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The Leadership Challenge: Criticism – 5 Tips!

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The Point: Call it “constructive” or call it “transparent” criticism, but have you ever had a conversation with a stakeholder at work regarding how things could have gone better? If so, you’ve probably dipped a toe or two into the constructive criticism pond. So as a leader, how can you navigate such moments maintaining a results focus and positive atmosphere? The following post looks at criticism and provides 5 leadership tips to be successful… Enjoy!

Are You Leading at the Tip of the Spear?

He Didn’t Take “Constructive” Criticism Well… Understatement!

Joe was a mid-level manager at a Fortune 1000 organization that participated in one of our leadership development executive coaching programs. He barely made the requirements for the high potential initiative, and as such struggled with several of the program topics. In particular, he struggled with the Communication Skills Training for Leaders topic, where on more than one occasion he became flustered with the content.

It was after one such “flustered” moments that we pulled him aside to share our perspective on his performance. Here’s how the conversation went:

  • US – “Joe, we wanted to touch base to see how you thought things were going?”
  • JOE – “Everything is going fine.”
  • US – “Interesting… Is there anything in the last section on Communication Skills Training for Leaders that you felt you could have improved on?”
  • JOE – “What? Improved on… I don’t think you can mess with perfection!”
  • US – “But if you could improve on perfection, because there are always opportunities to improve, what would you have done differently?”
  • JOE – “This is Bull Sh!t!”

And after that exchange Joe stormed off…

Constructive Criticism

Joe set the tone for a poor feedback improvement setting by believing that everything was fine, and that there could be no learning to improve moments to be had. While nothing said was hostile nor belligerent in nature, taking things out of context is often one of the biggest issues with receiving constructive criticism. So here are 5 tips to help you as a leader position your feedback sessions for greater success (and avoid those Joe-moments!):

Criticism Tip #5 – Your First Reaction is Wrong, so Stop!

When you give or receive feedback, it’s important to frame the conversation appropriately so that you provide the proper context. Doing so will allow you to set the stage for a good conversation (and conversely not doing so will set the stage for a bad conversation!) I encourage leaders to spell out how information shared is often taken wrong, so let’s talk about it as a part of pre-calling the actual comments. Establishing this expectation is a great way to insure constructive criticism is received as intended.

Criticism Tip #4 – Feedback is Beneficial

Why are you providing feedback? This is an important question to ask yourself. If your goal is to provide it to better an individual, realign them around organizational goals, and/or establish a different direction on project management for example then share those benefits. Otherwise, recipients will be left to their own devices (i.e., imagination) which may not produce intended outcomes.

Criticism Tip #3 – Prepare to Listen

There are three sides to every story… Our side, their side, and the truth. Insuring that you know all three sides helps in creating constructive criticism moments. The key of course is for you to listen to the other sides story. While you may have all the facts, some of the facts presented may not be ones of a high importance to you.

Criticism Tip #2 –Thank You!

I’ve heard it said that feedback, whether it’s in the form of constructive criticism or a customer survey, is a gift. Whether you agree or not, take it for what it is and remind yourself and others that the proper response is to say “Thank You!” Leave your defensiveness/rebuttal/excuses at the door.

Criticism Tip #1 – Follow Up

Once you provide or receive constructive criticism, it’s important to set a date/time to follow up to insure that what was discussed is (1) understood, (2) put into action, and (3) proper direction is once again established. I see in executive coaching sessions way too often a leaders inability to following up which causes tremendous heart ache for all parities. Know that saying thing one time and expecting everything to change as a result forever more is never a good leadership moments (It’s just not realistic, right?)

SUMMARY

In this post we’ve taken a look at the leadership challenge of criticism as well as 5 tips to help you either provide/receive constructive criticism. Let’s face it, these can be crucial conversations consisting of pain for both parties. However, the crucial conversation part comes from the fact that it is crucial to have them in order to progress forward.

 

Sam Palazzolo

The Leadership Challenge- Criticism – 5 Tips!

The Leadership Challenge: Going Trump – 3 Tips!

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The Point: He’s been called brash, egotistical, politically incorrect, and a host of other things on his ascent towards the lands highest office (The President of the United States). Donald Trump has rubbed some people the wrong way, and caused others to stand-up and cheer for his anything but politically correct pursuit. Think what you will of Donald Trump, but ask yourself if going “Trump” wouldn’t make you a better leader? In this post we’ll take a look at going Trump and 3 tips to help you be a little more politically “incorrect” in your efforts… Enjoy!

The Leadership Challenge- Going Trump – 3 Tips!

Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You, Ask What You Can Do For Donald Trump!

The phenomena in American politics known as Donald Trump continues to grab headlines… On air encounters with journalist (Megan Kelly and Jorge Ramos to name a few), capacity crowds in attendance on his grass-roots campaign tour, buzzing the Iowa State Fair in his helicopter… these are all ways in which he has distanced himself from other running candidates and outpaced them all in the polls. Whatever your political views are, it sure is making for one entertaining viewing party, even with over a year to go before Election Day!

Part of the “charm” of “The Donald” is his rather braggadocios leadership style. The opposite style of leadership leads one to be boring, weak, perhaps even “frozen” and certainly not followable by others. In leadership development programs and executive coaching sessions I typically encounter the leadership challenge of how can you “toot” your own horn, but not in a manner that causes negative thought/feedback/action from stakeholders. So herein are 3 communication skills training for leader tips you might find helpful if you’re considering going Trump:

Going Trump Tip #3 – Use a Narrative

You want to express your qualifications, expertise, and most importantly perspective on where initiatives should go. Using a narrative about where you’ve been and previous success (and failure) moments can go a long way towards “framing” a subject and ensuing conversation. Remember to highlight the positive aspects of the leadership challenges you’ve encountered (but bringing in negative aspects will firm reality for your stakeholders).

Going Trump Tip #2 – Enlist Others

I had a conversation during an executive coaching session where the coachee wanted to know how they could get others to recommend them. There seems to be two schools of thought: School 1 has the expectation that others will gladly recommend/affirm your accomplishments. School 2 has you asking others to recommend/affirm your accomplishments. School 1 is great, but rarely occurs without asking (in other words, go with School 2!) Getting others on your same page and having them tell your story is a powerful display of social proof at play (it’s just not you that thinks so, others do as well).

Going Trump Tip #1 – Take Action

Action speaks louder than words. You can tell everyone that you have the best vision/plan for the future… You can share how you desire bigger/better things… You can even describe in detail (or at large) how you will get there! However, if you’ve never actually been there/done that through action (or actually doing) few will follow. Keep in mind, success is great to be able to report out on, but if you are truly pushing the envelope you will have many failures to report out on as well.

SUMMARY

In this post we’ve taken a look at the leadership challenge of going Trump and provided 3 tips if you are considering taking the leap yourself (and why wouldn’t you?)

 

Sam Palazzolo

 

The Leadership Challenge: Culture

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The Point: You know how when you think about a business and you get that “vibe” that resonates with your sole (and it’s a good vibe)? That’s a company’s culture, and it’s what we want when people think of Tip of the Spear! So in this post we’ll take a look at company cultures and how they can make (or break) customer experiences (both internal customers – employees – and external – customers)… Enjoy!

Are You Leading at the Tip of the Spear?

Zappos Culture is a Fantasy!

One of the clients I’m working with on a large-scale change management/customer experience initiative is attempting to get their arms around company culture. Know this much: This is a HUGE redwood tree to attempt get your arms around. But how do you go about eating an elephant? That’s right, one bight at a time!

So if company culture is what you’re after, where would you head to benchmark what is truly best in class? We compiled a short-list and Zappos was at the top. Now you might have red about Tony Hseih and his book on Zappos (“Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose”). I know that I read the book several years back and recall what one of my clients said about it: “Zappos Culture is a Fantasy!” In other words, they believed that there is no way that employees could manage themselves in relatively “flat” organization structures. They also believed that a company would go broke if they pulled all the shenanigans that Zappos purportedly pulled in the workplace (Free snacks, frequent all company meetings, etc.)

What are Your Cultural Core Values?

So it was with this framing that I went to Zappos, a pilgrimage of sorts to a clandestine cultural Mecca where dreams could come true, and fantasies were reality in business. What exactly was the leadership challenge I was in search of solving? After all… This was Las Vegas! Anyway, I registered for a tour, showed up at the given time (There is great communication prior to the tour regarding directions on where to go, how to get there, etc.), and checked-in in preparation for cultural lift-off (Yes, in case you’re wondering I was overdressed. I had come from a meeting wearing a suit/tie… But something about a 100+* day in Las Vegas had me lose my tie. Good thing… They cut them off at the door!)

The tour began and closed with something that I’ll never forget (No, not the ukulele playing tour guide… Come to think of it, I won’t forget him either!) What was unforgettable was the “vibe” this office place had. With what can only be described as minimal “management” present, everyone seemed to lead their own way throughout the tour. Furthermore, there was the sharing of 10 Cultural Core Values and even an annual yearbook authored by Zappos associates regarding what this culture means to them. With nearly every state and continent represented by the Zappos associates, this meant that there was a somewhat diverse culture present (if only in as much they were operating in Las Vegas, when it could have been a trendy LA neighborhood).

The bottom line of the visit was that not only was the Zappos culture a reality, but it was about to have an impact on 100+ people from my daily tour alone. Multiply that quantity by about 10 tours a week and you get some pretty exponential numbers regarding other companies/people looking to identify how they can make their place of work more like Zappos.

The Zappos Cultural Core Values… Easy to Replicate | Hard to Implement

In case you’re wondering, here are the 10 Core Values that every Zappos associate must abide by (They’ll actually pay you to depart from the onboarding training if you identify that you can’t uphold them!):

  1. Deliver WOW Through Service
  2. Embrace and Drive Change
  3. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
  4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
  5. Pursue Growth and Learning
  6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
  7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
  8. Do More With Less
  9. Be Passionate and Determined
  10. Be Humble

They’re listed proudly on the company website under the “About Zappos Culture” page. So if everyone interested can see these, pickup Tony’s book for under $20, and take a tour (tour cost was only $10) why then is it so difficult for others to replicate this culture?

Here’s why it’s difficult to replicate the Zappos Culture – It’s hard work and it takes leadership. In leadership development programs and ensuing executive coaching sessions I hear time and again how leaders want the right culture, the right people, creating the right customer experience. However, this takes effort and energy as a leader. Perhaps not always leading from the front (sometimes supporting while not leading the charge), there is a gap between how to implement/execute such a culture. Most leaders get frustrated, throw their hands in the air after adopting a few of the cultural gems from Zappos, and simply give up.

SUMMARY

In this post we looked at the Zappos Culture and how while few can imitate, even fewer can replicate it. What is your organization’s culture like? Is it like Zappos? Is it far from it? What do you want it to be as a leader/stakeholder?

 

Sam Palazzolo

The Leadership Challenge- Culture

The Leadership Challenge: Frustration – 5 Tips

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The Point: One of my clients said it best during the week – “Business is a series of roadblocks that erect themselves between you and success. The quicker you get above/under/around those roadblocks the sooner you’ll achieve success!” These roadblocks can be major, or minor, moments of frustration. So how exactly do you get to the other side as quick as possible? In this post, we’ll take a look at leadership frustration as well as 5 tips to orient yourself for success… Enjoy!

Are You Leading at the Tip of the Spear?

It’s Not You

If it’s Friday again (and it will be each week from here on out!), then no doubt another leadership frustration opportunity presented itself during the week. Here are a few of my own leadership frustration moments from this past week:

  • Short Again! – Each week I conduct a weekly review. In this weekly review, I review what I set out to accomplish in the previous week, progress/regress made, reasons for success/failure, and ultimately outline next week’s goals. Inevitably, I attempt to “bight off” more than I can possibly accomplish (or chew). “Aim high” is my motto… However results can be sometimes far from successfully achieving.
  • Damn You Delta! – Another week and this road warrior booked another 3,000 miles in the air (I’d still be driving in case your wondering!) Flights outbound were as scheduled, however the return was a totally different matter ESPECIALLY the final leg where Delta delayed my return flight by nearly an hour and a half. Out of my control thanks to fog in Seattle, but frustrating nonetheless.
  • I’m Too Busy! – One of the leaders I work with was far from achieving a level of success that he established for himself. The reason for not measuring up to his key performance indicators? He was too busy. Too busy… Can you believe that! My whole dealing with this leader had me asking myself if this was a “true” change initiative, or a “thinking about” change initiative.
  • Poor Communication! – If I’ve said it once, I’ve repeated myself a million times… If you can’t communicate clearly as a leader, those you’re leading (and probably to a large degree yourself included) will have a difficult time following. Communication skills training for leaders is one thing, but not implementing and executing those lessons is another.
  • Bureaucracy! – I worked for some of the most heavily bureaucratic organizations on the planet, yet I’m always amazed at how even though this proven practice of business has been deemed “undesirable” by most leaders/their organizations somehow these conditions still persist! Congratulations for holding on to a dying tradition that should be left in the past.

5 Leadership Tips for Dealing with Frustration

So as a leader, we all deal with frustration. While misery loves company, why not be in pursuit of ways in which we can overcome such moments? As such, the following 5 leadership tips for dealing with frustration come from my 500+ leadership development executive coaching conversations:

Leadership Frustration Tip #5: Run Towards Frustration

I know you’re probably thinking “Run towards frustration… Sam have you lost your mind?” But hear me out… If you attack those moments of frustration rather than react you’ll drive change faster.

Leadership Frustration Tip #4: Engage Others

Piggy-backing off of Tip #5, while running towards frustration remember that you are not alone in this leadership journey. Engaging others to drive towards solution via change will help others experience your pain, drive better solutions in less time, and assist with implementation.

Leadership Frustration Tip #3: Stay Focused

Dealing with frustration is, well, frustrating. You’re going to want to sweep the moment under the leadership rug for cleaning later. But I’ll encourage you to stay focused in the moment and beyond until sufficient cleaning has occurred for you/your stakeholders to be successful.

Leadership Frustration Tip #2: Take Frustration Personally

One of the leadership development executive coaching sessions I had during the week was with a leader that kept repeating the phrase “It’s business… It’s not personal.” Well guess what? Everything in business as a leader is personal!

Leadership Frustration Tip #1: Accept and Change

I don’t want to go all Eminem on you and tell you that you only have one shot to prove yourself and succeed so you should lose yourself in the moment, but I think he was on to something. If you want less frustration moments in the future you should look to accept them right here and now. Changing business processes and personnel could be in the cards, but your mentality and attitude regarding changing will orient you appropriately.

SUMMARY

In this post we’ve taken a look at the leadership challenge of frustration and provided 5 tips. Just as life isn’t perfect, neither is leadership. However, in moments of frustration true character arises. What will be your character that rises to the top? Will it be something you’re proud of today, tomorrow, and years down the road? How you deal with frustration (and believe me, there will be very frustrating moments the higher you move in an organization!) will determine much of your success.

 

Sam Palazzolo

The Leadership Challenge- Frustration - 5 Tips

The Leadership Challenge: Head Trash – 7 Tips to Crush Your Inner Critic

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The Point: If all of the world is a stage, then there are endless opportunities for critics to critique your every leadership move. But what if the critic is inside your head? What if the world’s biggest critic of you is… You? In this post, we’ll take a look at the concept of Head Trash and provide 7 Tips to crush your inner critic… Enjoy!

Are You Leading at the Tip of the Spear?

I’m Gonna Knock You Out!

LL Cool J might have rapped such a phrase about knocking someone out after his mother told him to do so, and you may very well agree that this is the shortest route as a leader to getting the results you want. However, unless you want to go “Fight Club” and put up with all those rules (There are 8… Can you guess #4? Hint: Tina Turner sang about it at Thunderdome), you’re going to have to first and foremost control yourself.

Most of the leaders I work with in leadership development settings where executive coaching sessions are conducted are well into controlling themselves. Controlling others might be there issue, but keep in mind that they are masters at self-control. The concept of “Head Trash” is that little voice inside your head that tells you that you are not worthy of accomplishing whatever it is you’ve established as a goal for yourself. If head trash moments were presented by someone other than yourself, you’d probably want to use that line by LL and his mom! So how do we quiet or eliminate that voice from taking us off track and risking leadership loser status? The following 7 Tips have been compiled from my executive coaching sessions with 500+ leaders.

Head Trash Tip #7 – Environment

I’m often amazed at success that is accomplished by the leaders I work with as an executive coach. Well after their initial leadership development moment, they seem to succeed in spite of their environment. What if the environment you worked in was optimally conducive to producing your best work output? Would you achieve more? You might…

Head Trash Tip #6 – Awareness

If you have an optimal environment to lead in, you just might not recognize it as such (Part of the reason I “hedged” on Tip #7’s success potential!) If you want to quiet that inner voice, try being fully present in the moment. Which moment? Every moment is important as a leader (Sorry, this is the equivalent to a “D – All the Above” answer!)

Head Trash Tip #5 – Vision

Do you know where you are going? Do you have purpose? If you answered “Yes” to both questions so far you at least have the vision to get their. So if that’s the case, why not envision yourself being in that place reaping all the rewards that place has to offer. Visualization as part of Vision is what every leader needs to be able to practice (and share with their Stakeholders).

Head Trash Tip #4 – Forget

I wrote a post about leaders and their ability to forget… It’s crucial that a leader have a certain degree of amnesia whereby yesterday’s mistakes are just that… Yesterday! In the past, nothing you can do about them, long-long-long gone.

Head Trash Tip #3 – Align

There’s probably someone in your “inner circle” that you know and more importantly trust with your inner/darkest/deepest secrets. Entrust in that person where you want to go. When the going gets tough, outreach to that person “in case of emergency” for them to remind you of where you are going for alignment.

Head Trash Tip #2 – Breath

I’m often amazed at how little breathing takes place in the C-Suite. I’m not talking about the metabolic automatic breathing that each of us participates in 12-20 times per minute, I’m talking about the big/deep breath that fills your lungs with air caused by your diaphragm pulling down. These deep breaths provide oxygen to your blood, a delay in your decision making process, and an added freshness to your being.

Head Trash Tip #1 – Get a Rock

I have to admit… I had “Head Trash” pretty bad about a decade ago. I’ve always prided myself on my work ethic/output, but always seemed to work for someone that liked taking credit for both. As such, I was rarely rewarded for my efforts and in return developed a pretty “snarky” inner conversation. A few years ago I worked with an Executive Coach that told me what I was doing, but like all good head trash participants I retorted that he must not know what he was talking about. After watching myself struggle, then fail, and struggle again I realized that he must be on to something. We worked on developing someone that would come in like a superhero and crush these head trash moments. Let’s see… someone really big, strong, and superhero-like was needed… The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) was the first person I thought of. To this day whenever I have a head trash moment I think of that conversation with my executive coach and The Rock appears to crush my inner critic. Maybe he can help you too?

SUMMARY

In this post we’ve taken a look at the concept known as Head Trash and provided 7 Tips to help you crush your inner critique.

 

Sam Palazzolo

The Leadership Challenge- Head Trash – 7 Tips to Calm Your Inner Critique

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