Management Notes : Speaking up, Serenity and Leadership at every level!

Recently, I was speaking with an executive in a mid-size business who could see the need for change in his business but wasn't sure how to make a difference. He asked me to reflect on my views and make some notes / suggestions.

There were three key issues that stood out for him in this instance, all of which are good questions and in reality, very common! Rather than just feed back to him, I've shared my thoughts below, because these are situations that everyone faces at some point.

1. What should I do if one of my peers, or another department, is not performing in alignment with our company objectives?

If you observe a misalignment between others' actions and your understanding of the objective, you should approach those people directly to learn more about their intent. I'm a big believer in, and hopefully reasonable practitioner of, Stephen Covey's "Seek first to understand before being understood" habit.

As an optimist, in most cases I believe you'll learn that they are actually heading in the right direction and you just didn't have enough context or perspective to stitch it all together. In many other cases, the discussion with you will encourage them to think more about their alignment with broader objectives and they'll course-correct accordingly. In the rare cases where you get to the end of that conversation and still cannot make the connection, I'd encourage you to suggest that both of you meet with your superior to get clarity. If everyone's intentions are well placed, that suggestion will be well received and will create a great opportunity to increase alignment across the team. Remember: alignment is the greatest driver of value!

So, speak up and seek first to understand.

2. What if I'm stuck in, or observe, lengthy and unproductive meetings at work, which don't conclude in tangible actions or resolutions?

Wow - don't get me started on unproductive meetings!

As I've said before, every meeting (or productive interaction of any kind for that matter!) should conclude with a strong response to "Who is going to do What, by When?" And subsequent meetings should hold the owners of those actions to account!

Time is our most valuable asset, so let's use it wisely. Even if you ignore the time, the hard dollar cost of useless meetings is huge - just imagine replacing the wall clock with a score-board that tallies the cumulative hourly rates of all attendees... $$$, $$$ is much more confronting than tic, toc!

Meeting etiquette is heavily linked to culture - of the company, the region and the attendees. Unfortunately, a direct approach to meetings is often confused with being impolite. Many people would much prefer to leave a meeting with nothing, than risk embarrassing or confronting others with action or accountability. Therefore, framing the meeting at the outset (preferably also in the invitation) is useful, for example "The purpose of this meeting is to [insert objective]. We'll work together to stay on topic and get out of here in less than 30 mins with a clear way forward, including actions, owners and deadlines!"

So, never forget (or be embarrassed to ask) "Why are we here?" and "Who is going to do What, by When?"

3. What if the culture of my organisation requires a change from the top down but I am at the bottom of the chain?

Cultural change always requires pervasive influence from "activists" across the width and depth of the organisation. I agree with the importance of "Tone from the Top" and "Cultural Leadership" but I'm also a massive subscriber to "Leadership at every level".

One of the simplest forms of leadership is setting the right example and anyone can do that. Even when faced with a targeted change program, most change professionals will say that real momentum is achieved through the engagement, leadership and example set by individuals throughout the organisation, not just at the top.

This is a good example of when I remind myself that serenity really is a virtue, i.e. the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Whilst the phrase isn't as poetic in reverse, it's the way I approach it : work out what you can change, and change it!

So, set an example and others will follow.

Ultimately, just get started... and keep going!

The common theme in all of this is to focus on those things in your control, which reminds me of a phrase I've used before : Do what you can, from where you are, with what you have.