Jean on Problem Solving

Georgia may be taking Tennessee to court. The goal? Move the state line 1.1 miles to the north, back to the 35th parallel that marked Georgia’s northernmost boundary when
Tennessee became a state in 1796. It turns out that a mapmaker, James Camak, incorrectly calculated the line and marked it with a stone boundary marker in 1818. Since no one has corrected the problem, about 51 square miles of Georgia have been treated as part of Tennessee ever since.

The reason it is coming up again is a simple one – Georgia wants water from the Tennessee River. But unraveling a boundary problem that is almost 200 years old will be tough. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Transmissions, pistons, and filters rarely get top billing on car commercials but everyone knows that a failure in one of these can quickly require a tow truck. Service departments organize their maintenance of your complicated vehicle by inspecting each of the important systems regularly. Just like your car’s systems work together, your work group harnesses individual skills, motivation and effort to a create results that are greater than the sum of its parts. Here are ten things to check to evaluate your group’s collaboration competence:

1. Proximity: Members of your team must have ready access to one another live, via phone and via email. While synchronous (real-time) team communication is best, even asynchronous can work as long as team members check and respond to messages promptly. [Read the rest of this entry...]

While the term custodian often refers to the person who cleans and maintains a building, custodian can also mean one who safeguards and protects any company asset. For example, a custodian bank holds equities and bonds in safekeeping, all the while collecting and disseminating information about the condition of those assets to interested others. For years companies have trumpeted that “our employees are our most valuable asset.” If that is true, what should you be doing as a manager (or custodian) of that asset? [Read the rest of this entry...]

Every business, even the corner hamburger joint, faces a wide variety of risks. A recent SEC filing from Burger King itemized 27 important risk areas investors should understand. While your company may not be in the retail food business, many of these risk areas will apply in your situation as well. Below is a list of some of the risks Burger King monitors. Which of these should you be checking on? Should you create contingency plans or adjust your current projections? As you lead your organization, Burger King’s list can suggest questions you should ask as you conduct an annual risk factor roundup.

1. They may not win out over their competitors.
2. Because 90% of Burger King restaurants are franchises, any financial distress experienced by a majority of franchisees could affect the parent company.
3. They may be unsuccessful in implementing their international growth plans.
4. Their marketing and advertising programs may not be effective.
5. They may lose key management personnel and they may not be able to attract and retrain qualified new personnel.
6. There is a risk that food-borne illnesses or food tampering incidents could damage Burger King’s reputation and reduce sales.
7. Consumers could change their food preferences and/or their discretionary spending habits.
8. Franchise agreements may not be renewed.
9. Increases in input costs (food, paper products or energy) could harm profitability.
10. If distributors do not provide necessary products to stores quickly enough, stores will face supply shortages and business will be affected.
11. Labor shortages or increases in the labor costs could harm the business.
12. Foreign currency rates and interest rates could fluctuate and harm the business’s
    financial holdings and leases.
13. Restaurant locations may become unattractive.
14. They may not be able to protect their intellectual property (logos, brands, etc.)
15. They have substantial amounts of debt on the books and this could limit their ability to grow.
16. If they fail to comply with their loan covenants (restrictions) the debt could be placed into default status, harming their viability.
17. If they increase their debt even further, the debt-related risks would increase as well.
18. There is the risk of litigation, negative publicity, strikes and/or boycotts which would consume financial resources and divert attention from operations.
19. If they fail to comply with current or future government regulations or they become subject to additional regulations, business could be adversely affected.
20. Future regulations relating to genetically modified food products may force them to find other sources of supply.

Next time you enjoy a charbroiled burger in your neighborhood, give an extra smile to the manager behind the counter. After all, he or she is dealing with a very full plate – of risk factors.

Barack Obama is engaged in “damage control” these days as he seeks to distance himself from his pastor’s incendiary remarks. While Obama’s eloquence will probably carry his campaign well past this media event, the situation provides an excellent example of a particularly difficult tightrope leaders walk. On one hand, a leader works hard to motivate those in his or her surroundings, knowing that momentum can only be built if many people contribute their energy to the cause. On the other hand, the savvy leader realizes that, while his or her words certainly communicate a message, silence communicates just as loudly. In this case, Obama says now that he disagreed with his pastor’s comments. However, because he didn’t take a stand against the inflammatory remarks the moment they happened – because he remained silent – people now assume Obama was in agreement.

While you likely escape the intense media scrutiny Obama faces, its likely that employees in your organization are watching your reactions just as closely. A nonprofit executive I consulted with several years ago was oblivious to this fact. An intense high performer, he arrived at work each morning with the weight of the world (deadlines, budgets and a long task list) on his shoulders. Because he was focused on getting the most out of his day, he barreled toward his office, waving off the greetings offered by staff members. After we surveyed the staff members, he learned that his moodiness actually affected staff productivity. They were looking for some sort of positive confirmation that they were valued members of the team. By remaining silent he demotivated his team, suggesting (to them) that they were not valued contributors. Once this executive recognized that he was “on stage” at all times, he learned the power of speaking up immediately.

Here’s what to do to ensure that you speak up when you should:

1. Understand exactly where you stand on issues of interest to your constituency. The crux of the issue with Obama’s pastor’s comments is patriotism. Voters want to know that Obama believes in America, even with its problems. If there is any question in your mind about where you stand on a particular issue, make it a priority to work out your position carefully. As a leader your belief system can influence others. Consider all sides of the issue and make your choice – then prepare to defend it when necessary.
2. Recognize that you will not please everyone in your world. Once you get comfortable with that reality, you’ll find that many of those who are displeased with your position on a particular issue will stay in your world nonetheless. Often people respect you more if you know what you believe. If you try to please everyone you will never achieve the impact you could if you take a strong stand.
3. Recognize that you will not always be right. Sometimes your position won’t win the day and you’ll have a tough choice to make. Should you stick to your position and end the relationship with those who disagree or should you move forward with the group and change your position? There’s not lots of middle ground in some cases, like Barack Obama’s.
4. Gauge the climate of the situation as you decide if you should voice the specifics of your disagreement. If it is important that the person with the opposing position saves face, you could state that you “have some points of disagreement” with what he said without being specific. Then you could state that you will discuss specific points of difference with that person privately.
5. Express your position on issues of disagreement in a separate forum. Write an employee memo stating your reasoning or pepper upcoming presentations with examples that illustrate your point. If you truly believe something that differs from something a colleague has suggested in a public forum and if it is an important issue, you must make your position known. Part of leadership is taking a stand.

The rules may not change when you accept a position of leadership, but how you are perceived definitely does. Do not underestimate the importance of timing in revealing your position on vital issues. If it’s time for you to take a stand, do it now before someone assumes your agreement.

“I don’t think I’ve got anything else left to give. I know I can play, but I don’t want to.” This was quarterback Brett Favre’s tearful admission days ago as he announced his retirement from the Green Bay Packers. Though Favre’s timing may have been a surprise to some, the move from top performer to retirement-ready employee is something most managers have seen before.

We know that people seldom perform well when they “don’t want to.” But how can you re-motivate employees who’ve lost their zing? First, do some digging to find out what feelings your employees are experiencing. Are they disheartened because a team project is encountering insurmountable obstacles? Did a change in team makeup cause responsibilities to be shuffled in a way that seems unfair? Was someone promised a plum assignment but it never materialized? Once you figure out how they see the situation you’ll have a better idea how to reignite their motivation.

After you get a grip on the feelings and underlying situations, determine what you have to offer that may make the situation right. Here are some ideas you can try:

• Confront: Talk with the employees individually, speaking directly to them about the level of motivation they feel. Ask them what they would like to see changed and see what you can do to make progress toward that goal.
• Question Confidence: Use your best questioning skills to uncover any problems with the employees’ confidence levels. If they are not sure they have what it takes to get the job done, they may be reluctant to tell you. If self-confidence issues are present, work diligently to build the employees up – and as quickly as you can.
• Isolate Trust Problems: Unresolved trust issues cause motivation to evaporate but rebuilding broken trust can take a while. If there is a history of broken promises (or even a perception of broken promises) you must own up to your part in the situation and begin to make amends. Understand that it will take multiple iterations of promises fulfilled to balance out just one broken commitment.

While most of your employees will not have the wherewithal to retire at Brett Favre’s age, some certainly may have lost the desire to keep playing on your team. By probing for feelings first then addressing confidence and trust issues, you can give the members of your team a chance to stay together and keep winning.

One of the most pervasive productivity-sapping workplace habits I see is something I call “truth reluctance.” Lots of people know something should be said, but no one is willing to step up and get the issue out in the open.

Here’s an example:

Susie’s job was “reorganized” in a merging of two departments three years ago. But still, after all this time, Susie gripes to coworkers about how unfair the restructuring was. Everyone around her wishes she would just move on and get to the business at hand. But no one, including Susie’s new manager, has the guts to tell Susie the truth. As a result, Susie’s coworkers scatter when they see her coming. She is in danger of being marginalized by her own poor behavior and she doesn’t even know it.

In this situation, two things are missing. First, workplace participants don’t realize how much they are hurting themselves by being truth reluctant. They somehow feel that cushioning Susie’s feelings is a noble choice. Second, they aren’t sure speaking honestly with Susie would do any good, even if they were willing to do it. While the first concern is simply invalid, the second has some merit, because if Susie doesn’t receive the feedback well, you may have taken an unwise chance by speaking up.

Here are three parts of the situation you can monitor to give your feedback to Susie a fighting chance:

Trust: For your feedback to make a difference, it should rest on a foundation of mutual trust between you and Susie – a situation where you trust her and she trusts you. To develop a mutually beneficial working relationship requires “deposits” of actions, services or products the other person values. Professors Allan Cohen and David Bradford, in their book Influence Without Authority, call these deposits “currency.” Steven Covey referred to a similar idea in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People as keeping track of an “Emotional Bank Account.” Whatever you call it, careful giving and receiving within a trusting relationship can help build even more trust.

Timing: Feedback should always be given privately and at a time when distracting workplace stress is minimized. If the person to whom you wish to give feedback needs to temporarily opt-out because the timing isn’t right, allow that. Choose to catch up with Susie at a later, more agreeable time.

Tone: The words you choose to use when delivering a piece of feedback to a colleague are of vital importance. A good way to start could be, “Susie, because I care about you and your work here, I want you to hear this feedback from me.” After beginning in this reassuring way, be sure your feedback session includes the following segments:

• Your desire that Susie listen to and thoughtfully consider the feedback you will give.
• The specific behavior that needs to change and when you have observed it.
• The impact or effect that the behavior is currently having on: the workplace, you (the feedback giver), customers, and/or Susie’s reputation and career potential.

Whether or not you currently have a Susie situation in your workplace, you will someday be tempted to be “truth reluctant.” But if you consider trust, timing and tone, you can be the person courageous enough to say what everyone else was thinking. That’s the only way to make things better, for Susie and for everyone.

I’ve said before that “Feedback is the food work teams live on.” If a group can’t give (and receive) honest performance feedback, productivity gains are just about impossible. While there is a simple model you can use for giving feedback effectively, there are, in my experience, four types of people who will have a hard time hearing you, even if you use the model perfectly. Here’s what to do for each type.

1) People who have been hurt by feedback in the past and are living in fear that they’ll be hurt again.

A woman I know won’t even listen if someone starts to offer her some “constructive criticism.” The prospect of hearing something negative strikes such a fear in her that she will actually remove herself from the situation rather than hear feedback. If this sounds like someone on your work team, there are three things you can try:

• Demonstrate that not all feedback is negative – by giving her some practice in receiving positive feedback.
• Explain that she must become strong enough to receive both negative and positive feedback if she hopes to grow and advance in her career.
• Make sure that the feedback you choose to give her is substantial and important. Do not spend your time “nit-picking.”

2) People who think they know it all.

Almost every workplace has a person others describe as “arrogant” and if you have some constructive feedback to give to this guy, expect some push-back. Here’s what to try:

• Gather evidence to figure out whether this person is overstating his intelligence or whether he is truly a superstar. If applicable, use what you learn to prove that they should be open to your input.
• Teach this person to give helpful, constructive feedback to others. Let them practice explaining “behavior impacts” to others.
• Hold this person responsible for demonstrating that they have internalized the feedback you have given them.

3) People who don’t value the opinions of others.

Often, less experienced workers have a dogmatic, “my-way-or-the-highway” lens through which they see the world. If you are dealing with this situation, try these ideas:

• Coach them to identify and explain the value of the differing perspectives of those in your work team. Discuss the concept of pluralism in American society.
• Have them practice explaining the “impact statements” others might use to describe their behaviors.
• Remove this person from direct management of others until he or she can demonstrate an appreciation for differing viewpoints.

4) People who are currently in personal crisis.

If there is someone in your work group facing something serious in personal or professional life, they might be having trouble coping. Adding your constructive feedback to the mix could have unfavorable results.

• Defer giving feedback temporarily so that they can concentrate on coping successfully.
• Give this person room to grow, but also assign a deadline by which you expect them to have come to terms with the situation they face.
• Refer the person to whatever external resources your organization has in place such as the Employee Assistance Program.

Part of your job as a workplace leader is giving people the feedback they need to perform successfully. By planning ahead for the four types of people who can’t hear feedback, you’ll be able to get those vital messages through – eventually.

The man spoke urgently, throwing his words together much faster than usual, a short burst of syllables followed quickly by a torrent. His father, it seemed, had died weeks before. Even though the passing wasn’t unexpected, my friend was feeling the loss. And the worst part about it, he said, was that the family, after choosing cremation, had planned a memorial service still months away. My friend “just had to talk about his Dad” and with no official funeral having taken place he could keep his feelings bottled up inside no longer.

My friend reached out to me, as he had to others. He was using us for emotion-focused coping. This was a normal – and healthy – thing to do after having experienced a loss.

In the workplace, however, emotion-focused coping can definitely cause problems. We know from earlier articles that there are generally three types of behaviors that take place as people cope with crisis in their lives: problem-focused behaviors, emotion-focused behaviors and avoidance behaviors. For the most part, mentally healthy adults exhibit both problem-focused behaviors (such as list making, planning and scenario-analysis) and emotion-focused behaviors (talking with friends, taking comfort in religion and trying to find the good in the situation) in the weeks and months after a disturbance. The trouble starts when a person ignores emotions completely or when they focus only on emotions without taking steps to focus on more logical actions. (People who exhibit avoidance behaviors only, such as drinking too much, refusing to acknowledge the situation or putting more on the line than is appropriate, are at great risk and should be advised to seek professional help.)

Here are ideas you can use to help those in your workplace who are exhibiting excessive emotion-focused coping behaviors:

1) Offer your condolences if appropriate and state that you know some time may be needed for them to regain their equilibrium given what they have experienced.

2) Express your confidence that they will be able to cope successfully.

3) Explain available options for outside assistance; confidential counseling offered through an employee assistance program is ideal. Resources are also often available through community groups or religious organizations.

4) Be careful not to share personal information about one employee with another. If the employee wishes to share with other employees that is one thing; you should maintain the employee’s confidence.

5) Should the emotion-focused coping go on for too long or begin to disrupt team effectiveness, you must confront the employee and offer constructive feedback about how the emotion-focused coping behavior is impacting the workplace. Be sensitive as you offer your guidance, but do not cross the line and become your employee’s psychotherapist. You are not qualified to offer such advice, even if your intentions are pure.

6) Continue to offer your encouragement to the employee while pushing them to maintain a high standard of professional behavior at work.

7) Do not be surprised, should the employee fail to cope successfully, if you are eventually required to terminate them for cause. While this is a worst case scenario, it is a possibility you cannot afford to ignore.

Each of us may face moments, even months or years, of crises in our lives. If we learn to recognize successful coping strategies, we will be well positioned to help our colleagues as they face theirs.

In over twenty years of working with clients in various industries, I’ve seen some of the same problems pop up over and over. This blog will allow me to share some of those problems (and their potential solutions) with a wider audience. Feel free to comment here, whether you agree or disagree with my conclusions.Some of the topics I expect to cover are:

• Leadership (When Leaders Fail to Lead)
• Coping Skills (How Those Who Fail To Cope Affect All of Us)
• Feedback (The Magic of Making Teams Work)
• Performance Measures (Why Measuring the Right Things May Not Be Easy)
• Motivation (How to Engage Employees So They Are Productive and Happy)
• Reward and Recognition (How Handling These Things Poorly Wastes Everyone’s Time)

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