Broken promises

“The best way to keep one’s word is not to give it.”  Napoleon Bonaparte

It’s too easy to make a promise.

We promise the customer that the product will work, solve their problem, and maybe change their lives.

We promise our coworkers that our part of the work will be delivered on time.

We promise our business partners and suppliers that we they can count on us.

We promise to follow up after the initial sales call, that we will always be there with customer service.

We promise that our priority is the customer and the customers satisfaction.

We promise to hit the sales goals and meet the budget.

All our promises are all full of good intentions, it’s what people want to hear, it’s what we want to deliver.

But, can we guarantee that we will deliver?

Never take a solemn oath.  People think you mean it.  Norman Douglas

The best way to ruin your reputation and lower your ability to lead and manage others is to promise something and not deliver.

We make a promise because it gives others confidence, it seems to make negotiations easier and it reflects our hope that all will go as planned.

“All promise outruns performance.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

A common error of new managers and leaders is the perceived need to make promises to their organization and team.

Don’t promise it.

Promises are very powerful compromises, but extremely fragile and difficult to achieve.  Take care when offering them to others.  

In the place of promises, offer firm plans, describe actions and possible outcome, dedicate the time and resources required.

Do more than you say you will.

Perform, don’t promise.

“It is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises but only performance is reality.”  Harold Geneen

Improve your leadership profile

Ever wonder if your leadership style should be less interactive, less personal with your team?

Do you believe that the “cold emotionless leader” approach will bring better results to the organization?

Teresa Amabile in an interview entitled How Team Leaders Show Support-or Not in The Harvard Business School Working Knowledge newsletter, outlines her study published in 2004 in The Leadership Quarterly, and gives insight into leadership characteristics and styles as they impact group performance and creativity in organizations.

She identified 4 key behaviors that will improve the perception of team leader’s support by the team members (and by association improve group attitude and final results).

The groups perception of the leader’s support were positive when:

• they received on-time feedback and prompt response to problems. On-time decision making
• they were supported in their decisions on a personal AND professional basis by the leader and a sense of relationship was developed through exchange of personal information. Create personal relationships.
• they were recognized individually and in public for their achievements. Praise and recognition.
• they were included and asked for ideas and input about decision making. Inclusion and participation of all team members.

Sound familiar?

They are fundamental characteristics of any leader or manager.

The groups perception of the leader’s support were negative when the leader:

• Did not manage the work efficiently. Lack of timely decision-making, disinterest, disorganization.
• Unable to provide clear role definition and objectives. Lack of focus and objectives.
• Unable to solve problems or avoid them. Lack of strategy and planning.

Becoming a good leader is not all about barking orders or the implementation of revolutionary, new and improved ideas about data management and numbers analysis .

It’s about listening, doing your job and making decisions that affect others on-time.

It’s about dedicating time and applying common sense to create and maintain human relationships.

Related Links

How Team Leaders Show Support-or Not

Leading your team to mediocrity

Are we killing team performance by over-communicating

Step by step beginners guide to project management

Leadership, do you want the job or just the title and benefits

What defines an exceptional leader

Oil and water

Oil and water don’t mix.

That’s what I believed until today.  Oil and water do mix after all

In an organization there are departments that don’t mix well, or not at all.  Sales, finance and production departments are notorious for having problems or “not mixing”.

Each of these groups has a different way of thinking, they create very different processes and final products, it makes sense that they will not agree to, or understand what the other departments are doing.

Tension, misunderstandings, frustration and chaos can result if left unattended.

Sales and marketing is concerned with creating or identifying demand for the product and negotiating an agreement.  It’s about people and relationships, emotions, taking advantage of opportunities, being creative innovative and adaptable, exploring new ideas, making sure the customer is satisfied.  Uncertainty is a large part of every business day.

Finance focuses on numbers.  What did we do in the past, what are we doing now, what will we need in the future and how do we reduce or eliminate our risk.  Structured, predictable, logical, they label everything.  Their evaluation and decision making is based on guaranteed outcomes and not on uncertainty.

Production is concerned with efficiency and is also numbers driven.  Processes are studied, analyzed and standardized in order to maximize control and eliminate  errors.  They prefer set plans and actively resist rapid or constant deviations and modifications.  Believers in contingency plans and backups, logical, not fond of uncertainty.

The goal is to acknowledge that every group is very different, with different points of view, and that these differences are essential to the success of any organization.

The entire system (organization) benefits from the interaction, questioning, and controls required by each department.

If there is total agreement, all the time, something is wrong.

Leadership’s role is to provoke, question, listen, analyze and push this chaos toward a goal.

Successful leaders know how to make oil and water mix,  and make it happen on a regular basis.

Related Links 

New Scientist – Oil and water do mix after all

Are we killing team performance by over communicating 

Leadership, want the job or just the title and benefits

Leadership – who do you want to lead

Is your company noble, moral, virtuous or ethical

The terms noble, virtuous, ethical or moral seem out of date.

In fact they seem to be words right out of a fairy tale.   Words and  concepts that have faded away with the modern world and it’s complexity.

Perhaps it’s not cool to be labeled as virtuous, moral or ethical.

Is it because we live in a complicated world that has us making more decisions about the “gray areas”?

We don’t read about organizations being ethical or noble.   In fact we hear about unethical companies and employees much more often.

Business magazines doesn’t write front page articles about virtuous executives and CEO’s (I hope this is because it’s not popular and not because there aren’t any).

Are there any reasons to promote and reinforce these values in your organization?

Are there good reasons to avoid discussion of them?

Perhaps the fact that unethical behaviour is reported, and considered scandalous, is a clear signal that it is outside of “normal” business conditions and draws attention.

Let’s begin with definitions, that should clear up some of the confusion.

Moral – Conforming to a standard of what is right and wrong, correct, trustworthy.  How could anyone want to work with others who don’t know right from wrong and behave?

Ethical – Principles of conduct governing an individual or group, a set of moral values, a guiding philosophy, decent, respectable.   OK, this one sounds like it should be part of the package too.

Noble – Moral eminence and freedom from anything mean, petty or dubious in conduct and character.  In simple terms doing the “right thing” all the time, excellence.  If it looks bad, don’t do it…pretty good advice and words to live by.

Virtuous – Implies moral excellence in character.   Not only knows good from bad, and adheres to it, but is exemplary in their behaviour and practice of their beliefs, honest, good, without reproach.  I can’t find any customer, shareholder or employee who wouldn’t want their company to be virtuous.

Which of the terms can your company live without in their employees?

Are any of these characteristics that should be found and promoted in your management and leadership?

Which of these concepts and behaviours are important to you, your customers and your organization now and in the future?

Do you have a written policy in place to promote, identify, and create noble employees and a virtuous organization?

Do you point out and recognize when a person or organization has done something noble, virtuous or ethical?

Related Links

Corruption, bribes, mordidas and tips – Doing business in Mexico 

Where do you draw the line 

The future of our entry level workforce – gloomy

The dangers of success

Today a Google search for the word “success” turned up 321 million websites.

“Failure” got 218 million sites.

We all want to be successful. Leaders are expected to be successful.

We’ve been trained, rewarded, pushed and prodded to become successful. School, work, games and personal life, we are always focused upon success.

It is probably genetic in nature. Competition to survive demands success, and therefore the desire to succeed is an inherent quality in human beings.

Success brings recognition, wealth, favor and fame to the individual or group. All are benefits and rewards of being successful. We like the rewards and benefits….we really do.

Business loves success. In fact, business is not very tolerant of failures, especially leadership failures. To be a leader in a business environment means that you must be successful and get your objectives accomplished.

We strive for success, we really want it to happen, we plan for it, we train, we learn new things, we even modify and manipulate external factors to assure the outcome we desire. Despite all our planning, spending and preparations we are not always successful. No one is successful all the time.

We often forget that past success is not a guarantee for continued success, and that failure is always a learning experience, not always a bad outcome.

The illusion that we must always be successful, and the glory and attention that success brings is not always a good thing.

“Pray that success will not come any faster than you are able to endure it” Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe

Success, and particularly continued success, can lead an individual or organization into the following behaviours and attitudes.

• Cult of Personality / Fame. The focus is on the personality and not on the present or future work outcomes. It becomes more about who is doing it and less about what to do.
• Fear. Avoiding or agonizing about doing something different, new or original, “ we were great doing this…let’s keep on doing it”.
• Can’t let go. Inability to let go of a success and move on to the next challenge. Unwillingness to say “that project and party is over…what’s next”.
• Over Confidence. Invincible attitude leads to strategies, theories and attitudes that may provoke attacks on enemies or punish those in a weakened position.
• Loss of control. Inability to gauge or control excess or weakness. Losing touch with the reality of the situation.
• Yes Men. Lack of honesty from the people around you, no real challenges to ideas, methods and objectives.
• Hangers on. Distractions and undesirables begin to fill the agenda and schedules.
• Closing Networks. Cutting ties with old networks and individuals to move “up” in status.
• Depression. When the happiness or emotion of succeeding does not reach previous levels of emotional highs or didn’t meet the expectations.
• Risk. Anxiety about repeating the success may drive one to take larger risks, or to eliminate risks.

So go on seeking success, it’s the right thing to do.

Don’t take the failures too hard, learn from them, pick them apart and understand exactly why failure occurred.

Celebrate when you do succeed, take your 5 minutes in the limelight. Then put your feet back firmly on the ground and get back to work.

“Try not to become a man of success but rather become a man of value” Albert Einstein.

Related Links

Why do we fail

Leadership lesson – A Message to Garcia

Starting over

Ever get involved in a project that requires modifications, and then those modifications led to more modifications and more and more?

Before you know it, the project has lost sight of it’s objectives, and the team is working on solving problems unrelated to the original goals.

I’m reminded of Rube Goldberg and his famous machines. We don’t intentionally try to complicate our work, but if we step back and look at the objectives, and the current processes and procedure in order to reach those objectives, we can often find distortions and diversions of comical proportions.

There are two simple actions that will eliminate and control our spiral into complexity and error.

1. Step back and look at the problem, objectives and current procedures on a regular basis. What is working, what isn’t working, and why? What are you doing to modify or adjust the solution procedure or process instead of moving closer to a solution?
2. When you discover that something is not working, and have analyzed why, don’t be afraid to START OVER. Throw out the current plan, and begin again.

We tend to avoid re-doing and restarting a project or activity because we want to salvage the time, money and effort that has been invested.

This inability to “do over” and start from scratch often prevents us from implementing better and more efficient solutions.

Our initial attempts to solve the problem have educated us about the requirements and environment. There is nothing wrong with starting over, in fact it may be the best and most efficient way to solve the problem.

Related Links

12 reasons why we ask for business help

Analyze and plan using 7 simple questions

How to systematically analyze any situation for better decision making

9 steps to better decisions

Rube Goldberg Website

Are we killing team performance by over-communicating

Are we killing team performance by over-communicating?

That is the premise of Kevan Hall in Drowning in Co-operation and followed up with additional comments in the Slow Leadership blog The Truth about Communication.

The idea that we must communicate and include everyone in the team in every part of the project, all the time, is a classic example of a good idea that has gotten out of control.

Teams perform well when each team member:

• Has a specific job, not shared with others
• Is proficient at what they do, no learning curve required
• Has easy access to the resources, tools and information required in order to get the job done
• Clearly understands the group objectives and expected outcome
• Clearly understands how their input/output affects the other team members
• Is individually responsible and accountable for their performance and on-time results
• Is not smothered with controls and time wasting meetings
• Shares relevant information and communicates with those team members who need that information in order to do their job correctly

Analyze how a relay race squad works together. Each member has a specific and unique function, each member runs their part of the race alone, they expect their co-worker to hand them the baton at the right time in the right place, they all share the same goal and final outcome.

There is no stopping for meetings and communication between members during the race, there are no meetings with the coach halfway around the track to see how they are doing.

The runners do not stop to explain why they are passing the baton to only one member of the team.

The coach selects the qualified members of the squad and interacts with the team members before (preparation and focus) and after the event (evaluation of results), not during the race.

The focus of each team member is on doing their job efficiently and professionally, in order to reach the shared objective in the shortest time possible.

As a leader your mission is to identify the people with the best skills required for each part of the project, empower them by giving access to the right tools and training, build enthusiasm for the project and the other team members contributions, clearly identify the goal and the expected performance for their part of the project and let them do their jobs.

Encouraging communication between team members and leadership is only important and desired when it is focused and shared with those who really need the information to get the job done.

 

Related Links

Leadership, want the job or just the title and benefits

Leadership – who do you want to lead

13 tactics guaranteed to kill any project

Step by Step beginner’s guide to project management

Slow Leadership: The Truth About Communication

Management Issues: Drowning in Co-operation

Analyze and Plan using 7 simple questions

Who – What – When – Where – Why – How – How much

Project management, organizing a team, writing a business plan, creating strategies, planning meetings, running day to day operations, general analysis and problem solving can be facilitated and improved by using a simple application of 7 basic questions.

The application of the standard reporters’ questions of who, what, when, where, how and how much to a specific situation will help organize the process of analysis and planning.

In order for this system to work, all the questions and answers should be written down. You’ll be building a visual map while defining the objectives, tools, resources, bottlenecks, time limits and chronologies of the problem. It will become clear what the real goals are, what is required, what is missing, who should be involved and when the tasks should be accomplished.

Who – Who is or will be affected by the decision or process? Who are the participants? Who will be involved or affected in some way by the project?

What – What are the objectives and desired results? What is the problem or challenge? What are the options available? What tools are required?

When – When is this supposed to happen? Define the deadlines, time limits and chronologies.

Where – Where is it going to happen? The physical place or space should be defined and examined.

Why – Why are we doing this? Why are we doing it this way or by this procedure? Why is it occurring?

How – How are we going to do it? The mechanisms, requirements, and processes needed in order to achieve the goal.

How much – How much is it going to cost?

Example – You are asked to give a speech on the sales results in Mexico for the last quarter for the upcoming Board of Directors meeting on January 10.

Who – The audience is the Board of Directors. The sales department, marketing, logistics and finance departments have the numbers and explanations of the results. Who is responsible for the agenda, audiovisual set up, room reservations? Are any other members of the company required to attend the presentation? You are the project leader and responsible party for the presentation.

What – The presentation is directed at the Board of Directors, they want to hear about results, expectations and strategies of the sales in Mexico. What questions will they ask, what aspects of the business will be of interest or concern? What information is important?

When – The meeting is January 10. You’ll need all the pertinent sales information by what date? It has be polished into a concise presentation by what date?

Where – The meeting will be held where? How big is the room, what equipment will be required for the presentation.

Why – Why do they want to review this information, is there a problem, is it routine? Why me?

How – Will you give a visual media presentation along with documents? What graphics will you show? Will you be the only speaker? Will the presentation style be serious, upbeat, creative or different from other presentations?

How much – Do you have a budget for the presentation and required materials? Do you have to fly in the Mexican sales representative to be present at the meeting? Do you have to rent equipment, hire caterers or provide refreshments or coffee service?

Related Links

How to systematically analyze any situation for better decision making

9 steps to better decisions

Leadership, do you want the job or just the title and benefits?

Everyone wants to be in charge. Being the leader seems to be a universal goal of most people working today.

Do you really want the job, or just the title and benefits?

A leadership position requires the use of many abilities and skills which most of us do not have, or do not have fully developed. It requires sacrifice and discipline. A leaders life is filled with decisions that are not black and white.

It’s all about people, motivating, directing, and evaluating, listening and learning with them.

A leader is often lonely, but never alone. Highly criticized and analyzed by their own team and by outsiders. Must be flexible and adaptable, and at the same time firm and unwilling to compromise.

Are you ready for the job?

Guide vs. Signpost. Do you enjoying pointing people in the right direction, telling them where to go? This is not leadership. A signpost points the way, offers no resources or plan and no strategies on how to get there.

Leading others is far different from pointing the way. Leaders take responsibility for everything that happens during the journey, they prepare strategic and contingency plans, provide resources, and keep their people motivated and on the right road.

Teaching vs. Criticism. Able to see the flaws in others, their work and their results? The ability to find flaws is important only if you use these opportunities to teach others how to prevent or improve their performance or results. Pointing out flaws and errors for any other reason is not part of the leadership function.

Coaching vs. supervision. Telling others exactly what to do, and how to do it, is part of a supervisory role, not a leadership position. Leaders are coaches, they convince others to create and embrace goals and objectives, and to use approved systems and methods in order to achieve them.

Fair compensation vs. jackpot rewards. Do you think leaders and managers make a lot of money for doing nothing? Leadership demands personal responsibility and acceptance of risk. No one gets into a leadership position without sacrifice of some sort. These qualities are paid for and compensated with higher salaries and often perks and privileges different from the other members of the organization. It is compensation well earned, and the entire organization should understand this. It should never be looked upon as a jackpot, or undeserved compensation. If the organization does not view it this way, it’s time to modify the compensation packages or get a leader in place that leads and earns the respect and support of the others organization members.

Related Links

Leadership – who do you want to lead

What defines an exceptional leader

Leadership by default

Leadership – who do you want to lead?

One measure of leadership is the caliber of people who choose to follow you. ~Dennis A. Peer

The semi-mystical mix of qualities, attitudes and behaviours that make or define a leader will provide plenty of material for business writers for years to come. The focus is often on what makes the person a leader or what actions define a leader.

How about looking at the situation from another point of view.

What kind of followers or team do you want to lead?

Are you seeking a group that can be easily manipulated and accept your commands without questioning your authority?

Do you want to lead a team of highly independent people who might question the goals and direction of the group at any time?

Do your followers believe you are the smartest, toughest or most courageous in the group?

What kind of people, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours would your “ideal” followers have, and why?

Determining the qualities of the group you desire to lead, can provide insights into your leadership style and goals. It will give some definition of what leadership qualities you expect to project to others, and what qualities or responses you expect to see reflected in your team, and their behaviours.

Not many of us will be leaders; and even those who are leaders must also be followers much of the time. This is the crucial role. Followers judge leaders. Only if the leaders pass that test do they have any impact. The potential followers, if their judgment is poor, have judged themselves. If the leader takes his or her followers to the goal, to great achievements, it is because the followers were capable of that kind of response.” –Garry Wills in Certain Trumpets: The Nature of Leadership

Related Links

What Defines an Exceptional Leader

Leadership by default

There are no new management and leadership ideas

Managers choice, rules or limits?

I found myself in strong disagreement to this post on Lifehack.org, Reining in the Rule Breakers.

I understand the need for policies and rules to insure employee safety. This post might be appropriate for those situations. It also might be justified when attempting to standardize jobs and activities that require no creativity or individual decision making in order to function correctly. I sense the post was geared to managers dealing with these type of positions.

This approach toward strict adherence to the “rules”, just smacks of a 1930’s factory or grade school, and is the exact opposite of what I feel a workplace in 2006 requires to remain creative, enthusiastic and productive.

I do think it’s important to define limits. Very different from rules. Limits give maximum or minimum boundaries, but do not bind individuals into procedures and don’t stifle creativity.

It is important to define goals and objectives, basic coordinated procedures and time limits. Allow the team, organization or individual to find the best path to the goal. Before you scream chaos and anarchy, understand that standard operating procedures and existing policies will normally be the jumping off point for most of the organization. Any changes that occur to those procedures will often be evolutionary, not revolutionary.

Focus your energy and your people on objectives and not on blindly following the rules.

Related Links

Successful managers should be breaking the rules

What are the rules? Hopefully, none.

5 ways to promote creative thinking and idea generation

Is your boss a prison warden or party host?

Successful managers should be breaking the rules

Hell, there are no rules here – we’re trying to accomplish something. Thomas A. Edison

I’ve found the most successful and exciting environments to work, study or play in are those with “no rules”. Environments that are open and flexible and not strictly controlled with things you can’t do. It’s exciting to be in these situations, inspiring, sometimes a bit scary, but always memorable.

Rosa Say has a brilliant read for all managers about how the use (or abuse) of rules often limits our creativity and enthusiasm. What are the Rules? Hopefully, none.

• “No rules” requires clear objectives and goals.

• “No rules” requires planning.

• “No rules” requires discipline and commitment.

• “No rules” demands responsibility for actions and outcomes.

• “No rules” is about inventing process. Creating and forming the process required, or desired, in order to get the job done and reach the objective.

• “No rules” is about allowing creativity and innovation into every decision that brings us closer to our objectives.

• “No rules” is about questioning the status quo in order to explore new and different solutions and methods.

• “No rules” is about accepting and integrating new ideas.

• “No rules” is about tolerance and examination of new concepts.

• “No rules” is about getting excited and energized by every life or work experience.

If you tell people where to go, but not how to get there, you’ll be amazed at the results. George S. Patton

It is good to obey all the rules when you’re young, so you’ll have the strength to break them when you’re old. Mark Twain

Related Links

What are the rules? Hopefully, none.

5 ways to promote creative thinking and idea generation

Is your boss a prison warden or party host?

Questioning the wisdom of crowds

Businesspundit has commented (Link) on a piece from Inc.com entitled The Idiocy of Crowds.

Both authors are questioning the interpretation and application of the ideas presented in the book, The Wisdom of Crowds, by James Surowiecki. Surowiecki proposes that many times the group will make better decisions and assumptions as compared to any given individual of that same group.

There are very different and distinct situations and opportunities where groups may outperform individuals and vice versa. There are also fundamental differences in focus, attention and willingness to accept risk, that will significantly affect the outcome of the decision or prediction.

Predictions and Opinions. The use of groups in opinion polls and prediction markets is indisputably more accurate than an individual prediction.

Evolution vs. Revolution. A group or crowd will more often choose evolution (safe, slow, predictable change) over revolution (rapid, drastic, unknown consequences). This favors group stability and leads to incremental changes of the status quo. Decisions of this type are much more easily accepted, embraced and implemented.

New ideas and concepts. Creativity is not favored or accelerated in groups as compared to individuals. Paradigm changing concepts and ideas, leaps in technology, philosophy and science are usually created by individuals.

Human Nature and Teams. Teamwork and working in groups is part of human nature. We are social creatures and business requires the majority of us to work with others. The group interaction and final outcome may be limited or significantly reduced when compared to individual results. The decisions will be accepted and the entire group will support it.

Current business trends are focusing on innovation, and developing processes that allow us to implement innovation systems and to create the methodologies that will assist us in the creation of innovative solutions. It’s natural that we should begin to examine how decisions are made, their innovative or creative component, who makes them, and who makes the correct decisions.

The questions and discussions created by the ideas presented in The Wisdom of Crowds are what is important. Which situations are better served by individual ideas and opinions to find solutions? When should we be using “crowd-think” and groups to assist us in decision making or with our predictions?

Related Links

Businesspundit: The Idiocy of Crowds

Inc. What’s Next: The Idiocy of Crowds

There are no new management and leadership ideas

Decision-making, how they used to do it 400 BC

Fundamental leadership quality – the ability to learn

“Highly effective, remarkable leaders must be continuous, lifelong learners.”  Kevin Eikenberry

An important skill or ability that is often neglected when we list the qualities of a leader is the ability to learn.  Leaders must have the ability to learn. The reasons for this are detailed at Talking Story with Say Leadership Coaching,  Why Learning is a Leaders’s Most Important Skill.

The 4 fundamental ideas presented include:

• Leadership is complex, requiring multiple skills and specific knowledge.

• The current situation does not require leadership, it’s stable.  In order to move away from the present and lead into the future, you have to know where and how.

• A leader passes on their knowledge and insight to others.

• The more you learn, the more effective you become as a human being and member of society.

Related Links

What Defines an Exceptional Leader 

There are no new management or leadership ideas
Talking Story with Say Leadership Coaching

The Kevin Eikenberry Group

Showtime – how do you want to live your life?

I’ve had limited experience in show business. The highlights of my entertainment career include the magic show I produced and starred in at age 8, various band performances, and a walk-on supporting role as a wise man in a Nativity play. Oh wait, I forgot to mention, my biggest show business role. I was involved in retail sales.

Retail sales can be a limiting and brutal environment, physically and emotionally. But it is one of the best environments for learning and practicing how to perform with and for others.

Retail sales is all about people, it is not about merchandise. Listening to what people want and helping them find it. You are performing all day, and when you realize this, it can be an exhilarating and fun experience. You can prepare, rehearse and modify your performances daily.

What am I talking about? Performing? Exactly. If you assume the role of an enthusiastic, informed and helpful person you can give something to each person you encounter during the day. You will feel great about yourself and the client or co-worker walks away with an unexpected gift of meeting and connecting with a positive human experience.

I was involved in the fresh flower industry. Olga and I opened a “bucket-shop”, which at the time was an innovation, and dedicated ourselves to making every customers experience distinct and important.

No one buys flowers because they have to. They are sought when one wishes to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, birth of child, graduation, religious holiday, or wedding. They might be using the flowers to recognize an illness or death, as a thank you, to recognize a special person, to say I love you or I’m sorry, or as a emotional pick me up.

Flowers are objects that represent an emotion. Customers were not buying flowers. They were seeking a symbol of their feelings or the feelings they wished to transmit. Isn’t that true about most consumer items?

Understanding this, how can you NOT be enthusiastic about coming to work and giving your best performance?

During the time clients were in our environment, we were part of their search to represent their emotions, our advice was of great importance in order to find the right symbol, the perfect flowers. It was much more than a commodity transaction.

It’s important to recognize that false enthusiasm isn’t going to work. You have to believe in yourself, your abilities and knowledge. You have to believe that you are going on-stage everyday, and that your “performance” has to be genuine. You have to listen to the people around you, and determine what they are really seeking, and help them get it.

People used to stop in and visit us to get a shot of enthusiasm and positive attitude. There was always a smile, a greeting. The environment was light, fun, open, accepting. It was an amazing experience for us and for the clients. We gave a positive attitude, and customers gave us back more positive attitude.

All it took was our dedication to providing the best “performance” we could manage, everyday, no matter who was in the audience.

It’s “showtime” in your life every morning (remember Rob Schneider’s performance in “All that Jazz”?). It’s your decision to assume the role you are going to play. Will it be the angry, grumpy, distracted, negative you? Will it be the upbeat, enthusiastic, focused you?

It’s “showtime” right now.

It’s always “showtime”.

Related Links

Change your life – change your attitude

Passion – Enthusiasm – Common Sense?

Motivation, what gets you out of bed?

What defines an exceptional leader

Leadership is a theme that has and will continue to fascinate business people due to its imprecise, changing, ephemeral and elusive definition.

We all know it when we see it, but how do we incorporate leadership traits into our character and daily actions?

Exceptional Leaders must:
Create – A leader will create or promote an idea, a concept, or an ideology. They will concentrate and focus the group’s attention on goals and objectives. They provide a strategy and plan on how to achieve the goals.

Provide Resources – Leaders will provide the resources required to get the job done. These might be physical items (tools and equipment, technical and administrative assistance) or psychological resources (education and understanding, motivation, clear plans and objectives).

Sustain and Assist Growth – Leaders will modify and adapt to changing circumstances and environments. They will be attentive to the needs, opportunities and challenges that face their people and move quickly to support them.

Provide Closure – Leaders know when to end the campaign. They know when and how to gracefully finish and walk away from victories and lost causes, while maintaining the loyalty and motivation of their people.

Give it away
Steve Farber provided a thought provoking piece on a characteristic of leaders and leadership Greater than Yourself which puts forth the concept that great leaders are selfless and strive for nothing more than to make others greater than themselves.

He addresses the idea that a truly great leader gives away the information, contacts and resources that helped them into the leadership position. This in turn creates a new generation who build on this knowledge and experience. Through this mentoring they become greater leaders than their teachers.

In order for this to succeed the leader must be aware that they are creating and sharing in a goal well beyond selfishness and ego enhancement. They have to be willing to give without expecting anything in return (belief in a greater good) and to be supremely confident in their actions and the people around them. Steve calls this type of leader a “creator of masters”.

Long hours at work can kill you

Long hours at work can lead to hypertension and death. A study of over 24,000 workers in California by reseachers at the University of California has found that working over 40 hours a week has a direct relationship to higher blood pression and hypertension. Link

The Pope announced that too much work can lead to “hardness of the heart”. He advises that more time should be spent on reflection, meditation, contemplation. Link

What’s the real message here?

Become more efficient. Get the same work done in less time.

Think and plan your work, work SMARTER not HARDER.

Slowing down does not mean being lazy. It requires planning and discipline, and these take time.

Take more time to enjoy life and family, adjust your priorities.

If you are in a leadership position, find out why your people are working consistent overtime, and intervene. You could be saving their lives and improving their health.

Related Links

Pope says don’t work too hard

Long hours lead to high blood pressure

High blood pressure statistics

Curriculum Vitae (español) – Lee Iwan

Lee A. Iwan

Lee.iwan@gmail.com

 

Desarrollo de Negocios – Executiva Internacional

Planeacion Estrategico * Operaciones * Descubrimiento de Oportunidades

Executivo con experiencia en posicionamiento estrategico, operaciones, gerencia, distribucion, desarrollo y descubrimiento, integracion del cadena de suministro, planeacion estrategia en nuevos negocios, negocios de rapido crecimiento y en organizaciones maduros. Orientada a resultados, lider decisiva, exitoso en la identificacion de mercados nuevos y la solucion pragmatico de problemas. Historia de éxito en incrementando ventas, participacion en el mercado global y utilidades. Prospera en ambientes dinamicos y fluidos mientras manteniendo enfoque y organización. Competencias incluyen:

Planeacion estrategica y su implementacion * Identificacion del mercados
Gerencia de Cambios * Gerencia de Operaciones
Desarrollo de Negocios * Portavoz * Liderazgo del Equipo

 

EXPERIENCIA PROFESIONAL

QUIMICA CENTRAL DE MEXICO S.A. de C.V., Gto. México
mayo 2005 – presente
Gerente de Negocios, Desarrollo y Descubrimiento
Executivo independiente reportando directamente al Director y Consejo de Administacion. Responsible por la visulaizacion, investigacion, creacion, comunicacion, seguimiento, analisis, planeacion y implementacion del desarrollo y descubrimiento de nuevos negocios y proyectos de diversificacion estrategicas.

Logros importantes:

• Lider del negociaciones y proyecto, Joint-Venture farmaceutica (Mexico-Suiza), fabricacion y comercializacion, acuerdo firmada enero 2006.
• Negociaciones para alianzas estrategicas para incrementar la posicionamiento global y nacional del empresa a largo plazo.

QUIMICA CENTRAL DE MEXICO S.A. de C.V., Gto. México
marzo 2000 – mayo 2005
Gerente de Negocios, Ventas y Proveedores Internacional
Responsable por descubrimiento de negocios y alianzas estrategica, participacion del equipos, inteligencia del negocio, estrategia para las Asia-Pacifco y America Latina, implementacion de ventas y desarrollo del mercado, control y manejo de distribuidores y agentes, gerencia de logistica y cadena de sumistro, comunicaciones internacionales, globalizacion del cultura corporativa, projectos especiales corporativas.

Logros importantes:

• Creacion y implementacion de estrategia de ventas y promocion para el mercado en Asia-Pacifico. Ventas de US $ 5 M en 3 años.
• Iniciado y mantenido alianzas estrategicas con proveedores internacionales, ahorros de USD $ 2 M, fortificamos posicionamiento.
• Negocio representacions exclusivo de empresas de Sud Africa y EUA. Valor de ventas primer año US $ 2.5 M
• Incremento competitivida utilizando el departamento de exportacion a manejar y empujar cambios culturales corporativas en planeacion, produccion, tiempo al mercado, cadena de suministro y logisticas, ventas, mercadotecnia y administracion.
• Negocio descuentos en logistica, ahorros de USD $ 500 K

QUIMICA CENTRAL DE MEXICO S.A. de C.V., Gto. México
julio 1998 – marzo 2000
Gerente de Exportaciones
Responsable para ventas, distribucion, mercadotecnia y desarrollo del negocios en 20 paises, incluyendo America Latina, EUA, Europa y Taiwan.

Logros importantes:

• Creacion estructura de precios bases y comisiones para agentes y distribuidores en America Latina, resultados incremento en lealtad y ventas de 8%.
• Re-ingenieria de sistemas administrativas de comunicaciones, facturacion y envio del los productos para incrementa leatad con clientes y distribuidores y incrementar ingresos.

 

MARLY MEXICO SA de CV – Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico
1994 – 2005
Consultor

CLUB ROTARIO LEON – Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico
1997
Consultor

NUVIDA S.A. de C.V., León, Guanajuato, México
enero 1994 – julio 1998
Dueño – Presidente – Fundador
Presidente y Director de Operaciones para negocio de servicios. Clientes corporativos, gobierno y privadas. 80 empleados.

FOLLAS NOVAS S.A. de C.V., Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico
septiembre 1993 – junio 1994
Socio
Proyecto de produccion y supervision de operaciones

FLOWERS FLOWERS INC., Evanston, IL, EUA
marzo 1986 – agosto 1993
Dueño – Presidente – Fundador
Presidente y Director de Operaciones para innovadora start-up negocio de bienes y servicios para el consumidor. Ventas de USD $ 750 K anual.

AMLINGS FLOWERLAND, Niles, IL, EUA
junio 1980 – mayo 1986
Gerente de Sucursal
Responsable por operaciones del sucursal. 70 empleadas. Ventas USD $ 3 M anual.

 

EXPERIENCIA LABORAL DURANTE UNIVERSIDAD Y PREPARATORIA

RECORD CITY, Niles, IL, EUA

KAPS, Champaign, IL, EUA

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, College of Agriculture, Urbana, IL EUA

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, College of Life Sciences, Urbana, IL EUA

CRATE & BARREL INC., Chicago, IL EUA

SKIL SAW INC.., Wheeling, IL, EUA

UNITED PARCEL SERVICE, Northbrook, IL EUA

IWAN ELLIS PAINTING, Northbrook, IL EUA

FOLEY KOCH LANDSCAPING, Mount Prospect, IL, EUA

ALLGAUERS RESTAURANT, Northbrook IL EUA

DUNKIN DONUTS, Wheeling, IL EUA

JEWEL FOODS, Wheeling, IL EUA

DEPUSSEY CATTERY, Northbrook, IL EUA

EDUCACION

Bachelor of Science Agricultural Economics, University of Illinois – Urbana, IL, EUA

LOGROS PROFESSIONALES

Weblog: https://leeiwan.wordpress.com April 2006- Presente

Conferencia de la Industria de Cromo, Sud Africa, 2006

Mision Comercial, Mexico India 2005

Curso – Finanzas por no financieros, 2005

Consejero de COFOCE, Comité de proveedores, industria del calzado, 2000 – Presente

Participación en la certificación del ISO 9001:2000, 2004

Misión de Proveeduría, Moscu, Rusia 2004

Misión de Proveeduría, Estambul, Turquía 2003

All China Leather Exhibition, Shanghai, China, 2002 – 2005

Guangzhou Leather Fair, Guangzhou, China 2002 –2005

Misión Comercial México-Centro América, 2002

Asia Pacific Leather Fair, Hong Kong, 1999 – 2005

Linneapelle, Bolonia, Italia 1999 – 2005

Misión Comercial México-China, 2001

Misión Comercial México-Centro América, 2001

Misión Comercial México – China, 2000

Mision Proveeduria, Amsterdam, Holanda, 2000

Miami Leather Fair, Miami, EUA, 2000

FENAC, Leather Fair Novo Hamburgo, Brasil 1999

Miami Leather Fair, Miami, EUA, 1999

Curso – Resolución Miscelánea de Comercio Exterior 2004 a Fondo

Curso – Resolución Miscelánea de Comercio Exterior 2003 a Fondo

Diplomado – Modificaciones a La Legislación Aduanera 2003

Curso – Resolución Miscelánea de Comercio Exterior 2002 a Fondo

Diplomado – Logística de la Comercio Exterior, 2001

Curso – Resolución Miscelánea de Comercio Exterior 2001 a Fondo

Diplomado – Comercio Exterior, 2000

Curso – El Vendedor Estratégico

Periódico AM, Periódico. 1994 – 1996

Society of American Florists, Consejo Editorial, Washington D.C., EUA 1990 – 1992

Chicago-Dempster Merchants Association, Vice-Presidente, Evanston, IL EUA 1998-1990

Lee.iwan@gmail.com

5 ways to promote creative thinking and idea generation

“To stimulate creativity, one must develop the childlike inclination for play and the childlike desire for recognition.” Albert Einstein

The process of innovation and creation begins with the analysis of current situations. Once we know where we are, what we want, or what we don’t want, the next step is the creation and exploration of ideas and alternatives.

Idea creation should be supported and facilitated by all members of the organization. We must feel free to create. We should know that the generation of the ideas is of great importance to the organization. We should feel comfortable and in a supportive environment for this to occur (children don’t play unless they feel safe).

It should be clear that the next step in the innovation process is the evaluation of the ideas by others in the organization. Our ideas will eventually be analyzed and criticized to determine their viability or economic impact. This is a separate and distinct process, and should occur only after the ideas are generated and not during the brainstorming period.

In order to spark discussion and interaction, brainstorming and idea generation here are some simple, low cost methods to get you and your organization moving in the right direction toward the creation of ideas and innovation.

How to promote creative thinking and idea generation

1. Purchase or subscribe to various magazines that have nothing to do with your industry (not world, national or economic news or analysis). Pass them out and give permission to mark or highlight any articles or ideas of interest. Give a time limit, 3 or 5 days. When the magazines come back, send them out to different people. Examples would include trade magazines from other unrelated industries, magazines dedicated to; design, art, travel and living, tattoos or wresting, music, movies, technology (backpacking or camping equipment, boats, bicycles, home office, cameras, computers, etc.).

2. Encourage book reading. Give out gift certificates to the local bookstore once a month. Start a community bulletin board with recommendations on great books, no matter what the subject.

3. Ask everyone to identify where or what makes them creative or gives them inspiration.  Where are they when they get their ideas?  What triggers innovative or creative thinking?  What time of day and what day of the week?

4. Move the furniture.

5. Bring in toys or puzzles that require manual manipulation. Toys unlock reasoning and assist in activating parts of the brain required for creativity.

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” Mary Lou Cook

Related Links

Weird ideas that work

Does your company like new ideas?

How to systematically analyze any situation for better decision making

The ability to analyze and make decisions is one of the most important qualities of anyone in a leadership and management position.

How to systematically analyze any situation

• What does the information I have really mean or reflect?

• What are the questions I should be asking in order to increase my understanding of the situation?

• Who are the people who have the information and answers to my questions?

• Ask the questions and accumulate the required information.

• What are the fears, expectations, limits and points of view of the involved parties?

• What have I learned, and what am I going to do about it?

Example: Imagine that your salesforce reports that customers are demanding delivery of your products to their store two times a day, at 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM, instead of the current delivery schedule of 3 times a week. What do you do?

Begin the analysis.

What does this mean? The customers needs or desires have changed. Our salesforce has detected a change in the marketplace.

What questions do I need to ask to understand this? Why is the customer requesting the change? Who requested the change, is it driven by costs, lack of inventory space, new management, competitors? What do our people think about this? What customers are requesting the change?

Who are the people with the information and answers to my questions? Your sales-force and logistics department. The CEO, purchasing managers and warehouse managers of our customers. Who is going to contact them and get more exact information about the situation?

Expectations and points of view of those involved? The sales-force knows that without this change they will lose customers and market share. The customer’s executives and purchasing managers have found an method to reduce inventory and stocking costs with your competitor. The warehouse managers are losing personnel and control and are unhappy. There are significant costs associated with implementing and operating the program. Your competitors are aggressively investing in order to take away your market share.

What have I learned and what am I going to do about it? You discover that a competitor is providing deliveries twice a day, and stocking the customers shelves, reducing costs for the customer. They have made significant investments in trucks and personnel in order to provide this service. Your top 20 customers are affected now. Failure to provide equal or improved service will result in the loss of the customers and your market share. It’s time to bring in the company decision-makers and create an appropriate solution and response.

Related Links

Was Peter Drucker right, is it all about attitude?

9 Steps to better decisions