Podcast: Helping Cancer Patients by Running 100 Miles for Life

July 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago, I shared a guest post from a good friend, Ted Friedman, who started: 100 Miles for Life, an ultra-marathon event and charitable campaign in support of The Gathering Place, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Ted lost a father to cancer a few years ago, and this race is one way for him to give back and support The Gathering Place, an organization dedicated to helping individuals and families impacted by cancer.  This podcast is a follow-on, and offers you a chance to hear personally from Ted about this great cause and about this ultra-marathon race. 

While we’re here for the cancer fundraiser, those of you interested in running…especially crazy distances like 100 miles at a time, will enjoy Ted’s commentary on training his body and mind for the event.

Listen, enjoy, and if possible, show your support with a donation.

100 Miles for Life Cancer Fundraiser [ 15:11 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Leadership Caffeine: Assessing the View on You

July 18, 2011 By 2 Comments

Just about all of us have had that experience where we’ve heard our voice on an audio recording or viewed ourselves on a video recording. “Aack, who is that?” or, “Do I really look/sound like that?” are frequent reactions.

Yes, you do.

The stranger on the recording or the weirdo who clearly needs to drop a few pounds, update the wardrobe and get a new hairstylist might be foreign to you, but it’s who and what everyone else hears and sees every day.

And by the way, the perception of you by others, as a professional, as a leader or manager and as a team member are likely different from the cape and tight wearing Superhero image you carry around of yourself.

It’s either a brilliant defense mechanism or a cruel twist of fate that almost guarantees that we walk around with one (idealized) view of ourselves locked in our craniums, while everyone else in the world perceives something different.

Mind the Gap:

Understanding how big your “perception gap” is and working to close this gap is an important part of your professional development program, regardless of your role.  And like everything else in life worth pursuing, measuring and managing your “perception gap” takes time, effort and the willingness to do something about the problem-areas.  Oh, and don’t forget the need for a helping of humility.

11 Actions to Help You Measure and Manage Your Perception Gap in the Workplace:

1. Ask. Subordinates aren’t likely to give you a straight answer but peers and managers might get you a few degrees closer to the truth. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of noise in feedback, and all sources aren’t created equal.

2. Dig. Written performance evaluations and 360 feedback programs are minefields of frequently vague and often non-behavioral feedback lacking supporting examples, but you are duty bound to comb these documents like you’re an archeologist hot on the trail of King Tut’s brother’s tomb.  There’s something valuable there somewhere, and you are going to be the one to unearth it.

3. Measure.  Create an anonymous survey asking very specific questions and looking for specific examples in the answers, and request those you come in contact with regularly to complete and return the survey with their frank input.

4. Form: I’m a tremendous fan of recruiting a small group of trusted advisors (a peer group) to work together on measuring and managing perception gaps. Draft a charter and rules of engagement that define the purpose of the group/initiative and that clearly defines expectations for participation and privacy. Much like a project team, these peer groups are temporary in nature, and the focus is on helping each other strengthen good behaviors and reduce the behaviors that detract from your performance.   Ideally, your peer group members are individuals who see you in a number of different settings.

5. Watch and Listen. Find as many opportunities as possible to record yourself. With the permission of your firm’s various powers and involved members, consider recording yourself in a number of different situations, including presentations and meetings.  Work with your peer group to assess your involvement. Turn of the audio and watch your non-verbal behaviors. Ignore yourself and watch how people react to you.  Take notes…and swallow another humility pill.

6. Write. Keep a journal. Seriously. Use your ipad or your pda or plunk down a couple of bucks for a moleskin notebook, but start documenting the feedback you receive, the efforts you are making to change, the reactions you are eliciting from others….and the areas where you struggle and stumble.

7-11: Plan, Do, Measure, Reflect and Refine. Learning and continuous improvement are essential to measuring and managing your “perception gap.” Understanding the size of the gap in different areas is important…taking action to improve (and monitoring your progress) is priceless.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

It’s unlikely that your self-image exactly matches the perception that others have of you, especially in circumstances where you are leading, coaching, selling, motivating or debating. It’s essential to your effectiveness as a professional and for your development throughout your career that you work hard to understand and manage these gaps. If you don’t, you might just fall in.  The key question is, will anyone be there to pull you out?

–

About Art Petty:

Art Petty is a Leadership & Career Coach helping motivated professionals of all levels achieve their potential. In addition to working with highly motivated professionals, Art frequently works with project teams in pursuit of high performance. Art’s second book, Leadership Caffeine-Ideas to Energize Your Professional Development, will be published in September of 2011.

Contact Art via e-mail to discuss a coaching, workshop or speaking engagement. Check out Art’s on-line “Professional Development Sprints,” designed for the busy professional. 

Filed Under: "To Do" List, Leadership, Leadership Caffeine, Professional Growth Tagged With: , , , ,

Leadership Lessons from the High Seas

July 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Note from Art: great friend and valued former colleague, Chris Colbert, graciously supplied this wonderful post following his recent experience with his sons and Scout troop at Sea Base. Chris’s brief bio is included at the end of the post.  

Leadership Lessons from the High Seas, by Chris Colbert

Just over a year ago, a number of Scouts (including my oldest son) in our local Troop decided they wanted to add a “High Adventure” experience to their Scouting careers. Their choice? … a “Coral Reef Adventure” at the Boy Scouts of America’s Florida Sea Base at Lower Matecumbe Key in Islamorada, FL.

After more than a year of fundraising, our two “crews” (eight each) boarded 41ft. sailboats and embarked on an adventure that was to include snorkeling, fishing, and sailing in and amongst one of the nation’s true treasures – the Florida Keys.

Sailing the Bay of Florida and the Atlantic Ocean in the Keys has a profound effect after a few days, and offers a great deal of time to reflect between stints of snorkeling among coral reefs, trolling for a potential addition to daily meals, preparing lunches and dinners during shifts in the galley, and acting as “Chief Photographer” for the crew.What I found during those times of reflection was that one can see a number of valuable leadership lessons to apply to a career – or simply to life in general – in just a few short days. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. “The captain eats first” – An important reminder that he/she who owns the boat (or for that matter the company you’re working for) gets to set the rules. If you don’t like the rules, start swimming.

2. “Planning is everything” – As a self-professed disorganized person, planning a project more than a year in advance is not part of my personal or professional make-up. Find those on your team who are good at building the plan, and support their every move. While the details early in the process may drive you crazy, it sure makes the end result a smoother sail.

3. “Draw on the experience of others” – The staff at Florida Sea Base were great resources for the inexperienced sailors that made up our crews. Search far and wide for the people in your organization who have the knowledge to make your projects successful.

 4. “Make the most of what you have” – With limited storage on a 41ft. sailboat, finding the utensils needed for even the simplest cooking tasks can be a challenge. The same applies to your business. You may not have the perfect IT systems or other business tools, but let your teams improvise and see what they can build – it can be a great lesson in creativity (and a true treat for the palette)!

 5. “Watch out for sharks, they want to eat your lunch (literally!)” – Hook into a tuna and you better reel it in quickly. Same goes with those competing against you in the marketplace or even for resources inside your organization. Make a decision, set the hook, and reel like crazy!

 6. “Give way to a new captain” – Allow the most inexperienced on your team to steer the boat once in a while and watch what happens! The confidence boost will ensure that others on your team will be ready to step up when you need them most.

 7. “The rains will pass” – There may be times in your career that a squall of misfortune, missteps, or matters beyond your control will drench your dreams. Just remember that the rains will pass and you’ll likely get to see a killer sunrise or sunset after that squall. It’s worth weathering the storm. Plus, your team will be tighter than ever.

 8. “Don’t be afraid to dive a little deeper” – Things look great at the surface, but the real payoff is when you dive down to see the details. Dive deep and you may discover something you’ve never dreamed of experiencing.

 9. “Keep your ‘buddies’ nearby” – If you find yourself in three- to five-foot swells in the ocean while snorkeling several hundred yards away from your boat, make sure you keep your snorkeling “buddy” in sight or you’re likely to experience a panic attack! The same goes in your professional life – find those “buddies” you rely on for mentoring, idea generation, or just moral support and use them when you need a “save.”

 10. “Celebrate as a team” – Spending a week in close quarters (especially during the aforementioned squalls during the night!) striving for a single goal has an amazing effect on a team – celebrate even the smallest wins and watch your team grow.

 11. “All hands on deck” – The sail isn’t over until the cleanup is done. While the exciting part of a project may be over and you’re ready to move on to the next big thing, getting your boat in order is just as critical for the next crew.

 12. “The journey is as valuable as the destination” – Anyone who has been involved with a long fundraising project for a community organization like this – or an extended project in the workplace – knows that the real character building comes in the work the team does before ever setting sail. Remind your team members about the experience they’re gaining along the way that they’ll be able to apply to the rest of their careers.

Wrap-Up:

Many of these lessons can be easily lost on a 14- to 17-year-old who simply wanted to try such an adventure because it seemed that it would be “cool.” But there’s little doubt in my mind that this simple weeklong adventure cemented skills that will make our “crews” better contributors for not only our Troop, but along the paths their lives may take as young men and as future leaders.

–

About Chris Colbert:

Chris Colbert is the proud father of two Boy Scouts and an Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 90 in Altoona, WI. He has lead marketing teams in a number of technology organizations, and currently serves as a Marketing Manager for Realityworks, Inc. – the leading provider of experiential learning technology used in educational and public health settings around the globe.

Filed Under: Career, Leadership, Values Tagged With: , , ,

July Leadership Development Round Table Challenge

July 13, 2011 By 18 Comments

It’s time for the July Leadership Development Round Table Challenge!

You may recall from last month’s inaugural event, this is where we put forth a vexing situation and a number of regular contributors plus one guest take the opportunity to share their best thoughts on how to handle it… in 200 words or less.  You vote with your comments and with your actual vote, and after one week of fierce but professional debate, a winner is announced.

This was great fun for all parties involved last month and it’s nice to get everyone involved in solving what are most definitely real-world challenges.  We appreciate your active contributions and votes!

This month’s contributors:

1. Dan McCarthy, from Great Leadership

2. Art Petty, from Management Excellence

3. Mary Jo Asmus, from Aspire-CS Note from Art: as of this writing, Mary Jo is still without power from the storms that hit the Midwest this week. She encouraged us to proceed on schedule sans her post.

4. Steve Roesler, from All Things Workplace

5. Jennifer Miller, from The People Equation

6. Scott Eblin, from The Next Level

and our esteemed Roundtable Guest this month is:

7. Sharlyn Lauby, from HR Bartender

OK, it’s time for the case. Fair warning, I’m the host this month, and it was my job to write the case. While a bit longish, I erred on the side of wanting to paint a picture for you to work with. It’s a real situation that is looking for a real solution. With no further adieu, here’s the July Challenge:

–

The Set-Up:

A case in a widely read publication once used the label, “Brilliant Problem-Child” (BPC) to describe the high-potential/high-performance employee who manages to tick everyone off while stomping on toes in pursuit of results. Certainly, our culture is filled with descriptions of leaders who are “less than nice” in the workplace, however, the situation gets complicated if your name isn’t Steve Jobs or Larry Ellison and if you’re operating somewhere in the middle layers of an organization.

Just about everyone knows or has worked around someone like our character, Joe, below, and if you’ve been Joe’s manager, you’ve dealt with the dilemma of “What price, brilliance?”  From “results at any cost,” to “why can’t we all get along?” there are a myriad of approaches with varying costs to teams, environment and careers.

Here’s a chance to help Joe’s manager, Pat, (finally) get this one right.

The Situation:

Pat Paulsen, the Director of Product Management for Apex Inc., sat for a few moments and stared out the window after the project team left her office. She was disappointed that her employee, Joe, was once again, the topic of discussion and complaint.

 Apparently, Joe had yet again stomped on some toes and bruised some egos on the project team.  He had shared his disdain for what he viewed as a slow and overly bureaucratic process to gain approval for the feature specifications for the next version of Apex’s flagship product.  When the project team resisted his efforts to ram through the specifications, Joe had used his considerable pull with the overseas head of engineering to bypass the team completely.  His response to the protests from team members was, “I’ll get this done with or without you.” 

Joe:

Joe was a widely acknowledged brilliant product manager who had worked hard since the business unit’s inception 7 years ago to translate customer needs into product ideas and programs that solved problems and kept competitors off-balance and chasing Apex.   

Additionally, customers and industry partners respected Joe’s industry knowledge and his zeal for supplying them with products that helped them run their businesses more effectively.  They even overlooked his propensity to tell them how to run parts of their business, because he was most often right. “One partner summed it up best, “Joe has a horrible bedside manner, but he knows his stuff.”

Pat and Joe

Pat, as Joe’s manager, had been on the receiving end of a number of these types of complaints over the years. The conversations typically started with, “I know Joe is brilliant, but… .” The group that just left her office didn’t include any references to “brilliant” this time.

Pat genuinely believed that she had gone beyond the call of duty trying to remedy the problem and support Joe’s development. In addition to documenting, discussing and offering ample feedback and guidance over the past few years, Pat had invested in Joe attending several workshops on improving interpersonal skills. And just last year, Pat, with her superior’s blessing, had invested in sending Joe off to the prestigious Institute for Leadership Excellence, for some focused and very expensive coaching.

Perhaps the most perplexing part of the situation was that Joe seemed to genuinely take the feedback and coaching to heart. He worked hard on modifying his behavior after receiving feedback, but eventually he would become frustrated when project team members or groups ignored his guidance or moved too slowly on an issue that he viewed as critical.

The Environment:

The values at Apex were clearly posted in every conference room and they clearly implored people to “Break Down Walls,” “Challenge the Status Quo” and “Serve Customers First.” Taken literally, Joe’s behavior matched those values perfectly. He did do great things for the firm, and he was a thorn in everyone’s side in the process. 

The success of the business unit over the past few years (much of which was due to Joe’s products), had led to a significant shift in the internal culture, from one fueled by entrepreneurial zeal to one that was building processes and relying more on teams.  It was clearly a different environment and one where Joe’s approach was increasingly in conflict with the emerging culture. 

What Next?

Pat shuddered to think what life would be like without Joe’s knowledge and expertise helping the company specify and launch great products.  She pushed the momentary vision of him wearing a competitor’s badge at the upcoming industry trade show out of her mind.

Pat had no doubt about Joe’s brilliance, but it was clear that his approach engaging with others had more than worn thin. She sighed and pondered what to do next.

Help Pat. What should Pat do given the history and circumstances described in the case? 

Advice from the Roundtable Members:

-From Art Petty, Management Excellence (note: as host, I’m honor-bound to write my answer before reading the answers from other members…thus my being first in the line-up.  All other posts added in the order received):

Pat is in a pickle, and her options are not great. Joe is unlikely to change his spots with more coaching and counseling, and the”or else” discussion will begin moving Joe out the door. Leaders often have to make hard, unpopular calls, and this certainly feels like one of those.

The values describe an aggressive culture, and given the growth (on the back of Joe’s products), new people and new processes and teams are forming and feeling their way forward. While Joe seems to introduce significant task conflict and creative tension, it does not appear that his behavior is unethical, immoral or toxic. It does create task stress, which can contribute to improved performance.

Strengthen the team…provide coaching and training on team dynamics, conflict resolution and managing challenging team members. No one should have to walk on eggshells around Joe, and individuals and groups must be comfortable conducting robust dialogue with him and each other. If his behavior crosses the line from task to personal and the toxicity goes up, I would advise Pat to move him out. For now, I’m not willing to suggest she trade a visionary with an unquestioned ability to create value.

Leadership is often lonely.

-From Jennifer V. Miller, The People Equation

It’s time for Pat to level with Joe and let him know that if he doesn’t curb his atrocious bedside manner, he’ll be discovering his brilliance somewhere outside of Apex Inc. Allowing this behavior to continue tells other employees: “It’s ok to act like a jerk as long as you’re brilliant”. Lots of really smart people don’t leave bodies in ditches, so the “we tolerate it because he’s brilliant” argument doesn’t cut it.

Joe’s been acting this way for seven years, so he’ll push back, offering evidence of all his accomplishments. Pat should meet with Human Resources to review the existing documentation and develop a plan for the conversation with Joe.

The overall message should be: “Joe, we appreciate your efforts on behalf of Apex. Business conditions have changed and we now need team players, not hard-charging mavericks. Your behavior must change, or you will be fired.”

After that, it’s up to Joe to determine if he wants to change. He’s increasingly becoming a square peg in a round hole. Not only is Joe’s behavior damaging to other employees, it’s most likely stressful for him to continually be told to “change”.  He may decide that it’s best to move on.

-From Sharlyn Lauby, H.R. Bartender

The thing that stood out to me was the environment.  The scenario paints a disconnect between the stated company values and the actual internal culture.  At some point, the company will have to reconcile this.  That’s another post.

I’ve seen this situation many times.  A person has creativity and produces at a high level but leaves body bags all along the way.  Hopefully, Pat is able to recognize the good things Joe has done for the company while at the same time realize it might be time for him to move on.

If Pat continues with the status quo, there are two possible repercussions.  (1) the remaining team members become completely disengaged creating an “us versus them” environment.  (2) Pat’s credibility goes down the tubes because she failed to deal with the situation.

Pat needs to explore a way to have Joe exit the team in a positive way, allowing him to keep his dignity.  At the same time, she needs to set new expectations for the remaining team members who will still be accountable for delivering results.

-From Dan McCarthy, Great Leadership

Joe is doing exactly what he was hired to do and you’ve allowed him to do. In fact, up until recently, it sounds like Joe’s values were a perfect match for your company culture.

Oh sure, you’ve spent a bundle on executive coaches and fancy charm schools, and for a while, he may have been ready and able to change. However, when push came to shove, you continued to let him get away with it because he got the results you craved. To make matters worse, it sounds like you’ve been so dependent on Joe that you’ve ignored the development of the rest of the team.

Managing an employee like Joe is like having a drinking or gambling problem – we deny there’s a problem until it’s a crisis.

It’s time to sit with Joe and spell out your behavioral expectations. More importantly, it’s time to lay out the consequences – this has been what’s missing in order for him to change.

If he does not change, then you need to follow-up on those consequences.  I’m betting he will once he sees you’re serious. That’s when you earn your stripes as a leader!

-From Scott Eblin, The Next Level

In considering Pat’s dilemma about Joe, two quotations come to mind.  The first is from the former French president and general Charles deGaulle.  “The cemeteries, he said, are full of indispensable men.”    Pat is feeling trapped because she’s allowed herself to believe that Joe is indispensable.    She will eventually have to deal with his behavior in a definitive way.  It’s just a question of whether it’s sooner or later.  Either way, she needs to start working on building the company’s talent pipeline now so that when Joe leaves she’s not left with a gaping talent hole in the organization.

That leads to the second quotation.  Paraphrasing Karl Marx (yes, that Karl Marx), the good of the many outweigh the good of the few.   As talented as they are, people like Joe ultimately stifle their organizations because the really good people leave because they don’t want to work with a pain in the butt.  If Pat lets this play out much longer, she’s going to be left with a lot of mediocre people and Joe.  Not a great competitive situation to be in.  She might have one more “You’ve got to change or else,”  conversation with Joe, but she has to be prepared to let him go.

-From Steve Roesler, All Things Workplace

Indeed, we’ve probably all dealt with high-performing/low-collaboration types. The last client situation with which I was involved saw the real-life “Pat” character follow the same steps described ( I was “Joe’s” coach). After being involved with a number of these, here are my thoughts. 200 words probably won’t do it justice.

  1. Joe works for a profit-making company that rewards revenue generation and will go out of business without it. (Note the Apex well-publicized values). So, the question to ask is, “While this huge pain in the butt is ringing up business, what behaviors can we all learn to live with?”
  2. Pat has introduced developmental activities to impact Joe’s behavior. In fact, Joe has actually exhibited desired behaviors. It seems that the smell of victory puts him into high gear and, like a profit magnet, he goes for the gold.
  3. Bypassing people and procedures is normally a no-no. But look at the bestselling books that tell you to be a Maverick or use the Fire-Ready-Aim approach to business. If you’re a high achiever, what are you supposed to believe?

One last possibility: team meeting with Joe to let it all hang out. Could it hurt?

It’s Your Turn…What Say You? 

 

Vote in the poll below for your favorite answer, and please share your own professional perspectives with a comment.

 

Filed Under: Decision-Making, Leadership Tagged With: , ,

Introducing: Professional Development Sprints

July 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Note from Art: today’s post is promotional in nature. Back to our regularly scheduled programming soon!

Professional Development Sprints: Practical, powerful coaching guidance and skills development plus a series of activities to apply immediately in the workplace, delivered on-line in 4 modules of 15 minutes or less.  Review the programs as often as you desire during the 30-day subscription period, and use the suggestions in the downloadable Action Guide to keep on improving beyond the program.

Cost: $100.  Return: Your professional development-priceless!

You Own Your Professional Development:

Long-time readers, customers (training and coaching) and my many management students well understand my conviction that you need to own your professional development over the course of your career. If you don’t take care of it, no one will.   In this era of rapid change, ignoring your own development is a subscription to becoming global road kill.

You’ve got to take care of yourself!

Wanted in Professional Development-Convenience, Accessibility, Practicality and Cost-Effectiveness:

In the spirit of Peter Drucker’s classic article, “Managing Oneself,” I’m consistently asked by motivated professionals on guidance for continuing professional development beyond the classroom, training room or coaching engagement.  I happily offer my ideas, from books to blogs to actions over time, and for some that’s fine. For others however, I appreciate that they’ve asked for something that goes beyond good reading, but doesn’t demand the time or cost of formal training or coaching.

Based on client demand for tools that energize and help sustain professional development in a convenient (translation: on-demand), practical and low cost way, I’m pleased to introduce my latest Building Better Leaders offering: Professional Development Sprints. 

What a Professional Development Sprint Offers:

  • On-demand access to Art (30 days per sprint). Listen/watch for 15 minutes and apply immediately.
  • Skills development…exposure to new tools and approaches to solve problems
  • Real world examples and experiences
  • High Intensity encouragement and a bit of professional prodding from Art to get it in gear and start applying the concepts.
  • Ideas/activities to put the new tools into play immediately!
  • Actions to support your development beyond the program.
  • Ideas and motivation to jump-start or sustain a professional development program.

What It’s Not:

  • They’re not outrageously pretty….just practical and filled with ideas, examples, approaches and tools.
  • They’re not a full blown substitute for in-depth skills training or comprehensive coaching

The First Sprint-Learning to Deliver Constructive Feedback with Confidence.  

In slightly less than 60-minutes, I work with you to:

  • identify and overcome fears/barriers to delivering feedback
  • Identify and explain the 6 “must have” components for every constructive feedback discussion
  • Teach you the importance of ensuring that your feedback is both behavioral in nature and must have a business rationale at its core.
  • Offer you a process for properly planning and then delivering the toughest of discussions.
  • Offer you a number of ideas to apply the concepts in each module in the workplace…and on how to sustain your on-going development and mastery of the art of delivering constructive feedback.

Your Return on Investment:

  • Improved personal performance as a leader
  • Increased confidence for tackling the important and difficult conversations
  • Improved performance of your team members
  • Improved unit and firm performance
  • The increased respect for you from your team members…good professionals want and need feedback
  • Confidence begets more confidence.

Enroll, Pay and Get Started Here!

Questions?

An Offer You Can’t Refuse:

The first 10 registrants will receive free, signed copies of my forthcoming book: “Leadership Caffeine: Ideas to Energize Your Professional Development” (expected publication: September, 2011)

But Wait, There’s More:

OK, actually, that’s it for the offers. However, alumni gain a 20% discount on future Sprints. And for you Managers, Trainers and HR Pros, please know that group rates are available. Drop me a note to discuss your needs. 

Future Sprints:

  • Next: Improving Your Decision Making Effectiveness
  • And then: Getting Started Successfully with Your New Team
  • And right after that: For Experienced Leaders: How to Re-energize and Strengthen Your Leadership Approach and Results.
  • Future Sprints based on your input.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

There’s no one magical approach to developing yourself, other than investing the time and deliberately striving to learn, improve and grow. I’m excited for my clients to offer one approach that will help energize and sustain any professional’s development efforts. The on-demand convenience and low-cost access are frosting on the cake. I’m looking forward to serving you in our first and in many more Professional Development Sprints to come.

Filed Under: "To Do" List, Career, Leadership Tagged With: , , ,
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