Dr. Dewett's Weekly Column

11:46 am - THE ROLLING STONES WERE RIGHT…

Ah, the great debate.  Who is better – the Beatles or the Stones?  I can’t answer that for you, but though I love the Beatles, I have to choose the Rolling Stones.  Ok, maybe they should have retired twenty years ago, but their classics are still exhilarating.  One in particular provides great fodder for this blog entry.  Sing it with me:  “You can’t always get what you want…”  Great song, amazing punch line:  “You can’t always get what you want.  But if you try sometimes well you just might find, you get what you need.”  And of course the same can be said of work!

The budget you wish you had, the vendor you wish you had, the customer you wish you had, the boss you wish you had, the new team member you wish you had, the employee you wish you had, etc.  Come one, sing it out loud:  “You can’t always get what you want!  You can’t always get what you want!  You can’t always get what you want!  But if you try sometimes well you just might find, you get what you need!”  Paraphrased slightly, you can’t always get what you want and thus your goal is to maximize what you get out of what you do have.  This is leadership 101.  While it is fun and impressive to see solid leaders take spectacular teams (think of all of the sports examples here…) to great heights, it is far more fun and far more impressive to see great leaders take teams comprised of mere mortals to unforeseen heights. 

Yes, we could talk about the processes and systems that support vendor selection, new employee hiring, you name it.  However, at the end of the day, you have to deal with the resources at hand.  Several key behaviors help explain how great leaders take teams from good to great.  Three in particular stand out:

Leverage Your Strengths

In the world of personal professional development, this has become (I think justifiably) the most popular mantra.  From a leadership perspective, this is not simply an individual strategy, it’s a team strategy.  While we can wax philosophical about the ideal set of team skills, you got what you got.  Maximize what you have by doing the following.  First, communicate clearly with the team to ensure each player knows his or her strength and is managing their time aggressively to ensure the team gets as much out of that strength as possible.  Second, as the leader, and to the extent your skills allow it, pick up the slack for the team where there are weak spots with particular skills.  That’s why they pay you more!  Third, borrow what is missing – use a temp agency, con a friend in another department to help out, find the creative short-term solution when needed.

Oil the Processes

So, how do the teams with few (or no) superstars beat the teams filled with superstars (or at least superstar resources)?  One of the best explanations is that they understand the fundamental processes supporting their work.  In basketball, this might be a keen understanding of blocking out to secure rebounds.  At work, this might be analyzing the order fulfillment process and removing any and all wasted time and resources not needed to get the customer the correct order on time.  Key fundamental processes executed flawlessly will give any team a very real shot to compete against teams that are more talented or teams and organizations with superior resources.    

Put in the Effort

What’s the old saying?  Practice makes perfect.  It can be said many ways, but the take-a-way is the same:  many a resource deficiency can be overcome if you will work your fingers to the bone.  Welcome to leadership.  Many young leaders will often become initially dismayed when they realize that in order to really earn that extra pay and status associated with that new title, you often have work twice as hard – not a “little” harder, twice as hard!  The beauty of expending exceptional effort is that you not only get more done, but you learn a lot in the process for having invested yourself so fully while also sending positive signals to others about the value of a strong work ethic. 

I don’t really care whether you like the Beatles more than the Stones.  Heck, you could be into disco for all I care.  I do care, however, about helping you cope with the fun realities we face as leaders every day.  One of the greatest challenges is to resist throwing in the towel or setting low expectations when you feel the team is somehow lacking skills and / or resources.  Great leaders know this is almost always the case – the real magic trick is taking what you have and pushing it to its full potential.

Thanks for stopping by – I hope this finds you and yours well:  happy, healthy and productive.  Many of you are aware of the injury my wife recently sustained.  She is on the mend and in good spirits.  We can’t say thank you enough to all of you – friends, family and all of growing members of the “Dr. Dewett” community for all of your help and positive thoughts.  When you get home tonight from work, I know you’ll be tired, but trust me here – hug your family and be grateful you have the opportunity to do so.  As always, thanks for all the feedback and be sure to stop by www.drdewett.com as the new site should go live by next week.  See you next time!

02:21 pm - TOP 5 MOST AMAZING AND INSPIRING LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS I HAVE SEEN SO FAR THIS YEAR

After my last blog post I heard from many of you.  Apparently you could recognize some of the not so productive leadership zingers in that top 10 list (Top 10 Most Outrageous and Unproductive Leadership Behaviors I Have Seen So Far This Year).  Several of you suggested I create a list that is the opposite of the abominations noted last time.  A few also told me to keep the posts shorter…guess I do get wordy sometimes.  Great suggestions!  Though sometimes I spend time making fun of employee and leader shortcomings, my main job is to talk about how we get it right sometimes!  So, though this list might not be as funny as the last, hopefully it will be more inspiring and useful – a reminder that in the midst of the absurdity that is the workplace, there is much to smile about.  Only 5 this time instead of 10, just to keep it concise.  Here goes – the top 5 most amazing and inspiring leadership behaviors I have seen so far this year:

5.  Brutal honesty about layoffs.  Far too often leaders shy away from real honesty because they don’t have a perfect crystal ball showing them when specific things will happen and, in general, they don’t want to give bad news, and because they feel that too much honesty could hurt productivity.  I know of at least two companies in the region where I live who chose real honesty with regard to possible layoffs – hats off to you.  They explained the business case to the employees, the conditions under which (based on key metrics) layoffs would happen, the process that would be used, the benefits to be given, etc.  Not a fun conversation.  However, they owned it, stayed honest and positive and as a result (based on feedback from managers I know in these organizations) kept the troops working hard instead of overindulging in the rumor mill and other unproductive behaviors.

4.  Creatively avoiding layoffs.  It seems that in each recession, the number of organizations that understand this idea increases – very cool.  Instead of thoughtless job chopping, let’s find ways to reduce labor cost while creating as little disruption in the supply of labor and while also minimizing the hit to morale.  This means early retirement buy-outs, unpaid time off, caps on hiring or pay increases, etc.  There have been many creative attempts to lower costs while not trimming headcount.  Kudos to all of the companies taking on this positive challenge!

3.  Paying people to quit.  This one actually got a lot of press.  Zappos, the amazing online shoe retailer, pays $1000 to new employees who quit within the first year.  They understand the cost of employees who are not productive, the cost of turnover, and the amazing value to be added by really engaged employees.  So why not take the ones who don’t fit and get them to leave as fast as possible?  Amazingly creative idea.  Apparently, 10% of new employees at the billion dollar company take the offer.  Look at the person in the cube next to you.  Admit it, don’t you wish your company had this policy? 

2.  Leading by example.  This one was close to home for me.  For my day job I’m a professor.  My university and my college of business are having budget troubles just like everyone else.  The Dean of our college decided to do something proactive to help the situation and to send a positive signal to the faculty and staff.  He suggested that he, and all of the other Deans on campus, should take no pay raise this year.  He did not say this to a colleague in a quiet hallway chat or some safe college of business meeting.  He said it at a meeting with the other Deans and several top university administrators.  Great idea, great signal to send.  Eventually, the others agreed – class act.

And the #1 cool leadership behavior I’ve seen thus far this year is:

1.  Praising someone who questions you.  I have a professional colleague who shared the following story.  He is a mid level executive at a technology firm and is trying to figure out whether or not he’ll make it into the top executive positions at his company.  Recently he found himself in a meeting with several peers, several top executives, and the firm’s CEO (whom he barely knew and had only met a few times).  During the meeting he observed most participants showing clear deference to the CEO.  They did not question him.  They were quick to complement him.  Being the most junior person in the room, my colleague was silent most of the meeting until finally he felt the need to speak up after the CEO made a particular comment.  He had a different view he felt the team had not adequately considered – and he concisely made his point.  Sitting in his office after the meeting, my colleague wondered whether he had somehow just burned a bridge by being so brazen.  Then he heard a knock at his door, looked up, and saw the CEO standing in his doorway.  The CEO said, “Thanks for bringing an original idea to the table.  You keep that up.”  Then he smiled and walked away.  Now that’s great leadership.

That’s all for now folks.  I hope you’re enjoying the remainder of this summer as much as I am.  Questions or comments, please give me a shout.  The latest podcast is done but my awesome web guy is out of town – it should go up in couple days.  See you next time!

02:11 pm - TOP 10 MOST OUTRAGEOUS AND UNPRODUCTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS I HAVE SEEN SO FAR THIS YEAR

It is probably too early in the year for a top 10 list, but this one couldn’t wait.  If you’ve been reading me long enough you know I’m equally capable of blasting leaders and employees.  Today’s target – leaders!  The zingers listed below are actual incidents that I either witnessed or was aware of through my network.  No names are provides since I wish to protect the stupid.  These are sure fire ways to crush employee morale and tank productivity.  A few are funny (and serious) and a few are just plain serious.  Enjoy!

10.  Reduce transparency in decision making instead of increasing it.  I’m a big believer in making your actions and decisions as a leader as transparent as possible.  That reduces ambiguity and increases confidence in your leadership ability.  When things get rough, as is the case now with this horrible recession, your goal is to increase transparency even more.  In several instances I am personally aware of in recent months mid level and senior leaders have taken the opposite approach.  They see the rough waters in the economy, they see ugly effects inside their organization (e.g., layoffs), so they hunker down and become more quiet and secretive.  It is a natural reaction to a perceived risk – but it is a nightmare in terms of managing employee perceptions.  The rule is simple – the rougher the waters the more you must openly explain what you’re doing and why.  If you allow even a little bit of ambiguity concerning your decision making to grow – it will spread like a wildfire. 

9.  Kill a decent change-related idea and then offer nothing in response.  This is among the most insidious responses to change initiatives.  I had a front row seat for this one recently.  A person or group pushes forward with a change effort to address an area of organizational performance that everyone agrees must improve.  Everyone agrees the situation is urgent and the status quo is not acceptable.  However, a small group of powerful folks don’t like the specific answer the change team offers and/or they don’t like certain members of the team and/or they don’t like not being on the team.  So they throw their political chips on the table and derail the effort.  As if that’s not bad enough, they follow up by not stepping forward to attempt to positively craft a different solution to the challenge.  Instead, they simply go back to throwing peanuts at people from the back row.  Strong leadership teams will not allow change to be derailed in this manner, for if it is allowed too often cultures become toxic and no real change is possible.

8.  Trimming the staff too much.  Yes, times are tough.  Yes, there are absolutely positively times you need reduce headcount.  However, at least a few times recently I’ve seen organizations miss the opportunity to think more creatively about their options.  More than once I’ve seen people with one job become people with two and people with two become people with three as the ax continues to fall.  Yes, you save money in theory due to the reduction in headcount.  But what about the reduction in morale and productivity for those who remain?  It can tank in a hurry, along with some of your theoretical savings.  My advice, reduce the payroll if needed, but first think creativity about shortened work weeks, pay and hiring freezes, buyouts, pay cuts, or any of the many other creative possibilities that might be more productive in the long-term compared to simple (and sizable) downsizing.

7.  Say you will NOT do something, then do it.  There is no quicker way to thrown away whatever trust you have built up with the troops than to say what you will not do (or, what you will do) and then do it (or fail to do it).  Just ask Bush 1 – you’ll recall his famous statement “read my lips…”  In these difficult times I have heard many leaders swear they will not cut headcount, promise they will not strip away favored perks, promise they will share the pain right along with everyone else – you name it.  But not all of them keep their word.  Here’s a good idea – don’t commit to specifics if you don’t have to, commit to ideals.  Instead of promising you won’t cut headcount (a specific promise), say your goal is to ensure the safety of as many jobs as possible (an ideal you will strive for), though you must openly admit that is not guaranteed.  This level of candor will generally be respected, particularly if the leader in question is showing how they are sharing the pain (e.g., pay freeze, pay cut, no bonus). 

6.  Demeaning someone with lower status.  I am ashamed we still have to talk about this one.  I recently saw a series of incidents where a valued administrative assistant was harassed (not sexually) by a senior person in the organization.  The reason?  The upset professional did not feel comfortable picking on anyone with the power to fight back, so he targeted a largely defenseless person.  He insulted her for no reason, he gave her tasks that were not appropriate, he threatened to tell unflattering things to her boss about her performance (she served as an admin for several people though only formally reported to one).  It came to an end only after people outside of their work unit caught wind of the behavior.  The “boss” in question did nothing.  The negativity surrounding this gross and infantile abuse of power spread quickly and soured morale.  Here is the good news – “no jerk” rules can work – use them!

5.  Create and publish rules about cubicle decorations.  I can’t make this stuff up.  It is astounding how much time and energy we spend on things that do not move us one inch closer to the goal line.  Shocking really.  This one came from a graduate student at a large technology firm.  In this organization, the HR policy book had ballooned into a bloated monster with rules dictating every little facet of cube life.  You cannot have plants over one foot in height in your cube.  You cannot use excessive decorations during Christmas or other recognized holidays – and Christmas lights are expressly forbidden.  Food is allowed in your cubicle, though any food with distracting odors should be avoided to ensure other employees are not disturbed.  Really?  Are you serious?  Organizations like this one had better get over the politically correct micro-managing mentality fast or they will very quickly loose the mental capacity to innovate and remain a viable entity.

4.  Fail to use a good crisis.  This notion has been around for a long time.  It’s simple, all organizations are in need of change and improvement.  When times are good, it is very difficult to mobilize people for change – they don’t see the need.  When times are tough, like right now, they may concede the need for change, but that does not mean they support it.  I mentioned earlier how risk makes many of us become hunkered down and rigid.  Nevertheless, when times are tough it is the greatest opportunity to make significant changes.  I mean fundamental changes to strategy, structure and personnel.  It has to be sold correctly – that’s a world to itself, change management – but there is no doubt that the best time is when the sky is falling.  What do we actually see?  Only a minority of organizations get it, the majority cling to the status quo and miss the opportunity.  Keep in mind that, ultimately, your success as a leader is determined by what you do when your back is against the wall, not what you do when the waters are smooth.

3.  Punish dress code violators.  Yes, it’s true, some folks don’t exactly know how to dress appropriately for their particular work environment.  Fine.  But do we need hordes of pages and policies and rules and HR folks walking around policing the place?  Apparently a few firms I’m aware of do feel this way.  Oops, that lady has open toe sandals!  Even though jeans are allowed on casual Friday, that guy has a small tear in his knee – violation!  Don’t laugh, these are actual examples.  Wow.  Stop bloating those darn policy manuals.  Here is the only question that matters:  is morale and/or productivity actually harmed?  If you genuinely feel the answer is yes, the appropriate leader should go speak to the offender.  A honest chat beats bloated policy books any day. 

2.  Make hiring decisions based on anything bur merit.  This one kills me – and it doesn’t just affect hiring decisions.  I focus on hiring simply because that is one heck of a big decision.  On what basis should we hire someone?  Their work experience?  Congeniality in the interview process?  Well, how about whether or not they went to the right school?  Years ago I saw behavior like this in Tennessee (where they bleed Volunteer orange – and yes, I’m a Volunteer).  Now I reside in Ohio and apparently the Ohio State / Michigan rivalry is taken quite seriously.  So seriously, I’m told by someone in my network, that in one division of a particular organization no Michigan graduate will be hired as long as they can secure the services of an Ohio State graduate instead.  Isn’t it fascinating how in so many ways we never really left high school?

And the #1 most outrageous and unproductive leadership behavior I have seen so far in 2009 is…

1.  Saying no to a good game of employee dodge ball!  An acquaintance of mine is an executive at a large well known corporation.  For an upcoming retreat she suggested a spirited game of dodge ball.  Everyone cheered with glee, remembering fondly the ridiculous times that were had as children playing dodge ball at school.  Her mistake was suggesting this publicly – HR soon found out.  Dodge ball?  That means some people will not feel comfortable.  Some people will get hurt.  Some people could sue us!  One awesome opportunity for team building squashed.  This is a simple and wonderful example of how political correctness and our love of (fear of) litigation has stymied honest spontaneous fun at work – and it’s not fair!  Next time, she confided in me, she would not tell people about it before hand.  Instead when everyone shows up for the retreat, she’ll just pull out all of the red rubber balls and let the battle commence before HR knows what’s going on.  That’s the innovator’s spirit!

Sorry about that, just felt like writing a lot this time.  When you have time check out my latest podcast (which should be posted shortly) where I talk about the three golden rules of leadership.  Also, be sure to sign up yourself or someone you know for my newsletter.  Keep the feedback coming – if you have a topic you’d like me to address, just let me know at todd@drdewett.com.  Until next time – happy leading!