Team Champion

Thank You Peyton Manning

2011-12-20T23:19:00.000-05:00

Now before anyone gets all up in arms let me explain myself. I should also mention that I have not been avidly following the Indianapolis Colts and I am not a Manning devotee. But living in Indiana of course we hear a lot about the team. So why am I thanking Manning.

First I wanted to thank him for showing our youth that you should not “play at all costs”. I know he was playing in pain at least at the end of last season. But even then I don’t remember hearing a lot of hoopla regarding how the pain affected his play. And yes we have been kept up to date with all the other medical updates. He has not rushed to play. Which I know is really hard with the lack of success the team has had this year. There are things that need to be taken seriously regarding your physical health. My son played with young men (high school age) who needed to seek medical attention but didn’t want to sit out even one game. I wonder how they are doing now.

Secondly I wanted to thank Manning for the excellent example of begin a team player. He is active on the sideline doing anything he can to assist the team. He is still actively engaged in watching the plays, analyzing the defense, and giving advice to the quarterback. When I have heard him interviewed after games I haven’t heard him whine about not playing. Or what he would have done if he was in the game. That is the way a team member should support the team no matter if they are unable to play for the season, not having a great game, or are ill. I am sure he has had a lot of down moments but from my seat I have only seen an individual who is working to get healthy and helping his team.

In many offices I see individuals who say they are team players yet they come in sick or they do not perform at the best. They usually have some excuse like “I’ve worked really hard all week so I am going to coast today.” Or they come in sick because they don’t believe that their teammates can cover for them. Our companies need employees who come in to work and provide their best every day. Learning to work as a team and support each other is a key skill that everyone needs to learn. Manning couldn’t provide the team his skills as a quarterback on the field, but he could provide his knowledge of the game, skill at understanding the other team’s defense, and being present (not sitting on the bench goofing around). I think we should all aspire to be that good of a teammate.

Are Leaders Allowed to Charge Their Minds on Issues?

2011-12-07T22:02:00.001-05:00

With all the hoopla around the presidential candidates I have really enjoyed the talk radio stations. Especially when the listeners call in because some of the comments are really out there. Yesterday however one comment really caught my attention. The caller commented about one candidate changing their minds on several issues from the last election.

So my question to you is "Are leaders/manager/executives allowed to change their minds?" Why or why not. If the answer is yes how should they handle the change?

It’s Time For Action

2011-12-05T09:00:00.001-05:00

Well it has taken almost 3 years before the President actually said something that I agree on. Pres. Obama asked the Congressional Black Caucus to “stop whining.” I don’t necessarily agree with the rest of the speech. But I find the complaints about paying way too much in taxes very interesting. We want to get the government out of our live yet we look for the government to:

Pay for our retirement because everyone expects social security to cover our retirement.
Pay for people who are not employed for almost 2 years!
Pay subsidies to certain industries so that they can be competitive in the global market.
Pay for development of advancement in technology or new technology.
Pay for research for diseases.
Pay for natural disasters.
And I am sure there are much more.

I believe it is time for individual action. It time to stop saying:

I don’t have time to…
I don’t like to….
I really don’t want to….
It’s not my job….
They don’t pay me to ……
I shouldn’t have to….

We need to start taking PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY for improving yourself and your organization. If you are not working then you need to go out and get a job. I find it interesting that out of work individuals that I know could get a job but it isn’t the right job. So they would rather sit at home on unemployment instead of going out and working. That is not what the country needs.

In most companies I hear that there is a lack of trust in the organization. But I think that it goes deeper than that. No one wants to take responsibility for anything. Nor do they want to be held accountable. And as I pondered on the topic I began to think that maybe it is even deeper to that. Is it really a cause of lack of loyalty to anyone or anything?

Loyalty is faithfulness or a devotion to a person, country, group, or cause. We have become a society that is not loyal to anything. We are not loyal to our spouse, our company and any more I don’t think most Americans are loyal to our country.

I believe that if we were loyal then maybe the accountability would be easier to build. But without accountability I do not believe that we can develop trust. We have to be ready to fire people who are not accountable even if they are a good performer. Now you are probably wondering how that could happen. I have seen many times where individuals do not involve others in their work as they are directed to, or they are consistently late, but yet they get the job done. I don’t believe that behavior is good for the company. I would have trouble trusting that individual. I would question his loyalty to my organization. So I would have to let him go.

I believe as businesses should set accountability structures and hold their people to it.

We are getting what we asked for…

2011-08-12T10:29:00.000-04:00

I have to shake my head at everything that I am hearing on the news these days. But not for the reasons you may think.

Examples of getting what we asked for:

We believed that everyone should be able to buy a house. The banking industry came up with a product to meet that demand. People who really couldn’t afford to buy and maintain a house didn’t read the contract and the future payments. RESULT: defaults on mortgages and the banking industry stuck with a lot of houses instead of money.

We asked for cheaper products. The business community has answered us. To produce the product at those prices they have had to computerize, create robot, or go overseas to meet the price desired. RESULT: fewer employees.

We pushed for an increase in minimum wages. It was passed. Now it the cost for employees has caused companies to computerize, create robot, or go overseas to continue to beat the competition. RESULT: fewer employees.

In 2008 when companies were struggling and either closed or had to lay off employees we asked for help. The government extended the unemployment benefits. RESULT: higher unemployment taxes that companies have to pay (potentially at the federal and state level), thus increasing the cost of every working employee.

Secondary result: this probably isn’t true for everyone but these are some of the effects I heard from CEOs and business owners:

1) Employees tell them that they can make more from unemployment and don’t have to work hard.

2) Employees will work for a couple months and then quit so they can get back on unemployment.

3) Would rather be on unemployment than take a cut in pay.

4) They want to start out at the same rate that they were receiving at their old job. (Not at the starting salary/wage.)

So individuals are not working really hard to get jobs.

According to reports the amount of debt most families are carrying is at an all-time high (they keep raising their debt ceilings). And we are being told that if we go out and spend more it would create more jobs. RESULTS: not 100% sure but would bet that it will increase the debt load of the same families.

Companies are asked to create jobs. RESULTS: again not 100% but will this lead to increase cost of products or increased debt to the organization.

We asked for lower taxes. The government has been working different programs to reduce the tax impact. RESULTS: the government has to reduce staff and that causes reduction in services or the ability to perform the services.

We scream that the government has to do something when: there’s a flood, fire, hurricane, tornado, or any other disaster. WHERE IS THE MONEY SUPPOSE TO COME FROM?

In the last election I heard people interviewed that were sure that Pres. Obama would buy them a house, get them insurance and a job. Now where is that money coming from?

The situation we are in reminds me of a quote by Mao Tse Tung:

“It is well known that when you do anything, unless you understand its actual circumstances, its nature and its relationship to other things, you will not know the laws governing it, or how to do it, or be able to do it well.”

In this quote I believe that he is referring to the natural laws that govern life. The natural cause and effect involved in every interaction. Individuals make decisions or take actions based on their view of the situation. They think they know all the facts or all of the consequences of their actions but they don’t. They believe that they are making “logical” decision and don’t realize that every decision has an emotion connected to it.

When I work with groups/teams I am amazed at their hesitancy to really look at the downside of the proposed decision. It someone will be negatively impacted their answer usually is something like “the good of the many out way the need of the few”, or “it will impact on a few people”. In a local debate the comment was “it will only negatively affect 1 business.”

So I believe that until we are really able to quit making quick decisions (or believing that there is one answer and your know it) and look at the better decision we will continue to spiral. I feel this is especially important within organizations. Employees, management, leadership, and owners need to work together to find the best solution for the organization. What is the overall best decision. I am sure that the impact will not be the same on everyone but what isn’t the goal for the organization to succeed so that everyone will benefit?

When will we get our pride back and take responsibility not on for our self’s but also for everyone around us. Why is it better to be on unemployment better than working 2 jobs? Why do we hate the government but yet want it to take care of everything?

We have met the enemy and yes it is us.

“Quick Decisions lead to Faulty Solutions”

Organizational Decoys

2011-06-14T13:29:00.000-04:00

Why is it so easy for personal issues take center stage? I believe it's because most people believe that these issues are quick to fix. Plus it gives us a chance to solve something. We don't feel so helpless.

Take the newest "sex scandal." Why is it taking so much of our press time? Why is it the main topic in the news, conference rooms, and legislative resources? Sex scandals are "sexy". We are intrigued with the people who are in the light. And in a way we like to see the flaws. Then they are seen as mere mortals.

Political scandals have been around since the country was born. And yes there were "sex" scandals back in 1796. (Wikipedia) Yes they put into question the morals and ethics of the individuals involved. Yes, most individuals would find it appalling.

However, scandals (of all types) occur not only in the government but also in other organizations. It seems so easy to focus on that. People are fascinated with it. And while we are focusing on this issue the really important issues get put on the back burner.

Rep. Anthony Weiner may have made major mistakes. But let's look at another notable: President William Jefferson Clinton. Why didn't Pres. Clinton leave office? Why wasn't he impeached? How many CEO's, executives, actors, athletes, or other high profile individuals have been caught in improper behaviour? How many "regular people" have committed acts of discretion?

I am by no means saying that what Rep. Weiner or any of the others did was right. That includes my ex-husband. What I am saying is that what we should be focusing on. Yes Rep. Weiner has some explaining to do to his wife and the other women involved. But why is it taking up all the time and press. Shouldn't we be focusing on the important issues of our nation.

We need to realize that people are people and we all make mistakes. Even those religious leaders, remember Jim Bakker? (Christian evangelists scandals of all types go back to the 1920's and that doesn't include the scandals of the various faith organizations) Bakker has returned to preaching. Does his mistakes mean that he cannot continue his ministry? Don't know.

I for one would like to see Rep. Weiner and the rest of his colleagues get back to work and solve the issues that are plaguing our country. Those are issues that will take a lot of energy and creative thought to solve. I don't believe that Rep. Weiner should resign, I believe he should continue the work he was elected to do. Then at the next election, if he chooses to run for re-election, the voters of his district will decide whether he is the best person to represent them in Congress.

What about your organization? Do you have "personal" issues that are plaguing your success? Have you solved these issues? Let us know how you were able to resolve the issues and what you learned through the process.

Effective Teams: It All Starts With Me

2011-02-25T15:49:00.000-05:00

Yes I know we have all heard this before right? But when I talk about starting with “me” I am referring to the fact that I really need to understand “me”. I know you are thinking I do know “me” but not to sound philosophical, can we really know all there is to know about ourselves? The reason I believe that we need to start with “me” is because that is the only member of the team we can truly understand and control.

I am not by any means a young person (I can remember the plate spinners and life before cell phones) but I believe I have learned more about myself in the last 10 years than I did up to then. I have learned about what motivates me, what I want to achieve, and what makes me happy.

When I work with people I have to check on “me” so I know what I need to do for an effective conversation. This check includes answering the following list of questions so I am clear on what will impact me during the conversation.

My views on the topic being discussed.
My views of the other people involved.
How I believe the group will and won’t consider my input.
How does this fit in with the overall priorities in my current life. (yes current because our priorities can and do change frequently)
How do I believe the other people in the group view me?
What am I doing after the meeting?
What has happened to me in the last 24 hours?
What do I want to gain from this conversation?
What do I have to lose?
Who in the group has an agenda they are pushing.

I am sure that this is a partial list as I find new things that I need to understand. All of these items add bias to my conclusions.

I really thought about this after watched the movie “I Robot”. For those that haven’t seen the movie, he story takes place in the year 2035 in Chicago, in a world where robots are widespread and used as servants and for various public services. The robots were to follow the “three laws”. The “three laws” are:

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

But the controlling computer began interpreting the laws as its intelligence evolved. It decided that in order to protect humanity as a whole, some humans must be sacrificed and some freedoms must be surrenders to keep humanity safe. The decision was purely logical and didn’t have any feelings or concerns. It was the best decision.

How many times to we hear that we made the best decision. With the robots they looked at the issue without any preconceived idea of what the best decision is. I am not sure that we can say the same thing when we make decisions. We way we are being unbiased. Yet I do not believe that we can be unbiased. We make decisions based on all of our history and experience. So how can we go into any interactions as an unbiased participant?

So what do you do to keep open to others ideas and information?

How Long Does It Take To Build A Team?

2011-02-22T17:23:00.000-05:00

No one can say for sure. But what I do know is that it is not a task that you can check off and say it is done. That's why it's usually referred to as team "building". Let me give you an example for the sports world and the next entry will begin to look at how it applies to the work world.

I am a huge Indiana University basketball fan. The men's basketball program began to spiral from when Bob Knight (no matter what you view of Coach Knight is the problems started then) left IU and the completely collapsed during the2007-08 basketball season. Now regardless of what happened and why, Coach Tom Crean walked in as head coach for IU on April 1, 2008 with the following situation:

The school was facing the possibility of severe NCAA sanctions based on the previous year's actives. The sanctions could include loss of amount of scholarships (Which for those that don't know D1 schools, those that you might see in the NCAA tourney, are allowed to give out 13 scholarships. These scholarships are what helps the school attract talented players to their programs. There are hundreds to maybe thousands of other schools that have very good sports programs but are not allowed to give this amount of scholarships for basketball.) to possibly not being able to play in any post season tourneys for a set period of time.
Crean came in with worse than a dysfunctional team he virtually had no team (freshman phenom Eric Gordon opted to leave early for the NBA, DJ White graduated and was drafted, two players (including Jordan Crawford) transferred and three others were kicked off the team). As a result, Crean was left with a roster with only two returning players, only one of whom was on scholarship (the two players combined for 30 points in the previous season).
Coach started the 2008-09 season with one senior, five true freshmen, six walk-ons, Having one walk- is an oddity in many college basketball programs. So to have six in a highly regarded program like IU is unheard of.
The Coach and his team had very little knowledge of the players. He didn't know what their strengths were and what would be the best way to use them in the team.
Normally during recruiting Coaches are looking for players to help either fill a needed role or to provide skills that the team is lacking. Coach Crean didn't have a core team so any recruiting he was able to do was mainly to get talented players.
IU basketball fans are fierce. They not only follow their teams everywhere but they expect them to win. So not winning was not an option for the fans. So no pressure there right.

So needless to say the first season was really hard to watch for a fan but very interesting for me. I watched with great interest, admiration, and pride in how hard the team worked. No they didn't win the championship, actually they had the worse record in the school's history (6-25, 1-17conference). What I admired most was the guts and commitment the team showed for their team, their coach, and their school. The team came every night to play.

The next year was better but still not the caliber that the IU faithful expect (10-21, 4-14 conference). This year started with high expectations and hopes. The team started off fairly strong and they have had some strong showings yet they are 12-15, 3-11 conference at the writing of this entry.(including 2 wins against nationally ranked teams) But when you have fans that are expecting 20+ wins and a trip to the tourney it is a tough road. That is not going to happen this year.

Yet there are people who believe that maybe Crean needs to go. They believe that it is taking too long to get a winning team. How long should it take to build a championship team? Especially when you have nothing to start with.

I don't know about a NCAA championship team, but I do know that developing a work team takes a long time. So how do you build your teams? How long did it take? Next entry we'll start talking about how to build your team.

It's All About Me After All

2011-01-21T12:11:00.000-05:00

Since May I have been working with a new client. It has always amazed me how much similarity there are between groups. Usually I am told that there is no way I can help them unless I know there business. But it is not about the business. It’s all about the “me” in the organization. That is the part that no one in the organization understands. This is the territory that I travel.

When working with teams, I no longer talk about having a positive attitude. Most people hear “positive attitude” as a platitude and they are tired of hearing that if they are just positive all the frustrating things will go away. The frustration remains because it has not been dealt with plus now they have to smile about it.

Yet it is all about the “me”. Not the attitude but rather the point of view of the “me”. What does the various “mes” feel about change the organization is taking? Point of view is defined as an individual’s opinions or set of beliefs which shapes their attitude. Many times these points of view are interpreted as a negative attitude. When in reality it is because from their point of view they do not agree with the direction.

The issue with points of view is that usually each “me” has already figured out what the fix should be. So any activity that doesn’t match what they think needs to be done (believe me they have been stewing over it for a long time) is not going to work. If I work with a production team, that is fully convinced that the issue is with sales, will not even want to think how their processes may be affecting the situation. “We are not the problem you need to fix sales.”

What many people don’t understand is that what appears to be working may only be working because it is a band aid to help the organization. But if the organization wants to succeed and grow then the band aids need to be removed and the real work of improvement needs to be accomplished.

Changing points of view is actually harder than changing their attitude. Actually you need to change the point of view before you can effectively change the attitude. Otherwise changes in attitude are false and end up negatively affecting the changes you want to make in your organization. People will do things because they are supposed to not because it is the best thing for the organization. So you now have individuals who don’t care but have a good attitude. You want them to care. So how do you change their point of view?

Here is where the work begins. When you think of point of view you may think of writing or movies. At least that is where I learned about point of view. In these fields point of view is important if you want to truly connect to your reader or viewer. But isn’t’ that want you want to do with your employees? Award-winning author Alicia Rasley in her book “The Power of Point of View” explains how point of view functions as a crucial piece of your story--something that ultimately shapes and drives character, plot, and every other component of your fiction. I believe that point of view shapes and drives everyone’s thoughts and actions. How can you find the points of view of your team and how do you shift it that is the question. After all it is all about “me”.

Have you been able to switch the points of view of your employees? Share your success.

Why Would You Fire the Team’s Star?

2011-01-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

It was interesting to read today that the University of Indianapolis dismissed their leading scorer. Why you may ask would you let go your leading scorer (who for the record was on target to become the top scorer in the university’s history)?

According to the reporter’s article Coach LeAnn Freeland dismissed her leading scorer because of inappropriate on-court behavior. Finally, an individual is held accountable for how they act. How many people do you know that are real jerks at work but they are allowed to be jerks because of their expertise or ability to “score” for the organization?

I know watching a basketball game may not seem similar to watching the actions of people in a work place but I would disagree. Work processes are a series of “passes” leading to a “score”. Some people believe that if they are good enough, the “star” of the unit, then they can act anyway they want. If I am a production manager I can be the biggest jerk around as long as I can make the impossible happen. The more miracles I can make happen the more bad behavior is accepted.

Why do we let this happen? For a variety of reasons but the two that I see most often are:

“We want the “scores".
“I don’t know how to address the behavior.” It is difficult to write expectations of behavior in a form that is easily understand.

As a business owner I understand that it can be extremely frightening to eliminate your prime revenue source, however what is the inappropriate behavior doing to your entire organization? Are you losing other key staff people on a regular basis? Is it worth keeping the “star”?

Holding individuals to behavioral standards is very difficult. It is easy to try to justify their inappropriate behavior. “Steve only yelled because of ………..” We make these justifications for a variety of reasons; the main one that I hear is that the supervisor can understand why the behavior may have occurred. “If my mother was in the hospital I would be on edge too, so I can understand why he was upset when ………”

Until we start holding people accountable for their actions (the how we do things) and not just their accomplishment (meeting the goals of the organization) we shouldn’t expect their behavior to change. But I find it interesting how the team blossoms when the negative force is removed for the picture. It may take a little while for the organization to totally adjust but the environment of the organization will change immediately. It’s almost like weeding a garden. The flowers will take a few days to get use to the space but then they multiply and become fuller.

Tell us about the inappropriate behaviors in your organization and what is it cost of the behaviors?

When Production and Sales Collide

2011-01-07T11:26:00.000-05:00

I find it interesting that no matter what organization I work with there always seems to be a major disconnect between production and sales. Even in service organization there is disconnect between the service providers and their sales. Shouldn’t they be on the same page? Aren’t they trying to achieve the same goal?

If you ask them why there is such disconnect, they will say things like:

“Sales doesn’t understand what it takes to make the product. They make promises that we can’t keep.”

“Production just doesn’t get it. We have to have it this way or we can’t make the sale. The competition is doing it why can’t we?”

When they get together all they do is fight. No one stops and listens to the other side. Why you may ask. Unless you are in sales or production in which case you think you already know the answer. I believe it is because we haven’t trained people to effectively problem solve. Therefore all the past experiences of the individual come into play. And of course our past memories are never wrong….Right?

Wrong. Most people remember at least of version (their view point) of the past situation. Of course the future will be a repeat of the past. But it doesn’t have to be.

All segments of the organization need to be able to sit down and withhold judgment not only on the issue but also the individuals involved. Sales and production can and should be an incredible force for your organization. They need to see the other as a trusted partner not an evil force that needs to be conquered.

Tell us about how you have been able to get your sales and production teams to work together.

Rake Constantly

2011-01-02T20:52:00.000-05:00

I find it interesting when companies don’t think they can learn from other companies outside their industries. Especially since I recently learned something watching the landscape company I hired to cut down dead trees in our yard.

As I watched the small crew work, it was a 4 member crew; I noticed that at least one was raking up debris constantly through the process. As I began to watch I wondered if the job could be done cheaper with fewer people? Do they really need 4 people? I know none of you have ever seconded guessed a contractor while there were doing a project.

While I watched the crew I realized that the tree removal was never messy.

Large branches were cut down. The branches were hauled off and shredded and the mess was raked every time the ground was free of branches.
Sections of the trunk of the tree were cut off. A small “gator” took the sections to a spot in the back yard where they were stacked (for the family to cut and split). All the debris was raked as each section was mover.
The stump was removed, the final mess was raked and the ground was smoothed over the location the tree once occupied.

I was amazed at how fast these 4 individuals removed 4 fully grown (although dead) trees plus 3 other stumps in less than 5 hours. I mentioned to the owner that I was surprised how quickly they removed the trees. The owner told me that they usually use a crew of 3 people but they found that by adding one person to their crew they were able to get more accomplished in a day.

Of course I don’t have access to their numbers, but I firmly believe that if they didn’t have the 4^th member the project would have taken as least 2 more hours. Which I would assume would mean that the company would not have been able to do another contract.

But the bigger lesson for me was what the seeing the cost of choosing to ignore the “raking”. Even though at the time it doesn’t seem to be really important urgent and there will be time to do it later. But that is where I get in trouble because it just piles up.

When working with organizations I find that managers tend to not “rake” up the mess in their interactions with each other and their staff. I’ve heard many times “it is not a big deal, I’ll wait till it is something big before we talk about it.” Until we learn to “rake” the debris and get rid of it, our relationships will continue to get more cluttered. And unfortunately that is usually when an issue becomes a wildfire and burns through the entire organization turning it to ash.

Make 2011 the year you are going to start “raking” up issues constantly before the chaos causes wild fires in your organization.

Expectations - Are They Realistic?

2011-01-01T23:55:00.000-05:00

I have found it interesting how we expect everyone to know what are our expectations. Every boss should know how to motivate me? Every sales person should know what I want? All employees should know what I need from them? All my vendors should know what I need? Right. Yet when I ask if they voiced what their expectations are I usually get a response like "They should know".

How are they to know what is expected from them? Are they suppose to pick it up through telepathy? I've seen managers and supervisors let their staff fail because they should know how to do something. Or better yet how many of us expect that our spouses or significant others know exactly what we want or need. That is by far the craziest thing I have ever heard.

I was at a meeting last week that was a tough meeting. After the meeting I was told that some of the staff were not happy with how the meeting went. Why didn't they mention it during the meeting? Why did they tell everyone but the people that needed to know?

I've decided it is because we are afraid to let people know what we really want. If I voice what I want or need other may either make fun of me, tell me I am wrong, or I may actually get what I need. That I believe is the scariest thought for most people. Because if I get people to treat me the way I want to be treated then I have nothing to complain about.

How much time would we save if everyone wasn't complaining after every meeting? What increase in productivity would we see if people were effectively working together? I don't know but I sure would like to find out.

What is Truth?

2010-12-27T16:19:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity to see a performance of the musical “Wicked” yesterday and was struck by a couple quotes.

"Where I'm from, we believe in all sorts of things that aren't true... we call it history.”

“Truth is what we agree on” (this one may be not quite exact)

But it got me thinking about the concept of truth. Everyone thinks they know the truth of an issue. Or they feel there is only one way to look at the facts and that is the truth. When I talk about perceptions, I am really referring to how we interpret the events and information around us.

The show was an interesting idea of how the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz came to be. It also gave you a glimpse of what Paul Harvey may have referred to as “And now you know the rest of the story.” Did the wicked witch actually die or was it a hoax.

So do we really know the truth of any issue? Are facts really the truth? I’ve always heard that you can make statistic say anything you want 85% of the time. How many times have you heard both sides of a political debate use the same data to tell a different story? I mean is the glass half full, half empty, or do I have too much glass?

I think we need to get away from trying to find out what is true and false but rather what are the views and concerns of an issue. By changing the conversation to views and concerns you change the entire complexion of the discussion. After all it is the views and concerns that need to be addressed.

As Max Planck said “A scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.” Just think about some of the “truths” of our history that we laugh at today. Who will be laughing at our truths in the future?

Do We Have a Jealousy Epidemic?

2010-12-24T09:40:00.000-05:00

I believe that one of the issues that we need to solve is what I call the “jealousy epidemic”. Yes it has been around for a long time but I believe it is getting worse. Whenever I talk with staff in an organization they always feel like they should be making more. In many cases I have been told they should make as much as the owner.

I think a good example was in the Dayton Daily News today (12/25/10) regarding the suspension of 5 Ohio State Football players. The majority of the articles about the event were not written about the fact that maybe not only these young men but also others involved should have thought about the situation first and the rules of the game (the scholarship rules). There wasn’t much mentioned about why the NCAA has such a strict view on what is amateur status. I didn’t see anything talking about how much their scholarships were worth (having a son getting ready to go to college I would estimate at least $45,000/year). Or an estimation of the value of the coaching and training to continue to develop these athletes. And of course I didn’t see anything talking about the potential any of these young men have for a pro contract which we all know is worth a lot of money. Or the fact that there are employers value having college athletes work for them. Instead much was written about the how other people were making money on the talent of these young men. How did they think the organizations made money to pay for the scholarships?

It is the same in organizations. Why do we believe that individuals working for an organization should have everything the owner has? Why should an employee that has been working for a company for a few years, who works an 8 hour shift, and hasn’t invested anything in the organization, receive the same benefit as the owner. When the owner by the way has worked 70-80 hours a week for years to get the company started and keep it running so that the employees can get paid. The owner has probably invested his personal assets to grow the organization. And it is the owner that stands to lose the most if the company doesn’t succeed because he is the one that has guaranteed any borrowed funds.

I don’t quite know when this epidemic started but it seems to be growing stronger every day. Until we can be proud of the job we do and understand the contract we have made with our organization.

If you are working for a company you have made a contract to do the best job you can do for the wage they offered you and following the procedures of management.

If you are a college player you have made a contract to continue to develop into the best player you can be while abiding by the rules of the NCAA.

As I have told many employees, if you don’t like your “contract” then you have at least 3 options:

Leave and go somewhere that pays what you want for the work that you do.
Learn how the organization makes money and what you can do to improve the bottom line.
Continue to complain and be miserable (which by the way does nothing for you, the people around you, or your company).

We need to understand that nothing comes easy; if it did we all would have had it. In the past when organizations were successful they spoiled us by increasing our pay strictly based on the fact that you were still working there. Today organization need more from their employees. Sitting around being jealous of the management and complaining won’t get you anywhere. Organizations need people who are willing to work hard, continually expanding their knowledge, and focus on what is best for the organization.

Our organizations are fighting to survive against increased competition for the world market while their employees are fighting with them. Does anyone else see the problem here?

Weather Happens!

2010-12-17T10:47:00.000-05:00

If anything brings out the Grinch in people its weather delays. It’s December 16^th. It’s snowy and icy in several of the major cities major cities along the east coast. Flights are being delayed and canceled. Thus travel plans are being short circuited. All this equals highly stressed and irritated passengers. But what are the airlines/airports to do???

Well it depends on who you listen to. As I set at the gate an announcement is made “Flight xxxx has not left their airport because of weather. It appears that they will arrive at least an hour late. Please come to the counter if you have any questions or need any assistance.” If you travel as much as I do this is not an unusual situation to be in. Maybe because I do travel frequently I know this is going to happen. I try to plan my travels to include time for just such situations. Especially in December in the Northeast or Northern Midwest states.

As I sat and watched people (one of my favorite past times in the airport) I couldn’t help but over hear the conversation at the counter. The passenger was really upset because the flight was going to be late and they might miss their connecting flight. As I listened further I learned that her (we’ll call her Ms. M) plans included her husband, son and mother. They were going to a graduation of one of her other children. The airline representative informed her that there weren’t any other seats available at this time but they could guarantee them a seat on an early flight the next day. Ms. M went on to lecture the representative on the fact that they had been waiting there for 6 hours on standby (because their earlier flight had been canceled) and now the airline was suggesting that she take her family home and get up at 1:00am to come back to the airport. “Would you want to do that to your mother?” she asked repeatedly. Along with trying to make them feel bad because Grandma was going to miss the graduation.

Now I realize this was a tough situation however what was the airline to do part the skies and melt all the snow and ice so the plane could magically appear at the gate? Were they to create an extra plane, get a flight crew, plan the flight, register it with the FAA , and the airports in the next 30 minutes? I am sure she would have said yes to all of these.

Why do we expect that all our problems can be made to go away if we are condescending and arrogant with people who are trying to help? Are we the only people that are having issues? Maybe someone else has a more serious reason for getting to their location? When did we become such a rude society? I watch several people go to through the line and treat the representatives as if the representative was purposefully trying to ruin their lives. Did they really want all the flights to go out as scheduled? If the flights did take off as scheduled, when they really shouldn’t have, and an accident happened then everyone would sue the airlines for making a bad decision. Do travelers not realize that winter weather happens?

Maybe instead of getting pushy and obnoxious when things don’t go as planned we should take a breath and work with people to find solutions to the problems.Especially the ones that no one can control. Last time I checked no one can control the weather. There are things in your organization that you cannot control (like a break down in equipment, illness, etc.). Some of these situation require all the creative juices you can pull together to overcome. Getting angry and stressed will not help the situation. In fact it usually makes the situation worse. I have to give credit to the United Airlines staff for keeping their cool and working as efficiently as possible to get people to their desired destinations. My trip took 6 hours longer than I had planned but the important point is that I made it home safely. Thanks United Airlines.

Merry Christmas to all and safe travels!

Should President Obama have discussed the reasons why he replaced General McChrystal on a national stage?

2010-06-30T13:53:00.001-04:00

I've always been told that a leader should praise in public, reprimand in private. Was the President modeling leadership when he told the world why he terminated McChrystal? I am by no means saying that McChrystal was right in having the reporter from Rolling Stone there to write an article. However, hearing the President say he violated the code of conduct and erodes trust sounds a lot like some of the comments in the article.

What are your thoughts.

Rules: We Don’t Want Any Stinking Rules!

2010-06-30T13:53:00.000-04:00

Why do we fight rules? We want everyone else to follow the rules. We will follow rules only when we like the rules. I don’t think I know anyone that follows all the rules. I have been told that there are too many rules so it is impossible to follow them all. Are there really too many rules? I don’t know.

If you think you are one of those people that follow all the rules are you sure? Have you tried to get away from following all the rules for taxes? (Before you answer that do you know all the tax laws?) How about all the traffic rules? It seems that if we’re not going at least 10 miles over the speed limit we’ll get run over. And if they get caught then they are mad at the officer. They won’t admit that they were wrong.

Air travel seems to draw people who don’t like to follow the rules. And they are angry if they are caught not following the rules. I feel sorry for the flight attendants because they are trying to ensure the safety of people who don’t want to listen to them. Do you know why you are supposed to have you feet clear of baggage? Trust me it is not because the flight attendant wants to hassle you.

Yet if something bad happens there is a cry for more rules, more oversight. For example everyone is irate over the BP oil disaster. They want the government to do something. Everyone wants more rules for the oil companies, even though it is in international waters. They don’t want any drilling in the ocean. Yet where will the oil come from? We can’t drill in Alaska. No one wants to be dependent on the middle-east so where is the oil going to come from. Of course no one thinks about how this is going to affect our fuel prices.

Organizations and teams are the same way. They need rules on a variety of issues; from when meetings will occur, attendance requirements, how meetings will run, how decisions will be made, etc. Yet it seems that there is an overriding culture in most organizations to not set rules. Why? Usually because it is thought that these rules are “common sense”.

Common sense, I love when someone brings up common sense. Common sense as defined by Wikipedia is “what people in common would agree on.” So it equates to the knowledge and experience which most people already have or should have. In most dictionaries it is defined as “good sense and sound judgment”. So how can it be common sense if the “people in common” haven’t discussed and agreed upon the issue? I believe it was Stephen Covey who said “common sense is not common practice.”

Your teams need common practices. You need to have rules that people will follow. And more importantly the teams need to discuss and understand the practices and rules and why they are important to follow. This will help you also build commitment to the work of the team.

Are your teams rules getting in the way? Or maybe you would like some examples. Contact Margie for a free meeting rules assessment or samples of team rules.

Why are we blaming the airlines?

2010-05-07T10:39:00.000-04:00

Now I am sure that I will ire several people with this perspective but I am going to raise the issue. Why shouldn’t the airlines charge for carry-on baggage? Have you seen what some people carry-on to the airplane these days? Now there are lines on the boarding ramps waiting for hand checked bags. Isn’t that like valet parking? Shouldn’t there be an extra charge for that?

Now let’s think about this. For years we have been pushing the point of view that the customer is always right. And we have also decided somewhere in that same equation that every vendor is out to take it to their customers. That it is somehow wrong to make a profit. That everyone is price gouging and should only be allowed the profit that the customer deems appropriate. When did the average customer become so knowledgeable that they know exactly the actual cost of production? Oh and don’t forget every employee working at these companies should be making a good salary. What is a good salary? Who decides what that is?

Then there are the board of directors and stockholders of the company. I am sure the directors and stockholders want a huge profit so they can get increased dividends. Is there a limit on what the profit should be? What is the compensation for the board members? Who decides? Do we really want the government to get involved?

Whatever happened to letting the market set the acceptable price based on the demand? Why are we telling companies what price they can charge for their product or services? Several years ago people complained that the price of tickets were too high. So the airlines cut the price of tickets by reducing some of the services. What did everyone expect? Has air travel become a right of every citizen?

I am not aware of the reason for adding the checked bag charge. It could have been to help cover the cost of having baggage personnel. It could have been to get people to bring less baggage. But it appears to have raised the amount of baggage being carried on to the plane. Could this be an example of trying to fix the symptoms and not looking at the root issue?

I’ve not been involved in the airline industry but maybe the organization studied what the customer was asking for (cheaper flights) and found a way to provide what they wanted. The result was, in essence, an ala carte menu of flight services. The flight (the seat on the plane and transportation to the chosen location) is the basic purchase. Then you can add other services: food, checked bag, carryon bags, etc.

What I see is a clear example of conflicting expectations and assumptions. And maybe some of the expectations are unrealistic. For example would it be realistic for me to expect that I should be able to fly non-stop to all my travel destinations? Oh and I want it at the same price as the other flights. And I want a free upgrade to first class. With a perfect meal. Is this really realistic? So what is a company to do?

I am not saying that all airlines are running as efficient as possible, but what company is. Maybe we need to look at what we are expecting from our companies (all companies) and realize that for our US companies to successful and compete on the global market they need to profit. Let the companies work on their internal improvement processes. The consumer should then make the best decision available to them.

Why Do Groups Make Bad Decisions?

2010-03-16T15:44:00.000-04:00

I am told often that group decisions are not the best decision. I would usually agree that a group (not a team) does have a tendency to make bad decisions.

A group is not necessarily a team and conversely a team could be a group. For example right now in the country there is a lot of effort being spent on health care reform. When you ask people what they want they want the best care at the cheapest price. But is that the best for the country? In Washington we have a group of elected officials who are trying to look at the issues but I would argue they are not looking at it from a team approach.

The problem with group decisions making is a dilemma referred to as the tragedy of the commons. Garrett Hardin first published information about this dilemma in 1968. It refers to a situation in which multiple individuals, acting independently and solely and rationally consulting their own self-interest, will ultimately deplete a shared limited resource even when it is clear that it is not in anyone’s long term interest for this to happen.

To be clear when I refer to a group decision, I’m referring to a decision made by vote where majority wins. I am sure that everyone that votes feels that their vote not only is the best for them and for everyone. The problem is that no one person knows what is the best for everyone. We would all like to believe that when we make a decision that it is also the best decision for now and the future. But is it?

In a fully functioning team, a team where they use a strategic process to solve issues, I believe that a better decision for everyone can be obtained. It will not have the same affect on everyone, but there are very few things that have the same affect on everyone. Will it be a solution for all time, no decisions will always need to be reviewed and adjusted as our society continues to grow and adapt.

Do what does this mean? Does every decision need to be made by teams? No, I don’t believe every decision needs to be made by a team. But I do believe that when we need decision that requires a number of different individuals or groups to implement, then a team should be used to analyze the facts and develop the best solution for the whole.

In order for the team to be prepared to take on the challenge of making the best decision possible, they need to be trained, develop the skills, and be coached and facilitated. Systems and resource need to be in place to support the team as well as accountability measures to track their progress.

Yes having effective teams do require a lot of work and focus. But their decisions can provide you with better decisions for your organization.

Goals, Roles, and Expectations of Teams

2010-01-22T13:40:00.000-05:00

Much has been written about creating goals. Whether it is for an organization, committee, or team, writing detailed and clear goals are essential. Goals set the direction for the organization and should be used to guide the subsequent decisions.

However, the roles and expectations for the team and the individuals on the team don’t usually garner much ink. Here is where I think we drop the ball.

I was impressed with the Indianapolis Colts players this year. Yes they have been having a spectacular season, but that isn’t what I have been impressed with. On December 17th the Colts won their 14th season game. Their record for the season was 14-0, they clinched not only a playoff spot but also home field advantage. There were still 2 games in the regular season. So the question became does the team go for a perfect season or do they rest their starters so that they will be healthy for the first playoff game?

This question caused a lot of speculation. If the starters rest for a month (their first playoff game would be 1/17/10) will they lose their edge? If you play the starters will they get hurt and not be ready for the playoffs? Should they go for a perfect season? Is a perfect season important? What is more important a perfect season or a well rested starters for the playoffs? It was a major debate around Indy.

Then I started seeing players being interviewed on TV. I especially remember an interview with Peyton Manning. When asked about whether the starters would play his response was “it’s up to the coach.” He commented to the reporters that the coach sets the plan and the direction. The players take the field when they are asked to take the field. I thought it was a great example of roles and expectations. Peyton was very clear in his statement that it was the coach’s role to set the plan and the direction. As a matter of fact the players expected and relied on the coach and his staff to do what was best to reach the ultimate goal, win the Super Bowl. Of course Peyton did say that all the players were not only ready to play but wanted to play. But he said they trusted the coach to make the best call.

There are many fans that still question the call to rest the starters and play the less experience players the last two games. We will never really know if his decision was right. If the Colts when the Super Bowl the history books will say that he made the right decision.

You can look at your organization as a very complex team. Each person has their role on the team. What are the expectations for each person? Is there an environment of trust that each member is going to meet the expectations for the success of the organization? Or are they only focusing in individual success? It’s all up to you.

Why does the “I” Continue To Come Up In Teams?

2009-12-21T17:11:00.000-05:00

I have been closely watching high school basketball for over 2 years. My son is a junior playing on his school’s Varsity Team. For the last two years I had the opportunity to watch many of his practices as well (both high school and AAU), since I was his chauffeur. During this time I watched how the various coaches worked with my son’s various teams. As I watched the workouts I have found many similarities between the young men I watched working on the court and the teams I have worked with in organizations.
One of the interesting commonalities I found was that when things get tough, one of the differences I identified was that highly functioning teams (winners) kept to their plan and kept each other involved in the activities (plays). Many teams devolve during time of stress and start playing an individual game. This is where they begin to lose the benefits of the team. Why does this continue to happen?

One reason is the lack of confidence in the team – on the basketball court I see this the most clearly. When the team is playing well together the plays are easy to make. But when a couple errors cause them to lose ground many players feel that they must take on the other team all by themselves. So they stop using the game plan and try to win by themselves. I have seen players be the key to a team but I have never seen a player win a game entirely without the help of his teammates. Usually when a team has a star player or a player that is having a really great game his/her team mates are setting up the situation the star to score.

A similar situation happens in the work place. When stress sets in, especially if someone made an error, individuals begin to believe that they have to take on the challenge by themselves. They feel the pressure of time and start to work as individuals not as a team. They don’t believe that the others on the team are pulling their weight and that their mistakes will cause them to fail. So if “I” take on the work myself “I” know I can get it done and done right.

Another contributing factor to the “I” is the control issues. I can control how I perform the task; I can’t control the task if someone else “takes the ball to score.” I need to ensure that the task gets performed perfectly and only I can do that. So we start playing individual ball not team ball. In the workplace we stop coordinating with others in the organization. We take the issue and try to solve it all by ourselves.

Sound familiar? How do you keep the “I” out of your teams? You need constant communication and emphasis on each other’s role. As any coach will tell you, you need to continually practice and learn how to work together. You can get other tips to keep your team in tip-top shape with my booklet “Why is Teamwork So Hard?” (Click here to purchase this booklet.)

What are your tips and techniques to keep your teams working together? Click here to send them to me. I’ll print the list as I receive them on my website and as updates in my future newsletters.

“I Didn’t Say It Was Your Fault, I Said I Was Going to Blame You”

2009-11-06T11:47:00.002-05:00

When I saw this on the front of a tee shirt while shopping with my son I laughed because I thought it was funny. But then I realized it was only funny because it was true.

How often do you feel that you are being blamed for things that aren’t your fault? Or how often are you looking for someone to blame when it was your fault?

Or the bigger question….why? Why do we have to blame someone else? Why don’t we just take the responsibility of our errors?

It might be because there are many who believe that admitting fault is a sign of weakness. If I was wrong how can I be the boss? The chief cannot be wrong, right?

But to me the real issue is -- why. Why do we spend some much time trying to blame someone? Why not spend the time finding the causes for the issues and solving the issues? Because blaming is easier, finding a solution is….well often it’s scary. What if I am really at fault? What if I don’t like the solution? What if….?

Blaming however ends up causing more problems than you think? In organizations that play the blame game you find a culture of hesitation, resentment, fear, and finger pointing. Everyone is looking over their shoulders and afraid to do anything.

I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t want to work like that. I find organizations that have weeded out blame are more creative, productive, and let’s face it more fun.

If you are in the blame game how do you get out? Here’s a start:

1. Recognize that you have a blaming environment.

2. Stop looking for people to blame. Instead start asking “How did this happen?” And don’t be satisfied with the “who” (that’s the blaming part) push for how it happened.

3. Accept responsibility for your own failings and errors. Be the role model.

4. Start recognizing individuals that find process issues, especially before they happen.

These steps are just the beginning of a culture change. It will take a while to get the entire organization to shift. You will need to be strong and dedicated. Take time to celebrate and recognize the positive things that happen in your organizations.

What's the End Result?

2009-10-15T08:59:00.001-04:00

As I sit in an airport I really wonder what the goals of some of the airlines policies are. For example, why do I need to pay an extra fee to check a bag? It seems to me that because of the extra fee more and more people are carrying more and more stuff onto the plane.

I know that the airlines do have a chance of losing a bag here and there, however based on the number of bags people are caring onto the planes, the baggage handlers shouldn’t have as much luggage as they use to. I don’t travel as much as some people but I do travel a fair amount and I have only had a few instances where my bag has been lost. Actually misplaced would be a better term since it is usually in my possession the next day at the latest. But I digress, with more people caring on luggage, do we have room on the plan to stow the luggage? Looking at the luggage that my fellow flyers took on to the plane this last trip I really wonder if overhead luggage bins can hold the weight. So is the goal to have more weight in the plane as appose to the luggage bay?

The policy for carrying-on luggage is one bag (of a specific size) and one personal item (like a purse or brief case). These bags must fit either above the seat or under the seat in front of you. Plus you feet must be clear. My do people insist on bringing in larger than the size listed size bags and then get upset because it won’t fit? Or there isn’t room in the overhead bend so they try to but it on the floor and hide the fact that their feet aren’t clear? (I’ve seen so very cleaver people who hide the fact that their feet are straddling bags.) Now the flight attendants have to police the feet of passages. Of course most people do not understand why their feet have to be clear of baggage so they are very rude to the flight attendants.

Then there is the policy for the weight of the bags. Some airlines charge if the bags weigh over a targeted number. I am not sure how they determined the number, especially with the size of some of the bags. One trip my bag seemed to gain weight during the trip. This was odd since I did not add or subtract anything other than changing clothes. But since my bag now weighed 51 pounds (the limit was 50 pounds) I had to pay a fee. Now I should mention that I could have checked 2 bags that could have weighed 100 pounds collectively at no additional charge, but my one bag of 51 pound ended up costing me $25. So is the goal to get more luggage on the plane?

So as you look at your processes first determined what is the end result? Not the desired path but what is it that you really want to occur (lighter baggage, more on the plane luggage, etc.). Once you have determined the end result then find the number of ways that you can get there. And finally which of the possible solutions will get you the result that you are looking for.

Open For Interpretation

2008-12-02T15:58:00.004-05:00

Have you ever gone back to something you wrote say a year ago and wondered “what was I thinking? What was the point I was trying to make? I’m sure it made since at the time I wrote it.”

What about meetings? How many times have you gone back and tried to remember what was said let alone what was meant? Did everyone have the same memory of the meeting? My guess would be “no”. I know some of you are saying “but we have minutes.” Have you gone back to minutes and had different interpretations of the written notes?

Why?

Because everything is “open for interpretation.” I don’t care if it is what someone says, hears, sees, reads, or feels. It is all an interpretation.

Our brain takes in information and then runs that information through our mental library of experiences, knowledge, assumptions, dreams, wishes, and needs. It also runs the information through our library of our fears and concerns. Of course each individual has a different library.
So when we joke about whether the glass is half full or half empty, that is an interpretation of the information presented to us on the status of the fluid in a container. (And yes engineers will tell you that you have too much glass, which is another interpretation.) Even whether it is fluid or a container is an interpretation.

When individuals come together to form a team they need to spend time discussing interpretations. And in fact they need to discuss how they interpret different interpretations. Yes it is messy and at times seems like a waste of time. However, if the time isn’t spent on discussing the interpretations, regardless to how they align with each other, those interpretations become an established truth to that individual. These truths then add to the library for future interpretations.

I don’t care how clearly you write something, or how carefully you craft a talk, you cannot control how people interpret your communication. Therefore having open dialog to exchange interpretations and clarifying is the only path to total understanding.

The more your teams learn how to effectively manage these dialogs, the more effective they will be. Teams need to continually condition themselves on communication skills such as listening, styles, conflict management, etc.

If you would like to dialog about your interpretation of this article please give me a call or log into http://team-champion.blogspot.com/

What did the genie teach us?

2007-04-24T07:43:00.000-04:00

In the workplace individuals are always asked, by the boss to work harder, be more effective, think outside the box, etc. Then when they do, the boss is disappointed with what they came up with.''I didn't ask for that."

It reminds me of the stories about the genie in the magic lamp. No matter what version I've heard the genie grants the wish of the thrilled possessor of the lamp, yet it never ends up with a happy ending. It usually turns out to be a disaster and the possessor of the lamp saying ''I didn't ask for that."

Why does this happen? I believe it's becausewe never stop to really analyze what we want, why we want it, or how will it affect everything else, We see something that looks nice and think "I want that." We never think about the affect it will have on us if we actual had it.

An example that comes to mind happened at a client's facility when the new facility manager was hired. The new manager had meetings with each line of production to meet and discuss issues with the staff, Of course the main question from the staff was ''How much are you getting paid?''

The essence of their question was why weren't they making the same amount of money as the facility manager. Why did he get more? The new manager understood the question that was underlying the "How much are you getting paid?'' question, So he told them before he answered their question he was going to explain what he had to do to get the job and what was expected of him. Then if anyone was willing to do the same, he would share the information about his salary. He then proceeded to explain to them:

What he had to do to qualify for the position.

education
hours spent studying
other positions and experiences

How much time and money he invested on his education.

balance of work and school
no vacations for several years

What wasexpected of him as the Facility Manager.

long days (not a standard 8 hour day)
on call 24 hours a day
have to come in whenever called to handle problem

He then asked how many of them were willing to do this? None of them were. Some even said "You couldn't pay me enough to do that.'' So did it really matter to them how much he made? If a genie had given the staff the salary of the manager would they have wanted everything that went along? Would they have wanted to get up in the middle of the night when there was a major problem on third shift? Or stay till 7pm to meet with a major client?

It's the same with other issues and opportunities.

Do you know what is needed to be prepared (education)?
Are you willing to make the investment of time and money to get it? AND
Are you willing to do what it takes to achieve it?

If you ask for an effective team culture you must be prepared to :

educate and train your people in the skills and tools to work together
be prepared to invest time and money to the effort on a continuous basis
be prepared for what is expected from you to support the teams as they work through the issues

As with the genie be careful what you ask of your teams, because they will provide it to you. However, if you and your teams have prepared properly for the opportunity, unlike the genie, you may find that you get what you need.

Comfort vs. Team Members, Which would you choose?

2007-03-08T10:01:00.000-05:00

I am an avid watcher of “Survivor.” Many see this show as simply a game. Some say that it is always the same (yet isn’t any sport). But for me it is life especially in organizations. I would almost be willing to bet that the behavior shown on the show would be how these individuals would face any challenge in business or life. We are “voting” people off our island all the time; we do it in our mind “I am never working with …… again.”

This season on Survivor has been interesting. Once again the creator and his staff have thrown new and different dilemmas at the participants. In this season one team has had many comforts (as one participant stated “We’ve had more food than many people in his neighborhood.”) while the other team has struggled to find any comforts. The “comfort team” has been winning all the challenges to date.

Then on March 1, 2007 there was a major twist which I found truly interesting and especially telling about the nature of people. As with every episode there is a competition in which immunity is won (the losing team goes to tribal council and votes off one of their team members). However with this challenge the winning team also received a note in a bottle. The note told the winning team they could either:

Keep all their comforts and the prize for the winning the challenge (which was a huge amount of food) BUT the would not keep the immunity and would have to vote off one of their members at tribal council OR
Keep immunity and avoid tribal council BUT they would have to switch camps with the other team and lose all their comforts and the prize for that challenge.

Which would you do? Do you choose comfort (things) over team members (people)? Well the team, after a rather short discussion, chose to keep the comforts and lose a team member. What an interesting decision to make.

As I thought about this episode I realized that this is a choice that is made all the time in organizations. Usually it is not made by the individuals that have to carry out the cutting of personnel. But what happens when we go for comfort over people?

I found that with this team some of the members felt that the decision should have been very easy. Cut the weakest member. How do you determine the weakest member? What is weakest? Is it physical strength? Is it lack of knowledge? Maybe it is lack of skill? How about the individual that can pull the team together to accomplish that tough task?

Then the human politics kick in. Who has a personal relationship with whom? Who do you like versus dislike? Who just drives you nutty? And what happens if the person who drives you nutty is “stronger” than the person that you really like?

Usually in organizations these decisions are left to managers or supervisors but the effect is still the same. With the Survivor team in a matter of a few hours you saw what appeared to be a fairly connected winning team start to implode. They started to finger point, nit pick and criticize each other. Just to be clear the team had some personality issues bubbling up but it was in check as long as they were winning and had comfort. Now that they had a tough decision to make the negative side started to show.

It will be interesting to see in the upcoming episodes how this team deals with lose of a member and the side affects that came along with their decision making process. What about your organization? How are you and your team dealing with the decisions made regarding your balance between comfort and people? Do you ignore the emotional issues that naturally occur with these types of decisions and go on, or do you actively consider them during the decision making process? Do you have a plan to minimize the emotional issues before they even happen? Do you have a communication process to assist in getting out the information people need to understand the pending changes or do you let the rumor mill run wild?

Comfort or people, major or minor impact, engaged or disengaged people, the decision is up to you.

What Is A Team?

2007-02-16T10:29:00.000-05:00

As we go into Super Bowl weekend the concept of what is a team came to my mind once again. Now I don’t care if you are a Bears fan or a Colts fan or any of the other teams that didn’t make to the Super Bowl, when you think of the team you usually think of the guys on the field. Is that really the team?

Living outside of Indianapolis and watching all the festivities surrounding the various playoff games and now prep for the Super Bowl is difficult to not get pulled into the excitement, the celebration of the team. As a matter of fact the days leading into the AFC Championship there was much discussion about the 12^th man. And for those of you that are football deficient, the 12^th man is the fans. So now are they part of the team?

Then I picked up the Indianapolis Star last Saturday. There was very small article on the front of the sports page (yes I read the sports page) about Jim Irsay the owner of the Indianapolis Colts. The article title read “[Super Boss} Irsay Foots Travel Bill For Colts Employees”. Wow, did that catch my eye. In the article I found out that the Colts organization consists of approximately 150 people in a variety of roles. Why did the Colts owner do this? He wanted his entire organization to be able to experience and savor the First Super Bowl since the Colts arrived in Indy. So are they part of the team?

So it made me think who is the team? So how does your organization define teams? I was working with a client last week and during the day I put them on “teams”. I then gave them an activity to accomplish. When I asked them why they didn’t work together they said “we were on a team.” But did that mean they couldn’t work together, what was the ultimate team?

In the article regarding the Indianapolis Colts, I saw a owner who saw that the “team” was not just the guys on the field. Or the whole host of individuals that make up the coaches, trainers, etc. who travel to keep the Colts performing. Or even the 12^th men (fans). That for Irsay his team also included all the individuals in the office that make it possible for the Colts to even take the field.

Who is on your team? Who supports the sales team? Or the manufacturing team? Or even the management team? How do you celebrate your team’s success? Do you think that the Colts organization will benefit from taking the entire staff to the big game? I think so. How many individuals feel left out of celebration/recognition of success that they felt they were part of?

So as you watch the game this weekend, think about how your organization is like or could be like a championship team. But go beyond the hype and the team on the field. How does the organization behind them support and make it possible for those teams to take the field and be successful. Does your organization have this type of support?

And finally I would be remiss if I didn’t end this article with: GO COLTS!!!!

Are You Communicating or Just Conversing?

2006-08-05T18:18:00.000-04:00

By Margie Thomas IAF-CPF, CTC

I have been interviewing executives about the problems that face their industry from a national perspective. During one such interview I was asked if I thought there was a difference between conversing and communicating. Interesting. I started wondering how many managers think they are communicating with their staff when in fact they are really just conversing. What about sales professionals with clients, are they conversing or communicating? And which should you be using?

So what’s the difference? Isn’t it the same thing?

Conversing is defined as:
* To engage in a spoken exchange of thoughts, ideas, or feelings; talk.
* To be familiar; associate.

Communicating is defined as:
* To convey information about; make known; impart
* To reveal clearly; manifest

Before I go farther I should state there are times when either is appropriate. The key is to know when. Is the purpose of the discussion just an exchange of thoughts or to convey information? Are you trying to make known a direction or just talk?

Conversing is appropriate for social or casual settings. When you’re just relaxing or sharing thoughts and ideas. I think of calls with family and friends. I do converse with people at work but it is usually when I meet them in the halls or at break. As a presenter and trainer I will converse with participants as they enter the room, it is a more relaxed style of interaction. Neither side is expecting more than a casual exchange.

Communicating however requires more thought and energy. It also requires that all parties involved in the interaction actively participate in the exchange. When you are communicating, information is being exchanged, ideas are being discussed or decisions are being made. It should be a more deliberate process. It requires skills and in many cases patience.

Because communicating requires that ideas are shared in a way that both parties can understand it requires the ability and willingness to listen to ideas that may be different than your own. Listening is more than just hearing. Listening is the ability to fully understand the other person’s point of view. Can you advocate their point of view with the same passion and intensity as they do? You do not need to agree, you do need to understand fully.

I was recently facilitating a meeting with some mid-level managers. One of the agenda items was about a vacant administrative position that at lease 2 of the managers wanted. I asked each manager to present their position. Then I asked each manager to advocate the other’s needs for the position. They looked at me like I was speaking Greek. “But I don’t understand their side.”

Exactly! It is difficult to make group decisions if you don’t understand all sides of the issue (some issues have more than 2 sides). It is difficult to work with your client if you don’t fully understand their needs and how that translates into solutions. It is impossible to involve different levels of an organization if they don’t understand all the information needed to make informed recommendations.

Communicating effectively requires not only learning skills like listening and speaking but also the continually practicing, refreshing and retraining of these skills. Communicating requires adopting an attitude of “I don’t have all the information.” A willingness to seek out and consider new information and ideas.

If your organization is continually having conflicts or not getting new ideas then I would suggest you ask your self, “Are we communicating or just conversing?”