Sometimes when things get tough it helps to have something right in front of you to grab hold of; not so much to keep going, but to help you change course.

Changing course is often the best way to get past a problem; it’s no that you ignore it, rather you approach it from another direction—or find that it’s not necessary and just let it go and move on.

Ten years ago my niece sent me a card that I framed. It’s hung on the wall by my desk at three different locations and it still works.

It’s from a hand made card by Mary Anne Radmacher.

Live Loudly

Peer over the edge of your possibility.

If you’re looking for a very special message, for you or someone else, check out her website or look for them in a good card shop.

Image credit: francescopozzi on flickr

Your comments-priceless

Don’t miss a post! Subscribe via RSS or EMAIL

Sphere: Related Content

Failure isn’t really failure unless nothing is learned.

Learning from it means that you need to look at it differently.

Few individuals or companies enjoy dwelling on what they consider failures; most pick themselves up and move forward; the strongest dissect what went wrong.

They take the time to decompose the thoughts and actions that didn’t work and document them in a ‘lessons learned’ report.

Good so far.

But what happens to the report? Is it neatly filed with the project information or under another heading?

Investing effort in lessons learned reports only to file them makes it more likely that the errors will be repeated again in the future.

And that is frequently the case.

Instead, if the goal is to learn, then learn to LAUD IT.

Look at what went wrong, not what worked;

Analyze what was done;

Understand why it was done;

Determine how to fix/improve both thoughts and actions.

IT refers to using technology to share the information, making it easily available to everyone and searchable.

Try it. LAUD IT.

Image credit: Biology Big Brother on flickr

Your comments-priceless

Don’t miss a post! Subscribe via RSS or EMAIL

Sphere: Related Content

See all mY generation posts here.

Your comments-priceless

Don’t miss a post! Subscribe via RSS or EMAIL

Sphere: Related Content

Now click for another social consideration.

Image credit: Intersection Consulting on flickr

Your comments-priceless

Don’t miss a post! Subscribe via RSS or EMAIL

Sphere: Related Content

A few weeks ago Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, said “The danger of that for the country is that there won’t automatically be an ability to restrain the excess that is typically associated with big majorities and single-party rule.”

OK, typical political rhetoric, but that isn’t what caught my eye.

What I found so amusing was the line about the dangers of “single party-rule.”

Amusing because when the Republicans owned the majorities in both the House and the Senate and there was a Republican President single-party rule was fine.

But it brings up an important point and one that can have a major effect on your company or team.

The point is consistency.

If, in fact, holding both the Presidency and Congressional majorities is de facto single-party rule then it doesn’t matter which party holds it, it’s still dangerous.

In business terms that means that if you condemn something your competition does or the way it acts and then do or act the same way you’re being inconsistent.

Likewise, if you laude something and don’t either follow suit or escalate it you’re being inconsistent.

People hate inconsistency, whether they’re your customers or employees.

And don’t kid yourself that they won’t notice, they will—people aren’t stupid.

You don’t have the advantage of ideology working for you in a business setting. Ideology works in politics, most people won’t notice the inconsistency in McConnell’s words, but even rabid Apple fans are quick to call Apple on anything that they think is inconsistent with the brand or the culture.

So think about your consistency and monitor your words and actions—better yet, build consistency into your MAP.

Image credit: Les Bessant on flickr

Your comments-priceless

Don’t miss a post! Subscribe via RSS or EMAIL

Sphere: Related Content

I’m fortunate to be a member ExpertCEO, an online community of CEOs of startups and fast growing companies that offers peer support and advice.

A couple of weeks ago a member invited everybody to post “things you’d never hear a VC say.”

They were pretty hilarious, with some of the best responses coming from VCs themselves.

Apparently I’m not the only one who felt that they’re too good not to share and today we were presented with a great compilation of the 12 best entries.

Anyone who has worked in a startup or spent time around VCs will appreciate the following; anyone contemplating doing so should appreciate the insights.

Image credit: vcobserver.

Your comments-priceless

Don’t miss a post! Subscribe via RSS or EMAIL

Sphere: Related Content

See how some leaders communicate their visions.

Image credit: untitledprojects on flickr

Your comments-priceless

Don’t miss a post! Subscribe via RSS or EMAIL

Sphere: Related Content

A company culture to lust after created in an industry not known for powerful cultures by a guy who never let go of his values from the sixties.

Meet George Zimmer founder, Chairman and CEO of Men’s Warehouse, a nearly $2 billion retailer with 17,000 employees and no intention of slowing down, who believes that that success is a function of his company’s culture.

“Customer loyalty is harder to measure. As we are in this recession, one way to measure this is that I believe when the recession ends, Men’s Wearhouse will have a higher market share than when the recession began. That will be because of our corporate culture, which will be the glue that holds the customer and the employee and the organization, the shareholder, holds it all together.”

Zimmer has infused the culture with trust and authenticity based on 3 principles

1. Listen carefully and wait at least one second after the other person’s last syllable before responding.
2. Elevate the other person’s respect – by focusing on the positive before something that needs to improve.
3. Always ask the subordinate how a problem might be solved.

The willingness to listen proved its value when a lower-level employee presented Zimmer with the idea that the company rent formal wear, now a significant revenue producer.

Beyond these three principles, the culture provides an environment in which employees aren’t afraid to mention problems or own up to a mistake and Zimmer constantly reinforces his desire for feedback and responds to each email.

“I tell people I like primary information, as opposed to information sifted by various levels of management, but I only get five a day on average.” (Many employees have little confidence in their writing skills.)

You hear a lot about trust and authenticity these days, but I’m willing to bet that George Zimmer didn’t think in those terms 30 years ago when he founded Men’s Wearhouse; no matter the words, he built something that followed his own moral compass.

“I consider anything to do with employees or the stores to be my priority. That’s one of the other things, I guess, when it comes back to trust and authenticity. That is my priority. I don’t say that, I don’t pay lip service to that. That is how I run this business and how I live my life. So, I think the people that work in our stores, know that.”

That’s what founders do.

Sadly, when their compass changes so does the culture—think Angelo Mozilo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Be sure to check out the great links at the June 7th, 2009 edition of the Leadership Development Carnival, including lots of great management expertise—in case you think that ‘leader’ doesn’t apply to you.

(I’ve finally gotten my act together to participate, which means I’ll know when they’re happening and that means I’ll have the link to share with you:)

Image credit: Men’s Wearhouse

Your comments-priceless

Don’t miss a post! Subscribe via RSS or EMAIL

Sphere: Related Content

See all mY generation posts here.

Your comments-priceless

Don’t miss a post! Subscribe via RSS or EMAIL

Sphere: Related Content

With an eye on all the upcoming lazy, hazy days of summer I have a gift for you today.

Whether you keep it for yourself or regift others depends on your MAP and how much self-discipline you have.

I have one myself (more than one, actually, in different rooms) and have given it to the occasional recalcitrant client over the years.

It’s my version of the infamous round tuit.

Use it sparingly and only on the passionless (AKA, dull, but necessary) stuff in your life!

Image credit: RampUp Solutions, Inc.

Your comments-priceless

Don’t miss a post! Subscribe via RSS or EMAIL

Sphere: Related Content