My Way or The Highway

Do you impose your way of doing things on teammates, colleagues or direct reports? Answer carefully...it is easier to do than you think.

 

Though you may not outright say "my way or the highway," you are probably pushing your instinctual method for accomplishing tasks onto others. Here are a few examples: One of my clients is a natural brainstormer. For any new venture in the company, he requires every team member to brainstorm ideas for moving forward. Another one of the clients is a great simplifier. He discourages Q & A sessions from taking place at the end of meetings because he claims they are an inefficient use of time. Yet another client is an innate researcher/specifier. She requires her employees to regularly attend informational seminars and professional growth classes.....See the trend?

 

None of the above activities or requirements are bad in themselves. They become bad when pushed on to someone with a different operational approach. 

 

So, how do you avoid creating a "My Way or The Highway" culture?

 

The answer is simple: focus on results rather than method. In other words, hold individuals accountable to the end goal, not how he or she got there. Let's look back to the three examples above. My first client's ultimate goal is to successfully move forward with new ventures. Some in his team may brainstorm out-of-the-box solutions, but others may best contribute by creating a step-by-step plan. My second client's aim is to work efficiently. Many of his employees are most efficient when they first gather all of the information (thereby preventing unforeseen problems down the road). My third client seeks out expertise. Maybe some in her team can gain it through real-world experience rather than in a seminar. 

 

Again, the key is to focus on the goal and allow each person the freedom to get there in his or her own way. Not only will this approach maximize the efforts of your team, but it will also showcase the diversity of talents represented in your organization.   

What To Do When You Aren't Inspired

Some days I sit down to write a blog entry, and I feel like I could write for hours. Other days, it takes everything out of me to produce one paragraph. It is strange how I can be in my groove today, and be in a funk tomorrow.

 

Why do you feel tired after (or before) a certain task?

 

If you feel stuck and uninspired, perform a "gut check" of these three potential causes:

 

1) You are fighting your own natural strengths. You instinctively push off or procrastinate on those things that cause you to work against your grain. It is your mind's own warning system - trying to alert you of impending danger. Unfortunately, we do not always listen, and even after procrastinating, we finally try to take on that project that pulls us "off our game." The more attune you become to your internal warning system, the more inspired and motivated you will feel.

 

2) You've expended all of your conative energy. Your conative, or instinctual, energy is limited. Like a rechargeable battery, your striving power runs out, and you must take the time to rest and recharge. Even if its within your forte, you cannot perform a task infinitely. Give yourself permission to take a break, and come back later.

 

3) You  lack motivation. It doesn't matter how smart or naturally talented you are -  if you are not motivated to perform the task, it will not happen...or at least not in a way that represents your best work. Motivation is an affective issue (a matter of your feelings, emotions, preferences, values), rather than an instinctual one. So if you are unmotivated, ask yourself the following questions to identify the root of the problem. Renewed inspiration will most likely require a change of attitude. 

 

"Do I like this work?"

"Would I prefer something else?"

"Is there a conflict of values or mission?"

"Do I believe in this work? 

 

No matter what the cause, a funk drives productivity down. Don't simply muddle through. Identify the source of your creativity block and commit to a solution.

The Power of Leverage

In a previous blog, I mentioned that your success often depends on what you DON'T do. A key way to accomplish that success is through leverage.

You should look at your team from an objective perspective, in terms of each person's unique contribution to the group. Remove "Darryl the computer programmer" and "Connie the sales manager" from your mind. Think "researcher, analyzer, alternative finder" and "risk taker, innovator, crisis handler." Then think through your team goals, and list the specific tasks/projects that will get you there. Now assign each task by leveraging the talents of each team member, by utilizing every ounce of their unique contribution to the group. The goal is to have each individual do those things - and only those things - that he or she does best...so there is no other person on the team that can perform those tasks better or even equally.

The definition of leverage is "to improve or enhance." By properly leveraging the talents of your workforce, and having no overlapping or mediocre efforts, you will most certainly improve and enhance your productivity.

Hire Your Complement, Not Your Clone

When questioning a job candidate in an interview, how do you determine what is a good or a bad answer? By what standard are your measuring the candidate's responses? If the standard is you (how you would answer the question, how you would solve that problem, how you would take on that opportunity), then you are most likely jeopardizing your team's performance.

 

It is a natural human bias to think that my way is the right way. We tend to feel that our approach to the world makes the most sense; therefore, people who share this approach are -- in our minds -- equally sensible! Dangerously, most people carry over this natural bias into their hiring decisions...and they hire their clone.

 

The problem with hiring your clone, especially within a small organization, is that it brings redundant effort into your business. Why duplicate your contribution, when you have an opportunity to bring in other, outside talents? It is as impractical as buying a second coffee maker for your home, when you already have a perfectly well-functioning one! The other problem with hiring your clone is that it leads to a culture of groupthink. If you are unfamiliar with this term, I encourage you to run a quick Internet search (it is well worth knowing about). But in a few words, groupthink occurs when group members, in an effort to drive for consensus, either purposely or unknowingly drive out alternative perspectives. The result is a "cohesive" group that makes very faulty, self-serving decisions. To ward off this condition in your team, it is critical to avoid hiring your clone.

 

So if it is bad to hire your clone, who do you hire?

 

The answer is quite simple: hire your complement. (Important note: your complement is not your opposite. Hiring your opposite leads to conflict.) Hiring your complement means bringing new talent into the organization and, if done right, should make you and the other team members slightly uncomfortable. Remember that a devil's advocate is healthy. Also, the key strategy behind hiring your complement is to create a balance of strengths. Synergy comes from a diversity of talents, not duplicated ones.

 

As you conduct the next interview, be sure to keep in mind that if the candidate answers the questions exactly as you would - he is most likely not right for your team. 

Why Reliability Matters

"Test-retest reliability" is a buzz phrase in the assessment world. But beyond a lofty scientific term, it is an extremely important concept for you and your business. Understanding reliability is the key to determining which tool will bring you the most ROI.

So, what exactly is test-retest reliability?

Test-retest reliability is the consistency of an assessment's findings over time. In other words, how accurate is the assessment 1 week from now? 5 years from now? 25 years from now? This factor is measured by administering an assessment to a group of people, allowing time to pass (ie. 1 month, 1 year, 5 years) and having the same group of people retake the assessment. If each person receives the same result both times, the test-retest reliability rating is 1.0. If only half of the group receives the same result, the test-retest reliability rating is 0.5...and so on.

Here is a quick example:

If I was given an assessment each year with one question, "What is your first name?" I would have a 1.0 test-retest reliability rating because I would always answer "Emily"...no matter if it is 1 year from now or 30 years from now.

Why is test-retest reliability important?

Test-retest reliability determines the time value of a tool. You could consider it an assessment's expiration date.

An assessment's time value has direct implications to your business decisions. Simply put, the time frame of your decision MUST match the expiration date of the tool. For example, if an assessment is deemed "good for a year" (ie. test-retest reliability drops off significantly after one year), then you do not want to hire someone that you hope to have on your team for 10 years using that assessment.

Need another example? Think back to high school. A teacher from your senior year would never accept a test you took your freshman year. Why? Because, the teacher wants (and should) see four years of growth. Your knowledge-base changed over time, so the test that you aced (or failed) your freshman year no longer applied to you as a senior. 

The implications of time value are also financial. Would you rather pay to assess your team once and have that information apply over the long-term? Or would you rather pay to reassess your team each year and be limited to short term decisions? It's like buying a printer for $100 and paying $75 each year for replacement ink versus buying a printer for $100 with a lifetime supply of ink. No brainer!

What to look for:

When determining what assessment(s) to use in your business -- and this applies to ALL aspects of your business whether it be hiring, team building, team creation, management training, etc -- only use tools with the highest test-retest reliability ratings available. An accepted range is 0.8 to 0.9; anything over is fantastic, anything below is cautionary. And be careful: you must check the reliability over time. Most assessments score a high test-retest reliability rating within a short time frame...but pay attention to those numbers after 6 months, 1 year and 5 years especially. You will find that all but a few assessments experience an extreme drop off in reliability the further out you move on the timeline.

How do you obtain this information?

Just ask for it. Every consultant/assessment company should be more than willing to furnish a full statistical analysis of their tool(s), which needs to include a test-retest reliability study as well as case studies, predictability measurements and validity studies. Ideally, this information is readily available online. If a simple request or basic Google search do not lead you to this information...let that be a red flag. I've never found an organization to hide statistical data that supports its tool.

On a final note, here are links to the test-retest reliability studies of some of the most widely-used assessments.* The results may (or may not) surprise you:

Myers Briggs: Myers Briggs (MBTI) Test Retest Reliability
(see first paragraph of page 4)

DISC: DISC Test Retest Reliability
(see page 2)

Kolbe Index: Kolbe A Index Test Retest Reliability

Predictive Index: Predictive Index Test Retest Reliability
(see page 27)

*These links lead to conclusions found by the assessment maker and/or from a trusted, third-party researcher. These resources are a start; there is much more information/commentary available on this topic for each assessment listed above and most others.

A Fancy Piece of Furniture

My parents purchased a baby grand piano when I was in middle school. The only problem - no one in the family knew how to play. Eventually, my father and I took lessons and learned to play chopsticks and other simple tunes. But over a few years, our interest in playing fizzled, and the piano became a fancy piece of furniture rather than a source of beautiful music.

Assessments are very popular in the business world. Employers, rightly so, want to measure the intelligence, personality and natural strengths of employees and potential job candidates. Most every employee appreciation event or training seminar today includes some sort of index or profile. But it usually stops there. Each person completes the questionnaire, quickly reads over the result, and goes back to work as usual. The assessment ends up collecting dust in a file drawer. It reminds me of my parents buying a piano, and it becoming a fancy piece of furniture. Yes, the piano is pretty to look at, but its primary value is not being utilized. Thus, an incredible tool -- like a piano or an assessment -- becomes underused and under-appreciated.

If you or your organization have taken assessments in the past or plan to in the future, I strongly encourage you to make the additional investment and hire an expert to explain how to understand and apply the results. I often tell my clients that the tool is 1% of the value, knowing how to use it is the other 99%. It's like buying the Steinway piano and hiring a piano teacher. 

Most assessment makers/distributors have a listing of certified experts in your area. This resource is a great start in connecting with a specialist who can help you unlock the value of the assessment...that is currently stuffed away in your file drawer.   

It's What You DON'T Do That Makes You Money

Did you start your day by deciding what NOT to do?

 

Everyone knows that physical energy eventually runs dry, but do you regularly consider the state of your instinctual (a.k.a conative) energy? Have you been striving for so long that you are now exhausted and unproductive? Even the best researchers come to a point where they can't read another fact and top "ideators" can become brain-stormed out. Simply put, it is critical that you remain aware of how much striving energy you exert and when you need to rest and re-juice.

 

Here are some quick and easy tips for regaining your effectiveness:

• Commit, but to very little. Start your day by deciding what NOT to do. You have limited energy; use it wisely on tasks that produce the greatest outcome.
• Do nothing when nothing works....If the harder you push, the less you accomplish, then STOP. Take a break. Do nothing. Come back at a later time.  
• Stimulate your senses. Research proves that your problem-solving energy is not only restored through rest, but also through the five senses. So, engage in activities that stimulate your sense of touch, smell, taste, hearing, and sight. Take a walk through the woods. Eat a fabulous meal. Listen to great music. Tour a museum of fine art...be creative!  

The quantity of time and effort does not always equal the quality of the result. The most successful individual is one who thinks strategically about when he exerts energy and when he rests.