When The Obvious, Isn't Obvious…

by Elisa SpainNo Comments

 

Simplify, simplify… These are the watch words of our world today. The more complex our society has become the more is written on the benefits of simplification.

And, I have begun to wonder if the complexity of our society is also leading us to forget to look for simple solutions when things aren’t working right. The obvious sometimes is missed, along the way to finding a solution.

The following experience happened awhile back and I often use it as a reminder to pause and look first for the obvious, even when it may not at first seem so obvious.

My internet service was continually cutting out. It would go down for a few minutes, sometimes an hour or so, and would always come back on its own. This went on for many months. I called for service repeatedly, the provider sent technicians out repeatedly. They replaced modems, they replaced wires, they really tried to fix it. I became convinced the problem must be with the wiring in the building so I hired an independent company who came out and checked the internal wiring. Everyone who was here, and there were lots of people, all said it should be working. But it wasn’t.  

Finally I called a technician who had been out for another issue in the past. I had saved his name because he was particularly helpful. I told him the whole story and he sent his supervisor out. The supervisor asked a few questions, listened to my story and then solved the problem in 5 minutes.  

How did he do it?

This sounds like one of those brain teasers doesn’t it? Actually, I guess it was. What he did was simple. He asked a few questions, he really listened to my answers, and then looked for the obvious. There was a loose wire where the system was attached to the building. He tightened the wire, and I have not had a problem since!

My takeaway from this … when something isn’t working, in business or in life;

pause, ask questions, listen carefully to the answers….and then search first for the obvious explanation.

 

 

 

What If You Can't Change What Is?

by Elisa SpainNo Comments

 

This blog is for those of us who seek to change injustice. What if we just found a workaround?

Outrageous? Perhaps not.

Some things that we perceive as wrong speak to the fabric of our soul, most of these fall into the category of social injustice. But, I am not talking about those issues.

What I am talking about here is business injustice. Those little, sometimes even big, things that happen in business that just aren’t right. At least, they aren’t right from our perspective. These situations happen most often when decisions are made by someone else that impact us or our team.

I heard the following story recently from one of the leaders I work with and was struck by the wisdom here.

The leader who shared the story told me that the compensation plan for his team was set at the corporate level and is based on several “factors”. These factors were to be evaluated and then bonuses paid based on performance against these factors. This leader was concerned because one of the factors required the team to act in a manner he felt was inconsistent with servicing the customers.

He has tried several times to lobby to change the plan without success. A few days ago in frustration, he shared his concerns once again with one of his colleagues who he hoped would work with him to get the plan changed. Instead the colleague said, “This is out of both of our control. While the plan includes these factors, it also allows discretion, my suggestion is you use your discretion to do what you feel is right”.

The questions that come to mind for me are:

  • How do we reconcile these things that are wrong?
  • How do we know which ones to accept and which ones to work to change?
  • And, if we are the one making these decisions that impact others, do we recognize the unintended consequences and are we open to change? Or at least open to a workaround?

Finally the key question, just because it is wrong or broken, does it have to be fixed? Or can we simply accept what is and find a way to make it work for us and our team?….

 

 

Today Is Giving Tuesday

by Elisa SpainNo Comments

 

Today, on Giving Tuesday, nonprofits, families, businesses and students around the world come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give. Here in Illinois, Donors Forum, led by Eric Weinheimer (former member and friend of Vistage), is coordinating this initiative. They have one bold goal: #ILGIVEBIG, $12 million raised by Illinois nonprofits from 100,000 individual donors — in one day.

To celebrate today, I created a matching gift opportunity.

Many of you know about my passion for The CARA Program, a true social innovator (the only social purpose organization nominated for the Chicago Innovation Award).

Right now, anyone who chooses to give to this mission, I will match that gift, dollar for dollar, up to $5,000 (total gift of $10,000).

To make a donation of any amount, click here.  (And, please add “Elisa Spain Matching Gift” in the comments section to ensure your gift is matched.)

Thank you in advance for joining me on Giving Tuesday with a donation to the Cara Program, or to the social purpose organization of your choice.

Leadership Quote: Knowing Our Impact On Others

by Elisa SpainNo Comments

 

This month’s leadership quote:

“Of the many, many things about which we are unclear, or of which we are unaware,

our impact upon others is at or near the top.”

-Larry Cassidy, Vistage Master Chair

Today’s blogpost is offered by guest blogger Larry Cassidy, fellow Vistage Master Chair and author of this month’s quote. Larry has been a Vistage chair in California for 27 years and his words of wisdom inspire all of us.

Are you aware of your impact upon others, for better or for worse? We all too often live in our own personal bubble, unaware of how what we say and what we do land upon others. So come with me on a short walk, to the wood fence behind our house…..

If each time we did something thoughtless or rude or unkind, we had to pound a nail into our fence post, over time the post would resemble a metal porcupine. And if we could pull a nail out of the fence post each time we did something thoughtful, kind or caring, our battered fence post might someday be devoid of nails.

That last nail pulled should be cause for celebration; however, before we hoot n’ holler, let’s first take a hard look at our fence post. After all the pounding and pulling, what is left? Nail holes! We have slowly exchanged our hard words and abuse for decency and respect, but the wounds from our nails linger on. The holes remain. The fence post never forgets. Nor do the people in whom we have punched holes.

Sorry, but there is no escape. This is our responsibility. We are leaders, and someone is always watching. And as leaders, our job is to grasp our impact upon others, to better shape what we say and what we do, and to ensure those in our lives are better for being in our lives. If we are not willing to “do the work,” our offerings too often kidnap self-esteem, and can even become abuse.

My suggestion: don’t think about this. Rather, feel those who have changed your life. Who are they? How did they make you better? Why do you remember them so many years later? I am clear about those who have their fingerprints on who I am today, and I am deeply indebted to each. I also have another list, those who took advantage, who were unkind, who toyed with key values, and they are no longer part of my life.

You know which is which. You can feel the difference. And so can the people in your life. Your children, the team you coach, your employees, everyone. They can feel you. Yours is the opportunity to show them a better way to be. To be the one they remember for supporting their work to be the best they can be. So remember: they are watching, always watching, and every exchange is one more precious opportunity to not drive a nail, to not leave yet another nail hole. Each is a teaching moment. Seize it.

 

Elisa K. Spain

 

Thanks-Giving

by Elisa SpainNo Comments

 

I love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday because it is celebrated by all Americans, regardless of their backgrounds. While the “thanks” part of Thanksgiving is so meaningful, the “giving” part is equally so.

We give thanks on Thanksgiving, go to the mall on Black Friday, and browse the web on Cyber Monday. Now, we have a day dedicated to giving back. On Giving Tuesday (this year on December 2), nonprofits, families, businesses and students around the world come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give. In Illinois, Donors Forum, led by Eric Weinheimer (former member and friend of Vistage), is coordinating this initiative. They have one bold goal: #ILGIVEBIG, $12 million raised by Illinois nonprofits from 100,000 individual donors — in one day.

I also wanted to share…my matching gift opportunity.

Many of you know about my passion for The CARA Program, a true social innovator (the only social purpose organization nominated for the Chicago Innovation Award).
Right now, anyone who chooses to give to this mission, I will match that gift, dollar for dollar, up to $5,000 (total gift of $10,000).

 

To make a donation of any amount, click here.  (And, please add “Elisa Spain Matching Gift” in the comments section to ensure your gift is matched.)

Thank you in advance for joining me on Giving Tuesday with a donation to the Cara Program, or to the social purpose organization of your choice.

The Oft Unheralded Challenge Of Change

by Elisa SpainNo Comments

 

Leading change in an organization is full of challenges. Most of these challenges are associated with creating a vision, inspiring action, achieving buy-in, and sustaining the change. John Kotter, noted for his work on this topic, offers an 8 step process that offers an excellent roadmap.

I am noticing a 1/2 step challenge of change, that while banal, can derail a change initiative when ignored. This oft unheralded challenge is simply that everyone hears through their own filter, and therefore the actions we see are not the actions we expected. Obvious perhaps, and yet when leading change, we sometimes think that things are not happening the way we want because people are resisting.

  • Sometimes, they simply didn’t hear
  • or what they heard is different from what I thought I said
  • or they need to hear it more than once; 7 times I have been told is the magic number
  • or they need to do it more than once, or even twice, to “get it”
  • or we simply need to allow time for the change to settle in

So, next time, before calling out a “resister”, first pause and ask them what they heard.

 

 

Elisa K. Spain

Another View On Co-Accountability?

by Elisa SpainNo Comments

2014-11-07

Last week, one of the members of my CEO group sent this Facebook post to the group. And, much like the comments on the actual post, there was a mix of “isn’t this cool?” to the cynical, “what if the person has never done anything positive?”

The discussion caused me to pause. Vistage speaker, Michel Allosso, talks about giving a person TSP: Truthful, Specific, Positive feedback. Do it enough, he says, to earn the right to give constructive feedback. While Vistage Speaker, Balaji Krishnamurthy, teaches us co-accountability: The key to a successful organization is when members of our team have expectations of each other and hold each other accountable for meeting them.

What this Facebook post says to me is, perhaps the answer is to combine the two. I wonder if in the story I told last week, the reason Southwest Airlines has both a collegial and a co-accountable culture is because they combine both TSP and co-accountability…

  • Imagine what would happen in your organization if you had both?
  • What one action step might you take today to begin a journey down this path?

Elisa K. Spain

 

 

Can Co-Accountability Happen In Your Culture?

by Elisa SpainNo Comments

 

In Vistage, and amongst leaders in general, we talk a lot about accountability. We use terms like “we need to hold them accountable”, or “we need to hold ourselves accountable”.

One of our speakers, Balaji Krishnamurthy, often talks instead about co-accountability and how this practice is directly tied to producing results. The concept is simple. Members of a team, an organization, or even a Vistage group, are accountable to each other, to respect the values and agreements they have with each other. And, they call each other out for non-compliance. In short, the members of the team, take full responsibility for governance.

The concept is simple, everyone nods their head in agreement and… the execution is hard.

This co-accountability can happen in two ways:

  • Balaji says the most effective way is in the moment, in the meeting.
  • Option 2 is for members of the team to have a conversation outside the meeting, again, soon after the event.

Yikes, some say, ….

  • Is anyone really going to step up and call someone out in a meeting?
  • Isn’t it the leader’s responsibility to deal with issues?
  • Is this a practice that only works in certain types of cultures?

And, in a co-accountable culture, what is the leader’s role?

  • Is it to open up space for the feedback?
  • Is it to give the feedback first?
  • Is it to encourage those who are willing to speak up and ensure positive consequences for taking this risk?

Finally, can this work in all cultures?

I will leave you with a story I heard recently from a friend about how this works at Southwest Airlines, an organization where results are legendary in a collegial culture that is also legendary.

My friend who told me this story is retired from a 20+ year career in the airline industry. At the time, she was an airport manager for one of the large airlines. Someone on her team discovered and reported to her that a Southwest employee was using, and reusing, a meal voucher for this large airline. My friend handled it the normal way, she reported it to the Southwest manager. A few days later, a couple of the employees from Southwest, not the manager, came over to my friend and said “We heard about what happened with the meal voucher. We want you to know this is not acceptable behavior for a Southwest employee. We have dealt with the situation and we sincerely apologize. You can rest assured it will not happen again and the money will be repaid”. Wow, my friend said, I can’t imagine this happening at any other airline, not then, not now.

I wonder, what results we would see if each of us as leaders began to foster co-accountability in a manner consistent with the other tenets of our culture.

Elisa K. Spain

 

Leadership Quote: Yesterday's Home Runs…

by Elisa SpainNo Comments

 

This month’s leadership quote:

“Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s games”

-Babe Ruth

Not only don’t yesterday’s home runs win today’s games, the way we got to yesterday’s home run may not work today. While the past can be our teacher, it can also delude us. When we have been successful in the past, we often think that if we repeat what led to that success, we will have those same results, that same home run, again.

Sometimes it works.

More often, the players and leaders who achieve multiple home runs do so by pausing, noticing what is different and adjusting accordingly. And… they keep moving forward; expecting to work just as hard to get the next home run as they did to get the last one.

 

Elisa K. Spain

The Emperor's New Clothes

by Elisa SpainNo Comments

 

I have come to realize, duh… that the fairy tales we read as children were intended to prepare us for our adult lives. (Robert Fulghum was right, All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten).

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about The Other Side of Success, when confidence becomes hubris. The Emperor’s New Clothes is, in my view, the ultimate risk of this hubris.

The Emperor’s New Clothes is a short tale by Hans Christian Andersen about two weavers who promise an Emperor a new suit of clothes that is invisible to those unfit for their positions, stupid, or incompetent. When the Emperor parades before his subjects in his new clothes, a child cries out, “But he isn’t wearing anything at all!”

The emperor is so vain, he believes the tale. The adults are afraid to tell him the truth for fear the outcome may have consequences for them. Only a child tells the truth; he is too young to realize he is taking a risk by doing so.

To be a successful leader, one must be confident, have the courage to move forward even when questioned. And at the same time, the successful leaders I know also ask for feedback. They are constantly in touch with their constituents – customers, employees, vendors, advisors, family (after all it was a child that told the emperor the truth).

Recently I heard a new CEO talk about the changes he had made since assuming his position. He was proud of those changes and went on to say, “things are better because of these changes”. Yet, he hadn’t ever asked his users (customers, employees, vendors, etc.) what they thought. He believed it to be true, just like the emperor. I later had the opportunity to hear from some of his constituents, and they had a different perspective. For them, the changes had made their work more challenging. Which is true? I don’t know. What I do know is most of his stakeholders are telling the CEO what he wants to hear, not what they truly feel and believe.

Years ago, I saw the effect of this first hand. I was working in the investment business and several of the large institutions, like ours, decided to install a new software system for managing trust accounts. The system was built by a small company and it turned out they were better at marketing than at software development. Our largest competitor at the time was the first to “go live” with the new system. It was a disaster, such a disaster that they ultimately exited the trust business. I remember saying to my colleagues at the time “someone, probably several people, at that bank knew this was going to fail and they were afraid to speak up”.

I leave you with these questions:

  • What are you doing to solicit honest feedback in your organization?
  • What are you doing to foster an environment where your customers, employees, vendors and other stakeholders feel they can provide feedback without fear of consequences?
  • Do you have a “child” in your company and your life who is willing to tell you that you are naked?

Elisa K. Spain