Greg Bustin Executive Leadership Blog

How Many Chances?

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT

How many chances do we give those outside our organization to disappoint us?

Based on my own experience, only one or two chances.

How many chances do we give those inside our organization to disappoint us?

Data I’ve collected show that leaders give their colleagues dozens of chances to break promises, miss deadlines and generally screw up.

#Accountability – or, rather, the lack of it – is the number one threat to high performance.

Rate your organization’s effectiveness by taking this free accountability in the workplace assessment.

Swing, Batter

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT

I was in #Chicago this past weekend getting our daughter settled in to start a summer internship with high-powered ad agency #LeoBurnett.

Jordan and I indulged our inner #FerrisBueller and took in a #Cubs game at #WrigleyField.

You may recall the scene from this iconic 1986 film where Ferris, Sloane and Cameron are at the ballpark and Cameron is encouraging the player at the plate: "batter, batter, batter, batter...swing, batter."

When it's your turn to bat – to complete a key activity on time or make a tough decision – take a swing.

Don't wait for someone else to do it. Don't let your team down. Don't strike out watching chances pass you by.

Swing, batter.

Summer Grades

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT

School may be out for the summer, but for businesses and the women and men who lead them, school is always in session.

Effective leaders learn continuously (see April’s bulletin, “Green + Growing”).

Their companies continue to improve, adapt and evolve or risk getting flunking grades from customers who decide to take their business elsewhere.

Grades for individual performance are handed out year-round – either formally in performance reviews or informally as spontaneous feedback or both. Failure to set clear expectations with your colleagues and to discuss with them their future at your organization creates another risk that could see your best players leaving your firm to join an organization that values their contributions and engages them in meaningful work.

If your organization’s fiscal year ends on December 31, your year is nearly half over. Remove the half-dozen holidays that occur in the second half of the year, subtract weekends, vacations and PTO and by the time July 1 rolls around, you and your team will have fewer than 120 days in which to meet this year’s objectives.

It’s almost mid-term. What’s your grade so far?

Would your team agree? What about your bank, your board or any other imparti al observer?

Mid-term Homework

In the strategic planning sessions I lead for organizations of all sizes in all industries, dozens of questions are asked to ensure everyone’s clear on the mission (purpose beyond making money), vision (where we’re headed) and values (code of conduct), the three or four high-impact priorities, and the plan for getting things done.

My book Lead The Way outlines the planning process and provides exercises to spark debate and templates to drive implementation.

It’s helpful to schedule a follow-up session four to six months after the initial two-day planning session. Here are five essential questions to ask and answer:

What issues did we not anticipate in last year’s planning session that we must now address? What – if anything – could we have done to anticipate these changes?
Do you believe that your colleagues who are charged with implementing these action items have a good understanding of the challenges they’re facing for the remainder of our fiscal year?
Do you have confidence that your colleagues have an appropriate plan in place to complete their commitments and address their challenges?
How will we address under-performance?
What must we add, remove, change or improve to achieve the success we say we want?

In the 30 years I’ve been helping people and organizations become more successful, I’ve found 10 significant reasons most organizations fail to achieve the objectives outlined in their plans (see March’s bulletin Top 10 Performance Hurdles).

The performance hurdle you will not find on this list is the excuse that “we didn’t have enough good ideas.” Most organizations have too many good ideas and do a poor job staying focused, replicating success and holding one another accountable.

A, B and C Players

If you were handing out mid-term grades to your colleagues, who on your team would earn an “A”? A “B”? A “C”?

“A” players are stars, risk-takers and over-achievers. They leap tall buildings in a single bound.

“B” players have been called “the vital majority” because they comprise about 70% of your workforce and are the steady performers doing most of the work. To climb a tall building, however, they prefer using an elevator.

“C” players do enough to get by, and generally fail to deliver on promises. They can barely find the building.

"First-rate people hire first-rate people,” said Leo Rosten. “Second-rate people hire third-rate people."

Who are you hiring? Who are you retaining?

Jack Welch called it “differentiation,” or “20-70-10.” His critics called it “rank and yank” – firing the bottom 10%.

Differentiation, said Welch, is about “letting the bottom 10% know where they are and then giving them a chance to move on. Who wants to be on the bottom once they know it? This is not a mean-spirited thing. It's you sitting across the table from me and telling me, ‘Jack, you're not measuring up. You're going to have to improve.’ If I don't, you tell me that it's best for me and my family to find someplace else to work.”

Forced ranking – another name for this process – continues to be a controversial model.

By whatever process you call it, there are three constants when it comes to employee performance:

Even top-performing companies that make Fortune magazine’s “Best Places to Work” list will have people on their payroll who are unable or unwilling to do the job they’ve agreed to do. How you address under-performance separates exceptional companies from mediocre ones.
People issues are among the toughest in business. You can mitigate the emotions that swirl around discussions of under-performance if you have set clear expectations, set clear consequences (rewards and penalties) and provided a clear way of measuring progress. Without this clarity, you will find yourself in a gray zone where assumptions, ambiguity and emotion cloud decision-making. Be crystal clear about what you expect.
Remember that under-performers put at risk the welfare of the rest of your organization. So when under-performers don’t improve, it’s time for them to move. Failure to move an under-performer out of your organization also erodes your team’s trust and respect in you as a leader. Move out under-performers with dignity, and then get back to work.

Free accountability assessment

I’m currently writing a book on accountability, and I’ve created an online accountability assessment that is available for free the rest of this month.

The assessment is completely confidential and takes about 10 minutes. The assessment will help you pinpoint areas of strength and identify opportunities for improvement. Once you’ve completed the assessment, I’ll review your answers and email you your confidential report.

I’m happy to extend this free offer to up to five of your colleagues. Think of this assessment as a summer report card on your performance.

All For One!

Tue, 28 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The CEOs and Key Executives of my three Vistage groups recently returned from their annual spring trips to resorts in the Texas Hill Country and Islamorada, Florida.

The purpose of these getaways is to extend the time we spend in our monthly day-long meetings in order to get to know one another better, have some fun and work on the meaty issues that naturally bubble up over dinner, a cocktail or around a campfire.

Like Dumas’ Three Musketeers – who lived by the motto of “All for one, and one for all!” – the members of my Vistage groups provide advice to one another that’s rooted in experience, intelligence and the overwhelming desire to help each other succeed.

To whom do you turn for unvarnished truth? Who points out your blind spots? Who holds you accountable?

Perhaps like Dumas’ d’Artagnan you would do well to explore the benefits of joining forces with a modern-day equivalent of The Three Musketeers.

Freedom Isn't Free

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Next Monday, Americans celebrate Memorial Day.
We take advantage of the long weekend and coast-to-coast gorgeous weather to kick off the grilling season.

The original purpose of Memorial Day was to commemorate fallen Union and Confederate soldiers in the American Civil War. Today, the holiday honors all Americans who have died in all wars.

(Veterans Day honors all Americans who have ever served in the armed forces.)

So in between the hamburgers and fireworks, take a moment to remember the men and women of our armed forces who put themselves in harm’s way so that we may enjoy the freedoms our country was founded upon.

When you pause to reflect and give thanks for these devoted men and women, remember that our freedoms are not free.

The Ayes Have It

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Three weeks ago, I was speaking to a group of executives in Vancouver BC.

I shared a cartoon I’ve had for some time that shows the senior executive of a leadership team calling for a vote on an issue, saying, “All those in favor, say ‘Aye.’”

The five leaders all respond with smiles and say “Aye,” but the thought clouds above each of their heads tell a different story: “I can’t believe it!” “Say it ain’t so!” “You’ve got to be kidding!” “No. No. A thousand times no!” “Heaven forbid!”

Upon seeing this cartoon, a female executive said, “You’ve just described my organization.”

An organization where trust is present does not mean absence of conflict. In fact, healthy conflict occurs only where people know it’s safe to tell the truth.

What’s it like to speak truth to power in your organization?

Look Again

Tue, 07 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

When it comes to accountability in the workplace, it's tempting to shine the spotlight on people when the results we get are not the results we want.

After all, people are the ones doing – or not doing – the work.

So it can be easier to blame a person than to drill down to discover the real reasons things aren't getting done to your satisfaction.

In the accountability workshops I've given in the U.S., Canada and U.K., I ask a series of questions about promises that are broken to customers and clients.

The finding that emerges again and again is that the organizations I work with do everything in their power to make sure the promises they make to their customers are being kept.

Sure, there are near-misses that occur along the way inside the organization, and, yes, even high performing organizations drop the ball from time to time when it comes to meeting customer expectations.

When these misses and near-misses occur with customers, the reason is almost always because the promises that are being broken are the promises colleagues are breaking with each other. In the series of questions I ask about these breakdowns, the final question is, "Could this near-miss have been prevented?"

Most of the time, the answer is yes.

Before reaching the conclusion that people are at fault, guide yourself through this process for achieving more of what you want.

The First Look
In my latest book, That's A Great Question, I've collected more than 500 of the most provocative questions I've asked very successful people to help them get more of what they want out of their business…and their life.

As a leader, you may have found that as your responsibility grows, you're working harder than ever. You may have some nice grown-up toys and you're still in charge, but you may find you're spending more time away from your personal pursuits of happiness than you'd like. Or that the work you're doing is less fulfilling than it once was.

If any of these scenarios resonate with you, take a look at yourself by answering these four fundamental questions:

What do I want out of life?
Is my business helping me get it or keeping me from it?
If not, what am I bartering my life for?
What's the impact of not achieving my life goals?

Your answers may provide insight on whether your purpose lines up with the work you're doing.

The Second Look
You can't hold others accountable until you know what matters to you. That's the first look.

The "Second Look" is ensuring that what matters to you matters to your team.

We all belong to clubs. One of these clubs is the place where we work.

Clubhouses have rules, and our workplace has rules, too. Some are formal policies. Others are unwritten. The sum of this behavior is our culture. We'd like to believe that our culture reflects our values, beliefs, principles. Often, that's not the case.

Take a fresh look at your workplace and answer these four questions:

If an impartial observer visited our organization, what would that person see, hear and experience?
How would this observed behavior align with or vary from the behavior we desire?
What's causing this behavior?
Do the values we say are important align with the behavior we're getting?

The great paradox in the workplace is that most organizations have values that they do not value.

The Third Look
If your values are just cheap words, accountability will be an uphill battle for you and your team.

And while I've learned there's no silver bullet for accountability, one key to accountability is that clarity creates confidence. The clearer the expectation – for yourself, your organization, for others – the greater the likelihood you'll get the results you say you want.

For your "Third Look," examine how well your values and expectations are showing up.

Do we hire for "skill" or hire for "will"?
Does everyone know what's expected of them to achieve our vision?
How clearly have we communicated the rewards and penalties related to individual, departmental, and organizational performance?
How do our people connect what they're doing to what we're measuring?

It's almost impossible to over-communicate. How are you doing?

The Fourth Look
Mistakes happen. Under-performance is a pattern.

For your "Fourth Look," answer these questions:

Whose job am I doing today?
What's our process for addressing under-performance?
How much time am I willing to invest in an under-performing employee? How much time can the organization afford to invest in an under-performing employee?
Have we earned the reputation of walking our talk?

Free accountability assessment
I'm currently writing a book on accountability, and I've created an online accountability assessment that is available for free the rest of this month.

The assessment is completely confidential and takes about 10 minutes. The assessment will help you pinpoint areas of strength and identify opportunities for improvement. Once you've completed the assessment, I'll review your answers and email you your confidential report.

Remember that, "When you point a finger, four come back at you."

So before you point a finger at others, take a fresh look at yourself.

Before you blame people, take a fresh look at your processes.

The 10-cent Incentive

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

I recently visited our daughter Jordan in Austin, Texas, for a Dad's Day weekend at the University of Texas.

In some Texas cities – Austin, for sure – and in parts of 13 other U.S. states and Washington, D.C., there's a "Ban the Bag" movement. And it's growing.

The "Ban the Bag" concept began as a voluntary effort, and some people jumped on board because they're passionate about reducing the environmental impact of single-use bags.

Other less passionate folks needed more urging to "Ban the Bag." So last month a monetary reward and penalty became law. There's now a 10-cent charge added to your bill if you want the store to provide a plastic or paper bag for your groceries.

There's a 10-cent credit if you bring your own reusable bag.

You can't incent passion. But you can incent behavior.

What behavior are you incenting?

Smoke Signals

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Last month, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was named the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

He will be known as Pope Francis I.

You're likely familiar with the papal electoral process. After being locked in the Sistine Chapel, the Cardinals vote by secret ballot. If no pope is selected on the first vote, the ballots are burned with damp straw to create black smoke that signals to outsiders there's no new pope.

Voting continues until a new pope is chosen. Once that occurs, the ballots are burned along with a mixture of potassium chlorate, milk sugar and pine rosin to produce white smoke, the signal that Catholics have a new pope.

In any enterprise – profit or not-for-profit – communication can be the difference between effective performance and poor performance.

In a Bustin & Co. survey of more than 3,000 executives from the U.S., Canada and U.K., a whopping 70% say they can do a better job communicating inside their organization.

When it comes to leading your organization, what kind of signals are you sending?

Surgery, Anyone?

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Sunday, April 21, would've been the 100^th birthday of Lord Richard Beeching.

Who?

The Beatles considered retaining Lord Beeching when they sought a business affairs manager to untangle the mess of their company Apple Corps.

But it was Beeching's role as the first Chairman of the British Railways Board that earned him his place in history. He was tasked with finding a solution to the UK's unprofitable rail system in the 1960s. His recommendation to cut one-third of the country's rail lines along with 70,000 jobs over a three-year period was, as you would expect, controversial.

His program of cuts was called the Beeching Axe.

Beeching took another view: "I suppose I'll always be looked upon as the axe man, but it was surgery."

When I lead strategic planning sessions, there's always a lot of enthusiasm about new programs and activities.

The question I always ask is, "What current activities are you removing?"

Snow White Turns 75

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

In case you missed it, Snow White turned 75 four months ago.

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" premiered on Dec. 21, 1937.

During production, Hollywood referred to the film as "Disney's Folly."

Founder Walt Disney was forced to mortgage his home to finance the production, which was 10 times the budget of any of the studio's previous short films.

But when celebrities Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Judy Garland and Shirley Temple joined others at the premiere in giving the film a standing ovation, it was clear that Disney had created box-office magic.

In 2008, the American Film Institute named "Snow White" the greatest American animated film of all time.

What dream are you working on today that you can look back on years from now and say, "We did it!"?

Green + Growing

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Spring is here, ushering in a new season of growth.

Are you green and growing?

Are you and your colleagues continuous learners?

You better be.

The pace of change has never been faster…and will never again be as slow as it is today.

Research from the University of Southern California estimates the average person produces the equivalent of six newspaper pages of information every day, compared with one-third that amount 24 years ago.

It's understandable if you're drowning in the tidal wave of information that's washing ashore in your business.

There's Always a First Time

How do you rate the job you and your team are doing navigating the flood of information?

Are you monitoring changes that could strangle your performance, or – worse yet – make your business model obsolete?

Be on the alert for attitudes inside you're organization that sound like, "We've always done it this way" and "That's never been done before."

Smart leaders take care not to underestimate the impact of any potential threat, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Smart leaders turn information into insight and then take action.

On May 9, 1864, General John Sedgwick had moved his Union troops into position near Spotsylvania, Virginia, and was inspecting the line of battle. The general's chief of staff cautioned Sedgwick to avoid a particular area of the Union defenses, explaining that "every officer who has shown himself there has been hit, both yesterday and today."

General Sedgwick said that there appeared to be no reason for him to be in that area, yet later found himself in that very location. As Confederate sharpshooters observed movement, they began to pepper the Union troops with rifle fire. General Sedgwick laughed and teased his soldiers as he watched them dodge the incoming bullets, saying, "They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance."

These words proved to be his last as yet another barrage of bullets came whistling into the Union positions, with one finding its mark, striking and instantly killing General John Sedgwick.

Begin in Your Backyard

The lesson is clear. Whether you're running a large company or small business, you must be ready with fresh thinking and remain alert to changes that affect – either positively or negatively – your organization.

You're wise to look beyond your four walls at the competitive, political, regulatory, cultural, technological and financial changes that will make an impact on your business.

But before you do, look first inside your organization. What opportunities exist to make changes to processes, programs and – yes – people that are not delivering the results you expect?

For some leaders, making these decisions in isolation can be confusing or downright difficult.

If so, consider a simple, inexpensive process that delivers tremendous results.

I'll share the process, but first, a quick story.

Three years ago, one of the groups of CEOs that I lead for Vistage International had gathered for its regular meeting. The host was given 30 minutes to present his business update. The CEO had told us month after month how great things were going. Pending acquisition. Move to a new building. Addition of new talent. Life was grand…or so we were told.

During his presentation, the CEO shared his financials. Imagine our surprise to see that sales were down. Expenses were up. Cash was tight. Yikes!

Was the CEO embarrassed to tell us the truth? Or were these problems blind spots?

Who knows. Didn't matter. The CEOs made a decision that day to trust but verify.

Here's the verification process we use in my two CEO groups: Before a CEO is scheduled to host a meeting, four CEO peers visit the hosting CEO's company. We call this process "A SWAT Team Visit" (i.e., Special Weapons and Tactics units) – not to be confused with a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats).

The SWAT Team members meet privately with the CEO's employees without any boss being present. The SWAT Team asks questions, compares notes with one another, and, based on what they learn, makes recommendations to the CEO.

When we started the SWAT Team Visits, the process initially was viewed as the most feared day in the life of the CEOs because they realized that any masquerading on their part was about to come to an end once the SWAT Team completed its visit.

Now the process is considered the most valuable day because of the issues it confirms or uncovers, and because of the recommendations to capitalize on opportunities and fix problems based on feedback from a group of peers. It's also a huge accountability tool.

You don't have to belong to a Vistage group to gain the benefits of a SWAT Team experience. You simply need to find four non-competing business executives that you trust completely and whose only motives are for your success. If you enjoy those kinds of relationships and you can deploy them on a SWAT Team Visit, it's better than free consulting.

Click here for a free copy of the SWAT Team Guidelines & Questions

Success Is a Choice

More times than not, the choice of continued success versus gradual decline is there for the leader to make.

All too often, today's leaders – like the Union Army's General Sedgwick – disregard warning signs, choose to look the other way or genuinely believe that their organizations are safe from change.

Sometimes, we kid ourselves.

Why can't we learn our lessons? Bill Gates reminds us that, "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose. And it's an unreliable guide to the future."

Success is a choice.

Are you green and growing?

Three Powerful Questions

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The first quarter of 2013 will be gone in five days.

It's been 86 days since New Year's Eve, and most New Year's Resolutions have been forgotten.

As you prepare to face the next 281 days of 2013, ask yourself these powerful questions:

What do I want?
What’s holding me back?
What’s the impact of not getting what I say I want?

Now get going. It could be the first day of the rest of your life.

The Real Me

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Pete Townshend of The Who wrote "The Real Me" 40 years ago as the second song in the rock opera Qudrophenia.

The song asks, "Can you see the real me?"

It's a great question for leaders.

Lance Armstrong was dethroned because his behavior did not align with who he said he was. Manti T'eo of Notre Dame was either duped by or dishonest about an imaginary girlfriend.

One of 2012's most notable cases of identity meltdown was the bankruptcy of Hostess Brands, makers of the Twinkie, Wonderbread and other products.

Today a bankruptcy court will determine if these brands will survive.

A quick look back indicates company’s failure was caused by greedy private equity firms, out-of-touch management and stubborn unions that saddled the company with restrictive health, pensions and work rules. These groups forgot what business they were really in and what their brands stood for. Their tunnel vision about each other blinded them to the realities of the marketplace.

Leadership is built on trust. And trust is earned by leaders who are authentic and vulnerable, fair and consistent, and smart and selfless.

Who are you?

Batter Up!

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Spring training has begun for major league baseball.

Every team starts the year focused on the same objective: become a World Series champion.

To win it all, teams must win one game at a time.

Win enough games and you capture the division title. Then you must win a conference pennant. Then you must win four games to become a World Series champion.

Winning – in life, sports and business – is a step-by-step process.

Do your colleagues connect the work they're doing today to the objectives you've set for the year?

My surveys of more than 3,000 executives in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., show that a whopping 84% of leaders believe they can do a better job connecting what's being measured to the daily activities of each employee.

If your colleagues can't tell you what a successful day, week or month looks like, achieving your long-term objectives will leave you stranded in the minor leagues.

So when it comes to measuring performance, perhaps your game could use a change-up.