In 60 Seconds ~ November 2008


In 60 Seconds ~ November 2008
What's New We are proud to announce that John Rogers, a well respected leader, both as a former Mayor, former C.A.O. and Past Chair of the United Way of York Region has joined the Centre for Character Leadership. John Rogers Senior Associate – Governmental Leadership Consultant, Mentor * Your Mini Snapshot of Engagement We are offering a Mini Snapshot of Engagement for your team. Please click here for more information! ***** Click here to read the first chapter Kathleen's New Book Leadership by Engagement! ******* Click here to visit our store and purchase Leadership by Engagement. * Please Click Here to visit our website!**	We have received many calls inquiring about communication strategies for this challenging time. November's newsletter is a summary of the Engagement in Difficult Times White Paper which will be published in the next two weeks. It is a bit longer than 60 seconds. We sincerely hope that it is worth the extra time. Thank you! * Freeze, cut, tighten, claw back, pare, realign – those scary verbs are racing into the workplace! During times of uncertainty and fear, the knee jerk reaction is indeed to contract, like prey in the wild or a person under attack. In the workplace, the defensive reaction translates as minimizing expenses in order to survive. At best, this is a short-term, reactionary measure. Smart companies, and courageous leaders, choose to do more than just survive; they see challenges as an opportunity to stand, prevail, and flourish. But how can an organization flourish in the face of such uncertainty? In a crisis, proactive leaders ensure success by strengthening your team’s performance; by focusing on where the challenges lie, in the market and inside the organization. Here are 5 Strategies for leading to engage during a difficult time, to engage both your customers (potential as well as current) and your team. 1. Seize the External Opportunity Dire economic straits can present an opportunity to create a new customer base as well as strengthen loyalty with your current customers. Rather than panic, clarify your strengths. What can you do to leverage them even more powerfully, to train your staff to function even more effectively? This is a time for everyone to be as attentive and skilled as possible. Focus on what your team does best, on building loyalty/revenue rather than cutting costs which is a defensive reaction that can diminish your talent and send the company into a downward spiral. 2. Seize the Internal Opportunity Speaking of talent, remember that during challenging times people are more open to considering improvements, particularly if they understand the connection between working smarter and their job. Consider the “Stop, Start, Continue” exercise to ferret out unnecessary or outdated processes. Bluntly ask yourselves: “What are we doing that doesn’t make sense?” This is a time to streamline and be as effective as possible. 3. Be Visible and Accessible – Leaders of Courageous Character Required! Tell the truth. Rumours abound when there is a lack of accurate information. Share what you know and what you don’t know, emphasizing that you must find solutions together. Explore all the modes of communication. Town Hall meetings, departmental meetings, One-on-One conversations, and email announcements are some obvious choices, but podcasts, webinars and other forms of broadcasts are examples of ways you can leverage technology to maximize your message. No one will complain that there is “too much communication” as long as it is honest, properly cascaded, and consistent. Leaders who communicate their intentions effectively build trust, and trust is more crucial than ever during challenging times. A recent study by Watson Wyatt revealed that companies with the most effective employee communication programs provided a 91% total return to shareholders, compared with 62% for firms that communicated least effectively. 4. Talk about Emotion** Uncertainty breeds fear. Courageous leaders confront this reality by asking tough questions such as: How is this situation affecting you? What support do you need from me? How can we best get through this time as a team? How can we create more camaraderie and a stronger team in order to flourish at this time? Listen, listen, and listen. If you’re going to take the time to ask tough questions, take even more time to understand the answers you receive. Empathy is required in order to talk with your team. A leader who says “it is normal to be unsettled, let’s find opportunities together to thrive” will gain trust and support. Leaders who expect the team to just get on with work as normal will perpetuate fear, perhaps even resentment. Reveal your own emotional state: “I am certainly concerned and need to know that everyone of us is looking for and communicating ways to improve the business” is more honest and authentic than pretending you are obliviously optimistic. As long your overall focus is on understanding, solutions and success, you stand on solid ground. 5. Communicate Results Creating solid plans, tracking results and communicating progress will keep your team informed and encouraged. If your results are less than desirable, review them together and create a new plan. Consider shorter plans to match the volatility of the moment. Inclusiveness is a key ingredient to success in tough times as well as good ones. The 2007/2008 Watson Wyatt Communication ROI Study showed that high-performing companies are 10 times more likely than low-performing companies to give their employees a voice. Being involved, focused and aware of results will help keep your team as assured and energized as possible. The challenges of economic uncertainty needn’t overwhelm you and your people with fear. Smart and courageous leaders foster these same qualities in their organizations, creating teams that seize opportunities to improve during difficult times, to ensure success well into the future. Intentional Act of Character Vu was a General Manager for one of the Darden Restaurants. He won the Darden’s Award for been one of the top performers in Canada. It was well deserved as he and his team had worked hard at this particular location to build guest frequency, sales and profit year over year. Vu believed that this award was result of the work done by his team efforts and collaboration. He purchased a trophy, had all his team's name on the trophy and it was prominently displayed in the lobby of the restaurant. His team felt included, valued and proud of their contribution to the success of the restaurant and his restaurant went on to been one of the top performers in Canada Division in the years after the recognition. *Rules of Engagement for your Team* Teams that participate in *Rules of Engagement for your Team* create an explicit set of supportive, collaborative behaviours that enhance camaraderie and results. Click here to learn more about this dynamic, highly participative half day session. “Our goals and objectives (*what* we must achieve) are clear. The Rules of Engagement Session clarified *how* we can best work together to achieve the goals. Getting to really know each other and explicitly determining collaborative, supportive behaviour makes everyone’s work life easier. Especially mine as the leader.” Karen Scanlan Vice President, Human Resources Service Inspired Restaurants Best Wishes, Lois Tori, Don Cousens, John Rogers and Fred Faber
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