There is an I in Team.

While I have not read this book yet, I was intrigued by the review and thought you might find it interesting.

The I in Team

The often repeated phrase, “There’s no ‘I’ in TEAM” is only half true. It ignores the fact that great teams have great individual members. And high performing teams are not always easy places to be. Mark de Rond acknowledges in There Is an I in Team, that “with few exceptions, the qualities that make individuals as gifted as they are can make them wearisome as team members.”  for the rest of the review see the link below.

http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadingblog/2012/08/the_i_in_team.html

If I were a new pastor . . . Part 4

11.  Time management will be one of your greatest challenges.  In a normal job you start at a fixed time and end at a fixed time.  This is NOT true in ministry.  There will be demands from all sides, every one insisting that they are VERY important.  Your ability to balance your time and correctly attribute priorities will be one of the things which will mark you as effective . . . nor not.  If you have not already read it, go out now and buy Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and read it/study it and practice what it says.  If you have read it - RE-READ it!  It will not only give you excellent and practical guidance in time management but provide some excellent and practical advice in other areas.

12.  Prayer IS important . . . and will be the first thing pushed out of your schedule unless you are careful.  Insist on keeping sacred a fixed time with God, and increase that time until you are regularly (at least 4 times a week) spending at least an hour at a time in focused prayer.  This may mean re-learning what prayer really is, it may mean changing how you think about God, BUT PRAYER IS IMPORTANT.

13.  EVERYBODY has an agenda.  In most cases their agenda is benign or possibly even beneficial.  In some cases there will be individuals with an agenda which they believe is beneficial but it runs crosswise with your vision and/or your understanding of God's will for the church or your ministry.  In a few cases, there will be individuals with an agenda which is entirely self-serving under the guise of being spiritual.  If you remember that EVERYONE has an agenda and pause to consider what that might be BEFORE you act, you will be more likely to find the right path.  This may sound easy but I can assure you that it is rarely black and white and the shades of gray can be very confusing.  Go slow, pray hard, and make sure you have some godly counselors you can consult if needed.

What Got You Here Won't Get You There

What Got You Here Won't Get You There, by Marshall Goldsmith

The book is arranged in four sections:

1. The Trouble with Success
2. The Twenty Habits That Hold You Back from the Top
3. How We Can Change for the Better
4. Pulling Out the Stops

As I stated in an earlier post, this book is more about honing your people skills than strategies for achieving corporate advancement.  However, as the author makes clear, it is precisely the people skills which keep most from achieving the kind of corporate advancement they desire. 

Goldsmith states "Given the choice between becoming a nicer person and ceasing to be a jerk, which do you think is easier to do?" p. 38.  This is the operational philosophy, i.e. focus on ceasing to be a jerk by targeting specific behaviors for change.  Although the author as a consultant uses a 360 degree anonymous review process to identify which behaviors to target, there is sufficient material in the book to assist anyone who cares enough to improve their behavior.  I saw myself in several of the 20 habits in section 2 and learned some ways to make minor changes which can have big results.

"As you go through life, contemplating the mechanics of success and wondering why some people are successful and others are not, you'll find this s one of the defining traits of habitual winners:  They stack the deck in their favor.  And they're unabashed about it."  p. 180  Using the material in this book does just that - it stacks the deck in your favor and I would consider this a "must-read," not to mention enjoyable.

Execution Book Study - Session 5

This was the final session of the book study on the book Execution by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan.  We discussed chapter 8 & 9 in this session.

Probably the most significant thing to rise up out of chapter 8, and perhaps in this study as a whole, was the importance of connecting the people process to the strategic process.  The authors also pose these questions regarding the strategic plans:  Is the plan plausible and realistic?  Is it internally consistent?  Does it match the critical issues and the assumptions?  Are people committed to it?  These questions and others addressed in this chapter reiterate another focus that has come to the front as we have gone through the study:  ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.  The focus on asking questions as part of the execution process has surfaced repeatedly as one of the crucial roles of the leader whose desire is execution.

In chapter 9 the link between the strategic plan and the operations process is discussed.  Without this link the strategic process is typically a paperweight that reflects a "checked that off" mentality, instead of a culture of execution.  HOW will you get done what you have laid out in the strategic plan?  One interesting thing which came to light in the conversation is that some of the campus leaders have strategic plans for their campuses and others don't.  This final session has pointed out the need to rectify that missing piece, but also to make sure the strategic plan is connected to an operations process in relationship to people and budget.

The operation plan is summarized here:
1.  Set the targets connected to the strategic goals
2.  Develop action plans which will hit those targets (keeping in mind the need for contingency planning)
3.  Get agreement and closure from all the participants, establishing follow-through measures to make sure people are meeting their commitments or work up corrective steps if the aren't.

Sounds easy but requires the exercise of leadership.

If I were a new pastor . . . Part 3

8.  Don't change your focus with each new fad.  Pick a lane and stay in it.  Too often pastors seek to find a magic bullet which will solve their church's perceived problems and when there is not an immediate improvement, they move on to another idea.  Slow down!  Stay focused and give your plan time to work.  Set reasonable time lines for re-evaluation, but DON'T keep changing things.  All this does is undermine your credibility as a leader.

9.  Ministry is a high commitment profession and the minister's family has to be able to accept that there will be some sacrifices both in the economic and quantity of time available.  But there should not be any lessening of the quality of time.  Make your family a priority, realizing that at some times they might not be the top priority, they should never doubt your devotion and commitment to them.  If you fail your family you shouldn't be serving as a pastor to begin with.

10.  As much as possible, make your ministry a team effort involving your spouse and children.  You will be happier and so will they.  Too often the families of ministers begin to resent the church and God.  You have to work to avoid this by involving them, not forcing them, in your life and ministry.  They need to perceive God's love for people and see how you handle compassion and service as a response to love instead of a burden and a chore.

If I were a new pastor . . . Part 2

5.  Speaking of survival.  It is true you don't have to survive, you must simply follow the will of God. However, the interpretation of God's will is often not as rigid, at least in some areas as in others.  Wisdom will dictate a course based on love for the people, passion for God (which is essentially the same thing) and only then projects based out of your gifts, desires, etc.  if you get this backwards your effectiveness will be diminished possibly to the point that you will find staying at that church unacceptable, or worse, not possible.  Of course you can blame the hard hearts of the congregation, but you will know deep in your soul that you mixed up your priorities.

6.  You will likely be responsible for preaching at least weekly if not more often.  This is a primary responsibility which demands your full attention.  The more effective you are here the greater your credibility in affecting change in other arenas.  Preaching that connects with the congregation is the goal.  They should always leave with a clear idea of the core message from the sermon, along with an action step.

7.  Don't neglect to keep growing by exposing yourself to reading new books and talking with your peers and mentors about your personal development.  You should always be reading at least 4 books at a time:  a leadership book, a devotional, a novel, and a book devoted to some aspect of ministry.   Never, never, never ignore your own intellectual growth.

If I were a new pastor . . . Part 1

What should I know if I became the pastor of a new church, or if I was a newly assigned pastor in my first church?  Apart from the given that you will be a devoted follower of Jesus Christ and knowledgeable about the Bible there are a few things which are often overlooked in many books devoted to this topic.

1.  Your people skills matter to the congregation at least as much as your knowledge of the Bible.  This might not seem right or fair to you, but look at it from the perspective of the average layman who depends on you for guidance and support.  If you were a doctor, this would be called your bedside manner and indeed Pastor's are often called to be by the bedside of the dying and console the bereaved family members.  You will never achieve the kind of impact you would like to if you ignore this important aspect of ministry.  Every Pastor, and leader of all types for that matter, should immediately go out and buy, read and study Dale Carenegie's book  How to Win Friends and Influence People.

2.  You will occasionally be the recipient of gifts.  It might be tomatoes out of a garden or a handshake at the end of a worship service with a $20 bill in it.  Every time, without fail, no matter the size of the gift or the person offing it, you MUST write out a thank you card.  Some will not care if you do, but for others it will be a telling blow about your character if you don't, and may be used to describe you in the heat of the moment.  "Well, I've not found the Pastor or his wife to be particularly grateful."  Perception is truth, so make sure you are perceived as being grateful -every time.

3.  Find out who is related to whom as soon as possible.  This can save you untold embarrassment and possible unforgivable missteps.  If you can't understand why this is important, you a in the wrong job.

4.  Build relationships first, getting to know people and the history of the church BEFORE attempting to change very much.  Again, this will save you embarrassment and missteps which may be greater than your ability to survive.

More to follow

New book?

This looks like an interesting read

http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadingblog/2012/08/leadership_by_choice.html

Execution Book Study - Session 4

In this session we discussed chapters 6 and 7 of Execution by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan.

Chapter 6 focused on the People Process

This chapter delivered not only an excellent reminder of the importance of getting the right people into the right places, but offered some interesting tools to assist in the process.  The Leadership Assessment Summary and the Continuous Improvement Summary were both noted by those participating as providing a practical way to assess current employees for fit and for potential development.  The importance of leadership grooming was hit upon several times.  This is an area where we can all do a better job in preparing leaders to move up as the opportunity presents itself. 

The linkage of the people process with strategic planning was also discussed.  The relevance here is to take time to look ahead at where you plan to be in your leadership and then to make sure you have the right number and type of people to MAKE SURE you hit your goals.  Probably too many fail at this point because they are not proactive but reactive.

Dealing with succession training and non-performers was also discussed as part of this chapter.  In both cases it comes back to the leader's willingness to deal with the present in a way that prepares for the future.  Lack of leadership defaults on the immediate and is ill prepared for the future, blaming a lot of different excuses without owning the truth.

QUESTION:  What process/plans do you have to make sure you are getting the right people into the right positions?

Chapter 7 The strategy process.

This chapter does a good job as a short summary to strategic planning.  Do you have a strategic plan for your campus/business?  Do you have the right people to achieve your strategic plan?

The authors state that a contemporary strategic plan is in actuality an action plan with identified building blocks which lead to the ultimate goal.  Those building blocks should be a half-dozen or fewer with clear actions that define what needs to be done and by whom and on what deadline.  Once this is clearly defined and the group has committed to the plan, then it is a simple matter of following-up and following through to completion.

QUESTION: Share your strategic plan for your campus.

EQ - the difference between success and the deadend

I started this book, What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshal Goldsmith with the full expectation of not to like it.  I figured it would be one more book which touted the top 7 (or 5 or 9 or 13, etc) things anyone can do to get to the next level.

Although I'm only a little over halfway through the book, I was pleasantly surprised to find that instead of touting a miracle approach to success it focuses on the fundamental aspect of true success which is often overlooked.  The term "emotional intelligence," is not used, or used so sparingly that I've missed it, but that is what this book is about.  How to increase the awareness of our shortfalls in the area of emotional intelligence, and some suggestions about how to address them.  I've already picked up some valuable nuggets!   

 

I will summarize the book in a later post but I thought this might be a good place to list a few other books dealing with this subject which everyone, anyone, who hopes to make it to an upper level of management should read AND incorporate into their life:

• How to Win Friends and Manage People, by Dale Carnegie
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey
• Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee
• Executive EQ:Emotional Intelligence in Leadership and Organizations by Robert Cooper and Ayman Sawaf
• The Resilience Factor: 7 Keys ot Finding Your Inner Strength and Overcoming Life's Hurdles, by Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatte
• Becoming a Resonant Leader: Develop your Emotional Intelligence, Renew your Relationships, Sustain your Effectiveness, by Annie McKee, Richard Boyatzis, and Frances Johnson
• Relational Intelligence:  How Leaders Can Expand Their Influence Through a New Way of Being Smart, by Richard Saccone.
• The Bible

And this is by no means a complete list, just what I have on my shelf that is specific to this topic.  Many other leadership books have sections devoted to this topic precisely because it is so fundamental to success.   If you have any desire to be better and more effective in EVERY part of your life, get one of these books and begin the journey!

 

Turn Around Teams

Here is a review of a new book on teams and how to turn-around a team that is failing.

I think you may want to review it.

Turn Around Your Team!

When falsely accused . . .

I will write this from the perspective of actually being falsely accused, rather than simply refusing to believe the truth in the accusation, as I think, most people are rather expert at twisting the truth to believe they are the subject of injustice far more than owning their reality.  Also, I am writing this in relationship to work situations, i.e. if a supervisor confronts you with an accusation of some inadequacy in your work, attitude, ethical conduct, etc.  With that being said, what should one do if falsely accused:

First, listen carefully to the description of your lack WITHOUT getting defensive.  This is the most important, and possibly the most difficult, thing you can do.  Being defensive, i.e. contradicting and defending your behavior can only escalate the situation, potentially resulting in hasty decisions, or actions, or both.  That is to say, you could quit in the heat of the moment, or get fired because of inflammatory remarks, or even be provoked to violence.  Far better to take a deep breath, or two, or three (it oxygenates the brain and helps you maintain control) and focus on listening.

Second, ask clarifying questions IN A NON-DEFENSIVE tone.  The goal here is to make sure you completely understand the issue being presented, not to defend your actions or honor.  The exception would be if you are specifically asked to make a defense, and even that has to be presented in as logical and rational a manner as possible.

Third, if possible, ask for a short period of time to reflect on the accusation and genuinely try to see the situation from your supervisor's point of view . . . and then determine what actions you could take to avoid the situation happening in the future.  Once you have cooled off enough to discuss the issue share your action plan with your supervisor.  Then do what you said you would do and follow the procedures you were directed to follow.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER make derogatory comments about your supervisor to anyone within the system (co-workers, other supervisors, basically anyone at work) and even avoid negative comments with anyone who is not a very close friend.    These comments will ALWAYS come back to bite you.  No matter how much you trust the person, it WILL get back to your supervisor and you WILL have to answer for your comments (even if it is by standing in the unemployment line).  This also goes for any form of social media: facebook, twitter, linkedin, etc.  It may not seem fair, but social media is public property and many have lost their jobs because of exercising their "freedom of speech."  Remember you have freedom of speech and your supervisor has freedom to fire.

DO find a close friend, spouse or out-of-state relative with whom you can vent.  Everyone needs to let off their frustrations.  How you do it, however, can get you fired if you're not careful.

Finally, if you like your job and are willing to modify your behavior, assuming it is not unethical, you will likely be able to weather these kind of storms and have a long career.  If what you are being asked to do is unethical - report the supervisor up the chain - if that doesn't work find another job - your character is your most valuable asset.  If, however, you don't like your job, think seriously about making a move to a position where you could be happy.

Now you probably didn't want this kind of advice.  After all, you were falsely accused.  Sadly, the rain falls on the just and the unjust ( that means that bad things happen to good people).  So, grasshopper, pay attention to what I have just told you and things will work out.  They always do, eventually.

Everyone has a Story

I woke up in the middle of the night with these thoughts swirling around in my head:

• Everyone has their own story
• Every story matters, to the individual and to those within their circle of influence
• Every story is unique, based off
• Characters in the story and their interaction with the main character
• Choices made by the main character.
• Choices are motivated by:
• Money, or desire for what money can purchase
• Sex, or the desire for physical intimacy
• Power
• Love, or the desire to be loved/cared for/valued 
• Hate
• Choices can have a profound impact upon the story sometimes far beyond the seeming significance of the choice itself
• With discipline it is possible to intentionally make better choices with better outcomes
• Every story is ultimately about relationship
• We exist within a framework/spiderweb of relationships with all of the characters in our story touching and changing us, and being changed by us.
• We can, but often do not, choose the nature of our impact upon others.
• We cannot chose the nature of the impact of others upon us, BUT we can choose, but often do not, our reaction to the impact of others in our life.
• Everyone is part of other people's stories, 
• for some it is a significant overlap as with a spouse wherein they "become one flesh" 
• and with others is is the merest brush like that of a butterfly 
• every touch, no matter how small leaves a mark
• Every relationship is a reflection of our relationship with God

Focus on the choices you make each day - think about them in relationship to others and your own life story.

I just finished Taking People With you: The Only Way to Make Big Things Happen by David Novak.  David Novak is the chairman and CEO of YOU! Brands, Inc., The company's three restaurant chains, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell operate in 117 countries and employees 1.4 million people.

Taking People With You is written in a personable and easy to read style with a lot of insert comments from leaders in the subject area being discussed.  Additionally, Novak has included with each chapter a wide variety of exercises and questions to make practical application of the principles he presents easy for individual or groups to assimilate.

The book is 222 pages long with three parts:

• Part One:  Get Your Mind-set Right
• Be Your Best Self:  Be Yourself, Know Yourself, Grow Yourself
• Be an Avid Learner:  Seek and Buiild Know-how
• Unleash the Power of People
• You Have to Believe It Can be Done
• Part Two:  Have a Plan: Strategy, Structure, Culture
• Strategy:  Tell It Like It Is . . . and How It Could Be
• Strategy:  Create a Vision and Personalize It
• Strategy:  Gain Alignment Every Step of the Way at Every Level
• Structure:  Resources, Organization, and Process Enable Execution
• Culture:  Make "Winning Together" a Big Idea
• Part Three:  Follow Through to Get Results
• Market the Change:  Be a Bold Ad for Your Big Goal
• Understand and Overcome the Barriers to Success
• Use Recognition to Drive Performance
• The Change is Never Over.

Novak's premise is stated in the first line of the introduction is:  "We all need people to help us along the way.  You can only go so far by going it alone. . . . You'll never accomplish anything big if you try to do it alone." p. 1  I thought this book would actually be about that, i.e. how to effectively work with people to mutually succeed.  Instead I found this to be a somewhat disjointed book on leadership principles with a heavy emphasis on marketing.  That's not to say that the principles aren't true and that the material isn't of value - it is, it just wasn't what I was expecting.  I can easily see where the design and presentation of this material would be better suited for some people but I found it to be somewhat disorganized and I constantly labored with the disconnect from the title to what I perceived in the content.  

Here are some of the quotes which I found particularly interesting, although I don't agree with all of them:

• "Remember that it's easier to make powerful ideas practical than it is to make pedestrian ideas powerful." p17
•  "Setting the right goal is the key to achieving success, and leaders often fall short in this area by not aiming high enough." p. 15
• "The bottom line is this:  If you can accurately identify the people you need to make something happen and then get inside their heads, then you will have the best chance of convincing them to help you accomplish big things." p. 22
•  "Leaders need to model the kind of good values they want their organization to live by, including the idea that each and every person in the company matters." p. 76
• "People don't really change until there is enough pain to force them to change, but you better believe that if they're standing on a platform that's on fire, they will be seriously motivated to jump." p. 99
• "You should present evidence that the strides you've made are working, and keep doing this as you make more along the way."p. 105
• "People don't want to go to work to just do their job.  They are most motivated when they know that what they're doing counts and they are helping the team drive toward a powerful vision of the future." p. 114
• "You have to make sure people understand three things:
• What do you want them to do
• What's in it for them
• Are you going to do it too." p. 133
• "Your ability as a leader to attract, develop, and retain people is fundamental to your success." p. 138
• "Sometimes the worst thing you can do as a leader is try to solve all the problems yourself." p. 170
• "You need to market your goal or your initiative in the same dynamic way you would a new product.  You need to keep that goal front and center in the minds of your target audience.  That means you need to get their attention, convince them of its importance, and keep convincing them."  p. 172
• "People are motivated by what is truly measured.  What you choose to measure is a signal to your people as to what you care about and what they need to do to get ahead in your organization." p. 195
• "As the leader, its up to you to determine what success looks like, and you have to make sure you've got the bar in the right place." p. 198
• "Who you choose to recognize has a real effect; it differentiates people, motivates them, and shows those who don't get recognized what it takes to get ahead." p. 201
• "The three best ways to keep the focus are through persistence, constant communication, and by playing like you're behind, even when you're not." p 207
• "You should be going to work every day believing that you'll succeed, but playing as though you're behind in the score.  That's the attitude that will give you the best chance at success."  p. 209

Overall I found a lot to commend in this book for those have the responsibility, and challenge, to lead people and would recommend it especially as a book to use in a group study with teams.

Colin Powell's 13 Rules - I think you'll enjoy this!

Colin Powell's 13 Rules

Do you know your "job?"

I attended a different church yesterday morning.  I had been there a couple of times before; filled out the information card on at least two different occasions.   Did not receive any response from those cards.  The response of the people at this visit, like the previous ones, was lukewarm,  neither inviting, except for a VERY few, nor hostile; apathetic to my presence as a visitor seemed about right.  As I was leaving the service yesterday I intentionally waited until the pastor was by himself at the door and went up to greet him.  He responded with a handshake and then the conversation turned flat.  I mentioned the weather being nice, he agreed and that was that.  No question of who I was, where did I live, etc.  No mention of seeing me in the past or ANY effort to engage me at all.

So I wonder, does that pastor know what his "job" is? 

I'm sure this is a question which MUST be addressed by each of us.  I saw a sign coming into the office building at NAU last week.  It said:  "We are in the people improvement business."  I like that, but how does that play out in what I do, and how likely am I to get lost in my "work" and miss the focus of being in the people improvement business.  I heard a great story from a student graduating last Friday in Minneapolis about how NAU and the education she received has helped changed her life.  A living example of being in the people improvement business!!

Figure out what business you are in . . . and then act like it.

Execution - Book Study, session 3

In this session we discussed chapters 4 and 5 of Execution by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan. 

Chapter 4 dealt with creating the framework for cultural change.  Honestly this particular topic was a little hard to get a firm grip on.  Susan Winton made a connection with Culture Club at NAU which helped for those participating in the discussion.  Essentially the role of Culture Club at the local campus, as she described it, lends itself to building a sense of community around a shared set of values.  In correlation with this book, one of those values would be a focus on execution.  According to the authors, "cultural change gets real when your aim is execution." (p. 86)  They identify three behaviors which produce results in this area: 

1. Tell people clearly what results you're looking for
2. Discuss how to get those results (coaching)
3. Reward people for producing results

Each of these form a part of the culture of execution.  Clear identification of results seems self-explanatory but as some of those present shared, this is not always the case.  Leaders have to be able to discipline and distill their thought processes to make sure they are clearly communicating the results they are looking for - and then be willing to give and take in a conversation to make sure they are clear and what behaviors/actions will produce those results.  This is where the conversation focused on the topic of "robust dialogue."  Robust dialogue is the kind of open discussion where individuals can clearly express themselves and probe for greater understanding as well as offering new or different ideas without threat.  Mark Winkleman suggested using a format found in The Six Thinking Hats to foster this kind of discussion.   For anyone not familiar with this material - this would be an excellent training piece to use with your team, especially if you are having trouble with getting robust dialogue.

Finally, the focus on rewarding people as part of this culture was discussed.  As we all know there are many ways to reward people that have nothing to do with monetary compensation.   Gordon Brooks mentioned The Five Love Languages which basically says that everyone has a preferred way of being appreciated and of expressing appreciation.  Learning that information about those who work for us makes us better at offering the kind of appreciation which will be most effective at communicating the feeling.

 QUESTION:  As you have read the chapter, identify a "social operating mechanism" for your team and how you use that (or could use it) to promote a culture of execution.

Chapter 5 had to do with the job no leader should delegate:  having the right people in the right place.  I loved the list of "Why the right people aren't in the right jobs." 

1. Lack of Knowledge - do you know the nonnegotiable criteria you must be able to do in order to succeed at your job?
2. Lack of Courage (on the part of the supervisor) who doesn't have the emotional fortitude to confront poor performance and take decisive action.
3. Psychological Comfort Factor (on the part of the supervisor) because the supervisor has promoted and is comfortable with the employee, regardless of performance.
4. Lack of Personal Commitment (on the part of the supervisor) who is not invested in the organization enough to even care about performance issues.

The authors go on to discuss that hiring the right kind of individual who will contribute to a culture of execution means finding people who have a focus on performance.  They discuss various interview techniques and things to look for in hiring this type of individual.  This section finished up with performance appraisals and how to have the kind of conversations which contribute to a culture of execution.

QUESTION: Describe a time from your life experience which fits one or more of the list above about why people aren't in the right jobs; this can be either about yourself, a co-worker, or about how a supervisor behaved.  After describing the situation, comment on your perception of the leader and the organization and how it affected your own, or others' performance.

The Halo Effect, by Phil Rosenzweig.  I'm a little over half way through this book and it has been eye opening to say the least.  The willingness of the author to look at the major publications in the business field and their conclusions about business practice has been revealing.  When reading some of the other books discussed or hearing about the companies cited by other authors as examples of best business practices and models for other to follow, it is possible to get the sense that if you just follow the boiled down best practices, anyone can have a great company.  After reading the Halo Effect the amount of guesswork and gut-instinct that goes into defining these "best practices" becomes obvious.   In essence, the halo effect comes from any data which draws from subjective impressions and opinions, no matter how well informed, regarding a business' practices.  According to Rosenzweig, any company that is doing well will be considered to be doing better and have superior processes, personnel and strategies than those who are not doing well.  This is regardless of market and other environmental factors which may be completely out of the control of the business.  The halo effect, or the residual "shine" from being considered to be doing well, influences every other consideration so much that it is nearly impossible short of clearly objective data of separating fact from halo.

What is coming clear to me is that there are halos, both good and bad, pretty much everywhere you look and being aware of that can make me more capable of making better decisions and, perhaps, more cautious in handing out praise OR judgment.

This is a good read, although Rosenzweig's attack on pretty much every major business research book does get a little frustrating.  I'm anxious to see as I get into the last part of the book if this is anything more than a doom and gloom reaction to other writer's success.  I don't doubt there IS a halo effect, but I also am pretty sure that most of the principles I read in other books have some validity for best practices in the business world, even if they can't clearly be supported by hard data.

Expediency, Exigency, and Ethics

Expediency can be defined as: a regard for what is politic or advantageous rather than for what is right or just; a sense of self-interest.
Exigency may be defined: need, demand, or requirement intrinsic to a circumstance, condition, etc.: the exigencies of city life.
Ethics:  that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.

Three 'E' words that make all the difference in how we live and conduct our lives.  I think it is  accurate to state that most would avow that they live their lives according to an ethical standard.  That standard includes such moral virtues as honesty, respect, fairness, etc.  Our behavior, for I include myself in this group, seeks to portray a belief in ultimate values of right and wrong with a focus on living a righteous life.


Now enters exigency.  Who of us cannot deny that life pushes at us and is sometimes almost overwhelming in its intensity.  The demands of work which focus on productivity, seemingly above any other consideration, the pressures of domestic life and relationships all create a sense of demand that brings us to the edge of our ethics and personal values.


Exigency then gives birth to Expediency.  What is advantageous for me, rather than what is right.  What will benefit me or mine in the moment of pressure often takes supremacy over our ethics.  We sign a paper we shouldn't have, we tell a lie to make ourselves look better, we pocket an item that doesn't belong to us.  The exigency of the moment passes and we find we have stepped beyond our ethics and for what?  Our act of expediency instead of enriching us, has lessened us.  Any temporary benefit received pales when evaluated against our loss of character.  The explanations we make to excuse the act are for others, or perhaps even to attempt to fool ourselves, but we know the truth.


Better to live right, to choose right, and to choose right in advance of exigency than to allow expediency to prevail.
 
 

Tone Makes the Difference

  Recently I have been reminded of the significance of Tone in how conversations are perceived and the reactions engendered.  This short video captures some of that with these three points:

1. Tone is more important than the words used.  How we say something is more important that what we say.  Understanding this is crucial for anyone who desires clear communication.  But it also means that there must exist a certain amount of Emotional Intelligence on the part of the speaker to control their own emotions enough to modify the Tone so that the content of the message can come through.  If you can't control your own emotions, you can be sure that what you are saying is usually misunderstood and could be the source of frustration and difficult relationships at work, or at home. 
2. People's reactions are determined a lot by your tone.  Those reactions may seem all out of proportion to what you have said, either for good, or for ill.  If you perceive that the reactions to your comments don't match the content, it is probably because your tone of voice has conveyed an entirely different meaning.
3. You control the tone.  The world is full of individuals who would prefer to be victims and insist that they have no control over such things and that everyone misunderstands them.  Honestly, I have little time for these kind of people.  Everything rises and falls on leadership and leadership starts with me leading ME.  I refuse to be a victim!  Which means I have to accept responsibility for my communication, and thus the tone of voice I use in that communication. 

In conclusion - ponder these three points and start paying attention to how you say things as much as what you say.  This includes your email, too.