A  factor that contributes to U2's success is its participative, consensus-oriented, decision-making approach.  The members of U2 argue relentlessly over their music, which reflects their passion for excellence. Bono has stated that this approach is frustrating at times but that U2 feels it is necessary to achieve excellence. The key here is that the band’s members appreciate each other’s strengths.

Bono has said that although he hears melodies in his head, he is unable to transfer them into written music.  Because he considers himself a “lousy guitar player and an even lousier piano player,” he relies on his fellow band members and recognizes that they are integral to his success.  To Bono, U2 is “the best example of how to rely on others.”

As human beings, we tend to overvalue our strengths and contributions and undervalue the strengths and contributions of others.  Don't make that mistake.  For each individual you regularly work with, take the time to learn how he or she thinks, his or her temperament and character values. I recommend applying the thinking styles identified by Robert Stenberg at Yale University, the Kiersey Temperament Sorter to test and understand temperaments, and the character value strengths identified by Martin Seligman. If you           

(1) invest the time to understand thinking styles, temperaments and character values,

(2) assemble teams with diverse strengths required in light of tasks the team mush accomplish and

(3) apply a participative, consensus-oriented approach to making decisions, your teams will consistently outperform the teams of leaders who do less.  

Previously, I wrote a post about the rock band U2 and how the band members' value one another as human beings rather than treating each another as human doings.  I explained how this value contributes to the band's extraordinary success.      

                                                   ________________________________

Michael Lee Stallard coaches and teaches leaders to increase strategic alignment, employee engagement, productivity and innovation. He is president of E Pluribus Partners, a leadership training and consulting firm, and the primary author of the bestselling book Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team’s Passion, Creativity and Productivity. For more: www.MichaelLeeStallard.com 

FedEx is known for its reliability. Who can forget Tom Hanks playing Chuck Noland, the FedEx efficiency expert in the movie Cast Away. Nolan’s tenacity and intelligence are extraordinary. FedEx the organization has that same character. It is obsessive about meeting customer requirements. Its values and processes reflect this. Each day it measures and constructs a service quality index based on 35 critical touch points. Local offices can view reports daily. Managers view them each week and an enterprise-wide report is prepared monthly. Just to make certain it’s always measuring the right touch points, twice each year FedEx reviews market and customer requirements.

Amica, the mutual insurance company, is a perennial award winner for its customer service. What stands out about this firm is its passion for treating people well and helping its primary customers: families. When a catastrophe occurs, even local representatives around the country make calls to customers in the impacted zip codes to ask if they are ok and whether they have any claims. When was the last time your insurance company called asking you for claims? This really is a different kind of insurance company.

One difference is that Amica goes beyond sympathy to empathize with its clients. Sympathy is understanding an individual’s loss. Empathy is standing in an individual’s shoes and feeling their pain. On one occasion a family’s house burned down before Christmas and everything was lost, including Christmas presents. Amica employees went into action. To the family’s great surprise, a replacement tree and presents were in place on Christmas morning.

Another customer experience champion is Novantas, the rapidly growing financial services consulting firm. Where Amica emphasizes emotional connections with consumers, Novantas emphasizes rational connections with corporate clients. It applies advanced mathematics and modeling to help its clients deliver extraordinary experiences to the client’s customers. Novantas specializes in a data-driven “customer science” approach to crack the code on customer purchase and usage behaviors, as well as the underlying customer values you must address to attract, retain, grow, and profitably service customers. Everything about the company supports this mission –how it organizes itself, its compensation, even its conference rooms, named after great mathematicians like Kuhn, Pascal and Ockham.

Who doesn’t know Ben and Jerry’s? Like its founders, Ben and Jerry’s is comfortable in its own shoes. It’s fun and irreverent. It professes love for its customers, for producing the best all-natural ice cream money can buy, providing a fair return to its shareholders and for bringing about social and economic justice in the world. Now that’s ambition! Ben and Jerry’s wears its passion on its sleeve but let me assure you that is one factor all of these companies have in common. They have a passion for excellence, for customers and for employees - a passion, energy and enthusiasm that customers are drawn to and competitors envy.

On March 24, I’ll be moderating a panel at the Conference Board’s annual Customer Experience Management Conference in New York City. I was delighted to hear that Robert Reiss, conference chairman, host of The CEO Show and a Forbes.com columnist, subtitled the conference “building customer connections.” At the conference, we’ll look deeper into the secret cultural sauce of each of these great companies I mentioned to identify what helps them fire up employees and consistently delight customers.

                                                     ________________________________

Michael Lee Stallard coaches and teaches leaders to increase strategic alignment, employee engagement, productivity and innovation. He is president of E Pluribus Partners, a leadership training and consulting firm, and the primary author of the bestselling book Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team’s Passion, Creativity and Productivity. For more: www.MichaelLeeStallard.com

Looks can be deceiving. At first glance, Do More Great Work by Michael Bungay Stanier looks like yet another small, simple, beautifully-designed book. Oftentimes, books of this sort lack anything new or insightful. A few pages in, however, I realized this book was an exception. Do More Great Work gets to the heart of the work each of us should aspire to do -- work that makes us feel fully alive and brings us joy. The author, who was named Canadian Coach of the Year in 2006, walks the reader through a series of maps and questions that provide valuable career guidance.

As a result of reading this book, I made a change to my business so that I would do more great work and devote less time to merely good work. That's the measure of a valuable book: it changes the reader in a positive way. I'm happy to report that Do More Great Work met that standard for me and, as such, I highly recommend it.

Note: There is a bonus if you buy the book by this Tuesday, February 23. Michael has an eBook Be Courageous (regularly $25) which he's giving away with proof of purchase. If you're curious, you can check it out just by sending a blank email to:
becourageous@domoregreatwork.com. For additional information click on this link.

The rock band U2 has had a phenomenal run since it came together in 1976. It has won a remarkable 22 Grammy awards, more than any band in history.  Critics rave over U2’s music and fans worldwide can’t seem to get enough of its songs and concert appearances. All the signs indicate that U2 is at the top of its game and will be going strong for the foreseeable future. 

Why has U2 been together for more than 30 years when most other bands eventually fall apart? Understanding why U2 has thrived for so long provides insight into the factors that make groups of all types and sizes thrive, including families, sports teams, social sector and business organizations.

U2 is comprised of four band members: lead singer Bono, lead guitar player “Edge,” bass guitar player Adam Clayton, and drummer Larry Mullen, Jr.  The band members have known each other since they were teenagers in Dublin, Ireland.

Bono has said that the way the band functions is even more extraordinary than the band’s music. He has described the band as more of an organism than an organization.  Several aspects of the band’s culture standout.  I'll address the factors that contribute to U2's unity and its success over a series of three posts. 

Like all human beings, the members of U2 have experienced difficult periods in their lives.  These experiences have shaped them in important ways. Bono’s mother died when he was 14 years old. He described the period following her death as one in which he felt alone and abandoned. Although Bono longed for the emotional support of a family, his grief-stricken father was unable to console him. 

Having experienced what it was like to grieve alone and knowing that the support of others could help an individual make it through difficult periods, when Larry Mullen’s mother died when he was 16 years old, Bono reached out to console him.  This began a close, supportive friendship.  When Edge went through a difficult divorce, the band members were there to support him. When Adam Clayton became addicted to alcohol and drugs, the band members reached out to help him recover. 

Bono has stated that when one of the band members is in need, the band rallies around to support him and they put that need above the performance of the band. The band's motto is "everybody gets out of here alive." It’s no wonder that one of U2’s most popular songs is entitled, “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own,” a song that Bono wrote with his father in mind.

The most dramatic example of U2's support for one another occurred when the band campaigned during the 1980s for the observance of a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in America. Bono received a death threat that warned him not to sing the song “Pride (In the Name of Love),” a song about the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at an upcoming concert.  He described in an interview that as he sang the song, he closed his eyes.  At the end of a verse when Bono opened his eyes he discovered Adam Clayton literally standing in front of him to shield him from potential harm. 

Bono describes U2 as a tight-knit family and community.  He has said that “people with a strong sense of family and community…are always very strong people.”   The commitment to support one another extends beyond the four members of the band.  The members of U2 are part of a larger community that includes their families, crew members and collaborators. Many of them have known each other for decades.

The economic profits from U2’s work are split equally between the four band members and their long-time manager Paul McGuiness. That might surprise some. Given Bono’s status as a megastar, it would not be inconceivable if he claimed more than an equal share of the band’s profits.  What better way to show your team members that you value them than to treat them and their unique contribution as economic equals?

In most bands, the megastar has the greatest share of fame and fortune, and his or her bandmates resent it.  Not so U2. They are committed to each other and that feeling of belonging they have helps them work through the inevitable disagreements people have, a topic I will address in the next post.  

Application 

I know it's not fashionable to say you must be committed to your colleagues at work to be great. Most people compartmentalize work from their lives outside of work. Let me tell you, however, it's a huge mistake to go through life indifferent to the people you spend so much time around.  

Treat your colleagues like human beings rather than human doings and you will discover newfound energy and enthusiasm. Make a commitment to be a positive influence on the people around you.    Look for ways to help them.  When you see a genuine reason to encourage a colleague, do it. Mentor a less experienced colleague. When someone is experiencing a difficult season in their lives outside of work, as many people are today, show that you care.  Send them a card or note, or volunteer to help them in some other practical way. Perhaps you have extra vacation you could donate to them. Be creative. If you're not, get ideas from someone who is.

When my wife Katie was going through treatments for cancer, a box arrived one day from a colleague at work.  We opened it and discovered amidst the dry ice an assortment of Ben and Jerry's ice creams.  We were certainly surprised and it lifted our spirits during a difficult time.  

Today, Katie is healthy and thriving.  And I will forever feel a sense of connection to those friends for their act of kindness.   

Michael Lee Stallard speaks about, coaches and teaches leaders how to improve productivity, innovation, strategic alignment and performance.  He is the president of E Pluribus Partners, a leadership training and coaching firm, and the primary author of Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team’s Passion, Creativity and Productivity. Additional information at: www.michaelleestallard.com All quotes are from Bono by Michka Assayas. 

Reading this article in The New York Times about the mood in New Orleans now that its football team, the Saints, is in the Super Bowl, got me thinking about employee engagement. The article identifies a factor that has boosted the morale of New Orleans residents. It is a factor that has a positive impact on employee morale, too. What is it?

The answer is: winning (or, to describe it in a business context, "better business outcomes").

Research has shown that better business outcomes produce a higher level of employee engagement.* That makes sense. When a group is winning, it boosts the status of its members. They feel better about themselves because they're winners. They are more cooperative with one another, feel more connected to the organization and their fellow members and this further enhances performance. It creates a spiral up in performance.

In contrast, poor business outcomes bring about stress and, in many individuals, feelings of inferiority. Mood and cooperation decline, incivility increases, all of which have a negative effect on performance.

We all know that winning is not always lasting. This year's Super Bowl champion may or may not make the play-offs next year. And we also recognize that winning in business is even harder to do in a tough economy. It is in times like these that boosting employee engagement is even more critical. In fact, it is essential to counter this downward spiral. With recent research from the Corporate Executive Board showing that 90 percent of employees are not engaged in their jobs or not aligned with strategy, employee engagement should be at the top of every leader's list of priorities. Research has shown that employee engagement is positively correlated with business outcomes. Engaged people persevere through the challenging times and oftentimes the level of employee motivation determines whether an organization lives or dies.

Today, organizations are keeping a close eye on the bottom line and many are not investing in employee engagement at a time when they most need it. This is unfortunate. Putting employee engagement and alignment processes in place is a best practice and inexpensive. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish. Every organization should train managers so they know how to engage employees, implement an employee engagement survey, and hold managers accountable for results. Failing to do so will ensure organizations will not play at the top of their game during good times and will contribute to their underperformance in difficult times like today.

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Michael Lee Stallard speaks, teaches and writes about leadership, employee engagement, productivity and innovation at leading organizations including Google, GE, NASA, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia. Michael wrote the guest editorial for Talent Management magazine's February 2010 edition and recently his article on how the force of connection boosts productivity and innovation was featured as the lead article in the UK's Developing HR Strategy Journal. Click on these links to learn more about Michael and Jason in the media and their speaking engagements.

*Benjamin Schneider, Paul J. Hanges, D. Brent Smith, and Amy Nichole Salvaggio, “Which Comes First: Employee Attitudes or Organizational Financial and Market Performance?” Journal of Applied Psychology 88, No. 5 (2003): 836-51.

Do you ever wonder how past leaders could have missed what seems so obvious in hindsight? Sadly, most leaders live in an environment that makes them vulnerable to managerial failure. The problem lies in a little-recognized reality of leadership: isolation. Leading can be lonely. Typically leaders have few, if any, high-trust relationships at work. Because leaders have the power to make or break the careers of those around them, people are afraid to be honest with them and challenge their thinking. Likewise, too often leaders are reluctant to let their guard down out of fear of losing the respect of their colleagues.

The consequence of this mutual fear to fully communicate is that it creates what I describe as Knowledge Traps -- barriers that prevent leaders from hearing potentially valuable information. Today’s world is too complex for leaders to think they can make superior decisions without the benefit of the knowledge held by members of their community who are closer to the front lines. When leaders are isolated from the candid dialogue that helps produce the best decisions, that isolation makes them more vulnerable to hubris and rationalization. If leaders only hear the good news that people think they want to hear, they will believe that all is well (as the emperor with no clothes did)…when in reality it is not. And of course, the undisclosed negatives will eventually come to the surface, usually when it’s more difficult to deal with them.

The isolation of leaders, with its adverse effect on decision-making, is one reason why the French political philosopher Montesquieu recommended the separation of powers, and checks and balances in government in his 1748 masterpiece The Spirit of the Laws. His solution to the pitfalls of power was embraced by America’s Founders and has since become a part of the structure of democratic governments worldwide.

In corporations, independent directors provide a check on the CEO’s power. That’s not enough, though. There are important practices that can be put in place to protect leaders at every level from the danger of isolation. All leaders should have trusted people in their lives who will provide the open dialogue and constructive confrontation required to sharpen and check their thinking. Ideally, they should have a minimum of one high-trust relationship inside their organization and one outside. This will allow them to create an inner circle with whom to grow in life and in leadership.

Additionally, leaders must develop the habit of actively seeking broad input and considering the feedback they receive before making important decisions. Implementing these practices throughout an organization – developing high-trust relationships and broadly seeking relevant knowledge before making important decisions – will help to eliminate Knowledge Traps and restore the healthy Knowledge Flow that every organization needs to make optimal decisions.

There is a new breed of leader emerging today: the leader who is accountable and growing through the power of community. The younger generations aren’t looking for know-it-all bosses. They are looking to be inspired by leaders who are growing and who encourage others to follow their example. Do you have high-trust relationships? If you don’t, take a moment to call and schedule a time to meet with someone who could be in your inner circle. It is a leadership best practice that will benefit you and the people you lead.

Michael Lee Stallard speaks, teaches and writes about leadership, employee engagement, productivity and innovation at leading organizations including Google, GE, NASA, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia. Most recently, Michael and his colleague Jason Pankau filmed a 90-minute program for Linkage's Thought Leaders Series that will be released in January of 2010. Michael wrote the guest editorial for Talent Management magazine's January 2010 edition and last month his article on how the force of connection boosts productivity and innovation was featured as the lead article in the UK's Developing HR Strategy Journal. Click on these links to learn more about Michael and Jason in the media and their speaking engagements.

I highly recommend seeing The Blind Side, a movie about Baltimore Ravens’ offensive tackle, Michael Oher. It’s worth the price of the ticket alone to see Sandra Bullock’s tour-de-force performance as Michael’s adoptive mom, Leanne Tuohy. What I especially like about the movie is that it shows how the right social environment helps people thrive in life.

I don’t want to give away the story so let me just say in a nutshell that it was Leanne Tuohy who reached out to Michael. It would have been easy for her to ignore him, but she didn't. Instead, Leanne felt compassion for a young man who was wearing shorts in the winter and hanging around a high school gym just to stay warm. She took the time to get to know him and his life's story. While others saw him as “Big Mike,” a quiet, giant, African-American young man from the Memphis ghetto, Leanne Tuohy saw him as a thoughtful boy with a big heart and protective instincts to match. She called him "Michael," a name he much preferred to "Big Mike." Leanne's insights helped Michael discover who he really was deep down inside and who he could become. These insights helped Michael see himself as a protector who "has the back" of his family and those he loves. It should come as no surprise then to learn that Michael Oher thrived in football as an offensive tackle responsible for protecting his teammates from the defense.

The Blind Side shows how the social environment we live in shapes us for good or ill.  Research in social psychology and neuroscience have proven this. To learn more, check out this article from the Atlantic magazine entitled “The Science of Success.” For those who want to dig even deeper into the effects of social environment on people (and especially on the young), I highly recommend watching the video presentation and purchasing the Hardwired to Connect research report based on a research study by Dartmouth Medical School, the YMCA and the Institute for American Values. In addition, I recently did a free webcast for ASTD on neuroscience and its implications for leadership that you can download by clicking here.

The social environment we live in at work affects us too. Is your work environment helping you thrive or killing you? I wrote the book Fired Up or Burned Out to help people understand how important the social environment at work is to employer brand, employee engagement, productivity, innovation and ultimately the performance of individuals and organizations. If your social environment at work is toxic or even indifferent to people, you can do something about it. A good first step is to read the manifesto I wrote for ChangeThis.com. You can find it and download it free along with other articles, podcasts and webcasts, by clicking here: The Connection Culture: A New Source of Competitive Advantage. To go even deeper, read Fired Up or Burned Out and share it with your colleagues, family and friends.

If you are in a country where it is impossible to purchase the book because the values it promotes are threatening to those in power, email me at mstallard@epluribuspartners.com and I'll email you a free pdf version of the book. Recently, I've received requests from individuals in nations with oppressive governments and I'm delighted to share the book with people who are trying to improve the social, political and economic environments of their home countries.

When leaders create a healthy social environment, it helps protect them from their blind side which is often the morale of the people they lead and what's really happening in the organization (or nation). Absent a healthy social environment, nations and organizations inevitably fail when the vast majority of people who feel disconnected lose hope in their leaders and the future. A healthy social environment, what I call a "Connection Culture," keeps everyone feeling connected and like they are part of the group so that all thrive.

Last week I did a webcast for members of the America Society for Training and Development (ASTD). The webcast covers select research findings from the field of neuroscience and their implications for leadership, productivity, innovation and employee engagement. ASTD is the world's largest association dedicated to workplace learning and development professionals.  The webcast and slides are available at this link. (Note: clicking on the link will begin an automatic download of the webcast and slides.)