BLOG - How to Re-Open the Economy Responsibly
Everyone agrees that we must resuscitate our economy, ASAP, but there are different opinions on when and how to awaken the patient.
Our economy is in a coma...
Some say: "Resuscitate it, NOW! People need to earn a living!”
Others say, "Not so fast! It will be safer and ultimately less expensive to wait."
Who's right and what are the right criteria for deciding?
Hold that thought!
Twenty years ago, while touring a client’s printing plant in London, I asked about the cost of a brochure coming off a press.
The price was nearly triple the cost in the US. (Disclosure: I once worked in advertising.)
“Why so expensive?
“Unlike the US, we have to factor costs associated with the lifecycle of the product, not just the cost of paper, printing and shipping.”
In other words, US pricing was less because companies defined their scope of responsibility narrowly while their UK counterparts were required to define their scope of responsibility holistically.
Back to my earlier question. Who’s right and what are the right criteria?It depends if you consider the immediate or long-term costs.
Kellogg School of Management Economics professor Sergio Rebelo and his team just published a thought provoking study using government statistics to project the worst case scenario costs of a 12-month nationwide shutdown (“containment”) versus re-opening the economy now. Containing COVID-19 Will Devastate the Economy. Here’s the Economic Case for Why It’s Still Our Best Option
Rebelo’s Projections:
- The containment strategy to cost $4.1 Trillion or 22% of the economy over 12-months.
- The "reopen the economy now" strategy to cost less now-- [roughly $1.5 Trillion] or approximately 7% of the total economy.
Rebelo also projects that re-opening the economy now could add an additional 500,000 COVID-19 deaths and ultimately cost of $6.1 Trillion, or $2 Trillion more than the containment strategy.
Click to hear Professor Rebelo's recent Marketplace Morning Report interview with David Brancaccio.
Understandably, there is enormous political pressure to reopen the economy—a 12-month shutdown would be devastating. But, what if elements of this strategy make sense?
A recent Kaiser Permanente poll indicates that 80% of Americans are in favor of extending versions of a sheltering at home strategy for at least another month, 37% for 1 to 3 months, and 34% for 6 months or longer.
Some governors have already taken action to awaken their economies in spite of public health experts’ warnings that these leaders are potentially playing with fire; they currently have no cogent strategy, no universal and reliable testing, no contact tracing, no reliable therapeutics, and no effective vaccine.
We all know that adults are more likely to embrace decisions when they are included in the decision making process. Shouldn’t we be having open and facilitated discussions with our elected leaders about the pro’s and con’s of different approaches before racing ahead?
We are left holding our breath and wishing for a quick economic recovery. And we keep our fingers crossed that there won't be a deadly resurgence in the fall -- the nightmare scenario that keeps the experts and every frontline healthcare provider up at night.
I find myself thinking about the men and women and teachers and students who are expected to re-enter offices and factories before they may be safe.
And at the end of the day, maybe the decision on when and how to re-open the economy boils down to a different question: How much is a life worth?
Stay well!
Best,
Andy
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BLOG - EVERYBODY NEEDS A GUPPY: HOW TO STAY SANE DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS
Many years ago my friend Deborah, who lived alone in a small NYC apartment, woke up one weekend morning to discover that her pet turtle Charles was virtually motionless in his tank.
Deborah panicked. Charles had been her companion and only roommate for the 30 years since she’d move to New York City from a small midwest town.
She called a dozen veterinarians before she found who was open and treated turtles.
She and Charles immediately hailed a taxi.
The vet held Charles by his shell in one hand and gently poked him with his other. The turtle responded sluggishly.
“Where did you get him?”
“At the Ohio State Fair. When I was 15.”
“I figured as much. Can’t do that anymore. Salmonella.” The doctor frowned. “Tell me what you’re feeding him.”
Deborah held up a container: “1 teaspoon of this dried fish food per day.”
“Same amount and same time every day?”
“Yes. I’ve been completely consistent about it for the past 30 years.”
The doctor nodded his head slowly. “I think Charles is going to be fine, Deborah. But he’s suffering from malaise.”
“Malaise?” Deborah had a confused look on her face. “My turtle?“
“Let me put it to you another way. How would you feel if you were fed the exact same portion of the exact same food at the exact same time every day for the past 30 years?”
Deborah’s face fell. “Bored and miserable?”
“Charles needs a guppy. He needs some new stimulation, something to challenge him. Skip the dried food and try guppies."
At first, Charles was awkward with the whole process; he kept snapping and missing.
Eventually he got hungry enough to figure it out. And he became livelier, much livelier. In fact, he started to resemble his younger self. The guppies helped Charles find his mojo.
Now that many of us are cooped up and working from home, it’s easy to fall into a rut and be overwhelmed with stress, fear, and anxiety.
So, maybe it’s time for us to embrace our own inner guppies. That could be cooking, painting, writing, making facemasks for neighbors, or any other safe activity that is both stimulating and relaxing. And different.
Stay well and here’s to finding your mojo.
BLOG - WHY YOU NEED TO BE VISIBLE -- TODAY
In my last blog, I listed six things leaders need to do right now in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
#1 on my list: BE VISIBLE.
This is another way of saying: lead by example.
During the Civil War when the Union Army was on the brink of defeat, President Abraham Lincoln secretly visited his embattled troops on the front lines at Harrison's Landing in Virginia.
In her book “Leadership in Turbulent Times,” historian Doris Kerns Goodwin writes: “The stimulant of the president’s unexpected visit on the enervated regiments was instantaneous. Equally important, Lincoln’s accessibility to his soldiers afforded him the chance to gather information and ask questions…”
Right now, your team, patients, and/or customers need to know that you are fully engaged and ferociously focused on their well-being; they need to see you -- in person is best if you can do so without introducing or contracting new contagion -- and hear from you – every single day – until we are on the other side of this crisis.
Here are four ways you can increase your visibility:
1. If you’re still going to an office or hospital, walk the halls, the ICU, or the factory floor at least 3x per day and (safely) engage with as many people as possible, provided you can do so without introducing or contracting new contagion.
2. Regardless of if you are meeting in person or virtually, use this time to actively listen – really listen – to the fears, concerns, and suggestions of others. You will likely learn something that will inform the tough decisions you will have to make as the crisis deepens.
One client, a physician-leader at a top NYC hospital, spends several hours in the ICU each day. That’s leading by example.
Another client, a physician-leader/ CEO, conducts daily rounds, (dressed in the same protective uniforms as his staff) visiting patients who have been exposed to the Corona virus, to comfort them and to also signal to his staff that “we’re all in this together.” That’s leading by example.
3. If your organization is now working remotely, conduct a morning company-wide virtual stand-up meeting and end each day with a crisp email or text update.
4. Reach out and regularly virtually touch as many team members as possible. This can be as simple as a 10-second personalized audio text message expressing your thanks and gratitude.
As a leader, people will look to you for courage, confidence, and direction. The very first step is to show up in a visible way.
Stay well and here's to the light at the end of the tunnel.
Andy
BLOG - SIX THINGS CEO'S MUST DO -- NOW
This one is different.
If you're leading others, here are six things you need to be doing right now -- for your customers, clients and patients, your team, and yourself:
1. Be visible. There is a fear driven vacuum that is affecting everyone. Your customers and your employees are looking to you for hope, direction, and encouragement. Starting now, find ways to interact with as many of your staff and clients every day. Given new governmental work-from-home mandates, use your virtual toolbox and interact.
2. Remind everyone of your company’s values and vision. Do this frequently -- as in several times every day -- for the foreseeable future.
3. Be Optimistic. Encourage others to be upbeat and hopeful by being upbeat yourself. For example, remember to interact with others in ways that helps them transition from being stuck in a “FIGHT, FLIGHT, OR FREEZE” mode to being more nimble, resilient, and open-minded.
4. Demonstrate Concern -- Frequently. Make sure you remind every employee and leadership team member how much you appreciate their efforts and value you them as members of your team. Your people need to hear how much they mean to you.
5. Stay connected with your friends, family, and colleagues. And encourage your team to do the same. Now more than ever, being in community is critical to your wellbeing. Carve out dedicated time – even if just 5-10 minutes per day – that’s all it takes -- to speak with a close friend or trusted advisor with whom you can test assumptions, brainstorm, or even have an occasional laugh.
6. Manage your own energy as if your life depended on it… because it actually might. Make sure to get enough sleep. Eat well (and stay hydrated!!). And exercise – even if it means taking a walk around the block or walking up and down the stairs. Based on conversations with clients who are epidemiologists, this is going to be a marathon, not a sprint.
Here’s to the light at the end of the tunnel.
BLOG - Deficit Coaching vs. Coaching with Compassion
What they are, when to use them, and why it matters.
By Andy Satter and Daniel White
There’s an old saying that the only humans that like change are babies with wet diapers.
When it comes to behavior change for leaders, executive coaches and managers face a dilemma that we’ve known about for years -- giving negative or constructive feedback is hurtful to the recipient. And this pain can interfere with the learning and change that we seek when we give feedback.
The “I’m Just Fine” Bias
But constructive feedback is important. Most of us, except for the clinically depressed, have views of ourselves that are skewed positive.
Cordelia Fine in: A Mind of its Own: How Your Brain Distorts and Deceives, describes the vain brain like this: “When asked, people will modestly and reluctantly confess that they are, for example, more ethical, more nobly motivated employees, and better drivers than the average person.
In the latter cases, this even includes people interviewed in the hospital shortly after being extracted from the mangled wrecks that were once their cars.”
Another popular adage is that 80% of males believe they are in the top 20% of athletic ability.
An important role of a leader or executive coach is to help people to see their behavior more objectively in order to bridge the gap between the optimistic way people typically view themselves and the more objective way others view them.
Most leadership models emphasize the value of constructive feedback in learning, growth and development, often describing a variety of ways to soften the blow of criticism.
One common approach is the “sandwich” statement, a technique where the feedback provider layers or sandwiches the constructive or negative feedback between two positive statements.
The now popular 360-degree feedback process strives to bridge this gap by communicating the perceptions of managers, peers, and direct reports. But the fact remains that criticism is painful and is involuntarily perceived as a threat against which we must defend ourselves.
Therein lies the dilemma.
Messages From Others
Traditional attempts to help someone else improve are difficult because the messages for change are coming from someone else.
These “not from me” messages can reduce the person’s intrinsic motivation to change and even arouse defensiveness.
A potential solution to this dilemma lies in coaching with compassion -- the work of Richard Boyatzis, PhD, Melvin Smith, PhD, and Ellen Van Oosten, PhD, whose theory and research applies positive psychology to coaching and leadership development.
The coaching with compassion approach begins the developmental process by asking a person to construct an image of his or her ideal self. This is an expression of who the person wants to be and what he or she hopes to accomplish. By conceptualizing an ideal self, a person shifts the motive for change from Other to Self, and this process becomes a source of emotional, psychological and physical energy.
Rather than defending against criticisms from others (think of anti-bodies attacking a virus), energy can be focused on becoming a leader who is consistent with their values, interests and passions.
The Neuroscience
Thanks to neuroscience research, we now know that the personal experience of receiving criticism or constructive feedback stimulates the same nerve and brain centers as the physical pain of being cut with a knife.
This pain then sends the person into a self-protective mode causing them to defend both their physical and social selves, or ego, in an attempt to restore their feeling of being OK.
And most significantly, this self-protection compromises an individual's ability to trust, learn, innovate and even listen.
Why does this matter?
To better understand the rationale for constructing an image of the ideal self, it’s helpful to make a distinction between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
The sympathetic nervous system regulates the human body’s involuntary response to real or perceived threats; the body releases the stress hormone cortisol into the bloodstream and which primes us to fight, flee, or freeze.
The parasympathetic nervous system regulates the body’s conservation of energy and relaxation; the body releases the hormone oxytocin into the bloodstream which promotes social bonding and reduces stress.
Brain researchers can now observe these two discrete neural pathways “lighting up” in the brain with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
An activated sympathetic nervous system preoccupies us with defending ourselves, therefore reducing learning.
Conversely, an activated parasympathetic nervous system enhances learning, active listening, and experimentation.
The beauty of Boyatzis' and his colleagues' approach is that it works with rather than against the body’s neurochemistry.
Coaching with compassion is like a rowboat that floats easily downstream whereas deficit coaching is like rowing against the current.
This is not to say that compassionate coaching is a magic bullet that replaces tough conversations that need to happen. Instead, a compassionate coaching approach primes the nervous systems of the feedback provider and recipient alike for flexibility and resilience, and increases the likelihood of positive and productive conversations.
BLOG - Four Things CEO’s Can Learn From Camels and Rafts
Reflections on current leadership challenges and the fall of empires while hiking through ancient ruins of Petra, Jordan.
On a recent trip to Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, our guide explained that the ancient city of Petra was built and inhabited by an remarkable desert people called the Nabateans.
Archeologists estimate that as many as 20,000 to 30,000 people inhabited Petra at the height of the Nabatean civilization.
Little is known about the Nabateans except that they became a dominant culture by leveraging their skills of finding, conserving, and transporting water in one of the most arid places on earth.
This core competence is what Good to Great author Jim Collins would call the Nabateans’ wheel house.
The Nabateans flourished for nearly 1,000 years (600 BC – 400AD), controlling a crucial trade route at the crossroads of the Arabian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman cultures. (Think monopoly; no one could cross the hostile desert environment without their help.)
Investor Warren Buffett would call the Nabateans’ approach a toll-booth business model.
All things must end...
Ultimately, the Nabateans’ success attracted the attention of their neighbors. Some began to invade.
Others innovated and disrupted the Nabateans' monopoly by increasing the speed and reducing the cost of delivery by replacing camels with boats and rafts to ferry supplies around rather than across the Arabian Peninsula. This is what Innovator’s Dilemma author Clayton Christensen refers to as a disruptive technology.
What started as a small and seemingly insignificant matter ultimately contributed to the toppling of a giant.
Like Blockbuster and Kodak, the Nabateans may have been overly focused on their current sphere of influence and were either too arrogant to expand their field of view to recognize the emerging threats to their business, or incapable of finding a solution to the problem.
Eventually, the Nabatean civilization collapsed, they abandoned Petra, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Four takeaways on the rise and fall of empires for startup CEO’s and other leaders:
1. When you’re successful, it’s only a matter of time before an external competitor threatens your franchise
2. One of the CEO’s key roles is to know the external landscape and to spot emerging patterns – both opportunities and threats – early on
3. Diversify, diversify, diversify. Avoid putting all of your eggs into a single basket
4. Actively learn from mistakes because “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” (George Santayana - 1905)
BLOG - Bookending: How Startup + First Time CEO's Can Reclaim Hours of Time from Non-Productive Meetings
If you’re a first-time or startup CEO, there are many reasons to feel stretched thin. One of them is that everyone wants your time, not only one-on-one but in meetings. And that can be exhausting, not to mention stressful, since you probably have a list of strategic imperatives to work on.
Bookending is a strategy to help you reduce the amount of time you spend sitting in a conference room discussing matters that need attention, but not your attention. It’s a two-part practice that many of my clients use with great success.
Part 1: Let’s say your CTO invites you to sit in on a half-day strategy session. If you’re like many, you’ll probably think it’s a good idea to attend. Within the first ten minutes, though, you’ll be wishing you were working on the slide deck for the upcoming Board meeting, or the pitch for your Series B raise. Sound familiar?
Now try these 9 easy steps the next time you’re invited to a meeting where your attendance for the entire time is nonessential.
Show up on time at the start of the meeting.
Ask the meeting owner to state the meeting goals and objectives.
If clear and on point, say something along the lines of: “I like what you’re going to work on. I need to step out but will return toward the end of the meeting and look forward to hearing what you’ve come up with.” If the objectives aren’t clear, facilitate a short discussion that helps your team crystalize the objectives in a timely fashion.
Be sure to express your appreciation, maybe with a statement like “Thank you in advance for your hard work.” Then excuse yourself.
Part 2:
5. Thirty to forty minutes before you plan to rejoin the meeting, let the meeting owner know that you’ll be returning shortly and are looking forward to an executive summary.
6. Once you’ve rejoined, listen closely to the summary and identify aspects of it that you like. Ask questions for clarification if necessary, and challenge the team’s thinking when appropriate.
7. Ask for next steps and find out who’s accountable for each.
8. Thank the team members again for their hard work and emphasize your interest in their deliverables.
9. Model engagement and accountability and loop back for periodic follow-ups with the team.
That’s it! You’ve just successfully bookended. Bookending is a powerful leadership tool because it saves you valuable time to focus on strategic imperatives AND it helps create a heightened sense of accountability within your company—something every CEO strives for every single day.
BLOG - Circuit Breakers: 3 Effective Techniques for Managing Your Anger or Frustration at the Office
In my previous blog, I introduced two concepts related to managing frustration and anger:
Daniel Goleman’s concept of the Amygdala hijacking – where a person's temper or frustration can go from 0 to 60 in a split second.
Circuit breakers -- intentional shifts in behavior than can disrupt an amygdala hijacking and provide opportunities for behavioral resets.
Here are three of my favorite circuit breakers that my clients have used with great success:
(Use when seated) Place both feet squarely on the floor. Make sure your hips are relaxed and that you can wiggle your knees in and out without restriction. Find your sit bones and gently rock forward and back on them. Make sure you're sitting squarely and that your shoulders are relaxed. Maintain this position until you've cooled off.
(Use when seated). Place the palm of your non-dominant hand over your abdomen or belly button and gently expand your belly into your palm. Continue to breathe full breaths into your palm for several minutes or until you’ve cooled off.
Call a brief, 5-minute time out for a bio break and go to the restroom. This gives you time to get up, move around, cool off and regroup.
At first, you might resist trying these out but why not do a small experiment see if they work? After all, which would you rather do -- apologize and figure out how to dig yourself out of a hole you just dug for yourself? Or, enjoy receiving positive feedback for taking your leadership effectiveness to a new level?
I’d say that’s a no-brainer.
Best, Andy
BLOG - Why Noticing Red Ears Can Help You Manage Work-Related Frustration More Effectively
My previous blog focused on personal triggers – things that set us off and can sometimes result in our saying or doing things we wish we hadn’t.
“It’s like an out-of-body experience where I’m watching my temper go from 0 to 60 in a split second and I can't do anything about it.”
Sound familiar?
My last blog also discussed how awareness of our personal triggers is the first step for positive behavior change. In other words, what are the circumstances and specific events that set us off?
When working with clients who want to better manage their frustration or anger, I ask them to identify exactly where in their body they experience tension before they react and “go off.”
“My ears turn bright red and begin to burn.”
“I unconsciously draw my shoulders upwards and clench my fists.”
“My breathing becomes shallow, my gut feels like it has steel bands around it.”
And there are many more.
Skeptics take note.
A CEO once asked me: "What does this touchy-feely stuff have to do with managing my anger?"
Well, actually, a lot.
Best selling author Daniel Goleman introduced the concept of an Amygdala hijack, when the amygdala -- an almond-sized region of the brain responsible for the expression of fear and pleasure -- is activated and overrides the frontal lobe or brain region responsible for executive function.
Most people have one or two seconds from the moment they've been triggered to when their amygdala takes their brain hostage. But, if you're aware of being triggered, you can actually disrupt that stimulus-response connection and have a different outcome. And that's what I call a circuit breaker.
Circuit breakers are tactics and strategies that disrupt the normal expression of a negative response and give you an opportunity for a reset.
How you can develop greater self-awareness.
Since behavior change begins with awareness, why not get a jumpstart and start to identify the location in your body where you hold tension. Some of my clients find keeping a notebook or journal helpful in this process. At first, this may be awkward or difficult, but in the end, it's well worth the effort.
Look for my next blog where I’ll share three effective circuit breakers that my clients have used with great success.
Best,
Andy
BLOG - Personal Triggers & Circuit Breakers - How to Keep Your Cool at the Office.
Have you ever been in a situation where you suddenly become angry and say something that you later regret? If you’re like me, this can feel like an out-of- body experience; my words seem to by-pass my brain and it’s as if someone else uttered them. Fortunately, I very rarely go from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye, but I’ve worked with leaders who do. And we all know that ultimately this behavior is a potential career derailer.
Awareness is the first step toward positive behavior change.
Before you can change a behavior, it’s essential to understand the context surrounding it. For example, what were the circumstances and what are the triggers (i.e. specific events) that typically set you off?
In my next two blogs, I’ll be exploring personal triggers and circuit breakers – specific things you can do to interrupt an undesirable reaction and increase your odds of responding in a rational and professional manner.
Building on my 25-years experience as an executive coach, I believe you can have positive results by applying these time-tested guidelines.
In the meantime, please head to my website to take a quick 2 question anonymous poll -- I’ll share the results in my next blog.
Best, Andy
BLOG - The Neuroscience of Achieving Your Goals
Reality Check. We’re about three weeks into 2017 and how are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions? Have you started on them? Do you even remember what they are?
What if there were an easy way to achieve your resolutions?
The British philosopher Derek Parfit states that we “are not a consistent identity moving through time, but a chain of successive selves, each tangentially linked to, and yet distinct from, the previous and subsequent ones.” Parfit believes that we relate differently to our current self than we relate to our future self, and that we unconsciously treat the latter as a separate person. Could it be that you actually made those New Year’s resolutions to someone else and not yourself?
In a recent Journal of Consumer Research article, researchers identified that the intentional manipulation of our perception of time can jump-start the process of taking the proverbial first step of achieving a resolution. The researchers, Yanping Tu and Dilip Soman, report that research participants given short-term and immediate deadlines were more likely to take action than those participants given deadlines that were perceived to be more long-term.
The researchers asked two different groups of Indian farmers to “set up a bank account and accumulate a certain amount of money by a deadline, offering extra money as an incentive. One group was approached in June, with a deadline of December that year. The second group was approached in July, with a deadline of January the next year.”
The researchers report that participants with the June-to-December timeframe were more likely to achieve their goals than participants in July-to-January timeframe – even though they were given the exact same amount of time. Why? Because their deadline fell within the current calendar year and they perceived it to be more present.
Additionally, Tu and Soman found that people given the exact same amount of time to complete a task were “more likely to start working on a task whose deadline is in the current month rather than in the next...”
Finally, …”the researchers used two calendars, one with the same background color for the entire week, and the second with one background color for the weekdays and another for the weekends. Forty-two undergraduates at the University of Toronto were given a task on a Tuesday that needed to be completed on Saturday. Participants were more likely to begin the task when the week was shown all in one color than when it was divided into two colors.”
Four tips to help you jumpstart your New Year’s Resolutions:
Make sure you still care about the resolution.
Break each resolution down into small and achievable chunks and assign short-term and immediate deadlines.
Color-code the next consecutive seven or fourteen days on your calendar. Make all of the days red or blue, for instance. Start and complete working on your short-term deadline within that color/timeframe. Note: You’ll want to repeat this process for resolutions that require ongoing efforts such as networking, writing that article, going to the gym, etc.
Add additional resolutions into consecutive and color-coded calendar blocks as you successfully achieve older ones.
A famous proverb states that the hardest part of every new journey is the first step. Good luck and start stepping!
Best,
Andy
BLOG - How Much Does Unresolved Conflict Cost Your Business?
According to a 2008 Bureau of Labor Statistics report, the average US worker spends 2.8 hours per week dealing with conflict – equivalent to $400 billion in 2016 paid hours.
For starters, unresolved conflict results in lost productivity due to drama or distraction.
Twenty-five percent of a 2008 CPP Global Human Capital Report survey participants indicated that avoidance of workplace conflict resulted in sickness and/or absence from work.
Nobody does their best work when surrounded by bad vibes or a hostile environment, so it’s no wonder that unresolved conflict kills collaboration and positive motivation.
Most importantly, ongoing unresolved conflict puts your best talent at risk.
What’s A Leader To Do?
There are different types of conflict. Some are functional or divisional and result from the competition for resources. Others are personal where individuals compete for power, money, and recognition -- or result from a difference in values, thinking preference, and/or leadership style.
Or maybe one person did or said something hurtful to another.
New Study Shows Empathy Diffuses Interpersonal Conflict
According to a new study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, imagining the perspective of someone with whom you experience conflict (i.e. demonstrating empathy toward them) is an effective way to diffuse that conflict and to begin repairing that relationship.
According to the authors and reported in the NY Times, victims of transgressions: 1) are more likely to perceive the transgressor's behavior as intentional and subsequently: 2) believe the transgressor feels less remorse than they actually do. These dynamics may impede forgiveness and often have a cumulative negative or toxic effect.
In other words, most people think the ball is in the offender’s court and expect the offender to apologize.
Conflict, or the perception of it, is a relative thing and depends on the perspectives of those involved.
This reminds me of the parable about the blind men and the elephant: Five blind men are walking in the jungle and encounter an elephant. Each man touches a different part of an elephant resulting in different impressions of the pachyderm. For example, the blind man who touches the elephant’s ear has a experience than the one who touches its tail, or trunk, and so on.
Whose Perception Is Right?
Perceptions are shaped by our individual brain wiring and life experiences. For example: some people are inclined to see the forest, others see the trees; some people assume others act with positive intent; others assume people are not to be trusted.
Effective leaders test their perceptions before acting when it comes to understanding conflict. We can describe their behavior as ready, aim, fire.
Clients frequently seek help to resolve conflict within their leadership teams. I’ve learned that team conflicts are almost always caused by the lack of alignment and clarity around: 1) team mission; 2) team member roles and responsibilities; 3) team guidelines or operating principles; 4) positive and productive business relationships.
Planning Ahead For 2017
As you gather your leadership team for your 2017 Strategic Planning, consider a team alignment component. This, plus modeling empathy with your team can reduce conflict, increase the level of team engagement, and lift the odds of successfully implementing your plan.
BLOG - Why You Should Dump The Annual Review
Most people would rather endure root canal surgery than participate in one of their company’s annual performance reviews.
Sadly, the annual review does little to help the employee grow because the die has often been cast by the time the review rolls around.
So why do so many companies stick to this tired formula that frequently breeds a trifecta of anxiety, cynicism, and fear?
Bestselling author and business thought leader Peter Block describes the annual performance review as an expression of patriarchy: “The boss holds the power card and you better listen up or else.” Block believes the review is designed to keep the employee in his place and to shore up power and authority and hierarchy.
Let me suggest a more effective approach.
Smart leaders jettison the formal performance review and carve out time for frequent coaching conversations that both provide feedback to their team members and solicit feedback from them – a practice that 33Across CEO Eric Wheeler calls “always conversations.”
Wheeler makes it a practice to initiate informal conversations on a daily basis. That way there are fewer communication gaps, his direct reports always know where they stand, and there’s greater alignment of priorities.
Maureen McGuire, the former CMO of Bloomberg, who participated in a research study I co-authored on mentoring, once told me: “Coaching doesn’t have to be formal or time-demanding -- it can be a quick cup of coffee in an airport lounge, or a drive-by conversation in the hallway.”
Think of it this way: you’d never wait 12 months to provide P+L data to one of your key business leaders, so why would you wait that long to talk to your people about their leadership effectiveness and career development? No one likes to be on the receiving end of a “gotcha.”
Timely and specific positive performance feedback increases the likelihood of that behavior being repeated. Similarly, timely constructive feedback increases the likelihood that non-reproductive or problematic behavior will not be continued.
8 Guidelines for Effective “Always Conversations”
1. Make them a weekly or daily practice
2. Keep them relaxed + informal; meet in your employee’s office or in a neutral space
3. Be honest
4. Listen more than you speak
5. Start positive; describe behaviors and accomplishments that you like, respect, or appreciate
6. Ask open-ended questions. For example, ask your direct reports:
“Describe a recent win you’re proud of – what do you attribute your/our success to?”
“Looking forward, where do you want to be in the next 12 – 18 months?”
“What do you like most about your role?”
“What keeps you up at night and how can I support your efforts?”
7. At the end of the conversation, ask your employee to recap their takeaways from the conversation and agree on topics to be placed in a parking lot for follow-up discussion
8. Thank them for their time and for sharing their thoughts with you
The good news is that when you replace formal annual performance reviews with regular “always conversations” you, your direct reports, and your company will reap big benefits from real-time feedback, greater alignment, and increased engagement.
BLOG - Big Ideas Don't Show Up When Your Brain's Been Hijacked
Many startup CEO's and other executives are feeling intense heat to generate new ideas in order to move the needle of their company’s business.
Sound familiar?
If you’re spending most of your days fighting brush fires, it’s nearly impossible to think expansively; your body and brain are physiologically operating in survival mode - fight or flight - even if your life is not on the line, although it might feel like your job is.
Daniel Goleman, author of "Emotional Intelligence," coined the phrase "amygdala hijacking" to describe how the amygdala, or fear center, becomes triggered by perceived threats and overrides the rational or executive functioning parts of our brain. When this happens, we're often surprised and not proud of our actions.
Bottom line: big ideas don't show up when our brains are in survival mode.
We’ve all heard the definition of insanity is when you keep doing the same thing and expect a different outcome.
If you're frequently thinking or saying: "I’d focus on more strategic initiatives if only I could get out from the weeds,” no wonder you're coming up with few new ideas but lots of headaches.
So, how do you increase the odds of having an “Ah Ha!” moment when you feel like your head is going to explode? (Hint: A larger bottle of Advil is not part of the answer.)
Disruption.
You have to interrupt the amygdala hijacking in its tracks and get out of the fight versus flight response if you want a different outcome. Think of a circuit breaker or a reset button which are designed to interrupt the flow of electricity.
And while I'm not suggesting you grab a live wire, there are safe and easy ways ways to disrupt a stressful rhythm or pattern.
How do you do that?
Many people recognize that their best ideas come outside of the office. Some do their best thinking in the shower, on the subway, or in their car. Others get breakthrough ideas while running, walking, or working out at the gym.
Where do you get your best ideas?
Over the past few months, my personal idea factory worked best when I’ve been Cross Country Skiing. (Yes, I'm one of the few people who has not wanted winter to end.)
Regardless of where you do your most creative thinking, it's essential to build in out-of-the office time on a regular basis.
As a management consultant and executive coach, I've witnessed many clients having game-changing insights outside of their offices.
I've conducted coaching and brainstorming sessions walking on bike trails and sitting on park benches. When the weather doesn't cooperate, no problem – there's usually a nearby diner, café, or museum.
And if leaving the building isn't an option, it helps to meet somewhere other than your personal office.
Take mini-breaks every day.
On days when you just can’t get outside, take the stairs to a different floor and walk around in a different pattern from your norm. In the process, you just might strike up an unexpected and meaningful conversation or think of something new that makes the trip worthwhile.
If you're looking for a thinking partner to develop new ideas or gain some insights, let's take a walk. You just might discover a new big idea or insight underfoot.
BLOG - Got Anger? Here’s Why You Should Be Grateful
Anger is an emotion that results from the perception of having one’s boundaries – physical and/or psychological – transgressed. And when this happens, a normal human reaction is to quickly go into fight or flight mode – responses that served us well when we dwelled in caves and spent much of our day avoiding becoming dinner for lions and tigers and bears.
Flash forward 20,000 years.
Deborah (not her real name) is a coaching client who is brilliant at her job in finance. She's smart, quick, and personable. And she has a short fuse for her large temper.
Through our work together, Deborah recognizes the negative impact of her anger on those around her; fear, intimidation, and the lack of trust are a few of the consequences for her aggressive style. Deborah is no fool -- she understands her ability to control her anger is mission critical to her long-term success.
Awareness Is The First Step
When she notices anger coming on, Deborah knows she has about one second to disrupt her “fight” pattern before angry words fly off her tongue -- words that damage her business relationships and she often regrets later on.
Deborah has learned to recognize the early warning signs in her body when her temper is about to blow– an increased heart rate, dry mouth, and a burning sensation in her neck. She also knows from experience that her tolerance for frustration plummets when she's overly fatigued and hasn't been exercising.
Simple Approach. Surprising Results.
Last year, I encouraged Deborah to try something out of her comfort zone and suggested a simple daily practice of expressing gratitude to those around her. I also suggested she start exercising several times per week.
Why would I do that?
Research by David DeSteno at Northeastern University suggests that tapping into “gratitude can also help us control our behavior in favor of a delayed payoff.” I interpret this to mean that delaying a short-term impulse to express an inappropriate amount of anger now – creates an opening to focus on building positive business relationships that will serve one in the future.
Regular exercise is a proven tonic to help lower stress.
Results Are In
Deborah has made a commitment to resilience. She regularly exercises 3x per week and has started taking mini-vacations to prevent burn out. Not surprisingly, Deborah and those around her have seen positive results –her outbursts have been few and far between and her mood around the office has become more even keeled.
Here are 5 ways expressing gratitude can help make you a more effective leader:
1. Expressing gratitude demonstrates your awareness of and concern for others -- cornerstone behaviors for establishing and building trust.
2. Gratitude increases the likelihood of a favorable response from the other person.
3. Great leaders model effective leadership in what they say AND do. Demonstrating gratitude is a core behavior of servant leadership.
4. Focusing on gratitude is an effective way to disrupt your own anger before you say or do something you'll regret. On a neurological level, expressing gratitude -- either silently or to another person -- helps short circuit what author Daniel Goleman refers to as an amygdala hijack or behavior that results in unnecessary anger or rage.
5. Gratitude can help cultivate patience and self-control.
So the next time you notice your heart rate spiking during a conversation with your boss, a direct report or a client, try contemplating something positive in your life. This simple practice just might help you cool down and produce a very different outcome.
And that’s something to be grateful for.
BLOG - Startup CEO's Are Like Martians
Why Lateral Thinking Works Well On Mars -- And On Earth.
Sometimes being the CEO of a startup is like being an astronaut stranded on Mars.
As a startup CEO, you’re frequently confronted with situations that require on-the-spot decisions that can have life-or-death consequences for your fledgling enterprise. For example, a slam-dunk deal may fall through at the eleventh hour and you have to lay off a third of your staff. Or your brilliant Chief Engineer departs unexpectedly and leaves your new software delivery in the lurch.
You’re often the only person who sees the entire picture and your company typically doesn’t have the cash or other resources to ride out a large and unexpected storm.
Sound familiar?
Which brings me to Mars.
Or should I say The Martian – a terrific novel by Andy Weir and award-winning movie featuring Matt Damon.
In a nutshell, a manned space expedition to Mars encounters a series of catastrophic events and one of the astronauts, Mark Watney, is left for dead on the Martian surface. But Watney is actually still alive – barely. (Btw, all of this is revealed on page one, so no spoiler alert here.)
Much of this page turner, and I won’t tell you how it ends, explores how Watney uses his analytical and lateral thinking skills to extend his life in a hostile and unforgiving environment. And while this story unfolds on a planet 50 million miles away, there are parallels to what happens back here on earth.
So do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of The Martian, which, by the way, my book editor wife also loved. The book will inspire you to look at challenging situations and reframe them in new ways that may not be obvious. The Martian will also remind you to challenge your assumptions in anticipation of potential life-and-death business situations.
And we all know that you don’t have to go to Mars to find those.
BLOG - How Can These Teenagers Change The World?
Meet YEG – the Youth Economic Group.
Five years ago, my friend, the Reverend Richard Witt, Executive Director of the Rural & Migrant Ministry (RMM) and a former client, invited me to meet a newly formed group of remarkable young women and men living in rural Sullivan County, NY, where poverty and hopelessness run high and high school graduation rates run low.
The First Members Of YEG
YEG was created by RMM to teach disenfranchised high school students basic business skills through the process of launching and running their own cooperative business, and to support them in becoming advocates for social and economic justice in their communities.
Along the way, it is hoped, the students will learn about leadership, integrity, accountability, and the power of having each other’s backs, and they’ll acquire some of the skills that they’ll need to graduate from high school and carve out successful lives for themselves.
The young men and women of the inaugural YEG group that I met in 2011 attended local high schools that were infiltrated by gangs, a sad truth that hasn’t changed in the years since the group’s inception. Many came from families that were severely tested by events beyond their control. The constant fear of parental deportation and food insecurity weighed heavily on several of the members, and it continues to do so today.
That first year, as in all subsequent years, YEG members were invited to participate in a 2-day Economics/ Business 101-like boot camp designed to teach them basic business fundamentals. Created and led by Carrie McIndoe of Economic Ventures, Inc. and funded by the Jenjo Foundation, the overnight student boot camp retreat is often the first time many of these teenagers spend time away from their families.
Early on, YEG received startup grants from Trinity Church Wall Street and Ed Sermier, former CFO of the Carnegie Corporation. After incorporating the lessons of their boot camp, the inaugural YEG students were tasked with choosing a co-operative business to launch.
There were only three criteria the business had to meet:
It had to be legal
It had to fill a need in their local community
It had to have a shot at sustainability
The students also added a fourth: it had to reflect their values.
Launching Their Business
The second time the inaugural YEG students and I met, it was a brutally cold winter day. The purpose of the meeting was to determine what kind of business they would launch, and rather than sitting around indoors, we decided to conduct a series of site visits. Up and down the main streets of Monticello, Liberty, and Fallsburg we walked, ducking into the few stores that were still operating, and bracing ourselves against the wind.
Afterwards, we defrosted with some hot cocoa and debriefed our field trip:
What did you notice?
Who was shopping and what, if anything, did they have in common?
What types of businesses were missing?
Eight weeks later, the students and their program coordinator piled into a van and drove to Boston to visit Equal Exchange, a successful cooperative that specializes in fair trade coffee and chocolate. For many of the students, this was their first venture outside of Sullivan County, not to mention New York State.
Soon, pumped up with new knowledge and enthusiasm, the students launched Basement Bags, a cooperative venture that would create designs and silk screen them onto fair trade organic cotton tote bags and t-shirts sourced from a women’s cooperative in Mexico.
From the get-go, Basement Bags products have advocated environmental, social, and economic justice. Over time their inventory has grown to include other designs and slogans to capture the attention of a broader audience.
The next time we met, the students were excited to show me their new setup in the cold basement of a local church. They proudly presented their first designs and silk-screened products. When I asked to see their silk screening press, Danny, one of their leaders, proudly held up a hobby silk screening kit that was the size of two cornflakes boxes laying flat and placed side to side.
“How long does it take to make each bag, from start to finish?” I asked.
“About 17 hours, give or take,” Danny replied.
“Where do you sell the bags and what's the price?”
“We sell them at farmers' markets and craft fairs for $20.”
I quickly did the math and knew I had to get involved. That night, after describing my experience to my wife Nan, I called Richard and asked how much a professional silk screening machine would cost.
“About $2,500,” he said. “We want to buy one but don't have the funds right now.”
When I asked him if the students would attend a fundraiser and give a short talk about YEG and its mission if we held an event at our house, he didn’t hesitate.
“They’d love to.”
The students gave an awesome presentation and conducted a Q&A session with our 30 guests; we raised $2,600 for a new industrial silk screening press.
Flash Forward: 5 Years
When you have a strong and compelling mission and the right kind organizational structure and support, people can and will achieve amazing things.
YEG members are now paid salaries.
In the five years since its inception,100% of the YEG graduates have graduated from high school and gone to college.
As one of the founding YEG members said, "The fact that I'm the first person in my family to graduate high school is amazing. The fact that I'm going college on a scholarship blows my mind."
Paying It Forward
Giving back is a core YEG principle. In a future blog, I will describe the annual YEG Youth Entrepreneurial Symposium and how YEG members pay it forward for the benefit of other struggling youth in similar stressed situations.
BLOG - New Study Connects Awe and Collaboration
Most Startup CEOs and other senior leaders understand that having an aligned and collaborative executive team is critical to their success. And yet, very few actually do.
Many leaders expect their executive teams to become aligned out of compliance. After all, they're the boss and what the boss says, goes, right? We all know how that usually ends up.
A smaller number understand that alignment works best when it’s executed collaboratively.
Sounds great, but how do you set the stage for collaboration, especially when your team may have super-competitive members with equally super-sized egos?
According to the NY Times, researchers have demonstrated that the emotion of awe helps bind people together and motivates them to be more collaborative and generous to strangers than those individuals not experiencing awe.
The study, which was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology by Professors Dacher Keltner and Paul Piff, also reports that people experiencing awe are more likely to behave in ways that are conducive to building strong groups and communities. According to Keltner, “Awe is the ultimate ‘collective’ emotion, for it motivates people to do things that enhance the greater good.”
So, the next time you’re thinking about bringing your executive team together for a strategy or team alignment session, consider holding your meeting off-site in a location that inspires awe.
Too expensive? Not in the budget?
Think again…
You don’t have to fly your team to the Brooks Range in Alaska for an awe inspiring offsite -- you can often find it at a nearby beach, botanical garden, or nature preserve. In fact, finding awe can be as easy as a walk in the park.
Food for thought. What are some of the things you do to inspire awe?
BLOG - My Accidental Discovery -- What You Need To Know...
It's Getting Awfully Hot...
2016 just started and already many of my Startup CEO and other C-Suite clients are feeling the heat to deliver more with less in the New Year.
Sound familiar?
The only way to get more done with the same or fewer resources is to work smarter, not harder.
My Accidental Discovery
Some years ago, I suffered a serious testosterone-fueled, basketball-related back injury that laid me out for weeks.
What was I thinking playing competitive full-court weekend warrior basketball with a bunch of 18-year olds?
My back was a wreck and I finally agreed to have an invasive back surgery.
Two weeks before the procedure, a friend encouraged me to seek treatment in something called Alexander Technique.
Desperate and in too much pain to be cynical, I agreed. Much to my surprise, the Alexander sessions helped and I cancelled the surgery.
To this day, I'm fortunate and continue to live a very active lifestyle.
An Unexpected Consequence
The Alexander Technique helped me to develop greater awareness of my posture and movement and how my unconscious postural habits – we all have them – contributed to and aggravated my chronic back pain, but also required me to utilize more energy than needed to complete simple every day tasks like standing in front of a room of clients.
The Principle of Appropriate Energy
The Alexander Technique taught me that there is an optimal amount of energy required to successfully complete a task.
Think of Michael Jackson dancing, Eric Clapton playing guitar, or University of North Carolina star Marcus Paige on the basketball court.
And while I’m obviously not a world-class musician or athlete, I’ve learned over and over that the Principle of Appropriate Energy applies to every aspect of my life, especially work.
I work with a diverse group of clients in terms of industry, company size, gender, nationality, and personality.
On good days, I feel like I’m in a groove or what psychologist and author Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls “flow”; everything seems to unfold effortlessly.
I love days like this.
But occasionally, I feel like Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the mountain; things requires double or triple effort and sometimes I’m exhausted at the end of a meeting.
Those days are difficult.
When I’m in a flow state, I’ve noticed that my posture is relaxed, my breathing is full, and there’s a marked absence of tension in my face, neck and shoulders. I remember to remember to be aware of my presence and draw on what I learned from the Alexander Technique.
On the days when I’m in Sisyphus mode my breathing is shallower and I might find myself clenching my jaw and rolling my shoulders.
Awareness of the tension in my body is the first step for managing my energy and my impact; when I’m aware, I can choose to disrupt my habitual patterns and substitute a more open and relaxed posture.
Doing this has a positive impact on those around me.
It also has a positive impact on me.
Harvard University Professor and TED Talk presenter Amy Cuddy has done extensive research on how our non-verbal behavior impacts how we think about ourselves.
According to Cuddy’s research, we can change our body chemistry (i.e. hormones) by changing our posture.
Just two minutes of posing in an open and expansive posture triggers a significant uptick in testosterone – the hormone associated with dominance and self-confidence – and a down-tick of cortisol – the hormone associated with stress.
Conversely, just two minutes of closed and contracted posture triggers an uptick of cortisol and a down-tick of testosterone.
Cuddy’s research also demonstrates that people who demonstrate confident posture or presence are consistently more likely to be selected for jobs than those that do not.
So as you think about all the Board and investor presentations and town hall meetings you need to lead in 2016, remember to apply the Principle of Appropriate Energy and pay close attention to how you present yourself to your audience—and to yourself.
Here’s to an expansive New Year!