When Brad Marchand was interviewed before the Bruins’ Stanley Cup Play-off game last night, he talked about getting his confidence back with a couple of recent goals. Getting his confidence back?!?!?! I don’t doubt him, but consider for a moment that this is one of the best players in the best hockey league in the world and he struggles with confidence? If he struggles with confidence, who doesn’t? The answer, of course, is no one. No one feels confident all the time. Those who pretend to, are either fooling themselves or hoping to to fool the rest of us. No one feels confident in all things and no one feels confident at all times even in the things they do best. Even Marchand, when playing hockey.
You don’t need scientific studies to tell you that fear cripples. It impedes our ability to think clearly, to commit wholeheartedly, and to act promptly. Thus, the ability to conquer fear is a tremendous differentiator. Without that ability, you will endure unnecessary waffling, anxiety, delays, and lost opportunities. You are also far less likely to stand out in a crowd. The good news is that conquering fear is quite simple. It starts with identifying, quite specifically, the source of the fear. Unfamiliar, emotional, important, and/or complex situations often generate fear. That fear, however, is usually very general. You can’t protect yourself from general fears, nor expect to make decisions or take action without understanding why you are hesitant. You must get specific.
We build images of others based on tiny tidbits of information. Being a lawyer paints one image. Playing golf conjures another. A lawyer playing golf solidifies an image. A lawyer climbing Mt. Everest twists the image. We see what people do and create an image of who they are. Each new clue surprises or confirms. The image evolves or solidifies accordingly. When people make choices like ours and behave as we do, the images we paint can start looking a lot like ourselves. Those living in our neighborhoods, attending our schools, working where we work, participating in similar activities, and friends of our friends must be a lot like us!
White smoke signaled a decision made and then the new pope walked out on the balcony. Pretty simple. No communications plan needed. Unfortunately, smoke signals won’t work in your company! It works for the Vatican because everyone, and I mean everyone: Knows exactly what decision is being made, Knows how the process works, Accepts the process, and Is watching and waiting with enthusiasm How often does that happen in your company? I suspect never. Thus, smoke signals won’t do the trick. However, there is no reason why you can’t come closer than you do. Let people know what decisions are being made and why Be sure they understand and accept the process Increase their enthusiasm by helping them understand the importance to the company and the implications for themselves While this will make for better decisions and happier employees, I still don’t recommend you reduce your communication to smoke signals!
Don’t manage change! Manage people! From my experience, both as a consultant and as an employee, the minute leaders decide change management is necessary is the minute things get weird. Those determined to manage change often see change as a major hurdle, grounds for rebellion, and a most unpleasant and fearsome task. To fortify themselves against the imagined upheaval and resistance, they turn their attention to the “change process,” which often includes actions such as: Developing a communications plan to control what everyone hears and when they hear it Scripting talking points for managers so they all deliver the same scrubbed messages Creating opportunities for the leaders to be highly visible voicing the same messages Planning a big launch to set the stage for change and generate enthusiasm With these acts, they create more resistance than they prevent. Furthermore, they invest a ton of energy into activities that add little value to identifying and implementing the actual changes needed.
During the holidays, I frequently passed a house with at least 3 dozen giant inflatable characters in the yard. They dwarfed both house and yard. Stranger yet, they were alternately inflated and deflated; whatever the reason, someone was doing a lot of work to inflate them regularly. My curiosity was piqued briefly at each passing. Why would someone want so many? Do they deflate them to prevent a prankster from seeing if a knife blade will make them dance and fizzle like balloons? What do the neighbors think?
There was a fascinating story on NPR recently (Struggle for Smarts, November 2012) about cultural differences between Japan and the US related to learning. To put it in a nutshell, Americans are keen on appearing to be smart while the Japanese put more emphasis on persistence. I encourage you to read the article in its entirety. Consider for a moment two children. One has been told directly and indirectly her entire life that she is smart, that being smart is most important, and that smart people are the most successful. The second child has been told just as often that her effort is most important and will be the reason for her success. Which child will be more willing to take the risks necessary for learning? The one who wants to look smart or the one who will be applauded for persisting until successful?
All the skill and eagerness in the world won’t help if an employee doesn’t know what needs to be done. In less than 5 minutes, this video will help you understand the three types of awareness that are critical to success.
What do your employees think about annual reviews? Do they view them: With enthusiasm as a vital tool for their professional growth and satisfaction OR With trepidation as an obstacle standing between them and a raise? Are your performance management policies and procedures primarily geared toward: Developing exceptional performers OR Keeping your company compliant and out of hot water? If your company is like a lot of companies I’ve seen, you probably picked #2 in both cases. Far too many companies do what they think they are supposed to do when it comes to performance management, but accomplish absolutely nothing when it comes to improving performance.