Walking the Tightrope

Posted on by Scott

Karl WallendaLast week, I wrote about Jean Francois Blondin, the first person to walk a tightrope across Niagara Falls. As I thought about his story this week, I was reminded of another famous tightrope artist – Karl Wallenda. He and his family, known as the “Flying Wallendas,” were famous for their trapeze and tightrope routines. Their signature act was walking the tightrope as a team – stacked on top of each other in a pyramid.

Karl was not only the leader of the Wallenda clan; he was a daring individual tightrope walker as well. He was known for performing high above the ground without a safety net. He felt the net gave him an excuse to be less than perfect. He knew that the key to a successful walk lay in keeping his focus on his goal at the other end of the rope, not on what could happen if he fell. Falling was simply not an option for Karl Wallenda.

Wallenda used to perform shows where he’d walk across a tightrope stretched between two buildings. His last stunt occurred in Puerto Rico and involved a walk between the city’s two tallest buildings. But something was different this time. Wallenda overheard some people talking about another tightrope walker who had recently fallen and he began to focus on that. He began to worry about what could go wrong and on the day of the stunt was preoccupied with checking the ropes.

Halfway across the rope, Wallenda lost his balance and fell to his death.

When leaders start focusing on what they have to lose versus what they have to gain, the only direction they can go is down. The result may not be physically deadly, but the consequences are still dire. Projects stagnate, innovation dies, and communication stops. Forward progress comes to a halt as everyone either adopts the leader’s myopic focus or opts out.

To move forward, you have to look ahead, not down. You can’t blaze new ground if you’re busy building fences. You can’t WOW your customers or employees if you’re worried about the potential downside.

I’m not saying you should be reckless. You can’t ignore obvious dangers. But there’s a balance that needs to be achieved. No great achievement is without risk. But nothing great is ever achieved without it.

Climbing Into the Wheelbarrow

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Jean BlondinIn 1859, Jean Francois Blondin became the first man to walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. As the crowd watched, he stopped halfway, sat down, and pulled up a bottle from the water below. After refreshing himself with a drink he stood and executed a back somersault before walking the rest of the way across.

In later stunts, Blondin walked across the falls blindfolded, in a sack, rode a bicycle, walked across with his hands and feet in cuffs, on stilts, and even carried his manager across on his back. Once, he even stopped in the middle to cook and eat an omelet. With each crossing, the crowds grew in expectation of his latest amazing stunt.

Then came the day when Blondin walked across the falls pushing a wheelbarrow. As he finished the walk, he addressed the crowd of 25,000 people. “Who here thinks I can walk across with someone sitting in the wheelbarrow?” The crowd exploded into cheers and applause. But when Blondin asked for a volunteer, the crowd fell silent. Finally, after a few tension-filled moments, one man quietly stepped out of the crowd and climbed into the wheelbarrow.

This is a story about three types of people. The first is the tightrope walker – the innovator. Many dream of playing this role – the one with the big idea who achieves fame by turning conventional thinking upside down. The notion of being the next Steve Jobs is attractive and the world definitely needs those people. We need individuals who raise the bar and blaze new trails. But people with the skill, daring, and resources to fill this role are few and far between.

The second role in this story is the crowd. Most people are content to be part of the crowd. They cheer on the innovator, watching in awe as he introduces radical new concepts. They buy tickets and watch the show from the sidelines.

What the world needs is more volunteers – people who make the decision to step out of the crowd and become part of the larger story. It’s a scary move. Think about the volunteer who stepped into Blondin’s wheelbarrow. What if things had gone wrong? Now, admittedly most risks we take aren’t life threatening. Typically the things that hold us back are embarrassment, fear of failure, apathy and even resentment.

But without the volunteer in the wheelbarrow, there’d be no story. Successful innovation requires people willing to play a supportive role. It requires members of the team who can participate without necessarily taking on the lead role. When people are willing to lead by following they allow great things to happen. Besides, the best view of Niagara Falls that day was from the wheelbarrow.

Doctor’s Orders

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Andrew ScrubsI recently read that 80% of U.S. adults do not meet federal recommendations for aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening exercise. In other words, they’re out of shape. Sadly, I’m one of them.

Now, before you get the wrong idea; I’m not a total couch potato. I spend a lot of time outdoors through my involvement with the Boy Scouts. In fact, my son Alex and I are about to leave town for a two week backpacking trip in the mountains of northern New Mexico. But unfortunately, I don’t get out as often as I’d like (or need) to. And the closest I get to regular aerobic exercise is watching “The Biggest Loser” with a bowl of ice cream in my lap.

I’m not happy with the way I look or feel – haven’t been in a long time. Just like most of the other people making up the 80% in the opening statistic, I know what to do. I’ve just lacked the motivation to do anything about it. Sometimes I ask myself “What will it take for me to change? Perhaps if a doctor were to deliver some bad news, it would inspire me to get serious.” Well last month I got my wish.

One minute, I was conducting a webinar. The next, I was doubled over in pain. It got worse and worse until I finally went to the local walk-in clinic. After a number of tests and a trip to the emergency room for a CT scan, I was diagnosed with kidney stones. I was treated with intravenous fluids and pain medication. If you know anything about kidney stones, you know they’re not life-threatening, but cause a great deal of pain. Furthermore, they can be symptomatic of larger health problems.

My doctor shared that I was at risk for additional kidney stones and suggested I make some changes in my diet and level of activity. Nothing he suggested was new to me. But thanks to the pain I’d just gone through, I committed myself to acting differently going forward. I’ve been drinking more water, watching what I eat and moving more – not rocket science; just simple actions I’ve known about all along.

Sometimes we have to receive some bad news before we make even the most simple changes. Operational tweaks, management priorities, even basic acts of customer service – they’re all easy to ignore, overlook or put off. But in the face of negative feedback, the basics take on a renewed sense of importance.

Earlier this year, I helped an organization develop a set of Customer Experience Standards. The standards outline basic expectations regarding how customers and coworkers are to be treated. Nothing included is revolutionary. In fact, most of the document is common sense – many employees even complained about the simplistic nature of the contents. As a result, some chose to ignore them or assumed they were covered.

About a month ago, they introduced a customer feedback survey and the results began pouring in. As you can imagine, some of the feedback was negative. Time will tell if the pain of negative feedback is enough to finally motivate them to action.

How do you react to bad news?

To Believe or Not To Believe

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PinocchioAs a former advertiser, I love a good commercial. One of the more popular ones currently playing is from Geico. The commercial features Pinocchio as a motivational speaker. If you haven’t managed to see this one, you can catch it on YouTube. I think they got Pinocchio spot on – the look, the voice, everything.

This commercial is funny, but the more I watch it, the sadder it appears. Watch it again, this time focusing on the man Pinocchio speaks to. This poor guy has come to a motivational seminar looking for validation of his self-worth.

As Pinocchio proclaims the presence of “potential” in the room, the man begins to feel a rising sense of purpose. When Pinocchio points him out specifically, saying “You have potential,” the man’s face breaks into a huge grin.

Then Pinocchio’s nose begins to grow.

In an instant, our friend in the audience has his confidence shattered. His face falls as he realizes Pinocchio doesn’t see value in him at all. And because the authority in the room sees no potential in him, he adopts the same belief.

Words are powerful. You’ve heard that “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” The words of a leader, however, carry more weight than the average person’s. Those in charge have the power to make someone’s day – or ruin it – with just a few words.

Even more important than the words a leader says is the belief behind them. Sometimes the right words are said, but they’re not meant. A compliment, delivered insincerely, is the worst kind of insult.

You see, as a leader; you are always leading – either building people up or tearing them down. People need leadership. Every single one of us needs someone to point out the goal, provide direction, and give feedback.  And we all follow the example of the leader. Whatever feelings we derive from our interaction with them, we pass on to others -coworkers, customers, even family members.

Leadership is a noble calling. But it is not something to be taken lightly. What kind of leadership are you providing? How do people feel after a typical interaction with you? How does your leadership impact the service your team provides to others?

The Topic Managers Hate to Talk About

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imageThis week I’m in Austin meeting with a group of managers about a new training series I’ve developed for them and their employees. The goal of the series is to introduce some basic sales and service skills to an organization that has historically been very operationally-focused. Eleven frontline managers have agreed to participate in the pilot program and provide feedback on the material before rolling it out to the rest of the company.

Yesterday, we spent the day talking about performance management and the role of the manager in the development of an employee’s skill set. It was very fulfilling to see a group of people get excited about playing an active role in the growth of their team members. Everyone was engaged and the discussion was lively.

About half-way through the workshop though, the atmosphere in the room changed dramatically. A room full of enthusiastic, talkative people suddenly went silent; and it was my fault. I killed the mood by uttering a single word – “accountability.”

We’d started the day by talking about the unique role a person’s manager plays in their development. We spent a good deal of time talking about strategic planning, goal-setting and performance assessments against identified skills and behaviors. And then, after walking through a process for creating individual development plans, I said “it’s time to talk about accountability.”

Admittedly, I wasn’t surprised by the reluctance to discuss this topic. Accountability is a problem for most organizations. That’s because they feel like accountability is a negative thing. But the truth is, most employees feel better when an environment of accountability exists. It allows everyone to play by the same set of rules. It removes feelings of animosity and resentment that result from people being treated differently.

Managers dislike accountability because they equate it with confrontation. However, in the right context, accountability isn’t confrontational or even difficult. It occurs naturally.

I define accountability as the application of truth and consequences. When a manager commits to being honest with an employee about their behavior and applying natural consequences as a result of that behavior, accountability exists. Issues arise when the manager ignores the truth and/or fails to apply the appropriate consequence.

Consequences can be either positive or negative. Praise, for instance, is a positive consequence. Counseling and redirection are negative consequences.

We naturally move toward things that cause us positive feelings and away from those that cause negative ones. What happens when you praise someone for a job well done? They seek to recreate the positive feeling they received as a result of the praise and repeat the behavior. When you counsel someone regarding behavior contrary to what is desired, they feel uncomfortable and seek to avoid a repeat of the negative consequence.

So what happens when you fail to hold someone accountable for undesirable behavior? You get more of it. That’s because behavior that may be undesirable to you or the organization may be desirable to the employee. Inactivity, procrastination and producing sloppy work are undesirable behaviors, but they may be more desirable to the employee than the effort required to perform to expectations. In the absence of accountability – an honest appraisal coupled with an appropriate consequence – they seek to repeat the preferred behavior. So you get a repeated less-than-stellar results.

Anytime a manager tells me about a problem employee they have, one of the first things I tell them is “You will receive an abundance of what you praise or tolerate. You have to hold them accountable for their actions.” The keys to establishing a culture of accountability are as follows:

1. As soon as possible following the observed behavior, provide an honest assessment to the employee. Tell them want you observed and what was good or bad about it.

2. Apply an appropriate consequence. Praise/reward them for positive behavior. Correct/discipline them for undesirable behavior.

3. Make sure they walk away with an understanding of your expectation and support for continued (if desirable) or altered (if undesirable) behavior.

During yesterday’s workshop, I walked the managers through some simple ways to begin building a culture of accountability. As they became more comfortable with the idea of positive consequences as a balance to the negative aspect of accountability, the energy returned to the room. Pretty soon, we had segued into a discussion of recognition and incentives – two components of performance management that work best when a foundation of accountability exists.

As difficult as it is to discuss the topic of accountability, The hard part still lies ahead. They still have to follow through, but I’m looking forward to seeing what changes begin to take place as these leaders begin to address this important aspect of their role. Of course, I’ll be checking back in with them from time to time, just to hold them accountable.

New Year’s Resolutions for Leaders

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Fuochi d'artificioIt’s only the day after Christmas, but many people are already looking ahead to the new year – and their new year’s resolutions. Some of my friends have sworn off making resolutions, preferring instead to identify a personal challenge or two. Personally, I don’t see the difference. Regardless of what you call it, the idea is to identify one or more goals you commit to working toward during the next year.

Of course, many will settle on some version of the “Big 3” resolutions:
1. Eat Better
2. Exercise More
3. Lose Weight.

Resolutions aren’t just for transforming your body. The start of a new year is a great time to focus on developing good habits that will help transform your organization. Here’s my take on a trio of resolutions – consider them challenges – for you in 2013. I’ll use the same three resolutions likely at the top of your personal list.

1. Eat Better. It’s been said that you are what you eat. And just as ingesting healthier food will do your body good, the proper mental diet can improve your thinking and decision making. Resolve this year to read, watch and listen to material that helps you become a better leader. Subscribe to trade publications and newsletters to help you stay on top of the latest trends in your industry and few others. Invest in some audio books or podcasts from recognized thought leaders. Signup up for webinars and check out free You Tube videos that show you how to master new skills. A steady stream of the right thoughts and information will fuel your efforts to lead your organization to new heights this year.

2. Exercise more. Just like most resolutions, many organizational efforts die in the planning stage. Some suffer from a lack of resources, while others die due to a lack of true commitment. But most, in my experience fail because there’s a lack of accountability for true results. Make 2013 the year you actually get things done. Focus your efforts by turning ideas into specific action items with owners and deadlines. Teams work better when every member understands the goal, has a clearly defined role to play and is held accountable for following through on their assignments.

3. Lose weight. A of of us carry around extra weight – weight that prevents us from moving as quickly as we could or doing the things we should. Organizations carry some unhealthy weight too. Outdated or cumbersome policies can stifle progress toward meaningful objectives. So seek out and eliminate red tape that does more harm than good. A good place to start would be policy that inhibits free communication, timely customer service, or employee creativity.

New Year’s resolutions are notoriously difficult to keep. That’s probably because we tend to bite off more than we can chew. You can’t reverse a lifetime of bad habits overnight. So improve your chances of success by making small changes. Set two or three small goals for yourself – things that are easy to achieve, but meaningful. The boost you get will help propel you into the next one.

I’m excited about what 2013 has to offer. I hope you are too. Happy New Year!

Managers vs. Leaders

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business boxingWhat’s the difference between a manager and a leader? Here are a few ideas.

Managers seek to organize and standardize.
Leaders seek to grow and innovate.

Managers focus on processes.
Leaders focus on potential.

Managers try to find the right answers.
Leaders try to ask the right questions.

Managers rely on policies to control the business.
Leaders rely on people to transform the business.

Managers ask “What do we stand to lose?”
Leaders ask “What do we stand to gain?”

The Power of Positive Feedback

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This morning my phone rang on the way in to the office. It was my wife. Her first words made my heart sink. “I just got a call from Abby’s Principal.” Instantly I assumed the worst – either my daughter is hurt or in trouble. Parents rarely get good news from the school principal.

But it was good news. A new student had transferred in and Abby had taken it upon herself to befriend her and make her feel welcome – showing her around and introducing her to a circle of friends. The new student’s first few days of school, understandably full of anxiety, had been made wonderful. The parents couldn’t say enough about how grateful they were and the principal wanted us to know.

Obviously I’m proud. As I hung up the phone, I pictured the scene that will likely take place as my wife tells Abby what her principal had to say. I can already see the smile on her face and the pep in her step that she always gets when she receives a pat on the back. And her behavior, which isn’t bad to begin with, will ratchet up a few notches for several days.

Come to think of it, we’re all like Abby. We all like to hear good news, especially when it’s about us. Receiving positive feedback for something you’ve done can turn an average afternoon into a great one. I know that a single positive word regarding one of my projects can significantly affect my mood long after the event has passed.

From a leadership perspective, I’ve noticed three key benefits from the positive feedback I give to members of my team.

1. Morale improves. Something magical happens to a person’s attitude when you pay them a compliment. It’s amazing how many times I’ve given someone a bit of positive feedback only to have them say “Wow. You just made my day.” For some reason, our human tendency is to focus on the negative aspects of work. Telling someone “thank you” followed by a sincere explanation of your gratitude, is often enough to break the cycle of negative thought.

I believe that most people genuinely want to produce good work. The problem is, they never get any feedback to indicate their work is, indeed, good. They hear about what’s wrong, missing or late. As a result, the average employee focuses on staying out of trouble (a negative outlook) rather than on producing good (or even great) work.

2. People reciprocate. Any time I give my daughter some positive feedback, I get some in return. If I thank her for cleaning her room and brag about how great it looks, she thanks me for helping her with her homework. In addition, I’ve noticed that positive feedback I give to one of my children results in positive feedback they give to someone else. So not only do I get to enjoy the boost from reciprocal back-patting, the rest of the family does too.

This phenomenon also plays out at the office. Recognizing one team member’s contribution to a project almost always results in their recognition of someone else’s effort. From the outside it must look like a mini love-fest with everyone thanking and congratulating each other on a job well done. But the psychological impact of just a little positive reinforcement is often enough to lift the whole team. It’s like a wildfire – light a match and pretty soon the place is burning with pride.

3. Team productivity goes up. Long ago I realized the potential of positive feedback to produce better work from an individual. Recognize someone’s effort toward a successful project ”A” and watch how much better project “B” turns out. It’s like a little productivity switch gets pushed into overdrive. I’ve even noticed this effect on my own psyche. When someone says “thank you” it makes me feel great. And it makes me want to work harder in order to get more of that great feeling.

You’ve probably heard that praise should be given in public while corrective actions should always be done privately. One of the reasons behind this is because the feelings underlying your feedback (positive or negative) get transmitted to everyone around – not just the person receiving the feedback. So people who witness a coworker receiving kudos for their efforts instinctively begin to act in ways they perceive will result in getting their share of the praise.

For years I’ve said “You will receive an abundance of what you praise or tolerate.” I honestly believe positive feedback is one of the most powerful tools at a leader’s disposal. Unfortunately, positive feedback is difficult for most people. Like most skills, you have to work at it in order to get good at it. Thankfully, the reward is well worth the effort.

I’ll bet you can think of someone in your organization that could use some positive feedback. Imagine the good that you’ll receive when you stop reading this article and go deliver it. In fact, why don’t you go do it right now?

Legacy

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Alfred’s favorite school subject was science. He especially loved chemistry and, like most boys, was drawn to combinations of chemicals that resulted in explosions.

As an adult, Alfred continued his fascination with volatile chemicals. After studying chemistry for a few years, he invented a detonator. This was soon followed by the first blasting cap and a safe mixture of nitroglycerin that he called “dynamite.” He envisioned a world where his innovations were used to improve mining operations and for the development of transportation systems.

But many saw a darker side to Alfred’s inventions. He was dogged in the press following a series of accidents at his factories – one of them killing five employees including his younger brother. Dynamite developed a reputation as a force of destruction rather than good. Undeterred, Alfred pushed on with his production of explosive materials, going on to develop safer, easier to handle materials.

But another brother died in 1888. This time, it had nothing to do with Alfred’s explosives. However, a French newspaper published Alfred’s obituary by mistake. The review of his life’s work was scathing. Alfred was labeled the “Merchant of Death” and credited with “finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before.”

Seeing his accomplishments depicted in these terms made Alfred think about the legacy he would eventually leave behind. Uncomfortable with the idea of going down in history as “The Merchant of Death,” he decided to take steps to ensure his name would be associated with progress rather than destruction.

So Alfred Nobel rewrote his will, dedicating the vast majority of his fortune to the establishment of a series of annual awards recognizing achievements that positively impact mankind. In 1901, the first prizes were awarded for significant advances in the areas of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. Today the Nobel Prize is universally regarded as the most prestigious recognition one can receive in these fields.

How will you be remembered?

What legacy will live on after your time on earth is finished?

What steps should you be taking now to preserve your legacy for future generations?

The Power of Mission

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On July 21st 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human being to walk on the moon. Most of the people reading to this weren’t even born when this happened and don’t understand the significance of the event. They don’t remember the grainy TV pictures or the excitement in the air as people around the world listened to Armstrong declare “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

And it was a giant leap. Just eight years earlier, President Kennedy had presented the challenge of placing a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Almost before the words had escaped his lips the skeptics appeared. It’s a waste of time. It’s too expensive. It’s too dangerous. It’s impossible.

But for those who believed, the challenge became a mission. They dedicated themselves to seeing the dream become a reality. Some made the ultimate sacrifice for the mission; men like Ed White, the first American to walk in space who later died in a launch pad fire along with fellow astronauts Virgil Grissom and Roger Chaffee.

However, most of those involved were mission specialists and controllers, men and women operating behind the scenes, each playing some small part in accomplishing the mission even though they themselves would never personally experience gazing back at the planet Earth from the surface of the moon. It was the combination of hundreds and thousands of contributions that led ultimately to Armstrong’s moonwalk. Without everyone playing their part, it never would have happened.

Sometimes it’s hard for people to see how their small contribution fits into the overall mission. It’s the job of the leader to help them see it. Leaders have to “connect the dots” so that everyone understands how important they are to achieving the larger goal. It’s not enough to just delegate tasks. You have to paint the “big picture” in order to draw people in.

Does everyone on your team understand the mission?
Do they each understand their role in achieving that goal?
What will you do today to help connect the dots?