In my executive coaching work I have been known on more than one occasion to encourage the various leaders who seek my insights to “follow their heart”. This advice seems formidable to most of us because it requires a high level of courage to implement. I should know because I’ve had to follow my own advice on several occasions in my personal and business life. To consciously choose a path that you haven’t traveled before is both scary and exhilarating.
Being a leader is often equated with logic and reason – if I can measure it, quantify it, and chart it then it must be the right thing to do. Yet many of us have learned that personal dreams and aspirations are rarely that easy to define. There may be nothing more than an inner hunger that causes us to take stock of what we are doing and where we would really like to be. Perhaps it is a passion we have felt for many years but never acted upon. Following your heart is rarely a well-conceived master plan complete with strategies, timetables, and task lists. It’s more like an epiphany that results in chaos.
This past week one of my clients called with the news that they had made the decision to “follow their heart”. Their excitement and sense of relief belied any anxiety they might also have been feeling. It was inspiring to hear the joy in their voice and to witness the personal courage it took to make this decision. Leaving a secure position of leadership for an unknown destination seems daunting but, for those who have made this choice, the journey is never made alone. Those persons who love and care for us, personally and professionally, are always there when we announce our decision. It’s one of the secrets I discovered the first time I chose to follow my heart.
Being a leader doesn’t mean we will always be following our heart to some new and exciting career or place. Sometimes we will be the one encouraging a direct report or colleague to experience the joy of spreading their own wings and soaring to new heights. If more people followed their hearts there would be additional joy and inspiration in the workplace and the world. It’s time to leave the rational and logical behind and focus on your dreams. Your heart is calling; are you listening?
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Aspiration or Inspiration
Most companies that I work with have a mission statement that espouses a list of values they are committed to – excellent customer service, being a fun place to work, the importance of teamwork, honesty and integrity – you get the picture. These standards are intended to encourage employees to do their best and ultimately make the business successful. There’s only one big problem with the majority of these vision statements; they are mostly about our aspirations.
A value by definition is something that we believe and “live”. It defines our actions not just our ideals. So a list of compelling values, matted and framed on an office wall, does little to change behavior unless those values are actually enforced by the company’s leaders. In fact, many organizations have a culture that is a shadow of the values or mission statement; guided by implication and fueled by what actually happens on a daily basis throughout the company.
What you enforce as a leader, the nonnegotiable standards that carry consequences for being noncompliant, are the “real values” that guide your operations. How many times do you allow a family member, senior manager or another owner in the business to deviate from the company’s stated operational standards without any punishment or repercussions? Do you tolerate bad behavior from a super salesman because his or her revenue drives your company’s bottom line? Are poor managers allowed to flourish because they have tenure or share the owner’s last name?
Customer service is also frequently characterized by less than stellar performance. If the customer satisfaction survey boasts acceptable to okay responses, many companies are content to rest on their laurels instead of challenging themselves to strive for excellence. When leadership and management proclaims that we are “committed to excellence” but continues to tolerate anything less than the best in customer service then the unspoken standard becomes “good is good enough around here”.
The funny thing about inspiration is how it actually changes behavior! When leaders treat employees and customers with respect, and enforce stated operational and service guidelines, an amazing transformation occurs. The values that once seemed only an ideal, “come to life” throughout the organization. Managers spend less time sustaining values that are broadly and deeply held and enforced throughout the workplace. I think most employees would rather work for a company that acts as though it believes in the values that grace the lobby wall.
When standards are set high, when cruisers are routinely confronted about their behavior, when anything but excellent is challenged and questioned, only then will aspirations become inspiration. A company values system that inspires requires frequent and honest feedback, both positive and negative. You might begin by asking your employees to rate the company (on a scale of 1-to-10) at how well you are living the values included in the organization’s current mission statement. Don’t be shocked if the results are less than inspiring.
A value by definition is something that we believe and “live”. It defines our actions not just our ideals. So a list of compelling values, matted and framed on an office wall, does little to change behavior unless those values are actually enforced by the company’s leaders. In fact, many organizations have a culture that is a shadow of the values or mission statement; guided by implication and fueled by what actually happens on a daily basis throughout the company.
What you enforce as a leader, the nonnegotiable standards that carry consequences for being noncompliant, are the “real values” that guide your operations. How many times do you allow a family member, senior manager or another owner in the business to deviate from the company’s stated operational standards without any punishment or repercussions? Do you tolerate bad behavior from a super salesman because his or her revenue drives your company’s bottom line? Are poor managers allowed to flourish because they have tenure or share the owner’s last name?
Customer service is also frequently characterized by less than stellar performance. If the customer satisfaction survey boasts acceptable to okay responses, many companies are content to rest on their laurels instead of challenging themselves to strive for excellence. When leadership and management proclaims that we are “committed to excellence” but continues to tolerate anything less than the best in customer service then the unspoken standard becomes “good is good enough around here”.
The funny thing about inspiration is how it actually changes behavior! When leaders treat employees and customers with respect, and enforce stated operational and service guidelines, an amazing transformation occurs. The values that once seemed only an ideal, “come to life” throughout the organization. Managers spend less time sustaining values that are broadly and deeply held and enforced throughout the workplace. I think most employees would rather work for a company that acts as though it believes in the values that grace the lobby wall.
When standards are set high, when cruisers are routinely confronted about their behavior, when anything but excellent is challenged and questioned, only then will aspirations become inspiration. A company values system that inspires requires frequent and honest feedback, both positive and negative. You might begin by asking your employees to rate the company (on a scale of 1-to-10) at how well you are living the values included in the organization’s current mission statement. Don’t be shocked if the results are less than inspiring.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Reflections About Joy
Today, as I write this entry, millions of families are honoring their mothers through cards, flowers, phone calls, visits and dinners at local restaurants. This annual observance has become a way for us to celebrate the special joy that mothers bring to our families. My weekly phone call with my own mom will take place a bit later today and wishing her a “happy Mother’s Day” is sure to be part of the conversation.
How would you define joy? More specifically can you define joy as expressed in your workplace or modeled by you, as a leader? While I confess no breakthrough revelations about joy in the workplace I can offer a few brief reflections, beginning with something I wrote about in a previous journal entry.
I believe joy is connected to our inner Spirit, or soul if you prefer that term. When I use the word connected, I’m referring to our relationship with the work we do every day; does that labor nourish and fulfill us? Is your work a true calling – a place where you are using your talents in service of others? When I believe that my work is making a difference in the world, I experience joy.
This past week I facilitated a training event for a team of leaders and was overwhelmed with joy as I witnessed them sharing and learning in a way that had eluded them in the past. They inspired me by their willingness to be vulnerable, their desire to learn and their honesty with each other. Abandoning their need for acceptance and status they chose instead to listen, to love and to learn together. Real joy is derived from these interpersonal connections, not the “material stuff” that society pressures us to accumulate in order to be happy.
What would happen in our workplaces if leaders created opportunities for everyone to know joy? Where would we start? What would such a plan look like? I think it begins with identifying the talents of each employee. Then those talents should be leveraged in the workplace so the employee is able to do what they love every day. As their calling and passion are identified and nurtured, joy will be a natural result. A joyful workplace will be more productive, more inviting and less stressful.
Mother’s Day is a wonderful annual occasion to celebrate the joy of family. I hope you won’t allow another year to pass before you invite joy into your life or the lives of others, especially in the workplace.
How would you define joy? More specifically can you define joy as expressed in your workplace or modeled by you, as a leader? While I confess no breakthrough revelations about joy in the workplace I can offer a few brief reflections, beginning with something I wrote about in a previous journal entry.
I believe joy is connected to our inner Spirit, or soul if you prefer that term. When I use the word connected, I’m referring to our relationship with the work we do every day; does that labor nourish and fulfill us? Is your work a true calling – a place where you are using your talents in service of others? When I believe that my work is making a difference in the world, I experience joy.
This past week I facilitated a training event for a team of leaders and was overwhelmed with joy as I witnessed them sharing and learning in a way that had eluded them in the past. They inspired me by their willingness to be vulnerable, their desire to learn and their honesty with each other. Abandoning their need for acceptance and status they chose instead to listen, to love and to learn together. Real joy is derived from these interpersonal connections, not the “material stuff” that society pressures us to accumulate in order to be happy.
What would happen in our workplaces if leaders created opportunities for everyone to know joy? Where would we start? What would such a plan look like? I think it begins with identifying the talents of each employee. Then those talents should be leveraged in the workplace so the employee is able to do what they love every day. As their calling and passion are identified and nurtured, joy will be a natural result. A joyful workplace will be more productive, more inviting and less stressful.
Mother’s Day is a wonderful annual occasion to celebrate the joy of family. I hope you won’t allow another year to pass before you invite joy into your life or the lives of others, especially in the workplace.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Justice in the Workplace
This past week I was privileged to attend a luncheon meeting where Gary Haugen, founder of International Justice Mission (IJM), was the featured speaker. IJM is a human rights organization that rescues victims of violence, sexual exploitation, slavery, and oppression. They document and monitor conditions of abuse and oppression, educate the church and public about the abuses, and mobilize intervention on behalf of victims. IJM, which is federally and privately funded, has 13 offices in nine countries and currently employs more than 230 staff.
So what does a speech by a human rights advocate have to do with conscious leadership and this weekly journal? It was Haugen’s perspectives on injustice that caught my attention. He offered a compelling case through Scripture and stories from his organization’s work that injustice occurs when persons suffer abuse and oppression at the hands of other people. That prompted me to wonder how many times in the business world leaders act with injustice toward employees, customers, and the environment. Are we fair and impartial in our actions and decisions? Do we oppress the spirits of those we are supposed to serve by using the power of position to demand our own way? Might we abuse direct reports through our attitudes, language, and behavior?
Every human being longs for a sense of integrity and truthfulness in our interactions with others. But we know that power can corrupt; our world is filled with thousands of examples where horrific oppression and violence has been perpetrated on the most vulnerable in society. Think of the genocide in Rwanda during the spring of 1994. While I am not suggesting that injustices at work should be compared to killing fields, they do share a common thread – the abuse of power. It is a sobering thought to consider how my oppressive actions as a leader may affect those I work with or serve.
The temptations to abuse power are real and challenging. We live in a democracy but our organizations may not feel that way to those who work there. When was the last time you asked employees for feedback about product improvements or service enhancements and then actually listened to them and implemented their suggestions? Do you crave control over your company, department, or team at the expense of relationships and meeting the needs of others? Have you recently admitted a mistake or said, “I’m sorry” to a colleague or direct report? Do you know what your employees and customers want and need from you?
Justice may not be in your business vocabulary. Perhaps my attempt to connect injustice at work with global injustice isn’t even a plausible case to make. Yet injustices do exist in the marketplace and leaders are the ones with the greatest opportunities to model and practice a different way. It might begin with a personal confession that we crave power and are tempted to abuse it. We should review our organizational structure and processes to ensure they encourage and maintain fairness and honesty. Finally, we should listen more to our hearts; something I wrote about in last week’s blog entry. In the end, justice in the workplace and the world begins with living the platinum rule: Do unto others what they would have you do unto them. Sounds simple doesn’t it?
So what does a speech by a human rights advocate have to do with conscious leadership and this weekly journal? It was Haugen’s perspectives on injustice that caught my attention. He offered a compelling case through Scripture and stories from his organization’s work that injustice occurs when persons suffer abuse and oppression at the hands of other people. That prompted me to wonder how many times in the business world leaders act with injustice toward employees, customers, and the environment. Are we fair and impartial in our actions and decisions? Do we oppress the spirits of those we are supposed to serve by using the power of position to demand our own way? Might we abuse direct reports through our attitudes, language, and behavior?
Every human being longs for a sense of integrity and truthfulness in our interactions with others. But we know that power can corrupt; our world is filled with thousands of examples where horrific oppression and violence has been perpetrated on the most vulnerable in society. Think of the genocide in Rwanda during the spring of 1994. While I am not suggesting that injustices at work should be compared to killing fields, they do share a common thread – the abuse of power. It is a sobering thought to consider how my oppressive actions as a leader may affect those I work with or serve.
The temptations to abuse power are real and challenging. We live in a democracy but our organizations may not feel that way to those who work there. When was the last time you asked employees for feedback about product improvements or service enhancements and then actually listened to them and implemented their suggestions? Do you crave control over your company, department, or team at the expense of relationships and meeting the needs of others? Have you recently admitted a mistake or said, “I’m sorry” to a colleague or direct report? Do you know what your employees and customers want and need from you?
Justice may not be in your business vocabulary. Perhaps my attempt to connect injustice at work with global injustice isn’t even a plausible case to make. Yet injustices do exist in the marketplace and leaders are the ones with the greatest opportunities to model and practice a different way. It might begin with a personal confession that we crave power and are tempted to abuse it. We should review our organizational structure and processes to ensure they encourage and maintain fairness and honesty. Finally, we should listen more to our hearts; something I wrote about in last week’s blog entry. In the end, justice in the workplace and the world begins with living the platinum rule: Do unto others what they would have you do unto them. Sounds simple doesn’t it?
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