Thanksgiving and Gratefulness

I am making this post on Thanksgiving Day 2009 so I want to talk about gratefulness and the role it plays in my professional life. It is an important part of my personal and leadership practice (practice - something I continue to do because it is never complete), By thinking about what I am grateful for when I wake in the morning, when I go to sleep in the evening, and during the day; I improve my ability to put the daily challenges in perspective. I can not remove challenges from my life but I can meet them with grace. By showing grace during the difficult times, I improve my emotional intelligence and improve ability to lead others effectively.

As a leader, people look to me to set the tone for how we work. I often struggle to manage all of the tasks at hand and still make time to take care of my self. This simple practice allows me to quickly "reboot" when I face a challenging situation.

“Gratefulness enables us to find peace in all circumstances by freeing us from resentment. As long as we are merely thankful, we give thanks for what we perceive to be beneficial, yet we retain the lurking fear that something harmful may come our way instead. To be grateful is more. It is our courageous trust that life itself – kind or harsh, happy or sad – is good, if only we receive it as gift. The gift is the opportunity either to fully accept or to change what the moment brings. The moment we trust in this truth, we are at peace.” From http://www.gratefulness.org/. Consider subscribing to the daily gratefulness email.

We believe the act of being grateful is one powerful and simple practice associated with later stages of leadership. It provides the individual an opportunity to reflect on the good in their lives even when what is happening in the moment may be very challenging.

A few basic recommendations:

• At the end of each day take 5 minutes to review what you are grateful for,
• Take 5 minutes to write what you are grateful at the beginning or end of the day,
• Take a minute to think about what you appreciate about a person before you enter a challenging conversation with him/her,
• Tell your family and friends what you appreciate when they do something you like - be very specific. An example from my life this week: Carlene, when you walked my dog on last minute notice I was so grateful. My plans changed at the last minute and I found myself distracted and thinking about my dogs sitting at home. Your letting them out allowed me to focus on my work and stop feeling guilty.

The act of gratefulness seems so simple yet many of us do not make it a daily practice. It is free, quick, easy and available to absolutely everyone who wishes to practice it. So, as we enter the holiday season and bring 2009 to a close, I encourage you to consider what you are grateful for, especially if this was a challenging year.

I want to share a partial list of what I am grateful for today:

• faith that sustains me and helps me keep all of life in perspective - successes and challenges,
• friends who support, challenge and encourage me,
• family who has always believed in me no matter how silly I was (and continue to be),
• clients- I am really fortunate to work with amazing clients who are interested in making a major impact on the world,
• graduate students who work diligently to become more effective transformational leaders,
• pets, Sabina and Beau the dogs and Boone the cat,
• challenging and rewarding work - I really love what I do,
• amazing colleagues - I am really fortunate to work with very talented associates and alliance partners,
• physical and emotional health,
• non-profit board work - I am very fortunate to have the resources, skills and energy to give back to the community,
• network of talented people across the globe who shape my perspective and make me a better person,
• great neighbors - I live in a community of caring people who support and encourage one another,
• earth and natural resources - that gives us what we need to survive including: food, shelter, and beauty,
• artists - they make our world more beautiful and meaningful,
• philosophers, researchers, and scientists who make our lives richer, more productive, and philosophically deeper.

So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we at Metcalf & Associates would like to express our gratitude to all of our clients, colleagues, and friends for all you have done to make us successful. We trust this holiday season and coming year will find your lives filled with reasons to be filled with gratefulness.
Photocredit: alicepopkorn

By Maureen Metcalf at Metcalf & Associates, Inc.

Leading in Uncharted Territory - Rule #9 - Measure, Learn and Refine

In our exploration of Leading in Uncharted Territory, rule 9 is: Measure results, learn and refine approaches (also called dynamic steering). As we think about our current environment, good measurement systems and processes are critical. We find our environment changing on a regular basis and one of the most valuable elements of success is awareness that the situation has changed and what about the current situation has changed. Once we are aware, we can formulate a response which may include a new plan or direction.

Part of the value of our measures is they tell us what has changed. The next step is for us to interpret the measures and determine what to do with them. What meaning do we make of the data? Thorough analysis is critical as it leads us to appropriate action. Just like riding a bike, as the leader of the organization, I watch the road ahead of me, position of other bikers, cars, and potholes and adjust accordingly. I carry tools to tune and fix my bike if I am going on a long trip. Measuring and adjusting is for business what steering is for bicycling. I would not consider riding blindfolded in traffic.

The final element is action. Action can mean refining our approach or creating a new plan or direction. In changing times the idea that we "plan the work and work the plan" still applies as long as the plan still makes sense. If we execute an obsolete plan with absolute precision, we still end up at a destination that does not work for us.

I worked with a client implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP). As with all major software implementations, this one required changes in how people did their jobs. Continuing the old process would lead to serious business disruption . We started measuring the new behavior well before the system went live and reported it weekly in the leadership team meetings (there would be a very high impact for failure hence high level meeting discussions). we began to see behavior changes rather quickly when the business unit President was in the review meetings. As we monitored the changes over about a month we began to see significant variation. The statistics were telling us that the lead people had changed behavior but the people who performed this key role as back-ups had not been trained properly. We were able to quickly take corrective action in the form of training and the numbers reflected the improved results. The final outcome was the new behavior took hold before the implementation and there were no disruptions.

Measures can range from looking at what has happened like our performance against plan or anticipating what needs to change and measuring and monitoring tests or pilots of new solutions.

What are you measuring? Does your analysis drive to quick and appropriate action? Is there an opportunity to improve your dynamic steering?

Photo credit by: blank2industrial

By Maureen Metcalf of Metcalf & Associates, Inc.

Leading in Uncharted Territory - Rule #8 - Create Flexible Responsive Organizations

In our exploration of Leading in Uncharted Territory, rule 8 is: Create flexible responsive organizations.

As I think of leading during times of uncertainty one thing that comes to mind is selecting people who will be able to navigate the transitions we will likely face. This means having a selection process that helps to determine a person’s ability to manage change. Ask questions such as:
Tell me about a change that happened in your organization in the past.

• What was your role?


• How did you support the success?


• Did you do anything to resist the change implementation
  What did you learn from the process? How will this knowledge impact your action in the future?


• What would you like to see from the new organizations leaders to be comfortable with change in the future?

For the company, it is also important to make sure the organizational structure has flexibility. What this can mean is:

• Using a contingent work force to navigate fluctuations in work load to minimize risk of hiring and firing;


• Outsource non-core work and leaving the staff building and management to outsource providers allows you to focus on building skills in your core areas.. An example of this includes managing facilities, data centers, web development and many others. This concept seems to be generally accepted in several fields like law and accounting and may be extended to other areas;


• Structure can also support flexibility. An example of this might be a client service team where all employees on the team support one another in meeting the client needs. In some cases this will break down silos and reduce staffing needs. Any structure must be carefully considered and aligned to the organizations specific needs;


• Transparency supports flexibility. The more employees know about the overall business and the environment, the more likely they are to take responsibility for their own growth and success. If we assume people are reasonable, more information will enable them to make better decisions, thus supporting organizational ability to respond to market conditions;


• Identify key behavioral changes that need to happen to support the new organization. Make a competition out of employees developing those skills where they compete with one another for recognition. Behavioral change can be fun and promote organizational success.

A practical example: I was working with a client who was implementing a great deal of change in their organization. We created something that looked like a comedian top 10 behavioral changes. Each week, leaders of the organization reported their success against key performance measures to the leadership team. Making the change became a source of pride. They created not only new behaviors but a system that supported ongoing behavioral change and an enjoyable culture.

A note about the photo - being flexible is a team activity - it is not only the job of the leader. Everyone's contribution is important. While my example talked about leaders, anyone can disrupt process and resistance can come from interesting and unexpected places.

Photocredit by Ash-rly

By Maureen Metcalf at Metcalf & Associates, Inc

Building Resilience So You Can Thrive in Turbulent Times

Resilience is a hot topic these days as people try to figure out how to bend with the winds of economic change without breaking. I’m reading articles that link resilience with positive self-image, courage and commitment, emotional maturity and integrity.

The challenge seems to be what to do to develop resilience when yours is getting low.

To start down the path of building your resilience and ability to deal with today’s frantic pace of change and stress, there are three practices you can start building immediately.

Sleep, Eat, and Be Active

The foundation for resilience is somatic strength, keeping your body healthy and contributing to your energy instead of draining it. For decades we have been hearing about basic stress management techniques: get enough sleep, exercise, eat well. Guess what? It’s all still true.

The latest research tells us that normal adults need 7 – 10 hours of sleep a night, as in every night. No macho points for surviving on 4 -5 hours. Sooner or later it will catch up with you as reduced immune strength, compromised ability to concentrate, anxiety. The list goes on...

Eating well means keeping caffeine to 1-2 cups/cans a day (you won’t need it if you have been getting enough sleep), cutting trans-fats and high fructose corn syrup (it’s in everything packaged), and eating fruit and fresh vegetables every day. And of course, if you still smoke, enroll in a smoking cessation group right now.

The balance of this post is located at the blog of our good friend and strategic partner - thoughtLEADERS, LLC. Click here to read further.

By Belinda Gore at Metcalf & Associates, Inc.

Navigating in Uncharted Territory - Rule #7 - Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

In our exploration of Leading in Uncharted Territory, rule 6 is: Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.

As I think about leading in uncharted territory, I feel a bit like hiking and climbing. I do it, enjoy it, and I move very slowly. It is not very pretty - trying routes, making changes, then trying another. Eventually, I reach my destination and it is always beautiful, being on the top of the mountain.

So, what does this have to do with communication? Leading in this environment is fraught with challenges, as leaders we cannot always see our path clearly. We are trying new approaches to determine what will work the best. At the same time, em ployees are observing leaders to determine if the path they are being lead down is safe.

During this time when we are the least confident, employees oftenwant more information because they are also less confident. What we communicate and how often needs to change. The number 1 message they need to know is- we are paying attention and they can trust us. Key change messages should convey:

• I am paying attention to the situation
• We need to make changes - what we are doing now may not serve us in the future
• We have a vision for our future
• We are trying new approaches and we want your input and cooperation
• We will refine our approach as we go forward to respond to changing conditions - expect these changes to be ongoing
• We will succeed

The message needs to be conveyed in a way that listeners can hear. The message must be repeated and repeated. Key themes should be woven through all communications to ensure listeners can connect the change program(s) to their daily jobs and organizational success.

Communication should be designed to inspire trust in the process. We are in new territory, things will go wrong as we learn and we will get there safely. Like my rock climbing example, progress can be sporadic, tiring, and less than graceful. The view from the top is always worth the climb - you cannot see it unless you take the journey. Come with me, the leader, on this journey and you will get to see the sun rise over the red rocks - the most amazing view and only seen live if you get up early and take a tough and physically exhausting climb.

I worked with a client now who communicated his new vision for how the organization would function after they implemented an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System - Oracle. It became his mantra. He wove these ideas into every discussion. People understood it at different rates and he realized that. He modified his messages to be relevant to each audience. He was patient - while he has talked about this change hundreds of times, it is often the first time for the people he is talking with. He had a rule of 7 - if you communicate 7x7 people will start to understand and adopt what you are proposing. His system was successfully implemented. His communication was clear and consistent and ongoing. He was even filmed by Oracle talking about their system and the implementation.

We all read about the importance of communication. It is critical that the leader be visible during significant changes.. If you do not have the answer, let people know you are working on it. We’ve learned over the years was to wait until we had plans and answers before communicating.. In times of uncertainty, employees want to know what is happening. While this approach is different than what we did in the past - it is important that employees hear what is going on so they can set their expectations and manage their own lives given the information you are sharing. For the most part, they are competent people who want the company to succeed. Trust them enough to give them the information they need to stay engaged and committed to you. If you were in their spot, what would you want to hear to stay engaged and committed?

Photo credit by by Erik Charlton

By Maureen Metcalf of Metcalf & Associates, Inc

Six Critical Steps to Preventing Failure During Organizational Transformation

For anyone who has led an organizational change, we know it can be complicated at best and at worst; it can limit your career and have a significant adverse impact on your business. In 2008, a McKinsey survey of 3,199 executives around the world found, as Kotter did in 1998, that only one transformation in three succeeds. Other studies over the past ten years reveal remarkably similar results. So, in times of profound change, where business success hinges on the leader and the organization being able to change quickly and effectively, what should we be doing to increase our likelihood of success? I focus on the impact of leadership as well as the systems and processes being used to implement the change. From Jim Collins book Good to Great and others, we have learned that Level 5 Leaders are more likely to successfully create long term sustainable change that moves the company to “greatness.”

The balance of this post is located at the blog of our good friend and strategic partner - thoughtLEADERS, LLC. Click here to read further.

Photocredit: by lepiaf.geo
By Maureen Metcalf of Metcalf & Associates, Inc

Navigating in Uncharted Territory - Rule #6 - Use Discipline and Rigor While Remaining Nimble

In our exploration of Leading in Uncharted Territory, rule 6 is: use discipline and rigor while remaining nimble.

One of the hallmarks of our time is the level of uncertainty and the unpredictability of our environment. The stock market chase by over 1,000 points in a day. The swings from day to day are often much broader than any time in history. We face a broad range of factors that can significantly impact us and we are not able to predict and control our environment. Factors such as these significantly impact us in multiple ways.

So the question for leaders becomes - how do I make good decisions and run my business effectively? One recommendation I make with regard to decision making is to move from predict and manage to hypothesize and experiment. Basically move toward the scientific method.

The steps of the scientific method are to:

• Ask a Question
• Do Background Research
• Construct a Hypothesis
• Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment
• Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion
• Communicate Your Results

This approach is beneficial because we can no longer rely on time tested rules and best practices to resolve our challenges. We are truly in a time where new thinking is required to solve our problems. In that context - developing a hypothesis and testing it is likely to help us determine which approaches will work. This process is called often called Structured Thought and Communication in the business community.

So to our recommendation - rigorous and nimble. Rigorous - use data and evidence to prove our hypothesis. That seems to be a hallmark of good science. So how does that connect to nimble? Because the environment is so fluid - solutions we devise today will likely need to be modified in the near future. It is important to create solutions and approaches that can flex and flow with the environment we live in.

We have moved out of a world where we can create long term solutions to some of our challenges. While we need to use a long term vision, many of our solutions will be short term. With the rate of technological advancements now and those predicted in the future - we expect exponential acceleration which means today's solutions will become obsolete sooner than ever before.

These factors combined require us as leaders to balance long term health and stability of our organizations with shortened lifecyle of products and technologies.

An example of this is MT Business Technologies, a company implementing a technology solution to address current and future challenges. They have identified a cost effective solution to address the rapid pace of change by using a thin client approach. Basically they have all key applications sitting on the main server and not the desktop. This approach allows them to be agile in their response short term and long term. The cost is lower and they are now able to respond quickly to environmental changes. They tested this hypothesis by researching the data and conducting a pilot. They analyzed the results and found their hypothesis to be true. They have communicated and gained approval for their implementation. This solution will allow them to be nimble as an organization and concurrently offer better internal performance to their staff. This is a great example of rigorous and nimble.

photo credit: NIOSH - Nat Inst for Occupational Safety & Health's photostream

By Maureen Metcalf of Metcalf & Associates

Upcoming Workshops: Thriving in Turbulent Times

Building Transformational Leadership

Thursday April 30, 2009 9:00 - 4:30

Toolkit for Transformational Leaders

Friday May 1, 2009 9:00 - 4:30

Spring Hollow Lodge, Westerville, Ohio
$150 per day or both days for $250

TO REGISTER, visit www.metcalf-associates.com

Transformational Leadership can consistently transform organizations in the face of ongoing change and adversity. In these turbulent times, nearly every organization is facing the need to transform to survive or to thrive. Learn the skills to be a transformational force in your organization!

In "Building Transformational Leadership", the Foundation Class, you will learn to:

• Understand Transformational Leadership (Level 5 Leadership, Jim Collins, Good to Great)
• Understand your leadership level
• Identify your leadership goal
• Determine top priority and create personal action plan
• Determine top organizational priority to improve organizational leadership effectiveness

In "Toolkit for Transformational Leaders", Applying the Concepts, you will learn:

• Develop an enhanced awareness of the developmental levels and how to use your knowledge of them to increase organizational effectiveness
• Learn key skills associated with each developmental level in the Level 5 Leadership model
• Experience specific tools and practices to enhance your effectiveness at each developmental level and understand how to apply them in your life
• Understand how to tailor these tools and practices to your organization’s leadership needs

photo credit: choconancy1

By Maureen Metcalf of Metcalf & Associates

Managing in Uncharted Territory - Rule #5 - Develop Comprehensive Solutions

In our exploration of Leading in Uncharted Territory, rule 5 is: develop comprehensive solutions for your opportunities that include people, process, and technology.

Organizations being much more complex than machines because they are filled with people with agendas and human needs. While the machine image may still work, it is important to remember that what appears to be a small change on the surface, most likely impacts people, the business processes or way of getting things done, and the technology (computers, or actual machines).

While we often show the change process as a linear set of activities, my experience with clients tells me that while the emphasis may be placed primarily on either of the 3, people, process or technology, that a change in one leads to a change in all three areas.

Imagine the importance of helping employees understand how their jobs will change when a new computer system is installed and corresponding processes change. This is what I see overlooked the most often.

Another challenge is documenting processes. While this would seem to take time to create and maintain, imagine the disconnects that go undetected. Additionally, what is the impact to your business when a person misses work or leaves the organization.

A simple example of what I do with clients is to get everyone in a room together before we launch a change. We lay the detailed steps of the change out on a spreadsheet and project it on the wall. We than walk through:

• Who will perform each step?
• What do they need to make the changes (training, practice)?
• Does this change impact staffing levels?
• Can we stop doing anything as a result of this change?
• Who needs to be informed about the change beyond those doing the work?
• Does the change as proposed work?
• What other impacts do you see that we may not have noticed yet?

I have used this process with several clients who are implementing complex computer system changes and it seems to help supervisors and employees work through the changes, identify issues, and feel prepared to successfully accomplish their jobs when the change actually happens. An added benefit - they get to participate in the process and influence the success.

These sessions are scaled to meet the size of the change, for minor changes, they can happen in a very short meeting. For larger changes, the participants dedicate more time. The amount of risk will also impact the amount of time invested in this type of meeting.

Photo credit: Joelmutate

By Maureen Metcalf of Metcalf & Associates, Inc