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Win-Win Leadership: Making It work for you Many people view organizations with a mechanical paradigm or mindset. The organization is like a machine: If something is broken, it needs to be fixed. If you can find the problem, get the right part, stick it in and turn it on, it will work. The truth is that organizations are not mechanical. Actually, they are organic. They are living, growing things made up of living, growing people. A living organization, like a plant, is not immediately "fixed" by replacing a non-working part; it must be nurtured over time to produce desired results. Too often we look at organizations through the mechanical paradigm. We assume that for the organization to be "in control," upper management has to micro-manage the methods and actions of each individual, making sure that the organizational machine works according to a predetermined blueprint. The need for control - for overall integrity, direction and continuity within the organization - is obvious. But equally obvious is the need - both for the individual and for the effectiveness of the organization - for greater individual autonomy and freedom, for decisions to be made as close as possible to the action front. The "Agricultural" Paradigm To shift our thinking from the mechanical paradigm to the agricultural paradigm - where we can view the organization as a living, growing entity - requires us to do two things: First, we must recognize that "control" doesn't mean that some people control the actions of others. Instead, it means the organization is "in control" - the parts work together responsibly to create the desired results. A better term for this is perhaps "accountability," meaning that the organization is accountable to the people in it for overall results, individuals are accountable to the organization for their performance and all parts of the organization are accountable to each other for the integrity of the organization. Second, we have to defuse the chronic conflict between organizational control and self-supervision. If we recognize that the organization's greatest asset is its human element, this conflict ceases to exist. The core problem is not that there is a conflict between organizational control and self-supervision, but rather the idea that there is a conflict - assuming that the two ideas cannot coexist and that we must decide between the two. True effectiveness is not a case of either organizational control or self-supervision. In fact, choosing to work exclusively from either one could be disastrous. Both values are sound; both elements are vital to an effective organization. Rather than falling victim to "either/or" logic, we can choose to work through "and" logic - organizational control and self-supervision. Using Win-Win Agreements "And" logic is the foundation for win-win agreements. Win-win agreements between organizations and individuals seek for mutual benefit and work to create a greater overlap between what the organization cares about and what the individual within the organization cares about. A win-win agreement requires a clear, up-front mutual understanding and commitment in five areas:
The win-win way of thinking and interacting seeks constantly for mutually and maximally beneficial, creative, third-alternative solutions. The need for absolute organizational control diminishes as individuals operate on a day-to-day basis within the framework of win-win because individuals understand that working for the benefit of the organization can also benefit them, and upper management understands that giving individuals the freedom to act on their own can work for the benefit of the organization. As trust grows in the win-win paradigm, organizational control and self-supervision are no longer seen as values in conflict. In fact, they become two additional conditions of empowerment. Making It Work The most essential part of the framework for win-win is an atmosphere of trust. Consider the situation of an organization that gives lip service to win-win but is constantly second-guessing and undermining the decisions of low-level managers. No amount of negotiation, empowerment seminars or organizational restructuring can resolve the underlying problem: The organization is unwilling to give up total control in favor of mutual accountability. When trust is high, self-supervision becomes the practical process in which individuals plan, execute and control their own performance within the agreement. In this situation, individuals have access to the primary elements of empowerment - knowledge, skill, desire and opportunity. Time and money wasted on "snoopervision" - micromanaging individuals who are theoretically autonomous - can be reinvested in high-leverage leadership and management activities. Just knowing about win-win is not the same as knowing how to create it. Going back to the agricultural paradigm, we can understand that desired results in the organization are created not by the mechanic but by the gardener. The gardener knows that life is within the seed. Although it is impossible to make the seed grow, the gardener can select the best seed and then use "and" logic to create the conditions - correct soil temperature, adequate sunshine, water, fertilizer, weeding, cultivation and time - that maximize growth. Creating win-win is similar to creating a garden. Win-win cannot be created, but it can be nurtured. Effective win-win leaders understand that growth in the individual and in the organization follows the same process as growth in the garden, so they work to create the conditions that nurture growth. So Just What Are These Conditions? If the desired results are for individuals to work together effectively in a high-trust win-win culture, the conditions can include helpful systems and structures that will reinforce those results. For example, a compensation system that rewards competition among employees cannot nurture cooperation. A communication system that puts roadblocks in the way of direct-line accountability limits effectiveness. Both the systems and the structures - the organizational framework and role definition - need to facilitate, not impede, the accomplishment of desired results. Just as a gardener understands that he must water what he wants to grow, an effective win-win leader helps to create an atmosphere of trust and mutual accountability and builds organizational systems and structures that contribute to such an atmosphere. Leaders can do some specific things within their circle of influence to improve these conditions:
These steps are not "quick-fix" techniques; they are based on sound, time-proven principles of growth and change. Leaders who choose timeless principles as the foundation for their paradigms of leadership understand that natural laws in the human dimension are just as real as those in the physical dimension. Principle-centered leaders also focus first on changing themselves, then on expanding to other areas of influence. They understand that growth comes from the inside out. Through learning to cultivate a win-win attitude within themselves, they learn how to better create the conditions that lead to empowering win-win situations among the other individuals within their organizations. And creating win-win situations is the foundation of cultivating an organizational culture that allows for individual autonomy in harmony with mutual accountability. Stephen R. Covey is the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families and other best-selling works.
Charles Schulz: Tribute to a Master
"I recently had a stroke," Schulz said in his California home during one of his last-ever interviews. "I'm working hard every day to get my health back, but it's a long battle." A battle he eventually succumbed to on Saturday, February 12th. It was in his home, with his family around him, when Schulz peacefully kissed this world goodbye. And, almost as if on his own terms, as word spread of his passing, newspapers worked to find a spot for the news just as they prepared to feature the last-ever Peanuts cartoon. One of Schulz's colleagues believes that his work ethic and love of his characters and audience is what the Peanuts artist will always be remembered for. "It's an amazing feat what Charles did," Bill Keane, artist and creator of the Family Circus cartoon said. "I can't think of any other cartoonist who has been 100 percent responsible for his work over such a long period of time." Along with a professional relationship, Keane and Schulz created a bond that went beyond the ink and pages of comic strips. "I was personal friends with Charles for years," said Keane. "He was one of the most genuine people I have ever known." While his health had slowed him down in the months prior to his death, Schulz never lost his vigor and enthusiasm for Peanuts. In January, Schulz finished his latest Peanuts creation, another prize for the world to enjoy. "Production on Pied Piper Charlie Brown has just wrapped up," Schulz said. "I think it's one of our best works." That was quite a statement from the man responsible for the most widely recognized comic strip characters in history. Since its debut soon after his return from World War II, Peanuts has appeared in newspapers in 75 countries worldwide. On a daily basis, its work could always be traced back to Schulz. And when Connie Boucher, a housewife from San Francisco, received Schulz's okay to try her hand at merchandising the Peanuts characters, one member of the gang, a little dog called Snoopy became a household name. But after some 50 years, Schulz began preparation to say goodbye to the Peanuts comic strip for the last time. "I certainly enjoyed doing Peanuts," Schulz said, "but it's time to move on." Schulz's decision to cease the publishing of the comic strip was easy because, he said, it really wasn't his decision in the first place. Schulz's five children and two stepchildren made a pact with one another years ago that when their father could no longer create Peanuts, the comic strip would end. "They came to me a long time ago and said no one should ever do Peanuts except me," Schulz said. "I was somewhat surprised by how strongly they felt about their decision." Family was always an important aspect of Charles Schulz. Born November 26, 1922, to Carl and Dena Schulz of St. Paul, Minnesota, Charles learned at an early age what family devotion was all about. His father, who owned a barber shop during the Great Depression, not only found a means to take care of his own family, but also found funds to offer work to others. He did so at a time when work and cash were at an all-time low in this country. Also during the Depression, his father managed to scrape together enough cash to finance young Charles' dreams of becoming an artist. Charles attended the Art Instructions School during that time, but the shy and nervous boy managed just a C+ in his first class. Not deterred, however, Charles forged ahead through his classes, improving day by day and week by week. At the same time, the Schulz family was forced to sell their home and take residence up in an apartment above a drug store. Schulz' mother's diagnosis with cancer necessitated the move. Each day the pharmacist would dispense pain medication to ease the struggles of her illness. For the next several years, however, Charles was forced to watch his mother deteriorate until she passed away. "That was a terrible time in our lives," Schulz said. "She was just so sick. It was so awful." Within days of being drafted into service to fight in World War II, Schulz' mother lost her valiant battle with cancer. Amazingly, it was while serving in the military that Schulz began to hone his skills as a cartoonist. "I had some good friends in the service," said Schulz. "So when they saw I could do cartoons, they began asking me to draw silly little cartoons on the envelopes of their letters." One dear friend, known now as just Sergeant Hegameyer, often asked Schulz to decorate his letters before he shipped them off to the states to his bride. While Schulz was decorating letters for others, he received daily correspondence from his recently widowed father. Wartime was certainly not all about cartoons, though. Schulz earned the reputation as a hard-nosed military man and soon became a staff sergeant and the leader of a machine-gun squad. "The time in the service was a strange time," Schulz said. "I learned a lot about myself and became more confident in my work and became more focused on my goals." "I always knew I was going to be an artist, but the time in the war gave me that extra push." Schulz returned home and landed two jobs, one as a writer for a comic strip and one as an art teacher at the school he had attended years earlier. It was during that time he met a good man named Charlie Brown. Schulz worked with Brown and developed a strong friendship with him. He also came to know a red-headed young woman who broke his heart. Her persona would follow in the form of a character in Peanuts. "Once I started Peanuts, I knew that's what I would do for the rest of my life," said Schulz. "I had a lot of confidence in my work at that point of my life, and I can't think of anything else I ever wanted to do." "Some people want to be doctors, others lawyers," Schulz said. "For me, I always wanted to be an artist and was driven to do so." Schulz also encouraged his children to seek happiness in their careers. His youngest daughter, Jill Transki, told People magazine after her father's death, "He always instilled in us how essential it is to enjoy the process of life, regarding every moment and every act as having some importance." He also felt keeping control of Peanuts was important. In fact, when publishers requested Peanuts focus less on Snoopy, Schulz quietly said no, and continued in the direction he felt the strip should go. "I always felt the best way to keep the dream of Peanuts alive was by keeping that kind of control of the comic strip." And while he may never again sign his name to a Peanuts comic strip, Schulz clearly grew to understand his place in history and American culture and remained amazed by the attention. When he announced his retirement, the man they call Sparky was deluged with well wishes. And when it was revealed he was sick, the cards and letters only increased. Scott Schulte is a freelance writer from Scottsdale, Arizona. © 1999 Priorities: The Journal
of Personal and Professional Success and Franklin Covey. All rights reserved
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Just prior to his
death and in failing health, Charles Schulz still wasn't much interested in talking about
his past. The creator and only artist and writer of the world-famous Peanuts cartoon strip
believed he had too much to do. First and foremost, Schulz had planned on getting healthy
so he could enjoy his retirement with his family and friends.
