Month: April 2022

leadership dot #3596: talented

April 20, 2022April 19, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

The windows at a restaurant play area were beautifully painted with an array of flowers and spring designs. The space had previously caught my eye when it was adorned with intricate snowflakes to create a winter scene. It turns out that employees at the fast-food chain did both paintings.

I’ve heard of other examples lately where organizations take advantage of the talents of their staff — even though those skills have nothing to do with their actual job. State legislative staff form a choir and provide musical entertainment at ceremonies in the capital. The skills of someone with an interior design degree are utilized to create a holiday experience in the reception area. Other organizations deploy those with photography, graphic design, or floral arranging talents even though they are far from their official responsibilities.

Before you hire someone from the outside to provide you with creative talents or specialized skills, first do an inventory of those inside your organization. You may be surprised (and delighted) to discover the varied interests and contributions that your existing team can make.

leadership dot #3595: same

April 19, 2022April 18, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Jeff Bezos believes that in these times when things change so much it’s impossible to know what the future will be like. So, instead of trying to figure out what will change, he focuses on ascertaining what will stay the same and then builds a business around that.

Bezos started Amazon with books, figuring that people may buy content in different formats or different delivery systems, but they will continue to be readers. His latest foray is into prescription drugs, again, hedging that medicine will always be needed. Amazon has centered its massive delivery system around food, clothing, and household items that continue to be purchased no matter what.

It’s a subtle but powerful mindset shift. Think about what will stay the same in your organization and then create your future around it.

leadership dot #3594: construction

April 18, 2022April 13, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

While driving, I realized that I whizzed past a new highway interchange without even noticing. The last time I was on the road there were temporary lanes, cones, and land movers but the results of that work were now seamless.

Road construction is a good metaphor for a change effort.

It’s easier to make a change if there is a widely-acknowledged problem. For this particular situation, the curve, intersection, and high speeds had resulted in several serious accidents and people were anxious for a modification — making the investment and inconvenience much more palatable.
During the change effort, there is substantial disruption. While the new exchange was being constructed, there were delays, detours, dirt, and noise. Those closest to the change — the ones actually using that exit — experienced the most upheaval but everyone who was in proximity was affected.
Now that the change is complete, it is hard to remember the old way. It’s so much better — to have a controlled exit that allows for easy merges instead of crossing highway traffic at an intersection. It may have been hard to envision the difference after living with the old way for decades but now it would be harder to imagine reverting to the way things were.

If your organization is preparing for a major rebuild, model your project after civil engineering. Help make the case “before”, anticipate disruption “during” and expect to have the new become the norm soon “after.”

leadership dot #3593: proliferation

April 17, 2022April 13, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

For many, the quintessential Easter treats are those marshmallow confections known as Peeps. Back in the day, Peeps only were packaged as yellow chicks but since then they have morphed into multi-colors, multi-flavors, multi-shapes — and now, multi-products. It seems that Peeps have hopped on the brand extension bandwagon and now feature their iconic rabbit Peeps on cereal, stuffed animals, socks, stationery, and even bandages. Why, they have more products than rabbits have bunnies!

Is Peeps a marshmallow treat or a graphic rabbit? It becomes increasingly hard to tell. I’m sure there is financial logic in proliferating the Peeps but in the long run, I fear that overexposure outweighs the short-term gains.

It’s a fine line between extending your base and straying from it. Whether it be a product or nonprofit mission, think hard before changing direction from your core purpose, key capabilities, and competencies. As Asleep at the Wheel sang in the ’90s, “dance with the one who brung you.”

Happy Easter!

leadership dot #3592: misaligned

April 16, 2022April 13, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

The ad caught my attention with the headline: “The celeb-loved sneakers that require no break-in period now come in pretty spring colors.” I’m a sucker for Pantone and love the color robin-egg blue, so when I saw the combination in a shoe I was ready to buy.

But when I clicked on the link, it showed the “pretty spring colors” as a pre-order that would be shipped by July 29! By then, I’m living in sandals and don’t need sneakers of any color.

It’s another example that happens too frequently: an irrelevant advertising campaign due to a misalignment of messaging. Change the headline to read: “Pre-order pretty colors now” or wait until July to run your ads. Anything else is just wasted steps.

leadership dot #3591: exceptions

April 15, 2022April 13, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Millions of Americans plan on April 15 as the date to file with the IRS — with Tax Day serving as an anchor in the yearly calendar. But in the last five years, only once has that held true.

Taxes are due on the 18th this year because today is Emancipation Day, a holiday in Washington D.C. The filing date was extended to May 17 in 2021 and July 15 in 2020 due to pandemic disruptions and hardships. In 2019, Tax Day remained on the 15th for most, although special dispensation was given until July 31 for those in disaster-declared counties. And the 15th fell on a weekend in 2018 so taxpayers got a reprieve until the 18th.

If you find yourself making repeated changes to a standardized process, consider what is driving the adjustments. If your organization grants repeated waivers, maybe a replacement policy is warranted. If you declared that you’d exercise every morning at 6 a.m. but find yourself regularly changing your commitment — maybe that’s an excuse, not an exception. And if you frequently adjust your annual date, maybe you should say “the deadline will be set by the agency each year” instead.

When exceptions outnumber the norm, it’s time to revisit the rule.

leadership dot #3590: word

April 14, 2022April 13, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I was in a parking garage and the signage, instead of bearing the traditional “exit”, was all labeled with the word “out.” It’s certainly the language we use most — as in “how do I get OUT of this maze that is a parking garage?” — but it struck me because while the word is used frequently in practice, it is rarely used on signs. I wondered who made the decision to go against convention and what the thinking was behind it.

Every day, we make word choices that seemingly are too small to be noticed but have a cumulative effect of changing how we operate. Switching from “exit” to “out” might inspire others to have signs that reflect the spoken word. Negatively, using language that is a microaggression may implicitly signal to others that the colloquial demeaning is acceptable. Bringing the slang of texting into our email may degrade the message or the perceived professionalism of the sender.

It may be just a word, but all language matters. Choose yours with intention.

leadership dot #3589: gulp

April 13, 2022April 11, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A colleague just submitted a proposal for a year-long consulting arrangement. With multiple in-person visits and regular virtual connections over twelve months, it carried a hefty price tag. I suspect that the initial reaction of the client will be a gulp, but I hope that the next response is “let me think about it.”

We often provide an instantaneous “no” when something surprises us or pushes us out of our comfort zone. It’s easier to avoid the deep contemplation than it is to truly consider the opportunities the scary idea provides. We can justify our rejection with things like “it’s too expensive” or “that will never fly here” — which may be true — but they may not be.

All change provokes angst and fear at some point in the process. Of course, it’s a risk to go out on a limb to propose something audacious. And yes, it’s a gamble to invest big bucks on something new. But don’t dismiss an ambitious approach without giving serious consideration to the benefits the project could provide. Incrementalism is rarely a wise strategy.

leadership dot #3588: help me

April 12, 2022April 11, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

In the movie Jerry Maguire, sports agent Jerry (Tom Cruise) has an iconic scene where he implores his client to “help me help you.” It’s a mantra that applies to employees working with their bosses as well.

Successful staff members learn how to “manage up” and invest time in understanding the issues facing their supervisors. The more you know about their pressure points, the more you can contribute by relieving them. Employees can also benefit by providing their supervisors with sound bites of successes, facts, or interesting stories that the manager can use in other settings. It’s also wise to allow them to publicly receive recognition for a team win, even though you may have played a more substantial role.

At the end of the day, a major portion of your responsibility is to make your boss look good — not only by achieving the team’s results but by doing so in a way that makes their life easier. Think about what you can do to save them time (e.g. anticipating data needs, providing proofed and ready-to-send reports, resolving problems on your own, etc.) and to aid in their looking good for their boss.

Follow Jerry Maguire’s advice and ask how you can help your supervisor be successful. Genuinely striving to “help me help you” is a winning strategy for career success.

leadership dot #3587: affinity

April 11, 2022April 10, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Yesterday (dot #3586), I wrote about what I thought was a creative venue for a fundraiser — using an airport runway. As it turns out, not only is that “a thing” but there are groups of people who seek out these types of runs and are self-professed “runway junkies.” I met one such runner, Carol, after the event in town; she drove three hours to participate in what was her 35th runway event!

Carol was a good reminder that there are likely others who share your interests — whatever they may be — and cultivating those affinity groups can be a benefit both inside and outside the workplace. Many organizations are now sponsoring Employee Resource Groups/Employee Resource Networks for people to share their experiences. Some examples include groups based on ethnicity or culture, those with military connections, LGBTQIA groups, STEM networks, women leaders or women in male-dominated industries, or those working with a dimension of disability. The groups may not swap t-shirts as the runway runners do, but the network provides a forum to discuss challenges and raise awareness of issues facing its members.

Having a sense of belonging is essential to our happiness and resource groups or shared hobbies are easy ways to foster those initial connections. Even if it’s running a runway, you don’t have to do it alone.