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

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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

http://www.MarshallGoldsmithFeedForward.com

http://www.LeadingNews.org

Marshall's Upcoming Schedule

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

http://www.MarshallGoldsmithFeedForward.com

http://www.LeadingNews.org

Marshall's Upcoming Schedule

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

http://www.MarshallGoldsmithFeedForward.com

http://www.LeadingNews.org

Marshall's Upcoming Schedule

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

http://www.MarshallGoldsmithFeedForward.com

http://www.LeadingNews.org

Marshall's Upcoming Schedule