A521.6.3.RB_DavisCarl High-Performance Teams

Welcome back to another week of the Educated Leadership blog! Our topic is high-performance teams and interactions with them that we have experienced.

In our text this week, Denning noted six trademarks of high performing teams (2011, p. 156). He noted they actively shape the expectations of those who use their output, rapidly adjust their performance to meet the shifting needs of a situation, they grow steadily stronger as they learn more about themselves, the individuals on the team grow as time goes on, they are fueled by interpersonal commitments, and they carry out their work with shared passion.

In my career, I have been privileged to work with two high performing teams. They both modeled the points Denning described, albeit in slightly different ways. Both shaped the expectations of those who were to use their output. One did so by creating and providing their customers a list of expectations. This was notable in that the customer was unsure they needed what the team intended to produce until they got the list. Upon seeing what the team planned to accomplish, the customer all but demanded the product! The second team shaped the expectations of their customer by the professional manner in which they interacted with all who they came in contact. I had people approaching me on a weekly basis to say what a fantastic team they were and how many people wanted to learn how to be a part of the group, too.

Both teams were faced with dynamic sets of requirements and requests. Each did a fantastic job of examining the root cause of the change and adapting their work accordingly. They worked out remedies internally and only brought issues forward that were beyond their scope of influence. They each wore that ability as a badge of pride.

The teams grew stronger over time as they began to realize the areas the excelled and the areas they needed improvement. Both teams asked for assistance in learning how to improve their shortcomings. Both teams built upon their areas of expertise, feeling a sense of pride in being the subject matter experts in particular areas in which they operated. They learned who on their team had the answers they might need and trust was built as those relationships bloomed.

As the teams grew, individual members strove to expand their knowledge and skill. In many ways, as noted by Whetten and Cameron, there was creative continuous improvement because team members were dissatisfied with the status quo (2011, p.504). The team knowledge grew in a virtuous loop of improvement. Personal pride pushed members to not be left behind.

The teams, after some time, began to pull for each other and looked for ways to assist team members that were looking for help. As they realized they all improved as each individual improved, the desire to help others became more pervasive. The difficult, personal growth, part for most was moving from the competitive nature that is learned from early childhood, for males especially. Once internal competition is refocused on external loci, the team really begins to grow. Trust grows through all members and relationships strengthen.

Both teams had no problem finding passion for their work. The two teams were faced with opportunities that could be considered trail-blazing in nature. There were serious questions as to the possibility of the tasks being completed from the outset. Both teams also had the opportunity to make positive impacts on the profession they had been a part of for many years.

In both situations, many pieces had to fall into place for the team to really be considered to be high performing. The team members had to believe in themselves and their leadership. The ground rules for the teams had to be defined and conducive to the teams growing and excelling. The teams had to expect and demand high quality in their performances, find their shared purpose, blur distinctions, have strong core competencies and have a shared purpose (Whetten and Cameron, 2011). I was lucky to have the chances to work with these teams.

In Denning’s text, there are four patterns of working together that are delineated and described (Denning, 2011, p. 153-154). The first pattern is that of a work group. A work group is something many of us have experienced. Basically, it is the group you see when you show up where you work. Everyone has their role and the unity that is felt generally comes from everyone working for the same company. The next pattern is identified as a team. Teams are more focused than work groups in their objective. They have a single leader, usually. They work to accomplish a goal and then usually disband. Their criteria for success are usually well defined. The next pattern is that of a community. The term “community of interest” should come to mind here. This is a large group of people that may be aligned toward the same goal or interest. As soon as the community’s membership perceives there is no value in participating, the community disbands. For example, there are medical communities, aviation communities, automotive communities, role-playing communities, etc. The last pattern described is that of a network. Networks are created by people attempting to make connections with others. The members want to stay in touch with one another. One can self-select themselves into a network. Alumni groups, fan clubs, and self-proclaimed networking groups are examples of this pattern of working together.

On a personal note, I have had experiences with all of those patterns of working together. I have had a number of positive experiences with teams. Uniting with a group of like-minded and focused individuals to accomplish a task is extremely satisfying. I have had great learning and bonding with teammates from sports and work teams of which I have been privileged to be a part. The camaraderie and esprit de corps that synched teams can generate are some of life’s great pleasures.

There have been teams that did not perform and were not any fun to be associated with, too. Whether it was a sports team that had a losing record or a business team that just never clicked, they provided life-lessons. I have looked back and considered what more I could have done to change the outcomes. In some of the situations, I was not in a place to influence the result. I arrived late to the situation and the leaders were incompetent or incapable. Focus on a unifying goal was non-existent or undervalued. Other times, I know I was too timid in my inputs. I reflect on those times and cringe. However, I also know I was young and ill-equipped to handle the situations.

Hopefully, by following this blog, my life lessons will save you some of the frustration and heartbreak mishandled leadership situations can bring. “Consider the challenge of leading a team. As anyone who has ever been a part of one can attest, teams are cauldrons of bubbling emotions” (HBR, 2013, p. 103).

Until next week!

Denning, S. (2011). The Leader's Guide to Story Telling - Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative. San Francisco, CA, Josey-Bass.

               

Guides, H. B. R. (2013). Managing Up And Across. Boston, MA, Harvard Business School Publishing.

               

Whetten, D. A. and K. S. Cameron (2011). Developing Management Skills. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall.

                

A521.5.4.RB_DavisCarl Aligning Values

Hello again, readers! Welcome to week five of our class on communications. This week we’ll be looking at developing and aligning ethical values in an organization.

The examples of organizations that have struggled with operating ethically are in the news on a regular basis. The idea that merely espousing ethics will lead to a company that is ethical has proven incorrect. “Take the example of Enron, a company that won prizes for its ethics programme (sic), albeit that it was a programme (sic) designed more for impression management than ethical thoughtfulness (Clegg, 2006, p. 113). In order to ensure an organization abides by ethical standards, there are three pillars that need to be addressed.

Denning (2011) referred to the three pillars as the pieces of an ethical community. The first pillar is that of trust. There needs to be an expectation by all the members of the group that their colleagues will act ethically toward them. Conversely, if the members of a group do not trust each other, the chances of endowing the organization with an ethical orientation is zero. The second pillar is loyalty. Denning defines loyalty as, “acceptance of the obligation to refrain from breaching one another’s trust and to fulfill the duties entailed by accepting that trust” (2011, p. 132-133). Loyalty is trust reciprocated. The remaining pillar is solidarity. Denning characterizes solidarity as, “caring for other people’s interests and being ready to take action on behalf of others, even if it conflicts with personal interests” (2011, p. 133). Solidarity is loyalty enacted.

In my company, these topics are the focus of many conversations and very serious. Trust has been damaged across the organization. As we can see from the way description of how the three pillars interact, trust is the linchpin. Without that pillar, the other two will not stand. Changes have been made by senior management in an attempt to open up new lines of communication. Meeting minutes are being distributed, town hall meetings are being held, and managers are making more efforts to mingle with the workers in their areas, not just in the manager’s offices. However, the change has perceived to be extremely slow and inconsistent by the workforce. Rebuilding the trust will continue to take time and a very dedicated effort by all involved. With the lack of trust, a corresponding lack of loyalty is evident. I would add that the level of trust and loyalty is not zero. However, while there are plenty of areas that trust has gained a footing and loyalty is there, there are definite pockets of distrust.

As a side note, I want to point out that a lack of trust is far easier to mend than the feeling of distrust. We definitely have distrust in our organization. Both management and workers have been guilty of actions that have built the distrust and now we are paying the price. Distrust comes from the perception that lies and misdeeds were intentionally perpetrated. Lack of trust stems more from an inability to follow through on promises, usually with the intent to have been trustworthy. One just failed. They didn’t make an intentional misrepresentation.

Back to the pillars in my organization. The pillar of loyalty is strained to the breaking point. The distrust of a vocal few is making it difficult for the group to unite. The organization is designed in a way that enables silos, which impedes the efforts made to build trust that pervades all groups. There are legal issues that force some of the groups to be organized in this linear manner. That part, however, is part of doing business in a world with organized labor. So, with trust and loyalty severely damaged, solidarity is only present in small pockets. Those groups have found trust and loyalty within their small area, and their solidarity encompasses their unit, only. For the overarching organization, the situation is not healthy.

If we go back and look at the values my company espouses, they are well-developed and aligned with the company’s vision and mission statements. The company, after all, is celebrating its 100^th anniversary this summer. The corporation has made multiple revisions to the values they wish to model. The difficulty lies in the implementation, as I see it. Communication lies at the heart of the majority of distrust and could be improved. However, there are legal and competitive reasons that some information is not shared. When the information comes to light, it is sometimes contrary to general expectations and trust is further weakened.

A company of this size faces ethical dilemmas many times per day. “The ethical discourses that circulate in and around organizations can be expected to be multiple, often contradictory, and likely to change with the viewpoint of whatever reflective glance enacts their occasioned use” (Clegg, 2006, p. 114). A situation faced by one manager and handled correctly can be dissected by others with a different perspective and then judged to be handled incorrectly. The moment defines the use of the value, at times.

As managers, we will deal with ethical and value driven issues almost every day. We are called upon to model the behavior and uphold the values of our companies and societies. I am often reminded of the words my dad used to say to me when I complained something was difficult to do, “Hey, if it was easy, anybody could do it.” Managing people is not getting easier. It is a difficult task and will remain so.

Business schools face the difficult prospect of arming their alumni with the tools to face the issues of ethics and values. Floyd, Feng, and Atkins noted, “Fostering dialogue about ethics and ethical values and their importance to the business school environment is vital to increasing understanding about ethical dilemmas, potential conflicts in values, and the importance of understanding the long-term implications of business decisions” (2013, p. 759). Almost in complete opposition to that proposition, it is interesting to note that a stand-alone business ethics class is not required by the most highly regarded business school academic rating body in the world, AACSB, International (Floyd, et al., 2013). The history of continued ethical breakdowns of unimaginable scale would seem to indicate this practice is in need of revision.

Ethical situations like those at Enron or the banking industry meltdown serve as stark reminders that the three pillars of and ethical community are vital to good business and to society’s health and well-being. Trust must be built, nurtured, and reinforced.  Loyalty can spring from that foundation and solidarity from there. That sentiment is far easier written than actually accomplished. As educated leaders, it is up to us to model the behavior we expect and we should always strive to maintain an ethical path for others to follow.

                                                                                        

Clegg, S., et al. (2007). "Business Ethics as Practice." British Journal of Management 18(2): 107-122.

             

Denning, S. (2011). The Leader's Guide to Story Telling - Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative. San Francisco, CA, Josey-Bass.

             

Floyd, L. A., Xu, F., Atkins, R., & Caldwell, C. (2013). Ethical outcomes and business ethics: Toward improving business ethics education. Journal of Business Ethics,117(4), 753-776. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/10.1007/s10551-013-1717-z

A521.4.3.RB Subtleties of Communication and Hidden Messages

Hello again, readers! Welcome to week four of our class.

Paul Simon once sang, “There must be 50 ways to leave your lover” (1975) There are at least as many ways to negatively impact a presentation one is giving. In reading chapters four through six of “Messages” (McKay, et al., 2009), we learned about the many subtleties that send intended and unintended information to the audience. Let’s look at some of the advanced skills involved with body language, paralanguage and metamessages, hidden agendas (McKay, et al., 2009).

As mimes all over the world can silently attest, even sitting motionless can send a message. The body sends messages that are picked up by others. “55% of the total impact of a message comes from body movements, mostly in the form of facial expressions” (McKay, et al., 2009, p. 59). You read that correctly, over half of the message sent is non-verbal. Everything from a subtle wink to indicate that what is being said may not be fully believable to the many “tells” poker players look for during a hand in an effort to ferret out information about another player’s hand come to my mind as examples of the power of facial expression. A major part of the catalyst of communication that facial expressions comprise is the factor of congruence. Are the words being said and the messages the face is sending matching up? If they do not, the expression will hold sway. Remember the percentage from earlier in this paragraph.

Other body movements are important to communicating. Cultural influences impart many of the mannerisms we all exhibit when communicating. Do you “talk with your hands”? Have you ever watched ESPN™? Watch the way the sportscasters utilize their hands to add emphasis to a point. Pointing, classified as an illustrator movement, is a form of communication (McKay, et al., 2009, p. 61). Gently nodding as one is listening to a speaker is a form of communication called a regulator (McKay, et al., 2009, p. 62). It is a way of letting a speaker know you are following their story. I use that form of communication quite a bit.

Posture sends messages. Slumping and slouching are generally taken as a lack of enthusiasm or interest. Standing like Superman surveying Metropolis from the edge of a skyscraper sends a message of supreme confidence, possibly even a touch of arrogance. Not facing the speaker, or when a speaker turns their back on the audience, sends a message that the other party or message is not respected or not of interest. (McKay, et al., 2009)

Breathing patterns can be transmitters of information. Deep breathing can indicate a relaxed person, possibly more open to listening. A person that holds their breath at times and then making gasps or heavy sighs can indicate stress in the individual. It is possible to impact one’s own feelings by taking time to concentrate on one’s breathing. I think back to the times the advice, “Now just take some deep breaths and calm down,” has been given to me.  It works. (McKay, et al., 2009)

The proximity or amount of space between people imparts messages. I think of the cultures I have had the privilege to visit and the different ways someone’s “space” is respected. In the Middle East, it is common to see two male friends holding hands and walking shoulder-to-shoulder as the talk. In the U.S., that is very uncommon. Friends will be about two to three feet from each other. The space inside that distance is reserved for loved ones. Spatial relativity conveys a message. If a male moves boldly into close proximity of another male and doesn’t exit fairly quickly, the message of intimidation may be intended. I remember the advice a roommate gave me in college about why movies were great places to go on dates. He had realized he could easily glean how the date was going by whether his date leaned toward or away from him in their seat. That was dating gold!

Paralanguage describes the vocal qualities used to say message (McKay, et al., 2009) For example, imagine you are seated on a plane flying at cruising altitude. All of the sudden, there is a loud “pop” and the engine noise from one side of the plane decreases. After what seems like an eternity, but has really only been two or three minutes, the public address system comes on and a shrill, whiny voice says, “Well, folks, ummmmmm… everything is just fine.” The voice goes up in pitch as the pilot continues, “We’re going to have to make an… unscheduled stop. No (voice cracks) worries at all.” Are you buying that? No. We would all prefer to hear something akin to the level, calming drawl of John Wayne or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on that P.A. However, if their voice is cracking, I’m really going to be worried!

My experience with metamessages is that they can be powerful tools, often used as a weapon of passive-aggressive behavior. The stress or inflection placed upon words in a statement or question can send conflicting messages to the receiver. As an example think about the question, “What are you doing here?” If asked by a friend or loved one, it is just a simple inquiry possible generated by mild surprise. If we add stress to the word “you”, it becomes, “What are YOU doing here?” Now the underlying meaning could easily be an accusation that one has overstepped some type of boundary. There are many people who have made an art form out of sarcastic metamessages. Teenagers have a true knack. (McKay, et al., 2009) There is a great way to combat metamessages. The first step is to repeat the message in one’s mind to discern the intended message. The second step is to ask the person if the message you received is the one they intended. (McKay, et al., 2009, p. 78) Take the vagaries out of the situation and get to the point.

Hidden agendas are abundant in our lives and they serve two functions. “The first is to build up and preserve and existential position, a basic stance in the world” (McKay, et al., 2009, p. 86). The second function is to promote motives and needs that one wishes to remain covert (McKay, et al., 2009). Hidden agendas have purpose. They pose a huge risk to the user because, when the receivers identify the agenda(s), trust will be damaged. There are eight hidden agendas identified in the McKay’s book (2009, p. 81-85). They are, “I’m good”, “I’m good (but you’re not)”, You’re good (but I’m not)”, “I’m helpless, I suffer”, “I’m blameless”, “I’m tough”, “I’m fragile”, and “I know it all”. As we already know what the functions of these agendas are, it is not too hard to see where each agenda is driving. The emotions that “I’m helpless, I suffer” and “I’m fragile” can conjure would likely impact the workload or responsibilities given to someone. The other phrases un-level the communication playing field. “I’m blameless” and “I’m good (but you’re not)” quickly position the speaker in a hoped for position of power. The chances for open, clear communication just diminished.

What does knowing all of this do for us? We should be able to improve our communication, both sending and receiving, by being more cognizant of the power of these advanced skills. I have already been more attuned to the facial expressions of those addressing me and I have been more aware of the expressions I am transmitting. My diversity and inclusion experience already improved my appreciation for spatial relationships. Paralanguage and metamessages were areas of which I had been aware, I just didn’t know the specifics of the terms. Armed with this information, I can be more self-aware and look for opportunities to talk to those I mentor about them. Given the minefields of office politics I have had to negotiate; my radar is always looking for hidden agendas.

I realize now why these three chapters are tied together in one lesson. Taken singularly, each point is a strong influence on communication. Combining just two of the parts creates an impact greater than the sum of its parts. For instance, using a metamessage and a hidden agenda could send all kinds of subtle messages that could be played off as a simple misunderstanding. Utilizing the “I’m fragile” agenda while standing six inches from someone, all but nose to nose, might generate some mixed messages, no? The list can go on and on. With all the variables covered this week, I have no doubt there are more than 50 ways to ruin a presentation or message!

See you next week!

Matthew McKay, M. Davis, Patrick Fanning (2009). Messages - The Communication Skills Book. Oakland, CA, New Harbinger Publications, Inc.        

Simon, P. (1975). 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. Still Crazy After All These Years.

                

A521.3.4.RB Personal Reflection

                                                                  St. Pauls, London
                                                                     October 2015

Welcome back, readers. This week we’ll look at experiences in my life that have had an impact on how I operate in organizational and team-based situations.

In general, I find I am drawn to team-type activities and opportunities. Maybe it’s because I played a lot of team sports growing up. Although, when I ran track, I found immense satisfaction in pushing myself to do better, not worrying about my teammates nearly as much. I loved playing hockey and football and learned many lessons about how a team is often only as good as its weakest player.

A situation of note would be the experience I had my sophomore year of high school. We had moved from Houston to the rather small town of Kerrville, TX just before I entered high school.  I had a bit of a growth spurt during the summer after my freshman year and showed up for the start of football with new found running speed. The vast majority of kids on the team had been playing together since they were in the fifth grade. Not only had I just moved to their town, I only started playing football a year earlier. I had played hockey and baseball while growing up in Houston. All of the sudden there was this kid who got moved to quarterback and could really run and he wasn’t one of the hometown boys. I really thought my performance would help me fit in and gain more friends. I was shocked when I was treated as quite an outsider. My feelings were hurt and I learned a life lesson about group dynamics. My mother and my coaches were great guides and kicked my butt when necessary. I learned to turn those feelings into motivation. By my senior year, I had many friends, but none I still call on today.

My biggest takeaway from that experience, as I look back at it now, is that I learned to not let the crowd dictate my performance. I knew I wanted to be as good as I could be and I was willing to work hard for it. Through other times in my life, I have faced detractors and obstacles. I know the habits I started back in the early 1980s set the foundation for trusting in myself and working hard. I was one of three players to go on to play college football from my senior class. I am proud of that.

Years later, I was privileged to see Dr. Steve Robbins speak at a Boeing Diversity Summit in Anaheim, CA. Dr. Robbins studies the human brain and how it reacts to social interaction. One of the observations he made was that there are certain areas of the brain that show activity when one feels physical pain. He went on to reveal that he had seen a study his colleague performed that showed that the same parts of the brain show activity when one feels they are being left out of a group or isolated. He called that social pain. The human brain reacts to rejection and physical pain in the same way. Talk about a light going on in my head! I knew the pain of rejection and know I knew why we call it that. I’ll put a link to a YouTube of Dr. Robbins’ speech for 2013 below.

Another event that impacted the way I interact in group situations would be when I was on a hockey team that won the city title when I was 11. Through most of the season we had been mediocre, at best. I had struggled and “didn’t like” my coach. He liked to tell me I wasn’t trying hard enough and that he expected more of me. He didn’t mind barking at me and I was not used to that. Some background here: My mother had been diagnosed with what was characterized as terminal cancer when I was about two. She had fought through the disease and was as out of the woods as one could be in the mid-1970s medical world. However, I know my brother and I were quite spoiled by our remaining family members as they helped raise us during my mom’s illness. Having a coach tell me I wasn’t the greatest thing on ice and even belittle my efforts was a new situation for me. I remember complaining to my mom, who had been a very good athlete through her high school days, that the coach was being so hard on me. I’ll never forget her saying, “Well, you could go out there and try and shut him up, or you can continue to play like you are playing. Did you ever stop to think that maybe he sees potential in you?” Lightning bolt!

I went out and started listening instead of complaining. Lo and behold, I started getting better. I started having fun, too. I realized that all of us were having more fun. We came into the playoffs as the lowest placed team. Maybe we had a devil may care attitude, maybe we just didn’t feel the pressure. We worked our way through the gamut and ended up being the champions that year. I was lucky enough to win the top scorer title for my age group. I had more assists than I did goals and I was really proud of that. 

The biggest thing I remember out of all that was the feeling of winning as a TEAM. Seeing people all rise up to grab the brass ring was awesome. We were a bit of a group of misfits…we had the only girl in the league on our team, we had one young man I remember that was terribly shy. His dad had passed away a few years earlier and hockey was where he felt comfortable. The rest of the team spanned the scale of skating and hockey capabilities. Didn’t matter, we got it done. I’m getting chills thinking about being in that locker room after the game. EPIC.

I am motivated, to this day, by seeing a group of people come together to do something greater that they thought they could. I love seeing people learn things they may not have expected they could or would. The rest of my athletic career would give me flashes of that feeling, but the drive to find it again has been a motivator. As I have progressed up the managerial ladder I have gone back to that well, the well of past group success, to guide me and center me. I use it to remind me of what great things my teams have the capability of doing and to keep myself focused on helping them find it.

Writing this has been a very rewarding exercise. I will tell you that I not only felt those chills again, I have teared up thinking back to my mother and coaches and their guidance…and them helping me find those successes. I am a very lucky man to have had them in my life.

Until next week!

Dr. Robbins is introduced just after the 22-minute mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOlDTu6zg0c

Michigan, U. o. (2013). 2013 Business & Finance MLK Convocation - Dr. Steve L. Robbins 01/21/13, YouTube.