​This week I attended our local church for what was billed as a ‘non-religious gathering’ of the community to celebrate Christmas with mulled wine and mince pies. The venue was chosen for its ability to house the large numbers and to help raise money to maintain the fabric of the historic Norman building. Yet despite the non-religious focus and no religious person hosting, we proceeded to sing carols that invariably included references to God and religion. It struck me how incongruent this was, but our traditions and habits make such inconsistency invisible and accepted.
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This inconsistency is seen in leadership and the business context too. I might be coaching a manager who want the team to grow and take more responsibility but continues to exert control and makes unilateral decisions as they have always done. Many will say they have no time but still fail to hold boundaries and say no to tasks. I have seen leaders who promote honesty and integrity as corporate values, yet will withhold sensitive information from staff or customers when they feel this might have negative consequences. I see organisations who explain that ‘we are all in it together’ but this does not seem to extend to the bonus pot!
Most of us are unaware of our own inconsistencies and need another person to help highlight these blind spots. A useful coaching type challenge is simply to highlight these inconsistencies from a curious mindset. By pointing out the potential tensions, it raises the issue into conscious thought for analysis and evaluation. The person may still decide to do what they have always done but can at least assess how those inconsistencies might be seen by others and what impact they may be having.
 
What inconsistent messages might you be sending?
Who can help you become more aware of your potential inconsistencies?
How can you help others to learn from their inconsistent choices, actions and behaviours?

Yesterday I was waiting for a train that had broken down, the subsequent train then came up on the board as ‘delayed due to overcrowding’! The announcement warned us as this train approached that it was ‘full and standing’ clearly because it was carrying the passengers from two full peak-time trains on a major route into London.
Those who could, boarded this train, and as promised it was full, even standing room was packed. The train guard then came on the tannoy and apologised for the delay and the overcrowding, explaining how the situation had arisen. But this message was delivered with compassion and good humour. He then walked the train to apologise and finally announced our arrival as ‘I am sure we are all happy to finally arrive at our destination after a very trying morning’. Despite the challenges he was clearly facing he had managed to maintain his positive attitude and despite my own fraught journey, I had to smile. He had managed to amend my own mood with his jovial approach.

We all face difficult days at work and this situation highlighted two important lessons. Firstly, hiding from problems will never help resolve them. His courage and ability to face potentially aggrieved customers earned him considerable praise and compliments as he walked the train. Secondly, his positive, empathic and considerate approach was evident in his choice of words and message. He demonstrated compassion for others, rather than a self-centred concern for his own difficulties. When under pressure it is easy to turn inwards and forget how others are feeling, considering our own needs as paramount. This can only create division and lead to potential conflict as others feel dis-respected so emotion rises. When we face challenges try to maintain that broader perspective and connect rather than retreat from others. We cannot guarantee that everyone will respond positively to our efforts, but it will increase the probability!   
 
When might you need to face into challenges with courage?
How can you maintain your own positive outlook when you are under pressure?
Where might an empathic and compassionate attitude help you?
 

This month I found myself talking to a senior engineer in a highly competitive sector who was bemoaning the poor leadership and management that he experienced. What I put forward as basic leadership principles were clearly not in place and it was evident that some very poor practice had become the norm.

This situation is not uncommon in many industries that recruit highly skilled and intelligent people. There seems to be an expectation that such highly functional individuals should a) have equally highly developed organizational awareness and people skills. b) be self-sufficient and need no management. My experience suggests neither is true!
 
Firstly, while they may be very knowledgeable in a particular area or discipline, this does not always extend to knowledge of people or organizational principles. Professions where subject knowledge and skills are the criteria for progress often dismiss the value of other attributes and subject knowledge becomes the only currency with value. Because these individuals then have very specialist expertise in a specific area, leaders then assume that those individuals can be left to ‘get on with the job’. While true in one sense, this is a recipe for dysfunction and silo working and can often lead to those individuals feeling resentful and under-valued.

Managing high functioning experts does need some thought. They need to be given respect, autonomy and flexibility, but still need appreciation, motivation and structure. It is a fine balance for the leader to maintain but applying a coaching culture is a good start. They need;

• autonomy within boundaries
• flexibility within structures and processes
• recognition without deference
• support, involvement and interest from leadership
• challenging tasks with minimal unnecessary bureaucracy
• opportunities to develop their expertise without becoming indispensable

Knowledgeable experts can be a valuable asset, and often love problem solving but are prone to question decisions. As their manager you may need to cover for their weaknesses, develop an approach of acceptance while maintaining strength in the face of challenge.
 
When have you seen leadership applied inappropriately for the individuals being managed?
When do you need to adjust your approach?
What would you add as a key difference when managing highly knowledgeable individuals?

​As the World Cup comes to an end the real winner appears to have been Gareth Southgate. I read that he is in great demand as a speaker, commanding six figure sums to give his words of wisdom on leadership and how he has transformed the England team.
 
However, it may be that the real talent of the ‘waistcoat wonder’ is not so much his leadership ideas, as his courage to implement them. I have watched Southgate and recognize many of his principles from very old management theory. Perhaps one of the simplest to relate to is the Adair Model of Leadership that advocates the importance of a focus on three key elements. Firstly, to focus on the Individual: After each match Southgate can be seen approaching every player with a personal message, he clearly treats them as individuals and understands their unique strengths. Secondly, he maintains a focus on the Task: Endless penalty taking, the review and planning of set plays. It is no accident that the majority of the goals scored have come from this focus on how to get results. Lastly, a clear focus on the Team: Listen closely to Southgate being interviewed and he always talks about and complements the team, including the staff. He never singles out a specific individual without bringing the role of others into sharp focus. He uses fun to bring the team together and supports team activities and engagement. Adair explained how these three factors interact and the effective leader needs to work with all three.
 
This is not rocket science but does demonstrate a leader who has learnt from experience and has the courage to implement his learning. Too often I see leaders on courses who seem to understand the principles but then fail to implement them in the workplace. The standard reason is because, they are too busy or feel that they are not following the established culture, or some other excuse. Teamwork is no accident, it is the product of good leadership.
 
What have your learned that you need to start implementing?
Where do you need the courage of your convictions to change the way you do things?
How can you use and apply the Adair model of leadership?
 

This month we are in the midst of the World Cup, an international spectacle on a global scale displaying very different cultures and norms. This appreciation of global diversity has become an important topic in the modern workplace with ‘Cultural Intelligence’ often a key requirement for senior roles. Yet it becomes hard to study and remember all the habits and business practices for every nation and this can become even more complex when many of the people we meet may have mixed heritage or have lived in multiple countries. So maybe what we need to develop is ‘cultural courtesy’ rather than just building cultural knowledge.
 
On my first ever visit to the USA some years ago, my taxi driver from the airport was outraged by what I thought to be a very fair tip for the rather brusque service I had received. While I should have perhaps researched the conventions, he seemed to want to argue me into submission. Needless-to-say, this was not a good strategy as it served only to entrench me in my position. Yet had he and I engaged in a more courteous exchange to build understanding I am sure a compromise might have been achieved. He could tell from my accent I was from the UK yet never attempted to appreciate my perspective and to educate me.
I recently overheard a mother telling her son he could not have a cola because the sugar caused ‘cavities’. The child, not unsurprisingly, asked ‘what are cavities?’ This curiosity, the result of inexperience and naivety brought a more comprehensive explanation from his mother. Yet when we meet people from other cultures we assume they should know our norms and conventions, forgetting that they may lack experience in our culture. If we can engage in cultural courtesy and engage our curiosity we might be able to smooth many of the issues that can arise when working cross culturally.
 
When has your cultural courtesy been lacking?
When do you need to engage your cultural curiosity?
What can you do to encourage cultural courtesy in others?
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Since I am in the UK, this month we must talk about ‘the wedding’! While I am not a royalist follower, I was fascinated by the cultural gulf that the wedding presented. The Most Rev Michael Curry evoked admiration and hilarity in equal measure from the diverse audience, enthralled by his 14 minute sermon. I will only say that I am quite sure that St. George’s chapel has never seen the like of his address from the more reserved and traditional British chaplaincy. His sermon was certainly delivered in English, but it conveyed an emotion and approach that was as alien as another language.
 
We often feel that having a common language with another culture means we have a common understanding and frame of reference, and yet his speech demonstrated how different those cultural expectations can be. In this global world where leaders and staff are often deployed across international borders these differences are often overlooked. Expats given a choice of new locations, will often opt for a country with a common language, such as the English moving to the USA or to Australia. They believe that this will make the transition and adaptation process easier. Yet we have evidence that failure of international placements can often be higher in such situations. The belief that the common language evidences a common culture is a fallacy that often leads to a lack of awareness of the changes required. As a result, expats can find themselves out of touch with the cultural expectations of the role and how they need to alter their approach as a result.
 
When might you overlook cultural differences because the same language is spoken?
How can you become more aware of the cultural expectations presented by a diverse workforce?
What changes do you need to make when working across cultures, even when everyone speaks the ‘accepted language’?
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As a long-suffering cricket widow I have limited engagement with the cricket news but this month I took particular interest in the ‘ball tampering scandal’ that rocked Australian cricket and the lessons it has for leadership. For those of you who have managed to evade the media circus on this topic, I will say only that three Australian cricket players were caught ‘tampering’ with the ball to gain an unfair advantage: All three have subsequently lost their places in the team and been vilified worldwide. However, the head coach Darren Lehmann was cleared of any involvement and yet eventually resigned despite his apparent lack of participation. Lehmann explained his decision in part as “I’m ultimately responsible for the culture of the team…..”. Absolutely correct!
 
The leader has to be ultimately accountable for the culture and practice within that team and ignorance is no defence. Even if he was not complicit, if the team were unaware of the cultural expectations, then the leader is at fault for not communicating that message: If they knew the expectations and ignored them, this indicates inadequate systems and controls.  I am not an expert on the Lehmann coaching methodology but clearly there was a failure of communication or control. Teams take their lead from the person in charge and ‘how we do things around here’ stems from the actions, behaviours and decisions of the leader. The leader sets the standards by which everything happens and this depends not just on what they say, but how they operate. They cannot advocate fair play and then be seen to ‘bend the rules’ to suit. The messages transmitted by actions, decisions and behaviours are often far more powerful than the spoken word or any values printed on the wall.
 
What messages do your actions, behaviours and decisions communicate about ‘how we do things round here'?
How effectively do you communicate your cultural expectations to your team?
Where might what you say and what you do be out of line?

On the 8th March we celebrated International Women’s Day and while progress is being made, the ‘glass ceiling’ has been barely cracked! However, this month I learned about some astonishing ways that girls and women are discriminated against, without many of us realizing. It is common for women to be under-represented in many professions, especially computer science and IT. This may reflect a genuine lack of interest from girls, outside pressures, or could be girls themselves believing the accepted stereotypes, that creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. Ironically, even women sometimes fall prey to established doctrines, so even senior women are not immune from these unconscious beliefs. The result, is that the number of female undergraduate taking computer science is actually falling.
 
But this lack of diversity in the major developmental sciences leads to some unintended consequences: Because we have a tech industry dominated by white males, the technologies are being designed with this unconscious bias. This leads to facial recognition software that has difficulty with female black faces, and virtual reality technologies that disproportionately make women suffer from motion sickness. If we are not careful, we are in danger of sleepwalking into a world that becomes even more of a challenge for women to navigate, and could potentially alienate at least half the customer base and other stakeholders. So, this innovative new world that seeks to break out of established ways of working may not be as radical as the designers believe, unless we can leverage the power of diversity in the workplace.
 
Where might you be subject to unconscious bias in relation to women?
How can you ensure that you are not perpetuating existing stereotypes?
Where can you support greater diversity to leverage benefits?