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
Brad was sitting at his desk when Daniel entered the room, muttering. Dan was explaining this problem that he wished Brad to solve. Brad listened intently, then pointed to a small pad of imprinted sheets sitting on the corner of the desk. Each sheet contained the following questions.
“Take one of those sheets, go to the conference room. Work through the questions. I will meet you there in ten minutes,” Brad instructed.
Brad would always wait ten minutes before making his move to the conference room. He always stopped at the company coffee pot. When he arrived at the conference room, it was always empty.
What do you think happened? -TF
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Problem Solving Strategy adapted from a presentation by Ken Peterson, Pathwise.
Next Leadership Program scheduled for January 22. Visit www.workingleadership.com.
Next Sales Program scheduled for January 31. Visit www.workingsales.com.
Last week, we talked about Stripping Away those behaviors which do not serve us well as leaders.
Sameer posted the following comment:
Leading from Front – Weird? OK so the reason I say that it doesn’t serve me well is that my nature wants me to be involved. Inquisitive is the right word. I want to be there for my colleagues, peers or anyone who is facing the problem. I am not an expert in that area, I have a habit to sit beside and pair with the developer to fix the issue. Not often, I stay late or work weekends with them.
I think this is causing a lot of dependency on me which probably is not allowing the growth of the person. I also think this imposes my thoughts and his power to think is chopped.
Sameer, you are on the right track. It is easy, fun and rewarding to work through the problem side by side. Sitting side by side, though, removes the struggle, removes the crucible for learning. Sure, the problem gets solved, but learning suffers. More important, as a manager, you lose your time leverage.
Tomorrow, I will share a secret formula to use instead. -TF
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January 22 kicks off our next management program. Visit www.workingleadership.com.
Our next Sales Program is slated for January 31. Visit www.workingsales.com.
Ernesto introduced himself to the class. “Hello, my name is Ernesto, and I have been in management for ten years. I have one person reporting to me. My biggest challenge is making sure they do the job right. I have so much experience that I seldom make mistakes and I think that is why I was promoted. It’s important we don’t make mistakes because mistakes cost the company.”
I smiled. Ernesto was everything his boss had described. True he had been a “manager” for the past ten years, but it was just last week that he was assigned his only direct report. His company had tried that several years ago, but three people quit on his team in one month.
Time had passed. Ernesto had grown. He had matured and his company was willing to risk it again. His company needed Ernesto to step up to the plate. In fact, it was necessary, if Ernesto was going to continue to contribute.
It was time for Ernesto to move to the next level. -TF
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Our next management program begins January 22. Visit www.workingleadership.com.
Our next sales program begins January 31. Visit www.workingsales.com.
Ernesto was going to be a fun student. He had fifteen years experience with his company. He was an expert. Starting last week, he now had one person reporting to him. He was now a manager. And there were already complaints.
“How could a person so valuable, with so much technical knowledge alienate his direct report so quickly?” asked Ernesto’s boss.
“How long did it take?” I followed up.
He shook his head. “A nanosecond.”
“How does it happen?”
“I think he is afraid. He is afraid that his direct report is going to do something wrong, it will be done incorrectly and it will come back on his shoulders.”
“Welcome to management. Of course those things will happen. People learn the most from their mistakes. In fact Ernesto will have to learn from his mistakes. Let’s just make sure they are not fatal.”
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Our next management program begins January 22. Visit www.workingleadership.com.
Our next sales program begins January 31. Visit www.workingsales.com.
I spent the past few days thinking about Rose. This past March, Rose became one of our Malaysian subscribers to Management Skills Blog and wrote to ask for help.
“A very good day to you Mr. Tom. I am looking to join a new corporation as a Business Unit Manager here in my country of Malaysia. Prior to this, I’ve had ten years of working experience, both in sales and production. Currently, I’m studying for my MBA.
“I was approached by the Unit Manager of a company to take over her post when she opts for retirement at the end of this year. She has actually done a good job in establishing the brand name of the company in its niche market. My job is to bring the business to a new level, through differentiation into new market segments, and find leading franchise opportunities to expand our reach. At the same time, I’ll oversee operations as well. I’m already feeling nervous now. My experience was in industrial sales, and now, I find myself taking up something really new to me—a management job, building a franchise for this business. I’m scared that I may not deliver although I never promised miracles during my interviews.”
Over the next few posts, I will tell you the story of Rose and the decisions she made. By the way, she took the job.
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Publishing note: Beginning today, we will publish three times per week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Ernesto was on a roll. Emily was now seated in a chair at the front of the class.
“Emily, you think there is a morale problem on the line, but that’s not the problem. You know they are not meeting their daily quota, but you haven’t shared the numbers with them. Bottom line, you are not telling the truth because you are afraid to hurt someone’s feelings. By not telling the truth, you have made them incapable of improvement.”
Emily’s body language was retreating. Ernesto continued.
“And you have created co-dependents out of them. They are just fine not knowing what their quota is. As long as they don’t know, they don’t have to perform to it.
“When you tell them they are short, they think it’s your problem not theirs. They are perfectly willing to continue this non-accountable relationship. No skin off their nose.”
The color in Emily’s face began to pale. I called a time out. The room was very still and quiet.
“The problem we name is the problem we solve. That is why it is so important to name the problem correctly,” I said. “How will we name this problem?” -TF
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Our next Management Series begins on October 30 in Fort Lauderdale. Registration at www.workingmanagement.com.
Emily was nervous as she entered the classroom. She knew that I would not allow her to be a passive observer, but front and center in the crucible. I turned to greet the other folks who were now streaming in.
“I would like everyone to meet Emily. She has an interesting problem at work. With our help, she is going to walk us through some solutions.” Emily looked at me sideways. It would take her a bit to trust this group.
Up at the front, Emily stood. “I really don’t know what kind of problem I have,” she started. “Our manufacturing line is not meeting its daily quota and the reject rate is at 11 percent.” Emily continued to describe the circumstances, considering morale, motivation and working conditions. Then the questions started from the group.
“Who decides the daily quota?”
“How is the daily target communicated to the line?”
“Who tracks the number of completed units?”
“How does the line know if they are falling short or getting ahead of the target?”
Emily responded crisply, “The daily quota is determined by the sales forecast and what we need in stock, but the people on the line don’t need to know that. They just need to build the units faster. When the QC people pick up the units for inspection at the end of the day, they count them and it’s on my report the next day.”
Ernesto raised his hand. “So, the line doesn’t know how far they missed Tuesday’s quota until Wednesday?”
“Not exactly,” Emily replied. “I don’t want to discourage them, so I just tell them they were a little short, that they are doing good job and to try harder. I am worried about morale getting any lower.”
Ernesto tilted his head to directly engage Emily. “You are treating this issue as a morale problem. Morale is only a symptom. You have to treat the root cause of the problem, not the symptom.”
Randy dragged a chair up front for Emily to sit. We were going to be there a while. -TF
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Our next Management Series begins on October 30 in Fort Lauderdale. Registration at www.workingmanagement.com.
It was early. Early, meaning we were the only two people on the plant floor. Emily had drawn a flow chart of how materials were received, then assembled and then carted off to QC for inspection.
Emily had defended the competence of her workers in the assembly process. “The issue isn’t assembly,” I said. “The issue is speed and accuracy. Have you ever counted rejects off the line?”
“Well, no,” replied Emily. “That’s what our Quality Department does.”
“So, when units leave this line, we have no idea which ones meet the spec and which ones are defective?”
Emily was searching in her mind for a better answer, but she couldn’t find one. “No,” she replied.
“Emily, we are talking about competence. The biggest reason for failure is incompetence. Most managers will accept all kinds of excuses. The problem is not that the line is running too fast or too slow or that it is too hot or too cold, or that we don’t have great health insurance or that the team isn’t motivated. The problem is incompetence. Most managers won’t call it incompetence, because they don’t know how to solve that problem. The problem you name is the problem you solve. The issue is speed and accuracy. The problem is incompetence.”
“So, what should I do?” Emily asked.
“Funny, you should ask. Tonight, in class, we are going to talk about control systems and feedback loops. Why don’t you come, as my guest? I will help you teach the subject.” -TF
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Our next Management Series begins on October 30 in Fort Lauderdale. Registration at www.workingmanagement.com.
Emily was ready. She was promoted to manager two years ago and her performance was above average. “I am ready for the next level,” she said. “I am not satisfied with things. I know there is more to being a manager than management. What is the difference between management and leadership?”
I hate that question.
I hate the question because it appears to promote a difference. In the end, to be a successful manager requires leadership. While we talk about the difference, the purpose of that conversation is integration. Successful management requires leadership. Leadership is necessary.
“Emily, you have been a manager for a couple of years, now. What exactly, are you dissatisfied about?” I asked.
“There are times, when it seems, I am only able to get people to do what I want by forcing them to do it. By being a bully, or threatening. Not directly threatening, but, you know, do it or else.”
“And how does that work?”
“Not well,” she replied. “I may get some short term compliance, but as soon as I leave the room, it’s over.”
“Emily, the pressure that people are not willing to bring on themselves is the same pressure you are trying to tap into. If they are not willing to bring it on themselves, what makes you think you have the ability to overcome that?”
“But that’s my job, isn’t it?”
“Indeed. And managing your way to it, will get you where you are today. Leadership is a different journey. And I believe you are ready.” -TF