Tina Turner may have asked the right question when she implored “What’s love got to do with it?” in her 1984 pop hit. Some of you may need to google the song – shaking my head with the big-eyed emoji. The question she poses gets very interesting when we apply it to business. What does love have to do with business? Can we or should we love each other at work? Be honest with yourself because this question is a litmus test for where you stand on the scale between transactional management and tribal leader. Do you really attempt to love the people you supervise or work with? Transactional managers exist for the transaction of work for pay. Tribal leaders, on the other hand, seek to enhance a sense of belonging that is rooted in love for the individual and the organization.
We have all hired that person that looked good on paper and interviewed well but did not turn out as expected. How do we undo this mistake? You went to the board and made the pitch but alas they simply don't perform. Or worse, they have changed into someone that is no longer the person you hired. What now? I have coached several top level executives through the challenge of undoing the mistake they made with a bad hire. It is never easy however it does require a willingness to place the good of the organization over any one individual.
Safety success can be as elusive to some organizations as the Loch Ness Monster or mermaids have been to men throughout modern history. While most companies desire a safe workplace, the true reasons they fail are quite compelling. In short, most companies treat symptoms while few really determine the cause of disease. Too many organizations believe the disease of injury is superficial rather than a comprehensive infection of leadership in the workplace. Simply put, people do not desire to be injured, yet injuries continue to occur. Why?
As companies ponder the annual Christmas turkey or gift certificate to the “Jelly of the Month Club”, let’s ponder the opportunity to give something that will last beyond the bloat of the holidays. Let me premise by stating there is nothing wrong with food and I am indeed a fan. I also notice the migration to the gyms around the world after our temporary relationship with the foods that seduce us each year. I am a complete sucker for pecan pie by the way. However, there is something that will leave a permanent, positive impact on those who carry the load all year. We have an opportunity to give a lasting gift that will not fade as we remove the holiday decorations and consider our New Year’s resolutions. Consider the gift of knowledge. Knowledge can never be taken and if done properly, can leave a permanent mark on the people we gift it to. Whether it is tools to make our job easier or something to inspire us, the right kind of information can be the greatest gift we provide for our people. It demonstrates that our people are important and they indeed matter. Knowledge, when imparted properly, personifies the corporate strategy and reinforces our human need to belong to something greater than ourselves.
No size, no speed, and no talent pretty much sums up my high school football career. Yet, a high school football coach saw something in me that nobody else had seen until my junior year of high school. Growing up in a small East Texas town where football is king, I had always heard stories of my Father’s exploits on the local grid iron and I wanted to prove myself as the next generation of awesomeness. Yet, my physical gifts did not match my desire in the minds of most coaches. By the time a varsity opportunity came along, I wanted to make the team and prove I deserved to be there and if lucky get to play. To be honest, the chance of earning a starting position was remote.
Lee Iacocca wrote a book with a similar title in 2008 and I assure you that his take on the topic is different from the stance I am about to take. Presidential election years bring out the best and worst in our polarized society and it is a good time to reflect on the modern application of the word leadership. I am truly ashamed that the need to write this is so heavy on my heart. But alas, someone has to run grab the defibrillator and shock us back into a sense of reality. So I will be your Huckleberry!
If you are like most of us that make regular deposits into the world of knowledge through social media, we like to check and recheck and then check again to see who is reading, liking, and sharing our posts. And just when you think you have written the most amazing and insightful article or blog post, we check even more often for feedback and comments. We look into the abyss and crave that tiny bit of validation, that affirmation that what we said is indeed meaningful to the potential reader. Well crap – nothing!
Justin Timberlake proclaims that he “Can’t Stop the Feeling” and he just might be representing the same sentiment as members of your team do when it comes to work. It may be a good feeling or possibly something less desirable but the key insight is the emotion of your workplace. How exactly does it feel to work for your organization? It is an interesting question to ask. How does it feel to work at your bank? How does it feel to work at your factory? How does it feel to work at your hospital?
In the 1983 movie Never Say Never Again, Fatima Blush (I just love how that name sounds) told James Bond that she was a superior woman. At the time she was pointing a gun at well, if you saw the movie you know exactly where she was aiming. Her candid declaration of superiority supported her extreme confidence as the villainess in Ian Fleming’s masterpiece. Fatima (give me a moment to soak the name in again) represents the epitome of beauty and strength along with a slightly higher dose of human insecurity that to some degree exists in each of us. No matter how strong or beautiful one might be; there are certain needs that make us human. Most organizations are unconcerned about individual needs and this is where they are missing tremendous opportunity for talent.
I was working with a client recently and the phenomenon we all know as “Pokemon Go” came up in conversation. The IT professional in the room made a comment that really grabbed my attention. Not that I am a fan or a player of the game by-the-way. My interest in the game has been and still is more analytical than anything else. I mean really! A group of engineers walked into my class recently talking about Poke stops or whatever it is called. I am quite astonished that I am really writing about this but stay with me as I think you will find value in my interest.
Recent years of military softness to cope with millennial recruits have not changed the Marine Corps approach to basic training. I recently interviewed several Marine Corps recruiters to find out what they are seeing when it comes to the modern candidate for membership in the U.S. Marines. The Marines are currently fighting the tendencies of most military organizations to change the expectations for new members of this tribe. I was told that the Marines have not lessened the training intensity required to make young men and women into Marines as is the case in other branches of service. This approach may be having the desired impact on strengthening rather than weakening the draw of young patriots to the world of military service.
A client is doing something quite remarkable. I want to share this with you to end the week on a positive vibe. A long-term employee was recently promoted to manager from his peer group. He has been with the organization for a long time and is a natural fit for the new role. No surprises here so far. However, what the organization did next is a lesson for so many companies struggling and so many more that are severely handcuffed with mediocrity.
His information is both provocative and engaging. His speeches can be an emotional roller-coaster with the audience laughing one minute and holding back tears the next. Energy and passion are the two most common words used to describe John Grubbs as a speaker and trainer.
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