leadership dot #2145: undaunted

The story of Lewis and Clark has always fascinated me – I wonder what it must have taken for these men and their crew to explore unknown territories with so little to guide them. People today set out on what they feel are “adventures” when they turn off the GPS, but Lewis and Clark knew nothing about the territory that they would face.

Can you even imagine setting out on a journey that you believed would be all on water, only to learn that most of your travels would be on land? And not just flat land; the explorers did not know that the Rocky Mountains existed. It would be daunting to cross the Rockies today, let alone 200 years ago on horseback, especially when you did not expect them to be there!

Lewis and Clark had every excuse to quit along their journey. The conditions were so much rougher, the mode of transport totally different and the time frame (two years and four months) significantly longer than they originally expected. And after surviving grueling conditions to reach the ocean, they then had to return – over the same rough terrain.

When you want to tell your boss that you are going to quit because you have hit a barrier, think of Lewis and Clark looking over that first peak and realizing that there were miles more mountains instead of the northwest water route that they were seeking. The obstacles you face at work are nothing.

leadership dot #2144: seeing

People see things differently when they are an expert.

A masterful knitter can tell at a glance when a line of stitches is off. A professional carpenter can tell from across the room whether a row of cabinets will fit in the kitchen or not. A major league baseball player can judge the trajectory of a ball far better than a little leaguer. I can tell from looking at a pile of items whether or not it will fit into a suitcase or the car. I can see potential blogs where others are just going about their business without noticing the lesson or impact.

Everyone has an area where they have super-vision to see things in ways a novice can’t. Think about the part of the world that you see where others do not. How can you use this to your advantage?

leadership dot #2143: shopping

The trend seems to be that people can order things online and pick them up in the store. In the past few weeks, Michaels, Target and Lowe’s have added prominent signage and pick-up areas for people who avail themselves of this service. Some will even bring it to your car.

Perhaps it is a strategy to get consumers into the brick and mortar stores – having them do additional shopping when they come in to pick up items. Maybe it is an incentive to have people shop more because they can do it more leisurely online. Maybe it is because we are getting lazy.

A few years ago, having groceries delivered to your home was a luxury for the rare few, and now it is commonplace. Will Target begin direct deliveries soon – not waiting a whole day to receive something via UPS or the Post Office, but having it arrive as quickly as a pizza? Will stores just become distribution centers instead of places to shop?

For whatever the reason, the buy online/pick up in store movement is gaining momentum. How will your organization be impacted by this? Think about the products or services you expect people to come in person to receive and consider whether there is an easier way to deliver them to your customers. Going shopping in person may soon be as antiquated as having to go in a bank to do your transaction with a teller or calling a travel agent to book your flights.

leadership dot #2142: microphone

With Barbara Bush’s passing, I was reminded of the work she did in the area of literacy. Barbara focused her influence in this area and raised over $100 million toward the cause. Obviously, as the wife of one president and mother of another, she had tremendous influence but not all those in that position utilize their chance to have a platform.

I think of others who are in a role that affords them access and a voice. Colin Kaepernick is only one of the hundreds of professional athletes. Unfortunately, David Hogg and Emma Gonzales are but two of a much larger group of mass shooting victims. Ali Raisman was but one of the Olympians and Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan two of many actresses who could have raised the issue of harassment. Sheryl Sandberg isn’t the only female executive and Al Gore isn’t the only politician, but they are the ones who spoke out.

While these may be some of the more well-known names, everyday people are in a position to use their voice. The department head can make policies or advocate for fair treatment of women. The student can raise issues of inclusion. The secretary can put out a recycle bin and start environmental efforts in her area. The teacher can introduce works from different cultures or case studies that feature non-white men in prominent roles. Grade school kids can advocate for friendship benches and the average citizen can promote literacy.

We all have opportunities to use our voice, but many remain silent. Don’t let fear compel you to walk past the microphone. Instead, have the courage to speak out for a cause that is important to you and drop the mic instead.

leadership dot #2141: departing

I just switched to a new veterinarian after a decade at the same clinic. When I asked for my records, they made copies and simply said: “Here you go.”

I have had four dogs in their care and have spent thousands of dollars on visits, tests, medicine, and doggie daycare. Yet never was there any attempt to understand why I am leaving or to suggest that I don’t.

I also just closed an account at a bank where my Mom had maintained a checking account for probably two decades or more. Even when I talked with the customer service rep about closing the account, no one tried to persuade me to stay with the institution.

I can understand the desire not to hassle consumers when they are leaving you, but businesses are losing an opportunity to learn something from the customers that know them best. Why not ask the simple question of “what could we have done better?” You would be getting feedback from customers who have enough experience with you to answer it and are in a position where they may be inclined to be candid.

It’s bad enough to lose a customer, but it is even a bigger shame to lose one without gaining insight in return. Don’t let your customers and all their knowledge just walk out the door.

leadership dot #2140: gauge

People often say: “I need gas.” Unless you are pulled over on the side of the road because you’re out of fuel, it’s a subjective assessment. How you make it reflects more than your need for gasoline.

I think how you respond to your gas gauge is an indicator of the kind of margin that you allow for other things in your life. When my tank is at half, I begin to get itchy until I can fill it up again. Others don’t even consider stopping until the fuel indicator light has been on for days. Still others have different comfort levels, preferring to keep it as close to topped off as possible or being content to wait until the needle nears the “E”.

I would guess that those of us who fill up early do other things early as well. Those who wait until later push other aspects of their lives to the maximum. People who ignore the warning signs aren’t driven by the details of other things.

There are trade-offs to each style: the do-gooders waste time making multiple trips to the pump, and those who wait too long risk inconvenience when they have to get gas even if it isn’t the best time/weather/price for them to do so. But we all adapt to a style that works for us.

The next time you’re trying to get a quick indicator of how someone operates, ask them the gas gauge question. The answer will help align what you can expect from your ride with them.

leadership dot #2139: search

My sister was just unexpectedly in the hospital and I found myself continually looking at my phone as it could give me minute-to-minute updates like it does for a sporting event. Even if there were no changes in her condition, I would have had more comfort in knowing that as opposed to being in the dark. It made me realize that I have come to expect that my “magic phone” (as I dubbed it when I first got a smartphone) knows everything.

I want to reach for my phone all the time to ask questions which have answers, but are unknown by Google: “how many people are at this event,” “who is that person I know from somewhere but can’t place,” “what size shirt does my brother wear,” or “when do the eggs in the refrigerator expire?” [It can be a fun icebreaker to ask people to share a question that has an answer that Google does not know.]

But I also sometimes wish that I could look up answers to questions to which there are no answers, important questions like: “should I pursue this line of work or that one”, “what is the best course of action to complete this project” or “what investment plan is the most beneficial to pursue?” These are things I do not know, and the phone cannot help me.

There are so many questions to which the phone has no answers. Maybe those are the big questions we should spend our time asking.

leadership dot #2138: learning

The old television show ER started streaming on Hulu. I was riveted to the series when it originally came out in 1994 – planning my evenings around each weekly episode so I didn’t miss its singular airing. Now that the show is available again, I felt the tug of nostalgia to watch it for the second time.

What has been most prevalent for me is not the flirting between Doug Ross and Carol Hathaway – the main theme of the original airing – but the vast improvements that we have made in technology since the show was made. There were no cell phones or hand-held computers, and no camera was to be found even when Bulls star Scottie Pippen came in. Surgeons lived by their pagers which displayed no more than a number to call from the closest pay phone. The televisions were consoles. The phones were landlines, even rotary dial ones, and were attached to voicemail recorders that became full. There was no electronic social media. Patient records were kept by hand on paper charts while the surgical schedule was maintained on a whiteboard. Lab results were returned via dot matrix printer and ultrasound results were stored on VHS tapes. Thick phone books were the lifeblood of the admitting desk.

Think of all that we have learned since 1994. Most of us have a working proficiency on the new technology that has come our way – and we have done so without any formal classes. We have learned continually, through trial and error, through one-on-one tutorials and by general sharing of information.

Expand this behavior and don’t limit your learning to just the new gizmos and gadgets. Keep abreast of trends in your industry, of innovations in the world in general or just learn a new technique in your hobby. If you stop and look back at all the knowledge you have amassed since 1994, you will amaze yourself. Be able to say the same thing when you’re watching This is Us beamed onto your wall twenty years from now!

leadership dot #2137: final straw

Happy Earth Day!

Much of this year’s Earth Day focus is sure to be around plastics, especially efforts to eliminate use of the disposable plastic straw. I know that I find this challenging myself; while I always use the glass straws at home, they are inconvenient to take along for fast food and convenience store drinks.

Final Straw has solved the problem with a collapsible, reusable strawthat is about the size of a car key. It comes in a handy plastic case that fits on your keychain so it is always with you. Final Straw is working on a Kickstarter campaign, hoping to fund a November 2018 release.

Celebrate Earth Day today by pledging to leave the plastic straws alone or by making a contribution to the Final Strawidea. Either will help keep some of the 500 million straws tossed away every day from adding to our landfills and pollution.

leadership dot #2136: queries

As soon as I ordered my computer, I sent a text to my “tech guy” asking him if he could transfer all my data when the new computer arrived. He said that he had not done that on a Mac before, but he would “Google it” and get back to me.

He ended up sending me a link to instructions on how to migrate data and they were enough for me to do it myself. I never once thought to “Google it” myself, but had I done so, I would have accomplished the same end.

It is not the first time that I have asked someone how to do something and they responded by checking the internet for instructions. I guess that Google can make you wise beyond your skill set, and I need to rely on it for my initial query rather than thinking I am incapable of a certain task.

Being an expert doesn’t mean that you know the answers; it just means that you know where to find them.

leadership dot #2135: integration

I bought a new computer and was so excited when it arrived yesterday. When I took it out of the box, it struck me that the hardware itself is nothing without the software to run it.

The impact of components beyond the hardware even more apparent when I had my first conference call on my shiny new machine. Even though the most up-to-date software was installed on a brand-new computer at the particular moment of my call, the internet connection was unstable. Thus, my picture only transmitted as a static shot, not video, and my voice kept cutting out for them. Grr!!!

Think about the equivalent of the hardware/software/connection in your organization. You need doctors, nurses and administrators to run a hospital. You need faculty, professional staff and support staff to run a college. You need management, front-line workers and facilities staff to operate a plant. The spotlight may be on the doctors/faculty/managers, but none of it works without the other components working well.

We often forget about the support in the background and focus instead on only one aspect of the operation, but it is actually the integration of elements that creates the power.

leadership dot #2134: different

Puzzle pieces are a common analogy used when talking about fit – different shapes need to link together to form a whole, a missing piece is noticeable, everyone needs to work together to fulfill the vision, etc. But what about when the pieces are not standard shapes and challenge our perspective of what will fit together?

I thought of this when working on a puzzle that had the most non-traditional shaped pieces that I have seen. It stretched my imagination and ingenuity to blend these pieces into the picture, but, of course, they were necessary to complete it. The same can be true when talking about people instead of pieces.

Think about where you fit on the tolerance scale. Are you only comfortable with “differences” that are of the standard variety or are you able to embrace those which are outside your usual experiences? How can you intentionally seek out pieces that are more varied and come to appreciate the richness they bring to your puzzle? Can you learn to see puzzles as coming in a multitude of shapes and avoid the traditional/non-traditional labels?

It may not feel like it initially, but even shapes that you have not worked with before still fit side by side with your common variations and are the only way to make your picture complete.

leadership dot #2133: scheduled

At a mall in Minnesota, they literally tore down the JC Penney anchor store to make room for a new fitness center. It is a sign of the times – not only that brick and mortar retailers are struggling – but that gyms are thriving. There seems to be one on every corner.

I don’t think that “back in the day” we had any gyms, save for a sweaty little place where weightlifters and aspiring boxers went to work out. They certainly were not for the average person.

As a kid, our exercise was sunlight-driven or when-mom-calls-you-home driven. We got our exercise through play. Now children seem to get the majority of their exercise through structured activities that are calendar-driven: when there are practices or games. Our exercise came through goofing around with kids in the neighborhood, pick-up games of basketball or kickball in the street; today it comes through sports.

I think that gyms provide that structure after high school or college when the organized athletic events end. Gyms allow exercise times to continue to be scheduled – through classes at the gym or appointments with a trainer -- and keep “exercise” as a defined event rather than an outcome of other activity.

Think about how your calendar dependency has evolved. Are there things besides exercise that need to be scheduled on it – time for friends, time to be alone, time to read or meditate? Do you need to self-impose a membership plan (like at a gym) where you make that commitment to do an activity that you know is good for you? Very little “just happens” anymore; we don’t just go out and play. Reserve time on your calendar for the things that are important.

leadership dot #2132: confirmation

I was watching some of the Senate committee confirmation hearings for Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State. Politics aside, what a grueling way to acquire a job! The confirmation hearings resemble more of a dissertation defense than an interview.

I thought about the interviews that I have been in and those that I have conducted and wondered what would have been different if I knew they were being conducted on national television. Would I have grilled the candidate in depth about philosophy, methods and past actions? Would I have paid more attention to how I came across as much as I did to the qualifications and of the one being interviewed? Would chemistry even be an issue?

Understandably, the job of Secretary of State is vastly more complex and important than any position for which I have interviewed, but I still think that there are lessons involved for the interviews you do conduct. It is fair to ask a candidate to come prepared and to talk about specific situations. It is ok to ask the hard questions and really probe in depth about past experiences. It is appropriate to ask about philosophy and rationale that would be used to make future decisions. It is an expectation that the interviewer does his/her homework too and ask specifics about each candidate rather than general, generic questions.

Come to your next interview as prepared as if you were conducting a confirmation hearing on television but take advantage of the intimacy of your private setting to assess fit with you and your culture.

leadership dot #2131: reprieve

There was one beautiful day last week where we were able to enjoy spring, and then – boom -- winter returned. I think that warm weather flirting with us, even just for a brief moment, has made it harder to accept the subsequent drop in temperatures and resurfacing of snow.

There are many scenarios like this where a reprieve sounds like a good idea, but in the end, makes it worse when the new condition is only temporary. While we have no control over Mother Nature, I believe that it is harder to revert back to the original state after experiencing a better one. Examples include: having the puppy sleep in bed with you forever after an alleged one-night free pass from going in the crate; straying from your diet after having “just one” sweet that you have banished; or being even more upset about the required detour after a week of a re-opened path when work temporarily shifted. It would have been easier to have the puppy sleep in the crate, stay away from all sweets, or put up with the detour on an on-going basis.

If you have an unpleasant task or situation, don’t try to make it better for a bit. If you can’t sustain the change, you’re better off staying the course until the end. The discomfort quickly becomes the norm and there is no need to go through the initial pain more than once.

leadership dot #2130: patch

Firefighters, police and military units identify themselves through the use of patches on their uniforms. I was recently at a Firefighters Museum and was able to see a display of hundreds of different patches – all in one place. Even though they all represented firefighting teams in Minnesota, they all displayed their own personality and uniqueness.

If your profession wore a patch on a uniform, what elements would you want it to convey? How could such a common identity serve to foster team pride? You don’t have to wear a literal patch to create one or to convey the intent behind it. Maybe it could be your next team builder to create one!

leadership dot #2129: tribe

Author Seth Godin has written extensively about “tribes” – gatherings of people with a common interest, no matter how narrow. The online community has proliferated tribes because of the ease of connecting with others, but it appears that gathering in-person still has its power.

In our small city in Iowa, I was surprised to see advertisements for the Psychic & Paranormal Expo. It seems like something that would occur in major cities or inspire an online-only community, but apparently, it is a larger draw than I realized. The Expo will take place in the convention center and host over 60 vendors, featuring merchandise, readings, reflexology and presentations. There will be information on ghost hunts, crystals, past lives, reiki and angels.

Recently, a friend and his family traveled to a Chicago suburb to experience a Gluten-Free Expo and learn about the foods their daughter can eat without incident. Hundreds of vendors were on hand to share recipes and samples to this subset of the population.
This summer, I am co-facilitating a workshop for new supervisors in student affairs in higher education. You would think that the topic would be too narrow to draw an audience, but both the material and interest is robust.

Think about the tribes to which you belong or to which your organization appeals. Take advantage of the opportunity to create great energy by gathering these like-minded souls in the same space (both virtual or physical).

leadership dot #2128: deception

Many people pay attention to gas prices that are posted on the giant signs at the station, but how many people pay attention to what they are really being charged at the pump? Our local Sam’s Club is notorious for posting a lower price on the sign, but actually charging a higher price. The difference is usually only a few cents per gallon, but when you multiply that by the number of gallons and the number of people who are affected, it adds up. And it happens more times than not, so it is a system error, not a one-time mistake.

I have received my refund for the difference, but never a sincere apology. I have complained to three different managers (“Oh, I did not know; we’ll fix the sign”), but it continues to happen. I have even written the state Secretary of Agriculture, which resulted in the outside sign being removed but discrepancies continue inside.

We’re talking about a half dollar per fill-up, so maybe I should not care. My time to retrieve the refund and aggravation are worth far more than that. But where do you draw the line on transgressions that you let slide and those you try to fight?

I have always said that little=big: small things add up to affect culture, the environment, energy and change. You can’t make an issue out of everything, but if no one speaks up there is no incentive for violators to make things better.

In the words of the Civil Rights movement: “If not now, when?” “If not me, who?” Gas price deception is my issue de jour. What little improvement can be yours?

leadership dot #2127: negative

The irrational side of us wants to avoid learning information that we suspect will be negative. We don’t get our cholesterol checked because we fear that the numbers will be high. We pile up the bills instead of opening them if we worry that the checkbook doesn’t have enough funds to cover them. We stay off the scale rather than face the unwelcome number. We skip over that email on an unpleasant topic rather than reading it. We wait until April to look at our taxes because we dread learning how much we owe.

Ignoring unpleasant facts does not change them, rather it just depletes the time you have to remedy the situation. If you owe money, you owe it, regardless of whether you open the mail. And the sooner you know the details, the quicker you are able to make arrangements or develop options to deal with it.

Instead of speculating or avoiding negative news, embrace the knowingas a head start. You’ll have that much more time to reverse the situation if you spend your energy on the remedy instead of the avoidance.

leadership dot #2126: laddering

A helpful strategy for achieving long-term goals can be “laddering” – a technique that encourages people to focus on the next rung (or next step) in the process rather than becoming overwhelmed by the long-term goal. For example, if you wish to earn an MBA, it helps to think of applying for admission or completing one course. If you aim to start a business, maybe you can begin a side hustle or work part-time in the field first. It’s not achieving your goal, but it helps move you toward it.

Yesterday I wrote about creating arbitrary milestones, a technique that can aid in short-term motivational power. These milestones can also be used as ladder rungs to propel you toward larger targets. No one says that the steps on your journey need to be even. You can invent your own incremental measurements and have the steps as close together – or as far apart – as inspiration and circumstances allow.

While having a long-term view is helpful to create the vision, keeping your focus on just the next rung may be just what you need to get you there.

leadership dot #2125: arbitrary

It has always been common practice to take a big goal and break it down into smaller steps and technology has made it so easy to do. We measure everything these days -- the number of steps you take in a day, the number of times you shop at a particular store, the number of reps during your workout – and more tracking provides greater opportunity for creating arbitrary milestones to celebrate.

In the era of computer gaming, recognition becomes even more important to do as gamers are used to achieving acknowledgment upon reaching intermediate “levels” – and soon the expectation will carry over into the workplace. As a supervisor, you can increase motivation by creating – then celebrating – interim steps on a long journey.
An example of this occurs in the St. Louis schools where the “100^thDay of School” has become a big deal. There are special projects (eg: bringing in 100 items of something, writing 100 words, 100 Days t-shirts, 100 prizes, etc.). It has become so special that when two kids had to miss school that day for an out-of-town engagement, they shared their own 100 Days photo (below) on social media.

I have written before about the President’s 100 Daysand the arbitrary badges provided by Fitbit, but you can make anything seem special by so declaring it, even if it has no legitimate significance. Think about the big tasks you are facing: a tax season, a new equipment installation or a road trip with the family. How can you provide demarcation for moments along the way: free lunch when the 124^threturn is filed, everyone does jumping jacks when the equipment is out of the box or you pull over for ice cream at the first exit after the 87^thmile.

You possess the power to create something out of the ordinary at any point in a journey. Use that ability to motivate yourself and others to keep going.

Thanks, Brian!

leadership dot #2124: help

As part of the research conducted by Brene Brown, she asked managers what behaviors helped to create trust in their direct reports. If like most people, you guess that the answer is dependability or accountability or something similar, you would be incorrect.
According to Brown, the number one trust-earning behavior is asking for help.

And yet, how many of us are reluctant to do so for fear that it makes us look weak or incompetent or unable to accomplish our goals. We carry additional stress and work ridiculous hours because we can’t muster the courage it takes to perform a behavior that actually enhances our standing with our manager (as well as relieves us of some of the task burden).

Asking for help isn’t something that is limited to your boss. It creates bonds with colleagues, in family relationships, among friends and in most settings where the vulnerability and intimacy required just to ask enhances the feeling of certitude about the person. After all, you don’t ask for help from someone that you don’t trust.

Don’t suffer in silence. The next time you could use a helping hand, wave yours at someone and ask for their assistance. It could be the lifeline you need in the short-term as well as create a bond with them to serve you in the future.

leadership dot #2123: extend

Most people know the origin of the Post-it Note: a failed attempt at making a super-strong adhesive led inventor Art Fry to repurpose the substance to make bookmarks for his choir hymnal. The ability to reposition tabs without tearing the paper was appealing to him – and eventually to millions of others. 3M’s accidental product is now available in 27 sizes, 57 colors and 20 fragrances (!) and generates $1 billion in annual revenue.*

The newest incarnation of the sticky note is the Extreme version – designed to transverse from the office environment to the construction realm. Extreme notes are made to stick on irregular surfaces such as brick or wood and to be compatible in the outdoors. They are water-resistant and function in hot and cold weather. If they really work and catch on, the revenue figures could see a substantial boost.

Post-its are a classic office product. It seems natural to extend this line into shapes, colors, sizes and other variations for office or educational use, but it took some imagination (and engineering) to make a product that extends the same product into an entirely new field. The creative legacy of the brand’s formation must still be alive!

Think of the products or services that you offer. Is there a way to extend their use into a completely new arena? Is there a modification you could make that would enhance its appeal to a different audience or market? Try to run your new business development like Post-its and don’t permanently stick to one spot.

*Source: worldwatch.org 

leadership dot #2122: merchandising

Disney on Ice came to our town, and even though I am childless and grandchild-less, I went to experience the Disney Magic and spectacle. I was not disappointed.

You notice the Disney difference from the second you step into the theatre. The lobby is lined with special merchandising booths and everything from sno-cones to cotton candy bags comes in a character-shaped container – and a premium price. The salespeople have their faces painted (which you can get too for a mere $16) and they wear crowns ($16) and wave laser wands (also $16 – it must be a magical price point).

But what stood out among the merchandising mania was one particular salesperson; he was masterful. He called out to everyone who went by. He ran two credit card machines simultaneously. He demonstrated his laser wands – the princess one when a little girl walked by and the Buzz Lightyear saber for the boys. For every single purchase, he asked the customer if they’d like to add a coloring book for $5. I am sure he had more sales than the other dozen clerks combined.

For Disney, merchandising isn’t an afterthought. In addition to the revenue it produces, the colorful themed booths set the tone and heighten the anticipation long before the show itself begins. The prolific clerk capitalized on this frenzy and leveraged it for increased sales.

Think of what the equivalent of merchandising is in your organization. You may not have sno-cones or princess necklaces to sell, but how are you creating an environment from the moment your customers enter and sending them home with a reminder of you?

leadership dot #2121: matrix

Brainstorming is a productive activity for generating new ideas, but it does not always lead to action. Often there are so many ideas at the conclusion of a session that it becomes overwhelming and hard to know where to begin. Adding a second step in the process can facilitate action by loosely prioritizing ideas before participants depart.
Define your topic/problem as a question: “How might we attract more youth to our business?” or “What incentives could we offer next year?”.

Begin by giving each member a small pad of sticky notes and a pen. Have them stand by a wall or piece of flip chart paper and brainstorm ideas for a set period of time – writing one idea per sticky note and saying it aloud as they write it. (This will help trigger other ideas from others in the group.)

When all the ideas have been generated, on a second sheet of flip chart paper draw a grid with Implementation across the horizontal axis and Impact along the vertical axis. Create a quadrant with Hard/Easy Implementation and High/Low Impact. Then have participants place their brainstormed ideas into the appropriate quadrant.

• Ideas that are Hard to Implement and have Low Impact (Red) can be forgotten without any discussion.
• Ideas that are Easy to Implement and have Low Impact (Orange) can likely be set aside too. Even if they are easy, they still require some resources, and why bother if there is little to be gained.
• Ideas that are Hard to Implement and have High Impact (Yellow) can be considered later or incorporated into more strategic planning.
• Ideas that are Easy to Implement and have High Impact (Green) are where you should begin.

The entire brainstorming and prioritization process can happen in less than an hour but engages all the participants in both aspects of the discussion. Try it and see if it doesn’t move your ideas to action more quickly than brainstorming alone.

Download handout here.

Source: The Abel Group, Diamond Leadership Workshop, June 26, 2007

leadership dot #2120: dinner

How do you make a lasting impression on a candidate? Go meet them in person. This happened to me on this date in 2001, when my eventual boss called me up in Detroit and asked if he could meet me (for the first time) for dinner that night to talk about a job I had applied for. Impressive enough, but more so given that he lived in St. Louis.

Keith flew up to the Motor City, we had dinner, and the rest, as they say, is history. Sure, I went through the obligatory campus interview and did all the other standard things in the hiring process, but that day was when the real decision was made.

Keith said all the finalists had the right qualifications, but at this stage, it all came down to chemistry. Was I a fit with him and vice versa? The only way to tell is to spend time together in person. He invested time on the front end, and the fit was so good that we still talk every year on April 5, even though he has long retired and it is 17 years later.

Maybe you aren’t as fortunate as Keith to have the ability to go to dinner on the home turf of all your candidates, but you do have the option to spend time alone with them when they come to interview or to have multiple conversations before a hiring decision is made.

You don’t marry someone after the first date, even if you like them. One quick Q and A with someone isn’t enough to know whether the hiring match is right either.


(he forgot his business cards so wrote his contact info on his boarding pass!)

leadership dot #2119: yes period

There will always be more to do. More that you could have done, and maybe even more that you should have done.

Those with the most balance in their lives are the ones who can take a moment to appreciate what they DID do.

We are all guilty of saying statements like: “I completed this task, and now I can do another.” Or “I did this, but it could have been better.” Yes, both may be true, but where is the recognition for what you did do?

I would encourage you personally, and certainly if you are the leader of a team, to be able to say “Yes!” – just “yes” and let that be enough for the moment. Celebrate yes, period, as a way of building up the energy to allow you to move forward and do that ‘more’.

leadership dot #2118: bridge

Part of my construction detour involves back roads with a one-lane bridge. I imagine that the bridge was initially installed for tractors or even horses with buggies and no one has felt it warranted the expense of upgrading it after all these years.

Bridges are the trickiest part of building a road. They cost the most to construct and present the greatest design challenges for engineers as it is difficult to span a gap and create a seamless interface with two opposing sides.

I think the same is true in organizations. Bridge-building among colleagues is often the most stressful and time-consuming part of a task. Creating relationships when there are opposing views necessitates delicate maneuvering and often requires great energy and patience. But just as a highway bridge can save miles of driving, a solid work connection can make things much easier on the organizational journey.

Building a one-lane bridge is an economical solution for a low traffic road, but it doesn’t work for organizations. Bridges need to allow for two-way communication and mutual understanding. On-going attention must be paid to ensure their stability.

Think about the organizational road on which you are traveling. Does it have a modern bridge, a one-lane crossing or are you just staying on your own side without reaching out to others? Bridge building may not be easy, but the benefits of a two-lane exchange span the entire organization.

leadership dot #2117: detour

Due to road construction by my house, I must endure a five-mile detour every time I go anywhere for the next three months. The alternate route takes me around to access the city from a different direction than I normally use so I have been relying more on GPS to navigate my trips.

For the past several destinations, I have pondered whether I should go via Route A or Route B and decided to check the Maps app to provide the answer. What I have learned is that there is no appreciable difference. On several occasions, both Route A and Route B have plotted out at the same amount of time, and even Route C may be just a minute or two longer.

I think we spend a lot of time and create undue stress for ourselves by debating over things that do not matter. Seth Godin recently wrote: “Choices don’t have to be decisions.”

Or, as my mom used to say: “Six of one, half a dozen of the other.”

If the difference in your choice is negligible, do not spend any of your energy making the decision. Save your brain power for where there is a perceptible difference to be made.

leadership dot #2116: pairing

The commercial side of Easter highlights bunnies, colored eggs, baskets and candy. What an odd combination. If you were starting out from scratch, you would not put bunnies and eggs together. You would not have a rabbit deliver chocolate versions of its likeness to be devoured by children. You would not add dyes to a natural food and hide them outside. None of it makes logical sense and sounds more like an April Fool’s joke than a widely-accepted practice.

And yet, in homes across the country today, there is a prevalence of chocolate rabbits, egg hunts and baskets of candy allegedly delivered by bunnies that walk on their hind legs.

It reminds me of a creative thinking exercise that asks participants to pair unlikely items together and see what new combination they form. Teams draw from a stack of index cards with adjectives and a stack of cards with nouns and see what ideas the pairing stimulates. What does a Happy Toaster look like? How about a Clean Chair? Or what about an Eccentric Shoe?

Try it for yourself and see if you stumble upon a winning combination like Chocolate-filled Rabbits or Multi-colored eggs!

Happy Easter!