5 Ego Traps You Need to Avoid as a Leader

One of the most common challenges for growing leaders is their ego. Here are five traps to avoid if you want to achieve ongoing success.

One of the most common problems I see with companies that have had a strong run of growth and success is the mindset of the leadership team. Young teams who have done well will often become headstrong and overconfident. And while it's critical to have a strong, healthy ego, an overdeveloped ego can quickly limit the growth of the leadership team and the company overall. 

Healthy egos are confident and act decisively because they know what is needed to be an effective leader. They also know that their power doesn't come from the fact that they are always right or have expansive power over outcomes. Rather they have a good awareness about their natural limitations of their knowledge and influence and know how to act accordingly.

When assessing a leader's ego, I look for some common thinking traps that tell me they may have an overdeveloped sense of self and their power that will limit their future growth. Here are some of the most common, so you can look at your own thinking and see if you might need to readjust your perspective to reach the next level.

"I'm important because I'm needed."

Everyone wants to feel needed. It gives you a sense of belonging and attachment to other people. In leadership, however, it typically means that you have some type of control or power.

Strong leaders work to make themselves obsolete so their people are self-sufficient. This allows them to go on to tackle bigger and better problems. Weak leaders hold on to control and decision-making so they remain critical to the current processes. And while it may give them job security, it will limit their professional growth.

"People look up to me because I'm smart."

I work with a lot of CEOs who are off-the-charts smart. Some are exceptional technologists, creative marketers, master negotiators, even brilliant surgeons. They have excelled in their fields to become the best.

The problem is that if their ego and self-worth is built on being really smart, then they will be less likely to hire people much smarter than them in the key domains of the business. Strong leaders know they need to surround themselves with people smarter than them in key domains. Weak leaders surround themselves with people they can outwit and control.

"It's bad if I make a mistake."

Many leaders have advanced quickly in their roles by being really good at what they do and being right the vast majority of the time. This builds a sense of self-worth based on being correct. The challenge with this is that when you move up into higher levels of leadership there is a vast amount of uncertainty.

Strong leaders know how to gather data, quantify risk, and make critical decisions at the right time knowing they will be wrong at times. Weak leaders belabor decisions or spend too much energy trying to squeeze out all uncertainty thus missing opportunities and wasting resources.

"I can never show doubt."

Unfortunately, in many corporate environments, doubt is seen as weakness. While there is a time and place where decisions need to be made quickly and clearly, most business matters don't need to be solved immediately.

Strong leaders know that expressing their own doubts or conflicted thinking will make it okay for the people around them to present different ideas and opinions that can lead to better discussion and solutions. Weak leaders try to put on a convincing face, even when inside they are not so sure.

"I need to win all the time."

One of the clearest tell-tale signs of a struggling leader is when they strive to win every debate with their teams. The better ones treat every discussion as a high school debate, attacking everyone's points and presenting a litany of reasons on why their approach is better.

The worse ones dive into ad hominem attacks on people's characters and dredge up things from the past to undermine their positions. Strong leaders strive for the best decision the entire team will support, even if it's not theirs or the one they really want. Weak leaders keep a running score and look to win arguments.

No leader is perfect and every leader will fall into one or more of these traps time and again. Being open to feedback from your team and using a coach who can observe and give you pointers are great ways to accelerate the process. Strong leaders know that the trick is realizing that you've fallen into one and quickly getting out of it. 

The Key to Making Better Decisions: Be a Strategic Procrastinator

Sometimes the best decision is not to decide. Here's how to use procrastination as a strategic tool.

Decision-making is a core executive skill. It's also one that I see many CEOs and leadership teams struggle with on a regular basis, whether it's because discussions run in circles, individuals become attached to options, and discussions evolve into ad hominem attacks. Getting better at making decisions is one of the first things I focus on as a leadership coach.

Process is the first thing I address. Putting in place the rights steps for good decision-making--defining the issues, clarifying success criteria, exploring all options, making a choice, approving a course of action, and informing the right people quickly--will help tremendously for most teams.

Once we get the process right, we then need to turn to timing. The fact is that making decisions as quickly as possible is not always the best strategy. Waiting to make a decision has several benefits. The key is to understand the last responsible moment for making your decision. This is the point in time at which the cost of delaying a decision becomes greater than the benefit of waiting.

You can find your ideal decision time by asking two questions. First is "do we need to make this decision now?" and if the answer is yes, then ask "do we need to make all of these decisions now?" If no, then you just need to set a deadline by which you need to ask these questions again. This will dial in your decision-making timeframe.

By giving yourself more time, you'll create value in a few ways. Here are some of the key ones to keep in mind as you weigh the costs and benefits of waiting to make a decision.

Let issues resolve themselves.

Many decisions will resolve themselves given some time. Often times, leadership teams jump into situations, create policies, and swoop with edicts too quickly. While you don't want a situation to fester or exacerbate, creating some space and time for things to naturally work themselves out can be a good strategy. Leadership teams should use this as the last option on most issues, not the first line of defense.

Define "issue" more accurately.

Teams who rush into making a decision quickly will often be using limited information and perspective. Taking extra time to collect more details, gather more points of view, and dig into the details will add key insights needed to take a more strategic approach. 

Create better options.

One of the most common decision-making mistakes I see is that teams don't create enough options to consider. They race into choosing between a limited set of obvious options that are all non-optimal.

Instead, I suggest teams take the time to develop many options, even options that seem nonsensical at first. Most of the time, the best and most creative options come out after long periods of silence. Waiting a few days or even just a few hours can lead to breakthrough solutions.

Keep options open longer.

Making premature decisions will shutdown other options that might prove more valuable later. While a decision may seem obvious at the time, in another day or week, new information may come up towards it that dramatically shifts the benefit to another approach. But making decisions often means shutting other options down that you may regret.

Focus on bigger, more important issues.

Saying no to making one decision may give you time and resources to address a bigger, more important issue. Leadership teams learn quickly that there are far more decisions to make than they have the time and energy for. Learning to quickly identify and prioritize issues based on impact and risk is a key skill. It's far better for a team to focus on a few key issues and make really good decisions, than to quickly process dozens but make mediocre choices.

Save resources and money.

Waiting and making the right decision once, will be much cheaper than rushing into a problem that only needs to be fixed again and again. I've seen many teams be quick to implement a solution only to realize later they were addressing the symptom and not the root cause. Taking the time to dig into the issue and address the underlying challenge will always be the more cost effective approach in the long run.

Teams that focus on the right decisions and get good at finding the optimal decision-making timeframe will perform better and create more value for their organizations. Teams that react to each and every item that comes up may feel productive, but won't deliver the same results.

If Everyone on Your Team Is Really Nice, You May Be Underperforming. Here’s Why.

Great decisions come from rigorous analysis and debate. Here's how to tell if your team is reaching its full potential.

As a leadership coach, one of the main things I do is help CEOs build out their leadership roles and train them on how to work as a high-performance decision-making team. It's one of the most important jobs of the top leader and one that has a huge impact on the company's results.

Ironically, one of the main challenges I run into with existing leadership teams is not that they are fighting all of the time. It's the opposite. They are not fighting enough. Often what I find is that everyone is going along the general direction and there is no critical debate or disagreement. My job at that point is to increase the constructive conflict on the team.

Here are some key concepts and ideas that I use to train teams to engage in richer, more productive conversations so they can make better decisions and deliver better results.

Good debate is key to better decisions.

High-performance teams engage in heated debate. The key is they debate issues, not attack other people. They know that by rigorously challenging each other they will push their ideas into new and better solutions. The goal is to advance the conversation, not tear the other person down. 

Getting your ideas heard.

Members of great teams know they need to create space and time for everyone to be heard. Sometimes this means slowing down and giving time for someone to organize their thoughts. It might also mean coaxing comments out of people who might otherwise be silent. And if they themselves haven't spoken up, they rise to the occasion and speak up and be heard, even if what they have to say is contradictory or unpopular to the rest of the group.

Knowing when to push.

Strong teams know when an issue is important and significant and when they need to push themselves to further discussion. They also know when the issue just doesn't matter and they can expedite their work. Too often teams waste time and belabor an issue for too long, while other times they speed over a critical item and fail to address the issue properly only to have it come back in a worse state.

Giving in without giving up.

There are times when an individual on a team disagrees with the direction others are taking. Once you feel like you've been heard, but out voted, consider moving forward with the group's decision. The key here is that you need to embrace the decision as your own. It's important for everyone on the team to give full support, even if you had misgivings.

Noting reservations.

There are times when you are willing to go along with the group, but your concerns are strong enough that you want your reservations to be noted for the record. You are agreeing to the group's direction and to supporting its decision, but you want to be sure that people understand that it's not what you would have voted for. Use this sparingly, but it can be helpful to move forward with a plan.

When to abstain.

In rare cases, your connection to the issue puts you in a difficult or biased position. If you feel your involvement in a discussion would unfairly influence the direction or outcome, you may need to abstain from the discussion of an issue. In some cases you may need to excuse yourself from being involved if you feel that even your presence would have an undesirable impact. I suggest this to CEOs at times when people might not say things to them in the room.

Throwing in the towel.

If you find yourself always at odds and never embracing the team's direction, then you might just be on the wrong team. Teams make decisions based on purpose and core values and if you don't fully embrace and share those ideals, you'll never be in sync with your teammates. While not an easy decision, it's an important one to make for long-term happiness and success for both you and them.

While being on a great team can create a strong and a highly engaging bond, it's important to keep in mind that the goal of a team is not complete coherence. A team who's always agreeing and never seems to have difficulty reaching a decision is mostly likely underperforming. A strong team knows they need to fully engage in constructive conflict to get to the best decisions and outcomes.

How to play the "Con Game"

This is an exercise I do with leadership teams before we get into strategy and planning sessions. It helps to get them thinking about confidence levels and how they are working as a team to collect and process information. It takes about 20-30 minutes and the focus should be on the discussing the observations and learnings from the process, not getting the answers right.

Here are the two games from Amazon that I mention in the video:

Over Under - https://amzn.to/2IalU0j

I’m Not Saying You’re Stupid - https://amzn.to/2Ibh437

If you have questions or suggestions for other games/exercises, email them to me: bruce@eckfeldt.com.

If You're a CEO Who Struggles to Manage People, Read These 6 Books

If you're a CEO who struggles with managing people, here are six must-read books that will help you up your game.

Being a CEO doesn't come with an instructional manual. And for most founders who end up in the top job of their business, they usually have little to no management and executive experience. Most early-stage, high-growth business leaders find that they have created a successful, thriving business but have no idea on how to manage people.

As a business coach, I work with many first-time CEOs who have big ambitions but also know they need help to grow themselves and their companies. One of the things I do is help them be better leaders and better managers by leveling up their skills and perspectives. Learning to better manage their teams is usually on top of the list.

While there are many ways to learn, here are six of the best books I've found on how to better manage people that I recommend to all my CEO clients. If you're a new CEO struggling to manage your team, this is a great starting point to develop your people skills.

Drive by Daniel Pink

Pink does a great job in breaking down the complex issues of what motivates people into three basic areas. With my CEOs, we speak about AMP: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Any time we discuss how to motivate a team or an individual, we check in on these three elements and how they can use them to drive engagement and performance. It's a simple concept that can lead to big results, when applied well.

Crucial Conversations, by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler

Business is full of tough conversations. Unfortunately, many people deal with this by either avoiding conflict or picking a fight. These authors explain how to get clear with your own needs and wants first, create an environment that will foster deep connection and sharing, and honestly listen and consider other people's needs and wants. Only then can you find true solutions and put in place a plan of action that will create real change. This is a book on life, but it's great for the office, too.

Radical Candor, by Kim Scott

While many people avoid giving feedback to direct reports and colleagues, Scott does a great job of explaining why the truly professional and caring thing to do is to provide radical candor. Only through open, honest, direct, and timely feedback can someone grow and learn. Saying nothing is not being nice--it's being apathetic.

Now, Discover Your Strengths, by Marcus Buckingham

I'm a big fan of personal and professional development and I recommend to all of my executive clients that they create a culture of continuous improvement. And while everyone has weaknesses that need to be managed, you're far better off focusing on your strengths. Buckingham does a great job of helping people find the things they are good at and passionate about, to fuel their growth.

Mindset, by Carol Dweck

This book is a game changer for most managers. Dweck shows us why regardless of our skills, experience, genetics, or aptitude, the most influential factor on our ability to learn is whether we think we can do something or not. Those people with a growth mindset will be far more likely to change, and those with a fixed mindset will be far less likely. So before you put together the training plan, coach the mindset first.

Power of a Positive No, by William Ury

I still remember the first time I read this book and how it changed both my professional and personal life. One of my core values is to be of service to people and help them. But I found myself saying yes to everything and trying to help everyone and as a result spreading myself too thin and not being very effective. Ury taught me to develop a clearer picture of my bigger goals and purpose and to use that to say "no" to many requests so that I could say "yes" powerfully to the ones that truly mattered to me.

The six above are just a start. There are countless other books on managing people and how to create a great culture in your company. And you should strive to read all of them if you want to be an exceptional leader. People management is not just a good skill to have, it's what will drive your professional success and the success of your company.

Here Is How to Win the Talent War Using Virtual Team Best Practices

Virtual teams are becoming more frequent. Here's how to make sure yours is highly productive

The expansion of talent networks and the vast improvements in technology and connectivity mean that the search for talent has become a global market. Companies are now competing for the best people everywhere in the world. But to do that, they need to master virtual teams and projects.

Having run many virtual teams over the years myself and now coaching several virtual teams and companies, there are certain best practices that I follow. While working together in the same space every day has significant advantages, getting virtual teams to work well can often be the best and only option.

1. Clarify roles and responsibilities.

While it's true for all teams, clarifying roles and responsibilities for virtual teams is critical. Knowing who is doing what, and what they are not doing, will ensure balls aren't dropped and allow people to work confidently knowing their scope.

I like having a one-page summary of each role on the team describing their key eight to 10 responsibilities. I include key success metrics that show what is expected on a weekly basis. I also include links, examples, and templates to help clarify and set expectations.

2. Define core processes and handoffs.

Every business and every team has a set of critical processes that cut across functional roles. These need to be defined so people understand their roles in the overall system. I also like to assign an owner to the process who is looking across functions and departments to coordinate and optimize the flow. Without a defined way of working and someone to ensure success, balls will get dropped and problems will quickly appear.

3. Establish solid meeting rhythms.

Virtual teams don't have the natural rhythm of people arriving in the office, having lunch, and ending the day together. These natural cycles are important to create a team rhythm. And if your team cuts across multiple time zones, this is an even bigger challenge.

Setting up a weekly team planning meeting and a daily huddle creates a natural team heartbeat that will set a solid pace. Keeping these meetings to the same time every week and day and using a standard agenda and timeframe will help establish them as habits for the team.

4. Formalize informal meeting time.

Virtual teams don't have the benefit of ad hoc time together. There is no water cooler and they don't share the elevator together in the morning. It's easy to forget how important this time is to connect to learn about people outside the office. This informal sharing is what builds team trust and respect, which is the foundation to any high-performance team.

For virtual teams, this informal time needs to be formalized. Start each business meeting with five to 10 minutes of personal sharing and conversational openers. I also encourage teams to have "video lunches" once a week where everyone jumps on a group video call for 30 minutes to have a meal together. Also, consider things like lightning talks and team learning events.

5. Invest in meeting tools.

Virtual teams are highly dependent on technology. Documents, chats, repositories, video conferencing, etc. are critical and without them, the team would grind to a halt. Take the time to consider and select the best tools for the team and then invest in high-quality technology and training. Make sure everyone knows how to use each tool and has the resources to take advantage of it.

Pay close attention to team members with constraints and challenges. The team will be as strong as your weakest links and if you elevate them, you'll elevate the team. I've had some teams ship new computers with everything installed and configured so they are up and running from day one.

6. Meet in-person quarterly.

While it can be a large investment for many teams, meeting in person for a day or two each quarter can go a long way in building better connections and relationships. The nature and depth of a connection that develops after spending a full day together in person is not something you can do online. And that connection will go a long way over the coming months to create trust and respect while people are working together remotely.

The fact is that virtual teams are quickly becoming the norm rather than an exception. As the competition for talent moves to the global stage, the companies who master these techniques will create a significant competitive advantage.

Thinking of Hiring a Coach? Make Sure You Choose the Right Kind

Having a coach can help you develop and improve. The difficulty is selecting the right one.

Most executives and business leaders understand the value of having a coach and how coaches can help accelerate change and boost performance. Over the years, I've used many different coaches in various areas of my life including sports, physical training, professional development, leadership, business, even my personal relationships.

I've learned that there are many types of coaches each with their own style and approach. And choosing the right one can be a difficult and confusing process. If you're looking for a coach, one of the first things to understand is the types of coaches that are out there and the types of things they focus on with their clients.

Before you start meeting and interviewing specific coaches, it's a good idea to figure out what type of coach you need and make sure the people you speak to focus on that type of work.

1. Personal coach

If you're struggling with work/life balance or how things in your personal life are affecting your professional performance, consider a personal coach. These coaches are more general and can help with an array of personal and professional challenges and situations. If your really unsure where you need help, I have found these are a good place to start.

2. Accountability coach

Do you create great plans, but put off starting or meeting your deadlines? An accountability coach can be a great option. These coaches focus on setting clear goals and commitments, and they help troubleshoot both the logical and emotional challenges that get in people's way.

3. Career coach

If you're looking to map out their career path or are struggling with a decision around a career change, these coaches can help you get clear on long-term goals and possible professional paths. They will help with creating options and evaluating potential positions. For those who need structure, they can provide plans and accountability as well.

4. Executive coach

As you move up the ladder, your focus needs to shift from "doing the work" to organizing projects and teams and making harder and harder decisions. Executive coaches work with senior folks on everything from communication to critical thinking to personal productivity.

Executive coaches are a great choice If you're stepping into a new, more demanding role or taking a position at a new company. They can give you a higher perspective, help you prioritize, and develop new strategies.

5. Leadership coach

Once you reach the highest level of management, the focus shifts from directing people and projects to developing the strategy and setting organizational priorities. It's not an easy transition to make. And it's one which few people can easily make successful.

A leadership coach helps executives make the move to "leading teams of leaders" and focusing on long-term planning and strategy. Many of the most successful CEOs have leadership coaches who are close and trusted partners. For some great insights into leadership coaching, read the story of Bill Campbell in Trillion Dollar Coach.

6. Strategic coach

For a leader or team who is charged with developing a company or a department business strategy, there are many challenges. Strategy is hard and having a coach who specializes in facilitating the process of defining customer focus, analyzing market needs, and developing strategic plans can help structure and accelerate the work. These coaches are experts at helping leadership teams not only create an effective plan but also communicate and implement that plan throughout the organization.

7. Team coach

The vast majority of business work today requires solid teamwork. Unfortunately, developing a high-performance team is not always a natural or easy thing to do. Team coaches focus on helping define a team's purpose, set goals, clarify roles and responsibilities, and work through interpersonal dynamics that inevitably come up when groups of people are working together in high-pressure situations.

8. Specialty coaches

There are many coaches who specialize in specific areas. Everything from business partnerships, to multigenerational business, to conflict resolution situations. If you have a specific challenge or are in a unique situation, finding a coach with experience in that situations can be highly effective.

Once you've figured out the type of coach you need, you can then focus on style and personal fit. While you're not looking for a friend, it's important to find someone who shares your core values and has a common perspective if you want to build trust and rapport.

In the end, you need a coach that is familiar with your situation and challenges, but also one you are willing to open up to and dig into your issues and challenges with. You need have the difficult conversations if you want to address to root issues that are holding back you and your team.

This One Weekly Habit Will Keep You Stay Connected to Your Team as You Grow

As your business grows it can be hard to stay connected to your team. This one weekly communication habit can help.

Being in a high-growth company is both fun and exciting. As the founder of a five-time Inc. 500/5000 company, I've experienced it firsthand. And as a business coach, I've also worked with dozens of CEOs who have been on that rocket ship as well.

And while it's thrilling, it can also be isolating for the CEO. As the company grows, you spend more time focusing on selling customers, pitching investors, attending conferences, and meeting with suppliers and partners. All of this means less time with your people and hanging around the office.

The result is that you become less connected to your team. And while some of this is just a natural consequence of growth, effective CEOs put in place good habits to minimize the impact.

The best CEOs I work with make a habit of sending out a weekly communication to everyone in their company to keep everyone informed and up to date on what's happening at the highest level. For some it's an email; for others it's quick video, blog post, or Slack message. Regardless of the format and medium, there are several things they all focus on and include whenever possible. If you're a CEO on the go and want to improve your connection to your people, here's what you should include in your weekly message.

1. Start with wins.

The best thing you can do is highlight wins. People love good news, and it sets the tone for the entire company. Keeping things positive while being realistic and acknowledging challenges will keep people motivated and optimistic about the future. The trick here is to be specific and detailed and use recent examples and avoid being vague or using platitudes.

2. Recognize individual performance.

While not everyone wants to be called up on stage to accept an award, it's a great practice to call out individuals for exceptionally good performance. Where you can be specific and explain the organizational impact and benefit. Recognition is one of the most powerful motivators at your disposal. Further, you not only reward the individual for their work, you inspire everyone else to rise to the challenge. And the best part is it doesn't cost you a dime.

3. Reiterate strategy and priorities.

One of your key responsibilities as CEO is to clarify strategy and define priorities. It's not enough to send out a presentation once a year. You need to beat the drum and reiterate the message frequently. Research shows that people need to hear things multiple times before they remember it. Don't assume that just because you mentioned something once in a company meeting that it's on top of people's minds; you need to keep it there.

4. Highlight examples of core values.

Too many companies develop a set of core values, paint them on the wall, and then forget all about them. Core values only work if they are alive and actively talked about. Your weekly communication is a great place to mention people's actions which exemplify your values. Focus on the details and explain why their actions are a good example of each value.

5. Address concerns and questions.

If you know there are lingering questions or concerns in the office, be proactive and address them publicly. Rumors spread quickly and are difficult to correct once they infect the company. Address hearsay with facts and figures. If the concerns are legitimate, acknowledge them and explain what is being done to address the issue and when people can expect follow-up and resolution. Employees do not expect perfection, but they do expect transparency.

6. Ask for feedback and insights.

Communication doesn't just trickle down. Take the opportunity to ask for insights, feedback, information, and input on key company issues and initiatives. Often the people on the ground know more about what's going on than management does. Leverage people's detailed knowledge and perspective. One note of caution: If you ask for and receive feedback, make sure you reply and recognize the contribution and explain how you have applied or will apply it. There is no better way to squelch future feedback than for people to feel like it's going into a black hole.

Every CEO I've worked with who's implemented this habit of weekly communication has complained that it's one of the hard things they've done. When you're trying to close deals, set strategy, and raise the next round of capital, finding the time and energy to send out your weekly note is a significant chore. But these same CEOs also say it's one of the best things they do to keep in touch with everyone in the company and ensure that everyone is aligned around a clear message and direction.

Increasing Your Business Agility Isn’t Hard, If You Focus on These Principles

Traditional project planning won't work if you want to innovate. Use these six strategies to become a more agile business instead.

The world of business is moving faster with each day. Technology is continuously changing, cultural norms are constantly shifting, and the competitive landscapes are evolving at a rapid pace. Being a successful business in today's world requires you to move fast and adapt quickly.

As a business coach, I get approached by many CEOs who are looking to grow their businesses faster and easily. One thing I get them to focus on is increasing their business agility so we can evolve their business model and create new value for key target segments.

If you're looking to increase your ability to pivot your business and find new opportunities in your market, focus on developing these Lean/Agile business principles within your organization.

1. Define your customer well.

One of the tenets of Lean/Agile is that everything is focused on delivering value to the customer. Everything else is considered waste and needs to be removed from the process. The key here is that value needs to be defined by the customer, not by you.

The problem comes when you don't know your customer very well or you have a very broad definition. This leads to a situation where you are guessing about what is really valuable or you're trying to please too many types of people. As a result, it's very hard to create focus and make good tradeoffs.

2. Increase your understanding of what drives value.

Many companies have defined a core customer, but they fail to truly understand what drives value for them. Many times, I see companies making wild guesses in the hope of creating value. Worse is when they think they know what the customer wants but haven't validated their assumption, so they get it wrong.

Talking to customers is good for insights and data gathering but it's not as good for validation. Customers will often tell you they want something they end up not liking or that they would never use something they end up loving. Instead, give customers prototypes and samples and watch what they do. This is why A/B testing is so powerful and used so often. Far better to have customers choose between two options and then talk abstractly about a product or service they haven't experienced.

3. Take an iterative approach to delivery.

If you're building bridges and skyscrapers, you need an extensive plan that lays out all of the workflows and dependencies. These types of tasks can be managed on a budget and schedule since we can detail the work and quantify the risks quite well.

However, in most businesses, innovation is a bleeding-edge endeavor. This means that the final product is fundamentally not well-defined and the work to be done will almost certainly shift as customer needs and desires are uncovered. This requires a more flexible approach to planning. Lean/Agile embraces changing requirements by focusing on short iterations in which the primary focus is learning and evolving the value you are creating for your customers.

4. Focus on integrated, self-managed teams.

In traditional project planning, you can lay out the work to be done and divide it among specialists who work independently. However, because innovation work shifts and evolves as you learn, it's impossible to fully anticipate the resources you will need and how they will be deployed.

For Lean/Agile projects, create small self-managed teams who have all of the capabilities and expertise the project will likely need. Cross-train so members can flex according to the needs of any one iteration, and let them figure out the best way to organize themselves to do the work efficiently.

5. Develop a culture of continuous improvement.

One of the hardest, but also the most impactful, shifts companies need to make is in their thinking around failure. Most companies strive to avoid failure and often create cultures in which failure is severely punished. They focus on blame and consequences to drive behavior and performance. In a Lean/Agile culture, failure is a tool for learning and not something to be avoided.

That's not to say that all failure is good. You want your failure to come with a healthy dose of learning and validation. But if your culture sees failure as something to be avoided at all costs, rather than as a process for learning and experimenting, then you will have a difficult time adopting a Lean/Agile mindset.

The good news is that it's not hard to start any of these practices and see early gains quickly. The bad news is that mastery is an elusive target. The companies that do the best job with these realize that they can always do better and constantly strive to achieve higher levels of proficiency. For them, agility is a way of being, not a goal.

Why You Should Throw Out Core Values That Say ‘Honesty’, ‘Integrity,’ Or ‘Ethical’―Here’s What To Replace Them With

Core values are important for a company's culture. However, most companies miss the mark by using words that represent table stakes rather than a strategic choice.

As a business coach, I spend a lot of time with company leaders planning growth and developing strategy. A key part of this process is establishing the fundamentals for why an organization exists and how it chooses to do business. This step includes creating its mission, its vision, and, most important, its core values.

Unfortunately, many companies miss the mark when it comes to creating an effective set of core values. They either create a set of aspirational statements that describe what they wish they were--rather than what they truly are now--or they create values that define basic business best practices, rather than differentiating values that define the company's unique identity.

Core values, like missions and visions, are there to help leaders in a company make tough decisions about how they execute their strategy. They provide guardrails and heuristics about what is the right--and what is the wrong--path to take. A good set of company core values should make it easier for everyone to make tough decisions.

When working on your core values, here are a few things to keep in mind that will improve their effectiveness as a decision-making tool.

1. Focus on who you are, not who you wish to be.

Too often I see core values that are aspirational rather than descriptive. A team declares that "punctuality" is a value, but starts every meeting 10 minutes late, or claims "transparency" is important but then cloaks leadership team meetings in secrecy.

Instead, focus on how your company is unique. If you like to have fun and be silly, own it. If you're brutally competitive, then celebrate it. Values are not good or bad; they are simply who you are and how you see the world. 

2. Avoid platitudes and best business practices.

I'm very wary about core values that use words like "honesty" and "integrity." These are things every business needs to have to operate ethically. They are the foundation and should not be choices you've made. Even values like hard work or teamwork are difficult unless you can make a specific case.

The test for these is to ask if another company could say it is not going to be one of those things. A company would have a difficult time saying honesty wasn't a value, which means is not a value that helps define who you really are. However, a company could say that teamwork isn't a value because it focuses on being competitive instead. I'd give props to a business that was self-aware and bold enough to own that value.

3. Identify what you're willing to give up.

A good way to give your core values some teeth is to figure out what value you're willing to give up. I call these "antivalues." These antivalues reflect what you're willing to sacrifice to truly live your value.

Here's the trick: You need to be able to give your antivalue to another company and have it still make sense. If you're willing to give up privacy to be transparent, that works because another company could choose to give up transparency for privacy.

4. Find stories that demonstrate your values in action.

Values need to guide actions. Collect a handful of stories that breathe life into your values by showing how you've used them to make difficult decisions. You can also find examples of when you didn't use them and how that led to bad outcomes. If you can't find examples of how you have lived out your values, you might be missing something.

5. Incorporate them into your rituals and routines.

It doesn't do any good to spend the time and energy discovering your values to just make a poster for your conference room wall. You need to use them as tools for making decisions and guiding your actions.

Work them into your regular course of business. I have clients who develop quarterly themes around values and create awards for people and teams who best demonstrate them. And while I don't suggest using them in external marketing materials, your internal communications should refer to them often.

6. Hold people accountable for living the values.

The most impactful, but also the hardest, application of core values is to hold people accountable for living them. Working them into the professional development and review processes is critical. And, if need be, you should be willing to let someone go if they repeatedly act in conflict with the values you've agreed to.

Why Getting Out of The Office As CEO Could Be The Best Change For Company Growth

As CEO, it's easy to let your workload keep you behind your desk all day. Here are eight reasons to see your work in a whole new way.

One of the major shifts a CEO needs to make as their company grows and expands is the shift from being internally focused on process and operations to being externally focused on markets and competition. As a business coach who works with leadership teams of companies who are scaling rapidly, I often see this as a significant challenge for many CEOs.

This is especially true for CEOs who are also the founder of the company. Founders know the business inside and out and can fix just about any problem more quickly than anyone else in the company. The problem is that it's not the best use of their time when the company is bigger.

The core challenges of growth are defining a specific core customer and how the company is going to position itself in the market relative to its competition. The only way to do that is to get out of the office and into the market. Here are eight ways that CEOs can break the habit of spending too much time in the office.

1. Spend time with customers.

One of the easiest ways to get out and learn about the market is to spend time with your customers. Meeting with CEOs and senior leaders will be helpful, but also go visit the company's middle management and walk the shop floor.

Discover what challenges they have both strategically and operationally. Work to understand why they buy from you and what the real value of your product or service is to them.

2. Go see your suppliers and partners.

Many CEOs fail to realize the wealth of information their suppliers and partners can have around the industry. The fact is, they probably also work with many of your competitors or even your customers directly. And if you're a good account for them, they will be more than willing to discuss insights, changes and trends. 

3. Meet with your competitors.

This might seem counterintuitive, but meeting with competitors can be very insightful. And while some competitors might shy away from inviting you in, many CEOs are surprised how open many competitors are to inviting you to visit and see their operations. Taking the view that every company is different and has their own niche allows you to see and share information that can help both parties become more successful.

4. Get involved in industry organizations.

Industry organizations can provide events, conferences, and programs that will give you insight into what's happening in your market. Active groups will put on public and private gatherings of leaders to discuss issues and to share experiences.

If you really want to leverage these groups, get involved by serving in a leadership role and get on the board or volunteer for a committee.

5. Go on sales calls.

Another great way to get market insights is to go on sales calls. Seeing how prospects react to your offerings, hearing what they're concerned about, and learning how they make decisions can tell you a lot about what's happening in your industry.

The trick here is to avoid coaching your sales people and staying in the background. If you start jumping in and selling, you'll miss the opportunity to see the bigger picture.

6. Be on an industry panel.

If you're shy about speaking, panels are a great way to get exposure without the stress and prep work. Many industries have events with panel opportunities. If you want to kick this up a notch, put together your own panel around a topic you're interested in and be the moderator.

7. Visit a university program.

Universities are always looking for professionals to participate in their programs. This can be as simple as being a guest speaker or as committed as running a full course. The goal here is to interact with the professors and the students to see what topics and ideas are being discussed by the next generation.

8. Sit on a non-profit board.

Another great way to interact with other executives in your space is to sit on the board of a related non-profit. They are always looking for people to sit on boards and it's usually a reasonable amount of work if the board is well run. Not only is it good insight, but it's also a great way to give back to the community which supports your business.

CEOs need to develop good insights about what's happening in their market if they are going to create effective strategies for growth. And you can't do this by sitting in your office or in meeting rooms all day. It's important to find the right strategies that work best for your style and schedule. But most importantly, just get out and try things.

You Can't Create a Great Business in a Vacuum. Here Are 5 Ways to Get Better Feedback on Your Ideas and Strategy

Getting unvarnished feedback is key to advancing your ideas and strategy as an entrepreneur. However, it can be hard to find.

For many entrepreneurs, it can be a real struggle to get honest and direct feedback on your business ideas and strategies. The business people surrounding you in your day-to-day usually have biases and conflicts of interests which make it difficult for them to speak truth to power. And friends and family will rarely say something that might be difficult to say or even more difficult to hear.

Unfortunately, getting direct feedback and insights at the right time, even if it's critical or scathing, can save a business leader from going down a fruitless path or getting themselves into trouble. While you always want to push the limits and challenge assumptions, you also need some guardrails

One of the best ways to get this feedback is through a mastermind group of your peers. These groups allow people who truly care about you and your business to give you unvarnished insight on what you're doing. And because they don't have a stake in the business and aren't family, they are more likely to tell you what you need to hear. Here are some places you can find a mastermind group.

1. Entrepreneurial membership organizations.

Groups such as The Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) and Young Presidents Organization (YPO) offer mastermind groups called forums where six to 10 members are placed in a group. Each group meets monthly for three to four hours, and the group also holds multi-day retreats once or twice a year.

Placement happens in a number of ways based on each chapter's policies. Some groups stay together for many years and form deep connections. Membership requirements include company revenue size and ownership/equity percentages along with annual dues.

2. Industry and professional organizations.

Groups such as Vistage and TAB provide mastermind-like experiences in a slightly larger format with groups ranging from 10 to 20 people. The main difference is these groups are typically run by a paid facilitator who manages the group and runs the meetings. The benefit is that someone is doing the organizing, bringing in experts and speakers, and keeping the meeting on agenda and schedule.

3. Professional advisory groups.

Many professional and industry groups offer mastermind type offerings that bring together small groups around specific topics or challenges. While many of these lack the vulnerability and deep sharing of true masterminds, they offer a more intimate space for sharing challenges and getting ideas for solutions. With time and focus, these groups can offer ongoing relationships that evolve and get to deeper sharing and problem solving.

4. Regional and local business advisors and coaches.

Many business advisory and coaching groups offer different types and styles of mastermind programs. Some are ongoing and some last for a set period. Many of these groups have structured agenda and curriculum geared towards specific topics and goals. Often they are part of larger learning and coaching programs. They also often involve retreats that include travel and multi-day meetings with other activities and experiences designed by the program creator.

5. Online mastermind platforms.

Over the last few years, several online platforms for virtual mastermind groups have appeared. Some of these focus on specific types of groups and industries, and others are open platforms that combine people from varied backgrounds.

The benefit of these is their access to large numbers of potential members. Meeting times are still an issue as people in different time zones are at different points of their day. While video calls aren't the same as in-person meetings, most people find they can still develop a tight-knit group where they feel comfortable to share deeply.

Bonus: Roll your own mastermind.

If you can't find a suitable mastermind group from the above sources, then consider forming your own mastermind. While it can be a little more work, you can hand pick the people you want to surround yourself with and tailor the agenda to your needs and goals. There are several books on masterminds along with several online resources to help you get started and teach you how to run a successful meeting.

Finding the best option will be based on your situation and personal style. Over time, you may find the need to change strategies and groups. The important thing is to find a scenario where you are able to share your most pressing challenges honestly and be truly open to hearing feedback.

How I Made My Company’s Hiring Process More Attractive and Effective

Recruiting the right talent for your business is key to growth. Here's how to make sure your process is both effective and efficient.

As a founder and CEO of a services business, I know how difficult it can be to find and retain talent. Getting the right people in the right seats doing the right things is a challenge when growing and even more so when growing quickly.

As a CEO, I was involved in recruiting well over 250 people (some of them I had to fire too). As a business coach, I've worked with many companies to help them create recruiting strategies. I've worked on many different hiring processes for all sorts of roles and there are a few common mistakes I see. Here are my suggestions.

1. Move critical questions to the front.

One of the most common problems is that candidates make it far in the process and then fall out of the funnel toward the end. The result is that valuable time is spent on candidates that don't actually get offers. Instead, a good recruiting process filters out non-target candidates early in order to spend time on those who have a high probability of making it to the offer stage.

One of the best ways to do this is to find the questions that cause the drop off and move them to the beginning of the funnel. For example, if you have a strict dress code and it turns people off, make that topic one of your first conversations and invite people to remove themselves from the process if it doesn't align with their expectations. Front loading these topics creates a more efficient hiring funnel.

2. Automate the process.

Once you have a process that works, find ways of automating as many of the steps as possible. While you still want to create a high-touch experience, you can often find easy ways to automate steps through scripts, videos, outsourced services, and templates.

For example, when hiring analyst roles, make a simple test to measure excel proficiency. Have candidates create a video of them completing the exercise and submit the file. We trained virtual assistants on how to score the videos and we would only interview people that scored a minimum level. We also created videos that candidates could watch about the company and the role before coming in for in-person interviews.

3. Have candidates self-filter.

Another advantage of automating the process and creating content for candidates to view on their own is that they can self-filter out of the process. If you know what type of person fits well in your company and what skills are needed for success, be clear and upfront about those. Having candidates filter themselves out of the process saves you time and money.

An example of this is Zappos. They offered $2,000 to new people to leave training and quit. The idea was that if someone was there just for the money, it would be better off if they left.

4. Focus on speed.

If you're in a competitive job market, speed can be one of your best strategies. If your processes takes weeks and you leave the candidate waiting, they are more likely to find a position in the interim. Keeping your process short and clearly communicating to the candidate throughout will reduce the chances they get swept up by a competing firm.

5. Create real-world working scenarios.

Often I see people in interviews ask hypothetical questions or come up with ideal scenarios. While it might be fun to put a candidate through these exercises, it typically doesn't correlate well with actual performance. Instead, capture real-world scenarios and have them work through them.

For one client, we had candidates come in for a half day and sit in on a team meeting and work with some of the folks on a real project. Even though they didn't have much background, seeing how they conducted themself, the questions they asked, and ideas they contributed told us a lot, and it told us much more than sitting in a conference room asking them questions would tell us.

6. Don't end the interview on hire.

Many companies get to the point of hire and then assume that interviewing is over. My suggestion is that you think of your recruiting process as extending three to six months into the employment period. It's not until you have them working with real people on real problems that you'll see how they perform. Set clear monthly goals for new hires and hold regular reviews to give feedback. If need be, make adjustments to the role and don't be afraid to terminate if you realize it was a bad hire.

Your business growth and scalability is highly dependant on bringing in and keeping the right talent. Investing in your hiring and onboarding process is not a small investment, but it's one that, when done right, will pay out handsomely over time.

Tired of Negotiating Salaries and Benefits? Try This One Simple Change

Figuring out how much to pay each employee is a difficult and often drama-filled process. Here's a better way.

When my business really started growing, we went from a handful of people to several teams in multiple cities--and the complexity grew just as quickly.

We were a service-based business and our biggest challenge was finding and retaining talent. Our culture was strong, we worked with good clients, and we did a good job hiring based on values.

The big challenge was compensation. As a technology company, we were in a very competitive market. Salaries were high. If we didn't get people's compensation right, they would turn down offers or worse, leave the company for our competitors.

To make things worse, with constantly changing market rates, an offer for a given role could go up 10 percent in just six months. Trying to come up with new offers and deal with constant salary review request was taking up a huge amount of time and leading to more and more drama.

In 2009, I was reading about open book management and floated the idea of having an open payscale to the rest of the company's leadership. Collectively, we decided to give it a try.

We developed a model of five major pay levels each with three minor levels. We then mapped all of the roles based on skills and experience to these levels. This gave us the flexibility to deal with nuanced situations, but also provided us with a clear structure.

The hard part was the implementation. Since we had people all over the map, we had to map existing staff to the scale. We immediately changed the pay of any employee who, it turned out, we'd been underpaying. For people who were overpaid, we froze their salaries until everyone else caught up.

Then, we published the scale to the company. Everyone could see how they fit into the system, what the next rung was, and what they needed to do to reach that next level. We moved to a quarterly review process, which spread out the load across the year. We also added annual cost-of-living adjustments and checked our scale against industry and market rates every other year.

I recommend this system now to many companies I coach because I've discovered these five distinct benefits from using it myself:

1. Simplifies the compensation review process.

By having a set schedule mapped to roles and levels, the compensation review process was easier. We reviewed a person's level of performance, decided if they met the conditions of the next level, and adjusted them accordingly.

At times, we facilitated a partial move if someone was close. Then we would split the difference between the levels for a period of time while they worked their way up.

2. Focuses on role performance, not negotiation skill

The other nice thing was that it removed the negotiation process altogether because level descriptions and salaries were more objective. We didn't have to come up with justifications for how much to pay someone; we just looked it up.

If someone tried to argue for a higher rate, we just pointed to the table and asked them if they met the criteria. We saved a lot of time, energy, and drama.

3. Provides a clear path for future growth

Another benefit of having the pay scale published was that it gave people a clear path for their future. They could see what it took to get to the next level and what that level would pay them.

We also published the market rate reviews we did and showed them how we stacked against the general market. So, while they might have been able to get someone to give them a bump in salary to make a move, they knew it probably wouldn't last and would eventually revert to what the market would bear.

4. Reduces gender and racial biases

Having clear role descriptions and scales made bias less likely whenever we interviewed job candidates. We stopped asking what people were making previously, and instead focused on where they could perform within our organization. It reduced the risk that we might have continued to rely on our previous bias in regards to compensation.

5. Creates transparency and accountability

Having an open pay scale fit with our cultural values of transparency and accountability. This built trust and respect between management and staff because nothing was hidden and people knew where everyone stood. It also increased accountability because people knew the performance levels for each role.

Many companies keep salary hidden. They generally do so to have power and control in the negotiation process. Unfortunately, it becomes a burden that only leads to mistrust and confusion.

Instead, create a fair compensation system so you can focus on what's really important: the business.

Career Success Is Based on These Three Important Factors

Passion is important to a successful career, but it's not enough. You must also master a set of skills that are in demand in a lucrative market.

Popular advice says that to be successful you just need to follow your passion, which implies that doing something that is driven simply by your interest will be enough to propel your career and financial needs. While it's nice to think that it's that easy, the fact is it's not.

I've worked with many professionals on career planning and development, from executives with 30 years of experience looking to make a change to 20-somethings just out of school looking for their first real job. Regardless of the situation and life phase people are in, the basic formula for career successremains the same.

There are three factors for predictable success. While passion is indeed important, it's not sufficient. Some people get lucky and happen upon two of the factors by chance, but most people are better off taking a hard look at all three when planning their professional future.

1. Internal Drive

People talk a lot about passion, but I find it's often misunderstood. Most times, people think it's something they like to do. And while a true passion is not unenjoyable, it's really not about having fun. What you want to look for is something that drives a lot of intrinsic motivation for you.

Unlike extrinsic motivations--which are the external forces that cause you to want to do something--intrinsic motivation comes from within. It's the fire in your belly that keeps you going strong even when it's hard, when the way is not always clear, and when the reward is not immediate.

When you're intrinsically motivated, you're more likely to invest the time and energy to push through and do the hard work. You also won't be as likely to need external structure and instant gratification to stay focused. This will allow you to stick with the work required for long-term success.

2. True Mastery

They say that it takes 10,000 hours to be an expert in something. At two hours a day, six days a week, 50 weeks a year, that's 17 years to become a true master. And that's what it takes to be truly successful at your chosen profession.

The most sought after professionals are the absolute best at what they do. The trick: They have found a specific niche to be the best in the world at. General lawyers are a dime a dozen. But the lawyer who has mastered the subject of internal maritime law can name his price when millions of dollars are at stake for the shipping company in a dispute.

Choose a narrow domain and learn everything and anything about it. Don't be satisfied with good or even great. Be the best in the world in that niche and you'll be able to not only reap the financial rewards, you'll also be able to control your schedule and choose where you want to work and whom you want to work with.

3. Market Demand

Finally, you need to choose a niche for which there is a reasonable market demand, and that market needs to have sufficient financial means. This niche still needs to be focused, but it needs to be big enough to support your career.

Much of this is relative to your expectations and goals. If you want to make a decent living being a professor of a particular area of art study, then that might be fine for you. But if your goal is to be able to afford traveling by private aircraft, then you'll need to find a niche that pays handsomely for your expert services.

Too often people focus on one, or maybe two, of these factors, only to be disappointed when years of hard work lead to dead-end careers and lack of professional satisfaction. If you're early in your career, the good news is that if you develop a strategy that considers all three attributes, you'll have a much easier time achieving your professional goals.

If you find yourself stuck later in life, it's not too late. Go back and look at these three factors and make the necessary changes. Often, a few tweaks to your focus can dramatically increase your prospects and chances of success.

Before You Make Your Next Job Move, Know Which of These Career Phases You’re In

Planning your next job move can be stressful and complicated. Knowing which career phase you're in will help make it easier.

Trying to plot your career path can be confusing and frustrating. As a leadership coach, I've done a lot of work with professionals at many levels who need help making their next career move. I've worked with entrepreneurs who have successfully exited their business to college graduates looking for their first job after school and everything in between. With each of these varying tracks, the next move is different.

What is helpful in all of these types of situations is understanding where you are in your professional journey. While the details of each journey are different, successful careers develop over several key phases. In each phase, the goals and criteria change. Here are the eight that I use to assess someone's current situation and help them map out their next steps.

1. Becoming self-sufficient.

The first phase of anyone's career is to learn to be self-sufficient. For many folks, this is the first lesson learned after going off to college. It's about learning how to run your life, get yourself to class, keep yourself fed, and balance work and fun in a reasonable way. Being good at managing yourself is a key first step to your career.

2. Acquiring core skills.

Regardless of your final career path, you need a base set of skills according to your general domain. If you're going into computer science you'll need basics around informational systems, programing, hardware and software, and micro electronics. While you do need to make some choices at this phase, it should be broad and based on your passion and where you see general professional opportunities.

3. Exploring possible interests.

Once you've acquired core skills through college, university, or another type of training, you're ready to enter the workforce. The goal in the phase is to explore. And while I don't recommend job hopping, you might need to be in three to four different jobs before you are ready for the next phase.

4. Choosing a focus.

This phase is all about zeroing in on a niche. Finding the area where you want to become an expert in is the most important decision you can make in your career. With good awareness of your interests and skills, and a broad set of experiences in different areas of your chosen domain, you're ready to double down on a narrow focus.

5. Mastering a niche.

Once you have your niche, you need to master it. Experts say it take 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to reach mastery. For most people that will take 8-12 years of dedicated focus. However, if you've chosen a path that you have both the passion and the skills for, you'll be able to push through, and maybe even have a little fun.

6. Monetizing your value.

If you've selected and developed your niche successfully, you'll be in a position to reap the reward. This phase of your career is all about monetizing the value you've created. For some, this will be a very nice salary and a full-time job, for others it might be a high billing rate as a consultant, and for others it might be starting company that generates cash or equity.

7. Giving back to your industry.

Once you've been able to financially secure your future, the goal becomes to give back to the communities and institutions that have helped you along the way. And this isn't just about money. Give your personal time, access to your network, and share your insights and knowledge with the next generation.

8. Leaving your legacy.

The final stage to a successful career is to leave a legacy. This isn't about a big donation to put your name on a hospital wing, it's about impacting the world long after you've gone. A legacy is driven by a person's core values and sense of purpose. It might be creating a scholarship, it might be starting a conference, or it might be building a school. The goal is to create something that will develop its own momentum.

A lucky few people will go through these phases sequentially and smoothly. The rest of us will find that our professional journeys can come with a few twists and turns, and maybe even some backing up to regroup. The point is not to be perfect, but rather to keep the bigger picture in mind.

Tired of sitting through presentations that take too long?

Have you ever been in a presentation that went waaaay over its time slot?

If you’re like most of the executives I coach, that’s basically their job. Or at least it seems like it for many of them.

Most of their days are spent sitting through meeting after meeting, listening to people give poorly prepared presentations that are long on time and short on content.

Giving effective presentations is something I work with all of my clients on.

Making sure they can get to the point, make their case, and do so with time left over. Not easy, but if done right, it drives productivity and organizational effectiveness. In most cases, the trick is to say less, not more. And to say it with clarity and impact.

One tool I often use with the companies and teams I work with, is a training technique called pechakucha.

It’s a structured format that forces the presentation to end on time, thereby requiring the presenter to be prepared and be able to deliver with precision. I recently wrote an article on Inc.com about how you can use this to improve your skills, here is the link:

Do Your Presentations Drag On? Here Is 1 Simple Technique to Keep Them Pointed and Concise

https://www.inc.com/bruce-eckfeldt/do-your-presentations-drag-on-here-is-1-simple-technique-to-keep-them-pointed-concise.html

Presentations are just one of many good management skills. Great companies have great managers and they know how to manage themselves, their people, their projects, and their teams.

If you want to learn more about how to level-up your team’s ability to execute with precision and with good management, you might want to check out Being a Better Manager, which is the training program we’ve developed over the years specifically designed for high-growth companies.

Being a Better Manager
http://www.eckfeldt.com/bbm

Have a management question or challenge? We’d love to hear it. Email us at info@eckfeldt.com or book a call to discuss by clicking here.

Cheers,
Bruce “Less is More” Eckfeldt
bruce@eckfeldt.com

PS - Want to level-up your team and reduce the drama? When you’re ready, here are a few ways we can work together…

Leadership Team Assessment
Let’s create a plan for how you can better engage in constructive debate, achieve true commitment to decisions, and increase the level of accountability on your team.
http://www.eckfeldt.com/leadership-teams

Project or Quarterly Retrospective
Just finished a big project or closed your quarter? Let’s reflect on how things went through in retrospection. We’ll collect the data, develop key insights, and identify actions that will improve your future results.
http://www.eckfeldt.com/retrospectives

Planning with OKRs
Objectives-Key Results (OKRs) are a great way to tie strategy to execution with actionable and measurable quarterly goals. Developed by Intel and used by Google, Facebook, and many rocket-ship startups, they will take your planning to the next level.
http://www.eckfeldt.com/okrs

Not sure what approach would be best for you?
No worries, just book a call and we’ll talk through your goals and current challenges and figure out the best strategy for your situation.

Scaling a Company Requires Defining Your Business Processes, but Not Too Much

Small companies don't need much structure, but as a business grows chaos can quickly ensue. Good process design can help.

Standardizing processes is important for a growing business, but few people know exactly how to do this. Most times, what is created is too general or detailed and burdensome and is put on the shelf never to be looked at again. A good process is a tool for management and strikes the delicate balance between comprehensiveness and effectiveness.

The key to designing a good process in any business is to see it as a tool for communication between people and teams that's continually updated and changed as the business grows. Follow these steps and balance the need for details with ease of use.

1. Focus on core capabilities

A business is made up of many interconnected processes, and you won't be able to define them all on the same level. It's best to focus your efforts on the one or two dozen procedures that truly drive the capabilities critical to your business and create your competitive advantage.

2. Start with the standard path

Oftentimes, teams get mired in details and expectations. I suggest you put aside the "what ifs" and first focus on the standard path through your process. Don't worry yet about all the things that could happen. Just define the way the system typically works.

3. Select a starting point

Clarifying your start and end points are important first steps. Get everyone on the same page when a process starts, and define the preconditions and other requirements. Similarly, setting forth your definition of done will help everyone know when a process is complete and closed.

4. List players and departments

Brainstorm all the roles and departments involved and what they do. Consider everyone who has input, approvals, verifications, and notifications. I like making roles and department columns or lanes in my process diagram and color code them so that I can see the flow across the organization.

5. Determine progression phases

Create a few phases between your beginning and end points. These will help people know where something is in the process. For example, if I'm defining a sales process, I might have phases labeled prospect, lead, proposal, approved, and signed contract. This will help people know where an item stands in the process, and it creates a common language and can help with measurement.

6. Create key checkpoints

At various stages of the process, you'll need checkpoints with detailed requirements. At a minimum, you'll need checkpoints at your phases, but you'll also need others to define smaller steps. Each person will define the minimum conditions that need to be met for the process to proceed.

7. Clarify handoffs and integrations

For each handoff, I like to see a checklist for what is being handed off and the conditions that need to be met. For example, if I'm handing off a lead from marketing to sales, I would expect to see a complete profile with confirmed contact information. Both sides should agree to the details.

Similarly, I want to see integrations defined with what is being delivered, how, and by whom. Are you sending it to my email or is it being entered into a database? If you're dealing with physical goods, where is it placed, and how is it labeled? These are the details that make the system work.

8. Identify key decision and approval points

Oftentimes, processes have steps that need input from specific people--things like quality control or approvals for budgets or pricing. While I suggest you minimize bureaucracy and complexity, sometimes these steps are necessary. Mark them in your process with clear owners, guidelines, and timeframes.

9. Consider alternative paths

Once you've mapped out the ideal path, begin to consider alternative scenarios that might reasonably occur and how you want to handle them. Don't try to cover each and every possibility. Generally, I want a standard process to cover 80 to 95 percent of the standard cases. Exceptions can be handled separately. Avoid bloating your standard process with too many "what if" situations, which will just make it difficult to implement.

10. Set timelines and milestones

Once you have a process designed with phases and milestones, you can then attach some expected timeframes and guidelines to the process. This is key to process improvement. Defining a target and then measuring actual times and variances is where you'll find parts of the process that are working well and those that are not.

The overall goal of any process is to make operating the business easier and more consistent. And as the business grows, its processes will change. All in all, the one process every company needs to develop is the process for creating and evolving its processes.

This article was originally published on Inc.com: https://www.inc.com/bruce-eckfeldt/10-simple-steps-to-define-your-business-processes-and-scale-more-quickly.html

Surrounding Yourself with the Right Leadership Team Is Key to Being a Great CEO

The biggest decision you will make as CEO is who is on your leadership team. Here is how to make sure yours will boost you up, not drag you down.

As a company grows, so do the leaders of the business. And nobody needs to grow and change more than the CEO. In the early stages of the company, a CEO needs to focus on understanding customers, designing products and services, and selling solutions to the market. However, once a company gains traction and begins to grow, the CEO needs to shift their focus to designing and building the organization and culture.

The most important part of this process is creating the company's leadership team. These are the functional heads that will expand and manage the different parts of the business. The team's ability to think strategically and execute with confidence and efficiency will be the driving force to the company's success.

As a business advisor and executive coach, I've worked with dozens of CEOs helping them build and grow their team as they scale their company. When deciding who to bring on, these are some of the important questions I ask.

1. How well do you know yourself?

Before you start selecting who will be on your team, it's critical that you step back and look at your own strengths, weaknesses, style, and habits. The best CEOs are highly aware of their own shortcomings and blind spots, and they make sure that the team they build will round them out and help cover bases they can't.

2. What are the limits of your knowledge and skills?

Many times, I've been brought into a company to work with the leadership team only to discover that the CEO has built a team of "yes people." They add nothing to the conversation and only look to curry favor and avoid criticism. Great CEOs have the confidence and humility to surround themselves with people much smarter than they are. This will expand the capabilities of the team and deepen the team's experiences and insights.

3. What will help you in the future market?

Another consideration is what market understanding or experience will benefit the team. Choosing executives who have been in other companies or have worked in a particular industry or market can be extremely valuable if you lack knowledge or history in a critical area. Bring in people who have "been there, done that" so you can avoid common mistakes.

4. What are the limits of your experiences?

When putting together a team, make sure that you have a range of backgrounds. If everyone's coming out of a startup, you'll have a blind spot for mid-market challenges. Bringing in people with backgrounds in small and large companies will give you different perspectives. Also consider things like products/services, sales cycles, market maturity, and geographies and/or cultures.

5. Where can you increase gender, ethic, and cultural diversity?

You also want your team to have a gender balance and diverse background. A 2015 McKinsey study found that teams who had more ethnic and racially diverse leadership teams had 35 percent higher returns and that teams with greater gender balance had 15 percene higher returns. Creating diversity at the top will more likely drive diversity throughout the organization.

6. What is your natural thinking style?

Another area that diversity is important is thinking style. If you're a shoot from the hip kind of CEO, they you'll want to balance that out with some cautious and analytical thinkers. And while these people may drive you nuts at times, they might also save you from a rash decision that could harm the future of the company.

7. What are your core values?

While diversity in gender, culture, and thinking style are important, you don't want people who have radically different personal or ethical values. Be sure to articulate your company values and your personal values and surround yourself with people who are well aligned with them. If service to the community is important to you and your company, bringing in someone at the top who has never volunteered a day in their life will cause friction and undermine trust.

Creating a great leadership team is not easy. It takes critical thinking, excellent recruiting, and hard decision making. It also takes time and patience. Done wrong, it can lead a company unwittingly down the wrong path and hinder growth. But done right, it can boost a CEO and elevate the company to higher and higher levels of performance.

This article was originally published on Inc.com: https://www.inc.com/bruce-eckfeldt/great-ceos-surround-themselves-with-best-leadership-team-heres-how-to-create-yours.html

Master These 6 Strategies to Avoid Overcommit and Increase Your Productivity

At the core of productivity is focus. Great leaders know that saying yes to fewer commitments means they can create greater impact.

Many of the business leaders and executives I coach want to be more productive and have a greater impact on their business and their industry. But as their company grows, their workload grows, and they often find themselves feeling overwhelmed and at times ineffective.

Ironically, one of the lessons that leaders in high-growth companies must learn is that to be more productive they actually need to commit to fewer things. It sounds counterintuitive, but it works. By committing to a few things, you allow yourself to really focus and dig into issues. This allows you to understand problems better, develop more creative solutions, and guide implementation with more care. Additionally, by staying out of other issues completely, other people feel compelled to commit more fully and with more focus then you could.

To get this right, leaders need to get clear on where to focus and what to hand off. When I work with executives, we zero in on these six techniques to determine areas they can have the greatest impact.

1. Clarify your priorities.

Before you can make decisions on where to focus your energy, you need to have a clear and limited set of priorities. These priorities surface with clear role descriptions and a clear set of strategic objectives. Every member of a company should know the eight to 10 key metrics for their role and a handful of strategic goals. If something you're working on is not tied to one of these metrics, you're best off letting someone else take it on.

2. Know your limits.

If you don't know your effective capacity and how much you've already committed to, then you'll never be able to manage your time effectively. One of the first exercises I go through with executives is to have them develop an ideal week and then create a defensible calendar.

The process of creating a defensive calendar will show you how to best organize your work, how much time you need to devote to management, and how much time you have for projects. Once you've committed to this capacity, you either need to say no to new work or renegotiate previous commitments to free up space.

3. Pause before committing.

Many times, I see leaders committing to things in the heat of a meeting or an exciting discussion with a colleague, boss, or investor. One effective strategy in these situations is to develop the habit of pausing for a moment before responding to the request. Rather than jumping right to a commitment, ask for a few hours or even minutes to look at your schedule and get back to them. This pause can give you enough time to really consider your workload and priorities.

4. Learn to say no.

Great leaders are masters of saying no, and they do it a lot. In fact, they are so good at it, they actually make you feel good about being turned down. The trick they use is to invoke the higher purpose you both have and show that saying yes to a new request would mean jeopardizing the bigger priority you both have. A great resource for this is William Ury's book The Power of the Positive No.

5. Learn to delegate.

As a senior leader, you need to be hyper focused on key areas of the business. But that doesn't mean that everything else can just be pushed off or ignored. The best way to handle this is to master the art of delegation.

A good delegator does more than just hand off projects. They choose the right people based on skills and desire, and they focus on getting real commitment to the work. They also make sure that their people have the training and resources they need to set up checkpoints to ensure things are staying on track. Just because you've delegated something doesn't mean you're not still accountable for the results.

6. Renegotiate as needed.

Sometimes new things come up that you need to do. But that doesn't mean you need to overload yourself. Instead, you need to re-prioritize and renegotiate your previous commitments. If you go to people early and explain that you need to change your delivery date, push something off together, or delegate it to someone else, you give them a chance to change their commitments. Ultimately, you'll be more respected in your organization if you go to people early than if you leave them in the lurch.

Early in a company, and especially with small teams, everything is dynamic and things happen in a very fluid fashion--commitments and priorities are easy to manage and communicate. But as you move up in management and your business grows, becoming more focused on few things will be key to your success, and the success of the business.

This article was originally published on Inc.com: https://www.inc.com/bruce-eckfeldt/6-strategies-to-avoid-saying-yes-too-often.html