Leadership Quote of the Week

There is only one way to avoid criticism;

do nothing, 

say nothing, 

and be nothing. 

Aristotle

Culture Trumps Strategy

"Culture trumps strategy" has become a popular axiom in today's management literature. The belief is that having a strong, intentional organizational culture is more important to success than pursuing the right strategy.  The best organizations are not those who always make the right strategic decisions. The best organizations are those that are made up of staff who share a commitment to a common set of goals and embrace the same core values.

How do you create a strong organizational culture?

1. Identify and articulate what your organizations believes. Have a clear, written mission and core values.

2. Hire staff who buy into your mission and embrace your core values. Make values are important component of your selection process. If one of your values is putting the needs of guests first, hire staff members who value serving others and are willing to put the needs of others before their own.

3. Integrate teaching your mission and values into every aspect of staff training. Every topic in staff training should be linked to your mission and values. Teach not only what to do, but why it's done a particular way at your campground.

4. Lead by modeling your mission and values. If you want it to be part of your organizational culture, it must be part of how you and your leadership team lead your staff.

If You Have to Tell Them Rethink Your Leadership

Recently a colleague asked how to go about telling a staff member they would not be rehired at campground the next season. As I reflected on their question it struck me that while the immediate issue was this difficult conversation, there was a bigger issue that needed to be addressed. How does a staff member make it through a season and not know they didn't live up to expectations?

Staff members want, need and deserve regular honest feedback. We need to be regularly observing their performance and giving them feedback, both positive and negative. If ongoing performance issues exist we should be doing ongoing coaching to try to resolve the issue. At the end of the season they deserve an honest evaluation of how they did, both the good and the not so good.

If we get to fall or winter and staff members don't know where they stand on how they performed last season we need to take a hard look at how we're leading our staff.

Responding to Challenges

When faced with challenges that seem overwhelming, Lolly Daskai, President of Lead From Within, reminds us that "what happens within us is at least as important as what happens to us." She offers five helpful strategies we can use when the challenges we encounter threaten  to become too much to handle.

1. Focus on the route, rather than the destination.

2. Focus on what you have, not what you lack.

3. Focus on what you can do, and not what you can't.

4. Focus on containing the challenge and not drowning in drama.

5. Focus on trusting yourself and not wavering within.

Feedback - Or What Your Own Eyes Cannot See

INSPIRE Behavior Change

Karin Hurt in her Let's Grow Leaders blog recently shared a simple but effective process for inspiring behavior change. She recommends what she calls the INSPIRE method.

I - Initiate: Start the discussion in a respectful tone.

N - Notice: Be clear about what you observed.

S - Support: Give supporting evidence regarding your concern.

P - Provide: Offer suggestions to help the staff member improve.

I - Inquire: Ask questions to check for understanding.

R - Review: Have the staff member review what they have committed to doing.

E - Enforce: Follow through with reward or reprimand as appropriate.

Leadership Quote of the Week

Tell me and I forget. 

Teach me and I remember. 

Involve me and I learn. 

Benjamin Franklin

The Myth of Multitasking

Many of us as leaders believe we're effective at "multitasking." The reality, however, is that our brains are just not physically wired to multitask. In reality what happens when we attempt to multitask is that our brain quickly shifts from task to task. This switching from task to task can lead to brain fatigue. It also reduces accuracy and productivity.

According to the Center for Brain Health attempting to multitask also causes the build up of the stress hormone cortisol. Over time the increase in cortisol can lead to:

- Decline in memory
- Increased brain cell death
- Decreased neuron activity
- Weakened immune system
- Poor cognitive functioning
- Greater brain atrophy

Tools of the Trade...The Notebook

Everywhere I go on the campground I always carry a small pocket size spiral notebook and a pen. I've found these notebooks to be one of the most important tools I have as a leader. As I interact with guests and staff, observe programs and use the campground's equipment and facilities I find myself constantly noticing things. Great things I see or hear staff doing. Areas where I see staff members could improve. New and improved program ideas. Facility issues that need attention.

Everything I notice goes into the notebook before I forget it. At least once a day I review my notes and take action. I find a moment to tell a staff member they did a good job. I talk with our leadership team about an issue I saw. I tell our maintenance folks about a facility problem.

During training I let staff know I take notes to help keep track of both the great things happening and areas we need to work on. They come to expect and eventually ignore my note taking (and of other leadership team members who find it helpful.) Over the course of the season I go through several notebooks that become beaten and battered. These invaluable tools record the story of the season, both the good and the bad.

Everyday Leadership

Performance Improvement Plans

Despite our best efforts in recruiting, training and supervising, all of us who serve in leadership roles will eventually have to deal with an employee that is performing poorly. One of the most effective ways of dealing with poor performance is to use a performance improvement plan. Often based on a 90 day time frame, these plans help the employee understand what changes need to be made and provide support in their effort to improve. Should improvement not occur, the plan provides a sound basis for termination or other disciplinary action.

Beth Armknecht Miller, CEO or Executive Velocity, suggests a six step approach to developing a performance improvement plan.

1. Don't ignore the facts. Be clear about what behavior is unacceptable.

2. Don't Act on Rumors. Get the facts before acting.

3. Develop an Objective Performance Plan. Set clear, measurable performance oriented objectives.

4. Set Clear Consequences. Make sure the staff member is clear on what happens if performance doesn't improve.

5. Follow Up Regularly. Check progress, offer help and provide correction regularly.

6. Coach with Consistency.  Be consistent in your standards and in confronting the staff member when they don't meet those standards.

Leadership Quote of the Week

One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.    Arnold Glasow

Developing Leadership Confidence

Dan McCarthy. director of Executive Development Programs at the University of New Hampshire suggests there are 12 ways to develop leadership confidence. They include:

1. Learn about leadership.
2. Network with other leaders.
3. Develop realistic self-awareness.
4. Help others be more successful.
5. Celebrate wins.
6. Look confident.
7. Learn and practice positive psychology.
8. Develop your emotional intelligence (EQ).
9. Project confidence.
10. Ask others for help.
11. Stop asking “mother may I” and make a decision.
12. Develop a sense of humor.