There were 18 pioneers shared over the last couple weeks in our Management, Quality and Leadership 101 refresher series. Many of our LiaV readers and commenter’s gave other suggestions and fantastic reminders of other key contributors.
Here is a self scored quiz – only two questions and one demographic:
• How many of the 18 pioneers had you ever heard of?
• How many of the pioneers could you generally say what their contribution was?
• Are you a Gen Y, Gen X, Boomer or WWII Generation?
For example – prior to writing the series my answer would have been – I had heard of all 18, I could remember the contributions of 15 without looking and I’m technically a boomer, but really Generation Jones!
What are your answers?
Management Pioneers:
• 1911 Principles of Scientific Management Fredrick Taylor
• 1943 Theory of Hierarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow
• 1946 Concept of the Corporation Peter Drucker
• 1954 The Practice of Management Peter Drucker
• 1968 Motivation-Hygiene Theory Fredrick Hertzberg
• 1933 The Social Problems of an Industrialised Civilization (Human Relations Theory Hawthorne Effort) Elton Mayo
• 1960 The Human Side of the Enterprise (Theory X/Theory Y) Douglas McGregor
Quality Pioneers:
• 1951 Quality Control Handbook (Quality Trilogy) – Joseph Juran
• 1963 Guide to Quality Control (Quality Circles) – Kaoru Ishikawa
• 1981 Study of The Toyota Production System - Shigeo Shingo
• 1986 Out of Crisis – W. Edward Deming
• 1988 Quality and Reliability Engineering (Quality Loss Function) – Genichi Taguchi
Leadership Pioneers:
• 1978 – Leadership Theory – John McGregor Burns
• 1986 Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge - Warren Bennis / Burt Nanus
• 1988 - In Search of Excellence – Tom Peters
• 1988 - Management of Organizational Behavior Kenneth Blanchard
• 1992 – I Want You To Cheat – Service Industry – John Sedden
• 1994 – Leadership Without Easy Answers – Ronald Heifetz,
• 1997 Leader's Companion – J. Thomas Wren
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Self scored Quiz – Leadership Pioneer Series
Monday, March 30, 2009
NBA role model? - Leaders whether we like it or not
Let me start by stating, I am not a big Kobe Bryant fan. While he is an unbelievable basketball talent, he could be doing so much more to help our community, country and the world. Besides the fact, he is not a Celtic.
A key leadership trait is the ability to recognize improvement when it does occur. I’ve had bosses in the past where once you are placed in the “penalty box” there is absolutely no way out and I promised myself I would never do this to others. This brings me back to Kobe. I get my information the same way most of us do – the evening news and post game interviews. The words used in these interviews are very telling.
In the immediate post Shaq era, Kobe would use the word “they” when talking about his team during an interview after a loss. He separated himself from the team. A few years later, he attempted to take a leadership role and started using the word “I” when talking about the team performance. While somewhat better, this sounded like he was the only guy out there. The last couple seasons Kobe has further tried to establish his role as a leader and the word “my” team is often used. Again, it is an improvement, but who wants to be on a team owned by one of the other players.
Kobe Bryant started in the NBA when he was eighteen years old. We would expect him to mature. It is my guess that when we hear him use the words “we” and “our” when talking about the team, there will be national championship parades in town again. Watch out Celtics.
Have you seen single words used in powerful leadership ways?
Friday, March 27, 2009
Understanding the blind spots – Leader’s weaknesses and mentoring others
As a long time motorcyclist, I know the importance of constant situational awareness. This includes my mental state, the mechanical performance of the cycle, security of cargo and attentiveness of my favorite passenger. This does not even account for the countless traffic and road conditions around me.
We typically consider “blind spots” to be those areas to our sides and back that we cannot see very well during driving using mirrors. The rider must do something extra ordinary to maintain safety. I have found that blind spots exist in our leadership and job performance skills in the same way. In working with many people over the years I’ve found that providing them with a tool to help them identify their work “blind spots” has been quite helpful.
The “Important-Urgent” grid above has helped many of my mentees over the years understand how to deal with priorities, eliminate fire drills, balance the time-quality trade-off and remove unneeded tasks. Here are my typical findings:
• Urgent/Important – You get fired if these don’t get done!
• Urgent/Not Important – These get too much effort for the value and often could have been anticipated.
• Not Urgent/Important – The most common blind spot. Unfortunately too many leaders put performance reviews, communication and mentoring in this group.
• Not Urgent/Not Important – To who? Make sure you and your boss agree on the category, limit the task, extend the due date or get these officially canceled.
Do you use this or a similar model for finding your blind spots or when helping others?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
“Leadership” 101 Refresher - Leadership Perspective (Part III)
This is part three of a three-part leadership refresher series. “Those that do not study history are doomed to repeat it.”
I was talking to a group of highly competent, intelligent Gen Y mentees the other day with reference to some of the pioneers of leadership. I noticed that with all the leadership books on the market, they were missing the foundation to communicate to the boomers in leadership positions today. From that, I decided a good leader really does need to understand the pioneers of management, quality and leadership theory.
These are the leadership pioneers that most influenced my early thoughts about leading people. I would describe all of the pioneers, but that would not be blog-like, therefore, each has a link to a more thorough source.
• 1978 – Leadership Theory – John McGregor Burns
• 1986 Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge - Warren Bennis / Burt Nanus
• 1988 - In Search of Excellence – Tom Peters
• 1988 - Management of Organizational Behavior Kenneth Blanchard
• 1992 – I Want You To Cheat – Service Industry – John Sedden
• 1994 – Leadership Without Easy Answers – Ronald Heifetz
• 1997 Leader's Companion – J. Thomas Wren
For some of us, this is like a walk down memory lane. Others may not be as familiar with them. One thing for sure, we owe it to the people we mentor to help them build their foundations on the theories of the original pioneers.
Are there any pioneers you would have added to this list? Will you share it with your mentees?
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Recognition Hierarchy - Leadership awareness
Years ago, I was part of an organization that conducted and attempted to use the results of an annual employee satisfaction survey. It seemed that each year the very large team I led was asking for improved recognition for their accomplishments. For the longest time, those of us on my leadership team would respond by doing more recognitions with little improvement in the scores. This was true until we re-assessed the way we looked at recognition and created a recognition hierarchy.
The lowest tier of the hierarchy is simply paying everyone the personal respect they desire. This included talking to your people, thanking them for what they do (which starts with knowing what they do) and celebrating key events and accomplishments. Each leader within the organization had to understand this basic role. Without reducing the first tier, the next step was to create an environment that let people shine. Leaders visited the team in their location (what Tom Peters called “MBWA”), let them present important work to company leadership and told their success stories to others. The highest form of recognition was to be given the most important and challenging assignments and to be recognized within one’s profession, both inside and outside the company.
While this is a very simplified view of how our team overcame the recognition challenge, it worked. Higher recognition scores on the survey did not result from giving more awards, they resulted from doing it better and in a more systematic way.
Have you created a similar approach for recognition? How has it worked?
Friday, March 20, 2009
Wrong way Sean - Leaders need to remember the littlest things
As we head into my favorite season (no, not Spring - the NCAA tournament), I’m reminded what happened to the youth basketball all-star team I coached last year at this time.
As the coach, the league provided me with ten of the best players and we had enough practices to be prepared. The gym was packed with parents, families and fans. Only the center court was used so the bleachers could be pulled out and the main scoreboard was lit up.
With seven (7) seconds remaining we were up by one point and were taking the ball out of bounds at the far end of the court. The other team called a time out to set up a full court press. We had practiced a press break play and we reviewed it with the kids. As with the teams we lead at work, once you send them back to the court, they are on their own to make snap decisions. Jake takes the ball out of bounds, Chad picks for Sean just as planned. THEN – Sean lays the ball up into the wrong basket and the game is over. After we consoled the kids and accepted the runner-up medals, I asked myself what I should have done.
It was a simple answer. In times of great stress and challenge, never leave the little things to chance. The leader is the sound of reason and calm. Walk the team through the total play and not just the element you believe will be the most difficult.
What would you have learned from this experience? Have you had a similar situation?
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Live and Learn – A leadership responsibility
I attended the retirement party for a colleague the other day. In his closing comments he provided a quote that I liked, wrote down and wanted to share with you. "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi) It struck me because so many people approach their careers (and life) in such an opposite manner. As they become older they are less willing to take a risk and attempt to learn new things.
Just think about the number of baby boomers that have not yet engaged in the Web 2.0 world. You can probably count the number of bosses you know that have embraced the technologies now available to improve their skills and communication with their team’s on one hand. Now there is a risk using web 2.0 also. As an executive masters the skill, they isolate themselves from their peers and bosses. They achieve results these others may never understand and this may scare the others. While Ghandi did not contemplate web 2.0, he did understand the endless progression of knowledge.
What ideas do you have for continuously enhancing your skills while not alienating your peers and superiors?
Technorati Profile
Monday, March 16, 2009
Gen “Why” - “Quality” 101 Refresher - Leadership Perspective (Part II)
This is part two of a three-part leadership refresher series. “Those that do not study history are doomed to repeat it.”
I was talking to a group of highly competent, intelligent Gen Y mentees the other day and referenced some of the pioneers of leadership. I noticed that with all the leadership books on the market, they were missing the foundation to communicate to the boomers in leadership positions today. From that, I decided a good leader really does need to understand the pioneers of management, quality and leadership theory.
These are the quality pioneers that most influenced my early thoughts about leading people. I would describe all of the pioneers, but that would not be blog-like, therefore, each has a link to a more thorough source.
• 1951 Quality Control Handbook (Quality Trilogy) – Joseph Juran
• 1963 Guide to Quality Control (Quality Circles) – Kaoru Ishikawa
• 1981 Study of The Toyota Production System - Shigeo Shingo
• 1986 Out of Crisis – W. Edward Deming
• 1988 Quality and Reliability Engineering – Genichi Taguchi
For some of us, this is like a walk down memory lane. Others may not be as familiar with them. One thing for sure, we owe it to the people we mentor to help them build their foundations on the theories of the original pioneers.
Are there any pioneers you would have added to this list? Will you share it with your mentees?
Friday, March 13, 2009
“I don’t blog!” - Mentoring effectiveness
I’ve known Joe for years and have been virtually mentoring him for the last few years. Joe has a strong educational background in engineering, a master’s degree in business and great work experience. There were a couple of obvious topics we worked on together, and progress has been coming slow but sure.
It is now time to move on to new leadership topics to build strengths that do not yet exist. The one that became apparent was the understanding and use of web 2.0 technologies. When this was suggested, the immediate reaction from Joe was, “I don’t blog.” While blogging is one of many technology applications, it is but one. Unfortunately, the statement was used as a generality for most all web 2.0 uses. As a mentor, I need to determine how to overcome this mental block, create a positive experience, skip the topic or move on to the next mentee willing to accept new ideas.
Have you experienced this mentoring block? If so, which path did you take?
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Is one thing Selfish? - Leadership is about balance
I personally refer to our Saturday morning basketball pick-up games as the “Discovery Well Park League.” It sure makes it sound official and like quality basketball skills are demonstrated. The kids of some of the participants call it the “old man basketball league.” Some of our spouses just call it “an accident waiting to happen.” They are all right. This NY Times article by Bill Glovin from 15 Feb 2009 describes 50 year old hoop leagues better than I ever can (NY Times).
Sam had been missing, as some of us do now, and then for a couple months. When I asked him where he was, Sam said “life” had taken over and he had to reset Saturday mornings as a priority for himself. The statement made me think. As leaders, we are often servants to our teams, communities, religions and families. I know I need to work-out consistently to be the best to the people I serve. I have seen leaders that do not take the time to understand themselves, meet those needs and do the best for their teams.
Do you believe in this inner leader need? What is yours and how do you make time for it?
Turning Data into Information – Leaders must communicate
This is a post relaunch attempt due to a failure last week. Sorry.
As a professional industrial engineer, I am one of those geeks that actually enjoyed statistics class. The idea of taking desperate data, manipulating it with other data to create actionable information is a valuable skill. Whenever I see a new user-friendly way to summarize and present information, I try to remember it for future use. A friend brought this to my attention the other day on the “TED – Ideas worth sharing” website. (If you are not yet familiar with TED, you will enjoy it.)
Called a data visionary, Professor Hans Rosling’s current work is amazing. He teaches at Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the work you should view is on “dispelling common myths about the so-called developing world." “Guaranteed: You’ve never seen data presented like this.” This will likely change your next presentation but more importantly, consider the impact this will have on virtual audiences. The data becomes so compelling, it does not matter if you are virtual or in person.
What did you think? Did it change the way you will view data in the future?
Monday, March 9, 2009
Gen “why” – Because it is important - “Management 101 Refresher”
This is part one of a three-part refresher series to remember leadership history. “Those that do not study history are doomed to repeat it.”
I was talking to a group of highly competent, intelligent Gen Y mentees the other day with reference to “the days when Theory X was prevalent in aerospace…” I then took the time to explain Theory X and Y and Douglas McGregor. From that, I decided a good leader really does need to understand the pioneers of management, quality and leadership theory.
These are the management pioneers that most influenced my early thoughts about leading people while in college. I would describe all of the pioneers, but that would not be blog-like, therefore, each has a link to a more thorough source.
• 1911 Principles of Scientific Management, Fredrick Taylor
• 1943 Theory of Hierarchy of Needs, Abraham Maslow
• 1946 Concept of the Corporation, Peter Drucker
• 1954 The Practice of Management, Peter Drucker
• 1968 Motivation-Hygiene Theory, Fredrick Hertzberg
• 1933 The Social Problems of an Industrialised Civilization (Human Relations Theory Hawthorne Effort), Elton Mayo
• 1960 The Human Side of the Enterprise (Theory X/Theory Y), Douglas McGregor
For some of us, this is like a walk down memory lane. Others may not be as familiar with them. One thing for sure, we owe it to the people we mentor to help them build their foundations on the theories of the original pioneers.
Are there any pioneers you would have added to this list? Will you share it with your mentees?
Friday, March 6, 2009
Charlie’s Back - Great leaders know great teammates
Sometimes the most amazing professionals we get the opportunity to work with during a career were not ones we recruited, hired and selected. Sometimes they come with the teams we inherit. Charlie came to our team as a post merger consolidation and things were never the same. Charlie lifted everyone’s performance because her role was to represent all of us in so many ways. If something went perfect, odds are Charlie had a hand in it.
Unfortunately, Charlie moved into retirement-land a few years back, and we all overcame her absence. Fortunately, Charlie kept all skills current and learned new ones. If you noticed an improvement in the quality of the editing on this blog, guess what? Charlie is all over it! When the best offers to help, let them help. Engage them in the decisions. Ask their opinions. Trust their insights. Understand the gift you are presented.
Are you appreciating your gifts? As a leader, do you really value your Charlie?
Monday, March 2, 2009
Managed Spontaneity? - A leadership challenge
Can virtual team leaders create and manage something that is supposed to be spontaneous?
A few years back, I had the privilege of leading a high performance team that was located across the USA. The team desired to excel to even greater levels of achievement, so we completed a couple of team dynamic assessments. The results indicated that to reach the next level, we needed to improve our trust and communication. That sounded like a good idea, but we were already doing most of the traditional communication methods at that time.
We changed our focus. Was it possible to create and deploy something that by its very nature is spontaneous? Could a geographically dispersed team create a virtual hallway, coffee pot or copier? What did we need to do to allow our team to talk, joke and learn about each other virtually? The team questioned everything and we came up with ideas to create pre-WebEx meeting talk, short email codes to simulate good mornings and good nights, and ways to say thank you and recognitions that were as effective as being in person.
Have you been attempting this transformation? Have any particular techniques proved successful?
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