The XYZ Sandwich

August 4, 2011 By

Welcome to guest speaker Chip Neidigh!

What’s more important when delivering performance feedback—intent or technique?

I’ll come back to that question in a moment.  But first, lets look at a useful technique for providing performance feedback called an XYZ Sandwich:

A quick example (a hospital manager named Bob providing feedback to a nurse named Mary):

“Mary, here’s how I see things:  I overheard you talking to a patient about your frustration with the hospital’s new nurse scheduling system.  When you complain to patients about things over which you (and they) have no control, patients tend to lose confidence in the care we provide.  Patient outcomes and satisfaction may suffer as a result.  I’d prefer you bring your concerns to me, work with me to find solutions, and not let your frustration and anxiety spill onto patients.  What do you think?”

Can you see the X, the Y, and Z?

  • When you X:  complain to patients about things outside our control
  • Y happens:  patients lose confidence; outcomes and satisfaction suffer
  • I propose Z:  talk to me instead

And did you notice the slices of bread at the beginning and end?

  • top slice: here’s how I see things…
  • bottom slice: what do you think?

Here are some of the advantages of this technique:

  • It focuses on behaviors and impact, not intent. In the example above, Bob is not suggesting that Mary is intentionally trying to harm patients.  Bob assumes Mary cares about such things and would like to know the impact of her actions.  Since the technique doesn’t question intent, it is less likely to trigger defensiveness.
  • It is useful in 360 degrees. The technique works with bosses, peers, and subordinates (and spouses and kids, for that matter).
  • It opens up options. The Z element of the feedback (“I propose…”) gives the other individual another choice about how to behave.
  • It is conversational. The XYZ Sandwich is designed to initiate a 2-way dialogue.  The bottom slice of bread (“What do you think?”) opens up the conversation about the behavior (X), impact (Y), and options moving forward (Z).

For particularly challenging performance feedback conversations, I recommend 3 preparatory action steps:

  1. Get your mind/heart right. Do you feel condescension or criticality towards the other person?  If so, start working through your own issues before you try to help the other person.  Good intent can overcome sloppy technique, but perfect technique can’t overcome bad intentions.
  2. Script it out. Write out the top slice, X, Y, Z, and bottom slice.
  3. Practice with a trusted advisor. Read your script and role-play the subsequent conversation.  It is amazing how often what we write looks good but sounds judgmental and offensive.

Can you think of someone in your life who would benefit from some performance feedback?  Why not commit to having that conversation within the next week, using the XYZ Sandwich?

 

 

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Self Renewal

August 1, 2011 By

There is an energy crisis very few people are talking about. It is not gas or oil or coal. It is one that is occurring inside organizations and that involves both physical and psychic energy. It happens as organizations have hunkered down, reorganized, shed staff, automated and off-shored. Productivity gains have occurred – not so much from new technology but from long workdays on fewer and fewer staff. As a result, employees of all levels are doing more with less.

As I work across a variety of organizations, I see people who are never caught up, can’t get it all done, are always dropping balls and making tough decisions about what to focus on. The net result of this is fatigue. And with fatigue comes lower levels of productivity. It is a downward spiral. The more we work, the more exhausted we become. The more exhausted we are, the less effective our efforts are and the more we need to work. And so it goes…

In these situations we often look to sources for energy that are self-defeating over time. Caffeine, alcohol, fear, sheer determination, threats…. What if we had a way to re-generate our own personal source of energy, and that of our team? Then we could re-energize and show up with life rather than lethargy.

I recently came across these flashlights which work by turning a crank, rather than batteries. I must admit that I had a sense of childish delight when I found them. How amazing, to turn the crank 30 or 40 times and then have a steady stream of intense light! I was amazed at the simple design which solved the age-old problem of energy by engineering an internal way to self-renew.

So it got me thinking – what do we need to do to regenerate our own personal energy? And what do leaders need to do to regenerate the energy of their teams? Let’s start with individuals.

Leaders not only have to maintain their own energy, they also exert a huge influence on the energy of their team. I’ve worked with both kinds of leaders: those who created great momentum and energy, and others who could sap the energy from the Energizer Bunny in 10 seconds flat.

Leaders need to be especially conscious of energy – as their “shadow” is long. I had an “aha” moment many years ago when I realized, during a period of great uncertainty and challenge at work, just how my negativity was bringing down my team. I vowed to come in positive every day – and immediately saw the entire attitude of the team turn around. We had more energy, we felt better, we did better work faster and we had more fun. And all I did was set an intention to be positive as a leader and to stop complaining.

There are a host of leadership actions that either build or sap energy. Work that is delegated clearly and challenges someone builds confidence and energy. Poorly delegated work adds to already heavy burdens. Being recognized, even in a small way, is a huge energy boost. Toiling day after day after day after day with no one noticing is grueling, frustrating and arduous.

What’s the level of energy on your team? Can you do something to generate more energy? Can you put something in place that helps you regenerate over and over and over again?

For Individuals
Generates Energy Depletes Long-Term Energy
Regular exercise Caffeine and stimulants
Working with a sense of purpose Feeling stuck or uninspired
Disconnecting for a set period of time Too much rest
Appropriate Challenges Too few or too many challenges
Healthy Food High carb, high sugar/fat meals/highly processed food
Positive, optimistic people Negative, pessimistic people
Deep Breathing Shallow breathing, smoking
Hydration Alcohol or depressants
Do less, remove things from the “to do” list Trying to please everyone, striving for perfection
Laughter Negativity and victim talk

 

For Leaders
Generates Energy Depletes Long-Term Energy
Compelling purpose Lack of Direction
Challenging, but achievable goals Fuzzy or non-existent goals
Clear expectations Lack of accountability
Celebrating small wins Lack of recognition
Being positive and optimistic Not providing feedback or direction
Rewarding accomplishments Complaining and whining
Coaching for high performance Abdication or blaming
Appropriate delegation Micromanaging or lack of direction
Injecting some fun and humor in the workday Environment of high stress and pressure to perform

 

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Communication in Times of Change

July 28, 2011 By

Welcome to guest blogger Myra Cocca!

Running a division or an entire organization or company is tough, but when it is going through significant changes, the challenges become even greater. And today, given business dynamics, what organization isn’t going through a lot of change?!

While the temptation is to help “the organization” go through change, as a leader you must also help “the people” through the change: your employees, vendors, suppliers and other audiences that the change impacts. After all, people change (or not, as the case may be) organizations.

The facts bear it out:  Companies that keep their employees engaged are able to withstand change better. According to research done by Towers-Watson in 2009/2010, companies that communicate with courage, innovation and discipline, especially during times of economic challenge and change, are more effective at engaging employees and achieving desired business results.

Here are some practical recommendations when guiding people, notably employees, through change:

  • Listen.
  • Assess employees’ readiness for change.
  • Establish milestones and measurements.
  • Identify change agents, skeptics and critics.
  • Provide counsel to leadership on the realities.
  • Identify your key messages about the change. These messages should help employees understand the forces of change – “the why.” They should also identify challenges and opportunities – the “what’s in it for me” (WIIFM) – for employees.
  • All of the above are planning steps to communicating the change. When communicating, repeat key messages using many communication tools. One important tool is storytelling. Concrete stories about how the change is making a difference are powerful and can help reinforce the behaviors you want to see.
  • Celebrate milestones. Celebrate people!

Many change models are available to guide you through significant change. Research done by John Paul Kotter, Harvard Business School professor and an authority on leadership and change, offers eight steps to change. As a communicator, I particularly value Kotter’s emphasis on establishing an urgency for change. This is so important, especially when radical change is needed to quickly turn around a company. In his model, he also focuses on the importance of establishing a vision and generating short-term wins for change efforts.

Communicating change is difficult – no question about that. But, with some practical steps in hand and perseverance, your organization will be a step ahead.

IronStrike, www.IronStrike.biz, helps executives, companies and organizations navigate change through effective employee and leadership communications.

 

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Not Communicating IS Communicating

July 25, 2011 By

The urge to “not say anything” is powerful. Especially when:

• We don’t know what to say
• The situation is messy or difficult
• We anticipate that people will be upset
• We don’t have a perfect answer

When leaders don’t communicate it says:
• “I’m afraid.”
• “I’m hiding from the hard reality.”
• “I don’t know.”
• “The reality it too difficult to talk about.”
• “I don’t trust your ability to handle difficult news.”’

Those are just the times in which leaders do need to say SOMETHING. Even if it is:
• “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”
• “I know this is hard, but we need to talk about it.”
• “I don’t like the situation either, but it IS our current reality and we need to deal with it.”
• “I don’t have a solution, but trust that together, we can figure it out.

It is far better to have these discussions, that to choose NOT to say anything, because not communicating speaks volumes on its own.

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The Power of Systems

July 21, 2011 By

Often time we are perplexed about peoples’ actions. We ask, “Why would they do that?” “What are they thinking?” When that happens, especially in groups of people, you might want to step back from questioning individual motivations and ask what types of structural dynamics are at play. Systems, structures and rewards are powerful, yet often overlooked elements that shape behavior, actions and ultimately results. Very seldom are they designed with intention and a holistic perspective. All too often they appear immutable.

Take for example the current gridlock in Washington, D.C. Politicians pledge to work with the country’s best interest in mind rather than pursue partisan politics. The rhetoric during election time is “reaching across the aisle” and working toward long term solutions. There is much bashing of the other party’s inability to resolve longstanding issues, yet newly elected politicians quickly fall prey to the same actions.

Systems at work! Everything about our political system is focused on pitting one party against the other, both in the short term and in positioning for the next election. It’s awfully hard to take courageous, global, long-term actions when the reality is that in the short term brings reelection, and voters who expect you to look out for them. Used to be, when communication took days rather than seconds, legislators had a bit of a buffer. Now our new systems of instant sound bite communication also works to undermine thoughtful solutions and negotiations. Everything is real time and viral.

The behavior we are getting is a perfect outcome of the systems in play.

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What To Shed

July 14, 2011 By

Part of transformation is leaving something behind. Otherwise you have not truly changed – you are only carrying a bigger backpack. The question is what to shed. What can you do without in order to have more of what really matters. It may be more time, more money, more enjoyment or more satisfaction. That most likely will involve less of something.

Here is a list for starters:

  • What work are you doing that doesn’t really matter to your customers? To you?
  • What can you delegate?
  • What can you stop doing, which won’t really matter?
  • What can you do less of or with less effort and still get similar results?
  • What relationships do you need to sever? Cut back on?
  • What groups or committees or tasks forces are you only giving lip service to?
  • What beliefs do you need to let go of?
  • What thought patterns slow you down?
  • How many of your belongings could you move out of your life and reap the benefit?
  • What time wasters could you eliminate?
  • What in your day is high maintenance and low payback?

Tell us what you’ve eliminated from your life to make more for what really matters.

 

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Are You a Great Leader?

July 7, 2011 By

Welcome guest blogger Mary Lore!

In my experience, most executives and managers say they want to be a great leader. Yet, when I ask them what being a great leader looks like, they can’t tell me.

Many tell me what a great leader doesn’t look like. Many criticize themselves for not being a great leader or say they could be a better leader. Some are able to list a few characteristics. Rarely can they tell me what these mean or look like.

If I can’t envision or describe what being a great leader looks like, how can I become a great leader? Or know when I am? It’s hard to get there when I don’t know where “there” is.

To say ‘I want to be a great leader’, ‘I will be a great leader’ or ‘I strive to be a better leader’ does not make me a great leader. It’s practicing being a great leader that makes me a great leader.

What if you took a moment to re-invoke the state of wonder and wonder what being a great leader looks like? Be specific. For example: If I inspire people, What could I do? How could I be during the moments of my day? When I get up in the morning? When I arrive at work? When I do my walk-arounds? When I eat my meals? When I exercise? Before, during and after a phone call, a 1-1 meeting, a company-wide meeting? When we get bad news? When we get good news? When I evaluate performance? When I review financial information? When I write an email? When I set my calendar? At the end my day?….

Write it down. Say it out loud, first thing in the morning, last thing at night, when you’re in your highest states of consciousness. Then, as “stuff” happens during your day, take a moment to wonder, “If I am the highest and best vision of myself as a leader, what can I think, say or do right now?”

And then practice being a leader. Practice makes permanent!

So tell me—Are you a great leader?

 

© 2011 Mary J. Lore and Managing Thought LLC. All rights reserved

Mary Lore, the founder and CEO of Managing Thought LLC, is an internationally recognized thought leader, public speaker, and executive mentor.

Find Mary at http://www.managingthought.com/

 

 

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5 Delegation Disasters

July 5, 2011 By

There is a fine art to delegation. When done well, it evens the workload, helps develop new skills, is a vote of confidence and can prepare people for additional responsibilities.
Done poorly is can result in poor results, extra effort, resentment and frustration.
Here are 5 things you want to AVOID when delegating:
1. Hoarding. Delegating only the mundane work or the work you don’t want to do. Delegate some plum assignments. Give people some tasks to do that allow them to shine.
2. Fuzziness. Being unclear on the task, the outcomes, the deadlines and your expectations. As with many things in life, how it starts is how it goes. The better you set the task up – the better the outcomes you’ll get.
3. Micromanaging. Set it up clearly. Define your non-negotiables. And then get out of the way.
4. Narcissism. Expecting that someone will do it “just like you.” They won’t – so get over it. In fact, they may even do it better than you.
5. Dumping. Delegation does not mean dump and run. It frees you from doing a specific task, but that does not mean you don’t have to do anything. You have to do different things. Consider coaching and providing feedback, reviewing progress at regular intervals, and conducting an “after action” review to solidify learning.

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What if we reframed “BUSY?”

June 30, 2011 By

What if:

  • We stopped equating busy with important?
  • We asked ourselves if we are busy doing the RIGHT things?
  • We began to think of too busy as poor time management?
  • Being frazzled and overextended was seen as a problem with a loss of focus on priorities?
  • We knew the point at which extra effort did not equal better outcomes?
  • We let go of the possibility of perfection?
  • We spent more time “being” than “doing?”

I know all the questions….I ask them to myself all the time. Wish I was better at the answers….that is my  journey.

 

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Group Dynamics in Teams

June 28, 2011 By

Welcome to Guest Blogger Karen Valencic!

A compelling vision isn’t enough.

If the dynamics of a team are not productive, vision in itself will not compensate for the dysfunction.  While a compelling vision is crucial for commitment, I find there are two other things necessary to create functional group dynamics.

1.  A clearly articulated intention about behavior. I call this a Values Credo.   An agreement about ‘how’ team members treat each other.   A short list of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions works extremely well.   Examples:  Do you care about and respect me?  Do you have my back?  Can I trust you?   Are we having fun?  (Make note: pronouns, I, we, and you, should be interchangeable.)

When team members create a collective Values Credo, it provides an easy way for them to identify and speak up about dysfunctional behavior.

2.  The willingness and skill to engage in creative conflict. The most dominant people often set the cultural tone of a team.   This is great if you have positive, enlightened dominant people.   It is a disaster if the dominant people are negative and controlling. A Values Credo helps set the cultural tone.  Engaging the less dominant people is the tricky part of building functional teams.  Equipping everyone with skills to engage in conflict fosters innovation and keeps the passive aggressive behavior to a minimum.

So, leaders, a compelling vision isn’t enough to create a functional team.   Ironically, a compelling and passionate vision can actually create more dysfunction without the two items mentioned.

Karen Valencic, founder of Spiral Impact

http://www.spiralimpact.com

Karen@karenvalencic.com

 

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