HOW TO NOT GET RUN OVER

“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”

Will Rodgers

A common image of a leader is that of a person standing in front of a group of people giving instructions. Think of Colin Powell standing at the front of the troops or giving a press release. The man commands attention. He is a real leader, not just “on the organizational chart” type of leader. He is not going to get run over.

How do you rate yourself as a leader? Whether you are just starting out in your career, or are a seasoned professional, you can be a leader. The more you demonstrate leadership in your job, the greater chance you’ll promote up into a leadership job. Not everyone is cut out to be a leader. Some seem to be “natural leaders.” Where are you on the leadership continuum; down at “wanna-be,” all the way up to “undisputed” or somewhere in the middle?

On Following

To be a great leader, you first have to be a great follower. You read that right! If you can’t follow, you can’t lead. Most people don’t want to be followers, but they do want to be led. Everyone is a little of both, because everyone has a boss. What are the attributes of a great follower? Here are a few characteristics:

• Humble
• Patient
• Creative
• Disciplined
• Persistent
• Flexible
• Confident

Hmmm. This list looks suspiciously like a list of qualities we seek and hope to find in a great leader. Until you can master these qualities as a follower, you can’t make the leap to leadership.

Look around you. No matter where you go or what you do, you will find leaders at every level of the organizational hierarchy. What qualities do they possess? Some of the above, I’m sure. But, what else did they have that made them leaders? That is your real-life example of a leader. What qualities that they have can you adopt? What qualities do you have trouble adopting, never mind mastering? This is your on-the-job training opportunity for leadership.

Leadership Excellence

How do you learn leadership skills and then put that into effect in your career? Easy, you demonstrate excellent leadership to the most important person in the world. Yourself.

Your ability to lead you is reflected everyday in the job you do, the relationships you have with co-workers or family and friends. In order to lead yourself, you must be a follower of yourself. Can you follow your own lead?

What exactly do I mean? Answer the following questions with yes, sometimes/maybe or no answers. Give yourself 3 points for each yes, 2 points for each maybe/sometimes, and 1 point for each no.

1.   Do you always do what you say you will do?

2.   Do you communicate with clarity and understanding to the level of your audience?

3.   Do you make people feel at ease with you?

4.   Is your attitude positive and optimistic?

5.   Do you know your job and what is expected of you?

6.   Are you willing to help others?

7.   Are you prepared to do your job every day?

8.   Are you using your sense of humor to break down barriers and connect with others?

9.   Are you creative at finding solutions to challenges?

10. Are you sincere in your efforts and relationships?

11. Do you have a good reputation?

12. Do you embrace change?

13. Are you willing to proceed (on a decision or project direction), even if it is the unpopular choice?

14. Are you consistent in all these elements?

How did you score? A perfect score is 42.

39 – 42           You are great leadership material

34 – 38          Good leadership potential

24 – 33           You’ve got more work to do than you think

17 – 23           You are not even a good follower

16 or less       The boss maybe thinking about sending you to HR!

So, don’t just sit there dreaming about becoming a leader. You have to “walk the talk” and start doing the things that leaders do. You start by leading yourself. This is about your personal journey to achieve 42 on the above assessment in leading yourself. If you do an excellent job there, the boss and your co-workers will notice. The closer you get to scoring 42, the more opportunities will come your to demonstrate your leadership to a wider and wider audience. Perhaps, someday, you’ll even be the CEO. It’s possible!

Need help getting to 42? Don’t hesitate to call me, get on the right track, and move towards scoring 42 on your leadership. You don’t want to get run over by not taking action.

A dream with a plan is a goal. A goal without a plan is just a dream.

All things are possible,

Elisabeth

Elisabeth Adler-Lund eal@EALCoaching.com

Executive and Life Coaching

Telephone: 916 • 803•1494

E-mail:

5 EASY STEPS TO MANAGING CHANGE

“Map out your future, but do it in pencil.” – Jon Bon Jovi

What kind of advice is that? What I want to emphasize is the importance of staying flexible. Change happens. It is really the only constant in your life. Each person has a unique reaction to change. Some people embrace change, some to the point of seeking it out. For those who accept change reluctantly, if at all, that is a radical concept. Where are you on the scale? “1” hates change, “3” is neutral to change, “5” embraces change:

1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5

Just as everyone reading this article, will have a different reaction to change, so it is true for the people you supervise. It is important to realize the variety of reactions you will get when you go to implement a change. When you have big changes, you also get big reactions. So what is a manager to do?

No matter the reason for the change, it is important to consider and involve your staff. They see you as having all the information. They have no information, but they do have rumor and imagination. These are trying times we live in. Bad news is all over media. When people are in the dark, they imagine the worst.

Here is a five-step process to help navigate through the change in a least scathed manner. Change is hard for some people. They will not change without a fight. Be prepared for that, and you’re halfway there.

Communication

First and foremost, is you must communicate. Tell the truth, the WHOLE truth. That is how you build trust. Tell staff everything you know. If you don’t know, say that. Do NOT make something up just to give them an answer. Knowledge is power, so you are empowering your staff by giving them information. Be transparent. Address resistance as it pops up. It isn’t going to go away. Focus on solutions, the good this change will bring. Actively listen to staff. Being heard is vital to them, now more than ever. A great way to involve employees is to solicit feedback. What do they see as the positives? What do they see as the best way to address some of the challenges?

The main things employees want to know are just three things:

1. What is changing?

2. What will actually be different because of the change?

3. Who is going to lose what?

If you address these issues honestly and openly, you will keep most of your staff. Be aware this change might be just what motivates someone to seek other employment. That’s good. They wouldn’t be part of the solution anyway. I’m sure these were the questions on your mind too, when you first heard about the change. Start an inventory of the barriers to productivity as you move through the changes. What is preventing you moving forward?

Help Them Let Go

Identify who is losing what. What are they really losing? It maybe colleagues or a process they enjoy. Whatever it is, expect subjective reactions. Be prepared for over-reactions. Remember, their world of work is shifting under their feet. They will need time to adjust. Be empathetic, their loss is real to them. Even if it is a change to a process that “everyone” hates, it is familiar to them, whereas, the change is unknown.

Grief

Expect them to grieve their loss(es). Learn about grief and learn the signs. There are five stages to grief in the respected Kübler-Ross [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Stages_of_Grief ] model (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance). People will walk around, not smiling, no joking in the halls. To help them (and thus you) define what is over. Mark the endings (this is our last …). Treat the past with respect. It is their work, don’t minimize the effort. There was good in the old, just like there will good in the new. Let people take a piece of the old with them; an old job duty or, if a move is involved, an object. Allow time for healing to take place. Don’t rush the process; let the process be your friend. Finally, don’t mistake grief for low morale.

Transitions

As you transition between the old and the new, develop a strategy for change that takes into account the initial resistance. As the change moves through its stages, keep everyone up-to-date. These progress reports will be very helpful in allaying fears in your staff. Evaluate what has happened thus far. If you or the company needs to make a course correction, include that in your progress reports. If you know why, include that too. Support calculated risk-taking by your staff. It may not be the exact change you anticipated, but it may be better at the end of the day. Look for opportunities to brainstorm. Nobody has all the correct answers. Brainstorming will also inform you of perceived obstacles by your staff. Then you can inform people with what you know or include these into your course corrections. Transitioning is a process, too. Don’t rush for closure too soon. Let the process be your friend.

Build New Relationships

Help to build a new employee relationship. Eliminate non-essential tasks. Provide a participatory environment with employee voices and choices. I know, this may be scary and uncharted territory for you. The rewards are worth it. So let go of your need to control. Trust your staff, just as they trust you. Settle into the new ways and rhythms before doing any long-term career planning. To make your performance and reward system relevant, ask staff, “How do you want to be rewarded?” Money may not be the carrot they want.

What else?

What else can you do? Avoid the “all or nothing” thinking that often accompanies trauma. Change is traumatic. Be gentle, but firm with people. Stay consistent. That way you maintain a stable appearance. Practice self-care and manage your stress. That will help you stay consistent and stable. Behave like someone we respect.

Find and communicate the good side to the change. “Change your thoughts, and you change your world” (Norman Vincent Peale). When you believe this change is for the better, your staff will (finally) believe you. Capitalize on the WIIFM syndrome (what’s in it for me?). You will get more of what you want by finding a way to give people more of what they want. This is an opportunity for decision-making. Listen carefully and use it wisely. As the saying goes, “Even a broken clock is right twice a day.” Trying to lift morale after a big change is like putting a band-aid on a broken arm. Not so effective is it? Let people process through their grief at their pace. You’ll know when they are ready to move on. Seize that moment and capitalize on it. Do an inventory of what you do control. Then let go of what you can’t control. That’s a move towards sanity all by itself.

            “Hope is not a strategy. We have to plan.” (Dr. Julie Gerberding)

Don’t hope for the best. PLAN for the best outcome, and you’ll get it.

A dream with a plan is a goal. A goal without a plan is just a dream.

All things are possible,

Elisabeth

Elisabeth Adler-Lund

Executive and Life Coaching

Telephone: 916 • 803•1494

E-mail: eal@EALCoaching.com