I’m feeling deeply saddened by the state of the world. There seems to be a rapid acceleration of discord, a black hole threatening to devour all that is good.
The day after the San Bernardino tragedy, during my regular gratitude practice, I reflected on the question, “What do I want more of in my life today?”
This week, we’re revisiting Naomi, a public sector leader facing a truly wicked problem.
She’s just lost half her team as the result of a big reduction in force in her agency. She’s working long hours, as are the remaining members of her team. She knows none of them can continue this pace but she hasn’t figured out a way forward. She’s afraid her standards of quality and timeliness are going to slip.
“I am so frustrated,” Shawna declared.
“What’s going on?” Roger asked.
“Three years ago I did some training for a company in Maryland. It was a one-time event that went very well. Eight months ago, they contacted me again and asked if I could do a similar event. I agreed and we scheduled it. The day of the training, I showed up at their site and nothing was set up. The room was a mess and no one knew anything about the training.
Have you been following the Volkswagen emissions scandal (also dubbed “Dieselgate”)? If so, you know that VW has gotten caught intentionally programming many of their diesel engines to meet emissions tests only during lab testing. Emissions during driving were up to 40 times higher.
VW Group CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned from his position and is also stepping down as head of the Porsche holding company that owns a majority of VW stock.
Leaders in every arena need a personal and coherent story that describes their views on what leadership is and what leaders do.
You might argue that you know it when you see it. Sure, that’s possible. But that kind of intuitive leadership leaves you without adequate tools to deepen your own practice or to communicate your approach to others.
I just finished a glorious two-week vacation. The weather was almost too perfect, if that’s possible. After a week of blue skies, with temps in the low 80s, I was ready to take a day off and putter around the house. But I’m not complaining. It was exactly the vacation I had envisioned. Plus I got a chance to read an interesting book that floated to the top of my stack just before heading to the Vineyard.
What if I were to tell you that getting feedback is a great way to achieve your goals? You’d probably tell me I’m full of it. Feedback is just something I have to get through so people will leave me alone.
Seriously, feedback can be a great gift. It’s a window into what you don’t know about yourself that’s impossible to learn any other way.
I promise only two more posts on the topic of feedback, at least for now.
But I won’t apologize. This is important.
Feedback can give you more of what you want: teamwork, collaboration and high performance. It can also give you less of what you don’t want: slacking, toxic relationships and unmet expectations.
Last week, I wrote about feedback as if it were the interpersonal equivalent of a land mine. If that’s the case, why bother giving feedback at all?
In spite of how challenging it can be, offering constructive feedback plays a valuable role in enhancing teamwork and collaboration, whether it’s at home, at work, or with your friends. Here are some reasons why:
Have you ever offered unsolicited feedback and had it blow up in your face?
Or spent hours preparing what you wanted to say then had it land badly even though you sugarcoated it?
Or tried time and again to get your point across about how someone’s behavior negatively affected you…only to end up in yet another “groundhog day” argument?
For the first time ever, Leader as Coach Mastery Program is being offered to the general public--after 10 years of being delivered to DoD and more recently, Airbus Americas. Please consider coming and share the flyer with your organization.
This program has changed people's lives--professionally and personally. Space is limited, so register now! Contact me directly or download this flyer.
Facilitation team: Richard Karash and Deborah Reidy and Cynthia Way.
Here’s a scenario that you may identify with. You’re sitting across the table from someone whose support you need to move ahead with an important project. Ten minutes into the conversation, you’re blindsided by that person’s objections.
Maybe it’s a budget proposal to your board treasurer. Or an important sales presentation. Or a conversation with your partner about moving to a new community. Whatever the specifics, the stakes are high and you’re under pressure.
