Dilbert Highlights a Classic
Do I really need to add anything to this?
An Infuriating Insight
I was recently able to join one of my role models and senior advisors, Jim Kouzes, as a participant in his teleseminar about leading through tough times. It is a very relevant topic nowadays, and one I have been considering as the theme for my next book.
There was an opportunity to email questions in advance, so I availed myself. I sent Jim the hairiest, most difficult question that was on my mind that day. It is the kind of student I have always been. Jim knew immediately when the question was read who had sent it: Who else would ask so obnoxious a question? But who better to send my obnoxious question to, if I wanted a good answer to it? Here is the email I sent:
**********************************************************************
I have heard a CEO describe how he was able to ask for and get more performance out of his 50-odd employees, and so his company grew and prospered despite the economic downturn. He said he was able to accomplish this change precisely because of the “bank account” of credibility and goodwill that he had established over many years. What can a leader do if they do not have such a preexisting bank account?
***********************************************************************
Was that an obnoxious question or what? I sent the question in advance, but Jim did not hear it until we were live on the conference with hundreds of people listening. He is very good.
His answer infuriated me. I had hoped to learn of some magic bullet that would allow a leader with a low bank account to somehow capture the integrity dividend. But magic bullets are the stuff of fantasy, and not hard reality. No magic bullet was forthcoming.
After thinking, Jim said simply, “Don’t overspend.” Treat it like you would a real bank account, at a bank that is managed properly. Live within your means. If you pay your bills on time, your credit rating slowly increases. As that happens, you get more flexibility. But first you have to live within your means. Don’t overspend.
What? That is not an answer. I was mad. I was nettled. I was confused.
After a few more minutes, I was awed by the simple brilliance of Jim’s answer.
There are no magic bullets. Trust is earned over time, or it is not. The current economic times mean that leaders need to ask their people to make sacrifices. And the legal and tactical environments are such that a leader cannot fully disclose the reasons for actions – and so must sometimes fall back on the entreaty to “trust me.” “Trust me” only works when they already do.
The CEO I had spoken with navigated the hard times by drawing on his healthy bank account. If you don’t have one to draw on: start building it.
So that is the answer. Simple. Elegant. Infuriating. Difficult to practice. But spot on.
“Don’t overspend.”
Integrity Goes to Washington
What if a new approach started to gain traction in the halls of Washington? Where people might actually say what was really on their mind. Where politicians debated their real reasons for votes. Where promises were reliably kept. Where opinions were recognized as opinions, and facts as facts.
We just might see some civility. We might see some trust across the aisle. We might see people getting things done. I know most of the people in Washington mean well. But a new set of tools might help.
My book, The Integrity Dividend (Jossey-Bass, 2008) presents evidence that people more readily follow leaders who live by their word. That being seen as living by your word makes a person more effective in a host of ways – followers are more engaged and more directed in their efforts, companies are more profitable, and adversaries are more cooperative. Measurable performance results. The Integrity Dividend is not about morality; it is about effectiveness. The book then goes on to address several ways in which the practice of integrity is challenging, and how it can be attained.
The Integrity Dividend is a business book, written for managers and executives. It is not a political book. But the message applies.
I believe a widespread practice of striving to build credibility through deliberately living by your word might just make a difference in Washington. Now is the time for it. The current financial crisis can be squarely laid at the feet of executives who failed to execute their stated charges responsibly, and opted instead to exploit loopholes in the financial systems. People sense this. And what passes for debate in the halls of congress seems very different from a thoughtful consideration of the actual drivers of politicians’ votes. Often the politicians do not even bother to show up to hear the words of the opposition – a testament to the emptiness, or perceived emptiness, of the argument. Integrity seems to be in short supply.
And it just might help.
I am not naïve enough to think that one book would solve the integrity problem in Washington. The incentives are tilted too heavily against it. Politicians need to raise tens of thousands of dollars every day to stand a chance of retaining their positions – and common folk don’t offer that kind of money. There is structural work that needs doing if we really want to see honest debate and decision making. But ideas do matter. And integrity is an idea that many might want to promote – if for no other reason than that it makes them look good to do so. It might catch on.
I would like to see the idea of integrity take root in Washington. Because Washington would work a whole lot better if it did. It would serve the people, the economy, the planet.
So I am wondering how to get copies of The Integrity Dividend into the hands of every senator, every congressman, every cabinet member, the president, maybe the supreme court. And to have it read by as many of them as possible. Get them talking and thinking about it. Because it just might make a difference. Even a small difference would be worth the trouble.
The question of the hour is how to make that happen.
–Should I create a nonprofit organization to which people can contribute? Or ally with an existing one?
–How should I raise money for it? It would not require too much.
–Who should write the cover letters? Individual constituents (“send a book to your congressman, and send a message…”)? Sponsoring companies? A media heavyweight? An elder statesman, or a team of them (e.g. Bush Senior and Carter?)
–How can I get the book read? How can I get past the clutter these incredibly busy people must face?
–Should I write an extended executive brief to accompany the book? Should I try to make the translation into the language of politics?
–Should I target the ethics enforcement committees in the house and senate?
I would welcome ideas about how to make this happen, pledges of financial or other forms of support, debate about whether or not it might make some difference, and other dialog. Top ideas will be rewarded with a signed copy of the book.
–Tony Simons
Overcoming Amnesia about the “Middle Manager’s Dilemma:” A Call for Stories and Ideas
“The Middle Manager’s Dilemma,” as described by Tony Simons’ book, The Integrity Dividend, occurs when mid-level managers are expected to fully support and implement policy directives with which they, and often their subordinates as well, disagree. Chapter Seven, “Easing the Middle Manager’s Dilemma,” goes as far toward providing solutions as was feasible at the time the book was written, but Simons is clear that he wishes that more help could be available. Perhaps responses to this blog entry may provide new insights.
In subsequent conversations about this dilemma, Dr. Simons confesses his puzzlement about the fact that in the interviews he did for the book, virtually all middle managers strongly agreed that this is a major problem in business, and were quick to provide very recent stories of their own. Top-level managers and executives, on the other hand, tended to minimize this “dilemma” as a problem, stressing instead the intransigence often shown by lower level managers when asked to execute difficult assignments.
This finding brings up an interesting question. Since most upper level managers were once lower level managers, how do we account for the fact that upper level managers have lost sight of “the middle manager’s dilemma” that they were presumably very aware of and concerned about at an earlier stage of their career? What could be done to help rectify this amnesia-like phenomenon that appears to be a blind spot, even among top level executives who are on the behavioral integrity bandwagon?
Any ideas and/or “war stories” out there? Please share any that you think would help; and use fictitious names as appropriate.
Oliver Markley, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Studies of the Future
University of Houston-Clear Lake
The Most Important Question in Business…
Is “How good is your word?”
How good do people think it is? Is it impeccable?
It is true in deal-making…
Because lawyers are costly and inefficient compared to genuine good faith.
It is true in customer relationships…
Because a brand is nothing more than a promise. It might be a good one, or not so good.
And it is true in leadership…
Because leadership is about engaging your people’s hearts in their work. And they won’t let you close to their hearts if they cannot count on your word.
It is true to some extent in relationships beyond business… but those are not my area of expertise.
Without Integrity Nothing Works
by Bruce Hodes, CMI Teamwork
Wow, what a month. I, like some of you, have certainly lost value in the stock market. When looking at the next 12 months, the view is fuzzy at best. The media buzz saw has never been louder. So as a business owner and entrepreneur, where am I to stand when the very ground under my feet seems to be moving and shifting?
I belong to a training and development organization and we have a saying: “without integrity nothing works.” I find this statement to be inspiring and worth investigating. Let’s begin exploring this. First, what is the meaning of integrity? Second, what is the meaning of work? Third, how do they connect and what does this have to do with business?
Webster’s defines integrity as 1: incorruptibility 2 : an unimpaired condition : soundness 3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : completeness.
Webster’s defines work as: 1: activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something: a sustained physical or mental effort to overcome obstacles and achieve an objective.
For me, having integrity is doing something as it is designed to be done and as it is expected by others to be done. Let’s say you are going to do something and you are going to do it the way you want but not the way it is expected to be done. For it to have integrity, you would simply let others know how you are doing it. It may have consequences and an impact, but for me, it would have integrity.
Credibility is the Coin of the Realm…
Originally appeared in:
Credibility is the Coin of the Realm
By Tony Simons
| …If you want to lead, or buy, or sell.Have you ever worked for someone whose word was absolutely his or her bond? Have you ever worked for someone who was not so constrained by what was said yesterday? Living true to your word is not all it takes to lead; but I propose that no leadership happens without it.
Leading is about engaging your people’s hearts so they can bring all their resources to bear on the challenges before them to go the extra mile. They won’t let you close to their hearts if they cannot count on your words. Likewise, buying and selling are relationships of trust, and the deeper the trust, the more efficient the transaction. Yet, we all undermine our credibility in a thousand small ways everyday: by small promises broken; by presenting ourselves as holding the values to which we aspire, rather than the values that truly guide our actions. We hear about it when we violate our word in a big way. We do not hear about it when we do so in small ways. The small ones, however, add up. I call the alignment between words and actions “behavioral integrity.” Keeping promises and showing the same values you talk are critical components. Where employees see greater behavioral integrity in their leaders, they work better, and they make the company far more profitable. I have measured this bottom-line dollar impact, and it is huge. I call this The Integrity Dividend, and I named my book after it. My argument is not about ethics. It is not about liking yourself more, or creating a nicer place to work, or being a more decent human being, all of which are side benefits. It is about managing your credibility so you can be more effective in relationships. This approach, based on solid research, allows me to reach practical-minded skeptics who focus on results. And I do not think of behavioral integrity as a reflection of character. I think of it as a reflection of skills and priority. This shift makes a huge difference in anyone’s ability to bring about change in a leader or a workplace. Understand that the leadership approach I advocate is not an easy road. It is far easier said than done. Improving your follow-through to the point where your word is impeccable calls for personal disciplines, such as delaying gratification, understanding your personal ambivalences, detecting habits of social deceit, and facing fear. Not easy tasks by any stretch. It also calls for practices, such as careful reflection before making commitments, keeping track and following up, and apologizing sincerely and without drama when you fail to keep your word. It is not an easy solution to the dilemmas of leadership; however, I do not believe easy solutions work. Most leadership teachers mention the importance of follow-through for credibility, but I propose that this issue is fundamental. It is difficult, and the payoff is huge. It deserves center stage in any leader development program. About the Author |
| http://businessedge.michcpa.org/issue/article.aspx?i=v6n2&a=373&s=MI |
Integrity only SEEMS to start with “I”
In reality, it starts with “U” (you). What I mean is, you need to start with a deep and abiding appreciation for the point of view of the other.
Because behavioral integrity is about being seen as living by your word. That may sound like an invitation to scam, but it isn’t. Sooner or later, people figure it out when you are scamming them. Especially people who work for you, because they watch you like a hawk. A colleague, Rod Kramer, calls employees “intuitive auditors” of their bosses.
Yes, authenticity, or internal alignment, is a critical driver of integrity. And it is about you, in the sense that a good hard look in the mirror is a good idea as one seeks to earn the integrity dividend. But in some deep way, integrity is not about you. it is about respecting how your words and actions look from the perspective of the people to whom you relate.
Communication is not what is said, but rather what is heard. And as I have learned from a few hard knocks, bad communication and bad coordination look an awful lot like bad faith, and they can draw forth the same consequences.
I am not saying it is necessary to actually be benevolent, although I think that would be a good idea. It would enhance your trustworthiness, which would enhance others’ trust in you and thus your effectiveness. But I believe that integrity can exist absent caring about others’ well-being — as long as you make it clear that is where you stand. But you have to care about their perspective if you are to earn the integrity dividend. You have to choose your words and actions with awareness of how they seem.
Leaders of all stripes are often asked to avoid not merely impropriety, but also the appearance of impropriety. Conflict of interest is sometimes defined thus.
In fact, I would suggest that Integrity starts with both “I” and “U”: Self-knowledge and self-control are necessary for the actual living by your word. But a profound appreciation of the other’s perspective is needed to support your ability to craft your behavior and your communication so that others “get” that you are living by your word. Since those who you relate to are mostly not idiots, the genuine living by your word is crucial over time. But it is not enough. You have to help them see it. To do that, you have to be able to see through their eyes.
Being the Betrayer… (cross-posted in forum)
This section of the forum is one of the most important, as it collects and considers stories
about how integrity functions and why. This is the place for presenting and discussing stories that are not already in The Integrity Dividend book. It is a way for all of us to keep learning about this fundamental issue.
Here is where we can tell and discuss stories about integrity failures, their causes and
consequences. The failures can be public — like the current banking crisis — or they can be failures of a boss you have had or known of. Or they can be our own. The story that follows describes one of my own integrity failures of a few years ago. If you have heard me speak, then you already know something about it… but there is more.
My school had just started a new degree program: A one-year accelerated MBA in hospitality. The new program opened up a new market for students: career switchers. These folks scored 50 points higher on entrance exams than our previous students. They were smart, driven, ambitious, and experienced — they were exciting to teach.
Read more »
Why shoot straight if the world is crooked?
Posted by Marshall Goldsmith on October 6, 2008 11:13 AM
originally posted at
and 
and 
and 
This week’s question for Ask the Coach:
With the crazy economy, the up-and-down stock market, the layoffs, buyouts, and takeovers, I’d like to know: What’s the good in being good?
A lot of people are discouraged right now. Many people have lost, or are in fear of losing, their homes, their jobs, and their retirement funds. At the same time, it has been a challenge to work together toward a common solution due to a general lack of trust and a lot of finger pointing. I asked Dr. Tony Simons, professor and noted author of The Integrity Dividend, to share his answer to this question.
