The Limits

Business opportunities are missed.     Careers are not brought to full fruition.   Companies falter.   Often the root cause is that we are too confounded by what we have convinced ourselves are our limitations.  The embodiments of these can take many forms:

• "This is the way I've always conducted my business - and I'm successful - so I'm not going to alter anything now."
• "I'm too afraid to step out."
• "The unknown is too dangerous."
• "I don't want to stick my neck out."
• "I just want to do things my way."

While there may be seeds of rational thought in each of these arguments, often the arguments end up being one dimensional and hence, irrational - and those are extremely limiting characteristics.

The key is to be willing to be both interrogative of one's self and one's intentions - and to engage in inquiry of the world at large:

• "Is the way I've always conducted my business going to keep me current - or ahead of the curve?"
• "What exactly am I afraid of ?  Is it a fear that is  rooted in fact or fantasy?
• "If it is the unknown that I'm afraid of - how do I get more information so that I am  knowledgeable and sure-footed?"
• "Why is it is that I don't want to stick my neck out?    What are the stakes?"
• "Why do I have to do things my way?    Why am I stubborn?  Maybe things would be better if I took options from many directions?"

These, and similar questions, are designed not only to confront our own limitations - but to open ourselves to the reality of the many dimensions of the world surrounding us.    It is an environment of more possibilities which then enable us to grab hold of opportunities, have fulfilling careers and be successful.

There are legitimate boundaries:   ethics, integrity, loyalty.  These are honest and true.   Other limiting factors, like ruts, fears and stubbornness are often not legitimate.  Challenging these opens up a world of possibilities.

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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.

How to Save a Lot of Time

There is an incredible amount of time spent in the office. . .trying to make better use of time at the office.  My observation?  In the midst of all of these efficiency discussions, we manage to pass over some of the biggest wasters of  (all) time.      We just don't want to talk about them - because it may rile someone - but heck, let's do it anyway.

Red Herrings.   You may be in the midst of a really good discussion, or even a tense discussion - but at least you may be getting to the root cause. . .until. . .someone throws the reddest, most herringest of red herrings.  A completely unrelated idea. . .a thought that originated on some far-off planet - that has absolutely no relationship to the topic at hand.   And now you spend the next half hour, 3/4 day or seeming lifetime discussing something that has no relativity to business in the very least.

The Lack of Specifics aka The Inglorious Generalizations.   You will instantly recognize this.    The statement that is made to seem powerful through the very lack of facts.  "Everyone says."   "All of the store managers agree."   "Lots of people are saying."    Well, who would want to disagree with a seeming majority like that?   The challenge is when you start to drill down, "So, who exactly have you heard that from?"   "Well, uh, I know that Sue from accounting said that her sister-in-law said something about it."  The amount of business intelligence that is sacrificed and the amount of time wasted  through such rumors are equally frustrating.

Martyrdom.  It is both a waste of time for the martyr ("look how much time I had to spend on the Spencer project") because really, nobody cares;   and it is a waste of time to transfer the pain to those who are seemingly sympathetic enough to listen.   Move on.

The Table Grenade.  You may be in the midst of a very productive conversation and then someone (who obviously isn't getting enough attention) throws the "gonna burn hell down" statement on the table and an equally guilty party reacts.   Anything that has been constructive is lost in a conflagration of Real Housewives charges and counter-punches.

The Refusal to Go Have a Conversation Already.   E-mail is awesome;  you can relay information in a quick manner and have a record of it.    Some items, however, are too complicated, or too contentious, or too sensitive for e-mail to really be a good tool.  Yet, we persist - and the lack of understanding piles upon itself until everyone is frustrated.    Get out of your chair and go have a conversation already.   Things will get done a lot of faster.

The point is this - with all of the talk about efficiency - often we ignore  the greatest efficiencies of all.   Be a great team player.  Be honest.  Have integrity.  Use emotional and business intelligence.

You will save a lot of time.

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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.

Running the Long Race. . .

While this morning's article by Ryan Derousseau, MSN Money, points to significant wins in Wal-Mart's  e-commerce business; it also points out why the deck is stacked in favor of Amazon.  The point is that many invest in Amazon on long-term growth potential vs. current profits and performance.

The owners are in it for the long race.

Often I've reflected that many companies do stupid things to keep stockholders happy in the short-term;  in the process, they neglect the long-term health of the enterprise.

In a parallel, often we do stupid things in the workplace (and in our lives) for short-term gains;  our focus falls far short of a more promising future.

To be sure, we all have to react to issues of the moment - but that must be balanced with the opportunities of the future:

What do you want your future enterprise to look like?

What do you want for yourself, professionally and personally, in five years?  Ten years?

What do you desire for your team over the course of their professional careers?

In the next five years, what do you want your company to be known for?  What do you want to be recognized for?     What is it that will make your team superior in their performance?   In a well-planned and better built future, what are the great opportunities that await?

Short term or knee jerk reactions often undermine the answers to the above questions.  When you are facing the decisions of the hour; balance out what seems to be the most expedient answers with solutions that will build your team and your professional profile over the long-term.   The bonus here is that the extra thought invested will not only give you a better product for the future, but also a superior solution for the here and now.

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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.

Equality in the Workplace; Now More Than Ever, It's a Personal Responsibility

Let this not be lost among all of the other events of the week.   From NBC News:

The Department of Justice released a memo Wednesday asserting that federal civil rights law does not protect transgender people from discrimination at work.

Disappointing.  Frustrating.  Infuriating.

I have been so fortunate to work in private enterprise that has emphasized the value of each and every individual.     Many of our nation's largest corporations endorse the value and equality of all, regardless of ethnicity, religious affiliation, gender or sexual orientation.  Many of our communities, organizations and places of worship have joined in this acceptance.

In the midst of this comes the Department of Justice memo that is the antithesis of leadership, but is instead representative of divisiveness and inequality.    It does not represent the America that was created or is now.   The memo, and the viewpoint it represents is not inclusive; but is instead narrow-minded and intends to take us backward.  And from the standpoint that we are all created equal, it is morally bankrupt.

So what do we do?

We refuse to go backward.

We, instead, continue to march forward.

Again - many of America's private industries and non-profits have taken significant leadership on the issues of equality.  Especially in the light of the current administration's insistence of segmentation, it requires all of us to remain firmly committed to inclusion - and to back that commitment with actions.

America, from the time of women fighting for the right to vote to freeing the slaves to the civil rights movement has exhibited world leadership on the issue of civil rights - we cannot stop now.   

What the Department of Justice memo means is that a greater weight of true equality for all now falls to private enterprise.       Let us bear that weight with the understandings that our individual contributions in the workplace and in our communities matter; and that we must support those efforts with added efforts on the national and political front.   Beyond voting, we must campaign.   We must stand up and drive forward for what is morally right!

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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.