🔒Eight advanced leadership skills to engage employees

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“Lead More Control Less — 8 Advanced Leaderships Skills That Overturn Convention” by Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, $19.95).

Many leaders believe that imposing “how” through policies, processes and procedures (P3) provides the results roadmap. The authors believe that P3 as absolutes often create organizational conflicts, which impede progress toward results. Why? P3 puts the creativity of employees in straitjackets because it forces them to work within the confines of their job descriptions.

Their research and consulting experiences found that control rising from within goal-focused ranks fosters collaboration by combining questioning with creativity, which produces better results faster. Unlike the fable of the blind men trying to describe an elephant by touching its various parts, employees see the “whole elephant.” People begin sharing their experiences and perspectives; everything becomes fair game — there's “no elephant in the room.”

The foundation for their “eight” skills can be found in skill No. 1: “Control structure, not people.” Management has to authorize self-organization by encouraging employees to think outside their box. Then it has to manage differently; it has to coach. It does that by reminding employees every day of: 1. the goals, which structures action around purpose, and 2. the question employees should ask and answer “What do I need from others today?” in order to accomplish their day's goals and address shifts in priorities.

When employees answer that question, they also place a premium on time. They recognize that connecting to the right people shortens the time required to reach the goal. Management moves into time-saver mode by quickly facilitating connection and resolving conflicts.

Management can also control work structure. How? By listening to and acting upon “what's not working and what is” feedback, and sharing the results across functions.

The bottom line: An organizational culture that allows employees to fully use their abilities produces engagement, which produces exceptional results.

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“Driven to Distraction at Work — How to Focus and Become More Productive” by Edward M. Hallowell (Harvard Business Review Press, $26).

STRESS — at work we feel its pressure every day. Ever-shifting priorities, meetings, phone calls, voicemail, email, etc. are a witch's brew of distraction. Following Hallowell's “Stop that; do this” advice minimizes distractions, and boosts both mental sharpness and output. The highlights:

“Screen sucking — how to control your electronics so they don't control you.” The time spent on the phone, responding to emails and searching the Web, steers attention from your to-do list. To gauge “electronic interruptus,” keep a log for a week of how much time you spend using technology. Check the log to see the amount of electronic-related time actually spent on your to-do list items. You'll quickly identify wasted time.

The fix: Reserve a 30-minute pocket in the morning and afternoon for screen time. This creates time for uninterrupted focus on tasks. When you need a break, forget playing games on your smartphone or surfing the Web. Instead, read an article or talk with someone about an item on both of your to-do-lists.

“Multitasking — how to say no when you have more to do than time to do it.” Playing Ping-Pong with tasks isn't just inefficient, it's ineffective. Switching back and forth between tasks requires refreshing your memory to reestablish focus. That wastes time.

Additionally, complex tasks require concentration and switching increases the odds of overlooking critical information.

The fix: Set daily priorities and follow through. Learn to say no to yourself and to others. 

Jim Pawlak is a nationally syndicated book reviewer.