I looked at a bottle of lotion today. I use it often but I read the label today. It said "20% more than 10 oz. bottle." I looked at the weight of the bottle and showed 12 oz. That is 20% more than 10 oz. No false advertising here, but is it really advertisement worthy? The bottle doesn't say anything more than this. The sentence is running across the top of the bottle. There is no mention of a value - paying for 10 oz. but getting 12 oz. There is no mention of taking on the standard size lotion bottle. Nothing but the statement. My dad used to describe some people as "liking to hear themselves talk." There wasn't much substance to what someone was saying, but they sure had lots to say. The only way it made sense for that person to talk so much was that he/she liked the sound of his/her voice. As weak of a reason as that may be, it just may be the best explanation.
Substance is needed in our conversations. Too much fluff can fill our dialogues. We talk about inane things that don't matter and don't help us. As leaders, do we know what we're saying and why we're saying it? Is it simply being said because you feel as though something has to be said? That usually isn't a great reason. In fact, it might be counter-productive because, first, it might water down anything of substance you do have to share in the future and, second, it might cause you to say more about something than you ought. The value of communication is a demonstrated leadership quality. Your team will get what you think about verbal communication when they hear and see what you're doing with it. The words themselves are not stupid, but rather, not thought through well. Take for instance a recent political election commercial. The woman running for office says that if elected, she would take medicare money from the US government for the state as opposed to the current official who is not. She makes this point and then says, "and that's the kind of leader I will be." I scratch my head. Is taking government medicare money a sign of leadership? That's the correlation? Hmmmm. I'm not convinced. Sounds like fluff to me. Simply, as leaders in our companies, we have to be thoughtful about our words. What is it we really want to communicate? Focus on that. Make cohesive dialogue. Share one point and connect it to the next in a sensible way. Help others follow your progression.
Know what you want to communicate
Think through how you want to communicate
Clearly share the communication
I know it's simple, but the amount of rhetoric and jargon we slip into can make our necessary communication with our team ineffective and off-putting. Take the time you need to gather your thoughts and share what you really want to share. I would really like to hear that communication!
Positional devaluation is an epidemic. Perhaps you don’t know what that is. After all, it is not the lead story on the
evening news nor the headline in your favorite newspaper. For some, it might seem ridiculous and petty,
but I assure you, it is not.
Look at the way roles within your company are viewed. Aren’t some seen as more valuable than
others? I understand that the COO or CFO
is an important role and might have a different level of value to the
organization, but does that mean that other roles are not valuable? Too often, we sell new candidates on the
stepping stone view of the role they’ve applied for. We apologize for the role, in essence. We see the role as less than what someone
should settle for.
What kind of message is that? Do you expect someone to just take the job
because you do a Jedi mind trick? (“This isn’t the job you’re looking for. The
job offered will do fine. Move
along.”) With such a poor setup, it’s
unlikely that a candidate would accept, and if they do, be assured that it’s
just to collect a paycheck while the new employee interviews for other
jobs. Sad and not encouraging, I know,
but truthful.
Devaluing a position is a cultural nightmare. Take, for example, employees who used to do a job such as what I've described. They feel
comfortable to give the “oh, you are the new guy doing this? Ha, good luck!”
speech. I understand the teasing and sometimes it just might showcase the familial spirit of
the company. However, what isn’t okay is to allow
the mocking to be a staple of the workday.
Devaluing the job being done is to devalue the person doing the job.
Listen. For those of
who you really know me, you know that I have sensitive moments. I offer sympathy; I empathize with
others. The devaluing of a job is NOT a
sensitivity-thing. My perspective is not
about primarily caring for feelings (although, I am not against that either),
but rather it’s about protecting the culture of the company and the “every job
is important” attitude. It cannot just
be a cute phrase, but belief in action.
My first on-the-books job was with Friendly’s. I was a dishwasher. Not a glamorous job. I was thrown all kinds of crap and no one
said anything to me. I lasted six
weeks. It wasn’t because I was too good
for the job, but because I was alone and made to feel unimportant. I looked at my job as being less than
everyone else’s. I didn’t like that feeling,
but the message was clear. But think about running that restaurant without clean pots, pans, dishes or
glassware. That job is vital regardless
of glamor. It would be out of touch with business necessity for a company to think otherwise.
So, simply, review those overlooked roles in your organization. Speak
into them. Now look at those jobs that
are devalued intentionally through commentary and jokes. Fix it.
It’s messaging that must be addressed.
There is nothing wrong with washing dishes for a
living.There is nothing wrong with
packing and shipping boxes for a living.There is nothing wrong with cutting lawns for a living.There is nothing wrong with waiting tables
for 30 years. Nothing at all.
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…)
As a New Yorker, I use public transportation to get where I'm going. It's generally fast and relatively cost effective (especially when compared to the cost of owning and maintaining a car here).
It also provides a snapshot into how human beings act. Whether as individuals or in groups, commuters here speak quite clearly--through their behavior, dress, and other means--even as they avoid eye contact.
One observation I've made over time is this: New York City commuters carry lots of bags. Now this is unscientific, but I can say on my normal commute to and from work most passengers carry more than one with them. The vast majority of multi-bag carriers are women. Based (again) on personal observation, most carriers seem to carry one bag for personal effects, and another contains essentials for the commute, such as gym clothes or work items (e.g., laptop, paperwork). For me, people carrying multiple bags present a challenge. They take up more room on the subway, which my main form of transportation. When you consider that close to millions of people take the subway on a daily basis, every available inch counts!
In addition, I can't help but think that lugging that much stuff around consistently will have an impact on the carrier's health. If nothing else, it probably puts a lot of stress on one's back, shoulders, arms, and legs. I imagine that there's an enterprising chiropractor out there that specifically targets people impacted in this fashion. I know of one that has a sub-practice centered around clients who are in need, due to poor posture related to how they utilize their cellphones! With all of this, I strive to carry one bag with me when I'm out and about. Sometimes this presents difficult choices, but for the most part I can successfully balance my needs with my ability. I have bags of various sizes and shapes, and I also try to take care of myself so that, in the event of having to carry a particularly heavy load, I don't overdo it.
I also try to carry items that perform multiple functions. For example, utilizing cloud based services such as Evernote, Google Drive, or Dropbox allows me to carry less paper files around. Because they able to be used across multiple devices, I can mix-and-match which ones I carry with me. Most days, this helps me to avoid carrying around my laptop, by far the biggest and heaviest of my work related devices.
That being said, I'm overloaded in other ways. It doesn't necessarily manifest itself physically, yet it still can be exhausting. My issue is communication overload.
Here's a snapshot of the various communication devices or channels I manage:
Two smart phones (one for work, one for me)
Several emails (roughly 1/2 dozen)
Fax machine (don't ask)
Two physical work mailboxes
Two phone landlines
Social media outlets
There's a multitude of methods to reach me. And while it doesn't weigh much physically, mentally it can be a lot to manage and maintain. It demands that I check all these different methods, to insure I don't miss anything important. From a security perspective, the different programs and electronic devices I use means multiple access codes. It's a lot!
With that, it's time to start thinking realistically around assessing, consolidating, and/or eliminating these items from my life. Wherever possible, as Erykah Badu would say, it's time to let it go...
Picture it. Ocean
City, 1988. Two recently graduated high
school males drive down to the shore to meet up with half a dozen recently
graduated high school females.
Heaven. Our popularity knows no
bounds. We arrive, celebrate with the
young ladies for a while and then head to the boardwalk. One of the females asks us all to stop to
have our palms read at a kitchy closet-sized boardwalk establishment. Um, ok.
I am elected to go first - $3 for one palm, $5 for two. “$3, please,” I say (those of you who know my
frugality…stop laughing out loud). My
life will be long, married with two children and some nonsense about career and
money that were very general in description.
My buddy affirms my willingness to set a tone, as the girls
were ooh-ing and ah-ing over my stable future.
I was a hot catch. And then one
of the girls went next. The fortune
teller began very broadly about her successes yet to be – you will graduate
college, you will have a good job, etc.
But then love came into the conversation and the teller asked if the
letters “P” and “J” meant anything. And
with that, tears began to fall. The
girls huddled together and shared in the heartbreak. You see, this young lady’s last two
boyfriends were Pete and Jason. Now, the
fortune teller was clearly in the driver’s seat and directed how the rest of
the night would go. Needless to say, it
was not that lucky of a night for those two recently graduated males. They had to help console the raw emotion of
18-year old girls. Crap.
As I have had the privilege to work with many companies in
trying to develop managerial and leadership skills, questions of predictability
come up. Most organizations want to know
that if they do “x” will “y” happen? Is
it that simple? Basically, “John, can
you tell me where we will be in 5 years and will we be successful?”
Think of the wonderful parents that you had/have (or maybe
the wonderful parents that you’ve observed).
Have all of their children been model workers or spouses, or human
beings, for that matter? No. Is that necessarily reflective of the fact
that the parents weren’t as great as all that?
The best coaches and leaders have had players, executives or
followers that did not rise to the occasion of their instruction. It has meant that some of those coaches and
leaders did not know their environment well or pay enough attention to the
talent before them. As such, they made
decisions that were not in keeping with understanding what they had to work
with. For those leaders, they were
replaced by others who seemed to have a better handle on such realities. But on the other hand, some of those leaders
were replaced even though the plans were right on the money. Think about Andy Reid’s transition as head
coach for the Philadelphia Eagles to the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. His plans were very similar, his assessment of talent thorough and the success
was immediate in the new post.
So, how do you predict success, in this case, with
talent? Firstly, it’s not a
cookie-cutter plan. What worked in one
environment might not work in another.
There is a need to assess all variables.
For the HR professional, we have used SWOT analyses for years. I know that we’ve re-branded this and tweaked
it, but in its essence, this is what we should do to profile an organization
and to do a deeper dive with talent.
Secondly, have a bit of patience. You can’t put a plan into place and then look
two weeks later for a monster improvement.
In my experience, those companies that can show an off-the-charts
improvement had to be in a very dire situation to start with, as in “Kitchen
Nightmares” with Gordon Ramsey. Let’s
hope this is not the situation your company is in. Most talent-related new playbooks take a bit
to get used to and to implement with conviction. Acclimating staff to the new rollout of
procedure, planning and level of teamwork, for example, needs some time. There is not a quick fix for most
companies. And to be honest, you want
lasting, not short term.
And finally, do your homework before hiring. Know the skill set clearly. Understand competencies first. Measure talent by using assessments for
coachability, personality, motivation factors, etc. There is great value in investing is such
measures first. Don’t be frugal in this
(Physician, heal thyself, eh?).
I know that most companies are hoping to pull a wild card in
talent. This isn’t
going to be done through luck, with tarot cards or palm reading. It’s going to be done with an educated
assessment of the internal truths of the company, the external competitive
markets and the ability of the talent at present. Those gaps can then be seen clearer and a
plan put in place. I wish it were as
simple as a look at my hand to know for sure what the future will bring, but
alas, it’s not to be. Plus, I seem to
have more lines on my hands the older I get.
Not only would I have to ask “what do I do with that,” but also “how did
this happen to my hands?!”
