Four Conversations You Should Have With Your Boss

Posted on by Scott

yada-yada-1430679_640It goes without saying that regular communication between you and your manager is one sign of a healthy relationship. Ongoing, meaningful conversations are necessary to maintain your connection and ability to “read” each other. When you and your boss are in sync, work is smoother, more efficient, and more productive.

If contact is infrequent or impersonal, it can signify a lack of trust or a lack of engagement. Either is a sign of a degrading relationship and should ring alarm bell sin your head. A lack of regular communication is a symptom of larger issues that need to be addressed before things go too far. Should you find yourself wondering if you need to communicate more, you probably do.

But what kind of conversations should you and your manager be having? Beyond an exchange of pleasantries or questions about weekend plans, what kind of topics ought to be at the center of your dialogue? Here are four types of conversations you and your boss should be having:

The “What’s going on?” conversation: You and your manager should make an effort to keep each other in the loop regarding the current state of the business.

  • Discuss your numbers – What’s driving them? Is that spike or dip an anomaly or something we should have expected? How are the activities the team engages in day-to-day affecting performance?
  • Discuss your customers – What are they saying? What hits and misses have impacted your ability to serve lately? What are they getting somewhere else that you aren’t providing?
  • Discuss your team – Are people happy and engaged? If so, why> If not, why not? What seems to be working or not working as a team?

The “What’s coming up?” conversation: You and your manager should make an effort to look ahead in order to anticipate problems or spot opportunities.

  • What are the issues keeping your boss up at night?
  • What outside factors are putting pressure on the business?
  • What outside factors might provide an advantage for growth?

The “How can I help you?” conversation: Your manager has their share of projects to manage. You should be looking for ways to help them be successful. Never miss an opportunity to make your boss look good.

  • Identify ways you can add value.
  • Communicate your specific steps you can take and your desire to help.
  • Follow through with any commitments.

The “Will you help me?” conversation: It’s the job of the boss to help you, so they’re expecting this one. Save this conversation for last to illustrate your desire to work as a team, but don’t just dump your problems at their feet.

  • Identify specific steps you’d like for the boss to take.
  • Communicate the necessity of acting and the impact their actions will have.
  • Express gratitude for their continued support.

It’s tough being a boss. People look at you differently and most try to avoid conversations – either out of fear or a desire to appear independent. But your boss has the same needs you do – they want people they can talk to, confide in, and collaborate with. Make a point to be that person.

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Getting to Yes

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directory-973992_640You have an idea. It’s a great one; an idea that will save the company a lot of money, increase revenue, improve customer service, or just make everyone’s job easier. And it’s a no-brainer; nothing huge; just a small tweak that will move the needle in a positive way. Now you can’t stop thinking about it. In fact, the more you’ve thought about it, the more you’re convinced that this needs to happen.

So you pick up the phone, or draft an email, or walk across the hall to the one person who stands the best chance of helping you get this idea out of your head and into the real world – your boss. After laying out the basics of your suggestion, you pause to gauge their reaction and … nothing. No smile. No nod. No enthusiastically worded agreement. At best, you get “we’ll think about it.” More than likely, it’s some form of “No.”

Today’s organizations are in desperate need of innovation. Competition, regulation, and economic pressure are constantly at work – forcing companies into static, boring molds of mediocrity. Broad, sweeping change is harder and harder to accomplish. More than ever, we need employees who can identify micro-improvements; tiny, incremental, seemingly insignificant shifts in the way business works. It’s through these tweaks, compounded over time, that huge change can actually take place.[Tweet “It’s through micro-improvements, seemingly insignificant tweaks, that huge change takes place.”]

Unfortunately, it’s the boss who typically stands in the way. They just don’t see the benefit. There are bigger fish to fry. Now isn’t the time. Resources aren’t available. It’s just easier to leave things the way they are. Your idea is dead before it ever gets out of the starting gate.

According to Susan Ashford and James Detert, the problem may not be the boss, but you; or more accurately, your approach. In a 2015 study of “issue selling,” they identified seven tactics that spell success when to comes to championing organization change. Here are their steps, along with some thought prompts to consider before making your run at management.

  1. Tailor your pitch. Where does my audience stand on this issue? What does my audience find most convincing or compelling?
  2. Frame the issue. How can I connect my issue to organizational priorities? How can I best describe its benefits? How can I link it to other issues receiving attention? How can I highlight an opportunity for the organization?
  3. Manage emotions on both sides. How can I use my emotions to generate positive rather than negative responses? How can I manage my audience’s emotional responses?
  4. Get the timing right. What is the best moment to be heard? Can I “catch the wave” of a trend, for example, or tap into what’s going on in the outside world? What is the right time in the decision-making process to raise my issue?
  5. Involve others. Which allies from my network can help me sell my issue, and how can I involve them effectively? Who are my potential blockers, and how can I persuade them to support me? Who are my fence-sitters, and how can I convince them that my issue matters?
  6. Adhere to norms. Should I use a formal, public approach to sell my issue (for example, a presentation to upper management)? Or an informal, private approach (casual one-on-one conversations)? Or a combination of the two?
  7. Suggest solutions. Am I suggesting a viable solution? If not, am I proposing a way to discover one instead of just highlighting the problem?

Selling an issue to management looks a lot like selling a product or service to a prospect. Your approach is just as important as your message. Effective salespeople always think through an upcoming interaction, seeking the right combination of timing, words, and circumstances to help them communicate clearly and effectively. This same consideration should be taken when approaching management with your request for change.

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It’s a Matter of Trust

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trust-1418901_640Trust is a critical part of any relationship. Knowing you can rely on a partner or teammate allows you to focus on your strengths and responsibilities without worrying that something important will fall through the cracks. In a workplace setting, that’s especially important. Breaches of trust will break a team faster than anything else. Trust is also key to a healthy relationship with the boss.

How well your manager trusts you will dictate the extent to which you are allow to act freely. I’ve heard it said that trust is like a rope tied to your waist. The more trustworthy you are, the more the person holding the other end of the rope will allow you to roam. As trust diminishes, the more likely they are to reel in the rope, restricting your movements. So trust can be equated to freedom – freedom to act independently.

Building trust, or rebuilding it, takes time. Our evaluation of someone’s trustworthiness is impacted by our past interactions with them. New employees, or those with little experience in a given area, may not feel they receive the amount of trust they are due. If trust has been eroded as a result of poor performance, miscommunication, or other letdowns, it will take a series of positive experiences over time to rebuild your credibility.

Building (or rebuilding) trust isn’t hard to do. Simply focus on those things that lead you to place your trust in others:

Think before you act. Prior to speaking or taking action, take time to think through the ramifications. You don’t have to identify every potential outcome, consider what is the most probable. How will people react? What are the ripple effects you are likely to set in motion? Thinking through the “natural” consequences before acting can help you identify negative blows to your credibility and adjust accordingly.

Be prepared. When you present a problem, provide a solution. When you make a claim, have evidence to support it. Speaking in generalities or “crying wolf” without back-up is a sure way to lose trust. Have answers to the questions you’re most likely to be asked as a result of your actions. This shows you are top of your game and builds trust.

Be on time. Rushing into a meeting late or barely beating the clock erodes trust. It demonstrates an inability to prioritize and a lack of respect for other people’s time. The same holds true for achieving deadlines. Show respect for the boss and the rest of the team by completing your work on time.

Under-promise & over-deliver. Most people have a hard time saying “No.” This leads them to overload their plate with a variety of projects. In an effort to get everything done, they multitask which means nothing gets done well, eroding credibility. Don’t make commitments lightly. Give yourself enough time to perform the job to the best of your ability, even if that means explaining why you can’t take on an additional responsibility. Most of us would do well to focus on fewer projects, while executing to a higher level.[Tweet “Most of us would do well to focus on fewer projects, while executing at a higher level.”]

Follow through. An easy way to build trust is to simply do what you said you would do. Every day, people promise to call and then don’t. They commit to taking specific actions, and forget. Those who actually follow through earn our respect and trust because they do what most people don’t.

Earning trust comes down to taking personal responsibility. It requires a level of accountability that most simply aren’t willing or able to exercise. The list of go-to employees is too short. Is your name on it?

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The Most Important Relationship of Your Career

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gears-1666498_640There’s no shortage of advice for managers out there. Scores of books have been written about managing employees, leading great service, and working with outside entities. It’s easy to find articles, videos, and even live training events focused on these topics. But when it comes to working with your boss, what’s called “managing up,” there’s little help to be found. A few are blessed with a relationship where communication flows freely and minds seem to be in sync. Most have to stumble their way through, approaching each interaction with a mixture of anticipation and dread.

That’s a shame, because your relationship with your direct supervisor is probably the most important one of all. When someone is in a position to provide you with the access, resources, knowledge, and support necessary to be successful, it stands to reason that this would be a relationship worth cultivating. The times I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship with a boss have been the most productive and rewarding of my career. The better your priorities mesh with those of your boss, the smoother things go for both of you.[Tweet “The better your priorities mesh with those of your boss, the smoother things go for both of you.”]

Take a few minutes and think about your relationship with your current supervisor. Would you say its “great,” “ok,” or “barely existent?” More importantly, why do you think that is? As you ponder what’s working and not working with respect to this all-important partnership, here are a few more questions to consider.

  • How often do you and your boss communicate? Frequent communication is a sign of a healthy relationship. If you and your manager rarely speak, how can they possibly understand your needs? How can you understand theirs?
  • When you do speak, what form does the conversation take? Is it collaborative, encouraging, and meaningful? Or is it stiff, to-the-point, and conducted on the fly? If you and your manager never share a meal, laugh together, or discuss common non-work related interests, it may be time to bond. Personal, informal communication is another sign of a healthy relationship.
  • How much do you and your boss know about each other’s work projects, daily struggles, and career ambitions? What is your leader working on right now? What keeps them up at night? Understanding the issues that drive someone forward helps you frame your priorities in light of theirs. Seeing where their passions lie allows you to identify ways you can be of service.
  • How much do you trust each other to get things done? To do the right thing? Any relationship without trust is doomed to fail. Do you see your boss as someone who can be counted on? Do they see you this way? Without trust, there is no relationship.
  • If you had the opportunity to choose another boss, would you? Would they choose a different person to fill your position? Are you working for your boss, with them, or against them? Examine your own motives and behaviors before questioning theirs.

It can be easy to grumble and complain about someone who appears to be standing in the way of progress. Often, that someone is the boss. But it’s just as easy to forget that they too have a job to do. They have goals and expectations, competing interests vying for their attention, and obstacles they are working to overcome. As hard as it may be to believe, they are people too.

Forging meaningful relationships always requires two people. Both have to be willing to meet in the middle, share information, and work together. It’s true of personal relationships and it’s true in the workplace. The stronger the relationship, the more quickly and effectively work gets done. Put some effort into “managing up” and see how much easier both of your jobs can be.

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When Good Leaders Do Bad Things

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egg-583163_640Addressing conflict is one of the key responsibilities of a leader. It’s not a fun job; in fact it’s often quite messy. Nevertheless, it has to be done in order for a team or organization to operate effectively. Conflict rarely resolves itself. While things may eventually seem to smooth out on the surface, there are always scars. Poorly handled conflict results in missed growth opportunities, the loss of top performers, and an unstable environment for those left behind.

It’s worth noting that, even as they should be working to resolve conflict, many managers act in ways that cause or escalate it. Certain actions, or inactions, by those in charge actually create tension and uneasiness that leads to conflict. Adept leaders regularly assess their own performance to ensure they aren’t adding to the very issues they try to prevent.

In a 2003 study of group dynamics and conflict, researchers identified five core beliefs that seem to move individuals toward conflict with each other. As leaders, we need to be on the lookout for these and do our best to address them before things get out of hand.

The first of these beliefs is Superiority. This is the feeling that I or my group is in some way superior to another individual or group. This belief can foster a sense of entitlement or protected status that puts people at odds. Managers who treat certain groups or individuals differently than others – giving them special privileges or ignoring sub-standard performance – cultivate this belief.

The second conflict-promoting belief is Injustice. This s the feeling that I have mistreated or slighted in some way. The pursuit of justice or even revenge can lead to escalating levels of conflict. Managers create a sense of injustice by adopting policies or practices that seem unfair, self-serving, or unequally applied.

A third belief to be aware of is Vulnerability. Here, an individual or group feels they have little control over important aspects of their work. A feeling of vulnerability can cause someone to act defensively or even aggressively if they feel a core part of their identity is being threatened. Managers make people feel vulnerable when they withhold resources and information necessary to do their best work and when they turn a deaf ear to reasonable requests.

Distrust is another belief that leads to conflict. Often due to being let down in some fashion, individuals who develop a feeling of distrust for others are less likely to collaborate. Teams who distrust others, or the organization, often isolate themselves and develop subcultures that eventually come into conflict with others. Managers sow distrust by failing to follow through on commitments, communicating dishonestly, and generally acting in ways contrary to their stated values.

Finally, Helplessness can lead to conflict. Helplessness is the belief that nothing you do matters in the big scheme of things. No matter how carefully you plan and act, the odds are stacked so heavily against you that success is impossible. Managers create a feeling of helplessness by setting unrealistic goals and regularly focusing on the negative without recognition of positive performance.

Keep in mind that these are core beliefs held by an individual or team. It doesn’t matter whether or not an actual injustice has occurred. All that matters is the perception that it has taken place exists. It’s become part of the affected person’s worldview. It is this belief that lays the foundation for conflict to occur. Perception is reality and, without something to counteract them, these beliefs can fester and grow until conflict erupts.

Anyone who thinks being in charge is easy doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Being a leader – a true leader – requires a great deal of focus, energy, and sacrifice. It starts by examining your own actions and taking the steps necessary to create an environment where people feel valued and engaged. Conflict is inevitable, but our participation in it is not.

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Why Leaders Address Conflict Head-On

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leader-e1471893072992If there’s one aspect of the job that managers do their best to avoid, its conflict. Ideally, things would always run smoothly in the workplace. Each person would do their job, goals would be aligned, and differences would magically work themselves out. Unfortunately, that’s just not the case. In fact, one study found that the some managers spend up to a quarter of their time working to resolve conflict. That’s a lot of time devoted to an activity that’s simply not a lot of fun. Because conflict resolution is so mentally and emotionally draining, a lot of managers choose to ignore it. They simply look the other way.

It is a lot easier to pretend conflict doesn’t exist. I know several managers who are really good at it. They ignore the fact that key employees aren’t performing. They use deflection to convince others (and themselves) that the team’s poor performance isn’t really theirs to address. They talk a good game, but, like the Emperor parading around without clothes, there’s nothing of substance to see. They’ve mastered the art of conflict avoidance. But according to executive coaching firm Assiem, there are significant repercussions to ignoring conflict.

Ignoring conflict damages morale. Employees who perceive they are being treated differently aren’t happy campers. If you hold some accountable, but not others, moral suffers. If one manager does the right thing, but another doesn’t, morale suffers. It doesn’t matter what you say. It’s what you do that communicates. Ignoring conflict fuels the fire of employee dissention.

Ignoring conflict kills productivity. Top performers thrive in an environment where the leader addresses conflict. When others are allowed to get away with poor performance or bad behavior, those top performers see the disparity and lower their level of effort. Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, your team will only rise to the level its lowest performer.

Ignoring conflict lowers customer service. Employees who feel supported and valued will support and value the customer. Those who feel abandoned will do the bare minimum and leave their customer feeling abandoned as well. It’s not uncommon for disgruntled employees to share their frustration with customers they trust. This leaks the issue outside the team, impacting the company’s reputation immeasurably. Even worse is when a customer witnesses first-hand a leader who fails to address an issue unfolding in front of them.

Ignoring conflict hurts retention. Left unaddressed, workplace conflict will drive some employees to leave. Usually, they are your best ones. They won’t announce their intention. They’ll just make up their minds that leadership has failed and look for another team – a better team – to join. One day, you’ll look up and they’ll be gone, leaving you with the low performers you’ve decided to tolerate.

Ignoring conflict impacts your credibility. Your employees talk about you. You know that, right? As the boss, you are in the spotlight. You are a constant subject of conversation amongst your team members, and your credibility rises and falls with each story they share. You can’t stop it, but you can determine the types of conversations they have. Are they sharing their pride in working for a manager who addresses issues, or are they discussing your latest failure to lead?[Tweet “Leaders acknowledge conflict and address it head-on. Ordinary managers don’t.”]

Conflict resolution is not fun, but it is a necessary and critical part of the manager’s job. It’s a key part of what turns a manager into a leader. Leaders acknowledge conflict and address it head-on. Ordinary managers don’t. Odds are, there’s a conflict brewing on your team right now. Name it, tackle it, and watch all of the negatives listed above turn into positives. Watch morale improve, productivity increase, service rise, retention woes reverse, and credibility grow. Choose the path less traveled. Choose to lead.

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Communicating Effectively Is a Lot Like Washing Your Hair

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shower-1027904_640By the time German inventor Hans Schwarzkopf introduced liquid shampoo to the public in 1927, people had been washing their hair with various mixtures for centuries. The earliest examples involved mixing soapberries, gooseberry, and other herbs and using the extract to lather the hair. Later, Europeans would take to boiling shaved soap in water. Herbs were still typically added to give the soap soup a pleasing aroma. But Schwarzkopf’s shampoo was the first to be sold in a pre-mixed, liquid form.

Shampoo works by removing some of the sebum from your hair. Sebum is secreted by our sebaceous glands and provides a coating that protects the hair from drying out and becoming damaged. Sebum also, however, attracts dirt leading to a build-up that makes hair unmanageable and unattractive. Shampoo works by introducing surfactants, compounds which bind with the sebum. When you rinse the shampoo from your hair, the sebum – as well as the dirt – goes with it. Shampooing removes the unwanted material, allowing your hair’s natural beauty to show through.

Communicating effectively is a lot like washing your hair. Over time, your team’s understanding of the goals and job functions they should be focused on gets dirty. Various bits and pieces of other information, from a variety of sources, start attaching themselves, making it hard to manage individual priorities day to day. Proper communication serves to clear away misconceptions and competing priorities, leaving behind clarity and allowing people to do their best work. To improve communication, all we have to do is follow the instructions on any shampoo bottle.

Step 1. LATHER. You only need to use a little bit of shampoo at a time, but it’s only effective when worked well into the hair. By massaging your scalp, you ensure that the shampoo makes its way below the surface, touching every part of your head. In the same way, small bits of communication, well applied, work better than sporadic rambling messages. Focus on communicating single concepts in a way that ensures people get the message. Don’t rely on a single email or memo to get the job done. Follow up with personal contact and check for understanding before moving on to the next step.

Step 2. RINSE. Applying the shampoo is only the first step. The real magic happens during the rinse. This is when the dirt is cleared away leaving behind clean, unobstructed hair. Effective communication works to remove misunderstandings and competing priorities. Make sure to clarify, as succinctly as possible, those things that are most important and should be retained. Allow people to voice their questions and provide clear answers to avoid uncertainty. Make sure that your communication clears up the ambiguous instead of adding to it.

Step 3. REPEAT. A single application of shampoo doesn’t always remove all the dirt. It might take another lather/rinse cycle to really clean things up. When communicating, be prepared to revisit complicated topics as necessary to ensure everyone is on the same page. Expect that, despite your best efforts, your initial communication may be misinterpreted, forgotten, or even ignored. Plan on putting in the effort to communicate effectively over time. Approach the topic from different angles to reach people with different learning styles. Communication is a process rather than a single act.[Tweet “Communication is a process rather than a single act.”]

I don’t know about you, but I wash my hair every day. It’s not even something I think about – I just do it. If I happen to miss a day, because I’m camping or ill, I really notice the difference. My hair feels gross, my scalp starts to itch. I find myself desiring that shampoo bottle. Washing my hair has become such an automatic part of my routine, that its absence is more conspicuous than its presence.

With practice, effective communication too becomes second nature. It’s the absence of good communication that gets our attention. It’s in those times when information is scarce and the way forward is unclear that we really understand the importance of clear messages. You’re never not communicating. Like it or not, you send out messages constantly. The challenge is to communicate in a way that brings clarity and focus to the team.

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Question What You Know

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head-776681_640In the course of history, a lot of very smart, successful people have made statements that, in hindsight, seem rather silly. Given their position, expertise, and experience, they felt comfortable making predictions that proved untrue. Consider these examples:

“The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon”. –Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon- Extraordinary to Queen Victoria 1873

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” — Thomas Watson (Chairman of IBM), 1943

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” — Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962

“640K ought to be enough for anybody.”– Bill Gates, 1981

While these assumptions may appear laughable, they should serve as a warning. Every day, people make assumptions that negatively impact the future of their business, their team’s effectiveness, and even their own relationships. In the absence of good information, seemingly reasonable people fill in the blanks with their own preconceived notions of what is true.

Most people are reluctant to question what they think they know. Some may be reluctant to ask, fearful of looking foolish rather than confident. Others feel comfortable relying on third-hand information to form their opinions. And we’ve all made assumptions about what others think by misinterpreting behavioral clues presented by those around us.

Whatever the cause, effective leaders know better than to make key decisions based solely on a gut feeling. When the business, teammates, or customers are on the line, they take action to verify their feelings. Here are some quick tips for moving from assumption to certainty.

Ask – Effective communicators know the importance of listening. That’s why the best ask more than they tell. If you want to know what people are thinking or doing, there’s no better strategy than simply asking them. Be a leader who asks a lot of questions.

Clarify – If it can be misunderstood, it likely will. Assuming you know what someone means can easily send you down the wrong path. Instead of making your own judgment about someone’s intentions, make an effort to clear up any potential misunderstanding. Be a leader who clarifies the ambiguous.

Confirm – Don’t assume that, just because you sent an email to roll out a new process or announced expectations during a meeting, that employees are acting appropriately. Inspect what you expect. Get to the bottom of things by securing proof either first-hand, or from a trusted colleague. Be a leader who confirms what they think.[Tweet “Top leaders know when to trust their instincts and when to ask for help.”]

Everyone falls victim to assumptions now and then. What makes top leaders stand out is that they have learned when to trust their instincts and when those instincts need a little help. As you develop your own leadership skills, learn to rely on assumptions less and less.

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Taking Stock

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chess-1464959_640My oldest son started back to school this morning. It will be his last semester of Nursing School and he’ll be an RN (hopefully) in December. My other two kids will be heading back to high school in a couple of weeks. Like a lot of families, our conversations this weekend periodically morphed into discussion of the various challenges and expectations the new school year will hold. We talked about strengths and weaknesses and bounced around strategies to try and get the most out of the fall semester.

 The transition from one season to another is also a good time to take stock of where your team stands, both individually and collectively. As everyone gears up to take on the stretch into winter, it can be beneficial to circle the troops for a discussion of team dynamics, market conditions, and customer expectations. One tool that’s proven helpful in this regard is the SWOT analysis. Using this framework, teams and individuals can develop a better understanding of the internal and external landscape they will navigate over the coming months. Here are some questions this exercise can help you answer.

[Tweet “I’ve often found that answers are just waiting for the right question to be asked.”]

FOR TEAMS:
S – Strengths. What’s going right? Where does the team excel? What particular talents and abilities do individuals possess that make them an asset to the organization? What are the significant client relationships and areas of differentiation that make your team stand out?

W – Weaknesses. What aspects of your business model put you at a disadvantage? What cultural limitations present hurdles for you? What talents need to be shored up, and where do internal roadblocks impede the team’s ability to excel?

O – Opportunities. What external factors, such as economic conditions or market changes, stand to provide you with an unexpected leg up? What shifts in the competitive landscape will provide you with an open door? What relationships with customers and/or prospects are evolving in ways that could provide windows into new business?

T – Threats. What factors beyond your control stand in your way of success? Are there regulatory issues looming on the horizon? How will the political climate over the next several months impact your business model? How might your growth strategy (you do have one, don’t you?) be thwarted by issues you have no ability to influence?

 

FOR INDIVIDUALS:
S – Strengths. What are you naturally good at? What skills have you developed recently? How strong is your personal network? What positives do others see in you?

W – Weakness. What bad habits hold you back? What training or education do you need to pursue? Have constructive criticism have you received that needs to be heeded? What do others see as your primary flaws?

O – Opportunities. Where can your particular talents be of the most use? What gaps exist in the team or organization that you could help fill? What changes are coming down the road that you need to be prepared to advantage of?

T – Threats. What stands in the way of your growth? What’s keeping you from contributing at the highest possible level? What might be lurking around the corner that could derail your career plans?

 

Effective communication – with the team or with yourself – is about finding answers. I’ve often found that answers are just waiting for the right question to be asked. A SWOT analysis is simply a catalyst for asking those questions. By understanding your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges, you can prepare to make the most of the days ahead.

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Surviving the Storm

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storm-1406218_640On June 1, 1989, four men set sail from New Zealand aboard a trimaran called the Rose Noelle. They were headed for Tonga – a trip that should have taken them just a couple of weeks.  But three days into their voyage, a rogue wave stuck the Rose Noelle, capsizing it and trapping the men inside the main hull. They had little food and a rapidly diminishing water supply. To stay dry, they were forced to share a space no larger than a full-sized bed. They’d managed to salvage the boat’s EPIRB locator beacon, but its batteries ran out on June 13th. The men were now on their own, adrift with nothing but their wits to help them survive. And survive they did – for 119 days.

Catastrophe can strike without warning. Sometimes, it’s an internal failure that slows you down. Sometimes, it’s a change in market conditions that blows you off course. Sometimes, it’s a rogue wave that turns your entire world upside down. Regardless of the circumstances, I think the crew of the Rose Noelle can teach us a few things about recovery from disaster.

Put aside differences and work together. Once the immediate chaos from the capsizing had subsided, the men started trying to figure out what went wrong. As they looked for possible answers, they began to point fingers. Every misstep, real or perceived, caused someone to assign blame for the disaster to someone else. Tempers flared and days went by without anyone actually working on the problem. Finally, they realized that to get out of the ordeal alive, they were going to have to find a way to work together. Suddenly, they began to solve some problems. Teams won’t move forward until they stop blaming and start cooperating.

Focus on small steps. In a true survival situation, priorities are clear. Comfort takes a back seat to food, which is secondary to securing drinking water. For the crew of the Rose Noelle, drinking water was an immediate concern. The holding tanks had emptied when the boat capsized and they knew it only takes days to die of dehydration. Until that problem was solved, nothing else mattered. With all their efforts focused on a single issue, they soon had a workable solution. Now they were hydrated and ready to tackle the next challenge. Use the power of small, incremental achievements to propel the team forward.

Consider everyone (and everything) an asset. The men aboard the Rose Noelle had different degrees of sailing experience. The most seasoned, was John Glennie, the owner and builder of the boat. It was he who first suggested they construct a collection device to capture the rain water. But his idea was flawed and it was a less-experienced man – one who had been discounted as useless on the water – that dreamed up the modification that made it work. That experience led them to look at their surroundings in a whole new light. There are valuable resources all around you. Everyone on the team has value. Everyone. [Tweet “Everyone on the team has value. Everyone.”]

Maintain a positive focus. Despair was rampant in the early days aboard the upturned Rose Noelle, especially after the EPIRB stopped sending out its signal. It would have been all too easy to give in to that despair. Studies have shown that the single most important factor in survival is attitude. How you think is how you act, and what you look for is what you see. If you view the situation is hopeless, then you are doomed from the start. If you look for solutions, you’ll eventually find one. Keep your eyes – and your team – trained on what you have to gain, not on what you’ve lost.

I’ve always been fascinated by survival stories. It’s amazing what people are capable of accomplishing under the most extreme circumstances. And I think stories like this are great metaphors for any aspect of life, including business. It’s easy to lead when the sea is calm and the wind is at your back. It’s in those dark and stormy stretches that true leaders decide to take the wheel.

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