You are never a bother…really! (Post #9)

Leave a comment July 15, 2020 Tracy

How do you feel when someone on your teams calls? On the weekend? At 10:00 PM? On vacation?

One of the critical mistakes some leaders make is to seem bothered when staff call. I have an absolute open door, open phone policy. My team knows they are welcomed to call me if they need anything – any day, any time. In part this is necessary because I am rarely in my office, but it is also one of my deeply held leadership beliefs. I want them to know that we’re in this work together, they aren’t on their own. So, they always have access to me. I am never too busy or too important to be there for them.

I guess I learned this from my mom. No matter where I was in the world and no matter what time of day or night, if I called, she always seemed glad. One spring break I went on a mission trip to serve the homeless on Staten Island. At around 1:00 AM one night our team was just returning to the church where we were staying. I was eager to tell my mom about our week thus far and headed to the phone to make the collect call (this was well before cell phones, folks). My friends gasped, attesting how upset their parents would be at being awakened in the middle of the night. They were astonished that my mom was genuinely delighted I called. I felt so proud that she would welcome my call. I guess that is the gift I want my team to experience as well.

You see, as a leader, I know that if I am bothered or seem interrupted or unhappy to hear from my team, they will know it. And it will make them feel uncomfortable. If you make your team feel uncomfortable when they call, they will stop calling. And then you will miss a critical window of opportunity to avoid mistakes, gain intel, or invest in an employee. And you know their mistakes will be your issue to clean up. You will also miss the critical “heads up” that could save the day or the organization’s reputation.

Oh sure, there are times when I’m tired or stressed, but they can never know that. After all, that’s my baggage to carry (that’s a post for another day). There are times when the timing is really bad, and I let the call go to voicemail. But staff know that I value them, and I will get back to them as soon as I can. A few critical team members even know a signal for which I would interrupt anything to take their call.

My calm demeanor in the mundane gives them confidence to call in the crisis. If my team makes a mistake, I want to be the first to know. I want to be able to coach them through it and minimize the damage. I want them to hear my calm, reassuring voice on the other end telling them that we will get through it together (which means I must be calm even if I don’t want to be, even if I really don’t know if it can be fixed). But staff will not feel comfortable calling when they have made a big mistake if I seem upset when they call for more routine matters.

You may be worried about overuse or being too accessible. Throughout all my years in leadership positions – including 10 years in C-Suite leadership – I can honestly say staff treat this access judiciously. They have never overused their access, and I have never been upset that they called. If it ever does get overused, then it would just be a good coaching opportunity.

Invariably, they start by saying they are sorry to bother me, and I always say “You are never a bother” – and I mean it. I am delighted to be there for them.

The Enough Life Essence (Post #8)

1 Comment July 4, 2020 Tracy

Let’s talk about the real essence of this thing I call, The Enough Life. The Enough Life should not be confused with minimalism, it isn’t about minimalism. It isn’t about excess. It isn’t about feeling guilty for what you have or straining and striving for what you think you lack. It isn’t about settling for less or feeling pious for going without. It is all about getting to the heart of what you truly desire.

A place of enough is unique to each person, and unique to each area of life. There is no formula or 3-step process. It isn’t a cookie cutter approach designed to make us all the same or to create a standard marker for success. It’s individual and customizable. A unique and beautiful expression of who you truly are. The Enough Life is all about finding that place of optimal peace, joy, and satisfaction in every area of life. It’s about putting aside what the culture around you considers success and living out your own definition.

You see, I believe enough is the sweet spot in life. As if there is a continuum, or a scale, weighing the options. The idea is to achieve the perfect balance. Too little, and the scale tips to one side. Too much, and the scale tips to the other. The goal is just the right balance. That is the place of optimal peace, joy, and satisfaction.

One easy example that I was reminded of this spring is gardening. I love flowers but I don’t love to garden. I love they way they look and smell, but I hate having to water them. Enough flowers for me is just what will fit in the window boxes on my porch. A few pretty flowers, a small basil plant, a small mint plant, and a small cilantro plant. I enjoy sitting on my porch and seeing them. They put a smile on my face every time I pull into my driveway. I have fresh herbs for my salads and iced tea. And one full watering can will last me 3 days. That’s my sweet spot. The perfect amount of pleasure and effort…I am satisfied, I experience great joy, and I have peace in my heart. That is enough for me.

In contrast, my neighbor loves all things horticulture and has several horticulture degrees. He and his wife not only enjoy the flowers but they enjoy all of the aspects of taking care of the plants. So, while I have two tiny window boxes, they have dozens of pots of flowers all over their front porch, back deck, and patio. It is beautiful, truly beautiful. I am so glad that I can see them from my home, but I am also so glad that I don’t have to take care of them. Simply the thought of it exhausts me. All of that watering and weeding, especially in the hot, humid summer weather, would not be enjoyable for me. The plants would end up looking terrible, I would feel like a bad human for not keeping up (carrying around the woulda, coulda, shoulda baggage), and the chores would add stress to my life. But this is their perfect enough. It brings them peace and joy. Caring for the plants is not a burden at all. In fact, they get great satisfaction from both enjoying the beauty of the plants as well as caring for them.

You see, one persons enough may be someone else’s way too much (or way too little). Enough is not about judgement. Enough is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It is customizable to the needs and satisfaction of each person. Enough is the optimal place where peace, joy, and satisfaction intersect.

Enough Violence, Minneapolis? (Post #7)

Brave Enough to Lead? (Post #6)

Leave a comment May 24, 2020 Tracy

Culture and Strategy: 7 Characteristics Needed to Lead Through Change

Management guru, Peter Drucker, is credited with saying “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” If this is true, then what should leaders do to ensure their organizational strategy, which is in the best long-term interest of the organization, doesn’t fall prey to the ravenous appetite of a culture committed to the status quo.

Please don’t mistake managers for leaders. Managers and leaders are often thought to be synonymous, when in fact they are quite different. While some managers are also leaders, a leader need not be a manager. A manager’s role is to manage day-to-day operations and ensure homeostasis within the organization. Managers preserve the organization’s ability to operate. Therefore, almost by definition, managers tend to naturally support the status quo. One may say their very livelihood depends on it.

A leader, on the other hand, recognizes the need for organizational improvements, growth, and adaptation. Leaders see trends and are not afraid to challenge the status quo to change for the long-term best interest of the organization. Courageous leadership even stands in contrast to the status quo, pointing out fatal flaws in cultural norms that will not serve the organization well in the future. This however, is exactly what Peter Drucker warns us about.

Whenever a leader tries to implement new strategy – to execute new business process or modify the status quo – that leader will come up against the current organizational culture. Changing cultural paradigms is the hardest, and most often overlooked, work of a good leader. This is a significant undertaking which requires good leadership and strong executive support.

To effectively navigate organizational growth and change, leaders must be:

Brave. Going up against the negative aspects of current culture is not for the faint of heart. When executing a new strategy, people will come out of the woodwork to push back. So, leaders must be brave in setting the course and tone that reinforces new paradigms rather than caving to pressure from the old culture.
Strategic. Quality leadership requires true strategic thinking. Leaders must ask questions and set the tone, especially on the senior management team, that supports open conversation, minimizes “turfism”, and insists that no question is off limits.
Thinking long-term. Far too often in today’s fast-paced environment managers and leaders focus on the short-term. While the quick win, quarterly sales goals, or getting through the next election cycle may be necessary, true and lasting change must transcend the crisis of the day and be in the best long-term interest of the organization.
Vigilant. Proactively watch for negative culture to rear its ugly head. When existing culture and strategy collide – and they will – be brave enough to truly investigate what’s going on, reinforce the new strategy, and use the collision as a learning opportunity to set new cultural expectations. In other words, check it out and then redirect energy into positively supporting the long-term organizational goals.
Uncomfortable. Be willing to confront negative culture productively and not fall into the trap of a knee-jerk reaction (i.e. leader reaction vs. manager reaction) that reinforces the negative aspects of existing culture. Remember that the current culture will feel right and natural because that is what the organization is used to, but reinforcing it is detrimental to long-term organizational growth. Discomfort is part of growth, but it is also a sign that breakthrough is near if you keep focused on strategy. Know when it is healthy to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.
Humble. Beware of the leader who is more in awe of their title than the weight of their responsibility. This senior leader may appear to have integrity but is really driven by pride and their ego rather than organizational health and longevity. He may talk the talk but will also undermine corporate strategy for personal and professional benefit. True humility in leadership means putting the organization and team needs first. A leader (or team) lacking humility will secure a win for themselves by undermining the strategy when the change heats up. Be willing to be humble and insist on humility among the leadership team.
Committed. Don’t assume leaders around you, even those nodding in agreement, really see the need for organizational improvement or are brave enough to push against current culture. This is especially true of senior leaders who have been in the organization for a significant length of time. They may be heavily entrenched in the organizational status quo themselves. As the adage goes, “fish are the last to notice the water.” This is likely to be even more difficult since they also may be long-term friends with employees entrenched in current culture. This is likely to pose a difficult choice for these managers: support their friends by reinforcing the status quo and be praised for pushing back on the new strategy OR (assuming they can even understand the need for the new strategy) show leadership necessary to advance the new strategy and produce long-term organizational health, which friends may see as a betrayal of both their friendship and the history of the organization. Don’t underestimate the difficulty of this choice. Check in with “old timers” often and if you can, determine if they are truly in support of the new strategy. If not, help find them a new role where they can contribute to the organization but won’t be able to thwart good progress.

In conclusion, when implanting new strategy for the long-term health of the organization, be on your guard and your best leadership behavior…or culture will have your strategy for breakfast.

Enough…for Breakfast! (Post #5)