Good intent. Bad law.

NOTE:  My comments below are to remind you of fair, equitable hiring and compensation practices, not to get political.  I feel this discussion is important and hope it does not offend anyone.  It is frustrating when government employees and politicians who get paid huge pensions and retirement benefits that are underfunded (debt), and operate under deficit spending, feel they know more than business people about how to run a business profitably.

As leaders, we have to implement systems, define policies, and build a culture that is more than good intentions.  We have to do things that are efficient, effective, and create opportunities for our company, employees, partners, and community to prosper.

Good intentions are not enough.  Here is an example of good intentions, but terrible implementation.

Are there areas in your business where you are making a similar mistake based on good intentions?

Have you heard the news?

The State of Massachusetts' politicians and government bureaucrats want to remind you that they are smarter than business people. 

I am talking about the fact that this week the State of Massachusetts passed the Equal Pay Act, an effort by politicians to remove "perceived pay inequity" in any way.  Men versus women...  People of one heritage versus another...  Homosexuals versus heterosexuals...  or maybe you are currently underpaid in your current job.  (According to whom?)

Please do not misunderstand me.  I agree with the intent of the law.  Nevertheless, it has a minimum of two major flaws that will cost Massachusetts businesses millions of dollars:

#1 - The law is impossible to enforce fairly.  How are they going to track what is actually discussed in job interviews or between managers and employees?

#2 - This law is a financial "pot of gold" for contingency lawyers looking to make a quick buck.  Just consider the potential "he said, she said" lawsuits that are going to hit Massachusetts companies based on attributes of the Equal Pay Act that goes into effect in 2018.  Here are just three of them:

• You may ask a job candidate for confirmation of their current or prior compensation, "...including benefits or other compensation or salary history only after any offer of employment with compensation has been made to the prospective employee."  (What happens if you accidentally ask during your final interview?  Apparently, you are toast.)
• Companies cannot prohibit workers from telling other people how much they are paid.  (Why would you do this anyway?)
• The law requires equal pay not just for workers whose jobs are alike, but also for those whose work is of "comparable character" or who work in "comparable operations."  (Who is going to define what is comparable?)

Reminder:  The law gives workers the right to sue companies directly for violations.

Again, I agree with the intent.  Everyone deserves to be paid a fair wage/salary. I just hate laws that are unenforceable and throw fuel on the fire of antagonistic contingency law firms. There is nothing in this law that creates jobs.  There's plenty in this law that may eliminate jobs or motivate businesses to move out of the state.

THE BOTTOM LINE:  What should you do?

#1 - Become informed.  You can start by reading the text of the law and/or this NY Times article, which is biased in support of the law, and/or other information about the law.  Discuss the impact of the law on your organization with your HR attorney.

#2 - Adjust your approach.  One of the three most important questions I recommend be asked of job candidates in the initial phone screen is, "What are your compensation requirements?"  I do NOT give legal advice, but it appears my question does not violate the Massachusetts Pay Equity Act...

NOTE:  The NY Times believes the law requires "...hiring managers to state a compensation figure upfront..." when interviewing.  I do not see that in the law, but maybe I missed it.  Bureaucratic legalese is not a language I speak fluently.

As an alternative, you could just state the salary range and ask if that matches their objective.

If you currently ask a job candidate specifically what they are being paid in their current job, then change your wording to my question or something legally appropriate.

The reason you need to know what they want to earn is because you must protect your time during the interview process.  If their compensation requirements or desires are outside of the range you are planning to pay, then you need to not proceed with the interview.

#3 - Confirm later.  My understanding is this law allows an employer to request confirmation of the person's current and/or compensation after giving them a job offer.  I suspect this means if they accept, then the candidate agrees to release the information or confirm it in some way.

However, do you really care?  If you structure your compensation so people are paid based on performance then who cares what they made before?  If they perform for you, then you are getting a good value - it is a WIN-WIN relationship.  (We do not ask people to confirm prior compensation at MANAGEtoWIN.)

Maybe we need to help leaders become better leaders rather than be burdened by ineffective laws...?

#4 - MOST IMPORTANT - Pay people fairly.  Wherever your business is located, always pay people fairly and be ethical in your hiring practices. 

Please forgive me for discussing something that involves politics. 

I just have a short fuse with governmental micromanagement through unenforceable laws that are catalyst for unnecessary legal fees.  These types of laws waste time, money, and distract us from generating new jobs and fulfilling careers for others in our communities.

My primary concern is your approach to hiring and compensation consistently demonstrates integrity and is effective in growing your organization.

I hope you're having a record setting 2016.

After 3 years, he's back...

Consider these three things today:

#1

Are you debating whether to promote an existing employee or hire someone from the outside (a new employee)?  Consider my column released today at Continuum's site:

3 Major Pitfalls & Profits When Promoting from Within 

#2

In 2013, Rex Frank of Sea Level Ops gave one of the most insightful talks in the managed services industry during a MANAGEtoWIN webinar - The Top 5 MSP Operational Mistakes.  Last week I invited him to share his wisdom again.  So, after 3 years, Rex is back with information you need to know...

REGISTER NOW for Rex's new webinar at 1:00 PM PST on Wednesday, Sept 7, 2016:  

Sea-Level's 4 Levers of Service Margin

This is a MUST-ATTEND webinar from Sea Level Ops and MANAGEtoWIN.  I invited Rex Frank to share these insights because they are critical to the success of any MSP.

Service Delivery is all about Service Gross Margin.  There are 4 factors that you manage that dictate the margin your company produces.  Each of these levers relate to each other, if you move one lever without moving the others, your margin will be affected (good or bad, usually bad).

1. Billing Rate
2. Salary
3. Billing Utilization
4. Agreement Efficiency

This webinar shares specifically the relationship of each lever and their ultimate effect on Service Gross Margin.  Don't miss it.

#3

Rex and I were talking about his webinar.  We agreed that you can have the greatest plan in place to improve margins and it can fail.

Why?

Because your employees do not know how to behave like professionals.  This makes Clients upset, less loyal, and a flight risk.

Therefore, Rex and I are returning two weeks later to explain how to develop your people into a magnet for Client retention and profitability. 

REGISTER NOW for our second webinar at 11:00 AM PST on Tuesday, September 20, 2016:  

Your People's Soft Skills Are WEAK - and what you can do about it.

The primary cause of customer complaints and employee issues is not technical skills.  When your people perform poorly, it is because they lack soft skills.  And it is killing your company's profitability.

According to Salesforce.com, 77% of employers say soft skills are just as important as hard (technical) skills.  

Soft skills training is an ongoing process, not a one-time event.  It involves knowledge transfer, habit development, and accountability.  It is not only crucial to attain high profitability, but important for new employee recruitment, sales prospecting, and client retention.

In this webinar you will learn the 14 key soft skills that should be trained, the process of employee development of these crucial skills, and what you have to do as a leader to make certain your people's soft skills are competitive, effective, and sincere.  Avoid creating unhappy clients.

Don't miss this webinar to learn how better soft skills can help your organization grow more rapidly... and profitably!

-----------------------------------------

During this Summer of Discontent, why not start working on your company culture and/or develop your leadership skills? If you have some gaps with your people, leadership systems, and/or culture, then reach out to us!

We can have a conversation about what's going on in your life.  No cost.  No meter will be ticking.  We just have a conversation focused on your hurdles, and how to get over them.

Of character, or a character?

Are you a person of character, or are you a character? The first is good. The second is inconsistent with great leadership.

Last week I gave you a character test to encourage you to consider the attributes of a leader with good character. Two weeks ago I encouraged you to reflect on this conclusion from my life's journey, written in a way that mimics a statement from the movie, Monsters University:

Good character 

is the true measure of a leader.

If you're not someone of good character, 

then what type of leader are you?

Do you have a person in your organization who could demonstrate better character? Or do a lot of people in your organization who need a character makeover?

Is one of those people who need to more consistently demonstrate good character the person staring back at you in the mirror this morning?

At MANAGEtoWIN, we believe character counts.  It is so important that I wrote an entire course on it in Dave's Charm School, our soft skills training program.

Today I promised to provide ways for you and your team to develop good character.  First, let's define what good character is:

• Dictionary.com:  #1 - The aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.
• Related to personality, but personality is primarily inborn
• An aggregate of all behaviors, not just one
• Based on our virtues, beliefs and values
• Good character is intentional (a choice)
• Good character requires us to make difficult choices
• All Character is learned

The good news is the final point:  All character is learned.  Therefore anyone who wants to improve themselves, can develop better habits of good character.  (You have to want to change.)

Here are 7 ways for anyone to develop better habits of good character.  The goal is for integrity to be an easier choice than a shortcut or other bad decision.

#1 - Others

Everyone's character habits are consciously and subconsciously developed based on the behaviors of the people with whom you work, and spend time with personally.

LESSON:  Only work and hang out with people of good character.

#2 - Role Model

A leader has to be a role model for good character at all times, not just some of the time.  There cannot be any double standards, one for other people and another for the leader.  For example, there cannot be laws that a common citizen has to follow, but a rich person or a politician can break.

LESSON:  Lead intentionally.  Work diligently to demonstrate good character in every word you speak and action you take.

#3 - Baseline

Take 30 minutes to one hour to assess the facts about the character you have demonstrated in 2016 through your words and actions.  Do a simple "Ben Franklin" list.  Title the left column, "Poor," in the right column, "Good."  List words or actions where you have demonstrated poor character in the left column, and the ones that demonstrated your good character in the right column.

LESSON:  Now you have a baseline for where your character is today.  Develop a simple plan to improve your character based on these weaknesses and strengths.  Start by doing one simple thing differently today.

#4 - Serve

People of good character are humble.  Identify one leader who consistently demonstrates good character.  (They are not flawless, but they are a person of integrity, who is sincere, and humble.)  You may not even know them.  Find a way to sincerely serve that person and their cause.  This will help you learn from them, and possibly develop a friendship based on mutual interests.

LESSON:  Sincerely serving develops character.

#5 - Pause

Often words and actions of poor character occur quickly based on fear.  Pause to think about what you are going to say or do before responding or taking action.  Consider how others would respond to your behavior if it was reported on the front page of your local newspaper tomorrow morning.  Consider what your spouse, best friend, and/or advisors would say if they witnessed what you are about to do.

LESSON:  Pause to consider the character you are about to demonstrate before speaking or taking action.  At all times leaders must be role models.  A pause or longer delay is often reasonable to more fully consider the ramifications of your behavior.

#6 - Judgment

Spend very little time judging the character of others.  Focus on developing and sustaining your own integrity.  This will help you avoid bad decisions, unethical people, and risky decisions.  Self-accountability that balances positive reinforcement of your good decisions with encouragement to improve when mistakes are made increases your awareness of situations that put your character at risk.

LESSON:  Judgmental people are poor role models.  People of good character are inspiring and set encouraging standards for others to join.  Strengthening your own character has a much higher ROI than spending excessive time negatively judging others.

#7 - Accountability

There are many ways to hold yourself accountable to demonstrating good character more consistently.  Here's a simple list of five attributes of good character you can use as a test before responding verbally or taking action to situation:

Humility - is my behavior humble?

Integrity - is my decision moral?

Energy - do my actions increase the energy of others?

Inspiration - do I inspire others to achieve more?

Wisdom - will my decisions seem wise in the future?

LESSON:  Focus on holding yourself accountable to demonstrating good character, and as much as possible, limiting work and personal relationships to people of integrity.  This significantly improves your ability to be a role model of good character, and leave a legacy that is personally fulfilling.

Do you find it ironic that I am discussing character amidst the American presidential political season?  This is totally by coincidence.  However soon I may discuss how good leaders should respond to the character of The Donald and Queen Hillary.

As we close out the seventh month of 2016, I sincerely hope you are having a great year.

Take the Character Test

From last week:

Good character is the true measure of a leader.

If you're not someone of good character, then what type of leader are you?

Last week I encouraged you to agree that everything we do starts with our character.  No one is perfect, but when we have significant flaws in our character then everything else suffers.

Jim Collins concluded humility was the primary common trait of truly GREAT leaders.  This supports my conclusion about the importance of character:  The only way a person can be sincerely humble is when they consistently demonstrate good character.

I did a web search on character traits.  One site is "all about character," offering 50 different character traits.  Yet none of them were honesty or integrity.  How can you have good character without integrity?  Scary...

Lots of opinions out there.  Lots of long lists.  I suggest we focus on 7 attributes of good character.  When we get these right, the rest should take care of themselves.  Without these behaviors as our strengths, other attributes of character fall apart.

Here is a quick self-test of character for anyone in a leadership role.  In some ways these build upon one another.

Consider your strengths, and build on them.  Identify areas to improve, and work diligently to develop new habits to overcome your bad ones (that never go away completely).

#1 - Faith

Everyone has a spiritual faith, even an atheist.  How consistently do you live out what you believe?

#2 - Truth

People define what they believe to be true based on their spiritual beliefs.  There are facts, logic, and absolute truths, but you have to decide which ones you want to believe.  There are a growing number of false truths promoted online and in people's opinions.  How do you define truth, and live by it?

#3 - Integrity

Your definition of integrity or honesty hinges on your belief in truth.  If you feel truth is relative, or only important when it agrees with what you want to do - then your honesty will be selective - honest when you want to be, or based on what you want to believe or do, rather than unemotional facts or logic.  

Were you 100% honest in all of your communications today?  This week?  This month?

#4 Relationships

Your ability to love others depends on how you process information through your faith, truth, and integrity filters.  At the end of your life you only have two assets:  Your legacy (impact on others) and relationships (vulnerability with others).  These depend on your character. 

Do you have close friends and business relationships, or are you "relationship-lite," where virtually no one really knows you?  You can be a person of good character who is a loner, but having deep relationships makes life richer.  What can you do to develop or extend deeper friendships?

#5 - Candor

The power of candor hinges on your integrity and relational skills, among other behavioral attributes.  Candor is how much information you are willing to share with another person.  Ideally you achieve close to a "Goldilocks rating" on your candor - you do not share too much, or too little.  You share just enough.  How are you doing?

#6 - Decisions

You make decisions based on the five prior attributes of character.  Good decisions come from a place of knowing who you are, who you serve, and a healthy fear of making a mistake. 

Once again, you strive for a Goldilocks' balance between a sense of urgency that a decision must be made, and your process to fully consider all the data and counsel before accepting the risks of the decision.  Do you make decisions too quickly, or too slowly?  How can you develop habits of more balanced decision-making?

#7 - Grateful

People of good character are thankful.  Be sincerely grateful for what you have, instead of complaining about what is missing in your life.  This way you will overcome life's difficulties more easily.  How can you be more grateful throughout each day?

Yes, I am stopping here.  We can consider and/or debate dozens of more character traits, however when you focus on these seven most of the others will take care of themselves. 

Character checking can be a daily exercise, if not multiple times during the day as you make decisions, communicate with others, and take action. 

Intentions do not count.

RECOMMENDATION:  Evaluate your character based on every sense of your heart, every emotion you feel, every word you speak, and every action you take. 

You are NOT defined by your worst moments. You are also NOT defined by your best moments.  It is more of an accumulated score over time without a requirement to be flawless. 

Your character in a particular situation may be less than you desire.  Slowing down to consider whether you are meeting or exceeding your own character standards can be life changing.  However, you have to be strong enough to make the difficult decision NOT to do something that is below your standards.

9 ways to become better

Need a topic for conversation at a team meeting or as part of a leadership retreat? Or just a challenge to consider alone, undistracted in your Sanctuary time?

Here are some recent insights of mine that may inspire you to become a better leader.  They were exclusively posted on the Continuum blog site recently.

12 Driving Forces to Maximize Employee Productivity

Which 3 Critical Leadership Habits Will Transform Your MSP Operation?

Everyone Fails Without This One Soft Skill

Business Etiquette for MSPs: Entering/Exiting Conversations 101

5 Ways to Hire the IT Best & Avoid the Rest

When Technicians Throw Your CSAT Score a Curve Ball...

7 Actions You Must Take to Retain Top IT Employees

There's No Time to Lose! Why Every Leader Must be Punctual

Why Business Owners Should Embrace "Thanksgiveness" Daily

I believe you can be a better leader.

This is a journey I pursue in my own leadership daily.  (I need to become better too!  It's a journey that never ends.)

My calling is to help others become more systematic when you hire, manage, develop, and retain top performing, fully engaged employees.

If you have some gaps with your people, leadership systems, and/or culture, then reach out to me.

That's why I do this.  To help.

Let's have a conversation about what's going on in your life.  No cost.  No meter will be ticking.  We just have a conversation focused on your hurdles, and how to get over them.

Scariness is the true measure...

"Scariness is the true measure of a monster.  If you're not scary, then what type of monster are you?"  Dean Hardscrabble, from the movie, Monsters University.

Apply this to leadership...

____________ is the true measure of a leader.  

If you're not ____________, then what type of leader are you?

Monsters in the movie had to be scary to generate energy for their world.  Energy was their core responsibility.  

What is the core responsibility, or single attribute of an effective leader in your organization, that affects everything they do?  

Without this behavior, they can never be their best.  Wait a minute.  Let's change this discussion... Without this behavior, YOU can never be your best.

You will always be:

• Busy
• Struggling to keep up
• Missing deadlines
• Compromising quality
• Leading others inconsistently
• Not achieving the maximum results you desire
• Getting older as opportunities for meaningful legacy diminish

What is the defining behavior of great leaders? In Jim Collins' famous work, Good to Great, his team studied 1,435 companies and identified only 11 that met their standards as truly "Great" companies

In this classic work that was completed 15 years ago, what was the one defining characteristic of all 11 leaders of those companies? Humility.

So, is humility the true measure of a leader? It is vitally important, but not the defining factor. Humility is a symptom of a deeper core value:  Good character.

REFLECT ON THIS:

Good character  

is the true measure of a leader.

If you're not someone of good character, 

then what type of leader are you?

Next week we will discuss the key attributes of a leader with good character. The following week we will discuss how a person develops their character.

I encourage you to send us one or more behaviors of a leader with good character.  I welcome your stories.  Anything you feel is significant about character in people you know or have studied.  Please only send stories that I can publish in this newsletter for the benefit of others.

How much more could you accomplish if you focused on improving your character more than your skills and knowledge? I suspect you spend regular time developing your skills, increasing your knowledge, and expanding your business relationships.  

How much time this month that you spent specifically on developing your character?  It has been 12 days so far this month.  Most people have not spent 12 minutes developing their character in July 2016.

How could your life pivot if you invested more time in becoming the person you want to be internally at your core, rather than spending all of your time on the external attributes of leadership?

Have a great week!

P.S.  Why not work with me and a group of your peers to improve?  Our  next Certified LEADER class starts in two days, on Friday, July 15.

Sign-up to work on specific weaknesses you have in your leadership, and to further build upon your strengths.

Are You The Tortoise or The Hare?

Who gets there faster, the person who has some of the information and starts the journey earlier; or the person who collects all the information and waits to start the journey until everything is just right?

Neither of them are faster.  In a moment, let me explain why

Which person are you?  The proverbial hare or the tortoise?  (Written fable or 1934 Disney movie)

Based on my coaching with hundreds of leaders, let me give you 1 QUICK TIP on how a hare or a tortoise can be more productive and improve relationships with others by being a better listener.

THE HARE

This person has a high sense of urgency.  They may have a psychological motivation to overcome an internal belief that they are not good enough.  They move too fast as part of an ongoing effort to prove others wrong and be "good enough."

The objective to prove yourself "good enough" is as impossible as finding the nickel in the corner of a round room.  The reason is, the target always moves.  When you reach one level of being good enough, then you have to go to another level.  It is an evil, torturous game.

ADVICE FOR THE HARE:  Who you are is not defined by your worst moments.

Your current approach is to get just enough information and then jump to conclusions.  You have a passion to solve the problem and a fear of damage if the issue is not resolved quickly.  This is good, when actions are taken in balance with complete information on the situation.

Unfortunately the hare can jump too fast...  What can you do?

Change your strategy.  Here is one option:

1. Recognize the trigger that ignites your fear and desire to prove yourself.
2. Redirect your fear of the cost of doing nothing, to the fear of the cost of the damage you cause when you make a wrong decision or deliver an incomplete solution that will not last.
3. Slow down.  Stop doing all the talking.  Stop driving.  Start investigating.
4. Engage with others.  Do not fly solo.  There is wisdom in many counselors.
5. You have two eyes, two ears, and one mouth.  Observe with your eyes.  Listen with your ears.  Wait to communicate solutions.  Speak less, and at this stage, only to ask questions.
6. Develop your plan of action.  Get feedback from others.
7. Now you have complete information, full assessment of the risks involved, and a step-by-step strategy to success.  Play to your strengths:  Apply your passion and sense of urgency to drive the process forward to fully complete one step and move to the next.  Repeat this cycle until the process is complete, solution in place, and testing of the solution can begin.

I have been the hare and battle its re-emergence on a daily basis.  Why?  Because bad habits never go away.  You have to overpower them with new, better habits.  The battle between the old and new never ends.

THE TORTOISE

As the proverb suggests, the tortoise is the opposite of the hare.  This person would rather make no decision than a wrong decision.  Even if the status quo is flawed, it is more comfortable to them because the risks and pain are understood.

The objective of this person is often to avoid pain because they have not fully dealt with the pain of their past.  Therefore details, analysis, and thought delay action as "Rome burns."

ADVICE FOR THE TORTOISE:  Who you are is not defined by what you know, but by what you do.

Your current approach is to research all possible information, consider and reconsider possible solutions, discuss issues and options, develop a thorough plan, and then implement the plan methodically... and often behind schedule. 

Unfortunately the tortoise can move too slow...  What can you do?

Change your strategy.  Here is one option:

1. Recognize the trigger that ignites your lack of trust in others and new solutions.
2. Redirect your fear to trust in something that might fail, to focus more of your fear on the cost of doing nothing.
3. Set a deadline to draft a solution that is sooner than you would typically define.  Play to your strengths:  Begin research and conversations to fully understand the issues and options for resolution.
4. Engage with others.  Do not fly solo.  There is wisdom in many counselors.
5. People may disagree with you.  Hear them out and hold them / their ideas to the same standards you demand of yourself.  Avoid asking the same question multiple times in only slightly different ways to try to get a different answer.  This irritates people.
6. Develop your plan of action with feedback from others.  Divide the responsibilities fairly.  Define the schedule for deliverables and accountability.
7. Initiate action.  Meet deadlines.  Have meetings to communicate with others who are involved as often as necessary.  Start and end the meetings on time.  Be a role model for quality, quantity, and timeliness of work.  Have accountability as a group.

The tortoise does a great job of getting to the right destination, but needs to better balance initiating action and speed with quality of work and communicating with others in ways they prefer.

In contrast, the hare does an excellent job of initiating action, but lacks information and thus solutions are incomplete or incorrect.

Most of us are more of a hare or a tortoise.  Acknowledging this we can work to improve our habits so we can leverage our strengths better and avoid the pains of our weaknesses.

Neither the tortoise nor the hare is better.  

They are just different.

One of our key responsibilities as leaders is to help them work and communicate more effectively together.

Do you move too fast, or too slow?  Could you be a better leader?  

Why not work with me and a small group of your peers to improve?  Our  next Certified LEADER class starts on July 15.

Sign-up to work on specific weaknesses you have in your leadership, and to further build upon your strengths.

Leaders must change to stay ahead of the game and grow.  I help leaders like you become better.  We work on leadership skills and systems to hire, manage, develop, and retain top performers, and your systems to grow a thriving company culture.  Contact us if you, other leaders you know, and/or your company wants to be better.

Here is what you should do to be a fully engaged leader

Last week I suggested you assess your leadership habits against the low standards of an Arrogant Spaced-Out Boss.

This begs the question, "Well then, what is an example of a leader who is fully engaged in developing themselves and their company culture?"

I do not believe leadership models are set in concrete.  Everyone is different.  Nevertheless the following can be a guideline for you to consider how to better apply yourself in a leadership role:

#1 - Sanctuary

Schedule a recurring event in Outlook or your other calendar program to spend at least 30 minutes weekly in self-accountability. 

Consider this baseball metaphor when planning to set aside this time.  You are competing to win.  The team fighting against you are your bad habits, broken systems, and people. 

The name of the opposing team is the Interruptions.  You need to stop their offensive threat (get three "outs" to retire their side so you can return to offense).

Schedule Out:  Enter your Sanctuary time in your calendar.  Make certain others know this is a time when you are not to be interrupted. 

Shut Out:  Close your office door.  Put a sign on the door that you are in Sanctuary time, or some of our clients like to call it Stealth Mode:  You may be in the office, and continue to be highly dangerous, but for a period of time you need to be invisible.

Tech Out:  Turn-off email, instant messenger, do not answer your desk phone or mobile phone, and respond only to emergency texts. 

Why is this important?  According to www.ScienceDirect.com...

You have an

Average of 87 interruptions per day

22 external interruptions

65 triggered by you

It typically takes over 23 minutes to get back on task

18% percent of your interrupted tasks are not revisited that day

Here is a simple Sanctuary agenda:

• How did I do on last week's W.I.N.? What's Important Now - My 1-3 most important objectives for the prior week.
• Where am I on my goals this year? Am I on track?  What action is needed?
• What is my W.I.N. for this upcoming week? Schedule time during Monday-Wednesday to complete these activities in your calendar.  Why early in the week?  So when you have to fight fires you have time to catch-up on Thursday-Friday and still advance your objectives.
• Who am I responsible for, and how are they doing? Follow a similar 3-step process for your direct reports that you did for yourself above.

#2 - Leadership

Schedule a 1-2 hour investment of your time weekly to develop your leadership skills, knowledge and/or habits. Develop your soft skills. Carefully plan your calendar. Confirm you are maintaining a balance within your work responsibilities. Confirm you are balancing your career and personal life. Consider major decisions.

This time is a priority.  Schedule this work during Monday-Wednesday.

The best leaders invest in developing themselves weekly.  It is an ongoing process.  The excuses of being too busy, no options, or whatever, are bogus.  The excuses are all lies we tell ourselves so we can stay in our comfort zone. Get out of your comfort zone!

Training and professional development have one of the highest ROI's of any business expenditure.  You have to set the example by first investing in yourself.

#3 - Culture

If you do not invest in your culture, then who will? If you do not make culture a priority, then why should anyone else? 

Leaders are role models.  You have to set the standard through your behavior, not just talk a good game of leadership and company culture. Demonstrate good character by first being the leader and company culture example you want others to be.

Schedule a 1-2 hour investment of your time weekly to develop your company's culture.  Here are two quick ideas:

• Ask everyone in a weekly or monthly team meeting to explain how they lived out one of your company culture cornerstones (mission, values, vision).  Focusing on this is good for the individual, and hearing how others have lived them out is also inspirational.
• Work on a project that strengthens an aspect of your 3strands LEADERSHIP.  For instance, improve the efficiency of 1:1 or team meeting schedules;  spend time individually with employees to confirm they are doing meaningful work in your organization;  and/or improve or implement your recognition program.

This time is a priority.  Schedule this work during Monday-Wednesday.

Sanctuary + Leadership + Culture = Growth

It takes 90 days or longer to develop new habits, but first you have to define what you want to change.  Then schedule the activities to bring about the improvement in your leadership and company culture.

Do this on your own.  Do it together with a peer or a mentor.  Do it with a coach like me.

This will be one of the best decisions you ever make in your career. If you want my help 1:1, or you want to reward a manager with training on becoming a better leader, then consider our next Certified LEADER class that starts the week of July 11.

Arrogant S.O.B.

Have you ever considered how your behaviors may communicate to others that you are an Arrogant Spaced-Out Boss ("Arrogant S.O.B.")? Part of the dictionary definition of "arrogant" is arrogant people assume they know something, and/or they are smarter than someone else.

Assumptions are one of the most common failures of leaders. You can try to hide behind all kinds of humble phrases and body language, but in the end your actions speak much louder than your words.

Are you really humble like Jim Collins' Level 5 Leaders, or just a poser?

My system of 3strands LEADERSHIP does NOT include being an Arrogant Spaced-Out Boss. So just between you and me, are there situations where maybe you are thinking a bit too highly of yourself? Here is a quick 5 question quiz to consider whether you might be an Arrogant Spaced-Out Boss, and if so, what you can do about it:

#1 - Realistically, how often do you assume something and later find out your conclusion was at least partially incorrect?

Daily     Weekly    Monthly     Never, I'm perfect

#2 - Do you believe leadership and the strength of your company culture determine the magnitude of growth and profit for your organization?

Yes     No

#3 - How many hours do you typically invest each week to develop your leadership skills?  (You can use last week as an example...)

<1 hour     1-2 hours     3-5 hours     >5 hours

#4 - How many hours do you typically invest the week to develop a stronger culture within your company?  (You can use last week as an example...)

<1 hour     1-2 hours     3-5 hours     >5 hours

#5 - When is the last time you paid to gain someone's knowledge through coaching, a learning event, book, or other method...  and then decided you know more than they do and cut short the learning experience?

Yesterday     Last week     Last month     Rarely

-----------------------------------------------------------

Your life journey may be different than mine, but let me walk you through what I suggest are the typical answers a truly great leaders:

#1 - Realistically, how often do you assume something and later find out your conclusion was at least partially incorrect?

Daily     Weekly    Monthly     Never, I'm perfect

3strands LEADER:  Even the best leaders make mistakes.  Making decisions and taking actions based on assumptions happens to all leaders.  The best are probably pretty good at limiting how often they make this mistake, and are honest enough to admit it is an ongoing struggle.

#2 - Do you believe leadership and the strength of your company culture determine the magnitude of growth and profit for your organization?

Yes     No

3strands LEADER:  Leadership determines who you hire, how they are managed, whether they are developed professionally, and the percentage of top performers your organization retains.  Your culture determines employee engagement, productivity, and customer retention.  This question's answer is an easy "yes." 

#3 - How many hours do you typically invest the week to develop your leadership skills?  (You can use last week as an example...)

<1 hour     1-2 hours     3-5 hours     >5 hours

3strands LEADER:  The best leaders invest in developing themselves weekly.  This is an ongoing process.  It never ends.  The excuses of being too busy, no budget, or whatever are bogus.  

The excuses are all lies.  If you truly want to be a great leader then you first have to invest in yourself.

Do you remember the government-required airplane safety announcement you have to endure before your commercial airline takes off?  The reason you have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first is so you can help save others.  You stop functioning if you cannot breathe.  In a similar way, if you are not growing as a leader then your ability to develop your employees and company is constrained, if not eventually dead.

1-2 Hours of work weekly to expand your knowledge, be coached or mentored, and/or do a variety of other activities to grow as a leader is a minimum requirement...  and a huge blessing, not a burden or a curse.

You do not do this, you say? 

Is your issue ego, or an inability to prioritize what is truly important?

Figure it out.  Take action.  Move on.

#4 - How many hours do you typically invest the week to develop a stronger culture within your company?  (You can use last week as an example...)

<1 hour     1-2 hours     3-5 hours     >5 hours

3strands LEADER: There is a minimum requirement of 1-2 hours weekly to develop a stronger company culture.  This time is in addition to the time you spend developing yourself as a leader.

What I am saying is you have to spend a minimum of 5-10 percent of your week (2-4 hours) developing yourself and your company culture.

Are you doing this every week? If you are honest, most of you will answer "no." Then get a mentor or coach immediately.  Or work with some peers for accountability.  Do something. Every moment you delay is costing you thousands of dollars.

BUY WHAT IF YOU CAN'T?

Let someone else lead your company or team.

#5 - When is the last time you paid to gain someone's knowledge through coaching, a learning event, book, or other method...  and then decided you know more than they do?

Yesterday     Last week     Last month     Rarely

3strands LEADER:  Wise leaders choose their learning opportunities carefully.  Once chosen, they find something to learn from that individual even if it is a small percentage of the overall teaching.  In rare cases they may need to cut the teaching short because they made a mistake and it is a waste of their time.

BEWARE:  Once you committed to learn from someone, make certain you fully explored the service you purchased before canceling. 

It is common for busy leaders to make assumptions and stop investing time in learning opportunities that actually could help them better achieve their career and organizational objectives.

Why? Because they are busy.  Their work is important.  They are good leaders anyway... Fools.

I encourage you not to be an Arrogant Spaced-Out Boss. You can do better. To be better you have to intentionally set aside time weekly to develop yourself as a leader, and your company's culture.

Do you want help?

MANAGEtoWIN has the only Certified LEADER training program for managed service providers and other technology entrepreneurs.

If not our program, then another proven training program that is at least six months long.  Why six months?

Because the real value is not knowledge transfer, but developing the skills, learning new habits, and implementing proven leadership systems.

In essence the value is becoming a better leader, not understanding how to become one.

Our next Certified LEADER class starts the week of July 11.  Sign-up to work on specific weaknesses you have in your leadership, and to further build upon your strengths.

Checklist of what I teach

Last week I promised to send you what I teach in our six-month Certified LEADER training program.

First, do you qualify to learn these skills and new habits on your own, or for me?

Most participants in our Certified LEADER program are self-taught leaders.  Some have just been promoted after being a team lead and/or superstar employee.  Others have been in management for decades.  Some are owners.  

So far, everyone in the program is a leader in an IT managed services provider.

Darren German, Service Manager at NUMA Networks in Southern California recently graduated as a Certified LEADER.  He had this to say about the program:

Dave, his employees, and his Certified LEADER program are the best.  Period. Dave communicates extremely well and he doesn't leave any wiggle or assumption room in letting you know exactly what to expect from his course.  He provides SO much extra assistance outside of the classroom and his staff respond professionally and timely.

I feel so much more prepared as a leader in my organization now, my time is mine again, and I've been able to pass on many of the wonderful lessons I've learned.

The secret is each student in the program, along with their boss, defines specifically what they will learn in the program.  This varies per person, but there are some common themes.

Here is a sample of what a student's objectives might look like at the beginning of the program:

#1 Leadership

• Develop better delegating skills
• Learn how to define and work an employee through a performance improvement plan
• Learn how to complete annual reviews with direct reports
• Learn how to hire better people instead of good actors

#2 Team Management

• Develop the soft skills of my team
• Improve communication between engineers and account managers
• Update employee strategic plans for each team member
• Devise a plan to work with my team to recognize their triggers and respond more intentionally to them

#3 Prioritizing / time management

• Update my own employee strategic plan
• Sanctuary
• Weekly W.I.N.
• Stealth mode

#4 Other people's communication preferences

• Develop my ability to fully discern other people's core behaviors and motivators/driving forces
• Adapt my communication style to the other person's preferences
• How to recognize people in ways they prefer

#5 Establishing clear, measurable goals

• Revise my goals to be more clear and measurable
• Ideas to reinforce our self-motivating environment for my team to achieve their goals
• How to deliver negative news encouragingly, and with next steps people want to support
• How to meet or exceed the expectations of others more consistently.

#6 Be a near-perfect yet real role model

• Consider ways to build upon my strengths in listening and questioning
• Response to negativity from a direct report, peer, owner, or client
• Implement systems to have everyone live out our Company culture cornerstones.

Some students have a shorter list.

You may want to try to learn these things on your own, or this list may inspire you to create a self improvement plan for yourself.

However, I encourage you to learn with other leaders. We have the only Certified LEADER training program for managed service providers and another technology entrepreneurs.

If not our program, then another proven training program that is at least six months long.  Why six months?  Because the real value is not knowledge transfer, it is developing the skills, learning new habits, and implementing proven leadership systems.

Our learning process has three components AFTER you define clear, measurable objectives you want to learn in our Certified LEADER program:

#1 - Live, online group training with your peers, led by me.

#2 - 1:1 Coaching with me.

#3 - You can reach out to me anytime you have a specific employee issue and want my advice.

Our next Certified LEADER class is filling-up.  Sign-up to work on specific weaknesses you have in your leadership, and to further build upon your strengths.

Could You Be a BETTER Leader?

This may be the most important email you read today, especially because it is Friday and you can challenge yourself with this issue over the weekend.  

Almost every leader has made these mistakes...

• You promoted someone into a leadership role who has not been trained how to be a manager.  They are doing okay, but clearly could be much better if they had better leadership habits and processes.
• You have a seasoned manager who is not as productive as you would like or is causing unnecessary drama in your workplace.
• You are so busy and working so hard, but you have this nagging feeling your company could be doing better.
• You have issues with your partner(s).
• And here's the one that really hurts:  If you want to be candid, you are part of the problem, if not THE problem.  This is because you are a self-made leader.  You listen to advice, but have never engaged with a coach or mentor with full accountability to address your weaknesses and improve your strengths.

There is a solution to these problems, but it involves training and coaching for about two hours a week for six months.  

• Do you feel you could be better?
• How about each of your managers?  Could any of them improve?
• Most of us would answer "yes," if we are honest.

But you do not have time to train someone, and hesitate to make a 2 hour a week commitment in your already full schedule...

Ask yourself a simple question, and answer it! What is the financial impact on your firm if the leader(s) you believe could be better, actually got trained and improved? STOP and calculate the value of that improvement.

Is it...  one more sale? Happier clients and one more six figure project? The financial results of improving the productivity of an employee or team? The savings of retaining a good employee rather than lose him/her? The list goes on.  The financial impact of leadership is HUGE.

But...  your company has not developed management training or a mentoring program.

The answer is you practice what you preach:  Outsource the training to get the help you need to structure better accountability within your management team so your company can improve.

MANAGEtoWIN has the only Certified LEADER training program for managed service providers and another technology entrepreneurs. I would compare our program with the best from Google, HP, and any other tech leader.  

What do we teach?  I will send it out to you next Tuesday.  Do it on your own if you do not believe in outsourcing to experts. For now, students in our Certified LEADER program:

1. Confirm their strengths and work to expand upon them.
2. Identify weaknesses and learn new habits to overcome them.
3. Define and achieve an individual learning plan.
4. Take a test to earn their certification at the end of the program.
5. Join leaders who are attending because of the positive change they have seen in their peers who have become Certified LEADERS in our earlier programs.

Watch for my tips on what I believe are the core attributes of great leaders - the skills and habits we teach in our Certified LEADER program.  I will send these to you next Tuesday.

Our next Certified LEADER class is 30% full at the moment.  Sign-up to work on specific weaknesses you have in your leadership, and to further build upon your strengths.

Goodbye for now, Mom

I apologize for being a way for a month.  On May 2 my 88-year-old mother passed away.  I have just not been able to maintain my typical work schedule. In memoriam, I'd like to relate her virtues as a mother and a person to those of a leader.

The second strand of 3strands LEADERSHIP is Meaningful Work. The third strand is Sincere Gratitude.

Leaders are wise to learn from the examples of loving mothers (and other parents) when it comes to these two disciplines.  Great mothers have a lasting impact on the lives of their children, grandchildren, and others for years after they have passed away.

I encourage you to consider three reminders of great leadership from my Mom:

#1 - She always believed in me

I have had failures and continue to make mistakes, but Mom was always an encourager.  When mistakes occurred, there were questions, discussion, and a focus on how to learn and move on.  There was no bitterness, unforgiveness, or withheld love.

As leaders, reinforcing our belief in the potential of our people rather than harping on their past is an act of Sincere Gratitude that communicates we value the members of our team.  If someone is failing to meet our expectations then our responsibility is to help them improve.

If they cannot improve through our standard processes and communications (Systematic Power), then we must put them on a formal 90 day performance improvement plan ("PIP") to emphasize their need to do better.  If they cannot, then the best thing for both parties is to let them go, and encourage them in their next opportunity.

Great leaders believe in their people.

#2 - She was a teacher

My Mom taught fourth and fifth graders for about seven years when I was a teenager.  My parents struggled to make ends meet, although they hid that from us kids.  Mom went back to school and got her teaching credentials so she could contribute.

Mom loved teaching.  She worked so hard with the kids and tried to hold things together on the homefront, that it was common she would be crying driving home from her school on Friday afternoons.  She had given all that she could.  She had encouraged.  She had energized.  She had believed in each one of her students.

Even during the last two years as her health declined, she welcomed any opportunity to read a story to our four adopted children or help them learn something about nature, the plants in our garden, or Dave the Pig that lived next door (No relation to me...).

She was always patient and encouraging with the children, as she was with me.  She believed in a better future.  She was thankful for what she had.  She tried her best to never quit.

Great leaders take the time to patiently, encouragingly teach.

#3 - She was always glad to see me

Whether it was a phone call or a visit to her home, Mom always started the conversation with joy in her voice, thanking me for reaching out.

My sister, Janet, worked incredibly hard to coordinate schedules of up to eight different caregivers during these past 2-3 years as Mom's health faded.  She was also often there at Mom's place helping her over a weekend, or interrupting her week if a caregiver canceled.  Mom loved Janet and appreciated all that she did for her.

I spent less time with Mom than Janet.  Part of me felt that Mom's enthusiastic greetings to me were unearned and undeserved.  I stopped by less often, cracked a few jokes to make her laugh, and did not stay as long as Janet.  But my Mom's love was not based on my performance.

Think back to how much it touched you when someone greeted you enthusiastically.  Whether it was love, thankfulness, or something else that was sincere... there is something special about being sincerely welcomed with joy.  The greeting may have been quiet, or it may have been loud.  But it was real.  Sincere Gratitude is powerful.

Great leaders greet people with appreciation.

I hope you are blessed in your relationships with your parents.  May you also demonstrate these three attributes in your personal and professional leadership.

It's the end of May.  2016 will be over before we know it.  Are you focusing on what is truly most important?  Are you working "on" your business, or spending too much time "in" it?

Is your old way wrong?

I was recently working with a leader who had decades of experience.  I was encouraging him to consider doing something differently.

He complained, "I have been doing this for 20 years.  Are you saying I've been doing it wrong for 20 years?"  

What do you think should have been my response?

I avoided a direct rebuttal.  I replied empathetically, "Not necessarily, but standards have changed.  20 years ago I used nails to build a fence in my yard.  Now I use screws.  Were nails wrong 20 years ago?  No.  But screws are better..."

Dr. Henry Cloud wrote a book 1-2 years ago titled, Never Go Back.  His conclusion is the primary difference between highly successful people and average people is the top performers make mistakes and then vow not to repeat them.  And then they do not repeat those mistakes.

In contrast, average performers repeat mistakes.  Constantly.

Seth Godin in his blog post this morning said the following: 

The tidal wave is overrated

Yes, it can lead to wholesale destruction, but it's the incessant (but much smaller) daily tidal force that moves all boats, worldwide.

And far more powerful than either is the incredible impact of seepage, of moisture, of the liquid that makes things grow.

Facebook and other legendary companies didn't get that way all at once, and neither will you.

We can definitely spend time worrying about/building the tsunami, but it's the drip, drip, drip that will change everything in the long run.

Great leaders are systematic in what they do to avoid mistakes, improve efficiency, and increase effectiveness to fuel growth.

Every day they take the time to refocus themselves on what is truly most important and to avoid mistakes.  This is a key drip, drip, drip leadership cycle or rhythm necessary to be your best.  It may not have the glamour of your photo on the cover of a major magazine, but these leaders are positively impacting the lives of millions of people.

Unfortunately most people are not great leaders.  The primary difference is they choose to not apply what they learn, and/or could learn.

The way you do things today might get them done, but what would happen if you chose to dedicate yourself to 1-3 higher standards?  Would...

• Your employees be more engaged and fulfilled in their work?
• Your Clients be happier with the products and services you provide?
• You be spending more of your time achieving your goals instead of trying to hold things together?

If your career is comfortable and that's the way you like it, then enjoy.

However, for those of us who still want to change the world, we are about one-third of the way through 2016.  If you want to improve, then the best time is always now.

Clone your best people

First I will share some exciting news.  Next, I will give you a couple of freebies if you want to try it out. 

Ask yourself these questions:

Have you ever wanted to clone a great employee?  (I regularly work with clients to do this successfully.)

Have you ever wished you could get new insights about how to improve the productivity of one or more employees?  (We do this every week with our Clients.)

Have you ever wanted to help to employees stop being in conflict so often?  (There is a way to better understand each individual so this objective is achieved.)

ANNOUNCEMENT:  We now can provide our Clients with side-by-side comparisons of people whom have had taken our MANAGEtoWIN Talent Assessments.  (We cannot compare people based on reports you have done with other providers.)

For the month of April 2016, we will give you up to five comparisons per Client absolutely free.  Click here to email us the names of employees whom you would like to compare.  Send us up to five combinations of two people for free.  Order additional comparisons here.

Click here to see a sample Comparison Report.  It's really cool.

Here are a few sample screens of what the report looks like:

Consider how this helps two employees consider the differences in their communication styles, and then adapt to each other's style to improve their working relationship.

Consider how this helps two employees better comprehend the differences in their behavioral styles so they can focus on work that best aligns with their strengths.

Consider how this comparison helps each individual better understand what motivates the other person, and then relate to this as they work together to achieve results.

 Here are two free offers that are irresistible:

#1:  If you have used MANAGEtoWIN Talent Assessments, then you can compare up to five pairs of two employees, or employees and job candidates, at no charge through April 30.  Email us to place your request, listing up to five pairs of names.  After that, the cost for each comparison is $29 (order here).

#2:  We offer our MANAGEtoWIN Talent assessments in two versions: 

NOTE:  Our regular Clients do receive a discount, and you will too starting with your second order.  Just ask!

(1) Our standard Talent Assessment includes behaviors (DISC) and motivators/driving forces (PIAV).  We believe the combination of these two aspects of a person's capabilities on the job are crucial.  DISC alone is misleading.  

The retail price for our standard Talent Assessment reports, including a written or verbal discussion of the results and hiring recommendation is $219 each.  You can order a General or Sales version.  You can add a Summary (see example) for an additional $50 (order here). 

(2) The second report we offer is the MANAGEtoWIN TriMetrix DNA (General or a version for Sales people) Talent Assessments, which does an amazing job of blending a person's behaviors (DISC), motivators/driving forces (PIAV), and competencies or skills.  I go into greater

The retail price for our TriMetrix DNA reports, including a written or verbal discussion of the results and hiring recommendation is $299 each.  You can order a General or Sales version.  You can add a Summary (see example) for an additional $50 (order here).

Here are some ways to use these comparison reports:

1. Promotion:  Compare a junior employee with a senior employee to consider whether the junior person can be developed into a more senior position.
2. Cloning:  Compare a job candidate with a top performing employee in that role to consider where they are alike, how they differ, and whether the results indicate the job candidate can be successful in the position.
3. Conflict:  You have two employees who are not working productively together, or are in conflict.  Compare the two to help them understand how to work more effectively and/or get along better.
4. Mentoring:  Mentors are not bosses.  They are other seasoned people inside or outside your company.  Have the mentor and mentee discuss their comparison report as part of their orientation meeting and apply it as they move forward on their journey of growth.
5. Adaptation:  To help any employee better understand how to adapt their behaviors so they work more effectively with another employee;  they understand what motivates the other person;  and they do their best to focus the other person on work aligned with their greatest skills.
6. Performance:  Between a leader and an under-performing employee so the individual's performance improvement plan has the greatest possible opportunity for success.
7. Teams:  As part of a team-building session to give each individual greater depth of understanding of how to work effectively with the other members of their unit. 

The MANAGEtoWIN TriMetrix DNA assessment reinforces the power of our proprietary 3strands LEADERSHIP principles because all three work together to achieve more than any individual aspect of leadership can on its own. 

The MANAGEtoWIN TriMetrix DNA report provides you crucial insights in the following areas:

Behaviors

Behavioral research suggests that the most effective people are those who understand themselves, both their strengths and weaknesses, so they can develop strategies to meet the demands of their environment.  This report measures the four dimensions of normal behavior:  dominance, influence, steadiness and compliance.

Our TriMetrix DNA report tells you how this individual will perform.

Motivators / Driving Forces

Knowledge of an individual's motivators help to tell us why they do things.  The Personal Motivation & Engagement report measures the relative prominence of six basic interests or motivators (a way of valuing life):  Theoretical, Utilitarian, Aesthetic, Social, Individualistic and Traditional.

Our TriMetrix DNA report illuminates why this individual acts the way he or she does.

Competencies

An individual's hierarchy of competencies is key to their success, and knowing what they are is essential to reaching their goals.  This report is designed to assist managing and developing a career.  For many jobs, personal skills are as important as technical skills in producing superior performance.

Our TriMetrix DNA report describes what this individual "has done" in 23 research-based capacities related to the business environment.

Comparing yourself to another person to feel superior to them is unproductive. However, comparing two people to sincerely help them be their best and improve working relationships is wonderful.

We offer you an opportunity to compare people for free.  I hope you give it a try.  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Have an awesome week!

Three disciplines to achieve your destiny

The primary hurdle to maximizing our success is ourselves.  Here is a relatively simple three-step process to move beyond any pain of your past to better apply your strengths to achieve your true potential.

DISCIPLINE #1

Your past does not define you.  Your past prepares you to achieve your potential IF YOU PROPERLY APPLY IT.

Rather than let your mistakes drag you down...

• Consider the lessons learned
• Commit to never repeat those mistakes
• Develop an awareness of the triggers that led you to make poor decisions, and
• Put processes in place to make different decisions in the future when you are triggered / tempted to repeat a mistake.

When you hear that taunting voice inside you or the sneers of the arrogant, then remind yourself your life's game is not over yet.  Read this prophecy from The Lord of the Rings while you envision how you will make better decisions and experience more prosperous outcomes in the future:

"All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost;

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king."

     - JRR Tolkien

"...The crownless again shall be king."  That is you.  Believe there is something more significant that yourself happening in your life.  Easter not a time of death, but of resurrection.  These days are not a reminder of defeat, but of destiny.

Play to your strengths.  Renew your vision, rekindle your hope, and refocus with laser-like focus on the meaningful work that is before you.  In your own world, community, family, relationships, and spirit...  you were born to be a queen or king.  You are impacting the lives of others.  That is certain.

The question is, are you shredding the orcks that jump into your daily firefight to detour you from your quest?  Increase your focus.  Have faith in your future.

DISCIPLINE #2

Jessica Stillman posted an article to Inc. Magazine this week about the mental tricks Olympians leverage to perform their best.

Physical fitness and good health are critical to your long-term prosperity.  Most of us will never invest the tens of thousands of hours to become an Olympic athlete, however all of us can apply the proven visualization techniques great Olympians leverage to achieve more than they have in the past.

Charles Duhigg, the author I recommend for his books The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better..., is quoted by Stillman in her article.  He says:

"Your brain has to decide what deserves attention and what deserves to be ignored, and the way it does it is compare what we expect is going to happen to what's actually going on," Duhigg told Quartz in an interview.  When you've visualized your day before embarking on it, you make it easier for your brain to screen out irrelevant information and catch the important stuff that's going on.

This simple but powerful mental preparation, "...primes our brain to be able to pay attention to the right things," Duhigg says.

Science of Us blogger Melissa Dahl in her write-up of Duhigg's book comments, "Those who keep it together under pressure are storytellers, essentially.  They narrate their own lives to themselves--things that have just happened, things that are about to happen.  They daydream about the day ahead and review the hours that have already passed.

(My summary)  Why daydream?  Visualization trains your brain where to focus and how to ignore the less relevant or less important stuff.  Some scientists call this "mental modeling."

"Duhigg suggests spending your commute imagining your day, envisioning with as much specificity as you can what you expect to happen, step by step.  This way, so the theory goes, when something goes awry, you'll spot it quickly, and you can compare it to the script you already worked out in your head.... That script helps you figure out how everyday interruptions fit into the big picture--which, in turn, helps you figure out what deserves your attention and what can be ignored," Dahl writes.

How true...  Can't we all gain from more easily and QUICKLY discerning what deserves our attention and what must be ignored?

Basically I recommend Discipline #1 helps you gain ground by assessing your past with a proper perspective that gives you a leg up as you climb to the next ledge of your mountain (metaphor).

Then Discipline #2 enables you to focus your time, energy, and interactions to reach that next ledge of the rock wall you are climbing, ledge by ledge, until your reach the top / achieve your destiny.

What holds these two disciplines together? 

DISCIPLINE #3

The third discipline is the third strand of the rope enabling you to climb your mountain:  Habit.  

Develop a new habit, a daily discipline more powerful than your bad habits and temptations of rabbit trails and bad decisions.  

End each day with a reminder of your restoration (Discipline #1) and visualization of your plans (Discipline #2).  Then you are much better equipped to achieve your destiny.

Unless of course you're insane, or totally unrealistic...  but in those situations you need a professional therapist not a leadership coach like me.  :)

Think about the insanity option for a moment.  Hitler instinctively lived these disciplines.  Mao Zedong of China and Joseph Stalin of the USSR did this.  On a more positive note, I suggest Florence Nightingale, Mother Teresa, President George Washington, President Abraham Lincoln, and President Ronald Reagan had these habits too.

You can do this.

Good or bad, you decide. A customer service story.

I am on two weeks of back-to-back business travel.  I fly Southwest Airlines, and in general, love their people and service.

However, even the best-of-the-best can have weak spots in their training and/or policies that cause a bad client experience.

Has that ever happened in your company?

Here is a snapshot of my experience flying Southwest over the past two weeks.  I'm still flying them this week.  Keep score of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

Tuesday, March 8:  I arrive at the airport after facilitating a full-day workshop with an EO group.  I am scheduled to fly from Charlotte, North Carolina to Los Angeles, California through Houston Hobby International Airport.  I am notified via email that my flight from Houston to Los Angeles has been canceled due to weather.

I get in line at the gate to discuss options to get to Los Angeles because I am scheduled to lead three workshops at the XChange Solution Provider event the next day.  The line is moving slow so I call Southwest on my phone while remaining in line. 

After about 10-15 minutes, I reach someone by phone at Southwest Customer Service.  He explains my only option is to fly to Houston that day, spend the night, and then Houston to Los Angeles the following day, arriving just before noon.  My first session is at 1:30 PM so that cuts it kind of tight, but he says it is my only option.  The Southwest guy confirms me on that flight.  There is no added expense.

VOTE on my first Southwest Customer Service Experience: Was the Southwest Customer Service Phone Rep experience Good, Bad, or Ugly?

I still have to fly from Charlotte to Houston.  After I get something to eat there is no longer a line at the customer service desk for my gate.  I go talk with the guy.  He says something like, "Oh, I was looking for you.  You were one of only two people I was not able to confirm an alternative flight for."

This guy is positive, proactive, and respectful even though he has dealt with a lot of complaining people due to flight cancellations because of the weather.

I explained the flight I was given and asked if there were any alternatives.  I was concerned I might not make it to the XChange event on time.  He booked me on a nonstop flight out of Houston at 6 AM to Los Angeles.  He also bumped me up to Business Class boarding at no cost because he saw that I had an Early Bird registration that would no longer be valid.

NOTE:  It turned out the other Southwest Customer Service Rep, the one on the phone, had booked me on a flight that went through another city, but did not tell me.

VOTE on my second Southwest Customer Service Experience:  Did the Southwest Customer Service Rep at my gate in Charlotte provide a Good, Bad, or Ugly experience? 

Do you want to change your vote on the first guy?

The Charlotte experiences are now over.  We don't have to talk about the cheap hotel I stayed at overnight on my own dime because the issue was weather-related.  I do not blame Southwest Airlines for that cost.  Weather problems are not their fault. 

However the way an airline responds to travelers stranded by the weather is their responsibility.   Any airline can look great when there are no problems.  It is how an airline supports its customers when there are problems that define whether or not it is truly a great organization.

The same is true with your company and mine.

Let's move on...

Sunday, March 13:  I am scheduled to fly to Providence, Rhode Island at 11:55 a.m.  My flights leave from Oakland, go to Seattle, then Chicago Midway, and then land in Providence.  Certainly not the best itinerary, but I try to keep airfare costs down for the sake of our clients.

I received an email before 8 AM saying my flights from Seattle to Chicago and Chicago to Providence are canceled due to weather.  Online there are no other flights available that day.  If I cannot fly out, then I miss a day of consulting with one of my favorite clients.

I call Southwest Airlines by phone.  Their system gives me the option to have them call back.  The estimated wait time is 35 minutes.  I decide to stay on the line to make certain I do not miss their call and they do not call while my family is still sleeping.

Two hours and 58 minutes later a Southwest Customer Service Rep answers my phone call. That is not a typo.  I have never waited that long on the phone for anyone.  Nothing close.  It was 2 HOURS and 58 MINUTES!

The woman who answered my call had a British accent and was very nice.  I explained the situation.  She empathized with my situation, but confirmed there were no other flights that day.  I informed her because I could not go to Providence I now needed to go directly from Oakland to New York LaGuardia on Monday, March 14.

She explained their policy was that I could have a free ticket to go Oakland to Providence, but not to New York LaGuardia.  I would now have to spend $200 more for that ticket although the distance is basically the same.

I asked her to appeal to her supervisor.  She did, and was successful.

VOTE on my third Southwest Customer Service Experience:  Did the Southwest Customer Service Rep (phone) provide a Good, Bad, or Ugly experience? 

I did ask her if she could bump me to Business Class because I was B51 and B59 for boarding rather than my "A" status, but she said there was nothing she could do.  Although I do not like this policy and think Southwest should change it, vote on how well she took care of me separate of this issue.

Monday, March 14:  I arrive at the gate for my flight from Oakland to New York LaGuardia at 4:57 AM.  Boarding begins at 5:30 AM.  I get on the flight.  I carry the second-to-last carry-on bag that gets to stay on the plane.  After that all bags are checked.

In Denver I approach a woman at my gate to request that she upgrade me to Business Class because I'm worried I will have to check my bag.  I briefly explained the situation.  She could not care less.  "$40..." was her response without any empathy.  She even grimaced at my request.

Maybe she needs Dave's Charm School...?

VOTE on my fourth Southwest Customer Service Experience:  Did the Southwest Customer Service Rep at my gate in Denver provide a Good, Bad, or Ugly experience? 

And last but not least, to their credit Southwest did reply to an email I sent on Sunday, March 13 complaining about my 2 hour 58 minute wait on hold to speak with one of their customer service people.  They replied promptly on Monday, March 14.

But do not be too quick to judge their response.  Read their response below before you vote:

Dear David,

Thank you for contacting us.  We apologize for this recent, less than ideal travel experience with Southwest Airlines on March 13, and we welcome the opportunity to respond.

I apologize that Flight #4552 was one of many flights that were cancelled due to the inclement weather in Chicago. Clear conditions would always be our choice for the sake of Customer goodwill and the cost to our operation when irregular operations ensue. When there is widespread, severe weather, the positioning of our aircraft and Crews across the country are affected, which causes additional challenges.

When a Customer wants to talk to us, we want to listen.  We sincerely apologize that our hold times were long or if you received a busy signal when attempting to speak with an Agent by phone.  We do everything possible to staff accordingly, and it seems that you attempted to contact us by phone when our call queue reached the limit.  I am very sorry for your frustration, which is the last thing we want for one of our Customers to experience. Please know I have documented your feedback for our Senior Leaders via our monthly summary.

I am glad to see our Customer Service Representative made a one-time exception and reaccommodated you to New York today, March 14, at no additional cost. That said, we understand that irregular operations can be a frustrating experience, and we regret that you were unable to take advantage of the original boarding position associated with your EarlyBird Check-In purchase. I have requested a refund of $12.50 for the EarlyBird Check-In fee, which will be processed to the original form of payment within ten business days.

Clearly, you were disappointed with our service.  We want to assure you that the overwhelming majority of our Customers depart our aircraft looking forward to their next Southwest flight.  We hope that this experience has not permanently changed your feelings about Southwest Airlines.  Please come fly with us again soon.  We are confident that more favorable circumstances will prevail.

Sincerely,

...

VOTE on my fifth Southwest Customer Service Experience:  Did the Southwest Customer Service Rep who emailed me provide a Good, Bad, or Ugly experience? 

My perception is this response is a series of copy-and-paste paragraphs of sample text to respond to customer complaints.  It is too long.  It lacks sincerity and honest empathy.  It could be grammatically better.  It basically tells me to "go pound rocks" and they do not care that I waited 2 HOURS and 58 MINUTES to speak with one of their customer service reps.

You can probably tell I am disappointed.  I expect more from Southwest.

Please understand, I do not expect Southwest Airlines or any other organization including my own to be perfect (flawless).  We are not.  They are not.  I could complain about other things at Southwest, but I appreciate the experience they try to deliver.

However all of us must be aware that as our companies grow, maintaining a positive, effective, and efficient company culture is ongoing work.  I hope that Southwest Airlines catches these errors and works with these employees to better represent the spirit their airline stands for.

As leaders, we must do the same daily in our organizations.

By the way, just in case it is not clear, I still believe in Southwest Airlines and continue to fly them whenever possible.

P.S.  Another thing to keep in mind is that even a great company like Southwest Airlines makes mistakes.  Do not get too bent out of shape when you and/or your people have an "oops" moment.  It happens.  Keep practicing.  Stay in the game.  Keep building on your strengths.  There are more points to score and competitions to win.

We have to change to stay ahead of the game and grow.  I help leaders become better.  We work on leadership skills and systems to hire, manage, develop, and retain top performers, plus company culture, sales management, and strategic marketing.  Contact us if you, other leaders you know, and/or your company wants to improve.

One reason your culture is weak

You design.  You build.  You maintain.  Virtually everything you do to own a home relates to one of these activities.

Your company culture is similar.  You have a design, or inspiration.  You build, or define it.  Then you maintain it so your culture can inspire and manage the growth of your organization.

But you may have a problem, or many problems.

1. Your company culture is NOT clearly defined.
2. You have a mission statement, which is WHY you are in business;  a vision statement which is WHERE you are growing or growing as an organization;  and a set of values, which is HOW you do business...  but nobody, including yourself remembers what they are.

How can you make decisions based on your mission, vision, and values when you do not know them?  If you as a leader in your organization are not making decisions based on these company culture cornerstones, then how can you expect your employees to do so?

The strategic problem is typically your mission, vision and values:

• Do not exist
• Are too vague
• Are too long
• Are too generic

How many cornerstones are required to properly construct a building? Four.

How many company culture cornerstones do you have in your organization after you have defined your mission, vision, and values? Three.

What are you missing? Another strategic problem you have is your company is missing the fourth cornerstone, which is the most important of all:  Accountability. 

Your company culture cannot be consistent with out this critical fourth cornerstone of accountability.  This is true even if you have the most inspiring mission, vision and/or values.

The concept of four company culture cornerstones is something I developed back in 2003.

The key tactical issues you have are that:

1. You are not a role model for your company culture.
2. When explaining a decision, you do not relate your answer to your company culture cornerstones.
3. When asked for a decision, you do not ask the person what they think the decision should be based on your company culture cornerstones.
4. During your monthly team meetings, you do not require each individual to explain at least one instance of how they have demonstrated your company culture cornerstones.
5. You do not provide written feedback on how well each employee is demonstrating your company culture cornerstones in your annual performance reviews.

Every month I am working with our Clients to define unique company culture cornerstones that reinforce their core beliefs, and engage each employee individually to do their best.

Over the past 10 years, internally we have streamlined our values from 10 values, to seven values, to what we have now, which is four values.  We have done a major change to our mission and vision once.

Here is where we are today.  I work very hard to try to confirm every decision I make is based on these company culture cornerstones.  I encourage my people to do the same.

MISSION

No "Bad Bosses"

VISION

We are the best leadership investment our Clients ever make.

VALUES

Systematic Power

We achieve clear, measurable goals with fanatic discipline.

We pilot ideas with empirical creativity. 

We constantly plan for the future with productive paranoia. 

We follow-up and follow-through.

We grow without debt.

Meaningful Work

We work for the glory of God and/or a cause greater than ourselves. 

We do work that is personally fulfilling.

We make decisions based on facts rather than emotions.

We treat everyone with honor, respect and dignity.

We always leave something better than it was before.

Sincere Gratitude

We are thankful for what we have. 

We regularly remind each team member why we value them in ways they prefer. 

We balance our personal and professional lives. 

We are humble. 

We have fun. 

Good Character

We always act and speak honesty.

We produce excellence, not "good" or "above average."

We say "no" or "not yet" to stay focused.

We demonstrate tenacity rather than persistence.

We "practice what we preach."

Our new values are short, concise, and easy to memorize.  I know our top level values, plus our mission and vision by heart.  Have you memorized yours?  How many different answers would you get if your people were asked to explain the core values of your organization?

If you want a stronger company culture, then start with the cornerstones of your organization.  Cultures win when competing to hire top talent or win new business.  Your culture is the only aspect of your organization that cannot be copied or stolen.  Make it a priority before it's too late.

Stealing or not? The nuances of integrity

It was the evening of February 13, Valentine's Day Eve.  A friend of mine drove to Safeway to purchase four Valentine's Day cards and Starbucks gift cards.  The total cost was about $60.

Because my friend also purchased some produce, they put the gift and greeting cards in the child's seat area of the shopping cart.  However, when loading everything into their car they forgot the gift and greeting cards.

$60 gone.  Major bummer.  They called the store the next day and asked if anything had been turned in.  Nope, nothing. Don't worry, I'll relate this anecdote to your business. Just a few thoughts:

Based on the evidence there is only one high probability scenario that could have occurred:

1. The wind blew so hard that the greeting and gift cards blew from the cart and were discarded as litter.  (Low probability)
2. Someone found the greeting and gift cards in the cart, and thought it was a store promotion.  They felt the love of Valentine's and kept them for themselves.  (Low probability, except in the Land of the Tiny Brained Folk)
3. Someone found the greeting and gift cards in the cart, and turn them in to the Lost and Found at the store.  A store employee kept them for themselves.  (Low-medium probability)
4. Someone found the greeting and gift cards in the cart, and kept them for themselves.  (High probability)

Therefore the odds are high that someone found the greeting and gift cards in the cart, and said something like, "Score!"  Then they kept the bounty for themselves.  Finders keepers, losers weepers, right?  Or, "If they are so stupid as to leave them in the cart, then it's their tough luck."  Or some other judgment of their foolishness to justify retaining the prize for themselves.  Another option is a store employee took them, which is clearly stealing.

Let's assume it was a random stranger, were they stealing by keeping these $60 worth of stuff for themselves? Stay with me now.

Let's flip it around.  Say you are the person who left a cart with $60 worth of stuff in it.  Someone found it, perhaps a stranger, or maybe a store employee. 

What do you want the person who finds it to do with your stuff?

If they do not turn it into the Lost and Found at the store, then are they stealing from you? Just for fun, pose these scenarios to others and see how they respond.

Based on my life experience, here are the options for someone with integrity:

1. If you keep something that does not belong to you without trying to find its rightful owner, then I was raised to believe that is stealing.  Another way to look at it is based on The Golden Rule, where we ALWAYS treat others the way we want to be treated.
2. You take the $60 worth of stuff you found and bring it into the store.  You ask for a store manager and explain the situation.  My expectation is there is a possibility they can track who purchased it if the customer is a member of the Safeway Club.  You leave the merchandise there and wish them a Happy Valentine's Day.  You trust Safeway employees to be honest.

Let me tell you a story from decades ago that taught me a different perspective should I be faced with this type of scenario, which I have been at times.

My grandfather on my mother's side, Chester MacPhee (Grandpa), took the entire family to Hawaii one-year.  All told there were about 30 of us.  One of the places we stayed was the Mauna Kea Resort on the big Island of Hawaii.  During our stay one of my young adult cousins found a diamond ring in the sand while sunbathing on the beach.

She asked Grandpa what to do about it.  My grandfather had served for 12 years on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and been in charge of customs for the federal government in the San Francisco Bay Area.  His perspective on things that were lost and then found was interesting.

Particularly due to the value of the diamond ring, he advised my cousin to notify the hotel that she had found a diamond ring on the beach, but not give them the ring.  She left her contact information and informed them that anyone who had lost a diamond ring on the beach prior to our stay may contact her.  If they could correctly describe the ring, then she would give it to them.

Why take this approach?

Grandpa's experience was that employees and other people with access to a Lost and Found take items for themselves.  Sometimes this is immediately, and in other instances it is after a reasonable period of time has passed.  Either way, his opinion was the person who found the lost item should have the first opportunity to own it if it is not claimed within a reasonable period of time.  That is only fair because they found it, and were honest enough to notify the proper people of their discovery.

I am NOT recommending this approach every time you find something that someone has lost.  However, it is a consideration depending on the value of the item, the urgency of its return, and possibly other considerations.

I hope you appreciate this advice, it is something I will always remember.  Of course, to follow it your heart must be in the right place.  You must sincerely be willing to return the item to its rightful owner, either by turning it into a Lost & Found or if they step forth and describe it to you.

Finally, this is a good scenario to discuss with your employees.  How does this relate to your company values and how you want them to behave when no one is looking?

One way to discuss this with your team is to explain and discuss my real-life situations above, then give them scenarios that are more challenging in their work environment.  For instance:

1. You find a wallet with $324 in it, but no identification.  What should you do?
2. You find a pair of $100 sunglasses in the parking lot of our offices.  You cannot think of anyone in our company that wears those type of sunglasses.  They look awesome on you.  What should you do?
3. You find five $20 bills wrapped together on the floor in the cafeteria.  You are short of cash.  Is this a miracle or gift from God?  What should you do?
4. You find a brand-new 128GB iPad in the box on the ground in your parking lot.  You have dreamed of one, or at least can easily think of how you would enjoy it.  What should you do?
5. You find a really nice pen laying on the floor in the hallway of your office.  It's actually a type of pen that you would really like to use yourself.  What should you do?

The list can go on.  At some point change the conversation to where your people are finding things at a client's site.  How do you want them to behave there?

It may shock you, but integrity is a soft skill that affects every decision your employees make.  Without a common agreement on how to behave with integrity, many companies fail.  An example I always bring up is Enron.

This is why Dave's Charm School includes a course on Character Counts.  Salesforce says 77% of employers say soft skills are just as important as hard (technical) skills.  But most I.T. / managed service providers we meet do NOT teach soft skills.

We have to change to stay ahead of the game and grow.  I help leaders become better.  We work on leadership skills and systems to hire, manage, develop, and retain top performers, plus company culture, sales management, and strategic marketing.  Contact us if you, other leaders you know, and/or your company wants to improve.

Do your people know what makes your company different?

In strong company cultures leaders are role models who are not just instinctive about their company culture cornerstones, but students of it.

While the political wheels of an election year are turning, take a minute to answer these three questions about an entity that everyone has heard of: the United States of America.

1.  How many stars are in the American flag, and why were stars chosen?

There are 50 stars, representing the 50 states.  From a book about the flag published in 1977 by the House of Representatives.

The star is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial...

2.  How many stripes are there in the American flag, and why were stripes chosen as part of the design?

There are 13 stripes, representing the original 13 colonies that declared independence from Great Britain.  That same book about the flag published in 1977 by the House of Representatives explains...

... the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun.

3.  What do the colors, red, white and blue in the American flag stand for?

White signifies purity and innocence;  Red, hardiness & valour;  and Blue, signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice.*

*These colors were actually defined in the design of America's Great Seal and then applied to our flag.  Learn more at U.S. Flag.

I have known the answers to #1 and #2 above since childhood, but I do not remember ever being taught the significance of the colors in America's Great Seal and flag. Consider the depth of character that was communicated, taught, and reinforced in this symbol of culture.

Where would America be today if every LEADER was a role model for these aspects of our cultural cornerstones that were the foundation of our nation? Similarly, it is the parents (leaders) of a family that determine its destiny, fate, and legacy.

When it comes to your company, do your people REALLY KNOW what makes your company different? Do they feel it in their heart?

If they do, how do you build upon that daily and weekly? If they do not, then procrastination about improving employee engagement is failure. You lose.  Your people lose (and their families).  Your clients lose.

Yet it does not have to be this way.

If you have a strong company culture, do not let up.  Continue to invest your time to learn and apply additional ways to improve it even more by playing to your strengths.

If your company culture is weaker than you would like, then do something about it.  2015 is gone.  So are they years before it.  You have a limited number of years ahead in your career.

Do it now.

We have to change to stay ahead of the game and grow.  I help leaders become better.  We work on leadership skills and systems to hire, manage, develop, and retain top performers, plus company culture, sales management, and strategic marketing.  Contact us if you, other leaders you know, and/or your company wants to improve.

How to avoid complete failure

Are you running like the hare, but succeeding at the pace of a tortoise (fable)?  Or is it worse, you actually are failing in some key areas?  Or you have one or more employees that are...

A few weeks ago I had a prospective client text me that his life was a mess.  His business was so challenged that he was having to pull all-nighters to keep up.  There were employee issues, financial challenges, and stress levels at new highs.  In addition to these pressures, his personal life was under fire because of the ongoing bad habits he had as a leader.

He was tired.  Depressed.  He felt like a failure and wanted to quit.

I texted back:  Failure is a choice, not an event.  If you are ready to do the work, we can get through this.

"Failure is a choice, not an event" was given to me by that soft voice who often advises and encourages me, and I need to listen to more consistently.  I checked online to see if someone else had already given this advice, and could not find anything.

Zig Ziglar is known for saying something different yet similar:  "Failing is an event, not a person.  Yesterday ended last night."  I like that.

One fact for you to consider this morning is:  Failure is inevitable.  What is under your control is the frequency and the magnitude of your mistakes, and whether they ultimately descend into complete failure versus a momentary lapse that you can quickly recover from.

You chose to be a leader.  Failures, whether they be yours or the result of someone else's decisions and actions, are an opportunity for you to demonstrate the quality of your leadership.  It is a blessed opportunity to positively impact the world around you.  Failure is not a calling to quit, but a challenge to lead.  So do it.

Failure is a choice, not an event. 

Yes, there are times when you have to stop doing something, kill a project, close a business, fire an employee, or end something else.  That ocean wave may have pounded you into the sand for a moment, but your legacy as a leader depends on how wisely you return to the surface and successfully navigate your way past the crest of the next crashing wave, and the next one, and the next one...

When we have something going well, then you want it to grow.  So feed it.  When the opposite occurs and something unhealthy is happening, then do not be a sluggard.  The sluggard avoids making hard decisions according to Dr. Henry Cloud.  When you, your advisors, and/or your team members are convinced something is failing, then do the opposite of what you would do to grow something.  Starve or kill it.  Quickly.

If you are tired and a situation or relationship is clearly not working, then be a leader.  Seek counsel.  Deeply consider the advice of your team.  Make the hard decision.  Learn from it.  And then move on, applying what you learn so that you may achieve more than ever before.

You can do it.

We have to change to stay ahead of the game and grow.