A Day with E

Saturday was a great day. I thought it was going to be a total washout, but then our almost three-year old grandson walked into the day and totally changed my point of view.

About 11AM--he arrived and the women departed with Jackson for places unknown. So it's me and E. Off to the dump to get rid of some of those not going to be used this pool season items. This was E's first ever trip to the dump and he was a bit underwhelmed. He expected to see the BIG dump trucks and only saw the myriad of pick-ups and minivans which go to the residential side during the Saturday time period. But he was happy to watch everything going on.

When we got back I helped him discover flowers and smells. We walked around the gardens smelling hyacinths, and daffodils, rosemary, thyme, oregano and many other things. He really enjoyed the hyacinths and the rosemary. We learned how some flowers smell sweet and some don't. We learned about the smell of grass and forsythia, too. And on the walk we also saw a group of Hostas peaking their heads above the ground for the growing season. I promised to show Ethan what they grow into in a few weeks.

After lunch and nap we went to Home Depot to buy flowers so we could plant them. That was an experience. After being sensitized to the flowers he was all about picking out flowers to plant. So our garden this year was designed by a three-year old. He was very good about planing the flowers, though he was a bit literal when I told him to drop the plant into the hole.

Mowing the lawn was another experience. He rode with me on the tractor as we dodged trees and mowed the lawn. He was a great assistance as we emptied the bags and he began to understand that the clippings in the bags were created by the mower.

The crowning achievement of the day was Wormy. A pet worm and friends. He was all about the worm. And finding more. Digging in the unplanted vegetable garden. A couple of the neighbor children arrived and were also into searching for friends for Wormy. I don't think much about worms on a day to day basis--but I am sure I will always be on the lookout for Wormy and friends to thank them for helping Ethan get in touch with the world.

Teams

I played football in high school. I am always amazed at how much I learned about life and being a member of a team from playing football. I was not a star on the team. More like, as my coach said--I was hamburger for the good players to use and abuse in practice to get ready for the games. I knew my place, I knew my mission and I did it as well as I could so that the team was successful. And for the two years I played varsity, the team went 17-0-1. I did my part, everyone else on the team did their parts and we were successful. We were well coached.

Leaders need to know the members of their teams. We have to learn to make the team successful by maximizing individual strengths and using others to fill in the weaknesses. Everyone can contribute--but they need to know their place and how they are going to contribute. Some will be the stars and be in front doing the high pressure presentations. Others will be in the background--the hamburger, getting what the presenters need to "win one" for the team.

On a sports team, players have different positions; similarly on work teams people fill different positions. The job of the leader (coach) is to put the right players in the positions where they can have the greatest impact for the entire team. Not everyone may be playing in their best position if there is a lack of talent in a particular area. But it is still up to the leader to maximize everyone's talent for the good of the team.

How do you maximize talent? Tear down and remind everyone how many shortcomings they have? Or build up and encourage them by reminding them that everyone makes mistakes, but no single person causes failure. If it is a team sport--everyone plays a part. But everyone working to their potential is a surer means to success than minimizing the abilities of the less talented. There is a place for everyone. And once the team is comfortable working together, begin to encourage everyone to increase their skills and, therefore, value to the team.

Let me give an example. How well would someone continue to be motivated for a team if the leader came to someone who is definitely giving 100 percent for the team and is one of the stalwarts on the team and encouraged them by saying: "You're really not that talented, if you want an assessment why don't you send a tape of your play to some scouts and see what they say?" Sounds like the leader has a bigger issues to deal with and is intent on driving someone they consider a threat away. And who loses? Everyone! The team member, the other members of the team, and even the leader. The team member knew, "I never had any aspirations of playing at the next level, I was happy to do what I could do right here with this team and these people." sometimes it is more about who you are with than clawing to the next level--whatever that is. And the obvious personal assessment of an exchange like this? I'm not valued--maybe it's time to move on.

Leaders have to get over their own frustrations (and pride) of being where they are versus where they want to be. The team you have is the team you have. Work with it or go somewhere else. Encouragement is critical. How many Cinderella teams with definitely less talent have shown superior talented teams that a close-nit, well-coached team can overcome the odds and win? I think the last Super Bowl is a good example. It is the same in all of the teams we are members of. A close, motivated, well-led team will almost always succeed.

Great leaders encourage their teams to success and facilitate developing close relationships between the members. Key word--encourage!

Communication - Email

I remember when I was in school one of my professors said that communication problems were the causal effect in 95 percent of the problems on the planet. Now whether that is actually true or not, experience shows that communication issues certainly are behind many of the situations we find ourselves in.

Think about this seemingly clear statement: "Bob would you pick me up at 4 at Nicole's?" And Bob--while in the room and not actively communicating (because he's watching the O's lose again) acknowledges that something was said. Later that same day when it's time to act Bob heard something more like, "Bob, pick me up at 4 at Coles." Trying to be a good husband, Bob goes to Coles and is doomed. The ensuing post-event discussion has no good outcome: Bob either has to admit he wasn't listening, needs a hearing aid, or worse--really doesn't know the difference between Nicole's and Coles.

Communication is a two way process--a sender and a receiver. But to have effective communication both the sender and receiver must acknowledge the communication and confirm the meaning of the message. Otherwise there is just a lot of noise or electrons (in the case of email) passing by each other in a disconnected manner.

Communication. We are living in an email world. Frankly, I love email. I have a Blackberry to access my email accounts (yes, plural) so I can receive and send information whenever I have time. I am no longer tied to sitting in front of a computer (desk top or laptop) in order to check email and respond to people. I love email because I can handle the communication on my schedule, unlike a phone call which usually comes when I'm right in the middle of something else and so I lose twice--once disengaging from the project I'm working to answer the phone and the second time to get into the conversation at hand. I can also think more deeply about the topic and if it is emotional I can let my emotions abate before responding.

So what's the problem? Not everyone understands that an email is an important form of communication. I receive well over 200 emails per day. Most are informational only (or advertisements for some Canadian prescription drug plan) which require nothing more than hitting the delete key. But there is a critical subset of the total which require action. At the least the receipt of these emails must be acknowledged with a quick note to say, got it and am thinking about it. Or even, call me and let's talk. Using email to lay out the agenda for a phone call or meeting makes these forms of communication even more effective.

What happens when, say, an email proposing a new idea is sent and the receiver does not acknowledge it? I'm an action oriented person. Most action oriented people I know wait a week to allow for a response. Then, if they believe the proposal is within their area of influence or responsibility the lack of communication is considered tacit approval and the idea is implemented.

Who is right and who is wrong? The receiver of the email has a responsibility to at least acknowledge the communication. It is the right thing to do. Face it--it is flat out rude not to respond at all. The leader who fails to acknowledge an email should not expect to sympathy later nor do they have any justifiable reason to be upset because the answer comes back--you were info'ed on the email, when did you send your objections? Additionally, if the leader sends objections--follow up to ensure they are received.

The bottom line is--respond to email! It is an effective form of communication which helps remove ambiguity while providing critical documentation for the future. Good leaders must be effective communicators and using email is a critical skill. There are rules of email etiquette, use them. I referenced my favorites here.

Email can save time, increase effectiveness, and provide necessary documentation for decisions! But, you must answer the mail or don't quibble about the consequences.

Saga of the Dead Horse

I had read this some time ago and needed it so I looked it up:

The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passed on from generation to generation, says that, "When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount."

However, in government, education, and in corporate America, more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

1. Buying a stronger whip.

2. Changing riders.

3. Appointing a committee to study the horse.

4. Arranging to visit other countries to see how other cultures ride dead horses.

5. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.

6. Reclassifying the dead horse as living-impaired.

7. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.

8. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase speed.

9. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase dead horse's performance.

10. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse's performance.

11. Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overhead and therefore contributes substantially more to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses

12. Rewriting the expected performance requirements for all horses

I've seen some variations, but it is critical for organizations and leaders to realize when they are riding a dead horse and to change. If it's not working--it's not working?

Empowerment and Encouragement

So there I was, in an organization which had stopped moving forward. And people began wringing their hands about the lack of progress. Numerous reorgs (the standard solution) had not generated the enthusiasm to motivate the organization to lean forward in the "chocks" and begin to make progress.

What was wrong? The leadership seemed to want to move forward--but something was holding them back. Two things: Empowerment and encouragement. One of the most interesting and dysfunctional things which had been happening was the consolidation of power into the hands of a seemingly apt individual whom as it turned out, was a micromanager with a risk avoidance mentality and a love for secrets. This is a recipe for disaster.

The motivated, fired up individuals in the organization were reigned in and had their creativity and innovativeness stifled. Empowerment was taken away and encouragement replaced by a fear of failure. Organizational secrets became the norm and only the "in" group was party to the secrets. The most motivated individuals in the organization were affected first and feeling minimized began to withdraw. This malaise stretched to the informal groups and the entire organization began to suffer from lack of energy and vitality. No one wanted to do anything for the organization or even with the organization. Even old established traditions of fellowship began to die. It went adrift. And the micromanager more tightly controlled everything because certain failure was looming. And the secrets grew.

Fear of failure results in organizational death. The most creative people in an organization need to be allowed to set the pace for everyone else to follow. They will lead. The micromanager needs to follow and resist the tendency to reign them in. In organizations searching for an identity, empowering and encouraging the motivated individuals will help the organization shake off its lethargy and the direction will become clear. Leaders need to be transparent and fully and honestly communicate both their values and vision to those working with them. Failure should be acknowledged as a necessary and valuable by-product of creativity. Not every idea is going to be a success--but not encouraging innovation is stifling and will strangle an organization. And hiding behind secrets only serves to foster discontent.

The worst thing for a leader to tell a highly motivated, creative person is that "we're not going to innovate in your area anymore. There are other places we need to focus our energy." And while this may seem reasonable on the surface, what is being heard by is: "We don't value you anymore." No matter what or where--everything we do and every part of our lives (professional, personal, spiritual) can be better. Stopping work on any area says--this doesn't matter anymore and I don't care about it. And the organizational result? People leave. Those who have been minimized and had been stifled leave first. And then the organization slowly begins to die without the infusion of new ideas. Many organizations go outside, recruit new blood and repeat the process all over again. Until the new people become discouraged and also leave.

Leaders first and foremost must set the vision. They must be transparent in their dealings and resist the urge to personally approve every minute detail of projects that are in progress around them. They must trust those working with them to have honorable intent and maturity. Speak in broad vision terms which lay out the goals and encourage and empower the creative energized people in your organization. In these cases, a funny thing will begin to happen and to use a colloquialism: "The horses will run" and in chasing them the organization will prosper.

People or process? Where's the joy?

I've been confronted these past few days with an interesting dilemma: which is more important, process or people?

I admit, we need process to ensure that people are treated fairly and equitably. Yes--those two words have very different meanings. Yet, sometimes it is relationships outside the process and the established organizational bounds which are essential to success--both in business and in our lives. There are formal relationships and informal relationships. Read another way--business partners and friends. Sometimes it gets really sticky when the same person is in both roles. And when one role changes it can get very complex, if you let it.

So where does that leave us as we consider the question of people or process? I believe good managers and leaders know the strengths and weaknesses of the people around them and from whom they seek assistance and advice. For the good of the organization, it is critical to continue to get good advice regardless of the process. Often, we seek advice form the sounding board person who is not so ingrained in the process that they provide, free of organizational fluff, unvarnished assessments of what's what.

There, ideally, is a congruence of process with people. But sometimes because of organizational limitations this does not happen. In this case, we surround ourselves with the best advisers we can and work through the process to move the organization forward--sometimes despite its own inertia.

I think of it as circles of influence and I'm sure I picked it up in a management class sometime in my past. I am part of many circles--social, organizational, familial. Some of the circles are formal, some informal. Sometimes these circles of influence intersect. At the point of intersection I am free to draw across the boundaries (color outside the box?) to use everything I touch or that touches me to make decisions and provide background. To do less than this is not to use everything available to face a problem or to celebrate a success. I consider it a critical part of the process.

So of course, to answer my own question. People not process. Relationships are most important because process can destroy relationships and render enthusiasm and joy meaningless. Why is joy important? Because I believe where we are experiencing joy we are moving forward. That's how you can tell if it's all working. If the people are motivated and full of joy for what they are doing, then we are successful as leaders. We have created the right environment which is open and safe. We probably recognize the circles of influence and are effectively using them to ensure no one feels disconnected. And it is the process which is helping to support the people and not the people which have become pawns of the process.

Opening Day - 2008

Baseball is back and hope springs eternal on opening day. Unless of course it's the O's in a rebuilding year. Then it is hope that we won't be too embarrassed or finish behind Tampa Bay in the standings. And after yesterday, we are already one game behind Tampa in the standings after losing our Opening Day game 6-2 to the Rays. But I was there with my three sons and we had a great time at the Yard--or is it Birdland this year?

The new scoreboard is really cool and has a lot more stuff on it. They also upgraded the smaller scoreboards around the stadium. One change I'm still struggling with is the loss of the pitch type and speed. On the smaller screens that used to display that info we now have the pitch count--which I also like and think is a great addition. But why can't we get both?

But all in all, it was a great day with the guys. We watched baseball, we talked, we laughed, and most of all we were together. Baseball does that--it brings people together. If we had won that would certainly have been nice, but this year that may be a bit much to ask for.

Turbulent Week

Happy Easter--a week late. It has been a very busy week and among everything going on I really haven't had time to sit and even think about everything that has transpired. Actually, Easter Sunday was great, We had the entire family over for a classic steak dinner. The family is bigger than it was with the addition of Jax who was great all day.

Jax is doing great--he went to the cardiologist and the report was excellent. We are on the road to treating our little miracle baby as a little boy--who still is a miracle.

In amongst all of that, I played in a racquetball tournament a couple weeks ago and was eliminated in the semi-finals. I actually feel pretty good about that because I had moved up to the A division after winning the B division last fall. Racquetball has been one means to keep the stress away from everything going on.

And baseball season begins for me on Monday with Opening Day for the O's. Go O's. Spring begins with hope anew. I'm happy that Brian Roberts remains with the team--he is my favorite O. I know he'll probably be gone by mid-season, but I will still wear my Brian Roberts jersey to the games.
Let's go O's!

Jax - Weekly Update

I can't believe he's been home a week already and that he is blending into the family. Jax truly is a miracle boy--and I continue to thank God for all of you and your prayers and support as Nicole, Mike, Ethan, Jax and our entire family have been going through this trying time.

But in some great news--yesterday Nicole had a professional photographer come to the her house to take some pictures. You can see them at pictures. They are great and for the not too squeamish, there is even a picture of little Jax's chest and you can see how quickly he is healing. It was only two weeks ago today that they performed surgery on that small miracle boy.

Everyone in the family was over to the house to celebrate Easter and it was good to have our larger family all under one roof--and not a hospital roof. It was a great day with great food and a strong, close family celebrating together the miracles of our Lord. We did an Easter Egg hunt with Ethan (maybe more than one) and he enjoyed having all of the falmily together. Ethan is all about family and he is growing so fast.

I continue to be amazed at all that has happened and been compressed into the short span of the last three weeks. The miracle of birth, a miracle surgery and recovery, support fomr family and friends, and the continuing presence of our Lord through it all. Wow.

Jax at home

Jax had a great first day at home adjusting to life as a "little" brother and being cared for in a quieter environment. His mom is thrilled to have him home and life is rapidly turning into the new normal of having a new infant and a three year old in the same house. Jax us very alert and you can see in his eyes a desire to explore and be part of the life going on around him.

Ethan loves Jax and very matter-of-factly responds to questions about Jax. He did want Mommy, Jax, and Gamma to rescue him from daycare yesterday--which they did.

Jax is recovering nicely. We thank all of you for your prayers and support. Keep Jax in your prayers as he continues to recover and grow.