The Credo of an Empowering Manager

Looking for real management advice about people? Your goal is to create a work environment in which people are empowered, productive, contributing, and happy. Don't hobble them by limiting their tools or information. Trust them to do the right thing. Get out of their way and watch them catch fire.

These are the ten most important principles for managing people in a way that reinforces employee empowerment, accomplishment, and contribution. These management actions enable both the people who work with you and the people who report to you to soar.

1. Demonstrate That You Value People

Your regard for people shines through in all of your actions and words. Your facial expression, your body language, and your words express what you are thinking about the people who report to you. Your goal is to demonstrate your appreciation for each person's unique value. No matter how an employee is performing on his or her current task, your value for the employee as a human being should never falter and always be visible.

2. Share Leadership Vision

Help people feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves and their individual job. Do this by making sure they know and have access to the organization's overall mission, vision, and strategic plans.

3. Share Goals and Direction

Share the most important goals and direction for your group. Where possible, either make progress on goals measurable and observable, or ascertain that you have shared your picture of a positive outcome with the people responsible for accomplishing the results. If you share a picture and share meaning, you have agreed upon what constitutes a successful and acceptable deliverable. Empowered employees can then chart their course without close supervision.

4. Trust People

Trust the intentions of people to do the right thing, make the right decision, and make choices that, while maybe not exactly what you would decide, still work. When employees receive clear expectations from their manager, they relax and trust you. They focus their energy on accomplishing, not on wondering, worrying, and second-guessing.

5. Provide Information for Decision Making

Make certain that you have given people, or made sure that they have access to, all of the information they need to make thoughtful decisions.


6. Delegate Authority and Impact Opportunities, Not Just More Work

Don't just delegate the drudge work; delegate some of the fun stuff, too. You know, delegate the important meetings, the committee memberships that influence product development and decision making, and the projects that people and customers notice. The employee will grow and develop new skills. Your plate will be less full so you can concentrate on contribution. Your reporting staff will gratefully shine - and so will you.

7. Provide Frequent Feedback
Provide frequent feedback so that people know how they are doing. Sometimes, the purpose of feedback is reward and recognition as well as improvement coaching. People deserve your constructive feedback, too, so they can continue to develop their knowledge and skills.

8. Solve Problems: Don't Pinpoint Problem People

When a problem occurs, ask what is wrong with the work system that caused the people to fail, not what is wrong with the people. Worst case response to problems? Seek to identify and punish the guilty.

9. Listen to Learn and Ask Questions to Provide Guidance

Provide a space in which people will communicate by listening to them and asking them questions. Guide by asking questions, not by telling grown up people what to do. People generally know the right answers if they have the opportunity to produce them. When an employee brings you a problem to solve, ask, "what do you think you should do to solve this problem?" Or, ask, "what action steps do you recommend?" Employees can demonstrate what they know and grow in the process. Eventually, you will feel comfortable telling the employee that he or she need not ask you about similar situations. You trust their judgment.

10. Help Employees Feel Rewarded and Recognized for Empowered Behavior

When employees feel under-compensated, under-titled for the responsibilities they take on, under-noticed, under-praised, and under-appreciated, don’t expect results from employee empowerment. The basic needs of employees must feel met for employees to give you their discretionary energy, that extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work. For successful employee empowerment, recognition plays a significant role.

“The Credo of an Empowering Manager” by Susan M. Heathfield (edited)

We’re all coaches now, aren’t we?

Finding the balance
Changing management style to bring in more coaching elements can be a tricky balance. Leadership is a spectrum, with the dictatorial at one end and the consultative at the other. The best managers find a position on the spectrum that they’re comfortable with, and which suits their organization, and adapt it to the circumstances.

A lot of leaders automatically gravitate towards the dictatorial end of that spectrum and struggle to change their style to become more consultative. If you’re going to bring coaching into your work – it’s a skill you’ll need to develop.

Creating the motivation
One of the most powerful drivers that underpins coaching is called ‘intrinsic motivation theory’. To sum it up fairly simply, people will get more fired up about things that:

• They can control
• They’re competent to do
• Meet their social needs

If working relationships meet these three points, people really engage and things suddenly get a lot easier. The challenge is to turn this theory into practice – these four tactics will help:

1. Start asking questions
Asking questions instead of answering them can be a powerful technique, but you need to ask the right question, to the right person, at the right time.

For managers, though, it can be hard to move from answering questions towards coaching. Do it too abruptly and people will feel you’re just countering their questions with more questions. Infuriating!

Intrinsic motivation theory says people respond better when they’re in control. How could that work? It might be as simple as: “I’d like to try something new here… sometimes I find we make real leaps forward when I ask questions instead of giving you my answers. Would you be happy to give that a go?” It lets them decline, but if they say yes – and they always do - you know they’re fully involved.

2. Listen properly – but don’t be a pushover
There’s a fine line between treating people with empathy and being a pushover. Leaders aren’t social workers! So while you’re not there to counsel people, you’ve got to give them proper attention, even when you’re busy – they don’t care how many voicemails, texts and emails you’ve got unread or how many other meetings you’ve got today. All they want is for you to listen actively and intently, whether or not you agree. Motivation theory describes this as supporting their competency: if you find the time to use a coaching approach, you’re showing that you trust your report’s own capability and that you’re open to their input and direction.

3. Stop hugging trees
When the chips are down, you need a clear sense of what you want and where you want to go. Strong teams have a clear sense of direction and leaders who can look further over the horizon than their staff. In uncertain times, senior management teams have to agree on a direction quickly ... yet they must remain open to other views.

There’s a social need here, and that’s for people to feel included during this process. So concentrate on questions that explore their motivation and intentions, rather than making assumptions that lead to distrust. “I want to understand your main priority here”, “What will happen if we don’t follow this course of action?” and “What will be the impact on the staff?”

Sometimes there can be benefits from a more competitive dialogue, but stay away when it becomes entrenched rather than passionate. Really exploring people’s disagreements and positions is the best way for senior teams to settle on a firm course. Disagreements that are hidden will come back to bite you.

4. Get a professional coach in?
Sometimes an external coach can add value to a business, despite their cost. On the other hand, sometimes the cost is more than the benefit.

A fresh pair of eyes should challenge those collective organizational blind spots and ask the questions you’ve stopped asking yourselves. The best external coaches will be skilled at working with managers and their teams to really change the productivity of relationships. And by talking to key colleagues around the manager, the external coach can join up the organizational priorities with the individual manager’s internal motivation and goals.

Traditional management approaches have overplayed the organization’s goals at the expense of the individual. Developing your skills as a managerial coach allows you to develop individuals and teams that are really on the same page, in a direction in which all of you know you are traveling.

Whatever style you’re taking, the quality of listening you bring to any conversation will have a massive impact. Whether you’re taking a more hierarchical approach or more of a coaching role, if you’re listening well enough then the whole process becomes a lot clearer and more effective.

From William Winstone: Tips on how to introduce coaching skills into your management style.

The Power of Questions

As we reflect on our lives and think about are future goals, the questions we ask ourselves are incredibly powerful. The questions we ask require the answers we are looking for in our lives and that we act upon. If we are not going in the direction that will ultimately lead us to our goals, one of the problems may be that we are not asking the right questions.

For example,

Question: Why can't I do this job?
The right question: What talents and skills do I have to do this job?

Question: Why doesn't my partner understand me?
The right question: How can I communicate so that my partner understands me better?

Question: Why do I have trouble working towards the mission of my company?
The right question: Are my values in sync with the mission of my company?

Question: Why do I keep making the same mistakes?
The right question: What can I learn from the mistakes I make?

Question: Why don't they recognize my accomplishments?
The right question: What can I do to celebrate my own achievements?

Question: Why can't I get what I want?
The right question: What is getting in my way from getting what I want?

Question: Why can't I sell my services?
The right question: What value do you I provide to customers?

Question: Why do I consistently miss deadlines?
The right question: What resources and tools do I need to schedule my tasks and be more efficient?

Question: Why did my new campaign bomb?
The right question: What can I learn from the results of the campaign that we can use going forward?

Question: Why can't I live the life of my dreams?
The right question: Will the dreams that I seek make be happy?

Question: Why can't our team be successful?
The right question: What have I done to help my team achieve success?

Question: Why can't I teach others?
The right question: What impact have I made on others?

When we don't consciously answer the “right” questions, we live a life constrained by others and get caught up in our own routine. Answer the right questions and open up the opportunities in your life? Go ahead and try it!

Play the Game!

Watch the video webinar "Playing the Game" presented by Karen Morey, my Results Coaching Partner. You will learn two simple rules to "Playing the Game"

1. Know exactly where you want to be (the end result)
2. Know exactly where you are RIGHT NOW (the milestone)

Plus you will get great ideas on the games you can create for yourself and or your team. Its simple, easy and helps you get the results you want!


Click here to watch the video webinar.

Defending your Ideas without being Defensive

Being enthusiastic and passionate about your ideas is crucial to getting them heard and implemented. But protecting your ideas against criticism can come off as defensive and turn people off. Here are three tips for sticking up for your ideas without overreacting:

Be prepared. Know in advance what some objections might be. Consider what others might not like and develop sound arguments to address those concerns.

Be appreciative. Whenever you get feedback, even if it is more critical than helpful, be thankful for the input. This demonstrates strength of character and willingness to hear others' opinions.

Be patient. Know that persuading others may take time and effort. Don't bulldoze an idea through. Instead, refine your idea to demonstrate that you are listening to feedback and be tolerant of the process.

Adapted from HBR "Defending your Ideas without being Defensive" by John Baldoni

What Strong Teams Have in Common - The five sure signs of an excellent team

Gallup has been studying leadership teams for nearly four decades, and we have witnessed some telltale signs of strong, high-performing teams:

1. Conflict doesn't destroy strong teams because strong teams focus on results.

Contrary to popular belief, the most successful teams are not the ones in which team members always agree with one another. Instead, they are often characterized by healthy debate -- and at times, heated arguments. What distinguishes strong teams from dysfunctional ones is that debate doesn't cause them to fragment. Instead of becoming more isolated during tough times, these teams actually gain strength and develop cohesion.

One reason great teams are able to grow through conflict is because they have a laser-like focus on results. Top teams seek out evidence and data and try to remain as objective as possible. As a result, while people may have different views, they are united in seeking the truth. Team members can argue, but in the end, they are on the same side. In sharp contrast, failing teams tend to personalize disagreement, creating territorial divides that continue to grow.

2. Strong teams prioritize what's best for the organization, then move forward.

While competition for resources and divergent points of view exist, the best teams are able to keep the larger goal in view. Members of high-performing teams are consistently able to put what's best for the organization ahead of their own egos. And once a decision is made, these teams are remarkably quick to rally around it.

One team we worked with had a long, drawn-out debate over whether they should invest in a major new idea. After months of intense discussion, it would have been easy for John, who technically "lost" the argument, to sit back and sulk after the decision was made. Yet the exact opposite occurred. Like other great team members we have studied, John got over the debate quickly and asked, "What resources do you need from me to make this work?" Once a decision is made, members of great teams rally around to help one another (and the organization) succeed.

3. Members of strong teams are as committed to their personal lives as they are to their work.

The best teams we studied seemed to live a contradiction. Some of the most productive team members work extreme hours and endure amazing levels of responsibility. They sometimes work 60 hours a week and travel frequently. Yet they consider their lives to be in balance. They seem to have enough time to do the things they want to do with their families. As hard as they work for the company, they seem to bring the same level of energy and intensity to their family, social, and community life.

When we interviewed Standard Chartered's Mervyn Davies, he told us that he takes as much pride in the amount of time he spends with his wife and two children as he does in his bank's extraordinary performance. While this may seem surprising to an outside observer, Davies described how he strives to dedicate 100% of his attention to his family throughout the weekend. Davies extends this philosophy to all of his bank's employees, always encouraging them to put family first.

Our evidence suggests that the most successful teams have members who are highly engaged in their work and highly satisfied with their personal lives. By setting this expectation, which so many others perceive as unattainable, they attract new members who want to do the same. This high level of engagement then sets a powerful example for the entire organization.

4. Strong teams embrace diversity.

Our work with the leadership teams of some of the most innovative and successful companies in the world reveals a simple truth: Having a team composed of individuals who look at issues similarly, who have been the product of comparable educational backgrounds, and who have experiences with similar track records and approaches is not a sound basis for success.

The most engaged teams welcome diversity of age, gender, and race, while disengaged teams may do the opposite.

Our research shows that leadership teams need a diversity of strengths -- ideally, including individuals who demonstrate a balance of strengths in different leadership dimensions. But diversity goes well beyond team strengths. We have also discovered that the most engaged teams welcome diversity of age, gender, and race, while disengaged teams may do the opposite.

For example, Gallup's research revealed that actively disengaged team members are 33% more likely to plan on leaving their job if they have a manager of a different race (when compared to having a manager of the same race). However, when we study engaged teams, people are actually a bit more likely to stay with the company if they have a manager of a different race. So whereas a disengaged employee is more likely to quit his job if he has a supervisor of another race, an engaged employee is less likely to leave under the same circumstances.

The most engaged teams look at individuals through the lens of their natural strengths, not at physical characteristics. This keeps the team focused on the potential within each person and minimizes the influence of superficial barriers.

5. Strong teams are magnets for talent.

Another way to spot a strong team is to look for the teams that everyone wants to be on. For some people, it may be hard to understand why anyone would want to join a team that works longer and harder and that comes complete with sky-high expectations. This is especially true when these "it" teams are characterized by intense competition and extreme accountability for results.

Yet despite all the consequences and pressure, it is your potential stars who most want to be on these teams. They see top teams as the most stimulating place to be -- the place where they can demonstrate their leadership and have a real impact. Instead of being intimidated by the challenge and responsibility, they seek out these teams.

As former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan described in a leadership interview with Gallup, building a strong team within an organization requires the same basic ingredients of a successful soccer squad. Annan encourages the teams to "play in a coordinated manner," but he is quick to point out that should not exclude "individual brilliance." Annan explains that as long as the brilliant ones are pulling with us toward the same goal, this individual talent actually strengthens the collective team. As a result, successful teams often have an organization-wide influence.

Building a strong team requires a substantial amount of time and effort. Getting the right strengths on the team is a good starting point, but it is not enough. For a team to create sustained growth, the leader must continue to invest in each person's strengths and in building better relationships among the group members. When leaders can do this, it allows the entire team to spend even more time thinking about the needs of the people they serve.

by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie
Adapted from Strengths Based Leadership (Gallup Press, January 2009)

Coping with The Unexpected!

In today's world of crises, currency fluctuations, and terrorist threats, coping with the unexpected isn't just a good leadership skill, it's critical. Here are three ways you can improve your response to, and minimize the impact of, inevitable disruptions:

Have a back-up plan. You may not always be able to rehearse Plan B, but you should have alternative approaches that can help get you out of a bind. In the absence of actual plans, mental flexibility can help you respond more quickly.

Speed up communication. Information needs to move through your company quickly and efficiently. Find ways you can collect and disseminate data in short cycles.

Instill values. Values help people know the right thing to do without being told or waiting for permission. They also bind a company together when surprises happen and therefore can help companies recover more quickly.

This tip was adapted from Rosabeth Moss Kanter's article "Surprise! Four Strategies for Coping with Disruptions"