The Spoon

What do you picture when you hear the word MENTOR? Perhaps someone older than you? Someone with more seniority? More knowledgeable in your field?

What about someone fresh out of college, full of creativity, fresh ideas, and exploring the latest in technology and innovation? What about a friend with a particular aptitude for building relationships and networking? Or a colleague known for a positive management style?

True mentors do not fit into any preconceived mold. They can be anyone who possesses a quality or skill that you would like to improve upon. They can be younger than you, much older, less experienced, more educated, or even working in a completely different field than your own.

Leaders are on a constant quest to improve upon themselves, and recognize that they can learn from a variety of individuals. Don't be afraid to reach out and mentor someone with a different background from you, and don't be surprised when you learn quite a bit from that person, as well.

I don't remember where I found this image, but it's true on so many levels. Communication = Perception.

Remember that everyone receives messages through their own frames of reference (culture, past experience, education, lifestyles... etc), so what you think you're saying may not be what they're hearing. Figure out their frames, and then alter your message to fit.

Times are changing, folks, and it impacts more than just your 401k and investments. This economic slowdown is more than the failure of our banking system and credit markets. This failure is signaling major changes that will affect all functions of business.

Here's an excerpt from Thanksgiving, The Economy, and Recruiting by Kevin Wheeler (posted on ere.net on Nov. 26, 2008).

The Depression of the 1930s redefined the agriculturally-based banking and finance world and made it competitive and efficient for an industrial age.

We are now in a similar period.

The nature of business and work is rapidly evolving. Organizational structure will become less hierarchical, more nimble, and flexible. Employees will begin to be treated with respect as investors — not assets or human capital. People are the most precious of success factors, and we each choose to invest our time and skills in an organization that respects and listens to us. When we are not respected, we move on. Entrepreneurship has grown rapidly in response to the lack of respect innovative employees have been given.

Look to see the finance system change to reward innovation. Look at small organizations with a global network or loosely allied suppliers and partners to dominate the economic climate of this century. It is the end of GM and other large, hierarchal organizations that were the model of efficiency in an industrial age.

Many of us will miss the familiarity and the rules of the past that gave us a sense of security and certainty. But surely this economic meltdown must signal to the most conservative of believers that times are changing.

Indeed, even our profession [recruiting] is changing fundamentally, although we are just beginning to see and understand those changes. The habits and skills we developed in a slower-moving, more certain 20th century no longer work so well. Our cheese has been moved, as the eponymous book says, and we will miss the familiar world of job boards, resumes, face-to-face recruiting, ringing telephones, cold calls, and classified ads. Technology and the Internet still feel unfamiliar and foreign to many recruiters, but we have entered a technology-dominated, virtual era.

Read More about the implications on recruiting talent.

This past Sunday afternoon, I was faced with a crisis. My father, 52, suffered a heart attack, and luckily we got him to the ER just in the nick of time. My siblings and I were at my parents house when he started feeling ill, and when he said he wanted to go to the hospital, I knew something was really wrong. My father is/WAS a heavy smoker, so it wasn't uncommon for him to complain about chest pain, shortness of breath, and congestion in his lungs. But this time was different.

I'm the oldest & middle child (that's a story for another time), so leadership tends to default to me. My mother is extremely emotional, my younger sister is 8-months pregnant and emotional, and my younger brother is a typical 17-year-old. Until now, my family hadn't really experienced a time when one of us needed to quickly step forward and take action. On Sunday, that someone was me.

Thanks to the Leadership Challenge book, my brain kicked into gear with the "Aviate, Navigate, Communicate" when faced with a crisis. There wasn't time to sit back and ask questions -- we had to get my dad help, fast. I started figuring out what we needed to do, got cars moved out of the driveway, tried to convince my dad he needed an ambulance (he refused), and communicated the intensity of the situation to my family (who were still trying to determine if this was one of his typical bouts of pain). My dad arrived in the ER with only minutes to spare. His heart stopped as they were hooking him up to monitors, and he had to be shocked back to rhythm with the paddles.

My family, especially my mom, did amazingly well in the face of crisis because we were communicating and listening to each other. But sometimes the hardest part of a crisis is dealing with the emotions that were on hold while you got through it. Now the tears are falling, the "I should have..." is being dwelled upon, and we worry about if we'll be able to get him to the ER in time the next time something happens.

From my own experience, I'd say the hardest part of dealing with a crisis is handling the thoughts and emotions that come afterwards. It's vital to acknowledge that emotions are not bad, but don't dwell on the "should'a, would'a, could'a." Make use of the family, friends and coworkers that are there to lend you support, and remember that you're not always going to have 100% of the information you need to make a decision -- sometimes you have to go with your gut and act quickly. Accept that mistakes might be made and there's only so much you can do to prepare for the "what if's." Trust your gut; practice clear, open communication; and hopefully, there won't be a "next time."

Happy Thanksgiving! There's much to be thankful for!!

Here are some upcoming management and leadership development opportunities.

Thursday, 11/20 @ 12:00 (noon) EST
Taking the Fear Out of Feedback -- Thought Leadership, The Ken Blanchard Companies
As we enter Performance Appraisal time, now is a prime opportunity to provide solid feedback to your employees.

Tuesday, 12/2 @ 2:00 pm EST
How Effective Leaders Coach with Compassion (vs. Coach for Compliance) -- Richard Boyatzis / Human Capital Institute / MHS

Tuesday, 12/2 @ 11:00 am EST
BOOM! Play to Your Genius / Get it Done -- Dr. Kevin Freiberg and Dr. Jackie Freiberg / Better Management

Play to Your Genius - Your work is your signature—make it a masterpiece. To know that your work counts is to know that you count. If you engage in work that makes you come alive, the world will beat a path to your door. Defy mediocrity and make yourself indispensable by playing to your genius and engaging in work that matters.

Get It Done - No one is paying you today for what you did yesterday. When you stop bringing something of value to the game, the game is over! Become a junction box for knowledge, find a way to get smarter, better, faster. Speak up, tell it like it is, think for yourself. People who get it done and make a difference, choose results over rhetoric and red tape.

Wednesday, 12/10 @ 11:00 am EST
Authentic Leadership -- Gail Ostrishko / Better Management
This seminar will help you to listen, encourage, advocate and demonstrate shared values in order to cultivate a sense of ownership and accountability in yourself and others.

It's that time of year again -- time for performance appraisals!! I'm sure all of you are PUMPED about providing your employees with good feedback, so here's some help for getting the most out of the performance management process.

The November 2008 issue of Ignite! Newsletter from The Ken Blanchard Companies focuses on how leaders can deliver targeted, well-crafted feedback to grow employees and keep performance from declining.

The lesson for all you managers out there -- or anyone trying to help develop another person's skills -- is to appreciate the importance of effective feedback; understand your personal motives, agenda, and responsibility for giving feedback; and know when and how to give the various types of feedback.

Providing good feedback does not occur naturally or by default. To provide effective feedback, leaders must learn, develop, and cultivate very specific conversational skills. Read the article to learn how.

The fear of failure comes out in many subtle ways. I often wonder: how many ventures never get off the ground because of this fear? How many classes are not taken? How often do we avoid introducing ourselves to a potential friend, reaching out to someone, trying something new, asking for help, thinking outside the box, or going beyond our comfort level? Being frightened of failure can be the difference between getting started and not, the difference between winning and losing. But failure is a fiction. What occurred over the past is over with, and the only way you can be a failure is if you think you are.

What activity am I describing below?

• It doesn't really take that long.
• It should be part of a regular routine, not something you only do twice a year.
• Despite poor technique, just doing it can produce decent results.
• Most people admit (and feel guilty) that they don't do it as often as they should.
• The benefits have been experienced by many and supported in research studies.
• Everyone agrees it's a good idea, and it's not particularly painful if you do it regularly.

If you said flossing, then you are correct.
If you were thinking coaching... well you are correct, too!!

Managers are tasked with executing business strategies. Simply put: getting the work done. At the same time they are supposed to own talent management — developing their staff for not only continued professional success and engagement, but also to fill the future talent needs of the organization.

Coaching of employees fits into this management agenda as a core discipline, just like flossing is part of dental hygiene. It's part of the managers' nuts-and-bolts, day-to-day activities — or is it?

The Financial Crisis: How Leaders Face Fear & Find Courage
by Steve Tobak
October 17, 2008 @ 7:00 am
http://blogs.bnet.com

Businesses are run by people. Leaders are people. And, in times of crisis, people feel fear, confusion, anxiety and panic. This post is about how business leaders - effective and aspiring leaders - face crisis.

Read the Article

Respect definitely takes some time to earn, but if you can consistently demonstrate behavior that deserves it, you're on your way to being a respected leader. Here are some easy ways to earn respect:

• Treat Each Person As If They are Your Top Priority

When you are engaged in a conversation, you need to focus on making the person feel as if they are your top priority. When you genuinely communicate that you value others, you are laying the foundation for a relationship built on trust and respect.

• Be Predictable

People respect those who have proven that they can be counted on time & again when times are tough.

• Lead With the Courage to Be Who You Are

When leaders have the courage to be who they are by projecting their strengths and improving their weaknesses, they inspire trust, confidence and respect.

• Display Integrity in All that You Do

Respected leaders are able to praise positive reults, but also able to deliver bad news when it is needed. They don't mince words or water down remarks. They rely upon integrity to communicate with honesty, compassion, sincerity and directness.

I hope you answered "being respected" and chances are, many of you did. So why do most people work harder at being liked than they do at earning respect?

Like the word "Leader", respect is not something that you are entitled to because of position, title or authority. It is something that you earn. If you have ever had to remind someone that you are in charge; if you have ever had to resort to using the words, "Because I said so" with your kids, or if you have ever wondered why you staff just isn't listening to you, you need to take a step back and ask yourself what you have done to earn their respect.

Think about those people in your life who you respect. They are probably people who you know pretty well. They have opened their authentic selves up to you; shared their beliefs, their values, and their true personalities. And then they have lived accordingly. They have made decisions based upon what they believed was right - instead of what may have been popular. They have been true to themselves and have never attempted to act like someone else or play another part. They have continuously performed up to and surpassed high standards and then set the bar even higher. They have earned your respect over time, displaying consistency in who they are, what they believe and their strong performance.

An authentic leader knows that respect is critical to the ability to effectively lead others. Be authentic and hold fast to your decisions that may not be popular, but are best for the team and company. You will be much better able to influence others and outcomes by diligently earning the respect of others.

Do you have a "To Learn" list? I do. Every day there are things that catch my attention and I want to learn more about. It's a wide variety of topics and interests. My list isn't formal, written down, or even checked-off as I learn new things. It's basically just a collage of things I want to know more about.

Some people have a "skills-I-need-to-get" list. You may be more focused on a career shift, or just keeping up with the changes in your field. It's important to have such lists.

Jim Collins, in an essay in Learning Journeys, wrote, "A true learning person also has a “to-learn” list, and the items on that list carry at least as much weight in how one organizes his or her time as the to-do list."

"To Learn Lists" themselves can take the form of:

• Outlines
• Mind Maps
• Concept Maps
• Documents (HTML, Word, text, .ppt, .xsl, MS OneNote etc.)
• Web 2.0 (Blog notes, wiki posts, etc)

The reason I'm talking about "To Learn" lists is because we should be looking at how we manage "Informal Learning" and how we reconcile that with our daily tasks. Here’s something that would be cool for all of us looking for new learning opportunities that allow us to grow within our current organization:

Look for opportunities to traverse the opportunities in the company, and compare the skill set needed for that position to your current skill set. This becomes your "To Learn" list. Then you make an action plan, at work, to advance your career and fill needs in the company. Then, people wouldn’t feel like they need to leave the company to advance, and the company wouldn’t lose their investment in each employee. Everyone is happy, we all grow together.

Thoughts? Do you have a "To Learn" list? Tell me about it using the Comments function.

A refresher from high school government class. Enjoy!

 To ensure a productive work environment, managers must ensure they are providing continuous feedback.  This feedback must be balanced, meaning positive feedback is just as important as the negative.

What's the link between leadership and innovation? How exactly do we put those two together? How do we lead in a way that generates innovation?

Whether companies are huge like Microsoft, small, mid-size, or a multi-national - we are all trying to achieve similar things in our own space, stay ahead or get ahead of the competition, and create growth. We do some pretty innovative things at Double-Take, but how are other companies generating innovation?

• They're Listening. In 2005, the CEO of Google (Eric Schmidt) said, "The cleverest ideas don't come from leaders, but rather from the leaders listening and encouraging and kind of creating a discussion."

• They're Opening Doors. Schmidt also encouraged executives to have an open door policy when it came to technology demonstrations. "You want to see every conceivable demo, no matter how wacky it is," he told an audience at a 2005 IT expo. "People love that. They get a chance to present to someone important like you. All of a sudden the whole (corporate culture) becomes about leadership and innovation."
  

• They Know Customers' Needs Before the Customers' Even Know. MetLife chairman and CEO, C. Robert Henrikson, participated in a panel discussion about the link between leadership and innovation at Wharton School of Business. He said, "All parts of the organization must have a sense of the customers' business to anticipate their needs and reach out with innovative ideas."

• They Have Fun. EMC's India Center of Excellence holds "Bar Jams." What is a Bar Jam? It is when you tell everyone to arrive at a bar at a certain time. Then drink and brainstorm ideas. They also have Radio Shows, Social Networks, Tea Times, Softball Tourneys, and Chinese Food at midnight.

These are just a few examples of generating innovation -- something that all functions of an organization must do to stay ahead or get ahead of the competition, and create growth.

So here's the kicker: What does Double-Take do to generate innovation? Use "Comments" to spotlight what makes us an innovative, fun, and COOL place to work.

On September 11, 2001 we experienced the destructive power of evil leadership and the resilient power of heroic leadership by FDNY, NYPD, political leaders, and everyday citizens.

Regardless of your political feelings, former New York City mayor Rudy Guiliani's leadership during the 9/11 tragedy is something leaders from all walks of life can learn from. In his book Leadership he writes, "It is in times of crisis that good leaders emerge."

During a major national crisis, Giuliani demonstrated that leaders must do four critical things: be highly visible, composed, vocal, and resilient.

• Be Visible: Leaders must be out front, not running or hiding from the crisis. They must go to the scene of disaster and stand front and center. They must accurately assess the situation as well as show their concern, and demonstrate confidence that we will persevere.

• Be Composed: No matter how difficult things may seem, leaders must maintain poise under pressure. People are looking at body language and listening to the tone of your voice to determine whether they should panic or remain calm.

• Be Vocal: Leaders must speak up to take charge of what people are thinking and feeling during the crisis. You must reassure them and give a specific plan to get everyone through the crisis.
  

• Be Resilient: As difficult as the crisis can seem, remind people that there is hope.While your challenges likely pale in comparison to 9/11, they can still debilitate those on your team. Give your team a sense of hope. Let them know that they have the ability to make it through the crisis.

Have you ever wondered how to take that step from "manager" to "leader"?  Sometimes it's hard to know exactly what it takes to not just manage people, but inspire them to give you their best performance possible.  Here's your first lesson in taking it to that level:

Live It.

Leaders must never expect anything more from others than they are willing to deliver themselves. Leaders can only expect high levels of commitment, creativity, innovation, and dedication from others when they themselves are pushing the limits of each one everyday.

This short video goes along with the research we posted last week about retention, and gives you some good advice for keeping your top performers around.

Most likely, you are currently or will be managing Millenials.  Who are Millenials? What are their values? How do you manage them?

We tend to view trust as the foundation of all relationships, so it has an obvious importance when you're working in a team environment. But how do we actually build that trust in our teams? Let’s start with some basics: authentic communication.

Communication that isn’t authentic destroys trust. Authentic communication, the cornerstone of all trusting relationships, requires far more than speaking the truth. It’s like the old saying: “It’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it.” The words you use, the tone of voice, the context in which the ‘message’ is given, even your facial expressions and body language, can all be used to create a false impression in another person’s mind.

The only truly trustworthy person is the one who communicates by being exactly who he or she is – and when they do this, you know it. There’s never a question about who they are and what they’re intending. Authentic communication goes far beyond the façade to include full disclosure of what that person believes, what he or she wants, and how well your own needs and concerns are being understood.

When communication is authentic, you know where you stand. Empathy is high because the authentic communicator takes the time and trouble to listen and respond fully. Authenticity is high, because those responses are open and complete — there’s no avoiding the issue, no vague words and misleading phrases. There are certainly no facial expressions, tone of voice and body language conveying a different message than what’s being said.

If you want to build trust with those you work with, authentic communication is essential. Without this, every word spoken or written may be factual, but dishonest none-the-less.

Do employees quit because of a bad relationship with their boss, or because they don't like a company? Do they quit because they can make more money elsewhere, or do they stay because they simply like what they do?

Survey results published in the May edition of the Journal of Corporate Recruiting Leadership give us some answers:

Do agree with these survey results? Why or why not? In previous career experiences, what were your reasons for leaving an organization? What factors have influenced you to stay in an organization?

Use the comment link below to share your thoughts.

In interviews, Olympic athletes are always asked about their competitors and past accomplishments (or dissapointments). Listen carefully and you'll hear the athlete’s answer focuses not on what needs to be done to out-perform their competition - but what needs to be done to rise to the occasion and surpass their own past personal best.

One of the greatest examples I've heard coming from the Beijing Olympics is from the NBA's Jason Kidd. As he was packing his suitcase for a month on the road with Team USA, he had a decision to make: should he bring along the Olympic gold medal he won eight years ago in Sydney? It's the only gold medal that any of the 12 American players can brag about owning. Kidd pondered whether having that medal dangling in front of them would inspire Team USA to work hard for the gold, or breed jealousy and envy. In the end, he decided to leave the gold medal inside a safe deposit box at a bank in Houston and to start concentrating solely on what lies ahead: The challenge of coming home from Beijing with another gold.

"I didn't want to jinx myself by bringing it and looking at it. I want to play for this: Beijing. I want to play for this gold medal," Kidd told ESPN.com.

This is a phenomenal reminder that as leaders, we must always strive to be better than we were the preceding day, week, month, or year. We must look to the opportunities ahead and focus on what we can do now to do our own personal best.

When you have a project, does it tend to grow or shrink to fit into the window of time you actually have available to do it? Project Managers: have you ever seen a project finish under the projected time allotted for the work? Rarely. Software engineers: What happens when there is not a definitive due date? The project expands infinitely, right?

Is it procrastination? Maybe a lack of planning? Demanding timelines? Unrealistic expectations? What about limited resources?

Nope. It's a phenomenon called Parkinson's Law. No, not the degenerative disorder of the nervous system. The Parkinson's that I'm talking about was defined way back in the 1950s by an Englishman named C. Northcote Parkinson.

A true cynicist, Parkinson said, "work will fill the time available for its completion." More generally, Parkinson's Law says: "The demand upon a resource always expands to match the supply of the resource."

There are several corollaries to Parkinson's Law:

• Data expands to fill the space available for storage.
• Buying more memory encourages the use of more memory-intensive processes.

I'm going to venture to say that Parkinson's Law impacts every single one of us.

• Do you have a problem with space? Did you get a larger desk or office because you "needed more room", only to find that you've now managed to fill up the new, larger space?
• Do the items on your To-Do list get crossed off? No matter how much your list grows, responsibility and diligence help you get it all done... eventually.
• Does your bank account balance get really frustrated with you sometimes? As an individual's income rises, their costs of living and lifestyle increases to meet their income level.

So, victims of Parkinson's Law, how do we get around it? Feel free to share your suggestions using the comments funciton. Here are a couple of mine:

• Manage your time: try working with a kitchen timer. Studies show that 48 minutes is a good increment of time for completing a wide variety of tasks. Set your timer, get to work, and don't stop until it dings. You'll love the results.
• Manage your space: try thinking smaller. If you're going to fill it to the gills regardless of size, maybe a smaller desk or bookshelf will cut down on the number of things gathering dust. At home, replace your sports equipment closet with a Wii.
• Manage your money: pay yourself first. Set up automatic transfers to your savings account on payday. If you can't see the money, you can't spend it, right?

The Reluctant Leader
by Angie, LeadStar On Our Minds


My parents had a huge family 4th of July picnic at their home in Northern Michigan. Since they live on a lake and have tons of water toys, aunts, uncles and cousins flock to their house so they can swim, water ski, and go for pontoon rides.

It was great being with my family this holiday, especially seeing all the toddlers and preschoolers splashing around in the water. Though the water was chilly, the kids didn’t mind. I, however, did. I’m kind of a wimp when it comes to cold water and on that day I had no intention of getting wet. That was, of course, until my younger cousins wanted to go water skiing and needed someone to help them out.

Ugh. I knew this was a moment when I was being called upon to lead - this was my opportunity to influence outcomes and inspire others. I’d have to get wet and walk in the freezing water past my ankles and I didn’t want to do it. I asked a few of my cousins if Jenni (my sister) wanted to help them. (Leaders do delegate, after all.) Nope. They wanted they wanted their “Aunt Angie” to do it.

In a moment I analyzed my choices:
I could say “no” and hope that someone else would help them.
I could say “yes” and help them water ski for the first time.

What I wanted to do and what I actually did were two very different things.

As I pushed past the pain and walked into the water, and then succeeded at getting my cousins up on water skies, I suddenly thought less about me and started rejoicing in their success. After all the kids had their chance to ski, I swam back to shore to share in my cousins’ enthusiasm.

This all reminded me that being a leader is often about choice, selflessness and can require some discomfort. But the joys of leadership are great when compared against the alternative. The alternative keeps you inside your comfort zone and limits your life experiences. Being a leader allows you to get beyond yourself and create positive experiences that will make a lasting impression on your life.

So the morale of this story is simple: the next time an opportunity comes across your plate and you immediately think “no way,” give the idea a second thought. You never know what you’re turning down until you challenge yourself to explore what’s in front of you.

Check out this PodCast from The Cranky Middle Manager Show:

Episode #148: Conflict in Teams

When you hear the word “coaching” your first thought probably runs to sports. The names of great coaches like John Wooden, Vince Lombardi, and Don Shula may come to mind. But what about Jack Welch (General Electric), Estée Lauder (Estée Lauder, Inc.), and Walter E. Disney (The Walt Disney Company)?

What could sports’ greatest coaches have in common with some of business’ greatest leaders? Simple: these people knew how to lead others. Their influence spanned more than just the playing field or conference rooms. These individuals didn’t just have games to win or profits to make. They assumed the awesome responsibility of having human beings entrusted to their care.

These charismatic leaders infused energy and eagerness into their teams and employees. They used democratic approaches to inspire contribution, which increased performance satisfaction and ownership. These people-oriented leaders supported, trained, and developed those in their care, inspiring a genuine interest in achieving a job well-done. These leaders relied on a higher tactic than a commanding voice; as servant leaders, these great coaches and business leaders were instruments to their teams’ successes.

More than ever, we need to inspire each other to be innovative and deliver high quality solutions. Each day we have the opportunity to impact another’s life. Whether you are a supervisor, peer, or random acquaintance, the opportunities to serve and lead others are infinite. Take a few moments today to offer some positive feedback on a project, ask someone how you can help them, or just take a few minutes to show that you are interested in what your coworker is achieving.

Coaching is unlocking an individual’s potential to maximize performance. It provides the opportunity for focused, one-on-one discussions on how to maximize performance for both the individual and the organization. Here are some tips for coaching:

• Ask Questions – seek out information and stimulate conversation so that you can fully understand a situation before providing feedback or passing judgement. This is Steven Covey's ol' "seek first to understand, then be understood" principle of effective living.
• Give Feedback – a coach gives honest and immediate feedback, both GOOD and BAD. Delayed feedback loses its impact as time passes.
• Communicate – practice being open, clear, and concise with your team. Don’t forget to share information so team members have all the tools they need to make decisions and work effectively.
• Provide Recognition – while it’s important to address problems promptly, don’t forget the power of positive reinforcement. Recognize those that are achieving a job well-done.
• Dare to Dream – a coach can challenge and empower us to “think outside the box” and find a better way to get the job done.
• Serve Others – the role of a coach is to unlock hidden potential; a great leader attends to the development of others and supports excellence.
  

As a software development company, most of our leadership comes and continues to be farmed from the best ranks of engineers. The benefit of this is that those taking on the responsibility of leadership also understand the many technical requirements and processes involved in our development life-cycle. However, what is missing and probably has been missed throughout the various careers of many of our great engineering/leadership minds is real leadership learning.

Traditionally, we learn leadership from those we follow. Rare is it, for those of us who lead, to have had formal leadership training or good leadership role models during our careers. Basically, we just “wing it”. We go with our gut, common sense, and lead as we have been led. But are our instincts and assumptions right? Do they produce the results we really want?

Today we hear more and more about the “new” concept of servant leadership. Actually, it is not really new at all. Servant leadership has roots going back to the beginning of man. I’ll spare you the biblical history lesson for now. The idea of servant leadership is that of leaders doing what it takes to help employees succeed. It also involves, among many other practices, including those we lead in the goals and future success of the organization. The servant leader asks, “what can I do to help you succeed in your job, or reach your goals.

The top down leader dictates commands and sets goals in his or her own leadership vacuum. Examples of the dictator style, or more accurately, Theory X style (Douglas McGregor’s Theory X & Theory Y) of leadership can be found throughout history on the battle field and in the preparation for those great battles fighting for the causes of tyranny or liberty. The heat of battle dictates commands be given and commands be carried out without question as there is not time for a participatory management style when others are trying to kill you or sack your city.

But in the workplace, we as leaders should continually ask ourselves and learn why people come here to work. Then, we should trust them to do good work, to be creative, innovative, and make good decisions for the good of the organization. Will mistakes happen? You bet. Will we recover from them? I believe we almost always will when they are mistakes made with good intent for the organization, its customers, and the employees we serve. Should we hold people accountable for these mistakes? Of course, but we should also be careful not to confuse control with accountability. What you control too tightly, you kill. What you encourage and measure, you grow. So if you have been winging it or over the years of your leadership career or you have been duplicating the poor to mediocre leadership practices of others, you should ask next, “How do I become more learned in the best practices in leadership?

The answer for now:

1. Read a book on leadership every month
2. Learn more about servant leadership and why it works in the corporate world
3. Find a servant leadership roll-model, mentor, or coach
4. Begin to take more interest in the employees you serve
5. And, continue to read The Spoon and stay tuned for future, leadership learning opportunities.
   

Survey: Many Leadership Development Programs Too Tactical
By Pamela Babcock, published in SHRM.org 05/27/08

If your leadership development training does little more than fill your head with minutiae about plodding through pesky performance issues, handling workplace conflict and other tactical initiatives, you’re not alone.

Most development programs focus narrowly on day-to-day operational issues and are woefully lacking in ways to instill in business leaders more strategic skills such as how to communicate vision or delegate responsibility, according to a recent study by Boston-based global consulting firm Novations Group.

“The findings point to the biggest challenge facing career-minded managers, [which is] how to move beyond being the expert to becoming a true leader,” says Novations CEO and President Mike Hyter. “This isn’t just a shift in skills, but a fundamental change in perspective—delegating with care, but taking the department, or division or organization in a clear direction.”
When asked which areas are addressed by their company’s leadership development program, top responses were coaching a performance problem (71.9 percent); communicating performance standards (69.1 percent); coaching a development opportunity (68.7 percent); conducting a performance appraisal (66.8 percent); and handling conflict situations (65.9 percent).

More strategic areas were among those least focused on. Those areas include change management (45.2 percent); acting on feedback (44.7 percent); teaching a skill and delegating responsibility (39.6 percent); and influencing internal resources (34.6 percent).
For the study, an Internet survey of 2,556 senior HR and training and development executives throughout the U.S. and Canada was conducted in December 2007.

Strategic Thinking Doesn’t Happen Overnight
It turns out that not only can leadership development training be focused too much on routine rather than strategic issues—it also can be too generic.
A 2007 study by The Forum Corp., a Boston-based company that works with Fortune 1000 companies to develop leaders’ strategic abilities, found that most leaders weren’t equipped with the skills needed to execute their companies’ growth strategies.
Forum Corp.’s research found that the skill development needed depends on the strategy being pursued.

“While there is a core group of leadership skills, there are also specific skills that leaders should use when leading an organic growth strategy that are significantly different than those they should use when they’re leading a [merger and acquisition] growth strategy,” says Ed Boswell, chief executive officer of The Forum Corp. The problem, he notes, is that most companies don’t account for these distinctions and therefore leaders are ill-equipped.

Aarti Thapar, managing consultant for PA Consulting Group’s Business Transformation Practice in New York, says it’s key to get the business basics down before you can focus effectively on the strategic elements. “If the business units [don’t believe] that operational elements are being effectively conducted, it will be hard to get credibility to focus on the strategic aspects,” she says.
She recommends using business partner training to build strategic capabilities in organizational diagnosis; influencing, coaching and facilitation; transformational change management; commercial management; and technical capabilities such as employee relations, rewards and talent development.

Sometimes, business partners need to be convinced that a leader is ready to take on strategic, rather than tactical, roles. Jean Houston Shore, a management consultant with Business Resource Group in Roswell, Ga., says an organization she worked with was able to build its HR leader’s strategic skills by renegotiating and enforcing boundaries with other departments. The leader was constantly being pulled into meetings to manage tactical issues when processes were already in place to handle those issues at a different level.

“The leader realized that he needed to build up the subordinate employees’ reputations within the company so that outside departments wouldn’t feel they had to involve him in order to get things resolved,” Shore explains. “He began to actively promote the capabilities of his department to others and vowed to stop getting in the way of the work. It took time, but some of the fire-fighting went away and morale in his department improved.”

Shore says one way HR and other business leaders can learn to think strategically is to verbalize multiple options and points of view.

“Habitually recognizing the various stakeholders in any situation and being flexible enough to see many perspectives develops the leader’s ability to back away from problems at hand,” she says. “The big picture then becomes clearer.”

Several other habits separate strategic thinkers from tactical ones, says Kaihan Krippendorff, a former McKinsey & Co., consultant and New York-based author who has worked to build strategic thinking skills with HR professionals at Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson and Fidelity.

• They spend more time discussing possible solutions rather than discussing problems. “While more novice strategists will hold conversations filled with comments like ‘what is wrong with our shipping time?’, experienced strategists move more quickly to comments like ‘maybe we should outsource shipping,’ ” Krippendorff says.
• They think strategically about the dynamics behind getting buy-in. That means figuring out whom they should convince of their idea first, who they should get on board second, and so on “so that by the time she presents her idea everyone has already bought in,” he says.
• They tell memorable stories that influence listeners. “Wrap your strategy in a compelling story that draws people in and pushes the right buttons so that they cannot resist supporting you,” Krippendorff says.

Pamela Babcock is a freelance writer based in the New York City area.

Postscript: One of our goals in employee development at Double-Take will be to help leaders learn to move more to strategic leadership and empower and delegate to others to more of tactical.

Press Release, found in Inside Edge, Inside Indiana Business eNewsletter 05/19/08

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Keeping workers happy is an issue many employers struggle with, but a Purdue University professor says creating a harmonious workplace starts with good communication.

"The number one cause of employee turnover is a lack of organizational commitment, and the way you establish commitment is through effective communication," says Rodney Vandeveer, an associate professor of organizational leadership and supervision. "When people are informed, they feel connected and valued and want to invest more effort into the company."
He says a recent study found that 62 percent of employees don't feel that they are well-informed by management, 64 percent said management does not involve them in the communication process and 68 percent don't believe the information they are being told.
"When workers aren't informed completely and consistently, it makes them feel insecure," Vandeveer says. "That makes for unhappy employees who don't trust management, and these workers are much more likely to leave the organization."

Vandeveer, who has more than 30 years of experience in industry working as a plant manager and director of human resources, says to improve communication in an organization managers should do the following:

-Make sure the lines of communication are open. He says in top-down organizational structures, people feel intimidated talking to managers, but in an effective workplace, employers sincerely listen to all concerns. "You have to really care about people. It has to be genuine. The interaction you have with workers could make or break the company."

-Make yourself visible. That includes getting out of your office to talk with workers, not just about work issues but also about personal subjects. "Shake hands, put people's anniversaries on your calendar, take the time to congratulate them and simply create positive relationships."

-Create a balance between ensuring a task gets done and friendmaking. Vandeveer says it is important to maintain a managerial relationship and not become too much of a buddy because workers will have a tough time taking direction from a friend. "But finding the right balance helps workers have commitment to the organization, which helps the bottom line. People will even work for less money if the commitment to the company is present."

Source: Purdue University

Ok. The event was rigged. How do I know this, you say? Well, for one there was no valet parking. Yes, the event was at the infamous Indiana Roof Ballroom at the IRT but I didn’t know I would need to park on the roof of the parking garage. Another indicator—our table, which we sponsored, was way off in the corner, not by ourselves, but not in the mix of all the other big sponsors either. Maybe we need to be at least a Silver Sponsor instead of just a table sponsor to get the better seats. Seriously though, I am just kidding about it being rigged. It is a fine event and great recognition for Indiana and its best companies. I am very glad that we were able to be a part of it.

We did have a lot of fun poking fun at some of the other companies and their claims as to why they too area a great place to work along with my smart a** comments. I was also impressed though by some of the things that other companies do to foster a great place to work. Here are just a few of those high-lights silly or not-so-silly perks.

• Gumball machine in the break room with free gum in it! (Where do I sign up?)


• $50 towards continuing education (annually)


• Company meetings with the CEO (Yawn. I thought everybody did that)


• Chili cook-offs (Hey, we do that—Thanks to Garth!)


• Half day off to go holiday shopping (Figures--this was from a downtown law firm. Simon Malls is probably their biggest account)


• Bring your pet to work (And bring a lint roller)


• Tickets to the State Fair (More content for State Fair Bingo maybe)


• A nap room (I can hear the accountants from here,” Does anyone do any work around here?)


• A bank says that they have their employees call the CEO by his first name. (Wow!!)


• Knitting & Crocheting Club (Sounds like a carpal tunnel trap)


• Fitness Rooms and showers (We do that, too!)


• A suggestion box (Did any of you see the episode of the office when Michael Scott decides to break out the suggestion box? http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7139351528268982023&pr=goog-sl


• A lidded travel mug for all employees so they don’t spill.


• Indoor basketball court for b-ball and dodge ball (Now that’s cool!)


• A free lunch (who said there was no such thing?)


• Interest free employee loans (And this company is not even a bank! How do they do that?)

Now, having mentioned these perks, I need to confess that I must have failed to recognize on our initial application which section would be used in the program. The section that was included for us and which was read by Gerry Dick the emcee, failed to truly describe our perks and cool company culture. Instead it went into great detail about our employee bonus plan. Don’t get me wrong, money speaks louder than words (most of the time) and it is certainly nice to see that all important slide that Dean likes to show us every quarter. You know the one—the “only one that we care about, right?”

So, not to be upstaged by free bubble gum in the break room, I thought I would also list some of our cool benefits, perks, and why I think we are the Best Company to Work for in Indiana, even if the judges think we are 31st.

• Free donuts on Fridays (beat feet to the break room as they don’t last long)


• 30 cent pop (It’s cold, too!)


• Yellow break room to un-dilate the pupils


• Flexible work schedules (where the business supports it. Thanks sales, customer service and tech support folks!)


• Tuition reimbursement (Just don’t take basket weaving 101 or an equivalent course)


• Excellent benefits with comparatively low costs of insurance premiums.


• Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs)


• Flexible Spending Account


• Matching 401K


• Stock Options (yeah!)


• Carb Day!


• Trick or Treat in the office with your kids


• Chili cook-off


• Casual dress code (You can wear shorts in the winter time…Just ask Brian Christman)


• Bike to work (And people will only laugh behind your back when they see you in your cycling clown suit)


• Innovative technology & innovative, bright minds


• We used to have a book shelf in the rest room. I think I am going to bring that back.


• Data protection software is cool!


• Entrepreneurial work culture


• ClusterFunk Rocks! (What other company has a company band?...Especially one where the CEO is the bass player)


• Growth company!

It is important to also remember as we recap the 31st place award that we did place ahead of several other software companies in Indianapolis (Aprimo, ExactTarget, T2Systems, and Fusion Alliance). Also, the data that we received from the employee survey (remember it is anonymous) is excellent information showing several very encouraging numbers in regards to how we value employees. We have also learned and confirmed understanding of the areas where we can improve. All in all, we had a great time, a lot of laughs, and some good food. We even passed around the extra deserts from empty seats at our table because of a couple of last minute cancellations. I know, it’s tough getting a date/baby sitter on a weeknight.

I have included the picture from the award. Not pictured are the two Double-Take software engineers at our table who were too shy to go up on stage. They will remain nameless. Next year.

Sincerely yours,

Mr. Anderson

Inside INdiana Business contributor Scott Flood says whether you consider yourself to be a skilled writer or you dread reaching for the keyboard, writing probably plays a critical role in your daily work. You may not be authoring articles for professional journals, but you probably have to create emails, memos, reports, and other items that require some writing skill.
Read More: http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/contributors.asp?id=1190

Are leaders born or are they developed? The answer is a bit of both, but mostly developed.

Perhaps there are some “good managers" you have worked with in the past. What made them good? Perhaps they were good managers because they were good at doing things right. They were efficient. But, were they also good leaders? If they were good at the leadership craft, then how did they become so?

Corporate America today is mostly competent when it comes to doing things right. However, Corporate America in recent decades has been in a drought when it comes to sound leadership. Just look at the arduous Sarbanes-Oxley requirements that corporations have to deal with today. I’m not saying that all of SOX is bad, but it does seem like over-kill in terms of time and money that we have to spend on it. Would we have it if we had not experienced the leadership melt-downs of companies like Enron, WorldCom, and others? Based on our human and political natures and history, the answer is yes, probably.

Now enough about the old news of executive "perp walks",Enron and SOX! I’m tired of talking and hearing about them. Let’s get back to where I started: Management and leadership.

So what’s the difference? Aren’t management and leadership the same thing? Well, the lines are gray at times, but the short answer is no, they are not the same. As mentioned above, good management is doing things right. Good leadership is doing the right things. Why is this important you might ask? You may think, “Hey, I am a good manager, I get things done, I get good performance reviews and, dog-gone-it, I think my employees generally like me; and I don’t need to go learn something aside from my day-to-day OTJ learning.”

Good for you! However, let me ask you some questions. Are you getting all that you can from your employees? Do they trust you? Are you able lead them in new directions—through change? Are you ready for the next leadership challenge or level (Team Lead, Manager, Director, or Executive)? Are you preparing or even able to prepare your employees for the next leadership challenge?

So, back to my original statement, that leadership is mostly developed. Steven Covey (1990), Author and Leadership/Effectiveness Guru backs this up with his statement…“I have long advocated a natural, gradual, day-by-day, step-by-step, sequential approach to personal development.” I think he's right.

That is all for now but stay tuned for future posts on management & leadership. Hopefully, this will become a gradual, day-by-day, step-by-step habit of personal development for you. I believe this blog can be one of your gradual steps which can help you and your teams prepare for the next leadership challenge.

Spoon boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead... only try to realize the truth.

Neo: What truth?

Spoon boy: There is no spoon.

Neo: There is no spoon?

Spoon boy: Then you'll see, that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.

This is the beginning of a new space in the blogosphere. A beginning of an exercise in thought, ideas, best practices, and approaches to managing and leading in todays workplace. Managers, executives and leaders from all walks of life: If you are one who is plugged into what may seem to be a Matrix-like existence, where employees and others you lead are disengaged or becomming disengaged, then take the "red pill" and see just how far the rabit hole goes.

Mr. Anderson