executive coaching

The Leadership Challenge: Employee Recognition

May 21, 2015 By Sam Palazzolo, Managing Director

The Point: Gallup reports that employee engagement is at an all time low. The recruiting field warns that the “War for Talent” will become increasingly difficult to wage successfully. With these two signs pointing towards greater recognition of employees, we started wondering why is it then that employee recognition is so difficult for so many? In this post we’ll take a look at employee recognition, and five (5) actions you can take to recognize your stakeholders as a leader… Enjoy!

We Recognize Our Employees (Don’t We?)

Randy was a relatively new team member in an archaic organization whose new CEO screamed “We’re going to change, like it or not! The foundation for this change is going to be our people… The most important asset this organization has” to the press. It was this battle cry that got Randy excited enough to leave his previous organization and sign-up/on with the current company. He was a hard worker, as well as a subject matter expert that participated in several leadership development programs and knew the value of executive coaching firsthand.

So it shouldn’t surprise you to hear that Randy was the pole-position leader on the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) board for the organization. That’s right, although he was new to the organization, he steadily rose through the ranks and in short-order arrived at the top spot.

No Recognition = No Engagement = No Employment

Here’s where things got a little interesting (or at least our executive coaching conversation took a turn towards a very dark place!) You would think that he would have received a few “That a boy!” or “Great Job Randy!” nods from the superiors in the organization, stakeholders, anyone… But you’d be wrong (Dead wrong as it turned out!) To hear Randy tell the story, “It would have been great if someone had reached out to say ‘Congrat’s!’ to me. But no one did. Not at the time the reports were printed. Not after the reports were distributed. Not ever!”

You could imagine Randy’s confusion: Here he was a still relatively new employee in an organization. An organization whose CEO told everyone and anyone that employees are their most important asset. But an asset that received no recognition whatsoever. Needless to say, on top of Randy’s confusion, he was just plain old pissed with the situation. He lasted a few more weeks before he quit. He’s now being successful somewhere else.

I Wanna Be like Randy, Not Mike!

So what can you do as a leader in your organization to properly recognize your employees so as to have engagement levels soar and turnover diminish? The following five (5) actions are recommended from our leadership development and executive coaching conversations:

Action #5: Timeliness Counts

If you see someone doing something great, recognize them right then and there. Why wait for the Friday Staff Meeting or to get back to your desk to send out the email to the entire department? Instead, let them know that you recognize what they did, and more importantly that you appreciate it.

Action #4: Alignment Counts

Recognition hits new levels, and is shared by all, when the recognition comes in the form of alignment with business goals. Imagine our poor friend Randy and his smashing of the organizational KPIs… The alignment opportunities are endless to tout, that is if you actually do measure KPIs that effect your business!

Action #3: Authenticity Counts

Ever get one of those fake leadership moments? A moment where you’re not certain what they might have taught in the leadership development classroom, but whatever it was it didn’t work? If you’re employees aren’t getting the “real” you, ask yourself who they are getting? Odds are, if you have low authenticity you have low trust, and low trust moments are never a position of strength to lead from.

Action #2: Quality/Quantity Count

While Randy would have been happy with any recognition, our executive coaching research leads us to believe that the recognition should be in correlation to the business goals (See #4 Action above). Too much and it comes off as Pollyannaish… Too little and it comes off as skating the associate.

Action #1: Recognition Definition Counts

If you are confused as to the identification of just the right amount of recognition to provide, please stop guessing and ask your associates. They will tell you! We typically see leader after leader attempt to either “cookie-cutter” approach recognition programs or provide what they would like to receive. Neither is a good moment. Executive Coaching and leadership development should provide you with plenty of ammunition to overcome the leadership challenge at hand, especially when you ask.

SUMMARY

So there you have it… The problem of employee recognition as told through the saga of Randy and his former organization, along with five (5) actions you can take to insure that you are on the right path.

Sam Palazzolo

PS – You may enjoy several of the other posts I’ve recently written:

The Leadership Challenge: Why Aren’t There More Women In Leadership?

May 21, 2015 By Sam Palazzolo, Managing Director

The Point: According to the Pew Research Center, there are few differences between men and women on key leadership traits such as intelligence, capacity for innovation, being compassionate, and organization. Today women represent only five percent (5%) of CEOs for Fortune 500 companies. So if that’s the case, why are the pipelines to C-Suite opportunities appearing to widen? In this post, we’ll look at four (4) critical lessons women in leadership can undertake to break-through the glass ceiling… Enjoy!

There Aren’t Opportunities Here for Women

Susie was a team leader for one of the organizations that I worked with on an executive coaching/leadership development engagement a few years back. I remember her, because sitting on the high potential selection committee allowed me to see that she was an exceptional candidate on paper, as well as in person. She was not only smart, but extremely extroverted and ready to take on any/all challenges on her desired path to the top of the organization.

So it was surprising for me to learn in a follow-up call that she was going to leave the organization that five years earlier she described as her “dream” company. What could have possibly happened? In our brief conversation I learned that while opportunities were talked of a lot, they rarely materialized in reality. In fact, Susie described the log-jam of women that were doing great things in the organization, but seemed to be bumping their heads against the proverbial glass ceiling. As such… She was moving on.

4 Critical Lessons for Women in Leadership

At the 9^th annual “Women Who Lead” conference lessons are shared regarding leadership from high profile women. Here are four (4) critical lessons presented:

Lesson #1: You Control Your Self Image

Let’s face it, we live in an image-centric world! Constant reminders can be seen on television of “that” family that really doesn’t do anything, yet we’re somehow attempting to keep up with them… It makes no sense!

While it’s an easy trap to fall into, avoid looking at others and attempting to alter who you are by the way you look. While the experts suggested that you determine what your image is, what people not only treat you like, but what they call you.

Lesson #2: We All Must Get Along

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, men and women both have to get along and work together. The advantages are numerous, but let me summarize them by saying that after every leadership development program I’ve identified that the perspectives each bring to the table are in fact different. Perhaps not as different as Mars or Venus, but different perspectives will bring about different methodologies that enhance the operation.

Lesson #3: Your Mindset = Your Success

If you have the right mindset, anything is possible. If you don’t have the right mindset, hardly anything is possible! Ensuring that you conduct the proper “check-up from the neck-up” is crucial if you want to continuously drive for success.

I typically have a conversation with executive coaching clients about goals, and ensuing targets along the way towards those goals. Most leaders, female and male alike, can typically rattle off these moments. It shouldn’t surprise you then to hear that when I ask them what their mindset will need to be like in order to accomplish those same goals that most get a confused look on their face… Almost like their mindset is an afterthought, or an outcome of accomplishing goals. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Lesson #4: Become Risk Verse

What do you value as a leader? In executive coaching sessions I typically hear that most female leaders value a healthy balance of work and life. In the work-life, they value having alignment with the organization. Alignment within an organization specifically along goal, values, and culture components.

But what if you don’t have such alignment? What if you play it safe all the time? Remember, the spoils in life rarely ever go to the losers (and argue with me all you want, business is about winning!) Furthermore, spoils even more rarely go to those that play things safe (Read that as playing within your comfort zone!)

SUMMARY

In this post we took a brief look at four (4) lessons that women can review in order to consider when pursuing leadership positions. Controlling your self image, working together with men/women, your mindset adjustment (if necessary), and accepting risk are all part of the equation. Think of these as mere “starting line” considerations, as the race to attain/sustain leadership positions can be a long one. Equipping yourself with the right foundational strategies for leadership success will ensure that you move in the right direction.

Sam Palazzolo

The Leadership Challenge: Office Backstabbing – 5 Leadership Lies to Avoid

May 16, 2015 By Sam Palazzolo, Managing Director

The Point: In the art of a knife fight, two individuals each equipped with a knife circle each other thrusting their weapons at one another. It’s a rudimentary form of face-to-face-combat. And given your odds as a leader, nine times out of ten you’d bet on yourself to be victorious (we’ll give one out of ten to your combatant!) But what if (1) you don’t have a knife, (2) you’re not expecting a fight, and (3) you aren’t facing your competitor… Now the odds have swung completely around and not only are you favored, but defeat is all around you. Sound like your typical office backstabbing incident? In this post, we’ll take a look at how you as a leader can not only fight this unfair fight, but come out victorious in the end in knowing/using to your advantage the five lies of office backstabbing… Enjoy!

Knife Fighting Fantasy

Here’s an interesting leadership challenge to ponder: To say that all is fair in love and war is one thing, but is all fair in the office while at war (Business is war, right?) If business is in fact war, there are two rules you need to keep in mind right from the start when it comes to office backstabbing:

Whatever you do, you must live to fight another day, inevitably to fight against the next backstabbing episode.
If you are successful to live to fight another day, you’ll want to insure that you don’t compromise your ethics/end up on the wrong side of the battle in the eyes of Human Resources (HR) or the law.

Remember, being a leader is tough work. You “give blood” every day at work, and it’s your career on the line and personal lifestyle that could be sacrificed if unsuccessful. Don’t let anyone tell you that don’t have the right to defend yourself, fight back, or take action. Here then are the 5 lies to watch out for:

Lie #5: You’ll Have Plenty of Time To See Them Coming

In all the executive coaching conversations that I’ve had with clients over the years where the topic of backstabbing was brought up (I’ve worked with 500+ leaders to date), only one of them ever said that he saw it coming. This leader was no less aware of his surroundings, the stakeholders actions that he worked with, nor out of touch with the business at hand. Yet, time after time I heard how they felt completely blindsided by the attack.

Backstabbing Avoidance Tip: Watch your back at all times, and get stakeholders (think of them as the trusted “inner circle”) to watch your back as well!

Lie #4: There’s Going to be a Backstabbing at High Noon

The majority of the executive coaching conversations I heard excuse after excuse regarding backstabbing avoidance being taught in leadership development programs. The problem is that in leadership development programs the scenarios presented were never real. Instead, the backstabbing scenes were like something out of an old Western movie instead of the stealth business streets pounded daily by these leaders.

Backstabbing Avoidance Tip: Your backstabber isn’t watching old Westerns nor are they participating in leadership development scenarios. They are moving like a terrorist and as such act with a high level of randomness.

Lie #3: But How Can I Avoid the Fight?

Most leaders believe that they can get out of any situation that they are put into… Good situations… Bad situations… Either way, the leader believes that they will come out the other end victorious. This is plain stupid and wrong! This lie can usually be heard by leaders when they start the rebuttal with “But…” In all the cases I’ve heard, of the millions of possible options the leader could have taken they always seem to focus on staying and fighting. Remember Dale Carnegie’s advice on winning an argument: The only way to win an argument is to never get into an argument in the first place.

Backstabbing Avoidance Tip: Think back to Rule I above… You need to live to fight another day. Staying and fighting will accomplish little. Running away is your leadership ego perception at work… Think of it instead of taking the high road!

Lie #2: They’re Going to Backstab You in a Certain Way

Think of the typical leadership development office backstabbing case that you’ve explored (You have explored the topic in your leadership development program, right?) What did it consist of? Typically, let’s think of the scenario of a disgruntled worker. Perhaps they’ve been passed over for a promotion, or better yet they don’t want in on the latest program of the month (Change isn’t their thing, you know?) Now you probably know how to handle this type of case with tact and polish… This backstabbing is pretty easy!

However, what if the associate is going stealth? They’re publishing information online about you, the company, and what a joke the whole scenario is. You didn’t cover that one in leadership development did you?

Backstabbing Avoidance Tip: Just as you’d brainstorm solutions to a problem, attempt to brainstorm problems and what your solutions will be. Think of it as a contingency planning exercise.

Lie #1: They’re Going to Listen to Your Logic and Admit They Were Wrong

The leadership fantasy that you’re going to overcome a backstabbing by hearing your assailant out, confirming that you correctly heard what they said, and then attempting to educate them from your perspective will get you nowhere. Avoiding a backstabbing shouldn’t rely purely on opportunity and chance.

Unless your backstabber is a simpleton, the odds of you successfully absorbing the backstabbing, confirming why you’re being stabbed, and then pulling yourself together to have a legitimate debate is very, very slim. The reality is that you cannot safely control the situation. While there may be actions you can take to momentarily delay the backstabbing, unfortunately I typically hear of horror stories where there was simply too much bludgeoning absorbed by the leader to adequately mount a counter offensive.

Backstabbing Avoidance Tip: Throw logic out the window, and think fight or flight… with heavy emphasis on the flight!

SUMMARY

In this post we’ve taken a look at two rules to keep in mind when experiencing office politics. We’ve also reviewed five lies that leaders typically have in mind when countering backstabbing. Remember the two rules and you should be able to live to lead another day!

Sam Palazzolo

PS – You may also enjoy some of the other recent posts I wrote:

The Leadership Challenge: Should You Stay OR Should You Go? 5 Criteria

April 29, 2015 By Sam Palazzolo, Managing Director

The Point: Perhaps you’ve been pushed to the brink… Maybe you eye a greener pasture in the next meadow… Regardless, it’s often a difficult career decision for a leader to determine if they should stay with their current organization or defect to a new one. There are countless criteria that you can weigh to justify staying or going, so in this post we compile five (5) criteria to consider in your leadership career management moment… Enjoy!

The Clash Had It Right

The English punk band “The Clash” of the 1980’s might have been on to something for a leader considering transitioning from one organization to another. Here are the vocals lead singer Mick Jones belted out (as well as accompanying backup vocals in Ecuadorian Spanish):

Should I stay or should I go now? (Yo! ¿Me frío o lo soplo?)

If I go there will be trouble (Si me voy, va a haber peligro)

And if I stay it will be double (Si me quedo, es doble)

So you gotta let me know (Pero que tienes que decir)

Should I cool it or should I blow? (¿Me frío o lo soplo?)

Should I stay or should I go now? (¿Me frío o lo soplo?)

So the questions posed in the song are at the heart of the leadership transition moment… Should you stay OR should you go? There are a lot of reasons to stay at your current organization, but there also might be some pretty compelling reasons to depart. For example, you already know the “devil” you dance with day-in/day-out in the current company you keep. On the other hand, at a new organization there might be a better leadership team. Here then are five (5) criteria assembled to allow you, the leader, to assess this often tumultuous time.

Criteria 5: Are You “Taken Care Of” as a Leader?

Often times I hear from leaders during executive coaching horror stories of how they are not taken care of. They typically have low/no response when asked “Where’s the love?” Organizations not ripe culturally with respect, proper compensation, trust, innovation, and leadership development growth opportunities take note.

Criteria 4: Lack of Empowerment

There’s been a lot of headlines in the leadership development space regarding employee engagement recently, but not so much on the topic of empowerment. Unfortunately, empowerment lies at the heart of the engagement moment for most leaders and their organizations. Think of the concept of “Intrapreneur” and you get this criteria.

Criteria 3: Politics

Don’t think for a minute that there is an organization out there that is absent of politics! While it’s an idealistic moment, and one that many an executive recruiter will share with you to entice the recruiting effort, the reality is that every organization has politics. But are there less politics taking place, or perhaps those that drive in a more positive direction (That’s possible, right?)

Criteria 2: Trustworthy Leaders

Remember in these consideration moments that your ability to interview stakeholders at the potential organization should provide you with an accurate assessment of them, and no criteria to judge should weigh heavier than the trust the leaders in the organization have. I think Stephen M.R. Covey said it best that with trust, anything is possible… without it, well that’s another story!

Criteria 1: Recognition

When was the last time you received recognition in your current organization and was it appropriate? Real time feedback for example is a great barometer to judge not only if an organization provides accountability measurements to their stakeholders, but provides insight into how.

SUMMARY

I hope these five (5) criteria provide you with perspective on perhaps one of the more challenging dilemmas a leader can face in managing their career. In executive coaching sessions I’ve reviewed leadership issues ranging from being taken care of, empowerment, politics, trust, and recognition. These are just a few of the criteria you should weigh in determining if you should stay or go. So what will you do? Will you stay, or will you go? Remember The Clash inasmuch, if you go there will be trouble. But, if you stay there could be double!

Sam Palazzolo

PS – You may also enjoy some of the other recent posts I wrote:

The Leadership Challenge: Helping Those That Don’t Want Help

April 4, 2015 By Sam Palazzolo, Managing Director

The Point: We’ve all seen those people in organizations that won’t accept help… “Nose to the grindstone!” is their mantra, and attempting to help them receives a negative reaction. Sometimes subtle, sometimes head-jerking, these negative reactions typically persuade those wanting to assist to never (as in NEVER) offer assistance again. In this post, I’ll take a look at the number one (#1) reason why stakeholders in business refuse help, and five (5) tips to overcome such moments for success… Enjoy!

The #1 Reason: Weakness

The number one (#1) reason why someone doesn’t want to accept help is typically because they don’t want to be perceived as weak. Real or imagined, exposing your weaknesses is often not looked upon as very positive, and is typically a very ingrained pattern of thinking (So therefore very difficult to overcome). But what if you don’t have a choice in the matter? What if you are assigned to participate in a team full of those that don’t want/need your help?

In executive coaching session after executive coaching, I’ve seen empirical evidence on the topic of overcoming weak perception with the following five (5) tips.

Tip #5: Get to the Heart of the “Weak” Matter

There are many possible reasons regarding why the individual is reluctant to have help be offered, and it’s important to narrow the field of possibilities down. Some of the reasons identified in executive coaching conversations for this reluctance might include:

They might feel totally independent and don’t need/require any help from anyone/anytime.
Accepting help puts doubt into their level of competency.
They may be frightened of the consequences of accepting help.
The individual could be scared of rejection associated with asking for help and not receiving.
Their status as a “Perfectionist” could be jeopardized.
Overwhelming feelings of vulnerability.
Concern over this being a signal of potential un-professionalism.
Allowing problems to serve as roadblocks on the way to success.
Past acceptance never seemed to work out the way they intended (Hence, they are better off simply doing everything by themselves).
They don’t want to burden others by asking.

Tip #4: Unrealistic Ideals and Wishful Thinking

If the individual puts themselves in a real/perceived position where there are conflicting or reinforced societal “norms” where asking for help is seen as a weakness. Here is a list identified in executive coaching conversations that leaders should pay attention to regarding societal norms associated with such unrealistic ideals and wishful thinking:

There is a common theme that runs amuck in tv shows, movies, social media etc.
The common thought that it is ok or fine to be alone, standing as an individual against all odds/comers by.
Peer pressure of organizational hazing.

Tip #3: Your Bias Actually Feeds the “No Help Required” Flame

By building an invisible individual wall around themselves, sometimes these individuals purposefully are warding off the potential of being hurt. While they might feel a greater sense of safety versus the rewards of collaboration, it’s important to keep the following in mind as a leader identified in executive coaching conversations:

It is both arrogant and conceited to think that you can offer to give, but never receive help (That one’s aimed at you leader!)
The influence/persuasion law of reciprocity are alive and well. Think of how good it felt to not only give/receive help in the past (Or share the potential rewards of what could be).
Their abilities sabotage their thinking. In other words, they are so confident that failure is not an option, that all they can see is success!

Tip #2: Reality Should Rule

Overcoming reasons (realistic ones) as to why help should be expected, coupled with a realistic thought patterns of performance should provide the opportunity to help. Some aspects of reality identified in executive coaching conversations that should be implemented to foster help include:

Learn the pros/cons associated with accepting help.
Flip your trust equation (simply provide it, without question/debt/guilt/etc.)
Act on opportunities to provide/seek/receive help without a second thought (Hurry, do it before that second thought enters your mind).
Start by asking those you trust.

Tip #1: Focus on Solutions

As a leader, you typically have problems (multiple problems?) that face you. In working with those that typically don’t ask for help, you may be able to overcome these obstacles by keeping things focused on solutions, and the short-timeline associated/inherent therein. Considering the individual’s strength, ability to give, and trust can go a long way towards focusing on solutions.

SUMMARY

In this post we’ve covered the number one (#1) reason why we don’t ask for help, along with five (5) tips to assist in overcoming such moments (people!) Important to keep in mind that regardless of which method/tip you chose to implement, there is always an opportunity to provide great leadership along the way (or to simply hire differently in future situations as the need arises).

Sincerely yours,

Sam Palazzolo

PS – You may also enjoy some of the other recent posts I wrote:

Sam Palazzolo is the Managing Director at Tip of the Spear Ventures, an agile Venture Capital and Business Advisory Services firm specializing in Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, and Communication Skills Training for Leaders.

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