Another reputation ruined by stupidity

Yesterday, Montana’s chief federal judge, Richard Cebull, admitted forwarding a racist email to six "old buddies" about President Obama. He sent the email from his court account, not from home or even a personal account.

The email included several racist jokes along with the judge's personal message to his buddies. “Normally I don’t send or forward a lot of these, but even by my standards, it was a bit touching. I want all of my friends to feel what I felt when I read this. Hope it touches your heart like it did mine,” Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull wrote before forwarding the email. (SOURCE: Los Angeles Times)

The judge admits the jokes are racists but claims he sent them not as a racist but because he dislikes Obama.

Politics aside...racism aside...just how stupid is that judge to think it is prudent to send an email like that? Just how stupid is he to attach his name to that kind of email, especially since he admitted knowing it could offend people. Sure, he never intended the email to become public, but that's the point: you should ALWAYS assume emails could become public.

Email has been around for 20 years! Warnings about emails being forwarded to recipients beyond those you intend have been around 20 years! How many more reputations will be ruined by the stupid assumption that no one else will see one?

Being stupid enough to assume emails are private is one thing, but perhaps it just reveals the real issue: poor character.

My question for you to ponder: if a top judge is stupid enough to assume emails are private, are you? Or, are the top leaders of your company? Judge Cebull's stupidity serves as a good reminder to us all, which might prevent another reputation from being ruined by stupidity.

(Information for this post was taken from the Los Angeles Times article, Montana judge admits sending racist email about Obama, posted by Kim Murphy February 29, 2012, 9:06 p.m.)

Papa John's culture of crass

Have you seen this Papa John's receipt posted by a customer last weekend?

Note the third line from the bottom where next to "Name" an employee entered "lady chinky eyes". The customer tweeted the picture of her receipt along with "Hey @PapaJohns just FYI my name isn't "lady chinky eyes".

The receipt is from Friday (January 6th), it was tweeted Saturday, and Sunday Papa John's issued an apology on its Facebook page.

"This act goes against our company values, and we've confirmed with the franchisee that this matter was addressed immediately and that the employee is being terminated," the pizza company said on its Facebook page. "We are truly sorry for this customer's experience."

Hey @PapaJohns, firing someone does not address the matter.

Why would an employee think that description was acceptable? 

Clearly there is a culture at Papa John's that enabled that employee to think it was acceptable to post such a crass description of the customer.

Do you think that was the only time such a description was used? And, do you think there was just one employee in the entire Papa John's organization speaking about people that way? Do you think firing that employee means the culture is fixed?

I do not. Firing someone does not align the culture with their values.

I'd like to know what Papa John's is doing, if anything, beyond firing someone. Are they doing anything to retrain customer service people? If so, is the training anything beyond admonishments such as, "Do not type physical descriptions on receipts"? The culture issue extends beyond what the employee typed on the receipt. Hopefully, Papa John's knows that and takes steps to fix it.

What do you think: did Papa John's do enough to address the matter by firing the employee?

Too legit to quit

An entrepreneur named Stanley Burrell announced  the launch of a new search engine at last week's Web 2.0 summit in San Francisco. Yawn...

Don't get too bored...

Burrell's stage name is MC Hammer. Yes, that MC Hammer. You remember him because he's too legit, too legit to quit. Hammer was one of the biggest rap stars of all time, selling more than 50 million records in his heyday. He is credited with being one of the innovators of pop-rap because his music appealed to fans of both in a unique way back in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

You also might remember him for his Hammer pants, Hammer time, and personal difficulties in the late 1990s.

He's come a long way since then.

When MC Hammer was in the midst of stardom and sang about being "too legit to quit," I thought he was focused on being "too legit." He admitted as much in interviews years after spending his $20 million fortune, losing his house, filing bankruptcy, and settling copyright infringement lawsuits. He has spoken in interviews on Oprah and VH1 and elsewhere about out-of-order priorities causing his downfall.

What stands out to me now is not the "too legit" part, it's the "to quit" part. It turns out the kid dancing to a boombox outside Oakland A's ballpark really was not going to quit.

Burrell has many business holdings including a record label, artist management company, MMA management company, horse racing stable, and clothing line (that does not sell Hammer pants, by the way). He also is an established internet mogul involved with several dance sites.

This guy came from living in a tiny house with eight siblings, dancing outside the A's stadium and made it to the height of super-stardom, then lost the superstar staus and financial security, then became a successful business mogul with diverse business interests. He's living life All In!

After all of the highs and lows, Stanley Burrell really is too legit to quit. I suspect his latest high-tech venture will be successful too. Or, at least if it's not, he will be just fine. MC Hammer: too legit to quit. Stanley Burrell: U can't touch this.

Question for Readers:

Who would have thought we could learn something from Hammer Time, but we can. Knock me over with a feather. My question for you: are you too legit to quit too?

Link to article on www.CNN.com

The growth plan better extend beyond financial finagling

If the primary way your company can be profitable is by moving its headquarters, you're in trouble. If production costs have increased and operating costs have followed, and the best idea your leaders have is to reduce rent, update your resume because your company won't be around long.

Of course, saving on office expenses is wise. It should just not be the primary way a company alters its Income Statement. If you're in the movie business, figure out a way to make money in the movie industry. If you run an engineering firm, figure out how to be profitable in the engineering industry. If you run a bakery, bake some revenue-generating treats. If you're in real estate, move to generate income. But, don't be in the real estate industry if you're not in the real estate industry. If you can't make a buck in the business you're in, it's time to evaluate the business you're in.

Do not expect your shareholders and stakeholders to fall for financial finagling, even if it works short-term. They recognize when a company is at the end of its rope holding on.  

Be creative, be the expert in your industry, be innovative. Come up with ideas that inspire people--employees, clients, shareholders--rather than ideas that reek of last-ditch desperation. You might be surprised by what inspired, All-In, people do when they are invited to do more than pack their desks into boxes.

Is your strategy inducing confidence or shaking it?

 If one of your biggest clients said "It appears that they're lost right now" about your company, what would you do?

This morning's print edition of The Wall Street Journal includes an article about Hewlett-Packard (H-P), its strategy, and how it has communicated with customers and investors. The first line of the article is: Hewlett-Packard Co.'s recent strategic moves have shaken the confidence of investors. Now customers of the technology giant are also getting nervous. A few paragraphs later a big customer is quoted saying, "It appears that they're lost right now."

It's bad enough that a big customer considers his supplier lost, but the feeling is shared by others--and published in  The Wall Street Journal!

In the article, H-P executives defended their strategy and claimed to be in "constant contact with our customers to explain our strategy and ensure their needs are being met." Apparently their customers are unaware of the "constant contact" because many are confused and disappointed in H-P's strategy.

What has H-P done wrong?

It is unclear if H-P's strategic decisions are wrong--time will tell. What is clear is H-P's communication of their strategy has been wrong. When it comes to inducing confidence or shaking it, communication is key.

Communication with employees, customers, partners, vendors, and investors needs to be precise and targeted so the strategic direction has a chance of working. Poor communication can kill any strategic plan.

What have you done to ensure your strategic direction is confidence-inducing? Have you had enough communication with customers? Do employees understand it and know they're part of it? Whether you are charged with planning the direction of an entire multi-billion dollar corporation or a million dollar non-profit or a department of three, consider communication a critical part of your success.

H-P considers communication critical: Just three hours after the online edition of The Wall Street Journal was published, a second article which more thoroughly explains the strategy and how it is being communicated was published online. H-P has strong market position, so customer confidence has been stirred but not been shaken entirely.

When is the last time you talked with your customers about your strategy? Don't wait for them to voice their concerns to The Wall Street Journal to start the conversations. Confidence should be reinforced throughout each year.

For the full WSJ article:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903895904576544822297017068.html#ixzz1Wo2juG6M

Mistake management for dummies

Yawn! Another powerful man...another downfall. The continuous failure to take responsibility for one's behavior is just boring now.

I'm not going to post about the latest example playing itself out in the media. If you're reading this, you probably know anyway. If not, take a quick look at any news site and you'll see it front and center.

Putting personal judgements about infidelity aside, I find it almost offensive that these public figures have not learned from other highly publicized atrocious mistake management.

The pattern of behavior for how mistakes are managed by powerful public figures could be published in a book called Mistake Management for Dummies. It would include:
1. Deny! Deny! Deny!
2. State that you do not know the person/people involved at all
3. State that you are sorry for your family (don't give a thought to the fact that you didn't consider them at all before you were caught)
4. State that you are taking full responsibility for your misdeeds (don't give a thought to exactly what that means, don't really do anything)
5. Shed a few tears and if they don't come easily, fake it

While some are judging these people for their infidelity, I think they should be judged for how poorly they managed their situations once they were caught.

Has Bill Clinton taught us nothing?

Haven't they learned from Martha Stewart at all? She went to PRISON! She did not go to prison for her lies. She went for covering up her lies!

We all make mistakes. We don't all make them worse by lying about them.

Here's the basic process for Mistake Management for Smarties:
Step 1: Admit it.
Step 2: Fix it.
Step 3: Don't do it again.

It seems like every executive should know by now that it is not the mistake that hurts one's reputation and career. It is how it is handled. Covering it up or blaming others does more damage than the actual error, most of the time.

Manage your mistakes like a pro. And, by "pro", I mean someone who takes responsibility, not like the highly publicized professionals in the news lately.

The stampede has begun!

Everyone following the recession and its impact on high performers has been waiting for this day. We have expected it, warned of its arrival, and wondered when it would come. It has arrived.

A look at the headlines of the Wall Street Journal's Management page indicates the stampede of high performers toward the exits has begun.

They are leaving the companies that kept them employed during the height of the recession for greener pastures. They are leaving for positions with more authority or to start their own businesses. Some are leaving to take a break from the high-pressure jobs they've had in recent years. A few are leaving because they were kicked out, but they aren't like the top performers you should be concerned with.

Have your top performers left yet? If not, are you enticing them to stay? Are you doing enough?

If you are not enticing top performers to stay, know that your competitors will entice them to their greener pastures.

Loyalty is a two-way street

Loyalty is a two-way street, and it begins with the organization’s treatment of the employees when they join. The organization sets the tone for the relationship, and Human Resources (HR) is most often serving as the organization’s representative in setting the tone.

HR is the early link between the new person and the organization. As such, it is HR’s responsibility to set a positive tone for the relationship. It is HR’s job to get the employee to fall in love with the company through the interview process and upon starting their career there.

But, don't put the whole burden on HR's shoulders.

It is often HR’s job to help initiate a successful relationship between the new person and her manager; however, building a bond between the organization and employee rests primarily with the hiring manager.

It is widely known, thanks to Marcus Buckingham’s studies revealed in his book First Break all the Rules, that people join companies for the type of work, opportunities, leadership, and benefits. But, they leave because of the daily interaction with their immediate manager. 

The immediate manager and teammates impact how engaged new people are, how productive they are, and how long they stay that way. You can get them started on the right foot by implementing a professional New Employee Orientation (NEO).

Most organizations do not have money or time for on-the-job initiations of new employees.  Budgets are way too tight for that! They need people to get up to speed quickly. 

Companies need the benefits of a professional NEO, as explained below.

1.  Decreased turnover

2. Faster contribution time for the new person

3. Decreased disruption for coworkers and managers of new person

4. Realistic understanding and expectations of the new job

5. Reduction of mistakes made my new people and those teaching them

6. Increased pride in the new company and its leaders

7. Increased engagement

8. Increased tenure with the organization

It takes more than Human Resources to bring new people on board effectively and to build employee loyalty. The immediate teammates, coworkers, and managers have more long-term impact than HR. Extend your NEO beyond the required HR-related information to build relationships, loyalty, and results.

Reader Query...
What have you found most useful in NEOs you've experienced as the new person or manager?

3 Lessons to learn from others' poor judgment

Tony Hayward ought to be calling 1-800-FLOWERS to have a big bouquet sent to General McChrystal. The card should read,

"Dear Stan, Thanks for using judgment worse than my own and for getting me out of the news. Love, Tony." 

Hayward, of course, is the former BP executive in charge of the oil spill in its 65th day of ruining in the Gulf of Mexico. In the days leading up to the oil spill and immediately following it, Hayward's poor judgment included risking lives and livelihoods for the sake of a dollar, including deceased advisers in the plan to remedy the situation, botching oil containment, and most recently, enjoying a yacht race while eleven families mourned their loved ones who died in the blast which led to oil gushing in the Gulf.

What? A yacht race? Yes, Hayward made other more harmful lapses in judgment, but that one gives insight into just who Hayward is and who he thinks he is. BR replaced him this morning, which should give him insight into just who he is.

As for General McChrystal, the poor judgment that lands him on the front pages of news outlets an interview with Rolling Stone magazine in which he and his staff express dislike for President Obama and make fun of Vice President Biden. Being a non-military expert, I cannot speak to the General's judgment beyond this situation.

The General's apology (heck, at least he issued one, unlike his co-judgment-lapser Hayward) issued in a Pentagon statement said,

"I extend my sincerest apology for this profile. It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened," McChrystal said in a Pentagon statement. "Throughout my career, I have lived by the principles of personal honor and professional integrity. What is reflected in this article falls far short of that standard." (SOURCE: www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/06/23/general.mcchrystal.obama.apology/index.html?hpt=T1) 

BP replaced Hayward, and General McChrystal apologized. Shouldn't all be forgiven and the news return to the latest The Bachelor breakup, World Cup games, and Apple products?

Not so fast.

Since these highly accomplished professional men made such egregious errors, let's assume there are folks out there who need a refresher when it comes to errors in judgment.

Take these three rules to heart to avoid the effect of poor judgment in the future:

1. Your reputation will carry you only so far. You can claim to live by high standards, but your behavior indicates otherwise, it is your behavior upon which you will be judged. Do not expect different.
2. Mistakes can be forgiven and forgotten when genuine remorse and concern are shown, but do not excuse yourself by saying things like, "We're all human. Everyone makes mistakes." Statements like that undermine an apology. Plus, they just sound whiny and unprofessional.
3. Never publicly disparage your bosses, or their bosses, even in jest. If you have to be told not to do that in front of a journalist, then your judgment truly is pitiful. People will bridge the gap between "wow, he thought it was okay to say that to a journalist" and "he must be unfit to perform his duties." Expect consequences if you break Working Rule #1.

General McChrystal is meeting with President Obama to discuss his future this morning. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in that room! Actually, it would be just as interesting to be a fly on the wall of the room when the General spoke with his staff about their unprofessional comments in the article.

If the General loses his job over the comments he and his staff made, perhaps they ought to be sending him flowers today.

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.

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.

You can be just like Mario Lemieux

Do you own an NHL team? Have you won an Olympic gold medal or three MVP awards? Have you played on two Stanley Cup championship teams?

Unless Mario Lemieux reads this blog, it's pretty safe to say the answers to the above questions are, "No."

You may not have medals, trophies, and Stanley Cups, but there is something very important you could have in common with Mario Lemieux. There is one thing he did this week, which you could do and do just as well.

He inspired his team.

By the time two teams are playing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup series, as the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings were last Friday, it is clear both teams are skilled and talented. The difference between first and second place at that level is rarely skill, but more likely mental edge. Some might say "heart". Others say "desire," as if one team wanted the championship more than the other. Whatever you call it, Mario Lemieux inspired it in his team, the Penguins.

On Friday morning, each Penguins player awoke to find this on their cell phone:

This is a chance of a lifetime to realize your childhood dream to win a Stanley Cup. Play without fear and you will be successful! See you at center ice.

It was a text message from team owner, Mario Lemieux.

It was the right message at the right time. Mario's Penguins won the Stanley Cup that night, and he met them at center ice for the celebration.

You can do the same exact thing Mario did.

Inspire your team with the right message. Let them hear from you. Let them know you are behind them and believe in them.

Some leaders will think the idea is too fluffy and superficial. I say, if it's good enough for a hockey player (they aren't known for being sissies, after all), it's good enough for any leader. Your team wants to hear from you, especially during tough times.

If you want your team to step up, then you should too. Be like Lemieux in this regard: step up and inspire your team. Now.

Jack be Nimble, Jack be Quick

Nimble and quick are not words which often come to mind when describing many leaders. Jockeys, perhaps, but not leaders. In today's ever-changing business world, it is essential for leaders to be flexible and think creatively when managing projects, making decisions, and leading others.

One problem, causing stale and slow, seems to be reliance on traditional solutions and problem solving methods. Solving a project management time crunch issue, for example, can no longer be solved by adding people from another team to help in the short-term. First of all, there are fewer people on those teams already--if there even are other teams. Second, companies do not want to, or cannot, pay the additional expense of adding people. Third, clients are nimble and want to see action quicker than ever.

Leaders need to stimulate a creative culture to help managers who tend to rely too much on their experience. No one has experience with what we are all dealing with these days, so creativity is required.

Here are 5 ways to help create a creative environment:

1. Brainstorm for ideas. Hold weekly brainstorming meetings. Choose a topic, facilitate a professional session (email or call Kelly for some tips), and follow up. Great ideas build off other ideas, so give employees a chance to brainstorm.
2. Love ideas before you hate them. Don't judge ideas quickly. Let them fester in your mind, and the minds of others, a little while to see if something could become of them.
3. Release all assumptions. Ask, "What would we do/say in 2006?" then ask, "What might be possible in 2029?" Somewhere between there just might be the answer needed.
4. Play games with a purpose. Here's a link to Games That Stimulate Creativity: http://www.glencoe.com/sec/busadmin/entre/teacher/creative/stimulate/index.htm
5. Rearrange the office. Change a few things around the office to change the way people are functioning. People get in a rut, so change the pictures, layout, color, etc. Hold meetings outside or at an art gallery, museum, diner, park, or gym. Get people out of their usual surroundings.

Adaptability, initiative, and innovation are key success factors today. The leaders who are nimble and quick are those who will succeed through these changing times. They will succeed because they instill the same flexibility and creative thinking in those around them.

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, or Jack be looking for a job to pick!