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• Be a Better Global Collaborator

  Posted: 2011-07-29 16:34:43 UTC

  In today's globalized world, it is essential to know how to collaborate with people from different cultures. While this used to be the case primarily for country managers and those taking on overseas assignments, it now applies to all managers. But exactly how does one learn to become a better global collaborator?

  What the Experts Say
  Learning to navigate widely varying business practices is far from straightforward. "Global leadership is much more complicated than leading people like you," says Mansour Javidan, the Director of the Global Mindset Institute at Thunderbird School of Global Management and author of "Making It Overseas." Fortunately, more people are doing their due diligence these days. "Smart managers at smart companies are usually somewhat prepared for cross-cultural collaboration. They've read a book or taken a class," says Andy Molinsky, a professor of organizational behavior at the Brandeis University International Business School and author of "Switching Cultural Codes." But that doesn't mean they are ready. "There is a gulf between reading something and imagining something hypothetically and actually experiencing it," he adds. Below are several ways to start closing that gap and successfully approach working with someone — whether it be a co-worker, a vendor, or a customer — from another culture.

  Be prepared to be uncomfortable
  Working across cultures is likely to push you out of your comfort zone. "We all have our own cultural lens that we've developed since we were kids. It is useful until we come into contact with someone with a different lens," says Javidan. When our usual tactics fail and we are forced to seek out new ones, it can be uncomfortable. "These new behaviors are hard to perform and we become unsure, anxious, awkward, embarrassed, even ashamed," says Molinsky. Don't beat yourself up for feeling this way. Accept that it is part of the process.

  Be aware of your actions
  The beauty of the cultural lens is that it works automatically. You don't think about what you need to say or how to act when you are with someone from the same culture. But when you have to deal with someone who has a different cultural background, you need to learn to manually manage that lens. You must be cognizant of your actions and ask yourself questions you haven't had to before: What is the right thing to say? What is the right way to say it? What is my body language saying? This awareness allows you to adjust your behaviors so they are better received and understood.

  Molinsky suggests you expose yourself to the kinds of challenges you'll experience in advance. Seek out things in your own culture that are "foreign" and require you to be cognizant of your actions and how they are interpreted. You can also use technology to begin "experiencing" the new culture while still at home.

  Acknowledge differences
  "I think it's important for people to acknowledge they have different cultural lenses, different ways of viewing things, different ways of solving problems," says Javidan. Rather than skirting around these disparities, both sides of a cross-cultural collaboration should explain how they typically work. But once those dissimilarities are on the table, don't harp on them. Instead, focus on what you are trying to accomplish together. This shared goal serves as the basis of your work and your relationship.

  Prototype instead of stereotype
  Once you've done the advanced research about the work practices of the culture you are going to work with, be careful with what you've learned. It goes without saying that stereotyping can be offensive and ineffective. "People tend to generalize based on one experience," says Javidan. And when they do, they risk offending or angering the people they work with. Molinsky suggests developing prototypes instead. Understand what the typical response or approach is but also remember there is nuance. For example, Molinsky explains that the prototypical Italian is likely more outgoing than the prototypical Swede and knowing this can help you adapt an effective approach for collaboration. Just be sure to keep an open mind for the time you come across a very shy Italian.

  Build trust and be curious
  "Trust is the lubrication of human relations. If two people trust each other, they can work together regardless of where they are from," says Javidan. But fostering confidence is done differently across cultures. "The consequences of trust are universal but the drivers of trust are culturally specific," says Javidan. People tend to be more guarded in task-oriented situations so use a social setting to establish a personal relationship. Invite your counterpart out to a meal or coffee. During these interactions, be curious. Learn how to say a few words in the other person's language. Ask what it means to be a successful leader in their country. "Remember this is a human relationship you are building and you need to create a human bond," says Molinsky.

  Whose culture practices should be adopted?
  Molinsky says the answer depends on many factors: whose turf you are on, who has the power in the relationship, and who is more senior, to name a few. The goal is not to adapt to one culture or another but to decide on a way that you are both comfortable working. Managers of global teams often end up building a hybrid culture. The key is to be flexible. "Show a willingness to acknowledge that there are different ways to do something," says Javidan. Through discussion, you can find an integrative solution that works for both parties. And don't assume, even if you are working in the other culture, that you should completely bend. "I never advise managers to behave like a local," says Javidan.

  Principles to Remember

  Do:

  • Be cognizant of how your behaviors are being interpreted and received
  • Ask questions about what success looks like in the other culture
  • Establish a way of working together that is comfortable for all

  Don't:

  • Stereotype the people you are going to work with — instead, develop a prototype that you can adjust based on experience
  • Attempt to gloss over differences in working styles — put them on the table
  • Try to fully adapt to a culture that is not your own

  
  Case Study #1: Knowing when to adapt
  Steve Billeaud, a business manager at a large international oil services company, grew up in Louisiana. He knew very little about interacting with people from different cultures when he took his first overseas job in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1987. And he had almost no training. "Back then, companies were not as aware of culture differences and the need to prepare people," says Steve.

  In the 1990s, he was transferred to an operations position in the Middle East. Looking back at his early experience there, he laughs, "I must've looked like a clown because I was treating them like I would any American," he says. The engineering team he worked with was made up of several Arabs, most from different countries. One of the rigs they operated wasn't working and they all met to address the issue. An engineer on the project got up and said that a valve wasn't functioning properly. He blamed Steve and his company for the problem. "The component he was talking about was used in all of our rigs. I needed this product to work on every well," he says. But Steve had seen in previous meetings how pointing fingers was the norm and he knew if he told the engineer he was wrong, a conflict would erupt. Instead he stood up and said, "Your review of the problem is exactly right," and pointed out all of the things the engineer had said that were true. "I went overboard to agree with him," Steve says. He then went on to say that the valve wouldn't work if certain conditions weren't in place. These were things that were in the engineer's control. In this way, Steve was able to bring up the underlying issues while allowing the engineer to save face. And it worked. The team fixed the conditions causing the valve to fail.

  Steve has now worked in 53 different countries. He has learned to make a concerted effort to study the cultures of people he is going to work with. "Before I meet them, I load the cultural filter in my head. How are they going to perceive what I say and do? I try to respond and talk to them in the way I think they want," he says. But he is also careful to avoid generalizations. "There is no standard. If you make an assumption that there is a way that works with everyone from that culture, you'll fail," he says.

  Case Study #2: Finding a schedule that works for all
  Victor Equisoain, the Senior Director of Services at Acciona Wind Power North America, worked on his first project in the U.S. in 2007. Acciona, a Spanish conglomerate focused on civil engineering, construction, and infrastructure, was building a wind farm in North Dakota. The project was staffed with about 15 Spanish employees from Acciona and 15 Americans from a sub-contracted firm. As the project manager, Victor lived in Spain and visited the site once a month.

  But soon after the project began, Victor got a call from the CEO asking why the sub-contractors were so displeased. The situation was serious enough that Victor made a dedicated trip to find out what was going on. When he got there, the manager from the sub-contracted company said, "Well, your team doesn't show up in the mornings to the plan-of-the-day meeting. In the afternoon, we don't really know where the guys go. We leave earlier than they do and we cannot follow the project like this." Victor's team was also upset. They said the Americans were leaving early and not getting enough work done before they left. Victor quickly saw that they were working on two completely different timetables — both of which were standard in their own cultures but different from each other's. "Both teams were really frustrated with the situation," he says. "The main issue was that we were not ready to work in the States."

  Victor explained to both sides what was happening. The Spaniards were arriving around 8am, after the Americans had already been at work for an hour. They were then taking a two-hour lunch as was custom in Spain, and then they finished up late in the day, long after the Americans had left at 5pm. It wasn't that either side was disappearing or ending the day early, they were just on different schedules. He then worked with the teams to figure out a compromise. The Spaniards agreed to start earlier. They still took their two-hour lunch but when they stayed late after the Americans had left, they only did paperwork so that the two teams were on the same page when they started again in the morning.

  Similar issues arose around reporting. The Americans were used to doing daily, weekly, and monthly reports. In Spain, they were not as strict. In this case, Victor and his managers adapted to the American approach. He explains that while technically they were the client, he felt it was appropriate to adapt to the place where they were working. "The message to the team was 'Ok, we're working here. They have their culture and approach. It's not better or worse. It's just different.'" he says.

  Acciona has since done several projects with the same company. They have also started training their teams before they work in different countries, which range from Australia to Mexico to Poland. They bring the team together and give them background information on food, religion, politics and business practices and talk about the challenges they are likely to face.
  

  

• Turning Stress into an Asset

  Posted: 2011-06-27 20:46:43 UTC

  You constantly hear how bad stress is for you: it's damaging your health, jeopardizing your relationships, and hurting your performance. While these risks are real, recent research is showing that work strain, when managed correctly, can actually have a positive impact on productivity and performance. So how can you take the stress you thought was killing you and make it constructive?

  What the Experts Say
  Stress is unavoidable. "We live in a world of ongoing worry, change, and uncertainty. You have to get used to it," says Justin Menkes, an expert in the field of C-suite talent evaluation and the author of Better Under Pressure: How Great Leaders Bring Out the Best in Themselves and Others. "Stress is an inevitable part of work and life, but the effect of stress upon us is far from inevitable," says Shawn Achor, an expert in positive psychology and the founder of Good Think, Inc. Both Achor and Menkes agree that altering your approach to stress can yield positive effects. "Stress can be good or bad depending on how you use it," says Achor. In fact, how you manage pressures can distinguish you as a leader and give you a career advantage. Here are five principles to follow.

  1. Recognize worry for what it is
  "When you hear about stress being unhealthy it is so often because people aren't getting to a place where they are seeing worry for what it is: a feeling," says Menkes. The heightened reaction — tension in the body, heart racing — is an indicator of how much you care about the task you are about to do. In fact, according to Menkes, how much stress you feel is directly correlated to the importance of the activity. "If it didn't matter, you wouldn't worry," he says. Once you understand worry as an indicator rather than a symptom of dysfunction or a cause for panic, you can react to it more rationally. Plus, remember that stress is not unending. "Feelings by definition are fleeting. They feel like they will be eternal but just give it five minutes," says Menkes.

  2. Then, reframe the stress
  Once you've recognized what worry is, you then need to adjust your mindset. Achor's research shows that how you view stress determines its effect on you. "Our brains work much better at positive than at negative, neutral, or stressed," he says. When you are negative and worried, your brain goes into "fight or flight" mode, which limits your ability to think. If you are positive and concerned, then your brain turns to "broaden and build" thinking which allows you to process more possibilities. Which direction you go in is up to you. "When people have a stress in their life, they can attempt to see it as a challenge, instead of a threat," says Achor. This mental shift will allow the feeling to be activating rather than paralyzing.

  3. Focus on what you can control
  One of the most positive things you can do when faced with worry or anxiety is to remember what you can affect and what you can't. Far too many people spend time feeling bad about things they simply can't change. In Achor's book, The Happiness Advantage, he outlines an exercise he calls the Island Experiment. He suggests you write out a list of stresses and put them into two circles, "islands." One island holds the things you can control. The other is for the things you can't. Ignore that second island and choose a single concrete action to take in the first. This will begin to solve the stress and move you toward your goal.

  4. Create a network of support
  Knowing that you have somebody to turn to can help a lot. "It's important to have that outlet so you know you can freak the heck out if you need to," says Menkes. You may not use this option, but it can be comforting to know it's there. Build supportive relationships when you're not stressed. Menkes encourages you to "put in the effort and build the emotional deposit" so you can cash it in when and if required. The company you keep also makes a difference. "Surround yourself with people who do not complain or ruminate upon things they can't change," says Achor.

  5. Get some stress-handling experience
  According to Menkes, the best way to learn to handle stress is through practice. "If the body is not used to stress and you experience it, you'll panic and it becomes a vicious cycle that needs to be broken," says Menkes. He often sees this in younger people: "They have more intense reactivity than older people. It's not only a function of hormones but it's a function of experience." Don't wait for a dire situation to try out these techniques. "Think about ways you can put yourself in non-game-changing, but pressured, situations. Pressure and fear are good because it means you are stretching," says Menkes. For example, if public speaking is nerve-wracking for you, he suggests you sign up for Toastmasters and try out your skills in a contained setting. Set up experiments in which you feel stress, but can manage it.

  Principles to Remember

  Do:

  • Think of stress as an indicator that you care about something, rather than a cause for panic
  • Focus on the task, rather than the emotion
  • Build relationships so that you have people to turn to in times of stress

  Don't:

  • Assume your stress is going to last forever
  • Worry about things that are out of your control
  • Spend time with people who are negative

  
  Case study #1: Focus on what matters most
  Eric Loucks, an assistant professor at Brown University's Department of Community Health, was awake at 2:00 am worried about how he was spending his time. Like most academics in his field, his job has two primary functions: research and teaching. To fund his research — and his salary — he has to secure grants. The pressure to win grants is particularly high, especially since only 8% of applicants for federal medical research monies receive funding.
  
  On this particular night, Eric had two grant deadlines fast approaching and was feeling anxious about how little attention he was giving to his students and colleagues. He had been working hard toward the deadlines, which left little time or energy for mentoring students, collaborating with colleagues, or any of the other duties that make up the other half of his job.
  
  Lying in bed, he started thinking about everything he was unable to do and the people he felt he was letting down. "I simply don't have enough time in the day to do what would be ideal," he says. But he recognized that sitting up at 2:00am was not a good use of his time. One way that Eric handles stress is to practice meditation. That night, he used an approach described by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist Zen master. First, Eric named the emotion. He recognized that the stress was a result of feeling that he wasn't supporting his students and fellow professors. He then gave it his attention. "The hardest thing to do is sit with the feeling for more than ten seconds," he says. But by holding his focus on it he was able to see that in dedicating time to the grants, he was also supporting others: his students, collaborators, and family. "I am trying to discover novel things that influence our health to help society," he says. While it was hard to feel the stress, it helped him see what matters most.
  
  Then he was able to take a step back and look at the stress and ask himself, What is the next best step? "All I can do is prioritize the most important thing at the moment," he says. He told himself that he would focus on the grants, since the deadlines were looming. He would get back to his students and colleagues when he was finished, which was in just two days. For Eric, the stress was a surface feeling and a deeper more fundamental issue was underneath: feeling he was letting people down. When he was able to get to that issue, he felt more equipped to solve it.

  Case study #2: Know what you can change, and what you can't
  A few years back, Gustavo Osorio, a veterinarian and product manager in animal health, was given an opportunity. His boss had left the multinational company they worked for in Mexico City and Gustavo was temporarily put in charge of strategy for his business unit. His boss had been a strong leader and shielded Gustavo and the rest of the team from any problems he faced from above. This meant that Gustavo was seeing many of the pressures and stresses at the corporate level for the first time.

  While honored to have the temporary promotion, Gustavo was under an immense amount of stress. He was doing many tasks that he had never done before while trying to prove he could handle the new work. He knew that the pressure was getting to him and sometimes he was not able to live up to expectations. "I made it difficult for the team to follow me at times," he says. He relied on certain people in his life to put the stress into perspective, talking regularly with a couple of close friends, including a co-worker on his team. "My wife and family also played an important role because they allowed me to vent my worries and frustrations, mostly by listening and offering unbiased advice," he says. One of the ways he relieved the immediate stress was by sticking to a regular workout routine, even though he was working long hours. He often got up at 5:30am to run eight to ten kilometers.

  He was able to use the strain to his advantage in the long run. "I think the stress I felt made me work beyond what I thought I was capable of," he says. After some time in the new position, he was also able to more clearly identify which circumstances he could influence. "I learned to focus on the most important things and stop worrying about those things I couldn't change. I developed ways to quickly assess situations, classify them into important and non-important, and respond accordingly."

  Eventually the company brought in a new business unit manager. While Gustavo's hopes of a permanent promotion were not realized, the experience allowed him to see his strengths and weaknesses more clearly and develop a more productive approach to stress. "I'm now on a path to being a better leader," he says.
  

  

• Dealing with Your Incompetent Boss

  Posted: 2011-06-06 17:26:18 UTC

  Everyone complains about his or her boss from time to time. In fact, some consider it a national workplace pastime. But there's a difference between everyday griping and stressful frustration, just as there is a clear distinction between a manager with a few flaws and one who is incompetent. Dealing with the latter can be anguishing and taxing. But with the right mindset and a few practical tools, you can not only survive but flourish.

  What the Experts Say
  "Most people have had experience with someone who is incompetent, or at least unhelpful," says Annie McKee, founder of the Teleos Leadership Institute and co-author of Becoming a Resonant Leader: Develop Your Emotional Intelligence, Renew Your Relationships, Sustain Your Effectiveness. Ineptitude in managers is unfortunately common. McKee says that's because too many companies promote people for the wrong reasons. People get ahead because they show results or have the right technical capabilities, but they often don't have the requisite people skills. Michael Useem, the William and Jacalyn Egan Professor of Management at the Wharton School and author of Leading Up: How to Lead Your Boss So You Both Winsays that whether your boss lacks technical or managerial ability, the results are the same: bad bosses sap motivation, kill productivity, and can make you want to run from the job screaming. While leaving is an option, it's not the only one for coping with a bad boss. Consider these tactics first.

  Understand the incompetence
  Before you declare your boss useless, check your bias and better understand what you are seeing. "When you're looking at your boss, the first thing you need to do before you judge, is look at yourself," says McKee. Many people have blind spots when it comes to their bosses. Ask yourself whether you are jealous of her position in the organization or if you have a natural tendency to resist authority. Your assessment of her incompetence may be unfairly informed by these beliefs.

  Consider also whether you have all of the relevant information. "Be cautious about your judgment until you collect the evidence," says Useem. Remember she may have stressors you don't see or fully understand. "It's very common for people to completely miss the pressures their boss is under. Partly because a good manager will buffer you from them," says McKee. By learning more about your boss and developing empathy for her, you may reevaluate her competence. Remember, even if you conclude that she is indeed incapable, that she is human and don't demonize her.

  Ask others for help
  Look to peers or people outside the organization for advice and a place to vent. This doesn't mean indiscriminate moaning about your boss. "You're not going to help by joining in on the complaining," says McKee. Instead find confidants: a trusted colleague, a spouse, a mentor, or a coach. Explain what you are seeing, how it is impacting you and your work, and ask for advice. "This is not to conspire against your boss, but to check your point of view," says Useem. People outside the situation can give you a fresh perspective or offer helpful suggestions for how to cope.

  Make it about you, not your boss
  Regardless of your boss's competence level, you need to work together to get your job done, and presumably advance your career. Managing your boss works best if you frame requests and interactions around your needs. "Telling someone who is not self aware that they aren't self aware is generally not helpful," McKee explains. Instead, say something like: "I want to do a good job and achieve my goals, and I need your help to do that." Be specific about what you want: his input on your work, an introduction to another colleague, his permission to reach out to a client, etc. If he is unable to help, suggest an alternative: perhaps you can ask one of his peers or superiors for input or an introduction. Help him solve the problem.

  Lead up
  Rather than giving up on an ineffectual boss, focus on what you can do to fill in the holes. "It's the calling of leadership to understand what the office or organization needs, and what the customer deserves and to then help them get it. If you recognize [your boss isn't] fulfilling the mission of the enterprise, more power to you for stepping up," says Useem. You don't have to cover up mistakes but do what's best for the organization. "Leadership goes up just as often as it goes down," says Useem. You need to do this without harboring resentment. Do it because you know that it's necessary for the good of the team.

  Think twice before ratting anyone out
  When you're working for someone who isn't getting the job done, it can be tempting to go to your boss's boss or another leader in the organization. First consider the consequences. "Hierarchy is alive and well. And this person has more power than you do. If you're going to expose them, you need to understand the political current in your organization," warns McKee. People at the top of an organization may feel threatened if they see someone trying to take down their peer and may be unwilling to help. Useem agrees. "It's hazardous to speak up in a very pragmatic sense. If it becomes known that it was you, who's going to be the first to go?" he says. So if you do decide to formally complain, he advises doing it carefully. Test the waters with someone you trust before going to HR or a superior.

  Both McKee and Useem emphasize that there are times when you are obligated to speak up. "In extreme circumstances, if the boss is involved in malfeasance, you have a duty to act," says Useem. In these cases, you need to go to HR and report what you have observed. Be ready to share evidence.

  Take care of yourself
  Working for an incompetent boss can be bad for your health. "There is a lot of research on the negative psychological effects," says McKee. She suggests creating psychological boundaries that protect you from the emotional damage. We have a tendency to point to a bad boss and say, "He is ruining my life." But, this ignores the fact that you have agency in the situation: you can decide whether to stay or not. "Once you become a victim, you cease to become a leader," she says. Focus on what makes you happy about your job, not miserable. "We can come to work every day and pay attention to this horrible boss or we can choose to pay attention to the people we are happy to see every day or the work we enjoy. We can choose which emotions we lean into," says McKee.

  Of course, if you aren't able to do that, you shouldn't suffer indefinitely. Consider looking for a transfer to a new boss or a new employer.

  Principles to Remember

  Do

  • Have empathy for your boss and the pressures he may be under.
  • Create psychological boundaries around work so that your boss's incompetence doesn't negatively impact your health or wellbeing.
  • Focus on the broader good of the organization and what you can do to contribute.

  
  Don't

  • Try to point out to your boss all the ways that she is incompetent.
  • Go to your boss's boss unless you are aware of the potential ramifications.
  • Stick it out if none of your coping strategies are working — know when you need to leave.

  
  Case Study #1: Focus on what you need
  Hilary Parker* had recently moved to Baltimore* and was excited about her new job with a state agency. She was hired by her new boss, Jeremy*, to create a new state-wide alliance focused on environmental issues. Jeremy had been with the agency for years and was well liked across the organization. Three months into the job, however, Hilary noticed that Jeremy was not introducing her to people or setting up the meetings he had promised to. These connections were crucial because Hilary's project depended on forming relationships. "It felt like he was blocking me a bit," she says. Over the next few months, things seemed to get worse. He failed to make introductions, took a long time to get back to her on time-sensitive issues, and took things off Hilary's plate without explanation. "I saw that he was very good at parts of his job but he was terrible at supporting and developing the new program that I was responsible for," she says.

  Hilary was frustrated but still determined to get her job done. So she created a detailed table of the projects she was working on, including information about their status and the contacts and support she needed to make them successful. She then presented the document to Jeremy. This exercise helped her organize her thoughts and ensure she was meeting her boss's expectations. But she also used it as a way of gaining permission to seek help elsewhere. Specifically, she asked if she could contact Jeremy's boss Michael*, the chair of the organization, who eventually helped her move some of her projects forward. Michael also sensed Hilary's frustration and encouraged her to be open about it. "He was very supportive. He gave me the feedback I'd been hoping for from Jeremy," she says. In the end, with Michael's support, Hilary decided to leave her position. A few months later, he hired her to work on a consulting project for another agency.

  Case Study #2: Protect yourself
  Stephanie Fadden* has been in the marketing and communications industry* for more than 16 years. A year ago she took a job at a Fortune 100 company. Michelle*, her new boss, had a similar background but had never managed others before. Early in their working relationship, Stephanie began to see that Michelle was not a clear communicator, could not articulate priorities, and struggled to make decisions. Stephanie was particularly frustrated when Michelle returned her work with line edits that had little to do with the content but were more about stylistic differences. She saw that this boss had little to teach her.

  Fortunately for Stephanie, she had a direct route to Michelle's manager because he had recruited her into the organization. She explained to both the manager and Michelle that she didn't think this specific job was a good fit and proposed a move to a new position with a different boss. She framed this suggestion about her needs and refrained from complaining about how she was being managed.

  The new position didn't come to fruition, but Stephanie resolved to not let Michelle get her down. Instead she developed coping tactics. "I ask her for exactly what I need. If she is unable to provide it, I provide her with a recommendation," she says.

  She has also shifted her mindset. "I've stopped trying to change her," she says. She tries to look at her with compassion. "It's so obvious to me that she's not comfortable in those shoes. She may not know that she's incompetent but she must know that she's not hitting it out of the park. She's trying to do what she thinks a good manager is supposed to do." Stephanie has also made peace with her own situation. "I've accepted and embraced that it's my choice to stay here. Knowing that this is something in my control and I'm not a victim has helped me tremendously," she says. There are days that Stephanie wishes she could just leave but she reminds herself that she is choosing to stay. "If I focus on the things in my control, I have a more productive day."

  *Names and some details have been changed

  

• How to Make a High-Stakes Decision

  Posted: 2011-05-10 18:15:01 UTC

  Even the most decisive manager can be thrown into despair when faced with a high-stakes matter. We make decisions every day without noticing, but a career-making (or breaking) challenge requires thought and deliberation. It's unlikely that a single approach will serve you every time. However, there are key factors you should consider to ensure you reach a sound conclusion.

  What the Experts Say
  People respond to the pressure of big decisions in different ways. As Michael Roberto, the Trustee Professor of Management at Bryant University, said in his 2001 HBR article "What You Don't Know About Making Decisions", "all too often [decision-makers] rush to a conclusion or else dither endlessly and decide too late." Finding a middle ground is difficult, agrees Sydney Finkelstein, the Steven Roth Professor of Management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and co-author of "Why Good Leaders Make Bad Decisions." "When there's more at stake, you have to take more time [but] how much time really depends on the magnitude of the decision," he says. Whether you are inclined to take shortcuts or stall out sorting through options, what's most important is to be aware of the hazards that might befall you, and how to avoid them.

  Involve others, but own the outcome
  Big decisions shouldn't happen in a vacuum. "You have to have a team. You can't rely only on yourself," says Finkelstein. By consulting others, you expose yourself to differing opinions, which will help you to make a more informed choice, and you give yourself a better shot at winning buy-in from those who will be affected. At the same time, beware of the risks. "If you have a lot of people involved, almost always a small subset take control and make the decision," which can make the larger group's contribution negligible, Finkelstein says. Also, while important issues, such as changing the strategic direction of a group or hiring a new manager, typically require input from many sources, at the end of the day, one person needs to be accountable. Ultimately, "the leader has to decide," he explains. "I'm not a fan of consensus."

  Trust — but challenge — your gut reaction
  In some cases, your first instinct may be right, but it's probably not based on rational thought. It's important to question your initial reaction and test it once you've gathered more data. Also make sure to explain your reasoning to others "That's one of the risks when we make intuitive decisions, people don't understand our thought process. It's not like when we go through a big formal analysis where they can follow the steps. With intuition, it's this lightning bolt. They don't understand: How did you come to that conclusion?" says Roberto inHarvard ManageMentor's module on decision making.

  Remain open
  Another pitfall that Finkelstein identifies is pre-judgment: when you form an opinion early on in the process, based on preliminary information, and stick with it despite what you learn later. "The hallmark of pre-judgment is when you see someone who is referring to data or examples that support their point of view and disregarding data or examples that are inconsistent with it," he says. Take notice when you keep finding information that maintains your perspective, ask yourself whether there is a dissenting point of view that you need to seek out and consider. Be your own devil's advocate and diligently challenge your initial assumptions, or find a trusted colleague to do this for you.

  Be wary of past experiences
  Many people make big decisions by relating the current challenge to what they've done in the past. It can serve you well to make those connections, but there are drawbacks as well. Finkelstein says people tend to rely on their past experiences even when they're not relevant. Roberto concurs. "The problem is that when we reason by analogy, we focus on all the similarities, and we often ignore the differences between related situations. And the differences often are where the problems are, where the challenges are." Bring in previous incidents as a source of data, but question how pertinent and useful they truly are.

  Recognize your bias
  "The reality is we all walk into situations where we have bias," says Finkelstein. This bias may be toward things we have attachment to — people, places, divisions — or toward our own self-interest. "It's not news that self interest has a role in how we think but what I found in my research is that a lot of self-interest is subconscious. We don't even know we're doing it," says Finkelstein. You may lean toward an answer because it will be easier to implement or because it is the one that will earn you the most good will with your people. These are not good enough reasons. Focus on reaching the best solution by acknowledging your bias and then putting it aside.

  Don't close the book
  Even after accounting for the above challenges, your decision will not be perfect. It's rare to figure out an issue completely before moving ahead with a solution. But, that doesn't mean you are stuck. It's a good idea to monitor the situation closely and make adjustments as necessary. "After a few days, a week or a month, you reopen the decision and see where you're at," Finkelstein says.

  Principles to Remember

  Do:

  • Own the decision but bring in others to better understand the various issues involved
  • Recognize when you may be partial and ask a trusted peer to check your bias
  • Regularly revisit decisions you've made to be sure they are still valid

  Don't:

  • Rely exclusively on your instinct — think through any initial reactions you have
  • Ignore new information that comes in, especially if it challenges your current viewpoint
  • Assume the issue is exactly like one you've handled in the past — look for similarities and differences

  
  Case Study #1: Don't go it alone and reassess along the way
  When Colleen O'Keefe first joined Novell as the senior vice president and general manager of collaboration solutions and global services she faced an extremely tough decision. Like many companies in 2009, the global IT infrastructure software company headquartered in Waltham, Mass., was looking to make significant budget cuts. Colleen's mandate was to reduce costs without affecting customers. Being new to the organization, she knew that while she was responsible for the decision, she couldn't make it alone.

  She asked her team leaders to recommend people who knew the business best and could put their self-interest aside to offer constructive suggestions on what cuts needed to be made. Colleen knew it this would be difficult. "The team knew they were making recommendations that impacted their work and their buddies' work," she says. She put this on the table upfront and asked everyone in the group to disregard self-protection as much as possible since the future was unclear for all.

  With this directive, the task force identified three alternatives. For each option, they outlined the risks, how much savings would be generated, and how the company might continue to meet its goal of excellent customer service. They presented the options to Colleen and made a recommendation so that she could make the final decision. Then, Colleen took the proposal to the leadership team to get buy-in from the top of the organization. She assured her colleagues that any risks would be mitigated by rolling out the solution in three stages. This approach allowed the team to review its decision along the way and make necessary changes at each phase.

  Colleen was proud of the team's work. While hard, the members succeeded in making the best recommendation regardless of their own self-interest. In fact, one individual backed a solution that eliminated his job. Colleen was able to find him a role in another part of the organization. Most importantly for Colleen, the team was able to maintain customer service while drastically reducing costs. "The bottom line is we measure success by our customer satisfaction and we absolutely hit the ball out of the park," she says.

  Case Study #2: Recognize when you need help moderating your bias
  In 2009, Bryan Richardson faced an excruciating decision. As a partner at UPD Consulting he was the lead on a high-stakes, high-visibility engagement that had turned sour. He had to determine whether to quit or see through a project that was stressing the company financially and emotionally.

  The contract had been dream come true for the young firm, which helps school districts and state departments of education set up data and management systems that measure results. Based in Baltimore, UPD had been a regional player but wanted to expand its customer base. "We're a group of ambitious people and we wanted to be a nationally recognized firm," Richardson explains. They bid on a hotly contested project to study data coming out of eight large urban schools in Texas and won — "against all odds," Bryan says.

  But soon after launching the project, Bryan sensed that the client would be difficult to work with. The woman representing the school district was not satisfied with the team's efforts and regularly returned their work without input on how they could improve it. Eight months in, the client had accepted 0 out of 9 milestones, which means UPD hadn't been paid. This was a financial hardship for the small firm, which had been paying its consultants since the work started. Bryan knew they had to get out or radically change the way the project was going.

  However, he felt he couldn't make the decision alone. He was too deep into it. "I was going to a bad place emotionally. I was not thinking clearly," he says. He went to his partners, who weren't directly involved in the project, and asked them to help him think through the risks and benefits. Bryan wanted the project to be over but he was still stuck in "pleasing the client" mode.

  Once Bryan had decided to get out, his partners helped him create rational exit criteria that would mitigate the firm's losses and save its reputation. They then negotiated an agreement with the client, something that Bryan concedes would not have been nearly as favorable to UPD had he let his bias of pleasing the client taint the process.

  "We took lots of time after the decision was made to ask ourselves what went wrong," Bryan says. They have used lessons they learned from this experience to negotiate every contract they have entered since.

  

• How to Build Confidence

  Posted: 2011-05-02 19:53:42 UTC

  Very few people succeed in business without a degree of confidence. Yet everyone, from young people in their first real jobs to seasoned leaders in the upper ranks of organizations, have moments — or days, months, or even years — when they are unsure of their ability to tackle challenges. No one is immune to these bouts of insecurity at work, but they don't have to hold you back.

  What the Experts Say
  "Confidence equals security equals positive emotion equals better performance," says Tony Schwartz, the president and CEO of The Energy Project and the author of
  Be Excellent at Anything: The Four Keys to Transforming the Way We Work and Live. And yet he concedes that "insecurity plagues consciously or subconsciously every human being I've met." Overcoming this self-doubt starts with honestly assessing your abilities (and your shortcomings) and then getting comfortable enough to capitalize on (and correct) them, adds Deborah H. Gruenfeld, the Moghadam Family Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior and Co-Director of the Executive Program for Women Leaders at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Here's how to do that and get into the virtuous cycle that Schwartz describes.

  Preparation
  Your piano teacher was right: practice does make perfect. "The best way to build confidence in a given area is to invest energy in it and work hard at it," says Schwartz. Many people give up when they think they're not good at a particular job or task, assuming the exertion is fruitless. But Schwartz argues that deliberate practice will almost always trump natural aptitude. If you are unsure about your ability to do something — speak in front of large audience, negotiate with a tough customer — start by trying out the skills in a safe setting. "Practice can be very useful, and is highly recommended because in addition to building confidence, it also tends to improve quality. Actually deliver the big presentation more than once before the due date. Do a dry run before opening a new store," says Gruenfeld. Even people who are confident in their abilities can become more so with better preparation.

  Get out of your own way
  Confident people aren't only willing to practice, they're also willing to acknowledge that they don't — and can't — know everything. "It's better to know when you need help, than not," says Gruenfeld. "A certain degree of confidence — specifically, confidence in your ability to learn — is required to be willing to admit that you need guidance or support."

  On the flip side, don't let modesty hold you back. People often get too wrapped up in what others will think to focus on what they have to offer, says Katie Orenstein, founder and director of The OpEd Project, a non-profit that empowers women to influence public policy by submitting opinion pieces to newspapers. "When you realize your value to others, confidence is no longer about self-promotion," she explains. "In fact, confidence is no longer the right word. It's about purpose." Instead of agonizing about what others might think of you or your work, concentrate on the unique perspective you bring.

  Get feedback when you need it
  While you don't want to completely rely on others' opinions to boost your ego, validation can also be very effective in building confidence. Gruenfeld suggests asking someone who cares about your development as well as the quality of your performance to tell you what she thinks. Be sure to pick people whose feedback will be entirely truthful; Gruenfeld notes that when performance appraisals are only positive, we stop trusting them. And then use any genuinely positive commentary you get as a talisman.

  Also remember that some people need more support than others, so don't be shy about asking for it. "The White House Project finds, for example, that many women need to be told they should run for office before deciding to do so. Men do not show this pattern of needing others' validation or encouragement," says Gruenfeld. It's okay if you need praise.

  Take risks
  Playing to your strengths is a smart tactic but not if it means you hesitate to take on new challenges. Many people don't know what they are capable of until they are truly tested "Try things you don't think you can do. Failure can be very useful for building confidence," says Gruenfeld. Of course, this is often easier said than done. "It feels bad to not be good at something. There's a leap of faith with getting better at anything," says Schwartz. But don't assume you should feel good all the time. In fact, stressing yourself is the only way to grow. Enlisting help from others can make this easier. Gruenfeld recommends asking supervisors to let you experiment with new initiatives or skills when the stakes are relatively low and then to support you as you tackle those challenges.

  Principles to Remember

  Do:

  • Be honest with yourself about what you know and what you still need to learn
  • Practice doing the things you are unsure about
  • Embrace new opportunities to prove you can do difficult things

  
  Don't:

  • Focus excessively on whether you or not you have the ability - think instead about the value you provide
  • Hesitate to ask for external validation if you need it
  • Worry about what others think — focus on yourself, not a theoretical and judgmental audience

  
  Case Study #1: Get the knowledge and get out of your own way
  In 2010, Mark Angelo, was asked by the CEO of Hospital for Special Surgery in New York to create and implement a program to improve quality and efficiency. Mark was relatively new to the organization. He had worked as a business fellow for the previous year but had recently taken on the role of director of operations and service lines. Even though he had background in operations strategy from his days as a management consultant, he was not familiar with the Lean/Six Sigma principles he'd need to use for this project and didn't feel equipped to build the program from scratch. He was particularly concerned he wouldn't be able to gain the necessary support from the hospital's physicians and nurses. What would they think of a young administrator with no hospital experience telling them how to improve quality and increase efficiency?

  For five months, Mark struggled to get the project on track and his confidence suffered. He knew that his apprehension was in part due to his lack of knowledge of Six Sigma. He read a number of books and articles on the subject, talked to consulting firms that specialized in it, and spoke with hospitals that had been successful in developing and implementing similar programs. This helped but he realized he still didn't know if he would be able to get the necessary people on board. "I was anxious and stressed because I had no idea how I was going to transform the organization. I knew I couldn't do it on my own. It was going to take a collective effort that included our management team and all of our staff," he said.

  He talked with the CEO who had supported him since the beginning. He also looked to his family for emotional support. Through these conversations he realized that his anxiety stemmed from a desire to be liked by his colleagues and therefore to avoid conflict. "After many discussions with my CEO and observing how he handled these situations, I learned that it is better to strive to be well-respected than well-liked," he said.

  This was a turning point for Mark. Instead of worrying so much about what others thought of him, he focused on doing what was best for the patient and the institution. In December, he presented the vision for the program to the entire medical staff. While he was nervous about how it would be received, he knew this was a critical moment. "I was able to get up in front of one our toughest constituencies and present the vision that we had been developing over the past few months," he says. His presentation was met with applause. "In the end, my confidence grew by leaps and bounds and we were able to design a program that has since taken off with great success across the hospital. I was able to overcome my mental blocks and knowledge deficits to build a program that will truly help transform how we approach performance improvement and patient care," he says.

  Case Study #2: Know the value you bring
  Julie Zhuo knew she had things to say but she wasn't sure how to get heard. As a product design manager at Facebook, she had developed valuable expertise in the products she worked on. Yet, she lacked the confidence to share her ideas. She was used to being one of very few women in the room. That had been the case when she was studying computer science at Stanford and it was still true now that she was at Facebook. She knew this meant she needed to make a concerted effort to speak up. But being the minority voice wasn't the only reason she felt unsure of herself. She says that she also suffered from "imposter syndrome," feeling as if she hadn't earned a right to her ideas; she had somehow ended up where she was accidently, not through hard work.

  Julie was intrigued when someone in HR told her about a workshop offered at Stanford by the Op-Ed Project. After attending and getting positive feedback about her ideas, Julie tried something she had never thought to do before: write an op-ed.

  Last November, she published a piece in the New York Times about the danger of anonymity in online discussions. "It was a matter of someone saying you can do it," she explains. "It had never occurred to me that I could be published. But it actually wasn't hard at all." The reaction she got in the workshop and afterward back at Facebook boosted her confidence. "Since then, she's gotten a lot of support from colleagues, which has emboldened her to speak her mind. "Of course it's still a work in progress, but now I'm a much more confident speaker and writer," she says.

  

• Where Will You Be in Five Years?

  Posted: 2011-03-17 21:13:58 UTC

  Most people have been asked that perennial, and somewhat annoying, question: "Where do you see yourself in five years?" Of course it is asked most often in a job interview, but it may also come up in a conversation at a networking event or a cocktail party. Knowing and communicating your career goals is challenging for even the most ambitious and focused person. Can you really know what job you'll be doing, or even want to be doing, in five years?

  What the Experts Say
  In today's work world, careers take numerous twists and turns and the future is often murky. "Five years, in today's environment, is very hard to predict. Most businesses don't even know what's going to be required in two or three years," says Joseph Weintraub, a professor of management and organizational behavior at Babson College and co-author of the book, The Coaching Manager: Developing Top Talent in Business. While it may be difficult to give a direct and honest response to this question, Weintraub and Timothy Butler, a senior fellow and the director of Career Development Programs at Harvard Business School, agree that you need to be prepared to answer it. And you need to treat any conversation like an interview. "Every person you talk to or meet is a potential contact, now or in the future," says Weintraub.

  The first step is knowing the answer for yourself. "It's a very profound question. At the heart of it is 'where does meaning reside for me?'" says Butler. You have to clarify for yourself what you aspire to do with your career before you can communicate it confidently to others.

  Be introspective
  Figuring out the answer to this question is not an easy task. "The real issue is to do your homework. If you're thinking this through in the moment, you're in trouble," says Butler. In his book Getting Unstuck: A Guide to Discovering Your Next Career Path, Butler cautions that you need to be prepared to do some serious introspection and consider parts of your life that you may not regularly think about. "It starts with a reflection on what you are good at and what you are not good at," says Weintraub. Far too many people spend time doing things they are not suited for or enjoy. Weintraub suggests you ask yourself three questions:

  1. What are my values?
  2. What are my goals?
  3. What am I willing to do to get there?

  This type of contemplation can help you set a professional vision for the next five years. The challenge is then to articulate that vision in various situations: a meeting with your manager, a networking chat, or a job interview.

  If you don't know, admit it
  Even the deepest soul-searching may not yield a definitive plan for you. There are many moving parts in people's career decisions — family, the economy, finances — and you may simply not know what the next five years holds. Some worry that without a polished answer they will appear directionless. This may be true in some situations. "For some people, if you don't have the ambition, you're not taken seriously," says Weintraub. But you shouldn't fake it or make up an answer to satisfy your audience. This can be especially dangerous in a job interview. Saying you want P&L responsibility in five years when you have no such ambitions may land you the job, but ultimately will you be happy? "Remember the goal is to find the right job, not just a job. You don't want to get it just because you were a good interviewee," says Weintraub.

  Know what they're really asking
  Butler and Weintraub agree that while the five-year question is not a straightforward one. Butler says that hiring managers rely on it to get at several different pieces of information at once. The interviewer may want to know, Is this person going to be with us in five years? "The cost of turnover is high so one of my biggest concerns as a hiring manager is getting someone who will be around," says Butler. There is another implied question as well: Is the position functionally well-matched for you? The interviewer wants to know if you'll enjoy doing the job. Weintraub points to another possibility: "They are trying to understand someone's goal orientation and aspirational level." In other words, how ambitious are you? Before responding, consider what the asker wants to know.

  Focus on learning and development
  You run the risk of coming off as arrogant if you answer this question by saying you hope to take on a specific position in the company, especially if the interviewer is currently in that position. Butler suggests you avoid naming a particular role and answer the question in terms of learning and development: What capabilities will you have wanted to build in five years? For example, "I can't say exactly what I'm going to be doing in five years, but I hope to have further developed my skills as a strategist and people manager." This is a safe way to answer regardless of your age or career stage. "You don't want to ever give the impression that you're done learning," says Weintraub.

  Reframe the question
  Research has shown that it's less important that you answer the exact question and more important that you provide a polished answer. Enter the interview knowing what three things you want the interviewer to know about you. Use every question, not just this one, to get those messages across. You can also shorten the timeframe of the question by saying something like, "I don't know where I'll be in five years, but within a year, I hope to land several high-profile clients." You can also use the opportunity to express what excites you most about the job in question. "In any competitive environment, the job is going to go to someone who is genuinely interested and can articulate their interest," says Butler.

  Principles to Remember

  Do:

  • First, do the contemplative work to develop a personal answer to the question
  • Understand what the interviewer is trying to gather from your response
  • Shorten the timeframe of the question so you can give a more specific and reasonable reply

  Don't:

  • Make up an answer you don't believe in
  • Provide a specific position or title; instead focus on what you hope to learn
  • Feel limited to answering the narrow question asked — broaden it to communicate what you want the hiring manager to know about you

  Case Study #1: Know where you thrive
  Bob Halsey found out about the opening of associate dean of Babson's undergraduate program the same way everyone else at the school did — through an email announcement. He had been on the faculty as a professor of Accounting for 12 years and recently had taken on the role of chair for that department. Prior to his academic career, he had been in the corporate world, holding a CFO position at a retailing and manufacturing company and working as the vice president and manager of the commercial lending division of a large bank.

  The associate dean job appealed to him because it was similar to the positions in which he'd thrived in the corporate world. Reflecting on his years of experience, Bob knew he most enjoyed being in a supporting role, rather than the top gun. While an associate dean position is often seen as a stepping-stone for those who eventually want to become dean, Bob wasn't interested in that. He didn't want to be the center of attention, now or in the future.

  Plus everyone at the school loved the current dean, Dennis Hanno, and Bob knew it would be unpalatable for him to talk with the nominating committee about eventually unseating Dennis. When asked about his future plans, Bob was clear: "I said, 'I'm not coming in with any designs on becoming dean. And if Dennis leaves, I will keep the train going until we get a new dean. I have always been a terrific number two. I am the person who can make your number one a success.'" Joe Weintraub, the expert from above and a member of the committee, said it was clear that Bob was passionate about the role, and the committee was impressed with his candor. He said that under other circumstances Bob might have appeared to be lacking aspiration, but in this case his response simply told them he was the right person for the job.

  "When people really want a job, they tend to overpromise. I figured it doesn't do me any good to get in under false expectations," says Bob. "My motivation in taking this job was to work alongside and learn from Dennis." He has been serving as associate dean for close to a year now and has found the satisfaction he was looking for.

  Case Study #2: Be honest about the future
  Three years ago Margaret Quandt was working as an HR generalist at Bristol Myers Squibb when a former colleague who worked at CitiGroup called to ask if she was interested in applying for a generalist job. At the time, Margaret wasn't sure she wanted to continue along the generalist track. She knew she eventually wanted more specialty experience. "I went into HR to be an HR professional, not to be a generalist," she says. But her contact told her there would likely be other more specialized opportunities in the future, so she decided to apply.

  During an interview with Brian, the SVP of the division that she would be supporting, he asked her, "Do you want to run HR someday?" Brian was a highly ambitious senior executive; as the SVP of Commercial Payment Solutions, he held full P&L responsibility. Margaret answered, "I don't know." She could see Brian react immediately: "His whole body language changed and he sat back in his chair". She then qualified her response, "Aspirationally yes," she said, "but I also love teaching and research. I'm a young woman in my childbearing years and I've worked with enough women in HR to know that we don't always get to do what we aspire to. It's really hard for me at this point in my career to look more than three years out." Brian paused for a long time and then said, "That's one of the most honest answers I've heard." After the interview, Margaret was concerned she might have blown it, but she was happy with her decision to be honest. "I don't lie in interviews," she says.

  Margaret got the job and soon after she was hired Brian confessed that he had been concerned about her answer at first. But as he reflected on it, he realized how much sense it made. It showed him that Margaret was both thoughtful and serious about her career. Margaret was the HR generalist to Brian's division for 17 months; then, as she'd hoped, she was promoted to her current, specialized role managing a global leadership development program for high-performing managers.

  

• Should You Hire an Overqualified Candidate?

  Posted: 2011-03-11 23:29:01 UTC

  As politicians and economists puzzle over America's jobless recovery, managers who have started to hire again face another problem: how to handle all the overqualified candidates coming through their doors. The prevailing wisdom is to avoid such applicants. But the unprecedented availability of top talent created by this recession and new research on the success of these candidates may be changing that.

  What the Experts Say
  Recruiters have traditionally hesitated to place overqualified candidates because of several presumed risks, says Berrin Erdogan, a professor of management at Portland State University and the lead author of a recent study on the subject. "The assumption is that the person will be bored and not motivated, so they will underperform or leave." However, her research shows that these risks may be more perceived than real. In fact, sales associates in her study who were thought to be overqualified actually performed better. And rarely do people move on simply because they feel they're too talented for the job. "People don't stay or leave a company because of their skills. They stay or leave because of working conditions" she says.

  Claudio Fernández-Aráoz, a senior adviser at Egon Zehnder International and the author of Great People Decisions and "The Definitive Guide to Recruiting in Good Times and Bad," agrees that there are more benefits to hiring an overqualified employee than there are risks."When making hiring decisions, visionary leaders don't just focus on the current needs, but on the future," he says.
  
  Here are several things to consider next time you are looking at a stack of overly impressive resumes.

  Overqualified or over-experienced?
  Don't assume someone is overqualified based on a quick screen of their credentials. "There is a lot of misunderstanding over what overqualified is," says Ergodan. "We define it as meeting and exceeding the skill requirements of the job. So having a lot of education doesn't over-qualify you." Nor does experience, if the person's prior positions are not directly related to the job in question. Get to know the candidate before you decide to pass. There may be reasons why he is interested in this specific position. He may want to shift industries, move to a new location, or achieve greater work/life balance. And there may be ways that you can make use of his "extra" experience.

  Think bigger than the job in question
  When considering a candidate who is, in fact, overqualified for the job opening, ask yourself if there is room to expand the role and make use of the skills he brings. "While the old paradigm for hiring was to determine that a job was vacant and look for the right candidate, in today's world one should also consider the talent opportunities at hand, and try to find the jobs that may be created or open in the near future for them, in the larger organization," says Fernández-Aráoz.

  "Hiring overqualified candidates can help you achieve much higher productivity, grow, and achieve opportunities that you may not even be thinking about pursuing right now." There are other less obvious benefits too: these employees can mentor others, challenge peers to exceed current expectations, and bring in areas of expertise that are not represented at the company.

  Bring them on carefully
  "Effective onboarding is essential, especially for the overqualified," says Erdogan. "Unmet expectations are one of the more common reasons for turnover," so you should be clear with yourself, the new hire, and the rest of the organization about what the job entails, as well as what it could become. Adds Fernández-Aráoz: "You need a clear and explicit plan for the future, whether you are thinking of a promotion, a lateral move, or a new project altogether. You need to think and discuss beyond the initial stage where he or she may be temporarily underutilized."

  Both he and Erdogan caution that recruiters need to manage an additional risk: a boss who feels threatened. "Managers often worry, 'Can I supervise the person effectively?'" says Erdogan. A superior with less experience than the new hire might be concerned that the person will take her job, make her look bad, or be too challenging to manage. This is not reason enough to say no. Instead, focus on the future for that candidate. In cases where the boss is insecure, "you should not bring that new hire in without a plan to promote him in the near term," says Fernández-Aráoz.

  Pay what they are worth
  Although it's tempting in a bad job market to buy top talent on the cheap, Fernández-Aráoz disapproves of the strategy. "While my experience shows that you can get candidates for up to 25% less in the middle of a big recession, I would not recommend underpaying an overqualified candidate," he says. "We all have the expectation to be rewarded in a way which is reasonably proportional to our effort and contribution, and fair." And if the candidate is as strong as you think, you are likely competing with other employers for her. If you can't afford her, Fernández-Aráoz says it's better to pass than to underpay. If she wants the job anyway, simply have a frank conversation about her future prospects in terms of promotion and compensation so that she fully understands what she's getting into.

  Principles to Remember

  Do:

  • Think broadly about your organization and its overall talent needs now and in the future
  • Consider how you could accommodate a promising candidate's skill set by shaping the job
  • Onboard carefully and be clear about your plans for the new employee

  
  Don't:

  • Narrowly define the hiring process as finding one person for one role
  • Confuse education and experience with skills; a candidate with lots of experience still may not have the capabilities to do the job
  • Try to pay an overqualified candidate less than he's worth

  
  Case Study: The hiring risk pays off
  In 2009 Lara Galinsky, senior vice president at Echoing Green, needed to hire a finance director for the young, but growing, global non-profit. She thought the ideal applicant would be someone relatively young but with a few years of non-profit finance experience. She was not expecting a candidate like John Walker.

  John had most recently worked for a venture capital fund that was forced to lay people off because of the economy. Prior to that, he had spent over ten years in the defense industry in a variety of senior design and management roles. "I didn't have a background in social enterprise or non-profit. I didn't know anything about 501(c)(3)s," he says. But he did have deep experience in running, buying, and selling companies.

  This was not an unusual situation for Echoing Green. "We get a lot of resumes from people who want to do a sector switch," Lara explains. They have a lot of work experience but not necessarily a lot of experience in the sector." She had previously ruled out candidates who were overqualified for certain positions or who didn't bring enough relevant experience.

  But John had been referred by a friend of the organization, and since Echoing Green straddles the world of for-profit business and non-profit organizations, she thought his experience might be applicable.

  Lara and her team talk about the risks and the opportunities of hiring each candidate. They knew that there were risks with John because he had never worked in the sector. But they saw many upsides too. "We didn't have anyone on staff with private equity experience and yet we work in that space. We knew we could use a for-profit lens," explains Lara.

  In the end, Lara thought the benefits outweighed the risks. They had been impressed with John's willingness to learn what he didn't know. "Hunger and potential are the most important factors we look for in candidates," she explains. "We hire for talent, not necessarily for acumen. I look for people who can grow, mesh, and evolve."

  John came on board in early 2009. Lara encouraged and incented him to network with finance directors from other organizations, so that he could gain insight from experts in the field. The learning curve was steep but he was able to come up to speed quickly and is now thriving in the position. As Echoing Green moves intoimpact investing they have also been able to tap directly into his previous VC experience. While John wasn't the person Lara initially envisioned hiring, she hadn't imagined what someone like him could do in the position. "We have evolved with him — and used his skills in ways we didn't anticipate."

  
  More on hiring: Too often, managers look to hire clones of themselves. Sharon Jordan-Evans explains in this video taken from the Hiring Module of Harvard ManageMentor how breaking free from that impulse can improve performance and retention rates.
  

  

• Making Sure Your Employees Succeed

  Posted: 2011-02-08 14:16:04 UTC

  It's common knowledge that helping employees set and reach goals is a critical part of every manager's job. Employees want to see how their work contributes to larger corporate objectives, and setting the right targets makes this connection explicit for them, and for you, as their manager. Goal-setting is particularly important as a mechanism for providing ongoing and year-end feedback. By establishing and monitoring targets, you can give your employees real-time input on their performance while motivating them to achieve more.

  What the Experts Say
  So, how involved should you be in helping employees establish and achieve their goals? Since failure to meet goals can have consequences for you, your employee, and your team, as well as the broader organization, you need to balance your involvement with the employee's ownership over the process. Linda Hill, the Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School and co-author of Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader, says "A manager's job is to provide 'supportive autonomy' that's appropriate to the person's level of capability." The key is to be hands-on while giving your people the room they need to succeed on their own. Here are some principles to follow as you navigate how to best support your people in reaching their objectives.

  Connect employee goals to larger company goals
  For goals to be meaningful and effective in motivating employees, they must be tied to larger organizational ambitions. Employees who don't understand the roles they play in company success are more likely to become disengaged. "Achieving goals is often about making tradeoffs when things don't go as planned. [Employees] need to understand the bigger picture to make those tradeoffs when things go wrong," says Hill. No matter what level the employee is at, he should be able to articulate exactly how his efforts feed into the broader company strategy.

  Make sure goals are attainable but challenging
  Since employees are ultimately responsible for reaching their goals, they need to have a strong voice in setting them. Ask your employee to draft goals that directly contribute to the organization's mission. Once she's suggested initial goals, discuss whether her targets are both realistic and challenging enough. "Stretch targets emerge as a process of negotiation between the employee and the manager," says Srikant M. Datar, the Arthur Lowes Dickinson Professor of Accounting at Harvard University and contributor to the Goal Setting module of Harvard ManageMentor. Be careful though: your team members are likely to resent you if you insist on goals that are too challenging to accomplish. At the same time, you don't want to aim too low, either. If you are overly cautious, you will miss opportunities and settle for mediocrity. "When done well, stretch goals create a lot of energy and momentum in an organization," says Datar. But, when done badly, they "do not achieve the goal of motivating employees and helping them achieve better performance as they were designed to do," he adds. Even worse, poorly set goals can be destructive to employees' morale and productivity, and to the organization's performance overall.

  Create a plan for success
  Once a goal is set, ask your employee to explain how he plans to meet it. Have him break goals down into tasks and set interim objectives, especially if it's a large or long-term project. Ask your employee: what are the appropriate milestones? What are possible risks and how do you plan to manage them? Because targets are rarely pursued in a vacuum, Hill suggests that you "help your people understand who they are dependent on to achieve those goals." Then problem solve with them on how to best influence those people to get the job done.

  Monitor progress
  Staying on top of employee progress will help head off any troubles early on. "We often get problems because we don't signal that we are partners in achieving goals," says Hill. Don't wait for review time or the end of a project to check in. Review both long-term and short-term goals on a weekly basis. Even your high-performing employees need ongoing feedback and coaching. Ask your employee what type of monitoring and feedback would be most helpful to her, especially if the task is particularly challenging or something she is doing for the first time.

  When things go wrong
  Very few of us reach our goals without some road bumps along the way. Build relationships with employees so that they feel comfortable coming to you if and when problems arise. If your employee encounters an unforeseen obstacle, the goal may need reworking. First, however, ask him to bring a potential solution to you so you can give him coaching and advice. If his efforts to solve the problem fail, you will need to get further involved.

  What about personal goals?
  Some managers neglect to think about what an employee is personally trying to accomplish in the context of work. "If I account for the interests of the whole person, not just the work person, I'm going to get more value from them," says Stewart D. Friedman, Practice Professor of Management at the Wharton School and author of Total Leadership: Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life. For example, if your employee has expressed an interest in teaching but that is not part of his job responsibilities, you may be able to find ways to sculpt his job to include opportunities to train peers or less experienced colleagues.

  The first step is for you to understand what these goals are. Ask employees if they have any personal goals they want to share with you. Don't pressure them; they should only share these aspirations if they feel comfortable. Friedman suggests you then ask, 'What adjustments might we try that would help you achieve your goals?" This allows the employee to take ownership over the solution. Just as with work goals, you need to be sure personal goals contribute to your team, unit, or to the company. "It's got to be a shared commitment to experiment and mutual responsibility to check in on how it's going. It's got to be a win for both," says Friedman.

  When goals aren't met
  There will be times, even with the best support, when employees fail to meet their targets. "Hold people accountable. You can't say 'Gee, that's too bad.' You need to figure out what went wrong and why," says Hill. Discuss with your employee what happened and what each of you think went wrong. If the problem was within his control, ask him to apply the possible solutions you've discussed, take another stab at reaching the goal, and check in with you more frequently. If it was something that was outside of his power or the goal was too ambitious, acknowledge the disappointment but don't dwell on it. "Do the diagnosis, get the learning, and move on," says Hill.

  It's possible that you may have contributed to the problem. Be willing to reflect on your role in the failure. Were you too hands off and failed to check in frequently enough? Did you not review his work in a timely way? Have an open discussion about what you can do next time. "If you don't hold yourself accountable, they're going to have trouble with you," says Hill.

  Principles to Remember

  Do:

  • Connect individuals' goals to broader organization objectives
  • Show employees that you are a partner in achieving their goals
  • Learn about and incorporate employees' personal interests into their professional goals

  
  Don't:

  • Allow employees to set goals alone
  • Take a hands-off approach to high performers — they need input and feedback to meet their goals as well
  • Ignore failures — be sure people have the opportunity to learn when they don't achieve goals

  
  Case Study #1: Being a partner in goal attainment
  Meghan Lantier is known at Bliss PR for being a natural people developer. As the vice president of the firm's financial services practice, Meghan manages several senior account executives, including Shauna Ellerson*. Meghan has overseen Shauna's work since Shauna started at Bliss four and a half years ago. Since the beginning, they have set goals through a collaborative process: Shauna develops draft goals, Meghan comes up with ones she believes Shauna needs to focus on, and then they identify the overlap between them. "I want to make sure they are manageable but stretched too," says Meghan. The two regularly check in on these goals. Meghan takes a hands-on approach, providing Shauna with regular input. They also sit down together at least four times a year to have a more formal discussion about Shauna's ambitions.

  One of Shauna's goals is to become more of a thought leader on one of their largest financial services accounts. She has mastered the day-to-day work of managing the client and now needs to focus on the bigger picture. Shauna has been working on this goal for several months now by speaking up more in client meetings and providing more input into the content, not just the process, of their work. "We don't need a goal review session. I give her constant feedback in the context of the work," says Meghan.

  Meghan also knows that ultimately Shauna is responsible for her own achievements. "I'm fully invested in making it work but I realized the limitations I have as a manager to make it happen," she says. It hasn't been necessary to talk about the consequences if Shauna fails to meet the goal — there are natural consequences in Bliss's high-performing culture. If you don't succeed, you don't get the better assignments.

  *Not her real name; changed since publication

  Case Study #2: Supporting personal goals
  Amy Werner took a job at the New York City-based search firm On-Ramps just over three years ago. Amy joined at an integral time in the firm's growth and quickly became a key asset to the small firm. Sarah Grayson, one of the firm's founding partners, manages Amy and explains, "Amy has a lot of institutional knowledge and is a high performer." When she first began she was working toward a degree in social work but taking classes at nights and on the weekends. A year and a half into the job, Amy's school schedule became more complicated. Her internship requirements made working a traditional, full-time schedule difficult. Because of her star performance, Sarah and her fellow partners were keen to keep her on board while encouraging her to complete her degree. Amy remained full time but now works two days a week in the office, completing the rest of her hours on nights and weekends. As Amy says, "They have been nothing but supportive."

  The firm has a semi-annual review process where goals are set and discussed; they also do more frequent check-ins on goals during weekly meetings. Amy and Sarah have talked a lot about how On-Ramps can support Amy not only by providing a flexible schedule but by thinking about the intersection of her studies and her work. They've found that there are lots of transferable skills between her job as a search associate and her work as a social worker, such as interviewing and client management. In explaining why they are so supportive of Amy's educational activities, Sarah says, "We wouldn't have done this for a low performer. We have to ask ourselves, 'What would it take to hire another Amy?'" Amy will be finishing her master's degree in May and she and Sarah have begun to discuss what's next for her. Both hope that there is a way to combine her skills in search and her interest in social work to create a job that is ideal for both her and On-Ramps.

  Portions of this article were adapted from the Goal Setting module of Harvard ManageMentor. Learn more about setting and achieving goals.
  

  

• Demystifying Mentoring

  Posted: 2011-02-01 15:21:50 UTC

  When people think of mentoring, they often think of an older executive counseling a young upstart. The senior leader advises the junior employee on his career, how to navigate the world of work, and what he needs to do to get ahead. But mentoring has changed a lot in the last few decades. Just as the notion of a 50-year linear career with a single company or in one industry is outdated, so is the idea that career advice must come from a wise old sage. The traditional mentor-mentee relationship is not necessarily a thing of the past, but it's no longer the standard. Now, there are many ways to get the information and guidance you need.

  What the Experts Say
  While the concept of mentoring has changed, the need for career counseling has not. In fact, because most careers take numerous twists and turns in today's world, it's required more than ever. "When I first started studying mentoring in the 1970s it was a much more stable world. There is a lot of chaos in the world of work," says Kathy E. Kram, the Shipley Professor in Management at the Boston University School of Management and author of Mentoring at Work. While mentoring has morphed, our collective thinking on it has not and many held-over myths still prevail. "There are many ways to define mentoring," says Jeanne Meister, a Founding Partner of Future Workplace and co-author of The 2020 Workplace: How Innovative Companies Attract, Develop & Keep Tomorrow's Employees Today. If you are working with the old definition, you may be confused about how to get the advice you need. Below are four myths: knowing the truth about them can help you figure out who to turn to and how.

  Myth #1: You have to find one perfect mentor
  It's actually quite rare these days that people get through their career with only one mentor. In fact, many people have several advisors they turn to. "In all likelihood, you'd benefit from having more than one developer," says Kram, who prefers the term "developmental network" to mentor. "It's that handful of people who you can go to for advice and who you trust to have your best interests in mind," she explains. This network can be as large or small as you want, and it may even include your spouse or partner. Sometimes it can be helpful to get a variety of perspectives on an issue you are facing. Meister and her co-author Karie Willyerd agree with Kram. "It's not uncommon for people to have many, many mentors," says Willyerd, former CLO of Sun Microsystems and co-founder of Future Workplace.

  Myth #2: Mentoring is a formal long-term relationship
  Because the world moves fast and people change jobs and careers more often, a long-term advising relationship may be unrealistic and unnecessary. "Mentoring can be a one-hour mentoring session. We don't have to escalate it to a six-month or year-long event," says Willyerd. Instead of focusing on the long term, think of mentoring as something you access when you need it. "It may not be big agenda items that you're grappling with. You don't need to wait until you have some big thing in your career," says Meister. In today's world, she says, mentoring is "more like Twitter and less like having a psychotherapy session."

  Of course, the advice and guidance may be richer and more relevant if it comes from someone who knows you well and understands your goals. You still need to build relationships so that when you require advice, you have the connections in place. However, there may be times when you look to people who don't know you as well or at all to get one-off counsel from an outsider's perspective. And in these cases, Willyerd suggests you may want to avoid using the word "mentor" altogether. "You can simply say, 'I'd really like to get your advice on something'," she says.

  Myth #3: Mentoring is for junior people
  Many people assume that they only need a mentor when they are first starting out in their careers. "We used to think it was people at early stages of their career who needed mentoring, those just out of MBA programs. Now we understand that people at every stage benefit from this kind of assistance," says Kram. In their book,The 2020 Workplace, Meister and Willyerd talk about reverse mentoring in which a more junior person advises a senior person on things like new technology.

  The reality is "There are lots of points in a corporate career when you need a mentor," says Meister. Though you shouldn't wait for them to come up, transitions are a particularly good time to seek out a mentor. Whether you are making a career change, taking on a new role, or contemplating leaving a job, advice from someone who has done it before can be helpful. "You may need a mentor when the environment around you is changing rapidly and you haven't had a chance to keep up with the changes," says Meister. "Or as you try to navigate the complexities of your organization," adds Willyerd.

  Myth #4: Mentoring is something more experienced people do out of the goodness of their hearts
  "It can be an honor to ask someone to be a mentor," says Willyerd. But the respect isn't the only reason people agree to help. Mentoring should be useful to both parties involved. Before seeking out a mentor, think about what you have to offer him. Can you provide a unique perspective on the organization or his role? Do you bring valuable outside information that might help him be successful in his job? Whatever it is, be sure that you are clear with your prospective advisor about what's in it for him. This does not have to be a direct barter. Even the promise of future help, if and when it's needed, can be enough to convince a mentor to give up his time and energy.

  So, do you need mentoring?
  Now that you have a better understanding of what mentoring can be, do you need it? "The place to start is with self-assessment and find out what are the challenges in front of you right now and why. Then ask yourself, do you have the relational resources to handle those challenges?" says Kram. If the answer is no, it may be time to seek out a mentor or several. Remember that mentoring can take many shapes and forms — the key is to find the right kind of advice from the right person at the right time.

  Principles to Remember

  Do:

  • Build a cadre of people you can turn to for advice when you need it
  • Nurture relationships with people whose perspectives you respect
  • Think of mentoring as both a long-term and short-term arrangement

  Don't:

  • Assume that because you are successful or experienced in your field that you don't need a mentor
  • Rely on one person to help guide you in your career
  • Expect to receive mentoring without providing anything in return

  
  Case Study #1: Using multiple mentors
  In January 2000, Soki Choi left Accenture Sweden to start her own company developing applications for mobile phones. A mere four years later, the company was acquired and Soki was left with a large decision about what to do next. Should she take a job with another Swedish telecom company? Should she start another business? "Suddenly I didn't have a natural "next step" in my career," she explains. Since she was a child, she had dreamed of doing medical research, but felt it was too late in life to pursue that path, especially without an MD. However, the desire nagged her. One day that spring, she read a story about Sweden's prestigious research hospital, the Karolinska Institute, merging with the university hospital in Huddinge and decided she had to explore the possibility of a medical PhD. She wanted multiple perspectives on this potential career change, so she sought the advice of three different people.

  Her first thought was of Ewa Ställdal, the CEO of a major medical research foundation that she had met several years previously on a delegation trip to the US with the Swedish Ministry of Industry. "She listened and took my thoughts seriously. She then connected me to her research and medical network, and in particular to an entrepreneurial professor in medical management," she says.

  Soki also contacted Bjorn Svedberg, the former CEO of Ericsson. She first met Bjorn in her role as a board member of PTS, the National Post & Telecom Agency which advises the Swedish government on telecom and infrastructure planning. Soki respected him and wanted to know what he thought of this potential career shift. "I specifically asked him if he thought it was a good idea to take on PhD studies in the midst of a critical time of my professional career," she says. Bjorn, who was in his 80s, revealed to Soki that he wished he had done what she was considering and he strongly urged her to pursue her dream.

  Soki's third advisor was Martin Lorentzon. Martin is only 5 years older than Soki and had a similar career trajectory in that he also left a steady job to start his own company. He had served as a "go-to" person for Soki while she was building her business. "Martin was much more of a direct, operational, and continuous mentor," she said. He also encouraged her to do what she thought would make her most happy.

  Soki is about to complete her PhD at the Karolinska Institute. Without the advice and help of her mentors, Soki thinks she would've taken one of the many job offers she had in 2004 and would still be in the telecom field, rather than pursuing her dream.

  Case Study #2: When you think you don't need it
  After twenty years in the search business, Stephen Wachter founded his own recruiting firm, Osprey One. Two years ago, he felt he was on top of his game: he had some of the largest clients in Silicon Valley, including Google, Yahoo, and Facebook. On a plane headed to the East Coast, he sat next to Susan Robertson, a leadership development consultant. He immediately noticed her because, as he says, they both had "devices falling out of their pockets." They started talking about what they did. Stephen proudly shared his successes, to which Susan asked him, "So, what's your next step?" The question blew Stephen away — he didn't know there was anyplace else to go. He thought he had reached the top of his career ladder and simply had to keep doing what he was doing. "She was very good at getting me to explore my own story," he says of Susan. Talking to her, he realized that there was a next level: both in how he conducted his business and how he interacted with his clients. "I thought about times when I had friction points with my clients and how I would've handled those situations differently in retrospect," he says. Besides, if he stopped developing, the industry would grow without him. "You've got to be part of the newness or the newness will pass you," he explains. Susan and he agreed to be in touch and talk about how Susan could help him stay focused on growing and learning. They continue to have a mentoring relationship today. She has helped him to reflect on who he is and how he is with others. "When you're young, you need someone to show you the ropes. The danger is when you think you've got it figured out."

  Case Study #3: Getting help through a transition
  As the Managing Director of People Insights, a coaching and consulting firm based in Belgium, Sunita Malhotra helps global companies design and implement mentoring programs. "The only reason I can do that is because of my experience with being mentored," she says. Midway in her career, she took a job working in HR for a fast moving consumer goods company. She had already held several positions in both consulting and sales and marketing, so she wasn't a junior upstart. However, HR was new to her and she knew she was going to need support through the transition. As she saw it, she would need help with three specific things: understanding how HR worked, figuring out how to work in a European office of a global company, and navigating being a women in a male-dominated company.

  Sunita looked both inside and outside the company for potential mentors. She asked around and several people recommended a male leader who was the second in command in HR. She approached him and asked if he would support her. "I was pretty direct. I knew he was busy. I was new. I prepared the conversation well." After listening to her request, he agreed. The two met regularly discussing what Sunita was learning but he also shared his experiences, both successes and failures. "He was a very good developer of people," she says. Sunita has since had several other mentors and believes the guidance she's gotten has shaped her career. "If you want a mentor, and one hasn't been allocated to you, do your homework. Know what you want. Know what you don't want," she advises.

  

• When to Reward Employees with More Responsibility and Money

  Posted: 2011-01-12 18:56:24 UTC

  Managers who want to recognize employees for good work have many tools at their disposal. One of the more traditional ways to reward a top performer is to give her a promotion or raise or both. But how can you know whether someone is truly ready for the next challenge or deserving of that bump up in pay? HR policies and company culture often dictate when and how people move up in a company. However, managers in most companies have a good deal of input into the decision, and in some cases they are the ultimate decision makers. Whether you have this authority or not, promotions and raises need to be part of an ongoing discussion with employees about their performance.

  What the Experts Say
  "Many times a manager feels responsible for finding their people their next step in the organization," says Herminia Ibarra, the Cora Chaired Professor of Leadership and Learning and Faculty Director of the INSEAD Leadership Initiative. It's critical that managers make these decisions about promotions and raises carefully. "I think who an organization promotes is a very strong index of their core culture," says Susan David, co-director of the Harvard/McLean Institute of Coaching, founding director of Evidence Based Psychology LLC, and a contributor to HBR's The Conversation blog. Managers should recognize that who they reward sends a signal to the rest of the organization. Therefore, they need to be sure they are endorsing behavior that is in line with the organization's values. For example, an employee who exceeds his targets but treats his team members poorly should not be rewarded in an organization that values teamwork.

  Similarly, the way an organization promotes people has implications for an individual's success. Organizations often assume that a promotion should involve giving star performers responsibility for managing more people and developing — rather than just executing — strategy. "Yet, these are not areas of genius for all. Many organizations lose some of their best operational people because of creating single pathways to organizational success," says David. It's possible to reward people in other ways. "Organizations who create multiple, flexible pathways to success will keep their best people, keep them engaged, and keep them for longer," says David. Next time you are trying to decide whether to recognize strong performance with a promotion or raise, follow these principles.

  Assess current performance using multiple sources
  As a first step, you need to be sure the employee is able to do the job you are considering promoting her into. Take a look at her performance. "There will be markers even in the current job that show how they'll do in the new role," says David. She recommends you use multisource feedback: draw not only on your own assessment but talk to others as well. It is especially important to seek input from people who interact with the employees in ways that you don't. Talk to peers, team members, and people she manages. In some cases, you may find that she's already doing parts of the new job. "Some people do their job as it is described and some enlarge their job; they innovate around the parameters of the job. That's the best evidence of all — when they're already doing the job," says Ibarra.

  Consider the "competence-challenge balance"
  "We all want to be and feel we are good at things. We also have the need to feel we are growing and learning," says David. A good indicator that you may need to promote someone is if he is expressing a desire to learn more and take on a new challenge. People who are particularly good at their jobs may quickly master them and need to be stretched. "If in their current jobs employees are reaching points where they are over qualified, this is a strong risk factor for disengagement and loss of those employees," says David. You need to always be assessing your people and be sure they are working at the edges of their abilities. If they are performing well but not learning anything new, a promotion or an alternative assignment may be best for both the individual and the organization.

  Make sure there is a match
  Before promoting someone into a new role, consider whether it's something she will enjoy doing. Many managers fail to consider that just because someone is good at a job, doesn't mean she will take pleasure in it. "One of the greatest tools a manager can use is an authentic, honest conversation with the individual," explains David. Ask your employee whether she is interested in and excited about the new responsibilities. If not, consider creating an alternative role that stretches her, fulfills her, and fills a need in the organization.

  Experiment before making the new job permanent
  Occasionally, you may need more information to judge the employee's expected performance in a new role. As Ibarra points out, "It gets tricky when performance in a current role is not a good predictor of performance in a new role." In these cases, design an assignment that is similar to the tasks and challenges of the new job to test the employee's ability. Be transparent with the employee about this experiment. Make it short-term and outline clear success criteria and an evaluation timeline. Be careful though — you don't want to invisibly promote your people without recognizing their contributions. Providing more responsibility without a corresponding change in title or raise can sap motivation.

  How much of a raise?
  With some promotions, it may be obvious how much of a raise you should give based on how much others doing the same job are paid. However, many job changes are not as clear cut. The employee may be retaining some of her former responsibilities while taking on new ones. Create a job description for the new role. Take a look at all of her duties and try to benchmark them against other jobs in the company or in the broader employment market. If you don't have similar positions in the organization, look at increases that went with other promotions in the organization. If most promotions come with a particular increase in salary, stick with a similar percentage.

  When you have to say no
  There are people who will ask for a promotion even if they're not ready and those who will hold back even though they are ready," says Ibarra. Your job is to help calibrate those requests. If your employee raises the idea of a promotion but you worry he's not ready, have an open discussion to hear his reasoning and share your concerns. Be clear about what competencies or experiences he needs to gain in order to be promoted and create an action plan for how he can do that. Provide him with the tasks and assignments he needs to expand his skills.

  Remember, there are other ways to motivate
  Due to a limited budget, you may have to say no to someone who is deserving. "With the financial crisis, a lot of people haven't been able to use promotions and raises as motivational levers," says Ibarra. There also may not be the right opportunity. In order to promote, David says, "there needs to be a strategic need in the organization" that this person can meet. These can be tough conversations. Be honest and transparent. Explain the rationale and be sure the employee understands that you value him. Give him stretch goals that help prepare him for the future when the company is better positioned to give him a promotion or raise.

  Most importantly, find other ways to keep the employee engaged. "Leaders are often comforted by their capacity to give a raise or a promotion because these strategies are seen as tangible and executable. However, while these extrinsic motivators are a useful and important part of keeping employees engaged, they are certainly not the only ones," says David. Instead, rely on intrinsic motivators, such as recognizing contributions, providing opportunities to gain new skills or experiences, and supporting autonomy and choice within a job. For example, you may have leeway as a manager to make modifications to the employee's current position so that he is spending half of his time on his current job and the other half on new, more challenging responsibilities. Doing this may be more motivational in the long run and can often inspire loyalty. "Overreliance on pay and promotion as motivators leads to an organizational culture that is very transactional and disengaged," says David. Employees who feel valued are likely to wait out the hard times.

  Principles to Remember

  Do:

  • Make sure your people are working at the edge of their abilities
  • Create an assignment that helps you assesses whether the employee will excel in a new role
  • Find other ways to motivate your people — beyond raises and promotions

  
  Don't:

  • Say no to a request for a raise or promotion without a clear explanation
  • Rely solely on your assessment of the employee's performance — ask others for input
  • Assume that a promotion will make the employee happy — look for a fit with the person's interests and abilities

  Case Study #1: A new role for the firm and the employee
  Elise Giannasi was hired by Katzenbach Partners in 2006 as the executive assistant to the managing partner. A year into the job, she was receiving glowing reviews and Shanti Nayak, Katzenbach's director of people, says it was clear that she was a star performer. In particular, Shanti noted that Elise had done a great job of building relationships with clients. Her relationships had been instrumental in setting up key appointments and ensuring that bills got paid. The managing partner felt she was ready to move up. But according to Shanti, "there was no typical role for people to move into unless they were on the traditional consultant path."

  At the time, the firm didn't have a staff person dedicated solely to business development. People throughout the firm were doing it as an "extracurricular" task. However, the recession forced the firm to develop a much more formalized process and they needed someone to be responsible for it. Shanti explains that they had two debates going on simultaneously: was this a role they needed? And if so, was Elise the right person for the role? While Elise was doing small pieces of client development already, she had never filled a role like this before. Shanti knew that Elise had worked hard to develop the right relationships both inside and outside the firm and she had confidence she could do it. When she talked to others in the firm, they endorsed her assessment. In the end, Shanti says, "It felt like a risk worth taking." Shanti explained that since this was a new position, it was difficult to decide how much to pay Elise once she was promoted. They looked at what other promotions carried in terms of a raise, in particular the percentage increase that associates received when they became senior associates. Elise was given a similar percentage increase and a new title: manager of business development.

  Case Study #2: Job sculpting to prepare for the next step
  When Sarah Vania joined the International Rescue Committee as the senior HR partner in late 2009, she was particularly impressed with an HR administrator named Nicole Clemons. Nicole was studying for her master's degree while working full time. She commuted two hours by bus to her job, using that time to study. Nicole had always received very good reviews. Sarah thought, "Here's a high-potential person who has earned her right to development." When Sarah sat down with her for their first review together, Nicole asked, "What's the path ahead for me?" She had applied for an open HR partner role but because it was two steps up from her current role, the organization didn't feel she was ready. Without a logical next step for her, however, she would be stuck in her current role. "As a manager, I owed her a career path but I didn't have the budget to create a new role and hire a new admin," says Sarah.

  Instead, she decided to create an alternative role for Nicole. Nicole would continue her duties as an HR administrator but also take on two of Sarah's client groups to manage. This apprentice model would allow Nicole to learn on the job what it means to be an HR partner with Sarah providing her feedback and support. "It helps her learn in a manageable, supported way rather than trial by fire," explains Sarah. Sarah spoke with the leaders of each of the client groups. She made it clear that although Nicole was still learning the role, she would make their groups her first priority and Sarah would be there if any issues came up. "I asked for their help and explained the benefit," says Sarah. Nicole has since taken on more responsibility and Sarah says she is well on her way to qualifying for the partner role.

  

• How to Navigate Bonus Season

  Posted: 2010-12-20 20:31:40 UTC

  Bonus season can be a tough time for managers. They have to make difficult decisions about who to reward and how to best reward them. Recent years have been especially challenging. Many companies have slashed or even eliminated year-end perks. But surviving bonus season doesn't mean simply grinning and bearing it. With the right understanding and tools in hand, leaders can make sure their decisions are morale boosters rather than motivation killers.

  What the Experts Say
  Few managers make year-end compensation decisions in a vacuum — many more have their hands tied by company regulations. If you're in the latter group, the best you can do is become familiar with your company's bonus process and the rationale behind it. This understanding will help you explain to your employees what the figure on their checks means (or doesn't).

  Some organizations, however, grant their managers greater authority when it comes to year-end rewards, giving them input in the process or even deciding on allocations themselves. If you're a boss in this situation, it's not only important to understand your company's process but also to use an approach that minimizes anxiety for both you and your team. Those who remember that bonuses are only one part of year-long process to reward and retain employees fare better than those who don't. "If you think of the bonus season as a way to make up for sins throughout the year, then don't waste your money," says Aubrey Daniels, best-selling author of several books including Bringing Out the Best in People.

  Unfortunately, for some, the idea of providing or receiving a bonus is still a distant dream. But money doesn't fix all problems, according to Iwan Barankay, an associate professor of management at Wharton School of Business who studies workplace incentives. He says that bonuses can actually have a detrimental effect on employee behavior in some cases. It's important that as a manager, you be thoughtful about how you reward your people, whether you have money to give away or not. Here are a few principles to keep in mind as you embark on your upcoming bonus season.

  Pay for performance or pay for showing up?
  Whether you are making bonus decisions or simply delivering them, the first step is to understand your company's philosophy toward "pay for performance." Do you reward your high performers for their extra efforts or do people get paid for their jobs no matter how they perform? Most management experts believe the former is the better approach, but there are merits to equitable pay as well. "On the one hand, giving bonuses to top performers encourages a repetition of such behavior in the future and also motivates others to follow suit. Equitable rewards, on the other hand, foster a joint sense of mission as long as it does not create free-riding," explains Barankay. However, Daniels argues, "You should get bonuses that are commensurate with your accomplishments." Whatever your company's policy, be sure you understand it before trying to explain it to your people. Sit down with your boss or with HR and ask for clarification if necessary.

  Know what you are rewarding
  "The first thing you've got to ask is 'What are we trying to achieve with this?'" says Daniels. If you are responsible for allocations, or at least providing input into them, you need to know what your aim is. Do you want to retain high performers or build team spirit? Discretionary compensation is most effective in motivating and retaining employees when it is linked to specific accomplishments. "The public display of performance rankings — like Walls of Honor — can be very conducive to performance when bonuses and rewards are closely tied to those rankings," says Barankay.

  Be sure that your people know what they need to do to receive any extra compensation. Daniels says about his own consulting company, "We start out so people know what they have to do and what they're going to get." (See Case Study #2 below.) Avoid using a single metric. For example, "You don't earn your quota just by making the sale," says Daniels. In those cases, what if the salesman made the sale but the client never ordered from him again? You don't want to reward the sale if it was done at the cost of efficiency or in conflict with your organization's values.

  Be aware of the message you're sending
  It's no secret: employees talk about bonus figures. News of who received how much spreads quickly. "Recent years have made it very clear that the allocation of bonuses and their size can receive a lot of attention internally, within the company, but also externally in the media," says Barankay. You may be tempted to try to get the largest benefit possible for your group, but be aware of what that says to the rest of the organization. "In some companies this will be seen as seeking recognition where it's due but in others it will be interpreted as amassing assets at the expense of the company in times of low cash flow," says Barankay.

  Money can't buy you love
  "Some people give bonuses because they want people to feel good about the company," says Daniels. This is rarely the effect, especially if bonuses are something people expect rather than something they earn. "A lot of people are using bonuses as deferred compensation so if they don't get it, they are disappointed," says Daniels. Plus, monetary rewards have their limits in terms of motivation. In fact, many people say they would prefer to know they are doing a good job, rather than getting more money. A manager should give rewards that are valuable and meaningful to the individual. "What's reinforcing to you is not necessarily reinforcing to the person next to you," says Daniels. Instead of relying on bonuses to create good will, get to know your people and understand what uniquely motivates them. As Daniels points out, "Money's a poor substitute for good management. The most important thing is how people are treated every day."

  Delivering the news
  Telling people they are getting extra compensation seems like it should be an easy conversation, but, that's not always the case. Whatever the amount you give, be sure you communicate to the recipient that she is valued. If the reward is generous, point to specific accomplishments and strengths that went into the bonus allocation. Impart that you expect her performance to continue to improve and provide stretch targets she can hit next year. If the employee was expecting more, be sure to emphasize the broader context of the company's approach to bonuses. Again, highlight her contributions and detail what she might do to earn a bigger bonus next year.

  Remember the rest of the year
  Year-end bonus figures shouldn't come as a shock or a disappointment. Keep your employees informed throughout the year about the company's approach to awards and what you might be able to do come bonus time. Provide regular feedback to employees so that there are no surprises. And perhaps most importantly, if you aren't able to give bonuses, rely on other motivational levers such as advancement opportunities, recognition, and pride in the work, which have shown to have a greater effect on employee commitment.

  
  Principles to Remember

  Do:

  • Understand your company's philosophy toward bonus allocation
  • Connect bonus awards directly to employee accomplishments
  • Make clear to employees what they need to do to earn the benefit

  
  Don't:

  • Rely on bonuses as your only way to motivate people
  • Assume that discrepancies in bonus figures are private and won't be talked about
  • Wait until bonus season to give feedback

  
  Case Study #1: When rewarding high performers means punishing others
  In his role as vice president of compensation and benefits at CEMEX, Gerardo Guerra knows the ins and outs of bonuses. A few years back, one of the managers he was advising faced a dilemma trying to divide up his bonus pool. Company policy was that each group would get 90% of the total target bonus for all employees. Then it was up to managers to make decisions about who got what. This manager had four employees with varying salaries and bonus targets. The highest paid of the four had made the biggest contribution that year and the manager wanted to reward him accordingly. However, because he had the highest target bonus number, to give 100% bonus to this employee, he would have to give percentages in the range of 50-75% to the others. This was not the message he wanted to send, especially since they were solid performers.

  He needed to figure out how to reward his star without penalizing the others. Company policy prevented him from increasing the pool. "Changing the rules of an incentive plan post-facto is frowned upon," says Gerardo. Instead he decided to give his high performer only 91.6% of his target bonus so that the others could receive 85 – 87.5%. However, when the manager sat down with the high performer, Gerardo joined them. They explained that he was receiving a higher percentage because of his impressive performance. In addition, they upped his merit increase and offered him company-sponsored training. This communication went a long way. "He understood the problem and did not want to unfairly punish his colleagues," says Gerardo. "Furthermore, he explained to us that he was very happy to be identified as the most important source of value that year and that the monetary difference in itself was not as important as the recognition itself." Gerardo points out that the company's incentive scheme has since evolved to allow further discretion when necessary.

  Case Study #2: Forget year-end, try monthly bonuses
  Aubrey Daniels (one of our experts above) started a consulting firm, Aubrey Daniels International (ADI), to help companies improve performance by applying the principles of behavioral science. Many years ago, looking to improve the way that discretionary effort was rewarded, Daniels and ADI's President, Darnell Lattal, discarded the traditional model of providing year-end awards and established a system of monthly evaluation and rewards. For each staff position — from the greeter at the front door to the person in charge of their financials — they identify several metrics to evaluate performance. These metrics are directly tied to company goals, but every employee is rewarded for their individual efforts. Each person has a scorecard with their metrics on it, which they are responsible for updating each month to discuss with their manager.

  The company sets aside a certain percentage of profit as a pool for monthly bonuses. Every employee knows what percent of that pool they can receive if they meet their targets. "It's not guaranteed. There may be months when there is no profit to share. They know they have to work through the lean and the green," says Lattal. What Lattal likes most about this system is that "it is related to work and not gratuitous giving."

  It may sound like a lot to manage, but Lattal disagrees. She says people have learned to work smarter and it's actually less work for management in the end. "I feel quite liberated from the type of management where you wonder what everyone in your company is doing" she says. And since employees are responsible for updating their metrics each month, there is little for supervisors to do once the metrics are in place, other than occasionally refining them. Employees are happy with this system too. "In the past, I knew my work was somehow important but, having monthly payout opportunities ensures that I understand the effect I have on monthly results and profit now, as well as in the future," says one of ADI's marketing staff.

  

• Winning Support for Flexible Work

  Posted: 2010-12-01 21:27:59 UTC

  Management experts have long predicted the demise of the standard 9-to-5 workday. Thanks to internet and mobile technology, we can now work where and when we want, they argue. So, why are so many people still sticking to those traditional hours, or more likely an extended version of them? The reality is that while flexible work arrangements have become more popular, few companies have an official policy or program. And even fewer managers are open to or equipped to handle employees with alternative schedules. But this doesn't mean you should give up on the idea of work flexibility. It just means the onus is on you to propose a plan that works for you, your boss and your company

  What the Experts Say
  Before you pursue a flexible schedule, recognize that you are likely to be bucking long-held conventions. "Traditionally, managers were reluctant to have people work remotely because of lack of trust: Are you really working or are you eating bonbons with your friend?" explains Stewart D. Friedman, professor of management at the Wharton School and the founding director of the Wharton School's Leadership Program and Wharton's Work/Life Integration Project. Even those bosses who trust their employees worry about appearing to favor certain people or allowing productivity to decline.

  Still, more managers and organizations are seeing the benefits of non-traditional schedules. Research from Lotte Bailyn, professor of management at MIT's Sloan School of Management and co-author of Beyond Work-Family Balance: Advancing Gender Equity and Workplace Performance has shown that when people are given the flexibility they need, they meet goals more easily, they're absent or tardy less often, and their morale goes up. By focusing on these upsides and framing your request correctly, you greatly increase your chances of getting approval for an alternative work arrangement.

  Define what you want
  The first step is to figure out what you are trying to accomplish. Is your goal to spend more time with family? Reduce the amount of time you spend at the office? Or do you want to remove distractions in order to be able to focus on bigger, more long-term projects? Once you're clear on your goal, decide what arrangement will best help you achieve it — options include a compressed work week, a job share, reduced hours, working from home, taking a month-long sabbatical, even something as simple as turning off your Blackberry in the evenings — and consider whether you could still do your job effectively. Of course, not every job is suited for flexibility. Before you make a proposal, be sure to understand the impact your wished-for schedule will have on your boss, your team and your performance.

  Next, investigate what policies, if any, your company has and whether there is a precedent for flexibility; there's no need to blaze a trail that's already been blazed. If your company doesn't have a formal policy, you'll need to create a proposal yourself.

  Design it as an experiment
  Many managers will be hesitant especially if your organization does not have established protocols. You can allay their fears by positioning your proposal as an experiment. "Include a trial period so that the boss doesn't worry that things will fall apart. He or she needs to be able to see the new way of working, and, in our experience, it quickly becomes evident that it is superior," says Bailyn. In Friedman's book, Total Leadership: Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life, he talks about nine different types of experiments — everything from working remotely to delegating — you can use to gently introduce flexibility into your work life. Most importantly, provide an out for you and your boss. Explain that if it doesn't work, you are willing to try a different arrangement or go back to the way things were. "If things go wrong, one can always go back to the original plan, but most such experiments work out very well," says Bailyn.

  Ask for team input and support
  "Lots of our research has shown that flexibility only works when it's done collectively, not one-on-one between employee and employer," says Bailyn. Remember that your team — peers and direct reports — is affected by your work schedule, so you need everyone's support to make your new arrangement a success. Explain what you are trying to achieve and ask for their input. "Engage them in the planning and proposal," Bailyn says, and be sure to let your boss know that your proposal includes your colleagues' suggestions.

  Involving your team can help head off another common concern of bosses. Some worry that if they grant one person flexibility, the floodgates will open and everyone will want the same arrangement. This is often an unfounded fear. Friedman points out that there's a difference between "equality" and "equity" and, in fact, many people prefer a traditional schedule. "You don't give everyone the same thing because they don't want they same thing," he says.

  Highlight the benefits to the organization
  Your proposal needs to emphasize the organizational benefits over the personal ones. "Whatever you try has to be designed very consciously to not just be about you or your family," Friedman says. "Instead what you propose needs to have the clear goal of improving your performance at work and making your boss successful." Demonstrate that you have considered the company's needs, that your new schedule will not be disruptive and that it will actually have positive benefits, such as improving your productivity or increasing your relevant knowledge.

  Reassess and make adjustments
  Once your experiment has been in place three or four months, evaluate its success. Are you reaching your goals? Is the schedule causing problems for anyone? Because you've designed the arrangement as a trial, you will want to report back to your boss. "Get the data to support your productivity. Show that it's working," says Friedman. And if it's not, be prepared to suggest adjustments.

  Principles to Remember

  Do:

  • Know what you are trying to accomplish with flexibility before proposing an alternative schedule.
  • Acknowledge the impact your arrangement will have on your boss, your team, and your productivity.
  • Start with an experiment, and be open to adjustments if it doesn't work out.

  Don't:

  • Focus exclusively on the benefits to you and your family.
  • Assume your team will be behind you; you must incorporate their input and suggestions.
  • Propose anything as a permanent solution without testing it first.

  Case Study #1: Creating a unique job share
  Julie Rocco was working as a program manager at Ford Motor Co when had she her first baby. She knew she wanted to return after her maternity leave but she didn't see how she could work a 12-hour-a-day job and also be a hands-on mom. So she asked a mentor at Ford for advice. The answer was simple: take advantage of the company's commitment to flexible work by crafting a job that suited her. The mentor suggested she talk to another Julie at Ford, Julie Levine, about job-sharing. Levine, a mother of two, had shared a job before and wanted to try it again, not least because it would give her an opportunity to move into mainstream project development.

  "It's very much like picking a spouse," Levine says of choosing the right job-share partner. "That person is your eyes and ears when you're not there." After checking each other out in what they now refer to as "a blind date," they agreed to pitch themselves as a pair to Ford's management. The plan was this: Each would work three days a week overlapping one day — Rocco on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday; Levine on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. They deliberately opted against splitting the week in half in order to avoid "losing momentum" during long stretches away. Each evening, save Wednesday, the person who'd been in the office would spend an hour and a half on the phone "downloading" the day's events to the one who'd been home. And on their days in common, they would either work together or, when things were exceptionally busy, divide and conquer. "It's our job to be seamless," they told their bosses. "We have the same outlook, the same goal, the same vision, the same work ethic. And you'll get more from us than one person could give."

  "We said we would be a pilot," Levine recalls. Not only did Ford's management agree, they put the duo in charge of one of their most high-profile 2011 launches — the new Ford Explorer. The experiment was a success: they're now known throughout the company as "the two Julies," twin dynamos.

  Both say the job share has made them happier at home and work, and also more effective. "One person might work a 12-hour day, go home and collapse, then have to do it all again the next day," Levine explains. With us, "because you have to analyze your day and share it with another brain, you show up the next day you're in ready to run."

  
  Case Study #2: Taking time off for personal development
  Amit Desai had been working at Bayer Healthcare for 11 years when he decided he wanted to apply to Wharton's top-rated executive MBA program. However, his enrollment would mean attending a full day of school on Friday every other week and on an occasional Thursday for two years — more than 60 days away from his job as an automation project manager.

  While Bayer has official policies on telecommuting and flex-time, special requests like Amit's are decided on a case-by-case basis and so he was told to make a formal proposal. He started by looking into a similar request a previous employee had made and talking to his boss, who supported the plan with one stipulation: if a conflict ever arose, Amit would give priority to work over school. Amit agreed and created a pitch, including a detailed explanation of the MBA program and his goals in applying, a calendar of days he would be in school and how they tied into his work schedule, and a list of benefits to Bayer. "I have the ability to apply knowledge gained at school over the weekend to work on Monday," he told them. The VP approved his request and wrote a letter endorsing his Wharton application.

  Amit is now in his fifth semester. "I honestly feel that the MBA challenge has rejuvenated me and I am more energized [at work]," he says.

  Case Study #3: Setting the precedent
  Like many young parents, Hope O'Reilly and her husband, Troy, were shocked to discover how prohibitively expensive full-time childcare was, especially in New York City. After having their first child, Hope wanted to return to her job as director of development at the American Craft Council, but she and Troy weren't sure how they could swing it financially. Toward the end of her maternity leave, the couple came up with a plan that would allow them both to continue working full-time while reducing their need for childcare: both would work from home one day a week, so they would only need a sitter on three days. They would be available for calls and meetings at most hours, work while the baby napped and make up for any missed time on their four days in the office.

  Troy was a vice president in technology at JP Morgan Chase, and because the bank had flexible work policies in place, he was able to get approval to work from home most Mondays rather easily. Hope asked her boss at the ACC if she could work from home on Fridays, but faced a bigger challenge since no one at the organization had done that before. "There was absolutely no precedent," she says. Her boss was concerned about whether the mother of a newborn could really work at home, but Hope reassured her she could and promised to put in extra hours on nights and weekends. She acknowledged that it would be challenging and suggested they try the arrangement for three months, after which they could re-evaluate.

  Hope stayed in the job, working from home on Fridays, for two years before moving on to the Bogliasco Foundation, where she has a similar arrangement working a compressed workweek. She believes that flexibility garners loyalty in employees. "When you have flexibility, you let a lot of other things slide, such as not getting raises. What's more valuable than time?" she says.

  

• How to Get Your Idea Approved

  Posted: 2010-11-15 21:12:57 UTC

  When you have an idea, proposal, or recommendation that you believe in, it's easy to presume that getting it approved will be a breeze. If you see how great the idea is, won't everyone else? However, whether an audience accepts an idea is often less about the idea itself than about how you present it. When you need approval, don't assume that just because it's brilliant, others will see it that way — convince them.

  What the Experts Say
  When it comes to getting approval, style can be as important as substance. "Words matter," says John P. Kotter, Chief Innovation Officer at Kotter International, and a professor emeritus at Harvard Business School, whose latest book is Buy-in: Saving Your Good Idea from Getting Shot Down. And many times, all you get is one chance in front of your boss, the Executive Committee, or whatever group will decide your idea's fate. "Initial impressions are very strong and they can be hard to counteract," says Michael I. Norton, an Associate Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. It's not about shoving the idea and its numerous merits down your audience's throat. Think about how you can carefully usher your idea through the approval process. "The bigger the stakes, the more it's worth taking the time to get it right," says Kotter. Here are five ways you can give your proposal a fighting chance.

  Form alliances early
  Before you present an idea or request resources or approval, it's a good idea to test it with those responsible for giving the green light. "Sometimes it doesn't hurt to talk around a little and see what lights people's eyes up and what makes them cloud over," says Kotter. This can also surface questions or comments early in the process. Once you've tested the waters, you can set up more formal meetings with key stakeholders to ask for their support. These meetings serve three purposes:

  • They build the necessary buy-in for your idea.
  • They demonstrate to your stakeholders that you're interested in their opinions.
  • They help you improve and expand on your idea — it's possible that these stakeholders will see something in your idea that you didn't.

  The more you understand your audience's feelings about your proposal, the better you can prepare to get it approved.

  Prepare, prepare, prepare
  How you respond to questions and concerns will play a large role in your success or failure. "Primarily, when you watch someone stumble through an answer, you make an inference that they don't know what they're talking about," says Norton. Display confidence so people trust that your recommendation is a good one. Before you go into your presentation, think through what possible concerns your audience may have. In Buy-In, Kotter and co-author Lorne Whitehead lay out the four basic strategies people most often use to shoot down an idea:

  • Putting off the decision so it's essentially delayed to death
  • Creating confusion by barraging you with questions or unnecessary detail
  • Stirring up irrational anxieties or fears
  • Attacking you personally

  Rather than avoiding these attacks, Kotter and Whitehead suggest "letting the lions in" to critique your idea. Don't marginalize the people who will pull apart your idea. Instead, develop concise, honest responses to each of the tactics they may use. By doing this in advance, you build your self-confidence and can avoid getting anxious or mad when people challenge your idea.

  Position it for your audience
  "You absolutely want to tailor the specifics of your presentation to your audience," says Norton. How does your idea benefit them? They may stand to gain prestige, cost savings, or an opportunity to build their legacy around your idea. Shape your presentation so that it speaks directly to those benefits and the ways that your audience will reap them. By doing this, Kotter says, you create a positive mindset around accepting your idea or proposal.

  Keep it simple
  "The curse of a presentation is that you know much more than your audience about the topic," says Norton. Focus on one or two main points and avoid getting hung up on trying to prove how much you know. Be judicious in how much data and analysis you present. Overly detailed presentations can distract your audience, making them feel stupid for not following along. Also, they can cause you to simply run out of time. Even if your audience asks for more detail, be sparing. Here, Kotter points out that one of the tactics that people use to kill an idea is to present distracting information or request so many specifics that others get confused.

  Answer questions with confidence
  When you present a new idea, "People will have all sorts of reactions and will want to discuss those reactions," says Norton. Many presenters get distracted by trying to discern the intention behind questions or comments.Is he trying to throw me off? Does he hate the idea? Does she not trust my judgment? Don't bother with trying to uncover motivations. Focus on answering the question as simply and straightforwardly as possible. No matter how aggressive, demeaning, or seemingly silly the question may seem, "You want to come off as a statesman," says Kotter. "Treat him like a reasonable person with a reasonable question."

  If you get a question that is off-topic or potentially derailing, you can answer the question you wished the person asked instead. In a recent whitepaper "The Artful Dodger: Answering the Wrong Question the Right Way," Norton and his co-author Todd Rogers found that people who "artfully dodge" questions are trusted more than those who respond directly to questions in a less elegant way. "If we know someone is dodging the question, we don't like it. But we very, very often don't notice it," says Norton. You can give an answer that is vaguely related to the question but that confidently returns your audience back to your main point.
  
  Principles to Remember

  Do:

  • Meet with important stakeholders in advance of needing their formal approval
  • Position your idea in terms of the benefits your audience stands to gain
  • Answer questions concisely and confidently

  
  Don't:

  • Assume that your audience will believe it's a good idea just because you do
  • Overwhelm your audience with detailed analysis or specifics
  • Get defensive or angry when people challenge your idea

  
  Case Study #1: Build and leverage alliances
  Amy Vezzetti was working for a global pharmaceutical company when she took on the role of senior manager of HR for the Asia Region. Each of the countries in the region had their own HR team, but before she and her boss re-located to Hong Kong, there had been little coordination between them. In the first few months of her new role, Amy saw an opportunity to implement a regional approach to 360-degree reviews based on a homegrown solution from Australia. It was affordable, especially in comparison with the off-the-shelf products that some countries were using, and using one system would give global HR access to regional data about performance and evaluation. Amy quickly convinced her boss that it was worth pursuing.

  Her next step was to get approval from the individual countries. "We needed to know that all the HR teams were on board," she said. She met with them individually to present the case. Before the meetings, "we thought through: what is the likely resistance and how can we show them the benefits to their organization, their employees and to the company," said Amy. They then held a region-wide meeting where they presented the formal business case to the country HR managers. "We got sign off because we had already done the alliance building," she said. But getting their buy-in was only half the battle. They still needed the go-ahead from leadership to fund the project, which required approval from the regional president and all of the individual country managers. She started by casually bringing it up with the regional president. "He wasn't against it but I didn't think 'Great, this is going to be easy,'" said Amy.

  Amy and her team enlisted the help of the HR directors in each country and asked them to meet with their country managers to review the business case. These meetings helped to get the country managers on board, but also generated useful feedback that they used to adjust the product. They then took the proposal to the regional president and positioned it as a cost-efficient opportunity to support his goals. For example, one of his strategies was to develop the capacity to move talent across the region, and Amy and her team explained how having consistent data would enable that. After hearing the case, he was very supportive and agreed to fund it. The new system was rolled out region wide the following year.

  
  Case Study #2: "Consistent persistence"
  In 2007, Matt Rady, the Head of Banking and Financial Service in North America for Macquarie, a global provider of banking, financial, advisory, investment, and funds management services, had a breakthrough idea. At the time he was the head of Macquarie Global Investments and responsible for sourcing and developing new products. He and his team had come up with the idea of expanding their footprint into agriculture. They knew there was strong global demand for food, and a growing rate of protein consumption in Asia. But Macquarie had played in relatively traditional markets and he knew he would have a tough time convincing leadership there was money to be made from buying farms and fattening cattle. Still, he felt the proposition had promise and set about proving its worth.

  Matt started off by presenting the proposition to his boss. "He was highly skeptical but we didn't get a blatant 'no'," Matt said. Without his boss's wholehearted approval, Matt knew he would need a champion within the organization to help them push the idea through. They decided to go to his boss's boss because they believed their proposition was in line with the culture he was trying to build. He had recently told his organization that they should be pursuing BHAGs (big, hairy, audacious goals) and Matt felt the proposition qualified. "We didn't want to circumvent line management or go behind my boss's back, so we said, 'Give us an opportunity to pitch the idea to both of you," said Matt. This pitch was not to get full approval; rather they needed resources to prove out the concept. They got them.

  "We knew there would be other skeptics," Matt said, so they began to gather allies trusted in the organization. In particular, they brought in two retired executives who believed in their idea and who could lend credibility to the proposition. Prior to going to the bank's executive committee to ask for final approval, they thought through the concerns the committee might have: Would they question whether there would be enough investor demand? Or would they doubt that the company had the right internal capacity? They tailored the pitch based on the issues they thought the committee would find most worrisome. "It's about being prepared for the unexpected questions," said Matt.

  Matt and his team succeeded: the executive committee approved the proposition and the product was launched in 2008. The whole process took 18 months. Matt says that they never got to the point that they thought they should throw in the towel but "we did see that it would be a long road to glory." He described their approach as "consistent persistence." The fund is the second largest producer of cattle in Australia, has raised over $750 million globally, and has subsequently spawned other initiatives at Macquarie.
  

  

• When Your Team Turns on You

  Posted: 2010-10-22 18:16:16 UTC

  It can happen to even the most competent leaders. Your team members disengage or stop coming to meetings. They refuse to, or simply don't do, what you ask of them. They begin meeting without you. When these things happen, it may be that your team has turned against you. For a leader, this can be a disheartening and terrifying experience, but it is not irreparable. By being open to what is happening, listening to your team and being direct, you can regain the group's confidence and your effectiveness as a leader.

  What the Experts Say
  "Building strong, good teams at the beginning is the best thing you can do to prevent problems in the first place," says Deborah Ancona, the Seley Distinguished Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and author of X-Teams: How to Build Teams that Lead, Innovate, and Succeed. Unfortunately, even your best efforts may not be able to prevent a team from turning. Teams begin to disrespect leaders for all sorts of reasons. You may have failed to involve them in important decisions, or claimed too much credit for their work. "If team members do not feel respected by the leader, they will reciprocate the sentiment," says Deborah H. Gruenfeld, the Moghadam Family Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior and Co-Director of the Executive Program for Women Leaders at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Or it may be that certain individuals don't respect each other, or are holding grudges, and are turning on you because you haven't done anything about it. "Typically people start something when they feel they haven't been heard or something has happened that they think is unfair," says Gabriella Jordan, the President of the Education Division at The Handel Group, an executive coaching firm based in New York City, and co-author of "Designing Your Life," a course taught through MIT. Regardless of the reason for discontent, you may be able to earn back your team's trust and commitment by using the following approach.

  Name What is Happening
  As with most problems, the first step is to admit to yourself what is going on. This is not always easy. "The signs that a team has turned hostile can be tough to discern," says Gruenfeld. Therefore, you need to be attuned to signs of conflict. "Teams that have turned on their leader but are not prepared to address the problem might appear pleasant but 'checked out.' They might be reluctant to engage or spend time with the leader, fearing that their true feelings will leak out," says Gruenfeld. "In many cases teams that have lost faith in their leader will respond not with overt hostility, but with what looks more like apathy. The energy that once went toward supporting the leader's goals and initiatives will be deflected toward other, more personally satisfying activities, like gossiping about the leader, avoiding team assignments, looking for new employment, and goofing off."

  Once you've identified the problem, it's critical that you acknowledge it to your team as well. Otherwise it can become the elephant in the room. "If you're pretending that nothing's wrong and the rest of your team knows there is, it can be really problematic," says Ancona.

  Understand the Underlying Cause
  To be able to address the issue at hand, you need to know what caused it. Find the original source of the discontent. Is one person driving the negativity or are the feelings shared across the team? Are people taking issue with your leadership or are their problems with other team members causing them to rebel against you? Ask direct and open questions. If you hear second-hand about the original source of the dissatisfaction, ask the messenger to have that person come talk to you directly.

  Own the Issue
  No matter the cause of the problem, recognize that things became destructive under your watch. Publicly acknowledge what you have done to contribute to the problem, and explain what you are going to do address it. "The irony is that people think that if they look vulnerable, it puts them at risk. In fact, it makes them more powerful," says Jordan. Ancona agrees. "Great leaders are able to get up and say, 'Thanks for the feedback. I realize I haven't been doing X. These are the steps I'm taking to correct this and I'd appreciate feedback on how it's going." Be direct and ask for help changing the situation.

  Listen and Encourage Directness
  Jordan recommends enforcing a no-gossip policy across the board. "Gossip is so destructive," she says. Tell people if they have a problem with anyone else on the team, including you, they should speak to the person directly — even if it is you. Demonstrate that you are willing to listen and deal with whatever the issue is. When the issue is more team-wide, "You want to give people an opportunity to be heard," says Jordan. You can do this in a public forum, or in one-on-one meetings if people aren't comfortable speaking in a group. Other options may be to send out a survey or bring in an outsider who can gather information on your behalf. The method is less important than the action of asking for input. This allows people to air out grievances as well as establishes open lines of communication to prevent future revolts.

  When the Problem Doesn't Go Away
  When a team is particularly defiant or upset, you may not be able to resolve the problem alone. Find a mediator — either an outside coach or an uninvolved person from another part of the organization — to get the issues out in the open and negotiate a resolution. Working with a coach may help you understand why your style or approach is not effective with your team. If that fails, you may need to step down as leader. Or, as Ancona says, "If there is a mismatch with the leader and the task at hand, the team may need to be broken up." Jordan adds, "If you can't resolve why they are unhappy, maybe they don't belong there."

  Principles to Remember

  Do:

  • Be open to hearing your team's complaints and feedback
  • Institute a "no gossip" policy so that people deal directly with one another
  • Take responsibility for your role in creating the situation

  Don't:

  • Pretend nothing is happening because, most likely, everyone is aware of it
  • Be afraid to show vulnerability
  • Allow negative feelings to fester — give people a chance to air their grievances

  
  Case Study #1: Getting your team back and saving your business
  In late 2004, Bentley Meeker, CEO/Owner of Bentley Meeker Lighting and Staging Inc, an event lighting design firm in Manhattan, was ready to close his company. The business was doing okay but his employees were suffering: morale was low and people were angry and resentful. "The soul of my business was black," Bentley recalls. He had heard rumblings of gossip about his personal life and how he ran things. "I was very permissive in that way because I let it happen," he says. His girlfriend at the time convinced him to work with an executive coach before he closed. He was resistant at first and unsure that this situation was resolvable.

  He started by gathering his staff for an "air out session." It became clear that people were dwelling on past conflicts that had never been addressed. In fact, one clash was over who had picked up a dinner tab several years before. Bentley instructed that they start communicating directly. There couldn't be any gossip if they were going to turn things around. He also acknowledged his role in creating the destructive atmosphere. "My own commitment to being right was giving them permission to be committed to being right. So they were spending time gathering evidence to support their being right rather than focusing on the business," he explains.

  Once his employees started having the difficult conversations needed to resolve their conflicts, they began to feel more united and committed. "It was all about clean communication," Bentley says. Soon they realized there was pent-up client demand they hadn't been able to serve because they were so wrapped up in what was going on inside the business. In the next six years, the company's revenue tripled.

  Case Study #2: Helping a manager regain her team's trust
  Several years ago, Josh Corcoran,* the publisher of an international fashion magazine, began hearing complaints about Katherine*, a member of his executive team. Her direct reports felt she didn't care about them. They accused her of being fixated on pleasing Josh, not representing their opinions or hard work, and blaming them when problems arose, without taking any responsibility herself.
  
  Six months before, as part of a restructuring process, the leadership team had agreed on a management doctrine dictating how they would resolve conflicts. It included a policy of direct communication. So Josh encouraged Katherine's team members to go directly to her. He knew their criticisms would be difficult for Katherine to hear so he reached out to her as well. She was frustrated. She thought her loyalty should be to him and that her team members didn't understand her role. Josh helped her see that to be effective, she would have to stop driving her employees so hard and take into consideration what they needed in addition to what he wanted. He also helped her understand what role she had played in creating the problem even if it wasn't entirely her fault. "The people who had issues weren't really giving her time to make mistakes and grow. They could've been more direct and tolerant when situations went down," Josh said.

  Katherine sat down with her team members and apologized. She explained that she had responded to the pressure of her job in a way that didn't respect their perspectives. Once she had taken responsibility for her part, the team was much more forgiving. In a matter of weeks, Katherine was able to turn the situation around and regain her group's trust.

  *Names have been changed

  

• Help! I'm an Underperformer.

  Posted: 2010-10-18 17:24:18 UTC

  No one likes to be an underperformer. It can be embarrassing, discouraging, and bewildering. Yet, many of us have at times failed to meet expectations. The good news is that poor performance isn't incurable. It's possible to turn it around and save your reputation with awareness, a sincere approach, and the right support.

  What the Experts Say
  "Usually a person doesn't realize that he or she is the underperformer," says J. Richard Hackman, the Edgar Pierce Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology at Harvard University and author of Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performances. Sometimes a boss, teammate, or HR representative will tell you you're not up to snuff, but according to Hackman, it happens less than it should. No matter how your underperformance is identified, by yourself or another, owning up to it is an important first step. "If you're underperforming, chances are that everybody knows it. If everybody knows it, let's acknowledge it because at least then we are all living in the same world," says Jean-François Manzoni, Professor of Leadership and Organizational Development at IMD International and co-author of The Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome: How Good Managers Cause Great People to Fail. Once you've done this, follow these guidelines to improve your situation.

  Accept and understand it
  "We all have an amazing capability for retrospective sense-making, which allows us to rationalize difficulties as 'not my fault'," says Hackman. It's easy to be defensive about not pulling your weight, especially because the underlying reasons are rarely straightforward. There is often a complex set of causes. You may be managed poorly or have inherited a weak team. Whether there is concrete data, such as sales numbers, or consistent feedback from your boss, peers, or direct reports, it's important to balance the information. "For someone struggling, the tendency is to attribute too much to external events," says Manzoni. This is largely because of self-serving bias. For example, you may believe you have a tougher sales territory or a more difficult team.

  While those things may be true, there are probably aspects of your own behavior contributing to the failure too. Manzoni recommends taking a hard look at your performance and distinguishing between what you can change and what you can't. Hackman suggests asking colleagues for their input to better understand how you are missing targets. But don't just ask: "How am I doing?"

  "It's generally much more constructive and helpful to seek confirmation and disconfirmation of one's own assessment than to ask someone to respond to an open-ended question about one's performance," Hackman says.

  Ask for help
  "If you're screwing up, you should be open with your boss," urges Manzoni. Many bosses respond better to "I need help" than they do the various rationalizations and explanations that often accompany poor performance. Be concrete about what you ask for. "Others will be more open to helping you if you show them how they can help, and you show them you are taking responsibility for what's in your control," says Manzoni.

  Involving others — peers, mentors, even direct reports — can also be helpful. Ask for feedback about how you are performing and advice on how you can improve. These discussions serve two purposes. One, they help you gain useful insight into your own behavior. Two, they also let people know you are working on the issue. If they know that, they are more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt in assessing your future performance.

  Decide what to focus on
  Hackman recommends using a three-part checklist to assess the underlying causes:

  1. Effort. Am I putting enough time and energy into the work?
  2. Strategy. Am I working smartly rather than relying on routine?
  3. Talent. Do I have the skills, knowledge, and capabilities to do my job well?

  "Just asking one's self those three simple questions often will surface some concrete things one can do to improve," says Hackman. Use the answers to decide where to focus your efforts.

  Restore your reputation
  As you begin to turn your performance around, you may realize that your reputation has been damaged. "The most telling and valid signal is whether you are actively sought out for the most challenging and important work, or whether you are overlooked when something comes up that really counts," says Hackman. If this happens, you need to pay careful attention to how you appear to others. "You not only need to perform better, but you need to be seen to perform better," Manzoni says.

  Once you've made some progress, share your success with others. Ask for feedback to confirm they see improvements. Hackman recommends saying something such as, "I've been doing some work to improve the degree to which I do X. Have you noticed any changes? Are there additional things you might recommend I consider?" He cautions, "There always is a reputational lag. It will take some time before improvement is noticed, and even more time before people actively seek you out for the important work."

  If all else fails, consider a change
  There are occasions when you might find it too difficult to restore your reputation. Even if you make objective progress, others may not recognize it as such. It's also possible that you realize that you are underperforming because you are disengaged or uninterested in the work. In both these situations, consider moving on, either to a new team or a new employer. As Hackman says, "Sometimes withdrawing really is the best option."

  Principles to Remember

  Do:

  • Recognize what is in your control to change and what isn't
  • Sincerely ask for advice and feedback
  • Include others in your improvement efforts so they can see and appreciate your progress

  Don't:

  • Be defensive about your underperformance and try to blame it on outside events or other people
  • Assume that just because you are improving, others recognize it
  • Stay at a job where you've become permanently labeled an underperformer

  
  Case Study #1: Asking for help
  Kelly Brown* had been an analyst at a global accounting firm for six months when she was assigned to a strategy project analyzing the company's divisions. The analysis was done using compound annual growth rates and projections and Kelly was responsible for pulling the right information together in the spreadsheet. She had previously gotten feedback that she wasn't learning Excel quickly enough and that tasks often took her much longer than her manager expected. "I was very disorganized in how I approached my work," she admitted. When her manager requested a meeting to review the spreadsheet she was currently working on, she was nervous.
  
  After just a few minutes, he began pointing out numerous mistakes. He made clear to her that she was not meeting expectations and that she needed to quickly demonstrate that she could gain the Excel skills she needed. Kelly was panicked. She didn't know how to do what was asked of her, and she felt that she was being managed poorly. She thought that perhaps she was in the wrong job and should resign.

  Instead, she asked a colleague for help — a peer who had been at the firm a year longer. He patiently helped her identify the mistakes and make the spreadsheet functional. However, the experience made Kelly realize that this type of analysis was not one of her strengths and that the manager was not helping her acquire the skills she needed. Kelly got through the project but when it was finished, she asked to be reassigned to a manager who was better matched to her style — more relational and hands-on. She ended up staying with the firm for five years and eventually became a high-performing manager herself.

  
  Case Study #2: Demonstrating that you're willing to change
  Grant Miller* was working as an engagement manager in the education practice of a large strategy consulting firm when he took on a new high-stakes, high-stress project. Sam*, an associate who had been labeled an underperformer, was assigned to work on the project. Grant had two options: he could assign Sam busy work to keep him occupied until he was assigned elsewhere, or he could give him the coaching and support he needed to do real work and succeed. To decide which course to pursue, Grant sat down with Sam and asked about how he viewed his own performance. Sam said he knew he had been underperforming and expressed a genuine desire to get better. "He was articulate and self-reflective which made it clear there was room to improve," Grant said.

  Because Sam had asked for help and showed a willingness to change, Grant was willing to invest his time and energy in helping him. He gave Sam a very specific project, matched to his skills and interest, and set out clear expectations. Grant was also more aggressive than usual about giving feedback. He asked Sam to check in regularly so they could work together to identify what was working and what wasn't. With Grant's support, Sam was able to contribute to the project in a meaningful way. Six months later, Sam was asked to leave the firm — "At the end of the day, it wasn't the right fit for him," Grant explained — but he has gone on to be a high performer in a different field.

  *Names have been changed