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.

Contagious

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What is more contagious than a positive attitude? A negative attitude, of course!

At the beginning of most classes I teach, I always ask, “Think of one positive thing that has happened to you this past week.” Often, there are blank stares, quizzical looks, some hard thinking going on there. Given another thirty seconds, most can finally come up with something. What makes this exercise so difficult?

A much easier question would have been, “What is the worst thing that happened to you this past week?” People never have trouble coming up with that one. They are happy to tell you about things not working out in their lives. Interesting that makes them so happy.

Thinking negative thoughts is largely an unconscious activity. People express negative thoughts without thinking. Idle gossip is rarely intentional, it just happens and those who get sucked into it are not even aware they are traveling in that direction.

As a manager, if you want to set a positive tone, you will have to challenge your team to think about positive things. The expression of positive thoughts is a conscious activity. It requires active thinking. It is work to think that way. Positive thoughts and positive expression only occur intentionally. As a manager, it is your responsibility to challenge your team to think this way. -TF

Visualization and the Budget

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How do we know when we will run out of money? That’s what budgets are for. What is this budgeting process all about? How do you teach someone how to budget? How do we create comprehensive budgets for something in the future?

Strip all the accounting jargon away, and you find that a budget is, simply, the money part of every business plan. The first step in planning is visualization, seeing into the future and imagining the resources required. Working with my students, I insist that their visualizations include colorful detail, the smell of the room, the focus of light, the heat of the moment. When the vision of a project can be described in vivid, compelling terms, the job of imagining the budget becomes so much easier. How do I teach people to budget? I teach them to visualize the future and imagine the resources required to create the picture. You can do this individually or with your team.

The second step of any business plan is taking inventory (not literal inventory), but reviewing the historical elements that got you to the present. Prior projects often have “budgeted” costs and always have “actual” costs. Reviewing these historical reports combined with that clear picture of the future will create a budget with fewer surprises. -TF

Nice pull, Mike!

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I was third rider off the nose as our bikes snaked down A-1-A. In the face of a headwind, it was tough to keep the speed above 20mph. Mike had been on the nose for four minutes, fought through a couple of gusts that literally moved my front wheel 6 inches off the line. We were cresting a short incline, picking up speed. I knew Mike was about spent.

Two bikes ahead, I saw his taillight move left and I knew that he was done. Four minutes ago, we had popped out from behind the protection of a row of condo towers and smacked straight into the wind. But Mike is a steady rider, maintains a solid cadence.

Moving up the pace line requires focused concentration. Each cyclist is 12-24 inches off the wheel in front, tucked into a protective draft, maintaining spacing, watching for hazards, checking speed, searching for traffic, pedaling a stiff heart rate, controlled breathing, feeling the burn of lactic buildup.

“Good job, Mike!”
“Thanks, Mike!”
“Great pull!”
“Good speed!”

As Mike dropped to the back of the pace line, each cyclist he passed had a word of appreciation, encouragement and inspiration. I know Mike was dog tired. He had beaten the wind for the past five minutes and was seeking protection on the end of the pack. But, I saw him sit taller and his cadence increase. His body was beat, but his spirit was up.

Are your team members getting too much appreciation from each other? As your team winds its way through the day, what does appreciation sound like? Does your team have a protocol, an established time and place where they can genuinely thank each other for support and contribution? Does your team practice thanking each other?

Merry Christmas. -TF

Vision & Motivation

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When I was training for a marathon (at the ripe age of 39), Thursday morning would arrive at 3:30. The alarm clock would ring and I had a decision to make. I could throw it against the wall and return to my slumber, or I could put on my shoes and head out the door.

At 3:31am, I put together the connection between vision and motivation.

The goal was clear, 16 miles, in the cold. But for some reason, that goal did not get me going. In fact, the only thing that got me out of bed was my vision. My vision was a movie-like first-place finish breaking the tape, wind in my hair, looking sharp in my fancy running togs. It was only that clear and compelling vision that got my feet on the floor.

Here is the truth. Your team doesn’t care about your goals. They are not exciting. The only tool you have, as a manager, to get your team juiced up, is a clear and compelling vision of the future. A vision complete with vibrant color, exciting sounds and the smell of success. It is a description of the details that breathe life into a project. Vision is where enthusiasm lives, energy, drive and inspiration.

So, think about your recent projects.

  • When they were planned, what picture did you paint for your team?
  • Could they see it?
  • How excited were they about your picture of the future?
  • How did that project go, anyway?

If you want to make it better, if you want your team to become engaged, paint a better picture. Better yet, get your team to help you paint the picture. –TF

Mastery

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“It is difficult to lead the charge if you think you look silly on top of a horse.”

I am often asked to describe the most important qualities of leadership. What does it take to make a good leader? There are many qualities. Today I am thinking of Mastery.

Mastery is the beginning of self-confidence. Many times, people believe they can pump themselves up with a motivational book or by attending a motivational seminar. While there are temporary positive feelings of invincibility, it doesn’t take more than a few hours back at the office for that to wear off.

True self-confidence begins with mastery. “Mastery over what?” Well, just about anything that requires some new degree of skill, anything that requires a person to truly push their performance beyond their current level of self-confidence. Most folks seldom push themselves beyond their current limits, for fear of failure. It is in the facing of that fear (fear of failure) that I see true growth, a new level of mastery. There can be no mastery without the possibility of failure.

When was the last time you truly pushed yourself beyond your limits? When was the last time you engaged in something new, something that required you to think in new ways that required more tenacity than you have ever mustered before? It isn’t going to come from a book. It isn’t going to come from a seminar. Get off the couch, go do something new. -TF

Partner’s Time Horizon

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Question:
I’m at wits end. Discussions with my partner are becoming more and more frustrating. He keeps making decisions that have a positive short term impact, but a negative impact in the long run. I try to sit down with him, but the conversation ends up with an argument. I usually back off just to keep the peace, but, sooner or later, the long term will catch up with us.

Response:
Who was it, Yogi Berra, who said “the future ain’t what it used to be.” You are correct. Q1-2005 is just around the corner, it is very short term, but five years ago, Q1-2005 was seriously long term planning. Here is an interesting question, “What decisions did we make 5 years ago that put us precisely in this predicament today going in to 2005?”

Interesting question, but there is more going on here. Your description is a classic dilemma between two people harboring different time horizons. Time Horizon is defined as:

  • The length of time a person can work into the future, without direction, using their own independent, discretionary judgment.

Some people have a one-day Time Horizon, others have one-week, one-month, three-months or a year. Some people can work into the future two years, or five years. Some, even 10 years, thirty years. The decision to build the Hoover Dam was made by a person whose Time Horizon was substantially longer than 5, or even 10 years. People have different Time Horizons, and it’s hard wired.

Finally, I am concerned about the quality of the conversation. To be productive, you have to recast the context of the discussion. In the beginning of the discussion, you have to grant permission to each other to disagree. (What the hell does that mean?) It means creating a structure where opposing viewpoints can be considered and explored. Right now, your structure is an argument. You don’t even explore your own point of view, you back off. Some of my clients use something as simple as the De Bono hats exercise. Each member of the discussion (even if it’s only two people) assumes a different point of view around the problem based on the color of hat they are wearing at the time. White might be legal, green -finance, yellow -short term impacts, blue -long term impacts. Each person argues their color, with passion, exuberance, turning over stones and exploring the extreme. Nobody backs off. The ending decision can now be made with more facts on the table, with all points of view appropriately considered. -TF

If you have a question to submit, you can e-mail: tfoster {at} fosterlearning {dot} org

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