Active Leadership Blog

Authentic Networking - Giving Helpful Help

2012-01-25T15:00:00.000-05:00

Reid Hoffman has a great approach to networking! I particularly like his rules:

In the next day: Look at your calendar for the past six months and identify the five people you spend the most time with - are you happy with their influence on you?

In the next week: Introduce two people who do not know each other but ought to Then think a bout a challenge you face and ask for an introduction to a connection in your network who could help.

Imagine you got laid off from your job today. Who are the 10 people you'd e-mail for advice? Don't wait - invest in those relationships now.

In the next month: Identify a weaker tie with whom you'd like to build an alliance. Help him by giving him a small gift - forward an article or job posting.

Create an "interesting people fund" to which you automatically funnel a certain percentage of your paycheck. Use it to pay for coffees and the occasional plane ticket to meet new people and shore up existing relationships.

Read the entire article here: http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/01/24/reid-hoffman-linkedin-startup-you/

Best Martin Luther King Day Photo!

2012-01-17T23:12:00.000-05:00

"Not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Unleash your hero!

2011-08-12T18:26:00.000-04:00

"Do not lose your knowledge that man's proper estate is an upright posture, an intransigent mind and a step that travels unlimited roads. Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach."

My new favorite inspirational song

2011-08-09T18:03:00.006-04:00

Blessings

by Laura Story

We pray for blessings

We pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom

Your voice to hear

And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

All the while, You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win

We know the pain reminds this heart

That this is not, this is not our home

It's not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

And what if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the achings of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are Your mercies in disguise

Empowering vs. Disempowering Others

2011-07-07T10:21:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I learned a great lesson in empowerment at my church picnic. Our Men's Fraternity organized things, and did most of the work. Lots of people prepared food, cooked food, set up, kept the drinks coming, and cleaned up. Many of the picnic-goers brought chairs, blankets, and side dishes. Everyone had their own assignments and very little oversight or supervision.

I remembered a church supper where I single-handedly disempowered a whole group of people. Several years ago, we belonged to a church that observed Lent with Wednesday night suppers. These were simple affairs, typically soup and salad. No dessert and nothing complicated.

I happened to read the church bulletin and notice that different groups had signed up to host suppers: the choir, the youth group, etc. But some dates were open - no one had volunteered.

I thought, "well, I could easily put together a committee to host a supper." Of course, I forgot that I was travelling internationally and spending little time at home. And I hate committees. (They seem such a waste of time, isn't it easier just to do things myself?) Even so, I signed up with great intentions.

As you might guess, when the day of the Lenten supper drew near, my committee had not met. In fact, I never drafted a committee.

Undeterred, I went to the grocery store, bought a lot of supplies, and made a mess of soup and salad. I enlisted my hubby to help set the tables. (And I knew that people would volunteer to help clean up.)

The supper went off rather well, or so I thought. The problem - no one else was willing to sign up to host suppers. Rather than making it seem easy, I made it seem difficult. I had not involved others. In fact, I had disempowered a whole group of people who were interested and willing to participate, if asked. I forgot my leadership role.

OK, so I'm learning the hard way. Often, it seems quicker and easier to simply do it myself. But this approach is not sustainable in the long run. Better to recruit and empower others.

Remembering Gettysburg

2011-07-05T12:07:00.016-04:00

Tom and I visited Gettysburg on July 2nd to see battle re-enactments. The highlight of the day was hearing Robert E. Lee and his lieutenants explain their actions.

My mind is still struggling to hold all the ideas I heard.
When I first learned about the Civil War, my history books had everything boiled down and simplified. Hearing from individuals added back complexity and texture.

Last night we watched the movie Gettysburg. I was struck by the humility and sense of honor exhibited by many of the soldiers. I feel a deep gratitude and sadness.

Our Deepest Fear

2011-02-18T17:05:00.004-05:00

From A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles by Marianne Williamson:

Our deepest fear is not that we are
inadequate, our deepest fear is that we
are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that
most frightens us. We ask ourselves,

“Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?” Actually, who
are you NOT to be?

You are a child of God. Your playing
small does NOT serve the world. There
is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won’t feel insecure
around you.

We were born to manifest the glory
that is within us. And as we let our
light shine we unconsciously give other
people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own
fear, our presence automatically
liberates others.

Can Technology Firms Produce Good Leaders?

2010-08-24T16:52:00.010-04:00

Can you be technically competent AND a good leader? Of course!

Can you identify the object in this photo?

If the answer is "yes", you and your organization may have special leadership challenges.

Robert Fulmer and Byron Hanson surveyed technology companies and interviewed industry leaders. They conclude that in order to develop strong leaders, your leadership development process must:

Formalize the System

Focus on Data

Engage the Audience

Encourage Coaching

Formalize the System
If you're an entrepreneur, you don't want to squelch creativity through formal processes. Unfortunately, you may fail to develop and encourage your talented managers. Your challenge - implement a formal (yet flexible) system to identify, track, and groom your leaders of the future.

Focus on Data
Measure, measure, measure. And while you're at it, ensure that performance reviews and raises for leaders are based on measures of management effectiveness such as thorough and timely performance reviews.

Engage the Audience
Please don't send your leaders to one-size-fits-all training. Instead, determine individual goals, strengths, and weaknesses. Involve each leader in creating and executing an individual development plan that includes training, on-the-job activities and individual assignments.

Encourage Coaching
Every leader can benefit from mentoring and coaching. Explore a variety of options for feedback and coaching including professional coaches, internal mentors from other departments, and peers.

Read the entire article here: Do Techies Make Good Leaders?

How Do You Define Success?

2010-01-23T15:34:00.003-05:00

To laugh often and love much;

to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children;

to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of
false friends;

to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one's self;

to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;

to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;

to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived
-- this is to have succeeded.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Just For Today

2010-01-01T11:40:00.006-05:00

Dear Abby's
New Year's Resolutions

Just for today, I will live through this day only, and not set far-reaching goals to try to overcome all my problems at once.

I know I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I thought I had to keep it up for a lifetime.

Just for today, I will be happy. Abraham Lincoln said, "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be". He was right.

I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. I will chase them out of my mind and replace them with happy thoughts.

Just for today, I will adjust myself to what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things that I can correct and accept those I cannot.

Just for today, I will improve my mind. I will not be a mental loafer. I will force myself to read something that requires effort, thought, and concentration.

Just for today, I will do something positive to improve my health. If I'm a smoker, I'll make an honest effort to quit. If I'm overweight, I'll eat nothing I know to be fattening and I'll force myself to exercise ~ even if it's only walking around the block or using the stairs instead of the elevator.

Just for today, I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will look as good as I can, dress becomingly, speak softly, act courteously, and not interrupt when someone else is talking.

Just for today, I'll try not to improve anybody except myself. We know so much more about nutrition and how much exercise and sensible living can extend life and make it more enjoyable; so just for today, I'll take good care of my body so I can celebratemany more happy new years.

Just for today, I will have a program. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it, thereby saving myself from two pests: hurry and indecision.

Just for today, I will gather the courage to do what is right and take the responsibility for my own actions.

Are You An Optimist?

2009-12-30T23:22:00.007-05:00

Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?

Robert Browning

Everyone I talk to is ready to turn the calendar over to 2010. To put 2009 behind us and move one. Will the economy be better? Your guess is as good as mine.

One thing I do know. Pessimists make poor leaders. People don't get motivated to perform their best by considering the worst case scenario.

I don't advocate acting a fool and ignoring the facts. However, I do recommend finding some business potential, some opportunity to exploit, and generating some personal and professional excitement.

Kind or Cruel: Player with Disability Scores Touchdown in Losing Game

2009-09-21T09:54:00.003-04:00

As a leadership coach, I advocate setting realistic goals, measuring results, and celebrating achievements.

When I first read about high school freshman Matt Ziesel scoring a touchdown, I was choked up. Matt Ziesel Scores a Touchdown But after seeing Matt run 60 yards unmolested, I felt sorry for him. Was this kind or cruel?

Matt Ziesel loves football. Matt Zelsel has Down Syndrome. Matt Ziesel scored a touchdown becasue the opposing team (leading 46-0 with 10 seconds to go)agreed to avoid physical contact.

Coaches and players collaborated in executivng the fantasy play. Defensive players ran close by, put no one laid a finger on Matt.

What this a gift that Matt will cherish and celebrate? Or a hoax that sets him up for disappointment and failure? Could it be both?

I'd love to hear your reactions.

Understand the BUY Button in Your Prospect's Brain

2009-07-14T20:32:00.014-04:00

Are your sales flagging during the economic downturn?

Are you a business owner or CEO in the Greater Baltimore area?

Join other business owners and CEOs for an introductory workshop on Neuromarketing -- sponsored by Vistage International -- Tuesday September 22nd 8am - 10:30am.

The Neuromarketing content and models are one of the most requested CEO Topics today—in fact, this approach has the capacity to transform your company, especially in a tough economy. You may be eligible for a complimentary introduction to Neuromarketing and the World’s Leading CEO Membership Organization, Vistage.

You have products and services that would benefit from an understanding of the new scientific research on how your Customer’s make decisions—and we are excited to present you both the science and a successful approach you will apply to accelerate your sales cycles, close more business and trigger faster buying decisions with your clients.

It’s all in the messaging — and we will provide you with a proven process for achieving clarity on the messaging and consensus throughout your Team.

Contact me for an invitation: sheila.cox@vistage.com
More on Vistage International: www.vistage.com
More on Neuromarketing: SalesBrain

The Spirit of Liberty

2009-07-06T17:30:00.007-04:00

Learned Hand is remembered for a speech given at an I Am An American" celebration in Central Park in 1944 entitled “The Spirit of Liberty”, which he later turned into a book of the same name.

A good friend and colleague, Ed Robinson, sent me Hand's words as a 4th of July greeting. Ed said, "I always find that the great speeches never lose their luster or impact with the passage of time, sometimes they resonate even more."

From the speech, "The Spirit of Liberty":

We have gathered here to affirm a faith, a faith in a common purpose, a common conviction, a common devotion. Some of us have chosen America as the land of our adoption; the rest have come from those who did the same. For this reason we have some right to consider ourselves a picked group, a group of those who had the courage to break from the past and brave the dangers and the loneliness of a strange land. What was the object that nerved us, or those who went before us, to this choice? We sought liberty; freedom from oppression, freedom from want, freedom to be ourselves. This we then sought; this we now believe that we are by way of winning. What do we mean when we say that first of all we seek liberty? I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon laws and upon courts. These are false hopes; believe me, these are false hopes. Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it. While it lies there it needs no constitution, no law, no court to save it. And what is this liberty which must lie in the hearts of men and women? It is not the ruthless, the unbridled will; it is not freedom to do as one likes. That is the denial of liberty, and leads straight to its overthrow. A society in which men recognize no check upon their freedom soon becomes a society where freedom is the possession of only a savage few; as we have learned to our sorrow.

What then is the spirit of liberty? I cannot define it; I can only tell you my own faith. The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right; the spirit of liberty is the spirit which seeks to understand the mind of other men and women; the spirit of liberty is the spirit which weighs their interests alongside its own without bias; the spirit of liberty remembers that not even a sparrow falls to earth unheeded; the spirit of liberty is the spirit of Him who, near two thousand years ago, taught mankind that lesson it has never learned but never quite forgotten; that there may be a kingdom where the least shall be heard and considered side by side with the great.

And now in that spirit, that spirit of an America which has never been, and which may never be; nay, which never will be except as the conscience and courage of Americans create it; yet in the spirit of that America which lies hidden in some form in the aspirations of us all; in the spirit of that America for which our young men are at this moment fighting and dying; in that spirit of liberty and of America so prosperous, and safe, and contented, we shall have failed to grasp its meaning, and shall be truant to its promise, except as we strive to make it a signal, a beacon, a standard, to which the best hopes of mankind will ever turn. In confidence that you share that belief, I now ask you to raise your hands and repeat with me this pledge:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands--one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for All.

Happy Independence Day!

Do Women Require More Praise at Work?

2009-05-27T15:20:00.004-04:00

When John Gray wrote Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, he started a wave of books and articles on genders differences. However, sometimes men and women behave differently in the workplace, sometimes they don't.

Lucy Kellaway wrote in the Financial Times:

The correct praise dosage is gender dependent, as it is with alcohol. Men tend to take all praise at face value and so are sustained by less. Women reject half the praise as being insincere or misdirected or offensive and so need more to get by on.

Do you agree? Why or why not?

Read Kellaway's entire article here: Kudos to Bosses Who Use Praise Wisely

Improve Performance by Taking a Break

2009-05-18T19:15:00.011-04:00

What happens when a factory worker is tired and overworked? Big mistakes, preventable accidents, and serious injuries.

What happens when a decision-maker is tired and overworked? Problems get worse, opportunities are missed, and business performance suffers.

What's a leader to do? Take a break.

According to Harvard Business's Jeff Stibel, "Taking a break provides an opportunity to reflect and often it is during such times when the best ideas, our deepest insights, emerge."

David Bohl points out

How many Saturdays have you gotten up in the morning with the intent of “doing something productive?” How many times do you get on your own case about “wool gathering” or daydreaming when you feel you “should” be working?

I do it often and enjoy that time.

When we push ourselves too hard to be productive, we’re missing out not only on the balance we could have in our lives, but also on the benefits of this time when we feel we’re not being productive.

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

Read Jeff Stibel's blog post here: 7 Ways to Be Happier at Work

David Bohl explains: The Myth of Productivity

Molded by Unique Personal Talent

2009-05-08T16:46:00.008-04:00

Peter Bregman writes in his blog, How We Work:

To allow yourself to be molded by your gifts takes courage. By recognizing and encouraging the particular gifts of their employees, great managers increase the chance that those employees will be willing to stand there, exposed and authentic, while their audience rolls their eyes and sneers, expecting failure.

And then, when their talented employees fail (which they inevitably will at some point), after they laugh or cry at their failure, great managers hold them up, keep them focused, help them refine their talent and keep going, until one day the audience stops laughing and starts clapping.

Are you recognizing the Susan Boyles among your employees?

Susan Boyle: A Lesson in Talent Management

Health Advisory - Avoiding Swine Flu

2009-05-06T18:06:00.003-04:00

A recent health advisory from Johns Hopkins advises parents on preventive measures to avoid spreading swine flu. Please distribute this photo illustrating an important practice to avoid.

Advice to Entrepreneurs: Join a Peer Group

2009-04-24T15:53:00.005-04:00

Brad Feld reflects upon his own experience as a serial entrepreneur:

. . . I realize that one of the key pieces of advice that I regularly give entrepreneurs is to “join a formal group of your peers that meets regularly and spend deep time with them.” I don’t mean “industry associations” or “random networking clubs” – I mean things like EO, Vistage, or YPO. When I was a first time entrepreneur, I often thought “I don’t have time for this.” Bullshit – I didn’t have time not to do it. And that continues today even after having been involved in hundreds of companies. Entrepreneurial communities aren’t merely geographic or industry focused – peer groups that build deep, intimate, and long term relationships between the members play a key part in the process of entrepreneurship.

Read Brad's entire article here: The Power of Peer Groups

Step Away From The E-mail!

2009-04-14T17:07:00.009-04:00

I've heard it from so many sources that I'm starting to listen. Whatever you do, do not read your e-mail at the beginning of the day.

The mind cannot focus on strategic thoughts and tactical thoughts at the same time. I find that it takes a lot of energy to focus on strategy and priorities. It's so easy to read "just one" e-mail, and then suddenly I'm sucked into the e-mail vortex.

Tim Ferriss, beset-selling author of The 4-Hour Work Week recommends:

Do not e-mail first thing in the morning or last thing at night
The former scrambles your priorities and plans for the day, and the latter just gives you insomnia. E-mail can wait until 10am, after you’ve completed at least one of your critical to-do items…

More of Ferriss' recommendations: The Not-To-Do List

What works for you?

Fortunes Are Not Made in Boom Times . . .

2009-04-13T18:07:00.005-04:00

Fortunes are not made in boom times. . .that is merely the collection period. Fortunes are made in depressions or lean times when the wise man overhauls his mind, his methods, his resources, and gets in training for the race to come.

George Wood Bacon

Communicate During a Crisis

2009-04-04T22:11:00.004-04:00

Many CEOs are obsessed with the latest financial news. They are constantly trying to determine how to minimize risks and capitalize on opportunities. Here's the challenge: many employees don't think the way the owner does. John Baldoni advises leaders to "not assume that everyone knows how the recession is affecting your business."

Baldoni recommends:

Be Explicit through Specific Examples - Don't sugar-coat the news or use generalities. Let your employees know exactly how the company is being impacted.

Tell the Story through Narrative and Graphs - "Show and Tell" is highly effective. People will remember and repeat a short story with a clear plot.

Keep your Perspective through Humor - Recognize that you can be serious without being deadly.

Connect through Emotion - Long after people forget what you said, they'll remember how you made them feel.

Read the entire article here: How to Talk to Your Employees about the Recession

Enforce a "No Jerks" Policy

2009-04-02T21:05:00.007-04:00

I've heard it way too many times. "Yeah, he's a bit of a jerk. But his expertise is really important and difficult to find. He give us a market advantage."

Unfortunately, other employees don't see the market value of an expert jerk. They simply see, well, a jerk. And worse yet, they observe that management tolerates jerk behavior. Over time, this encourages other people to behave like jerks. Eventually, the company develops a jerk-like culture. All because one jerk was considered irreplaceable.

According to Boris Groysberg of the Wall Street Journal,"To get the best of your top performers, maintain a 'no-jerks' policy: Stars who don't play well with others won't benefit you in the long run."

Read Groysberg's entire article here: The Myth of the Lone Star

Seven Principles for Leadership

2009-03-31T17:59:00.004-04:00

Rebecca Scham, writing in the Financial Post, observes that the key principles for leadership apply in any economic environment:

Provide an overarching vision. Help people see what you are trying to accomplish and how their work connects to broader goals and objectives.

Set clear expectations. This includes specificity around deliverables and timelines.

Monitor progress. Commit to regular check-in points at critical intervals.

Engage in root cause analysis. Obstacles should be uncovered and discussed. Reasons for delays or gaps should be thoroughly explored and understood. Ask more questions and be more wary of accepting the first answer you get.

Review priorities. As new and competing issues emerge you need to re-evaluate objectives and timelines and re-direct your team as appropriate.

Re-confirm expectations and deadlines. Follow up meetings with short notes in writing as reinforcement.

Measure success. It is critical to follow-through and formally review delivery against expectations. Recognize achievement. Discuss lessons learned.

Read the entire article here: Tough Times Require Tough Bosses

What Are We Missing?

2009-03-11T21:43:00.013-04:00

...he was nondescript: a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money, swiveled it to face pedestrian traffic, and began to play.

The violinist played at L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station for 45 mintues. During that time, seven people stopped to listen and twenty-seven gave him money. Over a thousand never slowed their pace and most ignored him. Only one person recognized the world-famous virtuoso Joshua Bell.

Three days before his free recital at the Metro station, Joshua Bell sold out Boston's Symphony Hall. Two weeks later Bell played to a standing-room-only audience in North Bethesda.

Writing in the Washington Post, Gene Weingarten wonders:

If we can't take the time out of our lives to stay a moment and listen to one of the best musicians on Earth play some of the best music ever written; if the surge of modern life so overpowers us that we are deaf and blind to something like that -- then what else are we missing?

Read the entire article here:
Pearls Before Breakfast

Listen and Learn

2009-03-02T15:12:00.012-05:00

Leaders are confident. In order to inspire others to follow, a leader must project complete confidence in their vision, their ideas and their plans. Unfortunately, sometimes confidence can become overconfidence, and overconfidence can become arrogance. When a leader stops listening to people who disagree with them, they make poor decisions and take reckless action.

An effective leader encourages others to speak up, rather than simply agree. According to Dan McCarthy, encouraging and rewarding dissent

is easier said than done, it fact, it’s extremely difficult, and in reality, could be borderline anarchy. As an alternative to having dissent from everyone, a leader can cultivate a cadre of trusted advisors from all levels, inside and outside of the company.

Read the entire article:
10 Ways to Avoid the Arrogance of Power

Innovative Alternatives to Layoffs

2008-12-01T10:52:00.005-05:00

According to Wharton management professor Peter Cappelli, it's time to resurrect practices from the 1980's "such as voluntary retirements or salary cuts, hiring freezes, reductions in hours, or the cancellation of business trips and/or costly perquisites. Even standard benefit packages and matching contributions to 401(k) plans might come under the microscope."

Read the entire article:
As Layoffs Spread, Innovative Alternative May Soften the Blow

My mom died suddenly

2008-11-30T10:01:00.013-05:00

She had a heart attack at home, and never regained consciousness. Her death was sudden and unexpected.

My nieces, Ashlyn and Delaney, sang You Raise Me Up at her funeral.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

For the rest of the lyrics: You Raise Me Up

Marilyn M. Quinn Obituary

Marilyn M., nee Miller, Quinn, age 76, of Woodridge, IL, formerly of Elk Grove Village, died Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008. Beloved daughter of the late Frederick and the late Esther, nee Kleinke, Miller; loving wife of 57 years Stanley Quinn Sr.; loving mother of Mrs. Sheila (Thomas) Cox, Stanley (Kelly) Quinn Jr., Diane (Russ) Erickson and Christopher (Paula) Quinn; loving grandmother of Sean and Mary Kate Quinn, Andrew, Ashlyn and Delaney Erickson, John "Jack", Charles and Emma Quinn.

Former member of the School Board High School Dist. 214, past President of The Women's Council of University of Chicago Brain Research Foundation, former board member of Northwest Mental Health Clinic. She was a founding member of The Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit, Elk Grove, IL.

Funeral services 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1101 Kimberly Way, Lisle, IL. Interment will be in Naperville Cemetery. Visitation will be on Tuesday, at Beidelman-Kunsch Funeral Home, 516 S. Washington St., Naperville, from 4 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Brain Research Foundation, 111 W. Washington St., Suite 1710, Chicago, IL. Info 630-355-0264 Beidelman Kunsch

What Are You Waiting For?

2008-11-20T12:03:00.004-05:00

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.

Set Big Goals

2008-11-09T19:21:00.004-05:00

Keep away from people
who try to belittle your ambitions.
Small people always do that,
but the really great
make you feel that you, too,
can become great.

Mark Twain

Let Go to Grow

2008-11-07T15:09:00.002-05:00

Transition does not require that you reject or deny the importance of your old life, just that you let go of it.

William Bridges

Waiting Out The Economic Storm?

2008-11-04T22:33:00.007-05:00

Business owners might be tempted to hunker down and just wait out the current economic storm -- but that's a dangerous game, considering that many economists now think we could be in a particularly long and brutal recession.

It will likely be the nimblest and most innovative entrepreneurs, those who adapt their practices to the new harsh economic realities, who will ultimately come out ahead, small-business experts say.

Kelly Spors, writing in the Wall Street Journal

Read the entire article here: Tough Economy Demands Nimble Approach

Who Holds You Accountable?

2008-10-21T10:27:00.007-04:00

The bottom line is that being accountable to ourselves is not enough. We clearly need others, preferably outside of our organization, to hold us accountable and to help us accelerate our learning.

We need others to help us fight the continual battles against our own human nature and our tendency to do what we want to do, rather than what we need to do.

We need others to challenge our way of thinking and acting.

We need others to help us increase our capacity to manage the next challenge.

We need others to learn how to do this faster than we can do it on our own.

Finally, we need others to help make change last within our organizations, to make the new way of working “stick".

Gary Harpst, writing in Six Disciplines of Execution

Forget Failure

2008-10-11T12:28:00.005-04:00

Forget mistakes, forget failure, forget everything except what you are going to do now.

And, do it.

William Durant

What's Your Mission?

2008-10-04T14:33:00.006-04:00

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don't much care where --" said Alice.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.

Lewis Carroll
Alice's Adventure in Wonderland

Who's Your Second String Quarterback?

2008-09-01T12:02:00.008-04:00

Last Thursday I sat in the stands, wearing my Boler number 8 jersey, watching the Ravens play the Falcons. Boler currently wears number 7 - he wore number 8 during his first year with the Ravens.

Unfortunately, Boler was sidelined with a sore shoulder and Smith was in the hospital. So Flacco was taking all the snaps.

Imagine my surprise when number 8 showed up on the field! My seatmates turned to look at my jersey in amazement. And all of us started flipping through the program. Who was this quarterback?

NFL coaches realize they can't play a game with just one quarterback. Yet I am continually amazed by the number of business owners who have no one on the bench to replace them: today, tomorrow, or next year. Who are you grooming to succeed you?

Who's the CEO around here, anyway?

2008-08-18T23:25:00.007-04:00

As the CEO/business owner, the demands on your time and attention are relentless. When people come to you with a request or for the solution to a problem, it's too easy to say "yes" and add one more item to your plate. Before you know it, your plate is full of non-CEO activities and nobody is left to do the CEO stuff.

Ole Carlson

The temptation is insidious. Many executives, pressed for time, will take on their subordinates' responsibilities. I often hear, "It's simply faster if I do it myself!" Or sometimes, "This is too important - only I can do it!"

Unfortunately, tactical crises will always drive out strategic activities. And when the CEO is doing everyone else's job, the CEO's job is left undone. Even worse, no one else learns through doing.

One of my clients used a creative approach. Instead of a "to do" list, he created a "to don't" list. This list documented all of the tasks he would not take on. What approach works best for you?

Read more suggestions from Ole Carlson here: Leading Your Organization So Others Can Manage It

Collaborative Decision-Making

2008-08-15T15:59:00.012-04:00

How about if I show you what I think about this situation and all the data that I am basing my conclusions on, and then you fill me in on everything you know that I am missing, and then we try to figure out together what we should do?

Mark Ledden

Most people attempt to collaborate by explaining their conclusions, and asking for feedback. According to Ledden, this is starting at the end (conclusions). Effective collaboration starts at the beginning (assumptions).

In order to collaborate effectively, I need to understand your assumptions and underlying beliefs. And you need to understand my assumptions and underlying beliefs. Unfortunately, many people don't understand their own assumptions. Particularly the assumption that everyone else (or at least everyone who is smart) shares their beliefs!

So, the first step is sharing the way I think, and learning how you think. And to learn how you think, I must suspend judgment about your conclusions and simply be curious about your thought process.

Read more from Mark Ledden here: What's Your KQ?

Father Guido Sarducci on Leadership

2008-07-30T18:50:00.008-04:00

Remember Father Guido Sarducci (aka Don Novello) from Saturday Night Live in the late 70's? I particularly liked his Five Minute University. In five minutes, Father Sarducci could teach everything an average college student would remember five years after graduation.

What would Father Guido Sarducci teach about leadership? My recommendation: "It's not about me, it's about them."

Transformational Leadership

2008-07-21T23:09:00.004-04:00

Many leaders try to do too much. Without meaning to, they demoralize their team by making all the critical decisions themselves.

If you want extraordinary results, tap in to the skills, experience and creativity of everyone on your team. They may come up with an idea beyond your dreams!

Of course, they may fail. How exciting! If they fail, they will learn. And lessons learned through experience will be remembered long after lessons taught in a staff meeting.

Today's CEOs Enslaved by Tight Schedules

2008-07-01T10:34:00.013-04:00

Where CEOs a decade ago may have had five choices, they have 100 - and because they're under more scrutiny, they're more pressured to be visible and make themselves available.

Richard Wellins

I hear it over and over (and over) again from top executives:

I'm too busy!
I can't concentrate on ______ right now!
I'll get to that once this crisis is over!

Unfortunately, when the current crisis is over, another one will take its place. What's a CEO to do?

The answer is simple. The execution requires commitment and discipline:

Say "no".
Say "no".
Keep saying "no" until you create a block of time for reflection and strategic thinking.
Decide what deserves a "yes".
Ditch or delegate everything that does not deserve a "yes".
Repeat.

Aging Baby Boomers

2008-04-30T14:01:00.010-04:00

Most boomers are uncertain about what they are going to do after completing full-time work.

...boomers are starving for intelligent and supportive information about the choices for this next phase of life. They want to discover who they are now and how to identify and match their personal preferences with the needs of private, public or non-profit sector organizations.

The old joke about “I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up” takes on real urgency as boomers start to consider their options after they have met the child rearing and career building goals of earlier middle age.

Peter Sherer

Wow! I'm still busy creating my niche, and now I'm supposed to start thinking about retirement! If you, like me, are over 50, be sure to read the entire article at Baby Boomers: What's Next?

No Time to Think?

2008-03-13T13:15:00.012-04:00

Rob McKinnon challenges us to examine how and when we practice three types of thinking:

Automatic Thinking - Acting automatically, with little thought. This is the processing of data, continuously. In. Out. Yes. No. Got it!

Rational Thinking - Evaluating, judging and acting according to what you “know” to be true. This is decision-making, problem solving. Still, a daily activity.

Reflective Thinking - Questioning long-held assumptions, being curious and open to new perspectives that could lead to new approaches and actions.

When leaders complain that they have "no time to think," they are speaking of the third, deepest level.

Reflective Thinking requires the most time.

Reflective Thinking is also the most necessary for fresh insight, creative ideas, and clear priorities.

What is the impact of having no time to think? What does your Reflective Thinking deficit cost you and your company?

Learn more about Rob at McKinnon Company

Transformation: Slow or Sudden?

2008-01-30T15:01:00.009-05:00

Then it began to dawn on us: There was no miracle moment.

Although it may have looked like a single-stroke breakthrough to those peering in from the outside, it was anything but that to people experiencing the transformation from within.

Rather, it was a quiet deliberate process of figuring out what needed to be done to create the best future results and then simply taking those steps, one after the other, turn by turn of the flywheel.

Jim Collins, writing in Good to Great

The best companies have an unrelenting focus on desired future results. Every decision, every action, and every resource is aimed at achieving the long-term goals.

And most important, short-term setbacks are not an excuse for abandoning long-term goals.

Character vs. Charisma

2007-11-29T20:43:00.007-05:00

A man is measured
by the width of his interests,
the depth of his convictions, and
the height of his ideals.

Anonymous

In our image-conscious society, charisma often trumps character. We flock to people who look good and present well.

Yet effective leadership is more than skin-deep. Effective leaders are men and women of character. Effective leaders communicate authentically (not always eloquently).

If you want people to follow your lead, let them know who you really are.

Credible Leadership

2007-10-09T17:42:00.003-04:00

. . . when leaders are called to lead, they spend most of their time and energy trying to make improvements at the organizational level before ensuring they have adequately addressed their own credibility and level of leadership.

Ken Blanchard

According to Ken Blanchard, effective leadership begins on the inside. You cannot expect to lead others if you cannot lead yourself.

Read the entire Forbes article here:
Why We Can--And Should--Teach Leadership

Authentic Leadership

2007-09-28T15:28:00.002-04:00

How does someone embody leadership? Authentic leaders are leaders. They don't just act like leaders. The don't just talk about leadership.

In his book, The Anatomy of Change, Richard Strozzi Heckler describes how he learned about the relationship between authentic identity and physical presence:

There is a real and important difference between what people say they can do and what they actually do. With this understanding, I took as my teachers those who could embody what they said. I began to learn how to distinguish between those who knew things and could say them, and those who could do those things and be them. I watch how people moved, how they corrected for their mistakes, how they responded in pressure situations.

What about you? Do you act like a leader by doing leadership stuff? Or are you a leader?

CEO Peer Group

2007-08-31T11:01:00.003-04:00

Vistage International has invited me to chair a CEO peer group in Baltimore.

I am interested in meeting growth-oriented entrepreneurs, CEOs, and business owners appropriate for membership in Vistage. Prospective members will be business owners and top executives of companies or operating divisions. The best candidates are committed to improving their business results through peer challenge and advice, world-class workshops, and one-to-one coaching.

For more on Vistage:
Vistage International

Leaders: Born or Made?

2007-08-06T11:12:00.001-04:00

Are leaders born that way? Sit in front of the television long enough, and you may think so.

In order to catch our attention, the media often focuses on leaders and their personalities. Amidst articles about Microsoft, we see photo after photo of Bill Gates. Since the US economy is so complex, most reporters don't attempt to confuse us with too many facts and figures. Instead, we read speculation on Ben Bernacke's state of mind. Personality trumps substance, and a single individual at the top appears more important than anyone else in their organization.

In their Fast Company article "Leadership is a Muscle", Chip and Dan Heath argue that people who believe leadership is an innate characteristic will never reach their full potential. Even more important, top executives who search for "born leaders" to populate their management ranks typically fail to develop the raw talent they already employ.

...the notion of born leaders still permeates the business world. Marty Linsky, a faculty member at the JFK School of Government at Harvard University, puts it well: "I've never met anyone who thinks that leadership is inherited who doesn't think that they have it." Yet consider the military, another domain where leadership is critical. We might expect West Point to be focused on attracting born leaders. Not so. "The whole point is to develop leaders," says Colonel Tom Kolditz, head of behavioral sciences and leadership at the school and the author of In Extremis Leadership, a study of leadership in life-and-death situations. What West Point does is create leaders, over the course of a strenuous 47-month curriculum. Kolditz says the cadets are taught, "You weren't born a leader. . .I don't think that idea is a very American one."

Read the entire article here:
Leadership is a Muscle

Humility at the Top

2007-07-16T14:54:00.001-04:00

Branding isn't just for products anymore. Newly-minted MBAs are advised to build their own brand in order to further their careers. Business owners concentrate on building name recognition in order to further their companies. Steven Van Yoder recommends that entrepreneurs seek the spotlight by becoming "slightly" famous. (Van Yoder's website is Get Slightly Famous.)

While entrepreneurs can boost their company's profile by raising their own, "corporate executives should be wary of too much personal brand building", according to Carol Hymowitz. Hymowitz observes in today's Wall Street Journal that:

. . . an executive at an established corporation who brands himself is competing with his company's image. Such executives risk quashing the spirit of teamwork essential to innovation and productivity, and they tend to fail to do vital succession planning.

According to Tom Kuczmarski, professor at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management:

When you're the rock-star brand at the top, you're conveying to people in the ranks that they're second-class citizens - and you stop thinking about how to develop the next group of people who will run the show.

Turns out that the most successful corporate CEOs are humble. They spend more time and energy understanding their employees and customers than they do promoting themselves.

Read the entire article here:
Some CEOs Advertise the 'Me' Brand - With Limited Success

Promotion: Good News and Bad News

2007-07-03T09:22:00.002-04:00

Most executives relish the idea of a promotion: more money, more authority, more opportunity. Yet there's a downside to every promotion: more risk and more stress. According to Matt Paese, Vice President of Development Dimensions International, many corporate leaders consider a promotion their most difficult life event.

Joann Lublin offers advice to recently promoted executives in today's Wall Street Journal:

Obtain clear orders from your committed boss and stay in close touch.
Come up to speed quickly by requesting guidance from your counterparts elsewhere and from trusted insiders.
Exude self-confidence without acting cocky.
Try to placate resentful subordinates.
Don't make too many bold moves too fast.

Read the entire article here:
Leadership Skills Ease Stressful Promotion to Uncharted Area

Many executives stumble because they fail to implement guideline number one. They mistakenly assume that their boss prefers to be left alone, and asking for too many appointments will show a lack of confidence (violating guideline number three).

As Lublin points out, time spent with the boss early on should be focused on gaining clear guidance and understanding expectations. Self-confidence comes from taking the initiative to determine how to meet goals and expectations. Even so, no one can meet goals that they haven't heard or don't understand. Unfounded assumptions can be fatal to a newly promoted leader's career.

On page one of The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies For New Leaders At All Levels, Michael Watkins writes "The President of the United States gets 100 days to prove himself; you get 90." Successful executives spend a good portion of those first 90 days in conversation with their boss.

Changes in Behavior Follow Changes in Beliefs

2007-06-20T17:20:00.001-04:00

I think I can! I think I can!

The Little Engine That Could

When I say that changes in behavior follow changes in beliefs, at first blush you may think that this is obvious. However, I suspect you may be able to recall instances in your own life when you attempted to change your behavior without changing your beliefs. For example, perhaps you didn't believe that you could ski, but took ski lessons anyway. Surprise - you didn't learn to ski! Your belief became a self-fulfilling prophesy.

In her article, Leadership Beliefs Are The Initial Gap, Leanne Hoagland-Smith observes that beliefs determine behaviors. She cites examples of companies who attempt to change prejudices through diversity training. Unless underlying attitudes and beliefs actually change, behavior will not change.

So in practical terms, how does this work for an organization? For example, if the plan is that the company will grow by 10% and some, if not all, of the sales staff within the department has a belief that this is a ridiculous expectation due to their experiences within the market arena, this belief will drive the attitudes demonstrated through specific behaviors. These behaviors may range from negative and highly sensitive to any directions to poor work ethic. The outcome of these behaviors might be the failure to meet sales’ goals which then creates a gap between the vision and the results.

What further happens is that since beliefs are in many cases subconscious, individuals now lose control over the outcomes of their behaviors. They believe that they are doing everything necessary to meet the sales goals, but in actuality, they are as the old expression goes "shooting themselves in their feet." These beliefs must be clearly identified and acknowledged before the gap can begin to close. In many cases, this may not happen because of other factors such as fear or an unacknowledged poor self-image.

To read the entire article:
Leadership Beliefs Are The Initial Gap

Learning to Learn

2007-06-09T10:58:00.001-04:00

Every company faces a learning dilemma: the smartest people find it the hardest to learn.

Chris Argyris

Why don't intelligent people learn? The simple answer is: they think they already know it all!

As a recovering smart person, I'm am learning ask myself questions:

Is it possible (just possible, maybe not even probable) that I may be wrong?
Or if not really wrong, that some other idea may be just as valid as mine?
What assumptions am I making that keep me from looking for other ideas?
Am I willing to let go of these assumptions in order to learn?
And if there's some other really cool idea out there that I've overlooked, is it possible that I'm missing out on the potential benefits of implementing that idea?
What is the opportunity cost of assuming I'm right all the time? Am I willing to pay that price?

Permission to be Happy

2007-06-08T10:40:00.001-04:00

My 97 year-old mother-in-law died in her sleep this week. I wish I could write "peacefully in her sleep this week". But I'm not confident that she was peaceful. She fiercely wanted to be independent, and she was dependent on an oxygen bottle, wheelchair, and people to assist her.

Now that I'm fifty-something, my family, friends and colleagues sometimes tell me that they used to be happier. "I was happier when I was independent", or "I was happier when when I was ten (or twenty) years younger". "I was happier when I had my younger body (or face, or hair)." "I was happier when I lived ______." "I was happier when I was able to ______."

At the same time, many people believe that they will be happier when they meet a particular goal:

Lose twenty pounds
Have one million dollars in the bank
Clean out the basement
Get that promotion
Slow down and enjoy life

Instead of remembering when you used to be happier, or looking forward to when you will be happier, how about being happy now? What would happen if you accepted yourself and your life are you are today? If you took away the conditions for happiness? What would the consequences be if you gave yourself permission to be totally, completely and ecstatically happy now?

Baptism by Fire

2007-06-06T09:37:00.002-04:00

More job seekers could find themselves in freshly created positions as companies revamp operations to cope with expanding markets, takeovers or financial crises.

Joann Lublin

Many executives appreciate the opportunity to blaze their own trail by creating a new position from scratch. No incumbent, no old agendas, no baggage. Still, rapidly changing expectations and a complex political environment can combine to create a baptism by fire.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, Joann Lublin offers helpful advice: forge personal relationships with key players to gain credibility.

The first few weeks are critical, please don't waste them sitting in your office reading reports. You've got to get out, talk to people, and create allies. Your internal network should include superiors, peers, and subordinates - you'll need their support to succeed.

Lublin offers some great suggestions:

Find out what people want of you
Meet face-to-face with co-workers to learn about corporate politics
Walk down the hall twice a day to brainstorm and bond with your team
Include people in your meetings
Attend important meetings (even if they forget to invite you)
Maintain relationships with prior colleagues

To read the entire article:
How You Can Ensure A Newly Created Job Has Staying Power

Advising Yourself

2007-06-04T22:04:00.001-04:00

Last week I attended an inspiring presentation by Marshall Goldsmith. He made a great suggestion for getting your priorities straight.

Imagine that you are 95 years old, and breathing your last breath. Imagine reviewing your entire life after 95 years. Now imagine that the 95 year-old you can travel back in time to 2007 and advise the current you how to have a great life.

What professional advice would you give yourself? What personal advice would you give yourself?

Whatever you're thinking now, please do it!

How Do You Measure Success?

2007-05-25T16:31:00.003-04:00

This weekend many families will celebrate Memorial Day with picnics, parades, and parties.

Traditionally, however, memorial days were a time to remember our fallen heroes by decorating their graves with flags and flowers.

How will you be remembered when you're gone? Will people remember the size of your house or the style of your clothes or the shine of your car? The money you spent on your kids or the hours you spent on the job?

If you're contemplating using the three-day weekend to catch up on your work, please get out of the office. Step away from the computer! Spend time with someone and show them you care.

More Than One "Right" Way

2007-05-23T21:58:00.001-04:00

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Chinese Proverb

Many executives see themselves as instructors. Their subordinates will succeed if they learn from the master.

Unfortunately, managers often assume that their method is the only correct method. By teaching a specific process, they emphasize execution of steps over achievement of results.

I'll never forget one of my subordinates at IBM telling me "If you specify what results you require and allow me freedom to do it my way, you can hold me accountable for the outcome. But if you insist that I follow your process, then you are accountable for the outcome."

I know, I know. There are certain processes that must be followed. For example, safety regulations. But in most cases, managers (just like me) have decided that their approach is the best and only approach.

However, if I require you to fish with a fishing pole, you may never discover fishing with a net. And in some cases, the net may be more effective or efficient.

Work Without Purpose or Passion

2007-05-17T11:23:00.001-04:00

Several years ago a I ran a series of workshop for executives in a recently re-organized FORTUNE 500 company. The good news was: they all still had jobs. The bad news was: most of them didn't like their new positions.

My role was helping the executives deal with the organizational changes and re-engage with their work. I'll never forget the blank stares when I asked them "What do you really want to do?" Some folks responded, "I'm a father with a lot of responsibilities, I can't think about what I want to do." Some said, "I knew once, but I forgot."

Too many executives are trapped by their obligations and their paychecks. Their goal is money, and their lives are unfulfilling. Purpose and passion are a faint memory, a luxury of the young.

Want to awaken your zest for life and lead from the heart? Ask yourself, "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?"

Imprisoned by a Rainbow

2007-05-02T09:37:00.001-04:00

Writing in today's Wall Street Journal, Jonathan Clements observes:

We may have life and liberty. But the pursuit of happiness isn't going so well.

As a country, we are richer than ever. Yet surveys show that Americans are no happier than they were 30 years ago.

One of the most important lessons I learned as an undergraduate at Harvard is that money doesn't buy happiness. Many of the world's weathiest parents sent their sons and daughters to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and very few of my exceedingly rich classmates were well-adjusted or content.

Clements misses the point in his column. People who base their happiness on external circumstances will never be truly happy. John Segal, Clements illustrator, appears to understand. His cartoon shows a well-dressed, yet sad indidivual imprisoned by a rainbow. His sadness is not based on his envirnoment, his sadness springs from within.

Perhaps you have seen the motivational poster "success is a journey, not a destination". I'm sure you've known someone who has achieved their goals, only to discover that the goals brought no intrinsic satisfaction. Unless you learn to enjoy the journey or the pursuit, personal happiness will be illusive.

Our Declaration of Independence states:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Please note, we do not have an inalienable right to happiness. We have an inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness.

We have a choice. We can pursue discontent and dissatisfaction. Or we can pursue happiness. Which do you choose?

Whose Job Is It Anyway?

2007-04-27T12:44:00.001-04:00

Most leaders agree that delegation is critical for business success. They agree in theory. But, in practice quite a few executives work overtime on tasks more appropriate to their subordinates. I am continually diappointed by the gap between intent and action. Too many managers have never learned effective delegation, and find themselves trapped in ineffective styles of delegation. I call them: Indian Giver, Game Player, Abdicator, Procrastinator, Workaholic, or Micromanager.

Indian Giver

Motto: Nothing is ever done to my satisfaction.
Style: Indian Givers provide overall goals and ask subordinates to determine the best way to complete their tasks. While they don’t give specific directions, Indian Givers always have a particular method in mind. When their subordinates don’t complete tasks the “right” way, Indian Givers take over.
Result: Subordinates will initially try to determine what their boss wants. Over time, they will invest less and less effort, realizing that their superior will end up doing the work anyway.

Game Player

Motto: There’s only one way to do it, and eventually you’ll figure it out.
Style: At first glance, Game Players are similar to Indian Givers. Both describe desired results and ask subordinates to define process. And both have a specific process in mind (which they don’t share). Game players, however, are determined to have their people “figure it out”. So subordinates play “20 Questions” trying to guess what their boss actually wants.
Result: Subordinates get frustrated and worn out by constant trial and error. Negative feedback becomes demoralizing.

Abdicator

Motto: My people know best, and don’t really need me.
Style: Abdicators delegate everything and expect their people to operate without direction, guidance or goals.
Result: Many subordinates will feel lost and adrift. Other subordinates may use the opportunity to mount a coup and take over.

Procrastinator

Motto: I can do it all, if I just ever get to it.
Style: Some procrastinators don’t delegate at all. Instead, they try to do everything and leave their subordinates to pick up the pieces when projects are half-baked. Other procrastinators delegate at the last minute when it’s too late to do a good job.
Result: Most subordinates will quickly learn to avoid a Procrastinator and give them enough rope to hang themselves. Some subordinates will try to rescue a Procrastinator through extra effort.

Workaholic

Motto: I don’t have time to explain it to you, so I’ll do it myself.
Style: Constantly busy, the Workaholic executive never steps back to consider what other people should be doing.
Results: Competent subordinates are undervalued and underutilized. (And eventually they’ll move on.)

Micromanager

Motto: I know how to do everyone’s job the best way.
Style: The Micromanager provides detailed, step-by-step guidance for tasks. They expect subordinates to check-in frequently, and may physically watch over them.
Results: Some unskilled or untested individuals need this delegation style. Everyone else will recoil and rebel.

Perhaps you recognize yourself. Or recognize someone else in your organization. Hopefully, some of your managers use the Allocator or Mentor style to delegate effectively.

Allocator

Motto: I make the best use of the resources available to me.
Style: An Allocator designs jobs and roles based upon the work to be done and the human resources available. They provide goals and monitor progress.
Results: Subordinates are utilized effectively and the organization performs to its potential.

Mentor

Motto: My most important responsibility is developing my people.
Style: Mentors continually plan for tomorrow and seek opportunities to grow their people. They delegate, not just because the work needs to be done, but also because their people need to be engaged and stretched.
Results: Subordinates are continually learning and preparing for the challenges of the future. The high performing, adaptive organization attracts and builds talent.

Most managers learn to delegate by emulating the style of their boss. What kind of delegator do you want to be? I challenge you to be an effective role model for everyone around you.

Learning to Slow Down

2007-04-12T09:49:00.000-04:00

My husband and I just got back from a fabulous vacation in Italy.

My mind is still overwhelmed with the wonders of the trip. One unexpected benefit - we spent lots of time walking. I had forgotten how wonderful it is to view the world slowly.

Why Move My Cheese?

2007-03-23T14:23:00.001-04:00

Phred Dvorak wrote in the Wall Street Journal, "Employees are more likely to embrace changes when fully informed."

To read the entire column:
How Understanding the "Why" of Decisions Matters

Explaining new initiatives to workers, such as those at cheese maker Foremost Farms USA, can help gain their support. What to tell employees about decisions:

How the decision was made
The reasons behind it
What alternatives were rejected
How the decision fits into the organization's mission and vision
What changes it will mean for the company
How it affects employees

Source: Phillip Clampitt

Employees Drive Growth

2007-03-22T09:29:00.001-04:00

Many executives today follow the philosophy that organizations should be structured and led by geniuses so that their idiot employees will produce results.

Tim Cook, COO of Apple, disagrees. On February 28, Cook commented at the Goldman Sachs Technology Investment Symposium, "While you may see 5-6 or 10 people being most visible, the company is full of off-the-charts smart people."

Read more of Cook's comments at: Mac Rumors

The essence of good leadership is harnessing the talents of employees throughout the organization.

Nick Rice, writing for Fast Company observes:

In today’s world cost-cutting is viewed as an innovation. It’s bad enough to focus your efforts internally for growth (as compared to what really drives top line growth - delivering what customers desire on top of an outstanding experience), but when you skip right past your people and only look for cost targets how do you ever expect to right the ship.

I know there’s not an easy or a quick fix. But today’s executives have to actively evolve their corporate culture, their internal DNA, to focus on real long term growth strategies. You only need to focus on two things - your customers and your employees. And by stating that “our employees are our greatest asset” in your mission statement doesn’t cut it. You have to prove you mean it. Set your employees free to innovate, let them really converse with customers. Then you’ll see loyalty and growth from both parties.

More from Nick at: Nick Rice blog

What great employee ideas have you implemented recently?

When Managers Neglect to Coach Staff

2007-03-20T16:51:00.000-04:00

Writing for the Wall Street Journal on March 19th, Carol Hymowitz asserts that "managers lose talent when they neglect to coach their staff."

"The role of people-managers -- who develop talent and create sustained profits for companies -- isn't as valued as it should be," says Mr. Harter, co-author with Rodd Wagner, also of Gallup, of "12: The Elements of Great Managing." If it were, he adds, companies wouldn't promote to management those who succeeded at a prior job but don't have the foggiest idea about how to motivate people.

Blame the top executives who simply grade their managers on their financial results rather than on how well they groom and retain good employees.

Too many executives invest time and energy in hiring new employees, while failing to take advantage of the talent already on board.

Does Emotional Intelligence Matter?

2007-03-17T10:18:00.001-04:00

Some experts believe that EQ (emotional intelligence) is a better predictor of success than IQ. What do you think?

Daniel Goleman argues that emotional intelligence is more important than traditional notions of verbal or mathematical intelligence. His 1995 book, Emotional Intelligence, spent one-and-a-half-years on the New York Times Best Seller list.

Goleman's model has four EQ competencies:

Self-Awareness: Your ability to accurately perceive your own emotions and stay aware of them as they happen. This includes keeping on top of how you tend to respond to specific situations and people.

Self-Management: Your ability to use awareness of your emotions to stay flexible and positively direct your behavior. This means managing your emotional reactions to all situations and people.

Social Awareness: Your ability to accurately pick up on emotions in other people and get what is really going on. This often means understanding what other people are thinking and feeling even if you don’t feel the same way.

Relationship Management: Your ability to use your awareness of your emotions and the emotions of others to manage interactions successfully. This includes clear communication and effectively handling conflict.

What do you think? How important is EQ?

I look forward to reading your comments!

Encourage Questions Without Answers

2007-03-15T12:22:00.001-04:00

Writing for the Wall Street Journal, James Kelly and Scott Nadler recommend that top executives

. . .encourage potential leaders to raise questions without having developed the answers first.

This reverses years of mentoring, in which managers are taught never to raise a question with senior management unless they have the answers. While prudent politically, this stifles the discussion of the most important questions. Clearly, people should be encouraged to have ideas on how to resolve the questions, but that is a long way from discouraging questions unless the answers are already known.

Most managers I know are afraid to raise real questions. First, they are concerned that they'll be assigned to solve an intractable problem. Second, they don't want to embarrass themselves if the answer is obvious, but unknown to them. Third, they don't want to make executives look foolish and unprepared.

Imagine how much more effective an organization could be if they followed Kelly and Nadler's advice! Read the entire article at:

Leading From Below

Executive Presence

2007-03-14T11:21:00.001-04:00

Are you familiar with Richard Strozzi Heckler? He has been recognized as one of the top 30 executive coaches in the world.

I took a 3-day workshop on Leadership Presence that was very eye-opening, and I use the principles in my coaching. You can find more information at:

Strozzi Institute

We often hear about the need for leaders to “walk the talk”. Strozzi looks at the body, emotions, and values in walking the talk. He draws on the notions of being grounded and centered (as in martial arts or yoga). He is concerned about the consistency of being and action.

In his book, “Holding the Center”, Strozzi describes a person who is fully aligned in body, emotions, values, and action:

We will often be drawn to this person because of a magnetic, receptive quality that is all-embracing. At the same time we move respectfully and prudently because of the deep reservoir of power they radiate. This is the story of the person who is the embodiment of the unity of being and action.

This open, receptive quality combined with a deep reservoir of power creates a strong, effective leadership presence.

Three Envelopes

2007-03-06T12:13:00.001-05:00

Perhaps you've heard the story.

Her first day on the job, the CEO was somewhat annoyed to discover a stranger sitting in her office. She suddenly realized he was the recently ousted CEO.

"I won't take much of you time", he said. "I've left three envelopes in your top right-hand drawer, under the pens and pencils."

Seeing her quizzical look, he went on. "Some day you'll experience a crisis on the job. When you do, please open the first envelope."

She walked over to her desk. Sure enough, he'd left three envelopes tucked in her drawer. When she turned to look at him, he was gone. She quickly forgot his visit.

One month later

She left a staff meeting in a hurry. Everyone was up in arms over an employee who had died on the job. Apparently, several co-workers had complained to management about unsafe conditions, but no changes were made.

Her phone message light was blinking, but she ignored it. Probably a reporter, and she wasn't ready to deal with the press just yet. She grabbed a pencil from her drawer, and her eye fell on the corner of an envelope. "Oh well," she thought. "It can't hurt."

She tore open the envelope. Inside was a folded piece of paper with three words "Blame Your Predessor".

"Brilliant!" she thought, and immediatelly began drafting a press release.

Two months later

The CEO had lunch with her largest customer. At least, he was her largest customer before lunch was served. He spent the entire lunch complaining about customer service. Over dessert, he announced that he was taking his busines elsewhere.

On the way back to her office, she called her sales VP. The picture was worse than she realized. Several other large customers had gone over to the competition, also citing service problems. They had to do something fast to convince others to stay.

She pounced on the second envelope: "Reorganize Your Operations". "Hmmm," she thought. "It just might work. Realign customer service . . ."

Three months later

The CEO walked calmly out of the board meeting. Everyone on the board was upset. Their latest product was a disaster. Released a month late and dismissed by potential customers. She'd bet the company and her reputation on promises of success.

The first two envelopes had saved her. She was betting on the third. She opened it slowly and carefully. "Prepare Three Envelopes."

No Goals, No Glory

2007-03-02T16:38:00.001-05:00

When a man does not know what harbor he is seeking, no wind is the right wind.

Seneca, advisor to Nero

Want to achieve your goals? Write them down! Managers who write down their goals make them happen.

Better yet, post your goals prominently in your work space and explain them to everyone who stops by.

Finally, stop all activity that diverts attention and resources away from your goals.

Look Before You Leap

2007-02-27T18:59:00.002-05:00

Have you ever received that panicked phone call: "My project is falling apart! What do I do now?"

My first questions are: "What happened that made you decide to implement this program at this time? What event precipitated project initiation?" I can’t tell you how many times I've heard silence. Or, even worse, a further explanation of the project (we’re implementing SAP in three phases), without any reference to business imperatives (we need to reduce our time to market). Ten million dollars have been spent, yet the project team does not have a clear understanding of the compelling business reasons why the entire initiative was launched in the first place. They were doomed to failure before they even began.

Even if a major project manages to crawl, gasping over the last milestone, if business objectives were never clearly understood and communicated, how can it be judged a success? Pity the poor project manager who’s spent a harrowing 18 months only to be told, “too bad the new program hasn’t had a positive impact on employee productivity”, when he had no idea productivity was important, merely meeting deadlines.

While the project with no clear business objectives is problematic, even more disturbing is the project with too many business objectives. Runaway projects start small, then grow incrementally until they collapse under their own weight I’ve seen projects canceled after 10 million, 20 million, 30 million, yes, even 40 million has been spent.

Setting clear objectives and sticking to them is part of Management 101. So why is it ignored with large projects, usually headed by high level managers? I've heard a lot of excuses including:

We have to do it anyway (government regulations, dictates from above, etc.)

We can’t waste time with excessive planning, the situation is too urgent.

Someone must know, and we’re not going to appear stupid or insubordinate by asking.

We’ve already decided what we’re going to do, more discussion might derail things, give people time to come up with questions and objections we can’t answer.

This is the way we do things around here.

I’ve always wanted to implement _____________. We’ve got to strike while the iron is hot.

What do you mean? Everyone already understands the objectives.

What's your excuse?

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

2007-02-08T17:36:00.001-05:00

Don't sweat the small stuff -- and it's all small stuff.

Richard Carlson, Ph.D.

For the past few days I've been wrestling with my insurance company. They're all very nice people. Unfortunately each person who answers the phone gives me a slightly different answer. (Perhaps this has happened to you.) So I decided I needed to keep track of names.

On Tuesday I got rather annoyed when the person talking to me wouldn't tell me her full name. She said it was company policy only to give first name and last initial. I complained that she had just asked me for my full name, date of birth and social security number! I could feel my blood pressure rising.

Then today I found out that a friend has brain cancer. Suddenly my insurance company bureaucratic hassles are unimportant. Yes, I still need to get them resolved. However, I'm not going to invest so much emotional energy.

My perspective has changed. I've been reminded what is truly important in life.

Can Smart People Be Humble?

2007-01-21T20:01:00.001-05:00

No one tells high-IQ children explicitly, forcefully and repeatedly that their intellectual talent is a gift. That they are not superior human beings, but lucky ones.

Charles Murray

The humbleness of a warrior is not the humbleness of the beggar. The warrior lowers his head to no one, but at the same time, he doesn’t permit anyone to lower his head to him. The beggar, on the other hand, falls to his knees at the drop of a hat and scrapes the floor to anyone he deems to be higher; but at the same time, he demands that someone lower than him scrape the floor for him.
—Carlos Castaneda

Charles Murray asserts that today's highly intelligent students rarely learn humility. They are smart, but not wise. He explains:

The encouragement of wisdom requires a special kind of education. It requires first of all recognition of one's own intellectual limits and fallibilities--in a word, humility. This is perhaps the most conspicuously missing part of today's education of the gifted. Many high-IQ students, especially those who avoid serious science and math, go from kindergarten through an advanced degree without ever having a teacher who is dissatisfied with their best work and without ever taking a course that forces them to say to themselves, "I can't do this." Humility requires that the gifted learn what it feels like to hit an intellectual wall, just as all of their less talented peers do, and that can come only from a curriculum and pedagogy designed especially for them.

Murray Article

Rosa Say has a great definition of humility:

We can be confident, and we can be self-assured; humility does not call for us to be meek, or consider ourselves lower in stature. We do not require less of ourselves, and we take our role and our responsibilities seriously. However what humility does, is create a sort of receptacle of acceptance in us, so we are open to being filled with the knowledge and opinions of others. Humility is a kind of hunger for more abundance. The greater our humility, the greater our fascination with the world around us, and the more we learn.

Rosa Say Posting

Leader or Administrator?

2007-01-14T12:01:00.001-05:00

Too many people who need to be leaders are merely administrators.

Let me give you an example. Several years ago I consulted at the largest division of a FORTUNE 50 firm. I heard a common complaint about one of the vice presidents: no one (outside of her immediate circle of direct reports) had ever seen her.

This vice president was the highest ranking official at a plant site that housed tens of thousands of employees. Everyone sat in open cubicles and ate in the company cafeteria.

Intrigued by the invisible vice president, I went on a quest to find her. I wandered through building after building, and finally found a small section tucked away in a corner. All employees had free access to every other area of the plant, but this section was secured and locked. Behind the door were the vice president and a handful of employees.

This vice president spent her time reviewing reports and communicating with headquarters. She had no visibility with her employees (beyond her immediate staff). She was merely a number-cruncher. Thousands of employees had no one to guide them. She was a great administrator, but a poor leader.

While this example might seen extreme, I can assure you that such behavior at executive levels is not rare.

At The Free Dictionary you'll find thirteen definitions of "leader" taken from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.

Definition #1 is "One that leads or guides." Hmmm, that one seems rather obvious. Definition #2 is "One who is in charge or in command of others." Definitions #3 and #4 deal with politics and music.

My favorite is definition #5: "The foremost animal, such as a horse or dog, in a harnessed team." Leaders are out in front of their team, and physically tied to their team. They set the pace. They provide direction and motivation.

What kind of leader are you?

Facts vs. Opinions

2006-12-19T19:48:00.001-05:00

Assertions have to do with what is so. Assessments have to do with what is possible.

Julio Olalla

When managers speak of performance in the workplace, opinions often masquerade as facts. For example, "Sue is a great team player." Or, "Fred is not supportive of the organizational vision."

Chalmers Brothers, the author of “Language and the Pursuit of Happiness”, distinguishes factual statements (assertions) from subjective judgments (assessments).

Assertions belong to the thing being observed and can be true or false. An objective third party can always verify the true-ness or false-ness of the assertion.

Assessments belong to the observer, and in many ways reveal more about the observer than they do about the thing being observed. There is always room for another assessment. No third party may ever “prove” an assessment true or false. They are simply personal judgments made by different observers out of different standards, beliefs, moods, and experiences.

When individuals "assert" that their opinions are true, conflicts often arise. When individuals distinguish between assessments and assertions, conflicts are minimized and communication is more effective. (At least that's my assessment!)

Ensuring Organizational Change Programs Fail - Continually Increase Scope

2006-12-08T11:17:00.001-05:00

This is the sixth and final posting for a program manager who wants to save their job while scuttling their program. Who has been assigned implementation responsibility for "Goals 2010", a program designed to fundamentally transform their organization.

What if the program manager strongly disagrees with the program goals? How can a manager give the impression that they are trying to make it work, while carefully planting the seeds of destruction behind the scenes?

Challenging, but doable. Simply apply the following five principles with a proven track record for destroying change programs in countless organizations large and small.

Principle One: Set Unrealistic Deadlines
Principle Two: Never Admit Mistakes
Principle Three: Kill the Messenger
Principle Four: Don't Waste Time Talking to People
Principle Five: Continually Increase Scope

Principle Five: Continually Increase Scope

What if, heaven forbid, your organizations has a strong innovation-oriented culture where open and honest communication is encouraged and fostered? Where Principles Two through Four are difficult to apply? Take heart, Principle Five can still work. Take advantage of your communications-oriented culture and adopt all suggestions that can potentially increase project scope. No scope adjustment should be dismissed as too small for your attention, over time these will add up.

Your program team is a great source of ideas that can increase scope. And don't forget to ask consultants. Each new objective, however small, can cause additional resistance. More people unhappy with your program. More people vocally negative. More people implementing schemes to slow things down.

At the same time, the larger scope will create new problems that can be ignored by you and fueled by the opposition. Slick, but simple. Be sure to keep all deadlines fixed (Principle One).

Good luck!

Ensuring Organizational Change Programs Fail - Don't Waste Time Talking to People

2006-12-01T09:05:00.001-05:00

Someday, it may happen to you. A job assignment to implement "Goals 2010". Program management responsibility with high visibility, opportunity, and risk. A chance to make your mark. Unfortunately, you don't agree with the overall organizational change objectives. How can you kill Goals 2010 and save your career?

No worries. Simply apply the five principles that have been effective in large and small organizations, whether government, not-for-profit, or private enterprise. These principles have enabled countless program managers to be promoted while their programs crashed and burned.

Principle One: Set Unrealistic Deadlines
Principle Two: Never Admit Mistakes
Principle Three: Kill the Messenger
Principle Four: Don't Waste Time Talking to People
Principle Five: Continually Increase Scope

Principle Four: Don't Waste Time Talking to People

Effective application of Principles Two and Three should drastically reduce any meaningful two-way communication. For goodness sake, make sure that you don't initiate any such communication. After all, you're a busy executive and don't have time for such frivolities as town hall meetings, brown bag lunches, electronic suggestion boxes and the like.

Two-way communication is dangerous. Even with Principle Three in place, you risk hearing suggestions for improvement. Once they're out in the open, you may be forced to respond. And while proper application of Principle One will give you the "not enough time" excuse, some bright employee might come up with an idea that is simple, easy to implement, and won't slow things down (it might even speed them up!) This is to be avoided at all costs.

Some organizations have a culture of communicating directly to their employees. If you are in this unfortunate situation, you can always employ the following strategy to minimize effectiveness:

Frequent e-mails. Send e-mails to the entire employee distribution list at the drop of a hat. Volume is important. Just make sure that "Goals 2010" appears in the subject line of each e-mail. After a few months of receiving several weekly e-mails, employees will start deleting them without opening. To avoid wasting time actually composing these e-mails, make a habit of forwarding any message that is remotely related to Goals 2010.

If you have faithfully implemented Principles One through Four, your program may have already died. If there is any life left, be sure to check my posting on Principle Five: Continually Increase Scope.

Ensuring Organizational Change Programs Fail - Kill the Messenger

2006-11-18T21:07:00.001-05:00

OK, so you want to keep your job. But you recognize that the latest organizational change program is headed in the wrong direction. In fact, you're convinced that this change, if fully implemented, will do more harm than good. Unfortunately, you've been given responsibility for making sure the program succeeds. What to do?

Thankfullly, you can spend lots of time and energy appearing to implement organzational change, while actually ensuring program failure. Simply apply the following five principles:

Principle One: Set Unrealistic Deadlines
Principle Two: Never Admit Mistakes
Principle Three: Kill the Messenger
Principle Four: Don't Waste Time Talking to People
Principle Five: Continually Increase Scope

Principle Three: Kill the Messenger

Occasionally, someone may have the audacity to point out something that has gone wrong, is going wrong, or could go wrong. This attitude must be immediately squashed by punishing the bearer of bad news. The punishment does not have to be strong to be effective. Instead of firing the upstart, you could simply shunt them off to lower visibility and more boring work. Don’t worry, both they, and more importantly the organization, will get the message.

This approach is most effective when combined with a policy of rewarding bearers of good tidings, especially if the numbers have been fudged. After all, these team players are demonstrating the power of positive thinking.

The beauty of Principle Three is that you can avoid hearing about problems while there is still time to fix them. Few problems will simply go away. Most will continue to get worse. Best case, they will even cause new problems to occur. Over time, the build up of problems will destroy your program.

Stay tuned for Principle Four: Don't Waste Time Talking to People

Ensuring Organizational Change Programs Fail - Never Admit Mistakes

2006-11-16T00:05:00.001-05:00

Have you ever been asked to implement an organizational change that you find distasteful? As program manager, how can you ensure that the organizational change never happens, without exposing yourself to criticism for poor performance?

Do what hundreds of program managers in large and small organizations have done. Apply the five principles guaranteed to ensure program failure:

Principle One: Set Unrealistic Deadlines
Principle Two: Never Admit Mistakes
Principle Three: Kill the Messenger
Principle Four: Don't Waste Time Talking to People
Principle Five: Continually Increase Scope

Principle Two: Never Admit Mistakes

Principle Two can help in two ways. First, people never get motivated to make significant change since they are constantly being told that everything is great. Second, the unmotivated employees will begin to resist your program. They will utilize all sorts of subtle tactics to derail progress. And you won't have to be involved - they'll do it on their own!

Make sure that management messages are relentlessly positive. For example:

Even though productivity has been dropping steadily over the last five years, Division XYZ is doing everything right. There is no need to do anything differently. We have the best people and they know their jobs. The current performance problems are simply a blip on the radar screen. After all, if something were wrong, someone would be to blame. And we at XYZ never make mistakes. Okay, so we may be experiencing minor problems. But why focus on the negative? We need positive thinking to move forward.

Hopefully, your culture has a strong focus on blame, so mistakes are never used as an opportunity for learning, since people are loath to acknowledge their existence. It is better to bury your head in the sand and keep a smile on your face. If not, you can still build a culture of blame by applying Principle Three.

Be sure to read my next post for a description of Principle Three: Kill the Messenger.

Ensuring Organizational Change Programs Fail - Set Unrealistic Deadlines

2006-11-09T08:26:00.001-05:00

Have you ever been assigned program management for an organizational change program that you think is really dumb? How can you appear to be doing your job while secretly ensuring that program objectives never see the light of day?

Simply follow the five principles guaranteed to ensure failure:

Principle One: Set Unrealistic Deadlines
Principle Two: Never Admit Mistakes
Principle Three: Kill the Messenger
Principle Four: Don't Waste Time Talking to People
Principle Five: Continually Increase Scope

Principle One: Set Unrealistic Deadlines

Most important, before you get started, ensure that unrealistic deadlines are set. Remember, your program is so important and urgent that the deadlines are immobile. Unrealistic deadlines will help you in two ways. First, when things don't work out well you can always blame the deadlines. Second, throughout the entire program, whenever anyone makes a suggestion that might possibly enable you to succeed, you can easily dismiss it because there's not enough time.

More often than not, your superiors will have done you the favor of setting unrealistic deadlines already. You can simply avoid telling them the truth and negotiating for realistic deadlines. If you're lucky, your organizational culture ensures that decisions, once made, are never changed. After all, executives never make mistakes. (See Principle Two.)

Sometimes, effective application of Principle One alone will result in program failure. With proper planning, you can spend millions of dollars on scores of experts (thereby illustrating clearly your desire to succeed), while remaining secure in the knowledge that the deadlines are impossible. Just to be on the safe side, don't count on it; be sure to apply Principles Two through Five.

For descriptions of Principles Two through Five, be sure to read my future posts.

Ensuring Organizational Change Programs Fail - Overview

2006-11-05T18:47:00.002-05:00

One day it happens. You get assigned program management responsibility for Goals 2010 – the biggest, baddest, largest program to hit the XYZ Division since you laid off all those people in 1998. You, yes you, are going to be accountable for making sure that the XYZ Division meets its objectives of customer focus, innovation and cost effectiveness.

Only one problem, you think that Goals 2010 is a really dumb idea, something dreamed up by the top brass that makes no sense. Unfortunately, you've got a dilemma – how can you make sure that Goals 2010 dies a horrible death without having fingers pointed at you?

No problem. Simply follow the strategies that have worked in company after company, institution after institution, government after government around the globe. Thousands of program managers have presided over utter disasters while keeping their jobs or being promoted. Learn from their example by applying five principles guaranteed to scuttle any program.

Principle One: Set Unrealistic Deadlines
Principle Two: Never Admit Mistakes
Principle Three: Kill the Messenger
Principle Four: Don’t Waste Time Talking to People
Principle Five: Continually Increase Scope

Each of these principles will be described in one of my blog postings - please stay tuned!

Three Magic Words

2006-10-31T21:52:00.001-05:00

“I don’t know.” Those three words can do more to build trust in an organization than all the expensive offsite events in the world. Unfortunately, most executives are reluctant to use them.

Picture everyone gathered to hear the latest announcement from the executive suite. A hand shoots up in the back of the room. “Does this mean we’ll have layoffs this year?” (I cringe when I hear the inevitable response from top management.) “We, uh, certainly have no intention . . . this is, this announcement is not meant to imply future layoffs. We’ll do everything in our power to assure continued employment.”

What did the employee hear? “No layoffs.” What happens six months hence when people are actually laid off? Trust is broken. Assurances were given, then ignored. Cynicism grows. No one believes anything coming from the corner office anymore. A difficult situation is made even worse by broken trust. Why does this happen?

Some executives have learned the hard way that they have little or no influence over their employees’ future. Arthur Andersen partners who couldn’t spell Enron suddenly discovered that one client could take down a global accounting firm.

Even so, most managers stubbornly believe that they are in control of their own destiny, and the destiny of their subordinates. Subordinates are more than happy to cling to this comforting illusion. Managers make predictions that employees confuse for promises.

Fortunately, this trap can be avoided by changing the way you respond to inquiries from subordinates.

Practice saying those three magic words “I don’t know.” While making informed predictions may reassure employees in the short term, if you’re proven wrong, no one will trust your answers in the long run.

Tell them only what you know for certain. As an example, suppose everyone wants to know the new organization structure. You have some ideas, but can’t be certain. Let them know the makeup of the design committee, and when the committee expects to make recommendations to top management. If you expect it to take two months, tell them four months. (No, you’re not lying, you’re being realistic. “Double the initial estimate” is a project management rule of thumb, whether you’re talking about kitchen renovations or department reorganizations.)

Discuss variables that may affect outcomes. If an employee wants to know if they’ll get a raise this year, don’t make promises or predictions. Instead make sure they understand the factors that influence the size of any raise they may get. For example, their performance, the department’s performance, and the company’s stock price.

Instead of providing answers, educate subordinates on leading indicators to monitor that will help them predict the future. Help them learn to predict their own future. You’ll build trust and confidence in your management abilities, and help individual employees to become more proactive.

Big Results From Big Ideas

2006-10-05T07:43:00.001-04:00

From the late 80's to early 90's I worked as a management consultant at Nolan, Norton & Company. I learned firsthand that Dr. Richard Nolan is a "big ideas" kind of guy. Clients were amazed and enthralled by his presentations. I'll never forget watching him draw on a white board using both hands simultaneously. When he was done, every client in the room would be ready to buy whatever he was selling. They just weren't sure what, exactly, that was. Another consultant would need to step in and translate his big ideas into a specific proposal.

Today, in my executive coaching capacity, I frequently encounter top executives with big ideas. Motivating others through possibilities and visions, these leaders initiate bold, sweeping moves aimed at transforming their organizations. Unfortunately, sometimes these initiatives die on the drawing board. Far-reaching strategy is never translated into sustainable action.

Effective leaders ensure that their followers' excitement has direction and purpose. Big ideas are broken down into small, persistent actions. Four initial activities are critical:

Explain strategic objectives, and determine how success will be measured.

Define programs required to initiate, monitor, and sustain the big idea.

Fund required programs.

Cancel programs that distract management attention away from the new big idea.

Clear outcome measures, program planning, resources for sustainability, and management focus are all prerequisites for turning big ideas into big results.

New Definitions of "Office"

2006-10-02T23:27:00.001-04:00

Several years ago I experimented with a mobile office. My husband and I moved aboard our 38' trawler and cruised from Maine to Baltimore. When I flew off to visit clients, he continued the journey by boat. We had a fabulous adventure!

Unfortunately, my floating office was problematic. When we were underway, the engine noise made phone conversations impossible. And while I usually have no problem with the motion of a boat, I discovered I couldn't work on my computer without getting seasick.

Furthermore, when we came to a new port, I wanted to explore the sights. Instead, I found myself making phone calls and working on my computer. When our boat became my office, it became a place of work rather than fun.

So we bought a townhouse in Baltimore and moved ashore. I set up a home office.

Today I pick up my mail at a post office box, and meet clients at coffee houses and diners.

I continue to be amazed by the number of people who conduct business at Starbucks. The Clarendon Metro stop has a Starbucks with a conference room!

Strategic Thinking Blog

2006-10-02T20:58:00.000-04:00

Ben Griffin has started a blog on Strategic Thinking. Ben has extensive experience facilitating leadership teams. I look forward to reading his insights: Strategic Thinking

It's All About Them

2006-09-24T14:17:00.001-04:00

I greatly enjoy coaching managers on developing their subordinates. When an executive asks me to help them coach more effectively, they usually expect assistance brushing up on skills and techniques. While skills and techniques are certainly important, I've discovered that the greatest leverage comes from focusing on mental preparation. In order to conduct a productive coaching conversation, the manager has to be in the right frame of mind.

The outcome of a coaching conversation is highly dependent upon the objective of the coach walking in to the conversation. For example, one of my client executives observed a manager berating one of their people. (For simplicity, I'll call the executive "Susan", the manager "Fred", and Fred's employee "George".) If Susan approaches Fred in order to give him negative feedback and get her concerns off her chest, the outcome will likely be exactly that: Susan will air her concerns, and Fred will hear negative feedback. In all probability, Fred will become defensive and seek to justify his comments to George. The focus on the conversation will be on Susan, the person delivering the message.

But coaching is not about the coach, it's all about the person being coached. When I'm most powerful as a coach, it's not about me - it's all about them.

How different the conversation would be if Susan focused on Fred. Then she might approach the subject by emphasizing that she wants Fred to succeed, and she's observed behavior that might prevent his success. Fred would be much more open to the possibility of change if he sees that she's got his best interests in mind.

Laptop Computers: Freeing or Enslaving?

2006-09-23T21:28:00.002-04:00

According to a poll conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, 43% of American office workers do not leave the office behind when they go on vacation. They stuff their luggage with seemingly benign electronic devices. And with so much technology at their fingertips, vacationers are easily lured back to work by their laptop computers (41%), cell phones (30%), PCs (10%) and Blackberries (7%).

Edward Hallowell, psychiatrist and author of Crazy Busy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap!, observes, "These tools can be very freeing. They can allow you to go away, but they can also be enslaving. It's all a matter of how you use them," (Computerworld, July 25, 2006).

As an independent executive coach, I understand the seductive allure of technology. A home office can be wonderfully convenient, but difficult to escape. For those of you, like me, who may find yourself spending too much time on your computer, I offer at simple way to have fun online.

One of my colleagues sent me a link to a charming little movie called "The Eight Principles of Fun": http://www.eightprinciples.com

Sit back and devote five minutes to having fun!

Do What You Love, Love What You Do

2006-09-22T15:49:00.001-04:00

Several executives have complained to me recently that they're simply worn out. Too many activities with too little progress. Too much blood, sweat, and tears with too little joy. To many things they "should" do with too few things they "want" to do.

Here's the challenge: In order to do more of what you really want to do, you have to know what it is you really want to do. And many executives are so busy that they've forgotten. They're weighed down with responsibilities and relationships. They're working on everyone else's agenda but their own.

There's a silver lining to this cloud. When you remember what it is you love doing, and spend more time doing what you love doing, you become motivated and happy. Doing what you love creates energy, doing what you hate drains energy. Doing what you love builds joy you can share with others, doing what you hate builds frustration you can share with others.

Suggestion: At the end of a typical week, ask yourself what percentage of your work time was spent doing what you love to do. How can you increase that percentage?

Help! I'm a Victim of Micromanagement!

2006-08-23T22:49:00.001-04:00

Dear Executive Coach:

My new boss is driving me crazy. Since she arrived two months ago I have spent way too much time in her office reviewing data about our operation. And my staff has spent way too much time preparing detailed reports. What can I do to get her to back off?

Dear Micromanagement Victim:

Bottom line – your boss is the boss. Give her what she wants. Better yet, give her what she needs to understand and guide your organization.

Okay, that probably isn’t what you wanted to hear. Let’s examine your options.

1. Stop providing the information she requests. Possibly a career limiting move and guaranteed to make matters worse.

2. Convince her to stop micromanaging you. Apparently you’ve already tried this without success. Further attempts will likely simply frustrate you both.

3. Honor her requests. Your boss took on this role two months ago, so she’s still learning. She learns by gathering and reviewing lots of information. As she learns, she may require less information. Meanwhile, you will need to be patient. The downside of this approach is that you are still in a reactive role and she may be guessing what is important.

4. Provide even more information than she requests. You could speed up her learning curve by giving her more information. Unfortunately, you might also overwhelm her or encourage her to dive even further into details.

5. Give her what she needs to understand and guide your organization. Your challenge is to get to know her and understand what she needs (not what your last boss needed or what you think is appropriate). She is new and has her own unique management style. Once you learn to see things from her point of view, she’ll think you’re brilliant. Fulfill her needs and she’ll gain confidence in you. Over time you will build a strong trust relationship, and she may be willing to work with summary information regarding your operation.

Timely Criticism

2006-08-18T17:58:00.001-04:00

Most of us struggle with delivering criticism in a constructive way. Paradoxically, the stronger the relationship, the more difficult honest communication can be. When both parties are concerned about hurting each others' feelings, they often postpone honest feedback, hoping that the problem will simply go away.

In a business setting, this attitude can be destructive and dangerous. I often tell managers that the first time they notice a bad behavior, they need to think of it as the tip of the iceberg. For every time a manager observes a problem, other employees have observed the problem dozens of time.

For example, if a subordinate has a habit of interrupting others while they are talking, a boss may not want to interrupt them in order to point it out. So too often the opportunity for correction passes by. The next time the same individual interrupts someone, the manager may remember the previous time, and get upset. Rather than expressing their anger in the moment, they vow to address the behavior soon.

Unfortunately, by the time the manager finally brings up their concerns, they've been keeping score for a while. Instead of giving feedback in the moment about a specific instance of interruption, they end up unloading weeks of frustration on the unsuspecting individual. And that individual is likely to react defensively, rather than listening and learning. If the manager had simply brought up their concern the first time, the conversation could have been less emotional.

Please don’t wait and allow issues to simmer. Nip them the bud!

The Fine Art of Delegating Up

2006-08-08T21:16:00.001-04:00

I've been surprised by the number of managers who are reluctant to ask their bosses to do work. Perhaps subordinates are so accustomed to being on the receiving end of delegation that they don't realize when their superior needs to be involved. And many executives keep such hectic schedules that they train their subordinates not to bother them unless it's absolutely essential.

When I worked at IBM in the late seventies and early eighties we expected "completed staff work". In essence, this meant that a manager would anticipate issues that merited their boss' attention. (Of course, this was in the glory days when IBM was a market leader and issues actually could be anticipated.) Each issue would be researched, and the boss would be presented with alternatives for consideration. The best staff work included a memo for the boss' signature authorizing the preferred action. And a truly great manager knew their boss well enough to predict which course of action they would prefer.

This "completed staff work" approach can be effective in well-defined operations with clearly understood roles, responsibilities, and relationships, as well as minimal organizational change. Most operations are more turbulent, and require executives to be intimately involved in activities that affect strategy and policy, as well as cross-functional or external relationships.

How does one recognize situations that require upward delegation? The most common situation I observe is too much responsibility and not enough authority. No one can be successful when their responsibility exceeds their authority. An astute manager will ask their boss to empower them with additional authority. If a promotion is not forthcoming, the manager will develop a list of individuals and groups with whom the boss must communicate.

For example, when a manager is asked to form a team that includes individuals outside of their direct span of control, they are on shaky ground. In order to meet their objectives, the manager will need to gain the cooperation of all team members. And not everyone may wish to cooperate.

Individuals within the manager’s span of control can be compelled to cooperate. But the manager is left to use their personal charisma and selling skills to gain cooperation from others. Often, this is not enough. In order to be successful, the manager will need to escalate up the reporting chain until they find an executive who can compel cooperation. Amazingly, a few words from the appropriate executive can turn a complainer into an ally.

In Search of Bad News

2006-08-01T22:54:00.001-04:00

Don’t nobody bring me no bad news!

sung by the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wiz

Sophocles observed, “None love the messenger who brings bad tidings.” In ancient Greece, messages were delivered in person and urgent messages were entrusted to fast runners. The recipient of unsettling news was likely to vent their emotions upon the people closest at hand, including the messenger. Relaying bad news to a ruler was particularly risky. In extreme cases, the exhausted marathoner might be struck or killed. Hence the phrase, "Don't kill the messenger."

While few employees fear for their life in the presence of an executive, most fear for their careers. When asked to express an opinion, many subordinates are careful to say exactly what their superior wants to hear. Bosses tend to think that people who agree with them are smart, insightful team players. Bosses tend to think that people who disagree with them are negative, critical, and unsupportive of organizational goals.

“Yes men” are popular; they make others feel good about themselves. Everyone likes to hear their own ideas supported and reinforced, and leaders are no exception. Unfortunately, once a leader begins encouraging and promoting only the people who agree with them, they become insulated from dissenting views. And managers who consider only one point of view make poor decisions.

As painful as it seems, enlightened executives need to ask themselves “what if I’m wrong?” To actively seek out contrary ideas and disconfirming evidence. To allow others to ask tough questions without getting defensive themselves. To encourage a culture of open discussion. To learn from their mistakes and make better choices next time.

Instead of "killing the messengers", most leaders would be better off getting rid of the “yes men”.

Time to Delegate

2006-07-28T17:20:00.001-04:00

It is better to set a hundred men to work than to do the work of a hundred men.

D. L. Moody

Most leaders agree that delegation is critical for business success. They agree in theory. Yet in practice quite a few managers find themselves working overtime on tasks that should be completed by subordinates. I am continually saddened by the gap between intent and action. Too many managers don’t delegate when they ought, even though they believe that delegation is important. What stands in the way of effective delegation?

The most common excuse I hear is time. Or more precisely, not enough time. Someone else could do the work, but the manager cannot devote the time to developing them. This sounds like a Catch-22: “I don’t have enough time and energy to coach you, so I’ll continue to expend time and energy doing your work in addition to my own.”

This excuse doesn’t hold up under close inspection. An investment in employee development will pay off over time as the manager is able to focus more energy on other, more important activities. One of my clients committed to spend several hours every month coaching each of his managers individually. At first, he was concerned that his operation might suffer if he spent fifteen hours each month developing his management team. But he agreed to try.

Surprisingly, after only a few months he found himself spending less time in the office. Now that his subordinates were fully tackling their job assignments, he was freed up for strategic projects. Every month, he is gaining back more than the fifteen hours he is investing.

How much time are you investing in developing subordinates? How much time are you wasting on tasks that they should complete? How much time are you devoting to leadership tasks that only you can handle?

Empowering Future Leaders

2006-07-22T15:04:00.002-04:00

The task of the leader is to serve in a mentoring relationship of mutual accountability so that discernment may be exercised . . . But people must be free to make their decisions and to carry the responsibility for the course of action to which they commit themselves.

Eddie Gibbs

Every organization I visit, I hear the same drumbeat. "Our management team is aging and all those Baby Boomers are going to retire soon." "We don't have a succession plan, and we need one now." "We've got management talent in the pipeline, but no plan to help employees reach their full potential." "Our junior executives are dissatisfied because they want more responsibility sooner." "We need our senior executives to mentor and develop our junior executives."

I hear a lot of talk, but see very little action. I've discovered that many Baby Boomer executives have never experienced a mentoring relationship. They have not learned how to empower and develop others.

Let me admit right now, I'm a Baby Boomer myself. When I joined IBM straight from college, I saw limitless opportunity ahead. IBM was growing, the industry was growing, and there was plenty of room for advancement up the ranks. IBM's strategy was to identify high potential individuals early in their career, and promote them rapidly.

IBM was a great company, and I enjoyed twelve great years in a variety of jobs. I never had a mentor or advisor. I was given a great deal of freedom to try different approaches. I made plenty of mistakes and learned a lot the hard way.

Many executives my age had similar experiences. No one mentored them or showed them the ropes. It was sink or swim, and they swam. They assume others will learn the same way, and are puzzled when they don't.

Eddie Gibbs has great insight into the underlying issue. In order to learn from your mistakes, you’ve got to be allowed to make mistakes. Managers need the authority to make decisions and the responsibility to live with the results. And many Baby Boomer executives are reluctant to delegate.

Effective mentoring requires empowerment. Are you willing to take the risk: give your managers the opportunity to succeed by giving them the opportunity to fail?

Play is the Fuel that Powers Our Work

2006-07-19T18:20:00.001-04:00

I was intrigued by Nicky Penttila's June 2006 article in Urbanite Baltimore Magazine entitled "All Work and No Play". Nicky is concerned that too many adults in the United States have schedules stuffed with goal-oriented activities that leave no time for play. Nicky suggests that play isn't simply something nice to do in our leftover time, it's essential for health, happiness, and productivity.

According to Nicky, "play just may be the secret to thriving in the new information economy. As the U.S. economy tilts more to the service and information sectors, creativity and problem-solving (areas that are developed chiefly through play and playfulness) will be more in demand."

I agree with Nicky Penttila. Play is the fuel that powers our work.

Sadly, several of my client executives have told me that they have no time for play. They have endless "to do" lists with new demands every day. Often I hear, "once this project/busy season/budget cycle/board meeting is completed I'll be able to take some time for myself". Somehow, the "time for myself" keeps getting postponed as new crises surface. Yet an executive that is play-deprived does not have enough fuel for peak performance at work.

I've discovered the hard way that when I work for hours on end without a break, my effectiveness declines. When I focus too narrowly for too long, I lose my perspective. Strange as it may seem, I often come upon a solution to a problem when I'm not actually thinking about the problem.

Also, I have a tendency to become driven to finish a task. No matter how long it takes, I just want to finish. I've learned that when I force myself to stop and devote time to a pleasurable activity, something magical happens. When I return to my desk, the task has somehow shrunk to a manageable size. I am able to set a time limit for completion and stick to it.

I'm learning to give myself permission to have fun.

What Standards Are You Teaching?

2006-07-17T21:42:00.001-04:00

Every one of our actions sends a message to the people around us about what our values are, what our standards are, what we'll tolerate, and what we consider unacceptable. What we allow, we teach.

Rob Lebow

Recently two senior managers told me similar stories. Each senior manager summarily dismissed an employee for unacceptable behavior. In one case, the employee sent pornographic emails to their co-workers using the company email system. In the other case, an employee displayed a sex toy on their desk where coworkers and clients would be certain to see it.

I asked these senior managers the same questions: “Do you have a formal statement of organizational values? Do you have a code of conduct that describes what behavior is expected from all employees?” I received the same answers from both managers: “No, no. They should just know.”

My follow-up question to both managers was: “Have you observed less serious behavioral problems of this nature in the past?” Their responses (which you’ve probably guessed by now) were: “Well, yes. But they weren’t so bad that I needed to take action.”

I am seeing this situation more and more. Top management doesn’t feel the need to clearly state their corporate values and standards of behavior. After all, “people should know.” But many employees don’t know.

Leaders communicate their values and behavioral expectations in three ways: 1) what they tell others, 2) how they behave themselves, and 3) and how they react to the behavior of others.

In both situations above, the leaders had not communicated using the first approach - telling others how to behave. And the leaders were so busy and inaccessible that the second approach was not being used either, employees could not observe directly how leaders behaved themselves. So employees relied solely on approach three, seeing how leaders reacted to the behavior of employees.

Unfortunately, most managers’ first reaction to bad behavior is to ignore it and hope it goes away. As Rob Lebow pointed out, any behavior that is tolerated will be repeated.

For example, if one employee is allowed to show up for work fifteen minutes late, other employees quickly learn that fifteen minutes late is OK. Sooner or later, someone will show up thirty minutes late. And if showing up thirty minutes late is tolerated, everyone learns that it's acceptable. The tardiness will get worse until a manager steps in and takes action.

I’ve started asking my coaching clients several questions: What behavior are you tolerating? What behavior are you modeling? What standards are you teaching?

Focusing On My Mission

2006-07-14T11:12:00.002-04:00

My mission as an executive coach
is to encourage individuals and teams
to learn and to laugh
to rediscover their purpose, passion and priorities
to name and to claim
their most impossible dreams.

I keep my purpose statement on my desk and look at it every day. I need a continual reminder to keep me focused. Otherwise, I have a tendency to invest time and energy in activities that distract, rather than contribute to my mission.

Every day, I make choices. In the moment, most choices appear to be tactical in nature. But I have learned the hard way that my tactical decisions can easily become strategic decisions.

Every time I say "yes" to a request from someone else, I make a commitment. I either devote resources to my mission, or I devote resources to something else. Over time, if I say "yes" to too many activities outside of my mission, my mission withers from starvation. I simply don't have enough time, energy, and mental focus left to give.

Occasionally I have tried to revive my mission by showering it with attention after months of neglect. Unfortunately, this is like suddenly dumping an entire season of rain on a parched garden. The brown plants do not turn green. Instead, the soil washes away and I have to start over.

Just like a garden, my mission requires constant attention. Every day I need to water tiny little seedlings that may not bear fruit for months or years. Every day I need to dig up the weeds that compete for space in my garden. I need to start some activities, and stop other activities.

I've discovered that my mission statement is a great source of power. When I keep my mission statement in front of my eyes and carry it in my heart, I give myself permission to say "no" to anything that has the potential to distract me. I don't feel guilty about my choices. I make tough decisions with a sense of peace.

I say "yes" to my mission.