Character Communities in Mexico

I am currently traveling in Mexico where I just met with leaders (government, business, eduction, and faith sectors) in Mexico City and Pachuca.

It is so refreshing to be with all types of leaders that sense something most be done about the state of character in their communities. We met with both business and government leaders to discuss the importance of making right choices.

The governor of the state could not attend but he
allowed his wife to join the meeting.

Here she is signing an agreement to make a state of character and to lead by example.

The response to a challenge of action was overwhelming. The future is much brighter is we put Character First!

We are very excited to plan a Communities of Character Conference in Mexico next year. We are hoping for late winter or early spring. This conference will cover the unique issues of Latin American countries as well as other countries throughout the world.

Soon we will have more information, visit the Character Cities website.

Tonight we head to Gaudalajara where we will start the planning for the 2009 conference.

No Encouragement = Discouragement

I would like to share a specific example of the destructive force of discouragement.

But first, I think it is critical that we understand something very foundational. You may not think you are critical or discouraging but I am here to tell you, if you are NOT encouraging in your leadership role then you ARE automatically discouraging.

Back to my example: Here is a typical thought when an employee thinks about doing something wrong (work place related).

Many workers' compensation claims are fraudulent. Statistics verify up to 92%! So what does an employee think while perpetrating just such a fraudulent act?

"I have been working here for three years and they just don't appreciate me."

"I go far above the call of duty in my work and I never get a pat on the back or even a thank you."

"I do everything I'm told, come to work on time, fulfill my obligations, I'm honest, and I have a good attitude. Come to work late one time and my manager lays into me like a drill sergeant."

"I work hard, I make my supervisor look good, and I am not a problem employee. Why don't they give me a pay raise?"

To the leaders reading this blog, your lack of encouragement is the seed that festers in the minds of your people and this seed can manifest itself into wrong actions.

Please learn to be an encourager!!

Inconsistently Good???

Here are a few examples of inconsistency.

Leadership Examples:

• Jump all over an employee for coming to work late right after the 15th time
• Catch one employee in a lie and deliver severe consequences while catching another employee committing the same infraction and basically slapping their wrist
• Demand thoroughness in reports while failing to keep employees informed
• Bark commands out one day and speak softly another day
• Smile at your leadership in between job interviews
• Right a negative performance review the day after skipping work to golf
  

Subordinate Examples:

• Work hard and go the extra mile when there is something to personally gain and withhold efforts at other times
• Be enthusiastic about the weekend football game but tare your authorities up and down at the water cooler
• Say high to your workplace friends or the "in crowd" and snub the people you know nothing about
• Get upset over a poor performance review and take a box of pens or a stapler home
• Complain about your co-worker and sneak to the back of the room when a volunteer is needed

I could go on and on but I think you get the point. Employees leave poor managers, rarely bad companies. One of the most destructive workplace forces is inconsistent examples.

A local law enforcement agency made some policy changes and implemented more people skills training with their officers. One emphasis was to improve individual conduct. Do you want to hear and interesting fact?

One of the results they experienced was a decrease in the crime rate. How can an officer-focused training program impact the general public. I will tell you! Because the public respects authority more when that authority follows its own rules. When law enforcement officers break the laws they uphold the public mocks their authority and takes up an offense. They actually feel more justified to break the law themselves.

Why would citizens, as well as employees, think they were owed anything? Come back again!

Better To Be Consistently Bad Than Inconsistently Good

Let me share an analogy! This is near and dear to my heart since it remains fresh in my mind even after almost 20 years.

Have you ever played baseball (or fast-pitch softball) with an inconsistent umpire behind the plate? It is very frustrating when a pitch up at your chin is a strike one time and a ball another time. As a batter you dread going to the plate. Why? Because you just don't know what to do next.

I would have preferred that the umpire always called pitches at my chin a strike than occasionally. The problem with "occasionally" is you just never know if the next one will be it.
The advantage with always (another word for consistently) is I could adjust my swing if I know in advance. When I had an inconsistent umpire I couldn't wait for the game to be over.

There are employees all over the business world who cannot wait to leave their manager because of inconsistency. They say nothing to an employee that is routinely late and nail another person that is late one time. There are just too many examples of this to list in this already long post so I will create another on specific inconsistencies.

There are also many teenagers out there that can't wait till they turn 18 so they can leave home (the game) because they are so frustrated with inconsistent parents. We are strict one day and easy going the next. We point out everything they do wrong and rarely, if ever, point out what they did right.

Lets talk more about specific workplace inconsistencies next time.

You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

I am 47 years old and I am learning character every day. Let me give you an example:

My daily character pop quiz happens behind the steering wheel of my car. First, I must explain that one of my biggest weaknesses is the lack of patience. This fault causes me trouble when I get behind a slow driver in the left lane.

Some drivers just seem oblivious to their environment. "Can't you see the cars passing you on the right?", yet they just keep on smelling the roses not even aware there is a rear-view mirror in the car.

When I finally have the opportunity to pass this person many times I have the option of signaling them, a non-verbal communication, if you get my drift. Let me share what keeps me from doing what I seriously want to do.

It is the overwhelming fear that this person will be seated in the front row of my next "character" session. I ask you, would you hear one word of my presentation if you had seen me gesture (no need to get specific, just know the gesture is one of disgust) earlier that day? No, you could not hear what I was saying over the loud roar of what I DID.

There is a saying "Your Walk Talks and Your Talk Talks, but Your Walk talks Louder than Your Talk Talks." How true that statement is.

So, thinking about what I do for a living, matching my actions with my words, and trying to raise three kids (now in their 20"s and late teens), and avoiding hypocrisy, especially for my presentations, makes me change my behavioral direction.

I plan to share more about the walk matching the talk next time.