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Tom's BlogTo Change Your Organization, Look to the OutsideTuesday, September 07, 2010
This week I want to share a blog by my good friend, Phil Cooke:
"There's a reason most companies and non-profits look for outside help when it comes to making major changes. It's simply very difficult and often impossible to spawn new thinking in-house. As a result, leaders often bring in outside ideas and advice to spur change inside. That's not to demean the value of your in-house ideas or creativity. The issue is perspective. In fact, here's a few key reasons that making real change happen usually takes an outsider:
1) It's difficult for in-house employees (especially long term employees) to get an objective view of the organization. I remember when I was fired from a full-time job back in the nineties. Once I got outside I was amazed at how differently I viewed the organization. While I was employed, the organization seemed much bigger and more important. But once I left and saw it in a wider context, it's influence and impact shrunk to reality.
2) Schedules. Inside employees have to get their work done, and rarely have much time to spend on change initiatives. As a result, they often view it as an imposition. So rather than approaching it with excitement, they look at it as a burden.
3) Fear. Mention change inside most organizations and many employees get insecure. Does this mean I'll get fired? Demoted? Have less power or influence? When that fear takes over, the last thing in the world they're interested in is making any kind of change happen.
4) Politics. There are so many turf wars, silos, and un-discussable subjects at most organizations, that it's impossible for an insider to push through the obstacles. It's especially true when the employee doesn't have the authority over all the people in the process.
5) A Bigger View: Finally, outside consultants and change agents bring more to the table. They've been through the process at other organizations and understand what works and what doesn't. As a result, they'll bring a far more valuable perspective and can make the change happen quicker, and with fewer challenges.
Of course, when an outsider is brought in, some employees will complain that the outsider isn't needed, and they can do it themselves. But if that was the case, then why are we in this mess? Why haven't they done it already?
Obviously there are bad consultants and advisors out there. I've personally spent a lot of time cleaning up the damage a few have caused. But just because there are bad drivers doesn't mean I'm hanging up my car keys. Use common sense. Get recommendations, ask for examples of past success, and get the facts. A little effort upfront will result in a long-lasting and productive relationship on your journey toward change."
(Tom) Let me add one point here as well. There are differences between consultants who give advice and which way to go, mentors who give encouragement for the journey, and coaches who gently give you help in the way you believe is the right way to go. Your privilege as an organization is to work in many cases with all three.
-Tom
Today Demands New Think!Tuesday, August 31, 2010 Teams are still being used; however in this new day collaboration takes on a new meaning! Yes, it still means you have to have the right people on a team, and it also still does not guarantee success.
The most effective, high-performing celebration takes place from day one, there is no "get to know you time". Team members want to be involved from day one. They are committed to learning. However in this new day of collaboration learning the job and adapting to the culture of the organization is done as they talk through the issues. Employees today are really not employees as we used to think of it. Today they are much more ìdeployedî- they have a purpose, a mission, and a calling that is higher than employment.
Today adapting and innovating are a crucial part of what this next work force brings to the table. So what do we do?
- Establish a climate for learning, we must make and take time to establish an environment and the process for learning.
- Today we must develop a culture were each member of our organization feels free to actively ask questions, discuss their and your errors, without reprisal.
- We must build environments to allow them to engage in experimentation and reflection and seek external feedback. Today, more than ever, mistakes are our friend and should be analyzed for how improvements might be made. Feedback, both positive and negative, is considered to be essential and helpful rather than critical. Today we never "sweep it under the rug".
- There must be trust built with others so that there is no rejection or punishment for them speaking up or identifying errors or problems.
- They must feel confident that colleagues will support each other during challenging times. However, this does not mean a lack of conflict within the organization. The old leadership principle is truer today than ever, some problems and some tensions should not be resolved. In fact they just might be sign of a well-functioning organization.
What organizations need today more than ever is an outside coach. A coach is not a consultant, nor a mentor. A coach is one who is a skilled, time-tested person who can coach the organization, helping them become more aware of what is working well within the organization and what isn't. The coach can provide information about alternative approaches, encouragement, and help with efforts to use this new information and feedback with the team. Coaches can also be used to facilitate the ongoing assessments and periodic assessments essential to healthy organizations.
It is a new day and it needs new think! Together we can accomplish more!
Tom
The Power of a StoryTuesday, August 24, 2010 August 24, 2010
Once in awhile I go to the movies with my wife. My favorite movies are the ones based on a true story, such as "Invictus" or "The Blind Side". These movies do a few things to me during the movie that I might not be aware of. These movies pull me into the story in a compelling way. I did not sit there wondering what comes next. In both of the moves I mentioned I was on the edge of my seat the entire time because I was wondering what was going to happen next. When I left the movie theater I said in both cases to my wife, "Now that was a great movie, I'd like to know more about the story."
I believe, as each day passes that should be our attitude as Christians and the attitude of Christian leaders. Are the people around us asking questions like, "What happens next?" or are they asking, "Where is this going?"
Listening to a lot of Christians who are our spiritual leaders, I believe we have become way too critical. We have spent more time putting down as we point out the shortcomings of culture and society than trying to do something about it. I believe we are called to be artists of the culture not critics of the painting!
James Boyce says "Until we (Christians) produce our own quality art, our hysterical denunciations of what is admittedly 'artistic trash' will fall on deaf ears. Until we show how Christians in government can and should function, being concerned not just for their rights and privileges, but for the good of all and with justice for all, we will rightly be ignored... [Quoting an associate,] If we have not paid our dues by years of making a positive contribution to culture, we simply do not have the culture clout to pontificate about cultural crisis." (1)
I believe it is time we as leaders encourage a better story, a different story, than what the "world" offers. It is time we stop yelling about the culture and start painting a different portrait, one that draws people in rather than asks, where is this going.
For me, it is time to help ministries write a new chapter, one that is not critical of the culture but one that shows or draws people into the story or creating a new culture. A story that will really show the world what true Biblical community is all about.
Words will not do it-- actions will!
Tom
(1) "The Externally Focused Quest: Becoming the Best Church for the Community" by Eric Swanson, Rick Rusaw Embrace the Day!Tuesday, August 17, 2010 August 17, 2010
It may seem cliche to tell someone, "everything has changed."
However we must accept today's reality that everything has changed! Even though we hear this, see this and know it to be true, living it out in the context of everyday life can prove to be much harder than we think.
For many, if not most, are waiting for the economy to comeback "to the way it was", they are waiting for the recession to be over based on the formula of a past recession, which they do not understand. In fact, the statistics and reports all seem to contradict each other. You and I have listened to the debate on these and other subjects and we must embrace that change has come so we cannot keep looking back for answers.
If you have been reading this blog for about a year, you know I believe that where we are and what we see is the new norm and so we better figure out how to live in it.
This is something brand new that no other generation has had to deal with - but I am excited it has happened now for this generation!
Each generation has it own God given drives, or distinctive given to them by their Creator. I believe that the world does not give a generation its uniqueness - God does. The world just reacts to the distinctive of the generation and therefore has the opportunity to develop those generational drives for better or for worse.
The Y Generation (or the iY Generation) has, is and can adjust to these new norms easier then other generations. Why, you ask? Because the new norms fit this generation. This generation was designed to champion this current reality, this generation is...
1 - Community Driven
When they join you at your organization they do so because of the cause, not because of the paycheck, not to fill a role, but to have a lasting impact.
2- Servants First
I have not seen any other generation who is thinking servanthood like this one. (Check out Tom's Shoes as one example) Other generations have and are generous with what they have accumulated. However this generation is serving and giving before they have wealth.
3 - Relationships over Programs
This generation is far more relational. They are re-structuring the work place. They are a group of people who move as one to support people who are on a mission to do something significant.
4 - Mission Driven
Tasks are not driven by the organization any longer but by the mission, which means we have to measure success differently.
This generation to me is exciting! They want to be trained to do something, not just to have an education. They want to do something significant for others not just for themselves.
My generation will need to measure this generation differently - they demand it!
Some examples of this different measurement are:
- How many are serving the poor, not how much money are we giving?
- How many have come out of poverty?
- How many have a visible, active, engaged life after the Bible study is over?
- It is not about how much money we bring in every week but how much did we give away last week?
- Not how many are being equipped but how many are doing something to change their circumstances?
I'm excited for this new day. No doubt, there are challenges ahead, but I have confidence in this generation!
Yes it is a new day, an exciting day!
Embrace the day!
Tom iY GenerationTuesday, August 10, 2010 August 10, 2010
I've experienced them...and I know you have too! Frustrations with connecting and involving the next generation is something countless organizations have asked me about. Often times our efforts to connect with the next generation are poor attempts that result in a larger gap of separation and misunderstanding. So, what is the secret?
As people who lead ourselves first, then others, then possibly even organizations, we all have a desire to see the next generation involved. Everyone at some level has this inward desires to "pass it on". There are no tricks about this, it takes work, but let me say, engaging with the next generation is incredibly rewarding!
The next generation for you and me is called the 'Y Generation.' This is a group of the millennial generation. The Y Generation is those born between 1984 and 2002. My oldest grandson fits in here, and I am seeing this all ready.
An easy way to identify this generation is 'I' because they grew up with the iPhone, iPod, iCar, (yes there is a car that will only start when you place your iPhone in the proper position). It is all about 'I' but that is not necessarily all bad in fact it is really good!
As you know I am 61 so I have to catch up and learn all these i-Parts. However I believe my generation has a responsibility, better put, a privilege to help in three areas with this iY Generation. I believe we have a responsibility to connect with them, fund them, and allow them to make mistakes.
We must take the lead and connect with them. What all this 'I' stuff has done has made for the first time a generation that is connected as a group. Thanks in part to Twitter, Facebook and other social media this generation is very open and honest. With this comes a new mind set that says "let's connect". Join in!
This is a generation that has been, for the most part, shaped by tragedy. Think about this, almost half of the worlds population today is 21 years old or younger! Half the world shaped by tragic events that have shaped there world view. We will either be an example to this vast people group in a positive way or they will rise up and revolt like my generation did. However my generationís revolt was small in comparison to what this one could be. They may revolt because they see tragedy and want a fix and all they hear and see is talk. Our example should be, "Let's connect and fix this together. You lead the way and I will follow you." New thinking, yes, but that is what defines this generation. They want to respond with action, social justice, change, and grassroots movements that make a difference.
What this generation needs is a compass not a map; they need my generation to show them, to help them think, but not to tell them what to do. They do not buy-in to or respond well to telling, directing, commands, or top-down leadership. They revolt on that and rightly so.
This generation does not need our protection but our examples, encouragement, empowerment so there are prepared.
Second - My generation has the funds to fund their refreshing 'let's make a difference' attitude. So, we need to fund their desire to do whatever it takes to make a difference, to fund their dreams. Why? Because the next big, really big idea to solve the problems, which my generation has not done well with, will come from this generation. The next big idea to reach their generation for Christ will come from them.
Oh in the process they will make mistakes, however that is how they learn, not following our exact ways, but finding their own way. This is why that compass we talked about earlier is vital. And remember, you made lots of mistakes along the way too!
The bottom line is this: If we are going to lead this iY Generation so they can do more then we every dreamed possible then we must get to know them.
Up until now that has been a challenge, but I've got some great news. A good friend of mine and of the next generation, Tim Elmore, has a new book called "Generation iY". It is a book that not only lets you see this generation for what they are, their likes, dislikes, and uniqueness, but a book that shows you and me what needs to happen to allow this generation to be all it was created to be.
This is a book not just to read but to apply.
Tim is President of Growing Leaders a ministry dedicated to the Next Generation. Check them out www.GrowingLeaders.com
Off to my iPad to keep learning!
Tom Atlanta Traffic!Monday, August 02, 2010 August 2, 2010
I grew up not far from New York City (full story in Chapter One of my book, "Leadership in Blue Jeans") and lived for many years between NYC and Philadelphia so I am very familiar with city traffic. However, Atlanta traffic is one of a kind.
The traffic in Atlanta is a lot like traffic in India -- it just does not make sense, period.
One of the questions for which I have not received an answer, nor can figure out, is why the fast HOV lane is often significantly slower than the slower regular on/off lanes.
Last week on one of my almost weekly trips from my house to the airport, I was doing great going down 400, when I hit the interchange of 400 and I85 south at 2:32pm and the HOV lane stopped as the rest of the lanes zipped on by, at three times the speed of the "fast lane"! As normal I tuned into “traffic radio” and there were no accidents to report, “just normal Atlanta traffic.” What should have been a 45 minute journey through town was a 90 minute lesson in patience, wondering why this is.
I have had this experience so many times that by now it is just annoying. But there is not one thing you can do about it or as my wife says, "Why are you in this lane anyway?"
It’s like a lot of organizations today-- they have everything going for them, charisma, vision, mission, values, but they are stopped, or stuck, moving ever so slowly.
When the organization, or the leader has a lot going for them and is stopped, stuck, or just moving oh so slowly, what is the issue? Why can’t the leader get the organization moving at the pace it was designed to move at?
Getting stuck in the HOV lane gives you a lot of time to look at what is going on around you. The same things happens when an organization starts to move slowly. There are a lot of distractions which add to the problem and sure enough accidents, ‘rear-enders’ happen. The result is we lose our momentum and you can also lose sight of the goal.
Let me share with you observations about the Atlanta traffic and momentum:
* When you lose momentum, what you really lose is time. Make no mistake about it, maintaining momentum is significantly easier than creating it. It is much easier to go right on through. Changing lanes from the fast lane to a faster lane is both the scary and empowering. Sitting in the fast lane and not deciding to move to another lane is normally a bad decision, bad because we lose focus quickly, but doing it is vitally important. Procrastination is the enemy of potential, the refuge of the weak, and a synonym for fear. The vast majority of people who take that long-overdue first step usually say something very predictable like “I wish I had done this years (or minutes) ago” or “I don’t know what I was so afraid of “or “If I had not made the move I would not be here today”. Get your potential out of neutral, turn your blinker on, hit the gas and don’t look back.
* It’s exciting to get going because excitement creates momentum. When we’re excited we can accomplish a lot! We overcome fears, we take chances, make tough decisions, push the boundaries, we explore our potential, become solution-focused, and more resourceful. We get there! The journey is exciting.
* Keep it clear and certain. When you get stuck it is harder to keep the goal clear and certain. So when you feel like the momentum is waning, regain clarity on what it is you are to do. Ask yourself, Wwhat is it that I really want for my life?" Stop going through the motions getting bogged down into managing the moment when you need to be leading for the future.
* When the organization begins to slow down, there is a deep desire to do what you normally would not do, pick up the phone, check emails, etc... You do not have time to do many of those things when you’re moving fast. When things are moving fast you have to be focused and pay attention to everything in general. When you are moving forward, you as the leader do not have time to be a specialist. When you are moving forward it is easier to stay focused, proactive, and productive.
So - let’s get moving!
Tom
Please add your comments to this blog. I Want MoreTuesday, July 27, 2010
North Point Community Church just finished a 3-part series this week on “More” that got me thinking. More, a four-letter word that can get us in trouble or push us in a positive direction is a word we learn the meaning of early in life.
More is a word that is often followed by action. I use it when I eat something I really like – I want more. It is a word that feeds our desire for more stuff so much so we can be upside down financially. It is a word that can push our health to an unhealthy state, and a word that can drive us to work so much we lose sight of marriage, family, and friends. More - is not always good.
However, thinking about “more” in leadership is a good thing!
If you have the gift of leadership, then you are never satisfied with the status quo, you always want more! Those with the gift of leadership just naturally want more from others. Requesting more from a person or team is not bad as long as you do not demand it.
I want more for the Vertical Horizons Group team. I want them to develop more so their lives have more significance to do more than they ever dreamed possible.
It is important for leaders to do two things: build people up and protect the system that allows people to grow. How do you that? How do you build people so they can and want to accomplish more on their own?
First: the leader has to build a leadership culture. A culture is an environment of shared values and behaviors that contagiously enables people to think and act like a servant leader.
Second: values drive our behavior. Values also set the guardrails for a person to think and act as God has wired them as a servant leader. It is the atmosphere in the organization that says you can be and do more. I do not need to micro-manage. You know what we value so do what you have to do. All the leader has to do is reinforce the value, sell the vision and protect that system so people can be and do more.
Values give the people in your organization the freedom to make their own decisions, to spend the "company money" without the boss (leader) having to worry, to accomplish a project on their own, and to come to me as a coach not a boss.
All this comes natural because we all agree on our core values, which allows us to think more independently, and act more freely.
As an example let me share with you the core values that Vertical Horizons Group works under.
* Integrity – We will do what is right, all of the time.
* Attitude – We will act and speak in a positive way.
* Teamwork- We will remember that the team always comes first.
* Personal growth – We will work as hard on our personal lives as we do in the organization.
* Details – We will get the little things right.
* Urgency – We will find ways to do it now.
Notice that we have described what value means to us so there is no double meaning for our team.
These core values make us and allow our team to do more!
Together we can accomplish more!
Tom
Author of "Leadership in Blue Jeans" available at Amazon.com
Summer Thunderstorms and Leaders!Tuesday, July 20, 2010 In these hot, humid days in Atlanta, one can expect some good afternoon thunderstorms! They come up quickly, are loud, shoot a lot of lightning, hit and cause damage to a few unprotected places, and then fade away.
Last week, we had such a storm with wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, a lot of lightning. In fact two houses in a neighboring area that were unprotected burned. Summer thunderstorms and leaders have a few things in common:
1. Sometimes leaders keep quiet for a long time, and then seemly out of nowhere they blow in quickly, drop their load, and move out just as quickly. This type of leader, Ken Blanchard, refers to as a “seagull leader.” This is not a servant leader, never mind a Biblical-servant leader.
2. Some leaders are around a lot and you know when they are in the building because they are loud, demanding everyone’s attention. This should be a warning to you that a storm is coming – get ready.
3. Some leaders strike out, like lightning. If you do not have a lightning rod on the building to protect you, you can be burned, hurt, and even destroyed. Some people never recover from the striking out of those who influence them.
However storms do come into a leader’s life. When these storms come, leaders are not to be drop-ins, loud and striking out, but a true leader is to be lightning rod. Lightning rods are a great picture of a servant leader. When the storms come leaders are to be and operate like a lightning rod. Please note that leaders should never strike out, but when other leaders around do strike out, then those of us who lead from the middle of the pack are to protect the team from the heat, hurt, and try to minimize the damage from the strike as best as we can. We are to be lightning rod leaders.
There is a down-side to being a lightning rod leader. If you are the lightning rod in a situation you will naturally attract the bolt, the strike out. You will be the one criticized when things go wrong. When the storm hits, it will be directed at you and you will be blamed. A true servant leader must protect others. That is what a lightning rod does.
How do we gain such an attitude, how do we stay grounded like a lightning rod?
First and foremost - The Bible puts it this way “Watch you life…” (1 Timothy 4:16).
Second - Understand that people act out what they are experiencing on the inside.
Third – Remember, good people great criticized. If Mother Teresa and Jesus did, so will you.
Fourth - Do not focus on the critic but the crowd.
Fifth - Trust God, watch your life, don’t get dragged into a no-win discussion –it’s not a discussion.
Sixth - Seek wisdom from others.
Seventh - Focus on the mission, change what you know is or could be a wrong perception.
Eighth – Pray. You will need the help – maybe this should be number one!
So, stay grounded and do your job well when the storms hit, and your will be able to help others stay grounded through the storms too.
(I give a personal illustration of this in my book, “Leadership in Blue Jeans” on how I worked through one of the hardest hits of my life. Workshops are also available on this and other topics. Just contact me if you are interested)
Tom
Haiti...headed for catastrophe! - WHY?Wednesday, July 14, 2010
“We’re headed for a catastrophe…” comments a French aid worker in regards to the bleak future for Haiti. This is just one comment about Haiti six months after the earthquake that devastated one of the poorest countries in the world. Another comment after six months of waiting: “Since January 12th I've never received any aid…" said Ernest Leo who lost his wife and oldest daughter in the earthquake. Meanwhile he is trying to take care of his youngest daughter who lost her right arm from being caught under the rubble for two days. He remarks, “Ever since this dramatic event it’s like life has no meaning anymore. Nothing has changed in six months.”(1)
This week's report from USA Today was bleak, depressing and lacking clear answers for why Haiti seems just as bad off, or worse, as it was six months ago when the horrific earthquake hit killing over 230,000 people. Today, 1.5 million are still homeless, and only 10% of the estimated 5.3 billion dollars raised has come in. But it is clear, money alone is never enough. You can have $5.3 billion and still not get the job off the ground, never mind finished.
From what we read and what I've heard from those who've been down to Haiti, frustration is thick amongst the people and aid workers. The people, government, and relief agencies are all frustrated at some level. Haitians blame their government which is still operating out of tents after six months. Former Haitian Prime Minister Robert Malval and others say the government is full of inaction, poor communication, and riddled with missteps. So what is needed from the Haitians? Malval said, “What needed to be done was to show leadership, but instead it was overwhelmed by events, leadership was absent from the beginning.” This proves a lack of leadership is a hindrance to getting things done, right?(1)
Well, hold on. If you have both money and leadership, shouldn't that make a difference? Not necessarily! Because by themselves or together it is not enough. It takes more, and the sad part is, what is needed is already on the ground in Haiti. Hundreds of great agencies each one working hard, doing their own work well, very well in many cases. However, money, leadership, and great agencies alone are not enough!
The core problem is key leaders of these organizations are not saying “let’s fix Haiti together." A cohesive agenda and plan for Haiti's future is missing and without it collaboration and true partnership have failed to thrive. This is what Haiti needs. True partnership in the aid efforts in Haiti would leave this country far different one month from today, I can guarantee it. Oh some people "talk together or have a partnership” but very few really act on it as planned. Why? Because partnering is a very hard thing to accomplish. Mindsets focused intently on their unique goals and plans are a hindrance to putting your ego, your organization, your dreams, your plans aside to do what is best and what is needed. It is a selfless thing, and it does not always sit well with individuals not to mention when you involve reporting back to the board or making sure your efforts match the pre-planned project goals.
I believe when you “fix” something together it has very positive results for everyone. Why? Because working alone and doing our own great thing is never enough! Money is not enough, leadership is not enough, clean water, food, housing, roads all by themselves are not enough. It has to be a total package. And we all see Haiti is a prime candidate today for needing the total package.
I know "together" works. I have been part of starting two ministries that work with the very poor. However, they do it in alignment with four to nine other ministries. Most of what these two ministries do is encourage and empower the locals to lead it. All I and a few others do, is coach them. When you work together it produces one great story everyone can join in on. When you and I use our resources in harmony with others our work allows people to work and improve their own lives and become self-sustaining, one day independent of aid.
I, for one, am willing to lead a group of ministries who want to work together to get the job done by empowering locals to own their nation and lead themselves to self-sufficiency with honor and dignity.
I saw, as you did, a glimmer of hope amidst the devastation on the faces of many Haitians as they dreamed of a new Haiti - let’s grab that glimmer and fan it into flame – together as one.
Tom
1 "Six months after Haitian quake, many barriers to recovery" by Ingrid Arnesen and Marisol Bello, USA TODAY, July 11, 2010.
Great LeadersThursday, July 08, 2010 If you compiled a list of the really great leaders of the 20th century, who would be on it? Who would your top 5 or 6 be? I would say, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, and Martin Luther King, Jr. would be on my list for sure.
Look at my list or your list and you will notice that they have nothing in common! They come from different parts of the world, have different religious beliefs, different educational backgrounds, and different socio-economics. However, the one thing they have in common is they each started a movement that they gave their entire life to that still exists today. From the depths of their being there was a vision of a better tomorrow and dedication to see their vision lived out.
A great, transforming leader is not a leader who hits measurable goals, wins elections, or is the face of an organization. He/She may hit goals but have no character so the sustainability of the "movement" will not happen. Goals are important but we must have a deeper burning desire to see change or all we have done is hit a goal. Vision and values must go together.
All five of my great leaders have this in common as well, vision and values. That is why they have passed the test of time.
Tom
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