Liz Weber's Blog

I didn’t close the deal. I didn’t get the six figure leadership training contract. Instead, I received an email that said, “We enjoyed meeting you and appreciate the obvious thought and effort you put into the proposal. However, we’ve decided to go in a different direction.” Was I surprised? Not really. Was I disappointed? Yes. But, most importantly, was I relieved? Yes!

Was I surprised? Not really. Was I disappointed? Yes.
But, most importantly, was I relieved? Yes!

Relieved? Why was I relieved? Because I wouldn’t have to fight an uphill battle trying to convince a leader to grow and develop for her team.

After submitting the proposal and receiving positive feedback, I had the opportunity to meet with the company founder and CEO. She’s obviously smart. She’s built a tech firm that’s grown and can potentially scale with the right strategies and leadership. To do this, she knows she needs to elevate her leadership team’s skills. However, she doesn’t believe she needs to elevate her own leadership skills too. And that’s where the disappointment comes in. I’m disappointed that I couldn’t more effectively explain to her that her willingness to learn too would be crucial in helping her achieve what she wants for her managers and her company. Without her learning and adjusting behaviors as they do, any progress on her managers’ part will be impeded because she won’t be changing and growing with them – if not ahead of them. She’ll still be leading and managing the way she’s always done – which has gotten her and her team this far. However, it’s not the type of leadership that’s needed to get them where the company needs to be to scale.

She’ll still be leading and managing the way she’s always done – which has gotten her and her team this far. However, it’s not the type of leadership that’s needed to get them where the company needs to be to scale.

As we concluded our conversation, she said, “You’ve given me a lot to think about.” It felt more of a polite send off than a statement of impending self-reflection, so, when I received the email, again, I wasn’t really surprised. I was relieved. After 30+ years of helping leaders become better leaders, I’ve repeatedly experienced that before any real and sustainable change can occur with a collective leadership team, the top leader(s) need to grow and learn as fast if not faster than their managers. Because if the top leadership continues to lead the way they’ve always led, the developing managers will see their individual/the company’s potential impeded. They’ll see the hypocrisy, and they’ll become frustrated, demoralized, and wary of any further leadership development initiatives. Leadership growth and change because even harder going forward. It has happened and it will happen.

So, if you want to develop your leaders but not yourself, Please! Go in a different direction. I can’t help your managers help create the company you want, if you’re not willing to become the leader they need you to be.

Copyright MMXXV – Liz Weber, CMC, CSP – Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com +1.717.597.8890
Liz Weber is an advisor to boards of directors, business owners, and C-Suite leaders. She’s a leadership, strategic and succession planning consultant, keynote speaker, and author.

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I recently provided a customized, two-day leadership program for managers from five different countries representing three different business lines. With a room of mechanical engineers, production managers, facility managers, accountants, quality control managers, and a few human resources professionals thrown in, to say one might anticipate a quiet, less-than-open group would be an understatement. However, this group was anything but that. They were engaged, open, and genuinely interested in practical takeaways they could individually and collectively use to become even better leaders.

“… this group was anything but that. They were engaged, open, and genuinely interested in practical takeaways they could individually and collectively use to become even better leaders.”

So why was this group different? Why did this group not fit the stereotype of a quiet, analytical, and potentially gruff group? Well, there were three primary reasons. First, their company has been incredibly intentional in developing and reinforcing a culture that supports and promotes psychological safety. However, as they’ve been on a rapid acquisition spree, bringing new team members into the fold, and enabling them to trust their new environment, is understandably a slow process. However, it’s of consistent focus and a consistent message. For the managers attending from companies that had been acquired within the past few years, everyone said, “This place is different. We’re appreciated here.”

“…their company has been incredibly intentional in developing and reinforcing a culture that supports and promotes psychological safety.”

The second and third reasons for their openness were that they were being included in conversations versus being talked at, and they appreciated being appreciated.

They were included in conversations versus being talked at…

Right when I started the program with the participants introducing themselves, I can’t help myself, but I jumped into coaching mode at various times to provide insights to select individuals on speaking as an executive to not diminish their brand with something as ‘basic’ as their voice not carrying across a room. We then moved into a ground rules interactive exercise that we’d return to throughout the two days. By the time we got to our morning break on the first day, three participants approached me to tell me they were enjoying the training. They’d never attended training in which the trainer included them and talked with them versus at them. Wow. That’s depressing.

They appreciated being appreciated.

After two full days of training, activities, and evening dinners, to say the group was exhausted is an understatement. Yet they hung in there and continued to focus on takeaways. When we’d wrapped up and I was starting to organize my materials to pack them away, one of the operations managers, “Tony”, approached me. He’d been engaged, but with over 25 years experience in his facility before it was acquired and having a somewhat gruff demeanor, he was one of the more quiet participants.

Tony said to me, “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“When we’d ask you a question, you’d often respond first by saying something like, ‘That’s a great question.’ Do you intentionally do that or did you really mean the questions were good questions?”

“Well, Tony. Now that IS a great question (wink, wink), but let me explain why I do that. First, I don’t say it all the time, but when I do say that, it’s because the question someone asked was leading to the next point I planned to make. So, by asking the question, I knew they were tracking with me. The second reason I often say it, is because the question reminds me of something I want to share with the group that is relevant and I’d forgotten to share it or highlight it. So they’re question was helping ME.”

“Well I appreciated it. You said it to me twice and both times I felt pretty good, like I’d asked a smart question.”

You never know who needs to hear a “Thank you” or who would appreciate being told, “You’ve got good ideas.” Even the quiet, analytical, and gruff types like being appreciated.

Copyright MMXXV – Liz Weber, CMC, CSP – Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com +1.717.597.8890
Liz Weber is an advisor to boards of directors, business owners, and C-Suite leaders. She’s a leadership, strategic and succession planning consultant, keynote speaker, and author.

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During a leadership summit recently, I was asked to share my thoughts on the critical aspects of strategic thinking. Before I did that, I asked the leaders to share their thoughts on strategic thinking. What is it? How do you know if you or someone has that ability? Can you develop it? Their responses ranged from, “It’s thinking ahead. Either you do it or you don’t,” to, “Everyone has the ability. It just isn’t used or developed by some people.” (As you can tell, they were a candid group so we got along great.) Before I shared my thoughts on strategic thinking with them, I first shared my definition of strategic thinking:

“Strategic thinking is the ability to visualize a future outcome that enables a better state – while also considering ways to mitigate the risks and negative unintended consequences.”

Strategic thinking isn’t simply thinking about and planning for the future. It’s also considering a myriad of potential intended and unintended consequences and assessing their impact on the desired goal. Strategic thinking without thinking about the consequences isn’t strategic thinking; that’s impulsive thinking.

Strategic thinking without thinking about the consequences isn’t strategic thinking; that’s impulsive thinking.

You can never consider every potential ramification of your decisions nor should you. If you tried, you’d be in a never-ending analysis paralysis tailspin. However, you should consider some of the ‘obvious’ impact points of your potential decisions to mitigate risks and elevate the odds of achieving your desired outcomes. So how can you do that? Keep it simple. I encourage my clients to use the basic balanced scorecard framework as a starting point. How will this decision or action impact your/the:

PeopleMoneyProductsProcesses 

Now visualize these four potential impact points at the center of a wheel. They’re interconnected. Invariably a change in one will have some impact on at least one if not all three of the other potential impact points. Now, consider who/what will be impacted most obviously or first? Who/what will be impacted after that? Who/what will be impacted after that?

People (i.e., customers, team/staff, vendors, regulators, advisors, tangent stakeholders, etc.)Money (i.e., revenues, expenses, taxes, economy, debt load, cashflow, interest rates, etc.)Products (i.e., products you make, services you offer, sourcing/supply chains, etc.)Processes (i.e., production capabilities, business operations, technology, regulations, etc.) 

As you work through this exercise, you will start to identify layers or waves of impact. By being more intentional, you’re able to proactively and strategically consider those or that which you intend to impact – and those or that you don’t. When you think along those lines, you’re thinking strategically – not impulsively.

So, do I believe strategic thinking can be developed in leaders? Yes. I think most leaders have the skill. However, the most effective leaders are the ones who consider the waves and the impacts their decisions may cause. They then adjust their strategies to ensure they’re creating the right waves and having the right impact. That’s strategic.

 

 

Copyright MMXXV – Liz Weber, CMC, CSP – Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com  +1.717.597.8890 

Liz Weber is an advisor to boards of directors, business owners, and C-Suite leaders. She’s a leadership, strategic and succession planning consultant, keynote speaker, and author.

The post Strategic Thinkers Consider The Waves Their Decisions May Cause appeared first on Weber Business Services LLC.

Today, leaders face no shortage of opportunities or distractions. Every day brings new initiatives, shifting priorities, and competing demands for time, resources, and attention. The real challenge isn’t finding things to work on; it’s knowing what to focus on to leverage your limited resources to realize the greatest impact.

The real challenge isn’t finding things to work on; it’s knowing what to focus on to leverage your limited resources to realize the greatest impact.

So how are leaders supposed to know what to focus on to maintain their sanity, leverage limited resources, and lead with clarity? Start by asking themselves: Are we simply working like crazy to get things done or are we working on what matters most?

Too often, I see leaders spread themselves and their teams thin. They chase the new “urgent” issue, immediately shift direction because of a new external pressure, or get bogged down in tasks that don’t really drive results or that should be handled by someone else. As a result, they end up with exhausted teams, lackluster production, and missed opportunities to create transformative, strategic changes that truly matter.

However, when leaders focus on what matters most, I’ve witnessed them:

Drive intentional change rather than operate in crisis mode.Elevate performance instead of continuing to burn themselves and their teams out.Communicate candidly as leadership teams rather than go silent.Create a workplace culture that attracts and retains talent instead of one that churns staff.

Ironically, the goal of enhanced leadership and team focus is not just about increasing productivity. It’s really about enhanced team alignment, clarity, and a commitment to getting even better – together.

Ironically, the goal of enhanced leadership and team focus is not just about increasing productivity. It’s really about enhanced team alignment, clarity, and a commitment to getting even better – together.

A simple yet powerful framework I’ve started sharing with my clients to help them regain clarity and redirect their energy to where it matters most is my F.O.C.U.S. Model:

F – Find Clarity: Each quarter, clarify your Top 3 Goals, priority projects, or outcomes that matter most.O – Own the Priorities: Align your leadership and your team around those priorities and clarify who/which team will drive each priority forward and how they will be supported.C – Communicate with Impact: Message before you move. Ensure your messaging is succinct and consistent. Clarify WHY each action is a priority now, what the outcome needs to be, and the timetable in play. Don’t force team members to have to guess as to what is needed or what is going to happen next.U – Unify the Team: Get everyone on the same cadence and thought process of what you are working towards – together. Work to establish a culture of shared focus, accountability, collaboration, and trust. This will take time (and your consistent focus) but the results can be dramatic.S – Sustain Results: Put systems in place to monitor, measure, adjust, and reinforce your activities to ensure the outcomes and impact you wanted are being realized. If not, adjust your activities – or metrics – to realign your focus on what matters most.

This framework moves leaders beyond “being busy” to being intentional. Instead of just tracking to ensure things got done, it causes leaders and teams to ask: Are we realizing the results and the true impact of what we set out to do? If not, what do we need to adjust right now to do what matters instead of just doing what’s in front of us?

Are we realizing the results and the true impact of what we set out to do? If not, what do we need to adjust right now to do what matters most instead of just doing what’s in front of us?

When leaders develop their focus, they not only get more done, but they also create tangible, ripple effects throughout their organizations:

Teams perform better because expectations are clear.Inter-team conflicts lessen because priorities are aligned.Performance increases because resources are directed toward the highest-value, mission-driven opportunities.Cultures improve because collaboration, teamwork, and outcome-focused communication are a part of daily operations.

In times of rapid change and uncertainty, organizations with leaders who can focus on what matters most don’t just survive, they elevate their teams, their cultures, and their impact.

As a leader, your focus determines your impact. And your impact defines your legacy. Focus on what matters most.

Copyright MMXXV – Liz Weber, CMC, CSP – Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com +1.717.597.8890
Liz Weber is an advisor to boards of directors, business owners, and C-Suite leaders. She’s a leadership, strategic and succession planning consultant, keynote speaker, and author.

The post Focus on What Matters Most appeared first on Weber Business Services LLC.

Leadership is hard. It’s frustrating, and it takes dedication many don’t appreciate. Like most things, until you’ve lived it yourself, it’s easy to underestimate how hard being a good leader is.

Until you’ve lived it yourself, it’s easy to underestimate how hard being a good leader is.

Why am I talking about how hard leadership is now? Because I’m seeing several really good leaders forget that leadership is a long game. It requires intention. It requires focus. And, more than anything, it requires consistency.

Leadership requires intention. It requires focus. And, more than anything, it requires consistency.

When times are looking bright, team members look to their leader for guidance, access to information, and direction. When times are challenging, team members look to their leader for guidance, access to information, and direction. Team members want consistency. They want calm guidance, they want access to their leader and information, and they want prioritized direction. They want their leader to demonstrate that there is a path forward and that – though there may be unknowns ahead – the leader will keep them informed, safe, and moving forward. They want consistent guidance, information, and direction. As their leader, you need to provide what they need – consistently, whether you want to or not.

Leading well intentionally over two or three quarters is great. However, that’s nothing in the grand scheme of things. Modeling strong leadership behaviors over two or three quarters, but then getting lax in the next quarter isn’t smart leadership. It’s dangerous. It highlights your lack of focus and commitment, and it’ll trigger team members to disengage more firmly than before.

Leadership is hard, so don’t make it harder than it needs to be. Remember: Leadership is a long game. To do it well, you need to stay committed to being a leader your team can look to for guidance, information, and direction – whether you feel like providing it or not.

Copyright MMXXV – Liz Weber, CMC, CSP – Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com +1.717.597.8890

Liz Weber is an advisor to boards of directors, business owners, and C-Suite leaders. She’s a leadership, strategic and succession planning consultant, speaker, and author. She helps her clients focus on the right things at the right times to get the right impact. Learn more about Liz on LinkedIn!

The post Leadership is a Long Game appeared first on Weber Business Services.

What the heck? Why isn’t this working? You’ve done everything right. You’ve taken ownership of cultural and leadership issues that pre-date you. You’ve been transparent with your team on your own challenges, missteps, and failures. You’ve outlined and communicated a simple, but effective plan to turn things around. Now, here you are, six months into implementation, and nothing’s really different. In fact, your team still doesn’t think you’re doing anything that will matter. Why don’t your team members understand everything you’re trying to do to make their work experience better? Why are they so resistant to change?

Why don’t your team members understand everything you’re trying to do to make their work experience better?  

Because they’re not you. They’ve not been included in all of your meetings and communiques. They’ve not been a part of the myriad of conversations you’ve had to uncover the core problems, dissect the issues, and learn from those directly impacted. They’ve heard of them randomly from you, but they don’t have your full understanding. As a result, because they’re not you, they don’t get it. And, if they don’t get it, they’re not going to support it. You need to connect the dots for them. And then do it again, and again, and again.

Because they’re not you, they don’t get it…You need to connect the dots for them. And then do it again, and again, and again.

So how do you connect the dots? You communicate your new initiatives in various ways – on repeat. Use in-person meetings, video messaging, email, small and large group settings, and graphics and visuals as appropriate. Then keep communicating. 

When you get an inkling they don’t understand your plan. Stop and clarify. Make the necessary connections to the issues you’re facing and the actions you’re taking. When you get an inkling they may be confused by various new initiatives coming their way. Stop and clarify. Explain the strategy behind each initiative and its role in the plan. When you sense they’re confused as to why something is now more important than what they’d been told six months ago. Stop and clarify. Help them understand the strategic value of the new priorities versus their prior tasks. Because they’re not you, you need to connect the dots for them more often than you may feel is necessary. But remember, if they don’t get it, they won’t support you in getting it done.

Copyright MMXXV – Liz Weber, CMC, CSP – Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com  +1.717.597.8890 

Liz Weber is an advisor to boards of directors, business owners, and C-Suite leaders. She’s a leadership, strategic and succession planning consultant, keynote speaker, and author.

The post Connect the Dots for Them appeared first on Weber Business Services LLC.

What the heck? Why isn���t this working? You���ve done everything right. You���ve taken ownership of cultural and leadership issues that pre-date you. You���ve been transparent with your team on your own challenges, missteps, and failures. You���ve outlined and communicated a simple, but effective plan to turn things around. Now, here you are, six months into […]

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Your organization was founded on and has worked to maintain a culture of mutual support and respect. These ideals are even memorialized in your organization’s values.

However, instead of an organization with seamless and respectful communications, supportive cross-team collaborations, and solid performance, you’ve got departmental silos, inter and intra-team conflicts, and performance that’s anything but stellar. Instead of a culture of true mutual support and respect, you’ve created a culture that enables competency bias.

Instead of a culture of true mutual support and respect, you’ve created a culture that enables competency bias.

Competency bias is a belief many of your team members have that they’re more proficient in performing their jobs than they really are. Now you might be thinking, “Well sure, there are some team members who think they’re better at their jobs than they really are, but it’s not the entire organization. Liz, why would you say such a thing?” Because I’ve worked with you and most of your leadership team for a few months now, and you’ve asked me to help you. Competency Bias is killing your organization.

Competency Bias is killing your organization.

Your organization has been around for decades. However, in its attempt to create a culture of mutual support and respect, a warped understanding of mutual support and respect has taken hold. Instead of meaning: Do or say anything that will help another team member become more informed, skilled, and effective. Mutual support and respect have come to mean: Don’t do or say anything that could possibly make another team member uncomfortable.

Instead of meaning: Do or say anything that will help another team member become more informed, skilled, and effective. Mutual support and respect have come to mean: Don’t do or say anything that could possibly make another team member uncomfortable.

Prior leaders and many on your team now are perpetuating this misunderstanding. Because of this, the majority of your team members now believe mutual support and respect mean:

Don’t disagree or challenge ideasDon’t provide candid feedbackDon’t hold team members accountableDon’t provide honest performance feedback or performance evaluationsDon’t address interpersonal conflicts or intra or inter-team conflictsDon’t address passive-aggressive behaviors

For the nicest of intentions, these behaviors are causing confusion, conflicts, and chaos. It’s time to reset a cultural understanding with everyone. It’s time to help each team member be better informed, skilled and effective. It’s time to help them to realize that a culture of TRUE mutual support and respect EXPECTS them to:

Disagree with or challenge ideas to achieve better outcomes and decisionsProvide candid feedback that could help another grow and learnHold team members accountable to do the jobs they’re being paid to doProvide honest performance feedback or performance evaluations to enable needed skill developmentAddress interpersonal conflicts, as well as intra or inter-team conflicts to enhance understanding and relationshipsAddress passive-aggressive behaviors that stifle communication, projects, and performance

If your organization has departmental silos, inter and intra-team conflicts, and performance that’s anything but stellar, it might be time to assess if competency bias is killing your organization too.
Copyright MMXXV – Liz Weber, CMC, CSP – Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com +1.717.597.8890

Liz Weber is an advisor to boards of directors, business owners, and C-Suite leaders. She’s a leadership, strategic and succession planning consultant, speaker, and author. She helps her clients focus on the right things at the right times to get the right impact. Learn more about Liz on LinkedIn!

The post Competency Bias is Killing Your Organization appeared first on Weber Business Services.

Your organization was founded on and has worked to maintain a culture of mutual support and respect. These ideals are even memorialized in your organization���s values. However, instead of an organization with seamless and respectful communications, supportive cross-team collaborations, and solid performance, you���ve got departmental silos, inter and intra-team conflicts, and performance that���s anything but […]

The post Competence Bias is Killing Your Organization appeared first on Weber Business Services, LLC.

Ugh. You just received the results of the latest employee engagement survey, and it���s not good. In fact, it���s worse than you expected. You know morale is low and turnover is high, but jeez, you didn���t think your team was this unhappy. What do you do now? Is there a way out of this? What […]

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