Change In Progress

Change Management and SharePoint Implementations

2011-11-23T13:15:46-08:00

There is currently a hot, sexy tool in technology all companies seem to want to implement. And that is…drum roll please…SharePoint!

SharePoint is a Microsoft tool which can build both intranet (internal employee sites) and internet (public) sites for companies. Honestly, I don’t know how we did our jobs before SharePoint was born. Yes I do...inefficiently. As you can tell, I’m a HUGE fan of SharePoint.

In my Change Management career, I have helped several companies implement SharePoint. Although SharePoint is a great technology, the implementation is simply going to fail unless the employees understand what it is, how it’s going to better their work lives, and support the change. Change Management is crucial to a successful SharePoint implementation. Why, you wonder? It’s because with SharePoint, you are asking employees to do their job differently, to change their behavior. And any time you are asking employees to do things different, you need to incorporate Change Management activities help guide them through the change so that it can become a part of their every day process.

From the SharePoint projects I have been involved in, here are some Change activities I think are crucial.

Change management strategy and roadmap: This can be created for a SharePoint implementation to identify the communications and change activities needed to ensure stakeholder readiness and support. The strategy also identifies governance, adoption plans, communications and training plans, and leadership and organizational alignment, and an understanding of the client’s culture. Change resources can also ensure that the project is aligned closely with the overall business strategy/goals of the organization.

Create a sense of urgency: In order for SharePoint to succeed, the whole company really needs to want it. No, not just the IT department, the WHOLE company! If there is a company-wide urgency, it will be easier to move the project along. A lot of the activities involved in creating urgency are having candid conversations….especially coming from leadership. The more people talk about it; the better. And this needs to start happening in the very beginning of the project. A key activity I usually conduct when the project kicks off is a stakeholder analysis. This is when I help identify which influential individual/or group either support and do not support the project. I then build a communications plan keeping this information in mind. It is crucial to understand who the non-supporters are and help move them to being supporters. However, these non-supporters are never going to become your die hard enthusiastic fans. But with the right communications and change activities, you can help them become supporters. Also, keep in mind it’s just as important to have solid communications and change activities to ensure the supporters stay supporters throughout your project. If you neglect your supporters, they can soon become non-supporters.

Gaining Support for the Project: This is hard to do unless you have strong, visible leadership championing the change. I usually form a Change Network with the identified leaders to work together to champion and communicate about the change. By the way, it’s usually good to put a couple of naysayers into the Change Network. Usually, the naysayers will end up becoming supporters when they are involved in the process. One thing to keep in mind though, your Change Network should have a good mix of people from leadership, to directors, to managers, to front line workers. When choosing members for your Change Network, make sure you pick influential people who are able and willing to communicate about the SharePoint project.

Tie it back to the overall business goals: For the SharePoint implementation to really stick, you must tie it back to the company’s overall business goals. If the SharePoint implementation somehow doesn’t line up to that, it’s going to be difficult to find support for the project. In order to do this well, SharePoint projects need to have a solid vision which needs to be communicated well.

Communicate, communicate, communicate: Most of my clients always want to wait until it’s too late to communicate….usually they start communicating right when deployment begins, but this is too late. Awareness messaging needs to be sent out months and months before deployment occurs. And usually, employees avoid reading all communications, so you really need to communicate the same message ten different ways. Whether it’s by including it in e-mail communications, in a newsletter, a Town Hall, Leadership presentations, etc. We should be talking about SharePoint every chance we get.

A lot of people also have trouble describing what SharePoint is. I like using this short video to easily show end-users what SharePoint can do for them.

Walk the talk: Leadership support is key, and they usually do a great job communicating about SharePoint. But, they need to go a step further and SHOW the employees by actually using SharePoint as a vehicle in their communications.

Customized training: When implementing SharePoint, most companies use the out of box training provided by Microsoft or other vendors. In my opinion, this training is great for end-users, but I rarely see it work for Site Administrators and Site Owners. I think for the later group, developing a customized training is key. One of my previous clients initially wanted to use out of box training, however, it just didn’t work with their Site Owners…they were too confused. So I ended up creating a 7 week training program called Jump Start that all Site Owners and Site Administrators were required to go through in order to publish their site. The program taught them literally how to build their site from scratch. It went over publishing features and customizations we had made to the client’s SharePoint environment. In addition, I also had weekly Office Hours where Site Owners could come and ask questions or simply sit in the room and work on their site. This program worked really well. It energized the Site Owners and they soon became champions for the project.

Engage Change resources early: Most clients automatically assume Change Management is just communications and training, but it’s so much more than that. Engaging the Change resources from the planning stage is key. Having Change resources on the project can bridge the gap between the functional and the technical team and ensure that a system that meets the needs of all audiences are built. This leads to better requirements gathering and a better end-product for the client. Change resources can also help implement, integrate and institutionalize the SharePoint initiative by minimizing business disruption.

How Organizations Sustain Culture

2007-06-18T09:13:50-07:00

Ever wonder how an organization retains its culture even though key employees come and go over the years? Even though there is constant change to the organization? Glenn Carroll and J. Richard Harrison, authors of Culture and Demography in Organizations have come up with a mathematical model to illustrate how culture is transmitted in a social aggregate. They believe that organization culture is really static. Their model is based on three components: hiring, socialization and turnover.

In the ever changing business world it is hard for an organization to have a specific culture. Afterall an organization is made up of employees who have different backgrounds, languages, cultures, norms, beliefs and mindsets. All of these differences have to somehow mend together to make up the culture of a specific organization- a tough task.

The authors do not recommend establishing a clearly defined culture within a company. What is key however is to have an alignment between cultural content and set management preferences. They suggest incorporating cultural selectivity into the recruitment efforts and increasing social efforts. They also suggest letting go of employees who do not conform to the corporate culture- a theory which sounds pretty harsh. But the goal is to have a homogeneous and aligned culture which has employees who can self manage themselves. It is their belief that once employees have internalized the practices management wants they can work with minimal supervision.

How does organizations get the benefits of this model? They need to develop methods to measure the job candidates cultural compatibility. Based on their research it seems that organizations who have strong corporate cultures are very selective in their recruitment efforts. Candidates are usually interviewed by five or more executives.

The most interesting part of the research is when Carroll and Harrison apply their model to defeating terror organizations. American Department of Defense officials called the researchers for their expertise. A terrorist group survives by having a solid culture. Understanding how these groups sustain their culture led the researchers to come up with a model to erode the groups. The common belief is that if you kill the leader of a terrorist group-,the group will also die. According to the researchers that theory is flawed. Killing the leader has no impact on the strength of the group. What works is increasingly neutralizing terrorist cell members over a long period of time. This weakens the group. Also, the researchers state delaying the admission of a new member is a good way of destabilizing the organization.

Your First Job...

2007-06-08T08:26:10-07:00

Most college seniors have just graduated and will start their first jobs in the next couple of months. My firm also has a good group of recent graduates joining us. This time of year always takes me back to the memories of my first corporate job. Here are just a couple of thoughts for those brave souls about to start their careers.

DO NOT THINK YOU ARE TOO GOOD TO...copy, bind, research, set up conference calls, put together boring spreadsheets...etc. Yes, you just received a very expensive college degree and you have knowledge you want to put to work on important tasks. But you must demonstrate to your boss you are a team player and willing to do any task from the boring to the most engaging. In time you will get more responsibility after you prove yourself.

DO NOT GET INTO CORPORATE CLIQUES...organizations who have a large number of young employees tend to have cliques--it's like going back to high school. When you first start a job, lay low and talk and get to know everyone. You don't want to be associated with a certain clique before knowing what those individuals are about. The best advice I ever received about friends and work was that you are not at work to make friends. You are there to excel in your career and make money. Those areas need to be your focus- not making friends. Work friendships will naturally form over time you don't need to stress about joining the popular group.

DO NOT REVEAL TOO MUCH ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL LIFE...so you become good friends with some of your co-workers but hold yourself back from revealing every detail of your hot date from last Friday night- or the boy/girl you are crushing on, or the drinking binge of a weekend you had. People talk- and the last thing you want is to have the bits of your personal life get out in the public. Use discretion. You want your managers to hear about what a great job you are doing. You do not want to be judged on your personal affairs.

EVERYONE HAS GREAT IDEAS BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHO TO PRESENT IT TO...I received this great advice from one of the VPs I worked for. I used to go into his office with a GREAT idea on a daily basis. Ideas that could have really improved our business. But what he taught me is that while it's important to have great ideas it's equally important to play the politics and convince the right people. Find a champion to really buy into your great idea. Maybe you had a great marketing idea. Have your champion try it out. If it succeeds other executives are going to naturally want to replicate the idea. Always try out an idea on a smaller scale instead of trying to convince the organization as a whole to implement it.

BE CURIOUS...a lot of factors go into what makes a successful person. But I believe a thirst for knowledge and curiosity is what sets some employees apart from the rest. Just because school is over doesn't mean your learning is over. Read every single day. Read about the field you are in. Read about the job you eventually want to do. Read newspapers, magazines, blogs, research...etc. Also, share some of the interesting findings with your managers or co-workers. Just send a simple email stating: I read this article in (XYZ) and found it interesting. Just wanted to share it with you.

Henry Ford said it best, "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."

ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE NEXT STEP AND START PREPARING...employees need to make sure they are absolute rock stars in their current position. But they also need to think about the next step and how to get there. An example of how I got into consulting... I was working in marketing at my current company but I knew I wanted to be in our Change Management practice. There were no openings on the team but I told my immediate manager that the topic of change management interested me and I wanted to be put on a change management marketing campaign. He agreed. I worked directly with the VP of that practice and got to know him. After doing a couple of months of research on the area I set up a meeting with him. I told him that I was very interested in change management and it felt like a right fit for me. I knew he didn't have any associate positions open but I asked him how I can prepare myself to interview for the position if he ever had an opening. I wanted to get his suggestions on books I should read on the area. He suggested a couple of them which our methodology was based on. Then we set up calls to discuss what I learned. Eight months later there was an opening and I got the job!

FIND MENTORS...you need a good supportive board of advisors to be successful. Your mentors can range from someone just a couple levels above you to the VP of your group. Figure out what you want to learn from that person and approach them. Just set up a time to talk to them and pick their brain. Don't go into the meeting and ask, "Will you be my mentor?" that relationship will bond naturally over time. Most people in corporate America are eager to help out new employees and give them advice. All you gotta do is ASK!!

DRESS APPROPRIATELY...when you first begin a job dress more conservative than you normally would. Also, dress up to work your first week even if it's a business casual environment. This way you can see what everyone else wears and you can see what is appropriate and what's not. General rule, if you question what your wearing is appropriate- it's probably not. Ladies, be careful about your skirt length. Skirts should not be more than an inch or two above your knee. Your shirts should not be body tight. You want to represent a professional image at all times. Do not over accessorize. Men, make sure you are dressed neatly and are well groomed.

What & How To Communicate During A Merger

2007-06-05T14:02:29-07:00

The word “Merger” might excite or make someone cringe- depending on who you say it to. Most CEOs love the idea of a merger. In theory a merger can achieve market share and grow a company exponentially.

It’s a surprise that most CEOs still get excited about mergers considering that most mergers fail to achieve desired results. According to a study conducted by Watson Wyatt Worldwide (an international HR consulting firm) 70% of M&A deals fail to achieve anticipated synergies and 58% don’t create substantial results for the stakeholders.

During an anticipated merger most executives are busy with the Finance & IT due diligence that they rarely even think about their commnication strategy and cultural integration. The assumption is if the numbers are there the culture somehow will morph into a happy union. Research articles published in Harvard Business Journal detail that most mergers fail because of cultural clashes and poor communication efforts.

According to Kim Ribbink, author of “ The Most Critical Messages To Communicate In A Merger”, managers need to communicate how the merger will affect individual units in the short term and what gains it should bring the company long term.

Executives are merger knowledge thirsty and in a merger situation an organization cannot over communicate. The most critical information employees want to know are: compensation, benefits, organizational realignment, relocation and process changes. The issues that need to be addressed right away to the employees also include:

Business Benefits of the M&A
Reasons for the M&A
What will happen to their current role and information about their future professional prospects.

Change Management theory believes that in a change situation the key communication messages should come from an employees direct manager. Most employees have a direct relationship and trust with their managers and they do not want to hear about the change from CEOs. However, research from McKinsey Quarterly “Successful Management Starts At The Top” states that they believe in a merger situation the direction from the top is the only way to initiate change throughout the organization.

To contrast that theory University of Virginia also put out M&A research called: “Breaking The News: How To Communicate A Merger To Employees”. In their survey they identified communication methods that could be described as best practices. Here are their findings on how employees want to be communicated about a merger:

41 % of employees face to face meetings
35 % prefer email (the study suggests doing both)
Most survey respondents feel that the immediate supervisor should make the initial M&A announcement to employees.
A company wide CEO announcement should be scheduled after the immediate supervisors break the news to their teams.

I do believe that the Merger communication has to include messages from the immediate managers as well as the CEO. Organizations need to be as honest as possible with their employees during the merger announcement and integration process. Holding back information is never a good thing- if the executives are not communicating to their employees rumor - mills will begin and false/ fabricated information will start appearing. This can result in employees viewing the merger negatively and jumping ship.

Corporate America's Ladder Can Be Climbed In Heels

2007-06-01T13:37:25-07:00

“You are a strong girl – the world needs to hear your roar!”

This statement was said to me time and time again throughout my high school years. I went to an all girl college preparatory high school. Feminism motto and theory ran through our halls and was instilled in each and every one of the students. The experience of the all girl high school really moved me and shaped me into a strong young woman. I truly believed that women could really have it all. I believed that women were at least as smart as men- if not smarter.

In high school I learned to be smart, tough and opinionated. I learned to fight for what I wanted and what I believed. I learned that if you worked hard you should ask for what is appropriate. I had strong male and female teachers who encouraged me and constantly pushed me. I had many mentors and advisors I could access each and every single day. But above all, I was in an environment with 500 girls who had the same beliefs and the desire to achieve.

Today I work as a consultant- a field which is mostly dominated by men. A field where there are very few female Vice Presidents or Practice Area Leaders. There are days I just feel that I don’t have a mentor- a strong high powered woman encouraging me to follow up the ranks as she had and showing me the ropes.

So what happened to that strong 18 year old young woman who graduated knowing she would conquer the world? What changes for most girls from the time they leave academics and move on to the working world? I believe the change is similar for most women. In the academia women excel and perform far better than our male counterparts. We are overly involved from newspaper, to student government to volunteer activities. We do all this and maintain a high GPA. We try to be well rounded so we could be attractive candidates for corporate

America

. So how do you explain why graduating females make 80% of the salaries that their male counterparts make at their first job? Check out this study by the American Association of University Women: Click Here

So what does the driven young woman need to do to win the Corporate America game? Honestly, I think you just have to keep going. We can’t be disheartened by what is surrounding us. The odds can sometimes feel to be stacked up against us- but in order for there to be real change in Corporate America and the role of women, we need to get women to those top positions. Lucky for us there is some good news: Barron's estimates that one in seven powerful posts will be held by women by 2010, based on evidence that the trend is getting only stronger. By 2020, it could be one in five.

Click here to read the full press release.

These powerful women need to start reaching out to young women in their organizations and start mentoring them. Young girls need vital advice on how to ask for a raise to a asking for a promotion and so forth. And I don’t necessarily believe that as young women we should only seek out female mentors. Strong men can be great mentors. I think there is a lot to be learned by picking the brain of a powerful man and learning how to better position yourself in Corporate America. Just pick a male mentor who believes that women can conquer the world!

I do believe that women can conquer the world- just as any man could. But that woman needs to passionately want to. Because becoming a CEO or a VP of an organization requires a lot of time and compromises. It usually means not much time for family, friends, romantic interests, or yourself. It can feel pretty lonely up there. I personally don't think that women can get up to that high level until we change our work cultures. Because at this point the working world is not designed to let us have it all. Somethings got to give. However, this compromise is not just made by women, it's made by men as well. I look at the VPs I work with, the hours and the dedication they put in to stay on top of their game. And unfortunately they have to compromise as well.

In terms of seeking mentors keep in mind mentors and support groups are all around you. Someone at your own level or a couple levels above you can serve to be a great mentor. I know that whenever I meet a young girl who is just starting her career I go out of my way to give her advice. I might not be the high powered business woman I will become one day- but with five years of working experience I'm filled with do's and dont's that I would be happy to share! There is also a new career guide book for young women written by Hannah Seligson called "New Girl on the Job: Advice from the Trenches". I suggest this as a good starting point of advice. Also, check out her blog by clicking here.

And ladies, I know times can really get tough sometimes, but lets let the world hear our roar and break that glass ceiling.

I'd like to end with a quote from Hannah's new book:

"Young women need to keep renegotiating the rules of the workplace, or we'll be stuck playing the old ones. But the rules won't change on their own--they never do. Change is spawned by a movement, the type of movement that gave women the right to vote, entrance to the workplace, and access to birth control."

Most Persuasive Words In Communications

2007-05-18T08:49:25-07:00

In 1998, Dr. Levinson of Yale University came out with research which revealed the most persuasive words in the English language. He found the most poweful one is a persons fist name. Using a persons first name is the most influential you can do in a conversation. Below are the list of words he found to be the most persuasive. Lets try to use as many of them in our communications and change management efforts.

The List

Easy
Results
Save
Discover
Guarantee
Safety
Health
Love
Money
Need
Proven
You

Why All Organizations Should Embrace Kaizen

2007-05-18T08:21:02-07:00

How many times has an employee sat in his or her cube going through the motions of performing a task and wondered, "Why the heck do we have to do it like this? It makes no sense!" They question their organization process and get jaded on the daily tasks they need to perform.

How can managers motivate employees to contribute to the greater good of the company on a daily basis? Employees need to see that what they are doing contributes to the greater goal of the company. But they need to be challenged and feel like they are part of something greater besides the mundane activities they have to do day in and day out.

It's safe to say most employees are bored at their jobs. The job becomes routine. The tasks become mind numbing. And then you have employees sitting in their cubes senselessly surfing the internet and taking away from the productivity of the work day. So what's an organization to do in order to improve productivity and ENGAGE their employees.

One powerful word: KAIZEN Click here to learn what Kaizen is.

Kaizen is all about constant improvement. I think it's one of the best change management tool out there. It is about challenging and questioning convictions and finding better, faster and more efficient way of doing things. If organizations implement a Kaizen philosophy and challenge their employees to search for better way of doing things, not only will the employees be engaged and challenged, but the company will be more efficient. The employer also needs to reward individuals whose findings get implemented into the organization.

Toyota is one organization who has truly embraced and seen the positive results of Kaizen.

So why haven't all organizations embraced Kaizen? In a nutshell there is risk associated with it. It requires managers to work with their employees and challenge proven methods and rules with unproven ones. These new methods also have to be tested and testing takes time and resources. There is always the risk of failure. But that risk is outweighed by the positives of the Kaizen system. If an employee has an idea that fails he/she will know the current method is the most efficient way of do ing things. If their idea actually gets implemented they will feel a sense of ownership in the organization. They will work more efficiently because they will have conviction that their ideas actually help the greater good of the organization.

How blogging can get you a job

2007-05-17T09:34:55-07:00

Wall Street Journal just ran an article on how executive recruiters are now reading blogs to find potential employees. Check out the article by clicking here.

According to the article executives not only search blogs to find candidates but also to find out more information about candidates they are interviewing. A word of advice to Gen Y employees: Do yourself a favor and make sure you set your MySpace profile to PRIVATE! Managers do search MySpace and Friendster. Also, be careful what you post on your blogs. I know companies who decided to not hire a candidate because of inappropriate posts they found on blogs.

As employees the biggest asset you can have is your curiosity. So keep reading and keep blogging about the things that interest you- your opinion matters more than you know! It just might get you a job you never even applied for!

GEN Y - Not Simply Defined By Piercings And Tattoos

2007-05-16T09:28:35-07:00

Yesterday CNNMoney.com ran an article about Generation Y employees in corporate America. Click Here To Read The Article

Its aim is to enlighten a workforce filled with baby boomers and Gen X members how to cope and deal with Gen Y professionals.

The writer of the article, Nadira A. Hira describes Gen Y workers as:

They're ambitious, they're demanding and they question everything, so if there isn't a good reason for that long commute or late night, don't expect them to do it. When it comes to loyalty, the companies they work for are last on their list - behind their families, their friends, their communities, their co-workers and, of course, themselves.”

The article is peppered with over generalized descriptions of Gen Y workers as:

“colleague with two tattoos, a piercing, no watch and a shameless propensity for chatting up the boss”.

Reading the article appalled me a bit. I am a member of the Gen Y workforce. I don’t see any of my 20 something year old colleagues showing off their tattoos nor their numerous piercing. There are no guys in my office that wear funky graphic T-Shirts underneath their blazers on a work day. Sure Gen Y members have their own sense of style, are liberated and express themselves openly. However, the article seemed to be about Gen Y members in Corporate America and in that case Nadira’s description of its members was blatantly wrong. What Gen Y members wear outside of the office is not really a concern.

Lets take a step back and examine what changed from Generation X to Generation Y employees. Generation X didn’t come from an era where their parents and society preached “the sky is the limit- you can be anything you want!” The vision most of them probably had in their minds was to get a job, get married, get a mortgage and have children. In college they didn’t have hundreds and hundreds of courses and majors to choose from. What really defines the Generation Y workforce? I don’t think we can really define it- I think we are just a work in progress.

We want more from corporate America- that's for sure. We want to be given responsibility and yes, sometimes we just aren’t patient enough to stick around for a couple years, prove ourselves to our bosses, and then get responsibility. We want things to happen at lightening speed. We want to be challenged at work. We want to participate in volunteer efforts and give back to society. We think outside the box. And yes, as Nadira mentioned in her article, we do tend to question a lot of things. But change only happens when things are questioned- so I think this is a positive thing that we bring to the table.

What Nadira’s article didn’t point out is the desire of a lot of companies to recruit these Gen Y members right out of college and the value they bring. Most organizations know that they will not have a competitive edge if they just keep hiring senior level employees. Organizations know that if Gen Y members are not challenged and happy the first year of employment they will jump ship and move onto the next job.

So what can organizations do to get a good return on their Gen Y investments?

Organizations need to be open minded. They need to understand when they start hiring Gen Y employees they will need some hand holding and be assimilated into the new organization. Also, senior leadership needs to recognize that bringing Gen Y employees and mixing them up with the Gen X workforce is going to require a marriage of two different breeds of people. I think organizations who are open to recreating their corporate culture by taking the best of Gen X and Gen Y are the most successful in keeping these young employees.

I am lucky to be a part of an organization who recognize the value that Gen Y workers bring to our company. I work at an organization where I can go into my CEOs office and tell him about this great idea I have that will improve our business. I am privileged that I am allowed to take initiative at work.

My advice to Gen Y then is to seek out organizations that are willing to take chances on young employees. Organizations that allow an entrepreneur spirit. Organizations that have open door policies and who foster creative thinking. Write down your values and all the things you want in your dream job. Don’t think so much about the salary you want to get paid. It’s easy to be swayed into taking a job because of the high salary it pays. But the salary is not worth it if the organization doesn’t have the right environment you need to succeed. When trying to find that perfect job, I suggest that Gen Y members think more so about the environment and the type of management they would work best with. I firmly believe if you find that perfect environment which fosters and challenges you- you will succeed- and success will come with financial rewards.

What Kind Of Thoughts Are You Thinking?

2007-02-28T18:28:17-08:00

Last week I was privileged to sit in on a presentation on Emotional Intelligence (EI) led by Michael Thompson and Robert Gramillano of Interlude Coaching.

Just what is Emotional Intelligence? According to the experts it refers to the capacity to deal effectively with one's own and others emotions. When applied to the workplace, emotional intelligence is about thinking intelligently with emotions, perceiving, expressing, understanding and managing emotions in a professional and effective manner at work.

Emotional Intelligence is not just about the "fluffy stuff" that can't be measured by data. According to research, EI can have significant affect on an individual's ability to achieve his/her professional and personal goals. EI accounts for as much as 36% of the variance in leadership success.

Many times when an organization is wanting to go through a transformation they will bring in consultants. As consultants we are trained to be leaders. We are knowledgeable, charismatic, understanding, and have expertise that surpasses the norm. That's why organizations are willing to pay top dollar to get in consultants to transform their organizations. We do assessments, come up with a strategy, implement initiatives, work group and training sessions and at the end do a knowledge transfer. But why is it that sometimes, no matter how great of a job a group of consultants did at a client, something just falls apart once they leave. Something just doesn't quite stick.

The seven competencies of Emotional Intelligence helps change stick. I think EI can be a strong change management tool. So what are these competencies? Is your staff emotionally competent? Lets take a look....

Understanding Yourself

One of the speakers told our group that he starts most sessions by simply asking, "What kind of thoughts are you entertaining?" Now, being in a corporate setting I can just imagine executives taking a step back and laughing uneasily at this question. Perhaps even crossing their arms out of defense. So why ask this question to your staff? Why is it important to know what kind of thoughts are running through their minds? Because thoughts lead to emotions which lead to action. For example, your organization might be going through a large change initiative and you need the support of your leaders. But half way into an implementation you notice that your staff isn't willing to put in the required hours to make the implementation a success. Their action they are portraying is ambivalence to the project and ignoring the work that needs to be done. They are also talking very negatively about the project to their co-workers. How did these executives get there? What led them to that action? Take a step back. Most likely it all started with a thought. Maybe they feared learning the new software. Maybe they felt unappreciated for their work. That thought led to an emotion. A negative emotion towards the company and the initiative which led to the action. Now you are stuck. You don't know what to do, all you know is that this group better shape up or your implementation can ultimately fail. The solution is simple. People want to be listened to. Ask your staff in a safe environment, "What kind of thoughts are you thinking?" But most importantly this is a question that we should all be asking ourselves. Positive thoughts lead to positive emotions which lead to positive actions.

One of my favorite quotes that express this sentiment is from Buddha "All that we are is a result of what we have thought"

Express Your Emotions (Appropriately) And Be Transparent

This is the ability to express your feeling and emotional state appropriately to others. You need to accurately understand your own emotions and effectively communicate it to your coworkers and your peers. Sometimes we get so caught up in the negative and what we are missing. How many times have you started a thought with, "If only I had..." How about an alternative. Why not start your sentence with "I have...." This simple change can be powerful.

Understanding Others Emotions:

This is the ability to identify and understand the emotions of others- especially the ones that end up coming up in response to the workplace, staff meetings, and towards leaders of the organization.

The most important thing that you can do as a leader is to validate the feelings of an individual. This doesn't mean you have to agree with them. You are just validating their feelings. "Of course you feel angry given the situation you are faced with..." and let the conversation go from there. Remember, most people are more willing to listen to you speak if they feel they were listened to when they spoke. This might be hard, but just sit back and listen, without interrupting with your point of view or your thoughts.

You must appreciate individuals needs and recognize their individual talents and their weaknesses.

Emotional Decision Making

It's silly to set aside emotions completely from decision making. Some profound business decisions will be made by emotions. Of course there should be appropriate boundaries. A great book to read is "Blink" by Malcom Gladwell. It focuses on the power of trusting your instincts when making decisions in your personal and professional life.

Manage Teams

This is the ability to manage both positive and negative emotions in your teams. Take into account effective stress management, positive attitude and reinforcement, direct communication, motivating others and coaching.

Manage Yourself In Teams

The thing that most people fear is how they are perceived by others. So take the fear out. Ask yourself, "How do I want to be perceived by others?" Being aware of this will make all the difference. Compare how you want to be perceived to the actions you are portraying.

Emotional Hijack

This is what the speakers called "blowing up". You have to understand how destructive your power can be if not controlled. Set your limits.

In conclusion, no matter how great of a strategy or implementation a group of consultants come up with for your organization, it will not work unless you have a healthy business culture that fosters positive emotions. Evaluate your emotional competency and help others embrace theirs. Build Emotional Intelligent competancies to your management plans.