Due Diligence

Stupid is forever

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We all can think of any number of movies lines, posters, or bumper stickers on this topic.  Bottom line?  Stupid is forever.

Leaders have an obligation to try to keep stupid moments in check.  There really aren’t any mulligans for stupid behavior.  The best leaders have to make good solid decisions, oftentimes under difficult circumstances.   When the decision turns out badly leaders don’t have the luxury of shrugging their shoulders with an “oh well.”  They can’t blame bad decisions on anyone or anything but themselves.  After all, as Harry Truman noted, the buck stops with the person in charge.

So how can stupid moments be avoided which undermine decision making and, overall, the quality of leadership?  One of the best things leaders can do is put their egos on the back burner and surround themselves with the best and the brightest – then trust these individuals to do their jobs.  Hold everyone accountable for the good and the bad, and that includes the leaders themselves.  Another key step is to acknowledge that leaders don’t always have the answers.  As a problem solver my approach is to have no other agenda than helping you find lasting resolutions to persistent problems.  That requires you to acknowledge that in the face of the continuing problem what you’ve tried has been unsuccessful.  As we’ve noted in previous blogs, persisting in approaches which don’t work is stupid, plain and simple.

So while the move lines, posters, and bumper stickers might sound cute they don’t solve the problem.  Acknowledging that you need the help of a problem solver is never stupid.  It’s mature and responsible leadership.

“What difference … does it make?”

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First, this article has nothing to do with politics.  If you want to attack or defend the individual who spoke these words some months ago please go find another page or write your own blog.  My focus is on the importance of always considering the consequences of what we say.

It is my assessment that in the heat of the moment the individual who spoke these words did not fully appreciate or understand the potential consequences of her words.  Even today her words carry some weight.  At all times, no matter the venue, setting, or circumstances she has a responsibility for being cognizant not only of the words spoken but the potential impact upon others – in other words the full message.   She’s not the only one in such a position and should not be singled out for criticism, invective, or other agenda.

Each of us in a leadership or management position, no matter how high, carries the same responsibility.  While it might sound good in private or among friends – and maybe in the heat of the moment – our words are never spoken in a vacuum.  Our comments are subject to interpretation by friend and critic alike.  How more effective can we be as leaders when we take that extra moment to think about the consequences before uttering statements we might spend months and years regretting and/or explaining.

“What difference … does it make?”  This comment illustrates the importance of taking that one brief pause before uttering words that muddy the waters, distract from the issue, or unintentionally cause someone pain or anguish.  Lesson to be learned and implemented – think before we speak.

To Change or Not to Change – That is the Question

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It’s that time of year when the majority of the country “springs ahead” to daylight savings time while a few places stay on standard time.  How long has it been since we looked at the effectiveness of daylight savings time?  Does it really make a positive difference (outside of making sure our computers make the change when it’s time?)  If so, why don’t we simply stay on daylight savings time all year round?  Are we simply doing this because it has become tradition?  Is the tradition really a good one?  Do we even know why daylights savings time came into being?  (For the history buffs and detail folks:  The idea originated with Ben Franklin who thought it would be a good way to conserve energy while also taking advantage of some extra daylight in the evening.)
How much of what you do in your organization is tradition?  Do people know the history and the reasons for that tradition?  If not,  why not take advantage of the teachable moment to take a good hard look at how things are done and implement effective changes as indicated?  Change for the sake of change is not generally a good idea.  Change because it’s needed for improved performance and effectiveness – give it a try.

Are you really blissful being ignorant?

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According to George Bernard Shaw, “success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time.”  To be truly successful in resolving persistent personnel issues within your organization stop repeating the mistakes of the past.

I recently had a conversation with a mentor, Jay Block (best-selling author and motivational career coach) about the clichéd definition of insanity that has been making the rounds for a number of years.  You know the one – I even made reference to it in an earlier blog.  In our conversation Jay pointed out that continuing the same behavior while hoping for a different outcome is probably not insanity for us sane folks.  Rather, it is ignorance.  As we continued the conversation I had my “aha” moment and I agree.  Repeating unsuccessful problem resolution behaviors in the corporate world is ignorance but not in the nasty sense of that word.  Do you lack training or skills?  Are you perhaps being stubborn?   How much is your bottom line improved by continuing to stubbornly use approaches which have failed?   How many in corporate leadership positions have taken the time to obtain extensive training in problem resolution?  Isn’t that what you hire people to do?  In this case, being a leader includes having the grace and courage to admit that your skill set or your mind set may not encompass a wide variety of creative and innovative problem solving skills.  Those within your organization who are supposed to address such key issues may not be comfortable making the necessary decisions because of their commitment to the organization.  Isn’t it worth your time to consult with a professional problem solver?  Are you truly seeking to be successful or are you satisfied with your current blissful state?

Can it get any worse?

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Aunt Nell was furious with you.  Over the objections of the board you went ahead and commissioned a new program to implement political correctness.  After spending almost half a million dollars on your plan, the new employee job satisfaction surveys have come in.  Good Lord!  Aunt Nell pointed out that despite the money spent productivity is no higher and surprisingly, employee satisfaction is flat in some areas and down significantly in others.   “All you’ve done is introduce our employees to tyranny cloaked in the appearance of manners,” she pointed out.  When you stated that we’re now in the 21st century and political correctness was the dominant approach, meaning the company had to consider the feelings of people, she slammed her hand on your desk.  “You’ve forgotten our history,” she said in a frosty tone of voice.  “You’ve just told me that treating people with dignity and respect is obsolete.  When your grandparents started this company people were hired on the basis of their qualifications.  We didn’t care about their race, sex, color or creed and we still don’t.  We don’t even care what they do in the privacy of their own homes as long as it’s not illegal.  What matters is that we created and maintain a business where people feel valued for their contributions.  You’ve created an atmosphere where people can’t even talk with one another about issues or behaviors, for fear of being labeled a racist, bigot, sexist or whatever.”  She got up to leave.  “Since when have the demands of a vocal tyrannical minority been more important than treating everyone with dignity and respect?  All of our employees matter, not just those who want to promote their own agenda.  Give me one concrete example where your political correctness has built a cooperative sense of belonging to a team that truly values you as an individual.  You need to take a good hard look at what you’ve done to this company. More importantly, take a hard look at the message you’ve sent our employees. You don’t listen to what our employees have to say.  Instead, you hide behind some fad set of policies. You think I’m a meddler because I frequently visit with our employees.  What’s the name of the foreman in our Branch #2?  How’s his wife doing after her surgery?”  Aunt Nell walked to the door.  “We don’t need your political correctness.  We need to continue to treasure our employees because at the end of the day, they’re the foundation of our success.”

A Teachable Moment

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Like many of you I have been watching with increasing frustration the daily debacle coming from Washington.  Rather than just fume I’ve decided to try to turn this into a teachable moment.  I’m not going to play the blame game – there’s more than enough blame to cover the professional politicians involved in this mess.  Instead, let’s look at this in terms of compromise and consensus.

Compromise is a term often used to characterize negotiations.  “Everyone has to compromise” is the phrase often heard, usually an instruction from the party in power to the weaker party, right?  How many of you have been involved in negotiations where demands were made on you to give up something in order for you to gain something?  Here’s the problem.  If what you have to give up has a greater perceived value than what you receive how willing are you to compromise?  Compromise works best when mature adults engage in a balancing act where the guiding principle is fairness, not getting one over on someone.

Consensus is defined as achieving general agreement through harmony.  The starting point is the focus on the issue or situation,  usually accompanied by an objective identification of the problems.  When engaged in trying to find a general agreement mature adults use creative and critical thinking skills.   Again, the guiding principle is fairness.  The parties involved in consensus are not asked to give up anything in order to gain something in return.  Consensus works best when the communication stays open and fair.   Ultimately what results generally treats the staff fairly.  Isn’t it an accepted business practice that if you do right by the people who work for you they will do right by the organization?

So which approach works best for you?

Calm in the Storm

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Does it seem like every day brings with it new uncertainty and chaos to business rules and regulations? How can any leader feel like they have total control over what the future brings for their organization? I can well imagine how the confusion coming out of Washington these days is adding to the anxiety and concern. How do you stay calm in the midst of all this chaos? Do you get the feeling that you’re a very small rowboat in an unsettled ocean and the storm clouds continue to build?
One way to try to stay calm is literally take a deep breath or a short walk. Then take the time to sit with your senior staff and go over all the new things that you are or will be required to handle. Divide them into two categories – the things over which you have control, and the things over which you have no control and which are mandatory. Making that move starts the calming process because it helps define what you can do. If you have absolutely no control over whether a form is submitted or not, why waste time and effort fighting the requirement?
An area of concern lately is how organizations have been changing their employment practices due to the new regulations. Most of the attention has been on the large national and international organizations. But what if you’re a small “mom and pop” organization in a small community? Obviously some very difficult decisions lie ahead for you. The same thing also applies to the larger corporations. It may seem like an impersonal approach but decisions affecting human beings are never easy. In this climate, effective leaders will insure that they communicate honestly and fairly with the entire staff. Even bad news is accepted a little easier when the communication channels are used effectively. Hopefully your organization has effective lines of communication in place and ready to go. It doesn’t make the decision making any easier but it does ease the anxiety just a bit.

Anxiety

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A few weeks ago I monitored a test in my class and was intrigued by the anxiety level exhibited as time approached for the test to start. It wasn’t just one student, either. I knew this was a class of folks who took their studies seriously and worked hard both in class and on their assignments. Why am I bringing this up in a blog that for the most part talks about leadership and management issues? I bring it up for the simple reason that anxiety is not limited to classroom settings.
Any time there is a performance measure anxiety may be present to some extent. Psychologists have noted that anxiety at some level heightens awareness and can lead to enhanced performance. However, too much anxiety may have the opposite effect. It may detract from performance. Psychologists have identified and studied the phenomenon of test anxiety in classroom settings. Within your organization do your workers have “classroom” settings which might evoke so much anxiety that their work is affected? Is this really any concern to you? It might be if precision and accuracy are of paramount importance. Simply put, if anxiety levels are so high that work suffers, how can you expect to fill your customers’ orders or complete the contract on time?
How high does your anxiety level go when you hear Aunt Nell is on the phone or on her way to your office? Is that a good time to measure your performance as a leader? Wouldn’t the same consideration apply to your staff?

RIP Common Sense

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The debacle taking place in Washington DC, considered by some to be business as usual, should give us all pause as we mourn the apparent passing of common sense (and perhaps decency) in some quarters.   Washington insists on doing what it wants when it wants – and the heck with common sense.  How long do you think you’ll stay employed if you reject common sense and decide that treating employees badly is perfectly acceptable?  When employees disagree with a new policy or procedure – is your reaction to marginalize them?  By doing so how much support do you think the new policy or process will really have?  Your staff will observe how well you handle disagreement and questions about decisions you are considering or implementing.  Taking actions which are unrealistic and responding to critics  with demeaning or disparaging comments does nothing to advocate effective communication.  Maybe the people actually doing the work just might have a better idea.   Perhaps this is the opportunity to resurrect common sense and enjoy the benefits which comes from taking such a stance.    Aunt Nell can’t be too upset if more effective and efficient work processes are implemented because common sense rules.

It was one of those days

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Ever have one of those days where you feel like you’re operating on about six out of eight cylinders, just slightly behind the power curve and half a step slow?  Even taking a short break to sit back and calm my thoughts didn’t help a couple of weeks ago.  And when I thought it couldn’t get any worse – well, let’s just say it did.  Instead of being in my office completing the tasks I had scheduled for the day I found myself at the dentist waiting to have a crown re-glued into place.  Obviously not how I planned to spend my time that day.

Instead of letting things like this completely defeat us we could take a moment to assess and reschedule some things.  I found that when you tell folks you need to reschedule a phone call because you’ve had a dental emergency their empathy really shows and cooperation is fully demonstrated.  (I was also thankful that I hadn’t swallowed the bloody stupid crown.)  Some days it’s not about scaling the mountain.  Sometimes it’s just about putting one foot in front of the other to slowly make positive progress.  I don’t know about others but when I finally stopped for the night I looked back on the molehill I scaled that day and took pride in that small but significant accomplishment.

Tackling your problems within your organization will give you days like I had a while back.  Isn’t it comforting to know that your problem solver can fully appreciate the kind of day you had?