Sunday, October 31, 2010

A Breath of Fresh Air

When I was in my late teens growing up on a farm in central Pennsylvania I spent a few occasions cleaning chicken houses as a part-time job. For those uninitiated readers, when a flock of birds has been caught, caged, and shipped to a processing plant the houses must be prepared for the new batch of baby chicks. Feed and water equipment is removed or elevated and the layers of bedding and accumulated manure is scraped off the floors and onto trucks for disposal. It’s a dusty, smelly job often done in the heat of summer. Goggles and masks are needed to protect ones eyes and respiratory system. Stepping from the stifling stench of a recently cleaned chicken house into the fresh air was a welcome relief.

I probably wouldn’t have to work very hard to make some metaphorical connections between shoveling manure and the state of our business and political environment. Let’s just admit that employees and voters can handle more of the truth than leaders give them credit for. Yes, we are facing tough issues. Yes, the decisions will be difficult and may take time to implement. The real problem is a view from the top that says employees and voters are too stupid to help find the answers and craft the solutions.

The anger being expressed in our current election cycle is fueled in part by voters who are tired of being told their voices don’t matter or their ideas are too extreme. When one segment of a society (no matter how small) tries to dictate what is best for everyone else no wonder people get mad. If a business leader imagines their solution to company problems is superior to everyone else no wonder the employees disengage or become cynical.

It’s time for a breath of fresh air. We need elected leaders who are willing to listen to the people and invite them to be part of the solution. We need business leaders who expect honest feedback from employees and who invite new ideas from every corner of the enterprise. Now is not the time for us to silence the good people who want to work together and take back our country by calling them names or sizing them up like enemies. Now is not the time to withhold bad news from employees and shareholders to keep them from abandoning the ship.

Open the windows and doors! Toss your ego aside! Count on the ingenuity and creativity of those you serve to see you through this mess. They probably already know how to shovel the manure.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Seeking Simple Solutions

Businesses, not-for-profits, and governments frequently tout the importance of finding solutions to our modern world’s most pressing problems. Billions of dollars are spent each year to eradicate disease, reduce hunger, clean up the environment, stimulate job growth, and a host of other worthwhile and important endeavors. In the bestselling book Super Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, the authors include a fascinating chapter devoted to solving big problems in surprisingly simple ways.

They chronicle how maternity ward deaths were dramatically reduced in the mid-1800‘s when doctors and students began disinfecting their hands properly; how inexpensive fertilizer revolutionized agricultural production and feeds billions of people economically; how discovering oil in Titusville, Pennsylvania saved the whale from certain extinction; how vaccines have nearly eliminated frightening diseases like polio; and how seat belts have prevented thousands of automobile deaths since they were first introduced. If lifesaving, life-altering solutions can be developed from taking a common sense and simple approach, why aren’t we nurturing this way of thinking in the public and private sectors?

The simple answer, from my perspective, is too often about money and power. Low-cost or no-cost solutions don’t benefit shareholders, offer recognition to donors, or garner votes in an election. If a societal problem persists, there will always be a market for not-for-profit and government services. Special interest groups will have a platform to raise money, politicians will have a topic for their sound bytes, and charities will have a reason to exist. Perhaps I’m being a bit too simplistic in my assessment but think about the impact on global warming alarmists if science offered low cost solutions to what has been marketed as a doomsday scenario? You might want to read the book to learn just how close some of these discoveries might be.

Simple solutions lack sex-appeal. They turn the curve on an issue without the usual combination of money spent and recognition gained. Perhaps that is why they are so appealing to my way of thinking. If a community problem like homelessness can only be solved through building shelters, opening food banks, and creating a bureaucracy to support the effort it will always remain an issue at arms length. Unless the people living in the community become engaged in changing the systems that contribute to homelessness the best ideas may never surface. Wouldn’t it be best of we didn’t need shelters and food banks in the first place? But what incentive for creative low-cost solutions exists when other people have created jobs and revenue streams that depend on the problem not being solved?

Next month our local community leaders will convene to learn about a process that can help create low-cost, no-cost solutions to social issues. I’m anxious to participate in this event and to observe what emerges from the discussions. Will we leave our need for control and power at the door? Can we start from scratch in addressing our community’s most pressing needs? Will our complacency prevent us from imagining a better and cheaper solution? Changing other people’s behavior is hard, changing our own mindset and behavior is probably even harder. I wonder if there is a simple solution for that?

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Pessimistically Optimistic

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Winston Churchill

I’m a believer in the power of positive thinking. In my consulting and coaching practice I encourage clients to focus on what they are doing well, either as an organization or individual. Emphasizing what is already working, or finding more opportunities to use one’s strengths, can be a self-fulfilling prophecy—enterprises recapture lost energy and persons are more productive and successful. Having a positive approach or attitude isn’t the same as blind optimism. We may also have experience with unfettered hopes and dreams that lead to disaster if they are never tempered with a dose of reality.

When I am faced with a new idea or opportunity my natural tendency is to be more skeptical. I prefer to analyze and refine before offering my commitment. My more optimistic colleagues or clients may think all I’m doing is “throwing cold water” on their plan, when in fact I am simply identifying obstacles and assessing the best path to take if the idea is to become reality. If no one acknowledges potential challenges to a new project launch, there is a greater likelihood that mistakes will be made along the way or the entire plan could fail.

If you are a regular reader of this blog and my E-Newsletter you know that I have been pretty stressed these past couple of months. I have written about the struggles in my business and how I am personally dealing with the challenges. My approach has been characterized by accepting the current economic difficulties facing my clients and carefully assessing where I should change my strategies. A more optimistic person might have ignored the realities and simply expected things to get better. I’m trying to acknowledge the uncertainties while developing products and services that could thrive in this new environment.

Without some degree of pessimism it is hard to think critically about what is happening. However you also can’t identify new opportunities if you lack any degree of optimism about the future. By recognizing how hard it might be to pursue business as usual I am finding the courage to consider other possibilities. If I simply glossed over the harsh realities there would be no incentive to change course.

I discovered this week that my pessimistic optimism has a name—psychologists call it “defensive pessimism.” According to their research this approach prompts me to take action to avoid potential problems and work harder to reach my goals. In spite of my recent efforts I know there is more to be done. The clouds ahead of me don’t look silver lined at the moment and perhaps that is a good thing. But I also don’t want to forget about the bright sun waiting to shine again even though it is currently hidden from view.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Character Counts

“Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” Abraham Lincoln

I grew up in a family and faith community that emphasized character over reputation. You could trust family and friends to do the right thing and tell the truth. It wasn’t always a perfect model but it laid a foundation for my approach to life and business. Today I work hard to match my actions with my beliefs—to be authentic and consistent in my work and life. I confess that I don’t always get it right so I’m hoping my family, friends, and clients will forgive me for that. But I do take seriously the role that character plays in being an effective leader.

Perhaps that is why it is so troubling to observe how many business and political leaders seem to dismiss the need to be a person of character. It’s hard to find leaders who will tell people the truth or make difficult decisions; who admit their mistakes or exhibit courage under fire. When it happens we all notice because it seems so rare. After the Amish community in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania forgave the shooter who killed and maimed their daughters a few years ago the story made international headlines. The character of these families and church leaders caught our attention and served as a powerful example of forgiveness.

Ego may be one reason we are so willing to protect our reputation, in other words how we wish others would see us. We fudge the truth or lie out of habit to keep this false image intact. It takes lots of energy to live a lie. Wouldn’t it be easier to focus on being people of character so our word can be trusted the first time? How could political and business opponents effectively challenge us if the content of our character was known by everyone? Their lies and motives would become apparent.

The current political climate in Washington is exacerbated by the fact that many voters simply don’t trust our leaders. This situation didn’t happen by accident. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have over promised and under delivered for many years. Perhaps that is one reason tea party candidates are attracting attention because voters see them as persons of character—not perfect, but people with real lives and problems who aren’t trying to hide them.

It seems like now would be a great time for leaders in all of our institutions to make a commitment to become people of character—less concerned with protecting a reputation (what others think you are) and more concerned with who you really are. In this time of uncertainty we need more trees and less shadows.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Thoughts About Thinking

A few weeks ago I was introduced to a wonderful poem by Robert Bly called “Things to Think.” It’s message invites the reader to “think in ways you’ve never thought before” and it has been ringing in my ears ever since. Most of us struggle to think differently; perhaps a symptom of a larger societal problem that protects the status quo. Those persons who offer new ideas are often dismissed out of hand or ridiculed and attacked for their different perspectives. At a time when we are facing enormous challenges as a business community and a nation doesn’t it make sense to encourage truly innovative thinking, to generate as many new ideas as possible, that can address our many ills?

One thing I have learned through my interaction with many different leaders and their teams is the importance of speaking the other person’s language. I’m not referring to a foreign tongue or regional dialect; the key is knowing their behavioral language—what resonates with them. This can be done by reading their behavior and offering your ideas in a context that makes sense to them. For example, if the manager or employee likes challenges and results it won’t do any good to present your new idea from a people or feelings perspective. Your argument that team morale will improve or customers will have more fun won’t connect. Only by presenting logical facts, with a focus on how the new idea improves revenue or reduces expenses, will they seriously consider your suggestion.

Of course the use of behavioral language won’t make every new idea attractive or successful. Organizations are filled with naysayers who pride themselves on destroying any new thought process before an idea takes root. They will accuse you of forcing your idea on them or wonder why a competitor hasn’t tried this already. Sometimes they will argue that now is a bad time or we don’t have the resources to pull it off. Compelling arguments to be sure but no reason to abandon a great new idea.

Common sense seems best suited to throw these naysayers off their game. Learn how to tailor your response in a way that reduces their anxiety. Use realistic comparisons, tout the uniqueness of the opportunity, or why it is essential to act now. If you take the high road and calmly respond to each salvo you are more likely to gain the respect of the attacker and anyone else that may be present. Never underestimate the power of a simple story to illustrate your point. Great communicators know how to integrate the past successes and present opportunities of their organization without data charts and PowerPoint slides.

What new ideas might be lurking in your organizations? Are there a few innovations locked in the recesses of your own mind? How will you create an environment that encourages the best and brightest to emerge? Now seems like an opportune time to “think in ways you’ve never thought before.” By the way, it’s been determined that should your new idea fail, the world as we know it won’t end.