Start sketching this plan with the following question: If, a year from now, I can say that the business had a fantastic year, what has occurred?  When you answer this, make sure that you reference specific progress on at least 2 of the following: finances, market share/growth, product/services, talent, infrastructure.  These are your goals, at the highest levels.

A statement like, "We're the #1 widget seller in the state with the best team ever," is not specific enough.  "We've broken the $3M mark and have a more solid, committed team I feel confident in," is much better.

Then identify the 3-5 critical rocks to meet these goals.  (If you're not familiar with the "rock" reference, take 3 minutes to watch this video.) Using the example above, the rocks might be:

• Officially launch Product X, adding additional $250,000 in revenue.
• Increase repeat business for Product Q by 10%, thus adding $250,000 in revenue.
• Reduce turnover to 10% from 20%.
• Increase employee experience scores, even modestly.

If you are the business owner, it is equally important to define what would indicate your personal success, because you and the business are inextricably linked.  Own this.  Ask yourself, "If, a year from now, I can say that I had a fantastic year, what has occurred?"  Especially for this question, less can be more.  Often, 1 goal here can provide considerable room for work.  Perhaps a fantastic year for you may be indicated by having a better relationship with your spouse, or feeling like you did your very best as a parent.  Or maybe it's taking up a new activity or hobby. Don't worry about whether your success indicator is good enough by other people's standards. Be honest with yourself about what needs to happen for you to feel like you had a great year.

Now, take a hard look at the what you've made note of so far.  Do your goals support one another?  Be honest.  Can you really achieve doubling your growth while increasing your time with family, or reigniting a hobby?  Stretching is fine.  Stretching to the point of snapping somewhere is not fine.  Don't create your own hell.  Be honest with yourself and make smart decisions now about what you set out to do.

Now that you know your high-level business goals and the most critical rocks that must be addressed, and your personal goals fit with these, you are ready to involve others.  Engage your team in discussions about your goals and rocks for the business in the coming year. How do these match what they see?  What are strategies and milestones for taking care of the rocks?  

For your personal goal(s), talk with someone about what you want for yourself, and how you will pursue it.  This could be your partner or spouse, business coach, your peer group, a trusted colleague...anyone who you value and who you will feel some quiet pressure from to step up and deliver on this goal. (If you want more on how to achieve behavioral change, check out Change Anything. Its counsel is applicable in the work and non-work realms.)

When you are clear in your head about your priorities, and you clearly communicate these, it is nothing short of amazing to see the increase in results and decrease of stress that emerges.  

​Take time now to find your clarity. Get help from a facilitator if you need to.  And go forth with the confidence that clarity brings you.

The surprise results of the 2016 Presidential election begs many questions. For leaders, there are meaningful parallels to draw. How vulnerable are you to to detrimental surprises in your company? Your wisdom as a leader is based on what you know. Your decisions and behaviors come from what you know. So, what do you really know?

What is your risk of being blindsided with your business, like so many experts with this election?
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​Correlating with what contributed to the surprises with the election, here are 5 questions to ask yourself.

Why? Simply because it's likely not helping your business. It might even be hurting you.

Now, if I'm wrong and your survey and the process does build trust within the company, result in meaningful actions being identified and performed, and you see employee relations improve, congratulations. Don't bother reading further.

Over and over again I see examples of companies doing engagement surveys that amount to (at best) a wee bit of meaningful discussion at the senior leader level, and the box being checked for having done this. All too often I see businesses do harm with these because they don't report back the data to employees, the senior leaders fail to take ownership of the results, and an action plan that is meaningful and realistic (and one with 25 actions is not realistic) does no emerge. After a couple of rounds of this, employees grow to resent the charade and the relationship between leadership and employees takes a hit.
​
No wonder engagement hasn't increased meaningfully even after so much time and money going into surveys!

Here are the common failings that I see with employee engagement surveys and the process overall:

1. Surveys are used as the ultimate diagnostic. That's like saying that one medical test tells you everything about someone's health. The survey data should point you where to poke around to learn more, and where to start to make changes. More personal, direct feedback from employees will really reveal the issues and opportunities. Employees have the answers.
2. Negative results terrify leaders. "We cannot possibly share these results!" you may hear them say. But when there is critical, constructive feedback offered, it's a golden moment for leaders to show vulnerability and take ownership of the situation, and demonstrate humility by their openness to learning more from employees and pursuing change. Few and far between are the leaders who are ready to seize the incredible opportunity at this point.
3. The survey results are too granular. Item-by-item data is not where the insights are. Summary data that helps to reveal highest and lowest results, variation across segments (e.g., What did senior leaders rate significantly higher than the rest of the company? These indicate blindspots and may point to critical areas to focus on.), and anomalies. Rarely do survey reports provide meaningful summaries. And who in your company has time to generate those?

The biggest issue I see with employee engagement is the misconception that the business can really change one's internal engagement. One's engagement level has influences far beyond the scope of the business. A business can make someone disengaged (especially with environments where there is intense unfairness or negative communication patterns like bullying and harassment), but a business cannot make someone be engaged.

Companies can control employee experience, but not employee engagement. Are employees having overall positive or negative experiences? What aspects of the employee experience are especially positive or negative?

​Employee experience data, rather than engagement data, leads to thinking about people more than numbers. In turn, this drives meaningful action by the company to develop the experience - and likely the engagement - of employees.

So, are you ready to try a new, more people-centered approach? Here are action steps:

1. Use an experience survey and communicate to your employees your commitment to understanding and supporting their experience.
2. Think of the survey as one data point, but use other data points to help you get a broader picture: feedback groups, observations, interviews, other survey data (e.g., candidate surveys, exit interview data).
3. Leverage the brief opportunity you have shortly after you get the results back to share openly the results, take ownership, and outline clear next steps (which may be some more data gathering).
4. Limit yourself to only a handful of action items for improvement of the employee experience. There is tremendous power in identifying one focus point for the upcoming period (a year? a quarter?) and go deep with that rather than broad. (Examples: Build stronger relationships between managers and employees. Clarify roles, performance measures and feedback mechanisms.)

You know the definition of insanity, right? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Are you ready for a new approach?

August was a big month for our family. Among the highlights, our oldest child entered kindergarten at a public school that is Montessori-based.  The short story is that he LOVES it, which is notable because of the intense struggles he had in a much more traditional environment over the past two years.  It is just fascinating to see the transformation, and I can't help but explore what has brought this about. Why does this school/classroom/teacher work so well for him?

I'm sure there are many reasons, and some of them (e.g., a break at home over the summer, general maturity) don't have anything to do with the school itself.  

​But there are key elements of this new environment that catch my attention. See if you find anything familiar with these.

• The teachers nurture a strong, personal relationship with every child. They know him as an individual, celebrate who he is, and focus on building strengths (and addressing challenges is secondary).
• Over the course of the first two weeks, the class works together to establish their Peace Agreement, which are written on a large paper on which everyone writes their name.  These are the basic behaviors that everyone agrees are critical for a safe learning environment. The explicit expectations and collaborative process over time mean that students have these internalized - they're not just words on paper. 
• The first two weeks are devoted to helping students understand how the classroom works and letting them practice that.  There is no performance expectation: just learn, try and norm.
• Teachers maintain specific progress charts for every child.  Each child is supported in mastering skill A before being pushed to skill B. They go at the pace that works for them.
• To a large extent, kids can work where they want, when they want on what they want. Want to sit on the floor rather than at a desk? No problem. Want to do science first and math later?  Okay.  They are expected to deliver the result of getting their work done, but many details about how are left up to them.  Our child is even known to retreat to a corner with a book for short periods when he needs some social separation and to "zone out."  He doesn't need to ask permission, he just takes care of his needs and that is celebrated.

Did you notice anything in particular about these points?  There is significant similarity with what workers need for engagement and productivity: relationships, recognition as individuals (not just gears in a machine), opportunity for mastery, autonomy, structure, explicit expectations, accountability for results rather than activities..

What if more workplaces offered this kind of experience?  

Perhaps our needs as people are more universal than we think. The needs are met in different ways, but maybe the needs themselves are not so different.  

Are the needs of experienced workers, versus Millennials, versus young children really all that different?  

And how much does this extend beyond the work and school settings?  I hearken back to the work I did with unemployed/underemployed women through Dress for Success Indianapolis.  Weren't they looking for the same points in bold above from the service providers supporting them?  To be seen as individuals, to have genuine relationships, to be nurtured to grow and master skills?

What are your thoughts? ​

When a Learning & Development (L&D) Specialist sits with business leaders to talk about their interest in leadership development, it’s not uncommon for the conversation to sound like this:

L&D Specialist: So, why is leadership development on your mind?
CEO: It’s important to invest in our people.
L&D Specialist: I certainly agree. What do you want to accomplish through leadership development?
CFO: Employees are excited about it.  They come to the sessions.  It’s good stuff.
L&D Specialist: You bet. What would you want people to be better at after being part of a leadership development program?
CEO: They are more effective leaders.
CFO: They communicate better.  They are better listeners.
CEO: So, do you know of some classes we can offer?
L&D Specialist: I know of great classes and other learning options as well. Our best outcomes will come when we know upfront the specific changes we are seeking.  Maybe we can first work on determining our leadership competencies, and evaluating the gap between current and desired performance of these competencies?
CEO: Everyone’s really busy. Let’s just get something going.  Our competitors have had this kind of program for a while now.  See what you can find and bring me some ideas. 
L&D Specialist: What’s the budget you were thinking of?
CEO: I don’t know.  Depends on what you bring me.  Thanks.
 
Could you feel the tension in this conversation?  The L&D Specialist is working hard to see the vision of the CEO and CFO, or even help them clarify their vision.  The leaders, however, just want activities to happen.  They may even grow frustrated with the L&D Specialist’s questions.  Meanwhile, the Specialist may feel set up to fail because the desired outcomes and specs are so limited. 
 
So, where do they go from here? 

Even with very limited direction as shown here, the L&D Specialist could assemble a meaningful leadership development program with a focus on engaging participants, enhancing self-awareness, adding and practicing specific skills, and then reinforcing learning.
 
Sounds simple, but what would that really LOOK like?  Below is a full explanation, or take a shortcut and see a 2-year plan.

Set the foundation

• Senior leaders have to commit to learning the same models/techniques/approaches as everyone else, and commit to leading by example.
• Engage others in giving preliminary input on development offerings.  Gather thoughts on their learning interests, preferred formats (online, classroom, blended), timing and frequency of learning events, opportunities for reinforcement of learning, etc. 

Hold a kickoff event with participants and senior leadership. 
This can be a simple gathering over lunch or at the end of the workday and there are lots of ways to be creative with this in ways that fit your company culture.  It’s key that three things happen:

• Senior leadership offers genuine statements about why this development is important for the success of the company (and ideally, why it’s important to them personally).
• Participants are asked to articulate why this is important to them and/or what they hope to gain/learn.  Capture this in some way.
• Expectations are discussed: time investment, commitment expected, involvement of managers or others in the company, etc.

Enhance self-awareness through a behavioral assessment.
My tool of choice is Everything DiSC because it supports independent learning (even self-generated comparison reports) and provides highly engaging training materials and meaningful reports that drive behavioral change.   

Establish the basics.
Vital Learning’s Essential Skills of Leadership and Essential Skills of Communication take participants through hands-on activities focused on 8 skills that are critical for all leaders in all settings.  A model for healthy communication is also introduced, and this model is widely applicable in personal and professional situations.

Require participants to articulate their learning.  Ideally this ties back to the goal they identified as part of the kickoff.  They should identify 1-3 “ah ha” moments and offer 1-3 behavior or attitude shifts they will commit to, and how they will work on these. 
 
This information can be captured in a video message (participant records on their phone and sends to the facilitator and supervisor), shared in closed LinkedIn/Facebook group for the cohort/company/class, submitted in writing to the facilitator…whatever is easiest for the learning.  Commitment should also be shared with the other participants – this drives accountability and real change.

Review learnings and promote accountability.  You could hold short follow-up sessions over lunch, or do individual or small-group coaching.  Ask participants to report back on their progress and provide support for continuing to move forward.  Involve the managers of the participants if possible. 

Gather input on “what next.”  What is important to participants and senior leadership? Navigating change?  Handling conflict?  Coaching performance?  Ideally, the approaches for these areas are based on what was put forth when establishing leadership basics, rather than introducing even more lists and models.  (The Vital Learning curriculum does this brilliantly!)
 
Now, that was a lot of explanation, but again, I promise that this is simple. Check out the sample 2-year program if you haven’t already done so.
 
Especially as our service-based economy increases and unemployment decreases, keeping good talent and supporting their performance is paramount.  These leadership skills don’t emerge overnight.  But even a simple strategy supported by general best practices (check out 5 Keys for Learning Initiatives) can bring about a transformation in a company’s productivity, financial performance, and culture.

Who doesn't love a quick fix?  In our 21st-century western culture, this is practically part of our DNA.  Got a pain?  Pop a pill.  Want a perfect lawn?  Spray this around.  Looking to lose weight?  Drink this.  VOILA!  Problem solved!

Certainly, this is present in our workplace as well. Want more employee engagement?  Put managers through a two-hour communications training.  Want to do better hiring?  Get someone to write you the perfect interview questions.  For non-profits, want more donations?  Send another mailer.

Might there be some positive return from these efforts?  Maybe.  At some level.  For some period of time. However, the likelihood of meaningful performance improvement at the desired level is slim.  Are you okay with a quick fix that yields a quick uptick in performance, or are you wanting real results?

The quick fix is appealing because it often requires limited investment of time exploring the situation and various routes to pursue change.  The initial time investment is the starting place for real change.  Note that "time investment" doesn't have to be a 6-month initiative with dreadful weekly meetings.  It could be just an hour or two with the right people at the table focusing and thinking together.

If you want to take the time to do a root cause analysis and solution design, here are questions to ask.

• How does this problem impact our business?  Why is fixing this so important to us?
• Are there instances when this is not a problem?  What's happening in those instances?  Can that be replicated?
• What would "perfect" look like/sound like?  (Imagine describing this to someone who knows little about your business.)
• What are the processes that surround the problem?  Would process changes help?
• Are people lacking will?  Skill?  Physical resources? Time?  How might those be addressed?

The time invested exploring these questions will maximize the results of any subsequent efforts you make.  This means real change - not just quick fix magic.

1. Asking questions – Great leaders ask meaningful questions that prompt critical thinking and open the floor for meaningful sharing.  Using starter questions like, “Tell me what comes to mind when you hear…” to probing questions like, “Can you elaborate on why this image doesn’t work for you?”, the leader pulls the thinking from the group members.
2. Modeling positive communications – Even when there is tough conflict, positive leaders communicate with a focus on issues (not people) and finding solutions (not complaining about problems).  “Sales and production are looking at what goals they can agree on,” is both honest and positive compared to, “The yahoos in sales are still over-inflating their goals and creating impossible numbers for production to meet.” Is this spin?  Yes. And it’s spin that matters, especially when it’s coming from a recognized leader (again, a formal or informal leader) because it sets the tone for how people work together and for the general culture.
3. Emphasizing both character and competence trust – Character trust (relationship-based and requiring personal vulnerability) and competence trust (based on completion of work at high levels) go hand in hand.  Individuals generally lean more toward one or the other in terms of what they personally value and most focus on demonstrating.  Ultimately, both matter and matter equally. Great leaders demonstrate both and hold others accountable for both.
4. Getting into the yuck – You know the yuck moments, right?  One common examples is when someone in a meeting makes the quiet comment or gives the subtle look that clearly communicates unhappiness of some sort.  Everyone feels the yuck, but does anyone address it?  There is nothing easy about this, but when a leader brings the yuck out into the open, new depths of trust emerge quickly.  Sometimes this happens non-specifically, (“As I look around, I can tell that we’re not all on board with this. Let’s hear some more discussion…) while at other times it’s more direct (“Erin, you seem really bothered by the decision to go with the 2nd proposal. What’s on your mind?”). By bringing out the yuck, there is a lot conveyed, including sensitivity to others’ feelings and thoughts, a culture of direct and assertive communication.
5. Leading by example – As already touched upon, great leaders walk the walk.  They don’t just talk about positive communication, asking probing questions and communicating carefully, they execute it over and over, and especially during challenging times.  This is one of the true hallmarks of a stellar leader.
6. Emphasizing collective success – I imagine that you’ve heard: “There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’.”  While cliche, there is important truth here.  A true team (rather than a workgroup) has interdependence that means that all major successes (and failures) are collective.  It is all too easy to lose sight of what the collective goal is.  Perhaps it’s reaching new revenue levels while increasing client retention.  Or delivering higher levels of customer service.  Or transitioning to more standardized processes in order to promote sustainability.  Whatever the collective goal is, great leaders know it, and speak it, and anchor people back to it over and over.  Leaders with power over compensation even tie performance-based pay to collective goals and not individual goals. (Now, that’s serious alignment!)

The end of the year is soon and this is a natural time for reflection and goal setting.  Perhaps in this article you see an opportunity to build yourself as a leader who does even a little more to promote positive, healthy team function.  If so, I hope you’ll embrace making changes and taking new actions. Doing so may not be easy, but it may be what sets you and your team apart from the rest.

Is this thought familiar to you?  It’s a common frustration for the leader who is committed to employee engagement and positive culture, yet has responsibility for making change and driving performance as well.  Is it necessary to have to choose between pleasing others and performing?
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This piece from Harvard Business Review offers specific about what an over-focus on being liked leads to: paralysis, over-inclusion, accommodation, tolerating poor performance.  Have you seen this in action?

There is the leader who won’t make a decision and implement actions for fear of backlash.  Then there is the leader who is constantly convening “input” meetings and polling people through formal and informal ways.  You see a leader consumed with putting out small, internal fires in the spirit of keeping people happy, regardless of whether these actions support the progress of the business.  And then there is the leader who doesn’t hold others accountable for performance.

And what is the business impact of this “pleasing” dynamic?  In a word, significant. ​

Last year I decided to offer leadership training to clients.  But then I thought, "If I have to write one more slide deck and participant workbook, I'm gonna lose it!"

"And I've got to offer robust online learning as an option, but I know how long it takes to write a course in Storyline, and there's no way I can devote that time or afford to pay for it!"

To some extent, writing training is fun to do.  But holy cow - doing this well is a LOT of work.  In addition to an assortment of classroom trainings, I've even gone as far as to create a highly interactive training within Storyline. That 20-minute course took me approximately  120 hours to create. Creating truly quality training, and getting an ROI on it is often elusive (which is why so many consulting firms charge an arm and a leg for their custom trainings).

So, I set off to find a high quality, flexible, off-the-shelf option that could be extended to clients at an accessible price point.  After combing the market, Vital Learning was the clear winner. Truly, it's the curricula I always imagined, but always felt frustrated not to be able to create.  

When I shared my adoption of Vital Learning with fellow consultants at a breakfast, they gasped.  "What do you mean you bought canned training? But you can't personalize it!  It doesn't reflect your perspective and experience?"  They gave me serious grief, and clearly saw me as a traitor for this move.