Too many of us get caught in the dreaded "victim" pattern. We listen to all the negative people in our lives and start to believe the message. Society doesn't help with an over growth in entitlement that makes people more likely to wait for help than go take the chance to be successful. Frankly, I am tired of hearing it!
Most of our lives are touched by the explosion we call Facebook. Hesitant at first, I am now a daily visitor to my news feed and I stay in touch with people that would have certainly been foggy, distant memories buried somewhere in my life fabric. This phenomenon is growing so fast and so many people are users, it makes me wonder if Facebook is sustainable. Could it be a permanent part of our lives? Or, is Facebook more like a tsunami that comes in, changes everything, and then slowly returns to the past leaving a permanent scar on the land that it touched?
While it might not be obvious to most. There is a compelling responsibility that most managers neglect.
I have yet to encounter an organization that is proud of how current performance reviews work. In fact, most executives are ashamed when confronted about this common corporate ritual. Why are they so dysfunctional? In a recent survey of 48,000 CEOs, managers and employees, Leadership IQ found only 13% of managers and 6% of CEOs thought year-end reviews were effective. The dysfunction has more to do with
As progress continues for my next book, research keeps revealing some interesting perspectives on both organizational and individual dynamics. Are we afraid of being other than ordinary? Is the preoccupation with mediocrity rooted in cowardice? Is differentiation something we are conditioned to fear both professionally and personally?
Many aspiring leaders do not realize that not making a decision is a decision. The decision not to act may seem like a passive action when in reality the opposite may be true. When we decide to postpone a decision, others are still affected by the indecision. From the complex to the very simple, we make decisions daily. We also decide to postpone decisions thinking we are pondering or considering how to act. Decisions are more like organizational spider webs that impact everyone on the team. Little decisions only bump the web while larger decisions shake it violently. It is only the perception of severity that tempts indecision. For example...
In the world of business, there are more clones than you might imagine. It is the rare organization that steps out of the herd to become remarkable. This illusion of safety creates apathy and mediocrity in most organizations while the leaders struggle to find excellence amidst the decay of the ordinary. As a student of organizational leadership, I analyze the similarities and special characteristics that differentiate one company from another. What makes one organization shine while others seem so content with remaining average? The most likely answer is fear. But the answer is, of course, much more complex. Fear of failure transcends the spectrum of our awareness. There is comfort and even safety in the mediocrity of our existence. Therefore, what it takes to leave the comfort of the pack becomes very rare.
I am confused about your frequent complaints regarding the availability of talented people for your organization. You complain that good workers are difficult to find. Help me to understand your position and perspective because I just cannot understand your logic. Currently, there are people on your team that do not perform, do not show up, and do not appreciate the job they are asked to complete. Yet, you cannot seem to find the desire or ability to remove them from your team. What gives?
Preston is already late for work and feeling stressed by the fresh Monday morning that is upon him. He decides to stop for coffee anyway. The five mile drive to his office seems more like fifty. He is in his seventh month as production supervisor and it feels like seven years. “How did it get this bad so fast?” he thinks to himself. He used to love his job and his life. He is twenty nine years old with a three year old baby boy at home. His relationship with his wife Cindy is very good. And yet, he is so miserable. That faint, yet undeniable sick feeling is coming back and he ponders whether he needs to vomit again today. The company offered Preston his supervisor position because he is a good worker, smart, and eager to learn. He is a very good problem-solver and seems to be respected by his co-workers. A natural fit for the supervisor position is what the company thought. Yet, why is he so unhappy?
As a parent of two boys, I have a perspective that does not include that of a father of little girls. And while the same behavior may be normal, I have no experience from which to make the same judgment. What is it about little boys and dancing naked? This supposedly common behavior that some may consider unspeakable is not limited to my own two little human examples, is it? There is something revealing about this behavior and the pun is definitely intended.
Understanding the tendencies of managers can be very entertaining and humorous. Learning to identify the common challenges faced by many managers can enlighten us to the point that we improve our own performance. Labels can help us identify both the success and failure we all experience when assuming a leadership position within an organization. As you read this, I encourage you to examine these labels for both intrinsic and extrinsic value. In other words, do you sometimes exhibit behavior that can be indentified with each label? Have you worked with others that fit these descriptions?
Most managers are not comfortable with a simple truism that the current condition of any organization is direct reflection of leadership. In other words, managers are accountable for the current success or failure of the team. This epiphany is a rude awakening for some and a sad reality for others. The challenge faced by most aspiring leaders is the brutal accountability that accompanies autonomy. In other words, team performance is directly related to “who” is on the team and “how” they are managed. The wrong people certainly influence performance and this quantification of talent is the primary measure of success and failure. However, the most neglected performance indicator is the environment created by the manager for the team.
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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PSST, CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET? WE CAN'T...
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It's a humorous book on Servant Leadership that sells for $20 bucks on Amazon. |
