"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.  Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

                                                                                                                                  Matthew 10:16

I've been asked to speak to a group in a couple months on a topic entitled Trust & Influence.  I'm excited because these are really fascinating elements -- the sort that undergird virtually all human interactions. 

The amount of literature in these areas is super-duper-bountiful, so let's make some moonshine today by distilling a few key ingredients into a couple potent drops.  These will be my primary talking points for the group in April.

Let's start with Trust.  My perspective on trust is that it is currency, so I tend to think of 10 'coins' -- the Trust Coins if you will.  Now, none of these coins is 'new,' they are, in fact, abundantly found in one form or another throughout nearly all trust literature.  But I like thinking of them in terms of money because, essentially, we're either broke, flush, or break-even in our relationships with others.  As Covey might say, "If you're broke in your relationship with another person, you cannot make any withdrawals."  Conversely, those who love us extend a great deal of grace...a relational 'line of credit,' perhaps.  (As an aside, a word of wisdom: Obey the 'platinum rule' [which is even better than gold] by treating others as they wish to be treated.  The day will come, as it always does, when you will screw up royally and wish you had been nicer, more forgiving or...more gracious.)

In short, if you want to be 'relationally rich,' mind your coins.  Be approachable (open door, receptive), Know your audience (meet others where they are, not where you want them to be), Demonstrate character & integrity (consider your 'brand' and live a life whole and undivided; contrast this with many current politicians), Be competent, Find commonalities with others, Be credible (believable, reliable), Demonstrate empathy (remember, the boomerang often returns), Demonstrate win/win/win intent (you, others, the organization at large), Demonstrate propriety (appropriate professional behavior), and Live consistently (back to the idea of integrity, your pattern of behavior over time is a huge predictor for 'being counted upon' or not). 

Continuing to the notion of Influence, then, the correlations become clear.  Someone who is 'relationally rich' is vastly more likely to be influential.  But influence is an exceedingly deep and broad topic, so let's break it down into 2 bites: Principles & Personhood.

Essentially, influence manifests through two sources -- a half-dozen principles and about nine related aspects of one's personhood.

What does this mean?

Well, take principles, for instance, which are sort of like phenomena.  Where we see Consistency occur (for example, if you behave consistently 'good'), we tend to see influence increase.  Where we see Reciprocation occur (for example, you 'give' because you realize this increases the likelihood that you will 'get'), we tend to see influence increase.  And the same is true for Social Proof (a group of us stares at a building across the street and 'everyone' stops to stare...something must be going on or important!), and Scarcity (the fewer iPads available on Day 1 and the longer the lines will be), and Authority (a police officer's badge 'does' something) and Liking (those who are liked tend to be more influential than those who are disliked).    

But personhood, while conceptually related to these principles, is unique: it is influence that emanates from who you are more than what you do or solely how you behave.  Indeed, it's difficult to uncouple the two, I know, but think of it this way: a principle is something 'going on' while my personhood is 'who I am or how I'm perceived.'  Intertwined, yes...but distinct.  A skeptic might argue, "But isn't WHO I AM...WHAT I DO?"  And the anwer, of course, is complicated.  In short, it is 'yes, mostly...' but 'no, not necessarily.'  Perhaps more on that another day. 

Your 'personal' influence, then, often derives from nine common sources, two of which (Legitimate and Referent) overlap with principles I've described above.  Legitimate influence emanates from the fact that you are, say, the boss!  And as the boss, "What I say goes!"  (But only so far, in fact.  Legitimate influence is actually among the least influential.  After all, when the boss turns his back, what do we do?  That's right...now you've got the idea.)  Referent influence is similar to Likeability...I am attracted to you, for whatever reasons, and as a result I tend to like you and, therefore, I'm more inclined to be influenced by you.

The dark side to influence is that charlatans, sharks, snake-oil salesmen, con artists and Ponzi schemers exploit these principles and elements of personhood by pursuing just the right sort of pigeons/marks/prey most inclined to be influenced: those in distress, the lonely/isolated, the naive/trusting/gullible, the caregiver, the person who thinks he is smarter than the ploy or -- as Jesus Christ indicated in the scripture above -- those who traipse through life as doves, always trusting and denying the existence of wolves.  (Just because I deny their existence does not mean they don't exist.) 

By way of interest, Mensa members and Nobel Prize Laureates are regarded by con artists as easier prey because their success and confidence give them a false sense of security.  Luminaries reason, "I'm smarter than everyone I know.  No one can dupe me."  And voila, just like that the credit default swapper (aka 'institutional pickpocket') distracts them with feigned awe, ignorance, brilliance or a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' that 'no one else sees,' pivots around their sense of imperviousness and takes them for all they're worth.

The remaining seven elements that shape influence include Affiliation (e.g., my mafia or gang membership gets me a good table on Friday night), Coercion (if you don't do what I say, I'm the type who will beat you about the head and shoulders with this bat), Competition (the pizza only has 8 slices and every piece I eat is one less for you, aka 'zero sum'), Expertise (I'm the doctor and what I say goes), Guilt (for as long as you disobey, you're in my doghouse), Information (I have the data and I lord it over you) and Reward (if you play nice, I'll give you a cookie).  No doubt, these seven elements have a lot to do with principles but, essentially, many people are 'wired' a certain way...nature, nurture, or the combination of both have shaped their personhood like a river stone and we come to 'know them' as being this way.  (There is, of course, flexibility or redemption, but these are unquestionably bigger topics for another month!) 

Summarizing then, Trust & Influence operate circuitously, one reinforcing the other.

On your journey to make the world a better place, keep a third eye on your own behavior (how you are seen, perceived) and the behaviors of others, lest you over or underestimate them.  Some are wolves in sheep's clothing -- seeking to manipulate and take advantage under guises, ruses, masks and the covers of trust...while others, like Christ himself, are mistaken by many for lunatics or heretics when they come open-handed with nothing but goodwill.

We have to do a lot of this these days, don't we?

Squaring of the circle...

In our personal budgets, we must find ways to make 1+1=3.  Or 5.  Or 7.

In our organizations, not only must we find ways to  s t r e t c h  limited financial resources, but also to periodically work with square pegs currently functioning (or failing to) in round holes.

Regardless the hurdle, an ability to think outside the proverbial box is paramount. 

Sometimes, when I'm working with a group that's struggling to think outside the box -- or simply...creatively -- I'll pass out six toothpicks to each person and make this request:  "Using these 6 unbroken toothpicks, create 4 equilateral (equal sided) triangles."

For several minutes, most participants struggle.  They create pentagrams (!) and beaver dams, but they rarely create four equilateral triangles without great effort, rule-breaking, or toothpick snapping.  And almost always, there are gaps/voids and overlapping toothpicks.

But then, with the briefest guidance and in one fell swoop, they solve the riddle. 

All I have to say is, "Think three dimensionally."

And blammo...they make a pyramid.  A 4-sided structure comprised solely of equilateral triangles.

The problem, of course, lies in our 'mental constructs.'  Too often, we think 1 or 2 dimensionally.  We look at problems myopically or traditionally or quickly...failing to turn them over in our minds like rocks in a dryer. 

Maybe you've heard the maxim, "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten."

Hogwash.

It's worse than that.  This assumes a polyanna, static view of ecosystems and the world which, of course, is unrealistic.  The truth is much harsher: If you do what you've always done, you'll get run over by progress, eaten by competitors, or forgotten by history.

So, the next time you or your family or your organization face a seemingly intractable or 'unsolve-able' problem, think of the toothpicks.

If they (through the formation of Egypt's pyramid, one of humankind's most enduring structures) can remind us the value of creativity and innovation, then many of life's most daunting problems are half-solved.

After all, once the solving-scheme is organized, the rest is often a matter of time and sweat, not whether and if.

Solve on.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

We make countless decisions each and every day...every hour...every minute.

And most decisions aren't that hard.  We go with our gut, we experience 'behavioral shorthand' and know how, for example, to wind our way to work each morning without even thinking about it or, in the case of tougher decisions, we think, we pray, we seek counsel. 

But you know as well as I do that some decisions are very, very difficult.  Unimaginably gut wrenching.  Consider the sort our President is wrestling with this very week.  Or the sort our Supreme Court wrestles with each and every day.  Or the sort a grieving adult-child faces as her dying parent is placed on life support. 

And some of these decisions are in the oven for months...for years.  Indeed, they are very long in the making.

To describe this protracted 'deciding,' I use the analogy Decision Hill.

The first segment of Decision Hill is the ascent.  This is the acknowledgment that a decision, generally a complex, multifaceted one (and often an emotional one or one that will have 'tentacles' affecting others or 'collateral effects' beyond our immediate imagination) needs to be made.  Consider a neophyte playing chess with a grandmaster or a naive child wandering alone in the dark.  Neither is fully aware of the errors of his/her ways, much less the unknown and potentially devastating consequences that might follow an initial, innocent, well-intentioned mis-step.  In fact, consider the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy...or the pre-strike intelligence the NSA possessed on terrorists before the horrors of 9/11 in NYC.  Neither of these examples represent one huge or glaringly obvious oversight on anyone's part so much as an incremental, microscopic accumulation of residue...of tiny error after tiny error which, in the particulate, seem invisible, yet in the aggregate, seem enormous.

The ascent takes a very, very long time.

We wrestle with complexities.  With our emotions.  With possible outcomes.  We recall the past, we look to the future, we strategize, we visualize moves and countermoves, we think of the people who will be affected by our choices, we fall to our knees, we seek others' counsel, we T-chart the pros and cons, we flip coins, we toss coins in fountains, we wander and wonder, we rule things in and rule things out, we sleep on it, we eliminate outliers and finally...finally...after the grueling and the slogging and the swinging and the fighting and the traversing many meters to the top...we arrive, crestfallen, at the apex of Decision Hill.

And we straddle the tippy-top of this mountain.  We feel its enormity beneath and around us.  We accept the hollowness within us.  We long for the connectedness and renewal around us.  And we stare into the fog and darkness and storm and wonder if the heavens are with us. 

And we decide.

In an instant.

After the weeks and months or even years that preceded, we finally, exultingly, make a choice.

And this choice brings us -- in that singular moment -- from our ascension...to the second segment of our climb...the tipping point.

The slow boil is now a gas.

And with the clarity that cuts through the night like a knife through warm butter, we turn our eyes finally and fully toward the future.

The angst of deciding is behind us.

And we feel luminescent.  And buoyant.  And human again.

The weights slip off our shoulders, the bodice around our chest is loosed, the vice around our mind is broken, the chains around our ankles and neck and wrists are shattered, and we fall forward toward our destiny.

Like the child awaking to a pure and powdery snow on Christmas morning, it is the dawning of a bright, shiny, wondrous, clean, perfect day.

And we fall face-down upon our sled, grab the handles with shaky hands, and are restored and renewed.  We are officially in segment three: the descent.

Beloved gravity will do the rest.  Slowly, crunching...then quickly, now skittering...we gather speed and momentum and inertia and velocity...and we arrive, startlingly soon, at the bottom of the hill and find ourselves rocketing toward our future, snow spraying up all around us, ice crystals stinging our cheeks, laughter peeling all around. 

And like the shirtless, sledgehammer-wielding strongman at the summer fair, we are ready to slam forward into all the tomorrows that stretch out before us.

I want to encourage you today: It will get easier.  There is a top.  There is another side.  Even -- especially -- in the darkest moments of the darkest hours of the darkest days of the darkest seasons -- light shines on.  It always will.  It always has.  That's the benevolent nature of light.  It travels effortlessly and ceaselessly and swiftly across the darkest regions of the known and unknown universe to warm your skin.

That's all there is to it. 

Your charge...indeed, the only toll for your journey is pure -- and simple:

Believe

and

Keep Moving Forward

God speed.

Yesterday, Blockbuster announced they're likely to close 20% of their stores...approximately 960 in total.

They intend to install 10,000 kiosks (like Redbox) around the country.

Call me an idiot, but I think this is one of the worst ideas I've heard in recent memory.

If one wanted to revolutionize transportation at the turn of the 20th Century but insisted on keeping the horse...Henry Ford and countless others would have kept us in the stone age.  But no, they realized there was a better way.  And it wasn't ponies.

Kiosks are more of the same.

Hulu, Netflix, even public libraries understand this.  Now that's saying something.

The answer, Blockbuster, is not to perpetuate infrastructure.  After all, Redbox already has over 15,000 kiosks.  Why try to out-amazon Amazon or out-wal-mart Wal-Mart?  No, no, no.  That isn't the way forward.

The way forward is to envision where the market is GOING and then BE THERE when it arrives.

Think online, download, cloud computing, Kindle, iPhone apps...anything, please, other than more 'boxes on streetcorners.'

We don't need a better record, 8-track, cassette, or dvd.  Au contraire.  What we need is a more seamless, frictionless, infrastructure-lite pull-thru delivery paradigm that keeps us coming back for more...without getting out of the car, swiping a credit card, or carrying a box to and fro.

What we need is what the FTP was to the five-and-a-quarter-inch floppy.

Bring it.  Please.  And then some.

I’m on an airplane now, straddling three cities in two days, and just wanted to share a few thoughts before they broke free like so many logs trapped in a tide pool.

In the early 90s, I had the great fortune to serve as one of several facilitators for a War Game hosted by Kodak in New York.  In attendance were executives from Hallmark, Wal-Mart, Apple, Sandia National Laboratories and, of course, Kodak.  Former PepsiCo CEO (then Apple CEO) John Sculley was there, along with other key industry leaders and thinkers. 

The topic was futuring, and I remember like it was yesterday – the CEO of Kodak stood before this group of eighty luminaries and commented, almost offhandedly, “I can’t envision the day when consumers won’t want to hold a photograph in their hands.”

Ooops.

I was stupefied.  Even little ‘ol me could see how wrongheaded this was, and I was a green outsider with nary three years’ experience.  Granted, the digital era was just upon us – cell phones were still the size of shoe boxes and Polaroid photos were cool at parties, but nonetheless, the outlines of the future were clear enough – hence, the War Game.

Fast-forward a decade.

Down from 57,000 to 10,000 employees or so – with the photography market primarily digitized now – Kodak failed to realize they were in the ‘memories’ business.  They mistakenly believed they were in the ‘photograph’ business.  The 2009 demise of Kodachrome color film (a seventy-four year success) is representative of their tragic and disappointing fall.

And the Ray-Ban that was once owned by Bausch & Lomb failed to realize they were in the ‘fashion’ business, mistakenly believing they were in the ‘highly engineered eyewear’ business.  That’s why today, the Ray-Ban we all grew up with is now owned by Italian behemoth, Luxottica.  (Oakley and the like cleaned RB’s clock in the late 90s and Luxottica gobbled up B&L’s namesake for a song.  But hey, maybe that’s okay; it’s easier to profit from salt-water solutions than try and manage unnecessarily complex, multinational eyewear manufacturing sites.)  To add insult to injury, Luxottica has now purchased Oakley, too, making the Italian manufacturer the largest eyewear company in the world.   

By the way, Avon and Mary Kay are not in the ‘cosmetics’ business, they are in the ‘hope’ business.  As long as they remember this, all the better. 

I see at the magazine stand the latest Fast Company issue noting that Nokia (who entirely upended Motorola by providing digital phones when analog was all the rage) is realizing they should be a ‘media’ company, not a cellular phone manufacturer.

Bingo.  Welcome to the epiphany, guys.  Enjoy competing with Apple, who realized this long ago.  And with NBC/Universal/Hulu and Google and Microsoft/Yahoo! and so many others who also populate the field.  It will be tough slogging for all players.  But it’s a game worth playing and one that must be played in order to survive.

I wonder who – which company – ‘known’ or ‘unknown’ will upend the media market for the next decade....

There are few, if any sanctuaries from the battles; no tide pools for organizations who want a breather.

So on and on it goes – organizations realizing more and more what business they should be in, or actually are in.

I wonder where Amtrak would be if, decades ago, they had thought to be in the ‘transportation’ business rather than the ‘railroad’ business.   

Whether you are the Girl Scouts of America, the University of Michigan, NASCAR, or the Catholic Church – you better know what ‘business’ you’re in¹.  What do you produce?  Whom do you serve?  What do you provide?  What (gag me with a spoon) is your ‘value proposition?’ 

Whether we like the jargon or not, we avoid the question(s) at our own peril.

(And don’t bother being the world’s best buggy-whip maker.  That market’s taken, and it’s a limited one.)

So how shall you proceed?

As usual, start with the simplest question: “If we went away, who loses what?”

Whether your organization is a synagogue, a national park, or the world’s best widget manufacturer, all must ‘serve some purpose’ and ‘answer some calling’ and ‘provide some value.’   Consider the market, unmet or unarticulated consumer/client/customer needs, and what benefit(s) you can provide in effective, efficient, unique, meaningful, or advantageously sustainable ways.

Because remember, the day will come when people won’t need to hold a photograph in their hands and, when it does, it’d be nice to know you’re still in the picture.

¹Relax – I don’t mean this ‘literally’ as in – “Business” with a capital B and ‘for profit’ and all that.  I just mean – know what you’re doing and why and for whom.

What a difference seven months make.

In October, as the unwinding of our world's economy became crystal clear, so many perceived it as 'temporary.'  "The prey must make its way through the python, then all will be well in the end," they seemed to say.

And perhaps that is entirely true.  2010, 2011, 2012... I suppose things could return to 'normal' by then.

But I think not.

I think what's done is done, what was was, and we've entered a New World Order.  I believe the 'unwinding' was, in fact, a re-calibrating. 

I believe the waterline of the former market was, for all intents and purposes... former.  And we may not see Dow Jones at 14,000+ for another generation.  Call me a heretic, an idiot, or a doomsday-sourpuss-naysayer; I've been called worse.  But I believe the snake oil salesmen who are selling fiction disguised as hope are unrealistically optimistic or altogether deceptive. (I see the difference as their 'knowledge' x their 'intent.')

I attended an economic conference several weeks ago, and ALL the economists were prophesying, "This will blow over in a few months.  Q3 2009 will see a return to business as usual," guess-hypothesis-theory-lie.  I'm sorry; I just don't buy it.  While I fully understand FDR's lamentations about 'fear itself' and the need for positive psychology to lead the market, I believe it's time to come to terms with reality and adapt rather than hope for stable sand castles found primarily in Utopia. 

I imagine the market as we knew it before -- with easy loans, bottomless debt, and raging home sales -- is a thing of the past. 

Is the bottom near?  Perhaps, though I agree with Warren Buffett's sentiment that we probably won't experience it until the Government stops reaching in and tweaking the knobs.  At some point, probably where 'rescue' and 'reality' intersect, we will indeed experience a legitimate transition, but I don't think 'bottoming, leveling out, and climbing' are synomymous with 'back to business as usual.'  (At least, not for everyone.  One of the great ironies of this current economy is the disparity between the haves and have-nots.  While many people and clients and states I interact with are STARVING, many others are THRIVING.  On the one extreme I hear, "The sky is falling!" while on the other extreme I hear, "Crisis, what crisis?  We have so much money we don't know where to spend it all!")

Some might argue that I am sounding a bit like Chicken Little, but I believe that history and conventional wisdom will reveal that I am among an unintentional chorus of Shepherd Boys who would rather be wrong.  And by unintentional, I mean to say, "non-economic types" who wind up being in the majority and on the side of right, not because of knowledge, but because of intuition. 

I believe we're entering an era of Business as Unusual or, said another way, The 'New' Economy is The Economy.

2,600 years ago, the Greek slave, Aesop, wrote well over 200 brief fables, and many of them specifically for children (though they apply to most everyone).  Among them is The Shepherd Boy & the Wolf, more commonly remembered as The Boy Who Cried Wolf.  The theme of the story is best recalled in the final line of the fable:  "Even when liars tell the truth, they are never believed.  The liar will lie once, twice, and then perish when he tells the truth."

Only time will reveal whether the 'renowned and expert economists' are right (and Q3 2009 will reveal a miraculous, magical, and unheralded 'market bounce' that eventually leads us back to earlier Dow Jones health, employment, and worldwide productivity as before) or if those who said once and twice (without knowing why), "the world is changed for a generation" will be deemed right.

Again, I would prefer to be wrong.

At this point in life, most of us have endured one sort of surgery or another.  I equate today's Shepherd Boys as those who scratch at our scar tissue.  What was once sensitive and irritated (October 2008) is slowly becoming thick and numb (May 2009).  The 'jump' in our step has faded a bit, we've ignored the alarms for too long, and many are awakening and coming to grips with a potentially new reality.  A sense of, "Okay.  Um.  So, this REALLY isn't going away next month?  It wasn't just a drill?  All righty then, let's see... what shall I do now?"

History has an enviable way of efficiently and accurately sorting the misfits and malcontents from the rest.  I know most of us would LOVE to see a return to a pre-9/11 or pre-2009 economic world order, but the hairs on the back of my neck just don't sense that coming anytime soon.  Do yours?   

Meanwhile, whether it's only a few years or an entire generation plus, I suppose we should return to our work, reprioritize, rebalance, and find ways to survive through and thrive within a minor economic winter.  There is plenty of work to be done, there are many fields still lacking qualified applicants, and as Nature reminds us, life is binary.  It's either 'find a way to Grow' time, or 'embrace the slumber that has no end' (e.g., die). 

I elect to fight, as I'm sure you do, too.  It's buckle-down time.  Not for an illusory and fabled 'comeback' of lore, but in pursuit of creating a more sustainable future for our children, our customers, our constituents, and all those we hope will follow.

Onward.  Perge.  Semper fidelis.  It's on.  Let's roll.  Bring it.  Go time.  All that jazz.

Sometimes I’m slow on the uptake, but having heard this sentiment three times this past week from employees in different organizations, “message received!”

Indeed, there are many loser-bosses.  Why so surprised?  The rungs of leadership and management are not immune to the bell curve of life.

The succeeding questions, however, are what matter more: “Why?”  and more audaciously, “How can I remedy this?”

First, to the Why.  There are generally 5 Root Causes for Leadership Failure.  Quickly (lest this become a 10,000 word essay), they are:

1.     Selection: We’ve started with an acorn, hoping it will grow into a pecan tree.

2.     Understanding: The individual fails to grasp, intellectually, what is expected as a leader. 

3.     Behavior: The individual fails to acquire or master the skills required to blossom into leadership competence.

4.     Barriers: Whether personal (e.g., drama) or organizational (e.g., hierarchy, ambiguity, limited resources), there is an Achilles Heel that continually pulls the leader down and away from performance.

5.     Desire/Motivation: Sometimes resulting from the preceding, but often evolving from burnout or rustout, the leader simply fizzles out.

Considering these root causes and their branches, it’s relatively simple to pinpoint an individual’s reasons for failure.

And now, a tad on Remedy.  I will provide only the broadest of strokes and address just three factors here, because entire FIELDS and INDUSTRIES exist to fully remediate leadership deficits.

To develop a leader, just like a diamond, three key ‘environmental factors’ are helpful.  (This is to say ‘nothing’ of the perennially important ‘nature vs. nurture’ dialogue and innateness.) 

1.     First, great leadership generally emerges over Time if it is to sustain deep roots and broad leaves. 

2.     Second, enough Pressure must exist – in terms of consequences – to berm, direct, and focus leadership talent.  (This is the ‘push.’)

3.     Finally, enough Heat must exist – in terms of personal drive – to regularly motivate and inspire oneself to achieve, ascend, serve, contribute, sacrifice, whatever.  (This is the ‘pull.’)

From within environments where adequate mentors, coaches, and role models exist… where there is solid feedback and developmental opportunities combined through education and experience, organizations are more inclined to breed leaders.  All the more so when these leaders overcome the five roots of failure and experience the time, consequences, and motivation consistent with aspects of pressure cookers, kilns, or crucibles.

In short, if you want fewer “loser bosses,” start with the right seeds and afford them the right mixture of soil (which includes water, oxygen, sunlight, etc.) and fire.

Wow, do we have ambiguity in spades today, or what? 

Surely it’s not just my own little perception!

Surely not.

I’ve heard it by the truckload lately.  Here are four quotes from four different clients:

“There’s so much ambiguity that we cannot make decisions.”

“Our environment is rife with ambiguity; our people are wandering aimlessly.”

“We’re waiting for direction we know will never come.  Can you help us help our people to ‘lead through ambiguity?’”

“Until this economic mess clears up, we’re flat-footed.  We can’t seem to catch, roll, or run.  If it’s 2011 or 2012 by the time things improve, we’ll be long-dead by then.” 

What are leaders, organizations, employees to do?

The short answer is, “Leverage what you’ve got.”

As I described with one organization this past week, many entities currently resemble Swiss Cheese.  They’ve got ‘some’ of the answers, but not all.  Opportunity, challenge, and competitive advantage are found by those organizations FIRST able to fill in enough of the voids to move on.

It’s true… we NEVER have all the elements we need to form a perfect or complete answer.  But yes, we generally have a much clearer vision than today’s “survive.”  In lieu of that clear vision, there are many aspects of direction that we CAN marshal from the cheese.

For example, a sense of Purpose or Calling.  Values.  Key Strategy Categories like Talent Development (which includes dozens of helpful touchstones like recruitment, selection, development, appraisal, promotion, compensation, and succession planning), Image (branding, marketing, messaging, advertising, and promotion), and Financial (business economics, accounting methodologies, and anything remotely sales or revenue-related).

Sure, we may not have a full set of maps or navigational equipment, but we’ve been in the ocean before and we can generally make out a flicker from the distant lighthouse.  Knowing the storms are striking each market and industry differently, some organizations will need to identify and pursue entirely different beachheads and destinations, while others simply need to decelerate, accelerate, or make tiny course corrections. 

In the process of “organizational evolution” (lest one experience Market Darwinism and risk extinction through failing to adapt), we accept that DNA adapts slowly where at all.  Sweeping changes are less realistic or required than pivotal 1° tacks which, in the aggregate over time, generate significant transformation and success, all the while holding onto the riggings of what is familiar.

We know that for every sixty miles traveled, each degree of change throws us off course by one mile.  Said another way, even the smallest tweaks can take us to an entirely DIFFERENT, NEW, or BETTER destination.

Don’t let ambiguity cripple you or your organization’s ability to remain fixed on a long-term objective while accomplishing small and short-term wins.  They are indeed there, hoping against hope to be found.

As I listen to and exchange ideas with contemporary leaders on the front lines of today's economic battlefield, I am encountering a troubling theme. 

It revolves around a notion I wrote about several weeks ago... the 'treading water' phenomenon. 

So many leaders are 'waiting to see' what the new world of work will look like... that the 'see' is being thwarted and delayed!  It is a vicious, self-fulfilling cycle not unlike the 'prior experience required to be hired' dilemma we all faced as we exited school. 

To provide answers/clarity/solutions for clients and colleagues, we intend -- in the coming weeks -- to embark on a new Research Project. 

Here's where you come in.  We are in dire need of your help. 

We are in the early, embryonic stage of crafting, honing, and refining the Research Question itself.  Currently, it messily goes something like this:  

"What are the most burning Issues or Questions leaders need Answered for the burgeoning 'new world of work' and the 'to-be-determined' new 'social contract' between Employees and Employers to manifest?"

In simpler terms, "What the heck do employees need or expect from their 'bosses' in order to engage, thrive, re-commit?"  Or, "In our unstable environment, what can leaders and organizations realistically do to gain focus and performance from employees?"

But now I'm starting to put words in your mouth.  Here's the 'call to action;' the specific Ask and How You Can Help:

Please email us a stronger Research Question or whatever Issues or Questions you would like to better understand to more effectively lead your people in the 2009-2011 timeframe.  As our economy ebbs, flows, and ultimately reshapes itself, what burning Answers do you require?  What do you wish to understand?  Have a better handle on?  Need in order to more effectively lead your people?

Based on your responses, "TBLG" (The Blake Leath Group) will refine the fundamental research question with the most value to the most leaders -- and launch a research project that we hope will provide CONTEMPORARY (not re-hashed) tools, frameworks, or answers to serve you through this volatile season of ambiguity.

We are searching for both new wine and new wineskins and hope to make a statistically-oriented contribution that is equally scholarly and pragmatic in nature. 

Step 2 will be to ask you to recommend 5-10 leaders to participate in a subsequent Survey/Assessment/Questionnaire to be predicated on the final Research Question.

We anticipate a broad Umbrella Topic and various Sub-Topics, and TBLG will publish its findings in ways to be identified in coming weeks.

Thank you, in advance, for your responses.  Please email them directly to bleath@blakeleath.com.

In recent months, the ‘noise’ regarding the eroding viability and the non-future of Newspapers has reached an all-time-high decibel level.  The crescendo is now practically deafening.  

And yet there are no accordant answers. 

A lifelong friend and colleague of mine (who resides vocationally at the nexus between “what was” and “what may be”) forwarded this absolutely salient blog entry by Clay Shirky, who shares his prognostications on the matter.  Like my friend, Clay has also been thinking about the internet since before the internet.

Though arguably a bit long for today's microwave-mentality, I am certain you will find his perspectives fascinating and hope you will read to the end. 

http://www.shirky.com/weblog/2009/03/newspapers-and-thinking-the-unthinkable/

"Morality, when vigorously alive, sees farther than intellect and provides unconsciously for intellectual difficulties."

                                                                                              J.A. Froude

Earlier today, I spoke with a man in Westford, Vermont.  "It's damn cold here," he shared.

Cold.  Yes, I remember that feeling.

But last week I was in Hawaii, this week I'm in Texas, and next week I'll be in California, which I'm sure will be glorious.

Several years ago, I attended a workshop in Montpelier, Vermont.  It was colder-than-cold.  (I don't fare too well in the cold.  Some people thrive, but my blood's so thick that I sputter and shake.  It's as if my fluids turn to sludge and the 'ol body just sorta seizes up.)  But wow, Montpelier was gorgeous, and it wasn't even Spring yet.  I'd love to go back some day.

I've spent my fair share of time in the cold around the world... scraping windshields, trudging through snowdrifts, fighting to open doors in the howling wind, wishing I had galoshes or waterproof socks, and sitting on miserable airplanes after midnight -- waiting for the de-icing machine to make its third pass.

But today, my observation is one about Weeds -- the sort that have been recently exposed across the blanket of our lawn as Spring hits our region.

Texas weeds are world-class.  Enormous, like the State they occupy.  And my, oh my, have we got some weeds in our yard.  As I gingerly wandered around our yard this past Sunday, I found weeds of all sorts and stripes. 

Broad, squatty weeds... the kind that hug the ground and hide too low to be whacked by the mower.

Circular, spindly weeds... the kind that run and shoot and trail off in countless directions like an octopus.

Bright, flowery weeds... the kind my daughter plucks and mistakes for flowers.

Tall, milky weeds... the kind that catch on your armpit as you wade through what might as well be a cornfield.

And dandelions... the kind of weed that reproduces so amply that rabbits and the octomom herself are shamed.

Meanwhile, in Vermont, it's cold.  And weeds will not be seen for weeks.  (This may be one instance where the grass really is greener somewhere else.  Or perhaps not.  The weeds certainly are.)

I think this contrast of Vermont v. Texas is a good reminder for us all.

Everything is seasonal.

Things grow, things die.  What came, went.  What is not, will be.

For many, it's still Winter.  For some, it's Spring.

And with Spring come Weeds.

As the tide turns with our economy (and it will, one day), the greener pastures we've been longing for all winter will be accompanied by weeds.

Some of us will greet the green with open arms like Puxtahawney Phil, eager to crawl out from the dark lair of winter.

But some will greet the green with derision, turning their noses up at imperfections and commenting snootily (as the critic Anton Ego in Ratatouille, played brilliantly by Peter O'Toole), "Oh.  Weeds."

I understand this.  This is human nature.  It is captured by turn in the notions of Selective Perception, Broken Windows Theory, Boiled Frog Phenomenon, The Pygmalion Effect, Target Fixation, and Chevreul's Pendulum.  Some people are simply inclined to see the smudge on the Rembrandt. 

No matter; it is what it is and they are who they are.

But alas, for you and me -- however frustrated we might be when Spring is accompanied by those buggery, parasitic Weeds -- let us revel in the fact that Winter has gone and Summer is but a couple months away. 

The world is full of people who only see the weeds in the meadow.  So be it.  Though they themselves might very well be weeds in our own organizations, everything and everyone has a purpose.  With the toil that is required to remove or tame whatever challenges lie in our path comes the appreciation of all we have and the joy its beauty brings.

In these days when our respective governments are taking actions to curtail, quarantine, and repair our ravaged economies, I cannot help but equate their work with plastic surgeons.  Plastic surgery seems to be one of those very delicate pursuits.  With just the right nip or tuck, ducklings might become swans.  But too many surgeries, or too radical... and we have a Michael Jackson problem of disfiguration.

There are no panaceas for the ills that have befallen us.  What is required is transformative, systemic, holistic change that will take years of exercise and diet to manifest fully into a healthier global economy.  This is perfectly representative of one situation in which morality must indeed see farther than intellect, because there is no chance that everything that will be tried will work right out of the chute. 

There will be foibles and mis-steps, errors and blunders.  Such is the case with governing, with public policy, and with complex issues that span countries, cultures, and currencies.

But as the gardeners demonstrate, with a little patience and pruning, together we can plant and nurture a healthy and lush field everyone can enjoy.

As a boy, I just loved the book A Separate Peace.  Sad, yes, but beautifully written, simple, and powerful enough to make an impression that has lasted thirty years.

In recent months, two acquaintances and one good friend have metamorphosed into three quite different people.  Two at the hand of a stroke, and one at the hand of encephalitis.

Today, I find them even kinder, warmer, gentler, more patient – and altogether delightful and inspiring to be around.  One jokes that he’s had “a personality transplant,” and he’s right.  His new perspective has led to a heightened appreciation of so many things.

Expectedly, when tragedies initially befall us, we struggle to come to terms with our new realities.  I know this is true for me in my own tiny circumstances.  Since December 2007, I have lived with chronic pain that subsequent surgeries merely refashioned rather than removed.  For perhaps eight months, I prayed and expected to fully turn the corner and get my old life back.  Fifteen months later, I remain increasingly acceptant of my new reality. 

Whatever befalls us, it’s best to carry on in whatever ways possible and find purpose and joy in every viable nook and cranny.

We are not promised Happiness, but Hopefulness is there for the taking.

And while we are not destined on this 3^rd rock from the Sun to achieve any lasting peace, it is possible to find a separate peace, unlike the temporal sorts we generally seek.

I’ll close with two quotes that really move me.  I hope they move you, too. 

“Hi, Jules.  It’s Brian.  I’m on a plane and we’ve been hijacked, and it doesn’t look good.  Hopefully, I’ll talk to you again, but if not, please have fun and live your life the best you can.  Know that I love you and no matter what I’ll see you again someday.”

n  Brian Sweeney  (At 8:58 A.M. on September 11, 2001, Brian Sweeney, a businessman who had once flown F-14s for the Navy, was on his cell phone trying to reach his wife, Julie.  She wasn’t home, so he said goodbye into the answering machine.  Moments later, Sweeney’s plane [United flight 175 from Boston to Los Angeles], crashed into New York’s World Trade Center.)

“Nothing so infuriates me as the incapacity of seemingly intelligent people to get it through their heads that God doesn’t go around this world with His finger on the triggers, His fist on knives, His hands on steering wheels… never do we know enough to say that a death was the will of God.  My own consolation lies in knowing that when the waves closed over the sinking car, God’s heart was the first of all our hearts to break.”   

n  William Sloane Coffin, former chaplain at Yale, in a eulogy for his son Alex, age 24   

Today's earlier blog ("Enjoying the Journey") got me thinking about that 'ol Robert Fulghum poem, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

For those of you who enjoyed it then, or have never crossed it, here it is.

---------------------------------- 

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten.  Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.

These are the things I learned:

• Share everything.
• Play fair.
• Don't hit people.
• Put things back where you found them.
• Clean up your own mess.
• Don't take things that aren't yours.
• Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
• Wash your hands before you eat.
• Flush.
• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
• Live a balanced life -- learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
• Take a nap every afternoon.
• When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
• Be aware of wonder.  Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
• Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup -- they all die.  So do we.
• And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned -- the biggest word of all -- LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.  The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.  Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm.  Think what a better world it would be if we all -- the whole world -- had cookies and milk at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap.  Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together. 

© Robert Fulghum, 1990.  All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten, Villard Books: New York, 1990, page 6-7.

http://www.robertfulghum.com   

Please bear with me today; I'm blown like a bubble with competing thoughts, so I'll trickle a stream of consciousness and do my best to tie things together near the end.

These past three weeks have been a whirlpool; I'm hopeful there's a point of encouragement somewhere in the swirl. 

1. Random Thought Bubble #1.  This past week, I was the last to board a plane and as I proceeded toward the rear of the aircraft, I scanned all the overhead bins before me, noticing they were closed.  The flight was oversold, and I was simply thrilled to have caught it.  As I passed the only open bin (about halfway to my seat) I stuffed my bulky overcoat inside, knowing I'd barely have room enough at my feet for my bag. 

The flight was uneventful, but within the final few minutes, as I gathered all my things and shoved them in my bag, I found a stranger's notebook in the seatpocket in front of me.  A prior occupant's.  I scanned it quickly, looking for a name, card, phone number, anything.  Finding nothing identifiable, I wrote "28A" on the cover and prepared to hand it to a flight attendant, should the occupant realize his forgetfulness and seek it later. 

I was the last person off the plane.  As I proceeded to the bin where I had stuffed my coat, I discovered it was gone.  In its place was a different coat!  I looked around, saw no other coats, grabbed this one, bolted up the jetway and looked everywhere for someone wearing my coat.  No one was to be found.  I returned to the plane, found a flight attendant, and in a very confusing way, handed over the notebook and the coat.  "Here.  Neither of these is mine; they are from different people.  And by the way, someone has my coat."

It was mild madness.  She was perplexed, unsympathetic, and I spent the next thirty minutes explaining the 'loss of my coat' to an equally disinterested redcoat and baggage claim agent.  (Apparently, the airline has no 'claim process,' and retrieving the coat is not as easy as emailing the passengers and asking, "Anyone take a coat or missing a coat?")  Needless to say, it is gone forever, and I'm confident that both the notebook and remaining coat are also lost to eternal winds by now. 

2. Random Thought Bubble #2.  A few nights ago, about twenty of us had dinner at the rollicking Hofbrau House on the outskirts of Cincinnati.  One of the men at dinner made an interesting comment -- one I've heard before in similar ways.  "After about ten years [with my former employer], I could read the writing on the wall.  It occurred to me that I couldn't work there another twenty years, and that no leaders had taken a particular interest in my career.  I ejected." 

Today, he seems much happier.  He is with a great group of people, doing meaningful work, and I'm confident he'll thrive.

3. Random Thought Bubble #3.  Several quotes have crossed my radar these past few weeks.  I've heard some of them before, but it always intrigues me when I hear several in a row -- from disparate sources -- that seem somehow related or similar.  In these trying times, I hope they resonate or encourage you somehow: 

"For those who believe, no proof is necessary.  For those who don't believe, no proof is possible."  Stewart Chase

"In youth, we learn.  In age, we understand."  Marie Ebner von Eschenbach

"I never teach my pupils.  I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn."  Albert Einstein

"You can measure a person's greatness by how much it takes to discourage him."  Robert Savage

"He who argues for his limitations gets to keep them."  Richard Bach

4. Random Thought Bubble #4.  In the last five days, I have heard from several dear friends who were either passed over for a promotion or let go.  Their frustration, disappointment, and anger are palpable.  Concurrently, I am also aware of others, both friends and acquaintances, whose organizations are thriving and raging successfully. 

The contrast is so amazingly stark.  It's as if there are two economies running in tandem.  On the one hand, there is misery, challenge, worry, fear, paranoia, and insecurity.  But on the hand right beside it is elation, opportunity, hope, excitement, and security.  Bizarre.  At the very point in time when hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people are losing jobs each month, there are pockets of people whose businesses are experiencing their greatest growth in a decade. 

Fascinatingly, it is so representative of our world.  Just as a billion people awake each day to running water, heated homes, adequate nutrition, and healthy living conditions, nearly five billion people awake each morning without many or any of these....

5. Random Thought Bubble #5.  On Sunday, when discussing 'the coat incident,' I told my wife and daughter that I wanted a new sweater and sportcoat for the Spring.  (I can count on two fingers the new clothes I have purchased for myself in the last twenty months: in June 2008, I bought a $19.00 shirt for my twenty-year high school reunion.  In October 2007, I bought the coat that someone mistakenly snagged!  Needless to say, my closet is a well-preserved time capsule.  I can [and do] still wear clothes I wore in high school, and I recently wore my 1993 wedding tuxedo to the local Father-Daughter dance on February 7th.  Because I wear so few articles and repeatedly, I have several other things in my closet that last for 'decades.')

As we spoke of these two items to purchase, little Lauren grabbed a pink spiral notebook and wrote the words, "Daddy."  "Coral."  "Salmon."  And so, with the mommy-recommended-colors in hand, we set out for a daddy-daughter-date-day to fish.

Eight stores later, having caught only ice cream, we returned home empty-handed. 

I think I'll just wear what I already have in the closet.

----------------------------------

But what a fun day we had, Lauren's tiny, sweaty hand gripping mine as we trudged through parking lots, malls, and along sidewalks of every hue.     

We had a purpose, she and I.  Despite our legs nearly giving out, we bounced along for hours.

And although our 'fishing expedition' hadn't quite worked out, we still enjoyed the journey, laughed, talked a great deal, and rewarded ourselves with ice cream. 

I think the day served as a great reminder for me.

Sometimes in our distractedness, we lose things -- or they are taken from us.  We needn't perceive this as maliciousness. 

Sometimes in our career, we realize we've leaned our ladder against the wrong organization.  We need only move it. 

Sometimes, when we get really still or quiet, we see or hear things that were right there all along.  We need only look and listen. 

Sometimes, when we feel really small or frail or as if we've failed, it's important to keep things in perspective and realize how blessed we truly are.  We need only appreciate. 

And sometimes, when we set out to sea for whatever expeditions lie before us -- whether fishing for coral, salmon, or joy -- we should keep our hands and hearts open and give thanks for the journey itself and our companions along the way.

Lots of folks are requesting literature like this.  I hope it falls on big eyes and itching ears.

Five Missteps to Avoid in Volatile Times.pdf (118.98 kb)

My father shared an interesting story with me the other day about a dear family friend who passed away.  Fortunately, upon hearing of his illness, my parents moved quickly -- rushed to the hospital to be at his side and to visit with his wife.  He died later that same evening.

Today, I have attended several meetings.  The first one included an overview from an architect and emphasized the importance of a Master Plan for a potential project.  The second described the necessity of a Project Plan for a particular project.  The third detailed a specific Plan for an ongoing project, and the fourth meeting -- you guessed it -- included an Overview & Status Update on a current project!

In each of these instances, the words of my mother ring true: "Better to overdo than underdo."

In the case of the Master Plan, we know the additional expenses and change-orders that arise in the absence of pre-planning can be exorbitant.  In the cases of Project Plans and ongoing Status Updates, I am reminded of the carpenter's colloquialism, "Measure twice, cut once."

This very day, our Senate is wrestling with an Economic Recovery Package/Stimulus Plan.  If our lawmakers are not careful, they might very well make things worse.  (a big surprise for some of you, i'm sure.  unfathomable, isn't it?)  Harvard economist Martin Feldstein commented the other day, "$800 Billion is a terrible thing to waste."  And Larry Summers (controversial former President of Harvard University and current Director of the National Economic Council in the Obama Administration) commented that whatever government does, it should be "targeted, timely, and temporary."  Amen.

To my way of thinking, I like the potentially paradoxical combination of these three ideas:

1. Better to overdo than underdo.

2. Measure twice, cut once.

3. When rescuing, be targeted, timely, and temporary.

A dear friend of mine, who today is wildly successful in every sense of the word, grew up impoverished.  Many years ago, as he and I were discussing welfare and the like, he commented, "The poor need a helping hand, not a handout.  Just facilitate, don't rescue.  It preserved my pride and gave me all I needed -- opportunity and access."

As leaders, this crisis is alchemy -- the opportunity to take ordinary parts and create an extraordinary whole through the right combination of support + access.  What began as a mortgage collapse exacerbated by credit default swaps and a full-scale financial and economic embolism provides a phenomenal OPPORTUNITY for the United States to right the ship.  But haste makes waste, and while there is very little time remaining to 'move quickly,' it's key that whatever will be done... be done well.  Otherwise, we'll simply add insult to injury and worsen an already complicated morass.

But from the individual perspective, which is the only one we control, I propose we focus on doing right in all the little things; erring on the side of exceeding customer expectations, building strong and informed plans (pre-thinking as much as possible), and being targeted and timely.  

Like a child's training wheels, they've got to come off some day.  Our responsibility is to ready the rider for independence so he/she can perform beyond our existence... and this can most effectively happen when we err on the side of "pre-habilitation and pre-planning," lest we remain forever in the process of "re-habilitation and rescue."

Like food coloring or plastic surgery, if we're not careful -- we'll add just one drop too many; perform one surgery too many -- and create an unintentionally eugenicized country that was neither what we settled, nor what our founding fathers set out to create.

In this time when 'psychology trumps the economy,' our Group embarked on a research project that involved interviewing a number of executives.  In short, we wanted to know, "How 'ya doin'?  How's the morale, the focus, the organization at large?"

Though not particularly surprising, the findings are certainly interesting and instructive for many of us.  The results are trimodal, with three distinct 'camps' emerging within this representative sample.  Some of the organizations are:

1. COUNTDOWNERS.  These leaders and organizations are fixed on the countdown clock as it ticks to Zero.  They perceive an organizational-apocalypse of sorts; the end is near.  They hope to divest, sell, be acquired... and are meticulously dismantling their organization for bankruptcy or closure.

2. TREADERS.  These businesses are treading water; biding time.  They hope to emerge healthier one day, but don't know if... how... or when.  They are hopeful yet realistic, and are exerting a great deal of energy to survive.  They describe battle fatigue, a bunker/siege/foxhole mentality, and difficulty leading through ambiguity.

3. GROWERS.  These organizations are engaged in due diligence.  They are reorganized, lean, and hungry.  They are searching for and gobbling up as many weak competitors as possible for pennies on the dollar.  Their leanness will morph into plumpness as they continue to hire and expand their proverbial 'footprint.'

I'm not sure which of these three camps most adequately describes your organization, but I wanted to offer a few thoughts for all of us in these Turbulent Times.  Think of these ideas as a sort of People Prescription to Foster Resiliency:

1)First, during turbulence and severe negative stress ('Distress' or 'Crisis'), we generally see 10% of the population ascend to lead.  In other words, they take charge.  We see another 10% of the population panic.  And we see 80% of the population waiting for leadership.  Those individuals who possess a Plan always fare better than those lacking a plan or waiting on leadership.  So regardless your position in an organization, be engaged, have a plan, and collaborate with others to execute.

2)Second, understand that most 'survivors' (whether experiencing PTSD or more benign distress) share six common characteristics.  They are (a)Hardy, (b)Interested & Alert, (c)Confident & Expectant, (d)Goal-Oriented, (e)Joyful, and (f)Peaceful.  A very interesting mix, indeed.  Both goal-oriented and expectant yet peaceful.  This, by the way, is also indicative of mature adults.  And by that, I don't mean age.

3)Third, the most resilient people behave in four particular ways during distress.  (a)They exhibit a 'Sense of Coherence.'  This means they perceive that crises make sense, they understand them, and though they may not like them, they remain rational.  (b)They believe they possess the Skills and Capacity to adapt to distress.  (c)They are Engaged and Accepting of Change.  And (d)they participate in Active Problem-Solving.  They participate and create their solutions and options, rather than wait longingly for a rescuer.

4)Fourth, and as important as anything mentioned thus far, great survivors and performers on the battlefield (a)have strong Support Mechanisms (e.g., Friends & Family) and (b)purposefully Refresh their Life Objectives/Goals on the return to normalcy.  In other words, they don't curl into a fetal position indefinitely; instead -- they RISE.

5)And finally, leaders and employees who survive and ultimately thrive often experience a supportive organization that is (a)Accessible, (b)Collaborative, and which (c)Creates Transcendent Goals that put the business's crisis in perspective and provide a rallying stake for all.

In summary then, whether your Employer is 'Countdowning' or 'Treading Water' or 'Growing,' we can all be wiser and more successful by studying the behavior of those in Crisis.   

A business associate forwarded this to me, and I found it worth sharing.

I remain amazed at the treasure trove that is the world wide web.

If you are an entrepreneur, you should check this site regularly.  You never know what great ideas may stimulate your brain:

http://springwise.com/

A fun little snippet about Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach, and how he has revolutionized college ball.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/31/60minutes/main4694714.shtml  

While some of you might appreciate this less than others, there are a number of you who will -- and you know who you are! -- absolutely love this series with Marcus Buckingham on Oprah, taking participants through his materials for these difficult times.

http://www.oprah.com/article/money/career/pkgmarcus/20080401_orig_marcusbuckingham_course

Enjoy or ignore; I've done my part by pointing! 

I won't mischaracterize this as a 'book review,' because it's not.

But I encourage you to read The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb.  Not because you'll particularly agree with it, or enjoy his obvious though constantly denied hubris, but because the book is required reading for anyone involved in triaging the recent economic hemorrhages that have occurred on Wall & Main Streets.

The Black Swan is indeed provocative and fun, however, and you'll enjoy a number of Taleb's stories and metaphors, not the least of which involves an over-confident turkey.

Here is Taleb's home page:

http://www.fooledbyrandomness.com/ 

And here he is on my beloved Charlie Rose:

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/9713 

Given the amount of change occurring around us, I have noticed a marked 'uptick' in the number of requests to facilitate 're-organization.'  In short, many companies and organizations are forced 'to do more with less.'

In light of this need, I submit a brief White Paper that may help.  It is merely one of many required 'stakes in the ground,' but it is indeed one.

Happy Reading.

TBLG_WhitePaper_OrganizationalDesignElements_12-01-2008.pdf (256.63 kb)

“Leverage a distinctive brand plus coffee buying, production, and marketing systems to achieve premium pricing and global dominance....”

When in reality, their strategic intent says:

“Sell back to a busy customer the 20 minutes each day she will look forward to the most....”  

Thanks for the great example, J.P.

Wow, these are tough times.  What a rough week...

In the past few days, three people in our '1° of separation circle' have died, and a fourth is in the hospital.  All from natural, though unexpected, traumatic, and difficult-to-accept causes.  It's just surreal....

And literally TODAY, two dear friends have uprooted their families and departed to far-flung destinations to 'try again.'  To rebuild anew -- new jobs, new locations, new circumstances... refreshed dreams.  Good for you, dear friends, and may -- (as they say in Ireland) -- the road rise up to meet you.

I have yet another friend who is applying to HBS for a Fall '09 start.  I think that's a great strategy -- there is less occurring in the way of business than usual; might as well use the fallow period to learn and plant deeper, knowledge-drenched roots.  You go, girl!

But alas, for those on the homefront, experiencing loss or change or transition or burnout, remember the wisdom of so many who preceded us: The low-performers will generally perform even lower during stressful times; be vigilant and mindful that during this time when we must all 'do the most with the least,' that we do not relent.

An enormous, 25-year-long meta-analysis published recently (that included interviews with over 1,000,000 employees and 80,000 managers across 400 U.S. based companies) revealed that 80% of U.S. managers spend approximately 2/3rds of their time on the 'lowest performers in the organization.'

Do you know what this means?  It means the rewards for High Performers are twofold: Overwork and Abandonment. 

So, during difficult times, when you may feel that your shoulder is being rubbed to the nub, stay alert.  Invest in the High Performers also, because even the slightest improvements in THEIR performance can often yield geometric improvements when compared to the contributions of C players.  After all, a 10% improvement in a $1,000,000 salesperson is equivalent to a 200% improvement in a $50,000 salesperson... and these could be the literal trade-offs and results when you invest the same number of hours with each.

Of course, we shall not abandon those who struggle -- every organization has a bell-curve, and we all find ourselves at the wrong tail every now and again.  But nor should we accept or perpetuate Overwork and Abandonment as the spoils of high performance.