Like millions of others I couldn’t wait to watch Tiger Woods last Friday as he attempted to explain and apologize for his actions.  Nearly 15 minutes long, the presentation appeared to anyone familiar with 12 step programs or therapy a clear sign that Tiger had begun the long process of coming to grips with a new realistic insight into himself and his need to make deep and fundamental changes to achieve his goals of being a man of superior character and integrity as well as a brilliant golfer.  While some dismissed his statement as a cover for less virtuous aims, I say to the naysayers—get thee to therapy yourself.  Such a hard stance to such an enormous step shows a lack of empathy, lack of understanding of processes like therapy, and a lack of realism about how every day people really are coming to grips with new self revelations and moving forward with their lives. 

In today’s world of work it is hard to think of a similar deep admission of real genuine accountability.   

Tiger’s work will mean more work for his wife, family and friends.  Some may drift away or not stay the course with him.  Others will go with his new flow and will have to act differently if his journey is to be successful.  And so will be the case at Citibank or Toyota or in any workplace when and if individuals take real accountability.  Top executives  apologizing for mistakes or wrong turns means changing work patterns for all—both the culture at large which is often the cause of poor judgements and individual behaviors as well.  But how much easier it would be to get people to commit to these needed changes if those in positions of authority or someone at the lowest rung of the organization took full and unconditional responsibility as Tiger has.

Most of what pass for apologies are explanations of what and why somethting happened with the implication that really the person did the best they could given the circumstances and if you goofs out there understood the situation you would have done the same thing or worse.  Sometimes this is absolutely correct.  But in many cases, real mistakes in tactics, in strategy, in approaches to achieve one or another goals was misguided or plain wrong and led to consequences that impacted many people terribly.  When there is ownership of an outcome, when there is clarity that one failed her responsibilities or his job and no one else is to blame, progress can begin.  Accountability breeds a willingness in others to take their share of responsibility and move forward in new directions.  A half hearted or non apology or admission of responsibility does nothing but breed more cynicism and lack of energy to change. 

Who wants to go first?  Ok, here goes.  I, Pat Gill Webber, take complete responsibility for not writing a blog that is attracting hundreds of new readers.  It is not because people are too dumb to understand my blog, too busy, or disinterested in the workplace.  It is because they haven’t heard of my blog (my fault), haven’t taken the time to read it because it gives them new insights or perspective(if the workplace needs it they will come at some point).  Now, wouldn’t you like to help me fix that?  Bet that got someone interested in helping me—the flip side—-a defense of my fabulous blog wouldn’t have attracted a single new reader.

Now, what is going wrong at your workplace that is absolutely your fault?  Look at it, own it, take responsibility and accountability and say it.  Soon after watch others get involved in a new route forward.  Your accountability leverages other’s action.   Who wants to go next?

Watching movies is a wonderful way to study human nature, help clarify our assumptions about human nature, and analyze how these assumptions influence our work as people concerned with how to improve working people’s lives and help them be more successful.  They also help us specifically with workplace improvement strategy.

If we assume people can’t, won’t or don’t want to change/grow/transform/or simply be more productive then why bother with any efforts to offer tools from training to coaching to just providing better direction?  Of course most  executives or HR/HRD folks certainly believe SOME level of change is possible or there wouldn’t be a multi billion dollar performance improvement industry (or would there?  now that is another question for another blog entry).  But by fine tuning our understanding of what is possible and not possible, by deepening our understanding of human nature and what is involved in deep growth and change as well as just “simple” behavioral change, we will spend time and money more astutely to support efforts to sensibly and sensitively help our people develop capability, make mind shifts that matter and truly develop their skills and abilities to perform and engage in their work and innovate.

The Heiress won an Oscar in 1949 and tells the tale of how a “no good guy” seen clearly by the Dad and not at all by the sweet woman he seduces, doesn’t change, is found out by this woman  he devastates emotionally and is revenged by her in a plot twist that has you wondering—especially if you believe that people have to change and have to improve over time.  Crazy Heart,one of this year’s contenders for the oscar, tells a tale of redemption and change that is unforgettable.  It doesn’t take change and transformation lightly and doesn’t make the characters redeem themselves simply or simplistically—and the ending is anything but tidy.  But growth and transformation and learning happens with a combination of understanding the need to change—commitment to change—and then seeking out resources to make the change happen.  Crazy Heart also provides a clear lesson about the laws of natural consequences—can’t and won’t spoil it for you if you haven’t seen it yet.   Yes, we can choose our “sins” or “transgressions” (saw the wife of Governor Sanford make this point) but there are inevitable consequences to actions and strategies we take.  A profound lesson.

So what about work?  How much help and support and resources should we provide and how much change and growth and development should we expect?  Here’s are some insights based on what we now know about human nature and the changing nature of the workplace all based on the lessons from these movies:

Providing as much learning, coaching, direction, and support as financially makes sense  in ways that people most want to absorb it—that means using technology, AND using classrooms and in person one to one efforts—there is absolutely no research suggesting that going all one way or the other makes sense since there is a need and people who want and need different approaches to learning/coaching.  Looking at the new performance study at IBM/Columbia (see T&D Jan 2010) suggests what many of us have long thought—quick and easy assess to small amounts of information via smart phone is an important new addition to workplace development.  And notice in the films who was able or not to grow by the resources available or not as needed.

Most people want to change and grow–Change Ahead my mid decade multi organizational research study turned book clearly supports people’s commitment to change and growth when it benefits them—and they work in an organization that supports change and openness.  The most important thing any manager can do to improve performance is to create an environment that encourages risk, experimentation, new opinions and adaptation to changing conditions—and urges people to develop themselves in all ways.  This support/environment helps  people arrive at step one—understanding  the need to change—-and if coupled with enough resources available people will reach out and grab the opportunities to learn, get coaching and grow. 

The laws of consequences matter.  If you have not treated people well, if you have used the recession to abuse people by heaping too much work on the survivors—lots of data out on that now—expect that as soon as things improve many of your good people will leave.  Just the laws of the universe.  Go see Crazy Heart and see what happens when the newly expanded lead character tries to re connect with someone he did many bad things to.  Organizations like people DEFINITELY reap what they sow.  So listen up managers, executives and HRD people—-be especially aware of how you communicate with, treat and make people feel now in the lingering but what we hope will soon be over tough times.  

Bottom line? Treating people respectfully and well, combined with providing as many resources as possible as easily as possible,  and encouraging an enviroment that encourages risk and change and adaptation will make you and your organizationa  a leader now and post the recovery. 

And for you the executive?  The person concerned with performance in your organization—here is my executive coaching suggestion—go to the movies often and  keep learning about human nature.

I was one of the more or less 38 million people who not only watched the super bowl but also watched the debut of Undercover Boss.  As a workplace consultant who gives advice (sometimes high priced!) to workers and their bosses it sort of seemed essential viewing. 

It was rather odd to see the first boss Larry O”Donnell of Waste Management annouce to his leadership team that he was “going undercover”.  They seemed stunned and apprehensive—and not particularly committed to the idea—or what would come from it.  Rather than part of quality initiative or some other on-going HR initiative to understand the workforce and its issues in an ongoing and systematic way , this leadership team seemed rather unnerved but this idea which seemed to be a one of kind and unique attempt to “meet the troops” and be one of them—as if this were a new idea.  We consultants tend to like things more organized than this and part of a greater effort at organizational change.  We have also been preaching a version of this for more or less 30 or 40 years.  But being of the mind that any attempt to connect leadership and workers is a good thing that can bring better processes and fresher views, I went with the program and watched on.

Let it be known that both The Street.com and Entertainment Weekly ripped the show—but although it can be obviously a little lame to see someone on the bottom washing toilets who just yesterday was in the corner suite, I found the show not exactly must see TV, but at least decent TV .  One of the things that many people seem to be today is cynical or “hip”—-things that are “good” are tossed off as too “Hallmark Hall of Fame”  .  This show can easily be seen in that light as more than corny, but truly disengenuous.  Maybe.  But I found Larry O’Donnell to be a likeable, down to earth, kind, thoughtful person—-forget his leadership skills (which are good I would guess)—-he was a decent human being and acted as such in some pretty “crappy” situations.  He listened well and seemed genuinely moved by experiences of those on the front lines of Waste Management.  To me, he modeled behavior that is positive.  if we can just get leadership people to be more natural, and real and less packaged we are ahead of the game.

Although some might legitimately ask —what did he think the ever pressing productivity attempts he mandated meant for people? Didn’t he realize his dictates meant tough and exhausting standards that would lead to crazy things like female truck drivers using a coffee can since they had no time to find a ladies room?  Well sure he did at some intellectual level, but there is no replacement for experiencing things, being engaged in a real tangible way with things to make an impact on a person and give them insight into the effects of their decisions—sort of like President Obama going to view caskets from the war front.  Larry may not have solved all of the problems of WM or even a big part of various employee issues by mixing it up with the front line troops, but he went far in gaining a fresh perspective and taking his experiences and responding to them in a positive way.  He also acted like a gentleman and provided people otherwise ignored to have a sense of positive reinforcement and hope for their futures. 

Like Larry I was amazed by the people we met in this episode—they were more than solid, they were truly employees a company can be proud of.  Sure there were some errors of judgement—but with the exception of one middle manager who acted without much real reflection, it seemed most people had a balance of respect for themselves and respect for the company they worked for.

I guess I will never make it as a TV critic or a cynic—I LIKED Undercover Boss (and Larry O’Donnell)—because the gap between where most businesses are and where they need to be in terms of leadership and creating appropriate cultures that serve both individuals and organizations is so far from where they need to be.  Any effort  to make a dent in the system has to be a good thing.  Plus, maybe more than one person will learn from Larry and whoever is next on the show that we all put our pants on one leg at a time and we all are in the workplace together.  Maybe I am the odd ball, but I can’t wait to meet the next Undercover Boss.

Yesterday some fellow yoga participants and I took our yoga teacher out to lunch for her birthday.  It was enormous fun and light hearted—set me up for the perfect afternoon of work that followed.  That afternoon, deep in thought, the phone rang and it was Laura thanking me for the lunch and taking time to be with her on “her day”.  Absolutely not necessary but perfect.

Good coaches (and yoga teachers and every other kind of guide) have a way of doing these things all the time when you least expect it.  They don’t have to provide you with a given piece of support—but they do—they know what you need and when you need it.

When you are a manager, being a coach or trying to be is part of the deal.  Good colleagues know that acting as a coach to a fellow team member is important as well to getting projects done and done right and on time.  Remember to offer support at odd and unexpected times—people seriously appreciate it and want to prove you right to have called and encouraged them.  You will hear—”hey thanks—am on that and appreciate you reminding me—-was going to do it yesterday but will finalize it today.”

Laura made sure I was motivated to get my down-dog right next time.  In general, only doing what’s necessary is a poor strategy if your “end in mind” is great relationship and improved productivity.  Doing what is necessary is as productive as giving a sensible gift to the one you love on valentine’s day—a new wrench or an iron isn’t going to strengthen the relationship. 

Thinking of doing something not necessary but perfect?  Do it now.