Tag Archives: leadership development

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The 5 Deadly Temptations of Specialness Great Leaders Avoid

  By Christina Lattimer • May 16, 2013 - 10:16 am

MBTI The desire for specialness is often unconscious

Being a great leader is paradoxical. Leaders have to be pretty special people to be great, although in order to be great they fundamentally understand that everyone is the same. We are either all special or all ordinary.In group work, I invariably ask people to give me an example of a great leader. This isn’t always easy. Quite often people quote some of the greats in history, like Lincoln, Churchill, or perhaps Ghandi, or even Luther King Jr. Sometimes they will tell about one of their parents or even a great friend. Not many are able to easily bring examples of great leaders at work.

I expect there are many reasons why there is a dearth of great leaders at work, but one common thread I believe helps leaders fall short of being great in the workplace is that of falling into the temptation of specialness.

Whenever I ask people what they like to see in their leaders, many will talk about values or behaviours. They want leaders to be open, transparent, and fair; or they want them to be decisive, innovative and successful. Easy you would think? But actually leaders don’t have to be monumentally poor to find themselves out of favour with their people. They just have to, on occasion; succumb to the temptation of specialness.

Specialness can come in many forms, and it’s always a way of saying; one person matters more than another; or one person deserves more than another. Well you might be thinking, isn’t that the case? Well if you are, then you are experiencing a dose of specialness.

Specialness is the mistaken belief that we are different, and there are hierarchies of importance in the world. In reality though, it is not true.  We are all simply manifesting different experiences and believing and acting in different ways, with different outcomes.

But what about the lazy worker who comes in and doesn’t do anything, compared to the worker who works 24/7 and gets great results? You might ask.  Well one may be acting in ways which are in the best interests of the organisation, and one might not be. But that doesn’t make one person more special than another. Not at their core and not as a person.

There may be a million reasons that person doesn’t pull their weight as much as the other. There may also be a million reasons why the worker who works 24/7 is doing so. The trick is of course not to treat people differently, but to respond to their behaviours differently. There is a subtle difference.

To illustrate here are 5 common ways leaders give in to the insidious habit of specialism, and in so doing they diminish the “greatness” they can be.

  1. Favouritism

We all like people who are like ourselves, especially when we can clearly see our best attributes in others. There are also people we don’t like so much or who make us uncomfortable. More often than not, we are most uncomfortable when we can see things in other people which we do not like about ourselves. In both cases we are making judgements about other people and indeed ourselves. At work, we need to be aware of our prejudices no matter how mild they may seem. Leaders often fall into favouritism when they form attitudes about people based on how much they like them. They stop being kind, factual, open and transparent and their views can be biased and weighted towards people they like better.

  1. Special favours

A friend of mine was talking about the CEO who had been in the job for a few months. I had listened to her commentary about him before. It had always been complimentary and enthusiastic. However on this occasion, her tone was one of disappointment. Their company was involved in delivering specific services, the levels of which depended on certain criteria. It had become widely known that the CEO had decided to open up a level of service to someone who didn’t qualify, simply because they were viewed as an important person with clout. In one small but incredibly public decision his reputation had become tainted.

  1. Hidden Bonuses

Great leaders will always have a good solid recognition strategy in place. Some actions might be monetary and some may be non-financial rewards. What I have encountered many times are monetary based bonus systems which have no particular criteria and are conferred in secret.

A friend of mine told me gleefully about a hefty bonus she had received for navigating a particularly difficult downsizing strategy. She had however been told to keep it quiet. I asked her why, and she said that if it was known that she had been rewarded for making people redundant, employees would not be happy. Although there seemed to be some logic in this, to me it said a lot about the integrity of the leader, and also demonstrated a lack of understanding about how to manage an effective reward strategy.

  1. Creating a  Valued Role Hierarchy

I worked with a lady who used to work in a major high street store. She had happily worked there for many years. For her and some of her colleagues, the end came quite quickly as many of the team looked for and secured new jobs with different companies in response to a change in strategy by the company.

On the face of it, the change looked fairly sensible in that they decided to give bonuses to their sales people. Under the surface it was one of the most divisive and disruptive moves they had made. What happened was they created a hierarchy of importance, with a disproportionate reward to certain people. The sales support people were not adequately rewarded for their part in the process; and distrust and discontent set in. This dynamic can also be seen where “professional” and “support” employees are given a different status in an organisation.

  1. Excluding people.

Again and again I have seen people be excluded by senior leaders because they are particularly challenging, or simply have different views or beliefs. It can be unnecessarily difficult if you have such a person on your team, but if they are good at their job and are performing well, then their views should be welcomed with open arms. The act of exclusion is more of a statement about the fear of the excluder. Exclusion can be about only inviting certain opinions; not inviting people to meetings; not giving credit for a job well done; blocking promotion; creating succession plans which exclude people with unnecessary criteria.

To counteract such temptations, leaders must develop their own self-awareness and listen to and invite feedback from others. The temptation of specialness challenges all of us, not just leaders, and can sometimes be difficult to recognise or pinpoint. The following values or behaviours can minimise the temptation and keep any great leader on the right track.

  • Be open and transparent with everyone
  • Be kind to all, even those who seem difficult
  • Tackle poor performance or conduct, not personalities
  • Focus on commonalities not differences
  • Accept instead of judge
  • Be comfortable feeling uncomfortable
  • Have a systematic and inclusive approach to reward and recognition
  • Develop Self awareness
  • Understanding your own biases

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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The 5 Step Blueprint Of Successful Organisational Change

  By Christina Lattimer • May 2, 2013 - 10:59 am

the 5 step blueprint of organisational change A Blueprint for Change

In my capacity as a Leadership and HR Consultant, I am mostly called in when a problem has been encountered or a change is needed.    Consultancy is of course about understanding the problem, so a solution can be found.  Because I understand that organisations have a personality just like people, the problem is always unique to that particular organisation.   And so of course it follows, the solution is unique.

Over the years, I have developed a paradoxically, simple approach, to what can be perceived as complex organisational change.   Using my expertise in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) coupled with systems thinking I help leaders get to the crux of the problem, and help them find organisational solutions quickly.

The 5 step process allows leaders to look at the change from a number of different perspectives; zoom in and zoom out; satisfy both intuitive/visionary and auditory/sensor preferences for taking in, assimilating and communicating information. It also encourages a holistic decision-making process which embraces heart and mind, or logic and feeling preferences.

The process in itself is a simple one, which helps maintain focus, although the dynamics within the process helps clarify complexities.  The 5 step process can be used in any organisation to solve problems or to instigate change.

The 5 Step Blueprint

1.   Where are you going?

 There are usually three basic directions, and it’s important to find out exactly where the organisation wants to go and how it wants to travel.  It is vital to determine at the very outset the clear drivers for change.

  • A moving towards or progression
  • A change of direction – a moving away from
  • An alignment to perform better

You may find that there is a combination of ways to move forward, but asking the question in this frame helps uncover what is motivating the change and develops the basis for the next step:

2.   At What level does the change need to be made?

There are 6 basic levels these are linked to 6 logical levels of change used in NLP:

  • The purpose or the “Why” of the organisation
  • The Identity or the organisational brand
  • The level of values, beliefs or concepts of the organisation
  • Knowledge, skills and competencies
  • Behaviours and culture
  • Environment

While this can take some time to establish it is essential appropriate time is taken to identify the starting level.   If your starting point is level one, then it is likely all remaining levels will be affected.  If you start at level 4, depending on what that change involves, will determine whether any other levels are affected.  The next step is:

3.   How does the change affect each part of the organisation?

 In addition to the logical levels above, change impacts each part of the whole.  A successful change process will anticipate those impacts, consult on the detail, and make necessary adjustments ensuring the change is integrated across each identified impact.  The level at which the change occurs will determine the scope and depth of the impact.  Some impacts might be:

  • Relationships
  • Interdependencies such as linked projects or schemes of work
  • Policies
  • Processes
  • External partnerships and stakeholders
  • Resources
  • Customers

 4.   How will you know that the change is successful?

 What exactly does success look like?  Ways to frame this question can be:

  • Will the organisation be more profitable/deliver better products and or services?
  • How often, and with what method will this improvement be measured?
  • How will the customers/stakeholders/partners respond to change?
  • How will employees respond, what will they be doing differently?
  • What will the organisation look and feel like?
  • How will existing targets and results change?

5.   How will the changes happen?

If the change is a one-off intervention, a programme or project approach may be beneficial.   If it is more significant, then you may want to build the change into the strategic plan and build in outcomes and ownership accordingly.   For a systematic approach, you need to consider the following elements to ensure success:

  • Who will own the change?
  • What is the governance around the change? (Where do accountabilities lie?)
  • How will the change be communicated?
  • Who will be consulted and when?
  • When will success be realised?

As you can see, change is only as complicated as you want it to be.  Keeping it simple may not satisfy the more theoretical and analytical minds around, but cutting out complexity is the surest way to get results more quickly and in a way in which everyone understands.

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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Are You Awake To Change?

  By Christina Lattimer • April 25, 2013 - 11:28 am

Change Change has been quite a topic for me this week, both from a personal point of view and from some of my clients.

Change models are helpful and I have found with clients that any approach to change and therefore the preferred model, depends pretty much on the situation and the preference of the person wanting to instigate the change.

Standard models, like Kotter’s “8-Step Process for Leading Change” are effective and helpful, and for some are enough.  I always find it helpful to illustrate Lewins “Force Field Theory of Change” when looking at resistance to change, although even setting out how behaviours and resistance will manifest, doesn’t usually prepare people for the actual experience of these phenomena when the process is underway.

Levels of change are best described in Bandler and Grinder’s which is for me one of the most helpful models, because it clearly describes the hierarchy of change.

There are many more models out there, so why is it then when change is happening, even when teams are aware of the Kubler-Ross change curve, does it often become so distasteful, stressful frightening and difficult?  Is it simply because the experience of actually going through change is much messier than the models lead us to believe it will be?

Through years of experience of leading change and helping to lead change I have found some common factors which help to make the process of change much easier, less painful and less problematical.    These factors I call AWAKE.  I am not a big fan of acronyms but without any effort the five factors fit, so without apology I present them in this way, because you never know, thinking of AWAKE might help you to remember these factors the next time you are involved in a change, whether personal or work based.

The five factors are all about the energy which is brought to the change.  It doesn’t matter which model is used, if the underlying energy isn’t right then the change will be more difficult; take longer and be riskier.  I have broken the factors down as follows.

Attention

We

Attitude

Kindness

Energy

 

Attention

Any change needs to have attention.  This is about the concentrated focus of the mind and the mind-set either in your personal life or your organisation.  To achieve real successful change, the change must become the most important thing in the universe during the time it takes to initiate, implement and achieve the outcomes. It is akin to Kotter’s first step about creating urgency, but it is more than that.  If you have several programmes, projects or changes going on at once, then the order of attention, priority and importance must be determined. If too much is going on, attention is diluted, the change is slower, and the impetus is lost.

We

It doesn’t matter if your change affects a team, an organisation, your family, or it is an individual change, like giving up smoking or moving house.  As an individual you have different aspects to your personality just as much as there are different personalities in a collective change.  For example if you want to give something up, then there are parts of your personality which don’t want to.  If you want to change something in the organisation then there will be people who don’t want to.  There will also be aspects of you, which do want the change, and people in the team who embrace change readily.  The difficulties arise when opposing parts of yourself or people in the team become pitted against each other, even if this is in the short term, and this is when conflict arises.

If you recognise that when change occurs, all parts of the organisation (or all parts of you), need to be understood and listened to:  Then conflict is understood and dealt with, and any potential for hidden or unconscious sabotage or resistance is lessened.  Coming from the power of “We” takes a certain level of maturity because it needs the understanding that “we are all in it together”, “the sum parts make a whole”, and “everyone counts”.  The stock phrase for this dynamic is that “we are changing, and we all count”.

Attitude

I would like to bet that instigators of change believe they have the right attitude because they fervently believe that they want the change, they know the change is for the better, it can benefit all.  They have a vision and they understand deeply the benefits.  Sometimes though, during the change, conscious or unconscious doubt becomes apparent. The doubt is not about whether the change is needed, it is about whether the change can actually be made.   For individuals they may fear their own levels of resilience, or for leaders they may doubt the ability of some of their team to make it.  The attitude to change must be one of “Can do”.  It sounds simple I know, but that resistance if not uncovered right from the outset can slow down and sabotage change unwittingly.

Kindness

If any of you have gone through difficult or long-winded change which has proved stressful, combatant, or fraught with problems, then along the way you may have experienced the tensions and conflicts brought out the worst in everyone involved.  If at the outset, you make one of the conditions of change to be kind to one another (or kind to yourself); the energy of the conflict, resistance or problem simply has to change.  It might sound corny, but if you are talking about a particular problematic aspect or dealing with fears or resistance, to start off the interchange with “How can we remain kind in this situation?” just changes the dynamic.

Energy

The AWAKE model is all about the often unspoken energy which is brought to the process of change.  To acknowledge the process of change as energy can be empowering, as it raises awareness.  There are two further aspects of energy to consider:

Firstly, Newton’s 3rd Law, “To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction: or the forces of two bodies on each other are always equal and are directed in opposite directions” and

Secondly, Ghandi’s often misquoted declaration; “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him”

If you are awake to change you will have a head start

What these mean in practice is: If you voice your frustration, or have low expectations about yourself or the people involved in the change then that becomes your experience.    If you complain about others, then you are slowing down the change, because the energy you are emitting becomes part of the change process.  Even though you might think others don’t notice, on the level of energy they know something isn’t quite right, and they will react accordingly.

So there you have it:  Are you AWAKE when making change?

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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End The Struggle – 5 Ways To Get In Touch With Your Intuition

  By Christina Lattimer • April 17, 2013 - 10:13 am
If you’ve ever been confused, stuck or overwhelmed, when your life has presented you with a critical decision, then you are not alone.  Many of my clients come to me because they are grappling with major decisions.One of the reasons we get stuck is because we look from different perspectives and this can result in a range of options with no real insight into what is best for us or others.Much of my work is based on Carl Jung’s personality types, deriving from which the Myers Briggs Personality Type (MBTI) tool was developed.   Although I use MBTI, it is Carl Jung’s enlightened understanding about how our personality works, which enables me to help my clients to make better choices, as they align with their heart and mind.Part of the decision making process is gathering information.  In simple terms, you usually gather information in two ways:

The first and most common way is through your senses.  What you see, hear, touch, smell and taste. Predominately you are gathering information through the first three, although sometimes all five senses, depending on the situation.  If you prefer gathering information through your senses, then you tend to like evidence, facts, and data.  You are often described as a “down to earth” person and you like to analyse the information you are receiving to inform your decision making.

The second way you may gather information is through your intuition.  Your intuition can work in two ways, it takes the information it sees through the senses, and forms patterns and possibilities, which can be creative and involves using your imagination.  The second way is to tap into insights, ideas and guidance which can be described as coming from your unconscious part of your mind. When your intuition is tapping into your unconscious it can give you illogical insights and wise guidance. This can sometimes be known as your “gut instincts” or “higher self”, or “collective unconscious”.

We all have the ability to tap into both types of information, but as Jung and the Myers Briggs team have demonstrated we have a preference for one or the other.  Sometimes this can be a very strong preference and sometimes it can be border line.

You also have a preference about how you make decisions. The two decision making functions are “thinking” and “feeling”.  Some of us prefer to make decisions based on our feelings about the information, and others through our logical conclusions about the information.   Often when we are confused, we are alternating between the information we receive through our senses, and that which we are receiving through our intuition.  For example, “I have a strong gut instinct to take that job, but the salary is less and there seems to be no promotion prospects”.

For me the best decisions are made when you feel good about the decision, and the logic about the information which informs your decision aligns with your beliefs.  Part of the formula for doing that is to get in touch with your intuition and trust it.  If you have a strong preference for sensing, then this can be uncomfortable, but do-able.  Over the years, I have found the following 5 ways help people get in touch with their intuition.

There are many definitions of some of the descriptors used, the following describes the context and meaning in the way I use them, rather than referring to any universal definition.

Meditation is giving you a holiday from the clamour of your daily thoughts and stream of information.  It is finding the gap between your thoughts and staying there.  Silent and observant, you can watch your thoughts without attaching yourself to them.  It is allowing your intuition or your unconscious wisdom, space.  Through mediation, your intuition may come to you in different ways, either through thoughts, ideas, or an encounter with someone or something.   Use meditation to be open to whatever comes up.

Contemplation is also about clearing your mind, but for me it is more purposeful.  You may have a problem or a situation where you’re not sure what to do, or don’t know what the solution is.  Ask clearly what the problem is, and then simply observe the problem from different angles and instead of actively thinking about the information, let thoughts come up.  Often, you can be inspired with a solution, although sometimes the emerging solution isn’t immediate.  It can pop up at any time.

Writing is extremely powerful if you are disturbed or upset, even if you aren’t sure why.  Writing down how you are feeling, why you are feeling that way and then ask your intuition how you can look at the situation differently.  Then write down different ideas, until you find a perspective which feels good and you can believe.   Writing is about telling the story of what is going on in your mind and giving you an opportunity to see it from a better perspective.  The true trick is to ask your intuition how to perceive the situation so that you can be at peace with it.   It’s not about repressing feelings though. Feelings are a great emotional guidance system, and it’s important to let them come up and help to inform the writing process.

Listen to Music – You are better aligned with your intuition or higher self when you are feeling good.  You know you are feeling good when you are in touch with appreciation, gratitude, love and laughter.  Listening to music you love can quickly help you get into those places which feel so good.  A daily dose of music you love can definitely align you with your intuition.

Going outside -  Whether it’s fresh winter air or warm summer sunshine, getting away from the clutter of a busy workplace, or a demanding home can clear your mind and give you a space which you might not otherwise give yourself.  Staying in the present moment and clearing your mind while you are outside is a must.  It’s no good getting out into the open and taking all your clamorous thoughts with you.

Are you a sensor or an intuitive? Or do you flex between the two?  What do you think?  If you’d like to undertake the MBTI type tool and find out about your preferences, contact me at

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If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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The Single Daily Choice which will Change Your Life for Good

  By Christina Lattimer • April 10, 2013 - 9:48 am
Yesterday,  I had some news which made me want to cry with frustration. This problem had come up a couple of times before, and I had, with much annoyance, sorted it out, and here it was again.   I won’t bore you with the problem because problems are two a penny, and the real issue is what I did about it.I had always thought of myself as “A cup half full” person until about 15 years ago.  I had an ability to identify and solve problems, and therefore make (what I thought) was a positive contribution to whichever world or organisation I was impacting upon at the time.It was in a session with a coach I had hired to help me make a particular transition in my life who brought that self-concept sharply into question.  We had been talking about a situation in my life where I was explaining what was wrong and how I thought I had done all I could to make changes, when she looked me straight in the eye and said “You have a slightly negative outlook on the world don’t you think?”

The silence must have only lasted about 30 seconds but it felt like about an hour while I contemplated with horror what she had just said.  In one fell swoop she uncovered one of the biggest blind spots in my life.

In the moments that followed, I didn’t even try to deny it, the only words I could muster were “Do you really think so?”  And she nodded.  I felt like I had been punched.  The horror I think was more acute, because I actually woke up in that moment and realised it was true.

The pattern of my thinking and my self-concept had been mismatched for the majority of my working life up until that point and I’d had no idea until that moment.  It was a defining moment for me because it made me look within, and thus the journey to uncover the largely unconscious and negative thoughts and beliefs in my mind began.

For the next few years I worked at becoming conscious of my beliefs and thought patterns and it was amazing how judgmental I had been, not only of myself but others.  During the journey, I uncovered many patterns I had acquired.

For me ingrained beliefs and patterns of thinking are like well learned habits, which like tying shoelaces or riding a bike, you have learned so well they’ve become unconscious.  When you try to go back to identify the sequence of the beliefs and thoughts it takes some effort to uncover them, and then some real practice to change the way you’ve habitually become used to believing and thinking.

The journey has been painful and liberating and in the end totally empowering.  I would love to say that I no longer participate in negative thinking but it’s a lifetime’s work I think for me.  I now have strategies in place which can almost instantaneously change my thinking for the better, and some of my limiting beliefs at the same time.

The barometer which measures my progress is my feelings.  When I am feeling positive and peaceful emotions, I know my thinking is aligned with who I really am at my core. puts forward the idea that your emotions are a result of your intentions, unconscious or not.

So when I started feeling anxious and fearful as a result of the problem.  I realised that my intention in that moment was flawed.  I was about to let my beliefs ideas and thoughts turn towards a victim mentality.  “Why did this happen to me again?, it must be karma”   Helplessness, “What if I can’t solve it?” When you see this pattern in black and white, it seems quite silly.  But much of our suffering in life is because of the habitual default to our mostly unconscious negative fears, beliefs and thoughts about us.

You may well have heard the quote “Pain is inevitable, Suffering is optional,” By the Japanese writer Haruki Murakami.  If you put this with the quote by the Greek playwright, Aeschylus, “Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times.” In those two quotes you have the single choice, which can, if practised habitually, transform your life.

It is making the choice to be happy, no matter what.

So this is what I did about the problem yesterday.

  1. When I began to feel anxious and worried, I stopped thinking about the problem and let my feelings come up.  It took a few moments for the feelings to pass through.
  2. I contemplated for a few minutes, and then decided to look at the problem through a different lens.  I realised I had solved the problem twice before and I could very well do it again.  The fact I had this problem again, didn’t make me a bad person. In fact, the problem was a real gift because it allowed me to release some of the unconscious worry and further reinforce liberating beliefs, ideas and thoughts which I knew to be true.
  3. Despite the problem, I decided to be happy, and I began to think about and feel grateful for the good things and people in my life.  I thought about how blessed I was because I could actually choose to think empowering, and peaceful thoughts, which then translated into positive feelings.

I have this now down to a fine art.  The whole process took about 5 minutes in all.  All those years ago, it could have taken me 3 days to feel positive again after encountering such a problem.  Progress indeed.

If you’d like to read more about some of my methods I have learned over the years, sign up for my weekly blog and download your free e-book:  The 6 Secrets of Great Emotional Intelligence”

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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The Crucial Practice Which Helps Leaders Become Successful

  By Christina Lattimer • April 4, 2013 - 10:51 am

157173102 The Crucial Practice for Leaders

There is no one formula to being a successful leader.  Many would argue that great leadership is situational, and what are seen as great leadership traits for one situation, may not be so great for another.  This is very true for example, where you may have an immature team which isn’t quite yet developed, a leader may in the initial stages need to be much more directional than they perhaps would otherwise be.  The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory is quite clear on the stages involved in leading teams with different maturity levels.

Often leadership is classed as being significant, when the leadership style is values based.  The leader demonstrates to employees and customers, just who they are dealing with.  While I think many would agree that openness, honesty, humility, inclusivity for example may be universal values; they are not always actually at the top of everyone’s list.    So a commercially savvy entrepreneur who cuts corners and makes hard decisions easily, to get where they need to be, can be applauded by some and condemned by others.

The crucial practice all leaders can,  and should be good at though,  is self-awareness.  It is one thing making a decision to axe the jobs of 100 people, and having an attitude of “well that’s just business”.  It is miles away from the leader who agonises over the need to make such a decision, conscious and aware of the impact it is going to have on the livelihood of all of those people.

That’s not to say that a self-aware leader doesn’t make those decisions, but they do so with care, kindness and understanding, as well as firmly.  They will have no doubt that such a decision is a last but necessary  resort.  They also support, listen and respect the fears, anxieties and issues of the people who are affected.

We all have our blind spots, I would challenge anyone who believes they haven’t.  Although making the decision to lead a life of awareness can be a challenging one, it is also can be extremely revealing and rewarding.

In my experience, leaders who are willing to continually learn and develop their own self-awareness may not be perfect, or paragons of virtue.  What they do though is different from leaders who don’t practice self awareness, in that they learn from their mistakes, and then do something differently next time.  They take time out to evaluate how they are doing, and how they impact others.  Most importantly they are able to observe themselves objectively in order to self-appraise.

In the process of leading a team or an organisation, they willingly:

  • Take feedback from their people and find out what is going wrong as well as what is going right.
  • Are prepared to learn from others and they admire qualities about other people who can teach them something.
  • Question their own mind sets, and are always open to learn how to be more authentically positive and to achieve great outcomes for themselves and others.
  • Understand their own power to affect the intentions, mind-sets and beliefs of others and they use that power wisely and with integrity.
  • Understand that leading a team is not a single-minded activity, but one where they must be open to understanding others, so as to get them on-board and engaged in what they are trying to achieve.
  • Work out exactly who they want to be working with them and for them.  They have a good insight into themselves and how they tick and therefore have the same understanding of others
  • Commit to continuous development of their business and people.  They understand that life is a learning experience, and it’s not just about skills and knowledge, but also about self- understanding.  Not just for themselves, but for others too.

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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3 Leadership Skills To Inspire Team Success

  By Christina Lattimer • March 21, 2013 - 10:57 pm

135034213 3 Leadership skills

Leaders usually have a balancing act to perform, especially around how much they allow their team to contribute to organisational success, or how much they take upon their own shoulders.   How  well they harness the commitment, effort, skills and effectiveness of their team and how well they are able to let go and allow their team to take up the challenge and deliver, depends on how well they are able to set healthy parameters.

One of the most difficult dilemmas for a leader can be determining when they should let go and allow employees to either float their boat, or sink.

In order to do this well, leaders need to have three skills

  1. A reciprocal and healthy balance of giving and taking
  2. An ability to communicate their own boundaries and have a healthy respect for the boundaries of team members.
  3. The courage to take and manage calculated risk.

Being able to apply boundaries in working relationships is essential for good decision making, although for many reasons some find difficult to do so.   A mismatch of boundaries can, and does, create disharmony, distrust and demotivation inside and outside the team.

I remember a story about a CEO who was committed to a life changing cause and was respected by peers and stakeholders.  He got good results mostly and where he didn’t, had a great handle on problems.  What he didn’t realise of course was 75% of his team were slowly sliding off the deck, while the remainder were standing at his back cheering him on, watching him steer the boat.

This great man had such an extended sense of responsibility, he couldn’t see that by trying to control the whole ship, he was systematically dis-empowering his team one by one.   He was wary of taking risks, giving over control or allowing his team to take some of the responsibility from him. His people skills left a lot to be desired.

There are many variations on this theme and it’s not a perfect art, so few people get it completely right. There have been many times I’ve dis-empowered my kids by making decisions for them.  In a work situation, when the risk seemed too great I have been known to take over and override an employee’s decision; although I tried to do it kindly, it was not always perceived that way.

Sometimes a leader has to  take a calculated risk, and this can mean letting people fall and suffer the consequences of that fall, in order to learn and grow.  Those situations can be a tough call for a leader.

I heard from a team who had big problems because their leader “overdid” delegation.  He was so focussed on what others should or must be responsible for, he left himself out of the equation. He didn’t gain the respect of his team, as they often felt overburdened and were wary of asking for help because the signals he was giving indicated he didn’t really want to be involved, although that wasn’t the case at all.

One of the most difficult issues is respecting role boundaries.  Of course roles are meant to be fluid and let’s face it, we all must cross over role boundaries in order to get the job done.  But there are times when crossing over such boundaries either masks poor performance, or muddies the water so much that account-abilities are confused. Good role boundaries are essential, with a suitable degree of flexibility, to fit different situations.

When to let go and when to keep steering can seem daunting. Much depends on a leader’s inner confidence and maturity.   I have rarely worked with or for a leader who gets risk, responsibility and boundaries completely right.  Being aware, checking understanding and exploring where boundaries lie is essential.

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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7 Essential Steps To Create A Winning People Strategy

  By Christina Lattimer • March 14, 2013 - 8:31 pm

  154965544 A people strategy is essential if a business wants to drive up performance and get the best out of their people.

Underpinning business outcomes with a people strategy can be a pretty smart move.  Too often, business plans, aims and goals are set without any corresponding detail describing how people will help to deliver and achieve what the business has set out to do.

Developing a people strategy mustn’t be confused with an HR strategy.  Lack of understanding about terminology can make or break the success of a strategy, particularly around your people.   Too often an HR strategy is focussed on transactional and policy functions and this dilutes the emphasis about developing strategies to make sure the right people in the right roles deliver the right outcomes, in the right time.

In reality though it matters not what the strategy is called, except that it must be about people and not HR processes or transactions.   Making sure everyone is on the same page in respect of terminology being used when developing strategy is absolutely crucial.  A great people strategy will not only increase the odds of, but also accelerate the speed of, success.

Following these seven steps will help to maintain focus on what is needed to develop a great people strategy.

1.      Horizon scans internally and externally

Horizon scanning should not be a one-off event which is carried out to inform a proposed strategy, but an on-going knowledge/news bank preserved within a pre-determined framework to make sure new factors are identified at the earliest opportunity.  Organisations benefit from ensuring future scanning is a cultural norm.

There are a variety of horizon scanning models, used to pull external information together.  It is worth researching to find the best fit, but STEEP (PEST) is one of the most commonly used formats.

2.     Understand the business and its people

It is crucial the organisation’s business objectives, priorities and constraints are understood inside out. If the people strategy is being developed through the HR Department, then it’s essential that HR are involved in the formation and decision making of overall business strategy.   This is because HR will understand the capacity, capabilities and current potential of the people and such insights can temper and shape expectations around outcomes and any timelines being worked to.

3.      Establish the top five priorities

Establishing the top five people priorities is a key step, as they will contribute directly to help deliver on desired business outcomes and priorities.  Required cultural changes should not be sidestepped.  Quite often “the way we do things round here” can sabotage the most exacting and thought out outcome based people strategy.   Being tempted to include more than five priorities can be counterproductive, and using a Pareto Principle approach is more effective.  Too much detail dilutes efforts, while a vital few things will create the biggest impact.

4.      Involve others and share widely to gain maximum input at all stages

If HR is developing the strategy, make sure it is not perceived as being “owned” by HR.  The business must own the people strategy. The name must be carefully chosen, so it represents inclusion of everyone in the organisation.  Call it, the “people plan” or the “people element of the business plan”.

Involving as many people as possible is crucial to the success right at the formative stage.  Using focus groups made up of a cross-section of employees, employee representatives and external customers is an effective way to capture ideas and feedback.  Take constructive suggestions on board and if you don’t act on them, explain why.

5.      Benchmark across both industry specific and Non-specific companies

Identifying innovative and emerging people practices across a range of industries can help develop great ideas and create achievable standards and benchmarks.   Finding out about success stories in alternative industries can invoke creative and “out of the box” thinking and can lead to fresh parameters around best practice or introduce new processes.

6.      Monitor and measure progress

Setting specific, measureable, attainable, relevant and timely (SMART) criteria is essential to measure success.  Put in place a credible, simple and easy-to-compile measurement system to track progress in hitting specific goals. Link any people outcomes clearly with business outcomes   Monitor results using measureable milestones.

7.  Produce a user friendly working document in simple language

Present the final strategy in employee-friendly language so that everyone both inside and outside of the organisation can understand it. If it doesn’t fit on two sides of A4 paper at most, it’s too long and so will be put in a drawer and forgotten about. A teenager should be able to understand it.  Check it against the Flesch–Kincaid readability test which gives some ideas about how plain the English should be.

 

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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7 Common Qualities of Inspirational People, Leaders Should Know

  By Christina Lattimer • March 7, 2013 - 9:26 pm
 Leaders can learn from inspirational people

I’d read about Philippe Petit some years ago, and while being amazed at his death defying tightrope walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City, I was either was too young, too busy, in the wrong country  or too focussed on other things to truly absorb his story.  That changed last weekend when I happened upon an old documentary in which Philippe was recounting his experience on that day,  7th August 1974, and the events leading up to it.

I realise as I write this, I am almost 40 years behind, but I also know there is a right time for everything, and I needed this story now, because it clicked into place a piece of jigsaw I was toying with, but not quite knowing where it fit.

I have always admired people who have made a significant impact, and have been inspirational people.  People who particularly inspire me are Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Ghandi, Viktor Frankl, Sir Winston Churchill, Carl Jung, Abraham Lincoln , and latterly Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, and Steve Jobs,  to name but a few. I am now adding Philippe Petit to my list.

These inspirational people on my list are famous for very different achievements. Some didn’t particularly set out to be “world” leaders in their field.  But to me and many others of course, they are leaders, because by virtue of their achievements they have led a way, which has helped many people, and so been inspirational. Their stories and work have certainly changed my world.

Simon Sinek in his brilliant book “Start with Why” concludes the reason some inspirational people and their dreams (like Jobs and King for example) are globally successful is that they act from the inside out, they don’t sell their products, they sell their beliefs.  It is these beliefs that other people relate to which harnesses their commitment, support, and buy in.

I was blown away when I heard Simon speaking about this phenomenon, because I know it to be true, certainly about me. I finally realised the reason I was so enamoured  by these inspirational people was my interpretation of their beliefs and qualities embodied my own beliefs and value systems which I aspire to.

When I examined my own list of inspirational people, I discovered several qualities they displayed which I aspire to, and therefore inspire me.

  1. They owned a deeply held vision
  2. Inner and self- directed, they listened to their intuition and the world around them became secondary if it didn’t accord with their inner guidance.
  3. What they did/shared benefitted the greater good, even if they didn’t realise it at the time.
  4. They were committed and dedicated; in fact most, if not all, view their achievements as their life’s purpose.
  5. They weren’t deterred by popular opinion,
  6. They acted fearlessly, even if inside they felt fearful

And finally, what Philippe Petit made me see so clearly:

7.  They are aspirational, they dare to attempt “the impossible,” feats and successes which any rationale mind may have said weren’t possible.

Inspirational people lead others by letting them see that their hopes, dreams, aspirations, and values are not only desirable, but are possible, by demonstrating they can be done.  Once you have seen impossible being achieved, then the world has changed.

So how can this help our everyday leaders, who aren’t out to change the world, but who grapple with the day to day reality of where they are right now?

I asked this question of a very dear mentor of mine.  “How can I lead in my small way, when all my inspiration comes from people who have changed the world, it seems overwhelming?”   What he said to me can also be true for leaders in every field.   He said, “Don’t concentrate on the world; apply your beliefs, principles and values to your world and the rest will take care of itself.”  Although I agreed I still felt apprehensive.   That was until I witnessed Philippe’s mad impossible mission and suddenly the impossible was possible, and the final piece of the jigsaw slotted into place.

You don’t have to walk a tightrope across tall buildings or ravines to inspire your employees and customers; all you need is a clear vision, faith, commitment and courage. Together with the knowledge you are making a real difference for the greater good.  For me this is the real formula for success.  

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
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Leaders: Should Employee Happiness be on Your Agenda?

  By Christina Lattimer • February 28, 2013 - 9:19 pm

International Day of Happiness

In April last year, the United Nations held its first conference on happiness and wellbeing in New York City.   The conference introduced the concept of “Gross National Happiness” which I have to say made me very …Happy!

One of the announcements made was there will be an International Day of Happiness on 20th March each year.

I am a big believer in happiness, and the benefits happiness can bring.  I have had many discussions with peers and colleagues and I rather believe I may be in a minority.  Not that many people disagree that happiness is a good state in which to be; mostly they just think it’s unrealistic.  Certainly in the workplace many people think it’s not even a consideration.

Happiness is An Inside Job

Now I know that employers and leaders cannot be responsible for employees’ happiness.  Happiness is an inside job.  If any of you have been in a relationship with the intention of “making someone happy” and that person is not intrinsically happy, you know how impossible it is.

The truth is, people choose to be happy or not.  Self-aware people understand that external “things” may help you get in touch with happy feelings, but rarely do they last.  In fact really happy people understand that due to the temporary nature of anything in the world, happiness is an internal state largely consisting of acceptance, interpretation and choice.

As a Leader, all you can do is increase the odds of people being happy

As you can’t control how people choose to feel, act and think; all you can do is create the right environment which increases the odds for people to happy.   You might be asking why on earth you should even consider taking such steps when you are financially strapped, your employees are revolting and daily your problems seem to be increasing.  Haven’t you enough on your plate? And why help people to be happy when there is no guarantee of success?

With the right direction, the benefits of people being happy at work are: They

  • get more work done
  • will be more committed to the task and the company
  • will be physically, mentally and emotionally more healthy
  • will infect your customers with their happiness
  • have more productive relationships with other employees
  • have fewer conflicts
  • be more resilient

Develop a Happiness Quadrant

If any of you are battling with poor employee feedback, performance issues, high absence rates, conflicts and complaints, then you might want to take some positive measures to change things.

Alright I know if you go along to the board meeting and suggest a “happiness quadrant” your fellow board members might be checking your temperature and looking for signs of addiction, but the following suggestions can be combined with your organisational development or strategic activities.

Create respect and admiration at the organisation identity level

  • Commit and demonstrate company values
  • Develop and maintain a meaningful purpose
  • Identify and communicate a worthy contribution

Celebrate and engage employees and teams

  • Monitor and put in place measures to help people meet 4 basic needs, of feeling valued, safe, in control and being a contributor
  • Help people be responsible and gain autonomy to deliver their contribution
  • Celebrate success, internally and externally
  • Tell great and meaningful organisational  and individual stories which engage emotions

 Develop a Community Culture

  • Have a defined social structure – even if it’s just the annual Christmas party
  • Accept that people aren’t perfect, create environments where people can let off steam, solve problems, or deal with frustrations and fears – safely
  • Develop sensible work/life balance
  • Develop an ethos of internal as well as external customer service.
  • Encourage and allow people to care about each other

 Create a Learning Ethos

  • Help employees gain mastery and transferable skills
  • Introduce learning which helps people to understand themselves and engenders personal growth
  • Turn mistakes into learning opportunities
  • Help people to learn and take responsibility for their own wellbeing, whether physical, emotional or mental

I know some people will think putting happiness on the agenda is not a strategic move.  My challenge for those people would be my favourite mantra “Would you rather be right or happy?”  So go on I urge you to choose “happy” and celebrate the World Happiness Day on 20th March, with some strategic thinking about creating a happy environment at work.

In the spirit of the World Happiness Day, I hope this article made you smile as well as giving some ideas about creating a happier culture at work.

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.