Management Craft

How to be a change agent.

No THERE's a cliche phrase - change agent. Like most middle managers feel like AGENTS of change. Sure, we all instigate/catalyze changes from time to time. Some of us more than others. But most of the time, we are needing to pick up the ball - someone else's ball - and make it work.

That's the nature of management - we make things work and we execute a vision, goal, strategy or change - many of them - that comes our way from somewhere else. The best middle managers get this and embrace this. It is what we do (and yes, we need to initiate changes, too)

So I might reword change agent to be called - change baker. Like that? We put the ingredients together and bake a change. Are your changes fully baked?

In any event, check out this post from Eric Brown called, So You Want to Be a Change Agent. Good tips for both change agents and change bakers.

Ground Rules for a Leadership Team Health Discussion

I am doing an all-day team discussion with a leadership team today. Here are the ground rules I am proposing for this particular group. I know I could have had many more, but I like to focus on those promises that I think will make the greatest difference to the conversation. Let me know what you think!

Ground Rules:

• Show respect by having the courage to be candid.

• Show care by sharing information in a constructive manner.
• Trust the process.
• Own your role in the team’s successes and disappointments.
• Take the feedback and conversation seriously, but not as a personal affront. Feedback is always a gift, even if it is tough to hear.
• Believe in the capacity for people to grow and develop – to get better where needed. I have seen it happen.
• Communication = heard as intended (hold yourself to the standard of communicating in a way that will be heard as you intend it).

Should You Tell HiPos That They Are HiPos?

One of the problems with having more than one blog (and a ning and twitter and facebook and linkedIn and don't get me started) is that sometimes what I write belongs in more than one place. Case in point. Over on the Hip and Sage blog I started wrtiting a post that I thought was very hip and sage-like. But then I kept writing, and it turned to the more managerial topic of succession planning and whether we ought to tell HiPos they are HiPos.

So instead of reprinting the whole post here, if HiPos are a topic of interest, go check the post out and tell me what you think. HiPos, BTW, are high potential employees - people who you think have the potential to move up in the organization.

Talent Management Defined - According to ASTD and Study Participants

Check out this article by ASTD researcher Andrew Paradise on the ASTD website called, Talent Management Defined - which summarizes findings from a survey of professionals. Here's the bottom line:

Developing consensus on a valid definition of talent management was a priority for ASTD because past research has revealed that common, agreed-upon definitions are scarce. After considerable review by a panel of experts, the following definition was adopted: a holistic approach to optimizing human capital, which enables an organization to drive short- and long-term results by building culture, engagement, capability, and capacity through integrated talent acquisition, development, and deployment processes that are aligned to business goals.

Pretty good definition, I think. What do you think? It's a bit of OD-speak, but that is to be expected since it is not a term created by operational folks. I have a simple model I have been using to help organizations assess and align their TM system and this definition fits right in.

Check out the whole article.

Culture White Paper and Webinars

I have two bits of news:

1. New White Paper about Leadership and Culture.

2. New Web Training Programs

1. In conjunction with the launch of our new web training series we are offering a white paper called How Leaders Can Optimize Organizational Culture, to all attendees (if you cannot attend a webinar, you can download the white paper here). This white paper addresses methods leaders should use to help their culture become a driving force for performance excellence and results – especially during times of significant change. Topics addressed include:

• How organization cultures are formed and changed.

• The ways that an organization’s culture can become a driving force for positive performance changes.

• Methods and practices that enable leaders to adjust and improve their culture.

• Characteristics of a culture of continuous learning.

• Which leadership practices can improve the organization’s culture and those that may degrade it.

• The most important leadership practices for creating and maintaining a healthy and productive organization culture.

I hope you enjoy the white paper. Use it as a discussion starter at your next staff meeting and talk about your culture and the management team's role in shaping it.

2. We are kicking off a new web training series starting this Thursday. We have two topics that are each being delivered twice - you can see the titles and dates below. These 60 minute webinars offer meaty training - they are not infomercials for books or other longer training programs. They stand alone as focused classes that offer immediately implementable suggestions. These training programs are a very affordable $30 per person and right now, because we are using a U.S. toll-free phone number, they are only open to people in the U.S. (To my international readers: we might try to expand these to be available beyond the US in the coming months).

I know some of you might be wondering why these webinars are not free, because there are a lot of free webinars out there. Here is our stance on this. Most free webinars are meant to be appetizers - to introduce a book or a larger program. Our webinars are designed to be alternative forms of training (a meal), and there is no sales pitch. Managers are busy, and I believe that that we need to help them build their craft by offering short and frequent bits of real learning. This is a great value for a meaty hour of training. I hope that you and your fellow managers can join me this Thursday. It will be a great session (I am facilitating all of the April sessions).

Session 1: Reinvent to succeed!  Realigning your piece of the organization when the economic outlook or other conditions change.

Available dates:

• Thursday, April 9, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern. Click here to register for this session: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/316793649
• Friday, April 17, 11:00am-12:00pm Eastern. Click here to register for this session: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/272813849

Session 2:  Employee Engagement - Rarer now. Needed more now.

Available Dates:

• Wednesday, April 15 10:00-11:00am Eastern. Click here to register for this session: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/153667338
• Tuesday, April 21, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern. Click here to register for this session: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/758940795

You can find the detailed descriptions of and registration/billing information about these webinars on our website by clicking here.

Lisa Joins MPI - I'm a solopreneur no more! The draw and power of "Super Teams"

If you are a regular reader, you may have noticed a few recent changes on this blog, my personal website, and my LinkedIn and Facebook profiles (and now my Twitter page!). For the past six years, I have been doing OD, training, and HR consulting and business writing for my own company, called Haneberg Management. No longer!

I am now part of a larger group of professionals - a great group - called Management Performance International (MPI). I am the Vice President and OD Consulting Practices Lead for MPI and will head up their OD (which includes management and leadership development) operations. MPI is a 30 year old boutique consulting firm headquartered in Cincinnati, OH that has built a strong reputation for offering creative solutions that help their clients get results.

Why the change? Here is a brief story about what I call "Super Teams" and attributes of great teams.

I worked for a durable goods manufacturer early in my career - about 25 years ago. I was the training manager and I worked for the VP of HR and had several HR generalists as peers. There was something about this team that was special. Although we each had our unique tasks to complete, we often talked with and coached each other and we supported each other's larger initiatives. The chemistry was excellent and mutual respect was high amongst all members. As a result and as a team, we got a lot done and had fun doing it. Every one of the key members - all of them - got promoted and then our super team was dispersed.

Since this experience, I have had high ideals for the great work that talented teams can do. My experiences permeate my training programs for senior teams, management teams, and operational teams. And there have been times when I have felt, again, the spark of a super team experience in various jobs I have held over the years.

I know this to be true: We do our best work when we are part of a team that we feel connected to and that we enjoy. We do our best work when we are part of something bigger than ourselves.

Although my individual consulting business has been successful - exceeding my goals most every year, I have been keeping an eye open for that special situation where I could again play full out on a super team. I considered several potential opportunities before I found and joined MPI. From the beginning something felt right about this partnership. I even told Jim Taylor, the CEO of MPI, the first time we spoke that we would either be very "right" for each other or not at all right in terms of fit. 

I am excited about being a part of the MPI team. Everyone in the firm is smart and plays at the top of his or her game. What makes this change particularly positive is that I get to continue to create (and co-create) innovative OD solutions and training programs for organizations - and this is what I love to do. For example, here are just a few of the programs we are cooking up (or have recently cooked up):

Reinventing the Business - a course for managers and leaders. During tough times, leaders need to be able to look critically and creatively at their piece of the business and change it to improve short-term and long term results. This course will offer leaders and managers practice on how to approach reinventing the business and share pitfalls that could get in change's way.

The New Business Acumen - leading through tough times. This course will explain and help develop five skills that managers and leaders need more now than ever. Business acumen is a moving target as the world becomes more global, virtual, competitive, fast, and complex.

High Impact Middle Management. Is your middle management function set up for success? Middle managers can be the engine of the organization, driving results and removing barriers and dysfunction. As the link between strategies and execution, a well tuned and mentally tough middle management team can be a driving force for success and results orientation.

Great Leadership Teams. It is important that senior leaders be effective both as individuals and as a team - especially when the organization needs to make changes to stay competitive. We will offer an innovative and inspiring model for senior team excellence and help leadership teams build six important capabilities.

I have let this post go on too long, I know. Hey, I'm excited! To learn more about the changes and to see my new personal website, click on the links below:

Lisa's personal website

MPI's website

The press release about me joining MPI

One last thing about the blogs. Have you noticed the new posts over at the 2 Weeks 2 a Breakthrough and Hip and Sage blogs? Stay tuned to all three blogs for great posts each week. YES - my blogging will continue and, in fact, it will be better because you will get to read more voices and more provocative perspectives as my colleagues at MPI weigh in on occasion.

Engagement - Rarer now. Needed more now.

Here's a management challenge. During tough times, employees can be a little distracted - they might be sad, worried, stressed, angry, anxious. This is particularly so if your business is struggling and might need to make changes (to costs, to processes, to jobs, to product line).

And if your business is struggling, you need the engagement - connected hearts and minds - of your employees even more. You need each person to do his or her best work to help the company identify the changes that are needed, get innovative, solve problems, and pull results us.

What's a manager to do?

Yes, it is indeed a challenge. Oh, and let's not forget that managers are people, too, who might also be suffering from the tough-times-funk.

A couple of thoughts:

1. We need to be sure and never stop believing that people can make extraordinary things happen. Demonstrate your belief in people.

2. Connection is key - create connection and keep people informed and in conversation. We will be less distracted if we understand and can engage in the situation.

3. Give employees something TO DO. Let employees be active in helping make things better. If the only think tanks that are happening are between the top leaders in closed door meetings, this is a mistake. Engage everyone in meaningful ways that allow problems to be identified and solved. This is their company, too.

4. Substitute one caring gesture for another. If you cannot have the employee picnic. Share the situation and have a huge employee pot luck. If you cannot afford raises, show your affection for the dedication you receive every day in another way. Don't just cut - cut and replace.

5. Manage change - yours and theirs. All managers need to be great change agents and this includes helping people transition. Information is key here. Share the situation, the vision, the plan, and how they are impacted and can participate. Be cognizant of the ramifications of trickle change and of sudden change.

6. Increase flexibility. If you are asking people to help you out, consider being more flexible whenever possible. With schedules, hours, how you do things, meeting times and structures, tasks.

7. You cannot expect your employees to be any more engaged or connected to the vision than you are. So be the poster girl or boy for what it means to be focused and in action. Tough times are an opportunity to show ourselves and others our best work. Accept the challenge with vigor.

8. Share good news a lot. I hate the TV, and most news programs, because it cycles and recycles the same negative dribble all day long. We do this in organizations, too. Stop it! Be candid but also share FULLY. There are lots of great things happening and lots of extraordinary moments that you can share.

9. Take the challenge seriously, but don't sweat it. If you worry a lot, you will not do your best thinking. And you will cause others to worry. And they won't do their best thinking. And before you know it, the usable IQ of the office will drop 25 points.

10. Tend to your reputation. Engagement comes from relationship. Relationships are formed each and every day. Do people like to work with you? You need to know this and you want the answer to be yes. Managers who are not a pleasure to do business with will not survive for long. And they don't enliven the workplace.

It is normal to feel a bit worried. We all have the capacity to engage in spite of, or perhaps because of, the challenges we face.

Driving toward Success with Organizational Focus

If you asked me to help you determine whether your team or organization is focused on what’s most important to the business, I would look at six indicators. They are all individually important, but together paint a comprehensive picture of focus. I can tell a lot of things about an organization from analyzing these indicators.

Rate your team or organization from 1-10
1 = Does not describe my team, 10 = Highly descriptive of my team

_____    The mission, goals, and top priorities are known and understood by all employees.

_____    The desired drumbeat is clear. The desired pace, speed or work, and sense of urgency is known and shared. Natural cycles are understood and managed.

_____    People are spending time on relevant work (relevance means that tasks support what’s most important).

_____    The organization is aligned. We are set up for success. Our structure, roles, systems and processes optimally support our goals.

_____    The organization is self-correcting. Problems are caught quickly and failures don’t often blind-side us.

_____    We achieve great results without overstressing the organization.

I would not expect all ones or tens, as most companies struggle with a few of these indicators. It is helpful to notice your organization’s most troubling barriers and see how these connect to the six indicators of focus. I link these indicators to focus because they affect how people make choices about how to spend their precious time.

Bring this checklist into your next staff meeting for a lively and helpful discussion that will help you determine which improvements will most help you and your team focus. You can also use this tool to assess the health and focus of your customer/supplier relationships.

Fireside Chat with Dr. John Kotter - A Sense of Urgency

Do you act with a true sense of urgency or a false one? Check out this podcast!

During this 22 minute podcast, I chat with Dr. John Kotter, author of A Sense of Urgency. This is a wonderful book (Dr. Kotter has written 17!) about the key factor that often determines whether change efforts are successful or a failure (70% fail, only 10% exceed expectations). Dr. Kotter graduated from MIT and Harvard and is Professor Emeritus at Harvard Business School. I have been a fan of Dr. Kotter's work for a long time, so it was a real honor to chat with him on the podcast. Check it out! This is a podcast you will want to share with colleagues. I highly recommend the book for all managers and leaders.

You can listen to my podcast with the John Kotter by clicking here:

You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.

And just a reminder.....

Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:

To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog or see the list on my main website here.

You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.

Is Change Management Just Plain Management?

Terrence over at Here We Are. Now What? offers this post called, Change: Management or Leadership. He makes the argument that the function of Change Management perhaps should really be Change Leadership.

I would like to take his question one step farther and ask, is change management a function at all or is it really just management?

To me, helping groups and individuals transition to new business conditions and challenges is a big piece of a manager's job. If you can't manage change, you ought not be a manager.

Change management became a separate OD function because we loaded our managers down with inane tasks, reports, and checklists. The work got further separated by the OD world, I think, who have convinced senior leaders they need change management professionals.

All companies need change management professionals and I call these people managers. Change management is not rocket science, but it takes time and care, and most of your managers are overloaded with other stuff. I think it would be most helpful if the OD world helped organizations fix the manager's role so they can do the work that will make the greatest difference.

But that's just me. Or is it? What do you think?