"What IS this?!?"
My client, Karen, flipped the envelope across the desk with disgust. The long white envelope slid to a stop in front of me, with the word "Karen" written across it in a beautiful feminine script.
"What's wrong?" I asked Karen.
"The president of our company just sent us all holiday cards."
"...and...," I asked, more than a little puzzled.
"The cards are embossed inside with the president's name and the name of our company."
"So what's bugging you?" I asked, still confused.
"THE PRESIDENT PROBABLY NEVER TOUCHED THESE CARDS!" Karen shouted. "I expect to get these kind of cards from my car dealer ... but the president of my own company?"
"Well," I offered, "at least she signed your name on the envelope."
"Our president," said Karen quite dryly, "is a man."
****************
Karen's frustration points out a common dilemma among employees these days. So many employees--from division managers down to line-staff--are starving for personal recognition. By sending these coldly embossed (albeit beautifully) cards to his employees, the president of the company was blowing his chance to build emotional engagement in his company ... and the bottom line will suffer.
Great leaders recognize the importance of personal recognition. While few company presidents have time to sign Christmas cards by hand, leaders in organizations need to be careful...because--as in Karen's case--sometimes a Christmas card can destroy emotional engagement rather than build it up.
(above names and details have been changed to protect confidentiality).
BOTTOM LINE: SUPERIOR LEADERS PAY ATTENTION TO MAKE SURE THAT BAD EXECUTION DOES NOT DAMAGE A GREAT IDEA.
Holiday
Christmas
Leadership
Emotional Engagement
Monday, December 04, 2006
A Little Nonsense Now and Then.....
...is relished by the wisest of people.
'Tis the holidays, and nothing says "Christmas" more than the Transiberian Orchestra and someone with too much time on their hands....
Watch the video.
This scene always brings a smile to my face.
BOTTOM LINE: Smart leaders make time for silliness and humor.
tags:
Leadership
humor
Transiberian Orchestra
Christmas lights
'Tis the holidays, and nothing says "Christmas" more than the Transiberian Orchestra and someone with too much time on their hands....
Watch the video.
This scene always brings a smile to my face.
BOTTOM LINE: Smart leaders make time for silliness and humor.
tags:
Leadership
humor
Transiberian Orchestra
Christmas lights
A Little Nonsense Now and Then.....
...is relished by the wisest of people.
'Tis the holidays, and nothing says "Christmas" more than the Transiberian Orchestra and someone with too much time on their hands....
Watch the video.
This scene always brings a smile to my face.
BOTTOM LINE: Smart leaders make time for silliness and humor.
tags:
Leadership
humor
Transiberian Orchestra
Christmas lights
'Tis the holidays, and nothing says "Christmas" more than the Transiberian Orchestra and someone with too much time on their hands....
Watch the video.
This scene always brings a smile to my face.
BOTTOM LINE: Smart leaders make time for silliness and humor.
tags:
Leadership
humor
Transiberian Orchestra
Christmas lights
Monday, November 27, 2006
It's SO Satisfying....
"The quality of relationships has a far bigger effect [on happiness] than quite large rises in salary..."
These are the words of economist Andrew Oswald of the University of Warwick in England. A recent AP Science article discussed the connection between money and happiness. While many leaders seek to build salaries at the expense of relationships, the latest research is now showing that relationships have a larger effect on life satisfaction than money does.
While there is nothing wrong with making a 6-figure (or better) salary, wise leaders make sure they take an emotionally intelligent approach to their income ... by focusing on the importance of their relationships.
PLUS, as I mentioned in Leading People the Black Belt Way, a better way to lead is to use Both/And thinking. For leaders, it's not the question of either building better relationships OR making high salaries. The better question that leaders can ask themselves is .... "How do I do both?"
The answer: focus on relationships.
When you focus on relationships at work, you'll have employees who are more emotionally engaged. Emotionally engaged employees are more productive, which is better for YOUR bottom line.
BOTTOM LINE: Smart leaders focus on building better relationships. Better relationships create emotionally engaged employees ... which improves your bottom line.
tags:
Emotional Intelligence
Money and Happiness
Emotional Engagement
These are the words of economist Andrew Oswald of the University of Warwick in England. A recent AP Science article discussed the connection between money and happiness. While many leaders seek to build salaries at the expense of relationships, the latest research is now showing that relationships have a larger effect on life satisfaction than money does.
While there is nothing wrong with making a 6-figure (or better) salary, wise leaders make sure they take an emotionally intelligent approach to their income ... by focusing on the importance of their relationships.
PLUS, as I mentioned in Leading People the Black Belt Way, a better way to lead is to use Both/And thinking. For leaders, it's not the question of either building better relationships OR making high salaries. The better question that leaders can ask themselves is .... "How do I do both?"
The answer: focus on relationships.
When you focus on relationships at work, you'll have employees who are more emotionally engaged. Emotionally engaged employees are more productive, which is better for YOUR bottom line.
BOTTOM LINE: Smart leaders focus on building better relationships. Better relationships create emotionally engaged employees ... which improves your bottom line.
tags:
Emotional Intelligence
Money and Happiness
Emotional Engagement
Friday, November 24, 2006
A Ounce of Prevention ... or a Pound of Financial Loss?
Say it isn't so.
The retail giant Walmart didn't know that lots of people were going to be visiting their website today?!?! In this AP article, Walmart's website crashed due to too many visitors.
Memo to Walmart Execs:
People tend to shop on the day after Thanksgiving (aka "Black Friday").
A lot of people.
Might want to build up that IT department a bit.
My guess is that Walmart won't be releasing figures on the financial damage (hint: average the total web sales for hours), but the figures could easily run into the millions. Imaging losing millions of dollars in sales because your website is down. Now imagine you have an IT department the size of Walmarts.
An ounce of IT prevention could have prevents a pound of financial loss.
BOTTOM LINE: Great leaders pay attention to the ounce-of-prevention rule.
tags:
Walmart
Black Friday
Cyber Monday
The retail giant Walmart didn't know that lots of people were going to be visiting their website today?!?! In this AP article, Walmart's website crashed due to too many visitors.
Memo to Walmart Execs:
People tend to shop on the day after Thanksgiving (aka "Black Friday").
A lot of people.
Might want to build up that IT department a bit.
My guess is that Walmart won't be releasing figures on the financial damage (hint: average the total web sales for hours), but the figures could easily run into the millions. Imaging losing millions of dollars in sales because your website is down. Now imagine you have an IT department the size of Walmarts.
An ounce of IT prevention could have prevents a pound of financial loss.
BOTTOM LINE: Great leaders pay attention to the ounce-of-prevention rule.
tags:
Walmart
Black Friday
Cyber Monday
Monday, November 20, 2006
Sometimes the customer is NOT always right
If the customer is always right, then the makers of both Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii would have stocked a lot more games.....
...and gotten less publicity.
As large as these corporations are, it seems impossible to believe that they couldn't make accurate market forecasts. The reasonable conclusion to draw, then, is recognizing that "coming up short" is an effective marketing strategy.
Imagine how much it would cost to create a marketing campaign that almost everyone would be talking about. Far too much money.
Instead, by keeping distribution of these games relatively limited, these gamemakers have received extensive media coverage as the media talks about ...
... people waiting all night in lines.
... game consoles going for over 400% retail on ebay.
... the hue and cry over people not getting one.
BOTTOM LINE:Smart leaders know receiving media coverage that money can't buy is one brilliant reason to realize that the customer is not always right.
tags:
Playstation 3
Wii
Ebay
...and gotten less publicity.
As large as these corporations are, it seems impossible to believe that they couldn't make accurate market forecasts. The reasonable conclusion to draw, then, is recognizing that "coming up short" is an effective marketing strategy.
Imagine how much it would cost to create a marketing campaign that almost everyone would be talking about. Far too much money.
Instead, by keeping distribution of these games relatively limited, these gamemakers have received extensive media coverage as the media talks about ...
... people waiting all night in lines.
... game consoles going for over 400% retail on ebay.
... the hue and cry over people not getting one.
BOTTOM LINE:Smart leaders know receiving media coverage that money can't buy is one brilliant reason to realize that the customer is not always right.
tags:
Playstation 3
Wii
Ebay
Monday, November 06, 2006
Core Problem #5 ... in the news
In my book Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today, I wrote about Core Problem #5:
Organizations lose viability when they follow the old structures that serve people at the top first.
Here's a perfect example of Core Problem #5 in the media. In his OpEd column, Washington Post columnist Colbert King writes about Colin Powell's book My American Journey as well as Bob Woodworth's State of Denial.
In his column, Mr. King explores Colin Powell's beliefs that his generation of military top brass would never make the same mistakes that were made in Vietnam.
While I respect General Powell tremendously, clearly he was wrong. Mr. King points out how we are making the exact same mistakes in Iraq.
What went wrong? Did General Powell's generation go bad?
Not by a longshot.
As I point out in Leading People the Black Belt Way, it's not the people, it's the system. Corrupt systems create corrupt decisions. By having a military and political system that serves people at the top first, we will all be paying for the mistakes made in Iraq.
Don't make the same leadership mistake.
BOTTOM LINE: Great Leaders create healthy systems.
tags:
Bob Woodworth
Colbert I. King
Colin Powell
Organizations lose viability when they follow the old structures that serve people at the top first.
Here's a perfect example of Core Problem #5 in the media. In his OpEd column, Washington Post columnist Colbert King writes about Colin Powell's book My American Journey as well as Bob Woodworth's State of Denial.
In his column, Mr. King explores Colin Powell's beliefs that his generation of military top brass would never make the same mistakes that were made in Vietnam.
While I respect General Powell tremendously, clearly he was wrong. Mr. King points out how we are making the exact same mistakes in Iraq.
What went wrong? Did General Powell's generation go bad?
Not by a longshot.
As I point out in Leading People the Black Belt Way, it's not the people, it's the system. Corrupt systems create corrupt decisions. By having a military and political system that serves people at the top first, we will all be paying for the mistakes made in Iraq.
Don't make the same leadership mistake.
BOTTOM LINE: Great Leaders create healthy systems.
tags:
Bob Woodworth
Colbert I. King
Colin Powell
Monday, October 30, 2006
Kickin' it on Amazon...
HEALING KATRINA has been re-released with a new sub-title. It's now available on Amazon.com.
Here's the new cover:
tags:
Katrina
Hurricane
Volunteering
Here's the new cover:
tags:
Katrina
Hurricane
Volunteering
Monday, October 23, 2006
Ebay goes MySpace ...
On-line powerhouse Ebay recently launched its own version of MySpace, calling it "My World".
With the ease of duplicating digital processes, few processes stay proprietary very long these days. Will Ebay dillute its brand too far by offering things people don't want? Or will Ebay become even stronger?
No one knows.
This is important, so I'll say it again: No one knows.
In my book, LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY, I talk about leading through the power of mistakes and limitations. In order to succeed as a leader, you need to be willing to make mistakes. Ebay's MY WORLD might be a global success or a phenomenal flop, but the leaders of Ebay should be commended for being willing to take risks.
BOTTOM LINE:Powerful leaders take risks.
tags:
Ebay
My World
MySpace
With the ease of duplicating digital processes, few processes stay proprietary very long these days. Will Ebay dillute its brand too far by offering things people don't want? Or will Ebay become even stronger?
No one knows.
This is important, so I'll say it again: No one knows.
In my book, LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY, I talk about leading through the power of mistakes and limitations. In order to succeed as a leader, you need to be willing to make mistakes. Ebay's MY WORLD might be a global success or a phenomenal flop, but the leaders of Ebay should be commended for being willing to take risks.
BOTTOM LINE:Powerful leaders take risks.
tags:
Ebay
My World
MySpace
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Want Marketing? Send Children Towards the Gun...
According to Yahoo News,A security firm that trains schools has announced that they are training children to ATTACK any person carrying a gun that enters a school.
According to the article, the spokesperson for the company stated:
"Getting under desks and praying for rescue from professionals is not a recipe for success," said Robin Browne, a major in the British Army reserve and an instructor for Response Options, the company providing the training to the Burleson schools.
That kind of fight-back advice is all but unheard of among schools, and some fear it will get children killed.
But school officials in Burleson said they are drawing on the lessons learned from a string of disasters such as Columbine in 1999 and the Amish schoolhouse attack in Pennsylvania last week.
My professional opinion:
As a marketing strategy, Response Options is brilliant. They are getting media coverage like nobody's business, above and beyond what other security firms are getting.
As a strategy to keep our children safe? Response Options completely misses the boat. They are completely ignoring developmental psychology, crisis intervention research and trauma responses.
My prediction: In the event of a school shooting, schools that train their children to follow Response Options's "attack-the-shooter" strategy will wind up with a higher number of dead kids on their hands.
BOTTOM LINE: Strong Leaders Pay Attention to Psychological Research
tags:
School Shooting
guns-in-schools
school violence
According to the article, the spokesperson for the company stated:
"Getting under desks and praying for rescue from professionals is not a recipe for success," said Robin Browne, a major in the British Army reserve and an instructor for Response Options, the company providing the training to the Burleson schools.
That kind of fight-back advice is all but unheard of among schools, and some fear it will get children killed.
But school officials in Burleson said they are drawing on the lessons learned from a string of disasters such as Columbine in 1999 and the Amish schoolhouse attack in Pennsylvania last week.
My professional opinion:
As a marketing strategy, Response Options is brilliant. They are getting media coverage like nobody's business, above and beyond what other security firms are getting.
As a strategy to keep our children safe? Response Options completely misses the boat. They are completely ignoring developmental psychology, crisis intervention research and trauma responses.
My prediction: In the event of a school shooting, schools that train their children to follow Response Options's "attack-the-shooter" strategy will wind up with a higher number of dead kids on their hands.
BOTTOM LINE: Strong Leaders Pay Attention to Psychological Research
tags:
School Shooting
guns-in-schools
school violence
Who's Cleaning Up This Mess?
According to the API News Service, wild animals are becoming quite a problem in New Orleans (and, most likely, other areas of the South impacted by the 2005 Hurricane Season. The animals have been moving in after the storms (or were blown in), including, the article notes:
In suburban Kenner, Cherry Robinson found snakes in her yard, while a man in another part of town found deadly brown widow spiders, a cousin of the black widow.
"You used to have to go deep in the woods to find brown widows," said Jayme Necaise, an entomologist with the Audubon Nature Institute Insectarium, a museum scheduled to open next year. "Now we're finding them all over the place. Along with swarms of flies, roaches and mosquitoes."
The degree of trash and abandoned buildings this article refers to would seem to indicate that there is more clean-up to do than we have been led to believe.
Who's leading the clean up?
BOTTOM LINE: Strong Leaders Always Clean Up Their Messes
tags:
New Orleans
Hurricanes
2005
In suburban Kenner, Cherry Robinson found snakes in her yard, while a man in another part of town found deadly brown widow spiders, a cousin of the black widow.
"You used to have to go deep in the woods to find brown widows," said Jayme Necaise, an entomologist with the Audubon Nature Institute Insectarium, a museum scheduled to open next year. "Now we're finding them all over the place. Along with swarms of flies, roaches and mosquitoes."
The degree of trash and abandoned buildings this article refers to would seem to indicate that there is more clean-up to do than we have been led to believe.
Who's leading the clean up?
BOTTOM LINE: Strong Leaders Always Clean Up Their Messes
tags:
New Orleans
Hurricanes
2005
Only the Name Changes....
After some discussion with the American Red Cross, I have agreed to change the name of my book. They also requested that I remove any links to their site that I have on my sites. Wanting to respect the ARC, I have done so.
Stay tuned for a new cover/title for the book.
BOTTOM LINE:Organizational Respect Goes a Long Way.
tags:
American Red Cross
red cross
Healing Katrina
Stay tuned for a new cover/title for the book.
BOTTOM LINE:Organizational Respect Goes a Long Way.
tags:
American Red Cross
red cross
Healing Katrina
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Red Cross contact....
Interesting ...
Last week, I sent out press releases announcing HEALING KATRINA as well as emails. I sent an email directly to the marketing branch of the American Red Cross (ARC).
This week, I received a call from the ARC marketing department. The person graciously informed me that there were forms to be signed in order to enter into a formal cause-related marketing relationship with the ARC.
Whew! Imagine how many websites linked to the ARC after 9/11 as well as after Hurricane Katrina! Even though time-consuming, creating these formal relationships is probably a wise thing to do so that people don't take advantage of the situation. The ARC certainly has its work cut out for it, though.
I'll be curious to see how this develops.
BOTTOM LINE: Great Leaders make sure the "t's" are crossed and the "i's" are dotted.
tags:
Red Cross
Healing Katrina
Cause-related Marketing
Last week, I sent out press releases announcing HEALING KATRINA as well as emails. I sent an email directly to the marketing branch of the American Red Cross (ARC).
This week, I received a call from the ARC marketing department. The person graciously informed me that there were forms to be signed in order to enter into a formal cause-related marketing relationship with the ARC.
Whew! Imagine how many websites linked to the ARC after 9/11 as well as after Hurricane Katrina! Even though time-consuming, creating these formal relationships is probably a wise thing to do so that people don't take advantage of the situation. The ARC certainly has its work cut out for it, though.
I'll be curious to see how this develops.
BOTTOM LINE: Great Leaders make sure the "t's" are crossed and the "i's" are dotted.
tags:
Red Cross
Healing Katrina
Cause-related Marketing
Monday, September 04, 2006
Healing Katrina: Free Download!
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to volunteer for the Red Cross after a major disaster like Hurricane Katrina, now is your chance to find out!
In honor of the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina you can -- for a limited time -- download a FREE e-book version of my new book:
Healing Katrina:
The Red Cross, Southern Mississippi, & Me
Healing Katrina describes the two weeks that I spent in southern Mississippi supporting both the disaster relief workers as well as those who lived through Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Download your free e-book today. The catch? In exchange for the free e-book, I'm simply asking that you consider making a small donation to the Red Cross.
To download your free e-book, visit:
http://www.asogomi.com
thanks!
Tim
BOTTOM LINE: Great Leaders Take Risks to Help Others
tags:
Hurricane Katrina
Red Cross
Mississippi
In honor of the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina you can -- for a limited time -- download a FREE e-book version of my new book:
Healing Katrina:
The Red Cross, Southern Mississippi, & Me
Healing Katrina describes the two weeks that I spent in southern Mississippi supporting both the disaster relief workers as well as those who lived through Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Download your free e-book today. The catch? In exchange for the free e-book, I'm simply asking that you consider making a small donation to the Red Cross.
To download your free e-book, visit:
http://www.asogomi.com
thanks!
Tim
BOTTOM LINE: Great Leaders Take Risks to Help Others
tags:
Hurricane Katrina
Red Cross
Mississippi
The Loss of an Environmental Leader ...
Crickey!
Steve Irwin, Australia's acclaimed "Crocodile Hunter" is dead at age 44.
Killed in a freak accident with a stingray, Irwin's death was announced in the media today.
While is would be easy to dismiss Irwin as a wacky fame-seeker, such a dismissal would be far from accurate. In reality, Irwin had many of the qualities of a strong leader:
1. He was passionate about what he did.
2. He was well educated, training groups of people from children to military special forces.
3. He used the media wisely, for purposes that helped the planet.
While you or I may soon be forgotten, there is an entire future generation of leaders who were exposed to Irwin's infectious excitement and passion for learning.
Our prayers go out to Steve's wife Terri and his young children Bindi Sue and Bob.
Steve Irwin -- a great environmental leader who will be sorely missed.
BOTTOM LINE: Great leadders are passionate about their work
tags:
Steve Irwin
crocodile hunter
crickey!
Steve Irwin, Australia's acclaimed "Crocodile Hunter" is dead at age 44.
Killed in a freak accident with a stingray, Irwin's death was announced in the media today.
While is would be easy to dismiss Irwin as a wacky fame-seeker, such a dismissal would be far from accurate. In reality, Irwin had many of the qualities of a strong leader:
1. He was passionate about what he did.
2. He was well educated, training groups of people from children to military special forces.
3. He used the media wisely, for purposes that helped the planet.
While you or I may soon be forgotten, there is an entire future generation of leaders who were exposed to Irwin's infectious excitement and passion for learning.
Our prayers go out to Steve's wife Terri and his young children Bindi Sue and Bob.
Steve Irwin -- a great environmental leader who will be sorely missed.
BOTTOM LINE: Great leadders are passionate about their work
tags:
Steve Irwin
crocodile hunter
crickey!
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Do You Know What a "Blook" Is?!?
A blook is a book that is based on a cyberspace entity-- a blog or a website or a webcomic. Blooks didn't even exist a few years ago, and now an independent web publisher, Lulu, has even instituted "The Blooker Award" for such creations. In a short while, blooks should present a formidable challenge to the established publishers.
Why should leaders care?
The world is changing at the speed of light and new ideas, events and processes are being created rapidly as development cycles shrink.
As a leader you know where you competition is coming from? It may not be where you think it is.
BOTTOM LINE:
tags:
Lulu
blook
leadership
Why should leaders care?
The world is changing at the speed of light and new ideas, events and processes are being created rapidly as development cycles shrink.
As a leader you know where you competition is coming from? It may not be where you think it is.
BOTTOM LINE:
tags:
Lulu
blook
leadership
Friday, August 11, 2006
Hi all! I've been hard at work on several new books I have coming out in the near future (more on those in a bit). In the meantime, I wanted to share with you this wonderful review I recently received from Jimmy Ray Tyrrell for the Oregon Minority Business website:
Leading People the Black Belt Way
By Timothy H. Warneka
Book Review by Jimmy Ray Tyrrell
Timothy H. Warneka’s contribution to the management and leadership genre, Leading People the Black Belt Way, is a rare and fortunate exception to the cumbersome preponderance of material on the subject. While his credentials as a counselor and executive coach might lead one to expect yet more of the standard self-help fare we are accustomed to seeing in this field, Warneka brings an element to the table that is truly unique and exciting: a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido.
Aikido translates roughly to “School of Loving Spirit” and founds its techniques upon the core principle of peacefully and cooperatively resolving conflict. Warneka’s thorough understanding of this principle through this art is masterfully expressed in his leadership strategy, which centers on understanding and respecting the integral role that emotions play in human relationships, both as possible sources of conflict, and keys to solutions.
Drawing extensively from a rich cross-section of authors on the subjects of leadership, psychology, military philosophy, and martial art practice, Warneka crystallizes from the collective works of these many disciplines a compact system that partakes of sound technique and time-tested theory, permeated by a modest dose of spirituality. All of this, of course, is backed by numerous references to current statistical research, demonstrating with hard numbers how neglect of an organization’s human element can compromise its bottom line.
Each section of Leading People the Black Belt Way is divided into belt ranks. Through this progression, the reader is familiarized with basic principles, practical application, and is finally urged to refine one’s practice until it becomes art.
At the White Belt level, harmony is introduced as a core leadership principle, as are the four leadership cornerstones which promote it: Embodied Leadership, “Both/and” Thinking, The Power of Process, and The Power of Learning through Mistakes.
Once familiar with these concepts, the reader is encouraged to take a rudimentary exploration of the relationship between mind and body at the Yellow Belt level, and challenged to discover the ways that emotions influence that relationship, and to benefit from them.
Once grounded in the stance that proceeds from this knowledge, practical application begins at the Brown Belt level. At this level, the reader is instructed in the development of balance and flexibility as a means of increasing (“Doubling”) leadership power, enabling them to lead through conflict.
At the Black Belt Level, Warneka stresses the importance of maintaining an individual, situational, and perennially experimental approach. It is at this level where constant practice of one’s knowledge is required, in order to achieve mastery. Once this synthesis occurs, practice becomes everyday behavior, applicable and appropriate to any situation.
The book itself is delightfully rendered, and each chapter is simultaneously informative, intriguing, and inspiring. As a result, it is a relatively quick read. However, the compact efficiency of the presentation belies the depth of the information provided. Each chapter by itself is a complete segment of a whole system. However, the closing pages of each present opportunity for expansion in the form of further readings by the authors cited in the content, and Embodied Learning Experiments which invite and challenge the reader, through practice, to bring their knowledge of the material into their actual lives.
The only disclaimer I would attach to Leading People the Black Belt Way is that it is not for the lazy, nor for those who are looking for quick fixes to isolated problems. Warneka’s leadership strategy is designed to encompass the entire human element of an organization, and consequently makes a stringent demand for participation and practice. In the course of working through this book and performing the experiments, one is likely to encounter difficult and possibly uncomfortable aspects of themselves. However, to that possibility, I personally would encourage the prospective reader to be brave and take the risk, as the potential rewards are definitely worth it.
Who knows, it may even inspire you to take up Aikido.
BOTTOM LINE: Great leaders read great books!
tags:
Aikido
Warneka
Oregon Minority Business
Leading People the Black Belt Way
By Timothy H. Warneka
Book Review by Jimmy Ray Tyrrell
Timothy H. Warneka’s contribution to the management and leadership genre, Leading People the Black Belt Way, is a rare and fortunate exception to the cumbersome preponderance of material on the subject. While his credentials as a counselor and executive coach might lead one to expect yet more of the standard self-help fare we are accustomed to seeing in this field, Warneka brings an element to the table that is truly unique and exciting: a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido.
Aikido translates roughly to “School of Loving Spirit” and founds its techniques upon the core principle of peacefully and cooperatively resolving conflict. Warneka’s thorough understanding of this principle through this art is masterfully expressed in his leadership strategy, which centers on understanding and respecting the integral role that emotions play in human relationships, both as possible sources of conflict, and keys to solutions.
Drawing extensively from a rich cross-section of authors on the subjects of leadership, psychology, military philosophy, and martial art practice, Warneka crystallizes from the collective works of these many disciplines a compact system that partakes of sound technique and time-tested theory, permeated by a modest dose of spirituality. All of this, of course, is backed by numerous references to current statistical research, demonstrating with hard numbers how neglect of an organization’s human element can compromise its bottom line.
Each section of Leading People the Black Belt Way is divided into belt ranks. Through this progression, the reader is familiarized with basic principles, practical application, and is finally urged to refine one’s practice until it becomes art.
At the White Belt level, harmony is introduced as a core leadership principle, as are the four leadership cornerstones which promote it: Embodied Leadership, “Both/and” Thinking, The Power of Process, and The Power of Learning through Mistakes.
Once familiar with these concepts, the reader is encouraged to take a rudimentary exploration of the relationship between mind and body at the Yellow Belt level, and challenged to discover the ways that emotions influence that relationship, and to benefit from them.
Once grounded in the stance that proceeds from this knowledge, practical application begins at the Brown Belt level. At this level, the reader is instructed in the development of balance and flexibility as a means of increasing (“Doubling”) leadership power, enabling them to lead through conflict.
At the Black Belt Level, Warneka stresses the importance of maintaining an individual, situational, and perennially experimental approach. It is at this level where constant practice of one’s knowledge is required, in order to achieve mastery. Once this synthesis occurs, practice becomes everyday behavior, applicable and appropriate to any situation.
The book itself is delightfully rendered, and each chapter is simultaneously informative, intriguing, and inspiring. As a result, it is a relatively quick read. However, the compact efficiency of the presentation belies the depth of the information provided. Each chapter by itself is a complete segment of a whole system. However, the closing pages of each present opportunity for expansion in the form of further readings by the authors cited in the content, and Embodied Learning Experiments which invite and challenge the reader, through practice, to bring their knowledge of the material into their actual lives.
The only disclaimer I would attach to Leading People the Black Belt Way is that it is not for the lazy, nor for those who are looking for quick fixes to isolated problems. Warneka’s leadership strategy is designed to encompass the entire human element of an organization, and consequently makes a stringent demand for participation and practice. In the course of working through this book and performing the experiments, one is likely to encounter difficult and possibly uncomfortable aspects of themselves. However, to that possibility, I personally would encourage the prospective reader to be brave and take the risk, as the potential rewards are definitely worth it.
Who knows, it may even inspire you to take up Aikido.
BOTTOM LINE: Great leaders read great books!
tags:
Aikido
Warneka
Oregon Minority Business
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Harry Potter, Creativity & Surprises.....
The Associated Press (AP) today released information about the seventh and final Harry Potter book. Here's an interesting tidbit. The article reports the author, J.K. Rowling, as saying:
"The last book is not finished. But I'm well into it now. I wrote the final chapter in something like 1990, so I've known exactly how the series is going to end," she said."
the author also said,
"In her Monday interview on the "Richard and Judy" show, Rowling said people are sometimes shocked to hear that she wrote the end of book seven before she had a publisher for the first book in the series.
"The final chapter is hidden away, although it's now changed very slightly. One character got a reprieve. But I have to say two die that I didn't intend to die," she said. "A price has to be paid. We are dealing with pure evil here. They don't target extras do they? They go for the main characters. Well, I do."
Shocked?
Those folks must not be very creative.
People who work with creativity understand that creativity can express itself in ways that might seem bizarre or unorthodox in everyday life (such as writing the last chapter of book seven before the first book is even sold).
Creativity marches to the beat of a different drummer (and that drummer is not always tame!).
BOTTOM LINE:Strong leaders support unorthodox creativity--the fast track to success.
tags:
Harry Potter
J.K. Rowling
creativity
"The last book is not finished. But I'm well into it now. I wrote the final chapter in something like 1990, so I've known exactly how the series is going to end," she said."
the author also said,
"In her Monday interview on the "Richard and Judy" show, Rowling said people are sometimes shocked to hear that she wrote the end of book seven before she had a publisher for the first book in the series.
"The final chapter is hidden away, although it's now changed very slightly. One character got a reprieve. But I have to say two die that I didn't intend to die," she said. "A price has to be paid. We are dealing with pure evil here. They don't target extras do they? They go for the main characters. Well, I do."
Shocked?
Those folks must not be very creative.
People who work with creativity understand that creativity can express itself in ways that might seem bizarre or unorthodox in everyday life (such as writing the last chapter of book seven before the first book is even sold).
Creativity marches to the beat of a different drummer (and that drummer is not always tame!).
BOTTOM LINE:Strong leaders support unorthodox creativity--the fast track to success.
tags:
Harry Potter
J.K. Rowling
creativity
Monday, June 26, 2006
Wanna Sweeten Your Business? Do like Hershey's does.....
Took my family on vacation last week. One of our stops was Hershey Amusement Park near Hershey PA. I'm not a big rollercoaster fan myself, but my wife and kids love 'em, so off we went.
Hershey is doing a very clever thing for business.
The park offers a "preview" - anyone who purchases a full-fare ticket for entrance the next day can come to the park for 2.5 hours the night before.
A VERY sweet idea! Why?
Because....
1. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. Customers feel like they get more bang for the buck....and it costs Hershey's nothing (zero, zip, nada) to provide this extra perk (they're paying the staff already....)
2. IMPROVES THE BOTTOM LINE. A small (but probably significant) number of customers pay the whole ticket price but do not return the next day. Other customers might cut their second day shorter. Either way, Hershey wins because they are either: (1) increasing profits; or (2) decreasing the # of people in the park (which increases the customer satisfaction of people who DO stay at the park).
BOTTOM LINE: THINK LIKE HERSHEY: What can you provide your customers with that will be experienced as a value-added perk, while costing your company $0.0?
tags:
Hershey
chocolate
value-added
Hershey is doing a very clever thing for business.
The park offers a "preview" - anyone who purchases a full-fare ticket for entrance the next day can come to the park for 2.5 hours the night before.
A VERY sweet idea! Why?
Because....
1. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. Customers feel like they get more bang for the buck....and it costs Hershey's nothing (zero, zip, nada) to provide this extra perk (they're paying the staff already....)
2. IMPROVES THE BOTTOM LINE. A small (but probably significant) number of customers pay the whole ticket price but do not return the next day. Other customers might cut their second day shorter. Either way, Hershey wins because they are either: (1) increasing profits; or (2) decreasing the # of people in the park (which increases the customer satisfaction of people who DO stay at the park).
BOTTOM LINE: THINK LIKE HERSHEY: What can you provide your customers with that will be experienced as a value-added perk, while costing your company $0.0?
tags:
Hershey
chocolate
value-added
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
AMA takes a "significant shift"...in the WRONG direction
In what they described as a "significant shift", the American Medical Association today announced their support for a tax penalty for individuals and families who make enough to buy medical coverage but choose not to. (Read the Chicago Tribune article here).
WHAT A MISTAKE!
Medical doctors have been underfire for the past several years for accepting rewards (financial and otherwise) from the pharmaceutical companies. Now the AMA is showing their allegiance to the insurance industry by supporting a tax on people who "choose not to" buy health insurnace.
WHAT ARROGANCE!
The criteria for deciding who "chooses" to buy insurance is based solely on income, and completely ignores any possible extenuating circumstances that might arise.
The AMA blew it. Everyone knows that the American health care system is in shambles. Rather than taking a leadership role in fixing the problem, the AMA has simply chosen to dump the responsibility onto individual Americans.
BOTTOM LINE: Strong leaders don't pass the buck - they fix the problem.
tags:
AMA
American Medical Association
Health Care
WHAT A MISTAKE!
Medical doctors have been underfire for the past several years for accepting rewards (financial and otherwise) from the pharmaceutical companies. Now the AMA is showing their allegiance to the insurance industry by supporting a tax on people who "choose not to" buy health insurnace.
WHAT ARROGANCE!
The criteria for deciding who "chooses" to buy insurance is based solely on income, and completely ignores any possible extenuating circumstances that might arise.
The AMA blew it. Everyone knows that the American health care system is in shambles. Rather than taking a leadership role in fixing the problem, the AMA has simply chosen to dump the responsibility onto individual Americans.
BOTTOM LINE: Strong leaders don't pass the buck - they fix the problem.
tags:
AMA
American Medical Association
Health Care
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
All Work and No Play....
Summertime!
That time of year when many leaders will be spending time with friends, family and loved ones on vacation.
As a leader, do you put effort into scheduling your vacation or do you leave it to the last minute? Do you go places and do things on vacation that truly recharge your batteries, or do you fall prey to doing what you are 'supposed' to do or 'should' be doing?
Each and every leader is unique, and each and every one of us find ways to refresh and rejuvenate while on vacation. Planning a vacation that will top off your emotional tank takes as much care and planning as any effective business strategy.
Vacation is critical for leaders. Going without is an effective recipe for burnout - and a burned out leader is an ineffective leader.
BOTTOM LINE: Great Leaders devote as much attention to their down-time as they do their work.
tags:
vacation
burnout
summertime
That time of year when many leaders will be spending time with friends, family and loved ones on vacation.
As a leader, do you put effort into scheduling your vacation or do you leave it to the last minute? Do you go places and do things on vacation that truly recharge your batteries, or do you fall prey to doing what you are 'supposed' to do or 'should' be doing?
Each and every leader is unique, and each and every one of us find ways to refresh and rejuvenate while on vacation. Planning a vacation that will top off your emotional tank takes as much care and planning as any effective business strategy.
Vacation is critical for leaders. Going without is an effective recipe for burnout - and a burned out leader is an ineffective leader.
BOTTOM LINE: Great Leaders devote as much attention to their down-time as they do their work.
tags:
vacation
burnout
summertime
Monday, June 05, 2006
Stretching Your Edges
Panic! Fear! Uncertainty!
My first significant book signing is scheduled this week on Thursday (6/8/06) at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Legacy Village in Beachwood, Ohio.
Although I've given many speeches and presentations to countless people and have served in several trials as an expert witness, there is something about my first book signing that makes me very nervous and anxious.
Great leaders understand the importance of recognizing and respecting these more "negative" feelings. That's exactly what I wrote about in my book.
Negative emotions are very likely to occur whenever we begin stretching ourselves into new (and unfamiliar) territory. Great leaders understand this, and keep moving forward.
If you are in the Cleveland area this Thursday, I invite you to stop by and say hello at Joseph-Beth booksellers.
I would love to meet you.
BOTTOM LINE: Great leaders understand the power of respecting negative emotions, and to keep moving forward.
tags:
Joseph-Beth Booksellers
book signing
Tim Warneka
My first significant book signing is scheduled this week on Thursday (6/8/06) at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Legacy Village in Beachwood, Ohio.
Although I've given many speeches and presentations to countless people and have served in several trials as an expert witness, there is something about my first book signing that makes me very nervous and anxious.
Great leaders understand the importance of recognizing and respecting these more "negative" feelings. That's exactly what I wrote about in my book.
Negative emotions are very likely to occur whenever we begin stretching ourselves into new (and unfamiliar) territory. Great leaders understand this, and keep moving forward.
If you are in the Cleveland area this Thursday, I invite you to stop by and say hello at Joseph-Beth booksellers.
I would love to meet you.
BOTTOM LINE: Great leaders understand the power of respecting negative emotions, and to keep moving forward.
tags:
Joseph-Beth Booksellers
book signing
Tim Warneka
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Workers Can't Afford Insurance
Greed.
When executives are earning 400% of line staff salary, many of whom are going without insurance due to the prohibitive costs. An article in the NY Times reports,
"Young adults comprised 40 percent of the 6 million people who joined the ranks of the uninsured from 2000 to 2004, the last year for which data are available, according to Sara Collins, senior program officer at The Commonwealth Fund, which issued the report. Although young adults represent 17 percent of the under-65 population, they account for 30 percent of the uninsured non-elderly population, the study said."
The article goes on to note the high numbers of uninsured young people:
"There were 13.7 million young adults without health insurance in 2004, up by 2.5 million since 2000."
This colossal failure of leadership is short-sighted as well. These 13.7 million young adults are going to remember this failure when workers become scarce in the future.
BOTTOM LINE: Superior leaders seek the long-term view.
tags:
young workers
underinsured workers
corporate greed
When executives are earning 400% of line staff salary, many of whom are going without insurance due to the prohibitive costs. An article in the NY Times reports,
"Young adults comprised 40 percent of the 6 million people who joined the ranks of the uninsured from 2000 to 2004, the last year for which data are available, according to Sara Collins, senior program officer at The Commonwealth Fund, which issued the report. Although young adults represent 17 percent of the under-65 population, they account for 30 percent of the uninsured non-elderly population, the study said."
The article goes on to note the high numbers of uninsured young people:
"There were 13.7 million young adults without health insurance in 2004, up by 2.5 million since 2000."
This colossal failure of leadership is short-sighted as well. These 13.7 million young adults are going to remember this failure when workers become scarce in the future.
BOTTOM LINE: Superior leaders seek the long-term view.
tags:
young workers
underinsured workers
corporate greed
Monday, May 22, 2006
Wasting Time on the Job: What Leaders Need to Know
Salary.com reports a study that shows how over $759 billion per year is lost through employees wasting time on the job. Interestingly, of the 10,000 workers surveyed, 44% reported using the Internet for personal reasons to waste time, 33% cited LACK OF WORK as their biggest waste of time. You can read about the study here.
Furthermore, as I mention in my book LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY, research supports the fact that when people are emotionally invested in their job, they tend to waste less time. People who are emotionally uninvested waste more time. It's a simple formula.
BOTTOM LINE: You are losing money because your people are wasting about twice as much time as you think they are, and their doing it because they're emotionally uninvested.
tags:
emotional investment
Leading People the Black Belt Way
Tim Warneka
Salary.com
Furthermore, as I mention in my book LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY, research supports the fact that when people are emotionally invested in their job, they tend to waste less time. People who are emotionally uninvested waste more time. It's a simple formula.
BOTTOM LINE: You are losing money because your people are wasting about twice as much time as you think they are, and their doing it because they're emotionally uninvested.
tags:
emotional investment
Leading People the Black Belt Way
Tim Warneka
Salary.com
Review: BAIT AND SWITCH
Here's my reivew of Barbara Ehrenreich's new book, BAIT AND SWITCH.
I am a HUGE fan of Ms. Ehrenreich, being very impressed with the research and work that she put into “Nickled and Dimed”. Ms. Ehrenreich has the courage to discuss political issues – all without the nonsense of the media circus clowns from either the right or the left. I very much looked forward to reading Bait and Switch, her newest work. After reading it, I wanted to give it 5 Stars, but simply couldn’t for the reasons described below.
CONS
* LESS SUBSTANCE - I found this book to be far thinner than NICKEL AND DIMED. A quick read, I read through BAIT in a day and was disappointed that it didn’t have the depth of research or analysis that NICKEL did. The overall impression that I had was that BAIT was rushed to press before it was fully completed. I agree fully with Maureen Killoran (below), in saying that I was disappointed that Ms. Ehrenreich seemed to save her analysis for the all-together-too-brief final chapter, and expected more than an “ain’t it awful” from a social critic of her caliber.
* CRITERIA – I can understand the PR angle (in keeping with the author’s background), but I was puzzled by the $50,000…why this amount? In 2005, the US Dept. of Labor reported that the average salary in the U.S. was $39,795…so why $50,000? (I’ll readily admit that the author’s experience in not getting ANY job offers certainly makes this a somewhat moot point…)
* COACHING - I also agree with Ms. Killoran’s comments on coaching. I’m an executive coach, and disappointed that Ms. Erhernreich chose to take cheap shots at the coaching industry on the basis of her work with two clearly untrained coaches. Furthermore (as a previous reviewer also pointed out), if Ms. Erhernreich was so clear that the two coaches she chose were charlatans, then why did she continue working with them (and paying them), and writing about them? There are incompetent people in every field. Writing about these coaches subjects the reader to unnecessary (and irrelevant) data. Unlike Ms. Killoran however, I am not a fan of the Coaching Associations that have sprung up to safeguard this new profession -- a 15 week teleseminar training program does not a coach make. (Sadly, I’ve met far too many coaches like Kimberly.) As in all things, caveat emptor. If you seek a coach, do your homework and get recommendations from friends and colleagues.
* MBTI - Furthermore, Ms. E. gave a biased account of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI has been around for over 50 years and has been researched in over 100 studies. Ms. E. describes studies that show the MBTI to be lacking in validity, but she fails to cite these studies. Furthermore, later in the book, Ms. E describes her (Full Disclosure: I do not administer the MBTI in either my coaching or clinical practice, nor have I ever made a dime off the MBTI. I simply find the personality analysis that the MBTI provides to be a helpful tool, both personally and professionally.)
Ms. E.’s point about the concerns around personality testing for job applicants were valid, but I would have preferred a more finer distinction between the personality instruments (which were researched for clinical purposes and, at least in the MBTI’s case, appear to have some validity) and the use of personality instruments as HR hiring tools (for which most, if not all, of these tests were never designed or intended). A big difference here.
* Editing/Language Issues – BAIT needed another once-over by the editor (another data point in support of the argument that BAIT was rushed to press). The typos and poor sentence construction seemed to be beyond industry standards. While my friends would hardly describe me as a prude, I found several instances of unnecessarily vulgar language (i.e., “a cold douche” – why not simply “cold shower” or other metaphor?)
* WHAT’S IN A NAME? Like other readers, I’m not clear on the “Bait and Switch” title (other than it’s similarity to NICKEL AND DIMED”). I needed a clear bridge to connect the book to the title.
PRO’s
“INSIDIOUSLY MANIPULATIVE CULTURE” - The above criticisms aside, I am greatly indebted to Ms. E. for the work she put into this book. Her experiences confirm my own as an executive coach and clinical counselor. I have worked with many clients who have fallen victim to this “manipulative culture” that has grown up around downsized executives and preys on their fears about finding a job.
Even more interesting, I have observed this “manipulative culture” being played out WITHIN the coaching field itself. As the field of coaching is a truly rare bird that grew directly out of the field (and not from some academic setting), the entrepreneurial spirit espoused in coaching often becomes twisted into an insidious spirit that preys upon people new to the coaching field. A quite disturbing trend that, while targeted toward a different audience (new coaches), plays out systematically very similarly to what Ms. E. describes.
SYSTEMIC ISSUES -
I’m grateful for the author in sketching out the larger systemic issues at play here. The shame of being laid off or downsized is so great that people often blame themselves (in a simple extension of the victim blaming that Ms. E. identifies so well) to the extent of missing the larger systemic issues. I’m strongly considering offering BAIT to my clients for reading.
I have 6 siblings, ages 30 – 42, all but one who have a least a bachelor’s from college, and none of us have been as economically successful as our parent’s generation. Some of my siblings and I have had repeated conversations around this phenomena, and BAIT goes a long way toward sketching out some of the dynamics.
NETWORKING – I’m becoming increasingly convinced that networking (at least as it is currently practiced) is nonsense, and BAIT offers solid data for this conviction.
All in all, I found BAIT AND SWITCH to hold the promise of addressing some crucial questions about the middle class white culture. The author did address some of these issues, although nowhere near the depth of analysis that she used for her previous book NICKEL AND DIMED. While I applaud Mr. E. for bringing these important issue to the table, I strongly encourage her to bring more of her intellectual power to bear on whatever subject she tackles next.
BOTTOM LINE:'Bait and Switch' is an important book for leaders to read
tags:
Barbara Ehrenreich
Bait and Switch
I am a HUGE fan of Ms. Ehrenreich, being very impressed with the research and work that she put into “Nickled and Dimed”. Ms. Ehrenreich has the courage to discuss political issues – all without the nonsense of the media circus clowns from either the right or the left. I very much looked forward to reading Bait and Switch, her newest work. After reading it, I wanted to give it 5 Stars, but simply couldn’t for the reasons described below.
CONS
* LESS SUBSTANCE - I found this book to be far thinner than NICKEL AND DIMED. A quick read, I read through BAIT in a day and was disappointed that it didn’t have the depth of research or analysis that NICKEL did. The overall impression that I had was that BAIT was rushed to press before it was fully completed. I agree fully with Maureen Killoran (below), in saying that I was disappointed that Ms. Ehrenreich seemed to save her analysis for the all-together-too-brief final chapter, and expected more than an “ain’t it awful” from a social critic of her caliber.
* CRITERIA – I can understand the PR angle (in keeping with the author’s background), but I was puzzled by the $50,000…why this amount? In 2005, the US Dept. of Labor reported that the average salary in the U.S. was $39,795…so why $50,000? (I’ll readily admit that the author’s experience in not getting ANY job offers certainly makes this a somewhat moot point…)
* COACHING - I also agree with Ms. Killoran’s comments on coaching. I’m an executive coach, and disappointed that Ms. Erhernreich chose to take cheap shots at the coaching industry on the basis of her work with two clearly untrained coaches. Furthermore (as a previous reviewer also pointed out), if Ms. Erhernreich was so clear that the two coaches she chose were charlatans, then why did she continue working with them (and paying them), and writing about them? There are incompetent people in every field. Writing about these coaches subjects the reader to unnecessary (and irrelevant) data. Unlike Ms. Killoran however, I am not a fan of the Coaching Associations that have sprung up to safeguard this new profession -- a 15 week teleseminar training program does not a coach make. (Sadly, I’ve met far too many coaches like Kimberly.) As in all things, caveat emptor. If you seek a coach, do your homework and get recommendations from friends and colleagues.
* MBTI - Furthermore, Ms. E. gave a biased account of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI has been around for over 50 years and has been researched in over 100 studies. Ms. E. describes studies that show the MBTI to be lacking in validity, but she fails to cite these studies. Furthermore, later in the book, Ms. E describes her (Full Disclosure: I do not administer the MBTI in either my coaching or clinical practice, nor have I ever made a dime off the MBTI. I simply find the personality analysis that the MBTI provides to be a helpful tool, both personally and professionally.)
Ms. E.’s point about the concerns around personality testing for job applicants were valid, but I would have preferred a more finer distinction between the personality instruments (which were researched for clinical purposes and, at least in the MBTI’s case, appear to have some validity) and the use of personality instruments as HR hiring tools (for which most, if not all, of these tests were never designed or intended). A big difference here.
* Editing/Language Issues – BAIT needed another once-over by the editor (another data point in support of the argument that BAIT was rushed to press). The typos and poor sentence construction seemed to be beyond industry standards. While my friends would hardly describe me as a prude, I found several instances of unnecessarily vulgar language (i.e., “a cold douche” – why not simply “cold shower” or other metaphor?)
* WHAT’S IN A NAME? Like other readers, I’m not clear on the “Bait and Switch” title (other than it’s similarity to NICKEL AND DIMED”). I needed a clear bridge to connect the book to the title.
PRO’s
“INSIDIOUSLY MANIPULATIVE CULTURE” - The above criticisms aside, I am greatly indebted to Ms. E. for the work she put into this book. Her experiences confirm my own as an executive coach and clinical counselor. I have worked with many clients who have fallen victim to this “manipulative culture” that has grown up around downsized executives and preys on their fears about finding a job.
Even more interesting, I have observed this “manipulative culture” being played out WITHIN the coaching field itself. As the field of coaching is a truly rare bird that grew directly out of the field (and not from some academic setting), the entrepreneurial spirit espoused in coaching often becomes twisted into an insidious spirit that preys upon people new to the coaching field. A quite disturbing trend that, while targeted toward a different audience (new coaches), plays out systematically very similarly to what Ms. E. describes.
SYSTEMIC ISSUES -
I’m grateful for the author in sketching out the larger systemic issues at play here. The shame of being laid off or downsized is so great that people often blame themselves (in a simple extension of the victim blaming that Ms. E. identifies so well) to the extent of missing the larger systemic issues. I’m strongly considering offering BAIT to my clients for reading.
I have 6 siblings, ages 30 – 42, all but one who have a least a bachelor’s from college, and none of us have been as economically successful as our parent’s generation. Some of my siblings and I have had repeated conversations around this phenomena, and BAIT goes a long way toward sketching out some of the dynamics.
NETWORKING – I’m becoming increasingly convinced that networking (at least as it is currently practiced) is nonsense, and BAIT offers solid data for this conviction.
All in all, I found BAIT AND SWITCH to hold the promise of addressing some crucial questions about the middle class white culture. The author did address some of these issues, although nowhere near the depth of analysis that she used for her previous book NICKEL AND DIMED. While I applaud Mr. E. for bringing these important issue to the table, I strongly encourage her to bring more of her intellectual power to bear on whatever subject she tackles next.
BOTTOM LINE:'Bait and Switch' is an important book for leaders to read
tags:
Barbara Ehrenreich
Bait and Switch
Friday, May 19, 2006
Following the Code
The Da Vinci Code is launching to enormous fanfare. So here's three things leaders can learn from the ruckus around the 'Code':
1. Fact Vs. Fiction - For better or worse, there are people in the world who have trouble distinquishing a fictional novel from historical (or religious) reality. Psychologists refer to this as a developmental issue. Many of these folks are your employees. Practice patience with these folks.
2. A tipping point is important - Build your brand past the tipping point, and the rest takes care of itself.
3. Any Publicity is Good Publicity - Turmoil? Unrest? Protests? Bring it on. The media loves it, and people eat it up.
BOTTOM LINE:Follow the code to better leadership.
tags:
Da Vinci Code
Development
1. Fact Vs. Fiction - For better or worse, there are people in the world who have trouble distinquishing a fictional novel from historical (or religious) reality. Psychologists refer to this as a developmental issue. Many of these folks are your employees. Practice patience with these folks.
2. A tipping point is important - Build your brand past the tipping point, and the rest takes care of itself.
3. Any Publicity is Good Publicity - Turmoil? Unrest? Protests? Bring it on. The media loves it, and people eat it up.
BOTTOM LINE:Follow the code to better leadership.
tags:
Da Vinci Code
Development
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
The Power of 'We'...
A new study announced by the American Psychological Association shows that groups are better than individuals for solving complex problems. The new research, appearing in the April 2006 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, quotes lead researcher Patrick Laughlin, Ph.D.:
"We found that groups of size three, four, and five outperformed the best individuals and attribute this performance to the ability of people to work together to generate and adopt correct responses, reject erroneous responses, and effectively process information,"
This power of the group for solving complex problems is what I wrote about in my book Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today.
On page 97 of Leading People the Black Belt Way, I wrote:
"Some leaders incorrectly believe that needing other people is a sign of immaturity and weakness. Nothing can be more damaging to your organization than misunderstanding the importance of interdependence. The fact of the matter is that we all need other people."
Tim Warneka
BOTTOM LINE: Strong leaders tap into the power of the group
tags:
leadership
groups
APA
American Psychological Association
"We found that groups of size three, four, and five outperformed the best individuals and attribute this performance to the ability of people to work together to generate and adopt correct responses, reject erroneous responses, and effectively process information,"
This power of the group for solving complex problems is what I wrote about in my book Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today.
On page 97 of Leading People the Black Belt Way, I wrote:
"Some leaders incorrectly believe that needing other people is a sign of immaturity and weakness. Nothing can be more damaging to your organization than misunderstanding the importance of interdependence. The fact of the matter is that we all need other people."
Tim Warneka
BOTTOM LINE: Strong leaders tap into the power of the group
tags:
leadership
groups
APA
American Psychological Association
Monday, May 01, 2006
Contingency Plan - Got Yours?!?
I've spent the past several days working with an organization that is experiencing a crisis. A tragedy happened to one of the key players, and the impact was felt throughout the organization. Even with a de facto contingency plan in place, the fallout was still messy. A crisis is (by definition) always messy.
It could have been worse.
The most important questions a leader should ask is not if a crisis will happen but when the crisis will occur. Many organizations have little or no contingency plans in place. The leaders of these organizations seem to be willing to gamble on the slim hope that a crisis will never happen under their watch.
That's quite a gamble.
Contingency planning requires thinking the unthinkable. Solid organizations - with strong leaders - always have contingency plans. FedEx has them. Microsoft has them.
Do you?
Wise leaders ask - using the collective wisdom of people throughout the organization - these tough questions:
When X happens, what will we do?
How will we respond when Y occurs?
If you don't get clear answers across the board, you are in critical need of a contingency plan.
BOTTOM LINE: Strong leaders have strong contingency plans in place for when the inevitable crisis occurs.
tags:
contingency plan
crisis
crisis leadership
It could have been worse.
The most important questions a leader should ask is not if a crisis will happen but when the crisis will occur. Many organizations have little or no contingency plans in place. The leaders of these organizations seem to be willing to gamble on the slim hope that a crisis will never happen under their watch.
That's quite a gamble.
Contingency planning requires thinking the unthinkable. Solid organizations - with strong leaders - always have contingency plans. FedEx has them. Microsoft has them.
Do you?
Wise leaders ask - using the collective wisdom of people throughout the organization - these tough questions:
When X happens, what will we do?
How will we respond when Y occurs?
If you don't get clear answers across the board, you are in critical need of a contingency plan.
BOTTOM LINE: Strong leaders have strong contingency plans in place for when the inevitable crisis occurs.
tags:
contingency plan
crisis
crisis leadership
Friday, April 28, 2006
Leadership & Fundamentals
I was teaching Aikido last night and several people in the class were preparing for their coming belt test this Saturday. In the excitement of preparing for an upcoming test, it's very easy to lose sight of the fundamentals. So, I spent the class teaching and reviewing fundamentals.
Here in the West fundamentals are seen as basic and boring and something to be gotten past as quickly as possible. There even seems to be a fair amount of shame around fundamentals - as if somehow being seen as a beginner makes one less of a person.
In contrast, the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba (or "O'Sensei" to Aikido people) taught that everyone is a student...and everyone is constantly learning.
How does this apply to Leadership?
Great leaders practice the fundamentals of leadership constantly. The fundamentals of leadership are relational: listening, talking, coaching, mentoring and making decisions.
BOTTOM LINE:Neglect the basics, and you neglect your leadership.
tags:
Leadership
fundamentals
Aikido
Here in the West fundamentals are seen as basic and boring and something to be gotten past as quickly as possible. There even seems to be a fair amount of shame around fundamentals - as if somehow being seen as a beginner makes one less of a person.
In contrast, the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba (or "O'Sensei" to Aikido people) taught that everyone is a student...and everyone is constantly learning.
How does this apply to Leadership?
Great leaders practice the fundamentals of leadership constantly. The fundamentals of leadership are relational: listening, talking, coaching, mentoring and making decisions.
BOTTOM LINE:Neglect the basics, and you neglect your leadership.
tags:
Leadership
fundamentals
Aikido
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Cemetaries, Hidden Treasures & Leadership
If you've ever been to Cleveland, I'll bet you've never been to Lakeview Cemetary.
If so, you're missing something special. My wife and kids were off on Spring break, so we decided to visit Lakeview Cemetary, one of the most beautiful places in Cleveland to spend a warm spring day.
Sound crazy? It's not.
A wee bit of history is in order, first.
In the late 1800's during the Industrial Revolution, when cities were growing, cemetaries were often the only greenspace left. Wise community leaders began developing these greenspaces into what would become early forms of parks. Back then, spending a Sunday picnicking at a cemetary wasn't as creepy as it sounds today. (For more on this history, read Thomas Christopher's fascinating book In Search of Lost Roses.)
Lakeview Cemetary was one of these cemetaries that was developed into a parklike setting. Now, over 100 years later, it is filled with beautiful flowering trees, any one of which would be the prized possession of most arboretums.
In addition to gorgeous trees and shrubs and flowers, the Lakeview Cemetary is home to stunning works of architecture, including an enormous 3-story monument to President Garfield; a one-of-a-kind chapel with an outstanding Tiffany stained-glass window; and much more.
Lakeview Cemetary is also the final resting place for people who have changed the course of American (and Cleveland) history, including first-ever billionaire & philanthropist John D. Rockefeller; President James A. Garfield; Al-Capone-catching lawman Elliot Ness and many others.
Funny thing about Lakeview Cemetary, though: most residents of Cleveland don't even know about this historical, botanical and architectural treasure, let alone people from out of town.
In the same way, many organizations have hidden treasures that very few people know about. These treasures, however, are PEOPLE. She might be Marge in customer service who knows how to calm the most irrate customer; he might be David in the IT department, who's problem-solving with computers is second to none.
EVERY organization is filled with hidden treasure - people who have talent and potential that goes unrecognized by the leaders of the organization.
BOTTOM LINE:DON'T make the same mistake most leaders make by ignoring the talent around them. Discover the hidden treasures among the people in your organizations and help them to shine.
tags:
Lakeview Cemetary
spring
hidden treasures
leadership
If so, you're missing something special. My wife and kids were off on Spring break, so we decided to visit Lakeview Cemetary, one of the most beautiful places in Cleveland to spend a warm spring day.
Sound crazy? It's not.
A wee bit of history is in order, first.
In the late 1800's during the Industrial Revolution, when cities were growing, cemetaries were often the only greenspace left. Wise community leaders began developing these greenspaces into what would become early forms of parks. Back then, spending a Sunday picnicking at a cemetary wasn't as creepy as it sounds today. (For more on this history, read Thomas Christopher's fascinating book In Search of Lost Roses.)
Lakeview Cemetary was one of these cemetaries that was developed into a parklike setting. Now, over 100 years later, it is filled with beautiful flowering trees, any one of which would be the prized possession of most arboretums.
In addition to gorgeous trees and shrubs and flowers, the Lakeview Cemetary is home to stunning works of architecture, including an enormous 3-story monument to President Garfield; a one-of-a-kind chapel with an outstanding Tiffany stained-glass window; and much more.
Lakeview Cemetary is also the final resting place for people who have changed the course of American (and Cleveland) history, including first-ever billionaire & philanthropist John D. Rockefeller; President James A. Garfield; Al-Capone-catching lawman Elliot Ness and many others.
Funny thing about Lakeview Cemetary, though: most residents of Cleveland don't even know about this historical, botanical and architectural treasure, let alone people from out of town.
In the same way, many organizations have hidden treasures that very few people know about. These treasures, however, are PEOPLE. She might be Marge in customer service who knows how to calm the most irrate customer; he might be David in the IT department, who's problem-solving with computers is second to none.
EVERY organization is filled with hidden treasure - people who have talent and potential that goes unrecognized by the leaders of the organization.
BOTTOM LINE:DON'T make the same mistake most leaders make by ignoring the talent around them. Discover the hidden treasures among the people in your organizations and help them to shine.
tags:
Lakeview Cemetary
spring
hidden treasures
leadership
Friday, April 14, 2006
Putting Employees FIRST?!?
Is this guy nuts?!?
Vineet Nayar, president of India's 30,000-employee HCL Technologies, puts his employees FIRST and his customers SECOND.
Is this guy crazy?!?
Of course not - he's simply practicing effective leadership for today's global economy. The problem is - today's effective leadership style can seem insane to someone who is entrenched in yesterday's approaches.
This from an article from CNN:
"Employees who are secure and happy can better focus on customer success, [Nayar] thinks. So he aims to build an organization full of highly-skilled employees dedicated to creating customer value. He wants to make HCL, which employs 20 percent of its workforce overseas, the place people most want to work."
Click here to read the full article.
Here are other cutting edge leadership practices that Mr. Nayar has put into place:
$$. All results of every 360-evaluation for every employee can be accessed by every employee on the company's intranet. (Mr Nayar is on the right path here...even better would be to replace 360-evaluations with something even MORE effective (Email me for more information.)).
$$. Every employee can create an actionable "ticket" to address a problem they see in the company. And only that employee can close that ticket.
$$. Mr. Nayar is focused on providing the best service to his employees relative to every other company in India.
BOTTOM LINE: Tomorrow's Leaders will understand that employees should come FIRST and customers SECOND.
Vineet Nayar, president of India's 30,000-employee HCL Technologies, puts his employees FIRST and his customers SECOND.
Is this guy crazy?!?
Of course not - he's simply practicing effective leadership for today's global economy. The problem is - today's effective leadership style can seem insane to someone who is entrenched in yesterday's approaches.
This from an article from CNN:
"Employees who are secure and happy can better focus on customer success, [Nayar] thinks. So he aims to build an organization full of highly-skilled employees dedicated to creating customer value. He wants to make HCL, which employs 20 percent of its workforce overseas, the place people most want to work."
Click here to read the full article.
Here are other cutting edge leadership practices that Mr. Nayar has put into place:
$$. All results of every 360-evaluation for every employee can be accessed by every employee on the company's intranet. (Mr Nayar is on the right path here...even better would be to replace 360-evaluations with something even MORE effective (Email me for more information.)).
$$. Every employee can create an actionable "ticket" to address a problem they see in the company. And only that employee can close that ticket.
$$. Mr. Nayar is focused on providing the best service to his employees relative to every other company in India.
BOTTOM LINE: Tomorrow's Leaders will understand that employees should come FIRST and customers SECOND.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Balance?!? Bah!
Work/life balance.
Finding balance.
Seeking balance.
Okay, folks...here's the news:
Balance is over-rated!
Try this simple exercise:
*******************
Where ever you are right now -- stand up.
Go to the center of the room you're in (so there's space to move).
Now, standing straight, try to move forward without shifting your weight.
Can you do it?
No! It's impossible!
*******************
It is a physical impossibility for us to move foreward without shifting our weight. And when we shift our weight foreward....we are off balance. Because we are holistic beings, this principle holds true in all areas of our lives: emotionally, mentally, physically & spiritually. The only way to remaining completely in balance is to stand perfectly still.
"Perfect stillnesss" is great for mystical contemplation, but....
Being off balance is what takes us places.
If you want to:
Accomplish anything great....
Be a more effective leader....
Deal more successfully with conflict...
...and so much more.....
You must be willing to be off balance (at least for awhile).
BOTTOM LINE: Nothing great in life ever came from staying in balance.
Finding balance.
Seeking balance.
Okay, folks...here's the news:
Balance is over-rated!
Try this simple exercise:
*******************
Where ever you are right now -- stand up.
Go to the center of the room you're in (so there's space to move).
Now, standing straight, try to move forward without shifting your weight.
Can you do it?
No! It's impossible!
*******************
It is a physical impossibility for us to move foreward without shifting our weight. And when we shift our weight foreward....we are off balance. Because we are holistic beings, this principle holds true in all areas of our lives: emotionally, mentally, physically & spiritually. The only way to remaining completely in balance is to stand perfectly still.
"Perfect stillnesss" is great for mystical contemplation, but....
Being off balance is what takes us places.
If you want to:
Accomplish anything great....
Be a more effective leader....
Deal more successfully with conflict...
...and so much more.....
You must be willing to be off balance (at least for awhile).
BOTTOM LINE: Nothing great in life ever came from staying in balance.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Speaking the Truth...
Today's post is for Gen X'ers, Gen Y and any Millenial who is paying attention:
Great leaders speak the truth. They do it in an emotionally intelligent way, but they speak the truth.
I'm going to take the lead here and speak an important truth to Generations X (to which I belong), Gen Y, Millenials and beyond. This is important so I'm going to say it slowly:
You...will....not.....retire....like...your...parents....
I've been saying this for some time. Now the data is in to back me up.
The Employee Benefit Research Institute reports that most people are not saving enough to retire comfortably. (Read their report: "Will More of Us Work Forever?" here...)
I'll admit it: I'm not.
Most of my friend aren't. Between.....
Debt: student loans, car loans, mortgages and the myriad of other expenses required for living today;
A "guns and oil" economy: that we're in, an economy where the national debt is at an all-time high; of crumbling (read: unsupported) infrastructure; and businesses that outsource labor off-shore for short-term profits (and long-term pain);
Shifting the Burden: combined with an increased shifting of the burden toward individuals being responsible for their retirement accounts...
...it is simply not feasible to expect that the average America worker is saving anything near the amount required to retire. Certainly -- for Gen X, Y, and the upcoming Millenials -- nowhere near the amount required to live retired life in the same style that our parents do today.
Fortunately, I enjoy my work... and it gets better with age. I've met expert coaches, consultants and therapists in their 70's and 80's who were traveling the world teaching and training -- and getting paid for it.
That's where I'm going to be.
How about you?
Unless you plan differently, you'll be stuck in the same type of job at age 65 (the age when your dad was hitting the golf course full-time).
You might not like it.....
...but it's the truth.
Great leaders speak the truth. They do it in an emotionally intelligent way, but they speak the truth.
I'm going to take the lead here and speak an important truth to Generations X (to which I belong), Gen Y, Millenials and beyond. This is important so I'm going to say it slowly:
You...will....not.....retire....like...your...parents....
I've been saying this for some time. Now the data is in to back me up.
The Employee Benefit Research Institute reports that most people are not saving enough to retire comfortably. (Read their report: "Will More of Us Work Forever?" here...)
I'll admit it: I'm not.
Most of my friend aren't. Between.....
Debt: student loans, car loans, mortgages and the myriad of other expenses required for living today;
A "guns and oil" economy: that we're in, an economy where the national debt is at an all-time high; of crumbling (read: unsupported) infrastructure; and businesses that outsource labor off-shore for short-term profits (and long-term pain);
Shifting the Burden: combined with an increased shifting of the burden toward individuals being responsible for their retirement accounts...
...it is simply not feasible to expect that the average America worker is saving anything near the amount required to retire. Certainly -- for Gen X, Y, and the upcoming Millenials -- nowhere near the amount required to live retired life in the same style that our parents do today.
Fortunately, I enjoy my work... and it gets better with age. I've met expert coaches, consultants and therapists in their 70's and 80's who were traveling the world teaching and training -- and getting paid for it.
That's where I'm going to be.
How about you?
Unless you plan differently, you'll be stuck in the same type of job at age 65 (the age when your dad was hitting the golf course full-time).
You might not like it.....
...but it's the truth.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Leading Into Tomorrow...
Great leaders watch the future.
The president of Sony has a 200-year plan for the company.
American leaders know that companies will be facing a educated workforce shortage within the next 20 years.
Now some leaders are stepping forward to do something.
Solutions for Our Future is
"a national initiative to establish a dialogue about the critical role colleges and universities play in serving the public, solving pressing societal needs, and preparing people for our country's future."
This is a organization of leaders from over 400 colleges and universities who are seeking to raise awareness of the mission-critical impact that higher education has on our economy.
For a hilarious PSA (Public Service Announcement), click here and scroll down to the "First Responders" file. This PSA shows the importance of higher education in the community.
BOTTOM LINE: Smart Leaders support Higher Education, because Higher Education will produce the leaders of tomorrow.
The president of Sony has a 200-year plan for the company.
American leaders know that companies will be facing a educated workforce shortage within the next 20 years.
Now some leaders are stepping forward to do something.
Solutions for Our Future is
"a national initiative to establish a dialogue about the critical role colleges and universities play in serving the public, solving pressing societal needs, and preparing people for our country's future."
This is a organization of leaders from over 400 colleges and universities who are seeking to raise awareness of the mission-critical impact that higher education has on our economy.
For a hilarious PSA (Public Service Announcement), click here and scroll down to the "First Responders" file. This PSA shows the importance of higher education in the community.
BOTTOM LINE: Smart Leaders support Higher Education, because Higher Education will produce the leaders of tomorrow.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Great leaders Go the Extra Mile
Lately, I've been thinking back to when I started practicing Aikido, over 15 years ago. I was fortunate enough to begin my training under Akira Tohei sensei (now, sadly, deceased), 8th degree black belt and chief instructor of the Midwest Aikido Center in Chicago.
I remember Tohei sensei comparing Aikido training to stacking up a pile of paper one page at a time -- in the moment, it doesn't seem like you're getting much work done, but over time, you can really accumulate a great deal of experience.
Great leadership is like that -- your day-to-day doings by themselves don't add up to much. But, done mindfully and in a spirit of practice, those day-to-day events can add up to a huge amount of leadership experience.
Bottom Line: Go the Extra Mile - mindfully treat every moment at work as an opportunity for practice and new learning as a leader.
I remember Tohei sensei comparing Aikido training to stacking up a pile of paper one page at a time -- in the moment, it doesn't seem like you're getting much work done, but over time, you can really accumulate a great deal of experience.
Great leadership is like that -- your day-to-day doings by themselves don't add up to much. But, done mindfully and in a spirit of practice, those day-to-day events can add up to a huge amount of leadership experience.
Bottom Line: Go the Extra Mile - mindfully treat every moment at work as an opportunity for practice and new learning as a leader.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
"Three Secrets for Empowering Women Leaders"
Next Monday, March 27th, I will be presenting "Three Secrets for Empowering Women Leaders" to the Women's City Club of Cleveland. Here's the description:
Leadership Coach Tim Warneka presents insights from his new book Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today, including three mission-critical Black Belt secrets for empowering women leaders. Warneka’s relationship-based approach to leadership combines the power of Emotional Intelligence with the strength of the revolutionary non-violent martial art of Aikido.
Please note - copies of Leading People the Black Belt Way will be available for purchase and signing after the program, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Domestic Violence Center.
To learn more, click visit the Women's City Club of Cleveland's website and click on "Programs & Events"
Hope to see you there!
Leadership Coach Tim Warneka presents insights from his new book Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today, including three mission-critical Black Belt secrets for empowering women leaders. Warneka’s relationship-based approach to leadership combines the power of Emotional Intelligence with the strength of the revolutionary non-violent martial art of Aikido.
Please note - copies of Leading People the Black Belt Way will be available for purchase and signing after the program, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Domestic Violence Center.
To learn more, click visit the Women's City Club of Cleveland's website and click on "Programs & Events"
Hope to see you there!
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Excellent Leaders Take Care of People!
Kudos to Florida Assistant State Attorney Richard Ridgway, one of the prosecuting attorneys in the case against Debra LeFave, the Florida teacher who was convicted of having sex with underage boys. Mr. Ridgway was quoted on MSN as saying:
“The court may be willing to risk the well-being of the victims in this case in order to force it to trial. I am not.”
Mr. Ridgway could have chosen to keep the trial in the media -- thus keeping himself in the media and advancing his career (a tactic used quite effectively in several recent high profile legal cases).
Instead, as one of the leaders of this case, Mr. Ridgway took the more ethical route, choosing instead to protect the 14-year-old male victim from having to testify...an event that would certainly have traumatized the young boy; given our society's reluctance to see males as victims.
Bottom line: Florida Assistant State Attorney Richard Ridgway made the right leadership choice!
P.S. Memo to Ms. LeFave: Whether or not you suffer from bipolar disorder is irrelevant to the fact that you engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior with an underage teenager.
“The court may be willing to risk the well-being of the victims in this case in order to force it to trial. I am not.”
Mr. Ridgway could have chosen to keep the trial in the media -- thus keeping himself in the media and advancing his career (a tactic used quite effectively in several recent high profile legal cases).
Instead, as one of the leaders of this case, Mr. Ridgway took the more ethical route, choosing instead to protect the 14-year-old male victim from having to testify...an event that would certainly have traumatized the young boy; given our society's reluctance to see males as victims.
Bottom line: Florida Assistant State Attorney Richard Ridgway made the right leadership choice!
P.S. Memo to Ms. LeFave: Whether or not you suffer from bipolar disorder is irrelevant to the fact that you engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior with an underage teenager.
Setting bones in 30 minutes or....free MOVIE TICKETS?!?
Interesting article here ...
Seems a U.S. hospital is using the marketing ploys used by so many other service industries - if you come into their ER, they pledge to have you seen by a doc in less than 30 minutes or you get... an apology and a pair of movie tickets.
Now, this has BAD IDEA written all over it.
I'm fine with pizza joints offering 30 minute delivery time or you get it free. But the ER is a different place. Entirely.
If I, or (God forbid) my kids have to go to the ER, I don't want to be wondering if the doc who is treating my child is rushing thru the care in so the next patient doesn't win free movie tickets.
And a hospital offering an apology? For years, I've been in favor of apologies as a standard part of medical practice, believing that apologies could dramatically decrease malpractice suits. Every lawyer I've ever spoken to has always told me something to the effect that "Hospitals can never apologize, because that would open them up for lawsuits." I'm wondering if the marketing dept. checked with legal before launching this "free tickets" deal....
The biggest reason that this is a BAD idea is that ER stands for EMERGENCY ROOM, and emergencies (by definition) can take a highly variable amount of time. As a mental health professional I have had to wait at the ER with patients -- sometimes for what seemed like enormous amounts of time -- but I've always assumed that the ER staff is doing their best to get to everyone. It's not like I assumed they were in the backroom playing pinochle or something!
I'd be very curious to hear how the ER staff is responding to this new marketing campaign. Dollars to donuts they don't like it. And when employees aren't happy, they emotionally disconnect from their job...and everything slows down.
Bottom Line: An apology and free movies tickets in an ER Room is a BAD Leadership call!
Seems a U.S. hospital is using the marketing ploys used by so many other service industries - if you come into their ER, they pledge to have you seen by a doc in less than 30 minutes or you get... an apology and a pair of movie tickets.
Now, this has BAD IDEA written all over it.
I'm fine with pizza joints offering 30 minute delivery time or you get it free. But the ER is a different place. Entirely.
If I, or (God forbid) my kids have to go to the ER, I don't want to be wondering if the doc who is treating my child is rushing thru the care in so the next patient doesn't win free movie tickets.
And a hospital offering an apology? For years, I've been in favor of apologies as a standard part of medical practice, believing that apologies could dramatically decrease malpractice suits. Every lawyer I've ever spoken to has always told me something to the effect that "Hospitals can never apologize, because that would open them up for lawsuits." I'm wondering if the marketing dept. checked with legal before launching this "free tickets" deal....
The biggest reason that this is a BAD idea is that ER stands for EMERGENCY ROOM, and emergencies (by definition) can take a highly variable amount of time. As a mental health professional I have had to wait at the ER with patients -- sometimes for what seemed like enormous amounts of time -- but I've always assumed that the ER staff is doing their best to get to everyone. It's not like I assumed they were in the backroom playing pinochle or something!
I'd be very curious to hear how the ER staff is responding to this new marketing campaign. Dollars to donuts they don't like it. And when employees aren't happy, they emotionally disconnect from their job...and everything slows down.
Bottom Line: An apology and free movies tickets in an ER Room is a BAD Leadership call!
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Let's talk about "LeaderSpeak"
LeaderSpeak is a verbal trick used by poor leaders to Push or Pull people into going along with what the leader wants. Leaders who engage in LeaderSpeak are not truly Leading People because effective leaders do not Push or Pull people.
Here's an example of LeaderSpeak from today's media:
Today's media reports President Bush as urging "Americans to resist a temptation to retreat from Iraq..." (here's the full story).
Framing withdrawal from Iraq as a temptation is a brilliant LeaderSpeak move. Americans have "avoiding temptation" deeply ingrained at them from an early age, as we learned that temptation is a sin and something to be avoided.
The further brilliance of this statement is it sets up a perfect rebuttal towards anyone who argues in favor of leaving Iraq. Notice the LeaderSpeak use of retreat as well - retreat is a word that is loaded with shame in America. Americans never retreat - or at least so the cultural message goes.
By powerful combining the religious power of temptation with the shaming power of retreat in a single LeaderSpeak phrase, Bush effectively pushes people into following along, as well as cutting off any dissenting voices.
On the other hand, Great Leaders.....
...avoid LeaderSpeak like the plague.
Great leaders value dissenting and opposing voices, for they know that wisdom can often be found in dissent and opposition. Great leaders are willing to risk saying what is important for them, as well as the vision they hold for the organization they all -- all without needing to resort to rhetorical trickery and deceit.
What's at stake? The emotional engagement of the people in any given organization (or nation). Currently, the lack of emotional engagement in our employees is costing America around $360 billion (that's billion with a "b") per year.
What's it costing your organization?
Have a LeaderSpeak story from work you'd like to share with others?
Email it to me at Tim at blackbeltconsultants.com
Here's an example of LeaderSpeak from today's media:
Today's media reports President Bush as urging "Americans to resist a temptation to retreat from Iraq..." (here's the full story).
Framing withdrawal from Iraq as a temptation is a brilliant LeaderSpeak move. Americans have "avoiding temptation" deeply ingrained at them from an early age, as we learned that temptation is a sin and something to be avoided.
The further brilliance of this statement is it sets up a perfect rebuttal towards anyone who argues in favor of leaving Iraq. Notice the LeaderSpeak use of retreat as well - retreat is a word that is loaded with shame in America. Americans never retreat - or at least so the cultural message goes.
By powerful combining the religious power of temptation with the shaming power of retreat in a single LeaderSpeak phrase, Bush effectively pushes people into following along, as well as cutting off any dissenting voices.
On the other hand, Great Leaders.....
...avoid LeaderSpeak like the plague.
Great leaders value dissenting and opposing voices, for they know that wisdom can often be found in dissent and opposition. Great leaders are willing to risk saying what is important for them, as well as the vision they hold for the organization they all -- all without needing to resort to rhetorical trickery and deceit.
What's at stake? The emotional engagement of the people in any given organization (or nation). Currently, the lack of emotional engagement in our employees is costing America around $360 billion (that's billion with a "b") per year.
What's it costing your organization?
Have a LeaderSpeak story from work you'd like to share with others?
Email it to me at Tim at blackbeltconsultants.com
Book Review: FIVE STARS from Reader Views
I just received this new, five-star review about Leading People the Black Belt Way:
"Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today"
By Timothy H. Warneka
Asogomi Publishing Company (2006)
Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (3/06)
What do King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Aikido and Charles Dickens' 'The Christmas Carol' have in common? Good question! According to author Timothy Warneka, they teach you true leadership qualities and he makes a compelling argument for this in his book, "Leading People the Black Belt Way."
Click here for more...
"Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today"
By Timothy H. Warneka
Asogomi Publishing Company (2006)
Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (3/06)
What do King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Aikido and Charles Dickens' 'The Christmas Carol' have in common? Good question! According to author Timothy Warneka, they teach you true leadership qualities and he makes a compelling argument for this in his book, "Leading People the Black Belt Way."
Click here for more...
Friday, March 17, 2006
The Leading o' the Green....
Happy St. Paddy's Day to all!
St. Patrick has a fond place in my heart, not only because I'm Irish, but because he's the patron saint of my ever-loving brother.
Pondering leadership and the Irish reminds me of Thomas Cahill's wonderful book, How the Irish Saved Civilization. As we live in a time when many leaders (read: CEO's) rationalize that their net value to the company is over 400 times that of general "line staff" employees, a passage from Mr. Cahill's book bears repeating at length:
"Perhaps history is always divided into Romans and Catholics--or better, catholics. The romans are the rich and powerful who run things their way and must always acrue more because they instinctively believe that there will never be enough to go around; the catholics, as their name implies, are universalists who instinctively believe that all of humanity makes one family, that every human being is an equal child of God, and that God will provide. The twenty-first century, prophesied Malraux, will be spiritual or it will not be. If our civilization is to be save--forget our civilization...if we are to be saved, it will not be by Romans but by saints."
(emphasis added)
In these days of the Senate having recently passed a 2.8 trillion budget that projects $350 billion in deficits for this year and the next; with GM just announcing $10.6 billion in losses last year; and with Sherron Watkins, the former VP of Enron who testified this week that her concerns about accounting irregularites in what was the 7th largest company in the U.S. were ignored....
truer words were never spoken.
St. Patrick has a fond place in my heart, not only because I'm Irish, but because he's the patron saint of my ever-loving brother.
Pondering leadership and the Irish reminds me of Thomas Cahill's wonderful book, How the Irish Saved Civilization. As we live in a time when many leaders (read: CEO's) rationalize that their net value to the company is over 400 times that of general "line staff" employees, a passage from Mr. Cahill's book bears repeating at length:
"Perhaps history is always divided into Romans and Catholics--or better, catholics. The romans are the rich and powerful who run things their way and must always acrue more because they instinctively believe that there will never be enough to go around; the catholics, as their name implies, are universalists who instinctively believe that all of humanity makes one family, that every human being is an equal child of God, and that God will provide. The twenty-first century, prophesied Malraux, will be spiritual or it will not be. If our civilization is to be save--forget our civilization...if we are to be saved, it will not be by Romans but by saints."
(emphasis added)
In these days of the Senate having recently passed a 2.8 trillion budget that projects $350 billion in deficits for this year and the next; with GM just announcing $10.6 billion in losses last year; and with Sherron Watkins, the former VP of Enron who testified this week that her concerns about accounting irregularites in what was the 7th largest company in the U.S. were ignored....
truer words were never spoken.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Lots of poor business books out there...
While there are some wonderful business books out there ("Follow this Path", and pretty much anything by Peter Block comes to mind), there are also some really horrific ones. William Holstein of "Chief Executive" finally sounds off on some of the real stinkers.
On Counter-Intuitive Leadership
Okay, I said I was going to post but once a week....
...but sometimes the Muse takes over.
I got into a cyber-discussion with a colleague about "Intuitive Leadership". My colleague -- as I understood him -- was suggesting that sometimes intuition isn't all that it's cracked up to be, because sometimes when we look back, we see the mistake we made. He was suggesting that perhaps "counter-intuitive" leadership is really the best way to go.
I started thinking about what he said, got into the zone and wrote this response to him. Feel free to listen in....
ON COUNTER-INTUITIVE THINKING
Okay, here's my research geek side coming out, so bear with me....
With a psychology and philosophy background, I was always trained to consider the definition of words. I'd suggest that the word "intuitive" gets used a bit haphazardly in our culture, and we have to be careful in applying it to leadership.
Used in common parlance, "intuitive" often means "common sense", i.e., the solution to a problem that presents itself with the least amount of reflection. IMHO, when people say that they made an "intuitive decision" that turned out to be wrong, what they really meant was that they grabbed at the first common sense response that presented itself.
"Intuition", as it was developed as a concept by Jung (who really brought the word into Western language), was much more interested in what might be better termed (by Ken Wilber and Robert Kegan and those folks) as post-rational thought, which is what Gary Klein is writing about in "Intuition at Work", as well as what Malcolm Gladwell is talking about in his best-selling "Blink".
Depending on how we use the term "intuition", then, we can go in one of two ways:
1. If we use it "intuition" in the sense of "common sense", then it is possible to move in counter-intuitive ways, and often wisely so. Ask any medical or mental health professional -- what often seems (from a 'common sense' perspective) to be the problem is 9 times out of 10 not the problem at all.
2. If we use "intuition" in the sense of "post-rational thought", then it is probably not possible to move/think/be in counter-intuitive ways, and certainly wouldn't be wise (as post-rational thought is a higher order thinking process than rational, and 'common sense' thinking, which would be like trying to solve a problem by moving from (in Piagetian stages) formal operations to concrete operations -- the solution you come up with is NOT going to work.
[My colleague wrote about how teams/groups could have a person playing the role of the "counter-intuitive...]
In your leadership example, I think it's better to use the term "Devil's advocate" than counter-intuitive person. My comment above were only approaching intuition from an individual level. If we begin to move the level of system to the team/group level, then it gets increasingly more complicated. IMHO, what is often seen as "intuitive" by the group often is a very serious case of groupthink. (And also brings us to the "Fifth Discipline" error (after Peter Senge's book), which might bring us to speak about a group or organization as a "thinking organization" or an "intuitive organization", when, in fact, such a thing is impossible, as neither groups nor organizations have a central point of consciousness.)
[He then began pondering whether "counter-intuitive thinking" would be an Art or a Science....]
As to Art or Science....why not avoid the 'tyranny of the OR' and have it be both? This area is particularly where I find value in the study of traditional Eastern philosophies. For a variety of reasons, Eastern philosophy didn't get as caught up in separting Art and Science as we in the West did (which led to some other problems unique to that choice, but I'll save that for another post). Therefore, studies like Zen and Aikido and Chado and Ikebana and things like that (to stay in the Japanese realm for a bit), could focus on both the aesthetics of Art and the precision of Science. And it seemed to work pretty well....to develop post-rational thought in the practitioners. So that an Aikido practitioner can block a punch without 'thinking' (rationally) about it. Rationally thinking about a punch to the face is too slow of a response -- you get punched in the face. An Ikebana (flower arranging) practitioner can 'see' the aethetics of a particular arrangement to see if it is in balance (i.e, to perceive the flowers from a post-rational perspective).
[He then observed that there is a nearby Metropark that where "Engraved on that rail is the statement "There is within us a deep place at whose edge we may sit and dream.", and he cautions people not to fall in...]
Finally, that park is one of my wife's favorite places to hike in the woods, so I'm familiar with that plaque. Perhaps, though, it might be best for us to fall in -- to take the creative leap that allows us to move from rational, 'common sense' approach to the world to a wider, broader post-rational place where the woodland trails listen to the harmony of the Universe and the waterfalls speak with the voice of Truth.
...but sometimes the Muse takes over.
I got into a cyber-discussion with a colleague about "Intuitive Leadership". My colleague -- as I understood him -- was suggesting that sometimes intuition isn't all that it's cracked up to be, because sometimes when we look back, we see the mistake we made. He was suggesting that perhaps "counter-intuitive" leadership is really the best way to go.
I started thinking about what he said, got into the zone and wrote this response to him. Feel free to listen in....
ON COUNTER-INTUITIVE THINKING
Okay, here's my research geek side coming out, so bear with me....
With a psychology and philosophy background, I was always trained to consider the definition of words. I'd suggest that the word "intuitive" gets used a bit haphazardly in our culture, and we have to be careful in applying it to leadership.
Used in common parlance, "intuitive" often means "common sense", i.e., the solution to a problem that presents itself with the least amount of reflection. IMHO, when people say that they made an "intuitive decision" that turned out to be wrong, what they really meant was that they grabbed at the first common sense response that presented itself.
"Intuition", as it was developed as a concept by Jung (who really brought the word into Western language), was much more interested in what might be better termed (by Ken Wilber and Robert Kegan and those folks) as post-rational thought, which is what Gary Klein is writing about in "Intuition at Work", as well as what Malcolm Gladwell is talking about in his best-selling "Blink".
Depending on how we use the term "intuition", then, we can go in one of two ways:
1. If we use it "intuition" in the sense of "common sense", then it is possible to move in counter-intuitive ways, and often wisely so. Ask any medical or mental health professional -- what often seems (from a 'common sense' perspective) to be the problem is 9 times out of 10 not the problem at all.
2. If we use "intuition" in the sense of "post-rational thought", then it is probably not possible to move/think/be in counter-intuitive ways, and certainly wouldn't be wise (as post-rational thought is a higher order thinking process than rational, and 'common sense' thinking, which would be like trying to solve a problem by moving from (in Piagetian stages) formal operations to concrete operations -- the solution you come up with is NOT going to work.
[My colleague wrote about how teams/groups could have a person playing the role of the "counter-intuitive...]
In your leadership example, I think it's better to use the term "Devil's advocate" than counter-intuitive person. My comment above were only approaching intuition from an individual level. If we begin to move the level of system to the team/group level, then it gets increasingly more complicated. IMHO, what is often seen as "intuitive" by the group often is a very serious case of groupthink. (And also brings us to the "Fifth Discipline" error (after Peter Senge's book), which might bring us to speak about a group or organization as a "thinking organization" or an "intuitive organization", when, in fact, such a thing is impossible, as neither groups nor organizations have a central point of consciousness.)
[He then began pondering whether "counter-intuitive thinking" would be an Art or a Science....]
As to Art or Science....why not avoid the 'tyranny of the OR' and have it be both? This area is particularly where I find value in the study of traditional Eastern philosophies. For a variety of reasons, Eastern philosophy didn't get as caught up in separting Art and Science as we in the West did (which led to some other problems unique to that choice, but I'll save that for another post). Therefore, studies like Zen and Aikido and Chado and Ikebana and things like that (to stay in the Japanese realm for a bit), could focus on both the aesthetics of Art and the precision of Science. And it seemed to work pretty well....to develop post-rational thought in the practitioners. So that an Aikido practitioner can block a punch without 'thinking' (rationally) about it. Rationally thinking about a punch to the face is too slow of a response -- you get punched in the face. An Ikebana (flower arranging) practitioner can 'see' the aethetics of a particular arrangement to see if it is in balance (i.e, to perceive the flowers from a post-rational perspective).
[He then observed that there is a nearby Metropark that where "Engraved on that rail is the statement "There is within us a deep place at whose edge we may sit and dream.", and he cautions people not to fall in...]
Finally, that park is one of my wife's favorite places to hike in the woods, so I'm familiar with that plaque. Perhaps, though, it might be best for us to fall in -- to take the creative leap that allows us to move from rational, 'common sense' approach to the world to a wider, broader post-rational place where the woodland trails listen to the harmony of the Universe and the waterfalls speak with the voice of Truth.
Welcome to LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY Blog
Hello! Welcome to my blog! Now that my book, LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY: CONQUERING THE FIVE CORE PROBLEMS FACING LEADERS TODAY is out in the stores, I'm finally leaping into the blogosphere. (My brother and business partner, Patrick, has been bugging me for years to get a blog started! Okay, Patrick, here it is!).
I'll be using this blog to discuss all things leadership. Since everyone at some point in time in their life is going to be in a position of leadership, these thoughts will apply to many.
In general, my intention is to post a blog about once a week, but we'll see how this plays out...
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