Conflicted

I’ve been radio-silent on the blog front for a bit. Sorry about that. Life, and summer camps, and work (does the volume of work seem to rise in the summer because there’s more hot air?), and the change of kids’ routines, and settling in with a new team, and preparing to launch a groundbreaking book, and…, and…, and… all contribute to the silence.

This is a tough blog for me to write. Why? Because, in part, I’m conflicted about talking about what I’m conflicted about. (You’re following this, right?) OK, let me start at the beginning. A while back I took some time to really think through the issue of flexibility in the workplace. Thinking squarely, at the time, that flexibility was predominantly a women’s issue, it seemed like a good thing to tackle given my role in leading our women’s initiative. Well, it didn’t take long to figure out that flexibility is not a women’s issue. Nope. It’s a people issue and comes in all genders, shapes and sizes. Women, as it turns out, just happen to be the canaries in the corporate coal mine on the topic.

To briefly sum up the findings: the workforce has changed—a lot—while the workplace has not. So our little crack team sketched out a corporate solution to the problem, which is dubbed “mass career customization (MCC).” Some time has now passed during which we’ve piloted this notion of customizing careers and even got coerced into (and delivered) a manuscript to Harvard Press on the topic (the book will be formally published in September). With me so far?

I’ve subsequently been given a new role in the firm leading Talent for the Deloitte U.S. entities, and in this role, one of my jobs is to make the workplace of the future a reality, which of course, includes a broad rollout of MCC across the organization. This is where the first layer of conflict comes in. I’m conflicted by the inherent conflict of authoring such a broad sweeping change in the way we will work and also being responsible for its implementation. My concern, in a nutshell, is that it may come across as self-promotional, as in “of course we’re moving in this direction, it’s her thought ware after all.” Besides self-promotion not being lady like, my fear is that this line of thinking will detract from the power of the innovation.

But that’s just the first layer of conflict. There is a second as well. I’m conflicted about expressing my conflict. You see, as a leader, I’m conflicted about what I should or should not be transparent about.

In the spirit of being compulsively transparent, I’m coming clean about the conflicts. This doesn’t mean I’m not conflicted anymore (far from it!), but just that I’m past keeping mum about it. So I ask: What’s your recipe for conflict resolution?

Cathy

By blogger Cathy Benko, Deloitte LLP

Comments

[Gabrielle in Minneapolis]

No need to be conflicted. Men as well as women are making their personal life work with work. We all need and advocate who truly believes you can be value added in the work place and still develop your relationship with your spouse and raise your kids. I have tried flexiblity in 2 different settings before my current job. It has truly only worked here. Our organization is in the future, the key is letting both genders know the work is here, but your life will continue to change... hop on or miss out!

[Aureon in New York]

There's no conflict here...only choices. And the 2 choices that you've described (being perceived as self-promotional vs. being a transparent leader) actually boil down to one thing that is obviously very important to you -- that is, how you are perceived by others. While I'm often reminded that in our culture, perception becomes reality, I firmly believe in following my gut to resolve conflicts and relying upon the basic values that were instilled in me as a child. That's the beauty of our organization's vision and culture. I truly believe that MCC reflects some attempt by this organiztion to properly align it's strategic focus with the goals and values of its ever changing workforce, which includes you. For years, working women pushed for leadership positions in firms whose values weren't properly aligned with their own. So...if the MCC reflects your own values, then you will undoubtedly be perceived as being self promotional and you will need to be a bit transparent, but so what. Sure, you could take the easy way out and let someone else implement the program, but why not be a catalyst for change? In the end, the perception and reality will be that you made a difference.

[Catherine in San Francisco]

Your candor is refreshing and the work you are doing with MCC is fabulous and necessary. I launched a website this summer to help all those canaries in the corporate coal mine. It is an online community for professional women who balance their work and life with flexibility and creativity. We want to highlight companies like Deloitte and show our community that change is happening and there are employers out there that see the need to loose the one-size-fits-all suit.

[Pat in Berkeley]

In the outside world, management consultants are often thought of as people who fly in, drop their pet theory on an organization, and fly out, leaving the people in the organization to deal with the implementation. Leading the implementation proves you really believe in your initiative. Here in the Science World, people who develop theories expect to test and tweak them until they work. The important thing is to not get too attached to your first ideas -- keep an open mind, expect that everything will not work out exactly as planned, and be prepared to learn an adjust things as you go . . . which will may lead to a new book in a couple of years, with practical tips on how to implement the changes!

Good luck! The work you are doing is important!

[Michelle in Bellevue]

Thanks for your refreshing candor. I think there is another conflict -- very real and pragmatic. The vast majority of major change efforts fail. A change of this type is transformational and will necessitate changing long-held and generally unstated, attitudes and beliefs ingrained in the Deloitte culture, and the profession. Tricky business. No doubt there are many factors to consider in planning, implementing and sustaining a change like this, but at a minimum, ensure you have sponsorship (that is consistently visible, in it for the long haul, and 100% committed) from the very top of Deloitte before taking this on.

[Tarren in Tampa]

Cathy, I understand your thoughts. Recently I was feeling along the same lines when a friend and somewhat informal mentor suggested my reading "Pitch like a Girl" this book does give some helpful insight to your feelings and may also provide a look at what other women are feeling and writing about with regards to your conflicts.

[Neil in Bath, UK]

Wow, there is a lot going on in this post and the comments. Let's look at that self serving point first. It is a great thing to have an initiative, develop it and get it sponsored and taken on board. There are many companies where such opportunities just don't exist.

Of course, this was your idea. Of course you are going to be pushing it, promoting it, and of course, it might not work.

Whether it works in its entirety doesn't need to be important. The fact is that the organisation gave you the autonomy to roll with it. Another fact is that colleagues will see that it is safe to develop initiatives and push them up and that can only benefit the organisation.

The changes that accumulate in practice and management through such initiatives being floated may only be incremental but collectively could have profound impact. The organisations members, or staff, benefit because they see that they have autonomy, trust on the part of the organisation and their support.

Keep pushing it through. If people want to challenge your thinking on the basis that "You would say that wouldn't you" then that is just as valid a challenge to your thinking as any other. Any challenge or conflict in that sense, then offers you a new platform to debate, develop and promote your ideas.

Now, as long as we are able to debate in an open, fluid sense, and not just from a defensive point of view, then we have an opportunity to appreciate the challenger's perceptions or difficulties they perceive. If we can acknowledge that and accomodate them, then we continue to develop our initiative. If we get defensive then we lose the opportunity to assimilate other viewpoints, and we lose a possible convert to our newly broadened viewpoint.

The second conflict is right up my street. When we are dealing with conflict, just how transparent are we about the conflict itself? I present workshops on just this point - Embracing Conflict. If we are explicit about the conflict - how it is making us feel, what we perceive our approaches to be - then we call the conflict into being. It becomes a labelled phenomenon which we can then stand apart from. That in turn enables us to address this thing called conflict in a better fashion, rather than allowing the conflict to be a part of how we are and how we are feeling as we go through this process.

I read an example, although I cannot remember where, of how calling conflict into being has helped people resolve the conflict. The example I'm thinking of revolved around sexual harrassment.

Before this had been given a name, or called into being, through language, it was a form of treatment that many people felt they had to tolerate. It would become a most unwelcome aspect of their work life and came to be an integral part of that experience.

Once the conflict had been labelled, then it became easier to externalise oneself from the conflict. It became possible to say "Oh, this is not of me, nor of my doing. This is that thing labelled Sexual Harrassment, which can be identified as a separate entity to myself and can be challenged accordingly"

By coincidence, my own presentations skills coach is working with Deloitte UK and we were talking about taking my conflict approach to them. Let me know if I can be of help with your work over there.

[Patricia in Wilton]

Gee, I don't hear a conflict at all. I find it truly refreshing that one can implement what one believes. Too often there are those who write and then those who do. The fact that you were inspired by a new concept (MCC), piloted it to a success, documented it and then are willing to continue the implementation - well, that speaks "Leader" to me. What is the counter point - a talking head?, an academic?, "do what I say but not what I do"?. I just don't think that serves Deloitte well. Conflicted - no, you are following a very powerful path.

[Kevin in St. Louis]

Your instincts are serving you well. There is no doubt in my mind that you could execute superbly on the implementation of the knowledge-capital you've developed. The question I come back to is, does that approach represent the best return on your time and open the most future opportunities? Wouldn't it be better to set another partner up in that role (rolling out MCC), and you mentor him/her through it? That allows you to keep a level of separation that facilitates more innovation and development of the program. Another way to think of it, once you take direct operational responsibility for MCC's implementation, in a way you sacrifice a small piece of your independence. By staying in an observation and mentoring role, you maintain a level of professional and academic independence that might lead to...among other things...maybe a follow-up book, looking at the applied experiences in MCC. The reality is you don't have a bad choice in front of you. As is often the case in this Firm...you have a few good choices to select from. Best of luck in sorting it out! ;-

[Jim in Hermitage]

It's a new world out there with a whole new group of people we must recruit if we hope to continue to stay in business. They have new expectations from their prospective employers that involve more flexibility in structure and lifestyle than we've ever seen before. Deloitte seems to have two options. First, ignore this trend and continue to recruit people who believe in the older type of company. The eventual result will be a firm with ranks filled with people with one foot in the grave and our client base firmly entrenched in total control of the geriatric market. The younger people and younger clients will have gone elsewhere. Second option is to change. Again. If change, would it be better to pick someone who has no clue which way to head or someone who has enough knowledge in the area that they can author a book on the subject? Cathy, your quest for transparency and openness is wonderful and refreshing. Now get over it and move on. You must succeed if we are to survive. To quote that great American philosopher, Larry the Cable Guy, Get 'er done.

[Kare in Sausalito]

Just be passionate, practical, inclusive and specific about the value of the changes you're going to advocate - then you'll be looking outward - at others - and what "we" can do together, rather than inward, looking at how you might come across. Humility and helpful changes are good for Deloitte, your colleagues and you.

[Diane in Las Vegas]

Well, you are conflicted for several reasons: 1. Self - promoting: If you create a flex work environment because you supported the creation, you will look self serving. Good, when any professional supports something they created and then is in charge of its implementation that is a compliment on the fact that they thought through the process well enough, made coherent arguments for the policy change and are thought of as an expert in implementing the intiaitve. That's to be celebrated and not conflicted about. Deloitte is one of the few remaining pillars of the CPA Profession. I am a New Yorker born and raised, I joined KPMG before the K came along when there were BIG 8, moved to Vegas and have been a CPA for 28 years. We are professionals. You have created an opportunity for change where none existed and I think you must see this through.

Conflict #2. Some inside issues: any major corporation is going to have the good, the bad and the ugly. You must rise above it and do what's best for the organization. That is your professional duty, no matter what the conflict. So, if it's very delicate, than you be even more professional about your approach. Approach from fact and integrity and you cannot miss - I would love to hear how it goes for my next project on my new web site coming soon - Powerful business women do not shy away from conflict, they control it and they utilize it to move the systems and culture forward.