Leadership & Management Journal

The Blue Ocean Strategy

2006-12-01T05:39:00.000-12:00

The Blue Ocean Strategy is a business strategy about capturing uncontested market space, thereby making competition irrelevant. It is also a book written by Professor W. Chan Kim and Professor Renée Mauborgne, from the INSEAD business school.

The "ocean" refers to the market or industry. "Blue Oceans" are untapped and uncontested market, which provides little or no competition for anyone who would "dive" in, since the market is not crowded. "Red Ocean" on the other hand, refers to a saturated market where there are fierce competition, already crowded with people (companies) providing the same type of services, producing the same kind of goods.

The idea is to do something different from everyone else, produce something that no one has yet seen, thereby creating a "blue ocean".

Some examples of companies that created the "Blue Ocean": Cirque du Soleil (unique circus format), Gmail (tons of email storage space for free) and Nintendo Wii (first home game console with movement sensor devices for gaming).

Mark Cuban on Becoming a Billionaire

2006-10-06T23:07:00.000-12:00

by Paul Allen

Last night I caught part of Big Idea with Donny Deutsch on cable. Donny was interviewing billionaire Mark Cuban, who is one of the smartest entrepreneurs I’ve ever followed.

The best written article I’ve seen about how Mark turned Broadcast.com into a multi-billion dollar company is the chapter in Net Entrepreneurs Only, published around 2000, to highlight a dozen or so successful online entrepreneurs. The work ethic that Mark and his partner Todd had back then is nicely described there. Mark talked about it again last night. He described a typical work day.

He works from home most of the time. Never lets anyone call him on the phone (except his wife). If they want a phone meeting or if he needs to have a meeting in person, he arranges it through email. His wife has 2 girls, including a 6-week old girl, so Mark describes a typical day as involving playing with his girls, feeding them in the morning, he even mentioned watching the Wiggles and Stanley with his older daughter. He had a great daddy-gleam in his eye as he talked about his girls. He seems to care more about his family than anything else.

I think there are at least three major lessons we can learn from Mark Cuban. (I happen to have almost the exact same approach to work that he does, and is has taken me places, but not nearly as far as Mark. Not even close. So we’ll use Mark as the reason why internet entrepreneurs should adopt these practices.)

He reads like crazy and uses email like crazy and has access at his fingertips to all his correspondence for the last 15 years. The way he described it on the Big Idea was really cool.
(I have used Folio VIEWS for 16 years as my full-text database, and now I use gmail for my email archive. Someday I’ll combine the two into a single seach engine.)
Mark dives in deep to any new technology. He learns everything he can about it and talks to all the pioneers in developing it. He knows his stuff.
He is willing to do the blocking and tackling to build a business, even if it means thousands of hours of what others might think is tedious work.
He described launching AudioNet (the precursor to Broadcast.com) and working crazy hours doing nothing but posting on forums and emailing and doing everything possible to generate interest and usage of his internet sports radio channel.
Like Warren Buffett, who claims that being an investor made him a better business man, and being a business man made him a better investor, Cuban obviously does both, does them a lot, and loves them.

The reason he was able to sell his internet company at a peak valuation of $5.7 billion is that he had seen the hardware industry, the networking industry, and the software industry all go through bubbles. He sold a computer software company for $6 million in 1990, and started investing. So he knew some of the macrotrends in the investment industry and saw the internet bubble for what it was. He got out when he could.

He said, and he is 100% right, that most entrepreneurs aren’t willing to do the required blocking and tackling to build a successful company. John Bresee, at BackCountry.com, describes pretty much the same approach in the first few years of BackCountry.com. It was mostly going online all the time, trying to get links to your site, posting in usenet groups, on message boards and doing email. Same thing for the 2nd person at eBay. I remember reading that he used to answers something like 1,500 emails per day.

Most of the internet millionaires I know and the internet billionaires I’ve read about were completely willing to work 12-16 hours a day doing the most tedious possible things, like email and guerilla marketing, in order to get their companies in a position to win in their market.

How many of you are willing to do that? Have you ever spent till 2 or 3 in the morning working on your web site, visiting and posting on message boards, looking for the hundreds of online directories that should be linking to your company, finding email lists to advertise on, and visiting thousands of sites looking for the ones that ought to be your affiliates?

How many times have you done that? Would you be willing to do it many times a week, for several months, or even a year or two, to get your company in a position to succeed.

For some people, it might not be worth it. There is definitely more to happiness than financial success. And sometimes the pursuit of financial success costs people their health, family, friends, and peace of mind.

So it’s definitely not for everyone. But it is an essential ingredient in most entrepreneur success stories.

Another lesson I’ll point out, is that Mark Cuban is an avid blogger, and probably has one of the most interesting and controversial blogs in the world. He is never afraid to say what he thinks, no matter what fine the NBA might throw at him. He is incredibly smart and outspoken.

I have said before that every CEO should blog. It is so healthy for CEOs to be in touch with customers, employees, and to get feedback from everyone. And I love the transparency of blogging. That is healthy for companies.

If you are an internet entrepreneur, definitely check out the Mark Cuban blog regularly. He talks about trends that most people ignore. He got into HD TV when so many people ignored it, partly because he saw computer pricing drop over the years which led to a huge adoption rate, and he saw the same thing coming with plasma screens. He knows that we will all have amazing high-definition screens in multiple places in our homes in the coming years, and so just like with Broadcast.com where he and Todd went on a rampage and signed hundreds of licensing deals for audio content on the interenet in the first years in business, he repeated that approach with HDNet, and he is a leader in that marketplace now.

He has more ideas that he can handle himself, so sometimes he’ll throw things out that he won’t be doing personally, like this post about “3 ideas that are all yours.” Not well received by some of his readers (he has a TON of comments on his blog.)

Anticipating the Career Plateau

2006-05-26T17:08:00.000-12:00

By Stephen Xavier

Executive coaching engagements typically occur with top-performing executives. In fact, their enduring ability to perform is often the primary force behind their quicker-than-average climb up the corporate ladder. The challenge, however, is for these employees to become good managers or leaders.

There is frequently a major disconnect between a top performer's attitude and the skills required to be a great leader. The former tends toward a know-it-all and just-get-it-done attitude. These individuals tend to believe that they must know plenty to have climbed so high, and so fast.

Because high performers cherish their accumulated knowledge and experience, they have a difficult time understanding why they have now reached a plateau and their careers have stalled.

They've been seen in a positive light for so long because of their ability to perform. As a result, their natural managerial or leadership skills have been wrongly assumed to be proficient when, in fact, they are often quite underdeveloped.

As such, they commonly face these shortcomings:
• They are culturally unaware – This type of "innocent ignorance" comes from never having worked in a culture where self-development and improvement of skills were promoted. Instead they've been in an environment where success was determined by performance alone.
• They have not had the benefit of good role models – When a top performer's direct boss or manager lacks the skills or the foresight to recognize where an employee could improve, it limits the individual unnecessarily.
• They are overly confident – Top performers tend to be egotistical, mainly because they've found a way to rise above the norm and have been celebrated accordingly. Confident of their ability to undertake any task or fulfill any expectation, they eagerly take on any responsibility before realizing they, too, have their limits.

When a company's top performers are promoted to positions that require management and/or leadership skills, it's only a matter of time before their underdeveloped skills become blatantly obvious. Because most top-performing types have had little if any management or leadership training, what happens to the employees who are suddenly deprived of that support? They become bitter and resentful, and, unfortunately, it can go unreported far too long.

Something’s Gotta Give
Inevitably, something has to change, whether it means revoking the promotion or bringing in an executive coach to help the top performer become a stronger leader. When the choice is the latter, it's critical for the coach to be highly respected by all involved.

Some successful approaches that can breed respect and success include:
• Establishing alignment with senior executives – The astute executive coach kicks off an engagement by going straight to the top to identify attitudes about coaching. Coaching engagements simply cannot succeed if they occur in a skeptical environment or if they fall upon dubious minds. Further, having support from the top can ensure even greater success for the coach and client if roadblocks occur – who better to remove them than the CEO, after all?
• Building enthusiastic perception – When a stigma has developed about coaching, senior management needs to instigate a change in the company culture's thinking about the value of coaching. If it doesn't begin with senior management, it's not likely to go anywhere. Also, it's advantageous if coachees do not keep coaching engagements secret. A more constructive attitude is being upfront and honest to direct reports by thoroughly explaining the process being undertaken and its goals. Senior management can begin by highlighting results of their 360 assessments and thanking direct reports for their input.
• Working through the boss to become the coachee's advocate – By working as an advocate for the coachee, an executive coach adds a positive element to the whole engagement. Also, the coach is responsible for working closely with the coachee's boss to ensure managerial support and to make sure the coaching is being referred to in the best light possible.
• Anticipating problems with the boss – Any coach worth his or her salt knows that even mild resistance on the boss' part is a red flag that calls for the coach to take additional measures. It doesn't matter if the resistance is only a function of the manager's style; resistance tends to breed resistance. What often happens is the coachee isn't getting the help needed from the boss. Offering excuses that dwell on the coachee's great performance or autonomy usually tells the coach the boss doesn't know how to manage the person effectively.
• Addressing every last detail – A skilled coach leaves nothing to chance. Additional precautionary steps may also include circulating informative articles about executive coaching and providing management with sample memos and e-mail messages about executive coaching that can be distributed among staff. These communiqués share supplementary information about the purpose for and benefits of the coaching process. Most importantly, a professional coach has a plan that covers all bases and details for each engagement.
• Painting pictures of success – More than anyone, skilled executive coaches know how to identify the face of success in a coaching engagement. They know the "before" and "after" scenarios, and they can describe what success feels and looks like from previous engagements. As such, many have found that painting a picture of success is useful as a tool for gaining additional buy-in from a coachee.

It's that special something about visualizing success that makes someone work that much harder for it. A coach can also offer testimonials from previous clients that describe what it felt like to reach success during their engagements.

Steep and Rapid
After high performers or employees tagged with high potential buy into the process and understand the need for coaching, they typically begin to develop a high level of trust in the coach's ability to support them. Then, it's only a matter of time before they see the value in the coach's skill, knowledge, intellect, experience and political savvy.

The learning curve is said to be very steep at the early stage. Coachees then learn and accelerate that learning very quickly, tackling the challenges they must overcome, and they tend to reach them fast.

The challenge comes when it's time to sustain the newly learned behaviors. Even as coachees embrace a new way of learning, the tendency is to regress to old behaviors as the coaching engagement comes to an end.

That's why it's also important for executive coaches to nurture the relationship over the long haul, even after the engagement has ended. Not only is it the right thing to do; such efforts will also establish tremendous credibility for the coach in the eyes of others in the company, and open pathways for future engagements in that organization.

Commitment to Change
Unfortunately, the changeover to exceptional manager or leader is rarely a smooth, simple or speedy one. Some of the most difficult areas for top performers to modify are those they believe to be their own best practices or strengths. Through coaching, they learn to acknowledge that the skills, attitudes and tools they counted on during their climb to their current level are not always the same skills, attitudes and tools they need to move to the next level and beyond.

Top performers must come to a simple realization: Success requires a commitment to change. If they don't, they are likely to plateau or, even worse, fail miserably. To help top performers become great leaders, it's time they are trained with the management skills necessary to succeed.

The faster they embrace executive coaching as a tool to accomplish this goal, the quicker they can gain knowledge and skills, which in turn translate to higher productivity and, ultimately, to a greater return on investment for the company. USBR

Stephen Xavier is president of Cornerstone Executive Development Group LLC, a global firm based in Califronia. Cornerstone specializes in executive coaching and related leadership development issues. Its clients are Fortune 500 companies that cover a broad range of industries. Contact him at Xavier@cedg.com or visit www.cedg.com.

How to Delegate: One Key Step Towards Leadership

2005-10-27T23:35:00.000-12:00

You've made an unusual discovery - there's not enough time left at the end of the day. The corollary, of course, is your list of important things to do never gets smaller. In any company, the CEO's to-do list has the potential to grow infinitely.

What's a senior executive to do?

This is not simply a personal problem. Your company's future depends on what you do next. As you drive your organization beyond its current plateau, you must change the way you relate to your work. There are three stages to making the transition from chief-cook-and-bottle-washer (CC&BW) to CEO (source of the management and direction of the business). They are:

* Understanding your highest value contribution to your company and focusing on that role.
* Recognizing your position as a leader and owning the job.
* Delegating everything else, and holding others accountable.

Previous articles, Time Well Spent, deals with transition one; Visions of Leadership addresses transition two. This article examines the problem of delegation - giving the work away.

The Issue

You have doubtlessly concluded your next level of company performance requires a managerial change. And hopefully, you have realized the changes necessary are with you. As CEO (or, on a divisional or departmental level - senior executive) your jobs include holding the vision; inspiring your senior management and your staff; fostering key relationships with customers, vendors, investors and the public, etc.

You now need to let go of some cherished things like product design, hiring, perhaps day-to-day sales - many things you handled in the past, often out of necessity - and focus yourself on your role as CEO. What about all these things you used to do? Delegate them. Assign the job to someone else. This doesn't sound like a big deal, why write a whole article on it?

Do you delegate? Of course you do. But do you delegate the important things? The things you "know" you could do better? The things you are "best" at? Probably not. The question is, should you?

Your highest value contribution

Think about your highest value contribution to your company. Which of your activities generate the most revenue, profit, market share, etc.? Where do you get the most bang for the buck? Like most chief executives, your greatest leverage is in mobilizing the forces around you - your senior staff and your employees, plus key customers, prospects and vendors. Everything else becomes secondary to that in terms of impact.

So the answer is yes. You should give away even the things you are "best" at. And then make sure they are done right. Make sure they are up to spec and delivered on time.

The cost of holding on

Now, the thorny part. Many executives refrain from delegating responsibilities they've labeled "critical". They fear the job won't be done correctly. Or no one else can do it as quickly, and it won't get done on time. Or the right attention won't be paid. Or something. Or something else.

Give it up! The growth of your organization will be stifled to the extent that you hold on to critical functions. Your company will suffer in the exact areas where you think you are the expert!

Product design? You hold up the development of a key component, because you are the expert, yet you are away at a customer meeting. Staffing? Two engineers can't be hired because you haven't signed off and are out of town at a meeting with investment bankers. Sales? Negotiations on an important deal are held up because you are in Asia meeting with a vendor.

You become the choke point on each of these vital functions. And you feel - of course - "I have to be involved." No you don't. To the exact degree you have not developed your staff to assume these functions, the growth of your company will be retarded.

Aside from fear the job won't be done as well, there is another, more insidious reason senior executives (particularly entrepreneurs) do not delegate. If you aren't doing the "important" stuff, you become redundant. Dead weight. Overhead. If you have a great VP of Sales, or a Chief Technologist, what will you do?

You feel this way because you haven't completed transitions one and two: you haven't taken the trouble of understanding how you personally create value in your company, and you haven't fully assumed the role of leader. Once you make these transitions, you won't have time for the rest. Delegation, not abdication.

Many executives delegate like this. They say, "John, would you take on this project? It has to be done by next Thursday. Thanks." That's it. Then, when the job comes back incomplete, they are infuriated. What happened? They left out accountability. They neglected the structure for making sure things happened according to plan.

There are five components to successful delegation.

1. Give the job to someone who can get it done.

This doesn't mean that person has all the skills for execution, but that they are able to martial the right resources. Sometimes the first step in the project will be education. Maybe your delegate has to attend a seminar or take a course to get up to speed.

2. Communicate precise conditions of satisfaction.

Timeframe, outcomes, budget constraints, etc.; all must be spelled out. Anything less creates conditions for failure. It's like the old story about basketball - without nets the players don't know where to shoot the ball.

3. Work out a plan.

Depending on the project's complexity, the first step may be creation of a plan. The plan should include resources, approach or methodology, timeline, measures and milestones. Even simple projects require a plan.

4. Set up a structure for accountability.

If the project is to take place over the next six weeks, schedule an interim meeting two weeks from now. Or establish a weekly conference call, or an e-mailed status report. Provide some mechanism where you can jointly evaluate progress and make mid-course corrections. This helps keep the project, and the people, on track.

5. Get buy in.

Often timeframes are dictated by external circumstances. Still, your delegate must sign on for the task at hand. If you say, "This must be done by next Tuesday," they have to agree that it is possible. Ask instead. "Can you have this by Tuesday?" To you this may seem a bit remedial, but the step is often overlooked. Whenever possible, have your delegate set the timeline and create the plan. You need only provide guidance and sign off. As General Patton said, "Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity."

If you skip any one of the above steps, you dramatically reduce the likelihood things will turn out the way you want them to. On the other hand, if you rigorously follow the steps, you greatly increase the odds in your favor. Isn't this more work than doing it myself, you ask. No - it isn't.

The time it takes to

1) establish the goals,
2) review the plan, and
3) monitor the progress,

is not equal to the time it takes to execute. That is how you gain leverage. This is how you multiply your efforts.

(Occasionally it does take longer to communicate something than to do it yourself. Delegate it anyway. The next time will be easier.)

Above, I've referred to projects. This is not to say delegation is reserved for discrete tasks and problems. You also delegate ongoing functions. The process is the same in each case.

As an exercise, ask yourself, what am I unwilling to delegate? Make a list of the reasons why not. (Use our worksheet to identify projects and functions to delegate. E-mail for a free copy.) Identify the best person in your organization - not you - to take on this project or function. Then call a meeting. Begin the meeting with step one, above.

If there is no one to whom you can give away key functions, you have to look carefully at your staff situation. It may be time to hire the right people. If you don't have the revenues to support the staff additions, consider what is restraining your growth.

Review your relationship with your assistant or secretary. Have you let them take on there fair share of the workload? Are you giving them sufficiently sophisticated work to do? Are they ready to upgrade?

Some situations call for you to dive back in. Perhaps you are the only one in your company with some particular technical knowledge, or your insight will accelerate the design process, or you have the long-standing relationship with a vendor or customer. Go ahead, dive. Do your thing - briefly, complete the project and resume your leadership position.

Oh, one more thing.

The only point to delegating something is if it frees you for things which create greater value for your company. Don't give away the hiring function if you are spending your time fiddling with the corporate web site. Don't hire a Sales VP, if you are spending your time on purchasing. The greatest leverage you have is in leading your company. Lavish your time on that.

Paul Lemberg is the President of Quantum Growth Coaching, the world's only business coaching franchise system built from the ground up to rapidly create more profits and more life for entrepreneurs. (http://www.quantumgrowthcoachingfranchise.com) Paul is also Executive Director of the Stratamax Research Institute , a business coaching and consulting firm specializing in helping entrepreneurial companies quickly increase short term profits for sustainable long term growth.

18 Ways to Take Charge -- Fast

2005-10-27T00:57:00.000-12:00

There are few career moments as exciting -- and these days, as perilous -- as taking over the top job at a company, business unit, or department. But what exactly do you do once you're in charge? This online guide provides 18 tactics -- and case studies -- to help you take the reigns running.

From: By: Fast Company

This online guide is based on the September 2002 article, "Sudden Impact" But why stop at 18? Don't forget to share your own experiences and advice using our Sound Off! feature below.

1. Begin your transition before you start the job. Use the interview process to get an early jump on learning about the organization. Ask critical questions: How are decisions made? What are the key challenges? Which functions are strong, and which ones need to be overhauled? Use that information to build some initial hypotheses about how you would change things for the better.

Take your cue from Steve Bennett who took over the CEO spot at Intuit Corp. "The interview process is where you start," he says. "That's where you ask all of the questions about what it takes to be successful."

2. Travel widely within your organization, listen carefully, and look for patterns in everything you see and hear. Bruce Patton, co-author of "Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most" and a partner with Vantage Partners, a Boston-based relationship management consulting firm, advises new leaders to spend a lot of time listening and asking questions. Talk to employees up and down the hierarchy. "Soon you'll start to see a pattern about what's going on," he says.

Within his first month on the job, Steve Bennett hit the road and tested the hypotheses that he had formed during his interviews. In 30 days, he visited dozens of locations and talked to hundreds of people, gathering feedback and insight on what was right - and wrong - with the firm's operations.

3. As you ask questions, look for the rising stars whom you want as part of your team. Your listening tour may help you identify the key players whose skills you need as part of your management team. "If you're engaging in high quality inquiry, you'll want to keep people who had good answers," Patton says.

Asking tough questions is a critical skill, but not necessarily a pleasant experience. Patton offers other strategies and scripts for handling tough conversations:

4. Identify the kind of people who will flourish in the environment you want to establish. Even before interviewing people to assemble your team, take the time to identify the challenges ahead -- and the kind of people who are motivated by those situations.

When Scott Lutz was tapped to lead 8th Continent, a soy-milk company borne of a 50-50 joint venture between two corporate giants, DuPont and General Mills, he knew he needed to assemble a team of renegades - people with "the right mix of passion and courage," Lutz describes. "They had to be willing to do things that hadn't been done before."

5. After you've identified the ideal individual, identify the ideal group. Don't stop at finding the type of person you need. Envision how this person will interact with others to get the goals accomplished. Assemble the ideal team. In some cases, literally.

When Pat Gillick took over a mediocre Seattle Mariners club in 1999, he was keenly aware of the kind of group it would take to win a World Series. "Chemistry is unbelievably critical," Gillick says. "If you come into a workplace, and there is inconsistency, there are disruptive employees, or you don't know what to expect, then you won't be a motivated employee." The Mariners' quest for a happy clubhouse includes paying close attention to the wives and kids of the players. Gillick meets with wives early in the season to work out everything from ticketing to security to the potentially inflammatory problem of who sits where.

6. Acknowledge what you don't know. Identify those around you are the experts and don't be afraid to lean on them. No one expects an incoming leader to know everything. And perhaps there is nothing more off-putting to a future team than someone who mistakenly thinks he or she does.

After 15 years as a manufacturing engineer at Boeing, Bruce Moravec had mastered his technical discipline. But when he was promoted to run the 757 Stretch Program, an ambitious mandate to stretch the plane by 24 feet, add functionality, and do it in less than two years, he understood he'd have to gain the confidence of people who worked in areas he knew little about. "I had lots of credibility as a manufacturing engineer and second-level manager. But suddenly I was responsible for tool design, fuselage definition, all kinds of areas that weren't in my background."

7. Don't be afraid to listen to people who disagree. Listen, actively, to the people around you, especially those who challenge your assumptions.

Take it from Carlos Ghosn, Nissan's president and CEO and the engineer of the company's dramatic turnaround. "When I came to Nissan, I engaged in what I call 'active listening' with as many people as I could. I also got a lot of advice from outside the company, most of which was very conservative. People told me, 'You can't go fast in Japan. You can't close plants in Japan. You can't reduce head count.' I listened carefully, even to the opinions that totally contradicted my own beliefs, to make sure that when I made my decisions, I hadn't missed anything."

8. But clean house if you have to. Depending on the situation you step into, no matter how clear your vision is, and how evangelical you are, acknowledge that there may be people - some of whom may have already seen your predecessors come and go -- who are too jaded to follow.

Take Dale Fuller's experience. When he took over an ailing Borland Software, which at one time was a pioneer in developing developer tools, five different CEOs had already come and go in the preceding three years. Skeptics assumed that Fuller was the latest in a series of short-term custodians. Rather than embrace the new direction, they figured that they'd just wait Fuller out. Fuller had other ideas. Within six months, he fired about 400 people, including 60 of his top managers.

9. Establish a way to communicate with -- and listen to -- your entire team. Your strategic course of action is only as effective as your ability to communicate it. Have the pipeline and protocol set up to get your message out there, and don't forget that communication goes both ways.

Dick Brown took over EDS in 1999 and moved swiftly to change old beliefs and behaviors, unleashing a set of practices -- dubbed "operating mechanisms" -- that were designed to create a company-wide culture based on instant feedback and direct, unfiltered communication. One of these practices is the "monthly performance call." At the beginning of each month, 125 of the company's top worldwide executives punch into a conference call that begins promptly at 7 AM central daylight time. Participation is not optional.

10. Don't trash your predecessor, but don't be shy about promoting your own agenda. Do not assume that the prior administration screwed up or lost sight of the big picture. There's probably an element of truth in that. But it's almost certainly true that they had a different disaster that they were working to avoid, Patton says. If you've got a clear vision of what needs to be fixed, by all means, implement it. Then ask yourself what led those really smart people to do what they did in such a way that it made sense to them?

Talk about a predecessor: when Melvin Wearing took over the role of chief of police for New Haven, Connecticut, he filled the controversial shoes of someone who resigned after fathering an illegitimate child with a convicted prostitute. On February 24, 1997, his first day on the job, Wearing moved quickly to telegraph the changing of the guard. First up: a visit to each of the day's four lineups (the roll call of officers that begins each shift) -- a practice that his predecessor had shunned

11. Settle on a few major priorities. You can't fix everything at once. "Typically, you can't do everything you want to do, so you need to make some strategic choices," Patton says. "This is where you begin to align the organization around a common vision for the future."

Perhaps Wearing's most far-reaching legacy will be his focus on quality-of-life crimes -- the so-called broken-windows approach to policing. Just as Rudy Giuliani cracked down on New York's squeegee men, Wearing declared war on New Haven's vagrants and hookers, street-corner dealers, and boom-box blasters. By nipping misdemeanors in the bud, Wearing argues, police may deter more-serious crimes. His approach seems to be working. In 1997, New Haven logged 13,950 major crimes; in 2001, the city had a total of 9,322.

12. Meet the customers. Balance the big picture vision with-front line views. There is no reconnaissance more important than scouting out the territory where your products and services meet their customers. Seeing the customers actually interact provides some invaluable information.

When Gary Kusin took over as CEO of Kinko's Inc., he went into every single one of its 24 markets in the United States, visited more than 200 stores, and met with more than 2,500 team members.

13. Target a few early wins. Momentum counts, and nothing succeeds like success. It's critical for a new leader to create momentum during the transition, say Dan Ciampa and Michael Watkins in their book, "Right from the Start: Taking Charge in a New Leadership Role." Pick some problems the organization has not been able to address and figure out a way to fix them quickly to establish a new direction.

When Jim Berra was promoted to head the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Guest program in July 2001, and like any newcomer to a job, Berra was keen to have a few big wins to energize his new team. "I didn't want to solve world hunger in the first three months, but I was looking for a couple of things that would pay immediate dividends," he says. So he focused on three priorities: First, he had to build better awareness of the company's Preferred Guest program, which lagged behind Hilton and Marriott in visibility despite its unprecedented policies of having no blackout dates and no limit on free rooms. Second, he had to find a way to measure the program's performance. And finally, he had to research customer segmentation for future promotions.

14. Keep an eye on the clock. Faster is almost always better. "Make sure your time is used to its best advantage," says Patton. "When you're new to an organization, many people will want your attention. While it's pleasant to swap stories about each other's golf game, you're better off saving them for the fairway, and using the time in the office to engage in a learning-oriented conversation."

Here's a tip: Create a "Stop Doing" List. Take a look at your desk. If you're like most hard-charging leaders, you've got a well-articulated to-do list. Now take another look: Where's your stop-doing list? We've all been told that leaders make things happen -- and that's true. But it's also true that great leaders distinguish themselves by their unyielding discipline to stop doing anything and everything that doesn't fit.

15. Don't be afraid to make mistakes but be sure to fix them faster than you make them. Any new situation is fraught with hazards, but taking over a top job exposes a new leader to pitfalls ranging from the personal to the organizational. Accept that you can't know everything in your first six months, and even an extensive professional background can't insulate you from making mistakes in an unfamiliar company and culture. The key is to assess yourself and your progress as rigorously as you do your new colleagues and workplace, and to be prepared to make your own course corrections as you go along.

Last year, Lydia Shire and Paul Licari took over Locke-Ober, a Boston restaurant and Brahmin institution founded in 1875. The entire city was watching, and everybody had an opinion. And the first 10 days were a disaster. "You could have put me in front of a firing squad and it would have felt better," Licari shares.

16. Be wary of reckless re-engineering. If you're assuming leadership of a large organization or department, take the time to understand its current trajectory. Making too drastic and immediate a change can derail both confidence and long-term strategy. Stanford Business School Professor, Jim Collins, warns leaders to be cautious. "Why do overhyped change programs ultimately fail? Because they lack accountability, they fail to achieve credibility, and they have no authenticity."

Consider the Warner-Lambert Co. in the early 1980s. In 1979, Warner-Lambert told Business Week that it aimed to be a leading consumer-products company. One year later, it did an abrupt about-face and turned its sights on health care. In 1981, the company reversed course again and returned to diversification and consumer goods. Then in 1987, Warner-Lambert made another U-turn, away from consumer goods, and announced that it wanted to compete with Merck. Then in the early 1990s, the company responded to government announcements of pending health-care reform and re-embraced diversification and consumer brands. Between 1979 and 1998, Warner-Lambert underwent three major restructurings -- one per CEO. Each new CEO arrived with his own program; each CEO halted the momentum of his predecessor.

17. Don't be afraid to look for ideas in unusual places. Don't just read your own industry's trade journals. Cast a wide net for insights -- sometimes the breakthrough idea lies in the triumphs of a completely different industry.

When Rob McEwen, took over an underperforming gold mine in northwestern Ontario, he assumed a tough situation: The gold market was depressed, the mine's operating costs were high, and miners were on strike. His breakthrough - an unprecedented move to make his company's proprietary information public and launching a contest to develop the mine over the Internet - came from learning about the Linux operating system and the open-source revolution.

18. Finally, ask yourself who do you really want to prevail, you or your organization? You'd be surprised by the difference.

Consider this: Jim Collins and his team at Stanford Graduate School of Business and asked, what makes a good company great? They started with 1,435 good companies, examined their performance over 40 years, and then identified 11 companies that became great.

Here's one thing they found: The CEOs who took their companies from good to great were largely anonymous -- a far cry from the celebrity CEOs we read about. Collins believes this is more a matter of cause and effect than an accident. There is something directly related between the absence of celebrity and the presence of good-to-great results. Why? First, when you have a celebrity, the company turns into "the one genius with 1,000 helpers." It creates a sense that the whole thing is really about the CEO. And that leads to all sorts of problems - especially if the person goes away or if the person turns out not to be a genius after all.

Story source: http://www.fastcompany.com/articles/2002/08/suddenimpact.html

IBM's Management Makeover

2005-10-25T23:19:00.000-12:00

As its world changes, IBM is studying its top-performing leaders. What do they do differently, and can everyone do it?

From: Success Magazine Issue 88| November 2004 | Page 112 By: Linda Tischler Photographs by: Henry Leutwyler

It was at a client meeting in San Francisco in October 2002 that Sam Palmisano, IBM's new CEO, first unveiled the initiative he hoped would transform his company. His idea: The Internet really did change everything (the crash of the New Economy notwithstanding). In a hyperconnected world, IBM's clients needed to become "on-demand" companies, their every business process exquisitely calibrated to respond instantly to whatever got thrown at them. And to help them, IBM would have to do exactly the same thing.

When she heard about the new strategy, Donna Riley, IBM's vice president of global talent, remembers wondering whether the company had the right managers for its new direction. "If leadership is stuck in the past, and the business has changed, we have a problem," she says. By the spring of 2003, Palmisano and his leadership development team realized the strategy would indeed demand a new breed of boss -- leaders who were as sensitive to changes in their environment as Indian scouts.

For help, Riley turned to the Hay Group, a consultancy that specializes in executive development. Hay had done work for IBM before, most notably in 1994 when, at former CEO Lou Gerstner's behest, the firm had interviewed a group of the company's top managers. As part of his turnaround strategy for the troubled company, Gerstner wanted to develop a new style of leader who could help transform its failed culture. Ultimately, Hay distilled 11 competencies from the interviews that would guide IBMers' performance as they pulled off one of the most remarkable corporate rebounds in history.

In the summer of 2003, Hay Group returned to conduct another set of interviews with 33 executives who had been identified as outstanding leaders in the new on-demand era -- the folks who really got the new strategy and who were on the cutting edge in a high-performance culture. They were drawn from every division of the business, every part of the world, united by their extraordinary ability to get the job done. The plan was to put these top players under a microscope, to divine how they thought about their jobs and the company; how they interacted with clients, peers, and subordinates; how they set goals and went about meeting them -- in short, to extract the best practices from the best leaders to see if they could be duplicated.

In a series of three-and-a-half-hour interviews, the managers discussed circumstances in which they had been successful -- or not. The interviews were supplemented by surveys of the people they worked with. Researchers then combed through the stories and accompanying data, looking for characteristics and qualities that distinguished these high performers.

The results were stunning. "The experts predicted maybe a third of the competencies would be the same, a third would be slightly different, and a third would be brand new," says Riley. "Much to their surprise -- and ours -- we found it truly is a new book," requiring all new skills.

To begin with, the best executives no longer thought of the folks to whom they sold stuff as customers; they saw them as clients. The difference? "A customer is transactional," says Harris Ginsberg, IBM's director of global executive and organization capability. "A client is somebody with whom you have a longstanding relationship and a personal investment." It's no longer enough to sell a customer a server. An IBMer should be so focused on becoming a long-term trusted partner that she might even discourage a client from buying some new piece of hardware if it's in the client's best interest to hold off.

The 33 leaders were also adept at a skill IBM calls "collaborative influence." In a highly complex world, where multiple groups might need to unite to solve a client's problems, old-style siloed thinking just won't cut it, and command-and-control leadership doesn't work. "It's really about winning hearts and minds -- and getting people whose pay you don't control to do stuff," says Mary Fontaine, vice president and general manager of Hay's McClelland Center for Research and Innovation.

For example, Frank Squillante, an IBM vice president, has only four direct reports. To do his job -- devising the strategy for the company's intranet, and then developing and deploying applications for 325,000 people and 100,000 business partners -- he must be a master at cajoling people over whom he has no real power. "I use 'collaborative influence' every minute of every day," he says. "If I tried to pull one of these, 'I'm in charge so you have to do this' maneuvers, the whole thing would break down."

Riley's team is now training IBM's executives in the new competencies. This year, only top management will be assessed against them. The next group -- some 4,000 executives -- will have a year to study the goals before being held accountable. But the new approach has already spurred some more flexible, collaborative efforts. Cross-functional teams from IBM's global services, software, and systems groups have helped Mobil Travel Guides transform itself from a travel content provider to a real-time, customized travel-planning service; a team of staffers from Big Blue's research, software, and consulting services helped Nextel dramatically improve its customer-care services.

In an interconnected world, such horizontal, collaborative networks of people clearly make more sense than rigid hierarchies. And leading in such a challenging environment is an acquired skill. "Leadership is a personal journey for each person," says Riley, "but I think having a culture that says this stuff matters -- particularly when it's linked to your business strategy -- is a very powerful combination."
IBM's New Leadership Traits

If you were a leader at IBM, here's what you would be graded on.
Innovation that matters -- for our company and for the world

Thinking horizontally: Leverages IBM's enterprise capability to address client or market opportunities in new ways.

Informed judgment: Synthesizes disparate sources of information to make an informed judgment regarding a strategic decision with both immediate and long-term implications.

Strategic risk-taking: Innovates to create exponential growth, using multiple resources from around IBM.
Dedication to every client's success

Building client partnerships: Builds ongoing, collegial relationships with key clients based on mutual strategic interests.

Collaborative influence: Creates interdependence, building genuine commitment across organizational boundaries to a common purpose.

Embracing challenge: Proactively builds in others the belief that they can innovate and grow the business.
Trust and personal responsibility in all relationships

Earning trust: Does what is right for the long-term good of relationships inside and outside of IBM.

Enabling growth: Changes systems or processes that impede growth and performance.

Passion for IBM's future: Gets others energized to realize IBM's unique potential.

Developing IBM people and community: Takes accountability for investing in the future leadership of IBM.

Linda Tischler is a Fast Company senior writer.

Leadership Lessons from The Apprentice

2005-10-25T22:47:00.000-12:00

Make-or-break leadership lessons from The Apprentice: sure, it's "reality" TV. But smart viewers of NBC's hit show learned important rules of business success. Here are four, for starters
Alfred A. Edmond, Jr.

KWAME AND OMAROSA--NO LAST NAMES REQUIRED. Every African American professional knows the Harvard H.B.A. Wall Street investment adviser and the up-from-the-projects former White House appointee who were among the competitors on The Apprentice, NBC-TV's hit reality show. Beginning in January, the show followed the exploits of 16 young entrepreneurs and professionals as they engaged in a "13-week job interview" to get a one-year, $250,000 job with The Trump Organization, and an apprenticeship with the show's executive producer and company chairman Donald Trump. Each week, the group, divided into two teams, competed on a business task assigned by Tromp--selling fine art to renovating and leasing apartments--designed to test the talents and business savvy of each candidate. The winners moved on to the next task. The losers faced Trump and his lieutenants in the infamous boardroom. And as every fan of the show knows: "Somebody's gonna get fired."

At press time, the winner of the competition had not been selected. BLACK ENTERPRISE subscribers will receive this issue as the program's April 15 live finale airs. If Kwame Jackson is still in contention, as he was at this writing (Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth participated in nine tasks before falling to Trump's ax), you can bet that the show's final episode will become must-see TV for African Americans. Jackson and Stallworth represented a study in the duality faced by black professionals in a still white-male-dominated corporate America. African Americans who took pride in Jackson's Harvard M.B.A. pedigree and gracious, earnest professionalism, became increasingly frustrated by his apparent inability to do more than be an affable teammate, and to actually put up a "W" on the scoreboard. (Through Episode 10 of the show, Jackson was the only survivor who hadn't tasted victory as a project leader.) And black professionals--particularly African American women--"who were initially encouraged by Stallworth's assertive brand of professionalism, later became appalled by her transformation into the most negative stereotype of the combative, passive-aggressive, black female co-worker.

Unlike mindless reality shows in which contestants munch on worms or compete to marry a fake millionaire, The Apprentice is a show you can actually learn from. For the last three months, I was among the millions of viewers who tuned in every week to The Apprentice. My job: to identify key business and career success strategies illustrated by Trump and the 16 young professionals vying to be his apprentice on the first hit TV show focusing on competition and collaboration in the world of business. (See our weekly analysis of The Apprentice at www.blackenterprise.com.) Here are just four of the valuable lessons you can apply to your own business and career.

Lesson 1 GOOD IDEAS ARE NOT ENOUGH--FOLLOW THROUGH WITH A PLAN

In business, as in chess, the person who thinks the furthest ahead has the most control over the outcome. As Law 29 of The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers (Viking Press: $24.95) states: "The ending is everything. Plan all the way to it, taking into account all the possible consequences, obstacles, and twists of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give the glory to others. By planning to the end, you will not be overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know when to stop. Gently guide fortune and help determine the future by thinking far ahead."

Who got it wrong: Jackson consistently failed to follow plausible strategies with a well-thought-out and executable plan. In fact, in at least one case, he failed to plan at all.

In Jackson's first stint as a project leader for the then all-male Versacorp, both teams were charged with managing the Planet Hollywood restaurant in Manhattan's Times Square on consecutive nights. The victor would be the team that generated the largest revenue increase over the same night the previous year. The opposing, all-female Protege Corporation, led by real estate agent Katrina Campins, was assigned the first night of restaurant operations, giving Jackson's team an obvious advantage--an extra 24 hours to come up with a plan to profitably manage the restaurant the following evening. Did Jackson and his team spend the day visiting restaurants and talking to restaurant managers, reading books or visiting Websites devoted to the restaurant business? No. They focused on team bonding by playing basketball and the Donald Trump board game.

As a result, Jackson's Versacorp team failed to deduce in more than a day what Protege took minutes to discover: Planet Hollywood's bar accounts for 25% of its business. Protege, exploiting this information with a plan focused on generating as much bar business as possible, increased restaurant revenues by more than 31%. Jackson's team managed less than 7% in defeat, proving that the old adage is still true--failing to plan, is planning to fail.

Who got it right: When Protege and Versacorp were charged with running a fleet of rickshaw cabs for a one-day shift in Manhattan, contestant Amy Henry not only came up with the big idea, she followed through with a scheme to ensure its success. Her big idea for Versacorp: selling advertising space on the rickshaws. But she didn't stop there. Once she sold Bill Rancic, her project leader for this task, on the strategy, Henry boosted the odds of success by contacting companies she had already established positive relationships with during the competition (such as Marquis Jet, an advertising client from Week 2) to sell ads.

The result? Versacorp destroyed Protege, delivering $3,680 in profits against a measly $382.68. The difference: Henry's team generated $3,450 in advertising revenue.
Conclusion: A good strategy, is just the beginning. To get the results you want you have to think things through and come up with ways to test and exploit that stratagem. Good leaders plan the work, and then work the plan--not halfway, but all the way to the desired result.

Lesson 2 TO GET WHAT YOU WANT, FOCUS ON WHAT THEY WANT

A major key to negotiating, whether with colleagues, customers, subordinates, or superiors, is the sincere willingness to gain a clear understanding of what the other party wants. It sounds simple enough. Never assume that what's important to you is what's most important to those with whom you must deal. In business, you have to give to get.

Who got it wrong: When contestant Nick Warnock approached a potential buyer, determined to show off his prowess as a salesman, he focused on his own goal: to lead the Versacorp team to victory by single-handedly selling a truckload of Trump Ice. The target of the sales pitch was obviously insulted by Warnock's hard sell. He had to be thinking: "Where am I supposed to store all of this water? Who does this guy think he is?" Clearly, the needs of the customer were secondary, at best, to Warnock's desire to make the big sale. Warnock couldn't convince the client to buy even a case of bottled water, much less a truckload.

Who got it right: Contrast Warnock's approach with the pitch of another job candidate, Troy McClain. He focused on addressing the customers' problem of limited inventory space. Instead of trying to get customers to buy, say, 80 cases of Trump Ice at once, he and his Protege teammates convinced them to order 80 cases, but to take delivery on 20 cases a week, over a four-week period. As a result, Protege was able to place large orders with two distributors for a total of $3,400, earning them a victory over Versacorp.

Conclusion: The cornerstone of all successful careers and profitable businesses is a sincere interest in solving problems and meeting the needs of others--whether they are customers, employers, or colleagues. Those who can achieve this feat will reap huge rewards.

Lesson 3 IF YOU HAVE TO SAY YOU'RE A LEADER, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT

Too many people believe that all it takes to be a leader is a superior position: a bigger title, more experience, better credentials, a higher I.Q.--or simply being louder, tougher, and more aggressive than the rest of the group. But without the ability to get people to follow you, all the official authority and superior qualifications in the world won't make you an effective leader. As the often repeated adage goes: If you think you are leading, but no one is following, then you are simply taking a walk.

Who got it wrong: All during the competition, would-be apprentices Stallworth, Sam Solovey, Jason Curis, Erika Vetrini, and Heidi Bressler proclaimed they were born leaders--some most loudly and persistently right before Trump dropped the ax on them.

Having to say that you're the leader is usually the first sign that you are not one. It usually means that you can't get people to follow you without some form of coercion. On The Apprentice, the reasons were varied. Solovey was a basket case who freaked out under pressure. Vetrini was an emotional wreck prone to crying and throwing tantrums. Curis ignored the input and expertise of his troops. And Stallworth assumed an air of unearned superiority, constantly pointing to her resume while denigrating those she would lead. All tended to blame others for their failures and evaluate others based on their personalities as opposed to their performance. These are not attributes that inspire loyalty and respect.

Who got it right: Versacorp's Troy McClain and Protege's Amy Henry provided great examples of leading by action, not by proclamation. In fact, they often demonstrated leadership even when they were not the designated project managers of their teams, proving that leadership is about more than having the title.

The most telling demonstration of this was Henry and McClain's respective roles in raising money for the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric AIDS Foundation by negotiating with celebrities for donations. For example, when Jackson and project manager Stallworth's negotiations with hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons were going up in flames, McClain saved the day by "keeping it real" (as in real country), delighting Simmons with his hick-from-the-sticks persona. Henry was just as impressive: Despite the constant disruption of teammate Tammy Lee, Henry stayed focused on coming up with ideas that were enthusiastically received by celebrities, such as television personalities Regis Philbin and Carson Daly.

Conclusion: Henry's Versacorp team defeated McClain's Protege team, raising $40,000 against Protege's $35.000, in the most tightly contested of The Apprentice assignments. Even though Rancic and Stallworth were the project managers of the respective teams on this project, the leadership skills of Henry and McClain were the keys to these successful campaigns.

Lesson 4 DON'T MAKE ENEMIES OF OPPONENTS--OR ALLIES

Like her or not, Stallworth was always clear on where she stood in relation to her fellow would-be apprentices: "I didn't come here to make friends. "True, but you don't want to make enemies either, unless it's absolutely unavoidable. Good leaders don't think in terms of friends and enemies; they operate in a world of allies and opponents, knowing that anyone they encounter can be one or the other on any given day, and sometimes both at the same time.

Who got it wrong: Think about the way Stallworth treated her colleagues, in victory and in defeat, during her tenure on The Apprentice. Did she say one positive thing, publicly or privately, about anyone on either team? Had she deemed any person she met worthy of her respect, and treated them thusly? Is she the type of person you'd want as a boss or colleague?

One of the most memorable examples of Stallworth's persistent negativity toward her teammates occurred as she (as project leader), Bressler, and another contestant, Jessie Connors, faced Trump's firing squad after their defeat in the competition to raise money for the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric AIDS Foundation. "Heidi was fantastic," she responded when Trump asked her to assess Bressler's performance. But Stallworth didn't stop there: "And I will tell you I haven't always been a fan of Heidi. I haven't always felt that she was professional, nor does she have much class or finesse." And that was intended as a compliment.

Who got it right: Stallworth's approach was in contrast to Jackson's, whose behavior was consistent in victory and defeat. He was positive, upbeat, and supportive of his teammates. When Jackson made criticisms, he was direct and to the point, limiting his comments to assessments of performance, not personal attacks.

Most importantly, Jackson never played the victim. When he failed, he held himself accountable, resisting invitations to blame others when facing Trump in the boardroom. While confident in his evaluation of a given situation, he remained open to the idea that he could be wrong, and that others, even a subordinate, could be right. As a result, even after crashing defeats as project leader, Jackson was still embraced as a team member by his fellow would-be apprentices, and he never lost the respect of Trump and his lieutenants. Is it any surprise that Jackson was able to consistently avoid the ax?

Conclusion: The best leaders make people want to be a round them. How? By being as quick with compliments as they are with criticisms. They focus on performance and not personalities, and realize they can't succeed without the support of colleagues, customers, and clients--even those they don't like, or those who don't like them.
The best leaders don't talk about it--they are about it. Those who followed these precepts experienced consistent success on The Apprentice. Those who violated them were doomed to failure--and an elevator ride to the street.

Leadership Definitions

2005-10-14T23:04:00.000-12:00

Leadership is an elusive quality that can be hard to define. Here are a few people who have tried...

" ...leadership is like the Abominable Snowman, whose footprints are everywhere but who is nowhere to be seen" Bennis & Nanus: 'Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge' (1997)

"[There are] almost as many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept." Stogdill (1974, p.259)

"A leader is a dealer in hope." Napoleon Bonaparte, French soldier, statesman, revolutionary (1769-1821)

"A leader is best when people barely know that he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worst when they despise him. 'Fail to honour people' they fail to honour you.' But of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will all say, 'We did this ourselves.'" Lao Tzu, Chinese founder of Taoism, author (6th Century BC)

"A leader shapes and shares a vision which gives point to the work of others." Charles Handy (1992)

"A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be." Rosalynn Carter, US First Lady (b.1927)

"As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others." Bill Gates

"Be willing to make decisions. That's the most important quality in a good leader." General George S. Patton Jr.

"Leaders are individuals who establish direction for a working group of individuals who gain commitment form these group of members to this direction and who then motivate these members to achieve the direction's outcomes.” Conger, J.A. ‘Learning to Lead’ San Francisco: Jossey-Bass (1992, p18)

"Leaders are those who consistently make effective contributions to social order, and who are expected and perceived to do so.” Hosking (1988, p.153)

"Leadership (according to John Sculley) revolves around vision, ideas, direction, and has more to do with inspiring people as to direction and goals than with day-to-day implementation. A leader must be able to leverage more than his own capabilities. He must be capable of inspiring other people to do things without actually sitting on top of them with a checklist.” Bennis, W. ‘On Becoming a Leader’ Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing, (1989, p.139)

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." John F. Kennedy

"Leadership is a combination of strategy and character. If you must be without one, be without the strategy." Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf

"Leadership is a development of a clear and complete system of expectations in order to identify evoke and use the strengths of all resources in the organization the most important of which is people.” Batten, J.D. ‘Tough-minded Leadership’ New York: AMACOM (1989 p. 35)

"Leadership is a function of knowing yourself, having a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realize your own leadership potential." Warren Bennis

"Leadership is a process of giving purpose (meaningful direction) to collective effort, and causing willing effort to be expended to achieve purpose.” Jacobs & Jaques (1990, p.281)

"Leadership is a process of influence between a leader and those who are followers.” Hollander (1978, p.1)

"Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal." Northouse (2004, p 3)

"Leadership is an attempt at influencing the activities of followers through the communication process and toward the attainment of some goal or goals.” Donelly, J.H. & Ivancevich, J. M. & Gibson, J.L. ‘Organizations: behavior, structure, processes 5th Ed.’ Plano,TX: Business Publications Inc. (1985 p362.)

"Leadership is an influence process that enable managers to get their people to do willingly what must be done, do well what ought to be done.” Cribbin, J.J. ‘Leadership: strategies for organizational effectiveness’ New York: AMACOM (1981)

"Leadership is defined as the process of influencing the activities of an organized group toward goal achievement.” Rauch & Behling (1984, p.46)

"Leadership is discovering the company's destiny and having the courage to follow it.” JoeJaworski - Organizational Learning Center at MIT.

"Leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less." John Maxwell, 1998

"Leadership is interpersonal influence, exercised in a situation, and directed, through the communication process, toward the attainment of a specified goal or goals.” Tannenbaum,Weschler & Massarik (1961, p.24)

"Leadership is not a person or a position. It is a complex moral relationship between people, based on trust, obligation, commitment, emotion, and a shared vision of the good." Joanne Ciulla (1998)

"Leadership is that process in which one person sets the purpose or direction for one or more other persons and gets them to move along together with him or her and with each other in that direction with competence and full commitment.” Jaques E. & Clement, S.D. ‘Executive Leadership: a practical guide to managing complexity’ Cambridge, MA: Carson-Hall & Co. Publishers (1994, p.4)

"Leadership is the accomplishment of a goal through the direction of human assistants. A leader is one who successfully marshals his human collaborators to achieve particular ends.” Prentice, W.C.H. ‘Understanding Leadership’ Harvard Business Review September/October 1961 vol. 39 no. 5 p.143.

"Leadership is the art of influencing others to their maximum performance to accomplish any task, objective or project.” Cohen, W.A. ‘The Art of a Leader’ Englewood Cliffs,NJ: Prentice Hall (1990, p. 9)

"Leadership is the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations.” Kouzes, J.M. & Posner, B.Z. ‘The Leadership Challenge’ San Francisco: Jossey-Bass (1995, p.30)

"Leadership is the behavior of an individual when he is directing the activities of a group toward a shared goal.” Hemphill & Coons (1957, p.7)

"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” Warren G. Bennis

"Leadership is the incremental influence that a person has beyond his or her formal authority." (Vecchio, 1988)

"Leadership is the influential increment over and above mechanical compliance with the routine directives of the organization.” Katz & Kahn (1978, p. 528)

"Leadership is the initiation and maintenance of structure in expectation and interaction.” Stogdill (1974, p.411)

"Leadership may be considered as the process (act) of influencing the activities of an organized group in its efforts toward goal setting and goal achievement.” Stogdill, (1950, p.3)

"Leadership requires using power to influence the thoughts and actions of other people.” Zalenik, A. ‘Managers and Leaders: are they different?’, Harvard Business Review March/April 1992 p.126.

"Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall." Stephen R. Covey

"People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. . . . The leader works in the open, and the boss in covert. The leader leads, and the boss drives." Theodore Roosevelt

"The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind in others the conviction and will to carry on." Walter Lippman

"The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor. That sums up the progress of an artful leader." Max DePree

"The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers." Ralph Nadar

"The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership." Harvey S. Firestone

"The job of the leader is to speak to the possibility." Benjamin Zander, British conductor, management presenter (b.1939)

"The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority." Kenneth Blanchard, US management author, presenter (b.1939)

"The only definition of a leader is someone who has followers." The Drucker Foundation, 1996

"You manage things, you lead people." Admiral Grace Murray Hooper, US naval officer (1906-1992)

“A leader is the person in a group who directs and coordinates task-oriented group activities.” Fiedler (1967)

“Leaders are those who consistently make effective contributions to social order and who are expected and perceived to do so.” Hosking (1988)

“Leadership is a social process in which one individual influences the behaviour of others without the use of threat or violence.” Buchannan and Huczynski (1997, p.606)

“Leadership is about articulating visions, embodying values, and creating the environment within which things can be accomplished.” Richards and Engle (1986)

“Leadership is the ability to step outside the culture to start evolutionary change processes that are more adaptive.” Schein (1992)

“Leadership is the creation of a vision about a desired future state which seeks to enmesh all members of an organisation in its net.” Bryman (1986, p. 6)

“Leadership is the lifting of a man’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a man’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a man’s personality beyond its normal limitations.” Drucker, P. F. (1955)

“Leadership is the process of influencing the activities of an individual or a group in efforts toward goal achievement in a given situation.” Hersey, P. & Blanchard, K. ‘Management of Organizational Behavior’. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall (1988 p. 86)

“Leadership is the process of making sense of what people are doing together so that people will understand and be committed.” Drath & Palus (1994)

“Leadership: the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” Dwight D Eisenhower (1890 - 1969) US Statesman

“One of the hardest tasks of leadership is understanding that you are not what you are, but what you're perceived to be by others.” Edward L. Flom, CEO of the Florida Steel Corporation, in a speech, May 6, 1987.

“Leadership is all hype. We've had three great leaders in this century - Hitler, Stalin and Mao.” Peter Drucker, quoted in Fortune, 21/02/94

“Leadership is an intangible quality with no clear definition. That's probably a good thing, because if the people who were being led knew the definition, they would hunt down their leaders and kill them.” Scott Adams, The Dilbert Principle (1996)

"Leadership: The capacity and will to rally people to a common purpose together with the character that inspires confidence and trust" Field Marshal Montgomery

"A Leader: A person responsible for achieving objectives through others by creating the conditions in which they may be successful and for building and maintaining the team that he or she is a member of." Jeremy Tozer

"Leadership is a purposeful relationship, which occurs episodically among participants, who use their individual skills in influence, to advocate transforming change." (c) Michael S. Kearns, 2005

Seven Strategies to Manage Your Operation More Effectively

2005-10-14T22:56:00.000-12:00

By Rama Ramaswami

As the holiday season approaches, it's time to make resolutions for next year -- and this time around, perhaps the wisest resolution you can make, in today's competitive workplace, is to become a better, more effective manager. According to business strategist Chuck Martin, it is vital for overworked managers to learn to keep things in perspective. Although 95% of executives keep a list of things to do during the workday, Martin says, 99% do not complete the tasks on those lists. In a column written for Darwin magazine, Martin offers these seven practical ways to deliver the results that high-profile corporations demand without caving in to pressure or losing work-life balance:

1. Communicate clearly.
You may believe that you are doing so, but the message may not be getting through. Tough management requires an overabundance of communication that is clear, concise, timely, and truthful.

2. Force the hard decisions.
Most executives and managers say their superiors do not deal with tough decisions right away. Managers need to collect all the necessary information available at the time, make the decision, communicate it, and then move on. The toughest decisions involve people, but they still have to be dealt with in a timely manner.

3. Focus on results.
Tough management requires that every person identify exactly the results that matter most and determine the actions that produce those results. This requires focus, working smarter, increasing productivity, and delegating. It also means being more realistic about what results are being demanded and what tools and time frame must be provided to deliver those results.

4. Remain flexible.
Managers today need to be self-organized to be able to change directions quickly. Tough management requires pushing back and saying "no" at times, as well as morphing to be flexible. It also requires stopping something at work and viewing yourself as more of a "virtual enterprise."

5. Prove your value to the company.
It is essential that you align with your company's values so that you can prove your value inside the enterprise. This means accepting even more new challenges and becoming the person everyone turns to for solutions. However, there is a fine line between proving your value and having the organization take advantage of you. Working away from the office and using commuting time can help focus more on what you deliver rather than on number of hours worked.

6. Force collaboration.
Teamwork at every level is required for tough management. This involves new levels of information sharing and a new willingness to learn.

7. Practice tough management without being a tough guy.
You can deliver quantitative results without being brutal to subordinates in the process. Tough management requires executives and managers to pause if the workload and hours worked are getting out of control, potentially causing lost perspective. It means breaking away, improving employee morale, and taking steps to protect talent. It also involves recognizing people for doing a good job and providing what is necessary for them to do their jobs better.

[article] Alphabets for Success

2005-08-05T14:25:00.000-12:00

Menurut pakarnya, manusia sukses tidak cuma dari IQ saja. Peran EQ Emotional Intelligence) pada kesuksesan bahkan melebihi porsi IQ. Seorang pakar EQ bernama Patricia Patton memberikan tips bagaimana kita menemukan dan memupuk harga diri, yang disebutnya alfabet keberhasilan pribadi.

A : ACCEPT

Terimalah diri anda sebagaimana adanya.

B : BELIEVE

Percayalah terhadap kemampuan anda untuk meraih apa yang anda inginkan dalam hidup

C : CARE

Pedulilah pada kemampuan anda meraih apa yang anda inginkan dalam hidup

D : DIRECT

Arahkan pikiran pada hal-hal positif yang meningkatkan kepercayaan diri

E : EARN

Terimalah penghargaan yang diberi orang lain dengan tetap berusaha menjadi yang terbaik

F : FACE

Hadapi masalah dengan benar dan yakin

G : GO

Berangkatlah dari kebenaran

H : HOMEWORK

Pekerjaan rumah adalah langkah penting untuk pengumpulan informasi

I : IGNORE

Abaikan celaan orang yang menghalangi jalan anda mencapai tujuan

J : JEALOUSLY

Rasa iri dapat membuat anda tidak menghargai kelebihan anda sendiri

K : KEEP

Terus berusaha walaupun beberapa kali gagal

L : LEARN

Belajar dari kesalahan dan berusaha untuk tidak mengulanginya

M : MIND

Perhatikan urusan sendiri dan tidak menyebar gosip tentang orang lain

N : NEVER

Jangan terlibat skandal seks, obat terlarang, dan alkohol

O : OBSERVE

Amatilah segala hal di sekeliling anda. Perhatikan, dengarkan, dan belajar dari orang lain

P : PATIENCE

Sabar adalah kekuatan tak ternilai yang membuat anda terus berusaha

Q : QUESTION

Pertanyaan perlu untuk mencari jawaban yang benar dan menambah ilmu

R : RESPECT

Hargai diri sendiri dan juga orang lain

S : SELF CONFIDENCE, SELF ESTEEM, SELF RESPECT

Percaya diri, harga diri, citra diri, penghormatan diri membebaskan kita dari saat-saat tegang

T : TAKE

Bertanggung jawab pada setiap tindakan anda

U : UNDERSTAND

Pahami bahwa hidup itu naik turun, namun tak ada yang dapat mengalahkan anda

V : VALUE

Nilai diri sendiri dan orang lain, berusahalah melakukan yang terbaik

W : WORK

Bekerja dengan giat, jangan lupa berdo'a

X : X'TRA

Usaha lebih keras membawa keberhasilan

Y : YOU

Anda dapat membuat suatu yang berbeda

Z : ZERO

Usaha nol membawa hasil nol pula

Handling Difficult Coworkers

2005-08-02T02:24:00.000-12:00

From BusinessTrainingMedia.com’s Article Library

Like any social situation, a professional environment is bound to have its good and bad apples. There is no rule that says that once you find a job, you will enjoy working with each of your coworkers. In fact, you are bound to run into a colleague who irritates or even offends you. In these situations, it often becomes your responsibility to maintain a professional attitude. Here are some common types of “nightmare coworkers” and tips on how to keep your reputation intact, no matter what.

1. The Office Gossip – Most offices have one person with a direct connection to the company grapevine. This person has the “scoop” all the time and is not afraid to share it. While it can be fun to be in on the office news for a while, it is best to be cautious when presented with office gossip. The majority of gossip is false and hurtful. If you keep information to yourself instead of passing it on, your coworkers will come to see you as reliable and trustworthy. In addition, deciding not to spread gossip is one of the best ways to keep yourself from eventually becoming the subject.

2. The Constant Complainer – Misery loves company, and some individuals are just not happy in any situation. These employees are not afraid to complain, and do it often and vocally. But in an office environment, negativity often means lower productivity and company morale. Complainers typically seek out others who will share their grief. Your best bet is to listen respectfully if someone approaches you to vent, but not to join in. Sooner or later, the complainer will stop using you as a sounding board and you will not have to risk being labeled a negative employee.

3. The Nosey Neighbor – Many workplaces are set up in an open environment, with employees situated in cubes rather than in offices. This layout is great for employees who love to learn as much as possible about coworkers’ professional and personal lives. If you are faced with a colleague who always knows what is going on in your life, you might want to be more discreet at work. This means keeping personal calls to a minimum, or utilizing a conference room to handle personal business. If your nosey neighbor has truly crossed the line, talk to your manager about the situation. The company may be able to make adjustments in the office layout to provide you with more privacy.

4. The Office Thief – The office thief typically is not known for stealing pens and pencils, but for stealing credit and ideas. You may find that an idea you brought up casually is later presented formally by this individual, with no reference to your input. Unfortunately, you won’t do yourself much good by yelling “that was my idea!” Steer clear of this person, particularly when it comes to brainstorming or sharing ideas and materials. Be professional, but also be guarded in your interactions with the office thief.

5. The All-Around Unpleasant Coworker – While some individuals in the office cause problems without being blatantly offensive, this individual is downright nasty. He or she is rude, arrogant, condescending, and just not enjoyable to be around. There are a couple of tips for dealing with this coworker. The first is realizing that you never know the whole story. This person might have something going on in his or her life that is causing the negativity. Try having an open conversation – privately, of course – to discuss the interactions between the two of you, but be careful about how you approach the conversation. You want to be seen as supportive and open, rather than accusing. Next, talk to your manager or human resources rep about the situation. It never hurts to document issues, and you may be able to decrease the amount of interaction you have with this individual.

Bottom line: If you keep out of the negative situations that arise, you will save yourself a great deal of heartache in the future. Remember that the workplace is an environment that mixes a wide variety of personality types. The trick is staying true to yourself, getting your job done and doing what you can to ensure you are happy at the end of each day, even if it means biting your tongue from time to time.

[interview] A Brief Q&A with John Kotter

2005-08-01T15:22:00.000-12:00

Leadership: Facing Your Fears… and the Internet

Link&Learn: What is necessary for true leadership?

John Kotter: One, leaders must understand that leadership is not just a job of the person above them in hierarchy. Two, they need to understand what leadership means in their position. Three, they need to draw on their own self-confidence to actually lead. And four, they need to constantly learn from their own experiences what works and what doesn't, and grow as leaders. You can have people in executive positions who know nothing about leadership and do not behave as leaders. Certainly, people in executive positions who do not listen to people below them in the hierarchy-the ones who are closely connected to customers-are increasingly getting themselves into trouble. Good leaders listen very carefully to everything that's happening around them. They never lock themselves in their offices, where they're removed from people and where they just rely on reports and small meetings to know what the heck is going on.

L&L: Tell me more about the characteristics that are necessary for true leadership.

JK: The most common sort of leadership that you see today that is useful are people who challenge the status quo, vacuum up information from all directions, establish-by themselves or with others-a sense of direction, vision, for their little piece of the action, and then create some strategies for making the vision a reality. They communicate that strategy relentlessly to the relevant people around them, both with words and, maybe more importantly, with deeds. They make sure that enough people understand the vision, but more importantly, that they buy into it. Then they do whatever possible to create conditions that will motivate folks to act on that vision. That can be a long list of things, from helping people see the connection between their own aspirations and the vision, to getting rid of things that block action in the organization, etc. That is the most common form of very good leadership that you see today.

L&L: What are the first steps leaders can take to overcome their own natural fears so that they can then create the conditions that encourage the people they're leading to do the same?

JK: That's an excellent question. Let's see. In a funny way, what gets in our way is what Roosevelt said, in the early 1930s: "The only said we really have to fear is fear itself." What that means is, what really scares us is the fear. We fear the fear. And I think, once you get that insight, it helps a lot. A second thought is: I think the more that you get in touch with your own hopes and dreams and ideals, the more that you see the difference or the gap between your dreams and the current reality, the more you're propelled, regardless of fear, to do something.

L&L: That's a tough leap.

JK: Yes. But the bigger the gap, the more people want to do something. It's uncomfortable, not to do something about it. I think a third way you deal with your fears is by testing them against reality. That is to say, looking around, in your own history and others, to see how realistic they really are, and how much you're just conjuring them up, based on a few cases that were very difficult, versus what's rational. And a fourth is, the more that you can see how letting fears run your life does not lead to the life you want, the more you're able to face them and do something about them.

L&L: Has there been a time in your life that you've had to overcome a fear in order to get to where you wanted to go?

JK: Oh, yeah! Not only one time. Good heavens! At one point, I had an extraordinarily difficult boss, who could literally drive you into tears. And it was easy to convince yourself to allow the fear that naturally arose to, if not paralyze you, certainly greatly restrict what you did, and the risks you were willing to take. And I think coming to grips with that was not an easy one.

L&L: Were you able to face your fear?

JK: I decided life was too short to hide in the corner and worry about this guy. And I also decided that I was right, and he wasn't.

L&L: Did you tell him that?

JK: Did I ever tell him that? I may not have. I may have just done what was right. I don't think he would ever admit that he intimidated in a bad way, but he respects me now.

L&L: The arrival of the Internet has greatly accelerated what was an already accelerated rate of change. How can leaders keep up with the change?

JK: Well, you've got to rely increasingly on people other than yourself, and the challenge then is to help everybody collectively move fast enough--and if the organization is larger-- be maneuverable enough. If the organization has more than about 100 employees, much less 50,000, getting the speed and maneuverability is tough. And I think the most fundamental challenge is unleashing the energy potential in enough people to create the power, if you will, to make organizations leap and dodge. We've said for years that the average company gets about 10 to 20% out of its people. Well, that's fine, if you've got 50% of the market and things are moving at 20 miles an hour. It's no good when competition increases, the barriers to entry are smaller, and you're trying to move at 150 miles an hour. Drawing that out of people--or maybe a better way to say it is, helping them to draw it out of themselves--and using that to help organizations leap and maneuver, I think is going to be the critical leadership challenge.

Source: business-marketing.com

[article] It's Hard to Argue with Success

2005-07-31T20:53:00.000-12:00

Jack Welch, in my not so humble opinion, is the hands down most successful business leader of the 20th Century. Before I lose any of you entrepreneurs out there who think leading GE is all that different from leading your computer business, construction company or even your hospital, please bear with me for a bit. As you might know, my work covers the gamut of business. Over the years I have come to realize that leadership is leadership no matter the size. Of course there are differences and many of those differences should not be ignored. For the most part, however, if you apply great leadership principles to a small business or even a single department, you are going to get big results, just like Jack did. Each of those big companies and institutions break down into smaller departments and units that need to be managed and led. I consistently preach leadership, management and communication fundamentals to my clients. The reason is that, if the fundamentals are not solid and do not offer a solid foundation, then the house will blow over sooner or later (remember the dot com bust?).

There is not a great leader in business that does not have an eye on the basics of financial management. If you have your eye on the financial ball you can get away with a lot in violating the fundamentals of managing “Human Capital,” but you will not grow like you could and I can guarantee you that your stress level will be in the stratosphere. This is simply because you just cannot control people, nor can you do it all by yourself. Those who try to do so stand in the way of their company’s growth. Holding people accountable goes a long way, but holding them accountable with love and care will really take your business where you want it to be. That is why leadership has room for so many different styles. You can be boisterous, funny, quiet, crazy, hands on, hands off, there, not there or any other way but there is one thing you cannot be and still be a great leader. You cannot be non-caring. Let me remind you we are talking about greatness, we are talking about Jack Welch. Yes, I know Jack was known as Neutron Jack at one point, but if you have ever tried to turn a failing business around then you know that blowing it up is a sure fire way to get on track. When the money has dried up that often is the best solution. If you follow Jack Welch you cannot help but come to the conclusion that he truly cared about people. Tough love might occasionally appear to be non-caring, but if you look closely you will see that there is a truth behind the toughness that is very loving.

Jack has eight principles that are terrific. I will list them here with a brief comment and if you want to read Jack’s commentary pick up his latest book “Winning.”

1. Leaders Relentlessly Upgrade Their Team, Using Every Encounter as An Opportunity to Evaluate, Coach And Build Self Confidence.

Allen – “You have to Coach”- This is only possible by meeting with people on a regular basis. That is what the research tells us the greatest mangers in the world do. If Jack had used my system God knows what he could have accomplished.

2. Leaders Make Sure People Not only See The Vision, They Live And Breathe It.

Allen – Every department should have their own vision and mission that supports the corporate vision and spells out just what you want that department to look like down the road.

3. Leaders Get Into Everyone’s Skin, Exuding Positive Energy And Optimism.

Allen – If you are negative, changing that is not easy, but it can happen with some help. Get a coach and begin the process if you want to experience the difference being positive will make. I am a realist and you can be both. I’ll show you how.

4. Leaders Establish Trust With Candor, Transparency And Credit.

Allen – Well said and let’s not forget to follow up until your direct report proves it is not necessary. You do not need to micro manage, but simply communicate – both ways.

5. Leaders Have The Courage To Make Unpopular Decisions And Gut Calls.

Allen – Get out of your head and learn how to feel. And know that intuition without information can be dangerous. “Fine line” stuff this leadership is.

6. Leaders Probe And Push With A Curiosity That Borders On Skepticism, Making Sure Their Questions Are Answered with Action.

Allen – This is the Coach Approach to Leadership and Management.

7. Leaders Inspire Risk Taking and Learning By Setting The Example.

Allen – The fruit is always out on the limb.

8. Leaders Celebrate

Allen – You should celebrate little wins too. Many leaders are such workaholics that they forget how to have some fun with their employees.

Well there you have it. If you want to get on track with changing your behavior and implementing great Leadership principles into your organization then call or Email me for a free one hour consultation.

Allen Hatton
Principal, Executive Development Group
www.LeadershipThatLasts.com

[article] You Can Make Their Day

2005-07-30T17:33:00.000-12:00

Ten Tips for the Leader About Building Employee Motivation and Morale at Work
By Susan M. Heathfield

You can make their day or break their day. Your choice. No kidding. Other than the decisions individuals make on their own about liking their work, you are the most powerful factor in employee motivation and morale. By your words, your body language, and the expression on your face, as a manager, supervisor, or leader, you telegraph your opinion of their value to the people you employee.

Feeling valued by their manager in the workplace is key to high employee motivation and morale. Feeling valued ranks right up there for most people with liking the work, competitive pay, opportunities for training and advancement, and feeling "in" on the latest news. Building high employee motivation and morale is both challenging and yet supremely simple. Building high employee motivation and morale requires that you pay attention every day to profoundly meaningful aspects of your impact on life at work.

Your Arrival at Work Sets the Tone for the Day

Picture Mr. Stressed-Out and Grumpy. He arrives at work with a frown on his face. His body language telegraphs "over-worked" and unhappy. He moves slowly and treats the first person who approaches him abruptly. It only takes a few minutes for the entire workplace to get the word. Stay away from Mr. Stressed-Out and Grumpy if you know what's good for you this morning. Your arrival and the first moments you spend with staff each day have an immeasurable impact on positive employee motivation and morale. Start the day right. Smile. Walk tall and confidently. Walk around your workplace and greet people. Share the goals and expectations for the day. Let the staff know that today is going to be a great day. It starts with you. You can make their day.

Use Simple, Powerful Motivational Words

Sometimes in my work, I get gifts. Yesterday, I interviewed an experienced supervisor for a position open at a client company. She indicated that she was popular with the people at her former company as evidenced by employees wanting to work on her shift. Responding to my question, she said that part of her success was that she liked and appreciated people - telegraphing the right message. She also uses simple, powerful, motivational words to demonstrate she values people. She says "please" and "thank you" and "you're doing a good job." How often do you take the time to use these simple, powerful words, and others like them, in your interaction with staff? You can make their day.

Make Sure People Know What You Expect

In the best book I've read on the subject, Why Employees Don't Do What They're Supposed to Do and What to Do about It, by Ferdinand Fournies (see side bar), setting clear expectations is often a supervisor's first failure. Supervisors think they have clearly stated work objectives, numbers needed, report deadlines and requirements, but the employee received a different message. Or, the requirements change in the middle of the day, job, or project. While the new expectations are communicated - usually poorly - the reason for the change or the context for the change is rarely discussed. This causes staff members to think that the company leaders don't know what they are doing. Hardly a confidence, morale-building feeling.

This is bad news for employee motivation and morale. Make sure you get feedback from the employee so you know he understands what you need. Share the goals and reasons for doing the task or project. In a manufacturing environment, don't emphasize numbers if you want a quality product finished quickly. If you must make a change midway through a task or a project, tell the staff why the change is needed; tell them everything you know. You can make their day.

Provide Regular Feedback

When I poll supervisors, the motivation and morale builder they identify first is knowing how they are doing at work. Your staff members need the same information. They want to know when they have done a project well and when you are disappointed in their results. They need this information as soon as possible following the event. They need to work with you to make sure they produce a positive outcome the next time. Set up a daily or weekly schedule and make sure feedback happens. You'll be surprised how effective this tool can be in building employee motivation and morale. You can make their day.

People Need Positive and Not So Positive Consequences

Hand-in-hand with regular feedback, employees need rewards and recognition for positive contributions. One of my clients has started a "thank you" process in which supervisors are recognizing employees with personally written thank you cards and a small gift for work that is above and beyond expectations.

They need a fair, consistently administered progressive disciplinary system for when they fail to perform effectively. The motivation and morale of your best-contributing employees is at stake. Nothing hurts positive motivation and morale more quickly than unaddressed problems, or problems addressed inconsistently. What about supervisory discretion, you are probably thinking. I'm all for supervisory discretion, but only when it is consistent. People need to know what they can expect from you. In employee relations, an apt statement is: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." (attribution unknown) You can make their day.

It Ain't Magic. It's Discipline.

Supervisors frequently ask, "How do I motivate employees?" It's one of the most common questions I am asked. Wrong question. Ask instead, "How do I create a work environment in which individual employees choose to be motivated about work goals and activities?" That question I can answer. The right answer is that, generally, you know what you should do; you know what motivates you. You just do not consistently, in a disciplined manner, adhere to what you know about motivation.

The ten tips, outlined in this article, are the keys to supervisory success in creating positive employee motivation and morale. The challenge is to incorporate them into your skill set and do them consistently. Every day. Author, Jim Collins identified disciplined people doing disciplined things every day as one of the hallmarks of companies that went from Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... And Others Don't (see side bar). You can make their day.

Continue Learning and Trying Out New Ideas

Use whatever access you have to education and training. You may have an internal trainer or you can seek classes from an outside consultant, a training company, or a college or university. If your company offers an educational assistance plan, use all of it. If not, start talking with your Human Resources professionals about creating one. The ability to continuously learn is what will keep you moving in your career and through all the changes I expect we'll see in the next decade.

Minimally, you will want to learn the roles and responsibilities of supervisors and managers and how to:
• provide feedback,
• provide praise and recognition,
• provide proper progressive discipline,
• give instructions,
• interview and hire employees,
• delegate tasks and projects,
• listen,
• write records, letters, file notations, and performance evaluations,
• make presentations,
• manage time,
• plan and execute projects,
• problem solve and follow up for continuous improvement,
• make decisions,
• manage meetings, and
• build teams in a teamwork environment.

What does all this have to do with motivation, you may ask? Everything. The more comfortable and confident you are about these work competencies, the more time, energy, and ability you have to devote to spending time with staff and creating a motivating work environment. You can make their day.

Make Time for People

Make time to spend time daily with each person you supervise. Managers might aim for an hour a week with each of their direct reports. Many studies, over the years, clearly indicate that a work motivation factor is spending positive interaction time with the supervisor. Schedule quarterly performance development meetings on a public calendar so people see when they can prepare for extra time and attention from you, focused on them. You can make their year.

Focus on the Development of People

Most people want to learn and grow their skills at work. No matter their reason: a promotion, different work, a new position or a leadership role, they appreciate your help. Talk about changes they want to make to their jobs to better serve their customers. Encourage experimentation and taking reasonable risk to develop their skills. Get to know them personally. Ask what motivates them. Ask what career objectives they have and are aiming to achieve. Make a development plan with each person and make sure you help them carry the plan out. The quarterly performance development meeting is your opportunity to formalize plans for people. You can make their career.

Provide Leadership

People expect you to know the goals and share the direction in which your work group is heading. The more you can tell them about why an event is happening, the better. Prepare staff in advance if visitors or customers will come to your workplace. Hold regular meetings to share information, gain ideas for improvement, and train new policies. Hold focus groups to gather input before implementing policies that affect employees. Promote problem solving and process improvement teams.

Above all else, to effectively lead a work group, department, or unit, you must take responsibility for your actions, the actions of the people you lead, and the accomplishment of the goals that are yours. If you are unhappy with the caliber of the people you are hiring, whose responsibility is that? If you are unhappy about the training people in your work group are receiving, whose responsibility is that? If you are tired of sales and accounting changing your goals, schedule, and direction, whose responsibility is that? If you step up to the wire, people will respect you and follow you. You are creating a work environment in which people will choose motivation. It does start with you. You can make their whole experience with your company.

[Tips] How to Succesfully Negotiate a Raise and/or Promotion

2005-07-25T20:40:00.000-12:00

The process of asking for a raise or promotion is similar to a mating dance-if you don't complete each step correctly, you don't win the prize. The urge to burst in your manager's office and launch into an "I'm underpaid" sermon is tempting, but it's not the way to win yourself a bigger paycheck. Complete the checklist below before having the "big talk" and you'll be reaping the rewards all the way to the bank.

Step #1: Ask yourself if you deserve one
Self-evaluation-yuck! But here goes…Have you been a team-player? Do you regularly go above and beyond the call of duty? Has it been over a year since your last pay increase? Ask yourself if you deserve it (and be honest) rather than asking yourself if you need it. A rent increase or new car payment does not warrant a raise and should not be used as a factor in negotiations.

Step #2: Don't forget to smile
If you go in there with threats and demands, your manager will immediately be put on the defensive. Be confident, approachable and pleasant. You'll receive a more positive response from your manager and will have remained a consummate professional throughout the process.

Step #3: Make an appointment
All serious conversations with your manager should be scheduled via a formal invite (email is fine). Let your boss know that you are requesting a formal review and would like to discuss re-negotiating your salary/position. Schedule approximately 60 minutes for a day within 5 days of your request. NOTE: To be completely prepared, be sure to cover all of the steps below before requesting the meeting.

Step #4: Prepare your argument
Preparation is everything. If you don't have your arsenal in order before you walk into the meeting, you might as well cancel it. This is the time to be poised and ready to make the argument of your life. Here are a few of the talking points you should have together:

A. Personal Achievements
Highlight areas within your professional development where you have shown marked improvement (i.e. management style, listening skills, verbal communication). Not only will your boss know that you take his or her feedback seriously, but you have also taken the initiative to improve in those areas.

B. Company Contributions
Cite your most recent accomplishments that have positively impacted the company, group and/or client relations and highlight those that will benefit future projects. Discuss your professional track record by citing specific areas in which you excel (i.e. deliver projects on time, under budget, effective management style). TIP: Document your achievements by keeping a weekly journal so it's handy when you need it.

C. Client/Peer Kudos
Reference specific, unsolicited praise and admiration you've received from higher-ups or clients. These endorsements speak volumes about your professional integrity and give evidence to the fact that your work is noticed by others.

Step #5: Nail down a number
In order to determine what you should be receiving for compensation, you first need to find out what you're worth. To see how your current salary compares with equivalent roles in the marketplace, check out HireMinds Salary Guide.

Before settling on a figure, take the following company factors into consideration:

* What is the typical increase given? Do they have a policy on raises (i.e. maximum 10%)?
* How often are raises given to employees (bi-annually, annually)?

Be clear on what you are requesting. Go in there with a solid number in mind (try to avoid giving ranges as you will usually end up at the low end); however, don't give the impression you are unwilling to negotiate. Say something like, "I propose an 8% increase to my current salary for the following reasons…".

NOTE: Depending on the company, a typical raise is between 5-15%.

Step #6: Keep your mouth shut
Whether you get your raise or not, do not, under any circumstances, discuss the details of your raise with anyone you work with-not even if he/she is your best friend. Because pay varies from person to person, employees who become privy to the paychecks of others may become resentful and feel betrayed. Your manager is sure to hear the grumblings and be less than impressed with your lack of discretion. Do yourself and everyone else a favor, keep them ignorant to your compensation.

Step #7: Plan your response
You should at least consider your response if your manager comes back with a counter-offer. Don't feel discouraged as most issues surrounding money go several rounds before a resolution is met. If, finally, you can not agree on a dollar amount, see what else you can negotiate (i.e. parking space, additional paid vacation). If you are flat out denied, it may be time to re-evaluate your current situation. Search HireMinds jobs for new and exciting opportunities.

Good Luck!

This article is available at hireminds.com

[article] Emotions Role in Making a Sale or Getting You Promoted

2005-07-24T14:38:00.000-12:00

Bagaimana peran emosi dalam keberhasilan karir seseorang? Apakah benar seorang manajer dapat bekerja secara profesional dengan mengesampingkan emosinya? Bagaimana pengaruh rasa bahagia atau rasa sedih terhadap kemampuan seorang sales untuk menjual? Apakah emosi mempengaruhi karir seseorang?

Hal-hal inilah yang ingin dijawab Maurice E. Schweitzer, seorang guru besar bidang operations and information management di Wharton Business School, dan Jennifer Dunn, seorang mahasiswi PhD di jurusan tersebut. Mereka menuliskan hasil penelitian mereka dalam sebuah paper bertajuk "Feeling and Believing: The Influence of Emotion on Trust".

Artikel yang diterbitkan dalam Journal of Personality and Social Psychology ini berawal dari minat Schweitzer dalam hal negosiasi. Tentuya, dalam negosiasi, faktor kepercayaan (trust), adalah faktor yang sangat penting. Kepercayaan ini dipengaruhi oleh kecenderungan seseorang terhadap kepercayaan itu sendiri, dan kepercayaan terhadap orang lain. Tetapi berdasarkan hasil riset, Schweitzer menemukan bahwa kepercayaan ini adalah sesuatu yang labil. Faktor kepercayaan bukanlah faktor yang sifatnya stabil. Kepercayaan seseorang terhadap orang lain sangat dipengaruhi emosi yang dirasakan orang tersebut.

Jadi bagaimana seseorang dapat me-manage emosinya atau emosi orang lain?

Looking to Make a Sale or Get Promoted? Emotions Will Help Determine the Outcome

High emotion contributes to great opera. It does not, however, serve us well when making judgments about others. This is the argument advanced in "Feeling and Believing: The Influence of Emotion on Trust," a new paper by Maurice E. Schweitzer, Wharton professor of operations and information management, and Jennifer Dunn, a PhD student in the department.

The two researchers conducted five experiments to determine the influence of emotional states -- happiness, gratitude, anger, and guilt -- on trust. Each experiment confirmed that incidental emotions (emotions from one situation that influence judgment in a following, unrelated situation) affect how willing we are to trust others. For example, our anger over a speeding ticket is likely to affect how we judge someone later in the day. The researchers conclude that despite feeling we are rational beings who make clear, lucid judgments, in reality we all walk around in a sea of emotions that are likely to influence how we act in both business and social contexts.

The article, recently published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, stems from Schweitzer's ongoing interest in negotiation, where trust plays a critical role. Previous research identified trust as a combination of two constructs: one's own propensity to trust and one's knowledge about the other person. "This research suggests that we make a cognitive decision and use reason to decide whether or not to trust someone," notes Schweitzer. "What our research says is that trust is much more labile than that." In other words, trust is a constructed judgment that is influenced by irrelevant information. "The extent to which I do or do not trust you is a function not only of how trusting a person I am and what I know about you, but also a function of irrelevant events that have influenced my emotional state. For example, if I hit a parked car, argued with my spouse, learned that I have to pay a large repair bill (or won an award, had a paper accepted, or saw my stock account grow) beforehand, I would trust you less (or more). The main idea in the paper is that emotions which are irrelevant to the judgment task nevertheless influence trust judgments in predictable ways," Schweitzer says.

He and Dunn demonstrated this through a series of experiments, each one designed to test a different aspect of the "emotions affect trust" theory. In one study, for example, he and his team approached people waiting for trains and asked if they would be willing to take part in a study. They were asked to name a co-worker and then -- after an "emotion induction" phase -- answer a series of questions about that person. In the "emotion induction" phase, participants recounted in writing an incident that made them angry, sad, or happy (depending on which emotion they were assigned). Participants wrote about events like the birth of a child (happiness), the untimely death of a loved one (sadness), or the destructive behavior of a neighbor (anger). After this exercise, participants rated their co-workers on such statements as: "If X promised to copy a presentation for me, s/he would follow through," and "X would never intentionally misrepresent my point of view to others." Results showed that happy participants were significantly more trusting than were sad participants, and sad participants were significantly more trusting than were angry participants. Throughout each of the five studies, the results were the same. "What surprised me most was the magnitude and consistency of the effects," says Schweitzer.

A "Simple Manipulation"

For managers, this study reveals much about human nature, he suggests. "We can easily channel people and direct them to a happy, sad or angry place ... in a relatively short period of time with a relatively simple manipulation." These manipulations can take the form of a short story (e.g., a news story), a short movie clip, or even a short discussion. For example, the best salespeople "don't call on a customer and start with a comment about the stock market dropping or a favorite sports team losing. Instead, they focus attention on something uplifting," like a team making the playoffs or an upcoming holiday.

"In negotiation, we have always known that non-task communication -- discussion that's not directly relevant to the negotiation process -- is important for closing a deal," says Schweitzer. "This research gives us some insight into why it's important and what kinds of things should go into that communication." Specifically, "non-task communication, like telling jokes/stories or talking about sports, can change people's emotional states and make them more (or less) trusting. My advice is to give serious thought to non-task communication. This includes preparing the types of stories you tell and the types of non-task questions you ask. It also includes learning more about a client, such as whether he/she is a huge Red Sox fan or cares a lot about wildlife refuges. Conversely, you should recognize that when a salesperson or someone else engages in a conversation like this, he or she may influence your emotional state and subsequently your 'trust judgment'. The reason you gave someone a large contract may have more to do with how funny the story he told you beforehand was than with his reputation for dependability."

So going in to ask for a promotion or new responsibilities on the job is probably a good time to recount a funny story or ask about your supervisor's golf game, Schweitzer says. The point is to recognize the role that emotions play. Outside events -- such as the rise/fall of IBM stock if your supervisor owns it, or whether his or her child got accepted into a prestigious college -- as well as non-task communication, like telling a funny story, are important for trust judgments.

That's not to say we should never acknowledge problems that occur outside of the work setting, Schweitzer adds. "You have to demonstrate sensitivity." If a colleague is going through a difficult time personally, you should acknowledge it, but not dwell on it. "Our research shows that you can shift people to think about happy things and make them -- literally -- happy."

What Schweitzer and Dunn don't know is how long these incidental emotions last. The research tested people's propensity to trust immediately after the emotion induction (putting people into a happy, sad, or angry mood). Schweitzer is now working on a series of tests to determine the durability of these emotions: Do they last for minutes, hours, days or weeks? The results should help fill out the picture of how emotions affect our judgments.

Being Aware of Your Emotions

A second key finding in the study is that if people are aware of their emotional state, then the emotional state does not generally bleed into their judgments of others. In one study, for example, participants were shown film clips to induce either happiness or anger. Participants in the "happy" group watched a Robin Williams comedy routine, while those in the "anger" group watched a clip from the film Witness, in which teenagers harass an Amish man. After watching the clips, half of those in the "happy" group saw a brief note on screen that read, "Prior research has shown that even short film clips like the ones you have seen can influence people's emotions." The other half saw a blank screen. This was duplicated in the "angry" group. Consistent with the other study, angry participants provided significantly lower trust ratings than happy participants among those who did not receive the warning message. Among those who viewed the warning message, trust levels were about the same.

Again, says Schweitzer, links to the business world are clear, in particular because the results speak directly to the issue of "emotional intelligence," a widely discussed concept in recent years. "Managers and employees alike need to realize that when making decisions, they are in a state that is driven partly by reason, but also partly by emotion," he notes. Taking into account the role of awareness, managers can keep an eye out for employees who are at risk for bringing unrelated emotions to critical decisions. For example, a manager in a law firm may need to pull another lawyer aside and say, "I know case X isn't going well, but case Y is different," or "I know you're going through a difficult divorce, but don't let that cloud your judgment when you go into your negotiations today." Says Schweitzer: "When people recognize the trigger, or source, of their emotions they are less likely to misattribute them. When I realize that I'm angry because of something my spouse did, I am less likely to use that anger in an unrelated judgment. When I am not aware of or thinking about why I am angry, I am more likely to misattribute it."

Unattributed emotions are a problem, he points out, particularly for people working in high-stress, fast-paced jobs, like judges and parole officers, who have to make quick judgments about people. Because they move from one incident to the next without the luxury of time to sit back and gauge their emotions, they are more likely to misattribute emotional states. Again, awareness and correct attribution of emotional states can help manage this process, he suggests.

Based on his work in the field, Schweitzer thinks people conceive of themselves as rational human beings driven by rational thought -- particularly Westerners -- but it's not true. "People undervalue the extent to which emotions influence their judgment," he says. Correctly attributing our emotional states can counter the effects of others who are trying to manipulate our feelings. "Good sales people tell jokes and funny stories; they bring little gifts. What they are trying to do is influence people's emotional states." Recognizing that this person is trying to make you feel good can help separate the good feelings from the decisions at hand. Are you feeling you can trust these new partners and sign on the dotted line because it's a solid deal or because you are ecstatic over your new baby? "This is what we need to be aware of," says Schweitzer.

The highly emotional people in the crowd shouldn't feel too bad, he adds, noting that our quick emotional reactions have served us well for the past 100,000 years. Our ancestors who happened upon a snarling, big-toothed animal were smart to listen to their emotions and run the other way. "Actually, it's only been fairly recently that we can or should override those emotional reactions," he says. In other words, going into battle mode may not be the best response to a large, scary-looking person coming toward you at work. Especially if it's your boss.

Source: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu

[article] Challenging Your People to Succeed

2005-07-20T23:12:00.000-12:00

John Baldoni is a leadership communications consultant who works with Fortune 500 companies as well as non-profits including the University of Michigan. He is a frequent keynote and workshop speaker as well as the author of five books on leadership; the latest is Great Motivation Secrets of Great Leaders (McGraw-Hill). Readers are welcome to visit his leadership resource website at www.johnbaldoni.com.

Leadership and Motivation: Challenging Your People to Succeed
By John Baldoni

Nothing fuels the human spirit so much as a challenge. Whether it is an athlete seeking to overcome the odds, or a CEO trying to reinvigorate his company, nothing motivates people more than having a goal. For individuals, goals emerge from inside; they are formed around what makes us happy, which may recognition of our efforts, increased financial rewards, or the inner glow that emerges when we do a good turn for someone. For organizations, goals emerge from a combination of circumstance and leadership. The circumstance is the situation in which the organization operates; it is shaped by market, social and competitive factors. Leaders of those organizations size up their organization and decide where it must go and how it must get there. But leaders do not do this by themselves; they do it with the collective energy of the people in the organization.

Make the challenge clear. The secret to issuing a challenge is to make it clear and then demonstrate how people can attain it. When you keep thing simple, not simple‑minded, you can ensure that the mission remains clear, coherent, and compelling. Leaders must make the challenge real and tangible for everyone in the organization.

Identify opportunities. Every child is asked what do you want to be when you grow up? Leaders of organizations need to ask themselves the very same question. Entrepreneurs excel at this questions because it those questions that give rise to the business. For example, Fred Smith thought it would be possible to create a direct shipping network that could offer next day delivery. Michael Dell wondered how he might apply the direct‑selling model to personal computers. Jeff Bezos conceived the possibility of a global online bookstore. Such thinking spawned Federal Express, Dell Computer, and Amazon respectively.

Frame the challenge. Once an opportunity is selected the leader needs to bring others into the act. They must frame the organizational challenge as an opportunity for personal growth. One of the best ways to motivate people is to give them a challenge. The challenge may be in the form of a new project, such as developing a new marketing plan, or it may be a process, discovering new ways of doing things. Some organizations call them “stretch goals,” meaning they expand an individual’s capability. At pharmaceutical companies, challenges are a way of life – discovering new compounds to use for next generation drugs. It is a high risk and high reward enterprise but it fosters a strong culture of creativity and innovation. In short people are motivated to succeed because conditions around them foster their own innate desires to achieve. Managers who seek the right challenges for their people will achieve good success if support those challenges with the right blend of delegation and support.

Make the challenge real but attainable. Every challenge needs to reach for the sky, otherwise it will fail to capture the imagination of those who can make it happen. Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw of Zingerman’s have found a terrific way to make entrepreneurial dreams come true for their employees by giving them a stake in new business opportunities. That is how they company expanded from a delicatessen into other food related businesses. They turned the challenge of keeping good people into a business opportunity and supported them along the way. By contrast, if the challenge is too far out there, instead of inspiring people you only frustrate them.

The creative organization. Identifying, framing and supporting challenges is in essence a balancing act, but one way to keep people focused is to engage their creative spirit. Creativity complements the challenge. All too often we tend to think of creativity as something reserved for college students who don’t have a clue about what to do or to artistes who hover in a zone between reality and fantasy. That misconception is costly. The human condition has evolved because of man’s perpetual striving for new, different and better ways of doing things. If this were not the case, our toolbox would consist of nothing more than a single hammer. Creativity is the pursuit of ideas. It spurs innovation, which you may consider as the application of an idea into an action, e.g. moving from electronic scanning to television, voice over wire to telephony, or Internet to e‑commerce. Managers play an essential role in stimulating creativity by encouraging their people to think for themselves, peppering their minds with new ideas, and finding ways to stimulate creative juices through a free exchange of ideas.

There is an innate desire in all of us to succeed. It falls to the leader to unlock that desire and channel to the organization’s best purpose. In doing so, she weaves the individual’s need for success with the organization’s need to achieve results for its customers and constituents. When challenges are issued and then managed and supported with concern an creativity much can be accomplished. Conditions for motivation flourish and people and organizations flourish.

Note: This article is adapted from ideas expressed in John Baldoni’s newly published Great Motivation Secrets of Great Leaders, McGraw‑Hill, 2005. He can be reached at john@johnbaldoni.com or through his website here.

Other published articles from John Baldoni can be found below:

The Practice of Leadership
A collection of how-to articles, complete will illustrations, to help you get started on your leadership journey

The Art of Leadership
A selection of thoughts on leadership to help you reflect on the meaning and purpose of leadership in your life

Leadership Tips
Quick step-by-step pointers for implementing leadership behaviors in your workplace

Source: Wharton Leadership Digest

[article] Good Managers Focus on Employees' Strengths, Not Weaknesses

2005-07-08T18:00:00.000-12:00

Marcus Buckingham knows enough about good management to know he's not a good manager.

Before launching a career as a management consultant and author of such books as First, Break All The Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently and The One Thing You Need to Know...About Great Managing, Great Leading and Sustained Individual Success, Buckingham served as head of The Gallup Organization's strengths management practice. He was a manager, and he didn't much care for it. "I wasn't terrible, but I had no appetite for it," said Buckingham, who spoke about management and leadership at the Wharton Leadership Conference on June 9. This article appeared in Knowledge@Wharton, June 15-28, 2005.

According to Buckingham, the best managers share one talent the ability to find, and then capitalize upon, their employees' unique traits. "The guiding principle is, 'How can I take this person's talent and turn it into performance?' That's the only way success is possible." And yet not everyone has that knack, Buckingham said. If he has learned anything from his years spent interviewing the best minds of the business world, it is this: Truly great managers, and truly inspiring business leaders, are rarer than many think. "Some of you in this room may not have that talent," he said. "If not, management can become a thankless task."

Checkers vs. Chess

How to tell a good manager from a bad manager? According to Buckingham, it's simple: Bad managers play checkers. Good managers play chess. The good manager knows that not all employees work the same way. They know if they are to achieve success, they must put their employees in a position where they will be able to use their strengths. "Great managers know they don't have 10 salespeople working for them. They know they have 10 individuals working for them.... A great manager is brilliant at spotting the unique differences that separate each person and then capitalizing on them."

It may sound elementary, but a quick glance around the business world indicates that many companies have yet to grasp this simple concept of putting people's strengths to use, Buckingham said. That's because the business world -- and the world at large -- is obsessed with weaknesses and finding ways to fix them. Buckingham cited a recent poll that asked workers whether they felt they could achieve more success through improving on their weaknesses or building on their strengths. Fifty-nine percent picked the former.

"A great manager sees the folly in this," said Buckingham, who has interviewed some of the business world's most successful leaders for his books. "A great manager knows he or she will get the most return on investment by working on strengths." Buckingham has seen this management style work. He just doesn't see it often enough, and he believes too many workers spend too much of their time doing things they don't like to do or simply aren't good at doing.

Buckingham co-authored his book, Now, Discover Your Strengths, in hopes of kick-starting a management revolution that will push mangers to focus on strength. In the book, Buckingham and co-author Donald O. Clifton describe 34 distinct worker profiles -- "Learner," "Achiever" and "Developer," among others -- and offer advice on how those personalities can best be put to use. "Most people are not using their talent at work at all," Buckingham said.

So how can managers tap into the talent they have in their organizations? Buckingham said a good first step is to determine what employees are good at. The tasks they learn quickly, the talents they naturally exhibit and the jobs they feel good about doing are hints about their inherent strengths. Once those strengths are uncovered, a good manager will put them to use. "You can only win as a company when you get your people into positive numbers," Buckingham said.

Optimism and Ego

Managing employees successfully is a rare talent. Even rarer, Buckingham said, is the ability to lead. And all good managers are not necessarily good leaders.

"I do think there is a rather keen and distinct difference between managing and leading," Buckingham said. The chief responsibility of a leader, for example, "is to rally people for a better future. If you are a leader, you better be unflinchingly, unfailingly optimistic. No matter how bleak his or her mood, nothing can undermine a leader's belief that things can get better, and must get better. I believe you either bring this to the table or you don't."

Along with that optimism, great leaders can also bring big egos -- and that's not a bad thing. While some have blamed the business world's recent string of scandals -- Enron, WorldCom and others -- on bloated executive egos, Buckingham disagrees. It's not ego that ruined Ken Lay, but rather a lack of ethics. There's a big difference, Buckingham said. And considering the responsibility facing business leaders to build a future for their companies, a big ego might be what is needed.

"If you are going to lead, you better have a deep-seated belief that you should be at the helm, dragging everyone into that better future," he said. "Virtually nothing about a leader is humble. I'm not saying they are arrogant, but their claims are big." Buckingham said successful leaders must find a "universal truth" to rally their followers. These universal truths stem from the basic human needs, fears and desires that unite all people, across all cultures. They also happen to be great tools for leadership.

Take, for example, one of the great human fears -- fear of the future. "We all share a fear of the unknown," Buckingham said. "The problem for the modern-day leader, of course, is that you traffic in the future." Buckingham says some the best leaders can overcome this fear -- and build confidence among their followers -- with a weapon of their own: clarity.

By presenting a clear message, and backing up their message with actions that support it, top managers of such companies as Tesco, Best Buy and Wal-Mart have rallied employees to their cause and enjoyed bottom-line success as a result, Buckingham noted. "The best way to turn anxiety into confidence is this: Be clear. Clarity is the antidote to anxiety. If you do nothing else as a leader, be clear." Former New York City Mayor Giuliani provided a good example of effective leadership through clarity, Buckingham said. When Giuliani took office in 1993, he could have turned his attentions just about anywhere; America's largest city certainly had its share of problems.

But Giuliani set one specific, clear and focused goal for his administration. He would reduce crime and improve quality of life for residents. Then he laid out three simple ways he was going to start making that happen: He announced he would get rid of the window washers who pestered New York City drivers; clean subways of graffiti and then keep the vandals away; and make all cab drivers wear collared shirts. The issues were, on their surface, minor. But they were relevant to his citizens. And by setting three immediate goals -- and then achieving them -- Giuliani was able to build trust among residents and respect among his workers. That trust carried over as he tackled larger challenges, and within a few years of his arrival, the FBI named New York the safest big city in America. "You can do a lot worse than pick just a few areas you want to take action on right now," Buckingham said.

Clarity of purpose has also been a driving factor in the success of Tesco, the British food giant that has more than 2,000 stores and 360,000 employees worldwide. When Terry Leahy took over as CEO in 1997, he decreed the company's focus would be, from that point forward, to serve the housewives of the world. Then he went out and did something to prove he believed in his focus: He added more checkout lines in all his stores, a move that led to significantly higher labor costs but also won over his customers and sent a message to his employees that they were there, as Leahy had proclaimed, to provide courteous, efficient service.

"That kind of clarity builds confidence in people," Buckingham said. Today, Tesco is one of the three largest retailers in the world, and Leahy's success provides a handy leadership lesson. "When you want to lead, start with the future." Buckingham said. "Get specific. And get vivid."

Source: "Wharton Leadership Digest"

[article] Discouragement: Even Leaders Get the Blues

2005-07-08T15:08:00.000-12:00

By John Baldoni

His secretary covered for him, rescheduling morning meetings to later in the day. The unrevealed reason: he had trouble getting out of bed. No, he wasn’t a heavy drinker recuperating from too much alcohol the night before. He was a CEO suffering from depression: Tom Johnson, former publisher of the Los Angeles Times and later chief executive of CNN. Capable, driven, and successful, Johnson is one of many corporate leaders secretly suffering from chronic depression.

Depression is a significant illness that strikes people from every walk of life, including the very successful. Long‑time CBS reporter, Mike Wallace, revealed that he had been chronically depressed, as have economist John Kenneth Galbraith, cartoonist Jules Feiffer, and Congressman Patrick Kennedy.

New studies are showing that chronic depression can be provoked by work conditions, including high stress, long hours, recurrent deadlines, and family absence. But it can be hard to detect. “Depression still tends to be the ‘under’ disease,” warned John Greden of the University of Michigan’s Depression Center. “It’s under diagnosed, it’s under discussed, and it’s under treated.” Warning signs include malaise, apathy, and failure to experience a full range of emotions.

Seeing warning signs in others or even themselves, managers can take several steps to mitigate at least some of the sources of depression. Managers may resist receiving assistance if they perceive its acceptance a sign of personal weakness, and high‑achievers can resist most keenly. “Executives are taught to be strong and not show weakness,” said Robert Pasick, a clinical psychologist and adjunct faculty member at the University of Michigan business school. But intervention may still be warranted if their depression is resulting in poor decisions or other shortcomings in the workplace.

Limit work hours “Stress emerges from demands on your time,” said Pasick, and increasingly “managers are expected to do much more with less.” He found that his patients often reported that they were now working two or three jobs. “Due to cutbacks,” Pasick observed, “managers no longer have administrative help and must answer all their own email and phone calls. Essentially they work 24/7.”

More time with family. Company leaders often face a continuous flow of vexing problems from contentious parties. Family time can provide just the opposite, a more predictable environment built upon secure relations.

Time to reflect. Carving out time for personal reflection can reduce the underlying stress if it helps set priorities and generate creative solutions.

Note: John Baldoni is a communications consultant and author whose most recent book is Great Motivation Secrets of Great Leaders (2005); he can be reached at john@johnbaldoni.com.

Source: Wharton Leadership Digest

[TIPS] How to Take Minutes at a Business Meeting

2005-06-20T22:53:00.000-12:00

Rapat dalam pekerjaan dapat dilakukan secara formal atau informal, tergantung pada perusahaan dan keadaannya. Berikut ini beberapa panduan untuk menulis risalah rapat atau minutes of meeting (MoM) yang profesional.

Mencatat MoM

Langkah-langkah:

Pelajari agenda rapat, risalah rapat yang lalu (yang berhubungan), dan dokumen-dokumen lain yang akan didiskusikan. Jika perlu, gunakan perekam untuk memastikan keakurasian catatan anda.
Duduklah di samping pemimpin rapat agar anda dapat dengan mudah memperoleh penjelasan atau bantuan saat rapat berlangsung.
Tuliskan "Risalah Rapat dari XXX (nama perusahaan atau rapat yang jelas).
Tuliskan dengan jelas tanggal, waktu, dan tempat diadakannya rapat.
Edarkan selembar kertas berisi tanda hadir ke semua peserta. (Lembaran ini juga dapat membantu untuk mengetahui nama-nama peserta rapat yang memberikan masukan pada waktu rapat.)
Anda juga perlu mencatat nama-nama peserta rapat yang datang terlambat atau lebih awal. Anda mungkin perlu memberikan masukan singkat pada mereka jika ada yang mereka lewatkan.
Tuliskan point-point rapat sesuai dengan urutan point-point tersebut dibicarakan. Jika item 8 pada agenda dibicarakan sebelum item 2, catatlah item 8 terlebih dahulu.
Catatlah masukan yang dimuat dan nama-nama orang yang mencetuskannya.
Catatlah apakah sebuah masukan diterima atau ditolak, dan bagaimana prosesnya dilakukan (apakah dengan voting, atau cara lain?). Juga perlu dimasukkan dalam catatan jika masukan itu diterima secara bulat. Untuk rapat yang tidak terlalu besar, catatlah nama-nama peserta yang menyetuji, tidak menyetujui dan abstain.
Pusatkan perhatikan anda pada tindakan yang akan dilakukan oleh para pserta rapat. Hindari untuk menulis secara detail semua hal yang didiskusikan.

Tips:

Anda tidak perlu menuliskan topik yang tidak relevan dengan masalah yang sedang dibicarakan dalam rapat.
Jika ada yang perlu anda tanyakan, tanyakan pada pemimpin rapat atau executive officer, bukan pada peserta rapat.
Orang yang mencatat MoM tidak terlibat dalam diskusi rapat.
Jika anda mempunyai Pocket PC, anda dapat menggunakan software gratis Minutes of Meeting untuk mencata MoM anda secara profesional. Klik di sini untuk mendownload software ini.

Menulis MoM

Langkah-langkah:

Tuliskanlah kembali MoM segera setelah rapat usai, saat ingatan anda tentang rapat itu masih segar.
Gunakan format yang digunakan pada rapat sebelumnya.
Untuk point-point yang telah diselesaikan, gunakan awalan berikut: "Telah diselesaikan..."
Gunakan lampiran untuk tambahan penjelasan, laporan atau material rapat lain.
Tuliskanlah "Ditulis oleh" dan kemudian tanda tangani dan beri nama dan tanggal penulisan MoM itu.
Jika anda mempunyai buku catatan MoM, simpanlah MoM yang anda buat secara kronologis. Artinya MoM yang baru disimpan di bagian yang lebih depan.

Tips:

Tuliskan MoM anda dengan singkat dan akurat, dan jangan tuliskan opini atau hal yang bersifat subjektif.
Untuk jenis rapat apapun yang anda ikuti, usahakan untuk menangkap dan mengkomunikasikan tindakan penting yang akan dilakukan.

=========================================

Business meetings may be conducted formally or informally, depending on the company and the circumstances. The following guidelines are based on Robert's Rules of Order.

Taking Minutes

Steps:

Obtain the meeting agenda, minutes from the last meeting, and any background documents to be discussed. Consider using a tape recorder to ensure accuracy.
Sit beside the chairperson for convenient clarification or help as the meeting proceeds.
Write "Minutes of the meeting of (exact association name)."
Record the date, time and place of the meeting.
Circulate a sheet of paper for attendees to sign. (This sheet can also help identify speakers by seating arrangement later in the meeting.) If the meeting is an open one, write down only the names of the attendees who have voting rights.
Note who arrives late or leaves early so that these people can be briefed on what they missed.
Write down items in the order in which they are discussed. If item 8 on the agenda is discussed before item 2, keep the old item number but write item 8 in second place.
Record the motions made and the names of people who originate them.
Record whether motions are adopted or rejected, how the vote is taken (by show of hands, voice or other method) and whether the vote is unanimous. For small meetings, write the names of the attendees who approve, oppose and abstain from each motion.
Focus on recording actions taken by the group. Avoid writing down the details of each discussion.

Tips:

You do not need to record topics irrelevant to the business at hand. Taking minutes is not the same as taking dictation.
Consult only the chairperson or executive officer, not the attendees, if you have questions.
The person taking minutes does not participate in the meeting.
If you have a PDA using Pocket PC, you can use the free Minutes of Meeting software to take your meeting profesionally. Click here to download the software.

Transcribing Minutes

Steps:

Transcribe minutes soon after the meeting, when your memory of the event is still fresh.
Follow the format used in previous minutes.
Preface resolutions with "RESOLVED, THAT..."
Consider attaching long resolutions, reports or other supplementary material to the minutes as an appendix.
Write "Submitted by" and then sign your name and the date.
Place minutes chronologically in a record book.

Tips:

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[article] BACK IN THE GAME: Women's Stories and Strategies for Returning to Business after a Hiatus

2005-06-05T17:44:00.000-12:00

By Monica McGrath, Mary Gross, and Marla Driscoll

In recent years, significant media attention has focused on the exodus of highly educated women from the workforce. While most of the articles and news features concentrate on the reasons why women leave their jobs, very little attention has been given to the other side of the story: what happens when these women attempt to return to the workforce after a career break, and what can be done to facilitate their re-entry?

For the past year, we have studied women who "step out" of their career -- that is, women who take a break from their managerial or professional career but intend to return to a corporate position in the near future. We wanted to understand the challenges that executive and professional women face in stepping back into the working world after an extended hiatus and to identify proactive measures that such women, as well as employers and universities, can take to facilitate the transition. Addressing the re-entry process is important given the shortage of experienced talent, the large number of women who do step out, and the goal of ensuring a diverse workforce.

Drawing upon a survey of more than 120 step-out women and in depth interviews with 25, we have found a marked migration toward smaller companies upon re-entry, and significant movement across industries and functional roles. In addition, a quarter of our survey participants have opted out of the corporate world entirely upon their return to the workforce in favor of entrepreneurial opportunities.

Women can facilitate their return to the workforce, we find, by taking specific steps before they decide to step out of their career, during their time away from the corporate arena, and during the subsequent job search period. For instance, women who structure their step-out period -- through ongoing networking with mentors and colleagues, keeping pace with industry and technology trends, and cultivating new skills that are of value in the workplace -- fare better during the job search period than those who more completely disconnect. The same is true of women who frame their step-out experiences for a business context -- e.g., how the skills they developed during their hiatus can be useful upon their return to work -- and maintain their self-confidence during their step-out period via a strong network of support.

Employers interested in accessing the talent pool of step-out women can take several actions to attract re-entrants, including flexible work programs, training their own recruiting staff to recognize the value that step-outs can bring to the workplace, structured ramp-up programs similar to those in place for relocating employees or ex-patriots, and formal and informal mentoring initiatives.

Universities can also play a greater role in preparing step-out women to re-enter the work world. Universities could offer, for instance, focused re-entry programs containing refresher courses and seminars on current business topics. Such certification programs would help re-entrants better market themselves to potential employers while also providing employers with greater assurance regarding the abilities and readiness of candidates to contribute to their companies. Universities could also draw upon their relationships with corporate leaders to identify projects or other temporary assignments that alumnae could perform during their step-out period or upon re-entry. University career offices could provide step-out women with improved guidance and support for finding their way back into the corporate world.

Everybody stands to gain from such measures. Step-out women will approach the re-entry process with more confidence and competence; employers can capitalize on a broader pool of leadership talent; and universities can expand their service to both alumnae and employers. Tapping this under-appreciated but highly experienced segment of the workforce and leveraging its capacities is sure to become increasingly important in the years ahead.

Note: Monica McGrath is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Wharton School; Mary Gross is a Director at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, where she is Head of Learning & Development; and Marla Driscoll is an independent consultant. The research team expects to publish the results of their study in the second half of 2005. For more information on the study, contact Dr. McGrath at mcgrath@wharton.upenn.edu.

Source: Wharton Leadership Digest

[article] LEADERSHIP BY THE NUMBERS: It's One Part of Todd Thomson's Management Strategy at Citigroup

2005-06-02T04:34:00.000-12:00

LEADERSHIP BY THE NUMBERS: It's One Part of Todd Thomson's Management Strategy at Citigroup

At a time when the accounting scandals of Enron, WorldCom and other corporations are still fresh in people's minds, it's interesting to note that Todd S. Thomson, chairman and CEO of Citigroup Inc.'s Global Wealth Management division, describes the role of CFO as "the conscience of a company." Thomson, who was Citigroup's CFO and chief strategist before taking on his current position, spoke with Wharton's Michael Useem, director of the school's Center for Leadership and Change Management. During the interview, Thomson discussed the importance of focusing on facts, motivating employees, and treating shareholders as customers, among other topics. Thomson will be a keynote speaker at the Ninth Annual Wharton Leadership Conference in Philadelphia on June 9. The interview first appeared in Knowledge@Wharton on May 18.

Useem: Given your previous senior-level positions with GE Capital, Barents Group and Bain, what in those earlier jobs did you find most useful for your role as CFO of Citigroup? What was not in your background, and what did you have to learn on the job?

Thomson: My view of the CFO job is that it really encompasses a few things. The first is that you must be the conscience of the organization, [which includes] making sure that you are the one who thinks about the shareholder. This means having the necessary financial controls and processes in place. I see the second part of the job as bringing the right information to the right people at the right time to make the right decisions. As CFO, you run the finance organization, but most of the time you are part of a team of people, including the CEO, the president and perhaps some division managers. You are all figuring out where to take the business. I view the CFO as the one who sets the agenda for those conversations.

That's a very powerful role.... A couple of very important parts of my background helped me to think this through. At Bain, for example, the whole approach is data driven -- not around opinions, not around personalities, but around the data and the facts. Spending as long as I did at Bain, I analyzed many business problems, recognizing how important it is to go out, bring in the right information, analyze it the right way and get it in front of people who can make the right decisions.

I was also at GE Capital. If you look at the GE method of managing, it's about bringing facts to bear -- not about putting people together and debating an issue without the relevant data -- about doing real analysis on the business itself. That's the second part of the job.

The third part of the job, for many CFOs, is the strategy piece. It's about understanding what's really happening out there in terms of changing customer needs, industry dynamics and competitor frameworks ... and bringing all that into the discussion. I had the opportunity to work in 15 industries as a strategist while I was with Bain. At GE Capital I had the opportunity to see how strategy truly gets implemented.

The final piece, from a CFO's perspective, involves cost discipline. In most places, the CFO is viewed as the guy who [uses] a sharp knife to keep costs to a minimum, always ensuring that costs aren't getting out of control anywhere in the organization. One of GE's incredible strengths is cost discipline. Having had the experience at GE, I understand how, from a day-to-day management perspective, CFOs can invest money in things that will pay off. You eliminate all the extraneous projects, the "popcorn stands" that people want to start -- all those ideas that sound good late at night but in the cold light of day are more fantasy than practical reality.

Useem: Can you talk about the tactics you used as CFO to create and sustain a culture where everybody appreciated that they really had to do the analyses and have the facts? To put it another way: How did you build, on the ground, a culture and a way of life that communicated to everybody the need for a fact-based decision-making process?

Thomson: First, we have our senior management team -- what we call our "business heads" meeting -- every week for a few hours, and then once every month for a full day, where about 15 people meet offsite. These are the senior people who run the business on a day-to-day basis -- the CEO, myself, the heads of [divisions] and the chief risk officer.

What I did from a top-down perspective was to revamp the entire management information process so that we were getting information to people who would actually sit down and look at it every day. We changed our management information report, which comes out monthly and focuses on the performance of the business. We changed what was inside and what was presented so you could see the facts about how the business was being run. If we thought cross selling was important, then we could see every month in that report what we were doing in cross-selling revenues.

If expenses were important, we broke out expense categories and tracked them month by month. The key issues about running the business were embedded into a management report, and I talked about them at each of our weekly meetings and then at the monthly meetings. It was always about the facts. Everybody had them so we could talk about them. We also started doing full competitor analysis on a business-by-business basis. So again, instead of people coming in without the facts and saying, 'We hear this is going on in the industry,' and 'We kind of hear that this competitor is doing that,' we said we should collect the data, do the analysis and find out where we are winning and where we are losing. Then let's have a conversation about how we are doing. So we changed it from a top-down perspective.

We also changed it from a bottom-up perspective. I ran the financing strategy organization globally, so there was a reporting line to me from the CFOs in each one of the businesses, and I could set the tone with this group too. I would get the group together once a quarter for a [conference] call and once a year in person for a few days. I was responsible for putting a lot of these people into their positions, and they understood that part of their job was to make sure their CEOs were getting the facts. So there was a top-down as well as a bottom-up approach to try to get the culture focused around facts and data when making decisions.

Useem: Just a quick follow-up on that. You changed the process and the mindset. Did you also have to change some people? And if so, how did you know a person was ultimately incapable of adapting to this more factually-disciplined attitude towards decisions?

Thomson: Once you have those processes in place, then your discussion in a business review becomes much different. You are asking questions -- but not about opinions. Instead, you are asking people to prove to you why something is true. That means they have to provide you with real facts and data. And if they don't, you tell them to go and do the work and come back [with the results].

In a business like ours -- which we expect to be very high-performing -- we don't have a lot of patience for asking people to go back again and again to do their homework. We expect them to show up having done their homework. When you get people who don't learn after going back two or three times, then you realize that they should go someplace where data and facts are not that important.

Useem: Just to shift ground here, in your previous position as Citigroup's CFO and head of Operations, Technology and Strategy, you worked with Sandy Weill when he was CEO and now, obviously, with Charles Prince. Can you talk about the right kind of relationship that a CFO should create with the chief executive officer? And could you contrast the way you worked with Weill and Prince?

Thomson: In my view, the CFO's job is to be a very close partner with the CEO and help the CEO build the business. At the same time, the CFO should be a good partner by, in a sense, pushing back at the CEO on a number of issues. One of the problems when you are a CEO is finding people around you who will push back at your ideas in a constructive fashion instead of saluting and just going off and doing whatever you said needs to be done. I think the CFO's job is to be that close partner with the CEO in building the business. There also has to be good chemistry between the two. But besides the respect for each other, part of your role is to push back.

Sandy and Chuck are both excellent leaders but very different personalities. Sandy is a "people person" and tends to manage through people. Sandy would wander around into offices -- including mine -- on a regular basis, and we would sit down and start talking about the business.

Chuck tends to structure more formal reviews as opposed to informal discussions. In both cases, what was important was that they felt their CFO -- in this case me -- knew what was going on around the company and would bring up issues of importance for discussion. I felt quite pleased with the professional and personal relationships with those two leaders.

Useem: As CFO you are one of most visible faces in the equity market. In conjunction with the CEO, how would you describe your approach to working with the big institutional investors and equity analysts who followed Citigroup?

Thomson: I viewed our shareholders as customers, as clients if you will. And that's how I worked with our investor relations department that reported to me. I think that's how the senior management of Citigroup wanted to view them. We viewed ourselves as working for the shareholders, and so what I tried to do with the institutional shareholders was the same thing that I did with our board of directors. I tried to identify key information for them, what they needed to know about our business to make an intelligent investment decision -- if they wanted to be a long-term shareholder or not. So on a regular basis we would communicate with the shareholders. We would have a call each quarter to explain earnings and identify what the truly important performance drivers were.

We would also set up regular meetings to talk about our strategies for each of our major business segments. On 'Consumer Day' we would go through our credit card business, consumer finance business and retail banking business in the U.S. and outside the U.S. Then we would have a 'Global Corporate and Investment Bank Day' to go through those businesses. We did that for each of our major segments once a year. It gave shareholders and analysts a good, in-depth idea about more than just our financial performance over the last quarter. It informed them about our business strategy to try to drive future performance as well.

In addition, we would visit a lot of our large shareholders and also host them in our offices. We would let them know how we think about the business, how we were allocating capital, where we thought we could gain share and grow revenues, and so forth. Finally, if something unusual was happening -- for example, a new capital allocation approach -- we would hold a special conference call with our shareholders to let them know that we were implementing something that's different. Here's what we're doing and here's why it's important.

Useem: Last November you moved from five years as CFO to become the CEO of [Citigroup's] Global Wealth Management division. I believe there is well over a trillion dollars worth of assets there. And as CFO you were also presiding over annual revenues (in your last year) that were probably fairly far north of $100 billion. In both cases you had no [previous] job similar to what you did as CFO or now as CEO of Global Wealth Management. To the extent that you were performing similar functions, it was on a much smaller scale.

When Chuck Prince announced your assignment last fall, he said, "We are providing these two talented and accomplished executives (a reference to Sallie Krawcheck, who switched with you to become CFO) the opportunity to build upon their skills and capabilities while furthering our goal of creating a broadly experienced next generation of leaders for Citigroup." If you would, take both of those positions as you came into them and offer a few thoughts on lessons you acquired on moving into a much more demanding and often very different assignment. What enabled you to do both, having done neither of those jobs before?

Thomson: I think it all comes down to leadership. That's true for any job where you are running a large organization, whether it's one with 6,000 employees in finance and thousands of technical and other people around the world, or whether it's moving into a job as CEO of wealth management with 30,000 people and $8.5 billion in revenues. In each case it's all about providing leadership and direction for people -- having them understand the vision of where you want to take that function or business, and getting them motivated to go along with you in that vision.

Coming into a new area I typically start by recognizing that it's all about dealing with people. [That means] listening. It's the first thing I always try to do, and I try to do it continually after. But it's most important, at the beginning, to go in, meet people, talk to them, ask questions and listen to what they have to say. Because in most cases I found that these people do understand the business; they understand the issues, the problems and the opportunities. In most cases, if you listen carefully, you can find all the answers.

By doing that in the beginning, then by clearly setting my expectations for how we want to operate, and then by spending a bit of time developing the strategy, I find that people will follow that kind of direction. They appreciate the fact that you are listening, the fact that you set your expectations out very clearly up front, and that you have taken some time to put a strategy in place and communicate it. I think in both of those cases -- with the CFO job in the finance organization and now with global wealth management -- we were able to put a very compelling vision in place.

Source: Wharton Leadership Digest

[TIPS] Ten Commandments For Conducting Meetings

2005-05-26T02:55:00.000-12:00

Ten Commandments For Conducting Meetings

Thou shalt not meet if the matter can be resolved by other means
Thou shalt make purpose known to those thou summonest
Thou shalt summon only those whose presence is needful
Thou shalt start at the time announced
Thou shalt not run beyond
Thou shalt not wander to other topics
Prepare thy thoughts that the minutes not be wasted
Schedule not in haste for the day is brief
Thou shouldst combine into one those which need not be separated
Fear not to cancel if the need disappears