Posted by Marcia Ruben on Wed, Jan 25, 2012
Last night during his State of the Union address, President Obama spoke about the special forces who worked as a team to "take out" Osama Bin Laden. His point was that every member of the team was singly focused on successfully completing their dangerous mission. They relied on each other for communication, air cover, and support. When one of the rescue helicopters crashed, they didn't stop and point fingers and blame each other. They covered for each other. They helped each other up the stairs and made sure that every one got out alive. Every member of the team operated with mutual trust.
The behavior he described was diametrically opposed to the way our current Federal government is operating. It is also starkly different from behavior I have observed in many corporations. In fact, the more egos, power plays, backbiting, and hidden agendas, the more likely you are to find leadership tangles--behavior that results in conflict rather than true collaboration.
As President Obama spoke, I thought about some of the research I had done for my doctoral dissertation. Karl Weick and Charlene Roberts described the "collective mind." Their research suggests that when the stakes are high, for instance on an aircraft carrier or nuclear plant, individuals forego their own egos and need for power, and find ways to support each other. There is but one mind.
In my consulting and executive leadership coaching practice, I often find that one of the symptoms of a sub-optimized, or dysfunctional team is backbiting. Individuals break off in to subgroups and talk viciously about each other behind their backs. At the first chance, they may throw each other under the proverbial bus.
Those who are the recipients of backbiting sense the negativity and lack of trust. They often choose to withdraw or fight back. Either way, it is not healthy for the team. One of the solutions that I have found works best is to convence the team, share the feedback about their behavior in a way that is objective and confidential. I then facilitate a process to develop new, more productive norms. Instead of backbiting, address any issues directly with the person with whom you have the issue. If someone comes to you and starts to gossip, send them directly to the person with whom they have the issue. This takes some practice. With time, the backbiting can subside. And leadership tangles start to loosen and not choke the team.
If your team performance is being undermined by backbiting and other nonproductive norms, contact me for a 15 minute consultation.
©Copyright Marcia Ruben, Ph.D. Ruben Consulting Group All rights reserved
Posted by Marcia Ruben on Fri, Jan 06, 2012
Nothing tangles potential organizational effectiveness than a top leadership team mired in unproductive interpersonal dynamics. These manifest as turf wars, political battles, and hidden agendas. The result is a lack of honesty and an inability to raise tough issues. Bad feelings between two key functional leaders trickle down to the rest of the organization. I once worked with a team in which two senior leaders had a visceral dislike of each other. Direct reports two to three levels down felt the tension, and were in turn mistrustful of each other. The result? Gridlock.
In the course of my work as an executive leadership facilitator and coach, and as an adjunct MBA Professor, it is obvious that human dynamics are complex and often messy. Here are three tips that can help executive teams be more effective.
Acknowledge Power Dynamics
Whether we admit it or not, power is an integral part of human and organizational life. Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer makes a compelling case for acknowledging both the positive and destructive aspects of personal power. Fight it as we may, power is part of the equation. My own research suggests that in the midst of emotionally charged situations, how we view our own power vis a vis others influences how we respond. If we feel powerless and think others are powerful, we are likely to take actions that tangle the relationship. We probably won't state how we really feel, nor will we raise a controversial issue. On the other hand, if we feel powerful and perceive others as equally powerful, we are more likely to raise issues and speak the truth. Awareness of our own level of personal power can make a huge difference in team effectiveness.
Model Skills in Having Difficult Conversations
Most of us have not learned how to productively and diplomatically raise tough issues. We are afraid of ruffling feathers or worse, destroying important relationships. So we say nothing. Bad feelings fester and soon the air is so thick with tension, we either avoid each other or stick to superficial conversation. It is worth learning skills in raising difficult issues. I have found the skills modeled in Stone, Patton, and Heen's work easy to follow and extremely effective. I have used this model with executive coaching clients, executive teams, and with my MBA students, all with phenomenal results. Leaders who can model these skills provide a roadmap for others to emulate.
Expect Civil Behavior
The latest issue of the Harvard Business Review has a fascinating article about a consulting firm with impressive retention rates. The firm leaders attribute their retention success to a maniacal focus on hiring only those with a proven track record of civility. Hiring managers don't just rely on initial reference checks. They use their networks to uncover trails of bad behavior.
I once worked for a global human resource development company that had a robust selection training process. One of the critical components of an effective selection process is knowing the culture needed to execute on your strategy, and then hiring key talent who possess both critical functional skills and who are a good cultural fit. One bad apple does spoil the bunch. Over and over, I have been brought in to companies whose leaders have tolerated bad behavior and are stuck when poisonous dynamics threaten productivity. Better to expect civil behavior and implement consequences for those whose behavior sabotages the success of others.
If you would like to improve your team effectivness, contact me for a complimentary 15 minute consultation.
©Copyright Marcia Ruben, Ph.D. Ruben Consulting Group All rights reserved
Posted by Marcia Ruben on Thu, Oct 20, 2011
Think of a leadership team as a web of interconnected relationships. Mix in clashing egos, hidden agendas, and lack of trust. Agitate with different personality and thinking styles. Sprinkle in unproductive norms, power plays, and cultural and gender differences. Throw in a propensity to blame. Complicate matters with a complex business challenge--you know the kind--a frightening new competitor that threatens to eat your lunch, declining market share, a scarcity of cash to invest in needed resources--the kind of challenge that only this team can solve. The problem is, this team is mired in what I call a Strangling Team TangleTM. In almost every tangle, and I have named nearly two dozen distinct tangles, you experience unproductive working relationships, snarled lines of communication, and fuzzy lines of authority. Emotions run high and there is plenty of conflict, blame, and “us versus them” thinking and behavior. Sound familiar?
As a Tangle DoctorTM, I am always on the lookout for innovative tools and methods to untangle team knots. Last week, I was in Raleigh-Durham North Carolina and had the opportunity to be certified in Team Advantage--a comprehensive and fun process that unleashes the strengths of a team while at the same time achieving extraordinary results.
Team Effectiveness and Strategic Planning on Steroids
One of the certification trainers called the process "team building and strategic planning on steroids." The process is intense and only for leadership teams that want to untangle the knots that keep them from exceptional performance. If you are happy chugging along with mediocre results and dysfunctional relationships, this process is not for you!
If you want to engage in a process that results in exceptional results and healthy, productive, respectful team relationships, this program will pay for itself. It requires commitment and courage.
The Team Advantage Process
The process, developed by Master Coach DJ Mitsch, is facilitated by two expert level coach/facilitators. The program starts with two months of individual coaching for the team leader. The process is framed as a game as a way to up the ante and create a sense of fun, excitement and to get the competitive juices flowing.
The Game is framed as a four-month stretch goal that under usual circumstances might not seem possible. It becomes a game because it is scored, has a clear strategy, a clear plan, a scoreboard and each step in the plan has a score attached to it. Just like other team sports, it is a game because there is ongoing coaching from the sidelines. All of these elements encourage the team to work together to get things done.
The team process begins with a two-day, in-person kickoff workshop to create effective rules of engagement, expose the hidden tangles that strangle performance, and create and agree to new and productive norms. The team then agrees on their extraordinary goal. We create a name for the game and a scoring system. No one wins unless all points are scored. We create action steps to handle inevitable obstacles. The team leader agrees to a prize, anything from a homemade cookout to a trip to a fancy resort.
For the next four months, your team coaches facilitate 12 coaching calls to ensure that the game is running smoothly. They provide coaching on how to work through obstacles, untangle interpersonal knots, and keep the team leader and team on track. The focus is both on reaching the strategic goal and personal and team development along the way. At the end of the game, both the team leader and team have the skills, knowledge, and confidence to replicate their results.
Be the First in the San Francisco Bay Area
Right now, I am pleased to be the first and only San Francisco Bay Area executive coach/facilitator to offer this innovative team coaching/building process. I would welcome the opportunity to partner with you and a highly motivated team, in conjunction with one of my highly skilled and esteemed Team Advantage partners, to bring the power of this process to your organization.
Click on the link below for a complimentary consultation. I look forward to exploring how an innovative game, customized to meet your most strategic goals, can help you and your team scale new heights.
©Copyright Marcia Ruben, Ph.D. Ruben Consulting Group All rights reserved
Posted by Marcia Ruben on Mon, May 16, 2011
It is so easy to make excuses when things don't turn out as you planned. How often are you tempted to point the finger of blame? As an executive leadership coach, I have worked with leaders who have gotten in the bad habit of blaming others and are surprised when they don't get the results that they want.
Star leaders never give or listen to excuses. They want results from themselves and others. They hold themselves accountable for their own results, and expect others to do the same. And rather than assign blame, they try to constructively figure out what went wrong and move forward.
There is power in committing to a result or outcome and being willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that outcome. I have found that just the act of committing and being willing to do whatever it takes results in something akin to divine providence. Resources and people fall in to place.
Leaders who are not stars can list all of the reasons that something can't be done. Have you ever been in a meeting when a bold idea is proposed and then instantly shot down?
How can you overcome the excuse trap?
The first step is to recognize whether you have a victim or accountable mindset. If you have excuses running in your head, you likely have a victim mindset. If you typically say to yourself, "okay, this is tough and I/we can do it" you have an accountable mindset.
When you face a tough challenge, take a deep breath, search your brain for evidence of past success, and commit. Star leaders exude a sense of confidence that is contagious.
©Copyright Marcia Ruben, Ph.D. Ruben Consulting Group All rights reserved
Posted by Marcia Ruben on Tue, Mar 29, 2011
Star leaders give willingly without a price tag attached to what they are giving. They operate from a “full cup” mentality. Their cup is full and they don’t need to take from others to fill it up. There is no price tag attached to their requests.
I know some of you are thinking, wait, Tangle DoctorTM, you don’t understand organizational politics. Actually I do. Successful leaders are politically savvy. That means that they know how to get things done through others without creating a lot of noise in the system. Those who are politically astute have excellent interpersonal skills and are able to inspire genuine trust and confidence. They are able to influence others in a way that they don’t feel used.
Those who are not leadership stars put a price tag on what they have to offer. They will do something for others provided that others do something for them. There is always a price tag. While this is the official view of politics, and works in some instances, it also stirs up resentment. While it may work sometimes, in the long-run, it is not a winning strategy.
So what is the solution? First, observe your own behavior. Are you willing to give others ideas, information, and helpful advice without always expecting something in return? Or, will you only provide ideas, information, and helpful advice if you get something in return? Do you keep score?
To be a star leader, recognize that genuineness trumps manipulation.
©Copyright Marcia Ruben, Ph.D. Ruben Consulting Group All rights reserved
Posted by Marcia Ruben on Mon, Mar 21, 2011
Leadership is both an inside and outside game. In this series of blogposts, I will share leadership wisdom I have gathered and found useful in my own leadership development and what I have observed in my work with executive leaders. As the Tangle DoctorTM, it is my opinion that leaders who create productive, accountable cultures are better able to minimize Organizational TanglesTM –unproductive working relationships, snarled lines of communication, and fuzzy lines of authority-- demonstrate the leadership qualities I will share in a series of blogposts.
Are you able to receive feedback?
The first tip is this. Leaders who create tangles are unable to receive feedback. There are a variety of reasons for this. The first is arrogance and occurs in a leader who thinks that he/she already knows everything. Arrogant leaders push others away. Those brave enough to receive feedback are yelled at, berated, or ignored. A second reason is oversensitivity. I have met some leaders who just don’t want to be criticized at all. It becomes clear that any well-intentioned feedback is unwelcome. A third reason is a lack of respect for others in less senior positions.
No matter what the reason, those unwilling to receive feedback deny themselves valuable information. Leaders who recognize that they don’t have all the answers give others a voice and therefore receive otherwise unavailable information.
Give others a voice, not a vote
There is an important distinction here. Just because you are a leader who is willing to receive feedback does not mean that everyone receives a vote. The most effective leaders I know give others a voice and are clear when they are and are not giving others a vote.
Contact us for a complimentary 15 minute consultation on how to be a leader who gives others a voice.
©Copyright Marcia Ruben, Ph.D. Ruben Consulting Group All rights reserved
Posted by Marcia Ruben on Thu, Mar 17, 2011
According to John Brinsley, from Bloomberg News, "Three days ago, Prime Minister Naoto Kan was fighting for his political life. Now, the success of his government may hinge on how he responds to what he calls Japan’s biggest crisis since the end of World War II."
Kan was in the midst of a political crisis when the earth began shaking in Japan. He was under fire for accepting a political donation. The spotlight is now off of his questionable political activities and on how he responds to this unfolding crisis. So far the reviews are mixed.
If I were his exectuive leadership coach, I would advise him to demonstrate courage and strength, while at the same time showing empathy and compassion. Leaders I have worked with and observed during times of crisis exude strength and confidence in the future. They also stay calm under pressure. It is an art to not react when there is so much volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). During a crisis some action is better than inaction. Decisiveness is also critical.
As the earth continues to tremble and shake and fumes spout from nuclear reactors, it is also going to be important to communicate honestly and often. More than anything people want the truth, even if it is bad news.
What advice would you give to Naoto Kan?
©Copyright Marcia Ruben, Ph.D. Ruben Consulting Group All rights reserved
Posted by Marcia Ruben on Mon, Mar 14, 2011
Do you realize that every time you speak to peers, direct reports, and Board members, you have the opportunity to transform your relationship? Do you know that you can align your mind, brain, and conversations to create a more productive working relationship?
This past weekend, I participated in a workshop led by Dr. Barnett Pearce and Kim Pearce. I worked with Barnett while I was pursuing my doctorate. Barnett and Kim have devoted considerable time to developing a new field of communication. Traditionally, communication is defined as the transmission of a message from one person to another and back again. The Pearce’s broadened the definition and view it as a highly interactive process, linked to our mind, brain, and sensemaking process. Bottom line, we can be most effective if we focus on expanding our mind, noticing if our reptilian brain is controlling us, and are aware of the stories we tell ourselves and others.
Is your mind closed or expanded?
When I receive bad news, it is natural to narrow my focus. I become the center of my Universe and everything else diminishes in importance. When this happens, my mind is closed, or shut down. On the other hand, if I can step back and get some perspective, not winning a coveted consulting engagement or realizing that I have to stretch every morning to reduce aches and pains diminishes in the cosmic scheme of things. Recognizing that our lives are a gift and in the vast expanse of time and space, we are but a speck helps retain perspective and helps me open my mind.
What Part of Your Brain is controlling YOUR behavior?
The Pearce’s provided a lesson on how our brains operate, which I’ll share. Our reptilian brain controls our basic functions. It is responsible for automatic responses such as fight, flight, or freezing. Imagine a caveman confronted by a tiger. His reptilian brain jumps in to action, or inaction.
Our limbic brain controls our emotions and value judgments and strongly influences our behavior. So when the caveman was continually faced with danger, his mind narrowed and he became hard-wired to fight, flight, or freeze.
Our neocortex, the third part of our brain, is responsible for human language. According to neurobiologists, our brains can change, they have a plastic quality. According to Dan Siegel, a neurobiologist studying the mind/brain/social relationship phenomena, “what fires together, wires together.” This means we are not stuck with a narrow mind and reptilian brain!
How can you influence your neurons and states of mind?
Barnett and Kim Pearce, and other communication CMM (Coordinated Management of Meaning) gurus argue that we can influence the mind/brain/social relationship triangle, and get all three re-wired and firing in a way that transforms relationships by paying close attention to the patterns of our communication. Each time we speak we have a story and the other person has a story. Depending on how we each make sense of the conversation, we create the opportunity for different actions. The question to ask is this: are we creating positive and compassionate relationships that lead to positive actions or “us versus them” relationships that lead to negative actions, or what I call “tangles?
The choice is up to us in every moment and what Barnett describe as every turn in our conversations. Stay tuned for more.
©Copyright Marcia Ruben, Ph.D. Ruben Consulting Group All rights reserved
Posted by Marcia Ruben on Fri, Feb 18, 2011
I recently began teaching in the MBA program at Golden Gate University. Being a full time executive leadership consultant and part-time professor forces me to stay current with leadership research and weave that research into a pragmatic solution for clients and business school students.
I have been writing about the concept of VUCA since I began this blog. I was struck by how well VUCA—volatility, uncertainly, complexity, and ambiguity—describes the current business environment. I have argued that we are living in a time of unprecedented VUCA. I have even done research to identify leadership characteristics necessary to thrive in VUCA.
Here is a distinction that I believe will be helpful. Leaders have always had to cope with UCA—uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. It has always been challenging to lead a department, division, business unit, or organization. Leaders have always operated with UCA—uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.
What makes VUCA such a useful term today is that we are experiencing unprecedented volatility in our marketplace. While it feels like we are regaining some sense of stability, from what I have read, the underlying problems and goblins are still haunting our financial markets.
What makes living in a VUCA environment different than a UCA environment is one word—fear. When conditions are volatile, we tend to turn in, become conservative, and avoid risks. Negative emotions like fear restrict creativity, openness, and collaboration.
Leaders who thrive in VUCA are resilient and are able to remain calm, collected, and inspire confidence in others. Leadership success depends not on what the leader is doing, but who the leader is being during volatile conditions.
Are you a leader who thrives in VUCA?
©Copyright Marcia Ruben, Ph.D. Ruben Consulting Group All rights reserved
Posted by Marcia Ruben on Mon, Dec 13, 2010
Last Friday, I facilitated a panel discussion for Fountain Blue's When She Speaks Women in Leadership forum. Approximately 50 women and 3 men attended the discussion about how to thrive in times of accelerated change. Each of the four women on the panel holds a responsible leadership position in Cisco, EMC, IBM, and HP. I was struck by the high level of both technical and interpersonal expertise each demonstrated. I was also struck by the pressures facing each of them, and our audience members. All are challenged to cope under rapid changes in their marketplace and technology. For instance, the advent of the cloud is causing each company to think through their product mix. Companies that used to develop products internally are becoming much more aggressive in looking for start-ups with innovative technology to buy and integrate. Top down, hierarchical management is being replaced with collaborative management.
All of these changes require all employees and leaders to ensure that they are adding value, learning, and contributing. Yet, job security is a thing of the past. In times of VUCA, where there is unrelenting volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, developing both an internal and external network is critical. Our networks keep us connected, provide friendship, and can also be a source of contacts when things change.
Bottom line, we are all still human. The best thing we can do for ourselves is monitor our own stress levels, breathe, and connect. Relationships matter more than ever!
©Copyright Marcia Ruben, Ph.D. Ruben Consulting Group All rights reserved