Some thoughts

I was fortunate to spend time at Walt Disney World recently and I was struck by the change in people as they stood in line for rides, food, etc.  The Disney corporation has certainly created a happy place for millions of visitors.   Another thought also struck me.  Disney could not successfully create such a place if it were a truly horrible corporation in which to work as some media stories over the years have tried to portray.

If you’re going to be an effective leader you need to understand that happy employees make far more significant and positive contributions to the success of your organization.  Those contributions tend to improve the bottom line as well.  Making sure your employees are “happy” doesn’t mean bending over backwards and kowtowing to every demand.  It does mean that you lead effectively.  That means you educate yourself on the importance of group dynamics, especially in your organization, and use those dynamics in a positive way to achieve your organizational goals.  It means being fair and consistent in your dealings with people.  Customer service is important especially when extended to employees.  Set goals that both challenge and fulfill your staff.  Work should never be toxic but hard work never hurt anyone.  Have the courage and persistence to look at the way work gets done and see if new ways might be more effective and profitable.  Don’t settle for mediocre either in yourself or your staff.  Knowledge and proper use of group dynamics can lead to a workplace where everyone dares to be extraordinary.  How bad can that be?

Frustration 401

Talk about things going wrong!  How many of us have experienced flight delays and cancellations due to storms?  This winter season and early spring have certainly tested my frustration level.  As I wrote this I was on a plane  for Orlando but we were diverted to Tampa for refueling due to weather.  The question then was whether we would get refueled and off the ground in Tampa before the weather closed that airport.

Sound familiar?  It’s a problem and there doesn’t seem to be a lot I can do to solve it.  But there is something I can do to make the situation better.  First, I need to keep things in perspective.  I realized that at some point I would arrive at my destination.  Dealing with the detours and delays really becomes just another task to insure that I reach my goal.

Second, I need to keep my sense of humor.  Getting angry would not have cleared up the weather any faster than what Mother Nature had intended and humor helps me keep things in perspective.   How does that relate to the problems that continue to plague your organization?  Many times the problems you’re facing are very serious and require difficult decisions to be made.  There’s nothing funny about having to discipline or even fire someone.  But the point about keeping the anger in check and maintaining a perspective  needs to be emphasized.  When did losing your temper ever solve anything?  Keeping things in perspective helps establish needed priorities. Working hard to accomplish the tasks is easier with the help of a problem solver.  Who better to vent your anger and frustration on than with someone whose only agenda is helping you solve those persistent problems?  I won’t take it personally.

Frustration 101

I have been traveling lately and have used my iPad liberally on the flights.  I’ve even downloaded a few game apps to kill some time while in the air.  I recently found myself a tad bit frustrated when a screen message popped up telling me that it appeared I was having trouble and perhaps the purchase of several expensive power boosts would help.  Ya think?  What to do with the frustration?  How stupid would it be to throw the iPad down the aisle?  Would that really make it easier for me to complete the level and move on?

How do you deal with the frustration of thinking a problem has been solved only to see it rear its ugly head time and time again?  What about all those phone calls and conversations with Aunt Nell where she tells you every little thing you’re doing wrong and why can’t you just do things her way?

Something to consider – group dynamics.  Both formal and informal groups exist within your organization and both are communication channels.  Why not communicate your sense of frustration, not so much to vent but rather as a way of seeking input from your staff?  Let your staff know that you’re aware that some problems never seem to get solved.  Will a realistic and lasting solution be found?   Consider asking your staff members how they would tackle the issue.  Keep the boundaries clear, whatever boundaries you set, but then listen as an active listener.

A Video Game May Help?

Have you ever watched kids playing a video game as a team?  Even if they have to communicate through IM, headsets or whatever, they work together as a team.  The usual result is that the game level is mastered and they continue the positive progress.  Now, have you ever watched kids play an online video game where they have to join a group, most often not composed of players of their own choosing?  What do you think the difference is?  Are you starting to ask yourself what does such a silly topic have to do with the problems in your organization?  After all, your problems are far more serious than mastering some stupid video game, right?  Maybe it’s not the problem which is so serious but your lack of understanding which is the obstacle to a lasting solution to the problem

An effective leader – one who is confident in his or her skills – will be open to learning new skills and insights into how to get the organization functioning at peak performance.  Knowing the basics of group dynamics can give you the insight and knowledge that will help you work in tandem with a professional problem solver.

So let’s get back to what playing a video game might teach us.  Looking at the two scenarios of teams we can see a difference almost immediately.  A group that is given time to come together and function as a group will have a greater likelihood of success than a group that is thrown together and directed to achieve some goal in a short amount of time.

Yup, we can all learn something from playing video games.

Ostrich or Effective Leader?

How have your conversations with Aunt Nell been going?  Are you giving her honest answers?  Or are you simply trying to buy yourself some time?  We both know the last approach will only work in the short term.  So what are you going to do to solve these nagging and seemingly endless problems?

One thing to recognize is that you will probably make some mistakes but make them because you’re trying, not because you refuse to take affirmative steps to solve the problems.  A positive affirmative step you can take even as you read this is to acknowledge that group dynamics play an important role in the effectiveness of any organization, including yours.  A deeper understanding of how groups function may give you some insight into how a professional problem solver will work to identify the problem and then work with all the parties to develop and implement long term effective solutions.  The groups will exist whether you like it or not.  Why not learn how to use those groups and their communication channels to your advantage and in the best interests of the people in your organization?  It has to be better than burying your head in the sand as you try to avoid yet another conversation with Aunt Nell.

Giving up the ostrich response

How was that last conversation with Aunt Nell?   As I suggested earlier you may not appreciate the importance of group dynamics.  Just recently there’s been a real life example in the news and I’d like to share some of my observations with you.

Marissa Mayer, the new CEO at Yahoo!,  recently issued a memo to her entire staff, stating that telecommuting was ending and all staff members are expected to report daily to the office  beginning in June.  I have no inside information but I can hazard a guess that Ms. Mayer may have a legitimate concern that the lack of daily office contact with about 500 staffers had caused that group to be perceived as disconnected and remote from the remaining 12,ooo or so other employees.  There is some legitimacy to that perception if we think about it.  Having a coffee break in the employee break room provides a valuable communication channel among the employees.

In my assessment Ms. Mayer may not have fully appreciated the impact of the major paradigm shift she has ordered.  Obviously she appreciates the importance of having the employees interact with one another through means other than impersonal emails and text messages.  Getting all her employees together physically gets everyone on the same page and focused on the same organizational goals.  It improves the quality and frequency of communication and I think it gets employees more personally invested in the success of the organization.   But implementing such a significant change requires, in my view, a stick and carrot approach.  The stick would be having folks  physically in the office.  From the news reports I’ve read the change has been received with the understandable negative response.  However, I think Ms. Mayer can mitigate that negativity by offering a carrot.  It would be a reconsideration at some defined future point of reinstating the work from home option.  What standards she would use would have to be clearly defined and objectively measured.  But it can be done.  In my view, Ms. Mayer has already shown that she’s not afraid to make the hard decisions.  Making an adjustment to her earlier decision would not diminish her in any way but would show how she is willing to listen, evaluate and implement changes as appropriate.  Are you able to say the same thing about your performance?

Group Dynamics – Who cares?

Someone once told me that the definition of insanity was trying the same solution to a problem over and over again, all the while hoping for a different outcome.  Sound familiar?  Perhaps your continuing problems might be the result of not fully understanding group dynamics and the importance they can play in the smooth operation of your organization.  But why should you be concerned with something you’ve called psychological babble?  After all, aren’t you the boss?  The problems will go away just as soon as people realize you’re in charge and they have to do what you tell them.  You’ve told your staff this in some form or another how many times?  I’m curious – if that approach hasn’t worked (and it obviously hasn’t since the problems haven’t gone away) why are you so reluctant to try a different approach using a professional problem solver?

No matter what your personal opinion might be about the social sciences, research has demonstrated that the concept of group dynamics is valid. Knowledge of how groups work, especially small groups, is essential to being an effective leader and manager.  Group dynamics affect more than just the morale of the organization.  They can impact communication and productivity.  Something to consider over the next few days, don’t you think?

The “Dream” Memo to Your Staff

It’s the end of yet another difficult week and as you start to leave the office, do you think about writing just one more memo to your staff?  What about to the stockholders?  What would you want to say in that memo?  Would you tell your staff that you’re sick and tired of all the stupid little games and petty arguments that constantly undermine the effectiveness of your organization?  Would you tell your stockholders that you’re fed up with their constant second guessing?   For some, the only exercise they get is jumping to conclusions that you’re incompetent and they could certainly manage the organization better than you’re doing right now.  Does your memo include the invitation to all those who think they can do a better job to step up because you’ve gone fishing and will return when the blue cheese on the moon is being harvested?  Why is it that no real progress seems to get made?

My question to you is – how well do you understand and appreciate the dynamics of the groups that make up your organization?  Have you created an environment where a group can come together and function effectively?  If you haven’t, why not?  Do you understand and appreciate the characteristics of the groups?  Do you even know the stages a group has to go through to come together and become effective in completing the assigned tasks?  Or did you simply think that all you had to do was call some people to your office, assign the job to them and give them a deadline?  If you answered “no” to any of my questions, let’s chat.  This is a good a forum as any!

It’s a New Year!

Happy New Year.  More than ten days into the new year and are you reviewing all those resolutions yet?  Was one of them to resolve once and for all the personnel problems which have been around for far too long? Is it finally time to get the stockholders (especially Aunt Nell and that nephew of hers) off your back? Just exactly how do you plan to do this?

Even with the new year the proposed solution from last year needs to be seriously considered. You need to hire a professional problem solver.   But keep in mind that professional problem solvers are not miracle workers. If you expect the problem solver to snap his or her fingers and shazam! – the problem is solved,  I’m afraid you’re going to be bitterly disappointed. But perhaps that attitude could help explain your procrastination. Unless you’re polishing silver or washing windows where the results of your efforts are immediately noticeable, the results of effective problem solving will take some time to be evident. Even a gourmet meal or an excellent cocktail takes some work and some time.

How much longer can you afford to ignore the problem(s) or engage in ineffective solutions? When you’ve run out of ideas please give me a call.  At the very least I can listen.