Skip to main content
A group of coworkers sitting around a table with notebooks and pens, listening and taking notes. A group of coworkers sitting around a table with notebooks and pens, listening and taking notes.

New Hire Orientation

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Culture, Development, Organization. No Comments on New Hire Orientation

Horst Schultze, the former president of the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain, said, ”The most important time in an employee’s career is the first 40 hours.” How much thought have you given to this crucial period? What should you include in new employee orientation?

To start the conversation, let me say that every employee has an orientation – formal or informal. The opportunity you and I have as leaders is to think strategically and leverage this time for the benefit of the employee and the organization.

I don’t believe there’s a formula for a successful new employee orientation. I do believe there are a few principles and some key questions that may help as you create your own program.

  1. Orientation starts before the class. When a new employee arrives, is there a designated workstation or office? Is their workspace furnished? Do they already have business cards? Has a computer already been assigned? Does it appear that you’ve prepared for their arrival?
  2. Involve senior leaders whenever possible. Let’s face it – a message delivered by a senior leader carries more weight than when the same message is delivered by a middle manager. Horst did the opening session of orientation at each of their new hotels. Dan Cathy, President of Chick-fil-A, invests an entire day with all new employees.
  3. Use the time to establish context. This can include the history of the organization, significant accomplishments and milestones, the competitive landscape, current strategic priorities, annual plans, etc.
  4. Showcase the Vision, Mission, and Core Values. These things are foundational! If you don’t let people know what’s important and why, they’ll spend weeks or months trying to figure it out.
  5. Talk about the cultural norms. What do people need to know to be successful? Is there a dress code – official or unofficial? Does correspondence need to adhere to a particular style guide? Are people expected to be early to meetings? Is email preferred over text messages?
  6. Proactively answer questions. Think about the questions you’ve historically received from new employees in their first 30 – 90 days. Go ahead and answer those questions early for new employees.
  7. Constantly evaluate your orientation. Get feedback from new employees. Get feedback from senior leaders. Benchmark other organizations. If you can, participate in other organizations’ new hire programs. I’ve personally learned a lot about this topic by seeing what other organizations are doing.
  8. Orientation extends beyond the class. What can you do to help people after the class? Should you assign each new person a buddy or training partner? Should you have a monthly or quarterly “lunch and learn” to expose new hires to other members of your staff? Are there written materials you can share?

Time invested in helping new employees get up to speed quickly will pay huge dividends.

 

Don’t Set the Bar Too Low

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Development, Performance, Teams. No Comments on Don’t Set the Bar Too Low

I want to lead a great team – don’t you? I want to work on big ideas that will have a big impact. I want to invest my leadership energy in people and projects that matter. I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this way. So where do we begin? We have to start where we are – but thankfully we don’t have to stay there.

One of the things I’ve been guilty of from time to time over the years is setting the bar too low – for myself and my team. This can take many forms, but today I want to talk about how, if we’re not careful, we can set the bar too low as it relates to our team.

First, we need to clarify the key ingredients regarding high performance in a team setting. They are: Talent, Skills, and Community. However, I want to be clear on some important distinctions in this arena.

People and Talent are not the same thing…

Every team is composed of people. However, many teams lack the talent they need for great accomplishment. One of our roles as leaders is to always be looking for talent – always recruiting. What does talent look like in your context? Don’t settle for just anybody to be on your team.

Assigning Tasks is not the same as developing Skills…

High Performance Teams have skilled members. These are men and women who have individual skills and team skills. If we’re not careful, we could find ourselves delegating tasks rather than developing skills. If this happens, over time your team will be devoid of any initiative and creativity. Don’t confuse delegation with skill development.

Collaboration is no substitute for real Community…

People in high performance teams do work together – they do collaborate. But they do so much more. Real community is about doing life together. When this happens, it is the turbo-charger for team performance. The members of the team are no longer just working for the organization; they are working for each other also. Don’t settle for getting along with each other. Invest the time and energy in cultivating authentic community and your team will never be the same again.

 

A group of three coworkers leaning in toward a laptop computer on a table, examining something there together A group of three coworkers leaning in toward a laptop computer on a table, examining something there together

Five Ways to Spark Creativity in Your Team

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Creative Thinking, Development, Teams. No Comments on Five Ways to Spark Creativity in Your Team

Tapping into creativity is a constant challenge.

In a business climate that can turn on a tweet, creativity is not just an asset, it’s essential. But I’m not just advocating creativity for creativity’s sake – companies need creativity to solve real business problems. As a seasoned leader shared with me recently, “The half-life of ideas is decreasing rapidly.” So what’s our response?

We need more and better ideas. The good news: Creating new, value-added ideas is what teams do best. However, creativity in a team environment is not automatic. There are some things that leaders can do to increase the creative output of their team. Here are a few ideas to get you started…

  1. Expect (and Respect) a Creative Team – When you establish the role of your team, be sure to highlight the expectation that the team will create fresh, new solutions to the problems you face, and respect their process.
  2. Teach Them How to Be Creative – The skills of creativity can be learned. To learn them, they must be taught. Schedule time to conduct training for your team. This can take many forms. It can be as brief as a micro-session on effective brainstorming (before your next brainstorming session) or multi-day training sessions. The point is simple – train your team on the skills of creativity.
  3. Give Them Opportunities to Practice – Creative thinking and problem solving are skills – just like golf, tennis, or a foreign language. Like any skill, you get better with practice. Look for opportunities for your team to practice the skills you’ve learned. Practice builds competence and competence builds confidence.
  4. Celebrate Creativity When You See It – The actions that you reward will be repeated. That’s human nature. That’s one reason you need to recognize not just the successes but the effort as well. Not every creative endeavor will be successful. That’s normal. If you’ve been operating in a culture in which creativity has not been valued, recognizing creative effort will be even more critical. People are paying attention. They want to know if it’s really safe to voice new ideas.
  5. You, the Leader, Must Set the Pace – People always watch the leader – whether we want them to or not. Do your people see you embracing creative ideas? Do they see you engaged in the process of creating new ideas? You can accelerate the adoption of creative thinking as a skill if you personally get in the game. If you don’t, you’ll need to temper your expectations of groundbreaking new ideas from your team.

Teams are probably at their best when they’re engaged in the creative process.

They are leveraging their collective wisdom and experience to create what previously did not exist. One of the most satisfying and productive things leaders can do is create the conditions to harness this creative potential. In our rapidly changing global marketplace, fostering and embracing creativity is essential for survival.

 

A group of men and women sitting outside on a patio, facing each other and engaged in conversation

Learn from Others

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Development, Engagement, Personal Effectiveness. No Comments on Learn from Others

For many years, I have met with a group of men twice a month. We’ve been working diligently to improve our leadership. We’ve learned from thought leaders in the field and from each other. We’ve also been doing life together.

We’ve attended conferences together, shared resources with each other, and challenged and prayed for each other. We’ve attended weddings and graduations. Three members have battled cancer – one didn’t survive. We’ve also buried one child together. We’ve certainly grown as leaders and as friends. We’re stronger because of each other. There’s power in the group!

Small groups are not a new idea. Men and women have been meeting together in small group settings for centuries. Why has this practice stood the test of time? My best answer:

Small groups provide a unique environment in which some of our deepest,
most innate needs can be met.

Here are five reasons I plan to be part of a group like this until the day I die:

  1. Community – Small groups are the perfect setting to foster genuine community. Community is a place where we know, serve, celebrate, mourn, and love deeply. In our daily lives, these types of relationships rarely occur accidentally. True community requires a time commitment that runs counter to the pace of our lives. The discipline of meeting together on a regular basis and investing time together is the bedrock of community.
  2. Learning – A small group is an excellent forum for learning. The dynamics of a small group stimulate rich, meaningful dialogue, questions, debate, and learning. In a group, we learn from the experiences of others and enjoy the insight derived from diverse perspectives. All these factors combine to do more than merely facilitate learning – they accelerate it.
  3. Challenge – Where do you go to be challenged? Not the challenge you may get at work to do more with less. Or the challenge you get from your boss to improve your performance. Where do you go to be challenged as a human being? Where are you challenged to learn, grow, and be a better person? A well-functioning small group can be that place.
  4. Accountability – I need all the help I can get in life. Much of my accountability comes from my small group. Certainly this is true as it relates to learning, but on a larger scale as well. In our group, we decided to begin the practice of sharing our life plans and annual plans with each other. This process provides not only input but also greater accountability on the execution side.
  5. Encouragement – Life can be hard. I need a place to be encouraged. Some of this can happen at work and at home. However, a group where trust and mutual respect have been cultivated over time is the perfect venue to encourage one another.

Do you have a place like this? Why not find 6 – 8 of your friends or colleagues and start a small group today? It’s one of life’s decisions you’ll never regret. For more group resources, click here.

 

A group of young coworkers sitting around a laptop computer on a table, laughing with each other.

Harness The Power of a Start-up… Even if You Aren’t in Start-up Mode

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Creative Thinking, Culture, Development. No Comments on Harness The Power of a Start-up… Even if You Aren’t in Start-up Mode

Have you ever been part of a start-up? Do you know people who have? What can we learn from the pioneers who are willing to start something new? Here are a few observations I believe are transferable – even if you are not in start-up mode.

  1. The vision is white-hot. In the early phases of a company, the founder or senior leader has already seen the preferred future he or she is trying to create. It seems as though they invest disproportionate time and energy helping others see it, too. These leaders know vision leaks and they constantly replenish it in word and deed.
  2. Collaboration is not a slogan. When the work really matters, and survival is not guaranteed, people WANT to work together.
  3. Buzz is contagious. Where’s the buzz? Is there any excitement in your work environment? Can outsiders feel it? If you don’t understand the question, you are not experiencing it. The good news: You can create it. When you do, it will stimulate more energy and excitement. Start-ups shouldn’t be the only ones who enjoy this benefit.
  4. “New” brings energy. I’m convinced part of the energy, excitement, passion, and engagement of a start-up comes from doing something new. Even better if it is something no one has ever done before. How does this apply to you and your team? Why not challenge your team to do something new and different? What new strategy or tactic have you always wanted to try? Do it!
  5. Leadership is hands-on. There may be successful start-ups in which senior leadership is disengaged, but I doubt it. In my limited experience, the leaders in these organizations are involved on a daily basis. They don’t get their data from a spreadsheet; they get it from talking to customers and working with the teams closet to the work. Start-up or not, I want to be an engaged leader.
  6. The work ethic is palpable. Now, I want work-life balance as much as the next guy; but I also want a team so sold on the work, they are willing to do what it takes to get the job done. If you find yourself needing an all-nighter every week, you’re not doing it right. If your people aren’t willing to pull one from time to time, you’re not doing it right either.
  7. There is focus. One of the big issues many teams and organizations suffer from is scope creep, or product line creep, or service offerings creep. Start-ups are not immune, but the best ones fight it – and win. Focus may be the defining characteristic of successful organizations, young and old. Yes, there are always outliers who can do many things well. However, my money is on focused teams and organizations.

I can learn a lot from those who are leading successful start-ups. How about you?

What can you do to breathe some of the energy of a start-up into your team/organization?

 

Two men sitting across from each other in a restaurant booth, working on computers and talking together. Two men sitting across from each other in a restaurant booth, working on computers and talking together.

5 Must-Haves for Team Members

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Development, Planning, Teams. No Comments on 5 Must-Haves for Team Members

One of the most important decisions you and I make as leaders is, “Who’s on our team?” The results you’ll pursue will change over time. Skills can be developed and community can be strengthened. However, if you have the wrong people around the table, your ultimate success will always be in jeopardy.

Here are a few questions that may be helpful as you select your team.

Q: Does this person want to be on a team?
I’ve worked with some very talented people during my career who were not team players. They were gifted in their area of expertise, but for whatever reason, they wanted to be an individual contributor. I’ve tried to convert some of these folks to team players – it didn’t work.

Q: Are they willing to contribute in a team setting?
Do you know people that want to be part of something without getting their hands dirty? You sometimes see this in a team setting. You may find individuals who enjoy the team vibe, but they may not want to contribute to the hard work of actually making the team work. If you can discern this before you put someone on the team – don’t put them on the team.

Q: Is this individual a learner?
The second ingredient in creating a high-performance team involves learning new skills. If the men and women on your team are too busy, arrogant, stubborn, or unable to learn, they’ll not be good team members.

Q: Do they resonate with the vision & values of the team/organization?
When building a team, you have a fundamental choice around this question. Are you looking for people who already “get it” or are you looking for people to “win over” to your point of view? I’d rather start with people who share a common passion for the cause.

Q: Do you sense that they could become great at what they do?
This is where your intuition as a leader comes into play. I don’t know how to test for this, but you’ll know it when you see it. Whenever possible, I select people for my team who I believe have greatness in their future.

Bonus Question: If you’re building a leadership team, don’t forget to ask the important question…

Q: Can this person lead?

 

I’d love to hear from you on this. What questions do you ask to get the right players on your team?

 

A series of pillars in front a yellow background, increasing in size until reaching the one on the far right that is a lit-up arrow pointing up

Scale Your Impact

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Character, Development, Personal Effectiveness. No Comments on Scale Your Impact

Our leadership is a composite of many factors: our background, our experiences, our skills, our character, our relationships, our personality, etc. Some of these things we control, some we do not. One of the things we can affect is the way we approach our world. Do you live in a small world or a large one?

Your choices determine your impact.

Here are 7 ideas to open your world and your leadership:

  1. Read widely – For me, this is very powerful–and a struggle. When I do it, I grow. The challenge is my backlog of leadership reading. One way I approach this is through abstracts and summaries. The more widely I read, the better I lead.
  2. Travel – I know this is not possible for everyone. Personal constraints, financial constraints, family, and job issues can limit our options. I get it. However, travel has life-altering and leadership-altering potential. Travel as much as possible; your view of the world will expand.
  3. Experience other cultures – Don’t assume this is about travel. It can be, but doesn’t necessarily need to be. I’ve been to other countries but missed their culture entirely. How is that possible? I visited people and places very similar to my hometown even though I was halfway around the world. Also, don’t miss the opportunity to experience different cultures near your home. If you don’t think this is possible, visit your local homeless shelter.
  4. Ask more questions – Great questions can take you places you’ve never been. Do you have favorite questions you ask? If you had 15 minutes with a leader you admire, what would ask? Ask more questions–you and your world will grow.
  5. Try a new hobby – Think about the last time you started a new hobby. I’m guessing you learned a lot. Your world got bigger in a hurry. What have you always wanted to try? Maybe it’s time for a new hobby.
  6. Vary your routine – Do you drive to work along the same route every day? Do you take your vacation at the same place every year? What would happen if you intentionally added some variety to your schedule? You may find the world is bigger than you think.
  7. Seek out experts – Who are the thought leaders in your field? Do you know them? Could you find a way to meet them? I was at TED years ago and was delighted to hear a presentation by Edward DeBono, the creativity expert. After his talk, I asked him if I could buy him a meal. He said yes! Seek out experts. They’ll help you grow!

As we open our world, we can turbocharge our growth and our leadership. Enjoy the journey!

What do you do to open your world and grow your leadership?

 

A close-up photo of two very green and healthy plants growing out of the ground.

Plan to Grow

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Development, Personal Effectiveness, Vision. No Comments on Plan to Grow

Personal growth should be the leader’s highest priority. I liken it to the admonition you hear when flying: “In the event of an emergency, put your own oxygen mask on first.” The question therefore becomes, “What are YOU doing to grow?”

This is not a trivial question. If you advocate for personal growth, be prepared for someone on your team to ask you the same question. If you’re not walking the talk, you’ll have zero credibility with those you’re charged to lead.

In the book I wrote with Ken Blanchard, Great Leaders Grow, we talk about these four strategies you can use on your growth journey:

  • Gain Knowledge – I’m always looking for ways to do this: reading, conferences, time with my new team members one-on-one, and more. I’m also part of an ongoing group focused on studying the topic of leadership. We’ve been meeting twice a month for 30+ years. This group has been a steady source of inspiration, challenge, accountability, and personal growth.
  • Reach Out to Others – The predominant way I’m attempting to execute on this strategy is through my writing. If you’ve not read Great Leaders Grow, here’s the quick summary of this idea: Once you commit to share what you’re learning, it puts pressure on you to keep learning.
  • Open Your World – Over the years, this has been a fun strategy for me. I’ve learned to scuba dive, climb mountains, and run marathons.
  • Walk Towards Wisdom – This strategy is fueled by questions, council, and feedback.

Personal growth for leaders is not automatic, but it is essential.

As you can tell, there’s nothing magical about these developmental activities. What matters most is that you and I are intentional concerning our growth.

Enjoy the journey!

 

A woman standing in an office with windows behind her, giving a presentation to a group of three people seated in front of her. A woman standing in an office with windows behind her, giving a presentation to a group of three people seated in front of her.

Don’t Believe Everything You Think

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Character, Development, Personal Effectiveness. No Comments on Don’t Believe Everything You Think

One of my favorite quotes from Andy Andrews is “Don’t believe everything you think.”

As leaders, we’re a confident group. We have to be. It’s a prerequisite to fulfill our role. We’ve got to have confidence in the future we see, and we must have confidence in the strategies we’ve created to get there. We have to believe we can lead. In the midst of this confidence, we must also be careful. We’re not always right.

Our fallibility shows up in many forms – none more often than in our thinking. I find Andy’s advice both sobering and challenging. He wasn’t asking you and me to have less confidence. He was challenging us to be grounded in reality; just because we think something doesn’t make it true.

There are many ways our thinking can get off course and lead us to the wrong conclusion. Here are a few of them…

  • You could have been wrong about a person’s motives.
  • You could have been wrong about a person’s intent.
  • You could have been wrong about the root cause of the problem.
  • Your personal bias could have colored your thinking.
  • You may have been overly optimistic.
  • Your idea may not be as good as you think.
  • You could have oversimplified the problem in your own mind.
  • You could have been too aggressive with the timeline you envisioned.

This list is just for starters. Considering all that could lead us to the wrong conclusion, it’s amazing when a leader cultivates the ability to get it right more often than not. How do the best leaders do this?

I don’t think there is a formula or a class you can take. I think to get the right answer, we must always consider: We can be wrong. This simple idea can infuse just enough humility to make us open to the input of others.

Once you reach a level of maturity and humility to be open to input, I have only one caution – Don’t just listen to people who agree with you.

If we only surround ourselves with people who always agree with us, we might as well be alone. They will add no value in regard to helping us think. The people I’ve enjoyed working with the most over the years are those who have an opinion, are willing to share it, and don’t mind if we disagree.

Candor, and those who bring it, is a rare and precious gift for any leader. Every leader needs truth tellers in their life! Encourage people around you to challenge your thinking.

Remember…. Don’t believe everything you think.

coworkers sitting around a table working on their laptops, laughing together coworkers sitting around a table working on their laptops, laughing together

Help People Win

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Culture, Development, Teams. No Comments on Help People Win

I’ve been thinking and writing about teams a lot over my leadership journey. I’ve observed some great teams and many others who were struggling. The potential causes for underperformance are numerous. Some teams struggle because the leader is not operating in a team paradigm.

When a leader is attempting to build a team, but he or she is operating on a “family” paradigm, performance will often suffer. Here’s an example…

If you are a manager of a baseball team and your second baseman can’t catch ground balls, you replace him. However if, rather than a team paradigm, you’ve chosen to embrace a family paradigm, you probably let the underperforming second baseman stay – not only does he stay on the team, he will likely stay on the field. You feel helpless to replace him, because he’s part of the family.

“Leaders need to think about team, not family.”

I experienced this when a leader confided in me that a member of his team was underperforming and resisting coaching. I asked if the employee clearly understood the potential consequences if performance didn’t improve. I was told no. When I asked a few more questions, the leader revealed his belief that he couldn’t communicate potential consequences because the person was part of the “family.” He was not referring to blood family. In this brief exchange, I learned a lot about this leader’s orientation… He was NOT thinking team, he was thinking family. As a result, his team was underperforming.

Here’s a comparison of two ways to think about an organization…

           Team                                        Family

Performance is primary                                     Performance is generally a non-issue
Expectations are clear                                        Expectations are often unspoken
Feedback is given freely                                     Feedback is often withheld
Measurement is vital                                          Measurement is absent
Specialization is encouraged                             Generalists are the norm
People are selected for the role                         Roles are often created for people
Conflict is productive                                          Conflict is avoided
Competition is normal                                        Competition is discouraged
Participation is conditional                               Membership is unconditional
Goals are common                                               Goals are uncommon

Certainly, none of these comparisons are intended to be absolute, and in many cases, a continuum exists between these extremes. However, they do represent the stark differences in the two approaches.

Some of you are thinking: This seems harsh – shouldn’t a team exhibit love, trust, and camaraderie? Great question! I think all these positive attributes do exist in the best teams. Actually, they are prerequisites to high performance. I call this community. It is the turbocharger on team performance. But it is not family.

Community is the belief that if we do life together, we’ll experience enhanced levels of trust and performance. Genuine community summons the best from each member of the team. However, unlike in a family, to be a member of the community is conditional.

My recommendation is to treat your family like family and your team like a team. You’ll win a lot more games if your second baseman can catch ground balls.