A Year In Review & Top Viewed Posts of 2014

2014 has been a year of change: changed jobs, moved across the country, adjusting to living in the deep south, one son married, another announcing a pregnancy, just to mention a few.  Through all of these changes, God has supplied strength and guidance.  I am always so amazed at the way our lives unfold, never, it seems, like we would have imagined.  

Two accomplishments this year that were important to me:  First, I published the discipleship journal:  Spiritual Warfare: Our Weapons are Not of This World.   I have felt for years that this was a project which God wanted me to finish and am thankful that it is now available.  Second, I published in Kindle format, The Principles of Life.  I am passionate about using a set of life principles to guide your life and I have shared these principles with hundreds if not thousands over the last 20 years.

It is always interesting to look back at which of the posts have received the most views.  Here are the top 10 posts as ranked by views for 2014:

1.  Creative Followership book Review

2.  Scaling Up Excellence, Chapter 1

3.  Scaling Up Excellence, Chapter 4

4.  Holiness: What Do You Know of Holy???

5.  Scaling Up Excellence, Chapter 3

6.  Gratitude Challenge

7.  Scaling Up Excellence, Chapter 5

8.  Twilight

9.  3 Chairs & Granny's Angel

10.  Scaling Up Excellence, Chapter 6

Hope you have a blessed New Year.

It's Not Rocket Science - 12

When I was growing up we attended Southside Church of the Nazarene.  We were there pretty much every time the doors were opened.  Our family of five typically arrived early due to responsibilities held by various members of the family.  One family, however, ALWAYS arrived late, with little regard or concern for their late arrival, no matter how disruptive it might be.  I was speaking at a workshop talking about culture recently and asked the audience for examples of their family's culture.  An individual responded by saying the culture in their family was to always be late.

When that lateness carries over into the workplace, in can leave a damaging impression and creates a reputation which can delay or sidetrack an otherwise promising career.   This is particularly important for individuals starting out in their career to know:  People know when you arrive and when you leave, even if you think no one is watching!!!!    If you are consistently late, or leave consistently early, it is noticed and marked in the invisible ledger within the minds of others, who usually are very willing to share that information as gossip.

Being on time means being 5 minutes early!  Follow this practice and you add one more positive factor to your success; if you ignore it don't be surprised if your forward movement is slower than you like.

This is not rocket science - be ON TIME: to work, to appointments, to your life!

It's Not Rocket Science - 11

Several years ago I needed to hire an assistant, selected several applicants to interview and set up the appointments. Since this was an entry level position, most of the applicants were relatively young, either still in college, or just graduated.  What amazed me was how the majority of the applicants dressed for their interview:  Jeans and t-shirts were the norm for male or female.  I think America has fostered a culture which is so focused on ME being ME that young people moving into the workplace are experiencing a shock when this culture doesn't carry over into the workplace.

Honestly, how much common sense is required to know that an interview for a professional position, even if entry level, might require professional attire?  This should not be rocket science.

How you dress does make a difference in how you are perceived.  It says something about your judgement abilities.  It suggests whether or not you are wise enough to handle little things and thus may be able to handle larger things.  This kind of perception lies as a subconscious layer in the back of a supervisor's mind and may never get to the surface, but it impacts their decisions AND their evaluation of you, your abilities, and your potential for advancement.  Go ahead, say it: "that's not fair!"  Do you hear the violins playing?  Fair or not, it is reality so get over it.

Give some thought to how you dress in relationship to the position you have AND the position to which you aspire.  Dressing appropriately is just one more indicator that you just might be rocket scientist.

It's Not Rocket Science- 10

Trust, but verify.

Some of my greatest blunders can be traced back to promises made to me by others to deliver actions or products, which were not delivered.  This became my blunder because I had made promises depending upon others fulfilling their promises to me.  I assumed that because a promise was made that it would be fulfilled.  I have written in another post about the dangers of assuming and I have, unfortunately fallen prey to that more than I care to admit.

It's not that most people intentionally break their promise, but it happens.  That is why I say, trust - trust that people mean what they say and have every intention of fulfilling their commitments.  But I have also learned to verify.  Verify that the promise is being fulfilled before it becomes an emergency or failure.  You could also call this accountability.  Holding people accountable is unpopular and challenging.

If you will be judged on your output, and most of us are, and your output is dependent at least in part upon others, and this is also true for most of us, then follow-up accountability needs to become second nature to you if you are going to succeed;  Trust, but verify.

It's not rocket science.

It's Not Rocket Science - 9

Attitudes are contagious!  Your attitudes will have one of three sources:

1. You can consciously choose your attitude, or
2.  If you neglect to consciously choose, your attitude will coast toward that of those around you, or,
3.  It will reflect your emotions, i.e. your emotions are in control of your attitude and responses.

That is the heart of the matter: three sources.  Most people coast along with number two, reflecting the attitudes of those around them, unless something happens which sparks their emotions: they slam their finger in a drawer, their favorite team loses, etc.  When this happens the attitude moves from a coast to a rollercoaster with the same stomach lurching results.

However, there are a few people who recognize they can choose their attitudes and reactions, in spite of peer pressure or emotional upsets.  Think about where you work or the people you live with or around.  Place each one in group 1 or 2 or 3 from the list above.  Now which ones do you find most inspirational?  most effective? well balanced?  Happy?

It's not rocket science, choose your attitude.

It's Not Rocket Science - 8

I have heard it a million times:  "If it's not nice, don't say it."  I don't think leaders can always adhere to this saying, HOWEVER, I can say beyond any doubt, "If it's not the truth, don't say it."  ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS tell the truth, or say nothing at all.  Your career can survive a lot of things and you may even see some success at various points, but it will crash eventually if you tell lies.  A reputation as a liar is a death sentence for leaders.  NO ONE wants to follow ANYONE who is a liar.  Your customers will eventually catch on that you can't be trusted and you will lose them.  If you are a Pastor, same thing, you congregation will eventually catch you in a lie and they will either leave, or make sure you do.  Your staff will also figure out sooner or later that you can't be trusted and they will either leave or begin to be untrustworthy themselves, causing an even sharper spiral into disaster.

There may be times when you may not be able to share ALL the truth.  That too is part of leadership, but never allow yourself to slip over into telling a lie to cover up anything.  Lies will come out.  It may not be immediately, but they will come out and when that happens the seeds of distrust are sown and everything else you say or have said becomes suspect, no matter how right or noble all else has been.

It's not rocket science, ALWAYS tell the truth, or say nothing at all.

It's Not Rocket Science - 7

Watch the Eyes.

When in meetings or even just chatting with an informal group, watch the eyes of those in the group.  What you are looking for is to determine which individual gets the most "eye" time.  We humans have a tendency to constantly check with our eyes the body language and attitude of the individual we feel is most significant in any gathering, official or unofficial, i.e. the leader.  This might be through furtive glances or direct focus.  I've actually seen people answer a question that person A asked while looking at person B the whole time to get their feedback.

Whoever gets the most "eye" time is the leader, regardless of the flowchart.  You may agree or disagree, you may like it or not:  it doesn't change the reality.  Perception IS reality, and if those in the group are constantly looking at one person for approval, even if that is not the appointed leader, then that person IS the real leader.

This can benefit you in two ways.  First, knowing who the real leader is allows you to figure out who you need to influence.  Second, if you are supposed to be the leader, but it obvious that someone else is the real leader, you will know you need to do a better job building relationships and credibility.  I highly suggest the book:  Credibility, by Kouzes and Posner.  You can't demand leadership, it has to be earned.  This is one way you can do a quick read to determine who those in a group consider to be the leader.

It's not rocket science.

It's Not Rocket Science - 6

This one will sound so much like a "duh" statement I'm almost afraid to put it down, but after all that is the kind of things this particular series of posts addresses, so here goes.

When you write an email, please remember that no one can see your quirky smile, or frown, or wink, or ANY OTHER MESSAGE CONVEYED BY BODY LANGUAGE.  All the reader has to go on is the choice of words used and the order in which they appear.  No professional email should be sent without the author re-reading the email AT LEAST four times, once out loud, and reflecting carefully upon the choice of words and their order.  Ponder how the email will be received and the feeling it will provoke.  Yes, the feelings of the sender have to be considered because you will not be able to use your body language to offset any abrasion your words may cause.  Be clear, don't assume; convey your message, but DON'T digress.

Much of our communication today is by email.  There is noting wrong with that as long as you don't forget that relationships can be built or broken on a seemingly innocent choice of words.

It's not rocket science but few people actually much energy into crafting their emails to clearly communicate.

It's Not Rocket Science - 5

Good grammar matters!  Whether in writing or speaking, poor grammar will be a mark against you.  If you know you suffer from poor grammar in either capacity you should immediately find someone, even if you have to hire them, to coach you ruthlessly until you overcome this deficit.

If you aren't sure, ask a few people you work with if they ever notice you having trouble with your verb/subject agreements or use of pronouns when you are speaking.  Have them be brutally honest with you.  If not, great, however, if you get even one comment take it as the tip of an iceberg and attack this problem NOW.

Effective communication is the hallmark of leadership.  Poor grammar detracts from the message and lessens credibility in the speaker.  I know, that's not fair.  Have you heard?  Life is not fair.  Get over it and get on with correcting this problem.

It's not rocket science - to lead you have to be able to communicate clearly without glaring grammatical errors.

It's Not Rocket Science - 4

You may be under the impression that it is your intelligence or experience which has gotten you to where you are today.  No doubt these things have played a role, however, probably far less a role than you might imagine.  The primary reason you have been placed in leadership is because you have been determined to have the right kind of skills to lead and work with PEOPLE.  That is, it is your PEOPLE skills which are primarily considered in almost every promotion.  No matter how competent you are, if you don't have a developed set of people skills, you won't get far, and may not even stay at the level you are currently at.

Some have called this emotional intelligence.  I have written about this before - See these posts:

• EQ - The Difference Between Success and the Deadend
• Tone Makes the Difference

Whatever you call it, these skills are the hallmark of great leaders.  My experience is that most people think they have great people skills while few actually do.  Do yourself a favor and pick up Dale Carengie's book:  How to Win Friends and Influence People and take a refresher course.

This is a defining skill set - it may come easy to you or it might be hard work, but you can't ignore this if you want to be a leader.

It's not rocket science, All of Life can be reduced to Relationships (with PEOPLE)!

It's Not Rocket Science - 3

In It's Not Rocket Science - 2, I shared about the importance of identifying the TWDS (tasks which determine success) and then making sure to put them first.

What I neglected to say is that if your supervisor asks you for ANYTHING, that is immediately a TWDS.  I can't tell you the number of times I've see it happen that the supervisor asks for something only to have the direct report (you or me) get so wrapped up in getting the everyday things done that the supervisor's request is pushed back.  Doing so might be a passive/aggressive way of saying you have too much on your plate and you need some help, but I can tell you what message it sends to the supervisor:  You don't have a clear grasp of how to manage your responsibilities.

It may not be fair, but if you don't take care of the supervisor's requests in a timely manner, your competency will be questioned, as will promotions, raises, etc.  So, if your supervisor asks you for ANYTHING, place it at the top of your TWDS list.  Not just place it there, but get it done.  Not just get it done, but get it done above expectations.

If you struggle with making these requests fit into your other responsibilities, set up a meeting to discuss the problem with your supervisor, but DON'T ignore the requests or procrastinate them.

It's not rocket science.

It's Not Rocket Science

OK, there will be more of the It's Not Rocket Science posts coming.

However, it occurred to me that you might have something to say on this subject.  If you would like to write a "guest blog" on the topic, related at least loosely to leadership, please email me your post and if I agree I'll post it and give you full credit.

My email address is:  rlupchurch@gmail.com

Looking forward to hearing from you.

It's Not Rocket Science - 2

This might be difficult for some to understand, but in almost every job there are approximately 1-5 tasks which determine the success of the individual in the position, but approximately 100-1000 tasks which somehow need to be accomplished.

One of the first things to do in ANY job is to determine which out of all the many tasks, will be the ones which define success (TWDS - tasks which define success), and make those a priority.  This is NOT rocket science, but it is probably one of the most ignored principles.  It is also one of the most challenging because often the TWDS are not clearly differentiated from all the others.  Sadly, in some cases the Supervisor can't even clearly articulate the TWDS, even though intuitively he/she knows when you are succeeding or failing based on these nebulous TWDS.

You can identify the TWDS by starting with the position description and listing out the potential TWDS from that document.  Next comes sitting with the Supervisor and discussing priorities, such as: "if there is only so much time, which of the following do you feel should be the higher priority?"  Finally comes experience; in performing the actual work, which tasks seem to have the greatest propensity for institutional success if accomplished well, or failure if neglected or performed poorly.  This process should identify at least some of the TWDSs.  Keep refining it - there are rarely more than five, and then build the rest of your job around making sure these get done.

The individuals who succeed and are promoted have already figured this out.  There are many others who work just as hard or harder who never seem to be appreciated and are never promoted.  It's not rocket science, it is simply identifying the TWDS and then making sure they are the top priority.

It's Not Rocket Science - 1

After making that statement in my last post I though I would elaborate on a few other leadership related topics which would fall under this heading.  Keep in mind that even though I say "it's not rocket science" knowing that has not kept me from stumbling in most of the areas I'll mention in these posts.

When you start a new job, listen more than you talk!  This is definitely NOT rocket science.  There will be a LOT of things going on at the new job which you may THINK you understand but because you are unaware of certain factors, don't really understand at all.  Ask all the questions you want, in fact the more questions you ask the better.  However, be VERY cautious in stating opinions until you have listened carefully first.  Also, NEVER make disparaging comments about your interactions with another employee, either past or current.  As soon as you do you'll find out that the person you are talking about is the brother (or sister) of the person you are talking to and you can pretty much write off a good working relationship with that person until you can (hopefully) repair the breach.  In fact, as my Mother used to say, "if you can't find something nice to say, don't say it all."  That is obviously too simplistic and sometimes hard things have to be done and said, however, to do so without adequate information will create more problems than it solves.

So:   When you start a new job, listen more than you talk!

Proactive vs Reactive

I'm confident that most of those reading this will know the difference between the two words in the title:

Proactive - creating or controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than responding to it after it has happened.

Reactive - acting in response to a situation rather than creating or controlling it.

I also think that most would believe themselves to be, in general, Proactive.  That is, that they typically create or control the situations in which they find themselves by causing something to happen.  They take initiative.  While most would say this describes them, they would be WRONG.

Individuals who are primarily proactive are relatively rare.  They are usually self-confident, think strategically, and like to win.   They are leaders and their proclivity to be proactive usually elevates them within their organization to the higher levels of leadership, although this can be affected by other variables, e.g. the presence of character flaws and/or lack of social skills, and is not always the case.

Outside of these rare individuals, most the rest of us are primarily REACTIVE.  When a situation occurs we react.  Now, obviously, being reactive is not all bad, however, by and large those who are primarily reactive have little time to see the bigger picture because they are always putting out fires, fixing problems, and trying to stay on top of things.  This is also called management by some.  However, for reactivity to move into the area of management there must also be a component of leadership (this is not leadership per se, but simply a small aspect of leadership) which is able to understand AND direct energy toward the fulfillment of a goal, thus blending in some proactivity.

Individuals who are primarily REACTIVE often feel victimized, or as if they are caught on a treadmill.  They say they are part of the machine and have little job satisfaction.  They almost always feel there is nothing they can do to change their circumstances and are consigned to live like this until they die.

Those who feel this way are, wait for it,  . . . WRONG!  Proactive and Reactive are not fixed personality traits which are locked in stone.  Anyone can become Proactive, or at least move to become MORE proactive if they choose to do so.  But first you have to accept that it is POSSIBLE, then you must begin to take steps to move beyond being merely reactive.

Where to start.  The next time you react to a situation.  STOP and ask what caused the situation and consider options about what you could personally do to make sure the situation doesn't occur again, and then DO something.  

That's it, its not rocket science.  Simply STOP, ASK, THINK, and ACT (SATA).  The more you do this, the more your life comes back into your own control and your confidence increases.  Oh, and you also win more.

8 Shifts Young (and old) Leaders Need to Make (link)

Great post that describes the shifts in thinking and perspective necessary for leaders in this age:

From Entitlement to Honor
From Unreliable to Consistent
From Dissension to Cooperation
From Conformity to Integrity
From Pride to Humility
From Passive to Passionate
From Selfishness to Love
From Premature to Patient

To read the article follow the link below.

Leading Blog: A Leadership Blog: 8 Shifts Young Leaders Need to Make.

Scaling Excellence - What I learned

In several earlier posts I've included quotes from the chapters of Scaling Up Excellence by Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao.    Now I want to tell you some of the things that I'll take away from this book.

Let me say as I go through this list, everything you will see here can be found in various places in the Bible.  The principles of scaling have to do with justice, loyalty, mission, commitment, and faith.

Nip bad behavior in the bud.  This may sound like a Duh statement, but I've seen too many times, and been guilty of it myself, to know that sometimes bad behavior is ignored hoping it will just go away.  In almost every case it doesn't go away and eventually the leader who, for whatever reason, even if seemingly noble, will have to deal with a sticky issue that can even negatively impact his/her own career.  Nip bad behavior in the bud!

Communication cannot be overstated.  Silos are the bane of scaling and effective growth, and yet most of our structures promote silos where all the information for a particular department is kept within that department.  Usually there is no malicious intent, however, the effect of the siloing of information is just as bad whether the intent was malicious or not.  The bottom line is that information to be empowering must be shared.  Effective internal communication is an absolute necessity and at the forefront of that must be the continual casting of vision by the leader.

Cut cognitive load.  This is a challenging lesson for me because I tend to think I can do everything and that to add one more thing . .. and one more thing . . .and one more thing will work out.  It doesn't!!  The illustrations and research in chapter four have helped me to realize that if you want to grow you have to build infrastructure AND you have to give people time to adjust to the changes.  The message for me is that scaling for growth often means to SLOW down.  I know, this is counter intuitive but too many times I can see where I've failed is trying to add too much too fast thinking that everyone will eventually catch up only to watch a project fail.  

Building new and better rituals is something I have had success at in the past.  Implementing new incentive programs, or celebrations, etc., are a lot more important than most realize.  In fact, this might even be a hidden secret that undermines many projects causing long-term failure even when it looks like you are gaining short-term wins.  

Finally, scaling is not a hit and run endeavor.  As the authors say, "It's a Ground war, not just an Air war."  If you aren't serious about scaling and willing to personally invest time and energy over a broad time span, then don't be surprised if the scaling effort fails.  There are no quick fixes or silver bullets which can cause scaling to happen.  Those who are looking for the quick fix, may see initial success and believe the ship has righted itself and is heading toward success, only to find it turned broadside to a huge wave which capsizes the ship. 

Good book with some great lessons we can all benefit from.

20 Collaborative Teaching Tips

One of the areas where I have some responsibility is regarding faculty.  That can include hiring, scheduling, evaluating, and development, which is code for "enhancing instructional delivery."  Because most faculty default to teaching the way they were taught, i.e. LECTURE, I am constantly on the look out for examples and ideas for fostering a more effective pedagogy.  This is an article on teaching tips which can be used with some modification in any classroom.  College instructors will be MUCH more effective if they can realize the goal is Student LEARNING, not teaching in the traditional sense of pontificating from the lofty peak of knowledge to the beggars down below.  That may seem funny, but it is too often true.

Here is the link to the article:  20 Collaborative Teaching Tips.  Hope you enjoy it AND hope you use some of them.  Please respond back to this post if you do and share your experience.

Gratitude Challenge

My sister, Rita Stanley, recently completed a Gratitude Challenge on facebook where she was challenged to post daily for 10 days something for which she was grateful.  At the end of her challenge, she nominated me to accept the challenge.  Below are my 10 posts from facebook, although I didn't make them daily.  I did find that this challenge got me thinking about the many things for which I am truly grateful and helped me frame a perspective on my life that was helpful.

Perhaps you should start your own Gratitude Challenge through your network???

Day 1. I am grateful for the Grace of God. Without that grace I would be totally lost. I stumble along, trying, mostly, to live a life of love, but recognize that I often (daily?, hourly? every minute???) say or do things that hurt others, and sadden God. BUT HIS Grace is sufficient, and each day is new. Yes, I am so thankful and grateful for Grace that it brings tears to my eyes to think of it. Blessed be the Name of the LORD forever.

Day 2 (actually post 2 - I think I will have trouble posting daily)  I'm grateful to have been raised in a Christian home by godly parents who genuinely lived their faith. They made sure we were in church each week. They raised us to be responsible, hard working, and to know the difference between right and wrong. We were spanked when we needed it, encouraged to strive to excel, and praised when we deserved it. Most importantly, they loved us and showed it in many ways. There really isn't enough that could be said for the blessings I received from, and still receive, from their influence.

Day 3 - I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to go to college, parents willing to support that decision, and the perseverance (God's grace, again) to finish. I know this may sound trivial but that decision has opened doors in my life and I truly believe what I received there has enriched me, and hopefully others along the way. One of the greatest blessings to come from that opportunity was meeting and marrying the most wonderful woman in the world. May God be praised.

Day 4 - I'm grateful for the mentors who invested in my life, many without even knowing it through their books and material, starting with my Dad and Uncles while working in construction. Ellis would say, "I've forgotten more than you'll ever know" referring to building houses, and he was right, but along the way he, Bill and my Dad taught me a lot, about building, and also about being a man. Others would include Dave Kruse, John Conley, George Lyons, Ken Hendricks, Joe Brown, Neil Strait, Harold Henderson, Ron Shape, and many others. I'm still being mentored . . . and trying to pass it on by mentoring others.

Day 5 - I'm grateful for my health. I have had more opportunity that some to know the devastating effects poor health can have upon a person, and those they love. I also know the illusory and transient nature of "good health"; that it can change in the blink of an eye and through no fault of your own. Up to this point in my life I have experienced relatively good health, praise God, and I'm thankful for that for as long as it lasts.

Day 6 - I'm grateful for the adversity which has come into my life. Actually I HATE the adversity which has come into my life, but I have discovered that it has made me a better person, and for that I am grateful. Just out of college, most acquaintances and colleagues would have included four words to describe me: arrogant, opinionated, pompous, and jerk. Now, 30+ years later I think less than half would use those four words in describing me . . . a definite improvement!! Seriously, no one likes the hard things which come into their life but God knows us well and knows what we can stand and what we are capable of becoming. I'm grateful that God has trusted me enough to allow me some valleys to go through, and I'm especially grateful that He has walked through them with me.

Day 7 - I'm grateful to have a job. Even more than that, I'm grateful to have a job that I like, where I'm proud to work, that pays well, has benefits, and allows me to pay my bills. I've been unemployed and I've been employed at jobs where I hated going to work every single day. If I had to choose, I would take employed over unemployed, but to have a job and it be a good job is truly a blessing. I am fortunate to have people to work with who I enjoy being around, a supervisor who appreciates me and shows me respect, and work that is interesting and benefits others. Thank you, God for this great blessing of work.

Day 8 - I'm grateful for friends. I wouldn't dare try to mention specific names for fear of missing someone, but I can say that I have been blessed with many friends across the years who have touched my life and made me better. In some cases we have lost touch or gone down different paths in others we see each other rarely but when we do it is always as if we had never been apart. All of life can be reduced to relationships and I have been truly enriched by the friends who have shared themselves with me, for this I am grateful.

Day 9 - I'm grateful for family. I have practically perfect parents, simply super siblings (Ron & Pam, Rita & Trevor), nice nephews and nieces & their families, and ideal in-laws. I am grateful for each one. We've been a part of each others lives for decades now and I am blessed by each one. I'm grateful for my darling daughter, Erika Kathleen Upchurch, who is a constant delight, for sons who are both serious and silly upon occasion but always super: Richard Upchurch (with great girlfriend Morgan Alcorn) & Brandon Upchurch (with wonderful wife, Karen).  It is said you don't get to choose your family and I suppose that is true, but if I did get to choose, this is the family I would choose.

Day 10 - I'm grateful for my wife, Mary Margaret. We met on the first day I started at Olivet Nazarene College (now University) in September 1974. We didn't immediately hit it off but that soon changed. Now we've been married 38 years. MM is my best friend. Her love for me is unwavering, she supports me completely, and has gladly joined me as we have moved around the country all with the patience of a saint. I am blessed that God brought her into my life.

Scaling Up Excellence - Chapter 7

Here are some selected quotes from Chapter 7 of Scaling Up Excellence by Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao.  What you are not getting by just reading these quotes are the real life stories and examples which brings the principles to life. I know you would enjoy reading the stories and examples that go with these principles.  This chapter was worth the price of the whole book and if you could read only one chapter, this would be the one I would recommend.

Chapter 7 - Bad is Stronger Than Good: Clearing the Way for Excellence

"Destructive behaviors of just about ever stripe - selfishness, nastiness, anxiety, laziness, dishonesty, for example - pack a bigger wallop than constructive behaviors.  That may seem unfair.  But leaders and teams in organizations that scale effectively realize that, to clear the way for spreading and sustaining something good, they've got to take out the bad and keep it out. p. 220,221

"...bad events have a stronger, more lasting impact than good ones and that negative actions and feelings are more contagious than positive...." p. 221

"The researchers discovered that negative interactions with bosses and coworkers had a five times greater impact on their moods than positive interactions." p. 222

"Several factors help explain why people who witness bad behavior in organizations and elsewhere don't move to stop it - and shed light on how to encourage them to intervene.  Ambiguity is the first reason.  Subsequent studies show that, even in situations that may seem dangerous or destructive to casual observers, witnesses are often unsure whether events are bad enough to warrant intervention." p. 224,225

"The lesson is, to stop destructive behavior in organizations, you've got to remove any doubt among witnesses that the words and eeds in question are indeed, very bad." p. 225

"The second factor is what Darley and Latane` called 'diffusion of responsibility' - even though bystanders may recognize a situation as bad, with so many others around, surely someone else will do the right thing (or has done so already)." p. 225

"The third factor is that, because no one else is helping, people may worry that other witnesses may disapprove if they jump and do what they believe is right."  po. 225

"...the outcome of spreading excellence depends on a process that enables people to prevent and eliminate destructive attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors." p.230

8 Methods for scaling teams can use for 'breaking bad'

1.  Nip it in the Bud

"A host of studies confirm that it is best to nip bad behavior in the bud."  p. 231

"...clearing the way for excellence in organizations depends on being a stickler about stamping out destructive behavior.  If you look the other way or decide that some small violation isn't worth dealing with thing, things can quickly degenerate." p. 231

"... at times you've got to give employees negative feedback and you may need to fire or lay people off - but 'there is a difference between what you do and how you do it.' The best bosses nip bad behavior in the bud but treat people with dignity in the process." p. 232

2.  Get Rid of the Bad Apples

"...the best leaders and teams act quickly and decisively to remove destructive characters when lesser measures fail.  And one of the most reliable ways to eradicate a destructive mindset is to remove the bad apples." p. 233

3.  Plumbing before Poetry

"The theory suggests that getting people to focus on the small, mundane, and sometimes gritty details of organizational life is an effective path for eliminating the negative.  In March's lingo, you'd better fix the plumbing before you start spouting out poetry." p. 237

4.  Adequacy Before Excellence

"before we labor to spread something marvelous - the first order of business hould be to drive out bad behavior." p. 239

"CEB's surveys of over seventy-five thousand customers revealed that most aren't looking for over-the-top service; they enjoy it when it happens, but what drives them away - and really hurts companies - is bad service." p. 240

5.  Use the Cool Kids (and Adults) to Define and Squelch Bad Behavior

"...the kinds of people that you recruit for a scaling effort, and when you recruit them, have a big impact on success." p. 241

"an effective way o eliminate the negative is to recruit the most admired and connected people in your organization, teach them what 'bad' looks like, and encourage them to stop being perpetrators." p. 243

6.  Kill the Thrill

"...finding ways to reduce such thrills, and replace them with more constructive ones, is a tough but rewarding challenge. p. 246,247

7.  Time Shifting: From Current to Future Selves

8.  Focus on the Best Times, The Worst Times, and the End.

"Daniel Kahneman's 'peak-end rule':  no matter how good or bad an experience is, or how long it lasts, judgements about it are shaped disproportionally by the best and worst moments and if it ended well or badly." p.249

Warning Signs: Five Dangerous Feelings.

"The first dangerous feeling is fear of taking responsibility, especially the sense that it is safer to do nothing, or something bad, than the right thing." p. 251

"The second bd feeling is the fear of being ostracized, or socially excluded." p. 253

" the third dangerous feeling is anonymity.  That feeling that on one is watching you very closely, so you can do whatever you want - be selfish, dishonest, unpleasant, free-riding, or a bit careless about your work." p 254

"The fourth waring sign is feelings of injustice.  Numerous studies show that when people feel as if they are getting a raw deal from their boss or employer they give less in return; bad behavior runs rampant; and effort, efficiency, quality, civility, and other excellence metrics plummet." p. 256

"The fifth dangerous feeling is helplessness.  When people believe that they are powerless to stop bad forces and events, they shirk responsibility, fail to act, lay low, and hide." p. 257
 

 

Scaling Up Excellence - Chapter 6

Here are some selected quotes from Chapter 6 of Scaling Up Excellence by Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao.  What you are not getting by just reading these quotes are the real life stories and examples which brings the principles to life. I know you would enjoy reading the stories and examples that go with these principles.

Chapter 6 - Connect People and Cascade Excellence: Using Social Bonds to Spread the Right Mindset

"Ignorance, mediocrity, and mistakes run rampant when organizations fail to link the right people to the right information at the right time.  This is true even when everyone involved has the best of intentions and even when someone somewhere knows exactly what to do (but no one has figured out how to get the information to those who need it)" p. 174

"...scaling hinges on discovering (or creating) pockets of excellence and connecting the people who have it and their ideas and expertise to others." p. 175

"...some leaders believe - or pretend to believe - that just by spreading a thin coat of something good, deep pockets of excellence will somehow magically form.  but the connect-and-cascade process doesn't work that way." p. 182

"Scaling is sometimes led by teams that have limited skill or experience with what they spread - and sometimes on one in their network is very adept at it either.  Yet, as the scaling team nd the groups and units that hey help gain more experience, true excellence can emerge." p. 182

"Studies of persuasion and social networks suggest that starting with a diverse group proels scaling for other reasons.  Such breadth means that a team is linked to more 'nodes' in the organizations's network" to the varied departments, locations, functions, and levels of the pecking order where each member is stationed, as well as to their numerous (and often nonoverlapping) informal friendships, groups, and affiliations." p.. 183

"Scaling stalls when you start with a bunch of clones.  Early on, you need a team with different, largely nonoverlapping, connections so that when they flock back together with others like them they will influence more parts of the network." p. 185

"Over 80 percent of women who own businesses in the United States were Girl Scouts, as were nearly 60 percent of current female U.S. congressional representatives and 70 percent of female senators.  Almost every female U.S. astronaut who has flown in space was a Girl Scout, as were all three U.S. female secretaries of state, and all five female governors of U.S. states in 2013."  p. 192

"Scaling doesn't succeed until the networks you build are buzzing with constructive actions that reflect and reinforce the goodness that you aim to spread.  In this spirit, we offer seven tools for 'making nets work.'" p.198

1.  The Top-Down Approach

"Hierarchies come in handy for creating a domino chain reaction that starts from the top and cascades down the pecking order." p. 199

2.  Broadcast Your Message Out to One and All

3.  Surround Them:  Have the Many Teach the Few

"One of the most effective - jif inefficient - ways to spread new behaviors and beliefs is to take one person, or a small team, and embed them among large numbers of people who already eat, live and breathe the mindset that you want them to embrace." p. ,

4.  One on One: The Power of Pairs

"Pairings are also critical for spreading change: not just for teaching new ideas and skills but also for persuading others to support and smooth implementation.  A key challenge in using this approach is figuring who is best paired with whom." p. 202,203

5.  From the Few to the Many

"This is the classic scaling strategy: a group of determined people bands together and labors to slowly spread their mindset, and associated actions and skills, throughout an organization or other network." p .204

"...successful scaling depends on never forgetting that you are fighting a groud war raterh than an air war.  The few must use their grit and skill to teach and convert others, who, in turn, start the domino chain of goodness in motion." p. 205

6.  Brokers: Bridging Disconnected Islands

"When a pocket of people have got something good, but no path connects them and their knowledge to others who need it, excellence can't spread."  "This is where people and groups called 'brokers' or 'knowledge brokers' come in - they become bridges between otherwise disconnected people groups, or organizations." p. 206

7.  Create Crossroads Where People Connect

"When it comes to scaling excellence in and across organizations, bazaarlike settings enable people to build new connections and strengthen old ones - largely through one-on-one interactions." p. 210

Create a Common Heartbeat

"Recent studies show that when people share rhythms with others they develop stronger emotional bonds and are more likely to pitch in for the common good." p. 212

"The key lesson is that scaling is propelled by leaders who think and act like 'connectors.' A big part of this role involves exposing or creating links that ought to be made for the greater good.  Many scaling veterans are adept at asking questions that reveal missing or weak links, which sets the stage for building stronger networks." p.215

"'confirmation,' the tendency to trust remember, and act only on information that supports what you already believe.  Confirmation bias is fueled when they reward subordinates and peers who flatter them, skew the data to confirm their views, screen out messengers and messages that deliver news they don't want to hear - and ridicule and punish people who present them with uncomfortable truths they don't want to accept." p.218

Scaling up Excellence - Chapter 5

Here are some selected quotes from Chapter 5 of Scaling Up Excellence by Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao.  What you are not getting by just reading these quotes are the real life stories and examples which brings the principles to life. I know you would enjoy reading the stories and examples that go with these principles.

Chapter 5 - The People Who Propel Scaling:  Build Organizations Where "I Own the Place and the Place Owns Me"

"the capacity for effective scaling depends on both bringing in the right people (people with the right training and skills) and having people who feel compelled to act in the organization's best interests ('accountability') and who press one another to act that way too." p.139

"Many, perhaps most, organizations that scale effectively get the job done by depending less on hiring fully formed superstars and more on selecting promising people - and then teaching and motivating them to do exceptional work." p.142

7 means for identifying people who act as fif they own the place and it owns them.

1.  Squelch Free Riding

"When people feel accountable to their colleagues and customers, they feel obligated to expend extra effort and make sacrifices for the greater good." p. 150

2.  Inject Pride and Righteous Anger

"collective pride and aggressiveness . . . turn people's attention toward concerns that are larger than themselves, bind group or organization members together, and are contagious.  And they are more willing to take difficult, even personally risky, actions for the greater good." p. 155

3.  Bring in Guild-Prone Leaders

"A 2012 study suggests that when leaders are prone to feeling guilty, they are especially likely to display concern for others and to put the greater good ahead of their personal goals and glory.  ...guilt prone leaders have a strong sense of personal responsibility for their actions and are attuned to the impact of their decisions on others."  p. 159

"...guild-prone people often emerge as leaders because - to avoid feeling bad about not meeting their responsibilities or hurting others - they work hard and selflessly to help their groups and organization achieve goals."  p. 159

"...guilt-prone people are more likely to emerge as leaders and to be more effective leaders than others." p. 159

4.  "I'll be Watching You": Use Subtle Cues to Prime Accountability

5.  Create the Right "Gene Pool"

"Dearing observed that the most successful founders are prone to certain "cognitive distortions": biased, even objectively inaccurate, wasy they thin of themselves and filter information that enable them to make quicker and better decisions, bounce back from setbacks, and attract talent." p. 164

"Even when you heir the right people, the experiences and training you provide are crucial for spreading the right beliefs, behaviors, and skills.  In other words, the people make the place and the place makes the people." p. 165

"Scaling up an organization also requires constantly reconsidering the kinds of talent that you have, need, and ought to hire and incubate." p. 166

6.  Use Other Organizations as Your HR Department

7.  Hire People Prewired to Fit Your Mindset

Scaling Up Excellence, Chapter 4

Here are some selected quotes from Chapter 4 of Scaling Up Excellence by Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao.  What you are not getting by just reading these quotes are the real life stories and examples which brings the principles to life. This was one of my favorite chapters and I definitely learned somethings I didn't know before.

Chapter 4 Cut Cognitive Load

"...scaling entails subjecting people to an onslaught of unfamiliar, difficult, and upsetting changes and chores.  The sheer volume and complexity often overwhelms the 'working memory' of the individuals who do it, which produces blind spots and bad decisions and saps their willpower.  Researchers call this condition 'cognitive overload.'" p. 99

"As organizations expand and mature, rather than rationing or subtracting load, leaders and teams often pile on so many metrics, procedures, and chores that people lose the capacity and willpower to do the right things." p. 99

"...cognitive load is another reason that scaling is the Problem of More.  It can tax human minds and organizations beyond what they can bear.  When that happens, people ignore their best intentions, work on the wrong tasks, shift focus too often, and perform less well at everything they attempt." p. 101

"After devoting nearly fifty years to studying group effectiveness, the late J. Richard Hackman concluded that, for most tasks, the best size is four to six."p. 102

"Two Pizza Rule:  development teams can be no larger than the number of people who can be fed by two pizzas." p. 102

"Scaling requires a pehchant for parsimony, for understanding the nuances of an organization and its people so you can make things as simple as possible - but no simpler." p. 110

1.  Subtraction as a Way of Life

"Leaders and teams that spread excellence act the same way, ruthlessly spotting and removing crummy or useless rules, tools, and fools that colg up the works and cloud people's minds." p. 110

2. Make People Squirm

"If you aren't upsetting people, you aren't pushing hard enough." p. 117

"...people become risk averse and distraught at the 'prospect' of losing something they already have, even if they get something more valuable instead.  These negative reactions to losing something familiar are magnified when people invest time and effort in something." p. 118

3.  Bring on the Load Busters: Subtraction by Addition

"The writer Austin O'Malley said, 'Memory is a crazy old woman who hoards colored rags and throws away food .' Not only do human beings have lousy memories, but the things that we do recall, ruminate over, and act on are often trivial and useless - 'colored rags' that clog our consciousness, sapping ouir capacity to remember and act on more crucial concerns." p. 119

4.  Divide and Conquer

"The division of labor always creates demands for integration, especially when multiple teams and departments in different locations must mesh activities together in tight and timely ways.  Even when coordination is less daunting, every team and organization depends on people with enough general knowledge to grasp how the system fits together and enough particular knowledge about each part to do specific tasks well." p. 125

5.  Bolster Collective Brainpower: Increase Cognitive Capacity Instead of Adding More People

"There are times when outsiders bring fresh ideas that help broken organizations and projects abandon obsolete and destructive mindsets. . . . Yet too many tales of outsiders who gallop in to save the day don't have happy endings." p. 127

"Whether you are selecting a leader, scaling up a new team or organization, or running an existing project team, sticking with savvy insiders and stable teams and blending people who have worked together before are better paths.  Stable teams are more adept at drawing on each other's strengths and countering their weaknesses, and they mesh together their ideas and actions more efficiently and reliably." p. 127,128

"If you are forming a new team, or fixing an old one, try to bring in at least two or three people who have worked together effectively before." p. 128

"Speaking of talented women, if you want a smarter team, make sure that it has a lot of them.  Groups with higher percentages of women had greater 'collective intelligence,' performing better on cognitively demanding tasks, from 'visual puzzles to negotiations, brainstorming, games and complex rule-based design assignments." p. 129

"People also have a greater capacity when they aren't worn down by work and worry.  When people get enough sleep, they are more adept at difficult tasks, are more interpersonally sensitive, make better decisions, and are less likely to turn nasty." p. 130

Give Ground Grudgingly

"Scaling requires a balancing act.  The aim is to travel forward in the sweet spot between too much and too little complexity as your footprint expands to more people and places - and without swamping people with more load than they can handle." p. 132

"As organizations and programs grow, the same superflat hierarchy and lightweight systems that promoted success in the early days can gum up the works" p. 133

"The art of giving ground grudgingly requires biding your time and staying vigilant until clear but less than catastrophic problems pop up - a few muffed handoffs, minor screw ups by good people, or a surprising conflict."  p.135

"...running an organization as close to maximum capacity as possible for as long as possible is a recipe for scaling disaster." p. 135