January 2024 – Page 3 – leadership dots

leadership dot #4152: honorable closure

January 11, 2024January 10, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

In 1869, the transcontinental railroad’s completion was marked with much fanfare and a “Golden Spike” — commemorating the end of a years-long project to connect the coasts. In 1978, the concept was modified as a gold-tinted concrete stripe when the 3,000 miles of I-90 were completed, connecting Boston to Seattle. The gold section was covered during paving projects over the years, but the Minnesota Department of Transportation is recreating it during its 2023-24 rebuild of the highway.

Such steps are examples of honorable closure that are important for any project, not just when building a railroad or interstate. Taking that extra step to commemorate an end helps people to reflect on and celebrate their accomplishments. This can take the form of an exercise to wrap up a workshop, a note of appreciation at the end of a project, the signing of a beam on a construction effort, or even just a moment of pause at the final meeting of a team — as long as it is something intentional that notes the end of the phase.

Instead of racing on to whatever is next, I invite you to create your own version of the Golden Spike and note the completion of your accomplishment in a tactile and thoughtful way.

Recreation of the gold-tinted final piece of I-90. Picture from MnDOT.

leadership dot #4151: shoveling

January 10, 2024January 9, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Like much of the country, we were graced with a bundle of snow yesterday. This brings up the age-old question of when to shovel.

My mother was a big proponent of shoveling frequently — her theory being that doing it more often made it less arduous and you were able to “keep on top of it.” Others prefer to do nothing until the precipitation has stopped, and then they go out to tackle the large accumulation. Those of you who are regular dot readers know that I am a proponent of “finishing,” but in the case of snow, I guess I’m my mother’s daughter because I like to get those initial layers off before it becomes too deep.

I think the same philosophy applies to big projects — you could wait until conditions were right but it seems more prudent to begin and have the foundation accomplished rather than waiting. While it may not look like you did anything, in fact, you did, and your efforts will make it easier for the next steps in the process. Don’t wait for inputs to stop before you start your work.

leadership dot #4150: misjudged

January 9, 2024January 8, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I recently attended a college basketball game where the scoreboard malfunctioned so we knew the total score but not the totals for individual players. After the game, I believed one player had the most points and my friend thought it was another so we looked up the statistics.

Both of the players we chose had 10 points each — but two competitors each had 23 points! We were at the game in person, paying attention, and still were significantly wrong.

When I thought back on the game, the players we chose as the point leaders made baskets in a flourish while those actually atop the totals made consistent buckets from underneath or in a less dramatic fashion. We were deceived to elevate flashy instead of understated.

We also got the free throw percentage wrong and overestimated the misses instead of those that went in.

It was a good reminder that our perceptions can bias us and before we make decisions or judgments it’s wise to verify what is actually a fact. Even without meaning to, we see what we want to see and need a neutral scoreboard to keep the record straight.

leadership dot #4149: limited

January 8, 2024January 7, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

The Supreme Court of the United States hears some of the country’s most complex and impactful cases. Arguments for and against each decision could go on for days — if the Court allowed it. But since 1970, the Court has adhered to a strict 30-minute allotment for each side to present their case in an oral argument. The Court even has a giant clock hanging behind them to keep the parties on task.

How can you learn from how the Supreme Court operates? Their decisions are far more involved than many things discussed at business meetings, yet so many less significant meetings can drone on and on. By requiring people to submit information in writing, in advance, the Court adds an element of efficiency to the packed calendar and the short allotment for oral arguments forces people to highlight their key points without bluster.

Follow the lead of the Court and add some restrictions to your meeting format to keep the focus on making decisions instead of making presentations.

leadership dot #4148: thoughtful

January 7, 2024January 6, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Airport restrooms usually are so generic that you don’t even pay attention to them, but not at MSP. The Minneapolis/St. Paul facilities impressed me with their forethought and intentionality in many aspects of design.

For example, instead of a blank wall at the entrance, each restroom featured a different mosaic scene. There were electronic signs helping passengers know if the facility was occupied or vacant. Signs noted the last time a restroom was serviced or gave directions to the next closed facility if one was currently being cleaned. Inside the stall, there was a shelf where people could place their loose items.

Don’t overlook the components of your organization that most take for granted. Making small enhancements in areas where most offerings are standard can amount to noteworthy improvements for your customers.

leadership dot #4147: maintaining

January 6, 2024January 5, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A display in the luggage section of Bloomingdale’s featured a row of clocks showing the time in a host of destinations — Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, London, Rome, Dubai, and Shanghai — presumably inspire you to travel. It made for eye-catching decor — only for the wrong reason as several clocks were out of sync. Of course, varied hours represent different time zones, but varied minutes represent a failure to maintain the display.

I doubt when the designer installed it that anyone considered the effort required in the future. Changing times when daylight savings was on and then off. Replacing batteries. Trying to get multiple analog clocks to show precisely the same time. Maintaining it correctly is not sustainable, especially when it is located near the ceiling in a hard-to-reach location.

Things that look good on paper do not always function well in reality or over time. Before you implement something, think through what it will require over the long term and who you expect will perform that maintenance. Having a static display may be the most timely decision.

leadership dot #4146: distinction

January 5, 2024January 4, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

As a friend was assembling his new office chair, he saw that the arms of the chair were packaged in different colors of bubble wrap. While it seemed odd at first, it later occurred to him that the intentional distinction made a lot of sense. It made the inspection easier to ensure that one of each arm was included, and it alerted the consumer that there was a difference between the two arms for assembly.

Something so simple, yet helpful on multiple fronts.

Do you have a point of frequent confusion in your organizational system that could be eliminated with an equally simplistic fix? Put two similar documents on different colored paper. Turn the paper to landscape for one form. Make your signs in different shapes to draw attention. Or, use two colors of bubble wrap for chair assembly.

Your solution doesn’t have to be lofty to be effective.

Thanks, John!

leadership dot #4145: consistently

January 4, 2024January 3, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I’ve had a few experiences lately with organizations or people who have provided stellar service in the past — only this time, their service was average, or maybe even good, but compared to their previous treatment, it became a disappointment.

Your goal should be to always meet expectations — so if you set the bar high, you need to work diligently to keep it there. If you can’t, you’re better off remaining consistently average rather than inconsistent in your greatness.

leadership dot #4144: reactions

January 3, 2024January 2, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

How do you obtain feedback in a manner that is quick for the customer to provide but is specific enough to be actionable for you? The Boston Pops may have that answer.

Throughout Symphony Hall there were 3-button indicators that asked “How was your experience with ___?” — in the restrooms, at the concessions, and even in the elevator. Presumably, if enough sad-face buttons were pushed, the administration would know where there was an area of concern and could address it.

Understanding the reactions of your customers is important — but only if you can do something with the information. Think about frequent, well-placed, easy feedback mechanisms to help you learn about trouble spots that you can tend to quickly. Doing so can earn you a smiley face!

leadership dot #4143: whimsy

January 2, 2024January 1, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Over the holidays, I was fortunate enough to see the Boston Pops Holiday Pops concert. It should be on everyone’s bucket list. As expected, Symphony Hall was magnificent and the music was spectacular. But what made it so memorable was what wasn’t expected — the whimsy that they added to every element of the performance.

Some examples:

Several of the classical instruments had ornaments or decorations attached to them
The conductor (Keith Lockhart) wore bright red socks that peeked through while he was in motion
The Greek statues that line Symphony Hall — naked men as in ancient times — wore stocking caps
Sparkle the Christmas Wonder Horse made its annual appearance during one of the songs
The song titles were traditional, but the arrangements were most certainly not
The guest conductor (celebrity chef Tiffani Faison) did as much dancing as conducting
Santa came and they handed out candy canes as everyone left
Everything was decorated, from the red and green lights on the marquee to the same colors used for the inside elevator lighting

This easily could have been a straight-up musical performance, and had it been, it still would have been fantastic. But the extra touches they took care to incorporate made it not just a concert, but rather an event that many in New England have made part of their holiday tradition for generations.

Don’t become so focused on the music that you forget to make the whole production sing.