One of my clients asked how to summarize the events of a new board meeting. He was an observer, there were 6 active board members, and his company invested in the board so that he could represent their business interests. He asked, “How do I track each leader?”
We discussed the template below.
Often when I meet a new coaching client I use this template to help them identify those they work with, and the behaviors required for their success. Some people can assess others quickly. Others require a structure to list what to say/do. No one ever wants to “stick their foot in their mouth.”
You can adopt this template to coaching your team, when taking notes, or when practicing leadership. Try it.
I’ve used it for decades with hundreds of leaders.
Here is the gist:
The result is a dated snapshot of my summary, that validates the other people’s values, reminds me of what to say/do, and indicates possible next steps.
List the team/ board members in rows so that you keep them organized. Add any other key team members/ board observers. Add contact info/ affiliations. List no more than 5-7 leaders so that you can stay focused on them.
Column 2 is “What should I say/do”. If someone values their ego/ own voice, then you can publicly validate them when you agree. If they want to be addressed formally, then be sure to do so consistently.
Column 3 is “What should I NOT say/do.” If someone requires time to verbally process new ideas, then please do NOT interrupt them. If they are conflict avoidant, then do not confront them publicly for non-critical issues…
Column 4 is “Next steps.” I use this column to note people/ articles/ resources that the leader may appreciate. These notes provide a simple structure for me to follow up, if useful.
I encourage you to adopt this template and PRACTICE leadership. Today. What are you waiting for?
Then contact me and share your success story or questions.
Recently I was asked to give career advice. This reply can be used by anyone in any career, or any manager tasked with measuring the value of their investment.
The career question was: What area of study is better for a career in industrial/organizational psychology? (e.g., clinical psychology, cognition, cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, perception, personality psychology, or social psychology.)
My reply: Get nerdy. I strongly recommend that you conduct one of the following two research studies.
Take a quantitative approach.
(a) Start with the leading professional associations such as division 14 in the American Psychological Association described at https://www.apa.org/about/division/div14. Or Division 13 at https://www.apa.org/about/division/div13. Then study the data at SIOP. Request their whitepapers and industry trend data on recommended career paths. Synthesize key points from each document so that you can reference them later if required.
(b) After collecting data on the professional associations that interest you, define 4-5 research questions (RQs) that interest you. I think that the problem you want to solve is something like, “What specialty is better for me and why?” Examples of RQs include: 1. What specialty makes more money? 2. What specialty enables me to work with the kinds of clients I desire to serve? 3. What specialty is affordable and attainable within 5 years? 4. What specialty will enable me to shift career interests every 10 years if desired?
( c ) Analyze your results. Your RQs will drive the data. Create a 2-4 page summary analysis based on each RQ and your findings to date.
(d) Share the data and your summary analysis with 3-4 older people who are honest and capable of providing direct feedback. Avoid your loved ones. Have a conversation with them about how you have analyzed the data and discuss how they interpret the data.
2. Take a qualitative approach.
(a) Select a large sample (n = 100+) of representative practitioners with self-declared expertise in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Start with sample searches in open digital communities such as LinkedIn or Quora. Then collect practitioners from professional associations such as SIOP or https://www.apa.org/about/division/div13. Create a spreadsheet with names, email, digital link, contact requests, contact notes. Add me to your list if useful. Then add any of my first level connections or followers.
(b) Define 4-5 research questions that you would like to ask. Sample RQs may include: 1. What were significant milestones in your graduate education? 2. How are you implementing your graduate education into your daily work today? 3. What advice do you have for me if I were to adopt a career path like yours? 4. What skills do you use daily in your consulting practice that can be learned in graduate school?
( c ) With permission from the participants, record the conversations. Take notes on themes and categories that emerge. For research protocols study textbooks such as Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research, 2nd ed. (Creswell & Plano, 2011). To be clear, your study can be simple. If you can have 10 conversations with 10 representatives of where you would like to be in 10 years, then your qualitative study should have tremendous value.
(d) Analyze your results. I suspect that you will be able to define what your sample population recommends after 5-6 conversations. I hope that data will inform you to conduct additional research in your career.
A closing thought: If you are not inclined to conduct a simple research study like the ones described above, then you are not likely to be successful in I/O psychology…
Researchers collect data and analyze results.
Consultants assess and recommend.
I certainly hope that you conduct the research you need, sooner rather than later, so that you can serve thousands of clients.
Remote work and remote teams are “here to stay.” I have been working remotely since 2004.
As you know, humans have always adapted to aversive stimuli, such as a global virus, in one of two ways: Fear and Resilience.
FEAR
If you are paralyzed by fear, then I encourage you to ONLY read social media once a day. In the morning. For no more than 10 minutes. Instead, read the facts from 2-3 sources that represent public interests, such as public safety, and ways to practice new patterns of communication. See the links below. Fear prevents clear thinking.
2. RESILIENCE
Resilience is defined as our ability to respond to an aversive stimuli and return to a previous state, or a better state. Resilience is dynamic. Resilience can be taught and developed. Here are some examples.
Create something special for someone else. It will force you to engage your prefrontal cortex, be mindful ,and practice gratitude. Here is an example that I created yesterday called “How to Lead Virtual Teams.” You can apply it to your family, work team, or favorite non profit. Please share it with others.
Read something uplifting and new. One of my favorites is the Greater Good Science Center here. Search for funny videos on YouTube. Share them with your friends. Study a free course online. Visit the daily digest at Good News Network or Happify.
Contact 5 or more different people every day, and do something kind for them. When we practice kindness with different people, the effect is greater on our subjective well-being / happiness than if we focus on one special person. Share your love. “Sprinkling kindness” has more impact than “focusing kindness.”
Practice both social distancing and virtual connecting. They go hand in hand. We have more digital tools than ever in human history to practice virtual connections. You can send short videos to quarantined people in assisted living homes. You can distribute home baked goods and cards to your neighbors. You can meet using Skype/ Zoom/ WebEx/ Facetime at any time to brighten someone’s day, or dance, or exercise, or laugh together. I did so 4 times today. How about you?
The fact is that OKRs are a feedback process that requires regular practice.
Objectives are WHAT is to be achieved. They are qualitative, subjective, and significant. For instance, “increase revenue” or “decrease undesired turnover.”
Key Results (KRs) are numbers. They are 3-5 quantitative measures that verify the status of any objective. For instance, “increase recurring client sales revenue from $500k/month to $525K/month by the end of Q3” or “increase 1:1 performance reviews by 8% at all warehouses within 30 days.” ALL good business leaders use numbers to drive change.
I coined the phrase “OKR Leadership” because clients asked, “what really works?” OKR Leadership is defined as a process for managers and leaders to practice what matters.
Why do attorneys get to “practice” law, and physicians get to “practice” medicine, when leaders NEED to practice leadership?
Too many leaders are not effective. That’s not their fault. They have never been taught how to influence others toward a better future. They have not practiced public optimism. Those skills are complex. And they need to be practiced regularly.
For details on HOW to measure OKRs, WHY measure them, and WHAT you can do to practice OKR Leadership, read my new book Objectives + Key Results (OKR) Leadership; How to Apply Silicon Valley’s Secret Sauce to Your Career, Team or Organization (2019) or download a free excerpt from https://okrleadership.com/
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