My friend’s husband is a fancy Chicago chef and restaurateur. His restaurant was recently named in the Top 100 Restaurants by the New York Times and earned a prestigious Michelin Green Star award for sustainable practices. As you might imagine, it’s booked solid night after night.

Joking about the success he’s experiencing, he commented, “We’re a seven-year overnight success.” He went on to say that they’ve been doing the same things in the same ways for nearly a decade. Only when a reputable national brand noticed did they become an “overnight” success.

His journey is important for leaders to take heed of. In the 15 years I’ve known him, most of those years he’s been in the kitchen honing his skills. He’s missed countless vacations, parties, and special events to sharpen his culinary skills. He’s studied the greats of our time, venturing internationally to learn from the best. He’s sacrificed in seen and unseen ways time and time again.

The road to overnight success is paved with long hours, deep commitment, and tireless discipline. Being great requires a willingness to put in the time behind the scenes, often for years, before being noticed. The greats are only greats because they understand the fundamentals of being great. Here are a few:

Consistency is key. It’s not about grand gestures but the small, consistent actions taken every day. Whether it’s a chef perfecting a recipe or a leader refining their core skills, showing up daily and putting in the work separates the good from the great. Consistency builds trust and reliability, essential traits for any effective leader.

Embrace continuous learning. The best leaders never stop learning. They seek out mentors and coaches, read across disciplines, and always look for ways to improve. This commitment to growth keeps them ahead of the curve and ensures they remain at the top of their game. For my friend, this meant studying under renowned experts and pushing boundaries to forge new paths in farm-to-table, Italian-inspired fare.

Resilience is crucial. The path to greatness is fraught with challenges and setbacks. The restaurant will have slow seasons, the reviews won’t always be great, and the pressure will inevitably increase. It’s the ability to persevere through tough times that define true success. Embrace failure as a learning opportunity, taking comfort in failing forward. Learn the lesson, get back up, and try again. Pushing through adversity is a hallmark of all great leaders.

There are no overnight successes. Anyone who has made it “big” spent years in the small. They showed up consistently. They learned from everyone they could. They fell and then got right back up, over and over again. If you’re aspiring towards greatness, you’ll put in much time and effort laying the foundation for greatness. Now’s the perfect time to start.

When managers don’t reward high performance but instead focus on rewarding all their staff equally, it can have significant negative outcomes. Below are examples of a few of those outcomes. 

Demotivation of High Performers: Nothing demotivates a high performer faster than when managers don’t hold all staff to the same performance standards. When your high performers are putting in the extra effort and performing at a high level, then another employee is allowed to not meet standards and slide on performance; your top performers will feel undervalued and unmotivated, leading to decreased productivity.
Mediocrity is Contagious: Rewarding mediocre performance sends a message that subpar work is acceptable. This can lead to a culture where employees do the bare minimum, knowing they will still be rewarded. Over time, this can wear down overall team performance as well as the quality of your team’s work.
Turnover will Increase: When high performers don’t feel their efforts are valued, they are more likely to leave and go somewhere where they are appreciated and surrounded by others who value the same level of performance. When this happens, not only do you have higher turnover rates, but you also lose your most engaged employees, who were probably doing most of the work.
Innovation will Suffer: High performers often drive innovation and improvement, as they are constantly looking to improve and do better. When they don’t receive recognition and rewards for their efforts, they will be less likely to go the extra mile and get to that innovative mode; progress will come to a standstill.

So, how do you, as a manager, counter these consequences listed above? 

Set Clear Expectations: To reward performance, the number one thing every manager must do is clearly explain and outline the performance expectations. If everyone knows what the goals are and what is expected, they are going to be more likely to hit the target. As a side benefit, since you have set clear expectations, it will make the performance feedback conversations much easier since they know what the expectations are. 
Reward and Recognize Based on Performance: As the saying goes – you get what you reward. As we mentioned above, if we reward everyone the same, you will demotivate your top performers. Rewards, raises, and development opportunities all have to be based on performance and meeting or exceeding expectations. When you reward high performance, it will be contagious. 

As you can see, it is crucial to the team and organization that managers recognize and reward high performers and hold all staff to the same performance standards. Doing so will drive morale, innovation, and productivity.

Dusty Tockstein

Dusty is a senior consultant at Peter Barron Stark Companies. Dusty works with clients to improve their corporate culture through a variety of tools, including Employee Engagement Surveys, 360 Leadership Development Assessments, Leadership Coaching, and Organizational Assessments.

The post Rewarding Mediocrity Over Performers appeared first on Peter Barron Stark Companies.

The Ritz-Carlton is known for its excellence in guest service and for the genuine care expressed by our Ladies and Gentlemen.  We strive to make every experience at our hotels unique and memorable.

This kind of service would not be possible without teamwork.  Service Value 7 states, “I create an environment of teamwork and lateral service so that the needs of our guests and each other are met.”

There are very intentional words woven throughout Service Value 7:

“I create a work environment”:  We determine the type of environment in which we work.  We have all been a part of a strong, highly performing team at some point in our career or perhaps a sub-par team.  The difference is palpable, as are the results.  At The Ritz-Carlton, our Ladies and Gentlemen build strong teams by treating one another with the same courtesy, respect and professionalism extended to our external guests. “…of teamwork and lateral service”: While it is true that our Ladies and Gentlemen are here to provide the highest level of service to our guests, they are not alone.  They count on each other and work together to ensure that our mission to provide genuine care and comfort is upheld.  Trust and collaboration within the team is required because often, when a colleague steps away to assist a guest, team members must step in to assist in order to ensure that no gaps in service delivery are experienced by our valued guests.“…so that the needs of our guests and each other are met”: Teamwork and lateral service are necessary for meeting the needs of guests, but they also help us meet the needs of fellow Ladies and Gentlemen as well.  It would be impossible to create lifelong memories and surprise and delight moments without this collective effort.

One of the best ways to bring Service Value 7 to life is by sharing a powerful example in action.  This story recently took place at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve:

A family was wandering around the Reserve with flashlights, seemingly searching for something when Jean Carlos, In-Room Dining server, noticed them. As Jean slowly drove by, he overheard the mother exclaiming, “Where is that frog?” and immediately knew she was referring to the local coquí frog that sings at night while hiding, camouflaged in the landscape. 

Jean remembered seeing the family dining earlier that day, so he contacted the restaurant hostess to confirm details of the guests. Jean also contacted the pastry chef to request a special treat to surprise the guests. The following day, when the family returned to their room, they were delighted to find a beautiful chocolate lily pad with two chocolate coquí frogs and assorted local treats. Jean attached a card that read, “Someone told me that you were looking for me. Maybe you did not find me, but I am sure you hear me at night. Enjoy my singing during your stay in Puerto Rico. Please visit me again. I will be waiting for you. -Coqui.” 

The family was amazed by the detail. They were beyond grateful that someone went above and beyond to make their stay memorable with this unforgettable gesture.

How did teamwork play a part in the above example? 

First, Jean needed help from the hostess to find out more information on the family. Second, the pastry chef offered assistance with the chocolate frog creation. Third, Jean required support from his team as he stepped away to execute this surprise and delight moment. 

One of the best parts of the lateral service concept at The Ritz-Carlton is that our Ladies and Gentlemen do not hesitate to assist one another with the goal of creating special moments for our guests. 

Whether your organization is modeling this approach today or wishes to evolve the concept as you look ahead to 2024, explore one of our many learning experiences which details just how we bring this concept to life daily across the globe with each of our Ladies and Gentlemen.

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In the January 24, 2009 New York Times, Timothy Garton Ash observed that the United States is full of liberals, but very few of them use the word. Liberal ideas are influential and popular, but liberalism, he wrote, “is the American love that dare not speak its name.” The thing, he says, is all around us, but never the word.

The same is true in American religion.

In a 2007 survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 70 percent of Americans who are religiously affiliated agreed that many religions can lead to eternal life, and 68 percent agreed that there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their religion. Almost half–47 percent–said that their church or denomination should adjust its traditional beliefs and practices in light of new circumstances or adopt modern beliefs and practices. According to both Gallup polls and the National Opinion Research Center’s General Social Survey, only about 1 in 3 Americans believe that the Bible is the “actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word,” and that number has been declining, slowly but steadily, for decades.

There are predictable differences among religious traditions in these numbers, but a majority even of white evangelicals say that many religions can lead to eternal life and that there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their religion.

If this isn’t theological liberalism, what is?

Yet, despite the clear signs that at least certain aspects of theological liberalism operate as the majority perspective within American Christianity, only a small minority of congregational leaders are willing to use the L-word to describe their congregations. Combining data from the 1998 and 2006-07 National Congregations Studies, only 9 percent of congregations are described by their leaders as theologically “more on the liberal side.” The majority of congregations—61 percent—are described as more on the conservative side, with the rest, 30 percent, described as “right in the middle.”

There is predictable variation in this pattern across religious traditions. As the figure above shows, congregations in the white mainline denominations are more likely to be described by their clergy leaders as theologically liberal, followed by, in order, predominantly black Protestant congregations, Catholics, and white evangelicals. But even within the white Protestant mainline, the historical mainstay of theological liberalism, only 17 percent of congregational leaders say that their congregations are theologically liberal.

Theological liberalism—the word, not the thing—has suffered the same fate as political liberalism. Even many liberals dare not speak its name. At the same time, theological liberalism—the thing, not the word—is a more potent cultural presence than many realize.

In almost every high school across the country, athletes sign their national letter of intent to celebrate a scholarship with a particular school. It’s usually a big deal. Schools set up a table with the college colors. Athletes wear a shirt or hat to indicate where he/she will attend college. Family and friends attend the event to support the athlete. For big-time athletes, members of the media cover the press conference. The athlete then signs the letter to make it official.

However, at Henrico County Schools in Virginia, they hold a different kind of signing day. Students who have elected not to go to college, and instead have accepted vocational and tech jobs, are celebrated. Just like the athletes, these students wear the hats of the business they will soon be working for. Family and friends applaud this decision. The business gets recognition and the athletes smile as they sign their employment contract.

Joe’s Perspective: These athletes deserve a special celebration of their accomplishments. Good for them. They undoubtedly worked hard for a long time to receive this scholarship. The same can be said for these students who have chosen a path in the trades. They will become electricians, plumbers, welders… These students will make good money in these professions and they will begin making that money right away. It is a solid life decision. Good for them. And, in my opinion, they deserve just as much recognition for their accomplishments.

Your Turn: What do you think of these students who are signing employment and apprenticeship letters with employers?

]]> https://winadventures.org/a-special-kind-of-signing-day/feed/ 0 https://winadventures.org/satya-nadella-prepares-microsoft-for-rapids-of-the-fourth-industrial-revolution/ https://winadventures.org/satya-nadella-prepares-microsoft-for-rapids-of-the-fourth-industrial-revolution/#respond Tue, 13 Aug 2024 11:13:45 +0000 https://winadventures.org/?p=72389

First published by Smartbrief on Leadership

As artificial intelligence continues to advance, the internal workings of Microsoft should be a matter of interest to more than just its employees and shareholders. Being a major player in AI, Microsoft will face considerable opportunities, challenges, and even threats of enormous magnitude in the years to come. Is Microsoft ready to navigate well if the sometimes smooth, sometimes choppy waters in the world of technology suddenly turn chaotic?

Highlighting the fragility of our technology infrastructure, last month, a glitch in a software update from the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike caused computer systems running the Microsoft Windows operating system to crash. And while Microsoft estimated that it affected 8.5 million Windows devices, or less than one percent of all Windows machines, the incident wreaked havoc on organizations worldwide. But it also showed us something about Microsoft as it collaborated and worked quickly with CrowdStrike, Microsoft’s customers, and competitors, including Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform, to remedy the situation.

Looking at Microsoft Through the Lens of Connection Culture

Satya Nadella and his senior leadership team at Microsoft are currently on a roll. Microsoft’s annual revenue has soared from $86 billion to $236.6 billion since Nadella became CEO in 2014 and its stock price has increased 12-fold. It’s no wonder Nadella has been recognized this year as the CEO most admired by fellow Fortune 500 CEOs.

In our work with leaders, we teach them that task excellence + relationship excellence = sustainable superior performance. Of the two equally important variables in that equation, most leaders put the focus on pursuing task excellence, neglecting or downplaying the critical piece of fostering relationship excellence. The peril, as we point out, is that a failure of relationships sabotages tasks and results. A group with a culture of relational disconnection may see short-term success but growing disengagement will hold it back. That’s true, whether it is a small team or a large organization operating globally.

Satya Nadella is clearly not like most leaders. He has developed both task and relationship excellence at Microsoft and has earned the trust of the company’s 221,000 employees who feel connected to him and, as a result, are willing to go all out to achieve the company’s vision.

The employees’ day-in and day-out, lived experience of the culture matters to Nadella. It is foundational. He has said, “[…] in order to get your strategies right and products right, you need two things that really anchor you: that sense of purpose and mission, which gives you direction, and then culture, which makes it even possible for you to pursue that mission.”

Looking through the lens of our Connection Culture framework (see diagram below) with its relationship excellence elements of Vision, Value, and Voice, this article briefly explores how Satya Nadella has cultivated relationship excellence that makes people at Microsoft feel connected to not just him, but to each other and to Microsoft’s customers.

Connection Culture Model of Leadership

©2024 E Pluribus Partners and Michael Lee Stallard

Vision: Uniting Around a Shared Purpose

A compelling vision and mission should inspire an organization’s employees and provide a shared sense of where they are going, why it’s important to get there, and how they are going to get there. It is the banner under which an organization’s goals and activities should align.

Back in 1975, when computers were still massive and required a temperature-controlled room, Microsoft’s founding vision and mission was bold: “A computer on every desk and in every home.” That rallying cry was still in place when Satya Nadella joined as an engineer in 1992. By the end of the 1990s, that once audacious goal was conceivable. Under Steve Ballmer, who followed Bill Gates as CEO in 2000 and preceded Nadella, the qualifying phrase of “running Microsoft software” was added at the end of the vision.

Under Nadella’s leadership, the vision and mission have changed from being centered on Microsoft’s success to focusing more widely on the success of its customers. In 2017 Microsoft announced its strategic vision is “to compete and grow by building best-in-class platforms and productivity services for an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge infused with AI.” Microsoft’s vision has evolved from being a traditional software company to a forward-thinking technology leader that employs cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing to usher in an “intelligence revolution” that allows people to complete more complex tasks while reducing their cognitive load. Nadella articulates this vision by emphasizing Microsoft’s mission to “empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”

This vision and mission unite employees around a common purpose, driving the company towards significant milestones, such as the growth of Azure, Microsoft’s cloud platform, and the integration of AI capabilities across its product suite. By clearly communicating this vision, Nadella has created a sense of unity and direction that motivates employees to contribute their best efforts towards shared goals.

Value: Respecting and Caring for People

Creating a culture of connection in which employees feel valued as individuals and not treated as mere means to an end requires respecting and caring for people, appreciating and recognizing them for their contributions.

Nadella’s approach to leadership prioritizes getting to know people, including their personal lives, listening to and understanding employees’ needs, and fostering a supportive environment where individuals feel valued and motivated.

It is notable that Nadella views empathy as a core leadership trait. In his book, Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft’s Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone, Nadella wrote about personal experiences that have shaped his leadership philosophy in that regard, particularly how the experience of parenting a special needs child impacted him on many levels, opening his perspective. His son Zain, the eldest of his three children, was born with cerebral palsy and passed away in 2022 at age 25. Nadella also credits his wife, Anu, for how she models empathy and for teaching him how to forgive himself. Expanding on that in an interview published in Good Housekeeping, he shared: “Once you come to that deeper realization [that none of us is or will be perfect], you don’t judge as quickly, you listen better and you can amplify people’s strengths versus dwelling on their weaknesses. I think my road to empathy has been possible because of my ability to confront my own mistakes and shortcomings.”

Discussing the role of empathy in a conversation with David Rubenstein on leadership, he spoke of it as “an existential priority for business” and he linked it to innovation. “Our business is to meet the unmet, unarticulated needs of customers. There is no way [this will] come about if we don’t listen — not just to the words, but go deep to understand what the needs are behind it. Empathy is core to innovation. Life’s experiences, if you listen and learn from them, teach you.”

Under Nadella’s leadership, substantial efforts have been made to instill a sense of human value within the culture. Initiatives that demonstrate his commitment to valuing employees range from introducing flexible work policies and investing in employee well-being programs to beginning senior leadership team meetings by celebrating a group in Microsoft that is doing amazing research.

“Care is the new currency for every leader,” he wrote in his letter in Microsoft’s 2021 Annual Report. “Our managers strive to model our culture and values in their actions, to coach their teams to define objectives and adapt and learn, and to care deeply for their employees, seeking to understand their capabilities, ambitions, and invest in their growth.”

Voice: Encouraging Open Communication

The element of Voice is about ensuring people throughout the organization feel they have the opportunity to share their ideas and opinions and they are informed on matters that are important to them. In a culture of connection, this honest dialogue will happen in a manner that safeguards relational connections. A culture that encourages ongoing open communication empowers employees to contribute meaningfully and fosters innovation.

Under Nadella’s leadership, Microsoft has made significant strides in promoting a culture of curiosity and open communication. By shifting Microsoft’s corporate mindset from a “know-it-all” organization to a “learn-it-all” organization, Nadella has cultivated an environment where employees are encouraged to seek knowledge, adapt, and grow.

In Hit Refresh, Nadella described the importance of creating a feedback-rich environment in which employees feel comfortable voicing their opinions and ideas. Toward that end, he has implemented regular town hall meetings and open forums where employees can directly engage with leadership and discuss their concerns and suggestions.

Recognizing that a diverse workforce brings a variety of perspectives and ideas to the table, Nadella has championed diversity and inclusion initiatives. By promoting an inclusive environment, Nadella ensures that all voices are heard and valued, spurring innovation and collaboration across the organization.

Striving to Be a Connected, Collaborative, and Cooperative Organization

The cultural shifts at Microsoft reflect Nadella’s belief that the “C” in his job as CEO stands for culture. “What I realize more than ever now is that my job is curation of our culture,” Nadella shared in an interview. “If you don’t focus on creating a culture that allows people to do their best work, then you’ve created nothing.”

Nadella sees Microsoft’s culture as embodying a “growth mindset,” characterized by an obsession with customers, decision-making derived from a diversity of opinions and perspectives, and behavior that reflects “One Microsoft” — a connected, collaborative, and cooperative organization both internally and with customers and strategic partners.

Satya Nadella exemplifies a leader who is intentional about creating a culture of human connection that fosters both task excellence and relationship excellence. His dedication to working under a shared vision that inspires growth, valuing employees, and giving them a voice has unlocked productivity and innovation, elevating Microsoft’s performance and positioning the organization to navigate what is likely to be a tumultuous decade ahead.

As leaders look to cultivate similar cultures within their teams and organizations, Nadella’s example serves as a powerful testament to the impact of human connection on achieving sustainable success and preparing for a challenging future.

Katharine P. Stallard co-authored this article. 

Image of Satya Nadella by Brian Smale and Microsoft via Wikimedia Commons under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Image has been cropped. 

Jeff Haden, writing for Inc.com, points out that there’s a lesson for all of us from these Olympic fencing competitors. He argues that we can CREATE a frequency dependent advantage in our careers. He writes, “Want to build a business? Be willing to do a few things your competition will not. Want to build a career? Be willing to do a few things the people you work with will not.”  What terrific advice!  Haden has identified a key source of career success.  You can bet on your ability to do the same thing others are doing, but just better.  You might be successful, but that could be challenging.  Or, you could do things others aren’t willing to do, or haven’t chosen to invest time and effort into mastering to this point.  That might be a more fruitful way to propel your career forward at times.  

Before you read this, watch the video above.

Somebody once told me that whatever you focus your attention on will determine what you are missing most. Last summer, when I was on my sabbatical, I asked the Lord for a scripture that would be our Young Life region’s theme for the year. He gave me 2 Corinthians 4:18.

“Because we don’t focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is eternal.” 

2 Corinthians 4:18 TPT

The Lord revealed to me that he wants us to have eyes to see. I don’t know how many of you have seen the video on YouTube (watch above) of two groups of people interacting in different colored shirts. When I watched this video for the first time I was in class and the professor asked “Did you notice the gorilla?” When he played the video again there was a gorilla in the video that I had not noticed. How did I miss that? 

In the gospels, you can see how Jesus was always doing the extraordinary among the ordinary. God wants us to stay so focused on Jesus that we would not miss everything that’s happening around us.

Here are the 2 things I believe we need to pay more attention to:

1. The “unseen” in our ministries.

2. The unseen in our own lives.

We all know that Jesus is moving and he’s doing amazing things, and many times those amazing things are happening right in the midst of the ordinary. My hope is that at the end of the year, we will be able to share with each other how we encountered Jesus Christ in our daily lives! Amen.