| One of the three basic roles of leadership is the | | | | examine Health and Safety issues in a |
| coach or mentor. The best boss is often the best | | | | manufacturing facility in which case pertinent |
| coach. (See: In sports the coach is very conscious | | | | issues and concerns would be examined and |
| of his role but in the business world most | | | | evaluated, recommendations could be made on an |
| coaching is unconscious or even accidental. | | | | on going basis for several months to establish |
| Just as many a dad learned to coach by jumping | | | | broad guidelines and set up a policy and procedure |
| in with his son's baseball or hockey team or his | | | | manual and the Task Force could remain in |
| daughter's basketball team most manager / | | | | existence on an ad hoc basis for several additional |
| coaches learned the art through a baptism of fire. | | | | months and then be replaced by a Health and |
| In recent years most sports organizations have | | | | Safety Committee (a different kind of team) to |
| begun to require some form of certification for | | | | oversee developments. |
| coaches but even though there are several | | | | I worked with a Cost Improvement Process |
| national and international organizations of business | | | | Team (CIP) which was a Task Force Made up of |
| coaches, there is still no universal standard, even | | | | a dozen non management people with a mandate |
| for professionals. The amateurs, encompassing | | | | to examine all areas of the company's operation |
| almost every executive in the world, for the | | | | with an aim to cutting costs and improving |
| most part don't even realize what they are doing. | | | | operational effectiveness. As is typical of this type |
| I have known executives who were great | | | | of team, none of the members had ever worked |
| coaches who looked at me a little oddly when I | | | | before in a team environment where individual |
| told them so, but with a little introspection most | | | | effort was largely unrecognized and success or |
| come to realize that coaching is really what they | | | | failure was measured on results of the group as a |
| do. | | | | whole. The need for cooperation, individual input, |
| Coaching is simply the process of helping | | | | volunteering for assignments, sharing of credit and |
| someone to become more of the best he or she | | | | backing up both other members and the group as |
| can be. | | | | a whole, was paramount to success. The team |
| Most executives can improve their coaching skills | | | | met for 90 minutes each week and after six |
| with just a little effort and guidance from a | | | | months of coaching had achieved a level of |
| professional. I'm often amazed at the | | | | togetherness to make me proud and were well |
| performance increase that happens through focus | | | | able to carry on on their own. The changes |
| alone, and focus with analysis, and constructive | | | | recommended in policy, procedures and methods |
| feedback from someone who knows what to | | | | that were accepted and implemented measured |
| look for -- well, have you ever gone to a golf pro, | | | | savings in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. |
| with a wicked slice that turned out to be simple | | | | Almost any sort of team environment is at odds |
| to cure? I did, after years of playing out of the | | | | with the way most of us have been conditioned |
| adjacent fairway most of the time! | | | | to think and to work. Normally we are only too |
| Like many things in the business coaching is often | | | | well aware that our potential for promotion and |
| learned on the job. I have learned a great deal | | | | even our job security is dependent solely on our |
| about coaching from reading dozens of books on | | | | own efforts and ability. The idea of subordinating |
| the subject but I also learned a lot from working | | | | our efforts and ability to the overall needs of a |
| for someone who was a great coach and mentor | | | | group or a team is quite foreign -- even |
| and I still learn every day from the experience of | | | | intimidating -- and it is only with a great deal of |
| coaching. You will find that, if you jump in with | | | | understanding and assurance that this can be |
| both feet, you will discover the coach within -- | | | | effectively brought about. |
| and enjoy it! | | | | Perhaps the highest level of task force is a senior |
| So simply recognizing that you are a coach and | | | | management team brought together for long |
| applying a little of what you know from sports will | | | | term strategic planning. In this case the |
| make a big difference in your performance -- and | | | | "Management Team" is sometimes supplemented |
| in the performance of your people -- but a little | | | | with representatives from key customers, |
| "one on one" with your own coach might be a | | | | suppliers, accountants and legal advisors. Often, |
| huge help. Until you get that opportunity, I | | | | people at this level are even more reluctant than |
| sincerely hope that some of the tips in this | | | | others to forget about personal and departmental |
| articles will get you started in the right direction. | | | | objectives in favor of the best interests of the |
| Coaching A Team | | | | organization as a whole but if recommendations |
| Just as in sports there is a huge difference in the | | | | to a board of directors are to have any value at |
| approach to coaching an individual, such as a golfer | | | | all, this must be the case. When the Task Force is |
| or tennis player and coaching a group or team as | | | | introduced to the process and walked through the |
| in baseball or hockey, so too is there a difference | | | | procedure by a coach, objectivity becomes much |
| in the business world. Coaching a true team in | | | | more readily attainable. |
| business can be a rather complex business, often | | | | Introspection - Getting Started |
| its even difficult to determine when a group really | | | | One of the greatest obstacles to progress can |
| is a team and when it is not. For the purpose of | | | | often be our awareness of past failures. If we |
| this discussion I am going to assume we are | | | | tried something a couple of years ago and fell flat |
| talking about a true team and trust the pieces to | | | | on our faces (and especially if we were ridiculed |
| fall into place automatically. (Or perhaps with a | | | | or derided as a result) we tend to be reluctant to |
| little coaching?) (See ) | | | | rock the boat again. When we believe that history |
| For a team to be effective, it should be aware | | | | will repeat itself, we become paralyzed by fear. |
| that it is a team (most of the time) and all | | | | Mentoring managers through a process that I |
| members should be committed to team | | | | sometimes refer to as "directed introspection" in |
| objectives. Just as a ball player can receive major | | | | order to expose attitudes and prejudices can |
| attention as a base stealer, an individual may | | | | often produce startling results. Knowing where we |
| stand out on a manufacturing team, but efforts | | | | are starting from does not in and of itself |
| must be seen to contribute to team goals and | | | | guarantee that we will arrive at our desired |
| every one should recognize that every team | | | | destination (on time and within budget) but not |
| member is necessary. (Whenever we can get | | | | knowing weights the odds heavily against us. I |
| along without someone, we should!) | | | | believe that if we want to go somewhere we |
| At the risk of pointing out the obvious | | | | must first know who we are and where we are. |
| (experience suggests that the obvious often isn't) | | | | When we know the starting point, personally and |
| every team member should be aware of the | | | | professionally, in regard to ourselves, our people |
| team's goals, objectives, and deadlines as well as | | | | and our company we are more likely to have a |
| of his or her role and what the team expects | | | | clear picture of where we want to go, how to |
| from him or her, and what support resources are | | | | get there and what must change. |
| available. I am surprised at how often I find that | | | | I believe that as many people as possible in an |
| shop floor people and even supervisors have no | | | | organization should be involved in the process of |
| idea of the goals of their team, department or | | | | creating statements of Vision, Mission, Purpose, |
| branch and no idea of how performance is being | | | | Values, and Goals. When people have had a hand |
| measured. | | | | in the creation, buy in to do what ever is |
| The coach must always recognize the contribution | | | | necessary to get results is almost automatic. |
| of the superstar but smaller contributions should | | | | When these guiding principles are understood by |
| also receive recognition and praise and the coach | | | | everyone from the "Ivory Tower" all the way to |
| should encourage the superstar to acknowledge | | | | the Shop Floor everyone knows where we are |
| the efforts of those who support him as well. It | | | | going, why we are going there and what we have |
| isn't necessary to rave about great performance, | | | | to do to get there. They also know the down |
| it can be quiet and subtle but in many cases it | | | | side of not going there and of not participating in |
| should be public while keeping in mind the need to | | | | the process. Is not the search for heaven made |
| avoid embarrassing anyone. A good standard is to | | | | more intense by the awareness of hell? In |
| always criticize in private and often praise in public. | | | | addition, when everyone understands his or her |
| Leadership From The Top Floor To The Shop | | | | WIIFM, (What's In It For Me) getting results is like |
| Floor | | | | picking low hanging fruit. |
| Another thing I often find is that managers are | | | | Vision must be followed by a plan |
| totally unaware of the extent to which they are | | | | Strategic planning can be an arduous (but |
| emulated by their subordinates. I heard a story | | | | exhilarating) process. Often a three day retreat |
| about a clerk in a retail store who was called up in | | | | with an outside facilitator is the only way to get |
| front of the store manager after being rude to a | | | | the concentrated focus, the brainstorming, |
| customer. When asked for an explanation he | | | | necessary to initiate the process. We must |
| shrugged and said, "Well ... that's how my bosses | | | | examine all aspects or the organization, physical |
| speak to me..." When people are treated with | | | | and human resources, management skills and |
| dignity and respect, they tend to treat others the | | | | needs, culture, attitudes, market place, industry, |
| same way, and when they are treated as though | | | | supplier relations, customer relations, government |
| they are too stupid to understand basic concepts | | | | regulations, labour agreements, etc., etc. We have |
| they do the same with others -- and often take | | | | to remember that Rome was not built in a day. If |
| the attitude home. | | | | we are looking for instant gratification we will |
| I have seen concrete examples of companies | | | | surely be disappointed. |
| where I could spend an hour on the shop floor | | | | When we have suspended our doubts and fears, |
| and form a very good idea of what the CEO was | | | | set aside our memories of past failure, forgotten |
| like and how he dealt with his senior people. | | | | our prejudices, examined our strengths and |
| COACHING A TASK FORCE | | | | planned to enhance them, seen in our minds eye |
| A Task Force is a Team That Recommends | | | | the potential within ourselves and our organization, |
| Things. It differs from other teams in several | | | | created a vision in which we believe, we will |
| ways. First, and perhaps most importantly, a Task | | | | become advocates for our organization and |
| Force usually does not have the power or final | | | | evangelists for the realization of that vision. |
| say so in implementing action. Rather the team | | | | Once we are over the initial hurdle we will be |
| examines all possibilities, evaluates the pro's and | | | | driven by the power of our vision for the future. |
| cons from an unbiased perspective, and presents | | | | A clearly articulated vision coupled to a specific |
| a report to a decision maker or decision making | | | | plan of action for its attainment (including target |
| group with recommendations for action or no | | | | dates for each step), and a firm commitment to |
| action. | | | | that action, is an unstoppable combination. YES, it |
| A Task Force can be set up to look at one issue | | | | will require perseverance, dedication and hard |
| only or as an ongoing project to focus on specific | | | | work; and YES, it will be extremely satisfying! |
| objectives. For example a Task Force could be | | | | Effecting organizational and personal change is |
| set up to determine the future of a specific | | | | never a cake walk but learning the basics of how |
| branch operation in which it might recommend, | | | | to set goals and create plans with specific, time |
| closure of the branch, sale of the branch, | | | | sensitive action steps for their achievement can |
| re-equiping the branch, changing the focus of the | | | | be learned in only a few hours. When coupled to |
| branch or even of maintaining the status quo. | | | | powerful statements of Vision, Mission, Purpose, |
| Once it's recommendations have been made -- | | | | and Values, and a well-organized coaching, |
| perhaps to the board of directors -- the Task | | | | mentoring and measurement process, the pain is |
| Force is disbanded. | | | | minimal while the results are huge! |
| In another case a Task Force Could be set up to | | | | |