2-26-10 Are Safety and Growth Mutually Exclusive?

I don’t personally believe that they are, but in reading current headlines, one has to wonder if Toyota (a venerable company) has demonstrated that, yes, they are mutually exclusive.

If you have followed the news, Toyota says that the problems stem from taking their eye off of the quality (and hence, safety) ball as they rapidly grew. Now this is a company that has been in business for 50 years. They’ve been growing for a very long time….. And have had good quality for a very long time. And when you think about the criticality of a safe car in all of our little worlds, you have to wonder how they could let it happen.

Perhaps I’m biased because of the industry where I spent most of my working life. In the aerospace industry, believe me, we ALL take it personally when a plane falls out of the sky, regardless of the cause. When we design and build airplanes, safety is our first, middle, and last thought of the day. Oh yea, I used to get aggravated with the engineers when they would add in what we factory guys called “chicken rivets” to an area of the plane we were building. They were there “just in case” something adverse happened say, 30 years down the road. But then I would remind myself that my mom or my brother might be getting on that airplane during its service life. All of a sudden the chicken rivets would seem like a very good idea.

So how does the aerospace industry do it? Companies like Airbus and Boeing have been in business for a looong time, and having been growing during a majority of that time. And still they manage to build quality into their products every day. Interestingly enough, in the past 15 or so years, they have both learned a lot about quality and safety from Toyota and the car industry. And it all comes down to process. Establishing reliable, repeatable processes for every step of the way --- from engineering to manufacturing to in-service support. Then once the processes are established, following them religiously. And when the processes break, learning what went wrong and updating them to make them better. And when the processes aren’t broken? Analyzing and updating them to make them better.

The processes are designed to not only improve the airplanes but also to assure that they don’t fall out of the sky, and also to ensure that the company can produce them faster (hence growing). And when they aren’t followed, it has the potential to create a massive stain on the entire industry.

So my take on this whole Toyota problem isn’t that they grew too fast. It was most likely because they took their eye off of their proven processes or didn’t recognize that they had broken processes. My belief is that you can have growth without sacrificing quality and safety.

Cheers!

2-24-10 Lessons from the Olympics

If you are like me, and probably billions of other people, you have spent a fair amount of time watching the Olympics. And while I mostly watch it just for the joy of watching world-class athletes in action, I must admit that I’ve also been drawing some parallels with the functions of the executive. There are a few things that come to mind for me…….

Bad things will happen in your life. Think of the ice skater whose mother died unexpectedly of a heart attack a couple of days ago. I watched her perform last night. Gotta tell ya that while my heart was going out to her, I was also admiring her poise and ability to go on. We will all be faced with either physical or emotional catastrophes in our lives. How we handle them says a lot about our abilities to handle crises as an executive. Remember, it IS okay to show emotions. It ISN’T okay to let them cripple us.

You are going to wipe out occasionally. All we have to do is watch the skiers or skaters and realize that. And while, as executives, our wipe outs aren’t generally physical….. We will all have occasions where we go down in flames at work. What happened the last time your brilliant idea was publicly shot down at work? Did you abandon it, even though you KNEW it was the right thing to do? Or did you dust yourself off and figure out a different avenue for implementing the idea?

Endurance vs. sprinting. The Olympics events demonstrate that there are endurance racers and there are sprint racers. As an executive, you have to be both. For example, when implementing a culture change, you have to be an endurance executive. Or when fixing a line-stopping problem, you have to be a sprint executive. Both skills are equally important for the executive. And if you get to be better at one over the other, you will likely find yourself pigeon-holed as the “guy that fixes line problems” or the “guy that is good at policy changes”. And while being pigeon-holed isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can limit the opportunities that you will be given.

It doesn’t hurt to be a class act. I’m thinking of the snowboarder, Shawn White, here. He was the last one to go on the second/final run. He had already won the gold with his scores on the first run. He could’ve played it safe and just boarded down the middle of the pipe, but he didn’t. Instead, he gave the fans a helluva a run. One that included the unveiling of a new trick. That’s a class act --- thinking of others and giving them what they came to see.

A little pageantry is good for everyone. From the opening ceremony to the medal award ceremonies, the Olympics has major pageantry. Beyond the show it puts on for all of us, think about what it does for the athletes -- the celebration of what is to come, the celebration of winning, the national pride. When is the last time you had an all-out, over-the-top celebration for your people? The closest I’ve come is a first airplane roll-out or a first jig load. The aerospace industry DOES know how to celebrate, when appropriate….. With music, smoke, light shows, suspense, and unveiling. As an employee at these celebrations, the pride I feel is huge. And I know from experience, that those around me really appreciate the effort and expense that the company goes to in order to create the pageantry.

Being the best in the world is pretty darned cool. I can only imagine what those athletes must be feeling when they stand on the podium and receive their gold medal. For that moment in time, they are the absolute best in the world at what they do. The closest I’ve come to that is during my research phase for my PhD. One of my committee members/professors told me that when I completed my dissertation, at that particular moment in time, I would be the person that knows the most about my particular subject. That I would be the best in the world. Gotta tell you, that feels pretty darned good. So what are you doing to prepare for your moment of being the best in the world?

Cheers!

2-22-10 Did ya notice?

Did ya notice….. That you can give me feedback on this blog? I’ve created two ways for you to do this. First, you can leave me a comment or observation or even question! To get to the comment box, just click on the title for the blog entry that you want to comment on. At the bottom of the entry, it will give you a place to enter and post your comment. You don’t have to be registered on the site. Just tell me what you think.

Another way for you to give me feedback are the “voting boxes” at the bottom of each post. There are three choices: helpful, surprising, and duh. While not as descriptive as a comment, it does give me an idea of what you are thinking about what I’m writing.

Now on to the real reason for this post…… If you are an executive, you likely have an assistant. Did ya notice today what he or she did to make your life easier or better? It is easy to fall into the trap of taking our assistants for granted. Mostly because they operate behind the scenes --- quietly taking care of business, without a lot of fanfare.

I’ve been particularly blessed with assistants. First, blessed because I’ve had one for years (trust me, since retirement, I’ve keenly felt the lack!). And second, because each of my assistants had become an integral part of my life.

I know that some people still say “secretary”. But in my mind, the position is WAY more than that. It isn’t just typing, answering the phone, taking messages, taking dictation. For me, an assistant is an integral part of my work life. He or she is the one person that takes on all of the things that no one else seems to be able to do (or what to do).

For example, it is when I go to him/her and say I need to go to Toulouse. And she understands my travel preferences so well that my travel plan looks like something that I would have spent hours on, trying to get it just right. And she likely did it in minutes.

Or it is when I hand her a few pages of bullet points and say, “I need a presentation. I don’t know what I want. I’ll know it when I see it.” And she is able to create a pitch that fits both my style and my audience. And…. She is patient as I tweak and tweak…. Often coming right back to where she had it in the first place!

So no, today isn’t Secretary’s Day or Administrative Assistants’ Day. What I’m suggesting is that in addition to an annual recognition, you should notice and acknowledge the importance of your administrative assistant in your life EVERY DAY. Did ya notice today what he or she did to make your life easier or better?

Cheers!

2-20-10 Tiger and His Apology

We all saw Tiger Woods apologize today. I know, some of you don’t care, but the fact is, it DOES matter to many people. For me, I’ve always felt that it was none of my business what he (or any other public figure) does in his personal life. But….. There all things that we, as executives, can learn from his debacle. Some of which I’ve mentioned here before, but all of which bear repeating.

First, apologize when you hurt someone. Fortunately, most of us won’t ever have to do it in front of the cameras like Tiger just did. But the fact is, there will be times in our lives that we have to apologize for our behavior. Part of the apology is making sure that you clearly take the blame --- and not shifting it to others. Tiger was perhaps a bit late with his apology (at least in public). Apologies are always better served early rather that late.

Second, no one is entitled to anything. Let me repeat that, we ARE NOT entitled to anything (1-25-10 Shoulda Told Me #5). Tiger admitted that he had gone beyond playing by the rules, feeling that he was entitled to live the life he had created. He is certainly paying the price now. Granted, most people don’t always play by the rules. Yep, I’m guilty of that too. The difference is that successful executives are VERY careful as to which rules they flout. And, they work diligently to change the rules that are stupid, or useless, or outdated.

Third, your private life is never quite as private as you think it is. For Tiger and for many executives there is a constant blurring of the line between private and public lives. There is a very fine line between the two (2-10-10 A Fine Line), where your personal or private life will ultimately reflect on your public life.

As a corollary, I have been impressed by Tiger’s attempt to shield his family from the public glare. He is absolutely right, his wife and kids shouldn’t have to suffer the public scrutiny because of his mistakes or even because of his success. For the executive, how many of you have drug your spouse to events because “it must be done”? Sure, there are times when our families need to participate in our professional lives. But remember, your career is your choice, not theirs.

Fourth, Tiger demonstrated that it is okay to get help. Whether it is a professional, structured program or friends or your pastor or your spouse, it doesn’t matter. What matters is reaching out to someone that can give you perspective and, if necessary, the whack upside the head. (2-8-10 Shoulda Told Me #6).

Fifth, Tiger talked about seeking balance in his life, between the public, the private, the spiritual, etc. As a public figure or as an executive, this is a difficult task to do. But with balance between our jobs, our home, our church, our volunteerism, our school, etc., we will truly are better people to be around. (2-17-10 Balance)

And finally, you have to have a plan for the future. This is especially true for when you make a mistake. Perhaps Tiger was a little thin on his future plans in today’s press conference, but you could see the beginnings of his plan. And even when we aren’t working off a mistake, a vision/plan is still critical. As I’ve mentioned before, the skills related to setting a vision are the exclusive purview of the executive (1-8-10 I Have a Dream). This is not something that you can delegate to anyone else. And, having a plan applies in your personal life as well as your professional life.

Cheers!

2-17-10 Balance

Okay, show of hands here. How many of you have a large vacation or paid time off balance? By that, I mean a balance equal to or larger than what you earn each year. Really? Why?

If you raised your hand, or if you cheated and didn’t…… well, perhaps you should give some thought to having a bit more balance in your life. An enormous paid time off balance can be an indicator that things are out of whack.

Yeah, I know, in today’s environment it is hard to think of being away. What if they figure out they don’t need me? What about all those darned emails that will stack up in my absence? What about the opportunities I will miss?

And add to this the fact that, in our culture, we are all defined by what we do. When you meet someone new, isn’t one of the first bits of data exchanged about your jobs and what you do?

But at what price? If you are defined by your job, that is pretty limiting. Most of us are much more than our jobs. We are parents, children, volunteers, etc. And that is what our paid time off is for. To nurture and expand those other roles.

And honestly, it doesn’t hurt your chances at work. When I had employees asking for vacation, my first thought was how I could accommodate them. And while they were gone (I mean, really, what is one or two weeks in the grand scheme of work?!?), I didn’t forget them and I didn’t pass them by for opportunities. And probably, most important, I realized how important they were to me and to the organization.

And finally, most people need variety in their lives. When you only work and do your job, how does the rest of your life look? For example, I learned via an assessment (more about those in a later post), that I have a creative side. No surprise to me there as I have been a life-long crafter. What brought it into perspective is when I finally realized that I needed to MAKE time for those creative endeavors outside of work. I wouldn’t ever get the creative satisfaction I needed from my job. And when I got that satisfaction, I was a better person at work and at home.

Having said all of that, I was guilty of an enormous balance too! When I finally retired, I had maxed out on my paid time off. And while the payoff was certainly nice there at the end, I suspect that I could’ve been a better executive had I taken a little more of that time off during my career -- if I had some more balance in my life. I realize that when our lives are more balanced, we are better employees, parents, children, volunteers --- just better all around.

Cheers!

2-15-10 The President

Happy President’s Day! This holiday has me pondering the whole idea of being a president. I’ve always wondered why anyone would want to be the President of the United States. And if I separate the policies from the person, I’ve always admired those folks that actually have the fortitude to be the President.

And while most of us will never be the President of the United States, or a president of a company, or even a president of a local special interest group (think president of the knitting circle) --- there are things that we can all learn by watching these presidents. And I’m NOT talking politics here!

If you go back to my model of executive skills and traits (12-30-09 Morphing to a Model), you can see that any of these presidential position holders exhibit most, if not all, of these skills and traits. But today, some stand out in my mind.

First, in order to become a president, you have to set a vision for whatever organization or group you want to lead (1-8-10 I Have a Dream). Our presidential campaigns do a great job of giving the candidates the opportunity to lay out this vision. (Even though we all get REALLY tired of the campaign by the time elections finally roll around!) For the president in the corporate world, setting the vision is probably the most important function that this particular executive will perform.

Second, the president is ALWAYS under the microscope or in the glare of the media (2-10-10 A Fine Line). As a president of a nation or even a president of a company, you can never separate your personal life from your public life. You are always “on”. No doubt that this can be wearing to the individual. But, in the case of our President, it is a choice that he has made…. And has to deal with.

Third, when you are president, everyone is a critic and an expert on your job. You have to work with supporters and detractors. You can’t ignore either of them as both sides are required to make your vision come true. You must have a network that you can go to in order to put the policies and decisions in place. As president, you aren’t the “doer” of the organization or the nation. The executive execution skills are critical here (1-13-10 Execution Skills -- Now go DO something!) as are the networking skills (1-4-10 Let’s Talk).

And finally, as president of anything, don’t expect immediate satisfaction. It isn’t like being the mechanic that builds a 737 every 6 hours. The president of an organization can’t expect to see results in the short-term. He/she can only be persistent (1-18-10 Executive Traits) and follow his/her vision. And if fortunate, will see the results by the end of his/her term.

So while most of us will never be a president, we can definitely learn something from observing the President of the United States, the president of a company, or even the president of our homeowner’s association. And even better, we can take those learnings and apply it to our own executive position.

Cheers!

2-12-10 What do YOU have on?

It doesn’t matter what you wear to work, right? WRONG. I’ve seen so many women dressed inappropriately at work that I just HAVE to say something. As a woman, it really DOES matter what you wear to work. (MEN -- don’t stop reading here. This applies to you as well!)

I’m sure that you’ve heard the advice. At minimum, dress appropriately for the job you have. And ideally, dress for the job that you want. Well that advice is fine and dandy, but how the heck do you apply it? Let me give you a couple of examples.

On my first day in manufacturing (I was the business manager for a business unit), I showed up in my normal skirt and heels. Heck, that is basically what I had worn to my job(s) in Finance for the last 10 years. What WAS I thinking?!?!? After criss-crossing the factory multiple times, I soon learned that pants and flats were more appropriate for my current job. Why? For one thing, my feet were killing me by the end of the day. All that concrete! And for another thing, I was a bit of a novelty back then --- one of only a handful of women in manufacturing management (more on that in another post). So you might imagine that, combined with a skirt, was a bit of a distraction in the factory. People would say, but “yea, you have an office job”. Sure I did, but it was one that took me to the factory frequently. So I needed to dress appropriately.

And a more recent example. As I’ve gotten older, I suppose that my attire has gotten more conservative. Recently, we had been hiring quite a few younger personnel to the company (a good thing, let me assure you!). One day I was looking around at some of the young ladies (I mean really, were they even old enough to have a drivers license?! ), and found myself thinking, “Good grief, hasn’t anyone told them how inappropriate their attire is??”

Before opening my mouth, I stepped back and gave it some consideration. I discovered a couple of things. First. Yes, some of them were dressed inappropriately -- shirts cut to low on top or too high on the bottom. Too much skin exposed. Entirely inappropriate for work. Second, some of them were dressed entirely appropriate for their age. Perhaps it wasn’t something that I would have chosen, but that’s no surprise. I’m 50 and they are 25. So we are bound to have different ideas on dress. But I realized that they were dressed in the style of their age group and in such a way that they didn’t really distract from their abilities.

I learned from this example that there is a fine line. You CAN dress in the current style for your age group and still be dressed appropriately for work.

Originally this post was designed for the women readers in the audience. But after re-thinking, I realize that it is appropriate for the men in the audience as well. Admittedly, men have more limited options with their work attire, but the idea that they should dress appropriately for their job still applies -- whether that means jeans and a polo or a suit and tie. And, if you are a male executive, it is highly likely that you will have women in your organization. You need to know what is appropriate for their attire AND you have to be prepared to coach those women that don’t quite meet the grade on their clothing.

Cheers!

2-10-10 A Fine Line

As much as many (most?) executives would like to separate their personal and professional lives, it just doesn’t work that way. What you do or say in your personal life can have a direct impact on your professional or work life. Think I’m crazy about that? Well, consider this.

Let’s say you go out after work with some peers. And there is that one person that always drinks just a little (or a lot!) too much. Talks a little too loud. Laughs a little too hard. Tells off-color jokes. You know who I’m talking about --- we’ve all seen that person. Is that so bad? Yea, probably. Why? Because in all likelihood, it doesn’t happen just once. It happens time and time again. And because it is likely that, even though the evening out is between peers, the behavior will get back to the bosses and decision-makers in the company. Do you think this behavior crosses their minds when they work on promotions. I guarantee you that it does. If you are that person, it is likely that you have or will be passed over for promotion or opportunities because of this.

Here’s another example. Let’s say you are out to dinner with a spouse. And for whatever reason, you end up being rude to the server. Think people don’t notice? You are wrong. And while it may not happen that particular time, there will be times that your behavior is seen be someone you work with. You probably won’t even notice they are there. But it is a small world, and sooner or later, your behavior will be observed by someone that can make an impact on your professional life. If you are that observer, wouldn’t you think twice about promoting a person that can’t work well with others?

And finally a more benign example. It really used to irritate me when I was at the gym, working hard on the stairmaster, and one of my employees would corner me to talk about work. I mean, really, I was there to work out and forget work! But I finally realized that my job didn’t stop when I walked out of the factory door. That there would be many times in my life when the line was blurred. That there would be employees/peers/bosses/customers that were more comfortable talking to me in a setting away from work. What they had to say was important to them and for me, I often learned very valuable information if I would just stop and listen. And most important, I finally realized that was part of my job!

So yes, it is a very fine line between your professional life and your personal life. And as an executive, your personal life reflects on your public or professional life. What does your personal life say about your executive capabilities and tendencies?

Cheers!

2-8-10 Shoulda Told Me #6

For those of you that are new to this blog, I should explain that periodically I will take a side trip down what I call the “someone shoulda told me” bunny trail. This is my way of explaining those little lessons that I often learned the hard way or from observations of others’ behaviors as I was going through my career.

In today’s installment, I want to explore an important relationship at work. And no, I don’t mean your relationship with your boss -- altho’ that is VERY important. No, I’m talking about the relationship you have with (usually) one person -- the person that listens to everything you have to say. I’m talking about your “sounding board”. Someone shoulda told me that every executive needs a sounding board.

Why? Well for one reason, there will definitely be times that you need someone to vent to. You are going to disagree with policies. You will be upset with co-workers, subordinates, or bosses. You will just need to rant --- and get it out of your system. For another reason, you will periodically need a dose of reality. You need someone that can tell you when you are being unrealistic or even an idiot.

Who should it be? Well obviously, it must be someone that you can implicitly trust to hold your conversations in strict confidence. It should also be someone that is a very good listener, while at the same time, someone who can get through your rant to the gist of the issue --- and point it out to you. It should be someone that understands your situation, your company, and your co-workers.

There can be issues related to any person that you choose for this roll. (And make no mistake, YOU should choose your sounding board -- with careful thought. Don’t just fall into this relationship.) For some, that person is a spouse. In fact, that is probably true for all of us. But the problem here is that your spouse often doesn’t really understand the nuances of the organization simply because he/she doesn’t work in the organization.

For some, it is a work peer. Someone in a different organization, and someone that is on the same level as the executive. The issue here is that someday, one of you could be promoted or moved such that there is a day-to-day working relationship. Think about how much baggage you would both be bringing along from those past conversations!

And of course, your sounding board could also be someone outside of your organization, but still in the industry. Again, the issue is that this person wouldn’t necessarily understand the intricacies of your organization.

I was lucky enough to have an executive coach --- who also became a friend --- as my sounding board. Even though she was a company-paid employee, I trusted her implicitly. I could share any information with her and know that it stayed in the room with us. And most important to me, I knew she would give me the figurative “slap upside the head” when I was being an idiot or expecting the impossible. She made me stop and think. And finally, she always gave me sage advice….. Advice that fit with my situation, my company, and my abilities. Can’t ask for much more than that.

So how do you find a sounding board? I would suggest that you look first in your HR organization. Do they have an executive coaching program? If so, sign up. You might have to talk to several potential coaches before you find “the one”. And if they don’t offer a specific program, oftentimes you will find a few HR reps that have some training in this area. Talk to them. Ask them if they would participate. Then try it out.

Cheers!

2-5-10 The Executive Sleuth

I’ve been reading a fair amount of fiction here lately. Yea, when you are retired, you actually DO have time to read. It’s wonderful. Anyway, I seem to be stuck on murder mysteries lately. But not just any type….. Only the ones where the featured character is an amateur or unwilling or even inept sleuth. Think Janet Evanovich or Susan Wittig Albert.

At the gym today, I was pondering the correlation of the sleuth to the executive. Believe me, at the gym, you can make any kind of connection just to make the time pass more quickly! And I realized that there are a few intersections between what one of the amateur sleuths do in my books with what an executive does in real life.

For example, in the books, the amateur sleuth works very hard to gather what seems to be random bits of information. There are two key elements here…. The amateur sleuth works hard by communicating (1-4-10 Let‘s Talk). More specifically polling her network of informants, listening to what they have to say, and filing the info away for future use. This is what an executive does, both in problem-solving mode and in day-to-day activities.

The second key element is random bits of information. I mean, really, in those books the amateur sleuth is bombarded by seeming random bits of data that she will ultimately use to solve the murder. And while an executive rarely has to solve a murder, he/she is bombarded with random bits of data all day long. The issue for the executive is to synthesize the data such that it is meaningful and useful in the business (1-13-10 Execution Skills -- Now go DO something!)

Another intersection between the amateur sleuth and the executive is less obvious. Oftentimes, in my mystery books, the sleuth will simply blunder into information that she doesn’t want to know (TMI!), or into a situation where she doesn’t want to be, or even blunder into the “aha” moment where she unmasks the killer.

Unfortunately, we executives often blunder into things as well. Despite what some would have you believe, executives aren’t perfect. Just listen to the media! It’s what we do with our blunders that make a difference between a successful executive and one that isn’t. Let’s say you blunder into some adverse information about a co-worker or a customer or a supplier. What do you do about? In my experience, most executives stick their head in the sand and ignore it. Is that the right thing to do? Well, it depends on the information. Some information is best ignored. But other information, that say, impacts your company, must be acted upon. Many execs don’t have the nerve to do this.

A final observation about the sleuth in my books. Since a good, satisfying read is a requirement for these books, the amateur sleuth always pulls together the random data, which leads to the culprit and neatly solves the crime by the end of the book. Unfortunately, for the executive, it isn’t usually that neat. Business is messy. The data doesn’t always lead us the right direction. Our gut instincts sometimes fail us. And at the end of the day, we don’t always solve the mystery or problem. But that’s okay, because real life in business isn’t fiction!

Cheers!

2-3-10 Executive Lessons in Sports

I am a sports fan. Okay, I don’t love all sports. And I don’t follow sports so closely that I can tell you stats about them. But I do love watching many sports. And I did suffer withdrawal last weekend because the football season is over. And yes, I do actually watch golf on tv. Go figure.

In watching all the publicity (some would say hype) about the Superbowl, I got to thinking about what the executive could learn from sports. I realized that there is a lot to be learned, but three things stand out in my mind. Interestingly, they correlate with my favorite sports. Imagine that.

First, is football. There was a ton of discussion in the media (and I’m sure at the water cooler) about Brett Favre this past football season. The general consensus is that he was REALLY old to be playing football. And while he didn’t take his team to the Superbowl, he did lead his team to the post season. Think that’s not a big deal? Well, look at how many teams didn’t make it to the post season. It IS a big deal.

So what can an executive learn from Favre’s and the Vikings’ example? Don’t forget your “older players”. All you have to do is look around you and you will know who I’m talking about. It is that first-level manager that has been there 25 years and has very low turnover in his/her organization. Or it is that mechanic that has been there 40 years -- still doing the same job, reliably, every day. Or it is that programmer that has been there 30 years, who seems to intuitively know where the bug is hiding. Well, you get the idea. It is easy to overlook these fixtures in your business. But believe me, when they are gone, you will fell the full impact.

The second sport that teaches me a lesson in executive management is baseball. I adore baseball, but I sure do hate many things that are happening in the sport. The biggest beef I have is with the abuse of the fan trust in the sport at the professional level these days. Recent news about Mark McGuire is a prime example. First he denied drug use and then he came out and said that he lied about his lies. Good grief.

The lesson for the executive? If you make a mistake, man up and admit it. Don’t try to cover it up. Don’t try to slide it off onto someone else. Don’t overplay your admission, but don’t underplay the impact. And then realize that how people treat you and how they interact with you will change, at least for a while. You have to rebuild the trust that you violated.

The final sport is golf. The kickoff last week of the pro tour season got me to thinking about what the executive can learn from golf. Of course, the sport is not without its controversies --- Tiger and his mess or the square groove controversy. But my initial thought when I consider golf is honesty. It is the only sport (that I’m familiar with) where the player calls penalties on him or herself. Of course, on the pro tours, there are rules officials. But they only come into play AFTER the player calls the penalty on him/herself.

For us hackers, yea, we can omit that penalty stroke or improve our lie, but most of us don’t. The integrity of the game depends on each of us being honest about our individual game. And while we don’t always like it, most players tell our playing partners about our mistake when it happens. It goes back to the executive trait of being honest, ethical, and credible.

So this weekend, when you are watching your favorite sport, take the time to ask yourself….. What can I learn about executive skills and traits from this sport? How can apply it to my everyday life? Oh yea, and take time to enjoy the game!

Cheers!

2-1-10 Salute Smartly

I’ve always been a pretty aggressive person. I get an idea or a bee in my bonnet and I go for it. Generally, that has served me well in the work environment. But not always…….

Back when I was a first level manager, I had responsibility for the financial systems in the company. I remember one time where we had an upgrade to one of the systems that the team was proposing. We had done our research and come up with what I considered to be a very elegant solution. We went to the bosses and made our case. I thought it went very well.

What I didn’t realize was the full scope of the available support and funding for the opportunity.

As a result, we were told “no”. Instead, we were told to go do a smaller, less elegant solution. My team and I didn’t agree with this solution. So I went back to make our case again, and again, and again….. Well you get the idea. I was working hard to get approval for something that my team and I thought was the absolute right way to go. I guess that I was more than a little vocal about the situation.

Finally, my boss took me aside. He said, “Look, I really appreciate your passion for this and I really appreciate how you are supporting your team”. But then he went on to say, “Now knock it the hell off”. He wanted me to understand that having passion about your work is a good thing. However, I REALLY needed to learn that once the decision has been made, to quit arguing. That I needed to step back, salute smartly, and support the company line.

He went on to explain that by continuing to argue, I was giving my people false hope that the decision would be reversed. And I was subtlety encouraging them to rebel against what had been decided. Further, there would be times in my work life that I wouldn’t agree with the company position. But that until I was the CEO, I would have to swallow my arguments and support the company decision.

Frankly, that was a difficult lesson to learn. We all like to think that we are right in every situation. And maybe we are. But being right doesn’t trump supporting your company‘s tactics and direction. When it comes right down to it, there are times when you will have to internalize your disagreement and get on with business.

Cheers!