Month: December 2018

leadership dot #2380: can’t wait

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There was a video circulating on social media showing a child opening “the only present he wanted for Christmas.” My heart sank as I wondered why the gift wasn’t saved to create a joyous Christmas morning when the surprise and wonder could await under the tree.

It used to be that Christmas presents weren’t opened until December 25 and the clearance sales began on December 26. There were many years that we set out in Black-Friday-Style shopping mode on the day after Christmas to capitalize on the half-price decorations or cards, but now items are at that price a full week before the holiday and gifts are given early as well.

What happened to the value of waiting?

Convenience has stripped a generation of its ability to be patient. No one wants to wait for anything anymore and I fear that the accelerated timetable of just about everything condenses the emotion and obliterates the joy that comes when anticipation is fulfilled. We want everything now and have lost the ability to defer gratification and come to a crescendo.

As you ponder your New Year’s Resolutions, consider including “waiting” on your list. Waiting to speak up so you truly listen to what others say. Waiting before jumping in to fix a problem before someone has the opportunity to problem solve for themselves. Waiting to eat that cookie after dinner until you determine you are truly still hungry. Waiting to spend money until you see if the impulse passes.

Ignore all the impulses of this season and get great at the wait. Patience is a gift that keeps giving.

leadership dot #2379: wrapped

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Last Christmas, I thwarted my nephew’s plans to only use gift bags and instead I wrapped all of his presents as he watched in amazement at how I effortlessly measured the paper and crinkled the ribbon. We disguised some of the obvious gifts but there was really nothing special about my tasks even though he was as impressed as if I had done sleight of hand magic.

This year, I have noticed how – even though it is so close to Christmas – the stores are still stocked full of wrapping paper rolls. I fear that wrapping of gifts is becoming a lost art, just as the sending of handwritten cards has given way to photo cards or no cards at all and the choosing of personal presents is increasingly being replaced with the exchange of gift cards.

Gift bags can be beautiful but pulling something out of a bag is not nearly the experience of unwrapping a present whereas wrapped gifts can become works of art in and of themselves (as this picture attests). A circle of gift bags under the tree does not have the same nostalgia or cache as a stack of presents all festively decorated and lovingly wrapped.

Use the packaging of gifts as an analogy for the service your organization provides. Are you offering the basics (aka a gift bag), are you taking an extra step to wrap the present tied with a bow or are you going above and beyond to wow your customers with your presentation? As others gravitate toward quick and easy, a little extra attention on your part can unwrap unseen opportunities for your organization’s image.

leadership dot #2378: for you

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When my mom was in her 50s, she wanted this Fisher Price piggy bank. Every time she saw it in a store she would look at it and smile, but of course, she was too frugal to buy something so frivolous for herself. I never really liked it very much or understood the appeal, but I bought it for her anyway.

Mom kept that piggy bank in a prominent spot in her bedroom for 30+ years, then it went to the memory care facility with her. Now that she is gone, it has a permanent place in my home.

Not only does that silly pig remind me of her – especially today on the one-year anniversary of when we lost her – but it reminds me that gifts are meant to be for the recipient, not the giver. Too often we buy things we like or that seem practical to us rather than indulging someone with a treasure they wouldn’t buy on their own.

This holiday season give someone the equivalent of that piggy bank. It may not seem logical or make any sense at all but love often comes in strange packages.

leadership dot #2377: broccoli

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As a way for a group of child welfare leaders to practice articulating their theory of change in a succinct fashion, we had them participate in a role-play exercise of mock interviews with different constituent groups. Over the course of an hour, leaders rotated between speaking with a donor, board member, judge, parent and law enforcement officer – changing their pitch and message with each rotation so it was targeted toward the respective interviewer.

In the subsequent debrief, leaders lamented about the challenge this exercise posed and how difficult it was to be succinct and relevant in the moment. “This exercise was like eating broccoli,” one of the leaders commented. “I know it was good for me, but I didn’t like it. It was the right thing to do, and I’ll thank you in the long run, but it wasn’t enjoyable now.”

I think many activities that occur are like eating broccoli, and, as such, we either avoid them voluntarily or others allow us to pass rather than impose the rigor and benefit that the exercise could deliver. We often gravitate to work or learning that is fun or easy, but there is something to be said for the growth that occurs from practicing things that are difficult and challenging.

Don’t be like President George H. W. Bush and proudly proclaim that you aren’t going to eat any more broccoli. Even if it’s not your favorite vegetable, use it as a metaphor for doing what you know will be helpful over time and regularly put a helping of it on your plate (or agenda!).

 

 

leadership dot #2376: succinct

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When I write grants, they are organized around a Logic Model that helps clarify the components of the project. If I can work with the grantee to articulate the logic in a compelling, succinct way I know that the grant stands a good chance of being funded.

The Logic Model begins with a program goal – the overall aim or intended impact of the project. Next, two components that describe HOW the goal will be achieved are outlined: Resources (the inputs dedicated to or consumed by the program) and Activities (the actions that the program takes to achieve the desired outcomes). Finally, two components that describe the WHY or “so what” of the project are clarified: Outputs (the measurable projects of a program’s activities) and then the Outcomes (the benefits to clients, communities, systems or organizations). Resources are needed for Activities which lead to Outputs which cause Outcomes. It sounds very simple, but many hours have been spent wrestling with how to communicate these categories.

The Alia Innovation Cohort members also have struggled to put their overall change aspirations into succinct language. They have been striving to articulate their Theory of Change that describes the aspect of the child welfare reform that their jurisdiction is addressing through completion of this sentence:  “Because we believe that children fare better with protective connections in family, and ____ (#) children in ____ (county) are not living safely within their families, we are ___________(thing they are changing), so that __________ (change they expect to see). We believe this will work because _______ (evidence).” It, too, sounds easy to complete, but it the simplicity belies the difficulty of it.

Mark Twain said: “I didn’t have time to write a short letter so I wrote a long one instead.” His logic rings true for grant writing, theories of change and most forms of communication. It takes time to edit out all the wiggle words, meaningless phrases and fluff, but the power comes from that clarification.

Logic Model Source: The Office of Minority Health Resource Center, http://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov

leadership dot #2375: power pack

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On Christmas morning, it is inevitable that something requires batteries. And what fun is that toy/thermometer/walkie talkie if you are unable to play with it on the spot?!

To help families be prepared for holiday mornings, birthday parties or just general readiness, Duracell has come up with an ingenious method of packaging. Instead of selling individual size batteries, the company now offers a multi-pack that comes with AA, AAA, C, D and 9-volt batteries packaged together. With one purchase, you can be prepared for all those unexpected battery needs. I wonder why it has taken so long for the company to sell their product in this grouping.

What can your organization do to make its product offering more convenient for your customers? Instead of selling things piecemeal, consider how you can combine them into a package or series to make it more efficient for everyone.

leadership dot #2374: gift

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‘Tis the season where many businesses in town are offering gift card specials: “Spend $20 and get a gift card with $25 on it” or “Buy a $50 gift card and receive a free meal”, etc. If you had the money, you could load up on a year’s worth of meals and save yourself a bundle.

But it’s not only the individuals that are impacted by the gift card frenzy. The big companies are making a fortune off the money that people pre-pay them for the cards. In 2016, Starbucks had $1.2 billion loaded onto their cards – just think of the interest they gain off of that.

Reframe your view of gift cards this holiday season and come to think of them as giving the store a free loan of your money. They may incentivize you to do it but it’s not out of benevolent generosity; rather it’s a business decision where they are the ones getting the gift.

leadership dot #2373: thrive

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When an employee is not performing at the level the supervisor expects, it is easy to blame the employee but the supervisor should first assess themselves. Is the lack of performance due to employee incompetence or is it really due to a lack of training/mentoring from the supervisor?

I believe there are many ex-employees who could have thrived in their positions if they had been given the right support and ongoing attention that they required. Supervisors often feel like they don’t have the time to coach an employee over an extended period of time, yet somehow they find the time to conduct a search and begin the training process all over again with someone new. Far better to invest in the employees they have.

It is incumbent upon the supervisor to communicate the vision, values and norms – and to make ongoing, repeated course corrections if required to help the employee align with the culture. It requires frank, honest and oftentimes uncomfortable conversations to speak the truth about expectations and performance gaps. It also requires a mindset that the goal is to make the relationship work, rather than to focus on what isn’t.

It would be awesome if all our employees were intuitive enough to know how to deliver what is expected of them, but oftentimes supervisors fail to clarify and provide the resources for either the know-how or the expectations portion of the equation. Yes, it requires time to help your employees thrive, but it is the best investment of yourself that you can make.

leadership dot #2372: lopsided

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In the classes I teach, I regularly assign group projects – much to the chagrin of my students. As they are all working adults, it is often much easier for them to work on their own schedule rather than trying to coordinate with a partner or two.

But group projects frequently offer teachable moments that go far beyond the assignment – as in how to deal with a team member who does not contribute a fair share of the workload. Allowing classmates to struggle with this scenario can help prepare them for when it is a colleague and the stakes on the project are much higher.

I recently had a situation where one person did essentially nothing and the other two team members were required to handle the full load. When they asked for advice on how to handle it, I suggested that the talk with the third person face-to-face if possible and clarify what the person could do, leaving space for them to be realistic about what they are actually able to contribute. It is far better for them to do nothing than to promise something and not deliver, so they need to make it safe for the third person to speak the truth. If they are unable to reach the person at all, they can create a path to move forward by letting the person know that if they don’t hear back by X date, they will be proceeding without them.

At the end of the day, you need to allow the person to save face in public and attempt to preserve your working relationship with them. Calling them out in front of the rest of the team or being passive aggressive about the situation does nothing in the long run to advance the work of the team. Nor does letting the project suffer because you couldn’t split the responsibilities fairly.

The bottom line is that work teams, as with any partnership, are never equal. Teams don’t operate as 50-50 so clear your mind of those unrealistic expectations. Hopefully, your group isn’t as lopsided as all or nothing, but sometimes you have to be prepared to contribute 100%.

 

leadership dot #2371: with others

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One of the mantras from the Alia Innovation Cohort states: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.”

 It is a good reminder for those trying to impact change. While it is far easier to make the decisions yourself, to decide on the changes and even to move forward in implementing them, this solo mentality can only get you so far. In order for the change to be infused in the organization, for there to be buy-in, and for the change to last, you must first gain the support of others. And although that takes more time on the front end, it always pays dividends in the long run.

It reminds me of the quote attributed to Jack Welch: “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” The only way to achieve ongoing success is to inspire others to come along with you on the journey.

As you aim to move your organization forward, ensure that you go there with others so you go far even if you don’t start out going fast.