October 2022 – Page 3 – leadership dots

leadership dot #3738: stepping stone

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

A staff member was trying to allay the fears of someone who was hesitant to continue on the high ropes course to get to the zipline. She encouraged the participant to look behind them and see the accomplishments he had already made just to get to where he was. “Don’t throw out those accomplishments,” she said. “Use them as stepping stones instead of ignoring them.”

You should never have to climb the whole mountain from the bottom — rather you can learn from your experiences and use them as a launch pad to achieve even more. Each task you complete or each success you have can be used as a base from which to reach even greater heights.

Too many times people dismiss their accomplishments and start from zero on the next new project. Looking forward has its place, but don’t forget to take a glance back as well to understand how far you’ve come.

Thanks, Michelle!

leadership dot #3737: repurposing

October 10, 2022October 9, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I attended an event in an old warehouse that had been renovated and repurposed into some of the most amazing space in our city. It is contemporary and comfortable and features many elements of the warehouse that were preserved and repurposed for new use.

My two favorite examples:

A major support beam had to be cut to make room for an internal staircase. They took that wood and end cut it into sections to make the stairwell itself, thus exposing 100+ years of growth rings in a pattern that is more beautiful than anything you could purchase new.
The base of an old freight elevator was saved from the landfill when it became a stunning new reception desk that sets the tone for the building from the moment you walk in.

Neither one of these examples now functions anything like its original purpose but both seem to be working out quite well.

Many supervisors would be wise to keep this in mind as they deal with employees who may benefit from a “repurposing,” too. Some staff members have fulfilled their potential in their current job and would benefit from being in a new role that exposes their “growth rings.” Others are in the wrong role or in a job that is no longer needed and they, too, would benefit from a different position that allows them to become useful in a new way.

In the era of tight staffing, organizations would be wise to take some lessons from historic preservation. As little as possible is discarded, and great effort goes into matching the existing materials with new needs. Supervisors can do the same thing.

Stairs made from the end cut of the support beam that was removed to make room for the staircase in the Dupaco Voices Building.

Old freight elevator — now the reception desk at the Dupaco Voices Building.

leadership dot #3736: to a T

October 9, 2022October 8, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

For much of my executive career, Talbots was the place to shop for professional clothes. It was the store with classic style, quality, and attire that would outfit you well in the board room. Today, as much square footage at Talbots is dedicated to their new “T” line of activewear as is utilized to display career clothes, and there is not a suit to be found.

Talbots has created an entire line of fleece, knits, leggings, hoodies, and “everyday stretch” that pairs as well in the yoga studio as it does working from home. Their whole focus seems to be on comfort — a far cry from the Talbots of old.

Like many other clothiers, Talbots has evolved to meet the pandemic/post-pandemic demand for more casual attire. They have reworked their product, image, marketing, and audience to adjust to new realities. Interestingly, they still maintain their tagline of “modern classic style since 1947,” acknowledging that what constitutes “classic” in 2022 is quite different than it was when they were founded, or even in 2019.

How can you take a lesson from Talbots and rethink how to deliver continuity with your core while making adjustments to acknowledge changes in your environment? What Talbots has done suits them to a “T.”

leadership dot #3735: fat bears

October 8, 2022October 7, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Need a smile for your weekend? Take a minute to vote for the fattest bear as part of Fat Bear Week.

Katmai National Park in Alaska sponsors an annual contest where people can vote for which bear is the fattest after eating loads of salmon in preparation for hibernation. There are no criteria — just before and after photos to help influence your vote. There are even brackets and matchups, all culminating in the crowing of the Fattest Bear title.

Fat Bear Week is a perfect use of the internet. It would be hard to generate interest in conservation efforts or animal endangerment at one of the most remote places in Alaska, but people can rally around a fun contest that has no real consequence. It is brilliant — and should inspire you to think about how you can use the power of the internet to garner interest in your own organization.

Until then, you can vote every day between October 5-11and even download a bracket to see if your brown beauty is still active in the contest. Go Otis!!

leadership dot #3734: self-doubt

October 7, 2022October 6, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I just had a conversation with one of the smartest, most successful people I know who held executive leadership roles for complex organizations. To me and most others, he came across as articulate, commanding, and astute — someone who you would admire as a model leader.

Yet, in a moment of retrospective candor, he revealed that he had private misgivings about his abilities in that role. If he wasn’t confident about his skills, how could we mortals be expected to be self-assured?

I think that many times we mistake discomfort for a lack of ability. We don’t have to be great at everything we do. Having private doubts could signal that we are taking risks, pushing ourselves, or doing something that we haven’t yet mastered.

Instead of defaulting to the “imposter syndrome” or putting yourself down for a presumed lack of capability, reframe your thinking to believe that your lack of confidence is just a natural discomfort that comes with learning something new. Don’t let jitters morph into self-doubt.

leadership dot #3733: they

October 6, 2022October 5, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

When will companies learn that while they can outsource services, they can’t abdicate ownership of how those services perform (or don’t!)?

I thought of this while listening to the announcements at a United airport gate, as they loaded a plane emblazoned with United logos, boarding people who purchased United tickets. “The carrier, Air Wisconsin, will not allow any roller bags or large carry-ons,” the agent said. As if United had no involvement in the decision and would have allowed them if it was a United plane.

It happened again yesterday while trying to purchase an online gift card. The customer care representative at Total Wine threw their outside payment processor under the bus, shifting full blame for the outage to them instead of apologizing that “we” were unable to fulfill your purchase. Do I even know the name of their vendor? No. Did I attribute the poor service to Total Wine? Absolutely.

Outsourcing makes sense in many situations and allows companies to benefit from the specialized expertise of others. But never forget that the customers are yours, as is the ownership and responsibility to manage the whole experience as if you were the one providing it. There is no “they.”

leadership dot #3732: going well

October 5, 2022September 26, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

“What’s going well?” It’s the question that changes everything — or so says motivational speaker Greg Bell. He believes that we automatically default to addressing problems or focusing on what is going wrong — but we don’t spend enough time (sometimes any time!) to consider what we are doing right. Doing so can shift attitudes and mindsets and help people develop a more positive perspective — thus the power of the question.

In my work with organizations (as well as in my own life!), I have found Bell’s premise to be true. Groups typically focus on the problems or barriers rather than their accomplishments. Managers fail to take even a moment to celebrate successes before moving on to the next issue at hand. People lament over what needs to be done or what else they could have done instead of embracing the good things they did do.

Test out Bell’s theory and make it a point to ask yourself “What is Going Well?” when you’re in your next meeting or as you reflect on your day. The answers you come up with may pleasantly surprise you.

Thanks, Mike!

leadership dot #3731: automated

October 4, 2022September 26, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

When my niece was in town, I took her on a farm tour, not realizing that it would be an education not just about animals but also about technology in action. I was amazed at how much is automated on the farm.

For example, machines monitor how much milk the new calves are eating and alert the staff on their smartphone app when one is behind their recommended allotment. Cows are monitored for how much milk they are giving, and the machine automatically shuts off when the flow slows. Automatic sprinklers turn on when the barns reach 76 degrees, and vents open and close based on the temperature. The hair from the animals is tested to determine their DNA and projected health, allowing the farmer to anticipate breeding patterns and whether to sell the cow.

Pretty much every aspect of the farm utilized some form of technology or modern science, and because of their investment, they are able to manage 600 cows with six full-time employees. I thought of the farm this week when I read about McDonald’s automating the cooking of their french fries. It seems that they, too, are utilizing technology to address the labor shortage and reduce costs.

There are certain aspects of service that benefit greatly from the human touch but monitoring cows and making fries are not among them. Help your organization get comfortable turning over functions to a robot or machine. Soon it will feel like the most natural way to run your operation.

Spreadsheet showing how much the calves ate that day and whether they are in the “red zone” and need to be herded to the head of the line to get more food

leadership dot #3730: stories

October 3, 2022September 22, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

In the book, The Midnight Library, Matt Haig crafts a fascinating tale about a very special place that allows those in the space between life and death to read books that play out a different version of their life’s events. Want to know what would have happened had you taken that other job? Or pursued your Olympic dream? Stayed in touch with your friends? Married that guy? The Midnight Library contains all these books that allow you to learn how the story played out under the different scenarios.

It’s a great read, but even more than that, it is a great tool to stimulate your thinking. You’ve only got a limited amount of time in the Library — which books would you pull off the shelf? What endings are you most curious to know? Or, as Nora is forced to confront, “What is the best way to live?”

The book makes clear that in life as well as in the Library, not all stories have a happy ending. Bad stuff still happens. It doesn’t all work out as you have imagined it would. Unfortunate events sometimes have a silver lining. Your choices in one area lead to consequences in other areas, and some things are simply out of your control. It is comforting to know that whatever path you chose, it is a good one.

Whether or not you read the book, take some time to reflect on the questions it poses. If you had a chance to “try another life you could have lived” which one would you pursue?

leadership dot #3729: video

October 2, 2022September 26, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Just as the social media scene has embraced videos, it seems that companies are doing so as well in encouraging video feedback instead of just written comments. I have taken several customer satisfaction surveys lately (eg: Target, Delta) that included the option to record my comments and upload the video with my submission.

There have been many occasions where I would have been quite animated in recounting my frustrations and a video could capture that emotion far better than my ALL CAPS survey. I’m sure the videos are very helpful for training purposes and provide a much more accurate assessment of customer feedback than a 1-5 rating. Still, I wonder who is taking the time to make these recordings and who is charged with watching them. It is not a job I would want.

Keep this trend in mind as you are continually evolving your customer satisfaction mechanisms. Many have jumped on the bandwagon of using the Net Promoter Score to evaluate their efforts; now you may get that feedback in motion. Are you prepared to watch?