Strategic Development

Strategic Decisions: Portal to the Future or Pathway to Confusion?

Fred was looking stressed as we sat down for a coaching meeting.  He was preparing for a critical Board meeting that involved “bet the farm” strategic decisions. 

“How will you make your decision about your recommendation?” I asked, looking for a portal into Fred’s decision-making process.

“We have run and re-run our models.  If we change one assumption slightly, the whole model goes negative!” Fred said, with a mix of frustration and fear.

My experience as a planning director, operations executive and coach/consultant helped me to broaden Fred’s perspective. I asked Fred to take a deep breath and step back from the models.

“What are the strategic options you are considering?” I asked, suspecting this line of inquiry would be more helpful.  Fred responded with a litany of problems and risks that made every option unworkable. 

Fred was faced with a strategic decision he was not equipped to make.

By the end our coaching meeting Fred left with a clear set of options and a plan for deciding on a recommendation.  We used a few basic principles that can be applied to all important decisions:

·      Decision making integrates the three centers of human intelligence—intellect, emotional understanding and gut knowing.  Most of us approach decisions with an intellectual or cognitive assessment. This is important because it helps eliminate dumb decisions and narrow the range of wise decisions. However, a purely intellectual assessment seldom, if ever, leads to a wise decision. Wise decisions account for the emotional forces that influence motivation and passion, bias and blind spots. Wise decisions also incorporate a gut understanding of what will and what will not be effective. In my discussion with Fred I made sure that I allowed for access to all three centers.

·      Manage the Three Decision Traps:  When faced with high risk, complex decisions, it is common for leaders to fall into at least one of these traps:

Ø  Impulsively make a decision to relieve tension and get into action, any action.

Ø  Retreat into more analysis looking for the “best” solution.

Ø  Refocus energy on more manageable and productive short term tasks.  

Navigating these pitfalls requires self awareness and self management skills. I helped Fred to see that his tendency was to retreat into analysis and then make an impulsive deadline-driven decision. Together we created a more effective strategy.

·      Take Problems and Risks Head On: Leaders often fall into three other decision making traps:

Ø  Ignoring or downplaying problems and risks.

Ø  Becoming paralyzed by the problems and risks.

Ø  Compulsively trying to account for “all” problems/risks.

I helped Fred understand that he was vacillating between ignoring risks and being paralyzed by them. He left our meeting with a plan for identifying the most important problems/risks and mitigation strategies for each.

After our meeting, Fred worked with his staff to develop a recommended approach that he took to his Board. His recommendations were adopted with some important modifications and he is now focusing on execution. As he moves into action, he has a new competency in the art of strategic decision making.    

Art Haines is an executive coach who works with leaders, managers and individual contributors to address tough, multi-dimensional problems. Art’s clients are often seasoned mid-career professionals who want to develop the capacity to reach a new level of development and accomplishment in their professional and personal lives. He excels in working with clients who are confronted with a complex mix of personal, interpersonal and business issues. His capacity to bring wisdom, objectivity and sensitivity to difficult situations is a great benefit to his clients. More on Art>

Sales Leadership: How We Approach Others

Did You Ever Wonder Why…

I recently worked with 32 sales leaders and managers, and we discussed three types of sales people and how they naturally approach people and clients. The first group is naturally more assertive and pushes to make things happen. The second group moves toward people, and are more concerned with boundaries, rules and responsibilities, and naturally do not “push others” to make things happen, instead earning their way. Our third group of sales representatives tends to withdraw and move away from other people, often finding life more exciting in their mind and imagination.

As a sales manager you might have all three triads represented on your team.  While this can create balance it can also be difficult to manage the three styles as each has their own strength and shadow side to manage in the sales process.

So what are some of the distinguishing factors between these three styles? As a manager, how can you help them play to their strengths and manage the shadow side of their unique approach and talents?

1.     Assertive Sales Representatives:  Focused on making things happen and quickly move into action—primary focus of thinking and doing while expanding self to move forward when faced with stress. This group views themselves at the center of attention and believes that everything meaningful (i.e. events, walking into a room, etc.) is in relationship to them.

Strengths in Selling: Prospecting, Proposal, Negotiating, Closing the Sales

Key Talents:  Persuasive, Competitive, Controlling, Outgoing, Achieving and Decisive

Areas to Monitor (Shadow Side to Talents):

1.     Focus on building relationships. This group is naturally focused on “tasks” and may miss out on developing key relationships.

2.     Slow Down!! Assertives tend to move quickly and may be “pushing” too hard versus letting the process unfold naturally. When do you feel yourself pushing versus inviting others into a conversation? Are you trying to force others to make a decision?

3.     Listen and Probe.  While this group is strong in persuading others they may miss key opportunities to learn more about their client by not listening.  Collaborative partners learn as much as they can about each client and probe deeper to form a strategic alliance based on value. Vendors tend to push and sell products, rarely learning what their clients really need. How well do members on your sales team ask questions (without already knowing the answer), listen and probe?

2.     Earning Your Way (EYW) as a Sales Representative: Focus on providing service to other people. This style has a very strong sense for responsibility and trying to find the right thing to do while meeting their own internal demands for rules and principles. Consequently, they learn they can help other people by seeing what is wrong and how to fix it, how they can support people or where future problems may occur and how they or their team can help.

Strengths in Selling: Prospecting, Qualifying and Service

Key Talents: Conventional, Details, Rule Following, Democratic

Areas to Monitor (Shadow Side to Talents):

1.     Relaxed: This is a group that likes to complete what they start and has a very high sense of responsibility.  It will be important for a manager to help them create fun and find ways to leave work at the “office.”

2.     Pushing to Make it Happen: EYW sales people might find it difficult to “push” forward the process as they focus on internalized rules and doing things the “right way.”  When does this need to earn your way with others slow you and the process down?

3.     Innovative: Overall this group likes to stay within the rules and utilize proven methods when selling. There may be a time, especially during changing markets or internal cultural changes that new methods and creative ideas are needed to succeed. How can you help influence this change and deliver clear expectations of what is needed as a sales manager?

3.  Withdrawn Types: While they participate and engage, this style finds it easy to “tune out” others, and find it more peaceful and exciting to stay within their imagination and mind. They focus on knowledge, creativity and keeping harmony while withdrawing into the safety of their mind.

Strengths in Selling: Needs Analysis, Negotiating

Key Talents:  Modest, Adaptable, Forward Thinking

Areas to Monitor (Shadow Side to Talents):

1.     Persuasive: Overall this group is not as comfortable changing or influencing other people’s viewpoints. As a key talent to sales, how can you help them overcome their tendency to withdraw and make the effort to influence others?

2.     Controlling: Numerous studies by SHL show that sales representatives that achieve high ratings like to be in charge, take the lead and do not mind telling others what to do. This group’s tendency is to remain modest and be adaptable. While clients may appreciate this style as less offensive, how does it hurt or slow your progress in the sales cycle?

3.     “Less Modest”: How does remaining modest and humble not serve you as it relates to being competitive and achievement oriented? Do you possibly lose sight of winning and achieving when your behavioral tendency is to remain modest?

As a manager one of our primary goals is to have our team members play to their strengths and talents. As an executive coach, I find myself working with clients who may not be aware of their own behavioral tendencies. While their talents to push, help or withdraw might serve them well, each has a shadow side to be managed. Often this is the blind spot that creates challenges or obstacles in our own growth and success. As a manager, how can you help each member identify and grow?

John Brambert is the President of Trinity Performance Group, a team of seasoned Executive Coaches trained in the leading worldwide coaching programs. Trinity Performance Group’s goal is to provide a wide range of executive coaching, leadership and team development, and related services to our clients.  See More in John>

Leadership: Being the Leader is Cool

Being the leader is really cool! The leader has a nice office. The leader has very flexible hours. Leaders can come into work late and leave early. After all, who is going to question when the leader comes to work or goes home? They can take long lunch breaks without having to worry about clocking-in. They sometimes get a parking spot and the car to park in it. Yeah, being the leader is very cool.

Sadly, this is how many executives are viewed by their work force. No one realizes the hours they put in during any given work day, which can and often does, exceed 10 to 16 hours. No one realizes that many executives have already had two phone conferences before arriving at the office, and leaving the office 
early is an effort to get to a dinner on time with an unhappy client. 

Before I go any further, note that I started this scenario referring to the leader. I went on to refer to the executive. Are they not one and the same? What is your opinion? 

The work force looks to its leadership for establishing the direction, the vision of the organization. The leader is looked to for setting the standards of the organization. Setting the standards range from the simple, e.g., what are the core work hours to the complicated, e.g., fair treatment of all employees; I think all will agree “fair” can be a relative word. Leaders are expected to know not just what the organization does, but how it’s done. Leaders are expected to have a conduct that exemplifies what the organization is about. 

Many executives find themselves in leadership positions quite unexpectedly. Some have been promoted into a supervisory position as a result of having good personal sales numbers, others as a result of years of service in the organization. In relatively young organizations, the chief executive and the senior executives were members of the organization at the start. These executives have the full understanding of what the organization does, but may be lacking when it comes to leadership.

 

The ability to lead does not come miraculously with the position. Successful leaders exhibit certain traits and principals that seem to be common among successful leaders, with one of the most important principals being—“know yourself.” The executive leader must shoulder wide ranging responsibilities from providing a vision to establishing work standards as previously noted. There are many expectations of the executive leader. There are expectations from the work force, some of which I have noted above.

Additionally, there are expectations from stock holders, board members, customers, and vendors. The astute executive/leader will also realize there are expectations from the community they operate in and from the families they go home to daily.

Being a leader is cool. It is also hard work. Anyone can become a leader. It takes the desire to do so and development. I referred to traits and principals of leadership, and in future blogs I will begin to address some these and the impact of sound leadership on the organization as well as the individual.

John Boggs, has provided executive leadership and strategy for large, complex organizations and operations throughout his career. He has commanded Marine units at every level of his career and served in numerous key staff positions including the positions of Senior Marine Readiness Analyst for the Secretary of Defense, Dean of Faculty and Academic Programs at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and the Chief of Staff of the National Defense University, the largest Defense University System in the world.  See More...>

High Potential Employees: Do Underlying Intentions Get in the Way

In my work with high-potential employees, I look for “openings for coaching”– especially by focusing on their, often unconscious, behaviors that can cause misunderstanding, misalignment, and wasted resources.

For example, each member of the current “high-pot” (high-potential) team I’m coaching has been tasked by the company to generate two “Individual Development Program” (IDP) themes to work on for the next six months, while contributing to the cross-functional team’s efforts to solve a vexing business problem.

Each team member has brought their IDPs to their initial coaching session, reflecting actual feedback they’ve received from bosses, peers and subordinates. As you would expect, they are very eager to work on the issues that could help them advance in the organization. As a coach, my focus is on helping them increase their self-awareness, which naturally augments their competence as a leader, commitment to others as well as to themselves, and full professional engagement.

Below are some examples of actual 360-degree feedback, and the resulting assumptions and “stories” that others have interpreted by these behaviors. As you can see, the feedback matches the evidence for it, but does not necessarily match the high-pot’s actual internal motivation for behaving in that way. In order to help high-potential employees continue to grow and sustain their ability to positively influence outcomes, it’s important that they understand their underlying intentions, which may often be hidden to them. Only then can they consciously shift their behaviors, and consequently the negative perception of their leadership style. 

360 degree feedback	Behavioral “Evidence” for feedback	What’s actually going on – the employee’s intention
Arrogant/aloof	Interacts with others with a direct gaze, and with little expression on his face.	Processing data and dialogue mentally in the background in order to feel safe. This young man is the youngest leader to be in his role, and he’s anxious that the “gray-beards” will judge him as incompetent if he shows any weakness implying that he doesn’t know the answer, or has less experience than they do. Opening for coaching: Cultivating authentic personal power and self-confidence.

Doesn’t pay attention in meetings which is disrespectful.	Resorts to looking at her Blackberry under the table and doesn’t participate in meetings.	Believes that she will negate the ideas generated by others and wants to allow for full discussion. She distracts herself to tamp down her compulsion to shut down others, because experience tells her that she already “knows” the right answer. So she “does something productive” while waiting for others to arrive at what she already knows to be the “correct answer.” Opening for coaching: Influential communication that results in openness, presence and engagement.
Is passive-aggressive and doesn’t do what’s asked of him on his job description.	Is off doing other things rather than what the organization wants him to do.	He has already completed what’s expected of him and has excess time, energy and talent to work on other related, innovative ideas and projects to advance the organization, which also keeps him interested, focused and energized. Opening for coaching: Effectively integrating entrepreneurial endeavors into a traditional organization.

Thus, these openings for coaching can result in a win-win-win situation. The high-potential employee can achieve deeper self-awareness and therefore more conscious choice in how s/he shows up at work. Those around him/her are more comfortable to be fully who they are and less guarded because of the negative behavioral “evidence” they believe to be true. And the organization benefits by being populated by evermore conscious and intentional leaders. 

Sandy Hogan is an executive coach headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. Through integral coaching, teaching, writing and speaking she is dedicated to “evoking of others the highest in themselves.” She infuses compassion and creativity into her coaching style and philosophy, working with clients’ particular leadership issues, backgrounds, disciplines, careers, goals, and views of life. Her clients are corporate executives, management professionals, non-profit and community leaders, and people who find themselves in the midst of major transitions. More on Sandy >

Executive Coaching: Added Value of the Enneagram

Carl Gustav Jung stated that the realization of the Self is a natural process, as natural as the physical growth of a child. Unless the child gets ill or dies, it has no other direction or option than to grow. In nature, everything alive has two directions of development—growth or decline.

Growth does not stop after we’ve become adults

After the visible physical growth of the child, psychological growth continues (in a healthy situation). The psyche matures further, and there comes a moment when the natural process of self-awareness and self-realization begins. We become more aware, and within this grown awareness the need for fullfilment will naturally arise.

Attention moves from the exterior world

Upto the age of 40, attention and energy goes into finding a place in the exterior world. Here’s the thing—most executives are likely to have passed this age 40 milestone. As they enter the third quarter of life, between 40-60 years, their place in the exterior world is more or less realized, this topic loses importance and life is experienced as less fullfilling. As a result, the potential excess energy needs another object of attention in order to release.

Transition to the inner world

In this period when people lack new and fullfilling objects that require their energy, they are likely to experience a lack of vitality, creativity, and inspiration. They may have feelings of boredom, ask “is this all there is” and even get depressed or ill. Some people choose what seem like easy ways out—they start to play golf, drink more, find a lover, or live a ‘cosmetic’ life (spend money on clothing, art, houses, cars, holidays, etc.). These quick fixes prevent uncomfortable feelings from arising. While there is nothing wrong with this approach, it rarely brings true fullfilment, and keeps a person from realizing their true potential, worth and value in life—their true value for self, others, and work. This longing for self-fulfillment that executives often experience strongly begins to arise more often, and will bring their attention to their inner world.

The Enneagram supports growth

I started this blog by stating that we have only two options—growth or decline. Most people (and executives) I know choose growth. The Enneagram is a powerfull self-supporting instrument that supports growth, and working with a coach with Enneagram understanding facilitates that process.

In the twenty years that I’ve been an Executive Coach, I have not come across a model, instrument or technique that works as effectively ánd compassionately as the Enneagram. It brings one’s attention and energy to a good alternative and fullfilling new object—the exploration of one’s true Self. The Enneagram brings the resources that enables a person to develop skills of self-observation and self-reflection. These two basic skills bring self-insight and these are initial requirements for self-management, awareness and fullfilment.

As an Executive Coach, I am delighted to use the Enneagram within the coaching process to help executives and leaders become more aware of their potential for true fullfilment. It brings them and their organization new inspiration, creativity and revitalization.

Jeanette van Stijn is an entrepreneur who has managed her own companies, worked with organizational development projects, and has taught ‘train-the-trainer’ programs at several educational facilities. Her company Reflexxi is specialized in the Enneagram and focuses on in-company activities such as coaching, mediation, training (teambuilding for example) and giving lectures.  See More on Jeanette>

Sales Leadership: Reacting with...an Emotional Reaction

Reacting with…an Emotional Reaction

In our previous blogs, we covered how two different groups initially react to conflict and difficulty by initially responding with a Positive Outlook or by taking a Competent Approach.  Today we’ll visit the final triad, our group that initially responds with an Emotional Reaction. This group questions how much they can trust others, they want people to match their emotional position, and they look for some type of emotional response from others. They are easy to read and will often let you know if they have a problem.

One

They can be both independent and dependent while looking for security, safety and support.  They worry about what could go wrong so they can be prepared.  They’re extremely loyal, do not like surprises, can be extremely engaging and may become defensive.

For the sales manager, this can present a series of problems as a sales person with this approach can:

A. Consistently worry about what could go wrong, spending time, energy and resources in areas that are driven by fear

B. Find it difficult to make independent decisions and often find themselves seconding guessing the ones they make, and are looking for support  

C. May be projecting their own fears onto others without knowing it

Sales Manager Focus

1. Work with the sales person and begin to teach them how to ground their assessments (what they think may happen) and see if the time and energy they spend concerned or worried about what might go wrong is true. Could a neutral third party prove what you believe might happen? Does someone you know see the same problems you do? While their gift is spotting problems, they will want to make time to balance what they think might happen or could go wrong (the client has no money, the client will not want my products or services, the client may…) versus moving forward and remaining positive.

2. As their sales manager, see if you can help them identify when they spend time second-guessing their decisions.  Have them take a couple of minutes at the end of the workday, pause, reflect and see how this conflict showed up. How often have they changed previous decisions they made?  Did it serve them to spend so much time thinking about this?  Did this lead them to become defensive and react strongly?  Pausing to explore these patterns increases the chance they can minimize second guessing future decisions.

3. Try to observe where the sales person might be projecting his or her own fear into the sales process. They may not realize their fear of being prepared and avoiding surprises may come out as projecting fear to their clients. Listen and see how they might be projecting their fears through their questions. Are they probing and trying to understand their client’s needs, or is it possible they may be projecting their own fears when probing?

Two

They bring a lot of energy and intensity to the situation. Often they feel like it’s an all-or-nothing approach and they need to exercise their power and be in control. They tend to be very independent and quickly move into action.

For the sales manager, this can present a series of problems as a sales person with this approach can:

A.    React with too much energy and often too quickly

B.    Intimidate other people as they seek power and control

C.    Can be too direct with their comments

Sales Manager Focus

1. Pause, Pause, Pause.  The best thing a sales manager can do is begin to work with the sales representative to develop techniques to help them “sense” their energy and learn to pause.

2. The pattern driving this is the need to be self-reliant and independent. A manager can respect their needs while being direct, firm and discussing the potential loss caused by being too forceful and intimidating.

      3. Of all the sales types, this person can be the most direct and straight to the point with their language and conversations. Often they do recognize how strong they can come across to others and how intimidating this can be. During conflict or difficulty this sales person will become more forceful, often having no idea how others perceive them when they’re reacting strongly.  Going back to point one, see if you can help the sales representative “sense” when they’re about to react strongly.  Instead of moving forward, have them move the opposite direction.  The goal is to help them re-direct their natural tendency to move forward and pause until they have calmed down.

Three 

They often look for someone to understand and support them.  They may “push” you away and also “pull” you back in, not knowing what they want, other than to be seen.

For the sales manager, this can present a series of problems as a sales person with this approach:

A.    May react strongly to the problem and not be able to move forward until they receive support from another person

B.    May become so overwhelmed with their emotions they are not able to hear or think logically or clearly

C.    Fear that they may be abandoned by others and have no support

Sales Manager Focus

1. As a manager, one of the best things you can do is to set up a support system to help the sales representative when they have conflict in their lives or do not get what they want.

2. It will be important to “spend time” with the sales representative and listen to their story.  It will be important for you to encourage them to slow down, pause and breathe.  The goal is to bring them back to balance so they’re not overwhelmed in their heart center and are able to access their cognitive senses.

3.  Make sure you recognize their strong need for support.  Try to be available so they know they have your support. 

This concludes our review of the three triads that respond to conflict, difficulty or not getting what they want by responding with a Positive Outlook, a Competent Approach or by having an Emotional Reaction. I hope you found this series beneficial as I often work with clients who want to know how to work with their sales team in adverse or difficult situations.

John Brambert is the President of Trinity Performance Group, a team of seasoned Executive Coaches trained in the leading worldwide coaching programs. Trinity Performance Group’s goal is to provide a wide range of executive coaching, leadership and team development, and related services to our clients.  See More in John>

Teams: How Well Do You Know Yours

Why all 3 Centers are Important


Have you been trying to get your team to step up and produce at the next level? Are you stretched to meet or exceed your goals and being asked to do MORE with LESS? Do you struggle getting your team members to take more action, make more independent decisions and take responsibility for their decisions?

As an executive coach I often am asked to work with teams. One of the first areas I explore is identifying where the leader and each of its members function within our Three Centers of Intelligence. Let me provide you with some examples that will help explain this.

I have worked with leaders and teams that rely on being logical, driven by data and a few key objectives and focus on making decisions by overemphasizing their cognitive intelligence. Relying on our “mind” alone means we miss out on opportunities to “connect” with people, building relationships and trust. How often do we “over-analyze” the situation and fail to follow our instincts, as often we “already” know the answer but are afraid to trust making a decision without more facts.

And then there are teams that only seem to drive forward with intensity. Sort of like a car transmission that only goes forward fast, without a reverse or neutral gears. Over-reliance on our instinctual 

center of intelligence and quickly moving into action can lead to only average performance, as we miss the opportunity to pause, some of which might mean building relationships or listening for better information.  Often I hear “ready, fire and aim” associated with these teams.

Teams that know how to rely on their emotional center of intelligence are harder to find, although you might find a few while shopping at select retail establishments where teams are trained to connect with customers through relationships and the total customer experience. However, too much reliance on the emotional center might mean they feel as though they are on a rollercoaster without time to think clearly or take the best action for both themselves and others. They can lose sight of the tasks and miss important “details” as their focus is more about people and “feelings.”

So how can you work with more balance and commitment from each team member? How might you take the extra time to benefit from all three centers of intelligence? One of the first places to begin is to stop, pause and identify which of the three centers your team predominately works within. How about each member?

For your next team meeting, how could you structure the time so that everyone has a chance to express what was meaningful to them about their work and each other? How might they be able to tie what they do each day to the greater goals of what the organization is trying to achieve for its customers? How could you impact their sense of belonging to the team so that they want to contribute at their best in a way that brings them personal meaning? How might you role model showing up as an entire person instead of only talking about the tasks at hand, what was completed and what needs to be done?

I often find that the best team leaders bring balance to the picture and understand how to communicate and motivate effectively by understanding their team members. Do you know the dominant center each team member utilizes on your own team?

Jenny Yoder brings a wealth of life and work experience to each client coaching relationship. Coaching clients benefit from Jenny’s broad experience in sales, marketing, services/product management, operations, small-business ownership, and change and transition employee communications consulting within the high-tech industry. Her previous roles in multiple leadership capacities provide context and a reality-based foundation for her coaching relationships.  See More>