There is a type of caterpillar called a processionary caterpillar, so named because one will establish a direction and all the others will fall in very closely behind and move in the same path. As a matter of fact, the followers’ behaviors becomes so automatic that their eyes become half-closed as they shut out the world around them and let the leader do all the thinking and decision making about which direction to pursue. Their behavior is rote and automatic.

An experiment by the French naturalist Jean-Henri Fabre demonstrated the rigidity of the processionary caterpillars’ behavior when he enticed the leader to start circling the edge of the large flower pot. The other caterpillars followed suit in a tight process, forming a closed circle in which the distinctions between leader and follower became totally blurred, and the path had no beginning and no ending. Instead of soon getting bored with the nonproductive activity, the caterpillars kept up their mindless search for several days and nights until they dropped off the edge of the flowerpot from exhaustion and starvation. Relying totally on instinct, past experience, custom, and tradition, the caterpillars achieve nothing because they mistook activity for achievement.

I believe that employees can fall into the trap of blindly following their leader easily. Innovation and creativity, risk taking, and strategy is lost when they act like a drone rather than an individual leader of themselves and an example to others. While the business may not suffer if an individual contributor’s behaviors are automatic and without direction, the business may see drastic performance improvement if they have their “eyes wide open.”

If you find your employees are “circling the pot,” here are a few helpful tips for leaders to increase their motivation and hold them accountable for higher performance.

• Delegate assignments that are especially interesting to an employee and empower them to take the lead and own the assignment.

• Recognize and reward good displays of individual leadership (innovation and creativity, risk taking, strategy).

• Teach team members about being accountable.  Help them understand what it means to be accountable and the power and freedom that comes from doing your best.

• When a team member fails to act as an individual leader, debrief the experience and discuss better behaviors, attitudes, and actions for future situations.

• Talk openly about the importance of fulfilling responsibilities, as well as exceeding expectations.

Recently, one of the participants in our Applied Strategic Thinking Workshop asked if the material being presented was available in an E-Learning format or if we had considered making it available on-line.  Though, I had my answer before he even finished his question, I asked the rest of the group how they would answer his question.  Overwhelmingly the group said what they were learning in the classroom could not be duplicated by e-learning.  In fact, the person who asked the question actually felt the same way.  He just wanted to probe a group of 20 of his peers on this topic because the leaders in his organization seem to believe that everything can be done electronically.

All things done electronically

What an interesting concept—all things done electronically.  It has some truth to it.  Many things can be done electronically or will be in the future.  I mean, whoever thought text messaging would be a common norm for just about everyone.  However, it doesn’t mean messages can be received equally.  When getting a text from someone, you cannot distinguish the tone in which it was sent.  Facial expressions, tone of voice, and physical stance gives the intended receiver a clearer message.  The same can be said about teaching sessions.

The Best Leadership Training

While teaching concepts and content can be done on the Internet, it doesn’t mean we can guarantee the same results as we would get with traditional classroom training.  For example, I saw an advertisement for a self-study leadership program.  It “GUARANTEES” that the person will become a “PHENOMENALLY SUCCESSFUL” leader after viewing four 60 minute programs and reading a participant guide which was all on 1 DVD.  I am very curious as to how many successful leaders would agree that a 4-hour self-study program would translate into a successful leader?  Leadership is about what you help others achieve, not about where you take yourself.  It is about interaction.

Electronic Teaching has a place

This group agreed that e-learning, web based learning, and computer based training does have a place.  CMOE’s Applied Strategic Thinking does not give the same return on investment in an electronic format.  The same is true for our Coaching Skills workshop and several of our leadership development programs.  The human element that exists in developing these types of skills simply can’t be fully replicated on-line.  On the flip side, you could see great results using an online training program for product information or employee orientation.  It certainly would save time.  What we have found is that a blended learning approach can work well.  Combining traditional classroom training with e-learning tools to prepare and then sustain what is done in the classroom can be a powerful combination for long term success.

In the end, it’s isn’t a matter of one training method being better than the other. What it really boils down to is selecting the best training method that will get the results you want.  While you can attempt to teach human interaction skills through a computer, it won’t be truly effective without human interaction.  Regardless of your choice, remember that in general, you get what you pay for.

How important is it to know your audience? Extremely important if you are dealing with a culture different than your own. A few weeks ago, my Father told the following story to me about the importance of knowing your audience…

“We were attached to the Special Operations Command; our area of responsibility was primarily the South Pacific and Near East. We were preparing for our first military mission in Japan, to participate in a joint operation exercise with the Japanese military. So, we were deeply involved in learning as much as we could of their history, culture and customs. Early in our training, the importance of exchanging of business cards in the Japanese culture was explained to us. Not only did you need to have a card, there was the right and wrong way to present your card, and how to handle ones you receive. For example: when given a card you should hold the card in both hands, study it for a moment, bow and thank the giver and then place it in your shirt pocket, next to your heart, all as a sign of respect. As we would be meeting and working with high ranking military and civilian members of the government, business cards were necessities for us.

This quickly became a game of who could design the most impressive business card. Every time someone came in with their newest printing of cards, those of a lesser quality felt obliged to scrap their old ones and try to match or improve theirs. It quickly went from standard weight paper with black printing, to top shelf weight and water marked paper, with multicolored designs, titles, phone numbers, fax numbers etc.

As I considered what my card should look like, I decided to wait until the frenzy was over so I would only have to pay for one and not multiple printings. I also decided that less was better and so had my cards made with a Crest on top, rank and name in the middle, and fax and phone number on the bottom, that’s it. Because the minimum order of cards was something like six hundred, and I could never imagine giving out that number, I decided to have a friends name put on half of them to save him some money. To be honest, I was embarrassed to show my simple card to my associates so simply said, “Yes, I have some cards,” when asked.

There were a number of social events before the start of the exercise where we were able to test our newly learned cultural and customs skills. Upon meeting in the Japanese culture, an “underling” of sorts is put in front to accept a card from someone. Unfortunately, when my commander was introduced before I was, it was assumed that I was the commander and he the underling, instead of the other way around.

As I gave my card to the person to pass on to his superior, the man took it in both hands, and with eyes widened exclaimed, “Oh-so Pederson-son!” He then with much reverence bowed even lower to his superior and presented my card. The superior had much the same reaction as the first.

Throughout the exercise, I almost exhausted my supply of cards. At times, I had dozens of people asking for a card. My friend, with whom I shared my cards, also had a similar experience. Needless to say, I surprised at the popularity of our cards.

However, my commander and other egocentric types were not only surprised but a bit miffed. Since both my friend and I were large of stature and graying, they soon decided that the reverence the Japanese hold for their elders was the reason for our popularity.

Even after the exercise began, I was still sought out for a card, to such an extent that I had to hold back a few for the festivities following the end of the exercise. By the end of the exercise my friend and I were completely out of cards, the only ones I know of that were. This popularity continued to rankle my supervisors.

Upon returning home, I did some more research and found the reason for my friend’s and my instant popularity in Japan. I read, a card presented to someone in Japan with nothing but their name tells the receiver; “This person is so important that everyone knows who they are,” at least in the country from where they came from. Our simple cards to the Japanese were equivalent to a card from the President of the United States, who only needs the presidential seal and his name on it.

I never did share this information with my egocentric supervisors.”

In an effort to do a fun activity with my four year old son, I recently started a little project that captured the results of teamwork over a sustain period of time.  This idea stemmed from my son asking for a pet, and me wanting to find a simple, easy, maintenance free alternative.

I reference this as a “project,” because when I helped my boy select and purchase our Ant Farm, I had an underlying motive to observe the teamwork exhibited by these insects.  Ants are known for their teamwork, and used as an example in the book The Team Approach.  My intent was not just simply observing them, but documenting them for others to see.  Our period of observation lasted 14 days and below are a few observations of Ant teamwork in action:

1. Upon the ants being placed into the farm, they immediately began to work.  It was clear they had a combined objective which was to find a way to the light which represents the surface.  It was from the very beginning that teamwork to accomplish the task at hand is everyone’s responsibility.  The mission for the ants was to dig tunnels and from minute one they all appeared committed to this goal.
2. When one ant gets trapped due to a tunnel collapse, a small portion of the team stops working and focuses solely on freeing the pinned individual.  They value each team member and the contribution they make.  These ants seemed very aware of the needs of others and willingly offered help when the pressure was on.
3. They have clearly defined processes of where to dig tunnels and where to remove and place the excavated waste from the tunnel.  They even have a process on where to put deceased ants and ant waste.  Unfortunately, all of our Ants did not survive our observation period.
4. They project was running 24 hours a day.  Some ants sleep or rest, while others continued the work.  Once they have completed an element of their mission, they move onto the next one.  They work with an intensity any organizations team would want.
5. They work well across functions because of a shared vision to guide their actions.  If ants were digging from two separate points towards each other, they were always able to meet in the middle.
6. There is a strong sense of community and the ants appear to be connected and unified.  One of the ways ants communicate with each other is by touching each other’s Antenna.  In a strong community, community, communication is openly shared and people feel safe and secure to persist through challenges.

It makes the point that even lower life forms create organizations and team with roles, structures, and processes for their leaders and members.

– Team Team Approach

See this teamwork in action for yourself and watch the video clip below.  There are approximately 25 ants working together over a period of 14 day.  Through time lapse you can observe these 14 day in under 1 minute.

From the beginning of this project, it was clear that Teamwork in and of itself would be required between a father and his young curious son.   Aside from my boy moving the camera, moving the ant farm, turning off the computer, or turning on the lights, it was a success.

In many ways, ant colonies are similar to human organizations: they work, play, and keep pets.  Although small, they are incredibly strong.  Often ants will team up, two or more to drag a caterpillar that is several times their weight back to the colony. – Team Team Approach

An interesting fact:  It is estimated that there are 1,666,666 ants to every one human being

–Antworks, Fascinations, 2004

“Change is never complete, and change never ceases.  Nothing is ever quite finished with; it may always begin over again.  And nothing is quite new; it was always somehow anticipated or prepared for” (C.S. Lewis).

Change is everywhere, and change in the work environment is usually a given.  Many individuals experience the effects of change when they begin working for a new supervisor. This necessary change may come about due to downsizing in the company, moving to a new position, being promoted, or a number of other scenarios.  With change come adjustments and modifications.

Perhaps one of the more difficult adjustments is the emotional impact – you must leave some and join others.  Having changed managers over 15 times, I can tell you change never gets any easier.

I keep reminding myself that there are many benefits to change – new opportunities, new adventures, more accountability, more control, exposure to different management styles, new learning opportunities.Change can be daunting, but as “change never ceases” and as “it may always begin over again,” I have found some ways that have worked for me, in which to make the best of these opportunities.  I suggest them to you now:

• Ask questions – the more you understand, the more likely you are to succeed.
• Engage in conversation.  Conversation is your ability to truly influence others.
• Make your customer think, and give them time to think with silence.
• Build your credibility with third party support.
• Work projects; it gives you a better sense of accomplishment.
• Make other people heroes – things always have a way of coming back to you.
• Focus on your talents and leverage your strengths.
• Remember why you go to work every day.
• Put your family first. I have always found this to be my greatest support during times of change and adjustment.
• Keep a fire in your belly to succeed.  Much can be accomplished with a positive attitude and a desire to thrive.
• Have fun, have fun, have fun!  Change can actually be fun.
• Bear in mind, leadership isn’t a destination, it is a lifetime pursuit.
• Have a mentor.  Much may be learned by those you admire.
• Be a mentor.  Many may learn from you, and you may find you still pick up a thing or two.

“Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine” (Robert C. Gallagher).

“The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning (Ivy Baker Priest).

Because I love to sing, the movie Sister Act 2 is a favorite of mine. Near the end of the film, during a heated competition, a rival singing group ends up performing the exact same song that our heroes of the movie had planned on performing. So in a split second decision, Whoopi Goldberg (the choir director) changes the established “status quo” by telling the kids to take off the concert robes and wear their own street clothes. This is her way of coaching the members of her choir the importance of being themselves, no matter how crucial the event.

Coaching is a skill that many leaders think they have a firm grasp on, often performing the same “coaching-act” with each session. Many simply follow a questionnaire to “get the job done.” They do not carefully look at their own coaching style/approach in order to make the most effective session on a case by case basis. When done appropriately, Coaching enhances motivation, performance, awareness, and the development of another person.It is an ongoing process of building a partnership for continuous improvement.

Here are some tips to remember when planning a coaching session:

Match the type of support you offer to the other individuals personality and needs.Many times as coaches we rush into our topic of discussion.This may be due to time pressures, personality conflicts or difficult issues that need to be discussed. Consider asking the person if there are things they would like to talk about first. Starting a coaching conversation this way helps promote an open dialogue and is a key in gathering data from the person you are coaching.Plan ahead, be creative, and don’t use the same type of support repetitiously.

Experiment with different types of support and don’t be afraid to go with your gut feeling during your coaching sessions.It is okay to change approaches to an issue. Remember you are leading the choir; taking the person to where he/she needs to go which is not always to the established plan. SMART any plan you come up with (specific, measurable, action oriented, realistic, and time bound) and impose your solution only if it is necessary.

Allowing the other person to take ownership to a created plan is the first step to better performance from that person.

Unlike a concert choir robe, Coaching is not a “one size fits all” type of attire. It requires the Coach to think and act on their feet and willing change style at appropriate times. You will win some and you will lose some, however, by following the above tips, the person you are coaching will feel more comfortable knowing that you are being yourself and that you expect the same from them.

The benefits to building an effective team within the workplace cannot be understated.  Yet, after you laid the groundwork for a great team, maintenance is the most important factor.

No one doubts the importance of team building in an organization, but the necessity to maintain the team and continually foster an environment where it can grow is sometimes overlooked.  Just like any engine in a car, in order for all the pieces to function perfectly and reliably, the integral parts must be serviced regularly.  Effective coaching for your team may mean the difference between significant long-term productivity and a slow decline into obsolesce.

Effective Communication
The most significant factor in any team is the ability to communicate skillfully.  As a leader it is extremely important for you to be honest in evaluating the team’s communication skill.  Every system naturally has a tendency to break down. This isn’t just my opinion; it is the way of all human interaction.  Without consistent lubrication and preventive maintenance to keep your people performing at their best, your team will digress into a meaningless machine.  The key is to think creatively when renewing team purpose and commitment.

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
Remember, no matter what kind of problem your team may be facing, chances are someone else that someone has already dealt with a similar issue and has a unique way to approach it.  Seek these people out with a passion; they will inspire both you and your team to excel.  Standing on the shoulders of others is a critical key to transformation and forward progress of your team.  You may be able to apply the previously developed method rather than the spending your valuable time on your own trial and error.

Check in Regularly
Good communication means just that – going the extra step to assure progress.  Checking in with your team members means more than making sure their productivity is staying high.  A teammate who is at the end of his rope when it comes to workload may seem productive; right up to the moment that he ‘breaks.’  When this happens, the personnel gap may cost you more money than if you had checked in frequently with the team member and discovered the issues before they became problems.

This post was contributed by Alisa Johnson, a guest writer, who writes about the top online business school. She welcomes your feedback at Alisa.Johnson1982 at gmail.com

When you think of a team, what comes to mind? A basketball, football or soccer team? Or simply a group of professionals working together? Have geese ever come to mind as a working team? My mother once wrote a poem about a flock of geese and simply stated, why they fly together and it reminded me of the saying, “Birds of a feather, flock together.”

Birds of a feather, flock together:
Have you e’er been walking and seen in the sky
A flock of geese flying and perhaps wondered why?
They fly in a V-shape—not in some other form
Such as small groups or large groups or straight as the norm.
No feathered brain fowl, these geese really know
How to travel efficiently where e’er they go.
The V has a purpose, aerodynamically smart,
Those birds are good buddies; each one does its part.
They’ve got a neat system that’s often been shown
To provide for hurt geese so they’re not left alone.
And although their squawking won’t make a sweet song,
They honk to encourage each other along.
There’s rarely a goose with its neck out of joint
Cuz each one gets its chance to fly at the point.
So there’s never a leader too tired to lead
For each goose is primed for its turn when there’s need.
All of the creatures live lives that can teach
Us humans some lessons! And geese surely preach
How to learn and to lead, to build up and to bond
Why geese can show teammates how they could respond
To each other like geese as they fly. Don’t you think?
We could be Team Honkers and teammates in sinc?
By Linda Pederson 3/29/94

This simple poem has some very powerful advice regarding teams and teamwork:

•    Teamwork sometimes requires an individual sacrifice.  Just as the geese make sure that if one of their group needs to fall back, another is with them, such should be the motto of a team. No one is left  behind; in idea sharing, team building or assignments.

•    There is not a universal definition of a team. Teams are made up of people, animals, sub-groups, etc. The authors of the Team Approach , Dr. Steven Stowell and Stephanie Mead also contend that there are stunning parallels of the forces of teamwork , which are observable, between nature and what we see in modern organizations. They make the case that a team’s success is everyone’s responsibility.

Next time your eyes gaze upwards at the flying V in the sky, remember…all this “teamwork stuff” is not simply for the birds.

OMG, RU GOING CRAZY = Oh My Goodness, Are You Going Crazy!
Can you read the above line?  If you can’t, it is because technological communication is rapidly changing into encrypted messages like this, which is an unfamiliar form of communication for you!  Emails, instant messaging, and text messaging are a few of the most common methods of communication these days and face-to-face communication is becoming outdated. While I can see many benefits these communication methods bring both to the social and professional world, my concerns about how it affects our conflict management and relationship building skills is growing nonetheless.

U Need Help = You Need Help
I have a small counseling practice on the side where I focus on helping teenagers navigate through life.  During the past few years, I’ve personally seen a rapid decline in many teenager’s everyday social skills.  Some of my observations include difficulties addressing conflict, smaller vocabulary, poor non-verbals communication, inability to express emotions through verbal means (outside of the Text Message Shorthand of sideways smiley or frowny faces), and an overall discomfort with spoken conversations.  I know what you’re thinking at this point – welcome to working with teenagers!  However, I truly believe that this is largely due to a decrease in experience with face-to-face communication, and solely relying on texting, emailing, and instant messaging, where the human interaction is removed.

YUPPIES = Young Urban Professionals
So, how does this affect our up and coming workforce?  While the future is looking bright and full of talented and capable young individuals, it is likely these young individuals will struggle with the basic and essential skill of relating and connecting with team members, leaders, subordinates, clients and customers, and vendors.  Some organizations may even be seeing the affects of texting and emailing in employees who are in their early twenties.

Getting the 411 Is ^ 2 U = Getting the Information is Up to You
So, what is the solution?  One immediate action we can all take is to preserve the art of face-to-face communication in our own realm.  Despite the ease of typing a quick instant message to the person in the cubicle behind you, make an effort to send and receive a more accurate and personal message by doing so face-to-face.  Take the opportunity to call that vendor and clarify exactly what your department needs, versus hoping it is understood through a series of emails.  When you are going to be late to your next meeting, send a quick text letting the administrative assistant know you won’t be on time, but then take the opportunity to apologize in person and use non-verbals to communicate your sincerity.

Another step companies can take to ensure their workforce is full of effective communicators is to increase opportunities for training and development in the area of communication.  Training on communication skills is a great opportunity for employees to practice and learn basic and advanced levels of communication.  Your employees will be more aligned when they communicate from learning the same concepts and skills taught by qualified facilitators who are trained in adult learning theories.

Help develop communication skills B4 its 2 L8!

“If only I had enough time to… (fill in your own blank)”. How many times have you heard someone say those words in the last week? How many times have you thought those words in the last two days? I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who has enough time to do all of the things they should do, let alone include the things they would like to do. Nor have I ever met anyone who claimed to have too much time. And the reality is each of us has all the time there is… exactly 168 hours a week, no more no less. So then, why is it that some people find a way to get so much more done than others in the same amount of time? Or, why is it that some people are so terribly busy, they’re running here and running there but rarely get anything of significance accomplished? I have a theory and I would love to share it with you.

I’ve come to the conclusion, that for most of us, time management is not the problem. There is little doubt that each of us couldn’t get better in some aspect of time management. I’ve taught time management classes for more than 20 years. And while far from perfect, time management is not my biggest challenge either. So what is the biggest challenge to getting more done and creating more value where it matters most? I believe the answer is a lack of well thought out and clearly defined “strategic targets” which will have a significant impact on your future. Let me explain.

A “strategic target” represents an innovative, strategic idea or initiative you want to pursue. It describes where you want to be or what you want to accomplish at some point in the future. These targets could be personal or professional; they could be linked to your family life or relationships, your career or some aspect of your current job. A target could be as simple as “What are the expected outcomes of a meeting you’re facilitating this afternoon?”, or as complex as “What will the organization look like after the merger?”

Without specific targets to focus our limited time and energy, we spend a lot of time spinning our wheels on things of little strategic value, things that keep us running in frantic, meaningless circles. We’re very busy trying to do everything for everyone, and in the process, getting very little done that really matters or adds value to our lives or the lives of others. It is ironic that very few of us would get in our cars and drive frantically without a clear destination in mind. And yet, most of us have a tendency to go through our projects, jobs, careers and lives in just such a fashion… no clear destination or target in mind. No wonder we find ourselves so tired and so stressed out and yet no farther down our desired path.

Time management is not the problem… a lack of strategic targets is. What targets, if obtained, would make a difference in your life? Where are you going today? Do you know?