#524 classy

We always encourage people to be good losers, but here is a story about a good winner.  Regular readers know that I was quite interested in the World Series this year.  My sister (in Boston) and I had a fun wager and she was a gracious winner when my Cardinals lost.  Turns out, she wasn't the only one.


The Boston Red Sox as an organization ran this full-page ad in the St. Louis newspaper this week:

Their message:
From one great baseball town to another

On behalf of our partners and the entire Red Sox organization, thank you St. Louis. The warm Midwestern welcome you extended to our team and our fans during this year's hard-fought World Series is truly appreciated. Your region, its people, and the entire Cardinals organization represent everything that's great about baseball.

We share the same colors and rich, storied baseball history that stretches from Musial and Williams, to Molina and Pedroia. We're both home to the most loyal, passionate fans in the game. And the four World Series in which we've gone head-to-head are all etched in the memories of those who love our sport.

So we tip our caps to each and every one of you. We look forward to seeing you again next August. Let's hope that it's just a prelude to meeting again in October.

Sincerely,
John Henry, Owner; Tom Werner, Chairman; Larry Lucchino, President/CEO

It was a great Series; how nice that it had a gracious ending too. 

Can you take a lesson from the Red Sox and provide a classy gesture to one of your competitors or even to a colleague?  Such a move on your part leaves an important impression not only on them, but it makes a statement to those inside your organization about how to model your values. 

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Source:  http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2013/11/red_sox_thank_st_louis.html

#523 home-work

I recently had lunch with a former co-worker who is now working as a consultant.  She works for a firm headquartered in another city, but is based out of her home here.

I asked her how she liked working from home and she listed a host of pros and some cons about the situation.  I told her that I would not like to have a job with such an arrangement, and she commented that she didn't think it would be much different than the work I do from home now.

The thing is, I rarely do office work at home now. While that was surprising to her, it is an intentional strategy for me.  Every day I come in early and stay about an hour after people leave which allows me enough time to do what needs to be done within the office setting.  Often I attend events or sporting contests or do something else work-related in the evening, but hardly ever is it paperwork or computer work at my house.

I think some people would be reluctant to admit that -- it seems to be an expectation that to be successful you need to be busy and connected all the time -- but I think that because I have this separation I am able to be more productive when I am in the office. I am able to read, relax and think -- and all these things contribute to the quality of my work when I am working.

If you are leaving every evening with a briefcase full of projects or you never really disengage from your computer, try a more humane strategy for a week or so. See if you can't increase your efficiencies while you are in the office to allow you the pleasure of having some actual downtime outside of it.  They call it Home Sweet Home for a reason.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#522 responsiveness

On Sunday night, when I ate at Culver's, I received a survey about my experience.  There was a mistake on our order and so I called the 800 number and registered my two cents.  The survey asked if I would be willing to take a follow up phone call to provide feedback on my problem.  I entered my number.

Yesterday (aka the very next day) at 10:20am (aka before the restaurant even opened, less than 24 hours since I took a national survey), I received a call from Heather the local restaurant manager.  In addition to apologizing for my experience, she spent most of the phone call thanking me for letting them know about the problem.  "I am so thankful for your call," she said.  "It helps us make it better.  I know you work hard for your money and we will work on better training so that you can have the kind of experience that you deserve."  

I would have been delighted if the call ended there, but Heather asked for my address so she could "get something out to me" to thank me for my feedback.  It was impressive.

So many times I take surveys and wonder if they have any impact at all.  What a great idea to close the feedback loop -- in person no less -- and in such a timely manner.  That kind of responsiveness can be a model for my organization, and likely yours too.  Learn from Culver's and Heather about how to turn a bad situation into a gem.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#521 hijacked

Over the weekend, I saw the Captain Phillips movie about the true story involving the hijacking of a U.S. cargo ship.  Four armed Somalian pirates in nothing but a small motor boat are able to hook their ladder on the side of the multi-ton vessel, board it, and take the captain hostage.  What ensues is a Naval rescue operation involving SEALS, helicopters, surveillance aircraft, war ships and more.

Before the plot developed, I really couldn't conceive of how these four teenagers in skiffs could disable the entire container ship full of 17,000 metric tons of cargo and its crew of twenty.  But as it unfolded, I could see how this really did happen.

It was a very engrossing movie, but my point is not to do a cinematic review.  I use the analogy to think about a time in your organization where a very small group of individuals, seemingly without power or stature, "hijacked" your plans or ideas.  Oftentimes in organizations, we dismiss those on the periphery and do not proactively strategize on how to prevent them from propelling their ideas onto the center stage.  A stand off may ensue where time and energy is lost trying to "negotiate" with those who have a different route in mind.  If they do take over, all the attention is diverted to them, instead of to the original idea, and often times a large scale "rescue" effort is needed to get the plan back on track.

Do not discount the power -- either positive or negative -- that a small group of people can have.  As the pirates proved with the Maersk Alabama, might does not always mean you are in control.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Source:  Wikipedia, Maersk Alabama hijacking

#520 sundaes

I was talking with a colleague about an upcoming job search that she'll be conducting.  At the moment, she is conflicted about which career path to pursue.  Each of the options have commonalities, but they are also a different branch of the field.  She is worried that her resume, letter and elevator speech will all need to be so different that she won't be able to manage it all.  As a result, she wants to choose only one option and limit herself to that from the beginning.

I encouraged her to do the opposite.  I see her choices as sundaes -- the core of who she is represents the ice cream which is the same in all the scenarios.  She already has the whip cream and nuts from her experiences up until this point.  She is completing her doctoral degree which equates to the cherry on top.  To me, her different paths represent different flavor toppings on the sundae.  Yes they are different, but the essence of what she is doing would be the same.  When you think about it in those terms, pursuing different options is not only manageable, but wise.

Do you have a problem in your life or organization that you are making more complex than it needs to be?  Think about what characteristics the problem has in common with other things you have done or know and see how you can reframe it to where only one portion of the issue is the variable.  Getting a handle on that variety may very well provide you with opportunities that delight.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#519 update

It fascinates me that most people know how to use the computer, tablet, phone and other devices even though we have never had a class on how to do so.  People teach each other tips and tricks or you can figure it out by playing around on your own.  With the iPhone it is a cycle -- the more people that have it, the more people there are out there to help you learn yours -- so you become more comfortable with it and use it more -- and develop a loyalty to what you know.  At our board meeting last week, I was helping a board member use her new iPhone that she got because her daughter recommended the iPhone, and so the cycle goes.  Millions of people are using iPhones without so much as an instruction manual.

The challenges come in when the system changes.  I downloaded a new operating system onto my iPhone a few weeks ago.  Last night, I had to do another download on my iPad.  After downloading, I had two different times displayed on my phone and tablet.  When I downloaded on my phone, I had every contact I had ever used at work or home suddenly appear in my contacts app.

New operating systems should be sent to the early adapters to download first so they can figure out the nuances and be ready to assist us novices when we have to update.  Until Apple figures out that level of sophistication in its distribution, I will rely on what I have learned from my personal technology geek friend -- the magic elixir of turning the machine off to reset!

How can you apply how we learn about technology to other things you want your employees to know?  If you make knowledge relevant, intuitive, pervasive and easy to experiment, people will figure out how to learn it and apply it.  And keep a reset button handy!

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#518 the rabbit

During the year I was chairing the strategic planning committee and we were actually developing the new plan, there were many moments when it seemed like a plan would not emerge.  We were months into the process, wondering if all of our data gathering, input sessions, research and thinking would actually produce something besides volumes of seemingly disjointed notes.  During this stage we talked a lot about the "rabbit coming out of the hat" and wondering if it would!

This week I needed an update from the chair of one of our planning sub-committees.  She is charged with leading a group to accomplish a very complex task and they have only been together for a short time.  "I am nervous that there is not a rabbit in the hat," she said. "And everyone seems to be expecting us to produce it quickly."  

I was reminded of a quote from Gilda Radner: 
Some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle and end.  Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what is going to happen next.  Delicious ambiguity...

I think Gilda is one of the few people who would link the words delicious and ambiguity.  Most people want things resolved quickly.  Often they rush to submit something; when, as was the case with our strategic plan, waiting a bit longer significantly helped the process and strengthened the final product.  

Try to get comfortable with a level of limbo.  Usually the rabbit does appear in the end, and the wait is usually worthwhile.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com