Lady Liberty – A Symbol of Teamwork

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The Statue of Liberty by Scott Voland (8/16/14)My wife and I recently returned from a weekend vacation in New York City. I’ve visited a couple of times before to attend conferences, so I really enjoyed this opportunity to see the city through the eyes of a tourist. We mapped out a few places we wanted to eat and some attractions we wanted to visit and, of course, Susan had some shopping in mind as well.

One of the attractions we made a point to see was the Statue of Liberty. I’ve always been amazed by large-scale works of art such as this. And pictures just don’t do it justice. You have to see Lady Liberty first-hand to really appreciate her.

Did you know that the statue was a gift from France? It was first conceived of in 1870 by the politician Édouard René de Laboulaye and sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. They hoped that by honoring the United States’ advances in the name of freedom and liberty, the citizens of France would be inspired to move toward democracy themselves. Bartholdi traveled to America to gain support for the idea. President Grant quickly agreed to the gift and Bartholdi returned to France to begin the work.

Bartholdi’s design called for building the statue in sections that would be shipped across the Atlantic and assembled on site. French citizens donated to the project and as sections were completed, they were displayed at fairs and other exhibitions. The statue was completed in 1884 and fully assembled in Paris. It was presented to the U.S. Ambassador and the French government agreed to pay for its trip to New York.

But the Statue of Liberty almost never made it to America.

Under the original proposal, The United States would finance the design and building of a pedestal for the statue to stand upon. The American government, however, proved reluctant to donate to the effort. The Governor of New York, Grover Cleveland, vetoed a bill to provide half the cost. Democratic representatives stalled a congressional bill to fund the full project. The pedestal, initially designed to be 114 feet tall, was reduced to 89 feet in order to reduce the cost.

Still, the statue sat in Paris for almost a year before sufficient funds were collected to complete the pedestal. It took a grass-roots campaign by newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer (does that name ring a bell?) to generate enough interest to move the project forward. Eventually, sufficient work had been completed for the statue to be moved to New York. It was finally unveiled in place on October 28, 1886. Now President Grover Cleveland presided over the city’s first ticker-tape parade as part of the festivities and the Statue of Liberty began welcoming immigrants seeking a new beginning in America.

I find it interesting that people, and organizations, so often fight against clearly beneficial opportunities. The Statue of Liberty would obviously serve as a symbol of America’s success to the rest of the world, and yet Congress refused to allocate the necessary resources. It would bring recognition and tourism revenue to the City of New York, but the funding bill was rejected. And keep in mind – the statue was a gift! All we had to pay for was a display stand. I wonder what the French thought of us at that point.

As is the story of America, the people stepped up. The pedestal was paid for by 120,000 individual donations from ordinary people. Pulitzer published the names of every single donor, and 80% of the donations were of less than $1 each. The team pulled together and accomplished what seemingly couldn’t be done.

What opportunities are you missing out on right now? What great work is being held up by infighting, someone’s desire to maintain the status quo, or fear of failure? What if your team actually pulled together? What could the sum of their many individual efforts, focused on a common cause, accomplish? Something amazing, I bet.

A Community of Service

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RosetoOn the eastern edge of Pennsylvania, about 15 minutes from the Delaware River and the state of New Jersey, lies the small town of Roseto. It was founded in the late 1800’s by Italian immigrants who settled to work in the local slate quarries. Roseto would go largely unnoticed until 1961, when a chance meeting between two doctors catapulted the town into the spotlight.

Dr. Stewart Wolf, a cardiologist and Head of Medicine at the University of Oklahoma, had just delivered a presentation on trends in heart disease and heart attacks. Roseto’s resident physician was in the audience and approached Dr. Wolf with a shocking observation. Heart disease rates in Roseto were half the national average. Furthermore, he could not recall a single instance of heart attack within the high-risk 55-64 age group during the past decade.

After additional discussion over a few beers, Dr. Wolf knew a more thorough investigation was needed. He and a team traveled to Roseto and began a multi-year study of the town’s inhabitants. A study of death certificates for the prior 30 years confirmed the doctor’s statement. Incredibly, Rosetans displayed an odd resistance to heart-related illnesses. Other communities located just minutes away looked statistically identical to the rest of the United States. What could possibly account for the uncharacteristically good health of this group?

First Dr. Wolf looked at diet. But that wasn’t the answer. Rosetans ate traditional, high-cholesterol Italian foods. Sausages, salami, and meatballs were all fried in lard, and coupled with hard and soft cheeses. “Fat-free” was nowhere to be found. They also drank wine with every meal.

Next, Wolf studied their work conditions. The men, always the most at-risk for heart attack, worked long, hard days in the quarry. They came home coughing from the dust and chemicals used in the mining process. At home, they relaxed with old-style, unfiltered cigars. Aside form the work in the mines, there was no standard of exercise.

For years, Dr. Wolf and his team scrutinized every aspect of life in Roseto, trying to account for the unusually healthy inhabitants. Nothing about their diet, working conditions, or even the environment provided a clue. Then one day, he looked beyond the physical attributes of the town and turned his attention to the intangible.

Families were close-knit. Townspeople favored local businesses over larger retailers in nearby towns. There was virtually no division based on wealth. Neighbors knew each other and came to each other’s aid. Stress was virtually nonexistent.

Roseto had no crime. Zero.

In fact, everywhere he looked, Wolf saw townspeople helping each other. Rather than occupying themselves with their own gain, Rosetans seemed to be keenly focused on helping each other. No one in the town was a stranger. No one felt alone.

And a thought occurred to Dr. Wolf. A strong sense of community breeds healthy individuals. People become stronger and healthier when they band together for the common good. A community built on service will thrive despite overwhelming obstacles.

Sadly, change came to Roseto. By 1970, the strong sense of community had eroded. Young people left to pursue careers elsewhere. Outside influences changed the socio-economic makeup of the town. Fences and country clubs began to appear. Rosetans started to look and act just like people everywhere else. In 1971, the Roseto saw its first heart attack under the age of 45. Today, the town’s rate of heart disease looks just like anyone else’s.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

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Trailer AxlesRemember the movie “Ghostbusters?” What about the theme song, written by Ray Parker, Jr.? Well believe it or not, the movie is 30 years old – I’ve had the song stuck in my head for a few days thanks to an unfortunate accident.

I was towing a smoker to a group camp out. Approximately 15 minutes from my destination, I glanced in my rear-view mirror and saw black smoke pouring from the back of the trailer. It seems one of the axles had cracked, causing the tire to cant inward and rub against the inner fender well. The smoking was the result of the tire melting from the friction.

I quickly pulled over and, after letting the wheel cool down, jacked up the rear of the trailer to get a better look at the axle. However, as soon as the weight shifted, the axle snapped in two. I guess I was lucky. Had the axle broken at 70 miles per hour, my weekend could have taken a particularly nasty turn.

But there I was, stranded on the side of the road. The trailer was too heavy to pull on only one axle and, try as I might, I couldn’t bind the broken one to the frame well enough to keep the tires straight so I could limp into town. I sat inside the truck to cool off and think. This problem was bigger than I could solve on my own. So I asked myself “Who ya gonna call?”

A lot of our customers ask themselves the same question. Every day, people in our communities find themselves in a variety of situations with no easy way out. They need a friend. They need an advocate. They need an expert (or at least another brain to help them determine the next course of action). In short, they need someone who will answer when they call. That’s where you come in.

You know, it’s easy to become jaded about the work you do day-in and day-out. It’s easy to get cynical and bored and apathetic. After all, answering the same old questions and dealing with the same old issues becomes a chore after a while. So it’s no wonder we grow weary of the daily grind. It’s no wonder we sigh and roll our eyes when yet another customer calls with the same question we’ve answered 100 times already today. That’s what happens when the job becomes routine.

But it’s not routine to the customer.

The same situation that’s a no-brainer to you is a gut-wrenching crisis for your customer. The decision that needs to be made is an easy one for you, but it’s monumental for them. And even though you’ve answered the same question 100 times today, it’s the first time your customer has had to ask. In order to provide the best possible service to your customer, you have to take off your shoes and put on theirs. Because its only after you understand what your customer is feeling that you can truly begin to serve them.

I got lucky. The first friend I called immediately dropped what he was doing and came to help. And he didn’t show up alone. Three other guys came with him. Each one of them knows what it’s like to be stranded, praying someone will come and help you out of the jamb. Together we were able to develop a plan to fix the smoker and salvage the weekend. The next time I’m in trouble on the road, I know who I’m going to call.

What about your customer? Who are they going to call when the next crisis hits?

What it Takes to Win

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Tour de FranceHenri had a problem.

Sales of L’Auto, his daily newspaper devoted to sports, were slow. He’d started the paper in 1900 to compete with France’s largest sports paper, Le Vélo. But after almost three years, circulation hovered around 25,000, far lowered than desired. Henri wanted to not only compete with his rival, but dominate them. So he called an emergency meeting of the paper’s staff. They needed an idea – something big that would cement their legacy as the country’s premier sports authority.

The answer, suggested by a young writer focused on rugby and cycling, was a race. The paper would sponsor a six day, multi-stage bicycle race around France; creating an event grander than anything seen before. The proposal was quickly adopted. As plans for the race progressed, it grew to 19 days. Six just wasn’t enough to attract the kind of attention L’Auto needed. Unfortunately though, this put the race at out of the reach of many would-be participants. By the time it started on July 1, 1903, there were less than 100 registered racers.

However, while the field of competitors was small, the race attracted hoards of avid cycling fans. L’Auto’s circulation immediately jumped to over 65,000. The race became an annual event and circulation continued to grow. By 1923 over 500,000 copies were being sold each day. As luck would have it, the paper was eventually shut down in 1946, having been associated with Nazi influences during the Second World War.

But the race continued.

Today, the Tour de France consists of 21 day-long segments covering approximately 2,200 miles over 23 days. It is generally considered the most prestigious multi-stage bicycle race despite the grueling schedule (there are only two scheduled rest days). While the route changes each year, participants are guaranteed to encounter steep uphill climbs, unpredictable weather and a variety of road hazards. Every day, veterans and rookies compete to be the first overcome the physical demands of the race and don the yellow jersey (a nod to the yellow paper L’Auto was printed on).

Winning the Tour de France is complicated. It’s more like a game of chess than a race. In addition to physical performance and high tech gear, it involves strategy, teamwork and a great deal of patience. There are times when you give it your all and times when you sit back and let others lead. It involves sacrifice for the sake of the team and a steady stream of communication between teammates and even other riders.

In many ways, winning the Tour de France is like winning in business. There are periods of preparation and planning followed by periods of intense activity. There are times when the best strategy is to lay low and times when those who want to win leave everything they have on the road in pursuit of the goal.

Winning is hard. It isn’t for the weak of mind or spirit. It isn’t for those who take the easy way out. Winning is for those who are willing to sacrifice in order to stand on the podium. That’s why so few ever do.

What does it take to win your particular race?

 

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.

The Sacrifice of Service

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american-flag-1Like many businesses across the United States, we are closed today in observance of Memorial Day. This holiday serves to commemorate the men and women who died while serving in our nation’s armed forces. However you utilize this time off, please take a moment to pay your respects to those Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Serving has always been about sacrifice. Whether its serving your country, your customers, or your employees; real service is more than just a job. Sure, you may be paid to work in a service occupation. You may serve out of obligation. You may even be forced to serve against your will (my kids would nod their heads vigorously at this point); but that’s not what service is about.

The word “servise” first entered the English language in the early 1100’s it referred to a public celebration of worship or an act of homage to God or a guest. So service is something we extend to someone else in order to honor them. As service providers, we should place the one being served in a position above our own. We’re supposed to serve from the heart.

Somewhere along the way, our culture began to view serving as an obligation rather than a choice. We’ve replaced the idea of service with the concept of servitude. Is it any wonder that good service is hard to find?

What if we made a conscious decision to return to the true meaning of service? What if each and every one of us reading this decided to approach service as an act of homage and celebration vs. a job? What kind of impact would that have on our business? What kind of impact would that have on us?

The men and women we honor today gave their all in pursuit of service. Should you and I really be expected to give anything less? Let’s agree to honor them by honoring each other. Happy Memorial Day.

Winning Against the Odds

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battle-of-pueblaThey were outmanned and outgunned, but the Mexican troops made up for the lack of numbers and firepower with grit and determination. An expensive civil war had left Mexico in debt to Britain, Spain and France. But shortly after the war ended, Mexico was forced to suspend repayments in order to rebuild their infrastructure. This didn’t make their benefactors happy and now the French were coming to either collect or take over.

After suffering heavy casualties, the Mexican Commander General, Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, withdrew his army to Puebla. The small town was still heavily fortified, having survived the civil war, and Zaragoza’s troops immediately began additional preparations, digging trenches to connect the two hill-top forts sitting just north. When the French force of 8,000 infantry and cavalry arrived on the fifth of May, 1862, they assumed their victory would be swift. The inferior Mexican garrison of only 4,000 men now had no way to retreat.

 But when a show of arms failed to intimidate the Mexican troops, the French attacked. They foolishly expended most of their ammunition in an initial, ill-timed advance and quickly ran out. They were surprised by the strong showing put forth by the Mexican army, who spilled out of the forts and fought hand-to-hand on the hillside between them. After three infantry advances the French retreated, having lost more than five times as many men as their underestimated foes. Today, El Dia de la Batalia de Puebla (The Day of the Battle of Puebla) is known simply as Cinco de Mayo, and serves as a reminder of the power of determination and teamwork against overwhelming odds.

Sometimes it’s easy to lose hope when faced with a foe who seems to have everything working in their favor. The competition can seem too organized, prepared and well-funded. But history is full of stories illustrating the power of the underdog. Those who most desire to win the day often find that their own creativity and ability to pull together are all they need.

Who’s your biggest competition?

What advantages do they have over you?

How can your team overcome the competition despite their apparent advantage?

The Power of Positive Feedback

Posted on by Scott

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?

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?

Once In A Blue Moon

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Tonight’s full moon is a Blue Moon – not because it’s blue, but because it’s the second full moon in a given month. Because blue moons only occur once every 2.7 years or so, they are relatively rare. Even rarer are full moons that actually appear to have a bluish tint. This typically occurs when dust or smoke refracts light in such a way that the blue spectrum is most prominent.

The phrase “once in a blue moon” entered the English lexicon as a way of describing an event which happens rarely. While some events are prized because they are rare, some things need to happen more frequently to be truly valued. Exercising frequently is obviously more beneficial than occasional spurts of exertion. Ongoing home maintenance is less costly than massive repair projects.

And certain leadership actions have greater impact when performed regularly. Here are 10 easy things you can do as a leader that will have a tremendous effect on those around you.

1. Challenge someone with a project outside of their comfort zone.
2. Encourage someone who’s feeling discouraged after a letdown.
3. Coach someone who’s struggling to improve an aspect of their performance.
4. Recognize someone for their recent achievement.
5. Thank someone who’s helped you out of a bind.
6. Tell someone how important their job is to the team and your customers.
7. Apologize for something you messed up.
8. Ask someone about their professional goal and how you can help them achieve it.
9. Share an article, book or other resource related to someone’s area of responsibility.
10. Spend time brainstorming with people about possibilities that don’t exist yet.

Effective leadership involves building relationships. And you can’t build relationships if your interactions with other people are superficial and random. I promise that if you make an effort to engage with people on a deeper level as indicated by these suggestions you’ll find yourself connecting – and leading – in ways you never thought possible.

The next blue moon will take place on July 31, 2015. Where will you have taken your leadership skills by then?