July-August 2008
The developmental digest for emerging leader/managers devoted to growth and excellence
CONTENTS:	Section 1 - Topical Topics   - Leadership Assessment   - Timely Insights Section 2 - Talk Back   - Dear Coach   - Commentary   - A Point of View Section 3 - On the Horizon   - The Positive Workplace   - Opportunities and Challenges   - Reach Out Section 4 - Secure Site
Section 1	- Topical Topics
	Leadership Assessment Without doubt, the most prevalent topic among business leaders, relating to the art/science itself, involves a precise assessment of leadership. If this can’t be done successfully we’re likely to experience significant difficulties in recognizing, selecting, orienting, developing and even in relating to leaders. In recent articles we addressed just one of these aspects – that of personal development. Under this heading I proposed three distinctive differences between management and leadership – information usage, perspective and investment, and how to recognize and evaluate each of these. Several readers have raised the critical issue of how we might measure leadership effectiveness overall. Assuming that you’re seeking to develop yourself to meet emerging demands, you’ll need to know your point of departure, some milestones along the way and your destination. Let’s see what we can discover about measuring leadership. A point of departure . . . First our definition of a leader is “one who focuses the desire for change that’s resident in others and who then facilitates the creation of a sustainable new reality”.   The next challenge is to decide what aspects of leadership to measure. There are three popular schools of thought: Results – the product or outcomes of a particular event or overall leadership interventions - are the traditional approach to determining leadership effectiveness. In today’s turbulent market where there’s been an extremely short-sighted scoreboard – the next ninety days – a results-based measurement strategy has distorted performance in many undesirable ways. We’re all familiar with Enron’s dark history. There’s a good case for the conclusion that pressure from the Board for consistently increasing quarterly dividends helped fuel an executive climate of short-term focus and lowered ethical concerns. Such pressures also contributed to a focus on so-called charismatic leadership styles, very few of which have had any lasting and positive impact, and a good few of which have led to disasters. The basic point though is that results or outcomes cannot be attributed solely to leadership style. There are so many variables that influence both top and bottom lines and which have a durable yet inconsistent impact. General economic conditions, regulatory influences and market fads and fashions are just the tip of a very sizeable iceberg. A similar case can be made for Relationships – the residual feelings and attachments that enable, sustain and survive the interventions. They are certainly important factors in any leadership intervention, but it is reasonable to deduce that they are largely independent of specific events. We all experience conflicts wherein we depend on the overall quality of a relationship to help us survive temporary setbacks with other persons. There might be some merit in measuring the residual impact of a particular event or intervention on any ongoing relationship – what particular difference has it made and is this positive (contributing) or negative (detracting)? There has to be a way to measure this specifically but it would seem to be unduly complex to me. Let’s acknowledge too that there are, and will continue to be, many leadership situations where there is no permanent relationship, either before, during or afterwards. We come together for a reason, a season or a lifetime, but rarely for all three. Our hope rests, it seems, with the third option – that of Response – the extent (footprint) and impact (intensity) of leadership influences that empower action. The premise here is that every leadership intervention is an interface between a leader and follower(s). Something special has to occur between the two interest groups and this can be detected, influenced and tracked; therefore, it can be measured. A Four-fold Path . . . Response requires two fundamental, independent forces – the investment of effort or energy and an emerging sense of commitment. When I consider the manner in which these two factors will operate, both alone and together, there is, I believe, a pattern in the unfolding of leadership response, which is the evolving behaviors between leader and follower. This pattern follows a sequence of four distinct phases: The path is natural; it can be traced in almost every successful leadership intervention and support for it is mainly intuitive. Consider, as my leader you must first earn my attention; then you need to convince me that meaningful results are indeed possible; after that I will assume responsibility for my actions and contributions; finally, the results and outcomes are mine / ours and can exist independently of you and me, the leader and the led. So, we begin with Initiation and before we’re ever asked for commitment we’re expected to invest effort - Impetus. Once effort has been invested there emerges a growing awareness of, and escalation in, commitment. This often results in a different quality, and perhaps level, of invested effort – Involvement. The increased nature of our commitment changes our perspectives and attitudes towards accountability and ownership – Investment. Within each phase there are sub-phases. For Initiation these could be “identification”, “intervention” and “integration” each with its own typical and progressive behaviors. For the Impetus phase I’ve selected “critical mass”, “coherence” and “response time”.  In the third phase, Involvement, where there’s a transfer of ownership from leader to follower, I’d select “role clarity”, “affiliation” and “cohesion”, and lastly, in the Investment phase I suggest “accountability”, “trust” and “legacy”. In every sub-phase there are constituent sequential behaviors which are observable and measurable. I’ve developed a composite schematic of the entire process – the Leadership Response Model - which you’re invited to review (attached). Each phase has its own integrity and the actual pathway can be traced from a start point through progressive steps eventually linking to the subsequent phases. The course appears to be a rational one but, more important, it is also supportable from an experiential / emotional vantage point. Ask yourself, “Does it make sense? Does it feel right? Does it hang together in action?” How is it applied? . . . It’s rather like walking a labyrinth. Given a map or schematic, we can sit together and trace a pathway to success before we begin our actual experience. We would explore together each of the options and assess the probabilities of a successful journey. I can see where your personal strengths and cognitive competencies are advantageous and you can access the impact of mine. We might use it to set priorities and detail a plan of action, how we will work together and also allocate our limited resources in the most effective and efficient ways. We can also use it to define opportunities for discovering synergies and potential difficulties and so configure our joint strategies accordingly. This knowledge can also help us to identify longer-term developmental and personal growth needs. Through the application of a simple 7-point scale to each of the phases and/or identified behaviors we can create a useful scoring system which will support our choices and allow for meaningful comparisons between people and events. Using this scale 7 Point Scale -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 behavior is diametrically opposed behavior has no impact      behavior is entirely supportive we can rapidly determine those areas where the leadership has been/will be challenged and/or enhanced. The phase in which any anomaly occurs and the specific causative behaviors will become obvious, as well as their likely impact ‘down-stream’. The Leader’s path . . . It’s a dialogue tool! The greatest impact of such an assessment process, whether it be applied before, in the course of, or following any leadership intervention, is through constructive dialogue. The leader and follower(s) would use the model as a discussion guide, actively exploring each behavior in sequence in terms of individual perspectives and the impact on the relationship, applicable standards and specific results. Where the scoring process is to be applied, there’s an option for weighting either the particular phase or the sub-phases within them to reflect the needs of the situation. The resulting scores describe the situation; they do not prove anything in that they are subjective – one or more person’s opinion. The internal distribution or pattern will be most helpful in assessing relative merits though, and given that a consistent approach is adopted, comparisons between different people and different times will be revealed. The ultimate purpose for the use of this, or any other assessment device is to stimulate focused development. This is truly its best contribution. So, what’s the bottom line . . . The leader, devoted to excellence, needs all help available to enhance the quality of shared actions and outcomes. This dialogue agenda has the potential to contribute - significantly. Focusing on process or Response is a fair, credible and professional strategy for bringing out the very best in all those involved. When this can be achieved through use of a device which is both rational and intuitive a more durable consensus will emerge. It all comes down to sharing awareness and understanding – a first step towards wisdom – and to building both results and relationships by upgrading the quality of response. It’s surely well-worth a try. I'd welcome your questions, comments and suggestions. We can all learn through dialogue and your experiences will undoubtedly gain more value when shared. Please contact me at david@andros.org. A Note to our Readers . . . Previous series of articles on the topics of Tomorrow’s Leaders – a model for SME organizations The Leadership Crucible – the ‘making’ of leaders Leadership Characteristics – a comprehensive catalogue of leader qualities Succession Planning – the strategic argument, principles and strategies, and Managing Change – every person’s guide to painless processes have been summarized as discussion guides for those who lead and manage through mentoring and coaching. If you would like to secure a copy for your own use, please contact us. It is a pleasure to share ideas with you and we’d welcome your questions, suggestions and comments. They’ll assist us refine and expand the essential value of these initiatives. Thanks in anticipation for your participation.
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	Timely Insights . . . A Miniature Guide to Ethical Reasoning . . . Understanding the foundations of ethical reasoning, based on critical thinking concepts and principles, has long been a challenge for most leaders and managers – which is why so many make errors of judgment that even they know are avoidable. Let’s face it, philosophy was not the ‘pushover’ we all thought it might be in first year university. It’s complex, extensive, convoluted, confusing and boring! We will all admit that it is important but that doesn’t mean that we should raise a sweat to master it – not until we are in the throes of an ethical dilemma. At that point, assuming that it isn’t too late, we can always hire a consultant and allow someone else to do the hard work. Well, here’s relief! It’s a very insightful and readily digestible synopsis of the main points that will benefit all. Drs. Paul and Elder have produced a very fine synopsis for the busy yet concerned executive. It is easy to read and follow and provides a number of vital insights that you will be really pleased to own. Look for the e-copy that you can download from the website and take it along on your next business trip. I’ll bet you that it will earn more respect than the average in-flight movie! http://www.criticalthinking.org/ A Strategic Approach to Persuasion . . . Harvard Business Publishing’s monthly Harvard Management Update – one of my favourite subscriptions – has several great articles in every issue. This month’s copy takes on the challenging topic of persuasion, and does it well. An article by Update Editor, Christina Bielaszka-DuVernay, focuses on the book “The Art of Woo – using strategic persuasion to sell your ideas” by G. Richard Shell and Mario Moussa. The essence is not ‘rocket science’ but it is refreshing: Effective persuasion is about “pull” not “push”. Your goal isn’t to push the other person into agreeing with you; it’s to remove the barriers he sees to yes; Deeply held beliefs and values can create high barriers to yes; but they can also serve as bridges between people and make agreement possible; Using the PCAN model (Problem – Cause – Answer – Net Benefits) will help you to make your initial pitch. The barriers of credibility, relationships, beliefs and values, interests and communication can become bridges to agreement if handled properly. Make your initial pitch rational and engaging and use the power of stories to ignite the imagination of your audience. It seems to me that this is one book that should definitely be on my summer reading list. Filling the leadership pipeline . . . I ‘m impressed with the clarity of thought of coach, John G. Agno, who describes himself as ‘your own cultural attaché’. (I’ve always wanted one of those!) In an article on Succession Planning – a very topical topic – he outlines what he calls the leadership pipeline: Starting Point   - Managing self Passage 1       - Managing others Passage 2       - Managing managers Passage 3       - Functional manager Passage 4       - Business manager Passage 5       - Group manager, and Passage 6       - Enterprise manager He contends, and I agree, that individuals must acquire a new way of managing and leading for each transition; and he also offers a simple five-step plan for facilitating succession planning. It’s worth checking out! http://coachingtip.blogs.com/
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Section 2	- Talk Back
	Coach's Corner . . . A selection from frequently–asked questions Dear Coach, I truly see the value in coaching my staff whenever there are problems and also to get better results for each person. However, it’s my experience that coaching needs a lot of time and patience if it is to work as intended although I do agree that the results are usually long lasting. But my boss is starting to challenge the time I’m putting into coaching. How can I measure the benefits right now and so build a case for all my invested efforts? Response: Let’s see if I can help you build a business case for coaching. This could help you address the concerns of your boss and also assist you to keep your interventions in proper perspective. Firstly, I’d like to ‘position’ it. Coaching is a way of getting things done (a strategy) and a preferred way of working (a style). It isn’t an entity unto itself although many people appear to adopt this stance. Coaching is also primarily, a management tool, especially in the context of the definition – a manager is one who gets results through other people, by making them successful. This suggests to me that a manager’s activities should be ‘convergent’, that is increasingly focused on the achievement of an end result or outcome - where attaining the ‘goal line’ is the main point of concern. Having said this however, coaching deals mainly with how things are done. This contrasts with mentoring where the point of focus is ‘divergent’, meaning what things get done. It’s very easy to confuse the two – mentoring and coaching – but I believe they should be treated as quite separate interventions. There’s much more detail on this issue in my book “Way to Coach” – why not see for your self? In this light, the impact and benefits of coaching can be measured in three different ways: Short–term outcomes Long-term benefits, and Personal changes in perception (attitudes) – the third dimension. Short-term outcomes are readily monitored / measured in how effectively and efficiently the desired end results are generated by the individual. ‘Effective’ means that you got the right results, those that you intended and that the organization needed. ‘Efficient’ means that you achieved these results in the right way - at an optimal expenditure of resources (people, money, materials, capital, time, information and motive energy) and relevant standards (quality, quantity, timing and costs). ‘Generated by the individual’ is a crucial consideration because it’s all too easy for the coach to quietly assume responsibility for the outcomes, allowing the individual to become a passive bystander. This is not coaching. If you’re able to accomplish the needed organizational results by way of enhancing and expanding the performance capabilities of your people then you’re coaching well - in the short-term. Longer term benefits are another matter. To be a successful coach – one who will be gratefully appreciated and remembered – you have to leave a legacy. This will likely be markedly different from one individual to another and it requires a tailor-made plan of action; it won’t just happen. The context for longer-term benefit rests in the values of the individual being coached. (S)He must develop an acute awareness of what is important in terms of personal fulfillment and satisfaction. Maslow referred to this as ‘self actualization’. When a person has a clear image of her/himself as fully ‘realized’, personal perspectives will become clear and values will be expressed openly. The plan of action has to be authored by the person for only that person can know the fine detail of content, standards and acceptable strategies. When the plan is shared with a competent and ethical coach it becomes a blueprint for the complex unfolding of individual accomplishment and achievement. This plan of mutual or shared intentions focuses priorities, clarifies shared activities and deepens the relationship between coach and individual. It’s comparable to parenting and can be assessed as harmonious, consistent, resilient and mutually beneficial interactions over time and changing circumstances. You could measure turnover, absenteeism, lateness, passivity (low initiatives), personal errors and shortfalls, and of course, crises of confidence. The Gallup organization points out that people don’t leave organizations, they leave their immediate boss! The third dimension for measurement is the extension of this longer term consideration into the realm of organizational culture. We’re all familiar with ‘attitudinal’ issues where the perspectives of an individual are incompatible with those of the group as a whole. Such attitudes can be positive or negative, constructive or destructive, enhancing or distractive. They’re a signal for desired change; they can also be an issue of compatibility. If we consider attitudes as ‘tools’ that can instigate desired change we’re able to assess whether the tool is appropriate to the intended outcome. This shifts our focus from the ‘personality’ of the user to that of a ‘deliberate’ strategy. Coaching in this instance focuses on assisting the individual to select and apply the right attitudinal tool in the right way to accomplish the changes required. Values, perspectives, temperament and style will need to be aligned for this to happen and since this can be very difficult to construct while the perceived need for change is dominant and sometimes urgent, it’s not always successful. It takes time, subtlety and patience but when it is accomplished, it’s magical! The coach’s power to influence is now transferred to another individual and coaching impact and reach is extended. The hallmark of the great coach is that (s)he can create and manage results in all three areas concurrently. I hope this is useful.
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	Commentary . . . You’re all talk . . .! There’s a major difference between talking about things and getting things done. Many organizations suffer from a ‘knowledge – doing’ problem, the inability or reluctance to convert what they know into action - this being far worse that not knowing what to do in the first place. There’s an oriental philosophical axiom that states that “true knowledge can be attained only by doing”.  If this is indeed the truth – and I believe firmly that it is – then what is it we think we know before we’ve put anything into practice? We all confuse one another by insisting that we must talk about things thoroughly before we commit to action. Then, having met to discuss the issue, perhaps several times, we convince ourselves that we’ve actually done something about it. If there was no actual implementation though, we’ve made no headway at all. We also assume that we’re better informed and more knowledgeable having shared these ideas than we were before we discussed them. How can we be? We haven’t yet experienced anything different than before; the newly acquired knowledge is meaningless until we’ve wrapped our individual realities around it. One of the main criticisms I have of our business education programs is that they generate great talkers and theorists but fall far short on the issue of practical experiences. We do not need more “intelligent talk” in our organizations – we need meaningful action. How many times have you been told, “I can’t move forward on this until I receive some needed information”? In my experience, information is just organized data. In order to make a move what I need is ‘intelligence’ – information that actually means something to me and usually at an emotional level. That’s a very small percentage of the vast store of information that available out there. I can wait forever for information and I’ll still not get all I need. What I’m suggesting here is that ‘information’ is more of a crutch and an impediment than it is a vital element that could and should influence my next actions. In most circumstances I know enough right now to take at last one step forward with implementation. When I do this, guess what happens?  The situation appears different!  In the light of my new position and perspectives my original needs have changed. What I thought was important is no longer what I had believed; I need something different. I learned this well in the military. As a junior leader in the field I had very little information, just a compelling mission. The one luxury I never had was the option of doing nothing while I waited for information. I had to appreciate what was intelligence and, therefore, something I could act upon, and then move forward. If I didn’t I was a sitting duck! I once asked my Company Commander, “How will I know that I have enough information to be sure about what I need to do?” His response was pointed, “Nothing is ever ‘sure’ except the need to take the objective. Just do it!” The problem with sitting there waiting for information is that the enemy will locate you and take you out of the picture. One of the most potent military strategies is ‘surprise’. Why would anyone want to diminish it? Please do not misunderstand me. I’m not saying that we do not need information – we surely do. What we really need though is an action-bias that will ensure that the information remains our servant, not our master. Think about it!
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	A Point of View . . . This section is a guest column. Those with different and interesting viewpoints are invited to state a case on a related topic. Articles are most welcome. What’s Vision got to do with it? I always thought that having a vision was something for special people – bosses and philosophers and there are enough of them around. People like me didn’t need visions because there’d always be others out there to provide them. That’s the way it was for a long time. Then I woke up one day and asked myself “Is this all there is to my life”? This question probably occurs to everyone at some point in their life, but it’s a shock when it’s your turn! I wasn’t ready for the question, and I didn’t even know where to look for an answer. How could I make an assessment when I didn’t know where the goal was? How could I possibly know if I was doing alright if someone else was calling the shots and setting the standards? Fortunately for me there was someone who could help to bail me out of the sinking boat of my life. He asked me some searching questions about what I was feeling, what excited me, what my dreams might be and how I saw myself being different from others I knew. Before I’d considered these matters for long, I began to realize that I was putting a vision together. It came fairly quickly at first but I’ve not stopped thinking about it yet and it’s been several years since I started. I’ve learned that if I don’t set my own vision for my future that I will have no choice but to work on someone else’s. This is not what my life is all about – I want more than this, for sure. It isn’t hard once you get started. Like a lot of things in life, it’s more a question of how you do things than what you do. All I had to do was start asking myself the questions, “How do I feel about that?” “What does or could that mean to me?” and I will deliberately choose to add it to my vision or not. The biggest danger is when I don’t even stop to think about things, and just let them roll over me. Those days, my friend, are over! Well that’s my opinion anyway! Stuart
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Section 3	- On the Horizon
	The Positive Workplace Another ‘lost soul’? Or simply someone in need of the 6 R’s of a Positive Workplace? I remember someone telling me that there are only two ways to get lost.  Not to know where you are going, or from whence you’ve come. Sounds good, right?  And for the longest time I found this to be true.  That is, until I discovered myself spinning my wheels, running around in circles, madly trying to regain traction.  The situation was awful. I’d been racing the clock, battling budgets and overcoming obstacles for weeks.  I was exhausted.  The faster I tried to go, the slower I became. I was ready to give up. I felt dreadful.  Inept!  Singularly unable to move myself toward my destination, it seemed. Well, that’s what I was telling myself.  And in the telling I found myself smiling. . . .smiling because I’d discovered a third way to get lost.  And that is....to be lost.  To be unaware of where one is.  Also, I was smiling because, listening to my self-talk - listening very closely to my self-talk, that is -  I’d discovered a contradiction.  The destination I was moving toward – my destination, as I’ve just referred to it – had nothing to do with me.  It wasn’t mine. In the busyness of tasks, challenges, milestones and deadlines I’d lost sight of what was important....the contribution, outcomes and value of the project I was working on.  More specifically, I’d lost sight of why this project was important to me. It was not traction I needed to regain.  It was focus. I needed to take a very personal and self-induced ‘time out’.  I had to recall the big picture and my part in the scheme of things. I needed to re-mind myself.  In other words, I needed to re-orient myself; to review the desired outcomes, appreciate those things that had gone well to date, consider my strengths — and then figure out where and how I could make my best contribution going forward.  What meaning would that hold for me?  Only then could I re-align myself and my activities with those objectives and outcomes. Do you ever become so engrossed in activity that you lose sight of what you’re trying to accomplish — and why? Do you ever take time out to listen to yourself?   To your self-talk, that is.  I don’t mean listening  in some half-hearted way, acknowledging there’s a voice in your head that’s jawing away at the world at large — and at you in particular!  If you have, then you’ll know the amazing things one hears when one actually stops everything, when one comes to a complete halt — and listens to oneself for understanding, perspective and insight. A Positive Workplace is one in which individuals flourish and the organization thrives — as each achieves its mission. A positive workplace is one in which we have time — in which we regularly make time as individuals and teams — to Rest, and Reflect on where we’re going and how well we’re doing, individually and jointly.   In so doing, we are Re-energized.  We put ourselves in a position where we can readily Re-Align ourselves to move forward with greater Resolve and Resilience. Is yours a Positive Workplace?  Are you in a positive position in your life and your career? Might this be a good time to Rest, Reflect, Re-energize and Re-align yourself so that you can take on the rest of your life with even greater Resolve and Resilience? If not now, when? Until next time, Be well, be strong, do good! Amanda Levy http://www.positiveworkplace.com
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	Opportunities & Challenges . . . Your Development . . . How well are you doing with your personal development? Will you be ready for the opportunities and challenges that tomorrow will undoubtedly bring? Would you like some help with professional / objective assessment? ongoing self development? personal, one-on-one coaching? We have a talent for bringing out the very best in people. We help them to focus, to build self and general confidence based on committed results and we contribute to competence and resiliency. We are Polaris – the finest self-navigation program for emerging leaders / managers. You can reach us at info@polarisprogram.com or by calling (519) 766-1178 anytime. Perhaps Polaris would be the right program for you? We’d welcome the opportunity to demonstrate this powerful program and to contribute to the strengthening of your profile and/or management team. This leading-edge personal development program is winning plaudits across the board. Please contact us for details of qualifications required and registration processes - info@polarisprogram.com or  contact us for details.
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	Reach Out. . . Harness the power of a sparkling new thought every week. By subscribing to our "Reach Out" service, you'll receive a short, high impact, motivating and often provocative quotation every Tuesday morning. It will lend focus to your week, stimulation for your thinking, insights into your whole life and perhaps even solace for your soul. Best of all, it's free! Take a moment for yourself and make room for a little refreshment.   Go to http://www.reachoutdirectory.com
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Section 4	- Secure Site
	Polaris Participants. . . Accessing the Essential Information Bank... Polaris participants are invited to use their assigned usernames and passwords to access the extended curriculum and knowledge base at http://www.polarisprogram.com/members.php Any person who has participated in the Polaris Program at any time is invited and encouraged to attend any Work Out at any time and without fee. Please contact Sheila to advise her of your intention to attend.
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	Be kind to yourself - and to someone else!
	Stay well, live long and prosper. David Huggins and Amanda Levy Andros Consultants Limited http://www.andros.org Helping individuals and organizations be their best http://www.ebooks4business.ca Distinctive business books for the discerning mind http://www.polarisprogram.com Realizing tomorrow's potential - today! Shameless Marketing Tip: With close to thirty years of experience in identifying and resolving professional and business issues, we've developed a wealth of expertise that could benefit you. An exploratory consultation carries no obligation. Let's talk! Contact us at info@andros.org
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