I want the Thick and Juicy Steak Burger

February 7, 2012 By

Today student Kristen Gilbert writes a blog post exploring her thoughts on comments from a guest speaker, Chip Neidigh of Catalyst OC.  Kristen’s home base is in Dallas, TX, is in the school of Health Sciences and is a member of the Purdue swim team.

Okay, well maybe not (I’m not really a fan of red meat), but something raw, tasty, solid, and specific would be just fine.

While all of our guest speakers were beneficial in further explicating certain change topics, Chip Neidigh definitely stood out in my mind because of his methodology in explaining things and engaging us (which was actually his key point of that night). I thought his metaphor of food was particularly effective (especially for me since I thoroughly enjoy eating) because it was sticky and memorable. He talked about how to properly speak with your employees about upcoming changes in a way that allowed them to be a part of the change, and put
their “fingerprints” on it. He stressed the importance of moving from general (mushy) ideas to the specifics (solid), and from safe (bland) statements to riskier (tastier) ones. And then what do you get? STEAK.  Omnomnom. When people are given the hard facts about what types of changes will be taking place, and are presented with the opportunity to discuss them, they can be confident in what lies before them. This can help to eliminate any insecurities or doubts that they may have, and create a more effective workplace.

Furthermore, he used tactics like the “5-finger method,” that proved to be a quick and easy way to see how involved each of us were in the discussion. This technique also ended up being implemented in other group presentations later on in the class, along with the concept of “fingerprints.”

So, all in all, you could definitely say Chip was engaging, and what he said did stick with us. Thanks for the food metaphors, Chip! :)

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Changephobia

January 26, 2012 By

Today’s post is by Angela Schwarz and was an editor’s choice in our blog competition. Angela is from West Chicago, IL and is studying Food and Nutrition in Business in the School of Health and Human Services.

“Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have—and underestimate the value of what  they may gain by giving that up.”    — James Belasco and Ralph Stayer

Changeaphobia ; [chenj-a- foh- bee- uh] noun : To be scared of change and believe it only can lead to bad, awful, depressing things.

Of course if you look up “Changeaphobia” in the dictionary, you won’t find it. However do not let that make you think it does not exist. Changeaphobia, does exist, and I believe affects a lot more people than you think, luckily it is completely cureable. I am happy to write to you today as a survivor of the disease Changeaphobia.

For as long as I can remember I have been cursed with Changeaphobia. From the  time I had to change my Beauty and the Beast bed sheets, and purple walls in my  bedroom, to having to go to college and change the way I act, think, and live,  changeaphobia has been present and made these changes almost unbearable.

To me change stripped me of my comfort zones. Every time something was changed  I felt different, I felt stressed, I felt angry. I thought why I am losing  something my life agrees with, nothing I “change” will be better than what I am  giving up. Of course this goes beyond my Beauty and the Beast bed sheets, I’m  not that crazy!

The quote above by James Belasco and Ralph Stayer, is a nice insight to change,  and a healthy start to ridding someone of their changaphobia. We do not realize  that what we are giving up is outdated, immature, over with, not necessary, and  below par. We are just so stubborn and stuck in our diseased ways. Focusing on  the good new changes in our life brings, or what opportunities can arise from  these changes, really allow us to appreciate change, and accept it.

Change brings new beginnings, new ideas, new successes, and new bed sheets  (jk), it brings a new sense of importance and belonging. The changes I had a  hard time dealing with when I began college are the changes that lead me to  great grades, amazing job

Are you afraid of change?

opportunities, unique experiences, and skills. All of  those results are what are bringing new changes now that make me happier than I  ever thought I could be. Recognizing that giving up things is done because  there are better things to come, will help to lead you to a successful future  filled with more excitement and variety, than the- boring- outdated old ways we  were mistaking as the best.

 

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Being a Leader vs. a Manager

January 24, 2012 By

Today’s Post is by Alexandra Kieta

Alexandra is studying in the Department of Aviation Technology. Her home town is Indianapolis.

 

Leadership and Management are so vastly different. Many people who
call themselves leaders are merely managers. Many people who are labeled
supervisor are true leaders. Your official label doesn’t make you who you are
and automatically give you respect….your actions and attitude do.

Here’s a short list of some things I believe are the more important varying
aspects between the two:

Leadership (L) and Management (M)

L: Walk beside and/or behind your followers.

M: Walk in front of your followers like they’re in elementary school.

L: Be open to their thoughts, ideas, concerns, feelings, etc.

M: Not listening to feedback that might change what you have established.

L: You work for your subordinates. You help them grow.

M: Tyranny.

L: Influence.

M: Authority.

L: Respect.

M: Fear.

L: Going through learning experiences to get your company where it needs to go.

M: Making your employees go through the motions to achieve another step in the
plan.

L: Produce more leaders.

M: Produce more conforming followers.

By being a leader, you build relationships and people and a positive culture.
By only being a manager, you build an environment where people don’t enjoy
their work. (And since we all work for a living, who wants that?!)

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Leadership with Silent Accolades? Steve Jobs vs Dennis Ritchie

January 23, 2012 By
Steve Jobs

A post by Purdue Student: Abishek Roy (AB)

Steve Jobs was the Chairman and CEO of Apple Computers Inc. and
arguably one of the world’s most successful businessmen. Jobs saw the power of
innovation in building his company. Till today, we can see the innovating power
of Apple Computers Inc as it continues to take market leadership in the
industry. If you want to maintain your leadership, you have to be the one who’s
constantly up with new ideas, new initiatives, all in the spirit of moving your
organizational mission forward. In whatever industry you’re in, your constant
innovation in alignment with your mission will keep you ahead of the pack.

On the other hand Dennis Ritchie was an American computer scientist who helped
shape the digital era by giving the world the computational language C. He also
got the National Medal of Technology from President Clinton in 1999. Ritchie
was the head of Lucent Technologies System Software Research Department when he
retired in 2007. Very few people will have any grasp of how much the technology
Dennis Ritchie developed impacts their daily lives. Without exaggeration, every
single computing device that you are likely to interact with on any given day
can in some way be traced back to work done by Dennis Ritchie. It doesn’t
matter if you use Microsoft Windows, or an Apple iPhone, they all rely in some
way or another on the programming language “C”, which Dennis help write back in
the 70s.

Now comes the interesting part, Steve Jobs died on October 5th and the whole
world knew about it while on the other hand Dennis Ritchie died exactly seven
days later on October 12th. Now if I were to guess, 95% of the people would
have never heard about Dennis Ritchie before reading this.

I personally have nothing against both of them, but believe both lead some
change that impacted everyone’s common life at some point. But the question
still remains, why media did chose Jobs death as more relevant. The answer
still requires perspective. Well perhaps one way to look at it is very simple.
The job of invention does not complete the cycle of disruption that advances
our world. How frustrating it must be to know of important breakthroughs; the
long history of e-paper is an excellent example ; that cannot find their way
into our everyday lives because our collective imagination is lacking or slow.
Why do we still use printers? Maybe because a false concept about the
permanence and credibility of tree pulp persists.

Jobs’ role was that of translator. His ability to understand the change that
technology made possible, to package it in ways that attracted the broader
world, and, yes, to sell that new vision was not important to progress. It was
essential.

Abishek Roy (also known as AB) is a student at Purdue. You can find his Linked In profile at http://www.linkedin.com/pub/abhishek-roy/2b/74b/817

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Blog Competition

January 23, 2012 By

Those of you that follow this blog have noticed a lack of activity since last September. That is due to the fact that I took on teaching three undergraduate classes at Purdue University in West Lafayette, two sections of Introduction to Entrepreneurship and one section of Leading Change. In addition to my client work and coaching – life was full last fall.

Well – I am back – so look for some great posts in 2012. I am starting the year with selected posts written by students in my Leading Change course. So, over the next two weeks – enjoy insights on change and leadership from our leaders of the future.

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5 Tips for Virtual Teams

September 15, 2011 By

Two definitions of virtual from Wikipedia:

  1. 1. Almost or nearly as described, but not completely or according to strict definition: “the virtual absence of border controls”.

2. Not physically existing as such but made by software to appear to do so: “virtual images”.

When on a virtual team, the first definition begins to take shape. The team is still a team – with human people working together to accomplish a real goal or deliverable. It’s the “not completely” that makes virtual teams such interesting territory.

Virtual teams are ’not completely’ in the same physical space. Often they are also “not completely” in the same frame of mind – be it country, culture or primary language. Sometimes there are more ways in which teams are “not completely” homogenous than way in which they are.

This is both the opportunity and the challenge of virtual teams.

Opportunities abound. Virtual teams allow for broad participation – no longer are we bound by only the people who are geographically proximate. With that broad participation – we can have teams that are talent rich. The diversity of global teams can be a big plus, resulting in broader thinking, multiple perspectives and viewpoints. And of course the obvious, there is less cost, hassle and wear and tear – as team members can work from where they are – rather than traveling to where “we” are.

Challenges also abound. Diversity can also be a hindrance if team members don’t appreciate, take the time to understand or utilize the wider perspectives. Anyone who has been on a virtual team knows the pain of inadequate technology (although it is improving) and the narrow window of time that accommodates meetings due to differing time zones.  Due to the virtual nature, it is easy to feel disconnected and to miss important visual cues that build rapport, understanding and also provide important visual signals as to state of mind.

Here are a few hints that can help bridge the “virtual” aspects of these teams:

  1. If possible, find a way to get people together face to face. Yes it is expensive and time consuming – but the rewards will come.
  2. Find ways to enable the team to know each other on a deeper level that just a voice on the conference call. Begin meetings with an informal question that allows members to share a bit of personal information. Of use common “virtual” space to allow folks to post pictures of friends, family and interests.
  3. Use tools that promote knowledge sharing and collaboration. There are many – including ones that allow for video conference calls, shared white boards, and real time chat.
  4. Encourage people to “name” their feelings in meeting discussions. If face to face, we could see that someone was surprised, delighted, confused, or frustrated.  This goes away with calls – so naming the feeling helps the entire team know how to best respond.
  5. Take some time at the end of each meeting to do a quick recap of the meeting. What worked well? What could we improve to have a better meeting the next time? This exercise takes no more than 5 minutes and yields great dividends over time.

Share what you’ve found that works with virtual teams! It’s a business skill we all need to master.

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Lessons in Transition from the Super Bowl Half Time Show

February 8, 2011 By

I admit it. I can be a geek sometimes. While millions of people across the globe watched the half time show for the performance (or perhaps to see if there would be another wardrobe malfunction), I experience a sense of awe and wonder at the spectacle and the amazing accomplishment of transforming a football field and stadium into the world’s largest live stage.

Think about it. In a mere 8 minutes the field must be transformed. And most of the work is done by volunteers. Oh, and by the way, volunteers who have not had much time to practice.

Just my short list of production elements that must be envisioned, coordinated, planned for and executed includes:

  • Stage
  • Lighting
  • Video
  • Sound
  • Musicians
  • Dancers
  • Pyrotechnics
  • Cameras
  • Special effects
  • Lasers
  • Costumes
  • Audience participation

 It struck me that, in many ways, it was like most transformations:

  • Long in the making
  • Requiring much planning and hard work
  • Best when done with creativity and vision
  • Can come together rather quickly in the end
  • Often appears rather effortless to those not involved

And no sooner have you basked in the glory of the transformation, another challenge calls you.

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4 Tips to Make Resolution Rituals Work

December 31, 2010 By

New Years: an annual time to reflect, plan, resolve and set goals for the upcoming year. It is the time we put the past behind us and begin anew.

Yet we all know that it doesn’t take many days (and in some cases hours) until we flub up. Harsh words are uttered. A cigarette is lit. We skip the gym. We are late (again). We put off that which we deemed very important just a few weeks ago. We spend more time with paperwork than with the people we work with.

Yet, in spite of year after year of failed resolutions, we continue this rite. So, how might we use some of the resolution rituals differently to get it “right” in 2011?

Tip 1: Use the Symbolism of a New Beginning

The reality is that January 1st is not all that different than Dec. 31st. However, in our minds we create a very big distinction. The symbolism of entering a new year, turning the calendar, and beginning anew offers a psychological marker that we attend to.

I’d suggest using that same symbolism to our advantage by looking at smaller and hence more frequent time increments. What if you think New Quarter or New Month or New Day in addition to New Year? This is the “practice makes perfect” principle. Make your birthday a time to reflect and course correct and you’ll have two opportunities per year. Make this a practice at the beginning of each season and you have quadrupled the effect. Make it a daily practice to reflect, adjust and set intentions and you will see a dramatic difference.

Tip 2: Think in Increments

 We have a tendency to think in “either /or” which sets us up for failure. We are either fat or thin, fit or a slob, successful or a failure. As such, we often make a dramatic change on January 1st (or 2nd) that is unrealistic and unsustainable. Anyone that has gone to the gym the first week in January knows what I mean.

The caterpillar does not turn into a butterfly over night. Use the image of metamorphoses as your guide. Set your direction and take repeated steps over time. Persistence will pay off; you will have transitioned in a manageable and lasting way. Take a small step, meet with some success and then raise the bar. Do this over and over again – and you truly experience a transformation.

Anais Nin puts it this way: “I made no resolutions for the New Year.  The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me.”

Tip  3: Invite your Friends

New Years is a social time of gathering with others. It may be a few loved ones, it might be a small party or it might be with 999,999 other people in Times Square. No matter the size, the social element is a critical component.

Inviting others in on your resolutions or intentions is not only fun, but can greatly increase the chance of reaching the goals you set. I would never have done half marathons if my daughter and husband had not been by my side.  We worked out together, we shared what we learned, and we held each other accountable.

Tip  4: Celebrate

The overarching image of New Years is celebration. Sometimes we revel in the wonderful things that occurred in the past year. Other years we rejoice that the year is past and that we have survived all that has been thrown our way. Either way, we laugh, we dance, we relax and enjoy.

Bring that same sense of joy throughout the year. Take your team out for a celebration when they hit their goals. Build rewards into accomplishments. Plan for it in advance – to both avoid overlooking the need to do this and also as another motivator to maintain focus. For as Thomas Peters notes: “Celebrate what you want to see more of.”

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Transformation from the Inside Out

September 26, 2010 By

Struggling with Monkey Mind

My yoga instructor calls it “monkey brain” – the tendency we have to jump from thought to thought like a monkey jumps from tree to tree. Human brains have countless thoughts, random thoughts, recurring thoughts – like an 8 lane highway, but with not many traffic rules.  

Brain scientists study the phenomenon with much more precision and are finding that there is much more going on than even we can imagine. Estimates vary, but current research would tell us that only 10 to 20% of our brain activity is with conscious thought. The unconscious mind is always working, just below the surface. It exerts a powerful force that shapes what we do, how we do it and consequently the results we get.

Henry Ford is quoted as saying, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” While I would concur, the challenge becomes how does one dig deeply enough into our sub-conscious thinking to truly understand what guides us from day to day.

Real change, lasting change, substantial change occurs when we are able to identify a thought and belief that is no longer serving us well and replace it with a thought or belief that does. This is transformational change, inside – out, and is much more powerful and more lasting. It requires more up front effort in discerning the thought pattern that needs to change – but once the “aha” happens, requires far less discipline, maintenance and is less prone to regressing back to past behaviors and results.

Here is a simple process that can get you started:

  • Think about a situation that you would like to change, where you are frustrated with the results (or the lack of) results you are getting
  • Write down your thoughts and beliefs about the situation – with brutal honesty
  • Examine them and ask:
    • Are they really true?
    • Do they serve me well?
    • Are there other ways I can think about this situation that would serve me better?
    • Set an intention. Write down the new thoughts or beliefs and describe how you will think and act in accordance to what you have learned.
    • Observe yourself in the next few weeks and when your old thought pattern shows up; guide your thoughts back to your intention. Take corrective action.
    • Repeat. Over and over and over again. Our subconscious so powerful that this make take awhile.

Examples always help me, so here is a simple one.

Situation:  You are frustrated and overworked.  The team you lead waltzes out the office door at 5 every day, leaving you to work late nights and Saturdays.

Beliefs: After sitting down to reflect, you realize that you have a belief that the work won’t get done right if you don’t do it yourself.

Examination:  When you think through the questions, you realize that the work may not get done exactly the same way you would do it, but that there can be many ways to tackle the work. What matters is the result.  You realize that you “hold onto the work” – and that is resulting in your frustration and a severe crimp in your work life balance. Clearly this belief is not serving you well.

Intention:  You set an intention to delegate work to your staff.  You intend to allow your team the freedom to approach the task in their unique way, knowing that the focus on the right result will suffice. You see yourself coaching your team as you delegate. You set an intention to leave the office every day by 6 pm.

Actions:  In the office, you identify some recurring tasks that you could delegate. You identify team members who are good fits for the work, set expectations around outcomes and expectations on the results and coach them through the first few weeks. You slip a few times and switch into “micro-manage” mode, but recognize it,  apologize to the person and ask them to tell you when you are providing too much direction in “how” to do the task rather than focusing on the outcome.

Of course, it sounds easier that it actually is. But the alternative of continuing to live with thought patterns and sub-conscious beliefs that undermine our happiness, success and well being makes the effort, time and focus well worth it.

This quote sums it up quite nicely:

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.

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Change Effort Stuck?

August 13, 2010 By

Transformational change in organizations is hard (major understatement!)– and the more processes, systems, peoples and time involved the greater the level of difficulty. Because of this, it is very typical to initially underestimate any number of things: the time it will take, the people required, the resources needed, the impact to other areas, the amount of coordination required. In the early planning phases we tend to assume the best – things will go quickly, the right people will be available just when you need them, that it’s really not “all that difficult”. And then hard, cold, unrelenting reality sets in.

Once we begin to get a sense of the real scope and scale of the change, these challenges begin to surface in a real way. Quite often much energy and effort have already been expended. Commitments have been made. Plans are in place. People are stretched thin and worn out. So when the hard truth that it will take more than we ever imagined to put the change in place becomes evident – it is a very “inconvenient truth”.

Facing up to this hard reality is a daunting  leadership challenge. Our human propensity is to fight or flight. Fight looks like denying the reality, pushing on without adjustment, asking people to work 14 hours rather than the normal 10. Flight is abandonment, turning back, giving up. Neither is what is needed.

Here are 6 things that do need done.

  1. Yield to the Reality Be brutally honest about the true state. State the obvious. Declare the problem and the intent to fix it. Hiding problems almost always takes more time and energy than naming them and getting focused on a fix.
  2. Pause. Breathe. Slow things down for a moment to go faster later.
  3. Reflect. How much has been done? What is yet to be done? What do we know that was not knowable at kick off? What is getting the way? Why? What has changed? What needs to change to make this happen? What is our most important outcome? How do we get there? The more honest the answers, the more likely your fix will work.
  4. Re-Plan. Pull together the team. Use their much more accurate understanding of the effort to put together a plan that can succeed. Keep a focus on what is really important. Typically this is an adjustment – not a total change of direction.
  5. Recommit. Create fresh energy around the plan by reemphasizing the importance of the big goal. Maintain momentum by identifying shorter term wins that are within sight. Quickly get people moving forward again – this time with a clearer path with fewer obstacles.
  6. Press On. Step by Step. One milestone after another. Demonstrate the will to get this done. Make it clear that turning back is not an option.

And a final note…..don’t forget to look back on occasion and celebrate the progress made.

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