Snake solution

Why not so much a leadership topic, this is why you have not heard from LiaV lately.

After decades of travel, I finally had a close call. I came down with what we call the "Jingdezhen hack" (like a smoker's cough) while in Jingdezhen China. The local "pharmacy" gave me "999" to resolve the symptoms. I found out later it was some kind of ground up snake parts! The condition got worse. I often try to exercise in cases of a cold so on Saturday morning I did two laps around Century Park in central Shanghai. It did not seem to help and the condition got worse so I went to an expat clinic in Shanghai. At first they thought it was pneumonia and did not want me to fly to India that afternoon. They did an x-ray, gave me drugs and let me fly to India. A day later the Shanghai doctor emailed me saying it was pneumonia and to be very careful. I was feeling a little better but still had a deep chest cough that continued the week.

I got back to CT yesterday and saw my local doctor. She confirmed pneumonia and said it was amazing I'm not down ill. She gave more meds and told me not to exercise until the breathing straightens out.

Leaders – travel safe!

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Are you solving puzzles or mysteries?

To be a successful leader on an international stage you have to be extremely curious. Sure, you must have great technical skills, understand cultures and languages and excel at virtual leadership capabilities, but having a healthy curiosity brings it all together.

I’ve shared this time and time again and drive it into the international organization I now lead. While I knew it to be true, I did not have a firm basis for my belief. While reading Malcolm Gladwell’s latest release this weekend (“What the Dog Saw and other adventures”) it all came together. The Million-Dollar Murray chapter discusses in depth the different between solving a puzzle and solving a mystery. Gladwell’s theory suggests that solving “puzzles are transmitter dependent and mysteries are receiver dependent.” One of Gladwell’s examples was the difference between Watergate (Deep Throat was the transmitter) and Enron (reporters and analyst were the receivers and found the issues in the public accounting statements).

For the international leader, this means a successful business relationship is not as simple as reading a book. It involves taking the huge amount of disparate data points and painting the successful approach. It is your role as the leader to interpret what you are given.

As a leader, do you try to solve puzzles or focus on mysteries?

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Jim, Tim and Earl have character!

Jim Burr, Tim Higgins and Earl Walton made a mistake. They missed a game ending Big East Conference second-round basketball call at Madison Square Garden that ended the Rutgers University season prematurely. It was obvious and misfortunate.
Here is the big difference that makes me bring it to the attention of the LiaV community. Referees Burr, Higgins and Walton took complete ownership in their error and removed themselves from the rest of the tournament. They administered self discipline. There was no investigation, review or committee. They recognized their mistake, felt a huge sense of injustice and decided the right path forward without any further consideration.
As leaders, we are going to make mistakes. We need to own them, do the right corrective action and move forward. Admit to your shortfalls before others do and take your own corrective action. I wanted St. Johns to win this basketball game, but t not this way. The self action of the referees renewed my faith in the refs that made the error.
Have you seen a leader take ownership for an error? How did it make you feel?

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R u stdyg us as mch as we r u? (2)

We met Josh and Elizabeth in downtown NYC for an evening of good food and conversation. The four of us had mutual professional interests but viewed the world from very different perspectives. Two of us were just starting our careers and the other two were enjoying the benefits of successful careers Around that table (other than some gray hair) you could not tell who was who.

A few years ago, I posted the question “Are you studying us as much as we are you?” The hypothesis was that boomers were spending a lot more effort learning to be successful working with Gen Y’s than they were on how to work with us. The comments to the posting indicated that those in leadership roles had the responsibility to do the learning. One person even commented that the boomers need the Gen Ys far more than the Gen Ys need them. Well, my faith has been restored. QR codes, social networkings in the workplace and knowledge management solutions were tossed around the table with excitement. The table was vibrating with curiosity as we shared different perspectives. The visit was a blast and one well worth the effort.

As leaders, how are you staying current with work place technology opportunities? Who are your Josh and Elizabeth 25 year old mentors?

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LiaV™ recognized again – Thank you

On-Line University.net has selected “Leadership is a Verb™” as one of the best fifty leadership blogs on the web. The list includes many others that are worth your viewing – some professional and other amateur.

Thank you for the encouragement and making our community successful.

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Are U Happy?

A leader that knows what makes them happy is far more likely to understand what makes others happy. The 17 June 2004 article by James Montier in Global Equity Strategy tilted “The Psychology of Happiness” outlines where happiness comes from.

Here is Montier’s top ten list for improving happiness (in no particular order)

1) Don’t equate happiness with money.
2) Exercise regularly.
3) Have sex (preferably with someone you love).
4) Devote time and effort to close relationships..
5) Pause for reflection; meditate on the good things in life.
6) Seek work that engages your skills; look to enjoy your job.
7) Give your body the sleep it needs.
8) Don’t pursue happiness for its own sake, enjoy the moment.
9) Take control of your life, set yourself achievable goals.
10) Remember to follow the rules.

How many of these ten do you do?

http://www.trendfollowing.com/whitepaper/happiness.pdf

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Mildly interesting, not relevant

I had the opportunity last week to hear a senior Army officer speak about his priorities and the importance of contractor performance to them achieving their objectives. He was quite focused and knew his topic. On a couple occasions during the talk he described certain information as “mildly interesting, not relevant.”

So many things are mildly interesting and not relevant. It often seems like a leaders job is to sort through the mildly interesting to find the relevant. In fact, some experts would say that is a key skill a true leader must have. I would suggest the same skill is critical for team members to understand when communicating with their leadership. Everyone is busy. To be an effective communicator, one must thoroughly determine what is fluff and what is important. If you can do this, your message will get through.

How do you teach your teams the difference between what is mildly interesting and what is truly relevant? Has it worked?

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Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

“In quantum mechanics, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle states by precise inequalities that certain pairs of physical properties, such as position and momentum, cannot be simultaneously known to arbitrarily high precision. That is, the more precisely one property is measured, the less precisely the other can be measured.”
I first starting web searching this topic today because there was reference to it in the New York Times. The way the author there described the principle seemed to be relatable to our leadership topic. So what did I learn? First, look up information you read to see if it is true. Second, quantum mechanics is very interesting and complex.
What does it have to do leadership? Simply that we all balance priorities, resources, effort and attention. While the quantum folks are balancing position and momentum measurement accuracy, we tend to balance quality and speed. In past posts (“Understanding the blind spots”), I’ve shared the decision model for leaders that has urgency on the Y axis and importance on the X axis. Simple guidelines like this can help leaders focus.
Hopefully none of you are professionals of quantum physics and able to tell how much I butchered Mr. Heisenberg’s work.
What tools or guidelines do you use to prioritize your time and focus?

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Refrigerators and Microwaves

The first manufacturing management assignment I had (called a foreman back then) was assembling the MD-80 upper aft fuselage. It was loud, dirty, had plenty of shortages and the parts did not fit together very well. Lean was not cool yet. You’d think the team I was responsible for would want my help fixing these issues, but they did not. They told me in no uncertain terms that they needed a new refrigerator in order for productivity to improve. I got them a refrigerator. The next group needed a microwave oven. I got them an oven. Another group needed filing cabinets. I got them. An exhausted Supplier Management team just needed a day off. We took the heat and shut down for a holiday weekend. Time and time again, leaders need to help teams with the fundamentals before moving to the more complicated.

The funny thing is these are not new concepts. Abraham Maslow (Hierarchy of Needs - 1943) and Fredrick Hertzberg (Motivation-Hygiene Theory - 1963) have been taught for years. I formally learned them in 1980. Sometimes in our quest for the “new and exciting” we do not give proper credence to the tried-and-true. Bottom line, it is unlikely a team of people can do fantastic work when their basic needs are not being met. Key here is that the leader does not select what the basic needs are or if they are being met. The team or the customer selects.

We all want to work on the latest and greatest, but we need to ensure the “refrigerators and microwaves” are in working order first. Where have you seen this done well?

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Leaders find opportunity

It was November 1999 and Cheryl asked her team to develop a list of all the IT applications that they believe had no real use. The assignment created a list of over 500 reports and summaries. The IT team was authorized to turn all of them off over the holidays and was instructed that if any of the users speak up, simply mention Y2K and turn the report back on immediately. Interestingly, the only person to inquiry was the courier that carries the report, not the actual user!

Each year, the holiday break allows me to rethink my leadership and team interface approach. This ensures I make the adjustments needed to be the most effective. This year was no different. As leaders, we need to be open to seeing change as opportunities for improvement. While the rest of the work force might fear the upcoming new environment, leaders have the ability to see the future and how the change will help them achieve their objectives.

What recent changes have you used to your team’s advantage? Do you re-assess your leadership approach at least annually?

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Leadership 2011

Thank you to all that participated in LiaV in 2010. It was an exciting year with lots of leadership topics discussed and lessons learned. You made this forum what it has become.

Please let me us know if you have ideas for improvements for 2011.

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The seating of leaders

I attended two year-end senior leadership events in the last couple weeks and something became very obvious. People notice where leaders sit.

The first was a senior leadership objectives alignment meeting where the top leadership filled the front row of the venue. Each had a speaking role and this did make the transition between speakers smooth. The second was a large holiday celebration party where the senior leadership gathered together at a front and center table with their significant others. In both cases, the seating was “expected.” People shared two thoughts on the seating of leaders. Many traditionalists felt they wanted their leader at the front table to show the importance of the organization in which they work. The newer teammates would have liked to have seen their leaders sitting with their teams to learn about them as people rather than executives. From my perspective as a senior leader, it reminded me of all those years sitting at the kids table on Thanksgiving, only to become old enough to be “promoted” to the adult table to find the old table was a lot more fun!

Where would you like to see your leader sit at large company function? Where do you sit as a leader?

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Leaders have to set the standard

The University of Oregon football team has developed a new approach that moves very quickly and keeps its opponents off guard. They have not lost a game this season and will play in the national championship game.

This, unfortunately, has brought out some of the worst of its competition. On November 13th, Aaron Tipoti (#40) of the University of California at Berkeley was instructed by his coach to fake an injury an effort to slow down the Oregon team. It became obvious from the YouTube video watched by thousands that Berkeley Coach Jeff Tedford delivered the instructions for the ruse.

We continuously to hear and see poor sportsmanship in college and professional sports. We normally think of it as something linked to spoiled, overpaid, over-hyped athletes. This case the coach instructed the athlete to cross the ethics line. Then, to make matters worse, Aaron Tipoti did the unethical act. As leaders, the standards we set ripple throughout the team. Whether it is actually instructing unethical behavior or role modeling it, people do what we indicate is ok.

How do you ensure you leadership messages so up to standard that you would like thousands to view them on YouTube?

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A leader’s willingness

At the end of a recent trip to India, I relived a valuable leadership lesson originally learned when I was fourteen years old.

We were having dinner and one of the team complemented me on the wide variety of skills I have picked up over the years working international aerospace projects. My comment back to him was that “it is less what I can do than it is what I am willing to do.” Many people know how to do certain tasks, but far less people willing to do the travel, work the time zone differences, read the cultural books, work the relationships and learn the customs. Coach Ed Noel taught me this lesson when I started playing organized sports. He told me there would always be players better than me, but none of them should put in more effort. Doing the extra sprints, foul shots, defensive drills, dribbling exercises and taking those darn offensive fouls will pay off in the end. It was all about what effort you are willing to put out.

People see what their leaders are willing to do. It makes a statement to the whole organization and those around it. Some call it being a role model, but I’m talking about something more extreme. It is the attitude that nothing is beneath you or beyond your reach. It is effort and being willing to do whatever it takes.

How you demonstrate your willingness to your teams?

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Do U “CBM”

Greetings from India.

Remya was taking a lot of notes as her bosses practiced their tour explanations. She was plotting the flow and observing the gestures. Everything had to be perfect. The CEO’s of two of the largest companies in the world were going to visit and this was their opportunity to demonstrate their accomplishments.

After about 15 tries, one of the senior executives and I noticed that she was always the one with the correct answer to any of our questions. We looked at each other and decided to let her give us a tour and she how she did. She did amazingly. She had been studying and really nailed it. Later that evening, the other executive mentioned to me that Remya had a real “CBM” today. I asked what that was and he replied, a “Confidence Building Moment.” What a great concept.

As leaders, we have the ability to create CBMs whenever we want. We can make people feel bad about their mistakes or we can use them to build talent and confidence. We can let our people stretch into new assignments or hold them back. We can encourage our people to grow or we can smother them with administrative tasks.

What CBMs have you given your people this week?

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Death by Blackberry

Every once in a while, Leadership is a Verb makes a very simple observation and recommendation. Below is an email I sent to my team concerning safety:

“A car travels approximately the length of a football field in 5 seconds. The same amount of time as that to glance at an email on the Blackberry. Using a Blackberry while driving is against the law and VERY unsafe. It is not a sign of your robust virtual skills.

I believe some of you are doing it to be efficient, timely or just boredom. Please stop. Someone is going to get hurt.

Thank you for your support on this important safety topic.

John”

As a leader, how often do you coach your people in such simple and clear manner?

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“Unconscious Incompetence”

Over the last year, I’ve noticed a trend in how certain drivers react to runners. The final half mile of my regular run takes me by the A&P grocery store. I’ve noticed there are basically four types of drivers coming into and out-off the driveways. There are those that are completely oblivious (these folks are very dangerous), those that purposefully cut you out, those that see you and slow down and those that approach cautiously as if they always drive with care. So you ask, what does this have to do with leadership?

Last week, a Human Resources professional shared the “Stages of Professional Development” provided to him by Tulin Diveriteam Associates. It also appeared in an old blog post by Benjamin Ellis on Redcatco. The model describes the continuum of professional develop in term of “consciousness” and “competence.” The order triggered with me because it completely matched the skill and/or attitude of the drivers I’ve been encountering (1. Unconscious Incompetence, 2. Conscious Incompetence, 3. Conscious Competence, and 4. Unconscious Competence). I like it when my observations are later explained based on a model. This model seems particularly helpful because it points out the importance of providing people feedback.

What are your thoughts of this continuum? Do you have situations where it applies?



David P. Tulin – President & Founder, ©2010 Tulin DiversiTeam Associates, 215-870-0349, dtulin@diversiteam.com, http://diversiteam.com/

Redcatco – Social Technology for Business - Benjamin Ellis – April 12, 2007 - http://redcatco.com/blog/leadership/learning/you-live-you-learn-learn-to-learn-learn-to-live/

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Tribes

The Austin City Limits Music Festival brings together 100,000 of your closest friends to enjoy a wide variety of music, art and entertainment. In the midst of the mass of humanity enjoying music on five stages, there were an unusually large number of flags being flown. There were state, university, product and homemade flags. Observing closer, they were being used to help groups find their home base and the advertise something about the group.

People within a very large organization want to be in their local tribes. They need to be part of something they understand and with like minded people. Whether it is a large concert event or a large company, leaders need to create the "esprit de corps” of a smaller team. While this runs counter intuitive to the goals of some CEOs, it is something leaders at the working level must understand and achieve.

What do you do for your team to help them be a part of something smaller?

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Defend the crazy?

I was a superintendant of MD-11 Major Structures Production back in the days when that was not a very friendly place. The requirements of the position were extreme and it always seemed like people were thinking of reasons to cause us to fail. Long hours and seven day weeks wore on us all. Quality was to slow. Tooling never worked. Engineering designed the impossible. And, those Supplier Management guys lost the parts on purpose! Of course none of this was true, but unfortunately we believed it at the time.

One day my director came through and I was expecting the same butt kicking I normally got. This day was different. He asked me if I would be willing to take an assignment in Supplier Management to “straighten out those parts guys.” I was told earlier in my career to be careful what you complain about because someone will select you to fix it. Funny what happens in situations like these. The same people that thought they would be fired taught me the way I ran production caused many of the problems. I quickly learned there were good people all over trying to do the right things. I could not believe how quickly I could help the new team and improve performance. They were surprised this “crazy production guy” would actually defend them in public.

Have you experienced a change were you moved to a team you did not much respect only to find you had an incorrect perception of their capability and intend? What did you do?

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Another case for great talent

Yes, I’ve been on the road with limited on-line access for a while!

Things always seem to break when you need them most. You know, the car does not start the day you are running late to work for an important event or to the airport for a flight. What if you had a 100% effective back-up plan for all possible contingencies?

A week ago, I got a new executive boss. There was no doubt he would be very curious and inquire about everything. I, on the other hand, was headed out on an international supplier Program Management Review cycle through Poland, Czech and China. Following my return, we were headed out on a two week holiday road trip.

So how does one deal with such a combination crisis? Easy, develop and recruit people more talented than yourself. (Remember - A’s hire A’s and B’s hire C’s.) The team is handling the transition without a bump in the road. The team we grew is ready to lead without me and is performing amazingly. Each individual is more talented than I with great combined capability.

Would your organization be able to cover your four week absence? Would you trust them to break-in your new boss?

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