Liz Blake – LATERAL INSIGHTS (People Solutions)

Is it worth it when they can move on?

There is a lot of talk about building relationship, most often to sell something or to create a leveraging point.

Excellent companies invest in their people

I know of an excellent company in a niche field where it takes many years for their people to develop the knowledge required.  So they sink many years’ investment into their people, including paying for Masters and Ph.D studies.  On the other hand, the Executive is cognizant that their young talent will often move on to larger corporations to get the career exposure they desire. This creates a real dilemma for them as they lose the benefit of all their investment plus many years’ IP.

So do they axe the financial support of these expensive studies?

How to treat the exiting employee

There is a cycle in hiring and career paths.  A good employee may move on to gain the broad experience and extra training that comes with working for a large corporation, and there is the potential for returning with that wealth after some years.

The original company would be in the winning position afterall. But how should they handle the risk?

The employee’s exit is the strategic opportunity. It makes a big impression and difference when company leaders demonstrate care and forethought in an employee’s exit.

Celebrate their exit, don’t let them go quietly!

Send them off with the company’s best wishes (be personal!), publicly acknowledge the company’s proactive contribution to their development and success (get some mileage out of it).

DO Keep in contact, be generous, allow your valuable employee space to experience, follow his (her) dreams, even to make a mistake, farewell with a clear “open return” invitation. Openly celebrate their dreams, desire for challenge, and vision for their future.

DON’T be sour about them leaving (does it burn your ego?).  At worst, this will imprint trust, loyalty and goodwill amongst the remaining team. It also creates goodwill ‘out there’ as the happy ex-employee talks about your company with confidence and admiration. Your company needs Advocates.

The way your satisfied ex-employees talk about your company could become your competitive advantage and smart recruiting strategy – it’s free marketing to other in-demand specialists.

CLEARLY leave the door open, paint the picture of coming back with new skills and experience and the opportunity for significant opportunity.

Stay in touch!

This is the hard part – easier to forget – but don’t dare. People want to know you CARE; and high achievers particularly want to know they are VALUED. When you don’t earn from them but still care, the impact is strong and lasting.

In my life in Direct Sales, we called this generous sharing, “abundance mentality”. Wherever possible, when my leaders moved on, I celebrated their dreams, recognized their contribution, and presented them with a gift. I kept in contact where possible, maintained relationship with an occasional call, to keep that contact going. I never burn my bridges, and actively try to maintain them.

This is counter-intuitive – but it always pays.

“He’s always forgetting what I’ve asked him to do.”
“She never gets started till the last minute.”

Forgetfulness and procrastination would be the two most frustrating complaints partners and team members suffer against each other.

• Why should your partner have to be reminded about duties or tasks? Why won’t he carry his share of the responsibility?
• And why does your colleague make things so hard for others by leaving projects so close to deadline? Why can she not learn to prioritize?

Many years developing and managing peoples’ performance has confirmed to me the truth on motivation:
“People do what they WANT to do”. And conversely, “People avoid what they DON’T WANT to do”.
You will see this in habitual behaviour.

So it’s not about having enough time!

He (she) has a different agenda – consciously or subconsciously, whether he admits it or is even aware. Assurances of “I do care!” or “I won’t forget next time!” are just words.  Consistent behaviour tells the truth about a person’s values.

What you are seeing is a dis-connect in values.

This dis-connect is what a leader (or spouse) must unearth, if they are to get performance and ownership from the person.  It makes no difference how much he (she) protests, “I DO care, I’m just so busy!”  If a person does not perceive that actions are connected to his values, your colleague (spouse) will always need prodding, making excuses and letting the team down.

Actions and tasks must be connected to values, if a person is to be motivated.

Identifying and handling this issue is about far more than making life easier! A dis-connect in values is a certain predictor of de-motivation, low performance and even dissent.

If spouses do not perceive their responsibilities are aligned with their values, the relationship can be at real risk in the long term.  If team members  – or worst, leaders! – do not perceive their roles align with their own values, you can be sure this is costing your company a great deal of money!

Where have you seen consistent forgetfulness or procrastination at work or at home? Can you (or the other person) identify the value dis-connect?

Do you know a good friend or family member who started saying or doing some bizarre things, acting like a different person?

You’ve known them so well for years, and suddenly you don’t recognize their reasoning or behaviour. It is so uncharacteristic; you find yourself saying, “This is so unlike him (her)”.

After two decades working closely with people, this is my awesomely intelligent finding: If behaviour seems uncharacteristic, it is. The default stance we must take as close friends or family is belief in their character. There is something deeper we are not seeing or hearing.

I can think of a few special people who have suffered unnecessarily and been hurt deeply by people close to them accepting stories or damning conclusions about sudden uncharacteristic behaviour.

You may ask, how can people close to the person default to believing uncharacteristic explanations about them? Surely they “know him (her) better than that”? When you know someone’s character from years of relationship, an aberration in behaviour should be questioned, not judged.  The person invariably needs great gentleness, something deep is troubling them, they’ve possibly been suffering something too long in silence and have run out of personal resources  (Beware a long period in deficit, as this is where chronic illness can take hold).

The most damage is done by people suddenly ‘forgetting’ a person’s character (track record) and finding what others say more compelling. They forget to believe in the person for who he (she) is.

Why suddenly stop believing in a person whose character you know?

It It is too easy to condemn someone instead of believing (remembering) they are the same person but under extraordinary pressure. This is the time to offer extraordinary support.

A listening ear, understanding and suspending judgement can make the difference for his (her) quicker recovery, and take your relationship to a new level.

There are many people who value their job security.  We assess roles on the security offered. But what I see is …

“Job Security  - the Great Delusion”

Do you realize job security as an illusion – or delusion? Just because a belief is popular, doesn’t make it true.

I’ve seen so many people whose job was ‘secure’ for a long time, then suddenly, something changes – a restructure, new management, government policy – and their job is at risk or gone.

So how secure was it?

If the security of your job can change, it means it only ever seemed that way. It had the illusion of security, but if a threat could take that away, the job never was secure.

So how do we deal with lack of security in our jobs?

It is all in the mindset. I’ve been saying to people for years, treat yourself as….

“Self employed in a job”

Self-employed people thing and act differently. They focus on how much value they bring, how much difference they can make. Self-employed people take ownership over their job and strive to excel. Self-employed people minimize wastage and choose economical work habits. They understand that the better the cash-flow the more secure their job.

Self-employed people understand that the more they bring their strengths and attitude, the more successful their team, business unit, and company. And the more secure their job.

Why would you give your best when you can get away with the minimum?

It can be tempting to envy the easy life of those who put in the minimum; it may seem unfair. But remember this…The laws of life are supreme:

“What you plant you will harvest”

When change or disturbance comes, not only are the ‘minimizers’ least worth keeping, but also least worth employing elsewhere. However, the worst consequence is that they have eroded their value by default (passivity), by not inviting challenge, growing or excelling.

However, the person who thinks and behaves as ‘self-employed’, is constantly positioning herself for the changing market. She has the power of a proactive mind, her personal development makes her a more attractive potential employee, and her mind nimble and sharpened by striving for excellence.

So, what can you change in yourself today, to increase your “job security”?

Do unto your staff as you would do to your children

…So how does spanking and discipline fit with OH&S? …..Of course there is a lot more to parenting than discipline!

Have you observed a family of well-adjusted children recently – thoughtful, responsive, responsible, respectful, playful? …Actually I am finding them a little more rare. It is interesting that many well-adjusted children are found in large families, or where responsibilities (duties and care) are shared. Could there be a connection between the way we approach our children and staff?

Mother to Business Woman  (Mum-Entrepreneur)

I have lived in both a secure home (caring parents, siblings) and a hostel-style home (regimented), as a result of growing up overseas.  I have raised four children, most of the time in an ‘ideal family’ situation then some years of intense turmoil.  I made the choice to have children young, so I would still be full of life when they grew up, and then enjoy some freedom. So between my 19^th and 26^th years I had four children, and spent a dozen years dedicating myself to all the good creative-mum things, to give them a strong foundation.

When my youngest was 2, I began straddling the twin lives of parent-spouse and businesswoman, transitioning into a leader in building a very successful business. Of course it was all about building people.  And the people skills didn’t come naturally. I worked hard, did more than other people, observed those more gifted than me. Forever learning, lots of self doubt, but loads of determination and perseverance. Battling asthma and extended loss of voice in a speaking-business (ironic!)…..and walked the life of a high achiever.

‘Proof in the pudding’

I have just turned fifty, my children are now 23-30 and I have 3 grandchildren aged 4-7. And they are all outstanding people.

There are strong parallels between being effective with your children and your staff. Here are a few…

Leadership Rule #1: Children learn from who you are, than what you say.

• Treat people as individuals – work to their strengths and preferences
• Establish clearly the difference between what is important and negotiable
• Giving them what they’re asking for is not what they’re asking for
• Individual time and attention brings exponential results
• They will do what they don’t want, if they know why it’s important to them
• Little things matter – it tells them your real values
• Diversity gives more strength than sameness
• Control perpetuates immaturity – ‘telling’ is the enemy of ownership
• Play is the best approach to work!
• Laughter is golden, silence is not (check out the havoc done in quiet)
• Bad luck (sorry!) if you’re having a bad day or sick -it is no longer just about you
• Integrity and commercial goals DO mix – actually it’s essential

WHAT WOULD YOU ADD?…….

Observe the children in different kinds of families around you, consider desired outcomes rather than gratifying short term, notice which approaches get healthy responses.

From Mum, Nanna Lizzie and your Cyber-friend, Liz

This is not a polite question! It could be affronting or confronting; and it certainly isn’t the common topic of business discussions.

Profit, efficiency, productivity… these are the bottom line concerns that dominate business conversation.  But is there something more to the picture of commerce?

4.5 years ago I transplanted myself into the city via IT Recruitment. It was with a little awkwardness with my inexperience in corporate culture such as the protocols around coffee-buying and lunches. Since I began with nil contact base it was up to me to find contacts and invite them out for coffees – often with candidates as well as prospective clients. I know it was assumed this comes from an expense account but in reality it was was always my own pocket.  With 7-10 of these per week and non-tax deductible for me, it took a chunky bite into my weekly income – most times for no immediate return. But without a well-known company brand behind me, I needed to meet people and knew I needed to host many coffee meetings. I justified the ongoing high cost to myself by the principle of giving first.

Giving is like a farmer sowing seed: planting comes before harvest, being trustworthy comes before being trusted; being friendly comes before having friends. I was reflecting recently where this conviction came from and realized it was not only deeply embedded values but a lifetime of entrepreneurship. When you are building something – which is always about people – you give a lot before anything comes back. And you learn to assume the principle. You also have to give a lot first (training, belief) when you are building teams. In fact it is only when a team member proves his/her poor attitude (or bad fit) by repeated lack of response (action) that the leader pulls back.

So what have I noticed? I observe people, to learn patterns to profile and predict behaviour and consequences. One thing I know is that people’s true values come out in the little things – like how they treat hospitality staff and small areas of give-or-take. I noticed some people insist on paying for coffee in our second or alternate meetings. This is fair in building a relationship where mutual benefit is looked for. I also noticed when the chips are down (or the GFC bit) these people tended to do better; their networks were more helpful and they retained a positive outlook longer. Compared to some who didn’t feel the need to return coffee courtesies, even with an expense account.

I notice also that people tend to become far more careful with spending a few of their own dollars. “Of course!” most people will say. Except that I understand that nothing is ever ‘free’. Someone always pays, whether directly or indirectly. “Free” is an illusion. This is not to complain or criticize, it is simply an observation. By contrast, those I know who are constantly expanding themselves personally are the ones who return generosity. Even when my own economic climate is cloudy, I keep my practice the same as it positions me to receive in the greater picture of life.  The law of giving – reaping and sowing – is not my invention.

What I have observed is that generosity has nothing to do with the amount of dollars spent. It is the cheerful attitude attached to any size gift – material, time, information or skills. Wealth never made anyone mean; it only revealed the mean spirit. Generosity is the wellspring of abundance.

There is a business case for generosity!

And givers are greater people.

Lessons I learned as a Mother and Entrepreneur:

I enjoy acknowledging a successful person as ‘self-made’. But have you ever thought that a failure is equally ‘self-made’?

Countless evidence has taught us that environment, background, race, age or gender are not what determine your success. Why is it that two people from the same environment, circumstances or genetics, often end up at opposite poles of society, morality or success?

Many years ago I looked at the concept of a “dirty old man”. I asked myself, “when did he become that?”….  It didn’t take too long to conclude that a ‘dirty old man’ used to be a ‘dirty young man’ but without the force of personality to mask it. The same goes for a mean-spirited or ‘cranky old woman’ (let’s be fair to the genders); she became that way with practice.

We are today what we have practiced daily, and that is why the detail in our lives matters. It matters how you speak to someone and how well you listen, it matters how generously you respond to others, and that you do your private phone calls on your own time; it matters how you greet your partner after an exhausting day; it matters what internet sites I allow to linger on my laptop in the privacy of my room.

My character is who I am when no one is watching.

If you want to be trusted, appreciated, respected or be successful, everything you do is important. Your initiative is what carves opportunity, but your responses are ‘Y’ intersections – they determine which path you travel – and where you end up (the beauty is, when I make my mistakes, it takes just one step to make a U-turn).

You are becoming a self-made success, or you are becoming a self-made failure.

Which will you be?

I can’t get past this fact, that your business is its people. Loss of people is loss of IP, client relationships, haemorrhage of skill sets, credibility, history, culture…

Let’s assume you have the right people in the first place, i.e. performing the role well.

Someone leaves, and it seems a spark off a chain of resignations…leaving the company in a spot…orders to fill, services to deliver, insufficient staff who are already stretched.  Those leaving had frequent overtime, yet there are a couple who seem to get away with plenty of slackness. Now you are in a worse position and under pressure to hire without diligence of accurate skill and talent matching, full verbal referencing, the safeguard of multiple interviews. You run a tight ship with little room to move… but why didn’t the manager see these signs?

Of course this is not everyone’s story, but it is far too common.

As a business owner are you “managing by delegation” or “managing by abdication”?  As a manager, are you in touch with all your people and talking through their performance, progress and problems at least once every quarter?

*This is what the world’s best managers do.

If you had your finger on the pulse, the business would not be caught by surprise. Yes, managers’ time is stretched, so all the more important to leverage it at every point possible. The manager who does everything is an operator, not manager. Two entirely different strengths and skill sets. Managers manage people, period. They empower, inspire, encourage observe, challenge, urge and direct people. The best word I know to describe a Manager is a Catalyst. Wow that is a powerful concept.

If a business is taken by surprise with a ‘mass exodus’ they need to take a closer look at management. This can be confronting; perhaps they are struggling because they lack development at that level?

It is too costly these days to risk losing your best people through lack of skill or diligence at management level. Call us if you are in doubt about the health of your people’s resilience.

*”First Break all the Rules, What the World’s Best Managers Do Differently”, Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, from Gallup research.

Have you ever wondered why you procrastinate or get so drained in some activities, while other activities seem so easy and even energizing? Do you wonder why you are so forgetful about certain things?

Have you noticed you ‘get lost’ in some activities like playing chess, gardening, or reconciling numbers….? Or have you noticed you struggle to ‘get into’ or focus in other activities?

Most people actually DON’T know their key talents and strengths. And yet without this knowledge, you cannot confidently point yourself to the roles you will excel in and be happy! For instance, do you know what it is in your roles that you’ve loved and why, and what it is that you’ve struggled with, and why? Do you really know your strengths and weaknesses and what sparks your natural drive?

It is the hardest thing in the world to observe ourselves, let alone be objective; our self-perceptions even filter what we notice.  We can even be in denial, and others suffer needlessly, simply by not having these questions answered.  It takes an outsider to draw out and piece together the jigsaw of your strengths and weaknesses, what ‘makes you tick’.  With this, your world can be a far happier place.

Someone I was chatting to recently, recounted to someone else, “I’ve never met anyone like her. She seemed to know me better than I know myself”.

My own signature strengths include developing excellence (maximizing), drawing out and making sense of complex information, and acute insight into the unique qualities of each person. With over 20 years’ real world experience with high psychological ownership, complemented by perpetual study…. these are the reasons my insight is unusually productive in solving “people problems”.  My work with people brings real, lasting change with strong ripple effects to others. Essential foundation to team success is ‘casting’ people into the right roles, engaging and optimizing.

Gallup Consulting asserts, “Organizations that start by investing in an individual’s natural talent — and then add the pertinent knowledge and skills — experience a much greater return on every hour and dollar they spend developing people”. (Gallup Consulting, Strengths Based Development)

“We have so divided ourselves into parts and pieces”.  I am disturbed at the degree we’ve carved the body into pieces. We prescribe and ascribe pain etc to a part of our body as if it’s a separate room in a house, that we can medicate an isolated piece. The core perception out there is that we are made up of many simpler, single parts.

There could be nothing further from the truth. If we ‘reduce’ any body part down to the smallest part, the single cell, it will shock most people what is found. Utter and unbelievable complexity, intricacy and perfection of engineering design. The closer we look, the more like a complete being each cell seems!

It seems to me much of the intellectual world is frightened of facing the issues raised by the complexity of a single human cell. We know the whole of us resides in each cell through DNA. But even looking just at DNA is ‘dissecting into bits and pieces’. What about the essence of me? Am I not ‘me’ in every part also?

I have read, heard and thought enough to be convinced that while each cell is specialized, somehow the complete me exists in every cell – including my memories, emotions, heart (not just physical), digestion, breathing, everything. This is a huge subject. I am actually overwhelmed when I start thinking of the interconnectedness, so complex I can’t imagine it is constrained to only physical pathways.

Stepping aside from my intellectual world now, I confess still having a lot to learn about listening and even knowing what to listen to. I could identify with the ‘other consciousness’ Taylor-Bolte spoke of in TED in her right brain perceptions during her stroke. I have a situation I often feel myself absorbing into, far away from my left brain’s world, a timeless and alive place I’d love to stay. It was like discovering the real me. But it is also an ‘unrealistic’ place to live. It is too removed from the real world of the rest of life. But the realities are so different, it is incredibly difficult and takes time to adjust back to ‘reality’.  The trick is where I want my balance to be.