Critical Conversations

Critical conversations occur when we talk about things that really matter and can make a difference. Critical conversations happen best in a comfortable place and space. When critical conversations happen there is a higher probability for conflicts to be resolved, harmony to be established and for many other good things to happen.

Some of my best management consulting and coaching experiences have been when a client is ready, willing and able to deal with a strategic issue. Strategic issues are topics, situations and dynamics that we typically want to ignore, dismiss, hide or forget about. They are those “things going on” that are uncomfortable to talk about and require us to be vulnerable. How many of those types of issues are haunting you, your family or your business right now?

To move toward and actually have a critical conversation is a matter of time, truth, trust and willingness to touch where it hurts the most. Let’s think through this carefully:

Take the time: Now is the time to take adequate time to deal with the matter(s) at hand. We too easily let time be an excuse. When we deal with the strategic issue, we will save time and here is why. Strategic issues are road blocks that stand in the way of important things getting done. They zap time and create inefficiency.

Tell the truth: The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth – so help yourself.

Trust: It is trusting yourself and the other person(s) involved to handle what needs to happen to the extent that things can get unstuck and move forward freely. The time must be taken. The truth will set you free to say what must be said and to do what must be done. Be competent, confident and consistent with each other.

Touch where it hurts:  I mean this sincerely and literally. Act with words and a physical touch. Speak with specifics and touch the real pain. It may well be an actual thing or symbolic. We may need to touch our head pointing to our mind, our heart meaning a deep heartache or it may be a hug of care, love, support or forgiveness. Talk about the issue openly and touch what needs to be faced and healed.

Barbara and Cornelia encourage us to ask direct, open-ended questions and ask for concrete information. Here are examples from The Big Book of HR:

·       Tell me more.

·       Help me better understand.

·       Tell me why this is important.

·       What leads you to say that?

·       Give me an example.

·       How would that work?

·       Can you say a little more about how you see things?

Also: Be an active listener:

·       Be patient. Avoid interrupting

·       Resist the urge to formulate a response until after the speaker is finished

·       Listen for feelings as well as facts.

Find many more ideas in chapter 26 of The Big Book of HR.

At home and at work, critical conversations can change lives. If you don’t take the opportunity, maybe no one else in the world ever will.

Bernie Linnartz, of Empowerment Experts, consultant, coach and facilitator

This article originally appeared in the Taos News on May 5, 2016

Joining the Team

At home, work or on an actual sports team, working as a team provides opportunities for learning a variety of people and relationship skills. One of those skills is to pay attention to and remember that when a new person becomes part of a group or team they typically have mixed emotions. On one hand there is excitement regarding newness and at the same time there are unknowns that raise questions, concerns and fears. So, when an individual joins your team, create ways to give care, support and special attention to the experience of assimilation.

Welcoming, orientation and support: Make a big deal of the arrival of the new team member. Prepare the new hire’s office or workspace in special ways. Start by making sure their space is clean, comfortable and inviting. A welcome sign, a plant or flowers give the message, “We are glad you are here.”  On the first day, have a brief welcome gathering with the entire team to introduce the new team member.

Be thorough with your orientation. Have a plan for the first few weeks to systematically cover the areas of your facility, products and the functional groups of your organization. Walk them through all of the customer contact points of how your business works.

Create support activities and systems. Here are some examples:

·       Have a brief meeting at the beginning and/or end of the day of the first two weeks to check signals and give supportive direction.

·       Designate one or two folks to be a buddy or mentor for the first month.

·       Be available and create your own unique way to take time to listen and hear their questions, concerns and ideas.

A 90-day plan of coaching and training, and a “360 degree” evaluation: Have a plan and process to provide specific information, resources and educational opportunities during the first 90 days. Ask how things are going. Adequate and personalized coaching, training and evaluation are critical during this time. “The Big Book of HR” suggest an Assimilation Evaluation at 30 days, a focused Check-in meeting for sharing issues at 60 days and a Performance Evaluation at 90 days.  As possible, make the sharing of feedback, checking in and evaluation an all level and direction (360 degree) give and take opportunity.

Most of all, make sure the whole team gets to know each other. Make the most of this joining the team phase. Just as with every customer, from the first time they step through your door, do all you can to establish a long-term personal and professional relationship. If you keep “long-term relationship building” foremost in your mind, heart and in all of your interactions – success, satisfaction and a growing profitable business will be yours.

At work, home and in the community, in any context “think team.” We are in a time and age of cooperation, coordination and collaboration. Be an intentional team!

Thank you Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem for all the valuable insights in your book.

And our thanks to Bernie Linnartz, of Empowerment Experts for his series based on The Big Book of HR.  This first appeared in Taos News in March 31, 2016.

Now What Do You Need?

Through our friend and fellow author, Sharon Armstrong, we were virtually introduced to a reporter, Bernie Linnartz, in Taos, NM. Bernie writes a business column for the Taos News. Since New Mexico is one of my favorite places on earth, I was excited to make the connection. We send a copy of The Big Book of HR to Bernie and he was hooked. He decided to use the book as the basis for a series of articles on managing human resources for his column. The following is his article that appeared on March 10, 2016 in the paper, entitled Workforce Planning.

Workforce planning is about thinking both short and long term. It is considering your current situation and how you want to create the future of your business and your life. Here are some areas to explore:

Be strategic, proactive and forward looking:  To be strategic you need to know where you are going. Once you know where you are going you can be strategic and proactive. An easy trap to fall into is to be reactive to what is going on inside or outside your business or home. It is critical to know what you want in specific terms. Start by asking the deeper question of “what are your aspirations and dynamic urges?” This question will ensure that you are working beyond a quick, random and superficial level. Be specific with numbers, timeframes and who will be responsible for the desired end results. Avoid problem solving and focus on creating the exact future you want. Strategic thinking is about keeping your intention and attention on specific outcomes.

With whom are you working? Do you know the strengths and weaknesses of each team member? Are you aware of how each person sees their needs, interests and potential? How about meeting with them individually and/or as a team to share your and their insights? From “The Big Book of HR” by Mitchell and Gamlem, “…the best strategic plan will be ineffective without the right people in the right places with the right skills to carry it out – or as Jim Collins put it so well in “Good to Great”, ‘having the right people on the bus.’” And I would add, the right people in the right seats, for sure the driver. Get to know each other as persons and professionals.

Who else might we need to help out? As you gain greater clarity of what you need and want plus create a specific picture, plan and map of where you are going, identify any skills, resources and input that are missing. Create a list of needs regarding what is missing in your current situation. Stay away from “we can’t afford it.” Next week recruiting is our topic and we will identify low or no cost options.

Who will be our team in the future? In every business and family there are additions and subtractions to and from the team membership. This can be a situation of expansion, downsizing or succession. In any case, it is beneficial to be strategic and proactive. Preparing and planning, especially for succession, can create innovative approaches to handling difficult dynamics and create opportunities for maintaining and creating increased consistency and trust with other team members to include customers.

As we continue to explore areas of managing human resources find ways to become increasingly conscious at work and at home that everything that we think, say and do is an opportunity to build relationships rooted in care and support with the intention of building a better life and world for all people.  (For additional HR Insights see “The Big Book of HR”)