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

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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

http://www.MarshallGoldsmithFeedForward.com

http://www.LeadingNews.org

Marshall's Upcoming Schedule

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

http://www.MarshallGoldsmithFeedForward.com

http://www.LeadingNews.org

Marshall's Upcoming Schedule

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

http://www.MarshallGoldsmithFeedForward.com

http://www.LeadingNews.org

Marshall's Upcoming Schedule