Right Attitudes

Ideas for Impact

Archives for June 2008

Inspirational Quotations #227

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Meditation has been defined as the cessation of active eternal thought.
—Helena Blavatsky (Ukrainian-born American Theosophist)

Even fate cannot touch him whose heart is filled with compassion, whose words always reflect the truth and whose body is always meant to help others.
—Subhashita Manjari

When you become detached mentally from yourself and concentrate on helping other people with their difficulties, you will be able to cope with your own more effectively. Somehow, the act of self-giving is a personal power-releasing factor.
—Norman Vincent Peale (American Clergyman, Self-Help Author)

A little inaccuracy sometimes saves tons of explanation.
—Saki (Hector Hugh Munro) (British Short Story Writer)

A particular breed of dog may cost a lot of money, but only love will make its tail wag.
—Unknown

He has honor if he holds himself to an ideal of conduct though it is inconceivable, unprofitable, or dangerous to do so.
—Walter Lippmann (American Journalist)

It’s not a question of who’s going to throw the first stone; it’s a question of who’s going to start building with it.
—Sloan Wilson (American Novelist)

What we leave behind is not engraved in stone monuments but woven into the lives of others.
—Pericles

The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.
—Linus Pauling (American Chemist)

‘Stealth’ Layoffs and Employee Morale

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‘For Wall Street Workers, Ax Falls Quietly’

Last month, the New York Times reported about ‘stealth’ layoffs in the financial services industry. The story refers to a trend of Wall Street firms downsizing their workforces by laying people off without formal announcements. It appears that, at these firms, managements rarely discuss layoffs in meetings or formal communications to preclude negative publicity. As a result, employees cannot easily identify what divisions are targeted for layoffs or whether they’ll stay or go.

Here are excerpts from the “For Wall Street Workers, Ax Falls Quietly” story.

  • Some bosses hardly say a word after people are fired. At Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, for example, the first clue that someone is gone can be e-mail messages that are returned to senders from a former colleague’s inactivated corporate address.
  • Some Lehman Brothers investment bankers found out their jobs were in peril when they saw cardboard boxes and dumpster bins in the hallways in March.
  • And when Bank of America dismissed some bankers recently, it told them that their annual bonuses had been almost wiped out and that their personal belongings would arrive in the mail.
  • “Nobody knows who is coming in; nobody knows who is going out,” said JoAnne Kennedy, who was laid off by JPMorgan Chase this year. “They want to keep it all as quiet as possible.” In January, when Ms. Kennedy was temporarily out of the office at JPMorgan because of surgery, her boss called to say her job had been eliminated. She did not return to her office and ended up asking the bank to send her the photos of her son that she kept on her desk. [Note: Reorganized]

Impending Layoffs Initiate Distraction and Poor Employee Morale

Portait of Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the US Federal Reserve, with the caption 'Big Ben, We're Totally Screwed' After about five years of terrific across-the-industry performance and sky-high compensations, the financial services sector is presently reeling in a downturn—triggered by the sub-prime crisis, credit crunch and stunted returns in capital markets. Under present circumstances, Wall Street firms can justify downsizing their workforce. Still, the trend of ‘stealth’ layoffs amounts to unfair treatment of employees. Ironically, it is likely that these very companies publicly pride themselves on the talent of their workforce and boast “our people are our most important assets” in annual reports.

The practice of ‘stealth’ layoffs establishes an environment of mistrust and apprehension. Employees cannot focus on their work, speculate on ‘who is next,’ and prepare themselves for a potential dismissal. Employees may even hesitate to take vacations for fear of returning to a dismissal. The end result is poor morale and possible defections of talented people to competing firms.

[Image above: A portrait of Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the US Federal Reserve, with the caption ‘Big Ben, We’re Totally Screwed’ in reference to the sub-prime crisis. I photographed this portrait across from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in November ’07. The artist had placed this portrait on auction at eBay.]

Layoffs are Never Easy

Often, business decisions entail some pain. Layoffs are never easy—for executives of a large organization facing the need to downsize by thousands or for a manager trying to dismiss one of his/her employees. Habitually, managers dread the prospect of facing employees being dismissed. Formal top-to-bottom communication and candid conversations with affected employees are obligations of the management. Employees being dismissed rightfully deserve to hear a respectful and honest assessment of the reasons for layoffs. They merit an offer for support through the transition and in pursuing employment elsewhere. This is the essence of true corporate character.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Can’t Ban Political Talk at Work
  2. Don’t Manage with Fear
  3. These are the Two Best Employee Engagement Questions
  4. Are Layoffs Your Best Strategy Now?
  5. What To Do If Your New Hire Is Underperforming

Inspirational Quotations #226

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Enthusiasm is: A quiet spiritual strength: An inner glow: Faith in action: Greatest asset in the world: Beats money power influence: Tramples over prejudice.
—Henry Chester

Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight… When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.
—Helen Keller (American Author)

The creative knows the great beginnings. The Receptive completes the finished things.
—I. Ching

If you absolutely can’t tolerate critics, then don’t do anything new or interesting.
—Jeff Bezos (American Businessman)

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
—John F. Kennedy (American Head of State)

God is merciful to those whom He sees struggling heart and soul for realization. But remain idle, without any struggle, and you will see that His grace will never come.
—Swami Vivekananda (Indian Hindu Mystic)

Some things cannot be spoken or discovered until we have been stuck, incapacitated, or blown off course for awhile. Plain sailing is pleasant, but you are not going to explore many unknown realms that way.
—David Whyte

Let not the fierce sun dry one tear of pain before thyself hast wiped it from the sufferer’s eye.
—Helena Blavatsky (Ukrainian-born American Theosophist)

If you think twice before you speak once, you will speak better for it.
—Anonymous

Let us carefully observe those good qualities wherein our enemies excel us; and endeavor to excel them, by avoiding what is faulty, and imitating what is excellent in them.
—Plutarch (Ancient Greek Historian)

Yesterday is a cancelled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have—so spend it wisely.
—Unknown

Enthusiasm is the greatest asset in the world.
It beats money, power and influence.
—Henry Chester

Effective Delegation: Delegate Outcomes, Not Just Tasks

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Delegating Outcomes

Delegation, the art of getting things done through other people, is one of the key building blocks of effective management. Managers who cannot delegate effectively tend to lack the time for their key responsibilities and often fail to manage their team well.

When managers ask a team member to do something, they usually describe the tasks in terms of specific methods/actions. Executive coach Barry Zweibel describes the pitfalls of this common approach.

When we delegate tasks–that is [discuss] assignments in terms of processes or steps to take–we run the risk of people doing exactly what we say, but still not getting the job done as we hoped. But if we delegate desired outcomes–that is what we want to result from the assignment–it’s more likely that that’s what will be accomplished.

Barry presents three examples:

  1. When a customer complaint needs to be addressed, instead of “Here, go talk to this person,” try, “Here, go make this customer happy again.”
  2. When a vendor order needs to be expedited, instead of “Here, go track this order,” try, “Here, go insure the successful – and timely – delivery of this order.”
  3. When recent sales figures are below expectations, instead of “Here, go research this report,” try, “Here, go determine what needs to be done to get these numbers back on track.”

Call for Action

Clearly, by delegating outcomes–with the authority and resources needed,–you enhance a team member’s responsibility to get the job done.

  • By explaining the outcome of an assignment in reference to the relevant context, you broaden the team member’s perspective on the problem. This increases his/her ability to absorb the assignment and be an integral part of the outcome and the consequent achievement.
  • Do not tell a team member what actions to take or how to complete an assignment. This approach fof micromanaging work is not empowering–it certainly limits the team member’s initiative. Give him/her an opportunity to own the assignment and work in his/her own unique way.
  • If the team member asks for advice on what steps to take, offer a few options and allow him/her to choose the appropriate option. In general, people hate to be told what to do. Thus, providing a few options empowers the team member to explore these options further and decide on the best path by himself/herself.

The key to effective delegation is to approach delegation as an offer to present to a team member, not a demand to be made. Delegating outcomes–not just tasks–helps managers skillfully present assignments to their team members and empowers them to get the job done.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Delegation: Accountability vs. Responsibility
  2. Great Leaders Focus on the WHY and the WHAT—Not the How
  3. Do Your Employees Feel Safe Enough to Tell You the Truth?
  4. What Knowledge Workers Want Most: Management-by-Exception
  5. To Micromanage or Not?

[Getting Organized #2] Prepare Tomorrow’s To-Do List as You Wrap-up Today

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Surveys (see example) predict that 60% of individuals are ‘morning people’—they are at their best during the mornings. Yet, many of them begin their day unorganized. Frequently, they do not have a sense of how they should begin their day–what tasks they should work first thing in the morning. They idle away the most-productive stretch of their days by checking email, talking with colleagues about their weekends or reading news on the internet.

A Solution to Wastefulness

To manage your day wisely, develop the good habit of planning the next day before you end each day.

Each day, before you leave your desk at office or go to bed at home, spend a few minutes to prepare a to-do list for the following day.

  • Review your calendar and make a list of things you can reasonably accomplish during the next day.
  • Try to break more-involved tasks into smaller component tasks.
  • Start each phrase with a verb; for example, “Book tickets for family vacation,” “Call client,” “Send draft of research report to boss.”
  • Collect reference/support material or files for each task and leave them at your desk.

The next day morning, your to-do list serves as a road map for your work. The list helps you orient yourself by making it easier to start your day knowing which tasks you will need to complete during the day. Additionally, your to-do list lets you free yourself from the anxiety of maintaining a list of tasks in your head–your mind is now free to concentrate on other thoughts and deliberations.

Inspirational Quotations #225

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There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assist another human being – to help someone succeed.
—Alan Loy McGinnis (American Christian Psychotherapist)

Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (American Philosopher)

I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing—that it was all started by a mouse.
—Walt Disney (American Entrepreneur)

Remember, always give your best. Never get discouraged. Never be petty. Always remember, others may hate you. But those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself.
—Richard Nixon (American Head of State)

Experience is what we call the accumulation of our mistakes.
—Yiddish Proverb

The real man smiles in trouble,
gathers strength from distress,
and grows brave by reflection.
—Thomas Paine (American Nationalist)

Sever the ignorant doubt in your heart with the sword of self-knowledge. Observe your discipline, arise.
—The Bhagavad Gita (Hindu Scripture)

The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.
—Thomas Paine (American Nationalist)

Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.
—John Quincy Adams (American Head of State)

A man without self-restraint is like a barrel without hoops, and tumbles to pieces.
—Henry Ward Beecher (American Protestant Clergyman)

Forgetting your mistakes is a terrible error if you’re trying to improve your cognition. Reality doesn’t remind you. Why not celebrate stupidities in both categories?
—Charlie Munger

People want to be part of something larger than themselves. They want to be part of something they’re really proud of, that they’ll fight for, sacrifice for, that they trust.
—Howard Schultz (American Businessman)

What the Deaf Can Teach Us About Listening

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Lessons of Silence

Bruno Kahne, a corporate consultant for the aeronautical industry, shares how deaf people helped his corporate clients be effective communicators. His article appears on the website of the strategy+business magazine, published by management consulting firm Booz & Company. See full article or PDF file. Below is a summary of the article.

Through their “handicap,” deaf people develop certain communication skills more thoroughly than most hearing people, which make them uncommonly effective at getting their point across. When they interact with one another, deaf people act in ways that let them communicate more rapidly and accurately than hearing people.

To improve your “hearing,” consider some of these lessons from our experiences and training sessions.

  1. Do not take notes. You will be more present in the interaction and you can concentrate more. And the more you do it, the better you remember.
  2. Don’t interrupt. A deaf person ensures that he or she first understands the other speaker before trying to be understood. Try this the next time you’re in a business discussion, ideally one in which there’s some tension—let the other person finish what he or she has to say, then silently count to three before responding.
  3. Say what you mean, as simply as possible. Deaf people are direct. They reveal not only their thoughts, but also their feelings, both positive and negative, more clearly than hearing people do, as they express them with their whole bodies. Similarly, the deaf are often far better than hearing people at finding the most economical way to convey their message.
  4. When you don’t understand something, ask. Deaf people feel completely at ease saying “I don’t know” or “I don’t understand.” Those of us with hearing aren’t nearly as willing to admit confusion or lack of comprehension. We often sit silently in meetings while our colleagues use acronyms or technical jargon we don’t grasp because we think asking for clarification is a sign of weakness.
  5. Stay focused. The deaf cut themselves off from any distractions, they don’t multitask, and they focus their attention entirely on the conversation.

Overall, the most inspiring thing about communication with deaf people—and the behavior most worth emulating—is their incredibly strong desire to exchange information efficiently and without adornment.

Call for Action

All of the suggestions in the article are trite and obvious. When I discuss such desired behaviors in my seminars or during one-on-one coaching sessions, I can sense my audience negligently declaring, “I know that.” My response is usually along the lines of “Sure, you know that. And, tell me how and where do you apply these ideas in your everyday interactions?”

Most of the articles I write on this blog are about simple ideas. I hope my articles serve as a reminder of key principles and help you tune-up your communications and behaviors. As you read through my articles, instead of declaring, “I know that,” ask, “How do/can I apply these principles in my everyday interactions?” Take responsibility for the effectiveness of your communications and your ability to influence and get the results you desire.

***Via ‘I can see what they’re saying,’ Doc Searls at Harvard

Wondering what to read next?

  1. How to Respond to Others’ Emotional Situations
  2. ‘I Told You So’
  3. Witty Comebacks and Smart Responses for Nosy People
  4. Here’s How to Improve Your Conversational Skills
  5. You Hear What You Listen For

Who’s Responsible for Your Career

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A large number of professionals continue to mistakenly subscribe to the notion their organizations are responsible for managing their careers. They suppose that their Human Resources departments or their bosses would create their career paths and guide them at each stage.

Predetermined Job Ladders?

Certain organizations–the military, the police force, for example–may offer predetermined job ladders. It is customary in these organizations to award promotion based on length of service, training completed, or, to a lesser extent, on-the-job achievements.

Other organizations offer ‘development programs’. (Refer to this list of Leadership Programs offered by General Electric.) Essentially, these programs comprise of a series of rotational assignments across diverse functions of the corporation. For example, the manufacturing-leadership program at a capital goods company may involve four six-month assignments–one assignment each in supply chain management, shop-floor operations, production capacity planning and manufacturing finance. These development programs enable an apprentice to be exposed to a broad range of functions and gain valuable experience. Even with these programs, though, you are expected to pursue a longer-term assignment in one of the functional areas at the end of the rotations. Beyond that, employees are expected to manage the rest of their careers.

You Manage Your Career

Your career growth is solely your responsibility– it not the organization’s or your boss’s duty. You should be responsible for planning your own career, continually evaluating goals and implementing initiatives for your professional growth.

Here are a few suggestions to help you establish a roadmap for the skills, expertise and experience you need to get where you want to be.

  • Research for job opportunities at your company and in other organizations. What skills are recruiters looking for in potential employees?
  • Study the profiles of successful people in your industry. Why are they successful? What are their academic backgrounds? What are their career paths? What professional associations do they belong to?
  • Reach out and network. Meet as many people as you can by joining professional associations and maintaining regular contact. Studies have shown that 70-80% of all executive jobs are found through professional networking.
  • Seek a mentor’s help. Request a member of your management team or industry association, a retiree or a local business owner to help you understand your strengths and interests and develop a career plan in your chosen industry.
  • Volunteer and be known. When you volunteer on cross-functional committees for product improvement or professional development, the decision-makers can get to know you, your skills, abilities and career interests. Such exposure will help them consider you for challenging assignments.

Related Articles

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Manage Your Own Career—No One Else Will
  2. The Career-Altering Question: Generalist or Specialist?
  3. What’s Next When You Get Snubbed for a Promotion
  4. From Passion to Pragmatism: An Acceptable, Good Career
  5. Before Jumping Ship, Consider This

Inspirational Quotations #224

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When I hear somebody sigh that “Life is hard,” I am always tempted to ask, “Compared to what?”
—Sydney J. Harris (American Journalist)

He who is dying of hunger must be fed rather than taught.
—Thomas Aquinas (Italian Catholic Priest)

When I hear somebody sigh, “Life is hard,” I am always tempted to ask, “Compared to what?”
—Sydney J. Harris (American Journalist)

Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies.
—Elie Wiesel (Romanian-born American Writer)

The greatest derangement of the mind is to believe in something because one wishes it to be so.
—Rene Dubos

Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it.
—Ralph Marston

The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.
—Confucius (Chinese Philosopher)

A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupery (French Novelist, Aviator)

Our dignity is not in what we do but what we understand. The whole world is doing things.
—George Santayana (Spanish Philosopher)

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
—John F. Kennedy (American Head of State)

Inspirational Quotations #223

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Stop looking at yourself through your own eyes, and see yourself through God’s eyes.
—Unknown

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.
—Albert Einstein (German-born Theoretical Physicist)

The nice thing about being a celebrity is that, if you bore people, they think it’s their fault.
—Henry Kissinger (American Diplomat)

When you ceased to make a contribution you begin to die.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (American First Lady)

All meaningful and lasting change starts first in your imagination and then works its way out. Imagination is more important than knowledge. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.
—Albert Einstein (German-born Theoretical Physicist)

When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (American First Lady)

A mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go farther than a great idea that inspires no one.
—Mary Kay Ash (American Entrepreneur)

A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery.
—James Joyce (Irish Novelist)

The fruits of all our labors have left us as we started. To grow without is not to grow within.
—Dave Winer

Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive—the risk to be alive and express what we really are.
—Miguel Angel Ruiz

How you use today will determine how tomorrow uses you.
—Earl Wilson

Advice is judged by results, not by intention.
—Cicero (Roman Philosopher)