By Billy Bennett
Failure can be a great teacher.  I prefer to call them “Do-Overs.” 

Life provides opportunities to apply lessons from one situation to another one later.  At that point, you not only become the hero, but you also appear wise. Which proves that wisdom is stupidity and ignorance that benefits from aging.  

When examining your failures, take the time to review them from three  angles: 

1. What did we do? …
2. How did we do it?… and
3. Were the individuals involved ready to accept the initiative? 

The readiness factor can be many things but it always includes – Trust.  Do they trust you?  Do they trust leadership? Do they trust each other? … Do you trust them? 

The Facilitator Partner Advantage

Insiders are often just a little frustrated when third party facilitators (like us) - organization outsiders - make progress doing things insiders have tried.  Why does it work for us working alongside of leadership rather than leaders standing alone?  Usually the reason lies in angles 2 and 3: On # 2  "How did we do it..."  trained, neutral facilitators create a unique approach.   They design the approach to meet the need.  Good facilitators have a strong understanding of process and a multifaceted toolbox and draw on both to create a plan and are capable of adapting the plan as situations evolve to get peak outcome from the group.   On # 3: Facilitators asses for readiness throughout the process, never hesitating to call a "time out"  when process, progress and people are out of synch.  Both of these skills have the multiplying effect of being "trust building" skills.

A good facilitator establishes neutral space.  An atmosphere where people sense the security of ideas.  A place where they sense a fair hearing of ideas.  A place where even those who feel uncomfortable with the precision of their wording sense they will be helped in crafting the correct meaning.  In these spaces, real conversations are more likely than position speaking.  Employees feel more comfortable asking questions and offering ideas.  Leaders feel more comfortable speaking openly.  Everyone appears more “Real”.  Honest.  Safe.  Even in the middle of uncomfortable topics.  

Facilitating the Gordian Knot

Good facilitators manage this differently for many reasons but a very important reason is because they they first check readiness- the trust levels – of individuals or groups before designing an approach.  The hard-wiring I mentioned in earlier posts is what I'm talking about here.  Facilitators look at this hard-wiring and recognize that a Gordian knot of trust must be unraveled...there are consequences for getting it wrong. However, the trained facilitator's advantage is in knowing to think two steps ahead in the process and preparing options for the dangerous bits.  It is hard work analyzing group dynamics while trying to achieve a work objective or to "convert" people to your side.  That is why leaders are by definition not facilitators.  They can act facilitative but they cannot provide the neutrality people are seeking in the conversation...if it is to be a conversation.   People assess danger when leaders pose as facilitators.   The filters and guards come into action and progress slows. 

Be A Leader

I have seen many times where an inexperienced manager wants to fly solo because he wants to establish him or herself as leader.  In the end, just the opposite happens.  As a leader there are very few things you are neutral about.  You have opinions - good ones - that others need to hear and to discuss.  Leaders misstep when attempting to facilitate when they need to lead.  The misstep is that in the effort to appear open and welcoming of ideas - they soften or hold back when they need to provide more clarity and directness.  They then appear to be hiding or dancing around a hidden agenda.  That's not leadership.  That's testosterone and paranoia overcoming good sense.


When  leaders are trained in group process skills they learn how to step in and out of the facilitator role.  This is helpful.  However, if you have a big discussion event do yourself a favor - get a partner -  an external facilitator.  Your success usually increases – significantly.      

Consider this for your next change initiative or group performance intervention:

1. Check readiness first – think about using a third party “outsider” to help you assess potential barriers you may have deal with in the upcoming change.
2. Have your initiative leaders participate in facilitation training – separate from any specific intervention process (SAP implementation, Six Sigma, Lean…).  Consider a custom design that fits with any barriers you may have uncovered.   We have helped many clients with facilitator development workshops and coaching.  This allows them ready access to facilitation support and provides more people who have a real understanding of what makes good meetings and good decision making.
   
3. Have external “outside” facilitators available to use for special times or situations where some neutrality is needed to help groups to move more quickly beyond relationship barriers.  A external facilitator is not needed in every meeting -but certainly they help when significant decisions, increased focus, or team breakthroughs are high on the outcome list.
   
4. Make trust building as a goal of all work initiatives.  Design approaches that establish personal safety, healthy debate, and sharing of recognition for contribution as well as ultimate success.  When you review initiatives do a check on trust… “Was there anything that happened during the intervention where may have lost something?”   “Was there anything that happened that helped us to gain trust with anyone?”,  “After this event, when it comes to trust, are we better, worse, or no change?”   Most of the time, you want to follow a Hippocratic principle… “Do no harm” – otherwise look for opportunities to make breakthroughs in understanding and relationships. 

So, be a Leader, get the best facilitation support available.. 

BY BILLY BENNETT

Dean, a good friend and long time colleague told me recently about a series of “2fer” conversations he’s had with his team. Are you using the 2fer principle?  If not, you may be missing a crucial tool for building a Great Workplace culture. 

A “2fer” is short for “two for the price of one.”  A 2fer addresses a current challenge and also builds greater capability for the next step toward the end goal.   Dean’s ongoing conversations are a good example.   "2fer"s are how high performance leaders keep performance improving year after year.

Dean's company  is introducing a major breakthrough technology.  The potential is huge.  That’s the problem… I mean the challenge.  His team sees a big picture, but not always the BIGGEST picture.   The potential of this new breakthrough is bigger than most can see and in this case progress will grow in direct proportion to the comprehension of how "BIG" big can be.  Dean’s frustration comes when he brings change requests to modify a design feature in a new product…it could be the one “little thing” that turns a good idea into a great one.   Someone typically responds with “Oooh, that’s a problem”.  Now, Dean is British and his team members are not all native English speakers. They are technical geniuses, however they may not understand - Dean is hearing something else.  He hears “that’s not possible”.   With each suggestion the words come back “That’s a problem.”   His brain hears, “Can’t do it”

Dean role is more than working a technical challenge – it’s also to create a common vision about the end goal and what is at stake.   Aiming small is death. 

To keep his composure, he asks the team to use a different English word.  He asks them to replace the word “problem” with “challenge”.   When this happens each technical conversation is now about more than any specific feature, it is also a learning point:  while limitations can be a natural occurrence, acceptance of limitations is a choice.   When looked at as a challenge rather than a problem (or “impossibility”), each limitation, each roadblock becomes an opportunity to learn something new… to pioneer a new method… and to make the complex more elegant in its simplicity.  So the “2fer” is both a better product and better vision.  A Grand Bargain, all for the price of one conversation.

Leaders, especially technical leaders, need to master the art of the 2fer.  It is so easy to get wrapped up in the conversation about devices and technology – or processes and data – that you lose sight of the big picture.  You lose sight of the purpose:  doing the right thing – delivering products and services which overcome the challenges experienced by customers, investors and societies.  The leader who does not appreciate the art of the 2fer fails to see an unfolding future and as a result makes decisions based on short term pain relief.  In other words, the future is sacrificed for the pressure of the day. 

When you appreciate the 2fer, you expand the principle beyond the conversation – it becomes the guiding principle of people and organization development.  The things we do build capacity for the next step.  Each step we take becomes a foundation for the next, or it is just walking in place.    

 So, that conversation you had a little while ago… just what was the “2fer”?

Valentine’s Day.  A day when you will think about hearts.  Candy hearts.  Plastic hearts.  Neon sign hearts.  Big paper hearts inscribed with the declaration of devotion, “from your Valentine…”    

Not many know the story of Valentine’s traditional origin.   You have heard about Saint Valentine. However, you may not know there were several Saints named Valentine  Each one met fates that would cause a caring parent to think twice before naming a child Valentine.  The one most credit as the namesake of the day was Valentinus of Rome a Christian priest living around 270 CE.

But first Claudius

Claudius II – also known as Marcus Aurelius Valerius Claudius Augustus (too much to say at a party so he was commonly known as Claudius Gothicus) was emperor for a grand total of two years.  During that time he defeated the Goths in battle, contracted smallpox and died.  Not the stuff of corporate legend.

I learned of Claudius when I acquired an ancient Roman coin in a deal from a shopkeeper.  He tossed it in for free because neither of us knew the image - yet, another sign of Claudius’ success as a leader.  To discover the origin of my prize, I learned as much about the short-serving emperor as I could.  His position and his respect came from being ambitious, devious, and cruel…very cruel. 

This is where Valentinus of Rome re-enters the story…

According to legend, Claudius hated two things which sealed the fate of Valentinus:  Married soldiers and   Christians.  So, when Valentinus was caught performing marriage ceremonies for soldiers and providing medical care for Christians he was imprisoned and eventually beheaded.   During his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer.  It was this young lady who received the first “Valentine” when Valentinus gave his jailer a heart shaped note with the message “from your Valentine”.  

Today we associate Valentine’s Day with romance.  However, for more than 1000 years, Valentine’s Day was known as a celebration of service and sacrifice. 

Claudius put his life on the line leading with ruthless power and ambition.   Valentinus put his life on the line with service.  Claudius believed his soldiers to be expendable and undeserving of a life outside of work.   Valentinus took risks and made personal sacrifice to make the lives around him more complete.

In work, few are asked to make life and death sacrifices – but employees know when you have your interests at heart or theirs.   On February 14, when you see a heart, take a moment to remember the story of Valentinus and Claudius and evaluate your leadership.  Are you the self-serving Claudius or Valentinus the servant leader?  

Engagement is fast becoming the workplace theme for 2013.  You will be more successful if you evaluate yourself on the Claudius-Valentinus scale and start your engagement efforts by first committing to be a Valentine.

"From your Valentines"

By Billy Bennett

Failure can be a great teacher.  I prefer to call them “Do-Overs.”  A good review of initiatives always asks three questions: 
1.  What did we do? …
2.  How did we do it?… and
3.  How ready were individuals to accept the initiative? 

If you want to try “do-over”, improve your chances of success by considering #s 2 and 3.  Especially #3: readiness.  The readiness factor can be many things but it always includes – Trust.  Do they trust you?  Do they trust leadership? Do they trust each other? … Do you trust them?  You may get the answers on your own or you may need help from a third party – an independent observer. 

Insiders are often just a little frustrated when third party facilitators (like us) - organization outsiders - make progress doing things insiders have tried.  Why does it work for us… working alongside of leadership… rather than leaders standing alone? Usually the reason lies in questions #2 and 3.  A good facilitator establishes neutral space.   Places where conversations happen more than position speaking.  Employees feel more comfortable asking questions and offering ideas.  Leaders feel more comfortable speaking openly.  Everyone appears more “real”.  Honest. 

Good facilitators manage this differently because they know what to do, and how to approach it because they first checked the readiness- the trust levels – of individuals or groups before designing an approach. 

Consider this for your next change initiative or group performance intervention:

1. Check readiness first – think about using a third party “outsider” to help you assess potential barriers which you could face in the upcoming change.
2. Have your initiative leaders participate in facilitation education – When initiative leaders are trained in group process skills, success increases – significantly.   Do the facilitation education separate from any specific intervention process (SAP implementation, Six Sigma, Lean…).  Think of it this way – there is the process – then there is the skill.  Facilitation is the skill.  If you are launching or re-launching  (remember “do-over”) consider requesting a custom design that fits with any barriers you may have uncovered.
3. Have external “outside” facilitators available to use for special times or situations where some neutrality is needed to help groups to move more quickly beyond relationship barriers.
4. Make trust building as a goal of all work initiatives.  Design approaches that establish personal safety, healthy debate, and sharing of recognition for contribution as well as ultimate success.
5. When you review initiatives do a check on trust… “Was there anything that happened during the intervention where may have lost something?”   “Was there anything that happened that helped us to gain trust with anyone?”, “After this event, when it comes to trust, are we better, worse, or no change?”  

 Remember: Asking for help is not a sin.  Not asking for help is.

By Billy Bennett

When do you work on alignment?  When you are "in crisis" is too late.  In the 1952 movie High Noon, Gary Cooper played a town Sheriff who finds himself needing help to face the bad guys, the town members vote with their feet, leaving him to face the threat alone.  There are many interpretations of the movie and a great story about John Wayne (he hated the movie).  Here is one from me... Don't wait to earn the vote from your employees on the day of the crisis.
 
I just returned from voting in the U.S. election.  I flew back from our offices in Belgium just in time to cast my vote.  Today is the day when candidates find out if they did all they could do to align an electorate behind their ideas and leadership.  It is interesting to notice the activity today... rallies, television and radio ads, phone calls, and anything that will convince the critical voter to join them today.  While I believe that you expend every effort to deliver for your customers...or in this case cause, the commitment you need to succeed is built upon relationships you have made long before the day of the crisis.

Political candidates are lucky.  There is a regularly scheduled referendum on their leadership.  Feedback comes on a regularly scheduled basis.  For organization leaders the referendum comes unexpectedly... like Gary Cooper we find that our relationship building was not as effective as we thought - commitments are not where we need them to be.   In the end, Gary Cooper resigns and viewers conclude that everything was the fault of weak--minded townspeople.  But -  how well had Gary prepared for that day?

New studies on organization networks reinforce things we already know...but need to hear again... the ability to move and influence people is based on the relationships you built over time - and relationships are the foundation of modern networked organizations.  A recent article implied that Starbucks baristas are better at handling difficult relationship interactions than most technical professionals (Doctors).  Ouch.  

The lesson here is to start working on your relationships today.  You may need the vote of your employees very soon.

If you would like a tip sheet on how to work on the relationship, send us an email, or join our list...