Mike, Author at The Third Zone

Apr 11 2017

YOU Own The Best School for Learning GREAT Leadership Skills

When we think and speak of leaders in business we often refer to those at the top … the ones with the overall responsibility of guiding the organization to achieve the goals that have been identified as ones that will take to desired and anticipated success. As I spend time in varied companies scattered among numerous types of businesses I know that leadership is not only at the C-level of the organization. Rather leadership as a role and skill is prevalent within divisions, departments, committees and teams. Thus, beginning to develop the skills that make for impactful and successful leadership is to every person’s benefit regardless of a desire to move up within the organization or simply to be very successful in executing the job that they do at any level beginning right now!

Leadership traits that work include (at least) these …

Inspirational … Attentive … Respected … Caring … Empathetic … Effective Communicator … Good Listener … Learner … Decision Maker … Open to Criticism

If we were to consider this list to be complete (and it’s not) where does one learn them? Learning to swim, ride bikes, play an instrument in reality and ultimately takes one to just start. Of course we could read of the theoretical process involved however only

jumping into that ‘pool’ is going to allow us the opportunity to learn to master the sport or the instrument.

Ah … but wait. There are business schools and courses that focus on leadership and that will enable someone to have understanding and develop the skills needed. That’s true and at least that’s how some schools or courses promote themselves. Yet, all we need to do is speak to someone who had the classroom education prior to entering business and ask them how easy their book learning made the real-life job. What you will most-likely hear is that the real

learning took place only after they got into a job. Thus entering that swimming pool is where we can actually learn HOW to swim.

Joshua Spodek teaches ‘leadership’ and in doing so prefers the active to the passive teaching with exercises designed to master leadership concepts. He recently wrote a book entitled Leadership Step by Step: Become the Person Others Follow. Here are some quotes revealing his beliefs that drive the learning style to which he prescribes:

“What holds people back isn’t not knowing what skills to have but how to get them and use them effectively.”
“Intellectually knowing that self-awareness is important doesn’t increase yours. I know the principles of playing piano. But I haven’t practiced, so I can’t play.”
“To develop social and emotional skills, you need to take on social and emotional challenges.”
“Business school taught me you about leadership but not how to lead? School taught me principles but gave me little practice using them. I’m not saying lectures and case studies are worthless, but they can’t substitute for facing personal challenges.”
Spodek learned that “experiential, active learning is more effective for fields like leadership that are active, social, emotional, expressive, and performance-based. Be it acting, playing musical instruments, athletics or the military … in all of them we teach through practice and rehearsal. When you master the basics, you move to intermediate skills. When you master them, you move to advanced.”

Here is the best news for all of us. Chances are that in some way we each have the opportunity to be a leader be it a formal position as such or simply an opportunity to lead in a decision making process pertaining to a project. That means that we do have the opportunity to try approaches and methods that will serve to strengthen our leader skills so that we become known as Inspirational … Attentive … Respected … Caring … Oh you get it. I predict you won’t have to look far to play the role with only benefits ahead. What’s the best school for learning great leadership skills? It’s the one we each create by seeking out and recognizing opportunity to develop and hone these valuable skills.
Mike Dorman

Apr 05 2017

How Today’s Communication Options Do Impact Effective Communication

Life at work is so much more effective. I mean we now have tools that allow us to shoot out messages from our keyboard or phone … messages that we used king there’s no question that today’s methods enable us to deliver messages or gather input in a faster manner and this saves time. At the same time, however, it just may make sense for us to consider at what cost.

A recent article in the University of Auckland addresses “The True Cost of Poor Communication”. Key points made by Nick Read of the university are these:

While effective communication is essential for success, our ability to achieve that is impaired by the volume of communication we face.
The basic intent of effective communication hasn’t changed. Rather it is the extreme volume of written communication that is encompassed in our job and the resulting writing and reading we do in haste.
It is little wonder poor communication can lead to increased stress, poor decision-making, muddied audit trails, legal disputes and business losses.

Clear communication can be achieved using a mix of evidence-based tools, techniques and strategies.

In moving from organization to organization it becomes more and more apparent that there is, indeed, a cost. Here are a few of the things that work against communication at its best:

Speed
Emails and texts are fast. We think we know what we want to say and set out to do it … as fast as possible because we have much to do including more emails and texts. The potential is there for incomplete messages and the related lack of understanding on the part of recipients
Clarity
There is no assurance that what we might send off in a quickly composed email has the needed and desired clarity to assure that all recipients understand the message as intended. Thus, the potential is much greater to see people head off in different directions based on their individual understanding and not necessarily the intended understanding. This increases the opportunity and need for wasted time, dollars and frustration on the part of all.
Assurance
Communicating via email or text does convey our message or request however it does not provide us with the assurance that recipients have agreed with the message or agreed to the request. So we move on making an assumption that all is good and happening and only find out later that we’re off base.
Commitment
Envision yourself sitting in a department or team meeting wherein a project is being introduced and discussed. At the end of that meeting the goal is that every involved person leaves understanding and committed to what is to be achieved and what needs to happen to accomplish the goal. Now replace that real meeting with an email communicating the same things and inviting any person with questions to go back to the sender for clarification. But why should you? You do believe you understand the message and set out to do your part. Unfortunately all the parts don’t often jive and we’re then at a point requiring rework and the related lost time and frustration.

From this day forward we will be introduced to new ways and options as to how we can function faster, with greater efficiency and thus, at a lower cost. And yet without closely looking at the impact of what new methodology can have on other areas of successful endeavors is to potentially reduce rather than strengthen the very success that we are striving to attain.

It’s something akin to one doctor prescribing a medicine for your ailment without knowing what another doctor has you taking to treat something only to discover that the two meds don’t work well together. Although the intention is good, diminishing your wellbeing is not going to be a benefit to your overall health. The latest and greatest will only be that because we consider it as related to overall goals.
Mike Dorman

Mar 15 2017

Your Mindset’s Impact on Potentially Difficult Conversations

When coaching an individual in relationship to their job, it’s not unusual to uncover a very real reluctance on the part of that person to confront their own challenges with those to whom they report. They come to realize that having specific conversations is the pathway to resolution however, anticipating that exchange becomes a wall beyond or around which they either just can’t or are very nervous with even the thought of doing so.

So obviously, the longer one remains stuck in this place of reluctance and even fear, changing the game to get them beyond this remains on hold. The outcomes can range from being a disgruntled team member sapped of energy and enthusiasm for their job leading to poor performance or … leading them to move on in search of a better place to work. Unfortunately, the latter solution is going to bring the problem with them for it is only the person who can push beyond the point of stuck and make things better.

What accomplishing the ability to confront challenging conversations requires is a different mindset.

That’s it! And what makes it simple is that it’s YOURS … something over which you have total control!!

Here are a few steps that can move you from where you might be stuck to where you want and need to be in order to move confidently into a conversation that stands to benefit you.

Prepare yourself mentally
Anticipating the conversation to be negative and challenging is what can put you in the frame of mind to want to avoid it. Thinking about the good that can come from it and what that means to you and your success in the job and company really works to help you look forward to the exchange
Prepare yourself for the conversation
Ponder these questions:
- Why do you want to have it and what do you want to accomplish?
- What is the role that you attitude has in creating the dreaded perception of it and what can you do to change that?
- What is the real issue and who have you made your opponent?
- What have you done, if anything, to contribute to the issue?
Engage actively in the conversation
Changing your outlook toward the communication allows you to engage in it from the standpoint of interest and curiosity. Although you know how and what you think, being open to really ‘hearing’ is a great way to begin. Ask questions to enhance your understanding and then, with this clarity, you are able to respond in a way that explains a different view or opinion that you have.
Work to achieve joint move-forward decisions
Having presented yourself in a non-confrontational manner and having truly heard the thinking and perspective of the other person you will have potentially created a cooperative ‘team’ that can now work together to devise resolutions to the issue. You are no longer stymied and all the while, making a positive impression that will serve you well going forward.

Remaining ‘stuck’ behind that wall is not going to lead to positive outcomes. Changing our perspective of most any situation can impact our reactions to it and the options that we see for moving forward. Of course, the ultimate choice as to what we do and how we handle it is ours. In the least, it’s worth a shot.

Mike Dorman

Mar 01 2017

Handling Mixed Messages to Your Benefit

You were hired to do a specific job or oversee a certain department of your organization. And let’s presume you were selected because you had the knowledge and skills that would enable you to be successful. Your boss has outlined your responsibilities and the goals he envisions for the work. All is good … until …

Until you get into the position and begin executing as you see fit. In doing this you discover any or all of these situations:

The bosses perception of the way things are is not the reality of what you find once into and on the job … MIXED MESSAGES

The people you oversee have a very different view of the work that they have been doing as well as the goals of what they are expected to accomplish from that which you were told when you were placed into the job … MIXED MESSAGES

What the boss has described as being reality is not what you encounter when out among them and thus, you quickly begin to view the situation(s) as being quite different requiring different approaches and/or solutions … MIXED MESSAGES

You are being given different perspectives of what is necessary and important by two different people, both of whom expect you to heed their input … MIXED MESSAGES

There are undoubtedly more such situations in which you can find yourself and what they all potentially share is their being unpleasant, frustrating and confusing. The question becomes what does one do about it? Regardless of your wanting to be successful in the eyes of the ‘higher-ups’ within the organization you are confronted by a difference of opinion and clearly caught in the middle … that is … if you allow yourself to be there. And not only is the potential impact on you. It’s also on those your reports who simply want clear, strong and decisive leadership so that they can do their respective jobs with confidence in knowing they are doing them right and making a positive contribution to the company.

Here are some things you can do that have the potential of taking you out of this undesirable position by allowing you to move forward aligned with other people’s expectations of you and your project, department or group:

Speak up in a straightforward manner when you receive conflicting input from two bosses. You’re not going to be able to please everybody as it may stand initially and thus, bringing the parties together to discuss the differing directions take you out of the middle.
Address the difference by pointing to it when it is only between your thinking and that of the boss’s. Wanting to hear and understand the boss’s approach can also give you the opportunity to present and defend your own. Most often the resulting discussion brings about a move-forward resolution.
Maintaining a solutions-oriented approach keeps your mind open to hearing and considering something else. Of course you don’t want to just say no to anyone or anything. Therefore, doing this can result in the kind of reputation that translates as beneficial for you.
View this as a test … only a test. Some bosses create the confusion as a means of witnessing just how you handle it. What they are watching to see is how you handle existing conflict. Handling it professionally results in positive notice and potential future benefits.

To the extent that you have ever or do find yourself in a leadership position wherein you are given mixed message as to what and how you are expected to carry out your responsibilities, it can be very uncomfortable and frustrating. Regardless of what the scenario it is important that you confront the situation. Your intent is to get clarity enabling you and your group to do the job right the first time. In most cases, the mixed messaging is unintentional and yet it happens fairly often in organizations. Dealing with it earns the respect of your team and the boss. Now that’s a win!

Mike Dorman

Feb 16 2017

REWORK: Maybe D.C. can afford it … Businesses Can’t!

For the past several weeks and on a daily basis we’ve all awakened as witnesses to the challenges and stumbles that the new administration is experiencing as it takes over the running of our government. What we’re experiencing today is a team working to find its rhythm. ‘Smooth transition’ is not yet its’ middle name. Certainly, and for our individual and collective benefit, hopefully it will settle down in the near future … and yet, what we are seeing is the resulting need for re-work at its best. The government has a huge budget so making corrections and the cost of them isn’t apparently so impactful in the overall scheme of things … or at least it seems that way.

However, in private business, re-work has a very definite impact and is anything but positive. The need for doing something over brings about the following and unintended realities:

• A demoralized team of people who were charged with the task

• Lost enthusiasm and disappointment for the project … although it may be temporary

• Finger pointing looking to place blame on another or others for what they didn’t do or did to create the
errors

• Wasted dollars that potentially erode the anticipated profits derived from the project.

Working within companies of many types I see the downside associated with having to start a project over again. So often it occurs because people interpret the need to get it done as quickly as possible as the most critical goal and this leads to jumping in head first believing that issues can either be dealt with along the way or not even seeing potential issues. To many, whether working on behalf of the company management, a departmental plan or an ad hoc committee, getting ‘it’ done is the overriding goal driving their action. And this is precisely what contributes to having to do it over again and the related, wasted dollars.

Taking the up-front time to do needed planning turns out to be the cement that enhances success as there are straight-forward ways to greatly minimize and even avoid the need for re-work. The following steps, when taken by those involved in the project, help to insure economic and outcome success.

1. Get buy-in from all involved as to the intended goal of the effort. Giving each person a voice and the responsibility to use it can accomplish this as the purpose is clarified and understood. The result is an individual and collective sense of shared ownership.

2. As a team, outline the steps that are intended to be taken to insure that there are no unforeseen issues bringing unforeseen glitches.

3. Resolve disagreement within the group prior to embarking on the project … this rather than pushing them aside thinking they will be resolved as you progress.

4. Establish a reasonable and realistic schedule for accomplishing the project that works within the time allotted to achieve success

5. Have tolerance for the need to make adjustments along the way that may, in fact, require a certain amount of re-work. Striving for the ‘perfect’ plan before launching can bring into the process analysis paralysis which you don’t want.

Modeling what we do in a business process after organizations that are very successful is a good thing to do. AND … observing organizations that stumble and make errors that need to be redone is just as valuable for it teaches us what NOT to do as we travel our project’s path. Even though what we observe taking place in Washington D.C. is on a different scale, I know that within many companies and organizations, people are noticing and taking steps to avoid the discouraging, demoralizing and costly re-work that the greatest success can ill afford. It’s never too late to take stock and make sure that you are moving forward on a goal that will deliver the best possible outcome.

Mike Dorman

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