There Are No Rules

"The future of work will not include the archaic rules we cling to today."
- Me

Protocol
How many times do you consider protocol before making a decision? When you think about what is "acceptable" in your workplace do your decisions change? Why?

Is there an established set of rules, policies or procedures that everyone must follow? Probably yes for some things, but I'm guessing not for how to raise issues, take risks, or God-forbid, identify break-through thinking.

So then, what is so powerful about protocol?

Corporate Culture
The answer I most often hear has to do with something called corporate culture. What surprises me most about this response is the inherent assumption that an organization has one homogenous culture. That is impossible.

Corporate cultures are actually made up of the dozens, or hundreds, or thousands of micro-cultures that exist at the team or department level. 

That is where the core values and mission of the organization must be effectively communicated and exemplified by leadership if a "corporate culture" is going to materialize at some higher level.

The Future of Rules
The only way I've been able to make real progress over the years was when I simply disregarded the norms, protocol, and generally risk-averse ineffectiveness of "modern" leadership.

The leaders of tomorrow are openly wondering why things move so slowly; why their big ideas do not get the obvious support they deserve; and how they can continue to push themselves to be more than they ever imagined.

How About You
I'm thrilled about the future of work. Candidly, I'm going to continue to lead as if the future is now.

Rules be damned.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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You, The Apathy Divine

I’m still surprised that it happens so often. Maybe I shouldn’t be. Perhaps it’s just human nature and I need to let it go? Maybe…but I don’t think that’s part of who I am. I don’t let things go as a general rule.

So what is it that happens so frequently? 

Leaders who refuse to step up, that’s what. 

Why does it happen again and again? The challenges in their work are right in front of them. Which means the opportunity to make a difference is also right in front of them. Yet somehow, they freeze. 

Is it fear of failure? Is it a lack of self-confidence? Is it the inability to process so much pressure all at once?

Could be. But what does one do about it? Let’s dive in and get our leaders back on track.

Pride

So many leaders end up changing their style once they achieve a new level of success in their careers. The hungry, risk-taking style that separated them from the others suddenly disappears when the stakes get high. The crushing paralysis of a risk-averse leadership style overtakes the once promising approach they used for years.

Fear of failing? YES! Fear of looking bad in front of their other risk-averse colleagues? YES! A new focus on survival vs. leadership? ABSOLUTELY!

  

"Someday we'll actually reward leaders for their courageous approach, instead of allowing them to hide behind a secret culture of political survival that only serves a handful of other leaders."

Learning

The antidote to this problem is a combination of character and willingness to learn. If leaders do not have enough character to recognize their approach is failing then all is lost.

If however, character is not an issue (be honest here), then the world will suddenly open up. Focusing on learning creates tremendous opportunities to excel. 

Consider the following points:

- Learning can be used both as a way to “catch up’ in areas where you are weak, but also to release yourself of the burden of having to know it all.

- When you’re learning you can’t be blamed, right? So keep learning! Show your organization and your teams that you are pushing yourself and will try, fail and eventually win.

How About You

You have to take the first step. I will help you. I will connect with you as often as you need it. I’m not perfect, but I have absolutely no fear anymore in my career. I will try anything, anywhere. I’m not kidding.

Let me help…or find another colleague who you can reach out to and get started now. Pick up the phone and call them. Schedule a coffee session. Don’t let your own apathy derail what could be so good.

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Obstacles and Courage

"Obstacles are things a person sees when they take their eyes off the goal."
- E. Joseph Cossman

I like to convince myself that I'm a "big picture" leader. Focusing on the impact different ideas, opportunities and problems have on my whole organization instead of just my piece of it however,  is difficult. As it turns out, thinking strategically and acting strategically are two very different things.

Negatives
All too often we allow the obstacles that Cossman references to cloud our vision. When that happens we have a tendency to think negative thoughts and get distracted from our real focus. Being stuck in this negative mindset only makes our work more difficult. 

For example: If there is a major issue that needs to be addressed and the necessary end result is clear, are you allowing the challenges that are part of that decision to stop the entire process? Yes, details need to be accounted for and managed, but the role of the leader is not to be intimidated by problems, but instead to be bold and push past those problems and achieve the end result that everyone is expecting.

Courage
Making difficult decisions is far from easy. Making those decisions when you feel absolutely alone is even worse. Yet it is in those moments that we need to look beyond the noise and criticism and push through. 

Effective leadership means you are making decisions. 

Effective leadership means you're not name-dropping the CEOs name every five minutes in an attempt to cover your back side. 

Effective leadership means leading, and that takes courage. Sadly, many who have a leadership title know little or nothing about being bold, or effective, or courageous.

How About You
What do you do with the obstacles in your life? Are you quick to hide behind the CEOs power suit? Do you retreat to the safety of a risk averse (and horribly ineffective) excuse to abstain from making a decision? Or, are you the one that everyone counts on in a crisis to stand alone and lead the way?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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I'm (Still) #HealthcareHR!

One of my posts  from last Fall drew a wide range of reactions. My basic premise was that as I scanned the #HealthcareHR landscape, I didn't see a whole lot of inspiring work being done. A key focus area in the post was social media, but certainly there is a much longer list of important work that needs to be accomplished in addition to getting out of the age of the dinosaurs and getting contemporary with social tools. 

Sharing Is Leading

As it turns out, and not to anyone's surprise, there is great work being done in #HealthcareHR; unfortunately very few people know it. Maybe the competitive nature of the health care industry still has many of us hiding our good work for fear of it "getting out."

Oh no! What if another hospital takes our ideas? What if someone else adds value to their organization? What if we actually improve how human resources work is done as an industry?

If the current landscape is any indication, we are in no danger of that happening.

It's Not Our Fault, Really

I've discovered the secret to why so many #HealthcareHR leaders are nervous to...well...lead beyond the comfort of their offices.

Consider the cultures of most health care organizations. Local leaders want to avoid negative publicity, so they hire other risk averse leaders. Those leaders perfectly execute low/no risk strategies that ensure nothing will be shared, posted, or contributed as thought leadership.

Sure, there are a few brave souls out there that are driving change in their organizations, but sadly they continue to be few and far between. Thank goodness my organization is not that way! 

How About You

How do you think about your role as a #HealthcareHR leader? Were you brought in to make sure nothing ever changed? Or, is there an opportunity for you to do more...be more...to think it big...and make a real difference as a leader?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Vengeance Will Be Mine

There is a delicate balance in leadership. I see the struggle play out regularly. It seems to me we've evolved our collective corporate lives into something very different from our personal ones. In so doing, we leave behind the messages of support we tell our friends and family, being there for them, and forgiving them when they make an honest mistake.

In the world of work, we've created cultures that are far too often risk averse, mired in negativity and have our team members worried about making even the slightest mistake. 

This simply can not be. Our hyper-competitive world simply will not survive under the weight of an old school command and control management style. 

Beware the New World

As the corporate world begins to open it's eyes to the possibilities of a new way to work (and more and more old school leaders retire) we are beginning to see real change take place.

What hasn't changed however are the pressures and expectations on leaders to deliver. In fact, the corporate post-recession business model seems to be focused on a new obsession with "do more with less."

This simply can not be. I'm a huge fan of efficiency...and don't mind going through some pain to achieve it. But simply being "nicer" while having an underlying my-way-or-the-highway leadership style is candidly a huge fail. Huge. Fail.

Temptations Are Everywhere

Power is what most often seems to get in the way of good work. As the pressure from the senior leadership team flows down, the middle managers have no choice but to succumb to the culture that has been established. 

"Culture is what senior leaders do, not what they say, or post on a plaque, or put in a press release. Yes, words are powerful...but action is culture."

Yet it is so hard to resist the trappings of power, and authority and a fancy job title to make sure good work gets done! When the desire to wrap oneself in their ego drives decision-making  because "they know their view is the correct one" then it's time to call it a day. None of us have all the answers. But collectively all of us do.

Are you with me?

How About You

The culture chase is a tricky one. On one hand we in leadership have an incredible opportunity to transform our organizations. On the other, we have the opportunity to create chaos. Just so we're all clear, chaos is bad. Right?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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