Generation Hexed

"She's been here forever. I thought she was going to retire soon. We can't count on her to come up with any innovative ideas...we'll need to look outside the company for help on this project."

"We better make sure we don't hire too many millennials onto this team. Everybody knows they never put in extra time...it's all about them."

"I wish the baby boomers would just get over themselves. They act as if they are the only ones who know anything around here. They don't even realize how ridiculous they sound talking about bootstraps and not putting out effort. They don't even try to stay current with today's world of work. It's embarrassing for them, and they don't even know it."

I work with an amazing group of people. The team I work with has employees whose ages span sixty years. Yes, that is 60 years, from their 20s to their 80s. They're productive, pleasant to work with, and support each other because we've made a commitment on our team to embrace generational diversity. 

It wasn't a document anyone had to sign, it wasn't a proclamation I made in a meeting, and it certainly wasn't the result of a corporate training initiative.

Our team behaves this way because we are adults living in 2013.

Stop Whining

I wonder how much more productive our respective workplaces would be if we never complained about any generation? Think about that for a minute....no noise about others, but simply a realization that not everyone is exactly like you and me, and we move forward. 

Is that so hard? Am I oversimplifying this issue? Do I need a lesson on why people in their 50s think a certain way, and why other people in their 20s think a different way? I don't remember needing a training session on how to interact with other people when I go to church. It seems we all just naturally respect each other and treat each other well.

Imagine that...deciding to treat other people well regardless of how old they are? That would never work in the corporate world, right?!

GIVE ME A BREAK!

 

How About You

Maybe it's time we stopped obsessing about difference? Perhaps there is a new opportunity, to focus instead on respect, civility, and a willingness to listen first and open our mouths second? 

Do I need to roll out a massive training program to make sure everyone in every job understands everything about everyone?

Um, no I don't. I need to hire people that respect others.  

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Precision Is Often Messy (In HR)

I've been thinking about work a lot lately. Not just my work, but all work. It seems there is an expectation out there that work should be done perfectly, every time, regardless of the dynamics involved. If we simply plan enough, allocate the appropriate resources, and involve enough people who understand the issues, the final product should be precisely what is needed...and should be received just the way we expect.

Hmm. We still work with people in our jobs, right?

Precision Is A Wonderful Concept
In the world of human resources there is always one clear reality: no matter what decision we make, it will directly impact the employees in our organizations. Many times those decisions are good, but sometimes they are not what people want to hear. That's okay, because it is impossible to make every single person happy all the time.

Beyond the happiness issue however, comes the expectation of any professional worth a darn that they will strive for perfection in their work. "Getting it right" and putting in the time and effort to get one's "ducks in a row" is critically important.

But does that mean the result of our work is supposed to be perfect? Is perfection a goal, or is it something we expect to be reality every time?

Reality Check: Life Is Messy
Like you, over the years I've been involved in many projects, organizational changes, communication campaigns, and employee meetings, and on and on. Just like you, I put a lot of time and energy into planning, forecasting, researching, discussing, and executing on a host of issues. 

Yet there seems to be a messy part here and there as a result of the action taken.

Is that bad? Is that normal? Do we have unrealistic expectations about how things "should go" in our work? Is there something inherent about working with human beings that triggers some messiness in life?

If I had an easy answer, I'd share it. The fact is people have their own filters, biases, views of work, and at a fundamental level see things differently that we do. They're supposed to! They aren't us...we're all unique with our own experiences, pressures, responsibilities and expectations of work.

Should we expect our planning to result in their complete acceptance and understanding?

How About You

Do you strive for absolute precision in your work? That's great if you do! Here's the hard part, do you expect everyone else to accept your definition of precision; or, will you accept the reality that our precision can get a little messy from time to time?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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The Power Position

It's funny how we try to minimize the role of power in the workplace. Sometimes we use terms like "associates" or "team members" instead of employees. We try flattening our organizations, or downplaying job titles to help put people at ease. 

Yet in the end, everyone is keenly aware of who has the authority to make decisions, and who does not. We haven't fooled anyone; nor is anyone racing to join our companies because we've mastered the employment semantics game.

Perceptions of Power
I'm convinced that even for those that abuse power, they still do not fully realize their impact. Even the most subtle comments or nonverbal cues are discussed and analyzed behind-the-scenes. 

Do leaders know this is happening? Maybe. Do they take the time to think through how they might take advantage (in a good way!) of this analysis and grapevine chatter? Rarely. 

Leaders today often get so caught up in "their world" that they simply can no longer effectively engage with other members of the organization outside of the leadership circle.

Perception Is Reality 
One of the most effective ways leaders can use their power is when they reverse the power position. Allowing employees to teach, or offer their expertise not only sends a message that you're human (imagine that?!), but it also lets the employee know that they have value.

Leaders like to feel valued, right? Guess what? Your employees/associates/team members want to feel valued too. Making it a priority to elevate the self-esteem of your staff will not only connect them to the organization, but will help build your internal reputation as a good leader. 


How About You
Who has the power in your organization? Is it ever shared with the employees? If not, you may want to consider switching the power position once in a while. It might surprise you how effective a strategy it can be.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.




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C.U.L.T.U.R.E.

How does your company define it's leadership culture?

How does your company define it’s leadership culture?

C	Clueless leaders believing they have a vision for the future, yet are so out of touch with reality that they completely alienate their teams.
U	Unilateral decision-makers that have no understanding of the impact of their actions on not only the organization, but their personal reputations as well.
L	Lots of meetings, and changes, and more meetings. But never a clearly defined plan.

- See more at: http://hrmouthofthesouth.com/2013/07/c-u-l-t-u-r-e/#sthash.C6skVzQs.dpuf

How does your company define it’s leadership culture?

C	Clueless leaders believing they have a vision for the future, yet are so out of touch with reality that they completely alienate their teams.
U	Unilateral decision-makers that have no understanding of the impact of their actions on not only the organization, but their personal reputations as well.
L	Lots of meetings, and changes, and more meetings. But never a clearly defined plan.

- See more at: http://hrmouthofthesouth.com/2013/07/c-u-l-t-u-r-e/#sthash.C6skVzQs.dp

C Clueless leaders believing they have a vision for the future, yet are so out of touch with reality that they completely alienate their teams.

U Unilateral decision-makers that have no understanding of the impact of their actions on not only the organization, but their personal reputations as well.

L Lots of meetings, and changes, and more meetings. But never a clearly defined plan.

T ....

...check out the rest of this post over at HR Mouth of the South!



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My Britches Don't Fit

When was the last time you received meaningful, constructive feedback? Are you in a leadership role so you've grown accustomed to giving instead of receiving? Me too. I get paid to provide feedback on all sorts of things from projects to performance.

It's good for us to get feedback too..

Confidence

I'm a firm believer that it is impossible to be an effective leader if you are lacking in self-confidence. Eventually those insecurities will surface and your credibility is sure to fade. Think of the leaders you know who have the confidence necessary to take risks, try new approaches, and aren't afraid to admit when something didn't work. They usually inspire others, don't they? They usually attract high performers, right? Confidence has to be a good thing!

Unless self-confidence morphs into a trip to the all-you-can-eat-I'm-An-Awesome-Leader-buffet.

Too Much of a Good Thing

I'm told there is a "line" that shouldn't be crossed when it comes to balancing confidence and arrogance. I'm not sure I've ever seen this line, which means I should probably take a look over my shoulder to see if it is already behind me.

Effective feedback is the antidote to the confidence binge that many leaders succumb to over time. Done well, constructive feedback not only demonstrates support, but it allows for a greater awareness about complicated issues and gets everything back in to the proper context.

It's good for us to get feedback too..

How About You

Is your head buried deep in the leadership trough? If so, it may be time for you to pick your head up, take a look around, and create an environment where others know you are open to feedback. 

The worst thing that can happen is your ego is bruised for five minutes, and then that regular confidence will kick back in figuring out a way for you to be even more effective. Plus, it's no fun when we get so full of ourselves that we end up too big for our britches.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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The Hidden Benefit of Teams

Being part of a close team at work or in sports is special. The camaraderie, support, and understanding when something goes wrong is not taken for granted. It is usually earned through hard work and reciprocal support of the other team members.

Work Teams

When we find ourselves working in a real team environment it is terrific. The fear of retribution is replaced with support for taking risks, making mistakes and knowing that trying harder the next time is the norm. Room for error is part of the culture and is used to help others avoid pitfalls as new ideas are tested and implemented.

One of my favorite mantras is that "...we're going to try new things....if something doesn't work, stop doing it...no one is going to get in trouble..."

That is a clear message to the team about the support they have from me.

Sports Teams

The evidence about sports teams gelling has been documented many times. What I find most interesting about the sports angle however, is not what happens on the ice, field or court. What really makes a team special is what happens "in the room." 

The connection between the players in the locker room is what truly tests a team's character. They know what to do when they're "at work" playing the games; but do they support each other when mistakes have occurred, or accept room for error from their teammates?

The good teams do...and that connection often translates in to wins.

 

Blogging Teams

Unlike typical work and sports teams, blogging team members are often spread far and wide. In some cases, team members have never met, or even spoken on the phone. Yet, blogging teams...effective ones...find a way to bring a level of support and camaraderie that is quite astonishing.

Consider this: if you were supposed to work with a new employee, but your only communication was a few emails, no phone calls, no FaceTime and the only image you had of the person was their avatar from twitter, would you be okay with that? How about in sports? Forget it! It's pretty tough to run the power play if your teammates aren't in the arena.

I am blessed to be part of one of those effective blogging teams. My teammates do something far beyond writing good content, sharing their perspectives, and challenging us all to elevate our leadership games. My teammates offer support, encouragement, compliments, helped family members get new jobs, and reach out to connect on issues that have absolutely nothing to do with blogging at all.

How many of our "normal" friends do that? I think I'm discovering a new definition of friends.

How About You

I would encourage you to check out my teammates over at Performance I Create. They are not only a good group of bloggers; but more importantly, they're damn good people too.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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