When:

What: Real Recognition Radio with Roy Saunderson and S. Max Brown will feature Bill Catlette and Richard Hadden, talking about how good leaders get people to put more OOMPH! into their work.

Roy Saunderson, founder of Recognition Management Institute and S. Max Brown host Real Recognition Radio Tuesdays at 10 Eastern.  These guys understand the value of recognition in getting the most, willingly, from people at work.

Tune in and listen to the show, on Tuesday, June 29, 2010, at 1:00pm Eastern Daylight Time, then bookmark their site, to listen each week.

And so on my recent trip to Lima, Peru, to speak for the Human Capital Forum, I was a little creeped out when I began to see the ubiquitous sign designating safe areas in case of “sismos”, Spanish for earthquakes. Now, Peruvians don’t play at earthquakes. Their most recent bad one, in 2007, killed more than 500 people. And the history of Lima, Peru’s capital, is more or less defined by any given event’s relation to the earthquake of this year or that year. And so I’m not sure I entirely believe the little green signs’ claim that the area around it happens to be safe, if the ground decides to yawn real big. Nevertheless, had the shaking started, I’d have been the first one to the green sign.

The sign, “Safe zone, in case of earthquakes” made me think, “Does the workplace have “safe zones”, someplace people can go, not when literal earthquakes strike, but when they feel the ground beneath their feet is wobbly, or that the walls around their lives are crumbling?”

Maslow, the Heirarchy of Needs guy, who knew more than he ever imagined about employee engagement, thought safety was pretty important. Right up there with basic survival needs. One thing that’s been reinforced in the economic earthquakes and tremors of the last couple of years is that fear paralyzes. Fear leads to preoccupation. And preoccupation and engagement are mutually exclusive.

In your outfit, where do people go when they don’t feel safe? From a workplace bully, or a boss that doesn’t quite “get” the zero tolerance thing on harrassment? Or harrassment notwithstanding, where can a person who respects the chain of command go when the next link up is the problem? Where’s the safe zone when you’re not sure your job’s going to be around, since nobody ever tells you anything about how the company’s doing?

Is there someone you can go to when you’ve lost the way on your career path? How about when things outside of work have gone haywire?

People need a safe zone. Whether it’s a human resources department doing what a human resources department should be doing, or a well-functioning employee assistance program and referral network, a good alternative dispute resolution process, or just someone who cares enough to listen, people need someone, someplace where they can “touch base” and know they’re going to be OK.

Looking for a way to get more out of your work experience? Create, or better yet, be, a safe zone.

Richard Hadden (twitter at http://twitter.com/ContentedCows) is a leadership speaker, author, and consultant who helps organizations improve their business results by creating a great place to work. He and Bill are the authors of the acclaimed business classic Contented Cows Give Better Milk, and the followup Contented Cows MOOve Faster. Learn more about them and their work at ContentedCows.com.

In the opening number, “Tradition”, Tevye tells the audience of the struggles of living in their challenging environment, and asks, under such difficult conditions, “How do we keep our balance? That, I can tell you in one word: Tradition!” Without tradition, he says, their lives would be as shaky as a Fiddler on the Roof.

While it pales greatly in comparison to the life-and-death struggles of Tevye’s people a century ago, the modern workplace can be about as shaky as a rooftop fiddler as well. So, how do you keep your balance? Tradition can help.

Even though we’re all probably over-connected electronically these days, most people are under-connected to the people, mission, customers, values, and yes, traditions of the place they spend 8+ hours a day working. And yet, with all the changes in the workplace over the last decade or so, among the things that have not changed, is people’s need for connectedness.

Traditions connect us to the past, a place where, as long as we don’t dwell there too long, we can find some useful elements for success. They also help create some of the best of the future. Some thoughts on tradition at your workplace:

• Don’t underestimate the value of tradition. People need something they can count on. Today’s workplace doesn’t offer much in that department.
• Don’t assume that you, as the manager, know what traditions are important to the people you work with, and which ones aren’t. Ask. Observe. Listen.
• Traditions that connect somehow to your organization’s mission serve lots of purposes: they’re a visible manifestation of the mission, and as such, are easier to sell to those who need to be sold.
• Encourage traditions that connect people together, rather than those that separate and divide them. The Executive Washroom is a relic of a tradition that doesn’t do anybody much good, including the executives. An annual celebration of the year’s good work, among people who actually know each other (as opposed to a mass gathering of everyone who happens to be on the payroll) can be a good tradition that strengthens the bonds necessary to do good work.
• In an interview in our first book, Contented Cows Give Better Milk, Betty Kahn, who was at the time, head of Communications at Crate and Barrel, put it beautifully when she told me “We do a lot of group eating.” There’s something about breaking bread (or at least a few coffee mugs) together that binds our souls. And at the risk of sounding all new age here, bound souls do better work than do unbound ones.
• Sometime in the next week, consider sunsetting a tradition that doesn’t help people, and therefore the business.
• Wanna leave a valuable mark on your organization? One that endures long after your physical tenure? Start a new practice that fortifies the connections among people, and between people and their work. Don’t force it, but if the practice fills a need, it could become, over time, a tradition, and one of your most important legacies.

Sure, it’s cute. The kids are really good. Adorable. And the creative team that put it together is brilliant. But what makes it work is that it’s anything but ordinary. Thomson passengers actually watch the thing, and I have to believe that retention of the material is off the charts compared to the forgettable safety videos on almost every other airline.

Anybody can do ordinary. As leaders, we’ve really got to do better than that.

Ordinary is having a need to meticulously account for every day, hour, and minute someone is “at work”, whatever “at work” means anymore. Extraordinary is what they do at Netflix. Check out what they call their “Freedom and Responsibility Culture“. No, it won’t work everywhere, but it sure seems to work for Netflix. And it sure isn’t ordinary.

Ordinary is treating everyone consistently. Extraordinary is being fair with everyone, but rewarding WOW work and commitment with WOW rewards.

Ordinary is giving everyone who does a good job a gold star, whether they happen to like gold stars or not. Extraordinary is learning what your workers’ dreams are, and finding a way to link their dreams to the success of your enterprise.

Ordinary is sympathizing with a team member when they’re going through a hard time. Extraordinary is parting with some of your own cold hard cash, or other resources, to help a worker out – someone who needs it, and who deserves it.

Ordinary is buying the corporate line that “we can’t afford any training right now until things, you know, get a little better.” Extraordinary is finding creative ways to support workers’ development needs.

Ordinary is playing it safe. Examples: you fail to give someone really difficult feedback because it’ll be really unpleasant for both of you; you keep someone on the payroll who has ceased to earn his or her place there, because, well, it’s just easier; you hire the acceptable candidate who’s going to be easy to get through HR, rather than the best one, whom you may have to do battle for. (Please – no nastygrams from my HR friends, of whom there are many. I’m just sayin’…).

While I’m castigating ordinary, I’m not advocating weird or bizarre. Or illegal, or unethical. But I am saying that if you, as a leader, or as an organization, want to get people really engaged, to stand out, get noticed, make a real difference, you gotta leave ordinary behind.

Kinda like Alice and company…

To be honest, they hit the nail on the proverbial head with much of their prognostication (with a few notable, and glaring exceptions). And yet, four years later, what hits me right between the eyes is the clear fact that the list was written with absolutely no foreknowledge of the economic cataclysm that was lurking just off the calendar, and that came ashore just two short years later.

Here’s the list:

1. Rising health care costs.

2. Increased use of outsourcing (offshoring) of jobs to other countries.

3. Threat of increased healthcare/medical costs on the economic competitiveness of the United States.

4. Increased demand for work/life balance.

5. Retirement of large numbers of baby boomers around the same time.

6. New attitudes toward aging and retirement as baby boomers reach retirement age.

7. Rise in the number of people without health insurance.

8. Increase in identity theft.

9. Work intensification as employers try to increase productivity with fewer employees.

10. Vulnerability.

OK – right off the bat, we’ve got 3 of the 10 trends dealing with healthcare. And they were right on target with all 3. The game changed last week. Whether for better or worse remains to be seen. But there’s no question that they were right on this one. That healthcare would become, to paraphrase Joe Biden, a “big deal”.

But look at all the stuff about retiring baby boomers. What retiring baby boomers? Of course, back in blissful ‘06, we didn’t know (though maybe we should have?) that our 401(k)’s were headed for shriveldom, and that the unemployment rate was gonna be up there where our 401(k) returns used to be…in the good old days.

I thought it interesting that the list included the two seemingly oxymoronic trends of work intensification and increased demand for work/life balance. The battle rages on, but work intensification is winning. The balance thing has taken a back seat to being lucky enough to have work in the first place. Sad, but true.

But in addition to the economic meltdown and complete flip-flop in the labor supply and demand relationship, here’s what else the ‘06 list missed, and in a big way:

• The disintegration (well-earned) of trust in leaders (at work and elsewhere).
• Continued and growing dis-connectedness between workers and the institutions they “appear” to be working for. People simply don’t identify with their “employer” to the degree they once did. Maybe with their profession, their career; but not their employer.
• Continued and growing need for connectedness to something, as manifested by the whole social media phenomenon.
• The coming (and now already here) dearth in leadership development efforts by employers, in large part due to the unforeseen recession.

These trends, and others, help form the basis for the new book we’re working on, along with our friend and colleague Meredith Kimbell, entitled Rebooting Leadership. Look for it this summer.

Meanwhile, what trends do you foresee in the workplace in the next, say, five years? Leave us a comment with at least two serious workplace trends that you see, or expect to see, and we’ll put you on a list to receive a free copy of Rebooting Leadership when it comes out.

Thanks!

There is as much defense for these whack jobs as there is for Congress slipping student loan legislation into the health care bill, which is to say, none…zero…nada. I don’t care how bad the utility’s service is (it sometimes is), how outrageously high people’s bills are (they are), or how frustrated the customers may be. You can’t call up the electric company and threaten to come down there and drown their employees in the Saint Johns River.

HOWEVER… the fact that so many people have, in less than three months, crossed the line from righteous indignation to criminal behavior…is the predictable outcome of a flawed policy.

The Policy: if a customer asks to speak to a supervisor, that customer is told that a supervisor will call them back within 24 hours. In one of the recorded calls broadcast on TV, when the customer objected and demanded to speak to a supervisor immediately, he was told, “I’m sorry. There is no supervisor available.”

(buzzing sound) WRONG ANSWER!

Some pretty basic rules of management, leadership, and common sense are being violated here:
1. Customers don’t care about your policy. They want to be helped.
2. Good leaders, in well-run organizations avoid, whenever possible, putting employees in the direct line of fire of angry customers, especially with no backup. Putting employees – who had nothing to do with the boneheaded policy – on the front line, to suffer the slings and arrows of outraged customers – without reasonable support (hint: a 24-hour callback is not reasonable support) indicates a weakness in leadership. Did a group of JEA executives actually sit around a conference table and say, “Let’s not allow our reps to connect upset customers to a supervisor. That should make things better for everyone – our customers and our employees.” No. Instead they took what seemed, at the time, to be the easy way out. And now they have employees who pray their customers don’t find out where they live.
3. People – whether customers or employees – need a viable process for appealing legitimate complaints to a higher authority. Fail to provide a sympathetic ear, and, on the customer side, you get threats – occasionally rising to a criminal level. And on the employee side, you get unions. But that’s a subject for another day.

What to do: When you see good performance, reward it. Then and there. Start with “Thank You.” Then, find a way, and a big enough way to get the person’s attention. Rather than adding to fixed payroll expense, consider gifting an award trip, extra time off, or some other gift that really means something to the individual. Worry less about being consistent than sending a message that excellence is meaningfully rewarded.

Pocket pain: Specifically, health care. Concurrent with less-than-exciting (or nonexistent) pay increases, U.S. workers are paying more for health care, owing to a non-system that has seen costs more than double over the last decade. Employers who offer health care benefits have no choice but share the increasing cost. While currently proposed legislation solves some of the problems, it does little for the biggest problem – controlling costs. Take that, plus the increasing number of workers who have no health care benefits at work, and you’ve got a workforce paying higher premiums, higher out of pocket costs, no realistic solutions on the horizon, AND the increased worry that accompanies having no safety net. Yikes.

What to do: Turn off the TV! Get the facts. Read, starting with Regina Herzlinger’s Who Killed Healthcare?. Discuss the matter with your own physician. Consider establishing, along with like-minded neighboring employers, a private or co-op clinic, as organizations like SAS and the Pebble Beach Company have done. Heavily incent workers, using both positive and negative consequences, to better manage their health. Advocate forcefully for better public policy.

Diminished employment options: The recession, paired with the continued unbundling (and offshoring) of work have drastically reduced the number and scope of available jobs. Moreover, any stigmas or pangs of guilt on the part of management associated with reducing “heads” in the workplace have disappeared. Witness simultaneous announcements by United Parcel Service last month that the company was, 1) increasing earnings guidance due to favorable business conditions, and 2) Doing a restructuring that would eliminate nearly 2,000 jobs. People who once were assured that, even if they didn’t like their current job, could quickly find another now aren’t as comforted by their options.

What to do: Tune in. Let your people know where they stand and how the business is doing – truthfully and regularly. If you’re through making cuts, say so. Monitor and nurture your employment brand as carefully as you do your cash. That may also mean managing people out of the organization (with consideration and decency) who have unplugged and are merely hanging on because they don’t see any options.

The dumbing down of the workplace: The first shoe to drop whenever earnings take a hit, or the economy contracts, falls on the organization’s training budget. We are now in the 3rd year of greatly diminished funding, to include training for managers. To wit, people now find themselves in the unenviable position of working for (and with) less skilled managers. Not a happy thought.

What to do: Take this opportunity to get the jump on your competition. Begin selectively restarting your development activities, with a careful eye for the real priorities. If you can’t yet afford systemic efforts, fund development initiatives (i.e., executive coaching) for worthy staff. Incent workers (using time off or a skill acquisition bonus) to invest in their own development plans, rather than just “taking whatever comes from corporate”.

One last thought – and pardon what sounds like a negative tone here: Dissatisfaction isn’t confined to the workplace. The decade of the 00’s is one that most people in the U.S., if not elsewhere, were glad to put in the rear view mirror. We think it’s safe to say that many (if not most) of us feel less well off, less secure, and yes, less satisfied than at any time in our lives. To think that these feelings don’t make their way into the workplace is delusional.

That said, maybe it’s time to “reboot” this whole idea of leadership and motivation in the workplace. Not to throw it out, but to “reload the program”, under a new set of conditions, a new reality, for a new and better future. It is for that reason that together with our friend and colleague, Meredith Kimbell, we have been working for the better part of a year on a new book, Rebooting Leadership, due for publication in May of this year. Watch this space for more.

Meanwhile, buck up, and Godspeed!

That said, as we go about the process of adjusting to the new normal, we would do well to remember that there are some “iron laws” relating to the human psyche, and in turn, a person’s willingness to trust, engage, and commit precious discretionary effort. One of those laws has to do with climbing on someone’s bumper (calling them out or reprimanding them) in public. You just don’t do that if you want to retain a person’s respect or commitment… ever.

I was reminded of that this morning after reading an analysis of the 2010 Super Bowl by Indianapolis Colts President, Bill Polian on the team’s website. Speaking of his team’s loss, Mr. Polian said, “Our offensive line, by our standards, did not have a good game. They were outplayed by the Saints’ defensive line. Our special teams, in terms of handing the ball – both in the return game and on the onside kick – were outplayed by the Saints. Therein lies the result. It had nothing to do with strategy or preparedness or toughness or effort.”

In fairness, Mr. Polian did single out a few players for praise, his diagnosis of the cause of their loss seems correct, and his remarks weren’t especially harsh. Yet, it’s one thing to do a no holds barred after-action review in the team’s locker room, but something entirely different to do it in public. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by inviting an audience for that type of discussion.

So, as we go about the process of adjusting to an uptight, always-on world where everything seems destined for public consumption in one venue or another, let’s take care to respect the precept that what happens in the locker room stays in the locker room.

*****
A thought leader in the arena of leadership and employee engagement, Bill Catlette is a seminar leader, keynote speaker, and executive coach. He helps individuals and organizations improve business outcomes by having a focused, engaged, capably led workforce. For more information about Bill, his partner Richard Hadden, and their work, please visit their website at www.contentedcows.com, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ContentedCows

Don’t worry. This is not (repeat, NOT) a post about politics. Nor is it a post about religion. But, have you noticed the degree to which people are disassociating from the major organizations in their lives – political parties, and yes, traditional churches? At the same time that fewer and fewer of us choose to associate with either donkeys or elephants, the same is happening with traditional, dogma-dominated churches, much to the delight of the Rick Warrens and Joel Osteens of the world.

But it doesn’t stop there. The third leg of the institutional stool in our lives, our employers, is likewise being swept into the corner of disregard. Not long ago, when you asked someone what they did for a living, they proudly replied that they were a nurse at Baptist Hospital, a welder at GM, or a pilot at American Airlines. Today, not so much. With almost no tip of the cap to the organization, we hear that they are a systems engineer, physical therapist, bartender, or SEO consultant, whatever that is. In a growing number of cases, the disengagement is more active and out in the open. Think late night comedy.

More so than any other factor, this institutional disengagement owes to a crisis of trust. Simply put, whether a government, political party, church, or corporation, we no longer trust the entity to behave in a manner consistent with its espoused purpose and principles.

I can’t speak for the politicians or preachers, but for those of us in the business world, the path is pretty clear. In the post-AIG world, it is pointless for us to ask or expect people to regain trust any time soon in our institutions. If and when it comes, it will be on the back of individual leaders who, one at a time, are doing the things necessary to regain the benefit of the doubt of their followers. More than just waiting and wishing them (us) luck, there are things we can do to support this effort:

1. For going on three years, our training budgets have been slashed to the bone as we’ve operated on the premise that we can work our way out of a bad economy by dumbing down the organization. It’s high time we resume funding development activity, most particularly for our young leaders who need it the most. If you can’t yet fund system wide training, invest in some coaching for your more promising folks.
2. On the premise that people would rather watch than hear a sermon, each of us must redouble our commitment to keeping our promises. If we would spend half as much time making our word our bond as we do wordsmithing and putting the right spin on our words, we would be miles ahead.
3. We need to do a much better job of recognizing and rewarding those leaders who consistently earn the benefit of the doubt, and, dealing with those who don’t.

The path is long and mostly uphill, but it’s not going to get any easier over time. Let’s get going.

Godspeed!

*****

A thought leader in the arena of leadership and employee engagement, Bill Catlette is a seminar leader, keynote speaker, and executive coach. He helps individuals and organizations improve business outcomes by having a focused, engaged, capably led workforce. For more information about Bill, his partner Richard Hadden, and their work, please visit their website at www.contentedcows.com, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ContentedCows

USA Today quotes US Census Bureau Director Robert Groves (not to be confused with Defense Secy Robert Gates or Press Secy Robert Gibbs), as saying “The horrible recession has benefited us in an indirect way — our applicant pool contains a set of people with experience and background and training that is unprecedentedly rich”.

And so does yours… if you’re recruiting. And smart employers are ALWAYS recruiting, whether they’re hiring or not.

Here’s what those same smart employers know, are learning, or will learn from this:

• Just because there are more people in the pool doesn’t mean it’s easier to spot the best swimmers. In fact, in many cases, an oversupply of labor makes the job of hiring – and hiring well – even harder. Whenever you hear the words “inundated” and “applications” in the same sentence, you can be pretty sure of hearing the words “it was just a bad fit” being uttered not too far down the road.
• This is a case where hi-tech has to be paired with hi-touch. If you over-delegate this core leadership function to so-called smart selection systems, or to HR (whose job it is to help, not do it for you) – or if you don’t – you’ll get what you deserve.
• These days, making the right choice is as important as ever, because making the wrong choice shows up more than when the economy is on a firmer footing. Prosperity insulates against lots of bad decisions, including bad hires.
• Relying on (hoping for?) an “any port in a storm” mentality on the part of the unemployed workforce is a great way to miss the recovery. Pre-recovery is precisely the time you don’t want to foul the gene pool with “just anyone”. The best applicants will still discriminate with respect to employer reputation. Don’t let your competitors get the good ones – and they’re out there.

Richard Hadden (twitter at http://twitter.com/ContentedCows) is a leadership speaker, author, and consultant who helps organizations improve their business results by creating a great place to work. He and Bill are the authors of the acclaimed business classic Contented Cows Give Better Milk, and the followup Contented Cows MOOve Faster. Learn more about them and their work at ContentedCows.com.

Not unlike my son, Will, who tends bar at the Savannah airport and has a following of regular customers (at an airport bar!), Ben has learned that it’s the little things, like remembering a guest’s name and their preferences that lead to  good outcomes. The very same thing holds true for those of us whose job is to lead others. Before we can expect people to follow us with any degree of fervor, we must first take an interest in them… their likes, dislikes, ambitions, apprehensions, etc.

In the age of the disposable worker, this type of care and attention seems counter-intuitive. Speaking of his new sales reps, one office products sales manager admitted to me that, “we don’t really even get to know their names, as most of them won’t be here very long.” I’m willing to bet that a lot of the good performers leave for precisely that reason. Not bothering to know someone’s name, or things that are important to them doesn’t make them feel very special.

Thankfully, this is something that is not constrained by economic forces. We don’t need a positive GDP growth rate to make people feel special. Nor does it require any particular talent. Every one of us can do it. We’ve just got to care enough to take an interest, listen, observe, and then act on what we’ve learned.

I think you’ll find that if you take that extra step, you’ll soon notice that you’ve got more people around you who are willing to go the extra mile.

Godspeed!

*****

A thought leader in the arena of leadership and employee engagement, Bill Catlette is a seminar leader, keynote speaker, and executive coach. He helps individuals and organizations improve business outcomes by having a focused, engaged, capably led workforce. For more information about Bill, his partner Richard Hadden, and their work, please visit their website at www.contentedcows.com, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ContentedCows

Regardless of what may or may not be happening at the polar extremes, or on the planet as a whole, there’s little argument that much of the northern hemisphere is just flat-out cold right now. The air outside my Jacksonville, Florida office is about 26 degrees F this morning at 9:00, which is way cold by our standards. We’ll get no sympathy, though, from Des Moines, where it’s -8; or from Boone, NC, where it’s 7; or even from Warsaw, Poland, where it’s 21 at midday.

If it’s true that Contented Cows Give Better Milk, it’s equally true that shivering employees can’t get much work done, especially if they’re not used to it (workers on Alaska’s North Slope have this mastered, but most of the rest of us don’t.) So, at least until the thaw (not expected here in sunny North Florida until sometime late next week), here are some things to think about:

• Did budget woes kill the free coffee and other hot drinks? Bring ‘em back for a week. Buy a box of it from Starbucks, or Dunkin, or some other place. Pay for it out of your own pocket if you have to. Tell your team that if certain productivity or other goals are met by the time your city’s low temperature for the day is above freezing, the free perk will continue for a time.
• Having a team meeting this week? Serve hot mulled apple cider and hot green tea. You won’t make everyone happy, but you’ll come close.
• Of course, keep the inside temp as comfortable as you can afford. Suspend the usual dress code if you can. Let people wear hats inside. And gloves if it’s safe and doesn’t interfere with work.
• Give extra consideration to people who work near outside doors. Bank tellers, supermarket cashiers and restaurant hosts/hostesses get really cold from the constant blast of arctic air every time a customer enters, especially if your building doesn’t have a little foyer like so many buildings up north do. Yesterday I went into a restaurant where the hostess had abandoned her post, standing instead, near the warm kitchen, hoping to spy customers as they came in from the cold.  She wasn’t “allowed” to wear a coat over her uniform, and was freezing. Who can blame her? Her manager apparently did.
• Watch out for DIY workspace heating. People will resort to creative, and often hazardous tactics to stay warm, if they feel their employer isn’t looking after their best interests. Invest in some high-quality ceramic space heaters. Make sure the electrical system can handle the load. Put them away when things get back to normal.
• The south could see snow this week in places that don’t know how to deal with it. Workers in Buffalo and Anchorage generally get on with it.  Not the case in Atlanta, or Raleigh. Does everyone really need to drive into the office every day to do their work? Have you taken measures to provide for occasional telecommuting when schools are closed and road conditions are treacherous?
• To paraphrase one of our favorite legendary leaders of the past, General Melvin Zais, “get out of your warm office and wander down to the barracks.” Walk around and make sure your folks are comfortable enough to do their jobs well, serve your customers, and make money for your bottom line.

Stay warm!

Assignment: hit the comment button and let us know:

• what city you’re in
• how cold it was outside during the workday today
• what you did to make sure your workers were comfortable enough to do good work

Richard Hadden (twitter at http://twitter.com/rehadden) is a leadership speaker, author, and consultant who helps organizations improve their business results by creating a great place to work. He and Bill are the authors of the acclaimed business classic Contented Cows Give Better Milk, and the followup Contented Cows MOOve Faster. Learn more about them and their work at ContentedCows.com.

One of the most effective exercises we use in our leadership training seminars is one in which we ask leaders to write down, right then, what they believe to be their organization’s Top 3 Business Priorities. Then we ask them to go out and ask a handful of followers the same question. It’s always amazing (and at the same time, completely predictable) that organizations (companies, departments, teams) and individuals pursuing a tight and consistent set of priorities seem to perform better than those with as many priorities as Tiger Woods has things he wishes he could undo.

For example, if President Obama were to focus his considerable intellectual and political skills on 3 – just 3 – main priorities, rather than the myriad of serious issues he has screaming loudly for his attention, I’d bet that lots of people would be happier by the time we’re arguing over whether it’s two thousand eleven or twenty eleven, and that his approval ratings would be back up where they once were.

He hasn’t asked me, but if he were to do so, I’d suggest that those priorities be:

• The economy
• Terrorism
• Health care

…in no particular order, in fact, concurrently.

My Top 3 Business Priorities for Contented Cow Partners, for 2010 will be:

• Keynote speaking at state and national conferences and conventions,
• Conducting employee and customer satisfaction surveys,
• Leadership training in companies and other organizations…

…in no particular order, in fact, concurrently.

Assignment: What will be your Top 3 Business Priorities for 2010? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Richard Hadden (twitter at http://twitter.com/rehadden) is a leadership speaker, author, and consultant who helps organizations improve their business results by creating a great place to work. He and Bill are the authors of the acclaimed business classic Contented Cows Give Better Milk, and the followup Contented Cows MOOve Faster. Learn more about them and their work at ContentedCows.com.

Too often, I see people being expected to clean up the messes made by others. Granted, sometimes it’s necessary, but on way too regular a basis, it happens as the rule rather than the exception. When that occurs, two things happen:

1. The behavior by the “mess-maker” is effectively rewarded by the lack of accountability.
2. The individual and collective spirit of those who clean up the mess suffers a punch in the gut.

It has happened to us all, and every time it is dispiriting, especially when the mess maker scampers away unscathed.

It is especially irksome when the mess-maker is a team leader, as Young is. Though his action may have risked his longevity as a player, it did his stature as a team leader a world of good. The next time he asks a teammate (or the entire team) to suck it up and go the extra mile, he’ll be operating with the benefit of the doubt.

What about you? Are you having the difficult conversations and requiring mess-makers to participate in the cleanup, or are you taking the chicken way out? Worse yet, are you expecting people on your team to pay for your mistakes? And, when it just can’t be helped and you must ask a person to clean up someone else’s problem, are you at least showing appreciation? I hope so.

*****

A thought leader in the arena of leadership and employee engagement, Bill Catlette is a seminar leader, keynote speaker, and executive coach. He helps individuals and organizations improve business outcomes by having a focused, engaged, capably led workforce. For more information about Bill, his partner Richard Hadden, and their work, please visit their website at www.contentedcows.com, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ContentedCows

Tomorrow (Tuesday December 15th) at 2:30pm EST (GMT -5), we’ll be doing a live webinar with many of the guests in the series including:

• Josh Bersin
• Kris Dunn
• David Creelman
• Lance Haun
• Ed Lawler
• Libby Sartain
• and me

You can register for the webinar here. Join us, and let’s stir things up a little!

Richard Hadden (twitter at http://twitter.com/rehadden) is a leadership speaker, author, and consultant who helps organizations improve their business results by creating a great place to work. He and Bill are the authors of the new book Contented Cows MOOve Faster, as well as the acclaimed business classic Contented Cows Give Better Milk. Learn more about them and their work at ContentedCows.com.

I was reminded of the term, and the extent to which any semblance of loyalty between employees and the organization has faded when reading yesterday that University of Cincinnati football coach, Brian Kelly had accepted the Notre Dame job.

Ironically, it wasn’t six months ago that Kelly signed a contract extension through 2013, saying at the time that, “this agreement allows me and my family to call Cincinnati our home, not just a place where we live,” Oh, I know, this situation is different, because it’s not just any university. It’s Notre Dame for gosh sakes. Kelly probably had to undergo an extra interview with a ah-hem Higher Authority to get the job.

Despite apparent statements to his Cincinnati players that he was staying, and that they would be the first to know if he decided otherwise (they weren’t), Kelly opted not to coach those same players in what, for many, will be the biggest, if not the last football game of their lives, the 2010 Sugar Bowl. As Notre Dame had already announced that it would not accept a bowl game invitation this year, it’s not like he had a competing professional interest. No, Kelly had gotten all he was going to get out of the University of Cincinnati and he was leaving, now! Never mind the interests of the young men who have played their hearts out for him and enabled him to get this job!

A few thoughts for the senior leaders and recruiters in our readership:

1. If you truly want to get beyond the “grab mine and go” mentality in your organization, and you’ve really got to want to do it because it is an uphill slog, the effort must start with you. Are you setting the example by demonstrably placing the organization’s good at least on a par, if not a step ahead of your own? Are you earning the loyalty of the folks on your team day in and day out, or merely demanding and hoping for it?
2. We suggest you revisit your use of employment contracts and seriously consider whether they are adding beneficial clarity to the terms of the arrangement, or simply tightening the screws of self-interest and creating more rent-a-dummies.
3. In your recruiting and selection process, place as great an emphasis on how people finish their obligations and projects as how they start them. If a new recruit is willing to void an employment agreement and dump their current gig like a hot potato, why would you want them on your team?

Our interest is not in resurrecting the workplace of a bygone era. Anything but. Rather, it is in recognizing the fact that speed, the competitive advantage of choice, is compromised when people, either by choice or necessity, go through the day always keeping one eye focused on their own welfare rather than the job they are getting paid to do. We’ve made our choice. What’s yours?

*****

A thought leader in the arena of leadership and employee engagement, Bill Catlette is a seminar leader, keynote speaker, and executive coach. He helps individuals and organizations improve business outcomes by having a focused, engaged, capably led workforce. For more information about Bill, his partner Richard Hadden, and their work, please visit their website at www.contentedcows.com, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ContentedCows

Members of the U.S. Congress are beginning to bandy about the notion of imposing a “war tax” to pay for the war in Afghanistan. Though drilling yet another hole below the water line is about the last thing our economy needs at the moment, I’m not sure it’s such a bad idea. If every (repeat, every) taxpayer was invested in this gambit, either by virtue of military service or a surtax on their paycheck, I feel certain that our opinions would quickly become more reasoned (less partisan), and the prospect of holding politicians and military officers accountable would improve immensely. Moreover, there would be at least one thing that binds us together. Or, as former New York mayor, David Dinkins remarked upon Barack Obama’s election, we would all “be drinking out of the same water fountain.”  And, our children and grandchildren might breathe a little easier knowing that there was at least one tab their parents were actually paying themselves.

Regardless of the outcome of any proposed war tax, skin in the game is something that each of us as leaders should strive for on our own teams. We can do so by:

1. Lobbying for contracts and other arrangements that truly put pay at risk
2. Using spot cash awards (and fines) as a way of recognizing performance in real time
3. Being more thoughtful and broadminded in assigning responsibilities and tasks
4. Refusing to saddle your stars with the task of cleaning up messes made by others, and
5. Being quicker to remove people from the team when they have lost too much skin.

Your thoughts, as always, are welcome.

*****

A thought leader in the arena of leadership and employee engagement, Bill Catlette is a seminar leader, keynote speaker, and executive coach. He helps individuals and organizations improve business outcomes by having a focused, engaged, capably led workforce. For more information about Bill, his partner Richard Hadden, and their work, please visit their website at www.contentedcows.com, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ContentedCows

We answer 10 questions, dealing with topics such as forced ranking, performance evaluations, generational differences, and even “weisure” – the mixing of work and leisure. I’ve enjoyed my fellow panelists’ responses, learning from their varying perspectives, and feeling really good on those occasions when we’re in agreement.

I really like the architecture of the Raging Debates site. You can easily see what every panelist has said on any topic, or what any panelist said about every topic.

Anyway, check it out. Comment. Interact with the site. Enjoy. And learn.

Thanks, Halogen!

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Richard Hadden (twitter at http://twitter.com/rehadden) is a leadership speaker, author, and consultant who helps organizations improve their business results by creating a great place to work. He and Bill are the authors of the new book Contented Cows MOOve Faster, as well as the acclaimed business classic Contented Cows Give Better Milk. Learn more about them and their work at ContentedCows.com.

The reason is that we do a fair amount of the same stuff ourselves. In a 17 year career as an HR manager/executive, I seldom saw a terminated employee with sub-par performance reviews, but I’ve seen lots of problem employees transferred over and over, rather than having someone man-up and deal with the issue. Likewise, I’ve seen hundreds of people sent to training or executive coaching by a gutless manager who silently hopes that they will somehow come back fixed.

My hope is that, if anything good can come from the Ft. Hood episode, it might serve as a reminder of the bad things that can happen inside any organization when problems are allowed to fester, or are swept under the rug.

*****

A thought leader in the arena of leadership and employee engagement, Bill Catlette is a seminar leader, keynote speaker, and executive coach. He helps individuals and organizations improve business outcomes by having a focused, engaged, capably led workforce. For more information about Bill, his partner Richard Hadden, and their work, please visit their website at www.contentedcows.com, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ContentedCows

In 800 words or less:

1. What is your 1st move?
2. How do you restore  the involved unit to peak operating condition? Do you continue with their planned deployment to a war zone?
3. What systemic (service-wide) moves do you make, if any?
4. How do you deter this from happening again?

Difficult, isn’t it? Send your answers to Bill@ContentedCows.com. The author of the most thoughtful answer will win a copy of our next book, Rebooting Leadership (due out, Spring ’10).

*****

A thought leader in the arena of leadership and employee engagement, Bill Catlette is a seminar leader, keynote speaker, and executive coach. He helps individuals and organizations improve business outcomes by having a focused, engaged, capably led workforce. For more information about Bill, his partner Richard Hadden, and their work, please visit their website at www.contentedcows.com, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ContentedCows