Howard Schultz and Starbucks go out on a limb with Race Together. . . still a timeless topic that so desperately needs conversation and collaboration. And here comes the blow back about how it's not appropriate for a coffee shop and how baristas don't have the time and how people just want their coffee.
Patricia Arquette has the gut wisdom to use her Oscar speech to address the need for equal pay for women; then is quickly taken to task for a perceived mis-speak to the press in the moments thereafter.
What do the stories have in common? In both instances, courage was used to say what needed to be said; in both instances the strong intents were criticized not so much for their message, but for their tactics.
What a shame. When people speak their minds to say what we believe needs to be said, we should have a portion of their courage to back them up and not quibble about the time or space or use of an adverb or adjective.
The same is true in the workplace. So often I have seen people deliver strong products or courageous messages only to be cut short by peers for "not saying it to the right people," "it wasn't appropriate at that time." "It wasn't double spaced. . .on letterhead."
Seriously.
There is absolutely a place for correct tactics - I happen to be a greater fan of the right timing of the right communication than most people. That being said, let's not belittle good, or even courageous work by quibbling about "how it got done."
No one is ever going to get it completely right. No one is ever going to please all the people. We do the best we can.
And the best we can be includes not belittling words of courage by sniffling about the delivery.
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available for e-readers, PCs and tablets on Amazon Kindle.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Don't Hire Yourself!
Years ago, when preparing to hire a team member, my supervisor inquired as to the ideal characteristics this new individual should possess. After careful thought, I replied, "Well, someone just like me."
How wrong I was - not that I'm the only person in the world guilty of narcissistic hiring. "Wanted - The Ideal Employee. Someone who has the same superior work ethic as I have. Someone who is almost as intelligent as. . .well. . .me. Dedicated to your craft like I am. Works the same hours, eats the same food. Ideal, but not necessary, drinks the same Starbucks beverage as I."
And even if we are not so obvious about it - it still happens anyway. A highly regarded peer confided in me the other day that when she hired a certain manager, she realized after the fact that she had pretty much employed an opposite gender replica of herself.
Trust me when I tell you - if two people are on each other's nerves in the workplace, chances are well above 50/50 that they are just too similar to one another. (Want to have some fun - put two controller types on the same team - it's hours of laughs!)
As good as you are, you need to have balance in your professional life. . .and that will be provided by someone who is not only a complement to you, but to the entire team. Ultimately, you want someone who thinks a little bit (or a lot) different than you. You need someone with a different communication style. Your product stands a better chance of superiority when it has been vetted both by you and by someone who is different than you.
What about the differences between you and the team member who's not so much like you? Be open to them. Realize that neither one of you need to be right the entire time, but with two different viewpoints examining the options, you will probably be right more than you are wrong.
The times that you just need to rest - let someone with a different style and view step in. It will be refreshing to the team; AND they will welcome you back because they've had a short vacation from your specific style.
The key to successful hiring is not to hire yourself. . .the key is to find someone you can trust to do their best work by teaming with you to support every other member of the team.
Like it? Share it!
My book, "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle for PCs, tablets and e-readers.
How wrong I was - not that I'm the only person in the world guilty of narcissistic hiring. "Wanted - The Ideal Employee. Someone who has the same superior work ethic as I have. Someone who is almost as intelligent as. . .well. . .me. Dedicated to your craft like I am. Works the same hours, eats the same food. Ideal, but not necessary, drinks the same Starbucks beverage as I."
And even if we are not so obvious about it - it still happens anyway. A highly regarded peer confided in me the other day that when she hired a certain manager, she realized after the fact that she had pretty much employed an opposite gender replica of herself.
Trust me when I tell you - if two people are on each other's nerves in the workplace, chances are well above 50/50 that they are just too similar to one another. (Want to have some fun - put two controller types on the same team - it's hours of laughs!)
As good as you are, you need to have balance in your professional life. . .and that will be provided by someone who is not only a complement to you, but to the entire team. Ultimately, you want someone who thinks a little bit (or a lot) different than you. You need someone with a different communication style. Your product stands a better chance of superiority when it has been vetted both by you and by someone who is different than you.
What about the differences between you and the team member who's not so much like you? Be open to them. Realize that neither one of you need to be right the entire time, but with two different viewpoints examining the options, you will probably be right more than you are wrong.
The times that you just need to rest - let someone with a different style and view step in. It will be refreshing to the team; AND they will welcome you back because they've had a short vacation from your specific style.
The key to successful hiring is not to hire yourself. . .the key is to find someone you can trust to do their best work by teaming with you to support every other member of the team.
Like it? Share it!
My book, "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle for PCs, tablets and e-readers.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Perfect World
"Why can't everything go like it's supposed to?" "Why can't people do exactly what they are told to do?" "Why can't everything just go right for a change?"
These statements are often made by people who believe in a perfect world; because we don't live in a perfect world (and come on now, I think we all realize this) these individuals are often disillusioned.
I've witnessed good people become nearly catatonic when the best laid plans are not realized, when a team member disappoints or when their classically laid out ambitions do not come to fruition. They rested upon their belief structure that all is supposed to be perfect, and when it isn't, their belief structure has failed them.
Not as an excuse for a failure to attain excellence, but instead as a vital tool to achieve it, I'm a strong advocate for recognizing that it's never going to be a perfect world. By embracing that reality both we, and the people we have the privilege of working with, are then more fully equipped to deal with the issues at hand.
Perfect world people often don't have back-up plans (because what's the point of going to all that trouble when everything SHOULD work?) Perfect world people have difficulty keeping their outlook moving onward and forward because they are constantly disappointed. Perfect world people often don't have options because they believe that, in the perfect world, their plan should work.
By embracing that we live in a world full of imperfections and as leaders, we make mistakes (as do our team members), we avoid those traps and disappointments. That, then, enables us to be more fluid, to have greater adaptability and a stronger relationship not only to the world around us but with our immediate team.
It ain't ever going to be a perfect world; with that reality in hand, we can then move forward with plans, actions and a great resolve that we can, indeed, make the world a better place.
Like it? Share it!
My book "Courage Questions, Confident Leaders" is available for e-readers, PCs and tablets on Amazon Kindle.
These statements are often made by people who believe in a perfect world; because we don't live in a perfect world (and come on now, I think we all realize this) these individuals are often disillusioned.
I've witnessed good people become nearly catatonic when the best laid plans are not realized, when a team member disappoints or when their classically laid out ambitions do not come to fruition. They rested upon their belief structure that all is supposed to be perfect, and when it isn't, their belief structure has failed them.
Not as an excuse for a failure to attain excellence, but instead as a vital tool to achieve it, I'm a strong advocate for recognizing that it's never going to be a perfect world. By embracing that reality both we, and the people we have the privilege of working with, are then more fully equipped to deal with the issues at hand.
Perfect world people often don't have back-up plans (because what's the point of going to all that trouble when everything SHOULD work?) Perfect world people have difficulty keeping their outlook moving onward and forward because they are constantly disappointed. Perfect world people often don't have options because they believe that, in the perfect world, their plan should work.
By embracing that we live in a world full of imperfections and as leaders, we make mistakes (as do our team members), we avoid those traps and disappointments. That, then, enables us to be more fluid, to have greater adaptability and a stronger relationship not only to the world around us but with our immediate team.
It ain't ever going to be a perfect world; with that reality in hand, we can then move forward with plans, actions and a great resolve that we can, indeed, make the world a better place.
Like it? Share it!
My book "Courage Questions, Confident Leaders" is available for e-readers, PCs and tablets on Amazon Kindle.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Find Your Funny
The joyous titles of two new TV offerings are "The Slap" and "Secrets and Lies." Apparently the key to local TV news ratings success is which station can create the grimmest story. The national political debate makes any of the Real Housewives, in comparison, look downright genteel.
Seriously. . .how did we get to be so serious?
We need to get our funny back. We need to find. . .and celebrate. . .and laugh out loud at the things that make life quirky or odd or novel. We need to recognize the bizarre. . .and treat it as such. We need to isolate minor problems for what they are. . .minor. . .and manufactured drama for what it is. . .unreal.
If you're stuck in the abyss of somewhere between worry and despair. . .here's a few ideas..
As you mull over the many dimensions of the latest challenge that just unfolded in your office. . .ask yourself "What's funny about this?" I recently had someone verbally vomit in my office. I was so taken back I just wanted to hide for the remainder of the day. . .until I recounted the conversation and looked for what was amusing. Trust me. . .there was plenty. In retrospect, the individual's stories were so inconsistent to one another that I cannot recount the monologue without laughing.
Bring a little joy. . .and lot of perspective to what you do. Chances are that whatever you face isn't nearly as bad as some of the headline-grabbing news. . .and probably not nearly as serious as some of the challenges your team faces. In the end. . .you can do this.
Embrace historical stories that make you laugh. Trust me, it's been many decades since I've been in high school, but I still remember the op/ed piece written by two rogue writers, "Student Council: Farce on School." Still cracks me up to this day. (Okay, as do any number of scenes from that classic movie, "Airplane."). Somehow when I recount these things, and laugh about the silliness, it puts my life back into perspective.
The point is, let's not get so lost in the drama that we neglect to both be and have fun. Seriously.
Like it? Laugh!
My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
Seriously. . .how did we get to be so serious?
We need to get our funny back. We need to find. . .and celebrate. . .and laugh out loud at the things that make life quirky or odd or novel. We need to recognize the bizarre. . .and treat it as such. We need to isolate minor problems for what they are. . .minor. . .and manufactured drama for what it is. . .unreal.
If you're stuck in the abyss of somewhere between worry and despair. . .here's a few ideas..
As you mull over the many dimensions of the latest challenge that just unfolded in your office. . .ask yourself "What's funny about this?" I recently had someone verbally vomit in my office. I was so taken back I just wanted to hide for the remainder of the day. . .until I recounted the conversation and looked for what was amusing. Trust me. . .there was plenty. In retrospect, the individual's stories were so inconsistent to one another that I cannot recount the monologue without laughing.
Bring a little joy. . .and lot of perspective to what you do. Chances are that whatever you face isn't nearly as bad as some of the headline-grabbing news. . .and probably not nearly as serious as some of the challenges your team faces. In the end. . .you can do this.
Embrace historical stories that make you laugh. Trust me, it's been many decades since I've been in high school, but I still remember the op/ed piece written by two rogue writers, "Student Council: Farce on School." Still cracks me up to this day. (Okay, as do any number of scenes from that classic movie, "Airplane."). Somehow when I recount these things, and laugh about the silliness, it puts my life back into perspective.
The point is, let's not get so lost in the drama that we neglect to both be and have fun. Seriously.
Like it? Laugh!
My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
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