Leader as Map maker

Leadership is a journey and an effective leader brings along a map. Maps are useful tools to helping us understand where we are, where we want to be and what route we need to take when journeying from where we are, to where we want to be.

A key leadership practice is that of leading change. Leading change requires that we shape people’s thinking. Thinking guides action….. resulting in either great or mediocre performance. Thinking and reflecting results in robust mental maps and robust mental maps leads to effective action. Shaping thinking is about, shaping the maps of current reality and that of future destinations that people carry around in their heads.

As leaders, we are responsible for the mental maps we develop for ourselves and others. These mental maps are used to guide our journey. Peter Senge in his best selling book “The Fifth Discipline” called these mental maps, mental models, which he defined as follows:

“’Mental models’ are deeply ingrained assumptions, generalizations, or even pictures or images that influence how we understand the world and how we take action. Very often, we are not consciously aware of our mental models or the effects they have on our behavior.” - Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline

Mental models or as I like to refer to them mental maps, are the maps of how we see the world and how we understand, the way that the world around us works. These are maps and frameworks which reflect our understanding of the critical aspects of reality. Why is all of this important? Well, the key reason, requires us to understand that we all make decisions, resulting in actions, based on the mental maps we hold of reality. Poor maps lead to poor results. The more effective the mental maps we hold, the more effective is our action, resulting to better results.

• If you get the facts wrong, you get the map wrong
• If you get the map wrong, you do the wrong things and take the wrong action

As leaders we need robust mental maps that help to ensure that we take action that produces positive results. The three steps detailed below describe how we go about building robust mental maps.

1. Map reading through sensemaking: I have posted on the importance of sensemaking to leaders on this blog in the past. The MIT Leadership Center article “Making a Difference by Making Sense” makes the following observation concerning sensemaking.

“As a leadership capability, sensemaking closely resembles map making. At the MIT Leadership Center dialogue on sensemaking, academics and practitioners spoke of places, observations, and directions, of ‘where we are,’ ‘where and why we are going,’ and ‘what we should look for as we go.’… Like cartographers, sensemakers create consequences with their maps. The way they understand and then describe an environment has ramifications, because this understanding guides future action.”

As we travel through life we read the landscape of people, events and consequences. Interpreting and assigning meaning and importance to events and behaviours. Through this process of observation, we begin to develop a picture of how the world works and how we need to behaviour to be effective in it. It’s conclusions that form the beginning of our leadership map.

2. Map making through inquiry: We develop and build upon our initial mental maps though a process of further inquiry and learning. This is how our comprehension of reality and possible futures are developed. Inquiry is not something that just happens, we need to make conscious effort to inquire and build our maps. The inquiry we do may be in the form of research, reading, interviewing other or the observation of cause and effect relationships of everyday life. Some of the best learning happens when we reflect on life’s experiences and the consequences of decisions we make.

3. Map testing through experimentation: Map reading through sensemaking, leads to map making, resulting in insight and understanding, leading to map testing through experimentation. Experimentation with our ideas and insights are important, as poor maps lead to poor results. We need to ensure that we have our maps right. When we act, we act within the context of the leadership map we have developed. Through experimentation we test our maps, testing whether we are getting the results we expected when acting based on our leadership map. After evaluating the effectiveness of our actions, we get an idea of the effectiveness of our mental maps. If, after some experimentation, we are not getting the results we expect, then the map is wrong and requires adjustment.

As leaders, we need to ensure that we are leading from a mental map that results in effective action.

• Do you have a clear mental map as to what is effective leadership?
• Do you consciously use this map to guide your actions?
• Do you test your mental map through experimentation?
• Do have a mental map that is shared with others to align organizational action?

Four key factors that impact on Organisational Productivity

The Institute for Corporate Productivity article “Productivity Is a Higher Priority, but Which Initiatives Really Work?” discussing a the May 2008 survey, of 305 respondents, asking questions about 16 factors that have the potential to raise productivity. Of the16 factors, the following five factors, corporate culture, leadership, compensation and benefit programs, training and development, and performance management. Of the five factors, the most productive organizations furthest outstripped the average ones in the following four areas:

• The culture of the organization: “Seventy-nine percent of the most productive organizations say that, to a high or very high degree, the cultures of their organizations help raise employee productivity.”
• Leadership: “Seventy-six percent of highly productive companies said that, to a high or very high extent, leadership in their companies raises productivity (compared with 48% of all respondents).”
• Employee engagement practices: “Whereas just 31% of average respondents said their organizations use engagement practices to a high or very high extent to boost productivity, 59% of highly productive organizations said they do. Engagement means that workers are mentally and emotionally invested in their work and in contributing to their employer’s success.”
• Employee health/wellness programs: “People like to work for organizations that send strong signals that they care for their employees. These particular programs may be sending those signals more than most other types of initiatives do… It’s also possible that such programs actually boost the physical and mental well-being of workers, leading to higher rates of work productivity.”

The research highlights the importance of effective leadership for company success. Organizational and indeed personal success rises and falls on the effective practice of leadership. What are you doing to develop your leadership ability? What are you doing to develop the leadership ability of others? This may be the most important task of any organization.

Is Knowledge Management the future of HR?

Creating a sharing culture becomes primary task

During the past 18 months, I’ ve spoken with a number of HR managers who are astounded by the amount of executive interest in the emerging discipline of knowledge management. Most of the reaction I’ ve received within the HR community involves senior management interest in developing ways to implement knowledge sharing programs that provide sustainable competitive advantage.

Listening to those senior executives, it becomes apparent that two issues are driving the need to implement KM programs: In this emerging knowledge economy, KM is a necessity for any organization that wishes to remain competitive, and/or the competition has allocated budgets and personnel to develop an internal KM program.

In many cases, KM has emerged as a key lever in strategic planning. In other organizations, IT executives have found that leading the effort to develop an infrastructure that allows the free exchange of employee experience and expertise has expanded their role outside traditional limits. Because KM results in the creation of an information infrastructure providing solid, measurable benefits to the organization, many senior IT managers have experienced an increase in their ability to influence strategic decisions. KM has provided a quantifiable method of measuring the contribution of IT to the entire organization.

The emergence of the HR executive

A similar trend is now emerging within human resource management. While the involvement of IT is critical to any successful KM program, it is becoming increasingly apparent that HR plays an equal, if not more important, role in designing a system to share employee knowledge. The establishment of a sophisticated infrastructure that allows knowledge to be collected and disseminated across an organization can only benefit those who understand the advantages it provides. HR managers who realize the value of KM can provide the cultural direction needed to ensure success.

Barnett’s (www.barnettinternational.com) Knowledge Management Group has conducted a number of employee focus groups across a variety of industries. That research makes it clear that employees will not share knowledge and expertise until they believe they will be rewarded for it. To maximize the value of knowledge sharing, employees must understand the following:

• the benefits that sharing knowledge and experience provide to them as individuals,

• the advantages that will be gained to the organization as a whole,

• senior management recognizes the sharing of knowledge,

• knowledge sharing has become an integral part of every employee’ s daily function,

• a compensation/reward system is in place to recognize and promote employees who adopt that new behavior.

Many companies expend resources developing a corporate culture of sharing knowledge and experience. Leveraging that investment, successful HR managers recognize that unlike fixed assets, the intellectual assets contained in the minds of employees are the only assets that gain value every time they’ re used. The most creative and innovative employees have always been the highest in demand and cause the greatest loss in value when lured to a competitor, and companies that fail to capture their employees’ collective knowledge suffer the loss of that wisdom every time an employee walks out the door.

HR’ s new job

A critical factor in developing the type of knowledge transfer that will put an organization ahead of the competition is the ability to convince employees to share their expertise. That is emerging as HR’ s most important function.

The HR executive who can create and implement a process to maximize the intellectual assets of an organization will become as important to the organization as the CFO. As the knowledge economy continues to emerge, organizations, which for years have been satisfied with the status quo, will quickly realize that maximizing the value of intellectual assets is more important than maximizing fixed assets. Once that becomes apparent, what CEOs want to tell their board of directors that they’ ve done a great job managing the company’ s cash and a lousy job managing human capital?

The experience that Barnett’ s Knowledge Management Group has gained in the creation and implementation of KM initiatives has led to the development of a training program that HR can use during the implementation of a KM system. It has also been used in new hire training, training of newly promoted managers and as annual training for sales, marketing and research personnel.

Knowledge management training modules include: What is Knowledge Management, The Market for Knowledge Management, Knowledge Management Roles, Knowledge Management Technology, Intellectual vs. Fixed Capital, Knowledge Management Within the Industry (customized for each), Interactive Case Study, Sharing of Best Practices, Implementation and Glossary.

Those types of formulized training programs are only one step in helping human resources create a knowledge sharing culture within an organization. Another activity that is useful in ensuring maximum value is a review of compensation systems to identify the existence of barriers that might stifle the sharing of knowledge. A number of firms have changed their interviewing process to more accurately identify prospective employees who will easily adapt and flourish in an organization that seeks to maximize collaboration.

How to Reduce Stress in Your Life

While some stress is actually necessary for you to function at your best, too much takes a mental and physical toll. Learn to manage stress levels to prevent anxiety, depression and other conditions.

Things You’ll Need:

1. Stress Management Counseling
2. Stress Relief Products
3. Notebooks
4. Pens
5. Personal Organizers
   

Step 1

Write down everything you have to do when you're feeling overwhelmed. Set a time frame, then block out when you will accomplish what. By divvying up your workload into manageable chunks, each with an allotted time, you'll feel more relaxed about the work before you.

Step 2

Concentrate on one task at a time. Stressing about work you haven't done yet only detracts from accomplishing the task at hand.

Step 3

Manage your energies wisely ' prioritize your workload and put in less effort for low-priority jobs, and avoid expending energy on unimportant tasks.

Step 4

Delegate responsibility and get outside help if you feel overwhelmed. Hire a gardener for your lawn or a baby sitter for your child when you feel pressed for time.

Step 5

Reward yourself for accomplishing things. Acknowledge the work you put in and give yourself a pat on the back, instead of immediately rushing into the next task and creating more stress.

Step 6

Take small breaks during work. Visit a nearby café or take a quick walk, or allow yourself 10 minutes to relax in your office: Close your eyes, strip your mind of work-related thoughts, visualize a pleasant landscape or vacation scene and relax your muscles.

Step 7

Exercise regularly to maintain your health and release stress, or take up a hobby.

Step 8

Give yourself vacations. If indulging in a long vacation (and staying away from work) seems even more stressful, try taking several short vacations per year.

Step 9

Maintain your perspective by asking yourself, "Is the situation at hand really that serious that I should become stressed-out about it?"

How To Help Reduce Stress At Work

Work can be a stressful place, wherever you earn your living, whether in an office, a factory, or a school. Some stress is good. It motivates us and makes us stronger. Too much stress is bad. It makes us irrational and it can, quite literally, kill us. Fortunately, there are specific things you can do that will help you reduce your stress at work and better cope with it.

Here's How:

Improve your time management and organization skills:

Of the many things you can to in this area the best ones include getting a to do list that works, learning to say "no", asking for help when you need it, and stop setting unrealistic goals for yourself.

Relax and breathe deeply:

Whether you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount or work you have to do or if someone is "in your face", a good thing to do is to "breathe through your nose". You can't get as worked up if you force yourself to breathe through your nose. Your body simply can't maintain the same level of energy without that extra oxygen you get when breathing through your mouth.

Take more breaks from your work:

Even a five-minute break will help. Get away from your desk. Go for a walk - outside is better, but up two flights of stairs and back down is good too. Getting more exercise in general will help you reduce your overall stress levels and that will make it easier to reduce your stress level at work.

Lighten up:

Smile more. We all know laughter reduces stress. You will be amazed at how much more pleasant the people around you are when you make an effort to be pleasant yourself.

Learn to listen better:

Rather than getting upset when others disagree with you, listen actively and find the areas of agreement. Be assertive and stand up for yourself, but don't be rigid.

Fix your environment:

Make whatever adjustments you need to the lighting, temperature, noise level, and other controllable factors in your office.

Don't sweat the small stuff:

Realize that there are some things that just aren't worth worrying about and there are some things you just can't change. Don't waste time stressing over the things in either category.

Get more sleep:

This is another of the things you can do to reduce your overall stress that will have benefits at the office as well. In addition to reducing your stress, it will increase your energy level and your ability to concentrate.

Find a mentor:

or a friend. Having someone to talk to can take a lot of stress off you.

Spend more time with optimistic people:

Negative people will pull you down to their level. Choose to work with people who have a positive attitude instead.

20 Bad Habits That Can Hold You Back from the Executive Suite

A Business Week article lists the following 20 interesting bad habits, complied by executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, describing what hinder leaders from progressing into the executive suite of their organizations:

• Winning Too Much: The need to win at all costs and in all situations—when it matters, when it doesn’t, and when it’s totally beside the point.

• Adding Too Much Value: The overwhelming desire to add our two cents to every discussion.

• Passing Judgment: The need to rate others and impose our standards on them.

• Making Destructive Comments: The needless sarcasms and cutting remarks that we think make us sound sharp and witty.

• Starting with “No,” “But,” or “However”: The overuse of these qualifiers, which secretly say to everyone, “I’m right. You’re wrong.”

• Telling the World How Smart We Are: The need to show people we’re smarter than they think we are.

• Speaking When Angry: Using emotional volatility as a management tool.

• Negativity: The need to share our negative thoughts, even when we weren’t asked.

• Withholding Information: The refusal to share information in order to maintain an advantage over others.

• Failing to Give Proper Recognition: The inability to praise and reward.

• Claiming Credit We Don’t Deserve: The most annoying way to overestimate our contribution to any success.

• Making Excuses: The need to reposition our annoying behavior as a permanent fixture so people excuse us for it.

• Clinging to the Past: The need to deflect blame away from ourselves and onto events and people from our past; a subset of blaming everyone else.

• Playing Favorites: Failing to see that we are treating someone unfairly.

• Refusing to Express Regret: The inability to take responsibility for our actions, admit we’re wrong, or recognize how our actions affect others.

• Not Listening: The most passive-aggressive form of disrespect for colleagues.

• Failing to Express Gratitude: The most basic form of bad manners.

• Punishing the Messenger: The misguided need to attack the innocent, who are usually only trying to protect us.

• Passing the Buck: The need to blame everyone but ourselves.

• An Excessive Need to Be “Me”: Exalting our faults as virtues simply because they exemplify who we are.

Take the time to reflect on the above list. Which three of the above habits most describe habits that are holding you back? Make a decision to change them in the weeks that lie ahead. As John Maxwell reminds us “Leadership is developed daily, not in a day”. By working of removing bad habits daily, we become more effective leaders.

Leader, are you taking enough time out to think?

Leaders do not get enough time to think, this is the result of a recent survey. . .

"… of nearly 1,200 managers and directors by the UK-based Chartered Management Institute has found more than eight out of 10 struggle to prioritise their work, with conflicting demands pulling them in all directions…. Two-thirds complain they have ‘little time to think’ and more than half struggle to find time to plan strategically…. the majority of managers claim they struggle to finish tasks, with seven out of 10 admitting they are not looking for new market opportunities or product gaps in the marketplace."

Taking time out to think is critical for effective leadership. Tom Peters has also discussed the importance of leaders taking time to think, he quotes from the book “Leadership the Hard Way” in which the author “insists that the leader-manager must free up no less than 50% of his-her time from routine tasks.”:

"Most managers spend a great deal of time thinking about what they plan to do, but relatively little time thinking about what they plan not to do … As a result, they become so caught up … in fighting the fires of the moment that they cannot really attend to the longterm threats and risks facing the organization. So the first soft skill of leadership the hard way is to cultivate the perspective of Marcus Aurelius: avoid busyness, free up your time, stay focused on what really matters. Let me put it bluntly: every leader should routinely keep a substantial portion of his or her time—I would say as much as 50 percent—unscheduled. … Only when you have substantial ’slop’ in your schedule—unscheduled time—will you have the space to reflect on what you are doing, learn from experience, and recover from your inevitable mistakes. Leaders without such free time end up tackling issues only when there is an immediate or visible problem. Managers’ typical response to my argument about free time is, ‘That’s all well and good, but there are things I have to do.’ Yet we waste so much time in unproductive activity—it takes an enormous effort on the part of the leader to keep free time for the truly important things."

Are you setting aside time to think? Is it enough?