Sharing Leadership to Maximize Talent

With global expansion, intra- and inter-industry restructuring, and increasing numbers of merging organizations, the need for dynamic flexibility and a broad base of knowledge and expertise is greater than ever. Shared leadership, by virtue of its use of the combined best of leaders' abilities, is being tested as one possible solution for meeting these challenging business needs.

What is shared leadership?

Shared leadership involves maximizing all of the human resources in an organization by empowering individuals and giving them an opportunity to take leadership positions in their areas of expertise. With more complex markets increasing the demands on leadership, the job in many cases is simply too large for one individual.

Sharing leadership isn't easy, but it's definitely possible, and in many cases, highly successful. For instance, at a company that creates user interfaces for web design, the role of CEO was too extensive for one leader. As a result, it was split into two positions with equal status and complementary skills sets and responsibilities. After splitting the role of CEO, the leaders built on the new team, hiring experts to head up research and development, architecture and design, and sales. Using the shared leadership model gave these leaders the opportunity to focus on the areas in which they are most talented, to hire team leaders, and thus develop a successful, well-rounded and somewhat "flattened" company versus a more hierarchically structured company. For this organization, flattening has also meant that power, authority, and decision-making are more widely and deeply dispersed, both laterally and vertically, giving each individual an opportunity to show his or her prowess in certain areas of the company. It has meant deferring to others when they have more expertise. This is not always the easiest thing for leaders to do.

Here are some suggestions for sharing leadership and maximizing talent.

* Give power away to the most qualified individuals to strengthen their capabilities.
* Define the limits of decision-making power.
* Cultivate a climate in which people feel free to take initiative on assignments.
* Give qualified people discretion and autonomy over their tasks and resources and encourage them to use these tools.
* Don't second guess the decisions of those you have empowered to do so.
* Consider yourself a resource rather than the manager.
* Set appropriate follow-up meetings to review progress and take corrective action if necessary.

If you do delegate more to people who are closer to the customer and allow them to take on challenging responsibilities, you will find that you have more time. You will spend less time directing their projects and you may even develop a sense of accomplishment from the achievements of your people rather than from your own direct efforts. Even better, your employees may feel they are more like partners and become more engaged ultimately paving the road for greater success for the organization, the team, and themselves.

Life is good.

Marshall

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

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Learn to Embrace the Tension of Diversity

As leaders, the rich diversity of culture and thought around the world is one of our greatest resources — if we use it as such. Differences of ideas, methods, motivations, and competencies can be used to build great organizations. However, this wonderful resource can be a double-edge sword as cross-cultural exchanges present unlimited possibilities for misunderstandings and cultural blunders.

As companies grow and expand around the world, diversity in the workplace increases. Successful organizations identify, recruit, and train professionals from a diverse blend of backgrounds, cultures, styles, and motivations into positions of increasing power and responsibility.

In the midst of individual contributors with such diverse backgrounds, success calls for leaders who are comfortable with diversity tension. Diversity tension is the stress and strain that accompanies mixtures of differences and similarities. The task of leaders working in the global business arena is not to minimize this tension, but rather to use it as a creative force for change, and, of course, to make quality decisions in the midst of identity differences, similarities, and pressures.

Leaders who prepare and empower their employees to understand others without judging, to be requirement-driven, and to be comfortable with diversity tension are more productive and successful. It just isn't enough for leaders to possess these capabilities themselves; they must also develop them throughout the organization.

What are some good first steps to developing positive diversity tension in the workplace? Well, one is to not make any assumptions about the cultural base or outlook with whom you work or do business. Another is to understand the dynamics of diversity (through historical, political, and economic references), how it affects the workplace, worldviews, life and communication styles, ethics, and etiquette of co-workers.

Developing positive diversity tension takes an understanding of both the big things and the small things that form unique cultures, including leadership and work styles (for instance formal vs. informal); decision-making styles (e.g. intuitive vs. analytical); information-sharing methods (do people prefer written, oral, face-to-face, text, email, video conference, etc.); and motivations (these could be power, achievement, affiliation, money, etc.). It's not necessary to hold everyone's views on these matters, but it is important to accept that there are many different methods, positions, and styles by which people can accomplish goals and directives.

Utilizing diversity tension in the workforce requires that leaders understand that differences in race, culture, and background are advantages — not deficits — for effective teamwork and problem solving.

To take embrace diversity tension, leaders need to:

* Create an inclusive work environment where people feel welcomed and valued for sharing their opinions and skills
* Recognize and reward successes that result from valuing diversity
* Assess the different learning styles and strengths in people
* Involve people from a variety of backgrounds in decision-making and problem-solving processes
* Utilize the full potential of all employees and build on complementary skills, backgrounds, and cultural knowledge
* Refuse to accept behaviors that attack the self-respect of others and confront people who stereotype others or display prejudiced behavior
* Participate in diversity training
* Involve a wide variety of people in their personal and professional lives, and take the time to get to know them

Using tension of diversity as a positive, rather than viewing differences as negative, a well-rounded diverse team will be able to produce valuable brainstorming sessions, imaginative problem-solving and decision making, unique perspectives on strategic planning, and inventive product development ideas. The benefits of such a diverse workforce will be felt throughout the organization and are key to competing successfully in the global marketplace.

Life is good.

Marshall

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

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When Your Employees Know More Than You

Managing today's highly skilled professionals takes special skills — and not the ones that you may think. Oftentimes, knowledge workers know more than you do about their jobs. So, how do you manage people who know more about what they do than you do?

In such instances, you have to look at leadership through the wants and needs of the worker as opposed to the skills of the leader. Here are some quick tips for effectively managing knowledge workers.

Demonstrate passion

In days past, working 40 hours per week and taking 4-5 weeks of vacation meant that people often focused less on loving what they do. Today people work 60-80 hours a week and it's crucial that they love their work to avoid burnout. Those who lead by example and demonstrate passion for what they do make it much easier for their followers to do the same.

Strengthen abilities

With less job security and more global competition, it's critical that people update and refine their skills continuously. Leaders need to look beyond skills needed today and help their workers learn skills they will need tomorrow.

Appreciate time

People have less time today, which means the value of that time has increased. Leaders who waste their workers' time are not looked upon favorably. Leaders will be far more successful if they protect people from things that neither encourage their passions nor enhance their abilities.

Build networks

Today, job security comes from having ability, passion, and a great network. Leaders who enable people to form strong networks both inside and outside the company will gain a huge competitive advantage along with the loyalty of their workers. These professional networks allow people to expand their knowledge and bring it back to the organization.

Support growth

The best knowledge workers are working for more than money. They want to make a contribution and to grow in their fields. Leaders who ask their people, "What can our company do to help you grow and achieve your goals?" will find it comes back tenfold.

Expand happiness and meaning

No one wants to work at a meaningless job that makes them unhappy. Leaders must show their workers how the organization can help them make a contribution to the larger world and feel rewarded for doing something about which they are passionate.

Managing knowledge workers is a challenging and rewarding job. Leaders who do so must look beyond the work and think about the person who does the work if they are to be successful. By appreciating and encouraging the dedication, time, and experience of their workers, leaders help shape not only the futures of the professionals they lead but also the future of their organizations.

Life is good.

Marshall

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

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Positive Thinking: Use the Best Within You to Form Your Sense of Self

How do you know who you are? Likely, you add up all the events in your life that you can remember and this helps your form your sense of self or your identity. These moments in your personal history, whether glorious or terrible, are touchstones that you can't forget. They've left an impact--they won't be forgotten--and when you write an autobiography of yourself, these moments will inevitably be recorded.

Successful people, those people with robust senses of self-worth, remember the good, the diamonds, not the bad and the lumps of coal. They don't dwell on painful and embarrassing episodes from their past. They wouldn't even consider allowing these moments to define their identity. The trouble is that the further you go back in your past, the greater the chances are that who you were, or your "remembered" identity, doesn't match up with who you are. The world is full of people who were incredibly popular and successful--in high school. What's sadder than the adult who "peaked in high school."

Then there are those people who made mistakes in their past, but those errors do not necessarily pinpoint with any accuracy who they are now.

Years ago, I had the following conversation with one of my more self-effacing clients. I asked this man, with amazing achievements, to give me a list of his positives and negatives as an executive. Here's what he told me:

"Well, I'm not very good at follow up," he said.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"My biggest screw-ups in business occurred when I didn't pay attention to my customers," he said. "I didn't check up on them as much as they'd like. I didn't return phone calls promptly. I didn't always do what I promised to do, at least not in the timely manner they expected. And sometimes I lost customers because of that."

I took a moment to look at the feedback I had been gathering about this man from his direct reports and colleagues. He was a capable leader, with several thousand employees under his command. He had a few behavioral issues that needed to be dealt with, but "bad at follow up" was not on the list.

"When was the last time a customer gave you negative feedback for poor follow up?" I asked.

"It's been a while, at least ten years."

"Then why do you still insist you're bad at it?" I asked.

"I guess that I always remembered being told that." He laughed.

This is where remembered identity can cheat us in the moment. While there's nothing wrong with looking back to the past to sort out your strengths and weaknesses. There is something wrong with holding onto the past and creating a picture of yourself that is someone who doesn't exist anymore.

Life is good.

Marshall

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

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Does What They Think About You Hold You Back?

How do you define who you are? If you think about the various components of how you define yourself, where did they originate? If you're like most people, your identity is formed to a large extent by what you remember from your past and by what other people think about you and tell you about yourself.

Where the past and other people's opinions meet what I call your "reflected" identity. Other people remember events in your past and may remind of you of them, sometimes too often. It's one thing for the executive above to admit to poor follow up. But if his boss or wife or customers tell him the same thing, it reinforces the picture he already has of himself. You might know this as feedback. Feedback from others is how we shape our reflected identity.

As a professional who relies on feedback as a tool for helping people change for the better, I would never disparage the value of it; however, I feel obligated to note that not all feedback is offered in good faith or in the most forgiving spirit!

For example, perhaps your spouse constantly reminds you of your one or two failures as a mate. Or perhaps it's a colleague who never misses an opportunity to remind you of one of your more serious workplace mishaps. It could be the boss whose only impression of you is some less-than-brilliant statement you made in a meeting, which he repeats to anyone who will listen whenever your name comes up. (Year ago, I gave feedback to one manager who repeatedly derided one of his top lieutenant's work habits, all because the subordinate refused to schedule an early morning phone call with the boss over a holiday weekend. I regarded this as an admirable display of work-life balance, but the manager saw it as evidence of the man's 9-to-5 mentality and, therefore, a lack of commitment.)

The fact is that while some feedback is quite fair, some of it is part of the ribbing and back-slapping that is supposed to be taken as part of a lively corporate environment where quick speech, one-liners, and "humor" are meant to be fun. Sometimes these little jokes and stabs at one another are not fun and in an environment where we tend to become what other people say we are, the wrong kind of feedback can be self-limiting and destructive.

People who keep reflecting your worst moments back to you--with the implication that these moments are the real you--are no different than the friend who sees that you're on a diet trying to lose weight and yet insists, "C'mon, you can loosen up for one day. Have a second helping of this cake." They're trying to suck you back to a past self, someone you used to be, not who you are or want to become.

It's likely that we've all found some value in paying attention to our reflected identity, but it's important to keep a healthy skepticism about as well. At its worst, your reflected identity can be based on little more than hearsay and gossip and may tarnish your reputation. At its best it may enhance your reputation--and help you succeed. But either way, it's not necessarily a true reflection of who you are. So, even if your reflected identity is accurate, remember it doesn't have to be predictive. We can all change!

Life is good.

Marshall

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

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The Human Side of Business: Traumatized but Ready for Recovery

I often hear business leaders relate how difficult it is to motivate their organizations during this difficult economic recovery period. In discussing this with noted consultant and author Jon Katzenbach, senior partner at Booz & Company, we agreed that the economic crisis left the human side of many organizations traumatized and ill-equipped for recovery.

In his new book, Leading Outside the Lines: How to Mobilize the (in)Formal Organization, Energize Your Team, and Get Better Results, co-authored with Rockefeller Foundation Vice President Zia Khan, Jon argues that harnessing the human side of the enterprise can make the difference between either eking out incremental improvement or roaring back to life. And he points out that harnessing the human means engaging and mobilizing the "informal" dimension of the organization -- doing it from the bottom up.

We had a conversation with Jon Katzenbach on this subject, and here are some excerpts:

Q: Why did you write Leading Outside the Lines?

A: To help leaders gain a powerful performance "boost" from their informal organizations. In our years helping leading organizations improve performance, we've learned that leaders at all levels have a difficult time with, or don't realize they need to address, a key avenue to success: balancing two distinct dimensions of human behavior and organizational performance -- the formal and the informal elements.

Q: What is the "informal organization"? And what is the "formal"?

A: The informal unlocks the emotional side of behavior; the formal is the rational side. The informal organization is a bundle of organizational elements that are often hidden from view, but exert strong influence on people's decisions and behaviors. It includes values that drive decisions, networks that guide personal interactions and the spread of information and emotional feelings that drive the amount of effort and commitment that people put into their jobs. The formal organization, on the other hand, includes the codified elements of organization that are usually disseminated on paper.

Q: You say that if the informal isn't working for you, it's working against you. What do you mean by that?

A: Informal forces are always at play -- you cannot simply turn them on and off by command. It either resists and derails what the formal is trying to accomplish, or it supports and accelerates it. So, the chances that the informal organization is working for you without any deliberate attempt to mobilize it in the right direction are fairly low.

Q: What are the results when leaders successfully balance the informal with the formal?

A: Overall, leaders can accelerate performance results by combining the best of both the informal and the formal, without having to make tradeoffs. They get the efficiency of the formal with the creativity of the informal; the focused execution with the responsiveness to new opportunities; the accountability with the emotional commitment.

Q: What kinds of leaders are best at "leading outside the lines"?

A: Those who have learned the power of the informal through trial and error -- and realize they don't have all the answers. They spend time with people at any level, particularly the frontline, and not just with a select few at headquarters. Most importantly, they believe that while the informal organization may appear to be unruly chaos and resistant to control, they know it can be mobilized to generate real performance results.

Q: What are the biggest mistakes leaders make when trying to manage and maximize the informal organization?

A: The biggest mistake is to try and manage the informal like the formal. It can't be told what to do; it must be convinced, influenced and energized. It's a big mistake to think that top-down communication will keep the informal interactions positive.

Q: Your book mentions "master motivators" and "pride builders." Who are they, and what do you do with them?

A: They are people in supervisory situations who know how to make others "feel good" about the work that has to get done every day; they instill pride in the work itself. We urge leaders to listen and learn from them, and get them into networks and communities where they can spread motivational skills experientially among peers and colleagues.

Q: What can leaders do to get better at actively leveraging the informal and balancing it with the formal?

A: Keep working at it; if at first you don't succeed, try and try again. The first thing is to get an understanding of your current informal organization -- the values, the networks and sources of pride. Front line leaders can seek out peers who are natural pride-builders; leaders at the top can find ways to connect with them, learn from them, and spread their behaviors; leaders in the middle can do both.

Life is good.

Marshall

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

http://www.MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com

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Kudos for Who? Oh! Kudos for You!

A few years ago, a client of mine taught me a simple, yet very effective way for doing a better job of providing positive recognition. The first year I reviewed this executive's 360º feedback report (feedback from his direct reports and co-workers), he scored the sixth percentile for providing recognition (in other words -- 94 percent of the people in his company were seen as being more effective than he was). Within one year, he had moved all the way up to the 94th percentile for providing recognition (now -- in a complete reversal -- only 6 percent were seen as scoring higher than he did).

Given this dramatic turnaround in scores I asked, "Please let me know what you did differently. Whatever it was, it worked. I would like to share it with all of the people that I teach."

His answer provided a roadmap that I have never seen fail.

1. List the names of the key groups of people that impact your life -- both at work and at home (customers, co-workers, friends, family members, etc.).
2. Write down the names of the people in each group.
3. Post your list in a place you can't miss seeing regularly.
4. Twice a week -- once on Wednesday, once on Friday -- review the list and ask yourself, "Did anyone on this list do something that I should recognize?"
5. If someone did, stop by to say "thank you," make a quick phone call, leave a voice mail, send an email, or jot down a note.
6. Don't do anything that takes up too much time. This process needs to be time-efficient or you won't stick with it.
7. If no one on the list did anything that you believe should be recognized, don't say anything. You don't want to be a hypocrite or a phony. No recognition is better than recognition that you don't really mean.
8. Stick with the process. You won't see much impact in a week -- but you will see a huge difference in a year.

What techniques do you use to provide recognition? What works particularly well with your team?

Life is good.

Marshall

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

http://www.MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com

#MOJOtweet

http://www.LeadingNews.org

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Are You Keeping Pace With Change -- or Not?

Wayne Turmel is a unique voice in the leadership and communication field. He's the "Connected Manager" blogger for BNET, host of "The Cranky Middle Manager Show" podcast that has a worldwide following and the president of Greatwebmeetings.com. Recently, I had the chance to ask him some questions about how the world of work has changed and how leaders -- and especially their organizations, haven't kept pace.

What's so radical about the fact that the way we're working today -- telecommuting, remote teams, and matrixed organizations?

In many ways, management and leadership haven't changed in millennia. Peter Drucker famously said the best management job ever was getting the pyramids built -- and I'd agree. The big difference is that at least the guy in charge of building the pyramids was actually AT the pyramids. Now managers are expected to do the things they've always done without physically being with their teams. Think about what good leaders do -- build human connections, inspire people, help them engage with the organization, provide timely coaching and feedback. It's not like we've done a great job of that over the years and now we're trying to lead over distance, usually mediated by technology.

You say the change has already happened. What do you mean by that?

Businessweek's research shows that by 2012 more than a quarter of the US workforce will be part-time, contractors, or temporary workers. Many of these people will be working remotely. The leader of the future (and in fact today but nobody's told HR) will have to quickly create cohesive, functioning teams from people they may not even know, bring them together, and get work done. Additionally, these teams will break up and re-form for the next project. Do you want to have to start over every time or do you want to be able to inspire the kind of relationships that have people wanting to work for you again? Which is easier, building a team from scratch each time or just saying to people you know and trust, "Hey, we're getting the band back together?"

There are a lot of tools out there to help. What's the impact of technology on these teams and managers?

I don't think the problem is a lack of tools. Don't forget, Genghis Khan ruled half the planet and never held a single conference call. The problem isn't that technology isn't available. The real problem is that people aren't using the tools well and frankly companies do a lousy job of helping managers understand the human factors in using technology effectively.

What do you mean?

Nobody is saying, I think we need a new social networking tool like Yammer or Bloomfire! No, they say, "I need my people to capture their thinking and share it with the team better. I need my team to trust each other to have the answers." There are tools that help do that.

Think about how technology is rolled out in most companies. Trainers are told they can't travel and have to deliver by webinar. Sales people have to make more virtual presentations before they're allowed to travel. Tools are purchased and people are told "Here's a WebEx license. Good luck and try not to hurt anyone"... They've never seen a well-run virtual meeting, the technology is intimidating, and who has time to learn? So they continue working the way they always have and tools don't get used, or at least used well. Sure they've saved money on travel, but what have they lost in terms of productivity, sales or turnover because remote workers are more prone to leaving?

Who is teaching the best practices like, "When is the right time for a full-blown webmeeting and when will a simple email suffice?" And then (maybe more importantly), "What can this tool do for me when used correctly? How can I build team cohesion by doing better webmeetings?" It's not the tools; it's the soft skills associated with using them.

How can companies boost adoption of technology?

There are three simple things that help adoption rates:

1. Start with small teams, show success, and grow virally. Enterprise-wide, top-down solutions are doomed to failure.

2. Get buy-in by assessing the needs of the group before rolling out the tool. There's a huge difference between, "We need to share information more effectively, so let's use SharePoint" and "You now have SharePoint, go share information." People will use tools that solve their problems. Senior leadership needs to lead by example and use them as well.

3. Give real training on the tools. Real training means both the "how" and the "why." It means that people need to receive real feedback on their use. If you're expecting sales people to do web demos, teach them how to give good demos, watch them, and provide feedback. Don't just tell them to watch an online tutorial and then get out there and sell.

Looking at those, I realized Drucker was right, nothing's changed in thousands of years. Maybe soon we'll get it right.

Life is good.

Marshall

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

http://www.MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com

#MOJOtweet

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Coaching That Changed My Life

Like many young Ph.D. students, while I studied at UCLA, I was deeply impressed with my own intelligence, wisdom and profound insights into the human condition. I consistently amazed myself with my ability to judge others and see what they were doing wrong.

Dr. Fred Case was both my dissertation adviser and boss. My dissertation was connected with a consulting project that involved the city government of Los Angeles. At the time, Case was not only a professor at UCLA, but also head of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission. At this point in my career, he was clearly the most important person in my professional life. He had done amazing work to help the city become a better place, and also was doing a lot to help me.

Although he was generally upbeat, one day Case seemed annoyed. "Marshall, what is the problem with you?" he growled. "I'm getting feedback from some people at City Hall that you are coming across as negative, angry and judgmental. What's going on?"

"You can't believe how inefficient the city government is," I ranted. I then gave several examples of how taxpayers' money was not being used in the way I thought it should. I was convinced that the city could be a much better place if the leaders would just listen to me.

"What a stunning breakthrough," Case sarcastically remarked. "You, Marshall Goldsmith, have discovered that our city government is inefficient. I hate to tell you this, Marshall, but my barber down on the corner figured this out several years ago. What else is bothering you?"

Undeterred by this temporary setback, I angrily proceeded to point out several minor examples of behavior that could be classified as favoritism toward rich political benefactors.

Case was now laughing. "Stunning breakthrough number two," he said. "Your profound investigative skills have led to the discovery that politicians may give more attention to their major campaign contributors than to people who support their opponents. I'm sorry to report that my barber has also known this for years. I'm afraid that we can't give you a Ph.D. for this level of insight."

As he looked at me, his face showed the wisdom that can only come from years of experience. "I know that you think that I may be old and behind the times," he said, "but I've been working down there at City Hall for years. Did it ever dawn on you that even though I may be slow, perhaps even I have figured some of this stuff out?"

Then he delivered the advice I will never forget: "Marshall, you are becoming a pain in the butt. You are not helping the people who are supposed to be your clients. You are not helping me, and you are not helping yourself. I am going to give you two options: Option A: Continue to be angry, negative and judgmental. If you chose this option, you will be fired, you probably will never graduate, and you may have wasted the last four years of your life. Option B: Start having some fun. Keep trying to make a constructive difference, but do it in a way that is positive for you and the people around you.

"My advice is this: You are young. Life is short. Start having fun. What option are you going to choose, son?"

I finally laughed and replied, "Dr. Case, I think it is time for me to start having some fun!"

He smiled knowingly and said, "You are a wise young man."

Most of my life is spent working with leaders in huge organizations. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that things are not always as efficient as they could be. Almost every employee has made this discovery. It also doesn't take a genius to learn that people are occasionally more interested in their own advancement than the welfare of the company. Most employees have already figured this out as well.

I learned a great lesson from Case. Real leaders are not people who can point out what is wrong. Almost anyone can do that. Real leaders are people who can make things better.

Case's coaching didn't just help me get a Ph.D. and become a better consultant. He helped me have a better life, and his advice can help you too. First, think about your own behavior at work. Are you communicating a sense of joy and enthusiasm to the people around you, or are you spending too much time in the role of angry, judgmental critic? Second, do you have any co-workers who are acting like I did? Are you just getting annoyed with them, or are you trying to help them in same way that Case helped me? If you haven't been trying to help them, why not give it a shot? Perhaps they'll write a story about you someday.

Life is good.

Marshall

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

http://www.MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com

#MOJOtweet

http://www.LeadingNews.org

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Marshall's Upcoming Schedule

Make Peace and Move On

It has been a tough year for many, many people around the world. In my work, especially in the financial services industry, I have heard a lot of frustration as people, leaders, and managers face significant industry changes and work harder than ever -- they are frustrated because in the past, bad decisions were made and they feel they are taking the brunt of those poor decisions.

For instance, in one bank that I know well almost every part of the business had a great year -- except the division that lost billions of dollars and negated all of the other divisions' success. This made life very tough for the employees in the successful divisions. So, what can we learn and how can we grow from adversity?

One of the most common characteristics of successful people is that we have a very strong "internal locus of control." In other words, we believe that our success in life is a function of the motivation and ability that we bring to the world. Less successful people tend to see success as a function of external factors -- or the environment.

Normally this belief in our control over our own destiny works in our favor. It makes us motivated and encourages us to build our skills. It helps us take responsibility. (It also keeps us from wasting money on lottery tickets!)

When negative environmental factors impact our success, our strong internal locus of control makes it hard for us to accept the reality of the external environment. We begin to get angry because "It isn't fair," and we ask questions like, "Why am I being punished for their mistakes?"
I cannot help any company get back the billions of dollars it has lost. And I cannot help individuals get a bonus or save their valued staff members. I will try to help you make the best of the situation. My suggestions are:

• Realize that we all make mistakes. The individuals who made bad decisions -- or their bosses -- are just humans. They aren't gods. Historically, these people have made some very good bets. Recently they made some very bad bets. You don't have to love them, but just accept them for being who they are. Carrying around anger directed toward your fellow employees does not help you, your company or the people who work with you.

• Forgive yourself. You are an adult. You chose to work with this company. In a way, you made a bet. Sometimes our choices don't work out as we had planned. This does not make you a bad person -- just a human being. At a deeper level, the person you are really mad at may be yourself. Don't be personally ashamed because your company has lost money. While you can own your own performance, you can't own the performance of people who you do not control.

• Reassess the situation. One of greatest challenges for investors is to learn the meaning of "sunk cost." What's done is done. Let it go. Objectively reconsider your situation. Given the world that exists today, do you want to stay? If so, make the best of where you are. Do you want to leave? If so, begin searching for another job.

• Remember your deeper mission in life. Behave in a way that optimizes benefit for yourself and the people that you love. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face by letting your anger override your logic. I have seen many otherwise smart people make stupid decisions when they were angry. Don't let this happen to you.

Life is good.

Marshall

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

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The Changing Role of the CMO

Marketing is everywhere, but with the ubiquity of slogans and ads, it's easy to forget that there's more to marketing than meets the eye. As a result, it is often one of the first budgets to be cut in economic downturns. However, a successful marketing campaign can be the best way for an organization to reach rapidly disappearing customers, to let people know that the organization is adapting and changing to continue to serve them despite current difficulties, and to stay in people's minds so that when the economy does turn around, the company is fresh in their minds.

Not an expert myself in marketing myself, I recently spoke with my friend Susanne Lyons, former chief marketing officer of Visa and Charles Schwab (SCHW) and decorated veteran marketer. While she is well-known in the marketing community, you may be more familiar with her work than her name: She was the architect behind Visa's most successful campaign, "Life takes Visa." Edited excerpts of our conversation follow:

Susanne, how is marketing changing today?

Marketing is a very dynamic area right now, with the Internet and social networking probably causing the most visible changes. But I believe the most dramatic changes are happening internally, especially in this tougher economy. Right now, every dollar needs to work harder, and marketing ... CMOs in particular ... are under more pressure than ever. Many businesses view marketing as a cost center without recognizing how it contributes to the bottom line. Marketing budgets are often the first to be cut. All of this can lead to a crisis of credibility, with marketing losing political power and voice in the organization.

Is this loss of power and voice deserved?

No! But of course I'm going to say that, because I'm in marketing. The reality is that it is hurting businesses now more than ever. Marketing is responsible for creating the first impression and for driving demand, which has a strong impact on the prospect's view of the business. So, yes, marketers definitely impact revenue in a big way.

You've built a successful career despite this "crisis of credibility." What does it take for a marketer to overcome the challenges you've mentioned?

They need to demonstrate greater accountability and show how they are having a real impact on the bottom line. This is the only way to get support and respect from the other C-level peers, or what I like to call a seat at the revenue table. Accountability is the key to credibility, and in business this means using hard metrics to demonstrate impact.

It sounds like accountability and metrics are important, but aren't marketers the ones with the creative brains?

That's exactly the criticism marketers need to combat. The CMO needs to be a businessperson first, and a marketer second. Many CMOs come from a project management or creative background, but the key is for marketers to understand and speak the quantitative and financial language of business.

What does it mean to speak "financial language of business?"

CMOs need to speak about business in business terms to their peers, using words and metrics like revenue, cash flow, and profitability. Softer metrics like brand awareness don't have much clout outside the marketing department. Many marketers make the mistake of talking about lowering costs instead of talking about increasing revenue. Beyond that, they need to understand not just their own budget, but how that money is driving business. For instance, if the CEO wants to cut the marketing budget by 10%, the CMO should be able to accurately predict the bottom-line business consequences.

What impact does this have on daily life?

Accountability is a fantastic driver of performance, so measuring marketing in terms of results will not only help marketers show their value, it's also likely to help increase that value. Aiming for specific numbers forces marketers to focus their efforts around questions that drive bottom-line impact: How many leads am I bringing in? What is the quality of those leads? How many converted?

As much as possible, marketing needs to build predictive modeling that demonstrates their business case and the ROI that today's actions will have down the road.

It sounds like we're on the tip of a tidal wave of change. What do these changes mean for the future?

I think we're going to see a power shift in business as CMOs step up to level ground with the other C-suite executives. The resentment and disconnect between departments and roles will fade away. When everyone understands the methodologies used to measure progress and results, we can start mapping different goals on top of one another across departments and for the company as a whole. We'll see a power shift, but it's not a zero-sum equation with marketing taking credibility from someone else. Marketing's rise will enable greater teamwork. Even though the weak economy is putting more pressure on marketers, I think they and their companies will emerge stronger because of it.

Thanks, Susanne. Is it O.K. for my readers to contact you?

Absolutely. I can be reached at susanne.lyons@marketo.com.

Life is good.

Marshall

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

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The Changing Role of Leadership

In a study (sponsored by Accenture), we completed in-depth interviews with more than 200 specially chosen, high-potential leaders from around the world. When compared to colleagues at their level in their organizations, all of these participants were seen as being at the very top. They were asked to describe how the ideal leader of the future would differ from the leader of the past. The results clearly portrayed this individual as someone skilled at building partnerships inside and outside the organization. Although these skills were seen as having been somewhat important in the past, they were viewed as critically important for the future.

Much has been written on how leaders can build partnerships (including several chapters in this book). This section builds on our research and focuses on why the leader of the future will need to be a builder of partnerships. Six different types of partnerships are explored: three inside the organization (direct reports, co-workers, and managers) and three outside the organization (customers, suppliers, and competitors).

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS INSIDE THE ORGANIZATION
Partnering with Direct Reports

The traditional assumptions that have 'bonded' employees with organizations are changing rapidly. Employees no longer expect that their organizations will provide them with job security. As the expectation of security has diminished, so has the blind loyalty that was implicit in this security. Almost all of the high-potential leaders whom we interviewed saw themselves as 'free agents', not 'employees' in the traditional sense. They saw the leader of the future as a person who could build 'win-win' relationships and who could be sensitive to their needs for professional growth and development. They then felt not only a desire but also a responsibility to deliver value in return, to the leader and to the organization. In simple terms, they saw the leader of the future as their partner, not their boss!

As Peter Drucker has noted on many occasions, one of the great challenges for leadership in the future will be the management of knowledge workers. Knowledge workers are people who know more about what they are doing than their manager does. The high-potential people we interviewed painted a very clear picture. The managers of the best knowledge workers of the future will have to be good partners. They won't have a choice! If they are not great partners, they won't have great people.

Partnering with Co-Workers

Another great challenge for the leader of the future is breaking down boundaries. The successful leader of the future will be able to share people, capital, and ideas across the organization. As the world becomes more complex, this type of integration becomes more important, a concept that is easy for the CEO to understand. The CEO is rewarded by the success of the entire organization, not just that of any one unit. The CEO can understand that people need to be shared so that they can develop the expertise and breadth needed to manage the entire organization. Capital needs to be shared so that mature businesses can transfer funds to high-growth businesses. Ideas need to be shared so that everyone in the organization can learn from both successes and mistakes in the most efficient way possible. The high potential leaders we interviewed saw themselves as potential CEOs and recognized the value of this perspective.

Although these advantages are easy to see from the vantage point of the CEO, they can be more difficult to execute from the position of the lower level manager. Leaders at all levels will need to develop the skills to negotiate and build 'win-win' relationships with colleagues. In some cases they must choose to experience a short-term loss so that the organization can achieve a long-term gain. In the past, many leaders were taught to compete with colleagues for people, resources, and ideas. They had been rewarded for 'winning' this competition. In the future, leaders will need to learn to collaborate and share with colleagues across the organization. The success of the larger organization will depend on the leaders' abilities to become great partners with their co-workers. In many cases, the participants in our research believed that developing partnerships with co-workers was an even greater challenge for leaders than developing partnerships with direct reports.

Partnering with Managers

Other than the CEO, every leader in the organization has a manager.
The changing role of leadership will mean that the relationship between managers and direct reports will have to change in both directions. Not only managers, but also direct reports (who also may be leaders), will need to change. Many leaders of the future will be operating more like the managing director of an office in a consulting firm than the operator of an independent small business. This is true not only in business, but also in the human services sector. The new leader of the United Way, Brian Gallagher, recently described the ideal future leaders of this organization as partners leading in a network, not managers leading in a hierarchy.

A consulting firm that could be a benchmark in partnering between junior and senior people is McKinsey and Company. At McKinsey, a director may often have less detailed knowledge about a client than a more junior principal. Leaders at all levels are trained in the following philosophy: "When you believe that the direction you are being given is not in the best interest of our client, you do not have the opportunity to challenge, you do not have the right to challenge, you have the obligation to challenge." This philosophy teaches leaders at all levels to have very adult and responsible relationships with their managers.

Our high-potential participants saw the leaders of the future as working with their managers in a team approach that combined the leader's knowledge of the unit operation with their managers' understanding of the larger needs of the organization. Such a relationship requires taking responsibility, sharing information, and striving to see both the micro- and macro-perspective. While partnering with management can be much more complex than 'taking orders', it is becoming a requirement, not an option. When direct reports know more than their managers, they have to learn how to influence 'up' as well as 'down' and 'across'.

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS OUTSIDE THE ORGANIZATION
Partnering with Customers

As companies have become larger and more global, there has been a shift from buying stand-alone products to buying integrated solutions. One reason for this shift is economy of scale. Huge retail corporations, such as Home Depot or Wal-Mart, do not want to deal with thousands of vendors. They would prefer to work with fewer vendors who can deliver not only products but also systems for delivery that are customized to meet their needs. A second reason is the convergence of technology. Many customers now want 'œnetwork solutions', not just hardware and software.

As the suppliers' relationships with their customers continue to change, leaders from supply organizations will need to become more like partners and act less like salespeople. Our participants noticed a shift toward building long-term customer relationships, not just achieving short-term sales. This change means that suppliers need to develop a much deeper understanding of the customer's total business. They will need to be willing to look at the 'œbig picture' in terms of delivery and reliability and to make many small sacrifices to achieve a large gain.

Partnering with Suppliers

As the shift toward integrated solutions advances, leaders will have to change their relationships with suppliers. A great example is IBM. A growing percentage of IBM's business now involves customized solutions incorporating non-IBM products and services. While the idea of IBM selling non-IBM products was almost unheard of in the past, it is now becoming commonplace, to the benefit of customers and, in the long run, IBM itself. The same trend is occurring in the pharmaceutical and telecommunications industries.
In a world in which a company sold stand-alone products, partnering with suppliers was viewed not only as unnecessary, but also perhaps as unethical!

The company's job was to 'œget the supplier down' to the lowest possible price to increase margins and profitability. Leaders who partnered with suppliers may well have been seen as 'helping the enemy' or having a 'conflict of interest'. Today, many leaders realize that their success is directly related to that of their suppliers. Northrop Grumman, one of America's leading defense contractors, actually includes commitment to suppliers as one of their core values.

The leaders in our study saw suppliers as key partners. They realized that the leaders of the future would be able to transcend differences and focus on a common good ... serving the ultimate end user of the product or service.

Partnering with Competitors

The most radical change in the role of leader as partner has come in the area of partnering with competitors. This previously unthinkable concept has now become commonplace. Most of the high-potential leaders who we interviewed saw competitors as potential customers, suppliers, and partners with few clear lines of demarcation. While there are still some noted exceptions to this trend (e.g., Coca-Cola and Pepsi), the direction of the curve is very clear. Most organizations that rely on knowledge workers have varied and complex relationships with competitors.

When today's competitors may become tomorrow's customers, the definition of 'winning' changes. As people have memories, unfairly 'bashing' competitors or striving to ruin their business could have harmful long-term consequences. While competitors should not expect collusion or unfair practices, they should expect integrity, respectful treatment, and fair dealing.

CONCLUSION

It becomes obvious in reading this chapter that the six trends toward more partnering reinforces each other. For example, as employees sense less job security, they begin to see suppliers, customers, and competitors as potential employers. The fact that leaders need to learn more about these other organizations, build long-term relationships, and develop 'win-win' partnerships means that the other organizations are even more likely to hire the leaders. In many cases, this is seen as a positive, not a negative by both organizations. As the trend toward outsourcing increases, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine who is a customer, supplier, direct report, manager, or partner.

Almost every high-potential leader we interviewed believed that the leader of the future would need to be far more skilled than the leader of the past. In many ways the 'old world' was simpler. Telling direct reports (who know less than we do) what to do is much simpler than developing relationships with partners (who know more than we do). Being able to work in a 'silo' is much simpler than having to build partnerships with peers across the organization. 'Taking orders' from managers is much simpler than having to challenge ideas that are not going to meet customer needs. Selling a product to customers is much simpler than providing an integrated solution. Getting the lowest price from suppliers is a lot simpler than understanding their complex business needs. Vying with competitors is a lot simpler than having to develop complex customer-supplier-competitor relationships.

The challenge of leadership is growing. The high-potential leaders of the future who we studied believe that many of the qualities considered important in the past, such as integrity, vision, and self-confidence, will be required in the future as well. They believe that in addition, building partnerships inside and outside the organization will become a requirement, not an option, for future leaders.

Life is good.

Marshall

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

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Coaching for Better Teamwork

As leaders we always preach teamwork, but we often excuse ourselves from its practice ... and even more often fail to hold people in our organizations accountable for living this value. This inconsistency invites corporate cynicism, undermines credibility, and can sap organizations of their vitality. The failure to uphold espoused values in general ... and teamwork in particular ... is one of the biggest frustrations in the workplace. In our research, involving thousands of participants at more than thirty large companies, employees rated their manager's ability to 'effectively deal with individuals whose behavior undermines teamwork' dead last among ninety-two elements of effective leadership.

If everyone, including senior executives, acknowledges this challenge, why is it so difficult for leaders to promote change among those whose behavior they can most readily influence ... their direct reports?

One reason is that leaders, like most people, want to be liked. Leaders are often afraid that confronting people about poor teamwork or other behavioral shortcomings (as opposed to performance problems) will cause them to be disliked. The paradox is, leaders would be more respected, not less, if they delivered the bad news. Outside consultants often provide behavioral coaching to leaders, and leaders usually appreciate the help. Surveys show that people highly value honest feedback ... whether or not the feedback itself is positive.

The nature of the performance-review process itself accounts for much of the problem. Historically, when assessing others, most managers were forced to play the role of judge ... and, potentially, executioner. The consultant, by contrast, is usually seen as an objective third party who is providing analysis, suggestions, and feedback gathered from multiple sources. A person receiving bad news from a consultant is more likely to separate the message from the messenger than a person hearing the same news from the manager.

Fortunately, leaders have at their disposal a valuable aid already in place at many leading companies' 360-degree feedback. Carefully designed processes that include 360-degree feedback can allow a leader to practice consultative coaching, as opposed to merely exercising personal judgment. The results can be profound ... and not just for department heads evaluating their frontline employees. The executive coaching process can help any manager whose work involves personal interaction. In fact, senior management teams at some of the world's leading companies ... American Express, Avon, GE, Netscape, Nortel, Texaco ... use 360-degree feedback as part of an overall process to help align corporate values and individual behavior.

Before You Begin

Although this process can improve behavior, it will definitely not solve all performance problems. Before you get started, ask yourself if any of the following conditions prevail. If so, behavioral coaching may be a waste of time.

The person you're coaching is not willing to make a sincere effort to change. Behavioral coaching will work only if the manager you are coaching is willing to make the needed commitment.

The person has been written off by the company. Sometimes organizations are really just documenting a case to get rid of someone. If that's the case, don't bother going through this process.

The person lacks the intelligence or functional skills to do the job. If a manager does not have the capacity or experience required, don't expect behavioral coaching to help.

- The organization has the wrong mission. Coaching is a 'how to get there' process, not a 'where to go' process. If the organization is headed in the wrong direction, behavioral coaching will not make it change course.

Getting Started

On the other hand, if you're dealing with people who have the will and capacity to change their behavior, who are operating in an environment that gives them a chance to change, and who work for an organization that is headed in the right direction, this process will work; the nature of the process itself ensures its success. The approach I recommend involves eight steps:

1. Identify desired attributes for the manager you are coaching. You shouldn't have to start from scratch. I generally work with my clients to develop custom leadership profiles, but there are many useful inventories on the market (from Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, the Center for Creative Leadership, and others) that can be a big help. Once you've determined the behavioral characteristics of a successful manager in a given position ... such things as accessibility to colleagues, recognition of others, and listening ... ask that manager if he or she agrees that these are the right kind of behaviors. Securing agreement will boost commitment to the process.

2. Determine who can provide meaningful feedback. Key stake-holders may include direct reports, peers, customers, suppliers, or members of the management team. Strive for a balanced mix that does not stack the deck for or against the manager, and gain agreement that these are the appropriate reviewers.

3. Collect feedback. Assessment is often best handled in a written, anonymous survey, compiled by an outside party into a summary report and given directly to the manager being coached.

4. Analyze results. Talk with the manager about the results of his or her peers' feedback The manager may choose not to disclose individual stakeholders' comments, or even numerical scores The point is simply to discuss the manager's key strengths and areas for improvement.

5. Develop an action plan. The most helpful ... and appreciated ... outcome of any assessment is specific advice Developing 'alternatives to consider' (rather than mandates) shouldn't be difficult. If, for example, you asked the manager to suggest four things you could do to be a better listener, you'd probably get a pretty good list ... things like don't interrupt people, paraphrase what they say, make eye contact, and pause five seconds before responding to their remarks, The problem isn't figuring out what to do; the problem is doing it. Focus on one or two key behaviors and develop a few action steps to improve each.

6. Have the manager respond to stakeholders. The manager being reviewed should talk with each member of the review team and collect additional suggestions on how to improve on the key areas targeted for improvement.

7. Develop an ongoing follow-up process. Within three or four months conduct a two-to-six-item minisurvey with the original review team. They should be asked whether the manager has become more or less effective in the areas targeted for improvement.

8. Review results and start again. If the manager has taken the process seriously, stakeholders almost invariably report improvement. Build on that success by repeating the process quarterly for the next twelve to eighteen months. This type of follow-up will ensure continued progress on initial goals and uncover additional areas for improvement. Stakeholders will appreciate the follow-up ... no one minds filling out a focused, two-to-six-item questionnaire if they see positive results. And the manager will benefit from ongoing, targeted steps to improve performance.

Moving Beyond the Basics

You may want some coaching yourself from a trusted colleague, friend, or family member on how to approach the task, but this is not a mysterious process. It requires more discipline than talent, more integrity and commitment than behavioral science expertise. Simply by sitting down with the manager and analyzing the perceptions of his or her colleagues, you will be able to change your relationship with that person. And the person will change, too. Managers who want to improve, who talk to people about ways to improve, solicit feedback, and develop a rigorous follow-up plan, will almost always improve. (Certainly they won't get worse.) And when people improve, their self-confidence goes up. They keep doing what works, and they keep getting better.

By becoming an effective coach, you can become a more credible leader and an active agent of change. You can help people develop an essential habit for personal or organizational success ... follow-through. By delivering what you promise ... that is, measuring others on the behaviors and attributes you say you value ... you cement the bonds of leadership with your constituents. And by having others follow through on their own progress toward agreed-upon goals, you can help create a more responsive, positive, and cohesive organization.

It may be difficult for leaders to give and receive honest feedback ... and to make the time for genuine dialogue. Executive coaching is simple, but not easy. It is just one tool in a total strategy of performance appraisal, compensation, and promotion that can reinforce positive behavioral change. But if you're serious about your espoused values, shouldn't you ensure that the managers in your organization demonstrate the values you promote?

Life is good.

Marshall

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

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We Are All Innovators Now

I have never thought of myself as innovative. I figure the folks in marketing and R&D can take care of our innovation needs while I spend my work life just doing my job. But recently I read that we all have the capacity to be innovative, even conservative people like me. Should I focus on being an innovator?

MG: This is a great question, which I will turn over to Stephen C. Lundin Ph.D. You may know Steve from his FISH! books. Well, there is a new animal in town. Steve has written a new book titled CATS: The Nine Lives of Innovation. Much of what has been written about innovation is strategic and organizational in nature. Steve writes about innovation at the personal level and in doing so, he addresses your question head on.

SL: It is common for people to form an opinion about their level of creativity and their ability to innovate that is inaccurate. We all know someone who bounces off the wall with ideas and we feel a bit more constrained. Couple that with the extroverted nature of exercises designed to stimulate new ideas, and it is easy to get the impression that an introverted, comfort-seeking, and conservative person doesn't have a contribution to make.

The truth is far different. We all have the capacity to innovate. It comes free with our membership in the human race. We bring an advantage no one else has with our uniqueness. We have a capacity to innovate, and we need to develop that capacity into a capability so we can contribute to the innovation of our business and of our life.

The Nine Lives of Innovation constitutes the curriculum for building innovation capability. Each of the "nine lives" enhances the capability to innovate. The lives include building spaciousness and preparing for innovation.

What I call "understanding normal" -- that is, knowing why we are the way we are -- is a key first step. But going beyond that to harness the power of provocation in innovation is where the fun really starts. We can provoke ourselves to be more innovative (and less "normal") through scenarios, objects, observations and discussion with others. We can escape our own norms just by learning to better use our imagination. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it's the key to innovation.

Finally, putting failure in its proper place of contribution to innovation is critical. Fail early and fail often!

MG: Thank you, Steve. Readers - your thoughts and ideas on this subject are appreciated. Please send in comments with your answers to this intriguing question. Steve can be reached at SLRunner@aol.com.

Life is good.

Marshall

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

http://www.MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com

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Advice for Green-Minded People During Red-Ink Times

How can I practice green or sustainable business during these tough economic times?

MG: That's a good question: Budgets are tight and customers are tighter. Going green was an easy sell a few years ago, but is that movement dead during a recession? For an insider's perspective on how to be green during tough times, I turned to Tim Sanders, author of the new book Saving the World at Work to help answer your question. Here's what he says:

TS: In ten years, your company will need to be much greener than it is today. Otherwise, its brand will weaken and regulations on carbon will attack your margins. But that's a long time away, you say, so let's take a break for a few years until things get better. Here's my news flash: Done right, green is free!


Going green has previously been a "spend money" exercise including investments in new technologies, expensive product or service ingredients, etc. Today, spending extra money on "going green" may be a tough sell at work. The good news is that you can green up your company, and likely save money at the same time. Here's five things you can do:

1. Focus on waste reduction. Ray Anderson (founder of Interface Inc.) saved his company over $300,000,000 in about ten years by focusing on waste reduction as the eco-plan for the company. You can too. If it doesn't add customer value, cut it. Look for waste like you look for money-and you'll find some to cut.

2. Focus on Reuse and Repair over Dispose and Replace. One new laptop can create hundreds of pounds of carbon emissions. So put them off until the current ones can't fulfill business needs. Instead of new office chairs, how about having the current chairs fixed or reupholstered? Instead of a water cooler, how about a water filter?


3. Replace stuff with bits. Look at everything you do with your customers and supply chain. How much paper, plastic, petro, and power go into these transactions? Instead of packages, you send files. Instead of physical products (books, DVDs), you provide online access.


4. Share the savings with the eco-team. Team up with a few people at work and calculate the current fixed eco-financial costs of the business: power, travel, document printing, shipping, etc. Announce a program where all employees are invited to participate in reducing the impact of the company. At the end of 90 days, calculate the savings, then share half of it with the employees on their next paychecks. If that's too radical, just offer a grand prize for the biggest idea and the biggest contributor to the program.


5. Test and scale. If your department finds a way to reduce travel by 25% without hurting the business, share this process with other departments. If your group can find a way to reduce document printing and shipping successfully, share it with the rest of the company. When you have four or five departments winning with an innovation, bring it to the big bosses as a win.


MG: Thank you, Tim. Readers - You can find out more ideas at www.SavingTheWorld.net. As always, your thoughts and ideas on this subject are appreciated. Please send in comments.

Life is good.

Marshall

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

http://www.MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com

#MOJOtweet

http://www.LeadingNews.org

http://www.MarshallGoldsmithFeedForward.com

Marshall's Upcoming Schedule

How to Lead in China

I am on an expatriate assignment in China and have several teams of people reporting to me--but I believe that many of the leadership practices that worked for me in the past may not work in China. Do you have any advice on how I can adapt?

MG: Bill Byham, a respected entrepreneur and author, has just published a book on this subject called Leadership Success in China: An Expatriate's Guide. As CEO and Chairman of Development Dimensions International, Bill has been working with companies on their leadership strategies and their efforts to globalize their leadership practices. I asked Bill if he would share some insight on this. Here is his response:

BB: I understand your frustration. The culture in China is very different, shaped by a long cultural heritage, the impact of more than 50 years of Communist rule, and most recently, dramatic changes in the expectations of young professionals, what I like to call Generation Y on steroids. You will find that some leadership practices that apply in the West also work in China, but many do not. Here are three challenges you may face, with solutions:

1. Understand how your role as leader is different
In China, your followers will expect you to deal with them almost like a guardian or parent would deal with their children in a family setting. In return, they will be good followers--doing what they think you want. Once your leadership is established, there will be a much stronger personal relationship between you and your team than you've probably experienced in Western countries. For example, you'll be expected to show interest in the personal life of your team members.

You also need to understand some distinct cultural traits, like their need to save face. Some individuals perceive asking for help as a sign of incompetence or weakness--so they'll avoid sharing a problem or issue with you. If you want to know how things are really going in their role, you'll have to prompt them for detail and use your best fact-finding skills.

2. Develop the leaders who report to you
One of the first challenges that you'll face is that China's growth has forced organizations to place many potentially good candidates into leadership roles too early. Our research at DDI has shown that at least 25 percent of leaders are weak in critical skills including motivating others, building trust, retaining talent, and leading high-performance teams. Developing your subordinate leaders will be your most important task in most organizations.

You will have to adapt your style between younger and older leaders. For example, many older Chinese leaders lack leadership skills and have little exposure to Western management practices. Some will be resistant to change, which you'll have to overcome by arousing their pride in what they bring to the team and the benefits the change will bring to the group.

In contrast, if young Chinese leaders are not coached and developed, they tend to acquire bad management habits, including excessive reliance on the use of power derived from their rank and poor delegation skills.

3. Overcome teamwork challenges
You may be surprised to know that teamwork doesn't come naturally in the Chinese workplace, and you'll need to work harder for cooperation within and among groups.

You can teach cooperation skills by establishing a "team contract" and spelling out some rules that should be observed by your team. These can include accomplishing team goals first, utilize one another's skills, supporting each other, listening to others, and executing team agreements. You need to be clear on your expectations and be sure that there is real cooperation happening. You need to model teamwork as you deal with other parts of your organization, and when you witness great teamwork, celebrate it.

While the cultural differences are dramatic, you can arm yourself with the skills to adapt to this environment and turn this assignment into a rewarding experience.

MG: Thank you Bill! Readers if you would like to learn more about leading in China, visit the DDI website. As always, any comments, reflections, or ideas you have are much appreciated.

Life is good.

Marshall

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