Tag: Executive Leadership Coaching | Page 4

Ask Mariposa: Corporate Power Shifts

Harpreet asked:

Our company is going through a power shift where power is being transferred from the owner/founder of our company to our CEO and other top leaders. The owner’s inability to let go is creating problems – how do we start a conversation/solve this issue?

Barbara Baill, Senior Leadership Consultant responded:

This is often a challenging transition for any founder-lead organization. A lot of “the right answer” is situational. Is the founder being forced out by the board or is this a voluntary transition? Has the owner’s future role, if any, been defined?

You seem to imply that founder/owner will continue to remain involved in the company. Someone will need to start the conversation with the owner. Identify a trusted advisor or coach the CEO to take on the role of advisor himself. Let the owner describe their vision for what a successful transition looks like. The owner obviously has invested a lot into building this organization up to this point. If they will have a role after the transition is complete, it has to be clearly defined. It is important to honor their knowledge, experience and contributions, and define how they can continue to be informed and valued in their new role.

The CEO and his team will need to be patient and respectful yet clear in the communication of what the business needs are for the owner in this next phase of the company’s development. As in any difficult conversation, the CEO will need to listen and be empathetic of the founder’s perspective as well as be willing to have a compassionately honest conversation about what is critical for the business now.

Share your thoughts on this response in the comments section below, and ask us anything here: http://blog.mariposaleadership.com/ask-mariposa/

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December 4th, 2012|Categories: Ask Mariposa, Coaching Skills, HR / Talent Management, Influencing Skills|Tags: ask mariposa, Barbara Baill, business, coaching, communication, discussion, executive coaching, HR Leadership, leadership|

November 13, 2012 / Ask Mariposa / Coaching Skills / HR / Talent Management / Influencing Skills

Ask Mariposa: Advice on Entering a New Leadership Position

Zack asked:

What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?

Anne Loehr, Senior Leadership Consultant responded:

I’d suggest using Jim Collins’ 80/20 rule, which says that the best leaders listen 80% of the time and speak 20% of the time. During that 20%, good leaders actually ask probing questions to dig deeper into the conversation.

Why is this an important skill for first-time leaders? Leaders initially were good at a technical skill. A good programmer will get promoted to lead an IT team; good sales people are asked to lead a sales team. Yet a leader’s job is very different than an individual contributor’s (IC) job. An IC’s job is to complete the task; a leader’s job is to empower their team to do their best thinking about the task, and find better ways to execute the task. To do this, leaders need to listen to their team and ask probing questions to help their employees think outside the box.

So this week, try listening more and talking less. You’ll learn a lot more about your team, and your team will be empowered to share ideas and find new solutions for the organization. That’s a win-win for all!

Share your thoughts on this response in the comments section below, and ask us anything here: http://blog.mariposaleadership.com/ask-mariposa/

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November 13th, 2012|Categories: Ask Mariposa, Coaching Skills, HR / Talent Management, Influencing Skills|Tags: Anne Loehr, ask mariposa, communication, HR Leadership, leaders, leadership, questions|

November 6, 2012 / Ask Mariposa / Coaching Skills / HR / Talent Management / Influencing Skills

Ask Mariposa: One Characteristic Every Leader Should Possess

Shannon asked:

What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?

Sue Bethanis, CEO responded:

I hear this question a lot from friends, colleagues, clients; and my response is the same each time, and hasn’t changed over 20 years of being in the coaching industry. BE CLEAR! Clear communication is the single most important aspect of effective leadership. Clear in your requests, clear in your goals/vision, and clear in your expectations of others. With this clarity, followers/employees/colleagues have the perimeters they need to strategize and create products, services, and experiences.

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November 6th, 2012|Categories: Ask Mariposa, Coaching Skills, HR / Talent Management, Influencing Skills|Tags: ask mariposa, communication, executive coaching, HR Leadership, leaders, leadership, Mariposa Leadership, questions, sue bethanis|

The Cultivation of Leadership and Design Thinking

Leadership team development is at the forefront of growth and as a business scales, it must do so in a way that is smart and sustainable. In addition to executive coaching to assist organizations with growth, today’s successful leaders need to embrace tools and methods for innovation and problem solving. Design thinking is one of those methods and a proven approach to growth.

In the article, Design thinking and the new language of leadership, *Tim Ogilvie conveys the process of design thinking through a narrative about an executive and his business travel experience.

He identifies three design thinking tools for leadership:

Journey mapping
Visualization
Co-creation

Journey mapping, also known as empathy, is a way to walk in your customer’s shoes, to see the world from their perspective, and is the most fundamental way in which the design process differs from an analytic process. Rather than breaking things down and tweaking the trouble spot, design thinking seeks to build up something new while framing it in a holistic context.

Once you’ve mapped the customer’s journey, leaders become problem-solvers, immediately seeing new possibilities. The problem is: Will the customer see them the same way?

To help solve this, leaders can implement Visualization, also known as ideation — the process of forming and testing ideas in planning, ad-hoc, and research and development activities. Essentially, it’s a tool to create clarity and transparency for collaborative work. This can be done through various methods – gamestorming especially, provides numerous possibilities.

That being said, visualizing a new result is only part of the process. Co-creation, also known as prototyping, is a tool that lets the market tell companies which solution works best. This is the results driven aspect which shows the progress that’s been made. Co-creation is used to engage customers directly in “playing with the future” so we can discover what will truly meet their unarticulated needs.

No mater what the business is, using these design thinking distinctions, leaders can meet the needs of their customers and provide a better product or service before a problem or unmet need becomes common. Leaders who design the growth of their organizations and innovate in such a way will keep themselves on the leading edge of thought. And in the long run, the effort it takes to do research and development using design thinking will in turn save you time and resources.

So, what are you waiting for?

We welcome your thoughts in the comments section below.

*Tim Ogilvie is CEO of innovation-strategy consultancy Peer Insight and co-author with Jeanne Liedtka of “Designing for Growth: A Design Thinking Tool Kit for Managers.” We are very excited to welcome co-author Jeanne Liedtka to join Mariposa CEO Sue Bethanis on this month’s Wise Talk, Thursday, November 29 from 12-1pm PT where they plan to discuss the ability to turn abstract ideas into practical applications for optimal business growth. For more info and to sign up, please visit our website.

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November 1st, 2012|Categories: Articles We Like, Design Thinking / Creativity / Innovation, HR / Talent Management, Wise Talk|Tags: business, coaching, design thinking, design thinking model, executive coaching, growth, HR Leadership, Jeanne Liedtka, leadership, Mariposa Leadership, Tim Ogilvie|

Ask Mariposa: Behaviors & Traits That Derail Leaders

Michelle asked:

What is the one behavior or trait that you have seen derail more leaders’ careers?

Anne Loehr, Senior Leadership Consultant responded:

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the number one predictor of a successful leader. Leaders lacking EQ will stall in their careers while those with high EQ will shoot to the top.

EQ accounts for more than twice IQ and technical skills combined as a predictor of success. Coined by Daniel Goleman, EQ is comprised of self-awareness (“Who am I? What makes me tick?”) and social-awareness (“How do I use my self-awareness to help build my team”? and “How do I self-manage my negative behaviors that may derail a team?”).

In my 20′s, I was a driven, focused, numbers only-orientated business woman. I wanted to get the job done as quickly as possible, yet my team perceived me as an abrupt and rude manager; they didn’t want to work with me anymore. I was shocked. I learned by fire that my drive for success actually hindered team growth (self-awareness). If I wanted to reduce attrition and improve team dynamics, I had to change my behavior to be more collaborative (social awareness). Over time, working with a coach, I started to increase my EQ to be a more effective leader for me tea,. That’s EQ in action!

Share your thoughts on this response in the comments section below, and ask us anything here: http://blog.mariposaleadership.com/ask-mariposa/

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October 30th, 2012|Categories: Ask Mariposa, Design Thinking / Creativity / Innovation, HR / Talent Management, Influencing Skills|Tags: Anne Loehr, answer, ask mariposa, executive coaching, HR Leadership, leadership, Mariposa Leadership|

October 2, 2012 / Ask Mariposa / HR / Talent Management / Influencing Skills

Ask Mariposa: Renew Reputation and Shift Perceptions

Claire asked:

At my last review, I received negative peer reviews and since then I’ve been taking steps toward making a significant change in my behavior and working relationships. It’s been a really difficult process. Can you advise as to how can I renew my reputation and shift the perceptions of others in my organization?

Tawny Lees, COO responded:

The first thing to remember is patience! People formed a perception of you over time and won’t necessarily immediately notice or trust new behavior on your part. Remain consistent in your new behaviors and not get discouraged. There a few things you can pro-actively do to move the process along. Apologize and admit to your not-so-great behavior if appropriate. Have candid conversations with a few key people – describe the changes on which you are working and enroll their help to observe you and give you regular feedback for 6-12 months. Make sure to ask for the feedback, at least once a month. Establish one specific supporter with whom you can check-in and talk through any obstacles. Your boss? A peer? An HR business partner? Again, commitment and consistency are the keys – don’t give up!

Share your thoughts on this response in the comments section below, and ask us anything here: http://blog.mariposaleadership.com/ask-mariposa/

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October 2nd, 2012|Categories: Ask Mariposa, HR / Talent Management, Influencing Skills|Tags: answer, ask mariposa, business, coaching, discussion, executive coaching, HR, HR Leadership, leadership, reputation, work life|

Ask Mariposa: Empowering Tools & Techniques

Jeremy asked:

What tools and techniques can I use to empower members of my team that I recognize are not living up to their potential?

Tawny Lees, COO responded:

There are lots of ways to tackle this challenge. First off – get curious and observant. Have candid conversations about what is working/not working for them. Observe them carefully, looking for their genius. Look for strengths that can be better leveraged and roadblocks that you can remove. A great tool that we use is StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath. Individuals and teams use it to identify talent themes and then generate specific ideas to turn these talents into strengths in action. Another great resource is the HBR article “The Power of Small Wins” by Theresa Amabile and Steven Kramer – which describes how to engage people by enabling them to make progress in meaningful work every day. Whatever resource you may use, the fundamental exercise is for you to partner with the team member to uncover specific actions to try, and then be consistent in your support and follow-up.

Share your thoughts on this response in the comments section below, and ask us anything here: http://blog.mariposaleadership.com/ask-mariposa/

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September 25th, 2012|Categories: Articles We Like, Ask Mariposa, Coaching Skills, HR / Talent Management, Influencing Skills|Tags: ask mariposa, coaching, discussion, empowerment, executive coaching, HR, HR Leadership, leadership, Mariposa Leadership, power|

Ask Mariposa: Over-Communicate to Manage Change

Steven asked:

We want to incorporate more creative thinking into our company’s processes, but are concerned that upsetting the way our company has worked for years could have adverse consequences – what are some ways to make this a smoother transition?

Eric Nitzberg, Senior Leadership Consultant responded:

The short answer: over-communicate. When you are managing change, it’s critical to make sure that everyone knows what’s going on, and that as far as possible, they have a voice in it. This means engaging people in helping craft the new direction, and giving them information repeatedly and through multiple channels. Also, don’t underestimate the power of talking one-on-one with key stakeholders who will be critical to the success of the change. Let them know about the new direction, and get their best ideas and personal investment. They will become evangelists within the company.

Share your thoughts on this response in the comments section below, and ask us anything here: http://blog.mariposaleadership.com/ask-mariposa/

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September 11th, 2012|Categories: Ask Mariposa, Design Thinking / Creativity / Innovation, HR / Talent Management, Influencing Skills|Tags: answer, ask mariposa, change management, creativity, HR Leadership, leadership, questions, transition|

Ask Mariposa: How to Bridge the Generational Gap

Sean asked:

Our corporation is having internal issues relating to generational differences between our leadership and our creators/engineers/designers – how can we help bridge generational gaps within our company?

Anne Loehr, Senior Leadership Consultant responded:

Each generation was shaped by political, technological and societal events that occurred during the group’s formative years. As a result, each generation has its own language, values and way of doing business. This is important to remember because sometimes people take differences very personally, rather than just saying “Oh, she’s doing the Gen X thing.” So the best way to bridge the gap is to get to know the person you’re working with-ask them about themselves, learn what influenced their lifestyle and belief system. Then share about yourself and find common ground to work from. It’ll soon become “we” instead of “us vs them”.

Share your thoughts on this response in the comments section below, and ask us anything here: http://blog.mariposaleadership.com/ask-mariposa/

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August 23rd, 2012|Categories: Ask Mariposa, Coaching Skills, HR / Talent Management, Influencing Skills|Tags: ask mariposa, coaching, generational gap, HR Leadership, leadership, Mariposa Leadership|

On "5 Ways to Kill a Brainstorm"

This post summarizes an article written by our August Wise Talk guest, Josh Linkner. This article is titled “5 Way to Kill a Brainstorming Session” and was published on October 5th, 2011. It can be found here.

As we move through each “way” to kill a brainstorming session, please post your thoughts/comments/reflections on Linkner’s process in the comments section below.

Linkner starts by remarking that the corporate culture around brainstorming is one of “shooting

[ideas] down as fast as they come.” He then goes on to outline the five fastest and easiest ways to kill a brainstorming session, and therefore the creativity and culture of innovation within a team or corporation.

This five ways are:

1. Passing judgement or commenting.

2. Tidying up or compartmentalizing a comment out loud.

3. Thinking ahead – how would we execute it, what are the other factors that contribute to its possible success, etc.

4. Worrying.

5. Wandering away from the topics strictly at hand being discussed at that moment.

Do you recognize any of these behaviors in your team? How or when have these behaviors occurred, and in what way did they manifest?

If so, share with our community on how you either combat or work through these behaviors to keep the team dynamic active and healthy, as well as creative.

Still unsure how to move forward? Share these thoughts and concerns on coaching and leadership specifically by posting an Ask Mariposa question.

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August 20th, 2012|Categories: Articles We Like, Design Thinking / Creativity / Innovation, Wise Talk|Tags: brainstorming, coaching, Josh Linkner, leadership, Mariposa Leadership, wise talk|