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.

Listening for Discovery

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Isn’t it funny, in school, when we think of the three “R’s,” none of them really starts with an “R.” Isn’t it funny, when we think about Communication in the organization, it’s always about talking, presenting and writing. I always ask my classes:

  • “How many of you, at some point in school, learned how to write?” All hands go up.
  • “And how many of you, at some point in school, learned how to read?” All hands go up.
  • “And how many of you, at some point, took a class in debate or public speaking?” Many hands go up.
  • “And how many of you have take some formal class of instruction in listening skills?” Few hands go up.

Okay, let’s examine different levels of listening.

  • Level I – Ignoring (my wife says, I must be good at this, as much as I practice)
  • Level II – Pretending to listen (my wife says my skill definitely exceeds the ignoring level)
  • Level III – Selective listening (I always hear the part about the score of the football game, yet miss the part about taking out the garbage)
  • Level IV – Attentive listening (finally, some serious listening happening here)

It is only with Level IV that we are able to make headway to improve the quality of communication. Yet, most of our attentive listening consists of eye contact, some positive body language and focus on the other person’s lips, waiting… waiting… waiting… for them to finally take a breath, so we can break in and… respond. Most attentive listening is listening to respond.

To improve the quality of communication, attentive listening must move to a deeper level, listening for understanding. It is only at this level that we begin to truly understand the other person. Listen for understanding.

Yet, take it one level deeper and you will see exponential benefits from your conversations. Listen for discovery. Discovery is that intersection of the other person’s direction and your direction. That point of intersection is communication magic. It’s like that common ground you find when you discover that both parties grew up in Austin, Texas. The conversation changes, a new level of trust occurs. The real discovery, however, the true payoff is the discovery of intersection in the future. In what direction is the other person headed? What direction are you headed? Where, in the field, will you meet up? Listen for discovery. -TF

Flats & Liners

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It sounded like a beer cap hitting a marble floor, then like a rifle shot. 100 pounds of air pressure escaping in a nanosecond. The sound ricocheted off the high towers, piercing the early morning silence. Bike number three had a flat.

The undercurrent of grumbling was short-lived. The back of the pace line maneuvered around as bike number three dismounted and hopped up the curb onto the sidewalk under a street light. Within ten seconds, the entire pace line assembled around this carcass of carbon fiber and limp rubber tubing called a bicycle. Two headlights brightened up the rear gear cluster. One held up the bike, another spun the crank moving the chain down to the highest gear. Another popped the brake, grabbed the quick release and jerked the axle free. Two bikers set up a perimeter to ward off errant traffic. Someone had already unfolded a fresh tube and spiked a CO2 cartridge. The old tube was out and careful fingers were searching the inside of the tire for a shard of metal, a piece of glass.

Now, the rider of bike number three was actually doing very little through this entire process. He was trying to look in control, but truth be told, his bike was being fixed without him. It was really a smooth process, not a lot of talking, mostly joking going on. Seven minutes later, with a small tailwind, the pace line was back at 24 mph, snaking their way down the quiet city street.

When your team encounters a problem, what do they look like? When a team member runs up against an immovable obstacle, how quickly does the rest of the team pitch in? When the rest of the team assembles, how cooperative do they work, how synchronous are their efforts? How often does your team practice having flats in the dark and fixing them by flashlight?

Follow-up, Don’t Drop the Ball

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Eric shook his head. He knew he was headed for trouble with his boss. But it wasn’t his fault. He had delegated this important task to Joann. They had a delegation meeting two weeks ago, everything was clear. So what had gone so terribly wrong?

Delegation is not abdication.

Get real. Why would you delegate an important project to a team member and not follow up with them until the very end. What? You like surprises?

When I speak with managers, I find the most often forgotten part of delegation is follow-up. Here’s the question. When a manager fails to follow up, what happens to the importance of any project? It starts high, ends low.

Here’s the problem. Most managers think that one last final touch prior to completion is all that is required. No wonder that managers are gunshy about delegation. One final touch almost guarantees disaster. Interim follow-up is important than final follow-up.

When a manager is working through the delegation meeting, the follow-up steps should already be planned and calendared. Here is what it sounds like.

“Joann, we are working on a very important project, let’s call it the VIP Project. When the project is completed, we expect the following will be completed:

  • Phase One in Purple
  • Phase Two in Orange
  • Phase Three in Blue

Because this project is so important and so complicated, I want to have two follow-up meetings for each phase of the project. The deadline is four weeks from now. Let’s schedule the first follow-up meeting for next Wednesday on Phase One. You should be able to complete the rest of Phase One plus make any changes by next Friday. Let’s follow that same pattern the following week. Wednesday and Friday for Phase Two. The following week Wednesday and Friday on Phase Three. That should complete all the baseline performance. Week Four, let’s continue the same Wednesday and Friday to tweak additional items.

Each meeting, let’s review publishable copies. I know we will be changing them, but please bring publishable copies to the meeting.”

Questions:

  • Will changes be made at each meeting?
  • Should revised drafts be submitted at each subsequent meeting?
  • Will the work product improve from the first meeting to the last meeting?
  • How much preparation is required for the manager prior to each meeting?
  • How much preparation is required for the team member prior to each meeting?

If you review the questions carefully, you will notice that, even though there may be six or more meetings required for interim follow-up, the managers time is far less than the team member’s time. The team member is doing all the work. The most important element is that there are no surprises. Instead of waiting for four weeks to be disappointed, the manager knows how the project is going within the first week. Mid-course corrections can easily be implemented and reviewed because they occur much earlier in the delegation cycle.

When is the best time to schedule the follow-up sessions? Right up front, in the very first meeting. Follow-up becomes part of the overall expectation of the performance.

What is hard now is easier later. What is easier now is hard later. Do it now, the earlier the better. Don’t be surprised. –TF

Vision & Autopilot

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The first step in the planning process is to create a clear and compelling picture of the future. Most planning models describe this step as “Vision.” But, why? Why is this step the first step and why is it so important to the planning process?

Most times, when a group jumps into planning, I see them assemble around a table and immediately begin to set goals. True, goals are an important part of the planning process, but if that is their first step, the group is in big trouble down the road. Without a defined vision, the liklihood of ANY goal be in alignment with their assumed vision is very remote.

Planning starts with a clear and compelling picture of the future. Once that picture is defined (in all of its warmth and fuzziness), goals can then be set that make some sense. But why else? Why is vision so important to the planning process?

I am not a golfer, but I am told that the most important thing that Tiger Woods, or Jack Nicklaus does, prior to any swing, is visualize the ball launching from the tee and traveling through the air, onto the green and into the hole. All modern sports now employ visualization into their coaching processes. Why? Visualization is powerful because it uses the right side of the brain to assist in muscle control, timing, stance, sequence and weight position. When the left side of the brain (the logical side) tries to assist with muscle control, timing, stance, sequence and weight position, it is actually counterproductive. The more a golfer thinks about their stance and how they hold their hands, the worse they actually do. Visualization works without words, to engage the right side of the brain, to put the body on autopilot to grip the club, control the backswing, launching the ball straight down the fairway, without conscious thought.

Vision, in planning, works to put a hundred small processes on autopilot. A team can collectively create a clear and compelling vision full of the hundred details that make a project successful. These hundred details might never make the light of a checklist, but on autopilot, they are the part and parcel of a project “gone right.” –TF

Who writes the Action Plan?

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Ralph had just finished a short meeting with John, a lead technician on one of Ralph’s teams. As Ralph left the room, John began shaking his head. It’s not that Ralph had a bad idea, but his way of going about it was just all wrong… at least that’s what John thought.

Managers get this assignment wrong all the time. Most managers think delegation is so simple that they don’t think. They jump in with both feet, conduct a highly efficient meeting, bark out the marching orders, ask if anyone has any questions (they never do), and adjourn the meeting. As as the manager walks out, the heads shake and the bitching and moaning begins.

So if the manager, in the midst of a delegation assignment, creates the Action Plan, and the delegation fails (due the execution of the Action Plan), who’s fault is it? I will tell you what John thinks. John thinks it’s Ralph’s fault. John is going to follow Ralph’s plan to the letter and when the Action Plan fails, John is going to point to Ralph and say, “It’s your fault, I did exactly what you told me to do.”

Where did Ralph want the accountability? Of course, Ralph wanted the accountability to rest with John. Most managers want the same thing… and that is where all the screaming and yelling starts. The solution to this dilemma is simple… just change one small thing. Ask the team member for an action plan.

At this point, most students of mine start pushing back. “You want me to do, what??? They don’t know what steps to take. I have to tell them what the steps are. No way.”

But if you want the accountability in your team member’s court, ask them to create their own action plan. This simple request firmly establishes that they are responsible for the execution portion of the delegation. This is EXACTLY where you want the accountability.

So, where is the safety net for the Manager? Review the plan for agreement. You see, you don’t have to accept any old thing the team member conjures up. You DO know the ropes better and you DO need to review the plan for agreement. Then, get the team member to sign it and you sign it. (That is the agreement part.)

The subtle difference, that creates a huge difference, is who creates the Action Plan. If the Manager creates it, the team member is off the hook. When the team member creates the Action Plan, that is where accountability lives. Throw down the challenge, ask them for their plan. -TF

Coach Me

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Most people around me don’t know that I am a championship ice skater.

At least I will be, if you agree to be my coach. The role of a coach is really simple. There are only two things required. Think of a coach, any coach, a famous one works the best. I used to pick on Dave Wannstadt of the Miami Dolphins, but he left, so I will have to find someone else to pick on. Pat Riley was my second choice, but he kicked himself upstairs with the Miami Heat.

When the coach shows up at practice, what is the first order of business? When I ask this question in my management class, I get a number of interesting guesses, but seldom the response I am looking for.

  • Stretching drills
  • Warmup drills
  • Conditioning drills

All are reasonable, but there is something that happens first. Somebody is walking around with a clipboard, and on that clipboard is a list. Who is on the list? Now, the guessing stops. The first order of business is to take attendance.

Woody Allen says that half of making progress in life is just “showing up.” The first responsibility of any coach is to make sure the team members show up. You cannot get better unless you show up for practice. So, if you are going to be my coach and turn me into a championship ice skater, your first responsibility is to make sure I show up for practice.

If you are doing a good job of instilling, within me, the discipline of “showing up,” we can now move to the next responsibility of the coach.

There are two things you know about my ice skating ability. First, you have noticed that, on the ice, I have a very strong right push-off. It is powerful, smooth, fluid, a perfect setup to transition into a number of other moves. The second thing you notice about me, on the ice, is that often, the laces on my skates are untied. And here we move to the second responsibility for the coach. Remember, your job (should you decide to accept it) will be to turn me into a championship ice skater. With these two pieces of information, how will you do that?

  • Strong right push-off
  • Laces untied

The second responsibility of the coach (after the “showing up” piece) is to give me feedback. As my coach, you have two areas to work with (for now). One area is positive, one area is negative. Here is the question of the day: Do you have to give me the negative feedback, or can you just work with positive feedback?

Here is where I depart from other theorists on feedback. Some would say, just work on strengths and the weaknesses will become irrelevant. My response: Bulloney. My laces are untied, for Pete’s sake. I gotta get my laces tied correctly or I am going to fall flat on my face… EVERY TIME.

Yes, you have to give me negative feedback so I don’t fall flat on my face. But now that you have my laces tied correctly, am I now a champion ice skater? No way! (What? You must have seen me skate.) Just because my laces are tied, only means that I don’t trip over my laces. To turn me into a champion ice skater, you must build on the only strength that you have to work with, my strong right push-off. By building on that strength, you can transition me into other moves, adjusting speed, position on ice, balance, gliding.

The role of the coach is really simple, two primary functions. Make sure I “show up,” and give me feedback. You have to give me both, positive and negative. The negative feedback is necessary, but to turn me into a champion, you have to build on my strengths. —TF

Personal Fitness-Team Fitness

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Five miles into the ride, the warm-up is over, we turn south on A-1-A and set up the pace line. Today, we have five riders. It’s a weekday, so the ride will be a quick 28 miles.

Mike takes the lead, Scott follows, then Rob, Henrik and me. There is a southerly flow in our face, so Mike pulls an easy 19-20 to the first set of buildings. The route ducks behind some condo towers and in the swirl, the speed climbs to 21. By now, the gaps are closed and the line becomes efficient. To be a part of this team, each member takes a turn on the nose, maximum effort into the wind. Macho and ego may play a part (of course it does), but it is the responsibility of the lead bike to keep up a respectable pace. If the leader on the nose sees the speed drop off, it is time to move left and signal the pace line up. A short respectable pull is more appreciated than a longer pull that slows down the line.

As the leader moves off the nose and back to the rear of the pace line, it is important to maintain enough speed to hook on the back and close the gap. A brief lapse in concentration and the pace line can run right past. If too much space opens up, the last rider might lose the wheel in front and suddenly find themselves “off the back.” Fighting the wind solo to regain the wheel in front may be beyond the rider, especially coming off the nose in front. In another minute, the current leader will be cycling back. Gotta close the gap. If I could only catch Henrik’s wheel. 4 feet, 3 feet, 2 feet… in… hold the gap. Don’t lose the wheel again. Mike comes off the front, Scott moves up, Mike will be hooking up in another 30 seconds. Close the gap. If Mike hooks up and I lose Henrik’s wheel, we will both be “off the back.”

The interdependence of the team requires each member to show up rested and fit. Each team member is responsible for conditioning, nutrition, overall aerobic fitness and strength.

When you look at your team, do they show up rested and fit? Does each team member take responsibility for their own conditioning, to support the interdependencies of performance? Business projects often require long hours, focused concentration, dogged determination, stamina. Success requires a clear head. It takes more than a willingness to close the gaps. It takes fitness (mental and physical) to execute, to move the bike (project). How fit is your team? What does fitness look like for you?

Managing Agreement

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This meeting was different. “Business as usual” was shattered like crystal on a marble floor. The usual comfort level was suddenly traded for a stomach flipping tension-filled discussion.

“I am sorry, but I have to disagree.” The silence dropped, eyes got wide, butts in chairs started shifting. Someone cleared their throat. This team was at a cross roads. The next few minutes would determine whether it engaged in productive work or disengaged to avoid the conflict currently on the table.

This is not a question of being able to manage the conflict, more a matter of managing agreement. In fact, the more the group tries to manage the conflict, the more likely the agreement will be coerced and compromised with the real issues suppressed, perhaps even undiscussable.

Conversely, if the group engaged in a process to manage agreement, the conflict might be heard, even encouraged, thoroughly discussed. Opposing viewpoints might be charted out and debated. Expectations might be described at both maximum success and dismal failure. Indicators could be created with contingency plans for positive and negative scenarios.

Does your team manage conflict to make sure discussions are comfortable and efficient?

OR…

Does your team encourage spirited discussion of both sides of an issue? When things get uncomfortable, can your team live through the stress of conflict to arrive at a well argued decision?

When I look around the room and see that each person is comfortably sitting, I can bet the issue on the table is of little importance. But, if I see stomachs tied in knots, this issue on the table is likely to be important. —TF

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Time

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Lester has just returned, “That’s it boss, all done, what’s next?”

And with those innocent words, Lester has just defined the time-span for that specific task. Why is the time-span of a task so critical to the definition of that task? It is an attribute often overlooked. Time, hey, it takes what it takes.

For simple tasks, that take less than a day, or even 2-3 days, the importance of time-span is not so critical, but extend the time-span of a task (or a role) out to a week, out to a month, out to three months, and the dynamics become interesting.

What differences are there between a task that takes 3 days to complete and a task that takes 3 months to complete? In one word, predictability. Most of the elements required to complete a 3 day task are known, very specific, very concrete. Some of the elements required to complete a 3 month task may be unknown or may change prior to the completion of the task. This predictability (or unpredictability) is what makes one task more complex than another. “Yeah, so what’s the big deal about that?”

The “big deal” is that time-span, as an indicator for complexity, can become a discrete unit of measure for the complexity of any task. How complex is a task? If you can describe the time-span of the task, you have just described the complexity of the task. The importance of this measurement is that time-span can be described very specifically. I may not know how to specifically measure the “complexity” of a task or project, but using time-span, I can nail it to the wall: This project has a three-month time span with a deadline of February 15.

Questions:

  • If I can measure the complexity of a project using time-span, can I select a Project Manager using time-span?
  • If I can determine the maximum time-span of a person, can I determine suitability for a role in our company?
  • Can I test a person on the basis of time-span , as they grow and mature, to determine capability for more responsibility?

Hint: the answer is yes. —TF

The Bio-feedback Days

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Remember the bio-feedback days. It was all the rage, an entire arm of the psychology, self-help, medical community started a little cottage industry. I don’t know where it started, maybe with the old lie-detector machines that measured Galvanic skin response. The essence of the science was that various stimuli in the environment create predictable biological responses in the body, sparking electrical and chemical changes in brain patterns and hormone levels. It’s what gives you the sweats when you get nervous.

You don’t hear much about bio-feedback anymore, but the bio-responses in your body are still very real. As a Manager, these bio-responses can work for you and against you. For the most part, bio-response is unconscious, we don’t know what is going on inside, but the hormones are being released nonetheless. As brain patterns change or hormone levels build, if the Manager can become sensitive to the change, two very important things can occur.

  • Heightened intuition
  • Channeled reaction

Charlie was in my office yesterday. We were talking about mostly nothing for a half a minute, when I suddenly became uncomfortable. Something happened inside of me, mostly with my stomach. I wasn’t in discomfort, but there was a significant twinge. Some people believe that intuition is unexplainable, but I think intuition is simply getting in touch with the bio-responses that unconsciously occur all the time.

The twinge in my stomach was caused by a short silence, a white space in the conversation. I had asked a question about Charlie’s last meeting with his boss. There was no response from Charlie. Silence in a conversation often causes a momentary awkwardness, which is a bio-response to “I don’t know where this conversation is going next? I thought I knew, but I don’t know now. I wish I knew, but I still don’t know. I hope this conversation get some direction soon, because this awful silence is killing me.” BOOM. That’s the bio-response. Heightened intuition (simply getting in touch with the bio-response) tells me that we are talking about something more significant than the weather. The first important element of bio-response is heightened intuition.

The second is channeled reaction. The automatic (unconscious) reaction to a bio-response is to avoid. Do anything to make this feeling go away. The silence was awkward. The automatic (unconscious) response is simply to “talk.” Make the silence go away. If I talk, the silence will be gone, the awkwardness will be gone and I won’t feel this way. It is also likely that the conversation will steer back to a discussion of the weather.

Channel the reaction. When the Manager becomes aware of the bio-response, the reaction can be channeled productively. My bio-response to Charlie was a twinge in the stomach. The twinge told me that this conversation had potential to be more meaningful. I could avoid it or I could engage. Avoiding it would be easy, simply talk to fill the silence, talk about anything. OR, I could engage, and channel the reaction. I could let the silence continue. I could let the silence do the heavy lifting to move this conversation to the next level. Something significant had happened between Charlie and his boss and Charlie needed to talk about it. We could have talked about sports, or we could have engaged in a meaningful discussion that had real impact on Charlie.

The bio-response gives the Manager a heightened sense of intuition and the possibility to channel the reaction to a more productive outcome. Listen to the twinges, watch for white space in conversations. —TF