"NO" for an answer

Have you ever really noticed all the negative cues that surround us in our lives?

"NO parking". "NO trespassing." "NO loitering".

Now, the "no" statements I mention above probably make sense in the context for which they are intended. Still, we are surrounded by signs and notices and words that tell us communicate negatively with us. However, what about the negative cues that are presented to our customers?

Recently, I was at a church where a sign was prominently displayed:

Visitors
STOP
and then other words underneath that directed them to the "welcome" center.

The idea was to allow visitors, who often anonymously visit, to be acknowledged, properly greeted, and to be made to feel comfortable. I mentioned what I saw to a couple of people in charge (I think a couple of others mentioned it, as well); the next week there was still a sign and it still guided visitors to the welcome center, but it was very positive and gentle.

How about your office? Is the place where your customers go to fill out paperwork called the lobby or the waiting room? Do you tell your customers to "have a seat in the waiting room" (aaaarrrrgggghhhhh!) or let them know they can "relax in the lobby"? Does your staff ignore the customers and continue their personal conversation or do they hide behind a glass window or partition?

People typically want to be in positive surroundings where they feel good about things, about themselves. They often, consciously or unconsciously, shy away from negative experiences, unless they have no other choice.

I challenge you to take a look around your office or business or organization and see if there are negative cues being shared with your customers. Look hard. If you find any, consider whether the cues need to stay. If they do, figure out a way to convey them positively, so you'll know that your establishment is where the customers want to be and we can ALL feel good about ourselves.

World-Class Customer Service -- is it about YOU or the SERVICE?

Several times during my previous careers, I was instructed to set realistic expectations for my customers:

~In the Army, when we set up equipment in support of the Division Headquarters, and we were being evaluated, we were supposed to do so efficiently and effectively. However, when my guys pre-positioned some items (way out of the ordinary) to make our setup time even faster, my boss, who was also observing, said "way to go...now you've just set an unrealistic expectation that you're going to have to meet every time now...".

~In the temporary services business, one time when the owner was taking an order over the phone, I had just had the perfect temp leave the office so I called her immediately and filled the order over the phone before the owner even finished getting all the details. I yelled "filled" whiled she was still on the phone. She shot me a dirty look and I was confused. When she got off the phone she said, "you were lucky this time and you know it often takes a lot longer to find a good temp for our customers. If you let the customers know how quickly you can fill an order...when everything works out right...you've set the expectation that you can fill them all that fast."

I took lessons, like those above, very seriously. In later years, when my staff would come to me asking to do something out of the ordinary for a customer, I would often agree because I wanted our customers to have the best. BUT, I would always say, "make sure they know you're doing them a favor." That way the customers weren't given unrealistic expectations and it made us look like we were giving the customers something special.

RECENTLY, however, I listened to a speaker and author named John DiJulius (www.johndijulius.com) who really confused me. He asked a theoretical question to the group:

A CUSTOMER COMES IN FOR AN APPOINTMENT AT THE WRONG TIME. WHAT DO YOU DO?

1. Tell the customer that he or she is in the office at the wrong time and offer to reschedule them.
2. Tell the customer that he or she is in the office at the wrong time, but that you value them so you tell them that you'll work them in.
3. Welcome the customer just as if this was the time they were supposed to be in your office and never let them know they had made any mistakes.

Well, the answer, according to Mr. DiJulius, is #3, provide your customer the best experience possible and never let on about anything. But, how will they know the hoops you jumped through? How will they know you've done extra for them? This was hard for me because it's not the answer I would have picked. I would have picked #2 and felt really good about it. The thing is, by choosing numbers 1 or 2, I've let my customer know that he or she messed up...that they were wrong. That doesn't sound so good.

I wonder if I have been missing the point. Have I been looking at these types of situations as opportunities focused on solely on world-class service or have I really been focused on making my team and me look good?

The more I think about it, the more I'm sure John DiJulius is right. It's about service...plain and simple. I guess I can kind of equate it to "if you help your people succeed, you don't have to worry about making yourself look good, because you're peoples' success will make you look good, too."

So maybe we can apply the same with service. If we just worry about providing the absolute best service we can (which includes making others feel good about themselves), we don't have to worry about making ourselves look good. That will be a natural by-product of our positive actions.

What do they expect from me?

BOSS
1. What does he or she expect from me?
He or she expects me to:

~Represent the team in a professional manner.
~Be an engaged, focused leader who keys on the mission and the good of the team.
~Make him or her look good.

2. How do I need to influence my boss?
I need to take a positive, but objective view of situations. I can bring up issues that I feel need addressing, but if he or she disagrees with me, I run with them like they’re my own (unless illegal or unethical).

TEAM
1. What does the team expect from me?
They expect me to:

~Lead them, but not manage them.
~Help them develop so they can grow.
~Help provide answers when they need them.
~Support their efforts.

2. How do I need to influence them?

~Listen and allow them to talk (and complain).
~Don’t shut them down.
~Show them a good example.

CUSTOMERS
1. What do my customers expect from me?
They expect me to:

~Put them first.
~Understand their needs.
~Fix their problems.
~Not give excuses.

2. How do I need to influence them?

~Listen and allow them to talk (and complain).
~“Be There” for them.

FOR ALL
1. I need to exhibit an empathetic spirit.
2. I must be credible.

Can a person be promoted too fast?

Or before he or she is ready to handle the responsibility?

My opinion is a very strong YES.

Maybe you've seen it; I certainly have. I've seen it because I've done it and been burned by it. I think the problem often stems from managers who are getting covered up with stuff and need someone desperately to fill a leadership position. The managers look around and settle on someone who is performing really well at the current level.

Don't get me wrong...I'm a big proponent of developing your people. How can someone grow if they're not given more responsibility? The big mistake comes when we give our rising star too much power too fast.

What does it do so many times? Goes right to their heads. As Pat Riley says in his book, "The Winner Within", they just don't know how to handle their "meteoric rise". Sometimes your star can handle the duties of the job and sometimes he or she struggles. What almost all of them fail at is keeping their egos in check.

It's just human nature, isn't it?

Regardless, you end up really needing that person in the role. You've worked every angle and this is what you need to do. OK, that's fine. So how do you do your best to ensure everything works out, your star flourishes and you don't end up with a bucket-load of headaches? You:

~Set the expectations for your star and, if you feel it appropriate, warn of the potential issues right away ("You need to understand, regardless of the trust I've placed in you, you can't let this go to your head. Genuine humility is one of the signs of a real leader, so keep it real").
~Let him or her know you'll be watching.
~Stay involved, giving regular guidance and direction
~If you see any issues re: "the big head", nip them in the bud ASAP.

The best choice, in my opinion, is to wait for the right person to fill your critical job. But, if you have a potential superstar and want/need to give him or her the chance to achieve great things, closely oversee and guide for success.

"If you wanna be somebody else, change your mind."

What is this, you say? It's a line from the song, "Change Your Mind", by the group Sister Hazel.

Besides being a pretty good song, the lyrics are very profound, aren't they?

I don't know that I've ever heard a phrase that so perfectly shared 2 ideas:

"If you wanna be somebody else, change your mind":

1. You're fine...don't try and change yourself. This is how God made you...although you can tweak a thing or two...

OR

2. If you need to change, the first thing that has to change is the way you think.

I think both of these interpretations could be pertinent simultaneously, which makes the phrase even more profound.

I definitely need to spend time, every now and then, on introspection...when I do, I think about this phrase and then try to act on it.

Teach without harm

So our people mess up every now and then and we want to teach them the right way to do things without causing harm and while showing respect.

Here's another Army story.

If you've read any of my posts before you might have seen where the unwritten law in the Army was for officers to eat after their soldiers had been fed. Another rule that was a little more formal was that, after you got back in from time out in the field, officers couldn't leave until the soldiers were finished with everything and then released for the day...you didn't go enjoy yourself or get to go see your family if your soldiers were still working.

Captain Jones had a young lieutenant working for him named LT Arnold. LT Arnold was brand new and the night of "the lesson" was the end of LT Arnold's first trip to the field with this battalion. LT Arnold went up to CPT Jones about 8:00 or 9:00 PM and said, "I'm taking off, sir; my wife and little boy are waiting for me outside."

The background was that LT Arnold only had one car and this was back in the day before cell phones. When he had gotten in from the field, LT Arnold had called his wife to tell her he was back and she and 4-year old son had driven the 15 or 20 miles to pick him up and take him home. The problem was that the troops weren't done cleaning their weapons and securing all the vehicles yet...they had probably another hour before they were done. CPT Jones had a decision to make.

Now, the "right" thing to do would have been for CPT Jones to tell LT Arnold that his wife and son needed to either wait for the next hour or so OR to go home and then come back when he was ready to be picked up.

Thing is, you can be right and dumb at the same time (a very smart Army sergeant taught me that once and it's always stayed with me). Being right in this respect would really have not served any purpose...well, LT Arnold certainly would have learned his lesson and would hopefully not have put his family through the same ordeal in the future. BUT, that is a very tough lesson because LT Arnold was new and everyone was busy and no one was really noticing him at the time.

So, CPT Jones did what I think was a very smart thing. He sat LT Arnold down, explained the situation and then said, "take your family on home and next time you'll know better, ok?" LT Arnold was embarrassed, but very thankful that his family didn't have to suffer because of his mistake. And he became and remained steadfastly loyal to CPT Jones from then on. No harm, no foul.

Remember...you can be right and dumb at the same time...just think about what's reasonable and go from there.

Are you first or last in line?

In the Army, when they're in the field or out on maneuvers, an implied rule is officers are supposed to eat last...after their soldiers do.

It's not always something overly intuitive to young lieutenants. They learn quickly, however, when they get in line with everyone else and then are pulled aside by some higher ranking officer and set straight.

In the modern military, no one is going to go hungry...the worst that might happen is that the cooks run out of the main course and the officers might have to do with leftovers or something less appealing.

Still, there is strong symbolism here. You take care of your people because the people perform the mission...not the leaders. You ensure they're properly clothed and fed, rested and trained. You see to it that they're properly led. Without the soldiers, the leaders are nothing. Some of the officers "get" the symbolism, responding accordingly...and some never do.

It's no different in the civilian world. Do we not realize? Are we too busy with our own projects and problems? Is it too much trouble or that we just don't know how to do it. Do we not care?

OR is it that we think we deserve to be first in line? After all, we've invested a lot of time and effort to help the company grow and be stronger. While there are perks that come with working your way to the top of an organization, we can never afford to let a core leadership principle -- taking care of our people -- slip away from us.

Take a look at your organization and try to determine the commitment level the leadership has to the workers. If you're not happy with what you see, then maybe it's time to start working on a culture shift.

You won't truly have your team's commitment until they know they have yours.

WIIFM...You'd better believe it

WIIFM is what makes the world go around. WIIFM or "What's In It For ME" is an acronym that's been around a long time in the business world. It sometimes surprises me when I use the term or phrase and people haven't heard about it.

The thing about WIIFM isn't what it is, but what it represents. Look at the people around you...family, friends, colleagues, CUSTOMERS. Everyone of them work in the world of WIIFM at one time or another and may not even realize it or if they do, may not know how to express it.

If you're goal is to help others get what they want whether it be any of the people mentioned above, you have to understand that WIIFM.

How can you find out what someone's WIIFM is on a particular subject?

ASK!

Two great things you can do to help meet another's WIIFM is to:

1. Actively Listen
~Two ears and one mouth means "shut your pie hole"...remember, it's about the other person, not you. Since most of us like to talk about ourselves, resist the urge and let the other person do the talking.
~Focus on the words and ideas the other person is sharing so that mean's multi-tasking and thinking about what YOU are going to say next are "No-Nos".
~Just speak to ask clarifying questions and don't interrupt.

2. Practice Empathy
~Empathy means putting yourself in the other person's position and to do that you might need to be willing to temporarily "suspend your beliefs" about a subject so you can truly understand what the other party is trying to share.
~Be respectful, whether you agree or not. We all want to be treated with respect.

If you understand people's WIIFM when you interact and can use the skills of listening and empathy, you can help ensure you can relate to them in the way to help them be successful...and that could make your very successful, too (...that's your WIIFM, right?).

Start your week off right -- Encourage someone around you

Here's a great idea for first thing Monday morning.

Take 5 minutes before your day "officially" starts and write a personal note to someone in your office whether it be a colleague or team member (you could even write one to your boss if it didn't appear like you were kissing up too much).

The point is that everyone likes to know others think positively about them. You don't have to write something really profound or special to someone other than to tell him or her that you're glad you're on the same team.

One idea I heard about was a manager who bought a 1 or 2 dollar box of plain note cards with a generic design on the outside. Then, this person made a list of all the people he worked with. He tore the paper into strips with a different name on each strip and put them into a cup. Each morning over a few week period he pulled a different name out of the cup and wrote a personal note. He got to work before most others in the morning so he slipped the note onto the recipient's desk so they would realize the note some time during the day.

I understand that while some recipients liked the notes, they discarded them soon. Others held onto the cards to remind them of positive thoughts from someone else. Regardless, all of them appreciated receiving the notes.

Sharing encouragement and appreciation can be expressed in many differnt forms. This particular one is easy and inexpensive, but can potentially have a significant impact.

You have the power to positively impact someone else. Don't waste the opportunity.

Commitment to Service...It's not always pretty

Pretty much everyone I know likes to do nice things for other people. It's easy and sometimes fun to do nice things, helpful things, for others.

What about when doing the nice thing, doing the helpful thing, do the right thing is just plain inconvenient, or hard, or messy or distasteful?

When my grandfather was alive and going through the last stages of Alzheimer's, my mother (Gpa's daughter-in-law) went to visit him most, if not every, day. She did his laundry, she talked to him, she made over him, she made sure he had everything he needed and did so with a smile on her face...she was totally committed and there for him. Some of the things my mother had to do for him were pretty distasteful, but she didn't flinch. Gpa wasn't always coherent and didn't speak most of the time so he didn't say "thank you" very much, but my mother wasn't doing it for the praise. She was doing it because she was cheerfully committed to him.

My mother learned this servant attitude well. Both her parents had it and my grandmother (my mother's mother) modeled it regularly with her own family as well as other people around her.

I can't say I learned it as well as my mother did. One time, when my mother couldn't visit Gpa, she had my sister, brother, and me go over to the nursing home. One of the things that needed to be done was to put some kind of cream on Gpa's legs because they were so chapped and dry. I was the one to put the cream on. I was getting it done in my normally thorough way when my brother looked down at me and said, "Bob...you're face." I said "what about my face?" He said, "you need to wipe that look off your face."

Evidently, I had a really disgusted look on my face that must have made it appear like I was sticking my hand in a dirty toilet. Hopefully, my Gpa didn't see my expression or perhaps it didn't register with him. I hope not.

So, commitment got me through the distaste. And I was doing my duty so that was a good start, but I was lacking a spirit of empathy and compassion. Those things can take you the rest of the way to cheerful service.

Let's all look at how we provide service to those around us and do our best to provide it in a positive, empathetic and uplifting way...even when it's not pretty.

Correcting Your People, "Carpet Bombing"-Style

Yesterday, I wrote about leaders who lavishing their praise on the whole team regardless of whether all the team members deserved it. Today, it's the flip side -- carpetbombing, or a broad, general attack on the whole team when, in reality, the leader's correction really only applies to one or a few of the team members...and he or she just tries to avoid the confrontation.

I would love to say I've never done this, but...I can't. In fact, I did this very thing in the past year. I made a correction to my whole team when only one person needed to hear it. Thankfully (although I didn't enjoy it at the time) another of my team members, "Ella" called me after the meeting where I had applied the "correction". She said, "Did I do ________? I don't remembering doing that." I then admitted that I had "carpet bombed" the team and that "Sue" really was the only person who needed to hear my correction. Then Ella rightly said, "Well, then why did I have to hear it? Why didn't you get with Sue directly?" Ella was soooo right. So, I sheepishly thanked her for bringing my error to my attention; then I called Sue and let her know more directly what needed to change.

If Ella had not had the strength and conviction to let me know she didn't appreciate my actions, I might have left most of my team either wondering if they had messed up or resenting me for calling them on something they didn't do (thankfully, I don't think the rest of my team did, this time, anyway) or both.

Save yourself a lot of the grief I caused myself and just deal with your errant team members directly. If you've been coaching regularly, the interaction really shouldn't be a confrontation or even a big deal for you or the "offender" and everybody on the team will be happier.

"He Who Praises Everybody, Praises Nobody"

If you're reading the blog on Thursday, 6/11/09, the "famous quote" for the day is reflected in the title of this blog.

Samuel Johnson, a famous British author from the 18th century, had it right. We, especially in America, I think, are so worried about everybody being happy and fulfilled while at the same time we, as bosses are afraid of confrontation, that we can often go down the path of praising everybody regardless...regardless of results, regardless of effort, regardless of attitude.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm a strong believer in improving the lives of the people around me, but every one of us has the responsibility to do the best job we can do...all the time. If we don't do our best, our bosses have the right, no -- RESPONSIBILITY, to let us know and help us get back on track.

Some of us seem to think, as leaders, that taking care of our people means making them feel wonderful all the time. I challenge all leaders to look at taking care of their people along the lines of...

~teaching them good habits, like how to be efficient and effective
~helping them learn new skills and activities that will help them grow in their jobs
~developing their thought processes and characteristics to move their careers forward and achieve greater successes

...all in the framework of strengthening the group or organization, which makes us all better, AND can help your team members feel empowered, get promoted, and make more money (and maybe you, too, for being such an awesome boss).

Praise thoughtfully and judiciously...it's really the fair way, isn't it?

Efforts Don't Necessarily Yield Results

Wow! That's harsh, isn't it?

That's what I thought the first time I heard it, too. I was a young officer standing before my commander who was asking me why something hadn't taken place. He was hitting me pretty hard about it. I was feeling very defensive and said, "Sir, I tried really hard to make this happen." And you, of course, know what his response was, right? "Well, Captain Hall, efforts don't necessarily yield results". Man, I was mad. I already wasn't too crazy about this boss and was working very hard to please him. Then I get a response like this?

As you might imagine, this interaction stuck with me for a long time. Six or seven years later, a VP in my company made a similar statement when expressing his expectations in a meeting. I felt compelled to speak up, being "proactively defensive", and did a poor job explaining my concerns with his statement. Later, I went to him to describe what I meant and touched a little bit on my perspective. This guy was pretty thoughtful and he said, "how about this? I acknowledge efforts, but I reward results."

Now that was a statement that I could not argue against.

We're hired to get results. It doesn't matter the task...as long as it's not illegal or immoral, we need to complete what we're given to do. If we don't get results, our bosses can rightly hold us responsible.

After my "run in" with the colonel way back when, I should have asked myself these questions (I can't remember if I did):

Did I start the task on time?

Did I understand the objective?

Did I seek help from others?

Did I take the task seriously enough?

If there were issues that I needed guidance on or that I couldn't handle, did I take them to my boss for assistance?

Will I make these same mistakes again?

So, how can you work to make sure you don't end up in the same boat I did? Run through the questions at the beginning of the task or assignment, not at the end, like I probably did then.

When do I need to start the task to ensure it's completed on time?

Do I understand the objective?

Is there anything that I'm unclear about?

Do I need to involve others to provide assistance?

Do I understand the priority and weight of this task?

All those around us count on us to get results...our organization, our bosses, our peers, our team members. We need to ensure we plan and organize our duties to get the job done. If we don't, there's only one person to blame.

Servant Leadership...it's not a fad

That's what I'm talking about today...servant leadership.

We've heard and read tons and tons of stuff about servant leadership in the recent past. It's been a fad off and on in different organizations periodically. It was definitely a fad where I worked a few years ago. I heard bosses say, "ok, it's all about servant leadership now" and then a few weeks or months later it was on to another leadership buzz word and fad.

Give me a break. Could anybody tell me then what servant leadership truly was about? I don't know if most of them knew, but it sounded really good, didn't it?

From the web site www.greenleaf.org:

"The phrase “Servant Leadership” was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, he said:

'The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.'

So, this concept has been around for a while...for thousands of years, actually. To me, it boils down to "It's not all about YOU". Now, we're all human and we all have desires. Most all of us want to be successful. So how do we measure success and what do we need to do to get there?

When you read or hear words by such greats in the management world as Zig Ziglar, Brad Worthley, Sheila Murray Bethel, and Roxanne Emmerlich, you will hear them all say that you can't truly be successful, regardless of how you measure success, until you help others be successful.

Read Robert Greenleaf's quote above once again and ask yourself a few questions:

"Why am I a boss?"

"Who do my people work for?"

"What is my duty towards them?"

Leaders who spend the majority of their time working to promote themselves and ensure everyone thinks they're wonderful often end up alone.

Concentrate on taking the crap and clutter off your people's shoulders so they can focus on the mission and their success will become your success, too.

Going the 3rd Mile

You've all probably heard the saying "going the 2nd mile" in reference to efforts that people make to exceed the norm.

I would challenge all those who think going the 2nd mile is enough when it comes to service and providing a true "out of this world" experience.

When I was a teenager, I went to an event where the late Grady Nutt spoke. Grady Nutt was a Christian comedian and he was a pretty funny guy. One idea he shared has stayed with me for more than 30 years.

Grady talked about true service and he referenced the 2nd mile which comes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in the Bible.

You don't have to be a Christian or even a religious person to appreciate what Grady had to say. I'll do my best to help you get the picture since the details of the story are long gone for me.

During the era of the Roman Empire, Roman soldiers were allowed to carry out impressment on the citizens of the occupied or "protected" countries where the soldiers were stationed (If you know your American history, you might also recognize the term because British Navy ships were stopping American merchant ships and impressing American sailors to serve on their vessels...one of the tensions that helped lead to the War of 1812). Anyway, the Roman soldiers could "task" any of the non-Roman citizens to carry their very heavy packs for a Roman mile. When the mile was completed, if the soldier had any distance to travel, he'd have to "impress" another man into carrying his gear.

Picture a local citizen being made to carry the pack of a Roman soldier for that first mile, doing his duty. As they get to that first mile mark, the soldier is waiting for that bag to slide off the citizen's shoulder and land on the ground. Hopefully, it didn't have anything breakable in it because it might have had trouble surviving the fall.

Imagine the soldier's surprise when the citizen keeps carrying the pack past mile marker #1, doing more than his duty. Some questioning is seeping into that soldier's mind. Some grudging respect for a man of principles is starting to form.

Picture the soldier's grudging respect turning into admiration as mile marker #2 is passed and the pack is still on the citizen's back. The soldier understands that, in some way, this citizen sees value in the soldier and in doing his absolute best for another human being.

By the time the two part company, the soldier's day has been made. He's not just another occupier and the citizen is not just another face in the crowd. A relationship has been formed.

In a nutshell,

Mile 1: You've done your duty

Mile 2: You've earned the other person's respect

Mile 3: You've made someone's day and probably also made a friend.

Folks, we have an opportunity to make peoples' days all the time...to WOW and exceed expectations. This can apply to customer service or it can be about how each of us live our lives.

If we truly believe in giving the people around us the best that we have, then we need to think about going that 3rd mile. Figure out what the 3rd mile is for those you come into contact with, whether it's in your personal or professional life...and then work on it, every day.

Everyday Coaching, Part IV: Tips for Effective Coaching

Part of my 5-part series on coaching: Intro, Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV

This is the last of a four-part series on Coaching. In the last three sessions, posted over the last three days, I've covered:

Part I. Coaching -- Definition, Purpose and Application
Part II. Situational Coaching
Part III. Ongoing Coaching

Today, in Part IV, we'll cover coaching tips that haven't already been touched on previously:

1. Triangulate: When you're coaching for behavior modification with one of your team, think about there being three entities in the conversation: you, the team member and the activity or action being discussed. Then, it's not personal. And when discussing that third "entity", think about behaviors and not characteristics -- "separating the act from the actor" -- (e.g. "There appears to be an issue with tardiness here" instead of "You keep coming in late to work").

2. Let them know what's acceptable and what's not: Be very specific when you explain what activity is not working out and what you want to see instead. Help your person clearly picture "bad" and "good"; for example: outbursts at the customers = bad and a smile and bright attitude = good.

3. Do you have a role to play in the problem? Did your team member have a clear understanding of what was expected? Did you expect him or her to read your mind? What could you have done to ensure this problem never happened and surely doesn't happen in the future?

4. Feedback is a gift and if you're not providing it constructively, you're withholding the gift.

5. There's more than one way to skin a cat: Just because it's not necessarily the way you would have completed the task or duty, doesn't mean that it wasn't an acceptable way. If your people get the job done right, then that should be ok.

6. Success breeds success so don't dump all the changes you want made on the person all at once. Start off small or manageable and give your team member the chance to succeed. He or she should like it and feed off it for greater success in the future.

OK, so that's about it for me and my thoughts on coaching. Thanks again to Drs. Frankel and Otazo for their great insights.

REMEMBER: Coaching and Constructive Feedback can be impressive tools in a leader's arsenal and should be used regulary and consistently to help your entire team improve and flourish.


Good luck and Good Coaching.

Everyday Coaching, Part III: Ongoing Coaching

Part of my 5-part series on coaching: Intro, Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV

Today in Part III of this series on Coaching, we're going to cover ongoing coaching...meaning that leaders will be coaching regularly. If you read Part II of Everyday Coaching, you may remember when I said that coaching is a process.

Situational coaching opportunities come up regularly in any organization. Leaders have the opportunity to coach through an issue or let it go. As I mentioned in Part I, coaching, either situational or ongoing, is much less of an issue and much easier to do when coaching is, well...ongoing.

So let's cover what an ongoing coaching session might look like or include:

WHAT:

1. TALK ABOUT THEM...THE COACHING SESSION IS ABOUT THEM. The BIGGEST key for successful coaching is for the leader to have a relationship with each of his or her team members. Relationship? What do you mean by "relationship"? A personal relationship is very appropriate between any supervisor and team member. I'm not talking about being friends, but it is still a personal relationship. Reference my blog from May 28, "But I want my employees to like me" for more details, but, to be a strong leader you need to know your troops. You should know what's important to them:

~Family -- Do you know the name of your team member's spouse or do you know about the kids? Do you know about others important to your people? Do you know any details?

~What about dreams and aspirations? Do you know where your folks want to be moving forward or what they hope to get from their work or life?

As you get to know people better, and they know they can TRUST YOU (since you are obviously a trustworthy person -- don't worry, your actions will show your folks soon enough whether they can trust you or not), they are more likely to open up more and more. Then you might even find out things about their fears and apprehensions and might be in a position to help. If not, at the very least you can better understand how your people tick.

2. Other areas that could be included in a regular coaching session:
~Review task list
~Set priorities
~Discuss issues/problems that your team member might be having and/or you want to cover in more depth than you might in a situational coaching session.
~Development (as a leader, it is your responsibility to help develop all your folks)


WHEN/HOW OFTEN:

Like I mentioned earlier, coaching should be ongoing so it should be a regular event.
1. Put it on the calendar. I strongly recommend setting aside formal time for each of your team on your calendar so you can ensure the time is protected. There's nothing worse than missing coaching sessions on a regular basis because they get preempted or worse -- forgotten.

2. Schedule at times that can be protected. I know, I know, bosses are busy...often the most busy person in an office or organization. So what can be done to help ensure coaching happens? One suggestion that I really like is to have coaching during lunch. "Lunch? I don't even regularly get lunch." Ok, ok, hear me out. Let's say you have 4 direct reports. What if you took one day per week and had lunch with a different one of your people? You don't even have to go out to eat or spend any of your expense account (both of you can pack a lunch and "bag it"). If something came up during lunch time on a particular day, you could just switch your person to another day in the week. And, if for some reason you weren't available all week or a particular team member were out, you could double up on another week and it wouldn't be too overwhelming.

3. Meet monthly, at a minimum. Depending on how many direct reports you have, how busy you are, or how closely you work with a particular team member, you may want to schedule your coaching sessions as often as weekly. I personally like bi-weekly. The great thing about having scheduled coaching sessions more often than monthly is that things come up and if you have to cancel a monthly session (not postpone), it's a long time until the next one. Having meetings scheduled more frequently allows a lot more flexibility. You don't want to meet just to meet so if you're both all good with everything when a weekly coaching session is coming up, you can cancel that meeting without worrying -- you'll catch up during the next week.

WHERE:

1. In private. Coaching is typically a one-on-one type of deal and is no other team member's business.
2. Does is matter where? You could consider meeting at the office or even in your own office ("Is that a problem?" "Other people might see us talking") Nothing's wrong with meeting at the office since, as a very fair and involved leader, you coach each of your teams regularly...you're not picking on anybody. It may be more convenient, for sure. Meeting off-site presents its own challenges, like with distance, time, or potential cost (if you get food). Whether you meet in or out of the office, the point is to treat everyone the same and there shouldn't be any issue.
3. In any case, any place comfortable where you and your team member can be relaxed will be fine, although someplace where note-taking is easily achieved would be the best. I do recommend staying away from talking at a desk, especially your desk, since it could be considered less open and more like the conversation is a one-way "you're going to let them know how it is" conversation.

The more you coach, the easier it gets and the more comfortable you and your team can be with the improvement and support coaching can provide.

Tomorrow, Part IV, on Tips for Effective Coaching.

Everyday Coaching, Part II: Situational Coaching

Part of my 5-part series on coaching: Intro, Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV

Today, in Part II of our Coaching series, we’re going to cover coaching one of your team members who needs to modify their behavior or actions regarding a particular activity. The two essentials for behavior modification are:

1. Feedback
2. Goal setting

Let’s say that all the staff in your office know that world-class customer service is key for repeat business. You’ve taught all your folks that, worked through different scenarios and you are confident they all know how to make customers feel your office is the place they need to be. You’re feeling pretty good about it all.

Then, one day, you walk out of your office and see one of your team providing less than world-class service to Sue, one of your customers. Specifically, Bob was not friendly when she came in and barely acknowledged Sue’s presence.

OK, OK, you’re starting to get a little steamed…no, very steamed because you’ve worked so hard to make every customer feel welcome and a part of your family. But, either:

1. You’re a non-confrontational person who doesn’t like to make people mad (including your staff) so you're going to suppress your anger, fix the problem with your customer, and hope the problem goes away.

OR

2. You want to flame Bob, because the customer’s always right and you won’t stand for this.

Neither of these choices is great. Doing nothing is not an option and if you kill one of your team, you get the chair.

First things first…you get the facts from Sue (at least her perception). Great, you know how she’s feeling and you’ve made it all better with her and now you need to ensure Bob gets the feedback he sorely deserves.

The thing is, Bob’s a great guy. He works hard and tries his best, but he’s somewhat moody. If he’s not paying attention, he can give customers the wrong impression. So what do you do?

1. Talk to Bob, and soon, so you can identify the issue (the sooner the better after an “incident” because Bob will likely remember the events better).
2. Let him know your perception of the incident and issue (“Bob, I observed what appearded to be a kind of “Eeyore” mood earlier today”); then get Bob’s perception (he has one…maybe he didn't know there was a problem or maybe has a reason, like his kid is sick or there are money issues or there's something else that is affecting Bob’s mood). The best way to get the facts is to see all sides.
3. Provide your coaching suggestions based on the training that you and the staff have all done (“Bob, we all need to have situational awareness…how we’re feeling and how we need to treat our customers, regardless of how our day is going.”). Provide encouragement that you know Bob can overcome the issue.

Are you all done? Well, you could just pray and hope for the best. However, coaching is a process and you can’t usually fix an issue with just one interaction. So...

Next steps:
1. You need to observe Bob (and you’ve let him know this during your initial session…that you’ll be observing)
2. Give him feedback – immediately – when he exhibits the performance you coached him on or when he misses the mark (“Bob, that customer was putty in your hands…Way to go!” OR “Bob, there still seems to be an issue with being moody. Tell me about what just happened”).
3. Get back together and discuss. Provide your perception about how Bob’s doing and let him share how he thinks things are going, too.
4. Repeat steps 1-3, above, as necessary, until you're satisfied everything's under control.

Tomorrow, Part III: Ongoing Coaching.

Everyday Coaching, Part I: Definition, Purpose, and Application

Part of my 5-part series on coaching: Intro, Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV

As we discuss coaching, we need to frame up the topic because it can be pretty broad. There are lots of different types of coaching -- sports coaching, personal coaching, life coaching, performance coaching, etc. In the case of this series on coaching, we're talking about leaders coaching their people at work.

So in that regard, what is coaching? Coaching is a training method used to help an individual or individuals reach a goal. First, the goal has to be set and then the individual(s) being coached need to understand what the goal is.

What results do you want from coaching your work team? We can talk about improved work performance and stuff like that, but what it really boils down to is getting your people to reach the goals you set (hopefully, that you and your team set together) and to reach them consistently. That means that your team does the right things whether you're present or not and they perform them in a positive manner.

Well, is coaching always the answer to get your people to perform the way you want? Drs. Frankel and Otazo pose a wonderful question in this regard:

"Could this employee do the job if his or her life depended on it?"

If the answer is "no", then you need to train your employee.

If the answer is "yes", then someone has an attitude problem and coaching might be a great way to help fix that problem.

So how do you know which it is? Well, duh, you talk to your people. You can find out what's going on with your people and it doesn't have to be awkward. More on that in Part III.

Look for Part II, Situational Coaching, coming up soon.

Everyday Coaching -- Intro

Part of my 5-part series on coaching: Intro, Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV

Today, I'm launching a 4-part series on coaching. I love to coach. It's my favorite part of my work. I like nothing better than teaching others and sharing insights and then watching people succeed and flourish.

Unfortunately, I understand that many leaders don't actively coach. I know, I know. It's hard to believe, but it appears to be the case. Many leaders say they simply don't have time and time is an issue. However, I can't help but believe that a lot of leaders don't coach because they really don't know how. Let's see if we can help make coaches feel a little more comfortable.

The posts will cover the following outline:

Part I. Coaching -- Definition, Purpose and Application
Part II. Situational Coaching
Part III. Ongoing Coaching
Part IV. Tips for Effective Coaching

This will be a really good series, but I'm not smart enough to have thought of all the stuff I will cover all on my own. I do have a lot of coaching experience and I've read a lot of coaching material. The best down and dirty overview of coaching I've ever read comes from an article written by Lois Frankel, Ph.D. and Karen Otazo, Ph.D, "Employee Coaching: The Way to Gain Commitment, Not Just Compliance" that was published in "Employee Relations Today, Summer 1992 edition". Those are some smart folks and I will draw heavily from their article, but paraphrase in my own words. I just want to ensure these fine doctors get the credit they deserve.

OK, on to Part I.

I've changed the name of the blog!!! What?

Whoa, what are you doing, boy? You're calling common, everyday leaders "dogfaces"? What's up with that?

Well, if you read my last rant, I mean, er...post, you can tell my frustration level for leadership and management blogs that seem to be written for those managers who live in ivory towers or something.

Ok, we get that, but then why the "dogface" reference?

Two reasons: One is that I used to be in the 3rd Infantry Division and while it's known as the "Rock of the Marne" from the bravery its soldiers showed during that battle in WWI, the Division's song is, you guessed it, "The Dogfaced Soldier".

The other is that Dogfaces are just normal, everyday people who "do most of the working and paying and living and dying" to steal a quote from the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life". They're the "everyman" that makes the world operate.

So, this blog is dedicated to you -- the Dogfaced Leader.

Leadership and Management Blogs...yuk!

WARNING...RANT BEGINNING!

How about some information that will help us plodding old mules who do most of the managing and leading and working around here?

So, today I was following some blogging advice that I got off a blog site (go figure). It said to read other blogs on the same topic or topics that you enjoy or are blogging about yourself.

I did that and you know what? I don't like most of the stuff regarding leadership and management I've run across so far. I guess I must be a snob or something. I know I'm stating my opinion as fact here, and I guess that's ok with a blog, but most of what I've read has been either bloggers "re-publishing" articles from others (maybe I'm just too new to have resorted to that yet so I should withhold judgment) or leadership and managment blogs written to help EXECUTIVES. Nice. Maybe they're the only people who have time to read blogs.

Now, don't get me wrong. Executives need leadership and management advice as much as the next schmoe, but a lot of what is talked about is a bunch of high-falutin' stuff that doesn't even scratch the surface of what the dogfaced manager has to do on a daily basis, like:

1. Figuring out how to get everything done with fewer staff than you used to have (or need)
2. Motivating the troops when business is down, pay is frozen, and bonuses (what's that?) are gone
3. Coaching to improve performance
4. Balancing the demands of your own job while ensuring everyone else has what they need
5. ...and the list goes on.

I call on my fellow bloggers to remember us, the lowly "under 6 figures" leaders who need any assistance we can get.

I will be starting a series on coaching in the next day or so. Hopefully, readers will find it useful and not too high-brow for their own good. I've been accused of being a lot of things (and most are true), but "high-brow" isn't one of them.

Leaders are THERE

Wait a minute. Leaders are where?

Leaders are THERE.

Well, what does that mean? It means that you show an interest in your folks and what they're doing. It means that you don't sit behind a closed door and live in your own little world of reports and phone calls when your team is out THERE taking care of business, providing hopefully world-class service to your customers, helping the business be successful.

And it certainly means that if you need to ask your team members to do something extra for work like possibly stay late or work on the weekends, you ensure you are visible and accessible. Maybe you don't have to be on the premises every moment that your workers are (although showing up every now and then is a very nice touch), but it does mean that you are available to help them with a problem or advise them with an issue. You don't even necessarily have to do anything at all. Your mere presence can motivate the team and help them know you are totally behind them and their efforts.

Real leaders do the work needed and provide the support necessary to help their people be successful whenever and wherever it is.

Leaders are developers...what is this, construction?

Leaders have lots of responsibilities. They have to complete their missions and deal with the day-to-day activities of their teams or groups. There are so many job duties that need to be handled and there's often one biggie gets left by the wayside...team member development.

That's right, one of the integral duties of any leader, but probably the one least discussed or dealt with, is developing your people. Oh, sure, it's great to get the job done, but one of the ways you can strenghten your team is to show your people that you value them, that you think they're worthwhile, that you want to help them learn and grow and move forward.

Developing that talent in your team is key because:
1. Stronger team members make a stronger team
2. Team members who feel you value them enough to invest time, money, or other resources in them are more committed to you and the organization
3. As your organization hopefully grows, but surely changes, new leaders will be needed; new specialists will be in demand

So what are some of the ways you can develop your team members?
1. Find out what they're passionate about, what they love to do and help them try to associate that passion or love into their current job duties If Sheila loves to coach others, let her have the opportunity to coach more often and to perhaps a more diverse or larger crowd. Chances are she'll love the opportunity and exceed your and the recipient's expectations.
2. As you evaluate your team (and I'm sure you are regularly evaluating them, either formally or informally), determine their strengths and areas for improvement:
Strengths: Help them build on their strengths by giving them opportunities to showcase them to others. Give them projects that cater to those strengths. If your team member is a good writer, let him or her draft the next communication or SOP or training guide and ensure proper credit is given when it is complete.
Opportunities for improvement: No one is great at everything. If you know that Tony has untapped talent for public speaking, but his confidence level isn't as strong as it could be, push him outside his comfort zone and have him present a class to a larger audience or have him present something more complex than he's used to.

Two things -- don't go off and leave your people on their own. When you work to develop your folks, you have to ensure they have the proper support they need to succeed, and that means an investment from you. And that's the other thing...success breeds success whether it's a victory with something they like to do or a victory over something they're afraid of or don't necessarily love. When people "win", they want to "win" even more.

So, give your people the chance to grow by giving them the chance to shine. Develop their talents and you'll be glad you did. You won't have to worry about anyone noticing how wonderful you are because you're outstanding staff will do that for you.