In a recent conversation with a colleague at a consulting company where I partner, we discussed change and how limited the processes are for dealing with the period of transition which is between the change and the new beginning.

As we all know “the only constant in the universe is change”. However most of us want things to stay the same or constant and so we resist change.

If we can initiate a mindset of the Transition as an exciting and creative period, our perspective will change, as will the success of innovation and new initiatives.

As a consultant I have worked with many companies who are engaged in acquisition, merger and reorganization. The stages of transition outlined in William Bridges’ book, Managing Transitions, Making the most of Change, introduce some practical mindsets and actions that make change have a positive transition period that will increase the success of the new beginning.

Change is situational, transition is psychological.

The stages of change and transition are: 

1. The intentional ending phase where we stop doing things the old way and recognize that letting go of the old to make room for the new is important.
2. Transitional Neutral Zone where innovations, new processes and enhanced perspectives can occur.
3. New Beginning vs. New Start.

There are three crucial things to remember to allow change to create a positive environment.

1. The change itself is something that is a given. Often people are expected to move forward without having let go of the previous way. I am sure you have seen organizations move forward with a change without taking the time to let go of the old way, or clarifying what will remain the same and what is going away. A good example of this is a company acquisition; change exists for both the company that is bought, as well as for the acquiring company. Discussions about what will be different are important, with the recognition that some of the old processes will disappear. Often change is only couched as a positive without the recognition that letting go of what has been the norm is a process that is necessary to bring forward new positive behaviors.
2. The second stage, which can be the most neglected, is what Bridges calls the Transitional or the Neutral Stage during which the adjustment to the new takes place. It is important that the recognition of this essential stage be given time and priority for adjustments to take place. This can be a time of innovation and the development of new perspectives that will enable a successful new beginning.
3. The third stage is the New Beginning which is greater than just a new start. The new beginning includes new perspectives and new practical tools that will be used to leverage the change. This follows the opportunity to realistically let go of the old processes and use the transition period for discovery and for innovation that may not have taken place otherwise.

Change management is a skill; however, the how-to for that skill can be learned and implemented if it is given time and priority. Giving an organization the opportunity to recognize the three stages of managing change, and to enable the transition throughout, is an essential first step in creating new reference points for new behavior.

Do you have a question, challenge, or success you would like to share? Please be sure to leave a comment. I would enjoy hearing from you! – Patricia

Because of the technology available to us, information travels at great speed. Truth, misinformation and assumptions also travel quickly. Without clear communication and connection between individuals and groups the misinformation can give impetus to the wrong direction or wrong conclusions about moving forward. Today’s business teams are globally located in different time zones with differing cultural norms. However, I have found it’s not the only situation in which quality communication and connection are difficult. This problem has been present even when teams are located in the same building. What is needed is a change in leadership mindset; the adoption of a different perspective and a reordering of priorities that support quality communication, collaboration and engagement throughout the organization

It is critically important that executives be more than just the boss, they must be a role model for leadership in order to motivate and drive their organization to achieve at a higher level.

Here’s what I mean:

When You’re Just the Boss

The boss is someone who sets the strategic plan and the team does what they can to satisfy and deliver results. Communication goes on without true connection because each person has a hidden agenda that is not approached. The hidden agenda of the team is to maintain their position and to hope that the boss will notice what they do. The agenda of the boss is to have the implementation happen and for the team to do what they are told to do. Communication and follow up does not occur so the team wonders if they are right about the conclusions they make.

This may seem to be an extreme scenario; and most bosses would deny that is their position. However, it is quite often what is experienced by the team, regardless of the boss’s intent.

In my experience working with leadership teams, while the boss is at least somewhat appreciative of the team, they often complain that their team does not own the strategy or are not strategic in their thinking. Yet, it is often the boss who needs to connect in a more meaningful way with the team members to engage them in the strategy, foster ownership, and get them thinking of creative solutions. Team members typically report their boss does not create time for interaction or follow up on decisions.

Most team members want to please the boss, however, they are not informed often enough when they do something well. When issues or concerns arise they may not be approached and resolved in a productive way because blame or a sense of being patronized is what is perceived by the team.

Result: the strategic process misses the creative input of the team who are often vying for position with the boss. Often what needs to be done is seen as a requirement rather than a creative opportunity because the team has not been engaged. Because there is lack of communication regarding issues or completions, the flow of work is interrupted or stalled.

This can occur at high levels in any organization.

When You’re The Leader

Communication and connection with the team is seen as a priority, not a soft skill or something to do at a dinner or a party. Regular connections occur which relate to strategic planning, implementation and individual development. This means that regular 1:1 meetings include the elements that go into a Performance Review, on an ongoing basis, and are tied to specific actions and results within a strategic plan.

The top priority of a leader is to hold the vision and strategy intact, while others bring forward results. If there are issues regarding results, they are addressed with the team as they occur. This allows the leader to attend to their own peer-leader relationships, enhancing the overall business performance of the organization. Delegation is seen as a priority, and there are integral processes set up for Strategic Planning, Accountability, and Solutions that are inclusive in accessing the resources of the entire team.

As a leader, the accountability process becomes a working solution with collaboration and partnership rather than competition. Accountability includes ownership which is established at the beginning of an initiative or set of goals. Leadership includes perceptiveness of the team members so that specific areas are addressed when necessary. This can now be done more effectively because time has been given for the creation of quality connection and trust within the team.

Leading inspires others to achieve more. Being just the boss can actually impair the engagement process of your team which will diminish progress, and sabotage your success.

If you have a leadership question or challenge you’d like to share, be sure to leave a comment. I would enjoy hearing from you!

~Patricia

I believe that the Collaborative Leadership Four Meeting model is the best for creating greater cross functional goal achievement with an organization, and more effective project management among leaders and their teams. Effective communication is an essential part of this collaboration, and meetings that communicate goals and initiatives must be deliberately structured to encourage input and maximize engagement.

Creating engagement and buy-in – perhaps the most important part of our meeting model is the Introductory Meeting. This is where team leaders set the new tone and expectations for meetings going forward.

Here are the steps for your first Introductory Meeting:

• Discuss the concept of using meetings to move into greater connection, accountability and solutions. Emphasize that practice shows that taking time to develop better communication, partnership and sharing of possible solutions will move strategic plans and goals forward with greater speed and empowerment for all involved.

•  Ask them to use the time between this introductory meeting and the first of the Four Meetings to consider what is going well and what is presenting a challenge to them.

•  This is a time to introduce the idea of presenting a report that has a focus on a win, as well as a current challenge, as a way of effectively utilizing the meeting and the team. This will replace the usual business report that is often read without comment. It sometimes takes some time to get people comfortable with the vulnerability of talking about challenges

•  This is an opportunity for the leader to demonstrate by having an example of what’s going well (a Win), and a challenge that is being presented; and what a next step might be. You can let them know that no one will question during the presentation. You can use ½ hour to have everyone give the same communication. There is no right or wrong way to do this. The important element is the communication and the willingness to do something different to enhance results.

For one global organization I work with, this model moved regional vice presidents and directors to greater communication and accountability, which resulted in creative solutions coming from everyone. The trust in the meeting and communication process, created greater trust with each other and in working together. Leaders now talk to each other more regularly. In addition, engagement in the strategic plan and implementation increased as the members of the team communicated more frequently with each other to create planning, and to share ways to move forward more effectively.

One VP told me that he used the model to lead his own group, and to assist his leadership team to manage their work teams to meet the goals that were set by the business. Trust to be authentic and to share the truth became easier and productive.

This change in focus can create some discomfort as people move out of the comfort zone of protection and presenting a good picture. A leader must assure team members that challenges are part of growth which allows us to step into new territory with a sense of support rather than being judged and evaluated personally.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• Make Collaborative Leadership and team alignment a priority and communicate that to your team

•  Set up a team meeting to discuss and to introduce the process

•  Know that the team alignment process with a consultant and with the team during regular interaction will take time which will be made up by creating more efficiency and implementation with a new mindset

•  Give yourself as the leader the coaching and reflection time to develop new goals based on the fact that 21st century business demands collaboration

•  Be open to new ways of thinking and doing and to your own leadership expansion

•  Know that empowerment of the members of your team will create more time for strategic thinking and interaction with other business leaders

Stay tuned for more on the Four Meeting Model; we’ll be taking a closer look at the elements of the First Meeting next time.

Would you like to see the Four Meeting Model in its entirety? Request a copy here: Send me a copy of the Collaborative Leadership Four Meeting Model.

Do you have a leadership question, challenge, or success you would like to share, please be sure to leave a comment. I would enjoy hearing from you! – Patricia

During these events the main opportunity is to communicate and to connect, and I was particularly interested in the Negotiation break-out session which allowed us to look at negotiation from a personal point of view.

As a promoter of communication, connection and relationship, I had a surprise during an exercise that was part of the negotiation session. We were asked to take some money out and to develop a partnership. One person in the partnership gave the other person their money. Then we were asked to negotiate to have our money returned. The person who had our money was encouraged to be honest and to return the money only when they felt there had been a successful negotiation. I presented what I thought was a very effective argument for returning my money. I gave some good reasons and explained my situation. She said no, and when the feedback occurred, she felt that she had not been engaged or that I was concerned about her perspective.

As we reviewed, I saw that in my rush to prepare a good presentation, I had overlooked what I know is the most important part of negotiation; creating a connection through communication and relationship. The power of engagement and the use of inquiry were vitally important for a successful negotiation.  Throughout the week, there were many other opportunities to practice creating connection through inquiry.

As many of you are moving into the end of the final quarter of the year, it is important to create an environment of negotiation and cooperation to achieve the foundation you envision for meeting the goals for next year.

As you engage in meetings with your vision as a leader, remember that engagement is the most powerful asset you can have. Take the time to use the Essential Parts of Speech as you prepare for meetings and discussions:

• Framing
• Inquiry
• Advocacy
• Illustration

1. Framing: Prepare a brief introduction as you share your vision for the meeting:

a. What is the purpose of the conversation?

c. What do you want to discuss?

b. What is the outcome you would like to see?

c. Illustration can be part of the initial framing to create greater clarity

2. Inquiry is next: Make sure not to talk too long before pausing to engage others

a. Ask questions about how others respond to what you are presenting

b. Create a safe environment that encourages honesty; and state your desire to engage those in the room as they are vital to the results

c. Ask questions to create clarity so that others feel comfortable asking for more clarity

3. Advocacy is contained in almost every discussion. It is important to say what you envision as the result of what you believe to be a good step forward. Advocacy can be like the elephant in the room when it is not stated clearly and your agenda put on the table.

4. Inquiry is used throughout to create engagement.

A suggestion as you move forward is to always consider the engagement aspects first as you are looking at goals or initiatives. Below is a five-part self-inquiry that will help you create more focus on people to achieve greater success.

Engagement Assignment:

1. A business goal that I would like to accomplish this year is:
2. How can my peer colleagues or other members of my team enhance and develop my vision?
3. What can I do or say to engage others (see above)?
4. What do I want to hear or experience to be more engaged myself?
5. How can I motivate myself to be more engaged with others?

Have a good couple of weeks and I look forward to connecting again soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions, challenges or successes you’d like to share, please be sure to leave a comment. I would enjoy hearing from you! – Patricia

I started writing this post on Monday and decided to share the process of living through and with Hurricane Sandy in New York where life as all know it has changed. New ways of thinking and arranging have come forward for all of those affected. I have written this from Monday through Wednesday as I moved through my process of acceptance and new arrangements for traveling:

Today is Monday, I find myself sitting out the super storm in New York City. It’s the afternoon and we are awaiting the landfall which continues to be predicted at an earlier as the speed of the hurricane accelerates.

The predicted path of the storm is being followed almost perfectly. It is amazing how technology can work so well even though the predictions were not what I had hoped. My wish was that the storm would stay in a straight path East out into the ocean instead of making the predicted left turn into the central Atlantic states. But here in New York the winds continue to build and there is no exit until the storm passes and we can begin the business of traveling again.

Since I last wrote I have completed the Global Institute of Leadership Development and once again was very happy to meet the leaders with whom I coached and consulted. The variety of situations I became involved with was amazing from a large hospital and medical school to one of the top executives in an international wine business.

As I spoke to these leaders, I was gratified to see how many of them were focused on the people within their organizations and the importance of collaboration and teamwork. However, I am becoming more and more convinced that the new culture needs to develop from the top down so that everyone has “permission” to step up to greater expression, empowerment and leadership.

For example, I had the opportunity last week to participate with a team in a pre-strategic planning exercise. Once again I saw a process where engagement can be created so that strategy will be implemented. There was discomfort, however, when the facilitators of the group did not provide a meeting structure, even though the processes for arriving at strategy and implementation were clearly outlined.

It is interesting to note that we often have left it to someone else to tell us what direction to follow. Yet when we are given the opportunity to create direction and focus do we take it or do we defer? How often do we complain about a situation rather than creating a solution and presenting that?

These are important questions and challenges that many organizations face, which our Strategic Planning Process addresses, outlined here on the Bridging Associates website, and helps leaders empower their teams to create direction rather than wait for it.

Wednesday: The storm has finally moved out of the area. However, the damage and changes to the infrastructure have kept most of the travelers here, including me. After several cancellation disappointments I have secured a flight out of New York and have been able to check in. I will fly home tomorrow through several cities to reach my final destination, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

As I wait, I continue to reflect on the opportunities I have created in my own business and the expansion in my thinking, and how my experience relates to what I call the new business paradigm that requires a restructuring of mindset regarding success and the use of essential collaboration to achieve results.

Take a look at the Strategic Planning Process on the website. If you have time, it would be great to hear your comments on the blog site or via e-mail about how your experience has required creative thinking and a change in mindset to accomplish the goals for leadership and innovative practices in your organization.

Sending a special message of safety and healing for those of you on the East Coast.

In my last post I talked about connections and about how connections are so powerful for creating results in business and especially in the implementation of strategic plans.

I would like to talk today about the relationship between making connections, using time and energy to perfect that ability, and your overall personal effectiveness.

For many years I conducted seminars with medium to large groups of people. During that time I discovered that personal effectiveness and personal growth happen much more quickly when people are interacting with one another. I think that has been the seed for me in choosing to devote this part of my career to team development and to what I call collaborative leadership.

My passion has to do with collaboration and the great value that exists in communication, connection and relationship. My perspective is that if we learn to connect and to communicate in teams, greater results and success will come forward. I also think that making the connections that are necessary for effective and essential collaboration creates the climate for high performance, both individually and as a team.

Our collaborative leadership approach uses team development and partnerships to increase performance and accountability. Part of the process is called Team Leadership coaching for personal effectiveness. The theory is that each team can be a team of leaders.

The premise for this perspective is that Leadership is a set of behaviors rather than a role and therefore can be developed both in the team and with individual team leadership coaching.

Recently I coached a top leader who began to become more personally effective in several areas when she spent more time evaluating how she was leading her team. In addition, learning to relate to her peers and to manage up began to create a stronger brand. A personal brand becomes essential as people move up in organizations, and it becomes increasingly important for people to know who you are and how you view things.

So coaching begins to create methodology for relating and for communicating clearly and effectively. You may have noticed however that communication is not the total answer. The thing that creates the ability to collaborate and to think creatively for innovation is the ability to connect with others. Holding back opinions or neglecting to communicate a perspective can create an unspoken disconnect that can be difficult to overcome.

I remember another man that I coached as part of a collaborative leadership team who was in charge of IT in a technical organization. He thought that he did not need to share perspective in a meeting if he was repeating what had already been said. As we worked together he realized that one of his difficulties in connecting was that people did not know what he thought. That is a powerful reason for sharing perspective, so people will know where you stand. Then they have a way to approach and to connect with you.

Here are some steps for creating greater connection with your peers and with the members of your team:

1. In meetings always give your perspective even if it has been said before. If it is exactly like someone else’s, then agree and say why.
2. As a leader of a team be sure and give your perspective. This can be done after asking for other’s perspectives. However, if you have a bias and/or a decision that needs to be made, it is important for you to give your position as the leader and to invite discussion.
3. As a leader, make sure to ask for opinions and ideas delaying analysis until all have expressed.
4. Encourage honesty if there is disagreement. Often engagement does not happen if disagreement shows up after the meeting and is not shared with everyone

I hope some of these suggestions can be implemented so that you can see how well they work. Please leave a comment if you have questions or would like to discuss further.  I’d enjoy hearing from you!

PSS: Stay on the lookout for my forthcoming book, publishing soon; Jump from the I-Pod to the We-Pod: Breaking through the Barriers to Essential Collaboration for Business Success.

Decisions within an organization are made in many ways due to a number of factors:

• Time line
• When action is needed
• Engagement
• Team leadership
• Organizational impact

In general the level of involvement in decision-making tends to determine the level of ownership, and the more involvement and input your team has, the more engaged they will be in supporting the decision and in the implementation. But sometimes decisions need to be made quickly and at the top without team input.

So what can you do to keep your team engaged and accountable when decisions come down from the top?

• Create an information session and ask your team for input on implementation plans to bring the engagement quotient up.
• Help your team clearly understand the decision by explaining how it was made and what the implications are.
• Create a plan for implementation with clear communication and accountability steps.
  By providing your team with the larger picture on decisions made, and by encouraging their input in their area of expertise, you create greater buy-in and accountability with each team member.

Sometimes we think that meeting to make decisions is inconvenient and time-consuming; and indeed I was involved in a Linked In discussion just a few days ago on this very thought which has inspired me to discuss the qualities of an effective meeting in my next post. An effective meeting can create a very productive work session that furthers the results that everyone is working for. Stay tuned!

As always, I encourage you to share your own thoughts and experiences by posting a comment.  I’d enjoy hearing from you!

PS: Look for my forthcoming book publishing soon; Jump from the I-Pod to the We-Pod: Breaking through the Barriers to Essential Collaboration for Business Success.

Today I’d like to give you some keys to moving away from the Command and Control model of Leadership, which has created the I-Pod existence, to the new leadership model of the We-Pod where communication is the key to maximizing team results and overall success within the organization.

Command and Control: Keeping the I-Pod Intact

We all know the name of the old leadership model. We also know that it is changing; however it still exists in tactical organizations, sometimes lost in detail, forgetting the importance of communication and team collaboration, which is the underlying structure of a successful organization. The model of collaboration can take time initially to create, however, once it is done, the quick-thinking responses of people who have knowledge and current information can be amazing.

In my work as a consultant, I have seen an increasing number of examples that demonstrate what happens when a leader holds back and stays in the isolation (the I-Pod) of their own internal conversation. In the fast-paced and changing environment that is the current condition in organizations, flexibility is important, but not more important than communication.

Jumping to the We-Pod: Communication is the Key

As a leader, it is incumbent upon you to communicate and share issues with direct reports, peers and the boss.

A recent situation in my coaching and consulting work has proven to me that withholding communication can be a dangerous game with results that leave a sense of frustration and confusion about “what happened?”

Here are three common areas in an organization where communication is withheld which can impede progress and results:

Communication with the Boss

This is probably the area where the most assumptions are made without checking them out. If you do not share your plans, your progress and your awareness of issues with the boss, their conclusion might be that you that you are not managing issues; when the truth is that you perceive the team situation and have solutions that you are implementing.

Communication with Peers

This is the area that I have found to be the most under used in a pro-active and positive way. You as a leader can begin to make changes, in these communication patterns. In competitive organizations where collaboration is not a priority, it may seem that to reach out to peers, share best practices, and give each other a broader view of the organization’s business might create vulnerability that could undermine your position. If your peers do not know what your focus is or what you are achieving because there has not been communication, they have no opportunity to collaborate, advise, support, give new perspectives, or to work with you on a joint initiative.

I suggest you take the chance, set up lunches and begin to get a broader base of communication. One of my recent executive coaching clients made this a goal: to reach across functional lines and schedule appointments with other VP’s. He was encouraged by their response, was able to learn the reality of their functional part of the business, and they were able to create some shared opportunities for moving the business forward with external connections.

Communication with the Team You Lead

Some of us are perfectionists to the point where it gets in the way of communication and forward movement. If you are unsatisfied with results that have been presented to you as a leader, keep the agreement to respond and communicate your concerns and set up time to handle the issues. Sitting on something that does not work, leaves the team in the dark and you in a sense of frustration and incompletion. Sometimes the team that you lead, without communication of your concerns, can be left wondering and making assumptions that do not move them forward towards a more effective result.

Below are a few suggestions for moving into the We-Pod collaboration model:

1. Make communication a priority by putting it on the calendar.
2. When there is a 1:1 with the boss ask for time to communicate  what you are doing in specific areas, what you have accomplished and what you are working on.
3. Respond to your direct reports when they send anything, even to say you received and want to improve what has been sent.
4. Set up a lunch with one peer every two weeks to give you an opportunity to see where some effective time can be spent going across functional lines.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you enjoyed the article. As always, please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

Stay tuned for my soon to be published book: Jump from the I-Pod to the We-Pod: Breaking the Barriers to Essential Collaboration for Business Success!