Now That is a Great Question!
“By doubting we are led to question, by questioning we arrive at the truth.”
--Peter Abelard, French Philosopher
We learn early in life the key to success is having the right answer. Once you have the right answer, the question is often dismissed. But as we become leaders, the reverse is true – asking great questions is critical to make sure we get the right answer. The art of asking effective questions requires us to clarify, reframe, and promote action.
Let me tell you a personal story. I had a physical with my doctor years ago and he asked me about the prescriptions I was using. We went through my medications and he documented his chart. The session was about to end and he paused and asked – “what type of inhaler are you using?” I had been using an over the counter medication, not a prescription. He clarified my situation by reframing the question “you are still using your inhaler, right?” and put me on the right track.
CLARIFY
Leaders need to provide clarity in a world of disorder. We can feel pressure to keep things moving along and making decisions without the necessary critical thinking. Asking the following questions can promote clarity:
What is the problem we are trying to fix?
Let me see if I understand; there was no problem until ___?
What is the best use of our time right now?
What else do you need to consider?
Leaders define reality before rushing to a solution.
REFRAME
Questions are a beginning not an end. Effective leaders carefully listen to the question and often realize there is a better question available. For example, next time you are asked “what do you do” at an event try reframing the question to “what would you like to know about me?” Their response will tell you about their needs and interests – a better response than highlighting your resume.
PROMOTE ACTION
Once you understand reality and reframe questions to get the information you need, the next step is promoting a successful outcome.
Consider asking the following questions:
- How will you measure success?
- What happens next?
- Who will do what by when?
- What do you need from me?
Set up a successful ending by building accountability and support.
The next time you ask a question, or respond to a question, use your critical thinking skills to make your next move. Clarify the situation, reframe questions to determine true needs, and focus on success. Be prepared to respond to “that’s a great question!”
Todd
Changing the Expectations Game
“You should have high expectations for yourself and others should come second.”
-- Florence Welch, English Musician
Good leaders have high expectations for direct reports. But setting expectations can often be a one way conversation: the leader delivers and the associate receives.
What if we reframed this traditional approach? What do YOU need to do as a leader to make your people successful?
I have been blessed to work for a variety of leaders over the years. By my count, it's been 27 different managers in 32 years. Unfortunately, very few actually had expectations for me. We would discuss the technical aspects of my role, and perhaps "no surprises" would be mentioned, but we never discussed how we would build a professional, trusting relationship.
However, I did have one leader who had expectations for me and my professional growth. In our first meeting, he handed me a one-page document that included two sets of expectations and a personality heads up. This was much more than a document – it formed a trusted relationship.
I left his office that day realizing my prior understanding of setting expectations was upside down. Holding individuals accountable when they don’t know what is expected, and are not being effectively led, is a leadership wasteland. We need to recognize our people rely on us for rewards, resources, and career development; and our role is to create a high performing environment.
Three keys to setting your leadership expectations:
What I Will Do
Our people carefully watch our behavior as leaders. Sharing what you will do for your people includes accessibility, responsiveness, and feedback. If you offer to have an open door, respond to their EMAIL or phone calls in 24 hours, or monthly feedback visits – walk the talk.
My Pet Peeves
A pet peeve is something that annoys or bothers you so much that it takes you off your game. Examples could be tardiness, complaining about problems without offering solutions, or throwing your peers under the bus. Stay on your game by sharing your three pet peeves so others will understand your hot buttons.
What I Need
Leaders need to make sure our associates have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do their job. Once this foundation is established, we need to focus on what is done as well as how it is done - the means to an end. Achieving results while offending others is not the answer. We need our people to achieve their performance goals with effective communication and collaborative teamwork.
Expect more from yourself to realize more from your people – they will follow the leader.
Todd
Leadership Credibility: Big Hat, No Cattle
“Big Hat, No Cattle. Often I wondered what might I have become, had I but buckled down and really tried.” - Randy Newman, Composer/Singer
Credibility is critical to sustained success as a leader. We all want to be respected for what we know and not be perceived as a big hat with no cattle. Earning this respect requires humility, a strategic point of view, and decisive language.
I remember serving on a panel to interview candidates for a key leadership position. We interviewed a candidate whose professional appearance, smile, resume, and upbeat personality were very impressive. However, his interview responses were often shallow with no specific examples. He was not selected and one of the interviewers stated in the recap session “he is a mile wide and an inch deep”. We agreed the candidate was all talk and no action.
Have you ever had the feeling that people question your credibility? You may not have had your credibility challenged directly; many times the observation is made in your absence. The key is to understand the perception and look for opportunities to modify your approach.
Three steps to build credibility:
Humility
Assess how you project self-confidence through 360 feedback or personal observations – particularly from peers and mentors. For example, you may painfully learn you are perceived to be an ambitious self-promoter with little substance. The remedy to reset this perception is putting others first and receiving regular feedback.
Strategic Point of View
Leaders are not expected to know all the details. Our credibility is not diminished by “I don’t know” but by fabricating answers that ruin our reputation. Project a strategic point of view by demonstrating high level understanding of issues, awareness of how tactical issues connect to overall strategy, and having a network of resources to tap when needed.
Decisive Language
Choosing our words carefully, stating “I know” v. “I think” encourages others to speak up. An effective technique when facing difficult questions is to reply “I don’t know the answer to your specific question, but what I do know is ...”. People expect honesty, candor, and hope from their leaders – critical elements to build trust.
As we learned in the rejected interview candidate example, a charming personality is no substitute for leadership credibility. A simple test - do others contact you regularly for your expertise, or are you dependent on others for job details you should know?
Check your ego, focus on the bigger picture, and let your words inspire others to do their very best.
Todd
Career Warning: The People Pleaser
“I can’t tell you the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone”.
- Ed Sheeran, English Songwriter/Singer
Ask any leader "are you a people pleaser?" and the instinctive response is a resounding NO. After all, leaders are expected to define reality and tell it like it is. But what if in the shadows of a perceived strong leadership image lurks a tendency to tell people what they want to hear - not what they need to know?
Consistently withholding bad news or sugar coating the truth to please others, particularly your superiors, can lead to career derailment. Don't get me wrong, I understand the need to please others to promote a positive workplace. Leaders must balance their personal need to support others with telling it like it is.
Years ago I was enjoying a round of golf with three other leaders at a conference. One of the leaders shared a golf cart with his boss and repeatedly shouted "great putt" even when his boss missed by a mile. Finally, the boss lost his patience and said "stop patronizing me!" This attempt to please resulted in a moment of truth that did not have a happy ending.
Early in my career I was involved in a promotion decision involving one of my direct reports. He was judged ready by others but I had reservations. I deferred to others as I worried what they would think of me if shared a different opinion. I left that meeting ashamed and wondering why I had no courage.
People pleaser - guilty as charged.
We may be conditioned at an early age to be cooperative and suspend criticism to promote harmony. While this is probably causing a flashback to your childhood, the irony is successful organizations need leaders to inspire candor and constructive conflict to encourage innovation and collaboration in a dynamic workplace.
The three keys to manage people pleasing behavior:
- Know and assert your priorities
- Worry about what you are thinking vs. what others think of you
- Move from a service to leadership mindset
Priorities establish the boundaries to promote effectiveness. Successful leaders have a point of view and assert their message with an attitude of mutual respect. Stop basing your self-worth as a leader on how others perceive you. The high performing leader understands the need to fulfill their intrinsic need to help others but not at the expense of compromising higher priorities. We are expected to make difficult decisions and not just run for cover.
Finally, follow the practice of under promise and over deliver to build long-term credibility. Today’s workplace is loaded with non-priority, poorly analyzed requests. We admire leaders who patiently evaluate and do the right thing - the right way, the right time, all the time.
Pleasing others is often the path of least resistance. Resist the path by promoting what is important, learning through resistance, and executing the right results. Your reward is earning the trust and respect of others which pays dividends for many years to come.
Todd
Surrounded by Opportunities
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” --Seneca
The good news is we are all surrounded by opportunities, both personal and professional. The kicker is we may believe we are overdue for a little luck and our preparation is ready to be rewarded – only to realize that we are unprepared and surprised to find opportunities surface at the most inconvenient time.
Four keys to capturing new opportunities – to move from where we are to where we need to be:
True opportunities must have value and capture your heart, not just your head. For example, pursuing a new career may seem to be logical--but is it really your passion? I have made several career changes where I realized I took the job to please someone else; I followed my head—not my heart.
There is a cost to capturing a new opportunity—the opportunity cost of not spending your time and money on another priority. For example, what if you commit to returning to school to increase your promotion opportunities, only to witness your family life is deteriorating? You really cannot have it all—opportunities require tradeoffs.
Preparation is great but you will have gaps to close. These gaps can be what you need to know (technical knowledge & interpersonal skills) as well as who you need to know (networking & work relationships).
Finally, you need momentum to move forward and this requires support. The truth is no one ever gets there alone and you may need a catalyst to be your accountability partner.
What is the opportunity you are looking for – has it already arrived?
As always, I welcome your comments and feedback.
Todd
Each of us have a moment of truth. For me, my life changed at Exit 68.
I was driving home from a difficult day of work. As I stopped for gas off Exit 68, all I could think of was the corporate reorganization announced that morning. My long corporate career was about to change. I’d considered self-employment before, but I’d put off that dream for another day.
My future changed at pump #3. A man, not much older than myself, had a fishing boat behind his pickup truck that caught my eye. “How are you doing road warrior?” he asked.
How was I doing? This was my exact question to myself. We started talking; I learned that he was a retired school administrator. He'd been presented with changes in his life, and instead of holding tight to his set course, he decided to control his destiny. He saw an opportunity to change his life, and he took it.
The good news is we are surrounded by opportunities – to lead others and grow organizations. But we need momentum to move forward. I hope my newsletter, The Opportunity Coach, can be that momentum for you. My newsletters will focus on identifying opportunities and seeing what stands in the way of achieving all of your goals.
My goal is to be a catalyst for you, much as the retired school administrator on Exit 68 was for me.
As always, I welcome your feedback or input.
Todd
This is my first blog post for The Interested Leader.
I will share leadership observations from the many interesting voices of experience that have impacted my leadership journey. Life has taught me that leadership books, seminar certificates, and job experience are helpful but do not guarantee leadership greatness.
The path to leadership greatness involves engaging with people, often ordinary people who have a calling to lead others regardless of rank. These are people who have accepted resistance, failure, and doubt as elements of their walk to leadership success. Notice I refer to this journey as a walk - hard to have a conversation and learn when you are running to beat your personal best time.
We often hear the saying "to be an interesting person you must be interested", and I personally believe this to be true. This is the cornerstone of The Interested Leader - to develop a portfolio of ideas and experiences to better serve those who depend on us.
I hope you find this blog to be a valuable resource for concise, intentional, and relevant leadership thoughts that can be applied to your leadership role.
Todd
