There is good innovation and bad innovation. Can you tell the difference? One is stylish, compelling, easy to use, and even has the ability to capture pictures of bad innovation! The other is an attempt at stylish, impossible to use without touching the dirty water or the sides of the sink, and even has the ability to totally drench you if you turn the water on too high. Innovation isn’t just about being different! It is about creating value. Fun is good. But a functional item actually needs to be functional! Whoever designed this sink was an idiot. Reminds me of the people who started a new dog food company, invested a ton of money in developing and marketing healthful dog food only to discover the dogs wouldn’t eat it. Want loyal customers? Innovate smartly!
Take the Clarity Quiz! Which of the following is not a “Treadmill Verb™”? Plan Report Decide Discuss Select your answer and see if you are right!
I had a meeting with a high ranking executive of a Fortune 50 company recently. Unfortunately, he wasn’t quite high enough! He and I agreed they had a tremendous opportunity to save hundreds of thousands of dollars and that I was the perfect choice to make it happen quickly. His boss, however, thought they could do it without outside help, despite no track record and no relevant expertise. This is when I realized they had an even bigger problem! High ranking executives in multi-billion dollar companies should be willing and able to push back when an obvious opportunity is denied with little scrutiny. Of course, the same can be said of any management team, regardless of the size of the organization. No leader needs ‘yes’ men. Every team needs healthy debate. If that debate isn’t occurring, your organization suffers from one or more of the following: Employees don’t dare stick their necks out Employees don’t care enough to stick there necks out Employees aren’t aware enough to know when to stick their necks out A healthy organization debates and unites. An unhealthy organization sits quietly in the back of the bus where they can snicker, console, and wait for a change in drivers. Does your team push back?
Your company has goals, your group has goals, and you and your employees have goals. Thus, everyone is aligned and working together, right? If only it were that simple! Let me tell you about Jim. Jim became a direct report when I joined an aerospace company years ago. He made people cry with his impatience. He couldn’t understand why others couldn’t just do things right. He’d rather do things himself than have to ask or explain twice. He believed he was pretty much surrounded by idiots. I had my work cut out for me!
My husband called the plumber. Unfortunately, he did it only after putting off a minor repair for months and then spending a good chunk of the day grunting, sweating, agonizing, and making multiple trips up and down the stairs in search of tools we don’t own. Not only did he not save a dime, he lost a day, and was miserable. Luckily, a couple of hours of phone calls produced a plumber able to come that same day, otherwise the suffering would have been considerably longer, and not limited to my husband! There is a lesson here that some people never seem to learn! And when those people run organizations, the pain and ultimate expense is always bigger than one person and a handful of hours. Instead of getting expert help, too many slog along, making little or no progress. Meanwhile, the entire organization suffers. The problem may be small and well-defined or it may be broad and harder to understand. Things like leaders who can’t lead or don’t know where they are going, managers who don’t know how to manage, too many priorities, meetings that accomplish little, confusion that erodes productivity and employee satisfaction,or improvement efforts driven by fads or the latest customer complaint. So when should you call the plumber or enlist other resources? The answer is pretty simple. Do it yourself only if one of these two conditions exists:
In less than 4 minutes, this video will teach you the 3 words that will allow you to manage both short and long term goals.
When South Sudan’s President arrived 30 minutes late for a meeting with President Obama, the disrespect was outrageously obvious and insulting. When you arrive late for a meeting, you too are being disrespectful. It may not be as obvious or as insulting, but it is still disrespectful. You may not be keeping the President waiting, but why is it OK to keep others waiting? Why are your activities and concerns more important than those of others in the room? Plan ahead and be on time! It is the courteous thing to do. Furthermore, it is good business. Why do you want everyone to know you are disorganized, unreliable, and disrespectful?
When Michael Phelps won his 19th medal in the 200 meter freestyle relay, he became the most decorated Olympian ever. That is an indisputable fact. When Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian ever, a debate began. Is Phelps the greatest Olympian? The greatest athlete? Ask either question and enthusiastic voices promote favorite alternatives. The debate revs up. And it goes on and on. This debate is a perfect example of a trap people get sucked into every day, but one that is easily avoided.
Welcome to the Clarity Quiz! Which of the following is visible? Attitude Intelligence Ambition Behavior Skill Make your selection and then either watch or click “more” for your answer.
During the women’s gymnastics Olympic team final, one of the commentators mentioned that Aly Raisman doesn’t feel pressure because she doesn’t label it that way. She labels it excitement. Labels matter. We all feel pressures and emotions, but we get to choose the labels we use. If you have lots of work to do and dead lines creeping up on you, you can choose to feel overwhelmed or you can choose to feel in control. If you choose to be overwhelmed, you talk about having too much to do and not enough time. You think about and mention all the disruptions and stress. You hope, unrealistically, for better luck tomorrow. You are a victim of your circumstances. Well, I have news for you. There is ALWAYS too much to do. There is NEVER enough time. Disruptions and chaos are natural occurrences. If you don’t accept these realities, you will ALWAYS feel overwhelmed. You will remain a victim. If you choose to be in control, you think about priorities. You handle or dismiss interruptions quickly. You focus on the important things. You do what you can do and make the best of circumstances. You don’t use phrases like “not enough time” and “too much to do.” You aren’t a victim, you take control, and you are in control. Choose “busy and efficient” instead of “overwhelmed.” You’ll be more successful and have something in common with an Olympian.