Winning at Working: Herd mentality
Booths featuring products and services related to employee engagement, mobile learning, global performance, and results measurement were overflowing with conference attendees as I walked the trade show at a national conference where I was speaking. Just a few years ago the magnets were initiatives like total quality management, six sigma, diversity, work-life-balance, and customer driven.
Every few years there are band wagons of “solutions” for the ills troubling companies, with contingents of experts ready to sell the latest “fix” to eager herd-minded buyers. Reinforced by trade and business magazines featuring successful company examples of this “new” thinking, they’re gobbled up like chocolate chip cookies in a kindergarten. It’s interesting that started-but-failed initiatives aren’t highlighted, or the long-term impact of unintended consequences scrutinized for what these flavor-of-the year programs elicit.
If generational differences are the headlines now filling business magazines, then you’d better start addressing them, right? If work-balance is unbalanced and hijacking your employees’ morale, it’s time to hire a consultant, right? Maybe. But what if “balance” is as illusive a concept as happiness, needing to be defined and managed by the individual not some company entity? Or it’s a buzz-word for deeper issues undermining effectiveness in the workplace? What then?
The solution to these and other organizational issues is not herd thinking. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one to dismiss ideas or thought leaders who shift our collective perspective. Nor am I quick to ignore technological changes that make innovative communication more productive and efficient for businesses and individuals. And I’m certainly not suggesting that well-founded and sustained initiatives are not important for businesses or industries or bottom-line results. They are.
But the tag-along herd approach of throwing the latest program or consultant or technology at a problem, or cloning the practices of “best companies” for your department or organization can do more damage than good if these same initiatives are the wrong fit, or sit dormant after launch collecting dust on a shelf in management offices, only to be replaced with the latest, hottest, next thing that ignites a “gotta have it – gotta do it – this is the answer” mentality.
Herd-following fails when the behavior accountability for what is introduced is not linked to bottom line results, or integrated into workplace practices with rampant, sustained, patient focus.
The answers to complex problems that plague your business are usually not band wagon solutions. More often than not, people problems result when what leaders say and what they do are not in alignment.
If you introduce a new program as an important company initiative, but relegate it to HR or training or customer support to champion, instead of making it an accountable strategic objective, don’t be surprised when it’s as successful as those motivational posters hanging on bulletin boards.
If budget tightening happens when sales plummet, but you award yourself a bonus before freezing the salary of your staff, don’t be surprised when discretionary efforts and innovative ideas get frozen, too. When you treat employees as one-size-fits-all interchangeable parts, don’t be surprised when they treat customers that way. And when scathing emails from top leaders feel like parental tirades, don’t be surprised if they’re answered with sandbox antics.
You see, you can buy the latest social-networking interface for collaborative staff work, or the best learning programs for staff growth and development, or even the most innovative gadgets for staying connected, and you can even provide a stellar menu-driven employee benefit plan, but if you’re missing the foundational pieces of credibility, trust, and respect with your staff, you’re missing the ingredients needed for any sustainable and successful initiative. Want a winning organization? Start there.
Award winning author of Hitting Your Stride: Your Work, Your Way. Nationally syndicated radio host of “Work Matters with Nan Russell.” Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, including as a Vice President with QVC. Today she is the founder and president of MountainWorks Communications, as well as an author, speaker and consultant.
Nan Russell: Natural inspiration
The hints commenced with the changing landscape, traversed by dramatic colors and intriguing rock formulations. I should have expected it. Although the travel guide provided a glimpse of what was coming, I was still not prepared for the majestic beauty and expansive, as-far-as-you-could-see, dramatic terrain of Bryce Canyon National Park.
Hoodoos Cast Their Spell, the headline in the official park newspaper touted. The hoodoos it referred to were the natural columns of fantastically shaped rocks caused by thousands of years of erosion. They stood like proud Terracotta Warriors, and they did, indeed, cast their spell on me – a spell of inspiration.
Now granted, I’m often inspired by nature. A summer’s drive on Going-to-the-Sun road in Glacier Park does it every time. But so will a walk in the woods, new spring growth, fall leaves, or summer wildflowers. I’m awed by waterfalls, and mountain lakes, and crashing waves. I’m fascinated with clouds and volcanoes; giraffes and hummingbirds. Nature uplifts and renews me.
But, so does another kind of nature. The one inherent in each of us. I’m inspired by my four year old granddaughter’s approach that practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes possible, as she tackles jumping from play equipment dozens and dozens of times until she can do it her way. I’m inspired by her seventeen month old sister, whose zoom-in focus on details and joyful perspective on everything toddler, keeps me laughing.
I’m inspired by a stranger who stopped on a rainy night to change my flat tire; by the kindhearted caregivers whose gentle ways ease my aged mother’s dwindling journey; by those affected by abuse, tragedy, illness, or hardship who offer their hearts and their hands to help someone whose pain might not be visible to most of us. I’m inspired by teachers, and poets, and musicians and writers, by nurses and cooks, by moms and dads – by ordinary people.
There’s a paperweight I saw recently that read, “Believe in the best version of yourself.” I’m inspired by those people who bring the best version of themselves to their life. I know there’s a best version of me that I’m still working on.
Sometimes I see a glimpse of who she is; sometimes I can’t find her. I can get lost in the stuff of life, the details and stresses of living, and miss life’s inspirations and connectivity along the way. I can allow small hurts or inconsequential differences to grow or fester, clouding my view. And I can let the barrage of 24/7 news with heinous deeds, outrageous greed, lying, manipulation, and dark side events skew my perspective and optimism.
But then, in the scheme of things, it’s a stranger’s kindness, a wrinkled couple walking hand-in hand, a baby’s smile, a friend’s encouraging words, a bird’s song, or an emerging flower that touches me and brings me back. That’s when I know it’s time to pause and notice, once again, the wonderful world we share.
Inspiration is everywhere. Beauty is everywhere. Kindness is everywhere. It’s in the people I know and the world I live in. Sometimes, I just need a moment to remind myself and reconnect.
Nan Russell: The journal
Twenty-some years in the making, it wasn’t a typical Christmas present. But it was, truly, a gift of a lifetime. Our son, the recipient, knew his father made periodic journal entries about the joys and challenges of raising him, about family events and world happenings, peppered with memories from his own life.
But when the journal arrived in the form of a finished, self-published book on Christmas day, it took our son by surprise. Thirteen days after Ian’s first child was born, on the morning of her first Christmas, his father gave him the journal about his life as written from a father’s perspective. The timing of that gift was orchestrated to commemorate Ian’s becoming a father himself; a loving baton passed from one generation to the next.
Adorned with a half-dozen of Dan’s favorite Ian pictures on the hard-bound shiny front cover, and milestone pictures on the back, Ian’s Journal witnesses the love of a father for his son. It also records challenges and joys of fatherhood, interpreting two journeys: boy-to-man and young father-to-grandfather, through the eyes of the latter.
I was also a recipient of my own gift copy of Dan’s journal that Christmas. To read my husband’s words, to savor a memory through his eyes, to feel the sadness or love or frustration or worry, to catch a glimpse of his thoughts or perspectives long ago forgotten in our conversations, or to discover even more dimensions to this man I have shared my life with for thirty-five years, his journal is a living gift for years to come.
There is a depth and spirit about the journal, embedded with the giver’s love, that makes me ponder the usual gifts we give and get at the holidays: those latest gadgets, hottest toys, most popular video games, newest technology, trendiest clothes, and coolest jewelry, topped with gift cards, are hollow by comparison.
I don’t know about you, but I have more “stuff” than I possibly need. And after the glow of the season passes, the excitement about that stuff often passes, too. The Christmas presents that offer lasting memories, like Ian’s Journal, come from the soul.
Handcrafted and heart-made, these actions of love, gifts of time, simple kindnesses, encouraging words, rekindled friendships, unexpected pleasures, and shared joys with family and friends are what transmits the season’s message and magic.
So, in the scheme of things, and against this year’s backdrop of difficult economic times, world tensions, natural and man-made disasters, and the nasty rancor of politics and us-them finger pointing, I think we could all use a little more of that kind of Christmas. We could all use more gifts of love.
Nan Russell: Scary voices
It was the year I first heard the kaleidoscope of voices. They harassed me for weeks over what I should be that night, providing ongoing commentary like: “Stupid idea;” “Boring;” “Not scary.” Even the lure of Milk Duds, Good ‘n Plenty, and Sugar Babies wasn’t enough to make this shy seven-year-old decide it was fun to dress up, knock on doors, and speak to neighbors, let alone strangers. I hated Halloween.
What if no one understood my costume and I had to explain it? What if someone made fun of me? What if someone had a costume like mine? What if no one had a costume like mine? I just knew mine would be the worst, so I announced I didn’t want to go trick-or-treating that year. Fortunately my parents’ wisdom prevailed, I survived Halloween, and temporarily slayed those inner self-esteem demons.
Now, sounding familiar after decades of mental lashing, the voices of Judge, Critic, Analyzer, Derailer, Unlovable, Fear, and Not Enough can still be an arsenal that ambushes my confidence, kills my ideas, and pushes me to shadowy places. Judge and Critic visit most often. Others, like Unlovable and Not Enough, wait like cats to pounce when I least expect them. And a few rarely speak, yet have the power to overwhelm me as my imperfections, limitations, and mistakes are illuminated with a force that brings feelings of self-doubt, guilt, or unworthiness.
Several years ago, when fighting bouts of depression and welling anger, I was prodded to consider that no one was thinking the things I ascribed them to be thinking. No one was judging me as harshly as I was, and no one saw me as imperfectly as I saw myself. With out-of-control negative self-talk, I’d become an enemy to my own interests. In an act of self-protection, it was then that I created the new voices of Cheerleader, Believer, Dreamer, and Real Person.
Over the years, I’ve learned to control and ignore the negative voices. At least, most of the time. I have fun labeling them, talking back to them, and replacing them. Still, there are days that I find myself hearing their words.
It’s taken me decades of focused effort to tame the negative voices and evolve positive ones, but in doing so I’ve changed more than my thoughts. I’ve changed my life, and how I see its opportunities, people, and the world around me.
I still hear voices, and I’m still not fond of Halloween. But I’ve learned, in the scheme of things, I’m in charge of what I put in my head and what I choose to believe about myself. So when I don’t like the scary voices that limit my life, cloud my optimism, or tame my passion, I create new ones that open doors, build my future, and show me new possibilities. After all, they are my voices.
Column by Nan Russell
Nan Russell: It’s personal
Off to dinner the night before I was the keynote speaker at a regional conference, I wanted something good, but casual; calming but moderately swift. So, my husband and I selected an interesting looking place within walking distant of our hotel.
By every want I originally articulated, the restaurant exceeded expectations. Yet at the end of our meal, I was less vitalized than when I’d walked in, and our waiter was the reason. Don’t get me wrong, he was a good waiter, from a service standpoint. But his self-focused lens tainted the encounter.
When we didn’t order the white wine pairing he suggested, but a favorite red instead, he was visibly annoyed. When I passed on his favorite entree, he acted as if I offended him. And when my husband chose a dessert different from the one he recommended, his cold-shoulder rebuff was memorable.
Now, a few weeks later, I realize that waiter did what many of us do in our workplaces: he took his work personally, instead of making it “personal.” He viewed our choices that were away from his suggestions through an about-him perspective. He wasn’t considering that while we found his suggestions interesting, they weren’t what we wanted that night for dinner. And it was our dinner, after all.
He’s not alone. Too many of us take work situations personally. We believe we aren’t being heard when our boss doesn’t implemented our suggestions; we think our co-workers are ignoring us when they don’t follow our recommended approaches; or we perceive our staff as stubborn when they want to do a project their way.
But people who are winning at working shift perspectives. They don’t take it personally when you don’t select their idea, use their computer short-cuts, or follow their approaches. They realize it’s often simply personal and individual preferences. What works for you reflects your style, needs, wants, and desired results. Theirs does too.
Still, people who are winning at working know it’s not enough to recognize that we have different likes and dislikes, make different choices, support different approaches, or decide different things. It’s not enough to understand that it’s all personal.
The bigger understanding needed in the workplace is this: it’s not about you. If that waiter had perceived dinner as about us, the guest, he wouldn’t have taken our choices personally. If his service had been personal (i.e. about us) our decisions would never have been taken personally (i.e. about him).
People who are winning at working orient toward others. They view their job as making your job easier, or being of service, or meeting your needs. So, if they’re a job seeker, they’ll make that interview about you: how they can help, support, or solve your problem. If they’re a software engineer, they’ll look for the best way to make it simpler for you, their user. And if they’re a boss or coworker they’ll help provide the support, recognition, and interesting work that you thrive on so you can do your best work.
You see, people who are winning at working realize work and workplaces have changed. Today it’s all about the personal. This age of the individual is punctuated by custom t-shirts shipped in twenty-four hours, have-it-my-way phone apps, menu-driven computer software, my-music play lists, personal YouTube channels, work-from-anywhere telecommuters, and billions of comments from bloggers, tweeters, and 500 million Facebook users.
What that means is this: we will create the best results, products, solutions, and service when we take ourselves out of the equation and focus on others, as individuals, and what they want at any given time. Bottom line? If you want to be winning at working in this age of the individual remember this: when it’s all personal, you definitely can’t take it personally.
Column by Nan Russell. Read more from Nan at www.nanrussell.com.
Nan Russell: Thank you, Mr. Jones
His deep voice and quick-firing speech left me uncertain and wondering if I’d understood his directions. It was clear he wasn’t going to repeat them. It was also clear he expected his new eighth grade class to quickly engage in his topic of choice – social studies. Mr. Jones intimidated me.
By the end of that hour, this no nonsense teacher was expounding on his standards and expectations for the year. And I understood it was not going to be the kind of class I was used to. For a shy thirteen year old, it was overwhelming.
Yet, I worked harder for Mr. Jones that year than I ever worked for any teacher. There was something about him that brought out the best in me. By the end of the year my feeling intimated had quietly morphed into feeling inspired. I learned to love his class, not because I loved the subject, but I loved how he made me feel: smart, curious, confident, and eager to learn.
Still, when Mr. Jones kept me after class the last week of school I was nervous, and then stunned, as I heard the faculty advisor for the yearbook ask me to be next year’s editor. “You can write and organize and lead,” he said matter-of-factly. “You’re a natural for the job.” No one ever told me before that I could do those things. That hot June day, Mr. Jones changed my life with his encouraging words. He saw in me what I never saw in myself. And the next year, as editor, he pulled from me abilities he knew I possessed.
That year, I learned more than how to edit the yearbook. I learned how encouraging words could change my self-view. Mr. Jones planted the seeds of possibility in my head. In a few words, he changed what I thought I could do or even be. I don’t know if Mr. Jones is the person who helped me become a writer. But I do know his encouraging words allowed me to harbor the thought that I could. And now, I am.
When someone believes in you, it changes you. They see in you what you don’t see in yourself. And they hold a mirror up to offer a glimpse of your reflection. Encouraging words open possibilities, increase determination, and awaken dreams. Mr. Jones and dozens of bosses, coaches, family, friends, and strangers have done that for me; their words impacting my life far beyond their encounter.
You see, in the scheme of things, encouraging words don’t have an expiration date. They have a lifetime shelf-life. I don’t remember much about eighth grade social studies, but I do remember a few words that nurtured my self-esteem and unveiled my talents. There are people who stomp out seeds of possibility and people who plant them. Being a planter and offering a few encouraging words of your own has one residual effect. You may never know the extent of your harvest.
Column by Nan Russell. Read more from Nan online at www.intheschemeofthings.com.
Nan Russell: You don’t need an expert
You don’t need an employee engagement expert to confirm what you already know and Gallup polling substantiates: the majority of employees are disengaged at work. You don’t need an employee survey to tell you why discretionary efforts are tamed, passions for work are fleeting, and ideas are tethered. And you don’t need a consultant to explain why cynicism is up, enthusiasm is down, and trust is the new workplace currency.
All you need is to reread the children’s story, “The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg.” Remember that story about the greedy farmer who wanted more than one golden egg each day? By the story’s end, he had killed the golden goose and was left with no golden eggs at all.
Every day company leaders unintentionally kill enthusiasm, ideas, and initiative. They eliminate resources while still expecting immediate results. They shut out dialogue and limit open communication, while still requesting candid feedback. They pocket stock options and bonuses, while reducing staff salary and benefits. They reward unfavorable behaviors, while operating with myopic interests and escalating bureaucracy. And then they wonder why those they are striving to engage are alienated, distrustful, and fed-up.
You don’t need an expert to tell your organization that while basic productivity and job presence can be bought, staff ideas and discretionary efforts must be earned. In this era where intellectual property (the golden egg) is the competitive edge for most enterprises, organizational survival is contingent upon natural followership. So, a 20th century mindset that sees employees as interchangeable pieces won’t fuel innovative products and services, or enhance customer impressions in this now 21st century.
You don’t need an expert to tell you that out-of-touch leaders operating like medieval warlords with refrains like: “just make it happen;” “there’s no budget;” “I don’t care what it takes;” or “they should be thankful they have a job” fuel employee mind-sets akin to a scene in the movie, Stone Cold.
In that movie, Tom Selleck plays a small community police chief at odds with the town council who is telling him how an investigation should be handled. “We can fire you,” the council tells him.” “Yeah,” he responds, “but you can’t tell me what to do.”
Employees know what many leaders haven’t figured out yet. Parental, top-down cultures are as old-school as one-size-fits all print-only marketing approaches. What’s needed to change the direction of suffocating the geese with the golden eggs is a balanced understanding, which includes:
This is Not an HR Problem to Fix: If you’re one of those leaders (or companies) that proclaim employees are your most important asset, then either make that statement true, or stop saying it. What’s wrong in workplaces across America can’t be fixed with HR programs. Better recognition, more communication, or enhanced training isn’t enough to build trust and develop mutual respect.
Recognize We’re In this Together: Yes, there are problems with some leaders. But there are problems with some of the rest of us, too. Finger pointing, blaming, perpetuating an “us vs. them” mentality exacerbates the problem. Bottom line? We need each other to survive and thrive. Disengagement costs jobs and future opportunities.
Own Your Piece: If you’re a leader, take a look in the mirror. Yes, you’re under extreme pressure to meet goals and quarterly numbers, but ask yourself: are you killing the initiative of those around you with terse emails and escalating demands? Are you caught-up in a single-player game? And what about the rest of you? It’s not your company’s responsibility to make you engaged at work. This is your life, your career, your challenge. Ultimately you work for yourself, no matter who signs your check. Own your motivation and your future.
What’s Ahead?
We are approaching an era where the strongest performers, those with the golden eggs of ideas, experience, solutions, and innovation will accept nothing less than workplaces that enable them to do their best work.
These winning cultures will fuel the next generation of exceptional organizations that understand, in the big scheme of things, it’s only when we’re all winning that we truly all win. And no one will need an expert to explain why these are the magnet 21st century companies that thrive.
Column by Nan Russell. Nan is on the web at www.nanrussell.com.
Nan Russell: Different stories
In the Scheme of Things column by Nan Russell
www.intheschemeofthings.com
After a long weekend celebrating my husband’s milestone birthday, we waited for our delayed flight home. With a tight connection in Salt Lake City, the odds were not in our favor as we boarded the regional jet in San Francisco.
That set-back magnified on the runway when the pilot informed passengers that security issues precluded us from proceeding. We learned that Air Force One was about to take off and protocols called for all air traffic to be held.
Spotting the distinctive presidential aircraft near protective hangers, we watched Marine One arrive and with eyes riveted on the plane, watched it taxi and take off moments later. We found the experience exciting even as hope drained that we would make our connecting flight. With no control over the situation we figured we might as well enjoy this rare sight-seeing opportunity. Continue reading “Nan Russell: Different stories” »
Nan Russell: Beyond your tasks
Column by Nan Russell
www.nanrussell.com
Ever hear the story of the two masons working side by side at a building site? They’re doing the same work under pretty much the same conditions. One day a stranger comes along, approaches one of the men and asks, “What are you doing?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care,” replies the man, his voice brimming with irritation. All I do is slap this crummy mortar on these crummy bricks and pile them up in a crummy line. That’s what I’m doing.”
The stranger returns to the building site the next day. This time he approaches the second man, asking him the same question. “Tell me,” he said, “what are you doing?” Smiling at the stranger, the man proudly replies, “Why, I’m helping to build the new cathedral.” Continue reading “Nan Russell: Beyond your tasks” »
Nan Russell: What basics?
Column by Nan Russell
www.winningatworking.com
The cyclical and now ubiquitously appearing phrase, back to basics, ignites supporters. The reasonableness of returning to previously successful principles, ethics, systems, accountability, approaches, or you-name-it, appears a tantalizing remedy for our individual or collective woes.
Who can argue with the refocusing trend of business to trim waste or reconnect with customers, or an expert’s approach to help income-starved entrepreneurs at a motivational conference, or a pundit’s prescription for Toyota’s headline woes? Like a dieter refocusing his energy on an intake-to-output equation of eat less exercise more, a back to basics approach works. At least for awhile. Continue reading “Nan Russell: What basics?” »
Lifetimes Columns
- A Dad’s Point-of-View: The best thing about getting older is …
- The Dinner Diva: Plasticware
- In the Scheme of Things: Seeing the world
- Man-to-Man: My history with my woman
A Dad’s Point-of-View: The best thing about getting older is …
Column by Bruce Sallan
www.brucesallan.com
I had lunch with a good friend the other day and the subjects we covered really made an impact on me, as I reflected on them. I had just come from a lesson in using social media, where I’m learning the new technologies that are popular in our culture now, such as Twitter, Facebook, Linkenin, Smart Phones, I-everythings, etc.
While I’m not a total novice, I do admit that every time a new “thing” comes out, it fills me with dread. I face having to learn it, figure it out, and even understand it. Frankly, I did not “get” Twitter at all until my lessons finally penetrated my middle-aged, failing hard-drive of a brain. And that was also after reading “Twitter for Dummies”-and I’m not kidding. Continue reading “Lifetimes Columns” »
Nan Russell: Dueling frames
Posted by afp on July 20, 2011 · Leave a Comment
To my right sits a frame all about “the girls.” Random granddaughter pictures culled from the last four years since my elevation to Nana status: babyhood, crawling, walking, running, holidays, playtime, bedtime, family time. Each image brings a heart connection of smiles and laughs and virtual hugs to my day.
The frame on the left of my desk is a recent edition; a birthday gift from my husband. Clandestinely scanning hundreds of pictures from our life together, and select pictures from our respective families as we were growing up, his gift brings forward memories long housed in my heart of younger times, family times, sad and joyful times.
Filled with images of people we love, places we’ve lived, and times we’ve shared, this kaleidoscope of emotional connection brings reflective pause to my day.
As I write this, “the girls” frame is displaying a picture of my son, holding his then three month old daughter, who is meeting her great-grandmother for the first time. We traveled with my son and his family to California for this precious moment. As time stopped, the picture captures my mother’s joy at the soulful union with this first baby of her third generation.
Competing for attention to my left is a robust picture of my father on Christmas morning, playing on the floor with my then toddler son. The kind zestfulness in his eyes speaks to me through his pre-Alzheimer’s face, evoking loving memories, and giving me a hit of happiness.
It’s funny about my dueling frames. Some days I spend a few seconds of pause to breathe in the memories; other days, I seek them out so I can connect with these filed away memories or joyful recent ones from my ever evolving life. In both cases, being surrounded by loving thoughts offers a meditative, reflective component to my day.
In the scheme of things, whether it’s pictures that prime the pump of memories, or music, or random loving thoughts, I know I need that connection. I think we all do. We need remembrance of our individual journeys and collective happenings to keep us grounded, and offer us perspective.
My dueling frames have taught me this: we forget ordinary moments in life’s tapestry that provide the backdrop to the why behind the what of our lives. We forget where we’ve been, as we hurry to get to the next place we want to go. And we forget what really matters in this illusionary race to be, to get, to have. I, for one, need gentle reminding.
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