The Open Door: “It’s All About Me” (stuff you already know)

The Open Door: “It’s All About Me” (stuff you already know)

By: David Van Rossum

                How many times have you been told to know your audience? It is cliché, yet it is probably one of the best adages to follow when you are communicating, especially to a small group or one to one. Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is how your information affects the person or people you are talking to. Good companies have employees that truly want to be part of the success the firm may be enjoying.   Everyone wants to be acknowledged and rewarded. Continued employment is certainly important in today’s economy but another way to make sure you are acknowledging those that work for you is to think about how the message you are conveying will be received.  Most people don’t say it out loud and many people would like to think it not true, but it is natural to have a “me first” mentality. That isn’t really a bad thing and, if you recognize that idea, it is much easier to get in sync with your employees and other business relationships.

 Imagining that you are in your audience’s shoes is a good way to move forward. Oh yeah, and be honest! Companies have always fretted over incentive plans designed to reward good work and let employees share in overall success. If these plans are well thought out, articulated clearly, and administered fairly then they have addressed the issue of communicating to an employee what to expect given certain outcomes. Performance reviews are designed to accomplish the same goal. Day to day conversations with individuals are often the most difficult. I have always encouraged people to seek information honestly starting with the premise, “what does that mean for me? “ I believe it is important to answer that question to the best of your ability. Don’t wrongly assume that your employee processes the news (good or bad) that you convey the same way you do, or the way you intend them to. For example, if you tell someone that the company had a record month, they may or may not be wondering if that means some sort of reward is coming to them. Your intention is merely to share good news. If your employee isn’t comfortable asking how that affects their job or pay or you don’t address the news from their point of view, you could experience a disconnection.  Recognizing their contributions to the record month should be included in your delivery at the very least.

                Your employees, even the most loyal, are generally interested in their situation first and the company second. This doesn’t make them greedy and it doesn’t mean that they aren’t “company men” or “company women”. This doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t sacrifice for fellow employees or the company.  It does mean that they care more about themselves than they do you. That’s ok. Recognize that fact, embrace it, communicate with it in mind and you will spawn more meaningful conversations.  

Company Dynamics: The Shadow Council (stuff you already know)

Company Dynamics: The Shadow Council (stuff you already know)

By: David Van Rossum

The shadow councils are in virtually every organization. Does your company have them? You know, those groups that talk among themselves about what can be improved in the company. The ones who talk about those who aren’t pulling their weight but are still being rewarded. The second guessers of company strategy. You try to get them to speak out in your quarterly town meetings, but they seldom do. You know they are out there. Don’t think that they aren’t powerful. Don’t think they are always wrong. Don’t think they don’t include your trusted advisors. These groups can help you. Sure, some people complain just because that’s what they do best. Shadow councils convene because they care. Good shadow councils don’t sit around and bitch about what went wrong all the time. They talk about how things can be better. They meet in their offices, over drinks, at the health club or maybe at the golf course. Now if you could just get them out of the dark and into your conversation.

If you run an organization, chances are that one or more of your direct reports regularly convenes with their trusted circle to discuss the state of the business in ways other than what you would expect. Some of these leaders do the right thing and bring the topics of these discussions up in meetings with you. Others may keep the discussions “closed” as they perceive that their power is somehow enhanced simply by being a member of their particular shadow council. These groups have valuable information that can help the organization succeed. If you are not being challenged it is possible that you aren’t as approachable as you think. You might issue directives, after receiving input, thinking that you have a consensus. Following up individually with your trusted inner circle is a good way to find out if everyone is truly on board.

I don’t bring this discussion up to cast sinister scenarios or promote paranoia in your business. I bring it up because if you don’t know about these intelligent committees than you may be missing out on a wealth of good advice. I have been involved in these shadow councils. I have been a leader in some. Chances are that you have as well. I have always felt that it was the right course of action to take these discussions to the next level. I say again, these groups are not made up of chronic complainers. They are knowledgeable assets that may be frustrated or feel that they don’t have a voice. Good ones don’t think they are always right. A successful executive or manager gives voice to the people they direct or interact with. Leaders need to find ways to make sure that conversations that take place in shadow councils reach their ears. I know, it sounds like communication 101 or a simple rule of empowerment.  I have seen too many cases, however, when info floated from these groups is ignored. I have also seen cases where leaders rely too much on just one person other than themselves for their business information. I had a colleague that used to start conversations with subordinates by telling them that he was “taking off his stripes.” Not a good way to go about promoting a discussion. Show your lieutenants that you trust them. Ask them what they talk about. You will not dilute your authority through inclusion. Don’t make them feel that they may be undermining you by sharing non-confidential operational discussions with others. Most of them do. It makes them a better resource to the company because they become more widely informed. It is up to you to mine the valuable nuggets from that resource.

The Three P’s of Early January: Primaries, Playoffs and Problems in Europe

The Three P’s of Early January: Primaries, Playoffs and Problems in Europe

By: David Van Rossum

    Primary season is here. Iowa kicks off our political version of Survivor today. How many will stand after contests in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida? Three? That’s my guess. The debates have been predictably vapid with more attention from the media on form rather than substance. The public seems to care more about comedic or accusatory exchanges than the details of the issues. Of course this is the same public that can’t wait for the next episode of Housewives from Wherever, The Biggest Loser and Jersey Shore. That’s ok.  All of the candidates claim to have plans that will fix the economy. Most have only rhetoric on how they will get Congress to act on their plans. It seems clear that Mitt Romney will survive late in the race. He looks presidential and he always appears to be in the top three in polling. Who joins him for a more concentrated comparison of differences is beyond me.  One thing is clear to all of the Republican candidates- our troubles are President Obama’s fault. The last election was won on the platform that everything was the last administration’s fault and we can’t have more of the same. President Obama claims that our continuing troubles are the fault of Congress, especially since the Republicans took the house in the midterm elections. It’s everyone else’s fault. All of these officials are supposed to solve, not point. The Democrats claim that the Republicans hate the poor and refuse to provide for them. The Republicans claim that the Democrats hate the rich and want to stunt job growth. Sadly, many people believe these preposterous notions. Both sides claim to be able to save the middle class. Funny, politicians from both sides have been claiming that they will help the middle class ever since I can remember. I guess no one has. The middle class must have the most votes. After all, isn’t that what it is all about? Getting votes? I wish it was about unifying to solve problems. Anyway, the primaries will provide good theater. I am looking forward to them.

                While the primaries heat up the political debate, whittling the field down to the champion that will carry the party’s flag, the NFL will be in the midst of its tournament to find its ultimate winner. The twelve contestants are being evaluated before they play a game. The pollsters in the race, the analysts and the fans, are predicting what is going to happen just as the political pollsters are ranking the primary contestants. Computers are simulating. People are betting. Las Vegas is in its glory. The coaches will praise their opponents before the games and fans of the underdogs will be watching marathons of Any Given Sunday and Hoosiers to raise their hopes before kickoff. Ratings will be huge. Advertisers will spend like crazy. There will be at least one upset, there always is. We will cheer and swear as fortunes change for our rooting interest. The 20 teams that didn’t make it are already making plans for next year. The twelve teams that are left still have hope. They all think they can win their next game whether they are favored or a long-shot. After the ultimate game is played, the winner need not do anything else. They are finished. They have achieved their goal. Unlike our elections, the playoffs are the ultimate test. For our November, 2012 elected President and Congress, the real game is just beginning. Anyway, I am looking forward to the NFL Playoffs and I am pulling for the biggest underdog.

                Meanwhile, Europe is wrestling with the economic problems plaguing members of their fairly recently formed union. We obviously have our own economic crisis here at home, but our union is more solid. We might complain that California’s economic woes will put an unfair burden on populations of solvent states, but our collective nationalism will tone down the outcry. How long will Germany be willing to bail out its neighbors? Will the Euro collapse and the old sovereign currencies resurface? How our economy is affected by the European mess is scary. Hopefully our financial institutions will be able to better predict the impact of the lingering European destabilization than they did the derivative collapse. The whole European Union concept looks like a bad idea. We are Americans with states. They are states with a union. It’s kind of like having a joint bank account with cousins from both sides of your family. Would you allow that kind of access to your money? I wouldn’t. Countries that have far outspent their revenues in order to continue down the path of extraordinary entitlements have their hands out to their better positioned neighbors. I’m sure cousin Mark will not fund cousin Lira's drug habit for long, if you know what I mean. We will do well to heed the problems in Europe. For generations, no matter the state of our economy, we could always take solace from the fact that an investment in U.S. securities was a zero risk gamble. We shrugged off S&P’s downgrade, but we are travelling in the wrong direction. The European Union enjoyed a great investment confidence as well, if only for a relatively short time. The ties that bind those countries are certainly not as strong as those that bind us, but their economic foibles are not so far removed from ours. I am looking forward to a lasting European economic solution, but I’m afraid that will be a lingering problem well past our Primary and Playoff seasons.

                It is early January. The three subjects above will be of great interest to me. One of the subjects is merely entertainment. I don’t think that is a bad ratio. My worry is that we are becoming more and more entertainment focused. Let us look to things that take our mind away from troubles. Like the NFL playoffs. More, importantly, let us focus more intently on how we evaluate our leaders and protect our future. Politicians need to succeed in action, not rhetoric. That is where the NFL gets it right. If a team does its job well, it wins.