I used to think I could do most everything best by myself. I was faster, smarter, more vested, and more familiar with the issue at hand. I knew exactly what needed to be done. Working with others just slowed me down. When I was a software engineer decades ago, there was no doubt this was true. I asked questions until I had the requirements nailed down in detail. I knew my code inside and out. I kept track of hundreds of details and test scenarios in my head and on scraps of paper. When I went it alone, I produced bug-free code. To the best of my knowledge, I never left a bug for the customer to find. When I became a manager, I continued to do “what got me there.” I asked questions and I learned. Then, just as I did with software, I thought things through with great care and wrote up the definitive solution or explanation that I knew would end all related problems and discussions. It didn’t work. And it took me quite a while to figure out why. The reason it didn’t work all boils down to one thing: You can’t control the behavior of others.
I received emails from two CEOs this week demonstrating their ability to dispatch responses quickly and move on. No fluff, to the point – very executive! Problem is both emails were also totally unclear. Three rounds and three days later, with the necessary details finally sorted out, we accomplished what we could have finished the first time around! But the real problem is far more significant. I have no qualms about pushing back, asking more questions, and following up until I clear up any confusion. Do you think that is true of the average employee? People eager to appear knowledgeable, competent, determined,and willing to take on responsibility? How many times will they persist? Most employees are going to do their best with what they’ve been given. They may engage in one clarifying round, but not two or three! Few are willing to risk looking bad in the eyes of an executive. Very few are interested in exposing any lack of knowledge or skill. So what are the real consequences of those dashed off emails? Lots of guessing. Guessing what the CEO meant. Asking others to guess what the CEO meant. But, ultimately, guessing. The damage may range from a wasted morning to many months of wasted effort to poor decisions involving critical customers to unnecessary delays. In your rush to clear your inbox or your determination to increase your efficiency, don’t “act like a CEO.” Remember that the point of communication, the point of leadership, and the point of those emails, is to help your people succeed. And the best way to do that, efficiently and effectively, is probably to pick up phone instead of the mouse!
This month’s Clarity Award is a shared honor. Janice Mazzalo of PeoplesBank and Tom Moran of Financial Partners are the winners based on their clear messages involving two sides of a common problem. Both were part of a panel discuss on workplace culture and a question was raised about dealing with personnel problems. Janice pointed out that zero tolerance policies are an abdication of responsibility by those who ought to be able to use judgment and ensure any punishment fits the crime and employees get reasonable assistance to help them succeed. On the flip side, Tom made it clear that no one has a constitutional right to work in any company. Together, they framed a difficult problem. Employees deserve: Clear expectations regarding goals and behaviors, Regular feedback and support so they know where they stand and have a shot at success, and Compassion. They also deserve supervisors with the confidence and courage to tell them they aren’t fitting in and should look elsewhere. You benefit no one by keeping someone in a position where he or she isn’t succeeding. You also commit a grievous injustice to those tolerating or making up for the short-comings of the under-performer. When you think about it, a simple cost/benefit analysis applies nicely to difficult personnel decisions: Is the employee’s net contribution clearly positive or do you have reason to believe it will be very soon? In other words, does this person create significantly more benefit than cost? Cost includes hand-holding, training, undesirable precedents, patience, salary, distractions, anger, frustration, bad examples, damage control, and more. So, do not create rules to replace judgement and if an employee is more trouble than he is worth, let him go!
She was on top of the world. New job. Big raise. Exciting challenges. The kind of woman who lets nothing get in her way. Next thing she knew, she was doubting her capabilities. The staff was so lean, everyone worked endless hours. When she made a suggestion for improvements, she was given instant responsibility for making it happen. Resources were scarce and demands were huge. Progress was disappointing. She started to question whether her colleagues and boss were on her side. It just didn’t seem she could win. She blamed the culture. She blamed her boss. She felt inadequate. She started to duck her head. So what happened? Was the culture the problem? Was her boss undermining her confidence? Was she unprepared for the position?
Checking progress with a client, I was told there was none. The leader in charge had tossed the question to his staff, received little reaction, and so they all agreed to send an email to a wider audience. Guess what happened. Nothing. There was no response there either. The issue involved multiple complaints about unclear roles and responsibilities between two groups. The question was simple: Where is the confusion? When I asked why they hadn’t just taken ten minutes to generate a list of specific circumstances that result in confusion, the response was, “That’s not his style.” Not his style? Excuse me????? What has style got to do with it? Style is irrelevant. “Leadership style” is a worthless concept. Effectiveness is what counts. Nonetheless, what I heard next was more excuses masquerading as “style.”
A friend of mine motivated to lose weight in the hopes of reducing back pain recently shared his dramatic results with others. The reactions professed predictable beliefs: He is missing out on important nutrients. He won’t keep the weight off. He should reward himself with occasional splurges. Let me point out that those quick to offer such comments:
I’ve heard too many excuses from high level leaders this week! “The culture is the problem.” “I did my part. He didn’t do his.” “People just don’t like change.” I’m sorry, but if you are earning the big bucks, it is your job to be sure
“Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible.” Colin Powell
Executives: Listen up! Many of your best employees are out interviewing. How do I know this? Because lots of them contact me before they take that step. They read my newsletter or hear me speak and see that I could help. They are tired of banging their heads against the lack of clarity, communication, commitment, and progress. Without the authority to hire me themselves, they can only make suggestions to receptive ears, share my newsletter, or try to introduce me to someone who can make a difference. Since they are unwilling to risk their jobs, they rarely blurt out the truth. When they’ve had enough, they move on.