It's Not Easy
There is an old saying that "Talk is cheap." As America becomes more and more relative in its values the talk of our leaders and employees becomes less valuable and true.
How can you test the words of an employee?
Through their actions. I have had two clients recently that with my encouragement have dismissed employees. The reason: The employee talked a good game, but did not demonstrate their verbal commitments through their behaviors.
How can you test the words of a leader?
Through their actions. Take the issue of the Ground-Zero Mosque that Iman Rauf wants to build near the site of the 9/11 tragedy. He says it will promote peace. He seems sincere in his verbal commitments and Mayor Bloomberg is a big supporter.
Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes, a leadership consultant, suggests in a recent newsletter that if Iman Rauf is sincere then he should devote "...one or two floors in the Center to a permanent exhibit of the atrocities that radical Muslims have committed in the last fifteen years..."
I find Adizes' suggestion fascinating, and yet for a moment I feel compelled to apply the argument to other religions as something of a litmus test. Does this mean a prominent Christian church should devote space to an exhibit explaining how persons of history have similarly committed atrocities in the name of Christianity? Such an exhibit might feature Hitler, or Pastor Jim Jones and others who have appealed to people of the Christian faith to support their dastardly, murderous deeds. Or should a prominent Hebrew synagogue/temple create a public area where the atrocities committed in the name of the Jews be on display?
I can not say for sure what should be done. However, I do know this: people say many things, but their actions speak true to their hearts. In other words, I believe someone like Imam Rauf can say whatever he wants, but only time will tell what he truly believes. You must keep this principle in mind when engaging with people in your life. Actions speak louder than words.
The way of a leader is not easy. When you are faced with an employee challenge, then respond by managing them with clear, measurable goals/tasks; holding them accountable; and following-up regularly. Then judge them based on their actions and the results, not their sincere sounding words.
If you are an employee faced with a leader who is not behaving ethically, professionally or in some other inappropriate manner, then judge them based on their behavior not their sincere-sounding promises.
MEETING IDEAS
IT'S NOT EASY is a reminder that part of our responsibility as a leader is to discern truth. Our ability to comprehend reality rather than someone's good intentions or lying is critical to our professional success.
I suggest you have your people read the Adizes newsletter and discuss how to discern truth in your work with clients, vendors and coworkers. Do NOT make this a political discussion. That is not the point. Help your people learn to discern. Here are some possible questions to aid the discussion.
1. The mosque situation:
(a) FOR: What is Iman Rauf promising?
(b) AGAINST: What are the concerns of the people who disagree?
(c) If both sides were truly interested in compromise, what might they be proposing?
2. Clients: A client verbally commits to a project, but you cannot seem to get them to sign a contract.
(a) CLIENT: What could be holding-up their commitment?
(b) US: What could we do differently to better communicate the cost of doing nothing?
(c) What do we need to adjust in our process to eliminate this delay in the future?
3. Coworkers: A coworker is making a promise (you provide an example) repeatedly with great sincerity, but continues to break the promise and give a variety of excuses that sound like they might be legitimate.
(a) COWORKER: What are the possible reasons for this employee to continue to break their promises that are their fault?
(b) US: What are we doing to enable this unprofessional, unacceptable behavior?
(c) What do we need to do to eliminate this problem behavior in the next 30 days?
