What do you think?

We are in a mess, aren't we?

"The crisis is a direct result of poor, short-term, conformist, in-denial thinking, rife with untrue, limiting assumptions. For organisations and individuals to emerge from the crisis and into an era that produces unprecedented sustainable well-being, they will have to generate the best, freshest independent thinking from everyone. " Nancy Kline, October 2008.

Short-term - I am only here for a few years so got to make a big impact and lots of money before my next job.
Conformist - everyone else it doing it, they must have thought it through, surely, so I don't need to bother.
In-denial - la la la la la. Fingers in ears.
Untrue, limiting assumptions - Got to do what everything else it doing. They've thought it all out. I can't buck the system. Making money is everything.

I am sure you can think of lots more.

But why is it that the thought of fresh, independent thinking can be so terrifying? Is it because we are scared to be thinking things that no one else is - how helpful would some new ideas be right now? Is it because we are scared of what we might have to do once we have had these new thoughts - got to be better than what we are doing now, hasn't it?

How can we make new thinking the exciting, refreshing, life and world changing experience it can be? What do we need to do to create an environment where we can all do our best thinking?

Most importantly, what do you need to do to free your own thinking?

The average recession lasts 11 months

It is not often that I start with a fact but that one was a real eye opener.

It is so easy in times like this to cut staff and squeeze suppliers dry. But by remaining visionary, innovative and brave and by going against the conventional approaches your competitors are taking, you stand a chance of not only weathering the storm but coming out of it stronger and more capable.

The short term boost that a reduced wage bill can create hides longer term costs. Most directly the cost of rehiring and retraining employees is often greater than the saving of cutting numbers initially. What is difficult to calculate is the cost of how the job cuts are handled on those who lose their job and those who remain.

It has also been shown that even where redundancies are necessary, how they are handled makes all the difference. In organisations where leaders make the announcement and then head for the safety of their offices for the duration, there are more claims of unfair dismissal than when they make themselves available to answer questions about job losses and the reasons behind them. In addition, the staff left behind remain more positive and productive where redundancies have been managed effectively.

And a downturn can be a great time to focus on staff development - within reason of course. At times like this, re-engaging staff behind the bigger vision for the company, helping them to manage their stress levels and, at the same time, learn skills which will be vital to the continued growth of the business takes courage. Most competitors will be hunkering down, cutting spending on people development.

If you really do need to cut jobs, what do you need to do to protect the relationships with all staff for the long term?

What are your brutal facts?

OK, I can avoid it no longer. I will reference the CC but I can't bring myself to type it.

This is a moment to remind myself of one of the ideas from Good to Great (Jim Collins) that has always stuck with me. The need to confront the brutal facts (yet never lose faith).

Few people within an organisation will not have any questions about how it might be affected by global events. Sometimes it feels easier and more reassuring to respond to these questions with reasons why it won't affect this organisation directly, what makes this company different etc. No doubt generating bemused expressions and mistrust from staff who are clearly capably of reading the paper or watching the news.

Facing the reality of the implications of the situation, no matter how frightening for the leadership and the rest of the staff, is more likely to protect the business.

There is nothing as confidence inspiring as a plan that starts with the facts.

Generation Diddly Squat?

There must have been a new research project done as I have been picking up lots of bits and pieces about Generation Y.

Apparently , they are the generation of younger workers generally described as ambitious and demanding, wanting a high degree of work-life balance at the same time as challenging and interesting work. They are also considered to value corporate and social responsibility, a positive employer brand, and a well-designed and technologically advanced workplace.

I think I might be becoming cynical but I am not sure how their first group of demands differs from any generation just coming into work - certainly in the post-war era. And there is conflicting evidence that corporate and social responsibility become more important with age which is counter to Generation Y theory.

But maybe what is making me cynical about the whole area is that there is already a move to describe Generation Z - despite the fact that some of them are yet to be born!

Ah, if only we could be lumped together so conveniently. But them how many of us would be out of a job?

I feel happy, oh so happy!

Blimey, it is all doom and gloom at the moment isn't it?

Martin Seliman, psychologist and Positive Psychology guru, believes (and he is far from alone in this) that ‘Optimism and hope cause better resistance to depression when bad events strike, better performance at work, particularly in challenging jobs, and better physical health’

But can you learn to be more optimistic? Do you actually want to or it is more satisfying to hide under the duvet right now? Are we all just 'getting real' (see previous posts for how much I hate that expression).

Despite acknowledging his own inate grumpiness, Seligman believes that we can all learn to become 'attentive optimists' rather than blank eyed shiny, happy people.

It is a question of discernement. Taking credit where it is due for good events, not seeing them as proof of your own brilliance or never-ending good fortune. Accepting responsibility when things go wrong and seeing what can be learnt.

Research consistantly shows that optimists live longer than pesimists. In a long, happy life this current turmoil will be nothing more than a minor blip.

And if you need a daily fix of good news then there is no better place than Eazibee's blog http://reasonstobehopeful.blogspot.com/ and I think there is still time to vote for it in the Blogger's Choice awards.

Sensitive Little Flower

Business culture has long thrived on cultivating toughness and rewarding those who are outgoing and gregarious. (Of course, these are not always the qualities that are obvious in my favourite Level 5 leader type, but more on that below and, no doubt, above).

Qualities of sensitivity are generally regarded as negative, limiting an individual's potential and having a detrimental effect on their sociability.

But what are we missing here? It is estimated that around 1 in 5 of us have highly sensitive traits. Their sensitivity can make them highly aware of subtleties in their environment, of changes that the less sensitive do not notice and of possibilities that can easily be overlooked. It can be an asset if used..and protected.

Who are the sensitive little flowers in your organisation and how can you unlock their potential.

Just because it made me laugh

I am sharing this for the above reason only. Cheering up a miserable Thursday morning is no mean feat.

It is from an article in this month's Coaching at Work on dealing with clients with an 'impress me then' attitude to coaching. The first tip is:

Breath:
Breathing prevents you from dying in this scenario. By expiring you will only allow a power differential to take hold that may be difficult to tackle later.