7-30-10 Loose Lips

The latest news about the leaking of sensitive information within the Army got me to thinking……

Have you ever heard the phrase, “loose lips sink ships”? The phrase was actually created as a slogan during World War II by the US Office of War Information. It was part of an ongoing effort to warn people about inadvertently giving useful information to enemy spies.

This is how it looked back then……



Since I worked for a military contractor for many years, I am very familiar with the need to protect the data within your company, project, etc. And it was drilled into us, over and over again, that ANY conversation we had outside of the office could potentially be overheard. And used to the detriment of our customer. So I “grew up” in business being well aware of the need to protect information.

In today’s environment that is even more important. Not only for military contractors but for commercial business as well. You think I’m kidding -- relative to the commercial business? Nope, I’m not. Think about how valuable the information you carry around is. For example, wouldn’t your competitors like to know that you are planning to compete on “x” contract? Or wouldn’t your customers like to know that you are working on a new product -- one that will obsolete the product that they are preparing to spend millions on?

Your competitors (and others) are constantly on the lookout for information that will give them an advantage over your business. Most firms don’t resort to industrial espionage -- mostly because they don’t have to. All they have to do is to hang out in the places that you and your staff frequent. Think about it. How many lunch-time conversations have you had about sensitive business with your colleagues? And did you know who sat at the tables next to you? What information did you and your colleagues inadvertently give away?

Of course, I’m not suggesting that you succumb to paranoia. Only that it is prudent for any executive to remember how valuable the information they carry around in their head truly is.

Cheers!

7-28-10 Is It Better To Beg Forgiveness?

Here’s an interesting question….. Is it better to beg forgiveness or to ask permission? Hmmmmm…..

Guess that depends on the situation, of course. But in the business world, I learned early on that it is better to take action and then beg forgiveness if something goes awry.

Oh sure, there are times that it is absolutely mandatory that you ask permission. Like when you are about to commit the company to a multi-billion dollar contract, well then, you should probably ask a couple of people if it is okay. There is a line here that you must not cross…. And that line will vary depending on your boss of the moment, your situation, your company, etc.

But, for most of the day-to-day business activities, I never really had much luck with asking permission. It gives people the opportunity to delay your actions -- even when their agreement wasn’t really needed. It also gives people the opportunity to torpedo your actions -- if it is something they don’t want. Or, heaven forbid, it gives someone the opportunity to say no. And if that someone is your boss, you can consider the door to be firmly shut to your idea. No amount of finagling will get you back to yes.

My policy is to assume that I have the authority (and responsibility) to do something until someone (usually my boss) tells me different. Have I screwed up with that attitude? Occasionally, yes. Hence the idea of begging forgiveness. It is real easy to say, “I’m sorry, but I thought that was my responsibility. I’ll not do that again”.

Interestingly, people (my boss, specifically) have always been willing to accept that and we move on.

Here’s something even more interesting. I’ve gotten feedback in the past that I was rated highly in evaluations because of my willingness to take the initiative, make a decision, and implement a plan. If I hadn’t assumed the appropriate authority, that would have never happened.

So remember, you are an executive. And you are in charge. Act like it.

Cheers!

7-26-10 So Many Bosses, So Little Time

For whatever reason, today I was pondering the various types of bosses out there. Of course, there are as many types of bosses as there are people holding the position. But a few types come to mind for me……

The Hit and Run. This boss never seems to have enough time to do anything properly. He runs into your office, drops a new assignment on you (like a hand grenade), and then breezes out before the explosion. Or he arrives at a meeting 10 minutes late, spends everyone else’s time getting caught up to speed, and then leaves early --- before any decisions can be made. Of course, his buy-in is required, so the decision is delayed to another day. Or with performance reviews --- you can count on them to be scheduled and re-scheduled, multiple times, because he always seems to have more important things to do.

The Psycho. With this boss, you never know which boss will actually show up. Think Mel Gibson in his current state --- you know, the psycho that keeps ranting and raving on those recorded phone calls. One day, this boss is as nice as can be. And then the next? Well, when you recognize the signals, you learn to stay out of his way during those times. ‘Cause lets face it, when he is in psycho mode, you cannot do anything right or to his satisfaction.

The Good Ol’ Boy. Also known as The Politician. This guy is everyone’s friend. And all too often, he will say exactly what you want to hear -- and not what you need to hear. He knows everyone’s business, and doesn’t hesitate to insert himself into it, but only if he can be the hero.

The No Questions Answered. You know the type --- “because I’m the boss, that’s why”. Oh sure, he’ll never say that out loud, but you know that is what he means. Don’t bother asking questions, because he won’t answer them or will duck you when he sees you coming. Or if he does deign to answer the question, he’ll be sure to make you feel like a fool for asking.

The Figurehead. This guy generally doesn’t have a clue. He IS the boss, but to get anything done, you have to figure out who is really in charge and go to that person.

And on a side note….. Yes, I put these in terms of “he or him”. But that doesn’t mean we women are exempt from these types. It happens with either gender.

And while I’m on a side note, yes I recognize that I’ve just written about all the negative boss types. Oh sure, I know that there are good ones out there. But really, would that be as interesting to read about?!

Why is it important to recognize the different types of bosses? First, you need to know who you work for and how to handle their idiosyncrasies. Because we all “manage” upwards with our boss. And knowing the type of boss you have will make your upward management strategies more efficient.

Second, you need to understand what kind of boss you are. If you are one of these negative types, KNOCK IT OFF. Seriously, you’ve probably worked for one of these folks in your career. Didn’t you just hate it? So, if you ARE one of these types, don’t you suppose that you make life way to difficult for those people that work for you?

Cheers!

7-23-10 Shoulda Told Me #12

It’s been awhile since I’ve been down the “someone shoulda told me” bunny trail. And I guess today is a as good as any to take that trail……

I wish that someone had told me, early on, to pick a sport or two and learn how to be good at it. Of course, good being a relative term….. Most of us will never be professional-category good at any sport. By “good”, I mean good enough that you won’t embarrass yourself when you play the chosen sport.

Why is this important for the executive? Well I’ve thought of a few varied reasons.

1. Discipline. Most sports have their own set of rules and disciplines to follow. By learning the intricacies of any sport, you are disciplining your mind. In addition, it brings discipline to your body. In order to not be embarrassed when you play a sport, some practice and conditioning will certainly be involved. And what is practice if not a form of applying discipline?

2. Place to do business. It shouldn’t surprise you that a lot of business is conducted in sporting venues. I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve taken customers to play golf. In many cultures, doing business with someone means getting to know them first. And the links provided me with a way for my customer and I to get to know each other. Once we were back in the conference room, we had yet another positive link in our relationship.

3. Takes your mind off of business. I won’t go into the whole idea of life balance (yet again), but will suffice it say that playing a sport allows other sides of your personality to come out -- sides that may not see the light of day in a business setting.

4. It’s in the lingo. Even in the office, you hear sporting lingo. Doing an end around (American football). Getting a free pass (baseball). Acing it (tennis). It was a slam dunk (basketball). Whether we like it or not, sports permeate our daily business life with the lingo. And if you don’t know the lingo, how will you keep up?

And those are just the reasons that I can come up with in one sitting. I’m sure that there are many, many other valid reasons for becoming proficient at a sport. The point here is, whatever your reasons, having the ability to participate in a couple of sports is important and beneficial.

Cheers!

7-19-10 Story Time

One of the critical skill sets for the new/aspiring executive is communication (12-30-09 Morphing to a Model and 1-4-10 Let's Talk ). Within this skill set is a sub-skill that I call story-telling. And no, I don’t mean the story-telling that you used to do when you tattled on your brother or sister during your grade school years.

What I mean is the ability to use a story or anecdote or even a joke to illustrate the point that you are trying to make. The ability to “story-tell” is a useful tool in the executive’s kit. Why? Because if the story is memorable, people will remember the point you are trying to make. I had one boss that was particularly good at this. And frankly, even years later, I could tell you the point he was trying to make just by remembering his story.

I try to use stories here to make my posts more interesting -- to both you and I. Sometimes I think I hit the mark and sometimes, well not so much.

So what makes a good story? Here are some of the things that I’ve observed.

-- Your story has to fit the situation. Random stories, even if they are interesting, don’t help you.

-- Your story should be well thought out. Have some in your back pocket that you have gone over in your head. Why? If not, you will likely ramble. And people will totally miss your point.

-- Don’t overuse your stories. They lose impact with the re-telling and re-telling and re-telling……

-- Don't drag out the story. Keep it short, sweet, and make an impact with it.

And one final thought. Does the story have to be true? Well, ideally, yes. But not always. Fictional anecdotes can be effective as well.

So let story time begin…….

Cheers!

7-16-10 More Musing on Balance

Earlier this week (and other earlier posts), I talked a little about the need for the executive to have balance in his/her life (7-12-10 Hard-Core Business Person vs. Artsy-Fartsy) . My pondering of the subject continued as I was reading one of the many magazines to which I subscribe -- Real Simple. (You can find out more about it at www.realsimple.com if you are interested).

Anyway. At the start of every issue, they have a “question of the month” to which readers respond. This month’s question fits in nicely with the whole idea of balance. They asked, “If you were suddenly given a free day this summer, how would you spend it? Imagine 24 glorious hours with zero obligations.”

Interesting concept, eh? The readers’ answers were are varied as the personalities that exist around the globe. One said she would spend it on her motorcycle. She said, “You know how happy a dog looks when he hangs his head out the window of a car? That’s how I feel on my bike.” Outstanding. Others suggested things like: floating on an inner tube, putting family photos in albums, visiting a best friend, recreating a past adventure, reading, etc.

It was fascinating to read. And it was invigorating to imagine what I would do. Yeah, I know, I’m retired so I have that luxury almost every day. I wish that I had taken that luxury of having obligation-free days when I was still working.

With cell phones, Blackberries, families, work, and other “to do” items, it is definitely tough to find an obligation-free day. So maybe you start small. Instead of laying your Blackberry next to you on the end table while you watch tv in the evening --- but it in a drawer somewhere and ignore it for a few hours. Or instead of using a free afternoon off to run errands, take the time to go to the art museum or take your kids to the zoo. If you are creative, I’m sure that you can carve out at least a few obligation-free hours each month.

And more difficult that finding the time? Turning off the guilt you will likely have when you ignore the obligations. But, it is well worth it because you come away from that time recharged and ready to take on old and new obligations.

So enjoy your obligation-free time!

Cheers!

7-14-10 On Being Decisive

One of the execution skills in the Executive Skills/Traits model involves being decisive (12-30-09 Morphing to a Model and 1-13-10 Execution Skills -- Now go DO something!).

One of my survey participants had an interesting take on this skill. He said, “Many/most times decisions are elevated due to lack of a clear cut ‘answer‘. Being able to listen to opposing arguments and make a decision is critical to exec leadership. If it was easy, the team would have already decided.”

If you haven’t figured it out yet, being an executive ain’t easy.

As an executive, you no longer get to make the easy decisions -- if you’ve delegated appropriately. The easy decisions are made by your staff or your managers. That means you get stuck with the hard decisions.

And as my survey participant indicated, in order to make those hard decisions you have to weigh the information and the opposing arguments. Fairly and impartially. The “fair” part is easy for most executives. The “impartial” part usually isn’t.

Why? Because we all have a past or history. And that can impact our analysis and decision-making. In order to be a successful executive, you have to recognize your past and your biases -- then to the extent possible, leave them behind. And if you can’t, you at least need to factor them in to your decision-making process.

Of course, once the decision is made, then it has to be implemented. But that’s another post……

Cheers!

7-12-10 Hard-Core Business Person vs. Artsy-Fartsy

Okay, did that headline make you chuckle? Well, it does me --- every time. I’ve been a crafter all my life. My husband calls it my “artsy-fartsy alter ego”. There is something so very satisfying in creating an object that is either useful or beautiful.

And more important -- my artsy-fartsy side was an important balancing tool in my life.

In the past, I’ve talked about balance in the executive’s life (2-17-10 Balance). Specifically, I talked about taking time away from work and using up the vacation that you’ve already earned. Today, I thought that I would explore a different kind of balance.

During the business day, the executive is a hard-core business person. You wouldn’t have made it to the executive ranks if you weren’t. But, when you go home at night, you have to find the balance that lets you recharge for the next day. For me, that is crafting. I can lose myself in the creative process…. Making jewelry, crocheting an afghan, painting a picture…. All evening long. I realized that it used a different part of my brain and my emotions to come up with the creative outlet. And by doing that, I was giving all of the “business” side of me a rest.

How did I know it was important? Because if I stayed away from my craft table for too many evenings or weekends, I started to be a pretty grumpy Gus. I just felt out of whack.

And no, I don’t mean that you have to go out an discover your artsy-fartsy side. Although that is fine, if it works for you. What I’m suggesting is that you discover what activities allow you to disconnect from the business world and recharge. It might be sports. It might be community service. It might be writing. It might be reading. It might be people-watching. It might be surfing the web. Heck, it might even be channel-surfing on the tv.

Whatever you discover it to be, make time for that activity in your life. Balance ultimately makes you a better executive.

Cheers!

7-9-10 Ah, Summertime!

I was talking to a teacher-friend of mine the other day. I asked what she had been doing with herself during the summer -- besides playing golf, of course. I learned that teachers don't necessarily get the summer off (at least not the good ones). Her reply was a two-fold answer. She is working a second, summer job. And she is going to school.

My first reaction was an internal confirmation that we don’t pay our public school teachers enough. They shouldn’t have to have a second job in order to make ends meet.

And my second reaction was “good for you”, going back to school. I found out that she does this every summer. She identifies new educational methodologies and then seeks out training on them. She said that way she can evaluate whether or not it would be something that she can incorporate into her own classroom.

And the kicker? This woman is a long-time teacher. She has been doing this for years and still she seeks out the new and innovative ways to teach and motivate her students.

Frankly, it is a good lesson for executives. Just because you have made it (finally!) to the executive ranks doesn’t give you license to sit back and coast. There is still plenty to learn about new ideas, processes, techniques, methodologies, etc. And if you aren’t learning in today’s business environment, you likely are going backwards. You can’t even tread water without some new knowledge.

Many of you will say “yeah, but I read all the new business books that come out”. I’m here to tell you that it ain’t enough. Take a class. Go to a seminar. Try something completely outside of your knowledge area. You never know when you will hit on a new concept that is exactly what your company or your organization needs.

Cheers!

7-5-10 What's In A Job Description

I’ve been asked many times over the years --- what is it, exactly, that you do for a living? For executives, that can often be a tough question to answer. Depending on the day, the point in my career, and of course, my mood, the answer can range from --- “I sit in meetings for a living” to something like “I run the 737 strut factory”. But honestly, that doesn’t really describe what the executive does.

So after reflection, here’s my cut at a job description for the executive. As an executive, my job is to get the crap outta the way so that the people who do the “real work” can actually get their jobs done -- on time and correctly. Remember, in the past, I’ve said that I don’t buck the rivets that go into the airplane. I only help out those that do.

So what does “getting the crap outta the way” mean? Actually, it can mean anything, depending on your industry, company, organization, people and the circumstances. Here is an example of what it meant to me.

My very first factory assignment was as the general of a sheet metal organization. The area included a mixture of machines and bench work. It was in a VERY old building. And while the company tried very hard, in the summer, to keep the temps moderated, you can imagine how hot an old building can get in a Mid-Western summer.

One group of machines were called Modigs -- NC extrusion mills for building aircraft parts. The operators were skilled machinists that could frankly, make those pieces of equipment sing. The great thing about NC machines is that they can produce quality parts, reliably and quickly. But they don’t operate on their own. The machinist’s job required him (yes, in this industry, they are all guys) to be at the machine constantly. If he wasn’t there, it wasn’t running.

Picture 25 or so of these machines lined up down the floor of the factory. And then imagine how much heat the machines and their operations threw off. Yep, it got pretty darned warm in there during the summer.

Apparently in the past, the machine operators had asked for shop fans. These are large, industrial, pedestal-based fans. Those babies could move a bunch of air. Unfortunately, their past requests had been ignored.

In any new job, I would always spend the first few weeks listening -- to the managers, the mechanics, the support staff. In one of my walkabouts, the mechanics brought up the subject of fans. I was surprised to learn that they had asked for them repeatedly.

Honestly, it didn’t take much more that a few phone calls on my part and fans started coming into the shop. Within a couple of weeks, there was a fan pointing at each machine operator --- cooling him and making his job easier.

My reward? Well of course, happy employees --- which always results in higher output and higher quality. But the real reward is shown below.

As rewards go, original artwork by a talented mechanic is pretty darned good.  In fact, it just doesn’t get much better than this.

Cheers!

7-2-10 Change and the Newly-Minted Executive

Just because you now have the “executive badge” emblazoned on your chest, doesn’t mean that you should charge in and make a whole bunch of changes. What?!? I bet you are thinking, “well, sheesh, isn’t that what they promoted me for?” Yeah, probably, but it won’t do you any good to make changes the day after you start your new job.

One of my survey participants put it very nicely.

“I think it is important to learn the team and gain some respect. By doing this your new team will be more willing to support the changes you need to make.” He went on to explain that he had been promoted to an area that was new to him -- and that the team in place didn’t know him very well. “I believed they did not trust me yet because of this. So before I made any major change I took my time to let them get to know me. Then when I did make the change they all stuck behind it.”

The issue here is managing change, a key skill in the execution portion of the Executive Skills and Traits model (12-30-09 Morphing to a Model). And while not specifically called out in the model, patience is an important factor in managing change. It is imperative that you take your time -- and not try to change everything overnight.

You probably have the skills to make all kinds of changes in a very short period of time. But as this executive wisely understood, the changes probably wouldn’t “stick” because the people involved with it didn’t trust him yet -- and by extension, probably wouldn’t trust the motive behind the changes or even the changes themselves. Patience is required -- the patience to learn about the team and the patience to allow them time to learn about you.

Change is difficult, even in ideal circumstances. And, despite the fact that you allow time for the team to adjust to you, not all of them will agree with or support the change. But if you have earned their trust, they will at least not block the needed changes.

So yes, you might have been hired or promoted to effect change in an organization. But you have to balance this with the willingness and ability of your new organization to accept and implement the change.

Cheers!