Leading in Lean Times

 (Moving from ?if only' to ?what if' leadership)

By Edward Hammett & James R. Pierce

 

            Lean times bring forth the best and worst in leaders.  The last five years and early 2010 is characterized by lean times for many organizations, families, churches, non-profits and individuals.  A struggling economy, downsizing of businesses, evaporation of 401k plans births in many spiritual questions of ?why?' -

?why me?'; ?why now?'; ?why can't I?' and even ?why not me?'  Such powerful inquiries often fuels despair, depression, and in other these same questions seem to fuel innovation, creativity, and exploration and risk taking.  Those who are in despair cry ?if only'; those who desire to explore declare ?what if?'.  How does the ?if only' leader - who dreams of ?more money'; ?more return on investments'; ?better and more clients'; ?more self-motivated employees' ; ?less restrictions' become a ?what if' leader?  ?What if'' leaders learn from lean times and invites leanness to teach lessons and fuels innovation and creativity that transforms the leader, organization and group.

 

            After observing the ?what if leaders' who were downsized from their jobs, businesses facing years end, in the red rather than the black, and community leaders in schools, government and congregations I have noted a pattern of effective leadership for lean times.   How do the ?what if' leaders lead during the lean times?

 

?What if' Leadership Skill Sets During the Lean Times

 

            Lean times manifest themselves in similar and distinctive ways depending on the business, group or organization involved and the context in which they find themselves.  In spite of this, a common thread appears in their skill sets and focused objectives.  ?What if' are soulful-leaders that practice clarification, consolidation, customization, contextualization, and collaboration.  As a professional leadership and organizational coach the ?what if..' coaching questions become critical in moving a person, group or organization from an ?if only mentality' to a ?what if mentality'. ?What if' questions are about exploration, dreaming, and moving through fears, perceived and real barriers that keep persons and organizations stuck in what has been rather than what can be! Consider..

 

·        Clarification - is more about knowing your mission, destiny and focus from within you than finding out what is going on around you.

Possible Coaching Questions To Consider:

1.    What is your destiny/mission?

2.    How much of your energy is focused here?

3.    What if your day/energy were reallocated now?

4.    What would make it better?

 

·        Consolidation - manifests itself in streamlining, simplifying, and doing more with less.  This might be with staffing, programming, marketing or services.

           

            Possible Coaching Questions to Consider:

1.    What needs streamlining now?

2.    What if we streamlined now?

3.    How will streamlining impact things?

4.    What streamlining would make the most impact now?

5.    What would streamlining look like?

6.    What is needed to make it happen?

 

·        Customization - has to do with adapting or adopting products, programming, or services to the community and demographic available. Grant McCracken's new book Chief Culture Officer: How to Create a Living Breathing Corporation, suggests that corporations need to focus on "reading" what's happening in the culture around them - a task at which Steve Jobs and Martha Stewart excel.

            Possible Coaching Questions to Consider:

1.    What if we focused on what is requested that we do not currently have available?

2.    What is going on that we need to be part of now?

3.    How do we focus our resources to make this connection?

4.    What would make us more user-friendly for our customers?

5.    What would it look like if we did this now?

 

·        Contextualization - has to do with aligning products, programming or services to the target group or mission statement.

Possible Coaching Questions to Consider:

1.    What if I understood more about those we are not attracting now?

2.    Who are they? What do they like? Dislike?

3.    What am I doing that is against my calling/gifting?

4.    What would happen if I aligned to my calling now?

5.    What/who can make this happen?

6.    What alignment(s) would make the most impact for me now?

 

·        Collaboration - is about building partnerships, alliances and channels with those who share similar missions, products, services rather than seeing them as only competitors. In lean times collaboration not only involves sharing common mission but creating funding sources that benefit all.  It has been suggested that there are "10 Non-Profit Funding Models".  They include: 1)Heartfelt Connector; 2)Beneficiary Builder; 3)Member Motivator; 4) Big Bettor; 5)Public Provider; 6)Policy Innovator; 7) Beneficiary Broker; 8)Resource Recycler; 9)Market Maker; 10) Local Nationalizer.[i]  A careful exploration of these collaborative models of funding is likely to not only open new potential but new solutions to major societal issues.

 

Possible Coaching Questions to Consider:

1.    What if we discovered more ways to partner rather than compete?

2.    Who else is about our mission?

3.    What are the possibilities?

4.    How would this alliance benefit/challenge us/me?

5.    What would happen if we collaborated rather than compete with them now?

 

                        Lean times call forth the best in many organizations and leaders. The challenges are many but the rewards are empowering as leaders and organizations focus in ways to create more impact, have more influence that creates transformation.

 

What Kind of Leader Are You in Lean Times?

(Check all statements you find yourself making regularly)

 

        If only I had more skilled workers?

        If only I had more time?

        If only I had more energy?

        If only I had options?

        What if I/we explored options?

        What if I/we moved?

        What if I/we used our time/energy differently?

        What if workstyle moved to less of  ?I' and more of ?we'?

 

Coaching Questions:

What does this tell you?

What then are next steps for you? Your Organization?

What would be the benefit of shifting from ?if only' to ?what if' now?

 

Resources for your consideration include:

            Harvard Business Review, January-February, 2010 edition.  www.HBR.org

            Reinvention Theme for This Edition: Articles include:

            "Accelerating Corporate Transformations: Don't Lose Your Nerve!: Six   Mistakes that can derail your company's attempts to change" by Robert H.      Miles, p.69-75.

            "What Really Motivates Workers: Understanding the Power of Progress" by      Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer.

            "Strategy Tools for a Shifting Landscape by Michael G Jacobides. P. 77-84

            "How to Bounce Back from Adversity" by Joshua Margolis and Paul Stoltz. P.   87-92.

            'Rethinking Marketing" by Roland Rust, Chrstine Mooreman and Gaurav         Bhalla. Pg. 94-99

            "Fundraising in Tough Times: How to Survive a Challenging Econony" by        Mal Warwick. Stanford Social Innoviation Review, Spring, 2009.     www.ssireview.com pg. 23f

            Making Shifts Without Making Waves: The Coach Approach to Soulful Leadership, Hammett & Pierce. 2009 www.soulful-leadership.com

            "Helping Children Cope in Unsettling Times: The Economic Crisis Tips for        Parents & Teachers", 2008 www.nasponline.org