A tribute to Zig Ziglar, a Man who changed my life.

It has been a couple of weeks since Zig Ziglar died.  Since then I have continued to see postings and reminders of the impact he has had on so many.  I want to add to the tribute.

I grew up in a small town in East Texas and didn’t get out much, and I grew up in a family that was pretty conservative and was raised by a father who was demanding and critical. I was the youngest of three children, raised in the shadow of an older brother, who was better than me at just about everything.

Though going to Church was a significant part of my life, my faith experience was not all that different. I grew up in a church that was very sectarian in regards to other churches. It did its best to criticize and isolate itself from others who did not believe exactly as they did. Needless to say, I wasn’t encouraged to enjoy the fellowship of the broader Christian community, because in the mind of my denomination, there was no broader Christian community. If you were not of their brand, you were not “truly” Christian. It still amazes me how honest, studious, Christian people can maintain such a sectarian belief, especially after a thorough search of God’s Word and understanding of God’s Grace.

In addition, gaining approval from God was not much different than gaining approval from my dad. If I didn’t behave properly, there would be no relationship at all. If I did behave, the best I could hope for is to stay out of trouble. I can remember the one time in my life that my dad expressed his gratitude, appreciation or approval for anything that I contributed to the family. As a youngster, I tried hopelessly to recreate that experience. Experiencing failure there, I transferred my efforts to gaining God’s approval, where I hoped to serve Him in such a manner as to hear him say “Well done” some day. As you can imagine, growing up like this didn’t do a lot for my self-confidence. However, it did put me on a quest to know God as he is revealed in Scripture.

That is where Zig Ziglar came is. I have never met him, but have heard him speak and read his words hundreds of times, sometimes on tape and a couple of times in person. When I was in my early twenties, I studied the Bible two years and set off to Canada to help plant a church in my denomination. There, I met a young man who was a realtor in British Columbia, who generously shared with me a set of Zig’s How to Stay Motivated tapes. There were a couple of things that caught my attention in those tapes. Here was an authentic, God fearing man, who seemed to love God, and seemed so full of life, joy and optimism, and he was not a part of my denomination. Could he actually be a Christian? On top of that he shared practical principles that changed my life, one of which continues to motivate me: “You are who you are and what you are because of what you have put into your mind, and you can change who you are and what you are by changing what goes into your mind.” Could it really be possible for me to believe differently about myself and all the things I had grown to believe about God? Is it possible that this man was truly a Christian and honest in pursuit of God’s Word. Is it possible that God really did love and value me, regardless of what family history or my religion had told me? Is it possible that this teaching, which I had been warned to be no more than “pop psychology” contained more truth than much of what I had been taught?

I committed to dig into the Word to learn the truth. I really wanted to know what the “good news” was; what it meant to “rejoice in the Lord”; what a “light burden and easy yoke” was all about; what “no condemnation” meant; what it meant for a man like Paul who seemed to already know Christ to say he “wants to know Christ and the power of his rising”; what it meant to experience the continuous cleansing from sin to someone like me who continues to struggle with the sinful nature; what it meant to understand that I am a child of God, a joint heir with Christ, and filled with his Spirit as a guarantee of what is to come; what it meant to be God’s chosen, and dearly loved. It took some time and numerous other experiences and encounters with people like Zig Ziglar, but I eventually did come to understand the awesome power of God’s grace and to embrace Zig Ziglar and thousands of others like him as brothers in Christ.

My path led me away from the church planting experience which I loved so much. As you can imagine, my denomination had little patience for one who came to believe as I did. They cut off my financial support, and I was left to depend solely on Christ. That was a little scary. I confess that I frequentlylean on my own strength more than I lean on His, but he is still working to extract that fear from me.

Through specific answer to prayer, God directed me to serve Him in corporate America, where for all intents and purposes, I became a public speaker and trainer to some of the largest companies in the world, including Fortune’s #1, Wal-Mart. When I was serving them as a representative of their Associate assistance and counseling program, I traveled the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, speaking, training and helping people find hope in hopeless situations. I was fortunate enough to be in a company that was led by a whole lot of Christian people, including Sam Walton. And the company I represented was founded by a dear Christian friend. We were group of Christian counselors providing a variety of helpful services and resources for living for employees of these great companies.

I’ll give Zig Ziglar and God credit for helping me be able to be an effective public speaker. I mean, I needed all the help I could get. I was member of the church’s youth group that the pastor could never get to stand up and help lead the youth led services. I will also give him credit for how to be a living witness, by simply sharing my story. And early on in this journey, I followed his example of committing to being a witness for Christ wherever and whenever God gave me a platform to speak.

I thank God for Zig Ziglar and the many godly Christian leaders I have met since that time, who have impacted my life in a similar manner. Mr. Ziglar, you will be missed, but your influence and testimony lives on. Thank you.

A Recipe for Disaster Trying Harder with Outdated Technology

The lessons on leadership from Gettysburg continue to abound. That tells you just a bit about how impactful this leadership development program has been for those of us who had the privilege of participating. I want to commend The Lincoln Leadership Institute on utilizing the metaphor of the battle so effectively and for engaging some of the most qualified resources available to lead our team through these discussions.


One of those resources is Dr. Jared Peatman who is one of the leading historians on the Battle of Gettysburg, and maybe on the entire Civil War. I think others in our group thought the same, because I’m sure I overheard a “stump Jared” contest during their dinner conversations one evening. Through all three of my visits I did my best to stay within earshot of Jared as much as possible. Not only does he know his history, he knows people, organizations and leadership, and he is able to make profound connections for his audience.

On one occasion, as we strolled through the battlefield museum at the visitor’s center, several of us stopped by a display of rifles that were used during the Civil War. Jared began to explain the difference in these weapons, comparing smooth bore muskets to rifles, carbines, etc. He mentioned that “rifling” in the barrels of the guns was a fairly new technology at the time of the Civil War, and made a significant difference, especially to the Union forces who were more heavily armed with these weapons than were their Confederate counterparts. He described the ball coming out of a musket being similar to a bowling ball bouncing back and forth down the gutter at the bowling lane, with accuracy of about 100-150 yards on a good day with a good gun. The reloading capacity for a musket was two to three shots per minute. He described the new rifling technology capable of increasing the accuracy up to 250-300 yards, with reloading capacity of up to six shots per minute.

Then he made a statement that stuck with me because of its implications. He said that “we tend to fight today’s wars with our last war’s technology and strategy”. He went on to explain that the leaders of the armies of the Civil War earned their reputations in the Mexican American War, where the musket was the weapon of choice for the soldier. Many of these leaders were unfamiliar with the new rifling technology that had been much improved and utilized in the years after that war. The strategy of “Don’t shoot until you can see the whites of their eyes” worked fairly well for the inaccurate musket, but was a recipe for disaster up against foes armed with rifles. This is likely to be one more reason why there were so many casualties during this war.
It also reminds me how crucial it is for leaders to stay current on the technologies and changes that are occurring in their industry, profession or environment, because trying harder with the old strategies designed for old technologies or old environments simply cannot result in victory.

What Generals Do.

In my previous post on June 22, I outlined several leadership lessons from our first leadership development session at the Battle of Gettysburg. Since then we have taken a couple of more historical trips; first to Boston and then back to Gettysburg where our second cohort of leaders were privileged to experience this transformational leadership journey.


While in Boston our company president ask those of us who attended the first session to offer one reflection on leadership that we had as a result of participation in the Gettysburg experience. Each participant spoke of the transformational impact that this experience had on them both personally and professionally. Most came away understanding that we are in this “battle” together, this battle to achieve our mission and vision. The camaraderie that resulted from such a time together will certainly carry us far.

After further reflection, I shared with the group one more take away that I took from the Battle of Gettysburg. “Battles and wars are not won by Generals. But Generals determine whether battles and wars are won.” Reliving the battle experience, I don’t recall many Generals lifting a weapon against the enemy. This was especially true for the senior most Generals. However it was particularly apparent that these Generals created the environment, set the stage, inspired the troops, and made decisions that were crucial to the outcome of the battle and of the war.

As leaders, we have the opportunity every day to create an environment and make decisions that enable our front line employees to achieve great things. Listen carefully. Think strategically. Be flexible. Remain humble.

Reflections on Gettysburg

I have had several weeks to reflect on a recent visit to Gettysburg, PA. Our leadership development team chose that site and the Lincoln Leadership Institute as the location from which we would begin our new Strategic Leadership Development program. Our first group consisted of 19 senior leaders including our Chairman/CEO and one of our Executive Vice Presidents. We are preparing to take another group of a similar size through the same experience in July. So not only have I had the opportunity to reflect back, I have had the opportunity to refine our focus while considering the implications for the upcoming group.

Prior to the visit, I watched the movie, Gettysburg with Sam Elliot and Martin Sheen, read the book Killer Angels by Michael Shaara and Pulitzer Prize winner, James McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom, but none of this prepared me for the leadership lessons that would jump off the battlefield during our time there and every single day since. Some of my take aways:

1. True strategic thinking is a rare. The ability to step away from the heat of the battle and the whirlwind of daily operations to consider the big picture and the future. General John Buford demonstrates this competency before the battle began. It is obvious that he had not waited until the onset of the shooting to step back and consider the larger picture, the current state as compared to the desired future state, and all they it may take to achieve that future state.

2. Courage to stand by one’s convictions, even when it may be costly and painful, is also a rare occurrence. General Buford stood strong to hold the high ground on day one of the battle, even in the face of an army that far outnumbered his forces. General Joshua Chamberlain demonstrated similar courage as he held the left flank on Little Round Top and mustered the courage of his entire regiment to stand strong, even when they had run out of ammunition.

3. An effective leader must appeal to the variety of deeply held convictions of their troops to keep them fully engaged. Some fought because they abhorred slavery, some because they clearly believe that a United States was better than a divided country, some fought for freedom, because they believed it was wrong for one entity to impose its will on another, some fought for the community they called home, some for their family and friends, some for fear, some for the opportunity for honor and glory, some for God, some out of anger, some for pride or respect. General Chamberlain seemed to get this better than most, and was able to help appeal to the hearts of many diverse individual’s inspiring them to realize their own sense of mission and purpose in this war.

4. Some leaders are either too stubborn or too arrogant to see or be convinced of a reality that should cause them to change their minds. General Robert E. Lee demonstrated this failure, in spite of strong words from his most competent leader, General James Longstreet. Another leader who demonstrated this failure was Major General George Pickett, who was so enthralled with the opportunity for personal glory, he failed to protect his troops, and became the only survivor of his entire regiment on the last day of the battle in what has become known as “Pickett’s Charge.”

5. If leaders do not create conditions for communication to occur; if they do not welcome dissenting views and consider them carefully, they are doomed to fail. This was another failure on the part of General Lee. It is interesting when he had the opportunity to invite the opinions of his other Generals, who would have certainly tried to persuade him to change course, he chose to only invite the opinion of one, and then he demonstrated such disappointment with the answers he received that General Longstreet, simply tucked his tail and led an army on to its destruction.

6. When leaders are so caught up in being “right” and feel they have been anointed by God, and have the resounding adoration of some troops (whom they exclusively chose to listen to), they are doomed to stay on their existing track to destruction. General Lee certainly had this messiah complex, as have many others throughout history, in many sectors, including civil, business and religion.

7. Sometimes victory is fortuitous. The Union won the battle, in large part, because they got to the high ground first, and they held it.

I still cannot fathom that fifty-eight thousand troops were killed in Gettysburg on those three days, or that six hundred and fifty-thousand troops were killed in the Civil War. I cannot imagine an America that is not a United States where we have freedom from coast to coast and border to border. I cannot imagine an America where slavery had not been abolished and where the conviction that “all men are created equal” with equal opportunity to pursue their dreams and overcome obstacles does not prevail. The United States we enjoy today, even with its many challenges, is the result of many great acts of leadership.

Can you imagine what your community would be like without your company or your leadership? Stop and think. Are you exhibiting the leadership competencies that will create a positive future?

If you have been around here long you have heard it:  The only thing that is constant around here is CHANGE.

 More often than not, people find themselves a little resistant to change, especially those changes they have little to no control over. That is why on employee feedback surveys we keep hearing that people want to be involved in decisions that affect them. That is a legitimate request, even if it is not always practical.

Part of your role as a leader is to embrace changes and help your employees see the value in them and gain their commitment to implement them. You help control the intersection of changes as they are disseminated throughout the organiztion. It is also vital to receive feedback from employees about changes, so that improvements and correction of errors can lead to our goal of continuous improvement. Most of the changes that we encounter are made with a lot of input and forethought. Nevertheless, we will always find ways to improve, and improving requires even more change. Our continued success is actually determined by our capacity for effectively embracing the CHANGE required to carry us into the future toward our vision.

Don’t be Like the Texas Armadillo who failed to adjust his response to threats when CHANGE was introduced to his world. First, you must know that the armadillo’s natural response to a threat is not to curl up in a protective little ball inside their hard shell as many assume. When threatened the armadillo jumps straight up three to four feet in the air. Take it from an old boy from Texas, that startling sight works well to the advantage of the armadillo.. When the predator finally recovers from their shock, the armadillo has used opportunity to retreat to safety.


That response worked real well, for hundreds of years, at least until a CHANGE was introduced into the armadillo’s world, one that introduced a different kind of threat. The CHANGE was the highway system, and the new threat was the eighteen wheeler, or any other automobile, for that matter. The Armadillo failed to adjust his response to this new threat, and found that juming straight up at the sight of an oncoming truck or car was not as effective. The result: Texas has a new brand of roadkill, and a lot of Texans are in need of repairs to the undercarriage of their automobiles.


The next page provides a typical response cycle to CHANGE. The sooner you move from feeling threatened by CHANGE to searching for solutions the more successful you will be in your organization. We call this a low R/C factor, or low Resistance to Change. Oh, by the way, be patient with the folks who have not had as much experience with Change as you have. With a little coaching and support they will learn how to search for solutions more quickly.


Common Reaction Cycle to Change in the Workplace

Denial

• “This will go away.” Probably not. In the workplace change is the only thing that is here to stay - and most of it is being done in order to stay competitive.

• “This is no big deal. I can just keep on doing as I have always done.” When you begin to see change it is a good sign that you should begin to change as well. If the company is changing faster than you are you may be in trouble.

Betrayal

• “Management doesn’t really care about us.” Is it possible to care deeply for others and still be unable to meet all their needs or to give them what they want? Yes.

• “Top management knows more than they are telling us.” They are probably telling you everything they possibly can. However, all the answers may not be apparent to you or even to the management leading you.

• “Top management cooked up this plan, now let’s see if they can pull it off.” If you take a paycheck it is your job to run the plays and make them work, even if you don’t agree with them.

• “They don’t know what they are doing.” You’re probably right in that they don know all the answers. However, the greater mistake would be for them to wait until they had it all figured out and could pull it off with no glitches before changing. This could paralyze the organization.

• “These changes are not really necessary.” Regardless of the differing opinions regarding the changes, it is now necessary to make them work. An organization is most vulnerable in times of change. This is really when everyone needs to pull together to help make the organization as successful as possible.

Identity Crisis

• Confused? • Worried?

• Disoriented? • Feeling helpless and a little out of control.

• Feeling like a victim • No one to provide all the answers?

• What am I supposed to do? • What are my options?

• Feeling as if you can’t make much of a difference?

Search for Solutions / Reduce the Stress

• Take charge of your attitude, your self-esteem, and your well being. You can choose your focus during this transition. You can be a powerful and positive change agent.

• Monitor your Self -Talk - the emotional regulator

• Make this change your personal mission. Don’t wait for others to come up with all the answers or to make things better for you. You may wait a long time, and grow more frustrated as you wait. Help create the future as you would like it to be.

• Look for the opportunity in the midst of the adversity.

• Take good care of yourself as you manage the stress of the changes. Take the appropriate breaks, exercise, eat well, sleep well, enjoy your hobbies, relax well

• Decide how you will respond to the rumors that are spreading.

• Set personal limits

• Insure that your life choices are in line with your inner values and convictions.

• Manage your priorities.

• You may be able to use this opportunity to make your mark, to make your significant contributions.

• Utilize your support network. Look for others who have navigated the waves of change and learn from them. Utilize your support network outside of work as well.

• Hang on to your sense of humor.

• Ask for help.

People respond to change differently. In times of multiple personal and organizational changes a person may be in different stages of this cycle with each change they are dealing with. Sometimes those who have more experience with change have come to understand this cycle and move through this cycle more quickly, enhancing their resilience to change.

The Power of Personal Purpose

It has been a few years since Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life, claimed the top spot as an international best seller with over 30 million copies sold. I loved the book. And as a former church planter, I also loved the prequel to this, The Purpose Driven Church. The Purpose Driven paradigm encourages people/churches to maintain an intentional, strategic and balanced focus on the five purposes that God has laid out in Scripture.

Intentional, Strategic and Balanced are key concepts critical to being effective in any arena of life, but especially in leadership. Stephen Covey, in his best selling book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, became the corporate champion for business leaders creating and living by a clearly defined personal mission and vision which they have deliberately and carefully crafted. In my coaching and training I have encouraged leaders to clarify their personal values as well. The three of these, personal mission, personal vision, and personal values result in personal purpose.

The power of personal purpose is that it gives clarity for decisions, choices, investments of time and money, what to say yes to and what to say no to. When lived out, personal purpose leads to the incorporation of personal disciplines that allow us to focus on and achieving a desired and clearly envisioned outcome. Personal purpose becomes the guiding beacon that tells us whether our life is on target. It provides constant feedback informing us when we are getting off track and compels us to make course corrections.

Every time I teach on this subject I give participants insight into my own purpose. The part that seems to have the greatest impact is when I share with them a brief vignette of my personal vision. When Steven Covey gave instructions about developing a personal vision, he suggested getting the picture so clear that you could see the video playing in your mind. So watch with me as I share just a small part of my personal vision of what I want life to look like when my wife and I are 75 years old:

My wife and I are sitting on the front porch of our home that overlooks a body of water, surrounded by all our grandchildren, when one of them says, “Papa, come on down and play with us.” And I immediately jump up and run off the porch to go play with them.

Then I ask the question, “What are the implications just in this short vignette?”
1. My wife and I are still together – This requires attention to this important relationship.
2. We live in nice home overlooking a body of water – This requires attention and discipline regarding spending and investments, i.e. saying no to some things we might otherwise enjoy in order to see this vision fulfilled.
3. Our grandchildren are at our house – This requires that I foster good relationships with them as well as with my children and their spouses, such that they are comfortable letting them stay with us.
4. I jump up and run off the porch and go play – quite a feat for a 75 year old, don’t you think? This requires I remain disciplined regarding my health and fitness

In order for that vision to be achieved, I cannot wait until I am 75 to begin enacting the disciplines that will ensure the greatest likelihood for all these to occur. In fact, every day I am faced with choices that have potential to impact the vision, i.e. whether to buy a new car or invest; whether to get up in the morning for my daily run, or sleep in; whether to eat those extra calories and fats, or to make healthier choices; whether to pick up the phone and call the kids and grandkids or to watch TV; etc.

I live a more disciplined and intentional life today than I ever imagined I would, primarily because I have clarity regarding who I am, the impact I want to have every day, and where I want it all to end up when all is said and done. I am also fully aware that I am not in complete control of the outcomes of my life, but I do know that I must do all that is within me to ensure the greatest likelihood that the outcome that I envision becomes a reality.

Oh, you’re probably wandering what my personal mission and values are. My personal mission is: Making God famous everywhere I go and helping people achieve their God-given potential. My personal values may be summed up in these words: faith, family and integrity.

Take some time to gain greater clarity of purpose for yourself. Your life will never be the same.

A Lesson on MBWA from Gettysburg

Last week, I was standing in the Gettysburg museum looking at various pictures, including the spectacular Cyclorama, depicting Pickett’s charge across what looked like an open field, straight toward the stone walls behind which the Union soldiers were waiting. My vantage point was not unlike others in command who may have been watching part of the battle from a distance. I asked myself out loud, “Why would a General send his troops forward across and open field straight into the gunfire of the enemy?” I happened to be standing by a young professor who had written his doctoral thesis on Gettysburg, and who also happened to be on the faculty of the Lincoln Leadership Institute. He spoke up and said that question brings up a good illustration of the value of M.B.W.A. or Management by Walking Around. He told me that the perspective from which we had been observing the field certainly made it look open and flat and the troops would appear to be quite vulnerable. From this perspective, it would be easy to conclude that Pickett had made a spectacularly foolish decision.

However, from Pickett’s perspective and from the perspective of the Confederate soldiers walking across the field it was a different story. He said this field was rocky and undulating in such a manner that a man can find himself between rocks and boulders such that he cannot see more than 30 yards either way. In fact the trip across that field was anything but exposed and General Pickett considered this to be the Confederate’s best advantage for turning the battle in their favor.

We all know that Pickett’s decision resulted in disaster for the Confederacy, and the result was a battle that turned the advantage to the favor of the Union. In fact, the Battle of Gettysburg has become known as the battle that turned the war, and ultimately led to the preservation of the union.

Several lessons were driven home by this single conversation. One was how easy it is to draw the wrong conclusion when you are unfamiliar with the terrain where the battle is being fought, so be careful about conclusions that are drawn from afar. Another lesson was that just because a field looks like one you once crossed, it doesn’t necessarily bear any resemblance at all, so be careful about drawing conclusions based on what looks like familiar territory. And finally, there is no substitute for Management By Walking Around, for getting down close to the battle, or for trusting those who are on the front lines to either make decisions or to inform you if you are responsible for making decisions that may affect them or the areas in which they work.

There are many more leadership lessons from this historical battle that I hope to learn and share with you in the future.

Starting Well in a New Executive Leadership Role: Advice from a Seasoned Division Executive

Stepping into any new leadership role can be a challenge, but especially so if it involves moving from a manager role to a leadership position that involves oversight of multiple managers and functions. In discussing this recently with a seasoned executive who is responsible for a division of a large, publicly held company, he gave the advice outlined below. He indicated that in his years developing the leaders, these three issues emerge repetitively. He encouraged new executives to use these three things as a starting point in order to save themselves a great deal of heartache later on.

Manage Your Time
a. If the new executive has been in a Director's role prior to their promotion, it is important that they quickly recognize the difference in the roles. The Director position is oriented more toward service than toward management and organizational leadership. The new executive will do well to recognize this quickly and adjust their time and priority management practices accordingly.
b. E.g. a Controller is expected to assist other departments with understanding their financial statements, Departmental Operations Reports, etc. In their efforts to become a “good” leader, many transitioning, first time CFO's implement a 24/7 "Open Door" policy. Additionally, when a problem arises they quickly accept the "monkey" that gets passed to them, working to resolve it themselves. As a result many new executives become overwhelmed, and resort to working long hours trying to get their portion of the job done, all of which ends up affecting personal and home life.
c. Here are a couple of things that have helped new executives be more effective: First, find ways to create blocks of time where you can work on projects without interruption. Many have found that arriving early and blocking the morning is best. Then they can keep the afternoon open and more flexible to interact with their department leaders and others in the hospital. Second, when a problem is brought to you by a department head or someone else, it is important that you see yourself more as a developer of people, than an expert problem solver. The question that must be asked is, “Is this a monkey that I should take on?” or “Is this an opportunity for me to teach and help someone else become a better problem solver?’ More often than not, giving it back to them, while teaching them new skills or perspectives, will be a better solution for both of you in the long run.

Establish Priorities
a. You can’t do it all of it at once. You must establish priorities, break down the work, plan the work, and work the plan.
b. One idea is to list out the top 25 projects that need to be performed in your new role, rank them and then focus on the top 5 without putting effort into 6 through 25.
c. Once #1 is completed, #6 moves to #5 and so on.

Establish Performance Standards and Evaluate Staff early in your Transition
a. This may be the most important and the most difficult skill to develop and implement. Many leaders, new and older, get into hot water because they fail to do these two things and do them early on in their transition.
b. This may well be Priority 1, because having, or failing to address a poor performer on your team will create more problems than solutions. It's not fair to you, the team member or others in the organization if they are continue to perform below expectation.
c. It is important to establish the new performance standards early on. Then set the expectations with the employee and give them an action plan to improve their performance. If they cannot perform the job, determine if they are suited to be in another part of the organization.
d. If not, then it is better that they move on. Termination is never to be taken lightly and respect should be shown through the entire process. However, in the long run, building the right team and establishing the right performance standards in the organization can and will take the organization to another level.


He concludes by saying what you all may have been thinking as you read this. "This is not rocket science." He also said that in his experience, these are the three most overlooked strategies by new executives. They become more difficult to implement after the new leader is well into their new role, and if neglected, often lead to derailment.

Employee Engagement on the Front Lines

The idea of Employee Engagement is hardly just another business buzz word or fad to jump on. I have been doing a lot research and training on various aspects of employee engagement lately. Organizations have done everything from Executive Assessments and Coaching to full-on training programs on everything from Emotional Intelligence and Hiring Right, to Performance Management and Conflict Resolution, in an effort to develop leaders who can help people make their greatest contributions for the best outcomes for their companies. The problem with these efforts is that there are seldom enough resources for every manager to participate in the training efforts. This is unfortunate, especially since the least trained may be making the greatest impact.

Buckingham and Coffman, in First Break All the Rules, provides some of the best research on employee engagement, when they tied it directly to improvements in retention, productivity, profits and customer satisfaction. They boiled their research down to 12 questions, when answered affirmatively, will make significant improvement in these result areas. They went on to show that the KEY to getting positive answers on those 12 questions lies directly in the hands of our front line managers. Unfortunately, these are often the leaders who get the least amount of a company’s investment in leadership development. We spend a great deal more time and money developing the more senior level leaders, hoping for a “trickle down” effect. I say “hoping’ because I am not sure we actually show these senior leaders how to effectively coach their managers to develop these skills. However, since it is this Senior Leadership Group who can make the most impact by stepping up to their role as coach, what are a few, low cost things they can do to coach their managers in the development of the skills required to engage employees? Here are a few ideas:

You might go ahead and get the book mentioned above and have your managers become familiar with the research. Review this research as a part of your regular manager’s meetings. , Make commitments to improve, hold one another accountable for their commitments, and discuss mutual successes and failures.

Incorporate similar questions into an employee satisfaction survey to get a check on how your managers are doing.

Review their surveys with them and help them come up with new ways to respond to the more challenging situations.

Teach your managers how to set clear expectations, how to evaluate their staff against these expectations, and how to help their staff improve or find another place to work.

Teach them how to do this while preserving respect and dignity throughout the process.

Then measure these results against the four outcome areas mentioned in the research to see how well you’re doing.

Teach managers how to create a psychologically safe working environment where everyone can grow, develop, contribute and make a difference. Without this safety it is impossible to get people’s best ideas and efforts for improvement. What does it mean to be psychologically safe? It means to create an environment where it is okay to:
· Ask Questions, But few do, because they don’t want to look stupid.
· Ask for Feedback, But many don’t, because they don’t want to look incompetent.
· Make Suggestions, But some don’t, because they don’t want to be disruptive.
· Criticize Processes, But too many don’t, because they don’t want to be negative

Teach them how to help their employees feel genuinely appreciated. Few things seem to matter more to employees. The single highest driver of employee engagement, according to a worldwide study conducted by Towers Watson is whether or not workers feel their manager is genuinely interested in their wellbeing. Fewer than 40 percent of workers believed this to be the case in their current workplace.

Without appreciation we often feel at risk. When we feel at risk we become preoccupied, worried and threatened, all which drains and diverts our energy from making a significant contribution.

Teach them how to create a culture of positive feedback. The impact of negative emotions, and more specifically, the feeling of being devalued are incredibly toxic. In the workplace itself, researcher Marcial Losada found that among high-performing teams, the expression of positive feedback outweighs that of negative feedback by a ratio of 5.6 to 1. By contrast, low-performing teams have a ratio of .36 to 1.

The only way a positive culture combined with a high performing team can occur is when everyone is confident that each team member is focused on achieving a common result. When team members are focused on results, they can have open dialogues, even conflict, as long as they know the conflict and disagreements are about getting better results, and not about personalities. When a team is focused on the “What” or the results, the “Who” becomes less of an issue. They can find ways to acknowledge one another’s contributions, constructively criticize the process rather than the person, and remain focused on continuous improvement.


When the results start to improve so does the focus and energy levels. And as the Chief Human Capital Officer at Netflix once told me, "Everyone wants to play on a winning team! It is even better than picnics and potlucks!" And that, my friends, is employee engagement!

Achieving the Impossible

I came across an article in Inc. Magazine that reminded me of how much difference a great leader can make. The four traits described in the article, Aspire, Plan, Inspire and Execute, sound somewhat benign on paper. However the stories referred to remind us of what occurs when great leaders step forward and bring these words to life. They remind us that Achieving the Impossible is truly possible.

I recall Don Soderquist, retired COO and Senior Vice Chairman of Wal-Mart giving a speech of a similar title at one of the company's infamous "Year Beginning Meetings". I had attended a lot of these meetings over several years association with Wal-Mart. I had heard such speakers as Sam Walton, himself, General Colin Powell, and General Norman Schwarzkopf, but none quite so inspirational as this one.

By this time in the company's history, Wal-Mart had already achieved the impossible. They had grown to become the largest retailer in the world from their humble beginnings in Bentonville, Arkansas, all while never leaving the this little town or their roots. They had just ventured into the grocery business and into international expansion. What was left? How could they achieve any more? Was there truly anymore to achieve? Then Don steps up and tells several stories, including those about Roger Banister, President Kennedy's challenge to land on the moon and a horse called Secretariat all accomplishing feats that had before been viewed as impossible. He went on to describe how, that once a hurdle of the impossible had been crossed, others went on to achieve similar feats. He rested on the point that it took leadership with all the traits described above for this to happen. I can say with confidence, having worked with him through those years at Wal-Mart and more closely at the Soderquist Center, that Don is a leader who embodied these traits, and was an essential contributor to the success Wal-Mart achieved over the 20 plus years he was there.

Some personal take aways from these reflections:

1. Keep on dreaming



2. Take Courage



3. Share the vision



4. Inspire others to join you on your quest



5. Help them believe they too can achieve more than they dreamed possible



6. Give them the credit



7. Share the rewards



8. Keep on raising the bar - it inspires the human spirit

The people you work with can and will accomplish more than you or they ever dreamed possible if their leader confidently believes in a vision and in the capability of their people to rise to the challenge to accomplish it.

On a side note: If ever there was a message our nation needed to hear today, this is it. I am concerned that our nation's leaders are losing sight of and faith in the human spirit and our need for inspirational, visionary leadership, and are prepared to lead us into mediocrity. Let's make sure that never happens! At least not in the pocket of the world in which you lead.