And then there’s this….

Dianna is one of the most classy, professional women you will ever meet.  I was part of her regional staff for several years and learned a lot about personal presentation and business management by observing her both in the office and on the road.

One of our trips took us to North Carolina to conduct focus groups and complete training at a call center recently added to our team.  After a morning filled with introductions and general “get to know you” conversation, we set off with the center manager to have lunch at a highly recommended locals joint.

The scenery was amazing.  Originally from the Northwest and now living in Las Vegas, I missed the green hills and softly clouded skies that I grew up with.  But here and now I was able to relax in the backseat and just watch the changing landscape slip passed filled with textures and tones so amazingly familiar.

There was a convivial flow of conversation from the front of the car, the kind of general chat that would normally precede a casual meal.  Until, Dianna shouted.

I was jolted out of my reverie and the driver started laughing.  The reason for this sudden spike in energy?

A possum.  More specifically, a dead possum laying along the side of the road.

“Turn around – let’s get a picture with it!”  Dianna was laughing as she said it but taking the dare, the driver turned the car around and headed back.

I knew our driver was really just poking at Dianna’s reserved, crisp exterior.  What the driver didn’t know was that like me, Dianna had grown up in the Northwest.  Beneath that neatly pressed suit was a farm girl.    The dare the driver was about to issue was going to fail.

We returned to the possum and Dianna popped out of the car handing me the camera.  And yes I took pictures but not just of a possum.  I took pictures of Dianna picking it up by the tail and smiling broadly as she held it up for all to see.

The pictures were more for her grand kids than anything else but definitely brought about a broad giggle from everyone who saw them.

The moral of this story is not just “you can’t judge a book by it’s cover”.  It’s also “to thine own self be true”.  One genuine moment on the side of the road did more to break the ice with a cautious group of employees than any number of proper speeches ever could.

And those photo’s?  Well this was in the olden days before every cell phone could capture an image and those shots were made with a not so old fashioned stand alone digital camera.  I don’t know where they went to but am pretty sure that somewhere in her family photo albums there is at least one picture of Dianna in a fuchsia colored jacket, floral blouse and pencil skirt, standing along a ditch in the green green fields of North Carolina holding a quite dead but not gross possum by the tail.  Somewhere in the family albums that is and, apparently,  burnt into my mind as well.

 

 

Walking in Memphis

Everyone needs a theme song.

And then there’s this…

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#clindsay4639

My husband is a media photographer which means he moves around, climbing, squatting, securing the angle he needs to take that one fabulous image.

There came a time when he realized suspenders work better than belts to keep him properly covered as he shifts from standing to sitting and back again. But, being that he associates suspenders with “old men”, he wears them under his slightly loose dress shirts so no one can see that he’s left the “age of being a cool dude with a great belt buckle” behind.

We were closing down game night with friends, putting the bingo chips back in a box and gathering up coffee cups when one of the super senior ladies stopped to give my husband a hug. She had had such fun and was so happy to have played. She hugged him tight and gave him a quick pat on the back and as they separated, in what she thought was definitely a whisper and most certainly wasn’t, she asked “are you wearing one of those man-bra’s?”

She then proceeded in her not-so-quiet-but-sure-she’s-being-subtle way to discuss an episode of a news show that talked about how men were getting too many female hormones from cow meat. The hormones were changing men’s anatomy to the point that a new line of shape wear had been developed just to accommodate their burgeoning boobs.

A fabulous image would never have properly captured his face or the reaction of those around who were so desperately trying not to hear but simply couldn’t help it.

He was gallant explaining he was just wearing suspenders. And as she turned on her cherry red scooter and drove away she said “Well, you may want to look into those then.”

Yeah……he hates when I tell this story.

 

Have a safe and happy new year celebration!

And then there’s this…..

In 1989, Barbara started her day powering up the two Wang computers at the back of the office. It required placing 16 inch floppies in the huge drives and as each would load into the memory, she would watch the screen flicker and spark, and then when it was ready, feed it the next, and the next, and the next…. It took about 20 minutes to set up each computer before they could be used for the repair team reports.

On one such morning, with the warm sun coming in the window and the coffee not yet ready, Barbara found it a little tough to just watch the lights pop up on the monitor and listen to the whir and click of the machine. It seemed almost hypnotic.

So she wasn’t altogether surprised to find herself on the floor, waking up as she dropped into the space between the wheeled chair and the carpet squares. She jerked upright, smoothed her page-boy back into place and calmly reseated herself in the red armless chair. No one saw, so it never happened.

The next morning when Barbara came to work she found a slight change to the office. Her Wang desk chair had been replaced by a non-rolling conference room chair, complete with arms, and a packing strap arranged like a seat belt.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Employee Survey

From time to time most companies ask their staff to participate in employee surveys designed to get an “unbiased view” of how the management teams are doing.

Some people fill out the online anonymous survey with an eye to career bliss. Everything is wonderful. Everyone is glorious.

Some people take the opportunity to vent any and all frustrations regardless of their own involvement or the reality of the issue. Everything is awful. Everyone is hideous.

Some people fill it out with an eye for what the survey is meant to do – identify areas of genuine concern and recognize good managers. They balance what is good with construction information on areas of improvement. Some people are better at this than others.

After one such survey at a Lola’s workplace, there was a team meeting to review the data. It was obvious the director was happy about the top five and not so happy about the bottom five.

The top five turned out to be questions related to the immediate supervisor. The staff was happy about how their direct supervisor was performing. About 20 minutes were spent reviewing those results.

The bottom five were about communication from the executive team (the level above the supervisor) and about overall team morale.

To offset communication issues the decision was made to have more interactive conference calls and increase the e-mail distributions to include all staff instead of a select a few. This part of the conversation went on for about 4 minutes.

To offset the morale problems….well…. the director said, “I think the morale issues are self inflicted. There’s nothing I can do about it.” In less than one minute, any concerns about the workplace or not feeling appreciated, or any unease about favoritism and merger prejudice, were completely rejected.

This director had a history of poor communication with his team. During a previous merger call he’d notified them of the loss of their annual short term incentive. Oblivious to the stunned silence from a group of employees who had endured base wage cuts just 3 months earlier, he spoke at length about reasons and expense savings.

After an agonizing amount of time, he concluded his recitation by announcing how, for the coming year, the STI pay percentage would be added to the base wage. Talk about burying the lead. They would lose out on the upside payout opportunity an STI would offer but the base wage was stabilized, a bit.

Another stunned silence and then one voice spoke out and said they had a problem with how he made the announcement. He said he had meant it to be this thing where the employee’s emotions would drop down and then he would be able to pull everyone back up. He said it was meant to be a bit of a joke.

And now, a few weeks later, when this director receives feed back on the employee survey regarding unhappiness in the ranks, his response is “the morale issue is self inflicted”.

This situation was the topic of a very long lunch discussion between Lola and her friends. How do you respond? Do you respond? What would you say?

They agreed it wouldn’t serve anyone to try and discuss it with the director one on one. On general team calls he’d already made statements about how he didn’t like the organizational structure of the team he’d been given after the recent merger. His e-mails supported his personal frustration. If he was willing to publicly make these comments and back it up in writing, chatting him up on a one on one call wouldn’t make a difference.

They also agreed the employee survey was a tool that could get to the heart of corporate concerns but only if it was properly reviewed and only when constructive steps were taken to address issues. But where it failed in most companies was that employees viewed it more as a publicity stunt than an opportunity to fix anything.

It’s a year later and this director is still with the company. His role did change but his behavior didn’t. After the company completed a subsequent survey, a job cut was announced. 1/3 of the employees who participated in that survey call are either no longer employed there or transferred to other departments.

My personal summary – The employee survey cannot be tied to corporate reporting. It can be a clear indicator of deep water troubles that will undo the best efforts of a work group.

If you’re reading this and are an employer I ask you to do more than post positive results in an annual statement of well being. And if you’re an employee I ask you to answer honestly. Because maybe you’re working for a company that will take your concerns seriously or if they don’t, you’ll at least be true to your own integrity.

At the end of the day we can only be accountable for our own actions, so survey or not, be sure what you say and do is what you can live with. It will be with you long after the work day ends and the paycheck is spent.

And then there’s this…

Tags

#clindsay4639, #greatadvice, #projects

Be sure the toilet is bolted to the floor before you sit down.

 

If you’re looking for advice, that’s the best I’ve got.  It seems to suit most situations although, at first glance, you may think it’s just some college level guidance targeted at those not entirely in charge of their faculties.  You’d be wrong. It’s a solid premise. 

But if I said you should “establish firm parameters prior to attempting the next generation process”, you’d yawn, check your phone and grab a snack.

So instead, here’s a visual that will stay with you for life.  Trust me, the image has quietly and effectively become embedded in your brain.  You’ll never start a project, or use a public restroom, without a moments consideration.

Is the footing solid enough to carry the weight of the project? 

I hope the answer is ‘yes’ because believe me, really believe me, you don’t know want to know what happens when the answer turns out to be ‘no’.

The 360 Review

Source: The 360 Review

A 20/20 Perspective

So I heard someone say it’s the first 20 words and last 20 words that are most important in communicating.

Doesn’t matter if it’s written or spoken, it’s the 20/20 that has the greatest impact. At first it seemed sort of crazy but then I realized that some of the best stories I’ve ever read captured my imagination in the very first sentence. So maybe, 20/20 isn’t too far off base.

If it is true, this 20/20 thing, then it means that by this point in my writing you’ve begun to zone out, maybe thinking of sunflowers and butterflies instead of focusing on the brilliance of my prose. I’m okay with that. I like sunflowers and butterflies. Plus, my first sentence, at least up to the twentieth word, is what I would want you to think about and talk about and consider when you’re preparing your next great oration.

Let’s break it down a bit –

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.,,,”

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth….”

“Once upon a time, in a land far, far away….”

Can you name the source? Gettysburg address, Bible and every fairy tale from Grimm to Disney. It seems that in many cases you don’t even need to roll to the full 20 before the audience is captivated by the story being told, by the thoughts being shared.

Could this be due to our increasingly stilted attention spans? Or is it more about the availability of information? We have so many options to supply us with news, fiction and fandom, so do we need to be a little tighter on the opening to draw the reader in and cleaner on the closing to make sure they come back?

Honestly, I don’t know the answer and no I won’t be applying for a federal grant to conduct an in depth review of the subject. I think the best I can do is remind myself that while I can wax poetic and pop instructions on the tech front, it won’t matter how brilliant I am if no one but my mom is paying attention.

Do not forget the importance of being present

It was the spring of 2005.  We made the pilgrimage to southern California so that my new beau could meet the family grand dame, my grandmother, Suzie.

I was scared but Mike, nah, he was just fine.  Kicking back at the hotel, ready to swoop in and turn on the charm, he knew how to work a room so bringing Grandma into his circle of 10 would be easy.   He was right.

My 95 year old grandmother wanted to create a virtual vacation for her great grandchildren and decided to take advantage of the fact that Mike is a pro photographer and that I’m a dedicated easily manipulated granddaughter.  This is how we found ourselves sharing a rental car, spending our day driving  to places Suzie loved.   She was enthroned in the back wearing her twin set, with a beauty shop coif and small hand bag, enjoying the weather and becoming Mike’s partner in teasing me.

For starters, he ignored the Tom-Tom instructions to turn left at the bottom of the hill and I responded by trying calmly to get him to turn around.  He of course refused and only drove further out of route, which made the Tom-Tom begin to panic and toss out directions in record time.  Suzie laughed and laughed and laughed.  It became pretty clear I was losing whatever battle I tried to mount.  So I finally gave up and gave in but, to be honest, I really didn’t mind.

We stopped at Capistrano and took photo’s of bells and birds and the whole time Suzie was tucked in the car with a bottle of water and a good book.  It pained me to leave her there unattended but she insisted.  The walking would be too much and she trusted Mike, Mike mind you, to get some amazing pictures.  So while we wandered about and took photos that echoed the stories she’d told, she sat in the car parked under a tree and yes the windows were cracked.

We drove to the beach, slow rolling along the boardwalk and capturing images of palm trees against the ocean and the afternoon sun.  This was less stressful for me because we all stayed in the car.  Suzie saw I had the camera in my hand and kept rather blatantly suggesting that perhaps Mike should be taking the pictures.  Thanks Gran.  But eventually we parked and he stood on the sidewalk and when it was just us in the car, she told me how much she liked this “young man”.

The day was nearly done and we were heading down the interstate when Mike saw an Army helicopter practicing landings on a stark stretch of land secured with fences and “no trespassing” signs.  He suddenly turned down a dusty road intent on getting that one amazing shot.  I was begging him to go back to the bridge, imagining how I would explain to my family that I let my grandmother get arrested by the military police.  He didn’t listen.  And she was no help, sitting in the back calling out with a devilish chuckle to “drive on my boy, drive on!”

When we finally started up the hill to her home, Suzie was happy and a little bit pensive.  We didn’t want the day to end so joined together to eat Kentucky Fried Chicken off the fine China and then chatted for a while in her study.

In an unguarded moment, Mike took her picture.  She’s in profile, looking out over the valley, unaware of his stealth photography, and so very quiet.  I wonder what she was thinking, or more specifically, maybe who she was thinking about.  It was an image he took just before we left to begin our long drive home and a few months later it would be the image shared with family and friends at her memorial service.

Whether it was chasing five year old me up the stairs when I sassed her or showing 15 year old me how much fun driving on the interstate can be once you finally have a working speedometer, she taught me many lessons.  But that day Suzie taught me what it meant to be present.  Even though I’d read the books and gone to the lectures, until that day, I never really got the idea.  With Suzie, I finally understood.

I miss Suzie.  Sometimes I catch a glimpse of her determination or gleeful humor in the eyes of her great granddaughters.  And it leads me to wonder, where will they drive me and what pictures will we take, when it’s my turn to ride in the back of the car.

Life gives you the most precious moments.  So take my advice, don’t spend so much time worrying about the direction you’re going that you miss out on the cackling Suzie in the backseat.

The Russ Rules of E-mail

Tags

#clindsay4639, email, leadership

Not everyone can make the following statement – I have worked for brilliant supervisors, managers and directors.  One in particular, director Russ, had a preferred method of communication that I still use today.  Russ wanted to spend as little time as possible scrubbing through e-mail so he expected us to communicate in a quick concise fashion.  A few years later I find it still comes in handy especially when I don’t know who is on the other end of my mouse click.

So here it is – the Russ Rules of E-mail Communication.

1. Make the subject clear.  Try to use 5 words or less.  Don’t let your subject get swallowed up by a column break.
2. Use the first sentence to introduce and explain the reason for the contact.  This can be tricky.  You need to avoid being abrupt but still be specific.
3. The second sentence (or paragraph) needs to include anything necessary to support the request.  You could also use it to draw a reference to a previous contact.
4. The third sentence is a clear request for action.

At this stage you can add more information or reference other material, but by now you’ve given the reader the top points on the hit parade.  They can either proceed to action or proceed to read depending on their interest and available time.

Here’s an idea of how this worked in the old office setting –

Russ,

Attached is the previously discussed director exception request for John Smith.

The references are current as of Friday, March 3.  All research has been completed.

I need your approval by Tuesday, March 7 in order to update the performance plan database for February.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Cat

*****

Russ would respond in almost monosyllabic fashion, “I concur” being his favorite followed closely by “more information required”.

Here’s a more current example I could send to an employment expert –

Subject – Lindsay, Marketing Plan

Benjamin,

At the class on Tuesday you recommended we put together a marketing plan.  I completed mine and wanted to get your opinion.

I like the idea of using the marketing plan to open up conversations with my mentors and possible networking contacts.  It feels less pushy than handing over a resume. 

Could you review the attached document and get back to me with your recommendations by Friday?

I was able to set up a meeting with one of my mentors for Monday afternoon and I want to have this document available.  Turns out, I like the marketing plan – just as you predicted.

Thanks for your time.

Cat

*************

or what I would send to my mentor –

Dianna,

Hey – so, you heard I was part of the recent layoffs.  I could use your help figuring out my next steps.  Would you be willing to look over my marketing plan?

The MP isn’t a resume.  It’s like the project plans we used for systems changes only designed around my future employment instead of the next generation upgrades for TrueComp.

Would you be interested in going out to breakfast or lunch with me next week to talk about it? 

I’d love to see you and catch up.  And since I’m not punching a clock right now – what if I join you closer to your home?  Pick a place!  Just make sure they make amazing coffee.  I still need lots of amazing coffee.

Thanks.

Cat

********

Take a little time to get the right vibe.  Do you go more friendly or more formal or somewhere in between?  And if you’re including more than one person in the communication chain, it can be a mistake to discount the silent but alert audience.

Some people honestly thought Russ and I disliked each other.  There was none of the light banter I used in most e-mails or the dry wit Russ included in his.  So the unintended side effect of our to-the-point conversation was the behind the conference call gossip that we were barely able to tolerate each other.  It was untrue but thanks to the off-center humor we both shared, we never made an attempt to change their minds.  It was just our private joke.

I will always be grateful for the time I’ve had working for brilliant people and I’ve tried to take something from each one with me.  But the Russ Rules of E-mail are less a conscious decision and more a strong professional habit.  He found a way to focus my natural tendency to prattle.

Job well done sir.

And thanks.