People, in all their varied glory are as Spock said, fascinating.

They come in many different flavors and ‘entrepreneur’ is one of my favorites.

Entrepreneurs come in many flavors, too. From the ones that set out to build the next Google, Facebook, Apple or Intel to the micropreneurs who just want to earn a decent living.

Within every business of any size at any stage there are tasks that are prime for avoidance.

Stuff like establishing culture; defining values; developing financial controls, etc.

All kinds of intangible infrastructure that can wait “until things calm down” or “when we’re bigger”

In other words, mañana—and we all know when that is.

Or, as Ryan Blair says, “If it’s important you’ll find a way. If it’s not, you’ll find an excuse.”

Flickr image credit: JD | Photography

Every place I turn is commentary of some kind focusing on new changes for the New Year, but looking around it’s hard to believe in them.

In a recent Rules post I shared something I sincerely believe, it’s about progress, not perfection, but I haven’t seen a lot of progress lately anywhere in the world.

• 99% of politicians of all flavors rant on spouting their preferred ideology, with no real concern for the citizens of whatever country they represent.
• As we learned, too many financial CEOs were made of ego and greed and the skill to mislead, but it seems that attitude is spreading to companies of all sizes, as well as individuals, in a trickle-down effect.
• More and more people are willing to bend the rules and/or lie to achieve their ends.

While I accept that progress often involves several steps backwards to those taken forward, what’s happening is ridiculous.

Progress should mean a net positive after doing the math.

Or is that another of my out-of-date attitudes?

Flickr image credit: Kevin Dooley

Silos—they are found in almost every company no matter the size.

Silos are the scourge of collaboration

The most commonly noticed are departmental silos, but horizontal silos based on position and education are far more insidious and damaging.

I loathe horizontal silos and consider them second only to politics on the corporate stupidity index.

More times than I can count I’ve seen the ideas of an engineer 1 or 2 discounted or ignored by the 3s and senior engineers—of course, that’s better than stealing them, although that happens, too.

The attitude seems to be one of ‘your brain is incapable of any creative thinking until you are at least at my pay grade’, which is beyond idiotic.

People’s brains work differently; some see what is, others see possible improvements and a few see around corners, but that sight has little to do with position.

Steve Jobs saw around the corner of the personal computer market before there was a personal computer market and certainly before he had any credibility what so ever.

And I can personally attest that training and education don’t necessarily play a role. Decades ago I redesigned two street intersections where I lived in San Francisco, but I didn’t suggest the solutions to the traffic engineers—I knew they wouldn’t listen because I have no training.

Instead, I sneaked both ideas in through someone I know who was ‘accepted’ and both solutions are still in effect today.

Silos are built of egos, which is why, vertical or horizontal, they’re so difficult to break down.

The best solution is for CEOs to build a culture that values everybody’s ideas equally, but there’s no guarantee that they will or even that they agree.

Even when they do there’s you can’t count on every executive and others in management roles will embrace the approach.

Technology offers a leg up for bosses who see silos as blockades.

One approach I helped a client implement created an innovation wiki that completely obscured the name, level, grade and even department of the person posting the suggestion.

Each idea had a different ID and confirmation was automatically sent to the poster so they still had bragging rights if it was used or warranted a bonus.

That anonymity leveled the playing field and assured everyone that each idea was considered strictly on its merits, not on the merits of the person who thought of it.

It also encouraged people to post way-outside-the-box ideas without worrying about appearing silly, pushy or arrogant if the idea happened to be outside of their personal expertise.

Finally, when an idea was used, whether all, in part or as a springboard to something else, there was an announcement, kudos and request that the poster step forward and take a bow.

It’s a very popular program.

Productivity skyrocketed as a river of suggestions flowed that offered solutions to long-time problems, ideas for product enhancements and even next-gen products—often from the most unlikely places.

Flickr image credit:  johnny goldstein

Everything today is about innovation, creativity, productivity and how to increase all of them.

Bosses at every level read books, listen to management gurus and attend seminars looking for methods and approaches that will boost all three.

They look for solutions outside and rarely look in the mirror.

Too many bosses, no matter what happens or what feedback they receive, recognize that it’s their MAP and their actions, not their people’s, at the bottom of their under-performing groups.

After all, if you

• ask for input and ridicule those who offer it, why be surprised when you stop receiving it?
• tell your people you want to solve problems while they’re still molehills and then kill the messengers who bring you molehill news you shouldn’t be surprised to find yourself grappling with mountainous problems requiring substantially more resources;
• tell people their ideas are stupid, whether directly or circumspectly, or, worse, that they are for thinking of them, why should they offer themselves up for another smack with a verbal two-by-four?

I could list many more examples, but you get the idea.

Your team’s results are a direct reflection of you, so before you start ranting or whining about your group’s lack of initiative and innovation, try really listening to yourself, the feedback you receive and give and then look in the mirror—chances are the real culprit will be looking straight back at you.

Flickr image credit: Cea

I love aphorisms and last summer I shared some with you. It was fun to do, so I thought I’d do it again. For those of you who don’t know, aphorisms are a bit of accepted wisdom or observations recognized by the general population as being true. The previous examples were ones I grew up with; today I share more modern ones.

War doesn’t determine who’s right. War determines who’s left. The world would be a better place if its so-called leaders would get this through their thick skulls.

When everything’s coming your way—you’re in the wrong lane. Notice it says ‘coming’ not ‘going’. When everything’s going your way buy some champagne, grab your friends and celebrate.

Scratch a dog and you’ll find a permanent job. The same thing applies to every other animal including human.

The last three are my favorites; the first two are a clever nod to the digital world and the last, to my mind, says it all.

The E-mail of the species is more deadly than the mail. Just ask the USPS.

Home is where you hang your @ Well, I said they were clever.

Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege. No kidding. You can find 535 without even trying—435 in the House and another 100 in the Senate.

Flickr image credit: Luke Razzell

Here are four stories that come after the exposés that happen when things go wrong. I find it interesting to learn the aftermath, even if it’s a work-in-progress, especially when it is positive.

Just as Nike and others were in the spotlight in previous years, top electronic companies like Apple and Hewlet-Packard have increasingly come under the gun for the conditions in their overseas contract-manufacturing facilities, such as Foxconn, where just one factory has 164,000 employees and they have dozens. Now Apple is moving to change that—but not as a leader.

But the shifts under way in China may prove as transformative to global manufacturing as the iPhone was to consumer technology, say officials at over a dozen electronics companies, worker advocates and even longtime factory critics. (…) Changing the company’s culture is slow going. But the needed reforms, executives at Apple and Foxconn hope and believe, are falling into place.

What would you do if you woke up one morning at the age of 51 to find that what you had worked your whole career to achieve was gone and you were on the street with no job? That’s what happened to employees Lehman Brothers and many other banking houses in the Fall of 2008. Most were devastated, but Canadian Michael Tory took stock

“How did I feel? I woke up that Monday morning and I had my health, my family, my reputation and energy, I had lost nothing, really. It was a profound revelation to me. I had lost nothing important and, that day, I decided to start my own company.”

and proceeded to start a pure advisory firm focused on its clients (unlike Wall Street).

None of the partners would get stinking rich, but, equally, they would not have to act as shills, eternally pushing services or products because they paid jackpot returns, not necessarily because they were in the best interests of the client.

Anyone at all involved with the  tech world, and many who aren’t, heard when Yahoo CEO and ex-president of PayPal Scott Thompson was fired for listing a computer science degree on his resume that he didn’t have. Now Thompson is heading up a tiny startup called ShopRunner and just joined the board of PaySimple, another startup. According to Wedge Partners analyst Martin Pyykkonen Thompson need to prove himself.

“You have to kind of re-earn your stripes and your credibility and do something meaningful,” Pyykkonen said. “If he can pull it off with a small company, maybe that leads to the next tier up.”

but Thompson has a totally different take on what he’s doing.

“The only person I really need to prove anything to is myself. The jury’s still out, but I’m having a great time.”

Brian Lam interned at Wired and spent five years as editor of Gizmodo, Gawker Media’s gadget blog, where he nearly destroyed himself. Now, still on the Net, he’s redeemed his life.

And then, he burned out at age 34. He loved the ocean, but his frantic digital existence meant his surfboard was gathering cobwebs. “I came to hate the Web, hated chasing the next post or rewriting other people’s posts just for the traffic,” he told me. “People shouldn’t live like robots.” (…)  And now he actually has time to ride them. In that sense, Mr. Lam is living out that initial dream of the Web: working from home, working with friends, making something that saves others time and money.

Flickr image credit: pedroelcarvalho

A Friday series exploring Startups and the people who make them go. Read all If the Shoe Fits posts here

Founders are known for the passion and drive that turns their vision into reality. While many are known for their technical brilliance or marketing expertise few are known for their management skill.

Many harbor a secret dream of being hailed as the next Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, Anna Wintour, Barry Diller or Martha Stewart.

If those names impress you then consider that they all are in Forbes Bully Bosses Hall of Fame (personally, I’d have included Jack Welch).

“At some point, those we consider ‘visionaries’ become puffed-up creations of their own imagination. When business executives stop looking beyond quarterly reports and stockholder dividends, they start ignoring internal stakeholders. We’re seeing that unravel now.” —Gary Namie, management consultant

American tolerance for bullying leaders may be waning.

There has been a real sea change in what’s conceptualized as good leadership. Americans have become disenchanted with power. Almost daily, they watch as leaders–in government, in business–fail to exercise appropriate restraint.” –Roderick Kramer, Stanford Business School professor.

In four decades I never spoke with anyone who liked being bullied and have watched tolerance for it slowly seep away.

These days people vote with their feet; the question is not ‘should I leave’, but ‘how soon can I leave’.

The focus is how quickly someone can find a position that combines personal satisfaction with the ability to take care of their responsibilities.

Good management/leadership isn’t just about killer visions.

It’s about enabling growth by building up and never tearing down either the people or the enterprise for which you are responsible.

In short, take care of your people; without them there is no company.

Image credit: HikingArtist

Last week I shared Steve Blank’s definition of an entrepreneur and asked if it fit you.

It fits Alex Kostyrya, a Russian entrepreneur I e-met and have done work for on and off since 2010.

He’s a great guy and I Skyped him to see what’s been happening, since it’s been awhile, and wish him a great holiday week. (For those who don’t know, all Russian business is closed the first week in January—and I do mean all.)

Alex responded that he planned to relax the whole week.

I said that was good, better if he unwired, and that he would be far more productive when he came back.

I also said that he should be sure his team does the same and he said he would.

Many founders (and other managers) don’t realize that the team is their responsibility and making sure they take down time is important—they will be far more productive and creative if they get away completely (no texts, emails, calls, etc.).

It’s easy to lose site of the human side and needs in the heat of a startup, but when you get right down to it your people are your only real assets.

Alex agreed.

“The people are all I have now. Technologies have changed, the original project is gone, but our core team is the same as 3 years ago. I’m proud because whole last year we all work for nothing, without any financing. Now we have new people on the team and we plan to build a great company with them.”

Sometimes founders need to be tough and make sure their people really do take the time off and that doesn’t mean taking the work home or not take any work home.

It’s necessary because people are like batteries; they need to recharge and their families, friends and the physical world around them is their best generator.

Image credit: Alex Kostyrya

It’s well-known to my readers that I’m no lover of social media; that I think it’s a giant time-waster; a black hole for energy more rewardingly spent in the real-world and with the serious potential to ruin a person’s career and even life.

But, as I am constantly told, a digital dinosaur such as me has no real ability to evaluate, let alone judge, the value of social media to others.

For all of you who feel that way, and for all your friends who don’t know me from Adam, I have proof from someone whose credentials can’t be impugned.

I’m referring to Ryan Block, former editor in chief of AOL’s Engadget and the co-founder of tech community gdgt.com.

In a guest post he explains why he quit Instagram and muses on the value and role social media should play in a person’s life.

We’d all be much better off simplifying our technological footprints and consolidating our trust in the few services that provide us the greatest value with the fewest unintended side effects. In the end, I’m not afraid to admit it. I’m a quitter.

And you should be, too. People wondering what there is to gain by thinning their online accounts sometimes ask: “Why quit?” Instead, I think every once in a while we should all ask ourselves: “Why stay?”

So before you tweet his post or add it to your Facebook page, why not take a few minutes and give some thought to your own actions in light of Ryan’s comments.

Flickr image credit: kris krüg

Make the most of it!

Flickr image credit: Eva-Lotta Lamm