This week, I have had multiple conversations with several clients on the topic of leadership skills. The most commonly-held “deep dark secret” of those in a leadership role is that they feel to some degree unprepared or inadequate in the skills needed to lead others. As one client put it, “I’m not much of a leader, Beth – I feel like I am winging it all the time!”
Most people currently in a leadership role didn’t start in their industry with the intention of being the boss, they started in their industry in order to do the work that the industry does. Along the way, as they gained experience and were promoted, they found themselves directing and coordinating the efforts of others. Their role has changed, and they feel unprepared for the responsibilities… even after several years in the position! What’s more, they often feel that asking for assistance is a sign of weakness.
Nothing could be further from the truth. No one is skilled at everything, and no one is so good that they can’t benefit from improvement. In fact, a leader is in a unique position to establish a culture of improvement for their organization by honestly and gracefully accepting negative feedback.
I recently read a story of a true leader’s healthy response to such a situation:
“Bob stood up and read his evaluation out loud. It was not pretty. There were lots of problems and weaknesses that his team had identified. He had basically flunked. As the 100 top leaders sat there, listening to Bob read his report, the place was absolutely quiet.
Then Bob said, “I’m going to post this outside my office. Then I’ll be getting to work on following these recommendations and changing how I lead. In three months I’ll be asking my direct reports to evaluate me again, and I’ll also post those results, so you can see my progress.”
He continued, “In these times of change, the only way that this organization, and our jobs, have a chance of surviving, is that we need to make some big changes, quickly. You’ve just seen my personal plan for change. Now I look forward to seeing yours.”
Then Bob walked out of the room. No one said a word.”
Acknowledging shortcomings isn’t easy, but it is the only way to honestly address and improve upon them. Leading by example in this way demonstrates that change is necessary, possible and needed for every member of the organization.
Do you have the courage to fail? More importantly, do you have the courage to fail like Bob?
Phyllis Francis represented the United States in the 400 meter race, and she completed her semi-final looking very relaxed. She won both her first round heat and her semifinal heat easily with a time of 50.58 seconds and 50.31 seconds, respectively. When the reporter asked her what she was thinking about during one of the races, she talked about listening to the advice of her coach who said, “Maintain your form and go for the win.”
That concept is deceptively simple, and yet so vitally important in sports… and in hiring as well.
Often, clients want to quit the hiring process before we have completed it. They are tired of interviewing and they just want to hire someone – anyone! The temptation to just stop and say “good enough” is overwhelming!
It is the final portion of the race that is the hardest to accomplish, and yet the most important: The last 5 pounds to lose; the last 10% of rehab on an injury; the last few inches to cross the finish line. “That last interview with yet another candidate when you are totally frustrated” falls into that category. Staying focused on your strategy and following through all the way to the end is the path to victory.
This past week I met with a client whose business is in a period of rapid growth. His business has grown so fast over the last 6 months that his brand new office space (occupied for only a year) is suddenly too small. At the same time, he came across an ideal employee that he just had to hire. While he had already renegotiated a deal with his landlord to add more square footage in the near future, he had a big problem for the present:
Where was the new employee going to work?
Every office was full. The main room had been reconfigured several times and there was no way to squeeze in another desk. Even the conference room had a contract employee using it.
When I asked the client where they ended up locating the new employee, he grinned.
“We put him at the table in the break room.”
Sound crazy? Actually, it may have been the best place possible to put a new employee.
Usually a new employee’s first day consists of filling out paperwork, reading an employee handbook filled with dos and don’ts, parking rules and termination policies, and then put at a desk with little or no agenda. Other employees are busy trying to complete their own work and they don’t normally have the time to approach a new person on their team. While the onboarding process is a necessary one, it is typically not a very friendly one for the new hire.
Locate that same new hire in the break room and the situation takes on an entirely different tone. While people are taking a break, they are generally more relaxed and more social. They have a moment to chat while the coffeemaker is brewing; more importantly, they don’t need to come up with a reason to seek out and approach the new employee – they’re right here!
In this case, the new employee was greeted with enthusiasm every time someone walked in to get a cup of coffee. He was included in “water cooler” talk several times a day, and he was incorporated into the company culture quickly and seamlessly.
“This is the best place I have ever worked!” the new employee exclaimed.
If you’re looking to break away from the traditional onboarding process while minimizing the time it takes to familiarize new hires with your company’s culture, perhaps the break room is the “break” you’re looking for!
Last week, I met with a new client and I was introduced to their new employee, Stephanie. “But we call her Jan.” said my client.
Wait… what?
Apparently when Stephanie first started her job, my client said to her, “What’s up, man?”
She asked, “Did you just call me Jan?”
And, the name stuck: EVERYONE in the office calls her Jan!
When my client told me this story – in front of Stephanie – everyone laughed and laughed (including Stephanie herself). I now call her Jan as well.
The camaraderie in that office means more to employees than we can really measure, because moments like these are what create company culture. When you have this type of easy rapport with your staff, the harder conversations like those around mistakes are actually easier to have. Business runs more smoothly and people are more willing to try new things. When people try new things, innovation happens, growth occurs and turnover is reduced.
That’s why hiring the right candidate – your IDEAL candidate – is so important. The ideal candidate is one who will not only fit into your company culture, but will themselves end up embracing and nurturing it!
Remember: A rose by any other name… would still be Jan. Or Stephanie.
This is the title of the latest book that I have read by Jen Sincero, and every time I read it, pick it up or look at it, I think of you.
I know that right now you are struggling to find the best employees that you can possibly find and it is hard work! Slogging through resumes, interviewing candidates and trying to find the time to do your own job on top of that… and pulling your hair out at the difficulty of the process. After a really bad day of interviewing (or more than one) you wonder, “Where are all of the good people?” You really want to give up and just hire someone already!
I want you to keep your chin up, because you are a badass. You deserve to have to best of the best, and those people are coming. Get out your Ideal Candidate List and read over it again. Get in touch with how AMAZING it is going to be when these people finally get here. When they do, hang onto your hat… you will be floored at the difference they make and you will be thankful that you held your ground and didn’t give in to the temptation to just fill an empty chair with whomever.
In the meantime, when you have a lousy day, look back at how far you have come! Look at the changes that you have already made and what a difference it has made on your organization and your life.
Most people currently in a leadership role didn’t start in their industry with the intention of being the boss, they started in their industry in order to do the work that the industry does. Along the way, as they gained experience and were promoted, they found themselves directing and coordinating the efforts of others. Their role has changed, and they feel unprepared for the responsibilities… even after several years in the position! What’s more, they often feel that asking for assistance is a sign of weakness.
Phyllis Francis represented the United States in the 400 meter race, and she completed her semi-final looking very relaxed. She won both her first round heat and her semifinal heat easily with a time of 50.58 seconds and 50.31 seconds, respectively. When the reporter asked her what she was thinking about during one of the races, she talked about listening to the advice of her coach who said, “Maintain your form and go for the win.”
“We put him at the table in the break room.”
You are a badass!