Patti Cotton

Executive Coach & Career Strategist

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Why Your Manager Won’t Make Decisions

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Why Your Manager Won’t Make Decisions
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Do you have a manager who drags their feet when it comes to making important decisions?

This can affect your entire team and your ability to get things done. Moreover, the impact of just one manager’s indecisiveness affects your entire business.

How do you handle this?

“It feels like things have come to a screeching halt,” said Maxine. “I have one department that consistently delivers late – and always has excuses. Help!”

The more Maxine and I talked, the greater the evidence became that the department’s poor performance was affecting other areas of the business.

“The latest debacle is this: Earl promised me reports by deadline, but once again, he was late.” Maxine continued. “He blames two of his employees for various things I won’t bore you with. The outcome is that I did not receive these reports I needed by our deadline. We actually lost business because of it.”

“So, this has actually affected the business’s ability to compete,” I responded. “And what is the problem?”

“Well, I used to think that Earl couldn’t hold his team accountable. He kept blaming them for performance issues. But lately, I’ve noticed that he really drags in his decision-making. And one of his employees told me she had been waiting on directives from him for three days – that she couldn’t move forward with her project until he made a decision on something.”

Maxine’s business was in jeopardy. After talking with Earl, I asked if I could talk with other managers, as well. My discovery showed that we actually needed to revisit a basic framework for decision-making with Maxine, and then to work with the managers to have a shared understanding.

Here are some of the comments from Maxine’s managers – and which may be reasons your own manager hesitates to make decisions:

  1. I don’t have the information I need. It’s hard to weigh the pros and cons when I don’t have the info I need and the larger picture.
  2. I’m not sure I have the authority. Does this decision fall to me, or does it need to be made by my leader?
  3. I don’t feel like I have the knowledge or experience. I’m new to this position and not sure I am equipped. What if my decision is wrong? I’m afraid to commit, not knowing what the outcome might be.
  4. My past experiences in making these kinds of decisions were poor. What will happen if I make a mistake?
  5. This decision is a tough one – how will I handle reactions? How do I get people on board?

Implied in each of these statements is a lack of clarity in parameters. If you sit with your managers, you may find that they hesitate in decision-making because of similar feelings. Discussions around this and identifying on what is needed to fill gaps in this area are crucial.

Encouraging them to reach out when they have questions is something you should expect. However, if this is not happening, you may want to have further conversations to explore reasons behind this. For more on this, see How Safe is it for Your Team to Make Decisions Together?

© Patti Cotton and patticotton.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express written permission from the author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that attribution is made to Patti Cotton and patticotton.com, with links thereto.

Is Your Company Culture Too Nice?

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Is Your Company Culture Too Nice?
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Is your company culture “too nice”?

As a leader, you may think you are doing your business a favor by encouraging politeness. But sometimes, emphasizing this too much may send the wrong message entirely.

How can you tell if you need to toughen up your culture?

Larry was quick to share with me that the culture at his company was warm and friendly, with a “family feel” to it.

“People are very courteous around here,” he said. “But we are in trouble. That’s why I’m calling you for help.”

“What kind of trouble are you experiencing?” I asked.

“I’m discovering that what our people say in meetings is not what they are saying in the hallways. We have quite a few employees that are under-performing, and their supervisors are not willing to hold them accountable. Our deadlines are not being met and we’re not even working on priorities. What’s going on?”

After sitting with Larry and some of his key executives, I discovered what kept his company from being a healthy, high-performing business. And as I shared, Larry’s face showed its dismay.

“You mean the very thing that I emphasized has created the problem?” he asked.

“Not exactly, Larry,” I answered. “Being kind and polite is important. But you need to make sure they don’t take this to mean an unwillingness to set expectations, be transparent, and hold people accountable.”

“I thought I was motivating the staff,” he answered. “After all, you ‘catch more flies with honey than vinegar,’ as they say.”

“Unfortunately, leaders over-emphasize politeness for a variety of reasons, Larry,” I said. “Some may not like conflict. Some might think, as you, that it will motivate people. Others may feel this will foster inclusion. But look where we have wound up, here.

“In fact, I’m willing to wager that you have people agreeing with each other on decisions when you should have healthy debate with different perspectives. This means you are killing possibilities of innovating. You probably have some people who were hired at a high-performing level who have now slowed down their pace to ‘meet the herd.’ And you probably have hidden conflict because people aren’t willing to address critical issues that keep the company from moving forward.”

“You are right,” Larry answered. “I can see that, now. So, what do I do?”

Here are some key steps I outlined which reflect the work we did together over the next few months to turn around Larry’s poor culture.

1. Set new expectations.

When it’s time to shift gears to foster a healthier culture, know what you want – and set these expectations very explicitly. This means defining what your cultural norms are and how they appear in action.For example, if one of your cultural norms is “respect,” what does respect look like when people work with each other? Instead of avoiding tough issues, it can mean confronting these issues by providing timely, critical feedback that supports growth.

2. Foster psychological safety at every level.

There is no high-performing team without psychological safety. Your team members must have each other’s back, support differing perspectives, ensure that everyone has a voice, and more. These are part of team norms – and if you haven’t done this work yet, it’s time now. You will see a huge difference in the way that your team is motivated, how they produce, and how they work together.

3. Hold people accountable for the right things.

Most businesses hold their people accountable for deadlines and for goals reached. But they seldom build in the system and processes they need to support human behavior. What this means is that if you want your people to be respectfully candid and talk about real issues, you need to encourage and reward this.

How does your company’s culture measure up?

  • Are you happy with how motivated and engaged your staff are?
  • How well do they brainstorm to innovate?
  • Do you reward supportive critical feedback that fosters greater development?

Focusing on your company culture means exponentially increasing your business revenues. If you find, like Larry, that your company isn’t where you want it to be, commit to making this a priority.

© Patti Cotton and patticotton.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express written permission from the author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that attribution is made to Patti Cotton and patticotton.com, with links thereto.

Executive Coaching: Understanding the Numbers

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Executive Coaching: Understanding the Numbers
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Returning to work means reexamining how you operate to get things done. It’s an opportunity to see whether you and your staff can be even more effective in light of the complexities that have developed in the world which affect the business landscape. It’s time to fine-tune your leadership and take it to the next level.

But as business owners seek to develop their leadership and that of others in the company, they often focus on presenting workshops, classroom training, and mentoring programs. These have proven to be the least effective in developing leadership. Executive coaching, which is called upon less frequently, has proven to work best for leadership development, and the numbers reflect this.

“But my training budget is modest,” said one leader. “I can’t give every executive her own private coach.”

I agree that executive coaching may appear to be more costly. But the return is also much higher. Studies by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the American Management Association show the following: When businesses invest in executive coaching to develop greater leadership, they recognize a mean ROI (return on investment) of 7 times that of their initial investment, with a solid 25% of those same companies reporting a return of 10-49 times the investment.

How might your business benefit from such returns?

Typical ROI results reported from executive coaching include (but are not limited to) increased revenue and profitability, reaching or exceeding organizational goals, higher performance and productivity, greater creativity and innovation, and enhanced skills in communications and conflict management.

At the same time, leaders have all heard disappointing stories of coaching experiences that cause hesitation.

“How do I know it will work?” asked one executive. “My colleague really enjoyed his coaching experience, but he said it never really helped him reach any tangible goals.”

Sadly, his story is not unique.

How can you ensure, then, that your investment will pay off sizable dividends? Careful planning to identify a leader’s development goals and objectives is not enough. The coaching engagement should be overseen by a formally trained coach using proven methodologies, and the plan should have distinct measurables (more numbers!) that serve as success markers to gauge how well the process is working.

You may also consider team coaching, which can make the most of your budget, and still have great returns. New evidence supporting the effectiveness of this approach is exciting, and can yield such outcomes as greater trust, performance, alignment, and coordination (and these are just a few dividends).

A lot of leaders, in their eagerness to get “back to normal,” have given little thought to leadership development. The return to work has been first and foremost on most minds. However, with the complexities that COVID has brought to us, leaders and other decision-makers will need to sharpen their skills in decision-making and execution.

Indeed, the COI (cost of inaction) when it comes to leadership development is staggering and has increased exponentially with the new business landscape. For example, 67% of all productivity loss can be attributed to poor communication and conflict. Less-than-optimal leadership practices can cost a business an amount equal to as much as 7% of its total annual sales. There’s much more, but I think you are getting the picture.

Why don’t more companies take advantage of this tool?

Leaders fall into what we call “normalcy bias,” where they feel they are doing well, even when they are not. They may feel that coaching is only for corrective situations, or their executives seem too busy for coaching. And many feel their teams are meeting every goal they set. If the latter is your case, I’d challenge you to think about whether things are just too easy, and what could be accomplished by stretching those goals.

As the great “return to work” continues, and you think about whether your company is ready for more change, ask yourself if you are really fully equipped to lead it. Make sure that your investment, however you allocate it, provides you with a great return.

The Clockwork of Excellent Leadership:   3 Essential Gears

What makes up excellent leadership? The essential components that go into leadership must all work together, or they begin to wear on one another and bring things to a stop. Learn how to keep them running like clockwork. Sign up to receive the  complimentary infographic.

© Patti Cotton and patticotton.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express written permission from the author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that attribution is made to Patti Cotton and patticotton.com, with links thereto.

Does Your Leadership Suffer from the Bandwagon Effect?

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Does Your Leadership Suffer from the Bandwagon Effect?
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Are you following the crowd when it comes to the way you lead? You may not think so.

However, if you are like most leaders, you may unwittingly suffer from “the Bandwagon Effect” without knowing it.

The Bandwagon Effect is a cognitive bias that can cause us to think and act in certain ways if we believe others are doing the same.

My father had a different way of describing it.

“Monkey see, monkey do, Patti,” he would quip.

Does any of this sound familiar?

1. Do you react to the current conditions that affect your business, rather than anticipate and plan for change? Or do you hesitate to adopt new practices or approaches until you see others doing this with success?

Learning to read the business landscape and anticipate with confidence and action enables you to lead out in front. Otherwise, you will be left behind.

2. Are you shortchanging the development of your own leadership?

It’s necessary to stay relevant and sharp. Reading the latest books everyone else recommends, as well as attending recommended conferences and industry meetings is important. But do you take a systematic approach to developing your personal leadership? Intentionally targeting and working on your personal blind spots and growth opportunities is key to operating at your best.

3. Are you missing an accountability mechanism for your leadership development?

The Bandwagon Effect would reflect that you rely on your board or your colleagues, holding you accountable for business outcomes. But who supports you rising to your potential in the way you lead? Be sure you have a confidential “internal board of directors” for this, comprised of leaders who have your back, understand you and your business, and invite you to take responsibility for your growth.

Where does the Bandwagon Effect show up in the way that you lead yourself and your business? I challenge you over the coming week to carefully examine the way you make decisions and take action to see where you can break away and get out in front.

© Patti Cotton and patticotton.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express written permission from the author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that attribution is made to Patti Cotton and patticotton.com, with links thereto.

Leading In 2021: Check Your Decision-Making Process

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Leading In 2021: Check Your Decision-Making Process
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If you are feeling the effects of chronic pandemic fatigue, you are not alone. Yet, as leader, you can’t afford it. Your role calls for you to be fresh and alert, with answers that respond to the immediate and support the future.

Samantha recognized her team’s ability to make decisions together had eroded over time.

“We need a total reboot when it comes to our decision-making process,” she said. “How do I go about that?”

“Decision-making is critical, and especially now that uncharted territory becomes the norm,” I said. You are in the same boat as a lot of other excellent leaders. Let’s start with a basic framework for making sound decisions. And I’ll give you some additional things to think about at each step.”

Keys to Sound Decision-Making

  1. Identify the issue.

This sounds simple, yet many mistakenly pinpoint the problem they see as the issue that needs fixing.

What’s the difference?

You may receive reports that your call center or area that supports customer inquiries cannot handle the incoming calls. But is it the employees’ abilities, the process they use, or the system that supports their area?

In my work with leaders, I often hear, “They just need to learn how to work faster.”

This may be true in some cases. However, I find that most employees want to do well, and it can be, instead, that the process they are asked to use or the system that supports the department is at fault. Be sure to analyze the problem that is in front of you to see if there is a root cause or issue that needs to be remedied. Otherwise, you will spend time and energy on something that will continue to erupt.

  1. Identify and include key stakeholders in your discussions.

Who needs to be involved?

Classically, the executive team or leader and group for the immediate area will assemble to discuss and decide on solutions. However, a great deal of valuable input is missed if we don’t ask the question, “Who will be affected by the decision in front of you?” and then involve representatives from that area to take place in the discussions. Once you include voices from those who will be impacted, you can gather a lot of key information that will help you avoid and redirect potential problems coming from the solution!

  1. Make a real decision.

Once you have identified the issue and assembled key stakeholders around the table, make sure you don’t wind up suffering from normalcy bias or, “the ostrich effect.” Normalcy bias says we will avoid the problem by ignoring it. If you have left a meeting without having made a decision toward a next step, your team is reflecting normalcy bias. This often occurs because people do not want to have the tough conversations needing to occur. If you feel your team is waffling on a decision, ask yourself what conversation needs to take place in order to move forward.

  1. Play out the scenarios to assess potential impact.

Take the short list of solutions and outline how each of them would play out. Whom and what would they affect? How? Can you measure or quantify this? What would wins entail? Losses? Be sure you tease out the impact of each so that you are ready to take responsibility for the outcomes.

  1. Watch for hidden agendas and subtle non-commitment.

Keep watch for those team members that do not speak up or that make comments that reflect a lack of commitment. Call on them to weigh in to make sure you have ferreted out any potential dissension. And, conversely, watch for those who are quick to agree without asking questions. This may indicate either a lack of interest, understanding, or an avoidance to confrontation in case they disagree.

Finally, I shared with Samantha that a shared agreement around how the those involved will remain aligned and coordinated throughout the process is imperative. Who will be the gatekeeper for this process?

The way you and your team make decisions can make or break the future success of your company. I encourage you to have a conversation around the way you make decisions and to test the steps outlined above.

The Clockwork of Excellent Leadership:   3 Essential Gears

What makes up excellent leadership? The essential components that go into leadership must all work together, or they begin to wear on one another and bring things to a stop. Learn how to keep them running like clockwork. Sign up to receive the  complimentary infographic.

© Patti Cotton and patticotton.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express written permission from the author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that attribution is made to Patti Cotton and patticotton.com, with links thereto.