Author Archives: Tom Foster

About Tom Foster

Tom Foster spends most of his time talking with managers and business owners. The conversations are about business lives and personal lives, goals, objectives and measuring performance. In short, transforming groups of people into teams working together. Sometimes we make great strides understanding this management stuff, other times it’s measured in very short inches. But in all of this conversation, there are things that we learn. This blog is that part of the conversation I can share. Often, the names are changed to protect the guilty, but this is real life inside of real companies.

Change and Job Security

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“Everything seems to change, every day,” Charlotte whispered. In class, we were talking about the frequency of change in her company. She felt the change, but had never said the words.

“Think about this,” I suggested, “if nothing changed in your company, what would your team members be doing at work?”

The anticipated blank stares pierced the silence around the room. “That’s right!” I exclaimed. “If nothing changed, they would never do anything different. They would continue to do the same thing they did the day before. And life would be good.

“But things do change, and that is why you all have jobs as managers. Think of change as your job security. As long as there is change, you will have a job to do.

“As your customers change, as specifications change, as technologies change, as we find better ways to do things, your job, your role as a manager is to modify your systems and processes to accommodate those changes.

“The more things change, the more your company needs competent managers. Lecture over, last one through the door, turn out the lights.” -TF

They Won’t Listen to Me

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From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:

I’m a new manager for a staff of about 65 people. It seems that my predecessor was not a good manager. I have been left with people who have been misinformed about company and regulatory policies. Anytime I point out something that is being done incorrectly I end up being the bad guy. I’ve tried to be nice, explain my reasoning and show proof but it doesn’t work. They just keep saying the previous manager didn’t tell them. One staff member even called another department to complain. How can I get them to listen and comply with rules? Should I start writing people up or just keep explaining myself?

Response:

One thing I learned a long time ago, was that no one listens to me. It doesn’t matter how brilliant I am. It doesn’t matter how much I nail the solution to the problem, I get no respect. It’s the Rodney effect.

Why should they listen to you? Whatever you have to say means a change for them. And it doesn’t matter if you are right.

There is one person, however, that they will listen to. Do you know who that is? If you can figure out who that person is and get that person to dispense the helpful advice, you might get some traction.

I have found the only person from whom people will take negative criticism is themselves. The advice has to come from them.

Here is how I would start. I would observe the kinds of things that people are doing incorrectly and take some notes, build a list. Then I would call a meeting to discuss how we could make improvements in various areas. I would describe one difficulty or problem or one process in which we would like a different result. Divide the team into smaller groups of 2-3 to brainstorm ideas to get the best ideas, then invite team members to take the new actions and try them out.

I would conduct these five minute meetings 2-3 times per week, looking at all kinds of ways to make improvements. Pretty soon, they will see new ideas you never thought of. And you don’t have to be the critical parent. -TF

The Intersection

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“In a conversation, how can you tell someone is ignoring you?” I asked.

“That’s easy,” Lawrence replied. “No eye contact, no questions, they look bored.”

“And in a conversation, how can you tell someone is listening attentively?”

“Well, this time they have eye contact, they stare at you.”

“And all the while you are talking, what are they waiting to do?” I continued.

Lawrence thought for three seconds. “Well, they are probably waiting to a word in edgewise.”

“And in a conversation, how can you tell someone is listening to understand?”

“Well, maybe they are taking notes, maybe they repeat back what they heard.”

“And in a conversation, how can you tell when someone is listening to learn?”

Lawrence was not so quick on this one. Finally, he ventured, “Well, they are listening to understand, but they are also listening to see how what I say fits with what they think.”

“Precisely,” I followed. “And it is at that moment that magic happens. At the intersection of what you think and what I think is the beginning of something new.” -TF

It’s Not About Talking

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“Communication, my biggest issue is communication,” explained Lawrence. “That’s what it all boils down to. If we could just communicate, if we just would communicate more effectively, things would be better.”

“Do you have trouble speaking?” I asked.

“No,” he retorted. “I always know what I want to say.”

“Well, then it seems you have that part down. If talking is the one part of communication that you don’t have a problem with, what is the other part of the conversation?”

Lawrence was a bit chagrined. He was no dummy. “Listening,” he replied.

“Lawrence, if you would just listen, your customer will tell you how they want to be treated. If you would just listen, your team will tell you how to solve the problem. If you would just listen, your team member will tell you how they want to be motivated.

“Most managers think communication is all about talking, when, the critical part is all about listening.” -TF

What Has Changed?

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So, where do we start?

Awareness.

Think of all the things that have changed.

In your industry?

In your company?

With your team?

With yourself?

Leadership is about you. What has changed about you?

Nothing?

Thou shalt not kid thyself. (11th Commandment). -TF

In the Ditch

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Phillip’s team looked at each other, across the table, and for the first time saw something different. No more were they simply co-workers, but now interdependent members of a group whose success depended on those connections.

We were talking about changing habits.

“No one succeeds by themselves,” I said. “At least for anything of significance. Sure you can think you are the Lone Ranger and prance around like you are someone important, but to achieve anything of real significance, you need a team. Each of you will, at some point, stumble, make a mistake, misjudge a situation. Each of you will, at some point, become discouraged, or become a Prima Dona, full of yourself.

“And when that happens, you will not recognize it in yourself, soon enough. You need each other to tell you those things, to make each of you better. Without each other, you will end up in ditch somewhere and no one will notice.” -TF

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Our next Leadership Program begins in Fort Lauderdale on February 26. We have one seat available. For more information, visit www.workingleadership.com.

Sustaining Change

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Phillip had assembled his sales team. They had promised to meet to look over their schedules for the following week. One or two had substantial clutter on a spreadsheet looking paper. Others had something tucked away inside a folder, a corner peeking out, but nothing available for casual inspection.

“Phillip tells me, you all decided to make some changes with the way you go to market,” I started. “I am very interested to hear about your plans.”

There was some shuffling of bodies around in chairs, everyone trying to get comfortable with this new accountability.

“I see some schedules for next week,” I continued. “Let’s get the cards out on the table.” Everyone looked to their left and then to their right, some schedules appeared, then more, then all. Some were full of chicken scratch, some were sparse.

I asked Phillip to explain, again, the purpose of the meeting, the purpose of the schedules, the purpose of this change of habit. We went around the circle, each explaining their schedule.

“Here is the secret,” I observed. “This is what will make this work. And if you don’t do this, the likelihood for success is slim.

“Many people think that making this kind of change is noble and the nobility will sustain it. Others think that if they don’t make this change, they will feel guilty and the guilt will sustain the change. Neither of those thoughts work.

“The only thing that will sustain this change will be to gather those people around you who will not let you off the hook, who will hold you accountable for what you promise to each other. It is the only thing that will sustain you through those time when you want to quit, or when you feel lazy.

“So, look around the table, my friends. This is the group that will help you to the next level. You just have to give them permission to hold you accountable.” -TF

Changing Habits

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Phillip arrived at the appointed time. “I think I am ready,” he announced. “You asked me to think about where we will be, what our target is.”

He described in some detail the three goals his team had set, what success looked like. It was my turn.

“So, now that you have painted this picture of the future, what habits will serve you? What do you need to do every day, every week that will deliver consistent results?”

It took Phillip some time to get cranked up. “My team is a sales team. Our job is to be in the field talking to prospective customers, every day. We sat down yesterday and looked at how much face time we really have with customers. We were shocked when we mapped it out. Only forty five minutes a day, on average for each of the five days last week.”

“So, what do you need to change?” I asked.

“I know it doesn’t seem like much, but we are going to try to double our face time. Ninety minutes per day spent with prospective customers.”

“And how are you going to do that?”

“We have been in the rut of just waiting for the phone to ring, so we haven’t been thinking very far into the future. We have been just reacting. As a team, by 5:00pm on Friday, every week, we will have met and shared our appointment schedules for the following week. We are going to keep a rolling calendar 7 days into the future. The target is to get seven hours of face time scheduled by Friday for the following week.”

“Good,” I said. “I will see you here on Friday. I would like to sit in and see how this works for you.” -TF
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Our next Leadership Program begins on February 26. Visit www.workingleadership.com for details.

Start at the Finish

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Phillip was interested because his team performance, heck, his performance wasn’t getting the results he expected. It wasn’t getting the results he wanted. We were talking about habits.

“So, how do I pick the right habits? Just tell me what to do and I will do it,” Phillip asked, sounding this side of desperate.

“I can’t tell you what habits to choose,” I replied. “You have to pick your habits, they have to be yours.”

“Yes, but where do I start? Everything sounds like a Boy Scout promise. Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly.”

“That’s not a bad list, but a random list of Pollyanna habits will only get you to a random destination. You have to be much more deliberate. You asked where to start? Where do I always want you to start?”

It took a second to kick in, but Phillip knew the drill by now. “You always want me to start where I plan to finish.”

“Exactly. Work backwards from your destination. You have to build into your thinking, those habits that will carry you in the right direction. Here is your assignment. Meet me here tomorrow with a word picture (your vision) of what life is like when you get there. Then we will talk about the habits you may want to choose.” -TF
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Our next Leadership Program in Fort Lauderdale begins Monday, February 26. Visit www.workingleadership.com.

Not Because We Choose

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“Seventy percent of goal.” Phillip was exasperated. Month end review was not kind.

“So, what is causing the shortfall?” I asked.

“Well, for the past two years, we have only had to answer the phone, but the market is getting tighter. We are trying hard to get more proactive, but it’s not enough.”

“So, what has to change?”

Phillip was quiet. I knew he had been working long hours, but not getting the right results.

“Look, Phillip, what happens to us in life doesn’t happen because we choose it or want it. In life, you will never ever get what you want. You will only get what your habits deliver.

“If you want to make a change, you only have to look at your habits. What you are doing, over and over, day after day, delivers the consistent results you receive. An occasional effort brings an occasional result.

“What are your habits? What habits do you choose to make a change?” -TF