the leadership challenge. lessons in leadership strategic thinking –self analysis –swot model...

The Leadership Challenge

Lessons in Leadership

• Strategic Thinking– Self Analysis– SWOT model– See-Do-Get– Best Practices– LCS feedback model

• Creating a High Performance Environment– Diversity– Maslow’s hierarchy– Enabling Equation

• Creating a High Performance Environment (cont..)– Results Organizer– Influence Wheel– Believability– Prioritizing– Delegation– Resistance to Change

• Relating During Conflict– Conflict Styles– Focus

Strategic Thinking

• 1st Law of Leadership:– If we don’t believe the messenger, we won’t

believe the message!

• That means TRUST

• Leaders MUST be » Credible

» Competent

» Honest

» Inspiring

Self Analysis

• Establish your placement on the following development models:

– 1. Risk/Uncertainty vs. Skill/Confidence

– 2. Leadership Development Model

Skill equal to the Risk

High Risk, but Low Skill

High Skill but no Risk

Leadership Development Model

Technical Skills:•Operational

•Equipment

•Systems & Procedures

Interpersonal Skills:•Performance management

•Communication

•Leading

•Relating

Visionary Skills:•Planning & organizing

•Strategic Thinking

•Vision & mission

High need for technical skills

We all need these skills all the time

Self Analysis

• What are my TOP 3 Leadership Practices?

• What are my 3 Leadership practices that need Improvement?

• Focus on areas of high Neutral

Using your last leadership survey, identify the following:

4-Step Strategic Thinking Process

1. Create a SWOT using an environmental scan.

2. Identify 3 high priority OPPORTUNITIES to focus on.

3. Identify 3 high-priority THINGS TO FIX to improve weaknesses.

4. Develop 3 actions and activities to address your opportunities and weaknesses.

SWOT

What internal strengths exist in your operations that will allow you to overcome or minimize the threats & maximize your opportunities?

These things will give you a competitive advantage!

What internal weaknesses in your operation exist that need to be fixed?

These things are competitive disadvantages.

Good external issues & conditions that create opportunities. These situations can be taken advantage of.

Bad external issues and conditions that create threats If these happen, it could impact the business negatively.

Environmental Scan• What new businesses have moved into your area?• What businesses are closing or moving out of your area?• What current local issues are making news in your

community or affecting your business?• What demographic changes are occurring in your area?• Which industries are hiring? Which are laying off?• What was the #1 area for improvement on your Grass

Roots survey?• What is the turnover rate for your work unit?

From the SWOT and the Environmental Scan...

• Three High Priority Opportunities

• 1. – Actions/Activities:



• Three High Priority Weaknesses




SEE

DOGET

reality

Best Practice: The specific actions which raise the level of performance when applied consistently.

Practice:What action will youtake?

Details:Detailed enough so thatsomeone else can readit and do it.

Measurement:How will you measuresuccess?

Example:Random Acts ofKindness Cards

1 card per week, given torandom associate. Cannottell others they areexecuting a card. Do itany time that week.Example: clean upanother’s workstation.

Follow up meeting whencard is returned: how didothers react? What didyou learn?Increased teamwork,morale, survey, teamwork

Use these to focus onareas of opportunity inyour area

LCS Feedback Model

“I Like it because…”

“And my concern is…”

“My suggestion would be…”NO Buts

NO Howevers (soft buts)

Creating a High Performance Environment

• “What do I want from you?– To walk in to the building and feel proud to be a member of your

team.

– For you to be the finest example of Wal-Mart culture in the company. There can be no exposure to failure if you follow Sam’s principles. The quality of leadership is the only difference between succeeding and not.

– Balance in your life. You cannot live the Wal-Mart culture if you cheat or compromise your family.

– Develop all of those around you. There is no greater pleasure.

– End your career at Wal-Mart knowing that you’ve made a difference.”

- Lee Scott

Define ‘Diversity’• Variety• a mosaic

• being different

• “Our commitment to diversity is in essence our commitment to our customers:

– To treat with fairness and respect, to be their advocates, to be sensitive to their causes, to value their differences and to serve as best we can.

• Today, with more than 1.4 million of us, we are indeed a diverse community of Associates... As Mr. Sam said, ‘ordinary people

joined together to accomplish extraordinary things.”

- Lee Scott

Diversity in the real world

• We can look at 4 areas to focus on:– Ways to demonstrate respect: knowing just a little bit about who

we’re interacting with can avoid a lot of unintentional mistakes.

– Deal with Discomfort: Remember that 1 person or a group of people do not represent the entire race, religion, etc. One bad experience should not create a stereotype, which is often driven by fear.

– Find common ground: Educate yourself. Don’t believe or tolerate gossip or even humor that promotes stereotypes.

– Appreciate differences: There is strength in the fact that we are different from each other. We can learn from each other, or gain new perspectives that we wouldn’t otherwise have. Celebrate our strengths.

How do we poorly position low performers?

• We sugar coat feedback

• we give them less interaction, even avoid them

• lack of patience

• we always find something wrong with them, because we expect to

• We don’t position them for their strengths, so we’re not surprised when they fail

• we promote or transfer them to get rid of them

• we use stereotypes: only young men in orderfilling/shipping, men in sporting goods, etc.

SEE

DOGET

reality

Wal-Mart does not tolerate an environment of exclusion!

• Its the right thing to do!

• Business considerations

• Compliance

• “If all the people in a group think the same, only one of us is needed.”

The Smell of the Place

• You can’t change people, but you can change the environment. Create an environment that’s fresh and makes you want to be there.

• Consider that the same person behaves differently in a different context: When in Calcutta in the summer, 100 degrees and 100% humidity, we tend to be tired and lethargic. But in Paris in springtime, the freshness in the air, the beauty of the landscape makes us want to dance with joy. This is the energy we want to fill our environment with. Does your area smell like Calcutta or Paris?

• What context are you performing in? Can you incorporate these ideas into your environment:

• Stretch (NOT Control!): aggressive ambition, big picture, teamwork

• Discipline (NOT Compliance!): challenge, agree and commit

• Support (NOT Control!): coaching as guidance

• Trust (NOT Accountability!): building relationships

Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs

• Abraham Maslow theorized that whatever a person is experiencing at the moment are the primary influences on their motivations, priorities,and behavior.

• A need creates tension, and the goal of behavior is to reduce that tension. Knowing the source of these tensions provides valuable insight on the reason behind people’s behavior.

• The needs are categorized in five groups, with the understanding that they work like a ladder; you must have secure footing to get to the next step. A need must be partially met before ascending to the next level.

• Inability to satisfy a low level need may result in immature behavior patterns!

Recognition

promotion

self-worth

how others see us Desire to be

accepted & liked

friendships

teams

clubs

Creative expression

personal best

risk taking

growth motivated

food

water

shelter

clothing

sleep

Security

insurance

medical

emotional

Enabling Equation Model• PERFORMANCE = CAPABILITY x COMMITMENT

• KNOWLEDGE= What I know, have read, have seen

• KNOW HOW= What I can do

• NEED= the extent to which I need to perform to expectations

• REWARD= What I get if I perform

• CONSEQUENCES= What happens if I don’t perform

K x KH N x R x C

Applying the Enabling Matrix

High Capability

Low Commitment

Low Capability

Low Commitment

Low Capability

High Commitment

High Capability

High Commitment

Interacting with a High/High is very different than with a Low/Low. Their needs are different. What they bring to the

table is different. Their mindset is different.

Your mindset should be different.

Results OrganizerUse this to plan your meeting/coaching

1. Facts (Specific behaviors, actions and/or results you have identified)

2. Why are you addressing this issue?

3. The meeting results and outcome desired

4. Win/Win

Their Needs My needs

5. Anticipated reactions and responses

6. Next steps and follow ups

7. Date Time Location

8. Materials and resources needed



High production, always stays busy, helps others get their work done, perfect attendance

2. Why are you addressing this issue? Recognition for positive impact on our department


Recognition, maintain high morale, identify future career path and potential

4. Win/Win


recognition, ego/self-esteem high morale & production

promotion development plan


surprise, pride in good performance, eager to take it to the next level

6. Next steps and follow ups: schedule mentor meeting, daily follow up and encouragement


8. Materials and resources needed: matrix, last evaluation, notebook to write suggestions



Positive attitude, low accuracy/quality numbers, repeated mistakes, new associate

2. Why are you addressing this issue? Low quality scores affecting customer service


continued improvement, understanding of quality standards and accountability

4. Win/Win


understanding, training? Continued improvement to

encouragement and support standards, commitment


frustration, no idea how to move forward, guilt for low performance, possibly angry

6. Next steps and follow ups: daily encouragement, weekly follow up, celebrate small successes


8. Materials and resources needed: procedures, retraining plan to offer, encouraging mindset

Should I giveinfo to aHi/Hi?

Influence WheelConduct the meeting. Use all 5 areas effectively to accomplish the intended results.

person

Build

Self-esteem

Listen

Listen

Listen

Ask for and

provide support

Ask for

information

Give

information

Build on

others’

comments

Appreciate

others’

comments

Listen

for

understanding

Develop

consensusBe

consistentBe

proactive

Check

facts and

feelings

Understand

why

Credit

others’

ideasDiscuss

what & why

Discuss

impact

Specify

and

summarize

Understand

motivation

Listen

for

feelings

Listen

for

facts

Where do I start?

Do I aska Low/Low

for info?

How importantis

Listen ListenListen?

Believability

• The weight of how much an inconsistency will detract from believability:

– Verbal 7%

– Vocal 38%

– Visual 55% Watch that body language! Make them feel like they are the center of the universe. LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN

• On the phone:

– Verbal 14%

– Vocal 86% Our biggest qualifier is unavailable!

• On email:

– Verbal 100% this is dangerous and easily misunderstood!

Prioritizing

• Successful people do stuff that failures don’t like to do. They don’t like it either, but they do it anyway.

• Eat That Frog!• Don’t spend a dollar’s worth of time on a 10 cent

decision.• Long term thinking + short term planning=Results• Gain support for your priorities

Practical Prioritizing Exercise

• List your 10 most important work-related activities:

• Establish the priority level of each task:

Urgent & important

Not Urgent & important

Not Urgent &Not important

Delegate

Eliminate

Delegation

• Common mistakes:

– Assuming the assignment is understood (repeat it back)

– “Just do it” (explain what & why)

– Not tailored to readiness (think 1st)

– Choosing the wrong time (set up for success)

– Giving too many orders at once (3 things done well are better than 10 things undone)

• How do you assess the associate’s readiness?

• 1. Assess associate’s readiness (we often forget this part)• 2. Delegate

Analysis process• 1. What skills are needed for this project?• 2. Does the associate possess these skills? Need to develop

these skills?• 3. At what “needs level” (Maslow) is the associate motivated?• 4. Can this project create rewards for the associate?• 5. What consequences could this project create for this

associate?• Review your answers and then determine what Enabling

quadrant the associate is operating in for this project. Remember, new tasks may take a Hi/Hi into Lo/Hi...

Analysis process, contd.• A RESULT is the outcome of several small ACTIVITIES.

• An ACTIVITY is one specific action or step.

• For High Capability people, delegate a RESULT.

• For Low Capability people, delegate an ACTIVITY.

Delegate a RESULT.

Participate in planning the job.

“Keep me posted”

High level of authority.

Delegate an ACTIVITY.

Explain How and Why.

Check each step of the way.

Low level of authority.

Delegate a RESULT.

Ask what they need

“Call me if you need me”

Let them go

High level of authority.Delegate an ACTIVITY.

Provide training.

Check each step of the way.

Low level of authority.

Resistance to Change

• The phases of resistance to change:– Anger Denial Confusion Experimentation– You can’t avoid these, but you can minimize their duration.

– Training is no good during phase 1 and 2, but useful before and after.

– Acknowledge anger by saying “You’re angry.” This should help deflate the anger and frustration level.

• Remember the Armadillo: particular survival skills don’t work in every environment. Adapt or die! Get new survival skills yourself, then help others to adapt.

• Which is stronger?

– My urge to grow or My resistance to change ?

Conflict Resolution

• As a member of Wal-Mart management, how often do you have to handle conflict?

• Because of this, it is vital for us to know our personal conflict styles, and through understanding the different styles and where they come from, make a positive change on the outcome of some of the daily conflict resolutions we participate in.

• If you are not getting the results you want, you have to change your behavior.

• Changing your behavior means changing your style, and that means shifting your point of view.

Relating during Conflict

• Leaders who want Productive Associates and Strong Relationships must– Set a good example– Establish high standards– Practice what you preach

• What is your dominant Conflict style? What result is that style giving you?

• When interacting with other conflict styles, what are the Dos and Don’ts?

Conflict styles

Compromising

Competing Collaborating

Avoiding Accommodating

Competing Style

• Goal: to win! (win/lose)• Needs: to be right, control, my way or the

highway, ego/self-esteem• Long term impact: fear, avoidance, others

will fight you• Do: be understanding, find common ground,

move to collaborating• Don’t: argue (it just escalates), put off

Accommodating Style

• Goal is to yield, get out of the conflict (lose/win)

• Needs: to be liked, keep the peace

• Impact long term: take advantage of you, become bitter, develop martyr complex

Avoiding Style

• Goal: to delay (gather info, only compete when they can win,on their own time)

• Needs: reduce personal risk of failure, dislike confrontation, keep emotions in check

• Long term impact: distrusted by others, forces others to make decisions, credibility/trust becomes an issue

Compromising Style

• Lowest form of win/win, but fair

• Needs: to reach an agreement, minimize disagreement, give & take

• Long term impact: Everyone gets something, everyone gives up something, can make getting ANY decision more important than getting the BEST decision.

Collaborating Style

• Goal is win/win

• Needs: results are higher than you can get alone, commitment from others

• Long term impact: High trust, cooperation, people seek out this person

• Collaboration is a mindset and a behavior of great leaders that results in long-lasting relationships.

the leadership challenge. lessons in leadership strategic thinking –self analysis –swot model...

Documents

high priority opportunities

highpriority things

leadership survey

high priority weaknesses1

leadership practices

leadership challengelessons

areas of high neutralusing

level of performance