Cracking the Code

Posted on by Scott

letters-3403152_640In November of 1990, a new sculpture titled “Kryptos” was installed on the grounds of CIA headquarters in Langley. Created by artist Jim Sanborn, the 12 block of copper is covered with 1,800 characters carved in four sections. Each section is written in a different code and, together, they form a riddle. It took eight years for the first three section to be decoded. Despite attempts by the CIA, NSA, and others around the world – not to mention a handful of clues provided by the artist – the fourth code has yet to be cracked. And it’s only 97 characters long.

I guess some puzzles are just really hard to solve.

Most of us aren’t analysts with the government, nor do we have sophisticated computer systems at our fingertips that can run decryption algorithms; but we still have riddles to solve. We wrestle with personal puzzles like “How do I lose weight?” or “Why can’t I seem to get motivated?” In the workplace we struggle to crack the codes of leadership, performance, and growth strategy.

And we struggle with these things despite the abundance of clues at our disposal. Type the word leadership into Google’s search engine for example, and you’ll find:

178,000,000 news articles

1,160,000,000 videos

4,210,000,000 total results

Shouldn’t we have cracked the leadership code by now? (For what it’s worth, I asked Google that exact question and got 10,800,000 answers.) Maybe some codes just aren’t meant to be cracked. Perhaps in some cases, the struggle is the point.

What if the fight to become a better leader is what actually makes you better?

What if the struggle to improve my performance is what causes my performance to improve?

What if wrestling with growing the business is what actually results in sustained growth?

I was talking with a friend about the issues he was having some members of his team. He threw up his hands and asked “Why does it all have to be so difficult?” (Google has 1,110,000,000 answers to that question by the way.) I think the real answer is “because it has to be.” The struggle is what makes us better. If “it” – whatever your “it” is – was easy, everyone would be doing it.

So keep fighting. Keep working on the puzzle. Keep trying to crack the code. Know that the attempt itself is what matters. Google doesn’t have the answer because the question is the answer.

Jim Sanborn says the answer to his sculpture/code/riddle is on a piece of paper locked in a safe deposit box. Should someone claim to have figured it out, he stands ready to open the box and verify that their work has paid off. I’m starting to wonder if there’s anything written on that piece of paper at all.

Behind Closed Doors

Posted on by Scott

Over the weekend I ran into a former coworker, Greg. It’s been close to 20 years since we worked together, and we spent several minutes catching up. We talked about our current work situations, gave family updates, and laughed about the old times. We eventually parted ways, promising to do a better job of keeping in touch.

As I went about the rest of my day, I couldn’t help but recall some of the projects and conversations we’d had during our tenure at the same employer. There was one incident though that my mind kept going back to. It’s the same one that always pops up when I think of Greg. It was the time his office door went missing.

Our CEO at the time believed strongly that managers should be available whenever the team needed them. As a result, he expected that we follow an “open-door” policy. Whenever possible, the doors to our offices were to remain open. It served as a conspicuous signal that any employee was welcome to speak to any member of management at any time.

The problem was that Greg liked to close his door. He didn’t want to be interrupted while he was working. He said he needed to focus in order to do his best work. So while the rest of us kept our doors open most of the time, Greg’s was typically closed; much to the ire of our CEO. So one day, Greg came in to find the door to his office had been removed.

Glenn Geher, a professor of psychology at the State University of New York at New Paltz, says that closing your office door too often sends negative signals to the rest of the team. It shuts people out, making them feel excluded or unworthy of your attention. At a minimum, it communicates an unwillingness to engage with others. Closing the door is a silent social cue about your approachability.

Obviously, there are legitimate times when the door should to be closed.

  • You’re having a confidential conversation with another associate.
  • You need to take a private or sensitive phone call.
  • You need an hour or so to focus and finish up some time-sensitive work.

However, these should be rare occurrences. If your door is always closed, there may be larger issues that need to be addressed. Besides, think of what you’re missing.

  • You’re missing out on the chance to hear new ideas from other member of the team. When you shut the door, you communicate that you are not interested in anything outside the scope of your current focus.
  • You’re missing out on the opportunity to coach others. When you shut the door, others learn to seek out coworkers who are more receptive to sharing ideas.
  • You’re missing out on the little, seemingly inconsequential conversations that inevitably pop up from time to time throughout the day. When you shut the door, the team decides to move on without you.

Geher suggests using the door sparingly. Communicate the occasional desire to close your door for some quiet. Everyone understands the need for some distraction-free work. But let your default be an open door. Don’t watch through the glass as the team moves on without you.

Leading Questions

Posted on by Scott

questions-2212771__340Leaders ask questions.

Leading managers ask questions to help them guide the team to grow.

Leading service providers ask questions to help them solve customer problems.

Leading salespeople ask questions to help them meet unspoken needs.

We should all be asking more (and better) questions, but we don’t. They may enter our mind, but we stop short of actually asking because we’re afraid – afraid that people will get upset with us for prying into places we don’t belong. We’re afraid of coming across as pushy or nosy or a busybody.

Here’s a news flash – you won’t.

As a leader, my team expects me to ask questions – how else can I lead them effectively?

As a service provider, my customer expects me to ask questions – how else can I serve them properly?

As a salesperson, my prospects expect me to ask questions – how else can I propose meaningful solutions?

Asking questions is an expected behavior. Think about the last time you went to the doctor. Did they ask you about your symptoms? Of course they did. They also asked about your exercise habits, your diet, and your family history.

Talk about being nosy. But did you take offense? No. Because you know that in order to do the best job they can for you, they have to ask questions. You’d be crazy to trust any doctor who started prescribing a course of treatment without first doing a bit of fact-finding.

Why is your business any different?

If you’re not asking questions, you’re simply not doing your job very well. Your team is heading in the wrong direction. Your customers are confused. Your sales are below goal.

Now let me suggest that you ask yourself a question or two. Are you ready for a change? Are you ready to turn things around? Are you ready to take control and make the second half of 2019 the start of a new era?

Are you ready to lead?

Let’s get curious, and in the process we’ll become better bosses, customer advocates, and even better salespeople. Let’s ask more questions and see where the answers can take us.

What Time is It?

Posted on by Scott

pocket-watch-3156771_640What if you could do away with deadlines, appointments, and alarms? What if you could do what you want, when you want to do it? Would you be more productive since you’d be able to focus energy on the truly important things? Or would your output plummet, giving way to procrastination?

That’s the question facing the 350 residents of Sommaroy. The Norwegian island, located within the Arctic Circle experiences constant daylight between May 18th and July 26th. Locals have petitioned for the abolishment of time during this period – and it looks like the local parliament may actually go for it.

The campaign’s leader, Kjell Ove Hveding feels a resolution would only formalize what most of the islanders already practice. They work when they want, and rest as needed. If the sun is out at 4 am and the grass needs to be cut, why wait? “All over the world,” he said “people are characterized by stress and depression. In many cases this can be linked to the feeling of being trapped by the clock.”

While throwing away our clocks and watches may seem like a beautiful dream, it’s one most of us can ill afford. We live in a society ruled by deadlines – most of them externally imposed. The work we engage in at any given moment is determined by someone else’s priorities. That may be our boss, a customer, or even a coworker who is dependent on receiving something from us before their own work can be completed.

We’re engaged in a constant struggle between the work that should get done and the work that must get done. We keep to-do lists that only seem to get longer and work extra hours in an attempt to keep our heads above water. We promise ourselves that “tomorrow” we’ll get organized and figure out how to get everything done without losing our sanity. In the meantime, we turn away from more desirable and more meaningful projects because we “don’t have time.”

The thing is, we do have time. That is, we all have the same amount of time. No one has more than 24 hours in a day, so how is it that some people seem to get so much more accomplished? How can a coworker, someone who logs the same number of hours in the office, manage to get so much more done?

That’s the question time management gurus have been trying to answer for years. There’s no end to the number of calendars and apps and methodologies that profess to tell you how best to manage your time. In the end though, cracking the time management code is pretty easy. It comes down to two basic decisions: what to work on, and how best to get it done.

How you prioritize your workload is a function of urgency and impact. The more urgent a task, as a result of a deadline or demand from a superior, the sooner it must be attended to. The greater the impact, on performance, reputation, or the bottom line, the sooner it should be attended to.

How the work is performed then becomes the issue. Do you delegate the task? Do you outsource it? Or do you tackle it yourself? Leaders understand that it’s impossible to be effective and handle everything on their own. They seek a balance; handing off what can effectively be done by others while keeping only what they must carry.

Prioritization and delegation: two of the most important tools in a leader’s toolkit. Eliminating the clock is unlikely to happen anytime soon. Maybe it’s time we learned to master it.

Listening to Your Gut

Posted on by Scott

embassy-935558_640Last month, a Pittsburgh woman (her name has not been released), discovered an abusive ex-boyfriend hiding in her attic. She lived in the house with her two daughters and began to notice small things out of place. She thought about calling the police, but thought she would sound crazy for reporting a “blanket in my basement.” On April 20th though, she heard a noise upstairs and went to investigate.

That’s when she discovered the man who had taken up residence at least three weeks earlier. Her ex had violated a restraining order and had no business being on the property. There was a confrontation, she escaped, and he was ultimately arrested. He said he simply wanted a place to stay and was tired of being homeless. In hindsight, the woman said she wished that she’d acted on her instincts when she first noticed something was wrong.

I wish I had a dime for every time I’ve ignored my instincts only to find out I’d have been better off acting at the first sign of something amiss. The consequences have never been as potentially dangerous as with this story, but the lesson is still there. I could have saved myself a lot of time, effort, and worry simply by acting earlier.

My own intuition has clued me in to potential dangers as well as possible opportunities. In some cases, I followed up and either avoided a fall or been rewarded for capitalizing on my gut instinct. At other times, I’ve ignored the warning signs and suffered or missed out because of my failure to respond.

Of course, not all hunches are correct. You can’t always just trust your gut. A rational person will dig a little deeper, look for evidence, and see if the gut feeling pans out. Smart people listen to what their gut is telling them and investigate further. They allow their intuition to guide their rational thought and the decisions they ultimately make.

Gerd Gigerenzer of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, and author of Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious, says that intuition involves understanding what bits of information to use and what can be discarded. Throughout the day, your subconscious mind connects what you’re experiencing to things that have happened in the past. If something feels odd or seems out of place, it’s because it doesn’t mesh with what past experience has told you is normal.

So think about those gut feelings you get at work – those little voices whispering in your ear. “What we’re doing isn’t working.” “I think my team member needs some help.” I really should spend more time on this aspect of my job.” “I think there’s an opportunity here.” Then, take a minute to test those feelings.

  • Look for patterns. Is there empirical support for what your intuition is telling you?
  • Be honest. Allow facts and reasoning, rather than raw emotions to guide your actions.
  • Stay on target. Remind yourself of your true mission – what you’re really here to accomplish. Make sure your next steps move you in that direction.

We all have so many inputs to juggle, so many demands on our time to prioritize. It can be difficult to discern which messages we should pay attention to and which we should ignore. We have to discipline ourselves so that our intuition acts in our favor. It should be a guide – a series of signposts that keep us on track.

What’s your gut telling you today?

Be the Spark

Posted on by Scott

fire-549103_640As far back as 577 AD, primitive matches were used to start fires in China. In 1805, Jean Chancel developed the first self-igniting match. His required dipping the match head into sulfuric acid though, and never really caught on. Like so many great ideas, the common friction match was discovered by accident. English chemist John Walker was testing different chemical mixtures, dropped a match on his hearth, and was delighted when it lit upon being struck.

Today, matches generally come in two varieties. The most common is the safety match. In order to light it, the match head must be rubbed against a specially coated striking surface. The friction combines the chemicals from the two elements and ignites the match. They’re called safety matches because you must have a particular set of circumstances in place for them to work. You need the match and a specific companion surface upon which to rub it.

Less common is the strike-anywhere match. Here, all the chemicals necessary for combustion are located within the match itself. All you have to do is apply friction. Just rub the match against a dry, abrasive surface and it will light. This resource is potentially more dangerous. It’s also, in my opinion, much more valuable. That’s why I also prefer strike-anywhere leaders.

I know, here I go again – using a random factoid to illustrate important concepts about leadership, sales, and customer service. But stay with me here. Let me contrast the two types and just see if you don’t make the connection.

Safety Leaders

Strike-Anywhere Leaders
  • Contain some of the elements necessary to succeed, wait for the perfect circumstances to act
  • Show up ready to work and looking for a chance to make an impact
  • Can only operate within a particular set of conditions
  • Self-starting – operate regardless of the environment they find themselves in
  • Fail to spark when rubbed the wrong way
  • Burst into action given the chance
  • View rough patches as problems to be avoided
  • Rise to any challenge presented
  • Have little impact on most they encounter
  • Light a fire in those they come in contact with
  • Only useful in specific situations
  • Add value in any situation

The purpose of a match is to create a spark. In and of themselves, they provide little light and no heat. The value of a match lies in its ability to create something bigger. It’s a catalyst for change; change that continues long after the match itself is removed from the equation.

That’s why I like the strike-anywhere matches. I know I can count on them to light when needed. They don’t sit around waiting for the stars to align perfectly in order to be of use.

That’s also why I try to be a strike-anywhere leader. Who knows when, or if, the perfect set of circumstances will come into play? The people around me need someone who is ready to go at any time and any circumstance. My customers and coworkers need to know they can depend on me to fulfill my purpose in any setting.

What about you? What kind of match are you willing to be?

The Three-Legged Leader

Posted on by Scott

shoes-2060519_640Some of my favorite memories from childhood revolve around Field Day. Each spring, as the weather began to warm up, officials at my elementary school would announce a date for the event and the entire student body would erupt in cheers. Field Day meant class was cancelled so that everyone could spend the day outside competing in a variety of games. There were individual events like the 50-yard dash and the egg race. I preferred the team competitions, though. I would scramble to find just the right partners in order to sign up for relays, the wheelbarrow race, and my favorite – the three-legged race.

The three-legged race always included a number of spectacular wipe outs. You’d think the most athletic kids would have a leg up in this event (pardon my pun), but they didn’t. Typically, it was their overconfidence that did them in. They would always get off to fast start, sneak a glance back at the rest of us, and then trip over their own feet. In an instant they went from front-runners to speed bumps.

Winning a three-legged race isn’t about physical prowess. It’s about strategy, teamwork, and leadership. Focusing on the same techniques can help us overcome stronger competitors in the world of business. You don’t have to be the biggest, the fastest, or the most experienced to be successful. You just need to be a three-legged leader.

Start by choosing the right partner and tying yourselves together tightly. In a three-legged race, you want someone who’s about the same height and weight as you so that your movements are coordinated. Too much of a mismatch and you’ll have a hard time finding a rhythm. Tie your legs together at the ankle and again just below the knee. Make sure your legs are together; avoid a loose connection because too much independent movement will quickly send you on different trajectories.

As a three-legged leader, choose teammates who share the same goals, instincts, and work ethic. Take time to get this right, and identify strategies that align people with in ways that complement each other. Teams win when teams work together.

Each three-legged race team needs a leader; someone who will dictate the strategy. Which leg do we start with – the tied one, or the free one? The leader is the one who monitors the competition and looks for obstacles. They may even call out a cadence to ensure both parties are operating at the same speed. The person who leads this particular race may be different than the leader for other competitions. It depends on who is best suited for the circumstance.

As a three-legged leader, identify the team member with the skills, experience, and drive necessary for a particular initiative. This means you will have to step back into a support role, following their lead in order to position the team for victory. The best leaders understand when it’s time to let someone else take point.

Communication plays a big part in a three-legged race. Any team-based effort does. If the pace is too fast or too slow for one, then both need to adjust. Encouragement is essential, as is a healthy dose of fun. No one likes being part of a team where the only communication is derision and blame.

Three-legged leaders understand that when a team is having fun, they’re more likely to succeed. They encourage team members to communicate freely. A healthy team involves plenty of debate, discovery, and evaluation. All of this is done within a culture that promotes team success above individual achievement. When the team wins, everyone wins.

Try a little three-legged leadership and see how far your team can go.

Nothing But Net

Posted on by Scott

basket-801708_640Sports have always provided excellent metaphors for success, and at this time of year college basketball takes center stage. Here in Lubbock, we’re celebrating the new NCAA Division II Women’s National Champions (Lubbock Christian University’s Lady Chaparrals), and the first trip ever to the Division I Final Four for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Obviously, basketball fever is running high in West Texas.

The road to any championship includes numerous stories of personal adversity and team achievement. It’s one of the reasons I enjoy playoff seasons and even the Olympics. There’s always someone who defies the odds. There’s always a team that shouldn’t be on the leaderboard. Underdogs make for compelling television; but when it comes to winning, they share many traits in common with the perennial top seeds.

It starts with strategy. Winning teams begin with a roster of talented players and a leader – a coach – who knows how to maximize their abilities. After building a team with the desired skill set, a strategy is formed. A style of play is developed and communicated. Assignments are given out and expectations are set. Goals are established and progress is measured. Does your team have a comprehensive, written strategy?

A strategy requires discipline. Every player accepts and embraces their role. Skills are honed and expanded. Teammates come to rely on each other and trust that each is doing their part for the team’s success. The coach promotes a culture of accountability. Mistakes are made, but every eye is on the prize and no one slacks off. Ability grows. Does each member of your team approach their role with discipline?

That discipline allows for flexibility. With the basics securely in place, teams gain the flexibility to change things up as necessary. They can adapt to different opponents and circumstances. They ramp up intensity when needed to overcome unforeseen obstacles they encounter. They begin experimenting with new strategies knowing that the fundamentals aren’t in question. Has your team developed the ability to shift as needed to address unexpected change?

In short order the 2019 NCAA championships will be over, but that doesn’t mean the work will end. Even now, most teams are analyzing the data from their season and revisiting their strategic plans. They’re looking to recruit new talent and identifying skills that need to be improved. There’s no time for looking back, because the future lies ahead. Winners are always moving forward, eyes focused on the next play.

A Slap in the Face

Posted on by Scott

child-1099770_640With March Madness in full swing, much of the country has basketball fever. Television schedules have been adjusted to account for viewership pulled to the college games, and other sports take a back seat this time every year. For those who aren’t fans of basketball, it can be hard to find something other than reruns to watch.

Or maybe not.

I’ve stumbled across a new sport that offers a little bit of everything. There’s drama, suspense, and hard-hitting action…literally. The sport in question is competitive slapping. That’s right, grown men have made a sport out of slapping each other. Last weekend in the Russian town of Krasnoyarsk, Vasily Pelmen (a 370-pound walk-on competitor nicknamed “Dumpling”) decimated the competition as part of the Siberian Power Show. He walked away with a purse of 30,000 rubles – the equivalent of $470.

The rules of the contest are simple. Two men face each other across a small table. They take turns delivering an open-handed slap to the other’s face. The contest continues until one of them cannot continue or the judge calls the match out of safety. Even though they can clearly see the slap coming, many of the competitors I saw on video were knocked off their feet by a blow from their opponent. They clearly weren’t prepared for what was coming.

Workplace slaps to the face rarely come with physical contact, but they can still sting; and they usually involve communication issues. Last-minute demands, surprise assignments, and sudden changes to strategy – they hurt, but can be avoided with a little forethought. Here are some tips to help keep you and your teammates from getting knocked out.

Look across the table. Today’s businesses can’t succeed without teamwork. Individuals and business units alike must consider others who may be impacted by their work. Look beyond your role in the project. Who else plays a part in the process? Who will pick up where you leave off? Think in terms of all who will be affected, even far down the road, so that you avoid blindsiding someone.

Plan your strike. Before you communicate, think about how your words will be received. Ask others to help you anticipate reactions from those on the receiving end. Who will be excited by it? Who will be disappointed, or surprised? Take some time to choose your words so that teammates are set up for success, not reeling from shock.

Expect the unexpected. No amount of planning will eliminate the occasional surprise. How we respond to surprise news is important. Understand that you will occasionally be caught off guard. Do your best to stay connected with other parts of the organization to minimize surprises when they occur. Stay on top of your regularly-assigned work duties so that you can more easily absorb unexpected demands. And if you happen to be the one delivering the surprise, be ready for the inevitable reaction.

A slap to the face may be fun to watch; but nobody wants to be on the receiving end, even if it does come with a title and prize money. The real reward lies in being part of a smoothly operating team. Up your communication game and leave the red, stinging face to Dumpling and his buddies.

Turning a Blind Eye

Posted on by Scott

telescope-971430_640During the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, part of the French Revolutionary War, British Naval forces descended on Denmark. The intent was to prevent the Danish fleet from joining with ships from Russia, Sweden, and Denmark. Britain maintained a superior navy, but a newly formed alliance of these four countries, called the League of Armed Neutrality, would threaten that position and negatively impact Britain’s ability to negotiate favorable trade agreements. By decimating Denmark’s contingent of ships, Britain would stave off a potential threat.

The fleet arrived on March 30th under the command of Admiral Hyde Parker and his second-in-command Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson. Parker had a reputation as a cautious strategist and moved slowly, in stark contrast to Nelson; a man who preferred quick, decisive action. Nelson’s exploits had made him a war hero, and he remained a highly trusted officer, despite having been blinded in one eye during one of his earlier battles.

The British found the Danish fleet well prepared for their arrival thanks to Parker’s delay. They had moored their ships just off the cost, creating a defensive wall which would prevent any single ship from being targeted. The arrangement of ships in the harbor allowed their forts, armed with twice the guns of a typical ship, to join in the battle as well. In addition, this allowed for supplies and repairs to be coordinated from land without fear of attack.

It was decided that Nelson would lead the attack on April 2nd with 12 ships. These were smaller, and more maneuverable in the shallower water, but less heavily armed. Parker would command the heavier ships in deeper water preventing any Danish allies who might arrive from cutting off retreat. He would also engage the forts and other land defenses with his more formidable artillery.

Almost before the battle began though, three of Nelson’s ships ran aground. Without charts of the area, they had only last-minute soundings to gauge the depth of the channel. There was no time to regroup though as Danish forces began firing. Soon, Nelson’s ships were fully engaged and by 1 pm the battle was in raging all along the line.

Outside the channel, Admiral Parker could see little. The smoke made it difficult to tell what was going on, though he could see flag signals from the three grounded ships. Given Nelson’s depleted fleet, the lack of visibility to the front, and his inherently cautious nature, Parker ordered his flag captain to signal retreat at 1:30 pm.

However, retreating at this point in the battle would have exposed Nelson to heavy fire and would undoubtedly been disastrous. Informed of Parker’s order, Nelson turned to his own flag captain, Thomas Foley, and said “You know Foley, I only have one eye – I have the right to be blind sometimes.” He then raised his own telescope to his blind eye, saying “I really do not see the signal,” and continued the attack. By 2 pm, The Danish were defeated.

Nelson had triumphed, and in the process provided us with a commonly used idiom. Today, we use the phrase “turning a blind eye” when describing someone who ignores undesirable information.