Watching the devastation which has hit Texas as a result of the hurricane has been heart wrenching. The rain amounts have been without equal. The cleanup will be long and hard. But knowing our neighbors in Texas, I am confident that the recovery will be full and complete. Please join with me in keeping all those affected by the hurricane in our thoughts and prayers. There are no politics when disaster strikes – only neighbors helping neighbors and a country united in helping those in need.
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Let’s get started
In the time that has passed since my last blog, more children have been abused and several more silenced forever. It is time for us, as leaders in our communities, to start the long overdue process to end this madness.
I now request that each of you share this blog with all of your contacts because we are going to engage in an online brain storming session to start our work. Our collaboration begins with ideas on two important points. How can we best make the national registry an effective tool, and how do we change state and federal legislation that will insure convicted child abusers are punished to the fullest extent of the law. Another point follows from the last one – we need to have the most effective system in place to insure that people charged with child abuse are charged appropriately, especially in situations where a plea agreement is reached. Each charge should reflect the seriousness of the harm caused the victim. If a child dies as a result of the injuries inflicted, we need to work with victim advocates and others to insure that the prosecution brings the most appropriate charge against the defendant. Doing this lets victims know that our society has their best interests in mind and the sentencing goals of specific and general deterrence might actually come to mean something.
My request for help in achieving this goal reflects my personal philosophy – If it truly does not matter who gets the credit, we can accomplish any goal. Please remember the focus of our activity – to make the national registry effective, and to work with the criminal justice system to insure that those convicted on child abuse charges are not given a wink and a nod for their conduct. Children’s lives are at stake.
Implementing Change
I have delayed the upgrade from Windows 8.whatever to Windows 10. I had any number of “reasons” and I have fussed since Windows XP is no longer my operating system. But the upgrade to Windows 10 was needed to allow some security features to operate. So I did my homework and will set aside the time needed to get comfortable with this operating system and thank my lucky stars that I still have the brain power and ability to learn something new.
If I was reluctant to change something that was of such little consequence I can only imagine the impact of a change within your organization. How can you implement change while minimizing the disruption that any change can cause?
The most important key is a twofold approach. An effective implementation plan will focus immediately on education and communication. Educating your staff about the change and the need for it can help reduce the fear of the unknown. Any change can cause people to feel threatened – fears about whether they will be able to master the new technology, are they going to keep their job, will they be made obsolete, etc. Education will help them see the reason(s) why the change will be implemented. Education can give a sense of security that they still are valued within the organization.
Clear, honest communication allows facts to lay to rest the rumors that will be started. Open communication throughout the organization helps insure that all levels of the organization are made aware of the changes, the timetables, their responsibilities, and the emphasis on accurate feedback. Effective communication can help identify potential problems and allow you to resolve them while they are still molehills.
Embrace the change for the better, keep your staff informed, and listen.
Resolutions – Challenging Goals or Obstacles?
Believe it or not we have already completed the first quarter of the year. Have you found your resolutions to be challenging goals or obstacles? If they are obstacles, are you going to do an honest assessment and revision? Or just give up? If your resolutions are obstacles let’s look at why this might have happened. Answering a couple of questions may get you back on the right path.
Is your resolution realistic? If you are a business doing about $500,000 in annual profits and your resolution was to increase that profit, what was your targeted increase? If you set the bar at $5 million, what steps have you taken to insure your business is capable of providing the required services to see that large an increase? If all you did was set the expected profit at a new level and no other steps have been considered or implemented, chances are you are going to fall short. That sort of resolution is like trying the drain the ocean with a soup ladle. In essence, a lack of planning has helped insure that you will fail. How will you handle that failure? Will you accept responsibility for your role in the failure? Or will you shift that responsibility to others who had no say in the planning? For that matter, where was the planning?
Compare that resolution with one that sets the annual increase at between $750.000 and $1 million, coupled with input from your staff which has led to a new energized marketing plan for your services, making sure to reach out to an expanded customer base. Prior to setting your marketing goal you already implemented new marketing strategies and started expanding your customer base.
Looking at both scenarios which one do you honestly think has the better chance of succeeding? Resolutions are good, as long as the requisite planning and work to implement them is completed with full involvement from your staff. Good luck throughout the rest of 2016!
Season’s Greetings
We want to take this time to wish all our clients, past and present, our followers, and our visitors a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Reflections
It is that time of year when many of us reflect upon our accomplishments in the previous months and begin thinking of new goals or resolutions we hope to meet next year. One thing is certain – we are all facing some potentially serious changes in the coming year. As the leaders of our organizations we must have our plans in place for implementing those changes. Our employees, our staffs are relying upon us to present the changes in a calm and reasoned fashion. As we reflect upon what has passed and what will be, let us all make a concerted effort to understand those who disagree with us (“do we really need to make that change?”), model emotional correctness, and engage in collaborative discussions and problem solving. With such an effort we might find that the chaos which seems to dominate the news will become a thing of the past.
If it helps to calm your concerns about how to implement changes in the short and long term, consider a new resolution for 2016. Know that we at Problem Solving Consultants are committed to working with you to find realistic and lasting solutions to the issues you have identified. Working together we can help you implement the changes you want.
Problem Solving 101
As I listen to many of those taking center stage I wonder how many of these individuals know the first thing about problem solving. It seems like we have heard this story time and time again. How about if we do “Problem Solving 101” and let’s see if anyone is really paying any attention.
To everyone in a management or leadership position: The key to problem solving is having the courage to admit that there is a problem. This can be especially hard if the problem is with one of your ideas or your brainchild. But if all you are going to do is address the symptoms you are going to have to accept the full responsibility for the consequences of not doing your job.
The next important key is to close your mouth and listen. You hired the best and the brightest for your organization. Trust them to do their jobs properly and ethically. When they tell you there is a problem, do not dismiss them as being incompetent or assume that they are worrying unnecessarily. How foolish is it going to look for your bottom line to continue repeating the same old mistake and wondering why your organization never seems to show improvement. Why are others in your field passing you by as if you are standing still? Could it be that your problems are, in fact, keeping you from making substantial progress? What do you have to lose by giving us a call and letting us come in as objective observers and facilitators to help your organization address the issues and begin moving forward? What do you, as the leader of your organization, have to lose by having the problems correctly identified and addressed? We are here to help. Give us a call.
Blind Eye? Deaf Ear?
I, like many others, have watched with increasing horror the genocide now occurring in parts of the Middle East and the deliberate slaughter of individuals for no other reason than their religious beliefs. What comes to mind (at least that part that can be discussed in public) is the old adage that if we don’t learn from our mistakes we’re bound to repeat them. I have to wonder what we failed to learn from the horrific slaughter of tens of millions of people between 1933 and May 1945, solely because of their religious beliefs or where they lived. What did we fail to learn from the more recent genocides in other parts of the world?
What does my concern have to do with our discussions or your organizations? Just this – when you see or hear of a clearly identified wrong, as the leader of your organization you have both a moral and ethical obligation to right it. Turning a blind eye or deaf ear doesn’t help. Your silence implies that you condone the wrong being done. Your silence can undermine the morale of your staff, leading to additional issues which will probably impact your bottom line in a very negative way. You may find your staff seeking other jobs elsewhere just to get away from the negativity your silence engenders. As your silence continues you will have to face a myriad of problems that may ultimately result in the collapse of your organization.
So – when faced with a moral and/or ethical obligation to right a wrong, can you, should you remain silent?
Business Leaders Needed
Our nation has been dealing with some hot button topics of late, with increasingly violent rhetoric unchecked and tragic consequences occurring. Our concern is to find an appropriate forum where reasonable adults can come together and FINALLY engage in collaborative problem solving. My challenge to today’s organization and business leaders – are you up to the task?
Why do I challenge you? Logic tells us that organizations and businesses cannot thrive in communities where the physical safety of individuals and businesses is in jeopardy.
How can you contribute to a reasonable goal directed dialog? First, business leaders can be good role models of active listening. As we’ve discussed via this blog, name calling and finger pointing are useless when it comes to correctly identifying the root cause of a problem.
Second, business leaders can serve as voices of moderation. Problem solving cannot take place when people refuse to engage in effective communication. Creating opportunities within your organizations where diversity of opinion can be heard and respected will have far reaching effects. The people involved will talk about how they were able to express themselves, be heard, and be respected. Modeling emotional correctness does good things for all involved.
Many will simply note that you’re only engaging in this conduct because you want to increase your bottom line. True, but your bottom line can’t and won’t improve unless the toxic atmosphere in this country is addressed. Engaging in reasonable conversation will improve your ability to resolve issues responsibly. Tell me what business won’t benefit from more reasoned dialog on a local, national, and global level?
For the naysayers – my question to them would be why are they continuing to be part of the problem rather than the solution?
Business leaders – are you up to the challenge?
Happy Thanksgiving
I want to wish each of you a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving. We have much to be grateful for and taking that special moment to reflect on our blessings helps us keep things in proper perspective. If you all are traveling I wish you safe travels and we’ll chat again after the holiday.