Many organizations today are finding that they don’t have the right talent or enough talent in their organizations to be successful. If you have experienced this, you know it is frustrating, challenging, and can drain energy and emotion in trying to execute daily business responsibilities.
This past week, there was an article in the Wall Street Journal by Joe Light titled: Leadership Training Gains Urgency Amid Stronger Economy. In the article, Mr. Light discusses how many organizations have cut spending on leadership development initiatives over the past two years during the economic downturn. Now that the economy is starting to recover, these organizations are worried they will experience the exodus of baby boomers and retirees as their investment portfolios start to recover. Many organizations are finding they simply don’t have the leadership pipeline within the organization to fill these leadership roles as companies shift towards a growth focus. This scenario leaves any organization vulnerable to the competition. Add to that the severity of the economic downfall and it only compounds the challenges further.
For individuals who work in the learning and development industry, this news and information is nothing new. For many other individuals this may be a shocking surprise. Organizations need to spend more money to develop talent to drive the business. Remember, half of your assets do not show up on the balance sheet – your people. Organizations spend thousands of dollars on computers, specialized software, mobile phones, and office space. Why not spend a few hundred dollars developing your people to maximize performance and drive bottom line results. If you have not already done so, think plan, and act to develop your high-potential leaders.
Welcome to the March 31, 2010 edition of Business Lessons. In this edition of Business Lessons the topics that will be covered are: Leadership, Strategic Thinking, and Teamwork.
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of business lessons using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
We have just been though one of the greatest financial crisis in the history of the world. The world goes further into debt. Companies struggle to be profitable. We continue to see the bickering of politicians and watch the business-as-usual with our governments. The wars in foreign countries continue. We continue to watch the further disintegration of the family system and family values. And through all of this, one asks “Where are the leaders?” What is leadership? Who is a leader?
Regardless of our position in life, all of us can and should be leaders. So what is leadership? “Leadership is the ability to decide what is to be done, and then get others to want to do it.” -Dwight D. Eisenhower
Leaders accomplish things by leading. That is, by guiding and helping other people. Dictators issue orders, using fear and punishment to command compliance. Leaders shape people’s opinions and win their enthusiasm, using every available opportunity to send out their message (VISION) and win supporters (Noel Tichy, The Leadership Engine). Dictators break people down to feel inadequate, incapable, and don’t know much about the value people and their power.
What makes a leader? A leader has VISION about what needs to be done. He/she makes changes and helps others to make changes in order to see the VISION through completion.
What is your VISION about leadership? What is the vision that you have about leading your family, in your community, in your employment, in your religious organization, or in your own personal development? As we talk about vision and change, there are a number of tools that can be used to help lead others towards change:
·Situational Leadership by Paul Hersey & Ken Blanchard(1984)
oDirecting
oCoaching
oSupporting
oDelegating
·The Coach by Steven Stowell & Matt Starcevich(1987)
oBe Supportive
oDefine the Topic and Needs
oEstablish Impact
oInitiate a Plan
oGet a Commitment
oConfront Excuses / Resistance
oClarify Consequences
oDon’t Give Up
·The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey(1989)
oBe Proactive
oBegin with the End in Mind
oPut First Things First
oThink Win/Win
oSeek First to Understand, then to be Understood
oSynergize
oSharpen the Saw
·Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman(1995)
oSelf-awareness
oSelf-regulation
oMotivation
oEmpathy
oSocial Skill/Team Builders
·E’s of Excellence by Curtis Reese (2000)
oEthic (Work hard and Smart)
oEgo (Strong Ambition to Win)
oEmpathy (Meet their needs)
oEmpower (Help them to Help Themselves)
oEnthusiasm (Full of Energy)
oEducation (Continue to Learn)
oExercise (Stay Healthy)
oExecute (Put your Plan into Action)
Let’s take a closer look at Curtis Reese’s E’s of Excellence and what theymeans. What can you take away from one or more of these areas so that you can be a better leader as you travel down the path of continuous improvement.
·ETHIC
oHow committed are we to the task or job at hand when we are at work?
oDo we go beyond company demands?
oWhy doour services provide value to our customers?
oDo we work beyond the mark, within the norm or outside the box?
·EGO / AMBITION
oI want to provide the very best service because I want to drive results.
oI want to be a top performer because it is who I am.
oOur services are better because we value our cusomter
oI have quiet confidencebecause I believe that success is a journey, not a destination.
·EMPATHY
oWhat are my customers’ needs and how can I help them fulfill those needs?
oHow does my customer, family member, religious leader, community leader, view the situation.
oHow and in what way do our products/services satisfy our customers’ needs.
oI am aware that a statue has never been set-up to honor a critic and understand the metaphor.
·EMPOWER
oAllow others to help you accomplish your goals
oCompliment everyone around you; make them feel good about their contribution.
oRealize that the sole advantage of power is the ability to do more good.
oEmpower your people to make your organization’s services even better by sharing ideas.
·EDUCATION
oBe a general student and always learn.
oKnowledge is POWER!
oThe glory of God is intelligence.
oWhen you stop learning, you stop life itself.
oDon’t learn for the sake of learning, let your knowledge lead to action
oTeach and share your skills with someone else.
·ENTHUSIASM
oEnthusiasm, Energy, and Emotion can all have positive effects on what you do and on the people you come in contact with.
oEven your dog can feel your energy level; be aware of the effect you have on others.
oNo one wants to get a “Kick In The Pants,” but it will raise their level of focus and attention.
oClear your mind of the word “CAN’T.”
·EXERCISE
oYour most important asset is your health. What do you do to protect your health?
oYou buy insurance to cover all your material possessions
oYou need a healthy diet and exercise for both the body and the soul.
·EXECUTE
oLive your goals and make your dreams become reality.
oThere are three kinds of people: those who wonder what happened, those who watch what happens, and those who make things happen. What kind of person are you? What about the people you lead?
Each one of us has the ability to look like a leader and act like a leader just by making minor improvements in our leadership skills each day. James Michener, author of “The Tales of the South Pacific,” wrote; “The master of the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leading others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he’s always doing both.”
Many people associate conflict with negativity, but conflict doesn’t have to be unpleasant; it can even be enjoyable. Conflict when used in a constructive way, can bring forth great outcomes and ideas, often benefiting those who are involved by exposing them to alternative perspectives.
Yesterday, while watching the daily news, I saw a commercial that caught my attention. In order to win over new customers, this organization is using a strategy that I like very much. Their approach is creative, it’s innovative, and was sure their competitors would need to respond to this advertising campaign in some form or fashion to maintain market share.
However, after seeing this advertisement a second time, I came to the realization that this “new” approach is classic conflict avoidance. Take a look at this video clip. Can you see where I’m coming from?
Now, please correct me if I’m totally off base, (I’ll be confident and say I’m not), but don’t the fundamentals of business acumen tell us that competition is good? In a situation like this we should want to create a little constructive conflict, forcing these two companies to battle over our business. If we ask Allstate to “break up” with our existing insurance provider for us because we’re too uncomfortable to handle the situation ourselves, we’ll never know whether the current insurance provider would be able to match the offer, or offer a better deal, ultimately saving use the hassle of switching insurance providers. Come on people. Buck up! Step out of your comfort zone and grow a little! Given this type of situation, the customer has all the power. If you add a little conflict to the mix, these two companies will need to compete for your business, “sweetening the deal,” and offering you greater gains. One company claims that it can “save you serious cash,” but the other company wants to retain business and compete for your business. Keeping a customer is much easier than winning a new one. Two companies knowingly vying for our business puts us in a great position, but if your existing insurance company gets a call from Allstate, “saving you that uncomfortable break-up moment,” your opportunity for beneficial conflict has been lost, and so has your power as a consumer.
Confront conflict head on; avoidance never hurt anybody but you.
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.
What does trick-or-treating and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) have in common? Think about it for a moment – maximizing your gains, equations for efficiency, and opportunity costs. Are you seeing the connection yet?
Maximizing Your Profitability
I was watching a report on CNN last week about the strategies of maximizing their acquisition of treats on Halloween. Instead of just taking a “dash and grab” approach, some people take a more economic approach to their quest for sweets. The people at Zillow.com have done some research on five major cities to identify the “best” neighborhoods for trick-or-treating. While there is a common belief that wealthy neighborhoods are the prime place for harvesting the most Halloween treats, it is only a part of the equation for efficiency. To provide a more holistic approach to Halloween trick-or-treating, the Zillow Trick-or-Treat Housing Index was calculated using four equally weighted data variables: Zillow Home Value Index, population density, WalkScore (point to point distances), and local crime data. Based on those variables, this Index represents neighborhoods that will provide the most candy, with the least amount of walking and safety risks.
Jackpot
Some may find Zillow’s index to be an unnecessary approach to the trick-or-treating adventure, but for others it is just the kind of thing that makes the holiday even more enjoyable. After seeing the report on CNN, I saw this holiday as a great time to teach my kids about economics, finance, and getting the highest revenue with the least amount of input (revenue = candy). What makes this even more of an economical and financial teaching opportunity is that a local dentist is offering $1.00 for every pound of candy brought to their office during the week after Halloween. What made this offer even more interesting was that CNN also reported a statistic that the average child gathers 17.1 pounds of candy on Halloween. So, if my kids want to use Halloween as a chance to have fun and make money, there are strategies to do so.
If you ask parents today if they want their children to go through the higher education system, the answer is predominantly, “yes.” I believe preparing young people to be ready to receive a college education is as important as actually obtaining one. The same is true for anyone. There are opportunities for education and skill development all around us, just like this “trick-or-treating” example.
Education To Make A Difference
For those of us who are college age or older, but still have a desire for gaining more education, there are diverse opportunities available. There are accelerated masters programs, online degrees, and Mini-MBA Workshop. The Mini-MBA Workshop is a great way to learn the fundamental concepts taught in a traditional MBA program, but at much less costs and in a much shorter time frame. I attended this fantastic course offered by CMOE, developed and Columbia University, and taught by David L. Buckner. It helped me to understand the key concepts of economics, finance, and accounting, helping me to be more affluent in the language of business. Knowing more business acumen key terms and concepts has had a great impact on my contribution to our organization. While I didn’t earn a Masters degree, I have the ability to apply valuable concepts to my everyday efforts and decisions. As the writer and scientist, Carl Sagan wrote, “Knowing a great deal is not the same as being smart; intelligence is not information alone but also judgment, the manner in which information is collected and used.”
Over the past few months, I have been serving as an assistant coach for my son’s Little League Football team. It has been a lot of work to teach the boys the techniques of the sport; blocking, tackling, and running. I have found that the best way to teach children is to have fun while learning. The other coaches and I use many different games and exercises that force the boys on the team to use their new found skills and the techniques. Aside from just skill practice, these games and exercises allow us, the coaching staff, to measure their progress.
Many people struggle in the work environment because what they do no longer seems enjoyable, and learning or development just means more work. When this happens, we become stagnant. Our personal satisfaction and happiness decreases and, in turn, our success and quality of work falters. From my perspective, not enough people are making a game out of work. Consider this quote from the world renowned physicist, Albert Einstein.
“How many people are trapped in their everyday habits, part numb, part frightened, part indifferent? To have a better life we must keep choosing how we are living.”
While this quote could have many applications, I would like to discuss how it applies to our daily work. If someone is feeling numb, frightened, or indifferent toward their everyday work activity, leaders or coaches can expect this person to also feel unaccountable to results and lacking desire to achieve greater levels of success.
Since it appears that many people in the working world are feeling numb, frightened, or indifferent toward their daily work, I propose that organizations strive harder to make a game out of work by challenging their employees to compete to win. Like the way I coach the football team, leaders can make work more fun and find ways to use metrics and scorecards to measure progress. With a little fun, leaders can create a winning team that really adds to bottom line results. Leaders themselves must also have a bottom line mentality as they go about setting exciting and stretch goals for themselves, their departments, and for their team members. This inner game of work can make a huge impact on what people accomplish.
So, whether you are coaching 20 eight and nine year old boys on a Little League Football team or leading a tenured staff of employees, the concept I’m suggesting is the same. Make a game out of work; make it fun, rewarding and competitive. I guarantee you will see improved results.
“Change is never complete, and change never ceases. Nothing is ever quite finished with; it may always begin over again. And nothing is quite new; it was always somehow anticipated or prepared for” (C.S. Lewis).
Change is everywhere, and change in the work environment is usually a given. Many individuals experience the effects of change when they begin working for a new supervisor. This necessary change may come about due to downsizing in the company, moving to a new position, being promoted, or a number of other scenarios. With change come adjustments and modifications.
Perhaps one of the more difficult adjustments is the emotional impact – you must leave some and join others. Having changed managers over 15 times, I can tell you change never gets any easier.
I keep reminding myself that there are many benefits to change – new opportunities, new adventures, more accountability, more control, exposure to different management styles, new learning opportunities.Change can be daunting, but as “change never ceases” and as “it may always begin over again,” I have found some ways that have worked for me, in which to make the best of these opportunities. I suggest them to you now:
• Ask questions – the more you understand, the more likely you are to succeed.
• Engage in conversation. Conversation is your ability to truly influence others.
• Make your customer think, and give them time to think with silence.
• Build your credibility with third party support.
• Work projects; it gives you a better sense of accomplishment.
• Make other people heroes – things always have a way of coming back to you.
• Focus on your talents and leverage your strengths.
• Remember why you go to work every day.
• Put your family first. I have always found this to be my greatest support during times of change and adjustment.
• Keep a fire in your belly to succeed. Much can be accomplished with a positive attitude and a desire to thrive.
• Have fun, have fun, have fun! Change can actually be fun.
• Bear in mind, leadership isn’t a destination, it is a lifetime pursuit.
• Have a mentor. Much may be learned by those you admire.
• Be a mentor. Many may learn from you, and you may find you still pick up a thing or two.
“Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine” (Robert C. Gallagher).
“The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning (Ivy Baker Priest).
The helm or steering mechanism of a ship adjusts the angle of the rudder, in turn, changes the direction of the ship. In the 18th century as technology increased ships began to increase in size. While this growth was advantageous, at the same time the ships became increasingly difficult to control. Thus a shipmaster needed an invention to foster technical growth but at the same time keep the ship on course. Today’s steering wheel was designed to connect to the tiller of the boat, with a block and tackle. This addition provided a considerable increase in the ship’s mechanical capabilities and resulted in smoother operations with less effort.
I relate this story of the steering wheel because the national and world economy is going through some stormy waters. Although the changes going may turn out to be good in the long run, it is still difficult to stay the course in the middle of these “troubled water”. More than ever we need strong leaders to step up and take the “helm”, provide guidance, and “steer” their teams in the right direction.
A strong leader will effectively partner with each employee and provide direction, guidance, and coaching. He or she can help team member adjust their personal courses and move into “smooth water”.
Providing constant support takes a lot of effort but it will be worth it in the long run. Consider the following points when helping your team stay afloat:
Communicating frequently with each team member
- Will reduce or eliminate fear of the unknown
- Encourages confidence in individual performance
Building understanding within your team
- Instills ownership in the tasks to ensure success
- Keeps each person focused on the goal
Encouraging respect between members.
- Promotes synergy
- Supports a relaxed and engaging environment
Maintaining your integrity
- Retains trust in you and the organization high
- Inspires integrity from team members
“It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what is required.”
-Winston Churchill
A terrible disease is plaguing society, a disease that in my own medical terms I call “A Common Case Of Untold, Never-ending, Truth Avoidance Behaviors, In Large Increments To You.” If you take all of the bold letters and put them together it spells ACCOUNTABILITY. Okay, it’s a bit of a stretch.
Society has become too good at the “blame game.” There is an innate behavior in most people called the “Self-Serving Bias.” This means that when things go well, I should get all the credit, but when things go wrong, I am going to point the finger and blame everyone and everything else for the failure. Take for example the person who spills hot coffee on her lap and is burned by the incident. This incident happened while the person was driving a car and talking on the cell phone all at the same time. We have all heard how this individual then decided that it was not her own fault for the burns she suffered, but put the blame to the company that sold the coffee for making it too hot. In fact, the person even sued the company for a large sum of money.
This type of mentality is very prevalent in our society and it carries into the workplace. How many “C-level” leaders of big companies have we seen fudging financial reports so that under their leadership the company appears to be “prosperous?” We have seen people be able to hide from accountability for a while, but it eventually catches up and destroys a leader, or maybe an entire company. Whether the source is focused on financial gains, or an ego of being the “perfect” leader, placing blame doesn’t really matter. What matters is that we get back to being accountable.
It is time for a change back to the old traditional roots of individual responsibility and integrity. We can’t run from it forever, so why do it now. I would venture to say that we have all found that when leaders in our lives have taken responsibility for an action, a project, or even a small assignment that went bad, that we now held them in higher regard and developed a greater respect for that person. The ability to hold up the mirror and accept mistakes when they are made, takes courage and confidence. This behavior is what we desire in all our leaders, not to mention a little bit of humility and the ability to hold up the mirror and be honest about one’s own self.
If leaders today want accountability from the organization, then they too need to demonstrate it. But why stop there; shouldn’t we be accountable to coworkers, our organizations, and ourselves? The concept of leading by example is still the most foundational and fundamental way to influence others. Being able to say, “Do what I do vs. Do what I Say” is profoundly more powerful than anything else when it comes to getting others to work hard, work smart, and work ethically.
A few days ago, my son came to me with a difficult decision. He was debating whether or not to stay in his position. The problem was that he had been having some difficulty with his team leader. As a member of a team, he felt a responsibility to keep this leader informed about the project he was supporting. However, whenever my son met with this leader he became frustrated and often felt devalued. This leader is addicted to his Blackberry. He acts as though the device and what it was conveying was more important than any information my son had to give. Because of this lack of attention, this leader too often missed the important information my son tried to convey.
Dr. Steven Stowell and Ms. Stephanie Mead explain in their book, The Team Approach: With Teamwork Anything is Possible, there are eight internal forces that short circuit teamwork. Two of these, “excessive pursuit of self interest” and “inflated egos and intimidation” seem to fit the way my son felt about his supervisor. I have to admit when I first read these forces I assumed that the authors were talking about the executive who does anything (ethical or not) to get up the ladder.
Excessive pursuit of self interest covers much more than the narcissist; it also covers those who think they are so busy that they fail to acknowledge those around them. When you pay more attention to incoming calls, emails, and interruptions you are silently telling the one you are suppose to be talking to that they are not worthy of your time or not valuable in your estimation. In this case, the information that my son tried to share with the boss and was ignored, lead to an embarrassing situation when the boss was unable to explain why a project was behind to a major client. More importantly, this embarrassing situation happened in a group meeting with representatives from all the different companies involved in the project.
When this boss returned from the meeting, a memo was sent out that was both intimidating and unduly demanding. If only he had listened when my son met with him, he would have known the information he needed and the embarrassment experienced by the boss and the organization would have been avoided. Obviously, my son has a decrease of trust and respect for this person. Dr. Stowell and Ms. Mead state, “Trust and respect are fragile and are earned over time through genuine actions.”
If you don’t take time to listen and assimilate all the information you are going to be embarrassed or caught off guard. How can you assume that you know where to go or how to answer if you don’t have all the information about the situation ahead? To quote Joe Namath, “To be a leader, you have to make people want to follow you, and nobody wants to follow someone who doesn’t know where he is going.” Are you too involved with the activity beasts in your life to hear those people around you?
Sadly, while my son liked his job and wanted to stay, he felt that he had to leave the organization. Think about the costs to the organization when this lack of trust , respect, and courtesy is exhibited. How much does it cost to replace team members? How much transition time does it take to learn the business? How long will it take for your client’s confidence in you and your organization be restored? Isn’t it more cost effective to spend the few minutes of complete attention to a colleague?
A final thought. Communication between team members is essential to the success of the team. But just as critical is the basic recognition that each member is valued and important enough to be listened to. James Humes said, “The art of communication is the language of leadership.’
This past week, there was an article in the Wall Street Journal by Joe Light titled: Leadership Training Gains Urgency Amid Stronger Economy. In the article, Mr. Light discusses how many organizations have cut spending on leadership development initiatives over the past two years during the economic downturn. Now that the economy is starting to recover, these organizations are worried they will experience the exodus of baby boomers and retirees as their investment portfolios start to recover. Many organizations are finding they simply don’t have the leadership pipeline within the organization to fill these leadership roles as companies shift towards a growth focus. This scenario leaves any organization vulnerable to the competition. Add to that the severity of the economic downfall and it only compounds the challenges further.
Since it appears that many people in the working world are feeling numb, frightened, or indifferent toward their daily work, I propose that organizations strive harder to make a game out of work by challenging their employees to compete to win. Like the way I coach the football team, leaders can make work more fun and find ways to use metrics and scorecards to measure progress. With a little fun, leaders can create a winning 
Change is everywhere, and change in the work environment is usually a given. Many individuals experience the effects of change when they begin working for a new supervisor. This necessary change may come about due to downsizing in the company, moving to a new position, being promoted, or a number of other scenarios. With change come adjustments and modifications.
Society has become too good at the “blame game.” There is an innate behavior in most people called the “Self-Serving Bias.” This means that when things go well, I should get all the credit, but when things go wrong, I am going to point the finger and blame everyone and everything else for the failure. Take for example the person who spills hot coffee on her lap and is burned by the incident. This incident happened while the person was driving a car and talking on the cell phone all at the same time. We have all heard how this individual then decided that it was not her own fault for the burns she suffered, but put the blame to the company that sold the coffee for making it too hot. In fact, the person even sued the company for a large sum of money.
A few days ago, my son came to me with a difficult decision. He was debating whether or not to stay in his position. The problem was that he had been having some difficulty with his team leader. As a member of a team, he felt a responsibility to keep this leader informed about the project he was supporting. However, whenever my son met with this leader he became frustrated and often felt devalued. This leader is addicted to his Blackberry. He acts as though the device and what it was conveying was more important than any information my son had to give. Because of this lack of attention, this leader too often missed the important information my son tried to convey.
