Category: Leadership

Leadership topics and resources

Turning around a toxic team

If you have ever worked in a toxic environment, it can be a living nightmare. It can not only have a devastating impact on performance, but can cause severe mental distress for the individuals in your team. It is that serious. A toxic team is a broken team, and the culture is sustaining or reinforcing this. The culture of the team comes down to what behaviours the leader encourages, ignores, or tolerates. This article explores the four steps to turning around a toxic team.

What are toxic behaviours?

Anything that negatively impacts the harmony of the team and goes against personal and organisational values. Behaviours that lead to mistrust, lying, cheating, or harm. Bullying, sexism, racism, or harassment are some sadly common practices in a toxic work environment. But equally, more subtle toxic behaviour can include mental manipulation (game playing), lack of accountability, and deliberately not sharing important information. Bad bosses can also exhibit toxic behaviour by deliberately going against workplace decisions they don’t agree with, sharing personal or sensitive information about co-workers, or accepting or ignoring the aforementioned toxic behaviours of others.

Want to learn more about tacking bulling? See our related article here.

Turning around a toxic team

Toxic behaviour comes in all shapes and sizes. Angry outbursts and clear disrespect for others are pretty obvious. But equally, behaviours from individuals such as passive aggressive comments, avoidance of work, clear favouritism, or low levels contribution can indicate the cause or effect of toxic behaviour lurking just below the surface. The following four steps explain how to turn this around and create a safer, enjoyable, and more productive team environment.

Step one: Identify

There are two elements to this first step. First, identify the most troubling behaviours, and then analyse their impact.

Start by listing them out from what bothers you most from your own observations, what excuses you hear most from others, and what other people complain about most. Then analyse each on your list for their emotional impact, and operational impact.

For example, you might have observed a senior team member having verbal outbursts in meetings when they have a strong view about something. This causes more junior team members to clam up and not offer their opinions. What further impact could this have? Do junior members feel threatened by this and is it impacting their own professional development? Are there important perspectives being missed that could impact team efficiency?

Once you have brainstormed your list, reflect on each with empathy. Put yourself in your teams’ shoes. Using our example, ask yourself why would a senior behave this way? Do they feel like they have to own everything? Why? What about the impact of this behaviour on others in the team? If a team member fears the wrath of a senior, they are probably less likely to act even if they know of a smarter way of working. They will also likely feel less respected and valued in the team.

Step two: Own

As leader of the team the buck stops with you. So, if you are accepting of toxic behaviours that you observe then you fall firmly in the bad boss camp. Leadership is not an easy path; it comes with responsibility. But equally turning around a toxic team takes a plan, followed up with action and perseverance. So, step two involves owning and prioritising your list to identify the order you need to address these.

To start, review the list you made in step 1 and prioritise the most dangerous and destructive behaviours you need to address first. Look at the impacts to assess first priority items, second priority, and third. Chances are some of your first priority items may be causing your second or third priority behaviours to manifest themselves. For example, one of the negative behaviours you might see is team members not sharing ideas and information until it is too late. This could come from fear of this angry senior. Tackling the primary cause will help improve this, although you will also still need to assess each issue independently.

Now comes the ownership part. For each item, identify who is the initiator of the negative behavior. This is person or people you need to identify as being responsibility for their behaviour. Using our example, this means identify the senior who has the outburst. But as leader you also need to accept ownership for taking certain actions to change or stamp out these negative behaviours when they occur, or reducing the opportunity for them to occur in the first place.

Step three: Intervene

This is where the rubber hits to road, and you act by choosing what needs to happen to turn around each item on your list. This is where you set the ground rules to address the negative behaviour.

To do this you need to highlight the problem and operational impact to the perpetrators. You need to jolt them out of this toxic cycle in some way. Use honesty and empathy with them and show that there is a better way. You want them to see a brighter future is possible, but this requires forgiveness for people who may have felt past wrongs which takes time, understanding, and often apologies from initiators.

For long embedded team behaviours, these are best dealt with in team settings. Be clear about the type of behaviours that are no longer acceptable, without naming individuals. Stick to giving examples of the behaviours and avoid the emotional side. You aren’t a therapist, you’re their leader. Trying to psychoanalyse people will likely lead to false assumptions and failure. Targeting the behaviour has the advantage of being observable, so it is easier to set and monitor standards of behaviour and explain the consequences of poor behaviour. That is a leader’s job.

For negative behaviours perpetrated by individuals, do these privately with them but follow the same process. Jolt them into reality by explaining the impacts of their behaviour and explain what positive behaviour and outcomes (the future) can look like. But also explain that they are responsible for their behaviours and that you will monitor and encourage them.

Follow-up with the discussion in writing explaining the new ground rules. For team “interventions” write up the outcome of your discussion in an email to the team, and for individuals do the same just for them.

Look out for bad apples

There may well be people who will deliberately try and undermine your efforts. They may themselves be top performers but undermine everyone around them leading to a less productive team overall. This takes more thought on how to address if they behave this way due to the situation they are in or due to their personality. You might need to consider removing or reassigning them to somewhere else in the team, or somehow isolating their work so they have less impact on others. In more extreme cases they may simply be incompetent and act in fear of being caught out, be incapable of change, or have some pathological character flaw. In these extreme cases you will need to act, as being lenient will reflect on your own credibility with the rest of the team.

To learn more about holding these difficult conversations, check out our related article here.

Step four: Monitor

Success or failure in turning around a toxic team will come down to how well you implement the interventions identified. To help have a real credible chance of success you first have to let the team know that you are taking responsibility for turning things around. That way they will start to understand it is not just a finger pointing or blame game exercise.

Put a line under the past, and focus on the future by acknowledging emotions, delivering apologies where necessary. Show them the way by explaining what is no longer acceptable, and what is, to lead people out of toxic behaviour. Focus on clear principles, such as “we do not raise our voices to each other because we act as professionals and show respect”.

Monitor the recovery, as this will take time. Long ingrained behaviours can resurface, so this is where you as leader need to be vigilant and relentless to ensure consistent reinforcement. Do not make exceptions as that creates hypocrisy and all this effort will be for nothing. Set clear examples when people act poorly. Reinforcement is key to quickly changing behaviour.

However, it is not always smooth sailing. If you do not see changes after your interventions, bad behaviours escalate, you get complaints about your interventions, or turnover increases, you need to move quickly. You may need to call in outside help.

Turning around a toxic team will take time. But positive signs that your efforts are helping will come in small moments. You might see visible signs of relief on your people, or a new energy or buzz in the group. You might receive thanks for intervening, or turnover reduce. People will give and accept apologies from each other more often, information is more readily shared, and feedback is constructive and welcomed. Above all, your team will smile more, and be more excited about their work and future.

November 10, 2021
Lead courageously with vulnerability

One thing a global pandemic should have taught us is that we cannot escape being and feeling vulnerable. To think we can is naïve. The feeling of vulnerability comes from how we emotionally deal with risk and uncertainty. It is normal to feel vulnerable when we feel exposed. Courage comes from consciously working through feelings of vulnerability, no matter what the source. We all experience it, leaders, and followers alike. We all want to be courageous leaders, so how do we lead courageously with vulnerability?

Situations that trigger vulnerability

Vulnerability is an emotion that is triggered from all kinds of sources. Some are physical in nature, like actual risk to your physical safety or the safety of others. Others are a lot less visible, like potential emotional, political, commercial, or professional risks. For example, being in the military you will at some point come face to face with physical threats that trigger an emotional vulnerability response. You might be put in a situation that is physically risky (like being shot at), but the actual vulnerability you feel comes from how others will judge your action (or inaction). Similarly, you might work in a commercial firm that is working up a major deal. The deal could be worth a lot of money, and some in the group maybe wanting to act in a way that goes against your ethics or values. Challenging them may make you feel vulnerable to personal attack. How we process these triggers and choose to act comes down to acknowledging them and working through them rationally.

Note: For more information on a rational thinking process – see our article here on critical thinking.

Leadership & vulnerability

Leadership is particularly tough when it comes to dealing with vulnerability for two key reasons. First, many of us falsly believe our role as leader is to reduce vulnerabilities. Secondly, being the leaders creates situations where we ourselves in this role can feel even more vulnerable as the complexity of the role is far greater. As followers you focus on your own role and performance. But as leader, you are also accountable for the performance of everyone in your team. So, a leader who does not acknowledge vulnerability is immediately diminished. They no longer act courageously but live in fear trying to avoid the unavoidable. This leads to shifting blame or acting unfairly when feeling threatened, and miss acting on real opportunities. Worse still, they may try and hide this fear by constantly being on the defensive or offensive with others, leading to unethically behaviours. This is why it is so important to lead with vulnerability.

Sharing vulnerabilities improves human relationships

There may be times that acknowledging a vulnerability means sharing our uncertainty with others. It is human to not want to do this and expose our inner thoughts and fears, so we try and just press on by ourselves. But in reality, sharing our vulnerabilities with others actually improves our relationships with those around us. Being authentically yourself, warts and all, builds stronger connections with others. They feel trusted by you, which in turn builds trust with them.

Use vulnerability as a strength

Lead courageously with vulnerability means not treating it as a weakness to avoid, but an indication of what we need to pay attention to. It is our mind and body giving us cues. To turn this to a strength means having the courage to share this vulnerability with others so you can work through it with them. A problem shared is a problem halved and the added benefit is that it improves our relationships with those around us. Treating vulnerability as a weakness means we try to hide it, which leads us to acting poorly. If we act to avoid feelings of vulnerability we either steam ahead mindlessly without thought, or let fear lead us. In either case, these can make us behave in ways that do not support our values or enable us to grow. Facing our vulnerabilities means facing our fears and taking reasoned, sometimes difficult, but always honest and necessary action. That is leading courageously.

September 30, 2021
Check your people paradigms
Putting people in boxes

How we see and interpret the world around us is through particular lenses. That includes how we view individuals in our team or organisation. So, what does it mean to check your people paradigms? A paradigm is a distinct set of concepts or thought patterns. By nature, they are habit forming. And we often put people into these paradigms as a frame of reference. We base this off a moment in time. Often how we first perceived them or a situational experience we had with them. But people are not static, we all grow and change over time. We all put people in certain boxes, but we need to challenge ourselves to make sure it is justified.

Our frame of reference

Some years ago, a young guy we will call “Mike” joined my IT operational support team from the legal department, where he had been helping out with back-office duties. Being a recent graduate, he wanted to get into the IT field, and I had an opportunity. As the most junior member of the team, he was provided training and development opportunities. He was great with customers, but naturally struggled early on with some of the technical areas of the role so was reliant on more experienced staff.

Years later, we crossed paths again in a different organisation. He had become a technical Project Manager. The project he was working on was reliant on my team, and one day he came to one of my team meetings and asked for an update on progress. The team had a major problem to resolve the week prior, that he was unaware of, so was running behind on his task. When he challenged the lack of progress, I took offence. Sadly, I reacted badly and sent him packing from the meeting in a rather abrupt and public way.

The problems it can cause

The problem was, I still saw him as a junior who had overstepped the mark demanding something from my team. That outdated frame of reference had shaped my reaction and response. On reflection, I soon realised that if it had been another Project Manager, I would have explained the reasons for the delay and worked with them to come up with a solution. Instead, I reacted badly based on an incorrect paradigm. While I sought him out to apologise, the damage was already done. I know he never really got over it, and his paradigm of me changed from someone who originally helped him early in his career, to someone who publicly humiliated him.

This is why it is important we check our people paradigms. They strongly influence our relationships with those around us but are made in a snapshot in time. We may find we are doing others a disservice, missing opportunities to get the best out of people, or damaging our relationships. It is worth serious reflection to check how and why we view others the way we do and correct any bad assumptions.

How to check your paradigms
1. Confidentially, list the names of people in your team. Categorise each against skillset, professionalism, and chances of promotion.
2. Suspending your current view of them, ask yourself:
  - How could they earn there way up a level in your mind?
  - Comparing the skills and achievements between team members, are you being fair? Are you treating two members differently because of their background or past interactions you have had with them?
3. What about your own paradigm? How do others view you?
  - Ask a trusted colleague about how they percieve you, as a leader, professional, and skills development?
  - What about your boss, or people who can influence your own career? How do they perceive you?
4. Be patient, but also be a grown up. The above exercises takes honest introspection, reflection, and a willingness to change your own mindset.
Other related articles

Also see our related article on unconscious bias, located here.
June 28, 2021
What makes a good leader?

So, what does make for a good leader? Each of us must ask this question if we lead a team, aspire to be in a management role, or run a business. It surely must be more than personal traits or physical strength, as no two leaders are the same. And our concept of a good leader has evolved over the last hundred, fifty, or event twenty years, as society has changed. “What makes for a good leader”, in the twenty-first century differs from the twentieth century. And it might surprise you it actually relates to management.

What do you spend your time managing?

The old-school company hierarchy put bosses at the top of the pyramid and workers at the bottom. A hang-over from the industrial revolution, leadership was about directing workers to build widgets, weave fabric, type documents, and maintain output to certain levels. You managed output by managing people.

These days we are all a lot more educated, and our jobs are generally more skilled. Automation and artificial intelligence have replaced or are replacing the menial production-line tasks. When hiring experienced and skilled staff into a role, the best way to drive them away is micro-managing them.

Ronald Reagan once said, “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.”

A good leader today manages things, not people.

Leading people and managing things

Simon Sinek says, “a good leader makes people feel safe”.

In other words, today’s great leaders care for their team and take care of their needs. These needs become the “things” they need to manage. They communicate the vision, articulating the requirements. But they also trust the individuals to achieve the required tasks. For that, a good leader needs compassion, empathy, great communication skills, and a mindset focused on being present with the team. If a leader trusts the team, the team will trust the leader.

Also, see our related articles:

Servant leadership and how organisations benefit, located here.

Building trust with remote teams, located here.

The differences between leadership and management, located here.

June 21, 2021
Leading in emotional situations
We have all been there. Someone has triggered an emotional response from you that you almost immediately regret. That means you are human. But leading well in emotionally charged situations takes effort. Understanding what will likely trigger such a reactive from you, and then giving yourself space to choose how to respond takes thought and practice. Depending on how we are leading in emotional situations effects our leadership credibility. Poor, angry, or blunt responses can trigger mistrust, fear, or even loathing of you, from those on the receiving end.

Identifying your triggers

How would your team describe you in moments of stress or if things get dicey? What about when things are going well? Their experience and perception of you can give you invaluable insights into triggers you need to be aware of. Self-regulating your emotions is a critical part of emotional maturity. Have you ever, in a moment of success, said something that you instantly regretted? A callous or seemingly arrogant statement that instantly diminishes your credibility? Or likewise, in a moment of stress when your team is trying to solve a problem, blurting out a harsh command or counter-productive reminder of urgency that only serves to add to their stress-levels? I sure have. With a bit more self-control in those moments, I know I could have used those opportunities to better role model my own values.

As leader it is important to role model your core values through consistent, calm, and thoughtful behaviours. To use the boat analogy so commonly applied in leadership, your team relies on you to know the direction you are all heading. Therefore, a steady hand on the tiller (or till!) is one of your primary roles.

So, first be proactive. Identify the common themes that are likely to trigger an emotional reaction or response from you. Ask your team, partner, or family. Reflect on past actions you have taken that later you either had to apologise for, regret, or wish you could reframe better.

Want to learn more about how to identify your drivers? Check out our article on critical thinking.

Choosing how to react

You are sailing through your day and the afore-mentioned boat hits a rogue wave. Also known as your trigger. Your anger, ego, or nerves churn. It is easy to forget that you actually have a choice in how to react. But you do have a choice. In the moment between the wave hitting and you reacting, there is that moment. In it, you have the power to choose your response. Take a breath to stop, think, and evaluate the emotion. This is the key to self-control for leading in emotional situations. If you need more time to think of a response that better aligns to your values, take it. Stay calm, at least outwardly if you can. Disengage from the conversation by doing whatever activity allows you to take more than a moment. Take a walk or excuse yourself and go into another room. If you need to, write down your initial response and re-read it to yourself. Even send it to yourself and check whether it is reflective of your values and how you want to lead by example.

Other people’s emotions

We often face people that highly emotional and seek to illicit a response from you immediately. But not every conversation warrants an immediate response. Do not to get sucked in. Sometimes a calm response acknowledging the situation is enough. If an emotional reaction it is out of character for them, it is also good to ask simply and calmly, “are you okay?”, and just be a good listener. If the situation warrants a response or decision from you, and you need more time, tell them that you will think about it and let them know soon. But give yourself the space you need.

Leading in emotional situations:
1. Proactively learn to identify what triggers you emotionally, leading to counter-productive responses.
2. Think about your core values, and the types of behaviours you want to role model.
3. Develop strategies that gives you the space to respond in emotional situations, that support your values enabling you to lead by example.
4. Do not let the emotional triggers of others suck you in. Be purposeful in choosing how and when you will respond.
June 4, 2021
How to have difficult conversations

How do you hold difficult conversations at work without creating a bigger mess or damaging staff relationships? This article holds our top tips if you are struggling with not just how to “handle” these conversations but use them to lead more effectively. Like most things worthwhile, the more you do it the easier it gets to achieve positive outcomes.
The ability to have difficult conversations at work that lead to positive outcomes is one of the most important elements of leadership. How these situations are handled can lead to anything from transformational results to complete disasters. Unfortunately, the sad truth is that tackling difficult conversations is far too often avoided.

Step 1: Identify your motive.
So, what is the core issue and what are you seeking to achieve? Why do you need to have a difficult conversation? Who will benefit? If you are the sole beneficiary of the conversation, then the chances are it is ego driven. You need to stop and re-think having it at all.
However, when your intention is to resolve a behavior, work, or performance issue, then it should be easier to identify what you are trying to achieve. Always try and find the positives! That way you can re-frame the conversation from a “difficult” one, to a “coaching” one.

Step 2. Plan, but do not procrastinate.
Plan out how you will have the conversation, but do not this as an excuse to delay or defer it. In fact, prioritise to have it as soon as possible. Problems left unattended grow. “Difficult” becomes a lot easier if you plan it out in advance. In planning, role play is a good way to prepare, and in your prep consider bouncing it off someone else first. This is best done with someone not closely involved and who can keep confidences. Change the names of those involved if necessary. During the role play process think about excuses, reasons, or likely questions and how you are best to respond.

Step 3. Pick the right time and location.
This might sound like a no-brainer, but privacy is key. Having it in the middle of an open plan office space may not be the most prudent choice. Show respect for the individual. Use a private office, or quiet space away from prying eyes. If they are a remote worker, ask them when they will have a moment alone for a private conversation.

Step 4. Have the conversation!
Now you have planned out the conversation to at least some level, and have their attention in the right setting, here is some guidance to help you have an effective coaching session:
Stick to the issue and never make it personal. Use simple language, stick to the facts, and give clear examples.
Be honest. In many situations it is okay to show some vulnerability to break the ice. Use phrases like “This is really difficult for me to raise with you, but I feel I owe it to you”, “I feel uncomfortable raising this, but I must…”, or, “Please forgive me if this comes across as harsh, as it is not my intention…”
Empathise by listening and getting their perspective. Always treat others how you would like to be treated if the situation were reversed.
Try to disarm defensive or angry reactions. No one likes to feel like they are being criticised so try and stay positive! For example, phrases like “I need your help to understand…”, or “take a deep breath, and explain what you think is going on…” can be an effective way to disarm negative reactions.
Call-out passive-aggressive behavior. Staff who are passive aggressive can be highly destructive to workplace morale and productivity. If you believe they are deliberately avoiding requests, gossiping, or not engaging with you fully then give clear examples. Do not accept excuses but instead ask why they feel the need to act this way.
Keep confidences. Often these discussions lead to personal details that you may not have been aware of. Disclosing these to others can instantly lose trust.
Let them know your perspective, or the perspective of others. How they see the issue may be different to how others perceive it. As a leader, it is your job to provide these insights.
Be open to new information. The issue may in fact be not as it seems on the surface, so when faced with new information that changes your viewpoint do not be afraid to say so. Also, if you need to go away assess new information, tell them. You do not have to make decisions right away.
Ending them with positive next steps reframes the narrative. Also, afterward I always summarise the discussion in a private email to them, to capture the key issue and steps required by the staff member.
Further recommended reading:
Difficult Conversations: How to discuss what matters most – By D Stone, B Patton, and S Heen
101 Tough Conversations to Have with Employees – By P Falcone

May 13, 2021
Why is critical thinking important?
Critical thinking is a crucial skill for all leaders because it is the analysis of facts to form a judgment. Often, when the subject is complex, evaluating evidence in an unbiased way is required. Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. So, why is critical thinking important? When leaders rely on assumptions, they are really putting their fate in the hands of luck. Instead, when using critical thinking when confronted with a problem, decisions are logical and well thought out. Facts and evidence are that basis for decisions, rather than anecdote, supposition, and superstition.
People who think critically are:
Curious and open to new ideas.
Sceptical, they question what they are told.
Humble, and prepared to admit wrong when confronted with evidence to the contrary.

Examples of critical thinking
Every day most people make thousands of decisions. While most of these do not require much critical thinking, some will.
For example, imagine if two patients front a doctor with the same symptoms but vastly different medical histories. Just repeating two diagnosis and treatments without careful analysis could put a patient’s life at risk. Serious repercussions can result if prescribed medications conflict with a pre-existing condition. Such decisions can have life and death consequences.
Of course, critical thinking goes beyond the medical profession. In leadership, managers contend with problems and opinions daily. While not all have life or death consequences, they can mean the difference between success or failure. Efficiency or inefficiency. The ability to test opinions and probe issues well help teams identify and resolve problems more effectively. This leads to better outcomes, improving productivity, staff morale, and customer service.

Critical thinking vs mindless thinking
Depending on whether you think critically or otherwise often makes the difference success and failure. The human brain, although an extraordinary often tries to simplify problems by reflex. Prejudices, assumptions, rumour, fake information, and all sorts of other distortions can influence us. Past experiences can be a great source of information, but can also lead us to incorrect assumptions without some analysis being done. It is easy to feel rushed into decisions when under pressure. That is where mindless thinking, or overly relying on assumptions, can lead us down a rabbit hole. Critical thinking aims to be an antidote for this.
Critical Thinking:
– Is domain general. It applies to almost any situation.
– Leads to better decision making.
– Is vital for careers advancement.
– Leads to greater happiness through solving problems more effectively.
– Improves creativity by thinking outside the box.
– Helps interpersonal relationships by being balanced, fair, and curious.
– Leads to being a better and more informed individual.

Critical thinking and work
There is evidence that past education policies have worked against the this skill, so necessary in professional work environments.
Critical thinking skills are domain-general because no matter what profession you are in, there are always problems. When you think critically, you analyse the facts of a problem. This means gathering relevant information, asking sensible questions, and going through possible solutions. The process teaches you to test assumptions.
If someone thinks critically then they are objective. Solutions to problems are found without preconceived biases, emotions, or unchecked opinions. Instead, critical thinking only analyses problems on the basis of context and facts. These skills are desperately needed at every career level. Good critical thinkers can work independently and collaboratively in finding solutions to problems.

Critical thinking and management
Individuals in leadership roles who apply critical thinking are far more useful to their enterprise. A leader who thinks critically constantly reflects and tries to understand his or her organisation and how its parts synchronise.
A critical thinker sees the big picture. They distinguish between short-term gains and long-term success and their leadership reflects this. They come across as curious, fair, and non-judgemental.

The critical thinking process
The following points highlight useful critical thinking steps, when applied to a problem:
Define the problem accurately. This requires observation.
Determine how the problem arose and options for resolving. This requires an open mind, reflective thinking, and good communication.
Capture relevant facts and data pertaining to the issue. An open mind and an unbiased approach to this gathering is vital.
Analyze the information carefully and in an unbiased way, looking for patterns.
Work through proposed solutions; again, with an open, inquiring mind.
Test solutions through the process of elimination and seeking advice from others.
Improve solutions where possible. Then retest them for any assumptions.
Lastly, once the solution is found, reflection helps with learning. Consider if there are any lessons to prevent recurrence or improve decision making next time around.
Finally, the critical thinking process helps you hone the following skills:
Keeping an open mind.
Honest observation
A questioning attitude.
An interest in facts and analysis
The ability to problem-solve.
The drawing of deductions and inferences.

What about gut instinct?
The topic of gut instinct is very important and is covered in more detail here. Never ignore your gut instinct, but use critical thinking to test what it is telling you. Gut feel is a valuable tool in identifying potential misinformation, misdirection, or bad decisions!

10 steps to improve critical thinking
Lastly, to improve your critical thinking skills:
Practice your questioning techniques and use them frequently. For example, when asking someone a question and they answer, ask why they think that? Asking why a key place is to start in really understanding a situation.
Know yourself and your biases. For more information, see our article on unconscious bias.
Learn to gather data. Where might you glean specific information relating to particular problems or scenarios?
Identify how to deduce information and possible root causes. Are there any trends? Patterns?
Learn the skill of analysing consequences. For example, Why was it done that way in the first place? If we change a step what will or won’t happen? Is it important?
Keep asking questions if something does not “feel right”. Test assumptions.
Be empathetic. Put yourself in the shoes of others.
Solve some simple problems first.
Reflect on past decisions and outcomes and treat them as learning and improvement opportunities.
Do not be too hard on yourself. After-all, mistakes are the best teachers and good critical thinking skills take time and practice.
Recommended reading:
Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts & Tools – By R Paul
The Practice of Adaptive Leadership – By R A Heifetz
February 11, 2021
Free personality test

First, lead yourself
Have you ever heard the phrase, “you can’t lead people until you can lead yourself”? Understanding our own style, working preferences, and weakenesses, is key if we want to engage and communicate with others more effectively. By taking our free personality test, you will gain better insights on how you come across to others.
Discover your personality super powers!
We are of course each richly unique. This assessment identifies your preferences and identifies which, among 16 key personality architypes, fit you best based on your answers. Each personality type is identifed by how you fit on four scales. There are of course no right and wrong answers, no good or bad results – just intersting insights into how you operate! These scales help identify how we each gain energy (socially or internally), communicate, interpret information and make decisions, and perceive the external world around us. You can then use these insights to play to your strengths to overcome any potential weakenesses in certain situations.
Personality assessments for your entire team!
Make it fun! As we provide this personality test freely, you are welcome to share the link with members in your team. This is a great team building tool, if you then run workshops to each share your results openly. The power lies in better understanding each other, so why not include your entire team so they can all learn how to better understand and collaborate with each other.
Why it is important
1. By increasing awareness of your personality type, you can develop a better sense of your tendencies and play to your strengths.
2. It can help you identify how you relate to, and are perceived by others, better enabling you to adapt your style in different situations.
Note: To learn more about self-awareness, please see our related article here.
Taking the test
When you are ready, click the link below to start the test. The test takes about 5-8 minutes to answer 32 simply questions about your preferences. You will then receive your own private and personalised assessment results in PDF, specific to yourself.
Each question has two opposing personality choices at two sides of a five-point scale. For each item you must select an interval on this scale that best reflects your personality or approach; from all of one, to a mix of the two, to all of the other.

For example, if the question was;
1. I like to… walk. O O O O O drive.
If you like to do both equally, you’d click on the middle point of the scale,
e.g.   walk. O O  X  O O drive.
Or if you only like to drive, you would click on the point closest to the word drive,
e.g     walk. O O O O  X drive.
Or if you prefer to drive but occasionally walk, you could select the second point closest to the word drive,
e.g.     walk. O O O  X O drive.
etc.

CLICK HERE TO START

January 12, 2021
When should I delegate work?
Whether you are a busy business owner or a Manager who is used to the doing, you are asking when should I delegate work? If you are going to continue growing your business successfully, or step-up and lead, then you must be able to delegate effectively. A business cannot scale up and grow if its owner is making all the decisions or doing all the work. Equally a team cannot grow and perform at its best if the Manager is doing likewise.

What is delegation?

“Delegation is the assignment of authority to another person in order to carry out specific activities. It is the process of distributing and entrusting work to that other person” (Wikipedia). The art of delegating is considered a core concept of leadership.

Examples

Two examples will illustrate this. One is anecdotal, the other describes the experiences of a senior executive in the Coca-Cola company.

Example 1

At a very academic school, a government policy threatened the scholarship examinations, which the school had great success in and hence regarded as very important to them. The headmaster was disturbed by this and did not know what to do.

Knowing that a certain senior teacher was a very able person, he turned to him in desperation and delegated the task of saving these examinations, as he was not sure what to do. The teacher was given complete autonomy and every encouragement to succeed. He was protected from overt and subtle sabotage by others at the school and, after some time, the task was very successful and the scholarship examinations continue to this day.

Example 2

At Coca Cola, Jack Stahl had a long career, culminating in being president of that company, before his move to Revlon in 2002. Early in his career, he was delegated the task of preparing a prospectus. Being given the trust and autonomy to fulfill this task, he benefited from high professional development. Mr. Stahl described the delegation, which was truly effective, both for the task and for himself in his subsequent career (Jack Stahls).

The difference between delegation and job duty

At first sight, delegation may be seen as nothing more than assigning or allocating tasks or jobs. To a large degree, delegation is just that. However, hiring someone as a janitor with clearly outlined tasks is not the same as delegation. There are core activities associated with a role. Delegation usually entails some degree of empowerment of the person to whom a responsibility has been additionally assigned.

Why delegation is important?

As described earlier, without delegation an organisation cannot grow. Genuine and effective delegation means giving authority for some organisational functions, which the overall manager or owner cannot possibly have time to contend with. With delegation, authority is spread among others and helps create a more effective organisation. Moreover, it leads to better decision making as people closer “to the action” can understand the full context of decisions. Decisions are also made faster, since staff do not need to wait for a Senior Manager to be available. Simply put, it spreads the workload out more evenly reducing decision making bottle necks. Finally, and equally importantly, it can improve an organisations culture by improving trust, staff empowerment, and teamwork.

When to delegate work

You should delegate work when:
- Tasks that are time-consuming but not strategic. Question to ask yourself “is this an operational activity?”
- Tasks that others in your team can do better. Ask yourself, “Who has the better job, technical, or relationship experience to do this better?”
- Tasks that are good opportunities for other team members’ professional development. Ask yourself, “who is ready to learn from this activity?”
When not to delegate work
1. When the team is overloaded; that is the time to get new temporary or permanent staff. Or prioritize!
2. Tasks for which your team does not have the skills required.
3. Activities that require decisions on important matters like governance, very important legal and financial matters.
4. Crises, unless you have an extremely able staff member who can handle it, and you are not sure how to proceed. Example 1 illustrates this.
5. Sensitive and personal matters, which include the counselling and disciplining of staff.
6. Tasks that are strategic and are the natural province of the leader.
7. Things that can be done more swiftly by the delegator (unless the second or third bullet points above apply!)
Skill vs Will: Who to delegate to

Situational experience, trust, and technical competency has a lot to do with delegation decisions when assigning such tasks.   Clearly someone new to the team will require a certain level of direction, coaching or support when starting out. When delegating new tasks to them, a leader needs to take a considered approach. Clearly you would not delegate critical, complex, or crisis tasks to a new or inexperienced staff member.   Sink or swim is not a strategy, it is just setting them up to fail.

Low skill or low will

So, for a newbie you first need to know what their skill levels and ability to handle new situations is like, and they need to understand how you and the organisation operate.   By first giving direction and oversight you can learn about them through observation. As their confidence and trust grows, so does their will to do the work. Then you can start identifying more complex tasks to assign to them, as they grow into the role. As long as you are not doing the work yourself, over time they will need less diretion or support from you.

High skill and high will

In contrast, more experienced team members are much better placed to take on new or additional responibility. They have both the skill and will to successfully carry out more complex tasks or decisions. They know better how the organisation operates and what will be required. As leader, you can therefore trust them with higher levels of autonomy. All based on your understanding of their capability and the level of support they will need. The skill-will delegations matrix provides context for this.

A word of warning: If you find yourself constantly delegating work to the same person then you need to start finding development opportunities for others in your team.   There are clear risks if you find yourself doing this. First, you could burn out a top performer and cause them to leave. Secondly, it could be perceived as you picking favourites which can demotivate others in your team. Lastly, you are also increasing the reliance on one or two individuals in your team which is unsustainable.

Delegating work effectively: Checklist

Delegation must be done properly. Here are some principles for effective delegation.
1. First, identify when you should delegate tasks.
2. Next, know your staff well enough to pick the right person for the job.
3. Once you’ve selected your delegate, you motivate them. Explaining the need and why you think they are the best person to do this.
4. Be clear about what is to be done.
5. Give the person to whom you’ve delegated the task your fullest support.
6. Must make sure they report to you on progress. Advise them how you would like this.
7. Finally, and this is very important, show appreciation with progress, and when the task is completed.
Barriers to delegation

Earlier we have outlined the importance of good delegation and given successful examples. You may wonder what the symptoms are of poor delegation. There are times when we all struggle to delegate tasks that we should. These do require us to take a good look at our own behaviours, assumptions, and insecurities to identify if we in fact, could be the cause!

Identifying and removing barriers to delegating work
1. Do you resent the idea of someone else getting credit? What comes around goes around. A leader who gives credits where it is due becomes trusted, respected, and followed! A leader who does not is resented.
2. Fear of burden. You may feel the team is already over worked and do not want to burden them with extra workload. But have you asked them?
3. Fear of increasing team stress. The idea of more responsibility can be perceived as adding stress to the team and they will not be able to handle it. It is usually just the opposite, if you delegate effectively the team will feel greater trust and empowerment, and stress is reduced if they know you have their back.
4. You can do it quicker yourself. This might be the case the first few times, but is it something you should be doing? Think longer term. Use it as a development opportunity for your staff and free yourself up more to do your actual job of managing and leading!
5. You enjoy doing it. Again, think longer term. Is this an effective use of the leader’s time?
6. Your boss will think you are shirking responsibility. Not if you have a good reason to delegate, and remember, you are still ultimately accountable for what your team produces!
7. Fear of loss of control. This fear can be easily resolved if you follow the checklist. Delegate clearly, and make sure you get feedback and updates. Effective delegation is not about blindly passing off decisions to others.
Conclusion

In this article we have defined delegation, provided examples, and given you some guiding principles for this crucial part of leadership. The is article aimed to answer your question on “when should I delegate work”. We also hope it has made you realise the importance of delegating, and given you the key principles to benefit you in your own enterprise. Also, check out our article on the top sought after management skills which includes empowerment as in hot demand.

Recommended reading:

The Art of Delegation – CC Malone

Effective Delegation of Authority – H Osman

Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself – M Michalowicz (Audio Book)
November 23, 2020
How to become a good role model

Role models
Most of us have come across charismatic and engaging people. And once you are in a leadership role, what you do and say influences others. But you don’t have to be the most dynamic and extroverted person to be a good role model. How to become a good role model at its core is simple, if you keep true to yourself. Actions are much more effective than words, and this is particularly relevant to the field of leadership. Paying attention to your own behaviour, and modelling this, is arguably the most powerful tool for culture change.
Good role model: Definition and importance
Setting a good example for your staff helps inspire and drive them to emulate your actions, attributes, and behaviours. Your values and attitudes define the standard for what you expect from others. That is the art of how to become a good role model. No tricks, just authenticity. Followers observe the leader and subconsciously follow their cue. Negative role models will set the tone for a negative corporate culture. A surly or disrespectful manager is likely to have surly and disrespectful employees. Similarly, if you cut corners, or are disorganised, your staff are likely to follow suit in exactly the same way. For example, if you value quality but ignore an obvious error, you have just set a new quality benchmark! Ignoring something is also accepting it. So a business will reflect its leadership values. As a leader it is up to you to create a positive, focused, and caring team. If you work on becoming calm, positive, approachable, and diligent, then that is what your team will model. Merely saying what you want but not practicing it, will not help achieve your objectives. The disparity between your words and actions creates mixed-messages and obstacles. Or at worst conflict and mistrust. This is equally true for parents, as role models, or coaches.
How to become a good role model in the workplace
Leaders are constantly being observed by their staff, customers and peers. So you will be measured by both your words and behaviours. The following traits can help you become a better role model:
Humility:
A good leader needs be able to practice humility to be able to learn and grow. This involves asking for assistance when you need it, and being comfortable with not being the smartest person in the room.
Hard work:
A leader who works hard and does not shy away from duties that are ‘beneath’ them. This shows your team that a ‘this-is-not-my-job-description’ mentality is not acceptable.
Sharing knowledge:
Show enthusiasm when it comes to sharing knowledge and working towards company goals. Doing this reduces the inclination to guard information. Sharing knowledge also encourages an organisational culture of transparency and synergy within the organisation.
Trust and integrity:
Always demonstrate trustworthiness, fairness and consistency in your dealings. Avoid indulging in gossip, bullying, or harassment of any kind. Even jokingly.
Respect:
A good manager displays respect to every employee, regardless of the position. Doing this helps set the tone for courtesy and civility. In those moments where you have to provide negative feedback, do it in private. This demonstrates you can maintain your respect for individuals, even in the tough moments. Staff will also adopt a respectful attitude towards each other when it comes to settling differences and resolving conflicts. If they do not, it is your job as role model to call it out as unacceptable behaviour.
Resilience and strength:
Persist in the face of adversity, and show you do not give up easily. Tackle problems with a sense of urgency and focus, but also courage and calmness. Resilient behaviour will inspire your team to deal effectively with high-stress situations more calmly. [Want to learn more about resilience? See our article here.]
Accountability:
Effective leadership involves taking responsibility for decisions and mistakes. Refrain from blaming others. Your employees will also display increased accountability levels.
Confidence and positivity:
No, you do not have to smile all the time. But a confident, optimistic, and upbeat leader is more inspiring to followers than a nervous or negative one.
Pragmatism:
While it is important to always stick to your values and beliefs, it is important to be able to adapt to different circumstances and look for pragmatic solutions.
Compassion:
A compassionate manager helps create a kind and empathetic work environment. Things do not always go well for people, inside and outside of work. Showing understanding and making allowances for people is not a sign of weakness.
Additional tips on becoming a positive role model
If you want to inspire your team, you can also try modelling the following behaviours:
Maintain a healthy work-life balance
A healthy work-life balance promotes physical, mental and emotional benefits. A workaholic stressed boss is likely to have workaholic and stressed employees. This leads to burn-out and counter-productive results. As far as possible, avoid staying long hours after work or pressing your staff to give up their free time.
Adopt a people-centric approach
A leader a people-centric approach demonstrates value and appreciation for their people. They care about their well-being. Your team will also follow suit, and the combined effort will create a healthy working environment. [Want to learn more about people-centred leaders? See our article on Servant Leadership].
Recognise unconscious bias
You can become a positive agent for change by identifying unconscious bias and taking steps to eliminate it. Showing respect and acceptance for others different from you, inspires others to adopt the same open attitude. Focus on building a non-judgemental, open-minded culture that does not encourage stereotypes. A forward-thinking, fair and inclusive leader paves the way for a diverse, free-thinking organisation. [Want to know how to recognise unconscious bias? See our related article here].

Final thoughts
It is impossible for leaders to model behaviours that are inconsistent with their values and beliefs. Trying to be someone you are not only undermines your credibility. People see through it. It also prevents you from living up to your own standards. Making sure your own words, behaviour, and actions align with your moral code draws likeminded people to you. Increased self-awareness helps you understand your attitudes, values and expectations and helps you become a good role model.
Recommended reading:

October 18, 2020