Did you notice in the recent health care legislation vote that not one Republican, in either the House or the Senate, voted for the bill(s)? No, I’m not here to start a debate on the whole health care legislation issue. There are plenty of other political blogs, talking heads, and pols that are gleefully doing that online for you. Instead, I’m here to discuss the whole idea of thinking for yourself.
Given the recent legislation, I find it incredibly hard to believe that not one Republican could agree with the legislation. And that means that at least one of them went against their beliefs in what would be good legislation. To me, that also means that he/she didn’t think for themselves --- that they let other people do their thinking for them.
When it comes to this kind of behavior in the executive ranks, I have a problem with that. Yes, I know, in a previous post I talked about the need sometimes to just shut up and salute smartly (2-1-10 Salute Smartly). But I’ve also talked about the need for the executive to be decisive. In fact, it is the number one skill within the execution function for executives (12-30-09 Morphing to a Model).
As an executive, you are expected to be decisive. And the decisions you will make aren’t typically going to be easy. Hell, if they were easy, someone on down the management chain would have already made the decision. And you can be sure that some of the decisions you make won’t be popular. As I used to tell my guys, that’s okay….. That’s why they issue me the big shoulder pads.
Seriously, you can’t make decisions, particularly on extremely important topics, based on what would be popular or what would curry you favor with your party. You have to make decisions based on: what is right for your company, what is right for your people, and what is right for you.
It is always a balancing act. And sometimes you will be better at it than others. But you have to think it through for yourself and then act appropriately. No hiding behind anyone or any group.
Cheers!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
3-29-10 Tornado!
As I type this, the tornado sirens are going off. Yes, I live smack in the middle of tornado alley. And no, there is not a tornado on the way. Every Monday at noon (weather permitting, of course), the tornado sirens sound off all over our community (and in many of the businesses as well). Why? Well, what good is an emergency system that doesn’t work when you need it? So, each week, we test our system to ensure that it works properly.
So what the heck does a tornado siren have to do with the executive? Emergency preparedness is something that every executive should give some thought to. I realize in my last post about disaster preparedness, I didn’t do a very good job of tying it to the model for executive skills and traits (3-1-10 Earthquakes and Such). And, if you will remember from the executive skills and traits model, within the execution function, there are several relevant skills….. Manage change and ambiguity; Manage fragmentation and rapid pace; Delegation (1-13-10 Execution Skills -- Now go DO something!).
Certainly, in a disaster, you will be managing at a very rapid pace. As the disaster unfolds, you will feel as though you need to be many places at once. And while you can accomplish a lot on your own, you definitely need to have done some prior delegation so that others on your team are effectively executing their part of the plan.
The information you will be getting is going to undoubtedly be fragmented and oftentimes, will be ambiguous. You can’t wait to have perfect data in a disaster. But you can take a moment to do an internal evaluation of the pieces of data. Tuck away those datum that your gut or your brain tells you aren’t relevant for the moment. And then act on the data that you believe is relevant.
Ultimately, in a disaster mode, you are managing change. If you have done your preparations, the change won’t be easy, but it can be manageable.
Of course, many of the other executive skills and traits will come into play as your particular disaster unfolds. You will be called on to communicate both internally and externally. Your people skills will be tested. And your strategy skills, if you have taken the time to put together a disaster recovery strategy, will certainly be demonstrated.
One final word on disaster preparedness and recovery. As I said in my previous post on the subject, you WILL have to deal will a disaster sooner or later. In addition to having a plan or strategy, you have to practice. Remember those fire drills in school? Well, yes, they were important. So important, that you should have translated that practice to your business.
And to answer your question….. Yes, I’ve lived all my life in Kansas. And no, I’ve never seen a tornado on the ground. But, yes, I’ve dealt with the aftermath of one at work. It isn’t fun. But it is survivable.
Cheers!
So what the heck does a tornado siren have to do with the executive? Emergency preparedness is something that every executive should give some thought to. I realize in my last post about disaster preparedness, I didn’t do a very good job of tying it to the model for executive skills and traits (3-1-10 Earthquakes and Such). And, if you will remember from the executive skills and traits model, within the execution function, there are several relevant skills….. Manage change and ambiguity; Manage fragmentation and rapid pace; Delegation (1-13-10 Execution Skills -- Now go DO something!).
Certainly, in a disaster, you will be managing at a very rapid pace. As the disaster unfolds, you will feel as though you need to be many places at once. And while you can accomplish a lot on your own, you definitely need to have done some prior delegation so that others on your team are effectively executing their part of the plan.
The information you will be getting is going to undoubtedly be fragmented and oftentimes, will be ambiguous. You can’t wait to have perfect data in a disaster. But you can take a moment to do an internal evaluation of the pieces of data. Tuck away those datum that your gut or your brain tells you aren’t relevant for the moment. And then act on the data that you believe is relevant.
Ultimately, in a disaster mode, you are managing change. If you have done your preparations, the change won’t be easy, but it can be manageable.
Of course, many of the other executive skills and traits will come into play as your particular disaster unfolds. You will be called on to communicate both internally and externally. Your people skills will be tested. And your strategy skills, if you have taken the time to put together a disaster recovery strategy, will certainly be demonstrated.
One final word on disaster preparedness and recovery. As I said in my previous post on the subject, you WILL have to deal will a disaster sooner or later. In addition to having a plan or strategy, you have to practice. Remember those fire drills in school? Well, yes, they were important. So important, that you should have translated that practice to your business.
And to answer your question….. Yes, I’ve lived all my life in Kansas. And no, I’ve never seen a tornado on the ground. But, yes, I’ve dealt with the aftermath of one at work. It isn’t fun. But it is survivable.
Cheers!
Friday, March 26, 2010
3-26-10 To Curse or Not to Curse
There is a bit of controversy here in the Midwest. Yea, I know, what could be controversial in the middle of the US, right? If you have been following the men’s NCAA basketball extravaganza, you will know that K-State is one of the teams that have advanced to the final 8. Of course, one controversy is that KU didn’t make it in the tourney --- but I’m not here to talk about that one today. The controversy I’m talking about centers around K-State coach Frank Martin. And the controversy is his cursing.
There has been a fair amount of coverage here relative to how much he curses during a game…. At his players, at the refs, at the fans, etc. In fact, one fan had made the trek to OKC to watch K-State in action…. And left at the half because he didn’t want to expose his family to the cursing anymore. Of course, it is hard for me to imagine anyone as bad as the infamous Bobby Knight, but apparently this guy really gets to some of the folks around here. His players, on the other hand, don’t seem to be phased by his choice of words. Heck, you even see news reports of them parodying his antics.
You are thinking, yea, so what -- I don’t watch basketball and I don’t care about K-State -- why the heck are you even bringing this up, Dr. J???
Well, here’s why. As an executive, how you speak IS important. It is one of the critical skills in the Executive Skills and Traits model that I discussed some time back (12-30-09 Morphing to a Model and 1-4-10 Let's Talk).
As an executive, is it ever okay to curse? Surprisingly, I think the answer is yes. Here are a few of my observations/experiences.
I noticed that when I was a factory executive, I tended to use more swear words in my everyday conversation. Frankly, I didn’t realize I was doing it until later. But upon reflection, I realize that I was echoing the language around me. When I was a staff executive, I tended to use swear words sparingly. Again, echoing the language around me. So one observation is that the use of swearing is situational. It depends on those around you, and of course, on your personality as well.
Another experience concerns one of my bosses in the past. This guy was truly a gentleman. He didn’t arm wave, he didn’t scream, he didn’t belittle people, and he didn’t swear. Most days. But when he did, it got everyone’s attention. Because it was so out of character for him, we all knew that something was very wrong or he was very upset when one small swear word would slip into his conversation. So another observation is that the judicious use of cursing can have an impact. In this executive’s case, it made everyone sit up and take notice. Once he had their attention and made them realize the criticality of the issue, he was able to lead the group to the solution required.
One final observation. Some words are NEVER okay. I’m not going to iterate them here because I try very hard not to use them, ever. But you know damn well what I’m talking about. (Get the point?) And it is NEVER okay to direct your cursing at a specific person. Abusiveness is not a hallmark that you want to be known for.
So as an executive, do you HAVE to use swear words? Nope, you just must do what is comfortable for you.
Cheers!
There has been a fair amount of coverage here relative to how much he curses during a game…. At his players, at the refs, at the fans, etc. In fact, one fan had made the trek to OKC to watch K-State in action…. And left at the half because he didn’t want to expose his family to the cursing anymore. Of course, it is hard for me to imagine anyone as bad as the infamous Bobby Knight, but apparently this guy really gets to some of the folks around here. His players, on the other hand, don’t seem to be phased by his choice of words. Heck, you even see news reports of them parodying his antics.
You are thinking, yea, so what -- I don’t watch basketball and I don’t care about K-State -- why the heck are you even bringing this up, Dr. J???
Well, here’s why. As an executive, how you speak IS important. It is one of the critical skills in the Executive Skills and Traits model that I discussed some time back (12-30-09 Morphing to a Model and 1-4-10 Let's Talk).
As an executive, is it ever okay to curse? Surprisingly, I think the answer is yes. Here are a few of my observations/experiences.
I noticed that when I was a factory executive, I tended to use more swear words in my everyday conversation. Frankly, I didn’t realize I was doing it until later. But upon reflection, I realize that I was echoing the language around me. When I was a staff executive, I tended to use swear words sparingly. Again, echoing the language around me. So one observation is that the use of swearing is situational. It depends on those around you, and of course, on your personality as well.
Another experience concerns one of my bosses in the past. This guy was truly a gentleman. He didn’t arm wave, he didn’t scream, he didn’t belittle people, and he didn’t swear. Most days. But when he did, it got everyone’s attention. Because it was so out of character for him, we all knew that something was very wrong or he was very upset when one small swear word would slip into his conversation. So another observation is that the judicious use of cursing can have an impact. In this executive’s case, it made everyone sit up and take notice. Once he had their attention and made them realize the criticality of the issue, he was able to lead the group to the solution required.
One final observation. Some words are NEVER okay. I’m not going to iterate them here because I try very hard not to use them, ever. But you know damn well what I’m talking about. (Get the point?) And it is NEVER okay to direct your cursing at a specific person. Abusiveness is not a hallmark that you want to be known for.
So as an executive, do you HAVE to use swear words? Nope, you just must do what is comfortable for you.
Cheers!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
3-25-10 More on Captain Ed Freeman
In yesterday's post, I used a story about Captain Ed Freeman in the Vietnam War. There is a fair amount of information about this story out on the web (thanks again, Uncle Wes!). If you would like to read more, here is just a bit of the info found.
"In July 2001, some 36 years after the fact, Freeman, a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, had been awarded the nation's highest military honor for actions taken on November 14, 1965. The citation, presented by President Bush in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, read as follows:
Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, distinguished himself by numerous acts of conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary intrepidity on 14 November, 1965, while serving with Company A, 229th, Assault Helicopter Battalion, First Cavalry Division Air Mobil (ph).
As a flight leader and second in command of a 16-helicopter lift unit, he supported a heavily engaged American infantry battalion at landing zone X-ray in the Idrang Valley, Republic of Vietnam. The infantry unit was almost out of ammunition, after taking some of the heaviest casualties of the war, fighting off a relentless attack from a highly motivated, heavily armed enemy force.
When the infantry commander closed the helicopter landing zone, due to intense direct enemy fire, Captain Freeman risked his own life by flying his unarmed helicopter through a gauntlet of enemy fire, time after time, delivering critically needed ammunition, water and medical supplies to the Paceeds (ph) battalion.
His flights had a direct impact on the battle's outcome by providing the engaged units with timely supplies of ammunition critical to their survival without which they would almost surely have experienced a much greater loss of life. After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area, due to intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing life- saving evacuation of an estimates 30 seriously wounded soldiers, some of whom would not have survived, had he not acted.
All flights were made into a small emergency landing zone within 100 to 200 meters of the defensive perimeter where heavily committed units were perilously holding off the attacking elements. Captain Freeman's selfless acts of great valor, extraordinary perseverance and intrepidity were far above and beyond the call of duty or mission and set a superb example of leadership and courage for all of his peers.
Captain Freeman's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army."
Source:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/military/a/ed_freeman.htm
"In July 2001, some 36 years after the fact, Freeman, a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, had been awarded the nation's highest military honor for actions taken on November 14, 1965. The citation, presented by President Bush in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, read as follows:
Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, distinguished himself by numerous acts of conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary intrepidity on 14 November, 1965, while serving with Company A, 229th, Assault Helicopter Battalion, First Cavalry Division Air Mobil (ph).
As a flight leader and second in command of a 16-helicopter lift unit, he supported a heavily engaged American infantry battalion at landing zone X-ray in the Idrang Valley, Republic of Vietnam. The infantry unit was almost out of ammunition, after taking some of the heaviest casualties of the war, fighting off a relentless attack from a highly motivated, heavily armed enemy force.
When the infantry commander closed the helicopter landing zone, due to intense direct enemy fire, Captain Freeman risked his own life by flying his unarmed helicopter through a gauntlet of enemy fire, time after time, delivering critically needed ammunition, water and medical supplies to the Paceeds (ph) battalion.
His flights had a direct impact on the battle's outcome by providing the engaged units with timely supplies of ammunition critical to their survival without which they would almost surely have experienced a much greater loss of life. After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area, due to intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing life- saving evacuation of an estimates 30 seriously wounded soldiers, some of whom would not have survived, had he not acted.
All flights were made into a small emergency landing zone within 100 to 200 meters of the defensive perimeter where heavily committed units were perilously holding off the attacking elements. Captain Freeman's selfless acts of great valor, extraordinary perseverance and intrepidity were far above and beyond the call of duty or mission and set a superb example of leadership and courage for all of his peers.
Captain Freeman's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army."
Source:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/military/a/ed_freeman.htm
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
3-24-10 Unsung Heroes
I got an email the other day (thank you, Uncle Wes!) that got me to thinking about all of the unsung heroes that each of us encounter at work. I’d like to reproduce the body of that email here for you…..
“You’re a 19 year old kid. You’re critically wounded and dying in the jungle somewhere in the central highlands of Vietnam.
It’s November 11, 1967.
LZ (land zone) X-ray.
Your unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 yards away, that your CO has ordered the MediVac helicopters to stop coming in.
You’re lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns and you know that you’re not getting out. Your family is half way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you’ll never see them again.
As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.
Then -- over the machine gun noise -- you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter.
You look up to see a Huey coming in. But… It doesn’t seem real because no MediVac markings are on it.
Captain Ed Freeman is coming for you.
He’s not MediVac so it’s not his job, but he heard the radio call and decided he’s flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway.
Even after the MediVacs were ordered not to come.
He’s coming anyway.
And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 3 of you at a time on board. Then he flies you up and out through the gun fire to the doctors and nurses and safety.
And, he kept coming back!! 13 more times. Until all the wounded were out. No one knew until the mission was over that the Captain had been hit 4 times in the legs and left arm.
He took 29 of you and your buddies out that day. Some would not have made it without the Captain and his Huey.
Medal of Honor Recipient, Captain Ed Freeman, United States Air Force, died last Wednesday at the age of 70, in Boise, Idaho.”
While I can’t vouch for the veracity of all the contents, I can ponder the story and what it means for the executive.
A couple of things come to mind……
First, do you know who your Armed Service veterans and active duty reserve personnel are? And what have you done lately to thank them for their past service? And how easy do you make it for the active service personnel to fulfill their commitment to the country as well as their commitment to your company? These men and women have, and will, sacrifice a lot for this country (so will their families). And while we may not always agree with our government’s position relative to the various armed conflicts going around the world, we still owe it to our veterans and active service personnel to recognize their sacrifice.
Second, did you notice the phrase “it’s not his job, but he heard the radio call and decided to fly….. Anyway”? Do you know the people you have in your organization that answer the call at work… that see the problem and just jump in? They are the people that end up in the thick of things every time. They observe, analyze, dissect, and then roll up their sleeves and jump in to help. As executives, we can’t live without them. But unfortunately, we often don’t adequately recognize them. Perhaps it is time to find those folks that just quietly get things done. Determine what motivates them and then give them the rewards and recognition that are well-deserved.
Cheers!
“You’re a 19 year old kid. You’re critically wounded and dying in the jungle somewhere in the central highlands of Vietnam.
It’s November 11, 1967.
LZ (land zone) X-ray.
Your unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 yards away, that your CO has ordered the MediVac helicopters to stop coming in.
You’re lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns and you know that you’re not getting out. Your family is half way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you’ll never see them again.
As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.
Then -- over the machine gun noise -- you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter.
You look up to see a Huey coming in. But… It doesn’t seem real because no MediVac markings are on it.
Captain Ed Freeman is coming for you.
He’s not MediVac so it’s not his job, but he heard the radio call and decided he’s flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway.
Even after the MediVacs were ordered not to come.
He’s coming anyway.
And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 3 of you at a time on board. Then he flies you up and out through the gun fire to the doctors and nurses and safety.
And, he kept coming back!! 13 more times. Until all the wounded were out. No one knew until the mission was over that the Captain had been hit 4 times in the legs and left arm.
He took 29 of you and your buddies out that day. Some would not have made it without the Captain and his Huey.
Medal of Honor Recipient, Captain Ed Freeman, United States Air Force, died last Wednesday at the age of 70, in Boise, Idaho.”
While I can’t vouch for the veracity of all the contents, I can ponder the story and what it means for the executive.
A couple of things come to mind……
First, do you know who your Armed Service veterans and active duty reserve personnel are? And what have you done lately to thank them for their past service? And how easy do you make it for the active service personnel to fulfill their commitment to the country as well as their commitment to your company? These men and women have, and will, sacrifice a lot for this country (so will their families). And while we may not always agree with our government’s position relative to the various armed conflicts going around the world, we still owe it to our veterans and active service personnel to recognize their sacrifice.
Second, did you notice the phrase “it’s not his job, but he heard the radio call and decided to fly….. Anyway”? Do you know the people you have in your organization that answer the call at work… that see the problem and just jump in? They are the people that end up in the thick of things every time. They observe, analyze, dissect, and then roll up their sleeves and jump in to help. As executives, we can’t live without them. But unfortunately, we often don’t adequately recognize them. Perhaps it is time to find those folks that just quietly get things done. Determine what motivates them and then give them the rewards and recognition that are well-deserved.
Cheers!
Monday, March 22, 2010
3-22-10 Age Diversity, Part 2
Last week I talked a little about why the executive needs the older workers on his/her team… because they bring a significant level of knowledge and experience along with a vast network to the table (3-19-10 A Couple of Things to Consider). Now on the other hand, you absolutely NEED the young kids on your team as well. Why?
Rarely a day goes by that there isn’t some type of article or news story on the “graying of America“ (or insert your country here as it is happening all over the world!). The average age of the workers in the industry where I worked was about 47 or 48 years old. It doesn’t take a genius (or a news report, for that matter) to tell us that our workforce will be retiring in droves over the next few years. And there certainly aren’t as many numbers in the next generations as there has been in the boomer generation. So you will be competing for a much more limited resource. You had better be hiring them now and getting them hooked on your industry and company so that you have the needed people when your boomers retire.
Beyond the availability of people, you also need the kids (I always called them the “baby engineers” or “baby mechanics”) to bring a different point of view to your business. To understand the different point of view, here’s a social experiment for you to try. Right now, act like you are ringing a door bell. Which finger did you use? Next, ask someone under the age of 25 to act like they are ringing a door bell. Which finger did they use? If you are a boomer, you likely used your index finger. The younger person? They likely used their thumb.
So what’s the point? The kids have spent a significant amount of time on gaming --- using their thumbs way more than we boomers ever thought of. As a result of their gaming and other activities, they typically have a very different way of looking at and accomplishing things than do the boomers. If you take advantage of that different world view, you can bring a freshness back to your business. Status quo is often the death knell for a business. The younger worker can help you to avoid that.
So what do you do to keep your younger workers engaged?
You absolutely have to listen to them. No one likes to be marginalized, that’s for sure. But in the case of your younger workers, remember, they have come from a much smaller family (fewer siblings) where they’ve had lots of attention from their parents. They expect the same in the workplace. And frankly, they deserve it --- if you are looking for new and fresh ideas.
It is important to help them learn about the importance of establishing a network. As I’ve said before, that is how real business gets done. As their executive, you should spend time helping them get this network going.
And finally, its time to give them some responsibility. You will never know if they have to capability to be one of the leaders if you don’t give them the responsibility and then help them grow into it. If you don’t stretch and test them, you will likely lose them to some other company that will.
So to the Generation X and Y folks in the audience, did I miss something? Speak up and tell me…… I still have lots to learn about this.
Cheers!
Rarely a day goes by that there isn’t some type of article or news story on the “graying of America“ (or insert your country here as it is happening all over the world!). The average age of the workers in the industry where I worked was about 47 or 48 years old. It doesn’t take a genius (or a news report, for that matter) to tell us that our workforce will be retiring in droves over the next few years. And there certainly aren’t as many numbers in the next generations as there has been in the boomer generation. So you will be competing for a much more limited resource. You had better be hiring them now and getting them hooked on your industry and company so that you have the needed people when your boomers retire.
Beyond the availability of people, you also need the kids (I always called them the “baby engineers” or “baby mechanics”) to bring a different point of view to your business. To understand the different point of view, here’s a social experiment for you to try. Right now, act like you are ringing a door bell. Which finger did you use? Next, ask someone under the age of 25 to act like they are ringing a door bell. Which finger did they use? If you are a boomer, you likely used your index finger. The younger person? They likely used their thumb.
So what’s the point? The kids have spent a significant amount of time on gaming --- using their thumbs way more than we boomers ever thought of. As a result of their gaming and other activities, they typically have a very different way of looking at and accomplishing things than do the boomers. If you take advantage of that different world view, you can bring a freshness back to your business. Status quo is often the death knell for a business. The younger worker can help you to avoid that.
So what do you do to keep your younger workers engaged?
You absolutely have to listen to them. No one likes to be marginalized, that’s for sure. But in the case of your younger workers, remember, they have come from a much smaller family (fewer siblings) where they’ve had lots of attention from their parents. They expect the same in the workplace. And frankly, they deserve it --- if you are looking for new and fresh ideas.
It is important to help them learn about the importance of establishing a network. As I’ve said before, that is how real business gets done. As their executive, you should spend time helping them get this network going.
And finally, its time to give them some responsibility. You will never know if they have to capability to be one of the leaders if you don’t give them the responsibility and then help them grow into it. If you don’t stretch and test them, you will likely lose them to some other company that will.
So to the Generation X and Y folks in the audience, did I miss something? Speak up and tell me…… I still have lots to learn about this.
Cheers!
Friday, March 19, 2010
3-19-10 A Couple of Things to Consider
As you are choosing what area of executive expertise you want to focus upon in your career, here are a couple of things to consider……
First, you should pick a profession that contains work that you really love. Let’s face it, as an executive, you ability to up and switch professions is probably somewhat limited. Although the skills and abilities you will gain are certainly transferable, it is unlikely that someone will take a chance on you moving from, say, the aerospace industry to the fashion industry as an executive. Not to say that it can’t be done, it is just highly unlikely. And consider…… you will likely be working for the next 30 to 50 years. That is a VERY long time to do something you find that you hate. So when you are just starting out, try lots of different things so that you can find a profession that you love.
The other thing to consider is money. Of course, money isn’t everything. But it IS important. Heck, one of the attractions of being an executive for me was that I knew the pay scale and bonuses in my industry were pretty good. There is nothing wrong with wanting to make big bucks. You just need to know your motivation at the outset and then find the profession that fits your passion as well as your monetary motivation. It has to support the lifestyle you want.
Cheers!
First, you should pick a profession that contains work that you really love. Let’s face it, as an executive, you ability to up and switch professions is probably somewhat limited. Although the skills and abilities you will gain are certainly transferable, it is unlikely that someone will take a chance on you moving from, say, the aerospace industry to the fashion industry as an executive. Not to say that it can’t be done, it is just highly unlikely. And consider…… you will likely be working for the next 30 to 50 years. That is a VERY long time to do something you find that you hate. So when you are just starting out, try lots of different things so that you can find a profession that you love.
The other thing to consider is money. Of course, money isn’t everything. But it IS important. Heck, one of the attractions of being an executive for me was that I knew the pay scale and bonuses in my industry were pretty good. There is nothing wrong with wanting to make big bucks. You just need to know your motivation at the outset and then find the profession that fits your passion as well as your monetary motivation. It has to support the lifestyle you want.
Cheers!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
3-17-10 Age Diversity, Part 1
I mentioned in a previous post (2-3-10 Executive Lessons in Sports) how important it is to remember your older “players” on the team. Across the board, our workforce is aging….. Many of the baby-boomers will continue to work for many, many years. And true, it probably isn’t politically correct to single out one group of workers based on age (but I never claimed to be PC here!). The fact is, every executive NEEDS the old-timers on their team. Why?
There are a lot of reasons. But here are a few that come to my mind……
First, they have knowledge and experience. You are now thinking, well DUH! But stop and think about it. When you need something big done, or something done quickly, or just something done….. Don’t you have a “go to” person? And I’m betting that this go to person is probably one of your older workers. They have the experience and they know what you need without you having to lay out every little step. Right?
Second, they tend to just quietly get things done. Not a lot of fanfare. Not a lot of hand-holding. They just quietly go about their business, generally accomplishing a ton of work. While you must have a few of the Type A, hair-on-fire-type of people on your team, you really need more of the “quiet doers”. Typically those are your older workers.
Third, they have the requisite network of contacts. In most organizations, business is conducted through a network of contacts. Longevity necessarily means that the person’s network is vast. This translates into ease of doing business.
And finally, along with knowledge, the senior workers typically know where all of the skeletons are buried. And while that has its own pitfalls, that knowledge is typically good for business. The older workers know which rats nests to tip-toe around. Yea, I know, you think that you want those rats nests cleaned up, not avoided. But be realistic, some just won’t go away, no matter what is done. So you want someone that won’t blunder into a problem that lingers over the decades.
So what is it that an executive should be doing for the older workers?
Well, first you have to keep them engaged. NO retirement-in-place. Not always an easy thing to do. But, if you consciously make an effort to make your older workers the “go to” people, you’ve made a start. And I don’t just mean that you are the one that goes to them. I also mean that you make the effort to direct others to these workers --- over and over. We all have egos and it feels good to be the “one” that people from all over the organization come to for a particular expertise.
Next, you have to tap into the knowledge, experience, and network. Of course, this means making sure they have the opportunity to use their knowledge, experience, and network. And it also includes the absolute requirement that they use this experience to train the kids in the organization. They WILL retire someday and you want the skeletons’ locations to be firmly entrenched in the minds of their replacements.
And finally, you have to reward them. It is so easy, as a manager, to skew the merit pool towards the kids. After all, the older workers already make a lot of money, right? And it isn’t like they are going anywhere else, right? Maybe. But if you don’t reward them, then you do run the risk of retirement-in-place. And remember, for a senior worker, an annual salary increase might not be the best reward. It is okay to talk with them about what rewards they would like. Perhaps a few extra days a month away from work is a better reward…Or a lump sum merit…. Or giving them the opportunity to take their spouse on the next business trip (expenses paid, of course). The point is, ask them. You will likely be pleasantly surprised with the conversation.
Next time? What to do with the workplace kids…….
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
There are a lot of reasons. But here are a few that come to my mind……
First, they have knowledge and experience. You are now thinking, well DUH! But stop and think about it. When you need something big done, or something done quickly, or just something done….. Don’t you have a “go to” person? And I’m betting that this go to person is probably one of your older workers. They have the experience and they know what you need without you having to lay out every little step. Right?
Second, they tend to just quietly get things done. Not a lot of fanfare. Not a lot of hand-holding. They just quietly go about their business, generally accomplishing a ton of work. While you must have a few of the Type A, hair-on-fire-type of people on your team, you really need more of the “quiet doers”. Typically those are your older workers.
Third, they have the requisite network of contacts. In most organizations, business is conducted through a network of contacts. Longevity necessarily means that the person’s network is vast. This translates into ease of doing business.
And finally, along with knowledge, the senior workers typically know where all of the skeletons are buried. And while that has its own pitfalls, that knowledge is typically good for business. The older workers know which rats nests to tip-toe around. Yea, I know, you think that you want those rats nests cleaned up, not avoided. But be realistic, some just won’t go away, no matter what is done. So you want someone that won’t blunder into a problem that lingers over the decades.
So what is it that an executive should be doing for the older workers?
Well, first you have to keep them engaged. NO retirement-in-place. Not always an easy thing to do. But, if you consciously make an effort to make your older workers the “go to” people, you’ve made a start. And I don’t just mean that you are the one that goes to them. I also mean that you make the effort to direct others to these workers --- over and over. We all have egos and it feels good to be the “one” that people from all over the organization come to for a particular expertise.
Next, you have to tap into the knowledge, experience, and network. Of course, this means making sure they have the opportunity to use their knowledge, experience, and network. And it also includes the absolute requirement that they use this experience to train the kids in the organization. They WILL retire someday and you want the skeletons’ locations to be firmly entrenched in the minds of their replacements.
And finally, you have to reward them. It is so easy, as a manager, to skew the merit pool towards the kids. After all, the older workers already make a lot of money, right? And it isn’t like they are going anywhere else, right? Maybe. But if you don’t reward them, then you do run the risk of retirement-in-place. And remember, for a senior worker, an annual salary increase might not be the best reward. It is okay to talk with them about what rewards they would like. Perhaps a few extra days a month away from work is a better reward…Or a lump sum merit…. Or giving them the opportunity to take their spouse on the next business trip (expenses paid, of course). The point is, ask them. You will likely be pleasantly surprised with the conversation.
Next time? What to do with the workplace kids…….
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Monday, March 15, 2010
3-15-10 Do Overs?
Someone asked me the other day…. “if you had the chance, would you have done anything different with your career?” My immediate response? Heck, no. After all, I got to do many, many different things over my career. I mean, really, I got to do things (like manage an airplane factory) that I never dreamed about 30 years ago when I was just starting out. Oh sure, I had a couple of bosses that were real trolls and I had a couple of positions that, while I didn’t despise them, I sure didn’t love them --- but who doesn’t go through that over the span of a career?
But I knew, from about the first year of my career, that I wanted to be an executive. And executive of what, wasn’t really clear in my plans. I just knew that I wanted to be in the executive ranks. So I took the actions and jobs that I thought would get me there. It worked pretty well for me.
But then, being the person that I am, I had to reflect on the question a little more. And yes, there are probably some things that I could (should?) have done differently.
I always told my mentees that they should try lots of things, either in school, at work, or in their leisure time. That way, they could figure out what truly interested them. Sure, I followed my advice to a certain extent, as evidenced by my varied positions -- from finance to manufacturing to program management to sales. But I didn’t follow my own advice as fully as I probably should have. For example, I always wondered how I would have faired as a scientist -- chemical, biological, botanical, etc. I know for sure that I wouldn’t have been a good hardware or software engineer. But after completing my PhD, and truly enjoying the research part of the program, I did wonder about a scientific career path. Had I taken my own advice, way back when, I might have had a quite different path.
Which brings me to my next piece of advice to all of my mentees -- find your passion. Trying lots of things can lead to finding your passion. Now granted, you might not be able to make a livable wage at your passion, but at least you know what drives you and can look for jobs/career paths that will feed your need. For me, that passion was always to be the best manager of people that I could be. By trying the varied disciplines and jobs, I was able to learn and grow as a manager and an executive.
So no, I wouldn’t “do over” anything -- being an executive was a terrific ride -- and has always been my passion. However, I should have taken the time to learn more about the scientific side of the world to see if that fed my passion even more than the path I took.
Cheers!
But I knew, from about the first year of my career, that I wanted to be an executive. And executive of what, wasn’t really clear in my plans. I just knew that I wanted to be in the executive ranks. So I took the actions and jobs that I thought would get me there. It worked pretty well for me.
But then, being the person that I am, I had to reflect on the question a little more. And yes, there are probably some things that I could (should?) have done differently.
I always told my mentees that they should try lots of things, either in school, at work, or in their leisure time. That way, they could figure out what truly interested them. Sure, I followed my advice to a certain extent, as evidenced by my varied positions -- from finance to manufacturing to program management to sales. But I didn’t follow my own advice as fully as I probably should have. For example, I always wondered how I would have faired as a scientist -- chemical, biological, botanical, etc. I know for sure that I wouldn’t have been a good hardware or software engineer. But after completing my PhD, and truly enjoying the research part of the program, I did wonder about a scientific career path. Had I taken my own advice, way back when, I might have had a quite different path.
Which brings me to my next piece of advice to all of my mentees -- find your passion. Trying lots of things can lead to finding your passion. Now granted, you might not be able to make a livable wage at your passion, but at least you know what drives you and can look for jobs/career paths that will feed your need. For me, that passion was always to be the best manager of people that I could be. By trying the varied disciplines and jobs, I was able to learn and grow as a manager and an executive.
So no, I wouldn’t “do over” anything -- being an executive was a terrific ride -- and has always been my passion. However, I should have taken the time to learn more about the scientific side of the world to see if that fed my passion even more than the path I took.
Cheers!
Friday, March 12, 2010
3-12-10 Yea, there is a presentation for that.
Unless you are a hermit and work alone, you have probably made at least one presentation in your career. And if you work for a large corporation, it is likely that very little gets done without a presentation attached to it. If you are an executive or aspiring executive, you’ve made countless presentations. How’d that go? Are you any good at it? If you don’t think that you are very good at it, then it is highly likely that others hold this same opinion. Perhaps it is time to do something about that.
One of the skills in the model I created pertains directly to presentations (1-4-10 Let’s Talk). Public speaking is a critical skill for the executive. As I indicated in this earlier post, many times the new executive has been promoted because of (at least in part) his/her speaking skill.
Public speaking doesn’t just include your ability to get up in front of a group of people and give a pitch, although that IS a critical piece. It also includes your ability to craft the content of the pitch such that it fits with the topic and the audience. It includes your ability to monitor the room and alter your presentation on the fly so that you don’t lose your audience. And it is also your ability to “close the deal” when your pitch is over.
So what about that content? In my opinion, less is more. How many times have you endured a meeting that was nothing but “death by presentation”? Did you get anything out of it -- except a nap with your eyes open?? A very wise mentor once told me that my presentations should never take more than 5 slides, and never have more than 5 bullet points on each slide. In fact, one slide with 5 bullets for the entire pitch is ideal. If you can’t talk for 30 minutes off of 5 bullet points, then you don’t know your topic well enough. Try again. And remember, you don’t have to put every darned thing that you are going to say on the page. When you do, people read ahead and you lose your audience. Put the salient points on the slide and then TALK the details.
Yea, I know that there are exceptions to the “content rule” that I’ve lived by. Technical presentations, by nature, tend to be longer and have more information on the slides. But as an executive, your job is to pare this down to the pertinent information for the audience.
Don’t know your audience? Again, err on the side of “less is more”. If you aren’t giving them the information they need, you will see it during the presentation.
Which brings me to “reading the audience” during a presentation. You absolutely must pay attention to what your audience is telling you, either with their questions or with their body language. Notice that I did not say, “reading to the audience”. Do not, and I really mean this, DO NOT read every bullet point on every one of your slides. This is insulting. The people you are presenting to very likely know how to read. They don’t need you to do that for them.
Part of reading your audience includes checking to see if they are paying attention. Is everyone doing the “blackberry prayer”? You know, where they hold their blackberry below the table, looking down to read and type….. If so, you really need to get their attention back. Silent pauses are a very good tool. If there is silence, people reflexively look up to see what is going on.
What about your presentation habits? Have you checked lately to see if you have developed any bad habits --- like jingling your change in your pocket (a real pet peeve of mine), or saying “um” or “like” every other sentence? How about your tone of voice --- is it grating? Patronizing? Do you move around the front of the room or are you glued to a podium? You really need a trusted friend or advisor watch you give a presentation occasionally and then give you honest feedback. Not always easy to hear, but helpful nonetheless.
And finally, you need to be able to “close the deal”. There must be a purpose to your presentation, right? You need approval, you need action, you need something. One of the very first things that you should tell your audience is “I’m here because I need this approval” or “I’m just sharing information” or “I need your help with this”. Tell them up front why they are there.
And then at the end of your presentation, go back to this slide. Do you know who the decision maker(s) in the room are? Look directly at them as ask for the approval or action or whatever. People don’t often say yes unless someone takes the time to ask. Most times you will get what you need at this point. And even if you don’t, you have started the conversation that will get you one step closer to what you need.
Cheers!
One of the skills in the model I created pertains directly to presentations (1-4-10 Let’s Talk). Public speaking is a critical skill for the executive. As I indicated in this earlier post, many times the new executive has been promoted because of (at least in part) his/her speaking skill.
Public speaking doesn’t just include your ability to get up in front of a group of people and give a pitch, although that IS a critical piece. It also includes your ability to craft the content of the pitch such that it fits with the topic and the audience. It includes your ability to monitor the room and alter your presentation on the fly so that you don’t lose your audience. And it is also your ability to “close the deal” when your pitch is over.
So what about that content? In my opinion, less is more. How many times have you endured a meeting that was nothing but “death by presentation”? Did you get anything out of it -- except a nap with your eyes open?? A very wise mentor once told me that my presentations should never take more than 5 slides, and never have more than 5 bullet points on each slide. In fact, one slide with 5 bullets for the entire pitch is ideal. If you can’t talk for 30 minutes off of 5 bullet points, then you don’t know your topic well enough. Try again. And remember, you don’t have to put every darned thing that you are going to say on the page. When you do, people read ahead and you lose your audience. Put the salient points on the slide and then TALK the details.
Yea, I know that there are exceptions to the “content rule” that I’ve lived by. Technical presentations, by nature, tend to be longer and have more information on the slides. But as an executive, your job is to pare this down to the pertinent information for the audience.
Don’t know your audience? Again, err on the side of “less is more”. If you aren’t giving them the information they need, you will see it during the presentation.
Which brings me to “reading the audience” during a presentation. You absolutely must pay attention to what your audience is telling you, either with their questions or with their body language. Notice that I did not say, “reading to the audience”. Do not, and I really mean this, DO NOT read every bullet point on every one of your slides. This is insulting. The people you are presenting to very likely know how to read. They don’t need you to do that for them.
Part of reading your audience includes checking to see if they are paying attention. Is everyone doing the “blackberry prayer”? You know, where they hold their blackberry below the table, looking down to read and type….. If so, you really need to get their attention back. Silent pauses are a very good tool. If there is silence, people reflexively look up to see what is going on.
What about your presentation habits? Have you checked lately to see if you have developed any bad habits --- like jingling your change in your pocket (a real pet peeve of mine), or saying “um” or “like” every other sentence? How about your tone of voice --- is it grating? Patronizing? Do you move around the front of the room or are you glued to a podium? You really need a trusted friend or advisor watch you give a presentation occasionally and then give you honest feedback. Not always easy to hear, but helpful nonetheless.
And finally, you need to be able to “close the deal”. There must be a purpose to your presentation, right? You need approval, you need action, you need something. One of the very first things that you should tell your audience is “I’m here because I need this approval” or “I’m just sharing information” or “I need your help with this”. Tell them up front why they are there.
And then at the end of your presentation, go back to this slide. Do you know who the decision maker(s) in the room are? Look directly at them as ask for the approval or action or whatever. People don’t often say yes unless someone takes the time to ask. Most times you will get what you need at this point. And even if you don’t, you have started the conversation that will get you one step closer to what you need.
Cheers!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
3-10-10 Shoulda Told Me #8
Something about a gray and rainy day encourages a couple of things….. Reading and introspection. Yep, I did a fair amount of reading yesterday. I also ended up doing a fair amount of introspection yesterday as well. And that has resulted in the need to take another trip down the “someone shoulda told me” bunny trail.
One thing that I pondered yesterday? The whole idea that whatever you think you will be doing 30 years from now -- you will probably be wrong. Honestly, that is probably easier for my Generation X or Y readers to grasp than it is for the Baby Boomers.
Why? Consider how things have changed. I’m told that my granddad (who would have been 105 this year) started to work for the local refinery about 1 week after it opened. And he worked there for 40 or so years, until he retired, basically doing the same thing every day. I’m sure that he probably worked a couple of other jobs when he was a very young man or boy. But, in his time, you planned to go to work for one company and stay there until retirement.
That view has carried forward somewhat to us baby boomers. I’m a good example of both the previous generation and the idea that 30 years out, jobs and careers change. On the one hand, I spent most of my career at one company/industry. But on the other hand, 30 years ago I never dreamed that I would be doing anything but a finance-related job. Thirty years ago, I was just finishing up a finance degree and planning a career in a finance-related field. Subsequently I held jobs in manufacturing, e-business, program management, and sales….. Well, none of that was in any career plan I had considered. The only constants during those years were that I worked for the same company and that I always knew that I wanted to be an executive.
And for the Generation X/Y group? The dot.com boom and subsequent bust demonstrated their agility in moving from job to job and industry to industry. And that agility is something that we all could use in today’s dismal job market.
So what about today’s new and/or aspiring executive? If you are just starting out, the odds are pretty good that what you are doing today won’t be what you will be doing in 30 years. The implication for the executive is that you need to be versatile. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my willingness (and burning desire) to take on new jobs and functions gave me a versatility that served me well. Having the basic skills and traits of a successful executive allowed me to move into areas for which I had no background or basic training. Go back and look at how you rank on the executive skills and traits (12-30-09 Morphing to a Model). My research shows that you need them all to be successful. Where are you lacking and what are you doing to improve your versatility?
Cheers!
One thing that I pondered yesterday? The whole idea that whatever you think you will be doing 30 years from now -- you will probably be wrong. Honestly, that is probably easier for my Generation X or Y readers to grasp than it is for the Baby Boomers.
Why? Consider how things have changed. I’m told that my granddad (who would have been 105 this year) started to work for the local refinery about 1 week after it opened. And he worked there for 40 or so years, until he retired, basically doing the same thing every day. I’m sure that he probably worked a couple of other jobs when he was a very young man or boy. But, in his time, you planned to go to work for one company and stay there until retirement.
That view has carried forward somewhat to us baby boomers. I’m a good example of both the previous generation and the idea that 30 years out, jobs and careers change. On the one hand, I spent most of my career at one company/industry. But on the other hand, 30 years ago I never dreamed that I would be doing anything but a finance-related job. Thirty years ago, I was just finishing up a finance degree and planning a career in a finance-related field. Subsequently I held jobs in manufacturing, e-business, program management, and sales….. Well, none of that was in any career plan I had considered. The only constants during those years were that I worked for the same company and that I always knew that I wanted to be an executive.
And for the Generation X/Y group? The dot.com boom and subsequent bust demonstrated their agility in moving from job to job and industry to industry. And that agility is something that we all could use in today’s dismal job market.
So what about today’s new and/or aspiring executive? If you are just starting out, the odds are pretty good that what you are doing today won’t be what you will be doing in 30 years. The implication for the executive is that you need to be versatile. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my willingness (and burning desire) to take on new jobs and functions gave me a versatility that served me well. Having the basic skills and traits of a successful executive allowed me to move into areas for which I had no background or basic training. Go back and look at how you rank on the executive skills and traits (12-30-09 Morphing to a Model). My research shows that you need them all to be successful. Where are you lacking and what are you doing to improve your versatility?
Cheers!
Monday, March 8, 2010
3-8-10 The Only Woman
Normally I would avoid discussion about gender issues relative to executives. However, given the industry I recently retired from (aerospace), you can imagine that there were a few gender issues. When you think about the commercial aerospace industry, you will realize that it descended directly from the military. So it shouldn’t surprise you that this has been a male dominated industry for most of its existence. And you know what? For a woman in the industry, that can be an advantage……..
Let’s face it, in today’s EEO environment, male-dominated industries are actively seeking women to promote. I used to tell the young ladies that I mentored, yes, I most likely got some of my jobs because I am a woman. But, and it is a BIG but, I kept those jobs because I learned the job and was good at it…… I did not keep a job because I was a woman.
I started out in Finance, which in this industry is one of the traditional places for women….. Along with HR. I had the opportunity to do a development rotation (part-time…. Still had to do my real job!) in manufacturing. During this rotation, I met regularly with the Operations VP to discuss my observations. Along the way, I got bit by the manufacturing bug and asked to be moved to Operations. I have to tell you that the VP was surprised by my request. He had never had a staff person as to be moved into the line functions. AND he had never had a woman ask him for it.
I wanted a senior factory manager job (oh, the audacity of the young!). Instead he offered me the business manager job in sheet metal. Seemed like a good place to start. And I ended up with a boss that not only taught me about operations but took a big chance on me. After about a year, he moved me to a senior factory manager in sheet metal. In fact, I was the first female to hold this position in fabrication here in the Midwest.
So what are the advantages?
Of course, as a woman, you have the chance to hold jobs that you might never consider. And, along the way, you could possibly discover your passion in life. I was fortunate in that.
And certainly, being a novelty can be an advantage. You could tell that my crews liked being the only ones to have a “lady general or superintendent”. (Back in the old days, that position was called general or superintendent …. The nomenclature stuck with many of the mechanics.) I can’t tell you how many times a mechanic would point me out to one of their colleagues….. “that’s our lady general!”.
Most of my crews were male. And I was in fabrication. Fabrication includes the machine shop. And the union isn’t called the “machinists” for nothing. Being a female allowed me to ask questions, probe into processes, prod production, etc. all without appearing to be “managing”. Because often, in a machinist environment, the first hint of managing will be met with stony resistance. By asking what appear to be innocent questions, I was able to help my crews manage themselves. Could a man do that? Likely not, as any questions would seem like challenges or intrusions.
Another advantage? I come from the school of “ask forgiveness, not permission”. Frankly in a large company, this is often the only way to get things done. As a woman, when I got “caught coloring outside the lines”, I would unabashedly bat my eyelashes and swear that I didn’t know and certainly wouldn’t do that again. Yea, it worked every time.
And what are the downsides of being the only woman in a male-dominated environment?
You always run the risk of not being taken seriously. Some people will believe that since you didn’t grow up in that environment, you can never really know what you are talking about. Or others will assume that, since you are woman, you cannot possibly be tough enough to survive in a manufacturing environment.
Another downside is that it is likely you will only be able to go so far up the management ladder in a male-dominated environment. If you take the time to look around you, it will become apparent how far your ladder might extend. In the aerospace industry, it extends as high as VP (in very limited cases) but never extends to president or CEO….. Particularly in the operations or engineering areas.
So do I regret being the only woman? Heck no. If I hadn’t taken that leap, I would have never discovered how fascinated I am by building airplanes. Because I was the only woman for many years, I got opportunities that would have never appeared had I stayed in my nice, safe, and familiar environment.
Cheers!
Let’s face it, in today’s EEO environment, male-dominated industries are actively seeking women to promote. I used to tell the young ladies that I mentored, yes, I most likely got some of my jobs because I am a woman. But, and it is a BIG but, I kept those jobs because I learned the job and was good at it…… I did not keep a job because I was a woman.
I started out in Finance, which in this industry is one of the traditional places for women….. Along with HR. I had the opportunity to do a development rotation (part-time…. Still had to do my real job!) in manufacturing. During this rotation, I met regularly with the Operations VP to discuss my observations. Along the way, I got bit by the manufacturing bug and asked to be moved to Operations. I have to tell you that the VP was surprised by my request. He had never had a staff person as to be moved into the line functions. AND he had never had a woman ask him for it.
I wanted a senior factory manager job (oh, the audacity of the young!). Instead he offered me the business manager job in sheet metal. Seemed like a good place to start. And I ended up with a boss that not only taught me about operations but took a big chance on me. After about a year, he moved me to a senior factory manager in sheet metal. In fact, I was the first female to hold this position in fabrication here in the Midwest.
So what are the advantages?
Of course, as a woman, you have the chance to hold jobs that you might never consider. And, along the way, you could possibly discover your passion in life. I was fortunate in that.
And certainly, being a novelty can be an advantage. You could tell that my crews liked being the only ones to have a “lady general or superintendent”. (Back in the old days, that position was called general or superintendent …. The nomenclature stuck with many of the mechanics.) I can’t tell you how many times a mechanic would point me out to one of their colleagues….. “that’s our lady general!”.
Most of my crews were male. And I was in fabrication. Fabrication includes the machine shop. And the union isn’t called the “machinists” for nothing. Being a female allowed me to ask questions, probe into processes, prod production, etc. all without appearing to be “managing”. Because often, in a machinist environment, the first hint of managing will be met with stony resistance. By asking what appear to be innocent questions, I was able to help my crews manage themselves. Could a man do that? Likely not, as any questions would seem like challenges or intrusions.
Another advantage? I come from the school of “ask forgiveness, not permission”. Frankly in a large company, this is often the only way to get things done. As a woman, when I got “caught coloring outside the lines”, I would unabashedly bat my eyelashes and swear that I didn’t know and certainly wouldn’t do that again. Yea, it worked every time.
And what are the downsides of being the only woman in a male-dominated environment?
You always run the risk of not being taken seriously. Some people will believe that since you didn’t grow up in that environment, you can never really know what you are talking about. Or others will assume that, since you are woman, you cannot possibly be tough enough to survive in a manufacturing environment.
Another downside is that it is likely you will only be able to go so far up the management ladder in a male-dominated environment. If you take the time to look around you, it will become apparent how far your ladder might extend. In the aerospace industry, it extends as high as VP (in very limited cases) but never extends to president or CEO….. Particularly in the operations or engineering areas.
So do I regret being the only woman? Heck no. If I hadn’t taken that leap, I would have never discovered how fascinated I am by building airplanes. Because I was the only woman for many years, I got opportunities that would have never appeared had I stayed in my nice, safe, and familiar environment.
Cheers!
Friday, March 5, 2010
3-5-10 Blog Information and Other Stuff
Okay, the experts tell me that I have to do a few things to make my blog work well. So today’s post is my effort to cover those bases……
First, I’m told that I should copyright everything. I actually did that a month or so ago. If you look at the bottom of every screen, you will see my copyright. Now that doesn’t mean that I don’t want you to use the information. On the contrary! I just ask that you give me a nod when you do. And if you share it in your blog or online environment or in an email, please include a link back to the original post.
Second, I’m told that I should post on a reliable frequency. Originally, the thinking was that your readers would “know” what days you were expected to post and could go out and read on those days. So I picked Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I think that I’ve been pretty reliable about that. Where I’m not reliable is on the timing during those days of my posts. Sorry, real life often gets in the way and I don’t always post at the same time, each day. To keep you from having to check back during my post days, there are two different things you could do. You can either subscribe to my posts (so that they are delivered to your fav reader) or you can become a follower. Either of those options are shown on the right hand side of the blog, just below the “about me” section. (And congrats to spunkie150 for being follower #1!)
Third, make it interesting and relevant. Well heck, it IS interesting and relevant to me --- otherwise I wouldn’t be doing this. However, I don’t always know if it is interesting and relevant to you. So that leads me to…….
Fourth, I’m told to have a blog comment policy and to encourage comments. I’ve done the “encouraging thing” a couple of times. But it bears repeating here. I REALLY do want your comments, questions, observations, etc. Here’s how my comment policy works. All comments come directly to me via email. I review them for relevance and then let them post to the blog. So when you send me a comment, you won’t see it immediately on the blog. Sorry it has to be that way. But if I don’t do this, then the spammers figure out how to post their stuff willy-nilly on the blog. Not fun reading for y’all, I assure you.
In addition to sending me comments, you can also tell me how you feel about a particular post by “voting” in the reactions boxes at the bottom of each post. Your options are: helpful, surprising, and duh.
Fifth, I’m told that I should encourage sharing of my blog. So please, consider yourself encouraged to share the link widely -- with friends, family, colleagues, or whoever you feel appropriate. I’d love to be hearing from a wide variety of readers!
And finally….. I’m actually making this one up, the experts didn’t tell me this but, if something isn’t working on the blog like you think it should be, just shoot me an email. You can find me a mjohnson411@cox.net
Back to executive skills and traits on Monday!
Cheers!
First, I’m told that I should copyright everything. I actually did that a month or so ago. If you look at the bottom of every screen, you will see my copyright. Now that doesn’t mean that I don’t want you to use the information. On the contrary! I just ask that you give me a nod when you do. And if you share it in your blog or online environment or in an email, please include a link back to the original post.
Second, I’m told that I should post on a reliable frequency. Originally, the thinking was that your readers would “know” what days you were expected to post and could go out and read on those days. So I picked Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I think that I’ve been pretty reliable about that. Where I’m not reliable is on the timing during those days of my posts. Sorry, real life often gets in the way and I don’t always post at the same time, each day. To keep you from having to check back during my post days, there are two different things you could do. You can either subscribe to my posts (so that they are delivered to your fav reader) or you can become a follower. Either of those options are shown on the right hand side of the blog, just below the “about me” section. (And congrats to spunkie150 for being follower #1!)
Third, make it interesting and relevant. Well heck, it IS interesting and relevant to me --- otherwise I wouldn’t be doing this. However, I don’t always know if it is interesting and relevant to you. So that leads me to…….
Fourth, I’m told to have a blog comment policy and to encourage comments. I’ve done the “encouraging thing” a couple of times. But it bears repeating here. I REALLY do want your comments, questions, observations, etc. Here’s how my comment policy works. All comments come directly to me via email. I review them for relevance and then let them post to the blog. So when you send me a comment, you won’t see it immediately on the blog. Sorry it has to be that way. But if I don’t do this, then the spammers figure out how to post their stuff willy-nilly on the blog. Not fun reading for y’all, I assure you.
In addition to sending me comments, you can also tell me how you feel about a particular post by “voting” in the reactions boxes at the bottom of each post. Your options are: helpful, surprising, and duh.
Fifth, I’m told that I should encourage sharing of my blog. So please, consider yourself encouraged to share the link widely -- with friends, family, colleagues, or whoever you feel appropriate. I’d love to be hearing from a wide variety of readers!
And finally….. I’m actually making this one up, the experts didn’t tell me this but, if something isn’t working on the blog like you think it should be, just shoot me an email. You can find me a mjohnson411@cox.net
Back to executive skills and traits on Monday!
Cheers!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
3-3-10 Shoulda Told Me #7
We all live and operate in a global environment. It sounds cliché but, believe me, it is true. Someone shoulda told me how important it is to be prepared for doing business globally. There are some specific examples that come to mind.
For example, if you aren’t fluent in many languages, you need to learn how to speak through an interpreter. There will be times that it is necessary. The key word is “through” an interpreter. Many people make the mistake of speaking TO the interpreter. But that can be considered rude. When you are talking, you should be looking at the person you are meeting with, not their (or your) interpreter. And when you are listening, your gaze should primarily rest on the person you are meeting with --- only fleeting glances to the interpreter.
Another example? You should know how to host foreign dignitaries. The last few years it seems as though I was hosting someone from a foreign country at least once a month. My team and I had it down to a science …. But it took a lot of research and practice to get there. Each culture has its own idiosyncrasies (yep, we Americans do too!). For some of my European guests, it was “start times”. If I set a meeting for 9am, I could count of some of them not arriving until 9:30. Then, of course, there was the socializing that had to occur before getting down to business --- by 10 or 10:30, if I was lucky! So how did I handle it? I learned that I had to provide the transportation for my guests. That way I was sure they would be picked up from the airport or hotel and delivered to the factory on time.
You should also take the time to understand the food preferences of your visitors. People were unfailingly polite regardless of the food I arranged for them. But in order to make it the most successful visit, I always took the time to understand any food preferences, restrictions, etc. Think about how awkward it is when you serve a barbeque spread to a vegan……
And timing of food. Well, we Americans tend to eat dinner VERY early compared to other cultures --- 6pm for us vs. 9pm for them. You need to be sensitive about this. And you need to take into account the fact that they will have jet lag. In some cases, when it is dinnertime here, it is the middle of the night for their body clock. So work with your guests to find a dinner time that works.
And finally? You should learn how to be a gracious guest in foreign countries. The fact is, we are often known as the “ugly Americans” when we travel. It doesn’t have to be that way.
I learned on my first trip to China that I could successfully balance being a gracious guest with maintaining my own comfort level. On this particular trip, I participated in something like 6 banquets in a week and a half time span. Since I was the senior executive on the trip and we were the “customer”, my attendance and my graciousness was absolutely required. If you haven’t been to a Chinese banquet, I can tell you that it is quite an experience. All the food is placed on a turntable in the middle of the table. The host slowly turns the table, pointing out each new dish and urging you to try it. And the number of dishes presented! At one banquet, I tried to keep count and lost track at dish number 25. But the point here is that you don’t have to try everything. If you are polite and at least make the attempt to try many of the dishes, you won’t offend your hosts. Yea, you will end up eating some stuff that you probably wouldn’t prefer to eat. But look on the bright side, you will discover some dishes that you love. I know that I did!
Beautiful food in Xian, China.
Which brings me to drinking in a foreign country. There are two schools of thought on this. One, that you should do whatever your host does. Or two, that you should adhere to your own personal preference. I used both schools of thought, depending on the country I was in. For example, in China they drink a local alcohol (no, I won’t butcher the spelling of it here) like it is water. It is a VERY strong drink. So my position during that trip was that I didn’t drink alcohol. My hosts were very respectful of that. Or in France, wine was usually the drink of choice. So I would participate in the aperitif and one glass. And they were respectful of that as well.
So, I wish someone would have told me how important it is to operate gracefully in a global environment. It comes down to doing your research, asking questions, and then being a gracious host and/or guest.
Cheers!
For example, if you aren’t fluent in many languages, you need to learn how to speak through an interpreter. There will be times that it is necessary. The key word is “through” an interpreter. Many people make the mistake of speaking TO the interpreter. But that can be considered rude. When you are talking, you should be looking at the person you are meeting with, not their (or your) interpreter. And when you are listening, your gaze should primarily rest on the person you are meeting with --- only fleeting glances to the interpreter.
Another example? You should know how to host foreign dignitaries. The last few years it seems as though I was hosting someone from a foreign country at least once a month. My team and I had it down to a science …. But it took a lot of research and practice to get there. Each culture has its own idiosyncrasies (yep, we Americans do too!). For some of my European guests, it was “start times”. If I set a meeting for 9am, I could count of some of them not arriving until 9:30. Then, of course, there was the socializing that had to occur before getting down to business --- by 10 or 10:30, if I was lucky! So how did I handle it? I learned that I had to provide the transportation for my guests. That way I was sure they would be picked up from the airport or hotel and delivered to the factory on time.
You should also take the time to understand the food preferences of your visitors. People were unfailingly polite regardless of the food I arranged for them. But in order to make it the most successful visit, I always took the time to understand any food preferences, restrictions, etc. Think about how awkward it is when you serve a barbeque spread to a vegan……
And timing of food. Well, we Americans tend to eat dinner VERY early compared to other cultures --- 6pm for us vs. 9pm for them. You need to be sensitive about this. And you need to take into account the fact that they will have jet lag. In some cases, when it is dinnertime here, it is the middle of the night for their body clock. So work with your guests to find a dinner time that works.
And finally? You should learn how to be a gracious guest in foreign countries. The fact is, we are often known as the “ugly Americans” when we travel. It doesn’t have to be that way.
I learned on my first trip to China that I could successfully balance being a gracious guest with maintaining my own comfort level. On this particular trip, I participated in something like 6 banquets in a week and a half time span. Since I was the senior executive on the trip and we were the “customer”, my attendance and my graciousness was absolutely required. If you haven’t been to a Chinese banquet, I can tell you that it is quite an experience. All the food is placed on a turntable in the middle of the table. The host slowly turns the table, pointing out each new dish and urging you to try it. And the number of dishes presented! At one banquet, I tried to keep count and lost track at dish number 25. But the point here is that you don’t have to try everything. If you are polite and at least make the attempt to try many of the dishes, you won’t offend your hosts. Yea, you will end up eating some stuff that you probably wouldn’t prefer to eat. But look on the bright side, you will discover some dishes that you love. I know that I did!
Beautiful food in Xian, China.
Which brings me to drinking in a foreign country. There are two schools of thought on this. One, that you should do whatever your host does. Or two, that you should adhere to your own personal preference. I used both schools of thought, depending on the country I was in. For example, in China they drink a local alcohol (no, I won’t butcher the spelling of it here) like it is water. It is a VERY strong drink. So my position during that trip was that I didn’t drink alcohol. My hosts were very respectful of that. Or in France, wine was usually the drink of choice. So I would participate in the aperitif and one glass. And they were respectful of that as well.
Cheers!
Monday, March 1, 2010
3-1-10 Earthquakes and Such
An earthquake in Chile, an earthquake in Haiti, crippling snows in the eastern US, crippling storms in the south of France…… those are just the most recent stories about catastrophes.
One thing that you can count on, sooner or later you WILL have to deal with the fallout from a catastrophe or natural disaster. Whether it is a tornado, hurricane, tsunami, earthquake, fire, whatever -- it will happen. Is your company ready for it? Are you ready for it? As an executive, your people look to you in times of disaster.
Being ready starts with a disaster plan. It should include what everyone does both during the disaster as well as what happens after the disaster. Of course, unless you are the safety executive for your company, it is likely that someone else has put in the work to develop this plan. That’s okay. In fact, it is for the best. You want the experts to do the planning. And you probably want the experts to actually execute when the disaster occurs. But, YOU are the leader. Regardless of who actually executes the disaster plan, your people and company look to you, as the executive, to lead them through and out of the disaster.
Look at the prime minister of Haiti. He appears to fail on two counts. First, he didn’t cause the actions required to adequately prepare for a disaster. Granted this is a really poor country. But even without significant funds, there are basic plans that they could’ve laid in order to be more prepared for an earthquake. And second, he doesn’t appear to be adequately leading them out of the disaster. Instead, he appears to be totally reliant on outside help and leadership to make anything happen relative to recovery. I’m betting that he won’t be prime minister for much longer….. That his countrymen will be looking for better leadership in the future.
Are you ready to lead your company (or even your family, for that matter) through a disaster? Do you have a disaster plan? When is the last time that you personally reviewed the disaster plan? If it has been more than 6 months ago, you are overdue. If something happened right this second, right while you are reading this post….. What is the very first thing that you should do? It isn’t a topic that any executive really wants to discuss or have to address. But the fact is, you HAVE to.
Cheers!
One thing that you can count on, sooner or later you WILL have to deal with the fallout from a catastrophe or natural disaster. Whether it is a tornado, hurricane, tsunami, earthquake, fire, whatever -- it will happen. Is your company ready for it? Are you ready for it? As an executive, your people look to you in times of disaster.
Being ready starts with a disaster plan. It should include what everyone does both during the disaster as well as what happens after the disaster. Of course, unless you are the safety executive for your company, it is likely that someone else has put in the work to develop this plan. That’s okay. In fact, it is for the best. You want the experts to do the planning. And you probably want the experts to actually execute when the disaster occurs. But, YOU are the leader. Regardless of who actually executes the disaster plan, your people and company look to you, as the executive, to lead them through and out of the disaster.
Look at the prime minister of Haiti. He appears to fail on two counts. First, he didn’t cause the actions required to adequately prepare for a disaster. Granted this is a really poor country. But even without significant funds, there are basic plans that they could’ve laid in order to be more prepared for an earthquake. And second, he doesn’t appear to be adequately leading them out of the disaster. Instead, he appears to be totally reliant on outside help and leadership to make anything happen relative to recovery. I’m betting that he won’t be prime minister for much longer….. That his countrymen will be looking for better leadership in the future.
Are you ready to lead your company (or even your family, for that matter) through a disaster? Do you have a disaster plan? When is the last time that you personally reviewed the disaster plan? If it has been more than 6 months ago, you are overdue. If something happened right this second, right while you are reading this post….. What is the very first thing that you should do? It isn’t a topic that any executive really wants to discuss or have to address. But the fact is, you HAVE to.
Cheers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
