Flexible & friendly beats smart

Wharton@Work asked members in its December 2007 poll, "What are the most important qualities you look for in team members?" They answered:

• Flexibility/adaptability - 40 percent
• Interpersonal skills - 29 percent
• Specific functional skills - 15 percent
• Intelligence - 12 percent
• Loyalty - 4 percent

Turns out that most of what you really need to know, you DID learn in kindergarten.

As parents, many of us know that one of the competencies expected before children progress in school is the ability to transition smoothly from activity to activity on agendas set by circumstances. And getting along with others is, of course, essential at all ages. What's interesting here is how unimportant intelligence and loyalty are. Once you think about it, though, it makes perfect sense. We've all known people who were incredibly bright, but very difficult to work with. Stanford-Binet intelligence tests don't measure emotional intelligence, which is far more important in teamwork than spatial manipulation ability in most cases. Personal loyalty, too, can be problematic, if it prompts people to cover up unproductive behaviors, support faulty premises, or avoid challenging things which may cause problems later.

Teams drive work

Why should you keep those important team characteristics in mind? Because they are the driving force behind work, according to Wharton's January poll. When asked if leaders or teams primarily drove their work, 52 percent of members said teams, 34 percent said a balance of the two, and only 14 percent said their work was driven by leaders.

Smart is as smart does, my mother used to say. Smart leaders put their money on teamwork.

Workplace frustrations

A recent USA Today "snapshot" presented results of a survey to 1,200 workers listing their top five workplace frustrations. The results:

1. Poor communication by senior management about the business - 17 percent
2. Office Politics - 16 percent
3. Lack of teamwork - 15 percent
4. The use of politically correct language - 9 percent
5. Nosy co-workers - 6 percent

Let's break them down:

Poor communication about the business

One of primary benefits Barr Corporate Success brings is an immediate focus on identifying the top strategic objectives for a business, and, equally important - communicating and cascading those objectives throughout all levels of the organization. If you don't know how, we do. It's critical that front-line employees have the knowledge, mindset, culture, and tools to bring upper-level initiatives all the way down to customer relations. Front line employees want and need information, and to know what really matters and will contribute to their success by contributing to the company's success.

Office Politics

Politics are no more or no less than an expression of power struggles in poorly defined structures, confusion about objectives, and a lack of trust in co-workers. Teams must have the time, space, and structure to know each other, know what matters, and pursue it cohesively. Individual team members must be held accountable for behavior that divides and sabotages teams. Incentives must be geared toward rewarding all efforts that contribute to the success of the team in meeting defined objectives, even those efforts that are less visible, or harder to measure, and similarly, behavior that rewards the individual but damages the team should not be rewarded. It may sound complex, but Barr Corporate Success has simple, straightforward tools to align your company's systems with its goals, and eliminate the distractions of destructive competition, converting that energy into productive cooperation.

Lack of Teamwork

Teams suffer from a variety of ills, chief among them being a failure to understand that each team needs a diverse group of talents and styles to initiate projects, see to the details, and ensure results. Different work styles bring different strengths and talents. Barr Corporate Success has some amazing programs to foster mutual respect and understanding of what each team member brings to each project, and to the company's long-term goals.

Politically correct language

This listed item, in my opinion, reflects many people's frustration at having their intent misunderstood or mischaracterized. All of us have occasionally misspoken or made an offhand comment that flopped with the audience. When among friends, we speak freely, knowing that others will understand us, call us on something borderline, and give us the benefit of the doubt if we express ourselves badly. But in a business environment, we interact with a much wider group of people with whom we have less in common. That's why offering opportunities for employees to get to know one another on a slightly more personal level, through team-building exercises, can be groundbreaking. It's difficult to get much done if one is watching every word he says, or parsing everything another says, looking for something objectionable. Such an environment lacks trust and understanding, and is poisonous to cooperation. When teams know, understand, and trust each other, miscommunications and frustrations over word choices are much less of a problem -- because they're much more likely to be brought out into the open, and resolved very happily.

Barr Corporate Success has a team-building program that involves personalized assessment of work styles and personal interests, attitudes, and values. When a team sits down together, and understands one another's styles and driving interests, the team as a whole draws together and better appreciates the advantages of diverse talents and styles. Call 513.470.8980 for more information about DISC- and PIAV-based team-building programs.

Nosy Co-workers One person's nosy co-worker is another person's best friend at work. Again, It all comes down to lack of trust, violation of others' boundaries, and different styles. We can help.

It's inspiring and uplifting to know that these top work peeves can be easily solved with the right tools. Imagine how productive your company will be when those frustrations and distractions are out of the way, and every employee's attention is focused on achieving important goals with their teammates.

Good reads: "Leader Machines", Fortune, Oct. 2007

In this article, Geoff Colvin demonstrates the power of a leadership-building culture. Instructive excerpts:

"Your competition can copy every advantage you've got -- except one. That's why the world's best companies are realizing that no matter what business they're in, their real business is building leaders. Here's how the champs are doing it."

Fortune teamed with Hewitt HR outsourcing/consulting, and RBL Group to study how companies develop leaders, and which are doing it best. The top "academy companies" --those whose employees move on to top leadership in many best-performing large corporations -- include GE and Procter & Gamble "Says Hewitt's (Robert) Gandossy: 'companies that provide people with opportunities to learn and grow become talent magnets, drawing scarce talent in droves.' By continually attracting the most promising graduates and then developing them, these firms become higher-performing organizations, enhancing their ability to attract the best -- a self-reinforcing cycle that makes the company more dominant every year." Traits shared by the top companies for leadership development:

Invest time and Money:

"At GE, Immelt reviews the top 600. Bill Hawkins of Medtronic (No. 12) spends 50 percent of his time on people issues, and many of the other CEOs reported similar percentages -- making it the largest commitment of time they have." The University of Michigan's Noel Tichy, an acknowledged authority, says checking a CEO's commitment is as simple as looking at the CEO's calendar. "Yet the CEO's time is only the beginning. As those who report directly to the boss see what the focus is, they also become devoted to developing talent, as do their subordinates. It's called the cascading effect.(...) Virtually all of them evaluate executives partly on how well they're developing people."

Identify Promising Leaders Early

GE starts on day one, and many discreetly observe interns to see how they get others to work for and with them.

Choose Assignments Strategically

Eli Lilly (No. 13) president/COO John Lechleiter offers this model: Approximately two-thirds of leadership development is from experience, one-third from mentoring and coaching, and a bit from classroom training.

Develop Leaders Within Their Current Jobs

Divisions struggle when bosses move on after 18-24 months. Nokia (No. 3) and Eli Lilly (No. 13) report great success with current programs that use short-term work assignments and additional assignments outside employees' fields of expertise to develop managers within their current assignments.

Be Passionate About Feedback and Support

Companies on the Fortune list "combine frequent, honest assessment with plent of mentoring and support. So when people are told what skills they need to improve, they're also offered programs or coaching for doing it."

Develop Teams, Not Just Individuals

Immelt says the GE he grew up in did primarily individual training, and that it led to problems. "He'd attend a three week program at Crotonville, but back at work 'I could use only 60 percent what I'd learned because I needed others -- my boss, my IT guy -- to help with the rest.' And maybe they weren't onboard."

Exert Leadership Through Inspiration

How well does it work to make people do what you say by firing and promoting? A.G. Lafley of P&G says, "The command and control model of leadership just won't work 99 percent of the time." Which is why P&G runs a development program called "Inspirational Leadership." American Express similary has "Leadership Inspiring Employee Engagement" and it is mandatory for every VP and above.

Encourage Leaders to be Active in Their Communities

Leaders, the company, and the community can all impact on another in positive ways, benefitting all.

Make Leadership Development Part of the Culture

"Developing leaders isn't a program; it's a way of living. For example, honest feedback has to be culturally okay. At many companies it isn't. Devoting significant time to mentoring has to be accepted. Working for nonprofits has to be encouraged, not just tolerated. Such cultural norms can't be dictated; they have to be in the air." ------ "Good as these companies are, not one of them is satisfied with the way it develops leaders. They all have plans for improvement, mostly by involving more people, working more with teams, and refining their views of what skills tomorrow's leaders will need. None are scaling back." (emphasis added)

Does your company have a culture of leadership development?

Krissi Barr (an alumna of P&G, #2 "Top Company for Leaders") can help. Call her at 513-470-8980 or e-mail krissi@barrcorporatesuccess.com. Or for more information, please visit our website.

Coaching -- What executives say

Executive coaching has become a popular leadership development technique. A research study by Christine Turner, published in the Ivey Business Journal, asked executives themselves what benefits, if any, they've received from executive coaching. Turner was guided by questions like: What are the benefits of executive coaching? What are its limitations? What factors are critical to its success? The executives typically cited these goals: to fine-tune their vision for their business, empower and motivate staff, improve communication and listening skills, and become more confident and assertive.

The benefits of executive coaching as a leadership development tool were:

• Continuous one-on-one attention

Since executive coaching takes place over an extended period of time, it becomes a great way to not only acquire but ingrain learned skills. Coaching achieves results superior to attending a course, reading a book, or having a discussion.

"Executive coaching works for the 'leadership, performance, personal effectivenss and 360-degree development (she) wants... Coaching provides a consistent, long-term development that gets embedded and becomes part of your routine."

• Expanded thinking through dialogue with a curious outsider

"Dialogue, fuelled through powerful questions, is at the heart of the coaching process. In coaching conversations, executives think out loud, become more reflective and gain access to their own tacit knowledge and unexplored ideas. The coach's role is to act as a sounding board, confidant, partner, challenger and catalyst for change."

• Self-awareness, including blind spots

"The expression 'no pain, no gain' is true for coaching; it is not easy to be challenged out of your business-as-usual comfort zone." The value is not for a coach to be really nice, or another friend. The value is having someone who sees what you don't see, and says what others won't.

• Personal accountability for development

One can learn proper form in a one-time fitness course, but quickly lose the way by cutting corners, using poor technique, or skipping workouts. Executives, like athletes, benefit from the ongoing personal training that creates momentum and ensures accountability for development and achievement of goals.

• Just-in-time learning

Because it is personal and situation-specific, coaching provides learning on the spot for special situations and new challenges.

Limitations of coaching...

To have the best possible experience with executive coaching, clients need to ensure that their coach offers:

• Defined methodology

Coaching is popular, and many non-expert, non-trained coaches are offering services. Those coaches can be a waste of time, money, and energy, "paid friend" who informally advises, rather than guiding clients to develop new skills and capabilities that generate lasting results. Be careful. Do your homework. Ensure that your coach has extensive business experience, proven methods, and a solid track record. (To read about Krissi Barr's extensive experience and career, please visit http://www.barrcorporatesuccess.com/kbarrbio.php. For real results of clients, please go to: http://www.barrcorporatesuccess.com/success.php)

• Defined shared language

Executive coaches must be familiar with the language of business, and be able to not only speak it well, but offer real-world business expertise. Again, do your homework, and define terms upfront.

• Clarity of focus

While an executive coach can offer brief situational guidance on personal matters, the focus should always return, quickly, to business skills and business results. Executive coaches are not therapists or medical practitioners. Any ethical coach should refer clients to professional therapists for highly personal or dysfunctional situations.

• Continuity between sessions

There should be an "arc of learning" and a defined pattern of progress, follow-up, and ongoing goals. If a coach cannot define, organize and follow a plan, he or she cannot help you do so.

• Measurement of results

Measurement is an important means of making sure that you do what's important, do what matters, to achieve your long-term objectives. When you try to reach a destination, you do so with mile markers and an end destination in mind. Anything else is an aimless stroll through the countryside!

Krissi Barr of Barr Corporate Success is a respected and celebrated executive coach and business consultant offering individual and team coaching. In her twenty-year business career, she achieved amazing results for companies she worked for, and for more than 5 years has independently offered coaching that helps others achieve outstanding results.

For more information, visit Barr Corporate Success.

"So What Exactly Do You Do?"

For most of us, casual social situations sometimes bring the questions, "What line of work are you in?" The most succinct answers, in our case, are "business consultancy," or "strategic planning and implementation." But that's a little pat, and doesn't really answer the question, now does it?

It depends on what a business or organization needs.

With 20+ years of experience in high-level business, an incredible educational pedigree, a deep personal commitment to ongoing learning, and a personal track record of outstanding results, our founder (and chief!) Krissi Barr dives in, takes stock, and gets busy!

What Barr Corporate Success Does

The one constant in business, as in life, is change. Ability to adapt to an ever-changing world is always a basis for success. And since the greatest assets of your company are its people, corporate success reflects your people’s success. BCS works with a team of your key players who are capable of raising company-wide performance to levels colleagues, customers, and competitors would consider the new standard.

The process to getting there is highly customized for your people and organization.

With a bottom-line focus, Barr helps your team:

• Increase net profits – Break the routine and change the rules. Improve the selling process, generate more customers at greater margins, cultivate advantageous vendor partnerships, evaluate and actively work with key performance financial measurements.
• Heighten competitive awareness and advantages – Stand out from the rest. Put into practice the skills, focus, and structure of businesses at the next echelon to capture new opportunities.
• Communicate better internally and externally – Foster creativity. Understand individual behavior, attitudes, values, and communication and how these impact team dynamics, sales, and customer relations. Improve company interactions, supplier relationships, and customer satisfaction.
• Create enthusiasm and excitement – Put fun back into the business. It’s phenomenal to be a winner on a winning team. The team proactively moves forward, not just putting out fires.
• Achieve tactical brilliance in strategic planning and operations – Aim high. Think big. Look for profitability in problems. Goals are specific, relevant, aggressively implemented, and actively tracked.
• Grow yourself, and your people... and reduce costly turnover – Be a star. Live up to your potential. Leadership, individual and team skills are sharpened with a vision for success.
• Cut costs – Leverage your supply chain and purchasing to drive down costs. Optimize operations efficiencies. Implement cost saving processes that cut costs without cutting corners.

The Big Picture

The Barr Corporate Success process is not just about strategic planning. It’s about setting exceptional goals and implementing actionable, measurable, timely actions to facilitate taking ownership for performing at much higher levels. By considering the big picture, business challenges, corporate culture, and personal concerns, Barr pulls all facets (and potential obstacles) together.

Barr helps teams get all oars in the water, pulling in the right direction, in perfect synchrony, to achieve amazing results. To learn more about how, please check us out at www.barrcorporatesuccess.com, or for personal attention, just call us! 513-470-8980. Or e-mail Krissi today! Krissi@barrcorporatesuccess.com

Strengths Can Become Weaknesses

Investor and financier extraodinaire Warren Buffet has said that most people could be as successful as he if they got out of their own way. While leaders have coping styles which enable them to get beyond daily crises, some of those coping styles can trip them up in the long run. Are you defeating yourself with one of the following tactics?

• Avoiding confrontation. Sometimes the stronger you are, the more you avoid confrontation. "I don't want to upset people," you say, but it may be that you fear losing control.
• Hiring great advisers, but not listening. It's difficult to change habits, which have been reinforced over time, but ignoring your most insightful colleagues isn't the answer.
• Not acknowledging when you're wrong. It's somewhat horrifying, initially to think, "If I'm wrong about this, I may be wrong about other things." It takes great strength to admit being wrong, but builds a strong team mentality and eliminates the protectionism that perpetuates mistakes.
• Not dealing with reality. Same situation -- if you can't handle one reality, others are sneaking up on you. Confront and deal with reality.
• Waiting too long to cut your losses. Your stick-to-it-iveness has served you well in many situations, but throwing good time, money and effort after bad won't always bring about turnaround.
• Dwelling on strategies without following through. While it's lovely to behold your strategy from afar, execution is key. Strategy is a process -- not ironclad marching orders -- that helps you move forward purposefully. Yes, you will find flaws, but can adapt and move on to success.
• Relying on analysis over instinct. Logic and reality don't always synch. The market moves fast, and over-reliance on analysis sometimes takes more time than you have.
• Trusting instinct over analysis. Yes, this contradicts the previous pitfall -- but either extreme can be disastrous. Let's face it: Desires and wishful thinking can distort your "gut feeling." Ground yourself in reality, without getting buried in analysis.
• Playing favorites. Rewarding "brown-nosers" might gratify your ego, and temporarily make your life easier, but will poison team dynamics and cost you talent and turnover.
• Mocking what you don't understand. Nobody knows everything, and taking the position of interested learner increases your knowledge and understanding. Dismissing new info as unimportant can mean missing huge opportunities.

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http://www.barrcorporatesuccess.com