27 July 2009

Mondays

What is it about the first day of the business week that drives everyone crazy? Personally, I am not a Monday person and the only comfort I have about Monday mornings is that there are others like me. There are many others like me. So how do we beat the maniacal Mondays?

Great question and it is a question for the ages? Don’t go to work? Sleep in? Get drunk the night before? No, No, and most definitely No! Here is the trick and it is a trick because I very seldom use it but when I do it works like a dream, a sweet dream.

Yep, get plenty of sleep. That’s it (please note, that if I did it all the time it would no longer be a trick but a habit). When I get enough sleep I am ready to go. The hard part and why I do it so seldom is that I want to drag the last few minutes of the weekend out as long as possible. Summer is here and for the kids there is no school on Monday so there I am right there with them. However, while I so much want to spend time with them, Monday suffers for the actions of Sunday night.

Luckily, for those that I have to deal with on Monday morning Juan Valdez and his burro invented the coffee bean and Lt. Starbucks invented roasting that bean and the rest is a caffeine-induced bliss (please note that this moment in coffee history was completely fabricated).

So what does this have to do with the price of tea in China? Nothing, but it does have a lot to do with being at your best come Monday morning. Monday sets the standard for the rest of the week, to include Friday. If you happen to be in a leadership position you are expected to be at the top of your game come Monday morning. Those that you lead will expect you to be there bright and ready to lead them into the great unknown that the next 40 hours will bring. To those of you that are solo-workers your clients expect the same of you. I know they want us to take them and their business to a better place and by giving them all that we can especially on Monday morning we are on that right path.

Get some sleep (recommended), chug down several cups of coffee, or do what you have to but make that Monday yours. Own this and every Monday from here on out.

Have a great week.


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22 July 2009

Trust

Every day brings changes into our life; a part of those changes involve building trust. People will have to trust you and you will have to trust people. As a leader, people will be putting their trust in you knowing that you will do the right thing for them. As a manager, your superiors will be putting their trust in you to do the right thing for the company.

As an individual that is doing everything you can to become a great follower and ultimately a great leader, you will have to trust yourself to do what is right for you.

How important is trust to an individual and an organization? Growing up, we trusted our parents to raise us and teach us right from wrong. We trusted our teachers to give us the best education they could. As adults, we trust our employers to pay us an honest wage for honest work. As employees, our employer trusts us to deliver honest work for honest pay. Trust, in all these cases is mutually expected and accepted. Trust is a dialogue and not a monologue. Trust is a conversation.

So when it comes to creating new relationships based on trust, the truth is that it is very difficult to achieve but it can be done. It just can’t be done overnight, as there is no magic pill to take that will instantly build solid relationships. It will take time and plenty of it. So long as you make the effort to be genuine and authentic the other person will either reciprocate or make his intentions clear that a relationship built on trust is not his cup of tea.

While that may be what it will be, it does NOT mean that you have to stop trusting them. If you see the relationship worth pursuing (either professionally or personally) then it is worth to continue building that foundation of trust.

In the end, everyone wants to be trusted. People eventually come around as relationships is what every person wants. No matter whether it is a personal or professional relationship they want it, so be there for them.


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20 July 2009

Who owns the problem?

This past week, I had an unfortunate run in with a vendor's field representative. There was a problem and it was not getting fixed as it was just getting swept under the rug. At one point, the field rep apologized on behalf of the company, left and the problem remained.

My question is: Who owns the problem?

Does apologizing for the failings of the company mean you take ownership of the problem? If you open your mouth long enough to apologize for the failings of your company does that mean you are taking ownership of the problem?

Don’t say you are just a cog in the corporate wheel, that makes you look weak and inauthentic. This is especially so when you have openly apologized on behalf of the company you claim to be a cog for/in. If you have the power to apologize on behalf of the company then you are not a cog and you are expected to own the problem.

It is like this:
You wear the company shirt, you are the company.
Your company has a problem, you have a problem.
You apologize on behalf of the company, then you OWN the problem.

Deal with it, stop apologizing and get the problem solved.


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15 July 2009

Self-Confidence

I firmly believe that Good Leaders can be made but Great Leaders are born. I also believe that every one is born with the potential to be a leader. It is the path you take through your life that makes you either a follower or a leader. Remember, all leaders must be followers. It is when a follower gains the self-confidence to take that extra step and become a leader that they are on the path to greatness. Therefore, a great leader must have great self-confidence.

Self-confidence is about believing in yourself and in your abilities.

Of course, there are times when you doubt yourself and your abilities. It is human nature to do so that but when it consumes you enough to not take that extra step and step outside of what makes you feel comfortable then that is when you have a problem. As long as you recognize that stepping outside your comfort zone is the only way you can do something about it, then will you be half way there.

What is the thing that will help you step outside the box is up to you to do decide. It does not matter if that thing is something big or small. Once you do it, then it is up to you to stick to it and don’t back down.

This is when the confidence kicks in.

Don’t worry about what others say or think about you taking those steps outside of your comfort zone. Consider their negativity as distractions put there to make background noise. It is up to you to ignore the naysayers. So keep it up, one step at a time and before you know it your self-confidence will be at a level you never imagined possible.

A word of warning about being self-confident; it can and has long been confused with arrogance. There is definitely a fine line between being arrogant and self-confident. Who will notice when you cross that line?

Everyone and no one.

Everyone as they will let you know, in no uncertain terms, when you have crossed that line and when you think you crossed it no one will notice, so be careful. It can be tricky. However, do not let that distract you from doing what you must do as you will only have yourself to feel good about.



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13 July 2009

Purpose and Vision

As a leader you will be constantly be tasked to share the purpose and vision of the organization with those you lead. This may be difficult, as your organization may be in a state of flux (as a result of the current economy show me a company that isn’t in a state of flux) and might not do a good job of getting everyone to buy-in to what the company is selling. By selling, I mean the selling of the mission and vision of the company to its employees and other stakeholders.

This then left up to you to interpret and extrapolate the purpose and vision from what they may be offering. Once you have done that, then you must process it in a way that will get your immediate subordinates to buy in.

Once they have bought in to the purpose, then buying into the vision is easy, as the two usually operate in tandem. As the old saying goes, “you can’t have one without the other.”

Having them buy-in to something real, genuine, and authentic is the hard part, because if you try to sell them anything less, people will see right through you and the “load of bunk” you are trying to sell. Then what’s the point?

Moving on, it is up to you, their leader and all the other leaders, to give every employee the reason to work together (the purpose) towards achieving a common goal (the vision).

Remember, anyone can say “OK, let’s do this now so that we can knock off early” only to find out it was done in such haste that it had to be re-done. In that case, the vision was all about going home early, instead the vision should have been about getting it done right the first time. While your intentions may be right on, it is still up to you to think and act responsibly. Therefore, you must carefully think things through, and then the message should be: “Let’s do it right the first time and we might be able to knock off early.”

Setting and executing the short term the vision will play right into the hand of the long-term vision of the organization.

Stay Sharp!


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09 July 2009

Forward Looking Is Not A Choice

Simulation and scenario planning is something that will come as second nature to a leader. A leader that is forward looking is one that not only becomes a valuable asset to the organization but they also become an even greater asset to their peers, co-workers, and those they lead.

Those that recognize being a forward-looking individual as an essential part of being a leader also recognize the importance of doing it all the time. Growing up our elders told us to think before we act. Then at one point in our lives, Dr. Stephen Covey told us that it was not only OK to begin with the end in mind but that we must do it all the time. He even reinforced it when he made being proactive a habit. If you have not done so already, head on over to your local library and check out the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen Covey to read what I am talking about.

Forward-looking leaders can see the goal, the desired outcome, and also see the outcome of any situation based on the current conditions of the situation. For example, someone who sees lightning outside and immediately saves her work is someone who is thinking ahead and prepares by keeping her work safe and secure should the power go out. Another example, is that of someone who can create a list of supplies needed based on what is currently available and the potential needs before, during, and after a hurricane strikes.

These two examples focus on disasters or potential disruption because of a disaster. Trust me, if you have ever lost a paper you have been working on because the power goes out and you forgot to save then you know how much of a disaster that can be. Other forms of forward-looking deal with visualizing where you want your career to be in five years and what are the steps you have to take now to get there.

Of course, there are everyday activities in which forward-looking is essential. Therefore, by habitually applying the ability to look ahead based on the current situation, you can be one of those few within the organization that can see the bigger picture. Once you see that, you can then see where you in the bigger you are now, next week, next month or even, in five years. That is definitely a good thing.



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05 July 2009

Split-Second Decision-Making (part 2)

Back to Split-Second Decision Making. I hope you have given this some thought since I posted Part 1. There are times that things will happen and situations will change numerous times over the course of an hour or over the course of several minutes. Having the situation continually unfold or develop is not something that I recommend to anyone but as far as learning situations go, it does not get any better.

Short of having a full-scale hurricane or tornado come roaring down your street here is an example of a situation that requires split second decision-making:

You are in a lifeboat and it is starting to sink, you can see an island with lush vegetation close enough to swim to. The problem is that lifeboat will sink in 10 seconds and all your emergency survival gear will sink as well. You will never be able to row to the island in 10 seconds that means you will have to swim. You will only be able to carry three items with you as you swim to shore. From the list below pick your three items; pick them wisely because in 10 seconds the rest of the gear will be down in Davy Jones' Locker never to be seen again.

Pick Your Three Items (you have 10 seconds starting now):
  • Blanket
  • Bucket
  • '50 rope
  • Box of food
  • Survival knife
  • Disposable Lighter
  • Handgun
  • Box of signal flares
  • Two-Way Radio
  • 5-gallon container full of fresh water
  • One ream of writing paper
  • Volleyball

Once you have made your decision think about the long-term ramifications of the three items you took to the island with you, especially if you find yourself on the island for quite a long time.

Don’t feel bad about your decisions, as you will most certainly doubt your decisions after the fact. You will ask yourself questions such as “could I have done better” and “was there something else I could have done” and the answer will always be “Yes”. That is why you simulate and practice now. When the real thing happens you be more apt to make the wise decision.

Something else: there will always be those that will second guess your actions and Monday Morning Quarterback your every move and question your actions and decisions. Just remember, that while some of them may be managers they might not be leaders. While they may have no problem working within their little sphere of influence, and feel threatened by the work you have done.

Words of advice: Until those that can only feel good about themselves by criticizing you have walked in your footsteps and believe that being a leader is not the same as being a manager, then and only then can you accept their criticism, because they will only be offering professional constructive criticism and not cheap shots.

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01 July 2009

Keeping Your Word

Nothing embodies whom you are more than keeping your word. That is why it is important to work on keeping your word. Keeping your word will set you apart from those that do not. It will go far in that people will recognize you are someone that can be trusted, responsible, and someone who walks the talk.

I am certain you know one or two (please no more than that) people that do not know how to keep their word. They are great at making promises, yet haven’t a clue on how to make those promises come true.

Do you take them seriously? More than likely you don’t, I know I don’t. If you are one those individuals that promises the world but fails to deliver then please tell me how can you be taken seriously? There is no real answer other than you cannot be taken seriously.

So don’t do it. Promise only what you can deliver. If you have no intention of keeping your word then don’t say or promise anything and just say “No.” It really is that simple, saying “No” will not make you out to be the bad guy (or girl), it will show that you are not going to over extend yourself just to be liked. Then again making a promise and not keeping it will put you on the fast track to not being liked as well as not able to be trusted.

Of course, there will be times when you have every intention of keeping your word and life happens. Well, as soon as possible tell those affected that there has been a change in your intentions and what your solution is. **Always Have A Solution**

Remember, in keeping your word you demonstrate your ability to know your limits, know what you are truly capable of and not. As for working towards becoming a leader, keeping your word will show your trustworthiness, you ability to accept responsibility, and someone that not only talks the talk and walks the walk, but also Walks the Talk. It also shows your ability to be genuine and authentic (and who doesn't want that).

So, if you are having difficulty keeping your word, then please stop making promises you have no intention of keeping. It is not too late; there is still hope in making a complete turnaround. It can be done, so why not try it. In the end, everyone will recognize and respect you as leader.

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