I was thinking this morning about my business goals. It’s easy to say you want to make “x” amount of money or accumulate “y” number of new clients in the next quarter. However, many times there’s more behind those things than meets the eye. A person’s goal motives are found in the motivation for those statements.
Archive for Leadership
Leadership Lessons from Swimming
Since my oldest daughter Halee has become active in competitive swimming, I’ve taken an interest myself. Of course you won’t see my gliding through the water in my Speedo, but, I have been doing a considerable amount of research on the sport. I may be able to teach her younger sister (Ruthie) how to throw a ball or hold a bat, but I know nothing about swimming other than that the graceful stroke of a swimmer takes work and isn’t as easy as it looks. Though most of my research has been on the different strokes themselves and techniques for swimming, I’ve come to learn a lot about the “sport” itself.
What Is It About 15 Minutes?
I was talking with a friend yesterday when the subject came up of how people measure time. I’m not talking about how long a second or minute is. What I mean is how perception correlates with certain incremental time values. We came to the conclusion that 15 minutes is a major time value. What is it about 15 Minutes?
- Waiting in the doctor’s exam room. - A 5 or 10 minute wait is fine but once 15 minutes is reached, your temperature boils and you feel devalued and mistreated as a patient.
Don’t Do Nothing
I’ll take today to refer you to some words from Seth Godin about what companies should do in the tough economic times. It may seem safe to do nothing in slow economic times but the organizations that grow will try something new and triumph over those who do nothing. Making their seemingly safe stall cause them to lose in the end.
Do something. Anything. But don’t just try to wait it out and do nothing!
JC
Down Goes Starbucks 2
I’ve had a ton of people contacting me about last weeks post, Down Goes Starbucks. So, I thought I’d expand a bit on some of the conversation I’ve been having with people about it.
Starbucks has lost site of what they are selling. People do not show up to buy a $5 cup of coffee. They became loyal to a $1.50 cup of coffee in a value pack with a $20 experience for the low price of $5. When they buy the pack, they just associate it with the cup of coffee. The coffee is great but not the real reason the company took off so fast. There are other places that make great coffee. Starbucks thought people loved the coffee so found a more efficient way to focus on getting more coffee into more hands when in the very process they eliminated the reason people bought it. This is a mistake that’s easy to make in any organization.
For instance take many of the large churches that have sprung up in around the country in the last 15 years or so. They coupled an awesome, eye and attention grabbing worship service with a great spoken message and a plethora of activities members could get involved in. They grow and ad other locations or worship times. Next thing you know, they have members that are extremely diversified and the only thing they absolutely have in common is the spoken message they hear. So, that becomes the only common ground it’s members are sure to share. The speaker is the coffee. Great but not the only great speaker out there. Next thing you know, though, the organization is finding a more efficient way to get that speaker into the hands of as many people as possible. This means cutting some of the intangible things that created the community that really drew the people in the first place.
The organization begins to plateau as the arrival of newcomers slows and only the nostalgic remain to fantasize about the days past. They are lucky enough to have made relationships when community was a huge focus. Whereas those newcomers rarely stick due to lack of programs and activities to help them plug in.
What are your customers really buying? Is it your product, service, relationship, atmosphere, memories created, or some other intangible. Focus on that, even if it’s not what they talk about, it may be that which can’t be measured that’s truly bringing them in.
JC
Go Home – That’s An Order
Why do so many people choose to work so many hours rather than head home to be with the ones they love? Even if someones answer has something to do with how much they love their job or how honorable their profession is, it began with an insecurity one day. The insecurity that I am talking about is the one created when an employee is loaded consistently with more than can be completed without robbing precious time from their family.
I lived in that world once. I was working for a great organization with a chance to directly impact lives every day with the work I was doing. I believe there is a scene in the movie that describes how I felt about that job. It’s the one in the movie Major League where the big dumb catcher stops his team mates in the middle of an argument and complaining about the team and says something to the effect of how lucky they are to get to play a game for a living. They were getting payed to play ball and that should be a dream come true. Well, that’s how I felt. I was getting paid to play ball and it was a dream come true. That dream soon became a nightmare due to one thing… TIME.
I was consistently required to be at events in the evenings and was unable to make up the time during the day due to other work responsibilities needing to be done. I found myself working a full week and rarely able to take Friday (my day off) solely as family time. I put in every Saturday afternoon and evening as well as Sunday morning thru mid afternoon. Don’t forget Wednesday nights and those were just the every week things. Ad in the “special occasions” that seemed to come up every week, and I was spending way too much time at work. Leadership with the organization would say things like “go home, make sure you spend time with your family”. However, what was communicated or heard by employees was – go home and work late when your family is in bed so you’ll be exhausted tomorrow because if you don’t hit that deadline, it’s not OK even though it’s impossible to hit that deadline without robbing your family of that time. Oh and, for the record… I did say it was OK to go home and not worry about it. Weather I meant it or not.
This is where it is my goal to be different. I believe it is my job, as an employer, to make sure my team knows it’s not only OK to go home and finish work later, but it’s an order. Just let me know if you can’t keep caught up in the agreed upon work time and we’re good. This will never be a problem if you’re here working hard when you’re supposed to be at work. If you’re working when supposed to be at home… you might hear me say. Go home – that’s an order.
I believe that this will allow my team to have stronger relationships with friends and family and thus increasing their joy, loyalty, and productivity at work. It IS the responsibility of the employer. Regardless of what’s said verbally, if your team feels pressure to steal time from their family to work… their leader is communicating the wrong thing some how.
Does your team feel that pressure? Or do they feel it’s OK to let something at work wait until tomorrow? Really. Be honest with yourself.
JC
I’ll Call You Back Tomorrow
I’ve got a friend who is a very successful real estate agent in the Edmond OK area. His name is Ryan Hukill and he sends a statement to everyone who calls on him. If you were to call Ryan and he was unable to answer your call on one of the first couple of rings, you would hear what seems to be a very standard voicemail message with his voice. However, finishing off his message he mentions out of respect for his family, any calls after 7pm will not be returned until the following day.
Ryan is a great guy and very humble. I’m sure he would tell you he’s not perfect and has his struggles with balancing his family with his professional responsibilities. Ryan making a bold statement to everyone around him most importantly his wife and kids. When Ryan’s phone rings, there’s no doubt in their mind where they stand in relation to dad’s work. He spends time working for them rather than spending time with instead of them.
Sure there may be hurried client that is inconvenienced by his decision, but Ryan has decided that is much better than cheating more time out of his wife and children that loan him to his clients enough as it is.
Ryan, you are an inspiration and I applaud your making this statement. I’m sure your family appreciates it too.
BTW… I’m changing my voicemail message today. Will you?
JC
Cheater
I’m smack dab in the middle of a great book. Choosing to Cheat by Andy Stanley. This book is really making me look at the way I spend my time. You see, the book is based on the principle that all of us cheat. We have to. There are not enough hours in the day or enough energy drinks in the world to allow us to give all that our work needs, as well as all that our families need. So, we cheat. We cheat one out of that time and focus to complete the other. Most of us end up cheating our families to give more to our employers. I know I have.
Many times I’ve come home physically exhausted or mentally drained and give a sighing “not today” to my girls when they come and excitedly ask me to bounce them high on the trampoline, to do a puzzle with them, or their favorite – to have fight night where we wrestle and my girls rain down elbows, Thai kicks, and elbows to my sore body. My wife has also shared her heart in a spirit of love, not complaining, about wishing I could “turn off” my work when the day is done. She worries about my stressing over things left undone or sleepless nights spent improving job related strategies for a client.
I think the first step changing this scenario is this. Think of your kids getting ready for school this morning. What things were done or said that got their day off on the right foot? Did you make memories with them this morning? Now, think of your spouse and the conversation you had before going your separate ways today. What things are they doing today? Do they know without a doubt that you value them more than the accolades or rewards you will receive from your work today?
Now for step two. If the first step struck you, it’s time to make a decision today. Right now you need to decide if tomorrow will resemble this morning. Will your spouse feel that he/she is taking a back seat to the “attaboys” or promotion possibilities? If not, I need you to take the rest of today and notice the times your family is made to feel inferior. See the wind fall out of your daughter’s sails when you tell her you don’t have time to do a puzzle with her. Let it make you mad. Absolutely become furious and vow to do something about it.
Coming up this week, I’d like to share about someone I’ve found who is doing it right and some things for employers to remember and where they fall into this scenario.
What are the ways you’ve seen yourself cheating your family for your career? What have you done about it?
JC
Plans for a Future
With the economic situation seeming to loom over us like a huge dark cloud, it’s understandable how so many people can wonder what God could possibly have in store for them. I know if you’re someone who has lost his/her job, or who’s business is struggling to hang on, you may feel like giving up. You May feel like things will not get better and you were left out of whatever “plan” everyone is telling you that God has.
Take comfort in this. God’s very own words.
Jeremiah 29:11-14 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes”… -NLT
I made a move to begin my own business as a marketing coach and web marketing specialist at the beginning of this year. I was previously making a good income working as a New Media Specialist for a large yellow page publisher. I know some may say it was a crazy move, however, I’m confident that God can and will honor my faith in Him as well as my business practices. I won’t say that I don’t get nervous (I’m human), and I can tell you that some days seem brighter than others. However, I know that once the curve that is and always has been our economic culture turns back up, it will be good to be moving and surviving already rather than trying to get in the game. I have a great future ahead of me. God says so.
So, now that we know that God loves us and has a plan for us. We also know we’re not alone, we are all impacted by our economic climate in some way or another. So, do we just sit patiently and let His plan play out? Not a chance! God gives us specific instruction not to just sit waiting for Him to bail us out of our financial situation. What should you do? I’ll give you a hint. Proverbs chapter 6. We’ll discuss that in depth tomorrow.
What are you dealing with?
JC
Speed vs. Quickness
Speed is how fast or how much momentum you and your team or organization can gain in a certain direction or project. The higher your top speed, the harder it is for your competition to get in your way and slow you down.
Quickness is the ability of you or your organization to change direction and get to top speed of a different angle or on a project.
Too many times will I meet people who’ve confused the two as being the same thing. Many people and their organizations will focus on the speed of where they are heading and can’t change direction when the market or their environment calls for it. Or, the person may be so over focused on being able to change things and react quickly, that they have great quickness but their top speed is so weak that they can’t stay ahead of the curve for long.
The key is to have both. Give both things equal attention. You need both specialties on your team. You should have certain team members who have a top speed that is unrivaled and others who can help change direction with quickness that makes those changes in a heart beat. When you’re team has both, you’ll be able to gain and hold the lead in your field, no matter what changes your market throws at you.
Do you have both?
JC
