Way More Than Plastics

The Pounding Surf of Disappointment....by Jeff Kaczperski

I’ve seen and been a part of disappointment recently.  And it's much more than the “I’m-so-disappointed-that-I-missed-the-party-last-night” type of disappointment.   To be sure, disappointment has no comfort in it.   Like a rugged surf, it steadily pounds away at the heart and mind.  Left unchecked, it will reduce you, pull you back, leaving you timid and not wanting to venture out again. But it doesn’t have to result in this.  Give disappointment the space it requires but no more than what is helpful.  And yes, it can be helpful.  Within that rugged surf of disappointment are the sands of truth, perseverance, and understanding... all working to shape us in a way that only it can.   That surf will subside, and those waters will calm.  And left behind will be a smarter and better you.

People Do Business With People...by Jeff Kaczperski

No matter what business you are in, be sure that people remain center stage.  The perfectly designed process doesn’t matter if the people aren’t following it.  Your proven strategy is lost if no one trusts you.  Your data and spreadsheet will build a case, but it won’t get the deal or idea moving unless it is delivered in a way that resonates with the client. 

Along with reason, customers & colleagues have emotions… which are powerful.  This is easily confirmed by watching how a good story teller influences a listener.  Critical thinking is surely needed, but it is not a solo act; it must always be accompanied by an understanding and care for people.  Remember, people do business with people.

Anger: A Luxury In Leadership...by Jeff Kaczperski

My teenage son recently told me he may have locked my keys in the car. Of course, this was only minutes after my parting words to him were "be sure to bring the keys back".  My first reaction was an internal surge of anger around my inconvenience and his irresponsibility; that surge pushed hard  to transform itself into words that I could “share” with him.  I restrained from saying anything as he ran off to the car to look for the keys.  Fortunately, the keys were not locked in, he apologized sincerely, and there was no inconvenience to our day (let's skip the responsibility part for right now!).  The incident reminded me of some valuable business advice given to me: "You don't have the luxury of losing you cool". 

 Wait a minute...did you say a luxury?  Luxury implies choice or preference.  But anger is hard-wired, unstoppable, inevitable.  Got it...you will get angry...no choice.  But you can choose how to deal with it when it arrives.  This is an important choice in leadership.   Anger hides ideas, narrows perspectives, and limits options.  The idea of leading and serving others goes out the window because anger is, almost exclusively, about you.  And why would I follow you if you are not thinking about me?  People will give you a break for that rare outburst, but if you make that choice too often your influence is greatly reduced.  So the question is whether you really believe that you can make a choice on how to deal with anger (and reap the benefits of that) or whether you want to go down the road of “I’m just wired up that way”.  Your choice.  I know what choice I’m going to make…even when my son goes from lost keys to dented fenders.

Get By With a Little Help From My Friends...by Jeff Kaczperski

I know of this person who is going through a difficult situation yet he does nothing to reach out for help. Pride, independence,...whatever...is not on his side. We all need help to be successful in life's activities.  There is not one successful person who "did it on their own".  Success is always connected to others...the customer who gave you a try, the partner that covers your weakness, or maybe the encouragement from a friend.  Humble and thankful should be our attitude if we are seeing things clearly.  So don't let those internal voices stop you from reaching out, asking for help, opening up, learning.  History has revealed to us that success involves others.

The Information Gap...by Jeff Kaczperski

In the absence of information, people will fill in the gaps on their own.  Decisions are made and actions taken based on bias, perception, and “gut feel” even when there is a void of understanding.    Like a soccer mom who, knowing little about the rules of the game, complains loudly how awful the referee is; she draws primarily from her emotions to conclude and vocalize that the call on young Johnny was horrible.  The same can be said of the coworker asked to implement part of a business improvement but knows nothing of the “why” or the “how” of that improvement….do not be surprised if you get little more than a tepid interest.  If you are a leader, be persistent in your effort to inform people.  If you are not a leader, take responsibility and ask questions to get that understanding.  People who know what is going on will begin thinking…and then acting…in ways that are helpful or productive.  We underestimate the power of The Information Gap…it destroys any hope of excelling. 

Do You Know My Time is Valuable?...by Jeff Kaczperski

As business people, we need to be improving our ability to help clients meet their schedules…which are tighter and shorter.  Whether you are in accounting, real estate, manufacturing, or whatever, the precious commodity of time continues to rise in value.   As your customer, help me get there smoother and more efficiently.  I’m overworked and under-resourced.  Make it convenient for me.  Please don’t make me wait in this line or repeat information or listen to your average canned sales pitch.  I’m nice and I understand, but I’m ready to buy from someone else the minute they offer a way for me to save time. And if you can't do that, your only opportunity with me is to create a positive memorable experience.  Not easy but reality.

 

Attitude Matters...by Jeff Kaczperski

I have heard for years, and believe, that a person’s attitude directly impacts their satisfaction and success in life.  There are endless books, seminars, and speeches on the subject.  But the importance of attitude was best stated by Gordon Smith, a SERE Instructor.  SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) is a U.S. military training program teaching survival skills and how to evade capture.  Most of its students are aircrew and Special Forces…soldiers that could see serious trouble if things go bad.  Gordon stated, “If you have a guy with all the survival training in the world who has a negative attitude and a guy who doesn’t have a clue but has a positive attitude, I guarantee you that the one with the positive attitude is coming out of the woods alive”.   A pretty powerful statement coming from a guy teaching others about life and death situations.    The same applies to you, your team, and your business.

#1 Characteristic of Successful Leadership...by Jeff Kaczperski

Do you know the #1 characteristic associated with successful leadership?  Time and time again, integrity shows up at the top of the charts.  Why?  Most people will not buy into or buy from those that they don't trust or respect.  So, if your think there is some benefit in shorting your customer or your boss or your employee or your spouse or your kids...think twice.  We can read you like a book....and we won’t follow you or buy from you if we can avoid it.  And yes, integrity will, at some point in time, cost you…maybe even a lot.  But take comfort:  your short term "loss" has a long term gain.  And your “loss” is only a “loss” if you can somehow define success absent of integrity (good luck with that).  So take courage and go do the right thing today.

Teamwork and the Lizard Brain...by Jeff Kaczperski

More studies are showing that collaboration and teamwork are linked to better business performance. It’s nice that data is emerging to validate this idea, but I doubt there is any revelation here...ever since we were little kids, the constant message of working together is preached at dinner tables, sporting events, and in classrooms.  And then there are the volumes of books and seminars on the subject. So why do we accept such low levels of teamwork in our professional lives?  Isn’t there more at stake at work than there is at a Little League game? 

 

And maybe that just it.  Teamwork is risky; it’s dangerous.  It requires interaction, vulnerability, exposure to failure or criticism, peer accountability….sounds a bit uncomfortable! 

Maybe it’s just safer (a.k.a. better) to stay low, don’t engage, play the role…avoid the risks.   Don’t do it! Don't let your lizard brain take over.  If you don’t know about the Lizard Brain, you need to check out this video or this brief article.

 

So quiet the lizard brain, get out there and be a better team player.  And yes that means you will sometimes have to bend a little or voice your opinion or change your behavior or step into a difficult conversation or help some through their mistakes or expose your own mistakes. But it is worth it. It scores runs…for everyone…and it's better than Little League.

 

And........We're Back

After an end-of-summer hiatus, we are back in the blogoshpere.  We hope your summer ended in a positive, memorable manner.  

We are re-posting Jeff's original post from nearly a year ago now - October, 2009.  Just a reminder of why we blog...

 

 

Learning...by Jeff Kaczperski

 

Today’s fact becomes tomorrow’s misinformation

   -Alvin Toffler (business writer and futurist)

 

A leading expert on education in America delivered a message to teachers:  Information is now becoming obsolete every 5 years.  He went on to explain how that fact should change the lesson plans of our educators.  Think how this changes our workplace.  If what you know today becomes less valuable within a few short years, then your ability learn and quickly apply that learning becomes more valuable.  The difficulty in this is that human nature has a gravitational pull towards security and routine.  This fact was highlighted as I sat around a table of small business leaders who stated it was hard to find time to even read one book in a year.  Whether it is a book, a video, an article, a seminar, or a supplier meeting…we need to be continually learning if we are to be relevant in the marketplace.

 

The goal of our blog is to share what we are learning as it relates to life, business, people, and sometimes plastics.  We hope you'll come along for the ride.