Month: May 2022

leadership dot #3617: reflect

May 11, 2022May 8, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

In a podcast, culture expert Daniel Coyle proclaimed that “reflection is the most underused power source of any group.” I agree!

He noted how the world is constructed to put things in front of us for either action or reaction, and as a result, too often reflection doesn’t happen. People don’t pause, he notes, so questions such as what the organization is about or what your personal purpose is are left unconsidered — and the culture suffers.

Coyle advocates for the power of pausing — to learn from what went wrong, to remember what went well, to align the organization’s purpose in concrete ways that help people know what is best to do, and to create relationships that foster a sense of belonging and vulnerability. One of his Playbook exercises is to define your “True South” — what you are not going to do — as a way to gain clarity on your True North and guiding principles.

As the workforce shrinks, culture becomes a distinguishing factor that determines which organizations are able to succeed. You can spend your time recruiting and training new employees — or invest that time in reflecting on what is/is not working in your organization. I hope you take a timeout to invest in the latter.

Learner Lab podcast with Daniel Coyle and Trevor Ragan (41:04) April 2022. Coyle is the author of the best-selling The Culture Code and the brand new The Culture Playbook: 60 Highly Effective Actions to Help Your Group Succeed.

leadership dot #3616: mining

May 10, 2022May 6, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I received an offer from my internet provider to receive a free year of a new streaming service. I would have just deleted the pitch but something caught my eye: no payment information is required and the subscription will expire after a year unless I renew it. What a refreshing twist — normally, you have to wait on hold and hassle with an automated message to cancel anything.

I appreciated the automatic cancellation and it enticed me to sign up. The registration asked which streaming services I already have (“so it can tailor my preferences”) and it is available to link to my computer, television, or tablet. In other words, so they can monitor and track all of my entertainment viewing as they mine data to strengthen their own market position. Just as there is no such thing as a free lunch, there is no such thing as a free streaming service for a year. I know the company is trading its content in exchange for my data.

Be judicious in what “free” things you accept and keep the ulterior motives in mind as you share information and link to your platforms. As Richard Serra reminds us: “If something is free, YOU are the product.”

leadership dot #3615: long shot

May 9, 2022May 9, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Even if you didn’t watch the Kentucky Derby over the weekend, you need to see the replay to watch Rich Strike, the colt with 80-1 odds, come from the back of the field to capture the roses. To make it even more like Hollywood, the horse wasn’t even entered in the race until another horse scratched on Friday, the day before the Derby. Rich Strike was purchased in the fall for $30,000 and this win — only its third ever! — earned the owner $1.86 million. Not a bad return on investment.

If you listen to the announcers, they don’t even mention Rich Strike until the final seconds when they are literally at the wire. Before that, all the focus was on the two favorites as they battled it out. It’s a scenario that plays out too often in real life, where all the attention is on the presumed leader, leaving an opening for an underdog (or underling) to successfully slide in.

Many were surprised that Rich Strike was even in the race, and even more shocked that such a long shot won it. But I’m pinning a picture of this beautiful colt in my office to remind me to persevere despite what others’ expectations may be. Even if your odds are 80-1, keep running.

leadership dot #3616: mothers

May 8, 2022May 6, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I’m a “mom” to two four-legged kids and they always recognize Mother’s Day by treating me to something I pick out myself! I guess that American Greetings realizes I’m not the only one with furry children who acknowledges the holiday. They have created an entire line of “pet parent” cards to allow all manner of pets to send their appreciation to their “mom” (with a little bit of help, of course!).

If you’re not a pet lover as I am perhaps you are rolling your eyes at the absurdity of this. Instead, maybe it’s a sign that your organization should consider how to capitalize on the $260 billion pet industry. Those pet “moms” are a huge audience all year long, not just on Mother’s Day.

leadership dot #3613: relegated

May 7, 2022May 3, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I always feel a twinge of sadness when I walk by the bargain book section in a bookstore or, worse, see titles on the shelf at the dollar store. I can only imagine what went into publishing that content — and the thrill of the author to see the finished product — just to have it remanded and sent to where unpopular books go to die.

I’ve noticed a similar trend with obscure movies that now occupy the catalogs on streaming services. The delight of all those involved in the production has been forgotten as have their dreams of fame and fortune that existed when the film was made. Now the shows are relegated to the furthest pages of the scroll, allowing the host to proclaim “hundreds of movies” even though you have never heard of most of them.

These books and movies were not an early commercial success and it is doubtful they will find glory via their current distribution vehicle. But I am still glad that they were made. These were stories that made the creator better off by telling them, providing an outlet for expression, and giving a forum to their voice. Sharing yourself through creative content is a risky, mostly unrewarding, time-consuming effort — yet in its purest form, it truly is about the process, not the outcome. Keep contributing!

leadership dot #3612: opening

May 6, 2022May 3, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A class role play of a meeting started out by asking various stakeholders what they would like to see happen to address the booming transient population in a hypothetical mining town. My students went around the table and listed their wishes based on their assigned perspectives — and did so in a calm and civil manner.

I don’t think this would be the case in a real situation. Focusing on the differences from the start would have quickly devolved into a b*tch session and made it hard for the facilitator to wrangle the group in a positive direction.

Much more could have been achieved by beginning with an exercise that helped participants focus on a common vision — identifying their shared goal for the town and joint needs that could be solved through collaboration. If the group started with something that unified them rather than divided them, I believe there would be a much greater chance that they could find ways to work together to achieve a higher purpose.

How you frame a discussion, meeting agenda, evaluation, or proposal is shaped significantly by how you start. Choose that opening question or statement with great care to anchor others’ perspectives and the comments that come next. Your opening remark becomes the tone-setter for all that follows.

leadership dot #3611: conquer hard

May 5, 2022May 3, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Biographies and autobiographies hit a sweet spot for me — they’re much lighter than many thought-provoking or educational non-fiction books yet much more substantive than “beach reads” or pure fiction. As a result, I can indulge in leisurely reading without any guilt and always take away at least one life lesson when reading another’s story.

My latest devouring was Viola Davis’ Finding Me. The award-winning actress chronicles her upbringing and vividly describes the H.A.R.D. life she led: scores of rats in their home, no running water, often no electricity or heat, bullying, constant hunger, and the ever-present smell of urine. It was rough.

Viola found her escape through an Upward Bound program that became a portal to theatre, competitions, scholarships, and a way out. She was warned that a life in show business was hard but she had already conquered hard. She turned that perseverance into a work ethic and determination that propelled her acting career.

When we face situations that are difficult or even brutal we have a choice to define them as either motivators or barriers. Hard experiences can prepare you to face other challenges as a survivor, knowing that you are able to persist despite the circumstances. Like Viola, allow hard to harden your resolve, not your soul.

leadership dot #3610: look up

May 4, 2022May 3, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Yesterday’s dot (#3609) about how the former Sears catalog building had been transformed into a food hall sparked two comments from a former colleague who had recently visited the Boston spot I featured. Her observations:

She was focused on looking at “ground-level” and had no idea about the significance of the building when she was there. She never looked up to see the exterior at all. It’s a Boston landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places — but you could never appreciate that if you only focused on the street view. It’s a good reminder that we to consider things from different angles — and not just buildings.
Her experience in the food hall “pointed out to us how white Boston is. It was visually obvious in the crowded hall.” Coming from Detroit, she was understandably struck by the whiteness but coming from small-town Iowa, I had the opposite reaction and found Boston full of different ethnicities and languages. It’s another example of how others may experience something differently depending on their initial frame of reference.

The original dot and the reflections from reading it reaffirm one of the core principles of leadership — a broad perspective is essential. I would have never known about the building had someone not enlightened me and my colleague provided additional insights that I had not recognized. To appreciate all an idea has to offer, look beyond “ground-level” to consider all sides and embrace the multiple viewpoints a diverse team can provide you.

Thanks, Colleen!

leadership dot #3609: architect

May 3, 2022May 3, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

In Boston, the first two floors of the former Sears catalog offices have been transformed into a food hall. It’s spacious and open with two-story high ceilings — thanks to an architect who had the vision to literally cut out the second floor and only leave the pillar supports.

I think of all the others who passed on this space in a very desirable district because they only saw it as an office or retail space with traditional ceilings and access. The beautiful building even sat vacant for several years before becoming the multi-use hub that it is today.

You don’t have to be a building architect to envision what could be instead of what is. Stretch your creative thinking muscles and become an idea architect who asks “what isn’t?” or “how might we?” instead of focusing on the limitations your current reality presents. Maybe what you need is right in front of you — if you only have the foresight for subtraction.

Second floor removed to create food hall atrium

leadership dot #3608: development

May 2, 2022May 1, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I was asked by a client how to help with the development of a particularly eager volunteer. I think my advice applies to helping anyone grow, whether they are in a paid or unpaid position. You have two options: 1) develop the person, or 2) develop their role.

In the first option, you are able to provide professional development by enriching a person’s skills. Whether through coaching, mentoring, providing hands-on opportunities, or education you are always able to enhance the talents of someone. It may be helping someone gain confidence, public speaking ability, or leadership skills but this type of development is person-specific and provides value that stays with the person regardless of the role they have or if they even remain with the organization.

The second approach is to reimagine the role the person you wish to develop could play. A person may already be equipped to do more but be in need of a position that takes advantage of their capacity. Perhaps you provide them with a supervisory role, oversight of a project, or allow them to hold a similar position but in a new environment (e.g. new territory or new clientele). Maybe you could expand their responsibilities or move them into an entirely new role to allow them to have variety or new challenges that capitalize on the skills they have but are not fully using. In other words, enlarge the fence in which your star employee is allowed to run.

One of the key functions of a supervisor is to develop the staff members that report to them. Consider both ways of doing so as you craft development plans for your people.