Leadership Lessons Remembered

From discussions and questions that are posted online, it’s clear that there is an unending quest to understand what makes a good leader. Although volumes have been written on the subject, new ones will continue to be written. Why? Because there are so many situations and variables that affect how good managers can be effective leaders, such as the needs of individuals on a team, the work, the environment, etc.

When I look back on my corporate career, here are the most memorable leadership lessons I learned from specific managers and mentors in my life:

Working for Eva, I learned to have a sense of urgency. If I didn’t, a verbal kick in the backside provided the needed motivation. I learned to do good work quickly under the pressure of deadlines.

From Terry, I got guidance without micromanagement. He would articulate his high level perspective on a project or task, and give me lots of room to figure out how to approach and accomplish it myself. He provided advice and resources, and cleared a path for me.

Joe told us how he expected us to operate as a team, and held us to that standard. He had little tolerance for those who were dishonest with or disrespectful of their peers. His personal and professional ethics earned my admiration.

Tim is a creative thinker that always had ideas for me when I was stuck on a problem. He gained my personal loyalty by being unfailingly supportive when I faced treatment for a serious illness.

Who were/are your career mentors, and what facet of leadership did you learn from them? Post a comment and share your experience. Maybe we’ll write our own volume on leadership

Plan B

When you are responsible for devising a plan with specific goals in mind, you are wise to consider multiple options before identifying your preferred approach, or your "Plan A".  And when you have a Plan A, you should always also have a fully-developed Plan B.

Plan B is an alternate approach to achieving your target goals.  Why is Plan B so important?  Because variables beyond your control may make your cherished Plan A suddenly impossible, undesirable, or impractical.  Plan B is a form of risk management.  Your ability to apply proactive analysis in a way that supports flexibility and responsiveness will promote confidence and respect among your stakeholders. When you run into a roadblock, Plan B allows you to take another route, without skipping a beat.

Plan B should evolve organically, as a result of having an open mind and accepting ideas and input from your team, colleagues, mentors, stakeholders, consultants, and your boss.  There is always more than one way to address a challenge - and there are usually several "best" ways.  Assess pros and cons, cost, risk, resources, scope, and projected results.  The best options will become clear.  You and your team together should determine Plan A.

Spend time on preparing a case to support your choice.  What was your thought process?  Why did you make the decisions you did?  Explain why you rejected unformed Plans C, D, and E.  You may want to reserve Plan B in your pocket, in case the decision-makers have an unexpected bad reaction to your Plan A.

This brings to mind an exchange I had with my boss some years ago.  I presented my Plan A for his review.  Upon receiving his approval, I picked up a piece of paper on which I had outlined Plan B and ripped it into small pieces.

BOSS:  What was that?
ME:  That was Plan B.
BOSS:  Why didn't I get to see that?
ME:  Because you approved Plan A.  Trust me; Plan A is a much better solution.

Have a well-conceived Plan A, backed up by a viable Plan B.  Hopefully, you will need to go no farther.

Customer Service Issues? Look to Management First

If you have systemic issues with your customer service organization, it may very well stink from the head (just like a dead fish). You need to assess some of the basics controlled by management.

IS THERE A WELL-DEFINED SERVICE PHILOSOPHY? Management should be able to articulate a mission, and how they intend to go about fulfilling it. Leaders should be passionate about their service philosophy. If they don’t have one, then their team doesn’t have a guiding force.

ARE YOU HIRING THE RIGHT PEOPLE? Check your interviewing and hiring practices. This is particularly important if you are receiving complaints from your customers about “attitude”. Some people may just not be cut out for a customer service role, or they may require more training and coaching.

HAVE PEOPLE BEEN PUT IN THE POSITIONS IN WHICH THEY WILL BE MOST EFFECTIVE? If necessary, adjust your jobs and procedures to make the best use of people’s skills. For example, you could have someone who is technically able, but does not communicate well with customers. You may be able to adjust their role to better take advantage of their abilities.

ARE GOALS AND MEASURES IN PLACE? You must have benchmarks and measures, and know how you want your organization and people to perform. How fast do you answer the phone? Is it fast enough? How many calls/chats/whatever should one rep be able to handle in a shift? How satisfied are your customers? Everyone on the team should be aware of the goals and measures.

DOES MANAGEMENT EMPOWER THEIR TEAM TO DO WHAT’S RIGHT? If people feel like their hands are tied, the customer is probably going to hear about it. When the service team knows what the philosophy is – give them the freedom to take care of the customer within those guidelines.

IS YOUR MANAGEMENT TEAM “HANDS-ON” AND OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS AND CHANGE? Does your manager spend a lot of time in intra-departmental meetings, on conference calls, sending CYA emails, having lunch with vendors…? Be sure they are truly connected with the day-to-day operation and know what’s going on. Who is really running the organization?

DOES THE TEAM HAVE THE TOOLS THEY NEED? Management is responsible for ensuring that their department has the tools they need to do their jobs effectively. This may be technology, communication, information, training and/or education.

DO YOU SEE EVIDENCE OF POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT? The best way to reinforce the service philosophy and make continued progress toward goals is to recognize and reward team members when their performance is “spot on”. Recognition and reward doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. It can be as simple as a note, a thank you, or a mention in a team meeting. Management should be creative about positive reinforcement and change up their techniques, in order to remain effective.

Haropulos Bailey Consulting is experienced in establishing and operating world class Customer Service and Support centers. If you are interested in obtaining consulting services in this discipline, email us at habaconsulting@comcast.net.

Networking Stories

Most of us know how important it is to network, although we sometimes don’t feel like we have time – especially when we have a demanding job. But introverts can find the process of initiating contact with people – even friends – a little difficult. Here are a few of my own experiences in networking over the past year that I hope will inspire:

• Last year, I connected through LinkedIn with “Carol”, a fellow Alum from Northwestern University. Carol is active online on LinkedIn and via several professional blogs. I found her writings interesting, and sent an invitation to connect and get to know each other. We actively communicate, and I am attending a networking teleseminar of hers (for free) because I gave her feedback on a draft version of her material (a favor).
• I keep in touch with many friends and former colleagues from Hilton, through LinkedIn and Facebook. “Tracy”, who I helped with her resume, called me last week with a lead for a possible consulting job. I am now in contact with the placement company who is trying to fill a strategic planning position for an important client.
• When I first became active on LinkedIn early in 2009, I reached out to a former co-worker who is now an executive at a local strategic meeting and event production agency. “Carolyn” and I always admired each other and enjoyed working together. It turned out that she was working on a project for a major hospitality corporation. My experience was a good fit for her needs, and her company became the first client for my services through Haropulos Bailey Consulting.
• Another NU Alum, “Howard”, is an executive with a local graduate school of management. We connected through LinkedIn, and I was invited to join the Advisory Committee for consultation on development of a new teleseminar on Managing Global Virtual Teams. Through this activity, I have expanded my network by connecting with the other committee members. Howard and I follow each other’s blogs.

Networking isn’t a task, it’s a path to new relationships and experiences. Sometimes those experiences result in exciting new opportunities. Give first - with no expectations in mind - and doors just naturally open now and again. Good luck, and have some fun!

Need More Help at Work? Be Smart About How You Ask

The first time I tried to get approval for an incremental FTE (Full Time Equivalent) in my department, I was taught a tough lesson by my boss, a Senior VP. I based my pitch on the volume of work and the inability of my department to keep up with it. My request was turned down, and I was beside myself. In a bit of a panic, I told my boss that the workload had increased to the point where I was working nights and weekends to pick up the slack. He looked at me and said, “Well, then you’ve been doing yourself a disservice.” I was overcome with frustration. He further explained that if I was killing myself to keep up, and WAS keeping up, then why would anyone think I needed additional manpower? I had to make more noise about not being able to get things done – instead of quietly finding a way to do them with the resources I had. End of story.

In today’s environment, the biggest problem with getting a new position approved is that it adds corporate expense, or overhead. So the best approach is one or both of the following:

1. Find a way to fund the position that doesn’t take money out of one hand to put it into another.
2. Show that addition of the position will avoid corporate expense net/net – either by eliminating another corporate expense or by generating additional revenue attributable to your department.

Do not use the approach that, “If we don’t do X we can’t get Y accomplished”. That, on its own, will probably not be successful. But do present a situation (the gap), and clearly and dispassionately define the impact of not addressing the gap.

Keep in mind that your company might rather hire consultants/contractors to do work (normally temporary – project by project) than to add a position to the payroll (a forever thing). Which pocket the expense comes out of is a big deal from a budgeting/accounting perspective.

Also think in terms of proposing alternatives. Your company may choose to (1) Create a new permanent position, (2) Hire a consultant/contractor to be internally managed within the team, (3) Outsource the work that needs to be done, or (4) Redistribute some responsibilities to another department.

Be realistic, objective, and creative and get your ducks in a row for your pitch. Good luck.