Good Intentions Aside, Sometimes Things Go Off The Rails

This post is an abridged version of a story from The Power of Identity, Bill’s latest book which was released in Nov 2019. The full story is found on page 73.

Good intentions aside, sometimes things go off the rails. That certainly was case for Nate McFadden, a newly-minted General Manager for Otis Elevator. The young man, a relative novice in his industry who had worn Marine combat boots only three years earlier, was asked to take over an under-performing region in Central Michigan that had floundered. Contrasted against their North American peer group, the region Nate inherited was statistically dead last in virtually every KPI measure.

Turning around the organization would prove challenging. Yet McFadden, a gifted leader, did so. In twenty four months, his unit went from worst-to-first—a remarkable turnaround. You ask, ‘how did he do it?’. McFadden shared with me, “Our recovery had any number of important ingredients in place but when the concepts and principles from The Power of Professionalism crystallized in my mind our resurgence became rapid and pronounced.”

Professionalism became their central organizing principle. The principles and precepts from The Power of Professionalism became the centerpiece of the leadership team’s development efforts over a concerted twelve-month period. But why the focus on, of all things, professionalism in the first place? “I became convinced that these concepts needed to be central to how people thought about their profession and achievement of our objectives.”, McFadden told me. In evaluating the region’s turnaround, professionalism proved to be McFadden’s X factor.

I’ve found that to be true for both organizations that were floundering (think: needing a turnaround) as well as those that were flourishing (think: seeking ‘next level’ growth). Either way, it’s wonderful to be a part of.

Danboise Mechanical’s Impressive ‘Recovery’ Habit

Let’s face it, we all fall short in our attempts to be a professional. Whether it’s a small slip-up or something truly bone-headed, ‘recovery’ is really important. ‘Recovery’ (i.e. apologizing or the equivalent) speaks volumes about the professionalism of the individual and collectively it says a lot about the culture of the organization the person is a part of.  Without some form of ‘recovery’, people typically hold grudges that tend to poison the work environment.  An organization that has successfully created a habit within their people of ‘recovering from professional gaffes’ is to be admired. One of my clients, Danboise Mechanical, has successfully created such a habit.  This admirable habit is just one of the ‘fruits’ Danboise has reaped by adopting ‘professional values’ as their north arrow.

To read more about Danboise Mechanical’s impressive ‘recovery habit’ click here.

Breaking Down Silos

The greatest opportunities for innovation and overall improvement (whether they be tactical or strategic) are typically across departments/functions/disciplines.  Said another way, silos (e.g. departments/functions/disciplines) and the behaviors that accompany a ‘silo mentality’ typically work against innovation and improvement. Disarming a ‘silo mentality’ is a big deal, because virtually every organization suffers in one form or another from it.  One of our clients, Danboise Mechanical, successfully disarmed the ‘silo mentality’ within their organization. They were able to do so because of the emphasis they put on professional values across the enterprise. It was a tremendous accomplishment.  You can read more about it here.

Thank You for Firing Me.

“There is nothing that turns a manager’s stomach in knots more than having to fire an employee.  Imagine my delight when I learned how one of my clients had successfully used the power of professional ideals in making the ‘separation process’ (think: firing) more effective, more tolerable, more humane.  The employee, in fact, thanked the manager for firing them. Yes, you heard right, an employee (one who desperately needed their job) thanking their manager for letting them go.  Read more about this powerful case study.”

Be A Professional—Kaepernick’s New Aspiration?

By now even the casual football fan is aware of the travails of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. His recent performance (the word abysmal comes to mine) on the football field is a head-scratcher for many of us. His success in earlier years belies the types of disappointing performances we’ve seen from him in 2014. It’s a fall from grace. (Note: the 49ers, in general, are having an extremely disappointing year as well. That said, it is widely acknowledged by football insiders that something is clearly ‘off’ in Kaepernick’s game.)

To add insult to injury, Kaepernick’s on-field performance has shined when compared to how he’s handled the media. In a nutshell it appears that Kaepernick views the media as the enemy (much like his boss—coach Jim Harbaugh—seemingly does).

During a recent press conference, Kaepernick responded to 32 questions with only 87 words. From his demeanor and body language you’d think Kaepernick would rather endure a root-canal than spend another second with the press. Defensive, petulant, aloof, are just a few of the adjectives that come to mind that characterize how Kaepernick comes across with the press. It’s painful to watch. Treat the press as your enemy and they’ll soon become such.

To me, Kaepernick’s act has gotten old (Harbaugh’s too). These two are the primary faces of the organization to the public. They need to positively represent their organization. At the moment, the impression they create leaves a lot to be desired. Sure the media can be a pain to deal with, but ‘media management’ (otherwise known as PR) is an important part of the job—especially for a NFL quarterback.

Hall of Famer Jerry Rice was asked by a Bay Area radio host what advice he’d give Kaepernick. Turns out, Jerry once had a problem with being defensive with the media early in his career as well. At the time he finally realized, “You know, I need to be a better professional.” (click here for more on Jerry’s comments) Simply put, Jerry realized that he wasn’t handling the media as a professional would.

‘Be a professional’…that was Jerry’s advice to Kaepernick. I don’t know if Jerry spoke to Kaepernick after the radio interview or if Kaepernick heard the interview. But what I do know is….

….the very next day after Jerry’s comments Kaepernick was downright charming with the media. Read more about that here. He was vulnerable and even empathetic towards many of the ‘media types’ he presumably loathed. All of a sudden the guy ‘shows up’ in a more effective, more helpful way. He puts a more engaging, more upbeat face on the 49ers organization. No doubt, that’s something that the 49ers had long wished would emerge from one of the NFL’s most public personalities.

For everyone involved, undesired behavior in the workplace is maddening. Gazillions of dollars are spent every year in prevention, investigation, and remediation. Yet it’s amazing how effective the admonition—’be a professional’—can remedy undesired behavior in the workplace.

Whether this contributed to Kaepernick’s ‘about-face’ is unknown (at least by me). But I’ve personally seen dozens and dozens of such cases ‘fixed’ with just such an admonition.

 

Can I Get A Copy of That Recipe?

I’ll bet you’ve heard that question asked around the Thanksgiving table. I did last Thursday. What prompted the recipe request? My daughter’s pumpkin cheesecake.

Her desert was delicious. Naturally people wanted ‘in’ on how to make it….and perhaps secretly hoping to get the types of kudos my daughter did when they make theirs.

This type of thing happens all the time in organizational life—that is, managers shopping for recipes. After all, why re-invent the wheel? On the surface, the approach seems to make sense. Trouble is, in organizational life recipes (think: things like best practices) don’t always transfer well. Sometimes they fall flat on their face—even after being wildly successful in a different environment.

Do this, add that, wait two weeks…and voila, you get the elusive desired result you’ve been desperately seeking. Recipes are tempting. Busy managers succumb to recipes all the time.

The trouble with adopting recipes in organizational settings is that when they’re adopted blindly they require little, if any, critical thinking. Seeking recipes and adopting them blindly is akin to outsourcing your thinking. Too many managers don’t take the time and energy to engage in the type of critical thinking that will enable their organization (let alone their newfound recipe) to flourish. In the case of the recipe they don’t consider how it fits into the unique circumstances (think: culture) of their organization.

Managers should be asking themselves questions like:

  • What assumptions are we holding about why the recipe worked for others and what are our own assumptions about why we think it will work for us?
  • What is different about our situation than others situation that have had success with this recipe?
  •  After successfully adopting (and adapting) the recipe, how else can we benefit from the fruits of this recipe?

Managers: don’t outsource your thinking. It’s one of your most important responsibilities. There’s nothing wrong with seeking out recipes that others have had success with. Just be prepared to do the critical thinking of what it’ll take to make that recipe successful for you.

In the meantime, I gotta give a shout-out for my daughter’s pumpkin cheesecake. Great recipe, even better daughter.

Want Confidence? Start With Your Identity as a Professional

In a recent article on LinkedIn, author Jan Johnston Osburn advocates that when it comes to success  ‘Does Confidence Trumps Talent‘ article, Pulse 11/17/2014.  As I’ve written previously, for most of us what constitutes ‘success’ is largely subjective. That said, I believe that Osburn makes an important point.

And one of the most powerful sources of confidence comes from one’s identity—as I wrote about in The Power of Professionalism.

It’s exciting to see the transformative power that comes about when people internalize the notion that they’re professionals—or start down the road in becoming one.  ‘Professional’ suddenly becomes an integral part of their identity. How have I seen this manifested on a practical level?

***languishing employees become stellar

***rudderless students find their purpose and thrive

***stubborn and incorrigible staffers become motivated (and act) to show their ‘best self’

Did these people suddenly become more talented? No. But they suddenly found themselves, becoming more focused, more productive, more energetic—thanks largely to their new-found confidence.

Identity matters.

Coach or Educator? Identity Matters!

When the Game Stands Tall opens in movie theatres this Friday. It’s the story of De La Salle’s (Concord, California) storied high school football program under coach Bob Ladouceur.

De La Salle won 151 consecutive games under Ladouceur. Yes, you read correctly— 151.

Here’s an article previewing the movie that ran recently in the Contra Costa Times—a newspaper whose property is a stones throw from De La Salle’s practice field.

Having lived a short four miles from De La Salle for years, I’ve admired the school and all they stand for—football program included. Since 1994 twelve of their players have been drafted into the NFL (think: Maurice Jones-Drew, Amani Toomer, etc). No doubt, De La Salle’s football program is special.

What’s their secret sauce?

The Contra Costa Times article mentions, among other things, their conditioning program. Yes, that (and many other factors) all contribute to their success.

Yet to me their secret sauce starts with the professionals (some might say adults) that oversee the program—on and off the field. Typically we’d call them coaches—for the lack of a better term. And no doubt the kids call them ‘coach’. Yet, as defensive coordinator Terry Edison mentions in the article, “Our coaches see themselves as educators. The football field just becomes an extension of our classroom. “ To me this is the central ingredient in their secret sauce.

In other words, the men running the program see their purpose as educating the young men under their stewardship. Their commitment transcends merely giving lip service to an arguably noble cause. The men running the program have an emotional commitment.

The ‘players’ education is values based—centering on life’s lessons that helps the young men mature and realize their true potential. Bottom line: the program stands for something more than winning football games. Not surprisingly, when the young men’s potential is enhanced, they win a lot.

There’s a huge difference in being a coach and being an educator. The educator seeks a higher purpose. The men who have stewardship for De La Salle’s football program are professionals. They are professionals who happen to be educators. Identity matters!