3 tips for being true to yourself - even if you get sacked

“There is one certainty is this job,” said one leader. “There is at least a 50% chance that I will get sacked. This can be because I do not deliver the results, there is a change at the top or for some other reason. But I will be true to myself and do what I believe-in. I will stand or fall by following my principles.”

Imagine you are a leader taking over a team. Let’s explore how you can be true to yourself in that situation.

* You can clarify your principles.

“I believe-in following three steps towards building a successful team,” said the leader mentioned above. “First, to set the right goal. This sounds simple – but it is the hardest part. Great teams set the right goal at the right time in their ‘market’. Second, to build the right team. This means getting the right people in the right places, otherwise you are sunk. Third, to implement the right strategy in the right way – and keep going until you get the right results. Lots of ‘rights’ there – but translating these into practice takes tough decisions.”

What is your philosophy for building a successful team? What are the key principles you believe-in following to achieve success? Try completing the following sentence.

The key principles I believe-in
following to build a successful team are:

*

*

*

* You can communicate your principles.

Great leaders do this in two areas. First, they communicate their principles to their sponsors before taking the role. They may say something like: “These are the results I will deliver – the ‘What’. Are there any other results you would like to add?” After getting the sponsors over the emotional line where they want to ‘buy’ what is being offered, great leaders then say: “These are the principles I will follow to deliver the results.” Whilst continually reassuring the sponsors, they outline their approach to delivering the goods. Second, they then communicate the principles to their team members. Great leaders make sure that everybody knows the ‘rules’. It is then up to people to decide whether they want to contribute towards achieving the goals.

You will, of course, communicate the principles in your own way. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to
communicate these principles are:

*

*

*

* You can implement your principles.

Great leaders relish this part. They love following their principles –especially when it comes to making tough decisions. Why? They see these as necessary for achieving success. So they make such decisions quickly to create the right foundation and keep the team on track. They then encourage, educate and enable their people to follow the daily disciplines. Sometimes, however, they come to a crunch point with their team members or sponsors.

“That has happened for me on several occasions,” said the leader. “Early in my career I decided to fire a serial complainer – replacing him with a positive person. My sponsor, who I had worked for previously, backed me fully – even though I had failed to consult the HR people properly, something I learned to do in the future. Moving-on to another example, I took an Operations Manager role, with the brief to spread an initiative across Europe. When it came to the crunch, however, my bosses would not back me fully. They insisted that I should try to ‘influence’ people, rather than have any direct authority. I soldiered-on but, at best, it was only 50% successful. Since then I have learned to make clear contracts. I would sooner get sacked by being true to myself. I don’t want to fail on two counts: not delivering the goods and not being true to my principles.”

Let’s return to your leadership role. How can implement your principles? What may be the tough decisions? How can you enable your people to deliver the goods? What may be the crunch moments in relation to your sponsors? How can you be professional and polite at such moments – yet also follow your principles? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to
implement the principles are:

*

*

*

Everybody encounters moments when they must make a crucial decision: do I be true to myself or do I put my principles aside for a while? Sometimes it is not ‘black or white’; but ultimately it is vital to be true to yourself. Then we can laugh at Groucho Marx’s joke: “Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others.”

3 tips for following the LOR model for guiding people to success

There are many models for building great teams. One that works is the LOR model. You can provide inspiring leadership, give people a sense of ownership and do everything possible to ensure they deliver results. Imagine you are a leader. Let’s assume you have already made clear contracts with your sponsors about your accountability, autonomy and authority. You have the brief and mandate for achieving the picture of perfection. Let’s explore how you can use the LOR model for making this happen.

* You can provide inspiring leadership.

Great leaders communicate a compelling story. People obviously want money when they work, but they also want meaning. Great leaders communicate: a) The ‘What’ – the goals; b) The ‘Why’ - the benefits for the company, colleagues and customers; c) The ‘How’ – the strategy; d) The ‘Who’ – the roles people will be invited to play; e) The ‘When’ – the road map towards achieving the goals. They then invite people to choose whether they want to proactively opt-into the journey. Great teams are made-up of volunteers – not victims. So it is then up to the colleagues to show how they want to contribute towards achieving the picture of perfection.

Leadership obviously consists of more than communicating a compelling story. It calls for being a good model, making tough decisions and building fine teams. The first step, however, is to provide an inspiring vision. How can you do this in your own way? How can you communicate the story? How can you show people the benefits? How can you then invite people to consider whether they want to opt-in? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to provide inspiring leadership are:

*

*

*

* You give people a sense of ownership.

Great leaders give people a sense of ‘ownership within parameters’. They communicate the ‘What’ – the picture of perfection - and the ‘How’ - the key principles they want people to follow. They may say, for example:

“This is the ‘What’ – the results to be delivered. Our key strategies – the ‘How’ - focus on the ‘3 Ps’: profit, ‘product’ and people. We want you: 1) To be profitable: 2) To provide a superb ‘product’ – with customer satisfaction being at least 90%; 3) To hire and get the best from superb people – with the internal morale scores also being at least 90%. How you make this happen is, within parameters, up to you.

“There are, however, certain rules. We want each team to do three things: a) To show the specific contribution they want to make towards achieving the picture of perfection; b) To outline their road map – with milestones – along the road towards achieving the goals; c) To describe the support they need to do the job. We will then make clear contracts about each team’s contribution to the picture of perfection.”

Great leaders ensure that the managers follow a similar process within their own teams. The managers invite each person to make clear contracts about their best contribution to the team goals. The individuals must then keep their managers informed about their progress on the journey. People are given ownership – but it is within the parameters of pursuing certain key principles. Everybody can then channel their talents towards achieving the specific goals. You will have your own way of making this happen. So try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to give people a sense of ownership are:

*

*

*

* You can ensure that people deliver results.

Great leaders do everything possible to ensure the team achieves success. They have the right people implementing the right strategy in the right way. Assuming they have communicated the strategy, they then go through the following steps.

a) They make sure they have right people.

Leaders are crystal-clear on the qualities they want people to demonstrate. They may aim, for example, to employ people who are positive, professional and prepared to work hard to be peak performers. Some of the toughest decisions are about people. But it is vital to get the right people in the right places – otherwise the team is sunk.

b) They make sure people implement the right strategy.

Leaders clarify and communicate the strategy. They then make clear contracts about each team’s – and each person’s – part in implementing the plan. They also give them the support to do the job.

c) They make sure people implement the strategy in the right way.

Leaders do this by continually asking each team – and the individuals within the team – to present their results. Every two months, for example, they ask each team to present: a) The specific things we have done in the past two months towards achieving the picture of perfection; b) The specific things we plan to do in the next two months towards achieving the picture of perfection; c) The challenges we face, the plans we have for tackling these challenges and the support we would like to do job. Leaders get people to proactively report back about the results they are delivering – the ‘What’. Paradoxically, this gives them greater ‘control’ - because they are judging people by their results – rather than by trying to micro-manage. People are expected to be adults and deliver – rather than be ‘supervised’.

Great leaders also build-in time for reflection – slow thinking – to get an overview and make sure the business is on track. Such ‘course correction’ sometimes calls for making tough decisions. They do whatever is necessary, however, to guide the team to success. You will do this in your own way. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to ensure that people deliver results are:

*

*

*

There are many ways to climb a mountain. Similarly, there are many ways to build fine teams. The LOR approach is one way to guide your people to success.

3 tips for building a team based on 'similarity of spirit' and 'diversity of strengths'

Super teams are made up of people who have similarity of spirit and diversity of strengths. Diversity of spirit is a recipe for disaster. So how can you build such a team? Let’s explore these themes.



* You can focus on similarity of spirit.

Get the right people with the right attitude. Start by defining the spirit you want people in the team to demonstrate. Never compromise on spirit - otherwise you will pay a heavy price. One leader said:

“I want people: a) who take responsibility: b) who encourage other team members: c) who are customer focused. Once I hired a potentially brilliant person, but he behaved unprofessionally towards his colleagues. Despite giving him every opportunity to change his attitude, he continued to pursue his own agenda. It took months to repair the damage.”

You may want to involve your team in defining the culture. If so, invite them to tackle the exercise described below. They are to describe the spirit – the attitude and behavior – they want people in the team to demonstrate. Ask people to give concrete examples about how each quality would be translated into action.

Spirit.

The spirit - attitude & behaviour - we

want people in the team to demonstrate is:

*

*

*

Attitude is non-negotiable - but you want characters, not clones. People will express the team principles in many different ways - but it must always be within certain parameters. Recruit for spirit, then focus on the next step.

* You can focus on diversity of strengths.

Spirit provides the foundation - but you will need creativity to achieve success. Virginia Satir, a pioneering family therapist, found that healthy families demonstrated two characteristics. First, they shared common values. Second, they encouraged people to be different within certain parameters. Sick families fought over their values and crushed differences. Great teams encourage people to use their talents. If you managed ABBA, you would encourage Agneta and Frida to sing, Bjorn and Benny to write the songs, not the other way round. If you led a start-up business, you would urge the brilliant sales person to get out on the road to find more customers, not spend 20 hours a week programming computers. Try tackling the following exercise.

Strengths.

The strengths we already have in the
team are people who have the ability to:

*

*

*

The strengths we need to add to the
team are people who have the ability to:

*

*

*

* You can build a team with similarity of spirit and diversity of strengths.

Great teams get the right balance between consistency and creativity. Arnold Toynbee, the historian, believed this was also vital for societies that wished to survive. They must balance common ethics and creative endeavour. They needed imagination to respond to challenges that threatened their extinction. Looking back at the fall of societies, he wrote: “Civilizations die from suicide, not by murder...Civilizations in decline are constantly characterised by a tendency towards standardization and uniformity.” Bearing this in mind, try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to build a team with
similarity of spirit and diversity of strengths are:

*

*

*

You can find many more tools for building great teams in the free download The Super Teams Pack, that can be found at:

http://www.thestrengthsway.com

3 tips for knowing when to 'drive it, delegate it or ditch it'

“My inbox is full and there are so only many jobs I can tackle,” said one person. “My days should be spent driving strategy, but they get consumed by catching-up on tasks. I only have so much energy, so it is important to channel this into the activities that will make a real difference.”

“Be selective to be effective,” is the motto. Let’s see how this works in practice. Imagine you are a leading a team. The first step is to agree with your sponsor on the results to achieve - this is the ‘What’. Here are three suggestions for then implementing the ‘How’.

* Drive it.

Start by clarifying the things that you personally want to drive. Agree with the team on: ‘The 3 key things we can do to give ourselves the greatest chance of success are: … ” After identifying the top three strategies, you will find there are many projects, tasks and actions to be implemented. Looking at this list, clarify the ones that you personally want to drive. Then lead these - as if your life depended on it. Try completing the following sentence.

The things that I want to drive – and the ways I want to drive these - are:

*

* Delegate it.

Clarify the things you want to delegate – but then comes a key point. Give these to people who will deliver the goods - otherwise you will get worried, micromanage and become a cop. How to delegate? One approach is to communicate the team's picture of perfection. Then ask each team member to show how they would like to contribute to making it happen. That style of ‘delegation’ encourages people: a) To clarify their strengths and how they want to contribute towards achieving the team’s goals; b) To make clear contracts about their contribution; c) To deliver. (You can find more tools on this process in The Super Teams Pack that is mentioned at the end of this piece.)Try completing the following sentence.

The things I want to delegate - and the people I want to delegate these to - are:

*

* Ditch it.

Clarify the things you want to ditch. “I find this easy in theory, but more difficult in practice,” said one person. “I start out with good intentions, but then get guilty about neglecting certain activities.” This highlights a key point. It is vital: a) To clarify the consequences of ditching certain things: b) To anticipate and manage any difficulties that may arise. You will then feel more able to focus on the tasks that really matter. Try completing the following sentence.

The things that I want to ditch – and the ways I will manage the consequences of doing this - are:

*

The work place becomes increasingly complex and people continue to be inundated with information, emails and requests. At the same time, they are urged to ‘work smarter, not harder’. Priority management is vital. There are consequences to this approach - but there are more minuses in trying to fill the day with 12 hours of fire-fighting. Peak performers focus on the key strategies that will give them the greatest chance of success. This calls for being able to ‘drive it, delegate it or ditch it’.

You can find many more tools for leading teams in the free download The Super Teams Pack at:

http://www.thestrengthsway.com

3 tips for communicating with 'architects, builders & craftsmen'

Imagine you are due to make a presentation to a leadership team. The group will be made up of people who process information in different ways. There will be ‘architects’, ‘builders’ and ‘craftsmen’. Let’s consider these three types and how you can communicate with them successfully.

* Architects.

Architects are often decision makers and see the big picture. They like headlines. So quickly explain the results you aim to achieve - plus the benefits. They often go: ‘a, b … then leap to … z’. Visionary by nature, they tend not to get into details, though they may ask the odd ‘curve ball’ question to check if you have done your homework. Providing you have a ‘values-fit’ with them, they will want you to explain the broad principles you will follow to achieve the vision. Architects sometimes have a short attention span - so double-check they are still on-board - otherwise they may get bored and cause difficulties. Once onside, however, you will find they are great advocates. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I can do to communicate with ‘architects’ are:

*

* Builders.

Builders pursue a more ‘logical’ thought process of going ‘a, b, c, d, e …’ until they get to ‘z’. For example, they may be project managers who concentrate on the implementation plans. They focus on the processes to be followed to get the job done. So you must have your facts ready to answer their questions. If possible, meet with the key ‘architects’ and ‘builders’ before the presentation to agree on the key principles for making things happen. You will need the builders onside if you want the ‘building’ - the project or other piece of work - to be finished. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I can do to communicate with ‘builders’ are:

*

* Craftsmen.

Craftsmen are specialists who are often individual knowledge workers. Knowing every detail in their field, they are likely to discuss the intricacies of engraving each ‘brick’. Sometime they can throw presentations off-track by interrupting in mid-sentence, saying: “Do you realize the problems involved in point ‘c’?” Craftsmen care deeply about their work - so you need them onside. One approach is to provide them with a detailed compendium that gives answers to their key questions. You can refer to how their concerns are covered in the back-up material - then continue with the flow of your presentation. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I can do to communicate with ‘craftsmen’ are:

*

Presentations obviously work best when you prepare properly - so try to lay the groundwork. Before the session, start by getting the architects onside and, if possible, get one-to-one meetings with the builders and craftsmen. During these meetings you will, of course, need to present the information in different ways for people with different learning styles. Whenever possible, get everybody on-board beforehand. This will give you the greatest chance of success.

You can find more ideas for communicating in a compelling way at:

http://www.thestrengthsway.com

3 tips for knowing when to 'debate, decide, deliver'

Imagine you are leading a team. The ‘debate, decide, deliver’ model is a good one for involving your people in owning parts of the strategy. Let’s look at how this works in practice. Start by giving people clear guidelines about the freedom they have to operate with the 3 D’s.

Debate: describe the topics that are not up for debate – because these have already been decided - and those that are.

Decide: describe the parameters within which people can then make decisions.

Deliver: describe the deadlines by which people will be expected to deliver.

Great teams know which part of the model they are operating in. They know whether they are debating, deciding or delivering. Poor teams get the three parts mixed up. Bearing these principles in mind, let’s consider how you can guide your team through the three steps.

* Debate.

Describe again the areas that people can and can’t debate. You may say, for example:

“The big ‘What’ - the result we must deliver - is not open to debate. The key strategies - the ‘How’ - have also been handed-down. What we can discuss, however, are the tactics within each of these strategies. Here are the topics that we can debate as a team.

a)

b)

c)

“Are there any other topics to add that perhaps fall under our remit to discuss? Let’s add those to the list. Right, let’s explore the first topic.”

Embark on the debate process. Clarity is crucial. Looking at the first topic, start by defining the results to deliver. Move onto the choices and consequences. Brainstorm all the possible options - together with the pluses and minuses of each option. Discuss the options, then move onto finding possible creative solutions. Eventually you will find the group start moving towards their conclusions.

Good facilitation will be required. Get the right balance between ‘opening up’ - clarifying the result to achieve and exploring ideas - then ‘closing down’. Create an atmosphere in which people share their ideas. Business meetings sometimes close down the discussion too early. On the other hand, some teams open-up subject after subject and never make any decisions. Get the right balance when discussing the first topic. Then, when appropriate, move onto the next stage.

* Decide.

Time to make a decision. You may say something like: “Looking at the first topic, let’s return to results to deliver. Now is the time to decide on which option - or options - we want to pursue. After making the decision, we must then decide who will do what by when. Okay, looking at the first topic, let’s decide on the route forward.”

Clarify the action plan for the first topic. Continue the session by repeating the ‘Debate’ and ‘Decide’ steps for other items on the agenda. Conclude the session by summarising what has been agreed. Encourage people to ‘play back’ what they understand to be the action plans for delivering the team’s goals. Then move onto the next stage.

* Deliver.

People must then work hard to deliver. Provide the support they need to do the job. Super teams are made up of people who are positive, professional and peak performers. But sometimes they get thrown off-course. If people become paralysed in long discussions, investigate the reasons. If appropriate, return to the ‘debate, decide and deliver’ model. Check that the ‘debate’ and ‘decide’ parts have been agreed. If so - and if the decision still fits - then ensure they deliver. If not, then ensure people make a decision and deliver. (Sometimes, of course, it can be a case of ‘just do it’.)

Super teams have crystal clear goals. People know what mountain they are climbing, why they are climbing it and when they will reach the summit. Within this framework, people work best when they can ‘own’ their part of the strategy. Providing it is used properly, the 3 D model is a good tool for making this happen. People then develop the habit of knowing when to debate, decide and deliver.

You can find more tools for building super teams - including The Super Teams Pack free download - at:

http://www.thestrengthsway.com

3 tips for building a super team

Super teams are special. They have a compelling purpose and translate this into a clear picture of perfection. People choose to opt-in and make their best contribution towards achieving the goals. They do professional work, solve problems and deliver peak performance. People then do everything possible to achieve their picture of perfection. The super teams approach comes with three health warnings. First, it works. Second, it looks simple on paper, but that does not mean it is easy. Second, it calls for taking tough decisions, especially about people. There are normally 7 steps towards building such a team - see illustration - so let’s explore how you can follow these steps.

* You can clarify the purpose, picture of perfection and principles.

Start by creating a compelling purpose: this is the team’s reason for being. Translate the purpose into a clear picture of perfection. What does this mean? Pick a date in the future. Describe the actual things that will be happening then that will show the team has reached its goal. If possible, produce an inspiring ‘one liner’ that sums up your aim. Draw a road map towards achieving the target. You can do this by starting from your destination and working backwards. Describe the milestones - the specific things the team must achieve - at each stage of the journey. Outline the ‘actual words’ you want to hear key groups of people saying along the way. After clarifying the ‘What’, revisit the ‘Why’. Clarify the benefits of reaching the goal - for the organisation, for the customers and for the team members. Move onto the ‘How’. Clarify the key principles - the key strategies - the team can follow to give it the greatest chance of success. You are now ready to communicate the purpose, picture of perfection and principles - but then comes a crucial step.

* You can get the right people.

This is the pivotal part. Get the right people with the right spirit - because otherwise you are sunk. Great teams are built on ‘similarity of spirit and diversity of strengths’. Diversity of spirit is a recipe for disaster. Get the right balance between ‘soul players’ and ‘star players’. ‘Soul players’ embody the spirit of the team. They are consistent players who do the right things day after day. ‘Star players’ also embody the spirit, but add that ‘little bit extra’. There is no place for ‘semi-detached’ players who are waiting to be understood or motivated. One negative person can dilute the energy of many people in a team.

Clear contracting is crucial and is the hallmark of healthy cultures. There are three steps you can take to making this happen. First, communicate the picture of perfection. Second, invite people to proactively get back to you to show how they want to contribute towards achieving the picture of perfection. Third, bearing in mind each person’s strengths, make clear contracts about their part in reaching the goals. (You can find out more about this process in The Strengths Toolbox piece called 3 tips for clarifying each person’s contribution to the picture of perfection.)

“But in his book Good to Great, Jim Collins says get the people first,” somebody may say. Jim Collins has written a tremendous book, but on this point he is sometimes misunderstood. When hiring people, it is vital to know roughly the kind of business in which you aim to achieve peak performance. If you are in the alpine climbing business, for example, hire people who have a passion for alpine climbing. Otherwise you may collect rock climbers, free climbers and scuba divers who have different agendas. Clarify the kind of mountain you are climbing, then give people empowerment - within parameters - to finalise the goals and implement their part of the strategy.

* You can enable people to be professional, solve problems & achieve peak performance.

Great teams develop good habits. They keep doing the right things in the right way every day. Invite each person - or, in larger groups, each team - to describe the specific things they will do to deliver the goods. Ask them to proactively keep you informed about the actions they are taking to tackle issues in the Green, Amber and Red Zones. Great teams contain resilient people who overcome setbacks. Educate them to stay calm during crises, solve problems and deliver the goods when it matters. Encourage people to keep working hard and achieve the picture of perfection.

One ending is a new beginning. Some teams disband after reaching the goal. Other teams refocus on the purpose and translate it into a new picture of perfection. Pacesetting teams, for example, have a special kind of psychology. They aim to take the lead, maintain the lead and extend the lead. Staying ahead of everybody else, they make the new rules for the game. Guiding your team to success, you may then want to repeat the process. As they say in sport: “First build a team, then a club, then a dynasty.” This calls for making even tougher decisions, of course, on the road towards building a second-generation super team.

You can get a free download of The Super Teams Pack - around 80 pages, complete with exercises - at:

http://www.thestrengthsway.com

3 tips for following the STAGE model of leadership

Great leaders often follow the STAGE Model of leadership. This covers the Strategic, Tactical, Administrative, Grunt work and Emotional aspects of teamwork. They personally often focus on the strategic and emotional leadership – whilst hiring people who manage the tactics, administration and grunt work. Imagine you are a leader. Here are three suggestions to bear in mind when following the STAGE model.

* You can provide the strategic leadership.

Great leaders communicate the strategy for achieving success. Your job is to keep people’s eyes on the picture of perfection. Keep communicating: a) The ‘What’ - the goal we are aiming to achieve; b) The ‘Why’ - the reasons we are doing it and the benefits; c) The ‘How’ - the strategy for achieving the goal; d) The ‘Who’ - the people who are doing what to achieve the goal; e) The ‘When’ - the milestones along the way - plus when we will know that we have reached the goals. Keep communicating the big picture, especially when it gets tough. People need to keep their eyes on the longer term picture of success. Try completing the following sentence – then move onto the implementation part.

The specific things I can do to provide strategic leadership are:

*

* You can make sure the tactics, administration and grunt work get done.

Great leaders may have grand strategies - but these must be translated into action. As a leader, you can try to do everything yourself, but will be doomed to failure. Your job is to focus on the strategic and emotional leadership. If appropriate, get a co-ordinator to oversee the TAG part, otherwise you will fall into fire-fighting. Their job is to oversee three things.

* Tactics - to ensure that grand plans are translated into tactics.

* Administration - to ensure that diaries are kept up to date, meetings scheduled and the hygiene factors managed, otherwise the team falls into chaos.

* Grunt Work - to ensure people are encouraged, equipped and enabled to do the daily tasks - and that these are completed.

The co-ordinator may not actually do all the work themselves - but they do ensure it gets done. “Must it be one person?” somebody may ask. “I have four people reporting into me. Can’t they all act as co-ordinators?” Yes, they can, but as soon as it gets beyond four reports, the leader may find themselves turning into a manager, rather than a leader. I have never yet met a great team that does not have a superb co-ordinator. Try completing the following sentence – then move onto the final step.

The specific things I can do to make sure the tactical, administrative and grunt work parts get done are:

*

* You can provide emotional leadership.

Great leaders harness people’s emotional energy to achieve the goals. Different leaders do this in different ways. Some are good in ‘one to many’ situations. They give inspiring speeches and provide rallying calls to action. Some are good in ‘one to few’ situations. They prefer small groups where they can listen, connect with people’s agendas and find positive solutions. Some are good in ‘one to one’ situations. They provide the personal touch, make individuals feel valued and encourage them to do their best work.

Great leaders play to their strengths - and few are good in all situations. Some are good as strategic leaders, for example, but fail to provide the necessary emotional leadership. They often work best in tandem with somebody who can connect with people emotionally. Bearing in mind your strengths, try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to provide emotional leadership are:

*

If you are interested in leadership and teamwork, you can find a free downloadable pack for building super teams at:

http://www.thestrengthsway.com