During one of last year’s storms, my bush became encrusted in ice. I debated whether I should do something about it or whether my intervention would cause more harm. Ultimately, I decided to leave it alone, and the bush is thriving today.
I think that with people, as in nature, there are times when you’re better off letting things resolve themselves on their own. Every problem doesn’t need you to insert yourself in finding a solution. Consider letting the situation thaw before you automatically rush to address it. Too much heat can cause a fire.
Originally published in modified form on January 3, 2021
While working in the garage, I tripped and received a cut right on the ball of my elbow. Due to the location of this cut, it has been difficult for it to heal fully. I keep bending that joint, leaning on it, or touching it to another surface, and the pain reverberates. It’s an outsized impact given the (lack of) size of the wound.
I think of people who have outsized impacts in an organization — either positively or negatively. Some positions are central to the action — and for those, you should invest extra resources to ensure you have the best in that role. There are others whose work is less vital to the mission and causes fewer ripple effects.
Who are your “elbow” people — those who connect to others and are involved in myriad activities and processes? It’s worth your energy and care to ensure they are operating at the highest level.
Today is the 60th anniversary of the date the Gateway Arch was completed. I have always had a special fondness for the structure, a true engineering marvel that has stood the test of time.
On this occasion, I’ll repeat dot #1512:
I recently was in St. Louis, and after hundreds of times seeing it, I am still awe-struck by the Gateway Arch. Not only is it a magnificent piece of architecture and civil engineering, but I also think it is a powerful metaphor of how to function as a supervisor.
In my office, I have a picture of the unfinished Arch, just as they are installing the last piece. It is a visual reminder that the two sides were built simultaneously, all the way to the top, before they could be joined.
On an individual level, I think of building my employees like the Arch, taking care to address their performance on one side and their professional development on the other. I do not believe that you can ignore either and still get the result that you desire.It’s also a balance of providing simultaneous challenge and support.
Organizationally, I am reminded of work from the Santa Fe Center for Emergent Strategies that encourages simultaneous cultivation of entrepreneurial processes and instrumental processes. It is the yin and yang of long-term and short-term, infrastructure and innovation, or operations and strategy. You must have both, or neither is strong.
Think about how you can use the Arch as a metaphor for the work ahead of you. Putting in that last piece was a marvel in itself, and it serves as a reminder that you need to pay equal attention to both sides for the fit to be right.
I gave my puppy a lick-mat to entertain her for a few blissful moments. When she was finished eating the peanut butter, she decided that the mat itself would be tasty and proceeded to chew off a piece. Fortunately, I caught her, removed the mat, and thought no more of it.
Fast forward a few weeks. I gave her a new mat, thinking the chewing was a one-time problem or that she had grown out of the phase, only this time, I was not as diligent a monitor. As a result, a quarter of the mat had been ingested.
Shame on me.
It reminds me of the hopeful (delusional?) behavior of some supervisors who see bad behavior from their employees, do nothing to correct it, put them in a similar situation, and then are surprised when the poor outcome is the same. Of course, the puppy was going to eat the mat. Of course, the employee who did sloppy work is going to repeat it.
People hesitate to provide course-correcting feedback, but without it, the behavior stays the same, even if it’s bad. Don’t be foolish enough to think things will improve on their own.
As I’ve written before, I’m working on the committee advocating for the passage of the School Bond in the November election. This is our second attempt at the referendum, and Round 2 differs in several ways. The good news is that we know more of what we’re doing and aren’t learning or creating everything from scratch.
The real change comes with who is doing the work. In 2023, a very small core of volunteers carried most of the load, but this year, we have many more people who understand its importance and have volunteered to help in the effort. It has been interesting to experience the shift in the kind of work that the core team is doing. We’re no less busy, but instead of tasks, much of the time is spent on coordination and managing communication with volunteers and external organizations who want to offer support. The shift in work characteristics mirrors the shift that occurs when transitioning from an individual contributor to a supervisor. It also reminds me of this graphic that illustrates how quickly having multiple people in the mix adds to the complexity of communication and coordination.
Never be lulled into thinking that engaging many people will make your workload lighter.
I am continually amazed at how often organizations expect their employees to just “figure things out” on their own.
It happens often with technology: The installation of a new software program may come with an hour of online training, but then you’re on your own to learn the nuances, or suddenly, Teams is the mode of communication, and it’s treated as if “everyone” knows how to use it. Classes are converted to Zoom, and the expectation is that you will find ways on your own to convert your content to provide a dynamic, remote environment, or the Census hands you a phone with proprietary software installed and sends you into the field to follow the prompts. If the technology is the main platform for the work, shouldn’t we have a bit more guidance to master it?
We do it with new supervisors as well. After all the congratulations regarding their promotion, too often new managers are left on their own to figure out how to delegate, hold people accountable, craft a vision, and motivate a team. They are thrown into the position because of their talent with an entirely different skill set and more often than not receive no training on the new (and critical) components of their role. It’s not good for the individual or the organization.
Before you expect someone to perform well utilizing a new technology or to succeed with new responsibilities, look inward to assess whether you have provided adequate training, tools, and time for the employee. Something that is second nature or intuitive for you may be the result of your experience and present itself as daunting for those thrown in.
Originally published in modified form on October 5, 2020
I have had coaching clients who are frustrated when their staff doesn’t embrace the vision they are trying to enact. The leader has repeatedly shared the big picture, but the small behaviors don’t align toward that end.
In some ways, having an inexperienced staff is like raising a puppy. You know you want a well-behaved, full-grown dog in the end, and have to keep reminding yourself that the ill-behaved, little ball of fur will transform into that — with repeated, clear coaching. It doesn’t just happen on its own over time.
How do you train a puppy? With crisp directions, immediate feedback, and lots of praise. So when your pooch eats leaves from your tree like a giraffe, you instantly correct that behavior with a brisk “no!” You start small and work up from there.
While you’re not going to bark a “no” command to your staff, your message should be as clear when their behavior falls outside the norms you are trying to create. Helping with immediate course-correction (and on-the-spot praise for desired actions) helps communicate boundaries and steers their actions in the way you desire.
Having a puppy is hard work. Creating a culture and onboarding staff is hard work as well. Keep the end in mind as you work through the tough times to end up with years of behavior you can enjoy.
A university deemed it necessary to migrate to a hybrid teaching format for its adult learners. In preparation, they converted to a new learning management system and installed new technology in the classroom. In theory, it should be a positive addition with the three new components rolled out at once.
However, a system-wide glitch in the LMS software locked everyone out for the first few days of classes. The technology wasn’t installed correctly, nor was it tested, so the first night of class had what can kindly be called “technological difficulties,” with no IT on site in the evening when classes are held. Online students were unable to interact with those in person; consequently, no one had a good experience (especially the teacher!)
A student suggested that perhaps this should have been rolled out during the summer term, when there is far less enrollment, or a mock class held to ensure that the components interacted as planned. It seemed obvious to them, but the person in charge did not have that foresight and was several levels removed from the chaos that ensued.
If you are in charge of a major change effort, it is best to be present during the initial launch. If all is well, you can bask in your success. If things go astray, you can feel the emotional frustration of those impacted and ideally have the power to resolve the issues quickly. Owning the idea but not the backlash is abdication, not leadership.
One of the most intriguing uses of AI that I’ve seen is with Kim Scott, author of the book/feedback model Radical Candor. Kim is a former Google employee and worked with them to create a “Portrait” — an interactive, AI tool that allows people to have a “conversation” with her (either through speaking or typing).
She suggests communicating with her Portrait to ask questions that you would if you could communicate with her in person, such as practicing a tough conversation, learning how to navigate conflict, or role-playing scenarios to know how to respond if people become defensive. I tested it out, and there were some helpful suggestions included, like you were truly having a conversation with her.
Instead of asking Chat GPT or Claude, play around with her Portrait and see if it doesn’t provide you with your own private coach. It may give you some language to help you become more successful in a sticky situation.
It has taken a puppy to remind me how much followers adapt to the behavior of their leader.
I can get my Zoe riled up in a nanosecond. With just one gleeful shout, it’s game on. If I’m excited, she is triple that, and it’s hard to get her settled. But if I’m calmly working on my computer, she is most often content chewing on a bone or sleeping.
I’ve seen similar reactions with leaders. If they are visibly tense or anxious before an important meeting, their staff members mimic those emotions and become hyped up as well. Calm leaders exude tranquility in the ranks even when the stakes are high. I’m guessing the pattern holds true for parents, who can foster excitability in their children or help instill a more moderate temperament overall.
It’s a plug for cultivating emotional intelligence to become conscious not only of your own emotions, but of their impact on others. You’re creating a culture with how you act, whether you do so intentionally or not.
