State of the Union – My Take

Jan25
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

I am not one for writing about political matters, as it is one of those hot topics that is normally best left to the political experts. I am just your average US citizen. I like to think that I am informed, but I know that I am not as informed as I should be. I watched President Obama’s State of the Union address last night. The President laid out how he wanted to address the topics that we all think are important. I am not going to debate what  each point was or where I stand on it… I have my views and they are mine. Not going to share them. You have your opinions as well… Those are not the point of this post… The point is going to be my observation of what I heard and saw during the address to the nation.

When I heard – most Americans feel that Washington is broken. Well, that is my opinion. I don’t care which side of the liberal or conservative beliefs you are on… The fact is Washington is broken. There is no what that anyone is going to get anything really done in the current way Washington is working today. When the President was talking to the very simplest ideas of how things could be better. We all got to see that many stood and applauded and others sat and did nothing. There were a lot of examples of this. For me, I wanted to know where my Congressional folks were sitting and to see if they were in support or just sitting idly on their soft spot.  Why? Would let me know if my elected officials were doing the job that “I” want them to do. I was someone sickened by the way the display of the Congress is showing support for making America better.

How I am going to make it better? Well, that is a tough one – as I am only one person. I believe that actions have to start somewhere. I believe that I need to do something on my part to make where I live a better place. I owe it to my kids, grand kids and the future that comes. Back to my question, how am I going to make it better!

  • I have to first educate myself better on the overall reality of what I hear. I know that there is more ways to report out statistics and facts can get shifted a bit. I need to understand reality. I need to know more! Time to be an informed voter…
  • Understand how my elected representatives are doing with their voices and voting on those important topics. I need to see who is doing what, by their actions.  Asking the all important question, “are they acting on my behalf or their own?”
  • When it is time to vote… VOTE. The only way my actions are going to be heard is by voting. Doing my homework on the candidates, their past actions, promises that they make (and have kept) and the stance on “my beliefs”. I am only one vote, but if we all get out their and do our part, then change can happen.
  • Get involved… Spend time meeting with or corresponding with your elected officials. Time for them to hear my voice… If I think they are doing a good job on something – let them know. If I think they are off base – let them know (with options).

I hope to never witness a sight like I saw last night. When we see the party lines being drawn in a State of the Union address. Has this been going on forever? Yes, but it is time to stop. The President used an analogy to the US soldiers and how they must work together to accomplish their mission – or it will fail and people could get killed. He was trying to call out each branch of government on this. We are at a crisis level on almost everything – it is time to really work together to insure that America is the best it can be.

So, I am putting on notice to all of my elected officials: I am going to learn more, review your performance and let you know my thoughts. You want to stay working for me – you better be doing what is in my best interest (I am just like every other 98% of America).

Step up or get out of the way…

Photo: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

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Setting Expectations – How Far?

Jan24
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

The other day, I asked a group of “new” managers, “what is the basic thing or task that you need to do for your employees?” The overwhelming favorite was setting expectations. Why is that? It is almost always the first thing that is taught to managers. You have to provide direction to your employees and the best way to do that is setting goals and expectations. They seemed to listen to that lesson well… What if you were to take it a look at expectations a bit further? Would you see the minimum set needed to be successful? How high of expectations do you give? We all have employees that go much further than the stated expectations. Those could be your raising stars. Do you set higher expectations for them? Do you tell them those expectations? If so, do you tell the other employees as well?  Draws out that do you provide a sliding scale of expectations?

For me, those questions are tough to answer. Why? Couple of things come to mind right off the top. First, when you lay everything out in a nice neat package, you may lose the creativity of those high performing stars on your team. They will not have the freedom to stretch on their own. I have worked in two types of rewards systems. Merit systems would struggle with setting up the higher expectations and having everyone or almost everyone meet those expectations you have set out. You would be basically telling the team here are the expectations, but at the end of year we will not be able to reward all the same. The other was a flat time in grade system. This system sets you have to be in grade for a minimum timeframe before promotion. Depending on where you fall is more important than what you have done (for the most part). As an employee, I wanted to know how I could move up and be extremely successful. Almost all of the employees I have managed wanted the same.

From experience,  I have had managers that have communicated the exceeding expectations set and others that would not. For those that would not, I would simply ask, “Describe what that may look like?” The answers were all over the place. I did get what was felt an honest answer, “I’ll know it when I see it.” When you stop and really think about that you have two simple thoughts. The manager has not clue would probably be the first thing that pops in… Think some. I took it as if I truly want to be a high performer, I have the door open as to what that means. I can do whatever I think is right (of course, within some set of rules) and make it happen. Stand out and be seen! Raising my value (to myself, my team and organization).

What would you do? Those “new” managers really struggled with this question. From the experienced crowd – what would you really do

Photo from: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

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Change… Really?

Jan20
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

I have listened to many a sermon (well, maybe just a call to action) from the leader of an organization that started out the year with a “New year, need for change – an organizational change…” How many times have you seen the new organizational charts come out with some shuffling of the decks, or “new” folks coming in? The call is for organizational change… Can that really happen? My honest opinion is “no!” No matter what you do to shuffle the deck or add a new person to the organizational chart will do nothing. What does it take for “real” organization change? Think about that for  a minute. I think we all have ideas about that. Well, here is my take…

Look at yourself: If you want change you have to be the first one to step up and make the change that you want. How many times have you watched the leader say, “we need to change and here is where I think we need to go”? This is the one area that we can learn from those that have failed in the past. I really feel that the change starts at the top. I used to tell my team, “hold me totally accountable. If I am failing, tell me!” Step up and lead.

It is a two way street: Make sure that you are making it more than just a powerpoint presentation. Have open and honest communications with your team. I know we all have seen the nice slides and gotten some charge out of them, but when you want to go deeper, there was nothing deeper. Make sure you have open lines of communications.

Make that change – obtainable: It is easy to look at something that is so far out there. We all like to have visions of grandeur, but please be realistic. Make sure that everything that you want is something that CAN happen…

Get the troops involved: If you really want change, you better figure out how to include your team. Setting expectations is something we all have to do. There is no question about that. It is important how you include your team in that process. The most successful changes that I have witnessed have one thing in common, everyone was standing together around the vision. Start small and encourage them. The rest will follow, especially if you have done the first 3…

Don’t rush the troops: It is always easy to push for results. Be patient, please. Take your time and encourage your folks. Failure is always just around the corner, especially if you rush everyone. Stand firm, but remember that patient is a virtue.

I bet there is always more that one can do to make sure that the change that they want, will happen. From my experience, these are the things that I need to have to look at. Do you have anything to add?

Photo… Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

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Show Your Stuff. How’s The Value?

Jan16
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

What a day Friday the 13th was. I was running around doing stuff! Lot’s of stuff. For most people it is that time of the year for performance appraisal’s. A few folks were discussing the validity of performance appraisals and how to really measure one’s worth. Throw a question out like that and the creative juices start to really flow.

How do you know that you are providing or increasing your worth to the organization? Here is some of that discussion and some additional thoughts from writing this blog post.

  •  Make sure that your work is part of the bottom line. Make money for the company and you will be valued. Think of it as a return on investment. Think of your work and make sure that you are providing an ROI on everything that you offer (time, skills and so on).
  • An oldie but goodie, time is money. Watch your organization and see is everyone valuing time is money? Spend your time wisely. Would you invest 8 hours doing something that you can deliver in less time with the same results? I think of presentations as an example, putting in way too much time putting pretty charts, pictures and words that add no value to your work. We all can spot fluff when we see it. Make sure you are not producing fluff.
  • Only you can sing your praises. This one is a hard one, sing too loudly and you cause harm. For me, I always made the comment that my work should speak for itself. Well, that is not the case. Make sure that your manager understands the effort you put into the job and the results that were produced. It is a delicate balancing act. If you don’t do it, you will lose out…
  • Learn to say “no!” I used to think that “no” was a bad thing. From my many years of experience, most managers love to heap on the work to those that deliver. Getting on that treadmill will have an overall effect on your work. Start missing deadlines or having quality issues – that will have a bigger effect on your value. Only takes a few mistakes to wipe out your hard work.
  • Listen and learn. If you don’t know what you don’t know, then seek out some knowledgeable advice. Do we all really know everything? We all know people that think they know and dance around it. How does that really look? Saying you don’t know now, but will get the knowledge soon, will be valued over dancing on that topic. Most people dance pretty bad.
  • Everyone needs to know sales. Not sales in the sense of selling a product, but you do need to sell yourself. This is not making yourself better than you are. If you are pitching an idea to your organization, you have to be convincing and sound. You have to know how to talk about the overall value, what is needed and defend your ideas with solid research and passion.
  • Have a life! A couple of items come to mind quickly. I have written about vacations that turn out to be working vacations. As a manager, you set an example that your organization will follow (or at least the expectation has been set). You need your time off.. The other one, sometimes is hard to pinpoint. I have learned a valuable lesson since retiring. I am not measured only by my job and my accomplishments. Life is short and there is so much out there. Getting that life will give you lessons that maybe will apply at work. At the very least, the rest will do you good.

There probably are more, we just ran out of time… Do you have any to add? Please share!

Photo Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

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What To Look For – Next Opportunity

Jan10
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

Copyright (c) <a href='http://www.123rf.com'>123RF Stock Photos</a>

As many know, I have been looking for a “second” career. I heard someone use the term that I was semi-retired. I guess that is true. I really am not ready for “real” retirement. I have way too much to give and learn. Not finished by no means. So, I was thinking about what I would be looking for in that next organization or company. Here are my top three things I hope to encounter on my search.

Organizational Culture: Is it defined? Can I get a sense of what the culture is from looking at the organizations website, social media presence or networking with employee’s both present and past? I really want to understand the culture of the organization. It is extremely important to me that I find something that matches up to my skills and passions when I looking for that second career. When I am being interviewed, I also sit and learn from the interviewer. Get a sense of the teams culture within the larger organizations culture. Is it the same? Gives you some questions later on.

Reviewing the hiring process: There is much to be learned from experiencing the hiring process from the beginning. How difficult was it for you to get into the job req system and apply. Nothing worse than getting in and almost submitting to have the system just fail at the end. I know many companies use an automated system for this work. The question that comes to my mind is, “did they pick one that is user friendly, or just not?” Many larger companies may outsource their recruiting process and only pass on the reqs that they feel fit. This sometimes will frustrate job applicants because everything seems to go into cyberspace. When I get passed all that, I usually am observing how everything goes. Is it smooth? Organized? All of the process is the organizations audition for you. Bad experience there, may kick off a bad experience later on.

Respected Leadership: In this day and age, we get information from many different sources. Finding out about the organizations leadership and how they train their future leaders is pretty simple to find. Do some simple searches. What I am looking for is an organization that has some respected leaders in their industry. Look at the vision of the organization, the people that work there and training for those leaders.

Finding information is easy – you just have to look. Using that information and what you know about yourself – well, that is where you can put yourself in the best situation. When I am sitting down doing my due diligence, I am looking at those three factors. It starts with organization research on culture (fit me, go to apply). Apply and the hiring process should allow you the opportunity to audition the organization. Basically answering #2 and #3. Hopefully all works out…

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Book Review: Patriot Hearts by John Furlong

Jan09
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

A couple of weeks ago, a friend gave me this book Patriot Hearts by John Furlong with Gary Mason. She said, when I heard this guy speak and started reading his book, I thought of you and that you would enjoy it. Without question, I did enjoy reading this one. The general overview of the book takes an account of everything from the bid process, to winning the bid, to building and hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. When I was reading this book, I could easily related to much of what John and his team were doing. I grew up just 1 mile (straight across the St. Lawrence River) from the Canadian border. Most of my youth was spent in Canada. When he was talking about the spirit  and Canadian culture – I could easily recall all of that. Since it was about the Winter Olympics, it had plenty of sports references – another passion of mine (especially – hockey). Lastly, my wife and I were in Vancouver in October 2009, just months before the Olympics. We got to see much of the area. All making this book something to draw me in. To pull of something as large as the Olympics is not a small task. To pull of one of the best Olympic games, even tougher. I watched those games… I enjoyed those games as a fan… Even though I am not Canadian, I was still very proud of what was pulled off. I know many Canadians, I grew up very close. I attend my first outdoor rock concert in Ottawa. I watched my first professional hockey and baseball games in Montreal. I drank my first beer (a Canadian Molson’s) on a Canadian island on the St. Lawrence.  I was really pleased with how the country circled around the games as a whole. This book, let you into the stuff behind the scenes.

My key takeaways – from a leadership perceptive – are setting a very grand vision and not settling for anything less. John and the team want these games to make every Canadian proud. To show the world the Canadian spirit. To host the best possible games that they could. At every turn down that journey, there were potential to compromise or change for  political, social or financial reasons. These created opportunities for new and innovative ways to handle them. John and his team did that without losing sight of their vision. Sure, they had to make some sacrifices, but overall the vision and delivery of that did not change. Keep that vision at the forefront of your decision making!

They had their fair share of problems that they needed to deal with. Weather and the unfortunate tragedy with the luge competitor from Georgia. The team dealt with them the best that they could. The opening ceremony had that faulty arm of the cauldron. They turned that around with the closing ceremony. Turning lemons into lemonade. What they did was keep their vision in mind with everything, everyone did.

There is so much more to take from this book, that I did not write about. Examples of great leadership, motivating and problem solving techniques. Read them for yourself.

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Emotions in the Workplace?

Jan05
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

One of the most difficult tasks for a manager is dealing with emotions in the workplace. Partly because the organization as a whole, would like to keep emotions, especially negative ones, out of the workplace. I have worked for managers, VP level folks, that would have us all check our emotions (negative ones) at the door, before we walk in. Just not feasible. We all are feeling people. Whatever you see, hear or touch usually gets a reaction or emotion from you. Good or bad emotions – they all happen. A little story telling now. I happened to be in a senior level meeting, when we were discussing morale within the departments. Many of the works that came out were fear, frustration, anger, and dissatisfaction were used. The VP stopped the discussion and told us, “enough about these emotions, I don’t want to hear about them. You need to get morale up. That is your job, make it happen.” I am not one to sit and not say anything. I lightheartedly said, “Beatings will continue to morale goes up.” Some laughed, others sat quietly. I quickly pointed out that we (the leadership team) needed to validate their emotions. We needed to understand what was at the root of the emotion, rather than ignore them. VP looked at me with anger. I quickly added, that I probably sparked an emotion with those statements. Before you punish, let’s think… Defused situation (I just knew, I was going to get killed).  Emotions are there…

How do you as a manager deal with them? As a manager, at least a good manager, you have to be able to see, hear and help. How do you set this up for your people?

  • You need to develop an open, trusting environment. People have to have the ability to speak freely. With no fear of reprimand. Start with the individuals on the team first, then make sure you take it to the complete team. Start small, then go big.
  • Know you people. Think of the fear emotions… Some folks can deal with it themselves, they “fear” they may fail and they buckle down and do whatever is necessary. Others may shutdown. Recognize what works for each person and get to moving forward quickly.
  • Push through the uncomfortable. Sometimes dealing with emotions can be uncomfortable. It happens. You as the manager need to make sure that you deal with the situation as early as possible to lessen the effect long term. Role play that discuss with a mentor, be honest and push through – you will be surprised at the end of it.
  • Be real and yourself. Slow down.. The first thing that most people do is react. Slow down and think it through first. I know this is a broken record when it comes to be a manager. You have to set the example for your team. All eyes are watching you all the time. Make sure that you are being real. If you are having one of those days (like your folks), acknowledge it with them. Maybe they will have some insight for you! Last time I checked, you managers are people too.
  • Ask others if they are feeling the same way. When in the team setting, go ahead and ask for additional information. Some folks are more vocal than others and sometimes we think it is just them. If you ask, you maybe surprised to see that more folks are in the same boat. Just afraid to speak up first. Once on the table, it can be worked.

Don’t think that emotions are not going to play in your teams. Be ready, be prepared and don’t be afraid. The sooner you confront, acknowledge and validate, the quicker moving forward can happen. All negative emotions can true to a positive, if handled properly. Same is true for positive emotions (passion). If you play that one up too much on your “rising star” – the rest of the team will be deflated or be negative toward that person. This is a very tricky subject, probably why that VP wanted nothing to do with it. You have to deal with it…

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One Year Later

Jan03
2012 2 Comments Written by Steve

Time flies! On this day a year ago, I officially retired and left the building at Intel. When I decided to retire, I was worried about what the future was going to bring and how would life after 28 years at Intel be like… All in all, I have been pretty happy with everything that has been going on. See the Retired Guy Series for the updates…

I got a few questions that I thought I would take some time to write my thoughts on.

1. Are you happy with your decide to retire? Answer: Most definitely! I have had plenty of time to do many things, that I would not have time for, if I was still working. I have done plenty of volunteering! I have done plenty of reading! I have been able to dedicated more time to my family. I have been busier in some areas than if I was still employed.

2. What do you miss most? Answer: The people! I have met a lot of smart and dedicated people over my 28 years. Some of those folks, I stay in contact with even after I have retired. Not to say that I haven’t met some great people in all of my volunteering, because I have. I had built relationships over many years with folks that are all over the globe. I just can’t keep those relationships going as they were. So, I have new relationships that I am building to few that void.

3. What are you plans moving into year 2? Answer: More volunteering and getting back into the workforce. Let’s face it, with my wife working and me not – the dynamic of retirement is not really what I want. So, I have rested for a year. Got healthier! Refocused my priorities! My second career will be a joint relationship… What I mean by that is, the company or organization and myself will be a great fit for each other. I don’t want a job! I want to have a real partnership. Which brings out the best in both of us… I also will not stop volunteering. It has been a very rewarding experience that I want to continue. I will make “time” – that is a promise.

I had a great experience over my work history. I have given plenty to the company, to the organizations that I worked for and the people that I have met along the way. I have gotten plenty back as well. I still feel like that is what I want in the future. I look forward to  what the future holds.

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Top Ten List of My Most Hated Mgmt Terms

Dec30
2011 2 Comments Written by Steve

As 2011 is leaving us, it is time to have certain phrases or words that should leave as well. You know those management terms or sayings that stick with certain people. Think of a weekly meeting or maybe a project review and listen to the terms that you hear… I bet it will not take long for you to find some that just need to stop being used.

Here are those that want to leave 2011:

  1. Transparency… What is that really? If you were trying to figure it out, you would have to be like a spelling bee contestant. “Can I have that in a sentence please?”
  1. Thinking Outside the Box… I know this one has been around for quite sometime, it is definitely time to hang that one out to dry.
  1. Drill Down… This is for the folks that don’t understand the concept at a higher level. Hence you have to drill down for them to understand. Well, as the manager this truly makes you look pretty dumb (at least to your folks).
  1. Reaching Out… The only thing that should reach out is a baby asking to be picked up or hugged. Otherwise, just say, “Get in contact with xxxx.”
  1. Thought Leadership… Let’s not make up terms that just dummy down their overall intent. This one comes across as an oxymoron, just like military intelligence. Sorry – stop it!
  1. Boil the Ocean… Why would you think about boiling the ocean? I think we all understand that the task at hand is going to be difficult – or maybe not (just say – “this is going to be difficult.”)
  1. Going Green… This is one that is fashionable and we all want to seem hip and cool. After the first time, this gets very old.
  1. Internalize… Another one of those that I am sure have been around for a couple of years. Are you asking me to think about it some more? If so, then say that.
  1. Let’s ask out stakeholders community… Maybe it is me, but I have already discussed with those folks in the know and what I am saying is with their comments in mind. Should be part of all discussions that information is gathered before a recommendation is come up. Once a recommendation is ready, no need to ask the stakeholders again. Sorry, waste of time. Or maybe you really don’t trust your folks.. Whichever – stop!
  1. Drink the Kool-aid, Eat Our Own Dog Food… Or anything else that just means we have to try it before we ask others too. So sick of these…

Have any that drive you nuts?

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Retired Guy Series Update: Last One for 2011

Dec29
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

The past month, I have been hit by email updates about what am I up to. Someone actually wrote to say, why no update to the Retired Guy series. I am shocked… I really did not think that people actually read those. At least there are a few. Now is the time to update..

From the personal side:

  • The hip replacement has gone as planned. Everything is healing as expected. The physical therapist is happy with the progress. It is looking like I should be able to get back in the gym within a week or two. Just in time for me to work on getting some of the weight off, from sitting around during the holidays.
  • Thanksgiving and Hanukah went well. Getting together with family and friends is something special every time we do it. Watching the grand daughter’s open up their presents is always a delight. Those faces light up!
  • Holiday and birthday parties. Our house was used for Haley Elementary staff holiday party! The weather sucked that day, by Arizona standards. It was rainy and cold, which took the party to the inside. There were 69 or so folks at this one. My wife did an amazing job! The other party was for my grand daughter, Melia, she turned 3. My daughter decided to use our backyard for their party. Both were awesome events.
  • We are in the middle of some projects at home. House painting (inside) is underway. Since I am not able to really do the painting, I am having some amazing people do the painting. They are doing a very nice job (and they are extremely clean about it).

From my other activities:

  • I continue to take care of the Haley Elementary Facebook page. We are starting to really see some traction from the parents and teachers on using this for events. The calendar is working out great. We continue to add photos as well. The other day, one of the local newspapers started to share our information out.
  • We are in the last couple of days left in 2011 and Az4Education is busy working on getting the last bit of charitable donations by the end of the year. So, if you are in Arizona and what to help a student out – check us out!
  • I continue to look for my “second” career. With the end of the year, I am starting to notice more jobs opening up. Some of them have definitely caught my attention. Submitted a few job applications to those. We will see what happens.
  • Got together with some of my old co-workers. I definitely enjoy meeting up and catching up with those people. They are great friends. We talked about everything under the sun. Some of the topics were No Pants, good times, plans for the future, help needed and just general BS. It was all good stuff.

From the Blog side:

  • I am working on changing the theme. It is time. I have narrowed my choices down. I am deciding between the Thesis or Genesis Themes. Anyone have a preference? Remember, I am a novice at making changes…
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