Making Presentations: Information or Relationship?

Liz Strauss prompted this thought with her Blog Herald post The Two Webs: Information or Relationships?

She tells of being part of a group planning a panel discussion on business blogging:

"It had been suggested that people be invited to question whether business bloggers share personal information on their business blogs. Information blogging versus relationship blogging was at the heart of the question."

and...

"We’re living in two Internets. It looks much like the companies we find in the world of brick and mortar. One is about places, information, and data. It’s the buildings in which people work. The other is about people, relationships, and conversation. It’s the people who work in those buildings. One is a structure. The other is social."

Think About Your Business Presentations In The Same Way

Actually, it's a good way to think about all of your interactions.

If you want your information to be absorbed and accepted, you also have to be believable.

People listening need to know:

1. Who you are. Not just your title and credentials, but how you are like them--especially in relation to the data that you're discussing. What did you struggle with or discover when you developed the presentation? Tell them. It will increase your humanity factor and your credibility.

2. How the data could have meaning for them and their situation. Are you connecting the dots for your audience or just showing data points? If you don't add your take on the meaning, others will create their own. And it may not be accurate or what you intended.

3. That they're part of the conversation. The best presentations aren't presentations, they're conversations. The sooner you invite comments, questions, and discussions, the more chance you have of connecting with the group.

Bonus: When you start a conversation, the pressure goes away from you. Ownership for the topic becomes shared. Shared ownership breeds new ways of looking at your topic and increases the chances of acceptance.

Information or Relationship? Yes.

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Can You Be Productive, Successful, and Satisfied 9 to 5? Part II

Well, sometimes tomorrow comes a little later than usual.

My intentions were good when I said last Thursday that I'd do Part Dieux on Friday. Life intervened. So now we're back and ready to go...

Judging from the comments in Part I, people feel strongly--in different ways--about the trend toward fulfillment in work life. No one is against it. Just thinking about it from different viewpoints.

Wally Bock poses some useful questions to ask yourself once you've decided to follow your talents. These are the kinds of sensible, personal style questions that often go un-asked yet really lead to a more fulfilling work life:

• How do you organize your day or week or month?
• Are you a lark to a night owl?
  
  
• What do your energy flows look like?
  
  
• How do you find the large-enough blocks of time to do serious work on a project?
  
  
• How and what kind of breaks do you need?
  
  
• What about days off and vacations and other times when you lie fallow?

Thanks, Wally.

Is The 9 to 5 Workday Obsolete?

When and where did the eight-hour day originate?

Briefly, it was the result of the Short-Time Movement  that emerged in Britain as a result of the Industrial Revolution. Poor working conditions, child labor, and long hours helped bring about the movement in the mid 1800s. Between that time and the early 20th century, most industrialized nations were forced to adopt a 40-hour week.

What's Happening Now?

Consistent with some of Wally's questions, John Wesley has a terrific post that talks about our Natural Productivity Cycles . Most of us have alternating periods of high and low mental alertness.  And let's face it: how long do you and I sustain those? He suggests a few hours, which is probably dead on. Which means that 8 consecutive hours don't mean 8 hours of productivity.

Since the 8 hour work day is an industrial revolution solution, how does it fit with the knowledge economy?

It certainly doesn't fit the rhythms and cycles of the normal knowledge/information worker. And with many of us connected globally, the reality of differing time zones needs to be factored in for phone and teleconferences.  Flex time makes sense--how many of you are able to take advantage of that?

The Reality: "No, we aren't working 9 to 5. We're 'on' all the time."

It seems as if the real trend is toward an "always-on" mode: doing a 5 a.m. commute to beat the traffic, coming in early to accommodate international clients, or flying on a Sunday to attend a Monday morning meeting.  Mobile phones?  Be honest. For the most part, they are on 'round-the-clock for many employees. Why? The expectation is that if you can be accessible then you should be.

Here's the catch: even though your phone may not beep, your mind stays alert to the possibility when it should be relaxing. Which means that even in the non-talking time, the body is geared up when it should be resting up.

Since the bulk of my clients are large companies, I can say that they are aware of the phenomenon. And many managers and executives talk about work-life balance and other popular phrases. But other than some who provide flex time, the pressure to be "on" seems greater than ever. The "speed" mantra, combined with quarterly earnings, appear to govern expectations.

There will always be certain businesses and professions whose services and systems require on-site staffing. I'm not sure I want my local nuclear energy facility operated remotely from a laptop in someone's barbecue pit. It's a good idea for doctors and nurses to be present at hospitals and offices, too.

But my hunch is that, like our ancestors of 100-150 years ago, sensibilities will surface and changes will be made. What I still can't fathom is, with all of the knowledge that we have about physical and mental well-being, why will it still take a "revolution" of sorts to do what we know is right?

What are your thoughts?

• Are you working for a company that does what seems to make sense with scheduling and at-home work?

• Are you considering any career changes as a result of current demands?

Do weigh in with a comment below!

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Can You Be Productive, Successful, and Satisfied 9 to 5? Part I

Wow. That title ought to make the search engines happy.

Are You and Your Company Thinking About These Things?

1." Nine to Five" workdays  are obsolete

2.  Productivity cycles don't run in 8 hour increments

3. New communication tools mean you don't have to "be there"

4. Satisfaction is the new Success

I started writing this as a result of the view from my laptop. Namely, the fish pond that offers a calm and peaceful view of the world from our front windows.

I'm not trying to "rub it in," because every day isn't like this. Some days bring too much driving/flying and too many meetings. But none involve a 9 to 5 work life.

Lee Smith at Talking Internal Communication cites a survey in the U.K. by Norwich  Life that says forty-somethings are leaving the workplace to seek fulfillment . 

 Here's a snapshot of the findings:

• Two thirds (66%) told researchers for Norwich Union they are "unfulfilled", "miserable" or "drifting" in their jobs, and over half (52%) claim they'd happily earn less money in a role that made them feel better about themselves.

• In a new UK career trend being labelled "Zenployment", almost half (47%) say they aim to be in a second career that offers fulfillment and the chance to make a difference by the age of 45.

• William Nelson, of trend analysts the Future Foundation, said: "This research is further evidence that we're entering a new era, with a society that is less selfish and increasingly focussed on personal fulfilment.

• "In fact, rising affluence and high employment levels mean most of us now feel pretty secure in providing for our basic needs, especially once we are established in careers and the housing market.

I have more than a few thoughts on this and I'm sure you do, too.

The upside:

A significant number of people are no longer equating money with success (and, therefore, self worth).

People want to make a difference ( I am assuming they want to make a difference in the lives of others).

The question marks for me are:

• If affluence and high employment are the reasons for people being relaxed enough to think in these terms, what will happen if their sense of financial security diminishes?
• Is there something equally noble that comes from work that is not always fulfilling but that contributes to a company who can grow and employee others whose basic needs aren't yet being met?
• Is this all really tied to an outdated model of how organizations orchestrate work life?

What happens when you think about zenployment, fulfillment, and how work is organized?

Tomorrow we'll look at the 9 to 5 workday and where that might (or might not) be headed.

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Great Workplace Reading and Lifelong Learning

Today I'm following up on a 360 feedback project for a CEO who places lifelong learning at the top tier of things he looks for in "hirable and promotable" people.

So in the spirit of All Things Workplace--(and so I can finish the next segment of the project!)--here are some sources that I hope will contribute to expanding or deepening your horizons:

Leadership and Management

Wally Bock looks at how a promotion is more stressful than a divorce at Three Star Leadership .

At Transforming Organizations, Tim Kidsen talks about a situation that prompted a role reversal with a coaching client.

What can you learn from the way you let an employee leave your business? Ed Brenagar shares his thoughts at Leading Questions.

Jim Stroup explores the Strategic Role of the Senior Executive in Managing Leadership.

And the Coyote shows the leaders how the tortoise beats the hare at Slow Leadership.

Productivity

Get organized with David Seah-Productivity as well as at Productivity501.

Shane wants you to just Start Something! at Zoomstart.

And if you do and you are a solo act, check out Freelance Switch.

Pick the Brain is John Wesley's tip-filled brainchild.

No business activity would be complete without Dr. Ellen Weber showing you how to make it Brain=Based.

Each one of these writers will give you something useful to take away!

Photo Source: mockingbird.creighton.edu

 

 

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Success and Authenticity Draw a Crowd

Yesterday's post on success and authenticity drew some very thoughtful comments as well as a nice mention by Liz Strauss in her Blog Herald post on the same topic.

Jim Stroup at Managing Leadership had this to say:

"In a world where managers are inundated with advice on how to make mythic figures - heros or saints - of themselves, this post is an important splash of cool, clear water. I especially like the caution about humility not being false modesty - humility is generally promoted in such grandiose and elevated terms that it is adopted, or, rather, affected - we all have seen this - with the most unsettling arrogance.

You are speaking of authenticity in a way similar to the way I define integrity: being what you represent yourself to be, and representing yourself to be what you, in fact, are."

Who Am I? Who Are You?

Why do we find ourselves and others struggling in the workplace--often in mid-career--asking "Who Am I and What Should I Be Doing?

Dr. Peter Vajda, who is a values-based coach, counselor, and trainer in Atlanta, Georgia (USA) took time to serve up such a well thought-out response that I wanted to make it readily available. Here's what Peter has to say about authenticity:

"The kicker for me is that everyone is born authentic. It’s just that we then spend countless minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years separating from our innate, authentic self. Then, of course, we become confused. “Who am I, really?” becomes the operative question.

Spending our time wearing one mask to ourselves, and other to the multitudes we meet along the way at work, at play, at home, in relationships, we become confused souls. Stressful and bewildering. Many of us don’t really know who we, ourselves, are.

Because of our inner sense of insecurity, something we learn to internalize in childhood, many of us have become actors trying to appear as our selves, efforting, “trying” to be "myself" rather than just “being myself.” Leading to nothing but self-deceit and much stress, many folks then spend huge amounts of time and energy searching for who they really are without arriving at an answer. The difficulty is that discovering one’s authenticity is the work of the soul – and most folks “think” they can do it “in their heads”, that it’s something one “figures out.” Hmmm.

So, becoming (consciously or unconsciously) obsessive over how we appear to others, we manifest the need for unusual amounts of admiration, recognition and approval from others. So, we “do what we have to do” to get it…and this means, not being myself, not being authentic, with "warts and all", or being and feeling vulnerable, etc. So, we then behave in ways that are grandiose, false, inauthentic, and reactive.

The greatest obstacle in being authentic is that most folks have come to identify with self-images they have taken on from their parents, their friends, their schooling, the media, etc. and this is who they take themselves to be. When we let go of these “mental” self-images, and come from our Inner Core and True Self, we can be authentic. But few are able or willing to do the deeper exploration of our selves to look at the “spiritual” truth of who we are…so another day, another mask, another persona, another attitude, another new expensive car, another new outfit, another in-your-face, overbearing, controlling, egotistical, self-centered, superficial and narcissistic “me” – a “me” I really don’t know at all.

So, when we separate from our Core self, this disconnect manifests largely as our ego-self, which leads to a loss of self-esteem and sensing this loss of self-esteem, we try as hard as we can to recover our sense of value and worth from the outside…shoring up our self by being phony and fake - in thought, word, and deed, failing to be, and fearing to be, authentic.

The $10 question is “What’s right about not showing up as my true and real self...?”

(c) 2007, Peter G. Vajda, Ph.D. and SpiritHeart. All rights in all media reserved

Peter is an author and his remarks above are copyrighted.

Note the paradox in Peter's remarks. The act of trying to be that which we are not actually lowers self-esteem instead of achieving the desired results.

Thanks, Peter.

Photo attribution:  www.maccs.mq.edu.au/ research/programme/belief.htm

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Are Leadership Expectations Too High and Self Trust Too Low?

Does the attention given to "leadership crisis"  ever make you pause and wonder: "Why do we wring our hands about this day after day?"

Note: I believe good leadership is important and necessary. But if business people are problem-solvers and we're still proclaiming leadership a big problem, then what's up?

Here are some thoughts:

Skewed Expectations?

1. The issue isn't always whether someone is actually exercising leadership. The issue is often "this is what I think a leader ought to be and (s)he isn't that way." (I don't feel warm and fuzzy all the time and I'm supposed to feel warm and fuzzy all the time. It's the leader's job to determine that I feel good).

2. Sound-bite/Star Search leadership. The Leader-as-Celebrity syndrome takes a pop-culture approach to who is good and who isn't. "Our CEO doesn't have the stage presence and media following that ____ _____has." No. Your CEO quietly and without fanfare helps create profits and jobs and then goes home and spends time with the family.

3. The Business Book leader. We want our leaders to be the kind that best-selling authors say they should be. OK, let's see where this leads us:

Let's say that you aren't feeling like a natural leader. No problem. Unnatural Leadership: Going
Against Intuition and Experience to Develop Ten New Leadership Instincts will help you grow unnaturally. Solves  the problem.

Leadership Secrets of Jesus might surprise some, not the least of which would be Jesus. He would no doubt be ticked off at Paul and those prolific disciples who already published his secrets under the mundane marketing moniker, "New Testament."

OK, so you aren't especially filled with grace today. No problem, you can still be a leader. Everyone loves Abe, so how about Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times. This will be especially helpful if you happen to be president during a civil war and the best general already signed up for the other side.

Engineers, Scientists, Researchers, and IT folks: Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World.

Oops. Soft-skilled leaders take heart: Leadership Is An Art.

And if you're pressed for time in your quest for how to lead, you can skip The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader and just do Self Leadership and the One Minute Manager.

What's Going On With So Many Leadership Sources?

I honestly believe that leaders are second-guessed so often that they're second-guessing themselves. Instead of trusting the fundamentals and principles they've used along the way, many are turning to multiple sources of advice. Each contains some truth. But ultimately, we all have to exercise self-leadership and determine how we're going to "lead" our lives.

So it is with organizational leadership. Read, study, try out new things, and grow. But determine how you will lead and why...and trust that you've made a thoughtful and wise decision.

Then take the first step with confidence.

Weigh in on this one. What do you think is legitimately getting in the way of leadership?

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Success, Authenticity, And All The Things You Aren't

You read it correctly: All the things you aren't.

In a world filled with positive thinking and the pursuit of happiness, why would I lead with that kind of a line?

Because the same people who want to be positive and happy also talk about being successful and authentic. So I want to add some authenticity to the whole issue.

If you want to see how this got started, check out Guy Kawasaki's post. He has a list of the Nine Biggest Workplace Myths as offered up by Brazen Careerist Penelope Trunk .

Her favorite is also mine:

Myth #9: Create the shiny brand of you!   
There is no magic formula to having a great career except to be you. Really you. Know who you are and have the humility to understand that self-knowledge is a never-ending journey. Figure out how to do what you love, and you’ll be great at it. Offer your true, good-natured self to other people and you’ll have a great network. Those who stand out as leaders have a notable authenticity that enables them to make genuinely meaningful connections with a wide range of people. Authenticity is a tool for changing the world by doing good.

Want to be authentic? Start subtracting.

That's right. Most career inventories and branding activities are additive. They ask you to identify success factors by adding up your talents, hopes, and goals. That's part of the process.

But first you have to get honest about all of the things you are not. If we're going to consider authenticity as a success factor, then we need to acknowledge:

1. What we think we should be--but we are not.

2. What someone else told us we should be-- but  we are not.

3. What we think others want to hear that we are-- but  we are not.

4. What we think we can become--but we know we cannot.

Penelope says rightly, " Know who you are and have the humility to understand that self-knowledge is a never-ending journey."

Humility is part of that journey. (Humility is not false modesty--false modesty is unauthentic). 

Humility is  the element of self-knowledge that frees you from carrying the heavy burden of "What I want you to think I am" and allows you to relax and be "Who I am."

Before you continue adding, do some subtraction.

The answer will be authentic.

Photo attribution: www.photoblog.dornblut.net/

 

 

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Critical Shortage of Middle Managers? Why?

Look at this lead sentence from today's Management-Issues post:

"The focus of many American businesses on nurturing and grooming their top-level talent is masking a growing crisis further down the management scale – with more than half admitting they are suffering from a "critical" shortage of middle managers."

Since I frequently support clients on issues relating to talent, it grabbed my attention. I'm not surprised at the implied shock value in the results because headlines are supposed to grab attention. And, the survey quoted was conducted by a Talent Management firm whose purpose is to drill down and find out what is happening in their specialty area.

That doesn't mean that there isn't something that really needs to be addressed. Bersin & Associates  is a very solid firm and you can read some in-depth resources at their site.

For those in the weblog world with limited time...

Here are my immediate thoughts after 30 years of organizational consulting:

• Part of the answer lies within the opening sentence itself. Corporations have ignored the training and development of supervisors and managers for a number of years now.

• Leadership is more glamorous. Leadership is also more strategic and less results-focused day to day.

• Engagement is about employees and their immediate bosses. Performance? The same. Customer service? There's no one in the executive suite helping customers fall in love with product.

• Flat organizations give the illusion that there aren't as many managers. Not true. Someone is responsible for managing some group of people, regardless of what their new title happens to be. Check your own organization and you'll see that this is true.

• Colleges and universities are graduating thousands upon thousands every year, in all disciplines. They come out of school as raw talent.

My strong suggestion about what to do:

• If your company has a supervisory/middle-management talent problem, check out whether or not you're enabling them to learn what they're supposed to do and how to do it.

• Shift your focus from what's glamorous to what builds performance.

• If your company is reading and ranting about "Execution," look at where the employees are who have to get it done day in and day out.

• Oh--and when people start learning more and executing successfully as a result of good training and development, they'll most likely be more loyal, more engaged, and more likely to think twice before leaving.

What do you think?

Photo attribution:  people.deas.harvard.edu/.../lecture_4.html

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Management Stress And "Stuffing Thoughts"

Whatever is unresolved becomes a stressor.

Yesterday's post was really about how we literally terrorize ourselves when we pile on mental burdens that need to be released. Managers add stress to their lives by postponing important conversations and letting them build up until their heads start to feel like a balloon waiting to burst. Or, we try to submerge those thoughts until we discover that they tend to pop out in strange and often harmful ways. How many times have we received--or given--a terse comment that really was the result of some long- unspoken feeling?

Marketing guru Mike Wagner responded with a good question:

" I had to acknowledge you're living in the head of nearly every leader I meet with that observation! So, what is the "do something" you recommend when a manager has been stuffing thoughts about someone's performance?

I know what the negative thing looks like - I've seen plenty unload in a less than healthy manner."

Maybe the place to start is with:

Why Is Feedback Important?

Feedback started as a term used to describe the signals sent from a rocket back to earth in order to determine the accuracy of the rocket's course. By tracking speed and trajectory, ground crews could determine when and where to make corrections.

At some point in time, the term Feedback was incorporated into business language as a way to talk about performance. And, as in rocket flight, it has been determined that the best way for a person to stay "on course" is to assess where one stands at any given moment in relation to the task or goal at hand.

Here's the really important point: The chances of impacting performance increase with frequency and timeliness of feedback. That implies the need for ongoing "How are we doing?" conversations. It's our best chance at knowing whether we're on track or not.

What Gets In The Way of Giving Feedback?

1. Let's face it: few of us enjoy hearing about those areas of worklife where we're coming up short. It's human nature. The flip side is that managers are people, too, and they have the same thoughts and feelings. So it's not exactly a peak experience being the proverbial "messenger" even though it comes with the job.

2. The term "feedback" has morphed into "Here's what you need to correct" instead of "Here's how I think we're doing."

3. Feedback has been institutionalized to the point where it is often done at yearly or semi-annual performance reviews. That's usually too far away from the actual performance for a person to make the kind of changes that will alter an outcome. So it's almost like a "Gotcha!"

4. It takes a relationship built on trust to have meaningful conversations about performance.

Trust comes from a series of interactions where people have made agreements, talked about how things were going, and then lived up to what they said they would do. And if something goes wrong, one person points that out to the other. They talk about what to do differently. And they learn that, even if something does go wrong, they care enough to bring it up and do something about it. I've said this before: The people you trust the most are the people who tell you the truth--good and bad. If it's good, they offer encouragement. If it's bad, they offer ways to work with you to sort things out.

5. Lack of ongoing, natural conversation about work life gets in the way of building relationships that breed the level of trust we need to have ongoing, natural conversations. It's circular.

What Can You Do About This?

1. Managers: Start the conversation from Day 1.

Set the tone for the future early on by asking, "How are things going with project x?" What didn't we anticipate? What's going well? What isn't going well, so we can find out how to get it on track?

Then make sure that both of you do what you say you'll do.

2. Employees: If there isn't a conversation, start one. Turn the questions in #1 into statements. For example, "Here's how project x is going." "Here's what we didn't anticipate."

Sure, maybe your boss doesn't like bad news. Here's a secret: Surprises are worse than bad news.

If you start the conversation, you have a better chance of putting your boss at ease with the whole idea of "How are we doing?"

3. Keep talking about having conversations, not feedback.

Language conveys feeling. The whole notion of feedback has degenerated to the point where the word contains more negative connotations than positive. Why? Maybe because it was never meant to be associated with the human condition in the first place.

From the time we're kids we have conversations. We talk about "What's going on" and "How are things going?"

Start having ongoing "How are we doing?" conversations. Start now.

I absolutely guarantee you that two people of goodwill can increase their combined performance and reduce their stress-inducing baggage by having regular, honest talks about their progress and the factors impacting it. These kinds of talks are the foundation of every good relationship, on and off the job.

Bonus Thought: The longer you wait, the larger the "negative" becomes and the more difficult it is to discuss. Regular, frequent conversations mean that the problem areas will be smaller and easier to talk about!

Bonus Resource: Read what Dr. Ellen Weber has to say about The Power of A Stress-Free Mind. 

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Stress: When You Don't Act, You Terrorize Yourself

Please think on this:

In order to induce terror, you never have to commit the act.

It is the unresolved possibility of terror that keeps one--or the world--in a state of fear and stress.

So it is with daily stress, on and off the job. Whatever is unresolved becomes a stressor. Carried to the extreme, inaction causes us to, in effect, terrorize ourselves. And others.

Have you been putting off asking for or giving feedback at work?

• If you're a manager, you have thoughts about people's performance that you are carrying around. And they are building up.
• Your employees don't know how they're doing. And the first thing we humans do in the absence of truthful information is fantasize about it--negatively.
• Do something now. Feel the relief that follows.

What is reappearing on your to-do list that's giving you second thoughts about yourself?

• Do something now. Feel the relief that follows.

Who has been waiting for a decision from you?

• Do something now. Feel the relief that follows.

You and I have more control over our stress than we sometimes care to acknowledge. Why terrorize yourself when you can get relief by taking even one definitive action toward a tick mark on your checklist?

And each step you take brings an additional sense of relief.   

How about some resources?

For a simple yet elegant insight into what happens when we carry even the lightest burden for too long a time, visit  Carmine at Slow Leadership:Stress is Like a Glass of Water.

Email driving you crazy? Free Yourself From the Inbox!

Hassled about personal productivity and getting organized? Say hi to Mark Shead at  Productivity501.

Want to make sure that everything is just right for your next presentation? As a guy who has done the road show thing for a llooonngg time, Pamela Slim's Compulsive Obsession With Details... will keep you a lot more relaxed than the title.

 

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Do You Want 360 Feedback? Then Blog.

This is my 200th blog post. I'm astounded.

For those of you who blog regularly (which is probably the bulk of those reading), you'll empathize with the "astounded part". It seems like a moment ago in time when I took a deep breath, wrote a post, clicked "publish," and then wondered what on earth I had done. ("If I'm lucky, no one will find me. But wait--what if I write and no one pays attention?!").

One hundred ninety-nine posts later it occurs to me that this is about the best exercise in 360 degree feedback that a consultant/writer could get. Where else can you say what you're thinking and doing professionally and, almost immediately, receive comments on its impact and clarity?

From a professional development point of view, it doesn't get much better. Those of you who take time to comment, email, encourage, and critique add to the further development of ideas and solutions to take into the workplace. And my clients of have been the beneficiary of much of your feedback and clarification.

What Workplace Issues Are People Seeking to Understand and Resolve?

I use three behind-the-scenes tracking systems to help me understand something about you, the readers. One of the most helpful statistics show the actual words that are entered into a search engine that then leads the reader to All Things Workplace.

That information is valuable. It tells me what topics might be most helpful at a certain point in time; and it also conveys a sense of what is going on inside of companies worldwide. Here are the most-searched keywords that led people to this blog:

#1: Strengths and Weaknesses.

People appear to be seeking more insight about this than any other topic.

#2: How to manage organizational change.

We're all faced with it, and it's not just a we-have-a-new-CEO phenomenon. Readers are seeking methods to initiate it as well as cope with it.

#3. Trust and Integrity.

People everywhere are confronted with situations that bring these to the surface. I was afraid that some of the posts that dealt with these were too lengthy. I shouldn't have been. They are topics of deep  meaning to almost everyone; the ones who aren't paying attention are, perhaps, the ones who are causing the concern.

#4. Communication in the workplace.

Communication is an umbrella word that covers: Presentations, Conflict, Relationships, and the frequency and quality of communication in an organization. It usually shows up as the #1 or #2 concern on every corporate employee survey I've ever seen.

#5. Leadership.

This surprised me. I thought it would be #1. Since this blog doesn't use Leadership as a keyword or title, the stats may be somewhat skewed.

Perhaps the most powerful lesson in all of this has been: There are people on every continent looking to connect in a meaningful way around topics of mutual interest. The person who doesn't risk something in order to start a conversation will always be left wondering, "What if I had...?" So if you've got something to add to a conversation, take a deep breath and do it. It will come back to exponentially.

Heartfelt thanks to each of you who has made that happen here.

Photo source: hp.vox.com

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Do You Know Your Company's Unspoken Rules?

Every community of people has social norms . Norms are rules that are socially enforced that bring sanctions when violated. Families have them, cultures have them, and businesses have them.

The sticky part of norms is that they are unspoken. You've got to figure them out. And therein lies the problem. When you violate a norm, you don't know it until you find yourself in front of "the enforcer." And if you aren't aware of this universal phenomenon, it's easy to find yourself in difficulty by behaving the way you always behave--the right way--using  your own norms.

Saabira Chaudhuri started me down this path with her Fast Company  post. She's enjoying life in New York City and colorfully describes what makes it fascinating--from a sociological point of view. Which  took me back to my first corporate gig working at the New York City headquarters of a pharmaceutical firm. Alongside my friend and then-recent Harvard grad, Dr. Bud Bilanich, The Common Sense Guy.

We're the O.D. Guys and We're Here to Help You

Bud and I were raised in the suburbs; the kind of places where people smiled and said "hi"--even if it  was in traffic court. So we were taken aback when, day after day, we would get on the elevator and ride up to the 19th floor--with no exchange of words and no eye contact. Every day. The same people, working for the same company, working for the same goals. No talking. No eye contact.

We decided to do something about it. It would be good for relationships, good for company morale, and we would gain some visibility for initiating a large scale change.  We might even be rewarded.

So, we made our plan and showed up in the lobby at 8 am to kick off...

The Great Elevator Intervention

Bud and I watched as one of the elevators began to fill with people. People whose lives were about to be changed for the better. When there was enough room for two more people, we stepped in and, with the door closing behind us, stood facing the rest of our target group. 

First, we introduced ourselves by name. No response. Icy stares. But we anticipated a little learning curve.

Next, we extended our arms and initiated some hand-shaking. Unbelievable. No response. Icy stares. They weren't feeling the love.

By now we were somewhere around the 10th floor and had to go for the big one:

"Well, we're Bud and Steve from 19 but you know that. Let's get to know each other--no strangers here at _________, Inc."

How to Spend Time With Your VP Even Though You Are A Junior Employee

Look, Bud and I weren't stupid. We knew about the whole timeline associated with major change. So we spent the first 10 minutes on 19 debriefing in our meeting room and planning how to move people along the great curve of life the following morning.  Just as we finished our design, our boss came in to tell us that his boss--the Big Mamoo--wanted to see us.

Here's what we learned:

a. One of the norms was that, when someone broke a norm, their senior manager found out about it from someone. Actually, everyone.

b. Our VP didn't have the same feeling for relational change that we had.

c. He didn't even have the same need as we did to continue our employment there.

d.  He did, however, exercise a great deal of verbal creativity in his speech. (We didn't mention to him that he was breaking adjectival norms that would have been very upsetting to our parents).

e. If you upset your VP, the rest of the department conducts leadership programs in Europe and the Caribbean. You conduct supervisory training in North Dakota. In winter.

What Can You Learn from Our Exile?

There's a really worthwhile discussion that you can have with your work group. Spend an hour around a flipchart and answer this question: "What are all of the unwritten rules that really drive how we do business?"

You'll discover some things you were never aware of. By bringing the unspoken norms into the light of day, you can:

• neutralize the ones that get in the way of success

• decide to overtly reinforce the ones that move you forward.

What are some of the norms in your company? What can you gain by having the conversation?

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You, Your Boss, and Your Organization

Shortly after my 27th birthday I landed the ideal job following graduate school: Director of PR for a college in New Jersey. I reported directly to the President, participated in the Board of Trustees meetings, and had lots of visibility in the media.

I felt dead inside at the end of the first year. But why? I had "made" it.

What Was I Trying To Change?

I wanted my boss--a good guy and a good President--to manage me a little differently. He didn't.

I wanted my initiatives to move through the organization faster. They didn't.

At the end of the second year I resigned on good terms and took an overseas assignment doing management training while living and working in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. Jetting from country to country, running workshops, developing managers, designing programs--almost every day was a peak experience.

When I returned to the US two years later I was recruited by a Fortune 50 company. More responsibility. Broader organizational development assignments. Good salary.

But I wanted my boss to manage me a little differently. He didn't.

And I wanted my initiatives to move through the organization faster. They didn't.

So I left on good terms and started by own consulting, training, and speaking practice. I'm still at it.

What changed?

Me. It's the only thing I had the power to change. I was forced to evaluate what I wanted, why I wanted it, who I was and, more importantly, who I wasn't. . .and then take a leap of faith that it would work. It did.  And  my  last employer became a client for nearly 20 years.

What are you trying to change?

If it's your boss or your organization--and you like both--it's worth investing in a conversation to see if you can change your circumstances.

But the one place where you are assured the most impact--and influence--is you.

Are you willing to do that today? It could change the rest of your life.

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What's Happening With Organizational Change?

If you're reading this, chances are you've been involved in some kind of organizational change.

So I'd like to hear what you've learned about managing change, as well as your reaction to the new survey below and some of the implications.

Middle Managers Weary of Change

Workplace consultants BlessingWhite, in a study of nearly 900 executives cited in Management-Issues, found that nearly half believe that leading teams through organizational change is seen as extremely challenging or very challenging.

Perhaps the most striking findings are these:

• Middle managers say they are weary of change

• Organizations are meeting more resistance to change at the middle management level

BlessingWhite CEO Christopher Rice adds some context for what's happening. Rice notes that:

1. Leadership Development isn't addressing the substantive how-to's of implementing change and instead are schooled in "spin control" rather than proper execution.
2. The critical part is getting the top management team to have a clear fix on the strategic direction, and how that translates (my italics) for different parts of the organization.
3. Research on high-performing leaders indicates that most leaders score lower on 'connection skills' - effectiveness in providing meaning, not just information, and in demonstrating empathy and building trust.
4. Consultants may contribute by helping to mobilize the other essential players in the organizational shift.

I've written before on organizational change and invite you to have a look at the articles here. What strikes me from this study, though, is the straight talk about middle managers being weary of change.

It's Not Just About Organizational Change Theory

Are you surprised? I'm not.  Since much of my work is  performing  #4, I'm involved daily with corporate changes and helping to make them happen smoothly. For some time now, I've had the feeling that many managers were hitting the wall with changes. But not just the implementation. It also involves issues of personal wellness, stress, and security.

At the same time changes are coming at a rapid pace, supporting structures are collapsing. People are being asked, overtly or suggestively, to work much longer hours. Pay increases, if any, aren't always consistent with those demands and often don't equate with the degree of one's successful performance. At the same time, employees and managers in the U.S. are being asked to pay more and more of their health insurance premiums. That's a double-dip into discretionary income. Toss in an increase in job insecurity as well as less time with one's family, and you've got a formula for weariness.   

What Can Leaders Do?

Certainly addressing #3 above will help from an implementation perspective. Under stress, we all seek meaning and, ultimately, hope (Both Bob Ceneck and Dr. Ellen Weber provide some guiding principles that will help leaders in this area).

I'd like to serve up another suggestion. Maybe it's time to start asking "How much is enough?" Whether it has to do with profit margins, market share, or speed, I think that's a reasonable question. Organizations are beginning to look like balloons being inflated. At some point, they will burst. I believe that's what we're seeing in the weariness expressed by managers.

One of the things I learned in the military is that you always take care of your people. They have to live to fight another  and be in shape to do so. Tired soldiers and tired managers don't perform well. And that can be dangerous in business life as well as war. So you pick your battles when you can, and you watch closely to see when it's time to rest.

Perhaps its time to start asking "What is reasonable and profitable in what realistic period of time?" And then measure it against the well-being of the people who have to do it.

I know that there is an entire industry built upon increasing "employee engagement." If that's really a concern, then it is time for "executive engagement" to receive equal attention. According to the BlessingWhite study, many executives are not engaged once a change in direction is made. A good first step would be to learn how to do #3; show up in the "field" to do it; and assess whether or not the plan and the timetable is healthy for those who have to implement it.

That's my first cut at this. What are you thinking and what can you add that will be helpful for everybody involved in change?

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Workplace: Bobbleheads, Boomers, Business Books, Blogs and More

Weekend Blog Maintenance Alert!

Stan the Programming Man will be messing around with the All Things Workplace tags and code over the weekend. So if something looks different at any given moment, there's a Genius at work.

In the meantime. . .

Click on These!

While Stan is focusing on functionality, here are some good reads that will add to your  learning:

What is your company's Baby Boomer strategy? Wally Bock has Nine Questions Companies Must Ask.

Should you Beware Workplace Bobble-Heads? Phyllis Roteman thinks so. And this is just Part 1.

If you're in a helping kind of mood, Brian Reich wants some. He's writing a business book but asking, "Are Business Books Useless?"

Do you know any Management Cheapskates? Carmine Coyote at Slow Leadership is offering examples that I'll bet will ring true with you.

Chris Brogan has just had a bad Powerpoint day and offers up some simple advice for presenters.

Finally: If you want to see a truly user-friendly blog/website, check out Stephen Shapiro's new digs. Stephen wrote Goal-Free Living, but my hunch is that he had some pretty clear goals with this one.

Have a wonderful weekend. . .

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Ten Life Lessons From Business

Jim Stroud, thoughtful and prolific management issues contributor at Managing Leadership, gave out a call for Business Life Lessons learned. Dave Prouhet, who blogs  at Business Advice Daily, listed  several lessons he has learned in his career as a manager and consultant. He has asked several others, including Jim, to contribute their own thoughts in this area, and then to invite some others in. Dave and  Aaron Potts will follow the contributions and then consolidate them as a single post.

I'm not usually a list kind of guy-- and the title might lead one to expect thoughts on marketing, capital, or organization development. But business is part of life, not the other way around. So here are things that have emerged as important learnings for me over the past 30 years of organizational and consulting life:

Ten Life Lessons From Business and Consulting

1. You can be in charge, but you're never in control.

2. If you have a Powerpoint slide with a graph whose curve always points upward, you're lying. Delete it.

3. If you look at people through your own eyes, you'll judge them for who you think they are. If you look at them through God's eyes, you'll see them for who they can become.

4. You can't be good at who you are until you stop trying to be all the things you are not.

5. Charge what you are worth. If you don't, you'll begin to resent your employer or client, even though you decided to take the assignment.

6. You can't control circumstances. You can control your response to them. Those who learn to respond thoughtfully and peacefully are the ones who are accorded trust and power.

7. Overt displays of position power show weakness.  Genuine humility shows power.

8. All groups aren't "teams". Often they are just collections of people who work really, really well together. Leave them alone.

9. No one can know how to be an effective leader until they've toiled as a dedicated follower.

10. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is knowledge applied with discernment.

What Are Your Business Life Lessons?

Do you have life lessons from business that you would like to add? By all means, click on the comment box and contribute what you've learned. I'll pass them along to Jim, Dave, and Aaron.

And, I invite you to subscribe using whatever method is convenient for you in the left sidebar. That way, you'll always know what the conversation is about and can join in as you please.

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You Can Influence and Persuade: Try These

So much of what we do in life depends on our ability to influence other people in a meaningful way.

I'm kind of in-and-out of appointments today but still want to offer up something practical. So, have a look at these when you get a chance. I promise you'll find them useful--and they really do connect with each other:

Megan Tough at Complete Potential shares Persuasion insights that she gleaned from a recent workshop.

"There are three essential components to Persuasion (and Aristotle thought of them first). . .

Shawn Callahan, Anecdote, takes Storytelling into the Management Development arena and clearly explains why Storytelling has a deep impact in business. And why Storytelling can trump Case Studies.

"Everytime we run this program (which happens every month for this organisation) I’m always impressed with the conversations people have and the level of understanding that develops. Stories have many possible interpretations and the story-listeners hear. . ."

Copyblogger shows how to use Contrast in order to become more persuasive.

"Using contrast in your copy allows people to mentally overcome their own objections. They find your offer desirable, and yet. . ."

Shane at Zoomstart lays out why "Framing" is important in the persuasion process.

"...no one wants to buy a barrel of rotten apples. And your barrel is no different than anyone elses. It’s really not. The only thing that’s different between barrels is how people see them. It’s perspective. And the people that sell a lot of apples. They have a great perspective. They create imperative. They create a frame, and...

Go forth and become influential!

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