January 22, 2012
What's the Big Deal about Culture? by Dennis Clemmer
At times you undoubtedly get tired of hearing us pound away at this organizational culture stuff. There are times when I, too, think maybe we overdo it. About the time I begin to think that, a story or two emerges that makes me realize just how important the culture of an organization is.
I, along with my wife, Fern, are part of a couples group that we affectionately call The Big Chill. (Many of us met at college, like the couples in the movie, “The Big Chill.”) The group has been together for over 35 years, and at the beginning of each year we go on a weekend retreat. It’s a time marked by fun, reflection, stimulating conversation and great food. During the course of the weekend we give each member of the group air time to talk about things that are important to them.
One of the members of our group, while visiting two different organizations, described overhearing employees at both places grumbling and complaining about issues they experienced in their workplace. (The employees were particularly free to discuss these issues because no one from the leadership group was around due to being off for the holidays.)
Another member of our group, engaged in important and meaningful work, shared that the toxicity within the organization where he works contributes to his frequently feeling drained and discouraged.
This got me thinking about the leadership in these organizations. Are the leaders unaware that people in their organizations experience their work life so negatively? Are they aware but don’t know what to do about it? Are they too busy working on their own agenda that they don’t take time to connect with their people and ask about how their work is going? Or do they just not care? The not caring I find hard to believe.
Susan Scott in her book, Fierce Conversations, uses a phrase she learned while working with a commercial fishing company, “The fish rots from the head.” How employees experience their workplace is the direct result of those providing primary leadership.
The creation of a vibrant culture does not occur accidently. It happens through intentionality—living out the organization’s core values, engaging employees in meaningful ways, consistently sharing important company information, providing resources for people to do good work, and affirming work well done. Rocket science it ain’t. Disciplined behavior it is.
So, what do you want your employees to say about their work experience when you aren’t around?
We welcome your comments at blog@northgroupconsultants.com.
October 5, 2011
It's All About Integrity by Dennis Clemmer
Had a chance meeting with a friend recently at a social gathering, and as we were about to part he stated, “Great seeing you. Let’s do lunch sometime. I’ll give you a call.”
Sad to say but I doubt that I will get this call for lunch. How do I know? It’s happened before and the guy’s track record for following through on this type of thing isn’t good. Not a big deal, right? Wrong!!
I got to thinking about this type of behavior recently when Roger North circulated a presentation that one of his clients attended. The presentation was on the Ontological Model of Leadership (I know, pretty scary sounding) with one of the elements of the model being “integrity.” The speaker was reported to have joked, “Eighty percent of firms have ‘integrity’ as a core value, but 100 percent of firms don’t know what it means and thus don’t have ‘true’ integrity.”
So what is “true integrity” and how does this relate to my friend from whom I won’t get a lunch invite? According to this model, integrity simply is honoring your word. That sounds doable. But how many of us actually practice it?
Yesterday I emailed my wife asking her if she was interested in taking a walk after she got home from work and she replied, “Yes”. In the meantime I got to working on some projects around the house and recognized I was not going to have much energy to walk and emailed her stating that plans had changed. Unfortunately she left work before the email arrived and was disappointed when she got home and learned that our walk was off.
I could easily rationalize that the projects I completed were important and therefore my decision to not walk was justified. But did I know when I began to work on these projects that I would likely have to cancel the walk? Absolutely! So I made a decision that doing the projects really was more important than taking a walk with Fern.
So what are the lessons to be learned from this? I will suggest several:
- One should only make statements of intention when there is a commitment to making that intention happen.
- We have endless capacity as human beings for rationalization and justification when we don’t make something happen. Be aware of that temptation.
- Failure to make something happen can occur through no fault of our own. When that occurs it should be communicated as soon as possible to those who are impacted.
- Statements of intention, when not acted upon, can lead to an erosion of trust.
It is all about integrity!
We welcome your comments at blog@northgroupconsultants.com.
June 20, 2011
The Power of Influence by Dennis Clemmer
I wasn't able to attend the celebration of Tom’s 20th business anniversary so I sent a note to be read at the event and emailed him about getting together for lunch. It was over 20 years since I had seen Tom. He and I worked for the same organization prior to the launching of his business, and I had served as his manager. Now Tom was a successful businessman, and I thought it would be fun to reconnect and hear his story.
Upon meeting at the restaurant Tom gave me a warm hug. He truly seemed glad to see me again. Over lunch we got caught up, reminiscing about the days we worked together and some of the crazy things we did to keep work from getting too tedious.
During the course of eating our lunch Tom turned to me and said, “One of the things I am trying to be more intentional about is thanking those who have contributed to my success. You are one of those persons. You were the first professional who truly believed in me and affirmed my abilities.”
I was dumbstruck. I was unaware that I had had such a significant impact on Tom.
Driving back to the office I thought of others who have worked under my leadership, wondering if they, too, would view my impact on them as positively as Tom had. I also reflected on a number of persons who have contributed to my development as a leader.
As I thought about these persons, it was easy to identify key characteristics that impacted me the most:
Vulnerability – The most influential leaders in my life were quite comfortable admitting what they didn't know. They talked freely about mistakes they made and took responsibility for areas in their lives that they thought needed further development. It’s freeing to work with a leader who is truly “human.”
Humility – Ray was one of my first mentors. I consider him to be the most humble guy I have ever met. While well connected with “movers and shakers,” he was equally comfortable relating to those less well off. This humility, demonstrated by a respect for all, regardless of their lot in life, had a great deal of influence on me as a young man.
Curiosity – Persons who have had the most influence on me were never satisfied with pat answers. They exhibited a keen inquisitiveness about situations and people. They knew that things are not always as they appear, and that curiosity is a great antidote to rushing to judgment.
Thank you, Tom, not only for taking the time to express your appreciation for my leadership, but also for reminding me of those who have positively affected my life.
We welcome your comments at blog@northgroupconsultants.com.
