The Topic Managers Hate to Talk About

Posted on by Scott

imageThis week I’m in Austin meeting with a group of managers about a new training series I’ve developed for them and their employees. The goal of the series is to introduce some basic sales and service skills to an organization that has historically been very operationally-focused. Eleven frontline managers have agreed to participate in the pilot program and provide feedback on the material before rolling it out to the rest of the company.

Yesterday, we spent the day talking about performance management and the role of the manager in the development of an employee’s skill set. It was very fulfilling to see a group of people get excited about playing an active role in the growth of their team members. Everyone was engaged and the discussion was lively.

About half-way through the workshop though, the atmosphere in the room changed dramatically. A room full of enthusiastic, talkative people suddenly went silent; and it was my fault. I killed the mood by uttering a single word – “accountability.”

We’d started the day by talking about the unique role a person’s manager plays in their development. We spent a good deal of time talking about strategic planning, goal-setting and performance assessments against identified skills and behaviors. And then, after walking through a process for creating individual development plans, I said “it’s time to talk about accountability.”

Admittedly, I wasn’t surprised by the reluctance to discuss this topic. Accountability is a problem for most organizations. That’s because they feel like accountability is a negative thing. But the truth is, most employees feel better when an environment of accountability exists. It allows everyone to play by the same set of rules. It removes feelings of animosity and resentment that result from people being treated differently.

Managers dislike accountability because they equate it with confrontation. However, in the right context, accountability isn’t confrontational or even difficult. It occurs naturally.

I define accountability as the application of truth and consequences. When a manager commits to being honest with an employee about their behavior and applying natural consequences as a result of that behavior, accountability exists. Issues arise when the manager ignores the truth and/or fails to apply the appropriate consequence.

Consequences can be either positive or negative. Praise, for instance, is a positive consequence. Counseling and redirection are negative consequences.

We naturally move toward things that cause us positive feelings and away from those that cause negative ones. What happens when you praise someone for a job well done? They seek to recreate the positive feeling they received as a result of the praise and repeat the behavior. When you counsel someone regarding behavior contrary to what is desired, they feel uncomfortable and seek to avoid a repeat of the negative consequence.

So what happens when you fail to hold someone accountable for undesirable behavior? You get more of it. That’s because behavior that may be undesirable to you or the organization may be desirable to the employee. Inactivity, procrastination and producing sloppy work are undesirable behaviors, but they may be more desirable to the employee than the effort required to perform to expectations. In the absence of accountability – an honest appraisal coupled with an appropriate consequence – they seek to repeat the preferred behavior. So you get a repeated less-than-stellar results.

Anytime a manager tells me about a problem employee they have, one of the first things I tell them is “You will receive an abundance of what you praise or tolerate. You have to hold them accountable for their actions.” The keys to establishing a culture of accountability are as follows:

1. As soon as possible following the observed behavior, provide an honest assessment to the employee. Tell them want you observed and what was good or bad about it.

2. Apply an appropriate consequence. Praise/reward them for positive behavior. Correct/discipline them for undesirable behavior.

3. Make sure they walk away with an understanding of your expectation and support for continued (if desirable) or altered (if undesirable) behavior.

During yesterday’s workshop, I walked the managers through some simple ways to begin building a culture of accountability. As they became more comfortable with the idea of positive consequences as a balance to the negative aspect of accountability, the energy returned to the room. Pretty soon, we had segued into a discussion of recognition and incentives – two components of performance management that work best when a foundation of accountability exists.

As difficult as it is to discuss the topic of accountability, The hard part still lies ahead. They still have to follow through, but I’m looking forward to seeing what changes begin to take place as these leaders begin to address this important aspect of their role. Of course, I’ll be checking back in with them from time to time, just to hold them accountable.

The Power of Positive Feedback

Posted on by Scott

This morning my phone rang on the way in to the office. It was my wife. Her first words made my heart sink. “I just got a call from Abby’s Principal.” Instantly I assumed the worst – either my daughter is hurt or in trouble. Parents rarely get good news from the school principal.

But it was good news. A new student had transferred in and Abby had taken it upon herself to befriend her and make her feel welcome – showing her around and introducing her to a circle of friends. The new student’s first few days of school, understandably full of anxiety, had been made wonderful. The parents couldn’t say enough about how grateful they were and the principal wanted us to know.

Obviously I’m proud. As I hung up the phone, I pictured the scene that will likely take place as my wife tells Abby what her principal had to say. I can already see the smile on her face and the pep in her step that she always gets when she receives a pat on the back. And her behavior, which isn’t bad to begin with, will ratchet up a few notches for several days.

Come to think of it, we’re all like Abby. We all like to hear good news, especially when it’s about us. Receiving positive feedback for something you’ve done can turn an average afternoon into a great one. I know that a single positive word regarding one of my projects can significantly affect my mood long after the event has passed.

From a leadership perspective, I’ve noticed three key benefits from the positive feedback I give to members of my team.

1. Morale improves. Something magical happens to a person’s attitude when you pay them a compliment. It’s amazing how many times I’ve given someone a bit of positive feedback only to have them say “Wow. You just made my day.” For some reason, our human tendency is to focus on the negative aspects of work. Telling someone “thank you” followed by a sincere explanation of your gratitude, is often enough to break the cycle of negative thought.

I believe that most people genuinely want to produce good work. The problem is, they never get any feedback to indicate their work is, indeed, good. They hear about what’s wrong, missing or late. As a result, the average employee focuses on staying out of trouble (a negative outlook) rather than on producing good (or even great) work.

2. People reciprocate. Any time I give my daughter some positive feedback, I get some in return. If I thank her for cleaning her room and brag about how great it looks, she thanks me for helping her with her homework. In addition, I’ve noticed that positive feedback I give to one of my children results in positive feedback they give to someone else. So not only do I get to enjoy the boost from reciprocal back-patting, the rest of the family does too.

This phenomenon also plays out at the office. Recognizing one team member’s contribution to a project almost always results in their recognition of someone else’s effort. From the outside it must look like a mini love-fest with everyone thanking and congratulating each other on a job well done. But the psychological impact of just a little positive reinforcement is often enough to lift the whole team. It’s like a wildfire – light a match and pretty soon the place is burning with pride.

3. Team productivity goes up. Long ago I realized the potential of positive feedback to produce better work from an individual. Recognize someone’s effort toward a successful project ”A” and watch how much better project “B” turns out. It’s like a little productivity switch gets pushed into overdrive. I’ve even noticed this effect on my own psyche. When someone says “thank you” it makes me feel great. And it makes me want to work harder in order to get more of that great feeling.

You’ve probably heard that praise should be given in public while corrective actions should always be done privately. One of the reasons behind this is because the feelings underlying your feedback (positive or negative) get transmitted to everyone around – not just the person receiving the feedback. So people who witness a coworker receiving kudos for their efforts instinctively begin to act in ways they perceive will result in getting their share of the praise.

For years I’ve said “You will receive an abundance of what you praise or tolerate.” I honestly believe positive feedback is one of the most powerful tools at a leader’s disposal. Unfortunately, positive feedback is difficult for most people. Like most skills, you have to work at it in order to get good at it. Thankfully, the reward is well worth the effort.

I’ll bet you can think of someone in your organization that could use some positive feedback. Imagine the good that you’ll receive when you stop reading this article and go deliver it. In fact, why don’t you go do it right now?

Once In A Blue Moon

Posted on by Scott

Tonight’s full moon is a Blue Moon – not because it’s blue, but because it’s the second full moon in a given month. Because blue moons only occur once every 2.7 years or so, they are relatively rare. Even rarer are full moons that actually appear to have a bluish tint. This typically occurs when dust or smoke refracts light in such a way that the blue spectrum is most prominent.

The phrase “once in a blue moon” entered the English lexicon as a way of describing an event which happens rarely. While some events are prized because they are rare, some things need to happen more frequently to be truly valued. Exercising frequently is obviously more beneficial than occasional spurts of exertion. Ongoing home maintenance is less costly than massive repair projects.

And certain leadership actions have greater impact when performed regularly. Here are 10 easy things you can do as a leader that will have a tremendous effect on those around you.

1. Challenge someone with a project outside of their comfort zone.
2. Encourage someone who’s feeling discouraged after a letdown.
3. Coach someone who’s struggling to improve an aspect of their performance.
4. Recognize someone for their recent achievement.
5. Thank someone who’s helped you out of a bind.
6. Tell someone how important their job is to the team and your customers.
7. Apologize for something you messed up.
8. Ask someone about their professional goal and how you can help them achieve it.
9. Share an article, book or other resource related to someone’s area of responsibility.
10. Spend time brainstorming with people about possibilities that don’t exist yet.

Effective leadership involves building relationships. And you can’t build relationships if your interactions with other people are superficial and random. I promise that if you make an effort to engage with people on a deeper level as indicated by these suggestions you’ll find yourself connecting – and leading – in ways you never thought possible.

The next blue moon will take place on July 31, 2015. Where will you have taken your leadership skills by then?

Survivor In the Workplace: 3 Behaviors You Don’t Want on Your Island (and 3 You Do)!

Posted on by Scott

I find it hard to believe, but it’s been 12 years since Mark Burnett introduced American television audiences to Survivor. This is the show where contestants vie to win $1 million by navigating the physical, mental and social challenges associated with spending 39 days stranded on an island with a group of strangers. One by one, players are voted off by their “tribe mates” until the finale, when those who’ve been kicked out of the game have to vote for the winner.

Survivor proved to be incredibly popular, spawning international versions and copycat shows. It launched the era of reality television, an era that just doesn’t want to die. Across the world, schools and church groups regularly adopt the Survivor theme for parties and events.

But there’s one playing field where playing Survivor can be devastating – the workplace. Unfortunately, employees around the world go to work every day feeling as if they are fighting to survive. There may not be a million dollars on the line, but the stakes are just as high. For many, office politics, popularity contests and hidden agendas create an atmosphere that causes good people to feel they have to play the game just to stay in the game.

Here, mirrored in the slogan of Survivor, are three things employees shouldn’t have to do in order to win.

1. OUTWIT
Winning on Survivor often hinges on having the best information. Those in the know – the ones with knowledge and insight that others don’t – tend to go the farthest in the game. Players who are out of the loop are quickly picked off. When a contestant gains a key piece of information, they keep it secret, only sharing it if and when they stand to receive the greatest personal benefit.

Sadly, many players at work seek to get ahead the same way. They hoard information, releasing it bit by bit as it suits their purpose. They may use information against a perceived opponent, trying to raise their own worth by damaging others.

2. OUTPLAY
Survivor contestants have to move fast. In order to win the game, they have to constantly reassess the lay of the land – who’s stirring up trouble and which players might be trying to orchestrate a bold move. Everyone lives on edge, and alliances are shaky. The game can change at any moment and to win, you have to stay on your toes.

Many employees live in a constant state of paranoia as well. Workplace alliances can be just as shaky as those on a Survivor island. Even within the context of teamwork, individuals often jockey for position in an attempt to remain in control of the outcome. Opportunism and betrayal are commonplace in the office environment.


3. OUTLAST
Some Survivor players operate by laying low. They do their best to stay out of the spotlight, doing just enough to get by but not enough to draw too much attention. They don’t take risks, and never voice a controversial opinion. Eventually, a key player makes a mistake and exits the game, allowing the quiet one to seize control.

Competitors in the workplace often utilize this same strategy. They ride along quietly, doing steady but unimpressive work. They seem content to let others take the lead while they ride on coattails. When crisis hits and someone takes a fall, they’re the first ones to say “I knew that would happen.” Amazingly, they know just how to fix things and suddenly, they’re on top.

Things don’t have to be this bad. Survivor is a game that only one person can win. Winning at work doesn’t have to be an individual contest. Teams can win together. This makes success much more likely and enjoyable. But it’s up to the leadership to create an environment in which teamwork is a valued commodity. Here are three survivor strategies for leaders who want to win.

1. INFORM
As opposed to hoarding information, try sharing it. Well informed work teams make better decisions, both collectively and as individuals. Employees who feel included and informed reciprocate by sharing what they know. Knowledge grows synergistically and everyone advances. But those in charge have to model this behavior. Leaders who withhold information will find themselves with employees who feel they must do the same in order to survive.

  • Share data, statistics and other results.
  • Provide clearly defined individual and team goals.
  • Outline steps that clearly lead to success.


2. INCLUDE
Teamwork, by definition, involves inclusion. Leaders have to believe that every member is valuable and expect them to contribute. Employees who seem reluctant to participate and share ownership in team projects need to be drawn in. When each member of the team has a stake its success, they work harder to make that success happen. Collaboration comes easier when fates and rewards are shared.

  • Make sure everyone involved in a project is input regarding its design.
  • Make a point to seek out those who may be reluctant to voice an opinion.
  • Delegate tasks appropriately so that everyone plays a role.


3. INSPIRE
Leaders have to be constant communicators of the shared vision. When people lose sight of the ultimate goal, it’s easy for them to turn inward, focusing on short-term survival. The key to effective teamwork lies in keeping the big picture front and center.

  • Communicate the team’s vision often and passionately.
  • Ask others to share their interpretation of the vision with regard to their specific job duties.
  • Share feedback from customers and other stakeholders that illustrate the importance of achieving the stated vision.

Survivor is a lot of fun to watch. But drama that makes for great television creates a horrible work environment. Keep your tribe strong and successful by actively drawing people in and they won’t vote themselves out.

Coaching Styles, Part 6 – Which Style Is Best?

Posted on by Scott

A few weeks ago, I began a series focusing on the four different coaching styles; the Visionary, the Director, the Mentor, and the Cheerleader. If you’ve been following along you probably have a pretty good idea of your dominant style. So here’s a question for you? Which style makes the best coach?

Some may say it’s the Visionary due to their ability to paint a vision of the future and inspire people to take action.

Some might choose the Director for their tendency to recognize the strengths in others, assign job tasks appropriately and hold people accountable.

Others might vote for the Mentor. Teaching a skill is very empowering and a critical component of employee growth.

Or perhaps your vote is for the Cheerleader. After all, no one wants to work without recognition for their efforts and a little motivation goes a long way.

The answer, as you might have guessed, is that there is no one style that rises above the rest. Each style of coaching has its place and an effective coach has the ability to switch styles as needed. You see, it really doesn’t matter which style you prefer or are best suited for. The secret to being an effective coach is understanding which style your employee needs at any given time.

The best coaches know that the employee is the focus, not them. They view coaching as a service rather than a job or an item on their to-do list. Great coaches don’t see coaching as something they do to their employees. They see it as something they do for their employees.

Think about the purpose of coaching. The goal isn’t self-improvement; it’s the betterment of your employees. Sure, you benefit in a variety of ways, but the real goal of coaching is to help someone else grow. When you look at coaching as a service rather than a job, it changes your approach to it. To really be effective at coaching, you have to have a true desire to help the employee.

I’m speaking from experience here. Once I changed my view of coaching, it changed my approach to it as well.
– Instead of focusing on what I need to get off of my plate, I focus on what the members of my team need to grow.
– Instead of telling them what I think they need to do in order to accomplish a task, I ask them what they need in order to excel.
– Instead of viewing them as employees, I value them as partners.
– Instead of talking at them, I collaborate with them.

This approach has provided much deeper and more meaningful relationships with the people who report to me. As the relationships evolve, I get to know what makes them tick. I get to know their strengths and their weakness, I learn about their dreams and their fears. And I come to understand what they need from me. As a result, I’m able to adjust my coaching style to provide the right kind of leadership for each person as the situation dictates.

This makes coaching so much easier than it used to be. I’m no longer frustrated by employees who just don’t seem to understand the big picture. I don’t pull my hair out over work that’s not getting done. I don’t have to spend a lot of time coaching any more. It just seems to come naturally.

Here’s the best part – as I’ve learned to provide the kind of leadership my team needs, when they need it – they’ve responded by rising to the challenge. They go beyond what’s asked of them in order to help me out. They know I’m doing everything in my power to hold them up, so they work extra hard in order to not let me down.

Think about your dominant coaching style. Do you coach everyone the same way, under every circumstance?

Do your employees see you as a member of the team, or just “the boss?”

What changes do you need to make to your coaching style in order to get better results?

I hope you’ll consider these questions as you anticipate your next encounter with your team. Good luck coach.

Coaching Styles, Part 4 – The Mentor

Posted on by Scott

Any child of the 80’s will recall “The Karate Kid.” It’s a campy movie about a young boy named Daniel who befriends his apartment’s maintenance man, Mr. Miyagi. Daniel is a novice practitioner of karate who is regularly bullied by a group of thugs who also practice the sport. After witnessing Miyagi’s expertise in martial arts, Daniel pleads with him to become his trainer and help him prepare for an upcoming tournament.

In many ways, the film does a great job of exploring the relationship between a student and the teacher. Daniel often becomes frustrated with Miyagi’s techniques and his own perceived lack of progress. Miyagi, on the other hand, utilizes a very specific plan to impart his wisdom and ensure the knowledge transfer is both effective and long-term.

Even if you haven’t seen the film, you’ve probably heard someone quoting Miyagi’s instructions to “wax on, wax off.” In order to build muscle memory for the basic karate moves, Miyagi has Daniel perform a series of chores around his house. He starts by having him wax the car, or rather, a fleet of cars using a specific set of movements with his right and left hands. Once that chore is complete, he has Daniel stain his fence, wax the floor, and paint his house – each time requiring a particular set of motions to accomplish the task.

While Daniel assumes he’s being used as a pawn to complete Miyagi’s dirty work, he’s actually using the power of repetition to ingrain very basic movements into his subconscious memory. Miyagi has broken complex sets of movements into their most basic elements to help Daniel perfect each one in isolation. Each time, Miyagi models the correct movement, observes Daniel for a time and corrects him until he performs each move as desired. He then leaves him to practice the learned behavior – with enough repetition to ensure it’s not easily forgotten.

Eventually, Daniel reaches the end of his patience. He confronts Miyagi, accusing him of reneging on his promise to teach him karate. In one of the movie’s most iconic moments, Miyagi attacks Daniel. Suddenly, all of the movements come to the surface as Daniel reflexively defends against each attack by his mentor. Daniel suddenly realizes that he has actually been learning all along. Miyagi tells him “Tomorrow, we begin training.” The rest of the move follows the pair as they work to combine the core skills into complex sequences that ultimately result in Daniel’s victory at the tournament.

An effective Mentor uses these same techniques during coaching. Skill drills are used to build understanding and perfection of core skills. The Mentor models the desired behavior and then observes as the employee practices, making adjustments to help them perfect their technique. Eventually, core skills are combined into sequences and practiced through role plays – full-blown practice sessions designed to prepare the employee for the real show, on-the-job performance.

Think about the skills and behaviors your team members need to master in order to be effective. What are the core competencies underlying those skills? Are your coaching methods adequate enough to help them achieve mastery? It’s your move Coach – time to channel your inner Miyagi.

Coaching Styles, Part 3 – The Director

Posted on by Scott

Last fall my wife accompanied me on a business trip to New York City. The trip took place a couple of months before our 20th anniversary so it just made sense to tack on a few days to celebrate. During the day, while I was involved in meetings, she explored the city – shopping and scouting out sites she wanted me to see. At night, after my work for the day was finished, we joined the rest of the tourists in taking in the various cultural experiences the city has to offer.

We are typically not advance planners. Most of our vacation plans are made on a whim and each day begins with someone asking “So, what are we going to do today?” But this time was different. Knowledge from my previous trips, combined with advice from friends and family, resulted in a short list of “must-do’s” while in the Big Apple. One of our destinations was the Gershwin Theater to see “Wicked.”

This is a fantastic show. Everything you see and hear from the minute the lights go down is superb – the sets, the music, and obviously the acting. But what you don’t see is just as important as what you do. Obviously, in a production this spectacular there are lots of things going on behind the scenes – and even more work taking place in advance of the show. And right in the middle of all the moving parts is The Director.

Staging a successful venture, whether it is a theater production, a symphony performance or a business, is the job of the Director. While the Visionary creates and communicates the overall vision, the Director must turn that vision into a reality. It is their responsibility to translate the big picture into specific job roles, executable steps and timelines.

In its simplest form, the role of the Director can be boiled down into two words: delegation and accountability. The Director assigns the work and then makes sure the work gets done. Obviously, things are a bit more complicated than that, so let’s look at the concept of delegation a little more closely.

The first step is finding the right person (or people) for each role. Directors must understand the core competencies required for the each position. Different jobs require different skills and abilities. The role of cashier has a different set of associated tasks, and necessary competencies, than the role of security guard. So Directors must know what abilities are needed for each job to be performed properly.

The Director must also be able to articulate the strengths and weaknesses of the staff at his or her disposal. Since the cashier role involves interaction with customers, the Director knows that an outgoing personality and effective communication skills are necessary competencies. They therefore would not assign this role to someone who is introverted and uncomfortable engaging with others.

The Director also needs to know what motivates each employee and under which circumstances they work best. One person may be excited at the prospect of being given individual responsibility for a project while another may cringe at the though, preferring to work in a support role or as part of a team. By understanding the engagement needs of their staff members, the Director can then assign roles with the best interest of the team and the individuals in mind.

How well do you understand the core competencies needed for each of the roles you oversee? How well do you understand the abilities and motivators of your team members? And how successful are you at matching the right person with the right job?

Coaching Styles, Part 2 – The Visionary

Posted on by Scott

I enjoy watching home improvement shows. In particular, I like the shows about landscaping. My favorites are those where the host and his/her team of experts descends on an unsuspecting homeowner and offer to remake their entire back yard. I wish that would happen to me.

Toward the beginning of the show, there’s always a point where the host reveals the master plan. They make a big deal out of unrolling an architectural drawing of their plan for the yard. This is always met with an air of excitement and anticipation by the homeowners. But if you watch carefully, you’ll see something interesting happen when they first see the drawing.

For just a second – before they remember that their reaction is being recorded for national television and they start jumping up and down – their eyes glaze over. They don’t get it. They lack the knowledge of a landscaper and can’t make the connection between the lines on the paper and the potential utopia in their back yard.

And so the host begins to describe it for them. He points out where the hot tub will go. He explains that the big cloud-like circle in the corner is a new tree. See this rectangle here? That’s a new grill for your outdoor kitchen over there.

As the host explains the plan, you sense a change. You can feel the confusion melt away and the excitement build as the picture crystalizes in the minds of the homeowners. Now that they can visualize the end result, they’re ready to get dirty.

To be an effective coach, you have to be like that host. You have to understand that not everyone sees things the way you do. You have to “connect the dots” so that the members of your team see how their individual contributions come together to create the larger picture. This is the job of The Visionary.

The role of the Visionary is often the most difficult. Many mid-level leaders don’t understand the big picture themselves and therefore have a hard time conveying it to their team. Others don’t see the importance of communicating a larger vision feeling it just distracts from the job at hand. And others simply avoid sharing too much information, preferring to keep employees in the dark for fear they will be perceived as unimportant once the masses know what’s going on.

But common sense (and a lot of research) indicates that employees who understand the big picture, and how their job contributes to it, are more engaged. Employees who see their individual role as important to the overall success of the organization are more likely to do their job well than those who feel their work has little meaning. Fundamental to the human condition is the need to feel like we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. Knowing my work means something to someone else makes it mean something more to me.

The day I realized this, my approach to coaching changed. I started talking about the big picture and how our team factors into it. I told them how their individual jobs were critical in order for the organization to achieve success. And as we talked, I could see the change in their eyes. The fog lifted and a spark was lit. They began to make better decisions. They began to identify opportunities for improvement. Now that they see the big picture, they are on fire. And I don’t dare let that fire go out. So I spend more time talking with my team about our vision than anything else.

What vision do you need to share with your team? How do each of them factor into the big picture? How can you help paint the picture for them? Answer those questions and then let’s talk about my back yard.

Passing the Baton

Posted on by Scott

Coming into the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the American 4X100 relay teams seemed like a lock to win gold. The women’s team had recently posted the best time of the year and had their eyes set on a new world record. The men’s team boasted some of the fastest 100 meter sprinters in the world. In the end, though both teams came up short. The men finished second. The women didn’t even finish the race.

The deciding factor in both races? A botched hand-off. You see, in relay racing, passing the baton is everything. A smooth hand-off takes timing, skill and communication between the runners. A smooth hand-off helps maintain speed as one runner takes over for another. The slightest hiccup can be costly.

The men’s team was certainly faster than their competition. But they hadn’t practiced passing the baton and didn’t communicate well. The poorly executed hand-off put them in third place going into the anchor leg. Maurice Greene ran an incredible lap, quickly moving into second place. He was about to pass the leader but ran out of track. Britain’s team beat the United States men by one one-hundredth of a second.

The women’s relay team took three attempts to pass the baton following the race’s second leg. By the time they got it right, they were outside the allowed hand-off zone and were immediately disqualified. They could only watch in tears as the other three teams finished the race without them.

Four years later, the USA teams looked poised for a huge comeback. But apparently neither had learned their lesson. Amazingly, both the men’s and women’s 4×100 relay teams not only failed to pass the baton, but actually dropped it. Once again, they’d underestimated the importance of the handoff.

Now think about your team. How well do they pass the baton?

I’ll bet you have some star players on your team. But it doesn’t matter how much talent you have on board if the hand-offs aren’t smooth. Do you lose sales because of poor communication between front-line and support staff? Do your customers get frustrated because their issue takes too long to resolve? Do projects get stalled because someone doesn’t know when to let go of or accept the baton? Does the competition seem to beat you in spite of inferior talent or products?

Here are three steps for improving your hand-offs:

1. Identify the hand-offs that are critical to your business.
Ask yourself (better yet, ask your team) these questions:
~ Where does the sales/service delivery process most often get stuck?
~ What are the biggest sources of customer frustration?
~ Why does it take so long to get ______ done?

2. Determine the best way to execute them.
~ Map out the process as it exists today.
~ Zero in on the steps that cause the delay/breakdown/frustration.
~ Map out a new process to eliminate/improve the problem area.

3. Practice, practice, practice.
~ Communicate clearly how hand-offs are to be conducted.
~ Make sure every player on the team understands their role in the process.
~ Hold team members accountable for executing the process as communicated.

Everyone wants to be on a winning team. Your customers are no different. Make perfecting hand-offs part of your game plan and they’ll reward you with a gold medal.

Leadership Lessons from Paul Revere

Posted on by Scott

“Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere…”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It was 237 years ago today that Paul Revere mounted his horse and took the ride that made him famous. For years, the American colonists had been trying to shrug off the rules and heavy taxes imposed by the British. Thanks to incidents such as the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party, tensions between the American militia and British occupational forces had reached a boiling point. Revere and other members of the “Mechanics” served as couriers, relaying information between leaders of the American resistance in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York.

Revere and his colleagues kept careful watch over the movements of the British, looking for signs that further oppression, in the form of military action, was imminent. When word came that British troops were advancing from Boston to Lexington with the intent of arresting John Hancock and Samuel Adams, Revere was sent to spread the word – alerting the colonial militias along the way. The ride was successful and set the stage for the American Revolution.

The success of Paul Revere’s mission hinged on the ability to communicate quickly and effectively in a time of crisis. Sound familiar? In today’s business environment, where news travels around the world in an instant, timely and effective communication is critical. Here are three lessons in communication I feel we can learn from this historic event.

1. Be prepared to communicate. The time to plan your communication strategy is before a crisis hits, not in the heat of the moment. Revere and others had been watching the British for some time. They knew their own vulnerabilities and spent some time thinking like the enemy. By anticipating likely scenarios, they were able to develop response plans – including what and how to communicate.

Several months earlier, the colonists had been caught by surprise when British soldiers marched on the Powder House, removing a cache of gunpowder. The reaction was widespread panic and leaders established a series of communication strategies to prevent this type of unanticipated movement from happening again. When the time came to act, Revere and his companions knew exactly what to do. No time was wasted figuring out what needed to be said or who would deliver the message. Everything had been determined in advance.

2. Keep the message simple. Popular belief holds that Revere rode through the countryside shouting “the British are coming!” While this is false (British troops were everywhere and secrecy was critical to ensure the message reached as many people as possible), his actual message was just as simple. Going door-to-door, Revere and the other riders passed the message “The Regulars are coming out.”

This simple message conveyed everything a local militiaman needed to know. The British troops – Regulars – were on the move. Gather your weapons and prepare to defend your family, your land, and your property. The simplicity of the message also meant that it could easily be passed from town to town. A more complicated description of the British movements could easily have been confused resulting in misinformation and disorganization.

3. Plan multiple ways to communicate. Boston was the hotbed of British activity. Revere knew that, should events escalate quickly, he might not be able to escape the city to pass the word along. So another rider, William Dawes, also carried the message; leaving Boston by a different route. Having more than one communicator increased the chances that the message would get through. And should both manage to deliver their message, as was the case, communication would be achieved even more rapidly.

In addition, Revere also planned for an alternate method of communication should no one be able to leave Boston. He had arranged for a simple set of signals to alert the “Sons of Liberty” located across the Charles River to any British movement. He knew that the troops would either advance “by land,” marching to the west and then north toward Lexington, or “by sea,” crossing the Charles River in order to shorten their march. Once the British intentions became clear, Revere ordered two lanterns hung in the bell-tower of Christ Church in Boston.

Effective communication is difficult under any circumstance. Communicating in a time of crisis, when others are counting on swift and accurate information is even harder. But by preparing in advance, you can be ready to meet the challenge – just like Paul Revere.