Making Payment

"The important thing is this: to be ready at any moment to sacrifice what you are, for what you could become." 

- Charles Dickens

Entitlement

It seems to me the world is filled with a sense of entitlement. It's not just the wave of younger employees in our organizations that desire some sort of reasonable balance in their lives (oh, the horror!) And, it is certainly not just the old guard that feels like they've paid their dues and for some reason need to do less simply because they've been breathing longer (give me a break...)

While both groups are well-intended, they have missed the mark.

Words and Effort

As a leader for many years I have learned to quickly see the difference between someone (regardless of age) who talks about their work, and the ones who do the work. While you may be thinking to yourself that this is a simple task, you might want to consider the variable of motivation.

Sure, true slackers are easy to see. Yet other productive members of the team may say they aspire to bigger and better roles with expanded responsibilities; yet, their effort does not reflect their intention.

They simply can not, or will not, make the payments necessary to earn that opportunity. 

Often times the only thing holding them back is the view they have through their own narrow lens. It's such a shame. As we know, feedback, particularly thoughtful, direct, constructive feedback is essential to moving past our own self-talk about leadership behavior, and opening our eyes to the larger world in which we desire to lead.

How About You

Are you willing to truly listen...and make your payments...as you push your career forward? 

Once you process the fact that humility is an essential part of leadership, you will be astounded at what comes next.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

Millennials Scare You Because You're A Weak Leader

Enough is enough.

You are embarrassing yourself and your organization. You are proving to everyone that you don't deserve to lead because you sound like you are still wondering why Pickett's Charge failed.

Is this really the first time in your career you've had different generations of employees working for you?

Stop whining about millennials.

Forever.

You Are Not A Contemporary Leader
It seems I can no longer get through one day without hearing "leaders" lamenting about millennials and how to manage them in the workplace. Are you kidding me? There have been multiple generations in the workforce since the first row of corn was planted thousands of years ago. 

The problem has nothing to do with the birth date of the employees we are all hiring. The problem is 100% the responsibility of leaders who use Gen Y as an excuse to avoid their own failings.

It is 2016. Have you kept as current with new communication / branding / and social tools as you do with your "monthly professional journals?" Good Lord, I hope you aren't actually waiting a month to stay "current!"

If you are afraid to jump into the 21st century that is not the problem of your younger employees. Admit you are afraid...that you have no idea what is going on...and start learning! 

Haven't you all proclaimed that you lead a "learning organization?" How about you start backing up your empty jargon-filled-HR-speak and catch up to the rest of society?

The Secret to Every Generation
Here are a few insider tips to help you get started on your new journey:

1. New generations bring energy, fresh perspectives and new ideas to the workplace.
2. Every generation wants a good job, a good boss, decent pay, and a chance to have a life outside the cube.
3. These haven't changed since the dawn of time.

Unfortunately you're still trying to position yourself as leader by describing the challenges of millennials, instead of just leading. It's as if they are a protected class all of a sudden.

How About You
Am I being too harsh? Don't care.

Should I stay quiet and follow the classic leadership approach of always being positive about others in leadership?

No. Freaking. Way.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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This Team Is Designing the Future of HR

This is the second in a series of posts about SHRM's Global Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Summit that was held in conjunction with the national conference. It was an amazing collection of senior human resources executives from around the world who gathered for an in-depth and inspiring meeting in Las Vegas.

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Imagine the future of human resources. The words are different…the roles are different…the value HR adds to the organization is viewed in a radical new way. 

Maybe...

At the recent Global Forum for Chief Human Resources Officers this was the exact issue discussed. CHROs from around the world wrestled…sort of…with what that future state will be for HR.

Top Thinkers

The session was led by John Boudreau who has been deeply engaged with a world-class team of human resources executives from some of the top companies in the world. His research, and the focused output the team is generating is a fantastic start.

The group he assembled shares a level of frustration with the state of HR today, in that it is difficult to describe what our role is in a rapidly changing world.

Here’s my spin...

- couldn’t we outsource benefits support to a call center and manage the spend through the Finance department?

- couldn’t we fold employee relations into the legal department now that our society (at least in the United States) is ridiculously focused on litigation or extreme views from various government agencies.

- couldn’t an education department that reports through Operations build a team of trainers/change management professionals to ensure we had complete alignment with what the front-line needs of the leaders are?

The short-sighted answer to these questions is yes. It’s also the wrong one. What’s missing here is the role that human resources plays when addressing talent, culture, and living the values of an organization.

I’m sorry, but Finance, Legal, and Operations do not have stellar track records for driving change, responding to the workforce, or meeting the challenges of growth in a radically different world than just a few years ago.

Only HR can deliver on that…and this is where John’s team might miss the mark, but not for the reason you might think.

Future of the Workforce

The powerhouse team I mentioned that is planning the future of HR is missing one very important member...

…the people who are going to be the future of HR. Hear me out...

"If millennials are going to dominate the workforce in just a few years, it seems odd to exclude them from the planning process.”

Teams of executives have the power and influence to make change. But at what cost? If the entire group that is planning the future of HR is retired in fifteen years, have they done a disservice by excluding those they are trying to help?

I submit yes! 

The courageous leaders on this team should not only invite non-executive leaders into the group, but must insist on it. 

While I stand and applaud the desire to make things different, it is clear the group is not current. (I could barely find twitter accounts for half the group, yet they are designing the new world of HR?)

How About You

What are you doing in your world to make a difference for your profession? Are you adapting to new ways to work? Or, are you simply moving the same old concepts around into a new format and claiming that you’ve made a breakthrough? 

John’s team is taking a bold step forward and I will support them in every way I can. Let’s hope they don’t miss the most important piece of the puzzle.

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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I Met the Future...and it Means Business

I recently had the privilege of spending a couple of hours with a young man who will be graduating form college next Spring. He decided to spend this summer learning as much as he could about the world of work. He wants to be as prepared as possible when his undergraduate days end.

Let me tell you something...if the next generation is as focused, driven, polished and thinks about work the way he does, we are in very good hands.

Oh, and there will also be a whole bunch of leaders who suddenly find themselves reporting to him, because he's all ready demonstrated the leadership traits we all spend tens of thousands of dollars trying to "develop" in our people. (Please...why don't we just hire leaders instead of trying to turn non-leaders into something they're not?)

Learning As A Competitive Advantage 

One of the first things that impressed me was his desire to learn. He didn't present himself as a know-it-all...in fact, his humility was only overshadowed by his energy to make a difference.

I kept thinking to myself, 'he sure doesn't fit into the Gen Y stereotype all of the "experts" have been telling me about.'

Which, by the way, again reinforced my absolute disdain for the term "expert." It's usually a self-appointed term...am I right? Don't believe me? Go read your own twitter or LinkedIn bio.

So there I sat...sharing my experiences, advocating that the "rules" that have been established in the world of work need to be ignored, and that he shouldn't be afraid to forge his own path.

It was awesome.

Thinking Big All Ready

As he shared his ideas to make an impact on the projects he's involved with this summer I kept thinking the same thought..."how quickly can I hire this guy into my company before someone else gets him?"

I'm not kidding.

After two hours I also realized he'll probably be running his own company by the time he's twenty-five or so, which means my window of opportunity to recruit him is almost closed.

How About You

When was the last time you spent time connecting with one of tomorrow's leaders to share your experiences? I hope that he was able to take a couple of things away from our time together. He'll never fully appreciate how much he gave me without even knowing it.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Stronger Than Hate

I've been thinking about the tremendous amount of sadness in the news lately from around the world. There are big things like war, famine, and blatant violations of human rights happening all the time.

Isn't that last comment enough to make you sick? These issues are so common we're not even phased when we hear about them.

Hate and indifference fuel these disastrous situations.

It's Personal
I've discovered over the years that I have a tremendous amount of influence in my life when it comes to hate. 

Sometimes the hate is subtle in the workplace...a quiet joke about someone who might be gay, or a crass comment about a female leader who is driving change. And the room is filled with a mix of nervous laughter and heads facing toward the floor.

Why is it that difference becomes a threat? 

Why is it that so many "professionals" don't realize that they are showing their true feelings when these not-so-subtle comments are made publicly? Seriously, when I hear these things I now react to them...and simultaneously lose all respect for the person saying it. 

I may have to work with you, but I will never cut you any slack again. Ever.

It's Serious
What strikes me as the ultimate in ironies is that the leaders that make crude comments about race, gender and sexuality also expect to be treated with the utmost respect. Ha! Good luck with that one.

"The same people often use religion as their cannon fodder for hate. I'm not a biblical scholar, but I don't recall Jesus saying 'let the white christian straight children come to me.' He actually invited all children to join him."

It's a shame so many leaders today fail to appreciate that message.

How About You

The world is changing...albeit slowly. No longer will the generation that is going to dominate the world of work accept these bigoted and outdated behaviors. Not to mention the legal infrastructure that is finally catching up to a civilized view of the world that treats all people with respect.

It's time for each of us to evaluate the words we use, and the challenges we make to these tired and embarrassing comments in the workplace. Stand up and let your voice be heard.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

Unraveling Paradise

"Nice office...great job title...big team and budget...ahhh...life is good. This gig feels like I've finally arrived in paradise."
- Said every new leader since forever

For those leaders that have scored the proverbial hat trick of landing a great job, work that they love, and a company that has great leadership, life can be really good. For some that means they believe they can take their foot off the pedal. It's almost as if they have convinced themselves that now they can delegate their work and simply operate in a "strategic" role.

Bahahahahaha.

Leadership Is Hard As Hell
I'm not exactly sure how "hard" hell is, but let's assume it's pretty rugged. To me, the privilege of leadership requires a whole new commitment on several levels:

1. Personal
Leading requires sacrifice. Not only in the extra time necessary to get the job done, but in understanding much more about the business than just the collection of boxes on your organizational chart.

For those not willing to put in the time, leadership will be a short and inglorious experience. I don't care what Generation (Boomer, X,Y or Z) thinks about this point. Leadership requires a new level of dedication; but trust me, there's still time to save the world too.

2. Strategic vs. Tactical
I see leaders at high levels all the time that believe they shouldn't have to "get into the weeds" of the work. 

I hate to burst their bubble, but the only effective leaders are those that can effectively flex between both high level work and also understand what it takes to get the job done.

For those tossing around buzzwords and jargon you are not fooling anyone. In fact, you're actually playing the fool in front of your colleagues.

3. Energy Is More Important Than Ever Before
Leading effectively consumes an inordinate amount of energy. If you are going to perform at a high level (which by default is a minimum requirement of every leader) then you must take care of yourself.

Good nutrition, exercise and sleep are not just things you "should do." They are required. Commit to modifying your lifestyle today...and for God's sake don't say you're too busy. That makes you sound like you can't get your life organized, and no one wants to follow that person. Ever.

How About You
Does leadership feel like paradise sometimes? You bet it does. I wouldn't trade it for any other job on Earth. The ongoing (and quite humbling process of leading effectively) means that I have to unravel my vision of paradise so I can be my absolute best.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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We Shall Destroy - #Thinkathon 2014

Last week I had the privilege to attend the inaugural Thinkathon session in New York City hosted by the amazing team at purematter and IBM Social Business. Thirty of us were brought together from all walks of digital life to tackle the future of work. 

What does it look like? 
How will people work? 

What will the workplace...and workspace...look like?
What about loyalty?

What about full-time employment?
Will any work get done?

What about the younger-aged (and younger-minded!) workforce? Are they all self-serving work-life balance fanatics who don't appreciate 70 hour work weeks?

We were brought together to destroy the world of work as it exists today.

The Future is Cool...and Scary!
Our session kicked off with a fascinating (and haunting) message from Faith Popcorn, a prophetic futurist who is so accurate you'll want to follow her around and simply listen. 

Robots, genetic transformation, and the potential for more than one hundred million displaced workers got us all fired up to continue our mission!


Start Destroying!
The afternoon was then taken over by Hendre Coetzee, an absolutely brilliant facilitator and leader who guided our group of "world-of-work assassins" through a series of highly interactive and challenging sessions on what it will mean to work in the future.

We powered through five key drivers that will change how we work forever:
- the future of work talent
- the future of work culture
- the future of big data/analytics at work
- the future of technology at work
- the future of work collaboration/communication

Whoa! Heavy topics for a group of heavy-hitters!

By the way, when, not if, you seek out Hendre for guidance in your own organization you will not be disappointed. He is masterful at his craft.

How About You
The man that made this all possible was Bryan Kramer, CEO of purematter and the connection to the IBM Social Business team. Kudos to you Bryan and your amazing team for putting together an event that blew me away. (The following two days focused on IBM's #NewWayToWork campaign...more on that later!)

What are you doing to get out in front of the evolving world of work? Are you clinging to the status quo? Don't do it! The future is now! I'm fired up to hack the future of work in my organization! Who's ready to destroy with me?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.




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