people who drive me crazy

Think about the people who drive you crazy...not the TYPE of people who drive you crazy, but the ACTUAL people who drive you crazy. Go ahead and name them outloud for a moment (or not, depending on where you are reading this...it could get you in trouble). But for a moment, consider a few thoughts on the people who drive you crazy:

• WHY do these people drive me crazy?
• Are they REALLY so different from me - or maybe too much alike?
• Does their BEHAVIOR push me out of my comfort zone?
• Is it a VALUE issue...or is it a PERSONALITY issue?
• What can I LEARN from these people?
• What are the PATTERNS among the different people who drive me crazy - both today and in the past?

As I consider the different people who drive me crazy, several things become apparent very quickly:

1. their strengths are very different from mine
2. they tend to not back away from conflict
3. they seem to spend more time at their desks than walking around and talking with people
4. they would rather talk about operational approaches rather than strategic approaches
5. they tend to see the glass as half-empty rather than half-full
6. they would rather blame others than take on the responsibility for change
7. they make more statements than they ask questions

The difficult part of making this list is that I have to come to the realization that each of the above behaviors can be a great advantage to an organization:

1. different strengths allow for different ways of looking at the same issue
2. ideas need to be challenged in a strong manner
3. data needs to be collected and shared, which takes time to put together
4. things need to get done - vision without action is only a dream
5. the realities of the organization need to be named and talked about
6. people who mess up need to take responsibility for their bad work
7. decisions need to be made after asking the right questions

OK, I get the point. I understand that it's good if there are people in the organization who drive me crazy. I may not understand how they think...I may not like how they act...I can disagree with their behaviors and attitudes...but I need to embrace them as important to the organization and try my hardest to work with them. Here's to those who drive me - and you - crazy!

leading with WOO

I just returned from a Strengths Quest conference, where we learned about implementing this assessment tool with our freshmen this coming fall. Strengths Quest is the college version of Strengths Finder, which was first made popular with Marcus Buckingham's First Discover Your Strengths. It is a fascinating development tool for people as they consider how to improve by focusing on what they naturally do well, rather than those lesser developed talents we often perceive as weaknesses.

One of my top five themes (groups of talents) is called WOO - which stands for Winning Others Over. The idea behind this talent/strength/theme is that people with WOO love to connect with others...they get an energy around meeting new people...they find joy in making new connections and friends...they like to connect their friends with others...they never meet a stranger, only a friend they have not yet met...they love to ask questions of people to get to know them better...they look for the pereson who is alone in a group and go up to them and introduce themselves...they have a large list of contacts...they love to work a room.

Yes, that is who I am. But more important, how can that strength help me in my leadership? A few thoughts:

• I need to keep meeting more people - but keep better track of them over time
• I need to put myself in places where I can meet more people - but be sure I am in the right places
• I need to consider who I might NEED to meet - and find others to help me meet them
• I need to refine my "elevator speech" about myself and Concordia University Texas - so as I meet these people they remember who I am and what I do
• I need to have a list of needs from the College and University - so when people ask to get engaged, I can quickly connect them to a project or a person
• I need to keep polishing my "cold-calling" skills - so I can meet even more people outside of those I meet in person
• I need a follow-up system - so as not to loose connection with people important to me and the University

I love to meet people - I also know it is extremely difficult for others to do that. I believe it is a skill that can be learned, no matter how difficult it might be for one to "mingle." I also believe it is incredibly important for those in leadership positions to be able to do this...because the more people we meet, the more people get to know the mission of our institutions. Here's the best tip I ever learned: when walking into a crowded room, look for the person standing by themselves. Go up to them , introduce yourself, and begin asking them questions about themselves. Be genuinely interested, and you will be amazed at how quickly you will have a new friend. And you will no longer feel alone in a crowd.