Archive | 2005

Is The #1 Job Of A Leader Appreciation?

by on November 12, 2005 in Work

Anita Sharpe at the Worthwhile blog offered a simple question that’s sure to elicit some diverse and dynamic discussion: What’s the #1 job of a leader? According to Boeing, it’s Appreciation.

Here’s the comment I left:

Hmmm…interesting. I’ll both agree and disagree with that.

I’ll agree with the importance of showing appreciation to those
around you. And add that “showing” isn’t enough. A leader must
elaborate on what they appreciate while at the same time making it
about the other person. Instead of saying, “You did a great job on that
project,” say, “Here’s what I liked about what you did” The latter is
specific and allows for the other person to make their own meaning from
the appreciative feedback.

Now, for a disagreement…I think the #1 job of a leader is to connect
the thoughts and actions of others to a larger goal. You can show
appreciation all day, but does it move others in a new direction? Or
does it merely reflect where they are right now? The great leaders of
people take reality, stretch it to create a dynamic future, then make
it seem both challenging and possible to attain. Appreciation will be
simply one of the tools to get there.

Fight Or Flight: More Thoughts

by on November 11, 2005 in Career

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post called Fight or Flight about A.G. Lafley’s experience with trying to figure out when to leave a company. In a recent post called How To Know When To Change Jobs, Steven Kempton offers a complementary point of focus:

Quite often a change does help but it can be temporary. They change
jobs and feel happy for a little while and then use the same underlying
excuse to start looking again. However I do think there is one way to
cut out this nonsense. BE CLEAR ON YOUR PURPOSE

He follows with six questions to help us determine if it’s the right time to fly toward greener pastures. They’re particularly good because they take into account that truly soulful work has meaning. And the current challenges we might experience could be formative to our character rather than degenerative.

If you’re thinking that it’s time to leave your job, step back and get tough on yourself. Ask some hard questions. The answers might not always be pretty, but they could actually lead to a more transformative future.

All The Cool Mediators Are Doing It

by on November 9, 2005 in Business

The reason I went on my trip to New England last week was to spend a day with a great chapter of my association and attend their annual conference. What I expected to do was talk with its leaders and members and share what we can do to further improve our organizational relationship. What I didn’t expect was to walk away with some pretty profound experiences.

In the past few months, I’ve come to learn about mediation as a practice and a profession. I’ve also gained a great deal of respect for those who mediate disputes (prior to landing at my current gig, I tried to mediate a staff conflict and discovered how difficult it is to do well). In a culture that seems to idolize the act of litigation, mediation is just a better way.

During the conference, I was able to attend a few sessions. One of the coolest was a workshop focused on helping practitioners use blogging as a marketing tool. It was led by three prominent bloggers in the field (which you really need to visit and read):

An added bonus was that Tammy Lenski, author of Strategic Conversations, was there, too. To be honest, it was the first time that I’ve managed to find myself in a room with more than two bloggers in it (including myself) so this workshop experience was particularly neat.

Folks like them and other legal bloggers like Arnie Herz at Legal Sanity give the world of law a truly good name.

Sure He’s A Jerk, But He’s An All-Star Jerk

by on November 8, 2005 in Work

Terrell_owensOh the saga that is the life of Terrell Owens. For those who don’t follow football, he’s the fellow that seems to find fresh and unique ways to piss off teammates and coaches regardless of which team he’s on. He’s the guy who takes self-centeredness to new heights. While many athletes can be considered prima donnas, he finds himself in a class all to himself (well, he might share a cab with Keyshawn Johnson and Randy Moss).

Here’s the problem: if he was just a loud mouthed, obnoxious jerk who couldn’t catch a pass, that would be one thing. But he’s a talented wide receiver who can make plays for your team. The question is…would you want him on your favorite team?

To perhaps bring it closer to home, would you want someone like him on your workteam? Imagine an individual with a volatile personality, but an incredible talent for selling that could take your company to the next level. You would have a dynamic all-star, but someone who might disrupt the team’s culture. Would the gamble be worth it?

But It Sounded Good When The Consultant Said It

by on November 7, 2005 in Work

I’ve written before about my aversion to those who admonish us to "think outside the box." Now, I have a brilliant Thatcherite retort:

If you still say ‘Think Outside the Box’ you don’t.

Thanks, Adrian for pointing me to the results of Nick Usbourne’s brilliant contest to protest business jargon BS. Tomorrow morning, I’ll be the one saying to my colleagues:

Shift my paradigm before I have had my morning coffee and I will core your competencies.