Month: April 2015 Page 1 of 2

A topic that frequently crops up when I coach new leaders and managers is the amount of direction they provide to their new team.

I suggest to clients in such a position that they use the first month in their new role to observe and to ask lots of questions about working practices and procedures and to start establishing the environment that they would like to operate in.

This period requires patience and it’s fair to say that the new leader will probably be doing more listening than talking. There will be a lot of information to absorb and data to process.

In order to get engagement and buy in for their plans, it is absolutely vital during this period for the new leader to meet with their new team to get to know them as individuals.

It’s good to gain an understanding of their strengths and natural talents and what they would like to personally develop. Also it is good to get their input on current practices and what could be changed to develop performance levels (in my experience, people tend to support what they help to create).

Some good questions to ask the team at this point are:-

• What do they enjoy most about their role?

• What is working well?

• What is not quite working yet?

• What needs to change?

It’s ok at this stage to set a high level vision and tone for the culture that they would like to create. Starting to set out aspirations and expectations is good.

For instance it is fine for the new leader to suggest that they would like to like to create a high performance team. Many clients also state at this point that they would like to look at ways of developing greater collaborative working and that will be seeking everyone’s input on how to make the high performing team vision a reality.

When thinking about the environment they would like to establish, I advise leaders not to change things for changes sake. Nothing disengages people more than a new leader that changes procedures merely to stamp their mark and in the process dispenses with established practices that are actually working.

The whole approach to change needs to be considered, properly thought through and with the team engaged in and helping to shape the process.

It is good early on to set clear yet broad boundaries and start spelling out the type of environment that you would like to create. It is not always intuitive or comfortable for leaders to turn the control of work over to employees and this requires a certain level of trust.

However, creating environments where people have autonomy helps develop ownership, accountability and unlocks people’s potential. It ensures that engagement levels are good and helps deliver high levels of performance. I call the boundaries setting process, providing people “Freedom within a framework.”

Part of the process of establishing boundaries is agreeing how the team will:

• Make decisions

• Share information

• Consider ideas for improvement

• Resolve conflict

• Co-ordinate and work with other departments

• Prioritize work

Boundaries are often referred to as rules of engagement. They help define how the team will interact and work together, the standards under which they will operate. They help create accepted ways of acting and behaving so that team members do not need to think about or discuss what is appropriate in each situation.

Some examples of statements and direction that previous clients have devised at this stage point include:-

• All challenges and problems must be presented with a solution/suggested course of action

• No team meetings will last more than one hour

• Team members will speak their minds at team meetings (not afterwards!)

• Customer related tasks will have a higher priority than internal ones

• Customer phone and e mail queries will be responded to within 24 hours

Many leaders ensure that these rules of engagement or boundaries are clearly visible. The entire team ensures that each member (including the leader!) continues to operate within these agreed standards.

This week, why not take a moment to reflect on the teams that you are part of. What steps could be taken to increase the levels of engagement and participation within the team?

Quote for the week:

“Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude” Ralph Marston

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk

Earlier in life and my career, I was trained as a credit risk analyst.

This involved me doing detailed financial and non-financial analysis of loan requests and business plans from companies who wanted to borrow money.

As part of the assessment I would have to complete a pros and cons of the request, giving particular focus to the downsides and weakness of the plans and proposals.

It also involved thinking about “what if” scenarios and considering what the implications would be if the company did not achieve forecast income targets. This gave a better understanding of the inherent risks attached to providing the finance.

Years later I attended a keynote speech given by Benjamin Zander. This address opened my mind up to giving more emphasis to the possibilities and opportunities in life as well as the downsides.

Benjamin Zander is a famous conductor taught by Benjamin Britten in Aldeburgh Suffolk. He is the co-author of the book “The Art of Possibility” and at the time was the conductor of Boston Philharmonic Orchestra in the USA.

During the speech, Zander outlined a practice that he undertook with his students each year which he called “Giving an A” and was all about setting them up for success and getting them to think about what was possible.

He explained that each year 30 graduate students gathered in his musical performance class at the New England Conservatory.

He said that he announced to them at this gathering that each of them will get an A for the course.

However, a condition they had to fulfil to earn the grade was that sometime during the next two weeks,they had to write him a letter dated the following May. This note would begin with the words, Dear Mr Zander, I got an A because…

The letter would have to tell him in as much detail as possible, the story of what will have happened to them by the following May that enabled them to achieve the extraordinary grade.

How amazing would our personal and professional lives be if we become more balanced in our thinking and gave a little more attention to the possibilities in life?

What would the result be, if we were to give equal weight to possibility as well as what’s the worst thing that can happen?

What would the positive impact be if we spent a little more time encouraging our families and colleagues to think about possibility, success and achievement?

Imagine the positive influence setting people up for success and geared towards opportunity would have on the performance of teams and businesses. I hazard a guess it would lead to increased happiness and motivation levels which would have a positive bearing on relationships and improved customer service levels.

This week, why not spend a few moments to consider if you need to introduce more possibility thinking into your life?

What would some of the personal benefits be if you were to spend a little more time thinking about what is possible?

Quote for the week:

“Our aspirations are our possibilities” Dr Samuel Johnson

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk

The General Election campaign is well and truly under way in the UK.

There have been debates with party leaders, programmes profiling the leader’s lives. Every time you turn on a news bulletin there is a story about the campaign and pledges. All of this coverage is designed to engage the general public in the debate and choices. For the political parties it is about getting their message across, to have a positive influence on the electorate and to attract votes.

The coverage and campaigns have reminded me of a story told by John Maxwell from the nineteenth century. Two men vied for the leadership of the UK’s government: William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli and they were intense rivals.

Many people believe that Gladstone, leader of the liberal party for three decades, personified the best qualities of Victorian Britain. A career public servant, he was a great orator, a master of finance and staunchly moral man.

He was made prime minister four times, the only person to achieve that feat. Under his leadership, the country established a national education system, instituted parliamentary reform and saw the vote given to a greater amount of working people.

Benjamin Disraeli served twice as prime minister, had a different kind of background. In his thirties, he entered politics and built a reputation as a diplomat and social reformer. But his greatest accomplishment was masterminding the country’s purchase of shares in the Suez Canal.

Though both men accomplished much, what really separated them as leaders was their approach to people. The difference is best illustrated by a story told by a young woman who dined with them on consecutive evenings. When asked of her impression of them, she said, “When I left the dining room after sitting next to Mr Gladstone, I thought that he was the cleverest man in England. But after sitting next to Mr Disraeli, I thought I was the cleverest woman in England.”

Disraeli possessed a quality that drew people to him and made them want to follow him.

He had charisma.

Many people think that charisma is some form of mystical quality, which is difficult to define and to develop and is only bestowed on few people.

For me, charisma is easy to define. It is the ability to generate enthusiasm and to attract and influence people. I believe with genuine desire and intention it is a quality that can be developed.

I use the following simple tips when coaching leaders who want to develop their charisma, have better engagement levels with people and a more positive impact on others:-

1. Be passionate about life and what you do – people love leaders that enjoy life, who have positive energy and enthusiasm, who celebrate success and are passionate about what they do.

2. Believe in people’s potential – see the good in people, appreciate the talents and qualities of people and encourage people to express their talents, play to their strengths and be the very best they can be.

3. Become a great listener – the way to really help people to feel valued and important, is to make them feel heard. To listen totally and authentically to them without interruption and to be fully present when they are talking to you.

4. Share yourself – Leaders that share their insights, lessons, wisdom and resources freely with the intention of helping others develop and flourish are valued and appreciated. They have more energised and engaged people working for them.

5. Give people hope – Napoleon Bonaparte characterized leaders as “dealers in hope.” Like all great leaders he knew that hope is the greatest of all possessions. If you can paint a positive vision and be the person who bestows the gift of hope on others, they will be attracted to you and will be forever grateful.

This week, why not take a few moments to reflect and think the one step that you can take to have a more positive impact on others.

Quote for the week:

“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us” Wilma Rudolph

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk