As I was reading over a few posts on a businesses networking site tonight, I read, with interest, a post concerning the use of the phrase "thinking outside of the box." Now, as much as I dislike even the notion of this phrase, I was reminded of an elementary school Christmas recital I attended this month.
At one point during the recital, a group of small children sang the song, "I Don't Want To Be A Sheep - Baa, Baa, Baa, Baa." I chuckle every time I hear that song. It is, unfortunately, a lesson to the corporate world. The trick is to never be a sheep. In the same way, the simplest way to think outside of the box is to never get in the box in the first place. Don't be a sheep.
Doing what others do is no different than being a sheep. Trying to fit in, adjusting behaviors, giving up your sense of self is no different than being a sheep. Albert Einstein said, "You cannot solve a problem with the same kind of thinking that created the problem." And therein lies the answer: don't get into the box.
Your willingness to be creative, to see problems as opportunities for growth, to be willing to handle whatever comes your way will free you from the "box." As you prepare yourself for a new launch for 2008, think about your willingness to step outside your self-imposed constraints and try something new. Stop being a sheep.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Employee Tip #11 - Don't Annoy Your Customers
I settled into my hotel room at about eleven o'clock at night. It had been a long day of travel: speaking in the morning in one city, flying to another city and then driving two more hours, the last hour of which was in the snow. Then, once I climbed the stairs with all of my luggage and arrived at my room, I had to cart all of my luggage back to the front desk so that I might make a request to change hotel rooms. They had assigned me a room overlooking the broken-down indoor swimming pool. I prefer a room with an outside view as I kind of enjoy the daylight in the morning and since there weren't a lot of guests in the hotel, there was no shortage of outside-facing rooms.
My presentation wasn't scheduled until the following afternoon so I made sure to place the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door as I knew I would have a little extra time to sleep in a bit the next morning. I brewed myself a cup of tea as a "late supper" since Room Service and the hotel restaurants had already closed for the night. I really didn't feel the least bit tempted to indulge in the three-dollar chocolate bars in the room (the same ones you'd pay a buck for at a store). I went over a little paperwork, watched a little TV and then drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, although I had been awake for a little while, a thunderous knock on the door bolted me me upright in bed at 9:45 am.
"Housekeeping," bellowed the voice.
"There's someone in here," I shot back with surprise.
"Are you checking out today?" questioned the voice.
"What time is check-out?" I asked.
"Eleven o'clock."
"And what time is it now?"
"About a quarter to ten," responded the voice.
"Is there a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door?" I questioned already knowing the answer.
"Yes."
"Then, if I have over an hour before check-out, and my sign's on the door, why are you disturbing me?" I asked dripping with sarcasm.
After a short pause, "I'll come back later," is all I heard through the door.
I simply shook my head, pulled out my Blackberry and began to record the events of what had just transpired. With about twenty minutes left until checkout, the phone in my room rang. As soon as I answered, the other party hung up. Who do you suppose could have been calling a hotel with all of the rooms empty except mine? I'm guessing it was my housekeeping staff who called to ensure I was roused out of my room.
As the last surviving customer of the hotel, I suppose I was in the way of the housekeeping staff going home early. But as a customer, I paid for my room, abided by the rules and l left my indication (the little sign) that I wished not to be disturbed - all of which were ignored.
Without customers, a hotel has no need for housekeeping staff do they? The same could be said of any business couldn't it? Without customers there really is no need for staff is there? So are you giving your customers the best experience possible or are you making it miserable for them to do business with you? Are you genuinely servicing your customers or annoying them? Is your customer in the way of you leaving early? Could you care less about their experience and do you care more about yourself?
The hotel I stayed in that night, had been in business for years. I am sure they have built a steady stream of repeat customers - the rest of the staff I encountered seemed normal in most every other way. Isn't it funny how years of hard work, dedication, attention to detail and genuine service by the rest of the staff could be undermined in one brief moment of selfishness by one staff member?
It's really not that hard to make the experience of doing business with your company positive for your customers. As an employee, remember that without a revenue stream (customers), there is really no need for useless expenses like - uh, oh I don't know ... employees!
The more happy customers you have, the more your company can reward employees. Customers are never an inconvenience. If ever you think they are, find a new line of work.
And if you give your customers some choices in how they choose to deal with you, then respect their choices. By respecting their choices, you have pretty much ensured that they will choose to business with you again.
Courtesy, respect and patience go a long way in turning an an ordinary customer into a happy customer. Happy customers spend a lot more money. Tick your customers off and they tell the world. Think before you act. Or maybe you were the one on the other side of my hotel room door. That would speak volumes.
My presentation wasn't scheduled until the following afternoon so I made sure to place the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door as I knew I would have a little extra time to sleep in a bit the next morning. I brewed myself a cup of tea as a "late supper" since Room Service and the hotel restaurants had already closed for the night. I really didn't feel the least bit tempted to indulge in the three-dollar chocolate bars in the room (the same ones you'd pay a buck for at a store). I went over a little paperwork, watched a little TV and then drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, although I had been awake for a little while, a thunderous knock on the door bolted me me upright in bed at 9:45 am.
"Housekeeping," bellowed the voice.
"There's someone in here," I shot back with surprise.
"Are you checking out today?" questioned the voice.
"What time is check-out?" I asked.
"Eleven o'clock."
"And what time is it now?"
"About a quarter to ten," responded the voice.
"Is there a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door?" I questioned already knowing the answer.
"Yes."
"Then, if I have over an hour before check-out, and my sign's on the door, why are you disturbing me?" I asked dripping with sarcasm.
After a short pause, "I'll come back later," is all I heard through the door.
I simply shook my head, pulled out my Blackberry and began to record the events of what had just transpired. With about twenty minutes left until checkout, the phone in my room rang. As soon as I answered, the other party hung up. Who do you suppose could have been calling a hotel with all of the rooms empty except mine? I'm guessing it was my housekeeping staff who called to ensure I was roused out of my room.
As the last surviving customer of the hotel, I suppose I was in the way of the housekeeping staff going home early. But as a customer, I paid for my room, abided by the rules and l left my indication (the little sign) that I wished not to be disturbed - all of which were ignored.
Without customers, a hotel has no need for housekeeping staff do they? The same could be said of any business couldn't it? Without customers there really is no need for staff is there? So are you giving your customers the best experience possible or are you making it miserable for them to do business with you? Are you genuinely servicing your customers or annoying them? Is your customer in the way of you leaving early? Could you care less about their experience and do you care more about yourself?
The hotel I stayed in that night, had been in business for years. I am sure they have built a steady stream of repeat customers - the rest of the staff I encountered seemed normal in most every other way. Isn't it funny how years of hard work, dedication, attention to detail and genuine service by the rest of the staff could be undermined in one brief moment of selfishness by one staff member?
It's really not that hard to make the experience of doing business with your company positive for your customers. As an employee, remember that without a revenue stream (customers), there is really no need for useless expenses like - uh, oh I don't know ... employees!
The more happy customers you have, the more your company can reward employees. Customers are never an inconvenience. If ever you think they are, find a new line of work.
And if you give your customers some choices in how they choose to deal with you, then respect their choices. By respecting their choices, you have pretty much ensured that they will choose to business with you again.
Courtesy, respect and patience go a long way in turning an an ordinary customer into a happy customer. Happy customers spend a lot more money. Tick your customers off and they tell the world. Think before you act. Or maybe you were the one on the other side of my hotel room door. That would speak volumes.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Boss Tip #16 - Scout The Minors For Talent
I was a minor-hockey referee for fourteen years. I was also a professional hockey mascot for five years. And I played hockey up until I was fouteen years old. Roughly figuring, that puts me in hockey rinks for almost thirty years. I learned a thing or two about business in my years at the rink. It's a dream of every kid who straps on a pair of skates to play in the big league one day. Not so much for the glory of going to the "show" but mostly because of the paycheck that comes with it. When money is involved, it's business.
Without a doubt, on most game nights, there is at least one hockey scout (affiliated with a pro or semi-pro team) floating around the rink - at least if the home team is somewhat competitive. That scout, who works for a higher-calibre team is looking for young undeveloped players who may have enough talent to be able to play in the big leagues one day. It is the job of the scout to drive ridiculously long hours through awful weather and drink some of the world's worst coffee all in the hopes of finding that one player that the team can groom, train and mentally prepare to move up the ranks.
Every team that wants to be competitive has scouts of their own visiting rinks in small towns and big cities. It doesn't matter whether it's hockey, baseball, football, basketball or ping-pong. If there's a pro league somewhere, there are minor league scouts looking for players to fill out the pro rosters. Scouting is necessary in sports just to remain competitive. Those without a good scouting system usually dwindle near the bottom of the league standings.
However, if a team chose not to scout at all, then that team would end up filling out their rosters with the players that no one else wanted. Oh sure, some of those players might end up being good utility players, but the real talent was spotted months and sometimes years earlier by the scouts. Those future stars were likely offered contracts or at least incentives by other teams long before they joined their new team. The team that doesn't scout - in essence - gets the leftovers and the throw-aways.
So, with that being said, let me ask this: is that how you run your business? Are you doing nothing for recruiting and development so that when it comes time to fill a position you end up taking what the rest of the market has left behind? Do you think you can run a strong team of superstars by hiring that way?
The truth is that competition for talent is heating up in the corporate world. Companies are sponsoring programs at universities and colleges, are donating money to build infrastructure at the halls of learning all in an effort to making their presence known on-campus. They too, just like sports teams, are looking for the next superstar or highly-talented employee. They are sending their recruiters to find these people. They have a plan of recruitment and development and will hire these future stars with no particular job in mind - just so the competition won't snap them up first.
As a boss, it's not just with customers that you need to be sharp. You need to be forward thinking and be ahead of the game when it comes to finding players for your team. You can't just expect to put an ad in the paper and attract the best of the best. The best of the best have been courted, contracted and are likely not looking for something else. Therefore, you're not likely to find them.
Once these future stars have been secured by a company, they'll end up jumping from department to department within the company in the hopes that they will either find a department they like or they get a little experience in each department as they are groomed for leadership positions. These forward thinking companies are far ahead of the curve and are snapping up the best people which gives them a tremendous business edge in the marketplace.
Make no mistake, if you're not actively seeking new recruits all of the time and have a strategy in place to keep in touch with these future stars regularly, someone else is going to beat you to the punch. You had better be prepared to accept mediocre performance from your people if you choose to not actively seek out the high-performer. But then maybe you're already reminded of that - everytime your competitor gets another one up on you.
Oh, and just so you know, the real superstars of tomorrow don't read newspapers. They won't see your ad anyway. Stop wasting your money and your time.
Without a doubt, on most game nights, there is at least one hockey scout (affiliated with a pro or semi-pro team) floating around the rink - at least if the home team is somewhat competitive. That scout, who works for a higher-calibre team is looking for young undeveloped players who may have enough talent to be able to play in the big leagues one day. It is the job of the scout to drive ridiculously long hours through awful weather and drink some of the world's worst coffee all in the hopes of finding that one player that the team can groom, train and mentally prepare to move up the ranks.
Every team that wants to be competitive has scouts of their own visiting rinks in small towns and big cities. It doesn't matter whether it's hockey, baseball, football, basketball or ping-pong. If there's a pro league somewhere, there are minor league scouts looking for players to fill out the pro rosters. Scouting is necessary in sports just to remain competitive. Those without a good scouting system usually dwindle near the bottom of the league standings.
However, if a team chose not to scout at all, then that team would end up filling out their rosters with the players that no one else wanted. Oh sure, some of those players might end up being good utility players, but the real talent was spotted months and sometimes years earlier by the scouts. Those future stars were likely offered contracts or at least incentives by other teams long before they joined their new team. The team that doesn't scout - in essence - gets the leftovers and the throw-aways.
So, with that being said, let me ask this: is that how you run your business? Are you doing nothing for recruiting and development so that when it comes time to fill a position you end up taking what the rest of the market has left behind? Do you think you can run a strong team of superstars by hiring that way?
The truth is that competition for talent is heating up in the corporate world. Companies are sponsoring programs at universities and colleges, are donating money to build infrastructure at the halls of learning all in an effort to making their presence known on-campus. They too, just like sports teams, are looking for the next superstar or highly-talented employee. They are sending their recruiters to find these people. They have a plan of recruitment and development and will hire these future stars with no particular job in mind - just so the competition won't snap them up first.
As a boss, it's not just with customers that you need to be sharp. You need to be forward thinking and be ahead of the game when it comes to finding players for your team. You can't just expect to put an ad in the paper and attract the best of the best. The best of the best have been courted, contracted and are likely not looking for something else. Therefore, you're not likely to find them.
Once these future stars have been secured by a company, they'll end up jumping from department to department within the company in the hopes that they will either find a department they like or they get a little experience in each department as they are groomed for leadership positions. These forward thinking companies are far ahead of the curve and are snapping up the best people which gives them a tremendous business edge in the marketplace.
Make no mistake, if you're not actively seeking new recruits all of the time and have a strategy in place to keep in touch with these future stars regularly, someone else is going to beat you to the punch. You had better be prepared to accept mediocre performance from your people if you choose to not actively seek out the high-performer. But then maybe you're already reminded of that - everytime your competitor gets another one up on you.
Oh, and just so you know, the real superstars of tomorrow don't read newspapers. They won't see your ad anyway. Stop wasting your money and your time.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Boss Tip #15 - Treat Your People Like ... Well ... People!
"Organizations work fine. It's people who screw 'em up." (Kevin Burns)
It is true though isn't it? Almost without exception, every single problem in every single business is created by a person. If you could just take the people out of your organization, you would eliminate almost every single problem that you, as a boss, are forced to deal with. Think of how much more you could get done if there weren't "people" problems to deal with. You could probably reduce your hours to part-time status and still get the job done if there weren't people to deal with.
Well good luck with that one. There ARE people to deal with. These are the same people you have either hired or at least had a hand in getting hired. These are your people. Without them, you wouldn't be needed. Thank your lucky stars for "people" problems. It's one of the things that keeps you, the boss, working.
So since you've hired people to help you do the job, perhaps you could cut them a little slack and treat them like, well, treat them like they are valued by you. How would you want to be treated if given the same job and responsibilities? C'mon, it's not that hard to figure out. You'd like to hear an occassional, "Good job," or "Thanks," or "What would we do without you?" It's pretty simple. We all want to know how we're doing so it becomes your job, as a boss, to make sure that your people are not only given the coaching they require, but even an occassiaonal bit of praise wouldn't hurt either.
I can guarantee that if you choose to praise your people on a regular basis, they will actually do more for you. How is that possible? When people take ownership of their work, they take pride in the workmanship. How can you get them to take ownership? Make a few heartfelt positive comments about their quality of work and watch the quality improve. People like to know that they are valued. The more you praise them, the more they are likely to perform for (not you) themselves. You get to take credit for a well-run and high-quality department.
All it takes is a little positive reinforcement once in a while. Treat your people like the valued people that they are. Your company's work wouldn't get done without them. And if you don't value their work, then one of two things is taking place: either they don't want to work for you or you hired the wrong people. Either way, they are not to blame - you are. You obviously don't know how to hire properly or can't coach worth a damn. Either way, the coach (boss) needs to be fired then.
Connect with your people on a personal level and they will begin to take their work and work ethic personally. When it gets personal, pride gets involved. When pride is involved, the quality of work has a much better chance of being top-notch.
Your people are both your most important asset as well as your greatest liability. Your job, as a boss, is being able to differentiate the two. If you can't differentiate the two, then your people aren't the problem. That just leaves you.
It is true though isn't it? Almost without exception, every single problem in every single business is created by a person. If you could just take the people out of your organization, you would eliminate almost every single problem that you, as a boss, are forced to deal with. Think of how much more you could get done if there weren't "people" problems to deal with. You could probably reduce your hours to part-time status and still get the job done if there weren't people to deal with.
Well good luck with that one. There ARE people to deal with. These are the same people you have either hired or at least had a hand in getting hired. These are your people. Without them, you wouldn't be needed. Thank your lucky stars for "people" problems. It's one of the things that keeps you, the boss, working.
So since you've hired people to help you do the job, perhaps you could cut them a little slack and treat them like, well, treat them like they are valued by you. How would you want to be treated if given the same job and responsibilities? C'mon, it's not that hard to figure out. You'd like to hear an occassional, "Good job," or "Thanks," or "What would we do without you?" It's pretty simple. We all want to know how we're doing so it becomes your job, as a boss, to make sure that your people are not only given the coaching they require, but even an occassiaonal bit of praise wouldn't hurt either.
I can guarantee that if you choose to praise your people on a regular basis, they will actually do more for you. How is that possible? When people take ownership of their work, they take pride in the workmanship. How can you get them to take ownership? Make a few heartfelt positive comments about their quality of work and watch the quality improve. People like to know that they are valued. The more you praise them, the more they are likely to perform for (not you) themselves. You get to take credit for a well-run and high-quality department.
All it takes is a little positive reinforcement once in a while. Treat your people like the valued people that they are. Your company's work wouldn't get done without them. And if you don't value their work, then one of two things is taking place: either they don't want to work for you or you hired the wrong people. Either way, they are not to blame - you are. You obviously don't know how to hire properly or can't coach worth a damn. Either way, the coach (boss) needs to be fired then.
Connect with your people on a personal level and they will begin to take their work and work ethic personally. When it gets personal, pride gets involved. When pride is involved, the quality of work has a much better chance of being top-notch.
Your people are both your most important asset as well as your greatest liability. Your job, as a boss, is being able to differentiate the two. If you can't differentiate the two, then your people aren't the problem. That just leaves you.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Podcasts Now Available
Well, here it is. The long-anticipated release of Kevin's podcasts - audio versions of his Blog entries.
You can download Kevin's podcasts as well as getting an update every time a new podcast becomes available. Here is the list of MP3 audio file podcasts available right now.
Boss Tips - Leadership Tips For Bosses (And Those Who Aspire To Be)
Boss Tip #1 - Get Out From Behind Your Desk
Boss Tip #2 - Be The Dumbest Guy in the Room
Boss Tip #3 - Never Be Missed
Boss Tip #4 - Monkey See Monkey Do
Boss Tip #5 - The Leadership Lunch-Menu Test
Boss Tip #6 - Keep Your Mouth Shut
Boss Tip #7 - Uncross Your Fingers
Boss Tip #8 - The Credit Score
Boss Tip #9 - Recognize Your Stars
Boss Tip #10 - Stop Training The Old Way
Boss Tip #11 - There's No Such Thing As Teambuilding
Boss Tip #12 - Pruning The Garden Without Chemicals
Boss Tip #13 - Switching Drivers
Employee Workplace Tips - Tips For Employees On How To Improve Attitude And Performance.
Tip #1 - What To Do If Your Job Sucks
Tip #2 - You Have Simple Responsibilities
Tip #3 - You Need To Own The Corporate Values
Tip #4 - Job Satisfaction Is Not The Company's Responsibility
Tip #5 - Steer Clear Of Cynical Co-workers
Tip #6 - Productivity is More Important Than Attitude
Tip #7 - How To Work For A Jerk-Boss
You can download Kevin's podcasts as well as getting an update every time a new podcast becomes available. Here is the list of MP3 audio file podcasts available right now.
Boss Tips - Leadership Tips For Bosses (And Those Who Aspire To Be)
Boss Tip #1 - Get Out From Behind Your Desk
Boss Tip #2 - Be The Dumbest Guy in the Room
Boss Tip #3 - Never Be Missed
Boss Tip #4 - Monkey See Monkey Do
Boss Tip #5 - The Leadership Lunch-Menu Test
Boss Tip #6 - Keep Your Mouth Shut
Boss Tip #7 - Uncross Your Fingers
Boss Tip #8 - The Credit Score
Boss Tip #9 - Recognize Your Stars
Boss Tip #10 - Stop Training The Old Way
Boss Tip #11 - There's No Such Thing As Teambuilding
Boss Tip #12 - Pruning The Garden Without Chemicals
Boss Tip #13 - Switching Drivers
Employee Workplace Tips - Tips For Employees On How To Improve Attitude And Performance.
Tip #1 - What To Do If Your Job Sucks
Tip #2 - You Have Simple Responsibilities
Tip #3 - You Need To Own The Corporate Values
Tip #4 - Job Satisfaction Is Not The Company's Responsibility
Tip #5 - Steer Clear Of Cynical Co-workers
Tip #6 - Productivity is More Important Than Attitude
Tip #7 - How To Work For A Jerk-Boss
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Employee Tip #10 - Why Companies Don't Want You To Improve
Is the answer not already obvious? If I were to ask you for one good reason why any company wouldn't want you to get better at sales, better at customer service, improve your communication skills, study leadership, become more productive or just be a nicer person, could you answer that question? Do you think you could come up with the right answer?
The truth is, any organization's responsibility for improving its people ends once those same people attain a level of "competence." Think about it. Once an organization has all of its people achieving the level of "competence," it needs to do nothing more to train their people - provided the job doesn't change, the duties don't change and the market doesn't change. If the job is the same, "competent" training will suffice.
But here's what you, as an employee, may have never thought of: that all employees can be summed up into one of three categories: competent, high-performer and under-achiever. Which one are you? Honestly! Tell the real truth to yourself about where you would fit on this scale. How do you think your paycheck would change if you were to move from merely competent to high-performer?
Any company's Human Resources mandate could be summed up in three rules: 1) Don't mess with what's working (competent employees). 2) Do whatever is necessary to keep the superstar (high-performer). 3) Get rid of the deadwood (under-achiever).
Rule #1 - Don't mess with what's working. If everyone on staff were competent, the company would have no need of training and development programs anymore. Everyone would have the tools necessary to complete the assigned tasks and everything would roll along quite smoothly. Think of an assembly line. Each person is required to do a single job that contributes to the final outcome of a product or service. If everyone is competent, the product or service produced is exactly the same every single time. The company would enjoy a higher corporate profit because all of its people are competent.
Rule #2 - Do whatever is necessary to keep the superstar. In order to keep a high-performer in a competent environment, there are going to have to be discrepancies in pay levels, perks, freedom and expectations. If a company has a whole team of nothing but superstars, I think for a boss that the experience would be like herding cats - an exercise in futility. In order to keep high-performers from looking for better remuneration elsewhere, a boss would need to give more (money, position, perks) to keep the people who achieve more. It will cost the company more to keep these high-performers but then the trade-off should come in the amount of work done. Therefore, the net profit to a company would be lessened initially but perhaps they might make that profit back in the results of their high-performers.
Rule #3 - Get rid of the deadwood. I don't think much more needs to be said here other than if there is someone not pulling their weight (competency) then they need to be let go. It's the key to keeping the company moving forward and not being held back by poor performers. Poor performers are a hardship on a company's net profits. Poor performance means poor profit potential.
So, have you figured out why companies don't want you to improve yet? The answer is simple. The company is more likely to make a better net profit because no one needs expensive training programs, staff retention is high and there are no staff members who require high-maintenance perks to keep them there. If, however, you become a high-performer, the company must pay you more, must give you perks like extra time off, a corner office, a little more freedom on hours and stay out of your way all in an effort to not have to search for someone to replace you and then to train them to pick up the work you used to do. Managers have to get better at managing and leading because if there are no mentors for high-performers, they'll go elsewhere looking for coaching at the next level. When you improve, it forces your boss to improve. Management training is expensive and not all mangers can move to the next level of management. Some just aren't any better than competent. You can't have a simply competent manager leading a group of high-performers. It would be embarrassing to the manager, not to mention the company.
You, as an employee, if you really want to wreak havoc in your company, all you have to do is improve: your job performance, your attitude towards the job, your attention to detail, your customer service skills as well as your personal demeanor. Improve those things and your company must respond to your increased value or risk losing you. It's an expensive venture to replace a high-performer. It's actually cheaper to try and keep them with bonuses and perks. That's what you get for raising your personal worth. It forces your boss to get better. it forces the company to get better. it forces the people you work with to get better because you have helped raise the bar to what is possible, not just competent.
So, are you up to the challenge?
The truth is, any organization's responsibility for improving its people ends once those same people attain a level of "competence." Think about it. Once an organization has all of its people achieving the level of "competence," it needs to do nothing more to train their people - provided the job doesn't change, the duties don't change and the market doesn't change. If the job is the same, "competent" training will suffice.
But here's what you, as an employee, may have never thought of: that all employees can be summed up into one of three categories: competent, high-performer and under-achiever. Which one are you? Honestly! Tell the real truth to yourself about where you would fit on this scale. How do you think your paycheck would change if you were to move from merely competent to high-performer?
Any company's Human Resources mandate could be summed up in three rules: 1) Don't mess with what's working (competent employees). 2) Do whatever is necessary to keep the superstar (high-performer). 3) Get rid of the deadwood (under-achiever).
Rule #1 - Don't mess with what's working. If everyone on staff were competent, the company would have no need of training and development programs anymore. Everyone would have the tools necessary to complete the assigned tasks and everything would roll along quite smoothly. Think of an assembly line. Each person is required to do a single job that contributes to the final outcome of a product or service. If everyone is competent, the product or service produced is exactly the same every single time. The company would enjoy a higher corporate profit because all of its people are competent.
Rule #2 - Do whatever is necessary to keep the superstar. In order to keep a high-performer in a competent environment, there are going to have to be discrepancies in pay levels, perks, freedom and expectations. If a company has a whole team of nothing but superstars, I think for a boss that the experience would be like herding cats - an exercise in futility. In order to keep high-performers from looking for better remuneration elsewhere, a boss would need to give more (money, position, perks) to keep the people who achieve more. It will cost the company more to keep these high-performers but then the trade-off should come in the amount of work done. Therefore, the net profit to a company would be lessened initially but perhaps they might make that profit back in the results of their high-performers.
Rule #3 - Get rid of the deadwood. I don't think much more needs to be said here other than if there is someone not pulling their weight (competency) then they need to be let go. It's the key to keeping the company moving forward and not being held back by poor performers. Poor performers are a hardship on a company's net profits. Poor performance means poor profit potential.
So, have you figured out why companies don't want you to improve yet? The answer is simple. The company is more likely to make a better net profit because no one needs expensive training programs, staff retention is high and there are no staff members who require high-maintenance perks to keep them there. If, however, you become a high-performer, the company must pay you more, must give you perks like extra time off, a corner office, a little more freedom on hours and stay out of your way all in an effort to not have to search for someone to replace you and then to train them to pick up the work you used to do. Managers have to get better at managing and leading because if there are no mentors for high-performers, they'll go elsewhere looking for coaching at the next level. When you improve, it forces your boss to improve. Management training is expensive and not all mangers can move to the next level of management. Some just aren't any better than competent. You can't have a simply competent manager leading a group of high-performers. It would be embarrassing to the manager, not to mention the company.
You, as an employee, if you really want to wreak havoc in your company, all you have to do is improve: your job performance, your attitude towards the job, your attention to detail, your customer service skills as well as your personal demeanor. Improve those things and your company must respond to your increased value or risk losing you. It's an expensive venture to replace a high-performer. It's actually cheaper to try and keep them with bonuses and perks. That's what you get for raising your personal worth. It forces your boss to get better. it forces the company to get better. it forces the people you work with to get better because you have helped raise the bar to what is possible, not just competent.
So, are you up to the challenge?
Employee Training Ends At Competence
I got into a conversation recently (on a Human Resources Message Board) with a Management Consultant. His questions got me to thinking. He asked for a further clarification of my assertion that an employer's responsibility to improve its employees ends once they become competent at the job. The following is my clarification.
When an employer goes looking for a potential employee, they are looking for someone who can accomplish the job. They are not looking for someone to exceed expectations or they would have advertised that. They just want someone merely competent. And if they find that competent person, if the person doesn't improve over time and if the job doesn't change, they will be happy with their employee for years to come. If the employee can live with doing the same job every day getting the same paycheck every week and not testing his/her abilities, then they have a match. The company only requires someone competent. Nothing more.
However, over time we all know the employee will eventually begin to feel they are being taken advantage of. They haven't been given big raises (but the job hasn't changed either) and they become disgruntled. The company however, doesn't feel they need to pay more. The job hasn't changed, the responsibilities haven't changed and the employee is doing exactly the job that was originally advertised.
The company is only responsible for training the employee to do the job. That's it. If you take the job you agree to the expectations. If you are better than the job then don't take the job. Clearly you will not be happy. If you are under skilled for the job, then I'm not sure the company would hire you but if they did, their responsibility for "training" ends once you are able to do the job competently.
In order to better one's position in life, they have to become more valuable. It's not the company's job to make the individual better. Sure, the company can provide an environment where self-improvement is encouraged but ultimately it's not the company's responsibility to improve the individual beyond the expectations of being able to do the job. That's it.
However, as an employee, one can't use the excuse that they won't improve because the company won't pay for it. (Anyone who would dare say that in my shop would be fired immediately and I would gladly pay the legal bills to get rid of a cancer like that.) Sitting on the sofa watching TV reruns is no replacement for opening a book and becoming better at the job or better as a person.
We have to all accept accountability. We are what we are and where we are in our lives by our own doing. We have said "yes" all the way along. It's how we ended up where we are. Now, if we are being paid what we are perceived to be worth (and we are), wouldn't it make sense to self-improve, get better at the job or the next job up the ladder, raise our worth, raise our profile, raise our stock which, in turn, would raise our paychecks?
If you won't raise your personal worth, why should the company pay more? If the job hasn't changed and the individual hasn't changed then the paycheck shouldn't change.
One can't ever use the excuse "that's all the company pays" for not doing better. Look around. There are others in the company making more than you. The truth really is, "That's all the company pays ... you."
The company will do whatever is necessary to keep a high-performer (including money, status, position, perks, etc.). The company will do little to upset the apple cart of someone who is doing a competent job.
In a nutshell, here's a simplistic overview of how a company can run a clean ship (organization): 1) Don't mess with what's working (competent employees). 2) Do whatever is necessary to keep the superstar (high-performer). 3) Get rid of the deadwood (under-achiever).
It's imperative that the individual honestly figures out where they, as an individual, are on that scale. The company makes their choices based on #1 and #2. That's their choice. The individual now must figure out where they are on the scale and hope that it's not #3.
When an employer goes looking for a potential employee, they are looking for someone who can accomplish the job. They are not looking for someone to exceed expectations or they would have advertised that. They just want someone merely competent. And if they find that competent person, if the person doesn't improve over time and if the job doesn't change, they will be happy with their employee for years to come. If the employee can live with doing the same job every day getting the same paycheck every week and not testing his/her abilities, then they have a match. The company only requires someone competent. Nothing more.
However, over time we all know the employee will eventually begin to feel they are being taken advantage of. They haven't been given big raises (but the job hasn't changed either) and they become disgruntled. The company however, doesn't feel they need to pay more. The job hasn't changed, the responsibilities haven't changed and the employee is doing exactly the job that was originally advertised.
The company is only responsible for training the employee to do the job. That's it. If you take the job you agree to the expectations. If you are better than the job then don't take the job. Clearly you will not be happy. If you are under skilled for the job, then I'm not sure the company would hire you but if they did, their responsibility for "training" ends once you are able to do the job competently.
In order to better one's position in life, they have to become more valuable. It's not the company's job to make the individual better. Sure, the company can provide an environment where self-improvement is encouraged but ultimately it's not the company's responsibility to improve the individual beyond the expectations of being able to do the job. That's it.
However, as an employee, one can't use the excuse that they won't improve because the company won't pay for it. (Anyone who would dare say that in my shop would be fired immediately and I would gladly pay the legal bills to get rid of a cancer like that.) Sitting on the sofa watching TV reruns is no replacement for opening a book and becoming better at the job or better as a person.
We have to all accept accountability. We are what we are and where we are in our lives by our own doing. We have said "yes" all the way along. It's how we ended up where we are. Now, if we are being paid what we are perceived to be worth (and we are), wouldn't it make sense to self-improve, get better at the job or the next job up the ladder, raise our worth, raise our profile, raise our stock which, in turn, would raise our paychecks?
If you won't raise your personal worth, why should the company pay more? If the job hasn't changed and the individual hasn't changed then the paycheck shouldn't change.
One can't ever use the excuse "that's all the company pays" for not doing better. Look around. There are others in the company making more than you. The truth really is, "That's all the company pays ... you."
The company will do whatever is necessary to keep a high-performer (including money, status, position, perks, etc.). The company will do little to upset the apple cart of someone who is doing a competent job.
In a nutshell, here's a simplistic overview of how a company can run a clean ship (organization): 1) Don't mess with what's working (competent employees). 2) Do whatever is necessary to keep the superstar (high-performer). 3) Get rid of the deadwood (under-achiever).
It's imperative that the individual honestly figures out where they, as an individual, are on that scale. The company makes their choices based on #1 and #2. That's their choice. The individual now must figure out where they are on the scale and hope that it's not #3.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Employee Tip #9 – Working For An Under-Performing Boss
I received an email this week which asked for my opinion on high-performers. The email read, “It would be great to hear your ideas/tips for Bosses and Employees regarding working with “high performers”. I was specifically thinking about the high performance employee working with a boss that doesn’t fall into this category. However, getting some tips on the opposite would no doubt be helpful for many as well.”
If you’re a high-performing employee and work for an under-performing boss, I feel for you. It can be an exercise in futility to go to work each day and have the motivation to be your best sucked out of you and five and a half minutes into your workday. Just being around people who are clearly not as talented as you (especially your boss) can, over time, diminish your work ethic while at the same time increase your ego. This is where you need to be careful.
Clearly you are a star player. Your performance would indicate it. Perhaps your paycheck indicates it. Maybe even some of the perks that come with the job my indicate it. But if the person who is your boss can’t offer you anything in the way of coaching, mentoring or self-motivating, then you have a problem.
I suggest that you find a company that is willing to offer you what you need. If you are a star-performer, there is nothing I can say or do that will improve your work experience. You will need to get better and improve and coach yourself on your own. If your boss is an under-performer, then he or she is going to stand between you and your true potential.
However, with that being said, there is still the chance that even though your boss may be an under-performer, they may still be able to help pave the way for you to reach your potential. Perhaps they offer to send you to courses that can improve your performance. Perhaps they may give you a few perks like Friday afternoons off or performance bonuses. Just because the boss may not be able to do the job as well as you doesn’t mean they can’t help you develop yourself.
Years ago, I wanted to become a sales trainer within the company I worked for. I was told I had to sell more. In other words, the company wanted to ensure that the trainer was the best salesman. Now, I don’t subscribe to that point of view for this reason: not every coach of every sports team was the best player in their league. Some people are better players. Some are better coaches. (The greatest hockey player in the world, Wayne Gretzky, is having a tough time coaching a winning hockey team).
I was on OK player but I knew my strength was in coaching. I had to leave the company to prove it. I have had several conversations with the same company (social conversations) since then and they admit now that I was right.
As a high-performer, know this: you are going to become attractive to your competitors and other industries alike. Don’t follow just the money. Make sure you have a good sense of what you want to do with your life, what you want to accomplish and what you aspire to become. Once you have identified those key ingredients to your long-term picture, you will start to attract yourself to people and organizations that can help you get it.
Ensure that you don’t become the pack-mule for the company (the one everyone else dumps their stuff to because they know you’ll get it done). There is nothing more debilitating than feeling you are being punished for being a high-performer. You must have a clear set of principles and articulate them to your boss and your co-workers.
Don’t worry about being fired for being a little more demanding than others. If you are a high-performer, you’ll find another job in no time.
How do you get to be a high-performer and have companies falling all over themselves to hire you? You improve your value. The better you get and the more you work on you, the more you raise your personal value to a company and the more those same companies will come looking for you. You have to be disciplined in your pursuit of excellence within yourself. Make a plan each day to work a little bit more on you. Over time, you will rise above the rest and stand out. That’s when the opportunities come to you.
Are the companies knocking on your door? Could your paycheck be more than what it is? Do you currently have the freedom within the job you would like to have? No? Then that’s would be a pretty good indication that the market doesn’t think you are worth it. You can’t argue with your results. You are obviously not a high-performer. The market knows the truth. You need to change your perception. You can’t demand high-performer perks without being a high-performer. Do the work on you first – the rest will follow.
Boss Tip #14 – Leading/Managing High-Performers.
I received an email this week which asked for my opinion on high-performers. The email read, “It would be great to hear your ideas/tips for Bosses and Employees regarding working with “high performers”. I was specifically thinking about the high performance employee working with a boss that doesn’t fall into this category. However, getting some tips on the opposite would no doubt be helpful for many as well.”
High-performers indeed. The conversation on this one has two sides. So in this installment, I will explore high-performers from an “under performing” boss perspective. See Employee Tips #9 for the employee’s perspective.
In a nutshell, here is my opinion: a boss who under performs his or her own high-performer won’t be able to keep them, hire them or find another high-performer to replace the one who just left.
Now, let me expand my thoughts. There are a few myths out there about high-performers. The first is that high-performers don’t need to be managed and secondly, that high-performers don’t want to be managed. Both are true while at the same time, both are also myths.
Both statements are true when it comes to under performing bosses. High-performing employees don’t want to be lead by a boss who couldn’t do the same job on a good day. That would be just a joke.
High-performers want to follow someone they can look up to and aspire to be. If your employee can do the job better than you, step aside and let them run the place. No really, I’m serious about that one. If, as the leader/manager, you are impeding the development of your best people by trying to lead people who are clearly better than you at the job, then you’re just going to irritate them and they’ll go looking for a new and more challenging place to work. If, as a boss, you won’t develop yourself, what kind of message are you sending to those who are under you clearly outperforming your abilities?
Word gets around that if you’re a high-performer or even aspire to be one, then don’t join that company. The boss is clearly under qualified and working for him/her will be a frustrating experience and will impact your income potential. High-performers are attracted to the companies with outstanding leadership, recognition and remuneration. High-performing companies attract high-performers. High-performers need to be managed and mentored but they need it to come from someone who has achieved what they want to achieve.
High-performers, because they are just that, high-performers, want to continue to grow, to expand and to test their own limits. If, as a boss, you have no program in place that can help your best people get better, then they will go looking for a place to make that happen. They don’t want to be left alone. High-performers want to have a little elbow room and some freedoms but also want to learn how to turn up their own performance even more. If you can’t offer that then be honest and tell the high-performing candidate that they would be better off trying to find work for one of your high-performing competitors. Hey, don’t kid yourself. You won’t keep them for long. They’ll soon find out the truth and you’re out one high-performer who knows your company’s secrets and weaknesses. They’re going to make you pay one way or the other.
So, if you’re an under performing boss, don’t embarrass yourself by hiring someone who is clearly better than you unless you are an outstanding example of how to self-motivate, self-start and have some outstanding leadership skills you could pass on. It will soon become apparent to the rest of the staff who carries the weight of accomplishments and who gets the glory for the work getting done.
If you’re an under performing boss and want to develop a team of high-performers, well then you have a little work to do don’t you? That work is on you. When you as a boss get better, you will be able to attract a better caliber of employee who wants to perform, wants to reach the top of their earning potential and wants to test their outer limits. In other words, when you get better, your team gets better. Your results get better and your company gets better. So, better get to work.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Think Before You "Forward!"
How much of it do you get? I'm talking about emails that have been circulating the Internet for years promising that Bill Gates will send you thousands of dollars for forwarding an email message, don't open certain attachments because they will wipe out your hard drive and other stuff like that.
I get several of these every week and I'm tired of it. Tired enough to tell you to stop doing it - or at least check the facts before you send.
I got one today that is quite inspiring and credited to comedian George Carlin. His name is all over it and unfortunately he didn't write it. As a matter of fact he calls it "a sappy load of s**t." It turns out that the man who did write it is a disgraced church pastor accused of sexual assault on at least 14 people. How's that for something inspirational?
How do I know this? There is a great web site that is dedicated specifically to righting the misinformation out there on the web. The site is Snopes.com. What do they do? Snopes is the definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation.
Just because it comes to your email Inbox doesn't make it true. You owe it to yourself to confirm and verify any information before you pass it on to others. Otherwise you are contributing to a society of misinformation, rumor, innuendo and opinion. Notice that the word "fact" wasn't in that last description. There is junk on the Internet. It's up to you to be responsible and ensure that you are not not contributing to the misinformation of the world.
All you need to do is check out your questionable email at Snopes, get the page link (with the correct information) and send it back to the originating sender AND also hit "reply all" just to make sure that everyone who received the original copy also gets a correction. Go to Snopes, enter the page title or some description in the Search bar and look through the mountains of misinformation. You'll find the truth.
Then you get to give people a little tap on the side of the head that says, "Think before you hit that Forward button."
So think.
I get several of these every week and I'm tired of it. Tired enough to tell you to stop doing it - or at least check the facts before you send.
I got one today that is quite inspiring and credited to comedian George Carlin. His name is all over it and unfortunately he didn't write it. As a matter of fact he calls it "a sappy load of s**t." It turns out that the man who did write it is a disgraced church pastor accused of sexual assault on at least 14 people. How's that for something inspirational?
How do I know this? There is a great web site that is dedicated specifically to righting the misinformation out there on the web. The site is Snopes.com. What do they do? Snopes is the definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation.
Just because it comes to your email Inbox doesn't make it true. You owe it to yourself to confirm and verify any information before you pass it on to others. Otherwise you are contributing to a society of misinformation, rumor, innuendo and opinion. Notice that the word "fact" wasn't in that last description. There is junk on the Internet. It's up to you to be responsible and ensure that you are not not contributing to the misinformation of the world.
All you need to do is check out your questionable email at Snopes, get the page link (with the correct information) and send it back to the originating sender AND also hit "reply all" just to make sure that everyone who received the original copy also gets a correction. Go to Snopes, enter the page title or some description in the Search bar and look through the mountains of misinformation. You'll find the truth.
Then you get to give people a little tap on the side of the head that says, "Think before you hit that Forward button."
So think.
Friday, October 19, 2007
The Four-Hour Work Week
I stepped out of the restaurant in Toronto with my friends Mark and Jerry. It had been almost twenty-five years since the three of us had shared a meal together in the same room. It felt good. Of course, we were all a little older, a little less-haired and a little wiser and we all required glasses to read the menu, but on the whole it was good to get together with the guys.
As we stood in front of the restaurant in the middle of the Bay Street district of Toronto at about 9:30 at night, I noticed a lot of suits coming out of office buildings still at that hour. A little voice inside of me felt sorry for these people who feel compelled to arrive early and work late in the pursuit of something more. I just wished I could have had extra copies of the book I was reading at the time to hand to the suits walking by at that ungodly hour.
Why would I want to do that? Sometimes I just run across a book that is so good I have to share it. "The Four Hour Work Week" by Timothy Ferriss is that book.
It's an incredible read. As a matter of fact, it has given me a whole new insight as to how we can all free ourselves from feeling trapped in the forty, fifty or sixty hour work week.
Here's a brief description:
Whether you are an overworked employee or an entrepreneur trapped in your own business, this book is the compass for a new and revolutionary world. Join Tim Ferriss as he teaches you:
• How to outsource your life to overseas virtual assistants for $5 per hour and do whatever you want
• How blue-chip escape artists travel the world without quitting their jobs
• How to eliminate 50% of your work in 48 hours using the principles of a forgotten Italian economist
• How to trade a long-haul career for short work bursts and frequent "mini-retirements"
• What the crucial difference is between absolute and relative income
• How to train your boss to value performance over presence, or kill your job (or company) if it’s beyond repair
• What automated cash-flow “muses” are and how to create one in 2 to 4 weeks
• How to cultivate selective ignorance—and create time—with a low-information diet
• What the management secrets of Remote Control CEOs are
• How to get free housing worldwide and airfare at 50–80% off
• How to fill the void and create a meaningful life after removing work and the office
You can have it all—really.
I encourage anyone in any job at any stage of their life to read this book. It will help free your attitude around feeling as though you are imprisoned by your work. There's a big difference between being busy and being productive. this book helps to to distinguish the two and set you on the road to finding more freedom in your day. Face it, when you feel freedom in your work, there's a whole lot more reward in it.
Read this book. Really!!
As we stood in front of the restaurant in the middle of the Bay Street district of Toronto at about 9:30 at night, I noticed a lot of suits coming out of office buildings still at that hour. A little voice inside of me felt sorry for these people who feel compelled to arrive early and work late in the pursuit of something more. I just wished I could have had extra copies of the book I was reading at the time to hand to the suits walking by at that ungodly hour.
Why would I want to do that? Sometimes I just run across a book that is so good I have to share it. "The Four Hour Work Week" by Timothy Ferriss is that book.
It's an incredible read. As a matter of fact, it has given me a whole new insight as to how we can all free ourselves from feeling trapped in the forty, fifty or sixty hour work week.
Here's a brief description:
Whether you are an overworked employee or an entrepreneur trapped in your own business, this book is the compass for a new and revolutionary world. Join Tim Ferriss as he teaches you:
• How to outsource your life to overseas virtual assistants for $5 per hour and do whatever you want
• How blue-chip escape artists travel the world without quitting their jobs
• How to eliminate 50% of your work in 48 hours using the principles of a forgotten Italian economist
• How to trade a long-haul career for short work bursts and frequent "mini-retirements"
• What the crucial difference is between absolute and relative income
• How to train your boss to value performance over presence, or kill your job (or company) if it’s beyond repair
• What automated cash-flow “muses” are and how to create one in 2 to 4 weeks
• How to cultivate selective ignorance—and create time—with a low-information diet
• What the management secrets of Remote Control CEOs are
• How to get free housing worldwide and airfare at 50–80% off
• How to fill the void and create a meaningful life after removing work and the office
You can have it all—really.
I encourage anyone in any job at any stage of their life to read this book. It will help free your attitude around feeling as though you are imprisoned by your work. There's a big difference between being busy and being productive. this book helps to to distinguish the two and set you on the road to finding more freedom in your day. Face it, when you feel freedom in your work, there's a whole lot more reward in it.
Read this book. Really!!
A Walk In The Park
It was just over a year ago that I met Rob and his wife Barb. They were both such nice people. You could tell they had been in love for some time - 33 years as it turns out. Rob was sort of a genius. Now I don't say that to make fun of him but it was, in fact, true. He finished high school and entered university into the Chemical Engineering program at the age of seventeen. After his first year, and a 3.8 Grade Point Average, he left the program as it really didn't seem to be as challenging as he thought it might be.
Over the next few years, he met Barb, fell in love, married her and then had two boys with her. Rob agreed to be the one who stayed home and raised the boys and Barb would be the breadwinner. Every day he was in the boys' lives and the boys loved having their Dad around every day. Dad cooked "boy food" for suppers (steaks, pasta, chicken burgers, etc). When Mom was home on the weekend, the boys never seemed to be as willing to try Mom's Hungarian dishes.
Rob only ever worked outside the home part-time because his full-time gig was fatherhood. But he had a love of music and had mastered most every instrument ever placed in front of him: trumpet, flute, guitar, piano. He loved making music, recording music and especially just sitting around with other players and jamming.
A few months ago, since both of the boys had grown enough, both had moved out of the house and into places on their own. Rob's work as a daily influence in his boys' lives had come to an end. He had given them the tools to go out into the world and take it on with courage and determination. He had passed along all of his wisdom, values and love of life. The boys carried the tools like the beacon Rob was.
Rob and Barb stayed with us during the Thanksgiving weekend a few weeks ago. Yes the guitars came out and there was much to be thankful for - especially people like Rob in our lives.
Last Monday, Rob took a walk in the park. He loved nature and there seemed no better place that if he were to have his last day on Earth, that would be the place to have it. And so it was. A heart attack at the age of fifty-four ended his contribution on this Earth. I suppose it could be said that his work here was done and that is why he left so soon.
And so it was that Rob's friends and family would gather today at a funeral home chapel in Calgary, to remember his life, his contribution and to do it to the sounds of Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin and Supertramp - just the way Rob would have wanted it.
Rob made life seem like the walk in the park that it is. We will miss his contribution.
Over the next few years, he met Barb, fell in love, married her and then had two boys with her. Rob agreed to be the one who stayed home and raised the boys and Barb would be the breadwinner. Every day he was in the boys' lives and the boys loved having their Dad around every day. Dad cooked "boy food" for suppers (steaks, pasta, chicken burgers, etc). When Mom was home on the weekend, the boys never seemed to be as willing to try Mom's Hungarian dishes.
Rob only ever worked outside the home part-time because his full-time gig was fatherhood. But he had a love of music and had mastered most every instrument ever placed in front of him: trumpet, flute, guitar, piano. He loved making music, recording music and especially just sitting around with other players and jamming.
A few months ago, since both of the boys had grown enough, both had moved out of the house and into places on their own. Rob's work as a daily influence in his boys' lives had come to an end. He had given them the tools to go out into the world and take it on with courage and determination. He had passed along all of his wisdom, values and love of life. The boys carried the tools like the beacon Rob was.
Rob and Barb stayed with us during the Thanksgiving weekend a few weeks ago. Yes the guitars came out and there was much to be thankful for - especially people like Rob in our lives.
Last Monday, Rob took a walk in the park. He loved nature and there seemed no better place that if he were to have his last day on Earth, that would be the place to have it. And so it was. A heart attack at the age of fifty-four ended his contribution on this Earth. I suppose it could be said that his work here was done and that is why he left so soon.
And so it was that Rob's friends and family would gather today at a funeral home chapel in Calgary, to remember his life, his contribution and to do it to the sounds of Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin and Supertramp - just the way Rob would have wanted it.
Rob made life seem like the walk in the park that it is. We will miss his contribution.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
The New Referral Network: Are You In?
My friend Brian told me story a few months back. He had asked his early twenty-something receptionist to dig up a phone number for him. After ten or so minutes, the receptionist had not returned. Brian went to the front desk.
"Have you found me that number yet?" he asked patiently.
"The computer hasn't finished booting up yet," she replied.
"Computer?" Brian questioned. "Well, what about a phone book?"
"Oh. We have one of those?" she asked surprised. "I never use one. I just look it up on-line."
And there we have it. The new generation of office worker who doesn't use a phone book and has no idea where they are stored in the office. It's real. It's happening right now and I am slowly becoming one of the people who is doing it too.
There's a phone book in my office somewhere but I'm just not sure where. I am fast becoming one of the on-line directory searchers. There's more of us than you may think.
Years ago when I sold radio advertising, one of my biggest competitors was Yellow Pages advertising. I learned all about how to sell against Yellow Pages and had some successes. However, what I am witnessing now is a new kind of advertising that Yellow Pages wouldn't dare compete with. It's word-of-mouth referral advertising.
Recently, I needed to get some video editing done. I had been dragging my heels on this one and it wasn't "top of the heap" priority but I was getting some requests for video. I just hadn't found time to get an editor. Besides, once I did find someone suitable, then I would have to interview, do background checks on their work and just feel comfortable with whomever I hired to do the work for me.
Meghan in my office took the bull by the horns and asked, "How come it's taking so long to get video done?"
I tried to explain to her that it was a priority but not high enough up the list to get it done. She said, it sounds like it might be her responsibility anyway and took the project away from me.
This is where I learned the dynamics of the new breed of worker and their 6-degrees of separation referral network. Meghan showed me how it works.
Her MSN sits open on her desk, all of her friends and acquaintances are on-line at the same time. She enters a query on MSN: something like, "Anyone know anyone who edits video?"
It was twelve minutes later when she had secured a video editor, negotiated price, arranged a meeting, gave a basic overview of the project and marked this project as "handled." Twelve minutes from start to finish.
My way would have taken weeks, would have involved making several phone calls after searching out cool names in the Yellow Pages and then spent how many hours viewing DVD's or VHS copies of projects already done.
Oh, by the way. I'm very happy with the quality and how easy it was to work with Jason, the video editor.
If you think for a minute, you are going to be able to train your new workers in the old ways of doing things, then you're just not seeing it. Change your attitude, change your mind and change your results. The new breed of worker doesn't work like we do, doesn't act like we do, doesn't think like we do and doesn't do what we do. They have one thing we never had growing up: technology. And they use it well.
Change you attitude on how the new worker doesn't have the same values as you and maybe you'll learn something about getting things done at lightning speed.
"Have you found me that number yet?" he asked patiently.
"The computer hasn't finished booting up yet," she replied.
"Computer?" Brian questioned. "Well, what about a phone book?"
"Oh. We have one of those?" she asked surprised. "I never use one. I just look it up on-line."
And there we have it. The new generation of office worker who doesn't use a phone book and has no idea where they are stored in the office. It's real. It's happening right now and I am slowly becoming one of the people who is doing it too.
There's a phone book in my office somewhere but I'm just not sure where. I am fast becoming one of the on-line directory searchers. There's more of us than you may think.
Years ago when I sold radio advertising, one of my biggest competitors was Yellow Pages advertising. I learned all about how to sell against Yellow Pages and had some successes. However, what I am witnessing now is a new kind of advertising that Yellow Pages wouldn't dare compete with. It's word-of-mouth referral advertising.
Recently, I needed to get some video editing done. I had been dragging my heels on this one and it wasn't "top of the heap" priority but I was getting some requests for video. I just hadn't found time to get an editor. Besides, once I did find someone suitable, then I would have to interview, do background checks on their work and just feel comfortable with whomever I hired to do the work for me.
Meghan in my office took the bull by the horns and asked, "How come it's taking so long to get video done?"
I tried to explain to her that it was a priority but not high enough up the list to get it done. She said, it sounds like it might be her responsibility anyway and took the project away from me.
This is where I learned the dynamics of the new breed of worker and their 6-degrees of separation referral network. Meghan showed me how it works.
Her MSN sits open on her desk, all of her friends and acquaintances are on-line at the same time. She enters a query on MSN: something like, "Anyone know anyone who edits video?"
It was twelve minutes later when she had secured a video editor, negotiated price, arranged a meeting, gave a basic overview of the project and marked this project as "handled." Twelve minutes from start to finish.
My way would have taken weeks, would have involved making several phone calls after searching out cool names in the Yellow Pages and then spent how many hours viewing DVD's or VHS copies of projects already done.
Oh, by the way. I'm very happy with the quality and how easy it was to work with Jason, the video editor.
If you think for a minute, you are going to be able to train your new workers in the old ways of doing things, then you're just not seeing it. Change your attitude, change your mind and change your results. The new breed of worker doesn't work like we do, doesn't act like we do, doesn't think like we do and doesn't do what we do. They have one thing we never had growing up: technology. And they use it well.
Change you attitude on how the new worker doesn't have the same values as you and maybe you'll learn something about getting things done at lightning speed.
Employee Tip #8 - You Owe Your Employer Your Attention
So I always thought that it was just a joke. But then it happened to me.
I was out on the four-lane highway driving to a speaking presentation at about 7:30 in the morning. I was following a red, late-model pick-up truck which was a safe distance in front of me. I was listening to the news on the radio when the truck in front of me suddenly veered ever closer to the ditch and then a quick left and it was back on the highway in the right hand lane.
Less than a minute later the wheels of the truck began to veer over the center line of the highway and then a quick jerk of the wheel and the truck soon had two wheels in the shoulder and two wheels in the right lane. Within a few seconds the truck was continuing its way in the right lane.
Less than a minute later, there it was again heading for the ditch again when another quick jerk of the wheel put the truck back on the highway.
"This guy must be drunk," I thought to myself. It's not unusual for police to issue DUI tickets early in the morning while people's blood-alcohol levels are still high from the night before. Actually, it's probably the best time to catch drivers who were too drunk the night before but now with a few hours sleep think the alcohol is all out of their system.
As I said that, the truck in front began to slow down. I immediately pulled out into the left lane and sped up a little to get by quickly and without incident. As I pulled up alongside the drunk guy in the red pickup, I noticed he wasn't drunk nor was he a he. He was a she putting on her makeup using one of those big makeup powder brushes across her forehead and upper cheeks. She was concentrating on her handiwork in the rear view mirror and didn't even notice me slipping by her in the left lane. Heck she couldn't even see the cars behind her because her head was in the way of seeing anything out the back, makeup brushes across her face in front and nary a care in the world of how she was driving that day.
Oh c'mon people. Really. Do we even have to talk about this one. I mean we are entertaining laws about banning the use of cell phones in the car but c'mon really, which one here is more likely to cause an accident?
Look. Here's the way I see it. When you turn on the lights in your house, your employer pays that bill. Your car in the driveway, the heat in the house, the groceries on the table, all of the things you have in front of you today were likely paid for by your employer.
Now I'm not saying that your employer owns you but I am saying that you owe it to your employer to give him or her your undivided attention - while you're at work and while you're on your way to work. Then there are the things you do at home like operating a lawnmower while wearing sandals, crawling up a shaky ladder, working on the roof without harnessing. You know, all of the dumb little accidents that happen at home that never would have happened had you used your head for a minute.
Your employer has chosen you to fulfill some duties at your workplace. They have specifically chosen you and have made a deal: you keep showing up and working and they'll keep paying you. It's a fair deal. But in many respects, your not showing up inconveniences your employer. Someone else has to fill in and productivity drops that day.
So, when you're on your way to work in the morning, try not to turn your vehicle into a bathroom. No makeup, no shaving, no loss of attention. The mirror in your car is for seeing other drivers, not how pretty your eyes are.
Your employer, through paychecks, has probably paid for the tank of gas and the vehicle that gas is in. They just want you to show up safe. Try not to do something dumb that would jeopardize the cozy little arrangement you two have. You know, the money-for-work thingy?
I was out on the four-lane highway driving to a speaking presentation at about 7:30 in the morning. I was following a red, late-model pick-up truck which was a safe distance in front of me. I was listening to the news on the radio when the truck in front of me suddenly veered ever closer to the ditch and then a quick left and it was back on the highway in the right hand lane.
Less than a minute later the wheels of the truck began to veer over the center line of the highway and then a quick jerk of the wheel and the truck soon had two wheels in the shoulder and two wheels in the right lane. Within a few seconds the truck was continuing its way in the right lane.
Less than a minute later, there it was again heading for the ditch again when another quick jerk of the wheel put the truck back on the highway.
"This guy must be drunk," I thought to myself. It's not unusual for police to issue DUI tickets early in the morning while people's blood-alcohol levels are still high from the night before. Actually, it's probably the best time to catch drivers who were too drunk the night before but now with a few hours sleep think the alcohol is all out of their system.
As I said that, the truck in front began to slow down. I immediately pulled out into the left lane and sped up a little to get by quickly and without incident. As I pulled up alongside the drunk guy in the red pickup, I noticed he wasn't drunk nor was he a he. He was a she putting on her makeup using one of those big makeup powder brushes across her forehead and upper cheeks. She was concentrating on her handiwork in the rear view mirror and didn't even notice me slipping by her in the left lane. Heck she couldn't even see the cars behind her because her head was in the way of seeing anything out the back, makeup brushes across her face in front and nary a care in the world of how she was driving that day.
Oh c'mon people. Really. Do we even have to talk about this one. I mean we are entertaining laws about banning the use of cell phones in the car but c'mon really, which one here is more likely to cause an accident?
Look. Here's the way I see it. When you turn on the lights in your house, your employer pays that bill. Your car in the driveway, the heat in the house, the groceries on the table, all of the things you have in front of you today were likely paid for by your employer.
Now I'm not saying that your employer owns you but I am saying that you owe it to your employer to give him or her your undivided attention - while you're at work and while you're on your way to work. Then there are the things you do at home like operating a lawnmower while wearing sandals, crawling up a shaky ladder, working on the roof without harnessing. You know, all of the dumb little accidents that happen at home that never would have happened had you used your head for a minute.
Your employer has chosen you to fulfill some duties at your workplace. They have specifically chosen you and have made a deal: you keep showing up and working and they'll keep paying you. It's a fair deal. But in many respects, your not showing up inconveniences your employer. Someone else has to fill in and productivity drops that day.
So, when you're on your way to work in the morning, try not to turn your vehicle into a bathroom. No makeup, no shaving, no loss of attention. The mirror in your car is for seeing other drivers, not how pretty your eyes are.
Your employer, through paychecks, has probably paid for the tank of gas and the vehicle that gas is in. They just want you to show up safe. Try not to do something dumb that would jeopardize the cozy little arrangement you two have. You know, the money-for-work thingy?
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
An Internet Attitude Adjustment
This one was floating around the Internet when it finally made its way to me. Thought you might enjoy a fresh perspective on Attitude!
---
There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.
Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today?"
So she did and she had a wonderful day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.
"Hmm," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today?"
So she did and she had a grand day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.
"Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail."
So she did and she had a fun, fun day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.
"YEAH!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"
Attitude is everything. Be kinder than necessary for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
---
There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.
Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today?"
So she did and she had a wonderful day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.
"Hmm," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today?"
So she did and she had a grand day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.
"Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail."
So she did and she had a fun, fun day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.
"YEAH!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"
Attitude is everything. Be kinder than necessary for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Clear Sailing
OK, so it may be that winter is inching ever closer. Here in Alberta, winter usually makes an early entrance. So it was particularly enjoyable to be invited to go sailing today. My friend, Phil, offered us a chance to join him about his sailboat for the day. The invitation came Friday night at Phil's house as he played host to folk-singer/songwriter Gregory Hoskins.
While listening to CBC Radio a few months ago, Phil responded to the CBC's request for people interested in hosting a series of living room concerts over an eight-month period. Well the first concert was held Friday night and Gregory Hoskins was outstanding. The intimate crowd of fifteen were treated to an evening of incredible music and entertainment. (I now look forward to the next concerts.)
Anyway, today the sun shone brightly. The breeze was light but enough to fill the sails and the relaxation and bright, warm sunshine were welcomed.
There were plenty of opportunities for honest discussion, profound thought and thankfulness that an opportunity for sailing was not squandered by a busy schedule.
This got me to thinking that simple things like good friends, good times and good fortune should never go unnoticed. We are, in Canada, one week away from our Thanksgiving Holiday. If we can take the time to reflect on what we have, what we've accomplished and the quality of people we surround ourselves with, we should have clear sailing for life.
However all is not easy in sailing. Depending on the wind to get you where you need to be can, at times, be frustrating. Also, the wind can easily blow you off-course. The secret to sailing is that there will always be a small series of corrections to get you where you're going. Trust the wind, the sails and the skipper and you will sail clearly.
Oh, and by the way, YOU are the skipper in your own life.
Kevin Burns
Attitude Adjuster, Performance Strategist,
Author, "Trust The Process" Guy
Toll-free 1-877-BURNS-11
While listening to CBC Radio a few months ago, Phil responded to the CBC's request for people interested in hosting a series of living room concerts over an eight-month period. Well the first concert was held Friday night and Gregory Hoskins was outstanding. The intimate crowd of fifteen were treated to an evening of incredible music and entertainment. (I now look forward to the next concerts.)
Anyway, today the sun shone brightly. The breeze was light but enough to fill the sails and the relaxation and bright, warm sunshine were welcomed.
There were plenty of opportunities for honest discussion, profound thought and thankfulness that an opportunity for sailing was not squandered by a busy schedule.
This got me to thinking that simple things like good friends, good times and good fortune should never go unnoticed. We are, in Canada, one week away from our Thanksgiving Holiday. If we can take the time to reflect on what we have, what we've accomplished and the quality of people we surround ourselves with, we should have clear sailing for life.
However all is not easy in sailing. Depending on the wind to get you where you need to be can, at times, be frustrating. Also, the wind can easily blow you off-course. The secret to sailing is that there will always be a small series of corrections to get you where you're going. Trust the wind, the sails and the skipper and you will sail clearly.
Oh, and by the way, YOU are the skipper in your own life.
Kevin Burns
Attitude Adjuster, Performance Strategist,
Author, "Trust The Process" Guy
Toll-free 1-877-BURNS-11
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Employee Tip #7 - How To Work For A Jerk-Boss
Michael and I have known each other for about fifteen years. Recently, he has been dabbling in the area of personal development. Not his. Yours. He is a personal coach and seminar leader who is getting ready to publish his first book.
While he has been incredibly busy conducting his coaching sessions and workshops, he has been maintaining his full-time gig as a department supervisor. That's not really a difficult task to juggle when you have a good sense of who you are and why you are here. But now, things are in a bit of flux. Seems his boss has a problem with him making the world a better place by helping people to have more confidence and live a better life. (I guess that's threatening to someone who manages by fear and intimidation.) Michael's boss has asked (no let me rephrase that - dictated to him) that he had to start sorting out what his priorities are going to be even though his activities have never impacted company time or responsibilities.
(Note: Michael conducts his coaching sessions in his own evenings off of company time and takes personal holiday days to conduct any seminars he might be engaged to do. But when he's at work, he's at work - committed.)
There was a time in my early days when I believed that every boss I had ever worked for was a graduate of the same Jerk-Boss School. Sadly, Michael's boss got the diploma.
As we ate lunch, it became abundantly clear that the secret to working for a Jerk-Boss is to ensure that you have a good sense of who you are, be well versed in your own ethics and values, set a standard for yourself and not allow yourself to be pushed around even once. If you let any of these items slide just once, you have set a precedent and a standard for the future. You must also be willing to put your foot down and say, "No. That is unacceptable."
So what's the secret in getting yourself to that place? Well, you are going to need to have confidence and conviction about who you are, what value you bring and what your strengths and weaknesses are. There are many ways to achieve that but every single answer requires some work.
Ultimately, you are responsible for working on you. Learn something that makes you a better person, employee, communicator, parent, spouse, whatever. Read the books, go to the seminars, enroll in personal development courses, find a personal coach who can help you develop a new blueprint for your life and then make the new learning a priority. It really is simple. But it takes work.
If you could read a chapter in a book each day that makes you better in some way, if you could listen to a CD of something educational for fifteen minutes each day, if you would ask people who are already modeling the confidence you would like to have how they do it, you would be well on your way to successfully tolerating the abusive behaviours of tyrants and jerk bosses.
I did say it was simple. And it is. But it requires you to work at it. Do the work and you will get the benefit.
Remember though, that there are people in your life (sometimes it's your boss) who will take every chance they have to try and tear you down, especially if they see that you are accomplishing things that they can't fathom or understand. You see, in their insecure minds, if they tear you down, it somehow magically elevates them. The problem is that these very small-minded people are threatened by you because when you self-improve, you show them what could have been done with a little effort. And that, to a tyrant, is not only threatening but embarrassing.
So, what are you going to learn today?
While he has been incredibly busy conducting his coaching sessions and workshops, he has been maintaining his full-time gig as a department supervisor. That's not really a difficult task to juggle when you have a good sense of who you are and why you are here. But now, things are in a bit of flux. Seems his boss has a problem with him making the world a better place by helping people to have more confidence and live a better life. (I guess that's threatening to someone who manages by fear and intimidation.) Michael's boss has asked (no let me rephrase that - dictated to him) that he had to start sorting out what his priorities are going to be even though his activities have never impacted company time or responsibilities.
(Note: Michael conducts his coaching sessions in his own evenings off of company time and takes personal holiday days to conduct any seminars he might be engaged to do. But when he's at work, he's at work - committed.)
There was a time in my early days when I believed that every boss I had ever worked for was a graduate of the same Jerk-Boss School. Sadly, Michael's boss got the diploma.
As we ate lunch, it became abundantly clear that the secret to working for a Jerk-Boss is to ensure that you have a good sense of who you are, be well versed in your own ethics and values, set a standard for yourself and not allow yourself to be pushed around even once. If you let any of these items slide just once, you have set a precedent and a standard for the future. You must also be willing to put your foot down and say, "No. That is unacceptable."
So what's the secret in getting yourself to that place? Well, you are going to need to have confidence and conviction about who you are, what value you bring and what your strengths and weaknesses are. There are many ways to achieve that but every single answer requires some work.
Ultimately, you are responsible for working on you. Learn something that makes you a better person, employee, communicator, parent, spouse, whatever. Read the books, go to the seminars, enroll in personal development courses, find a personal coach who can help you develop a new blueprint for your life and then make the new learning a priority. It really is simple. But it takes work.
If you could read a chapter in a book each day that makes you better in some way, if you could listen to a CD of something educational for fifteen minutes each day, if you would ask people who are already modeling the confidence you would like to have how they do it, you would be well on your way to successfully tolerating the abusive behaviours of tyrants and jerk bosses.
I did say it was simple. And it is. But it requires you to work at it. Do the work and you will get the benefit.
Remember though, that there are people in your life (sometimes it's your boss) who will take every chance they have to try and tear you down, especially if they see that you are accomplishing things that they can't fathom or understand. You see, in their insecure minds, if they tear you down, it somehow magically elevates them. The problem is that these very small-minded people are threatened by you because when you self-improve, you show them what could have been done with a little effort. And that, to a tyrant, is not only threatening but embarrassing.
So, what are you going to learn today?
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Boss Tip #13 - Switch Drivers
It's not hard to imagine. You've probably done it yourself. You're on a cross-country car trip with the family. After ten hours or so, and just a couple of bathroom breaks in that time, you've decided that you can't drive anymore. You look over to the passenger seat where your spouse has been sleeping through the last three hours of driving. You are exhausted. Your spouse is refreshed. So, you switch off.
There comes a time in every manager's career where he or she hits that same wall: goes as far as he or she can on the tools they possess and then that's it. In order to take the company or department to the next level, the boss is required to switch off with someone who knows the road, has the desire to get there and possesses the capabilities to lead the team to the next level.
Dr. Laurence Peter, in his 1968 book The Peter Principle, wrote the following: In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.
Well, surprise, surprise, that includes bosses too. It is the responsibility of the boss to recognize that he or she has taken the team as far as he or she can and then get ready to get out of the way. Sadly, this is not how it ends up working out. Sadly, in an effort to continue to collect a regular paycheck, many bosses end up sabotaging the growth of the business by staying in the bosses seat well past the level of their own competence. And in doing so, the business starts to decline. The boss is then forced to downsize some of the people who helped make the company what it is and the boss will do everything else except solve the problem. The solution: trade in the boss for someone new.
The smart boss, the benevolent boss, is the one who steps out of the way of the business progressing beyond his or her capabilities, finding a suitable successor and then either staying on to oversee specific projects or finding a new company that he or she could help move forward.
It's at a crucial time like this that the difference between managers and leaders becomes glaringly obvious. A leader will lead until he or she doesn't know the way anymore and then will look for someone who can lead beyond where they are. A manager will attempt to convince everyone else that he or she can lead beyond where they are. In likelihood, there are people who are on the team who could take the reigns of power and move the company forward but the manager is in the way.
My friend Phil had a conversation with me about this a few weeks ago. He is planning to find a way to step aside of his own business and prepare for semi-retirement. As he said, "I figure I've got three years to get out of the way or the people who are most capable of running this company will become discouraged and leave. If that happens, then the business isn't worth much to someone else to buy because there'll be no one left to run it."
So, are you in the way of your own company's future success? Think about it. Be honest. Then do the right thing.
There comes a time in every manager's career where he or she hits that same wall: goes as far as he or she can on the tools they possess and then that's it. In order to take the company or department to the next level, the boss is required to switch off with someone who knows the road, has the desire to get there and possesses the capabilities to lead the team to the next level.
Dr. Laurence Peter, in his 1968 book The Peter Principle, wrote the following: In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.
Well, surprise, surprise, that includes bosses too. It is the responsibility of the boss to recognize that he or she has taken the team as far as he or she can and then get ready to get out of the way. Sadly, this is not how it ends up working out. Sadly, in an effort to continue to collect a regular paycheck, many bosses end up sabotaging the growth of the business by staying in the bosses seat well past the level of their own competence. And in doing so, the business starts to decline. The boss is then forced to downsize some of the people who helped make the company what it is and the boss will do everything else except solve the problem. The solution: trade in the boss for someone new.
The smart boss, the benevolent boss, is the one who steps out of the way of the business progressing beyond his or her capabilities, finding a suitable successor and then either staying on to oversee specific projects or finding a new company that he or she could help move forward.
It's at a crucial time like this that the difference between managers and leaders becomes glaringly obvious. A leader will lead until he or she doesn't know the way anymore and then will look for someone who can lead beyond where they are. A manager will attempt to convince everyone else that he or she can lead beyond where they are. In likelihood, there are people who are on the team who could take the reigns of power and move the company forward but the manager is in the way.
My friend Phil had a conversation with me about this a few weeks ago. He is planning to find a way to step aside of his own business and prepare for semi-retirement. As he said, "I figure I've got three years to get out of the way or the people who are most capable of running this company will become discouraged and leave. If that happens, then the business isn't worth much to someone else to buy because there'll be no one left to run it."
So, are you in the way of your own company's future success? Think about it. Be honest. Then do the right thing.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
What Would Happen If ...
I stopped by Tim Horton's today on my way home from speaking in Camrose, Alberta. There's nothing like a great cup of tea for the drive home. It's kind of heartwarming and almost comfort food - well, to me anyway.
Here's the point: as I entered the restaurant, a young girl of seventeen or so was being interviewed for a job. She sat up straight, made good eye contact, had a smile on her face and wasn't rattled by the interview process at all. As a matter of fact, she seemed like she had it all: a good work ethic, confidence and ability to handle the tasks.
I thought to myself that I would be pleased to be served by such a person.
Perhaps that's the answer: perhaps the customer should play a part in the interview process before someone is hired for a job. If, as a customer, I am pleased to be served by an employee, I think I would be prepared to return to that business to be served again.
After all, in the service industry, it matters more that the customer is happy and not so much the employer right? Perhaps the owners of some service industry establishments could use a little attitude adjustment when it comes to hiring staff anyway.
Think about it this way: the customer is revenue and the employee is expense. Shouldn't revenue play a part in who gets hired? Just a thought. I'd be pleased to be served by her. Perhaps my next time in Camrose I will.
Here's the point: as I entered the restaurant, a young girl of seventeen or so was being interviewed for a job. She sat up straight, made good eye contact, had a smile on her face and wasn't rattled by the interview process at all. As a matter of fact, she seemed like she had it all: a good work ethic, confidence and ability to handle the tasks.
I thought to myself that I would be pleased to be served by such a person.
Perhaps that's the answer: perhaps the customer should play a part in the interview process before someone is hired for a job. If, as a customer, I am pleased to be served by an employee, I think I would be prepared to return to that business to be served again.
After all, in the service industry, it matters more that the customer is happy and not so much the employer right? Perhaps the owners of some service industry establishments could use a little attitude adjustment when it comes to hiring staff anyway.
Think about it this way: the customer is revenue and the employee is expense. Shouldn't revenue play a part in who gets hired? Just a thought. I'd be pleased to be served by her. Perhaps my next time in Camrose I will.
Monday, September 17, 2007
What we did with $20
OK, for those of you curious as to what happened with the found $20 bill, we managed to raise just shy of $200 for Regan and his family. I cut the cheque and Meghan is shopping right now. By the way, thank you to all who made a donation to this young African boy and his family. This was fun and kind of warms the cockles of your heart doesn't it. It does especially if you know exactly where the cockles are.
Here Comes A New Attitude
How many times have you ever said about someone you either work with or were served by, "That guy could sure use an attitude adjustment?"
I've said it. You've said it and I am choosing to make it my mission to instill that attitude adjustment in as many people as I can over the next few years. Now before you go and get all bent out of shape about it, think about what an attitude adjustment really is. It is nothing more than a revelation that what you are doing isn't working and to stop doing what doesn't work and start doing what does work.
When you change your attitude, you change your mind. When you change your mind you change your behaviour and consequently change your results. Simple no?
I have been delivering attitude adjustments for the past ten years and I have written my newest book on attitude. I completed writing it over the summer and my editor/publisher Gwen has it right now. The forthcoming book (my seventh book) is titled, "Go Ahead. Give Me Attitude!"
It will be coming out (hopefully) before Christmas in both paperback and hard cover. There will be an audio compendium as well (sort of a book on CD). Watch for it. I will make a lot of noise just before it comes out ... trust me on that one.
I've said it. You've said it and I am choosing to make it my mission to instill that attitude adjustment in as many people as I can over the next few years. Now before you go and get all bent out of shape about it, think about what an attitude adjustment really is. It is nothing more than a revelation that what you are doing isn't working and to stop doing what doesn't work and start doing what does work.
When you change your attitude, you change your mind. When you change your mind you change your behaviour and consequently change your results. Simple no?
I have been delivering attitude adjustments for the past ten years and I have written my newest book on attitude. I completed writing it over the summer and my editor/publisher Gwen has it right now. The forthcoming book (my seventh book) is titled, "Go Ahead. Give Me Attitude!"
It will be coming out (hopefully) before Christmas in both paperback and hard cover. There will be an audio compendium as well (sort of a book on CD). Watch for it. I will make a lot of noise just before it comes out ... trust me on that one.
Sweet Summer Sweat
Yes I know it's been some time since I wrote. That doesn't mean I haven't been thinking ... or doing ... or planning ... or making changes. The summer was actually quite busy.
In April, I had the opportunity to address Health Expo West in Vancouver. There was a professional photographer at the event who fired off several photos. I was rewarded with these shots by email one day. Nice dark background, great lighting, excellent photo contrast and there I was, being shot from below and my face looked like it was the size of a pumpkin... just a little less orange. My first thought was, “Where the hell did my neck go?”
Jeez, I don't remember getting that fat. Wow, sometimes it takes a moment of honesty to really see the true picture. The picture, or pictures, I did not like. Something had to be done and had to be done quickly. I needed to give myself an Attitude Adjustment.
My friend and fellow speaker, Ken Larson, thinks I'm an “all or nothing” kind of guy so it was no surprise to the fitness freaking, health-drink swilling, king of the gym (that would be Ken), that I would embark on a fitness program that promised the following: “You will not sit on a couple of little machines and magically lose weight. You will work. You will hurt. You will sweat!”
I started the ninety-day program July 15. This past weekend, sixty days into the program, I am happy to report I have lost twenty pounds so far. I have not sat upon any machines. I have done more push ups, pull ups, chin-ups, jump-ups and wind-ups than I can even count. No pharmaceuticals. No starve-oneself diet and no sugar. Just real wholesome food and a little simple math (calories in versus calories out – need to have more calories expended than what I take in – see, simple math).
It will probably be another thirty to sixty days before I'm down to my fighting weight. Once that happens, I'm coming after you to give you an attitude adjustment. Don't make me do that.
In April, I had the opportunity to address Health Expo West in Vancouver. There was a professional photographer at the event who fired off several photos. I was rewarded with these shots by email one day. Nice dark background, great lighting, excellent photo contrast and there I was, being shot from below and my face looked like it was the size of a pumpkin... just a little less orange. My first thought was, “Where the hell did my neck go?”
Jeez, I don't remember getting that fat. Wow, sometimes it takes a moment of honesty to really see the true picture. The picture, or pictures, I did not like. Something had to be done and had to be done quickly. I needed to give myself an Attitude Adjustment.
My friend and fellow speaker, Ken Larson, thinks I'm an “all or nothing” kind of guy so it was no surprise to the fitness freaking, health-drink swilling, king of the gym (that would be Ken), that I would embark on a fitness program that promised the following: “You will not sit on a couple of little machines and magically lose weight. You will work. You will hurt. You will sweat!”
I started the ninety-day program July 15. This past weekend, sixty days into the program, I am happy to report I have lost twenty pounds so far. I have not sat upon any machines. I have done more push ups, pull ups, chin-ups, jump-ups and wind-ups than I can even count. No pharmaceuticals. No starve-oneself diet and no sugar. Just real wholesome food and a little simple math (calories in versus calories out – need to have more calories expended than what I take in – see, simple math).
It will probably be another thirty to sixty days before I'm down to my fighting weight. Once that happens, I'm coming after you to give you an attitude adjustment. Don't make me do that.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Employee Tip # 6 - Productivity Is More Important Than Attitude
Many employees don't understand one simple rule: each employee has a responsibility to ensure that their personal crap doesn't get in the way of someone who is doing a good job. It impedes those who want to move forward and is completely disrespectful. It's like saying "My bad attitude is more important than your good work."
How incredibly selfish it is when someone who has nothing good to say about their job, spews their verbal vomit all over everyone else in the hopes of getting someone to agree with them. Once someone agrees with their assessment of the job, they are simply encouraged to continue their bad behaviour.
As an employee, you have a simple responsibility: to keep your end of the bargain. You are being paid for your work - so work. When you stop working, the company has the right to stop paying you. See that was the understanding between you - work for pay.
However, you do not have the right to infect or affect the other people who happen to like their work with your bad attitude about the job. That is selfish. That is disrespectful. That is simply mean. You are welcome to have your opinions about the job and if you have positive suggestions, take them up with the boss - not the rest of the staff (who couldn't change things anyway).
As for the rest of the staff - when there is someone like this working with you, you have one expectation: do not let anything interfere with you keeping your agreement with the company. It's up to you to stop your fellow co-workers who impede your personal progress and attitude. You must speak up. If not to the offender directly, then to his or her supervisor. But one way or another you are responsible for putting a stop to this.
Left unchecked, someone's else's bad attitude can affect your paycheck. Speaking up also sends a message to the rest of the staff: "I will not let you rob me of my time, my productivity and my space. I am here to do a job and your opinions and bad attitude will not get in the way of my productivity."
Trust me, you will be respected for putting a stop to it. But sadly, you will likely forget or choose to ignore this. And you will pay.
How incredibly selfish it is when someone who has nothing good to say about their job, spews their verbal vomit all over everyone else in the hopes of getting someone to agree with them. Once someone agrees with their assessment of the job, they are simply encouraged to continue their bad behaviour.
As an employee, you have a simple responsibility: to keep your end of the bargain. You are being paid for your work - so work. When you stop working, the company has the right to stop paying you. See that was the understanding between you - work for pay.
However, you do not have the right to infect or affect the other people who happen to like their work with your bad attitude about the job. That is selfish. That is disrespectful. That is simply mean. You are welcome to have your opinions about the job and if you have positive suggestions, take them up with the boss - not the rest of the staff (who couldn't change things anyway).
As for the rest of the staff - when there is someone like this working with you, you have one expectation: do not let anything interfere with you keeping your agreement with the company. It's up to you to stop your fellow co-workers who impede your personal progress and attitude. You must speak up. If not to the offender directly, then to his or her supervisor. But one way or another you are responsible for putting a stop to this.
Left unchecked, someone's else's bad attitude can affect your paycheck. Speaking up also sends a message to the rest of the staff: "I will not let you rob me of my time, my productivity and my space. I am here to do a job and your opinions and bad attitude will not get in the way of my productivity."
Trust me, you will be respected for putting a stop to it. But sadly, you will likely forget or choose to ignore this. And you will pay.
Boss Tip #12 - Pruning The Garden Without Spraying Chemicals
For those of you who have never had a garden, this may seem completely incomprehensible but play along with me would you please?
In the park across the street from my house is perhaps one of the world's largest dandelion plantations. Now to choose between herbicides in a public park and weeding out a few dandelions a week in my yard is a simple decision for me: weeding is easy enough and better for the rest of us. With that being said, let me tell you that we have a good sized garden in our backyard. Strawberries, raspberries, peas, beans, carrots, zucchini and herbs are all up. So is the crop of chickweeed, quackgrass, dandelions and other assorted weeds.
The biggest job in the garden, after planting, is pruning - getting rid of the plants that suck moisture and nurients from the earth that the garden plants need.
This whole pruning concept is not much different for bosses: weeding out the people who suck the motivation and ethic from your good workers and kicking their butts to the curb. In the same way you wouldn't put weeds into a compost bin (you're just replanting the weed seeds in the compost), don't try to find another place in the company for the cynics, the ne'er-do-wellers, the negative Nellies, the slackers and the armchair CEO's (those who think they have all the answers and could do a better job than you). That's like pulling a weed and replanting it in a different part of the garden. By placing them in another department, you are simply encouraging their bad behaviour.
Don't think that a blanket policy is going to fix everything either. That's like spraying chemicals across the whole garden. Everything in the path of the spray will be affected. Do the hard work, the dirty work and get your hands dirty. Pull each weed by hand leaving the rest of the garden untouched and unaffected.
Weeds are not welcome in your department. As a boss, it is your responsibility to ensure that your good plants produce the fruits of their labours without being impeded by weeds.
Get my meaning here? Get it done ... today.
In the park across the street from my house is perhaps one of the world's largest dandelion plantations. Now to choose between herbicides in a public park and weeding out a few dandelions a week in my yard is a simple decision for me: weeding is easy enough and better for the rest of us. With that being said, let me tell you that we have a good sized garden in our backyard. Strawberries, raspberries, peas, beans, carrots, zucchini and herbs are all up. So is the crop of chickweeed, quackgrass, dandelions and other assorted weeds.
The biggest job in the garden, after planting, is pruning - getting rid of the plants that suck moisture and nurients from the earth that the garden plants need.
This whole pruning concept is not much different for bosses: weeding out the people who suck the motivation and ethic from your good workers and kicking their butts to the curb. In the same way you wouldn't put weeds into a compost bin (you're just replanting the weed seeds in the compost), don't try to find another place in the company for the cynics, the ne'er-do-wellers, the negative Nellies, the slackers and the armchair CEO's (those who think they have all the answers and could do a better job than you). That's like pulling a weed and replanting it in a different part of the garden. By placing them in another department, you are simply encouraging their bad behaviour.
Don't think that a blanket policy is going to fix everything either. That's like spraying chemicals across the whole garden. Everything in the path of the spray will be affected. Do the hard work, the dirty work and get your hands dirty. Pull each weed by hand leaving the rest of the garden untouched and unaffected.
Weeds are not welcome in your department. As a boss, it is your responsibility to ensure that your good plants produce the fruits of their labours without being impeded by weeds.
Get my meaning here? Get it done ... today.
What To Do With Found $20 Follow-up
Hi all, Meghan here (with Kevin's blessing). I want to give you an update on Kevin's article from June 20th What To Do With a Found $20 Bill?
We had an overwhelming response of comments on Kevin's Blog (http://www.kevburns.com/2007/06/what-to-do-with-found-20-bill.html). There were a ton of ideas from giving to charity to letting Meghan keep the money, from trying to return the money to taking the family to Dairy Queen, from giving it away again to having our readers (you) match dollar for dollar to charity. There were a lot of things to consider and now we have an idea that involves you.
The first thing Kevin did was call the restaurant and then Direct Cash to see if there was any way of tracking down the person before him that used that particular ATM. Finding the rightful owner seemed appropriate. We can all rest easy today knowing that Direct Cash ATMs do not keep any financial records (name, bank name or number) in their machines. In today's world and with privacy concerns, these are for obvious security reasons. So, Kevin and I both sat here for quite a while wondering what to do next. We wanted to include as many of your ideas as possible, but how do we do that with only a $20 bill? One suggestion came in to give the money to me (thank you!) and let me choose where it goes. So we have decided to do just that - and then I decided to incorporate as many of the other ideas as possible all in one (with the exception of the trip to Dairy Queen for ice cream - sorry).
Now I've always been taught to do due diligence when it comes to making donations. Now I'm not skeptical about the foster parent industry, but if I'm sending my hard earned money, it had better be going to someone who needs it. After a lot of research, I believe very strongly that the Plan International does send the money and catalogue items to the child and his or her family. Hey, I'm Kevin's daughter, I'm no sucker.
So, with that being said, there goes Kevin's $20. He has stepped up and has donated his found $20 to Regan and his family. But now, Kevin and I would like to ask you to help us. On this page, you will see a "Make A Donation" link below. All you have to do to help purchase many useful things for Regan and his family (and the rest of his village if we do this right) is to click the link and donate a buck - $1. One measly dollar - less than a cup of coffee and together we can make a difference. Of course you may donate as much as you like and all you would have to do is change the amount when you click the link, and from the bottom of my heart I would thank you for that. But let's think big!
(OK, let me digress here for a moment. Here's what I've learned from my Dad: you get what you give. If you want to improve the chances of good fortune coming to you, you give good fortune to someone else. The Karmic wheel spins perfectly every time. Think about it, and then click the link.)
Kevin and I will keep all of you updated on what's being purchased and how much money has been raised. And so I can guilt you into pressing the button, attached is a picture of little Regan. So for all of you that have ever found a dollar (or twenty) on the road, pay it forward. The universe will then re-pay you. So my question now is, what are you going to do to change the world a little today?
Meghan
Jimmy Mac
Last Thursday's news was tough for me: in the paper was a news story of the death of my friend Jimmy Mac. He had died in a car accident Canada Day at the age of 46 - a month and a day older than I. Had I not read the paper I would have completely missed the traditional Irish wake of which 300 others attended that very night. It was a grand affair - and it had "Jimmy" written all over it. Music, drinks, partying and the remembrances of the wee man from Northern Ireland who touched so many of us in such a short time. His wife Barb, his son Simon and daughter Sarah all attended the wake for him as well.
The next day was Jimmy's funeral - in the largest church in Central Alberta. Good thing too as they needed the room. The parade of uniforms of fellow firefighters, the parade of the Royal Canadian Legion Honour Guard and the musical tributes at the funeral were heartwarming and gut-wrenching. We laughed. We cried. We thought and we remembered. The funeral lasted an hour and forty-five minutes and we were all sad to see it end.
Unannounced, Jimmy's father George, who had made the trip from Portadown in Northern Ireland to bury his son, took the stage. George said that he never really knew his son's friends nor did they ever really talk much about them on the phone. But then he said, "As I look over this church here today, I had no idea that this many people loved my son." There was not a dry eye left in the house.
It was a fitting affair for the man who left so many of us with a smile and a place in our hearts. But to try and describe Jimmy in a few words is difficult. Suffice it to say - he will be remembered.
I am proud to have known him. Rest well Jimmy. We'll do our best to live life the way you did - as though it all ends tomorrow.
Sadly, it did for Jimmy.
The next day was Jimmy's funeral - in the largest church in Central Alberta. Good thing too as they needed the room. The parade of uniforms of fellow firefighters, the parade of the Royal Canadian Legion Honour Guard and the musical tributes at the funeral were heartwarming and gut-wrenching. We laughed. We cried. We thought and we remembered. The funeral lasted an hour and forty-five minutes and we were all sad to see it end.
Unannounced, Jimmy's father George, who had made the trip from Portadown in Northern Ireland to bury his son, took the stage. George said that he never really knew his son's friends nor did they ever really talk much about them on the phone. But then he said, "As I look over this church here today, I had no idea that this many people loved my son." There was not a dry eye left in the house.
It was a fitting affair for the man who left so many of us with a smile and a place in our hearts. But to try and describe Jimmy in a few words is difficult. Suffice it to say - he will be remembered.
I am proud to have known him. Rest well Jimmy. We'll do our best to live life the way you did - as though it all ends tomorrow.
Sadly, it did for Jimmy.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
What To Do With a Found $20 Bill?
My friend Ken and I went for supper last night. As we walked into the restaurant, there was an ATM right by the front door. Now since Ken is 6'9" tall and I am ... well ... not, I am able to see things closer to the ground. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something that caught my attention: a $20 bill in the tray of the ATM.
I picked up the bill, held it up to Ken and the two of us immediately looked around. No one was even near the ATM nor did anyone look like they had visited it recently. What was I to do with the $20 bill. Ken wouldn't even let me buy part of supper with it.
This morning as I awoke, I saw the $20 bill and brought it with me into the office. I asked some of the staff in the office if they knew what to do with a found $20 bill, superstitions or otherwise. No one seemed to have an answer. No let me re-phrase that: many had an answer that simply said, "give it to me" or a variation thereof.
I went on-line looking for the "protocol" of found money. There is nothing on-line. So what I have come up with is to give a portion of it to a charity and spend a portion on a lottery ticket or something like that.
What is your suggestion? I will hang onto the $20 for the time being and wait to hear your suggestions. Spend it as you wish. What should I do?
Click Here To Make Your Comment!
I picked up the bill, held it up to Ken and the two of us immediately looked around. No one was even near the ATM nor did anyone look like they had visited it recently. What was I to do with the $20 bill. Ken wouldn't even let me buy part of supper with it.
This morning as I awoke, I saw the $20 bill and brought it with me into the office. I asked some of the staff in the office if they knew what to do with a found $20 bill, superstitions or otherwise. No one seemed to have an answer. No let me re-phrase that: many had an answer that simply said, "give it to me" or a variation thereof.
I went on-line looking for the "protocol" of found money. There is nothing on-line. So what I have come up with is to give a portion of it to a charity and spend a portion on a lottery ticket or something like that.
What is your suggestion? I will hang onto the $20 for the time being and wait to hear your suggestions. Spend it as you wish. What should I do?
Click Here To Make Your Comment!
Monday, June 11, 2007
It Just Takes A Little Effort
I have just finished my breakfast at the Halifax Airport. As I stood in front of the trash containers with my leftover garbage, I was met with bins displaying four choices:
Refundables - for those items which can get one a refund (bottles, cans, etc)
Recyclables - for those items which can be recycled but perhaps may not be able to get a refund on a deposit (plastics, cardboard, etc)
Organics - for those items which will break down in the environment (unprocessed foods, paper, etc)
Garbage - for all of the other items which would not fall into any of the other categories.
I really had to think for a moment about which bins I would use. Then I realized the magic of this system: I was forced to think consciously about my trash. There was no choice to act unconsciously.
Congratulations Halifax. You forced me to make a conscious decision on the environment today. Well done.
Now about your harbour...
Kevin Burns - The Chief Instigation Officer of Laugh-Long Learning!
Refundables - for those items which can get one a refund (bottles, cans, etc)
Recyclables - for those items which can be recycled but perhaps may not be able to get a refund on a deposit (plastics, cardboard, etc)
Organics - for those items which will break down in the environment (unprocessed foods, paper, etc)
Garbage - for all of the other items which would not fall into any of the other categories.
I really had to think for a moment about which bins I would use. Then I realized the magic of this system: I was forced to think consciously about my trash. There was no choice to act unconsciously.
Congratulations Halifax. You forced me to make a conscious decision on the environment today. Well done.
Now about your harbour...
Kevin Burns - The Chief Instigation Officer of Laugh-Long Learning!
1-877-BURNS-11
Read/Comment on Kevin's Blog http://www.kevburns.com/blog.html
Winnipeg Ridiculous
The following is a recollection of events which actually occured last week in my desperate attempt to watch the final game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as it was being broadcast.
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As I and a band of hearty Canadians prepared to board a Regina-bound flight out of Winnipeg, we were stunned in silence that the Winnipeg Airport Authority (WAA) refused to broadcast, what turned out to be the last game of the season, the Ottawa Senators-Anaheim Ducks hockey game on the television sets in the boarding area, even after being asked repeatedly by the passengers awaiting their flight.
We asked the security guard to help us out at which point he offered up a phone number to the Data Centre - the obvious only ones working during the game. The Data Centre fed us some cock-and-bull story about the WAA not being in possession of licensing rights to broadcast a transmission from our public broadcaster. However, they are able to provide a scintilating program of political pundits on the future of the Liberal Party in Canada. I'm sure you yourself missed that one as you were likely watching the game.
To make matters worse, the Tim Horton's in the boarding area was closed. I'm sure the staff were home watching the game since they couldn't get the game in the terminal. .
When I attempted to stream the game to my Blackberry from cbc.ca, the message filling my Blackberry screen was, "We are sorry but this game can only be broadcast in Canada."
When did Winnipeg leave Canada? No hockey game? No Tim's? No kidding! How can Winnipeg say it will support another shot in the "Bigs" when you can't watch the game in the airport while having a hot cup of Horton's - the brew of a former NHL'er himself.
Is this stuff for real or did the entire plane full of passengers have a simultaneous bad dream.
How can a bar in the airport broadcast the game to their patrons (the sight of thirty people gathered around a 21 inch screen is something to marvel at - hockey die-hards for sure), yet the airport itself says it can't broadcast the game because it hasn't purchased the rights. The game was being brodcast on our public broadcaster - which just happens to be funded by the same people who wanted to watch the game.
This , by the way is the same airport in which many of those same players will be travelling should Winnipeg ever be granted another NHL franchise. Things will have to change then.
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Hmmm, in reading this, I perhaps got caught up in the heat of the moment. Maybe it's a good thing hockey is done for the season. Now I can focus my attention on other issues of importance. Sorry for my ramblings. It's hockey. I'm a man. I am Canadian. 'Nuff said.
Kevin Burns - The Chief Instigation Officer of Laugh-Long Learning!
1-877-BURNS-11
Read/Comment on Kevin's Blog http://www.kevburns.com/blog.html
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Boss Tip #11 - There's No Such Thing As Teambuilding
OK. So I imagine the headline has piqued your curiosity. So here it comes: there are no such things as teams which means any money you have spent or are spending on teambuilding, teamwork and team-player attitudes is being wasted.
Let me explain. If you, as the boss, were to walk into the office tomorrow and make one announcement to the entire staff, you would see that you really don't have a team. Here's the announcement you would make: "Three people from this department need to go. Three people are being laid off. Which three? You decide. I want your answer by the end of the day."
And now pandemonium ensues.
For all the work you may have put into building a "team" you would have to agree that this announcement would pit one personality against the other. You would have to come to the realization that there really aren't any teams, but there are a bunch of individuals all pointed towards a common goal. That is not a team.
Take a look at any professional sports team and you will see the same thing: there just a bunch of players who have each given a commitment to achieve a common goal. Does that make them a team? No it does not. Because when it comes right down to it, each person is, at the end of the day, looking out for his or her own best interests.
Is that wrong? Of course not. But please understand that in the same way people will compete for a job, compete for a promotion or compete for that corner office, they will also compete to keep their jobs too. If that means pointing out the weaknesses of others, justifying why they should stay or agressively stabbing someone else in the back, they will do it.
I doubt that there are many people who, when faced with the above-noted situation, would say, "I am the weakest link in this department so for the good of the team, I will go."
A good coach understands that in order to get the best performance out of each player, he has got to figure out where the players' "hot-buttons" are and find a way to push them. Each player will respond to different stimuli. A blanket approach to coaching a team can be a lesson in futility. Each players needs to be coached differently. Each player needs to buy into the common goal and each will do so in their own way.
Each player has a different set of values, strengths and attitudes. Therefore each player needs to be coached separately. The same rules apply at work.
If you're the boss, you're the coach. You had better understand that in order to make your department function at peak performance. At no time can you expect everyone to be on the same page, to bring the same skill-sets or contribute equally with the same strengths as the rest of your people. It's not possible.
You don't have a team. You have a group of individuals all pointed in the same direction each with differing talents and each with different roles. Stop training them as all equal and coach their individual strengths instead. Their performance will improve and so will your bottom-line.
As for the trainers who think they offer teambuilding workshops? Think again.
Kevin Burns - The Chief Instigation Officer of Laugh-Long Learning!
1-877-BURNS-11
Read/Comment on Kevin's Blog http://www.kevburns.com/blog.html
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Employee Tip #5 - Steer Clear Of Cynical Co-workers
Robert is in a management position. As much as I know of him, he seems to have his head and heart in the right place. He just seems to want the best for his people and does his best to get them give their best. That would seem to me to be the "win-win" attitude at work.
"It isn't always easy," he admits. "Sometimes there are one or two who become a little jaded and that can spell trouble for the rest of the staff."
Truer words were never spoken. Once a small group of employees decide that they would rather sit back and be cynical and view the world and their jobs with the "stink-eye," it requires either a firm commitment from the jaded ones to commit to improving themselves and their attitudes or it's up to management to surgically remove the cancer begore it spreads through the rest of the staff. If that happens, rest assured demands of the staff will increase and productivity will plummet.
In the same way that it is your responsibility to stay physically healthy to be able to fulfill your responsibilities, you are just as responsible for keeping mentally healthy and steering clear of the cynics and those with a seriously negative attitude.
The more time you spend around the complainers, the more you will desensitize to their points of view. Your defenses begin to drop in the same way unhealthy eating and lifestyle choices make you more succeptible to colds and flus. Cynicism, suspicion and negativity are as contagious as flu bugs. Just like you can build up defenses to germs, you can build an immunity to cynicism and negativity.
You see, if you only subscribe to a cynical point of view, you will become cynical. If, however, you constantly put yourself on a diet of self-improvement, you will constantly improve and so will your thoughts, your decisions and naturally, your results.
The better you get, the more you begin to see how petty, meaningless and sad a cynic's life really is and how dangerous that attitude is to others. You owe it to yourself to defend yourself from these cancers. Do whatever it takes to make sure cynicism, suspicion and negativity never invade your workplace.
If, however, you are the cynic, prepare yourself. The sooner you're fired, the better it is for company productivity, customer service and for you to finally get the message that we don't want your kind where we work.
Bottom-line: it is your responsibility to not become jaded nor take on the cynicism of others.
Kevin Burns - The Chief Instigation Officer of Laugh-Long Learning!
1-877-BURNS-11
Read/Comment on Kevin's Blog http://www.kevburns.com/blog.html
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Change Your Mind
Brian approached me after my presentation today. He gently pulled me aside as it looked like he had something important to say.
"I was a police officer for twenty-five years," he began. "Your story about the September 11 Firefighter made me think about something I want to share with you. Maybe you could use it in your presentation."
He paused for a moment.
"Isn't it funny that before September eleventh, police officers were called pigs, and after September eleventh they were heroes?
What an interesting observation. Have you changed your mind about how you percieve those people who choose to make their livings keeping the rest of us safe?
Thanks Brian. It's about time we finally recognized every profession for the good they do and stopped calling names. Change your mind.
Kevin Burns - The Chief Instigation Officer of Laugh-Long Learning!
http://www.kevburns.com
1-877-BURNS-11
Would You Tell The Truth?
I checked into another hotel today. It's something I've done hundreds of times. How many times have I filled in my address, my car make, model and licence plate number?
Chelsey handed me my room key and said, "You can park in front of the hotel and if I were you I'd take that elevator over there to get to your room," as she pointed past the first elevator.
Something seemed strange in the use of the "if I were you" part. I was curious.
"If I were you? What does that mean?" I questioned laughing.
She started giggling. "Well you can take the other elevator but honestly, it's pretty slow and smells funny. But it's up to you."
I don't think I have ever been warned about a hotel elevator while checking into a hotel. This was a new experience and it was nice to be served by someone who cares about the comfort of guests.
Would you offer your customers the truth about your company even if you had to admit your product smelled funny?
Honestly? It's kind of refreshing to be served that way. Think about it.
Kevin Burns - The Chief Instigation Officer of Laugh-Long Learning!
Chelsey handed me my room key and said, "You can park in front of the hotel and if I were you I'd take that elevator over there to get to your room," as she pointed past the first elevator.
Something seemed strange in the use of the "if I were you" part. I was curious.
"If I were you? What does that mean?" I questioned laughing.
She started giggling. "Well you can take the other elevator but honestly, it's pretty slow and smells funny. But it's up to you."
I don't think I have ever been warned about a hotel elevator while checking into a hotel. This was a new experience and it was nice to be served by someone who cares about the comfort of guests.
Would you offer your customers the truth about your company even if you had to admit your product smelled funny?
Honestly? It's kind of refreshing to be served that way. Think about it.
Kevin Burns - The Chief Instigation Officer of Laugh-Long Learning!
1-877-BURNS-11
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
You're Being Watched
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a column on people who drive company vehicles with advertising splashed all over the vehicle. Some of these people drive like idiots and can ruin a lifetime of goodwill that a company may have established with their customers. I encouraged you to pick up the phone and tell these businesses how their people are doing when it comes to representing their employers. Well wouldn't you know it, this past week, I had to make one of those phone calls.
As I attempted to merge onto a four-lane highway, a large semi-truck pulling two trailers behind it was coming up the left lane. He saw me for a long while as I attempted to ramp up to speed and be able to merge into traffic seamlessly. There was no traffic in the right lane beside the trucker yet he refused to pull over to the left lane - which would have been the courteous thing to do. Instead, he increased his speed to allow himself to cut me off from merging onto the highway and had I not had my wits about me, I would have ended up tangled in the guard rail. Only after forcing me to a near full-stop, did he move over to the left lane.
As I followed a fair distance behind this trucker for several miles, he did not move out of the left lane. As a matter of fact he forced all vehicles behind him to move over to the right lane to pass him. In my mind, his actions were not acceptable.
As I drove past his truck in the right lane, I took note of the name of the trucking company, as well as a phone number, and placed a call to the number on the side of the truck. A woman answered and after I related my story of what just happened, as well as the driver not giving up the left lane, she asked me to hold for a moment. When she came back, she informed me that the actions of the driver were unacceptable. She had informed the driver's dispatcher who was, as we spoke, giving him "what for" on the phone. Just then I looked into my rear view mirror and watched the truck move out of the left lane and into the right lane and severely reduced his speed. Busted - eight hundred kilometers from home.
I believe that no one should even hesitate to correct the actions of idiots especially when personal safety is challenged. You owe it to yourself to be mindful of others. Keep your eyes open and report those things that you know are wrong. People who choose to act like idiots shall be treated in kind.
And also keep in mind that while you're out there driving yourself, remember, you are being watched too.
As I attempted to merge onto a four-lane highway, a large semi-truck pulling two trailers behind it was coming up the left lane. He saw me for a long while as I attempted to ramp up to speed and be able to merge into traffic seamlessly. There was no traffic in the right lane beside the trucker yet he refused to pull over to the left lane - which would have been the courteous thing to do. Instead, he increased his speed to allow himself to cut me off from merging onto the highway and had I not had my wits about me, I would have ended up tangled in the guard rail. Only after forcing me to a near full-stop, did he move over to the left lane.
As I followed a fair distance behind this trucker for several miles, he did not move out of the left lane. As a matter of fact he forced all vehicles behind him to move over to the right lane to pass him. In my mind, his actions were not acceptable.
As I drove past his truck in the right lane, I took note of the name of the trucking company, as well as a phone number, and placed a call to the number on the side of the truck. A woman answered and after I related my story of what just happened, as well as the driver not giving up the left lane, she asked me to hold for a moment. When she came back, she informed me that the actions of the driver were unacceptable. She had informed the driver's dispatcher who was, as we spoke, giving him "what for" on the phone. Just then I looked into my rear view mirror and watched the truck move out of the left lane and into the right lane and severely reduced his speed. Busted - eight hundred kilometers from home.
I believe that no one should even hesitate to correct the actions of idiots especially when personal safety is challenged. You owe it to yourself to be mindful of others. Keep your eyes open and report those things that you know are wrong. People who choose to act like idiots shall be treated in kind.
And also keep in mind that while you're out there driving yourself, remember, you are being watched too.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Employee Tip #4 - Job Satisfaction Isn't The Company's Job
The job will only be as good as the person doing the job. With that said, for there to be a marked improvement in the satisfaction of the job, the person doing the job has to show a marked improvement first.
At some point, you had better come to the realization that the job doesn't get any better, if you don't get any better. Your sales will get better when your sales skills get better. Customer service will get better when you get better at delivering customer service. Your results on the job will get better as you get better.
Every single person in every single job needs to understand that it is not up to the employer to make you better as an employee. Oh no. As a matter of fact, it is your responsibility to improve so that the company can improve. Once the company improves, they are in a better position to pay you more and to reward you more often. But if you’re waiting for the company to fall all over themselves to make you better so you can do a better job for the company, then you have your priorities backwards my friend. You will be sentenced to a lifetime of mediocre and unsatisfying jobs. The performance of an individual on the job is not the responsibility of the organization but in fact is the responsibility of the individual on the job.
The better you get, the better the job gets. It's such a simple philosophy that it escapes most people. You may want to believe that it's harder than that because as long as you believe that it’s harder than that, you have an excuse for not doing any more than you have to. Once you finally understand that it’s up to you to make your job better then you can't complain about it not being your responsibility. It's called being accountable. And my experience is that people just like you don't want to accept the blame (or the responsibility) for their own lousy performance.
But now here’s the real truth: better people offer better service, make better sales, get along better, communicate better, manage better and overall, make your organization better as a whole. But in order for that to happen, you have to be responsible for yourself, your work and the results of your work.
The moment you improve, life (including the job) improves.
When you improve yourself, you improve your thinking, which improves your decision-making, which will improve your choices, which will, by default, improve your results. Once you improve your results consistently you improve your circumstances. Anyone who works this plan at just fifteen minutes a day, one single coffee-break, sees outstanding results at the end of just one year. I guarantee it.
So this doing just enough to not get fired is a no-win plan. As a matter of fact, doing just enough to not get fired is enough in my books to justify getting fired. If you won’t take the initiative to improve yourself and your performance, then why should the company keep you around? You’re a boat-anchor. Think about that as you dust off your résumé.
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