Posts Tagged ‘Business Processes’

Thrive Together

Posted: May 10, 2013 in Collaboration
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thriveThis is the last in a five-part series covering the five corporate values of my company, Humana:

Today’s subject: Thrive Together.  What does that mean and how can we live that value?

If we consider the word “thrive,” it brings to mind definitions such as growing, prospering, making progress, and flourishing.  It’s more than just maintaining one’s current state.  It is reaching one’s potential – the fullness of one’s capacity.  It suggests that such growth and prosperity happens in an environment that nourishes and allows room for growth, one that does not unnecessarily and unnaturally constrict such progress.

Most of us hope to thrive in many areas of our lives.  By combining the word thrive with the word together, however, the picture shifts from individuals focused on their own prosperity to one in which the whole group moves in a united direction for the good of all.  It is not a select few doing what is in their own self-interest; it is working in tandem with others in mutually beneficial ways to accomplish more together than we can separately.

To quote a small booklet from my company, to thrive together means that “we focus on shared success by breaking down silos, inviting collaboration and mentoring others.  We believe in, and act with, positive intention to create an environment of trust and integrity.”

So where do I fit in this picture?

It is vital that my personal way of working with others daily needs to include being trustworthy and demonstrating integrity.  I can’t just talk about a value; I have to model it.  I need to reach out to others to include them in decision-making, as well as be responsive to them when they reach out to me.  I must collaborate and cooperate with others willingly because I understand that each person involved has something important he/she brings to the table to help accomplish our business objectives.  I can’t horde areas of responsibility and lord over them like a king in a castle.  Even “my” role at the company isn’t truly “mine.”  It is the company’s and I am a temporary steward of that role and its responsibilities, beholden to the company to do what is in the best interests of the organization and not my own self-interests.

Fortunately, I am in a perfect role at work to help foster the breaking down of silos and building in their place a culture of communication, collaboration and cooperation through my role as the community manager of our enterprise social network.  Thriving together requires open, continuous, honest, and transparent communication.  There is no better way of facilitating that among our company’s associates than through our enterprise social platform.  That is the place where everyone is equal, where everyone’s voice can be heard, where anyone can strike up a conversation with anyone else at any level of the organization at any time about any subject.  That is the place where issues can be addressed, problems and roadblocks called out, model behavior praised, questions asked and answered, and business solutions crafted from thoughtful conversation held by engaged associates throughout the company.  As of our latest upgrade last week of the Socialcast software we use, it is even the place where projects can now be planned, managed, tracked, discussed and documented by the teams involved.  I stated at a conference in 2010 that my goal for our enterprise social network was to change the way communication happens at our company, and three years after the launch of that platform (to the very day today, May 10), we have made much progress in that direction.

I have worked with enough people personally at my company over nearly ten years to be absolutely convinced that the vast majority are dedicated, thoughtful, caring, hard-working people who want to do the right thing in the right way.  Sure, I’ve run into some that don’t fit that description and some who seem to be more concerned with thriving individually than thriving together, but they are the exceptions rather than the rule.  So I believe it is possible that we can live out this value of Thrive Together successfully in the years ahead, especially given the current example and focus of leadership.

Most people eagerly mimic the positive examples of their leaders and others they admire.  When top leaders model such values on a daily basis, the values become more than buzzwords.  Being value-focused can and should become a way of life that shapes our company’s future.  It requires moving from the awkward beginning of talking about values and learning about them to actually living them naturally because they become a part of who you are personally and corporately.  That takes time, but it can and will happen.  It requires that the values be broadly understood and accepted, not just handed down from above.  It requires regularly interjecting into discussions simple reminder questions like “How does this fit with our value of …?” so that we stay on track to make good values-based decisions.

I’m proud of the direction of my company.  I’m thankful for our excellent top leadership and for the countless great colleagues I have the pleasure to work with every day.  I’m genuinely excited about the significance of our focus on these five values and what they will mean to our culture over time – not just internally as employees but in the impact on the consumers we serve and the shareholders to whom we are accountable.

We can and we will Thrive Together.  It will take intentional, constant effort, but it will be worth it.

Pioneer Simplicity

Posted: May 9, 2013 in Simplicity
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SimplicityWe’re nearing the end of this five-part series covering the five corporate values of my company, Humana.  Those values, again, are:

I’ve also written about the helpfulness of using these values in decision making.

With five excellent, simply stated values such as these, it’s hard to have a favorite, but today’s subject of Pioneer Simplicity may be my favorite of the bunch.  Why is that?  Why is this value important?  How can I model it and encourage it in others?

At a personal level, I’m a fairly simple guy.  I live in my modest 70-year-old Cape Cod home that I would happily empty of half its contents.  I drive a 12-year-old car that I will drive until it has no more miles left in it for anyone to drive.  I try to live out my core values of faith, family, hard work, integrity and kindness daily.  I’m planning to cut my hair back to a buzz cut or shaved completely soon because I’m tired of messing with it.  My happiest trash pickup days are the ones where I’ve cleared out more clutter from the home or garage that we haven’t needed or used in years.  One or two weeks a year I book a room at a monastery for an extended period of reading, silence, solitude, rest, reflection, study and renewal.

I am perfectly happy having a few slices of bread and butter or peanut butter and crackers for dinner.  I like my personal spaces at home, work or on the drive between the two to be clean and orderly.  I want no drama queens or kings complicating my daily existence.  I subscribe to the most basic cable service available for $15 a month that gets me 24 channels.  You will rarely catch me spending $4-5 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks (which should have been named “Five Bucks”) because I prefer my hot tea with honey in the morning, water in the afternoon, and my nightly luxury of one soft drink. I have an extremely low tolerance level for institutions, organizations and processes that are unnecessarily complex and time-consuming.  Ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat!

So when I consider the value Pioneer Simplicity, it resonates with me personally.  Still, I know that there is more I can do to model this value in my personal life.  I could still have far fewer things.  I could be less dependent on technology.  I could choose not to fill every waking hour of the day with things to do from my unending task list.

Professionally, my perception of this value is shaped greatly by the fact that my company is a large, Fortune 100 company, over 50 years old, in a highly-regulated industry, with about 45,000 employees scattered all across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.  It is probably inevitable that as companies grow, they get more complicated.  Processes get new steps tacked on to the simpler steps that accomplished them before.  New concerns and fears spawn new steps, processes, approvals, policies, restrictions and the corresponding frustrations that go with them.  But is all of that really necessary and beneficial?  I doubt it.

Old ways of thinking and those who harbor them tend to hang on for dear life when challenged by newcomers, outsiders and others more concerned with getting things done than with getting things done in a certain way.  Turf wars linger.  Silos emerge.  Barriers get erected that stifle creativity, innovation, ingenuity and fluidity.  If companies aren’t careful, they eventually morph into complicated, bureaucratic, hierarchical, controlling entities more concerned with protecting tradition and process than they are with accomplishing their business objectives in the most efficient and effective manner possible.

That’s why it is a beautiful thing to stop in the midst of a convoluted, complicated process and ask, “How does this pioneer simplicity?  What can we do to simplify this for ourselves as employees and for our customers to improve their experience?”  We need to develop the habit of asking these questions in conversations and meetings before bad, complicated processes get written in stone.  Let’s start thinking of radically simple ways of doing what we are charged with doing.

Take corporate policies, for instance.  How many internal policies are so detailed that it would take one’s full-time effort just to be aware of the details we are supposedly adhering to, much less to actually abide by them?  By attempting to imagine every scenario and respond via policy update to every unfortunate situation that occurs, we try to take simple human thought and accountability out of daily decision making, thereby dehumanizing the environment and constricting creativity.  This is an area where I’d like to know how many pages of policies we actually have on file, and then mandate that they all be simplified to no more than 1/10th their current size, maybe no more than one page each.  If you can’t explain something to me simply in a way I can grasp it, that’s your problem, not mine.

What about the processes we follow by choice or my mandate?  What would happen if individuals and departments selected just one process that they believe to be too complicated or time-consuming, and worked on simplifying it?  Do all of those approvals really have to happen in that order over that time frame via that method, or can we empower the people we have hired to make decisions to do things in the manner they deem best within, of course, the confines of state and federal regulatory requirements?  Similarly, do we have to lock down our technology devices to such a degree that many employees have better tools and software at home to work with than they have at work?

I don’t know what processes and policies contradict the value of simplicity for other areas of our company, but you can rightly deduce from the above examples that the ones that most often cause our team to bang our heads against the wall are related to restrictive policies, time-consuming approval processes, and efforts to control technology to the point of keeping us from doing our jobs efficiently and effectively.  We still find ways to get things done and to do them well, but there is room for improvement.  Your experience may be very different.

As we consider this value, let’s not forget the verb in the phase Pioneer Simplicity.  The word pioneer brings to mind those daring people of old who didn’t wait for others to lead.  They took off in directions uncharted because they believed in the value of the adventure and the potential of what that exploration might yield.  With or without others, they weren’t afraid to try something new.  They faced the danger.  They left behind the familiar.  Perhaps they suffered some along the way, but in the end, our world is a better place because of their efforts.

There is an elegance and beauty in simplicity.  For ourselves personally and professionally, we really should try it more often.

Pioneer simplicity.

Rethink Routine

Posted: May 8, 2013 in Change
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Line Of CattleThis post is the third is a five-part series covering the five corporate values of my company, Humana.  As a reminder, the values are:

I’ve also written about the helpfulness of using these values in decision making.

Today’s subject: Rethink Routine – what does it mean to live out this value personally and professionally?  What are some challenges in doing so?

Most of us are creatures of habit.  When we find something that works for us, we tend to stay with it.  We have our favorite places to eat and our favorite meals at those places.  We purchase our preferred brands of clothing while stocking our kitchens, garages, closets and bookshelves with the familiar.  We drive the same path to work.  We go to the same places for fun over and over.  We carry out the same routines in our schedule from when we get up to the order in which we get ready for work in the morning to where we relax in our favorite places before going to sleep on the same side of the bed facing the same direction every night.

For those of us who are largely task-oriented, driven by checking things off our to-do lists, it can be difficult letting go of well-worn paths for the uncertainty of new trails.  An image from my years growing up on a farm comes to mind here – the image of a line of cattle following a beaten, narrow path of dirt to their destination when wide open acres of green pasture are all around them.

At work the story is no different.  We follow processes and procedures whose origins and reasons for being we can’t begin to explain.  We can’t explain them because we’ve probably never openly questioned or challenged them.  Consequently, we allow ourselves to be boxed in and hindered by ineffective, inefficient, time-consuming, costly and ultimately unjustifiable processes and routines that keep the business from moving forward at the speed of life necessary to have a competitive advantage.

Whether at home, living in our communities, or at work, we are creatures of habit and breaking those routines is not easy.  Of course, it isn’t necessary to change every routine in our lives just for the sake of change.  Not all change turns out well.  However, we must encourage the thinking and creativity that asks, “Is there a better way to do this?”

A few decades ago I worked in a bookstore and I recall seeing a book title that I thought was brilliant.  It has stayed with me for 30+ years.  The title was The Seven Last Words of the Church: We’ve Never Tried It That Way Before.  If I was to write a book for businesses today, the title might just change the word “church” to “business.”  How many times have you heard some variation of the statement “We’ve never done it that way before?”  Have you said it or thought it yourself when presented with new ideas from others?  You probably have.  I know I have, although I try to catch the words before they roll off my tongue.  New ideas are not necessarily bad any more than old ideas are necessarily good.  Each has to be evaluated to determine its appropriateness for the present and future.

In my personal life, I’m sure I’ll hang on to some routines, especially those which flow from the core of who I am as a person and from the values nearest and dearest to me.  But there are other routines that I ought to call into question because they just don’t bring real value any more.  They should probably be replaced by new activities and ways of doing things that might bring a freshness, excitement, and enthusiasm along with the change of pace.

At work, it may be time to join with others and pick one routine, process, procedure, policy or tradition and take the time to talk about how we can change things for the better.  We don’t have to try to change the whole corporate culture overnight; that won’t happen, anyway.  But each of us can have influence over at least one thing at a time if we are willing to listen to others and speak ourselves of new ways of getting from where we are to where we want to be.

I love the fact that the enterprise social network I manage (called Buzz) sees many posts and suggestions every day about what we can do to improve.  So many people at all levels of the org chart have fresh ideas they share daily that can help us improve our products, services, and processes, both for ourselves as employees and for the consumers we serve.  Not all ideas get implemented, but some do.  Simply having the courage to put the ideas out there, engage in discussion with others about them, and massage them into a form worth implementing is a valuable endeavor that we must continue to do as we rethink routine.

Obviously, not everyone gets excited about rethinking routine, especially when it’s someone else trying to change our routine rather than a self-initiated effort.  I have witnessed several occasions where the candor about dissatisfaction with policies and processes is met with great resistance rather than helpful dialogue.  I recall an email recently, for example, when someone partially responsible for a process that is frustratingly long and convoluted replied to the criticism on Buzz about that process in an email chain with an email that simply said “I hate Buzz.”  Really?  That’s your response to repeated frustration with your broken and unreasonable process – to criticize the channel of communication by which those frustrations are made known instead of addressing the concerns expressed?  That isn’t rethinking routine.  That’s guarding your perceived turf without regard for the good of the business.  We can’t afford that kind of thinking and attitude.  The thinking that got us here won’t get us there.

On the flip side, however, I love what I’m hearing lately from leadership at my company in this regard, from my manager to our new Chief Consumerism Officer whom I heard in person for the first time yesterday, to our President/CEO.  The message is clear, consistent and encouraging: To get to a new place requires that we be open to doing new things as well as to doing old things in new ways.

Whether in my personal or professional life, I don’t want the aerial view to look like me being in a long line of cattle following a well-worn path to the same ol’ destination day in and day out.  There is a lot of green pasture out there to explore.

Rethink routine.

Cultivate Uniqueness

Posted: May 1, 2013 in Uniqueness
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Cultivate UniquenessThis post is the second is a five-part series covering the five values my company, Humana, focuses on.  As a reminder, the values are:

I’ve also written about the helpfulness of using these values in decision making.

Today’s subject: Cultivate Uniqueness – what can I do to live out this value personally and professionally?

What do you think about when you hear the phrase “cultivate uniqueness”?  Do you think it’s an encouragement to expand inclusion and diversity programs that tend to focus on certain easily measurable demographic differences?  Is it a plea to encourage different ways of thinking and respecting different perspectives?  Is it both of those and maybe more?  I’ve written previously on the need for more emphasis on diversity of thought compared to the more frequent focus of easily quantifiable demographic diversity.

When our company promotes the idea of cultivating uniqueness, here is what we have in mind according to a recent document I received: “We find ways to connect with each other and our consumers.  Respecting one another, listening with an open mind, and seeking different perspectives result in richer solutions.”  That sounds to me like diversity of thought and the interpersonal respect that goes along with valuing the unique perspective others bring to the table.

So what am I doing or what can I do to live out this value?

Personally, I feel that I have always done fairly well at showing respect to others and listening to others, even when we might disagree.  I honestly try to understand the perspectives others bring to the table, even if they are wildly different than mine.  I’ve been told I’m a good listener.  There are others around who bring perspectives to the table that would never occur to me, and if we gather all of these ideas from a group, we then have a much greater chance at arriving at the best solutions possible given our cumulative knowledge and experiences.  When I was a manager at another company, I loved surrounding myself with a variety of people and personalities, entrusting them to do their jobs in ways I would never have imagined.

Uniqueness Not So SpecialOf course, simply being unique in one’s perspective is no guarantee that any particular perspective is helpful in a business accomplishing its objectives.  Ideas still have to be vetted by teams and ultimately a decision-maker on whose desk is the sign “The Buck Stops Here.”  But having more choices in that cafeteria line of ideas should make the possibility of a healthy, well-rounded final decision possible.

It is in my role as the community manager for our enterprise social network that I have the greatest opportunity daily to foster the value of cultivating uniqueness.  With over 1,000 posts per day made on the network, many of them are ideas tossed around that invite conversation where the unique perspectives of others add to the discussion.  As a result of that discussion, an original idea can eventually morph into an even better idea with great buy-in from others involved in the process.  I enjoy bringing attention to discussions that may be controversial from time to time because the thinking behind them may go against the 51-year-old grain of the organization.

One of the greatest values of social networks is realized if and when leaders and others crowdsource ideas in order to ultimately make better decisions.  Whether those decisions are about new products and services, how to improve processes and customer service, discussions about proposed policy or benefit changes, I can guarantee that better decisions will ultimately be made IF leaders and others understand the need to involve a broad base of people in the conversation BEFORE decisions are made and handed down.  It is when large, bureaucratic, traditionally hierarchical organizations make major decisions by a select few gathered behind closed doors that the potential value of cultivating uniqueness goes out the window.  In an age when social networking is readily available inside and outside organizations, such Neanderthal decision-making processes are inexcusable.  You can bet that won’t be the way future generations communicate, so businesses that want to be a part of that future need to change their habits now.

One more thought about the value “cultivate uniqueness” – remember what the word cultivate means.  According to Merriam-Webster, it means to foster growth; to improve by labor, care, or study; to further, encourage, or make friends with.  So not only am I to value the unique perspectives of others, I need to be active in doing things that foster that growth, that encourage the sharing of those perspectives, that creates an environment where others feel welcome and safe in sharing their ideas, even if they think there may be some resistance.

In a world with much division around ideas and philosophies, it would sure be nice to literally make friends with those unique people in our midst whose perspectives can enrich our lives personally and professionally.

Cultivate uniqueness.

Making Values-Based Decisions

Posted: April 17, 2013 in Values
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Corporate ValuesHow do you make work-related decisions?  Do you fly by the seat of your pants and do what seems expedient at the moment?  Do you go down the easiest path?  the hardest one?  Do you do what you think will get you the most attention, glory and upward mobility in the organization?  Do you have some clear goals, objectives and strategy in mind by which you evaluate the pros and cons of options?

There are many processes and criteria people can use to make decisions at work.  Some are more noble than others.  Some are more effective than others.  I’d like to share with you some thoughts about values-based decision-making that stems from some discussions and communications at my company about our corporate values.

Recently, five simple values were presented by senior leadership to all associates.  To be more accurate, many associates at all levels were involved in the process that resulted in the set of values, but the final communication about them to everyone came, naturally, from top leadership.  I’m very impressed by them, and especially by their clarity and simplicity:

  • Inspire Health
  • Cultivate Uniqueness
  • Rethink Routine
  • Pioneer Simplicity
  • Thrive Together

Nearly all companies of any significant size have a variety of statements they tout from mission statements to purpose statements and value propositions and guiding principles and mottos and blah, blah, blah, ad nauseum.  I never was able to figure out the difference in all of those types of statements.  Too often they sounded like corporate-speak mumbo-jumbo that nobody outside the little cocooned offices that unveiled them really cared about.  So it was with a slight bit of skepticism that I listened to and read communications from our leaders and others about newly defined values.  Was this just the corporate-speak du jour spawned by a change in leadership, or was it more substantive than that?

I’m glad to say I think it’s substantive.  Yes, promotion of the values is being championed by our new CEO, but he believes in them, speaks often and convincingly about them, practices them, and expects others to do so as well, all of which is very encouraging.  The five values are simple, easy to remember and communicate, and something the average employee can buy into, keeping them in mind as we do our work and as we make decisions about what we do and how we do it.

For example, one cause I’m championing right now at work is opening up our internal social network to allow all employees to use the vendor’s excellent mobile apps on their personal mobile devices so that anyone can access the network simply, quickly, and effectively from anywhere, anytime, without losing any functionality they expect from the app.  That isn’t possible currently because of security measures and access processes in place.  Some clunky and inadequate workarounds make the current mobile experience so dreadful that nobody uses them.  Consequently, leaders and others on the go rarely participate due in part to the lack of mobile access.

Looking at the five values above, I have to consider the “pioneer simplicity” value when looking at possible solutions to this matter.  Do the current workarounds pioneer simplicity?  No.  They take complexity and user-unfriendliness to extremes.

What would happen if the stakeholders involved with coming up with a solution sat around a table with each of them buying into the idea of pioneering simplicity?  I am confident we could reach a solution that meets the security needs of the enterprise while maintaining the simplicity, user-friendliness and full functionality demanded by those who use the internal social network.  As we have future calls and meetings about the matter, you can rest assured that I will, if needed, respond to suggestions of complicated solutions with the legitimate question, “How does that mesh with the corporate value of pioneering simplicity?”

And that is where the beauty of having clear, simple corporate values can come into play for the average employee.  If I challenge a complex solution, it isn’t because I’m being a grumpy old man or I have some personal vendetta against others involved.  It is because I believe in the value of pioneering simplicity, and I think living and making decisions accordingly is in the best interests of the company, its employees, and ultimately its customers and stockholders.

As individuals, we have deeply-held personal values that are inseparable from decisions we make in our personal lives.  Such values are what guide us day by day in decisions big and small.  So why should we not also have a few simple, important values undergirding our business decisions?  I think we should.  I’m willing to adopt and promote the five values above as appropriate for my company.  Your organization’s values will likely be different and in accordance with its unique purpose.

Do you know your organization’s values?  Do you agree with them?  Do you consider them when making decisions?

What Annoys Me the Most About Coworkers

Posted: April 3, 2013 in Teams
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Annoying CoworkersLast week I wrote a post about what I appreciate most in coworkers.  Thanks to all who made it one of my most read posts for the year to date.  This post addresses the flip side of the issue by discussing those things that really get under my skin about coworkers.  Of course, I’m writing a summary post from 40 years or working and am not airing a bunch of dirty laundry regarding my current team – a team I am incredibly impressed with and glad to be part of.

Here are the things that most annoy me in no particular order of importance:

1. Negativity.  As someone who prefers optimism over pessimism, I find it draining and depressing to be around Negative Nellies all the time.  Whether this is in the form of constantly complaining about one’s work environment, other people, personal matters at home, management, work to be done, one’s health, opinions concerning project plans, or a host of other possibilities, please don’t pollute the office and the daily experience of those around you by bringing more negativity than positivity to the office.  If you’re that miserable at work, then find something else somewhere else.  If you’re like this wherever you work, then the problem is you – not others or the work environment.

2. Excessive absenteeism.  I realize people take vacations, get sick and have family emergencies that take them away from work from time to time.  Heck, I’m writing this in the middle of such a few days myself helping to take care of my wife after an accident Sunday and in anticipation of her having surgery tomorrow.  But I have worked with some people who have more weeks per year with days away than weeks with all five days in the office.  With these folks, there always seems to be some crisis du jour that causes them to come in late, leave early, take another day off, etc.  It leaves me wondering just how many days a year these people take off and how that all reconciles with limits the company places on paid time off.  Is anyone holding them accountable?

3. Not delivering results.  I don’t care how many lofty plans you think up or what good intentions you announced at the last staff meeting.  I want to see work completed and done so in a timely manner.  I could line my cube wall with the empty promises of what others said they would do and never got around to finishing.  I’d rather line the walls with lists of amazing things accomplished by the team.

4. Managers who don’t hold people accountable.  This relates to the previous one, but focuses on the manager rather than the coworker.  I have been on teams where  managers inconceivably let slide month after month and year after year the lack of deliverables from some people on the team while others consistently churn out work at an incredible pace.  Is it because the manager doesn’t see it?  Does he not care?  Is he clueless about how to hold people accountable for performance results?  Doesn’t he realize what this disparity in apparent expectations does to the morale and potential performance of the rest of the team, not to mention the toll it takes on interpersonal dynamics?  It may be easy to convince oneself that letting people self-manage and requiring team members to hold each other accountable is the emotionally mature way to go, but doing so sure smells a lot like abdicating one’s management responsibilities when individual performance issues never get addressed.

5. Backstabbing.  I prefer to trust people until they give me a reason not to.  One way to quickly and permanently lose that trust is to stab me (or others I trust) in the back.  If you think doing so makes you look good, you’re wrong.  If you’re doing it to climb up the corporate ladder via the bleeding backs of others, then you will ultimately fail.  If you have something to say about the work I do, how I do it, or about any quality or capability I bring to the table, then do so to my face.  If you would hesitate to say it to me, then that ought to be a clue that you shouldn’t say it to others either.  Word gets around sooner or later, and a pattern of backstabbing others will get you a reputation that does you far more harm than good.  Build others up; don’t tear them down.

6. Jumping to conclusions.  I have to chuckle at times at the swift speed at which we go from very limited information to unfounded and inaccurate conclusions.  Learn to ask more questions and find out more facts about a situation before you take off on some rant or devise some unnecessary solution for a misdiagnosed problem.  I see this on our company’s internal social network all the time when someone will have one little piece of info or limited experience and then take off on some speculative discussion path rather than take the time to first inquire and understand the whole picture.

7. Failing to involve others in decision making.  It is the style of some “leaders” to think they need to make decisions in a vacuum or only with the involvement of very few people impacted, and then announce that major decision to others impacted by it.  That is a mistake.  With today’s ease of communication in organizations via internal social media, and especially if all impacted are easily gathered together for discussion prior to decisions, we are far better off tapping the collective wisdom of the entire stakeholder community before decisions are made.  This results in a far greater likelihood that the best decisions will be made and that broad buy-in from the ranks will be there from the start.  Leaders who get this right will find an appreciative workforce who provides valuable feedback, feels like they are partners in the enterprise, and who are strong advocates of final decisions made.  Leaders who continue to make major decisions behind locked doors, making some big announcement after everything is set in stone, only foster distrust about what will be handed down next.

8. Policy and process guardians with no common sense.  People who want to respond to every bad thing that ever happens with another policy or unbending process written in stone need to lighten up.  You can’t have an agile, creative, innovative, effective workplace that responds to today’s business needs and climate realities if every attempt to get work done is stifled or significantly delayed by people enforcing extremely conservative policies and complex processes that may be even prohibit the very actions they are presumably established to guide.  The business does not exist to enforce its policies and processes.  The policies and processes exist to help the business accomplish its objectives, and when they impede that progress, they need to be called out and changed by those empowered to do so.  That seems like common sense to me, but as I’ve heard others say, “If common sense was common, more people would have it.”

9. Making it hard for others to reach you.  This comes in a few different forms.  For example, when I read an email, I expect a signature block to contain basic contact info, even if you are from within my own company, but especially if you are from another company.  Unless you’re sitting within earshot of me, include your phone and any other relevant contact info in your signature block.  I don’t want to waste time having to look you up in the company directory or in previous emails or notes every time we need to talk.  If the company provides an instant messaging platform, then set up your PC to log in to it automatically every day for those quick exchanges that don’t warrant an email or phone call.  If you’re out of the office for a time, update your voice mail and email to note that so I don’t think you’re just ignoring me and so I can direct my questions to others while you are away.  If your area is responsible for some process that others must go through, then make clear on your website or somewhere who to actually contact if there is a need to talk to a real, live person instead of some generic email address.  Go out of your way to make it easy for others to reach you.

10.  Passing the buck.  How many times have you been sent from one person or department to another when trying to track down information or assistance with some matter?  I understand that not everyone is responsible for everything, especially in a large company.  Certain business areas own certain processes and aspects of the business and need to take pride in that ownership, making the areas for which they have responsibility run as smoothly as possible.  That means owning up to failures without pointing fingers to others who may have influenced failure in some way.  The kind of person who most impresses me in this regard is the one who will take ownership and initiative in finding answers, information and solutions even though it most certainly is not their actual job responsibility to do so.  That kind of customer and problem-solving focus is greatly appreciated by anyone who has ever experienced the exasperation of a string of people unwilling to take responsibility or to help.

So there you have the ten things that most annoy me about coworkers – a list compiled from reflecting on many years of work across many teams and under many different managers.

What about you?  What annoys you the most about coworkers?

What I Appreciate Most In Coworkers

Posted: March 29, 2013 in Teams
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Good WorkerLast month I wrote a couple of posts about The Best Behaviors I’ve Shown As An Employee and The Worst Mistakes I’ve Made As An Employee.  They were very well received with the post on worst mistakes being the most viewed post on this blog in the two years the blog has existed.  Having examined myself first in those posts, I now turn my attention to what I appreciate most and what annoys me the most in coworkers.  I’ll split the topics into two posts.  Having worked at a number of places over 40 years, do not make any assumptions about particular places, teams or individuals referenced.  I would never name names in a negative comment.

Since many working adults spend more waking hours with coworkers than with their families weekly, how we get along with others at work is important.  When relationships are good and healthy, when work is fun and fulfilling, life is good.  Most of us, though, have experienced those jobs or coworkers from time to time where interpersonal conflict and other issues cause stress and dissatisfaction.  This post focuses on the characteristics and behaviors that I most appreciate in coworkers.  My next post will deal with the flip side.

Here they are, not in any particular order of importance:

1. Strong work ethic.  I don’t necessarily expect everyone to willingly and consistently put in the 50-55 hours per week I typically give, but I do expect people to work hard and to go above and beyond when needed.  It turns me off if someone is so tied to a clock that they don’t consider putting in more than the minimum required.  I love working with people who are driven to give their best and to put in the time necessary to put out quality work.

2. Sense of humor.  It’s amazing how much quicker a day goes by when it is sprinkled with laughter and good-natured fun along the way.  The presence of humor makes me want to be with the sources of that humor.

3. Creativity.  I don’t claim to be very creative, but I appreciate others who can look at issues and tasks in new ways, present solutions I would never think of, and turn something otherwise mundane and bland into something that meets a need in an appealing, attractive, and unique way.  There are almost always better ways to accomplish things, and being surrounded by creative minds increases the likelihood of coming up with remarkable solutions to business needs.

4. Willingness to help.  When coworkers notice that a colleague is sinking under a heavy workload and needs help, it is encouraging to see them offer to share the load even if they already have a full plate themselves.  Sometimes we all need a helping hand, and having colleagues you can turn to in a pinch or who initiate offering help is a godsend.

5. Emotional maturity.  It is not helpful in an office when people wear their emotions on their sleeves and don’t know how to stay professional.  I like working with others who can address matters calmly, reasonably, and with a common purpose of solving problems, moving forward, and getting things done.  It is nice when people can receive constructive criticism and suggestions willingly.  It’s helpful when others do not take things too personally when the intent of the conversation is to do what is in the best interests of the company and the work to be done.

6. Integrity.  I like working with people who do what they say they they will do.  I respect people who are honest in all situations.  I expect that of myself and of others.  Without it, I just can’t trust you, and that will negatively impact our ability to work together.

7. Initiative.  It is invigorating to work on a team where individuals constantly think of new things that can be done as well as new and better ways to do what has been done in the past.  When colleagues act on those inclinations, you have a scenario where the workers are fully engaged and enthusiastic about what they bring to the table, and the company ultimately benefits.  It’s a win-win for the worker and the business.

8. Willingness to bend or break the rules.  This one may get me in trouble.  While it is important to live within corporate policies, it is also important to put faith in trusted, proven individuals and give them some leeway to act on their knowledge, experience, and instincts, even if some rules get bent in the process.  Most of us don’t have to think too long and hard to come up with frustrating examples of corporate practices and policies that have been allowed to morph into some giant, life-sucking, time-consuming albatross around the necks of people who simply want to get their jobs done in the most efficient and effective manner possible.  The rebel in me loves people willing to break rules in order to do a better job at something, asking forgiveness rather than permission.

9. Managers who give me a job to do and turn me loose to do it.  I have been blessed with more managers than not who have trusted me to get my work done without them breathing down my neck and trying to micromanage everything I do.  If I need help, I’ll ask for it.  Otherwise, they can know that all is well.  Check in with me every week or two to hold me accountable, but otherwise give me space and I’ll do you proud.  Those who understand that and give me that freedom get my best work.  Those who do not are now former managers.

10. Friendship.  I don’t have to be best friends with anyone at work, but I do like thinking of several as genuine friends – people with whom I would be glad to hang out outside of work from time to time.  That requires common interests, liking each other, and someone taking the initiative to get together outside of work occasionally.  There is much to be gained from simply going out for a meal together or joining in some fun activity just for the heck of it.

So there you have my top ten characteristics or behaviors I most appreciate in coworkers.  Some of my roles and teams have aligned better with those expectations than others.  I am incredibly fortunate to be on a stellar team now that lives up to all of these.

What about you?  What do you appreciate most in a coworker?

It Takes Vision, Plans, and Action

Posted: March 25, 2013 in Business Processes
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Dilbert Vision

dilbert.com/strips/comic/2004-04-17/

When I think of ambitious goals that I have seen or personally attempted in businesses I’ve worked at, it is easy to recall some that were successfully achieved and others that were not.  Of course, there are many factors that go into the success or failure of each individually, but I’d like to share some thoughts around the high-level components of any major endeavor and the business personnel implications of those components.

Vision.  Someone or some group of people needs to have and share a vision that others buy into.  If the company is to be more than it has been, if it is to make forward advances rather than maintain the status quo, then that vision needs to exist, be communicated, and willingly shared by those expected to implement the necessary actions to support the vision.

Some leaders are outstanding at this, sharing a vision and then providing high-level guidance, wisdom, and inspiration to keep the ship on the right path.  Others, unfortunately, may think they are good at this, fancying themselves as vision casters while the people lower in the org chart know it’s just a passing fancy most likely influenced by the latest book, article or conference to which the leader was exposed – one that will only be top of mind until another book, article or conference replaces it.  People in the trenches learn to not pay much attention to these types of pronouncements.

While those at the helm of organizations should be the primary sources of vision for their orgs, they should not discount the potential insights and contributions of others at any level of the org chart.  Being visionary is not limited to certain roles or pay scales.  Vision from others in the org need not compete with the large-scale vision for the whole enterprise.  It may relate only to a specific part of the business with which that employee has great familiarity.  As long as such smaller scale visions fit within the larger ones, they may be great assets to help move the enterprise forward.

Plans.  Some may not like me grouping strategy in with the plans section here, but I do that with the understanding that strategy refers to the high-level plans which must, of course, be broken down into far more detail for implementation.  How many times in different settings have we heard some grand vision proposed, only to never see it come anywhere close to fruition?  Why does that happen?  Perhaps because the vision was never translated into the necessary strategy and detail plans to make it happen.  Merely thinking about a direction we want to go (vision) doesn’t actually move the needle in that direction.  It takes plans and the people who are good at making those plans to take this vital step.

Action.  Finally, the plans have to be carried out.  They may or may not be executed exactly as originally planned, based on the ongoing evaluation process used to make adjustments and changes as needed, but it’s certain that the vision won’t become reality without people actually taking action to get it done.

It should be obvious that any major initiative in business needs the three components above.  Visions without plans die.  Plans without actions fail.  Actions that are not tied to plans made to implement the larger vision are wastes of time and resources.  That isn’t earth-shattering news.

However, there are personnel implications that we may need to remind ourselves of from time to time in light of the above components.  First, it will take a variety of people, skill sets, and personality types to fill all the roles required to formulate the vision, make the plans, and implement them.  Very few people are good at all three of the above.  Many enthusiastic entrepreneurs ultimately fail because they do not have and do not hire to account for the breadth of abilities it takes to handle everything from seeing the big picture to implementing the detail actions needed.  In a large organization, though, there is more likely a variety of people available to get the job done if they are properly positioned in the effort according to their passions and abilities.

It is tempting when hiring for an organization to hire others like ourselves.  After all, each of us thinks he/she is wonderful, right?  We might think, “How can I go wrong with adding more people like me?”  The truth, however, is that in addition to our strengths, we also have weaknesses whether we see them very clearly or not.  We’re really not good at everything individually, and it’s in our best interests as well as the organization’s for us to know where we need help.  We need people around us who are complementary (as in completing the knowledge and skills needed by a team) rather than just complimentary (as in paying us compliments).

If we do a good job at bringing on a variety of people to make up the right teams, then another challenge will quickly present itself – learning how to get along with a mix of others.  That takes people skills, some positive character traits, and a willingness to work together in spite of occasional differences.  It can be done with the right team.

When our team at work was looking to expand recently, we had to take time to consider where our gaps were, where we needed help, and what new roles fit within the overall vision of where we are going and our strategy for getting there.  I’m pleased to say that last week was the first week for our newest teammate to join us and next week we’ll welcome another addition to the team.  Those additions, along with shuffling some responsibilities between team members, will better position us to move forward the remainder of this year toward accomplishing the vision for our area, one that we know fits within the larger vision of the enterprise.

It isn’t enough in competitive business today to be mediocre, to remain the same, or to cruise along doing what you’ve always done just because that’s the way it’s always been done.  It takes vision, plans, and action to get from point A to point B in a desired time frame, and it takes the right mix of people all working well together to make the journey successful.

Do you know your company’s vision?  Do you know where you and your area fit within that vision?  Do you have a strategy and plans you can articulate to do your part?  Do you have the right team in place to get it done?

The Best Behaviors I’ve Shown As An Employee

Posted: February 5, 2013 in Professionalism
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As promised in yesterday’s post about “The Worst Mistakes I’ve Made As An Employee,” I’d like to share with you a few of the key things I think I’ve done well through the years where I’ve worked.  These are the decisions or patterns of behavior that I hope have characterized my time as an employee, from the time I got my first job as a 16-year-old small town grocery store clerk making $1.60 an hour to my current role as an online community manager for a Fortune 100 company.  I can’t help but think that people who exhibit these behaviors will have good success and satisfaction in their careers as well.

Here goes…

Take on more responsibility than is required.  I take no pleasure in doing only what is expected of me in a role.  I want to do my best at my work, and that includes acting on the thoughts that come to mind about how to improve processes, get more accomplished, better organize work, and voluntarily tackle things that nobody else seems to have on their radar.  Willingly taking on more responsibility than expected helps the business, creates new opportunities, solves problems, expands one’s capabilities, and usually paves a path to officially expanded roles and career advancement.

For example, in the early 1990s I was the associate dean of a small business college, having been promoted to that role from instructor.  One of the perennial issues at that college was the operation of the bookstore.  It was inefficiently operated, disorganized, and a frustrating experience for students as well as a financial drain for the college.  After considering the work I thought it would take to turn it around, I made an offer to the college dean that if he would give me responsibility for operating the bookstore in addition to my current duties, remove the current manager from her position and add half her salary to mine, I would turn it around.  He did just that, and I kept my end of the bargain, making it an organized and smoothly operated bookstore that next semester and thereafter.

Similarly, I can’t tell you the number of times that I have inherited (willingly or otherwise) the responsibilities of others when people on my teams have left the company or moved to other departments, leaving fewer of us to do more with less.  By accepting and even seeking out greater responsibility with a positive attitude, people learn that I am serious about getting things done.  Supervisors learn that they can give me a job to do, leave me alone, and it will get done.  If I need their help, I will ask for it.  Otherwise, they can assume all is well.  I will squeal if and when I reach my reasonable limit, but until then, they can rightly know that I’m on top of my duties.

Put in more time than is required.  While the previous suggestion centers around taking on more responsibility, this one is about putting in extra time.  I don’t remember how many years it has been since I’ve averaged only 40 hours per week.  I tend to average in the low 50s instead of the 40s.  Occasionally, I go well beyond that, but I don’t recommend doing so except for rare occasions when there simply is no other alternative, and only then for a very short period of time.  It isn’t nice when employers expect extra hours every week from salaried employees, but it is good to be in a situation where you love what you do and willingly give it more time in order to do the best job possible in a reasonable, sustainable amount of time.  Not everyone is in a life situation that allows them to give extra hours with no corresponding increase in compensation, but for someone like me whose sons are long gone from home, I have that luxury and am glad to do so.

Ask for what you want.  You may not get all you want, but you certainly won’t get what you wish for if you don’t ask for it.  There have been two times in the past four years alone when roles were created for me on other teams that would not have been created without me initiating the conversations.  In 2009 I called the manager of a different team out of the blue and pitched an idea about the possibility of a new role being created on his team with me filling it.  It took a few months to go through all the internal hoops for it to happen, but since the manager liked the idea, he worked with others as needed over several months to make it come to pass.  Something similar happened in 2011 when I thought it was necessary for our internal social network to be owned by a different business area, and for me to go along with it to that area to manage it.  Again, after a few months and several discussions with key stakeholders working together, it came to fruition.  Dream Big.  Show the potential benefits of your ideas, and go for them.

Be kind to others.  This seems rather basic, but you’d be surprised how often people don’t follow this simple principle.  Being rude, self-centered, sharp-tongued, avoiding others, being unresponsive to requests, not returning calls or emails, and generally being a pain in the behind to others just makes you the kind of person coworkers have no desire to be around.  Why would anyone want to be that person?  Most of us spend more waking hours with our work colleagues than with those who live under own own roof at home.  Why wouldn’t you want to have the best relationships possible since you’re going to be spending a huge amount of time together weekly?  I want to be thought of as someone who generously gives to others, is OK with occasional interruptions in order to help people out, speaks kindly, encourages others, and who does a reasonably good job of living the Golden Rule, treating others the way I want them to treat me.  We teach it to our kids.  Why should we be any different as adults?

Trust others.  I tend to trust others until they give me a reason not to trust.  This approach seems to be better for relationships, easier on the mind and emotions, and benefits everyone involved since trust is usually rewarded with trust returned in your direction.  I understand that there are certain roles in businesses which lend themselves to being very cautious, skeptical and perhaps lacking in trust.  People in such roles need to do what their positions require without coming off as always distrustful of others.  I know I am a person of integrity, so when someone questions that integrity in any way, it is highly offensive.  Likewise, I don’t want to appear to question someone else’s integrity unjustifiably.  Of course, if you ever give me a reason not to trust you, I will continue to cooperate and work with you as needed, but I will be extremely cautious and you will have to earn that trust back over a long period of time which is outside of your control.

Help others reach their goals.  This involves being an encourager to people, taking time to genuinely listen to them, and then taking action to the extent that it is within your ability to assist.  Even though I am not currently in a management role, it is very possible for me to help others achieve their goals by providing assistance within the scope of my responsibilities and authority.  You do not have to have positional authority to have an effective impact on the organization and individuals within it.  Individuals can have significant influence without having a single person formally reporting to them.  For those who are in supervisory positions, I consider this one of their primary responsibilities–one characterized by developing others, being a cheerleader, inspiring, encouraging, empowering, guiding, leading, and genuinely celebrating others’ success as they accomplish challenging business objectives and personal career goals.

Looking at the above patterns of behavior that I believe characterize the bulk of my work history, I would summarize them in two simple thoughts: (1) strive to do your very best, and (2) focus on others as much (or more) than you focus on yourself.

So there you have it–my worst mistakes discussed in a previous post, and several positive and helpful patterns of behavior that have contributed significantly to success and satisfaction in my work.  I’d love to hear your thoughts about work experiences and patterns that have shaped your career.

Top Ten Posts for 2012

Posted: January 3, 2013 in Blogging
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Top 10 ListBelow are the most viewed posts on this blog during 2012.  If you missed one of them or have long since forgotten what it was about, check it out.  Most are quick lessons learned of 366 words or less (the exceptions being #2 and #9 – both posts from 2011 that still were among the most viewed in 2012).

1. Be There: Giving full attention to the people you are with and not being distracted by technology or anything else.

2. Trust: The importance of trust between people, and implications if trust is broken, especially in relationships at work.

3. Sometimes All It Takes Is 20 Seconds: Inspired by the movie We Bought a Zoo, thoughts about how 20 seconds of insane courage can change your life.

4. Companies Need Customer Service Like Granny Provides: Based on my regular experiences with a sweet, old lady when I donate blood at the Red Cross, this is what customer service should be like.

5. You Need Someone At Work To Relate To: Being the only person at your business doing your type of work can be very lonely.  Having one other person to relate to can help tremendously.

6. Kisses Are Priceless: From Valentine’s Day, 2012, read about two unexpected kisses, how they made my day and why kisses are priceless.

7. Exhaustion Can Hurt So Good: After an extreme Muddy Fanatic race with good friends, the mind and spirit can be so satisfied even if the body is spent.

8. Don’t Pre-Judge: Whether dealing with people or animals, you can easily make wrong assumptions and treat others differently if you pre-judge them.

9. More Questions Than Answers: Still-unanswered questions from 2011 regarding social learning and the use of social media in learning.

10. Evil Is Real, and So Is the Cure: Reflections following the tragic elementary school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut from my Christian worldview.

Thanks to all the readers who made these the most read.  I look forward to seeing what interests you this year.

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