January 2016
A House Divided Cannot Stand
On June 16, 1858, Abraham Lincoln delivered his "House Divided" speech after being nominated as the Republican senatorial candidate from Illinois.  In that speech, in response to the nation's divide over how best to handle slavery, Lincoln declared: "A house divided against itself cannot stand."  While many readers attribute this turn of phrase to Lincoln's fertile mind, it actually originates with Jesus in the Gospels.
 
Today I would like to apply this principle to a less profound, but significant organizational issue.  (Make sure you get "The Point" below rather than simply focusing on my example.)
 
Imagine that your organization publishes a monthly newsletter for your public.  Margaret is in charge of putting the newsletter together each month and John is a regular contributor.  For reasons known only to John, his submissions each month are provided to Margaret after the deadline has passed.  Eventually Margaret warns John that the next time his submission is late, it will not be included in the newsletter.
 
This appears to be a perfectly reasonable response.  After all, his consistent poor behavior should lead to consequences.
 
The problem is that it is not only John who is being punished, but also the organization's readers who need to know the information John is providing.
 
What's the solution?
 
Unacceptable Solution
Well, the one "solution" that cannot be adopted is for Margaret to focus on teaching John a lesson at the expense of the public served by the organization.  This is counterproductive to the organization's mission and negates part of the reason each of them is being paid.
 
Possible Solution #1
Someone other than John is selected to provide the information from his department.  This should be someone who is responsible, who respects deadlines, and is willing to work productively with Margaret.
 
Possible Solution #2
Margaret proactively goes to John each month to collect his information prior to the deadline.  This is a bit of handholding that a mature adult should not require, but it may be an effective solution.
 
Possible Solution #3
Margaret goes to her boss who, depending upon his relationship to John (peer, superior, subordinate), will work with John or through John's boss to find a sustainable resolution to the issue.  John's information is published, but he may face other consequences within the organization designed to modify his behavior.
 
Possible Solution #4
John is removed from the organization, not as a result of this one incident, but because this is indicative of his inability to complete his tasks in a timely manner and to cooperate with his colleagues.

The Point
Remember this principle extends beyond newsletters.  If your organization forgets those it serves and turns its attention inward, focusing on developing / punishing / modifying the behaviors of those who fail to comply with various policies and procedures, you are in danger of becoming a house divided.

I have it on good authority that such a house cannot stand!
 
At Julian Consulting we help our clients unify the efforts of their people rather than allowing their houses to collapse from division!  Call TODAY to determine how we can serve you in this process.

Teambuilding in the New Year!

Time to invest in team health and growth  
 
January brings with it a sense that we should begin again, building on what has gone before.

Here are three comments from events we've already held this year:

Dr. Julian - An "event" like today was long overdue for this team.  It will give us a good "footing" as we move forward with old/new team members.  Thank you for the energy and thoughtfulness that you have obviously put into this....it shows!

Victory!  The folks really enjoyed your presentation and liked your enthusiasm and practicality.  One person said it was the best explanation of the DiSC she had heard, and she had taken it 3 times before.  It opened eyes and will help us in teambuilding for the future.

Thanks again for the other day.  I thought it was great and felt everyone enjoyed it and will benefit.  I signed up for your newsletters and have enjoyed reading several from each category.

Now is the time to invest in your team, addressing three challenges many teams face.  We're here to help you respond to each.

1) Roles and responsibilities need to be clarified
When people aren't sure who does what or why, they have difficulty defining "success" for themselves as individuals and for their team.  Teams without role clarity and that don't know what success is, find work to be more stressful, less rewarding and far less productive.

We help you define roles and responsibilities, clarify "success," and increase both productivity and morale in the New Year.

2) Communication styles need to be understood and appreciated
Communication is always a top concern within teams.

People communicate with different styles and objectives.  This can lead to misunderstanding, especially when I interpret what you said as though I had said it or without appreciating why you may have expressed your thoughts your way.

We help your team members to appreciate their different styles and to work through the communication challenges they consistently face.

3) You need to begin again
When teams are together for long periods of time, repeated disagreements become the building blocks in walls of interpersonal separation.  These walls keep teams from being effective and may encourage team members to sabotage the work of their team in an attempt to retaliate against a coworker.

We help teams tear down walls and find strategies for beginning again.  We cannot erase the past or heal all hurts, but we can encourage team members to experience hope and to reinvest in broken relationships that are hurting the team.

Allow us to serve you in 2016.  We're here to help your leaders succeed and your teams to thrive!

Thanks for reading!
  
Remember, I'm committed to your professional and personal success!
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Dr. Stephen Julian
  
Julian Consulting
  
 
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Dayton, OH  45459
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