Leadership

Pause for Reflection

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My plans for this posting were affected by the many comments I heard while in Washington DC this week.  The major topic was the untimely passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.  Folks were putting aside the political and ideological factors and focusing on the individual.  That caused me to think over my reaction to his many opinions from the Court which impacted our criminal justice system.

I agree with the consensus comment that Justice Scalia caused all of us to do our jobs better.  His respect for the Constitution created situations where he clearly put the country ahead of personal agenda, as was the case when he joined seven colleagues in their decision on the Westboro Baptist Church matter.  It was obvious that the actions of that group were abhorrent to many of the justices and yet, they upheld the First Amendment right to free speech, as hateful as that speech might be.  Justice Scalia challenged himself and the rest of us to maintain an objective intellectual look at the law.   We cannot imbue the law with what we wish it could be.  Rather, we must insure that the law clearly addresses a concern and does so in a fair and impartial manner.  I am fascinated that despite the invective directed at this individual, he never swerved from his core belief that our Constitution was a guiding document which transcends time.

According to those who knew him best, he was a brilliant jurist, well spoken, a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather, and a true and loyal friend to an eclectic group of people.  Above all, he was a man of faith.  I can think of no better legacy for such an individual.

Consequences or Double Standard?

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As leaders of our organizations are we held accountable for our actions and comments?  Or are we given a pass and a double standard applied even when the actions were not perceived as we thought they would be?  Let’s look at the recent furor caused by the CEO of Sam’s Club and her comments.  In an interview she mentioned that in a meeting with a team from a supplier that team was comprised of white men which did not fit the Sam’s Club approach to diversity.  She said nothing to the team but told the interviewer that she was going to talk with the supplier.  Whether intended or not many people perceived her comments to be racist.  I think that perhaps there was a better way to make her point.

My concern is that as leaders we cannot engage in behaviors which can lead to wrong perceptions or engage in behaviors that are seen as rude and insensitive.  If we do and we get a pass, how do we address the problems created when employees engage in insensitive or rude behaviors?  If we want to promote meaningful diversity we must model emotional correctness – treating others with courtesy and respect while promoting opportunities for the best qualified individuals to succeed.  We must also do all we can to insure that all our employees are given fair and equal opportunities to succeed.  Promoting less qualified individuals over better qualified individuals for the sake of diversity ends up hurting everyone involved in the process so let’s avoid doing that.  If and when we engage in questionable conduct we do the right thing.  We own up to it and apologize if needed.  Accept the consequences and move on after learning from this life lesson.

Can your organization survive an all out PC attack?

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Do the actions of the political correctness (“PC”) movement gone wild bother you?  They should.  The attacks taking place by the small but vocal minority of intellectual tyrants should grab the attention of every CEO in the country.  This movement is not about to stop with institutions of higher learning and our organizations could be next.  Can we survive?

I am a strong advocate of emotional correctness.  This is a philosophy which advocates that people treat one another with civility and respect, even when they disagree with a position, policy or statement.  Political correctness advocates that everyone is entitled to an opinion, so long as it agrees with the opinion held by the vocal minority.  Nothing suggests that when the PC  supporters encounter a different viewpoint that they have to be respectful of others or even civil.  On the contrary – shouting expletives seems to be the usual response.

On the other hand, emotional correctness is founded upon the belief that all people have value and are entitled to form their own opinions, whether they agree with ours or not.  As the leaders of our organizations, insuring that our organizational culture fosters and advances emotional correctness can be an effective first line of defense against PC assaults.  If allegations of harassment are made we have a responsibility to report that behavior to the proper authorities.  If the facts support a prosecution, we must support the actions by law enforcement and the courts.  If the facts do not support a prosecution our organizations must take steps to insure the situation is fully discussed and addressed.  Now is not the time to take the ostrich position.  Become proactive, implement emotional correctness within our organizational cultures and be prepared for the PC assault which may be heading our way.

A third rate public educational system – right here in America

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Arizona watched the antics of the Superintendent of Schools and other public education officials in total dismay.  The latest was a scuffle over a microphone at a public meeting.  No one is paying attention to the fact that Arizona ranks virtually dead last in the country for public education.   And the top state officials are in a contest over a microphone?  Seriously?

Why is this issue important to those in the corporate world?  American companies are looking overseas for qualified workers because the U.S. is producing too few STEM qualified workers.  The Phoenix area reportedly lost an opportunity to have two major tech companies relocate to the area because of the lack of qualified workers.  Even more telling was the reluctance of management staff to relocate their families to a state where public education is obviously held in low regard.

If business in the U.S. is to remain competitive and commit to hiring qualified American workers, business leaders are going to have to step up and help the education side of the house.  This has been done in the past and continues in some regions.  Leaders in business and communities will need to exercise their leadership skills to insure the American public education system becomes second to none and insure that future generations have a solid foundation in the educational essentials that will take their businesses well into the 21st century.  Americans must realize that having students graduate from high school with the skills of a sixth grader will insure that they qualify only for menial jobs, nothing like the highly technical positions the job market of the 21st century demands.  When are we going to implement the needed changes to our public education model?

My Goodness!

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Recently, I watched a news conference and witnessed something I never thought I would see in a chief executive – an exquisite non-verbal temper tantrum worthy of a two year old.  Now you know that seeing such behavior got me to thinking.  Are we aware of the non-verbal messages we send?

Any leadership or management class will teach us about the importance of attending to the non-verbal cues in any communication.  The various communication theories tell us that the majority of our interpersonal communication is non-verbal.  Are we cognizant of the non-verbal messages we send?  When a colleague is speaking do we glance at our watch, perhaps more than once?  What message did we just send?  When we are involved in conflict management, do we listen to opposing opinions with arms crossed?  If we make eye contact are we doing so in an aggressive manner, daring the individual to continue to publicly disagree with us?  Do we get aggressive in our stances, invade the other individual’s personal space?  Do we engage in non-verbal tantrums to let people know we are displeased?  Are we aware of what we are doing?

Here is a key point.  I do not know about you but I want my colleagues to disagree with me.  Their viewpoints and perspectives are critical to keeping me focused on our goal – resolve the problem in the best possible manner.  I am not diminished because someone has the temerity to disagree with me or point out where my approach might need some improvement.  I think we all improve our decision making when our staffs and colleagues provide honest assessments of those decisions.  I work hard to create a work environment where people provide constructive criticism.  The end result makes us all look good – an effective, realistic resolution to a difficult problem.

Change

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For the past week I’ve made it a point to spend a few minutes watching the night sky,  marveling at the vision of the crescent moon in line with Venus and Jupiter.  We’ve just experienced the summer solstice and the axis tilt has occurred without incident.  We’ll experience another change with the winter solstice.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could plan all our changes within our organizations and have them go as smoothly as the changing constellations in the night sky and the axis tilt with each solstice?

Change in any setting can be stressful.  As leaders, we have a responsibility for insuring that changes are implemented as needed and done so in such a way that our staffs continue to know that they are vital members of the organization.  Any time a change is implemented without first informing the staff, we ask for problems.  The biggest problem will be addressing the perception that our people’s contributions to the organization are no longer valued and they, as individuals, have no further value.

Effective leaders will empower their staff members to encourage them to take a vested interest in the successful implementation of change.  They can be trusted sources of information on potential problems and possible resolutions.  Leaders can be effective role models by showing their staffs that they know some changes are necessary and some changes are implemented to try out new ideas and stimulate creativity.  For whatever reason change is implemented, quality leaders will need to take the time to reassure their staff and properly convey that each individual is valued.  That approach will go a long way toward insuring a successful change.

Ethics – Is a Double Standard Acceptable?

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I admit that watching events over the last weeks and months has been interesting because one thought has come to mind. We apparently have some folks held to a higher ethical standard than others.
The success to problem solving lies primarily in correctly identifying the real source of the issue and engaging in a collaborative approach to implement realistic and long lasting solutions. But another key component is whether you, as the leader of your organization, are seen as an honorable and ethical individual. Why? What motivation is there for your staff to follow you if you are perceived as unethical? What if you are perceived as having a personal agenda that will undermine any solution supported and implemented by your staff? In today’s world of instant news via social media, even a momentary lapse in ethical judgment can be devastating to any serious attempt to resolve problems.
In your organization are all held to the same ethical standard? Or are some held to a higher standard than others? If the latter one applies to your organization and you’re okay with it, good luck in finding reasonable and realistic solutions to your problems.  Accepting a double standard on ethical behavior will serve only to eventually undermine the credibility of the leadership,  the reasonable expectation by employees that ethical conduct is valued, and will create an organizational culture that does not value or insure success.

Change or Chaos?

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Implementing change, even in the best of times, can be problematic and frustrating. If you want a real life example, did you see Tiger Woods’ less than stellar performance at this year’s Phoenix Open?  It raised a question in my mind – why would one of the best golfers in history seek out advice from recent swing coaches who, in my assessment, apparently rely heavily upon reading books and observing others?  Isn’t that like going to an elephant trainer to learn how to ride a horse?  Obviously Tiger has chaos, not change.

As the leader of your organization, do you want to do something better than Tiger?  Successful implementation of change means involving key players in the development of your implementation plan.  Would it surprise you to learn that your key players may not be the people you think of first?  Your key players are those folks who know their jobs better than anyone else in your organization and can talk easily to you about those jobs.  They constantly seek out opportunities to improve their skills, expand their knowledge, and share that with the team.   They have an inherent desire to excel and to give the organization their best every day. Identify those folks, engage them in a dialog (you ask questions and then actively listen to their responses) and task them with developing a realistic plan to implement the changes needed.  I think you’ll be pleased with how smoothly that whole process goes.

Oh, and a note to Tiger – drop the swing coaches and go talk to  the legends in golf like Arnie, Jack, Tom Watson, Greg Norman, Gary Player and others who have proven their greatness. You’ll gain more from a session or two with these stellar players than from all the folks you’ve hired recently.

Silence is Golden

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Have you ever watched a public figure say something in an interview that leaves you yelling at the TV?  I had just such a moment recently while watching Howard Dean.  His commentary on all those who had gone to see “American Sniper” had me recalling a piece of advice given me long ago – ’tis better to be quiet and only thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.  That piece of advice is good in any venue.  Despite the old nursery rhyme about sticks and stones, words spoken in haste or used to demean or hurt create significant harm and carry long lasting effects.

As the leader of your organization do you have the reputation for speaking before thinking? Do you pride yourself on speaking your mind,  not afraid, according to you, to “tell it like it is?” Let me ask a few questions.  How helpful has your approach been in correctly identifying the root cause of problems within your organization? Is your staff confident enough to give you honest and accurate assessments – or afraid to speak up for fear of being verbally cut to shreds, usually in as public a setting as you can arrange so as to reinforce your reputation for blunt talk? Do you take pride in that reputation, often doing so without full information? When the information you should have considered shows you’re on the wrong side of the issue, is that when you remain silent?

Silence is golden, especially when we take time to think before we speak.  Before making a decision, listen actively to your staff and trust them to do their jobs.  Let your organization know your decision by speaking quietly, respectfully, and candidly so as to do no more harm.

New Year’s Resolutions – New or Recycled?

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It’s that time of year when we all tend to make resolutions for ourselves, personally and professionally.  With respect to your organization – are you recycling previous resolutions?  You are if you’re still dealing with problems which have been addressed before but never successfully resolved.  How do you get out of the recycling habit and actually develop and implement new resolutions?

It’s not easy and I’ll be the first one to tell you this.  Been there, done that.  The key to making new resolutions is to be as honest and objective as possible.  If something didn’t go as planned, own up.  Being able to complete a fair and honest assessment of your organization’s performance is a good place to start.  How well did your solutions for difficult or under-achieving employees improve the organization’s performance? If your solutions haven’t made a significant positive impact, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.  Why?  Do you really want to deal with that difficult employee for yet another year?  Do you really want to try to explain the anemic performance level to your stockholders, much less explain it to Aunt Nell?

Let’s try a different approach.  Call in a professional problem solver to help you with the assessment.  This person can be very helpful in identifying the root of the problems and then helping you develop realistic and achievable solutions.  Maybe that should be your one New Year’s resolution and it will certainly be a new one.

So what will it be – new resolution with a realistic chance of working or old recycled resolution known for its failure?  Happy New Year.