Archives For Accountability

#GreatBosses Inspire Excellence

May 13, 2013 — 1 Comment

iStock_000012681387XSmallToday’s post is the third in my five-part series that examines the best practices of GREAT bosses.

Are you a great boss to your employees? A great boss is a person who creates and maintains a safe, inspiring work environment where talented, engaged employees THRIVE.

Great bosses create clear performance standards, clear values standards, and hold everyone (including themselves) accountable for both each day.

In these work environments, my research and experience shows that employees perform better (40% or more better), serve customers better (40% or more better), and produce higher profits (30% or more higher).

So far we’ve examined the first two elements in the GREAT acronym: Growth and Relationships. Today, I share how #GreatBosses inspire Excellence.

EXCELLENCE
Great bosses set clear performance expectations and coach team members to exceed them, every time. High standards met consistently help differentiate the team’s contribution to the company and to their customers.

Great bosses know that the organization rightfully expects them to ensure goal standards are consistently met. Hitting or exceeding standards means the team has kept its delivery promises and commitments.

Great bosses must create a work environment that enables team members to apply their knowledge and skills in service to the team’s performance standards. They can’t demand performance – they must inspire it, every day.

Most organizations have metrics in place and carefully monitor progress towards performance standards with systems and dashboards. When teams meet or exceed targets or quotas, they earn trust and respect from the organization. That can mean they’ll “enjoy” higher targets or quotas the next time around – but team confidence and spirit is boosted when they know they’re contributing above standard.

Here are a few ways that great bosses I’ve observed and studied inspire excellence from their team members.

Create clear performance standards. Great bosses set observable, tangible, measurable performance standards for the team and each member. Both parties agree so that expectations are understood – and boss and follower know what a “good job looks like” for the upcoming performance period.

Set the context for performance. Team members deserve to understand the context of their efforts. Great bosses explain the strategy then link team goals to that strategy. Common concerns like “how does this target help our team meet its goals?” or “this project’s deadlines will be really tough to meet” are addressed.

Link performance to meaningful societal contributions. Most team members see their jobs as primarily “making money for the company.” Great bosses create avenues for the team to contribute to the community regularly. Charitable ventures like creating a neighborhood garden or doing a “cancer cure run” together can help team members deliver the broader benefit to their community.

Celebrate progress as well as accomplishment. Most bosses don’t praise or encourage team members enough. Great bosses see good things happening daily – and they celebrate them, in the moment. Goal traction is incredibly important; great bosses don’t miss the chance to validate effort and progress often.

Contribute your thoughts about this post/podcast in the comments section below. In what ways have your great bosses inspired consistent high performance from you and your team mates? How do great bosses balance direction and delegation effectively to boost contribution?

What is it like to live in your organization’s culture? Share your experiences in my fast & free Performance-Values Assessment. Results and analysis are described on my blog site’s research page.

This research can help you refine your organization’s corporate culture. Contact me to discuss conducting the Performance-Values Assessment in your company.

Photo © istockphoto.com/yuri_arcurs. All rights reserved.

Subscribe!Podcast – Listen to this post now with the player below. Subscribe via RSS or iTunes.

The music heard on these podcasts is from one of Chris’ songs, “Heartfelt,” copyright © Chris Edmonds Music (ASCAP). Chris plays all instruments on these recordings.

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Get Traction on Your Desired Culture

April 22, 2013 — 1 Comment

iStock_000005596895XSmallSpring storms are a “feature” of mountain living, especially here in the Front Range of Colorado. This year is no exception. The state needs the moisture but local residents (including me) are “done” with the snow here in late April.

I’ve enjoyed a couple of harrowing rides down our steep paved driveway these past few weeks. My 4WD truck handles ice and packed snow well, but it really struggles with wet, soft snow.

There is nothing like the adrenalin rush of having no traction, sliding 200 yards out of control towards an 8′ drop off.

With the last storm, I simply gave up. I parked my truck overnight at the top of our driveway next to my delightful neighbor’s shed (who was happy to give me permission for the spot).

Three “what’s” can shed light on this situation. What I want is my tires to firmly grip the road in all conditions. What I’m experiencing is a lack of desired traction. What I’m doing is living with the gap, short of the traction I covet.

The solution to this slick issue is entirely within my control. My truck’s tires don’t have the grip they had when new, so I could buy a new set of tires. Short of that, I could actually take out the z-chains I bought two years ago and learn how to put them on my tires.

Is your company getting traction on the high performance, values-aligned culture it desires?

Leaders can use my three “what’s” to examine the effectiveness of their organization’s culture and move it slowly but surely towards the desired state.

First, define what you want. Describe your organization’s purpose, it’s reason for being. Then refine performance expectations to ensure goals align to the purpose. Next outline what a “great corporate citizen” looks, acts, and sounds like by defining values in behavioral terms. Next describe the strategy that will best serve both employees and customers.

Second, examine what you’re experiencing. To what extent do leaders and staff align plans, decisions, and actions to your newly defined (or refined) purpose, strategy, goals, and values? It is likely you have some leaders, players, or departments who behave exactly as you desire. And it is likely that most leaders, players, or departments don’t consistently demonstrate desired behaviors. This “what” outlines the gaps you face.

Third, decide what you will do to close gaps. There will be a number of different avenues available. Find proven paths and follow those. Blaze a trail or two if something different is required. Map out your plan to address gaps.

Fourth, do it. Deciding and doing are two very different things. Deciding is passive. Doing is active. Do the doing!

For my part, I’ve just found a video online that shows me how to install the z-chains on my truck. I’ve also priced new tires and found a local installer who has them in stock. One way or another, tire traction will no longer be an issue for me.

Contribute your thoughts about this post/podcast in the comments section below. How well do you, personally, address the gaps you face in life and work? How well does your organization address it’s gaps?

What is it like to live in your organization’s culture? Share your experiences in my fast & free Performance-Values Assessment. Results and analysis are described on my blog site’s research page.

This research can help you refine your organization’s corporate culture. Contact me to discuss conducting the Performance-Values Assessment in your company.

Photo © istockphoto.com/photawa. All rights reserved.

Subscribe!Podcast – Listen to this post now with the player below. Subscribe via RSS or iTunes.

The music heard on these podcasts is from one of Chris’ songs, “Heartfelt,” copyright © Chris Edmonds Music (ASCAP). Chris plays all instruments on these recordings.

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What Does Your Great Boss Do?

April 8, 2013 — Leave a comment

iStock_000012107904XSmallReactions to the firing of Rutgers University’s head men’s basketball coach has certainly made headlines recently. Video of the coach shoving & berating players, yelling obscenities, and throwing basketballs at players during practices surfaced in November. It took university administrators five months to decide that the coach’s actions merited his firing; that occurred only after the video was leaked to ESPN and shown on national television.

The athletic director resigned as part of the fallout over the coach’s aggressive treatment of players.

University president Robert Barchi characterized Rice’s behavior as “deeply offensive” and violated the university’s values. There may well be formal statements of university values somewhere but they are not found on the university’s web site. That’s a missed opportunity. When values are formalized and defined in behavioral terms, it is easy for organization members to praise aligned behavior and raise questions about mis-aligned behavior.

The Rutgers’ mens basketball coach was clearly not a great boss to these players. Great bosses create and maintain a safe, inspiring work environment where talented, engaged employees THRIVE.

My experience and research indicates that GREAT Bosses manage these five things consistently well:

GROWTH
Great bosses create avenues for team members to learn new approaches, develop new skills, and gain confidence to put those skills into action in the workplace.
RELATIONSHIPS
Great bosses know that positive relationships based on shared values create mutual trust and respect in the workplace. They create and maintain positive relationships with team members and expect the same among team members.
EXCELLENCE
Great bosses set clear performance expectations and coach team members to exceed them, every time. High standards met consistently help differentiate the team’s contribution to the company and to their customers.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Great bosses know that consequence management is the avenue to high performing, values-aligned teams. They praise and encourage progress & accomplishment of both goals and valued behaviors. They redirect and, if needed, reprimand, values mis-aligned behaviors and missed performance standards.
TEAMWORK
Great bosses know that cooperative interaction among team members maintains trust and respect more than competitive interaction does. They create norms that enable sharing of information, skills, and support across their team.

What “great boss” behaviors am I missing? What does (or did) your Great Boss do to create and maintain a safe, inspiring work environment for you and your peers?

I’m building a GREAT Boss assessment based upon this conceptual model. I’d love your feedback on these five elements. Please join in the conversation about this post/podcast in the comments section below.

What is it like to live in your organization’s culture? Share your experiences in my fast & free Performance-Values Assessment. Results and analysis are described on my blog site’s research page.

This research can help you refine your organization’s corporate culture. Contact me to discuss conducting the Performance-Values Assessment in your company.

Photo © istockphoto.com/yuri_arcurs. All rights reserved.

Subscribe!Podcast – Listen to this post now with the player below. Subscribe via RSS or iTunes.

The music heard on these podcasts is from one of Chris’ songs, “Heartfelt,” copyright © Chris Edmonds Music (ASCAP). Chris plays all instruments on these recordings.

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Redirect Unintended Consequences

March 4, 2013

Abandoned chemical factoryI arrived at my hotel in mid-afternoon. I quickly unpacked and drove through the downtown area to see where I’d be facilitating my class in the morning. I knew the closure of the client’s large plant had been a shock to this rural community, but I wasn’t prepared for what I saw in the town square.

For three square blocks, all I saw were boarded up storefronts. There were three open businesses surrounded by dozens of closed shops.

The plant’s closure – driven by a number of economic variables – caused the town to slowly expire. The loss of plant jobs meant families could not support local businesses, and the domino effect led to the consequences I observed.

No one intended to cause the community to shut down. It was a ten-year long unintended consequence of the decision to close the plant.

Such unanticipated and undesirable outcomes of decisions happen every day in organizations around the globe. They may not be as devastating as this plant closure was, but they undermine performance, engagement, customer service, and profits just the same.

One client implemented a system to encourage managers to have weekly one-on-one meetings with each of their direct reports. At the end of the fiscal year, those managers who conducted 90% of these weekly meetings received a $400 bonus. This approach was completely well-intended, yet it had unintended consequences.

During that year, employees reported being forced to attend one-on-one meetings with their managers. Employees had no part in the meeting agenda nor was their active participation or dialog a part of the one-on-ones. This feedback enabled the client to redirect the system to address these unintended consequences.

Weekly one-on-ones were expected of both managers and their direct reports. Where employees reported that these meetings enabled effective partnering with their managers, both parties got “credit.” At the end of the year, if 90% of the meetings were rated effective, both parties earned a $100 bonus.

Where there is any perceived unfairness of plans, decisions, and actions, unintended consequences may be in play. Does your organization have special parking for some staff, or a separate lunchroom, or extravagant pay for certain parties? These strongly contribute to perceptions of unfairness.

Another client found that compensation and reward practices were perceived as unfair. For example, sales staff received high commissions for completing transactions, yet those who actually created or delivered products and services received no additional compensation for their efforts. Sales staff also enjoyed reward trips to luxurious resorts when they exceeded their quotas, yet those responsible for products and service delivery were excluded from those trips.

The client redirected those unintended consequences by eliminating sales commissions. They spread those funds across the entire organization so everyone responsible for the organization’s success benefitted from it.

If you tolerate unfair policies and practices, you will “enjoy” the consequences: reduced employee engagement, lousy customer treatment, and reduced profits across your business.

You can only redirect unintended consequences if you are aware of them. Observe. Listen. Ask – then redirect.

Join in the conversation about this post/podcast in the comments section below. What unintended consequences exist in your organization? How have you seen leaders effectively mitigate unintended consequences in your work environment?

What is it like to live in your organization’s culture? Share your experiences in my fast & free Performance-Values Assessment. Results and analysis are described on my blog site’s research page.

This research can help you refine your organization’s corporate culture. Contact me to discuss conducting the Performance-Values Assessment in your company.

Photo © istockphoto.com/toxawww. All rights reserved.

Subscribe!Podcast – Listen to this post now with the player below. Subscribe via RSS or iTunes.

The music heard on these podcasts is from one of Chris’ songs, “Heartfelt,” copyright © Chris Edmonds Music (ASCAP). Chris plays all instruments on these recordings.

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Enable Employees with Liberating Rules

February 18, 2013

iStock_000017057537XSmallIt’s mid-day in clear weather. Four cars arrive at an intersection at nearly the same moment. It’s a four-way stop with no traffic signals. Each car is headed a different direction – one north, one south, one east, one west. After a few seconds, one driver waves to the car across from hers, indicating, “Come ahead.” Once that car clears the intersection, the other cars patiently take their turn.

There are rules at work in this scenario. Everyone stopped at the stop signs. Drivers cooperated to enable each to safely pass through the intersection. If one driver had refused to follow the rules, an accident could have occurred. At minimum, a selfish driver would have caused concern and anxiety for the other drivers.

In life and work, rules can help us stay safe, work effectively together, reduce conflict, and understand how best to contribute to common goals. It’s the absence of clear guidelines in the workplace that can lead to power plays, politics, cliques, and further dysfunctions.

In organizations, clear rules and expectations are liberating for leaders and employees. They help define how to interact with bosses, peers, and customers so that relationships are valued while promised results are delivered.

Who is “in charge” of setting rules for work relationships and performance? Senior leaders are.

Senior leaders typically put more thought into their products and services than they do their organization’s culture, yet culture drives everything that happens in their organizations (good and not so good).

Senior leaders are responsible for 1) setting the context for action & activity (defining the rules: the organization’s purpose, values, strategies, and goals), then 2) aligning action & activities to those rules, ensuring the right things happen the right way along the right path.

In high performance, values-aligned organizations, senior leaders do a great job of juggling their multi-faceted roles. They must be:

  • Great communicators, consistently clarifying and reinforcing the organization’s purpose, values, strategies, and goals,
  • Great role models, consistently demonstrating values and behaviors while moving the organization forward towards it’s purpose,
  • Great cheerleaders, consistently and promptly pointing out aligned behaviors and actions, celebrating progress and accomplishment, and
  • Great referees, consistently and promptly redirecting misaligned behaviors and actions, ensuring performance is delivered the right way.

These responsibilities cannot be delegated to others in the organization. Senior leaders must be credible, consistent, enthusiastic champions of their organization’s desired culture.

When senior leaders embrace this proactive approach, they find they must change how they spend their time in the work environment. These responsibilities require time and effort, which means leaders must do less of other activities – less impactful activities – than they’ve been doing (sometimes for years). Senior leaders I coach often tell me that they spend 40% of their time on culture management compared to 5% of their time before making this change.

Join in the conversation about this post/podcast in the comments section below. Does your organization have defined rules for performance and values? How well do leaders communicate, model, and champion your organization’s desired culture?

What is it like to live in your organization’s culture? Share your experiences in my fast & free Performance-Values Assessment. Results and analysis are described on my blog site’s research page.

This research can help you refine your organization’s corporate culture. Contact me to discuss conducting the Performance-Values Assessment in your company.

Photo © istockphoto.com/yuri_arcurs. All rights reserved.

Subscribe!Podcast – Listen to this post now with the player below. Subscribe via RSS or iTunes.

The music heard on these podcasts is from one of Chris’ songs, “Heartfelt,” copyright © Chris Edmonds Music (ASCAP). Chris plays all instruments on these recordings.

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