CULTURE

Nov

2023

Leading More Experienced Team Members

In one of my first jobs, I was in charge of leading a group of volunteers who were just a few years younger than my parents. I was the one with the title and in charge, but really everyone else in the room had ten times the wisdom and experience.

Maybe you are in an organization and have been entrusted with leading a team of experienced people. This can be challenging and even intimidating. Allow me to provide a few ideas that may help you if you are in this situation.

Tap Into Their Experience

I didn’t know what I didn’t know about life, this community I was leading, or many other aspects of the situation. On one level, that served me well because I was willing to take risks, but consulting the wisdom of the people around me helped me be more calculated in my risk-taking.

You have the benefit of years of experience around you. Tap into it. When you get stuck and are unsure about a decision, gather feedback from your team. Learn from both the successes and failures of your experienced team to help everyone succeed. One reminder: when success comes, give credit to the team, and don’t take it yourself.

Set Clear Boundaries

I was an umpire for baseball when I was thirteen. At one point, an adult coach was yelling and arguing with me about a call I made. I could have caved, but I was confident in my decision and knew I had the authority, so I turned around and confidently threw the coach out of the game. I heard nothing else from him that game.

Maybe you got the position instead of someone else with more experience. This could create tension and a team member may try to undermine you. Use what author Kim Scott and former top leader at both Google and Apple calls radical candor. Pull the individual aside and have a conversation with both candor and care. Demonstrate care by trying to understand where they are coming from and candidly explain the issue and the line that was crossed. Balancing these will set and maintain clear boundaries.

Demonstrate Confident Humility

In his book Good to Great Jim Collins describes a level five leader as someone with intense drive and great humility. These two traits demonstrate this confident humility. As the leader, be willing to work as hard as your team. At times, work alongside them so you can understand them and what they do. Coming alongside the team demonstrates humility and a desire to learn.

Confidence comes from a clear vision. You have been entrusted with this role for a purpose. Do you know the purpose for your team? What do you want to accomplish with your team? What are you moving toward beyond the bottom line or some other practical goal? Why is what you do as a team so important? Get clarity on these answers and confidence will grow and overflow.

Develop a Learning Culture

“A shared vision . . . provides a rudder to keep the learning process on course when stresses develop.”

Peter Senge

The vision that gives you confidence should be shared with the team. As that vision becomes clear create a learning culture where you discuss the vision together. What will this organization/team look like in a year? Answer that together, establish the steps to achieve that vision together and you will have a team that is learning, unified, and doesn’t care about the age or experience of the leader. You will have a team going in one direction together toward a clear goal. When this is happening, you will be leading well.

How are you doing in each of these areas? Which one do you need to think into more? Contact me and I’d be glad to help you. If you find this helpful, please share it with others. Lead Well.

*Thoughts from others on this topic are below

https://medium.com/small-business-strong/how-to-lead-people-older-and-more-experienced-than-you-a16a564b11b2

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/269563

https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/how-to-manage-people-who-are-older-than-you-0717

Feb

2023

Creating a Culture of Healthy Communication

I was finishing a communication workshop in an organization, and everyone was sharing their personal action step. When I got to the owner, he sat with his arms crossed and said as if a lightbulb just went off: “I need to change how I communicate.”

This was great to hear because many of our problems at work or home are rooted in communication challenges. You know how important communication is, especially in a professional setting. But did you know that how you communicate can greatly impact your productivity and relationships with colleagues? It’s true. A culture of healthy communication can make a big difference.

So, what is a culture of healthy communication? It’s all about creating an environment where everyone is comfortable speaking their mind, expressing their thoughts and ideas, and having honest conversations. It’s about listening to each other, understanding each other, and respecting each other.

Here are some tips to help you create a culture of healthy communication:

Be Respectful

Respect is vital to creating an environment of healthy communication. Always strive to respect other people’s opinions, ideas, and feelings. Listen to what they have to say and consider their opinions.

Speak Up

Don’t be afraid to speak up and share your thoughts and ideas. Everyone’s opinion matters, and it’s important for team members to share their ideas to come up with creative solutions. When you speak up, remember to refer to the first tip because we don’t want to be the opinionated know-it-all in the room.

Stay Positive

Negativity can make it difficult for people to be open and honest with each other. Try to stay positive and focus on solutions rather than problems. When coming to your team or leader with a problem, bring a few possible solutions and decide together the best option.

Encourage Open Dialogue

By following the previous tip, we will encourage this culture. Encourage team members to have open and honest conversations. Ask questions and be open to hearing different perspectives. Be attentive to how you respond because our verbal and non-verbal responses will either encourage or discourage this dialogue.

Take Feedback

Feedback is an integral part of healthy communication. Make sure to take feedback seriously and use it to improve and grow. I have heard of organizations that will have a system in place to provide feedback anonymously. However, remember how we respond to feedback will either promote or discourage this form of healthy communication.

Creating a culture of healthy communication is an important part of creating a productive and collaborative work environment. Which of these tips do you need to grow this week? Need help understanding your team’s communication style? Go here to learn about our communication impact report. Let me know any way I can help you and your team strengthen your culture with healthy communication. Lead Well!

Feb

2023

Five Tips on Building a Healthy Culture

I was sitting with a business leader as we discussed their business strategy. During our conversation, it became apparent that he needed to get clear on what kind of culture he wanted to build.

As a business leader, it’s up to you to create a healthy workplace culture — one that encourages collaboration, creativity, and innovation, while still maintaining a productive and professional environment. Though every culture is different, here are ideas on how to get started.

Take a “Culture First” Approach.

A “culture first” approach focuses on the health and well-being of the company and its employees. This means creating a supportive and inclusive environment that values diverse thoughts and worldviews and encourages open communication. It also means providing the necessary resources to make sure employees have the tools they need to succeed.

Establish Clear Goals and Expectations.

Recently I’ve had the opportunity to help some business leaders set clear goals and expectations. This is essential for any successful business. Explain to your team what you expect from them in terms of their performance, and make sure they understand the vision and mission of the company. As a leader, you should also ensure your team knows what their roles and responsibilities are and hold them accountable for meeting the goals.

Prioritize Employee Engagement.

One leader I was talking to applied this idea with his leadership team by listening to their ideas to create an environment for them to own the vision. When employees feel heard and valued and have opportunities to express their ideas and experiences they will be more enthusiastic about the direction of the organization. On a personal level schedule flexibility and autonomy in how they complete their work can increase engagement.^1,2

Encourage Open Communication.

Oftentimes I will go into an organization to provide a communication workshop because this can be at the core of organizational culture problems. Not only is understanding our team and how we communicate important, but being available to answer questions and address concerns creates an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. Creating ways for team members to communicate with each other and safely provide constructive feedback will reinforce the culture of open communication.

Invest in Professional Development.

Investing in professional development is another great way to build a healthy culture. Research has shown that employees are more likely to stay with an organization if they help them grow in their skills.³ Providing employees with the resources and training they need to develop their skills will help them stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technology and give them the confidence to take on new challenges.

Creating a healthy workplace culture is a process that takes time, but the rewards are worth the effort. By taking the “culture first” approach, setting clear expectations, prioritizing employee engagement, encouraging open communication, and investing in professional development, you can create an environment that encourages collaboration, creativity, and innovation — and that’s good for both your business and your employees. Need help assessing your culture in an organic way? Contact me to explore tools like our communication impact workshop or the Maxwell Leadership Game to assess and/or grow your team. Lead Well.

Feb

2022

Culture – What Makes It?

“Culture is how we think, act, and interact inside our organization.”

Chris Goede (Executive Vice President of Corporate Solutions, John Maxwell Enterprise)

Years ago when I was a strength and conditioning coach, I was talking with my boss and he said: “You have the hardest job on staff. You have to be the master psychologist.”

I had to inspire hundreds of athletes to see the value in participating in the off-season work that did not involve touching a ball or swinging a bat, racket, club, etc. That was one challenge, but over time I saw a different and at times greater challenge.

I could create a culture of hard work, focus, and dedication when I was with them, but if the culture their coach created was different, I was fighting uphill. Maybe the team you lead is collaborative, but you feel you are fighting upstream against an organizational culture that is completely siloed. In this post let me break down culture into three areas you can evaluate, design, and possibly even influence within the larger organization.

People

I jokingly say often “where two or more people are gathered, there will be problems.” That is part of life. Whether two people, twenty, or two-thousand people create a culture. This is one area we need to evaluate. In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins discusses how great companies first get the right people on the bus and then figure out where to drive the bus.

Imagine you lead a professional soccer club. You get on the bus clear about where you are going and who you are playing and then you look. The managers, athletic trainers, and coaches are all on the bus, but only a couple players are there! You will get destroyed in your game. We must take time to evaluate the people on our team determining if they have the right character, skills, teachability, and capacity. The people will create and sustain the culture.

Process

The people are one part, but culture is also created by process. Process in this sense is “how we do things around here.” Every team has both an unspoken and spoken way of doing things. For example, maybe a written expectation is that people take notes on client calls in a certain system. The reality is no one checks or references those notes, so people rarely take them. This lack of inspecting the process that is expected has created a culture that is less effective than originally intended.

The way we act and think can be influenced by the processes in place within our team. Maybe your office door is open, but when people come in to talk with you they get treated as if they are an interruption. The intention is open communication, but the action says the opposite. Evaluate your processes and systems and check if they align with how you intend your culture to function.

Results

I was watching the end of the Cincinnati Bengals first playoff football game recently and the announcer said the stadium had over 66,000 people in attendance which broke the record attendance from 2007. What caused this newfound culture of excitement?

Results.

The last time the Bengals had a playoff victory was in 1991. When our team is getting results people want to be a part of it. As leaders what are the results we want people to get excited about? Is it simply numbers? If so, what do those numbers represent and how can you create a scoreboard around that? Create ways to genuinely recognize and celebrate the results you get. When those results support people and processes that are important to your culture, make everyone aware.

I hope this has helped stir your thinking on how to intentionally form your culture. Maybe you need some help evaluating your team in a fun, interactive, and organic way. If so, let’s discuss how I could serve your team by facilitating The Leadership Game to open up communication around topics like this. Which of these areas do you need to intentionally develop starting today? Let me know. Lead Well.

Jun

2020

Three Keys to Building a Team

I was providing a leadership training to a local company and someone afterwards asked about sport coaching because of my past experience. As we talked I reflected on how some teams I had been around were very successful and some never got traction. Talent is a factor and work ethic, but three key components came to mind that impact every team regardless of talent or work ethic.

People Skills

“I have yet to find the person, however great or exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than he would ever do under a spirit of criticism.” Dale Carnegie

Many of us have had task oriented leaders . . . unfortunately I know I have been that person. That is ok, but as leaders we develop our ability to connect as we grow our people skills. As John Maxwell says in his book Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, connecting requires energy.

Leadership is inspiring and influencing others and that requires the ability to connect with others. Once I was talking to a leader who was starting a new position and as we discussed what he was doing as he began the role he said “building relationships.” As a task-oriented person that was a huge reminder to build an effective team I must connect with those I will lead and lead with. The ability to form strong relationships will strongly influence the second element.

Culture

Sports leadership expert Jeff Janssen in his excellent book on culture How to Build and Sustain a Championship Culture reminds us multiple facets exist in a culture, but provides a simple definition:

“At its very basic level, culture is as simple as how things are done in your program. It is your program’s typical Way of doing things.”

Some teams I’ve been around created a culture where talented players started regardless of their effort in practice or elsewhere. This ultimately led to the demise of the team. On the other hand, I’ve seen teams create a “we” culture where everyone contributes their strengths to the common goal and they become champions. Be aware of your team or organization’s culture because it critically impacts results.

Leadership Style

In his book Primal Leadership Daniel Goleman discusses various leadership styles that either draw people in or repel them. He states: “Optimistic, enthusiastic leaders more easily retain their people, compared with those bosses who tend toward negative moods.” Maybe you’ve heard it said another way: people don’t leave companies, they leave leaders.

I explained the various leadership styles Goleman discussed in a previous post so I will not go in detail here. We all have a natural style, but does it serve us in every situation and what impact does it make on our organization?

People skills, culture and leadership approach are not mutually exclusive. They integrate to create the team. How aware are you of your organization’s culture, your people skills or even how you lead? Could it help you to have someone come alongside you to help think into these areas so you can improve both your personal results and the results of your team? If so, contact me.

Where we are now is not where we have to remain. If we are willing to be uncomfortable, stretch and grow then we can take our team to new heights. Lead Well.

Feb

2020

Leadership Lessons from Super Bowl Winners

This was the weekend many around America sat around the television and watched football. Whether they like the sport, watched a game all season, or even care about the results they watch the Super Bowl. Maybe they want to see the commercials and eat junk food with friends, and this is a great way to do it.

This Super Sunday I went to my bookshelf and the leadership lessons from five Super Bowl winning coaches over the past five decades. (The books are listed at the end of this post if you are curious.) While I revisited my notes, three guiding leadership concepts were consistent among each of these coaches that can help all leaders.

Clear Philosophy

The late Bill Walsh of the San Francisco 49ers called it his “standard of performance” and Pete Carroll describes it as his “win forever” philosophy. Each of the other coaches may not have a formal structure, but they all were crystal clear of what they expected of themselves and those they led.

“You won’t be a successful leader if you don’t have a clear of what you believe, where you’re headed, and what you are willing to go to the mat for.” Don Shula

As the leader we must be crystal clear on what we expect. The hardest person to lead is ourselves therefore we must know what we expect of ourselves? Are we clear on that? As our values and vision are clear we can more clearly articulate them to those we lead.

Culture

“The culture you create permeates everything you touch.”

Tony Dungy

Leadership and culture. This is kind of a chicken and egg question. The leader influences culture, but the culture can eat the leader for lunch. Both Bill Walsh and Tony Dungy spoke to this idea of culture. As the leader of a team each knew the culture they created would impact every result and their players had both on and off the field.

When the philosophy and expectations are clear this establishes the groundwork for creating a specific culture. When these are unclear a potentially chaotic or toxic culture may be created. As leaders we either intentionally create a culture or it develops naturally out of how we lead.

“The culture precedes positive results . . . Champions behave like champions before their champions; they have a winning standard of performance before they are winners.”

Bill Walsh

Be A Teacher

Former Super Bowl champion coach of the New York Giants Bill Parcells said “be a teacher, not a drill sergeant,” but what does it mean? The same as all five of these coaches have said . . . teach. The legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden saw himself as a teacher above all else. As leaders we may see where we want to go and what we want done clearly. We may even see how to do it, but we must slow down, come alongside those we lead, and teach them.

“Be a teacher, not a drill sergeant.”

Bill Parcells

Ken Blanchard in his book Everyone’s A Coach with Don Shula provides some practical steps on how to be a teacher as a leader.

Tell people what you want them to do.
Show them what good performance looks like.
Let them do it.
Observe their performance.
Praise progress and/or redirect.

These are easy to read, but in order to implement them we must slow down, connect with those we lead and patiently walk the path with them. Eventually we end up multiplying our leadership and instead of developing followers we multiply leaders.

Winning a Super Bowl is not easy nor is leading any organization or team to top performance. As you look at these three areas, how can you improve in your leadership? Do you need a thinking partner to help you think into any of these areas? Contact me to explore a complimentary thinking partner session to help you raise your leadership level and improve your results. Lead Well.

Ken Blanchard & Don Shula Everyone’s A Coach

Bill Walsh The Score Takes Care of Itself

Pete Carroll Win Forever

Bill Parcells Finding a Way to Win

Tony Dungy The Mentor Leader

*Each of the above are affiliate links.