Not all practice is the same nor equally beneficial.

Some practice is no more than merely playing or conditioning.

The reality with most practice is that we focus on the things that we enjoy doing the most, which are typically the things that we are already good at. It is like an athlete engaging in a scrimmage. Sure, there are advantages of this kind of practice, but it does not provide as much opportunity for the brain to engage in the practice as it does the muscles. And, unfortunately, it creates potentially detrimental muscle memory of skills not yet well developed.

K. Anders Ericsson, who has done extensive research into the benefits of different kinds of practice suggests that when playing a game, you get only a single change to make a shot from any given location. You don’t get to figure out how you can correct mistakes.

Think of a golfer who always just plays golf by themselves and never watches others golf and never goes to the practice range. They can use their score as an indicator of whether their game is improving, but how will they know which aspect of their game (driving, iron shots, pitches, chips, putts, sand shots, etc) needs improving if they don’t keep some simple stats and then deliberately practice those aspects of their game that add the most strokes. But even just going to the driving range and hitting balls aimlessly will do nothing more than provide some conditioning benefit while potentially reinforcing bad habits while extending the learning curve.

All learning starts with awareness. We all have some degree of self-awareness, but that will only take us so far. Playing and practicing with others—especially with the assistance and direction of coaches and mentors—provides increased awareness and accelerates learning and the development of skills. We need to be open to feedback and, better yet, ask for it.

The best form of practice is an approach called deliberate practice, which involves purposeful and systematic practice. In golf this involves picking a target, measuring the distance, consistently lining up shots—potentially with an alignment stick, having somebody watch and provide feedback—or use a video camera, etc.

Deliberate Practice is a form of intentionality and most people will not do it because it requires additional effort and is not [seemingly] as much fun. But intentionality is all about doing the little things that are as easy to do as not to do and from which the results are not easy to measure in the short term. Hence why most don’t engage in deliberate practice.

Ericsson has determined that deliberate practice involves two kinds of learning: improving the skills you already have and extending the reach and range of your skills.

Deliberate Practice also requires intentional concentration. The famous violinist Nathan Milstein wrote, “Practice as much as you can with concentration.” His mentor, Professor Auer, suggested, “It really doesn’t matter how long you practice. If you practice with your fingers, no amount is enough. If you practice with your head, two hours is plenty.”

Ericsson notes that across a wide range of experts, including athletes, novelists, and musicians, very few appear to be able to engage in more than four or five hours of high concentration and deliberate practice at a time.

Great Leaders understand that deliberate practice not only shortens a learning curve but allows others to achieve much more of their personal best. That is why great leaders provide valuable feedback while challenging others to stretch beyond their comfort zone.

Gain more insights from K. Anders Ericsson’s Harvard Business Review article, The Making of an Expert.

Herb Mast is a Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.

Without respect there is no trust.

That is why respect is such an important element of leadership.

Respect cannot be demanded. It must be earned, just like leadership capital must be earned. And as difficult as it can be to earn respect it can easily and quickly be eroded, if not erased, by careless behaviors, attitudes, and words.

Respect is also considered to be one of the cornerstones of team engagement. Nothing evaporates intrinsic desire like being disrespected.

Respect is defined as:

1. A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
2. Due regard for the feeling, wishes, rights, or traditions or others.

Respect is demonstrated in how we treat not only people, but places and things as well.

Respect is different from dignity in that respect must be earned, while dignity is something that is inherent in our humanity.

In his blog, 6 Transformative Benefits of Respect in the Workplace (https://blog.bonus.ly/6-transformative-benefits-of-respect-in-the-workplace), Johnny Duncan, author and consultant, claims that over half of employees don’t regularly get respect from their leaders. He points out that a simple act like saying good morning is “showing respect for another person, not just by greeting them, but by simply acknowledging that they exist.”

People deserve to be valued and not diminished. Saying good morning is a simple way of showing another person that you value them. In the same way saying please and thank you also conveys value. Simple behaviors that self-absorbed people, including many leaders, feel are unnecessary or beneath them.

Johnny Duncan points out that respect for others in the workplace provides at least six transformative benefits:

1. Higher Job Satisfaction
2. Increased Employee Engagement
3. A Fairer Environment
4. Stress Reduction
5. Better Knowledge Sharing [and Collaboration]
6. Enhanced Bottom Line

Duncan says, “With respect in the workplace, the workplace becomes a blessing, not a burden. Respect replaces jealousy with joy, backstabbing with pats on the back, and harassment with high fives.”

Showing respect involves appropriate behaviors as it relates to people, places, and things.

Lisa Quast, former Forbes Leadership Contributor, shares some suggestions for earning respect in the workplace (https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2012/02/27/r-e-s-p-e-c-t-how-to-earn-respect-at-work/#6eec9a5d5749):

• Use active listening skills – really listen and hear what people are saying.
• Treat others with dignity and courtesy at all times.
• Keep all your commitments – and never make a commitment you can’t keep.
• Be patient with people; realize that most people want to do what’s right.
• Treat others as they would like to be treated; in other words, learn to flex your social style so you can work better with others.
• Don’t state your opinions unless you can back them up with data. And be sure you fully understand the situation before you comment on it.
• Be sincere.
• Be generous.
• Be humble.
• Be confident, but exhibit confidence without arrogance.

To be a great leader is to be aware of your behaviors and the respect that they convey, or not. That is why great leaders do not rely on their own awareness and seek the observation and perspective of others. We all have blind spots, but great leaders avail themselves of as many mirrors as possible to do everything in their power to maintain a high respect environment and culture.

Herb Mast is a Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.

Policies are good, provided they are not seen as the end-all.

Unfortunately, once a policy has been established too many people stop thinking and simply refer to policy.

I believe the intent of policies is to provide clarity and guidance so as to direct behaviors and actions. There is, however, no policy that will fit every circumstance. And a wrongfully applied policy can be more harmful than no policy at all.

I have often heard staff site policy to customers to avoid taking care of a customer’s issue. I had my own experience with this when my HVAC company would not honor their 10 year warranty. They said the warranty is only 5 years if the product is not registered within 90 days of install. The State of California has consumer protection laws to keep manufacturers from imposing unjust policies and the manufacturer admits that in California no product registration is required to receive the 10 year warranty.

My AC system was less than 10 years old, but the builder had neglected to inform us about the product registration stipulation. When I followed up with the manufacturer I was repeatedly told that their “policy requires…”

A better approach than constantly referring to policies is to be clear and intentional about core values: defining what they are, clearly communicating them to staff, creating a culture where actions and behaviors are aligned with the values, and providing appropriate accountability when things are out of alignment. Add to this a dose of grace for when a situation is not clear cut.

Policies are the letter of the law, while core values represent the spirit of the law. Never lose touch with the human element. People do business with people and the relationship is always more important than the transaction. 

Whatever you do, don’t hide behind policies. Rather discuss the situation and figure out how core values should dictate an appropriate response.

Herb Mast is a Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.

Consensus represents a general agreement; a common direction.

The core role of a leader is to get a team from HERE to THERE. 

Imagine how much time, energy, and resources are wasted when people pull in different directions.

THERE is ultimately defined by the stakeholders, but it’s the leader’s job is to mold the attitudes, passions, desires, behaviors, and ultimately actions of a group of people to get THERE. 

How a leader molds the hearts and minds of followers is what determines the cohesiveness and effectiveness of the team and ultimately the results produced. That is why some teams perform better than others.

An engine provides a helpful analogy. Many diverse inputs come together and create the energy to propel the vehicle forward. Diversity is celebrated in a controlled environment, but then the energy is funneled to maximize propulsion. 

In like manner, Great Leaders celebrate diversity within controlled environments, but then ensure that consensus is reached for maximum team effectiveness.

Herb Mast is a Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.

Invariably when you ask employees what they consider to be the two biggest challenges at work they say communication and teamwork. No surprise there. It has been this way for years, even decades. Maybe even since the beginning of time. Why?

We know the problem, but struggle with the solution.

I’m convinced that communication is about motivation and opportunity and teamwork is about common goals and alignment.

Wouldn’t it stand to reason that if we continue to struggle with the same issues we have not yet found a formula that works. And if we keep executing the same ineffective formula, hoping it will suddenly work, we may be exhibiting signs of insanity. So what does all this have to do with one-on-ones?

One-on-ones seem to be the most underutilized tool available to managers and leaders, but a tool that great leaders seem to rely on. Maybe that is why they are great leaders and invariably achieve better results.

Part of the challenge is that managers and poor leaders still function as producers and/or micromanagers rather than leaders. Great leaders recognize that their job is not to do the work, but to care for those who do the work. When a manager is overly involved in producing their time is split and the manager is caught in a conflict of interest—doing the work or leading the person who is doing the work. Hence, as they focus on producing or micromanaging they never seem to have enough time to do one-on-ones. And when that happens production takes priority over leading.

I have spoken to many managers over the years who have shared frustrations with the dysfunction and ineffectiveness of members of their team. After some discussion about their own management efforts I learn that they do not do regular one-on-ones with their direct reports! Why? Most site a lack of time, lack of motivation, and/or not seeing the value.

One-on-ones are an incredibly powerful tool that remain underutilized by most managers. 

A Harvard Business Review article (https://hbr.org/2016/08/how-to-make-your-one-on-ones-with-employees-more-productive) provides the following tips for more effective one-on-ones (read the article for more in-depth insights to each of the items below):

• Block regular time in your schedule
• Prepare discussion points
• Be fully present
• Start positive
• Problem-solve
• Ask questions about career plans
• Express gratitude (start and end with positivity)

The article goes on the suggest the following principles for effective one-on-ones:

Do:

• Begin each meeting by sharing a win. It creates positive energy.
• Notify your employee in advance if you plan to touch on professional development — those conversations require reflection and thought.
• Be curious. Listen to your colleague’s concerns and provide feedback and ideas on how she might solve problems.

Don’t:

• Cancel. Demonstrate to your employee that he takes priority by arriving on time.
• Be rigid. While it’s wise to have an agenda, it’s also important to be flexible.
• Forget to say “thank you.” It’s important to show your colleague that you value him.

The article also features a couple case studies for those who want to see a one-on-one in action.

Bottom line: If you are not currently doing one-on-ones with your direct reports it is time to do so in order to improve communication and teamwork for good.

Herb Mast is a Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.

Does being transparent mean that you need to reveal all things to all people?

Absolutely not!

Not everybody can handle all information and not everybody deserves all information—this is a valid argument but secondary consideration. The primary consideration is a matter of the heart. Your heart. Are you willing to share? Are you willing to let others see into your heart…your true beliefs and motives? Even when it requires you to sacrifice your ego?

The key to transparency is context and whether the information you share will be helpful. If it won’t be helpful, don’t share it. But if it would be helpful are you willing to share, even if it exposes weaknesses and struggles? The ego does not like being exposed. Hence, for self-preservation many people make the mistake of protecting their ego instead of looking after others.

Transparency and vulnerability are fundamental to building trust. That is why leadership requires courage—to be transparent even when it costs you something—so that you can build trust and leadership capital with others.

The next time you feel tempted to withhold information from others, ask yourself these three questions:

1. Can the other person handle the information? (If not, be cautious in sharing)
2. Would the information be helpful to the other person? (If yes, then share)
3. Why would I not share the information transparently? (If the answer is that it requires personal sacrifice to your ego then lean heavy on your courage and share)

Herb Mast is a Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.

We will never know everything, and as Neil deGrasse Tyson observed, “A great challenge of life is knowing enough to think you’re doing it right, but not enough to know you’re doing it wrong.”

Two powerful things happen when we ask questions:

1. Others are challenged to dig deeper;
2. We expand our own perspective.

Too many people in positions of power and authority allow their ego to get in the way of effective leadership when they act like they are the smartest person in the room and already have all the answers. Not surprisingly, when we act like we do not need input others stop contributing. That is why humility is one of the most important character traits of great leaders. Humble leaders know that a team is better when all the members are curious, thinking, and contributing.

Research also shows that an amazing thing happens in the brain when others ask for our input—our brains get energized and function better. Part of this is no doubt a result of feeling valued along with the challenge associated with problem solving.

But, asking questions is only half of the equation, listening to the answers is the other half.

When asking questions it is important to listen with authentic interest, both for the benefit of other person, in showing courtesy and respect, and for our own benefit, to glean value from the answer.

A valuable resource to improve your question asking skills is John Maxwell’s book, Good Leaders Ask Great Questions.

A good reminder for leaders is to tell less and to ask more.

Herb Mast is a Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.

The fear of crashing typically leads to a fear of flying. A track record of safe landings goes a long way to lessening those fears.

The same holds true in organizations when it comes to trying new things or speaking candidly with a teammate.

We all know that innovation and collaboration (a more valuable form of communication) are the cornerstones of effective business enterprises, but did you know that most innovation and collaboration don’t take place due to fear—fear of failing, repercussions, vulnerability, being misunderstood, conflict, etc.

The process of Innovation and collaboration, finding new and better solutions, involve risk and discomfort, which most people try to avoid unless they feel safe.

In Dare to Lead, Brene Brown, says that we need to teach people how to land before they jump. She says their research shows that leaders who are trained in “rising skills” as part of a courage-building program are more likely to engage in courageous behaviors because they know how to get back up. In her organization they teach falling as part of courage-building during onboarding.

The conundrum is that we want to have brave people on our team, and brave people are going to fall, but if they don’t have the skills to get back up they are going to avoid falling. So we need to teach them the skills to get back up while providing an environment within which they feel comfortable to fall.

In short, the rising skills Brown teaches, are:

1. Reckon with your emotions by noticing and investigating them.
   • Recognize your emotions, by giving yourself permission to feel.
   • Ask yourself why you’re feeling these emotions, be curious and investigate.

The reason this works is that by being curious, you’re automatically coming up with creative solutions.

2. We make up stories to cope with our emotions, but sometimes these stories turn into traps we can’t seem to escape from. 

But it’s just a story you tell yourself, nothing more. Rumbling is about keeping these stories in check. It’s like a BS detector for your own thoughts.

3. Revolutionize your attitude with the results.

When you channel your insights from rumbling into positive changes, a revolution follows.

To take a deeper dive into this topic I recommend reading Rising Strong. 

Great leaders teach their people how to land and encourage them to take brave behaviors so that they are better able to contribute their natural best for the benefit of themselves, their team, and the outcomes being pursued.

Herb Mast is a Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.

Somebody doesn’t magically become a leader, nor are they born a leader.

Leadership is developed over time and the best leaders emerge when they simply do the things they love and with conviction speak their minds with integrity and hold to the mission with courage—regardless of whether they are paid to do so.

Sure, some people are born with certain attributes which allow them to be more aggressive or more social or more intelligent, but those attributes do not automatically result in leadership. Those attributes can be applied in a number of different areas besides leadership, including being a good follower.

Further, just because a person is a great leader in one situation does not determine that they will be a great leader in all situations.

Leadership is ultimately about intentional influence in specific directions to achieve the common goals of a team, rather than the goals of the leader. As such, attributes like humility and courage become equally, if not more, important in distinguishing leaders.

Hence, great leadership is about [lifestyle] being true to talents and passions and living your values.

Herb Mast is a Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.

When people don’t feel safe they go into self-protection mode, which results in them holding back and avoiding learning, while becoming reactive and defensive.

Safety is not just about avoiding physical danger, but psychological danger as well.

People function at their best when they feel safe and can take risks without fear of blame, repercussion, admonishment, humiliation, or shame.

Taking risks and trying new things is necessary for innovation, collaboration, learning, and continuous improvement.

Amy Edmondson, author of Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete, says that, “Psychological safety is a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes.”

Google did a two year study, code named Project Aristotle, to better understand what makes some teams better than others and found that psychological safety was the number one determining factor. 

“There’s no team without trust,” says Paul Santagata, Head of Industry at Google. The tech giant’s massive two-year study on team performance revealed that the highest-performing teams have one thing in common: psychological safety, the belief that you won’t be punished when you make a mistake. 

Studies show that psychological safety allows for moderate risk-taking, speaking your mind, creativity, and sticking your neck out without fear of having it cut off.

What Amy Edmonson and Google both found in their separate studies, is that teams which made more mistakes were actually more successful than others. Why? Because creating an environment in which people feel comfortable to take risks is key to fostering innovation in the workplace.

So, how does a leader create a psychologically safe environment? 

According to a Harvard Business Review article by Laura Delizonna, High-Performing Teams Need Psychological Safety. Here’s How to Create It, leaders can replicate the steps that Santagata took with his team at Google:

1. Approach conflict as a collaborator, not an adversary. We humans hate losing even more than we love winning. A perceived loss triggers attempts to reestablish fairness through competition, criticism, or disengagement, which is a form of workplace-learned helplessness. Santagata knows that true success is a win-win outcome, so when conflicts come up, he avoids triggering a fight-or-flight reaction by asking, “How could we achieve a mutually desirable outcome?”

2. Speak human to human. Underlying every team’s who-did-what confrontation are universal needs such as respect, competence, social status, and autonomy. Recognizing these deeper needs naturally elicits trust and promotes positive language and behaviors. Santagata reminded his team that even in the most contentious negotiations, the other party is just like them and aims to walk away happy. He led them through a reflection called “Just Like Me,” which asks you to consider:

• This person has beliefs, perspectives, and opinions, just like me.
• This person has hopes, anxieties, and vulnerabilities, just like me.
• This person has friends, family, and perhaps children who love them, just like me.
• This person wants to feel respected, appreciated, and competent, just like me.
• This person wishes for peace, joy, and happiness, just like me.

3. Anticipate reactions and plan countermoves. “Thinking through in advance how your audience will react to your messaging helps ensure your content will be heard, versus your audience hearing an attack on their identity or ego,” explains Santagata.

Skillfully confront difficult conversations head-on by preparing for likely reactions. For example, you may need to gather concrete evidence to counter defensiveness when discussing hot-button issues. Santagata asks himself, “If I position my point in this manner, what are the possible objections, and how would I respond to those counterarguments?” He says, “Looking at the discussion from this third-party perspective exposes weaknesses in my positions and encourages me to rethink my argument.”

Specifically, he asks:

• What are my main points?
• What are three ways my listeners are likely to respond?
• How will I respond to each of those scenarios?

4. Replace blame with curiosity. If team members sense that you’re trying to blame them for something, you become their saber-toothed tiger. John Gottman’s research at the University of Washington shows that blame and criticism reliably escalate conflict, leading to defensiveness and — eventually — to disengagement. The alternative to blame is curiosity. If you believe you already know what the other person is thinking, then you’re not ready to have a conversation. Instead, adopt a learning mindset, knowing you don’t have all the facts. Here’s how:

• State the problematic behavior or outcome as an observation, and use factual, neutral language. For example, “In the past two months there’s been a noticeable drop in your participation during meetings and progress appears to be slowing on your project.”
• Engage them in an exploration. For example, “I imagine there are multiple factors at play. Perhaps we could uncover what they are together?”
• Ask for solutions. The people who are responsible for creating a problem often hold the keys to solving it. That’s why a positive outcome typically depends on their input and buy-in. Ask directly, “What do you think needs to happen here?” Or, “What would be your ideal scenario?” Another question leading to solutions is: “How could I support you?”

5. Ask for feedback on delivery. Asking for feedback on how you delivered your message disarms your opponent, illuminates blind spots in communication skills, and models fallibility, which increases trust in leaders. Santagata closes difficult conversations with these questions:

• What worked and what didn’t work in my delivery?
• How did it feel to hear this message?
• How could I have presented it more effectively?

For example, Santagata asked about his delivery after giving his senior manager tough feedback. His manager replied, “This could have felt like a punch in the stomach, but you presented reasonable evidence and that made me want to hear more. You were also eager to discuss the challenges I had, which led to solutions.”

6. Measure psychological safety. Santagata periodically asks his team how safe they feel and what could enhance their feeling of safety. In addition, his team routinely takes surveys on psychological safety and other team dynamics. Some teams at Google include questions such as, “How confident are you that you won’t receive retaliation or criticism if you admit an error or make a mistake?”

Great leaders who take these steps to increase the sense of psychological safety of their people can expect to see increased levels of engagement and collaboration on their teams, along with higher motivation, more learning, and better performance.

Herb Mast is a Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.