#333 shade

I wrote yesterday about my "smile file" and the importance of keeping mementos that you receive.  Today I urge you to remember the impact you are having that never becomes tangible enough to make it to paper.  Don't forget all the thank yous that are due you from people you have never met.

Many people work in fields that make difference in the lives of people you don't see, or that make a difference many years down the road.  The social worker may not know the happiness of the children of the child they place in a loving home.  Those in education may not ever hear the thank you from the student they taught.  A builder may not ever realize the joy that the home he built brought to the next generation.  A banker may not know the impact of a loan.  The admissions counselor may not know the career success of the students they recruit.

We do our jobs in a way that impacts lives that we will never know.   Warren Buffet wrote: "someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago."

Be that someone who plants trees -- creating shade for those to come far down the road -- whether you ever meet them or not.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#332 keeping track

In addition to being a good sender of the kind of love notes I described yesterday, I would recommend a strategy for when you are the recipient.  What do you do with those notes that you receive?  Instead of tossing them, you should create a file for yourself.

My folder contains cards, post-it notes, handwritten scribbles and a host of things to remind me that I am making a difference to someone.  If I get a great email, I print it out and stick it in the "smile file."  When I am having a really rotten day or wondering if my work matters, I drag it out and within a few moments I again become centered.

I also keep a file of the snarkiest emails and things that just set me on edge.  I don't read it as often, but somehow the passage of time makes even the worst things seem not so bad.  It keeps perspective for me -- if there really are only a few things in that file, I know it will be ok and that my feelings are colored by a few bad things that have happened recently.  If the file gets too big, then maybe it is a sign that it's time to dust off the old resume.

As a supervisor, I keep notes to remind me of my employees' ups and downs during the year.  It helps to develop a system that allows me to make the same assessment about myself.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#331 chain of joy

I have written before about how notes of appreciation that take five minutes to write can have impact far beyond the time it took to write them.*  

Here is another example: I sent a birthday present to my sister which included a gift to the non-profit agency that she runs.  She, in turn, called a colleague to share her joy in receiving it.  Her dear colleague extended the love-fest by writing me a note saying:  "The joy you bring into Amelia's life overflows into mine."  

What a beautiful sentiment.  We sometimes forget that small acts which make others happy have a ripple effect beyond the original recipient.  Making someone's day tends to make more-than-one-someone's day as the happy person spreads joy to others.

What small act can you perform that gives someone a smile?  Try to be the start of a joy reaction today.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

*See #14, June 15, 2012

#330 you're welcome

Have you ever had one of those things that you didn't notice at all -- until someone pointed it out to you -- and then it was everywhere.

Such a situation happened to me when a colleague commented on how the customer is normally the one to say "thank you" to service employees instead of the other way around. Shouldn't the clerks be saying "thank you" to the customer who just gave them business?  What is the customer thanking the employee for -- handing back the remaining portion of the customer's own money?  Processing a transaction that it is their business to do?  When you think about it, it does seem odd.

I am all for pleasantries and politeness.  But doesn't "have a nice day" seem more befitting of the occasion from the customer and "thank you" from the employee?  Somehow the common dialogue occurs in reverse.

Pay attention to this phenomenon.  Customers say "thank you" and clerks say something like "have a nice day."  It is a little thing, but can you adopt a stronger service mentality for your organization?  Train your employees who interact with clients to say a genuine "thank you" at the conclusion of their transaction.  I think that it can go a long way in setting yourself apart and making those who should be your focus feel appreciated.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#329 feeding your brain

So much emphasis is given to output that we often fail to take the time to think about input.   What portion of your time today/this week/this month did you spend putting new ideas into your brain?  How many new experiences or conversations did you use to learn instead of do?

Hopefully the two minutes you spend each day reading "leadership dots" helps populate your mind with some new thoughts and ideas.  I also hope that you replicate the thinking  process behind these blogs in your own life.  

This week I wrote about an observation at the grocery store, from the newspaper, at a movie and from a speech I attended.  Only the latter would be considered traditional input, but the other three experiences also generated new thought.  I believe this is thanks to a reflection component infused into my life -- trying to step back and think about the implications and meaning of things.  

I'll admit that my sense of attention has significantly heightened since I need to find a daily topic for this blog, but I think it was a skill that I had developed long before Blogger and I became acquainted.  I would challenge you to monitor your inputs for a week.  Have you taken the time to read?  Do you spend a few moments each evening reflecting on the lessons that day has brought?  Do you do evaluations and process events after the fact so you can learn from them?

Inputs and making meaning are just as important as a quantity of output.  Remember the old computer programming adage of GIGO -- garbage in = garbage out.  Give your cerebral cortex a gift today!

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#328 supervisor education

Over the weekend, I attended the keynote by noted educator Rafe Esquith.  He has won a host of awards for how he manages his 5th grade classroom at a public school in Los Angeles.  His students voluntarily come to class at 6:30am and stay until 5pm, and during this time learn skills that are helping them be successful as students and in life.

I attended to support our education department at their conference, but came away with many lessons that I can apply as a supervisor.  I think the classroom environment has many parallels to an employee/supervisor relationship.  Here are some examples from Esquith's speech:

> You have to be the person you want your kids [substitute: employees] to be.  If you want them to be nice, you have to be nice, even when you want to throw them out the window.  If you want them to work hard, you have to be the first to arrive and last to leave.  Your [employees] watch you constantly and will mimic you.

> Their #1 fear is to be laughed at, so they don't ask questions for fear of looking stupid.  You need to create an environment where no one laughs at each other so people ask and learn.

> Lessons must be relevant.  Before each new assignment, share why you are doing this and how it will help them [and the organization].

> Remain true to yourself.  Esquith has three loves:  baseball, Shakespeare and rock 'n roll, so he infuses these into his curriculum as a basis for life lessons.  

> Travel on a journey to reach what he calls "level 6" where people build a personal code of behavior because of who they are (not because of rewards, rules or someone else).   People at level 6 work hard because of who they are, not because of you.  

Doesn't that sound a lot like a list of tips for good supervision:  Set expectations high through modeling, foster internal motivation, infuse yourself in your work and make the task relevant.  If Esquith can do it with a group of inner-city 5th graders, surely you are smart enough to adopt his principles for your own "class."

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

See hobartshakespeareans.org

#327 a heritage

Over the weekend, I saw the movie "42" about Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in professional team sports.  Afterwards, a friend who saw it with me asked: "What was your favorite scene?"  I was hard-pressed to come up with just one.

Most people know the essential story of the movie: Jackie was the first African American to play major league baseball, and he did it in an era where restrooms and many public spaces were still segregated for "whites" and "colored".  I can't imagine the abuse that he endured.

The story that I never considered before was the boldness of the Dodgers president who brought Jackie to the majors in the first place.  Branch Rickey was a man ahead of his time.  In 1947, when he first selected Robinson, no one else in the league was willing to do what he did.  Rickey was wise enough to select a player with both the game credentials and the personal fortitude to handle the hatred that would be thrown his way.

It is one thing to do something bold.  It is another to own it and see it through to success. In addition to Rickey's vision, he had the will and clarity to execute it.  He hired an attendant to take care of Robinson on the road, found Negro families to host the player when hotels would not accommodate him, allowed Robinson's wife to travel to spring training for moral support, and was willing to trade players who were uncomfortable with Robinson on the team.  Rickey left no gray areas with his managers and coaches; they were told directly and frequently to make Robinson a full part of the team.  

Years before, Rickey had witnessed other instances of discrimination, and felt that he had not done enough about it.  He vowed that when he could, he would act.  At the time Rickey signed Robinson, Rickey had been a major league executive for over 30 years.  He had built up some chits and had the power that comes after a long period of successes.  Rickey could have rested on his laurels as he concluded his career, but instead chose to lay it all down in full support of the cause that he left unaddressed many years before.

Sometimes leaders go to their grave or leave their positions still trying to earn power instead of capitalizing on it.  If you find yourself in a senior role, utilize the latitude that comes with that position to do something others in your organization are unable to do.  You don't have to be facing retirement to be in a secure position where you have earned power that can be expended towards a meaningful change.

A monument to Branch Rickey carries this inscription:  "It is not the honor that you take with you but the heritage you leave behind."  

You owe it to yourself and your organization to be like Rickey and take those risks when you are in a position to do so.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#326 a pioneer

I just read the obituary for Al Neuharth, the founder of USA Today, who died last week.  I was a newly-minted journalism graduate in 1981 and remember reading about all the fuss the newspaper's debut caused in 1982.  It had color!  Every day!  On almost every page!  And it was a national paper.  Who would read that when the mantra of newspapers was, and almost always has been, focused on the local angles?

Turns out that many people would.  USA Today grew to a circulation of 1.75 million copies, larger than the venerable Wall Street Journal.  As the public traveled more and people moved far away from home, the concept of national news made more sense.  When you're at a hotel in Philadelphia, you'd rather read the two sentences about your state in the Around the USA section than read about Philly's local events.  

USA Today was one of the first papers that was as much feature content as it was news.  You could pick up an edition that was a few days old and still find something of interest; the   "snapshot" graphic on the front page, the cartoons, the lifestyle stories, the technology tips or opposing sides on the opinion page.  

With today's instant access to news from other sources beyond the newspaper, USA Today's blend of features and news makes even more sense.  Last week, at 6am I read in the morning newspaper that the Boston suspects were still at large, and hadn't taken my coat off before others (who got their news from their phone or computer) were talking about the overnight shoot out and capture.  

In yesterday's blog, I advocated for an element of "all or nothing".  Today I would encourage you to take a lesson from USA Today and do some blending.  You don't have to hold firm to the old notions of what something should be.  You can meld the best features of many things and make it your own.  It may sound like a radical idea at the time, but it also may be just the combination that people want.  In 1982, no one would have ever believed that USA Today would have greater circulation than the Wall Street Journal -- no one except Al Neuharth, that is.  What legacy can he leave for your organization?

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#325 all or nothing

I live in one of the 11 states that have "container deposit legislation", more commonly known as a deposit on beverage cans and bottles.  

I am probably one of the most avid recyclers I know, and I hate the bottle deposit as it is.  To me, it is a vestige of a different time and should be either repealed or strengthened.  When the Iowa law was enacted in 1979, curbside recycling wasn't even a thought on the back burner.  Bottled water was a rarity.  So deposits only occur on carbonated and alcoholic beverages -- so not the millions of water bottles, power drinks or teas that are used daily.  

If given my preference, I would eliminate the deposit that forces me to drag all my pop bottles back to the grocery store instead of conveniently tossing them in my recycle bin.  But if the law is to remain, I would advocate including all beverage containers -- not just a select few that make the law even more confusing.  

The middle ground isn't always the best route to take.  Is there a practice in your organization that was a great idea at the time, but needs to be revisited -- to either expand or eliminate?  Do you have a set of rules that apply only to one population but should be broadened (e.g.: why do only 18 year old men have to register for the draft)?  Is there some policy that made sense when enacted, but has lived beyond its time (e.g.: using social security numbers as ID numbers)?

As the bottle laws illustrate, once a policy is set, it becomes difficult to change it one way or the other so it remains in the middle and aggravates everyone.  Today, try to be bold and make one decisive change that warrants an all or nothing call.  

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#324 ideas delivered

Last Sunday I was laying in my bed, debating whether I wanted to stay in my cozy pajamas or whether I wanted to go out for breakfast, and I wondered why I couldn't have both.  Why hasn't someone started a service to deliver breakfast?  

They deliver hot foods like Chinese and pizzas, so it isn't a temperature issue.  You could have breakfast biscuits or burritos come to your door with a piping hot Starbucks -- I think it could be a hit.  

In 2011, breakfast restaurant sales totaled nearly $25.5 billion.  Nearly half of the consumers got their early meal from a "limited-service" restaurant.  So we're not competing with Eggs Benedict and Mimosas here; people are eating what I want delivered.

If you agree with my idea and want to start a service, it's all yours.  I'm not looking to become an entrepreneur.  I just like the concept of ideas -- thinking about what isn't, but could be.  

Next time you have a moment to daydream, think about what business isn't out there that you wish was.  It's a good exercise in creativity, even if you still have to get up and go get that bacon and egg biscuit yourself.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#323 be proud

If you are ever in St. Louis or have an opportunity to see a Clydesdale horse somewhere else, you should do so.  They are huge, majestic animals, and those lucky enough to be a Budweiser Clydesdale lead a life of pampering that most humans would envy.  They are coddled and groomed, and live in palatial, temperature-controlled stables with caretakers that tend to their needs.  It is all very impressive.

I have a friend that believes we should treat ourselves like a Clydesdale instead of like the water boy:

> Clydesdales are pampered every day, strictly for the purpose of doing what they do best 

> The horses work as part of a team; rarely do you see them solo

> Their environment is reflective of their Clydesdale status

> At the core, Clydesdales are work horses, not just show horses, so they can do the work of pulling a wagon and gear as well

Do you treat yourself like the water boy or a Clydesdale and ignore your health and fitness needs?  You deserve to pamper yourself and your team.  Be proud of your heritage and do a little prancing today.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#322 survivors

After years of trying to convince my sister to join me, I finally made it to the Oklahoma City National Memorial to commemorate the bombing of the Alfred Murrah Federal Building.  It was one of the most moving tributes I have seen, including recognition of those who lost lives and those who survived.  Today, I am reminded of my visit, as it is the 18th anniversary of that act of terrorism.  

What stuck with me most was the entrance to the exhibits.  It depicted the morning of the bombing -- beforehand -- as "a day just like any other."  There is a replica of a lawyer's office where someone is recording a hearing, and moments into it you hear the bomb go off.  It sends chills through visitors, even though the volume and tremors have been subdued.

As we witnessed in Boston, Waco and on a personal level many times over, what starts out as an ordinary day can suddenly, inexplicably and permanently change our lives forever.  

I think of a 1983 quote by Mister Rogers:
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping."  To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers -- so many caring people in this world.

If today is the day that your life is beset by tragedy, accept the love and allow those around you to be helpers.  And if you are fortunate enough to have "a day just like any other", take on the task of being the helper to someone in need.  It's never an ordinary day for everybody.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#321 energy sources

We interviewed a candidate this week who said "I'm an introvert.  And I'm a professional extrovert."  I feel that way myself.  Given my druthers, I would be home alone with a couple of dogs and a good book, but my job requires me to interact with people most of the day.  I have done professional training in front of hundreds; I make presentations to large groups on a regular basis, and I talk with families in our office every day.  I'm even pretty good at it.

But the social interaction drains me.

It is a distinction that only serious students of Myers-Briggs or introversion/extroversion studies understand.  Introversion/extroversion is about preferences, not skills.  

Introverts can be as gregarious as extroverts when the situation warrants, but they will go home exhausted.  Extroverts become energized in group settings and the interactions pump them up rather than tax them.  

It is important for you to recognize your own preferences, rather than skills, so you can align your work with responsibilities that will regularly stimulate you and you can make accommodations for the times where it can't.  We have battery usage monitors on our phone -- develop a personal gauge so you can retreat into your cave or go out into the commons when your own indicator warrants.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#320 duality

As I think about what makes an employee successful, I am reminded of a graph that a former colleague shared with me.  On one axis is competence, and on the other is relationships.

To be a valuable contributor to a team, a person must have both high competence and high relationship marks.  Someone who is technically proficient, but can't communicate with others is often relegated to the proverbial back room and doesn't add much value to the overall team. Someone who is well liked but ineffective finds themselves lacking as well.  

It is easier to fire the first person, because in all probability, they aren't well liked, but it is equally as important to divest of people who are lacking on either axis.  Examples come to mind of both types of employees, and neither images are positive.

To be an effective employee, you must be proficient in both variables. On which aspect do you rate yourself higher?  What can you do to ensure that you are tending to both aspects of the equation to help your organization advance?

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Idea from Wanda Ryan

#319 for your eyes only

Sometimes when I am plucking my eyebrows, I think of a comment a friend once made in puzzlement as to why I spend the time on a few stray hairs: "no one can even see them."

I think about all the work that I do that no one sees.  Who would know if I analyzed those numbers or just filed away the report?  Would anyone notice if I skimmed meeting materials instead of studied them?  I receive daily journals and trade publications -- would anyone know if I never read them?  Would it have a negative impact if I didn't rewrite that proposal or failed to proofread it one more time?

Everyone has work that they do that no one else sees.  And mostly it would not matter if you skipped a week of analysis or never read an issue of a publication.  If you failed to make a phone call or reach out to a client.  One wouldn't matter, but would two?  Or three?  Or four?  When does something begin to have a cumulative negative impact?  

It is hard to know, so try not to skip the one.  Even when you are the only one who sees it.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#318 time's up

In Blog #178 in November, I wrote about JCPenney's new CEO Ron Johnson and his attempts at revitalization of the chain.  "I hope the board gives Johnson enough time for his efforts to have a chance," I wrote.

They didn't.  

After just 17 months on the job, he was fired.  What is worse (in my opinion) is that to replace him they brought back the former CEO Mike Ullman!  If Ullman was so great, why did they need Johnson to get JCP out of a mess in the first place?

According to the Wall Street Journal, "Ron Johnson's downfall wasn't necessarily due to his vision for J.C.Penney, but in the way it was executed, say retail analysts and industry experts."  The sense is that he went too far, too fast, and should have experimented with the new pricing and boutique concepts before trying to implement them nationwide.

I think that if he would have done that, the same analysts would have said that he was moving too slow; that he needed to act quickly to transform the entire chain rather than doing it piecemeal.  In short, it is hard to win when you are a change agent.

The one who has the strongest shield against criticism is now Mike Ullman.  If something works, he is a genius.  If it falls apart or the chain closes, it certainly is because of the mess that Ron Johnson made.  He's a lot less vulnerable than when he left the post in 2011.

Once again, I applaud Johnson for trying to do something bold.  I'm sure if he had to do it all over again, he would do things differently, but I hope that he would still have taken the job.  

If you find yourself faced with a Herculean task, you need to get buy-in for both the idea and the execution plan.  Don't go it alone, but do go.  We need leaders willing to take risks to make things better for all of us.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Wall Street Journal, 4/10/13 p. 2B

#317 on topic

As the facilitator of meetings, it is up to you to set some ground rules in the beginning that empower all the members of a group to play a role in keeping the meeting on track.  Especially when the same group of people meet regularly, there are a few easy things that can be done which allow everyone in the group to have a role in meeting management rather than relying only on the facilitator.

Here are some ideas:

1.  Certain topics are bound to be raised over and over.  While appropriate re-discussion may be warranted, at some point it is counter-productive to continue.  We have a small plastic horse and when someone has "beat the horse to death", a member of the group just tips over the plastic horse as a sign to all that it is time to move on.

2.  Another meeting hazard is when the conversation sways off-topic.  One point leads to another and soon the whole group is off on a tangent.  Give members permission at the beginning of the year to utilize the basketball "T" technical call -- and allow people to "call a T" when the conversation is wandering off on a "T"angent.

3.  Participants often bring up topics over and over again so they feel heard.  Assure them that the item won't be forgotten by keeping a running list on the bottom of the agenda of "future topics" that need to become agenda items. 

4.  If you're only together as a group for one day (such as a retreat) where there is no "future agenda", you can also defer side conversations by hanging a piece of flip chart paper and labeling it as a "parking lot."  "Park" the off-topic ideas there to be either addressed later or included in the notes for other types of follow up.

Don't let your agenda be derailed or your time wasted by meetings that go astray.  See if the above tips -- broadly and openly shared with all -- can be deployed to maximize the productivity of your valuable time together.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#316 modeling clay

Pretty soon my staff members will accuse me of having nuggets* at our meetings so I can steal them for my blog!  But I learned another lesson this week from Amy with a nugget about play dough.  

Play dough was given to a group of 10 children and 10 adults.  The kids tore theirs open and made crazy things with it.  They combined colors and shared their dough to make mythical creatures and abstract designs.  They had fun!

The adults took their own dough and each made an object with theirs.  No sharing, and instead ended up with monochrome, common items such as snakes, snowmen and houses.  Dull!

How often do we act like adults with our resources and just make things that are the "same old, same old?"  How can we capitalize on the childlike energy that new staff members bring to an organization or consciously force ourselves to push the limits of what has become routine?  Maybe you can take a container of play dough to your next meeting and see how the clay can be a model for new configurations of ideas.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

* see #108

#315 muse

I have spent two days this week crunching numbers and devising strategies with our consultant. Most of my staff was there with me, including one who voluntarily participated via FaceTime from Chicago (brownie points for her!)

Our consultant is a variation of Yoda -- he has more questions than answers.  Since I have been known to ask a fair amount of questions myself, some people wonder why I continue to use him.

Certainly he qualifies for the "50 mile rule", the old joke about how someone coming in from more than 50 miles away has more credibility saying the same thing as on-site staff.  But mostly I bring him to campus for two reasons.  First, it forces us to dedicate time for long-term planning and analysis.  I can guarantee that we would not have spent two days reviewing our situation and making alterations if Bill had not been on the calendar.  (And we are better off because we did.)

Secondly, I look at Bill as sort of the general education component of my professional development major.  Bill helps my staff learn how to think about the issues that we face.  He builds capacity in my team by asking those pesky questions and pushing us to craft the answers ourselves.

No matter what field you are in, it is easy to become insulated and to take things for granted.  I encourage you to find a muse who can act as a provocateur to your thinking -- challenging things in a realistic way -- but doing so in a manner that makes you less dependent upon them instead of more.  You should bring your consultants back by choice, not because they are the ones who hold your secret formula.  

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#314 an original

Even though I no longer live in St. Louis, my area code remains 314.  When I moved to Iowa, I was happy to keep my number and avoid the hassle of changing it.  Now I am sentimental about having one of the old-time, original area codes.

When I was growing up, you knew geography by area code because you could have many of them memorized.  From 1947 until 1988, the entire northern corner of Illinois was covered by the 312 area code.  Now, the metro area alone has eight different codes:  312, 630, 331, 708, 773, 847, 224 and 872.  The proliferation of cell phones, fax machines, credit card machines and the like have caused the expansion far more than a population explosion, but a common identity has been lost nonetheless.

AT&T developed the area code system in the 1940s, and there was a method to the madness in their designations.  States with a single area code had a zero as the middle number.  States with multiple codes had 1 as the center digit, with the first and third numbers allocated according to population density.  The most populated areas received the lowest numbers to make the rotary dialing easiest to call!

What started as a system with only 86 codes for all of the United States and Canada has now grown to over 390 prefixes.  The legendary "800 number" is now really 800, 888, 877, 866 and 855 -- with more to come I'm sure.  Today, the area codes have little sentimental or geographical meaning to most people -- they are just one more component of an dispassionate address to be keyed into contacts.

While I wouldn't trade my iPhone for a rotary land line, I am glad that my modern technology can carry with it a piece of nostalgia.  Is there something in your organization that may engender fond feelings to a segment of your population?  Can you capitalize on that link to your past and share a bit of history in the process?  Can you help those with a link to the past become aware of and celebrate that link in the present?

Many changes evolve slowly and we forget from whence we came.  Take a moment to look back and see if there isn't something in your history that still rings true today.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Source:  area-codes.com

#313 wet towel

When someone gets all worked up about something, the temptation is often to share their emotions with the first person around.  Many times this plays out like someone vomiting in a cartoon -- the words just blather out and spew all over the listener.  The original party may feel better, but those who were the recipient of the sharing now have the burden of dealing with the emotions as well.  

Like a stain on their shirt, they may choose to ignore it, but it is there nonetheless.*  More often than not, they don't/can't/won't forget it is there, so the time and emotional energy invested in the issue multiplies.  

It most instances, everyone would be better off if the original speaker allowed for an element of time to pass before sharing.  Time has the ability to decompress emotion and put things into a much more reasoned perspective.  Think of emotion as water being soaked up by a towel. Time is equivalent to ringing out the water, so that the towel may be easily passed on to another without fanfare or incident.  If you hand someone a soaking wet towel, all the attention turns to dealing with the water rather than the towel.  If you have let the emotion pass through, the actual issue may be addressed.

Next time you're tempted to vent or insert drama into a situation, ask yourself if you really need to hand off the towel while it is soaking wet or whether everyone would be better off if you waited a bit before doing so.  I'll bet you know the right answer.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

*see Blog #230

#312 finishing

It is quite rare that I quote Newt Gingrich, but he did say one comment that stuck with me:  "Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did."

At least in the academic arena, this statement is certainly true at this time of year.  The admissions counselors are tired of calling prospective students.  The current students are exhausted from projects and papers.  The faculty aren't excited about grading those projects and papers.  It has been a long haul to get to this point in the semester and for many, the new arrival of spring beckons louder than the hard work that remains.

This sentiment rings true outside the academy as well.  Everyone seems to be working longer than they were before.  The weekends get shorter while the personal to-do list grows longer.  Blog #313 beckons even though I have just done #312.  

I will spend the day with our admissions consultant, and, before we even begin, I am confident that he will implore us to do "more" and to push harder toward the finish line.  Everyone feels like they have been running a marathon (they have), yet we are only at mile 15.  

Those who are successful in the end will run the whole race and not just the initial laps.  In the end, what counts is how you finish.  How you started just makes it possible for the final push to have meaning.

Take a piece of advice from Newt and apply the diligence required to see your beginning through to the finish.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#311 the missing piece

I read in the paper yesterday about a wonderful new organization in Philadelphia.  Red Paw is a network of animal lovers that have paired with the Red Cross to tend to the pets of people involved in disasters.  The Red Cross handles temporary accommodations for the humans, and Red Paw makes arrangements for the critters.  It is a genius idea, and I hope the idea becomes universal.  

The idea grew out of the direct experience of a first responder who often saw displaced people able to utilize shelters as a temporary home, but found themselves unable to take their beloved pets.  The uncertainty of what to do with them led to increased anxiety at an already painful time.  Founder Jen Leary set about to alleviate some of this stress with a temporary care and rescue organization.

The Red Cross called Red Paw "invaluable"; it has given them a resource to fill a need.  Think about the organizations that currently exist that could benefit from a partnership with your organization.  What services can you offer to others that would fit with your mission and fill the needs of others?  Can you provide temporary storage for someone?  Can you allow a non-profit to access your network or purchasing power?  Do you have the ability to fill a gap in a community service?  Can you partner on a fund raising project if not for the long term?

There is no need to go it alone.  Someone is out there who needs you.  Find them and you'll both be better off.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#310 futile

Educator Rick Stephens once said: "Facts are sometimes like a ping pong ball bouncing off a bowling pin -- you need to find other ways for them to be absorbed." 

At times, people attempt to make persuasive arguments by reciting a list of logical arguments and facts.  In reality, the objection may be much more emotional and so the factual information doesn't change the person's opinion.  It bounces off their brain with the same resilience as the quote above.

To make your message sink in, you need to utilize a variety of communication methods to reach people.  Stories, emotional appeals, personal linkages and listening are all techniques that go further than a rapid recitation of logic.  

The numbers may be on your side, but if they aren't heard, it is as futile as tossing the ping pong balls.  Consider that a even whole bushel of balls would rarely tip over a bowling pin in your direction.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#309 A months

Without looking at a calendar, I can tell that it is April.  Suddenly things are getting hectic on campus -- people are realizing that there is only a month left in the semester and so they are attempting to wrap up all those projects that have been on the list for the year.

In my world, the "A" months -- April and August -- are clearly the most frenetic times of year.  I can take solace in the fact that it is like this every year, and get into a mindset that is required to make it through with sanity.

Every organization has its cycles.  Maybe you're in retail where it gets a bit crazier in November and December.  Perhaps you work in construction or landscaping and summer is your busy time.  Maybe your work is accounting which peaks at the end of each quarter.

With each spike in the cycle comes benefits as well as workload -- for education it is commencement and then the welcoming of a new class.  It may mean additional revenue or income.  It could signal a clean slate and the start of a new goal period.  

No matter what your cycle is, it helps to acknowledge it and to mentally prepare.  The roller coaster isn't all dips and spins, but when they come, it's nice to enjoy that part of the ride.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#308 at peace

I was recently at a gathering of senior higher education administrators and the topic turned to our personal situations instead of the state of the industry.

It was striking to me that the vast majority of people were professionally happy in their current position.  They knew themselves very well and had used this knowledge to accept a job that aligned their talents with the needs of their employer.  

These are exactly the kind of people that you want to lead organizations in the future.  I believe that leaders who are happy and successful in their current jobs have the traits to create that synergy again in their next position.

As you consider where you are and where you are going on your professional journey, I hope that you focus first on creating the alignment where you are now.  If you made a bad employment decision or are not happy in your current job, you need to understand what went wrong or it will follow you to the next move and beyond.  Try as best as you can to create happiness where you are now, and then, when the time is right, you will have the skills to replicate that calibration in whatever is next.

Strive to feel as Jill Ker Conway did (see yesterday's blog):  
"Nothing was pushing me out of this wonderful setting except a cause, and the hope to serve it."*

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

*Jill Ker Conway, True North, 1995, p. 250.

#307 marble

In an interesting essay by Jill Ker Conway, she describes the educational philosophy of Mary Lyon, the founder of Mount Holyoke College.  Lyon was one of the first to educate women in the 1830s, taking on the task from a very pragmatic perspective.

"Lyon wanted to produce 'hard marble' women vs. 'soft marble' ones.  Soft marble was easy to shape, but quickly crumbled before the forces of the elements.  Hard marble was more difficult to shape, but it could take a brilliant polish which would last, and which was impervious to wind and weather."*

The analogy related to the New England cemeteries where hard marble tombstones remained readable and polished, whereas soft marble ones collected moss and the lettering faded.

Think about your philosophy of staff development.  What kind of employees are you trying to develop?  It is easy to give tasks to new people and quickly set them about their business.  It takes much more time and effort to create 'hard marble' staff that has the knowledge and understanding to weather the changes your organization inevitably faces in the long term.  

Adopt a lesson from Mary Lyon and invest in learning that endures.


-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

* True North: A Memoir by Jill Ker Conway, 1995, p. 236.

#306 time frames

How we define accomplishment changes over time - I think the time period lengthens.

When you are a kid, success is measured in the present.  I cleaned my room now.  I ate my vegetables now.  I helped mommy set the table now.  Good girl!

Eventually, we start lengthening the time period over which success is measured.  How did we do this week?  Did we get good grades in school this semester?  Were we a valuable teammate this season?  

As we rise in ranks, the evaluation period grows even more.  What were our results this year?  Did we develop our people over the past few years?  Have we met the objectives in the multi-year strategic plan?  

Where success really matters is when we start to define it in terms of generations.  As a leader in education, I try to think beyond just this year's entering or even graduating class to think about the impact our university is making for the next decade.  Are we instilling values and skills in our students that will help them to be leaders of the next generation?  Are you aiding in the local economy in a way that will live beyond your current job?  Are you helping create a foundation for future innovation and development that has a century-long life span?  

If you're meeting your measures too easily, rethink whether your time frame is right.  It isn't today's successes that matter as much as whether you are accomplishing value for tomorrow.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com