How Can You Prevent Vision Vampires From Draining Your Energy?
I just got off the telephone with a colleague who was asking me what was going on in my life. I decided to tell her about the new business venture I’ve embarked on called the Trump Network. I was totally engaged in telling her and could tell from her responses she wasn’t really interested in knowing about the business or the product line. Suddenly I could feel a tightening in my heart and my enthusiasm start to dissipate. My colleague was what some in the network call a dream snatcher and I’ve renamed “vision vampire”. Her lack of interest and disparaging comment about the namesake of the business bummed me out. I could feel my energy shift. I found myself on the defensive. “You know about residual income,” I said. I want to create residual income for my retirement. Though I knew she wanted to get off the phone, I still wanted her at least to know that even if she wasn’t interested in the products, (I’d already come to the realization she wouldn’t be interested in the business opportunity), perhaps she might think about referrals for me. I know better than this. There is nothing worse than getting into a control duel. The call ended and I felt awful. I suspect she felt relieved. Vision Vampires are people who knowingly or unwittingly drain your energy. Sometimes they suck it out literally with their negative views like “that won’t work”, “are you crazy”? This even though you were not asking their opinion or permission. Other times, like this one, it’s subtle. It was more about the tone and innuendo I picked up from her responses that triggered my reaction. It wasn’t so much her, as the fact that I turned over my power to her. I did not stand grounded in my own energy.
Sharing your dream or your excitement about something needs to be done when you are in a fully aware state. There are many people in the world who don’t want to see or experience your excitement because they have given up their own dreams. Or, sometimes a person says they want to hear you but really doesn’t have the time or interest at the moment. Whatever the reason the result is the same. You get zapped.
Here are a few tips to protect you from the vision vampire. One thing is to be sure you are coming from a grounded place inside yourself. Obviously I wasn’t. I’d been writing all day and this unexpected call threw me off. I wasn’t prepared for it and just started talking. A better strategy would have been to say I am in the middle of something let me call you back.
When asking for referrals I could have set it up better by asking for her assistance and saying something like I know she’d want to see me be successful with this new venture. She’s asked me for referrals over the years and I’ve been generous. Professionally speaking she would have understood the dynamic of give and take.
Perhaps most importantly notice how many people have given up on dreaming about their life. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve come in contact with who have given up on their hopes and dreams. This is a very sad fact for us individually, for our family and friends and for our country. Without dreams, which then turn into goals we cannot create the kind of life we want. Please keep dreaming and beware of vision vampires who, because they have no dreams of their own, want to suck the vitality of yours out as well.
How does Independence Day Reflect Engagement?
Happy Independence Day to all! If your life is anything like mine you spent the weekend with family and friends sharing food and drink, taking a swim in a pool, pond, lake or ocean and celebrating the uniqueness of the United States of America. I am writing this to you from my home in Amagansett. Once known as the sleepy village in East Hampton-its not so sleepy anymore. We are blessed to be a part of this community for many years and have seen it develop and grow. Saturday, as tradition would have it, we watched fireworks sponsored by the Devon Yacht Club. Sunday night, like millions of Americans, we watched the celebrations on TV. Personally, I thought the number of servicemen and women dressed in full uniform honored at the celebrations was heart warming. The patriotism was evident when those in my living room burst into song when the patriotic medleys began. Sure, not all of the on-goings in this country are positive and inspiring, but I must say the feeling of being part of this great country overwhelmed me. It’s a great feeling to be a part of something larger than oneself. Last night I witnessed millions of American’s from all walks of life, political persuasions and economic classes celebrating their American heritage. This is engagement, at its best.
Last week I had a client, recently promoted to the top spot, say to me “my people are hungering for leadership”. I don’t think he is alone in this observation. Millions of American workers hunger for leadership. They hunger for the woman or man at the top to exhibit courage, honesty and integrity in the decisions they make. They want to know the reasons behind certain decisions that affect them personally.
Many years ago at a Human Resource Planning Society Annual Conference I heard an executive of the then Martin Marietta Company talk about how he managed a significant number of job eliminations by personally meeting with each individual whose role was being eliminated and letting them know he was committed to helping them find other positions. What a novel idea. I remember him saying it was not an easy task, but turned out to be a very rewarding task as those whose positions were eliminated experienced were treated with respect and dignity. No one lost their temper or used abusive language. This morning I received the Jim Rohn Newsletter. It speaks about “Maintaining Honesty and Dignity”. I link it here for your perusal, as it is just another perspective on Organization Engagement: http://www.jimrohn.com/.
Have a great week!
What's The Connection Between Peace And An Engaged Organization?
Have you ever asked yourself the question “What is peace?” Last week I attended an international peace conference held at Hope Springs Institute (www.hopespringsonstitute.org) in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in southern Ohio. People gathered from Europe, Curacao, India and across the US to discuss peace.Retired Col Ann Wright, a warrior in her own right, discussed her resignation from the military in protest to US policy in Iran, and her subsequent commitment to work for peace. Her story is compelling. The perspective of a female warrior working for peace and weaving together her experience, information and heart was exhilarating. Violence is at the root of all trauma says Gina Ross, Founder and President on the International Healing Institute (www.ginaross.com). She gave a wonderful presentation on healing trauma by understanding the Trauma Vortex and being more aligned with the Healing Vortex. The experience of trauma is retained in our bodies. It can be eliminated through SE (Somatic Experiencing). I experienced this marvelous technique first hand through her skilled guidance in healing the trauma of living through the September 11 attacks on the WTC. A most powerful experience, it took just minutes.
What the connection is between peace and an engaged organization? Peace is a state of mind. When we are authentic we generally are coming from a peaceful place, at one with ourselves even though our expression of a point of view or emotion might be intense. Engaged organizations are inhabited by people who strive to be and are authentic. These companies are places where people feel comfortable sharing their thinking, creativity and even feelings. Engaged organizations are great breeding grounds for peace. I’d love to hear some of your views on this. Please share them with me.
Summer Solstice Greetings
I’ve decided to write a day or two earlier this week so that I could honor the Summer Solstice. I am reprinting a brief message from a dear friend Diana Byrnes regarding the history of the Solstice.
Summer Solstice Greetings
As the days lengthen and the sun rises higher and higher in the sky, we enter the Summer Solstice. The word Solstice comes from the combination of sol, meaning "sun", and sistere, "to stand still".
Solstice, the day the sun appears to stand still, has been celebrated for centuries:
- The Celtics and the Slavic people celebrated the first day of summer with dancing and bonfires to help increase the sun's energy.
- The Chinese marked the day by honoring Li, the Chinese Goddess of Light. This honoring of the feminine at the beginning of Summer, the yin forces, complemented their Winter Solstice celebration, which celebrates the masculine and yang forces.
- In ancient Sweden the Solstice was about promise of the future harvest. A tree was decorated in each town and girls would bath in the local river with the intention to bring rain for crops.
- For the Hopi, Kachinas come from their cloud homes to live among the people and renew the powers of fertility and rain.
As the Solstice announces the beginning of the harvest months and the fruits that abound, we can't help but be in awe of the great power of the sun and it's blessings upon us.
Wishing everyone a wonderful summer.
Diana
I’d like to take her last paragraph, which comments on the beginning of the harvest months and wish all of you great success in harvesting that which you have been tending for the last six months or so. May you begin to reap the benefits of your efforts, and if you have been reaping benefits may they continue in abundance. I am off to an International Peace Gathering. More about this next week hopefully. You can visit Diana's site here: http://www.dianabyrnes.com/home.html
What's The History of ENGAGEDorg?
Some of you have asked about the history of the term ENGAGEDorg. In October 2009 I attended a conference called Engage Now in Calgary, Alberta Canada. The conference was really two conferences in one: a collaboration between Simplewealth, Inc., and the University of Calgary. Among the featured speakers were the Dali Lama, Edward DeKlerk, Richard Branson, Tony Hsieh of Zappos, and other successful businessmen and woman in businesses that are leveraging the new technologies. To be in the first row and hear all these extraordinary speakers was one of life’s treasured moments. At a post conference mastermind group it was clear to me that I had to revitalize my consulting business. We prided ourselves on being authentic with clients and eclectic in our approach. Weaving together science based management principles with Gestalt methodology, and being informed by Rosemary’s far-reaching interests, the consultancy created a loyal client base with little or no marketing. But alas like everyone else we have been hit by the recession. The business has changed and it’s time to do things differently.
The term Enagaged Organization emerged and I quickly purchased the domain names. Weeks later while strolling on the beach in Amagansett with my friend Suzee Foster I realized engaged organization.com is a mouthful. She, being in public relations, came up with ENGAGEDorg, which I think you all would agree is catchy and more current.
Organization Engagement will become the new buzzword of the next decade. It has many layers. There is the individual engagement that managers, employees and owners have with the company. Are they aligned with the values, mission and vision of the entity? Is the entity itself engaged with the community within which it does business? We live in a global society so that now we have people living on the Gulf Coast with the BP oil spill outraged and panicked by the lack of progress to stop the spill and save the wetlands, fish and fauna. At the same time we have millions of pensioners in Great Britain and other part of Europe and the world who because of the drastic devaluation of BP stock have seen their pensions evaporate before their very eyes. Has BP acted like an ENGAGEDorg? I don’t think so. There are many questions to be asked and the disinformation has been startling. Corporations both large and small are the vehicles that create wealth for the planet; they directly impact the communities in which they operate and serve. Rather than focusing on avoiding litigation they need to play a more proactive role in being corporate citizens. Becoming an ENGAGEDorg is an essential first step.
Since we launched ENGAGEDorg.com and started to rebrand our consulting business, our dear friends at Simplewealth have also launched a new initiative the Engaged Entrepreneur. I invite you to visit their website at www.engagedentrepreneur.com to learn more about their services for small business. Follow owner, Greg Habstritt’s blog for thoughtful and at times challenging commentary.
ENGAGEDorg seems to be satisfying a need. Our newsletter launched just yesterday had a 50% open rate. People are craving the authentic, candid communication and service we provide. As a boutique consultancy we can provide the personalized authentic services people want.
CLICK HERE for our Newsletter. And remember to subscribe!
Do YOU Have a Personal Mission Statement?
While attending an entrepreneurial conference in Calgary last week I had the good fortune to meet a lot of fascinating people. Some were young enough to be my grandchild and some old enough to be my parent. What struck me most was the enthusiasm all had about being engaged entrepreneurs and learning to live their life with greater authenticity. During a break I met a charming young man who told me he blogs regularly and recently wrote on the subject of the thoughtful leader. In less than 15 minutes Kyle McNeil from Edmonton and I covered a wide territory including grieving for a recently deceased love one and finding out that he does business from Edmonton with the daughter of a business partner of mine in NY. Just amazing! I asked him to send me his blog and after reading it decided to quote it. I am thrilled to know that our young people are thoughtful about their lives, the future of business and the planet. He blew me away when he said he had a mission statement for his life. I’ve heard Steven covey talk of this but had never written one myself. So here are excerpts from Kyle’s blog: “3 summers ago I wrote down a mission statement to: “positively & deeply impact at least one million people over the course of my life”.
“From that space, I realized to be a “thought leader” is good … what about being a thoughtful leader! That fits much better “
“With that in mind, here’s 7 KEYS to becoming a thoughtful leader.
Have pen & paper ALWAYS available – the ideas will come fast & furious when you least expect it. Be ready to capture inspiration. Like in so many books that profess the power of writing things down – MY GOODNESS it’s true. Write it down!
Acknowledge profound insights & powerful actions in yourself in others – celebrate this – it’s a gift. The more you honour this, the more you’ll receive. This is abundance.
Serve YOU. Your core purpose is to love you & feed your soul. Without you – you can’t serve others. Death, sickness & unhappiness greatly reduces our impact. Set time aside for your body, mind & spirit – make it a priority.
Explore your why – in other words, “why do you do what you do”? What’s your mission? The deeper this resides inside you, the bigger impact you’ll make & more results you’ll see. Will & determination ALWAYS wins.
Take action – get involved – this is where your name will grow & thoughts & heart will touch others … the universe loves speed (action) and will show you the way. Expect challenge, failure & success. It’s just part of the journey. Sitting back thinking about how to change the world is important. At the same time, if this is 100% your plan … we’ve got a problem.
Be impeccable with your word – Conscious & clean in your delivery of messages with people. Don’t spill your “crap” onto others. Your words make a long lasting impact. Also be aware, that trying to be perfect & not “hurt anyone’s feelings” will keep you in the backseat — trust me I know this intimately.
Drop the me-me-me, ego and LISTEN! To be a thoughtful leader, you must be considerate of others, if you never stop talking … you’ll never learn what is important to them & you will lose them (especially now that we’re in the civic cycle)! Find out what moves them & what they need though; you’re GOLDEN!”
Kyle’s blog has taught me some things. I am starting to work on my own mission statement. What about you?
NO VACATION NATION ≠ AN ENGAGED ORGANIZATION
One of my and my partner Dan's favorite shows on television is the program Sunday Morning. It's a great, thoughtful and provocative TV magazine that regularly presents interesting facts and details about a wide variety of people, places and things. Two Sunday's was no exception. I’ve taken the liberty of paraphrasing some of their feature story and sharing some alarming statistics.
Of the 33 richest nations in the world we are the only one without a paid vacation policy. Denmark nationally mandates five full weeks and Germany and Switzerland four.
In the US only 10% of full-time workers get two weeks paid vacation. Of part-time workers only one third get paid vacation leave. In the US 23% of workers say they are not planning to take vacation this summer.
Many US workers “don’t want to be seen as the guy or gal who values play over work.” Consider the recession we are in and the pervasive fears workers are living with and you can imagine how much more intense this belief might be.
What does the impact of an all work no play mindset have on our creativity and ingenuity? Perhaps it’s prudent to reflect upon the philosophical implications of a position that sees paid vacation time as a perk as compared with the position it is an essential right of every member of society so that they can recharge themselves by doing something relaxing and non work related for an extended period of time.
As we start the summer season I wonder just how many people will be texting, calling or tweeting while supposedly spending the afternoon on the beach with family and friends. This mindset of constantly working, the never-ending job is at the other end of the spectrum of an engagedorg. As a self-employed person, I need to address this issue. Can I really take two weeks at the beach this summer without bringing work along? It’s an epidemic. What do you think? It would be great to hear your comments.
You Have to First Move Slow Before You Can Move Fast
I am a real fan of Fast Company magazine and their daily online newsletter. This morning while managing my inbox, I saw Fast Company’s slide show of the 10 Most Creative Women In Business. I also happened on a feature they have been running for quite some time: The 30 Second MBA program. This week’s focus is “What Have You Learned About Collaborating From Separate Locations?” Each day a different expert gives a reply. I chuckled this AM as the reply was the importance of communication, face to face whenever possible, using technology, etc. perhaps the real message was how to say a lot in a short amount of time. Certainly the speaker used language efficiently. Conflicting ideas…a 30 second MBA and the importance of communication and knowing to whom we are communicating. I’m reminded of the adage “you have to first move slow before you can move fast”. Our challenge in today’s business world is spending enough quality time with co-workers and colleagues to get to know them and build trust so that you can count on them to do what they say they will do and or what you need them to do. Remember trust is an essential ingredient of an engagedorg.
10 Most Creative Women in Business:
http://www.fastcompany.com/pics/10-most-creative-women-business
30 Second MBA:
This is the formula for success!
Just came back from a fascinating conference in Las Vegas where I heard Bill Fields speak. For those of you who aren’t familiar, he headed up Walmart’s US Retail Stores Division in the 1990’s. A highly successful businessman he has become an advisor to the company I have recently joined. As he walked on stage with a beautiful dog, (I think it might have been a black lab) my first thought was “he’s blind”. Not the case. He shared that there was no one home to take care of the dog, so he brought Tank along with him. A man of his wealth I can only assume he had his own plane so traveling with Tank was easy. Observing his sensitivity to his dog while on stage demonstrated just how much heart the man had. His speech was inspirational to the distribution network of this 5-month-old new company. He shared the progression of his career at Walmart having worked directly with Sam Walton for years. By bringing normally unavailable products to rural communities throughout the US Walmart changed the nature of geographic distribution throughout the country. Their strategy was to produce a better life for those living in rural America.
Bill learned the importance of Products, Promotion and People. During this discussion, he referenced a speech he heard Gen. Colin Powell make about the first Gulf War. According to Fields he spoke of 12 rules for leadership and management. Once he discussed the 12 he then said, “throw those 12 away all you really need to know is rule 13 and 14.”
Rule 13: When in charge take charge. Make things happen for yourself those you love and care about.
Rule 14: Do the right thing. Perhaps, let your conscience be your guide.
I began to think about how many people in managerial positions actually take charge. I can recall a number of client situations where people did not feel they had the authority to take charge. Consequently enormous amounts of energy and probably resources and money were wasted. And, what about the energy of the individual feeling disempowered?
Do the right thing. How many times do we compromise our own values and ethics? I know so many who do what they think their boss or another might want them to do. It takes courage to do what you think is right. Recently in a Fortune magazine feature it talked about the fortune 500 companies looking to hire returning young military officers. They liked the way they could make decisions in the midst of a great deal of uncertainty.
Bill Fields said, “Walton could make ordinary people achieve extraordinary things if they would work together as a team.” Fields believes the key to everything in life is having high expectations. “We get what we expect.” When I see some of our youth living in fear and taking jobs they don’t value it pains me. Their expectations are so low. It’s impossible to have an engaged organization if you don’t have high expectations. Perhaps a formula we should consider is:
High expectations+taking charge+doing the right thing with integrity= an engagedorg.
What Do Competitive Sports and La Famiglia Have in Common?
Not sure any of you saw this in the Sunday New York Times, but I found the article about “Bench Strength” very interesting. The interview was with Sharon Napier, CEO of Partners+Napier, an ad agency based in Rochester NY. It’s obvious Sharon is building an engaged organization. I resonate with her on a number of different levels. Sharon’s values and beliefs about people and the roles they play in her company are similar to mine. As a sportswoman in high school and college, she likes to use sports metaphors in her organization. She references the experience students have of being a star in high school, then being the 9th player in college. While this may be difficult for some to digest, the point of her sports analogies is that everyone on a team has a role, and each role has a specific purpose. People must be clear about their purpose on the team so that they can step up, but also so that the team can realize its potential.
Secondly, Sharon names family as one of her key corporate values. We both come from Italian heritage and “la famiglia” is an important aspect of life. It assumes a certain loyalty, sticking together and compassion and caring for family members. Growing up in this culture creates a sense of belonging, appreciation and being valued for all involved. Transferring these values to the workplace helps create engagement. I am sure Sharon, like myself, has had to clarify family as a value statement for those who have not had a positive family upbringing.
Lastly, Sharon is a woman business owner. Having served on the Board of the National Association of Women Business Owners and President of the NYC chapter, I recognize that many women are comfortable with their feminine energy and can bring the universal feminine into the workplace. Having received an MBA in her mid-forties, much of Sharon’s business acumen has been developed over her lifetime. My hunch is Sharon can draw from the strength of her energies to successfully manage her business. A model for all of us to consider in pursuit of building engaged organizations.
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
We need to celebrate as much as we can. That is why I’ve chosen to write this short blog on Cinco de Mayo. It commemorates the unanticipated victory the Mexican Army had over the French in 1862 in the town of Puebla. Only relatively recently has it become a popular holiday in the US. Here in NYC, Mexican restaurants are booked all day and the Tequila is overflowing. I thought I’d take the liberty of launching our new newsletter on this day as well. So let’s have a virtual toast to you and us, and the continued connection we will have. In NYC, the weather has been playing havoc with us since January. Winter was very cold, like the winters of yesteryear of which we really hadn’t had any during the last 10 years. For the past week it’s been July/August in May with the thermometer reaching 90 degrees last weekend. March was the rainiest on record and April was the warmest ever.
Last weekend we had a thwarted terrorist attack in Times Square. A vigilant street vendor alerted the police to an SUV parked in a turning lane. A former Vietnam Vet the street vendor has been at that intersection for years. At dinner the other night I heard people expressing a new appreciation for street vendors. The salt of the earth this is the entrepreneurial spirit in its infancy. Just thinking about the Vietnam Vets, many of whom came home with disabilities to be met by jeers from a country so conflicted about that war that we couldn’t acknowledge and celebrate their service.
Fast forward thirty years and the vigilance and focus that may have helped these men survive the rice paddies of Nam prevented a terror attack where hundreds if not thousands could have been injured or killed.
We launch our monthly newsletter this week. Our intention is to write interesting short articles and to reprint others I think might peak your interest. Occasionally I’m going to incorporate personal journal entries, which I think you might enjoy as well.
The world is a topsy-turvy place these days with volcanoes erupting, earthquakes happening throughout the world, flooding and that’s only the natural disasters. Then we have unemployment, business failures and people just trying to get by. It’s a time for us all to be reflective, identify what’s truly important and celebrate whenever an opportunity presents itself.
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How Acknowledgement and Action Can Improve Your Organization
Today I want to speak about Acknowledgement and Action respectively the third and fourth A’s in improving managerial effectiveness. To recap, the Four A’s (Awareness, Appreciation, Acknowledgement and Action) refer to the mindset and behavior of individual managers. Unfortunately we live in a time plagued by blame and denial. How often have you heard someone either deny they had anything to do with an outcome or blame a co-worker or other department for poor performance? It’s rampant.
Acknowledging your part in a particular outcome is an important step in taking responsibility for one’s actions. I recall a situation when I was President of a professional association years ago. We had our annual awards dinner and did not sell enough tickets to cover our budgeted costs. Even though we ended the year in the black I felt it imperative to call Board members and take responsibility for the failure of the dinner fundraising initiative. I also felt it was important to model good managerial accountability. Being authentic requires acknowledging the impact your decisions or behavior have on others. When you are the senior executive you must acknowledge responsibility. The one caveat I’d say is that in a positive situation you want to praise the efforts of those who helped along the way.
Taking action is also something we need to do more of in organizations. I’ve been with many clients who’d rather wait and see what happens than act on the courage of their convictions. We forget that our employees model their behavior on ours and get frustrated with them when they don’t act as quickly as we’d like. Taking action doesn’t mean taking giant steps. As those who have participated in recovery programs know all to well taking one step at a time in the right direction keeps you on the right path. Too many of us have gotten mired in our own procrastination. Wanting to be or do the best we become paralyzed. Some refer to it as analysis paralysis. Taking action even small steps helps us to be more effective.
Let us know how you are using the Four A’s to improve your managerial leadership.
Embracing That Which We At First Don’t Like
Last week we discussed the importance of awareness in becoming an engaged manager. This week my focus is on the second of the Four A’s which is appreciation. Searching the dictionary for a definition of appreciation we find words such as gratefulness, positive opinion, valuing something highly, full understanding, and a statement of praise. As managers we are accountable for the outputs of our employees. We want them to put forth their best efforts and be the most effective they can be to complete the tasks assigned them in the best way possible. How do we do that?
There are specific skills managers can learn to be effective in assigning tasks and monitoring progress. These will be topics for future blogs. However a manager’s mindset towards employees and for that matter, colleagues can have significant impact on their own and other’s effectiveness. When we as managers come from a mindset of appreciation we create a work atmosphere in which others want to do their best. It is important for managers to come from a mindset that appreciates different behaviors, attitudes and beliefs. You don’t have to like it but you can appreciate the difference and try to learn from it. This can be the difference between a highly successful organization and one that doesn’t realize its potential.
I find the best way to discuss this concept is to go back to the “golden rule” with which most of us are familiar. Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you! Thousands of years old it still rings true. People want to be appreciated. They want to be thought of highly and positively, be fully understood, have their efforts met with gratefulness. Be appreciated for the contribution they make. Kind words, and sensitivity go a long way.
Most of us are frazzled, ever busy, having little time to stop and think or thank someone for what they just did. Our interactions with our employees can develop into us barking orders treating them as if they are mechanical beings. This serves no one, and builds resentment on the part of many.
To develop a mindset of appreciation, use these simple tips.
- Ask yourself each day “Have I expressed my appreciation to any of my employees today?”
- Notice how quickly you can get irritated with an employee and ask yourself why? Then ask, how might I express my appreciation to this person?
- Think about how you feel when your boss or a colleague expresses their appreciation for your efforts or behavior. Recognize others are not so different. Mimicking the behavior of a colleague with a mindset of appreciating others might be a good first step. But be sincere about it as people can see through inauthentic attitudes and ehaviors.
If you try these simple suggestions you will find after a short period of time your mindset will change to one of appreciating others which affects everyone on the team.
Principles of Engaged Management Part 2
“Know First Who You Are, And Then Adorn Yourself Accordingly.” - Epictetus Being a fully engaged manager requires a willingness to grow, accompanied by a mindset that life is a journey. Personal growth is a life long process. Similar to maturation, it can happen whether we are conscious of it or not. We all mature naturally, some realizing our full potential others not coming close to it. However having a commitment to personal growth allows us to be an active participant in the process.
Last week we introduced you to BEI’s Four A’s to Greater Personal Effectiveness. Today we’d like to look a bit closer at the first A. Awareness. Most would agree that awareness is the first step in personal growth. It requires self-reflection, being responsible and accountable for ones actions and thoughts. Let’s look at these elements more closely.
Self-reflection is the skill that allows us to think about our lives on both a macro and micro level. The focus is both within and outside of us. Often we are concerned about what other’s think and not enough about what we think. I’m reminded of the many times I’ve worked with managers in companies who felt their hands were tied by a company policy. Many felt forced to act in ways that went against their own beliefs, fear causing them to compromise themselves.
Jay Niblick states in What’s Your Genius “conventional belief on being successful focuses on having as much factual and technical knowledge as possible.” Additionally, “the Genius Project highlighted another kind of knowledge---self knowledge—as the key to being not just good, but great.”
I am equating success with engagement because being engaged directly correlates to authenticity. When we know ourselves we can be authentic. There is no accident that “Know Thyself” the inscription above the entrance to Apollo’s Temple at Delphi in ancient Greece is so frequently quoted. Niblick clarifies the true meaning as know of yourself as in “the answer lies within.”
This is a great little book, which guides you through some preliminary steps of your internal journey to awareness. There are many other steps available to you such as learning about your behavioral style, or your emotional intelligence quotient but these do not address the deeper question of who am I.
This celebratory season of Easter provides a great opportunity to journey within and engage with who we are. It’s our job to figure out how we can best contribute to the universe, and knowing who we are is a great first step.
Principles of Engaged Management Part 1
I was driving back to the city this afternoon and started thinking about the roles of managers in engaged organizations. An Engaged Organization is a total systems approach to building successful companies. We, BEI define success as realizing business goals, developing an engaged workforce, with engaged manager(s) working together to produce outstanding products and services and creating shareholder value. Most of you reading this blog are in managerial roles, running your own businesses, or volunteering in organizations that are meaningful to you. People infuse organizations with a life force. Organizations exist even if there are no people to do the work. Organizations have a purpose, a network of roles and relationships, with assets such as machinery, technology, and bricks and mortar, even if there are no people to do the work. Imagining such a structure is like thinking about a play that has been written but never performed on stage. I have much to say about this invisible structure but will save that for another time.
Today I want to speak about how you as a manager can be engaged in focusing your life force and that of your workers to deliver the products or services of the organization. Most managers we talk to are quick to say how stressful their work is and how busy they are. No doubt it is almost impossible to slough off from work in today’s environment. Whether it is striving to reach a goal or downright fear of being let go, most of us are always busy at work expending energy.
But are we engaged? Engagement requires commitment, focus and caring. One way to gauge whether you are an engaged manager is to think about what we at BEI refer to as the Four A’s For Improving Effectiveness.
The Four A’s are:
- Awareness: Being conscious of your own behavior and the behavior of others, including cultural differences and stress related performance issues.
- Appreciation: This builds on awareness, an understanding of how differences can impact the workplace.
- Acceptance: Accepting a person for who they are and a situation for what it is.
- Action: Making necessary adjustments to accommodate differences, and/or improve a situation.
Managers who are engaged are conscious of what is going on among their workers, as well as inside themselves. They attend to the Four A’s so that they can personally be more effective, and work towards helping their employees work better together - individually and collectively. Understanding a situation allows a person to think of actions that may be taken to improve a situation.
I’d like all of you to do a little reflecting during the next week. Take a few moments to think about yourselves, and rate your self on a scale of 1-5 on each of these dimensions. Which of these A’s do you need help on? If you’d like, let us know and we will be able to provide some helpful hints to improve in any of these core competencies.
In the many years that I have been consulting I have yet to come across a manager who did not care deep down about their competence or how they treated their people. Many of them just didn’t have the awareness, understanding, and tools to fine-tune their own skills. BEI looks forward to providing our readers with new perspectives and helpful tools to become more engaged and effective managers.
In like a lion, out like a lamb
Last week I had the privilege of speaking at the U.S. Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Earle as part of a ceremony honoring Women’s History Month. This was my first experience speaking at an active military base. I have always had a spot in my heart for the men and women that serve our country and came away from NWS Earle so proud of the men and women I met from the Commanding Officer (CO) down to the seamen. Bright, inquisitive, skilled and caring individuals I walked away with a sense of pride in the Navy. Talk about engagement! The servicemen and women and those employed by the Department of Defense who attended the ceremony, were courteous, curious, involved and questioning. They were open to new information, knowledge, and willing to share their own point of view. One person talked with pride about how far the Navy has come in bringing women into the organization. The CO added that since the Navy recruits new people regularly they must be vigilant to insure the equality and continually heighten awareness of issues and concerns and provide support.
Other things that peaked my attention were:
- There was cordiality as well as formality something those of us out of the service don’t usually experience. Everyone I met was polite and welcoming. Security at the entrance gates was firm and followed protocol.
- When I walked into the building with CO Captain Harrison, he was announced and everyone stood. Don’t recall ever having had an experience like that.
- Everyone is addressed by their last name or rank so that there is really no way to know if you are addressing a man or a woman unless they are in front of you.
I think we can learn from some of these young men and women, and their leaders who have decided to serve their country.
My talk included a funny clip from the movie Operation Petticoat (view clip at the bottom of this page). I introduce Deborah Tannen’s research from her seminal work, You Just Don’t Understand. Tannen looks closely at the differences between how women and men are socialized and how this can lead to communication challenges.
According to Tannen, conversation is what men use to negotiate their status in an organization and keep people from “pushing” them around. Men use talk to preserve independence and autonomy.
Females, on the other hand, use conversation to negotiate closeness and familiarity. For women, talking is the foundation of building relationships, so being best friends, for example, means sitting and talking.
In conclusion, a shift has been taking place that has had men and women throughout the world moving from a family-based relationship orientation to one of men and women being managers, colleagues and team members. Carlotta Tyler in her work on gender appreciation highlights this paradigm shift. Emphasizing appreciation rather than differences is for many a safer place within which to explore beliefs, stereotypes and behaviors that get in the way of more effective communication. More effective communication is an essential ingredient of an engaged organization.
Reflections on Women Leaders During Women’s History Month
I’m speaking at the US Navy Weapons Station Earle this week, and in preparing for my talk I have uncovered some tidbits about women's military history that have helped me reflect on the strides women have made in leadership over the past few decades. First of all, in the Spanish American War women served as nurses, but it wasn’t until World War I that women were allowed to serve in non-nursing roles. Loretta Perfectus Walsh was the first woman to enlist in the military (non nursing), joining the Navy in 1917 and within days became a Chief Petty Officer. Yet even today with 20% of the military being women, there is still a lot of ground to cover. We embark on the 21st century with choices to make. We can focus on appreciating men and women or emphasizing our differences. One of my colleagues, Carlotta Tyler said, “During the past three decades, increasing numbers of women have joined men in mainstream workplaces and, in the past decade, in responsible professional and managerial capacities. There can be difficulty understanding one another and the rules of engagement. There can be clarity and comfort, creativity and productivity interacting. It's a choice”. You can read below a soldier’s story. From the blog Military Women Veterans Yesterday Today and Tomorrow:
Dear Capt. Barb I was a Marine in Desert Shield/Storm. I was assigned to MWSS273, out of Beaufort, S.C. My unit flew out on Christmas Eve, and landed in Jabail, Saudi Arabia on Christmas day. Of 500 in my unit, 17 were women. Myself and 5 other women are among the 100 Marines that built the larges/longest mobile runway in the history of organized military WORLDWIDE, and we did it twice! I am now 10 years into a police career, and know a lot of former Marines who give me the credit earned. Still, no one understands that I was THERE! I captured an Iraqi soldier. I had another Marine die in my arms, from Nerve Gas poisoning. Still, most credit only goes to the men, God Bless them too though. Thank you for this site. I cannot say it didn't bring back some hard memories, but at least, it recognizes that we were there. And we live with hard memories too, and we are proud too, and we would do it all over again...too. On a side note, even though my unit took fire...a lot...we were not afforded the Combat Medal, because women were not "in combat" so the records show. All 17 of us were bussed south when the IG came AND the unit records were changed to reflect only male Marines. My only hurt is not to have been awarded the Combat Medal, when it was earned. Thank you so much, again, for this site. Tracy Abernathy-Walden"
Furthermore, Hilary Clinton, the strongest female presidential candidate to date, was still treated somewhat differently than her male counterparts in the last election. To hers and President Obama’s credit, she serves on his cabinet (see this article I co-authored for a more thorough analysis: But Can She Type?). We’ve come far and yet still have a long way to go. Regardless, I am hopeful we will see a woman President of the US in my lifetime.
Other news that may be of interest:
According to Maureen Dowd’s column this morning in the NY Times, President Obama applied pressure and Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed to get the health reform bill passed. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/opinion/24dowd.html
Fortune Magazine has an article about how companies are hiring returning military officers, many of who are women. The attraction is their ability to deal with ambiguity, uncertainty and to lead. They are being enrolled in executive leadership programs at GE, Walmart and Pepsico. http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/04/news/companies/military_business_leaders.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2010030509
The luck of the Irish
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Amazing how once a year people from all over the world choose to wear green and celebrate everything Irish. People whose heritage has nothing to do with Ireland celebrate St Patty’s day throughout my city. Is it that way in your neighborhood? What is it about this day that gets so many people engaged? We talk about the luck of the Irish I’m not sure whether there is any truth to that statement. I’ve looked for the origin of the phrase but have come up unsuccessful. But here is my spin on it…..
Celebration, smiles, and a sense of belonging adjectives describing this day all help people feel engaged. Most of us have a need to belong, feel part of something larger than ourselves, and need a reason to celebrate. St. Patrick’s Day provides such an outlet. Couple that with the coming of Spring, letting go of a long harsh winter, the thought of new life sprouting from the land as Spring arrives and its no wonder we have a cellular experience of awakening, and new beginnings.
Now you might say how does this tie into creating an engaged organization? If your organization is in the doldrums, your employees, or you yourself feeling the heaviness of the recession and the slow recovery, you might want to engage in some discussions of new beginnings, a new season, encourage new creative thinking-brain storm, put out an anonymous internet based suggestion box.
Dream and ask the question if we were your ideal place of employment what would be happening there? What could we change here now to make things a bit better? What could I do differently? What could you do differently?
Engaged organizations are all about creating opportunities for people to feel part of something larger than themselves. They are about respect, integrity, and clarity of purpose. They are also about sharing the good with the bad.
When I think about the “luck of the Irish” I realize that as a people the Irish have gone through a great deal yet they are known to celebrate life, smile and most importantly move forward.
Enjoy the day and let me know what you are thinking.
How taking daily supplements can build an engaged organization
Recently I joined Donald Trump's new business The Trump Network as an independent marketer. This marks his entry into the growing health and wellness industry using as his vehicle network marketing. (You can find out more about this at www.trumpnetwork.com/rosemarybova Happy to discuss the whys and wherefores of this decision privately, just call.) The flagship product is Custom Essentials, customized supplements based upon their unique Priva Test results. This test identifies your metabolic end products, which become the basis for the formulation of your unique daily supplement regimen. While taking my pills this morning, today’s blog entry came into my mind and a light bulb went off.
Custom Essentials is a great metaphor for building an engaged organization….
Most corporate executives want to do the right thing for their customers and their employees. Some of you may disagree with this but in my experience people would like to do the right thing. Corporate leaders try to keep up with the latest developments in leadership and human resource technology as well as other technologies directly related to their products or services. The dilemma they face to go with the one-size fits all version or spending the extra time and money to get a customized analysis? We know the result. All too often the choice to “go for it” requires taking a stand, separating oneself from the pack. For many that energy has gone underground.
An engaged organization is a comprehensive and complex system. It is unique just as we individuals are. Many of us have spent hundreds of dollars buying supplements without knowing our personal metabolic needs and studying the wellness field. In corporations millions of dollars are spent each year on programs intended to improve overall organization effectiveness. All too often leaders focus on symptoms rather than root causes. An engaged organization is willing to study itself, to identify its strengths as well as its weaknesses. Many managers have gotten complacent, with greater comfort in a wait and see what happens in both our lives and in how we lead in the workplace. We’d rather react than be proactive. This is especially the case now in the recession. We do not have a proactive or preventative mindset. Such a mindset has courage as a staple. I think Toyota is a great example of this.
For years Toyota was the premiere company in quality and customer service. I would love for a graduate student in organization development to do a PhD dissertation on the demise of Toyota over the last 15 years or so. Their attitude was preventative, an eastern cultural mindset. After WWII they worked with Edwards Deming to address actual and stereotypical beliefs about quality. Those of us who have been around long enough know they introduced the quality circle concept…which brought workers together on a regular basis to discuss ideas for improvement and concerns. The demise of Toyota we are seeing unfold before our eyes has its roots in decisions that were likely made 5-10 years ago the ramifications of which are only showing up now.
Keeping consistent and using examples from the automotive industry one might think of Hyundai. Known for its lack of quality but low pricing when first introduced into the US it has steadily grown in reputation and sales. “Over a 12-year period Hyundai's U.S. market share steadily crept up from 0.6% to 4.2% in 2009. The automaker's share of sales took a great leap forward last year to 4.2%, Autodata says.” This type of turnaround can only happen as part of a conscious effort to improve. Although still viewed as a value play with customers its price has inched much closer to that of its competitors.
What does this mean for those of us wanting to build engaged organizations? The work requires us to truly understand and know our companies. We must put them under a microscope to see what’s really there, what’s not visible to the naked eye. The analysis must be based on a set of organizing principles that are consistent and hold up whether in good times or bad. We need to know our corporate values and overall business strategy, have the right network of roles in place to support the business strategy and realize both long and short term goals, have the right people in the right roles, and the polices, systems and procedures that support getting the work done in a timely fashion. In my next few blogs I intend to address some of the basic principles of an engaged organization and some of the how to’s. Let me know what you are thinking.
As the World Changes, What Remains the Same?
I had breakfast this morning with a friend and colleague whom I hadn’t seen in quite some time. As small business owners, we found ourselves sharing how each of our businesses is going through major transition. Transformation is likely the more accurate term. Advancement in technology has altered how and what we both do. She designs marketing materials and we design organizations. Current technology allows for a company like mine to design our own marketing materials. Information available on the internet, such as articles and research providing how-to’s on managerial education give companies access to knowledge pertinent to my craft. Coupled with the downturn in the economy, organizations are less likely to invite consultants in to do special projects. Under all this stress what is remaining the same?
It’s the importance of teams and individuals working effectively. Most in the corporate world have experienced colleagues being let go. This is met with a sign of relief “thankfully its not me” and fear “will I be next”? It is also met with the work of the departed being reallocated to currently existing roles. The precarious corporate climate makes it unlikely any worker will stand up and say “I can’t take on another thing”. Are you as a manager willing to look at how your department is organized to produce work? Are you willing to take time out of busy days and speak with your employees individually and as a team to explore what if anything can be done differently? Are you willing to ask them what is going on in their lives? Are you interested?
What remains the same is people-the human element of the work. Technological advances provide a competitive edge when they are first introduced, but once more available the playing field is leveled. Most companies can access technology at significantly reduced prices. It’s in a company’s workforce that competitive advantage resides. This is where the science and artistry of accountable, managerial leadership comes in. Accountable managerial leadership is a term first used by Dr. Elliott Jaques in his seminal work Requisite Organization…A Total System for Effective Managerial Organization and Managerial Leadership for the 21st Century (revised second edition 1996 Cason hall Publishers) and further refined in Social Power and the CEO…Leadership and Trust in a Sustainable Free Enterprise System (2002 Quorum Book)
People are the competitive advantage. The Vancouver Olympics illustrate this. Technologically advanced skis, skates, snowboards, and sleds were available to all competitors. The athletes and their coaches, their vision, goals, skill, practice and strategic mindset to deal with the unexpected, made the difference with who came home with medals. The Vancouver Organizing committee planned and constructed a vision, mission and the venues within which the games were held. They were launched by an all-inclusive Opening Ceremony, and could have taken on the pallor of the untimely death of the Nodar Kumaritashvili the young Georgian luge slider who died during a practice run. They acknowledged and respected his death and the games went on. Again at the closing ceremony Nodor was acknowledged demonstrating how in the midst of adversity success can be achieved.
Those of you who know me personally know Dr. Jaques was my mentor and know that Requisite Organization forms the foundation for our work at BEI building engaged organizations. I will incorporate specific principles in upcoming blogs in an attempt to make his brilliant findings more available. More than ever we need effective managerial leaders and strong teamwork. I’ve attached an inspirational video about teamwork available on You Tube. It’s worth the view. Assume a male created it as it uses male pronouns. Make your own adjustments. Have a great week and let me know what you are thinking.