Blog - Page 46 of 55 - The Third Zone

May 13 2014

It’s All About the View

A friend sent me a video link pertaining to ‘Perspective’. Whereas it was interesting and somewhat beautiful to watch it also served as a great reminder of an invaluable tool that is available to all of us whether a collective team or individuals. Let me expand and explain.

Often times, when faced with a challenge pertaining to our job … or relationship with co-workers … or working successfully with our boss … or moving upward within the organization … we get bogged down in the minutia of the situation. And, in doing this what we fail to give ourselves is the advantage of seeing the situation from the higher plane … the one that can provide us with the larger perspective. As coaches, we are often asking a client to ‘step out on the balcony’ and look back at whatever the challenging situation might be. From the
balcony, there is fresh air and there is a broader view that removes us from the highly detailed minutia that can be
and often is stifling.

So what is the advantage of doing this? Glad you asked! Here are just a few of the situations that are often
encountered:

SITUATION: Person is frustrated with the boss because they seem to have no interest in helping them learn new aspects of the job … learning that would enable the person to advance within the department or the company
BALCONY VIEW: The boss wants person to demonstrate initiative and come to them to determine the needed and added skills. Taking initiative and responsibility is a way to demonstrate readiness for advancement

SITUATION: Person is in a challenging sales position. Company provides training in the basic skills of the industry however relies on the person to apply them to their prospecting efforts. Person very frustrated that the company doesn’t feed them clients or at least prospects BALCONY VIEW: The nature of the work and the related success will totally be driven by the person accepting the extent of the role and work required for success. Thus it is the person who needs to find their own motivation and use the company provided learning to climb the success ladder.

SITUATION: Person is a part of a departmental or company team. She/he is frustrated because there is little cooperative effort among the group and no accountability for what each one does and the silo existence is doing more harm to achieving results which has great impact on success, attitude and desire
BALCONY VIEW: The team needs to view and approach this from the balcony. They need to recognize the lack of a shared vision and a coordinated effort to achieving it. The need for shared buy-in and accountability to the team as a whole is the ingredient that can bring about envisioned success along with greater individual job satisfaction.

Whether or not you see yourself in one of the above situations is not important. What is, however, is that you be willing to recognize that you are engaged in a situation that is not serving you well, is causing you frustration and is impacting your attitude and thus your own personal sense of fulfillment and success. Take five … and step out on that balcony. I promise you will see this from a higher and perhaps more complete perspective that you can add into the mix. It works every time. And what the heck … fresh air is always good.

Mike Dorman

Apr 24 2014

When Building the Bench Becomes a Threat

As coaches who work with leaders, we’ve noticed one trait that is common to the most successful: identifying and developing the organizations’ next generation of leaders. In fact, leaders we know see this as one of their primary responsibilities, and use it as a measure of their success. It makes sense, doesn’t it? To not develop a strong bench is to short change the organization, with a potentially devastating result.

So if this makes so much sense, why is it we still see leaders not doing this? Here are some of the more common scenarios:

The leader is focused on job security.

AKA the “No one can do this better than me” leader. He is convinced that he is THE ultimate source of knowledge. Because of this, he sees himself as being the only one who really can run the place. As a result, he is lives in fear of being bypassed for a promotion, especially if it is a direct report. Ironically, this behavior is eventually noticed and he is either demoted or let go – the very thing he feared to begin with.

The leader who is brilliant at her/his job – just not so brilliant at leading others.

AKA the “They’re so lucky to have me” leader. She’s proud of her knowledge, experience & skills. She believes that those who report to her are lucky to have her as a boss. However, she is blind to the importance of developing those direct reports. The result is a demoralized and uninspired staff who feel ignored. This is a leader in name only.

A retiring leader

AKA “My mind is at the golf course … I think” leader. This is someone who has one foot out of the company and the other wanting to continue to occupy the corner office. Although he likes the sound of ‘retirement and the related freedom, he is questioning the sense of diminished value in terms of the work he has done for a lifetime. In this conflicted position, developing his staff is not even on his radar. He has a key decision to make … get behind the new leadership and direction or, do himself and others a favor and make the move into retirement.

Of course, the above ‘types’ do not complete the list. In fact, we’re sure you have additions. Feel free to send those along and we’ll post them.

One of our clients employed an interesting exercise. The CEO directed everyone in any kind of a management role to list all of their responsibilities. The next step was to list anyone else in the company that could also fulfill that responsibility. The three leader types described above were clearly evident in the responses. However, one response stood above the others: a supervisor identified people within her department who could do each one of the supervisor’s responsibilities as well as she could. When asked if she realized she had just replaced herself she replied “I know, and I also know that I’m good at what I do. I’m confident that the company will find another position in which I can accomplish the same thing. She was right! The company did just that. It became clear that this kind of confidence is what they saw as critical to creating within their leadership ranks.

Regardless of where you are on your leadership journey, take a good look as where you stand in developing your bench. The worst that could happen is advancing your own climb faster!

Happy Leading!

Mar 26 2014

Clutter Cleaning … at Home and at Work

It appears that not only is this time of year during which people think ‘Spring Cleaning’ … it is also a time that people move from one home to another. I imagine one thing many of us share once the move is complete is the vow to ‘never do this again’. We swear to NEVER accumulate all that “stuff” again. The process is not only physically and mentally challenging … it’s not much fun.

And yet, in a way, the process makes for an interesting experience regardless of how excited we might be to move into our new home. It’s interesting because it’s filled with evaluations and decisions:

What are the ‘must haves’ that will enhance the enjoyment in our new home?
What will be useful in our new location?
What are the meaningful, sentimental items that we want … just because?
What of my current furnishings will and will not work in my new place?
And finally and every bit as important … what are the things that we are consciously going to toss as excess baggage that will serve us in no meaningful way?

It is both a logical and daunting task. And as I reflected on it, I could see the connections to what we as coaches see with our clients. We are concerned with helping organizations and/or individuals move … from where they are to where they want to be. And … just like moving ones’ home, in doing so we make decisions as what to take with us and what to toss or leave behind. Regardless of the kind of change (a promotion, a transfer, a new team assignment), it is wise to make conscious decisions about what we take with us vs. what we leave behind or toss? Here are some of the questions we might ask ourselves in preparing for any kind of change:

What attitudes have I developed and utilized in the current position that will serve me well in my new position. What do I definitely want to pack for the move? And … conversely … which ones might work against me in this new opportunity … the ones I want to toss.
What are the skills I possess that helped me succeed in my recent job that I clearly want to take with me? On the other end, what skills have I not yet mastered that would enhance and speed up my success climb in my new role? And, what is the plan to acquire them as quickly as possible?
How do I want to be perceived in this new role, which I see as a new and clean slate? What will I do to create that … as related to job performance as well being in relationship with my supervisor and co-workers?

Moving has many facets whether it involve a home or a job. In either case, the change becomes a time for making conscious decisions. In both cases, we want to make certain we take with us those things that will help us really embrace the new surroundings. We also want to toss anything that is excess baggage … whether it be made up of a broken skillet or a habit that didn’t serve me. Regardless of where we’re moving, doesn’t it make sense to clean out our cupboards and closets so that we take only what will add to our success and overall happiness? I know that I’m taking a second ‘trip’ through my metaphorical cupboards, to make certain I’m doing the right thing for ME. It’s really beyond ‘Spring’ cleaning. I call it ‘clutter cleaning’.

Mike Dorman

Mar 06 2014

When Social Media Becomes Unsocial

It wasn’t too long ago that I wrote a blog pertaining to how technology has become a disruption to a most basic aspect of the workplace … meetings and the UNinvited guests we bring to them. Meetings that used to take an hour at the most have morphed into taking up 3+ hours. When you think about these being company management meetings or department meetings involving people charged with very specific and important jobs this becomes a very extravagant and wasteful use of time. Well … the apparent fungus is not stopping at meetings.

In the past few weeks while working with coaching clients who are trying to improve their productivity … either at the bosses request or their own … the subject of ‘social media’ has moved front and center. And what is beginning to rush to the forefront is the question of when social media is an asset to our doing our job better vs. when it moves into the arena of a liability. It is evident that using social media sites can truly enhance our ability to research … individuals and companies who we want to approach for future business or simply to learn more about them. They can become valuable networking resources. It this sense … it’s all good.

However there is a faint line that upon crossing, the most valuable social media sites have the ability to become unsocial in terms of the impact they can have on our jobs. This is occurring more and more frequently as users, upon completing the valuable assist these sites can provide, just think they will take a brief moment to check the facebook page for messages. Here the quick minute easily grows into many.

One client admitted, rather than take lunch away from the desk, they choose to eat there and ‘relax’ by playing on their personal sites. And for how long? Maybe for a few minutes and finally, admitting to as much as an hour plus! Wow! Not only do they not get away from the desk to recharge. They also create an impression among observers that can, in fact, put that job in jeopardy. The casual observer does not know they are on a break or on their lunch, only that they are sitting at their desk Facebooking.

The leader of one client organization just told me that she has made it well known that if at any time while at work she discovers someone on a social media site, the message they would be delivering is that the company is overstaffed and they will be the first one to leave.

If you’re reading this you will have one of a few reactions.

You will be curious to monitor your own use of social media sites and make an honest assessment of how you are using them … to the benefit of your job or your pleasure … and then act accordingly.
You will see your own time spent visiting sites as minimal with a minimal chance of being caught and somehow, justify that it’s your own personal time (i.e. break or lunch) so there is no harm being done
You will plead guilty as potentially charged and through very good self-management, make your own strict rule that you simply will not visit such personal places while at work.

I suppose it depends on how much of a gambler we want to be. I can only say with confidence that this is another example of how companies are reclaiming the driver’s seat of their organizations. When leadership observes behavior that is contrary to the vision of what they intend to achieve, they are simply going to be intolerant of that. It’s really happening and the question that needs to be answered by all of us is if being personally social is worth our job. Doesn’t it seem too costly?

Mike Dorman

Feb 19 2014

Winning YOUR Medal. It’s All in the Plan … Apparently!

It’s a safe bet that just about all of you reading this have been invested in watching the Olympic Games in Sochi to some extent. I, for one, am now in my second week of less sleep than I desire and each night say … “I’m not doing this tomorrow”. And then tomorrow comes …

I know that one aspect that gets me hooked is the fascination with trying to imagine what getting into the games has really meant for all of those we watch? How have some maintained this focus for the time required to have these games be their 1^st or their 6^th time as an Olympian? And finally, how can they speak enthusiastically and openly about building on this experience and returning to the 2018 Olympics in South Korea? Are they serious? They have nothing better to do? Come on!

I try to imagine what each participant has had to do that enables them to dare to dream of being an Olympian. It has to be driven by a true passion and belief in what’s possible for them … and this is a needed, and only, first step. What they have obviously done next is create the plan that will assure them of achieving that dream as participant and yes, a medal winner. Finally, they tirelessly execute their plan and seek and accept the help from others capable of guiding them on their chosen path. As I write this, it sounds pretty straight forward and simple approach. Note I didn’t say easy.

This all makes me really ponder what viewing one’s job in an organization would accomplish if we were to approach it to parallel the trek of the accomplished athlete we are watching daily right now? After all, we are hired to do a certain job and hopefully one that allows us to successfully climb the ladder to achieve the medal we seek. Maybe it looks like this:

The VISION: We establish a well defined goal of where we want to go that will spell ‘success’ and give us a chance to medal.
The PLAN: What is it that we need … the learning, training and the actions that are required for us to achieve that goal?
The HELP: to strengthen the skills needed and to learn to recognize the things that can interrupt our climb and thus, be obstacles to staying the course of that plan as we learn how to get control of them.

Just three steps that mirror those taken by the Olympian and we, too, can achieve our medal. During a post victory interview following the Snowboard Cross competition in Sochi, bronze medalist Alex Diebold (USA) was asked for how it felt. He replied … “It paid off. All the hard work, all the sacrifices I’ve made. It has been such a long, hard road and it was absolutely worth it … every one of them.”

And there we have it. Simple isn’t it? Just dream, plan and execute … using whatever help you know you need to stay your course. Keep our eyes on the ultimate win and the medal can be ours! Are you up for it? It’s all in your committing to the overall plan. I’m headed for the podium. Want to join me?

Mike Dorman

Contact

Subscribe to our newsletter