Archive for the ‘Management’ category

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People vs. Asset – Which is Tracked Better?

August 25th, 2010

Stop and think about this for a moment: How much information does your organization keep on physical assets, such as office furniture, production equipment or technology assets? Most organizations have fairly advanced tracking systems, primarily for financial purposes, that reflect details such as:

1. Origin of purchase
2. Purchase value
3. Configuration
4. Years in service
5. Physical location
6. Remaining value
7. Other Details…

In short, virtually every detail that can be tracked on non-living assets, generally is tracked. It is documented thoroughly, reviewed frequently and rolled up in reports to leadership. Most importantly, it is generally updated at least on a quarterly basis. Can you say the same about your people? » Read more: People vs. Asset – Which is Tracked Better?

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Passion vs. Emotion in Leadership

July 14th, 2010

I’ve seen passion get a bad rap too often by being mislabeled as “emotion”. You’ve probably experienced it too. It may be in a budget meeting when funding is being debated and someone passionately voices their opinion. Or, it may be during cross-functional staffing assessments when one leader vehemently disagrees with another’s reflection on a person.

Passion

Whenever it occurs, passion reflects an individual’s commitment, strong opinions and dedication to their position. In other words, passion may be described as a person’s unwillingness to maintain their composure. With a particularly strong belief in the matter at hand, passion is often the byproduct of someone deeply engaged in serving their organization. Therefore, I believe passion is a great characteristic to have in your team members. » Read more: Passion vs. Emotion in Leadership

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Pause to Reflect on What’s Important

April 12th, 2010

Two Deer in the WoodsMy wife and I both had to be in the office early. We’d gotten our 20 month old son ready for daycare, but were running late and feeling the pressure. Tension was thick, fuses were short and it was a poor way to start the day.

As I rushed outside in the still dark morning, a shuffling of leaves by the door made me pause. I stopped to let my eyes adjust and found myself practically within arms reach of two beautiful deer. One was bracing to sprint, but the other seemed calm and curious. Impressed by the pleasant surprise, I took in the moment. Then, backing away slowly, I loaded the car. In the small magic of that moment, my new friends reminded me to focus on what was important. Had I been “on time” I would have missed that special experience. I then realized I needed to make the time to serve my family by helping them start their day right.  I also needed to serve my colleagues by ensuring my mind was focused on the right topics and preparation for our meeting on my drive in. » Read more: Pause to Reflect on What’s Important

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Leaders Who Cry Wolf

February 22nd, 2010
Growling Angry Wolf

Leaders Who Cry Wolf May Leave Their Flock to be Eaten

As the story goes a child shepherd, seeking attention, cries false alarms of “Wolf! Wolf!” on several occasions.  Over time, the townspeople and neighbors learn to ignore his cries and soon, stop responding at all.  As a result, when a wolf really does come and the boy shouts for help again, he’s left to fend for himself.  The wolf eats the flock and, in some versions, even eats the boy.  This tale offers wisdom to us in a business context as well.

Have you ever seen someone jump from fire drill to fire drill because their boss believed every issue was a crisis?  Often, this stems from the culture of the organization and the overreaction is simply passed down the chain of command.  Regardless of their source, constant fire drills may:

1. Burnout employees

2. Reduce creativity and innovation

3. Emphasize expedience over quality

» Read more: Leaders Who Cry Wolf

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Leadership Lessons From My Accident

February 2nd, 2010
Going Into A Snowbank Can Teach You A Lesson

Crashing Into a Ditch Teaches A (Leadership) Lesson

At 7:15 AM, I was already well on my way down the hour-long commute.  On that morning I drove “the wife’s car”, because my regular vehicle was in the shop.  It was a classic Midwest winter day, with plenty of lake effect snow, but the region was prepared for the conditions.  As such, the roads were fairly clear. Still, occasional sections looked suspiciously like ice.  As a result, I drove under the speed limit, but still passed a few people who “probably shouldn’t be on the road anyway”.

It was during one of those passes that I felt the back end start to slide out.  After several counter-steering attempts, the fishtailing continued and I realized there was no escaping it.  » Read more: Leadership Lessons From My Accident

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Project Tailgaters & Brake Checkers

December 14th, 2009
Stop Tailgating & Brake Checking at Work

Stop Tailgating & Brake Checking at Work

Imagine you’re driving down the road in the passing lane, already exceeding the speed limit, when you see somebody following very close.  The tailgater’s message is clear: “I need to get somewhere and I need to get there quicker than you are going”.  Some people in this situation might “brake check” the tailgater – they slam on their breaks to send their own message.  The  brake checker’s message is equally strong: “Watch out!  If you follow too close, you may cause an accident and it will be clearly your fault.”

Does this sound familiar to disagreements at the office?  Two people are working on a project and it appears both are trying to get to the same destination.  Yet one person demands greater risks for quicker results.  This happens a lot, especially in organizations where near-term results and quarterly goals are prioritized over sustainability.  As a result, employees are often competing for who can get the job done quicker and not necessarily who gets there with the best balance of risk and reward.  Both the Brake Checker and the Tailgater have better options to serve their company. » Read more: Project Tailgaters & Brake Checkers

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Servant Leaders Can Be Mean Too

October 28th, 2009


One misconception about Servant Leaders is that they are just “too nice”. Many executives hear the term “Servant Leader” and think, “that person will never make it in our environment” or, “they’ll just go easy on the staff and we’ll never get anything done”. Then there is my favorite: “Servant Leaders just want to be liked by everyone”. In reality, Servant Leaders can seem quite mean, depending upon the circumstances. Below are four examples of servant leaders that even Donald Trump could be proud of….

  1. Accountability
    Servant Leaders accept the blame for failures within the team. However, in serving their organization and their stakeholders, they must ensure » Read more: Servant Leaders Can Be Mean Too

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Day in the Life of Your Team

September 19th, 2009

Note: The conclusion of our 3 part series, this message reflects on the perception and realities between leaders and individual contributors. Part one was “A Day in the Life of Your Staff“. Part two was “A Day in the Life of Your Boss“.

We saw both sides of the story. The individual contributor, Jonathon, working incredibly hard and striving to do the right thing, is misunderstood and feels undervalued. The team leader, Michelle, is looking out for the best interests of her team and the company, but is viewed as a taskmaster, unwilling to contribute the same long hours demanded of her team. The world is full of Jonathons and Michelles. The reality is, many individual contributors and team leaders are more alike than they may realize. This gap in understanding is often the result of insufficient transparency between the two. Below are some suggestions, framed by this business fable, for individual contributors and team leaders to improve transparency. » Read more: Day in the Life of Your Team

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Posted in Management, Parable, Servant Leadership

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Day in the Life of Your Boss

August 23rd, 2009

First time managers often realize they underestimated how many additional responsibilities management entails and the efforts supervisors perform behind the scenes. So, before you suggest your boss does not work as hard as you, does not appreciate your contributions, or simply doesn’t “get it”, consider this short parable about one such – admittedly imperfect – manager. It begins with a long, restful evening…

A Day in the Life of Your BossSleeping In
Michelle awoke to the obnoxious sound of her alarm clock ringing at 2:45 AM. It was 3:45 PM for her Asian colleagues she had visited earlier that month. While there, she learned how frustrating it was for her team members to always conform to U.S. time zones. Michelle believed in supporting her team and began accommodating them by awaking incredibly early for these weekly calls. Ugh, she groaned, rolling out bed, trying not to wake her husband anymore than the alarm clock. » Read more: Day in the Life of Your Boss

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A Day in the Life of Your Staff

August 23rd, 2009

How well do you know what members of your team do on a regular basis? Consider this parable of one employee’s interactions with his supervisor. It’s part one in a three part piece on the importance of transparency between leaders and their team. We begin with a reflection on the peaceful nights so many individual contributors experience…

Employee Working Late at Night
Peaceful Nights
Jonathon woke to his Blackberry ringing. Rolling over, still blurry-eyed, he saw the alarm clock glaring back with “3:05 AM”. » Read more: A Day in the Life of Your Staff

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