Thoughts of a Young Executive

Common Sense Management

2010-02-15T22:15:00Z

I'm still amazed at how many managers will unwittingly play head games with people who work for them. Notice I said unwittingly.

Most managers don't want to confuse or stress out their employees. They want to be helpful. So, when they have an employee who might need a light touch the manager might soft peddle. There might be subtle suggestions and hints here and there so as to not hurt the employee's feelings, but to the detriment of execution. Over time the manager might not see enough progress. The manager could overcompensate because she thought the issues had been addressed with the employee. Now you have a mad manager and a confused/hurt employee.

As managers we should always tell an employee what the real deal is as clearly as possible. It is when we misuse the art of management to push harder or softer than truly necessary is when we get in trouble. Just be straight up with people without being too cold and we'll all have a better day at work.

Persistently Searching

2009-11-12T03:35:00Z

How curious are you? Do you sit back and let things happen or do you intently watch the world looking for trends and answers to questions?

One of the jobs of an executive is to lean in and pay attention to what is happening in the world. But this doesn't solve problems right away. Sometimes it just creates more questions. Now it's tricky. Do you get discouraged because the questions pile up or does it make you hungrier to find an answer? If you want to be a successful senior exec I hope your stomach rumbles. *

But be careful. What will satisfy is rarely generated internally. Good ideas come from connections you make by exploring texts and talking with others. Sure, you might come up with a great idea once you have enough data points from experiences, reading, or talking to smart people, but don't cheat the search process.

When you are stumped dive into books, articles, and conversations. If the answer eludes you; keep searching. Be persistent. There is another article to read or another person to talk to somewhere. The answer will come in due time, but only if you keep looking.

*This longing or searching is not just about answering business questions. As human beings we are all geared toward longing and searching for the infinite. That rumble in your stomach might not be about business. Unless you spend the time to find out you will never know.

It's about the calories!

2009-09-23T01:37:00Z

Well, at least someone said it. We all know it to be true, but we just want to lie to ourselves I guess. (I'm included in this) If we have a weight problem the thing we must do is eat less calories. Exercise alone doesn't get us to the promised land as shown by this article.

Don't shoot the messenger.

A Healthy Posture

2009-06-26T21:23:00Z

Here is a great article on posture from the Art of Manliness. Makes me sit up a little straighter just thinking about it.

Sick of Transparency Talk

2009-06-26T21:13:00Z

Like any trend, I'm just sick of hearing about the importance of transparency. Not that transparency is bad. It has just reached a point where it is a buzz word.

So, take a look at this article. Makes a good case for when you should be transparent and when you shouldn't.

Healthcare Costs

2009-06-15T16:53:00Z

Here is a crazy trend we learned about a few weeks ago. Just one year into our wellness program, we are seeing a decline in the use of prescription drugs for things like acid reflux. Why is this?

Well, the biggest push in the program is for people to eat healthier/less. It is the most simple and effective thing we can do to improve our health. When people start to eat better they have to rely less on medication to help acid reflux which in turn saves all of us money. (If you eat garbage with extra hot sauce, the likelihood you have acid reflux goes up dramatically. Funny how that works.)

Now, just think about if this same logic is put to use on cholesterol drugs. Some people with a proper diet might actually be able to come off of them. No, this won't work for people with high cholesterol genetically, but why not give it a shot? Worst case scenario is you end up with more energy and being healthier overall.

PS- Here is a great article on how to keep some costs down beyond what I talked about above.

A Bad Economy Can Make People Nicer

2009-05-04T05:00:00Z

Or at least it seems that way if you get rid of a few cancerous individuals in your organization. You know who I'm talking about; the gossips, the whiners, the screamers, etc.

I'm all for saving the decent hard working people who are generally pleasant to work with. Besides, don't we owe it to them to get rid of the jerks who make them less productive and keep the company from being a destination work place?

Seth Godin weighs in here.

Stupid Title

2009-03-25T14:50:00Z

The CEO title sure can squash challenges to an idea. Employees don't want to disagree with me for fear of retribution. Even though I'm not a scary guy (I don't think so, but what do I know?) those three letters on my business card can be. That's why I have to lean on different groups to keep my head on straight; my direct reports, outside advisers, friends, and my wife. For right now, I'll just focus on an outside adviser story.

Yesterday, while at Power Creative in Louisville I was reminded how an outside perspective can bring a CEO humility.

The folks at Power are helping South Central Sound hammer out a brand identity so we don't wander on our marketing message. So, they obviously wanted to hear some of the spots I helped write for South Central Sound over the last year. I knew I was in trouble when one of their team flatly said, "we'll write those from now on".

And there's my dose of humility for the day.

Sure, it doesn't feel good when this happens. Still very necessary. We all need people around us that can burst a balloon or three to keep our feet somewhere near the ground. I just need to surround myself with more than the average person because my title insulates me.

PS - No, they didn't pan all of the spots. Some of them were pretty good. (My writing partner gets the credit for those) The problem with the spots was consistency and not a strong enough direction/theme. Besides, it is really hard to write spots about your own company. You can't read the label if you are inside the bottle.

Save some money

2009-02-23T21:03:00Z

Saving money is all the rage right now. I'm happy to contribute to said rage. Check out 50 tricks for Do It Yourself savings.

Something to Think About

2009-01-25T16:11:00Z

Something to think about.

Not Just For Men

2009-01-14T17:57:00Z

I am fan of the Art of Manliness Blog. The simple goal is for men to be the best they can be. However, this post on being your own man isn't just for men. It's for women too.

The part I especially like deals with having supporters and people who like you. Inherently, they are important, but I had not fully considered the issue in depth before. Here's the gist, but you should read the whole article.

At times we are seduced by so thoroughly being our own person that we trick ourselves into thinking that it is ok if no one likes us. "What do they know anyway, I'm trying to do something great here." This is a trap and flawed.

We should be concerned if no one likes us. It may be a sign we need to modify our behavior because we are so far off base. On the opposite side we shouldn't be deluded that we can get everyone to like us. Coming into the middle from the edges (loved by all vs hated by all) should not be looked at as selling out to the middle; just balancing life.

Tips from T Bucket

2009-01-11T18:22:00Z

If you want some tips on how to survive the recession, I give you T-Bucket. He may be crass, but don't let that scare you.

Cookies and Information

2009-01-08T21:12:00Z

There are two things I crave; cookies and information. Since I have to drop some weight and wanted a cookie, I thought taking a break for some information was better.

Fortunately, a quick web search brought me to Benjamin Franklin's Top 5 Tips for Success. I especially like the one that states there is something more important than being well spoken. Enjoy.

We Can Choose Our Attitude.

2008-12-10T17:58:00Z

Everyone talks about how bad things are, but no one talks about how we can choose to be positive. Well, except this guy. He's right you know.

Now is always a good time to take responsibility for our actions and attitude.

Article on creativity

2008-11-09T23:57:00Z

Great article on creativity from Advertising Age here. Keep the faucet dripping.

Don't react; respond.

2008-11-09T23:40:00Z

As soon as I read this post by Seth Godin I knew it to be true. So hard to do though. Many of us wait for things to hit and then quickly react to them. We don't think about an appropriate response, we jump and wait for the next issue or crisis. The article makes a good case for us to take a moment to think about how we should respond to stimuli instead of reacting emotionally.

This article is much more about business. It has implications for every situation we face during our lives. Enjoy.

Get it Together and Get More Done

2008-11-02T20:32:00Z

We all cave to urgent tasks and end up doing little things that don't matter while the big stuff goes unattended. I'm guilty as anyone. That's why I had to pass on this article about focus and getting things done. We all need a reminder about how to be more efficient in our work.

Venting

2008-09-04T20:16:00Z

You know those days that just kick you in the teeth? People and things just don’t seem to go your way. If one more thing goes wrong you feel like you just might spontaneously combust. Frustrating and maddening isn’t it? Hate those days.

The best way to move on is to just get it off your chest. Take 5 minutes and vent your frustrations. Hey, it takes less time and is a lot cheaper than hanging out with a therapist.

Hold on though. You can’t find the closest person in the hall and dump all of your frustrations and why your cat plots to use the bathroom behind the couch to frustrate you.

Say your piece to your superior/manager and always in private. It isn’t right to make people who are coworkers or people you supervise take the brunt of this. Just because you are having a bad day doesn’t mean you need to bring them down with you. Always vent up. (Yes, managers, this is part of your job.)

Once you feel a little bit better and have it off your chest, move on. Find a way to fix the problem or situation that may have brought you to this point. It is your life and you are responsible for choosing your mood.

Besides, people who don’t want to fix problems and just like to complain are whiners like Statler & Waldorf. Only when Muppets whine is it satirical and funny.

So, when you on the verge of a melt down take 5, vent to your manager, and move on. It will help you get through those days where you just might burst into flames.

Woodshed Kids

2008-09-04T20:12:00Z

“When you have multiple kids, somebody is always in the woodshed”. This is a statement made by my father in response to my moaning about a business unit or person that might not be doing so well.

As a manager you must spend time on the processes/people/problems that aren’t doing what they should. You jump in head first and fight the biggest fire before moving on to the next one. This simple law of the business universe gulps your energy and time.

And while you expend your energy on problems there are those who just keep on trudging along quietly getting things done with very little fan fair. They get little attention because you are too busy handling problems.

John Steinbeck, in his book Travels with Charley, put it this way. “We value virtue but do not discuss it. The honest bookkeeper, the faithful wife, the earnest scholar get little of our attention compared to the embezzler, the tramp, the cheat”.

You know, it doesn’t have to be this way. Those unsung heroes who just seem to handle things without complaining need to know they are valued. They are what hold our business, lives, and families together.

Take some time and tell the honest, the dependable, the hard working, and the caring how much you appreciate them. Yes, the problems must get solved. Just don’t let the good people get away while you deal with the woodshed kids.

Blindspot

2008-09-04T20:00:00Z

Last night a dream took me to a job interview. Not sure what it was for, but the question came up about any blind spots I may have in my management tool bag. It makes sense to me that this would come up in a dream, not because I’m seeking alternative employment, but because it is one of my favorite interview questions.

If it helps you follow along, equate a blind spot to a weakness; an area which you just aren’t that strong.

We all have them, but the question is fun in an interview because it takes you so many directions. The question isn’t one dimensional; what is this person bad at? It brings you so much more. A few examples.

If you look at weakness you can usually see a great strength 180 degrees from it. For me, managing high maintenance yet high productive people is a blind spot. Getting talent to love an idea based on feeling is tough for me. Looking on the other side of the coin you find me being analytical in decisions and trying to find the best solution. Doing something just because I feel like it is out of the question. Therefore you see the strength of reason. (My wife debates this)

You also can find out if a person thinks about how to manage their weakness or if they only focus on managing others. This is a bigger deal than might initially appear. Much of my life has been about reading about management and trying out styles. Many times failure has come my way because my skills didn’t fit the situation or I didn’t realize how my management style caused issues. So, I spend much time thinking about my own actions and not just those who work with me. Never under estimate how much our behavior impacts others.

Further, it is fascinating to hear how people deal with weakness. Do they hide from it? Accept it? Use it as fuel to push forward? It is imperative to hear the explanation. It opens the world to how they solve problems, which is probably one of the most necessary gauges of talent. Besides, having someone demonstrate problem solving is better than reading it as a byline in a canned recommendation.

Can a person admit a blind spot? They know it is there, but can they own up to it. You would be surprised how many times people have said they never took the time to explore their weaknesses. If they can’t demonstrate a thought process around this it makes you wonder how serious they would take employee development if they haven’t thought about their own. Or worse. They think they are perfect.

No, I’m not worried that I gave up secret info about how I interview. Maybe if people read this they will be more prepared for an interview or even use it in life beyond work. (Most things correspond well to both)

Of course, if someone interviewing with me didn’t take the time to find this post, well, we know about one of their blind spots; research.