Recently at the end of a workshop, we asked participants if we met their expectations for the course. One individual said no. He expected to learn how to work with employees that were more senior than he was. I was puzzled as to why our workshop didn’t meet his needs. Our content focused on how better to understand people’s needs through listening, how to provide performance feedback in a way that people will be receptive, and how to coach people toward their strengths. That all seems quite applicable to working with anyone, including people more senior. Where did we miss the mark?
His concern was that we didn’t have a topic specifically titled “working with people more senior” and we didn't specifically say that the techniques could be used with people that are more senior. Therefore, he didn’t see how the content applied to his situation.
In a different workshop, I was leading a brainstorming session on time management. Leaders were trying to figure out how to carve out more time to prepare for meetings with their clients. I made the observation that the President is certainly busier than any of them, yet is somehow always prepared for his meetings. We talked about how he does that. One person offered that the president has an entourage of people who do the prep work for him and then brief him. I asked the leaders how they could apply that idea to their work. They all said the same thing, “it doesn’t apply, we can’t hire an entourage.” I suggested that they think of pieces involved in using an entourage to see if any of the principles could be translated. Their reply was the same - they couldn’t hire an entourage.
Over the past several years in working with leaders, these types of scenarios have become more common. Many leaders, if not given a solution or an idea that is tightly package within their specific context and parameters, fail to make a link. Perhaps leaders are too time constrained to think (or perceive that they are) or people who do not have the broad enough perspective of the business are being moved into leadership positions. Whatever the case, it is a problem.
Of course, good communicators should work to put things in context whenever possible. The easier it is for a listener to absorb a message, the more likely that person will absorb it. However, in the age of mass information, change, and speed, there is also a new responsibility for the consumer of information. This responsibility is even more critical for leaders.
If you are waiting for all of your information to be wrapped up simply and neatly, you are going to be waiting for a long time. It’s just not effective or efficient. There aren’t enough people available to tailor every piece of information to each leader’s unique situation. And, by the time it was tailored, the information would be out of date.
In the meantime, the people who put in the time and effort to find connections will be passing you by.
Good leaders are able to connect disparate ideas, information, and examples to their world. They don’t get constrained by context but use context to hone their thinking. They regularly take a peek at other industries or business for new ways of thinking about their business. They are the ones who are changing the way that their business or industry works.
Every new experience is an opportunity to learn and change. If you struggle to find that opportunity, you might not be taking the time to look.
Brad Kolar is the President of Kolar Associates, a leadership consulting and workforce productivity consulting firm. He can be reached at brad.kolar@kolarassociates.com.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Want to give good feedback? Then brush up at playing darts
Giving feedback is a lot like playing darts. The best way to win is to have a sharp point, pitch it at the right angle, and have it stick.
Keeping your point sharp
Darts become dull when used over and over again. So does feedback. Saying the same thing repeatedly doesn’t reinforce your point, it dulls it. There are three ways to ensure that your points are sharp and that they stay sharp:
1) Be specific “Hone” your feedback by speaking in terms of tangible actions or behaviors. Provide examples and alternatives. Speaking in generalities may make someone aware of the issues but it doesn’t help him or her improve. For example, instead of saying, “Your work is sloppy” you might consider saying, “Your work often has typos and grammatical errors”.
2) Be timely. Memories fade and become dull over time. Try to narrow the gap between when your people perform a positive or negative behavior and when you provide feedback.
3) Use multiple approaches – If your point doesn’t seem to register, regroup. Think of a different way to present the issue. Sometimes you can ask the person to describe their behavior or thought process. They are often surprised at what they discover about themselves. Or, have the person observe someone else who exhibits a similar behavior and discuss it.
Pitch at the right angle
If you throw a dart at the wrong angle, it bounces off the board. Feedback is the same. If your message comes across as a personal attack, it will bounce off the recipient. Sometime it simply deflects to the side. At other times, as with the dart, it comes shooting right back at you. They key to delivering tough messages is positioning them in a way the makes it easier for the recipient to hear rather than deflect.
1) Separate the person from the issue – Talk about behaviors and results rather than attributes or judgments. Think about a) what is happening that shouldn’t or b) what is not happening that should. I often refer to this as speaking in terms of verbs instead of adjectives. For example, saying that someone is demotivated, dishonest, or not engaged are all judgments (adjectives). Behavioral alternatives (verbs) would be “not participative in meetings”, “actions contradict statements” or “not accessible or timely in his or her responses”.
By shifting from adjectives to verbs, you keep the conversation focused on fact-based, observable data that tends to drive less emotional responses. It also drives the conversations to behaviors.
2) Focus on what you know or can see – Telling someone that he or she is late too often provides the basis for a data-driven discussion. Guessing what someone is thinking often leads to the wrong conclusion and can lead to resistance. People resent being told what is inside their head.
3) Use data and benchmarks rather than superlatives– Very few things occur ALWAYS or NEVER. Such words tend to inflame the conversation. Using always or never enables the receiver to discount your statement as soon as they find one counter-example.
Make it stick
In darts, hitting the target in the right place isn’t enough. The dart has to stick. The same is true for feedback. Having a sharp point and throwing at the right angle are a good start. You also need enough force to penetrate the target.
1) Be direct – If you have a serious issue to address, address it directly. Hedging or qualifying your comments gives the receiver a free pass to discount what you are saying. Similarly, if something is important they need to know. Not all feedback is equal. Some is meant to polish performance. Other feedback is meant to fix problems and needs immediate attention. Don’t leave that interpretation to chance.
2) Keep it forward-facing – World-class athletes visualize their event before starting. Good dart players focus on the part of the target they want to hit. They don’t look at the spots they want to avoid. . By focusing on the positive behaviors, you provide your people with something to which they can aspire. It’s easier to visualize executing positive behaviors than it is to visualize avoiding negative ones.
What you visualize you often achieve. I once heard a professor say that it is difficult for the brain to visualize something not happening. So, although you keep repeating “don’t spill” to a child, he or she often will spill. This is because their brains have trouble visualizing the negative so they visualize spilling and their actions follow.
Instead of saying “You are too focused on your discrete part of the business” you might say, “We need you to broaden your thinking and actions to address the needs of the business as a whole.”
3) Create accountability – Often leaders do a great job of delivering a tough message, but then let the person off the hook. Feedback should end with an expectation of what should happen as a result of the discussion. Then it’s your job to follow up to see that it is happening.
By making your feedback sharp, pitched correctly, and sticky you increase the chance that it will take hold and influence behavior. While most of this essay focused on giving “negative” feedback, the same principles apply to positive feedback. If you want people to continue doing something positive, it is equally important to make sure that they understand what they did, they hear your message, and it sticks.
--------------
Brad Kolar is the President of Kolar Associates, a leadership consulting and workforce productivity consulting firm. He can be reached at brad.kolar@kolarassociates.com.
Keeping your point sharp
Darts become dull when used over and over again. So does feedback. Saying the same thing repeatedly doesn’t reinforce your point, it dulls it. There are three ways to ensure that your points are sharp and that they stay sharp:
1) Be specific “Hone” your feedback by speaking in terms of tangible actions or behaviors. Provide examples and alternatives. Speaking in generalities may make someone aware of the issues but it doesn’t help him or her improve. For example, instead of saying, “Your work is sloppy” you might consider saying, “Your work often has typos and grammatical errors”.
2) Be timely. Memories fade and become dull over time. Try to narrow the gap between when your people perform a positive or negative behavior and when you provide feedback.
3) Use multiple approaches – If your point doesn’t seem to register, regroup. Think of a different way to present the issue. Sometimes you can ask the person to describe their behavior or thought process. They are often surprised at what they discover about themselves. Or, have the person observe someone else who exhibits a similar behavior and discuss it.
Pitch at the right angle
If you throw a dart at the wrong angle, it bounces off the board. Feedback is the same. If your message comes across as a personal attack, it will bounce off the recipient. Sometime it simply deflects to the side. At other times, as with the dart, it comes shooting right back at you. They key to delivering tough messages is positioning them in a way the makes it easier for the recipient to hear rather than deflect.
1) Separate the person from the issue – Talk about behaviors and results rather than attributes or judgments. Think about a) what is happening that shouldn’t or b) what is not happening that should. I often refer to this as speaking in terms of verbs instead of adjectives. For example, saying that someone is demotivated, dishonest, or not engaged are all judgments (adjectives). Behavioral alternatives (verbs) would be “not participative in meetings”, “actions contradict statements” or “not accessible or timely in his or her responses”.
By shifting from adjectives to verbs, you keep the conversation focused on fact-based, observable data that tends to drive less emotional responses. It also drives the conversations to behaviors.
2) Focus on what you know or can see – Telling someone that he or she is late too often provides the basis for a data-driven discussion. Guessing what someone is thinking often leads to the wrong conclusion and can lead to resistance. People resent being told what is inside their head.
3) Use data and benchmarks rather than superlatives– Very few things occur ALWAYS or NEVER. Such words tend to inflame the conversation. Using always or never enables the receiver to discount your statement as soon as they find one counter-example.
Make it stick
In darts, hitting the target in the right place isn’t enough. The dart has to stick. The same is true for feedback. Having a sharp point and throwing at the right angle are a good start. You also need enough force to penetrate the target.
1) Be direct – If you have a serious issue to address, address it directly. Hedging or qualifying your comments gives the receiver a free pass to discount what you are saying. Similarly, if something is important they need to know. Not all feedback is equal. Some is meant to polish performance. Other feedback is meant to fix problems and needs immediate attention. Don’t leave that interpretation to chance.
2) Keep it forward-facing – World-class athletes visualize their event before starting. Good dart players focus on the part of the target they want to hit. They don’t look at the spots they want to avoid. . By focusing on the positive behaviors, you provide your people with something to which they can aspire. It’s easier to visualize executing positive behaviors than it is to visualize avoiding negative ones.
What you visualize you often achieve. I once heard a professor say that it is difficult for the brain to visualize something not happening. So, although you keep repeating “don’t spill” to a child, he or she often will spill. This is because their brains have trouble visualizing the negative so they visualize spilling and their actions follow.
Instead of saying “You are too focused on your discrete part of the business” you might say, “We need you to broaden your thinking and actions to address the needs of the business as a whole.”
3) Create accountability – Often leaders do a great job of delivering a tough message, but then let the person off the hook. Feedback should end with an expectation of what should happen as a result of the discussion. Then it’s your job to follow up to see that it is happening.
By making your feedback sharp, pitched correctly, and sticky you increase the chance that it will take hold and influence behavior. While most of this essay focused on giving “negative” feedback, the same principles apply to positive feedback. If you want people to continue doing something positive, it is equally important to make sure that they understand what they did, they hear your message, and it sticks.
--------------
Brad Kolar is the President of Kolar Associates, a leadership consulting and workforce productivity consulting firm. He can be reached at brad.kolar@kolarassociates.com.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Ti-i-i-ime is on your side
Recently, a sales manager told me that he wished he had more time to do background research on his prospective clients. He was certain that if he had more time he’d be winning more sales. I asked him how the people who were winning the sales got up to speed on the client. He said that they must have more time to do research.
His statement reminded me of a comment someone once made about a project manager. This person said, “He’s not as good as everyone thinks. He just gets all of the projects that don’t have problems.” It never occurred to him that this manager's approach to project management prevented most of the problems.
Several years ago a colleague told me that I was lucky to ALWAYS be placed into roles that allowed me to take time to think. He said that his roles were always ones that required constant action and provided no room for thinking. I challenged him. Did he really believe that luck or coincidence shaped my and his roles? I asked him if I’d perform his role in the same manner as he did. He agreed that I probably would not. I then asked how he would run my group if he had the chance. He got the point. It wasn’t about our roles, it was about our approaches.
Lack of time isn't a problem, it's an excuse. Good leaders don’t simply have more time or more luck than everyone else. They’ve just learned to think about and use their time differently. They create opportunities and take actions that others overlook or don’t believe to be possible.. They are more willing to invest time upfront to think things through and put the right infrastructure in place. That way they aren’t spending all of their time on the back end reacting to problems. They don’t buy into the excuse that they don’t have the time to do things that take time. Instead, they find time. They know how to prioritize their effort and are willing to say no (or not now) to low priority work.
If you believe that a lack of time is what is preventing you from being a more effective leader, think again. Having enough time to do the right things doesn't enable leaders; it defines them. The successful leaders in your organization have the exact same amount of time as do you. Leadership is about finding the time to do the right things when those around you can’t. If were easy, everyone would be able to lead.
Brad Kolar is the President of Kolar Associates, a leadership consulting and workforce productivity consulting firm. He can be reached at brad.kolar@kolarassociates.com.
His statement reminded me of a comment someone once made about a project manager. This person said, “He’s not as good as everyone thinks. He just gets all of the projects that don’t have problems.” It never occurred to him that this manager's approach to project management prevented most of the problems.
Several years ago a colleague told me that I was lucky to ALWAYS be placed into roles that allowed me to take time to think. He said that his roles were always ones that required constant action and provided no room for thinking. I challenged him. Did he really believe that luck or coincidence shaped my and his roles? I asked him if I’d perform his role in the same manner as he did. He agreed that I probably would not. I then asked how he would run my group if he had the chance. He got the point. It wasn’t about our roles, it was about our approaches.
Lack of time isn't a problem, it's an excuse. Good leaders don’t simply have more time or more luck than everyone else. They’ve just learned to think about and use their time differently. They create opportunities and take actions that others overlook or don’t believe to be possible.. They are more willing to invest time upfront to think things through and put the right infrastructure in place. That way they aren’t spending all of their time on the back end reacting to problems. They don’t buy into the excuse that they don’t have the time to do things that take time. Instead, they find time. They know how to prioritize their effort and are willing to say no (or not now) to low priority work.
If you believe that a lack of time is what is preventing you from being a more effective leader, think again. Having enough time to do the right things doesn't enable leaders; it defines them. The successful leaders in your organization have the exact same amount of time as do you. Leadership is about finding the time to do the right things when those around you can’t. If were easy, everyone would be able to lead.
Brad Kolar is the President of Kolar Associates, a leadership consulting and workforce productivity consulting firm. He can be reached at brad.kolar@kolarassociates.com.
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