Category Archives: Facilitation

Starbucks Leadership Lab

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starbucks-logoThis morning while drinking my Starbucks coffee (supplied at work) in my cool Starbucks mug (supplied by me), I read a great article at Fast Company magazine about the leadership practices at Starbucks. 

Late last year Starbucks held a conference in Houston for nearly 10,000 store managers and 5,000 live coffee plants (more on the plants later).  From what I read this is an annual conference and one that is quite different from other companies. 

Here is a link to the article and the video that shows the conference in action (click here).  Starbucks works hard to send their message out through its employees or what they call, partners.  This conference is set up to energize and educate the store managers so they are ready to head back to their little corner of the Starbucks world and lead their store, sell coffee and so much more. 

Yes, Starbucks is a business in search of profits, yet one has to admire their approach.  Their mission statement sets the right tone:

 To inspire and nurture the human spirit–one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.

While struggling back in 2008 with sales and morale dropping, Starbucks still held a similar leadership conference including the large price tag.  They now say that conference was the beginning to the improved results at Starbucks.  A strong tenet of leadership is to know when it is time to galvanize the troops or as Starbucks calls the employees (oops, partners), Brand Evangelists. (note: just a thought, but maybe this is underway at Yahoo)

One partner at a time inspiring one customer at a time.  Hey from my corner of the world, it is working.  I do feel better when hanging out at a Starbucks.  From the staff to the community centered environment and of course, the coffee, it works.

Here is a link to a more in-depth article (click here) from Fast Company associated with the Leadership Lab conference.  I do admit, I wish I was there.  As an outsider one can learn much from this approach to leadership and the set of believes lived at Starbucks. 

Back to those 5,000 coffee plants attending the conference.  Do watch the attached video to get the full effect, but here is the question for all of us … in how many companies does the leadership team in total understand the full process?  In other words the plants helped educate the Starbucks leaders to understand the full process, from bean to cup.

Does that exist in your organization?  Do all your leaders across a variety of departments, truly understand the process, from bean to cup? 

Starbucks gets the WeMoveTogether Award (hey, just made that up) for the week.

Here is a short video of the conference in action.  If interested though, do check out the attached links for more information.

Knights of the Round Table

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I attend two standing meetings each Thursday.  The first is my weekly staff meeting with my three direct report managers.  The second is a cross-departmental meeting focused on operational issues.

Both meetings are remarkable and I look forward to attending.  Yes, poor meetings abound in the business world.  Yet these two meetings work and for very similar reasons.  Here are my observations on why each of these two meetings works so well:

  • Small talk is not small - Each meeting typically starts with small talk about topics far away from the work at hand.  A leader needs to know when the time is right to allow for, and even encourage, small talk.  Small talk is the warm up.  Often we do not notice when the small talk stops and the business talk begins.  Small talk builds the container for a safe discussion ready for all to take part.
  • Focus on learning – The people in these meetings are damn smart and know our business inside and out.  I focus on learning in these meetings.  I notice others are learning from each other as we talk.  How cool to hear, “I do not understand, can you tell me more?”  Learning leads to understanding.
  • We can solve any problem - We talk about the little items and the big items.  We even venture into deeper waters occasionally and discuss the bigger issues at hand in our business.   The thought that pops into my head is that we can solve this issue.  We can solve that issue.  We can solve any issue.
  • We are smarter together - Synergy is an overused business buzzword that is poorly understood.  Track me down and slap me silly if I mention the work “synergy” again.  Yet, we know those times when a group comes together, discusses issues, listens, and taps into the collected knowledge and experience.  Yea, we are smarter together in these meetings.
  • Leadership is fluid – Each person in both meetings is a leader with staff and process responsibility.  We need the person closest to the topic to lead the conversation. My job is to facilitate and allow the leaders to lead the discussion and continue to decision-making.  I do not forget my role as the boss in the room.  Yet, I am glad that most decisions are group decisions and only infrequently do I have to decide on my own.
  • There is something about a round table - Both meetings take part in my office at a round conference table.  The table holds six people comfortably.  This setup is so different from a larger conference room.  In these conference rooms we sit around a rectangular table where we can not see each other well and often there are empty chairs scattered through the room.  A round table generates energy and focuses it toward the center where it belongs.  Our meetings work because of the items I list above, yet do not forget the power of a round table to bring people together in unity and purpose.

Hum, maybe I have it wrong.  My two Thursday meetings are not meetings at all.   They are a gatherings.    You know the difference.  How bold to start to call them as such … let’s start.

WeMoveTogether

Ask The Fool, Be The Fool

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These days I find myself digging through my Organizational Development Toolbox.  So many great tools that I have used successfully in the past and will again.   One group of tools involve creativity.   It is very human to be creative.  All leaders need a level of creativity.  It is one of the items that separates a leader from someone who just manages people.

Leaders need to execute on the plan.  Yet at times when the plan is not working, the leader must develop a new plan … something new … with a touch of creativity … that leads to amazing results.

Leaders need to see the unseen and create.

One of these tools, The Creative Whack Pack, has been around since the early 1990′s and is as fresh today as the day the pack of cards hit the market.  That is right, it is a deck of cards with each card representing a different element of creativity.   The creator is Roger Von Oech.

Indeed, these cards serve as a “whack to the head” to loosen-up creative thinking.  Over time I will speak to different cards in the deck.  I invite you to explore the deck of cards yourself.   Of course 20 years later there is an app for your iPhone – a modern look for a great, classic tool.

Today I will look closer at one of the classic cards in the deck, Ask A Fool.  You know the fool or in renaissance times, the Court Jester.  Do you know the role of the Court Jester?  It goes beyond entertaining the court.  The “Fool” had license to parody any proposal under discussion to make it seem fresh and light.  The king was surrounded typically by yes men.  The fool allowed for fresh thinking and breaking away from groupthink.

You tell me … do we have yes men (and women) within modern organizations?  Do we spend any time on counter thinking?  Is anyone safe, truly safe, to be the fool today?

The fool’s candid jokes and offbeat observations put the issue in a fresh light and forced the king to re-examine his assumptions.  By listening to the fool, the king improved his judgment, enhanced his creativity, and projected himself from groupthink. 

Leaders, ask a fool, and yes, be a fool.  Don’t worry.  King of the fools here moving forward with you.  We Move Together.

 

Silence

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We begin in silence.

Then we speak.  Each of us has much to say.  While others speak, we prepare to speak again.   Are we hearing each other?  Are we reaching a point of understanding or decision?  Often our talk is overwhelming and more talking is not the answer.  At times we need silence to communicate.

Silence as a tool begins with self.   Each of us has moments when we can not find the off button and we continue to talk, often repeating ourselves.   Our point was made, but we continue.  As with writing a blog, we should speak with a sense of “word count”.    Our communication is best when tight, purposeful, and focused on engaging others in the conversation.  Our silence allows others to speak and for us to listen and hear them.

Indeed, let others speak.  As leaders we focus on moving people forward into positive territory.   Shared understanding paves that road and how can I assure we are together if I do not listen to others?   My silence sets the stage for others to speak and for me to listen.  If each of us will work to balance our speaking with our own silence, we will indeed hear more.

Silence as a tool goes beyond use at the personal level.  As leaders we can use silence directly with a group.   To start, in a group setting, people will not allow silence to last.   It is an old workshop facilitator trick … if you stop speaking and allow silence to linger, someone else will speak.  It may take 30 seconds (feels like a lifetime), but someone will speak.

Silence can also become a direct, out-in-the-open approach to communication.  During a difficult discussion with a group, call for a period of silence.   As researcher Charlotte Roberts states, “calling for a period of silence – not in frustration, but in anticipation”.  A period of silent time can allow the group to tap into the “gathered mind”. People will begin to speak again and hopefully, after gathering their thoughts, the discussion will go in a positive direction. 

Silence is a means to center a group deep in discussion.  When we sense the conversation is going in different directions and those dreaded side-conversations are beginning, we need to call for silence.  In some cases this silent time can and should last minutes.  The reflective time typically allows the participants to reach for the center and begin the discussion with renewed focus.

Communication is often challenging.  One may say that we mis-understand each other as often as we understand each other.  Silence is a means to understanding.  Use it well.

Effective Communication: Step into the Circle

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I attended a meeting recently and saw something different as I entered the room.  Instead of the typical long rectangular conference table there were just chairs arranged in rough circles, one within the other (see illustration below).  Immediately I knew this meeting was starting well.  As leaders we can not dismiss the importance of room layout for group discussions (a.k.a. the dreaded business meeting).  I learned this lesson from my days as a corporate trainer: step into the circle to maximize your communication.

What I mean by “step into the circle” is the deliberate process to step forward as a means to get both physically and psychologically closer to your audience.  This act can aid your message and help you to engage the audience.  This is not just for a presentation with you as the main speaker.  This communication approach is great for regular meetings that may include different speakers.  The room set up allows for this movement and approach to communication.   By stepping into the circle you are announcing that “I have the floor. Listen to what I have to say.”

Why is this communication approach effective?  It starts with visibility.  all eyes and ears are focused on the center of the room and guess what, you are it.  There is room to move within the central area and you should use it to your advantage. Walk and get closer to folks as you speak and they speak.  Work to channel the conversation to others by moving across the floor to the other side.

Here are some other advantages of this communication approach:

  • Control the energy of the conversation.  By standing in this middle ground you remain the central entry and can, by movement, engage different parts of the room.
  • Establish a level of equality. There is a level of equality with these circular room seating arrangements.  Think of the Knights of the Round Table.  Think of so many native people who typically talk in a circle.  All have a voice and can join the conversation.  As the leader, you start in the center and can invite others to take the space to speak as well.
  • Establish deeper discussions and even dialogue.  Your intention may be to reach a specific decision in your meeting or it may be to assure your message is heard as the leader.  Your intention may instead be to gather a group to talk about an issue and see where the discussion takes you.  This can be a full dialogue with a suspension of outcome and working together to discover.  The circle is nearly a requirement for this level of communication.
  • Enhance your presence.  All of us have “presence” of different sorts.  As leaders we need to work out our best expression of our own unique presence.  This presence serves us during these discussions in business meetings or other gatherings.  With a meeting circle you have a platform to show and use your presence.  In general this is enhanced by standing and moving vs. the traditional seated behind a table.  This circle room arrangement requires the speaker (leader) to stand and move.

Years ago I was conducting a presentation skills class.  In those days we typically set up a U Shape table and chair arrangement for our meetings.  Each of the students I taught never broke the apparent force-field that was at the entry of the front of the U Shape table setup.  I worked to convince them that their message and interaction with the audience would be enhanced if they broke the seal and stepped “into the U”.  As folks tried it as we ran practice presentations, they commented afterwards that they felt the difference.  They connected more; they showed off their own unique presence; they controlled the room energy and most importantly, they were heard.

I have mentioned it before that humanity has forgotten more than it has learned.  Add stepping into the circle as something forgotten by modern society.  Native Peoples know this power and many of our teachers today understand it too.  Pull people or students into a circle and let the communication flow.   If you work in a business environment even a highly corporate environment, I bet you can find opportunities to get the right room and forget the tables.  Arrange the chairs into the circles and when ready … step into the center and be the leader.

We keep moving folks, moving together. 

Squirrel Moments and Leadership Communication

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Today I will defend the squirrel.  Thanks to the movie “UP” we have a new term to describe those moments when we get distracted and off topic.  In the movie, thanks to a device around the neck, dogs can talk.  One of the main characters, Dug the Dog, talks in simple terms as we would expect a dog to speak.  Anyhow Dug is often distracted when he thinks he spots a squirrel.  “SQUIRREL!”  Dug then has to find his way back on track to what he was originally saying or doing.  Yea, good luck with that.

We need to admit to ourselves that we as human beings can and do have our own “squirrel moments” throughout our day.  While we are not actually looking for a squirrel, our mind is shouting out to us and wants our attention.

For us as leaders, let’s explore the squirrel moment and work out when it is an issue and when squirrel moments are a good thing.  To start, I divide squirrel moments into two categories: (1) Personal and (2) Public.

We all have personal squirrel moments when we drift off our task at hand.  Typically this is when we think of something else and follow the thought.  Another squirrel moment example is the email notification box and ding we get on our computer at work with each new email received.  I swear that if someone filmed me I would have a similar expression as Dug turning my head to look at the new email notification.  The solution for these personal squirrel moments is recognition – know what is happening and decide on how best to react.  For the random thoughts carry a notebook to jot a note and move back onto task.  It is a brave thing to turn off the email notifications at work – but time management experts recommend it.  You then regain control and open your email on your schedule.  I plan to try this myself this upcoming week.  Our minds race all day; call out your personal squirrel moments and gain control.

As for public squirrel moments I consider myself an expert. Often in staff meetings I can go so-called off topic.  With my direct staff this is often in our more general update meetings and I consider some squirrel moments as a positive.  These can lead to expanded conversations on topics that, while at first do not seem important, lead to positive outcomes.  The hunt for the squirrel though can sometimes go deep into the woods and at these points I am glad to hear someone call out “Squirrel” to aid our focus to get back on path.  For any leader it is important to build that trust to allow your staff to call out “Squirrel”.

These public squirrel moments though are important to aid our communication.  Through these moments we share more of ourselves, demonstrate a safe environment for others to share and at times the distraction leads to something very important to discuss.

While I started this post comparing the behavior or people to that of a dog obsessed with squirrels, we are indeed humans with an ability to communicate at a high level.  In future posts I will explore powerful communication approaches for us as leaders.   There are times when we need to resolve a specific issue with our team or others in our organization.  The strong and effective leader knows how to facilitate these discussions and use the toolbox of “skillful discussion” and even “dialogue” to move us forward to reach solid decisions or powerful new realities.

Another favorite Dug quote for me is, “My name is Dug. I have just met you, and I love you.”   Hum, a post for a different day.  Have a good day and look our for squirrels, real or imagined.

Fail Quickly

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She looks down at the maze in front of her not knowing how to proceed.  She says to her team, “I do not know where to step; what do you think?”  The team responds with several ideas, but there is no commitment.  After a minute or so, she steps forward and the tile in front of her rings out with an alarm.  The team reacts poorly and she is unhappy as well.  She thinks she has failed her team in their task.  Yet, her “failure” was actually a victory.  So goes this story …

This team is working through an experiential activity where, as a team, they need to walk across a grid of tiles – some tiles will set off an alarm if stepped on, others are clear.  There is a safe path across to the other side and the goal is for each team to get across as soon as possible.  Only the workshop facilitator (me) knows which tiles are safe and which are not.  The story above is true and I saw it repeated often.  These teams of experienced leaders have mental models that tell them failure is wrong under all circumstances and we need to be careful when stepping into the unknown.   Once again, these are very experienced leaders who are behaving poorly within the realm of the exercise. This is the power of experiential learning - your true self will play out within the exercise.  Alas, as  the facilitator, I have so much to work with and the debrief will be profound.

Specifically these leader demonstrate the following behavior during the exercise:

  • Openly show disdain when someone sets off an alarm vs. applauding when someone quickly steps forward;
  • All stand behind the person stepping into the unknown vs. circling the maze to show visible support;
  • Continue to discuss how best to figure out the problem (they do not know which tiles are safe so how can they solve the problem outside of actually stepping on tiles)

I came across the term “Fail Quickly” many years ago.  I believe it was from a high-tech company in reference to computer development.  The concept is simple, but does turn our standard mental model on its ear.  The point is, while using all our best judgment and knowledge, we need to step into the unknown and appreciate our failures.  Once those failures get out-of-the-way, we find our success.  We can get to that success so much quicker and without too many battle scars, if we as leaders build the environment that supports people stepping into the unknown with the intent to make your enterprise better.

So who “won” the experiential activity?  The team that had THE BREAK THROUGH and decided that they need to move quickly and communicate.  As such they circled the maze (no rule against it) and pointed to where the person should step next.  The excitement and applause happened both with success (no beep) and even when there was a beep.  With a beep, they discovered where not to step.  Yes, Beep, Beep, Beep, then safe passage.  With the support of the team, they can move quickly and get across the full maze.

Success and a lesson for all leaders – Fail Quickly and We Move Together.

Mark of a Good Meeting

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Deutsch: Buntstifte, Farbstifte العربية: أقلام...
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I look down at my hand and see several colors; the remains of a great meeting with my fellow leaders at work. We gathered to discuss our leadership approach to our challenging work environment.

We brainstormed. We made a list of focus points for us as leaders. I was proud of the group.

We focused on our staff. We talked about how to be more for our employees while we continue to meet our goals. We are good at what we do. We have to be better during challenging times.

As I lead the meeting I enjoy moving around the room with flip chart markers in hand. I hold three color markers and through the process of writing on the flip chart and working to alternate colors, I mark my hand.

When the meeting was complete and I was left alone to clean up, I looked down at my hand and saw the colors. I smiled. We had a good meeting and I enjoyed my role as facilitator. I will write in future posts on the power of skillful discussion and dialogue for group communication – such important tools for us as leaders.

For today though a simple observation …

Colors on my hand
A reminder of a productive meeting