One Man's Trash....

I came across a strange little story in today's New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/seven/05312009/news/regionalnews/vinyl_treasure_in_yukky_trash_171811.htm?CMP=EMC-email_edition&DATE=05312009). It is about music-memorabilia dealer Howard Fischer and the fact that he has found many valuable music albums, old comedy recordings, and even famous speeches by Winston Churchill, all in his neighbor's trash.

"The recordings are on 7- and 10-inch plastic discs, in brown paper sleeves with handwritten labels. They were made in the mid-'40s, but it's not clear which radio shows, or even which stations, the devoted listener recorded. Fischer thinks his unknowing benefactor must have recorded the shows with some primitive device he made himself. "

Now even the Library of Congress is interested in getting its hands on these recordings.

I suppose the appropriateness of what Fischer is doing can be debated, but I can't stop thinking about the person who threw the recordings away. The person who made the originals obviously knew how unique the records are and how difficult they were to make. I suspect the person who threw them away was not the original owner and probably someone who didn't know or care about their value. Maybe it was a relative who thought, "Let's get rid of this trash." Or, "it can't be valuable if one of our family members owned it." Little did that person know the value of the "trash" right there in that apartment.

In our book, "Ordinary Greatness," we write about leaders tendencies to do this same de-valuing, but instead of music recordings, they tend to underestimate the people they lead. There are several blinders that get in the leader's way -- personal bias, preconceived notions, busyness, compartmentalization, and external focus. Any of them could be at play here.

As you interact with those you lead this week, watch out for these blinders, and remember -- there is valuable treasure right were you are. Don't throw it away!

Leading Clever People

One of my favorite leadership titles of the past decade is "Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?" by Gareth Jones and Rob Goffee. They are at it again with "Clever – leading your smartest, most creative people" being published later this year.

I saw Stefan Stern's column about the book in the FT, (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/643a8cec-4914-11de-9e19-00144feabdc0.html), and it got me thinking of my own list of challenges related to leading clever people:

1. They are not easily-controlled because they don't fear for their job -- they know they have talent that others will want or they can embark on their own.

2. They will only want to work on the most important, invigorating projects, often with no respect for turf or boundaries. This can drive corporate managers crazy.

3. They have a lot of influence, so it is important to keep them engaged, as others will follow their lead.

4. A real challenge is helping them see that they are not more important than the organization or the team. An expectation will have to be created that they use their impressive skill sets in service of the whole, not themselves.

Do you lead clever people? If so, what has worked for you?

Another Recognition Reminder

As you know, I am an enthusiastic proponent of managers learning new recognition strategies in order to better engage their staffs. So when I saw a column by Lucy Kellaway in today's Financial Times on what leaders should remember when recognizing good work, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c89a5f04-46ea-11de-923e-00144feabdc0.html, I was drawn to it.

The article is thought-provoking, and here are my take-aways:

1. We often teach that recognition should be specific, but Lucy says this is not always a good idea. She shares the example of a leader who told a direct report, "You are a brilliant administrator." Leaving it at "you are brilliant" would have been better. I hadn't thought of that before, but it makes sense. I know for me the second example would have been more effective.

2. Lucy says she is "addicted to praise." I think most of us are, and the leader who realizes this will have an awesome tool in her arsenal.

3. "Praise is hellishly difficult to get right: good praise is even more of an art form than good criticism, and bad praise is worse than none at all."

4. Lucy closes the article by stressing the importance of handwritten notes. Amen!

Hey, He Has a Goal. Kind of Strange, But He Has a Goal

Saturday's WSJ features the story of a 37-year-old man named "Winter" who for the last twelve years has been in pursuit of a personal goal: to visit every Starbucks store in the world. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124301100481847767.html#mod=djemITP

So far he has been to over 9,000 stores around the world (98.9% of North America's), and a focus of the article is the bit of a panic he finds himself in due to the recent announcements by Starbucks that hundreds of stores will soon be closing. You can even go to his website http://www.starbuckseverywhere.net/ and check to see if Winter has visited the Starbucks you frequent. He has visited "mine" (pictured above) in Gulf Breeze.

Winter's story first made me laugh, then made me think about what would possess a 37-year-old man to give his life to pursue this? He admits he is "mildly obsessive-compulsive." OK.

What I did admire in our age of short attention spans was his focus on his goal . A strange goal, but a goal. Most people have long-since strayed from their New Year's resolutions by the Super Bowl, and my corporate clients often confess that they have difficulty sticking to a goal, and their goals are certainly more important and meaningful than Winter's, I would think.

So what can we learn from Winter? What does it take to be so invested in a goal that one would devote 12 years of life to seeing it through?

One thing is obvious: if leaders could tap into this kind of passion, energy, effort, and commitment with those they lead, some great things could be accomplished.

Oh, and another thing -- the London Fog Tea Latte is really, really good.

Money's Nice, But a Good Boss is Better

Today's Washington Post details the results of a recent survey of federal workplaces. I love the title of the article -- "Money's Nice, But a Good Boss is Better." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/19/AR2009051903621.html

Of course, some federal departments in the employee survey fared better than others. Here's what the article has to say about the difference between the departments with high morale and those where employees are miserable:

"What separates these agencies in the minds of their employees is often the senior leadership, how well or poorly it shares information with subordinates, and the training and opportunities it provides workers, according to the study of federal survey results by the Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan group devoted to improving public service. "

The study also found that workers valued communication and straight answers from the boss more than pay and benefits! This research validates organizational studies we have been a part of and reiterates a central theme of life: everything rises and falls on leadership.

Every improvement tactic and strategy, to be effective in your company, will have to be role-modeled by the leaders first. The best gift you can give your employees is a great boss.

Google's Approach to Higher Turnover, Lower Engagement

According to an article in today's WSJ(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124269038041932531.html#mod=djemTMB?mg=com-wsj), the leadership at Google is concerned over the loss of staff members to newer start-ups like Twitter and Facebook and also over what seems to be a lessening of employee engagement in the company.

So their response? "The Internet search giant recently began crunching data from employee reviews and promotion and pay histories in a mathematical formula Google says can identify which of its 20,000 employees are most likely to quit. Google officials are reluctant to share details of the formula, which is still being tested. The inputs include information from surveys and peer reviews, and Google says the algorithm already has identified employees who felt underused, a key complaint among those who contemplate leaving.

I have my doubts about the effectiveness or appropriateness of a tool like this. Wouldn't equipping leaders at Google to get to know their people and spend time with them to see if they are fully engaged and/or at risk of leaving be a better approach?

In our book, "Ordinary Greatness," we talk about the need for leaders to have "aspirational conversations" with staff to get to know them better and to see if the work they are doing is fulfilling and meaningful. Give me that over an algorithm any day.

What do you think?

Is the Recession Costing You Sleep?

According to survey results published in the Financial Times today (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/222c8a8a-4342-11de-b793-00144feabdc0.html), the recession is costing us not just our money, our savings, and our 401(k)'s. It is also costing us sleep. The average manager is sleeping 19 per cent less than the recommended eight hours a night. Some 40 per cent of those questioned blame the state of the economy for their lack of sleep. If you think the results of your business in this recession is going to cost you sleep, instead of tossing and turning, do the following, and you might sleep a little more and make a little more money:

1. Contact every customer who has purchased from you in the last two years. Tell them you are thankful for their business. Period. This isn't a manipulative, "salesy" conversation -- just reach out.

2. Take care of your top people. You know who they are. The people that your customers mentioned when you called them. The people that you know make you look good. You think it's bad now -- if you lost your top people, it would be worse. Thank them, recognize them, and get to know them.

3. Weed out poor performers. I know I mentioned it in a previous post, but it keeps ringing in my ear: the only thing scarier than top people leaving is bottom people staying. Again, you know who they are -- start coaching and having the conversations immediately.

4. Make sure your leadership team is cohesive. Do team members acknowledge weaknesses to one another? Do team members point out one another's unproductive behaviors? Does the team engage in healthy debate? All these are critical to your success, and success usually begins with the team leader modeling the behavior.

5. In times like these, you cannot afford a single employee who is not operating at full discretionary effort. Are your staff members doing just the minimum to get by? Or are they "going the extra mile"?

Instead of losing sleep and money, take the above steps. Then you can rest easy, knowing your customers love you, your top performers are safely in the fold, the poor performers are on notice, your leadership team is cohesive, and everyone is giving their all.

What's on the CEO's Mind?

I just returned from providing the keynote address to a group meeting of 130 CEO's. Pam Bilbrey and I discussed the concepts in our new book, "Ordinary Greatness." These CEO's were from around the country and had gathered in Savannah, GA to discuss trends, hear from speakers, and collaborate on strategies related to the difficult economic conditions.

We talked to them about the need to retain their best people, how to be sure their investment in those people was being maximized, and how to teach their leaders to spot and develop greatness everywhere in the organization.

In speaking with the CEO's in some of the sessions, at breaks, and after our presentation, it became obvious that these were the issues that were front-of-mind to those in the executive suite:

1. Survival. Most CEO's right now are most concerned about getting through this time of cutbacks, budget cutbacks, and capital crunches. There was a real feeling that if we can get through 2009, the worst of this will be behind us. I hope they are right!

2. There was a lot of concern that when things do pick up, they may lose some of their best people. Right now there has been such a focus on survival and budgets that some of the things we have to do to retain our best people have been ignored. Recognition, employee involvement in decision-making, and training have all been cut at most companies, so when competitors begin to hire again, will we lose our best people?

3. They are very concerned that some of their worst-performing employees are just hanging on because they can't find anything else. You know, there is such a thing as good turnover -- when poor performing employees leave. And that is not happening right now. As one CEO said to me, "The only thing that scares me more than my best people leaving is my worst people staying." More important than ever to be sure the hiring model the company uses ensures the right people get in the door.

4. The time for touchy-feely "do it because it feels good" people solutions is over. There must be a botom-line answer for every proposed action. I think that's why we were so well-received. The issues we discussed related to making the business more profitable by being sure that every employee is engaged and employing maximum effort. We stressed value and profitability, so I know we were speaking their language!

Manny Being Manny

Recently I was facilitating an executive offsite, and during a break, I was talking with one of the participants about our ability to begin to overlook the flaws in others the more we work with them. It is kind of "well, that's just how he is," or "I've worked with him for a long time, and I've adjusted and learned how to deal with him."

The same has often been said about baseball star Manny Ramirez (pictured). We've all probably read about his recent alleged transgression involving a banned substance (not the subject of this post). Throughout his career, Manny has displayed some bizarre behaviors, all of which have been chalked up to "Manny being Manny."

Well, we do the same thing with people that we are on teams with. We overlook some of their negative behaviors because we have become used to them. It's just "Bob being Bob" or "Jane being Jane." This attitude makes life easier in the short term perhaps, but it is devastating to the team. Here's how to avoid this destructive mindset and the inevitable fallout:

1. Acknowledge it. The more we work around someone, the more comfortable and excusing we become about their behavior. Acknowledge this and vow to work to overcome it.

2. Establish that the team will not wait for the team leader or the boss to give feedback, but that feedback will flow in all directions.

3. Set aside time in team meetings to give and receive feedback on behaviors. It's amazing that if you ask teammates to list your strengths and weaknesses, they can accurately describe you. Go around the table and share each person's strong points and also what each can do to make the team healthier. Sounds intimidating, but it's easy once you get started. It's also easier if you use an outside facilitator. What's better is that your team will be stronger.

No more "Manny being Manny." Let's stop excusing and start working together.

Again With the Visibility!!

The New York Times Business Section on Sunday featured an interview with Robert Iger, CEO of Disney.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/business/03corner.html?_r=1

These are the main points that I was able to take away.

1. He stressed the role optimism plays in effective leadership. I would second this. The best leaders I have worked around, with, and for have kept an even keel, but lean to the optimistic side. The worst leaders I have seen have been paranoid masters of panic. Confidence (and lack of) is contagious.

2. His first boss at ABC told him he "wasn't promotable." Oops.

3. As is the case with successful leaders, Iger practices VISIBILITY. He says he meets in the cafeteria with staff, and that he actually schedules time to meet and talk with staff. Over and over, this visibility and accessibility is a trait of successful leaders. They know and are known.

4. When asked about hiring, he shares a quote by Warren Buffett that I think is just tremendous: “When you hire someone, you look for brains, energy and integrity, and if they don’t have the third, integrity, you better watch out, because the first two will kill you.”

Obama's Suggestion Box

In his address to the nation Saturday, President Obama mentioned that he is going to reach out to federal employees to capture and implement their ideas for improvement. "We'll establish a process through which every government worker can submit their ideas for how their agency can save money and perform better," he says.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/43689227.html?elr=KArks:DCiUMEaPc:UiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

Now, we have all seen lots of suggestion programs come and go, so naturally many commentators and observers are skeptical (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124113391622175125.html#mod=djemITP), but all suggestion programs are not doomed to failure.

First I would give President Obama praise for seeking to get the ideas of those employees on the front lines. This is becoming more important every day because of demographic changes in our country. In our book "Ordinary Greatness," Pam Bilbrey and I point out that the latest generation of employees (sometimes called Generation Y) has been engaged in decision-making within their families and schools in ways vastly different than previous generations. Children now have a significant say in most key family decisions, such as which house to purchase, which car to buy, and where the family will vacation. Generation Y is bringing this desire for involvement into the workplace, and leaders who feel they can continue to manage as they always have will be shocked when they not only fail to see greatness in their staff, but when they see management habits that worked in the past, such as maintaining secrets, playing politics, and promoting factions cause their personal and professional demise. Our survival depends on engaging our staff and getting their best ideas.

When establishing employee suggestion programs, here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Have a process for tracking and monitoring ideas, preferably electronically. Nothing destroys employee engagement faster than having ideas they submit get lost in the shuffle. If you haven’t been staying in touch with your staff and letting them know if or when their ideas will be acted upon, good luck getting staff to let you know their best ideas.

2. Be sure managers are engaged, accountable, and accessible throughout the process. When implementing his plan, President Obama must insist that leaders harvest ideas from staff and follow through on them. If their salary increases and promotional opportunities are not tied into their ability to engage their people, the plan has little chance for success. Managers must have goals tied to employee participation in the effort, and should constantly ask staff, "Do you know of any way we can improve our service or eliminate waste?"

3. Recognize the positive. Tell stories of how much the ideas have saved or how many wasteful processes have been eliminated. People remember stories long after they have forgotten facts. Keep the most positive people engaged by thanking them for their ideas and telling others how their ideas improved the workplace or the customer's experience.

4. Really mean it. If you aren't sincere about respectfully listening to staff and implementing their best ideas, don't start a suggestion effort. Staff can spot a phony flavor-of-the-month program, they will most likely ignore it, and leadership loses more credibility.

It's nice to see that with everything that President Obama has on his plate he is acknowledging a desire to listen to those closest to the taxpayers every day. Let's hope those who install the effort pay attention to these guidelines too.