Break All the Rules

In their ground-breaking book, First Break All the Rules, authors from The Gallup Organization report the findings from their extensive research on what strong vibrant workplaces look like and what the world’s greatest managers do to find, focus, and keep talented employees.  Interestingly, they found that most managers follow incorrect assumptions about management, including:

*All behaviors can be learned

*The “best in role” all get there the same way

*Weakness-fixing leads to success

 

Gallup says that managers must break these so-called “rules” if they are going to be great.  These beliefs are pervasive.  Think about how many times you have been told, or you told someone else something like:  “If you try hard enough, you can do it” or “If you want it badly enough, you can do it” or “If you dream it, you can achieve it.”  Instead of these incorrect assumptions, Gallup suggests that great managers need to adopt the following assumptions:

*Some behaviors can be learned

*The “best in role” get the same outcomes using different behaviors

*Weakness-fixing prevents failure, while strength-building leads to success.  (This does not mean that “weaknesses” can be ignored)

The Gallup approach advocates the identification and deployment of each individual’s natural talents as the way for that person to achieve maximum performance.  Instead of obsessing over every weakness that a person may have, we need to provide them with opportunities to grow, develop, and perform in the arenas where they have natural talent.

With this in mind, imagine how things might have turned out for the great golfer Tiger Woods, if someone had obsessed over some of his possible weaknesses.  Imagine his junior high school physical education teacher fretting over his grade book and calling young Tiger into his office:  “Tiger, I have been looking over your grades on our different activities here in phys ed class.  And son, let me tell you, you have that golfing thing down perfectly.  However, I am a little concerned about your swimming.  You certainly swim well enough not to drown, but I would like to see some improvement there.  So, let’s take you off the golf course three days per week and give you extra swimming lessons.  I am sure that in time you will be as good a swimmer as you are a golfer.”

Fictional story?  Yes.  For all I know, Tiger Woods was and is a fabulous swimmer.  But is this not what we do to people in our performance reviews and development plans?  Does the Tiger in my example need to learn how to swim better?  Maybe -- if he wants to.  But his golf talent is going to soar if his teacher lets him out on the golf course as much as he wants to go.

So, while we cannot ignore weaknesses and we need to make sure they do not let us fail -- or drown, for example -- it is focusing on our natural talents that leads to high performance.  And when individuals perform in a superior fashion, so do their organizations.

Next blog we’ll look at what four things Gallup research tells us that Great Managers do. 

For more ideas on how you can lead breakthroughs in your organization, follow this blog and check out my web site at www.SheehanNonprofitConsulting.com   You will find free resources you can download, including a Breakthrough Strategy Workbook that you can download at no cost.  You can also check out my book, Mission Impact:  Breakthrough Strategies for Nonprofits, and buy it if you are interested.  And you can follow Sheehan Nonprofit Consulting on Facebook.

Save Time, Increase Energy, Focus Purpose

 “What time management tips do you have?”  I am asked this more and more often by consulting clients and our Smith School Executive MBAs.  The pace of work seems to get crazier all the time and email is totally out of control.

The issue is broader than “managing time” at work.  As I talk with people, what they are really interested in is how to have higher levels of performance and fulfillment in all areas of their life.  Here are my suggestions:

*Save Time.  The best book to read about saving time is Stephen Covey’s First Things First.  He shows how we often waste time on activities that are “not important.”  Read this and learn how to identify the “big rocks” that can help you manage your time better.

*Increase Energy.  Loehr & Schwartz argue that the key to being more productive is to manage our energy better.  Check out The Power of Full Engagement to learn how to increase your Physical, Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual domains of energy.

*Focus Purpose.  These first two suggestions will allow you to maximize time and energy.  But there is still only so much.  Increased fulfillment is the result of investing our time and energy in those endeavors which are most important to us.  In order to do this, we first need to choose what is most important to us.  I recommend that you use the exact same steps in my Mission Impact book to create a personal strategy for your personal success – in all areas of your life.

1.  Create a personal mission statement.  Why are you here?  What difference do you want to make?  What inspires you?

2.  Create a vision for your life of what it would look like if you could have it any way you wanted it.  Describe what every aspect of your life would be like, ideally. 

3.  Set goals for yourself that will take you toward that vision.  (Review my Goals Primer for details.)

4.  Do a SWOT analysis on yourself.  IMPORTANT:  Do a two week Time Study on how you spend every hour of your day.  This will be important data as you take on the next steps.

5.  Create a strategy for accomplishing your goals and pursuing your vision.  First, make sure to Block Threats and Fortify Weaknesses that may keep you from your goals and vision.  Then look for ways to Leverage Strengths and Seize Opportunities.

6.  Implement Your Strategy.  Take out the Time Study you created in Step 4 and make a new calendar for yourself that focuses your time on goals that are your priority.  You will need to make some important choices about your priorities and how you are going to invest your time & energy.  We can have more balanced and integrated lives, but ONLY if we make sure not to “over-subscribe” ourselves to various commitments that will require more time & energy than we have.  Making a “stop doing” list is as important as making your new “to do” list.

There is no magic wand to create infinite time for all we want to do, but by Saving Time, Increasing Energy, and Focusing Purpose we can have higher levels of performance and fulfillment in all areas of our lives – making more of a personal Mission Impact.

 

For more ideas on how you can lead breakthroughs in your organization, follow this blog and check out my web site at www.SheehanNonprofitConsulting.com   You will find free resources you can download, including a Breakthrough Strategy Workbook that you can download at no cost.  You can also check out my book, Mission Impact:  Breakthrough Strategies for Nonprofits, and buy it if you are interested.  And you can follow Sheehan Nonprofit Consulting on Facebook.

Almost Impossible Goals are Not Magic!

Some People get enamored with the idea of setting Almost Impossible Goals, as per some of my recent blogs.  But sometimes I find that silly euphoria sets in, for example:

He:  “I’m psyched!  We set an Almost Impossible Stretch Goal and can’t wait to see our results!”

Me:  “Great!  What new ideas have you brainstormed to try out so you can achieve your goal?”

He:  “Well, we think that the way we have been going about it is pretty good.  I’m thinking that the excitement of setting the new goal will get us there.”

Me:  (What I want to say) “No!  No, No, No!!!  You were not reading or listening closely!  Almost Impossible Goals are not Magic!  The idea is to set the goal at a level where you think you only have a 1% chance of accomplishing it.  And then you brainstorm totally new ways to go about accomplishing the goal.  There is NO WAY you are going to achieve an Almost Impossible Goal using the same process you used before by just relying on enthusiasm.”

Me:  (What I would really say) Same as above – but kinder, gentler, e.g., without the “No, No, No” but still pointing out that “He” is off the mark.

He:  (A little sad) “So we need to come up with a totally different way of going about achieving the goal if we are going to reach it?”

Me:  “Yep.  That’s the way it works.  But remember, the big goal will help inspire creativity in your team.  Get them together and encourage some real brainstorming.  You will be surprised at the new ideas they come up with!”

What do they say, that the definition of insanity is trying the same old thing over and over while expecting a different result?  Almost Impossible Goals are not Magic!  If you want to tap into the power of creative tension that these goals provide, then open your mind to totally different ways of accomplishing the goal.  That will give you an opportunity for breakthrough performance and greatly improved Mission Impact.

For more ideas on how you can lead breakthroughs in your organization, follow this blog and check out my web site at www.SheehanNonprofitConsulting.com   You will find free resources you can download, including a Breakthrough Strategy Workbook that you can download at no cost.  You can also check out my book, Mission Impact:  Breakthrough Strategies for Nonprofits, and buy it if you are interested.  And you can follow Sheehan Nonprofit Consulting on Facebook.

Making Change Stick

 Recently I had a chance to do a half-day workshop on “Making Change Stick” for a group of nonprofit executives at a conference sponsored by NeighborWorks America.  Here’s one of main take-aways that may help you when you are in the process of leading a change.

These particular nonprofit leaders have been working on various improvements in their organizations for the past year – and they have made some successful changes.  I got to be the wet blanket.  I told them that making the initial changes was just the beginning of the work and that they had to be sure not to make a classic “leading change” error:  “celebrating success too soon.”

I asked them “Of the people involved with the change you are leading, what percentage of them fall into these categories?:”

*Enthusiastic – guiding coalition; cheerleaders

*Supportive – would speak on behalf of the change, if asked

*Accepting – passive acceptance

*Resistant – active or passive aggressive

Think about this for a change you are leading.  I suggest that, in order for your change to “stick,” you need at least 50% of your people in the top two categories.  And actually, you need as many people as possible in those top two groups to be really confident that your change is going to “stick.”

The work of leading a change isn’t done until it’s embedded deeply into the culture.  Until people have the attitude of “That’s just the way we do things around here” then there is work to be done.  Good luck leading change as you seek to make even more of a Mission Impact.

For more ideas on how you can lead breakthroughs in your organization, follow this blog and check out my web site at www.SheehanNonprofitConsulting.com   You will find free resources you can download, including a Breakthrough Strategy Workbook that you can download at no cost.  You can also check out my book, Mission Impact:  Breakthrough Strategies for Nonprofits, and buy it if you are interested.  And you can follow Sheehan Nonprofit Consulting on Facebook.

Sleepwalking Through SWOTs

SWOT analysis – analyzing the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of an organization – is usually not done well.  I often feel as if organizations are just sleepwalking through the process.

I think this is because so many people look at this as a mechanical and analytical process while it should be spirited and creative.  Examples:

“I think our #1 Weakness is our Board.  We need new blood and we need to recruit people who are better connected within the community.”

“What!  Our Board is caring and many have been with us since our founding.”

“Exactly.  But that’s about it.”

Or maybe . . . . . .

“I see the Opportunity for us to launch a planned giving program targeting all those widows we know who love the work we do here at the Humane Society.”

“How rude!  Chasing after those nice women just for their money!”

“Their money is going to go somewhere when they die.  What better place than to help take care of the animals they love so much.”

Don’t sleepwalk through your SWOT Analysis.  Make sure you are not making these common mistakes:

*No Rigorous Preparation.  Often there is no prep and a strategy group just shows up one morning asked to identify SWOTs.  Do some pre-work!  Examples:  Involving stakeholders in the SWOT process by asking them for input is a great way to include them and they can produce valuable insights.  There are great tools, like the VPP/McKinsey OCAT, (see my Cool Tool blog) which can allow for a thorough evaluation of strengths and weaknesses.  Collect environmental data that may reveal trends, opportunities, and threats.

*No Healthy Debate.  So many groups will not engage in constructive conflict about anything.  This is a very important place to have healthy debate!  And coming up with the “right” answer of the top five SWOTs is not the most important outcome of the debate.  Through debate, people learn various perspectives of the organization and this will become very important throughout the strategy development and implementation phases.

*Too Rushed.  Allow your organization to take a few hours with the process.  Don’t rush the voting to get done fast.  Break your strategy development team into smaller groups to combat Groupthink and allow for divergent views.  Bring the entire group back together, encourage discussion and develop common understandings.  “Really?  You think that is our biggest weakness?  Why?”

Clarity and common understanding of your SWOTs will allow you to create robust strategies to pursue your mission, vision, and goals as you Leverage your Strengths, Fortify your Weaknesses, Seize your Opportunities, and Block your Threats to make even more of a Mission Impact.

For more ideas on how you can lead breakthroughs in your organization, follow this blog and check out my web site at www.SheehanNonprofitConsulting.com   You will find free resources you can download, including a Breakthrough Strategy Workbook that you can download at no cost.  You can also check out my book, Mission Impact:  Breakthrough Strategies for Nonprofits, and buy it if you are interested.  And you can follow Sheehan Nonprofit Consulting on Facebook.