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.

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. 

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.

The Depths of Leadership...by Chris Buch

Often leadership, in any setting, is looked upon to recognize challenges, confront realities however harsh, and strategically move the organzation forward.  Even if all internal functions are humming in harmonious rhythm (not typically the case), there are always external realities threatening to disrupt. It's a constant monitoring process. 

Knowing this, it's easy to get myopic in our perspectives as leaders.  The constant drive to position, strategize, alter, plan, set standards, and improve can lead to an unhealthy view of our own organizations.  "Change" or "improvement" always means that there is something that isn't quite cutting it.  No matter how we spin it to the positive, there's a negative flip side.  Being immersed in this modus operandi on a daily basis is one of the great challenges of leadership and, I would venture to say, leads to burnout faster than anything else. 

As Sales Director, I get the frequent opportunity to go out and talk about the value that my organization brings.  I get to see the positive reactions from prospective clients.  I get the pats on the back from current clients.  I get to surface from the depths of the "leadership-drive-to-improvement" and bask in the goodness of right now.  Is leadership getting a little wearisome?  Come to the surface now and then.  Take a minute and remind yourself what's great about your organization  - it'll do you good.         

#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.

Soccer or Circus?...by Chris Buch

I'm really trying to get into the World Cup.  Soccer (Futbol, Football, whatever) is not really my thing. I've spent the last decade or so listening to the pundits talk about how sports fans in the US can't grasp the great intricacies of soccer or that we don't appreciate the strategic nature of the game itself or that our attention spans are too short for so lengthy a game.  So, I thought I'd give it a crack.  After all, surely the World Cup will pull out all the stops to appeal to me: the 18-to-49, male, US sports fan.  We are one of the most sought after demographics on the planet.  I have made my attempt with great optimism, but I have to tell you, it's been disappointing at best - not because of the game itself, but because of the unnecessary goofiness that surrounds it.  For instance:

1.  Reports that the ball is no good.  Really?  Isn't soccer being played professionally somewhere in the world at any given time?  From a novice "outsider" perspective, it seems like the parameters for the one piece of equipment necessary to play the game should be pretty solid by now. 

2.  Worse officiating than figure skating.  This article kind of sums it all up.

3.  World class athletes taking a dive.  Tons of camera angles and slow motion replays are showing the world just how ridiculous these guys are.  Sometimes they don't even get touched and they go down flailing like they were gored by a bull.  Often, the opposition gets the dreaded yellow or red card because of it.  I don't get it.  Even hardcore soccer fans despise this aspect of the game.

It seems like FIFA has fallen into the trap of "it's how we've always done it".  Instant replay?  Not for soccer.  Standardized ball?  Not for soccer.  Penalties/suspensions for dives?  Not for soccer.  They limit their chance to gain unprecedented popularity by refusing to change. 

It's a good lesson - how often do we limit our opportunities because we're complacent?  If you start asking "why?" and the answer comes back "it's how we've always done it", you may be your own limiting factor to success.

I'm sure I'll make another attempt in four years when the next World Cup rolls around again.  Maybe something will have changed...

 

Good or Great? Part II...by Chris Buch

A few weeks ago Jeff posted some thoughts about the differences between good and great performances.  I thought you might enjoy a similar but slightly different take from Seth Godin - you can find it here.   A good portion of greatness comes in doing those things that others won't do.  The extra 1-hit-out-of-25 that Jeff references comes about through diligent practice, hard work, and intense focus.  It's not accidental.

Greatness is not the function of circumstance.  Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline. 

-Jim Collins, Author Good to Great

People Believe What They See...by Chris Buch

A few days ago, I was in the car with my sons - they are 10, 8, and 3 years old.  I was trying to make a right turn out of a parking lot and was waiting for an oncoming car to pass before I pulled out.  At normal speed, the car should have been past me in a few seconds, but it was moving very slowly.  I immediately suspected that the car would be turning into the parking lot from which I was exiting, but no turn signal was flashing, so I couldn't be completely certain.  Sure enough, the car pulled into the parking lot.  Had a turn signal been used, I could have pulled out almost immediately instead of waiting.  This 10 second or so inconvenience prompted me to call out "you turkey!" to the passing driver.

My 3-year old asked me why I called the other driver a name.  My 10-year old (imparting the wisdom of the ages as only an older brother can) replied that it's OK to call people names if they've done something you didn't like.  

Believe me when I tell you that my sons have been told that name calling is not appropriate or tolerated under any cirucumstance.  Clearly, my actions taught them otherwise.

What do we "teach" through our actions?  Do the folks that fall under our leadership see the lessons that we want them to learn or are they only given the option to hear them?  Worse, is what they see inconsistent with what they hear?  People tend to believe what they see way more often than what they hear.