The Dotted Line Dilemma: Leading Effectively in Matrix Organizations (Leadership Challenges 6/7)

The days of clear, siloed hierarchies are fading. In today’s complex business environment — where projects span geographies, products, and functions — leaders are increasingly working in matrixed organizations. In these structures, dotted line reporting has become common.

A dotted line reporting relationship means an employee has a primary manager (the solid line) and a secondary manager (the dotted line). The solid-line manager holds ultimate accountability, while the dotted-line manager influences goals, priorities, and performance. In theory, this structure fosters collaboration, agility, and cross-functional alignment. In practice, it often creates confusion, competing priorities, and blurred accountability.

For executive leaders, the dotted line is both an opportunity and a challenge. Done well, it accelerates collaboration and breaks down silos. Done poorly, it drains energy, slows decision-making, and leaves employees caught in the middle. I recently worked with a VP whose product managers each reported a solid line to her and a dotted line to regional sales leaders. The intent was to keep product and customer needs aligned, but instead, employees felt torn between short-term sales demands and long-term product strategy. With clear agreements on decision rights and regular triad check-ins, the team shifted from conflict and burnout to better trust and alignment — a reminder that the dotted line itself isn’t the issue, but how leaders manage it.

Benefits of Dotted Line Reporting

1. Stronger Collaboration Across Functions. When dotted lines work, they encourage knowledge-sharing and break down silos. Employees gain direct access to leaders in other functions, which strengthens alignment and helps them see how their work impacts the bigger picture. This model can support enterprise thinking — something matrix structures were designed to achieve.

2. Flexibility and Agility. A dotted-line manager can step in when the solid-line manager is unavailable or specialized expertise is required. This flexibility helps organizations move faster and make better decisions without being bottlenecked.

3. Broader Development for Employees. Employees exposed to multiple leaders receive a wider range of coaching, feedback, and perspectives. This can accelerate development — particularly in areas outside their functional “home base.”

Challenges Leaders Must Address:

1. Confusion and Competing Priorities. Employees often struggle to know whose requests take priority. Without clear agreements, they may waste time managing politics rather than the work.

2. Conflict Between Managers. If solid and dotted line managers aren’t aligned, employees can feel like they’re stuck between competing agendas. Research on matrix organizations (HBR, Problems of Matrix Organizations) shows that unresolved conflicts at the top cascade into stress and inefficiency at lower levels.

3. Accountability Gaps. When performance suffers, leaders sometimes point fingers rather than own responsibility. Without clarity, employees can feel unsupported and unsure of what success looks like.

Leadership Strategies for Success

1. Establish Crystal-Clear Roles and Responsibilities. Leaders must explicitly define what falls under the solid line versus the dotted line. Who owns performance reviews? Who sets priorities? Who provides coaching and feedback? Clarity removes guesswork and builds trust.

2. Align and Communicate Consistently. Managers in dotted line relationships must commit to regular alignment. Whether it’s a quick sync before big deadlines or monthly check-ins, the goal is to speak with “one voice” to employees. Mixed messages erode confidence and credibility.

3. Prioritize the Employee Experience. The burden of navigating dotted lines shouldn’t fall on employees. Leaders must proactively manage potential conflicts, provide guidance, and shield employees from being pulled in competing directions.

4. Build a Culture of Feedback and Transparency. Dotted line reporting works best in environments where open dialogue is encouraged. Continuous feedback — not just during formal reviews — ensures employees know how they’re doing and where to focus.

5. Use Check-ins as a Leadership Tool. Short, frequent check-ins across solid and dotted line managers help maintain alignment. They also give employees a chance to raise issues early, reducing the risk of burnout or disengagement.

Dotted line reporting is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be managed. In today’s matrixed organizations, the dotted line can either accelerate collaboration or create frustration. The difference lies in how leaders approach it. By setting clear roles, aligning consistently, and prioritizing the employee experience, executives can turn dotted-line reporting into a powerful tool for integration and growth. At its best, the dotted line isn’t a weakness in structure — it’s a bridge that connects functions, strengthens teams, and drives organizational success.

Quote of the Day: “Clarity affords focus” -Thomas Leonard

Reflection Question: How has dotted line reporting played out in your organization — as a bridge to collaboration or as a source of tension? Comment and share below; we’d love to hear from you!

The next blog in this series 7/7 will focus on managing managers.

As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to sharpen their leadership skills and navigate tricky situations, contact me

How do you lead your dotted line?

Leading Across Generations: The Myth and the Reality (Leadership Challenges Series 5/7)

Walk into any leadership meeting today and you’ll hear some version of this sigh: “Managing all these generations is exhausting.”  Leaders feel caught between digital-native Gen Zs, ambitious Millennials, pragmatic Gen Xers, and seasoned Boomers - each with their own communication quirks, career expectations, and Slack habits. It sounds like chaos. But much of the tension isn’t just generational — it’s contextual, cultural, and relational.

It may sometimes feel like you are leading five generations, but the truth is, you’re leading five sets of human experiences in different life stages.

Why It Feels So Hard

Researchers like Jean Twenge, author of Generations, argue that today’s workplace is more complex because the pace of change has never been faster. Technology, remote work, and shifting norms have widened the gap between how people enter and exit their careers. This means that leaders are managing vastly different starting lines.

Meanwhile, consultant Haydn Shaw, who coined the term “Generational IQ,” notes that misunderstandings across age groups often stem from differences in expectations rather than values. What one group calls “initiative,” another might label “impatience.”

Add hybrid work, social media influence, and cultural fragmentation - and suddenly “leading across generations” becomes a masterclass in empathy and flexibility.

The Research Reality Check

Organizational psychologist Adam Grant flips the script on generational divides. In his podcast episode “Generational Differences Are Vastly Exaggerated,” he reveals that most of what we call “generation gaps” are illusions. Every era has accused the next of being entitled, distracted, or morally adrift — a familiar cycle that says more about nostalgia than truth. When researchers compare people at the same age, the data tells a consistent story: loyalty levels have remained stable, ambition hasn’t wavered, and the values people hold most dear — meaningful work, respect, growth, and balance — have barely changed. What has changed is context, not character. Younger workers are navigating new economic realities, cultural expectations, and technological landscapes. Their choices reflect their circumstances, not their chromosomes. 

Where Leaders Get Stuck

The real challenge for today’s leaders isn’t managing generational differences — it’s managing perception. What often looks like a “generation gap” is really a clash over clout: who gets heard, whose expertise counts, and who defines what hard work looks like. Younger professionals push for innovation and inclusion, while seasoned ones protect standards and hard-earned credibility. Both perspectives are valid — and both sides often feel undervalued. The leader’s job is to bridge that divide, translating ambition into alignment.

How to Lead Across Generations (and Beyond Them)

1. Normalize, Don’t Stereotype.  Avoid labeling behaviors as “Gen Z” or “Boomer.” Instead, describe them as preferences. “You prefer direct verbal feedback; I tend to process in writing better. How can we meet in the middle?” Normalizing difference removes judgment.

2. Focus on Shared Purpose.  Research by Megan Gerhardt, author of Gentelligence, shows that when teams define a unifying goal and respect each generation’s expertise, performance improves. Shared purpose turns “us vs. them” into “we.”

3. Design for Flexibility, Not Uniformity.  People at different life stages value autonomy differently. A parent managing childcare may need flexibility; a new graduate may crave in-person mentorship. Treat flexibility as equity, not an exception.

4. Make Curiosity a Leadership Habit. Ask: What do you value most right now? How do you like to communicate? What helps you do your best work?  Curiosity dismantles assumptions faster than any training manual.

The Big Reframe: It’s About Life Stage, Not Birth Year

A 28-year-old single engineer and a 55-year-old caring for aging parents may seem worlds apart — but both want respect, meaningful work, and leaders they can trust. Their expressions differ, but their essence is shared.

When leaders shift from “How do I manage each generation?” to “How do I meet people where they are?”, the noise quiets — and collaboration grows.

Generational differences make for great headlines but poor leadership.  The best leaders do not lead generations — they lead humans in context.  They listen across experience, build bridges between ambition and wisdom, and create workplaces where every generation feels valued — and valuable.

Reflection Question: Where might you be interrupting a difference in experience or power as a difference in generation?  Comment and share below; we’d love to hear from you.

Quote of the day: “Others judge us by what we’ve done; we judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing.” — Longfellow

The next blog in this series 6/7 will focus on another leadership challenge – leading dotted line employees.

As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to sharpen their leadership skills and navigate tricky situations, contact me

How do you lead multiple generations in the workplace?

Managing Employees Nearing Retirement (Leadership Challenges Series 4/7)

One of the most delicate leadership challenges executives face is managing employees nearing retirement. Unlike early-career professionals eager to grow or mid-career leaders striving for advancement, soon-to-retire employees may be in a very different mindset — one that prioritizes stability, familiarity, and winding down over growth, innovation, and risk-taking.

This stage can provide substantial value, as these employees often possess decades of institutional knowledge, strong relationships, and a long history with the company. But it can also present challenges when motivation, adaptability, or team alignment begin to wane. Organizational psychologist Daniel Levinson once described career life stages as “seasons,” each with its own developmental tasks. For leaders, navigating the “retirement season” with both respect and strategic foresight is critical for team health and company continuity.

 Common Challenges of Managing Soon-to-Retire Employees

1. Declining Engagement.  Some employees begin to mentally “check out” once they know retirement is near. They may resist learning new skills, avoid stretch assignments, or simply do the bare minimum. This can frustrate colleagues who feel they are carrying a disproportionate share of the workload.

 2. Fixed Mindsets and Outdated Approaches.  After decades of doing things a certain way, some employees may resist change. Carol Dweck’s work on growth vs. fixed mindsets underscores how damaging this can be to team progress. When a veteran leader refuses to adapt, it not only stalls innovation but can also discourage younger employees who crave guidance and support.

3. Negative Energy on Teams. Sometimes, the frustration of being “almost out the door” manifests as cynicism or dismissiveness. A skeptical, resistant attitude can undermine morale and stifle creativity, especially when an employee feels untouchable due to tenure or loyalty.

 Organizational Dilemmas

1. Loyalty and Legacy.  Long-serving employees often hold a special place in the organization’s story. Leaders may hesitate to confront underperformance because of past contributions or out of respect for years of service.

2. Team Morale. Even if performance has declined, many soon-to-retire employees are well regarded. Handling their transition poorly can harm morale and signal to others that the company does not value its employees.

3. Institutional Knowledge.  In some cases, retirees hold critical knowledge that has not been documented or shared. This creates a “single point of failure” for the organization. Harvard Business Review notes that knowledge transfer during retirements is one of the most overlooked succession risks companies face.

 Leadership Strategies to Manage This Transition

1. Set Clear Expectations and Address Performance. Respect does not mean avoidance. Leaders should continue to set expectations and hold soon-to-retire employees accountable. Frame it as ensuring that the legacy of their work endures within the team. Choose your battles wisely, focusing on issues that impact culture, client outcomes, or team cohesion

2. Redefine Their Role for Maximum Value. If motivation for new projects has waned, consider narrowing their scope to focus on what they do best. Moving them from management into an individual contributor or mentor role can enable them to add value without adversely affecting others. Taking time to understand their motivations at this stage can help you approach them more effectively.

 3. Leverage Knowledge Transfer.  Position them as mentors or “knowledge stewards.” Encourage them to document processes, coach rising leaders, or conduct training sessions. This not only preserves institutional wisdom but also allows them to leave a legacy.

 4. Explore Internal Transitions. Sometimes, moving the person to a team or function that better aligns with their strengths can be beneficial. A lower-visibility role may help them finish their career with dignity while minimizing team disruption.

 5. Plan for Graceful Exits. If performance issues outweigh contributions, it may be time to guide them toward a positive exit. Providing a strong retirement package and celebrating their contributions can soften the transition and signal that the company honors its people.

 6. Build for the Long Term. Succession planning is the real antidote. Ensure no single person holds irreplaceable knowledge or critical relationships. Developing future leaders and creating systems for knowledge capture protects both the company and the individual.

 Managing employees nearing retirement requires leaders to balance respect with accountability, empathy with decisiveness, and legacy with progress. When approached thoughtfully, these transitions can preserve institutional knowledge, strengthen culture, and honor contributions while ensuring the organization is prepared for the future.

 Quote of the Day: “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” -Attributed to Pericles, Athenian Statesman

 Reflection Question: How has your organization successfully navigated the retirement of key employees? What strategies worked best to balance respect, performance, and continuity?  Comment and share below; we’d love to hear from you!

The next blog in this series 5/7 will focus on another leadership challenge – leading dotted line employees.

 As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to sharpen their leadership skills and navigate tricky situations like these. Contact me to explore this topic further.

How do you lead the almost retired?

From Strategy to Action: How to Write a Strategic Plan (Strategy Series 4/4)

From Strategy to Action: How to Write a Strategic Plan (Strategy Series 4/4)

We’ve explored what strategy is, how to think strategically, and how to make time for it. Now comes the most critical part — turning insights into reality.  A strategic plan is your roadmap for your vision; it’s where bold ideas meet disciplined execution. Without it, even the best strategy remains a wish.

 Why Strategic Planning Matters

Strategic planning is not a corporate ritual or a PowerPoint exercise. It’s a process of alignment — connecting purpose, priorities, and people so everyone pulls in the same direction. Think of it as the leadership equivalent of going from “Why” to “What” to “How.”

·      Why clarifies your purpose and vision.

·      What defines your focus areas and success metrics.

·      How outlines the actions, timelines, and resources needed to get there.

 As Peter Drucker once said, “Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.”  Strategic planning is that hard work – and it’s worth doing well because it’s where real leaders shine.

 Let’s explore an 8-step process:

 Step 1: Start with Purpose and Vision 

Every effective plan begins with a purpose that gives meaning; the why that inspires action. For example, a Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) might define their purpose as:

·       “To enable the organization to attract, develop, and retain exceptional talent that drives sustainable growth, innovation, and belonging.”  That purpose connects business performance with human potential. 

 Next comes the vision — a vivid picture of success in three years: 

·       “A high-performing, values-driven culture where people thrive, leaders grow, and the business excels.”

 When purpose and vision are compelling, they anchor every subsequent decision.

 Step 2: Assess Where You Are. 

Before deciding where to go, leaders must confront the current reality.  Use a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) or SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results) analysis to anchor the conversation.  For our CHRO example:

·      Strength: Strong employer brand in key markets

·      Weakness: Inconsistent manager capability across regions

·      Opportunity: Use AI for predictive talent insights

·      Threat: Tight labor market for niche skills

 This simple assessment builds credibility, exposes blind spots, and aligns the team around the real starting point.

 Step 3: Define Strategic Priorities. 

Strategy is about focus, not everything. Choose three to five priorities that will most advance your vision.  For a CHRO, these might be:

·      Build a future-ready workforce

·      Elevate the employee experience

·      Strengthen culture and belonging

·      Modernize HR systems and analytics

·      Strengthen HR partnership and credibility

 Each priority represents a chapter in HR’s evolution — from a support function to a strategic driver of organizational success and a true force multiplier for the business.

 Step 4: Set Goals for Two Horizons. 

Great leaders think in dual horizons, balancing near-term execution with long-term transformation.  Example:

·      Focus for 1-year execution plan: Build foundation. Example: Launch leadership programs, integrate HR data, establish belonging index

·      Focus for 3-year strategic roadmap: Achieve transformation. Example 80% of key roles filled internally, engagement +8 pts, HR recognized as a strategic partner

 This dual approach ensures quick wins while keeping an eye on the long horizon — a practice that separates operators from true strategists.  If your strategy can be achieved in less than three years, it may not be ambitious enough to be truly transformative. The most meaningful strategies stretch your organization’s capacity — requiring time, focus, and sustained commitment. A strong plan typically aims for significant headway in the first year (around 50%), not slow, even progress. Momentum builds confidence; inertia erodes it. If the first year ends without meaningful traction, it’s worth re-evaluating — either double down and renew effort or refine the goal entirely. Strategy is only as powerful as the discipline and intensity behind it.

 Step 5: Create Measurable Goals & Initiatives.

Once you’ve defined your strategic priorities, it’s time to translate each one into concrete goals that move the organization forward. A great plan doesn’t just list ambitions—it names the specific results you’re working toward, how you’ll get there, how success will be measured, and who will make it happen.

For each priority, define:

·       Objective: What success looks like

·       Initiatives (3-5): How you’ll get there; the levers you’ll pull

·       Metrics: How you’ll measure progress; both leading and lagging indicators

·       Ownership: Who’s accountable, and who are named collaborators

·       Timeline: Q1-Q4 gates; annual checkpoint.

 For example, under Elevate the Employee Experience, the objective might be to build a cohesive, inclusive, and engaging employee journey. The initiatives could include redesigning onboarding and performance systems and launching quarterly pulse surveys to capture feedback. Metrics such as onboarding satisfaction above 90% and engagement scores increasing by 8 points make progress tangible.

 When metrics connect to meaning, people rally behind them – because they can see, feel, and measure their impact.  A good strategic plan pairs clarity with intensity. Each initiative should stretch the organization just beyond its comfort zone — enough to build capability and confidence. The work should feel both achievable and catalytic, driving visible transformation, not incremental change.

 Step 6: Align People and Resources

Even the best strategy will falter without alignment. Assign ownership for every initiative, clarify resources, and surface potential barriers early. The CHRO might partner with Finance on workforce planning, Technology on HR data systems, and Communications on storytelling and change management.

 Strategic plans succeed when everyone sees themselves in the story — when it’s clear who’s driving, who’s supporting, and how success will be shared.

 Step 7: Build Reflection and Adaptation into the Process

A strong plan isn’t static; it evolves. Conduct quarterly reviews to check progress and annual refreshes to recalibrate direction. Ask:

·      What’s working and what’s not?

·      What’s changed in our business environment?

·      What must we start, stop, or continue?

As Intel’s Andy Grove said, “Bad companies are destroyed by crisis, good companies survive them, great companies are improved by them.” Strategic plans that breathe — learning and adapting — are the ones that endure.

 Step 8: Tell the Strategic Story

Once your plan is written, don’t shelve it — share it.  Leaders who communicate strategy clearly build alignment, trust, and momentum.

 Your plan should read like a story:

·      Here’s where we are.

·      Here’s where we’re going.

·      Here’s what success will look like when we get there — together.

 For our CHRO, that narrative might sound like this: Our people strategy is our business strategy. We’re investing in leadership, inclusion, and technology to ensure our workforce is ready for today and resilient for tomorrow.

 Strategy without execution is hope; execution without intensity is motion. The best leaders drive both — clarity of purpose and urgency of action.

Quote of the Day. “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Reflection Question.  What’s one strategic priority you could clarify today — and what small step would make it real within the next 90 days? Comment and share below; we’d love to hear from you.

 As a Leadership Coach, I partner with executives to translate vision into strategy and strategy into results. Contact me if you would like to connect.

How do you strategically plan?

Beyond VUCA: Understanding BANI and Thriving Amid New Challenges (VUCA series 6/6)

As the world grows increasingly complex and unpredictable, many leaders and academics have recognized that the VUCA framework may not fully capture today’s challenges. Enter BANI - Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible. This model provides a lens for understanding not only the changing conditions but also the human responses and limitations we face. With BANI, leaders can explore ways to support teams in a landscape that is often fragile, overwhelming, and beyond simple understanding. 

What BANI Can Look Like

·       Brittle: Systems that appear robust can easily break under strain. For example, a seemingly stable supply chain can crumble with unexpected disruptions, revealing hidden weaknesses. 

·       Anxious: With constant information and pressure to keep up, anxiety rises. Employees may feel overwhelmed by the pace of change, which impacts their decision-making and morale. 

·       Nonlinear: In a nonlinear world, small actions can have outsized effects, while big efforts sometimes yield minimal impact. The lack of cause-and-effect predictability makes planning challenging. 

·       Incomprehensible: Some situations are too complex to fully understand. With the evolution of technology and global interconnectedness, leaders and employees often feel disoriented, as traditional strategies and explanations fail to meet their needs. 

Let’s Explore Strategies for Managing BANI:

Building Resilience to Handle Brittleness:

·       Identify and Reinforce Weak Points: Regularly assess and strengthen critical areas, such as cybersecurity, supply chains, and contingency plans, to enhance overall resilience. 

·       Foster Cross-Training and Role Flexibility: Equip employees with versatile skills to quickly adapt when systems are under stress.

·       Simplify Processes: Focus on core priorities and streamline workflows to prevent bottlenecks, especially under pressure. 

Supporting Mental Health to Ease Anxiety

·       Encourage Open Conversations on Mental Health: Normalize discussions about mental health and ensure employees feel safe expressing their concerns.

·       Provide Wellness Resources: Offer resources such as mental health days, counseling, or mindfulness training to help employees manage stress effectively. 

·       Schedule Reflection Time: Integrate structured breaks to give employees a mental reset and regain perspective during intense periods of intense activity. 

Embracing Adaptability in Nonlinear Contexts

·       Promote Experimentation: Encourage safe-to-fail experiments where teams can try new approaches and learn from outcomes without fear of failure.

·       Use Scenario Planning: Prepare for multiple potential outcomes so teams feel agile and ready, no matter what unfolds.

·       Invest in Continuous Learning: Encourage ongoing skill-building to help employees stay adaptable as conditions evolve.

Cultivating Humility to Approach the Incomprehensible

·       Promote Cross-Functional Collaboration: Gather diverse teams to tackle complex problems, enabling a more comprehensive understanding.

·       Foster a Growth Mindset: Create a learning culture where employees can ask questions, admit uncertainty, and share insights. 

·       Encourage Reflective Practices: Hold team debriefs or knowledge-sharing sessions to process complex challenges collectively. 

The BANI framework helps leaders address the unique psychological and operational challenges of today’s world, where fragility, anxiety, unpredictability, and incomprehensibility can feel overwhelming. By understanding these dynamics and adopting thoughtful, supportive strategies, leaders can help their teams not just survive but thrive in a BANI environment.

Quote of the day. “In an age of complexity, leaders must become comfortable with uncertainty, fragility, and the unknown.” – Margaret Wheatley 

Question of the day. How can you help your team find stability and confidence in a world that often feels fragile and overwhelming?  Comment and share below; we’d love to hear from you. 

As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to sharpen their leadership skills and better navigate VUCA & BANI conditions, contact me to explore this topic further.

Addressing Complexity At Work (VUCA Series 3/6)

Today’s workplace is more interconnected than ever, with diverse functions, teams, and goals intertwined in intricate ways. This complexity can lead to miscommunication, misalignment, and inefficiency if not managed well. For managers, navigating this web of interconnected challenges requires simplifying processes, promoting cross-functional understanding, and fostering systems thinking.

What Complexity Can Look Like

Complexity often appears in workplaces with many associated systems, teams, and goals that require coordination. For instance, a global company might manage cross-functional projects involving multiple regions and specialized departments, each with different priorities and processes. Technology integration can also add complexity, with new tools requiring seamless communication between platforms to avoid disruptions. Internally, complexity might mean intricate workflows or extensive collaboration between departments, which can lead to misunderstandings and delays. Employees may feel overwhelmed by navigating these dependencies, yet the environment also encourages systems thinking and collaborative problem-solving, helping teams build stronger connections and approach challenges with a broader perspective.

Let’s explore strategies for managing complexity

·       Simplifying Processes and Reducing Bottlenecks. In complex environments, inefficiencies can quickly compound. By streamlining workflows and cutting down on unnecessary approvals or steps, managers make it easier for teams to focus on what truly matters. Simplicity in processes translates to more clarity, reducing the cognitive load on employees.

·       Encouraging Systems Thinking.  Complexity is often rooted in the relationship between different parts of a system. Training employees to think in terms of systems helps them understand how their actions impact others across the organization. This broader perspective fosters more strategic thinking and enhances decision-making.

·       Cross-Functional Collaboration.  Complexity often involves multiple teams working together. Regular cross-functional collaboration breaks down silos, helping teams understand different priorities and work styles. This approach improves problem-solving and builds camaraderie, enhancing team resilience when facing intricate challenges. 

·       Run Experiments. While experience can be valuable in addressing challenges, relying on it exclusively can limit effective solutions to complex problems. Just as raising a child requires adapting to each new situation, complex issues often demand a fresh approach rather than repeating past successes. By designing thoughtful, "safe-to-fail" experiments, leaders can test new strategies without significant risk, gaining insights into what works and what does not. Embracing a mindset open to experimentation, without attachment to a specific outcome, allows for innovative solutions that are more aligned with the complexity of the current landscape.

Complexity does not have to lead to confusion. By promoting simplified processes, fostering systems thinking, experimenting, and enhancing collaboration, managers can turn complex work environments into opportunities for growth and innovation, empowering teams to navigate challenges with greater confidence and cohesion. 

Quote of the day. "The greatest ideas are the simplest." – William Golding

Question. How can your team simplify processes and focus on the bigger picture to navigate complexity more effectively?  Comment and share below; we’d love to hear from you!

The next blog (4/6) in this series will focus on dealing with ambiguity in the workplace.

As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to sharpen their leadership skills and better navigate VUCA conditions, contact me to explore this topic further.

How do you navigate complexity?

Managing Volatility In The Workplace (VUCA series 1/6)

The concept of VUCA - Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity - has become a crucial framework for understanding the challenges businesses face. Originally coined by the U.S. military, VUCA captures the unpredictable and often unstable conditions of modern environments. For businesses, these factors can disrupt plans, shake market positions, and demand quick adaptations. Leaders who recognize and navigate these forces can better equip their teams to thrive amid constant change. Organizations can adopt strategies that mitigate risks and foster resilience, agility, and innovation, ensuring they remain competitive in a world where the only constant is change.

What Volatility Can Look Like

Volatility often shows up as sudden changes in market demands, technology, or consumer preferences. For instance, a new competitor might release an innovative product, prompting a quick pivot to stay relevant. Similarly, regulatory updates, like shifts in data privacy laws, can require immediate software adjustments to ensure compliance. Internally, volatility might mean frequent changes in project priorities as the company adapts. For example, Meta had to adjust its data strategy quickly in response to Apple’s iOS privacy changes, which impacted its ad revenue model. For employees, these shifts can bring tighter deadlines, shifting goals, and increased stress. While challenging, this environment promotes adaptability and resilience, encouraging employees to build new skills and respond creatively to change.

Let’s Look At Ways of Navigating Volatility:

·       Flexible Frameworks Over Fixed Plans. When things change rapidly, rigid strategies can quickly become outdated. Adopting an agile approach enables managers to adjust their tactics on the fly. By fostering a culture of adaptability, managers can encourage employees to pivot when needed, focusing more on the outcome than the process.

·       Empowering Decentralized Decision-Making.  Volatile environments require quick action, which can be challenging when every decision has to go through multiple layers of approval. By empowering teams to make real-time decisions within set parameters, managers speed up responses and instill a sense of ownership and confidence in their teams.

·       Continuous Skill Development and Cross-Training. Volatility often demands new skills as teams respond to shifting market needs.  Regular upskilling, reskilling, and cross-functional training prepare employees to tackle new challenges head-on. This approach enables organizations to quickly mobilize talent where it's most needed and keeps employees engaged with growth opportunities.

Volatility might be inevitable, but companies and managers can turn it into an opportunity for innovation. By encouraging flexibility, autonomy, and continuous learning, they can not only weather the storms of change but also foster an adaptable, resilient workforce prepared for whatever comes next.

Quote of the day.  "The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." – Alan Watts

Question. How can you foster a more flexible mindset within your team to better handle unexpected changes? Comment and share below; we’d love to hear from you. 

The next blog in this series 2/6 will focus on navigating uncertainty in the workplace. 

As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to sharpen their leadership skills and better navigate VUCA conditions, contact me to explore this topic further.

How do you navigate VUCA conditions?

Leading Former Peers: Navigating Shifts in Dynamics (Leadership Challenges Series 3/7)

One of the trickiest situations for any new leader is managing former peers. The shift from being “one of the team” to the person responsible for overseeing and guiding that team can create an awkward dynamic if not handled thoughtfully. Your former peers may struggle with the adjustment, uncertain about how your new role will impact their relationship with you. They might question whether you’ll be fair, whether you’ll change, or whether past camaraderie will cloud your judgment.

Let’s look at some Strategies for Leading Former Peers:

1. Acknowledge the Shift.  Don’t ignore the elephant in the room—acknowledge the change in your role directly and transparently. Let them know that you’re aware this transition could feel unusual and that you’re committed to being fair, supportive, and open. Have one-on-one conversations where you address any concerns, inviting them to share their thoughts. This shows maturity and empathy, helping to ease any discomfort.

2. Establish Boundaries Without Sacrificing Connection.  One of the biggest adjustments will involve setting appropriate boundaries while maintaining the connection you’ve built with them. It’s natural to want to keep a friendly rapport, but it’s important to establish professional boundaries, especially regarding work decisions. You’re in a new position of authority, and clarity around roles will prevent misunderstandings. Emphasize that your primary goal is the team’s success and that your decisions will be made with everyone’s best interest in mind.

3. Be Transparent and Fair.  Former peers might worry that favoritism will come into play, especially if your relationships have previously been closer with some team members than others. To counteract this, be as transparent as possible about your decisions and the criteria you’re using. Ensure your approach to work distribution, evaluations, and feedback is clear and fair. Addressing these aspects early on and being consistent will reinforce your credibility as an impartial and effective leader.

4. Maintain Professionalism in All Interactions.  In your new role, professionalism takes on heightened importance. Small comments or gestures that may have been acceptable when you were peers might now be perceived differently. Approach each interaction with respect, clarity, and a bit of formality where needed. This does not mean losing your personality—it means being mindful of the subtle power dynamics and ensuring everyone feels respected and valued.

5. Be Humble and Inclusive.  Lead with humility by acknowledging that you may not have all the answers. Your former peers likely have valuable insights and inviting them to share them demonstrates respect for their experience. Show them that you see this as a collaborative relationship. Phrases like, “I’d love to hear your thoughts on this,” or “What would you suggest based on your experience” can encourage open communication and reinforce their trust in your leadership.

6. Celebrate the Team’s Wins, Not Just Your Own.  As you step into this leadership role, focus on celebrating team achievements rather than emphasizing your success. By spotlighting the team’s efforts, you’ll reinforce that you are in this role to support and uplift them rather than assert authority. Former peers will appreciate your focus on their success and your commitment to shared goals.

Leading former peers can be challenging, but it also offers a unique opportunity to demonstrate your leadership skills in a way that builds trust and fosters a collaborative environment.  By acknowledging the shift, setting clear boundaries, and focusing on transparency, you can create a seamless transition. Your goal is to guide the team forward while honoring the relationships and experiences you shared previously. When handled with care, managing former peers can result in stronger, more resilient bonds that benefit the team. 

Quote of the Day: “Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It's about impact, influence, and inspiration.” – Robin Sharma

Question: What’s your approach to leading former peers?  What’s the hardest part for you?  Comment and share below; we’d love to hear from you!

As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to sharpen their leadership skills, contact me to explore this topic further.

The next blog in this series 4/7 will focus on managing employees nearing retirement.

How do you lead former peers?

What Is Your Virtual Onboarding Strategy? (Remote Series 10/11)

Many companies struggle to bring people into their organization so they feel welcomed, are quickly integrated into the work, connected to their teammates, and set up to contribute immediately.  Virtual working has added another level of complexity to that long-standing challenge but, with intention, it can be a great experience.

According to a recent study by Gallup, “only 12% of employees strongly agree their organization does a great job of onboarding new employees.”  The traditional in-person experience can usually be described as a firehose where they give you a ton of information they want you to know including the company history, the logistics of navigating the office space, computer setup, and necessary paperwork to complete.  For big companies, the HR representative conducting the process can be routine since they have likely done it numerous times so the novelty has worn off.  But for the person starting the new job, it is a one-time experience and a chance to make their company introduction special.

The goal of a good onboarding is to help newcomers get settled and have the confidence to jump in as quickly as possible.  Here are some things you can do to have a memorable virtual onboarding experience:

Phase 1: Pre-day 1

1A. Strong welcome upon acceptance.  Once the candidate accepts the offer, you want to send the candidate a grand welcome.  Some companies would receive a general welcome video from the CEO about the purpose and vision and the role they can contribute.  As the manager, you should send a welcome email or have a call mentioning how excited you are for the person to join your ranks.  You can even have a teammate or two send a message so they feel included from the beginning.  If a company offers no outreach from the acceptance to the first day, that’s a red flag as they may deemphasize the relationship piece.

1B. Paperwork & Checklist.  Every job has the necessary paperwork to complete, but instead of wasting time on day one finishing it, you should send it in advance electronically so you can hit the ground running on day one and not be bogged down with this tedious work that can be handled on your time.  It is also nice to have a checklist of everything you need to do to be fully onboarded so you can track your progress along the way.  GitHub has a massive checklist for the new employees and the things managers and the company need to complete with estimated deadlines.

1C. Introductions.  It would be great for the new hire to send a 1 min. video or a paragraph introducing themselves with their picture, some information about them, and some questions to get to know more about them, such as how they spend their weekends, some of their favorite things to do, or a top value.  There can even be a dedicated slack channel for intros to connect with people more easily and find common interests.

Phase 2: Intense Initial Period. 

Executive Consultant Amanda Davis talks about onboarding happening in an initial intensive phase, maybe every day for the first week, and then a slower, more sporadic phase because onboarding is an ongoing process and not a one-time event.  In this initial intense period, here are some aspects to consider:

2A. Receive Company Overview.   Day one should be special and aim to excite and delight.  It should include a macro overview of the company’s culture, philosophy, and customer impact stories.  It should answer why the company exists and the good work meant to be done.  The captured feeling should be energizing and motivating and make the person proud to be part of something great and important. 

2B. Get Briefed on Role Overview.   While you have learned about the role during the interview, this information can be even more specific, which will help you succeed at your job.  You should be briefed on the critical work to be done, a picture of what great looks like, and key processes and practices that will help you thrive.  

2C. Have a buddy or guide.  This is somebody on your team who can answer questions about the company or day-to-day necessities for you to do your work.  The buddy can be somebody there for a while to impart institutional knowledge faster or a recent hire who can navigate the onboarding process more quickly since they just went through it.  Upon hire, it would be nice for the buddy to reach out to connect, share what they love about the company, and make it easy for the person to contact them for anything.   

2D. Create a cross-functional cohort.  If it is a larger organization, you will have clusters of people coming in frequently.  You can make sure they are put into a cohort and there are opportunities to connect so they can know more people outside of the team and know others are going through the same experience as you.

2E.  Receive a 1-page network map from your manager.  It is vital to set up a strategic meeting with your manager where they will provide a matrix of the organization so you can have a better understanding of the inner workings and information flow.  The manager should also provide a list of key internal people to connect with, stakeholders and business partners.  It should have their top priorities and needs, the best way to communicate with them, and anything else you find helpful on that page.  Once you walk through the grid and describe the connections, you will want to broker an introduction with some key people to grant credibility early on.  There is a big difference between an employee pursuing a push method, where they seek to make contact with their coworkers over a pull method, where you, as manager, make the connection and find ways to pull them into work quickly.  Companies who opted for this pull over push system were 8x more likely to be successful versus lower performing organizations because they created the conditions where the new hire got connected to key relationships quicker, had access to information and expertise, and had an opportunity to get pulled into work and contribute immediately, which led to a shorter cycle of productivity.

2F. Meet & greets.  Once you have that list, you should set up appointments and begin your listening and relationship-building tour.  The quality and effectiveness of your internal relationships will separate successful and productive employees from unproductive ones.  When relationships are developed early on, the speed of work increases, and you can feel more included and empowered to contribute early on.  It can also lead to career success because you can develop a network of trusted experts.  You can also meet people that will help you get on bigger and more visible assignments. 

Be sure to make the most of meet-and-greets by asking some strategic questions.  You can set the frame by saying, “I would love to start with introductions and then learn about your key priorities, major pain points, and the work that excites you.”  You can also generate enthusiasm for working together by asking about their ways of working and how you can best support them and their success.  Good opportunity to tell others what you do and build your brand from the beginning.  You want to think about mutual value exchanges and not just create a one-way relationship.  As you leave the meeting, you can ask who else they think it would be helpful for me to connect with so you can extend the conversation with other strategic partners.

Phase 3:Ongoing supports

3A. 1 Month Connect.  Having gone through a month of work, there are likely many more questions that have come up so having a cohort of new hires connect for relationship building, continued excitement, and doing a deeper dive to answer questions to learn even more about the company so they can contribute more robustly to the organization.  The goal is to continue to educate and build excitement, so the new employees see themselves as direct contributors.  It is also a two-way street because hearing some of their perceptions can offer great value to the team leaders about the company and onboarding processes.  The managers do a great job spreading the learnings and aim to repeat them.  You can have exercises where people have to share their understanding of their role’s purpose aligned with the company’s purpose; these stories can build valuable connections.  These meetings can continue monthly for the first quarter.

3B.  Connecting to a mentor.  If the organization has a formal mentor program, it would be great for the person to be connected to a seasoned leader who can serve as a mentor to advance their career development to build that long-term investment.  This can happen bi-yearly or quarterly depending on the bandwidth and can increase in frequency over time.  Still, it is soothing knowing they have a dedicated mentor to help them succeed in their career.

Some companies treat onboarding as a routine one-day event.  However, the most successful companies treat the onboarding experience as memorable and put in the necessary support along the journey before they even start during their intensive period, and in an ongoing sustainable fashion.  When you intend to make the experience valuable, you will open the doors for workers to contribute more easily.

Quote of the day: “I truly believe that onboarding is an art. Each new employee brings with them a potential to achieve and succeed. To lose the energy of a new hire through poor onboarding is an opportunity lost.” -Sarah Wetzel, Director of Human Resources at Engage:BDR

Q:  What are the best tips you can share about onboarding effectively? Comment and share below; we would love to hear from you!

The next blog in this series 11/11 will focus on hybrid work being the future.

As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to create enjoyable remote work experiences for themselves and their teams, contact me to explore this topic further.

What’s your onboarding experience?

How To Get Noticed Remotely? (Remote series 8/11)

One of the biggest challenges with remote work is reduced visibility.  You may not get the same level of preferred interaction if you do not go into the office regularly.  However, you can still do many things to advance your career and stand out as a great teammate.

Here are some tips to get noticed remotely:

1. Show engagement & visibility.  Think about how you can show that you are invested in the team’s purpose and results, the company’s success, and each other.  One way to show engagement is to participate often in the group’s collective wisdom but not dominate.  When your cameras are on, and you offer verbal comments with those in the room and written ones in the chat, it shows your presence.  You can be sure to ask questions to show you are listening and even volunteer for additional projects if you have the bandwidth.  You can contribute to offline communication and post in Q and A forums, offer assistance, and share best practices.  You can send congratulatory notes to acknowledge other people’s wins and be specific with your feedback other than just saying good job.  Share what you have learned so that others may use that information to advance their work. 

2.  Be proactive.  Do not just sit back and follow, step up and lead.  You can raise potential challenges that you see on the horizon and offer possible solutions to show that you are being strategic and thinking long-term.  Connect your work and that of the teams to the impact of the business, and keep in mind other cross-functional teams and dependents when sharing your initiatives, as it shows you as a thoughtful contributor.  Be sure to procure a buddy who is in the room and can translate some of the nuances in the meeting.  You can message each other during and after the meeting to ensure you have the essential pieces down.  Be sure to make the most of your one-on-ones and seek out mentors as a prime opportunity to gain more visibility.

3. Create a friction-free experience.  It can be easy to create unnecessary thrash in remote settings, and be the person who keeps things simple and easy.  When sending emails, do not invite many back-and-forth interactions, rather, include the fewest steps possible.  For example, if you want to request a meeting with your boss, do not keep it vague and say, I’d like to meet, and then you have to wait for them to ask about the topic and available times, and then you provide times and there all these extra emails when once could have sufficed.  Instead, you can request to meet, state the topic, and offer several times that may work and if not, they can suggest 2-3 times during these available windows for the following week. They can confirm a time, and you can be all set.  If you are looking for your boss to provide answers, instead of making it open-ended by asking what they think is the solution which can demand a lot of work, you can offer three avenues that you were thinking about and ask which one of these, if any, would they want to go forward with?

4. Build relationships.  Since many organizations are matrixed where your work depends on the work of many others, it can be helpful to spend time intentionally building relationships and collecting goodwill.  This is one of the most important things you can do to succeed in your career, yet it is never urgent for people.  Your connections should not be transactional but more about building authentic connections.  You can share information on your careers and roles and even think about how best you like to work with each other. Knowing more details about their work can help you better work together.

5. Be a good team member.  Take part in team activities to get to know people outside their roles.  Be a builder and acknowledger of others’ ideas, take time to recognize, praise, and elevate them, and do not diminish, embarrass, or engage in any cringe-worthy behaviors.  Respond to emails timely and follow up on requests, so people are not wondering if you got their messages.  Do not engage in gossip; when you have a challenge with a person, assume positive intent and always go to the person to explore what’s going on. It would help if you did not involve your manager unless it calls for an escalation because the two of you have gone back and forth a few times and cannot seem to settle the differences.  If you do escalate it, do not send a private message to your boss to give your side, instead, you can tell the person, I think it is best if we bring this issue to the boss, and then you can send an email including the other person and your boss so no covert activities are occurring which can breed further distrust.

Working remotely does not mean you have to be invisible or reduce your value in any way. You can do many things to stand out and be a contributing force, it just may require a little more intentionality and planning.

Quote of the day:  “Not finance, not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and rare.” – Patrick Lencioni

Q:  What are you doing to stand out remotely? Comment and share below; we would love to hear from you!

The next blog in this series 9 /11 will focus on how to personally thrive while working remotely

As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to create enjoyable remote work experiences for themselves and their teams, contact me to explore this topic further.

Get noticed Remotely

The Secret To Making Virtual Meetings Successful (Remote Series 7/11)

Why do some virtual team meetings feel like a waste of time while others feel essential and productive?  When leading a team, it is crucial to be mindful of your meeting design to increase the chances that the meeting is a good use of everyone’s time. 

Here are some steps to include that distinguish the most valuable virtual meetings from the rest:

1. Plan.  Decide if a meeting is necessary.  Most things do not require meetings – if you are giving information or have made a decision that does not involve others’ input — an email will do.  But some things require human interaction and collaborative thinking, like problem-solving or addressing conflict not fully explored.  If we need to take time to let creative solutions emerge, a meeting may be required. Adam Grant said that meetings should be for learning, doing, bonding, or deciding.

2. Determine Meeting Duration & Number.  No rule says meetings need to be 30 mins. or 1 hour.  Good meeting hygiene is to make meetings 15, 25, or 50 minutes because the shorter time will allow you to be more intentional about using your time wisely.  Having that buffer before the next meeting can help replenish energy.  It is also good to set the number of meetings suitable for the team, defining a healthy range for the week will allow people to plan time to do their best work.

3. Connect.  Each meeting should have connection time dedicated to them.  You can begin with a check-in question, such as what is something you have done this week that got you excited.  If you could play any Olympic sport and be the best, which would it be?  The goal is to get to know each other besides their role because people who know each other and can find commonalities usually work better together.

4. Clarify norms around meetings.  What are the expectations around participation?  Do you have a video camera rule where you want cameras on most of the time (say 90%) because it helps create a connection?  What are the guidelines around when cameras are off?  Do you want to grant professionalism to people and trust that when they have their cameras off, it is because of a good reason?  Should they drop a note in the chat about why their cameras are off, such as they have not had a chance to eat and will turn it on after, or kids are in the background since they stayed home from school, so it is a bit noisier than usual.  When cameras are off, how do you show you are still present?  For the presenter, it can be hard to stare at a bunch of black zoom boxes and wonder if people are present or even paying attention.  What is the behavior that you want to give and get?  When you ask questions, do you expect to hear from everybody by adding their views in the chat?  If you suspect people are disengaged because their camera is always off, and when you call on them, they do not respond or do not add to the chat, what is the process for addressing your observation? There are so many ways to do meetings well, and it starts with clarifying your expectations and inviting them to offer what would work best.  Once you have an agreed system, any deviation should be discussed until you are on the same page and making the most of your time together.

5. Prep in advance.  What are the 1-2 big questions you want to be answered in the meeting?  What should people read, prepare, and be ready to contribute?   Amazon has a narrative culture where at the beginning of the meeting, all people will read a document together for a few minutes and make comments and be ready to discuss ideas.  This allows for the discussion to be much richer and meetings more efficient because people are caught up to speed faster.

6. Create an inclusive environment.  There are things you can do to hear all voices.  First, telling them their point of view matters so that when they weigh in, the best decisions can be made.  Before the meeting, send any relevant info, an agenda, and questions in advance so you can give time for the introverts to think through problems/challenges.    How do you ensure turn-taking is happening effectively and that some dominant voices are not crowding out the introverted voices?  You can utilize the chat for more inclusivity and encourage people to put hashtags before their contribution to organize their ideas.  Adam Grant offers these helpful hashtags to organize comments:

·      #Question – you want to ask a question

·      #Debate – you want to challenge what was said or share a different perspective

·      #Aha - which indicates a new learning

·      #On Fire - means the floor is yours because you have something burning and timely to share. 

This helps to keep the flow and momentum of the conversation because it is related as opposed to going in order, and comments are not directly related.  Remote work benefits us because it gives us this second communication channel.

7. Save time by starting with the agreement.  If a meeting needs a critical decision, you can invite team members to send their responses in advance so you can review them and find the places of agreement.  Then, during the meeting, instead of reviewing everything, you can dial into the point of disagreement by saying, I know we are all on the same page with deciding this project is a go and like A, B, and C elements, let’s talk about element D since there were many different perspectives.  The ideal outcome would be deciding on the next step to advance this project.  After that preamble, you can begin a rich discussion for a decision to occur and save a lot of time in the process.

8. Encourage disagreements.   Productive disagreements can lead to the most innovative ideas, but sometimes they do not just naturally happen, so you can introduce some process to induce it.  Here are a few things you can do:

·      You can tell people you want to hear their disagreements and give them the space to offer any.

·      After people raise an idea, you can ask if anyone can think of an alternative perspective.

·      You can assign a devil’s advocate role to address any weaknesses of the idea.

·      When somebody says I think we should do X, you can acknowledge their contribution and challenge them to brainstorm to come up with several different other ideas.  When you get in the habit of saying, “great, what else is there,” you don’t get anchored to the first ideas leading to quality and innovation.  

·      You can focus the disagreements on the task or process and reinforce the idea that it is not personal and is in service of pursuing the best ideas.

9. Amplify others’ voices.  You can set the stage and let people know in the beginning that you will call on all people, starting with those you have not heard from so you can be sure to get diverse perspectives and so it is not a surprise when you call on them.  If somebody is not speaking up, you can call on them or send a private chat and preface your question with, “I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic, what would you like to share?  Also, as a facilitator, be mindful of those who are trying to talk but may be a little slow to get in, you can give them an opening by saying, “Danielle, it seems as if you want to share, I would love to hear from you.”

10. Give space for the introverts to share.  Create time for people to write down their ideas privately before they verbally share or add to the chat channel to have that necessary processing time.

11. Facilitate turn-taking.   Making sure people get their turn goes a long way to feeling validated and included.  You can have people raise their hands so cue forms and each person can speak in order.  When somebody speaks, you can have them call on others. When you get questions, you can allow others to answer before you do, so it is not just a ping-pong effect going from one participant to you and then another participant to you, rather it is more of a network approach where they are answering each other’s questions, and you are in the background.  Watch out for interrupters, and be sure to jump in to prevent that behavior and allow people to finish their thoughts

12. Give praise.  Reach out to at least one team member after the meeting to recognize them for sharing their different view during the conversation.  When you reward the behavior you are trying to encourage, you will invite more of the same and create a great team meeting culture.

13. Reflect.  Watch a recorded video of a team meeting and pay attention to who is talking, who is talked over, who is listened to, and who is ignored.  You can see what the team is noticing and put any necessary changes in place to make meetings more inclusive.

Many people will tell you that meetings can be the worst part of their day and week, but when they are done right, they can be an energizing experience.  Designing the right processes can help create effective meetings that are inclusive, innovative, and foster the best ideas.

Quote of the day:  “Meetings should be like salt - a spice sprinkled carefully to enhance a dish, not poured recklessly over every forkful.  Too much salt destroys a dish. Too many meetings destroy morale and motivation.” – Author Jason Fried 

“When leaders know how to lead great meetings, there’s less time wasted and less frustration.  We have more energy to do the work that matters, realize our full potential, and do great things. – Entrepreneur Justin Rosenstein

Q:  What are your best remote meeting practices?  Comment and share below; we would love to hear from you!

The next blog in this series 8/11 will focus on getting noticed remotely.

As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to create enjoyable remote work experiences for themselves and their teams, contact me to explore this topic further. 

How do you run inclusive remote meetings?

Optimize Your Remote 1:1s (Remote Series 6/11)

It is common for people to feel a lack of support from their managers while working remotely if the right systems are not implemented.  When you are intentional about organizing your 1:1s, you can ensure your direct reports are getting the most out of the sessions by feeling connected and supported to be set up for success.

Here are some helpful components to include in your remote 1:1s:

1. Connect.  Spend some time connecting first before jumping into the work.  Asking about non-related work such as how their weekend went, inquiring about their family, or asking about any exciting things they have been up to lately will build invaluable rapport. 

2 Work Update & Supports.  You can have your Directs briefly report on the work (what’s going well that they are proud of and what challenges they could use your support in).  There can be space for what they tried, what they failed at, and what they are learning.  There are various supports you can offer, whether it is answering their questions, providing documentation, and informing them of how the big picture of what they are doing fits into your projects and the larger company initiatives. You can also give them access to others by making introductions with your peers, providing any tech equipment to do their job more easily, or any other necessary assistance.  As a manager, when you ask, “is there anything I can do to support you this week,” it sends a resounding message that you care.  If you have limited capacity or have one area of strength that you are particularly good at that you want to leverage, you can specify your support. For example, “I have an extra 30 minutes this week, is there anything I can do to support you on this project with this part of the deck or anybody I can connect you with to facilitate the work?”  

3. Skill progression.  It is always nice to call out skills and capabilities that they are developing and how they fit into their career goals.  Feedback on how they are doing can motivate and lead to greater engagement.  

4. Solicit Feedback.  This is important to optimize the working relationship.  A common question that leaders can ask: "Is there anything you want me to start doing or stop doing to make things more effective?" One remote manager Rodolphe Dutel found that when he asked his remote employees what he could do to make their lives easier, he learned a lot of helpful answers ranging from more face time, mentoring, and written instructions instead of verbal ones, so there is more clarity.  Little changes like moving a weekly meeting by one hour so the Direct Report can pick up his kids at school or scheduling time to have a quick sync before a big meeting to reduce nerves and stress, or having office hours for a brief check-in to provide help to get unstuck can all make a big difference.

5. Solicit ideas.  It is instrumental in creating space for your team to share their voice and be heard.  You can ask what ideas they have to improve the team or company.  They have a unique vantage point, and tapping into that wisdom will help you do your job better and serve your team more productively. It can also increase engagement because they can feel included and know their input matters.

6. Invite them to create the agenda.  Including the direct reports in crafting the 1:1s is essential.  You can have them talk about a structure that would work for them, possibly borrowing from some of the components above or creating new aspects.  The experience and buy-in will be significantly enhanced when they can include the factors that will meet their needs.

The key to effective 1:1s while working remotely is to be intentional about creating a great experience and not make the time transactional or routine.  Neither side should show up with no plan because you would miss a prime opportunity to connect, grow together, and produce great work.

Quote of the day: “90 minutes of your time can enhance the quality of your subordinate’s work for two weeks or 80+ hours.” – Andy Grove, former CEO of Intel.

Q:  How do you maximize your 1:1s to be an energizing experience? Comment and share below; we would love to hear from you!

The next blog in this series 7/11 will focus on making virtual meetings successful.

As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to create enjoyable remote work experiences for themselves and their teams, contact me to explore this topic further.

How do you have great 1:1s?

Accountability Is Key For Remote Working (Remote Series 5/11 )

For remote work to be successful, it is vital to ensure your team is aligned on accountability.  Many people shy away from these conversations, but when you can bubble them up and are clear on how you want to handle the topic, you will save yourself a lot of headaches in the long run.

Here are some factors to consider with accountability:

1. Hire the right people.  When you hire doers eager to get great work done, you are set up for success.  Once you provide direction and guidance around important things to be executed, doers will make things happen.  One of Zapier's core values is "default to action," and one of Amazon’s principles is “bias for action.”  For these organizations, recruiting people with these tendencies who have a deep appreciation for getting things done is vital.

2. Focus on goals and outcomes over activities.  It would help if you did not try to manage every aspect of your team’s work or focus on activities completed and hours logged, instead measuring your team’s effectiveness on their accomplishments and KPIs.  If they are meeting their goals, great.  If not, you can investigate further to learn why and realign expectations.  Your job as a leader is to help define what the work is to be done and allow them to figure out how they plan to approach the project for success, and then follow up to discuss progress.

3. Offer flexibility and trust.  The mentality of ROWE (Results Only Work Environment) allows workers flexibility to decide how they want to arrange their day for maximum output.  If that means starting work later so they can take their kids to school or arranging a quick tennis match during their lunch break to get a 2nd wind to produce high-quality work, so be it.  Give them the autonomy to decide how they want to get the job done that suits their needs and situation, especially if it is not negatively impacting the team.

4. Align expectations and promote self-accountability.   At NASA, they use a fire-and-forget approach.  Once somebody has shared the work to be done and had the conversation around expectations, they can dismiss the task from their mind because they know that they can rely on their teammate to manage and monitor themselves without reminders.  It’s an enjoyable atmosphere to trust your coworkers that the work will get done without having to send constant follow-ups or check-ins on status.  If unforeseen circumstances occur, you can trust that they will be proactive, bring the matter to your attention, and renegotiate the agreement because there is always the consideration of how the actions of one will impact the entire team.

5. Address incomplete work early on.  Often, leaders dread hard conversations when deadlines are missed.  Be sure to follow up early to understand what’s behind this behavior and have commitment-based actions and plans to move forward differently and more productively.  If you do not say anything, you are offering a tacit agreement that their behavior works, and you are willing to put up with more of it.  The responsibility is more on you to determine what you will and will not allow than on them pushing the envelope.

6. Do check-ins, not check-ups.  As a manager, you can check in with your teammates to see how things are, and if they need support to unblock their path or help them think through their challenges.  This is different from check-ups with a more monitoring feeling; where it seems like you are trying to catch them doing something wrong.  Being clear about your check-ins from the outset and the reason why can build a trusting relationship.  For example, if somebody does not have a lot of experience with a project, you can share that you will do more frequent early check-ins to make sure there is alignment and they are set up for success rather than them getting far in a project only to have some of it rolled back because it is not meeting the target.  Once the work is moving along well, you can share that you plan to change the check-in cadence.

Getting accountability right will save your team a tremendous amount of time and energy.  It begins by defining whom we want to be as a team and putting in the processes that support those goals.  It also involves having the right conversations to raise awareness, and so people have ample opportunity to course correct.  When accountability is done well, it is an extraordinary component of a successful team.

Quote of the day: “Creating a culture of integrity and accountability not only improves effectiveness, but it also generates a respectful, enjoyable, and life-giving setting in which to work.” -Tom Hanson

Q:  What accountability approaches have you found work the best for remote working?  What is the trickiest part?  Comment and share below; we would love to hear from you!

The next blog in this series 6/11 will focus on optimizing your remote 1:1s.  For a deeper dive into accountability, you can also check out this 3-part series.

As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to create enjoyable remote work experiences for themselves and their teams, contact me to explore this topic further.

How do you offer supportive accountability?

Make Recognition Routine (Remote series 4/11 )

Recognition is a big part of building community and a culture of appreciation.  It can help retain top talent because a prime reason why people leave their jobs is because of poor managers, usually ones that overlook the excellent work of others and fail to provide praise. 

While it is a fundamental human need to receive recognition, it is not a universal practice.  More than 80% of supervisors say they express appreciation to their employees, yet less than 20% of their employees say their supervisors give appreciation more than occasionally.  There is a disconnect, and it is contributing to a hemorrhaging of great talent.

Some traditional recognition programs such as employee of the month or the annual banquet recognizing star performers have problems.  To acknowledge only one employee for the month is not enough, it should be a daily and weekly practice.  Another problem is that they are often not judged fairly, otherwise, your best employee would win every month, but it seems awkward to give it to the same person so you start concocting reasons to spread the benefit around to the point where everybody gets it. This means your best and average workers are treated equally, which is unfair if they provide different outputs.  Worse yet, if 1-2 people on your team have not gotten it, that can become an issue.  

Effective recognition makes the employee feel noticed for what they have done.  Managers who say, “I saw what you did, and I appreciate it” means a lot.  Both individual and team recognitions are essential, and they can range from formal to informal. 

Here are some recognition practices you may want to consider:

1. Saying thank you in a public way.   You can do this via slack channel or at a standup meeting for peers to see that you appreciate them.  You can also send a physical note or card to tell them how much you value their work beyond the requirements.  It can be helpful to keep track of those you recognize so you can challenge yourself to praise new people regularly if you feel it is genuine and well-deserved 

2. Send an email to your teammate and CC others.  You can be specific about what they did to do a great job and CC your boss and your boss’s boss to make their contributions more visible.

3. Create a kudos board or gratitude channel.  Some companies have a dedicated spot where you can see all the thanks.  There are programs like Assembly where you can give kudos to people and the ones that get the most every week will get rewards like gift cards, show tickets, or other benefits.

4. Spot bonuses.  Some managers have a spot bonus budget that they can give an individual or a team for a specific behavior, action, or result for an extraordinary job.  They can range from a couple of hundred to a few thousand, and it is nice to give a monetary reward when you can.

5. Have a forum to share your good work.  Google’s “I Am Remarkable” initiative empowers women and other underrepresented groups to celebrate their achievements in the workplace and beyond.  It is done because many people struggle to talk about their accomplishments due to culture, gender modesty norms, or imposter syndrome, so the goal is to challenge the social perception around self-promotion. 

6. Make connections to mentors and sponsors.  In addition to recognizing their good work, you can make connections to potential mentors or sponsors for them to receive support to further their excellent work.

It is essential to take time to shine a light on people’s good work, and the benefits extend to both the receiver and the giver.  For the receiver, it can be a moment stamped in their memory for years.  The boomerang effect for the giver is that it elevates their spirits because they create a positive experience for another. 

Quote of the day: “Recognition is not a scarce resource.  You can’t use it up or run out of it.” -Susan Heathfield, HR Expert

Q:  How do you like to give and receive recognition? Comment and share below; we would love to hear from you!

The next blog in this series 5/11 will focus on accountability in the remote environment.

As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to create enjoyable remote work experiences for themselves and their teams, contact me to explore this topic further.

How do you recognize others?

Clear Expectations Are the Foundation for Remote Work Success (remote series 2/11)

Clear expectations can make or break a remote team.  Anytime there are changes to the work, or the context has shifted, there will always be an initial lack of clarity followed by unclear or unmet expectations.  This can cause a lot of stress as people are not realizing what they have to do and may even be duplicating efforts.  Clear expectations lead to greater confidence and trust in your work and less conflict, rework, wasted energy, and micromanagement; it is the fertile ground for successful remote work.

As a manager, you can do many things to create an incredible remote work environment for your team.   Here are some categories to cover for setting clear expectations:

1. Define the team.  If you’re starting a new team from the ground, or if you have inherited a team, be clear from the beginning about who is on the team and who is not, as well as the adjacent and dependent teams.  All good teams have a purpose and vision so there is alignment and a compelling reason to unite and rally around.  Additionally, you need to define the OKRs, goals, outcomes, tasks, the rationale for why the work matters, the big picture behind the work, and co-create team values that will guide the work.  When team members can answer why they are here to do what they do and the impact they will have, they will be more engaged. 

2. Define clear roles and responsibilities.  Now that you’ve all agreed on your team’s purpose and vision, ensure you are all on the same page regarding everybody’s roles and responsibilities.  For example, what specific tasks or perspectives do you expect each team member to contribute?  Because team members may not understand why they’ve been chosen, schedule a meeting to share why each member was named to the team, each person’s unique background and valuable skillset, and clarify each member’s role.  Share a game plan for how your team should interact with each other.  Creating a team charter can help bring organization and introspection to your team, especially when geographically dispersed, so they always know the direction and can remain on track with their high performance. 

3. Establish team norms or ways of working.  In different companies and cultures, routine processes often differ widely, which confuses team members.  How will you work together?  What are the ways you will interact with each other?  What are the values and behaviors that we all can expect?  Team leaders should establish norms and provide training for best practices such as meeting formats, use of technologies and communication, and processes for decision-making and conflict.

4. Set Communication Norms.  This is essential to make sure we are collaborating effectively and getting the work done.  What is your communication strategy to keep everybody connected and doing great work?  How many weekly formal or informal connections will you have?  What are the guidelines around daily needs?  How do team members set commitment-based deadlines so there is no need for follow-ups?  What kinds of digital tools will you use and for what purposes?  Teams often amass tools but no discussion on how those tools are used.  Sometimes zoom becomes the de facto for everything, even when sharing an update can better be done over email.  Remote working offers a great opportunity to co-create which tools will work best based on their purposes. 

You can develop a communication charter and gain agreement on how communication will happen, what kind of messages will be exchanged, and what channels will be utilized with examples and non-examples   After establishing those processes, you can gently remind the person who may be using the right tool in the right way based on the charter.  So much conflict happens due to unclear expectations around communication.   

Here is a list of tools with some possible purposes that might be helpful for your team for the communication component of the charter.

4A. Instant messenger.  Slack is a popular remote tool, especially for direct messaging.  This is best done for rapid communication and iteration without a glut of unwieldy threads like in email.  Some channels can be set up to relate to specific topics or projects.  There can also be non-work-related channels as a way to connect with others.  For example, you can have a water cooler challenge to learn about when it is people’s birthdays or what they did over the weekend. You can have a channel for introductions for when new teams join, and they can offer a video intro so you can quickly learn people’s stories.

4B. Email.  It can be used to provide more extensive information and have a record of the communication and share weekly updates or summaries of what everyone is working on to ensure alignment.  Most teams do not talk about the guidelines around emails.  For example, in the TO line will be those who need to respond, and in the CC line are those who need to be updated.  Instruct others not to reply all when it is not necessary, so it keeps people focused on their productivity unless there are important exceptions like a decision needs to be made and you want all voices included.  In that case, share that information and give them a window to weigh in before you move forward with the decision.  When an email chain gets too long, start by summarizing critical points before weighing in and creating a new thread when the topic has evolved with a different focus.   These may sound like trivial things, but being on the same page around communication norms and creating a frictionless experience will make the work much easier and faster.

4C. Video meetings.  Zoom is a popular tool for getting people together in real-time to discuss projects and have a back-and-forth to hash out details.  Other tools include Microsoft Team, Google Duo, and Webex.  In your charter, you can specify how and when you use video and the guidelines for success, such as when the cameras are on and the best ways to interact.  At GitHub, they do not have presentations in their meetings because they are only for interaction.  When a new team member tries to present, another team member jumps in to enforce the norm, and that’s how their meeting purpose remains intact.   If there is no discussion on these norms, you cannot expect people to be great team members.

4D. Phone calls.  If there are a few back and forth on instant messenger or emailing and still more to hash out, it can be best to jump on the phone to discuss the issue in real-time.

4E. Document hub.  Where do you store critical documents and project information?  Who is responsible for keeping that information organized and updated?  How can it be accessed outside the firewalls?  This allows people to quickly complete their work when there is a centralized location to get what they need.

4F. Define synchronous and asynchronous work.  Maybe you have organized your tools into broader categories of synchronous and asynchronous work based on the purpose.  For example, some teams will use asynchronous tools when work needs to be done in real-time such as brainstorming and problem-solving.  Using asynchronous work can be used for sharing info, giving status updates, adding ideas to a document, or chiming in on a proposal with a more extended deadline.  The advantage of this approach is that you can catch those people who either cannot attend a meeting or do not have an invite.  You can make it more inclusive and open it up to many voices to contribute their ideas and gain more visibility and possibly recognition.  It also leverages flexibility for times that best serve them depending on their energy levels and personal commitments.  The early risers can add comments at the beginning of the day when they do their best work, and the night owls can contribute at the end of the day for their ideal time. 

5. Define response time and deadlines.  What are the expectations around response times, should emails be answered within 24 hours or three days?  Should people respond when they have received a message by saying, “messaged received, thanks,” or is no response necessary to reduce clutter? How about the word quickly, what does it mean?  We could all have different ideas.  It could mean 2 hours, 1 day, within a couple of days, or sometime this week, depending on who is interpreting the message and their position in the company.  When you stay away from vague terms, it offers more clarity.  A great way to do that is to include deadlines, “please respond by tomorrow 5 pm est. so the client can have their answer in the morning as promised.” 

6. Define work availability and standard meeting hours.  For some, the work-from-home experience has blurred boundaries between personal and professional obligations, so as a manager, it is essential to discuss work schedules with each team member to respect their time.  If you know the morning time is for your family, and you will not be logging on until a specific time, share that upfront.  If you know you do your best work in the evening and will be sending emails after 11:00 pm or on weekends, share that just because you are sending a message that is convenient for you, your expectation is that they do not respond until their work hours.  These clear boundaries help maintain positive relationships and a healthy culture where people can comfortably focus on their work and not have to work around the clock, not have their performance measured by how quickly they respond, not get burned out, and not have to expend unnecessary energy thinking about their communication.  Clear boundaries can help teams work together better and especially overcome time zone differences.  For meetings, provide optimal times to overlap early and late time zones and have a predictable window.  If there is no convenient time, you can have a rotation system, one month that favors one coast and another month that favors the other.

Great teams can be set up to thrive when there are clear expectations on the ways of work, including a communication strategy.  It will enable people to spend more time on the work and less on figuring out the best approaches to navigate interpersonal dynamics.   As a leader, the best thing you can do for your people is to take the time to set this foundation for masterful work to be built.

Quote of the day: “Treat a person as they are, and they will remain as is. Treat a person as they can and should be, and they will become as they can and should be.”  -Author Stephen Covey 

Q:  How do you set clear and high expectations?   Comment and share below; we would love to hear from you!

The next blog in this series 3/11 will focus on building community remotely.

As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to create enjoyable remote work experiences for themselves and their teams, contact me to explore this topic further.

How do you set clear expectations?

Successful Remote Work Hinges On Great Managers (remote series 1/11)

The Pandemic has caused many people to shift their operations to hybrid and remote models for the first time.  Some people successfully adjusted to remote work, while many have not.  As an Executive Coach working with many leaders dealing with this issue, there are many lessons I’ve collected on how to improve the building and managing of remote and hybrid teams.

It is clear that not having a strategy to organize people around the globe to work together successfully and build something amazing will lead to failure.  But being intentional about a placeless mindset – an integrated way of thinking, living, and working so we can work from anywhere can be a differentiator.  And just because we have seen many early examples of remote work not being done right, does not mean it is a flawed model; it is constantly evolving and can be beneficial when leveraged correctly.

Here are some common challenges in thinking through remote work:

1. Low-performing managers. The managers who struggled in person have continued their challenges.   Some leaders got the position because they were good at the technical parts of their job and not necessarily because they were extraordinary people managers.  Being a manager is not simply a great individual contributor plus one additional skill in their familiar domain, it draws from a different bucket.  You have to have a mindset of really caring for your team and aiming to make them better than they thought possible. The reality is some people pursue that route for the promotion and title, not because they love the people side of the job or are particularly good at it.  So, you end up with a pool of people who dislike managing and do it anyway.   Their poor performance was exacerbated when they had to do it remotely because the stakes were even higher to do this aspect of their job well and with enjoyment.   Previously, some of these people leaders relied on an older management practice called “managing by walking around,” where they gathered information through their interactions, and some could rest on their presence and charisma.  Now, that they have to be more intentional about building rapport and in some cases, modeling vulnerability, they feel challenged because it is different and harder.

2. Managers not adapting their approach.  Leading a high-performing team can be hard work even in the best of circumstances.  But when team members are working from home and scattered geographically and culturally, the task of managing remote employees is even greater.  Managers trying to replicate the same approaches online as they did in person are struggling.  For example, if you used to give status updates in your meetings and now do it on zoom, it may not have the same impact because of all the additional environmental distractions.  There is a real opportunity to take advantage of the tech tools for a more significant impact and to enhance meetings, such as the breakout rooms to encourage small group discussion or the chat to include diverse perspectives.  It is not exciting for people to show up, stare at a screen and passively hear somebody talk the whole time.  Some of the zoom fatigue is that we are trying to make the online work feel like in-person work, but it is not.  There can be copious benefits to remote work when managers appropriately leverage unique opportunities to better utilize the time together.

3. Managers who do not lead with trust and know how to hold others accountable.   Some managers who do not trust their workers or fear losing control have turned to micromanaging or overmanaging.  If they are not skilled enough to control work and performance, they look to increase surveillance, e.g programs that count your keystrokes; this is never a motivating or inspiring strategy, resulting in rebellion and disengagement from workers.  With a lack of visibility, managers are struggling with how to keep accountability.  Instead of co-creating the goals, metrics of success, checkpoints, and implications for missed work and allowing people the freedom and autonomy to do their job, they are skipping these steps and doing more telling and less collaborating.  Employees who follow managers due to positional power is never a sustainable model, you want to manage where people choose to follow you because they find it to be a valuable, even inspiring experience.

4. Lack of clear expectations.  Communicating clear expectations is something we are constantly working on, but with remote work, there is even more of a need to do this extraordinarily well.  Do people know their roles, tasks, top 3 priorities, how they will be evaluated, and the specific ways they can excel?  Do they know the best methods for interacting with each other?  Using more intention in designing those processes will save a lot of time.  While you were In person, you may have been able to go up to somebody and request a task, but with remote, you have to be more thoughtful in how you approach people.  Email is a terrible way to communicate anything that involves a lot of back-and-forth discussion or emotional topics.  If coordination is not effectively done, it will lead to poorly organized projects from start to finish.

5. Lack of intention in building team cohesion and culture.  While some culture-building efforts could happen naturally in the office, especially before, during, and after team meetings, remote work requires more planning.  Some overlook this essential step which contributes to the overall enjoyment and engagement that can make people feel included, connected, and recognized.   

6. Lack of investment in employee career advancement and well-being.   A big part of being a leader is to care for those you lead and work to make them successful.  That entails having somewhat regular career conversations to ensure they are growing in the organization and investing in their well-being.  It is responsibility #1 of a manager to care for and develop others; If you are not doing that you are failing as a manager, regardless of the results you might be getting.

Surely, there can be a lot of advantages with remote work when the model is designed well.  Two enormous benefits include increases in productivity and job satisfaction, among others.  

1. Increase in productivity.  According to a survey from ConnectSolutions, 30% of workers say they accomplish more in less time.  While remote work is new for some people, many have been doing it for a while.  Cisco started with remote and hybrid work in 1993 and saw a rise in productivity.  Sun Microsystems experimented with it early on and saw productivity increase and costs drop significantly; they ended up reducing $500 million in real estate.  CEO of Meta Mark Zuckerberg said. “People are more productive working at home than people would have expected.  Some people thought everything was just going to fall apart, and it hasn’t.  And a lot of people are saying that they’re more productive now.”  When done right, with a strategy in place, remote work can be a boon to business.

2. Increase in job satisfaction.  Global Workplace Analytics shows that many people prefer to work at least part of the time remotely.  People value their autonomy and flexibility, and when they’re empowered to segment their day in ways that make sense for their personal needs, they are happier.  For many, stress levels can decrease when they can spend more time with their families and less time commuting. 

The great resignation has been coined to capture the phenomenon of employees voluntarily resigning in mass, and the causes have been multifaceted.  This period can also be known as the great reputation of the suboptimal work arrangements we have tolerated for far too long.  Power has shifted from the employer to the workers who are demanding how they want to work and where they want to work.  People want more from their jobs, they want good managers and will leave mediocre ones.  Companies intentionally providing better cultures and offering more remote opportunities are winning. 

Quote of the day: Micromanagement is the destroyer of momentum.” -Author Miles Anthony Smith

Q:  What’s the biggest remote challenge you are facing right now?   Comment and share below; we would love to hear from you!

The next blog in this series 2/11 will focus on setting clear expectations for remote work success.                                          

As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to create enjoyable remote work experiences for themselves and their teams, contact me to explore this topic further.

How do you manage remotely for the greatest results?

How Is Your Executive Presence?

The term executive presence can be vague and mean different things to different people, like the concept of leadership.  Is it about how you show up by what you wear, how concise and convincing you are in meetings, how great you present, how much credibility you have, or how strong your decision-making and strategic thinking skills are?

When you ask a group of managers who aspire to the C-suite what it takes to get there, they invariably mention executive presence, even if they may not be clear on what it means.  In a survey conducted by Coach Source, Dr. Brian Underhill shares that from a manager’s perspective, 42% of people who seek a coach want to develop their executive presence.

So, what are these “make or break” factors in considering whether to promote somebody into the upper leadership rank?  Executive presence is not just about one or two factors, such as how you look or dress, but about the whole person.  It may seem like some people either have it or not, but they likely worked hard to achieve it, and it can be developed with intention.  Executive presence, or I would extend the concept to also include leadership presence is about inspiring confidence in others because of character, capabilities, and reliability.  These leaders can handle complex and unpredictable situations, make tough decisions quickly, and hold their own with talented and strong-willed team members.

The Bates Executive Presence Index, a research-based, scientifically validated assessment measures executive presence according to 3 big categories: character, substance, and style.  I’m going to borrow aspects of that framework and include my categories based on commonalities from clients I’ve coached on this topic.

Components of Executive/Leadership Presence:

1. Character.  Arguably one of the most important is about the personal traits and values that define you.  Two key components include:

·      Integrity - Acting authentically, transparently, sincerely, and in accordance with your actions and beliefs.  You live up to ethical standards because you care about doing the right thing for yourself and others, even when it is unpopular.  You are credible, trustworthy, professional, dependable, and know how to keep your promises.

·      Humility - Part of being humble is being self-aware – you have a good sense of your strengths, weaknesses, and the impact that you want to make.  At the same time, you know you do not know it all, so you seek out diverse perspectives and feedback, you listen inclusively to others, and you believe that all people have worth regardless of title or position.

2. Substance.  This relates to depth and overall maturity and can be split into practical wisdom and emotional intelligence.

·      Practical Wisdom – Having those hard skills and competencies in getting the job done.  You also exercise good insight, judgment, vision, strategic thinking, and collaborative skills in bringing teams and stakeholders aligned and along with you as you achieve results.   

·      Emotional Intelligence – You show calm and balance when under pressure because you know how to manage your own emotions.  You do not have erratic and unpredictable outbursts or become emotionally unhinged when you clash with others or receive pushback on your ideas; instead, you use your emotional strength to understand the situation better.  You are also attuned to others’ emotions because you listen, ask questions, factor in other perspectives.   You show care and build great relationships because you can read the room, receive data, and make pivots to fit the moment better.

3. Style – This is about how you present yourself and how others see and experience you quickly, if not immediately.  It is the first impression.  Two critical aspects include presence and effective communication.

·      Presence – This is more than the right clothes, firm handshake, eye contact, or voice projection; it is about exuding confidence, being calm in hectic times, and adapting your demeanor to serve the situation better.

·      Effective Communication – Relates to talking with intentionality.  You are clear, brief, direct, and speak with authority.  You do not bog others down with the details or open the floodgates and blast them with information; you know how to get to the bottom line swiftly.  You use your communication to empower, inspire, and bring out your best.  That may entail providing a forum where others feel safe, expressing themselves, asking questions, and feeling stretched in their growth because of your high expectations in their development and support. 

Like many intangible leadership traits, these skills can be grown, especially if you have a baseline level of self-confidence and a willingness to deal with unpredictable situations that come with the territory at the executive level.

Let’s jump into some things you can do to develop executive presence:

1. Skill build.  Understand where you want to go, assess your starting point with your current skill set, determine the new proficiencies you will need, and pick one capability to grow.  You can raise your awareness by reading about it and then practicing the skill.  Perhaps, you want to begin with style and specifically your public speaking.  You want to stand and deliver confidently, clearly, and concisely to large groups, answer questions effectively by maintaining curiosity and not becoming defensives, and handle pressure calmly.  You can start with the headline, provide some more details, and hold space for others to jump in with questions, then go deeper on topics that interest them.  Being comfortable with releasing some control means that they can drive the conversation, and you can handle whatever comes your way.  Speaking in shorter bursts is helpful because it is more of an exchange and not a lecture.

2. Get support from others. You can work with a coach to get clear on who you are, what you want to work on, what it will take to work on it, and be held accountable along the way.  You can also work with advocates, managers, peers, colleagues, mentors to let them know that you are actively focusing on this one thing.  If they have tips or suggestions and can be mindful of sharing feedback when they see you doing the behavior, you can gain their support for your growth.  Receiving helpful feedback from them can allow you to adjust along the way.

Expressing your executive presence is unique to each person.  You make an impression through the values you bring to the organization, the results you deliver, the way you connect, and how you communicate your points.  It is a worthy skill to invest in because it can lead to more career advancements and opportunities.  When you lead with character, substance, and style, you can positively influence and inspire greatness in others. 

Quote of the day: “How you act (gravitas), how you speak (communication), and how you look (appearance) count for a lot in determining your leadership presence.” -CEO Sylvia Ann Hewlett

Q: How do you define executive presence?  What’s one essential feature of it?  Comment and share below; we would love to hear from you!

As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to help develop their executive and leadership presence, contact me to explore this topic further.

How do you show up? Is it the way you want to?

How to Fire the Humane Way (Firing Series 3/3)

The prospect of firing someone you’ve worked with for years can be daunting, but you have decided that it is the last step in what was a fair and transparent process where all other options failed.  You are left with the best choice to elevate your team’s needs over any one individual.

How do you have the termination talk?  Here are some steps to consider: 

1. Check with Human Resources.  Before you schedule the conversation, Management Consultant Dick Grote suggests sharing your plans with human resources to see if there are any additional considerations.  They can offer a fuller picture of the employee’s extenuating circumstances.  Maybe their pension vests on Wednesday, so firing on Tuesday can be suspect, or you find out that their wife is starting cancer treatments, so firing on the same day can especially sting.  HR should tell you if you have all the proper documentation and if there are other things you need to do to go about the process fairly and professionally.  They can answer any questions you might have.  Since you know the situation best, if you think it would be helpful for an HR rep to attend the meeting to help with questions or unusual reactions, you can make that call, but it should be done in the spirit of support and not a show of force.

2. Don’t delay.  This is one of the hardest things you might have to do as a manager, but you must not let your agony delay the conversation.  Prolonging their employment when they do not gel properly with the core values and culture is unfair to them and can be very expensive and damaging to the company.  When you choose not to fire someone, it ruins the integrity of the organization.  “Managers rarely regret acting too quickly on a termination, but they have regretted waiting too long,” says Grote.  If you’re still having trouble mustering the courage to act, think about your team, which may be picking up that extra slack and working longer hours to cover the poor performance.  Once the decision has been made to pull the plug, do not wallow in the misguided hope that somehow things may still work out. They hardly do. Grote says, “Remember: It’s not the people you fire who make your life miserable. It’s the ones you don’t.”

3. Choose your timing.  Doing it early in the day and week may encourage them to find another job and reduce the chances that they will spend the weekend moping in a black hole.  Choosing Friday after­noon, on the other hand, often creates the minimum amount of disruption to the rest of the staff.    Whatever you decide, make it logical and compassionate for those involved.

4. Do it in person.  It should come from the manager, a familiar face who had previous conversations about the potential ramifications if things did not change so there is no surprise.  It should go without saying, but do not send an email or text.  If the person is in a different city or working remotely and cannot do it in person, a video call can suffice.

5. Be clear and concise. The words you use to terminate a team member should be simple and to the point.  There is no reason to sugarcoat a termination; take the rip-the-band-aid off approach by skipping the excessive small talk and leading with the headline.  Consultant Jodi Glickman suggests beginning by saying, “I have some bad news.  Today is your last day here.” Then be transparent and state the reason for termination in one or two simple sentences.  “We’ve let you go because you didn’t meet your sales targets” or “You’ve not been a good cultural fit, e.g., missing deadlines in a fast-moving culture.” Then, tell them directly they are terminated.  It’s essential to use the past tense because it “precludes arguments about second chances,” says Grote. “The plug has been pulled.”  You can also say, “Last month’s report indicated that your department still has the lowest quality index. We have decided that a change must be made, and as of today, your employment has been terminated.”  It is important not to waffle or be ambiguous because being clear is kind.  While both examples point to termination happening immediately, I think it is always helpful to give the person enough notice to transition.

6. Be compassionate.  When you have decided the right thing to do is dismiss a team member, you want to make the dreaded process go as smoothly as possible, both for you and the person you are letting go.  

Dick Grote says, “Even when the business justification is clear, you’re sitting down and telling someone that [they] are no longer getting a paycheck and that when [they] wake up in the morning, [they] have no place to go. That’s tough.”  Very few people are eager to put themselves in situations of discomfort as keeping somebody accountable does not feel good, but it is an eventual gift.  If you feel guilty, you should know that you are keeping them from another job where they can be happier and thrive.  Thinking about how uncomfortable you are in having the conversation is selfish, you must keep in mind what’s best for the company, the teammates moving forward, and the ones being terminated.

Be sure to have the conversation in a humane and dignified way by doing it behind closed doors.   It is essential always to be respectful and compassionate not only because it is the right thing to do but also because it helps with morale.  John Stieger, CMO of Wilke Global “Anyone with empathy can at least understand how losing a job will impact a spouse, children, and others who are blameless,” he says.  How you treat people on their way out the door does not go unnoticed by the rest of the organization.”  When terminations are well justified and professionally executed, the rest of the workgroup realizes that this is an excellent place to work.   

7. Stay in the room and be prepared to answer questions.  While some experts contend that you do not need to say anything more or even remain in the room after the initial pronouncement, Grote vehemently disagrees. “Leadership demands compassion,” he says. “You were the agent of a terrible thing that has just happened in this person’s life.  Don’t run away, and don’t force HR to pick up the pieces.  You should be prepared to speak as needed and answer questions as they come up.”

 Before the meeting, you need to be well versed on practical matters or allow HR to handle questions relating to the last day of work, the last paycheck, the details of the severance agreement, the process of collecting unemployment benefits and health insurance, and what happens to their benefits and unused vacation time.  Of course, there may be issues you and HR have not considered.  In that case, you can let them know that you will get back to them shortly once you have the answer.  They should know the next steps.

8. Be prepared for emotion but keep yours in check.  Some people take the news in stride, while others might go through various emotions such as shock, grief, and anger.  Be prepared to listen and support in the best way you can.

9. Offer additional support if you would like.  If you genuinely believe the person has talent that could be useful elsewhere and are being let go for non-ethical or performance issues, offer to help with their transition so it is as seamless as possible.  Can you give them a long lead time to find a new job?  Can you assign them a Career/Transition Coach to support their next steps of polishing their resume and getting clarity on their next position?  Would you be willing to serve as a reference or write a testimonial?  How about making a LinkedIn introduction to a team where you think they would be valued?  Can you reassure them that the lines of communication will be open and that they can contact you for support?

10. Conduct an exit interview.  Exit interviews are a way for employees to be heard and state their case for why they are leaving.  They can offer valuable feedback on improvements since they may not hold back with their candid remarks, and you can use that information to plug any holes for improvement.  When possible, you should share their contributions and how they positively impacted the organization to feel proud of the time they spent.  Not all firings will be as amicable, but no need to burn bridges, ending on a high note is always the way to go.  Be sure to thank the person for their service and wish them well.

11. Talk to your team & focus on the future.  Gathering the colleagues affected by the termination to address the matter and offer a straightforward message, no need to reveal the reasons behind the decision due to confidentiality, but if it is probable that your team already knows.  The firing likely presents short-term challenges for your team so ensure them how it will be much better in the long run.  Share your strategy on managing the workload while you look for a replacement and are open to their suggestions to minimize the impact on them and the business.

Deciding to fire is never an easy option but you should not delay just because it is uncomfortable for you.  That would be selfish and unfair to the person who is not a right fit because you keep them from moving on to better things.  It is also not fair to the other team members who may be overworking to compensate or to the organization if the business needs are being overlooked.  There is a way to fire with compassion, choose it and you will sleep better.

Quote of the day: “The day that firing becomes easy is the day to fire yourself.” -Tom Peters

Q:  What’s your best tip for successfully firing somebody with compassion?  Comment and share below; we would love to hear from you!

As a Leadership Coach, I partner with leaders to think through compassionate plans to dismiss their employees when they must, contact me to learn more.

Using compassion in saying goodbye

Choose to Double Down on Support (Firing Series 2/3)

Deciding to fire can be a tough choice.  In the last blog, we explored the reasons to let an employee go, this blog will focus on another option, which is to support your teammate rather than letting them go. 

Reasons to support:

If an employee is not working out, instead of rushing to release that individual, you may want to closely examine the reasons.  Choosing to support somebody by providing guidance for improvement, switching roles to better match their skillset with the work requirements, or changing teams could be the better decision.

Here are some common reasons why you would choose to support:

1. You were unclear in the hiring process.  If you did not articulate the job requirements and if you did not train the person adequately in the onboarding process where they are set up for success and feel safe to contribute fully, you should not let them go because you are responsible for the mismatch.  You should give the person adequate training so they can win at their job.  This happens often because we are usually rushed to fill a position and choose to throw them into the fire with insufficient training. 

2. Realignments and changing business needs.  If the business has changed and you need people to do other jobs than what they were doing or if you had a realignment and created a skillset redundancy, you may want to move them to another team where they would be able to contribute and thrive.  Quality employees with a fierce skillset and a learning mindset can be versatile enough to be plugged in elsewhere to positively impact; they are people you want around.   

3. You haven’t managed them well.  Part of the success of an employee can be attributed to how well they were supported.  Have you had regular meetings with your direct reports to learn what the person needs to succeed?  Did you set clear goals and expectations measurable with benchmarks, deadlines, and a general timeline for completion?  Have you had 1:1 performance discussions where they are aware of their gaps, and you have created an opportunity to invite their feedback to co-create an improvement plan with outcomes you are both comfortable with?  Have you had career development conversations where you understand their short and long-term motivations and dreams and how they fit into their daily tasks while offering opportunities for support, growth, and development?  Generally, have you be a present thought partner enabling their best efforts and clearing the path for their great work?

If you had a conversation about their struggles, do they know exactly what to do to improve and how their progress will be measured?  Are they aware of the timeframe and consequences if they break the mutual agreement and no improvement is made?  Making sure you have done everything possible to support the person matters.  If they still have not responded well to your assistance, it could be time to let the person go.

4. You have not kept them engaged or focused on their wellbeing.  If an employee is underperforming, it could be because they are burned out.  They were given more work than exceeded any normal human’s capacity, so they shut down, and so did their productivity.  They could also be dissatisfied with their job if they have been in the same role for a long time and they have not been offered growth opportunities, they could be showing signs of dissatisfaction and frustration by not being challenged by the work.  They can also feel resentful that all their time will work and they do not feel supported in having time off.  Before Thanksgiving of 2014, President Joe Biden sent a memo to his staff reminding them that he did not expect nor want anyone to “miss or sacrifice important family obligations for work.”  That includes celebrations, such as birthdays, anniversaries, or weddings, and time needed to step away from work due to an illness or death in the family.  For Biden, it was an unwritten rule for staff to take time off for family responsibilities or wellbeing.  Workplace cultures where there are no boundaries between professional and personal and being on call 24 hours a day is not conducive to bringing out people’s best, even if it may seem so in the short term.  Rewarding overwork can be detrimental.

If you have determined that you did not offer the proper support in the hiring and managing stage or if the business needs have changed, there are still things you can do to support your people.  You can move them laterally to another team or another department to thrive and be happier somewhere else in the company.  Perhaps, they have been in sales for many years, and an opportunity in marketing would be a breath of fresh air.  Or maybe they're in tech or operations and would enjoy a career pivot to manage people because that is what gives them joy.  Separate the person from the job; if they are great, where else can they go?  Around 2010, Salesforce wondered how it can be just as easy to transfer within the company as it was to leave so they created their Opportunity Open Market initiative.  After each quarterly release, software developers could transfer teams.  There would be internal job fairs to facilitate that transfer.  It allowed people to find what motivated them and work on things that challenged and excited them.  It was so successful it was integrated into the broader company. 

5. Your company decided to downsize.  If the company is going through a tough time and you must make layoffs, what are all your options?  The worst thing about layoffs is not only what you do to the people who leave but what you do to the people who stay because if they are expected to double their work, they end up losing trust and getting frustrated.  Is it possible to do furloughs instead?  Would anybody on the team volunteer for some time off because they are in a more comfortable position and wish to spend more time with their family?  Can you agree on a temporary promotion freeze if it means your people can stay?  Every team and culture are different; choose what works best for the group.  In 2008, Barry-Wehmiller got hit hard with the recession, so the board put pressure on the CEO Bob Chapman to make layoffs, but he believed in committing to people like family.  Instead of firing, he had each person take a four-week furlough of unpaid vacation whenever they wanted because he thought it was better for all to hurt a little than some to suffer a lot with a job loss.  As a result, morale went up because people saw leaders sacrificing the numbers for them, so they started to care for each other even more.  They would give their days to those who could not afford furlough.

Deciding to let a team member go is a big choice.  Before pulling the trigger, you want to understand the reasons for doing it and whether they are valid.  If the fault lies with you, you should give your people another chance.  If you have genuinely done everything you can, but they still show no improvement, do not waste one more minute.

Quote of the day: “On what high-performing companies should be striving to create: A great place for great people to do great work.” - Marilyn Carlson, former CEO of Carlson Companies

[The next blog in this firing series 3/3 will focus on the best ways to go about firing]

As a Leadership Coach, I partner with leaders to support their teams to do their best work, contact me to learn more.

How can you partner with your direct report for success?

Is it Time to Fire? (Firing Series 1/3)

One of the most difficult and least favorite parts of a leader’s job is deciding to let their employee go and then carrying out the process with humanity and fairness while also keeping the ship sailing smoothly.  Before making this decision to either fire or continue to support, it can be helpful to understand the turnover trends at your organization to put the issue in perspective. 

What is the turnover like on your team and at your company?

Low turnover is a sign of great company culture.  It shows that employees enjoy the environment and that the company has been thoughtful in its hiring processes and has gotten the right people matched to their positions.  On the other hand, high turnover is not only costly but could be emblematic of deeper and more systematic issues.  Perhaps, mistakes are being made in the hiring, training, or role placement process.  It could also be due to poor leadership if the common denominator is that you’re the one team that fires the most.  Or, maybe the company is growing so fast that leaders are not paying attention to the big picture such as to the phase shifts, which is where everything breaks as the company triples. Leaders may not be preparing for that different environment and getting their team adequately braced for the transition.  They may not be able to use the same processes for a team of 50 as they would 150.

Another reason to examine trends is to get a grip on the costs. According to Gallup data, the cost of turnover can be extensive; it can equal one-half to two times the person’s annual salary, including the expense of finding a replacement, onboarding, training, and the loss in productivity, morale, and institutional knowledge.

While low turnover is a great sign, you are not aiming for 0% within teams or in the company because some shakeup is healthy and necessary.  According to Adam Grant, a body of research shows that teams do the best when they have 4-4.5 years as a nucleus as it takes a few years to create effective routines and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and ways to complement them further.  It’s challenging to build alignment when teams are only together for a brief period.  Similarly, when teams stay together for too long, success drops because it lacks the diversity of thought and the pouring of fresh ideas which leads to innovation.

Reasons to Fire

While noting every organization is different and making these decisions are specific to the culture and needs of the company, here are some common reasons to dismiss an employee:

1. Ethnical violation.  If your employees lie, steal, or betray you, your team, or your clients, that is grounds for dismissal.  If they intentionally hurt, harass, or offend another person, there should be a zero-tolerance policy for this behavior because it can be quite corrosive to the culture. Nobody has the right to deliberately belittle others. When the trust is appallingly low because of frequent deceptions and misdeeds, a productive and genuine relationship cannot be built and productivity will be compromised.

2. Poor cultural fit.  If the employee is causing more problems than solving and the bad outweighs the good, it is time to go.  For example, if they do not operate with a growth mindset or a “what’s possible” mentality, and their default is seeing only the obstacles and getting easily deterred, that behavior can be counterproductive to the objectives.  Suppose they have an apathetic attitude in not caring about their work or their teammates or a negative disposition and exhibit toxic behavior where they are bringing everybody else down.  In that case, it is time to make a change.  Recent research from Harvard Business shows that one bad employee can corrupt a whole team.  The study looked at how employees act when they are around someone who misbehaves.  It found that 37% of those studied were more likely to do something dishonest if they worked with someone with a history of bad behavior. 

3. They are consistently underperforming and have not responded to your support.  If you have managed them well by giving them timely and specific feedback and have been a supportive partner in their performance reviews and career advancement plans, but they are regularly performing poorly, not capitalizing on any of the opportunities for improvement, or have ignored your repeated efforts to support them, it’s time.  In any of these cases, it should never be a surprise to them when they are let go, they should be well aware of what they need to do and the ramifications of not delivering on realistic expectations.  In most organizations, performance improvement plans are in process to address these issues. If you have a high standard of excellence and offer a supportive culture, keeping a low performer can be more costly to the team than the disruption of letting them go.  A good check-in question to ask yourself is, if you were starting this company today, would you rehire this person?  If the answer is no, follow your gut.  Netflix uses the “keeper test,” which is when managers ask themselves - “Which of my people if they told me they were leaving for a similar job at a competitor or peer company would I fight hard to keep?”

When it comes to the tough decision of letting an employee go, certain reasons make this decision an easier one.  If the person committed any ethical violations, is a net negative on the culture because their attitude diminishes the team instead of accelerating it, or if they are consistently underperforming and do not care to get better, then do not delay, make the call, as tough as it may be.

Quote of the day: “Firing is not something you do to someone: firing is something you do for someone.” Author Larry Winget

Q:  When do you know it is time to let somebody go?  What’s your process for firing?  Comment and share below; we would love to hear from you!

[The next blog in this firing series 2/3 will focus on choosing to support your team instead of dismissing them] 

As a Leadership Coach, I partner with leaders to best navigate performance management challenges and build flourishing cultures, contact me to learn more.

When is the right time to let your employee go?