Month: November 2024

leadership dot #4456: renamed

November 30, 2024November 27, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

One of our area’s largest nonprofits just changed its name from the Dubuque Racing Association to DRA. While the designation just became official, people have been calling it just DRA for as long as I have lived here. Now that greyhound racing has stopped, the change makes sense — but should they have limited themselves in the original naming?

DRA isn’t the only organization that shortened its name or embraced initials when the focus changed. The National Biscuit Company became Nabisco when they expanded offerings. Kentucky Fried Chicken legally abbreviated to just KFC to take the focus off unhealthy “fried.” British Petroleum moved beyond Britain and became BP. Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company embraced 3M when it produced more diverse products. American Telephone and Telegraph became AT&T as it diversified from its original focus.

It may seem logical to name your organization (or project or blog) with something that describes your work but don’t limit yourself in the process. Who you are today may not be who you are tomorrow — or in 10 years. Embrace the possibilities, starting with what you call yourself.

leadership dot #4455: flag

November 29, 2024November 27, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

During a recent webinar, one of the panelists began speaking while their microphone was still muted. (It happens even to the pros!) Another panelist reminded the speaker of this, and she responded: “Thank you for the flag.” I liked this phrasing as it acknowledged that the comment was drawing attention to something that needed to be corrected, not just appreciation for commenting itself.

We all have situations where we rely on others to throw a flag at our missteps or omissions. It may feel like a penalty when in reality it’s a gift. Show your gratitude to others for helping us know what we otherwise wouldn’t and for giving us the opportunity to make things right.

leadership dot #4454: acknowledged

November 28, 2024November 27, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Have you noticed how many more holiday-themed products are available for dogs? Of course, it’s really a marketing ploy to get the owners to buy more expensive treats for their beloved pet but it must be working. Not only are there specialty toys, but now there are Thanksgiving pie-shaped treats and “Bark-uterie” collections for your pooch.

Consider whether you pay more attention to having your dog belong than you do to your neighbors or co-workers. Do you acknowledge them and ensure they are acknowledged on special holidays? Have you provided an intentional “treat” to celebrate key dates? Do you even say hello?

On this day of giving thanks, take a broad view of those who constitute your community and pledge to show appreciation for what others contribute to your well being.

leadership dot #4453: revived

November 27, 2024November 26, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Author Patrick Lencioni became famous in management circles with his 5 Dysfunctions of a Team model, and he increased his popularity with the new Working Genius assessment. But rather than resting on his laurels, Lencioni is promoting one of his books from 1998.

Lencioni is giving his fable The Five Temptations of a CEO, a new life. Through an email campaign and a podcast episode titled “The Forgotten First Book,” he has revived interest in the publication and shared resources showing its relevance 25 years later.

Maybe you can follow Lencioni’s lead and dust off some of your earlier resources to share again. While much has changed in the organizational world, the fundamentals have remained the same and may still be applicable today. Seemingly everything that’s old is new again — use the trend to your advantage and breathe new life into some of your classics.

P. S. Lencioni’s Five Temptations are: status over results, popularity over accountability, certainty over clarity, harmony over conflict, and invulnerability over trust. Yes, definitely still relevant!

leadership dot #4452: what’s important?

November 26, 2024November 25, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I’m teaching a stakeholder engagement class and each week we list the primary stakeholders and the issues they most value. When combined in a grid, it’s easy to see that what is important to some is not important to others, but there is also usually an issue or two that matters to multiple parties. That is where to focus!

Many times, we start meetings or conversations discussing what is wrong or where people disagree but things could be more productive if the common goal was identified before highlighting the gaps. Asking stakeholders to identify their issues and prioritize them or taking that extra few moments to consider shared values can lead to constructive solutions and shared understanding.

I doubt any of my students will actually sit down and draw a stakeholder engagement grid in their workplace or at home but hopefully, the concepts will be embedded and they will mentally compile one before crafting their messages. So much of our work involves balancing competing priorities. Articulating those tensions beforehand can go a long way toward crafting strategies to relieve them.

(In this example, Safety has the greatest concern for all parties — with very different perspectives on how safe riding on the streets is — but you could get agreement that doing something safe is the common goal)

leadership dot #4451: defunct

November 25, 2024November 24, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I remember when there were lines on the weekend to rent the latest DVD from the Redbox. It was cheap and convenient to get your entertainment there, but streaming services ultimately forced what was an innovative service into bankruptcy.

While Redbox may be out of business, the kiosks — those 900-pound hunks of metal — remain. And since a professional electrician must disconnect them, they remain functional, leaving their landlords with ongoing electric bills and no offsetting revenue. Walgreens estimates they spend $184,000/month across their system!

Ultimately, you may be judged as much by what you left behind as by what you created. The event that trashed the park may become known for its damage instead of festivities. The meanness of a comment will outlive any lessons the person was attempting to teach. And the Redboxes themselves may create a legacy of waste more than innovation.

As my mentor often says: “Everything has a beginning, a middle, and an end.” Take care to orchestrate a good ending for what you start.

Thanks, Brian!

Source: The Morning Brew, October 11, 2024

leadership dot #4450: unanswered

November 24, 2024November 22, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

There has been a trend in my weather app to give an outlook that reads: “A drop in atmospheric pressure over the next 24 hrs may trigger migraines tomorrow.” While that is important information for someone who suffers from them, it does nothing to help me know what the weather will be like.

It reminds me of people who answer your question with another question or irrelevant statement. “When will that project be finished?” “Well, you know, we haven’t heard back from finance yet.” While true, it isn’t actionable or what I was hoping to learn.

When you’re providing information to someone, be intentional about first delivering a response that aligns with the question. You can add the subtext later.

leadership dot #4449: improved

November 23, 2024November 22, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A few weeks ago, I received an email from the American Red Cross telling me they were improving the donation experience. I did not think much about it as most such claims are more hype than substance. But then I gave blood yesterday, and it was true!

A few years ago, the Red Cross eliminated the monotonous task of having the phlebotomist read all 45 questions for me to answer on-site and allowed the questionnaire to be done in advance on a smartphone. Today, I discovered they have eliminated the finger prick (the worst part!) and temperature-taking has become no-touch. The whole process has become more efficient, less intrusive, and annoyance-free.

Use the Red Cross as a reminder that small but continual improvements really do add up to make a big difference. Schedule your donation today and see for yourself!

Instead of a finger prick, a painless thumb squeeze!

leadership dot #4448: mishaps

November 22, 2024November 21, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

There was a car accident where a drunk driver hit another car but the driver and child passenger in that vehicle were unharmed. Such scenarios don’t always have a similar outcome, but the required safety reinforcements have saved thousands of lives.

You don’t need steel beams in your car door — unless you’re hit. As everyone raised before 1985 can prove, you don’t need car seats for children to ride safely — unless there is a quick stop or impact.

Many systems and protocols are designed expecting mishaps, and measures are put in place to minimize the impact of things gone awry. Smoke alarms exist to avert injuries and reduce property damage only in case of a fire. Airplane oxygen masks are necessary only if there is a loss of cabin pressure. Checks and balances in an organization are needed to catch errors only if mistakes are made.

When things are going right, it’s the time to address prevention or mitigation tactics for when things go wrong.

leadership dot #4447: shoebox

November 21, 2024November 20, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

In the era of “Jim Crow” segregation in the United States’ southern states, Blacks were not allowed to eat in train dining cars and often were prohibited from dining in restaurants along their road trips. To compensate for this, many turned to packing their meals in shoeboxes or referring to the “Green Book” directory of establishments that were accommodating to ‘Negro motorists.”

Participants in the Inclusive Excellence grant’s learning community were reminded of this necessity during the last meal of their conference. The final luncheon consisted of traditional foods of that time: fried chicken, cornbread, non-mayonnaise-based salad, a cookie, and tea in a Mason jar. It helped to reinforce the theme of the conference and increased awareness of what it was like in the South. The meal was intentionally served on the last day, sending people home with food that would not spoil and did not need re-heating as was previously required, but also to leave them with a tangible reminder via their shoebox and Green Book reprint.

There are hundreds of things that the conference could have served for lunch and as many ways to present it. By linking the meal to the experience, they created a learning moment that will be remembered long after the food is digested. Take a lesson from them to become intentional about all your touch points when you have people gather.

Thanks, Rich!