ELEPHANT ALERT!

Robocalls are the curse of a campaign season. These pre-recorded messages terrorize family time, and usually take two approaches: 1) They attack their opponents and their ideas; and 2) the message attempts to persuade you to make “a better choice.”

As difficult as this is to endure in your home, isn’t it crazy to be subjected to the same strategy at work?

Here’s the elephant in the office: It seems most teams have a robocaller who attends meetings. When a new or innovative idea is offered, the robocaller leans forward and attacks the idea, stating why it won’t work. And then they attempt to persuade (sell) others on their own idea.

This divisive “You’re wrong – I’m right” approach ruins collaboration, teams and results. 

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

Robocalling should be outlawed – beginning at work. The next time you’re in a meeting where people are brainstorming new ideas and the robocaller dials in, don’t answer. Instead:

1. Acknowledge that you hear them.
2. Understand they want the same thing you want: to see the organization win.
3. State clearly what’s important to you and why. For example, “It’s important that we look closely at all ideas not at face value, but for where they may take us and what new ideas they may generate. We must evolve if we expect to succeed.”
4. Discuss the difference between “why an idea won’t work” vs. “given the circumstances, how could we make that idea work?”
5. Look for those moments when the robocaller has used their mute button and kept quiet. Privately thank them.

Stop the repetitive pitches that hurt people and results – and allow everyone to win.

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

Who wrecked the economy? There’s a lot of finger pointing: lending practices, consumer debt, executive greed…the list goes on. In the end, the crisis can be traced to poor judgment and ill-advised human behaviors. 

Aliens didn’t descend from outer space and plant this problem. We created this mess. 

Here’s the elephant in the office: “You can’t blame me. I’m only a small piece of the system,” some might say. And they’d be right on two counts: This isn’t about blame, and they are a part of a system – the system of “us.” We – you and me – are responsible for the culture in which we operate. How we function – our culture – determines our results.

It is shocking how few people own this responsibility. Those who do take responsibility choose not to be victims – and become tomorrow’s leaders. 

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

We’re talking about accountability. And there’s good news: Businesses are the perfect and primary vehicle to create greater responsibility and a culture of accountability, for business is the grandest forum with which our society interacts. 

Countless people will spend time on blame and focusing on what went wrong; and while the causes for this malaise must be understood and consequences delivered, the only way we can move forward is if we lead ourselves forward.

Today, discuss these questions with your team:

1. In our environment, what’s the difference between “holding someone accountable” and “ensuring accountability”?
2. To what extent does our team reinforce and reward accountability?
3. What are the actions that build accountability in others?

The future belongs to those who choose to stand up again. Ensure your organization leads the way and makes a culture of accountability a greater reality today.

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

We’ve received further evidence that people don’t know what they don’t know. The response from viewers after being interviewed by the local network TV station has been enlightening. One email read, “I saw your interview…I dread going to work…and never thought to doing anything about it until now.”

And a neighbor shared that his boss, after seeing the news clip, wanted to purchase Stomp the Elephant in the Office. “I’ve talked to him for years about improving the organization,” he said. “Something clicked. Go figure.”

Here’s the elephant in the office: Millions of people go to work each day – and dread the experience. It’s alarming: They’ve succumbed to a belief system “that work sucks, and that’s just the way it is.”

The way it is doesn’t have to be the way it is.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

A friend complained about a pain in his back. He said it had bothered him for years, and prevented him from fully participating in life. “Finally, I decided I’d had enough and got it treated. Best decision I ever made. I’m now pain free.”

Do you know someone who religiously complains about the relationship they have with one or more of their co-workers? Consider the possibility that they don’t know what they don’t know – that their work environment CAN be better.

You can help by asking:

1. Do you intend to function with this painful relationship forever?
2. What’s it costing you to be ‘disabled’ because of this relationship?
3. What role are you playing in this dysfunctional relationship?
4. What would it be worth if this relationship improved?
5. What are three things you’ll do to move this forward?

What are you ready to change about what you don’t know?

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

Have you ever tried forcing opposing ends of a magnet together? It’s impossible to get them to connect.

Does your organization suffer from “diamagnetism”? Are there teams opposing each other?

From Wikipedia.org: “Diamagnetism is the property of an object which causes it to create a magnetic field in opposition of an externally applied field, thus causing a repulsive effect.”

To understand why diamagnetism is important, read the definition again, but this time substitute the “team” for the word “object.”

Like two magnets you can’t push together, diamagnetism occurs when two (or more) teams repel each other. And very little work gets done.

Here’s the elephant in the office: Organizations are filled with teams that repulse others. Shockingly, people tolerate this dysfunction! Toxic currents run through meetings and conversations. People might not say anything about this invisible force – but they can feel it. How is a company to succeed when various functions can’t connect?

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

“In order for us to win, it’s vital that the different layers of the organization can come together,” shares a friend, Rich. “If they repel each other we’re doomed.”

The code words for diamagnetism are “they just don’t understand.” When two groups begin saying this about each other, one thing is sure: no one understands. And the divisiveness expands.

Take three steps to create greater paramagnetism today:

1. Take responsibility when others don’t understand you;
2. Ask questions that help people focus on where the teams are working well together;
3. Relentlessly focus on the common goal the two teams share – and solutions to get there.

Where is there diamagnetism in your organization? Make functionABILITY happen.

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

Different leadership styles are necessary for different times. When your team is ahead in the game, the tone, approach, and techniques necessary to ensure victory are different than when you’re behind.

It’s stunning to observe some bosses blow it.

Here’s the elephant in the office: As stress increases, have you witnessed some bosses who move to a default setting of “command and control”? They make decisions behind closed doors; they assume they know the motivations of others; and they resort to the illogical “I’m-going-to-make-you-feel-bad-so-you-can-start-to-do-good” method of execution.

Consequently, the tough times are exacerbated as these bosses make bad results worse.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

When times are tough decisive leadership action is a must. Regardless of the style that is needed, there are some elements of quality leadership that are consistent no matter what the situation.

• Fear is a motivator, but only for short bursts. Now more than ever, people are starving for confidence. A focus on what is working creates this needed element.
• Cultures of inclusion always out-perform cultures of exclusion. You might not always be able to include people’s ideas in WHAT needs to be done, but when you exclude them from HOW they need to get things done, you’re guaranteeing you’ll see bigger problems.
• Success is relative. Leaders who are beating their teams up for not delivering the same results they achieved under different market conditions are sowing the seeds of cancer within their team. The market is different, so success is different. Create a “we will persevere” mentality by celebrating the successes of today.

Are you adapting how you lead? And are you remaining consistent in the important ways that will allow your team to win?

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

A lot of people are sweating right now. (And it’s not because they’re exercising more.) Things are crazy in the world. IRAs have taken a hit; house values are down; unemployment is up; and fewer people are buying what your company is selling.

What’s a person to do?

Here’s the elephant in the office: You can see it everywhere: People are filling their heads with A) things they can’t control; B) events that haven’t happened or may never happen; and C) all the mistakes they’ve made in the past.

There’s an old saying: Stress and worry are like rocking in a rocking chair; it’s a lot of work, but you don’t go anywhere.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

Ironically, it is during moments like this when you need to perform at your best. Consider that with so many people around you taking themselves out of the game – and resigning themselves to rocking in a chair – that this is when you can shine.

It all comes down to this: Can you function even more on a roll? This doesn’t mean you have to be happy about what’s happening. It does mean that despite increasingly difficult times you become more productive and effective. And this is only achieved when you successfully control you.

Today ask these questions to stay on a roll:

1. What is in my control at this moment?
2. Rather than being attached to a certain outcome, how can I live more in acceptance of what is happening?
3. As events unfold, how will I live out of my values even more?
4. How can I move forward in a productive way?

Feeling the stress? The choice is yours: rock or roll?

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

(If you know it all, then this isn’t for you.)

Curiously, this blog deals with something everyone knows. Yet, astonishingly, just because humans have the capacity to know something, it doesn’t mean we have the ability to do it.

As you become more knowledgeable can you prove that you’re becoming more effective as a leader?

Here’s the elephant in the office: Too often we hear:  “My boss can’t keep his mouth shut. He has to interject everywhere.” Perhaps there’s a “code of conduct for leaders” that states the boss has the final say in meetings and should be involved in every step of every initiative.

Because such an approach shuts down other people, the know-it-all boss then must become the do-it-all boss.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

After a keynote in Ohio a man named Steve approached us. “The power of understanding that everyone wants to be great is amazing. When the company decided to spin off our division, I had a problem: I didn’t know any more than the team did!”

“Rather than make something up, I asked a question: ‘Whether you stay with the company or go, what are three things you’re going to do to make the new company more successful than ever?”

“I was stunned. Their ideas were light years ahead of anything I could come up with,” Steve reports. “Moving forward, they executed flawlessly.”

Steve reminds us that great leadership doesn’t mean you’re the smartest person in the room – and that your job is to leverage the talent around you, not dominate it.

A challenge: This week ask questions 10% more – and keep your mouth closed 10% more. You really don’t know it all – which means you don’t have to do it all.

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

Times are tough. Resources are scarce. Stocks are down. Stress is high.

How is your team performing and responding to the pressure?

Here’s the elephant in the office: As work gets tougher many teams speed down the road to a dysfunctional state. They cultivate a culture of fear. Like leaves falling in autumn, excuses drop on why success can’t be reached. And CYA tactics permeate every meeting.

In the future, will your team be a memory – or become memorable?

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

“It’s easy when it’s easy,” says a friend named Kevin. “You set yourself apart when things are difficult.”

From Rudy to Apollo 13, Hollywood has provided an ample supply of “against all odds” success stories. Yet, just because your team doesn’t live in Hollywood, it doesn’t mean they can’t create their own Hollywood finish.

Everyone knows this: There will be organizations that come out of this “mess” victorious. And equally amazing: Even though this trek down a darker road may be new, you already know why select organizations will succeed. Among other steps, they’ll:

1. Master their focus. Instead of lamenting what they can’t control, they will consistently focus on solutions;
2. Create a culture of inclusion rather than exclusion. No one person has the answer to this riddle. It will only be revealed through collaboration; and
3. They’ll have leveraged their greatest strengths by focusing on what’s already working rather than what’s not. 

Have you ever had the desire to see your team demonstrate their greatness in a way that is recognized by posterity? Then you’ve never had a moment like now.

Is this your time? The answer is yours.

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

Recently, a top leader told hundreds in the audience, “We need to correct course. I made a decision on a strategy last year – and it has alienated some of you. That wasn’t my intention. I take full responsibility and apologize.”

The person sitting next me inspired the title of this blog when he said, “That bailout was nicely done.” 

The US government has confessed that the economy is screwed up. Time is so short, that rather than take the typical route of finding blame and scapegoats, they agree that a corrective course of action is needed immediately.

Here’s the elephant in the office: Do you work with someone who has made a mistake, but refuses to accept responsibility for it? Consequently, they carry around a “fog of disillusionment” that repels even innocent bystanders. It takes a gas mask to have a meeting with such people!

Remarkably, it takes one simple act to clear the air – and get back to work.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

Making an apology – taking responsibility – is a powerful leadership act. And while it’s easy to identify those people we work with who have the “fog of disillusionment” around them, consider that you, too, have such a challenge.

Are you ready to conduct your own bailout? With whom do you have a troubled relationship? It may be time to say, “I apologize. I take responsibility.” (If your ego has a grip on you, you can add, “I apologize for my part.”) And of course, it’s illegal to add “…but you need to take responsibility too.”

Bailouts save sinking ships. And they immediately put relationships on a course to greater productivity.

Bailouts are in vogue. Why not conduct your own?

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?