Why Is Change So Hard?

Change is a fact of life in the technology field.  That's one thing that makes it so exciting.  So why can it be so hard for us humans to deal with change, even those of us in IT?  Here are a few thoughts that often seem to impede my ability to cope with change, along with some strategies for overcoming them.

Thought:  If someone is asking me to change, it must mean that I'm not okay now.
Response:  You are okay now, but maybe you can be better.
Example:  If I learn a new skill and apply it, then I might able to accomplish new things.

Thought:  This change is interfering with my productivity.
Response:  Sometimes you have to slow down in order to go faster.
Example:  Whenever I get a new computer, it takes me days of loading software, moving files, and configuring my new computer in order to get back to where I was with the old one.  But a few days after that, I can be even more productive with new tools and a faster machine.

Thought:  I'm too tired of change to change anymore.  I have change fatigue.
Response:  Hang in there.  Pretty soon you will adapt to the change, and you may find some exciting results.
Example:  Recently we have had a great deal of turnover in administrators at my level and above.  It was tiring to learn all the new players, build all new relationships, and figure out how things work in this new environment.  But now I have so many new friends and colleagues.

Thought:  What if my new boss doesn't like me?
Response:  What if she does?
Example:  If you get a new boss, this is your big chance to practice your relationship-building skills.  You will work best with your new boss if you take time to figure out how you can best work together.

Thought:  Things are just fine the way they are now. 
Response:  Humans are infinitely creative and adaptable.  Change brings progress.
Example:  Imagine where we would be if the great inventors in the world decided things were just fine without their inventions.

If you are feeling some change fatigue, take a deep breath and hold on.  You will get used to it, and the possibilities for improvement are awesome.  Celebrate the creativity and advancement of human civilization.

Different Styles of Leadership

This week I read an interesting article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, "Seeking a Different Sort of Leader" by Dennis M. Barden.  This article focuses on the different leadership styles between presidents and provosts.  It contrasts the more traditional consultative type of academic leadership with "an expressed willingness—backed up by evidence of performance—to make the tough decisions and to live with the consequences."  As with many articles published in the Chronicle, it is at least as interesting to read the comments as it is to read the article.

This may not seem to have much to do with leadership of technology units, but it does describe a dilemma faced by leaders at most any level:  how much effort do I put into bringing a group of strongly differing views into consensus?  At what point do I call a halt to the discussion, make a decision, and live with the consequences?  And what do staff make of this when I do?  I'd like to hope that at least some of them are grateful to be done with the discussion and able to move onto making something happen.  But sometimes the discussion can take on a life of its own, and it seems as though it could go on forever.  And certainly if a decision goes against the express wishes of an individual or faction in the group, it can lead to some level of disgruntlement.  Nevertheless, if you, as leader, are never willing to move forward without everyone on board, then you can find yourself and your group stuck in limbo.  In technology, perhaps more than in any other enterprise, moving forward is critical.  Technology moves too quickly for us to get stuck dickering over six different ways to solve a problem.

Leaders need to help groups make decisions.  It is good when they can reach a good decisions through consensus. But sometimes they just need to make the tough decisions and move on.

I'm looking forward to being on vacation next week, so watch for my next blog post in two weeks.

The Value of Candor

This week I reread "Candor, Criticism, and Teamwork," by Keith Ferrazzi in the Harvard Business Review.  Candor and criticism can often be difficult for those of us in Minnesota, who are both blessed and plagued with "Minnesota Nice." This author makes a strong case for the value of candor and criticism in building strong teams and getting to the best solution.  And I'll add a promotion for diplomacy:  if you are going to express yourself with candor, especially if it criticism, you can take some of the sting out of it by speaking with diplomacy.  Just be sure that you are not so diplomatic that your message gets lost.

Mr. Ferrazzi offers some concrete suggestions for how to encourage candor and criticism, and I'll let you read those in his article.  My favorite quote comes at the end, though, and I will repeat that here:

True collaboration is impossible when people don’t trust one another to speak with candor. Solving problems requires that team members be unafraid to ask questions or propose wrong answers. Risk management is another area that relies almost completely on people’s admitting their mistakes. It takes work to create a candid environment supported by respectful, honest relationships, but it’s a challenge every leader should embrace. 

We all want to do a great job, but what I learned from this article is that you can't do your best, and your team can't do its best, if you aren't willing to express yourself with candor.  Practice your candor with diplomacy and you will enhance your leadership skills.

The Power of Relationships

On Wednesday, February 27, UMD hosted part of the IT@UM Community Event.  We were very pleased to have VPCIO Scott Studham, ACIO Brittany Lloyd, Enterprise Architect Patton Fast, Senior Operations Manager Jim Nolan, and Organizational Effectiveness Consultant Jen Mein join us from the Twin Cities campus.  I especially thank Jen Mein for the extra work she did in planning this event.

This event gave us an opportunity to get to know IT professionals from across UMD.  Here's a comment from Justin Keppers, one of the participants:

"Wednesday's meeting with UMD IT folk was great. I got quite a bit out of it, including getting a few ideas for new projects that can help out others as well as just getting to know people better. I'd really enjoy it if we could hold a similar meeting on a regular basis, be it quarterly or semi-annually. The interaction with others outside of my usual groups in this kind of setting is very valuable."

 Over the past several years, I have gained a tremendous respect for the power of relationships in getting work done.  Some may have stayed away from the event Wednesday, thinking they had too much work to do or that the event was somehow frivolous.  But as the quote above testifies, you can get much more work done, and more effectively, if you take the time to build relationships with the people you need to collaborate with.

In order to influence others, you must first have a relationship with them, hopefully a good relationship.  To be a leader, spend time building relationships.

Integrity

Here is a great article from Forbes by Amy Rees Anderson, "Success Will Come and Go, But Integrity Is Forever."  It is not difficult to find multiple examples of dishonesty every day in the news.  Less often, but more striking, are the examples of individuals who self-destruct very publicly through some lapse in integrity.  Many of these are sex scandals, but even worse are those whose behavior is rooted in greed and have resulted in the downfall of some of the largest corporations in the world.

Granted, we are all human, and as such, we can be very tempted by things we want badly.  Part of integrity is to develop a straight moral compass and the strength to stick to the course.  When you find yourself tempted, think about the possible outcomes.  It can take years to build a fine reputation and only a few minutes to destroy it.  Your integrity and reputation are much more important than a few extra dollars or a few minutes of self-gratification.

If you want to be a leader, build your reputation and maintain your integrity, or you may find your followers unwilling to trust you and follow your lead.

Perseverance

On Friday, rather than spending time writing this blog, I attended a program on campus titled, "Profiles in Courage."  That explains why I am writing this on Sunday, but it also led me to my thoughts for today.

The program featured two African-American military officers who are part of the famed Tuskegee Airmen.  Both spoke of their struggles, and those of their peers, to break the color barrier in the U.S. military, and to be allowed to become pilots.  I enjoyed listening to Lt. Col. (Ret.) Hiram Mann and COL (Ret.) Nathan Thomas, Jr. speak about their experiences. One thing that struck me about both of them is how they had to persevere in the face of the many obstacles put in their way due to racism.

Lt. Col. Mann had to apply three times before he was accepted for flight training, and he was finally accepted because the military had established a flight school for African-Americans at Tuskegee Air Force Base by this time.  The first two times, he was denied access simply for being black.  COL Thomas told the story of a colleague who was the first African-American accepted at the U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs.  This man endured four years of training during which no one spoke to him except when absolutely necessary.  Think of the perseverance and strength of spirit it must have taken to succeed in such rigorous training with no support from friends and peers.

Sometimes leaders need to make hard choices and to stand up for what they believe is right, even when faced with tremendous opposition.  Please join me in honoring the sacrifices made by the Tuskegee Airmen.  These sacrifices include both the risks they took in military combat and the efforts they made to change the attitudes toward race in this country.

Good Leaders Are Inspiring

This week I encountered a very interesting article, "The #1 Fatal Flaw of Uninspiring Leaders," by Joe Folkman of the Zenger | Folkman Blog.  According to the author, this #1 flaw is "lack of energy and enthusiasm."  I recommend you read this article for some very interesting details.

What seemed particularly interesting to me is that people tend to cluster according to their happiness level;  happy people cluster together and unhappy people cluster together.  There is an interesting graph in this article that demonstrates this phenomenon.

I think I am basically pretty happy, and I find that optimism is one of my traits that helps me the most.  Sure, I have my grumpy days, and I have people that I don't like that much.  But mostly I find that if I can hold onto the idea that things will turn out okay, it helps me keep my energy and enthusiasm up.

I am lucky to work with a group of people who have many talents and skills.  I have a lot of faith in them.  Collectively we can do things that no one of us is able to do.  I am enthusiastic about technology, but I am even more enthusiastic about the staff in ITSS.

So take a minute to think about the cluster of people you spend the most time with.  Are they happy or unhappy?  Are you happy or unhappy?  If the answer is unhappy, take a crack at ratcheting up your energy and enthusiasm.  Does it have a positive impact on your group?  Does it make work more fun as well as productive?  I'll be interested to know.