Taking on the “R” as a Leader

I’ll admit it…I’m a technology nerd.  I enjoy reading about technology news on a daily basis.  Usually, the articles I read are about the latest and greatest gadgets, software updates, etc…  However, lately I’ve been seeing more and more news articles and blog postings about high level executives and developers slinging mud at their competitors. 

Last week, I read an article from Jean-Louis Gassée, a formal Apple executive, assaulting Steve Ballmer, the current CEO of Microsoft, for the recent shakeups at Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices division.  Whether Robbie Bach and J Allard chose to leave Microsoft, or whether they were let go, we may never know.  Jean-Louis went on to blame Steve Ballmer for various problems Microsoft has been facing since Ballmer took the reigns as CEO.

While I don’t entirely agree with his stance, he does mention one thing that makes sense: “Ballmer’s view of executive leadership doesn’t admit standing up and taking responsibility.”  While I doubt Steve Ballmer would agree with that statement, there’s a valuable lesson in this quote.  It’s one which we all know, yet we seem to never remember it on a regular basis. 

If those who report to us as are failing in their duties, it is not just their responsibility, but our own as their leaders, to help them succeed.  Letting our own direct reports fail is a reflection of our failures as leaders.

Think about this:  Are you the type of leader that simply punishes someone for their mistakes, or are you a leader that helps that person work through their issues with proper support and direction?  The leader that constantly punishes people will find that they may soon be “opening the third envelope,” as Jean-Louise mentions.  As for the leader that shares the responsibility with their direct reports, they will find that they’re surrounded with loyal, trusting, hard-working employees.

My own manager calls this “Taking on the “R,”” or in other words, the responsibility.  What will you do this week to take on the “R?” Let’s hear your comments!

2010
06/11
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I Need Help!

So you want to lead now? Then don’t be afraid to ask for help. Up and coming leaders will learn to over come their egos and fears, and ask for help. Listen to Best Selling Business Book author, Ken Blanchard speak to the importance of asking for help in the workplace.

Jason Diamond Arnold

2010
06/07
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Do You Listen or Do You Wait To Talk?

One of my favorite films is Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 classic, Pulp Fiction. I’ve seen it a million times and will probably see it a million more. In my most recent viewing, I locked in on the following exchange between Uma Thurman’s character, Mia Wallace, and John Travolta’s character, Vincent Vega.

Upon meeting for the first time, Mia asks Vincent, “do you listen or do you wait to talk?”

Vincent thinks for a moment and then responds with, “I wait to talk but I’m trying to listen.”

Now ask yourself the same question and be as honest with yourself as Vincent was with Mia. After all, the first step in correcting a problem is to admit you have it in the first place.

Great leaders are great listeners. I know when I have a good manager because I truly feel that I’m being heard. I know when I have a bad manager because my words seem to enter through one ear and immediately travel out the other because he or she is too hung up on their own thoughts or ideas.

If you’re unwilling or unable to listen to your people, you will lose them. It’s alright to have your own agenda, but allow yourself to be open to hearing other thoughts or ideas that may change your mind or even enhance your own viewpoint.

There’s a lot of knowledge out there for the taking if you just take a moment to close your mouth, clear your mind, and listen. Just make sure you soak it up…don’t let it pass you by.

2010
06/04
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Will Smith’s Wisdom

Takes my breath away…

Xoxo Nish

P.S Speak to influence

2010
05/27
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Managing Peak Performers

As both a baseball fan and a not-ready-for-prime-time “expert” on leadership, I’ve been following the Hanley Ramirez story as it has unfolded over the last couple of days. Ramirez is the talented superstar shortstop of the Florida Marlins who was removed from a game earlier this week for not hustling. Ramirez was not at all happy about the decision made by his manager, Fredi Gonzalez. As a result, a very public feud is now playing out in the media. (Click here for more.)

Translation. There was an isolated incident where the manager questioned the effort of his peak performer. The manager’s response to the incident ultimately resulted in a much larger problem affecting not only his relationship with his peak performer, but also affecting their relationships with the other players on the team, their relationships with the rest of the organization, and their relationships with the organization’s clients (or fans). Furthermore, it has opened the door for the competition to inquire about the availability of the organization’s peak performer. While Ramirez’s response to the manager’s decision cannot be condoned, one can reasonably question if this ugly mess of a situation could have been avoided had the manager taken a different approach.

There was a poll today on ESPN where readers were asked to choose between two responses to the following question.

“What do you think of Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez benching Hanley Ramirez during a game for not hustling after a ball?”

As I write this, there had been just over 30,000 total respondents. 88% of those people said this was a “necessary move to send a message” while a mere 12% said Gonzalez was “picking an unnecessary fight with his star.” Given the choice between the two, I’m in alignment with the minority but let’s take a look at the choices and I’ll tell you why.

Necessary move to send a message.
If a message needs to be sent, it is important to first define WHAT that message is and also HOW that message needs to be sent. Since we have no way of knowing if any of the other possible messages, or their various methods of delivery, would have been more effective we cannot definitively say this was THE necessary move. For instance, it has been well documented by the player, the manager, and the media, that Ramirez sustained a leg injury earlier in that same game. Instead of choosing the public embarrassment route, is it at least possible that things might have gone better or different had Gonzalez pulled Ramirez aside in the dugout after the play and said:
“Hanley, you looked really slow to that ball. I know you told me the leg was fine but it doesn’t look fine. Be honest with me. Are you sure you’re OK to continue? If not, let me know now so we can start treating it and get you ready for tomorrow. But if you stay in, I’ll be watching. And if it looks to me like you’re hurting, I’m going to pull you out of the game.”

Picking an unnecessary fight with his star.

If you’re a manager, your goal is to bring out the best in your people and to unite them in pursuit of a common goal. Your team will have members who possess a varying level of commitment and competence at any given time. When you notice someone’s commitment or competence dip, it’s your responsibility to help get it back up to its optimum levels. Public embarrassment is usually not an effective way to accomplish this. This is especially true when it concerns your peak performer who possesses a track record of superior performance and production. Again, the goal is to help lift them back up, not isolate them and knock them down even further.

2010
05/19
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Quiet Desperation

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”—Henry David Thoreau

Upon graduating from college—more than a short time ago now—my roommate and I set out on an adventure across the United States. We wanted to celebrate the achievement of earning the sheepskin trophy we called a diploma, while we mourned the impending doom of embarking on a career in the workplace. It was a farewell tour to the good life of freedom and independence from “The Machine” of modern capitalism—or so we thought.

Walden

One of our first stops was Boston, Massachusetts, to visit a good friend attending Harvard Law School. While there, we made the short trip out to Walden Pond, just down the road in Concord. I personally wanted to see the place where Thoreau made his noble stand against society, isolating himself in a cabin and crafting one of the greatest literary rebellions against the status quo in modern history.

It wasn’t until recently, when I picked up a copy of Walden, that I was dumbfounded by the basic premise of his masterpiece: The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. It was a wake up call!

After a decade in the workplace, this phrase hit me harder than ever, and I thought to myself, “Have I become one of the masses living a life of quiet desperation? Where did a decade go so quickly? What have I achieved? Why have I not made the cover of Rolling Stone?” Furthermore, how does it come to a point in our careers, or in our lives, that we get to a place of quiet desperation? Where was that class in the university? Who majored in Mediocrity? Who went to get an MA in QD?

Nobody plans on settling for the status quo. Nobody enters the workforce and says, “I want to be average! I want to be mediocre! I want a dull and boring job!” Yet, the line between great and average is often very thin and can creep up on us if we are not diligent.

The truth is, we want to be great! We want excellence, meaning, and worthwhile achievements in our life and in our work. There is a voice inside of everyone that craves greatness—a call to live, lead, and love at a higher level.

Thoreau’s exposition was less about the judgment of such lives that have lost their way, but rather a call for individuals to reach beyond settling for the monotony of everyday life—those who have forgotten how to lead themselves. This American classic has encouraged me to continue to be diligent in reaching for my dreams, through the art of self-reliance and a passion to reach for higher levels. As Thoreau concluded, near the end of his book, “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”

Don’t settle for quiet desperation. Work well and lead the life of possibility you were meant to live.

Jason Diamond Arnold
Co-Author of Situational Self Leadership in Action

2010
05/14
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The Personal Life Clashes with Productivity

For the last 12 months, I have been trying to buy my first home.  My wife and I decided it was time to find a place we could truly call “home.”  10 months ago, I entered into a sales agreement to purchase a property.  It was a dreaded short sale, and I knew going into the agreement that I would be spending a lot of time waiting on the bank to approve or deny the sale of the property.  However, if we could get it approved, we’d be purchasing a home at a great price while interest rates were at historical lows.

To date, I’m still working on this sale.  Ever since I entered into that contract agreement, I’ve felt less productive.  Part of my drive to complete work is lacking.  Don’t get me wrong, as I still finish all of my duties and tasks because it’s what I was hired to do, but a lot of the enthusiasm that I used to have is missing.  I still love what I do, but the stresses of this real estate deal have been a major distraction.

I’m using this example because for a lot of us newer leaders, we don’t always think about what is happening with our direct reports outside of the workplace.  Too often, we assume that because someone under our management isn’t performing, it’s because they “have a bad attitude” or “they don’t care.”  It’s time to step back and ask this question: What does the big picture look like?

Does this individual have a personal problem they may be dealing with?  Are they behind on their mortgage payment?  Did someone they cared about pass away recently?  Did they leave the coffee pot on at home?  As leaders, we need to be understanding in these situations.  It is our duty to accommodate, but also help the individual refocus at the same time.  We may be in a position of power, but we also serve those who report to us.  

The lines between the career and the personal life are blurred.  Our personal issues follow us to the workplace, and our work issues are a main topic for the dinner discussions at home.  Remember this the next time you’re presented with a challenge from a direct report.  You’ll have a better outcome, and it should happen much more quickly instead of reprimanding the individual. 

I want to hear your comments.  Did you have someone with a personal issue that affected their productivity?  Did you personally have a situation that affected those around you in the workplace?  How did you overcome it?

2010
05/07
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The Secret to Employee Retention

“SHOW! ME! THE! MONEY!” In the last 14 years, you’d be hard pressed to find a more memorable movie quote than this classic delivered by Cuba Gooding Jr. in Jerry Maguire. In fact, if you can think of one that has had more widespread appeal and longevity, feel free to drop it in the comments section and we’ll open it up for debate.

Those four simple words summed up the collective mindset of multiple generations of workers across all industries. Simply put, if you really value my contribution, prove it. After seeing that movie for the first time, we all went into our next performance review with the “show me the money” attitude. The sobbing you heard in the theater wasn’t your girlfriend’s reaction to Tom Cruise telling Renee Zellweger, “you complete me.” No, that sobbing you heard was CEOs and Managers recognizing that Gooding Jr. had just given their employees a new-found sense of confidence and empowerment. Instead of dreading performance reviews, we now were looking forward to them.

After all, there’s a big difference between just being key talent and knowing you’re key talent. When you have the confidence in yourself to know you’re key talent that makes it more difficult for your organization to hold on to you. Let’s face it, these days it’s not finding talent that’s challenging for employers, it’s retaining it. The good organizations are actively searching for ways to improve employee retention.

So what’s the secret? As Gooding Jr. later states in the movie, the secret is…the kwan. The kwan?

“Yeah, man, it means love, respect, community…and the dollars too. The package. The kwan.”

That right there is the quote from this movie that those same CEOs and Managers should have memorized. There should be a “Kwan” motivational poster (patent pending) on the wall of every HR department. The kwan is the secret to employee retention. It’s not just the money. It’s not just love. It’s not just respect. And it’s not just community. It’s the package. When an employee says “show me the money,” the response should be, “I’ll do better than that, I’ll show you the kwan.” As expected, the employee’s natural response would then be, “you had me at hello.”

Love your employees, respect your employees, provide your employees with a healthy work environment, and compensate your employees well. If you’re lacking in ANY of these areas you just might lose your best talent to the competition.

Fun Fact: Did you know the human head weighs 8 pounds?

2010
04/30
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Don’t Pass on Passion

 

Some of the best advice I was ever given was from a former co-worker—let’s call him Tim. Tim was a middle-aged man working in the IT department at a very reputable corporation. He was highly compensated but every day when I passed his cube he looked depressed. One day I walked over to him and asked him if everything was going ok. He looked up at me and said, “No, I’m not doing ok. I’m 37, have 2 kids, and hate my job.” I was utterly shocked! “You hate your job? But you get paid so much money and have so many perks as an employee here.” He smiled and said, “Yeah, it’s all gravy, but this job isn’t what I’m passionate about. I don’t jump out of bed saying to myself, ‘I’m living the dream.’ I usually say to myself, ‘I’m dying on the inside’.” At that moment I didn’t know what to say, so I continued to walk on by. He stopped me and said, “Don’t ever pass up the opportunity to do what you’re passionate about.” I smiled, nodded, and walked to my desk, and since that day never forgot those words.

Passion is a strong emotion; it’s a feeling in the pit of your stomach that wakes you up in the middle of the night. Passion is the thing that you should be striving for. When your passion becomes a reality it transforms into your ultimate dream job. And who doesn’t want to be working at their dream job?

For so many of us, working has become a chore, something that we just have to get through to pay the bills. No true magic reveals itself at our jobs, just mountains of paper work, annoying co-workers, and outrageous bosses. But this is unacceptable. People should not be settling for less, they should be transforming their lives and searching for what they are passionate about doing, and DO IT. And if you don’t know what your passion is, that’s ok—for now. But don’t ever stop looking for that thing that could take you from boring to extraordinary.

Below are three tips that can help you navigate through life, not ever passing on your passion. What are some other tips that you can contribute to this list?

  1. “Whatever you do—whether it’s getting the coffee, whether it’s putting the finishing touches on that dress—do it 110 percent. The people you work with will notice, and that will be rewarded.” Jenna Lyons, the executive creative director at J. Crew.
  2. “It’s about working hard, following your dreams and finding your zone.” Buddy Valestro, TLC show, Cake Boss.
  3. Living out your dream job is about creating something that will make someone else stop in their tracks. “We’re all so busy in the brouhaha of everyday life. If you stop a businessman in the lobby of a hotel or if you make something in a restaurant and they’ll stop and say, ‘That’s amazing,’ you’ve done your job.” Known as the rock ‘n’ roll florist, Jeff Leatham.

 

Xoxo Nish

P.s Never stop reaching

2010
04/23
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Resolving Disagreements with Your Manager

What happens when you and your manager don’t see eye to eye on an work related issue? Just LAUGH!! Here’s a light hearted video that was actually an Out Take from a One on One video that I recently directed for The Ken Blanchard Companies. Sometimes you just need to let it out!!

2010
04/22
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