three little/powerful words

As I drove into the office this morning, I reflected on several conversations I had yesterday that were focused on three words - accountability, transparency and vulnerability.  Specifically, I had two conversations with groups of people that helped me better understand these three little - yet powerful - words.  People often use words quickly - and maybe even without thinking about what they mean.  I have colleagues and friends who are willing to challenge me on words I use - and in turn sharpen my personal thinking, which increases my ability to lead.

In the afternoon, the team on which I serve had a dialogue on our accountability to each other.  I have been feeling guilty lately about not getting tasks accomplished in a timely manner.  I can blame it on too much to do...I can blame it on tasks that do not play to my strengths...I can blame it on moving targets...I can blame it on the weather...I can even blame it on my own mother.  At then end of the day, I have let items slip - and so have some of my teammates.  So we had a great dialogue on how to be more accountable to each other and hold each other more accountable.  Of course the dialogue focused on all of the items we DON'T have done and the tasks we have NOT yet finished.  And then one of my colleagues reminded us of the other side of the ledger sheet - that the other side of accountability to taking "account" of the tasks we HAVE accomplished, the goals we HAVE made and the promises we HAVE kept to each other.  Having the ability to take account (read: account-ability) means balancing the books and not always focusing on one side over the other.  I realized then that if I am to hold others accountable (and hold myself accountable) then I need to do it in a manner that takes in the whole of the organization and the person...that which has not been done and that which has been done.  In other words, I need to balance the books - I need to keep track of my accounts - I need to improve my account-ability.

Later in the evening, while teaching in The Concordia MBA, I had the privilege of having Dr. Andy Neillie speak with my class.  Toward the end of the conversation, we discussed the difference between TRANSPARENCY and VULNERABILITY.  He put it this way - being TRANSPARENT means I will let you know things about me and about the organization...in other words, I will pull away the curtain so you can better see what is there.  Being VULNERABLE means that once I have let you see all there is  of me and the organization, I will now let you tell me what you see and how it might be improved.  Andy is a speaker who travels the country helping people move their leadership ability to the next level.  Part of his talk is to tell his personal story - and he does it in a way that moves others to action.  He is being TRANSPARENT with them and it works...but then he leaves.  The leader who stops there miss out on a very powerful tool to change herself, to change others, and to change the organization.  When one becomes VULNERABLE, they are giving others the permission to think deeper, to speak their thoughts, and to engage ins a dialogue that can move the individuals and the organization forward.  I think in a day and time where social media is ever present and information is easy to find, leaders and organizations will have to be more and more transparent.  It may even become the way of doing business into the future.  Vulnerability is still reserved for the courageous few who are willing to listen and change...who are willing to look deep inside themselves...who are not going to become defensive...who live and breathe the mission and vision of the organization...who have mastered the art of emotional intelligence...and who are willing to say. "I might be wrong."

Thanks to my friends and colleagues for holding me accountable to my words - and for reminding me of how three little words can also be so powerful.

the ART of running meetings

I find it interesting that so many people hate going to meetings.  I have decided that the only way I get my work done is through having meetings...how else do we keep ourselves as an organization on track, make decisions, and move forward?  My work is done through meetings - and the work I do alone at my desk is merely the follow through of what happens at the meetings.

I was in several meetings this past week, both one-on-one as well as group meetings.  Some were wonderful...and some were painful.  As I reflected on them, I realized that good meetings have little to do with the SKILL of running meetings (though that helps) and more to do with the ART of running meetings.  Let me explain...

The SKILL of running meetings can be found in many books, articles, websites, and blogs written by very smart people and very efficient people.  All of these skills are necessary, from having an agenda to starting on time, to having action items, etc.  What's often missing is the hard part of running meetings - the PEOPLE ASPECT...and this is where the ART occurs.

The ART of running a meeting includes reading the people around you and keeping them engaged.  When a meeting is artfully run, participants will leave the meeting excited and energized...they will leave the meeting ready to get back into the fray...they will believe they, and the organization, are better because of the meeting...and they will leave the meeting looking forward to the next one.  How does this happen?  Here are a few thoughts for those of us who runs meetings:

• Be really good at the SKILL of running meetings
• Know (and let others know) your strengths and weaknesses in running meetings
• Allow participants to hold you accountable to your strengths and weaknesses in running meetings
• Watch people's engagement levels
• Watch people's body language
• Watch people's eyes
• Monitor the ratio of how much you speak to how much the other participants speak
• Create an atmosphere where people can disagree with each other -and with you
• Check in with people who are TOO QUIET- don't assume they are not engaged, and let them have a voice as needed
• Quiet down people who are TOO ENGAGED - don't let any one person dominate the conversation
• Invite - and take - criticism from the team
• Keep the internal check going all the time, asking if what you wanted to have happen is actually happening
• Live with the tension of keeping on track and getting off track
• Live with the tension of wanting the participant's full attention and knowing that they also need to be giving their attention to other things and people
• Live with the tension of getting things done and building stronger relationships
• Live with the tension that this is serious work and that teams should also play together

Special kudos to a great team of people who allowed me the privilege of practicing the ART of meeting this past week - the Concordia University Texas Remote Sites Team.  This group has a hard job in ensuring that the mission of our University is delivered in formats and spaces away from the traditional program on our main campus.  Thanks to Alexandra, DeEadre, Mary, Rebecca, Renae, and Tammy for their work, their dedication, and their willingness to meet together to move forward our mission of developing Christian leaders.

CEOisms

When people ask me what I like best about being Dean, one of my responses is always, "I get to meet the coolest people in the world."  That was true again this past week as I was able to interface with three people who have held CEO and CEO-type positions:

• Jim Koerschen, former college president and international school headmaster
• Joel Trammell, who built, ran , grew, and sold several technology companies
• Bob May, former Dean of the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas

My conversation with each of them traveled many and various paths, but it always came back to the role of the CEO/President/Boss/Headmaster/Dean...whatever title one puts in front of people who are "in charge."  Today's blog is devoted to what these gentlemen had to share with me - and what we as leaders should consider in our roles, no matter the title - otherwise known as CEOisms...

• You only get 18-19 decisions, because every decision upsets 5% of the people , and they are never the same people.  Once you get to 18, it's time to start looking for a new job, because at 20 everyone is angry at you
• The role of the CEO is to communicate INTENT, not specific action
• It's harder to say NO when you are flush in cash than when you don't have any money
• You are responsible for ALL policies, whether or not you were there when they were put in place
• It's one thing to manage or lead..it's another to COMMAND, because when you are the CEO, your decisions really matter (see The Art of Action)
• Determine what it is that you can do BEST and what will bring "cache" to your organization
• IMPACT comes with quality and numbers (growth)
• When asking about goal completion, it's better to ask about COMMITMENT to completing the project rather than one's STATUS in completing the project
• Make sure that when adding "things" to the organization that they add VALUE to the organization's priorities
• Because they have the "position" to deal with conflict, CEO's do not need to be afraid of conflict on their teams
• CEOs need to trust their people to make decisions and then back them on those decisions
• Determine where your organization can be FIRST, and then make it happen
• Transparency is key if you want to build trust and make things happen
• Decide what is important, continuously pursue that path, make changes toward that end, invest in and resource those priorities, and develop structure that supports those ends
• Help people in your organization make the shift from a "sales" focus (because numbers can be measured) to a "quality" focus in all aspects

As you read through that list, some will resonate with you - and others may not.  In fact, I hope that you disagree with some of them and post your thoughts below.  You might even have your own CEOisms to share.  Above all, it's time for each of us to put these into practices in our own leadership roles.  What can you do TODAY to make an impact on your organization and the people who work with you?

valuing values

There is much written about mission, vision and values as a part of an organization's culture - and how the mission, vision and values can drive an organization in it's performance.  VALUES have become very important to me as I have seen their impact on my organization's life and my colleague's lives these past several weeks.  We all have values - whether articulated or not - and we hold these values very close to our hearts.  A few examples:

• Several years ago I found myself becoming very angry at a situation that had occurred within the organization to which I belonged.  I talked about it with my supervisor...I fumed about it with my colleagues...I probably even wrote about it in a previous blog.  It then hit my that what I valued and believed to be right behavior was not valued or important to the organization...and I had to come to grips with that.  I had to tell myself repeatedly that just because I thought a certain behavior should be valued did not mean that everyone else did or that the organization should.  Once I understood that, I could move forward (and if I had not done that, I would have had to resign).
• In a recent meeting, our team was wringing their hands as to why something was not happening and why "they" didn't understand the importance of the situation.  It soon became clear that "they" did not hold the same values that we did.  As a group we had worked hard at thinking about our values, articulating our vales and trying to operationalize our values.  When we saw others not living those same values out, we became upset - until we realized that we could not (and should not) force our team's values on another team (the proverbial "they").  And so we decided that we would focus on what we could control and continue to try to influence others, and not expect them to live by or adopt our values.
• Before the semester began, our College of Business faculty met and the first agenda item was to review and talk about how we can put our College's values into practice.  There was great discussion around this, and as we went around the room talking about the highlights of the conversations, it became clear that we spent most of our time applying our values to low performers (be they students or colleagues).  Our challenge became how we might also apply those values to the best and brightest, challenging the top performers to do even more and letting them live out these values among their peers.

So how can we as individuals AND as an organization value values - and make them an integral part of our day to day lives?  Here are a few suggestions:

• BE SURE THEY ARE NAMED: as a group put down on paper what your values are...be specific...know from whence they come and why they are important to you...be sure they align with  and enhance the mission and vision...don't let them become generic...be sure you can explain them when asked (remember that these are more internal than external - they are how we experience life together and how we treat one another)
• TALK ABOUT THEM: these should not be words on paper or plaques on a wall...they need to be in front of everyone in the organization...they need to be brought up at meetings...they need to be a part of regular reviews...they need to be important enough so they become a part of your daily language...they need to be brought up in the midst of difficult decisions.
• REWARD THOSE WHO LIVE THEM OUT: verbal recognition and a pat on the back is fine, but are there ways that people will actually be rewarded for living the organization's values out?  THERE IS!  One of our classes (Dr. Lynette Gillis' Leadership and Business class) is piloting a program with You Earned It! a company reward program that uses social media and prizes to recognize excellent behavior within an organization.  Students will be able to reward one another with points for living out the values of the College within the classroom - each time a student gives points to another student, they must link that reward to a value and make a comment that others in the class will see (and the more points a student collects, the better the prize is for whcih they can redeem their points).  More information about this product can be found at the You Earned It website - and by the way, we are the first college or university to partner with this organization...we'll see what happens!
• REPRIMAND THOSE WHO VIOLATE THEM: this is the hardest part, because we don't like to call people out on the carpet - and this is a time when I believe that the reprimand needs to be as public as possible, so that others know that you as the leader know that the value was violated.  Values are so important to the health of an organization, that when they are violated, restitution should be made.  One of our values is that "we practice forgiveness guided by mercy and justice."  When that value is not upheld, it is not enough to note it on someone's permanent file or discuss it in an end of year review...it must be immediately pointed out, and an action needs to take place that reminds everyone about the power of forgiveness.  An organization's values are not private - the public naming, talking about, rewarding, and reprimanding is what gives those values POWER.

What are your values?  What are your organization's values?  Do they line up?  Do you talk about them?  How important are they to you and others in the organization?  And what can you do - TODAY - to make values valued in your organization and in your life?

it's not complicated

One of my favorite TV commercials over the past 6 months has been the AT&T "It's Not Complicated" commercials featuring really cute kids who say and do very silly things.  The point of the commercials is to convince the viewer to sign up for AT&T because the decision to do so is "not complicated."  Guess what my wife and I did about two months ago?  We signed up for AT&T U-Verse cable and internet - they got us!

Much of leadership is not complicated - it's complex, but it is not complicated.  When it looks complicated...and when it sounds complicated...and when it feels complicated, then it is probably something other than leadership.  Let me explain...

• You're sitting in a meeting and the screen in the front of the room is beginning to overflow with charts and graphs.  The numbers are beginning to all look alike, the person explaining the numbers is telling you way more than you or anyone else needs to know, and at the end of the presentation no decision is made because the numbers have made it too complicated.
• You open the spreadsheet that was just sent to you and you begin to look at it, hoping to discover something that will help you better understand the issue.  The charts and graphs give a lot of detail, and the supporting documentation (found on the next six tabs) is all there - but you soon realize that while you have a lot of information, the question of WHY is not being answered.  You soon give up because it has become too complicated.
• You are attempting to solve a problem and need advice from your boss, because you realize that the decision is going to include personnel changes in areas other than your own. As she begins to help you with this problem, more and more ideas start flowing and soon you are lost in the transaction, not knowing where she is going with this.  You wanted a solution, and what you are getting is a dissertation.  You walk out of the room wondering what to do next, because the attempt to solve a problem has suddenly become too complicated.

We all are guilty of this syndrome, probably more often than we would like AND more often than we know.  Few people will call us out on this issue because it's hard to argue with numbers.  The saying that "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance baffle them with BS" is true - if I can sufficiently confuse you numbers and facts and ideas, then you will think I'm brilliant and will soon start leaving me alone.  

So what can we as leaders (and leaders to be) do about this?  Here are a few ideas:

• when we have a lot of information to share, especially when it includes numbers, charts and graphs, be explicit about the WHY of what you are sharing - help people wade through the data to get at the heart of the matter
• when people come to us with issues, find out exactly what they need, ad stick to that point rather than confuse them with your own thinking and dreaming out loud
• when we make presentations to groups, especially when it is new information, keep it simple and stick to the point (and be sure to repeat the point over and over)
• when sharing data with a group, stop every now and then and ask if it is making sense - ask clarifying questions - seek new knowledge from the group - ask if this is something important to them - be crystal clear about why you are sharing the information...and if you begin to see blank stares from the group (or they stop talking) realize that you have lost them and work to get them back
• when you get ready to send that spreadsheet with numbers, charts, graphs, etc ask yourself if everyone needs all of this information - and then begin to make it less complicated
• never, never, never confuse complication with complexity - issues with which we deal are very complex and need our best thinking...but we do not need to make them feel complicated.

So take the time to Google "It's Not Complicated," watch some of the AT&T commercials, laugh out loud, and remind yourself that what we do does not need to be complicated...and start today to help your team do its job better by removing complications and making the work more clear.

from "ex" to success

I was listening to an entrepreneurship podcast this morning that started out like most other entrepreneurship talks: "I got tired of what I was doing, left that, and started something else..."  I began thinking about the people I know, and realized many of them are "ex" something or other - an ex-CPA, an ex-fighter pilot, an ex-sales person, an ex-CEO - and the list goes on and on.  I am an ex-band director, who has found great joy in this role as Dean of a business school.  The thing is, none of the people above, including myself, ever disliked what we were doing before.  We weren't looking to get out, but we may have perhaps become a little bored.  Entrepreneurs (and I would also suggest "leaders") are by nature starters...we like to start things...we like to build things...we like ideas...we like growth...we like energy.  And when those things begin to wane, it is time to ask the important question, "what's next?"

I have come to understand that the answer to "what's next?" doesn't always have to be a new career - it can be a new way of living out your current role...it could be a new assignment within your current role...it could be a new way of thinking about how your organize your work within your current role...it could be a new way of thinking - or a new way of living.  Whatever it might be, moving to the "new way" means giving up something form your "old way" - which means you are now an "ex-something or other."

The New Year is always full of possibilities (no matter what Mark Twain might have said).  It is a time to become an "ex-something or other."  Here is my personal list of things that we as leaders might consider becoming an "ex" in:

• become an ex-micro manager
• become an ex-late to meetings person
• become an ex-complainer
• become an ex-gossiper
• become an ex-expert
• become an ex-over eater
• become an ex-worrier
• become an ex-controller
• become an ex-procrastinator
• become an ex-skeptic
• become an ex-_____________________

To step up our leadership, we need to develop new (better) habits...and to do that, we need to rid ourselves of old habits.  Just as many entrepreneurs take the jump from one career to the next (often with much fear and trepidation), so leaders must make the same jump, giving up the old and embracing the new.  Will it be difficult? Will it be scary? Will you wonder whether it is the right thing to do?  Will it feel as if you don't really know what you are doing?  You know the answer to these questions, so just go ahead and do it.  Not only will you find your joy and passion,but those around you will be better off for it as well.  Enjoy the journey!

persistence pays off

Yesterday we celebrated 50 Speaker Series events - a milestone for me as I began the College of Business Speaker Series in October of 2006 with Michael Willard (then Executive Director of Austin Habitat for Humanity) as our speaker and about 30 people in the audience.  The series has come a long way to where we now average about 150 people each time (a mix of students, faculty, staff and community) with speakers such as Drayton McLane, Huston Street, and Sherron Watkins.  The mix of local (and sometimes national) people continues to amaze and humble me as I get the chance to interview some of the coolest people in the world.

One of the questions asked me yesterday (I was interviewed by Concordia alumnus Stephen Kreher) dealt with how the Speaker Series has grown, and the answer included the idea of PERSISTENCE.   For the first two years, we seldom had more than 30-35 people in the auditorium, and trying to get students and faculty to attend was one of the hardest parts of the job.  There were times I wondered if it was worth it, and whether or not I should keep trying to do this type of event. Along with encouragement from others (and the fact that my faculty started to require students to attend), we began to see growth in the attendance and an energy that kept it moving forward.  Jim Collins talks about the "flywheel" concept where it takes a long time to push the flywheel very slowly and with very little visible movement forward, and then - at just the right time - it starts moving on its own and all you need to do is give it a slight nudge now and then to keep it moving forward.  That's an apt description of our Speaker Series over the years.

Leaders need to keep this idea in mind as they introduce new ideas and work to change the culture of an organization.  It feels at the beginning like you are working so hard and seeing such few results...it feels like you are the only one doing things that matter...it feels that it might be easier to stop making changes since noting seems to be happening...it feels as if no one else really cares...if feels as if you were to stop doing those type of things today, no one would notice. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, you look around and behold that you are working not quite so hard and seeing more results...that more and more people are doing things that matter... that more things are happening and others are making changes...that people really do care...and that if you stopped doing these things, people would wonder what happened.  The flywheel is moving by itself!

I'm not sure how one learns persistence or if it comes naturally to some and not to others.  Great athletes know about it...farmers know about it...writers know about it...and so many others who exhibit excellence in their fields know about it.  In leadership, persistence is probably most important when you are trying to change a culture.  Culture shift never happens overnight - it takes saying and doing the same things over and over until they become part of "how we do things around here."  My encouragement is to:

• stay at it
• never give up
• keep going
• never give up
• don't lose zeal
• never give up
• keep hoping for the best
• never give up
• stay positive
• never give up
• do it one more time (and then do it again one more time)
• never give up