Category: culture

leadership dot #4418: DAC

October 23, 2024October 22, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

The Center for Creative Leadership has been studying leadership for half a century and recently distilled its learnings into a model that defines the process in terms of outcomes.

The Center defines a leader as the person who helps create leadership, and leadership as “a social process that enables individuals to work together as a cohesive group to produce collective results.” I like the acknowledgment that others play such a central role.

Their DAC Model outlines the three crucial outcomes necessary for leadership to occur, and, as you may have guessed during Venn Diagram Week, they are displayed in that format.

D represents Direction, the agreement of the group on the overall goals or mission
A stands for Alignment, the coordination and organization of efforts and knowledge to achieve the Direction
C is Commitment, to the group itself — committed to being responsible for the group as a whole, not just your own personal interest; going beyond individual interests to achieve the goal

The Center found that Alignment posed the most challenges in organizations, which made me think of yesterday’s dot (#4417) outlining where alignment challenges occur. Interactions and ambiguity often test alignment, both internally and externally, and may be a place for you to start.

Think about what you intentionally do as a leader to achieve leadership and let the DAC Model be your guide.

leadership dot #4417: conflict resolution

October 22, 2024October 21, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Leadership Dots’ “Venn Diagram Week” came about because I was doing some purging and found my master’s thesis: Conflict and Its Resolution: A Study of Student Programming Organizations. The premise of this academic masterpiece is that people in student organizations experience conflict when one of three conditions is present: role conflict, interdependence, or scarce resources. If multiple conditions exist, greater conflict occurs.

This was written 40 years ago (gulp!) about student groups but the same theory remains applicable to all groups today. If there is confusion as to who is responsible for what, if there are overlapping responsibilities, or if resources (funds, time, space, tools) are scarce, there will be conflict. It’s a pretty straightforward premise that few would argue with, yet we have people in all types of organizations who have no job descriptions, received little onboarding, or know nothing of their resource parameters.

Let something valuable come from this study before the typewriter ink on the pages fades away. Commit to doing one thing to help your team gain some clarity in one of the three areas. Just knowing “what is” can go a long way toward preventing a time-wasting clash of expectations.

leadership dot #4378: who decides

September 12, 2024September 11, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

One part of the debate on many issues is who should get to decide — the individual, the States, or the Federal government. It’s a more consequential version of what plays out in organizations all the time — how much autonomy to give employees, branch offices, or whether to have the parent company dictate the policy.

Determining the amount of freedom you can give that still allows for enough consistency and coherence to be whole is a tricky question. The trade-off in autonomy is often complexity — if each person or office completes a process in a different way, misalignment can occur when they try to interact. However, standardization can cause inefficiencies that fail to take into account situational differences.

Whether you impose policies with an iron fist or let your office be a free-for-all, the key issue is clarity. Everyone needs to know where the leadership stands on what level of autonomy is acceptable and what needs to stay within the strict parameters. Don’t abdicate your responsibility to define the rules.

leadership dot #895a: fostering connections

August 17, 2024August 14, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Here is a match made in heaven: teenagers in Brazil who want to improve their English are having regular web chats with elders in a Chicago retirement home. The Speaking Exchange pairs the two groups for regular long-distance conversations in a brilliant alignment. Retirees have lots of time and stories and Brazilian teens have a desire to hear informal English. It is a genius, low-cost idea that benefits both groups.

Often we think about sharing things, but not people.

How can your organization follow their example and think broadly about a way to meet your needs by pairing with the human resources another group has to offer? When you get to the core of what you are seeking, is there someone out there who may be able to partner with you to provide it?

Could empty-nesters who are sending their last child off to college become foster parents? Maybe there is a group of people willing to help those with mobility issues be able to travel the globe? Perhaps you could match “web pals” instead of pen pals for classrooms to adopt a member of the military?

Have your group brainstorm how to emulate the Speaking Exchange. There are over 7 billion people on Earth. Surely you can partner with a few of them for mutual benefit.

Originally published in modified form on November 13, 2014

— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Source: http://www.mnn.com/forward?path=green-tech/computers/videos/brazilian-kids-learn-english-by-video-chatting-with-lonely-elderly

leadership dot #4340: innovating

July 17, 2024July 16, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

In my Innovation and Change class, we read a case study about a research and development unit that had a 10% failure rate for the experiments it tried. The original goal was a 30% failure rate, and the crux of the case was deciding whether 10% should be celebrated or admonished. Was the low failure rate a good thing — or did it mean that the unit wasn’t taking enough risks? Were they just tweaking processes vs. trying out something that could be a breakthrough because of the fear of failing?

Your organization may not have measurable goals for innovation, but you can assess your leadership’s tolerance for it in a qualitative way. Do you believe your boss would find the 10% delightful, or would they have an easier time accepting a 40% failure rate because it shows you were a prolific experimenter? Do you take enough risks to have any failures at all?

Not all your ideas will turn out to be winners. Innovation goes hand in hand with missteps. If you aren’t doing one, you aren’t doing the other.

leadership dot #4338: cumulative

July 15, 2024July 14, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I’m writing an article about suicide prevention for our local magazine. All the brain health resources I’ve interviewed say the same thing: There isn’t one specific thing you can do, rather all the education and efforts toward wellness, self-care, and connection work toward assisting people in having a sense that there are options for help.

It reminded me of what we discuss in my organizational culture class — there is no one magic solution there, either. All the efforts companies make to live up to their values, respect their employees, and be fair and open in their communications — add up to create a healthy culture.

You could say the same about relationships, healthy living, financial security, or any transformative change. While it would be great if there were a single action or habit that produced success, unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Focus instead over the long haul on the cumulative actions that contribute to the outcome you seek.

leadership dot #4321: truck

June 28, 2024June 27, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

My next-door neighbors moved out on Tuesday and the new family moved in yesterday. In between that time, the house was just an empty building. It took what was in a truck to make the house into a home. Everything brought into the house helped differentiate it from the family that lived there just days ago.

The same is true for your organization. What is in your metaphorical “truck” that helps your organization become what it is instead of a generic shell? Should your truck have less — or more? Do you have partners to help you manage your load?

Just as a home has personality, an organization can create one too. Think about the accouterments that intentionally transform a group of people into an organization and an organization into a valued service.

leadership dot #4315: 24

June 22, 2024June 21, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel wants to keep the number 24 on top of his players’ minds as a reminder of the number of years since the franchise has won a playoff game. To keep it front and center, McDaniel starts all his staff meetings at 24 minutes after the hour: 10:24, 3:24, etc.

He told CBS News, “To achieve success where people predict failure, we’re going to have to go above and beyond.” Being intentional about staff meeting times is just one example of what he does to help remind his players of what is at stake.

Is there a key number for your team that you could highlight in nontraditional ways? Maybe you can take a lesson from McDaniel and link your goal or your nemesis to a start time. It’s a sure way to keep something prominent with regularity.

Thanks, Mike!

leadership dot #4314: invisible labor

June 21, 2024June 20, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

In my organizational culture class, we discussed a case that highlighted the cost of invisible labor and the passion tax that often occurs for those who are committed to a mission and go above and beyond in their work.

Invisible labor represents the tasks we perform that are not part of the actual job description. It may include onboarding or training new employees, covering the extra responsibilities when someone leaves, serving on committees, organizing office morale events, traveling, ordering supplies, or serving as a technology resource for teammates. These tasks take time and energy but supervisors may not even know we are doing them. The same occurs at home where functions of running a household or meeting children’s needs may be unseen by those not directly involved.

A passion tax is when those performing invisible labor — or willingly going above and beyond because they are passionate about the mission or their work — suffer burnout as a result. A passion tax is the price people pay for giving too much of themselves. The extra hours or tasks may be self-imposed, but there are negative consequences regardless.

Consider the work your staff is doing — and evaluate whether you are creating a culture where passion is being used as a substitute for fair pay. Look in the mirror as well and have an honest accounting of whether your tasks are being recognized. Make your invisible labor visible — to yourself and your supervisor — to head off burnout and create an equitable environment where you can thrive.

leadership dot #4308: quarter

June 15, 2024June 14, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

In addition to being known for its low prices, Aldi grocery stores are known for their quirky policy of charging a quarter to rent a shopping cart. Crafters even make special keyrings for Aldi loyalists to always have a quarter handy!

You can get the quarter back when you return the cart, but frequently the exchange happens person-to-person in the parking lot instead of at the cart rack. A person unloading their cart often says to the arriving customer, “Keep the quarter” instead of exchanging cart for coin.

I’ve noticed that it changes the tone of the whole shopping experience. There is a niceness and neighborly consideration that doesn’t happen at other stores, and people pay more attention to those around them in the lot.

The Culture Code author Daniel Coyle writes, “Culture is a set of living relationships working toward a shared goal. It’s not something you are. It’s something you do.” Even things as small as sharing a shopping cart or foregoing a quarter can work to shape an experience. Never discount the impact of your small actions on the overall culture.