Developing the Leader Within You - Priorities : Part 3

We will continue our leadership journey, learning new skills and refreshing old ones, with John C. Maxwell's book Developing the Leader Within You.

There are two things that are most difficult to get people to do: to think and to do things in order of importance.

Maxwell lays out eight Priority Principles to close this chapter.

1. Priorities Never "Stay Put."
   • Priorities continually shift and demand attention.
   • Well-placed priorities always sit on "the edge."
   • To keep priorities in place:
     

     • Evaluate: Every month review the 3R/s (Requirements/Return/Reward)
     • Eliminate: Ask yourself, "What am I doing that can be done by someone else?"
     • Estimate: What are the top projects I am doing this month and how long will they take?
       
2. You Cannot Overestimate the Unimportance of Practically Everything.
• "The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook." - William James
3. The Good is the Enemy of the Best.
   • Most people can prioritize when faced with a right or wrong issue. The challenge comes when we are faced with two good choices.
   • How to Break the Tie Between Two Good Options:
     
     • Ask your overseer or coworkers their preference.
     • Can one of the options be handled by someone else? If so, pass it on and work on the one only you can handle.
     • Which option would be of more benefit to the customer?
     • Make your decision based on the purpose of the organization.
4. You Can't Have It All.
• Ninety-five percent of achieving is knowing what you want.
5. Too Many Priorities Paralyze Us.
• If you are overloaded with work, list the priorities on a separate sheet of paper before you take it to your boss and see what she will choose as the priorities.
• All true leaders have learned to say 'NO' to the good in order to say 'YES' to the best.
6. When Little Priorities Demand Too Much of Us, Big Problems Arise.
• "The reason most major goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first." - Robert J. McKain
• Often the little things in life us up.
7. Time Deadlines and Emergencies Force Us to Prioritize.
• We find this in Parkinson's Law: If you have only one letter to write, it will take you all day. If you have twenty letters to write, you'll get them done in one day.
• When is our most efficient time in our work? The week before vacation!
  
• Why can't we always run our lives the way we do the week before we leave the office - making decisions, cleaning off the desk, returning calls?
• Under normal conditions, we are efficient (doing things right).
• When time pressure mounts or emergencies arise, we become effective (doing the right things).
• Efficiency is the foundation for survival.
• Effectiveness is the foundation of success.
  
  
8. Too Often We Learn Too Late What is Really Important.
   
• "An infant is born with a clenched fist; a man dies with an open hand. Life has a way of prying free the things we think are so important." - Author Unknown

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Developing the Leader Within You - Priorities : Part 2

We will continue our leadership journey, learning new skills and refreshing old ones, with John C. Maxwell's book Developing the Leader Within You.

There are two things that are most difficult to get people to do: to think and to do things in order of importance.

Last time, we leaned about The Pareto Principle, which states 20% of your priorities will give you 80% of your production. Let's see what else Maxwell can tell us about it.

It's Not How Hard You Work; It's How Smart You Work. Working hard only helps if you are working hard on your priorities.

Organize or Agonize. The ability to juggle three or four high priority projects successfully is a must for every leader. A life in which anything goes will ultimately be a life in which nothing goes.

Prioritize Assignments:

• High Importance/High Urgency: Tackle these projects first.
• High Importance/Low Urgency: Set deadlines for completion and get these projects worked into your daily routine.
• Low Importance/High Urgency: Find quick, efficient ways to get this work done without much personal involvement. If possible, delegate it to a "can do" assistant.
• Low Importance/Low Urgency: This is busy or repetitious work, such as filing. Stack it up and do it in one-half hour segments, every week; get someone else to do it, or don't do it at all.

Chose or Lose. Every person is either an initiator or a reactor when it comes to planning. The question is not, "Will my calendar be full?" but "Who will fill my calendar?" If we are leaders of others, the question is not, "Will I see people?" but "Who will I see?" Maxwell's observation is that leaders tend to initiate and followers tend to react.

Leaders:

• Initiate
• Lead; pick up phone and make contact
• Spend time planning; anticipate problems
• Invest time with people
• Fill the calendar by priorities

Followers:

• React
• Listen; wait for phone to ring
• Spend time living day-to-day; react to problems
• Spend time with people
• Fill the calendar by requests

Evaluate or Stalemate. Decide what to do and do it; decide what not to do and don't do it. Evaluation of priorities, however, is not quite that simple.

• What is required of me?
  -A leader can give up anything except final responsibility.
  -Distinguish between what you have to do and what can be delegated to someone else.
• What gives me the greatest return?
  -The effort expended should approximate the results expected.
  -A question you must continually ask yourself is, "Am I doing what I do best and receiving a good return for the organization?"
  
• What is most rewarding?
  -Life is too short not to be fun. Our best work takes place when we enjoy it.
  -Take This Job and Love it.
  -Success in your work will be greatly increased if the 3 R's (Requirements/Return/Reward) are similar.

Next time, we will take a look at the Priority Principles.

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Developing the Leader Within You - Priorities : Part 1

We will continue our leadership journey, learning new skills and refreshing old ones, with John C. Maxwell's book Developing the Leader Within You.

The Key to Leadership: Priorities : Part 1

There are two things that are most difficult to get people to do: to think and to do things in order of importance.

Success can be defined as the progressive realization of a predetermined goal. This definition tells us that the discipline to prioritize and the ability to work toward a stated goal are essential to a leader's success. In fact, Maxwell believes they are the key to leadership.

The Pareto Principle

20% of your priorities will give you 80% of your production.

IF

you spend your time, energy, money, and personnel on the top 20% of your priorities.

 

The solid lines on the 20/80 Principle represent a person or organization that invests time, energy, money, and personnel on the most important priorities. The result is a four-fold return in productivity. The dotted lines represent a person or organization that spends time, energy, money, and personnel on the lesser priorities. The result is a very small return.

Every leader needs to understand the Pareto Principle in the area of people oversight and leadership. For example, 20% of the people will be responsible for 80% of the company's success.

The following strategy will enable a leader to increase the productivity of an organization.

1. Determine which people are the top 20% producers.
2. Invest 80% of your "people time" with the top 20%.
3. Invest 80% of your personnel development dollars on the top 20%.
4. Determine what 20% of the work gives 80% of the return and train an assistant to do the 80% less effective work. This "frees up" the producer to do what he/she does best.
5. Ask the top 20% to do on-the-job training for the next 20%.

Remember, we teach what we know; we reproduce what we are.

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Developing the Leader Within You - Influence : Part 3

We will continue our leadership journey, learning new skills and refreshing old ones, with John C. Maxwell's book Developing the Leader Within You.

Leadership is influence. That's it. Nothing more. Nothing less.

In the introduction of the book, Maxwell states: The key to success in an endeavor is the ability to lead others successfully. And, as we have heard before, Everything rises and falls on leadership.

The Five Levels of Leadership

Through his years in leadership and the business of leadership, Maxwell has created a model reflecting the various levels of leadership. He has also created a teaching tool to assist others in understanding their levels of leadership so they can increase their levels of influence.

The Five Levels of Leadership are:

1. Level 1: Position
2. Level 2: Permission
3. Level 3: Production
4. Level 4: People Development
5. Level 5: Personhood

Maxwell's model indicates that in order to get to the top, you must do two things:

• Know what level you are on at this moment.
• You will be on different levels with different people, so you need to know which people are on which level.
• Know and apply the qualities needed to be successful at each level.
  
• Below is a partial listing of the characteristics that you must exhibit with excellence before you can move to the next level.
  
  Level 1: Position / Rights
• Know your job description thoroughly.
• Be aware of the history of the organization.
• Accept responsibility.
• Be a team player.
• Do your job with consistence excellence.
• Do more than expected.
  
  Level 2: Permission / Relationship
• Make those who work with you more successful.
• See through other people's eyes.
• Do "win-win" or don't do it.
• Include others in your journey.
• Deal wisely with difficult people.
  
  Level 3: Production / Results
• Initiate and accept responsibility for growth.
• Develop and follow a statement of purpose.
• Develop accountability for results, beginning with yourself.
• Know and do the things that give a high return.
• Become a change-agent and understand timing.
• Make the difficult decisions that will make a difference.
  
  Level 4: People Development / Reproduction
• Realize that people are your most valuable asset.
• Place a priority on developing people.
• Be a model for others to follow.
• Expose key leaders to growth opportunities.
• Be able to attract other winners to the common goal.
• Surround yourself with an inner core that complements your leadership.
  
  Level 5: Personhood / Respect
• Your followers are loyal.
• You have invested years mentoring and molding leaders.
• Your greatest joy comes from watching others grow and develop.
• You transcend the organization.

Well, that is certainly a lot to think, absorb and put into action. This is why Mawell says leaders are developed daily, not in a day. Leadership takes time and commitment.

Next time, we will explore the key to leadership - priorities.

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Developing the Leader Within You - Influence : Part 2

We will continue our leadership journey, learning new skills and refreshing old ones, with John C. Maxwell's book Developing the Leader Within You.

Leadership is influence. That's it. Nothing more. Nothing less.

The Five Levels of Leadership

Through his years in leadership and the business of leadership, Maxwell has created a model reflecting the various levels of leadership. He has also created a teaching tool to assist others in understanding their levels of leadership so they can increase their levels of influence.

Level 1: Position

We covered this level last time. This is the basic entry level of leadership. The only influence you have is that which comes with a title. People who stay at this level get into territorial rights, protocol, tradition, and organizational charts.

We will take a brief look at the next four levels of leadership ....

Level 2: Permission

Fred Smith says, "Leadership is getting people to work for you when they are not obligated." People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Leadership begins with the heart, not the head. It flourishes with a meaningful relationship, not more regulation.

On this level, time, energy, and focus are placed on the individual's needs and desires. People who are unable to build solid, lasting relationships will soon discover that they are unable to sustain long, effective leadership.

Caution! Don't try to skip a level. The most often skipped level is 2, Permission. Relationships involve a process that provides the glue and much of the staying power for long-term, consistent production.

Level 3: Production

On this level things begin to happen, good thing. Profit increases. Morale is high. Turnover is low. Needs are being met. Goals are being realized. Accompanying this growth is the "big mo" - momentum. Everyone is results-orientated. In fact, results are the main reason for the activity.

This is a major difference between levels 2 and 3. On the "relationship" level, people get together jus to get together. There is no other objective. On the "results" level, people come together to accomplish a purpose.

Level 4: People Development

How do you spot a leader?

There is a clue: Since some people are mediocre, the true leader can be recognized because somehow his people consistently demonstrate superior performances.

A leader is great, not because of his or her power, but because of his or her ability to empower others. Success without a successor is failure. A worker's main responsibility is developing others to do the work.

Loyalty to the leader reaches its highest peak when the follower has personally grown through the mentorship of the leader.

The core of leaders who surround you should all be people you have personally mentored or helped to develop in some way.

The following suggestions will help you become a people developer:

• Walk slowly through the crowd.
  
  • Learn names.
  • Make yourself available for communication and conversation.
  • Visit member of your crew during the shift.

• Develop key leaders.
• Communicate with the influencers within your crew.
• They will pass on to the others what you have given them.

Level 5: Personhood

Very few people will ever achieve this level, so Maxwell chooses not to discuss it just yet. Later, perhaps. Here are some additional insights on climbing the steps of leadership:

• The higher you go, the longer it takes.
• The higher you go, the higher the level of commitment.
• The higher you go, the easier it is to lead.
• The higher you go, the greater the growth.
• You never leave the base level.
• If you are leading a group of people, you will not be on the same level with everyone.
• For your leadership to remain effective, it is essential that you take the other influencers within the group with you to the higher levels.

Next time, we will review the conclusions of this chapter of the book and the key characteristics of each of The Five Levels of Leadership.

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Developing the Leader Within You - Influence

We will continue our leadership journey, learning new skills and refreshing old ones, with John C. Maxwell's book Developing the Leader Within You.

Leadership is influence. That's it. Nothing more. Nothing less.

In the introduction of the book, Maxwell states: The key to success in an endeavor is the ability to lead others successfully. And, as we have heard before, Everything rises and falls on leadership.

A leadership proverb: He who thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk.

Leadership is the ability to obtain followers.

Insights about influence:

• Everyone influences someone.
  
  • No one is excluded from being a leader or a follower.
• We never know who or how much we influence.
  
  • Big events leave marks on all our lives and memories.
  • Think also of the little things or people who influenced you in a powerful way.
• The best investment in the future is a proper influence today.
  
  • The issue is not whether you influence someone. What needs to be settled is what kind of an influencer you will be!
• Influence is a skill that can be developed.
  
  • Robert Dilenschneider, CEO of Hill and Knowlton, discusses the idea of the "power triangle" in his book, Power and Influence. "The three components of this triangle are communication, recognition, and influence. You start to communicate effectively. This leads to recognition and recognition in turn leads to influence."

The Five Levels of Leadership

Through his years in leadership and the business of leadership, Maxwell has created a model reflecting the various levels of leadership. He has also created a teaching tool to assist others in understanding their levels of leadership so they can increase their levels of influence.

Level 1: Position

This is the basic entry level of leadership. The only influence you have is that which comes with a title. People who stay at this level get into territorial rights, protocol, tradition, and organizational charts. These things are not negative unless they become the basis for authority and influence, but they are poor substitutes for leadership skills.

Real leadership is being the person others will gladly and confidently follow.

Characteristics of a "Positional Leaver."

• Security is based on title, not talent.
• This level is often gained by appointment,
• People will not follow a positional leader beyond his stated authority.
• Positional leaders have more difficulty working with volunteers, white-collar workers, and younger people.

Most of us have been taught that leadership is a position. Frustration rises within us when we get into the real world and find that few people will follow us because of our titles. Our joy and success in leading others depend on our abilities to keep climbing the levels of leadership.

Next time, we will explore the remaining levels of leadership.

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Developing the Leader Within You - Introduction



Source

We will continue our leadership journey, learning new skills and refreshing old ones, with John C. Maxwell's book Developing the Leader Within You.

In the introduction of the book, Maxwell states: The key to success in an endeavor is the ability to lead others successfully. And, as we have heard before, Everything rises and falls on leadership.

Fortunately, leadership can be taught. Leadership is not an exclusive club for those who were "born with it." The traits that are raw materials of leadership can be acquired. Link them up with the desire and nothing can keep you from becoming a leader. Maxwell's book will supply the leadership principles. Each of us must supply the desire.

There has always been a great deal of confusion over the difference between "leadership" and "management." Management is the process of assuring that the program and objectives of the organization are implemented. Leadership, on the other hand, has to do with casting vision and motivating people.

John C. Gardner, former Secretary of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, has pinpointed five characteristics that set "leader managers" apart from "run-of-the-mill managers.":

1. Leader Managers are long-term thinkers who see beyond the day's crisis and the quarterly report.
2. Leader Managers' interests in their companies do not stop with the units they head. They want to know how all the company's departments affect one another, and they are constantly reaching beyond their specific areas of influence.
3. Leader Managers put heavy emphasis on vision, values, and motivation.
4. Leader Managers have strong political skills to cope with conflicting requirements of multiple constituents.
5. Leader Managers don't accept the status quo

People don't want to be managed. They want to be lead.

During the coming months, we will be reviewing the following Maxwell leadership principles:

• Influence
• Priorities
•  Integrity
• Creating Positive Change
• Problem-Solving
• Attitude
• People
• Vision
• Self-Discipline
• Staff Development

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

HOT HOT HOT

Folks,

It is going to be hot again this week. It seems repetitive to talk about the heat and heat-related illnesses, again. But, we must remember....

HEAT ILLNESS CAN BE DEADLY

The body normally cools itself by sweating. During hot weather, especially with high humidity, sweating isn't enough. Body temperature can rise to dangerous levels if you don't drink enough water and rest in the shade. You can suffer from heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

In 2014 alone, 2,630 workers suffered from heat illness and 18 died from heat stroke and related causes on the job. Heat illnesses and deaths are preventable.

Under OSHA law, employers are responsible for providing workplaces free of known safety hazards. This includes protecting workers from extreme heat. An employer with workers exposed to high temperatures should establish a complete heat illness prevention program.

• Provide workers with water, rest and shade.
• Allow new or returning workers to gradually increase workloads and take more frequent breaks as they acclimatize, or build a tolerance for working in the heat.
• Plan for emergencies and train workers on prevention.
• Monitor workers for signs of illness:
  Heat Exhaustion

• Dizziness
• Headache
• Sweaty Skin
• Weakness
• Cramps
• Nausea, vomiting
• Fast heart beat

         Heat Stroke

• Red, hot, dry skin
• High temperature
• Confusion
• Convulsions
• Fainting

To prevent heat related illness and fatalities:

• Drink water every 15 minutes, even if you are not thirsty.
• Rest in the shade to cool down.
• Wear a hat and light-colored clothing.
• Learn the signs of heat illness and what to do in an emergency.
• Keep an eye on fellow workers.
• "Easy does it" on your first days of work in the heat. You need to get used to it.

Working in full sunlight can increase heat index values by 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep this in mind and plan additional precautions for working in these conditions.

Who is affected?

Any worker exposed to hot and humid conditions is at risk of heat illness, especially those doing heavy work tasks or using bulky protective clothing and equipment. Some workers might be at greater risk than others if they have not built up a tolerance to hot conditions, including new workers, temporary workers, or those returning to work after a week or more off. All workers are at risk during a heat wave.

What to do if a worker becomes ill?

• Call a supervisor for help. If a supervisor is not available, call 911.
• Have someone stay with the worker until help arrives.

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Whale Done! 9

Today, we conclude our little journey with Wes Kingsley in Ken Blanchard's book entitled Whale Done! It carries the subtitle "The Power of Positive Relationships." The message and the "to do" items meld nicely with our journey to culture excellence in safety, quality, ethics, production, in fact, with all we do.

Wes contacts the Consultant to compare notes. He shares with the Consultant all the positive changes he is witnessing around him due to following the few simple steps of the WHALE DONE Response.

\

Consultant: "As long as you're busy accentuating the positive with others, a little self-praise won't hurt. I come across a lot of managers who are hard on others because they're so hard on themselves. They're always after themselves in their heads. 'Oh, I should have done that better,' or, 'What a dummy I am, forgetting that detail.'  If you catch yourself doing things right, everything in your life will improve - especially your relationships. That's because it's fun to be around someone who, likes himself."

 

As a way to summarize this great book and the message it contains, I encourage you to review the following slides from the Consultant's presentation:

 

 

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Whale Done! 8

Today, we will continue to learn with Wes Kingsley in Ken Blanchard's book entitled Whale Done! It carries the subtitle "The Power of Positive Relationships." The message and the "to do" items meld nicely with our journey to culture excellence in safety, quality, ethics, production, in fact, with all we do.

Our friend, Wes, is back at SeaWorld to talk with the Trainer about what he has learned so far. The Trainer doesn't waste any time, he picks up right where he left off the last time they spoke.



Trainer: "Rather than focusing on the negative - what they do wrong - we pay attention to what they do right. We always try to catch the whales doing things right ... Our success with the whales happens a little bit at a time. We can't wait until they behave exactly as we want before we praise them."

 

Wes: "Always praise progress. It's a moving target."

 

Trainer: "Not only does focusing on the positive motivate the behavior we want, it builds trust and the fun-loving kind of environment we need to work successfully with these animals ... Rewards aren't the issue. Trust is the issue."

 

Wes remembers earlier comments about ignoring poor behavior and redirecting energy onto something else that can set up a Positive Response. He wonders out loud how hard that is to do.

 

Trainer: "You're right. It is hard - not so much because people are so difficult, but because through practice we've trained our attention to notice only what they do wrong. We have our eye out for the negative behavior. We think it deserve much more attention. That's why we jump all over it and make a big deal out of it. Plus, those people that get labeled as difficult always have people around them looking for them to goof up. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy."

 

This type of behavior is really easy to do especially when you are having a tough day, or deadlines are approaching, or your boss just jumped all over you, Wes admits. The Trainer suggest that when you are having a tough day, that you ought to practice redirecting.

 

Trainer: "In fact, when you're first starting out, you'll actually find yourself redirecting a lot - in place of the negative responses you've been giving. In many cases, your first positive responses will follow right after redirecting. You observe their new efforts, and see how quickly you can accentuate the positive and catch them making progress in the new direction... When they didn't do something they were supposed to do, rather than spending a lot of time on that, we'd go back to the goals we'd agreed upon and get them refocused on them... Redirecting and giving 'approximately right' WHALE DONEs are the keys to turning poor behavior around... Humans naturally want approval from others. When you're dealing with your kids or with the people at work, and you consistently call attention to what they do right, it's like you're responding to the best that's in them. After a while, they begin to enjoy all the positive recognition. They find out it's more fun to succeed and achieve and be praised for it."

 

Wes is certainly glad he circled back to talk with the Trainer. It's all starting to come together for him. Next time, we'll see if Wes can piece it all together.

 

(I really like the following phrases spoken by the Trainer: "When you're dealing with your kids or with the people at work, and you consistently call attention to what they do right, it's like you're responding to the best that's in them." Wow, that's good stuff right there!)



Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Whale Done! 7

Today, we will continue to learn with Wes Kingsley in Ken Blanchard's book entitled Whale Done! It carries the subtitle "The Power of Positive Relationships." The message and the "to do" items meld nicely with our journey to culture excellence in safety, quality, ethics, production, in fact, with all we do.

In our last lesson, the Consultant had just concluded her presentation on the "Whale Done" philosophy. Wes and the Consultant meet for a cup of coffee. Wes is full of questions.



Wes: "But aren't you asked if the WHALE DONE Response isn't manipulation?..."
 

Consultant: "I'm very glad you brought that up. There are two points about manipulation. First of all, the only people who don't need to be motivated by others are entrepreneurs - people who either own their own businesses or are individuals working for themselves.  They are self-motivated and their goals are aligned with the organizational goals. In fact, their personal goals and the organizational goals are usually the same... Secondly; you don't want people to become dependent solely on your noticing and commenting, so they do well only when you're around. The point of good management is to influence people to do the right thing when you're not around... The ultimate goals of the WHALE DONE Response is to help people become self-motivating."

 

Wes: "You means, so that the WHALE DONEs are coming from inside themselves?"

 

Consultant: "After giving lots of WHALE DONEs, you start to make comments like 'I bet it felt good when you finished that project before the deadline' or 'You must be proud of what you did on that report.' Or when you know that they must be feeling good about their performance, you can say, 'Tell me how that feels,' or, 'What's it like, to have done such a good job?' Then really listen to them and reinforce their pride and feeling of accomplishment."

 

Wes and the Consultant begin talking about business and business models. Why some are successful and others aren't.

 

Consultant: "Any new business improvement today, whether it's a technology or a service innovation or a pricing strategy, becomes instantly known and copied by the competition. That means that your only real competitive edge is your relationship with your people. If they trust and respect you and believe in your goals, they will want to please your customers. When that happens, provided you've got other factors like product quality, pricing, and marketing, and delivery in place, no one can beat you. The one thing your competition can never steal from you is the relationship you have with your people, and the relationship they have with your customers."

 

(Interesting! I sure thought the Consultant was going to say the only real competitive edge is your people! However, she said your relationship with your people.  That goes back to lesson #1 - trust and time.)

 

Wes leaves the coffee shop with a briefcase full of notes and a head boiling over with ideas.

 

Next time, Wes returns to SeaWorld to continue his learning with the Trainer.

 

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Whale Done! 6

Today, we will continue to learn with Wes Kingsley in Ken Blanchard's book entitled Whale Done! It carries the subtitle "The Power of Positive Relationships." The message and the "to do" items meld nicely with our journey to culture excellence in safety, quality, ethics, production, in fact, with all we do.The Consultant is about to bring her lecture to the large group, including our friend West Kingsley, to an end; however, she still has a couple of points to share ... specifically regarding unacceptable behavior.

Consultant: "People ask me, 'What about unacceptable behaviors or poor performance on the job? How do you deal with those?' I usually recommend the Redirection Response. But if someone knows better and they continue with the unacceptable behavior, that's an attitude problem. A Redirection Response will have little effect because they already know what to do. They need to know in no uncertain terms that what they are doing is unacceptable to you. But remember, a Negative Response is a last resort. You tell people, immediately and specifically, what they did that was unacceptable - including the negative impact of their action and how you feel about it: disappointed, confused, frustrated. But since you don't want the focus to be on your feelings, always end that kind of message with an affirmation of the person. They need to know that it's the behavior, not them, that you find unacceptable."

 

The Consultant is describing the "how to" for some "tough love." (I've often heard the phrase - be hard on the process and easy on the people. I wonder if that applies here?) The Consultant continues with her recommendations ...

 

Consultant: "You should also remember that whenever you criticize someone's performance or give negative feedback, no matter how carefully you do it, it tends to harm or detract from your relationship with that person. If you keep it up, you will poison the relationship. They'll lose trust and start trying to get even with you. This is where it helps to think of a relationship as being like a bank account. If you give a Negative Response to someone who knows better, it helps if you have money in that relationship bank - that is, if you've previously been giving that person lots of WHALE DONEs. Then he or she won't mind the correction. When the trust is there, a mistake can even lead to better performance. WHALE DONE - accentuating the positive - always creates a constructive cycle."

 

And, with that, the Consultant concludes her presentation. Next time, Wes meets with the Consultant to further his understanding (and ours) of the WHALE DONE Response.

 

In the meantime, below is a quick reminder of the WHALE DONE Response.



Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Whale Done! 5

Today, we will continue to learn with Wes Kingsley in Ken Blanchard's book entitled Whale Done! It carries the subtitle "The Power of Positive Relationships." The message and the "to do" items meld nicely with our journey to culture excellence in safety, quality, ethics, production, in fact, with all we do.

Last time, our friend Wes Kingsley, along with a large room full of people, was vigorously taking notes as the Consultant explained about the four kinds of consequences in response to a specific behavior - No Response; Negative Response; Redirection; and Positive Response. The presentation continues ...

Consultant: "Catching people doing things wrong is easy. All you have to do is wait for them to foul up. Then you can look smart by pointing out their mistakes. I call that the GOTcha Response. Nothing to it. In fact, many bosses, as we've already suggested, are 'seagull' managers. They leave their people alone until they do something wrong. Then they swoop in, make a lot of noise, and dump on everybody. It's the old leave-alone-zap approach."  

 

There were so many heads nodding in agreement in the room that it looked like a "bobble-head" testing site. Was your head nodding, too? Maybe, just a little bit?

 

Consultant: "Catching people doing things right is what I've come to call - if you'll pardon the pun - the WHALE DONE Response. That response is much harder because it takes patience and self-control. Especially if you've been ignoring what people do right and have been using lots of GOTchas, you must learn to observe what they are doing in a whole new way. You may even have to deliberately look past the undesirable behaviors that used to grab all your attention. In other words, you have to change what you are looking for. Your search for something done well may require greater effort, but it has far greater payoffs in generating the kind of behavior you want from your people at work and from your kids at home."

 

A new slide appears on the screen at the front of the room reviewing the two responses the Consultant had named.

Consultant: "If you grew up being GOTcha'd a lot, maybe you've tended to perpetuate it with others. But if your goal as a manger is performance improvement, it's vitally important you start using the WHALE DONE Response. I think you can begin to see that a lot of us often do things exactly backwards. We focus our attention on poor performance rather than on good performance. In the process, we reinforce the very behavior we don't want!"

 

Another slide appears on the screen.

 



Consultant: "Attention is like sunshine to humans. What we give our attention to, grows. What we ignore, withers... Think about this. When do you generally pay attention to people? It's when they're doing things wrong, isn't it? And when do you pay little attention to them? When everything's okay. Wrong! Right then, when things are going well, we lose a great motivational opportunity. We go brain-dead, become inactive, and don't pay attention or communicate. But if you were to systematically give people positive, specific feedback after they did something right, do you think you would get more of that behavior, or less of it?"

 

The audience responds with a robust, "MORE."

 

Consultant: "Of course you would. That's why we need to wake up and do and say something positive and encouraging when people are exceeding expectations, or when they've corrected errors they've made ... When you accentuate the positive, you'll begin to pay attention to what you do or say after people perform. I guarantee their performance will improve, and so will your relationships. Just remember, you're always reinforcing something - even when you're doing nothing ... The more WHALE DONEs you do, the better."



So, have we learned all there is to the WHALE DONE Response? Does the Consultant have additional tips for us to catch people doing right? Find out next time!

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Whale Done! 4

Today, we will continue to learn with Wes Kingsley in Ken Blanchard's book entitled Whale Done! It carries the subtitle "The Power of Positive Relationships." The message and the "to do" items meld nicely with our journey to culture excellence in safety, quality, ethics, production, in fact, with all we do.

Last time, Wes and hundreds of other people were attending a seminar to learn how to be better motivators and how to help their co-workers and their families achieve their goals. The Consultant was just about to share the four types of Consequences demonstrated by people after a Behavior is observed.

A new slide appears on the overhead screen in front of the large room.

Consultant: "The most popular, of course, is the first, No Response. People are so accustomed to being ignored, they think of it as a normal condition of work. The response people really pay attention to is the Negative. Most people are managed by a leave-alone-zap approach. They never hear anything from their boss until they screw up. The No Response is followed by a Negative response, which can come in the form of an angry look, verbal criticism, or even some kind of penalty."

The Consultant shares a few stories about the killer whales at SeaWorld regarding the first three responses. As you can imagine, the consequences of choosing the wrong response can be dire when working with these large animals. She goes into further explanation on the third response - Redirection.

Consultant: "Redirection is the most effective way to address undesirable behavior ... the trainers don't pay any attention to whales' poor behavior. Instead, they quickly redirect their attention to another task and then observe their performance closely so they can catch them doing something right."

 

After sharing this insight into working with the whales, the Consultant applies this method to working with people.

 

Consultant: "Now, how does Redirection work with people? First, let me tell you I think that Redirection is the best way to turn countless low-morale situations around. You will find this response will work in 99% of the cases where you might be tempted you use a Negative Response on a person. It's a very powerful response because it gets the person back on track, and at the same time it maintains respect and trust by not calling attention to the off-course behavior in a negative way."

 

The Consultant flashed a new slide on the screen at the front of the room, which further explained the Redirection Response.

 

 

Consultant: "The fourth reaction people can get to their performance is a Positive Response. The trainers at SeaWorld might give the whales a bucket of fish, rub their bellies, or give them toys or playtime..."

 

Well, we certainly don't suggest you give your employees or co-workers a bucket of fish or even a belly rub. However, you might give them recognition for a job well done. (Be sure to utilize the Recognition Traits from our recent START session: timely, relevant, confirmed, specific, and sincere.) You can also provide a learning opportunity or perhaps even a promotion.

 

Consultant: "When a good performance is followed by something positive, naturally people want to continue that behavior. The intention of Redirection is to up a Positive Response ... it's important to emphasize here not to wait for exactly right behavior before you respond positively. Otherwise, you might wait forever."

 

Another new slide appears on the screen.

 

The Consultant explains that when the trainers at SeaWorld first begin training a new whale, the whale already knows how to jump. But he knows nothing about jumping over ropes or anything else for that matter. So the trainers start with a rope hanging underneath the water. The rope is high enough off the bottom of the tank to allow the whale the choice of swimming underneath it. If the whale swims underneath the rope, then the trainers don't pay any attention - No Response. However, every time the whale swims over the rope, they pay attention to him - Positive Response - they feed him.

 

Consultant: "The point here is that progress - doing something better - is constantly being noticed, acknowledged, and rewarded. We need to do the same thing with people - catch them doing things better, if not exactly right, and praise progress. That way, you set them up for success and build from there."

 

Our friend, Wes, has certainly taken a whale of a lot of notes (pun intended) during the Consultant's presentation. Next time, we will learn how to put all this together into the Whale Done Response.

 

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

Whale Done! 3

Today, we will continue to learn with Wes Kingsley in Ken Blanchard's book entitled Whale Done! It carries the subtitle "The Power of Positive Relationships." The message and the "to do" items meld nicely with our journey to culture excellence in safety, quality, ethics, production, in fact, with all we do.

Last time, the Trainer had put Wes in contact with the Consultant. Wes is attending a seminar with the Consultant as the main speaker.

Consultant to the audience which has just taken their seats for the seminar: "How many of you have people reporting to you, either at work or at home? I bet a lot of you don't think of yourselves as being managers at home. So you're all managing people in several parts of your life. Today I want to talk with you about motivating others. That's your job as leaders, you know."

 

The Consultant tells the crowd that there is a simple and profound truth right under their noses that will absolutely change their approach to dealing with people and the results of those interactions.

 

Consultant: "It's all about what you focus on. What we need as managers and team leaders and parents is a way to focus on what is bright and noble and wonderful in the people we work with .. I'm convinced that to motivate people and create a world-class organization or department, you have to know how to manage people's energy..."

 

The Consultant explains to the eagerly-listening crowd about her experiences at SeaWorld and, in particular, with the killer whales and their trainers.

 

Consultant: "Now, you might be wondering, 'What in the world does the training of killer whales have to do with motivating my people at work or my kids at home?' The answer is - everything. The very methods they use to train these marvelous animals work just as well, if not better, with people. Why? Because we can talk to people ..."

 

A slide appears on a large screen behind the Consultant.

 

Consultant: "Let's start with the A, the Activator. What we mean by an Activator is something that stimulates the behavior or performance that you want ... With people, an Activator can be a set of instructions, a training experience - or even a boss yelling at them. The most common Activators are goals ... All good performance starts with clear goals. If managers don't sit down with their people and develop smart, workable goals that are clear on both sides, their people are left without any idea of what they're expected to do or what good performance looks like. If your people don't know what they're being asked to do, what you do as a manager doesn't matter .. So the A in the ABC - whatever triggers the performance - is important..."

 

A is the trigger, the starter, the Activator. Got it!

 

Consultant: "After you motivate the performance you want by setting clean goals, you have to observe the behavior that follows. That's what B stands for ... Observing the behavior that occurs after initial activation is a step that if often missed by managers - even when they get the performance they want. Once goals are set and the necessary training is over, they disappear. When that happens, they don't have a prayer of taking advantage of the third and most important step in managing performance: the C for Consequence - what happens after you get the behavior you were looking for."

 

B is what we get, the performance based on the trigger, the Behavior. Got it!

 

The Consultant asks the audience what usually happens when we do something right? The audience quickly shouts bank: "Nothing happens. Nobody says anything."  Nobody notices or comments until - when? The audience answers in unison: "When things go wrong."

 

A new slide appears on the screen.

 

Consultant: "Does everybody notice where the spotlight is? That's to indicate that of the three steps, A, B, or C, C has by far the greatest impact on overall performance. Yet, as we all just recognized, the usual response we get to performing well is that we're left alone. Actually, there are three other kids of response you can make."

 

C is what happens when we get what we want, our response to the performance, the Consequence. Got it!

 

Next time, we, along with Wes, will learn the other three responses and, hopefully, how to deal with the negatives associated with each type of response.

 

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc