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It's Not All About Cheese: The Missing Component in Employee Development (Part 1)
Spencer Johnson really hit a nerve when he wrote Who Moved My Cheese? The book, a best seller still, is a wonderful allegory of the things that drive and motivate us. I personally loved the book, perhaps because I read it in one night. But, I was left wondering if the most important part of the cheese story was ever addressed profoundly enough. I am talking about the idea that it is not all about the cheese! If the books we are buying are any indication of the change we are seeking, then our ideas for what drives and motivates people are in deed changing. A majority of the "success" books I see on the shelf are significantly different from those a year ago. From trying to become a "Rich Dad" to just being a good dad; from becoming a "One Minute Millionaire" to learning how to go from "Good to Great". The bulldog mentality is giving way to the "Love Cat" lifestyle. The last ten books I purchased have the words accountability, trust, or integrity on the title. Even books relating to business success in highly competitive markets have changed in focus from "becoming" successful to the "attributes" of successful people; foremost among them, by the way, is integrity. We are longing for more than the traditional learning about leadership or motivation. We are realizing that true leaders (at every level) share traits we would love to package into a mandatory training program for all our employees. Unfortunately, our existing model for training people has become as segmented as the business strategies we use in our companies. Partly, because of the emphasis we place on identifying the cheese (the environmental and monetary drivers), not the things that drive us to chase after them. In spite of the valuable lessons behind principle-centered and integrity-based leadership, we keep overlooking the overwhelming influence of individual values upon the workplace. What keeps us from speaking honestly about values is the misguided fear that, if we talk about values at work, we will cross the invisible line where business and personal life should separate. Yet, when you deeply examine what motivates people to do the right things (to support customers, to be accountable to their employers) you find the values that drive them. You find THEM. Businesses that can shift their focus from purely strategic planning, to values-driven mission and vision, build a stronger foundation for long-term success. That foundation also becomes a catalyst for leadership training programs. Remember that employees are people, and people are ultimately driven by their core values and influenced by yours. You have to make a conscious effort to understand the values of your employees (understanding the values that drive them, you, and your organization; and establishing common ground for communicating and dealing with conflict). Teach Them How To "Drive" Building a leadership training program that addresses values will strengthen the core of your company and will help develop employees into leaders. The tough part is doing it. So instead of teaching people how to behave, why not teach them how to drive? There are many analogies I use to illustrate how people learn and interact with each other. My favorite is something my business partner Troy Darling and I call the "Merge Point Method", or Merge Point. If you have ever driven in a busy city like Miami, you know that driving brings out the best and worse in people. While I am the type of driver that courteously allows others to seamlessly merge into my lane, there are plenty of others who, for their own reasons, will cut me off or drive like maniacs to get ahead of me in traffic. How we interact with others on the road (and elsewhere) is a direct expression of our values and how we negotiate the "merge points" of life; those places at the end of two merging lanes when both you and the adjacent motorist have to decide who will volunteer the right of way. Merge Points are where we decide how to act, based on our sense of civility and cooperation. At the Merge Point we integrate or disintegrate. And for many of us that means knowing how to make the right choices at the Merge Points of: ? Mission Based on Goals VS. Mission Based on Values When you evaluate honestly the patterns of behavior and the supporting tactics and strategies that make relationships "stick", you will notice a pattern of conscious choices at these Merge Points. These are the choices that keep marriages together, build life-long friendships, and enable organizations to work cohesively and safely. They are the same enablers that improve the quality of work, and life at work; the patterns that consistently increase productivity, efficiency, and customer care. Find them in individuals and you find genuine and wise people who lead with empathy and trust. Take time to evaluate your current leadership training programs. Are they achieving the right results? Are they building leaders? Or are you getting stuck at the Merge Point? More about Merge Point in part II of this article. Julio Quintana is a writer and speaker based in Weston, Florida. Learn more about his practice and The Merge Point Method at http://www.merge-point.com
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Coaching Evil, Hostile Grumpy Listeners? Think Again I hated Kyle Sisk*. A notorious bully, Kyle punctuated my grade school years with misery. He would tease me about my weight, purposely rattle me with shocking language, delight in making me look foolish at every opportunity. Kyle had scary, penetrating eyes and sharp, jagged teeth that looked, appropriately, like fangs. He even had his own evil henchman named Eddie who would follow him everywhere, laughing a conspiratorial little laugh asking, "Heh, heh, what are we going to do next, Kyle? Heh, heh." (All Eddie was missing was a hump.) A typical encounter was the time I was walking home from school and Kyle and Eddie pounced from behind some bushes, grabbed my books and threw them in the mud. Even worse, they snatched my precious, brand new little purse and threw it into the branches of a tree, far out of reach. They then ran off cackling in triumph. I, purseless, limped home in tears. Transformational Leadership "What is leadership?" When this question is asked most of the people answer "leadership is the capacity or an ability of a person to lead". Earlier theories of leadership viz. trait, behaviour and contingency theories explain the meaning of leadership from different angles. But all these theories spring from the point of view of leaders i.e. "How to control the followers?" Now-a-days the most recent type of leadership is Transformational Leadership theory which also theorises from the point of view of leaders but it attempts to transform the followers or subordinates into leaders. 3 Aspects of Developing Leadership Skills Everyone knows that great leaders are made, not born. However good that statement sounds, we still want to know how we "make" or turn people effective leaders. And other questions need to be answered about the process of leadership development. Learn How to Lead People "Who rules or guides or inspires others" Miraculous Leadership It was a time of turmoil. In November 1979, supporters of the Ayatollah Khomeini took 71 Americans hostage in Iran. On Christmas Eve that year, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Gasoline prices, inflation and interest rates were soaring as 1980 began. President Jimmy Carter said America was in a "crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will." 7 Excellent Ways To Improve Your Leadership Skills! Did you know that there are 7 really effective yet powerful ways to improve your leadership learning opportunities? Leadership - Connect to Engage! It's been said many times that true leadership is measured by ones ability to motivate and influence others. Leadership and Followership in a Team Setting Many solopreneurs work in a team environment either with their client's staff, or with subcontractors. Having spent over 20 years in a teaming environment before becoming a solopreneur 13 years ago, I know that during the course of any highly functioning team effort, the leadership and followership roles flow back and forth between the members. Extraordinary People in Mediocre Times My grandfather used to speak of the days when people drove the world. It was a time when people were proud to contribute and move society and industry forward at full steam. But, people were proud of themselves! However, before he died, one of his observations was that "we have come to mediocre times." On Being A Born Leader "Leaders are born, not made." Right? Let me ask you a question: do you believe that? Fighting the Gravitational Pull of Positional Leadership A little on leadership? Dream Bigger! A number of years ago we created a graphic logo based on the phrase Dream Bigger! We produced buttons and t-shirts. I've signed letters and emails with this phrase. It is more than a short inspirational phrase. It embodies a truth for all of us as individuals and carries extra importance for us as a leader. 5 Leadership Power Principles! 95% of Workers Fail Because of This...But They Can Fix It Give Your Valentine A Very Special Gift - Empowerment Delegating is a commonly misunderstood concept. Delegating is not about dumping problems or chores you dislike doing onto the shoulders of others, it is an invaluable tool for "motivating and training your team to realize their full potential." (Blair) Building Future Leaders As a whole we spend a lot of time filling our minds with various forms of self-improvement. Leadership - Passion, Purpose, Profit - Its Not That Hard Go to any educational institution, look at airport bookshelves, shopping centres and open your eyes to the myriad of products available today and you could be forgiven to thinking that the art of leadership was beyond mere mortals. 7 Awesome Leadership Power Generators! 7 Awe-Inspiring Leadership Power-Generating Strategies! The Defining Moment: The Straw That Stirs The Drink Of Motivational Leadership (Part One) Decades ago, as a rifle platoon commander in the Marines, I saw leaders who could motivate troops to do extraordinary things -- and leaders who could not get the troops to do much at all. I wondered what was the difference between the successful and unsuccessful leaders; and if that difference be taught. Unleash It! On airplanes, in restaurants, in the newspaper and on television, I often hear people saying their businesses are not growing to their satisfaction or that they are not reaching their objectives. The explanations that follow consist of reasons like: A Lasting Leadership Lesson: How One Leadership Talk By George Washington Saved The Revolution A Lasting Leadership Lesson: How One Leadership Talk By George Washington Saved The Revolution (And Our Fledgling Nation) From Catastrophe.
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