More Than Words

Rating people is tough when you've got to put it on paper.  It's one thing to talk about someone, especially when behind his/her back.  So-and-so stinks at such-and-such a task.  But if you're in charge of reviewing someone, those words matter as they translate onto a page.  Ask yourself about context as much as content.

When Lucy and Ethel go to work in that classic chocolate-making production episode, their rating was pretty poor.  They over-exaggerated their abilities, they could not keep up with the line, they ate product while working and they tried to cover up their errors.  They were fired on their first day.  

From a television rating perspective, this episode started Season 2 with a bang.  It capitalized off of the ground-breaking work of the first season and set the tone for television sitcoms for decades to come, to this day.  The ratings for their work was at the highest levels.

So how do you give thought around context in order to frame the content?  A relevant evaluative process is more likely to give credibility to the results in the eyes of the employee, even when those results are less than excellent. 

Tactical - What is the hands on level of engagement into the organization's health?  Look at how the employee puts his/her time and talents into the company.  And, then be able to point to the result of such tactics.  Is there an organizational influence?  And while business bottom-line is the easiest metric to use, it limits our view.  For example, a survey might reveal that most employees feel comfortable in the workplace.  Find out why.  It may be because the front desk receptionist greets everyone warmly and genuinely.  It might be that he/she acknowledges others specifically for achievements, birthdays, tough times, etc. That person contributes to organizational health, despite the lack of a straight line to net profits.  That person has a line.  Look harder.

Experiential - How has the employee involved himself/herself in the company?  What have they experienced, either voluntarily or involuntarily?  Consider both causes.  Just because someone volunteers to do something, doesn't mean it was good for anyone involved (and yes, you can fire someone from a volunteer role...).  Maybe there are new processes initiated by an employee's willingness to try.  As such, they've been added to a workflow or perhaps replaced a previous workflow.  But just as important, maybe an employee rallied his/her department to participate in a walk for a particular disease-fighting organization.  Those experiences should not be lost if they don't fit into a clean bucket for the company's review pattern.  Go back to considering what those experiences have done for the organization.

Emotional - Odd, right?  We have so many emotionally-stunted people working in our industries that it's important to think through this.  Listen, hugs and kisses aren't what's really meant by emotional (although, I have been a good receiver of that type of love for years...don't stop!).  Emotion is tied to communication, critical thinking and behavior.  Do they not matter in a consideration of performance?  There is a great deal of teasing regarding millennials and their lack of consistent approach. "There's a stop sign ahead, but if you don't feel that the stop sign applies to you, then do what you think you should do.  Don't stop if you don't feel you should.  It's okay."  That perspective is not exclusive to one generation.  I still talk to some 60 year-old business executives who haven't figured out emotional health and they struggle to connect well with staff.  That's not good for business.

Social - How has community been fostered by this employee?  So many companies talk about how they're a family.  That invokes an employee's context about family.  What if my family is a bunch of narcissistic, inconsiderate, selfish jerks? (This is just an example, it's not a reflection on anyone in my family so please, Mom, don't text me and send me angry-faced emojis).  The consideration should be about fostering supportive, interpersonal relationships for the movement of the organization and for the building up of others.  Look at how an employee engages with his/her teammates.  Speak to dynamism, collaboration and group ingenuity.  That takes risk for each employee willing to be engaged at that level and we should be mindful of that healthy impact.

Of course, I know, that you have a performance review form that has many more areas to consider. But maybe, those other areas should be considered in this expanded context.  Haven't you heard, "But you don't know" from employees defending themselves from a manager's perspective?  Sure you have.  So, why is it that we don't know?  Looking holistically as well as specifically takes time, I get it, but it's the best way to consider talent.

Quite frankly, we don't have an never-ending supply of ready-to-wear talent. This type of consideration will enhance how we can better setup our staff for success through skill development, knowledge management and attitude improvement while reducing our turnover.  

If your manager sat with you to review your performance and began to share a limited view of your impact, you would want to say, "But you don't know."  Think about your staff saying that to you and be ready to offer the fuller context in light of the above areas.  Let them know that you do know.

Can't Take My Eyes Off of You

Tenacious resolve.  Boy, it can be annoying.  Once or twice a week, I am on a train.  When I hop a train to New York City, I find a person or two with this tenacity around seating.  These people would sooner cut you than have you sit next to them.  They put their briefcase or purse on the seat next to them.  Fearful people walk by the open seat for fear of reprisal from the presumed bold person who would dare hold the seat with baggage.  I have watched a passenger stand by the seat, look down at the purse, look over at the owner seated next to it (who never looks up, to the right or to the left), and then walk on.  Where is the resolve? 

For those who’ve traveled with me, you could attest to the fact that I am of the type to board the train, pick up the baggage on the open seat, hand it over to the owner and sit happily for the remainder of the ride.  Only once did I have the baggage owner say something to me.  I did not look up, to the left or to the right.  I consoled myself with the thought of throwing momma from the train (probably the only positive context I can offer from that movie).  I exude resolve in that kind of circumstance.

This trait is not found in all people naturally.  It is, however, something that can be learned.  Tenacity is grown from a response to a core belief.  In the previous example, fairness is violated.  If fairness or justice or a sense of right and wrong matter to you, that can be built upon to develop tenacity around defending such a position or offering active engagement to its display.  It’s a manifestation of your belief system.

Think about your goals for this year.  It’s halfway through the year.  Do you still believe in them?  Take some time to measure where you’ve gotten with them and what’s needed to accomplish these goals.  But also, assess the tenacity with which you’ve approached the path towards those goals.  Do you fight for them?  Is your resolve deep around them?

Goals are important.  For as much as they’ve been over-complicated in creation, the point of them remains strong.  Goals serve as a beacon.  They are to drive the daily strain.  They allow for mile-markers of celebration on the path towards them.  They are the driving force of an organization.  If you don’t know where you want to go, then where are we going?

Being strong in our resolve towards these goals takes an unapologetic position.  Unapologetic is not the same as mean.  Be tenacious in protecting those goals, even if there is an alteration that has to happen to them.  Updating goals based upon new information is healthy.  If the new information is that you’re tired or it’s too hard, that is not healthy.  Goals should be designed to stretch you.  Easy to say, yes, but the point is to work hard to get this challenging objective. 

If you want to increase sales by 50%, calls will have to be made, networking will be expanded, pitching product and services will have to increase 100%, etc.  All of this takes great effort.  If you are not committed to the goal, then tenacity around it won’t develop.  Come back to goal creation.  Where do you want to get to and why?  Answer that clearly and create objectives to get there.

For those who are privileged to lead a team, work with each individual to develop strong resolve around the goals set.  Help them to know how to get to where they’d like to be.  Avoid the common issue of goals being set to paper, and then little else.  You have a great chance to enhance and develop skill sets for your team.  And then the celebration around accomplishment is even sweeter when it’s a collaborative effort of support and encouragement.

Fight more for the goals you’ve set.  Don’t cower.  Stand up and move towards accomplishment of those goals.  Remain laser-focused.  If someone has put a piece of luggage in your seat, move it.  You paid for your ticket.  You were up early to get the train.  You have a goal to get to the destination ahead.  See?  Think about goal-pursuit in simpler ways; it will help to foster tenacity.  And once you have the resolve behind the goals, watch out world!

The Boss

Managing people is a skill. Yes, there are attributes that come easier for some which allow them to manage easier, but the use and refinement of those attributes is what makes it right.  The guilt some feel about not being a good manager is often a result of comparison to one of these “naturals.”

Are you a natural?  Do you find yourself easily speaking with your team?  Do you find that there is an ability to connect with people that just flows from you?  That’s wonderful! But, it doesn’t mean that you’re managing people.  It could mean that you are a great friend, a great listener, or a great motivator, but it doesn’t mean management is natural.  Being the boss is meant to be categorized by effectiveness, best use of talent and profitability, to start, not merely being the "fun" manager.

Think about a boss you’ve had that you liked. Perhaps the reason you liked him/her is because of the great manner with which your department was led.  You liked that he/she took the reigns, presented as a resource for the team and kept everyone focused on the mission.  You like that.  You crave good direction.  You desire knowledgeable people to take seriously their role.  Perhaps.

Or perhaps it was because you connected with him/her relationally.  You had common interests.  You shared a passion for sports, for a hobby or for beer (maybe beer is a hobby?).  You got to know each other’s families.  You shared time outside of work being social.  Did that make the person a great manager?  Or merely a great friend?

I am not suggesting that every manager become a Miranda Priestly and remain clearly unfriendly and distant.  However, I am suggesting that swinging the pendulum too far the other way might make managing just as a difficult.  Hone in the skill sets needed to manage effectively and use those skills as you rally your team together.

Time – There is a skill involved in planning and in the usage of time.  If you are someone that just lets things “get away from you” then you aren’t managing.  Time needs to be managed.  Haven’t we all looked at the clock during the work day and thought, “How can it be 3PM? I haven’t gotten done what I needed to today.”  Be competent in time management and help your team to pursue a similar goal.  Efficiencies to process are certainly business-centric and are worth the effort.

Material Knowledge – What do we make, how do we make it, why do we make it.  If it’s a service-related industry, follow the same pattern – what do we do, how do we do it, why do we do it.  You’ve got to know this backward and forward, and be able to translate it well to your team.  They will look to you to see how seriously they should know the answers to those questions.  If it’s just a job for you, then don’t be surprised when it’s just the same for your team.  Be passionate about the ingredients, materials, resources used to get done what you are tasked to get done.

Communication – “Hey, Bud, how ya doin’ today?” should not serve as the moniker of your relational investment.  What does that communicate?  Likely, you are a necessary person in my life and I can’t avoid it.  Intentionality in communication is necessary.  Plan what needs to be said; don’t hope you remember.  Know what and why things have to be shared, the time it will take to do so and the opportunities for that communication to be collaborative. 

Of course, there are more elements than this, but deciding to become proficient in these areas will certainly impact the team being managed.  Once there is a mastery in skill development and process, then begin to attack the next step.  It will become second nature.

The effort matters.  A manager who is deliberate in seeking to refine those skills or to develop new ones sets a stronger tone in his/her department right away.  Your staff will recognize that you’re not there to be everyone’s best friend, but to be a developer of talent by taking seriously your own development.  It also communicates a belief that not everyone is a “natural.”  It’s okay to work at it.  Think about the impact on the team you lead if they see you studying, practicing and exercising these skills.  You will be encouraging them to do the same in their areas of functional responsibility and soft skill development.

There were many days were I would have liked to do a “Devil-Wears-Prada-Throw-My Jacket-On-The-Head-Of-An-Employee” moment, but I didn’t.  I had to make the decision that the proactive development of my management style would be compromised by either creating a too-friendly demeanor or a too-mean demeanor.  So, hold onto your jacket as you walk in and hang it up yourself!

Trouble

Tuesday nights at 8:30, you would find me on the living room floor, eating a bowl of cereal, watching “Laverne & Shirley.”  That was my routine for years as a kid.  That show would crack me up.  These two women would find themselves in all sorts of situations, that were often caused by them.  The remainder of the show would be about how they would unravel the trouble.  The classic misunderstandings, assumptions, over-promising and poorly defined expectations filled most of the plotlines. 

Sound a bit like work?  Think of the trouble caused by misunderstanding, to start.  Often, I hear the following:

• I didn’t know that was what he was asking me to do
• Wait, you meant for me to do that this week?
• I think my boss is trying to make me look bad on purpose
• How can I be expected to do anything more? No one knows all of what I do

Lack of clarity around process, personnel and results often find themselves into our daily  “issue board.”  You know, that growing list of concerns or problems brought up by misunderstanding.  Think of the extra meetings you’ve had to bridge the gaps towards understanding.  Lots, right?

I recall one particular time where I calculated 15 hours of my 40-hour work week spent on meetings I had not planned on having in order to mediate the trouble that was brewing surrounding misunderstanding, unrealized expectations and a general lack of grace towards each other.  That was 37.5% of my work week.  Productive?  Maybe.  Could it have been avoided to begin with?  Much of it could have been.

I know that there is much to learn through situations like this.  The “a-ha” moments usually come when someone, who has worked himself/herself into a tizzy, finds out that the “facts” he/she thought were off and it causes a reconsideration of how information is gathered and processed.  It’s a beautiful thing to watch.  And yet, if you find yourself in multiple situations like that, doesn’t that show more of a systemic issue?

Trouble is a difficult culture to break through.  There are some companies that love it.  They thrive on unhealthy relationships, difficult processes and a sloppy organizational design.  That’s not a dramatic statement.  Considering the amount of books, articles and workshops on dealing with toxic co-workers, difficult bosses and a separatist board of directors, it’s very reasonable to see that many companies must swim in this description and many of us deal with this on a regular basis.

As leaders, we ought to be proactive to thwart trouble before it begins.  We can offer direction on process, wisdom in relational dealings and passion behind seeking resolution directly.  It’s not meant to be emotionless, but it’s often the case that a culture allowed to be too emotional can end up being crippled by those emotions and fall short of the mission.  We can encourage folks to move beyond such short-sightedness.  The feeling is not where the prize is found; it’s in reaching the goal.

Consider marriage.  The wedding itself is a fun day.  It’s a party!  There is much to love and feel good about; however, the marriage itself is the goal.  Emotions won’t be in the same sphere each day as compared to the wedding.  If the marriage is based on the desire to feel the way they did on the wedding day, the marriage is doomed.  And so it is with business.  Not every day is the first day of work; not every day is the first sale made; not every day is the holiday party.  In between are days where a lack of clarity, issues around process and general trouble can occur.  Taking a proactive stance to thwart such problems and to add value to the communicative process so that others can perform it without you is our job.

Open the dialogue, call others to a higher standard and bring issues out into the open with the purpose of educating, diffusing and moving on.  Trouble festers if left unattended.  Don’t let it happen.  You can make such an impact.  I mean, if Laverne and Shirley were able to do it in a 30-minute time slot, I have faith that you can get it done in a timely manner.  Sclemeel, schlemazel, hasenfeffer incorporated to all!

Don't Fear the Reaper

Go to @twitter and search for #leadership and plan on spending the next four days with no sleep reading what’s there.  Oh, and that won’t give you enough time to finish.  We are a leadership-sensitive business community.  Books, articles, chats, posts, etc. are aplenty regarding the need for, the stability desired in and the call for leadership.  It’s needed in business, at home, in our houses of worship, for our town little league programs, for our school boards and beyond.

The marketplace is ravenous for leadership-directed material.  I have been known to write about it.  I have been known to coach leaders on leadership.  I lead one of the premier HR consulting firms – Humareso.  I like leadership.

Sadly, however, over the past decade, I hear many complaining that our need for leadership is thwarted by a lack of desire for people to step into leadership.  Let me be clearer.  We’ve all experienced leaders who had no business being in positions of leadership.  They were cruel, cold, uninspiring, lacked vision or narcissistic.  Many couldn’t manage their way out of a paper bag let alone lead anyone anywhere (ok, so I have some strong feelings about bad leaders, I know).

Perhaps because of those bad leaders, we have many who could perform the role of leader who won’t do it.  They’ve seen the bloody battle that erupts around leaders.  They see the accolades, sure, but they see the bathroom wall writing, too.  It’s a reputation-killer in our society to be a leader.  Can we honestly blame people for not wanting to lead?

Or perhaps it’s Marvel’s fault.  We hold up high the myth of the super hero who can come in and lead effectively with character and right action.  Those movies are blockbusters, but do they set us up to think that all leadership should look like Captain America?  It’s a fantasy.  Could it be that our fascination with that genre impacts our willingness to jump into leadership?  Could be.

So what do businesses do?  They are so starved for leadership that money and willingness become tied together.  Begging someone to lead and paying that person handsomely is our charge to motivate.  I agree that our leadership should be compensated for the skill sets, aptitudes and knowledge they possess.  However, if we bypass those qualities in favor of willingness to hold a position, we belittle the intention of leadership.  Instead of influencers towards mission, we box bodies into short-term, high-paying figureheads.   That doesn’t seem too appealing. 

If someone has some of the qualities necessary to build upon for a leadership role, it’s our job to help coach them into the role, not scare them off.  Promoting people because you can is not a successful succession plan.  True leadership is of a different path.  Leadership is about influence, yes, but deeper than that, a leader inspires others to push and reach for their excellence individually and corporately.  A leader rallies people toward a challenge or lasting goal.

One of our passions is to ridicule and belittle our leadership.  We leave them little room to grow from their mistakes.  The title of leader does not and should not imply perfection.  No one fully arrives once given a role like that.  Regardless of your political persuasion, look at the way we’ve beaten up our last six presidents (and please, don’t send me any articles as to why Bush or Obama or Clinton are more awful than others).  I wouldn’t want any of my kids to be president, and that’s a sad statement.

If I were president, I would receive a barrage of criticism just like they did.  And while that’s on a grand scale, the smaller version is just as powerful in our workplaces.  It’s why we struggle to find people willing to step up.  And so our succession plans move from who is able to who is willing.  There is a vast difference between the two.

Some of you reading this know I am talking to you.  You know that you have the ability to lead, but won’t jump in.  You’ve seen how other leaders have been devoured by their own.  I know it’s not pretty.  Leadership, however, is a privilege that costs.  It’s not that you will become a leader and now be free from ridicule because you’ll have them read this blog.  That’s not what will work.

What will work is your relentless pursuit of excellence, your drive to encourage those you lead towards the mission and your creative exuberance towards the vision.  Some will not like to see this type of person leading them.  It’s too active, too forward thinking, too expectant.  I would say that’s too bad for them.  You are made from deeper and richer stuff.  Don’t fear leadership and what might come with taking it; rather, fear what a lack of leadership will do for a spirit such as yours. 

One Thing Leads to Another

As a parent, I have the articles and books that speak to the importance of structure in raising kids.  Some of it goes really far (like posting schedules of what’s going to happen every minute of the day…I need a little spontaneity!), but overall, the intention is clear.  If my kids don’t understand process, boundary and authority, it will prove to be a difficult life for them.  They will fight against “the man” most of their lives and waste the great talents they have.

In the workplace, structure is just as imperative.  Have you ever worked for a company that is a bit of a free-for-all?  Holy guacamole, is that frustrating or what?  I mean, who is getting stuff done?  I’ve watched employees meander from one cubicle to another discussing all sorts of stuff, whether work related or not, as if life is one big latte.  Even the professionals at Google and URBN have structure, people!  Not everyone is walking around with a dog, a cappuccino and a copy of “The Fountainhead” while wearing Toms (if you’re walking around work like that as you read this, um…sorry).

Process points to purpose.  Giving structure in various areas of duty, responsibility and performance shows care.  Employees want to know they fit and are contributing.  Honestly, they don’t really want to wander.  It does no one any good if an employee lacks the structure to do his/her job.  Further, it actually dumbs down the skill set he/she has.  Without practice and use, it will atrophy and weaken.

 

In high school, I was on the track team.  My favorite event to compete in was the long jump.  While I cannot say that I was the best on the team (because that would be a lie), I can say that I practiced daily.  I ran down the long jump runway into a pit of sand dozens of times each day.  I practiced sprinting so that my speed improved to catapult me further in my jump.  I practiced on hurdles so that my “ups” would improve for takeoff from the long jump board.  I lifted weights and stretched to strengthen those muscles needed for the in-air motion to extend my jump distance.  And I knew to do this because my coach gave me structure.  He led me and my teammates through the process of working out, through drills, through conditioning…in the cold, in the heat…daily.

Without the cliché, anything worth striving for has to be practiced and pursued consistently.  Michael Phelps didn’t just happen to win all of those Olympic medals because he has a few good weeks over 12 years.  He devoted himself to the structure needed to win.  Our staff has to be invested in similarly.  We need to have process in place for skill improvement, for discipline, for praise, for critique, for job enlargement, for job enrichment.  We can lead them through the structure of career advancement within our organizations.  We can offer resources to help them handle the processes better.

Having structure is not the enemy.  Having purposeless structure, however, is demotivating and can lead an organization to think the structure is the enemy.  What is the structure like where you are?  Does it need improvement?  Is it just not known and so a different tactic for communication has to happen?  Are staff members afraid to offer some process improvement?  Do they even know how to report improvement suggestions?

Perhaps you can take time this weekend while you are working out to think through one area that needs structure or needs it enhanced or needs it communicated better.  Yeah, I know, I am making an assumption that you’ll workout this weekend.  Maybe I am pushing you a bit.  Maybe it’s time for this structure to be placed into your life.  Maybe I will find myself back on the track this weekend working on my long jump skills.  Maybe. 

Seasons Change

At one point in my life, I was set to get married.  I guess I should back up to explain better.  I am married and I have three kids – Amazing, Amazing 2 and Amazing 3 (and all are that way due to Queen Amazing).  What I mean to say is that at one point in my life, I was set on marrying someone else.  I started looking at rings.  I thought through how I would ask her.  I dropped hints in conversation with her father.  I had dated this young lady for two years.

And yet, it didn’t happen.  We talked.  We realized that we weren’t where we thought we were.  It was awful.  I felt a bit like Lloyd Dobler – “I gave her my heart and she gave me a pen.”  Moving on was the right call, however.  Last I heard she was married.  Me, too.  Good for her.

Moving on is a difficult decision.  As business professionals, how do we determine if it’s time to move on?  I don’t mean just for ourselves, but for those on our teams, too.  For some employees it is easy to see.  Obnoxious behavior mixed with poor work performance.  SEE YA!  It is a simple conversation.  For others, it might be a matter of observation of their buy-in, their spirit, their passion.  Has all of that waned?  Is it being forced?  Are the conversations less fun, only business?  The work might be getting done, but the heart is no longer connected?  Tough call, right?

Surely, the first measure is to have an honest conversation with that person.  Ask good questions about satisfaction, purpose, connection, environment.  Draw out perspective and emotion.  Many of our teammates want to be asked.  The first couple of minutes may be awkward but plow through it.  The fruit of such conversations can alter the fabric of the company.  And sometimes, a trip to Mood is warranted (yes, I watch Project Runway, so?).

However, let’s say that these conversations illicit none of the magic hoped for.  What then?  Go back to the job description.  Is the person doing what he/she is to do?  Does the job description accurately reflect the KSA’s needed?  If collaboration, for example, is needed to do the work and it is not on the JD, then update it.  This will allow for truer dialogue around the duties rather than just a sense of disconnect.  Be mindful, though, to not make the JD too person-specific.  If Joe usually makes the coffee for the office in the morning and he stops doing so, and you sense something is wrong, I wouldn’t change his JD to include coffee preparation (unless he is a Barista).  Look only at the core duties for the role and what is needed to perform it well.

Sometimes, people need a conversation to cause them to “wake up” and look at how off track they’ve gotten.  Sometimes, they need a more formal interaction to do that.  And sometimes, it might lead to a new season for that person and for the company.  Sometimes it’s very healthy for someone to move on, even if they’ve been a decent employee for a while.  Maybe they’ve hit a ceiling and the challenges are few and far between.  Maybe they are at the max for compensation and that takes them down a peg or two.  Maybe they’ve just grown apart from the role.  It happens.

A word to my HR peeps…this applies to you, too.  Some of you need to leave where you are working.  Rough, right?  But I am serious.  You’re too settled, too cranky, too blasé, too distant.  Do a self-check, but also ask for feedback from those who know and work with you.  Staying with a job because you make good money is not helping the company.  Our role is to encourage health and growth within the organizations we serve.  If what we’re modeling is more of a “put my time in” kind of attitude, then we shoot ourselves in the foot.  Trust that your skill sets and aptitudes will open doors elsewhere for you; they can take you to a new challenge where passion and joy return.  Love your company enough to go.

And if you're not ready to go yet, then use the self-assessment and feedback from others to put you back on track.  Raise high the boom box and fight back!

One of my great loves in business is the “fire in your belly” that can grow.  Time does not have to dampen this.  Just because an HR pro or a CEO has been with one company for ten years does not establish some milestone that it’s time to go.  There is a difference between time spent and time served.  Follow?

Seasons change.  There is no question.  I am not in the same role I was in 20 years ago.  I am not in the same role I was in 3 years ago.  And I am not married to the person I almost married 20 years ago.  As painful and scary as those seasons might be, they do change.   

Video Killed the Radio Star

When I was a kid, my mom used to laugh at me because I basically had the TV Guide memorized about 10 minutes after we got it.  I would know what shows were coming on which day, which shows were new and which were repeats, and even which celebrity guest stars would be on Match Game.  To be fair, there were a lot less channels than there are now.  And further, I didn’t have much to do apparently, so memorizing the TV Guide was easily done.

I loved TV.  I guess I still do, though I watch much, much less than I did as a kid.  And I could not tell you the last time I held a TV Guide in my hands.  So much has changed in that medium.  I wish I knew then what I know now about how it would evolve.  It would have been great to be at the forefront of the development.

Our brands need the same care.  What are our brands?  I think there are a few to pay attention to:

1 – Our companies – The brand identification for our organizations matters.  What does the public perceive about your company?  What is the messaging?  What is it they think of first when they hear your company name?  Those answers are a matter of our brand.  Do you know those answers?  How do you know them?  In other words, how were they communicated to you?  Companies spend millions on marketing their brand, but can still miss the fact that the messaging is misaligned from the actual company.

Branding is not marketing.  Branding is about the utilization of the brand; it’s about the prep work done ahead of the marketing to the public.  Sometimes, companies think that a snappy logo is the brand identification.  The logo is really more about marketing than branding (See Phoenix Cavalier’s thoughts at http://biznik.com/articles/branding-is-not-marketing).

2 – Our roles – There is perspective held by those around us of our jobs.  A role may be seen as tactical or strategic.  The position we have now may not be what we want for our future, but because the role is seen as one type of position, it can translate to what others might think of what you can do.  If the role you’re in is not strategic, but you want that opportunity, then re-branding it is as strategic is necessary. 

Think about the positions in your company that have been changed or discontinued.  How did they become irrelevant?  Is there danger of that for your role?  I worked for a company that saw a particular role as irrelevant and therefore discontinued it.  About three months later, there was so much not being done that the short-sightedness was glaring.  One VP commented, “I had no idea how much that role actually meant to the function of the department.”  The brand of the role was not clear.  A brand is simply the message of a product, service, or, in this case, a position.  Again, what’s the message of your position to the company?

3 – Our competencies – If a role is to go away, are you going to be swept away with the position?   Can the company see the difference?  Your skills, knowledge, aptitudes and abilities have a message.  Step back for a minute and see if you can read what they are saying to those around you.  If you’re feeling particularly brave, ask someone if they could give you 3 skills that he/she sees you demonstrating on a regular basis.  Vulnerable, yes, but it could be quite eye-opening. 

When the makers of the TV Guide magazine product imagined their brand, they could only see it as a publication distributed on a weekly basis.  As time went on, it provided interviews with TV stars.  And once the necessity for a weekly magazine became less relevant, TV Guide moved to creating a TV channel with entertainment news, syndicated shows, reality-based programming and showbiz interviews.  The core brand evolved to a fuller spectrum of TV entertainment. 

Check your brands.  What’s the message?  Oh yeah, by the way, if it’s to be a good-looking, Italian, HR pro with a dynamic consultancy and a killer blog who is trying to influence the business community with strategic development encouragement, I’m sorry to say that’s already taken.  Back off and pick another.

Happy

The goal in life seems to be happiness.  Happiness based on our surroundings, on how we look, on our possessions, etc.  I have been in those seminars that teach you how to be happy.  For only $1095, you, too, can learn the secrets of the speaker.  He/She hops around the stage and over-inflects verbiage to stir a reaction in you (wow, that’s critical of me, isn’t it?).  And do you know who usually has the lasting happiness from that session?  The speaker who just made 70% per person with a room full of 150 people, if not more.

Why do we crave it so?  I think it’s because we are designed to achieve.  We are designed to inspire and to create.  We are designed to engage others and to energize our environment.  Happiness comes from doing what we are designed to do.  The pathing is unique, the skill sets vary and the product takes various shapes, but the outcome is consistent.

In the human resources sphere, I see lots of well-meaning people put together lots of well-intentioned programs.  We seem to think that these programs will fix what ails our people.  If happiness is what our staff is missing, no great program will provide lasting impact.  Sure, there will be some positive results.  Some staff will express gratitude for causing them to think differently about a subject or a process (which is a victory!), but does it last?  If one year later, you sense the same rut returning, then what has that program gotten you?

As taxing as what I am about to say is, over the last 20+ years, the most impactful push towards growth I have been involved with are about the individual.  Working with the individual to find what makes him/her tick. Working with that person to see what he/she can bring to the table.  Working with that person to see where he/she dreams, finds glimmers of fulfillment, and senses purpose.  When we can tap into those things, we find the core of happiness for that person.  That is the heart of the matter.

I believe our staff can find happiness in their work.  Our responsibility is work-related as business professionals; however, I understand and have observed an overlap to the personal lives of those we serve.  If the core of happiness is pierced and inspired to multiplication, then by nature, an individual will want to design his/her entire life around that exposed core. 

For the professional, we have to make a decision to coach effectively.  Coaching is not just about the skill desired or the task to be completed, but it’s about the whole person.  I have had many robust discussions with peers regarding this perspective, but I can only point to the lasting impact differentials I see.  Those employees that have been coached as a whole person, under the auspices of the work environment, have embraced lasting change and have remained happier than those who have not. 

Happiness is a decision; joy is a state of being.  Inspiring the lasting decision for happiness has to be based upon impact and validation.  My circumstances may not make me happy today.  So what does that mean?  Should I be an absolute jerk to those around me (with justification in my mind) because my circumstances suck?  No.  This is not beneficial to the work environment nor to the person.  We have to be content, satisfied, happy regardless of circumstances.  It’s a decision for approach and for interaction. 

Find what makes you happy at the core of your being.  How does that get expressed at work?  How can it get expressed at work?

And, as silly as this may sound, know what brings you back to center.  If you know what makes you happy, and you lose your way, know what triggers will push you back to it.  Is it a best friend?  Is it a favorite piece of writing?  Is it a song?  Talk, read or listen.  Do what you need to and you might surprise yourself at how happy you can really be.  And all that without spending $1095 (I mean, if you want to Paypal me the amount to make yourself feel better, I will send you the link…)

4 Minutes

Dynamic, collaborative relationships are desired.  Most companies that I get to work with are often eager to find professionals who understand how to make an impact with the skill set they have while being respectful of the authorities in place already.  Smart employers often seek to find these exceptional people with vigor.

So, where are these people?  Do they exist?  After speaking with some of the ones we get to work with at Humareso, I would say 9 out of 10 have become discouraged about the talent pool.  Whether it’s a non-committal attitude, a desire for a list of all benefits offered by the company prior to the first interview or an awareness that the depth of work ethic displayed falls short of what’s actually needed in the workplace, these employers have dejection written on their metaphorical faces.

People, let’s display what should be displayed, not just as an appearance, but as a true picture of the qualities we possess.  Do I think that all candidates fall into the descriptors above?  No.  However, do I think that these employers are wrong?  No.  They are responding to what they see.  And remember, what they "see" is not always viewable.

I sometimes wish that everyone’s skill sets could be viewed, such as what a model has to do for his/her interviews.  Show me what you can do.  You can sit all day and tell me how great you are, but it’s better when I see you get up and walk the catwalk.  The tangibles are visible.  How do you move?  What does your face do when you walk?  Do you capture the look we want?  It takes about 4 minutes to know.  So, theoretically, can you show what you must in 4 minutes?

Most potential employers conducting interviews say they can tell within a few minutes if you have what it takes.  So, if the interview is a half an hour or longer, what is happening in the interviewer's mind?  You’ve got to make a quick, competent impression as an applicant.  The shortfall here is part of the reason that these potential employers feel that there is a lack in the talent pool.  They struggle to know what you know because it’s not presented in a coherent way.  If you have four minutes, what do you want to share?  Practice.

OK, naysayers, I hear you.  “Yeah, but John, when I walk into an interview, I don’t get to dictate the questions.”  After years of witnessing interviews, I would have to say that more than half of those times begin with a potential employer asking one of the following questions to start out:

• Can you tell me a little about yourself?
• Why are you leaving your current employer?/Why did you leave your last employer?
• Why did you decide to apply for this position?
• Why should we hire you?

Think about what you can do with the answer to any one of these questions.  Can you give them a great snapshot of your competencies, personality and work ethic in four minutes by answering one of these first questions?  Heck, yeah (Sorry, I will tone down the language moving forward).  Practice what that response is.  Look in the mirror and work it out.

However, I have to address those who do practice the answer.  Can you act like you believe what you’re saying?  The words are not the only important part, but the facial expressions, body language, inflection and lilt in your voice, etc., too.  Robots are not attractive and will not communicate who you really are (unless you really are a robot, and in that case, please be sure to check “other” in the Self-Identification section of the application).  Being believable is done when you are believable.  Crazy, right?

Authenticity begins with a belief in who you are and a confidence in it.  You might not be a fit for every company, but you are a fit for a company.  Your disillusionment with the process of finding a job can be seen clearly in the first four minutes, even if you’ve practiced your answer.  The spark in your eyes is dim, the life in your voice is weak and the enthused body language is replaced by a slouch.  Be prepared, yes, but be engaged, too.

I do believe that the talent pool needs to get stronger in certain skill sets (technology, written communication and mathematics) and in presenting those aptitudes.  I believe it takes work to get the job you want to get.  I don’t believe that you should just hope it works out.  Rather, work it out.  Do what you have to do to be enthusiastically ready for an interview.  Share with those potential employers why it would be great to have you as an employee based upon a clear and vibrant expression of your competencies.  Believe in who you are.  You’ve only got four minutes.  

Roar

I am a sucker for a good come-back movie.  I love seeing the underdog win over the well-funded or obnoxious favorite.  The storyline of hard work, honesty, faith and little bit of luck stir something real deep inside of us.  Sports-related plot lines especially seem to captivate.  Think about movies like Rudy, Hoosiers, Remember the Titans, Rocky and Invincible.  Are you feeling good?  Smile on your face?

These movies show us that skills, bravery, teamwork and willpower can come together around a common goal.  Even for those superstar athletes depicted, the concept of team is learned and he/she realizes that winning cannot be done alone.  Years ago, I worked for an organization that would show a movie on Fridays for the sales department.  The movie would play on all of the televisions in the sales area, which normally showed CNBC, for about 2-3 hours in the afternoon.  The idea was to play movies like this to inspire teams of people.  I loved walking through the department during the last 10 minutes of the movie.  As much as people were working during the majority of the movie, they could not help but stop cold for those last 10 minutes.  Eyes fixed, slight smiles on their faces and the occasional fist of victory lifted (of course, Boiler Room was shown often, too, and that doesn't quite have the same effect).

People want to be inspired.  They want to know that their efforts matter.  They want to be valued and encouraged in those success areas.  They want to see how they fit into the whole.  They want to know that they can win.  

Since we all are people-people, what is our role in building upon this natural inclination?  We know that those employees we serve seek success in effort.  How can they see how what they do matters for the team?  Can this be deepened or better defined?  How can you make the pathway clearer?  This is not existential in questioning (some would say I am not that deep to go there anyway), but rather practical in nature.  I would submit a couple of ideas.

First, train directors, managers and supervisors to assess talent.  We have to show these managers what to look for and how to determine the skills and abilities on their teams.  Often, we just let them figure it out, but most times, they don't.  Who taught you how to know what you truly have to work with?  No one?  Well, then, learn first.  Seek a mentor or coach of your own and then pass along what you are learning to a director.  Inspiration for your teams will settle in deeply if those team members know that you know them.  You will be thinking of ways to set them up for success.  They will rise to the occasion because you knew, sometimes even better than they did, where to put them and how to use their competencies.  

Management will be proactive in this posture, which may also be a complete departure from how it's worked to date.  So what?  Show flexibility and effort.  If we seek this in our staff, we should represent that.  We can share with the executive team what it means to inspire based upon lasting criteria rather than a flash in the pan.

Secondly, celebrate.  The successes, the wins, the records set...all of it.  Pizza on Fridays is not celebrating anything proactive.  That is a reactive gesture.  "Aren't you glad the week is over?"  "Thank God we only have two more hours of work after this pizza."  "Pizza, again?!"  Is this what we really hope to send as messaging or hear in return?  I doubt it.

Celebration is not just about the past.  When we celebrate a birthday, we appreciate all that a person is and has done over the past year and further back.  But also, the fact that he/she is with us today and what we wish for and know this person will be about as the next year progresses.  Wouldn't it be sad to say, "Happy Birthday! We know that this past year was okay and we really don't expect more from you, but we're celebrating your mediocre life" (that has a bit of a greeting card flow to it, doesn't it?).  We choose to celebrate to reflect on success and to establish a future plan of building upon it.  It sets a tone and creates a vision of what success should look like.

People want to have impact.  The movies mentioned early on resonate because of that basic premise within people.  It's why a song like, "Roar" by Katy Perry means something.  We want to be recognized for our strength, for our contribution, for our relationship-impact, for our value.  It is something we can do for our teams.

Get in the frame of mind.  Close your door.  Stand on your desk.  Play this video at a loud volume.  Get inspired and roar.  Really.  Out loud.  Roar like a lion.  Okay, I can't swear that this is exactly what you should do to get started, but I am loving the visual...

Woman's World

You might want to watch the video and listen to the song first.  Get the blood pumping.  A techno-dance beat with vocals from Cher might do the trick.  Can you believe that Cher, at 67, has the #3 album on iTunes?  She has had the power to reach audiences since the 1960's, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down!

I enjoy power.  Power to create, to teach, to inspire.  I am not a fan of the dictatorial or bullying type.  Having a voice to engage with a variety of people for a variety of causes because of the power to captivate, to educate and, yes, even to entertain is a gift.  To this end, power is about service.

HR professionals have, at times, become caught up in the desire/need to have a "seat at the table" (do you hear me retching at the overuse of that phrase?).  In doing so, our eyes become incredibly self-focused and we dwell on ways to show ourselves to be valuable and necessary.  We attend seminars that tell us how to get our executive teams to welcome us in with open arms; we listen to webinars geared towards personal advancement.  Now, understand that I am on-board with the truths in these things, but I would like to submit that the best leaders I've worked with have served their companies/peoples by example and lead the charge as a result.

Servant leadership seems to come easier for women.  It's not weakness to those who observe and understand.  Take Mother Teresa, for example.  She had the ear of many world leaders.  She created an entirely new religious order of nuns.  She spoke and wrote about the issues of poverty, healthcare and hunger to the world who wanted to hear what she had to say.  And she earned the right to be heard by caring for thousands of impoverished and diseased people.  

It's not to say that this is only something women can do.  As men, we're often not raised to serve others well.  We are taught to serve only in as much as you can be served by doing so.  And women are not exempt from this thinking either.  The workplace has forced this thinking upon both sexes and pushed the boundaries for self-centeredness and self-indulgence.  There is a need to return to an air of humility in service so that the cultures we seek to create are founded on lasting principles.

Talent to lead is a skill.  It's not all natural.  There are those with a natural inclination to lead, but refinement is necessary.  Service to others most often helps to refine with lasting results. 

Lasting results.  Now, there is a concept.  So much of what we hope to do is short term.  Hard work is needed for all efforts, but consistent approach sustains.  In this case, leadership that is focused upon those to be served keeps us honest, impassioned and humble.  We should want to get better in the ways we can be effective, not only by attending self-help workshops, but by practicing what we preach by serving those to whom we're delivering the message.  Mother Teresa didn't decide to do what she did because someone told her to be a great leader.  She did what she did because she was driven to serve.  The more she engaged with the people she was to serve, the more she wanted to get better at leading the charge for change.  She didn't "serve" for a while (you know, put her time in) and then move on to the speaking circuit, distancing herself from the passionate purpose.

We need to keep our heads in the game.  We are some of the most incredible professionals to walk the earth today.  We have an opportunity to be impactful and engaging, and thereby able to lead effectively.  And we can maintain and expand these truths by serving well those with whom we've been entrusted.