I spent about a half hour on Friday talking on the phone with someone I have never met before. A mutual colleague of ours thought I could offer some advice to this person, and I was more than happy to do so. We talked about retention of students in higher education; how to transition a career path from student life to enrollment/admissions, and how to finish a dissertation. I hopefully offered a few nuggets of advice, immediately sent her a packet of additional resources and went on my way.
Last week I wrote about another colleague who called for advice on how to deal with an issue he was having. As I said then, I love getting these types of calls. It never occurred to me before someone commented about that blog entry, but I get these kind of requests a lot. People have joked that I am “dial-a-trainer” — need an icebreaker? Call beth. Need an training exercise for something? She’s your gal. Need leadership coaching on how to deal with a sticky situation? Give her a call.
I have people in my Rolodex (yes, and in my electronic contacts file) that are my “go-to” people for certain situations. I know people who “know a guy” for about any local need you may have. I have resources for public relations, technology problems, social media and fix-it issues. Apparently I’m the one people call with training or coaching questions.
What are you “the guy” for? What kind of questions do friends send your way? Think about what has been designated as your area of expertise — and whether it is what you want to be known for. Can you take a step today to foster this reputation — or start to change it?
— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
Month: June 2013
#373 100%
Somewhere I once read that it is easier to do things 100% of the time than 98% of the time. How true that is. If I had any opportunity where it was “ok” not to blog, I probably would have written only a third of these. I think the 100% rule applies for lots of things — really to any of the commitments you make. Once it is ok to have an excuse, the reasons not to do something come easily.
What is out there that you commit to do and are willing to do it 100% of the time? Maybe it is doing physical therapy exercises twice a day, writing in a journal once a day, turning in your expense reports every week or even balancing your checkbook once a month. Whatever it is, give it 100% — not any less — and you’ll find you actually keep more those promises.
— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
#372 obvious
I eat Chobani Greek yogurt for breakfast every morning. The grocery store that I most frequently use had it on sale one day and featured it in a big display on an “end cap” cooler. I tried it and have been hooked ever since.
I also have been frustrated ever since, because frequently I go into this store and they don’t have it at all. I shop at another store in the same chain, and they have it all the time, right there next to the regular yogurts, but “my” store seems to only carry it when it’s on sale and featured at the end of the aisle.
Or so I thought. The other day I happened to be in the organic/health food section, and there it was! Apparently the store regularly carries it, but just in a different location. When it’s on sale, they carry it in the special case on the end to handle the volume and accommodate non-regular customers who wouldn’t think to look in the organic section. At other times, it’s still available, but not where I ever considered looking for it.
I’m afraid that every organization does something similar — it makes perfect sense to them, but not to the customer. Take advantage of any opportunity that you can to get feedback from your actual clients/users and new employees who have a fresh perspective. The obvious may only be so to you.
— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
leadership dot #371: tension
I am getting ready to conduct a series of parent orientation sessions in conjunction with our freshmen registration program. One of the items on the agenda is talking about transitions — and how they are not always easy.
To help illustrate this concept, I use a metaphor from author Peter Senge. He takes a rubber band and holds one end of the band on his thumb, and then pulls the band up with his other thumb to stretch the rubber. One end represents “current reality” and the top end signifies “future vision.” The further the vision is away from the reality, the more tension in (the middle of) the band.
As freshmen come to campus, their vision is much loftier than reality, and much tension ensues. As things progress, reality and dreams become more aligned — either the future view is modified to be more realistic or the current state of affairs changes as students grow.
I help parents understand that tension is a natural part of the transition process, and reaffirm that they really are not paying us to send their student home without having been changed. With this exercise, we are reframing the situation that tension is to be expected and that it means something is right, not wrong.
Think about this simple analogy as you enter into a change effort or transition process. It helps everyone when additional energy is not wasted fighting tension that naturally occurs.
#370 the answer
I was involved in a meeting this week to plan the strategy for a public relations response to a negative report that is due out next week. This doesn’t affect just our school; all the Iowa privates agreed not to submit information to the requesting organization because their motives and methods appear to be unscrupulous. Nonetheless, we will be “graded” even in the absence of data, and we were meeting to coordinate a response to the inevitable media request.
I was reminded of wise PR counsel from a former staff member: “Remember, they will write what you answer, not what the question was.” In other words, say what you want reported, regardless of what the question is. Know what your message is in advance and get that out there one way or the other.
It is great advice for an interview too. Another friend told me to have three key points that I wanted to make in an interview and to think of them as a triangle. I could reference one point in one question, then another point on a later question, the third point at another opportunity and then begin again with different examples that reinforce point one. If you follow this same methodology with the various groups with whom you meet, you will have everyone hearing the same thing, regardless of the variance in questions.
So the next time you’re in the hot seat — on camera or not — prepare in your mind the three points you want to make and stick to them. Make it about what you say, not about what you’re asked.
— beth triplett
#369 ownership
A colleague called me today asking for a “teaching moment” whereby I could give him some advice. I love those kind of phone calls!
He is wanting to tackle a process in his organization that crosses departments — meaning that everyone has a piece, but no one owns the process. Translated, this means that everyone does their own thing and no one (up until now) has bothered to consider the whole process from a client perspective or to be intentional about how it occurs. He was asking how he could affect change without becoming the “do-er” or permanent owner of the whole thing.
My answer: “sorry.” As much as he would like to dream up the solution and hand it off, it isn’t a realistic option. He is asking people who have done things the same way for literally decades to make a change. They don’t want to; don’t need to; don’t see the purpose for doing so, and are certainly not going to volunteer to own a new process. His best hope is to focus, over and over and over, on the “why” behind the changes he is proposing; take responsibility for doing the new work himself this year, and hope that those involved will see the improvement. Next year it will be easier to delegate something that people have actually seen (and hopefully understand.)
After I shared my thoughts, he laughed and said “I knew that is what you were going to say. I knew that I had to do the work; I was just hoping there was another answer.”
Those with the vision often have to assume the workload in order to see the new ideas implemented. It is hard for people who are entrenched in a process to even fathom how it could be different, so you must show them instead of just telling them.
So dream on, my dear friend, and then roll up your sleeves and get to it.
— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
#368 waiting game
I have written before* about the work William Bridges did about the three stages of transitions (ending, interval, beginning). He believes that the interval stage — the limbo stage — is where creativity and innovation can occur because things are in flux; the old is over but the new isn’t fully established yet.
I am a big fan of Bridges, but I am not a fan of being in limbo. In fact, for me, limbo is the hardest part of a transition. I can deal with bad news, but I hate the stage of limbo when I feel like I can’t make any plans or decisions because I don’t know the ultimate path I am on.
Some examples of limbo:
> You have applied for a job in another city: are you moving or staying put?
> One of your staff members has applied for another job: will you have a vacancy or should you assign them to a new committee?
> Waiting for test results: do you have cancer or not?
> Made an offer on a house: accepted or not?
> Layoffs are coming: are you going to be fired or not?
> Relationship is rocky: are you going to work it out or get divorced?
> Behind on payments: is the creditor going to negotiate or are you evicted?
> An elderly parent is not doing well: is he going to make it through or not?
> Contractor is doing an estimate: are you remodeling or building?
> You’re “late”: are you pregnant or not?
> Restructuring is going to occur: are you getting new responsibilities or should you begin a new project?
> Things are going well with your beau: do you wait to buy a new place in case he pops the question?
There are many conditions — both good and bad — that put your planning state into limbo. One temptation during this time is to spend a great deal of time speculating on the outcome. Another strategy is to rush ahead on decisions just to get out of limbo (eg: getting a divorce instead of counseling because it is quicker.)
As much as I hate it, I have to admit that Bridges is right about the limbo stage. Many possibilities can occur when the outcome is up in the air. If you can’t bring yourself to savor the interval state, at least acknowledge it for what it is — a waiting period. Take a deep breath and focus your energy on what you can impact instead of fretting about all that you can’t.
— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
* Blog #75 August 15, 2012
#367 stepping up
One last observation from my time in Arkansas: Little Rock Central High School. If you’re a student of civil rights, you may recall that this was the site of the “Little Rock Nine” — nine African American students who were the first to attempt to integrate into a white public school. Things did not go well as they attempted to challenge the outlawing of segregation: the governor called out the Arkansas National Guard to prevent the students from entering and mobs ensued. After three weeks, President Eisenhower federalized the National Guard and brought in over 10,000 U.S. Army soldiers to escort the students into the school. The Guard remained all year to keep order.
As you can imagine, Governor Faubus was not pleased that “his” troops were federalized and that integration occurred. To prohibit it from continuing, he promoted an act that allowed him to close all four of Little Rock’s public high schools for the 1958-1959 school year! Over 3,600 high school students had no avenue for public education in the city.
Stop and think for a minute about what kind of tension must have been present for a U.S. city — a state capitol no less — to close all the high schools for an entire year. The emotions were so high and the stakes so prominent: governor vs. president — all covered on the new medium of television — that it was hard for either to compromise.
With the formal political factions so polarized, a group of 58 (white) women came together to work to reopen the schools. Known as the Women’s Emergency Committee (WEC) this cadre of volunteers advocated to renew teacher and administrator contracts during the closure (so qualified faculty would remain when the schools reopened); they published a report on the economic impact of the closure, and worked with parents of teenagers to accept desegregation. Eventually they were successful and the schools reopened the following year.
The WEC was a way to have smaller, less public conversations and appeal to people’s sense of reason. Maybe we need a WEC today to help Congress and political parties find a middle ground. Maybe your organization needs their own version of WEC to help advocate for change and serve as a “translator” between leadership and those who must live with the implications.
In 1997, President Bill Clinton awarded the Little Rock Nine the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor. They certainly were deserving for the unimaginable courage that must have been required. Let’s also give a moment of applause for those who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make lasting change possible. You don’t have to be on the front lines to be a difference-maker; sometimes heroics happen in volunteer gatherings in living rooms too.
— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
#366 vitamin D
Today is the last day of my vacation; tomorrow it’s back to work. What will I miss most? The sunshine.
I have spent the past week in two LEED buildings, designed to be only 60 feet wide so sunlight, which can penetrate 30 feet, can reach the entire space via both sides. I have spent hours walking outside at a zoo and river festival. I have eaten as many meals as possible in the fresh air. I have written these blogs on my patio or in front of an open window with the sun shining and breeze blowing. I have walked my dogs and watched them soak in the rays. I think that I got more natural vitamin D last week than in the previous six months.
Unfortunately, (very unfortunately), I work in an office without windows. I like the work I do and I like the people I do it with a lot. Where I do it is another matter all together. When I am there and in the groove, I don’t think about it too much, but this break in the routine makes me realize how important natural light really is to me.
I don’t foresee getting a new office space anytime soon, but I am committed to taking steps to infuse more light into my work day. Lunches outdoors. Meetings on the patio. Doing paperwork from other locations where the natural light shines in. Using a few more of those vacation days when sunshine is in the forecast.
When you think about your time away, what do you savor the most? No alarms? Casual clothes? New experiences? No makeup or nylons? Playing with the kids/pooches? Think about what vacations bring to your life and see if there aren’t elements you can get more of even when you’re back in the saddle.
— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
#365 just start
I have a button collection — political buttons, advertising buttons, “flair” — you name it, and I likely have one. That is because my collection amasses 10,632 and counting! It takes the entire length of my basement, floor to ceiling, to display.
I started collecting buttons quite by accident. In 1970 (I’ll say it for you: it’s before many of my readers were even born), I hung a few “smiley face” and “peace sign” buttons on a bulletin board. My family thought it was a collection, so my grandma brought home a few advertising buttons from work, and one thing led to another — now here I am. One plus one more plus one more, etc. equals ten thousand.
Not quite to that extreme (yet), but the same thing happened with writing a blog. I had my leadership dots blog address since 2010, but did not write one entry until one year ago today. Since then I have written 365 musings. And counting.
I started on Saturday, June 2 — an odd time to start, but I knew Mike started his new job on Monday, June 4 and I wasn’t sure I could figure out how to publish. So I thought I needed to test it on Saturday, lest I need to call up Mike for “Geek Squad” assistance. I didn’t, but then I had started, so of course I had to do June 3, and then every day since.
Both of these are examples of the power of starting. If someone would have said collect 10,000 buttons or write 100,000 words, it would have been daunting. But a few buttons I could do, and today’s entry I could manage.
Whatever your goal, the hardest part is the first five minutes of it. Once you drag out the lawnmower, the grass is as good as cut. Once you write page one, you’re on the way to a dissertation. If you take a lesson, you’ll be skiing down the slopes in no time. If you put your Nikes on, you’re halfway around the block before you know it.
If you’ve taken away anything from this blog, I hope it’s that little things do add up to become big things — if you just begin.
— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com