Being a Leader: Fire House ... 3 Things You Can Work Smarter

18 May 2021, Singapore: I was introduce to this short video back in Q4 2019 when I was invite to a company workshop cum teambuilding ... This video talk about 3 Things we can work smarter as Leader and it using the analogy of a "Fire House".

Click the hyperlink to watch the video: Fire House: 3 Things Work Smarter

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The Dangers Of Complacent Leadership

08 August 2014, Singapore: Yesterday, one of my colleagues reminded me that I have not been posting articles at my HR blog since May. I guess it is a good time to share this article, it is a reminder to potential HR Leaders and myself on "The Dangers of Complacent Leadership" by Glenn Llopis.

Click the hyperlink for the source:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2014/08/05/the-dangers-of-complacent-leadership/ 

Glenn Llopis

The Dangers Of Complacent Leadership

It’s easy for MARKET leaders to grow complacent when they feel  the alternative is to take two steps back before taking one step forward in  an effort to find their footing in today’s changing terrain. As a result, larger corporations in particular become more vulnerable to competitive pressures because they lose strategic focus and don’t see the opportunities their emerging competitors are seeing and seizing.

Changing times require a change in one’s LEADERSHIP STYLE and approach. Here are a few early warning signs to avoid the dangers of complacent leadership.

1.  Fear Settles In

When leaders begin to fear what is required to move the company’s agenda forward – this is cause for concern.  For example, many leaders don’t want to manage through the political and/or employee dynamics that are associated with changing times for fear of being left exposed and placed in a vulnerable position.

While many leaders may not admit to being fearful, it is becoming more common as the MARKET becomes more uncertain.  As a leader, uncertainty must become your best friend and you must tackle it head on by anticipating the unexpected and taking action to solve for what lies ahead rather than waiting for others to determine your fate.  Adversity can make or break you, but it primarily reveals you. Fear is a by-product of not always knowing what the consequences of your actions will be in a changing marketplace.

The more complacent you are as a leader, the more unpredictable the environment becomes and your ability to control and lead  in it.

2.  Attention to DETAIL Fades

When the pressures mount, details fade.  This is an early warning SIGN that complacency is kicking in.  Managing the DETAILS is critical to maintaining your focus and keeping your eyes locked-in on the moving parts around you.

You can see the lack of attention to detail in meetings and in a leader’s preparation – or lack thereof.  When leaders cut corners, quality erodes.  If they don’t know how to manage speed in execution, their good intentions can spiral out of control and they can potentially create negative consequences for the team and organization they serve.

The devil is in the DETAILS.  Don’t allow them to escape by becoming a complacent leader.

3.  Tension Unknowingly Begins to Mount

When leaders grow fearful of becoming exposed and begin to lose the required attention to detail to effectively perform, they begin to unknowingly create tension with others. When this happens, leaders lose executive presence, and become disruptive and restless from the mounting demands of their growing complacency – which begins to reverberate throughout the rest of the team and amongst their colleagues.

Leaders are always in the spotlight and collectively everyone is WATCHING everything they say and do. Don’t allow complacency to disrupt your momentum.

4.  Reactive Thinking

Leaders are expected to be proactive and timely with their decisions, their outlook for the business, and the potential of their people.  When leaders are complacent, they become slower, less decisive, they begin to accumulate bad habits and the lens with which they see through gets blurry and full of blind spots. As such, over the COURSE of time they become reactive rather than proactive to the opportunities that are right in front of them.

Complacency can cloud a leader’s thinking – making it more likely for them to miss a potential OPPORTUNITY

5.  Stop Leading

Complacency can reach a point where a leader begins to follow more than lead.  Over time, complacent leaders begin to play it too safe — losing respect, trust and loyalty from their employees as well as other leaders in the organization.  When this happens, they begin to lose confidence in their own abilities, trust in themselves and in others.  This behavioral shift makes them feel too vulnerable to lead and more COMFORTABLE following.

Complacency can mark the end of a leader’s reign when people stop valuing and respecting their authority.

Leadership expert Warren Bennis, who passed away last week and wrote one of the most popular BOOKS on leadership, “On Becoming a Leader,” was well ahead of his time when it came to not giving in to the dangers of becoming a complacent leader. These are the types of leaders who “get companies stuck in outmoded ways of doing things while the world changed around them,” he said, according to his obituary in the LA Times, 8/3/2014.

Looking at things from this point of view, complacency makes you more of a manager than a leader. And as he often said: “The manager does things right and has their eye on the bottom line; the leader does the right thing and has their eye on the horizon.”

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What’s the Difference Between Mentoring and Coaching?

25 April 2014, Singapore: I would like to share this article from one of my LinkedIn forum 'Talent Management'. The article was written by Tessa Hilson-Greener, Interim HRD, Executive Education Consultant

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Mentoring and coaching are not the same. What contributes to the confusion of the difference between the two is that a coach and mentor often perform their work using similar skills sets, such as strong interpersonal and communication skills. 

Effective mentors (as well as effective supervisors, managers, and executives - leaders of all kinds) also use effective coaching skills. Mentors usually reside within the same organization as the person being mentored. Coaches, on the other hand, are more often than not external to the organization, however, there are some internal coaches when the company is forward thinking in developing a culture of self development utilising a coaching philosophy. 

Mentoring is a learning relationship between two people. It requires trust, commitment and emotional engagement. It involves listening, questioning, challenge and support. It has a definite time scale. It is concerned with implications beyond task and It focuses on skills and performance and the agenda is set by learner. 

Some Benefits: 

• Support in transitions 
• Providing a sounding board and feedback 
• Expanded Personal and business network and additional learning resources 
• Experience of another persons career journey, culture, status and gender 
• A safe space to sound out ideas and gain support 
• Access to information about how the organisation works 
• A source of stretch and challenge 
• Can bring individuals closer together by sharing knowledge, skills and experiences so that all parties learn from others to build a new approach 
• Make the most of work-related opportunities to learn from real situations 

Coaching is a structured interaction between two people who are in a trusting and honest relationship. Coaching focuses on capability and potential. The agenda is set by or with the coach It typically addresses short-term needs. Coaching is not training because it is centred on the coachee finding their own answers with a professional guide. Coaching is results-orientated following a process that enables the participants to find constructive solutions in a productive time-frame. Coaching is a practical, confidential and forward looking activity that enables the individuals to explore their ideas with a qualified professional to achieve outstanding results. 

Some Benefits: 

• Learn from those you know and trust 
• Take it at your own pace and form a one-to-one relationship 
• Have input over what and how you learn related to the agenda 
• Develop the skills needed for the present job as well as future jobs 
• Find an outlet to express ideas and concerns and then define clear actions 
• Transfer the learning to new situations in a set time-frame 
• Receive structured development from a trained manager or coach 
• Promote a climate of continuous learning, support and ownership 
• Make the most of work-related opportunities to learn from real situations 
• Reduce time spent away from work while attending courses or workshops 
• Aid the transfer of learning to the work situation 
• Provide cost-effective ways of developing people in a more customized way 
• Ensure high quality management advice and support is consistent 

When to implement mentoring and coaching? They both should be part of an overall learning strategy as both are valuable in encouraging self development and when managed effectively have a valuable impact on performance capability and a positive impact on the overall self development of people.

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What Makes an 'Exceptional' HR Leader?

12 October 2013, Malaysia: I would like to share this 'extract' from an article written by Anna Penfold, Client Partner at Korn/Ferry. ... happy read!

... Companies that can engage their employees successfully and retain top talent are more likely to gain a competitive advantage and survive difficult times.

... The role of the HR leader (HRL) has become central to this complex and fast changing landscape.

... a clear set of qualities emerged from research across HRLs in EMEA as distinguishing the ‘exceptional’ from the merely competent.

Understanding the business

By far the most important characteristic, HRLs need to go beyond a base knowledge of how businesses operate and compete. This characteristic requires knowing the industry, market, regional context, and challenges your business is facing.

Inspiring others

Motivating different types of people, communicating a compelling vision to varying constituencies, and building highly effective teams are key attributes.

Acting with honour and character

Exceptional HRLs should act in line with a set of values and beliefs, practicing consistency between words and actions, and being direct and truthful.

Dealing with crisis

Courage – to deal with a crisis, provide difficult feedback, confront performance problems, and stand up for unpopular or innovative ideas –lies at the heart of this characteristic.

Making complex decisions

This competency is about solving tough problems using available and changing information. This skill encompasses balancing analysis with intuition and wisdom requires the application of multiple problem solving techniques.

Getting work done through others

Exceptional HRLs need to get the best out of people, delegating the right work to the right people, setting goals, providing clear direction, following up, and supplying the coaching necessary to ensure other people’s success.

Evaluating and deploying people accurately

Evaluating and deploying people accurately requires having a keen eye for talent and the ability to assess strengths, weaknesses, and potential in order to place the right people in the right roles.

... enterprising HR professionals should pursue the broadest experience in roles within the function. ... allow them to step out of their comfort zone and seek out big challenges in order to develop best HR practice. This will place an exceptional HR leader in a position to become a trusted counsel for the CEO and lead successful business change.

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Coaching & Mentoring for Better Performance

09 October 2013, Singapore: I would like to share this article that focus on coaching and mentoring for better performance ... aka "performance coaching". This article is written by Amie Martin from Demand Media. The article focus on how small business can benefit from coaching and mentoring but the concept is still applicable from professional managers and team leaders.

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The success of your small business is largely dependent on the talent surrounding you and their loyalty and commitment to your mission. Coaching and mentoring may foster both once you understand the subtle differences between coaching and mentoring and make your own commitment to support either or both efforts.

Annual Performance Evaluations

Both coaching and mentoring go beyond the traditional annual employee evaluation, which is typically given from the top down and may be summarized as follows: Here is what you did well, here is what you didn't do well, here are your goals, and see you next year. The traditional evaluation model leaves an employee with feedback and an entire year to falter or rise on her own. Coaching and mentoring, on the other hand, is more relationship based and involves ongoing or periodic interaction between an employee and her supervisor, coach or mentor --- these roles may overlap --- leading to talent nurturing and growth and preventing an unnecessary time lapse between annual evaluation feedback.

Coaching and Mentoring

Both coaching and mentoring involve one-on-one, active, ongoing participation between the leader and student in a partnership. Though the terms are often used interchangeably, there are differences between coaching and mentoring. Coaching is result- and task/project-oriented; it's often short term and assigned. Mentoring, on the other hand, is a long-term commitment with a broader range, including guidance toward professional education and career choices; the relationship is usually organic. Both have value to business organizations of any size, but mentoring is specifically valuable in small businesses with high and long-term retention, where a subject-matter expert takes a novice under his wing and both guides and inspires him throughout his growth in the business.

Benefits

Talent and knowledge base are keys to small-business success, but they may slip through your fingers if employees meeting these criteria move on to other ventures. Either coaching or mentoring may significantly and positively impact employee retention. Though there are differences between the two roles, both may foster company commitment and loyalty and contribute to the reduction of turnover, recruitment and repetitive training of new employees. The partnership mentality of coaching or mentoring may lead to employees feeling more like teammates in your business, which, in turn, may increase their motivation. Once an employee is personally, as well as professionally, invested in your mission and you can continue to foster it and his growth, it can meld with your business and you can both reap rewards.

Considerations

Coaching and mentoring takes time. If you recognize the potential rewards, allow your potential coaches or mentors within your business the time away from other responsibilities to foster the necessary relationships and cross-training to fulfill the commitment.

Strategies and Techniques for Mentoring and Coaching

09 October 2013, Singapore: After a half day of meeting on the topic 'Global Compliance Review' - I received a telephone call from a colleague that there is opportunity for my CoE to develop an in-house Coaching and Mentoring course under the WDA-WSQ. This prompted me to share this article from by Stacy Zeiger of Demand Media. People who worked with me know that I am a true believer of these strategies / techniques ... especially in (i) celebrations and rewards; and (ii) collaboration. Happy reading ....

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Mentors and coaches may be professional consultants brought in from outside a company to provide new insight or perspective or else veteran employees who work to train newer employees. The strategies mentors and coaches employ have the potential to motivate employees and increase productivity. A company should seek out mentors and coaches who are not afraid to be honest with employees in the interest of improving the company.

Setting Goals

Setting goals provides employees with something definite to work toward and has the potential to increase productivity in the workplace. Mentors and coaches help employees create realistic goals. These individuals may also analyze employee performance and help employees set goals to improve areas of weakness. Throughout the process of reaching a goal, mentors and coaches provide motivation and feedback to encourage employees to keep on track.

Providing Feedback

In some companies, employees complain that they rarely receive feedback about their performance. Mentors and coaches help provide that necessary feedback. Positive feedback reinforces strong behaviors in the workplace and provides workers with motivation to keep working hard. Constructive criticism addresses areas of concern and offers suggestions for improving performance. Consistent feedback from mentors and coaches not only helps improve employee performance, but it ensures employees are not caught off guard when disciplined for poor performance.

Celebrations and Rewards

Celebrations and rewards help motivate workers. As employees reach goals in the workplace and make improvements to their performance based on constructive criticism, mentors and coaches should take the time to reward employees and celebrate their achievements. Celebrations and rewards will build respect for the mentor or coach and help employees see that the individual is not only there to criticize but also to share in employee success.

Collaboration

Mentors and coaches provide someone for new employees to collaborate with as they begin working with a company. These individuals help employees learn to navigate an organization and how to complete tasks effectively. Additionally, mentors and coaches may be called in to work with a team project, help keep team members on the same page and make sure they communicate effectively.