Now That Takes Guts!

Be aware Kansas City: 350 advertising agency folks will be loose on the streets tomorrow!

Actually, they'll be busy helping three local nonprofits: Harvestors, the Don Bosco Centers, the Front Porch Alliance.

It's VML's annual Foundation Day, so they will close their doors and give all of the employees the day to help in the community. VML is a full-service digital marketing agency. As you may know, the agency industry has felt the brunt of low consumer confidence lately. Closing its doors for a day takes guts.

Kudos to VML and its clients for keeping up a tradition, especially in the midst of the recession when help is desperately needed.

Closing shop for a day to contribute to the community: now that takes guts!

(For more about VML: http://www.vml.com/)
(Link to KC Star newspaper article about VML's volunteer day: http://bit.ly/4mZDMm)

Performance & Soccer Trophies

Are you from when the score was kept at games between teams of 8th graders? And, only one person on the team was awarded the Player of the Year?

Or, was high school the first time you saw a score board? Is there a shelf at your mom's house full of trophies given out to everyone on the team?

I worked with someone from the second group recently. While his age was not particularly obvious, his attitude about performance sure was.

I asked the small group of future leaders from different companies if they would win the Employee of the Year award. Much to my surprise, here is how the conversation turned:

Me: Would your performance this year earn you the Employee of the Year award?

Stewie (not his real name): We don't have an Employee of the Year award.

Me: Would your performance earn it if you did?

Stewie: But we don't, so why would I work as if we did?

The urge to remind him to wear his hairnet to work at his future job was resisted.

The rest of the group was just as astounded as I was, so this is not a generalization about an entire generation of workers.

It is a general warning about those who expect trophies just for showing up. If those people are vital to the organization, even when performance is average, identify what recognition works for them and do it. If trophies work, give trophies. If those employees are less essential, know you could have 50 resumes of highly qualified, eager, people on your desk in minutes.

If you're from when trophies were given out just for showing up, think about how that affects your performance today. Think also about it affects your reputation and how you are positioned for your future.

If you're from when trophies were earned, realize expectations are different these days. You might want to stock up on trophies.

Leaders Build Bridges not Barriers

One of my first managers was very well liked by those who reported to him. To get his team to like him, Charlie had them over for summer picnics, let them leave early now and then, and formed a tightly knit clique. He made sure they had the latest equipment and information. People who reported to Charlie revered him like he was a super hero.

If you were in his clique, you were golden. If not, you were treated as a second-class citizen by Charlie and his team. I know that because I joined his team after being on a different one for four years, and the treatment changed immediately. Suddenly, I was welcomed to the fold by Charlie. It took a little longer for the rest of the team, but the treatment definitely improved.

While I came to like Charlie, even to respect him and hold him in high esteem, it was clear that he was not a good leader.

The clique he formed served as a bridge for his own team but a barrier to others.

When there are barriers, people are not compelled to offer revenue-generating ideas, cost-saving efficiencies, or problem solving tactics.

Ideas and innovation, whether they are for new products, services, benefits, or processes, make the difference between survival and demise of organizations today.

Leaders work to generate ideas. They know they must build bridges between teams, clients, suppliers, and divisions to inspire innovation. They know internal bridges give them an advantage over tight competition more than barriers do.

While it may seem like a good idea to hunker down, now is the time to reach out. Identify 3 bridges you could build or repair, then reach out. You may be surprised at how eager others are to rely on the bridges you build.

The Power of Trust & 5 Ways to Build It

Trust between employees and management, and among both groups, is a critical element in organization survival and success today.

Trust is not a line item on a P&L, but the level of trust between two people, or people and organizations, shows the quality of the relationship. The quality of the relationship indicates whether the relationship will overcome challenges. Organizations today are facing the biggest challenges of the last 25 years (much more for many); therefore, they need solid relationships to thrive. Solid relationships are built on trust.

While trust is tough to measure in terms of dollars, lack of trust is expensive.

What does it cost your organization when a high caliber employee goes to a competitor? What does it cost when production is slowed by merely 5%? By 25%? What does it cost when disengaged employees work there, negatively impact morale among coworkers, or actively sabotage your company? What does it cost to replace good people who leave because poor performers are not held accountable? A culture of distrust is an expensive problem.

On the other hand, a culture of trust can be profitable. Jason Grove, Vice President of Operations for Dimensional Innovations (www.dimin.com), points out that trust is critical, but business success is based on making money. Mr. Grove says, “If you trust good people to do their jobs, they’ll do them. This is the way we do business, and it works.”

Unfortunately, the turbulent economic conditions facing many businesses today diminish the trust level within them. Several recent studies have shown up to 60% of employees do not trust their senior leaders to get their organizations back on track. Over the years, psychological studies consistently discuss trust as something which is built, rather than innate; therefore, management can do something about it.

Management can build a culture of trust using the following strategies:
1. Instill a compelling Vision. Herb Kelleher, co-founder of Southwest Airlines, distinguished his company by unifying everyone around the Vision of freedom. They are selling freedom “to move about the country” and their employees work toward that Vision. What is the greater purpose for your organization? If you cannot recite it immediately, you can bet your bottom dollar no one else there can either. Without it, people resort to their personal reasons for working there, which may not be synchronized with each other.

2. Get the right people in the right jobs. Jim Collins described it in Good to Great as getting the right people on the bus in the right seats. Leaders need to make decisions about people and hold them accountable for their performance to ensure the right ones work there.

3. Be open and honest about the facts. Face the truth about where you are and where you’re heading, and let your people know. It is common during a crisis for leaders to bury themselves in work and try to figure it out on their own, but that is precisely the wrong course to take. Employees want to know the truth, and they can handle it.

4. Make tough decisions. Leaders need to make decisions without being wishy-washy. Build trust among employees by doing what is right, even if it is hard. Do not be afraid to be a leader when faced with hard decisions.

5. Recognize success. Acknowledge accomplishments and thank employees for them. Give positive feedback when goals are met. Set reasonable goals which can be met in today’s circumstances.

Leaders should use the five strategies described here to build a culture of trust during this economic crisis and continue fostering the culture as the crisis subsides. If you build a relationship of trust with employees, they will perform their best for you and the company. The relationship is priceless and powerful.

Copyright © 2009 Kelly A. Tyler

A Head Buried in the Sand Gives a Bad View

It's been a while since I posted here. Summer hours took effect with nieces and nephews' freedom from school. Plus, I was getting ready for another semester teaching a class at a local business school. Plus, clients--new, potential, and long-term--kept me busy (yay!). Plus, friends and family were in town a lot. Plus, it was so hot...

See a familiar pattern there?

Step 1: Identify the problem or weakness.

Step 2: Identify excuses for it.

Step 3?

Keep my head buried in the sand and ignore the issue? I don't like this option because the issue keeps flaring up in the back of my mind, even while my head is buried in the sand. That's got to feel familiar to some readers.

Another choice is to get my head out of the sand to face the facts. Now, I'm talking about my performance as a blogger, but the same pattern of behavior exists for many business-altering issues. Leaders bury their heads in the sand rather than face the facts of their performance.

When one's head is buried in the sand, you know what those around can see, right? Yes, the site is not pretty and does not inspire change, innovation, confidence, or productivity. Whatever issue is flaring up in the back of your mind, face it today and improve the view.

With that in mind, I faced the issue of my poor blogging performance today by getting its score and ranking. My blog score is 47. Out of 100. That's an F! (Don't tell my dad and mom I flunked a grade.)

My blog ranking is 2,505 out of 9,388, is written at the 10th-grade level, and has 18 inbound links.

Ah! There's hope! It's not ranked 9,388! In fact, the number of inbound links indicates someone is reading this--or wishes they could have something to read.

Facing the facts--after all, a blog that has not been updated in more than two months should not expect much higher than a 47--was a little scary and painful. Even with reasonable expectations, I didn't like seeing that 47.

But, at least I can fix it now.

The joy of getting out from under the sand is changing the view for myself and those around me. I will do better and will keep you posted of the score improvement.

If you're stuck with your head buried in the sand, pop up and take a peak. The view is much better from above the sand for all involved.