Throughout our careers, it’s almost inevitable that an organization we are a part of undergoes a period of meaningful change. These changes vary in intensity – from small organizational design tweaks (a re-org perhaps) to large-scale modifications to the way an organization works (a cultural transformation).

Lately, it seems we are hearing of more and more companies undergoing a change also announcing that people are being let go. Sometimes the number of people impacted is quite large.

When a change requires a reduction in the number of people working at the company, I consider these deep changes. I call them deep because they cut into the foundation of those left behind and the work of an organization coach or change agent changes dramatically. This post is meant to dig into just what we should do when this happens.

Why?

Organizations can find themselves in a situation of deep change for a variety of reasons.

1. Mergers and acquisitions. This may result in a scenario when there are too many people for too few roles.
2. Extreme changes to market conditions. Perhaps the organization has lost a big customer or macro-economic conditions have taken a dramatic turn.
3. Extreme changes beyond our control. The pandemic is a good example of this. Customer habits change through no fault of our own.
4. The culture has become dysfunctional. Bureaucracy has become the normal way work gets done so excess “layers” in the organizational hierarchy need to be removed. Things take forever to complete. Internal tension and stress escalate. Experts are brought in to fix the mess. Repeat.
5. Paying for mistakes of the past. Mostly, this means over-hiring because of over-exuberance. We have been hearing of many CEOs taking the blame for guiding their organization into this scenario.
   

The first three are fairly easy to comprehend why a deep change might be needed. While we can understand it when our colleagues and friends are impacted, it can still hurt deeply.

When the fourth one hits, the question will remain, “Are we doing anything to fix the things that got us here in the first place?” When the fifth one hits, the people who remain are shaken because they are left to ask themselves “If it happened now, when will it happen again?”

While any change can bring challenges for the organizational change coach, deep changes require thoughtful consideration and empathy so regardless of “the why” this happened, we can begin the work of healing and strengthening.

Let’s dig into what we are working with.

What is Lost?

When we find ourselves in the middle of a deep change event, we must recognize what has been lost. I believe the ripple effect of the pain, trauma, loss, and confusion is a powerful force for those still remaining in an organization. But the impact is often glossed over, swept under the rug, or completely ignored.

Depending on the person, those left behind have lost, to various degrees of intensity, a sense of connection (through the loss of close friends and colleagues), of security (my foundation has been rocked), and of hope (do I have a future at this organization?)

Change coaching can be challenging in the best of times but you can imagine the complexities of navigating change during times of loss.

Assessing The Current State

During these times of turmoil, an organizational change coach must be fully aware of the surroundings. Here are a few of the common “current state” themes I have discovered while coaching during times of deep change:

Anxiety and/or Fear

Will I have a job? Will my friends have a job? Will I have a new boss? How will I provide for my family?

Instability

What does this mean for the company? What does this mean for my career path? Will I have to take on more work? Will I have to move to a different role?

Stagnation or Indifference

People may just feel lost and unmotivated, in a state of “quiet quitting,” or just don’t know what to do next. They won’t ruffle any feathers. Wait for the dust to settle. Wait for someone to tell me what to do.

When deep change events occur, while the natural tendency is to jump in and try to help, it’s often best to stop, listen, and assess the current state.

Coaching Through Deep Change

So what should a coach do under these conditions? We want to make a difference and we want to step in and help but our typical approach to coaching will need to take a back seat so we can focus on the people we are serving.

Increase personal conversations.

Our first goal is to reduce or remove the level of anxiety and fear flowing through the workforce. An organization will never return to a state of flow and unity with tension running high.

Here are a couple of things I like to do to reduce anxiety.

1. Focus on personal conversations. Just listen. Ask a few questions. Listen some more. Just be there.
2. Think proximity, not hierarchy. You won’t be able to interact with everyone but make sure you are engaging with those closest to you. Assume everyone is hurting (at least a little bit) and care for them.
3. Reduce or eliminate large distribution or “send to all” emails or posts for a while. While we may need a few broad distribution informational emails or posts, people have questions and emails may not provide the answers they are looking for. Instead, over-index on small group conversations. My personal preference is to AVOID all large-scale town hall meetings.
   

Meet them where they are.

Our goal here is to bring foundational stability back to the workforce. In a previous post, Meeting Them Where They Are, I talked about the journey people go on to “enter the arena” of change. That is, they are actively engaged in personal growth and are open to fresh thinking and new ways of working. They are healthy and thriving.

I think this model applies more than ever in times of deep change and becomes our roadmap for our personal conversations. Instead of teaching and coaching, we may need to become storytellers and empathy-givers, and sacrifice our time to feed into people more than ever. I would recommend going back and reading that post as those who were healthy and thriving in the arena of change may have fallen back into their old habits in times of stress.

For this post, I added an additional condition to the mental model – those who may feel lost. As coaches, we can address this by providing “next step guidance” to bring them back into the change arena. This could be as simple as words of encouragement or a gentle reminder of how much they are needed as an agent of change. Become a guide and walk with them back to the arena. They may just need someone to say “Here is the way.”

Get busy doing the work of change…with grace.

Our final goals are to remove stagnation and get people moving again. This is where we roll up our sleeves and gently get busy coaching. Tread lightly at first but we do need to get our teams healthy and productive again. Here’s how I like to do it:

1. Re-orient your teams around each other.

Go back to the forming stages – especially if anyone has been let go or been added to the team. Increase human connection in your sessions or meetings. I can’t stress this enough – most teams just go on working as if nothing happened.

2. Re-orient your teams around their purpose.

Re-group the team around why they are here and who they are here to serve. This is important as it begins the process of removing the focus on us (and what we are going through) and shifts the focus away to those who need us (our customers).

3. Figure out how to design systems so this can NEVER happen again.

Once things begin to stabilize we need to figure out how we can never go through this again. The upcoming blog post “Designing Future-Proof Organizations” will address ways to do this by introducing fresh models and paradigms to consider. You may also want to read “A Whole New Solar System” for some ideas on what the future of organizations could look like.

The post Coaching in Times of Deep Organizational Change appeared first on Illustrated Agile.

In preparation for an upcoming post on designing organizations without barriers, I would like to take a little detour to share a few thoughts on everyone’s favorite subjects…leadership and management. More specifically, what does the future hold for them?

Part 4, titled “Designing a Future-Proof Organization,” will begin to introduce a few concepts, themes, and principles for those who influence how work gets done in their organization. To prepare us for that dialog, we need to take a deep look at foundational beliefs we hold sacred and are often afraid to talk about, let alone change.

Please understand this post is a working out of my thoughts (and hopes) for the future of organizations. Much of this material is aspirational and meant to provoke conversation and questioning, so I welcome your thoughts.

The Challenge of Foundation Changing

As organizational change coaches and designers, our purpose has always been to introduce fresh ways of working into organizations so an environment of healthy productivity emerges and a culture of trust and joy begins to bloom. We do this by sharing new frameworks, methodologies, and techniques, and by modeling and coaching new behaviors and habits.

As we introduce these new ways of working, rarely do we question existing management paradigms or suggest a change to what is expected of the leaders working within those paradigms. We just accept them as a foundation that can’t be changed or moved.

So instead, we design on top of hierarchies. We design around the bureaucracy of management constructs. We coach through the limitations, constraints, and controls of “performance management” systems and we tolerate the behaviors and habits reinforced by these systems.

And then we wonder why our change energy isn’t translating into meaningful and transformational progress.

Admittedly, bringing up this topic with managers in an organization is a challenge. It’s not often any of us would want to disrupt a system we are a part of (or helped to create). Sometimes this feels like a daunting task and sometimes we know this rattling of cages could cause quite a stir.

So we tend to avoid it.

This avoidance takes the shape of many things. We expect managers to buy-in to new ways of leading – hoping they will be less command-and-control and more self-aware. We try large-scale leadership off-site retreats to inspire managers in bringing their change to life. We send them to leadership boot camps or have them attend “Agile Leadership” training hoping this will ease their transition into new ways of leading. If that doesn’t work we ask them to fill out personal assessments or personality tests hoping to gain insights into why they behave the way they do. Finally, we might create custom leadership workshops or provide intensive coaching interactions with the hopes this will finally make a difference.

But we rarely, if ever, ask the meaningful and challenging question…Does the foundation need to be changed?

Foundation changing is not easy work and requires rebuilding from the ground up but that is the purpose of this post…to be a conversation starter to challenge long-standing beliefs and to shake the foundation just a bit.

Are you ready to rumble?

Our Current Solar System

Let’s begin our exploration of a new leadership paradigm by starting with what is typically seen in most mid-to-large-sized organizations. As companies grow, layers of oversight and governance are put in place to bring a semblance of control to large-group complexities. The phrase “span of control” has been made popular because of this design.

The way I see it, this paradigm has created a solar system with leaders at the center. It looks something like this:

With the boss at the center, people, also known as “direct reports”, circle around their managers throughout their work life. This rotation creates gravitational forces pulling people towards the leader they are assigned to. This is the environment we are facing when attempting to bring agility and change into an organization.

Corporate life becomes dependent on the direct-report relationship with their boss. Success, failure, happiness, and satisfaction boil down to one thing – does my boss think I’m doing a good job?

Gravity Always Wins

The forces generated by the “boss at the center” paradigm pull an employee in many ways and with varying intensities. This gravitational pull takes energy away from what is really important – because gravity always wins.

Let’s take a look at a few of these forces pulling people toward their manager (and away from something else):

The trickle-down of information. When information is trickled down to employees from the top of an org chart, this gravitational force draws people toward their manager as the only source for mission-critical updates on the state of the organization.

The need for approval. Expectations have been set that workers will do as they are told with any new ideas passing-thru a manager before trying them out. This gravitational force is revealed when anyone states, “I need to check with my boss if I should be working on (or make a change to) this.”

The lifeline of sponsorship. Within the current management paradigm, there is a sense of “you exist because I exist.” When managers own the budget, assign workers to projects, are the ones who remove organizational blockers, and are expecting their direct reports to report back on their status, people are drawn to their “sponsor” because they have no other choice to get something done.

Many change initiatives lose traction or get shut down because they don’t have the proper “sponsorship.” A perpetual loop is created because the removal of sponsorship would require sponsorship to remove it. So it never happens.

The maximizing of production. This gravitational force causes employees to operate at a constant “red-line” condition. The maximizing of production becomes apparent when people question if they are doing enough or if they are being noticed for the work they are doing. What was 8 hours a day becomes 10 and 12 hours a day and before long we’re working on the weekends.

In the current paradigm, busyness equals rewards and recognition. The boss looks good when their people are producing.

The source of assessment and compensation. The current paradigm of revolving around our boss forces direct reports to receive an assessment of their performance from their manager. Typically a yearly event everything rides on this assessment.

Merit increases, bonuses, and future promotions are attached to the outcome of this process. While you may hear feedback from your peers, nothing resonates more than the words and rating of the manager.

This force is strong and has, I believe, perpetuated many of the dysfunctions found in organizations today. What is often rewarded are the exact behaviors we are trying to change because we behave in the way our boss wants us to behave (or has modeled).

The treadmill of promotion. Corporate success has been defined as climbing the ladder. Over time, there is an expectation that some direct reports will be able to have their own solar system. High-potentials (or “hi-pos”) are identified by managers as candidates for promotion. Often, this is the only way to receive significant increases in your salary – to have your own solar system.

Each of these forces requires inward-facing systems and processes to sustain them. Because each of these forces requires so much care and attention, the collective energy of all these forces can create an environment of stagnation and deflation among other serious consequences.

Consequences of the Current Solar System Paradigm

For decades, this oversight-focused, hierarchical approach to organizational design has delivered what it was designed for – production, structure, and compliance. In fact, amazing progress and innovation have been made using this model.

But it has come at a price. There are consequences to the leader-at-the-center paradigm and in my opinion, here are the most severe:

The pursuit of manager happiness. Generations of workers are now trained to show up to work and find motivation and inspiration from their managers. Decades of workers with aspirations to climb the corporate ladder have been asking themselves, “How do I make my boss happy enough with me so I can have my own solar system one day?” In many ways, people may not be aware of how strongly this influences their everyday decisions at work. Many people I talk to in organizations are sacrificing their own physical health through overwork, under-rest, and increased stress because of the constant striving to achieve the next level.

The dulling of senses. People are constantly looking up instead of looking around. Because of the gravitational forces pulling them toward their manager, people have lost the ability to sense predators or have the ability to react quickly when something is sensed. People in many organizations are paralyzed. Afraid to move. Afraid to speak up. Afraid to make decisions on their own. Afraid to take action.

The fear of career-limiting moves. Attempting to pull away from managerial gravitational forces will often cause disastrous consequences. Challenging the status quo or questioning the decisions of your manager has a good chance of impacting your performance reviews.

So instead of fresh ideas emerging throughout the organization, the entire organization is asking “What can I do so I can be rated higher (get paid more/receive the next promotion)?” instead of asking “What amazing thing can I do for our customers today?”

The perpetuation of broken systems. Despite the voices crying out for change, existing performance management systems have continued to reinforce the manager at the center paradigm.

One person sets your goals.

One person assesses your performance.

One person determines your salary increases.

One person decides if you are a “high performer” and ready for more responsibility.

This may sound great but one bad manager and your worth (and perhaps your self-esteem) take a hit. All of this may go through a “calibration” exercise with other managers which might help your cause but you are still dependent on the manager you were assigned to.

The centralization of critical thinking. Strategic thinking has been moved farther and farther away from those closest to the customer. Leaders create the vision. Leaders are expected to make big decisions. Leaders know best. The organization follows.

The consequence of this is obvious – visionary ideas and ground-breaking innovation from unlikely people are rarely acknowledged. Who knows how many amazing ideas have been kept in the shadows.

The expectation that change can be managed from the top. I have heard this statement over and over, “We need leadership buy-in or else change isn’t going to happen.” If this is true, don’t count on change to ever happen. Change becomes a waiting game – trying to find the perfect conditions before change can occur. This also reinforces the manager at the center paradigm because “change can’t happen without me”.

So change begins to feel like something is being done to people in the organization instead of coming from within them. People will just need to wait for their manager to change and then wait to be told what to change into. A recipe for a failed change endeavor.

A Whole New Solar System

With all of that said, I would like to share a mental model describing my thoughts for a different future. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and start the hard work of foundation changing.

So…

Instead of continually asking leaders to change, we introduce new expectations and capabilities for them to enjoy.

Instead of expecting leaders to do more, we have them jettison their baggage and do something different.

Instead of needing leaders to buy in, we ask leaders to exchange existing beliefs about how work gets done for something liberating.

Instead of asking leaders to head off to another off-site leadership retreat, we bring leaders closer to the work.

Instead of boxing leaders in the center of hierarchies and hoping employees can thrive within those boxes, they are invited to explore a whole new solar system.

Our new solar system revolves around those who receive value from the existence of our organization. Value-receivers are your customers, constituents, congregations, patients, members…anyone who pays for or receives a benefit from your organization.

While this may seem obvious, in this paradigm every word, action, system, process, and as much human energy as possible is fully aligned to serve those who need us most. Internally-facing forces are replaced with only what is needed to deliver value.

To do this, value receivers are surrounded by people wrapped in the capabilities needed to produce and support value. Here is a mental model demonstrating what this could look like:

Capabilities are placed in light-weight orbits with the orbits farthest away from the value-receivers supplying guidance and strength to the closer orbits.

Each orbit has a specific reason for being there. Let’s explain this mental model.

The Orbit of Doers

The first orbital, the one closest to our value receiver, consists of the capabilities needed to do the work of delivering outcomes for our customers. For the Agilists out there, this would consist of a community of people in a constant cycle of delivering small increments of value through sprints.

The “orbit of doers” consists of three capabilities:

Creators. Those who are designing, building, and testing valuable things and experiences for their value receivers. They are doing things directly with and for our customers.

Service Givers. Those who are responding to the needs of the value-receivers to enhance experiences or help when the value hasn’t been fully delivered.

Experimenters. Those who are working with the creators and service givers to introduce and suggest new things to try. They are always watching and learning and working with the others in this orbit to ensure the status quo doesn’t take over.

This orbit is where things happen. Constant increments of value are flowing out of this orbit and into the life of our customers. Real-time experiments are the norm in this orbit.

The Orbit of Guidance

The farthest orbit, the orbit of guidance, provides the system with direction.

Two crucial capabilities are revolving around this orbit:

Sensors. Those who are sensing the current terrain by looking for trouble spots and discovering opportunities to pounce. They are always asking “Where are we vulnerable?” and “Where do we have the advantage?”

Futurists. Those who are mapping out a future that does not exist today. Futurists are inspiring the organization to think about visionary things and often start their sentences with “Imagine a world where…” The futurist is using the data from the sensors to be preparing the organization for what is ahead.

This orbit is traditionally an exclusive club for senior leadership teams or steering committees. Our new solar system invites those with strong sensing and visionary capabilities into this orbit with open arms.

The Orbit of Connection

The middle orbit connects the guidance orbit with the doer orbit. The exercise of blending where we are going with what we are doing is accomplished here.

These unique capabilities will provide the organizational glue to keep our orbits in sync and to produce in healthy and vibrant ways.

The capabilities inside this orbit include:

Systems thinkers. Those who have an acute awareness of how work gets done. System thinkers design simple systems to move ideas quickly into the hands of our value receivers.

Connectors. Those who assemble teams and connect dependent teams together. Connectors play an “air traffic controller” role by ensuring communication flows naturally within the orbits.

Energizers. Those who have an acute awareness of the health and well-being of the humans in the system. While the systems thinker is watching the work, energizers are watching our people.

This orbit infuses the organization with strength and confidence by removing unneeded steps and processes and providing the nutrients needed to keep people healthy and productively happy.

The Beauty of Orbits

Before we describe how our new solar system would work in practice, understand the orbits do NOT represent a hierarchy. They represent a logical mental model for navigating the needed capabilities to produce value with minimal overhead and friction. Nothing is wasted.

The beauty of this mental model is how easily people can move between orbits. We can begin to introduce the concept of “seasons” and how everyone can and should spend time in each season for a spell.

Creators would spend most of their time actually creating things but should spend short seasons as an experimenter to have the freedom to try new things and as a service-giver to experience first-hand what is happening with our customers.

During a given month, leaders would spend time in each orbit as a futurist, a system thinker, and a doer.

For example, a State Governor would serve at the Department of Motor Vehicles for a day. Senior leaders spend 4 hours a month answering customer support phone calls. Hospital administrators spend a shift in the emergency room. New hires are included in visioning sessions to share their fresh perspectives. Creators spend time in the connecting orbit to learn how the system really works and how their decisions impact others.

Rattling Your Paradigms

What will it take to begin to create this whole new solar system? To start with, you may need to begin to look at long-lasting and stubborn paradigms and loosen your grip on them.

Here are a couple of paradigms you may need to rattle:

1. Vision and strategy are not a monopoly of a few people at the top of a hierarchy.
2. Everyone is a “doer.” Everyone takes an opportunity to do micro revolutions around our customers.
3. From governance and approvals to trust. Decisions are handled as close to the customer as possible. Leaders and managers are no longer expected to make all the decisions. Any needed legal, regulatory, or compliance requirements are embedded inside each orbit.
4. The corporate dictionary is replaced. Language of exclusivity (steering committees, strategy teams) and of hierarchy (direct reports, sponsorship) will need to begin to evolve.
5. Everyone is an A+. Existing ratings and review systems are removed. We expect everyone to be a 5 on a scale of 1 to 5. When it seems someone isn’t functioning at their best, the system rallies around them to see what is happening and will do everything to help. More to come on my thoughts on how performance reviews should be handled within our new paradigm.
6. Goal setting is customer-focused. Individuals set their own goals aligned with the aspirations of the organization and with help from their community to challenge them to new heights when needed.
7. Personal growth is also community-driven and not driven by a manager. Each individual is wrapped inside a community designed to care about their personal well-being. Those closest to us will help build our capabilities through apprenticeship and shared experiences.
   

There will be others but this would be a good start. As I said, changing the foundation will take a lot of work.

So, what should I do with all of this?

The spirit of this mental model is to expand our thinking about how work gets done in the future. As Leandro Herrero stated, “The hierarchy of leadership does not disappear but it becomes invisible.”

All of this may seem a bit radical but if you enter into a space of creativity with an open mind, here are a couple of ideas to get you started:

Figure out what you believe.

Do you believe others “below you” can make meaningful decisions without your help or input?

Do you believe autonomous, self-managing teams can produce value without oversight and governance from a hierarchy of managers?

Do you believe only a select few in the organization have a monopoly on vision and strategy?

Look at these questions again. What do you really believe? Knowing that your answer may change your amount of fill-in-the-blank (compensation, power, control, status), do you still believe?

If your belief about how work can get done aligns with the current hierarchical leadership paradigms, then this post would probably end for you here. If you’re ready for a whole new solar system, let’s get busy!

Change your language.

Do projects or initiatives in your organization require a “sponsor?” Do vision and direction come from “leadership teams”, “strategy teams” or “committees?”

Begin taking a hard look at the language being attached to structures and capabilities others can participate in. Can you begin to remove the language of exclusivity and hierarchy? Do you still identify people based on the level of the hierarchy they are at? (i.e. we need a level 8 or higher for this role) If you really want everyone to be leaders, stop calling only a few people leaders. Find a few small areas to make these changes real.

Change your habits. Nibble away at abolishing your solar system. Notice when you are the center of attention. Notice how often you speak up first in meetings. Notice how people defer to your opinions and ideas. Notice how many decisions you are making that others could easily make. Join a team and spend a season becoming a doer. Spend an afternoon DOING things you would not normally be expected to do as a leader.

Change your calendar. How many calendar entries are internally focused vs. externally focused? Do you still have status meetings? How much time is allocated to visiting actual human value receivers? How many meetings are created for your convenience and not for the benefit of your customers?

Model accountability. Begin having conversations with your colleagues about the future of work. Ask them the same questions you answered above about what they believe. Dig deep and challenge each other.

Shake the foundations. Challenge existing systems and long-lasting strongholds. Question everything….do you need managers of managers? (People watching people watching people work.) Are our existing performance management systems producing transformational behaviors, habits, and outcomes? Do you currently put a limit on trust? (i.e. only certain people can make decisions over a certain dollar amount)

As I mentioned earlier, changing foundations is not easy and can actually be painful. We are working out old scar tissue so new muscles can develop. Painful but necessary.

Future generations are counting on someone to start changing the foundations. Might as well be us.

In the next post, “Designing Future-Proof Organizations” we’ll dig deeper into how to put these thoughts into practice.

The post A Whole New Solar System appeared first on Illustrated Agile.

“I’m tired of change…when will this just go away?”

For those on the front lines of an organizational change I’m sure you’ve heard this a time or two. Perhaps you’ve even said it yourself. A typical response is, “It never ends. Look how fast the world is changing…it’s here to stay.”

This statement doesn’t make people feel much better.

I can see why people feel this way. Many have endured countless change mandates (as described in Change or Else! and Get on Board or Get Out). Others have seen change initiatives come and go and the latest request to change is just another thing to endure. And many of us have been at the front line of change for a long time and are flat-out weary.

Why does change fatigue us? How did we get ourselves to this point? And even worse, how have we turned change into the enemy?

Fatigue is guaranteed to happen when change is demanded or there are endless cycles of big change events and initiatives. This post will not cover these scenarios.

This post will also not discuss possible steps and procedures to keep change fatigue from happening in your organization (I.e. leaders communicating more, starting with a vision of your future organization, giving people more time to process the change, or creating a change management plan, etc.) A quick Google search will provide you with many options and you can decide what is needed for your situation.

What we will cover is you (and me). How are you contributing to your own fatigue? It’s time to dive below the surface and discover why we are feeling the way we feel and why we are acting the way we act.

Put simply, fatigue occurs when we overuse healthy muscles and when we neglect unconditioned muscles.

You can tell what your healthy muscles are by looking at the things you are good at and what you get attention for.

When change surrounds us, when we feel unsettled, when all of our hard work produces seemingly negligible results, and when we feel as if change will overwhelm us, we will start doing what we do best to compensate for what we are sensing and feeling. We seek out that which is comfortable and begin to overuse our already overused muscles.

Let’s take a look at a few of these muscles:

The Busyness Muscle. This is when we just keep working and power through. We add more and more to our lists and volunteer for everything until physical and mental exhaustion sets in. Within the busyness muscle group is the Multitasking Muscle where we are not only busy but we are also working on many things at once. Clearly a recipe for fatigue.

The Striving Muscle. A notch above the busyness muscle is the energy spent looking for how we can use a change to our advantage. This muscle of achievement, while not a bad muscle to strengthen, creates an inward focus. The post, “To Remove Organizational Silos, Start Here,” reminded us that real change starts from a position of awareness and empathy. Also in this muscle group is the Looking Up muscle when we use change energy to make sure the boss is happy or looks good. Sadly, most of the time, all you get is a sore neck anyway.

The Security Muscle. The opposite of striving is to keep yourself as safe as possible. When we spend energy protecting ourselves from the impact of change, we are using the security muscle. We keep a low profile and our head down until this whole thing passes over. While you would think we couldn’t possibly get fatigued by using our security muscle, this is actually mentally exhausting and soul-sucking.

In times of change, this is a common reaction from all of us. We find comfort in the familiar but change doesn’t happen in the familiar now does it?

When we focus on one set of muscle groups, just like with our physical bodies, other muscles begin to weaken. These unconditioned muscles are just waiting to help us with our fatigue and develop a “whole-body” strength ready to tackle any change coming your way.

You can tell where your unconditioned muscles are by looking at the things we avoid or things that would go unnoticed by others. It’s kind of crazy how we often avoid the things we need.

So let’s start working out all of our change muscles. If you want to eliminate change fatigue, begin to strengthen your under-conditioned muscles while given your overused muscles a rest. Here are a few to muscles to start conditioning:

The Serving Muscle. When we spend our energy actively seek out others to help we are using the serving muscle. This is where you will find immediate relief from change fatigue. Serving muscles shift the focus from how tired you are and what you are striving for and onto the needs of others.

For immediate relief of change fatigue – begin strengthening your serving muscle.

This often feels counter-intuitive as one would think that we should care for ourselves when fatigued. Indeed, we should look after ourselves (I’ll talk about this in a bit) but there is a unique and precious gift we receive when we become outward focused. I’m sure there are spiritual and scientific reasons to explain the mystery of why this works but what I do know is it does work.

The Heart Muscle. This muscle focuses on the energy we spend on our passions and purpose. As mentioned in the “To Remove Organizational Silos, Start Here” posts, I mention that our personal purpose, group/team purpose, and enterprise purpose MUST be in alignment at all times. If you are using your Busy muscles and Striving muscles for something you don’t believe in, you WILL be exhausted.

When your heart muscle is weak, when your purpose is unclear or out of alignment, your over-used muscles will automatically trigger. You will replace what you love with busyness, you’ll replace serving with striving, and replace joyful productivity with seeking security.

When your heart muscle is weak, you will replace what you love with busyness, you’ll replace serving with striving, and replace joyful productivity with seeking security.

The best way to tell if your heart muscle is becoming stronger is to listen to the stories you tell and are hearing from others. Stories of growth, hope, aspiration, trials, and success should be leaping out from inside of you. Stories from those around you should inspire you and make you proud of how they are living out their passion and purpose.

The Do Less Muscle. For many of us, myself included, the ability to shut down and recover is always a challenge. The Do Less muscle focuses on resting and restoring. This muscle prepares us for when the hard work of living out your passion is needed most.

Sometimes doing less is what we need to prepare us for when the hard work of living out your passion is needed most.

My friend Aaron McHugh has a chapter in his book “Fire Your Boss” called Pace Yourself. In it, he explains how we can fill ourselves up with nutrient-rich activities and deplete ourselves with empty activities. Knowing how full or empty we are is a good first step in recognizing the need to strengthen our Do Less muscle.

There you go…three muscles that need to be strengthened and your fatigue will begin to dissipate. It may take a little time before you see your energy return but return it will. Serve others, listen to and tell heartfelt stories, and rest and recover.

If we are charged with equipping people to thrive in change through our coaching, it is your time to become a physical trainer for those in your organization and your teams. Take the time first to build up your unconditioned muscles. Model and teach what you have learned to strengthen the unconditioned muscles of others.

Now, instead of saying, “Change will never end” we can respond with, “No matter what happens you’ll be ready…”

The post Let’s Talk About Change Fatigue appeared first on Illustrated Agile.

This is part two of a four-part series on Organizational Barriers. You can find part one here. Look for part three, “Designing Future-Proof Organizations” and part four, “In Practice, Removing Real-World Barriers” soon.

In part one of this series on organizational barriers, we discussed what siloed organizations feel like and how fractures form: seeded through poor personal behavior, incubated in our relationships, and reinforced in the design of how to work together. We also learned about how organizations might traditionally attempt to remove their barriers – mostly by implementing organizational design changes and restructuring (but end up just designing around their brokenness).

Knowing how stubborn silos can be and how rarely they are actually removed, we will need to tackle them with fresh perspectives. Serious aspirations about removing silos will require an approach that is:

Holistic. Instead of starting where our instincts normally tell us to start (on system design, replacing leaders, or structure changes), perhaps we should do the opposite and address the underlying reasons our systems, frameworks, and methodologies aren’t helping. Perhaps we should finally look at how our hierarchies are enabling and strengthening our silos and why our people are unable to recognize and remove their own silos.

Personal. Instead of focusing on the “mechanics” of change (i.e. the right framework, structure, methodology, or approach) perhaps we should provide fuel and energy attempting to bring the change to life. Perhaps we can replace our long list of “things to do” with a list of people who need strength and encouragement. The removal of long-lasting or deep-rooted silos will take a substantial amount of energy and this energy will be spent by the people in the organization – they must be healthy and strong for the journey.

Sustainable. Instead of attempting quick fixes and patchwork solutions to keep our silos tolerable perhaps we should build up a fleet of silo sensors and resistors. Knowing the amount of energy and “pain” involved in removing silos, we damn well better not have to do it again – and our sensors will warn us of the first sign of their return and our resistors will hold us accountable to make sure the silos don’t return.

To accomplish what feels like a daunting task, it’s time to walk through a mental model illustrating a potential way to begin thinking about how to knit an organization back together. It looks like this:

We will cover the details of this model in two articles: this one will focus on where to start the silo removal (1, 2, and 3 in our diagram above) and part three will cover how to design an environment of coaching and sustainability (4, 5, and 6 in the diagram) to keep silos away in perpetuity. Let’s get started!

Guide people through a personal change journey. (1)

As mentioned in part one, consistently accepted poor personal behaviors are the most likely place to start looking for the root source of silo formation. Attempting to re-design or re-structure your silos without addressing these behaviors will continue the cycle of “designing around the brokenness.”

Why is this?

For some people in your organization, they need a chance to heal. Some need to start over. Some need to be forgiven. Some need to forgive. Some need a reboot with a fresh personal operating system. Some need to unwind what they’ve always been told about management. Some need to fight initial instincts. Some don’t want to change. Some don’t know how to change. Some need to be equipped with the humility and sensitivity necessary to lead others through change. Some will resist change. Some will embrace it.

So the road to silo removal always starts with giving the people in your organization the opportunity for a fresh start. Because of the wide-ranging condition and needs of the people in the organization, to do this we will need to meet them where they are and guide them on a personal change journey.

Just what is meant by a change journey? Let’s start with what it is not…sending people to training classes and hoping change occurs. It’s also not found in completing a 360-degree assessment or taking a personal profile assessment and leaving the behavior change to chance.

This journey feels more like a guided “trek through the wilderness” – an immersive experience “breaking each of us down” just a bit so there is room for new growth to emerge. This journey also provides the space for a clear personal purpose to be confirmed, discovered, or re-discovered – am I doing what I’m was designed to do.

While every organization, training group, or coach will design personal change journeys differently, the characteristics of a silo-resisting personal change journey should include exercises to:

• Go below the waterline. We are shaped by our past experiences and we are all works in progress in some way or another. Meaningful and noticeable change only happens when we diagnose the root cause of why we act (or lead) the way we do. This initial leap off of the diving board is the courageous first step on the journey of discovery and awareness. See endnote (1).
• Bring up what needs to be brought up. Diving into the depths of our past experiences and probing our current experiences will uncover the deep-rooted reasons why we treat others the way we do and why we relate to people the way we do. While this is certainly uncomfortable (it is for me), when handled with care what is brought to the surface becomes a cherished treasure. This diving into the deep will provide the information we need to decide what to do next – which is to get to work.
• Do the work of change. The hard, challenging, sometimes painful, often heart-wrenching work of habit change. This isn’t just talking about changing or even making a commitment to change – this is actual, visible, noticeable change. We are not waiting for people to “buy-in” to a change. Change. Is. Happening.
• Continue diving. This isn’t a one-time expedition. The people in your organization continue exploring the depths, bringing up treasure, and doing the work. People quickly discover this journey really is a life-long journey.

How will you know personal change journeys are working?

One of the side-effects of going through a personal journey “through the wilderness” is an increase in awareness and empathy. Initially, when you go below the waterline, you will think you are alone down there. But as you look around, you will discover others with the same struggles, the same pains, or similar experiences.

From my experience, deep organizational change comes when the people of the organization develop a collective awareness of the system they are working in and the discomfort being inflicted on each other in this system. When we can feel the pain our siloed actions are causing and respond with a touch of humility, we will finally know there is a chance for silo-busting to take hold.

So we will know a personal change journey is working when people become aware of the system they are working in and there is an increase in empathy for those in the system. For me, this is the first “mindset” change we should focus on for the people in the organization – awareness and empathy.

For large organizations with thousands of people, it may seem impossible for everyone to be engaged in a personal change journey but I will cover ideas to get this started in practice during part 4 of this series.

Teach people what it’s like to be in fellowship. (2)

As people embark on their personal change journeys something magical begins to happen. The organization begins to sound different. That’s right…you can hear it. It’s the sound of facades, masks, egos, and fake smiles crashing to the ground. It’s the sound of a collective exhale as the weight of impressing, climbing, and striving is replaced with vulnerability, openness, laughter, and the hum of joyful productivity.

What you are hearing is the sound of fellowship.

This is the minimum level of connection necessary for people in a network to thrive…to be in fellowship. Fellowship is defined as a “friendly association, especially with people who share one’s interests.” While our teams and communities will hopefully reach a deeper level of connections being in fellowship is the baseline.

The article “The Nature of the Network,” discussed how the strength of a network of people is defined by how fast they can connect, disconnect, and reconnect. Essentially, this means how well and how quickly can people create an environment of fellowship leading to joyful productivity.

We often believe we can create an environment of fellowship through coaching new ways of working or through team-building experiences without focusing first on the health and condition of the humans on the team. But I have come to believe achieving fellowship and personal change journeys go hand in hand. Allow me to walk through why this is so important.

Imagine two people in your organization. Imagine these two people in complete fellowship with each other. When these two people interact with each other there is a buzz of energy about them – there is a hum of joyful productivity. Sometimes you’ll catch them finishing each other’s sentences. There is nothing keeping them from what I call “maximum productive flow.” This is an ideal state for all relationships in your network.

But as you can imagine this is a rare find. Person A and person B in our diagram are indeed quite human and will bring things into their working relationship restricting the amount of fellowship possible. We all introduce our own set of habits and behaviors molded from our past experiences into every interaction we have so they are not alone in this.

Now let’s say person A has gone “below the surface” and has become aware of some areas in their life they would like to address. Person A is excited about the possibilities and starts to do the work of change through a personal change journey. Noticeable change begins to emerge in their language, behavior, and habits.

Person B, however, has not made the same decision to embark on a change journey and instead continues to treat Person A much the same way they always have. Those behaviors, even if not truly growing, will feel like they are expanding into space where fellowship could be flourishing. The poor behavior and habits of Person B often minimized and excused away in the past, will become magnified and overwhelm the good things Person A is accomplishing in their life.

When this unbalance occurs in any working relationship, when one person is working at personal change while others are not, the characteristics of silo creation will emerge – isolation leading to indifference and indifference leading estrangement. Person A will begin to distance themselves from Person B and will eventually leave the situation.

This tension is magnified even more when person B is person A’s one-level up manager. Person A is now torn between two worlds. How do I keep my boss happy (and keep my job) while still doing the hard work of change? Not an easy task. (We’ll get into hierarchies and their contribution to silo creation in part 3 of this series).

Now imagine these same two people enter the arena of personal change. They begin to open up about what they have discovered below the surface. They share the habits they are starting to work on and ask each other for help when they stumble.

They decide to draw a line in the sand and state, “From this day on, we will create the space for fellowship to grow.” I can tell you from experience that when this begins to permeate your team, you will be surprised at how fast the vibe of the team improves. The sound of fellowship!

I recognize this may require an increase in bravery from person A to take the first step if the relationship with person B is especially bad. It’s a step worth taking. (see endnote 2)

To bring fellowship to life, to be as close to “maximum productive flow” as possible, will require practice and discipline. Vulnerability and openness is not the natural condition for most of us – especially me. If you want to weed out your silos this must become a natural part of everyday working life. If you are a coach, this is your mandate.

Not sure what habits to start with? Here are a few to get you going:

• Connecting as humans. Develop the habit of learning about each other, of acknowledging each other, and accepting each other. We may need to teach people how to connect with each other in ways that might seem strange or perhaps a little awkward in the workplace. It’s actually ok to be human.
• Incubate transparency. Develop the habit of openness. Start small. People should become comfortable with speaking up but more importantly with hearing each other speak. And not just with work things but with their life outside of work. Over time, you will begin to hear things like, “I’m struggling with this and I could use some help.” It took me a long time to believe this but vulnerability is strength.
• Modeling grace and sacrifice. Develop the habit of forgiveness and being responsible for each other. Nothing will begin to knit a team together faster. Grace will allow groups of people to strengthen when mistakes are made or conflicts emerge and sacrifice means if one of us is struggling we drop whatever we are doing to run to their aid.

Embed accountability. (3)

If fellowship is the minimum level of connection needed then the minimum level of accountability needed is to be able to sense the moment we are out of fellowship and do something about it.

That’s it.

Put simply, accountability requires those who observe or sense when a relationship is becoming fractured and to take action immediately. It looks a little like this:

If a group of people cannot be in fellowship, it should be disbanded and reformed – that’s how serious this is. That’s why accountability is so important. If the network of people in your team, group, or organization is not looking out for your relationships, no one else will.

How can accountability be embedded into teams? Here are a couple of thoughts:

• Create anchors for the group to hold on to. Be explicit with the actions and behaviors expected in a silo-free environment. This can be captured as team norms or agreements but everyone should contribute to creating them.
• Jumpstart with coaching. If living out your anchors is a challenge you may need some external help through a coach. Sometimes all you need is a neutral third party to hold up a mirror to the group to address the gaps between the anchors and reality. Identify people in each team who can play the role of coach when the external coach is not there.
• Teach people how to have tough conversations. You’ll know you are ready to break down your walls when ANYONE in the organization is addressing any relationship fractures regardless of position, level, or title. Not sure how to start these conversations? Here is an approach to consider.

You may have noticed the solid black line in the middle of the diagram above.

This represents the ideal situation of creating an environment of growth and openness through personal change journeys, knitting ourselves together in fellowship, and holding each other accountable BEFORE designing (or re-designing) an organization free from silos. We don’t always have this opportunity but I would recommend it if you can. At the very least, do personal change journeys, fellowship connecting, and accountability-embedding concurrently with any design activities. More to come in part 4 of the series.

So that’s it, if you want to remove your silos, start here. Everyone starts working on themselves, everyone focuses on being in fellowship with each other, and everyone is holding each other accountable.

Now on to the fun and excitement of creating your silo-free system as we jump to part 3 in this series. We’ll cover how to design a silo-free organization, coach that organization into existence, and how we can keep them from ever coming back.

Endnotes:
(1) An example of a “below the surface” experience is The Iceberg Exercise. Here is a link if you would like to try it. iceberg model – Ecochallenge.org
(2) It might be challenging to introduce this type of experience into your organization, department, or team – especially with those in leadership positions. People must be in place to catalyze these conversations if internal bravery has not yet been developed. Use the techniques of “On Having The Tough Conversations” if there needs to be a place to start.

The post To Remove Organizational Barriers, Start Here appeared first on Illustrated Agile.

They sneak up on us with a whisper but resonate loudly for decades. It can be hard to explain how they form and even harder to undo them once they have taken hold. We don’t plan for them and we don’t mean for them to happen. But they do.

Organizational barriers (or unhealthy silos).

After many years of coaching organizations of many shapes and sizes, much of the dysfunction in these companies can be traced to the formation of silos, the inability to recognize them or the lack of energy to remove them. Not surprisingly, one of the reasons Agile was developed was because of the historical divide between business and technology and the waste and pain caused by not working together.

And yet most organizations, even those attempting a shift to greater agility, are still struggling with the effects of long-lasting or lingering barriers caused by their silos. This is even after attempting to change personnel, remove hierarchies, introduce new processes, buy new tools, or improve the culture…sometimes at great expense. What we know about silos are they are like weeds and if the roots aren’t pulled out they will return with vigor no matter how much money or effort you throw at them.

So let’s attempt to get to the bottom of what they are, how they form, and how to remove them (and maybe keep them from coming back).

What Are Organizational Barriers?

The simple definition of an organizational barrier would be: any part of an organization functioning without regard for the greater whole. A more complex definition could be: any barrier between or inside of teams, groups, or departments keeping the organization from bringing valuable experiences and products to their customers.

The symptoms of a siloed organization can be noticed by how customers are treated.

• “I’ll need to transfer you to another department.”
• “We will get back with you in [insert number of days here].”
• “This has been held up by [insert department here].”

Silos can be identified by the language used while observing how people work. Siloed organizations use plenty of third-person pronouns.

• “My team is working just fine. I wish they would get their act together.”
• “Their processes are so cumbersome. It takes forever to get something approved!”
• “They will never change.”
• “If they would only pull their own weight.”
• “We need to check with the business.”

Silos can also be identified by the layers of meetings or interactions required to make decisions or communicate with each other.

• “We need senior leadership to buy-in/get approval for this. Can we get on their calendar?”
• “We need to schedule a time slot for legal to approve this.”
• “My boss will need to talk to your boss.”
• “We better spend our budget or we won’t get it next year.”

What Silos Feel Like

I will often describe working in a siloed organization as it feels like constantly rubbing 240-grit sandpaper on your arm. Though not lethal, it is irritating, annoying, and painful.

Silos feel like there is:
Toleration but no community. When things go wrong there is finger-pointing and when things go right the accolades are kept close. There is very little joy when interacting with each other. We see this between functional areas such as legal, HR, IT, sales, marketing, and compliance but silos can happen anywhere. Between teams, inside of teams, between departments, inside of departments, anywhere.

Busyness but little progress. If one were to watch a siloed organization for any length of time, on the surface it would appear as if nothing was wrong. Everyone seems busy and productive but dig a little deeper and we discover layers upon layers of wasted energy focused on navigating the bureaucracy of their silos.

Grand plans but painful delivery. The barriers created by silos means getting things done feels like constantly running on a treadmill with a 10-degree incline. Everything takes a heroic effort. Eventually, groups, teams, or individuals will find ways to work around each other. Especially high-octane, get-things-done, productive people as they will find a way to get their job done one way or the other.

So toleration feels like we are connected (but we’re not). Excessive planning feels like we are productive (but we’re not). Activity feels like progress (but it’s not).

It might feel like things are ok. It might even seem like we’re successful. But we have likely just become oblivious to the existence of our silos or numb to the impact they are having on the people and customers we serve.

How Silos Form

Digging into the reason why silos form will be a challenge but I’ll share a hypothesis on how I think it happens. Let’s start with a picture.

This diagram is meant to explain how events and behaviors (ranging from small to large and from unintentional to intentional) can create an environment ripe for silos to emerge. Let’s drill down a little deeper.

Silos can be seeded through consistently poor personal behavior (A)

This is the first place to look when hunting down the origins of your silos. When the words or actions of individuals negatively impacts other individuals (unintentional or otherwise), the environment is ripe for organizational fractures to emerge.

Poor behavior could be things like: words and actions not matching up, responding in critical and reactive ways, being dismissive and disrespecting, ignoring people, taking credit for the work of others, a command-and-control managing style, etc.

We will all have bad days in which one or more of these behaviors bubble up. When they go unconstrained and become the default way of treating each other, however, its just a matter of time before they cause massive divisions.

Why? Because poor personal behaviors can either be ignored or addressed. If we chose to ignore it, the natural response will be to isolate ourselves from the source. When we isolate, we have lost the ability to connect on a level deep enough to solve any meaningful problems together.

When poor behavior occurs within leaders, the impact of isolation is magnified and will trickle-down to everyone they come in contact with. Other leaders will begin to isolate themselves from each other and the first fractures of an organizational silo have formed.

Silos can be incubated through poor relationships (B)

When unresolved personal blindspots or those hurt by poor behavior are introduced into a group and that group doesn’t know how to address them, the first fractures of division will become widening gaps of indifference. In rare cases, it may lead to toxicity or hostility.

But most of the time, we just begin to not care about each other. We smile and nod in meetings and say the words people want to hear but inside we are just going through the motions or not speaking up when we should.

So we begin to avoid each other. Maybe not physically but emotionally and mentally we start to check out. This is when toleration without community begins to take root – /isolation becoming indifference/. It is heartbreaking when I see this happen.

Silos can be reinforced through poor organizational design (C)

When we isolate from each other and when we are indifferent towards each other, the way we think about how our teams, departments, and functions should work together will be shaped by these experiences. Instead of thinking creatively and connectively, we design from a place of reactivity, protectionism, and ego – causing well-intended people to make poor enterprise decisions. See endnote (1).

Poor decisions around how the organization should work together seal our fate. Isolation and indifference will finally lead to estrangement. We no longer do things together and the organization becomes characterized by extreme localization.

We know extreme localization has taken hold when:

• Vision is local. Local leaders override what is best for the whole and do what they think is best for their group or function. And their people follow their lead.
• Constructs are local. Org charts are optimized for creating “empires” and the hoarding of “resources” is a common practice. The tools used and the reward systems used work for some but not all.
• Culture is local. The use of us vs. them language escalates. There is a stronger identity with your group or department than with the purpose of the organization as a whole. The language between silos is unhealthy while inside of our team or group everything appears to be fine.

When any one of these is true (local vision, constructs, or culture), silos exist in your organization. The magnitude of the gaps between your silos is in direct correlation with the intensity of poor personal behaviors, level of brokenness in your relationships, or how poorly the system is designed.

It’s important to note that well-behaving, healthy people and leaders can be triggered by bad relationships in their teams. People may act in ways they normally wouldn’t. (D)

Or a healthy, well-functioning team populated by healthy, well-behaving people can be triggered by a poorly designed organization. They will relate to each other in ways they normally wouldn’t because the system demands it of them. (E)

Traditional Attempts to Remove Silos

When organizations become aware of their silos, the good news is that there are often valiant and well-intended attempts to remove them. These attempts often focus on organizational design (C) but end up just designing around the brokenness.

Here are a few ways this happens:
Shuffling around the brokenness. The attempt to remove silos through movement and/or restructuring. Shuffle people around the nodes of an org chart (often without their input), maybe rename a group or two, attach an acronym to it and our troubles will be gone. Sometimes this involves bringing in leaders from the “outside” for a fresh perspective and sometimes this results in the letting of people go.

Controlling the brokenness. The attempt to remove silos by overlaying new processes, roles, workflows, or queue management on top of a hurting organization. This might entail organizing ourselves around a new methodology or framework for how we should work together or we might install governance bodies (i.e. portfolio or program management, advisory boards, control gates, etc.).

Short-term soothing of brokenness. The attempt is made to minimize the silo problem by creating cross-functional teams. People are brought together from our siloed departments and are asked to work together in Agile ways or as a task force to solve our issues. In the short-term, this may feel like its working but the deeper reasons why silos formed in the first place or still exist are often left unaddressed.

Ignoring the brokenness yet demanding healing. The attempt to fix the siloed culture by creating new values, principles, or “new ways of working” and expecting them to trickle down from the top, typically shared as presentations in town hall meetings or with posters placed on the wall. Leaders will often espouse this information with the expectation that everyone will adhere to it and change their behaviors accordingly.

None of these techniques to remove silos are “bad” and we may need some of them to a degree (movement and fresh perspectives, new ways of working, focus and prioritization, cross-functionality, and inspiring values and principles). But when they are attempted without addressing the underlying conditions causing our silos to form the impact will be negligible or short-lived.

But more than that, the outcome of continuously designing around our brokenness without digging into why the dysfunctions exist will eventually (if it hasn’t already) cause fatigue, frustration, confusion, and helplessness among those we are designing around.

Endnote:
(1) While the question of designing “how we work together to get things done” is always a complex one, here are a couple of thoughts on how we may unintentionally design our own silos:

• Poor organizational design happens when we focus on what makes it easier for us than it does for our customers (i.e. hierarchical org charts based on the functional output of a group).
• Poor organizational design happens when the people in the system don’t design (or have a say in) their own system. (ie. someone (or a team of people) who are not doing the work or interacting with customers hands off a design, structure, or org chart to those who are actually doing the work).
• Poor organizational design happens when we are reacting out of desperation or crisis. (ie. reorganizing in response to a new competitor, introducing “Agile” because other companies are doing it).

The post How Organizational Barriers Form appeared first on Illustrated Agile.

Throughout our coaching journey, scenarios are encountered when we will be called upon to have an uncomfortable conversation. It’s not if it will happen, but when it will happen. There’s a good chance it happened to you already today.

Someone is not allowing others to speak. Someone else is dominating the airspace of their team and restricting the flow of ideas. Someone has a blind spot or a capability gap that is impacting the health and productivity of their team. There is unresolved tension between team members. Coaches are often equipped to handle these scenarios but some may not be.

How about when a leader demoralizes a team by overriding a decision they put serious thought into? Or a leader demands things be done their way altogether. Or a leader is constantly in “fire-fighting” mode and isn’t able to stay in a visionary place for long. These conversations get a little more challenging.

When any of these scenarios occur, the senses of an impactful coach will start to tingle. We know a response is necessary. We know we have to step in. But depending on the situation you find yourself in you may not feel comfortable having the uncomfortable conversation.

You might be:
An inexperienced coach. You may feel that you are ill-equipped to share what you have noticed. The good news is you have sensed when something needs to be addressed but the required bravery and confidence hasn’t been built up inside of you …yet.

An internal employee coach. You may feel paralyzed. Your organization may have a history of poor treatment to those who speak up against the “status quo.” Your inner voice is crying out for you to do something but the fear of ramification on your career or in keeping a stress-free work environment has kept you immobilized.

An external vendor coach. Similarly, if you are from an outside organization, you may be hesitant to speak the truth into an organization that is paying for you to be there. Many outside coaches stay silent when they know deep down something must be done – especially when the contract is up for renewal.

An experienced coach. You have been on this coaching journey for a long time and you may be tired. You’ve had situations like this before and you know what is needed to address it. But you also know you might be “opening up a can of worms” and this will be just another thing to have on your plate.

But we all know the consequence of not having these conversations. Every time we allow poor behavior and bad habits to slide, additional weight is being added to the anchor holding us back from meaningful change. Two steps forward one step back become no steps at all.

To start feeling more comfortable about having these conversations, I would like to share a simple framework I’ve developed over the years that have helped me when I don’t feel equipped, when I’m paralyzed, when I’m hesitant, or when I’m tired.

With this framework, there is never any stress. There is never any fear of repercussions. It doesn’t take a lot of energy and it doesn’t matter at what level in the organization the person you are addressing is at.

Here we go!

Frame who you are and your responsibilities.

After you have steeled up the courage and introduced yourself, stress the importance of the message you would like to share and that you’re speaking from a position of authority. It may not be a formal position of authority but as a deputized agent of change, you are the authority.

“My role as a coach REQUIRES me to share this with you. In fact, as part of what I do, if I don’t say something, I would need to turn in my coaching card.”

This may shock them a bit…but that’s ok.

Present your findings as a gift.

This next step sets the tone for the entire interaction. Your tone should be warm and your body language open and welcoming. You are not abusing your authority.

“I have something that I noticed and I would like to share it with you. This is offered as a gift – I have no agenda or motive other than to grow the capability of others. If you are open now I would like to share it with you. If this isn’t the right time, text or call me when you’re ready and I’ll come running.”

Yes, give them your cell phone number. Yes, if they text you, drop what you’re doing and go. My belief is the momentum in any change endeavor is generated through many small moments like this.

Wait for them to take the next step.

There can be only two responses after your invitation:

They can dismiss you entirely (not calling or texting) or by saying, “I don’t want to talk right now.” This doesn’t happen very often. If it does, you should feel confident knowing that you have planted a seed and there is a chance they will reach out to you in the future.

They can choose to enter the “arena of change” by saying, “Yeah, I would love to hear what you have to say.” Most of the time this will be the response you hear.

Share your insights with absolute humility and grace-filled words.

Present the gift of awareness. State the facts. Connect at a human level because we are all a work in progress. Emphasize the impact of the habit or behavior you noticed.

“I noticed when you were with the team and they were sharing their ideas, you never let then finish their thoughts. I could sense the frustration in their voices and on their faces. We’ve all been there, I’ve been guilty of the same thing but let me share what this does to your team. They slow down because they will start waiting for you to be around to make decisions and eventually, they will shut down because they don’t feel valued.”

Carefully listen to their response.

If you have made it this far, we can use the “meeting them where they are” mental model to guide us along.

The unaware may respond with, “I had no idea this was an issue.” They may have a significant blind spot and no one has been comfortable enough to give them the gift of a conversation about it.

The unable may respond with, “This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this. I’m working on it.” They are dealing with a long-lasting habit that is uneasily broken.

The unwilling may respond with, “I don’t agree with what you’re saying.” They believe they don’t have an issue and don’t need your help.

Those in the arena of change may respond with, “Wow…thank you for sharing this. What do you think I should do?” They are in the open and creative space of change…perfect!

Meet them where they are.

And now you can actually meet them where they are.

For those unaware, use storytelling. Tell them a cool story about how the scenario they were in could have played out if they behaved differently. Invite them to enter the arena of change so be prepared to have the next steps for them (i.e. read the stories of others, join a community of practice, connect with another coach).

For the unwilling, all you can do is have empathy. We’ve all been lost sometimes so just be a beacon of hope. Some of the unwilling may be going through a rough period in life so they may already feel beat down and tired. A simple response of “No worries. If you would ever like to chat about it, you have my number.” is probably enough for now. Some day, a moment of clarity may appear to them and there is a chance they will remember you.

For those unable, be prepared to sacrifice your time and energy to give them help. There isn’t anything worse than knowing the right thing to do and not being able to do it. Perform research around opportunities for them to enter into the arena of change (i.e. leadership retreats, accountability partners, other coaches) and share it with them.

For those in the arena of change, teach them new techniques and provide a few tools to create new habits and shape fresh behaviors. One simple example to close out our example might be:

“Here is one quick tip for you, for the next few days, I would like you to try to say these two phrases constantly – I trust you and I’m proud of you. Journal every time you really meant it and the times you had to fake it. Cherish all the moments you meant it. For those times you had to fake it, capture what you felt and why. I’ll check in with you next week to see how it went.“

You are taking your initial gift of a tough conversation and expanding it an engine of awareness and new habits (a changed life).

Here are a few final thoughts on how to use this framework:

1. An impactful coach will have the discernment to find the right time and place to have this conversation. Never do this in public but don’t linger. Have the conversation as soon as possible.
2. Always offer to continue the journey into the change arena with them or connect them with someone who can. If you can’t do this, I would consider not having this conversation.
3. Use this for good things as well. If you see great behavior then tell them how much you appreciate the hard work of habit change and provide a boost of encouragement.
4. If the unwilling continue with poor behavior impacting the overall organizational change journey, something will eventually need to be done about it. When organizational leadership ignores this, they are unwilling and will have little chance of changing at scale.

The post On Having the Tough Conversations appeared first on Illustrated Agile.

As coaches, we will be encountering and interacting with people all day long. At least I hope we are. And all of these people are on a journey of change just like ourselves. Some just starting out, some who have been on it for a while, and some who don’t want anything to do with the journey.

The expectation is for you, the coach, to have an impact on each person by transferring hope, knowledge, and experience to them regardless of where they are or where they’ve been. Some will be eager to interact with you while others will shy away.

So we will need to learn how to “meet them where they are.” But how do we really know where people are along their journey and once we do know, how do we interact with them in meaningful ways?

It is easy to get this wrong. When we use the wrong words we begin to doubt ourselves. When our timing is off it can be frustrating (to us and them). When we force our coaching it can tarnish relationships and grind progress to a halt. When we ignore areas of change any hope of a holistic change taking hold is lost.

So with this post, we will dig into how we can really meet people where they are (and put ourselves in the position to enjoy the journey as well). This simple mental model will help guide the way. The beauty of this coaching model is no one is left behind – regardless of where they’ve been, where they are, or where they are going.

Let’s start with the last half of the phrase first.

Where are they?

Within the context of organizational and personal change, I’ve found people (and groups of people) generally fall into the following spectrum:

Unaware. They do not know about the possibilities a change can bring or don’t have the knowledge of what a potential change could look like. The words we use could sound like a foreign language to them. You might hear “What are you even talking about?” from the unaware.

Unwilling. They know they need to change or they know of the change but are not committed to making a change. The unwilling often fall into three categories: 1) they have been rewarded or promoted for acting a certain way and don’t believe a change would be of benefit 2) no one else is changing so why should they or 3) they just don’t feel that they need to change i.e. they are struggling with self-awareness or lingering blind spots.

Unable. They have the desire to change but they just can’t. There are always reasons why such as no time, too much work to do, or my team needs me. And for some, the habits are so deeply ingrained that they may have attempted to change in the past and couldn’t, so they are just demoralized.

Entered the Arena of Change. They have decided to make a commitment to a change. There are no more excuses. They want to start the hand-to-hand combat of breaking old habits and poor behaviors but they don’t know where to start.

Open Mind. They are mentally ready to receive fresh information. They are learning how their behaviors and actions are impacting their environment. They are open to “spinning the paradigms” in their minds and thinking about things in new ways.

Willing Muscles. They are putting in the work of change by chipping away at bad habits and replacing them with new habits. They are taking what is entering their minds and physically acting on this fresh information. Words are changing. Behaviors are changing. They have built up a network of accountability to keep them motivated throughout the journey.

Changed Life. They are living and breathing the change. What they are thinking, feeling, doing, and saying are all in alignment. People around them are seeing and hearing a “different person” and because of this, the change begins to replicate (they begin to evangelize to the unaware and care for the unwilling or unable).

How do we meet them?

For me, the majority of coaching impact does not happen by meeting people in formal settings (classrooms, speaking from the front of the room, fancy PowerPoint slides, and interactive games and simulations). While there is a time for this, the most impact we can have is with face-to-face interaction.

So coaches need to fall in love with the messiness of human-to-human interaction, especially for the unaware, unwilling, or unable. This is not very glamorous and frequently goes unnoticed but is essential for nudging people into the arena of change.

The Unaware, Unwilling, or Unable

For those who are unaware, unwilling, or unable, our primary objective as a coach should be to get them to enter the arena by meeting them in thoughtful, arms-wide-open, and grace-filled ways.

To do this, you may need to go against your natural instincts. When you want to speak…you may need to listen. When you want to teach…you may need to learn. When you want to preach…you may need to serve. With the unaware, unwilling, or unable, meeting them with typical coaching activities and language will rarely bear fruit.

For the unaware, meet them by putting coaching energy towards story–telling. We are looking to create just enough of a spark of curiosity so some of your stories may touch the fringe of science fiction. If the stories are compelling and resonate, the unaware just might gravitate towards entering the arena.

Stories you should be prepared to tell (in order of most impactful):

1. Stories from you about you. Nothing creates movement more than personal stories from your own journey.
2. Stories from others. Have people who are in the arena of change available to share their stories of struggle and hope, of peaks and valleys.
3. Stories from the future. Start a story with “Imagine a world where…” as frequently as possible as you describe a future where the work of change is paying off.
4. Stories from you about others. Have many stories of change journeys you have witnessed in your back pocket to share at any moment.

For the unwilling, meet them by putting coaching energy towards empathy. This will involve a great deal of patience and extreme listening.

I’ve found that many of the unwilling are unwilling because they are tired and skeptical. They have been grinding for a long time or they have seen many change initiatives come and go.

When we stumble upon the unwilling our natural tendency is typically one of two things: to engage in “hand-to-hand” combat by vomiting all of our knowledge on them or avoid them altogether. I know I’ve been guilty of both in the past. But instead, we should take a step towards them with an attitude of learning about their “why” and discover as much as we can about them.

Ways to find out the “why” of the unwilling:

• Listen for keywords. There might be some truth behind why they are unwilling (change initiatives went wrong for example). There may also be words of hope to latch onto to anchor future conversations about the future.
• Learn as much as possible about their past experiences. They may be a product of poor leadership behaviors in the past and their current approach is all they know.
• Be around them. Don’t force anything but stay close. Drop by every so often and ask how they are doing. Once you have listened and learned you can begin to think of the unwilling as “unaware.” Begin to tell stories of how this change will be different and what their experience will be like in the arena of change.

For the unable, coaching energy should be spent on giving. Because the unable are aware and are willing but haven’t been able to change yet, they need to experience the change. The unable need to see examples of the change in action.

Many of the unable have given up hope and are resigned to the fact that they will never change. This is your responsibility to inspire them to try again.

Examples of giving to the unable could include:

• The gift of your time. Spend all day with someone and provide real-time encouragement and conversation throughout the day.
• The sacrifice of your resources. Take them out to lunch. Send them a book. Drop a note on their desk.
• The sacrifice of your commitment. Offer to be an accountability partner to them. Give them your mobile number and tell them to text you any time they are in a situation where they could use a little coaching.

Entering the Arena

For those just entering the arena of change, coaching energy should be spent on orienting them to the journey about to unfold. We are at first, a tour guide, creating a space of safety and welcoming. We may need to hold a hand or walk with someone for a while as they prepare themselves for what is ahead.

In the Arena

Once into the arena, the fun of coaching can begin. The primary objective of a coach is to inspire hope and guide people on a journey of discovery towards a new future. We have precious cargo we are responsible for.

For those with an open mind, meet them with instructing. This is your opportunity to begin transferring bits of knowledge about the possibilities of change and how they can bring the future to life. This is where classroom settings and interactive games and exercises work well but don’t be afraid to do individual tutoring here.

Start small. Sometimes just a whiteboard is all you need. As mentioned in the post An Exit Strategy for the Agile Coach, we should give them just enough instruction to get them started.

For those with willing muscles, meet them with coaching. As they take in what has been instructed to them, you should observe them, challenge them, question them, pick them up with they stumble, and encourage them to take the next baby step. Being in the arena of change is hard work so your presence is needed to keep them focused on making a little bit of progress each day.

For those living a changed life, meet them with mentoring. With the work of change taking hold, there is evidence of the change becoming real. Their peers notice. Their team member notice. Their families notice.

Our role now is to prepare them to replicate the experience by helping others who are unaware, unwilling, and unable to enter their own change arena. And then we rattle their world by teaching them new things and opening their minds all over again.

The post Meeting Them Where They Are appeared first on Illustrated Agile.

One of the things I am often asked about is how should we assess the performance of a coach. Some days I wonder this about myself…“Am I living into my full potential? What kind of impact am I really having?”

To answer this question, it’s important to first define the North Star of what a coach should aspire to. While you will have something different, here is what I use:

“A fellow human with the ability to create an environment of hope and possibility, the energy to inspire others to visualize a new future, an approach to guide them along a journey towards this new future, and finds deep satisfaction in observing others grow and flourish as this future becomes a reality for them.”

Again, this is what I use for a vision for a coach but you can see what words are included – hope, possibility, visualize, future, inspire, guide, observing, and flourish. As you can imagine, using words such as these to describe an impactful coach makes assessing “success” or progress a challenge. And without a tangible product, specific targets or goals, or any physical output being produced to gauge performance the difficulty is escalated further.

In addition to the ambiguity of the role and the lack of a physical outcome to probe for quality, there are other reasons for us to treat the assessment of coaches a little differently than other roles.

• Styles and personalities. Outgoing people or extroverts may get more accolades from those being coached. Good public speakers or facilitators are sometimes viewed as highly competent coaches. Some coaches intentionally take a more hands-off approach while others take a more active role. The style of a coach may lead to “false positives” or even worse, “false negatives.”
• Variation of experiences and approaches. There isn’t one way to coach. With so many different certifications, training classes, scaling techniques, and methodologies it becomes confusing to know what success looks like.
• Gaps between interaction and actual impact. The time between a coaching engagement and the visible manifestation of impact is often lengthy. Short-term positive indications, while welcomed, may be misleading when we haven’t had the chance to see lasting change or if actual improvement has happened.

Thinking Differently

The ambiguities and challenges faced when assessing a coach will require us to think creatively about how we go about it. If you are one who is assessing a coach (either for yourself or for other coaches), traditional performance assessment approaches will need to be abandoned and replaced with fundamental shifts in assessment techniques and behaviors.

A shift:
From feedback gatherers to evidence seekers. We are not looking at what people are saying about the coach…we are looking for clues that those people being coached have actually changed.

From quality control police to movement creation sensors. We are not looking for perfection in our coaches…we are looking for movement creators and resistance fighters.

From performance reviewers to change impact monitors. We are not looking to assign ratings to our coaches or to categorize them…we are looking to reward them for their ability to manifest change.

We will bring these fundamental shifts to life by looking for evidence, movement creation, and change impact in 4 distinct areas.

The In-Between Hours

I call the time before, between, and after coaching activities the “in-between hours.” During this time, a coach has disengaged from actively coaching groups or individuals. These blocks of time, sometimes lasting from a few hours to a few days, are the launching pad for coaching growth and the strengthening of the coaching community if used wisely.

A coach is preparing the soil during this time by doing the work necessary so they are ready to coach. This is when coaches are “putting their back” into their craft or as Steven Covey would say, this is when we are sharpening the saw. How coaches spend their “in-between hours” is as important as the time spent with those they are coaching and if not used with purpose and intent they waste away.

Also, being in a coaching community during the “in-between time” cannot be stressed enough. We need each other and this is one role you cannot do alone. Believe me, I’ve tried. We all get demoralized and tired sometimes but “lone wolf” coaches become ineffective, miserable, and often quit.

Seek evidence of:
Learning from the community. Are they soaking in new knowledge and experiences from other coaches? (inside and outside of the organization)
Preparing with creativity and context. Are they designing vibrant experiences and activities for the people they are coaching? (the right thing at the right time for the right people)
Connecting with the community. Are they sharing what they are learning with other coaches? (inside and outside of the organization)

Sense and monitor for:
A heavy dose of inquisitiveness. Without continuous learning, coaches become irrelevant.
A spark of ingenuity. Without creativity, coaches become stale.
A heart for sharing and connection. Without community, coaches will struggle.

In-the-moment Presence

The moment a coach leaves the “in-between hours” and begins a coaching interaction we will notice just how well they have soaked in knowledge, designed with creativity, and learned from their community. We are looking to see if a coach is turning their God-given gifts into meaningful experiences for those they are coaching.

A coach is planting seeds during this time and the only impact we can measure is if they can stimulate the start of a journey towards growth in a fellow human or change in the broader organization.

We do not need flashy presentations or flamboyant facilitation – we need coaches who can educate, inspire, and motivate people to take the next step along a change journey towards a new future.

Seek evidence of:
Sharing with clarity. Can they blend what they are learning and have experienced into an easily consumed message?
Interacting with energy. Can they get people excited about what is being coached? Can you tell that the coach believes in what they are coaching?
Engaging with bravery. Can they address tough situations? Can they overcome resistance with grace and stamina?

Sense and monitor for:
Smiles and laughs per hour. The presence of a coach should stir something up within the people they are coaching. We are delivering a message of hope and leading the way forward towards a new reality. This should cause a few smiles.
Furrowed brows per hour. But change is often painful and introducing new habits aren’t always fun. Sometimes, what a coach is sharing will sound like a foreign language because it is radical compared to how people are working today. If all we have are smiles then we may not be pushing hard enough. People should be questioning what they previously believed to be true about how work gets done.
Twinkles in eyes per interaction. Ultimately, through all the highs and lows of working with a coach, people should find hope in themselves and others. And coaches should find belief in themselves so look for the twinkle in the coach’s eyes as well.

Short-Term Evidence of Potential Impact

The reason a coach exists, I believe, can come down to one word…transfer. The transferring of enthusiasm, of experience, of knowledge, of confidence, of belief. With each coaching interaction, we can begin to look for evidence if this transfer has occurred.

This transfer manifests itself by seeing sprouts and saplings emerge from the presence of a coach. A coach is transferring the necessary nutrients to those being coached and creating the proper environment for growth to begin.

Upon exiting a coaching experience there is a temptation to assess the success of a coach on accolades from those being coached. We often hear of people “liking” their coach or giving high satisfaction scores in post-session surveys but nothing changes in behaviors or habits. This usually means there were too many smiles and not enough furrowed brows.

Seek evidence of:
Excitement generation. Has their presence generated enthusiasm for what is being brought to life?
Convert creation. Are people joining the movement? Do we actually see new behaviors or habits in people?
Incremental results. Are the people being coached taking the knowledge and experience transferred to them and immediately producing valuable outcomes by working in fresh new ways?

Sense and monitor for:
“Revolutionists” gained per day. We don’t look at the coach…we look at those being coached. They should be coming alive and helping spread a healthy virus to others in the organization.
Small behavior and habit changes. Those being coached are practicing new things in small ways.
A few scars. Being a coach in the trenches of organizational change can be treacherous. Sometimes the seeds being planted won’t sprout no matter how good a coach is…and that’s ok. Every time this happens should be treated as a blessing and used as nutrients to bring back into the coaching community.

Long-Term Evidence of Actual Impact

Over time, we should see the fruits of preparation, presence and short-term evidence turning into meaningful impact. This will take many months and years and is often witnessed well after the normal yearly performance appraisals.

The impacts we should be seeing are trees and forests emerging from the sprouts and saplings planted throughout the career of a coach. This means, there should be a visible trail of growth in the lives of others, the teams they have worked with, and the organizations they have served. And not just any growth…but a deep-rooted strength built upon the nutrients transferred from the coach.

This will require patience to assess but the only true measure of the impact of a coach takes time.

Seek evidence of:
Sustained growth in those being coached. Has the presence of a coach caused others to be strengthened, encouraged, and emboldened?
Running towards “meatier” problems. Is the coach actively pursuing the most challenging coaching opportunities in the organization?
Greater thought-leadership. Is the coach becoming a force in the broader coaching community?

Sense and monitor for:
Stories from the trenches. Listen for stories from those a coach has interacted with throughout their experiences. Stories of bravery, of experimentation, of being uncomfortable, of increased strength. Sometimes the language is subtle so you may need to listen closely.
Large(r)-scale presence. The coach has become a powerful force within the community and organization. You’ll notice them just “showing up” at places as they have the instinct of where they will add the most value. People are naturally following the coach and seeking out advice from the coach.
A legacy of change agents. There should be wave after wave of up-and-coming coaches and change agents by our coach sharing with and mentoring less-experienced coaches.

In summary, notice preparation and connection, search for short-term clues of potential future impact, and then, if you have the privilege of observing a coach for a more extended period of time, begin to scan for evidence of actual impact.

The post How to Assess an Organizational Change Coach appeared first on Illustrated Agile.

Our role as change catalysts often involves introducing fresh thinking about how the nature of work is evolving and how people in organizations will need to evolve along with it. These ideas can sometimes feel radical to folks as we bump up against the comfort of the status quo and the gravitational pull of “this is how we’ve always done things.”

My recent coaching experience with a team provided a valuable lesson about pushing boundaries and facing resistance.

This team was asked to re-think how the organization should develop and grow its people given the new way of working emerging from their transformation efforts. This could include things like career progression, performance reviews and feedback, and rewards and recognition. 

The ideas emerging from the team, while well-researched and thought-out, were indeed radical and cutting edge in nature. Radical, but in line with what the organization needed to advance their change journey. 

When these ideas were introduced to others in the organization they were not exactly received with open arms. In fact, the responses ranged from being somewhat lukewarm to completely skeptical.

This reminded me of a scene in the “Back to the Future” movie when Marty McFly rips into a guitar solo the likes of which have never been heard before…at least for those in 1955. The stunned crowd stares in disbelief in what they just experienced. 

Marty’s reply is priceless. “You might not be ready for it…but your kids are going to love it.” 

When we introduce ideas into an organization, we may get the same blank stares of disbelief as Marty McFly did. Our words can sound like a foreign language. Our ideas like science fiction. Sometimes the current generation just might not understand. And it’s easy to get discouraged.

So our important lesson is this…while it might seem we are doing the work of change for the here and now, those who likely will appreciate it most will be future generations. 

If you’ve bumped up against the resistance of status quo or are being challenged to bring fresh thinking into your organization, here are a couple of thoughts to encourage you:

Understand the current state. Many organizations are in a constant state of reactionary fire-fighting so ANY thinking of the future will be out of the question.  In fact, fire-fighting and heroic efforts have become a badge of honor and rewarded for quite some time, shrinking the window of opportunity for fresh possibilities to be introduced. If this is your organization, the first step is to acknowledge that this is what you’re up against – then we go about the work of changing it. 

Start using visionary language. I personally challenge myself to use at least one sentence a day starting with the phrase “Imagine a world where…” For example,  “Imagine a world where we are functioning without stress, have space and time to think, and are no longer rewarded for how busy we are and who we know but for the positive impact we are having on the life’s of our customers.” Nobody believes me about being able to operate without stress by the way…but I keep saying it anyway. You should too.

Design space for futuristic thinking. As coaches, I must admit sometimes we feed into this dysfunction by own short-term thinking – such as jumping immediately into MVPs and getting something out the door as quick as possible in the name of being “agile.”  But we have the opportunity to design space to think about doing bigger things. It doesn’t take much.

For example, I have added specific exercises for the teams I work with to answer these questions:

• Hard trends. What is happening to us and around us?
• Soft trends. What might happen to us and around us?
• Macro trends. What could the world be like in 20 years? Or 30 years? 

Stay close to existing leaders. Old dogs can learn new tricks. Keep sending articles or blog posts with fresh ideas and stories of organizations working in “cutting-edge” ways. Get them involved in brainstorming sessions. Give them early drafts of ideas. Keep them involved.

Stay closer to the next generation. I am reminded of the Frederick Douglas quote,  “It is easier to build strong children than repair broken men.” We will obviously work with anyone in front of us – especially existing leaders. Those with the potential to be visionary leaders are the ones who should be getting promoted…not those who are working the hardest but making the lives around them miserable. We need to support them with vigor.

Keep pushing the boundaries and planting seeds. Stick with it. When our ideas are rejected our natural tendency is often to push away and not try again. But don’t give up. Keep planting new ideas.

It’s worth it. Our kids are going to love it (and thank us for it).

The post …But Your Kids are Going to Love it appeared first on Illustrated Agile.

Recently, someone very close to me had to leave a leadership position at their company due to health reasons. This person invested deeply in the relationships of her team and created deep and long-lasting bonds with them.

She inspired them, cherished them, cared for them, and fought for them. She empathized with them and created an environment for them to be themselves. All of this while in a level of pain that very few knew about and would be debilitating to most others – I know it would be to me.

Shortly after it was announced that she would not be returning to work this email arrived in her inbox.

Let me begin with you are AMAZING!! You’re a leader any organization would love to have on their team. Even though I wasn’t a part of your team personally, half of me was. He never once complained about the job, maybe the drive LOL, but never the job. You motivated and believed in him in ways that I couldn’t. I thank you!! Always know that you have a genuine, outstanding team cheering you on and praying for you. Stay strong and know that we are here for you. (emphasis added)

As you can tell, this email did not come from someone on her team….but their wife.

Every time I read this, I start to tear up. While I always knew the character of this person, to see the words describing the impact her leadership had not only with a member of the team but with their family is powerful.

Experiencing this note and seeing the impact it has had on its receiver reminded me of something. Whether we care to admit it or not, the ripple effect of leadership behavior is profound and deep-reaching.

While I could bullet out many things, becoming a leader with a positive ripple effect comes down to one word.

Sacrifice.

The sacrifice of thought. There will be times when you would rather think about your own problems and pains – but instead, you think about the pain and problems of others.

The sacrifice of time. There will be times when you would rather do things yourself because you could do it faster or better – but instead, you focus on teaching and coaching others so they get stronger.

The sacrifice of energy. There will be times when you would rather focus on your own “to do” list – but instead, you focus on doing things for others.

The sacrifice of self. There will be times when you would rather focus on your own ambition – but instead, you focus on lifting others up.

When the opposite of sacrifice occurs (self-absorbed thoughts, the hoarding of time and energy, the accumulation of control, and the inflating of self) an unhealthy tremor ripples through a broad swath of our communities – not just at work. It is so important for those responsible for the well-being of people in the workplace to understand this.

Every word, every action, every expression, and every sacrifice…will cause a ripple.

This has been a great lesson for me. To become smaller so others can be bigger. Give more. Build up more. Sacrifice. I’m still a work in progress but at least I have someone close showing me the way.

Seeing this note is also a great reminder to all of us to continuously share our gratitude and appreciation for others. The author of this email had no idea of the positive ripple effect it would create. Send a note of gratitude to someone today (and every day).

The post The Far-Reaching Impact of Leaders appeared first on Illustrated Agile.