Airports are increasingly becoming relevant to millions of people around the world as air travel becomes more accessible and infrastructure development picks up. I remember doing a study on airport management during my engineering days.
For most travellers, airports create the first impression of a location. Having a world class airport makes a big difference to the image and branding of a city and country. I've had the opportunity to travel through few airports in the U.S., Europe and Asia. It is sometimes surprising how some important basic elements are not given adequate attention even in large international airports. I'm sure some of you would have felt related frustrations.
1. Crowd/Queue Management
As simple as this may sound, this is sometimes the most frustrating aspect for many travellers. Even in airports that have great infrastructure, this sometimes can be an issue. Basic training on this topic would be useful for airline/airport staff and immensely beneficial for travellers.
2. Seating availability
Sufficient and ergonomic seating availability should be among the most basic requirements but surprisingly many airports lack quality seating facilities.
3. Automated Walkways and Elevators
Large airports and transfers that result from one terminal to the next, and the trek between two gates far apart can be very tiring for many.
4. Screens and Information boards
This can sometimes be surprisingly confusing for even seasoned travelers. There's got to be a better science of understanding how information for travellers is easily visible and understandable.
5. Airport Information Services
It is very useful to have direct customer service at the airports, to cater to the diverse groups of travellers who may not understand the language and services available. If one does not have enough time between connections as well, this is very helpful. Additionally, every airport should have a tourist information center with competent staff who should be able to address various questions about the city in multiple languages.
6. Spacing between baggage carousels and related information
The chaos around baggage carousels can be very frustrating. Information about the flights served should be conveyed through multiple large screens. Expected wait time for luggage arrival should be communicated to passengers - as the waiting times vary quite a bit. Quick, efficient and high quality lost baggage services should be present as these passengers can be expected to be impatient and frustrated.
7. Free wireless connectivity, Internet facilities and plug in ports
In today's connected world, this should be a basic expectation.
8. Good restaurants with multiple dietary options
9. Public and other convenient transportation connections to the city 24x7
The planning should take into consideration various flight times and frequencies. Quality of service and interaction should be assessed rigorously.
As in most services, the competencies of individuals providing customer service can influence and contribute heavily to a traveller's overall experience and perceptions about the local culture. Service quality and employee development should be assessed constantly with high expectations. An airport is a window to the city.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Flexibility in Management & Organisations
As the nature of work changes frequently (global with multiple time zones, virtual, diverse, varying levels of complexity), related efforts required from individuals also become complex and more demanding.
Organisations demand a higher level of commitment and flexibility from employees in order to deliver successful results. Smart organisations will realise that in order to get the best, sustained efforts from employees, they've got to be flexible to accommodate the unique needs of their employees. Needs and related priorities can be different for individuals. Flexibility has to be a two-way street.
The commitment and engagement levels of employees are much higher when the organisation is flexible to work with the unique needs of an individual. No policy or process can directly achieve this on its own. In my opinion, policies exist for a couple of important reasons - to adhere to the legal requirements and to maintain consistency/fairness across the organisation. The discretion of a manager or leader becomes the critical element here. The challenge is to find the right balance in maintaining fairness across the organisation within the framework of the policy and making it effective for an employee.
At the core, an organisation is a collection of individuals. For an employee, the organisation or company is represented by his or her direct manager and leaders. If managers and leaders can show that they genuinely care about their employees through their actions, in spite of the tough decisions that have to be made, it will go a long way in retaining the commitment and high emotional engagement.
Organisations demand a higher level of commitment and flexibility from employees in order to deliver successful results. Smart organisations will realise that in order to get the best, sustained efforts from employees, they've got to be flexible to accommodate the unique needs of their employees. Needs and related priorities can be different for individuals. Flexibility has to be a two-way street.
The commitment and engagement levels of employees are much higher when the organisation is flexible to work with the unique needs of an individual. No policy or process can directly achieve this on its own. In my opinion, policies exist for a couple of important reasons - to adhere to the legal requirements and to maintain consistency/fairness across the organisation. The discretion of a manager or leader becomes the critical element here. The challenge is to find the right balance in maintaining fairness across the organisation within the framework of the policy and making it effective for an employee.
At the core, an organisation is a collection of individuals. For an employee, the organisation or company is represented by his or her direct manager and leaders. If managers and leaders can show that they genuinely care about their employees through their actions, in spite of the tough decisions that have to be made, it will go a long way in retaining the commitment and high emotional engagement.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Changing Jobs?
Almost everyone you speak with nowadays mentions some major change and related initiative happening within the industry or organisation.
Individuals are moving through different jobs with increasing frequency. The median number of years that wage and salary workers had been with their current employer in the U.S. was 4.1 years in January 2008.(1)
It therefore becomes critical that an individual understands the key elements for quick and effective transition across jobs and organisations, and develops the ability to learn and unlearn in shorter cycles.
Studies have repeatedly shown that the ability to learn from experience is what differentiates successful executives from unsuccessful ones. Successful executives have strong and active learning patterns from key job assignments. They learn faster, not because they are more intelligent, but because they have more effective learning skills and strategies.(2)
Peter Drucker wrote, "Knowledge becomes obsolete incredibly fast."
Almost all jobs have the following core learning components that are critical for effective delivery. I believe that strong awareness and mastery over these elements provide us with the agility to transition and succeed across jobs and organisations quickly.
* SUBJECT MATTER/BODY OF KNOWLEDGE
Every job involves some specific and core subject matter areas. These could most effectively be acquired and applied through a combination of on-the-job experiences and academic learnings.
* PROCESSES
Every organisation has a set of processes for most functional areas. Most of the work nowadays is defined through process flows. Building a good understanding of the organisational process flows allow us to determine what we need to do and how it impacts stakeholders.
* TOOLS/TECHNOLOGY
All organisations and jobs have specific tools and technologies that support work. Having a good understanding of how they work and are applied could substantially increase overall efficiency.
* PERSONAL NETWORKS
In my opinion, this is one of the most important elements. It includes both internal and external networks of personal relationships that allows us to function with a high degree of effectiveness. In many instances, the personal networks are critical for achieving the 'extra mile' of success and to managing crises. In most instances, people go beyond the specified requirements of a process if there is a strong existing relationship with the specific individual. These relationships are also critical links to tacit knowledge that're often unavailable on formal knowledge management systems or databases. Treating people with respect and empathy normally will get you valuable help and inputs on the organisational culture, especially during the tough transition phase. It also helps us to build our network quicker.
* USING EXPERIENCE/WISDOM
This is gained through the application of knowledge in a variety of situations and learning/adjusting from successes and failures (what has worked/not worked?) over time. This is very relevant and important for managers and leaders as a lot of judgment is involved in making important decisions. Many of those decisions would not have defined or single answers.
Understanding and focusing on the core elements of work transitions have a big impact on our effectiveness.
The elements mentioned above clearly relate to the concept of 'Learning Agility' (Eichinger & Lombardo), measured through four key facets: (a) Mental Agility (b) People Agility (c) Change Agility and (d) Results Agility.(3)
Please share your experiences and observations. This is a very useful and relevant topic for many individuals.
References:
(1) Bureau of Labor Statistics, Friday, September 26, 2008, EMPLOYEE TENURE IN 2008
(2)(3) The Korn/Ferry Insititute: Using Learning Agility to Identify High Potentials around the World by Kenneth P. De Meuse, Guangrong Dai, George S. Hallenbeck, King Yii Tang
Individuals are moving through different jobs with increasing frequency. The median number of years that wage and salary workers had been with their current employer in the U.S. was 4.1 years in January 2008.(1)
It therefore becomes critical that an individual understands the key elements for quick and effective transition across jobs and organisations, and develops the ability to learn and unlearn in shorter cycles.
Studies have repeatedly shown that the ability to learn from experience is what differentiates successful executives from unsuccessful ones. Successful executives have strong and active learning patterns from key job assignments. They learn faster, not because they are more intelligent, but because they have more effective learning skills and strategies.(2)
Peter Drucker wrote, "Knowledge becomes obsolete incredibly fast."
Almost all jobs have the following core learning components that are critical for effective delivery. I believe that strong awareness and mastery over these elements provide us with the agility to transition and succeed across jobs and organisations quickly.
* SUBJECT MATTER/BODY OF KNOWLEDGE
Every job involves some specific and core subject matter areas. These could most effectively be acquired and applied through a combination of on-the-job experiences and academic learnings.
* PROCESSES
Every organisation has a set of processes for most functional areas. Most of the work nowadays is defined through process flows. Building a good understanding of the organisational process flows allow us to determine what we need to do and how it impacts stakeholders.
* TOOLS/TECHNOLOGY
All organisations and jobs have specific tools and technologies that support work. Having a good understanding of how they work and are applied could substantially increase overall efficiency.
* PERSONAL NETWORKS
In my opinion, this is one of the most important elements. It includes both internal and external networks of personal relationships that allows us to function with a high degree of effectiveness. In many instances, the personal networks are critical for achieving the 'extra mile' of success and to managing crises. In most instances, people go beyond the specified requirements of a process if there is a strong existing relationship with the specific individual. These relationships are also critical links to tacit knowledge that're often unavailable on formal knowledge management systems or databases. Treating people with respect and empathy normally will get you valuable help and inputs on the organisational culture, especially during the tough transition phase. It also helps us to build our network quicker.
* USING EXPERIENCE/WISDOM
This is gained through the application of knowledge in a variety of situations and learning/adjusting from successes and failures (what has worked/not worked?) over time. This is very relevant and important for managers and leaders as a lot of judgment is involved in making important decisions. Many of those decisions would not have defined or single answers.
Understanding and focusing on the core elements of work transitions have a big impact on our effectiveness.
The elements mentioned above clearly relate to the concept of 'Learning Agility' (Eichinger & Lombardo), measured through four key facets: (a) Mental Agility (b) People Agility (c) Change Agility and (d) Results Agility.(3)
Please share your experiences and observations. This is a very useful and relevant topic for many individuals.
References:
(1) Bureau of Labor Statistics, Friday, September 26, 2008, EMPLOYEE TENURE IN 2008
(2)(3) The Korn/Ferry Insititute: Using Learning Agility to Identify High Potentials around the World by Kenneth P. De Meuse, Guangrong Dai, George S. Hallenbeck, King Yii Tang
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Thoughts on Development for Developing Countries
I decided to tackle a different topic for my first blog post of 2010 due to its relevance and observations during recent travels. Various observations during my Christmas/New Year break travel to India (transiting through the Gulf country of Qatar) got me thinking about the topic of development for emerging economies. The underlying connectors of human capital/leadership development, effective management, decision making and innovation are clearly evident here as well. Many of the management principles that work successfully in private organisations can be effectively adopted by government bodies.
In my opinion, the three key basic ingredients for rapid development of any developing country are:
1. Financial capital
Availability of financial capital can have a huge impact on infrastructure development and public service systems. China's focused investment on infrastructure development has a high impact on its economic growth. Many of the gulf nations have been able to build strong infrastructures based on revenues from oil and natural gas assets. The scale/size of countries is one key factor to consider. Based on availability of resources, countries may first need to decide their most important locations to invest in, and develop for the short and long term.
2. World-class Infrastructure
Infrastructure development is not possible without financial capital. At the same time, the required expertise, know-how and commitment to execution is equally important. Infrastructure planning should not only include world class airports, roads, telecom infrastructure, public transportation facilities, ports etc. but also highly efficient and effective systems, technologies and processes. A basic example that has a direct impact on day-to-day living in India - with an extreme increase in the number of automobiles, traffic and parking management have become very challenging and frustrating elements.
Absence of total planning and comprehensive solutions package results in different government departments tackling their own issues in silos. Normally, all the requirements of a city are not taken into consideration together. This is also partly due to the ineffective structure of government bodies and organisations that have to be working together.
Emerging and developing countries have great opportunities to build innovative infrastructures for future environments rather than just copy systems that exist in developed nations. "Reverse Innovation" (a term referring to an innovation seen first, or likely to be used first, in the developing world before spreading to the industrialized world) is currently discussed widely. The best of existing systems in the developed world can be incorporated while innovating on future requirements and evolving needs (eg. energy evolution, technological advancements and changing human behaviors). All this can be possible only by having an open, learning approach and continuous interaction with the rest of the world.
At a basic level, the quality of public services including availability of drinking water (big issue for the future), energy, high quality healthcare/hospitals and computerised systems that're linked to all relevant networks, resulting in easy/quick transactions make a big difference to quality of day-to-day living. Corruption slows down development and destroys the trust of citizens. With the unpredictability element related to environmental/political scenarios and a closely connected world in all respects, the possibility of 'black swans' increase. Strong disaster management and emergency response services have to be instituted before it's too late.
3. Human capital
I believe this is the core element that makes development sustainable. Having the above two elements alone won't lead to sustainable development or ensure their successful implementation. How we effectively use and manage available financial capital is equally, if not more important than having them. Once the basic infrastructure is put in place, continuous development and competitiveness can only be sustained by having world class talent who're enabled and encouraged to innovate. Innovations in turn, can result in the creation of a virtuous cycle, attracting financial investment.
Talent becomes a key factor in almost every area of governance for developing economies. Strong education infrastructure that interacts with other global education systems is critical. Having the right talent alone is not sufficient. It is of utmost importance to have great leadership and processes in governments and organisations to enable execution, encourage through leadership behaviours - to challenge existing, slow governing cultures and drive initiatives to positive change. Speed of execution has to be a key focus.
Focused leadership development in government organisations will have to be prioritised due to the impact of governments on increasing global competitiveness (both in the developing and developed worlds). Even a handful of smart decision makers in key roles in government can have high impact on a country's future. Increased transparency due to the technological changes can also put pressure and accountability on governments to deliver quicker.
Countries focused on having a great future will need to figure out key elements to attracting world class talent from across the globe. Similar to organisations, countries will need to figure out their core capabilities and industries they intend to focus on and have related strategies in place. This is also an important constituent to the topic of continuous innovation.
No country can be a forerunner in the future by existing in its own silo, being arrogant about its natural resources (that will inevitably deplete at some point) or past achievements. Countries will have to adopt an open, global, continuously interactive and learning approach in all areas (social, cultural, economical, political, technological) to be among the leaders.
In my opinion, the three key basic ingredients for rapid development of any developing country are:
1. Financial capital
Availability of financial capital can have a huge impact on infrastructure development and public service systems. China's focused investment on infrastructure development has a high impact on its economic growth. Many of the gulf nations have been able to build strong infrastructures based on revenues from oil and natural gas assets. The scale/size of countries is one key factor to consider. Based on availability of resources, countries may first need to decide their most important locations to invest in, and develop for the short and long term.
2. World-class Infrastructure
Infrastructure development is not possible without financial capital. At the same time, the required expertise, know-how and commitment to execution is equally important. Infrastructure planning should not only include world class airports, roads, telecom infrastructure, public transportation facilities, ports etc. but also highly efficient and effective systems, technologies and processes. A basic example that has a direct impact on day-to-day living in India - with an extreme increase in the number of automobiles, traffic and parking management have become very challenging and frustrating elements.
Absence of total planning and comprehensive solutions package results in different government departments tackling their own issues in silos. Normally, all the requirements of a city are not taken into consideration together. This is also partly due to the ineffective structure of government bodies and organisations that have to be working together.
Emerging and developing countries have great opportunities to build innovative infrastructures for future environments rather than just copy systems that exist in developed nations. "Reverse Innovation" (a term referring to an innovation seen first, or likely to be used first, in the developing world before spreading to the industrialized world) is currently discussed widely. The best of existing systems in the developed world can be incorporated while innovating on future requirements and evolving needs (eg. energy evolution, technological advancements and changing human behaviors). All this can be possible only by having an open, learning approach and continuous interaction with the rest of the world.
At a basic level, the quality of public services including availability of drinking water (big issue for the future), energy, high quality healthcare/hospitals and computerised systems that're linked to all relevant networks, resulting in easy/quick transactions make a big difference to quality of day-to-day living. Corruption slows down development and destroys the trust of citizens. With the unpredictability element related to environmental/political scenarios and a closely connected world in all respects, the possibility of 'black swans' increase. Strong disaster management and emergency response services have to be instituted before it's too late.
3. Human capital
I believe this is the core element that makes development sustainable. Having the above two elements alone won't lead to sustainable development or ensure their successful implementation. How we effectively use and manage available financial capital is equally, if not more important than having them. Once the basic infrastructure is put in place, continuous development and competitiveness can only be sustained by having world class talent who're enabled and encouraged to innovate. Innovations in turn, can result in the creation of a virtuous cycle, attracting financial investment.
Talent becomes a key factor in almost every area of governance for developing economies. Strong education infrastructure that interacts with other global education systems is critical. Having the right talent alone is not sufficient. It is of utmost importance to have great leadership and processes in governments and organisations to enable execution, encourage through leadership behaviours - to challenge existing, slow governing cultures and drive initiatives to positive change. Speed of execution has to be a key focus.
Focused leadership development in government organisations will have to be prioritised due to the impact of governments on increasing global competitiveness (both in the developing and developed worlds). Even a handful of smart decision makers in key roles in government can have high impact on a country's future. Increased transparency due to the technological changes can also put pressure and accountability on governments to deliver quicker.
Countries focused on having a great future will need to figure out key elements to attracting world class talent from across the globe. Similar to organisations, countries will need to figure out their core capabilities and industries they intend to focus on and have related strategies in place. This is also an important constituent to the topic of continuous innovation.
No country can be a forerunner in the future by existing in its own silo, being arrogant about its natural resources (that will inevitably deplete at some point) or past achievements. Countries will have to adopt an open, global, continuously interactive and learning approach in all areas (social, cultural, economical, political, technological) to be among the leaders.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Notes on 'Leadership' from the book, "True North" by Bill George
I recently finished reading the book, "True North" by Bill George, former CEO of Medtronic. It was a great learning experience because it relates directly to real life experiences and shares the wisdom of over 125 leaders with varied experiences. I started consolidating some profound notes and felt they had to be shared. Here we go!
True North is the internal compass that guides you successfully through life. It represents who you are as a human being at your deepest level. It is your orienting point - your fixed point in a spinning world - that helps you stay on track as a leader. Discovering your True North takes a lifetime of commitment and learning.
* The difference with authentic leaders lies in the way they frame their stories. Their life stories provide the context for their lives, and through them they find their passion and inspiration to make an impact in the world.
* ..the worst thing people can do is to manage their careers with a career map...being flexible and venturesome in stepping up to unexpected opportunities..
* Your development as a leader is not a straight line to the top but a journey filled with many ups and downs.
Ann Fudge (Young & Rubicam CEO): "Don't worry about the challenges. Embrace them. Go through them even if they hurt. Tell yourself, there is something to be learned from this experience. I may not fully understand it now, but I will later. It's all part of life, and life is a process of learning. Every challenging experience develops your core of inner strength, which gets you through those storms. Nothing worth doing in life is going to be easy.........Leadership is leaving something lasting, whether it is how you treat people or how you deal with a problem."
Jeff Immelt (GE): "Nobody wants to be around somebody going through a low period. In times like that you've got to be able to draw from within. Leadership is one of these great journeys into your own soul."
* The key to learning from failure is to avoid denial and be honest with yourself.
Mike Baker (Arthrocare): What matters is not how often you have been on the canvas, but whether you get up, how you get up, and what you learn from it.
* The role of leaders is not to get other people to follow them but to empower others to lead. They cannot elicit the best performance from their teams if they are in the game primarily for themselves. In the end, their self-centeredness keeps other people from leading.
* When you become a leader, your challenge is to inspire others, develop them, and create change through them...Only when leaders stop focusing on their personal ego needs are they able to develop other leaders.
* Your journey to leadership is likely to take many unexpected turns. Life is full of challenging situations, including ethical dilemmas, midcourse career changes or burnout, seemingly intractable interpersonal challenges with colleagues, marriage and family issues, failures and loneliness. At times, you may feel you are losing your way or have gotten off course..Getting back on track alone is very difficult. That is when you most need your support team.
* Have you defined what success means for you and for your life? Unless you have thought through the answer to that question, you are at risk of letting others define success for you or trying to keep up with their definitions of success.
Ann Moore, CEO of Time, Inc.: "Follow your compass and not your clock."
Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon: ...Achievement was less about getting all A's and more about trying."
Anne Mulcahy, ex Chair & CEO, Xerox: "I get things done by identifying with the people in the company and by trusting them. I care most about building a good team to lead the company."
* Feelings of despair among leaders are quite common, but most do not have the courage to admit it. In times like these, you need the support of your colleagues.
Some of the things leaders do to gain the respect of their colleagues:
* Treating others as equals.
* Being a good listener.
* Learning from people.
* Sharing life stories.
Empowering people to lead:
* Showing up
Showing up at important events or at unexpected times means a great deal to people and enables them to see their leaders as real people.
* Engaging people
The most empowering leaders are those who engage a wide range of people. That means being with them face-to-face....and being open and vulnerable with them.
* Helping teammates
Merck CEO Roy Vagelos: "People love to have involvement of the leader. They feel you want to help them and are part of the solution."
* Challenging Leaders
Often, the most empowering response is to challenge people's ideas, to ask why they are doing something a particular way, and to help them sharpen their ideas through dialogue.
*Stretching People
Most people want to be stretched in assignments that enable them to develop. The leader's key is to sense when people are ready for such challenging experiences. Yet it is also important for your team to know that you will be there to support them if necessary. Just knowing you have support from your leaders if things go wrong is very empowering. It enables you to recognize that you will not be hung out to dry, so you can take on stretch goals and significant challenges without the fear..
* Aligning Around a Mission
Individuals usually have their own passions that drive them. If the leaders can demonstrate how they can fulfull their purpose while achieving the organization's mission, the alignment can occur.
As you think about your leadership style and power, ask yourself these questions:
* Is your leadership style consistent with your leadership principle and values? Is it even inconsistent?
* How do you adapt your style to the circumstances facing you and to the capabilities of your teammates?
* How do you optimize the use of your power in leading others?
* If you simply adopt an organization's normative style or try to emulate someone else's style, your lack of authenticity will show through. Under pressure and stress, leaders tend to revert to their least attractive styles - from being highly directive or passive aggressive to completely withdrawn.
* Authentic leaders understand they need power to get things done, but they learn to use it in subtle ways. They prefer to persuade others to adopt their point of view or to build a consensus rather than forcing subordinates to go along with them. In so doing, they win trust, loyalty and support of their teammates. That in turn leads to better decisions and a higher level of commitment to shared goals.
* In leading, you must always understand the situation in which you are operating, as well as the performance imperative. You should also think carefully about the kind of relationship (dependent, independent, interdependent) you want to have with your teammates and what type of relationship will enable your team or organization to achieve its business imperatives.
You cannot find the fulfillment of leadership by observing leaders from the sidelines...You have no choice but to get in there and get your face marred by dust and sweat and blood. That is what life and leadership are about...The fleeting symbols of external gratification will vanish like the wind. What will remain are the memories.
True North is the internal compass that guides you successfully through life. It represents who you are as a human being at your deepest level. It is your orienting point - your fixed point in a spinning world - that helps you stay on track as a leader. Discovering your True North takes a lifetime of commitment and learning.
* The difference with authentic leaders lies in the way they frame their stories. Their life stories provide the context for their lives, and through them they find their passion and inspiration to make an impact in the world.
* ..the worst thing people can do is to manage their careers with a career map...being flexible and venturesome in stepping up to unexpected opportunities..
* Your development as a leader is not a straight line to the top but a journey filled with many ups and downs.
Ann Fudge (Young & Rubicam CEO): "Don't worry about the challenges. Embrace them. Go through them even if they hurt. Tell yourself, there is something to be learned from this experience. I may not fully understand it now, but I will later. It's all part of life, and life is a process of learning. Every challenging experience develops your core of inner strength, which gets you through those storms. Nothing worth doing in life is going to be easy.........Leadership is leaving something lasting, whether it is how you treat people or how you deal with a problem."
Jeff Immelt (GE): "Nobody wants to be around somebody going through a low period. In times like that you've got to be able to draw from within. Leadership is one of these great journeys into your own soul."
* The key to learning from failure is to avoid denial and be honest with yourself.
Mike Baker (Arthrocare): What matters is not how often you have been on the canvas, but whether you get up, how you get up, and what you learn from it.
* The role of leaders is not to get other people to follow them but to empower others to lead. They cannot elicit the best performance from their teams if they are in the game primarily for themselves. In the end, their self-centeredness keeps other people from leading.
* When you become a leader, your challenge is to inspire others, develop them, and create change through them...Only when leaders stop focusing on their personal ego needs are they able to develop other leaders.
* Your journey to leadership is likely to take many unexpected turns. Life is full of challenging situations, including ethical dilemmas, midcourse career changes or burnout, seemingly intractable interpersonal challenges with colleagues, marriage and family issues, failures and loneliness. At times, you may feel you are losing your way or have gotten off course..Getting back on track alone is very difficult. That is when you most need your support team.
* Have you defined what success means for you and for your life? Unless you have thought through the answer to that question, you are at risk of letting others define success for you or trying to keep up with their definitions of success.
Ann Moore, CEO of Time, Inc.: "Follow your compass and not your clock."
Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon: ...Achievement was less about getting all A's and more about trying."
Anne Mulcahy, ex Chair & CEO, Xerox: "I get things done by identifying with the people in the company and by trusting them. I care most about building a good team to lead the company."
* Feelings of despair among leaders are quite common, but most do not have the courage to admit it. In times like these, you need the support of your colleagues.
Some of the things leaders do to gain the respect of their colleagues:
* Treating others as equals.
* Being a good listener.
* Learning from people.
* Sharing life stories.
Empowering people to lead:
* Showing up
Showing up at important events or at unexpected times means a great deal to people and enables them to see their leaders as real people.
* Engaging people
The most empowering leaders are those who engage a wide range of people. That means being with them face-to-face....and being open and vulnerable with them.
* Helping teammates
Merck CEO Roy Vagelos: "People love to have involvement of the leader. They feel you want to help them and are part of the solution."
* Challenging Leaders
Often, the most empowering response is to challenge people's ideas, to ask why they are doing something a particular way, and to help them sharpen their ideas through dialogue.
*Stretching People
Most people want to be stretched in assignments that enable them to develop. The leader's key is to sense when people are ready for such challenging experiences. Yet it is also important for your team to know that you will be there to support them if necessary. Just knowing you have support from your leaders if things go wrong is very empowering. It enables you to recognize that you will not be hung out to dry, so you can take on stretch goals and significant challenges without the fear..
* Aligning Around a Mission
Individuals usually have their own passions that drive them. If the leaders can demonstrate how they can fulfull their purpose while achieving the organization's mission, the alignment can occur.
As you think about your leadership style and power, ask yourself these questions:
* Is your leadership style consistent with your leadership principle and values? Is it even inconsistent?
* How do you adapt your style to the circumstances facing you and to the capabilities of your teammates?
* How do you optimize the use of your power in leading others?
* If you simply adopt an organization's normative style or try to emulate someone else's style, your lack of authenticity will show through. Under pressure and stress, leaders tend to revert to their least attractive styles - from being highly directive or passive aggressive to completely withdrawn.
* Authentic leaders understand they need power to get things done, but they learn to use it in subtle ways. They prefer to persuade others to adopt their point of view or to build a consensus rather than forcing subordinates to go along with them. In so doing, they win trust, loyalty and support of their teammates. That in turn leads to better decisions and a higher level of commitment to shared goals.
* In leading, you must always understand the situation in which you are operating, as well as the performance imperative. You should also think carefully about the kind of relationship (dependent, independent, interdependent) you want to have with your teammates and what type of relationship will enable your team or organization to achieve its business imperatives.
You cannot find the fulfillment of leadership by observing leaders from the sidelines...You have no choice but to get in there and get your face marred by dust and sweat and blood. That is what life and leadership are about...The fleeting symbols of external gratification will vanish like the wind. What will remain are the memories.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Learnings From My Cross-Cultural Experiences
Working and living across countries/cultures may present great opportunities but at the same time, they hold numerous challenges. Ability to manage across cultures is a competence that is becoming really important as the world gets flatter and more companies decide to go global. Adapting and succeeding in a very different culture are not easy. Some people choose to be oblivious of this topic and that impacts personal and professional growth. Though there're numerous studies and research articles on this topic, I would like to share some of my key learnings, personal experiences and observations. This list is neither comprehensive nor listed in the order of importance.
1. Respect
Being sensitive to and noticing some of the key threads in norms and behaviors in the new environment within and outside office is an important starting point. This helps to understand how things work and what's respected in the new setting. Many of the norms would be very different and may seem strange initially. The global professional needs to be respectful of the differences and try to understand the background with reasoning. Respecting individuals and cultural norms is a critical factor in adapting to any new culture.
Communication is key to avoiding misunderstandings. Many times during initial stages of interactions, it's useful to explain the reason behind doing or asking for something that impacts others. This avoids confusion and helps to build trust especially in the initial stages of relationship building.
2. Flexibility/Openness
This is vital for success in a different cultural setting. There is a possibility that one may feel insulted or not respected in some instances. Chances are that everyone may not be aware of the nuances about other cultures and interaction styles. Stephen Covey's teaching, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood" is a very useful advice to keep in mind while interacting with people from a different culture. In other cases, someone may just not be respectful or culturally intelligent. This could lead to frustrations. Being flexible and open helps to build a working relationship and trust. In my opinion, the burden of responsibility falls on the global professional to tackle an unpleasant situation with emotional maturity and intelligence. It's very useful to have a positive 'forgiving' and 'forgetful' (unpleasant events) attitude - easier said than done.
3. Coping with the unknown,fear of failure and patience
There're a lot of unknowns in a new environment. I'm not sure if anyone is perfectly comfortable facing unknowns. Finding information through formal and informal channels is very helpful to put one at ease. One has to also find appropriate ways to cope with stress related to uncertainties and the new environment. There may be different approaches for different people. Hobbies and avenues for entertainment provide useful options. People generally do take a certain period of time to adjust and feel comfortable in a new environment.
Even if one has good competencies, there will be mistakes along the way. On the other hand, fear of failure can inhibit people from trying out or getting exposed to new things. The normal tendency may be to stay within one's comfort zones. There will be misunderstandings. Having lots of patience to understand, learn from mistakes, adjust and work one's way through multiple and varied scenarios is important.
One of the leading experts in this field Fons Trompenaars advises, "We need a certain amount of humility and a sense of humor to discover cultures other than our own; a readiness to enter a room in the dark and stumble over unfamiliar furniture until the pain in our shins reminds us of where things are." Management guru Tom Peters writes, "If you come to another's turf with empathy, sensitivity and open ears - what the Zen masters call 'beginner's mind' - you're halfway home".
1. Respect
Being sensitive to and noticing some of the key threads in norms and behaviors in the new environment within and outside office is an important starting point. This helps to understand how things work and what's respected in the new setting. Many of the norms would be very different and may seem strange initially. The global professional needs to be respectful of the differences and try to understand the background with reasoning. Respecting individuals and cultural norms is a critical factor in adapting to any new culture.
Communication is key to avoiding misunderstandings. Many times during initial stages of interactions, it's useful to explain the reason behind doing or asking for something that impacts others. This avoids confusion and helps to build trust especially in the initial stages of relationship building.
2. Flexibility/Openness
This is vital for success in a different cultural setting. There is a possibility that one may feel insulted or not respected in some instances. Chances are that everyone may not be aware of the nuances about other cultures and interaction styles. Stephen Covey's teaching, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood" is a very useful advice to keep in mind while interacting with people from a different culture. In other cases, someone may just not be respectful or culturally intelligent. This could lead to frustrations. Being flexible and open helps to build a working relationship and trust. In my opinion, the burden of responsibility falls on the global professional to tackle an unpleasant situation with emotional maturity and intelligence. It's very useful to have a positive 'forgiving' and 'forgetful' (unpleasant events) attitude - easier said than done.
3. Coping with the unknown,fear of failure and patience
There're a lot of unknowns in a new environment. I'm not sure if anyone is perfectly comfortable facing unknowns. Finding information through formal and informal channels is very helpful to put one at ease. One has to also find appropriate ways to cope with stress related to uncertainties and the new environment. There may be different approaches for different people. Hobbies and avenues for entertainment provide useful options. People generally do take a certain period of time to adjust and feel comfortable in a new environment.
Even if one has good competencies, there will be mistakes along the way. On the other hand, fear of failure can inhibit people from trying out or getting exposed to new things. The normal tendency may be to stay within one's comfort zones. There will be misunderstandings. Having lots of patience to understand, learn from mistakes, adjust and work one's way through multiple and varied scenarios is important.
One of the leading experts in this field Fons Trompenaars advises, "We need a certain amount of humility and a sense of humor to discover cultures other than our own; a readiness to enter a room in the dark and stumble over unfamiliar furniture until the pain in our shins reminds us of where things are." Management guru Tom Peters writes, "If you come to another's turf with empathy, sensitivity and open ears - what the Zen masters call 'beginner's mind' - you're halfway home".
Saturday, August 1, 2009
How We Manage Through Tough Times, As Individuals & Leaders
This is my first blog post since March. I've been thinking a lot during the past few months about leadership during tough times and our own individual behaviors. Many of these thoughts come from my observations, experiences and are relevant to what's happening in the world today.
It is during tough times that we get tested personally on multiple fronts:
* Our core values.
* Our emotional intelligence.
* How we care about, treat and support our key stakeholders - both in personal and professional lives.
* How well we prepare for the future (will be ready to run at high speed when things get better?) - both mentally and physically.
* Most importantly, our perseverance and ability to rebound from tough situations.
As we know, life consists of ups and downs. We'll live in a fool's world, if we believe things will continue to be good or bad. Additionally, there will always be some things that worry us. Kahlil Gibran's quote is so good to remember, especially during tough times - "Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens".
What really matters is that we don't lose focus during the tough times, fight adversity with "stubborn perseverance", refuse to give up and work towards possible solutions.
From a leadership perspective, some of the most important behavioral things that a leader can do during very difficult times is not just be realistic but more importantly followup the realism with encouraging the organisation and being optimistic about future potential. Optimism is contagious when it comes from a trusted individual. Being a 'cheer'leader and building focus, energy level and high hopes for the future are equally important elements. Most times, the followers feed on the energy of their leaders. This is of course not easy to do as leaders themselves will be going through a tough phase. Leaders should always remember that every single move, especially during tough times is keenly observed by the rest of the organisation. What they do, talk about, and how they behave have a big impact on the organisation.
In the long run, leaders leave a legacy and are more remembered for how they got things done, not just what. I strongly believe that in today's world, without the first, the second is not sustainable.
It is during tough times that we get tested personally on multiple fronts:
* Our core values.
* Our emotional intelligence.
* How we care about, treat and support our key stakeholders - both in personal and professional lives.
* How well we prepare for the future (will be ready to run at high speed when things get better?) - both mentally and physically.
* Most importantly, our perseverance and ability to rebound from tough situations.
As we know, life consists of ups and downs. We'll live in a fool's world, if we believe things will continue to be good or bad. Additionally, there will always be some things that worry us. Kahlil Gibran's quote is so good to remember, especially during tough times - "Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens".
What really matters is that we don't lose focus during the tough times, fight adversity with "stubborn perseverance", refuse to give up and work towards possible solutions.
From a leadership perspective, some of the most important behavioral things that a leader can do during very difficult times is not just be realistic but more importantly followup the realism with encouraging the organisation and being optimistic about future potential. Optimism is contagious when it comes from a trusted individual. Being a 'cheer'leader and building focus, energy level and high hopes for the future are equally important elements. Most times, the followers feed on the energy of their leaders. This is of course not easy to do as leaders themselves will be going through a tough phase. Leaders should always remember that every single move, especially during tough times is keenly observed by the rest of the organisation. What they do, talk about, and how they behave have a big impact on the organisation.
In the long run, leaders leave a legacy and are more remembered for how they got things done, not just what. I strongly believe that in today's world, without the first, the second is not sustainable.
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