NOT the Other Guy

Here is a suggestion for a really useful 2009 Resolution: from now on, whenever something happens (that you don’t like), here is a new/different question that you should ask first. And this is an easy resolution to keep because you ask this one question every time, no matter what has happened or regardless of “who did it”. This question never changes.

You ask, “What can I do to improve this situation?”

This is slightly radical because it is the opposite of what we often do, which is to find someone or something else to blame. This resolution offers you the opportunity to create a completely new approach where there is no blame. Just responsibility. And that would be yours. You get to be the one who takes responsibility for finding the solution.

Blaming is historical. Blaming keeps you stuck in the past and stops you from moving forward. This new question works because it is the opposite of blame. This question is completely about the future and what will happen next. This question will free you and your team to find a true solution.

Don’t wait for someone else to do it. Don’t wait for someone else to change their behavior or “get better” or do something differently. When you choose this new perspective of asking “what can I do?” you will see new solutions, new participants and new options. You will feel empowered (sorry for the cliché) because you will be the one to take action. Right away.

In just a few weeks our new President will certainly offer us some inspirational challenges on his inauguration day. But let’s not wait for Barack’s message; instead, let’s look back to JFK. He challenged us to “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”.

It’s corny, I know, but let’s take that message to ourselves and our teams and our businesses this year and “Ask not what your company can do for you, but what you can do for your company”.

Shoe Hurling

I saw some video today of George Bush in Iraq. In the middle of a press conference some nutty (or pissed off) Iraqi journalist threw his shoe at him from the back of the room. And then he threw his other shoe! Wow. It was easily a twenty-foot hurl. My first thought was, “that is truly an old school, basic method of assault”. No technology, no anthrax, no complex scheme. Shoes.

About a minute later someone asked what I “do”. I said, “I do that”.

That guy did two things right. Both totally basic.
First, if his goal was to get everyone’s attention he succeeded.
Next, he used what he had. A basic tool. Nothing fancy.

The Iraqi wacko was on to something. Let's follow his lead. Do something dramatic to get everyone’s attention. One thing that shows you are serious about growing your business next year.

Go to work in a costume. Or meet at a weird location and kidnap your team for the day. Or create a “wow” incentive program where everyone can choose their own reward if they hit their target. Or throw a shoe at your boss. (Symbolically, of course)

Once you have their attention, ask each person for their one “big hairy audacious goal” (BHAG) for 2009. Or, assign everyone a different skill to master by the end of 2009. In sales, ask each seller to a master one sales category.

Get everyone’s attention and focus on the basics.

Annual (?) Reviews

The idea of annual reviews makes no sense. Does an annual review really mean that formal, thoughtful, actionable feedback is provided to an employee once a year? Actually, sadly, it does. Yet, consistent research that says employees crave more frequent and specific feedback. (www.Gallup.com) Even when managers believe they are doing it right, the results clearly show that it needs to get better.

As mayor of New York City in the eighties, Ed Koch was famous for uttering one sentence consistently. Everywhere he went he would ask people, “How am I doing?” Koch said that by asking that question he knew what New Yorkers really thought about his job performance. And the answers to that question made him better.

Do you get consistent and specific feedback from your boss? Your employees? Your peers? How do you know what you are doing well? And not so well? If feedback is not consistent and specific then it doesn’t count. And annual feedback definitely doesn’t count.

The #1 management skill to be developed is the ability to put the right person in the right job. #2 is the ability to help your employees learn and grow. And that happens via consistent and specific feedback.

I offer you a slam dunk guarantee: when you consistently and specifically tell Sally how she is doing many good things will begin to happen:
1. You immediately ensure that Sally is working on the right things.
2. You and/or Sally can create a plan to correct what is not working.
3. You and Sally can find ways to help her utilize her strengths more often that her weaknesses.
4.You can quickly correct what Sally is doing wrong.
5. And most importantly, you will show Sally that you care about her, and that is likely to make Sally care even more about doing a great job.

Spend time consistently – weekly – giving employees specific feedback and performance will improve. It doesn’t matter that you haven’t been doing it. What matters is that you start. And you can start by asking your team, “how am I doing?”