Want It Done Right Journal 2Q 2008

Feature Article • Delegation Dr Daily Dose • Corner Crack-up • WIDR Products & Services • My Virtual Manager^TM

How to Maintain or

Change a Corporate Culture:

The Art of Soft-Skill Delegation.

Organizational cultures seem to have a life of their own. What creates, maintains or changes a culture can be mystifying. A culture will form whether or not it is actively defined. Herein lays both the problem and the opportunity. Much like a garden, thoughtful and proactive definition and creation can result in something beautiful; unplanned and unattended it can become a nasty entanglement of recalcitrant weeds. Whether an organization’s leadership is interested in maintaining an existing culture (for example, through rapid growth, mergers or acquisitions) or shaping a new one, the process is the same.

Define and reinforce the desired culture. Healthy organizational cultures are actively defined and nurtured. It is also the job of effective leadership to tend the soil out of which the culture grows. This tending works best when it is done with thoughtful input from or involvement by the rest of the organization so that ownership of the culture is maximized. The culture that is defined as desirable should mesh with the purpose and goals of the organization so it makes sense. There should be very clear values, goals and behaviors outlined that demonstrate the essence of the culture. If discussions and the resulting list of desired behaviors are vague (for example, “Treat each other respectfully”), a more involved discussion is necessary to specifically define what values, behaviors and actions are considered to be respectful. Different people hold different expectations so without this overt and specific discussion and definition people will use their own criteria. People using their own criteria to drive their actions will lead to behavioral “weeds” that can overtake the corporate garden. Discussions to define culture often evolve to the definition of what behaviors are not acceptable but the emphasis should be on desired behaviors, both individually and collectively. Once defined, the behaviors consistent with the desired culture should be positively reinforced.

Model and assess the expected behaviors and values. It is the job of leadership to model and assess behaviors that fit within the defined culture on an ongoing basis. By modeling desired behaviors, the rest of the organization learns not only what these behaviors look like but that management is not exempt from them. Assessment should be an ongoing measure of how well the organization is doing in creating the desired culture. This assessment should be done individually for each employee and collectively (teams and departments) to determine “goodness of fit”. The bigger the gap between the current style and preferred style or culture, the bigger the coaching challenge it will be to close this gap.

Provide coaching as needed. When the “goodness of fit” for an employee is in question, the next step is to consider whether or not the organization and the individual want to undertake the necessary coaching to create a better fit. This is a critical time for candid conversations between manager and employee. What’s important with company cultures, just like any other aspect of performance, is that behaviors that are inconsistent with the culture and allowed to continue unchecked will communicate that the company is not serious about the culture they purport to value. It is not sufficient to “talk the talk” about company culture. The organization and its managers must actively ensure that their own behaviors and the behaviors of all employees are consistent with the desired culture.

Specifically define expectations for coaching. If it is determined that coaching will be of value, i.e., that it has a high likelihood of success, the next step is to clarify what that success will look like. How will the employee be acting differently than he or she is now in order to better fit the culture? “Soft-skill” delegation can be tough. How to translate intangible behaviors or styles into observable and measurable expectations is the bane of many managers. Yet while the attempt to make something like interpersonal style measurable can be challenging, it is a necessity in bringing about required changes and in making ongoing employment decisions. In the process of defining the culture, desired or acceptable behaviors should have been discussed making it easier for managers to use these criteria as a template for specific expectations for their employees.

Manage individuals to the coaching expectations. Once behavioral expectations are clearly defined they can be delegated just like a task can be delegated. When working with an individual around soft-skill or behavioral expectations, the delegation process is exactly the same, it just requires a bit more creativity and concentration. In particular, conversations in the checkpoint meetings should be pointedly focused on the initial behavioral expectations outlined. Again, this can be tough for managers not only because of business demands but because many managers feel more comfortable discussing results rather than behaviors. Yet in these cases, the results ARE the behaviors! So learning how to hold these challenging conversations and especially, how to use artful questioning to ensure employees are “getting it” right down to the core of their being is a requirement for every manager to be effective.

Hold people accountable. Through the checkpoint meetings managers and leaders should be able to assess whether the employee’s behaviors are becoming more consistent with the company culture or if there is continuing to be a less-than-desirable fit. If the style or behaviors are not moving in the desired direction within the timeframe outlined, the content of the debriefing will essentially be an exit interview. While there is a significant cost to severing ties, there is also significant cost to retaining those who don’t fit and constantly challenge the culture.

Maintaining a favorable corporate culture, especially through growth, involves conscientious effort. To change a culture requires at best 18 months to 2 years of persistent attention and effort. The process outlined here will make sure your efforts pay off.

Corner Crack-up

    A store manager overheard a clerk saying to a customer, "No, ma'am, we haven't had any for some weeks now, and it doesn't look as if we'll be getting any soon."
     Alarmed, the manager rushed over to the customer who was walking out the door and said, "That isn't true, ma'am. Of course, we'll have some soon. In fact, we placed an order for it a couple of weeks ago."
   Then the manager drew the clerk aside and growled, "Never, never, never, never say we don't have something. If we don't have it, say we ordered it and it's on its way. Now, what was it she wanted?"
"Rain."

Delegation Doctor’s Daily Dose

Do you see the glass as half full or as half empty? Perhaps it’s time to rethink this question. Maybe it’s not a question of whether the glass is half full or half empty —both are true, it’s just a matter of perspective. Maybe the question is which perspective creates greater joy and fulfillment in life.

Last Saturday I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I was out of sorts and cranky. I tried to snap out of it with coffee, the paper and a decent breakfast but none of these efforts worked. I was determined to not ruin a precious weekend day so I decided to go for a bike ride to try to “burn out the carbons.” I didn’t have time to take my longer route because I had too much to do before leaving town on Monday but I figured even a short ride would help.

It was a nice, sunny day as I started out for my ride. Within minutes of departure however, I realized I underestimated the chill in the deceptively warm spring day. I hadn’t dressed right. I was freezing as the wind pierced my clothing but I didn’t want to turn back because my time was already so limited. Instead I lamented the wind under my breath as I headed east.

I hoped that turning north would provide some relief but none was to be found. I was still into the wind. As I turned east again I found the route I normally take was recently blacktopped so the bike lane was strewn with tiny jagged pebbles which made riding tough and the risks of a flat tire high. I groused about the conditions of the road as well as the wind. I realized my mood was turning more rather than less sour.

Without recognizing it until later, I suddenly hit a turning point in my mood. A thought bubbled up inside amidst the internal griping, “Well thankfully it’s sunny out or I’d really be freezing.” Then another thought popped into my head, “Thankfully it’s Saturday so I can ride.” And another, “Thankfully I can ride at all,” accompanied by an image of someone I saw the previous night who was confined to a wheelchair. Another thought followed, “Thankfully I have my bike (I just love it!) and have a bike at all,” as I thought of many who aren’t so fortunate.

The thankful thoughts continued until I realized I could grouse and lament my circumstances all I wanted but doing so would not change them. Further, in carrying on with my griping that things weren’t the way I wanted them I was totally missing the point! Maybe things weren’t the way I wanted for good reason! Maybe there was value in the way they were if I took the time to look at the circumstances differently or think about them from another perspective. Suddenly I thought, “It’s a good thing there’s a hearty wind because I can get a better workout in within the limited time I have today.” Pow! My perception of my circumstances changed completely. The wind was now my ally —it was a gift!

As I turned back and headed west I was astonished that I was still into the wind. East, north, west —the wind was coming from every which way. But now I peddled harder thinking of the advantage it was giving me of a better workout. As I turned south, I laughed. I was still into the wind! By the time I returned home I realized I hadn’t even thought about the wind the last leg of my ride. The wind didn’t matter anymore — I was just enjoying the ride! Summing up the moral of the ride I thought, “A dose of gratitude makes the hardships go down!” and smiled. I decided then and there that I prefer the glass-half-full perspective. I enjoyed a great Saturday and fabulous weekend.

WIDR

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