Employee Engagement

This is a video of a talk I give to groups of CEOs about how to lead a team through change during challenging times.

This leadership framework is based on the method I describe in Teamwork 9.0.  Specifically, check out chapter 2 of the book.

Here is a transcript of the talk:

A global pandemic sweeps across the earth killing hundreds of thousands of people in its wake.

Economies are wracked by recession, with no end in sight.

40 million people are thrown out of work in the US alone.

People are fearing for their lives to simply go to work or go shopping for groceries.

Nationwide, protests erupt-against police violence, and the police respond with …. more violence.

2020 has killed hyperbole.

In normal times, a CEO faces existential threats to their business,  every day. 

Your organization has a mission and you’ve grown a team to deliver on that mission with ever more effectiveness and efficiency.  Your team excels at operating in-the-business.

They know how to respond well to all known threats—HR with employment issues, your safety team with worker safety and compliance issues, your sales team with the competition.  They’re expert at dealing with these threats.

But what happens when the threat comes from outside the normal course of business?  When the normal patterns of behavior no longer apply? How do you and  your team agree on the nature of the problems and coalesce around solutions that will lead to new behavioral patterns, behaviors that will allow your team to survive and even thrive in the new environment? 

How do you create a-new-normal?

It was with this type of challenge in mind that I wrote my book Teamwork 9.0.  I developed a problem-solving framework that organizes teams to solve big, challenging problems with maximal buy in from all stakeholders. 

[Slide 2 – Enneagram]

I developed this framework based on a powerful tool called the Enneagram.  The Enneagram is commonly used as a personality dynamics system. It’s extremely useful and valuable for understanding yourself, your friends, family and team members, and the interpersonal dynamics that occur.

Not only can it be used in this way, I discovered that it can also be used as a problem-solving-framework for teams.

I had a question: Why is the Enneagram Type 1 the 1, why is Type  2 the 2, and so on.  Why couldn’t Type 1 be the 7, or Type 5 be the 3?

It turns out that the number assignment is not arbitrary.  There’s a specific reason for the order. The numbers represent the order of a process. If fact, it’s the order in which humans–solve–problems.

[Slide 3 – The Circle]

The problem-solving nature of the Enneagram is described by the outer circle.  Each of the nine Enneagram dynamics describes a specific step in problem solving.  This use of the Enneagram is not commonly known or understood, which is why I was compelled to write my book, Teamwork 9.0, and share my discovery with you today.  Let me briefly go through each step

[Slide 4 – Step 1]

What’s the first step in problem solving? It’s realizing that you have a problem.  Enneagram Type 1 is often called the Perfectionist.  They are often the first type to point out that things aren’t right, aren’t as they should be.  

They also have a clear vision of how things should be.

In problem solving, describing how things shouldn’t and should be corresponds to problem definition and goal.  Problems and goals are two sides of the same coin, and the-first-step in problem solving.

[Slide 5 – Step 2]

So, who cares about the problem?  Step 2 is where you identify the people who have an emotional connection to the problem.  Enneagram Type 2 is often called the Helper.  They understand the emotional desire to solve problems and want to chip in and help. 

In Step 2, you establish your team of committed stakeholders – those that will help solve the problem.  This is your problem-solving team.

[Slide 6 – Step 3]

Your team will have many ideas for how to solve the problem.  Step 3 is when you capture all the ideas.  Enneagram Type 3 is called the Achiever.  They are constantly looking for ideas that will lead to success. 

Each team member may have a different idea of what success looks like.  You’ll want to understand each member’s perspective.  It’s important in this step not to react negatively to any idea.  You want to create a positive environment, encourage everyone to contribute, and capture all ideas. 

[Slide 7 – Step 4]

Anytime anyone expresses an idea, you’ll have a reaction. That idea’s great! Or, that idea sucks!  You can’t help yourself; it happens naturally and instantaneously.  Enneagram Type 4 is sometimes called the Artist—they are the type most in tune with the emotional impact of any idea.

In Step 4 you want to determine the set of ideas that are most favorable to the team.  These are ideas that have the most positive emotional energy, energy your team will need to carry the project through to successful completion. I usually use a simple vote on each idea to make this determination.

The combination of the Idea Step 3 and Reaction Step 4 reminds me of the saying, “throwing spaghetti against the wall and seeing what sticks.” It’s this combination that allows your team to come up with the ideas that they want to pursue.

[Slide 8 – Step 5]

Having a handful of positive ideas to explore, it’s now time to turn to the left-brain activities starting with analyzing each idea for feasibility. Enneagram Type 5 is often called the Analyzer, and in Step 5 of problem solving you perform pro/con and cost-benefit analysis of each idea.  Out of this step comes the top 1, maybe 2, ideas to solve each problem that the team is pursuing.

[Slide 9 – Step 6]

Step 6 is where your team takes the most promising idea and builds a project plan that gets you all the way to the goal – who does what and when.  Type 6 is often called the Questioner.  Their brain is constantly asking questions—what if this happens; what if that happens?  They’re constantly on the lookout for pitfalls and developing strategies to avoid them.

In Step 6 of problem solving, you’ll want the team to build a low risk plan that gets to the goal; the plan can include risk mitigation strategies and contingency plans. 

[Slide 10 – Step 7]

Now that you have your plan, the team needs to take it back to the broader set of stakeholders for buy in.  Enneagram Type 7 is often called The Enthusiast. They are the ones who get people excited to try something new.

In Step 7, you socialize the plan with your organization. You remind everyone of the problems they face and show how the plan will solve those problems.  Done well, this socialization will lower barriers and resistance during implementation.

[Slide 11 – Step 8]

In steps 1 through 7, what have you done? Talk, Talk, Talk.  Step 8 is the time for action.  Enneagram Type 8 loves to get to action.  They will be the type that is most frustrated as the team works through the first seven steps. You will want to coach the Type 8s on your team to have patience during these early steps.

But, in Step 8, the team gets action!   With the approved plan in hand, your team’s now ready to march ahead, solve the problem, and achieve the goals!

[Slide 12 – Step 9]

YAY! –you’re DONE!  The team finished the project. How did they do?  Whenever you undergo a transformation, some toes will be stepped on and feathers will be ruffled. Enneagram Type 9 is called the Harmonizer, and in Step 9 you want to debrief the project and listen to feedback from the stakeholders.  If you have your detailed list of problems and goals from Step 1, now is the time to review that and score the project.

As you have these conversations with the stakeholders, you’ll uncover that there may be lingering problems and perhaps new problems that need to be addressed.  And, this is why….

[Slide 13 – Process + People = Purpose]

…the Enneagram is a circle, not a line.  Step 9 leads right back to Step 1 and illustrates the human desire for continuous improvement.

The aspect I love about this problem-solving framework is that there’s a direct link between each step in problem solving to a specific personality dynamic that is particularly suited for that step. 

Now more than ever, organizations are being challenged with threats that require everyone in the organization to collaborate and find new ways to survive and thrive—working ON the business not just IN the business.  

Using a step-by-step-approach-to-problem-solving can get your team to  focus on the challenge and invent a new path forward.

In this video, I share a story about how a client used the problem-solving framework I describe in Chapter 2 in my new book Teamwork 9.0.

In Chapter 8 of the book, I use the tools to analyze this team’s dynamics in the section called “All In The Family.”

Here is a transcript of the video:

It was 2009, in the heart of the Great Recession, Allen had the perfect product for the times.  Online video content was exploding, and Allen’s company had a low-cost video production solution that enabled anyone to produce professional-looking content at a fraction of the price of commercial equipment.

Allen was a caring soul.  Responsible for operations, he wanted to deliver the best possible customer experience and bended over backwards to do that.  And, while customers loved the products and demand was soaring, the organization had reached a limit—the telltale sign? …  Product reliability suffered.  Nearly 1 in 3 products shipped out were being returned for repair.

Allen wanted to solve the problems-causing-returns, but couldn’t get the attention or resources necessary.  Everyone was too busy working on the “next thing” and too willing to blame others for the current problems. That’s when Allen thoughtfully asked for my advice.

I suggested that he form a cross-functional team and use the team-based problem-solving method that I detail in my book Teamwork 9.0. He convened a meeting and encouraged everyone to share their thoughts on the causes of product returns. 

Over the course of an hour, a transformation occurred.  The participants stopped blaming one another and started getting intensely curious about the root causes of the problems.

That spark-of-curiosity ignited a fire—the team was on a quest to identify and solve each of the underlying issues.

After that initial meeting, Allen was able to get the attention of the team members and secure the resources he needed to address all the problems. Under his leadership, return rates plummeted.

Clearly defining a problem, sparks the intense human desire to-solve-that-problem. Step ONE in problem solving is to instill your team with that intensity.

Organizations are being challenged to respond to a series of crises, not the least of which is a global pandemic.  These challenges require organizations to respond in creative ways outside of typical work patterns.  Here is a framework for organizing your team to face these challenges.

Working On the Business, Not In the Business

Organizations are designed for a purpose, to fulfill a mission.  An organization’s people, processes and products/services are all aligned to deliver on that mission, forming behavior patterns that enable the organization to become ever more efficient on that delivery. But what happens when the organization is faced with a challenge that falls outside of that mission?  Most organizations are not designed with the overheard or capacity to rethink, re-invent and rollout entirely new sets of behaviors that adapt to the challenge.  How does your organization respond when faced with a challenge that requires it to work on the business, not in the business?

Problem Solving Framework

When faced with an extraordinary challenge, your leadership can benefit from adopting a flexible problem-solving framework that serves as a guide for the team to work through the challenge.  Chapter 2 of my book Teamwork 9.0 presents a framework designed for these types of challenges. The framework consists of nine steps. Here’s how you can use it to address the challenge of working during a pandemic.

Step 1—Problems and Goals

The first step in problem solving is to list the problems that challenge your organization—reduced productivity, falling sales, distracted customers/vendors/employees, broken supply chains, broken delivery channels, new workplace regulations/guidelines, etc.  Each organization faces a unique set of problems that need to be overcome.  Remember, the problems that get listed are the problems that get solved, so be sure and capture all the important issues.

Next, envision how the world could be when the problems are solved.  Remembering the mission of your organization, what is now possible in light of this disruption? How can your organization emerge even better and stronger than before?

Step 2—Build the Team

By its very nature, the challenge of working during a pandemic affects everyone in your organization.  The team responsible for leading the organization through this challenge should have representatives for each of the organization’s constituents.  Customers can be represented with sales and customer service leaders. Your vendors can be represented with leaders from procurement.  Each department will want to participate in the initiative—operations, IT, human resources, finance, product development, etc.  With your team established, loop back to Step 1 and make sure that the problems facing each stakeholder group are listed and their visions for the future are captured. 

Step 3—Ideation

By now your team is excited to share ideas about how to solve the problems and realize the vision for the future.  During ideation, you want to capture ALL ideas—dismiss nothing.  Here is your chance to tap into the creative potential of your team, and you want to encourage everyone to participate.  Ensuring that everyone has a chance to contribute their ideas and listen to others’ ideas moves the group towards finding solutions that work for everyone. 

Step 4—Positive Ideas

Once you have a rich set of ideas to draw upon, you will want to explore a few ideas more deeply.  The team can determine the high priority ideas to pursue by deciding democratically with a vote.  Deciding in this way, the team will choose the ideas that have the most positive energy behind them, energy that the team will need as they work towards the solution.

Step 5—Analyze the Ideas

Each idea delivers a benefit with a cost. In this step, the team performs the cost/benefit analysis to arrive at the top one or two ideas that will deliver the greatest positive impact to the organization. Each stakeholder will have distinct perspectives on the pros and cons of each idea, and it’s important that every perspective is considered at this phase.  Out of this step will emerge your top candidate for a solution set along with alternatives, should they be necessary.

During this step, you also research all pertinent data related to the effort.  In the case of returning to work, examples of such resources include:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html

https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-office-workspaces.pdf

Clare Price’s Free Book “Make Remote Work”

Step 6—Plan for Success

Having identified the best path to the goal, the team can develop the detailed plans for getting there. In this step you determine who will do what when, laying out the timeline for implementation to solve the problems and realize the goals.  Each group in your organization will contribute to implementation, so it’s crucial to have them participate in building the plan.

Step 7—Promote the Plan

Prior to implementation, the team needs to socialize the plan with the organization.  Start with context by highlighting the current problems and presenting the vision for the future.  Then, share the details of the path forward to the “new normal.”  If all stakeholders have been well represented to this point, then the organization will embrace the proposal thereby lowering any barriers during implementation.

Step 8—Implement!

With everyone on board, your organization is now ready to implement the plan and transform the organization, creating the organizational systems, processes and behaviors that will fulfill the mission and thrive in the new environment.  While steps 1 though 7 may have taken as long as a few days each, Step 8 will often be the longest step as the team works through the plan.  If challenges arise during implementation, the team can revisit previous steps to get back on track and back to implementation.

Step 9—Debrief and Harmonize

What’s working well? What needs adjustment?  In this step you reflect on the transformation that has taken place and determine what needs smoothing out.  Referring back to the list of problems and goals from Step 1, you can score your effort. You may find that some problems are not adequately solved. Perhaps new problems arose. Rather than a line from start to finish, think of problem solving as a circle—a cycle of continuous improvement getting you ever closer to meeting all your goals.

The New Normal

There is a natural order to problem solving. When faced with a large challenge, your team will go through all nine steps listed above.  By taking the team through each step deliberately and systematically, you will arrive at a satisfactory outcome much more quickly and with much greater stakeholder buy-in.   Doing so creates effective and lasting solutions for your organization.

What methods are you using with your team to adapt to the new working environment? What’s working well? What suggestions would you make for others?