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“If you were going to start your business over again, what’s the one process, you’d put into place from day one?”
Posted on February 7, 2017 at 6:12 PM |
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The process, or more
fitting, the mindset I recommend to individuals who want to start a business
should actually be implemented long before they hang out their shingle. Before starting a consulting firm or business
that depends on your personal reputation it’s to your advantage to make sure
your personal brand is already known, carries influence, and inspires trust. That means building and nurturing your
personal brand and network must be top-of-mind from the very beginning of your
career, even while you are still working for someone else. I know that may feel like a conflict of
interest, but it’s really not. At
the end of the day “entrepreneur” is a term that really does describe all of
us. We are all basically lifelong freelancers
with our own unique brand. Our careers
aren’t based on paths or ladders but are more like landscapes that have to be
navigated because there are no lifetime employment guarantees. Our financial security and social standing is
determined by our ability to influence people.
And if you want to influence people you need to understand empathically
the power of their point-of-view and feel the emotional force with which they
believe it.
As you can imagine, building credibility, trust and a social
audience that respects you takes time and knowledge. So, in
order to thrive in that type of mission you will need to adopt the mindset of a
lifelong learner. Lifelong learning is
more than adult education or training; it is a habit for you to acquire. Here are 3 important points to keep in mind
that will help convince you to make lifelong learning habit forming: 1. Professional
activity has become so knowledge-intensive and fluid in content that learning
has become an integral and irremovable part of most work activities. More and
more knowledge, especially advanced knowledge, is acquired well past the age of
formal schooling, and in many situations through educational processes that do
not center on traditional type schools. 2. Self-directed
learning, learning on demand, informal learning, and collaborative and organizational
learning are all fundamentally different from the traditional classroom
learning dominated by curricula and tests.
Your current employer may invest in making one of those forms of
learning available to you. But don’t
count on it. Be prepared to invest both time
and money in your ongoing education. 3. Lifelong learning can influence the creativity
and innovation potential of individuals, groups, and organizations. And creativity and innovation are considered
essential capabilities for working smarter in knowledge societies [Drucker,
1994]. Don’t
stop learning and growing your personal brand, ever. |
The U.S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it.
Posted on September 13, 2016 at 8:09 AM |
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My great-great-great-great grandfather
John See was in winter quarters at Valley Forge with Washington. When John was only 8 years old his
father was killed at the Muddy Creek massacre in Greenbriar Co., Virginia in a
conflict with Native Americans. My great grandfather homesteaded on the
eastern plains of Colorado where my grandfather was born in a sod cabin. My parents were raised on farms in central
Iowa and northern Missouri. Neither had
indoor plumbing and my mom did not have electricity. Neither of my parents were able to finish
high school, in fact my dad join the USMC when he was 17 during the Korean
Conflict. I finished high school and was lucky
enough to be able to put myself through college and graduate school. My son is a US Army veteran and struggles
with PTSD. He volunteered shortly after
9/11 and was part of our “boots on the ground” in Baghdad, Iraq. Conflict and struggle are a part of
life. The U.S. Constitution
doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. We live in a great country. It’s not perfect and it never will be. But I can’t imagine living anywhere
else. I’m thankful and proud of the pioneers
who went before me. I’m also encouraged
and hopeful for the generations to come.
They are the cornerstones for my reason to “never forget.” |
Is freedom to fail a myth at your company?
Posted on August 25, 2016 at 12:01 PM |
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Is the freedom to fail a myth at your
company? Can you name one person in your
organization that has had major visible failure? If so, is that person still employed
there? If they are, is their career
still on track? If your business culture
is risk adverse you may not be able to name even one person. Oh sure, you’ve read plenty of success
stories in which the protagonist had to “overcome challenges.” But I’m not talking about mere challenges
that surfaced in a situation that ultimately was marked as an accomplishment. I’m talking about when the lesson learned is “dismantle
that thing, it won’t work.” A
few years ago it happened to me, and quite frankly I thought I might be labeled
as damaged goods as a result. But that’s
not how this story ends. In the mid 90’s a major consulting firm
recommended to NCR Corporation that they create a professional inside sales
organization. Not just a call center or
telesales group, but actually transition field-based, complex solution selling account
management roles to a group that would not travel or engage in face-to-face
sales meetings. It sounds very easy now,
but this was before the Internet and NCR’s hard charging field-based sales culture
did not like the idea of being downsized.
I was asked to lead that initiative with a pilot program and after one
year was then directed to dismantle it.
It turned out to be an idea before its time, but I learned some good
lessons during that pilot and I wanted to document and share the experience
with the organization. That’s why I used
a “learning history” format for my final report.
Learning History
defined:
A learning history is a unique approach for helping an organization
learn from the experience and implications of its own learning and change
initiatives. All efforts to transform
organizations sooner or later run up against the challenge of proving their
value. Yet traditional assessment
approaches, reacting to everyday pressures, can easily undermine the original
learning effort. As people become aware
of being judged and measured, they seek to satisfy the evaluation criteria
instead of improving their capabilities.
The intrinsic motivation which drives learning is then supplanted by the
desire to look successful. Yet evaluation is vital to learning as a
feedback process that provides guidance and support. Learning histories were invented in response
to this dilemma.
Creating an environment where it feels
safe to fail is very difficult. I
suppose that’s why most business cultures are not really bent that way. When you combine that with the fact that most
of us are terrified of the prospect of individual failure it’s a wonder any
risks are taken. A learning history won’t
change that fear. But I can report that
if you approach your change initiative leveraging a learning history
point-of-view and format that the expression “experience is the best teacher”
will come to life. You and your
organization will actually capture some learning from the project, and that
helps take the sting out of failing. |
The Tricky Art of Delegation
Posted on April 4, 2016 at 9:01 AM |
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When our children were young and still
living at home my wife and I would “delegate” some of the household
chores. Cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming,
mowing the lawn and other duties were performed in exchange for
allowances. Their efforts did not always
produce spectacular results, but the tasks were accomplished for the most part,
and life lessons passed on. The growth
and development of people is the highest calling of leadership. ~ Harvey S.
Firestone When we became empty nesters we decided
to delegate some of those chores to outsiders.
That is code speak for; we hired a house cleaning service. Kim is the sole proprietor of that business, and
she does a great job. At least I assume
she is doing a great job. I can’t be
certain though because my wife frantically runs around cleaning our house on the
evenings before Kim’s appointed work day.
She calls it “getting ready for Kim.” To me it feels like we are preparing for a weekend
guest! In fact I told my wife that I was
confused; if we are going to spend time cleaning before the cleaner how is that
really delegating? I mean, if we decide
to delegate the lawn to an outsider does that mean you will expect the yard to
be trimmed in advance? Based on recent behavior it appears that
if our dirty laundry will be exposed, we’ll be cleaning before the
cleaner. However; if the grass is a little
long that’s not a problem. OK, the
answer to my question seemed to depend on the chore being delegated. But I still had trouble figuring it out
because we’ve always worked together. There
have been plenty of times when I’ve cleaned the house, and she is no stranger
to yard work. And then she let me know
where her mental blocks were coming from: 1. Social pressures
still lead her to believe that household chores reflected primarily on her
alone. 2. She also believes
that if she doesn’t kick-start the process she will end up redoing elements of Kim’s
work because she trusts the final results more when she takes part. There you have it. It’s like ownership and personal accountability
for housework has been baked into her DNA.
She can’t entirely let go. I’ll
have to admit that I always feel the lawn looks its best when I mow it. I’m not sure that it really does, or if I’m
being worked over by my own social pressures and personal accountability. In a business setting most executives
will admit that they should be delegating when feasible. However; like my home example, it’s not
always that easy. There are several
potential reasons why an executive will hesitate to delegate a particular task,
but for me it generally boils down to a lack of confidence or trust that the task,
once accomplished, will meet my expectations.
The bottom line is that I hesitate to put my personal reputation at
risk. Therefore, I spend valuable time “getting
ready for Kim” so to speak. After
all, if the person you delegate to doesn’t produce the desired result, you are
still responsible for the outcome. In order to delegate effectively, it is
necessary to have competent and willing supporters. If you assume your team is “willing” then you
are basically facing a talent issue. What are you doing in the way of
training and coaching in order to further develop the talent of your team? And I don’t just mean tapping the training
budget and engaging an outside firm to provide “education.” I’ve found that when I’m personally involved in
their training, and taking an active part in mentoring, that my confidence
level in their abilities to complete delegated tasks goes up dramatically. It’s not always easy to let go, but it seems
to be much easier when I feel I’ve had a hand in the development of their skill
sets. In addition, the scope and
importance of the tasks I’m delegating increases when I’m involved. It appears active mentoring and training
benefits everyone. |
Are High Pressure Closing Methods Ever Justified?
Posted on March 15, 2016 at 3:56 PM |
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“Alan, you’ve
been a real professional during this process; I’ve grown to trust you, and I honestly
like you. You’re going to get this order. That is, if you don’t mess it up at
the end.” It was early in my sales career and I was
sitting across the desk from my client, a bank president. It was a complex solution situation that had
been playing out for months. He was finally
holding my sales contract, valued at over one million. This deal would make my numbers for the year,
secure a promotion, and I was replacing a competitive system, making the win as
sweet as they come. As you might guess,
my mind set was in “closer” mode. I was now
trying to force my will on him. I wanted
him to sign the contract right then and there in order to make it official. NCR Corporation account executives had
always been known for their sales ability.
The training received was second to none, and I was now leveraging that
education for all that it was worth. I
wanted the deal to close, but my client was pushing back. Actually, he was trying to coach me. He was letting me know that an aggressive
closing strategy was not going to overcome his objection and make him sign that
day, and that I needed to turn the pressure down. Thank goodness I got the message and made the
right adjustment. When you’ve been working a deal for
months and are moving towards the close it can be difficult to resist the urge
to apply some pressure. In fact, lots of
pressure; because by the end of a long competitive sales cycle your brain (and
sales manager!) is screaming enough already!
After all, you want to close the sale before something happens to cause
the deal to fall through. Big deals
derail all the time and no one fights you harder than a major solution provider
who is about to be thrown out. So, what was the hang up? As it turned out, the president had decided
to bring in a new VP to oversee operations.
That meant he still did not have everything quite lined up the way he
wanted. But I still had fears with that type
of objection. What if the new executive
wanted to start the operations review all over again, and in the process change
the decision? In the age of social networking this is
where I would normally explain how my online skills saved the day by
immediately reaching out to establish a relationship with the incoming
executive. But this situation occurred
long before LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.
In fact, Google wasn’t even around.
Then this story is ancient history!
What could we possibly learn from it?
Well, first of all, that this isn’t a story about overcoming objections,
high pressure sales tactics or reacting to the introduction of new players
during the sales process. However; it
does present a lesson on why it can be useful to establish a solid relationship
at the highest point possible within an organization. Are you building rapport, developing credibility
and establishing trust at the highest-levels within your targeted accounts? If not, you should probably consider it. So, did I finally get the order
signed? The president didn’t sign it. He had his new operations executive sign it. |
Go West Digital Immigrant, Go West
Posted on June 18, 2015 at 1:34 PM |
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"Go
West, young man" is a phrase often credited to the American author Horace Greeley
concerning America's expansion westward, related to the then-popular concept of
Manifest Destiny. My great grandfather traveled west to homestead on the Great
Plains. That’s where my grandfather was born - in a sod cabin. I’m not old as
dirt, but I am a trailing edge baby boomer with both pre-digital and digital
world footprint. That makes me a “digital immigrant,” while my children, all born after
1980, are considered “digital natives.” Technology age gap or digital divide, I
don’t really care what you call it, but it’s a form of segmentation that often bugs
me. I suppose it’s because I disagree with the notion that, in general, digital
immigrants are not supposed to find the change brought on by digital
transformation natural to their life. Sure, over 150 years ago, in the charge to go West seldom were
mentioned the hardships of the climate, the isolation or the lack of
conveniences seen in the populated states back east. The West tested the
courage and strength of every man, woman, and child and often only the strong
survived. But they did survive, and in fact they thrived. Are you a digital
immigrant? Have you ventured west on the digital media trail? If you have
experienced hardship on your digital journey and feel like you’re stranded, don’t
despair. Here are a couple of trail markers to get you back on track. Create a Roadmap What’s that - you loaded up your wagon without a roadmap? You don’t
like to ask for directions and decided you would just follow the first trail
headed west. Well, at this point you may be retracing your steps back East to
the old family farm. In many ways, executing your personal digital
transformation is similar to a westward journey. A digital journey is about
lifelong learning that requires a vision of what you’d like to achieve, a map, as
well as some determination. Digital goals often involve different social media platforms
such as, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube and Pinterest just to
name a few. And let’s face it, the social part of the World Wide Web can feel
like the Wild Wild West because the competition between those applications often
goes against the pioneering spirit to work together. Adding mileage to your
journey, your personal learning curve may need to include using those
applications on a smart phone, tablet, and a personal computer. The challenge
will be aligning your strategy across applications and devices in the limited
amount of time you have budgeted each day for learning. Remember, the pioneers
didn’t cross the Great Plains in one day, and you can’t learn all about social
media in a one hour webinar. It’s a lifelong journey. Circle your wagons around
one platform and one device; when you feel comfortable, break camp and move to
the next. Check Your Compass Regularly A compass is an instrument for determining directions by means of
a needle that indicates true north. Your digital compass or dashboard is a set
of regularly tracked measures directly linked to the metrics that matter most
(your true north) to your digital vision and strategy. You don’t have to
measure everything and your dashboard doesn’t need to be technology based. Sure,
you can use Hootsuite or some other social
media dashboard application; but if you are just starting out, learning how to
use another software application may just frustrate you. Measuring, analyzing
and acting on your key metrics will help keep your digital journey on track. My grandfather died before the digital age really took off. But he
experienced firsthand the way transportation was changed by automobiles and air
planes, how communication was changed by the telephone, and how indoor plumbing
and electricity improved the comfort of our homes. He even watched a man walk
on the moon. Lots of people have lived to see the before, during and after
pictures of some form of industrial revolution or technology transformation. In
general, it’s called progress. And progress is what makes all of us immigrants
when it comes to change. |
6 Steps for Asking Better Questions
Posted on March 6, 2015 at 10:42 AM |
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Does your company encourage questioning in any substantive way? If
so, does your company provide any training programs focused on guidelines and
best practices for questioning? In
truth, many companies, whether consciously or not, have established cultures
that tend to discourage inquiry in the form of someone’s asking “Why are we
doing this?” The impulse is to keep
plowing ahead, doing what we’ve done, and rarely stepping back to question
whether we’re on the right path. According to Socrates, “Wisdom is limited to an awareness of your
own ignorance.” Socrates used his Socratic Method as a means of uncovering this
ignorance by challenging the completeness of thinking. His series of disciplined
and probing questions brought his students to a deeper and more comprehensive
understanding of the subject matter or issue. Can a business leader use the Socratic
Method to build a learning organization that is agile, adaptable, and creative?
Is there a business benefit to creating a culture that not only encourages
independent thinking and sound reasoning, but also accepts the responsibility
of their decisions? The Socratic process can be broken down into a series of 6 steps of questioning: 1. Clarification: Why are you stating that? What do we already know about this? How does this relate to our discussion? Can you give me an example? 2. Probing assumptions: What could we assume instead? How can you verify or disprove? What would happen if (blank)? How did you choose those assumptions? 3. Probing rationale: How do you know this? What do you think causes (blank)? What evidence is there that supports (blank)? How might it be refuted? 4. Questioning viewpoints: What are alternative ways of looking at this? What are the strengths and weaknesses of (blank)? Explain why this is necessary or beneficial and who benefits from it. 5. Probing consequences: What are the consequences of this assumption? How does (blank) affect (blank)? How does (blank) fit with what our experience tells us? What generalizations can we make? 6. Questions on the question: What is the point of the question? Why do you think I asked the question? What does (blank) mean? The year ahead is going to be challenging for many organizations. When your business is faced with a combination of resource limitations, personal insecurity and demands for greater productivity, emotions will run high. For a business manager this represents a significant challenge, and that’s why helping your team stay focused through logical questioning will help them keep on track. One important thing to remember though is that Socrates, while an excellent teacher, also used this method of questioning to “shred” his opponents. That means the Socratic Method can be used both for both building up and tearing down - so remain mindful of how you use it. |
How Quickly Can You and Your Organization Adapt to Change?
Posted on January 31, 2015 at 2:24 PM |
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I’m where I am today because of the 1980’s
oil crash. If not for the oil crash I
may not have gone on to get my MBA. If
not for the crash I probably would not have ventured into the technology
industry, first with NCR Corporation and then other organizations. For that matter I may not have moved to Ohio. I was from Iowa, in the heart of the
corn patch. But after completing my BBA
in 1981 from Abilene Christian University I could see that the West Texas oil
patch was booming. I grew up baling hay
and detasseling corn and had no idea what logging, acidizing or fracking an oil
well meant. But I learned quickly and
before I knew it I had five years invested in the patch. I was selling oil field services to oil
company executives, geologist and petroleum engineers, and it was fun. And then the boom turned into a bust. I’ll spare you the details; let’s just say
that many lives changed forever. I never
returned to the patch. Many of my
contacts did not either. When you are in
your 20’s you don’t really consider the need to reinvent yourself because you’re
still establishing your credentials in your first “real world job” out of
college. But that is exactly what many
of us had to do. Petroleum engineers and
geologists retooled to become high school math teachers, and oil field sales
people became technology marketers. That
early experience had a profound impact on my view of the intersection between
change and adaptability. Attitude… An attitude that supports lifelong
learning is valuable during change. Is
it important to my job today that I still understand oil field jargon? No, not really. But what I learned while engaging oil field
executives, engineers and roughnecks in a wide variety of environments is
priceless. Yes, those early interactions
helped later as I adapted and learned to work with other executives and influencers
across different industries. Each change
the economy throws at us provides another opportunity to dig deeper and learn. It’s also important for organizations to
stop putting individuals in permanent boxes.
People reinvent themselves all the time.
Sometimes out of necessity, and sometimes just because they are ready
for a change. And when those individuals
reemerge they bring a unique perspective to the job that a “lifer” never
will. I’m not saying you should throw your
long-time experienced people under the bus.
I am saying that it really doesn't take years and years to learn the ins
and outs of your industry. I know some
want to believe that it does, but my experience tells me that it doesn't. What you may need to add to your organization
are individuals who have a passion to learn and a track record for taking
chances and being able to quickly adapt to change. |
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