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Archives for May 2018

Absence of Empathy

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“One doesn’t have to operate with great malice to do great harm. The absence of empathy and understanding are sufficient.”
– Charles Glow

Carol Keers Tip:

We just did our one-day intensive workshop, Perception, Persuasion and Executive Presence (PPEP) with a global leadership team. Despite how brilliant these people are, they all lacked awareness and an understanding of their impact. In fact, they were shocked! This experience shrunk the gap between their intentions and their perceptions. It is consistently amazing to see, even after 30+ years, the power factor of rapidly increased awareness that sticks!

Managing Civility and Justice #METOO

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My vision statement when I started Change Masters in 1986 was to change company environments one-person-at-a-time.  My measurement was improving workplace environments to the point where the company environment would be a place my three daughters would want to work. That is still my vision.

I acknowledge that #METOO is a touchy topic. I hesitated to write about it because of how strong the reactions can be on all sides of the issue. I know some people might even respond with, “What do you mean, ‘sides of the issue’. It is clear cut.”  The issue hits at the very core of who we are and the social environment we live in, so it makes sense that it creates strong emotion. My focus is on what’s next for organization leaders.

I would like to share the heart of a Harvard Business Review (HBR) article on Breaking the Silence about what leaders need to do to create civility and justice in the workplace.

Steps to make progress

STEP 1: DEMONSTRATE COMMITTED AND ENGAGED LEADERSHIP

  • Don’t consider harassment settlements simply a cost of doing business.
  • It is bigger than just sexual harassment. It is feeling safe at work.

STEP 2: REQUIRE CONSISTENT AND DEMONSTRATED ACCOUNTABILITY

  • Workers notice when someone is allowed to get away with mistreating colleagues.
  • When an incident of harassment occurs, the discipline that follows must be proportionate and avoid use of the phrase “zero-tolerance policy”.
  • Giving accolades to people who do the right thing helps reinforce accountability.

STEP 3: ISSUE STRONG AND COMPREHENSIVE POLICIES

  • Employees in workplaces without preventive policies and procedures report the highest levels of harassment.
  • Policies should be clear (with examples) and multiple reporting channels should be confidential and objective.

STEP 4: OFFER TRUSTED AND ACCESSIBLE COMPLAINT PROCEDURES

  • Managers and supervisors are the heart of any employer’s prevention program.
  • The privacy of both the person making the complaint and the alleged harasser must be protected as much as possible.
  • Ensuring that retaliation doesn’t occur is a tall order if a workplace culture currently tolerates harassment.

STEP 5: PROVIDE REGULAR, INTERACTIVE TRAINING TAILORED TO THE ORGANIZATION

  • This training should explain clearly what conduct is unacceptable, using realistic examples tailored to the workplace.
  • Focus on “workplace civility” is designed to help foster a climate in which rude, inappropriate, or abusive behavior is nipped in the bud.
  • The third type of training focuses on “bystander intervention.”

It will take courage

It will take courage and commitment at all levels to make things better.  Clear expectations and training are always important, but not sufficient. Actions speak louder than words. It needs to be a topic that is on the table and not avoided. Focusing on civility and justice in the  workplace will attract and retain the best talent. It will take forgiveness while still holding to meaningful consequences. Hopefully, my daughters would approve.

 

Work Smart or Hard?

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There are many time management experts who are eager to tell us how to work smarter so we don’t have to work so hard. It does seem like there are always too many things to do and not enough time. “I’m so busy” is a phrase that seems to mean “I’m so important.” Few people I know think they are not busy. Even people who are bored will also say they are busy.

The one person I know who has helped the most people be more effective with their time, and achieve more of their goals, is Doug Lennick. When I asked him about working smart, his response was, “Working hard is the smartest thing you can do.” He’s also someone who was clear about when he would work and when he would spend time with his family or play basketball.

Video Production Example

We were coaching him on a video recording where there was a large video crew and several people by a lake.  There were delays for various problems, as often occurs.  Doug repeatedly said, “I am leaving at 6:00 PM no matter what.”

I am not sure what the producer was thinking, but he did not seem to adjust adequately.  At 6:00 PM, and before the producer considered the video recording complete, Doug said a pleasant goodbye and was gone. This was the night he had committed to be home for dinner with his wife. The producer had to complete the video with people who were willing to go home late for dinner.

Doug was committed to working sixty hours per week in his role as a senior leader. He started at 6:00 AM with scheduled phone calls on his way into the office. Doug was scheduled and disciplined. If he said he would do something at a certain time – he did it.  That included commitments to his family.

Doug is very conscious of his principles, values and goals in his personal and work life. He has structured his life to be in line with those most of the time. His assistant, Kay May, is his long-term backbone of his ability to manage his schedule well.

Structured life

When I asked Doug about his structured schedule, he pointed out that it was the best way for him to reach his goals and maintain his values and beliefs. “What can be bad about that?” he said with a great smile on his face. He did schedule basketball twice per week and time for his loved ones as well.  As best I could observe, everything in his life was thought out and prioritized.  He has been incredibly successful in business and in life, reaching the level of Executive Vice President of American Express. When he retired from American Express, he built a successful consulting business.  “Not bad for a guy who grew-up in rural South Dakota” he said.

“Learning From Experience™” Reboot

We produced an audio series with Doug and Carol Keers fifteen years ago that was extremely good. I think it was before it’s time. With the increased challenges many people have today, I am thinking it would be good to reboot the series.  I have the wonderful problem that there are a number of new products in the pipeline.  I am debating which ones to prioritize. Let me know if you think that would be of interest to you and what you would like it to help you to accomplish.