Leadership

What do you mean I can’t fire you?

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Have you ever had to work with someone who was a charter member of the Office Jerk Hall of Fame?  Did you go home at the end of the day, gnashing your teeth, pulling your hair out or thinking dark thoughts?  I think it’s an unfortunate fact of professional life that we all, at some point in our career, will have to deal with a complete and total jerk.  As much as you’d like to tell that jerk off you really can’t, especially if you’re the boss.  And if that jerk happens to be Aunt Nellie’s favorite nephew, is it worth committing professional suicide to call him every name in the book just before you fire him?

Jerks come in a variety of forms and no listing here will ever be complete.  So let’s look at one type.  How many of us have gone to a staff or management meeting hoping to get something constructive done only to have the office jerk take control of the meeting?  The agenda goes out the window and beating a dead horse becomes the only accomplishment of the meeting.  You can see that your other staff or managers are frustrated, bored and looking for any excuse to leave.  Today’s meeting is going the same route as the last two.  What to do?

It’s time to become creative.  Robert Detman, writing for Yahoo! HotJobs suggests that if it’s possible, have a meeting where everyone is standing.  This change will likely throw the jerk off his/her game and stop the unproductive dominance.  Good idea for a small informal group meeting but what if it’s a large gathering for an all day training?  Any thoughts?  What’s worked for you?

Which Role Do You Play?

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How many of us remember the childhood story of the little red hen?  In a nutshell, it tells of a little red hen living with other farm animals.  She finds a grain of corn and decides to plant it.  When she asks for help from the others, no one wants to be bothered.  On her own she plants the corn, tends it, harvests it, and takes it to the miller for grinding.  From the flour that results she makes a loaf of bread.  When the bread is ready to eat, she finally gets offers to help her.  The others are more than willing to help eat the fruits of her labors but none was willing to labor with her.

Think about the problems within your organization.  Which role do you play?  Are you someone who works hard to solve the problem or are you one of those standing on the sidelines, waiting?  The only time you want to participate is when the problem has been solved and the fruits of others’ labor are now available.

In my assessment, that’s not the work ethic upon which this country was founded.  Of course there were issues in the past and there are issues today which need to be resolved.  But one of those issues to be resolved should never be the question of having one or two people do all the work to solve the problems, only to have the rest of the organization jump in and reap all the rewards.  Solutions which are developed in that scenario might be excellent ones but the residual bad feelings will almost always undermine their effectiveness.  Hard work does pay off but folks need to be willing to break a sweat.  Success will follow.

Cheerleader or Saboteur?

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When it comes to problem solving, as the leader of your organization are you a cheerleader or a saboteur?  Do you sit on the sidelines while others work to find practical and realistic solutions, supporting them and encouraging them in their work?  Or are you sabotaging their efforts by second guessing their decisions and trying to force your choices on them?  When someone brings a creative solution to a problem do you give them lip service and then undermine any effort to achieve a consensus?

Does this really matter?  Yes, it does, if you’re serious about resolving problems within your organization.  Being a cheerleader reflects your confidence not only in your skills to lead but in the skills and talents of the people working for you.  Think back to a time when someone supported you and how motivated you were to achieve the goal or complete the task.  That same approach will motivate your employees to work as hard as they can to complete the tasks and achieve the goals.

What do you think happens when your employees figure out that you’re a saboteur?  How motivated do you think they will be to work as hard as they can to make the organization a smooth running operation, profitable and successful?  As the saboteur, how much support will you get for the solutions you support?

Put in these terms, which role have you played?  Honest answers may just help you begin the process of engaging in problem solving that is finally effective.  Bringing a professional problem solver into the mix can help you be even more effective.

Magic and Problem Solving?

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Wouldn’t life be a whole lot simpler if we could snap our fingers, wiggle our nose, or blink our eyes and make all our problems disappear?  Why do the seemingly easy problems always cause the greatest heartburn?  The last question is the easier one to answer.  Whenever human beings are involved problems are almost always going to get complicated.  If there’s a problem with your car, you take it to a qualified mechanic, spend some money and the problem goes away.  Having a problem with your computer at work?  Call in the IT folks and again, the problem disappears.  Having a problem with two employees who can’t or won’t get along?  Why won’t that problem go away?  As a facilitator and problem solver I’d caution you about letting the egos and emotions rule.  When the problem involves humans it becomes crucial that the focus remain on the behavior or the issue – not the individuals.  It’s hard – sometimes seemingly impossible – but the egos have to stay out of the resolution.  That caution also includes you as the leader or manager.  Your ego and emotions need to be checked at the door as well.  If that ground rule isn’t followed the chances of reaching a consensus and resoluion will be greatly diminished.  Keeping your emotions in check can be easier with the help of a professional problem solver.  Save your ego for the verbal beating Aunt Nellie wants to unload on you about last month’s dividend check.

When companies fail is it because leaders can’t lead? (PART III)

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Companies that look good on paper but still fail may have a history of repeating mistakes.  Is it possible that these companies don’t follow through with their technological or market edge and fail to achieve success?  In sports such behavior is known as “choking.”  Have these companies “choked” at crucial moments?   Why?  The repetition of behaviors known to be unsuccessful may reflect an inability of  the leadership team to correctly identify the problem and implement realistic, practical solutions.  If a problem solver has been hired, does the leadership have the courage to implement the recommended programs to resolve the problems?  If not, why not?  Perhaps the failure of such companies is a result of “group think.”  Those in leadership positions and able to implement solutions don’t think through the long term and short term consequences of impractical solutions.  Instead, leadership sets a tone where everyone has to agree with the leader.  (Anyone remember the fable of the emperor’s new clothes?)  No one steps up and points out the flaws in the thinking or in the implementation of a bad solution.  This usually happens in work environments where creativity and independent thought are perceived as negative behaviors.

So now you’re the leader of a failing organization.  What approach are you going to take?  Will you have the confidence in yourself and the people around you to inspire creativity and independent thought?  Or will you simply demand that everyone march in lock step over the cliff like a bunch of lemmings?  If you haven’t done so already, do you have the confidence to hire a problem solver to help you resolve the issues blocking your organization’s progress toward real success and financial stability?  A collaborative approach to identifying and resolving the problems is certainly worth the effort if your organization is facing failure.  It can’t hurt and when Aunt Nellie calls again, refer her to the problem solver.  That should free you up to focus your energies on solving your organization’s problems once and for all.

When companies fail, is it because leaders can’t lead? (PART II)

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What about the companies we see in the news (at least in the financial and business news) as they struggle to survive?  It’s not always about the money.  One thing leaders of companies on the brink of failure should look at is how well their company solves problems.  The first step is the correct identification of the problems.  If hiring large problem solving firms of consultants hasn’t stopped the bleeding, so to speak, perhaps the approach to problem solving needs to be reassessed.  Most large problem solving consulting firms do wonderful work but there may be times when they don’t achieve success, through no fault of their own.  Their lack of success in certain situations may result from how the consulting firm was introduced.   In the rush to solve the problems immediately, management may not  properly introduce  the problem solvers to company personnel.   The consulting firm is put behind the eight ball with no real chance for success.  If that happens, management should consider if a single problem solving consultant might achieve the opening of the lines of communication so that problem solving can begin.  Why would single “no-name” problem solvers have an advantage in such circumstances?    A single consultant could be introduced as a new member of management or the HR department, or whatever.  He or she can focus upon getting the problems identified correctly, communicate directly with the parties involved and not worry about any advance PR campaign which was put out by management.    There’s a time and place for large scale consulting organizations to become involved. In many situations such firms do a wonderful job of identifying problems and implementing realistic solutions. But when their efforts fail, leaders should consider the single practitioner approach before closing the doors.

When companies fail, is it because leaders can’t lead? (Part I)

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 We’ve all heard in recent years of so-called successful companies going under.  Why is that?  Is it because the leaders aren’t good leaders?  I’m quite sure we’ll get serious disagreement by anyone trying to answer that question, especially if some of the folks have a personal stake in the response.  But what if we pose the question a little differently?  What if the company’s failure is not the result of a leader’s inability to lead but rather, the leader’s inability to be a problem solver?

 The leader of an organization has many hats to wear, including chief problem solver.  But do we seriously believe that Donald Trump, for example, is engaged in daily problem solving for every single problem, no matter how inconsequential, which develops within his organization?  How realistic is that?  What makes Trump the leader that he has become is his ability to surround himself with extremely competent people whose goal is to identify problem areas and areas needing improvement and develop realistic solutions to implement.  These folks bring the complete package to their leader’s attention and a collaborative approach is taken for the implementation of the solution, usually followed by an objective, honest assessment of how well the solution is working.  That’s what makes Trump the success that he is, in my view.  He hires good problem solvers and then relies upon them – and expects them – to do their job to the best of their ability.

Leaders as problem solvers

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Do you know what it takes for a leader to be a problem solver?  Do any of us really know?  Does it take a special set of skills?  Or does it simply take the skills of knowing that a problem is upon us and decisive action is needed to resolve it?  At this time of year, with the Fourth of July holiday upon us, I think of the men and women who recognized the problems existing between the colonies and England.  When you look at them as individuals, nothing of great note stands out.  They were simply men and women faced with a situation that was thrust upon them, perhaps by actions they had taken but thrust on them nonetheless.  Each of them brought a particular skill to the solution which was ultimately implemented.  Acting alone, none of the founding fathers would have been able to accomplish what eventually led to the independence of the American colonies and the form of government which evolved.  But acting in concert, even agreeing to disagree, the leaders of the American Revolution achieved what many thought was impossible – independence from England and a stable, growing new nation.

So what does this have to do with problem solving?  As leaders and managers you have a responsibility to your organization to maintain and increase its success.  But do you have all the skills necessary to do this on your own?  I’m going to hazard a guess that you don’t.  But the wise and confident leader will recognize problem solving skills in others and utilize their abilities to insure the success of the organization.  Problem solving is not always a solo act.  More often than not it is a collaborative effort.  That effort will succeed if you, as the leader, utilize the skills of a professional problem solver to help insure that everyone keeps their focus on the goal.  Don’t forget – any goal can be achieved so long as it truly does not matter who gets the credit.

Are You a Control Freak?

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Are you the type of leader who’s in charge – or are you the control freak who drives all your subordinates crazy?

A good leader will create a work environment where subordinates feel that they can trust the leader to have their backs because he or she trusts them to do their work.  Good managers will insure that standards and policies are followed while also encouraging creativity and innovation.  As the leader you are responsible for insuring the success of the organization.  (Let’s not forget Aunt Nellie and the other stockholders.)  How you go about achieving that success will reflect on the organization.  Are you comfortable with being in charge or do you have to control every single detail of virtually every task of the organization?  When someone describes a problem that was resolved, is your first reaction to say something to the effect of, “What you should have done was . . . “ What message did you just give the other person?  (By the way, it’s easy being the Monday morning quarterback.)  When someone shows you a written communication do you immediately start to re-write it?  Do you say something to the effect of, “Well, I suppose you could say it that way but it’s better if you say this…(my way).”

As a leader who’s in charge, when a subordinate describes a problem area and resolution, LISTEN FIRST.  Compliment the effort.  If there were areas of improvement noted, ask how the leadership or management team can work together to implement new approaches to resolving the problem.  End the discussion with another compliment.  It can be something as simple as thanking folks for their hard work and dedication.  If you stop the “I’m in control and everyone had better realize it” nonsense you just may discover how much easier it is to hire and retain quality individuals who are dedicated to the long term success of the organization.  You and your stockholders will be amazed at the success of the organization if you stay in charge.  If you remain the Control Freak, you’re going to become overly familiar with the same old problems and Aunt Nellie will have more than enough ammunition to ruin a lifetime of lunches with you.

Why do I have to keep fixing this same old mess?

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If you’re the leader or manager of an organization, you get the nomination to solve the problems because, as a dear friend has said told me, “you’re the head Fred what’s in charge” – and don’t forget Aunt Nellie and her monthly dividend payment.

If you find yourself having to revisit old problems you thought were solved, you need to remember a couple of things.  First, you were promoted or hired for the position because of your abilities and your dedication to insuring the success of the organization, no matter how large or small.  Taking on these responsibilities has to mean something more than getting a key to the executive bathroom.  You’re supposed to have the intelligence and abilities to address whatever problems develop.  Part of your skill set needs to be the ability to recognize when something is outside your ability to handle.  Second, when you find yourself addressing the same old problem time and time again, that’s when you need to acknowledge that intervention by a professional problem solving consultant is needed.  When the same problem continues to rear its ugly head, it may be that you’ve not yet discovered the root cause of the problem.  If that’s the case, no solution you implement will be permanently effective.  But a permanent fix can be developed when you hire a professional problem solving consultant.

Remember our last conversation?  The professional problem solving consultant comes in with only one agenda and that’s to discover the root cause of the problems and develop an effective, permanent solution.  So when problems don’t ever seem to get resolved, consider hiring a problem solving consultant.   It will certainly make your life as the leader/manager a whole lot easier and you can devote more time to listening to Aunt Nellie’s ideas on how to run the business.