How to RAP, or be on-PAR, with your Boss & Employees…

“What’s happening?…what’ve you been up to?”

Has your boss ever sprung this kind of question on you in an unsuspecting moment (…hallway, water cooler, telephone call, while traveling…)?

If you’re like me & some of those I coach, this is often a “deer-in-the-headlights-moment.” You know you’ve been diligent and very busy, but hadn’t organized your thoughts enough not to sound weak or completely random.

Keeping in mind that these touch-points between superiors & employees are often very brief but extremely important in building perception of your performance, how do you structure them be as effective as possible?

Here’s a simple outline using the acronym  “RAP” (or “PAR”) so you can easily & quickly remember it:

RESULTS – what are the 2-3 most important outcomes you’ve accomplished?– it says “I’m focused on producing outcomes that count” (what it sounds like:…I’ve written 6 out of 10 training modules and 80% of our salesforce has completed the first two…).

ACTIVITY – what have you been doing that gives color to the result? – it says “I’m working hard and am using my time wisely & effectively” (what it sounds like:…I’m benchmarking leading companies and am using that content to write the modules…I’m also in daily contact with regional managers about who needs training…)

PRIORITIES – what are the macro-priorities you’re focused on? – it says “I see the big picture and clearly understand where I need to focus & have impact” (what it sounds like:…so zooming out, my priorities are on getting the training curriculum completely finished by October and having 95% of the salesforce trained by the end of the year…)

A few practical tips in applying the above:

RAP or PAR – which one do you use? This can depend on the kind of boss you have. Outcome-/result- oriented (use RAP), or big-picture/strategic (use PAR). It can also depend on cultural orientation…some are more prone to need context before getting to conclusions (PAR), others more bottom-line oriented (RAP).

Boss to employee – can it be used going the other way? Of course! It can easily be adapted to expressing your expectations of people that work for you. In this case, I’ve often found PAR to be effective…starting with clear priorities (why), bringing to life with examples of potential activity (how), then clearly defining expected results (what).

Be proactive! – don’t wait for your boss (or employee) to ask…go to them…seek them out…regularly! In fact waiting until they ask can often mean they already have a seed of doubt in their mind about what you’re doing & how you’re spending time. Schedule regular & frequent updates (formal & informal), take control of your narrative & your story.

So why don’t you try it now…today…this week?!…Call your boss, checkin at the water cooler, send a quick email…your next 1-on-1. Start to RAP (or be on-PAR)…NOW!

I’d love to hear it!

Picture: www.itsdiscovery.com

The “Counter-Mindsets” of Powerful Leaders

One of my favorite descriptions of leadership is – “the ability to take a group somewhere they would never go on their own” (i.e. if the group can get there on their own…they don’t need you!). If you accept this description, one of the underlying implications is that leaders must be capable of creating movement in the opposite direction of the prevailing current.

While it’s much more common to think of this in terms of exceptional skills & capabilities (ex communication, organization, persuasiveness, etc.), I’d like to focus on the less discussed, but arguably more important aspect of specific “counter-mindsets” leaders must master to be truly powerful.

Consider the following list of examples:

• HOPE in the face of DESPAIR – “Yes we can…” vs “All hope is lost…”
• VISION in the face of STATUS QUO – “A path forward…” vs “Another day…trying the same old thing…”
• SERVICE in the face of STATUS – “I serve people & a greater cause…” vs “I’m the boss…look at me…”
• CLARITY in the face of AMBIGUITY – “I don’t have all the answers, but here’s the next step we have to take…” vs “Everything keeps changing – I’m paralyzed…”
• ENERGY/DRIVE in the face of COMPLACENCY – “Let’s move…create momentum…” vs “Let’s wait & see what happens…”
• SIMPLICITY in the face of COMPLEXITY – “Here are basics that really count…” vs “We need to study all the options exhaustively…”
• SECURITY in the face of VULNERABILITY – “Be confident, because it’s the right thing…” vs “I’m afraid of the consequences…”
• POSITIVITY in the face of NEGATIVITY – “There’s light at the end of the tunnel…” vs “The light at the end of the tunnel is actually a train coming toward us…”
• STABILITY in the face of CHAOS – “Tactics may change, but these principles don’t…” vs “Flavor of the day…I’m just reacting”

As you consider the list above, recognize that it’s not about leaders not experiencing the prevailing mindset…or even recognizing its reality. In fact they do…and many struggle tremendously with it. However, they’ve found a way to actively master it for themselves, and most importantly, exude/project the counter-mindset in a convincing way to their followers…and thus turn the tide and lead them to success.

So…how are you doing on mastering the “counter-mindsets”? How do you actively & daily master these mindset-paradoxes (a great subject for another article!)? Do you see the impact on your followers? Are there other counter-mindsets you think are important?

Picture: www.kar-online.com

Updated! (HOW to Become an “Activist” that Makes Change Happen)

Thanks to quite a bit of interest in my earlier blog-post on “how to become an organizational activist,” I’ve had the opportunity to exchange with others & reflect further on the topic.

I’d like to propose 3 more “P’s” that I believe help round-out the list – Platform, Protection, Partnership. While some were mentioned within the existing points, I felt they deserved a specific focus  (new points are 6,7,8 – blue font!). Incidentally, I believe the first 5 are more about “your mindset,” while the last 4 are more about “engaging others.”

What do you think?…does it resonate with your experience?…any other factors?

Here’s the updated version:

HOW to Become an “Activist” that Makes Change Happen