Note from Coach Mario- At the End of the Day- “Clarity of the Business Message”

I am amazed at the number of times a leader will provide a 35,000 foot view of where the organization is heading with their vision yet wake up at the end of the year with the results being far from expectations.  Casting the vision is an important pillar of effective leadership.  However, if the organization, at all levels, does not receive and understand the direction in terms that are “execution meaningful” from every employee’s perspective, it is entirely possible and very likely that the results will be less than anticipated.  This is why it is important to get everyone “on the same page.”  A leader can do this by delivering with clarity the business message.  The organization’s direction is important, but the communications from the top cannot stop there.  The leader must communicate what the strategic priorities and key initiatives are and how they synchronize with the vision and mission of the organization.  Critical to the communication and clarity of the business message are the expected outcomes or targets of those strategic priorities and key initiatives.

To position the organization to achieve the best results possible, clarity of what is required and why should be shared with everyone in the organization.  With today’s technology and the many social mediums available, this pervasive, mindful communication can occur efficiently with a personalization that can be heartfelt by those hearing the message.  Of course, whenever possible, delivering the business message in person not only adds the necessary clarity but allows the leader to connect with the employees in ways that technology is not able to accomplish.  The human touch delivered in person is felt long after the leader has left the front lines.  Sharing appropriate context in the business message also adds clarity.  A leader’s perspective with a brief summary of the organization’s evolution to the present and a discussion of external factors, challenges and opportunities facing the organization will “bring home” the message adding richness to the understanding of what is being requested of the employees.

A leader who ensures clarity of the business message at the beginning of the year with every employee and has frequent execution status communications (how are we doing) with the organization throughout the year stands the best chance of being connected to the employees and other key stakeholders while “landing the plane” by the end of the year from 35,000 feet and very possibly exceeding the expected results.

–Mario Flores

                       Mario Flores.  All rights reserved.  No part of these materials may be reproduced in any form without written permission.

Note from Coach Mario- At the End of the Day- “Trust- Creating and Sustaining A Favorable Leadership Culture”

Trust permeates every fabric of our being and significantly impacts the culture we operate or live in.  When trust exists over a sustained period of time, a culture is enriched with self-efficacy, open and honest dialogue and relationships that lead to amazing levels of performance.  When trust does not exist, a much more guarded mindset and actions are front and center.  Just think about some of your favorite products that you have come to trust and the time saved knowing that you do not have to read the fine print on their label.  Now think of the people in your organization that you trust and enjoy working with and whom you do not have to read the fine print or read between the lines of their character or competence.  The trust is high and the productivity is at sustained high levels.  Now think back on the products where they may look like your favorite products but something is not the same about them.  Maybe it is the different label or maybe a word used in the product identification that causes you to have to read the fine print.  You might ask more questions or spend more time looking or inspecting because you are somewhat guarded about their contents.  Over time you may develop that trust, but it requires more in time, energy and/or in resources.  So it is with people that you may not have a trusting relationship with.

In his book, “The Speed of Trust,” Stephen M. R. Covey discusses the principle of credibility or believability that allows us to establish and sustain trust at all levels.  At the epicenter of credibility is our character and competence along with four cores, Integrity, Intent, Capabilities and Results.  When evaluating your trust in others or your own trustworthiness, picture a “trust matrix” where you would or would not put a check mark under each credibility core.  Are the people (i.e. boss, direct reports and peers) in your “trust matrix” of good character, good intentions, with impeccable expertise, knowledge and skill and a good track record?  How about your own trustworthiness?  Is it based on your good character, good intentions, excellent knowledge and skill and a record of producing sustained results?

As a leader, your responsibility includes creating and sustaining a favorable leadership culture.  A culture that houses trust as a cornerstone has the best chance of sustaining a favorable leadership climate when substantiated by the four cores of credibility, Integrity, Intent, Capabilities and Results.  A culture without trust is like exploring a dark cave without the proper lighting.  The footing can be treacherous and costly.

                                                                                                                                     –  Mario Flores

             Mario Flores.  All Rights Reserved. No part of these materials may be reproduced in any form without written permission.

Note from Coach Mario-At the End of the Day-”Accountability”

Throughout the year, I am sure you have encountered many instances where individuals have taken the initiative to be personally accountable for their actions that have resulted in excellent results.  As leaders, one should always be on the look-out for these situations and recognize these individuals for a job well done.  As the business leader, holding individuals and organizations accountable requires seeing accountability as a cornerstone or pillar of effective leadership.  Holding accountability requires:

• Setting and communicating expectations.
• Following up to ensure clarity of the expected results.
• Periodically planned results review meetings that compare actual to planned expectations.
• Appropriate actions from significant deviations of expectations.
• Having a multiple stakeholder perspective.

Accountability is the preface to achieving great results.  Without accountability, accomplishments will often go unrecognized or will be seriously jeopardized.  Individuals who understand purposeful expectations and have a sense of accountability are highly motivated to undertake the challenge and often go beyond expectations.  Being held accountable allows individuals to feel empowered and lead either themselves or others to great achievements.  Being held accountable also spurs innovation and creativity inside individuals.  When one has personal accountability they ask more of themselves and “dig deeper” thereby accomplishing beyond what was envisioned.  Accountability is a key element of being an effective leader and people want to be held accountable.

As leaders you should evaluate the accountability models you have in place, including the tools such as balanced scorecards that include planned expectations.  With good accountability models and clear expectations communicated and received, people will feel empowered to achieve the expectations and you will be more effective in your leadership role without micromanaging.  However, without effective or any accountability models, the predictability of the results is at the mercy of simply what happens, which may or may not align with your expectations.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               -Mario Flores

                                  Mario Flores. All Rights Reserved. No part of these materials may be reproduced in any form without written permission.

Note from Coach Mario- At the End of the Day- “Great Leaders Ask Great Questions”

As one moves up the organization and away from their technical area of expertise, it becomes vital that behavioral competencies grow to replace the technical competencies.  While it is important to have the perspective that technical competencies serve one well as a “baseline” foundation, they are no longer sufficient competencies.  As one becomes the business leader, greater focus is on the leader’s behavior and leadership style and financial and nonfinancial results achieved.

A critical technique to use in the leader’s evolution from technical to behavioral competencies is asking great questions.  As traditional subject matter experts, one becomes used to knowing the answer and truly believing the most value is added only when one has the answer.  While being technically competent is important, as one moves up the organization and has responsibility and accountability for a broader segment or the overall business, the leader is not expected to know all answers to all problems but must instead rely on others for critical input, particularly when in a decision-making mode.  Therefore, the leader needs to be able to synthesize and be more discerning of the input.  This is where increasing the aptitude for asking great questions become integral to problem-solving and/or understanding others.  In general, ask questions that:

• Reflect active listening and an understanding of other’s perspective.
• Evoke discovery, insight, commitment or action (e.g. those that challenge assumptions).
• Are open-ended that create greater clarity, possibility or new learning.
• Move others towards what they desire, not questions that ask for them to justify or look backwards.

As Albert Einstein said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”  Asking great questions can reveal information needed for maximum benefit.

Practice asking the proper questions and develop a leadership style that energizes and empowers others in this intellectually stimulating approach to understanding different perspectives and/or problem solving.       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   –Mario Flores

                Mario Flores. All Rights Reserved. No part of these materials may be reproduced in any form without written permission.

Note from Coach Mario- “The Most Important Part of the Day Are The People”

As a leader, one of the pillars we stand on is Creating a Motivating and Developing Environment.  Oh, yes, having a compelling vision and articulating it effectively is very important.  However to be truly inspirational, you as the leader must connect with the people as a person who understands, values and cares about them.  Through the years, I have come to realize that the most important part of the day is not the work we do, but the people we do the work with.  I am not diminishing the importance of the work itself, but when the time has come and gone and we look back and see all those eyes and memories, I have a question for you, “Will you have realized what all those people you work with mean to you?”  For me, one of the things I cherish the most are the words said to me by people that I have touched in one way or another.  Some of the appreciative words and phrases said to me in emails or other written forms are:

–I learned a lot from you

–Your words of encouragement

–Your guidance

–The most engaged leader

–Thanks for the sympathetic words after the loss of mother

–Your dedication and loyalty

–Your leadership guided us to stay focused on what really mattered

So when you answer the question, “Will you have realized what all those people you work with mean to you?”, you can say yes by not waiting to realize it until you look back and see all those eyes and memories.  By recognizing now that the most important part of the day are the people you work with, connect with them and start today making the memories that you too will recall and cherish for a lifetime.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      –Mario Flores

                     Mario Flores.  All Rights reserved.  No part of these materials may be reproduced in any form without written permission.               

Note From Coach Mario-At the End of the Day-”Principle-Based Empowerment”

As I listen and observe, it is not always clear that people really feel empowered to get the job done.  I find that much of that uncertainty comes  from people not understanding each other’s boundaries and expectations.  In the daily quest for innovation and idea generation, the guidance given or not given by the leader sets the tone for the environment.  If clear boundaries and expectations are identified,  the work of innovation and idea generation can be executed with the necessary conviction (motivation) to progress…every day, even if it is in baby steps.  Baby steps often lead to giant leaps.  It does, however, take a leader to create an environment where people are truly empowered and  feel and become motivated.  This is where principle-based empowerment comes into the picture. 

In addition to establishing for people clear boundaries and expectations, the other important component of creating an empowering environment is principle-based leadership at all levels in the organization.  The principles along with clear boundaries and expectations are  foundational in creating an environment that encourages people to “give that little extra.”  Quite often, it is that “little extra” that makes the difference between good and sustained great.  Shown below are the guiding principles and their associated boundaries and expectations that the leader proactively practices to create an empowering environment that people embrace that lead to innovation and idea generation:

PRINCIPLE — BOUNDARY and EXPECTATION

*  Integrity/Honesty– Behave ethically adhering to company policy, rules of conduct, financial policies and legal rules and regulations.

*  Respect– Be open and willing to listen to another individual.

*  Openness/Communication– Allow for dialogue in a manner where discussion  flows  freely and does not include a hidden agenda.

*  Diverse Viewpoints– Recognize that  ideas or inputs to an idea can come from very different points of view that have roots in varied experiences and cultures.

*  Optimism– Look at the glass as “half full” rather than “half empty.”

*  Teamwork– Recognize that “no one wins alone” and that people need each other in the spirit of support and cooperation.

*  Trust– Count on each other to fulfill agreed-upon obligations.

*  Commitment– Retain accountability for the idea or innovation.

Once these principles, boundaries and expectations are understood, accepted and practiced consistently, an empowering environment is developed where people are inspired, motivate themselves and act with confidence. Through principle-based empowerment,  the daily practice of innovation and idea generation can occur at all levels of the organization.      –Mario Flores

              Mario Flores.  All Rights Reserved.  No part of these materials may be reproduced in any form or by any means without written permission.

While one often gets caught up in seemingly adding more activities to ones already overflowing plate, it is even more important that you actively subtract from your plate activities, projects, steps in a process etc., commonly referred to as “things,” that are not adding value.  The art of subtraction allows one the opportunity to do more with less because we focus on those “things” that are not important now, although they most likely were at one time.  To do this, it takes a “wait a minute, why are we doing it this way” mindset and more importantly, it takes the discipline to stop and ask why are we doing it this way or why are we doing it at all.

You are most likely engaged in daily activities that are part of your organization’s plan.  Things that are not supportive of these are candidates for subtraction and should be reviewed to see if they still need to be done or done the same way.  One may need to put their “pride of authorship” aside if a candidate for subtraction is one you may have “developed.”  This should not be taken personal as I am sure at one time it was important to be done or to be done that way.  One should always address a candidate for subtraction with respect for others.

Effective leaders and organizations are as skilled in subtracting, doing away with things that do not add value, as they are in doing things that add value.  Make sure you are actively practicing the “art of subtraction” effectively in your actions and within your organizations.

                                                                                                                                             –Mario Flores

     Mario.Flores.  All Rights Reserved.  No part of these materials may be reproduced in any form or by any means without  written permission.

What is coaching?

• Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to  maximize their personal and professional potential.  A coaching partnership supports the achievement of  extraordinary results, based on goals set by the individual or team.  Through the process of coaching, individuals  focus on the skills and actions needed to successfully produce their personally relevant results.

How long does a coach work with an individual or team?

The length of a coaching partnership varies depending on the individual’s or team’s needs and preferences.  For certain types of coaching, 3 to 6 months of working with a coach may work.  For other types of coaching, people may find it beneficial to work with a coach for a longer period.  Factors that may impact the length of time include:   the types of goals, the ways individuals or teams like to work, the frequency of coaching sessions and financial resources available to support coaching.

How is coaching distinct from other service professions?

• Professional coaching is a distinct service which focuses on an individual’s life as it relates to goal setting, outcome creation and personal change management.  In an effort to understand what a coach is, it can be  helpful to distinguish coaching from other professionals that provide personal or organizational support.
   
  • Therapy—Coaching can be distinguished from therapy in a number of ways.  First, coaching is a profession that supports personal and professional growth and development based on individual-initiated change in pursuit of specific actionable outcomes.  These outcomes are linked to personal or professional success.   Coaching is forward moving and future focused.  Therapy, on the other hand, deals with healing pain, dysfunction and conflict within an individual or a relationship between two or more individuals.  The focus is often on resolving difficulties arising from the past which hamper an individual’s emotional  functioning, and dealing with present life and work circumstances in more emotionally healthy ways.   Therapy outcomes often include improved emotional/feeling states.  While positive feelings/emotions  may be a natural outcome of coaching, the primary focus is on creating actionable strategies for achieving specific goals in one’s work or personal life.  The emphasis in a coaching relationship is on action, accountability and follow through. 
  • Consulting—Consultants may be retained by individuals or organizations for the purpose of accessing   specialized expertise.  While consulting approaches vary widely, there is often an assumption that the  consultant diagnoses problems, prescribes and sometime implements solutions.  In general,  the assumption with coaching is that individuals or teams are capable of generating their own solutions, with the coach supplying supportive, discovery-based approaches and frameworks.

“Walking the Tight Rope”  by Dr. Tom Barrett   (Finding Leadership Balance)

“A Whole New Mind, Why Right-Brainers Will  Rule the Future”  by Daniel Pink   (Improving Leadership Competencies)

“Good Business, Leadership, Flow, and The Making of Meaning” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Improving Leadership Competencies)

“The Heart of an Executive”  by Richard D. Phillips   (Sustaining A Favorable Leadership Culture)

“The Speed of Trust” by Stephen M.R.Covey  (Sustaining A Favorable Leadership Culture)

Articles

“The Art of Powerful Questions, Catalyzing Insight, Innovation, and Action”  by Eric Voght, Juanita Brown and David Isaacs   (Improving Leadership Competencies)

“Design Thinking”   by Tim Brown, Harvard Business Review, June 2008   (Improving Leadership Competencies)

“Social Intelligence and the Biology of Leadership” by Daniel Goleman and  Richard Boyatzis, Harvard Business Review, Spring 2011 (Improving Leadership Competencies)