TheLeadershipNotebook

Short-Cut to Distinction

 

“Love mat­ters. Peo­ple mat­ter. Everything else is secon­dary. Amen to that.”

        Hugh MacLeod

 

 

 

It’s hard to believe it’s over. Christmas 2009 is now a memory, but a fond one for sure. One of our family’s favorite holiday traditions is celebrating Christmas dinner with my husband’s side of the family, his aunt and uncle, their children and now many grandchildren. In each of the past 30 plus years that I have spent Christmas with the Murtagh family, Uncle Jim, the patriarch, has been the master of ceremonies and host of the group, sharing his words of wisdom and experience with us based on a lifetime of living and leading. He has shared story after story of his years in the Navy and the highs and lows of leading his successful manufacturing company. Uncle Jim has always been larger than life to us, a man full of character, integrity and someone who “walked his talk.”

 

On Christmas day, about 10 years ago, Uncle Jim gave each of us our own laminated card. The card was about the size of a business card, perfect for carrying in your wallet. On the card he shared with us his Short-Cut to Distinction. My husband still carries the card in his wallet as a reminder of simple rules for a life of distinction.  Uncle Jim told us that he spoke with the most important business leaders he knew and asked them one question: “What was the one most important lesson they would pass on to future leaders?”  Their answers are listed here as he wrote them - simple, clear, and timeless.  Leadership tools change.  Wisdom and values do not.

 

Uncle Jim was at Christmas dinner this year. He is now 85 and his health has failed significantly in the last several years. His guidance to the many who love him, have worked with him and followed his leadership will not fail.

 

Short-Cut to Distinction

 

1.    Magic Words…..Please & Thank You

2.    Smile

3.    Use First Names

4.    Dress Right

5.    Let the other guy do the talking

6.    Avoid Arguments

7.    Never say “You’re Wrong”

8.    Keep your calm

9.    No Ultimatums

10. Listen, Listen, Listen

11. Don’t criticize, condemn or complain

12. Make things happen

13. Make someone happy

14. Talk to everyone who works for you every day.

15. Ask! “What do you think we should do to make things better?”

16. Patience

17. Walk through your plant everyday

18. Let your employees have input

 

 

To your success,

 

Mary

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Small Change....

 

“No great thing is created suddenly.”          

 Epictetus (A.D.200)

 

We’ve nearly reached the end of 2009. It’s the time of year when magazine covers call out to you: TRANSFORM YOURSELF IN 10 DAYS! or NEW YEAR, NEW YOU! You get the picture. Extreme Makeover, Personal Edition. As a coach, I’m a catalyst for my client’s desired change and I know that there are aspects in each of us that could use some work. But embarking on a TOTAL TRANSFORMATION is a set up for disappointment.

 

What if, at this time of year, we reflected on the “one small change” that would have the greatest impact on our life or work? No transformation required--just continuous improvement. Now we're onto something. Practical. Focused. Achievable.

 

Here are five steps you can take to focus on that "one small change" that has the greatest impact for you in your work and in your life.

 

 1. Where you are today? What is your “one small change”? If we’re honest with ourselves, after a bit of reflection, we probably know the answer to that question. (If nothing comes to mind, ask a coworker, your boss, your spouse or your friend for their input. Or you can always refer to your annual performance review.)

Let’s say that your “one small change” is to be at every appointment “on time”. (Remember the adage that “Early is On Time, On Time is Late and Late is Unacceptable.”) The stress you create for yourself by continually showing up late for meetings or appointments is overwhelming. You lose the respect from your colleagues because you are always flustered and stressed. Your “executive presence” is undermined. It’s time for change.

2. What do you want to move toward? Tap into the emotion that’s created by envisioning the successful end result. Reduced stress, calmer existence. More respect from others and enhanced executive presence. Let that energy be the fuel to power you as you tweak your behavior, your thoughts or your beliefs.

 

3. What’s the plan for getting there? You’ve heard of setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely). What are the specific action steps that you need to take in order to create this new habit or behavior? What are the actual tweaks in your daily processes or procedures that you need to make? Who can you ask for support as you make these changes?

 

Let’s apply the plan to your desired change of being on time. There are tons of practical and useful strategies for getting control of your day. With focus you can pull together a set of action steps to support your goal. Steps like:

 

·  Prioritize your daily responsibilities.

·  Say NO to unnecessary meetings or appointments.

·   Analyze your daily tasks and understand where your time suckers are.

·   Plan your day ahead of time, giving yourself adequate opportunity for transition time and travel between events.

 

 

4. Work the plan. Begin to put your action steps into place. Build on your daily disciplines and get the support to engrain the new habit.

 

5. Achieve success and select a new “one small change.” Achieving your goal will improve your confidence in tackling the next challenge.

 

This is the season for remembering our unique gifts, talents and strengths that we bring to every aspect of our lives. There’s no doubt that we can all improve certain aspects of our personal and professional life but don’t get caught up in the Extreme Makeover buzz. Focus on the "one small change" and see what impact you can make on your work and your life.

 

 

 

All the best to you in 2010.

 

To your success,

 

Mary

 

 

What Matters Now?

That’s the question that Seth Godin, marketing guru extraordinaire, asked a group of 70 thought leaders from a variety of backgrounds—CEOs, authors, entrepreneurs. What was most on their minds as we enter the upcoming year?  The goal of the project is to demonstrate that big thoughts and small actions make a difference.

 

Godin and editor, Ishita Gupta, compiled the contributors’ answers into an 82 page PDF of one page essays with a single word as the title. The result, What Matters Now, is filled with insightful essays on such key words as Vision (Michael Hyatt), Change (Chip and Dan Heath), Strengths (Marti Barletta), Women (Paco Underhill) and Generosity by Godin himself. I think my favorite is Tom Peter’s essay on the 19 E’s of Excellence.

 

The good news is that the PDF is FREE and you can Download What Matters Now here. Godin encourages his readers to “please share” so download it, read it and pass it on.

 

Big thoughts and small actions can make a difference. What’s most on your mind as we enter 2010?

 

To your success,

 

Mary

 

More Simple and Free

I recently posted a blog discussing three simple and free methods that managers can use to motivate, engage and ultimately retain key employees in these tough economic times. Retaining your stars is an organizational imperative especially when raises and bonuses may be off in the distant future. Retaining stars is a hot topic indeed and one discussed yesterday in Amy Gallo’s Harvard Business Publishing Blog posting.

 

Gallo’s posting hit the three nonfinancial incentives that I recently discussed but also provided some additional reminders for managers. Here’s what Gallo added:

 

Manage Anxieties and Frustration

When bonuses are cut or salaries frozen, it is inevitable that some top performers will become frustrated and anxious over their future with your organization. Your role as a manager is to respond to these frustrations. Share the reasons why you are staying with the company and if possible, create more of those types of opportunities for your star.

 

Over-Communicate
Open communication with your stars is critical. In fact, in tough times, managers should over-communicate to help alleviate fear and anxiety. Be transparent about the company situation and outlook for the future. Be specific and explicit about why the star is needed at the organization.

 

Culture Matters More than Ever

A strong culture is instrumental in retaining stars. Organizations that are committed to retention and employee motivation have more of a chance of retaining top performers when a company is struggling. As a manager, you can't control a company culture, especially at a large company. However, your actions and interactions with your top performers contribute to that culture. Make suggestions to upper management about new policies that will contribute to retention and will make your job of keeping stars easier.

 

Gallo’s Do’s and Don’ts:

 

Do:

• Find out what benefits matter most to your employees
• Communicate more than you think you need to
• Be realistic about people's anxieties and frustrations

Don't:

• Forget that satisfaction with an immediate boss factors heavily into people's decisions to stay with a company
• Assume that a bad economy guarantees that your star employees won't leave
• Think that money is your only tool to motivate your employees

You can read the complete blog posting here.

 

It’s great to remember the adage: “people leave bosses not jobs”. So take these reminders to heart. Lead your stars through these tough times so they are there for you when the slump is over.

 

To your success,

 

Mary

 

 

Rule Number 6

 

Two prime ministers are sitting in a room discussing affairs of state. Suddenly a man bursts in, apoplectic with fury, shouting and stamping and banging his fist on the desk. The resident prime minister admonishes him:  “Peter,” he says, “kindly remember Rule Number 6,” whereupon Peter is instantly restored to complete calm, apologizes, and withdraws.

 

The politicians return to their conversation, only to be interrupted yet again twenty minutes later by a hysterical woman gesticulating wildly, her hair flying. Again the intruder is greeted with the words: “Marie, please remember Rule Number 6.” Complete calm descends once more, and she too withdraws with a bow and an apology.

 

When the scene is repeated for a third time, the visiting prime minister addresses his colleague: “My dear friend, I’ve seen many things in my life, but never anything as remarkable as this. Would you be willing to share with me the secret of Rule Number 6?”

 

 “Very simple,” replies the resident prime minister. “Rule Number 6 is ‘Don’t take yourself so damned seriously.’” “Ah,” says his visitor, “that is a fine rule.” After a moment of pondering, he inquires, “And what, may I ask are the other rules?”

 

“There aren’t any.”

 

This story is shared in a wonderful book entitled The Art of Possibility. The book was written by Rosamund Zander and Benjamin Zander, who has been a long time conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. The book describes a series of practices that we can use to shift our perspective to a world of possibility and Rule Number 6 is one such practice.

 

These are serious times for sure. But humor and laughter can bring us back to reality and help put our life and situations in proper perspective. When we let go and lighten up, we can free the demanding, critical, and controlling parts of ourselves and open up to a world of “what’s possible.”

 

So go ahead. Lighten up and get out of your own way. Step back from your intensity and your need to be right. Smile and breathe. Put aside your pride and pigheadedness and approach the world from a position of what’s possible rather than what can’t be done.

 

Kindly remember Rule Number 6.

 

To your success,

 

Mary

Winnie the Pooh and Tom Peters

 

 “A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference.”

Winnie the Pooh

  

 

Tom Peters, who Fortune Magazine called the "Ur-guru" of management, is one of the most influential business people of the last quarter century. His books, especially

In Search of Excellence, have been roadmaps for leaders at all levels.

 

Here’s his view on the simple concept of thoughtfulness:

 

· Thoughtfulness is key to customer retention.

· Thoughtfulness is key to employee recruitment and satisfaction.

· Thoughtfulness is key to brand perception.

· Thoughtfulness is key to your ability to look in the mirror-and tell your kids about your job.

· Thoughtfulness is key to speeding things up--it reduces friction.

· Thoughtfulness is key to transparency and even cost containment-it abets rather than stifles truth-telling.

· Thoughtfulness is FREE.

 

THINK about that.

 

To your success,

 

Mary

Simple and Free

 

Given the tough economy, many my coaching client’s sponsoring firms have either frozen compensation at current levels or introduced salary reductions. But that doesn’t mean they have given up on motivating or engaging their employees. They have found other ways.

 

In fact, organizations are realizing that financial incentives are not the only way to build long term engagement and motivation. To demonstrate this, the McKinsey Quarterly conducted a study in June of this year and found that three noncash motivators are more effective (or no less effective) than cash bonuses, increased base pay or stock options. (The responses were received from 1047 executives, managers and employees from around the world.)

 

Imagine that. Simple gestures like praise from your immediate manager or attention from leadership (think one-on-one conversations) were shown to be more effective in motivating and engaging employees. The same goes for the opportunity for a high potential to lead a project or task force. Three simple, nonfinancial incentives that you can utilize today to motivate and engage the people you lead.

 

Hopefully the economy will recover and firms will return to providing financial incentives to their employees. But in the meantime, retaining your top talent is still a leadership imperative. Isn’t it nice to know that providing genuine praise for a job well done and giving your employees time and focused attention are two proven methods to motivate and engage.

 

Simple and free. I like that.

 

To your success,

 

Mary