patricia Wheeler, Ph.D. is an executive coach and consultant who helps smart people become better leaders. As Senior Partner in the Levin Group LLC, she has spent 15 years specializing in organizational systems dynamics and coaching senior leaders A distance-learning expert, Patricia uses an action-oriented and results-based approach to coach teams within global organizations, leading to increased synergy and bottom-line results. She is also a member of the Alliance for Strategic Leadership, a global network of senior executive coaches and consultants founded by Marshall Goldsmith. You may contact Patricia by E-mail at Patricia@TheLevinGroup.com or by telephone at 404 377-9408.
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