In today’s unpredictable environment, comments managers make or actions they take, even simple decisions, can create uncertainty among their employees. Uncertainty creates fear, scepticism and anxiety. An employee who is operating with any of these emotions in play is unlikely to be offering up his or her best.

Here are 7 keys to help you slow the rumour mill and keep employees engaged:

1. Be Clear
   Clarity is the antidote to anxiety. Ensure that people are clear on what their responsibilities continue to be. Reinforce key objectives and give your team members certainty on their deliverables.
2. Be There
   Increase your visibility and availability. Set up a structure for communicating information and stick to it. Increase the frequency of your one-on-ones. Knowing that they will get the opportunity to connect at least once a week will help team members stay focused on their work the rest of the time.
   
   Regular team meetings can be very effective to get information to a group. They also provide a great opportunity for questions and answers. Always follow up a verbal communication with a written account. This ensures the message does not get distorted.
3. Be consistent
   If you are consistent in communicating relevant news when you get it, you will increase the trust level for your team. Nature abhors a vacuum. If you stay silent because you’re afraid of creating unnecessary concern, you can be certain that your employees are making up stories about what your silence means. So fill the void before they fill it.
4. Be credible
   Avoid platitudes like “Business as usual.” It isn’t business as usual, and you have to acknowledge that. Make sure any information you provide is accurate. If you don’t know the answer to a question, commit to finding it out and then get back to your team as quickly as possible.
5. Be honest
   You may find yourself in a position where you can’t tell as much as you know. To maintain integrity, answer simply and honestly: “I’m not able to answer that right now.” Never lie. If you’re caught in a lie, no matter how small, you’ll undermine all of your well-intentioned reaching out.
6. Be curious
   The old adage “no news is good news” does not apply in circumstances such as these. You have to seek information. Ask: “What are you concerned about?” “What are the stories that you’ve heard?” “What is the biggest fear that you have at this time?”
7. Be real
   Make sure your tone and body language match your message. If you are not conveying genuine compassion, no matter what you say, your employees’ anxiety levels will continue to escalate. This is not about acting: people will see through insincerity. This is about getting yourself into a people perspective: stand in their shoes.

Following these steps will not alleviate all the unease that times like these inevitably create, but it will help your employees feel involved and respected. You will create confidence that when there is news that does affect them, they will hear it from someone who genuinely cares.

Copyright © 2009 by The Marcus Buckingham Company, LLC (TMBC) All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without the express written consent of TMBC is prohibited

You can find out more about Marcus Buckingham Company by visiting this website:
www.TMBC.com

Our thanks to the Marcus Buckingham Company for permission to reprint this article.

As leaders we give a lot of time and emotional energy to getting better at the ‘tricky bits’ of leadership and coaching - those times when negative emotions can take over and lead to the situation unravelling, with potential long term relationship damage.

So, instead of avoiding these moments, we learn and practice how to give negative feedback and manage ‘difficult’ conversations. There are lots of workshops on these topics. We offer some ourselves. This is all good and proper, for most of us do need to figure out how to have these conversations more effectively.

It seems though that because giving positive feedback or joining in the celebration of success is emotionally easier we don’t think so much about how we can leverage these moments in more constructive and growthful ways.

Recent¹ research by Professor Shelly Gable at UCLA has provided some insights into how we might leverage the celebration of success stories in constructive ways. Her research highlights how the responses we provide to shared stories of good news are significant relationship ’boosters’ or relationship ’eroders’. Gable has developed a simple matrix that describes 4 types of responses to the good news that others might tell us:

Active Constructive Responses: These responses include positive comments and positive non verbal behaviours (voice tone, posture, facial expressions) that indicate genuine interest and enthusiasm in relation to the success being described – “That’s a terrific result and I know how much you put in to achieving it!”

Passive Constructive Responses: These responses include moderate level positive comment with low level, low energy supporting non verbal behaviours. “Well done-good news.”

Active Destructive Responses: These responses include negative comments (sometimes disguised as positive ones) accompanied by negative non verbal behaviours like frowns or sighs. “Sounds like your success is only going to lead to more work for you in the long run though.”

Passive Destructive Responses: These responses do not actively downplay the success like those above but reveal more a sense of indifference with non verbals that indicate disengagement. “Yes, but can we talk about this next project.”

What was more significant was that only Active Constructive Responses acted as relationship enhancers. Each of the other three response types was seen to damage the relationship in some way. Our responses are not relationship neutral – they either enhance or erode relationship quality.

A couple of implications here for us as leaders and coaches...

1. Recent studies² have argued that the quality of the coaching relationship is the most significant component impacting the coaching outcomes. This study puts relationship quality ahead of all other tools and techniques. In recognition of the importance of the relationship our GROWTH coaching model places the Relationship step as the vital first component. Consequently we need to consider more deliberately how we can authentically be Active Constructive Responders in the way we acknowledge and leverage the successes of those we lead and coach. (The new, revised edition of our Leadership Coaching Guide provides more ideas on how to do this.)
2. Those leaders and coaches who are more reserved in their personal style and perhaps less inclined to be ‘over the top’ in any response to the sharing of success, need to consider that more subdued and understated reactions may well have an undermining influence on the relationship. Again finding an authentic voice in how we do this will be worth exploring.
   1 Gable, E. L., Reis, H. T., Impett, E. A., & Asher, E. R., Capitalizing on Daily Positive Events, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87, 2004.
   2 de Haan.Erik. Relational Coaching. John Wiley and Sons. Chichester. 2008

“The system does not work without confidence”, states US investment guru Warren Buffett and while his comments are related to the way the financial markets work, they have some relevance to all human systems – the way our teams and organisations work, and the way that we function in a individual sense.

Since our initial 2009 newsletter touched on this theme and a generated a strong response to the article, The Art of Possibility: Staying Up in a Down World (Click here to read if you missed it) we decided to continue this focus into March. It seems an appropriate theme to launch our new look newsletter - after all, our whole approach to coaching and leadership development is based solidly on principles drawn from Positive Psychology, Adult Learning theory and Appreciative Inquiry. And significantly, the concepts surrounding ‘positivity’ are going to be needed more than ever in the coming months...and beyond.

A leading figure in this area of ‘positivity’ is Dr Barbara Fredrickson, professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina, who has done more than anyone to add research rigour to the new science of positive psychology. Her new book, Positivity (2009 Crown Publishers: New York) brings together the findings from her substantial research and presents the implications in a readily accessible format. Here are some of the highlights...

What is ‘Positivity’?

‘Positivity’ is about the creating of, the focusing on and the experiencing of positive emotions and their impact on human flourishing. (The top 10 positive emotions are: joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe and love )

Why is it important?

”Your mild and fleeting pleasant states are far more potent than you think” states Fredrickson and her highly regarded, Broaden and Build theory demonstrates why positivity is such a significant influence on how we live and work. This theory, based on a large number of studies, argues that experiencing positive emotions is a significant ‘broadening’ influence. These positive emotions (and her top 10 are listed above) ‘broaden thinking’, creativity and self awareness. And they have an investment in the future dimension helping build resilience, the ability to cope with and move on from disappointment and difficult experiences.

The research findings indicate that a 3:1 ratio of positive to negative emotional states is the ‘tipping point’ that shifts people into predominantly positive emotional states with all the important productivity, health and relationship benefits that go with that. And the research confirms that these benefits are quite considerable.

In summary, Fredrickson argues for 6 Key facts about Positivity:

1. Positivity Feels Good
2. Positivity Broadens Minds
3. Positivity Builds Resources
4. Positivity Fuels Resilience
5. Positivity Ratios Above 3:1 Forecast Flourishing
6. People Can Raise Their Positivity Ratios

How do you get it?

The second half of the book elaborates on 12 specific tools and processes for increasing the Positivity Ratio. They include such things as: Be Open; Create High Quality Connections; Cultivate Kindness; Develop Distractions; Dispute Negative Thinking; Learn and Apply Your Strengths; Meditate Mindfully; Ritualise Gratitude; Visualise a Positive Future. Some of these are not brand new and can be found in the work of Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson and others in the positive psychology field but Fredrickson’s research brings an urgent, compelling case for getting started on putting them into practice right now!

It is difficult to do justice to these strategies in a short article like this and all are explained and developed fully in the book. Here is one simple approach that works...

The Ritualising Gratitude approach has appeared in a number of places recently and is a simple and powerful technique. Simply grab a notebook and for a set period – 10 days or more – write down 3 things for which you can be grateful for each day. It helps to add a sentence or two explaining why each good thing happened since it strengthens their impact. Try it and notice how the positive emotion evoked through gratitude serves to broaden and build!

As leaders and coaches we are significant influencers of the culture and tone of our workplaces... and of our conversations. With the evidence now coming in so clearly that ‘positive beats negative’, we have a responsibility to nourish our own ‘positivity ratios’ so that we are confidence builders and positive contributors to the teams and workplaces and conversations which we lead. After all as Warren Buffet states, “The system does not work without confidence.”

Have a great month!

John Campbell and Mandy O’Bree
Directors
growth coaching international

There is no doubt about it, 2009 has begun with a regular diet of bad news! And it will likely continue for a little while yet. Economic crisis, intractable wars, climate change and all of it seems to be heading in the wrong direction! It is going to be a challenge to rise above this wave of negativity and maintain a positive perspective on our lives, our work and our relationships. Yes, we do live in challenging times but we run the risk of creating a self fulfilling prophecy about the future that is limiting, restrictive and fear based. And that just spirals to nowhere.

One of the real challenges for leaders is to build a sense of confidence and hope – especially in difficult times. Interestingly, emerging research in the fields of Positive Psychology and Appreciative Inquiry indicates that a focus on the positive is not just a case of ‘looking on the bright side’, a cute but essentially unrealistic thing to do, it’s actually a potent strategy for success.

Here are just 2 key principles from these fields together with some practical tips for integrating the principles into your leadership coaching approach...

#1 Positive Beats Negative

Much more than the power of positive thinking or mere ‘happiology’ this principle argues that the focus on positive strengths and past successes provides the energy for sustained change. Making change happen and sustaining it requires large amounts of positive energy.

Barbara Fredrickson’s¹ work on positive emotion has advanced thinking in this area through her ‘broaden and build theory.’ In essence Fredrickson’s research led her to conclude that certain positive emotions are not simply pleasant feelings but play a role in helping people ‘broaden’ thinking – creating more possibilities - and ‘build’ enduring personal resources that develop resilience and overall wellbeing. This increased resilience helps people bounce back from stresses and disappointments more quickly and more completely. Focusing on celebrating success and building on all that is currently working helps build confidence and resourcefulness for change.

Some ways of applying this principle include:

• Focus on the future and the positive things that you are moving towards, especially any positive emotions that will be experienced when the goal is achieved
• In assessing current Reality always encourage reflection on what IS working, as well as the barriers to success. This perspective highlights current positives and creates a sense of resourcefulness
• Help coaches reframe challenging situations so that other perspectives can enlarge the positive dimensions of any situation. You can help coaches reframe situations in a number of ways by helping your coachee consider the issue from the time perspective - “What will this look like in 10 years?” from the viewpoint of others – “How would this look through your manager’s eyes? To others in your team? To your friends?”
• Use humour and maintain a ‘lightness of touch’ in your coaching sessions

#2 Future Images Influence Current Behaviours

“People change in the direction of their images of the future”, claims David Cooperider, one of the founders of Appreciative Inquiry, arguing that the future is as much an influence on the present as the past. And positive images lead to positive futures becoming, in effect, self fulfilling prophecies. Positive images beget positive actions.

The GROWTH model leverages this principle with its focus on creating a positive image of the future in the form of the richly articulated, emotionally engaging goal it stimulates people to set. The more these images of future can be embellished using the whole range of sensory imagery the more powerfully they act as magnets pulling people towards that direction.

Some ways of applying this principle include:

• Build a repertoire of powerful questions to help your coaching partner articulate this outcome. Some you might start with include:
  
  
  • What specifically do you want to accomplish? How would things be better for you when that happens?
  • How will you know when you have achieved it?
  • What would you be hearing others say when you achieve this outcome?
  • Paint a picture of what’s happening when these changes are in place. Who will be involved?
• Use a 1-10 scale to precisely identify the end point your coaching partner is wanting to get to in the time period identified. Visualise ways of representing the gap from the current reality to the preferred future to provide a way of seeing ‘the light at the end of the tunnel’, a way of measuring progress and a way of building motivation to close the gap.
• Specifically explore what it will feel like to achieve the outcomes being considered and what it will feel like if the situation remains unchanged 6 months from now. The emotional dimension has a big impact on the level of commitment generated.
  
  Ask: “What benefits will you enjoy as a result of achieving this goal?”
           “What negative consquences will emerge if nothing changes here?”
  
  Tease out these ‘benefits’ and ‘losses’ in some detail to increase the tension between all the good things associated with success and all the less desirable things associated with non achievement.Thomas Chalmers a 19th century Scottish philosoher/theologian, argued for what he called the “...expulsive power of a new affection.” When we set our focus strongly and clearly on some new ‘affection’ it serves to expel the old, helping to make change possible.

So in 2009 we can make a big contribution to our team’s success by ensuring we counteract negative downward spiral thinking. And we can know that, while not ignoring problems and difficulties, the value of focusing on positive possibilities is more and more grounded in research. Doing this throughout the coming months will earn your team’s gratitude and increase your chances of achieving the results you are wanting.*

Have a big year of growth in 2009!


John and Mandy and the agc team.

------------------------------
¹Fredrickson, B 2001, The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology. American Psychologist Vol 56, No.3

*This article is an edited version of a new chapter in the revised and updated Leadership Coaching Guide. It will be available on our webite in the next few weeks.

It has been said that… "People self serve when there is nothing bigger to serve." The opposite is also true - when there is a clearly articulated and challenging, "something bigger to serve", people unite around it and achieve remarkable things.

Defining the "something bigger to serve" is one of the major tasks of team and organisational leaders. Leaders who clearly define the "something bigger to serve” draw their teams and departments together around agreed priority goals in a way that contributes significantly to establishing a cohesive, aligned team.

So the two big questions to address in getting your team aligned and pointing in the same direction are: What’s our purpose? And what are we shooting for?
Defining the ongoing purpose is important since it can help to remind you of what things you don’t do. Being clear on what you don’t do really helps when new and potentially distracting ideas a come along since it helps to decide whether to pick up new responsibilities or not. Sometimes these can lead to a loss of focus and erode team performance.

While the team purpose is likely to remain fairly similar from year to year the teams targets and goals will change on an annual basis. Team goal setting is the key way of getting clear on those targets that need the team to work together in order to be able to really pull them off.

But this clear future focus is not enough. It needs to come alive in the way people approach their tasks on a daily basis.
OK, it’s a good idea, but how do you make it happen - and last?

Consider the following suggestions and how they relate to your team -
• As far as possible, have everyone contribute to defining the team’s purpose and future direction. As someone once said... “People will not destroy that which they have created!”
• Define the “something bigger” as sharply and as vividly as you can. Use metaphors, word pictures and other ways to make the end goal have a visual dimension
• Listen, and keep listening, to the contributions of team members
• Be crystal clear about roles and accountabilities
• Meet regularly to keep the team on track with the bigger goal as well as the day-to-day priorities
• Keep people asking how the smaller bits contribute to the bigger goal
• Keep people accountable to the commitments they make
• Celebrate successes along the way
If your team is already doing these things you are probably well on the way to building an aligned team.
By experiencing "something bigger" teams will find themselves working in a focused, collaborative way. When this happens, powerful things will result.

“Our problem is not employees who quit and leave; it’s employees who quit and stay!”

This comment makes a telling point about the damage that can be done to organizational effectiveness by people who remain on the job but do so as minimal contributors or worse….

In his book, ‘First, Break All the Rules” Marcus Buckingham raises the issue of the ‘engaged employee’. Buckingham argues that employees fall into 3 main categories:
• Engaged: those who are loyal, motivated and productive
• Not Engaged: those who are going through the motions and merely putting in the hours
• Actively Disengaged: those who are unhappy and are spreading this negativity to others
• As a result of some extensive research Buckingham estimates that some 20% of the workforce falls into the ‘actively disengaged’ category. People in this category have the potential to do a lot to undermine organizational success.

An engaged workplace is a good place for everyone – employee, manager and shareholders. So what’s the secret? How do you get it?

Of course it is never simple, quick or easy but the following approaches, based on the research in First Break All the Rules, seem to be significant in building an ‘engaged’ workplace:
• Help employees see the overall purpose of what their contribute towards
• Clearly define and draw employees into serving something bigger than just bottom-line results
• Invite employees to contribute to how to best achieve the broad organizational goals and listen to their input
• Clearly define roles, responsibilities and expectations
• Provide frequent, positive feedback
• Celebrate success and its achievements
• Encourage lifelong learning and acknowledge and support the growth of the whole person
• Ensure that people have an opportunity to use their talents - everyday
• Develop the people management skills of anyone who has people reporting to them.

What emerges from these suggestions is overwhelming confirmation of the value of integrating a strong coaching approach to the way you lead your people. Consistently implementing these kinds of practices will go a long way towards building an organization that people are queuing up to join. When your people bring this positive energy to their work anything can happen!

Reference:
Buckingham, M. & Coffman. (1999) First, Break All The Rules. Simon and Schuster. New York: NY

Below is a collection of free GCI resources.

• Published Articles
  
  Goal setting mistakes to avoid
  Business Connect Magazine May/Jun 07
  
  How to build a high engagement workplace
  Business Connect Magazine Sep/Oct
  
  
• Growth Papers
  
  Emotional Intelligence Booklet
  Leadership Coaching Roadmap
  5 Decision Myths Booklet
  
• Checklists
  
  Problem Solving Decision Making Scorecard
  Growth Team Checklist

 

Summer in Australia is often surf, sun and sand as many people take a refreshing breaks to refill their ‘tanks’ for the coming year. We hope you have been able to enjoy some down time and are refreshed and energised for a big year of growth.

Throughout the year all of us have ‘emotional tanks’ that need regular refreshing. When those tanks are full we can continue to be at our best - giving energy and ideas and rigour to what we do.

You will notice though that there are people in your work and personal world who are able to fill others’ “tanks” just by who they are and others who are draining to be around.

The ones who are great to be around are Balcony People - encouraging, energising, inspiring and always stretching you to think differently and grow.

It is like they are on the Balcony of life cheering you on to be more and do more.

The ones who drain your energy are the Basement People and spending too much time with them will have you feeling at least a little less confident and diminished. They seem to find fault with things, always see the downside first and generally take you down to the Basement of life.

As leaders and coaches we need to be Balcony People. It will make a difference to those around you and it is much more fun for you as well!

Here are some ways that you can do this:

Each day ask: What can I contribute?

Bring a sense of curiosity to the way you approach projects even to how you respond when things go wrong. When things go wrong say: “That’s interesting, what is our learning from what’s happened here so far?”

Speaks words of life – words that move things forward that create positive energy and possibilities. Use ‘we’ a lot; use metaphor and analogy as a way to spark people’s and thinking.
Use ‘and’ more than you use ‘but’ less.

Look for potential in others that they may not even see in themselves

Be a ‘coach’, not a director, to those around you, assisting them to set inspiring goals and encouraging them to stay focused on what they want to achieve

Call out greatness in others rather than seek greatness for yourself.

Be an encourager and build confidence

Celebrate successes whenever you can

Keep reminding people of the ‘big picture’ and the larger cause when people might be preoccupied with the detail. “We are building a cathedral not just cutting stone!”

Give feedback often. Make this feedback positive and specific whenever possible and make it an opportunity for learning by the questions you ask. In that way people can grow through the experience as well as enjoy positive feelings.
Do more asking than telling - ask questions that cause people to reflect and grow. (Some good examples are: How might we apply this in other areas? What can we learn from this? How might we be limiting ourselves here? How can we repeat this success?)

Of course, to be a Balcony Person you need to maintain your own ‘tank’ as well by:

• Making sure you spend time with other Balcony People
• Keeping your eye on the long term vision or positive end point you might be working towards
• Keep your energy levels high by staying physically fit
• Keeping own ‘internal conversations’ in positive mode
• Learning something new
• Make sure you are using your strengths in what you do everyday

Balcony People create positive emotions with those around them and when this happens it is not just a world of warm and fuzzy feelings. Recent research1 indicates that positive emotions and good feelings lead to such things as more creative thinking and stronger resilience so that people respond more productively when things do go wrong.

Decide to be on the Balcony this year - cheering those around to greater growth and achievement. While it is a shorter journey to the Balcony for some than for others we can all live there and there are plenty of seats left!

And the view is so much better!

1. Frederickson,B. (2001)The role of positive emotions in Positive Psychology. American Pschologist, 56, 218-226.

 

 

Great questions…

• demand answers
• stimulate thinking
• provide valuable information
• place us in  more in control
• get people to open up
• get people to ‘hear’ themselves and discover

They are at the heart of great coaching and influence. We influence more significantly by the questions we ask more than through the statements we make. Although the conventional wisdom often assumes the opposite!

Think about these ways to craft more potent and situation changing aspects of powerful questions…

Potent Questions are the Structured well.

Open questions:  
How might we…
Tell me more about…
What is that about…

Or more fully,   What possibilities exist that we have not thought of yet?

All of these invite exploration, reflection and discovery.

Closed questions have their place though since they bring focus and pressure that are helpful in moving to action…Can you start that tomorrow? When will you begin? Have you decided to do this?

Potent Questions are Scoped well.

Great questions are designed to fit the scope of the situation being explored.
If they are too big they might be interesting but not engage us in moving toward action. If they are way beyond our capacity to act on these kinds of questions can undermine and sense of control and lead to downward spirals.

‘How we might eradicate world poverty?’ is a big question that can leave people feeling powerless to even get started. A question that is well scoped creates a sense of ‘doable’ challenge and stretch without going over the edge of credibility.

Potent Questions are Uncover assumptions well.

Some questions introduce assumptions into the conversation that may not be helpful. How can we address the lack of teamwork in the department?

Perhaps there isn’t a lack of teamwork and the assumption behind this question has just led the conversation in a direction that will not be useful.

Potent questions are clean questions, unencumbered by assumptions or the agenda of the questioner or they are questions where the assumptions implicit in the question are understood and are being consciously introduced into the discussion.