Well, I've taken a new position. I've moved my family from southeast Michigan to Bountiful, UT. The change has been a blur in many ways. Several days after I began work, I was promoted. Just as I was starting to feel a rhythm, several departments were reorganized, and my title changed with an expanded role. I'm grateful for the opportunities to learn.
I'm also committed to completing my research and degree. With the change in scenery, I've also had some time to visit with more people about energy and hear some different perspectives. Here are a few things people have shared with me:
Energizers are different than friends. Friends certainly may be energizers, but energizers increase my vitality, my capacity to do work.
Energizers require more than authenticity. An energizer may be authentic, but one who is authentic may be neutral when it comes to their capacity and tendency to energize me.
Finally, I'm considering a change to the name of the blog, so readers can more easily connect. Energizers and networks are terms that for some people seem like quackery (energizer) or ambiguous (networks--am I speaking of social networks, computer networks, business networks?).
I don't know the name yet, but will add to the blog, and try to come up with descriptions that can be understood as people that lift me, make me want to be better and actually become better.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Friday, April 2, 2010
Short case of leadership
I have a friend who has a position of authority in an organization. My friend, I'll call him Jesse, is responsible for development and training. He oversees the leadership team that develops training activities, collects data on participation and engagement, and executes continuing development.
This role may sound familiar to you--perhaps one that you fill. The organization depends not only on the leader for direction, but also on the performance and participation of members.
I watched Jesse as he worked with different members of his team. He was decisive, thoughtful, and kind. However, over time, he became frustrated with members of his leadership team, and then became prescriptive in his direction, developing a reputation as somewhat of a micromanager.
Meanwhile, Jesse's leadership team members were developing patterns of behavior in response to his demands. Where they had once approached projects with energy, they began approaching new projects with hesitancy. When developing training events, they would frequently postpone not only important decisions, but also trivial decisions about elements of the presentations and activities. Where plans had been innovative and bold, they became plain as the team members waited to act until they received Jesse's specific direction. When working with outside vendors, negotiations became protracted as team members went back and forth, seeking Jesse's approval for every element of a vendor's agreement.
Jesse felt that each progressive project and training session became less effective, felt less enthusiastic about participating himself, and less confident in his leadership team. He felt like he was losing steam. What had gone wrong?
Jesse had effectively become a de-energizer in his organization. After interactions with him, and in anticipating interactions with him, others felt less empowered to do their jobs, less motivated to invest creative thinking, and less important to the success of the organization.
How would you respond if Jesse asked you for some suggestions?
This role may sound familiar to you--perhaps one that you fill. The organization depends not only on the leader for direction, but also on the performance and participation of members.
I watched Jesse as he worked with different members of his team. He was decisive, thoughtful, and kind. However, over time, he became frustrated with members of his leadership team, and then became prescriptive in his direction, developing a reputation as somewhat of a micromanager.
Meanwhile, Jesse's leadership team members were developing patterns of behavior in response to his demands. Where they had once approached projects with energy, they began approaching new projects with hesitancy. When developing training events, they would frequently postpone not only important decisions, but also trivial decisions about elements of the presentations and activities. Where plans had been innovative and bold, they became plain as the team members waited to act until they received Jesse's specific direction. When working with outside vendors, negotiations became protracted as team members went back and forth, seeking Jesse's approval for every element of a vendor's agreement.
Jesse felt that each progressive project and training session became less effective, felt less enthusiastic about participating himself, and less confident in his leadership team. He felt like he was losing steam. What had gone wrong?
Jesse had effectively become a de-energizer in his organization. After interactions with him, and in anticipating interactions with him, others felt less empowered to do their jobs, less motivated to invest creative thinking, and less important to the success of the organization.
How would you respond if Jesse asked you for some suggestions?
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
NFL Playoff Energizer
I really enjoy watching football, and with the NFL Playoffs nearing their climactic end, I've been struck with the results that the New York Jets have had.
The New York Times published an article describing how the Jets, with a first-year head coach and a rookie quarterback, are making a case for the championship, and much of the talk is about the effect that the coach, Rex Ryan, has had on the culture of the organization.
Organizational culture is difficult to change--largely because culture is made up of all of the unwritten rules. Yet Ryan, with a colorful personality and consistent demonstrations of trust and belief in his team, is doing just that.
Dave Anderson, the reporter on this story, says, "With never a negative thought, he has made every Jets player better."
Ryan distributed the schedule of events for the month to his players and coaches which included the Super Bowl and a victory parade.
"It's like a proud parent who believes in you...to do the right thing to get the job done," said All-Pro center Nick Mangold.
Ryan backs up his words with actions--in a crucial situation during the game with San Diego, he trusted his offense to gain a single critical yard--cementing the game for the Jets.
Energizers believe in us. They aren't always colorful, like Coach Ryan, but they consistently make us feel trusted and capable, and we respond by first feeling motivated and empowered, and then acting on those feelings.
The New York Times published an article describing how the Jets, with a first-year head coach and a rookie quarterback, are making a case for the championship, and much of the talk is about the effect that the coach, Rex Ryan, has had on the culture of the organization.
Organizational culture is difficult to change--largely because culture is made up of all of the unwritten rules. Yet Ryan, with a colorful personality and consistent demonstrations of trust and belief in his team, is doing just that.
Dave Anderson, the reporter on this story, says, "With never a negative thought, he has made every Jets player better."
Ryan distributed the schedule of events for the month to his players and coaches which included the Super Bowl and a victory parade.
"It's like a proud parent who believes in you...to do the right thing to get the job done," said All-Pro center Nick Mangold.
Ryan backs up his words with actions--in a crucial situation during the game with San Diego, he trusted his offense to gain a single critical yard--cementing the game for the Jets.
Energizers believe in us. They aren't always colorful, like Coach Ryan, but they consistently make us feel trusted and capable, and we respond by first feeling motivated and empowered, and then acting on those feelings.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Big Impact, Little Footprint
My wife is involved in organizing events for our church, and in this capacity, she arranges for teachers/speakers who present on a variety of topics.
We happen to have in our area some individuals who are academic "stars." They teach at high-profile institutions, publish many books, and are highly sought-after presenters for conferences and corporations.
You guessed it...she invited a star to come speak about building mission statements for individuals and organizations. His response was surprising in this era of public and private behavior being so paradoxical. I can paraphrase the response this way: "I would be honored--when can we visit about the specific needs of your group and how I can help?"
The presentation was unpaid, and the presentation/discussion was masterful and inspiring, with a unique feature that those in attendance came away not so impressed with the presenter, but by the learning experience itself.
He demonstrated a unique ability to use his presentation to deflect attention away from himself, and towards the ideas he was teaching as well as the others in the room. Some research has suggested that there is a Self/Others ratio that is ideal for contributing to productive group work. It turns out that when we invoke others in our speech and actions more often than ourselves, we tend to contribute to positive group outcomes.
There are many things about this experience that taught me, such as the generosity of being willing to serve, the humility to ask how to best serve, and the graciousness to treat it as an honor, but the biggest impression I have right now is of the capacity to direct attention away from the leader/teacher and to the work and people at hand.
Last thought: The end of such a meeting is often a good time for a speaker to receive individual congratulations and thanks.
He ducked out the back door, having had a huge impact, but leaving almost no footprint.
We happen to have in our area some individuals who are academic "stars." They teach at high-profile institutions, publish many books, and are highly sought-after presenters for conferences and corporations.
You guessed it...she invited a star to come speak about building mission statements for individuals and organizations. His response was surprising in this era of public and private behavior being so paradoxical. I can paraphrase the response this way: "I would be honored--when can we visit about the specific needs of your group and how I can help?"
The presentation was unpaid, and the presentation/discussion was masterful and inspiring, with a unique feature that those in attendance came away not so impressed with the presenter, but by the learning experience itself.
He demonstrated a unique ability to use his presentation to deflect attention away from himself, and towards the ideas he was teaching as well as the others in the room. Some research has suggested that there is a Self/Others ratio that is ideal for contributing to productive group work. It turns out that when we invoke others in our speech and actions more often than ourselves, we tend to contribute to positive group outcomes.
There are many things about this experience that taught me, such as the generosity of being willing to serve, the humility to ask how to best serve, and the graciousness to treat it as an honor, but the biggest impression I have right now is of the capacity to direct attention away from the leader/teacher and to the work and people at hand.
Last thought: The end of such a meeting is often a good time for a speaker to receive individual congratulations and thanks.
He ducked out the back door, having had a huge impact, but leaving almost no footprint.
Friday, November 27, 2009
The Energizing Power of Gratitude
I read this Thanksgiving post on CNN, which points to several university psychologists and a couple of popular authors in describing the power of gratitude. I had an experience with it a couple of weeks ago, too.
"I think I'm going to drop out of school," began the conversation with one of our students--a scholarship student with great creativity, an engaging personality, and a curious mind. "I just don't think I can continue. When I think of doing this for the rest of my career, I don't think it's for me. I used to wake up excited to go to classes, and now I wake up, and I don't even want to come."
As I pressed for more detail, it became clear that she had a number of concerns about how things were going in her classes, with classmates, and with faculty members.
"What is the most recent thing you can remember about college that you really enjoyed?" I asked.
As she answered, I transcribed her words on a piece of stationery. I handed her the sheet of paper.
"Your assignment," I said, "is to fill this sheet with statements of gratitude over the next week."
The details of the assignment were to write at least once a day, more if desired, and to express gratitude for specific things, events, and people. Additionally, she was to write at least two thank-you notes to members of the department--students or faculty, and give them.
One week later, the same student walked into my office again--burst in.
"It's working!" she exclaimed. "For three days now, I've woken up before my alarm, just excited to come learn and be with these people that I love so much. I just wanted to thank you for the assignment."
We visited for a few minutes more about the details, and I encouraged her to continue her gratitude journaling. As she was leaving, she said, "One more thing...can I do more than two thank-you notes?"
"I think I'm going to drop out of school," began the conversation with one of our students--a scholarship student with great creativity, an engaging personality, and a curious mind. "I just don't think I can continue. When I think of doing this for the rest of my career, I don't think it's for me. I used to wake up excited to go to classes, and now I wake up, and I don't even want to come."
As I pressed for more detail, it became clear that she had a number of concerns about how things were going in her classes, with classmates, and with faculty members.
"What is the most recent thing you can remember about college that you really enjoyed?" I asked.
As she answered, I transcribed her words on a piece of stationery. I handed her the sheet of paper.
"Your assignment," I said, "is to fill this sheet with statements of gratitude over the next week."
The details of the assignment were to write at least once a day, more if desired, and to express gratitude for specific things, events, and people. Additionally, she was to write at least two thank-you notes to members of the department--students or faculty, and give them.
One week later, the same student walked into my office again--burst in.
"It's working!" she exclaimed. "For three days now, I've woken up before my alarm, just excited to come learn and be with these people that I love so much. I just wanted to thank you for the assignment."
We visited for a few minutes more about the details, and I encouraged her to continue her gratitude journaling. As she was leaving, she said, "One more thing...can I do more than two thank-you notes?"
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Taking the Fall
NFL organizations receive nearly constant scrutiny and media coverage, and I thought the developments for the New York Football Giants recently have been particularly interesting. The team has been for the past couple of years a league powerhouse, but has lost the last four games in a row, leading to much finger pointing and speculation about who is responsible and what should happen next.
When things go wrong, it is difficult to generate positive energy and be productive, perhaps one of the reasons that losing sometimes comes in bunches (the nice thing is that winning can, too). I imagine what it might be like to be a player, hearing all of the rumors, the blame, and then wondering if my teammates or coaches place responsibility on me. Then consider that there are 53 players and a handful of coaches that each may begin to feel that fear, and you can imagine what the climate of the office is. What can be done to diffuse the pressure, to create space for positive, creative, productive action?
Here is what the head coach said, as reported by Don Banks of Sports Illustrated:
"I thought it was perfectly clear, but let me express it so no longer does anyone else receive any type of blame,'' Coughlin said on Monday. "Let me start out by saying that I'm responsible for all of the decisions that are made with our football team. "The [red] zone decisions are my responsibility. They are nobody else's. No one else made a mistake. The quarterback did not make a mistake. The decision was mine.''
By taking the responsibility publicly and clearly, Coughlin is creating space for his players and coaches to work on things that will prepare them for the next games.
This kind of leadership really costs very little, but it may pay big dividends. Have you been in organizations during challenging times? How to people respond to them with regard to taking responsibility openly, and what were the effects on the group? On the outcomes?
When things go wrong, it is difficult to generate positive energy and be productive, perhaps one of the reasons that losing sometimes comes in bunches (the nice thing is that winning can, too). I imagine what it might be like to be a player, hearing all of the rumors, the blame, and then wondering if my teammates or coaches place responsibility on me. Then consider that there are 53 players and a handful of coaches that each may begin to feel that fear, and you can imagine what the climate of the office is. What can be done to diffuse the pressure, to create space for positive, creative, productive action?
Here is what the head coach said, as reported by Don Banks of Sports Illustrated:
"I thought it was perfectly clear, but let me express it so no longer does anyone else receive any type of blame,'' Coughlin said on Monday. "Let me start out by saying that I'm responsible for all of the decisions that are made with our football team. "The [red] zone decisions are my responsibility. They are nobody else's. No one else made a mistake. The quarterback did not make a mistake. The decision was mine.''
By taking the responsibility publicly and clearly, Coughlin is creating space for his players and coaches to work on things that will prepare them for the next games.
This kind of leadership really costs very little, but it may pay big dividends. Have you been in organizations during challenging times? How to people respond to them with regard to taking responsibility openly, and what were the effects on the group? On the outcomes?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Face-to-Face Leadership
Imagine that you go to a meeting with your colleagues and supervisor. You and your colleagues, in a small meeting room, sit around one end of a rectangular table. Your supervisor comes in, sits down near the other end of the table, and as he speaks, he kicks his legs up on the table, thus occupying most of the workspace.
Would you anticipate coming out of this meeting enthusiastic, empowered to do your best work, likely to spend extra time solving work problems?
Curtis LeBaron spends his time poring over videotapes of leadership interactions, and talked to BYU students about the impact of relationships. Fascinating to consider things that when pointed out make so much sense, but are not always explicitly understood.
Check it out here--you can watch, listen to, or read it.
Would you anticipate coming out of this meeting enthusiastic, empowered to do your best work, likely to spend extra time solving work problems?
Curtis LeBaron spends his time poring over videotapes of leadership interactions, and talked to BYU students about the impact of relationships. Fascinating to consider things that when pointed out make so much sense, but are not always explicitly understood.
Check it out here--you can watch, listen to, or read it.
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