[READING TIME: 8 MINUTES]

In this 8020Info Water Cooler we look at the impact of cognitive biases on decision-making, hybrid work challenges, breaking down long-term projects, using personality boxes for hiring assessments, and the complex matter of succession. Enjoy!

1. More Cognitive Biases That Can Distort Our Choices

We think our decisions are logical and fact-driven but Silicon Valley executive Deb Liu recently offered on her blog some little-noted cognitive biases that distort our choices:

• Time of Day:  Research into judges deciding whether to grant parole to prisoners found a favorable ruling was more likely at the beginning of the day, or after a food break, than after a long sequence of cases. The judges thought they were objective, but the order of hearing cases and making judgments (coupled with their declining energy) seemed to influence choice of a default ‘no’ option. The same likely happens to you.
• Streaks:  When you toss 100 coins, there is an 80% chance five heads or five tails will come up in a row, but we don’t believe such streaks are probable. In that vein, a study found judges considering asylum requests were less likely to grant a request immediately after approving one, reflecting a discomfort with streaks. This can also crop up in hiring, for example, where we discount a candidate after giving others a thumbs up.
• Following the Crowd:  Similarly, if three managers are evaluating candidates, after two declare they favour an individual, the third is likely to follow the crowd. A better approach, Liu says, is to make everyone write down their decision before going into a debrief. She also found it best to have a dissenter speak first.

 

2. Overcoming Three Challenges of Hybrid Work

The hybrid dance continues, as organizations and employees try to find the right rhythm. Mark Bolino and Corey Phelps, of the University of Oklahoma’s business school, spotlight three challenges – and solutions.

• Scheduling:  Many organizations have settled on a schedule of three office days and two at home but data shows employees often aren’t showing up when required or pop in for coffee and head home as soon as possible. The professors recommend shifting the focus from how often people should be in the office to when that physical presence and togetherness is important. Examples: When new employees are being trained or during busy periods.
• Culture:  Leaders worry about building and sustaining corporate culture when employees are physically together less often. “Again, we suggest that organizations reframe their ‘ask’ to employees. Instead of encouraging people to come to the office to boost the organization’s culture and their own interaction with peers, try appealing to their motivation to help others,” they write in Harvard Business Review.
• Productivity:  Some supervisors in fields without performance metrics are concerned by their lack of insight into what exactly employees are doing when working remotely. You need to accept this is a new era. It’s best to check in on employees to see what they are doing and how you can help rather than checking up to make sure they are being productive, asking for unnecessary reports, or using electronic surveillance.

Hybrid work won’t go away so new approaches are required.

 

3. Don’t Allow Time for “Later”

Basecamp, a software provider, works in six-week project cycles. Co-founder and CEO Jason Fried says a major reason for that structure is it counters postponing issues until later.

“When you work on really long projects — say three-, six- or nine-month projects — or projects that don’t have any end in sight, ‘we can do that later’ typically means you’ll get to it eventually, as part of the current project,” he notes on his blog.

“Since later is so far away, there’s no harm in kicking the can down the line. In other words, later makes a pile at the end.” When later comes, you have a huge number of postponed issues to deal with, and usually insufficient time. So, you either guiltily ignore each issue entirely or hastily patch it together with duct tape.

“When you work in six-week cycles, or relatively short time frames, later means something else entirely. There’s no time for later. It’s now or not,” he says. “Later [therefore] means not now, not soon, and not for sure. That’s the kind of later we like.”

 

4. Don’t Treat Staff like an Inconvenience

Executive coach Dan Rockwell warns managers that people hate meeting with you when they feel like an inconvenience. If you seem preoccupied with other things on your mind and signal the conversation is not what you want to be doing, people’s enthusiasm and energy will drain. “They don’t like talking with you when you don’t like talking with them,” he writes on his blog.

He recommends turning conversations into practical action, energizing people by identifying next steps.

 

5. Zingers

• Two Big Time Wasters:  The second biggest waste of time, according to author Mark Manson, is to try helping someone who asked for assistance but really doesn’t want it. The biggest waste of time is to be the person who asked. (Source:  MarkManson.net).
• Feel Free to Say No:  Grown-ups understand business is full of “no”, says executive Molly Graham. When they pitch you, they don’t believe you owe them a yes. After you turn them down, don’t worry whether they are walking away super happy with what you told them. Instead, ask yourself: Was I respectful, helpful, and fair? (Source:  Molly Graham’s Substack).
• Build Your Strategy Muscles:  Executive coach Scott Eblin advises conducting a series of listening tour visits and conversations with key customers. What are their goals, concerns, opportunities, and threats? What can you do to help them leverage their goals and opportunities, and mitigate their concerns and threats? Look for common themes. (Source:  The Eblin Group).
• Use a Velvet Hammer:  Consultant Joy Baldridge recommends a direct Velvet Hammer approach when giving constructive criticism. In a friendly way, ask the person if they have a minute to chat. If they do, follow with: “I need your help. I noticed that [describe problem behavior] (pause). I was wondering what’s causing this problem (pause), because it cannot continue. What do you suggest we do?” (Source:  Fast Company).
• Fix the Real Problem:  Atomic Habits author James Clear observes it’s remarkable how often the real problem is not what happened, but how it was communicated. (Source:  JamesClear.com).

6. The Model: Five Personality Boxes for Hiring

Does a job candidate have the psychological traits to handle the role they are being considered for?
Richard Davis, managing director of executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates, offers this assessment model in his book Good Judgment. It has five personality boxes, for which you collect information from their resume and interviews:

• Intellect – how people think. This covers how they process information, make decisions and solve problems. It includes how smart they are in a traditional sense, how impulsive or restrained, and how analytical or intuitive.
• Emotionality – how people express emotions. This assesses how they typically experience or express their emotions. What’s their typical mood? Do they lead with their emotions or suppress emotions and detach themselves from issues and people?
• Sociability – how people engage with others. This focuses on communication, interpersonal capabilities and how the individual gets along socially.
• Drive – why people do what they do. Some common motivators are money, fame, the chance to exert influence, and the desire to serve others.
• Diligence – how people get stuff done. This studies the habits and capacities a person brings to performing their duties in work and life. They might, for example, be structured and disciplined, or laid back and spontaneous.

He recommends using deep dive interviews to explore the candidate’s career and life. Along the way, he will ask these four power questions:

• Think of someone who was a particularly big influence in your life. How are you similar to this person, personality-wise, and how are you different?
• Think about your inner circle of friends – a core group, or three or four of your closest friends. How would you characterize people in this group? Do you observe any recurring themes?
• After they talk about their history: If you think about the story you just told me, how would you summarize or characterize it? If you could separate yourself from being the storyteller and think of the story itself, how would you describe the main player?
• Tell me about your old boss [or a current co-worker, or someone else significant]. If I were to reach out to that person, how would they describe you? What advice would they give me?

 

7. Around Our Water Cooler

The Complex Matter of Succession

We gladly accepted an invitation to speak at this year’s Feed Ontario conference — a gathering of the largest collective of hunger-relief organizations in the province. Our topic: navigating the critical transitions of leadership succession.

There is a persistent lack of preparation for succession across sectors of all kinds. A majority of organizations have no succession plans at all. And of those that do, many have only token plans that check the boxes and sit on a shelf.

Instead, organizations need robust succession processes that nurture talent pipelines to fill major positions at all levels, whether for board, ED/CEO or managers. We also must deal with cultural issues, internal politics, strategic direction and risk management, not just the technical steps of filling a position.

Leaders want to pass the baton along gracefully. Yet we must avoid many pitfalls to preserve continuity of leadership, brand, trust and partnerships while also seizing new opportunities opening up at moments of transition:

• What are we doing to identify and groom successors with training, career opportunities and “crucible” experiences that will help them mature?
• Should we bring in a “star” outsider or promote from within?
• Will promoting an insider spark infighting or resignations among those who didn’t win the position? Can stars repeat their success in a new context without their former teams?
• And how should we use succession as an opportunity to freshen the team, align behind new directions and inject a spark of innovation?

Author Navid Nazemian says 40% of executive transitions fail during the first 18 months. The same could be true as boards turn over too. When leadership stakes are so high, it’s risky not to have intentional succession processes in place.

What We’re Reading:

• Harvey’s Pick:  Leaders learn. David Novack, former CEO of Yum! Brands, says people must continually learn to succeed in their careers — including after they have achieved top positions and face new, bigger challenges. His book, How Leaders Learn, is both stimulant and guidebook to heighten your efforts.
• Rob’s Pick:  This time we’re suggesting a classic: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter. They share lessons on how past successes often prevent us from achieving more. They also cover goal obsession and 20 other habits that hold us back, how to change habits and make stronger, lasting relationships, finishing with how to apply the rules of change and what to stop doing now.

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8020Info helps senior leadership teams and boards develop, clarify and build consensus behind strategic priorities. Our services support strategic planning and change processes, marketing communications and research / stakeholder consultations. We would be pleased to discuss your needs and welcome enquiries.

8. Closing Thought

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a moulder of consensus.”
— Martin Luther King Jr.