5:38 a.m. Pitch dark outside, pitch dark inside. For fear of disrupting the remaining household's slumber, I don't turn the lights on. Just try to match socks with no light. Good luck distinguishing between dark blue and navy blue. WHERE IS THE BELT???!!! Wait a minute, where did I put my phone? I know I put it down here someplace. And the keys. . .WHERE ARE MY KEYS???!!!
What is taking seeming hours of unnecessary time when there are only minutes to spare. . .and what will probably result in a catastrophic wardrobe mis-match ("What was he thinking when he got dressed this morning?") could be quickly remedied by just a little illumination.
In the workplace of "let's just get it done," illumination is not only helpful, but necessary. "I don't have time to ask anyone." "I don't need any outside help." "I don't want to involve others." These are all statements of working in the dark; these are statements of working in isolation.
Working in the dark, or in the isolation of not having enough information results in wasted time ("I can't differentiate between the profitability statements because I don't know what drove the profitability.") It results in frustration ("WHY DIDN'T ANYBODY TELL ME THERE WAS A POLICY ABOUT BRINGING CATS TO WORK?"). Frankly, it results in the practitioner looking bad ("What was he thinking?).
Beyond taking time to do one's own research, the best way to illumination is to not be an isolationist. Great work is seldom the result of just one; great work is often the carefully focused guidance of many. It is the efforts of a team that bring information, curiosity and points of view to any decision. All of this information, carefully focused - shines a very bright light on the project at hand.
And the truth of the matter is this: none of us can really get ready in the dark - eventually we turn the light on anyway. Illuminating our work through inquiry and the views of others allows us to "get ready" sooner.
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
Friday, January 26, 2018
Friday, January 19, 2018
Gunther Greets the Devil
Having lost 30 pounds, our rescue mastiff, Gunther, is now a svelte 138. He is a force. Gunther loves belly rubs and hates UPS trucks: those big, brown, noisy vehicles that sound threatening and are probably driven by the devil.
It was not good news for Gunther, then, when the UPS truck stopped directly in front of our house. Separated from the dreaded UPS driver by only the front door, Gunther barked and growled incessantly. Surely, he thought, nothing good could come from this.
After the UPS driver completed his mission and the truck had taken leave, my wife opened the front door. Gunther braced himself for the very worst. . .only to find that on top of the delivered package was . . .a sizable, yummy dog treat.
And in that moment, Gunther's world changed. What was a reason for dread became a reason to be grateful. Gunther probably now loves the UPS driver and dreams of the day when that big, brown, noisy truck will pull up to our house to leave Gunther another gift of collective gratitude.
By one very smart move, the UPS driver changed a negative expectation into a positive result.
And how much can we learn from that?
Rather than delivering the goods on people's expectations of dread, what if we changed their minds? What if we zeroed in on the people with negative expectations of an interaction and completely changed the dynamic by offering a positive experience?
Unfortunate as it is, many people have come to expect negative experiences with leaders or "bosses." Let's change the dynamics: give five positive comments for every constructive criticism. . .really listen . . .take time to interact, both professionally and personally. . .exhibit emotional intelligence. How much would that change the dynamics for the good?
Because the UPS driver changed the paradigm - Gunther now probably thinks the driver is an angel. Would people think the same of us?
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
It was not good news for Gunther, then, when the UPS truck stopped directly in front of our house. Separated from the dreaded UPS driver by only the front door, Gunther barked and growled incessantly. Surely, he thought, nothing good could come from this.
After the UPS driver completed his mission and the truck had taken leave, my wife opened the front door. Gunther braced himself for the very worst. . .only to find that on top of the delivered package was . . .a sizable, yummy dog treat.
And in that moment, Gunther's world changed. What was a reason for dread became a reason to be grateful. Gunther probably now loves the UPS driver and dreams of the day when that big, brown, noisy truck will pull up to our house to leave Gunther another gift of collective gratitude.
By one very smart move, the UPS driver changed a negative expectation into a positive result.
And how much can we learn from that?
Rather than delivering the goods on people's expectations of dread, what if we changed their minds? What if we zeroed in on the people with negative expectations of an interaction and completely changed the dynamic by offering a positive experience?
Unfortunate as it is, many people have come to expect negative experiences with leaders or "bosses." Let's change the dynamics: give five positive comments for every constructive criticism. . .really listen . . .take time to interact, both professionally and personally. . .exhibit emotional intelligence. How much would that change the dynamics for the good?
Because the UPS driver changed the paradigm - Gunther now probably thinks the driver is an angel. Would people think the same of us?
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
Friday, January 12, 2018
Eyes Up
Iced coffee. It doesn't exactly take a lot of time for a barista to make an iced coffee. So, I'm somewhat surprised that I've been standing and waiting for my order for a rather long time. I think I see what the problem is: I'm a lobby customer but when they made my drink they put it on the back bar for the drive through window.
So, I'm standing there. And I'm standing in pretty close proximity to the barista. No one notices that I've been standing there while others behind me in line have received their orders. The barista is so concentrated on making drinks that they don't even look up once they've completed a task - they just keep their head down and start work on the next. The individual working the window has probably served five customers who arrived later than I: this individual is so concentrated on taking orders and payment that this disorder escapes their attention.
I observe the team members; in many respects they are doing things right. They are quickly processing orders, getting them out correctly. Here's the thing: they do not notice me standing there because they are so caught up in getting the production done that they never look up.
How often does this happen at work? We become so focused on getting the tasks at hand accomplished that we become myopic. We don't look up for a minute. We fail to notice the world around us. If someone is standing there looking for our assistance, we may not even see them because we have narrowed our field of vision.
Previously, I have been in situations like the one I described. The difference was that someone looked up. They saw me standing there. Or, in processing orders at a drive through window - they recognized strategically that something was out of order. The people who didn't look up were just producing; the people who were producing and looking up at the world surrounding them were doing their job.
It is critically important that we recognize that there is a greater significance to our work than just "getting things done." If we step back, even for a minute, to look around us, or think about what we are doing or spend a moment in critical thought, we are so much better leaders. We then recognize opportunities, we can address challenges that may otherwise have gone unseen. We can enable others to do a better job and thus, it enriches our work experience.
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
So, I'm standing there. And I'm standing in pretty close proximity to the barista. No one notices that I've been standing there while others behind me in line have received their orders. The barista is so concentrated on making drinks that they don't even look up once they've completed a task - they just keep their head down and start work on the next. The individual working the window has probably served five customers who arrived later than I: this individual is so concentrated on taking orders and payment that this disorder escapes their attention.
I observe the team members; in many respects they are doing things right. They are quickly processing orders, getting them out correctly. Here's the thing: they do not notice me standing there because they are so caught up in getting the production done that they never look up.
How often does this happen at work? We become so focused on getting the tasks at hand accomplished that we become myopic. We don't look up for a minute. We fail to notice the world around us. If someone is standing there looking for our assistance, we may not even see them because we have narrowed our field of vision.
Previously, I have been in situations like the one I described. The difference was that someone looked up. They saw me standing there. Or, in processing orders at a drive through window - they recognized strategically that something was out of order. The people who didn't look up were just producing; the people who were producing and looking up at the world surrounding them were doing their job.
It is critically important that we recognize that there is a greater significance to our work than just "getting things done." If we step back, even for a minute, to look around us, or think about what we are doing or spend a moment in critical thought, we are so much better leaders. We then recognize opportunities, we can address challenges that may otherwise have gone unseen. We can enable others to do a better job and thus, it enriches our work experience.
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
Friday, January 5, 2018
Your Relevance as a Leader
It was the 22nd of December. Jammed parking lots surrounded busy shopping centers across Seattle. I went into my favorite grocery store late in the afternoon and the crowds were such that I decided to come back early the next morning to shop. And then I went into the adjacent Sear's store. . .and there was a customer over there. . .and a couple of customers a far piece down that uncrowded aisle. . .and look (!) there's someone over in ladies sportswear. Busy? Not even. Nobody cared.
There has been much in the popular press about the financial straits of Sear's. (And today announces the closing of yet more Sear's stores). My opinion as a retailer? Sear's has lost relevance. They don't have what people want. They have based much of their customer draw on economics ("SALE!!!"). They seem not to have listened to their customers. They have not stayed current with the times. The customer no longer has a relationship to them. Nobody cares.
And it is deadly.
Similarly, I have seen people who say they are leaders. . .but, they have no relevance with their teams:
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
There has been much in the popular press about the financial straits of Sear's. (And today announces the closing of yet more Sear's stores). My opinion as a retailer? Sear's has lost relevance. They don't have what people want. They have based much of their customer draw on economics ("SALE!!!"). They seem not to have listened to their customers. They have not stayed current with the times. The customer no longer has a relationship to them. Nobody cares.
And it is deadly.
Similarly, I have seen people who say they are leaders. . .but, they have no relevance with their teams:
- As a leader, they don't have want their teams want: coaching, support, ability to promote, knowledge of and passion for the business.
- They cynically believe that the relationship with the team is based on economics ("Well, I pay them a decent salary, don't I???? And this is the thanks I get?")
- They do not spend time in conversation with their team. They don't know what their team is about. They fail to really listen.
- They are not progressive: their management style is stuck in the '80's. . .or even 1880's.
- They do not have a relationship with their team and consequently they do not have relevance to their team.
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
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