Maya Hu-Chan's Blog, page 3
June 20, 2023
What Saving Face Is and Is Not
Saving face is the act of helping someone recover after a mistake in a way that preserves their dignity in the presence of their colleagues, community or family. When it is done authentically, with genuine intention and empathy, the act of saving face for someone can strengthen relationships and build trust. However, often we believe we are saving face when, in fact, we’re practicing behaviors that do more harm than good. That’s why understanding what face is not is as important as understanding what it is.
1. Saving face is not conflict avoidance. For many people, conflict is uncomfortable. It’s easier just to ignore conflict, minimize it, or sweep it under the rug. And they may feel that these actions are just saving face for everyone involved. But in reality, the effect is the opposite. Not addressing conflict can fuel resentment among team members, as well as resentment towards the leader who is not addressing the conflict. Ignoring a problem only makes it worse. Saving face, on the other hand, takes courage. It is a vulnerable, brave act to publicly address an issue when it comes up. Getting issues on the table and working through them constructively fosters a healthy culture. And if you follow the principles of saving face, which include acting with empathy and authenticity, conflict resolution can actually help build stronger relationships and trust. To address conflict on-the-spot requires an absence of ego.
Steve Jobs was well known for embracing a culture of constructive, lively debate at Apple. He was once quoted as saying, “I don’t mind being wrong. And I’ll admit that I’m wrong a lot. It doesn’t really matter to me too much. What matters to me is that we do the right thing.” Instead of glossing over a moment of conflict, Steve Jobs preferred to put ego aside and work through it. Even if he lost, the team won.
2. Saving face is not tolerating bad behaviors or poor performance. Instead of addressing poor performance or bad behaviors head on, managers sometimes ignore or excuse them. This often creates ineffective workarounds that add to everyone else’s workloads. The manager might believe they are saving face by working around this person’s misgivings. But instead, they are forcing other workers to pick up the slack, increasing the stress and resentment of an entire team.
3. Saving face is not lip service. We all know the phrase beat around the bush, and the implication is never positive. People can tell when someone is inauthentic. Saving face does not mean you dance around an issue or drop hints to avoid confrontation and minimize discomfort. At best, the hints are never received. At worst, they result in mixed messages, confusion, frustration and resentment.
4. Saving face is not covering up your own mistakes and avoiding accountability. When mistakes happen, take ownership of your actions. Do not point fingers at others. It takes integrity and courage to own up to your own mistakes and take actions to correct them. That’s leadership.
5. Saving face is not being blunt or rude. We often praise direct communication and brutal honesty as desirable qualities in strong leaders. But these are too often expressed as blunt meanness, lacking tact or empathy. As researcher Brene Brown says, “Cruelty is cheap, easy and rampant.” Saving face requires deliberate thought, care and courage to address someone with clarity that is fueled by empathy.
So remember, saving face is not conflict avoidance. It’s not tolerating bad behaviors or poor performance or lip service. Saving face is not covering up your own mistakes and avoiding accountability. And it’s not being blunt or rude. Be intentional with your words, always mindful of preserving the dignity of everyone involved, that is saving face.
Click here to watch the video.
My book, Saving Face illustrates how we can honor face to create positive first impressions, avoid causing others to lose face, and, most importantly, help others save face to build trust and lasting relationships inside and outside the workplace.
This video was originally posted on AthenaOnline.com
June 13, 2023
Deconstructing Myths About the AANHPI Community-Replay
Since 1992, I have been recognized as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month in the United States. So how can we honor the lived experiences of this diverse community and show up as authentic allies coming out of a pandemic that increased anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination?
In this recording from Brave Conversations episode with LCW Host Larry Baker, I joined him in a discussion where we define allyship through deconstructing myths and microaggressions faced by the AANHPI community, today and throughout history.
Watch the replay below:
How Giving Face Can Build Strong Relationships
When you think of the term saving face, it usually relates to someone taking some kind of an action to keep someone else from feeling humiliated or embarrassed. The concept of face is not just a method to use when problems arise. There is a very proactive, positive aspect of it called “giving face.” Giving face can help create a culture of respect and appreciation which can help you nurture positive work relationships, retain your best people, and get the best out of them.
Recently, my client Martha shared a work challenge during our coaching conversation. Martha and Joe are equal partners on a strategy project for their company. Martha perceives Joe as not delivering on his end of the work. She feels Joe expects her to do all the work. She suspects that Joe does not know how to do the strategy work, but doesn’t want to admit it. From Joe’s perspective, Martha is pushy, dominant, and insensitive. In meetings Martha asks questions, but her tone is condescending. “What are your priorities?” “What resources do you have?” “Can you get it done?” Joe feels like he’s drowning, but Martha is not offering much help or guidance. She just took over the work.
For Joe to feel respected and appreciated, Martha needs to shift her perspective, realizing that a more collaborative approach will lead to a more productive, positive working relationship. Martha’s primary goal shouldn’t be about being right. She should realize that she and Joe are working towards the same end goal. So I encouraged Martha to be a thought partner to Joe, to frame the project’s success as their success. So her communication approach shifted. Instead of asking questions like when will you get this done, she can emphasize collaboration, support, and a win-win for all. She would say, “What would be your top three priorities that will bring a big win for you and your team? How can I support you?” I also encouraged Martha to relate to Joe on a more personal level, to show genuine interest in his life outside of work.
This shift in communication style resulted in Joe feeling safer, less underwater, and appreciated. In these ways, Martha started to truly save face for Joe. Martha took a more collaborative approach by framing the project’s success as their joint success and working towards a common goal. She showed respect and support in her communication approach with Joe. She related to Joe on a more personal level to make him feel safe and appreciated.
So if you want to nurture your relationship and help people do their best work, remember those tips by giving and saving their face. Work to be collaborative more than just being right. Respect their opinion and approach. Just because it’s different doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wrong. Show interest in another person on the human level. Give credit and share success with others.
Click here to watch the video.
This video was originally posted on AthenaOnline.com
May 29, 2023
How Face Relates to Authenticity and Accountability
As an executive coach, I have worked with leaders around the world. I have shared with them a concept that resonates with leaders at all levels. It’s so essential to their leadership, but it’s also counterintuitive. It’s the concept of face. Today, I would like to explore two keys to applying the concept of face; authenticity and accountability. To save face successfully requires authenticity and accountability. This means understanding the other person’s frame of reference without judgment and taking thoughtful actions to produce positive outcome for everyone involved.
One of my clients, Dan, described an authentic act of saving face he witnessed while working for a global company. Dan was hired by the company’s financial director, Jeff, who was facing a crisis. Under his watch, a frontline employee had stolen over $100,000 in an eight-month period. As financial director, Jeff had designed and deployed the entire cashflow system that allowed this employee to commit the fraud undetected. An optimistic and trusting person, Jeff had included minimum anti-fraud and anti-theft controls in the design. It was a high profile case and it was discussed not only in security meetings, but also spread quickly throughout the company. Dan said to me, “When the theft was revealed and the scope of it ballooned with each day of the investigation, my boss felt entirely responsible and personally victimized.” It was an example of losing face.
Soon, the company’s COO planned a meeting with Dan and his manager, Jeff. The stress consumed Jeff. He lost weight, lost sleep, and developed anxiety. When the day arrived, Dan and Jeff waited nervously in a conference room. The COO walked in. Jeff’s dread and anxiety were impossible to ignore. The COO broke the tension with one sentence. “I don’t care about the theft.” He continued to say that, “Theft is unavoidable, whether one runs a hotdog stand or a multinational company.” The company was insured and would be made whole. The COO said, “I only want to know that you plan to review the process and fix it. And you seem well on your way, from what I can see.” Dan reported that Jeff’s demeanor immediately brightened. He returned to his job with renewed energy. The COO had saved his face and instilled accountability in him. And the COO did so authentically.
Number one, he was firm, but kind. Saving face requires having the other person’s best interest in mind, understanding their perspective, and delivering constructive feedback. He holds Jeff accountable without demeaning his self-worth.
Number two, he was intentional. When having emotionally delicate conversations, start with the end goal in mind. Ask, what is my intention? What do I want to achieve? Stating your intention creates openness and breaks down barriers.
Number three, he helped Jeff overcome shame and embarrassment quickly and refocus his energy on solving the problem and moving forward. He showed Jeff, ‘I trust you. I have confidence in you to do the right thing.’
Saving face is done authentically when you’re intentional, respectful, and sensitive. Act with empathy and leave ego and judgment at the door. When you help someone save face in this way, you not only inspire loyalty, you make them feel appreciated and valued. You bring out the best in them.
Click here to watch the video.
This video was originally posted on AthenaOnline.com
May 19, 2023
3 Ways to Break Down Insider/Outsider Dynamics
Research suggests that companies that embrace diversity perform better than companies that don’t make it a priority. And hiring a diverse workforce is only half of the equation. In order for companies to truly gain the benefits of the diverse thinking, backgrounds, and ideas of their workforce, employees have to feel safe, comfortable, and empowered to be themselves. They need to be able to express their opinions and ideas. To take smart risks. To feel not just like they’re invited to the table, but that they have a voice at the table. This is what inclusion is. However, there are hidden dynamics that can kill collaboration and undermine teamwork. One of the most damaging is the insider and outsider dynamics. So what does insider/outsider dynamics look like?
The term insider and outsider might bring back memories of your high school years. Popular teenagers actively exclude others from joining their circle of friends. In the context of a corporate environment the behaviors at play can be much more subtle, embedded, and even undetected to some people.
For example, my client Noah works for a global tech company in Silicon Valley. Noah’s team is comprised of people in the same time zone at the headquarters, while others, like Noah, live several time zones away. Noah often starts his day by working on a project only to learn the company changed the direction or canceled the project completely the night before. He was left out of the decision making loop because he was asleep. Noah feels like an outsider, while the rest of his team are perceived as insiders.
Noah’s experience was a result of structural challenges. But workplace culture can unintentionally create an insider/outsider dynamic too. For example, workers who smoke might discuss business with other smokers during smoke breaks, leaving non-smokers out of the loop. A company might schedule activities around golf during its annual summit, making non-golfers feel left out. A manager might simply respond more positively to outgoing, extroverted employees, elevating their voices and ignoring those who are more reserved. So, what is the impact of an insider/outsider dynamic?
When this kind of dynamic exists there can be unintended bias in decision making, and unconscious bias in the selecting and grooming of individuals for promotion. There can be excessive barriers based on hierarchy. Those on the outside simply can’t break through the barriers that would place them on the inside. This dynamic can also create unequal and unfair standards. Simply said, the insiders can seem to operate with their own rules and norms, while the outsiders don’t know what those are.
So, what can leaders do to break down those barriers? The first step is to pay attention to the team dynamics. Notice that the subtle or not so subtle behaviors the team members exhibit during team interactions.
Secondly, when the insider/outsider dynamics occurs, take immediate actions to override it. For example, call out and discourage negative, exclusive behaviors. Empower outsiders to speak up and break through the barriers.
Last but not the least, lead by example. Demonstrate inclusive behaviors and create a culture of psychological safety. For example, proactively share information. Include all invested parties in decision-making. Amplify voices that aren’t being heard. Actively engage remote team members. Share the unwritten rules with people who don’t know them.
If you want to break insider/outsider dynamics, remember those steps. Number one, pay attention to the team dynamics. When the insider/outsider dynamics occurs, take immediate actions to override it. And lead by example. Only when insider/outsider dynamics are shattered, can leaders start to build towards a truly inclusive team environment.
Click here to watch the video.
This video was originally posted on AthenaOnline.com
3 Ways to be More Inclusive for Better Collaboration
Research suggests that companies that embrace diversity perform better than companies that don’t make it a priority. And hiring a diverse workforce is only half of the equation. In order for companies to truly gain the benefits of the diverse thinking, backgrounds, and ideas of their workforce, employees have to feel safe, comfortable, and empowered to be themselves. They need to be able to express their opinions and ideas. To take smart risks. To feel not just like they’re invited to the table, but that they have a voice at the table. This is what inclusion is. However, there are hidden dynamics that can kill collaboration and undermine teamwork. One of the most damaging is the insider and outsider dynamics. So what does insider/outsider dynamics look like?
The term insider and outsider might bring back memories of your high school years. Popular teenagers actively exclude others from joining their circle of friends. In the context of a corporate environment the behaviors at play can be much more subtle, embedded, and even undetected to some people.
For example, my client Noah works for a global tech company in Silicon Valley. Noah’s team is comprised of people in the same time zone at the headquarters, while others, like Noah, live several time zones away. Noah often starts his day by working on a project only to learn the company changed the direction or canceled the project completely the night before. He was left out of the decision making loop because he was asleep. Noah feels like an outsider, while the rest of his team are perceived as insiders.
Noah’s experience was a result of structural challenges. But workplace culture can unintentionally create an insider/outsider dynamic too. For example, workers who smoke might discuss business with other smokers during smoke breaks, leaving non-smokers out of the loop. A company might schedule activities around golf during its annual summit, making non-golfers feel left out. A manager might simply respond more positively to outgoing, extroverted employees, elevating their voices and ignoring those who are more reserved. So, what is the impact of an insider/outsider dynamic?
When this kind of dynamic exists there can be unintended bias in decision making, and unconscious bias in the selecting and grooming of individuals for promotion. There can be excessive barriers based on hierarchy. Those on the outside simply can’t break through the barriers that would place them on the inside. This dynamic can also create unequal and unfair standards. Simply said, the insiders can seem to operate with their own rules and norms, while the outsiders don’t know what those are.
So, what can leaders do to break down those barriers? The first step is to pay attention to the team dynamics. Notice that the subtle or not so subtle behaviors the team members exhibit during team interactions.
Secondly, when the insider/outsider dynamics occurs, take immediate actions to override it. For example, call out and discourage negative, exclusive behaviors. Empower outsiders to speak up and break through the barriers.
Last but not the least, lead by example. Demonstrate inclusive behaviors and create a culture of psychological safety. For example, proactively share information. Include all invested parties in decision-making. Amplify voices that aren’t being heard. Actively engage remote team members. Share the unwritten rules with people who don’t know them.
If you want to break insider/outsider dynamics, remember those steps. Number one, pay attention to the team dynamics. When the insider/outsider dynamics occurs, take immediate actions to override it. And lead by example. Only when insider/outsider dynamics are shattered, can leaders start to build towards a truly inclusive team environment.
Click here to watch the video.
This video was originally posted on AthenaOnline.com
May 8, 2023
Unconscious Bias Drives Your Decision-Making
Leaders seeking to create inclusive work environments should start by understanding how unconscious biases can undermine those efforts.
Unconscious biases are mental shortcuts that help us process information quickly. They can be useful when leveraged against objects — a bias against hot stoves protects us from getting burned. But, when they are leveraged against people based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, physical abilities, or religion, they cause individual harm and impair Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts.
In “Inclusive Behavior: Learning About Bias,” Dr. Ernest Gundling and Dr. Cheryl Williams assert that leaders must understand and address unconscious bias, a process that begins with self-reflection.
“Each of us has to extract ourselves from the box of assumptions that often keeps us walled-in and impervious to the ideas and capabilities of others,” they write.
Here are the four most common types of unconscious bias and how leaders can dismantle those “boxes of assumptions.”
1. Confirmation bias
Our biases reflect deeply held beliefs. Confirmation bias happens when we favor new information that confirms something we already believe.
I recently worked with a leader, Phil, who had merged two teams. One consisted of people he previously led, while the other included people he had never worked with. Although one team, Phil treated them as two – an in-group of those he knew well, and an out-group of strangers. People from both groups said Phil obviously favored the in-group — he sought their input in meetings, moved their ideas forward, and gave them public praise. The out-group felt excluded, while the in-group felt uncomfortable with the obvious favoritism.
This was confirmation bias in action. Phil’s deeply held belief was that his old team was high-performing. So, when confronted with new information — input from both groups — he favored the group he already believed to be better.
Leaders can counteract confirmation bias by seeking information that may disprove existing beliefs. Ask for input from people outside your echo chamber. Look to trusted colleagues for objective assessments of confirmation bias.
2. Insider bias
Before our workplaces became the diverse, multicultural communities of today, our brains developed a bias for the familiar and a distrust for the unfamiliar. This is insider bias.
Phil acted on insider bias by distrusting the contributions of his new team members. People often act on insider bias when they greet with suspicion anyone who is unfamiliar in terms of cultural, racial, ethnic, or other identity markers. Harmful stereotypes are reinforced when these unconscious, nuanced, snap decisions are made.
Leaders can counteract insider bias by widening the in-group. Look for barriers to entry and remove them. Create identity markers shared by all — clothing with corporate logos, events that invite participation regardless of gender, culture, or religion, and celebrations of group achievements.
3. Attribution bias
Research shows that we interpret success and failure differently when experienced by others versus ourselves. When we succeed, we believe our personal characteristics are responsible (“I got this promotion because I’m smart.”) When others succeed, we blame outside circumstances (“They are lucky.”) Similarly when we fail, we blame outside forces (“My business failed because of the economy”), while blaming others’ character defects for their failures (“They have terrible business sense.”)
Attribution bias can lead to false, undeserved assumptions. Is someone late to a meeting because they are disrespectful of others’ time, or did a demanding client hold them back? Keep attribution bias in check by questioning character judgments, particularly of those who might not be perceived as insiders.
4. Overconfidence bias
People tend to be overconfident in their own judgments, even when data may contradict them. For example, a leader seeking to promote a worker may base their decision on an opinion (“Jason is too quiet to be a leader”) rather than data (“Jason is a high-performer who takes time to formulate his thoughts before speaking.”)
Leaders can overcome this bias by assuring confident assertions are based on solid evidence. Widen the pool of evidence by inviting multiple voices into the conversation.
Our brains are wired for efficiency, and biases are efficient — and harmful. Get off the day-to-day autopilot mode that allows for these mental shortcuts to kick in. Slow down, reflect, and examine your beliefs, and invite differing points of view. Open your inner circle, step out of your echo chamber, and break down your “boxes of assumptions.”
This article was originally posted on Inc.com
April 29, 2023
Here’s Why Your Employees Aren’t Talking
A question I often get from my clients is, “How do I get my employees to speak up?” They ask their teams to share their opinions and speak their minds, but they are most often met with silence. What’s going on?
The answer is nuanced and, more often than not, much more complex than, “They have nothing to say.”
Speaking up can feel vulnerable and daunting, and the reasons people don’t do it can range from cultural differences to corporate cultures that discourage dissenting opinions.
Here are the reasons I find are most often behind the silence, and how leaders can encourage others to share their voice.
1. Cultural differences
Western cultures encourage individual expression — a value that can be at odds with workers from Asian and Latin American cultures that center hierarchy and deference to authority. For these workers, speaking up can feel disrespectful. It may be unthinkable to share an opinion that is contrary to a superior’s, even if invited to do so or to speak up in a meeting when others with higher job titles are present.
When working with globally diverse teams, leaders should be aware of these cultural dynamics. Create rules of engagement that encourage participation, and explain the “why” behind the norms — understanding why speaking up is not only expected but valued can help workers from more hierarchical cultures style-shift into a different mode.
Leaders can also set up structures that encourage speaking up. For example, workers can be split into teams, with one team charged with finding the potential pitfalls of an idea or initiative, or a manager leading a meeting can appoint one person as a temporary devil’s advocate. These tactics set the expectations for engagement while lowering the perceived risk of doing so.
2. Technical barriers
Leaders of virtual or hybrid teams face unique challenges to participation, but the technology that brings their teams together can also encourage them to share their voices — but not always in expected ways.
If a question is met with silence or blank stares, don’t rush to the next topic. Sometimes people need an extra moment or two to process their thoughts, especially if they’re having to answer in a language that isn’t their native one. Invite people to share verbally but also use the chat function — it can be a more welcome vehicle for expression for people who are more introverted. Similarly, the polls function in many virtual meeting platforms and can also allow people to safely and anonymously share opinions.
3. Lack of psychological safety
Leaders can encourage more free expression of ideas and opinions by creating inclusive, psychologically safe environments. They can’t only say they want people to speak up — they have to demonstrate it with their actions.
My client Joanne recently became CEO of a hospital where that environment had not been created. Employee survey results showed that people had given up on sharing ideas for improving the organization because they had historically been ignored by the leadership. She made it her priority to change that perception.
In one-on-one meetings with people across the organization, she asked open-ended questions and invited people to share. She repeated back what she heard, ensuring she heard them correctly. She took notes during conversations, communicating to people that their ideas and opinions were valuable and important enough to write down.
Joanne shared stories of her own mistakes with her teams, which made them feel safe to admit their errors. She asked leaders to show the same vulnerability, which in turn promoted growth and quality improvement.
She invited directors and front-line staff alike to meetings, seeking their feedback and creating action plans based on their input. This proved to her staff that she backed up her words with action.
In six short months, Joanne turned the hospital’s culture around, and her staff is speaking up more, invigorated to continuously improve the organization.
If you ask for input and are met with silence, don’t assume your employees have nothing to say. Reflect on the forces that could be at play, whether cultural differences, technical barriers, or lack of psychological safety, and start making changes that will invite more voices to speak up.
This article was originally posted on Inc.com
April 26, 2023
Pulling Together or Paddling in Circles?
Rowing is harder than it looks. To win a race, it takes training, commitment, mutual respect, and a shared determination to succeed within an elite rowing crew. It turns out that the same is true in business. Just like the best crews, the best business teams operate as one; completely aligned, in tune, and working toward the same goals.
If you find that you and your team are going around in circles rather than making progress toward your objectives, it is likely that your strategic alignment is off-balance. Your team is pulling in different directions, churning up the water and wasting energy instead of paddling along in the same direction and rhythm, executing the smooth, even strokes that signal success.
In reality, alignment is a practical commitment—in whatever shape or form that comes—to ensuring that everyone is on the same page and stays there. It’s about lining up both individual and collective goals, plans, and priorities—and checking in with employees regularly to make sure it’s working.
Strategic alignment is sometimes viewed as a leadership philosophy rather than a pragmatic and rigorously applied way of working across a whole business. Alignment applies to all kinds of working relationships: within teams, with customers, among executives of the business, from top to bottom—everyone.
1. Working for the whole, not the part
Think about the places and teams you have worked in and how much time and energy was wasted when people were pulling in different directions or when structures and systems conspired to keep people in silos rather than collaborating. Imagine how much more would have been achieved if those individuals, teams, processes, and structures had been aligned rather than disjointed.
There’s an even greater need for alignment in global businesses, where teams may be separated by geography, time zones, and cultural norms.
Take the example of my client, Sally. She’s a project leader in a global engineering company working on large-scale construction projects such as highways and bridges.
Based at the U.S. headquarters, Sally has team members in five cities in three countries. Their new project is high profile and complex—both technically and logistically. She set out a work program but, after two months, things were already behind. A combination of missed deadlines, communication mix-ups, and lack of clarity over roles and responsibilities had led to frustration and finger-pointing within the team.
Sally knew she had to change how her team worked together and align them better. She started with a simple but highly effective step. She created a short 15-minute conference call, every day at 7 a.m.—the best time given the challenges of different time zones. Attendance was mandatory; it was disciplined and ran like clockwork.“
The call allowed each team member to share their top priority for the day, check in with each other, and to keep small queries from becoming big issues. Team members were able to reach an agreement and then go off and do their jobs,” Sally explains. “Just as we synchronized our clocks to communicate, we synchronized our working relationships too. The result was amazing. The 15-minute alignment meeting every day made all the difference.”
2. Encourage collaboration instead of suppressing it
Sometimes there are more fundamental, structural issues to overcome to achieve alignment. Another client of mine was a major European destination venue. Different teams were responsible for venue hire, visitor information, catering, security, building management, retail, and other aspects of the business. Each area was under pressure to be profitable, even if sometimes profitability came at the expense of other teams—such as the venue sales cutting a better deal with the customer, leaving no flexibility for the security or catering team to deliver to their best potential. Each team worked in a silo because that was how teams were measured and rewarded.
As a result, there was tension between the teams and overall profitability was below expectations.
To be truly aligned, the structure of any business needs to encourage collaboration, not scupper it. Recognizing this, my client, David, the managing director, took the decision to completely reshape how the venue was run.
“I looked at the structure and realized it was not working. How do we break up the silos and get people to work together? We created an overall profitability target and all teams worked toward the same target,” David says. “This incentivized them to collaborate—to help each other deliver their best results. At the end of the day, everybody wins.”
On this occasion, the alignment was structural rather than behavioral, but the profoundness of the impact was just as realized.
3. Stay focused on the goal, but be open to change
Whether it’s a simple communications tool or a dramatic re-engineering of the business model, alignment can come in all shapes and sizes, but at its heart it is an attitude, a belief in the power of all pulling together, stroke by stroke, to reach a shared goal.
Another of my clients, James, is an executive in a global financial service firm with oversight of both the sales and compliance functions. These two teams were certainly not pulling together. In fact, they seemed to be absolutely determined to row in opposite directions.
Although they needed to work closely together to convert deals into firm contracts, over time tension had grown between sales and compliance. Where did the conflict come from? James explained, “This tension was born out of the fundamental differences in the way they worked and core skill sets within the two functions—with the sales team operating at high speed and thriving to close as many deals as possible, whilst the compliance function worked more cautiously and methodically, seeking to satisfy regulatory requirements and make sure that a deal would translate into a comprehensive and robust contract.”
The same objective, but two different priorities and approaches—both valuable and necessary in their own spheres but the cause of considerable conflict.
When James and I got to talking, we realized that a lack of alignment lay at the heart of the problem. Although both teams were ostensibly focused on the same commercial outcome, they neither understood nor valued the contribution of the other team. The sales team viewed compliance as being difficult and unresponsive. Compliance, on the other hand, wrote off the sales team as too quick off the mark, failing to pay attention to details that could potentially get the firm into legal trouble. Each team assumed that the other’s approach was unhelpful.
And there you have the root of the problem. The cause of the lack of alignment was assumptions.
4. Number 1 business sin: Assumption
In my experience, the assumption is the number 1 business sin; the destroyer of deals, the terrorizer of team dynamics. Yet it continues to pervade businesses the world over.
James and I considered the situation: The varied skills and experiences of his two teams were not only necessary but made for a vibrant and highly capable employee base. However, the clash between two dramatically different skill sets and approaches had conspired to create teams that were finding it hard to understand each other.
We worked on a plan to help bring sales and compliance together, to help them see the business through the other’s eyes and find their common ground. James employed a variety of approaches. First, leaders from both functions must lead by example. So they held regular alignment meetings to work through issues in a timely manner and communicated the solutions to their respective teams.
Second, both teams agreed on a set of behaviors when working with each other: listen before judging, meet face-to-face instead of sending emails, keep commitments, and avoid making negative comments about others. Furthermore, they held each other accountable for keeping it up, day in and day out. Over time this translated into the ways that they worked together on major client deals—both teams recognizing and respecting the other’s contribution.
To be truly aligned as a business you need to work with knowledge, not opinions and assumptions. By creating plenty of opportunities for open discussion, we could help create a culture of greater honesty, respect, and mutual trust.
5. Getting on the same page with global teams
The need for structural and behavioral alignment becomes even more acute when global team members are not sitting in the same office—sometimes not even on the same continent. Cultural and geographic differences can make straightforward collaboration much harder.
My advice? Make sure any issues are tackled right away before they fester and make building honesty, respect, and trust your primary goal as a leader. Your investment in time and energy to achieve this will pay dividends through the performance of your team.
There are practical solutions that can work really well. Start with the simple stuff: Make sure different locations are not left out of the loop due to location or time differences. Find a time that works for everyone to make sure the whole team can connect. Use smart collaboration tools to make global team members feel closer to one another and create structures within the business that reward cross-country collaboration to avoid silos developing.
6. Set the course
It’s not much good having a team of rowers in perfect sync if the individual up front with the loud-hailer is off the pace. Although much of what I’ve covered here relates to the leadership of others, in my experience creating alignment in any business starts with the leaders themselves.
Alignment isn’t just about making sure everyone thinks the same way you do and driving relentlessly forward. The Great Britain Olympic rowing squad has been steered into Olympic and world medal positions for the past eight years by coxswain Phelan Hill. He describes his role as part driver, part coach, and part mother figure. He needs to set the course for victory, encourage the best performance out of the team, be aware of how everyone is feeling, and deal with challenges along the way that might require a change of course.
This perfectly describes the role of global leaders in aligning their teams. It’s about being focused on the goal, but retaining a broad perspective and being open to the need to change.
Here are five tips to achieve strategic alignment:
Communicate early and regularly with your team to ensure clear goals and reduce future obstacles.Identify common goals for teams to focus their work and attention on going in the same direction.Assign opportunities for different teams to meet and share their respective needs and priorities so that all sides understand each other better.Eliminate assumptions. Assumptions arise when teams are not fully informed, so take steps to make sure that assumptions are identified and addressed quickly.Be an effective coxswain. Strong leaders not only manage and motivate their teams—they provide support, check for obstacles ahead, and remain alert to changes. So take a look at the waters ahead, check that you’re all in perfect rhythm, and chart a course for greater strategic alignment.April 5, 2023
4 Communication Habits That Undermine Your Message
In a recent column, I explored the skills that can help leaders become clear, focused communicators. But all the work leaders put into becoming clear speakers can be undone if they unintentionally diminish their own message.
Throughout my years of leadership coaching, I’ve noticed a particular pattern among many leaders: certain communication habits that undercut, undersell, and devalue what the leader is saying — and, in turn, the leader overall.
Here are some of these self-diminishing communication habits, and how to fix them.
1. Sticking to the script
One of my clients, Jen, often presents ideas to senior leaders in her company. She is thorough in her presentations, spending lots of time and effort on meticulous preparation. But she is easily thrown off-balance when asked questions. She panics and rambles, often not answering the question and instead forcing the conversation back to her prepared bullet points. This is a communication habit I often see in some of the otherwise highest-performing, accomplished leaders. By refusing to go off-script she, ironically, contradicts her deep well of knowledge and preparation. I encouraged Jen to practice going off-script, to trust in her competency, and believe that she’ll be able to handle questions she didn’t anticipate. In the event she doesn’t have the necessary information to answer a question, she can portray much more confidence and authority by replying with, “I don’t have an answer to that right now, but I would love to do some research and get back to you,” rather than obscuring the truth with an unrelated, scripted response.
2. Filler words and fear of silence
Many people are uncomfortable with silence and fill it instead with filler words — the “umms” and uhhhs” that fill the space but can make people sound unsure and nervous. If you need a moment to collect your thoughts and mentally prepare a response, take it. This moment to prepare can be especially useful when explaining complex concepts or translating information to connect to an audience’s reference points. We may think silence portrays a lack of knowledge, but when used strategically, it can actually communicate confidence and thoughtfulness. Moments of silence in speech can also add variety to the tempo of a speech and give the listener a moment to rest and process. In his book, Executive Presence: Step Into Your Power, Convey Confidence, and Lead With Conviction, author Joel A. Garfinkle calls this “the power of the pause,” and one of the signifiers of a clear, communicative leader.
3. Qualifying words and phrases
Along with filler words, I observe many leaders using filler phrases such as “in my opinion” and “I was thinking,” along with qualifier words such as “sometimes,” “just,” “kind of,” and “sort of.” These words and phrases can water down a message and weaken your speech. Be aware of when they show up in your communication and replace them with more direct, specific language that doesn’t devalue your message. Instead of “in my opinion,” try “the research shows” or “one of my recommendations is.” Look for “just,” “kind of,” and “sort of” in your speech and delete them. And watch out for subtle-and-not-so-subtle apologies: “I’m sorry, but I think” or “I’m not the expert, but….” These can discount your credibility and signal to your listener that you don’t believe what you are saying.
4. Incongruence
I ran a storytelling exercise with Jen during which she shared a family story. At one point, she smiled while describing a particularly trying, difficult experience. As her audience, I was confused. The content of her words didn’t match her non-verbal communication — and she was completely unaware she was doing it. What Jen displayed was incongruence, a misalignment of the content of a message and the vocal and visual communication it’s delivered with. Congruence, however, is when those three elements align, according to UCLA psychology researcher Albert Mehrabian. He found in his research that messages land most effectively when the speaker’s vocal and nonverbal communication support the intention the speaker has behind their words. To make sure you’re achieving congruence, ask a trusted friend or colleague for feedback. Do your vocal tone and delivery, facial expressions, and body language support the content of your message?
In his book, Garfinkle says that clear communicators set an expectation with their listeners, that “when [they] speak, [they’re] going to deliver a message with a clear purpose.” Be ready to go off-script; leverage the power of the pause; be aware of filler words, qualifiers, and apologies; and strive for congruence and you will succeed as a clear, confident communicator.
