Posts Tagged ‘leadership success’

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A performance oxymoron

Friday, January 20th, 2012 by Martha Forlines

As a manager, you can “guarantee” performance.  Think about these practices common in unionized organizations and even the public sector…

 

worried and stressed

 

A “high performing unionized organization” is an oxymoron and the exception, not the rule.  Joining the words “high performance” with a union is a contradiction.   There is good reason for this—actually three.

 

1. Union employees are not held accountable.

There is no accountability for high performance.  They not only get by with mediocre performance, they can freely perform poorly.

 

2.  Union employees are not rewarded for performance.

Rewards are dished out according to seniority, and are most times the same for everyone. The longer you’ve been there, the more privileged you are, period.

 

3. Union employees don’t’ get fired.

As long as there’s a pulse, you‘ve got a job. That’s the culture, long entrenched.

 

4. Manage like the unions, and you’ll get poor performance, guaranteed.

All you have to do is (1) avoid accountability, (2) reward for seniority not performance, and (3) never fire anybody. This is a formula that always works…to get poor performance.

 

Martha Forlines and Thad Green

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America’s “Most Wanted” Re-Solution for Leaders

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012 by Martha Forlines

Every failure gets you closer to success.

 

Each one gets you closer to giving up.

 

Which will you choose?

 

Choosers of success hold an edge!

 isaac_newton[1]

 

Recap of leader quick tip: You choose where failure leads

 

Herein is a clue for you

 

Behind the wheel of an automobile

 

A thought appears

 

Not at all clear

 

Sir Isaac Newton

 

Mathematician, scientist, philosopher

 

Somehow tied to you

 

If you’ll think of the great names

 

In the history of the world

 

Surviving centuries

 

Maybe a name or two

 

Will come to you

 

Artists and composers

 

Philosophers and astronomers

 

Scientists unraveling

 

Mysteries of the world

 

Slaves all to their passions and destinies

 

Forsaking all else

 

Discovering the kernel within

 

All of these

 

Just mere men

 

And women

 

If ever there was

 

A mere woman

 

And pictures of you

 

Wondering who you are

 

Who you really are

 

Who you will become

 

If you will listen to your heart

 

And follow your dreams

 

Not easy

 

This you know

 

Your life has told you so

 

But you can decide

 

Perhaps you will decide

 

To listen to your heart

 

And follow your dreams

 

But when?

 

Martha Forlines and Thad Green

 

P.S. This isn’t the kind of stuff you typically hear from leadership consultants and executives coaches, or in leadership training programs. This is the REAL THING!

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Performance review trickery that works

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011 by Martha Forlines

We’ve had several meetings with clients over the past month. When asked about how things are going with their employees the replies have been “…well, it’s performance review time again.” followed by the eye roll.

 

Eyeroll

 

(Of course we have to follow up on “the eye rolls”, clear indicators of discomfort and dread.)  So, is it because this is a sacred, annual process versus an everyday giving and receiving feedback process? As Steven Covey puts it, making deposits to the emotional bank account for both the employee and their manager builds trust.  Read on…

 

It was time for the dreaded performance review. The new employee REALLY didn’t know what to expect.

 

The seasoned manager said, “I want you to complete a performance review on yourself. We’ll discuss it next week.”

 

Is this:

  1. Trickery
  2. Unfair to the employee
  3. Abdication of responsibility by the manager
  4. All of the above
  5. Or something else all together?

 

The new employee anguished over the self-evaluation—over HAVING to make commitments about strengths and weaknesses, measured performance, and improvement needs.

 

The realizations were sobering:

 

  • I’ve never done a real self-assessment of myself and my capabilities.
  • I don’t clearly know everything expected of me or how to measure and document my performance.
  • I should have been having discussions with my manager throughout the year about these things.

In the end, the new employee made a realistic self-appraisal, gave a copy to the manager, and discussed it item by item.

 

The manager listened, asked questions, and tried to understand without agreeing or disagreeing.

 

The manager had completed a performance review on the new employee and handed over a copy to read.

 

They discussed it, mainly the differences in their ratings, which were few.

 

The manager thought the employee’s self-review should have been a little higher on a couple of things, lower on a couple, and explained why.

 

So what were the results here?

 

  1. The employee was prepared.
  2. The employee’s view came first and was heard.
  3. There was more trust because the performance review was not a one-sided discussion.
  4. There were fewer surprises for the employee.
  5. The manager learned several new and key things about the employee.
  6. It was easier for real issues to surface and be discussed.
  7. Employee preparation dissolved the likelihood for conflict.
  8. The final performance review was more complete and accurate.
  9. It was easier to reach agreement.
  10. The performance review was less dreaded for both sides.
  11. This time next year, the performance review will go even smoother with this process.

 

What’s the main point? Employees need to prepare for performance reviews, so help them get comfortable with the process. It works out better for manager and employee.

 

Martha Forlines and Thad Green

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If you ain’t lovin’ leading . . .

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011 by Martha Forlines

 happysad

 

Recap of leader quick tip: Listen to what your satisfaction is saying

 

1950’s research on leadership and motivation still holds up.

 

The conclusion then, as now, is this: the best motivation is intrinsic satisfaction.

 

This is the satisfaction you get from the work itself.

 

That is, doing the work is fun, you enjoy it, it gives you satisfaction. This satisfaction has nothing to do with praise and recognition and pay or anything else that others give you for doing the work.

 

A golfer loves playing golf. An entertainer loves entertaining. The speaker loves making speeches. The leader loves leading. This is intrinsic satisfaction.

 

If you could afford to, you’d do the work for free. Maybe even pay to do it.

 

It’s simple. When you love what you do, you love doing it. 

 

If you ain’t lovin’ leading, you may be on the wrong path.

 

There is a research-based corollary to intrinsic satisfaction: we tend to be naturally good at the things we love. This is important.

 

Being naturally good at something means we aren’t struggling, we aren’t fighting an uphill battle, we aren’t facing failure at every turn. Fear is not the fuel that keeps us going.

 

Instead, it means we are sure of our self, we know we can do it. In other words, we are confident.

 

We can always fine-tune and strengthen our natural ability, but being in our natural place is a good place to be.

 

So consider the combined power of intrinsic satisfaction AND being in your natural place.

 

And two questions. Do you love what you’re doing? Are you a natural at it?

 

If you get a “yes, yes,” more power to you.

 

If you get one “no,” reflect on how this makes you feel.

 

Listen to what your satisfaction is saying!

 

Don’t you want to love being in your natural place?

 

Martha Forlines and Thad Green

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Leader asking for trouble

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011 by Martha Forlines

You lead a darn good team, except for one person. You’ve talked to him, gently, several times. Nothing changes.  

You know you should deal with it, but you hardly have time to breathe. 
 
It’s the “I’ll-stop-smoking-tomorrow” or the “I’ll-start-the-diet-tomorrow”
syndrome. 
 
Occasional complaints about his performance come from a coworker or customer, but nothing really that big.  
 
You just don’t have the time right now to hire a replacement,
and besides, a new person will have to be trained and may not be that much better anyway. 
 
Okay, you’ve rationalized your stance. Get back to your heavy workload. 
 
Oh, you’ve forgotten one thing. This is not simply a matter of one person whose performance isn’t quite up to par.
 
You are creating a situation that can ruin your career. The fuse is burning. 
 
You don’t believe it?   
 
Recap of leader quick tip: Ignoring one performer puts your career in jeopardy
 
Employees Resent Engagment
 
You start getting pressure to fire this guy—from his coworkers, or customers, or your boss. 
 
Or maybe he makes one more blunder that is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. 
 
You decide to fire him. And you do, after some consulting with the HR department. 
 
Before you meet with him you think about how tolerant you have been. The guy is smart. He knows he’s lucky you didn’t fire him a year ago. This won’t be a surprise to him. He ought to be thankful you’ve put up with him this long. 
 
You follow the book when you tell him he’s a goner. 
 
The guy is outraged. He screams and shouts and makes all kinds of threats. 
 
You’re in shock, but keep your cool. Someone from HR escorts him out. 
 
The guy is a real head case. That’s all your whirling mind can say. 
 
His whirling mind is in a different place. Here’s what he’s thinking. 
 
Why did my boss turn on me? This came out of nowhere. It’s
totally unfair. What does he have against me? What makes him think he can treat me like this? I’ll show him. 
 
How might he show you, now that he’s gone? 
 
He can make accusations. And even formal complaints. What kind?
Well, any kind really. None of it has to be true. You are incompetent, totally unfair, you have hired your cronies, promoted with bias, willfully ignored company policies and procedures, put people in danger by violating OSHA and other federal regulations,  he has seen you harass employees, you have taken bribes from suppliers, and on and on. 
 
With email, social networking sites, YouTube, etc. he can slander you throughout your company, with customers, state and federal agencies, and literally all over the world. 
 
And why would he do this? Because you led him on, month after month, letting him think he was doing an okay job. Then with no reason at all, you turn on him (in his eyes). 
 
He’s angry, and actually with good reason. 
 
Don’t be stupid. Deal with performance problems swiftly. Employees can handle swift. It’s “dragging it out” that seems unfair. 
 
Martha Forlines and Thad Green
 
 

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Wrong tool kit for the “jerk” at work!

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 by Martha Forlines

Recap of leader quick tip: Others can push your buttons only when you allow them to.

 

It’s a rotten feeling when someone can “push your buttons.”

 

 alarmbutton

 

The words or actions of another can cause anger, resentment, irritation, defensiveness, impatience, disappointment, and more. (Remember John Maxwell—“Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react.”)

 

We know that none of you, our loyal solutions for leaders readers, ever react in any of these ways!

 

And that’s good, because these reactions can quickly get a leader labeled “a jerk.”

 

This is not a good thing.

 

Others can push your buttons only when you allow them to.

 

You have complete control over yourself, but you have chosen to give some of that control away. 

 

What kind of control have you given up? The control over the way you feel, and the way you then react.

 

In other words, you let others “trigger” you. And your response is automatic.

 

You’re a stickler for starting meetings on time. The same person is habitually tardy. He sets you off—every time. You get agitated—every time. The meeting goes downhill—every time.

 

Mr. Tardy controls your feelings, and reactions.

 

Would you like to take back the control you have given away? Of course, you would.

 

This is important. If you can’t master yourself, how can you master your world as a leader?

 

Maybe you’re getting triggered because you have your hand in the wrong tool kit.

 

Recap of leader quick tip: Others can push your buttons only when you allow them to.

 

He’s late for the meeting again. You open your tool box, reach for the hammer, and get his attention.

 

She misses another deadline.  A vise for that cute little thumb and she’ll remember next time.

 

He keeps resisting change. Let’s see here. Ah, a crowbar to pry him into the future.

 

Listen up. The tools in this toolbox are designed to force the other person to change. It’s a heavy handed way to make others stop pushing your buttons. This isn’t the problem though.

 

The problem is that the focus is on the wrong person.

 

When someone triggers us, we want them to stop. Sure, but this gets us nowhere fast.

 

If someone is triggering you, there is but one real and lasting solution.

 

You have to imagine you are an onion, and peel back the layers to find out what’s going on..

 

What’s behind you being triggered? And why are you letting others push your buttons?

 

Until you answer these questions, nothing is really going to change for you.

 

You can learn all about this if . . . you will decide to attend our upcoming Self Mastery for Leaders workshop. For details, click here!  If you are really curious, join our teleconference on Wednesday, October 5th at 11:45 a.m. to gain a better understanding about the workshop and it’s long term benefits to you!

 

And stay tuned for this continuing series of Leader Quick Tips and BLOGs for more on “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react.”

 

Martha Forlines and Thad Green

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The “jerk” at work

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011 by Martha Forlines

“Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react.” John Maxwell

 angryman1

Recap of leader quick tip: Everybody loses when leaders’ emotions get triggered and they react badly.

 

The 90% explains those often to referred to as the “jerk” at work.

 

Something happens and the ”jerk” reacts.  It actually becomes very predictable doesn’t it?

 

The reality is we all react to certain emotional triggers.

 

Reactions include:

  1. Harsh words
  2. Impatience
  3. Anger
  4. Defensiveness
  5. Aggressive behavior
  6. Criticism
  7. Retaliation
  8. Disgust
  9. Temper tantrums

 

When leaders (anyone really) react in these ways, everybody loses.

 

It doesn’t have to be like this.

 

All of these reactions have a COMMON CAUSE.

 

You’re in the doctor’s office, sitting on the examination table. He uses his little hammer-thingy and taps you just below the knee. Your leg jumps forward—a knee-jerk reaction. Good sign.

 

But when it comes to leadership behavior, knee-jerk reactions can spell all kinds of trouble.

 

Knee-jerk reactions are involuntary, out of our control.

 

We get angry, we show it.

 

We feel hurt, we fight back.

 

We hear criticized, we get defensive.

 

We feel impatient, we show impatience.

 

We get disappointed, we use harsh words.

 

We screw something up, we blame somebody else.

 

So what’s the common thread behind these reactions?

 

The COMMON CAUSE of reacting negatively is this: we have given up choice in the way we react.

 

If something happens, we can choose to be angry about it, or not. There is a choice.

 

If we get angry, we can choose to show it, or not. There is a choice!

 

As long as we deny choice, then there is none. 

 

So what can we do?

 

This starting point is this: identify what emotional triggers you react negatively to.

 

  1. Something a person says or does that upsets you
  2. Events that are stressful
  3. Things you say or do yourself
  4. Long-held fears, pain, and thoughts that stir up emotions
  5. Something people say or do to each other.

 

The best way to gain control and have choice is to identify where you are giving up choice now.

 

More in the next Leader Quick Tip and BLOG about gaining mastery over the way we react (90%) to what happens to us (10%).

 

And much more if you choose to attend our upcoming Self Mastery for Leaders workshop. Go here for more details.

 

Martha Forlines and Thad Green

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The cornerstone of effective leadership is self-mastery

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011 by Martha Forlines

Recap of leader quick tip: How can you master your own world without first mastering yourself?

Rosy

So says Patricia Aburdene, author of Megatrends 2010 and coauthor of four other Megatrends books.

 

What does self-mastery mean?

 

She answers this question by asking one, “But how can you exert control over your surroundings without first mastering your own thoughts and emotions?”

 

How do you get started?

 

Self-mastery begins with knowing yourself, not a surface understanding, but an in-depth one. This is the starting point. Self-mastery follows.

 

How important is self-mastery for leaders?

 

Aburdene says leaders need the power of self-mastery more than anything else!

 

Are corporations buying into self-mastery?

 

Yes, they are, including Time-Warner, Yahoo!, Google, Apple and many other companies large and small.

 

How do you get started?

 

Martha and Thad are conducting a one-day “self-mastery for leaders” workshop on November 11 in the Atlanta area.

 

What won’t happen?

 

Self-mastery does not come from listening, so don’t expect too much of that.

 

What will happen?

 

The art of self-mastery results from experiencing; hence there will be many non-threatening experiential opportunities to know yourself better in order to lead others more effectively.

 

What will you learn about yourself?

 

You’ll learn the following:

 

  1. how others perceive you, in contrast to the way you see yourself
  2. the impact you have on others
  3. causes of confidence and courage issues you may have
  4. what holds you back from becoming the leader you want to be
  5. what is your response to something you’ve never done before

 

What will you do with this?

 

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is self-mastery, but you will definitely get a clear and concrete jump-start down the pathway toward your own self-mastery.

 

What will the end result be?

 

Self-mastery will result in a giant step in both your personal and leadership effectiveness.

 

What happens next?

 

You’ll get more details about the workshop next week, including how to register.

 

And we’ll be having a couple of webinars about the workshop soon, too.

 

Martha Forlines and Thad Green

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Procrastination pays off

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011 by Martha Forlines

 enjoywork

It’s not the decisions you make that kill you, it’s the ones you don’t make, or make too late, that hold you back.

 

Sure, there’s a time and place for procrastinating, but you better know what you’re doing.

 

If you know when to procrastinate, procrastination can really pay off!!!

 

Otherwise, you’re asking for trouble.

 

You should procrastinate on decision making WHEN:

  1. You’re angry.
  2. You’re too tired to think clearly.
  3. You need more information (and you can get it and get it quickly and without too much cost).
  4. You need to prepare others for the decision.
  5. You feel rushed.
  6. You’re about to compromise your values.
  7. You’re trying to make everybody happy.
  8. You desperately want to please one or more key people.
  9. You feel like you’re being pushed into the decision.
  10. You’re not confident you’re making a good decision.
  11. Your intuition is shouting “wait.”

 

If any of these conditions exist, hold off on making the decision, not too long though, but give yourself a little more time before deciding.

 

If you can make a better decision tomorrow, make it tomorrow!

 

Martha Forlines and Thad Green

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The best hires are in love

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011 by Martha Forlines

2646308496_d9a5c71c97[1]Skill, skill,

skill.

 

Experience, experience, experience.

 

Leaders who exclusively hire this way make a BIG, BIG, BIG mistake!

 

The best hires are in love . . . with their work.

 

When they are, they excel. When they’re not, you’ve got problems.

 

When people don’t love their work, you can expect mediocre performance at best, and at worst, poor performance and trouble-making behavior.

 

Skill and experience are overrated!

 

Important, yes, but the overriding criteria? No.

 

People who love their work are motivated by the work itself. They work hard and perform well because they’re turned on by the work they do. The leader doesn’t have to motivate these employees, only get out of their way and let them do their job.

 

They continuously develop their skills, too, because the better they do their job, the better they like it. Any skill deficiencies quickly dissolve.

 

And employees who love their work consistently outperform those with greater skills.

 

Employees who don’t love their work are watching the clock and waiting on the next paycheck. They’re not taking the initiative and going beyond the call of duty. They’re never happy, but are constantly seeking it. Where do they turn? They always look to their manager!

 

If their manager doesn’t make them happy (can you really make another person happy?), they find it in other ways, like complaining or being defiant or stirring up trouble, which gives them a perverse form of satisfaction.

 

Leaders, avoid the pain.

 

Hire people who love their work, and dodge those who don’t.

 

Martha Forlines and Thad Green

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