Risk vs. Empowerment

Sometimes I think "empowerment" is really "reduced risk". We can talk about empowerment and throw around buzz words, but until our team feels comfortable that they will not be punished for taking a risk, they will never feel empowered!

On the way to work this morning I had an opportunity to reflect on risk. It was freezing rain, the thermometer hovered around 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and the roads were terrible. My 15 minute commute turned into a much longer trip as I drove 40 mph in a 55 zone. Drivers around me were frustrated, and even passed me. Their risk assessment told them that it was safe to drive the speed limit (or above) in such cruddy conditions.

My risk assessment was different, and, as is usually the case, it was based upon experience. Several years ago my wife and I were driving to my Father-in-law's birthday party. The same type of conditions prevailed, with the exception that it was 37 degrees instead of 32. All of a sudden, in a wide-open area (and for no particular reason) we were on a long patch of black ice. One tap of the brakes sent us spinning into the center culvert at the 55 miles per hour! Nobody was hurt, and after a tow and changing a tire, we spent the night in a nearby hotel and continued our journey the next day.

That incident has forever changed my view of icy road conditions. It was a stark reminder of how quickly conditions can change, and how completely out of control you feel when you are spinning on black ice and the car is ignoring all inputs.

Each of the individuals on your team has had similar experiences that were directly related to their work environment. Perhaps a programmer spent several days exploring a new technology that didn't work out - and then got beat up for being behind schedule. Or a systems administrator tried a new approach for installing server fixes that didn't work out, and that actually caused a system interruption. And then they were scolded for trying something new. No matter what the cause, all of us have scars left over from past experiences that will make us think twice before taking a risk.

As managers and leaders, we have a certain amount of positional power bestowed upon us by our titles. Think back to when you were part of the rank and file - how much power did you feel that you had? How much could you influence outcomes? Did you feel like you were driving, or just spinning?

And after you took a risk, failed, and you were punished, how did you feel?

In summary, one of the challenges of empowerment is to build enough confidence into our teams that they can take a risk, fail, and still be recognized as successful.

Shut up and Skate!

Many years ago, I helped coach my son's high school hockey team. High school hockey was great; the skills were excellent, the skating was phenomenal, and the players were developing a strong "hockey sense". The games were fast and furious, with players flying past the bench with complete abandon. They were focused on winning! Winning each face-off, working hard for each break-out, driving to the net, delivering the puck on goal.

It was a great time of watching players develop their skills and their character. It seemed that every week they gained new skills, new plays and new hockey-judgement. The pressure cooker of competition and lots of ice time combined to drive the players to new levels of performance.

Even as they developed, it was apparent that they still had a lot to learn.

One example was when we were on the receiving end of a bad call. An official would see only part of an incident, and we would end up with a penalty that put a key player in the box for a few minutes (and in the world of high school hockey, a few minutes can make a big difference). The reaction of the team was intense! They wanted to win! It wasn't fair! Take it back! Do it over! Make it right! It was the other guy! Stupid official!

I didn't mind their emotional reaction - it was a natural part of the game - a result of all the intensity and effort that they were exerting. What I did mind was the way it affected their performance. For the next few minutes after the call, all they could think about was the inequity of the situation. They would lose their edge and their focus. Simple plays would fall apart, passes would be missed, checks botched. All because they couldn't get past the penalty!

Have you ever done this in your work life?

Have you let a missed opportunity or a bad situation affect your ability to perform? Sometimes we let resentments build up over the years. And then some event triggers a much stronger reaction than we had expected from ourselves. And in addition to the embarrassment and shame, we let our performance slip as we replay the event over and over in our heads.

Perhaps someone else was promoted when you thought you should get the position. Or you have an over-achieving, upward-managing boss who has no regard for the team that makes him successful.

Whatever the situation, once you begin thinking of yourself as a "victim", your ability to perform is impaired.

Life isn't fair, and many elements of our work life aren't fair. It's unusual to have a great company and a great management team to work for (treasure it when it happens) - so we are bound to be disappointed and to take a few "bad calls".

The key (in my life) of "getting over it" is "letting go of it". I've offended and let down so many people that it would be incredibly egocentric to assume that I have the right not to be offended or disappointed. Additionally, God's mercy has provided me unmerited grace. Who, then, am I that I should hold a grudge?

So, no matter how you process forgiveness, in the meantime I'll tell you the same thing I used to tell my players after a bad call:

Shut up and skate!!!

Forget New Year's resolutions: commit to Kaizen!

The Holidays are almost over, and we are faced with the daunting prospect of starting the new year a few pounds heavier and a few dollars poorer. During this time of the year, I have often committed to a New Year's resolution (or two). I start out with great expectations - if I can only do this "X" number of times in a row, it will become a habit! I set reminders on my smart phone, enlist my wife's help, and build "mutual accountability" relationships with friends.

Even after all that effort, I am often disappointed in myself as the resolution doesn't stick and the changes don't happen!

Common in the Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma worlds, Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy that focuses on continual improvement throughout all aspects of life.

At work, it implies that we "make room for the future". Commit to doing something everyday, or at least every week, that will improve the future. This is harder than it seems, as the concerns of everyday leadership and management tend to overwhelm us and make us focus on the tactical vs. the strategic. So it needs to become a commitment to Kaizen - make room to improve the future on a regular basis.

In the world of technical management, it may be as simple as improving or implementing a process. Or investing some time exploring a new technology. Or upgrading an IDE. Simple things can make a big difference, and they often don't take a lot of resources or time.

In my personal life, I tend to focus on incremental improvements that will make others happier. Or make their burdens lighter. Some examples in my life are doing dishes and laundry, cleaning up after I cook and keeping the cars filled with gas.

And some of my changes are enjoyable - like committing to reading the classics. Or learning a new song on my guitar. Or spending more quality time with my wife.

The point is - it's not a one-time, annual event. It is a commitment to continuous improvement. So, if you do make a New Year's resolution this year - resolve to commit to Kaizen!

Project Management: The Vasa

Have you ever worked on a project or at a company where you knew that things were headed in the wrong direction? How did you react? Did you have the nerve to tell the truth and confront management?

If you aren't aware of the Vasa, she is a beautiful Swedish ship that went down in the Baltic in 1628 on her maiden voyage. 333 years later, she was re-discovered. She has been fully recovered and is displayed in a museum in Stockholm ( http://www.vasamuseet.se/en/ ).

When you see the ship, it is mind-boggling to think about the effort that it took to create it. Two years and hundreds (maybe thousands) of people working on it. The coordination of raw materials, skilled and non-skilled labor, and the myriad of details involved is amazing. And all in an age before power tools and Microsoft Project!.

But in spite of all the effort and attention to detail, the ship never made it past it's maiden voyage. It was towed along the water front to the southern side of the harbor, where 3 sails were set. Winds were not high and the sea was calm. As the Vasa emerged from the protective bay, a breeze caught her sails and she rolled to the port side. She recovered once as the sheets were cast off, but another gust rolled her onto her side and water rushed into the lower gun ports. She went down quickly, in front of thousands of on-lookers, taking approximately 50 people with her.

Years of effort and finances disappeared below the surface, a severe blow to Sweden's war effort and economy.

It did not have to happen. During a "rock test" after the ship was first floated, it was readily apparent that the ship was not stable (in a rock test, workers run back and forth across the beam of the ship). The Admiral refused to address the issue, saying "if only the King were here!".

Even prior to the rock test, there were certainly ship-builders (Dutch, "consulting engineers") that realized that there was a problem. I suspect many of the experienced ship builders and laborers knew that the ship was too narrow and top-heavy. Why didn't anyone speak up? The answer is apparent when you read the history of what happened after the ship went down; the King's response to the news was that "imprudence and negligence" were the cause of the disaster, and a full scale investigation was launched.

So the people around the King rightly judged that delivering the truth was risky.

How about you? Would you have confronted the issue and told the King? In retrospect, you would think that saving 50 lives would be worth the cost of confrontation.

What about your current environment? Are you willing to tell the truth and confront the facts? And if not, why not?

Bad news should travel fast ....

As a leader, I am keenly aware that I need to know what is going on inside of my department and inside of the business. It's often easy to know about the positive things that are going on ... people naturally want to share their successes and victories. It is much more difficult to ferret out the darker side of the environment - mistakes, failures and errors - "bad news".

I always tell my teams, "Bad news should travel fast!", because, as a leader, I often have resources and options that may not be readily available to my team members. Additionally, I can help manage customer expectations by resetting delivery dates or negotiating a compromise. And, finally, I don't want to get blindsided by bad news from a CXO.

It is easy to say "Bad news should travel fast", but it is difficult to implement. The conduit that bad news travels upon is trust. In order to hear bad news, I need to engage with my team in a way that builds and maintains trust. If I drop the ball while managing my relationships within the team, I can easily lose their trust, and therefore be cut out of the information loop.

In the end, it's Leadership 101 as defined by John Maxwell. Invest in relationships, treat everyone with respect, be honest and expect honesty. And never, ever punish someone for bringing you the truth!

Technology Leadership: Self-Aware vs. Self-Centered

We have all worked for self-centered leaders. Completely self-absorbed, they hesitate to delegate, they often have poor listening skills, and they tend to make unilateral decisions without understanding the situation. As members of their staffs, we spend inordinate amounts of time feeding their egos (versus getting things done). Being self-centered is human nature, and leaders need to become self-aware to avoid the pitfalls of being self-centered.

Self-aware leaders make an effort to see themselves as their employees see them. They understand how their actions and moods will be perceived, and they make an effort to project the best possible attitude at all times. Self-aware leaders are tuned into their staffs, and understand that their actions are over-analyzed and sometimes misunderstood. Self-awareness drives them to listen better, communicate more and delegate well.

To be an effective leader, you must be self-aware and not self-centered for the following three reasons:

Self-aware leaders make better decisions.

• Sure that they are always right; self-centered leaders tend to make decisions without listening. And once they set a course of action, their staffs will reinforce and go along with their thinking even when they are wrong, because they know that disagreeing will only offend and alienate them from their leader.

• Self-aware leaders are, by their nature, open to feedback and differing viewpoints. They understand and value the viewpoints and opinions’ of their staff members and customers, and respond positively and graciously when feedback is offered. Because self-aware leaders are more in tune with their staffs, they often have a more complete view of the situation, and therefore make better decisions.

Self-aware leaders delegate.

• Self-centered leaders often isolate themselves by being overly self-reliant and unwilling to delegate tasks. They become convinced that they are the only ones that can perform a given task correctly, and therefore they must do it themselves. While they can and do perform at a very high level, their total productivity is limited to what they can accomplish by themselves; they are unable to leverage the talents and energy of their team.

• Leaders that are self-aware understand the limitations of single-threading tasks. They know that the message sent by delegating a task is “I trust you”. They take advantage of their team’s talents by encouraging them to fully engage and own tasks, projects and roles.

Self-aware leaders build stronger relationships.

• Relationships are the key to leadership, and building relationships takes time and effort. (See my December, 2008 blog.) Self-centered leaders often harm their relationships by their actions. Callous behavior, lack of concern and/or respect for team members (for instance, calling a staff meeting and then showing up late), and lack of recognition are just a few of the harmful behaviors displayed by self-centered leaders.

• Self-aware leaders invest in relationships by understanding how their actions and attitudes affect the team. They treat others as they would like to be treated. They engage with their teams and their customers by listening and reacting to their concerns. They build the relationships that allow them to lead.

The examples provided are relatively black-and-white; the truth is that most leaders are a combination of self-centered and self-aware. We become leaders because we are willing to take risks, we make good decisions, we have the right experience and education, and we are successful. In short, we are good at what we do. The problem starts when we begin to believe our own “press” and forget where we came from and how it feels to be a follower.

To be the leader that your team deserves, think about your actions and how they affect people. Focus on being self-aware and not self-centered. Extinguish your ego before it burns someone (or it will eventually burn you).

Thanks for taking the time to read this; your comments and thoughts are always welcome.

Customer Service: Relationships Matter

Putting Customers First – Relationships Matter

Relationships with customers are one of the keys to any business.

Most of us have called a large company’s customer service line for help with a problem. It feels like a game of roulette: will the service representative that answers my call be able to help me? Will I be able to communicate with them – will they listen? What will their attitude be? Are they willing to help me?

Good customer service requires maintaining a positive, upbeat attitude and having the proper tools, knowledge and abilities to meet a customer’s needs. A great attitude without the ability to address needs is a waste of time. Equally, a super-competent, highly experienced service representative with a toxic attitude will annoy customers. Superb customer service is driven by the combination of competence and attitude.

Beyond having the proper attitude and ability, customer service is enhanced by establishing and maintaining solid relationships with our customers. Customers who know us, both as individuals and as a company, will prefer to do business with us.

“Building relationships” with customers sounds less than straight forward. Many of the things we do everyday are easy to list and easy to measure: “update Engineering hours spreadsheet” or “install new laptop for Joe”. What, exactly, does “building customer relationships” mean? And how is it accomplished?

Dozens of books and articles have been written about developing and maintaining customer relationships. The three steps outlined below represent my personal view of the process, and are necessarily condensed.

Build Trust. Trust is the foundation of solid relationships. Our customers (both internal and external) need to know that they can trust us and rely on us. Trust can be developed and maintained in a variety of ways:

· Be honest. Tell the truth in all situations, both negative and positive. Develop a transparent relationship wherever possible. Do the right thing for the customer and for the Company.

· Run to problems. When an issue arises, don’t ignore it, fix it. Proactively addressing issues builds customer confidence – especially if you notice an issue and fix it before they are even aware of it.

Perform. Another element of building a solid customer relationship is performance – delivering on the promises made to customers.

· Make commitments. Give customers clear deliverables and deadlines. Even if you can’t do everything they want done, tell them what you can accomplish and when it will be completed.

· Follow-through. Once a commitment has been made, make sure that you meet it.

· Exceed expectations. Go beyond your customer’s expectations by doing a better job, faster, and less expensively than originally expected.

Communicate. Obviously, the basis of all relationships is communication.

· Listen. Learn the art of active listening. Listen carefully to what your customer is saying, and then feed it back to them to confirm that you understand clearly.

· Inform. Proactive communication is important to all relationships, and especially important with customers. Keep customers informed of the items that pertain directly to them, whether it is a delivery date for a product or a software update for their computer.

Relationships can be compared to bank accounts. Building a bank account involves making investments. To build a relationship with a customer, we need to invest. Each time we interact with a customer is a chance to invest in the relationship. It takes time and effort to build a solid relationship, but the payoff is significant in customer trust and loyalty.

When our customers call, they shouldn’t feel like they are “rolling the dice”. They need to feel like they are calling a long-time, trustworthy friend. And the best way to make customers feel secure and confident in us is to invest in our relationships with them.