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Leaders don’t get a hall pass when times get tough

Leaders don’t get a hall pass when times get tough

don't be a clueless leaderI spent many years working in labor relations. The talk last week about the government shutdown, and more specifically, who would and who would not be paid, struck a nerve I didn’t realize was still raw after all these years.

One of my former employers, a privately-held, family-owned organization, was having severe financial difficulties. All hourly employees were unionized.

The management team, negotiating committee, and company attorneys had spent countless hours preparing for the opening negotiating session in which wage and benefit rollbacks would be requested.

Union leaders had been alerted that the money situation was dire and that concessions were a “must do” if jobs were to be retained. “Dire” had been the mantra, repeated over and over.

The firm’s labor attorney and I had agreed to meet early that Monday morning for some last-minute prep before the 8 am session in the company’s conference room. Money was so tight, of course, that we couldn’t afford to have the negotiations offsite.

As I drove into the parking lot and to my space, I passed the parking space of the company’s owner. In it was a brand new top-of-the-line luxury vehicle. Holy crap.

His audacity was breathtaking, or his cluelessness was cruel; we never knew which it was. Or maybe it was something else.

Here we were, about to ask hundreds of employees to sacrifice for the greater good and for some measure of job security; and there sat that car, a contradictory symbol.

That car rightfully became a lightning rod during some long and very nasty negotiation sessions. I found it unbelievable that the boss/owner was that clueless. His explanation? The car deal was just too good to pass up.

Which is why the fact that the House, Senate and President would be paid in a government shutdown and military service men and women and ordinary worker bees would not, got me so riled up.

Leaders can’t claim a personal exemption from making sacrifices when the times get tough.

Especially not if they want any respect from this gal.

Ever worked for a clueless guy like this one who thought he was above the belt-tightening?

Image source:  Gratisography

 

 

 

This kind of networking sucks

This kind of networking sucks

INBOX EMAIL MESSAGE:

Hi, let me introduce myself since we haven’t met or connected before. I’m Frank Doe, and I just wrote a great book, Leadership Strategies for Connected Success.

 

I saw your website and know you’re the perfect person to read my book. I want you to write a review about it on your blog and on Amazon, too. You seem to know about leadership so your help will be important to me.

 

I’d also like for you to tweet about it, too, since I see you tweet a lot. Thanks for helping me out.

 

 

Have you ever received a request like the one above?

You know, a message from someone you don’t know and have never met, but who thinks you’re perfect for doing something for them.

A message similar to this one arrived not so long ago in my inbox. Giving the message writer the benefit of the doubt, perhaps they thought they were complimenting me. But, try as I might, I couldn’t see their request as something favorable.

effective networking

Am I wrong to feel that way???

I love to read new books, help people, and make a positive difference. However, this style of asking felt like an order a demanding boss would give rather than the first steps in establishing a relationship.

I’m of the school of thought that the purpose of business networking is developing a mutually advantageous relationship with other business people. There’s both an art and a science to getting it right.

What effective networking is

Effective networking is two-way, so both parties engage, share and assist each other. As you work to build your network, start out by giving – share information that may be of value, send a note of praise and/or congratulations or comment on someone’s blog post.

I like to define networking as cultivating mutually beneficial, give-and-take, win-win relationships. ~Bob Burg, co-author The Go Giver

Effective networking is…Building connection

Maybe I’m old-fashioned or out of touch in wanting a connection. Especially so when someone is asking you to read a 300-page book. Connection is about reciprocity, and this request felt totally one-sided.

Effective networking is…Listening intently and authentically

Rapport starts when you ask someone what they do or what they think, and then couple that inquiry with eye contact and active listening to the response. I dislike it when I’m at a business function speaking to a new acquaintance and see their eyes continuing to scan the room for someone else who might be a better contact. Annoying!

Effective networking is…Maintaining the connection.

Exchanging business cards or that first online ‘hello’ is just the beginning of the networking process. Regular outreach is important for nurturing the connection. Call, write or send emails periodically to stay in touch.

Effective networking is…Extending the breadth and depth of your network, appropriately so

Outreach possibilities for forging an effective business network are endless.

    1. Research professional associations related to your current industry or prospective ones.
    2. Attend and actively participate in meetings, gatherings, conferences, etc. where you can meet a wide variety of people. You never know who can provide your next referral, lead or job prospect.
    3. Share your expertise and insights by joining an online discussion group or by participating in social media. It’s a great way to meet people, refine your online communication skills and answer people’s inquiries to showcase how you can bring value to them.
    4. Volunteering is an excellent venue to both “do good” and to meet people.

Effective networking is…Being strategic in building your network

To ensure that you are getting the right mix of relationships and exposure, include:

    • Family and friends – a given!
    • People with a large network of their own and who are willing to introduce you to their contacts
    • People will who join you in endeavors or spreading your message
    • Folks who believe in, and will endorse, you and what you do
    • Subject matter authorities in your field whose opinion is widely respected

The way of the world is meeting people through other people. ~Robert Kerrigan

What say you?

What’s the best way to build a thoughtful network that works for everyone involved?

Image source:  morgueFile.com

 

 

Sincerity and office politics

Sincerity and office politics

The secret to life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made. ~Groucho Marx

sincerity

Mike Henry

Sincerity and authenticity are leadership competencies that inspire trust. 

Trust lubricates relationships and transactions.

Trust makes it easier for people to work together. 

Trust is necessary for togetherness and group identity.

Being authentic means I know what you’re “for.” If I am confident that another person is “for” the same things I’m “for,” I don’t have to spend energy managing the gap in our allegiance.  I have more energy to devote to the allegiance itself and its desired outcome.

Misleading Motives

When a person fakes authenticity or sincerity, they misrepresent their true motives and create a trust gap.  Faked authenticity and sincerity sabotage shared vision as they kill trust. They create an organization where trust is replaced by “politics;” (office politics, or little-league team politics, or homeowner’s association politics, or church politics, or “you-name-it” politics).

Wikipedia defines “politics” as a process by which groups of people make decisions.

The word originated from the Greek word polis which means city-state. The original idea rises from the ideas of republic and democracy, but over time the term has taken on negative connotations.  Many times office politics implies individuals trying to manipulate outcomes to favor a few rather than the whole.

Office politics rise when objectives are not shared or clearly understood.  Lack of clarity on shared mission causes everyone to pursue their own definition of “right.” End-justifying activities such as posturing and manipulation become best-practices of the organization.

Unsuspecting co-workers drop their guard and award trust when it would otherwise be unjustified. Power initially transfers until true motives are discovered.  When trust is compromised and people withdraw, the dark side of office politics fill the trust void.

6 Ways to Restore Sincerity

What do you do when you recognize your group’s culture is one of distrust and politics?

1)  Commit to authenticity and transparency. Take the leadership role by developing sincere, team-focused motives and being transparent. (Someone has to go first!)

2)  Renew a shared vision. Work to make sure everyone on your team is working for the same goal. If you’re not sure about a team member’s motives, maybe you need to help them find another team.

3)  Align motivations. Every sustainable relationship must be win-win. Align individual motives with the shared vision.

4)  Tear down walls. Transparency is the only way to initially prove true authenticity and sincerity.  When people begin protecting themselves and masking true motives, credibility evaporates. Work to keep people open and honest.

5)  Encourage patience and grace. Authenticity is proven over time.

6)  Celebrate progress. Repeatable success over time builds confidence.

What other steps can you recommend to readers who long for true sincerity (positive office politics) or a politics-free workplace?

Speak up and stamp out negative office politics, one organization at a time.


Today’s guest post, the third in the Playing Office Politics series, is from Mike Henry. Mike is the founder of the Lead Change Group. He’s passionate about energizing motivated people to make a positive difference. Connect with Mike via his profile on LinkedIn

 

 

What’s Your Agenda?

What’s Your Agenda?

Today’s guest post, second in the Playing Office Politics series, is by Susan Mazza of Clarus Consulting Service.  She is a motivational speaker, business consultant, coach and trainer specializing in Leading and Managing Change.

 

agenda by susan mazza

Susan Mazza

When an agenda has to do with a meeting or event, people appreciate and even expect one.  Yet when we refer to a person’s agenda the connotation is typically not very positive.

According to the Encarta Dictionary (North America) the definition of “agenda” is as follows:

1.  A list of things to do: a formal list of things to be done in a specific order, especially a list of things to be discussed at a meeting;

2.  Matters needing attention:  the various matters that somebody needs to deal with at a specific time;

3. Personal motivation:  An underlying personal viewpoint or bias.

So the first two definitions above typically evoke a positive reaction.  The third implies someone is up to something of a sinister nature and is typically the context in which the dark side of politics emerges.  Perhaps the underlying theme here is that agendas for the sake of the group are perceived as “good” and agendas for the sake of the individual are perceived as “bad”.

Here I want to focus on the third definition: personal motivation.

Agenda are everywhere

We ALL have agendas.

You could say our ambitions, no matter how altruistic or noble they may be, are an agenda.  We also have many underlying personal viewpoints and biases.  Some we are aware of and some we are not.  And they inform everything we think, say and do. 

So the fact that we have agendas is not inherently a problem.

There are two ways, however, this kind of agenda can be destructive.

The most obvious is when our motivation is perceived to be for purely personal gain and/or the gain of “us” at the expense of “them”.

Those agendas are usually hidden. 

When we have them we keep them close and may not even share them at all.  And when we interact with someone who has that kind of agenda, we can feel their affect on the dynamic of an interaction even though we don’t actually hear anyone speak them. 

These are the agendas that feed the rumor mill and are labeled as “political” in the negative sense.

Perhaps the less obvious agendas that can be destructive are the ones we have, but we are either unaware of or fail to examine together.

Not everyone will have the best interests of others in mind.  Yet most people have the best interests of some constituency in mind.  A group of intelligent individuals does necessarily make an intelligent organization.  Understanding the motivations and needs of all constituencies involved and affected by the conversations you are in and the work you are doing are essential to tapping that collective intelligence for the greater good. 

Unless we openly discuss our beliefs and motivations we are likely to miss important factors in our strategies and decisions.

And, yes, there are some people with predominantly self serving motivations, and they are not likely to admit to them. Sometimes a culture even encourages self interest.  

If that is the case the only thing to do may be to be honest about the reality of how the system is designed and move forward in a way that embraces what is, rather than trying to move forward with the proverbial blinders on.  More often than not the individuals with predominantly self serving motivations are among the minority.  At some point it is likely to cost them.  It is a waste of effort to try and change it and a waste of your breath to complain about it.  And if they get in the way of progress you will just need to find a way to deal with them.

Agendas can be good

I’ve talked about the dark side of agendas.

So when is an agenda a good thing?

When our personal motivations, aka our agendas, are the source of our leadership. What makes these particular personal motivations distinct is that they are shared by and contribute to others.

These motivations may not be directly about us, but they are certainly very personal.  And that is what gives them such power.  This kind of agenda is the source of movements that change the world and change us in the process.  They are the source of the stands we take.  And when we take a stand for something we make our agenda public.

Using an agenda in this way is actually an essential political tool.  When used well it provides the platform for leading effectively, although it would not be labeled “political” or likely to be interpreted as “political behavior”.  It would more likely be called leadership.

What is the bottom line when it comes to agendas?

  • Hidden agenda’s give politics a bad rap.  But when an agenda is discussed openly it informs our decisions and strategies.  When an agenda is expressed as a stand it sets direction, facilitates progress, and is interpreted as leadership.
  • When we promote an agenda to facilitate progress of a group rather than personal progress, we have the capacity to transform the way people work together for the success and satisfaction of us all.

So what is your most personal, most passionately held agenda?  Maybe it’s time to take a stand and make it known!

 

 

 

 

Networking inside company walls

Networking inside company walls

Today’s guest post, the first in the Playing Office Politics series, is by Jennifer V. Miller, Managing Partner of SkillSource, a training and consulting company that helps emerging leaders “master the people equation”. Jennifer’s experience as a human resources generalist, training facilitator and corporate manager helps her develop the “people side” of those who want to maximize their influence. Connect with Jennifer at The People Equation blog.

 

networking by jennifer v. miller

Jennifer V. Miller

One of the four behaviors resident in people who “play politics” in a positive way (as identified by researchers at the University of Florida) is networking.

Because I spend a lot of time giving keynotes on the topic of networking,  Jane reached out to me for my perspective on the topic.

2 types of networking

If you are in sales, or are job seeking, then it’s a no-brainer: networking should play a key part in your outreach strategy.  Connection-making if this sort is external networking.  See my blog posts here and here for tips on how to network outside your organization.

Even if your job rarely requires you to interact outside your company walls, you still need know how to network.  That’s where internal networking comes into play. Internal networking is when you reach out to colleagues within your organization, even if your job doesn’t require you to do so. It’s going beyond your normal scope of job responsibilities.   Being an internal networker means you are looking outside your immediate, day-to-day activities and thinking about how you can connect with and create value for others in your company.

Many of the same principles apply for both external and internal networking, but there’s a nuance to the internal process that’s unique. Let’s explore why it’s important to distinguish between the two types of networking.

Why internal networking is different

It comes down to mindset: people have expectations about what various job roles “should” be.  For example, people expect outside sales reps and job seekers to be making phone calls and attending industry functions. It’s seen as a required part of their daily work.

With internal networking, however, the mindset shifts. People are a bit more leery of employees and leaders who seek connections beyond their daily scope.  These activities are often perceived as “sucking up” or “playing politics”.

The differentiator, as Jane points out in her introduction to positive office politics is that effective internal networkers are those who are always going for the win-win.  They create connections because they believe that reaching out to others will help all involved, including the company.

How can I improve my internal networking?

The first thing you need to do is a quick mental audit: what’s my mindset on internal networking?

If you’re still stuck in the mentality of “networking is for kiss-ups” then the tips below won’t help.  Take a moment and remember a time when you successfully made a connection beyond your department boundaries.  Think about how you benefitted and the other person did too.  In the right frame of mind now?

Great.

5 ideas for networking “inside” the walls

Here are some ideas:

1)  Have a decent relationship with your boss? Ask her (or him) to give you a few ideas on other leaders who you should get to know in the company.  The purpose would be to broaden your business acumen and learn from another leader in the company. Who knows, maybe it will turn into an informal mentoring situation. Plus, it helps to know other business unit leaders if you want to switch job functions in the future.

2)  Make a list of key players in your organization that you would like to get to know.  It’s OK if the list has only 3 people. If you’re not comfortable inviting them to meet, find a person who knows both of you and ask person to make an introduction. Arrange to have a coffee break or lunch with the purpose of getting to know what you both do for your jobs.

3)  When people are promoted, receive an award, or otherwise achieve something, send congratulations. A quick congratulatory email to someone (even if you don’t know them well) will go a long way towards showing that you are paying attention beyond your cubicle’s four walls.

4)  Been assigned to a cross-functional project team? If you’re unfamiliar with the work of the project team members, suggest that one of the initial project team meetings be an “infomercial” of sorts. Have each team member do a 2 minute recap of their role back at their desk. Not only will you learn more about your project team members, you’ll also quickly gather data that may head off miscommunications or misperceptions for the project.

5)  Talk up other people’s accomplishments. When in department meetings, be sure to praise other teammates’ wins.  Do the same for people in other departments who have helped you out.  Word will spread that you’re a team player, one who’s not afraid to share credit.

Networking inside your company’s walls does not mean that you’ll garner a reputation for being a gamer. Rather, if you keep others’ interests in mind, you will be seen as someone who’s willing to lend a hand.

The well-connected person creates value for all.

 

 

 

Playing office politics

Playing office politics

ewww office politicsOffice Politics.

Ewwwwwwww, you say, thinking of those smarmy, lying, back-stabbing, kiss-up, brown-nosing, schmoozing manipulators who play the game by one rule and just one rule…I WIN, YOU LOSE. 

Right?? 

In its very worst connotation, office politics represents influence and power gone awry.

If you’re like Mike, Susan, Jennifer and me, I’m guessing that many of us have experienced bad office politics via a two-faced someone operating on the “dark side of the force” and have a favorite horror story to tell.

While it’s a lofty dream to hope that someday all leaders will play from a win-win perspective, that’s unfortunately not the reality in many workplaces. The plain truth is that office politics are here to stay; and, based on a fascinating study done by the University of Florida, can be played nice.

Nice?

Really??

Really!

How to play office politics the nice way

The study revealed that adept leaders do politics competently – and nicely – and are never accused of playing politics.

In 2005, University of Florida Professor Gerald R. Ferris, Research Scientist Sherry L. Davidson, and Professor Pamela L. Perrewe co-authored Political Skills at Work: Impact on Work Effectiveness, which was the culmination of more than 15 years of research into office politics.

Their findings?

If you have political skill, you appear not to have it. Truly skillful execution of the behaviors associated with politics is usually perceived as genuine, authentic, straightforward and effective.

Politically skilled managers are masters of four behaviors: social astuteness, interpersonal influence, networking ability and apparent sincerity.

Leaders who are not politically skilled come off as manipulative or self-serving.

Any time there are scarce resources, competing interests and ambiguity (sound like most work places?), office politics will exist. The key to success is playing with a win-win orientation versus an” I win-you lose” mindset.

Championing a cause, seeking budget for additional headcount, inspiring an up-and-comer on your team, persuading your boss to let you lead the special project – occur regularly in our jobs and require influence, relationships and social awareness to execute.

Office politics is the art of building relationships that will help you and your team accomplish more than you could on your own. ~Mitchell Kusy, Ph.D, Manager’s Desktop Consultant

A year ago, Mike Henry, Susan Mazza, Jennifer V. Miller and I partnered to produce a month-long four-part blog series addressing the competencies needed for leaders to play “Positive Office Politics.”

Given the ongoing relevance and reality of office politics, we’re repeating the four-part series this week beginning tomorrow.

Enjoy and let us know what you think!

Image source:  Gratisography