Is That a Powerful Interview Question?

A little humor around Behavioral Interviewing…

Last week I was teaching a class to hiring managers on how to ask Behavioral Based Interview Questions:  questions that give hiring managers the highest probability of getting useable information from the job candidate.  As I was going over the part about – all your questions need to be directly related to the job – not only to stay within legal guidelines, but also to give you directly relatable information (not to mention keeping a professional image of your company), one of my participants raised her hand.

She wanted to share one of her favorite questions, that didn’t fit within this guideline, but strongly felt that it was very effective.

Okay, please share.

I like to ask at the end of the interview, what animal is most like you?

Keeping my composure, I asked, “And what important information do you gain, by asking that question?”

Well, most of the answers feel so canned and contrived, so I want to shake things up and see how they think ‘out of the box’.

Ok, well…  if ‘thinking out of the box’ is a key requirement of the job, I can see how this might be of value.  BUT… how are you going to evaluate a good response from a poor response?  One person might say they are most like a eagle because they like see the big picture before they begin on the details.  Another might say I’m like a turtle, because I need to stick my neck out to make things happen.  Or I’m like a pig, because I love the color pink and I don’t mind rooting around and getting ‘dirty’ to get things done.  What criteria are you going to use to say an answer is good or poor?  Hmmm….

I shared this story with my colleague, Mary Schaefer of ReImagine Work. She was reminded of a Time magazine article written by Joel Stein about the ridiculous questions on the application forms for elite pre-schools.  One particularly brilliant question was “What’s your word use for bowel movement and urination?”  In Stein’s own words… “This should be asked at every job interview, first date and presidential debate.  You’d know everything you needed to about someone by the answer to this question.”

When we finally stopped laughing, I said, “I have to pee!” to which Mary replied, “Practical and Direct”.

So as a Behavioral Interviewing expert, I thought I would create and share an answer key to that interview question.

What unusual questions do you use when interviewing? How do they directly relate to the job you’re hiring for?

wacky |ˈwakē| (also whacky)

funny or amusing in a slightly odd or peculiar way

eccentric, unconventional, uncommon, abnormal, irregular, aberrant, anomalous, odd, queer, strange, peculiar, weird, bizarre, outlandish, freakish, extraordinary; idiosyncratic, quirky, nonconformist, outré; way out, offbeat, freaky, oddball, kooky.

Brain Ruts

Why do we get stuck in our ways of thinking, such that new possibilities keep eluding us?   Brain RUTs!  It’s as if the wagon wheels on our thinking trails, just keep carving deeper and deeper ruts.

Try this to see how deep our “thinking ruts” are.

Ask people to give you a color, a type of furniture and a flower.  Did you hear a lot of red or blue, chair or table and rose or daisy?

Established patterns in our brains can be a good thing.  It helps us tie our shoes without thinking. It helps us attend to the whole and not have to painstakingly think about the parts.  It is why we can see the forest, and not just the trees. These patterns help us.  But sometimes these thinking patterns can get us stuck.  They can hinder us from finding that break-through idea.

Get out of the Rut:  Be Wacky!

Being WACKY can help us break out of our repetitive ways of thinking. Teams begin to see what was hiding behind their mental blinders when they take diverse, creative, and even silly perspectives. These out-of-the-ordinary perspectives can then be used to generate new paths of action.

Look what happened to a team that allowed themselves to think in a “slightly odd or peculiar way.”

Power Lines, Black Bears, Honey Pots and Helicopters

Sometimes it feels impossible to find a new way to think about an old problem.  But, when the breakthrough happens – the result is as sweet as honey.

Elaine Camper shares a story from Pacific Power and Light about how playfully taking on the perspective of a bear helped a team breakthrough the log jam in their thinking.

One of the problems that lineman in the Pacific Northwest face is ice build-up on the power lines.  It’s a job the linemen hate because it means climbing icy poles to shake the lines free. After several brainstorming sessions, no new answer was evident.  But then, by taking on different perspectives… thinking began to shift.  It started with one lineman sharing a story about a time he met a black bear on his return to the ground and the bear chased him for a mile.

Then someone jokingly said,

“Let’s get the bears to climb the poles for us!”

“Yeah, we could put honey on the top to attract them.”

“But that still leaves us climbing the poles to place the honey pots.”

“I know, we could ‘borrow’ the front office helicopters to place them.”

And then it happened, a shift in perspective brought a new perspective into view and that view met reality.

“I was a nurse in Vietnam, and the wash down from helicopter blades was amazing.  I wonder if that wash is powerful enough to break the ice off the lines?”

To this day, PP&L uses helicopters to fly over the power transmission lines after ice storms.

From iced poles, to black bears, to honey pots, to helicopters, to a Vietnam nurse:  new perspectives created a new plan of action!

Asking Wacky Questions

One of the best ways to start this wackiness is to ask unconventional, aberrant, outlandish, extraordinary, and kooky questions.

Questions that make the brain go WHAT???!!!  What does that have to do with what we are doing?  Exactly. Wackiness throws us a bit ‘off center’ so that new pathways in the brain are blazed!

Here are some wacky questions for your group to play with:

• What would our organization be like if a [zookeeper, cakemaker, or a _____ ] ran it?
• What ‘fictional character’ is running our organization?  [Godzilla, Goofy or the Grinch?]  Who would we want it to be?
• What if our customers had an ‘easy’ button?  What would they want to make easier?
• What is not possible today, that if it were possible, would change everything?
• You (or your department) are under an evil spell cast by a witch: who is the witch, what is the spell, and what words were uttered to cast it?
• What proverb (make it up) captures the essence of our group?  What should it be saying?
• What part of our work process do you find to be irrational, deranged and in need of intensive therapy?

For more wacky questions see: 75 Cage-Rattling Questions to Change the Way You Work.

Know How Practice:  Apply it to your Own Leadership

1.    Choose a problem that won’t go away – where you know you are in a rut.

2.    Ask each member of the team to share, what they feel is keeping us stuck?  What is the Roadblock?  What is Impossible?

3.    Try some wacky questions to get unstuck!

We all know what a financial bank account is.  We make deposits into it and build up a reserve from which we can make withdrawals when we need to.  An Emotional Bank Account is a metaphor that describes the amount of trust that’s been built up in a relationship…If I make deposits into an Emotional Bank Account with you through courtesy, kindness, honesty, and keeping my commitments to you, I build up a reserve.  Your trust toward me becomes higher, and I can call upon that trust many times if I need to.  I can even make mistakes and that trust level, that emotional reserve, will compensate for it. — Stephen R. Covey on The Emotional Bank Account

How do we build Trust?  The Trust Bank Account

By looking at the different facets of Trust we get an idea of how we can build Trust – as Stephen R. Covey (the senior) would put it – How do we make deposits?

Sincere – we both mean what we say; There are no hidden agendas between us

If we notice hidden agendas or question another’s motives, there is a breakdown in trust.  To repair this breakdown we might:

• Ask people to share what’s in it for them, in being part of this initiative
• Have everyone share what ‘success’ means for them
• Ask the other person to clarify what they mean by _________

Competent – we have the skills & motivation to do what we commit to

If we notice a lack of skills or motivation we might:

• Ask what energizes and de-energizes us about this project.  Brainstorm how to get more energizers and less de-energizers
• Discover where each person is struggling and might need some help
• Provide training or practice sessions for new skill areas
• Share strengths and growth opportunities

Reliable – our past experience of each other indicates we HAVE done what we said we would do

And if we notice reliability problems in our relationship we can:

• Apologize for not meeting our commitments
• Examine the roadblocks that got in the way of delivering against our commitments
• Create a plan for making it up to the other person

Credible – we substantiate our statements; being clear what is fact, perception and supposition

When others doubt us or question our truthfulness, we can:

• Answer and ask questions about how we know this to be true
• Share information freely, so everyone feels informed
• Be very clear when it is our perception or hypothesis – sharing whatever data we have that is the basis of our belief

Empathy – we care about each other; trying to deeply understand the other’s point of view and situation

And when others wonder if we are able to understand their perspective or their emotional response we must:

• Get to know the other person
• Recognize their strengths and contributions
• Seek out their perspectives and insights
• Thank them for their hard work and diligence

Know How Practice:  Apply it to your Own Leadership

1.    Think of the person you trust MOST at work?  Why?  What do they do to continue to build the trust-full relationship?

2.    What do you do, to make deposits in the trust bank account of your people?  List 3 specific behaviors you have done this week.

3.    Last time you made a withdrawal, what did you do to re-build the account balance?

“There is one thing that is common to every individual, relationship, team, family, organization, nation, economy and civilization throughout the world — one thing which, if removed, will destroy the most powerful government, the most successful business, the most thriving economy, the most influential leadership, the greatest friendship, the strongest character, the deepest love.  On the other hand, if developed and leveraged, that one thing has the potential to create unparalleled success and prosperity in every dimension of life.  That one thing is trust.” — Stephen M.R. Covey

What is Trust?

Trust is the critical element of a relationship.  As Stephen M. R. Covey (the junior) puts it… Lack of trust destroys; Presence of trust creates.  My favorite definition of Trust is ‘firm reliance’.  As leaders we must ask ourselves – how would I describe the bond between the people I work with and myself?  Is it Full of Trust?  When I work with others – do we seem to give each other the benefit of the doubt – or is there constant doubt and questioning.  Would people say you are credible or question the accuracy of your statements?  Do others know we mean what we say, or do others always check for a hidden agenda?  When we hit a roadblock in a project, does the team seamlessly adjust to overcome, or does the roadblock stop the team in its track – needing crystal clarity to proceed.

At work, we want relationships where we can firmly rely on each other, so that even when the inevitable problems and issues arise, we can continue to adapt and move forward.

If only Trust were simple – in terms of what creates it and what breaks it down.  Trust is multifaceted – there are many reasons that trust is built and many reasons why trust breaks down.

When I think of my relationships – I find the following 5 questions helpful in understanding where trust is strong and where trust needs to be built.

Do we believe each other to be?  [Notice – there are two sides in each of these questions!]

• · Sincere – we both mean what we say; There are no hidden agendas between us
• · Competent – we have the skills & motivation to do what we commit to
• · Reliable – our past experience of each other indicates we HAVE done what we said we would do
• · Credible – we substantiate our statements; being clear what is fact, perception and supposition
• · Empathy – we care about each other; trying to deeply understand the other’s point of view and situation

Know How Practice:  Apply it to your Own Leadership

1.    Think of a person you do not trust at work.  Using the 5 questions above, assess where your relationship is not trust-full.

2.    What are you doing differently (or extra) to make up for the lack of trust?

3.    What might you do to rebuild trust in that area?

Brain functioning tips to help you focus and get more done!

Many leaders that I work with tell me that they feel overwhelmed with how much they are asked to do. Quite simply too much to do plus too little time equals stressed! These same leaders search out time management techniques that will allow them to cram more into their very full days. But I wonder? Are they focusing on the right culprit? Is it really a lack of time? Or is it a lack of energy (mental energy that is)?

Here’s a easy to read Harvard Business Review article written by a medical doctor that helps us understand what goes on in our brains when we try to cram too much into our days:

Overloaded Circuits: Why Smart People Underperform - Dr. Edward M. Hallowell of the Hallowell Center, - HBR: January 2005

Attention Deficit Disorder – This is the focus area of Dr. Hallowell’s practice. Dr. Hallowell was seeing an emerging trend in his practice. Adults were showing up in his office, complaining of ADD symptoms, but their brain was functioning properly.   In sum, they couldn’t focus – seem scattered and overwhelmed.
The Big Question: So what might be going on in the work environment that is causing the lack of focus?
Conclusion: Overloaded Circuits – Dr. Hallowell calls it ADT: Attention Deficit Trait

And here’s what’s going on in the brain… Fight or Flight versus Executive Functioning in the brain: fight or flight is the part of our brain that responds to crisis situations – gives us that adrenaline boost so we have extra energy to act now and act quickly. Executive Functioning – is the part of our brain that helps of focus on a problem, think through carefully, weigh the pros and cons, use reason and logic. Guess what – both can’t be on at the same time. So if we try to cram too much in, we start to get stressed, which triggers the fight or flight part of the brain, that kicks in the adrenaline and then revs us up and soon everything we see starts to look like an urgent situation – spiraling us into feeling frenzied – and not feeling very focused. Since Executive Functioning cannot be operating at the same time, good decision-making capability has vanished.

Dr. Hallowell offers over a dozen ideas on how to control your ADT. The central idea to controlling ADT – give yourself mental breaks – so flight or fight brain calms down, so executive functioning brain can step in.

Know How Practice: Apply it to your Own Leadership

Remember that your brain, like your body, needs periods of rest to maintain optimum performance. For the body overall – you know this – it’s 16 hours waking, 8 hours sleeping. For a muscle that your training – train one day – rest it for 24-48 hours – so it can rebuild. For the brain… it’s about 90-120 minutes of concentration to 10-15 minutes break. So apply this at work:

• About every two hours – take a short break (take a walk, chat with a colleague, call a loved one, surf your favorite blogs)
• Schedule your meetings – not for a full hour – for 50 minutes. You’ll get just as much done and you’ll give the gift of a break to everyone there. Who knows, they might even be able to get to their next meeting on time.
• When you give your precious evening time to work – do it in energy intervals. Set a timer – and give work just 90 more minutes tonight. [Pay attention to what happens to your productivity when you give more than that - ‘diminishing returns’ sets in.] Really, you’ll get more done in the morning if you get a good night’s rest. So STOP at 90 minutes and feel good about what you’ve accomplished. No one likes how it feels when you stop after diminishing returns sets in.

Recently I was asked to give a talk on body language. People wanted to know: What does it mean if I cross my arms? Should I be leaning forward or leaning backward when giving feedback? Is it okay to talk with my hands? What about eye contact? Should I…? Shouldn’t I…?

Well… the answer is… IT DEPENDS!

Communicating through body language is less about specific gestures and more about what the entire stance communicates. This applies to both Receiving and Sending information through body language. Here’s what I mean.

Receiving Information through Body Stance

Receiving information through body stance is intuitive. In my talk I show this picture. Everyone instinctively knows this woman is stressed. We don’t need a degree in Body Language Interpretation to understand what is going on internally. However, the part of understanding body stance where leaders often need development is the emotional intelligence connection, i.e., is my empathetic sensor working such that I slow down, interpret what I’m seeing and adjust my conversational approach? When she’s in this stressed-out body stance, saying to her, “What’s going on with project X? Why is it behind schedule and over cost?” is not a very effective way to start the conversation. I know this is blatantly obvious, wrong behavior, but I’ve seen leaders do this many times; not observe the audience, fail to adjust the approach and then act shocked when the message is poorly received!

So the first lesson of interpreting body stance is: Remember – what’s happening on the inside is creating what is happening on the outside. So use what you perceive on the outside as clues to what’s happening inside and SLOW DOWN – ADJUST YOUR APPROACH!

Sending Information through Body Stance

To quote Niels Bohr:  “The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement, but the opposite of a great truth is another great truth.”

So, if what’s happening on the inside is reflected on the outside, could it also be true that what is happening on the outside could impact what’s happening inside of us? If we change our body stance (outside), might we feel and think differently (inside)? Might our Body Stance predispose us to think and act in a certain way?

For example, as I teach managers how to give effective feedback, they sometimes have a difficult time getting their mindset right. The mindset is often one of discipline vs. a mindset of discovery (that is, figuring out together what we could do to get performance back on track). I don’t know about you, but I stand very differently when I am in a discipline mode vs. a discovery mode. Just ask my children – Mom standing with her feet firmly planted and her hands on her hips is NOT a good sign. But if I ‘catch myself’, and shake out my shoulders and loosen up my stance, I find my mental attitude shifts. I’m much less likely to think ‘discipline’ thoughts and act as a disciplinarian. In a relaxed, open stance, I’m much more likely to have a discovery mindset and ask my children a question about what happened.

Try it; take a moment and SMILE – feel the shift in your mood and perspective.  My stance can take the lead on establishing the internal mindset I want. And when my stance and my mindset are integrated, my communication is more effective. Shifting your outside (body) shifts what happens inside (mood and attitude) enabling you to create a better, holistic, approach.

Actors and Actresses know this. Greatness in acting is not just a well-read line – it is a line delivered well through intonation, gestures and body stance. In my coaching certification program, we were taught (and practiced) four basic body stances– just like actors and actresses study. The point of the practice of body stances in my coaching program? To learn to match my body stance to the needs of the interaction, so I will experience a shift in my internal mood and mindset. And the reason we had to practice the different body stances is that most of us are stuck in 1 or 2 body stances, and therefore can’t leverage the full range of body posturing to help us shift our insides. (My personal weakness was the flexibility stance – and so I had to practice hula hooping for 2 months to learn to embody flexibility!)

So the second lesson of body language is: because what happens on the outside effects what’s happening inside of us, learn to use your body stance to adjust your internal perspective. SLOW DOWN, ADJUST YOUR STANCE and your mindset will follow.

A quick summary of the four body stances follows.

Know How Practice: Apply it to your Own Leadership

As your read through the four body postures, ask yourself:

• Which stance is most comfortable?
• Which stance is least comfortable?
• Where are each of the stances needed in my work and life?
• How might I practice shifting my stance to better fit the situation?

Determination – The stance of the Warrior

The Stance

• Feet – One foot slightly forward, Weight shifts forward
• Breath – Full, deep into belly, Vigorously
• Chest – Full and Forward
• Muscles – Arms and Legs strong
• Eyes – Focused just about the horizon on a single point of direction
• Face – Shows Determination

Picture it! Film Role: Arnold Schwarzenegger – The Terminator

Creates the Mental Orientation of: Forward to an Important Goal

Use at work to: Set direction, Lead forward, Breakthrough obstacles, Create focus, Make dreams come true

Openness – The stance of the Lover

The Stance

• Feet – One foot slightly back, Weight shifts back
• Breath – Easy, Gentle
• Chest – Open, like a Container
• Muscles – Light muscular tone
• Eyes – Soft Gaze toward the other person
• Face – Gentle smile, Head slightly tilted to the side

Picture it! Film Role: Aunt Bea – The Andy Griffith Show

Creates the Mental Orientation of: Receiving, Connecting, Inviting

Use at work to: Welcome members to a newly formed team, Give and receive feedback, Enroll people in a new idea, Listen for understanding, Support others in personal crisis

Stability – The stance of the Sovereign

The Stance

• Feet – Firmly planted, weight evenly balanced – legs and arms
• Breath – Even and Measured – equal length to inhale / exhale
• Chest – Emblazoned with your insignia
• Muscles – at Attention
• Eyes – Forward, looking over your domain
• Face – Assured, Assuring

Picture it! Film Role: Jack Nicholson – A Few Good Men

Creates the Mental Orientation of: Consistent, Firm, Secure, Rules

Use at work to: Create process standardization, Establish policy, Reduce ambiguity, Make logic based decisions, Hold people accountable, Provide safe ground

Flexibility – The Stance of the Magician

The Stance

• Feet – Shifting left to right, weight on balls of feet
• Breath – Breath slightly accelerated, almost chuckling
• Chest – Flexible, fluid
• Muscles – Fluid, flexible
• Eyes – Alert, open wide, with a TWINKLE
• Face – Playful smile or grin

Picture it! Film Role: George Clooney – Ocean’s 11

Creates the Mental Orientation of: Play, Letting Go, Wonder, Experimentation

Use at work to: Brainstorm ideas, Break from a routine, Let go / change, Play (flair and fun), Learn, Create

Think (FIRST about INTENT) Before You Speak

Think before you speak.  Have you ever been told that?  It’s wise advice.  When I coach people about being more effective in their communication, I remind them to FIRST figure out what you are trying to accomplish through a conversation.  By establishing the INTENT of the conversation, the right words will form in your brain.  And if the right words form in your brain, it is more likely that the right words will come out of your mouth and the wrong words will not.  Simply put – Your communication mantra should be:  1^st Mind (Intent), 2^nd Body (Stance), 3^rd Mouth (Words)

Example – Randy, please shut up and listen:  A manager I was coaching a couple of years back, asked me to follow him around for a day to see if I could figure out why people didn’t want to work with him – (that’s the polite way of saying… they thought he was a jerk).  So Randy and I went off to his first meeting.  I asked Randy:

CNM:  “So who called this meeting?”

RANDY:  “The director we are meeting with”

CNM:  “And what is the topic (INTENT) of this meeting?”

RANDY:  “I have no idea”

CNM – to myself:  “OK then, this is going to be good!”

Do you know what Randy did?  He sat down in the director’s office and started talking!  And TALKED… And TALKED… and TALKED…  For 20 minutes, he hijacked the conversation and did not let the director get a word in.  Finally, in frustration, the director said, “Randy! I asked you here today to discuss…”

CNM – to myself:  “Oh, thank goodness she finally stopped him!”

20 minutes wasted because Randy did not think before he spoke.  Randy did not clarify what the intent of the conversation was, nor did he let the director clarify.  Therefore, everything that came out of his mouth for the first 20 minutes annoyed the director.  And yes, she probably thought Randy was a jerk.

Example – This I Believe:  The Power of a Mindset:  Recently my daughter Kristen wrote a heart-touching paper for her writing class in the THIS I BELIEVE format.  It was moving to me because it demonstrated how her words and her actions followed from her belief.  Her belief:  “Though we are not all created equal in our talents, strengths, beauty or IQ, each one of us needs to treat each other as if no one is above another.”  Throughout her academic year I watched her struggle with what that mindset meant for her choice of words and choice of actions.  And at times her intent and the choice of action that followed meant she paid a price with her friends; a party she was not invited to because she told a friend to stop talking behind another friend’s back.  I watched her introduce herself to the new kid and make her feel welcomed.  I saw her strength in spirit when she switched to a ‘less cool’ lunch table, to make room for others.  Firm in her belief, her words, her actions, followed her intent.  Not easy for a 12 year old!  And yet, because her actions and words came from her intent – she grew in so many ways!

Final example – Apples in the Trash:  And so the coach has to coach herself.  Recently my significant other had a sore throat.  So my mothering began:  feeling his forehead, making sure he gargled with salt water, etc.  In addition, I cut up a few apples (because they always make my throat feel better).  A little while later I noticed a couple of apple slices in the trash – this just after I asked him if he had eaten a couple (And he said he had).  Ok, I said to myself.  What’s with this?  Why did he say he ate them when they are in the trash?  Do I ask him about this?  Am I over-mothering and he just doesn’t want to tell me?  Fortunately before I let myself get too carried away I asked myself…  What would be my intention in asking him?  “To accuse him?  [No that’s not it.]”  “To tell him that if he doesn’t want my help, just say so?  [No that’s not it either.]”  A few more questions to myself about my intent and I got to:  “To check that I’m not over-mothering and to let him know he can just tell me to stop.”  The result… He laughed and said with a little boy grin, “Honey, I would just tell you, not to worry.  Those couple of apples had fallen on the floor.  And if I were throwing them out behind your back, trust me, you wouldn’t find them!  Ha…Ha… Ha…”

Moral of these stories:  When you begin with clarifying your intention for the conversation, you are much more likely to have the conversation go in a positive, relationship building direction.

Know How Practice:  Apply it to your Own Leadership

1)  Before your next conversation, ask yourself the following questions about your intent:

• What is my INTENT for this conversation?
• How might I state to the other person a GOAL for the conversation?
• What question do I need to ask the other person to make sure we have a SHARED intent for this conversation?
• When the conversation is complete, what do I hope will happen to our relationship?

2)  Chose your Body Stance:  If this is my intent, which body stance would be the best fit?

3)  Practice your Leadership Communication Mantra:  1^st Mind (Intent), 2^nd Body (Stance), 3^rd Mouth (Words)

Think… 5 to 1

Sometimes I think I missed the really good stuff in graduate school. I received my degree in Industrial / Organizational Psychology before the Positive Psychology trend – or shall I say, sharp right turn – really took off. When I went to school, psychologists spent most of their time studying people who weren’t functioning well and then tried to apply the learning to the rest of us. The sharp turn happened when the simple idea was proposed that there is also a lot to be learned from studying successful, well-adjusted people. [Such a simple, yet profound idea]

A quote from www.happier.com on Positive Psychology

Unlike traditional psychology that focuses on deficits, disease, and dysfunction, positive psychology highlights human strengths and potential, and celebrates what is best in life. It emphasizes goals, well-being, satisfaction, happiness, interpersonal skills, perseverance, talent, wisdom, and personal responsibility. Positive psychology is concerned with understanding what makes life worth living, with helping people become more self-organizing and self-directed, and with recognizing that people and experiences are embedded in a social context.

Some GOOD STUFF on Feedback from Positive Psychology Research

When I teach Leader-Managers how to give effective feedback, I often ask them the question, “What ratio between Appreciative / Thank You Feedback TO Constructive / Something Needs to Change Feedback creates the most productive work environment possible?” Most of my Leader-Managers guess 2:1. I then ask, “So what actually happens in your work environment?” They answer, “It’s 1:1 if we’re lucky”. [Of course you know the real answer, because you’re reading this blog.

Research referenced by Harvard Business Review – January 2005 (Marcial Losada and Emily Heaphy, University of Michigan) indicates that when individuals or teams hear five positive comments to every negative one, they unleash a level of positive energy that fuels higher levels of performance. Another research study, measuring the impact of the ratio of positive emotions to negative emotions on Human Flourishing (how’s that for a positive psychology title!), found a 3:1 effect [Barbara L. Fredrickson – University of Michigan & Marcial F. Losada – Universidade Cato´ lica de Brası´lia.

Recently I read Why Marriages Succeed or Fail, by John Gottman. And guess what shows up in that book? “The magic ratio is 5 to 1. In other words, as long as there is five times as much positive feeling and interaction between husband and wife as there is negative, we found the marriage was likely to be stable.”

Know How Practice: Apply it to your Own Leadership

You and your teammates just launched a major new initiative. If…and this is a big if…if you spend time debriefing the launch, what do you focus on? What you did right or what didn’t go smoothly and you need to fix. Now I’m not saying, you shouldn’t talk about what needs to be fixed, what I am saying is that the team will find the session more motivating / more energizing if you focus more on what went right and what should be repeated next time.

Hmmm… 5:1 – I think I need to go compliment my daughter on her creative writing paper! “Hey, Kristen…”

There is A LOT written about Leadership.  It’s overwhelming!  (And here I am adding to the pile with my blog)  Hopefully, my recommended reading will help focus your reading list.  I’m only going to recommend my favorites – those books and articles that have been helpful to me and those I teach on our journey to becoming better leaders.

And the added benefit of my reading list is it comes with Know How Notes.  Know How Notes are ideas about how you could apply what you are reading to your practice of Leadership.

Because let’s face it – just reading about Leadership won’t make you a better Leader – you actually have to practice the ideas that are suggested in what you read and incorporate them into how you lead.

Sometimes that can be pretty overwhelming, because there are a LOT of leadership ideas to try out.  Remember, becoming a great leader is a life long journey – you’ve got time.  As I tell participants in my leadership classes – it’s just one step forward (towards greatness) at a time.

So each of my book or article recommendations comes with an idea of how you could try out something in the book.  But you can create your own as well.  Here’s how…

1)  Read each article with an ‘eye’ for one idea that would strengthen your Leadership skills
2)  Think of how you would practice that idea – how you will practice, where you will practice it, when you will practice AND THEN TRY IT OUT
3)  After each practice – REFLECT:  What work well (what should I repeat), What will I do differently next time
4)  Practice again – 21 times until it becomes a habit – and the CELEBRATE your learning success
And finally – repeat these steps with your next Leadership Practice

Introducing The Leader Know How Blog

WELCOME!

As I work with Leaders around the country here’s what they tell me:
▫    The pace of work is still increasing…
▫    The amount of work is still increasing…
▫    The expected quality / standard of work is still increasing…
▫    And I want to be an increasingly better Leader.  For the most part I know what I should be doing, but with the increasing ‘everything’ it would be helpful if someone could boil it down into some practical tools and tips that I could easily implement.

Thus, the idea for Leader Know How was born.  Because, you know: it’s not enough to know; you need to Know How

The purpose of my Blog is just that – to provide Leaders with practical tools and tips that are easy to implement as you lead your people.  These tools and tips will come to you in a variety of forms:
▫    Know How Kit –tools and self-paced workbooks in the areas of:  Leadership, Feedback, Coaching, Motivation, Building Your Team, Effective Conversations, BrainPower
▫    Know How Stories – stories and experiences of Leaders gathered as I facilitate Leadership Learning experiences – including stories I call… “Lessons from the Clueless”
▫    Know How Notes – Book and Article reviews, that not only summarize but offer suggestions on how you could apply the book / article to your own Leadership
▫    Ask How?  Ask Now! – Where I share my answers to your questions AND you share your answers to my questions
▫    Know How Practice Sessions – TeleClasses and PodCasts to support you in trying out Leadership Know How
▫    Linking Know How:  Where I share my favorite links and resources

I look forward to you joining my community of Leadership Learners.  Please share the site with your friends (and hide it from your competition!).  And if you want to know what I’m up to… follow me on Twitter.