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Archive for Communication – Page 2

Are You Listening? Really Listening?

We hear a lot about leaders who are great speakers. Who can inspire through their words, capture the attention of a large audience, or engage others through a compelling story. But another leadership skill that is just as important – if not more so – is the ability to listen. Leaders who demonstrate to their employees and their teams that they listen – really listen – build trust, promote engagement, and inspire loyalty.

Studies show that we spend about 80% of our waking hours communicating in one form or another. This breaks down to about 9% writing, 16% reading, 30% speaking and 45% listening. You’d think, given that in theory we spend almost half of our communication time listening, we’d all be better at it. But here’s the thing. Are we really listening?

Stephen Covey famously said, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”

Think about the last time you were in a one-on-one meeting with an employee. Maybe they were seeking your advice about an issue – a deadline that was likely to slip or a customer complaint – how much time did you spend listening to their description of the issue before you gave them a solution? Did you ask probing questions (and listen to the answers) to ensure you (and they) fully understood the impact of the issue? Did you ask for their ideas on solving the issue (growth opportunity!)? Did you ask, “what do you think we should do?”

Turning this I’ve-got-a-problem-and-need-a-solution meeting into more of a conversation by asking questions and listening to the answers is a great way to invite a deeper dialogue that may result in new ideas and insight. Plus, employees feel valued when they’re listened to. And when employees feel valued they’re more likely to be engaged and loyal.

In her book, Conversational Intelligence: How Great Leaders Build Trust and Get Extraordinary Results, Judith Glaser discusses the importance of leaders developing their “conversational intelligence” by

Listening more than talking (75% listening, 25% speaking)
Asking probing questions
Choosing positive, more expressive words
Paying attention to non-verbal behaviors
Being humble and approachable

Here are some additional tips that will help you be a better listener.

Eliminate distractions. Close your computer and put away your phone.
Focus on the speaker. Turn off your mental to do list.
Don’t interrupt. It’s rude.
Withhold judgment. Let the speaker finish. Ask for clarification if needed before responding.
Pay attention to what’s not being said. Their body language, facial expressions.

“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” – Bryant McGill

Leveraging Support Beyond the Dollars

In the work I do with leadership teams in small and mid-sized nonprofits and start-ups, I find that there’s often a missed opportunity to leverage the knowledge and advice of funders, investors and Boards of Directors. These critical stakeholders have much to offer in the way of support beyond their financial investments. The key to leveraging that support is to proactively engage with them.

Admitting to a funder or investor that there’s an issue can be difficult. You want them to feel comfortable that their money is well-invested, and that the organization is in good hands. But here’s the thing. Ignoring an issue or waiting too long to ask for help is a waste of valuable time and resources – both yours and the stakeholder’s.

Funders, investors and Boards of Directors have a stake in wanting the organization to succeed. And the individual members of these groups have knowledge, experience and a variety of skills that they are willing to share to help achieve that success.

Here are some tips on engaging and partnering with your stakeholders.

Communicate early and often. Open, honest communication is key to building a strong relationship. Keep your stakeholders informed – and not just when there’s a crisis. Communicate with them on a regular basis to let them know what’s going well, and where you anticipate there might be an issue.

Ask for help – beyond the dollars. Funders, investors and Boards are a great resource of knowledge, skills and connections that they are typically happy to share to help support the organization. Do research or meet with them personally to learn their areas of knowledge and skills. Demonstrate an interest in engaging with them beyond their financial support.

Remember that strong relationships are built on trust and integrity. Above all, be honest and forthright with your stakeholders. If you hide issues or lie about product capabilities or organizational performance they will eventually find out. We’ve all seen what happened in the Theranos debacle when founder Elizabeth Holmes lied to investors about her blood-testing technology. Once you’ve lost that trust you may never gain it back.

Successful businesses are built on good relationships – with customers, with employees, with vendors, and most certainly with stakeholders.

Employees Want Regular and Timely Feedback

In my last blog I talked about how to have a difficult conversation. For some leaders, giving feedback is considered a difficult conversation, especially if the feedback is negative. But here’s the thing. As a leader, one of your responsibilities is developing your people. And one of the best ways to do this is by giving regular, timely feedback.

And guess what? Employees want to receive regular feedback, even negative or “redirecting” feedback. In a study reported in the Harvard Business Review, 92% of respondents agreed that “Negative (redirecting) feedback, if delivered appropriately, is effective at improving performance.” In that same study, 69% of respondents said they would work harder if they felt their efforts were better recognized.

So when your employees are performing well – let them know it. And when they need improvement – let them know it. Don’t wait until the annual performance review. Without acknowledgement of their good performance, those who are performing well may lose momentum. And without feedback and coaching to improve poor performance, employees may assume that they are doing just fine.

Waiting until the annual performance review significantly reduces the impact of the feedback – whether positive or constructive – and in cases where improvement is needed can often prolong and increase the impact of undesirable behaviors. Here are 5 tips for giving feedback effectively.

Make it timely. Saying “thank you” or “good job!” soon after an employee has done something extra encourages them to continue. Likewise, discussing performance issues “in the moment” helps reestablish expectations and initiates the improvement process sooner rather than later. If you allow a performance issue to continue without bringing it to the employee’s attention he or she may not even realize it’s a problem.
Be consistent. Be sure you’ve communicated expected performance levels and behaviors to all your employees and then give feedback consistently based on those expectations. This will prevent the appearance of favoritism.
Make it clear. Use the SIE format – Situation, Impact, Expectation. State the situation – “Being at work on time is essential for us to be able to meet the needs of our customers. You’ve been late three mornings in a row.” State the impact – “When you’re late, others have to make your deliveries which impacts the schedule.” State the expectation – “I expect you to be at work and ready to start deliveries by 8:00 am every day.” When employees understand the adverse impact of their actions they’re much more likely to change them.
Write it down. Writing down employee issues serves two purposes. First, it provides the paper trail necessary to prove you have a valid reason for corrective action or termination. Second, it holds the employee accountable for their actions.
Own it. Feedback needs to be about something you’ve observed, not something you’ve heard second hand, and it should never be delivered when you’re angry or upset. Also, find a private place to have your developmental discussion.

Both positive and constructive feedback should be given in the spirit of recognizing people for what they achieve and helping them be the best they can be.

Avoiding That Difficult Conversation? Don’t!

Very few people jump at the chance to have what they know will be a difficult conversation. Whether it’s delivering bad news (“we have to lay you off”), providing negative feedback (“your report had multiple errors and needs to be redone”) or breaking off a relationship (“it’s not you, it’s me”) most of us will go out of our way to avoid initiating that conversation. In fact, according to a survey by VitalSmarts, a leadership development firm, 70% of employees avoid difficult conversations with their boss, coworker or direct report. Thirty-four percent say they have put off holding a difficult conversation for at least a month, and 25 percent have put off holding a difficult conversation for more than a year.

Unlike wine, these conversations do not improve with age. In fact, when leaders put off having that difficult conversation with an employee, it can severely impact morale on the rest of the team, and may even result in the loss of customers.

Here’s an example. A company I was working with hired a new Sales Manager. Over time, this manager’s team began to complain about a number of things. He wasn’t cooperating with the rest of the team. He would get in people’s faces. He took credit for other people’s work. He would over promise to customers, and when he couldn’t deliver, he would blame others for it. The company owner was reluctant to speak with him or to take action. He didn’t want to admit he’d made a bad hire. I encouraged the owner to explore what was happening internally, and to consider that it might be impacting the company’s image externally. Following an investigation, the Sales Manager was fired. Not long after that, two customers called the owner to say that they had been on the verge of moving their business because of the way this individual had treated them. Bad behavior is bad for business!

If there’s a difficult conversation you’ve been avoiding, stop! Sit down right now and give yourself a deadline to get it done. Here are some tips to guide you through it.

Prepare for the conversation by asking yourself these questions:

What is the issue? What is its impact?
Do I have all the facts? Remember it’s important to focus on facts rather than conclusions, which may be wrong. Don’t assume that because someone is late two times a week that they’re lazy or don’t care. Give them a chance to explain.
What do I want to accomplish in the conversation?
How will I follow up after the conversation?

It’s also important to prepare for the emotional energy that may arise in the conversation – either yours or that of the other person. You may want to practice the conversation with a colleague.

Have the conversation.

Schedule a face-to-face meeting, in private, at a time that will be free of distractions (e.g., not when there’s a crucial deadline pending).
Enter the meeting with an open mind – remember, they may be totally unaware there’s an issue until you share it with them. Be prepared to hear their point of view/perception of the situation.
Start by stating your intent. “I’ve noticed that_______. I’d like to hear your feelings about this and share mine.”
Listen, acknowledge their input, and paraphrase it back to them to demonstrate understanding.
Share your concerns/point of view and give them the opportunity to respond.
Avoid the blame game.
Work together to come up with a solution.

Follow up. One of the benefits of getting through these conversations is that often they result in a closer and more trusting relationship. Granted, there are times when a mutual solution cannot be reached, and that may be the solution in and of itself (as in the case of the Sales Manager). But when the conversation helps to clarify perceptions and initiate more open dialogues, it leads to better working relationships, happier employees, and an overall improved working environment.

Motivate Employees Through Cascading Goals

Once you’ve decided on your theme and overall goals for the organization, as I spoke about in my last blog, the next step is defining the specific objectives and activities (with due dates) that will help you achieve those goals. A critical activity in this process is communicating company goals and what needs to be done to achieve them to employees. Employees are, after all, the engine that will help drive the organization toward those goals.

As you work with your employees to set their goals, be sure they understand how their individual and team goals tie to the organizational goals. Employees are more likely to be motivated and engaged when they can see how their work impacts the organization as a whole.

When you set goals, be sure they are SMART goals. Effective goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. In our dynamic work environments, organizational goals (and team goals) may shift as priorities change during the year, so be sure to have periodic reviews with employees to update goals as needed. This also gives you the opportunity to understand cause and effect if something slips.

It’s important to keep goals visible. Too often they get tucked away in a PowerPoint – out of sight and out of mind. Consider giving employees a chart or graphic of organizational goals that they keep at their desks to remind them of the destination and inspire them to engage in the journey.

Provide employees with support in terms of resources and guidance as they work on their goals. Are they having trouble getting the input, effort or approvals needed from others in order to complete the goal? Are there roadblocks? Use this as a coaching opportunity and work together to develop a path forward.

When goals are achieved, recognize the achievement. For especially challenging or stretch goals, spend some time with the employee discussing his or her approach, lessons learned, and/or things that could have been done differently.

Cascading and communicating goals may seem like a no brainer, yet so many organizations fail to do so. In his book The 8th Habit, Stephen Covey shared the results of a survey of 23,000 employees drawn from various companies and industries:

Only 37% said they have a clear understanding of what their organization is trying to achieve and why
Only 1 in 5 was enthusiastic about their team’s and their organization’s goals
Only 1 in 5 said they had a clear “line of sight” between their tasks and their team’s and the organization’s goals
Only 15% felt that their organization fully enables them to execute key goals

Be ahead of the curve and motivate your employees by cascading goals!

Nurturing Respect and Civility in the Workplace

As I discussed in my last blog, I’ve noticed an increase in complaints of bullying and harassment in the workplace, which I believe is reflective of the polarizing political atmosphere in this country. This bad behavior presents a challenge to leadership, and to HR professionals who have to deal with the complaints. It’s essential that everyone who is in charge of establishing and maintaining policies and Codes of Conduct ensure that those policies and Codes:

Clearly articulate expected behaviors and consequences for behaviors outside of those expectations
Extend the requirements to oral, written and physical behaviors including social media, emails, etc.
Are incorporated into new hire, supervisor/manager and leadership training
Are communicated and reinforced across the organization on a regular basis through a variety of media, e.g., all-hands meetings, company newsletters, company intranet and social media, etc.
Are considered in the performance management process

Here are some additional tips for nurturing and maintaining respect and civility in the workplace:

Walk the talk. Leaders at every level need to set an example of good behavior. When someone in authority bullies or harasses a subordinate or a peer it gives others the license to do so.

Coach positive behaviors. Identify and address conflicts that get out of hand by role modeling and coaching more positive ways to interact and resolve issues.

Be consistent. Managers do not get a pass because they’re overwhelmed or don’t know how to manage. Train them. And make the expected behaviors apply to everyone.

Reinforce the message. In California, employers with 50 or more employees are required to provide supervisors and managers with anti-harassment/anti-bullying training every two years. Even if your company isn’t in California, I highly recommend that even employers with fewer employees provide the training, and that the training be provided to all employees.

Create an inclusive work environment. Establish a culture where everyone is recognized and respected for their qualities, differences, ideas and contributions.

Reward those who live the values. Consider an awards program to recognize individuals and teams who demonstrate your organization’s values.

While setting the tone for respect and civility starts at the top, each individual employee also has a responsibility to role model good behaviors for their peers. As individuals, we need to demonstrate respect for ourselves and respect for others on a daily basis.

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Whatever Happened to Professionalism?

Unless you’ve been avoiding the news over the past year, you’ve probably noticed that the national conversation – and in many cases behavior – has become increasingly negative. From the White House’s terse Tweets, to a growing number of hate crimes, to the now-famous memo that stoked the fires of gender bias, respect, empathy and good manners seem to have gone out the window.

As I work with my corporate clients, I’m finding that this bad behavior is also increasing in the workplace. Hostile work environment, bullying and harassment claims are on the rise. Because of our current political climate, some people think they now have license to make personal attacks and behave in a way that just a few years ago would have been unthinkable. Lack of professionalism is, sadly, becoming normalized.

Take the example of Uber, whose “aggressive, unrestrained workplace culture” was described in a New York Times article:

“Interviews with more than 30 current and former Uber employees, as well as reviews of internal emails, chat logs and tape-recorded meetings, paint a picture of an often-unrestrained workplace culture. Among the most egregious accusations from employees, who either witnessed or were subject to incidents and who asked to remain anonymous because of confidentiality agreements and fear of retaliation: One Uber manager groped female co-workers’ breasts at a company retreat in Las Vegas. A director shouted a homophobic slur at a subordinate during a heated confrontation in a meeting. Another manager threatened to beat an underperforming employee’s head in with a baseball bat.”

This culture ultimately led to an investigation, the firing of several executives and the resignation of CEO Travis Kalanick, who, as the top executive, had set the tone for the culture.

Work environments like this are especially challenging for those responsible for HR issues, especially when the tolerance or example of bad behavior starts at the top.

Next time, I’ll provide some tips for maintaining or bringing back professionalism in your organization.

Enhancing Personal Growth Through Affinity Groups

As I wrote in my last blog, mentoring programs provide myriad benefits to mentees, mentors and organizations. There’s a specific type of mentoring program I’d like to discuss this time – Affinity Groups.

A workplace affinity group is a group of employees with similar backgrounds, characteristics, or life experiences, such as: women, people of color, or Veterans. The purpose of an affinity group is to provide diverse populations within an organization the opportunity to share ideas and experiences. Often these groups are under-represented in a particular career path and/or leadership. Matching experienced mentors with mentees within the affinity group can help break down barriers and enhance mentees’ personal growth. For example, matching a Veteran who’s been back in the workforce for several years with a Veteran who’s just re-entering it. Their shared experience accelerates rapport, and the mentor can provide insight that a non-Veteran might not be able to.

In the affinity group mentoring program I worked with, we created what we called “mentoring circles” for the groups that had fewer than 10 people. Two mentors met with the groups twice a month. We encouraged the groups to schedule group activities in addition to the meetings, and to broaden their knowledge and exposure to different parts of the company so they could identify potential opportunities. Participant feedback indicated that getting input from mentors in the same affinity was very helpful.

Whether you create a general mentoring program or one based on affinity groups, best practices for your mentors and mentees are the same. Both mentor and mentees should be reminded of basic relationship skills: open and honest communication, active listening, being accessible, building trust, sharing knowledge and ideas, and working together to resolve differences. Here are some additional tips.

Mentor success tips:

Handle the awe factor. Make the mentee feel comfortable. Share times when you’ve made mistakes. Be enthusiastic and patient. Invite feedback.
Set expectations. Share your availability, preferred ways of communicating, and what you expect from the mentee in order for them to get the most out of the partnership.
Help with specific goals and plans. Encourage the mentee to develop a personal vision. Help them think of concrete goals based on their vision and a plan of how they’ll reach those goals.
Give feedback. Provide the mentee with frequent feedback, both positive and constructive. Help them measure progress.

Mentee success tips:

Ask questions. Ask for what you need in terms of knowledge, advice, guidance and information.
Keep your commitments. Arrive at meetings on time and prepared. Complete your action items.
Build trust. Communicate open and honestly. Respect confidentiality. Demonstrate a willingness to learn. Follow up and follow through.
Make the experience count. Keep a mentoring journal. Capture and reflect upon what you’ve learned and how you will apply the learning.

A Strong Culture is a Recipe for Success: Johnson & Johnson

A clearly defined, communicated and continually reinforced company culture improves productivity, promotes ethical behavior, and contributes to business success. Employees are more likely to be engaged and loyal when they work in an environment of strong ethics, mutual respect, and trust.

I experienced this firsthand at Johnson & Johnson, with the Johnson & Johnson Credo. The Credo is a set of guiding principles that provides a framework for employee behavior. When employees understand the corporate values and expected behaviors, they are empowered to do the right thing. If someone deviates from expected behaviors, the Credo can be used as a coaching tool to help that individual learn what is expected and why.

The Credo states Johnson & Johnson’s responsibility to their customers, their employees, their communities and their stockholders. It was crafted by a member of the founding family nearly 75 years ago, which was, as stated on their website, “long before anyone ever heard the term ‘corporate social responsibility.’ Our Credo is more than just a moral compass. We believe it’s a recipe for business success. The fact that Johnson & Johnson is one of only a handful of companies that have flourished through more than a century of change is proof of that.”

The Johnson & Johnson Credo is infused in every aspect of J&J life. Every new hire is given the history of the Credo and its importance to the company. It’s in the company’s reward systems. When the company I was working for was bought by J&J, we went through a 2-day mandatory Johnson & Johnson training to understand the values. When tough decisions were made, the VP of HR would take out a copy of the Credo to serve as a compass to make the right decision for all the parties involved.

The Johnson & Johnson example shows that it’s not enough just to establish “a great culture.” You have to ensure that the culture becomes a part of the hearts and minds of all employees – from executives to new hires.

If you need help establishing, communicating or reinforcing your company culture, please contact me.

5 Tips for Managing Transitions Effectively

One of the skills that often comes up in discussions of leadership capabilities is “managing change.” As I noted in my most recent article, though, the role of the leader is more about managing the transition required by employees as they adjust to the change. In his book, Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, William Bridges described that transition as a 3-phase process:

Ending – letting go of old ways and the old identity.

The Neutral Zone – that period where the old is gone but the new isn’t fully operational.

New Beginnings – employees adapt to the new ways/identity and find the sense of purpose that makes the change work.

Here are some tips for guiding employees through this process effectively.

Determine how behaviors and attitudes need to change to make teams work effectively as a result of the change. Who stands to lose something under the new system, and how will you handle that?
“Sell” the reason for the change. What is the problem that the new process/organization will solve? Help employees see the problem from the customer or business perspective. People will be more adaptable if they understand the “why” versus having to accept change “because I said so.”
Get to the root of resistance to the change. Talk to individuals to understand their concerns. Explain to employees the phases of transition, and that it’s a natural process. Hold skip level meetings. Listen.
Hold employee meetings / forums to discuss how you will move forward together in the new organization / process. Include and empower employees to help with the transition.
Celebrate the new beginning. If it’s the formation of a new team, for example, create a new team logo. If it’s a new process that solves a customer issue, share positive customer feedback. Have a “We Did It!” event. Acknowledge employees for successfully completing the transition.

To ensure that your transition goes as smoothly as possible, here are some things you should avoid.

DO NOT turn everything over to individuals as a group and ask them to come up with a plan.
DO NOT break the change into smaller, sequential changes. This would require employees to go through the transition phases multiple times. Introduce the change all at once with a well-thought-out plan.
DO NOT pull key employees together as a model to show others how to do it.
DO NOT keep changing plans if one doesn’t work.
DO NOT threaten disciplinary action if employees won’t quickly adjust to the change.

If you would like some help developing a transition plan, please contact me.