Marjorie's Blog

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Team Leadership Lies

As much as we don’t want to admit it, there are lies we tell ourselves when it comes to managing our team. It may be done unconsciously or you could have complete awareness of these thought patterns.

Some examples…
Lie #1 - “I treat everyone equally.”
Truth #1 - Fair does not necessarily mean equal. You may think you’re treating everyone on the team equally, but the truth is that not everyone has the same life circumstances. You need to give each team member’s request consistent consideration.

Lie #2 - “I value loyalty.”
Truth #2 - This may only be the case if you happen to belong to the Baby Boomer generation. Research shows that Boomers place a high value on loyalty. The good news is that the majority of the current workforce is a Boomer; the bad news is that the Boomers are retiring in ever increasing numbers. Gen X and Gen Y do not believe there is loyalty in today’s work environment.

Lie #3 - “I mean well.”
Truth #3 - This Lie is a bit harder to understand because it speaks of heart matters. We judge ourselves based on our intentions; others judge us on our behavior and actions. Are your behaviors and actions in line with how you intended to show-up in a given situation?

I hope you do not believe lies are necessary for team growth. Nothing is further from the truth. And, nothing so dangerous as that first lie...the one you tell yourself.

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie

Saturday, July 14, 2007

It Takes Two

I’ve just spent a full day with a wonderful friend that was planned yet filled with surprises. It required us to choose a day and make our relationship a priority.

Now, I did all the planning (yes, I can be a control freak), and was a bit taken aback when asked about those plans. In the busy-ness of checking a task off my To Do List, I managed to keep all plans a secret.

What completely slipped my mind was remembering the enthusiasm that is generated through collaboration. This became obvious when we encountered road construction - our exit ramp was totally missing, being padlocked into a parking lot at the Gerald R. Ford museum, and the Never Lost GPS system telling us to make illegal U-turns.

Arthur R. Pell, Ph. D has defined collaboration as “the act of working together by sharing information, ideas, and actions.”

It was our willingness to be flexible in our thinking that allowed the flow of ideas to turn us from misadventures toward action. Active listening, reserving judgement, and sincere dialogue allowed us to discover:
* the value of being authentic
* the courage it takes to trust

In your team leadership role, remember to make time to develop the spirit of collaboration. It will serve you well, and spur your team to achieve higher goals.

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Heat of Procrastination

Few folks believe me when I say that summers in Milwaukee can find temperatures soaring into the 90’s and 100’s. This weekend was one of those mid-90’s times. It wasn’t just the heat but the humidity that strained lungs to fight for a decent breath of air.

Eastsiders where pretty smug with their “cooler by the lake” talk. Frankly, I’m not discerning enough to tell the difference between the “cooler” lakeside 92-degrees and the 94-degrees experienced by suburbanites. Regardless of your exact location—heat was heat!

There is a mental side effect along with the physical ones of working under intense conditions. For me it appeared as procrastination. It was difficult to keep commitments made months ago. Here is what my self-talk sounded like:
“You don’t really need to water the lawn because it will eventually rain.”
“You don’t need to get all this filing done now. It’s in a pile off in the corner so no one can see it.”
“You can write the blog while at the airport. No sense in hurrying to finish the entry today.”

This same thinking can happen at any time within your team. Client requests, environmental conditions, and disengaged team members all impact your leadership effectiveness. Before that little devil on your shoulder convinces you to delay deadlines or ignore addressing a situation, remember the old adage, “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”

Bottom line: Your team is always watching your behavior and making decisions based on the actions they witness. There will be days when you won’t “feel” like doing what you said you would do. RED ALERT—The minute this thought pops into your brain is the exact minute you need to do something about it!!

At the very least, live up to the promises you make to your direct team members. At the very most, live up to all your promises by living a life in integrity.

Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Customer Service Kudos - Wall of Fame

I met Ronnie at the front door of Papa Cheney’s (Windsor, Ontario, Canada, 519.258.1334) at the end of a long afternoon shift. A colleague and I decided to stop for dinner and were not certain who was serving at 11PM. After several false starts (read—two dive bars and an upscale eatery) we got a recommendation for Papa Cheney’s.

From the moment Ronnie shook our hands, discovered our hometown, uncovered some of our hobbies, and personally introduced us to our server (who jogged over to get us) we felt welcomed and exceptionally cared for.

Then we got to experience Server Mark. This Gen Y body-builder took TIME—listened, focused on us, made recommendations to suit our taste preferences (not what the chef wanted to sell that night). He kept us informed of Customer Appreciation Day specials, the status of our order, and the excitement happening on the upper level.

Mark was amazing…
just as you took your last sip - he delivered a refill,
just as you needed a breather - he stopped by to chat,
just as you swallowed the last bit of food - he was ready with the bill.

Now, we weren’t the only folks there - the joint was packed; music thumped; conversations flowed all around.

I’ve tried to analyze what made the difference, and come up with—Papa Cheney employees have a genuine interest and passion in cultivating long-term customers. They have a heightened awareness of their surroundings at any given moment. The energy they create draws you to the warmth of the place and people.

Will I go back? You bet - it would take a lot of convincing to change my mind about the excellent Canadian hospitality.

Until next time...Live like you mean it!
Marjorie

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Independence Day Team Thoughts

Few things capture my imagination quite like our nation celebrating Independence Day. I enjoy watching the parades filled with kids waving flags, highschool marching bands, clowns tossing candy to the crowd, and the fire engines’ horn blast. All these different entities come together perfectly for a small slice of time to encourage and entertain those around them. You can witness individual team personality in the precise execution of their movement.

It takes skilled communication and constant awareness of activity both ahead and behind each team. Use your skills of scanning the horizon and reviewing past accomplishments to keep your team goals on track.

Wishing you and your family a safe and healthy holiday.

Until next time...Live like you mean it!
Marjorie