From the Eye of the Storm

Cost Saving Strategies via Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making

July 3, 2009 • 5:41 pm 0

Making Genuine Contact

It’s not always necessary to know why something works, just that it does. In 1988, I got the opportunity to serve in my first management position. It was also an opportunity to demonstrate that in certain environments, people will exceed expectations. I am eternally grateful to Saundra, Kelly, Joe, Shelley, David and Sharon for playing in the creative world of an idealistic, inexperienced manager.

Back then, I instinctively knew that the people in my department were intelligent, talented, focused and driven. All they needed was an opportunity to flourish. Therefore, my role was to remove obstacles or toxicity from the environment. There was no training or policy to support this theory. It just seemed to be the most logical role for me. What else was I to do after I recognized that the people on my team could do the work faster and with better quality than I could? This approach of removing obstacles provided me with incredible experiences and payoffs throughout my management career. It’s also the foundation of my work today. On many occasions, my peers would ask me how I was able to maintain such high performing teams. According to them, I always had the best people, with the best attitudes doing difficult work. Also, according to them, I was lucky to never have employee issues. While I admit to being lucky, there were plenty of issues to work through. I guess our way of operating, made these issues transparent to people on the outside looking in. “I pay attention to my instincts, communicate clear vision and get out of their way”, was my generic answer. Honestly, I didn’t really know how to articulate what I was doing. I just know I was being true to myself and true to the people who made a commitment to work on our team. It wasn’t until after I completed my last management assignment that I was introduced to the language that clearly describes what I was attempting. In 2003, I was introduced to the Genuine Contact Program and with that, I realized that making genuine contact with others and myself is what I have been trying to do my entire career.

I believe that many people have been conditioned to check parts of who they are at the door when they enter the work environment. The problem with this, is the part that is checked at the door, might be the most creative part. It might be the part that has a life changing idea ready to be unleashed. The part of oneself that is outside the door might be the part that saves a life or develops a $500M idea. So today, as a Genuine Contact co-owner and practitioner, I can articulate the following values and beliefs that guide our interactions with people:

1. We believe that spirit (or Spirit) matters, that through spirit (or Spirit), all of creation is connected, and that people are precious. Our experience is that strategies based on these values have exciting, tangible results.

2. We believe that every organism (including the organization) has within it the blueprint for its own optimal health and balance. We trust the people in the organization to know what is needed for optimal effectiveness. Building on the strengths within the organization is a key to optimal effectiveness. Sometimes individuals and organizations are toxic and through toxicity cannot access their blueprint for their optimal health and balance. Toxicity is a barrier to optimal effectiveness that can be broken through when individuals and organizations attend to their balance, cleansing, and nourishing to nurture their life force.

3. We believe that focusing on genuine contact enables individuals and organizations to achieve the individual and organizational health and balance that is needed for optimal effectiveness. Positive change in the organization is directly linked to positive change in individuals. Both are required for sustainable new ways of working.

4. We believe in keeping it simple. Simple frameworks and processes enable success with complex situations. In keeping it simple, we recognize that any sustainable change must begin from the inside and cannot be externally initiated or driven.

5. We believe that change with its accompanying loss, grief work, and conflict is constant. Organizations that develop mastery in working with change can sustain optimal effectiveness. These leaders and organizations recognize that change cannot be managed, that energy spent trying to manage change is wasted energy, and that productive use of individual and organizational energy is achieved by working with change rather than against it.

Now, based on your current and past experiences, wouldn’t you be extremely motivated to dedicate yourself to work where everyone is attempting to make genuine contact?

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Filed under: Articles, Change Management, Leadership Training, Team Building

June 24, 2009 • 8:25 pm 0

Can We Pay for It? From Indecision to Cost Savings

money-questions2

During a recent radio program, I heard a couple of politicians talking about healthcare reform. “Can we pay for it?” was the question that one of them asked the other. I immediately thought of the days when I was a young. On multiple occasions my father said to me, “If doing anything the correct way is too costly, then you definitely can’t afford to do it the wrong way. If you are not going to do it right, don’t do it at all!” I learned very early in life that doing things correctly is less costly than doing them incorrectly, where many times the costs are hidden or delayed. Automobiles purchases are a good example of this. Skipping key steps when purchasing a car can lead to unsustainable costs after taxes, insurance, maintenance, gas and repairs kick in. Dad’s message stuck with me and continues to guide my decision-making approach. When it comes to our healthcare system or more accurately our ’sick care’ system, most of us agree that it is not operating correctly. So, “Can we pay for it?” isn’t the question that should be asked. “Where are the cost savings”, “How much are the cost savings”, “How should we invest the cost savings” and “How do we get there?” are more appropriate questions.

I have experienced the same questioning to change in business. Through their own admission, employees and managers alike, will allude to the pain and dysfunction that is experienced while trying to get work done. When a solution is presented, someone (usually the holder of the purse) will ask, “Can we afford this?” My generic response is, “if you can afford to do it incorrectly, which is the current mode of operation, then how can you not afford something that is going to improve quality, reduce costs, and thereby save you money?” The question that eventually surfaces is “How do we get there?”

“Can we pay for it?” is code for “How does this change affect me?”, “What’s going to happen to my position?”, “How am I going to get paid”, and other similar concerns. Because the details behind change are not always clear, these are valid concerns for the people involved. The leaders in a change initiative should anticipate and account for these concerns. Care must also be taken to keep the resources focused on well-defined goals, otherwise, some who prefer to push an unrelated personal agenda through this change could undermine the implementation of ideas that meet the goals and produce the largest savings.

Interestingly enough, healthcare will reform. If nothing is done, it will eventually collapse. It’s widely known that the current system is not sustainable and doesn’t serve our collective needs. At that point, there will be no choice but to create something new, hopefully learning from the pain and dysfunction that preceded the collapse. If a band-aid approach is taken to healthcare reform, the system will collapse, maybe some years later than the scenario where nothing is done. Failure in this manner will also provide an opportunity to implement a highly functioning system, after the fact. My hope is that personal agendas will be mitigated and concerns are addressed, so that we can begin to ask the pertinent questions that stimulate the critical thinking and problem-solving required to guide healthcare reform from indecision to cost savings. How all of this might play out should not be a mystery and is completely dependent on our collective actions. The businesses that have failed during the past year, did nothing or applied a band-aid approach to their previous challenges. Actions taken or not taken, now or in the future, will mirror results of the past.

Filed under: Articles, Business Service Offerings, Change Management, Cost Reduction Strategies

June 16, 2009 • 10:13 am 0

9 Things Your Peer Managers Probably Aren’t Doing

Video Clip from the Movie 'Office Space'

‘Office Space’ – AOL Movies – Truveo Video Search

I regularly see organizations promote high performing employees into management positions, without determining if ‘management’ is a good fit for the individual or the employees. After years of training efforts and disappointing results, many of these individuals are relieved of their duties or they choose to leave. This has never made much sense to me for two reasons:

1) It removes an outstanding performer from a position where they are making a valuable contribution.

2) It sets up an inexperienced, untrained non-manager for failure.

Using this approach, the 6-time NBA Champion Chicago Bulls of the 90’s should have promoted 5-time MVP Michael Jordan to President of Basketball Operations when it became obvious that he was the best player in the galaxy. Of course, if this had happened, it’s doubtful that 6 championships would have materialized and the MVP awards would have gone to other players. This approach would have resulted in a lose, lose situation. Any doubt in my theory should be removed by reviewing Jordan’s record as President of Basketball Operations with the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Bobcats since his retirement. Fortunately, the Bulls didn’t promote Jordan and we were able to enjoy one of the best teams in NBA history. By the way, the coach of the Bulls, future Hall of Famer Phil Jackson, who just bagged his record setting 10th NBA championship, was an average player at best (12 seasons, 6.7 points/game, 4.3 rebound/game). Many times, the best managers initially show up on the scene as average non-manager performers.

So, are you a manager who is interested in separating yourself from your peers? If so, here are 9 things you can do to establish your uniqueness and ultimately success as a manager.

1. Read a book on coaching. I recommend Leading with the Heart: Coach K’s Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life. Being a successful manager is similar to being a successful coach. It requires establishing great teamwork, but most managers have never experienced being a participant on a successful team, and thereby, have no reference point for what behaviors and actions should be prevalent. Most new managers immediately become micro-managers or spend all of their time trying to please everyone, both of which are counterproductive to creating a team atmosphere. Without this understanding, failure is inevitable.

2. Recite the purpose, values and mission of the company verbatim from memory. Assuming that these exist, it’s rare to hear managers associate decisions with the ongoing direction of the company. Managers who can explain decisions because they are based on the established foundation of the company are accepted as credible, responsible, trustworthy and admirable, even when decisions are unpopular. If for some reason, you can’t connect any decision to the purpose, values and vision of the company, then maybe it’s a decision that shouldn’t be made. Always check yourself to ensure that you are not just ‘passing the buck’.

3. Create and maintain one (and only one) chart that reports quality, costs and productivity by month. Effective managers should always know how to articulate quality, costs, and productivity as it relates to the department function. This also gives managers the ability to monitor how decisions concerning people affect the business. Keep this chart handy and never be afraid to use it with senior managers who are forcing decisions that may have a negative impact on the business. It’s easier to say ‘I told you so’ than to explain why you supported a decision that negatively impacted the bottom line.

4. Dedicate at least 15 minutes a month of one-on-one time to each individual in your department. Blanket messages typically do not address the various communication or learning styles of all employees. Dedicated time creates space to clarify expectations and removes confusion that could result in more ‘fire fighting’ later on. It also demonstrates personal concern and support for the individuals that you are responsible for.

5. Host team practices, not staff meetings. Great teams don’t just show up to the game and perform as a great team. They dedicate themselves to numerous hours of practice. Staff meetings have a connotation of being controlling, limiting and boring because most of the time they are. Typical staff meeting agenda items can be communicated by more efficient means in today’s technology rich world. Instead of a staff meeting, schedule practice, a place where employees can be engaged and develop their skills. One practice might involve an overview of the workflow to eliminate unnecessary work actions while establishing some agreements around some more meaningful ones. Another practice might involve role play that simulates work activities. Hosting practices that have something of value to everyone who attends improve team performance.

6. Establish a peer feedback process for your team. Individuals on high performing teams have the ability to critique one another’s performance in a very constructive manner. This process enables individuals to get the feedback required to improve individual performance. On the contrary, without constructive feedback on how to better assist team members, employees will not recognize the opportunities for improvement, maintaining the status quo. The team is only as effective as it’s most fragile link.

7. Establish a manager feedback process for yourself. Feedback from the individuals on your team is one of the most important data points that you will ever receive as a manager. Choosing a process that guarantees safe, anonymous, and accurate feedback is key. What you do with the feedback is most important and creates the greatest potential for team improvement. You as manager, have to demonstrate your commitment to honing your skill as coach, just as you expect each team member to improve theirs. Employees establish a renewed level of commitment when this behavior is observed from their leader.

8. Always take responsibility for the performance of your team and team members, unless the action is clearly unethical and inappropriate. As manager, you are in a position to develop the individuals on your team (several strategies mentioned above). All critiques of performance should be handled internally, within the team environment. If one of your team members makes a mistake (which they will) or one needs more time to get their performance up to par, you take responsibility. The day that you sellout anyone on your team marks the beginning of the end of your days as a manager. On the other hand, don’t shy away from tough decisions. If you maintain a management position long enough, you will eventually be confronted with an individual that doesn’t fit or whose interests would be served better elsewhere. It is your responsibility to handle this with professionalism and empathy.

9. Have fun! Find ways to have fun while doing what you do best. Don’t be afraid to do things that may be considered irrelevant or make you appear to be human. Today’s work environments are stressful enough and methods to lighten things up are the responsibility of the manager. Remember, if you can’t have fun doing what you do, then you and your team should be asking yourselves ‘why are we doing this?’

Filed under: Articles, Leadership, Leadership Training, Team Building , Leadership, Management Training, Profitability, Teamwork