DON'T STEAL MY JOY!

"If a man love the labour of any trade apart from any question of success or fame, the gods have called him." ~Robert Louis Stevenson

 

"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." ~Aristotle 

Continuing the theme from my previous article, I had been thinking more about how we lead those members of our team who appear to have plateaued in their roles.

I am reminded of a time earlier in my career when I was meeting with one of my Accounting Specialists (we'll call her "Sherry"). Sensing that her abilities exceeded her present role, I had been encouraging Sherry for some time to learn new tasks, go back to school for additional education, and position herself for advancement in the Organization. I valued Sherry's contributions and loyalty to the Team. During this particular meeting, I was proposing assigning Sherry some new duties with greater responsibility, and I was suggesting that I delegate some of her current duties to another Accounting Specialist to alleviate some of Sherry's work load.

I'll never forget what came next. Sherry looked at me and said calmly but firmly, "Cris, don't steal my joy!"

A bit confused by her response, I clarified further, "Sherry, I am very pleased with your work on this Team, so I want to provide you with new opportunities." I continued sincerely but naively, "This is a good thing I'm suggesting."

"I would be happy to take on these additional tasks and the project, but please don't take away my current tasks," Sherry continued. "I enjoy doing them."

Aha! So that was the rub. In my zeal to develop my Team Member with advancement opportunities, I had neglected to fully understand how and why Sherry had come into the role I had found her in. Because I had viewed her outstanding work ethic, trustworthiness, and loyalty to me (as the Leader) and to her peers through my own lens, I had failed to inquire further into Sherry's own perception of her value to the Team and to the Organization.

Taken in that new light, but cognizant that Sherry would not be able to effectively shoulder all of the new duties with all of her existing duties, we negotiated to ensure that Sherry retained those prior duties she most valued and would remain the back-up on the additional duties that she agreed she would shed. As Leaders, we must shun the gut-level assumption that "resistance to change" or "secure comfort zones" are the only reasons member of our Team might wish to perform longstanding duties. As Sherry taught me that day, some employees simply--heavens!--ENJOY THEIR WORK.

Sherry had shown longtime loyalty to the Organization. She didn't want to set the world on fire, become the CEO, or lead a Division. But, like many members of the Teams we lead daily, Sherry wanted to contribute to the Team's success, further the objectives of the Organization, and have fun doing it. Really not so bad when you view the win-win outcome against the philosophical backdrop of the likes of Aristotle and Robert Louis Stevenson.

TODAY'S QUESTION: Are YOU fully informed about the individual reasons why your Team Members gravitate to and excel at the work that they perform? If not, when will YOU schedule that conversation?

BLOOMING WHERE YOU'RE PLANTED

“You’re not going to do this forever. There’s a finite amount of time you’re going to be doing this. Do this really, really well. And if you do this really, really well, everybody will see that, and they’ll move you onto the next thing. And you do that well, and then you’ll move." ~Gene Ross, as recalled by Terry Lundgren, CEO of Macy's

"Truly charity has no limit; for the love of God has been poured into our hearts by His Spirit dwelling in each one of us, calling us to a life of devotion and inviting us to bloom in the garden where He has planted and directing us to radiate the beauty and spread the fragrance of His Providence." ~St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

Hunger? Chutzpah? Impatience? Go-Getter?

How do you characterize that insistent quality--what I refer to as "career energy"--in the Leaders you train, coach and develop? How do/did the Leaders you report(ed) to characterize that quality in YOU?

I think back to my early energized career and how I couldn't understand my own Mother's serene satisfaction with her plateau in the professional world. Lost on me until many years later was that my Mother had found her niche in the workplace, and it balanced very nicely with her other life areas. Not until I had grown personally and professionally, stumbling repeatedly along the way over my own hubris, did I come to appreciate that each of us has the opportunity to "bloom where we're planted."

Many of us are familiar with a variation of the story of the three steelworkers atop the skeletal girders of a future skyscraper. A reporter happens upon the three men at the end of their shift and asks each of them what work they are performing. The first steelworker replies with exhaustion, "I do what I'm told, welding day after day." The second steelworker replies saracastically, "I'm constructing the frame of a building for do-nothing suits." The third steelworker pauses, wipes sweat from his brow, and looks skyward hopefully and smiles, "I'm a member of a crew dedicated to raising the finest office building this City's ever seen, in which our sons and daughters will one day earn their living upon graduation from college..."

Any one who has ever weathered a sanitation strike or a transit strike knows firsthand that there are no insignificant professions in our society. Even when participating in volunteer work, I find that I often don't encounter much competition for roles that involve cleaning restrooms or picking up trash--and so I readily request those jobs because I know that when they don't get accomplished with passion, the visual (and olfactory) results are embarassingly unpleasant. Dirt under my nails is good for my soul.

Reflect back to someone you met who may have been performing a menial task, but was doing it with gusto and enthusiasm. I love to tell about the young gentleman sweeping the street at DisneyWorld's Hollywood Studios who saw me and my wife reviewing our map, and walked right over to us and happily escorted us halfway across the park to the show venue we were seeking. We all must remember--as I did that afternoon--to find that individual's Leader and point out our satisfaction with his/her team member's committed action. Remember, a caring someone may have done exactly that (as Terry Lundgren remarks further in the link above) for YOU at the dawn of YOUR career.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS: Turning our attention to our own Team--to the Leaders and future Leaders, as well as to our plateaued Team Members--how are we receiving and perceiving that insistent characteristic or lack there of?

• Are we acknowledging and encouraging the individual's career energy?
• Are we harnessing and aligning that energy for the good of the organization?
• Are we coaching and focusing the individual to reduce potential negative consequences of misguided career energy?
• Are we designing succession plans that incorporate these individuals into appropriate roles and providing stretch goals to translate that raw energy into meaningful experience?
• Are we engaging the plateaued individuals at periodic intervals to assess whether they have career energy brewing?

REMAINING A STUDENT OF THE GAME

"Those who teach by their doctrine must teach by their life, or else they pull down with one hand what they build up with the other."  --Matthew Henry

“Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.” --Albert Einstein

I experienced pure joy recently during what I had believed would be a relatively straightforward meeting. I came away knowing that I had become the Student, and that the student had become the Teacher, though at the time I don't believe that either one of us recognized the juxtaposition. As I drove home that evening, I found myself smiling as I became consciously aware of the lived lessons that the young manager had imparted upon me.

A client had invited me to visit one of its sites to counsel and advise one of its newer general managers (I'll refer to him as "Ron") regarding a sensitive human resource matter that he would soon have to address with one of his employees. The client operates a number of locations of a casual theme dining restaurant under a franchise agreement, and given my employment in the industry for a number of years before entering law school, I naturally gravitate to and identify with some of the unique staffing and human resource management challenges of the larger marketplace. I had not met Ron previously, and we were scheduled to sit down at 8:45 p.m.

Having arrived a few minutes early and not wishing to disturb Ron or disrupt his team as it concluded its weekday dinner rush, I took a seat in the lounge area and ordered a glass of iced tea to catch up on messages while I waited for the appointed time. The restaurant appeared very busy for an evening early in the week, and I began to take notice of the environment and the work going on about me, if it could even be called "work" for it appeared that the team and its two managers were having great fun.

The server who refilled my glass was pleasant and attentive, but not pushy though I declined to order any food. Guests were greeted cheerfully and promptly by the hostess and one of the managers. I observed servers running food for co-workers, and prebussing tables efficiently. I overheard the other manager praising a busboy here and a server there for their thoroughness. As guests were departing, at least one hostess of manager inquired about their dining experience as they held the door open. Smiling people exited, smiling people entered. I had observed a friendly, fun, well-choreographed production that appeared to have left one and all satisfied.

At the appointed time, I asked my server to please let Ron know that I was there. Within a minute, one of the two managers I had been observing came over and heartily greeted me, inviting me back to his office. As we passed through the kitchen, I was pleased to see how clean the stainless steel work surfaces were, despite the busy work that continued. The kitchen team communicated with one another and the serving staff clearly amidst the flurry of hot and cold dishes being served up.

Once in Ron's office, before we began to discuss the human resource matter, I asked him how he was enjoying his promotion to general manager. Ron told me the story of working for the restaurant in high school as a bus boy and dishwasher, continuing as a host and server during college, and how he came to be invited into the management training program as graduation neared. Ron radiated enthusiasm for his company, his location, his guests and his team. He then pivoted to the matter I had come to advise him about, beginning with his take on the situation and his options for resolving the matter. We discussed the options and possible outcomes briefly, and then I left Ron to make his management decision.

Driving home that evening, I smiled to myself, acknowledging that I had met Ron and had observed his history with the company before we had even made our acquaintance at 8:45. Every team-oriented employee, every satisfied guest, every spotless dining and food preparation surface served to exemplify what Ron had lived each day of his professional career. Ron didn't coach with words--he modeled the attitude and behaviors and his team simply followed suit in their own personalities and performances. No ego, no fear, just plain simple alignment between principles, attitude, and action leading to a desired outcome.

I was fortunate to have visited Ron's restaurant and to have met Ron that evening...even a coach needs a Coach each day.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS: Have you developed the confidence of self and the cultivated the utter disregard for your own ego to remain open to the teachable moments that God presents you with in your career, in your community, and in your family?

FAMILY IS THE CORE VALUE

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." ~Desmond Tutu

"The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family." ~Thomas Jefferson


Family is the unparalleled arbiter of whether or not your life is in balance. Simply, are you able to drop your child off at school after breakfast, and rejoin your family again at the dinner table? Do you laugh together across generations, dancing in the living room, celebrating each and every day as if it were a named holiday?

Too often today families and family members live the mythology that an unscheduled hour is a wasted hour. Children are enrolled in as many activities as afterschool and weekends will allow. Parents and grandparents coordinate hand-offs and pick-ups with air traffic controller precision, while often not actually having the opportunity to observe the very events in which their young people are participating. Enjoyment and social interaction become secondary to the resume'-stoking quality of the activity.

Our adult family members are no less indoctrinated into this cult of overscheduling. Work is brought home from the office in brimming shoulderbags; work emails are sent and responded to throughout the evenings and weekends. Dinner is a microwave buffet affair, resembling a strolling dinner, where rarely two members of the family will actually sit at a table engaged in quality conversation. Late at night when exhausted children are safely off to bed, mothers and fathers launch themselves into Farmville and all other manner of online fantasy worlds, while beds and genuine marital intimacy both tragically grow cold.

There will be no sized flat screen HD/3D television large enough to recapture our children's youth; there will be no cascade of urgent weekend smartphone messages that will rekindle our spouse's laughter amidst handholding during an evening's neighborhood walk.

Re-engage. Truly listen. Unplug from the 24/7 technology.

Just because someone else may not have the courage to genuinely participate in the fabric of their own family's life does NOT imply that you must sacrifice your family.

• The co-worker who cannot leave the office before dinnertime is not a leader, but is very simply a person who is afraid to leave the office because his/her world outside the office is devoid of laughter and intimacy.
• The co-worker who cannot restrain themselves from emailing, texting, or calling about "urgent" work projects on weekends is merely a sad, weak caricature who has forgotten the warm touch of a spouse's hand or the laughter of a child.
• Empty marriages and estranged children do not need to be your legacy though they may be the rotten fruit beneath a co-worker's tree.

Live. Love. Laugh. Leave a Legacy. Begin today.

TODAY'S QUESTION: Will you become the balanced leader whose success is measured by the enduring warmth shared within your family home...or will you resign yourself to the mythology of the 24/7 unbalanced life only to "die" alone long before your earthly body last gasps?

PATHWAY TO VICTORY

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."  --Proverbs 3:5-6

"Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one's values." --Ayn Rand

For me, my Faith in God eases my path daily. Inevitably each of us will face challenges en route to achieving our aims, but I have always believed that we are strengthened to overcome those challenges when we have named and embraced our Core Values. As we approach the November election, living our Values and our Faith in all of our daily actions remains imperative.

The courage to live our core values must eminate consistently from within, lest we habitually subsume our core values to society's expectations. The elected officials and corporate executives I admire most consistently live values-driven lives. Their power springs forth from genuine Faith and Knowledge, discerning right from wrong even when the simpler, more popular path might provide immediate gratification.

Leaders--of families, of businesses, of schools, of elected bodies--adhere to their values and remain aware of the guideposts provided by God in all matters. Parents provide discipline even when giving in to a child's demands might appear easier. Executives strategically plan for the future even when satisfying the public's appetite for glowing quarterly financial results might garner more favorable press.

True happiness lies not in today's perceived victory but in every day's genuine victory. Be not afraid to rely upon your Faith, to prayerfully go to your God for guidance, to act upon your core values, for at the end of the evening you will be able to lay your head upon the pillow for deep and peaceful rest. Your victory must also be God's victory for His people.

TODAY'S QUESTION: As YOU approach the November election, have YOU gone to the Lord in prayer regarding your strategy, your objectives, and your concerns?

NAKED LEADERSHIP

"The great and invigorating influences in American life have been the unorthodox: the people who challenge an existing institution or way of life, or say and do things that make people think." -William O. Douglas, U.S. Supreme Court Justice


"Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels -- men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine. As their heirs, we may never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion." -Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. President


Frequently I will be asked by new colleagues and acquaintances how I have managed to forge such a diverse (and seemingly contradictory) array of political, social and commercial alliances. Those of you that know me well have, of course, become accustomed to my genuine affection for and natural curiosity about people, causes and enterprises that seek to truly elevate and improve the human condition. I shun the false stereotype that Leaders are beholding to a unitary constituency.
 
Throughout the history of the United States, Americans of different faiths, education, careers, and social strata have converged and diverged at intervals to support and/or oppose wars, trends, atrocities, injustices, and commerce. While the discourse may at times become loud and abrasive, with few exceptions our Nation has moved forward, improved for the market place of ideas. Political theatre and Cable News Entertainment notwithstanding, our Commercial Enterprises, and our Cities, States and Nation are led and legislated by men and women committed to the ideals and practical applications of Freedom, Faith, Family, Fairness and Prosperity.
 
Hence, while I have not always been on the winning side when the final votes were tallied, I have always considered myself the victor in the arena of ethics, free markets, and human progress.
 
I stand behind you just out of camera range during your Victory Speech; I stand firmly beside you during your Concession Speech; but I always stand with you in your convictions when the Monday-morning media quarterbacking begins, poised to defend your sincerity and genuine affection for the citizens, the families, the communities, and the business leaders that you have so selflessly represented.
 
So when a new acquaintance doubtfully or sarcastically questions my ability to speak to his/her employees, volunteers, members, or constituency --given my array of clients-- I simply smile and walk into the meeting space with the well-researched conviction that I'm backing another winner. This is America, my Friend, and anyone who is willing to genuinely Invest, Innovate and Lead is a winner in my book.

I look forward to meeting you.
 
God Bless!
Cris

A LITTLE TOO CONVENIENT

"I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a matter of truth; but rather by some means excuse the faults I hear charged upon others, and upon proper occasions speak all the good I know of everybody." ~Benjamin Franklin

“Truth is generally the best vindication against slander” ~Abraham Lincoln


As we make our way through this warm, fun-filled summer of 2010, enjoying backyard barbeques, week-long family vacations, and cheering our local professional baseball team, another longstanding American sport is underway: Vicious Political Slander.

While I can cite no candidate for public office who has ever declared himself/herself to be a sinless saint, I have generally found the men and women who undertake this great political journey to campaign for elected office to be individuals of noble character who truly revere the United States, its Constitution and the respective state constitutions. My observations have encompassed the large majority of members of both major political parties and independents, lest we devolve into myopic slander of our own.

When we strip away the caricatures of the few infamous politicians whose stunts make for mainstream media fodder, we find family-oriented men and women from all walks of life who have consulted their spouses (and often their children) to discuss the personal/family sacrifices necessary to undertake a campaign on behalf of their citizens. Achieving electoral victory often means added responsibility at reduced income amidst a 24/7/365 glare of anyone with access to a camera, video recorder, and a computer. 

So, while vicious political slander has been the favored "hail mary pass" of cowardly, vacuous single-issue opponents since the dawn of time, I have been particularly startled by the personal nature of the baseless attacks against two fine gubernatorial candidates this summer. Nikki Haley (http://www.nikkihaley.com/) of South Carolina and Mike Cox (http://mikecox2010.com/) of Michigan have both been subjected to publicly-disseminated prurient slander certainly launched by unscrupulous consultants funded by their flailing (and failing) opponents.

These two fine Christians have spouses and children--Nikki's husband, Michael, a dedicated father and patriotic Army National Guard Officer; Mike's wife, Laura, a loving mother and selfless public official working on behalf of Wayne County residents--innocent spouses and children who have been crudely disregarded by paid political hacks attempting to score points for an opposition Titanic campaign. 

Nikki (helping from a young age in a proud family-owned business) and Mike (a Marine Corp veteran of ) have brought bold, transformative ideas to their respective constituents. Both candidates have involved diverse groups of residents, and will work on behalf of ALL regardless of political party. Yet, within a week of critical elections, slush-funded and well-publicized slander emerged. A LITTLE TOO CONVENIENT if you ask anyone. Informed citizens will not be distracted by this insulting use of slimy, dime-arcade innuendo, but will instead recognize the opponent's cowardice that contrived and funded it. It happened during their candidacies...fortunately to no avail...but it could happen to YOUR CANDIDACY at that cricitial moment. PREPARE!

TODAY'S QUESTION: Have you consulted with your family and with your campaign team to plan in advance to assess, address, and dismiss your desperate opponent(s)' potential, and almost certain, use of vicious political slander against YOU?

THE 3 C'S OF AMERICAN ECONOMIC RESURGENCE

"The history of free men is never written by chance, but by choice - their choice."   --Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Forget about the consequences of failure. Failure is only a temporary change in direction to set you straight for your next success."   -- Denis Waitley


I had the pleasure to engage in a discussion centered around faith, family and leadership with one Mr. Hughes recently. Mr. Hughes was recounting various significant events in his life, which had led him courageously to escape the restraints of segregation and to proudly serve our nation militarily before becoming a public school educator/administrator. He imparted to me the importance to every leader of embracing "the three C's: Choices, Challenges and Consequences."
 
Our Great Nation is currently gripped by the lingering effects of economic deterioration, which has led to an erosion of employment, family financial security, and confidence in government and corporate leadership.  Whether we like it or not, our Nation's economic viability relies upon the efficient interdependent workings of (1) a sound, ethical, well-financed free market economy; and (2) the local, state and national governments that regulate interstate commerce, fair competition, consumer protection and safety.
 
The free market economy depends upon the efficient flow of plentiful intellectual, human and financial capital. Excessive government regulation, taxation, and marketplace interference merely decrease the incentives for responsible entrepreneurs and corporate leaders to invest and develop (or possibly delay) new products and services.  Burdensome, unresponsive and unilateral governmental regulatory choices may create insurmountable challenges to businesses, whereupon the direct consequences may include middle- and working class job losses, and interstate/international facility relocations.
 
Clearly, government has a limited and necessary role to play in economic affairs as provided for my the Constitution's Articles. Interstate highways and waterways that facilitate the motorized conveyance of goods must be built and maintained.  Border inspection of imported foreign produce, children's toys, and vehicles must be undertaken to protect American lives.  Illegal acts, excessive pollution, and unsafe workplaces must be addressed.  But, if America is to remain the dominant world economic power whose intellectual property, manufacturing productivity, and service excellence exceed all international competitors, then elected officials and agency appointees must choose to partner with business leaders to face those challenges together, lest we mortgage our future to those self-serving nations currently acquiring our Treasury Bills.
 
In the November elections, and in the various state and federal primaries leading up to those November elections, We The People are going to register our votes in a referendum upon the imbalance between lobbyist-loving incumbents and the resurgence of freedom-loving, free market leaders who challenge those entrenched politicians. Neither Party's cronies will be spared as Independent voters makes choices grounded in fact, not swayed by mere opinion or slick 30-second advertisements. Independent voters will be focused upon unfulfilled candidate promises, upon the return of economic prosperity for the American family, upon the values underscored by faith in God. And the consequences for those foolish, fattened incumbents who choose poorly will be a one-way ticket back to the hometown...
 
TODAY'S QUESTION: What definitive economic plan have you --whether incumbent or challenger--developed and published to restore the appropriate balance between free market job creation and government regulation and taxation? [Remember: If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.]