#1007 the whole

It seems to be difficult for people to make a comprehensive assessment of experiences.  Instead of looking at the totality of the encounters, people make judgments and base opinions disproportionately on the most recent events.

Examples:
> If a supervisor is doing an appraisal and a recent act was negative, it is likely to color the entire evaluation rather than being taken in balance for the performance throughout the year.

> If a long time employee leaves, the legacy that remains is based upon their final period rather than the full term of their employment.

> As someone assesses qualitative measures, they tend to look at only the most recent and make judgments against that -- the "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately" mentality -- rather than putting the current term in perspective with the whole.

The behavior and actions at the end stay in our consciousness far longer than the assessment of the full experience.

If you believe this to be true, think about what you can do to compensate for it. Can you record things in such a way to allow you to have a more comprehensive picture?  Do you intentionally force yourself to pull back and have a larger view before drawing conclusions?   Can you consciously reflect on the beginning of the experience and learn from that?

Most Hall of Fame inductions look at players' records over their entire career.  It's a good model for others to follow.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1006 above and beyond

I am a big Downton Abbey fan, admittedly hooked on the TV drama.  And because I don't have live television, I need to watch it at a friend's house on Sunday nights or wait until later in the week to stream it at home.  I have opted to do the former every Sunday for the 9-episode season.

Last Sunday was the season finale, thus it was also the end of my regular Sunday social visits.  While sad to see both end, it was a night I looked forward to with anticipation.

When I arrived at my friend's house, I was greeted at the door by "an usher" who asked for my tickets.  The lights were off and the "aisle" was lined with (flash)lights.  There was a reserved seat sign where I usually sit.  Signs were posted: "Please turn off cell phones" and "Addicted Downton Abbey Fans Only."  Popcorn was served in special bins.  And a tray of theatre candy was spread out with choices for 10 cents each.

What a creative way to make a special evening actually feel and be special.  More care and time than money went into setting the ambiance, and it added an excitement to the air.  It wasn't high tea, but I think even the Dowager Countess would be proud.

I have friends in student activities whose motto is "make an event an event."  Take their advice and add some special touches to make your next event memorable.  It is good advice for anyone planning a social gathering -- even if it is TV night at home.  

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1005 celebrate

One subtle trend that I have noticed is the growing emphasis that marketers and retailers are giving to holidays.  

It used to be that just Christmas was featured in stores.  A few years ago, Halloween and Easter started gaining shelf space.  

Now there are specialized products for about every holiday imaginable:  St. Patrick's Day versions of Lucky Charms, special Oreos for each season, "Horray for Mom" ready to bake cookies for Mother's Day, chocolate chips color coordinated for each season, M&Ms for each holiday -- the list goes on and on in the food aisles alone, to say nothing of the proliferation of decorations, dishware and table settings, and holiday-themed jewelry.

I live in a part of the country where there are four distinct seasons.  I wonder if they sell "Spring Velvet" cake mix in places where the weather is like spring all year?  Do they have "Winter Oreos" in California?

Something must be working for the manufacturers to go through the trouble and expense of creating products with a shorter lifespan.  Is there something you can do to take advantage of the holiday craze as well?  

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1004 invest wisely

I was invited by my internet company to upgrade my speed "FREE" for 12 months.  I just have to call them and they will do whatever they do to make my connection faster.  How nice.

Only it really isn't nice; it's a ploy to get me hooked on "faster" so I pay a premium for it next year and every year after that.  

I took a pass on their "gift", and some may wonder why didn't I just enjoy the year for free. My answer: because my time is not free.  The time it takes to wait in their interminable queue first to sign up, and then later to revert to the original, is not free.  It's actually more valuable to me than money.

Many people dismiss the cost of time.  We are getting a new credit card system at work and everyone had to attend an hour-long training to learn how to use the system to code our charges.  The meeting I attended had 35 administrators in it, and was one of three meetings offered.  I wonder if we calculated the cost of that time into the analysis of benefits.

It is not free when there is time invested in something.  You wouldn't throw away money.  Take the same care with how you spend your time.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1003 cutting edge

I have a television that only serves as a screen to allow me to watch DVDs and an occasional show on-line, but I don't have cable or other services.  No broadcast TV, live action or streaming.  And I don't even miss it.

So I find it amusing that people have televisions in every room of their home. I try to get away from the distractions, but many people want TV everywhere.

A hotel suite in Minneapolis took the technology one step further:  they included a bathroom mirror with a television image embedded in it. The mirror served as a touch screen and programming appeared on the surface.  You didn't even have to look away from brushing your teeth or shaving -- the game was right below your nose.

I think this served two purposes:  to make the hotel gain a point in the ever-competitive "hotel wars" to see who can outdo the next guy by impressing guests with the latest new technology gadget, and to provide a service by delivering television when and where the guests want it.  Convenience, service, and a wow-factor -- a combination hard to achieve these days.

Is there a way for your organization to infuse a "wow" experience into your work?  Is there one tiny aspect of what you do that you could take to a new level to give your clients cause for pause?  You probably can't afford to be cutting edge with many things, but even having one element of it may be worth it for the impression it leaves about your whole organization.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1002 animated

When I was in Minneapolis, I, like many other visitors, was entranced by watching a light show that revolved around the top of a building.  The night we watched featured an aquarium full of animated multi-colored fish.  Apparently it also changes to reflect holidays, sporting events and the seasons.  It was quite entertaining.

I imagine that the technology to display it did not come cheaply, so I was surprised that it had no identifying information on any of the displays or on the building.  I asked my sister (who lives there) about the owner, but even she did not know.  Finally, I asked at the hotel and learned that it is the Target Corporation World Headquarters. Of course. It's a great way for Target to live out their "expect more" brand -- if only they would connect themselves to it.

It seems to be a missed opportunity that they don't include a subtle bullseye every few rotations.  They manage to weave their logo into gift cards without distracting from the aesthetic or design value of them; couldn't they do the same on their electronic display?

Think about what you have in your organization that could become a distinguishing marquee for yourself.  Do you have a prominent window, side of a building, mobile vehicle or boulevard that could proclaim your brand while adding to the aesthetics of the area?
And take a look around. Is your logo on display where you already have a presence (on t-shirts of community volunteers, on your service outlets or at your partnership locations)?  If you don't tell your story, who will?

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1001 approximately right

Another thing Ken Blanchard said in his keynote: "One thing to remember about praising is, don't wait for exactly the right behavior before you praise anybody.  If you do, you might wait forever.  Exactly the right behavior is made up of a whole series of approximately right behaviors."

He went on to give the example of teaching a child how to talk.  "Suppose you wanted your kid to say, 'Get me a glass of water, please.'  The kid has never spoken before.  If you wait for that full sentence before you give the kid any water, what have you got?  You have a dead, dehydrated kid.  We just holler, 'Water, water," and one day the kid says, 'Lauler, lauler.'  'My God, it's his first word.  Get grandmother on the phone!'  That wasn't water, but it wasn't bad.  You don't want him at age 21 going into restaurants asking for 'lauler', so after a while you accept only 'water.'  Then you move on to 'please."

I think we follow Blanchard's mantra with children, but we aren't always good at it with ourselves or with employees.  Wouldn't we be better off it we gave ourselves credit for walking 8,000 steps today instead of lamenting that we didn't reach the magical 10K?  Could we do more to applaud the employee who had the courage to draft a proposal, instead of first critiquing the changes that need to be made?  Should we applaud the dozen phone calls that were made instead of asking about the one that wasn't?

Be on the look out today for "approximately right" behaviors and give praise to those who are making progress.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Ken Blanchard, Keynote Address, ACU-I Conference, 1985