I have observed more than 50,000 leaders from around the world as they participated in a fascinating experiential exercise, in which I ask participants to play two roles.
In one role, they provide "FeedForward": They give another participant suggestions and as much as they can help with a specific issue. In the second role, they accept FeedForward: They listen to suggestions from another participant and learn as much as they can.
Step by Step
The exercise typically lasts 10 to 15 minutes, and the average participant has six or seven such sessions in that time. Participants are asked to:
- Pick one behavior they would like to change. Change in this behavior should make a significant, positive difference in their lives.
- Describe this behavior to randomly selected fellow participants in one-on-one dialogues. It can be done quite simply, e.g., "I want to be a better listener."
- Ask for FeedForward that might help them achieve a positive change in their behavior. If participants have worked together in the past, they are not allowed to give any feedback about the past. They are only allowed to give ideas for the future.
- Listen attentively to the suggestions and take notes. Participants are not allowed to comment on the suggestions in any way, nor are they allowed to critique the suggestions, even to make positive statements, such as, "That's a good idea."
- Thank the other participants for their suggestions.
- Ask fellow participants what they would like to change about themselves.
- Provide FeedForward - two suggestions for helping the other person change.
- Say "You are welcome," when thanked for the suggestions. (The entire process of both giving and receiving FeedForward usually takes about two minutes.)
- Find another participant and keep repeating the process until the exercise is stopped.
When the exercise is over, I ask the participants to complete a sentence - "This exercise was …" - with the one word that best describes their reaction to the experience. The words selected are almost always positive, such as "great," "energizing," "useful," or "helpful." One of the most common words used is "fun."
What is the last word most of us think of to describe the experience of receiving feedback, coaching, and developmental ideas? Fun!
Reasons to Try FeedForward
I ask participants why this exercise is fun and helpful as opposed to painful, embarrassing, or uncomfortable. Their answers offer a great explanation of why FeedForward can often be more useful than feedback as a developmental tool.
1. We can change the future. We can't change the past. FeedForward helps people envision and focus on a positive future, not a failed past. Race-car drivers are taught to look at the road ahead, not at the wall. By giving people ideas on how they can be even more successful, we can increase their chances of achieving this success in the future.
2. FeedForward can come from people we have never even met. It does not require personal experience. One very common positive reaction to the exercise is that participants are amazed by how much they can learn from people they don't know. For example, if you want to be a better listener, almost any fellow human can give you ideas. They don't have to know you.
3. Face it! Most of us hate getting negative feedback, and we don't like to give it. I have reviewed summary 360-degree feedback reports for more than 50 companies. The items "provides developmental feedback in a timely manner" and "encourages and accepts constructive criticism" almost always score near the bottom on co-worker satisfaction with leaders. Traditional training does not seem to make a great deal of difference. If leaders got better at providing feedback every time the performance appraisal forms were "improved," most would be perfect by now!
4. FeedForward can cover almost all of the same material feedback can. Imagine you have just made a terrible presentation in front of the executive committee. Your manager is in the room. Rather than make you relive this humiliating experience by detailing what went wrong, your manager might help you by offering suggestions for future presentations. These suggestions can be very specific and still delivered in a positive way - without making you feel even more humiliated.
5. FeedForward tends to be much faster and more efficient than feedback. An excellent technique for giving ideas to successful people is to say: "Here is an idea for the future. Please accept it in the positive spirit in which it is offered. If you can use it, great! If not, just ignore it." With this approach almost no time is wasted judging the quality of the ideas or trying to refute the suggestions. This kind of debate is usually negative, wastes time, and often counterproductive. By eliminating judgment of the ideas, the process becomes much more positive for the sender, as well as the receiver.
6. FeedForward can be a useful tool with managers, peers, and team members. Rightly or wrongly, feedback is associated with judgment. This can lead to very negative - even career-limiting - consequences when given to managers or peers. FeedForward does not imply superiority of judgment. It is more focused on being a helpful colleague than an expert. As such, it can be easier to hear from a person who isn't in a position of power or authority.
7. People tend to listen more attentively to FeedForward than feedback. One participant in the FeedForward exercise noted: "I think that I listened more effectively in this exercise than I ever have in my life!" When asked why, he said, "Normally, when others are speaking, I am so busy composing a reply that will make sure that I sound smart that I am not fully listening to what the other person is saying. In FeedForward, the only reply that I am allowed to make is 'thank you.' Since I don't have to worry about composing a clever reply, I can focus all of my energy on listening to the other person!"
When to Use FeedForward
The intent of this column is not to imply that leaders should never give feedback or that performance appraisals should be abandoned. The intent is to show how FeedForward can often be preferable to feedback in day-to-day interactions. Aside from its effectiveness and efficiency, FeedForward can make life a lot more enjoyable. When I ask manager how they felt the last time they received feedback, the most common responses are negative. When managers are asked how they felt after receiving FeedForward, they reply that FeedForward was not only useful, it was also fun.
Life is good.
Marshall
My recent 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
http://www.MarshallGoldsmithFeedForward.com
http://www.LeadingNews.org
Marshall's Upcoming Schedule
(This column has been modified from "Try FeedForward Instead of Feedback" in Coaching for Leadership, M. Goldsmith and L. Lyons, eds. Jossey Bass, 2005.)
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Staying Focused When Tough Times Are Ahead
I have had the privilege of working with many great leaders -- as well as watching a few disasters. While it is easy to inspire people when the business is going well, the best leaders inspire people when times are tough. Following are three suggestions, based upon what I have learned from my coaching clients:
- The first person that you need to keep focused is YOU. It is very easy to get down when hard times lay ahead. When you assume a leadership role, you take on an important responsibility -- being a role model for your team. When the future is very uncertain, your team members are going to be looking at your face and listening to your tone of voice, as much as they are hearing the words that you say. You need to communicate the same level of personal motivation for work when the future is challenging that you do when the future is rosy. Before going home from work, rate yourself on the following question, "How effectively did I model the enthusiasm and focus that I need from my team members?"
- Don't sugar-coat the truth. Don't lie to your team members and don't lie to yourself. You, your team, and your organization need to make realistic projections for the future. The need for "stretch goals" must be balanced with reality. I recently observed an otherwise successful executive lead his organization into disaster. He became so focused on achieving his publicly stated goal that he didn't want to face the reality of the negative projections that were coming from his people. He kept saying, "That's not good enough!" when he got troubling forecasts. To make things even worse, he swore to his boss that his unrealistic, positive target would be met. The result was predictable. The forecast was not met, the organization's analysts were incensed, and the company's market value plummeted. This leader not only damaged his reputation as a trusted executive, he damaged the reputation of the boss who believed in him.
- In team meetings keep the focus on what can be changed and what can't. There are always going to be uncontrollable environmental factors that influence the success of an organization. Your staff members can waste countless hours talking about how tough times are and bemoaning what they cannot change. This provides an unneeded distraction at a time when focus is more important than ever. Even worse than wasting time on "what we can't do" is wasting time on "why we can't do what we can't do." In teams meetings, keep asking, "Given the business reality that exists, how can we make the most positive, possible difference in our future?"
Life is good.
Marshall
My recent 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
Monday, April 23, 2012
Overcome the Addiction to Winning
The most common problem faced by the very successful executives I meet is wanting to win too much. Winning is, of course, not bad thing -- quite the opposite. But the desire to win can become a problem, especially when the topic is meaningless or trivial.
To gauge my clients' "addiction to winning," I present them with the following case study: You want to go to dinner at restaurant X. Your spouse, partner, or friend wants to go to dinner at restaurant Y. You have a heated argument. You end up at restaurant Y -- not your choice. The food tastes awful. The service is terrible.
Option A - Critique the experience. Point out that your partner was wrong. Explain that this terrible mistake could have been avoided if you had made the decision.
Option B - Shut-up. Eat the stupid food. Try to enjoy it. Have a nice evening.
What would you do?
Seventy-five percent of my clients "fail themselves" by saying that they would critique the food. What they should do is shut-up and enjoy the evening. There's nothing to be gained here by critiquing and complaining.
How to take a more thoughtful approach to such situations and keep your desire to win in check? Before speaking, take a deep breath and ask yourself these three questions:
- "Why am I trying so hard to win this point?" Our excessive need to win is often driven more by our personal need to prove how smart we are than our altruistic desire to help others. In the long run, no one is ever impressed with our need to display our own brilliance.
- "Is this debate worth my time and energy?" You are probably already too busy. Is this argument the most efficient way to help you achieve your goals? If so, go for it! If not, drop it.
- "What is more important, the point that I am trying to win or my relationship with this human being?" In many cases it will become obvious to you that the benefit of winning small points is less important than the cost of damaging valued relationships.
Win the big ones. Let go of the rest.
Life is good.
Marshall
My recent 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
Monday, April 16, 2012
Look Like You're Listening
Has anyone ever looked at you with a disappointed expression and said, "Are you listening?"
My guess is that for you - like almost all of us - the answer is yes.
Have you ever then replied to the person in an annoyed voice, "What do you mean I am not listening?" and then repeated what he or she said verbatim - to prove they were wrong? My guess is that for you - like almost all of us - the answer is again yes.
Did your annoyed response dramatically improve your relationship with that other human being? My guess is that for you - like almost all of us - the answer is no.
Even if you were listening, how much of an "I care about you" message were you sending to that other human being by taking a defensive posture? Zero. What was that other person really asking, "Why don't you care?" Is "proving them wrong" really worth it? I don't think so.
So, the next time someone looks at you and says, "You're not listening," apologize. Just reply, "I am sorry. I will try to better in the future."
How do to better? Start looking like you care.
As others speak to us, how do they know that we aren't listening? They don't. They only assume that we aren't listening because we don't look like we are listening. If we remember to look like we care, we will not only be reminding ourselves to listen better, we will also be reminding ourselves to communicate a sense of respect for the person who is speaking to us.
Here are several ideas to help you not only listen better, but to look like you are listening, and to demonstrate caring to the person who is speaking to you:
1. After having a dialog with friends or family members, ask them to give you a 1-10 assessment of how much you looked like you cared about their remarks.
2. Find a partner and practice communication while recording it on video. Turn off the sound and just watch your non-verbal behavior. How much caring and respect are your communicating?
3. Try to eliminate all distractions when others are speaking to you. When you are doing other work, answering emails, or interfacing with your computer while someone is speaking to you -- you may not look like you care.
4. Ask questions that let the other person know you have heard what they have to say and would like to learn more.
While this advice can be very important at work, it may be just as important at home.
Life is good.
Marshall
My recent 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
Monday, April 09, 2012
Reducing Negativity in the Workplace
I am amazed at how much time gets wasted by people who complain all of the time.
According to a survey done by badbossology.com and Development Dimensions International, a majority of employees spend 10 or more hours per month complaining -- or listening to others complain -- about their bosses or upper management. Even more amazing, almost a third spend 20 hours or more per month doing so.
When I first read this study, I couldn't believe it. The numbers just seemed too high. (I guess since I didn't do the research myself, I concluded it must be wrong!) Too check it out; I interviewed more than 200 of my clients. The results were almost identical.
While the survey results might initially be perceived an indictment of bad managers, I also see it as indictment of whiners; 10-20 hours per month is a lot of time. If people have that much time to waste, they should go back to school and get another degree (and then get another job if everything is so awful).
But back to original question: I have a simple, yet effective strategy to reduce "whining time." Encourage your direct reports, colleagues, and peers to ask these four questions before making a public comment:
1. Will this comment help our company?
2. Will this comment help our customers?
3. Will this comment help the person that I am talking to?
4. Will this comment help the person that I am talking about?
If the answers are "no," "no," "no," and "no," I have a suggestion that doesn't require a Ph.D. to implement.
Don't say it.
We often use "honesty" as an excuse for dysfunctional disclosure. But we can be totally honest without engaging in useless negative disclosure. For example, while it is normal to believe that some of our co-workers may be jerks -- we have no moral, ethical or legal obligation to share this view with the rest of the world.
Train everyone to think before speaking and to ask themselves, not just, "Is this comment what I believe?" but also, "Is this comment adding value?"
Teach everyone to focus on saying and doing things that add value -- and to just leave out the rest.
Life is good.
Marshall
My recent 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
Monday, April 02, 2012
Team Building without Time Wasting
I would suggest a very simple and practical process that I call "team building without time wasting." The steps in the process are:
1. In a team meeting ask each team member to rate "How well are we doing?" vs. "How well do we need to be doing?" in terms of teamwork. Have each member do this on paper. Have one of the members calculate the scores -- without identifying anyone. One a 1-10 scale -- with 10 being the highest score -- the average evaluation from over 1,000 teams is "We are a 5.8. We need to be an 8.7."
2. Assuming there is a gap between "we are" and "we need to be," ask each team member to list two key behaviors that, if each other individual team member improved, could help close the gap and improve teamwork. Do not mention people -- only behavior -- such as listening better, clear goals, etc. Then list the behaviors on a flip chart and have the team pick the one that they believe will have the biggest impact.
3. Have each team member conduct a three-minute, one-on-one meeting, with each of the other team members. (Do this while standing and rotate as members become available.) In these sessions each person should ask, "Please suggest one or two positive changes I can make individually to help our team work together more effectively." Then have each person pick one behavior to focus on improving.
4. Begin a regular monthly follow-up process in which each team member asks each other member for suggestions on how to continue their improvement based on their behavior the previous month. The conversations should focus on the specific areas identified for improvement individually as well as general suggestions for how to be better team members.
When asking for input the rules are that the person receiving the ideas cannot judge or critique the ideas. He must just listen and say "thank you." The person giving the ideas must focus on the future -- not the past.
Through my research, I have learned that teams who practice this very efficient process can gain more improvement in teamwork - in very little time - than teams that spend hours (or even days) on traditional ‘team building' activities.
Life is good.
Marshall
My recent 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
Monday, March 26, 2012
Six Steps to Ensure Alignment
I am sometimes asked "How I can ensure that my staff and I are in alignment (in terms of priorities and efforts)? Sometimes it seems we are on a different page."
I would suggest having a quarterly one-on-one meeting with each of your direct reports. In each of these meetings address six key questions. Ideally, each question will result in a two-way dialogue that helps clarify priorities, ensures alignment, and promotes mutual understanding:
1. Where are we going? As the manager, share your views on key priorities for the larger organization. Then ask for your direct report's views. This dialogue will help ensure alignment between your views and her views on what really matters.
2. Where are you going? Give your views on where this direct report (and her part of the business) should be headed. Then ask for her views on the desired direction. This dialogue will help ensure alignment between your management of the larger organization and her management of her part of your organization.
3. What are you doing well? Share your views on the direct report's key achievements. Then ask her to share her perceptions on what she is doing well. Sometimes our lack of recognition is not a function of not caring - it is a function of not understanding achievements from the other person's perspective. By asking, "What do you think that you are doing well?" we can get their perspectives.
4. What changes can lead to improvement? Share your ideas on how more progress can be made in the future - then ask for her ideas. Be open to the possibility that her ideas may be more useful than yours.
5. How can I help? Ask for ideas on how you can better help her achieve agreed upon goals. If you want to be a great coach, this question will help.
6. What suggestions do you have for me? Ask for her ideas on changes that you can make to become a more effective manager. If you want her to focus on continuous improvement, you can lead by example.
In between each quarterly "six questions" dialogue, establish your mutual responsibility for continued alignment. Let her be responsible for immediately contacting you if she is ever uncertain about priorities or needs feedback. You be responsible for contacting her, if the business situation changes and you need to re-set priorities.
I have helped four different CEOs (and many other managers) implement this process. The results produced by this simple dialogue are fantastic.
Life is good.
Marshall
My recent 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
Monday, March 19, 2012
How Do I Provide Meaningful Recognition?
One of my clients taught me a simple, yet effective system for getting better at 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% 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% 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 road-map 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.
Life is good.
Marshall
My recent 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
Monday, March 12, 2012
How Can I Delegate More Effectively?
My first suggestion in trying to improve delegation skills is for you to always remember: "Delegate more effectively -- don't just delegate more frequently."
My good friend and mentor Paul Hersey showed me why more delegation was not necessarily better delegation. If we delegate an assignment to a person who lacks the motivation and ability to do the job, we do a disservice to both the person and our organization. We need to delegate only to people who are ready to handle the challenge.
To get this right, begin by scheduling a one-on-one conversation with each of your direct reports. Ask each to list their key areas of responsibility. Then ask, "Within this area of responsibility:
1) Are there areas where I need to ‘let go' or delegate more to you?
2) Are there areas where I need to get more involved or provide more help to you?"
If you are like most leaders, you will probably find that while there are some areas that you need to let go more, there are others areas where your direct reports would appreciate more of your involvement. Tailor you delegation strategy to fit the unique needs of your staff members.
After getting your direct reports' input on how you manage them, get their ideas on how you manage yourself. Ask,
1) Do you ever see me doing things that I don't need to be doing?
2) Can I let go of some of my work and give it to my staff members?
If you are like most leaders, you are probably wasting some of your time on activities that a manager at your level doesn't need to do. By delegating these activities to staff members you may simultaneously free up some of your own time (for more strategic work) and help to develop them.
After getting input from your direct reports, don't promise to do everything that everyone suggests. Just promise to listen to their ideas, think about all of their suggestions, get back to them -- and do what you can.
Life is good.
Marshall
My recent 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
Monday, March 05, 2012
When People Don't Want to Change
My job is to help people achieve positive, lasting change in behavior. How do I deal with people who have no desire to change?
I don't.
Have you ever tried to change the behavior of an adult who had absolutely no interest in changing? How much luck did you have with your attempts at this 'religious conversion'? Have you ever tried to change the behavior of a spouse, partner or parent who had no interest in changing? How did that work out for you?
My guess is that you have tried and have been consistently unsuccessful. You may have even alienated the person you were trying to enlighten.
If they do not care, do not waste your time.
Research on coaching is clear and consistent. Coaching is most successful when applied to people with potential who want to improve -- not when applied to people who have no interest in changing. This is true whether you are acting as a professional coach, a manager, a family member, or a friend.
Your time is very limited. The time you waste coaching people who do not care is time stolen from people who want to change.
As an example, back in Valley Station, Kentucky, my mother was an outstanding first grade school teacher. In Mom's mind, I was always in the first grade, my Dad was in the first grade, and all of our relatives were in the first grade.
She was always correcting everybody.
My Dad's name was Bill. Mom was always scolding "Bill! Bill!" when he did something wrong.
We bought a talking bird. In a remarkably short period of time the bird started screeching "Bill! Bill!" Now Dad was being corrected by a bird.
Years passed. When Mom corrected his faulty grammar for the thousandth time, Dad sighed, "Honey, I am 70 years old. Let it go."
If you are still trying to change people who have no interest in changing, take Dad's advice. Let it go.
Life is good.
Marshall
My recent 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
Monday, February 27, 2012
Teach Yourself to Avoid Favoritism
Every company claims to discourage suck-ups. Every leader claims to despise suck-ups. If we all hate suck-ups so much, why does so much sucking-up go on?
Sucking-up happens because we all tend to create an environment where people learn to suck-up to us. We can easily see this in others. It is just hard to see in ourselves. You are probably thinking, "Marshall is making a good point. I see others do this all of the time. Of course, I find it to be disgusting!"
As a test of our unconscious tendency to encourage sycophants, I always ask participants in my executive education classes this question, "How many of you own a dog that you love?" Big smiles cross the faces of these leaders as they wave their hands in the air. They beam as they tell me the names of their always faithful hounds. Then we have a little contest. I ask them, "At home, who gets the most unqualified positive recognition? Is it (a) your husband, wife or partner (b) your kids or (c) your dog?" More than 80 percent of the time the winner is the dog.
I next ask these same executives, "Do you really love your dog more than the other members of your family?" They laugh and say no. My next question, "Why does the dog get the most unqualified positive recognition?"
Their replies are always the same: "The dog doesn't talk back." "When I come home the dog is always happy to see me!" "Even if I come home late (or drunk) the dog doesn't care." "The dog gives me unconditional love - no matter what I do!"
In other words, the dog is a suck-up.
If we aren't careful, we can wind up treating people at work like dogs. We can unconsciously recognize people who recognize us.
The best way to stop this behavior is to recognize that we all have a tendency to fall into this trap - and the higher we move up in the organization, the bigger the trap gets.
I teach leaders to rank order their direct reports four ways:
1. How much do they like me? I know that you cannot be sure. What matters is what you think. Only bad suck-ups look like they are sucking-up. Great suck-ups appear to be your "true friends."
2. How much are they like me? Some leaders don't favor people who like them; they favor people who remind them of themselves. A common variation from an engineer might be, "He may be a jerk, but he is an engineer." As if people who are not engineers don't have brains.
3. What is their contribution to our company and its customers?
4. How much positive personal recognition do I give them?
If we are honest with ourselves, in a surprisingly large number of cases, we may find that recognition is more influenced by 1 or‘2 than it is 3. And that (without meaning to) we may be falling into a trap that we despise in others - playing favorites.
Make this ranking yourself. After doing a thoughtful review, start monitoring your own behavior. Make sure that you are recognizing people at working for doing what is right for the company - not for making you feel good about yourself.
Life is good.
Marshall
My recent 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
Monday, February 20, 2012
Putting Quality on the Line
I have a unique compensation system in my job as executive coach: I only get paid if my clients get better. "Better" means my clients achieve positive, measurable change in behavior, not as judged by themselves but by their key stakeholders. My coaching process usually takes about 18 months and involves an average of 16 stakeholders.
I have been asked many times where I came up with this "pay only for results" idea. The answer is from Dennis Mudd, who was my boss 43 years ago.
When I was growing up in Valley Station, Ky., my family was poor. Dad operated a small, two-pump gas station. The roof on our home was very old and starting to leak badly. We had no choice but to get a new roof. Dad hired a man named Dennis Mudd to put on the roof. To save some money, I worked as his assistant.
Pay Us What It's Worth
Putting on a roof in the middle of the summer in Kentucky is incredibly hard work. No other job I did before or have done since then required this degree of physical exertion. I was amazed at the care that Mr. Mudd put into laying the shingles. He was patient with me as I made mistakes and helped me learn how to do the job right. After a while, my attitude toward this project changed from grudging acceptance to pride. In spite of the heat and pain, I looked forward to working with Mr. Mudd every day.
When the roof was finally finished, I thought it looked great. When Mr. Mudd presented my Dad with the invoice for our work, he said quietly, "Bill, please take your time and inspect our work. If you feel that this roof meets your standards, pay us. If not, there is no charge for our work." It was very obvious he meant what he said.
Dad looked carefully at the roof, thanked both of us for a job well done and paid Mr. Mudd, who then paid me for my help.
Temporary Setbacks
I will never forget watching Dennis Mudd when he asked Dad to pay only if he was pleased with the results. I knew he was dead serious and my respect for Mr. Mudd skyrocketed. I was only 14 years old, but the incident made a huge impression on me. I knew the Mudd family. They didn't have any more money than we did. I thought: Mr. Mudd may be poor, but he is not cheap. This guy has class. When I grow up, I want to be like Dennis Mudd.
I've received many honors for my work, but I don't think I will ever match the dedication to quality and the degree of integrity Dennis Mudd showed. In the past 29 years, there have been a few assignments for which I have not been paid, and I have never asked for money I felt was undeserved. Financially, how much has this hurt me? It caused me some temporary pain and embarrassment, but I knew I was still going to have a very prosperous life.
How much would not getting paid have hurt Dennis Mudd? A lot. If my dad hadn't paid him, it would have meant the Mudds wouldn't have eaten very well for the next couple of months. Mr. Mudd's pride and integrity were more important to him than money, and he had enough faith in the quality of his work, and in my father, to make the offer he did.
A New Way to Look at Commitment
Dennis Mudd never gave any pep talks about quality or values. He didn't use any buzzwords such as "empowerment" or "customer delight." He didn't have to - his actions communicated his values better than any buzzwords he might have used.
We can all learn a lot from this man. The next time you are working on a project, ask yourself, "What would happen to my level of commitment if I knew I was only going to be paid if I achieved results?" How would your behavior change?
Dennis Mudd taught me a lesson I will try to live up to for the rest of my life. What is important is not how much he impressed me. What is much more important is that he could look with pride at the person he saw in the mirror every day.
Life is good.
Marshall
My recent 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
Monday, February 13, 2012
Show Your Employees You Care
Your workers' wealth of knowledge may be worth more to your company than a paycheck is to them. Let them know you appreciate them
In yesterday's world, the key to wealth may have been the control of land, materials, plants, or tools. In that world, the employee needed the company far more than the company needed the employee. In the apprentice model of leadership, the manager was a person who had mastered technical expertise and then passed on this expertise to followers who didn't know as much as he did.
In today's world, the key to wealth is often the employees' knowledge. In this world, the company may need knowledge workers far more than knowledge workers need the company. They know far more about what they are doing than their bosses do.
Smart companies are catching on. They're beginning to realize that their relationship with top talent resembles a strategic alliance more than a traditional employment contract. I have asked thousands of leaders this question: "Can the top performer on your team leave the company and get another job with a pay raise in three months?" Almost everyone says yes.
Using the Volunteer Model
If your top performer can leave the company and get a pay raise, yet has chosen to remain with your team, he is better than a volunteer. While a volunteer works for nothing, your top performer is actually taking a pay cut - every day he or she shows up for work.
One of the most unmotivating comments a leader can make when a team member does a great job is, "Oh well, that's what he gets paid for." If the only reason your employee is working for you is to get paid, why in the world would he want to work for you? Peter Drucker loved to study the leadership of volunteer organizations. One reason for his interest in nonprofits was his realization that because the knowledge worker can easily leave the company for a better situation, the volunteer model was going to become the preferred mode of leadership in many for-profit organizations.
With these thoughts in mind, here are some of my suggestions for managing knowledge workers:
- Rank-order each of your direct reports in terms of his contribution to your customers and your company.
- Ask yourself, "How many of these people could leave our company and get another job - with a pay raise - in three months?"
- Make sure you express your sincere appreciation for the contribution these great people are making to your company.
- Make peace with the fact that you need them more than they need you.
- Ask each of them, "What can your manager do to create an environment where this is a great place for you to work?"
- Don't focus on what you cannot change. Focus on what you can change. Let's say you can't give them a raise. Accentuate the things you can give them: recognition, educational opportunities, the chance to work with a wider range of people, both within the company and outside of it.
- Listen to their ideas, and do whatever you can to keep them coming to work with you.
- Treat them as a great human services leader would treat valued volunteers.
On a recent trip to Google (GOOG), I was amazed to see the efforts the company was making to create a fantastic environment for knowledge workers. It was clear the company was working for the employees as much as the employees were working for the company. It was also clear their engineers were at least as respected as their managers.
The Rewards of Corporate Culture
I was especially impressed with the nonmonetary benefits that were being given, such as their well-known employee transportation program, the delicious free food, and the fact that people are trusted to make their own schedules. Managers don't spend their time checking up on employees. The assumption is they are professional who can check up on themselves.
Many of the employees I met were making far less money than they could be making at other companies. Their respect for the corporate culture - and their joy in doing their work - seemed as important to them as their hope for riches from stock options. The lesson: Don't treat your employees like servants. Treat them like valued volunteers.
If you are a knowledge worker, do you feel you are being treated with the respect a valued volunteer should be given? If you are a manager, how would you rate your company on treating knowledge workers as valued volunteers?
Life is good.
Marshall
My recent 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
Monday, February 06, 2012
Torre and Girardi: Coaching the Joes
As an executive coach who is accustomed to working with corporate chief executives, I found this recent request to be an interesting challenge: Give some coaching advice to two coaches, Joe Torre, the former coach of the New York Yankees, now coaching the LA Dodgers, and Joe Girardi, the new coach of the Yankees. Here goes:
For Joe Torre:
1. Never say, "When I was with the Yankees we ..."
One of the greatest leaders I ever met left a highly successful corporation to work in Silicon Valley. Although his new staff loved him, they absolutely hated it when he incessantly repeated stories starting with, "When I was at …." You have a great record. Just let your players know what you think is right without referring to your past. Not only does it get old for others when we do this - it reminds them that we are old, and that's never a good thing.
2. Give credit where it's due
If the Dodgers succeed, you should always go out of your way to give your players all of the credit for the success. If the team's fortunes turn around, the press will go out of its way to point out how you made all of the difference - and how stupid the Yankees were to get rid of you. Don't buy into this - even with subtle comments or facial expressions. Always point to the players' contribution and downplay yours. One of the greatest leaders I ever met told me, "While achievers can make it all about me, leaders make it all about them."
3. Develop young talent.
I have asked many retired CEOs, "What are you most proud of?" None ever talked about how much money they made or how big their office was. They always talked about the people they helped. If you win another championship you will - and should be - very proud. If you help develop young players, as both athletes and human beings, you will - and should be - even more proud.
4. Forgive the Steinbrenners.
Do this not for their sake, but for yours. You have done a great job of taking the high road and putting up with their often harsh treatment and unrealistic expectations for years. It would be easy to carry around anger at them. Just let it go. When you carry around bad feelings, you only punish yourself.
5. Enjoy yourself.
Life is short. You have won four World Championships, been to the World Series six times, and made the playoffs 12 years in a row. You don't have to prove anything to anybody. You are getting older. Look at this as an opportunity to have a new start - without having to deal with the Steinbrenners. Keep your enthusiasm and joy for the game, and be a happy warrior. Commit to having a great day, every day, no matter what happens on the field. Your enthusiasm will be contagious.
For Joe Girardi:
1. Bust your butt.
You have been given a once in a lifetime opportunity. Go for it. There is a time in life to have balance and be well-rounded. This is not that time for you. Do whatever you can to help the Yankees win. If they don't, you will soon be gone. Young lawyers, investment bankers, and consultants work 80 hours a week to make it in the big leagues. Now it's your turn.
2. Forget about life being fair.
The New York press has no interest in being fair and balanced in their reporting of your work. If the team loses, you are going to take the heat. If you get even a little defensive, it will only get worse. Take all the responsibility for any failures. It will be laid at your feet anyway.
3. Just smile at Hank Steinbrenner.
Yes, he may be your boss, but ignore his comments as much as you can. This family has no history of supporting its managers, so don't expect it will start with you. Joe Torre was a wonderful role model for how to manage this relationship.
4. Recruit the veterans to help you out.
You team has some of the most experienced and successful professionals in the history of the game. Recognize them for who they are. Be honest about what you need. Share your leadership responsibilities with the team.
5. Take it seriously, but have fun.
You have a tough act to follow. I got my PhD at UCLA when John Wooden was the basketball coach. Guess what happened to the next several coaches? They were all fired in short order because they "just weren't him." If you are not an instant success and you do get fired, nobody is going to be surprised, and neither should you be. In the great movie Twelve O'clock High, General Savage (played by Gregory Peck) sent a message to all of his fighter pilots (who were engaged in daylight precision bombing): "Assume you are dead. Forget about going home. Then it won't be so hard." My advice for you is the same: Assume you are dead. Forget about the keeping your job. Then it won't be so hard.
6. Look at the upside.
Hank Steinbrenner has said, "What we're looking for is a guy who's maybe going to be one of the greatest managers of all time over a period of, oh, 10 to 20 years." Maybe that manager will be you. Bear in mind you've been given the opportunity of a lifetime. Make the best of it.
It occurred to me as I was writing this that there are valuable lessons here for leaders in business, whether you're in the Joe Torre position of having had great success somewhere and are in a new position, or whether, like Joe Girardi, you're taking over from a legendary leader. And I am sure that many of you have some advice for either - or both - of these two Joes.
Life is good.
Marshall
My recent 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
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Feed It Forward
I have observed more than 50,000 leaders from around the world as they participated in a fascinating experiential exercise, in which I ask participants to play two roles.
In one role, they provide "FeedForward": They give another participant suggestions and as much as they can help with a specific issue. In the second role, they accept FeedForward: They listen to suggestions from another participant and learn as much as they can.
Step by Step
The exercise typically lasts 10 to 15 minutes, and the average participant has six or seven such sessions in that time. Participants are asked to:
- Pick one behavior they would like to change. Change in this behavior should make a significant, positive difference in their lives.
- Describe this behavior to randomly selected fellow participants in one-on-one dialogues. It can be done quite simply, e.g., "I want to be a better listener."
- Ask for FeedForward that might help them achieve a positive change in their behavior. If participants have worked together in the past, they are not allowed to give any feedback about the past. They are only allowed to give ideas for the future.
- Listen attentively to the suggestions and take notes. Participants are not allowed to comment on the suggestions in any way, nor are they allowed to critique the suggestions, even to make positive statements, such as, "That's a good idea."
- Thank the other participants for their suggestions.
- Ask fellow participants what they would like to change about themselves.
- Provide FeedForward - two suggestions for helping the other person change.
- Say "You are welcome," when thanked for the suggestions. (The entire process of both giving and receiving FeedForward usually takes about two minutes.)
- Find another participant and keep repeating the process until the exercise is stopped.
When the exercise is over, I ask the participants to complete a sentence - "This exercise was …" - with the one word that best describes their reaction to the experience. The words selected are almost always positive, such as "great," "energizing," "useful," or "helpful." One of the most common words used is "fun."
What is the last word most of us think of to describe the experience of receiving feedback, coaching, and developmental ideas? Fun!
Reasons to Try FeedForward
I ask participants why this exercise is fun and helpful as opposed to painful, embarrassing, or uncomfortable. Their answers offer a great explanation of why FeedForward can often be more useful than feedback as a developmental tool.
1. We can change the future. We can't change the past. FeedForward helps people envision and focus on a positive future, not a failed past. Race-car drivers are taught to look at the road ahead, not at the wall. By giving people ideas on how they can be even more successful, we can increase their chances of achieving this success in the future.
2. FeedForward can come from people we have never even met. It does not require personal experience. One very common positive reaction to the exercise is that participants are amazed by how much they can learn from people they don't know. For example, if you want to be a better listener, almost any fellow human can give you ideas. They don't have to know you.
3. Face it! Most of us hate getting negative feedback, and we don't like to give it. I have reviewed summary 360-degree feedback reports for more than 50 companies. The items "provides developmental feedback in a timely manner" and "encourages and accepts constructive criticism" almost always score near the bottom on co-worker satisfaction with leaders. Traditional training does not seem to make a great deal of difference. If leaders got better at providing feedback every time the performance appraisal forms were "improved," most would be perfect by now!
4. FeedForward can cover almost all of the same material feedback can. Imagine you have just made a terrible presentation in front of the executive committee. Your manager is in the room. Rather than make you relive this humiliating experience by detailing what went wrong, your manager might help you by offering suggestions for future presentations. These suggestions can be very specific and still delivered in a positive way - without making you feel even more humiliated.
5. FeedForward tends to be much faster and more efficient than feedback. An excellent technique for giving ideas to successful people is to say: "Here is an idea for the future. Please accept it in the positive spirit in which it is offered. If you can use it, great! If not, just ignore it." With this approach almost no time is wasted judging the quality of the ideas or trying to refute the suggestions. This kind of debate is usually negative, wastes time, and often counterproductive. By eliminating judgment of the ideas, the process becomes much more positive for the sender, as well as the receiver.
6. FeedForward can be a useful tool with managers, peers, and team members. Rightly or wrongly, feedback is associated with judgment. This can lead to very negative - even career-limiting - consequences when given to managers or peers. FeedForward does not imply superiority of judgment. It is more focused on being a helpful colleague than an expert. As such, it can be easier to hear from a person who isn't in a position of power or authority.
7. People tend to listen more attentively to FeedForward than feedback. One participant in the FeedForward exercise noted: "I think that I listened more effectively in this exercise than I ever have in my life!" When asked why, he said, "Normally, when others are speaking, I am so busy composing a reply that will make sure that I sound smart that I am not fully listening to what the other person is saying. In FeedForward, the only reply that I am allowed to make is 'thank you.' Since I don't have to worry about composing a clever reply, I can focus all of my energy on listening to the other person!"
When to Use FeedForward
The intent of this column is not to imply that leaders should never give feedback or that performance appraisals should be abandoned. The intent is to show how FeedForward can often be preferable to feedback in day-to-day interactions. Aside from its effectiveness and efficiency, FeedForward can make life a lot more enjoyable. When I ask manager how they felt the last time they received feedback, the most common responses are negative. When managers are asked how they felt after receiving FeedForward, they reply that FeedForward was not only useful, it was also fun.
Life is good.
Marshall
My recent 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
http://www.MarshallGoldsmithFeedForward.com
(This column has been modified from "Try FeedForward Instead of Feedback" in Coaching for Leadership, M. Goldsmith and L. Lyons, eds. Jossey Bass, 2005.)
Monday, January 30, 2012
Turning Resolutions into Reality
"I always make new year's resolutions but seldom live up to them. Do you have any suggestions for helping my resolutions become reality?"
I am going to delegate this response to my daughter, Kelly Goldsmith. Kelly is a Whitebox Doctoral Fellow at Yale, where she received her Ph.D. in Behavioral Marketing. She is very interested in behavioral decision making.
Kelly and I were discussing your question over the holidays. I like her suggestions so much that am going to try them myself! Here are her thoughts:
New Year's Resolutions are decisions that focus on the "big picture" of our lives. When we make these resolutions, we are in an abstract mindset. Decisions made in this mindset almost always favor long-term benefit (e.g. losing weight) or short-term cost (e.g. not eating the chocolate cake).
In our day-to-day lives, however, our decisions tend to veer toward the immediate. When we make daily decisions we are in a concrete' mindset. Decisions made in this mindset often favor short-term benefit (e.g. this tastes great) over long-term cost (e.g. this will make me fat).
By deliberately putting ourselves in a big picture mindset, we can increase our odds of making daily decisions that reflect our New Year's resolutions. In other words, we can increase our odds on becoming "the person I want to be," as opposed to just replicating "the person I have been in the past."
How to focus on the big picture when making daily decisions? Consider these suggestions:
1. Make a short list that describes "the person that I want to be" (e.g. I want to weigh 160 pounds.) This list should be closely aligned with your New Year's resolutions.
2. Do whatever you can to keep this list in front of you during daily interactions. This might include placing it atop your daily "to do" list, making it a screen saver, or carrying it around in your wallet.
3. Review the list and put yourself in the big picture mindset before making daily decisions.
4. Face the reality that real change requires ongoing effort. It will probably be harder than you think and take longer than you think.
5. Only do it because, in your heart, you believe that it is the right thing to do. Over-focusing on the approval of others can be a mistake. If our motivation to change is based upon their approval, we become dispirited when we achieve our goals - and then find out they may not care or don't even notice.
6. Don't give up. Realize that on some days you will eat the cake. On other days you will hate the list. Just stick with it.
Life is good.
Marshall
My recent 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
Monday, January 02, 2012
What Behavior Do You Want to Change?
In my younger days, as a newly minted PhD and executive educator, I would challenge my clients to pick one to three behavior patterns for personal improvement - that is, if they demonstrated a positive change in these practices, they would become more effective leaders. As I grew more experienced, I began to realize that three patterns were too many.
The problem was not a lack of motivation or intelligence - these were brilliant, dedicated leaders. The problem was that they were just too busy. They all had profitability goals, growth goals, quality goals, customer goals, health goals, and so on. If my clients applied the logic that I was teaching and picked three goals in each area of their lives, they would quickly reach a number of goals that was not only impossible to achieve, but also impossible to even remember.
What I teach my clients now is to pick the one behavior pattern for personal change that will make the biggest difference, and to focus on that. If we pick the right area to change and actually do so, it will almost always influence other aspects of our relationships with people. For example, more effective listening will lead to being more successful in building teamwork, increasing customer satisfaction, and treating people with respect.
Consider the Consequences
My friend Nathaniel Branden is a psychologist and the author of about 20 books. He has a wonderful exercise that helps people isolate the pattern that makes the most sense to change, because it helps people figure out the benefits of change. This is how he helps people decide whether change is worth it: Five to eight people sit around a table, and each person selects one practice to change. One person begins the exercise by saying: "When I get better at…" and completes the sentence by mentioning one benefit that will accompany this change. For example, one person may say: "When I get better at being open to differing opinions, I will hear more great ideas."
After everyone has had a chance to discuss their specific behavior and the first benefit, the cycle begins again. Now each person mentions a second benefit that may result from changing the same behavior, then a third, continuing usually for six to eight rounds. Finally, participants discuss what they have learned and their reactions to the exercise.
When Branden first explained this exercise to me, I was polite, but skeptical. I couldn't see the value of simply repeating the potential benefits of change over and over. My skepticism quickly went away when I saw the process work.
Moved to Tears
Nathaniel and I were facilitators at a large conference that included many well-known leaders from corporations, nonprofits, the government, and the military. The man sitting next to me was a high-ranking military leader directly responsible for thousands of troops. He also was extremely judgmental and seemed to be proud of it. For example, when conference participants discussed the topic of character, he said: "I respect people with real character - and organizations, like mine, with real values. I don't believe in this situational crap!"
When we began Nathaniel's exercise, our military friend chose: "When I become less judgmental ___" as his behavior to change. I was skeptical about his sincerity and thought his participation in the exercise would be interesting to observe. True to my expectations, the first time around he coughed and grunted a sarcastic comment rather than talk about a real benefit. The second time around he was even more cynical. Then something changed. When he described a third potential benefit, he stopped being sarcastic. Several rounds later, he had tears in his eyes, and said: "When I become less judgmental, maybe my children will speak to me again."
Since that day, I have conducted this exercise with several thousand people. Many start with benefits that are "corporately correct," such as: "This change will help my company make more money," and finally end with benefits that are more human, such as: "This change will make me a better person." I will never forget one hard-driving executive who chose: "When I get better at letting go" as the behavior he should work on. His first benefit was that his direct reports would take more responsibility. His final benefit was that he would probably live to celebrate his 60th birthday.
Try It for Yourself
As the exercise progresses, one of two realizations tend to dawn upon participants. Some see the more compelling motivations to change and become convinced that doing so would be worth it. My advice to these people is simple: Get started on changing now, and I'll talk about how to do that in another column.
Others begin to feel they are just making up benefits to complete the exercise. The benefits don't resonate with them or seem genuine. My advice to them is equally simple: Don't waste your time. If you feel you have to make up reasons why you should change, your heart won't be in the process, and you ultimately won't put in the effort required.
Now, it's your turn to pick a behavior pattern that you may want to change. Complete the sentence: "When I get better at ___" over and over again. Listen closely as you recite potential benefits. You will be amazed at how quickly you can determine whether this change is worth it for you.
Please try this out, and send in any comments or reflections that you may have.
What behavior do you really want to change? Is it worth it?
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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