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Evelyn Turrell

Bringing Out The Best

By Joann Javons

What does it take for a leader to succeed in today's corporate environment, a world of tumultuous change, fewer staff, greater demands, less time? And how does a leader focus on bringing out the best in people while handling multiple demands, conflicting priorities, more pressure than ever, and the responsibility of managing a unit of 70 people? These were some of the questions in the back of my mind as I sat down to meet with a leader who represents a rare breed in corporate America. Evelyn Turrell was hired as a secretary and quietly moved into an influential leadership position for a business unit charged with providing education, training, and consulting services for a corporation of 7,712 employees.

The Automobile Club of Southern California (ACSC) is an affiliate of the American Automobile Association, a solid organization providing services to America's motorists for over 100 years. Today, ACSC is known as an organization that provides responsive, top quality customer service. ACSC focuses on living its vision by adding new products and services to quickly meet customers' changing needs. But that wasn't always the case. About 15 years ago, the organization changed its core paradigms-revamped work units and processes, developed new products, and implemented a host of initiatives to meet shifting demographics, new customer needs, and the challenges of its competitors. Competitors? For many years, the Automobile Club of Southern California didn't even have significant competitors. But when that all changed, leaders had to change.

Evelyn Turrell had always been functioning as the "new leader," even if she didn't say it. People who reported to her knew it. People talked about her leadership approach. I first heard about Evelyn from others. When the former leader of the education, training, and development unit said, "We're looking for an assistant manager for this unit. If you have any recommendations, let me know." Out of 500 managers, the name that came to my mind was "Evelyn Turrell." At that point, I had only met her twice.

THE TASK OF BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN HUMAN BEINGS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Some leaders do things naturally, even without formal development, courses, or degrees. It just flows from them. Focusing on the best in people and knowing how to bring that out is what Evelyn Turrell does naturally.
She sees the best in all performers, not just the outstanding ones."One of the things that I've learned is that I don't have to have a whole team of superstars. I look at the solid, consistent performers and think how I can tap into their strengths. I don't like the word "weakness" because I'm really interested in what they can do well; I want to build on that. For example, someone may take a long time to get up to speed on giving presentations but he or she may be very good at a chunk of that presentation, so I always look at what is possible to connect to." Terms like "deficiencies" and "weaknesses" don't exist for Turrell. She perceives only what is, what could be, and how to align the best in her staff of 70 people.

"Is there a 'high-point moment' in your career when you did this, can you tell me the story?," I asked. "Yes" she said, as her eyes lit up. With excitement in her voice, she told me about someone she hired years ago to work as her secretary. "This young woman believed she would never be successful, never go beyond working as a secretary, even though she longed to become an instructor. While she passionately wanted to become an instructor, she firmly believed she would never move beyond her present job. I think her belief was rooted in the low-income, low-expectation culture she grew up in. She projected a somewhat angry demeanor, was viewed as hostile, having a so-called attitude problem. My challenge was to help her see the potential she had, to believe in herself, to affirm for her that she could do it. One of the ways I did this was to give her more and more responsibility. She grew from secretary to technical trainer to an instructor position as her belief in herself grew. It's worthwhile helping someone make their dreams come true."

This is exactly Evelyn's passion and secret to her successful leadership style: seeing strengths in people that they don't even see in themselves. "My personal reward and recognition from any job has always been tapping into my staff's strengths, seeing in them what they couldn't see in themselves." The look on her face was sheer joy as she said this. Her expression turned wistful, "In this job I don't have time for as much of that individual development of people. I miss having the time to do as much as I want to." Clearly this was her "high," this is what gave her energy, what drove her.

Another example of recognizing potential in others is demonstrated in Evelyn's approach to leadership development. She hired a young man as an instructor and instinctively knew his talent exceeded that position. She actively mentored and coached him and went to bat for him to get authorization for educational programs to develop his knowledge and skills. "I saw someone committed to the organization and developing him meant the organization would reap the benefits." He quickly grew from an instructor to a supervisor. Not only did he quickly move into management, but after only four years on the job, he won the prestigious Cheshire Award, ACSC's highest award given to those identified as making outstanding contributions to the entire organization. "It's recognizing things in people that they may not even know are there and trying to determine what you need to do to hone in on those skills and help make them a leader for the future," she said casually, as if this were something everyone does easily.

Evelyn attributes much of her success to the values her parents taught her as well as the mentoring she received. "My parents were strict although they would give flexibility when due. They taught me to always tell the truth. They valued honesty very much and so do I. Certainly it makes a difference in how you tell the truth but I think telling the truth always gains respect. I really couldn't function any other way."
One of her former bosses stands out for the generous praise and excellent mentoring she gave Evelyn in her career. "I wouldn't be in this job today if it weren't for her. She was the one who talked me into accepting the Assistant Manager job (which later led to Manager). She always gave me the recognition and credit for my work to the executive level, as well as generous praise, compensation, titles. I always felt appreciated." Turrell said one of the things she respected about this boss was that "you knew she was always behind you, supporting you, even if you made a mistake. Mistakes weren't ignored but her support was still there and she helped you learn from them."

APPRECIATIVE RELATIONSHIPS

Evelyn is known for her honest yet sensitive approach in communicating with others. "People let me know they feel comfortable talking to me. I am committed to telling the truth and while I choose how I tell the truth, I still am truthful. If I can't answer something, I let people know why."

Evelyn actively communicates the organization's goals and objectives to her staff and ensures that each person is comfortable with them. She knows people will make mistakes and views those as opportunities for them to learn and grow. A feedback-rich environment can only exist if people feel safe, especially when they make mistakes. "If someone has made a mistake and is bringing a serious issue to me, I make sure they don't feel any retribution. If it's serious, that person has already suffered enough anguish. They don't need punishment. My role is to help them recover so they can move forward."

In conversations with other members of her staff, it's clear that she conveys a distinct message to her staff: " I care, I accept you, and I give you the freedom to try." She is non-judgmental, and focuses on helping others heal from a mistake to be able to move forward. People feel both affirmed and appreciated in her presence. Her style exemplifies Carl Rogers' notion of "unconditional positive regard."

That doesn't mean she doesn't have issues to address with her staff; she does. But the difference lies in those things she feels important to maintain, even when she has unpleasant feedback to convey. She advocates:

• Be authentic, always be who you are and tell the truth.
  
  
• Withhold judgment.
  
  
• Listen, reflect, and listen some more.
  
  
• Show empathy: Try to understand the situation from the other person's perspective and experience.
  
  
• Model the behavior you want.

Evelyn believes that the leader's day-to-day actions send a loud message to others."You can't just talk about appreciating and accepting others. You must demonstrate it yourself, you must model the behavior you want. I try to show people in my attitude, my verbal and non-verbal communication, the kinds of questions I ask, the way I listen. Countless things are involved. And I always put myself in the other person's shoes: how would I feel if I were experiencing this?"

Those who work closely with her know that she has an uncanny ability to zero in on what is important to the other person. She consistently checks her understanding by listening, reflecting, and listening some more. She believes you can't do these things unless they are truly important to you. Evelyn said, "Good communication requires a commitment and a focus. It's not always easy and often becomes complex through the frequently inaccurate assumptions that we make. The more emotionally charged the situation is, the more important it is to focus on the communication."

When an organization goes through major changes in products, services, and processes, those changes always impact employees. When people are going through a change, frustration can be high. "Sometimes people will sound like they're just complaining and, at times, they just need someone to whom they can vent their frustration. But other times they may not be sure what they want. It's as if they are banging their head against the wall trying to figure it out. Or people may be angry at a change and blame the next level of management. My role is to connect with them, to affirm them, and, especially, to re-affirm the power they really do have to make the change work for them, not against them. It's the same idea I mentioned earlier about seeing their potential and drawing on it. I want to release their potential."

POSITIVE IMAGE AND POSITIVE ACTION

Another key to Turell's leadership style comes from a lesson learned from her parents: "My parents were not quitters at anything...they never gave up. They never stopped until they achieved their desired outcome." Evelyn doesn't stop either. She always finds a way to get things accomplished. In a large corporation, bureaucratic rules and procedures can get in the way of a leader's effectiveness. Undaunted, she sees new ways to make it happen. Her mental image of a positive outcome and a win-win for everyone is vital to her leadership success.
For example, when an executive decision was made to no longer allow her instructors to rent cars when they were on out-of-state business trips, her belief in a positive outcome led to a solution that had not occurred to anyone else: recycle former corporate cars. Her new way resulted in a win-win for all stakeholders.

In the department that Evelyn leads, the opportunity to create positive images happens every day. She expects her staff to continuously learn and she takes action to encourage them to do so. Compelling positive images come from the opportunity to continue to learn, exchange ideas and information, listen to new ideas, and build on those. Her focus on what can be done, on possibilities, and commitment to positive outcomes infuses her staff with the same spirit.

Positive images of the future of the larger organization are expressed in its vision, mission, and new initiatives. Evelyn explained, "I will never forget a three day off-site meeting many years ago when our CEO painted a picture of where we were as an organization, what would happen if we didn't change, and how our future might possibly look. He painted a very powerful image. And he had a plan. I never forgot that experience."

Turrell not only seeks positive outcomes but she has plans to achieve them. In her personal life, she recently experienced what happened when she felt lost and without a plan. Evelyn was hospitalized and when she was released, she was confined to her bed for three weeks. "I was so frustrated, not being able to get around. I began to feel sorry for myself and started to feel down. And then one day it hit me: where was my plan? So I made a plan for all the little things I could control. I got dressed everyday, put on some make-up, had the hairdresser come in and fix my hair, had my nails done. I made lists of things that were important to me. Just putting together a plan for what I could do every day--even though I was not able to walk-- lifted my spirits and got me thinking in the right direction. That simple plan had a powerful impact on me."

"I feel that positive thinking is vital for every role in your life. As a leader, it is essential. Even if your ship is sinking, paint a picture of the light at the end of the tunnel. It's vital. Where would you be without hope? That's how I was feeling when I wasn't able to walk. I had to turn it around so I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. You must always help the people you lead do that, no matter what the circumstances are."

THE SPIRIT OF INQUIRY

Evelyn said with a great deal of emphasis, "I believe there is some way to achieve anything." You won't hear excuses from this woman."While my parents always had rules, they also were flexible if the situation warranted something else. They didn't live in extreme black or white thinking. If the circumstances suggested that an exception or a different rule was appropriate, they did it. One size fits all, just doesn't work."

She applies this lesson to work. For example, when an executive decision was made to limit out-of town-meal expenses to $25.00 per day, she knew that this daily limit would not always work for her staff. She asked, "Why not calculate the meal expense as an average relative to the total number of days of the trip, instead of on a daily basis?" After all, why would it matter if someone's meal expenses were $30.00 one day and $20.00 another day, as long as the average for the entire trip was $25.00 per day? The decision was changed, not by breaking the rules but by raising the right questions and persisting toward her desired outcome."You have to have an image of a positive outcome plus the persistence to make it happen. I believe there is a solution to anything and I'm sure I learned that from my parents." Her power is her commitment, persistence, and drive to find the best solution.

She asks a lot of questions, yet people don't feel interrogated by her. She' s soft spoken, with a twinkle in her eye, a ready smile. "I love to listen to someone and see the light bulb go on when they find the answer to their own question. My greatest satisfaction has always been to help my staff see things, solve their own problems, discover potential they didn't know they had. That's always been my personal reward and recognition." Asking questions to help others release their own potential comes naturally to her. A "telling" style doesn't fit who she is. She invites others to engage in dialogue to discover what can be done. "People often don't say what's really on their minds in their initial statements. Through inquiry and dialogue, I can find what really is at the heart of the matter. It just takes a lot of listening and focused attention."

Jan Turrell feels her previous career in insurance claims taught her valuable lessons that prepared her for her present position. "Years ago when I worked as a liability claims adjuster, I learned how to negotiate. Some thought our job was saying, "No," but I never looked at it that way. I asked questions. I was after a win-win so I learned that the way you said something and how you got there was important."
She also learned how to deal with rules and procedures early in her career. "When I was a supervisor, I discovered how to use the system to achieve my desired outcomes. I never broke the rules but I found out how to make the system flexible, as the situation warranted."

She also learned how to deal with rules and procedures early in her career. "When I was a supervisor, I discovered how to use the system to achieve my desired outcomes. I never broke the rules but I found out how to make the system flexible, as the situation warranted."

THE ROLE OF POSITIVE AFFECT IN BRINGING OUT THE BEST

When ACSC decided to consolidate six different training functions, Turrell found herself thrown into the foray with others trying to figure out how to achieve a new organizational change. The directive had been given: this group was to come up with a plan and make it happen without further information or direction. Each of the leaders from these separate training functions had been working in silos, each in their own world. Now they had to tear down the silos and build a new unit. Evelyn's commitment to positive outcomes helped turn chaos and negative feelings into a committed working group focused on collaborating to achieve the objective. Time was needed for feelings to subside, for new perspectives to emerge, and for people to see the positive benefits of consolidating all the training functions into one unit. As Turrell recalls, "The organization saved on duplication of resources. We could deliver a consistent message overall. Once our group could see and feel the benefits, we started to move forward. But it was vital for us to internalize those positive results, to see them, to feel them in order to make it all happen."

One of Evelyn's 'defining moments' came early in her career. As she reflected on her expectations for herself she said, "When I was growing up, my dream was to have a loving family, a home with the proverbial white-picket fence and so forth, so going to college and having a career wasn't on my list. Even when I had the chance to become a supervisor, it was okay with me if I got the job or didn't get it. I still remember when one of the senior managers who interviewed me for that job asked, 'What is your motivation each day?' I answered, 'my morning cup of coffee.' At that time, I was not driven to have a career, I just wanted to do the best job I could. Yes, I got the supervisor job and later, the interviewers told me their interview with me was the most refreshing interview they ever did. That supervisor job was the turning point for me. I loved the job. And it was during that time in my life that I realized I would have to work for the rest of my life. So, I asked myself, 'Why am I doing this?' I wanted some kind of reward. I knew I was in it for the long term. I'm happy with the results of that decision. My career has been very rewarding for me and gives me a great deal of personal satisfaction."

I asked Evelyn, "As you look back on your leadership journey, is there any advice you wish you would have been given that would have helped you along the way?" It didn't take her long to answer. "When you're in a formal leadership role in a corporation, it's always very helpful to know more about the people above you so you can be as effective as possible in dealing with them. It would have saved me a lot of time to know early on what was really important to those above me. And especially their own leadership styles, how they functioned, how they would react to different things, the subtleties of their unique personalities. Helping me anticipate some of the challenges I'd be facing would have saved me time and allowed me to prepare my approach in a way that would work the first time, without having to re-do it. Each personality is unique and knowing more about that person helps you create win-wins early in your career that you can build on.

It's also vital for a leader to not get lost in the day-to-day administrative tasks that inevitably will come up in your job. Always keep your vision: that will keep other things that intrude on a daily basis in perspective. It's not the reports you have to get done, but the people who are the leaders best asset. Bringing out the best in your people is the best investment you can make."

. . . . .

EVELYN TURRELL | Evelyn Turrell's career with the Automobile Club of Southern California began more than 30 years ago. She became manager of the Education, Training, and Development unit, Human Resources in 1998. She obtained her AA degree at Lancaster community college, and is a life-long learner. Evelyn lives with her husband, John, in Lancaster, California, and has one adult son and one grandchild, "Bubba", whom she adores.

JOANN JAVONS | Joann Javons' background includes an academic career and corporate Human Resources. She currently does OD consulting and facilitates leadership development programs at ACSC. Joann is a published poet, and a prolific writer and speaker. She has served on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) and the Organization Development Network, Los Angeles. She lives in Culver City, California.

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