Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Leading with Humor

“Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air and you.”

Langston Hughes

Laughter is often the best medicine in life – but what about using humor in the workplace?   In the work environment we are expected to be sensitive to others and treat people with respect.  In fact, there are policies in place to promote appropriate behavior.  So is it smart to use humor in today’s workplace?

The answer: yes. Humor and respect for others are not mutually exclusive. Effectively using humor can drive positive emotions in the workplace.  Laughter can build relationships, encourage creativity, and reduce tension.  Employers frequently list having a sense of humor as a desirable quality in new employees.

So if all this is true, why are certain leaders reluctant to include humor as they relate to others?  I have had leaders say that using humor is a minefield, filled with potential misunderstandings.  Others say humor may contribute to a hostile work environment, which is certainly not where an organization wants to be.  I also believe there is a risk to humor and some leaders prefer to play it safe.

I recall a business trip years ago that resulted in a humorous story, and the joke was on me.  Following a full day of meetings, I was exhausted and heading to the airport on a Friday afternoon.  Arriving at the terminal I was ready to check-in and suddenly noticed there were no passengers.  I asked an employee what was happening and he smiled.  He told me the new airport on the other end of town had opened that morning.  Racing to the new airport I watched my flight depart on time as I entered the parking lot.  This was the last commercial flight of the day and I spent the night.  I use this story to remind others, and myself, we all make mistakes and to be careful of our assumptions.

Three principles to effectively use humor in the workplace:

Humility
A study published in the Leadership & Organization Development Journal reported that leaders who use self-deprecating humor appear more approachable and human to subordinates.  Similar to my airport story, focusing humor on your mistakes or shortcomings is a message to others about your humility.  Sometimes the joke needs to be on you.

Appropriate Material 
Where can you find good, clean material?  Everywhere!  You don’t need a library of joke books.  There is humor all around us – pay attention during your daily routine.  The grocery store, driving, or attending a sporting event.  Good taste needs to be your standard –know your audience and check your material if in doubt.
  Office humor needs to be inclusive and positive. Sarcasm may generate a few temporary laughs but is disrespectful to individuals and your organization.  Personal insults and insensitive material may  violate company policies preventing a hostile work environment (race, gender, age, etc...).​  Understand the boundaries - the office is not a comedy club.

Maintain your Credibility
Leaders must consistently model the way that humor is accepted and appreciated.  We need to be careful to use just enough humor without eroding our credibility.  Constantly laughing or joking can result in others not taking you seriously – pick your spots.

The art of leading with humor is within our reach.  Applying the principles of humility, appropriate material, and credibility will enable you to connect with others more effectively.  Remember, the most effective laugh may be the one on you!
 

Thursday, April 24, 2014

How Do YOU See the World?

“If you want to have an interesting dinner conversation, be interested. If you want to have interesting things to write, be interested. If you want to meet interesting people, be interested in the people you meet—their lives, their history, their story.” – Jim Collins 

Life is based on experiences, including the books we read and the people we meet. These experiences represent our learning portfolio, affecting how we see the world and lead others. But an effective leader needs a variety of experiences to help them grow. Sometimes, it is easy for us to stay within our comfortable routine and resist change. 

I learned this the hard way. I did not pay attention to critical relationships early in my career. My work routine involved going on break (do breaks still exist?) and having lunch with the same group every day. We had fresh gossip or a mistake made by our supervisor to feed the conversation. My point of view was strongly influenced by this group, and a mentor finally challenged me to be wary of my associations. 

This advice caused me to reconsider my social interactions and reorient my relationships towards individuals who were moving the organization forward, a transition that was not easy and changed my career. This resulted in building connections to new people, greater career satisfaction, and becoming a more interesting leader. I challenge you to do the same. An effective leader can build an intentional learning portfolio through critical reading, thinking, and relationships. 

Critical Reading 
For years I would read articles and books based on an interesting title or concept, with little regard for the author. My moment of truth came in graduate school at Bradley University when my professors challenged me to read critically, discern the author and their point of view. I began to understand that reading to reinforce my current beliefs was not helping me grow. Take an inventory of the newspapers, magazines, and media sources that shape your views – what alternative sources are available to widen your perspective? 

Critical Thinking 
Critical thinking is all about asking effective questions, recognizing assumptions, objectively testing potential solutions, and effectively communicating in practical terms. Let’s look at a common example – evaluating data. Making decisions based on data that is convenient, subjective, and narrow is a shortcut with expensive consequences – both for you and your organization. A better approach is questioning the sources of information, identifying the root cause of the issue, and developing a story to support the data. We are rewarded for the decisions we make – critical thinking pays dividends. 

Critical Relationships 
As I mentioned in my story of being wary of your associations, take a look at your daily routine and calendar. Are you surrounded by individuals who are catalysts foropportunities or more of the same? We certainly need to have champions and critics to help us grow. Manage your relationships to keep you informed, inspired, and relevant. Don’t be a prisoner of your experience. Now is the time to reflect on your reading, thinking, and relationships to promote your leadership development. Be an interesting leader and increase your personal impact. 

Todd

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

What Kind of Leader are You?

Are You a Positive Leader?

“Complaining does not work as a strategy” - Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Why do people complain at work? The source is generally caused by a feeling of fear or being helpless. No doubt many people today are being asked to do more with less, working longer hours with greater expectations and fewer resources. The result is often frustration about their job, supervisor, co-workers, and the organization. Frustration leads to complaining, complaining impacts the work environment, and as leaders we are expected to engage. 

I attended a meeting several years ago where an unpopular HR policy was being introduced. The team was very frustrated and the meeting soon turned negative. The leader invited differing opinions as long as a potential solution was included. He ended the discussion by admitting he was not happy about the policy as well, but the team needed to make the policy work. I was impressed the leader took a risk by revealing his personal frustration, rather than just insisting the company is always right or there is nothing they could do, and the team appreciated his honesty and the group moved forward. 

As leaders we experience deposits and withdrawals from our energy tank every day. Our tank rises when we encounter a positive individual or experience, and the reverse is true when we are told the glass is half empty. So how do we effectively lead others and manage our attitude through negative energy?

Here are three steps to leading positively: check your attitude, promote a fair process, and use positive language.

Check Your Attitude
Before you address the negative behavior of others, ask yourself if you are contributing to the problem. We often have a tendency to grade ourselves on a generous curve. Great leaders resist the easy road – contributing to the negative messages to remain popular or simply ignoring the situation. They understand the importance of remaining objective to promote a positive work environment. Check your objectivity by getting feedback from a trusted peer or mentor.

Fair Process 
Your first goal is to understand the root cause of the negative behavior. Pursue the facts, ask questions, and expect solutions. Give your people the opportunity to be heard, a fair process, but remember success is a positive solution – not unanimous agreement. Experience tells us people are often more concerned about the process than the final decision.

Positive Language
One of my favorite questions in a negative situation is “what is the good news?” There are two sides to every story and complaining is centered on attracting others to a single point of view. A common definition of intelligence is being able to hold two competing thoughts at the same time, and we need to expect our people to be objective. Leaders welcome alternative views and set ground rules for team discussions to prevent gripe sessions. For example, playing the devil’s advocate to clarify thinking is fine – complaining with no solutions is not.

The reality is our human condition can cause us to see the dark side during challenging times. Challenge yourself to check your attitude, promote a fair process, and be a role model by leading with positive language. Your people are looking for a positive leader – let it be you. 

Todd