Leadership Lessons Blog

Steve Slater a HERO...I think NOT! A Leadership Lesson

The recent incident that occurred on Jet Blue has caused quite a stir on the internet.  Since I don't know what "actually" happened, I'm simply going to write this blog as a business coach!  The actions of ANY employee that endangers ANYONE in the work place should not be tolerated.  The actions of Steven Slater placed co-workers on the ground in danger.  His actions perpetuate the idea that workplace violence is OKAY.  It's NOT okay. 

I've read postings from young workers that are more alarming each day.  Each one filled with venom and suggestions of violence against employers.  We have all undergone a bad day.  We have all had poor management.  We have each endured poor customer service and we have each been dreadful customers at one time or another.  It doesn't mean that reacting impulsively is the way to deal with any of these frustrations.

We are appalled when young people take guns on to school campus and shoot each other!  Yet, some people treat this incident completely differently.  What if a passenger had been injured?  What if a co-worked, on the ground had been killed?  Would our "hero" worship be the same.  I think not and hope not. 

Being a leader means learning HOW to deal with disgruntled employees.  Being an employee means controlling emotions and being able to use "WORDS" to articulate frustrations.  Arguing, swearing and demeaning others does very little to solve problems in the workplace. 

If you can't handle the situation, then seek help.  If you are uncomfortable about going to your own HR team, then seek out a manager you trust or go through your companies EAP program.  We need to ensure that the workplaces, like our schools are SAFE. 

I challenge each of my readers to think about what you can do TODAY to ensure that you perpetuate a safe work environment for all.  Be a LEADER!  Lead the charge!  Talk about what is working and what is not working.  Come up with methods for workers to express frustrations in a confidential way so that they feel safe. 

Regardless of the facts, Steve Slater could have HURT someone.  His action are not those that should be admired or replicated.   

 

Managing the Manager--Transition Tips

You finally received the news you've been waiting for...you've been offered the promotion from Supervisor to Manager.  Now you have a team of supervisors reporting to you.  This team will be looking for leadership, strategy setting, and assistance with employee productivity and accountability. 

You now have to deal with the transition from PEER to BOSS!  Are these the SAME people you used to have coffee with everyday?  Yes they are, but the stakes have changed.

Taking on a management role is challenging and demands that you think differently and act differently in order to be successful.  More challenging is dealing effectively with members of your team that were once peers.  You need to change peer relationships into manager-employee relationships. 

Here are some transition tips to think about:

• Make sure your personal relationships and professional relationships are separate.  You can remain friendly with a former co-worker, but you must make clear that the relationship can't cloud your decision-making or how you assess that employee's performance.  You may need to change the frequency of your interaction with the employee as some may perceive your relationship as threatening.  Perceptions about favoritism are also at risk. 
• Make sure you discuss your role as a manager openly and candidly.  Exercise your right to define expectations, goals and responsibilities.  You may have had the respect of this team as a peer, now you need to earn their respect as a manager.  You don't need to be heavy-handed, but you do need to make sure they now what you expect as it relates to their work responsibilities.
• Make sure everyone is treated fairly and equitably.  Don't play favorites.  Don't be influenced by what you think you knew when you were a peer.  You may not have ALL the information or the background.  Provide feedback and help employees improve in their roles and most importantly, make up your OWN mind about an employee’s contribution. 
• Get HELP!  There is no crime in asking for assistance.  Being a manager and managing other employees in supervisory roles is a different animal.  Use other leaders as mentors.  They have more experience and most likely faced or a facing similar situations.  Don't feel that becoming a manager means you have to have all the answers. 

Making the transition from peer to manager can be a great move for you as you grow in your career.  Like any other skill, management requires practice and training.  Respect the position and respect the employees that now report to you. 

 

Managing Millennials

What is a Millennial?  Simply put, these are the folks in our workplace that were born between 1978 and 1997.  These are the folks that were HIGHLY influenced by the world of technology.  Today's younger worker is the first generation to grow up surrounded by digital technology and they can't imagine a world without it! 

Millennials don't want to be TOLD what to do.  They pride themselves in invention.  They communicate in chat rooms and on FaceBook with ease.  They collaborate, make plans that involve many people in a matter of seconds and they prefer "sound bites" to lectures.  They want things to be done quickly and efficiently and don't have patience for a lot of rework. 

As managers what do we need to do to manage Millennials effectively?  If we want to be a company that keeps the best and the brightest then these are the characteristics that we need to value:  confidence, creativity, and independence.  It is due to these qualities that we find ourselves needing to manage differently. 

Millennials crave constant feedback.  They have seen what happened to their baby boomer parents and they demand work/life balance and strong workplace relationships.  Business leaders need to take a strong look at their company values and how they approach management and begin to alter the environment to meet the needs of these young workers. 

The trick here is balance!  Don't forget that you have older workers as well.  These workers need to be educated about what to expect from their younger colleagues.  We need to make room in our company vaults for the use of FaceBook, Twitter and other social network sites during the work day.  The net is the key to their success.  If we block access, we block creativity and we block freedom.  We run the risk of unhappy workers. 

We used to call them coffee breaks...now we need to make room for "virtual breaks!"  The younger worker needs time during the day to connect.  Sure, we need to monitor use of social networks during the workday, but research of the younger worker has shown that by allowing them the freedom to "virtually break," we create a more focused work team. 

Think about how social networks have changed how we do our jobs.  Virtually every company uses social networks to profile and hunt for job candidates.  Studies indicate that more than 40% of employers use social networking sties to examine the profiles of job candidates.

Best-selling author Don Tapscott says, "The old HR model--recruit, train, supervise and retain--should be shelved.  Instead, companies should adopt a new model--initiate, engage, collaborate and evolve.  Employers have many ways to make themselves attractive to a potential Net Gen employee:  customize job descriptions, use game0based training to train employees for short-term projects, and keep in touch with former employees to find new people and get new ideas."  "My research has shown that companies that selectively and effectively embrace Net Gen norms perform better than those that don't. 

 

Leadership Contest Winners Announced!

The past 18 months have been a challenge for many businesses.  Sales cycles are long, money is tight and companies have had to look for ways to cut costs.  For many companies, training and training budgets were one of the first activities to go.  We tried to figure out what we could do to help! 

During the month of May, we ran a "Win a Workshop" contest.  Companies were asked to submit a brief paragraph explaining why their organization deserved to win a workshop.   The contest ran for 30 days and we received about 20 submissions.  It was difficult to choose just one winner so we didn't.  We are pleased to announce that Cambridge College in Massachusetts is the lucky recipient of our four-hour leadership workshop. 

The winner has been notified and we are working on the logistics.  All other companies that submitted requests are also receiving a copy of a management book, From the Classroom to the Boardroom written by Celia Couture.  

This month, we are offering  another way for company leaders to demonstrate an appreciation to your employees in a cost effective way.  We feel that executive coaching is like receiving a vacation day or strolling lazily along the water's edge because you can relax and focus on you! Executive Coaching is an opportunity for a coach and an employee to spend quality time on that employee's concerns or leadership needs.  We call our offer, "Five for Five."  You can learn more about by visiting  http://www.ccconsultingllc.com/5-for-5-executive-coaching-special/. 

We hope you take advantage of this great offer and the ability to work with our skilled team of executive coaches!   

 

Leadership Workshop Presenters

 

So, you've signed up for a workshop because it has a wonderful title and a topic of interest.  You get to the workshop excited about how much knowledge you are going to gain and you leave the workshop less than satisfied.  If this sounds familiar to you, then I'd like to offer some things for you to look for to evaluate whether someone pitching a workshop knows what he or she is doing. 

1.  Is the workshop leader a subject matter expert?

Check out the presenter background information.  Are there testimonials you can look at or workshop evaluation forms.  Always ask for references that you can speak with.  Does the person belong to a speaker's bureau and how frequently is the person sought after to conduct a workshop.  Ask for most recent engagements and details about what the workshop leader was asked to do. 

2.  Is the workshop leader prepared for the size of the audience?

Sometimes, workshops can be facilitated in a terrific way with a manageable crowd, but if the audience is conference size it may not translate as well.  A strong presenter should be asking you questions about the attendees, size of the space and deliverable expectations.  There is a huge difference between a keynote speaker simply presenting information and a workshop leader who is trying to engage the group in a collaborative learning environment. 

In a few weeks, I'm going to announce the winner of a contest I've been running the entire month of May.  There is still time to enter the contest.  Please visit my website at:  http://www.ccconsultingllc.com/win-a-workshop/.  The details and contest rules are posted.  I choose the winner at the end of next week.  The workshop is worth $3,500 to the lucky recipient. 

 

 

 

 

Discuss how to evaluate whether someone pitching a workshop knows what he or she is doing. Promote contest

A woman's work is never done! Time Management Lessons!

I wanted to share this article I came across today written by Lisa Hammond.  I laughed out loud when I read it as I've more often than not, found myself in a similar position.  It's business relationship is very obvious.  Why do we choose to make things difficult when it is clear we have the means to make things simpler and more efficient.  The article drives home this point in a very funny way.  Enjoy! 

Martha Stewart...NOT!  by Lisa Hammond

"It was October, so it was time for me to start talking about having a Halloween party - something I have done for at least half a dozen years. I don't actually end up having a Halloween party; I just talk about having one. It has become a running joke around our house.

Entertaining and having friends over for dinner always seems like such a good idea but the truth is, I just never feel like I am good enough to actually do it.

I have ongoing chatter in my head that goes something like this: What are you going to make? Who are you going to invite? You don't have the time. You will say you are going to do this and then you won't get out of the office in time.

I have plenty of friends who seem to be able to manage both a successful career and entertaining frequently. They race home from work, whip up three course meals, and serve the perfect wine. They look calm, cool and collected when guests arrive. I am both impressed - and depressed - by this.

Recently, I wanted to be a thoughtful dinner guest at a friend's home so I decided to at least bring dessert. Although I had a jam-packed day at work, I didn't want to be a slacker, and figured I could handle making a cake. I did what I have done countless times - I decided to make a favorite family recipe, Raspberry Cream Cake.

Once I started to make the cake, I remembered why I don't do it very often - half of the ingredients can only be found in the state where the recipe came from! So I had to wing it and substitute ingredients. Then the mixer fell apart as I was using it and whipped cream went flying all over the kitchen. Then the cake burned while I was stuck on a conference call. When I finally got the cake into the fridge for the mandatory five hours of chilling prior to being served, I decided to rename it the Raspberry Curse Cake and vowed never to make it again.

When my husband and I arrived at the dinner party - crappy Curse Cake in hand, our gracious hostess was looking relaxed as she put together a simple salad. And there I was - frazzled, with raspberry juice still in my hair. As we sat down to dinner I asked her for the recipe for the delicious rice dish she was serving. She laughed and handed me her phone as she said, "Are you kidding me? I didn't have time to cook all of this - it's take-out!"

Oh, I have so much to learn from other women! I had been stressing out all day, trying to simultaneously work and bake a cake, juggling mixers and conference calls and cursing like a sailor - while my wise friend had been at work phoning in take-out!

The entire episode made me realize how much pressure women are under to be all and do all - almost all of it self-imposed! How much are we missing out on because of our insecurity and fear?

By the time you read this I will have invited friends over for margaritas and dinner at our place - paper plates, take-out food, and fun will be had by all!"

Leadership and Core Values

I came across this article today and wanted to share its content. Every company should have a set of core values or operating principles they live by.  This is a way for us to measure behavior and way for us to integrate the "mission" of the company through its employees. Oftentimes, companies make the mistake of assuming that their employees are in support of company core values.  If employees are not involved in the creation of the values then it is unlikely they will buy in to them or more importantly practice them in the day-to-day performance on the job  Sometimes, companies view the creation of values as "fluff."  I prefer to think of values as the glue that holds a company together.  If we navigate away from our values progress is thwarted as is morale.  Hope you enjoy reading this excerpt.

Good to the Core, by John Blumberg

"I was in Honolulu to speak at a large national conference. I scheduled an extra day onto the trip since I had never been to Honolulu and because a few great friends were also at the conference. The day after the conference, we awoke at the crack of dawn to visit Pearl Harbor. As we stood above and looked down upon the sunken USS Arizona, the depth of our experience came to life. It was moving and humbling.

Upon our return to the hotel, I had some time to spare before departing to the airport. A couple of my friends and I decided to rent a raft large enough to hold three adults. We targeted the white-capped waves, out in the distance, as our destination. With the incoming waves, we had a hard time getting away from the shore. At first, there seemed to be enormous momentum keeping us "grounded." Slowly, but surely, we began to make progress. It seemed to get easier. We eventually got within a few feet of the whitecaps and decided to board our raft and relax as a celebration of our efforts. It was in our moment of pause that we felt the reality of our situation. Drifting two feet out and one foot in. Again, two feet out and one foot in. We all felt the unsettling formula of our ever-so-gentle drift out to sea. We immediately abandoned the raft and grasped for safety, with one arm holding the raft and the other arm aggressively swimming. I have never scissor-kicked so hard in my life.

Twenty minutes later we had made minimal progress. Out of nowhere, a lifeguard on a kayak appeared on the scene asking why we were so far out. Feeling the comfort of his presence, we laughed for a moment, lightly commenting about our distance from the shore. He wasn't laughing.

The orange balls had warned us, and we unknowingly ignored them. Infrequently placed across the ocean's surface, they created an invisible line on the ocean's floor. They silently warned us not to drift beyond them regardless of our vision or mission. "You see those big orange balls on top of the water?" the lifeguard inquired. We could see them, but they didn't look very big from where we were still struggling in the water. They did, however, give us the insight that we were basically five times farther out than we should be. I think the lifeguard was trying to teach us a lesson. He didn't leave us, but he didn't assist us either. Forty-five minutes later we walked up on the shore. I was shaking from exhaustion. I began, for the first time, to feel the numerous cuts on my legs and feet from the sharp coral rocks lining the ocean floor.

We had briefly noticed the orange balls on our way out. We had paid little attention to them and certainly had not given any thought to their significance. We had been too focused on our mission to get to the white-capped waves in the distance!

We don't go running away from our values. We go drifting away, and one day wake-up in a place we never meant to be, drifting in a direction we would have never chosen."

Motivating Employees: Leadership Lessons

The January/February issue of Harvard Business Review wrote a great article entiled, "What Really Motivates Workers?"  by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer.   I found the central theme of the article quite interesting.  Most leaders assume that employees are motivated by money, reward systems or recognition.  I would have agreed with them, but the study conducted by Amabile and Kramer over a multi-year study in a wide variety of industries found that workers are MOST motivated by "progress."  

Workers want to feel that at the end of a work day they are making a difference in their jobs, or when they receive support to overcome obstacles and their energy level is at its greatest when their "drive to succeed is at its peak."  Worker are most disheartened when they feel demotivated or when they are somehow thwarted in their efforts to make forward progress.  There exists an inherent connection between employee motivation and meeting job objectives.  Even minor accomplishments help workers feel good about what they do. 

So why is this important for leaders to know?  The key to helping your employees become more motivated and emotionally invested in the job is in your hands!  Managers have total control over helping their employees achieve goals.  You can provide guidance, assist them with overcoming obstacles in their work and you can encourage them to succeed. 

It also means that you have to be decisive, adhere to goals and objectives and hold employees accountable for results.  Changes in the work place requiring shifting of responsibilities, downsizing or reorganizing are the most difficult times to keep employees motivated.  During these times, continue to make sure that employees are focusing on the goals.  Celebrate progress often and on a regular basis and your employees will continue to achieve progress on a daily basis.

 

Leadership Lessons

 The folowing article is taken from a book I recently read entitled, Goals by Gary Ruan Blair.  The book highlights many leadership tips, but this particular article asks us to think about leadership and Failure.  If you have an opportunity, this book should be part of your management libray.   

Welcome Failure

"The dreaded "F" word - failure - is so important yet so misunderstood. The key to understanding how to succeed rests on knowing a thing or two about the importance of failure.

Failure is both the "teacher's pet" and the "black sheep" of the family of success!

People are naive about the benefits of failure. Wrongly founded assumptions about failure replace potentially accurate assessments of what is necessary to achieve success.

Failure has an ulterior motive - not to get you to quit, but to stop you long enough so that you may learn something, re-strategize and re-launch again more prepared for success.

Success cannot exist without failure as failure is part of the steering mechanism that drives you to success. Learn to expect failure - welcome it, as your denial of this reality can and will have huge negative effects.

Anything worthwhile is worth pursuing, even though the risk is huge, the investment formidable, and failure a possibility.

FAILURE is an essential part of the combination required to open the lock on success.

FAILURE measures your personal investment in this goal - it is a test of character, commitment and courage.

FAILURE lobs an occasional grenade at success, failure asks for your resignation letter, it goads and prods you into quitting, but success hangs in the balance.

We all live a life of close calls, belly flops, and missed opportunities. Your persistence in the face of failure and set back is a measure of your belief in yourself and your goal.

Knowing when to say when is also important. The message this time could be to say "Uncle" and move on to something else. An occasional step back to regroup and reload can, and often does, position you for several more steps forward."

Leadership Lesson: Managers need to learn when to "shut-up!"

Every morning, I receive an email from HRMorning.com.  This is a great resource for those of us supporting HR activity for companies or for managers looking for tips to make their leadership style more effective.  I came across this article doing some research for a harrassment program I'm preparing and I came across these two case studies that were just TOO unbelievable not to share.  Sometimes, it is wise for managers to learn  

Some of the most expensive discrimination cases against employers in the last year resulted from managers who said the wrong thing at the wrong time - remarks that carried more weight than even the best documentation.

Good documentation is always crucial. But two cases in particular underscore the idea that managers need to be aware that what they say really does matter - and could become part of damaging testimony in court.

Case: Marcus et al. v. PQ Corp.

Total damages paid by employer: $6.2 million

The details: Two employees, ages 61 and 57, got laid off by a Pennsylvania chemical manufacturer. The two dragged the employer into court and charged they'd been targeted because of their age.

The company's case had a solid foundation. Funding for the two positions had been eliminated, and so there was a strict financial reason - and no discriminatory basis - for the layoff. The ex-employees argued that the company had manipulated salary budgets so that the older employees would be the first to go.

It looked like a stalemate - which is generally good for a defendant employer - until the the court heard testimony that one manager remarked that the company needed "to get rid of some of these old farts." And another manager had told the two laid-off employees that company needed more  "young blood."

Those remarks ended up being the tipping point in a ruling for the employees - that the company had "willfully" discriminated.

Case: Blount v. Stroud

Total damages paid by employer: $3.3 million

The details: During an investigation of workplace discrimination, an African-American female employee who had no involvement in the case stepped forward to present her observation as a witness to the alleged discrimination. After that case was settled, the woman who spoke up was fired.

She charged her firing was part of a pattern of discrimination and retaliation by the employer. The employer pointed to documented, less-than-stellar performance and behavior by the employee as the basis for letting her go. Normally, such documentation is a game-saver for an employer.

And it might have been for this employer, until the fired employee pointed to remarks by her managers after she spoke up during the investigation of the other case. Examples: One manager told the woman, "You don't know what you're up against." Another said the company could "cause you not to exist."

Hearing those remarks, the court ignored the documentation and found in favor of the fired employee.