12/13/2023 0 Comments Vitalsmarts style under stress![]() ![]() One method that works is to schedule regular, perhaps quarterly, focus groups with opinion leaders from across your institution. You need a way for people to voice their concerns in a positive way, or they will voice them instead as negative, self-defeating stories. Create Systems for Information GatheringĪ listening tour is a great way to kick off a change, but lasting change requires a way to systematize the process. By calling this a “ritual” I’m suggesting that these Work-Outs become a regular, ongoing part of your institution. ![]() The goal is to get problems solved in a way that demonstrates responsive and decisive leadership. Bring together the decision-makers who can take positive action and have them discuss and solve it in a time-limited workshop or series of workshops, while a larger group of stakeholders observes. Select a key barrier you discovered during your listening tour-a barrier that spans silos, impacts a lot of people, and is particularly demotivating. I like a modified version of GE’s ritual, the Work-Out. Have each leader conduct four to five one-hour interviews and participate in at least two ninety-minute focus groups. ![]() Give the leaders a bit of training, so they use the interviews to genuinely listen and learn, rather than lecture and solve problems. A few guidelines: have the leaders interview people who don’t report to them-people from other silos or regions. The second goal is to position leaders as listeners, as people who want to understand and remove barriers.Īsk each leader to conduct both one-on-one interviews and focus groups. The first goal of the tour is to identify patterns of problems that span regions and silos. Ideally, this group will include formal and informal (opinion) leaders from across the institution. Conduct a Listening Tourīring together a group of decision-makers and have them conduct listening tours. People imagine the worst and begin to question leaders’ motives. Conversely, if you allow barriers to remain, they generate negative stories, rumors, and beliefs. This is the most efficient place to start, because removing a small number of demotivating obstacles can release a flood of positive energy. I’ll take an outside-in approach, first looking for barriers that impede the culture, and then at motivators that could pull the institution in the right direction. ![]() The good news is that they will be relevant to a wide range of readers. This lack of information means my suggestions will have to be fairly general. I don’t know your institution, your industry, your history, or your competitive environment. We’ve seen and been a part of many of these positive turnarounds. And don’t believe you are attempting the impossible. If you can improve morale, you will not only improve performance but also change lives. You’re taking on a challenging and worthy goal. Lastly, research shows that teams work harder and more effectively if a boss doesn’t lose their temper with them, so frame your intent in a way to get your team focused on solving the problem.How do you suggest a large institution go about changing a can’t-do attitude to a can-do attitude when morale is low? We’ve had budget and staffing cuts and have a history of “silos” throughout the organization. Try not to lead with emotions. Skilled leaders tamp down the temptation to level accusations, and gather the facts. Rather than angrily blaming the employee you perceive to be at fault, focus on problem solving. Stop and ask yourself, “What is it I really want long term, for myself, for the contracting officer, and for the team?” Let that act as your North Star, guiding your actions. There are a few simple skills that can help a leader be at their best even when the pressure is on. Research shows that your temperament in these crucial moments has a tremendous impact on your team’s performance, and ultimately, a large majority of managers and leaders buckle under pressure. As a leader, how you respond under the pressure makes an indelible impression on the people around you. ![]()
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