Great Leaders Build Strong Relationships

Character plus Competence equals Consistency

2011-12-26T18:46:00.000-06:00

Character First is thrilled to offer character-based solutions for many of today's issues. Everything from workplace stress and dealing with difficult people to effective communications and business etiquette. Visit us at www.characterfirst.com or call me at 405-623-2274 cell

Character & Competence!

2011-02-01T20:09:00.003-06:00

So many organizations focus on training, skills, certifications, degrees, experience, knowledge, and abilities when hiring, placement, and promotion. Why is it when you have to correct or even terminate someone it is almost always character related?

Amazon two day promotion - January 11-12

2011-01-09T11:26:00.000-06:00

The Character Solution

2010-12-23T08:18:00.002-06:00

There is a way to lead your team to greatness. There is hope, and there can be a light at the end of the tunnel that isn't a train. The problems we face are frequently personal character issues that cannot be solved with programs, techniques, or more hours at the office. Creating a culture of character within our organization is the solution to many of these challenges. Fortunately, there is a way to make this transformation that has been tried and proven in a myriad of arenas. (from "Making Character First" page 2)

Why write a book?

2010-12-13T10:22:00.002-06:00

Tom Hill began his business career in 1971 at Kimray, Inc., a prominent manufacturer of oil and gas equipment and controls. He served as an engineer, Executive President, President, and is currently Chairman of the Board. He founded Character First in 1992 to help Kimray employees be successful. Since then, Character First has spread to businesses and other organizations in over 34 countries. Tom is a regularly invited speaker on character and ethics in business. Learn more at www.makingcharacterfirst.com

The book is here, "Making Character First"

2010-12-12T13:54:00.005-06:00

BIG NEWS!!!!! Making Character First is here! Check out this link and come back soon for excerpts from the book.
http://www.characterfirst.com

Why do some many managers lead like a drill sergeant?

2010-09-22T12:36:00.003-05:00

For three years I was a drill sergeant in the United States Air Force. I found it very easy to demand action and to enforce consequences if they failed to do so. What was hard was doing this while keeping their hearts. A great leader knows how to mold someone into a better person without crushing them.

Hire for Character, Train for Skills!

2010-08-21T08:52:00.002-05:00

We, out of necessity, must look outside the proverbial "box" when hiring today. For many years we have had most of the focus on an applicants skills, i.e. degrees, certifications, grades, etc. Once hired, we assumed they had the Integrity we expected. It is time to divert some of those hiring energies into investigating the foundation to all skills, character.

I pose a simple question, what good is a master's degree from the prestigious Harvard Business School (4.7 GPA) if the person does not show up (dependability) for work? Where is the ROI when you spend many months training a person that you have to fire or they quit? Even worse, what do you do when this great hire becomes your worst nightmare and negatively impacts the whole team? What you do is wish you could turn the clock back so you could "not" hire them.

Let's start emphasizing the importance of character at the start of the hiring process. Begin by holding yourself to a higher standard, fix your mistakes (like I'm sorry), and start celebrating other people when they make right choices, i.e. Character.

Character is so important the new dean of the Harvest Business School recently shared the focus at this great school. Competence and Character.

Take a look at the sample hiring guide here.
http://www.characterfirst.com/assets/Files/CharacterHiring.pdf

Character First Membership Program, Benefit (#3)

2010-06-22T22:24:00.002-05:00

Use the Character First Member Organization logo on your website. Tell the world why character is important to your company but more importantly, tell them what you are doing about it.
Members will receive our new member logo and we, Character First, will post your companies logo on our website. When someone wants to find an organization in a specific industry, we can share who is doing something positive about their character culture.

My son Mike

2010-05-15T19:13:00.003-05:00

This was taken during a game against the two time state champions. Mike scored 32 points during this game and thrilled the spectators with daring drives.

Once again, I sent this from my iPhone now that I can blog from my phone. Cool!!!!!

Character First Membership Benefit (#2)

2010-04-30T06:41:00.003-05:00

Actually, this should be benefit number one. We are looking for organizations where character is already important.

You already understand that a good reputation trumps the bottom line, that your people are your greatest asset, and integrity is priceless, we need to connect.

If you want to make a lasting impact on your community by uniting with other organizations with similar goals and direction, a Character First Membership is a great way to go.

Character First Membership Program (#1)

2010-04-07T10:58:00.004-05:00

I plan to share with everyone the "NEW" Character First Membership Program and the benefits of joining. Here is reason #1:

Use this new logo on your website and literature. Your customers and clients can click on this link so they can read more about what is important to your organization. How much value is there in sharing how truthfulness, dependability, and thoroughness are to your company? What if we help you show "the world" not only what you believe but what you are "doing" to improve your products and services.

We are just kicking off this new program so take a look at our newest members.
http://www.characterfirst.com/programs/members/

Character First! has changed!!!!

2010-02-16T13:59:00.002-06:00

Stay connected on my blog. Over the next several weeks or maybe a few months I will be updating everyone on the "amazing" changes at Character First.

In the mean time, check out our website!
CharacterFirst.com

2010-01-15T12:38:00.002-06:00

I apologize for the long absence. I promised myself a long time ago that I would not write for the sake of writing. My desire is to post meaningful content. If taking long breaks helps this effort in any way, then so be it!

We are finally moved into our new office location and everything has found its place. Whether boxed, stored, or in a drawer, it feels good to have de-cluttered and re-organize.

Time to roll up the sleeves and get to work. My responsibilities have changed as well so I hope to have more time to research issues and to blog about those that might interest people.

The Art of Building Relationships

2009-11-14T19:57:00.006-06:00

When you ask people, what is the foundation of good relationships? I often hear, "trust." Trust is so important that Stephen M. R. Covey wrote a great book titled, The Speed of Trust."

I agree, trust is a huge part but there is something even more foundational. If you don't believe me, try removing this from any relationships in your life and see what happens.

What am I talking about? Communications!!!

If communication is important what should it look like? Better yet, what should it not be like?

Consistent, accurate, regular, open, are just a few key words.

When a military battle plan is drawn up the first objective is to knockout the enemies communications. More effective than precise reconnaissance or carpet bombing, if communication lines are cut, everything quickly falls apart.

Come back for more suggestions on the power of communications.

Anger On The Rise!

2009-10-15T10:18:00.003-05:00

Have you all noticed how angry people are getting? Just yesterday morning I watched a report about a 15-year old boy that was set on fire by a group of other teens. When these teens were questioned by the police, several of them laughed and joked about it. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Two people in a Boston McDonald's were so upset that their large fry order was delivered as a small fry that one threw their change in the cashier's face and the other one threw yellow "wet floor" signs hitting a second cashier.

10 Nations and 11 States Attend the Character First! Networking Conference

2009-09-28T22:07:00.002-05:00

Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Romania, Philippines, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, Taiwan, Trinidad/Tobago, and 11 US States attended the Character First! Networking Conference in Oklahoma City. The schedule was full of dynamic speakers and helpful information.

One of the most exciting things was an idea shared by one of the Ugandan delegates. They asked if a US Character Council would be willing to partner with them to assist in building a Character Council in Uganda.

We were all so thrilled to hear such a great idea. We immediately hooked them up with the Fort Collins Colorado Character Council which had 4 members in attendance.

Watch this blog for more details soon!

Why Be an Ethical Company?

2009-08-17T19:09:00.004-05:00

I just read an interesting article titled, "Why Be an Ethical Company? They're Stronger and Last Longer". This was a focus on short-term profits to the exclusion of all else led to the current financial crisis. And guess what? Companies with the steadiest moral compasses have sailed through it.

Here is the first paragraph:

With everyone still buzzing about the outrageous bonuses Wall Street continues to pay, it seems like now might be a good time to write a column about ethics. No, I don't want to write another article calling greedy bankers unethical. Plenty of pundits have already done that. Rather, I'd like to speculate on why some executives are so greedy, the role it played in their downfall, and how an inability to change organizational mindsets will probably lead to future banking crises. I'd also like to go beyond Wall Street and examine ethics in the broader context of American business. By Vivek Wadhwa READ MORE

The Power of Choices

2009-08-06T22:41:00.004-05:00

Nothing builds a person's character more deeply then a long line of choices. Here is a simple analogy:
You need to be at work by 8am. Well, first we must discuss "at work." What does this mean? Are you officially "at work" if you pull in the parking lot at 7:55am? No? Certainly you are "at work" if you walk in the door by 7:59am! Not sure? I am almost positive your "at work" if your at your desk by 7:59am. What do you think?
If you are at your desk (on time) but checking your personal email or Facebook page, does this satisfy the request of being "at work" by 8am? Wait, I know, your "at work", just sat down, relieved you made it on time, when you get up and head to the break room for some coffee, at work or not?
I think your getting the point. Teenagers are not at the "at work" point and have many other decisions to make. Like:

what time should I get up so I can get to work on time?
if it is 7am then what time should I get to bed so I am alert while at work?
should I hang with my friends or head home for a good nights rest?

I could easily come up with 30 or 40 more thoughts, all just to prepare for our arrival at work.

Don't run from the mundane! Embrace the many daily decisions confident that if you choose right you will be deepening your character.

General Thoughts!

2009-07-16T12:55:00.007-05:00

I have been spending a great deal of time contemplating the state of leadership in general. I really do see a trend towards impersonal and non-relational management.

When I say leadership, you can swap this term for many others!

Spouse, parent, teacher, officer, etc. Relationships are stressed to the breaking point all around us.\

When stress is out-of-control, it can get in the way of your ability to:

Think clearly and creatively
Communicate clearly
Accurately "read" other people
Hear what someone is really saying
Trust others
Attend to your own needs

I am learning to focus on the positive!

2009-07-02T12:14:00.005-05:00

I recently watch a tremendous video titled "The Secret". If you are interested, visit the website by clicking the banner below. After watching this I realized that I need to focus my attention on more positive things. I especially need to point out the positive in others.

Keep coming back and hold me accountable to this!

If the banner does not work click The Secret

href="http://www.whatisthesecret.tv">

Un-Cooperative Leaders!!!!

2009-06-19T20:49:00.002-05:00

I am fortunate to present during leadership training seminars and when it is time for me to call on the group to share and idea, answer, or comment I am amazed but how many that just sit there looking at everyone else or not looking at anyone.

Re-read my first sentence. I am training "leaders" and when I think of a leader I think of someone willing to step out when called upon to help. If I am training 50 people I believe 50 hands should shoot up the moment they are called to action.

I am working with an Air Force Colonel on a base where handicap parking is abused by non-handicapped drivers. His is trying to crack down on this issue but here is what a "real" leader does:

Instead of parking in the #1 spot on the base (earned after years of service mind you), he leaves it open for handicapped drivers unable to find a spot designated for them. Where does he park?

How to handle a difficult employee! Part 3 of 3

2009-05-10T12:08:00.000-05:00

Restoring the relationship!
Typically, leaders are after changed behavior without realizing the best method to obtain this is by associating the poor decision with the relationship. When you have a strong bond with someone, if either party does something to offend the other, they are naturally disappointed. I might even venture to say they are saddened by the persons choice of "poor" character.
Next we want to get to the root of any disciplinary issues (poor character), or as I like to say, poor choices.
It is just like in the old days when mom asked "what did you do?" and we normally replied, "Susan said, or "David hit me", neither of these responses answered the question. So what did mom say next, "no, what did you do?" until we finally say with our own mouths, "I pinched Mary" or "I said ____ to Mark."
We are at a true mile-stone when the offender can sincerely say, "I lied to you" or "I was wrong in my choice."
Now here is real progress. See what I post next!

I Do My Best Work For A Leader Who...

2009-04-28T12:04:00.000-05:00

Take our fun poll, I do my best work for a leader who.... Here is the link featured on LinkedIn. Have fun folks.

I DO MY BEST WORK

How to handle a difficult employee! Part 2 of 3

2009-04-03T20:10:00.000-05:00

Work place correction is to restore a broken or damaged relationship. This is assuming, as mentioned in part 1, that you have a relationship.

Most work place correction steps are not successful because there is nothing to restore. Managers are not communicating with their people. They only expect them to punch in and out and to sweat their brains out in between. This is such a shame and all too common.

I have some questions for every leader out there! Have you ever invited your employee to sit with you, face to face, and ask toask them how they are doing? Do they enjoy their work? How am I doing as their leader? What about family, hobbies, and interest outside of work? This is all to build a stronger relationship. It has to go beyond the office meeting. Day to day leaders need to be in direct contact with their people. Encourage them with verbal support and see how their day is going. A friend once told me that he would ask, "if you were to describe your day in terms of weather, would it be bright sun and warm, cloudy and gray, or freezing snow and ice with no visibility? Much deeper than "how are you?"

Once this has been accomplished we can now get to the business of restoring the relationship after the employee has damaged it in some specific way.

Part 3 of 3 next!

How to handle a difficult employee! Part 1 or 3

2009-03-25T20:40:00.001-05:00

I hope you are not reading this for a quick fix. Quick fixes do not endure!

I am about to share a very powerful and successful method but first, you will need to rewind the clock.

Do you know your employees favorite hobby? What about their family background? Do you know where they live? These are small parts of a larger picture. I am talking about your "relationship" with your employee. Do you even have one?

I am amazed how many supervisors know little or nothing about the team that surrounds them. This team is responsible for creating much of the supervisor's success.

The goal of work place corrections is not what most people think.

It is not

to change the behavior of the person
to penalize wrong actions
to fire the person

Even though all of these are potential issues the real purpose of corrections is to "restore" a damaged relationship.

Come back for part two.

Relationship Destroyers?

2009-03-17T20:28:00.000-05:00

What is the surest way to destroy a relationship?

Start with little or no communications!

When husbands and wives have an argument the first thing out the window is typically communications. I have had many arguments with my wife. Nearly every one of them was my fault. Even when I realize I am the cause my initial reaction is to stop talking. A matter of fact, there have been times when I felt compelled to walk away and even leave the house.

I had always been told that "time heals all things." Well, what a lie!

The most crucial need is to look at each other and talk. Let the other know what is on your heart and follow the lead of the discussion.

Though you may not come to a reconciliation you have just started the process to repairing your damaged relationship.

This principle works for parents and kids, teachers and students, and yes, managers and employees.

Good Coaches Vanishing - Part 3

2009-03-03T10:16:00.003-06:00

Here is another real life story:

My son's and I were watch a basketball tournament. We had great seats in a raised area over looking two courts. About one minute into the games (both started the same time) a woman tapped me on the shoulder. She asked if I wouldn't mind taping one of the games. She actually said, my husband is coaching on this court and we will be playing the winners from the other court. He wants badly to scout their abilities.

I thought it was presumptuous to think they had already won their game and already looking at the next challenger. I decided to help them out by taping the other game.

Somewhere around 2-3 minutes into the game I recognized what type of coach this man was and better understood their request.

While filming their potential challenger I kept hearing this loud, obnoxious, out of control yelling. With one eye on my filming task I would occasionally glance at the other court. Guess who was the source of all the commotion? It was the husband (coach) of the woman that asked me to film the other game.

He was making such a fool of himself that parents, coaches, referees, and sadly the players, were all watching him with shock and dropped jaws. This was so disturbing that I decided to do something about it.

I turned my attention, as well as the filming, toward this loud coach. I started filming him and with my very own commentary. I filmed him during these tirades and better yet, I videoed the faces of the fans, referees, and players.

To this day I wonder what these people thought when they went to their hotel rooms to view the film. Expecting to see scouting footage, they must have been shocked.

Please, coaches, leaders, parents, and authorities in general, stop sending one message with your words and another with your actions. It is better to be consistently bad then inconsistently good!

Good Coaches Vanishing - Part 2

2009-02-26T09:51:00.000-06:00

I am so sad for the young athletes today! I continue to experience very poor leadership on the courts and fields of our youth sport leagues.

Even though I only played high school baseball and soccer I would love to coach a team in any sport. I am convinced one thousand percent that 80-90% of the game is heart, the rest is ability. If a coach would just tap into the power of the heart, he or she would be amazing. Dare I even say, another John Wooden!

Here is a real life example of a coach destroying his players hearts.

Post victory at a high school regional championship game, the local newspaper interviewed the winning coach. Bare in mind, this coach is known for his temper, crushing words to players, and general ignorance of the game of basketball.

Here are the words I want to focus on from the interview:

“We played perfect basketball through three quarters, I mean perfect. We played well defensively, and the biggest key was keeping them off the boards, we didn’t give up too many offensive rebounds,” coach said. “But, they were desperate. They started pressing and trapping, and we weren’t getting any fouls, which turned it into a bunch of athletes against non-athletes, basically.”

NON-ATHLETES?????

This is exactly what you say when you want your team, who is about to play the #1 team in the state, to enter the game already defeated.

Here is my big question for the schools Athletic Director - What is your selection process for coaches? To leadership in general, do you realize that your managers are the most powerful people in your organizations? Stop putting poor coaches over great players and bad managers over great people!

The "John Wooden's" of the Coaching World are Vanishing!

2009-02-18T19:09:00.006-06:00

John Wooden was a master relationship builder. Just take a look at his "Pyramid for Success."

"Competitive Greatness" is at the top but the top must be support by a strong base. Look at the base qualities. It is all about character. Show me a coach doing this today (and there are some) and I will show you a very competitive team.

Where Have All the Good Coaches Gone?

2009-02-10T19:07:00.003-06:00

After years of sports with my two sons I have come to the conclusion that 95% of all coaches are very poor at "coaching" people.

First, I am surprised how many coaches don't know the basics of the game they are playing. An example would be basketball. It is critical that your team make a high percentage of free-throws. Why? Every close game is decided by free-throws.

Second, I am blown away by how many coaches have no clue how to treat their young and impressionable players.

Yelling in their faces "you wimp", "that's why you sit the bench" or "sit down and shut up" accomplish only one thing. It closes their heart and breeds disloyalty.

This is such a hot topic in my life right now I plan to continue this thought in the next few posts.

How Do You Improve Your Leadership Skills?

2009-01-27T16:31:00.003-06:00

Have you ever worked for a supervisor that thought they knew everything? They are normally the ones that balk at anyone making a suggestion or dare to point out a better way to do something.

It really doesn’t matter what industry you work in whether it is healthcare, manufacturing, public service, law enforcement, or any of the service categories. You can never learn enough.

I guess it might be possible to learn everything about a piece of machinery or about servicing a copier until the next update or model is released. Where most leaders think they have arrived is in their people skills.

Look folks, people have the most updates, revisions, and new models then any piece of equipment or computer, yet this is the most neglected “skill” in every industry in the world.

Understanding how people think, what makes them tick, how to push the right buttons, and more importantly, how not to push the wrong buttons is the key to successful relationships.

I am so thrilled to be working for Character First! This ever changing relational part of leadership is what we specialize in. We are currently working on a motto like “we grow people’ or “transforming the way we do business by transforming the way we do life.”

Look back at many of my posts and you will see the different ways we accomplish this. I do plan to share a more comprehensive version of those posts so keep your eye on this blog.

Review: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

2009-01-18T19:42:00.007-06:00

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team is a bestselling business book by consultant and speaker Patrick Lencioni. It describes the many pitfalls that teams face as they seek to "row together." This book explores the fundamental causes of organizational politics and team failure. Like most of Lencioni's books, the bulk of it is written as a business fable.

It is popular with sports coaches because the issues it describes are especially important in team sports.

"This gripping fable centers on Kathryn Petersen, an old-school CEO who comes out of retirement to accept the monumental task of transforming a dysfunctional group of high profile, egocentric executives into a cohesive and effective team. With an amazing gift for building teams, Kathryn forces her colleagues to confront the behavioral pitfalls that destroy most teams and adopt the five characteristics of a truly cohesive one.

The five dysfunctions are:

Absence of Trust

The first of the dysfunctions, absence of trust, stems from teams unwillingness to be vulnerable within the group. Team members who are not genuinely open with one another about their mistakes and weaknesses make it impossible to build a foundation for trust.

Fear of Conflict

This failure to build trust is damaging because it sets a tone for the second dysfunction: fear of conflict. Teams that lack trust are incapable of engaging in unfiltered passionate debate of ideas. Instead, they resort to veiled discussions and guarded comments.

Lack of Commitment

A lack of healthy conflict is a problem because it ensures the third dysfunction of a team: lack of commitment. without having aired their opinions in the course of passionate and open debate, team members rarely, if ever, buy in and commit to decisions, though they may feign agreement during meetings.

Avoidance of Accountability

Because of this lack of real commitment and buy-in, team members develop an avoidance of accountability, the fourth dysfunction. Without committing to a clear plan of action, even the most focused and driven people often hesitate to call their peers on actions and behaviors that seem counterproductive to the good of the team.

Inattention to Results

Failure to hold one another accountable creates an environment where the fifth dysfunction can thrive. Inattention to results occurs when team members put their individual needs (such as ego, career development, or recognition) or even the needs of their divisions above the collective goals of the team.

What Motivates a Leader to be a Great Leader?

2009-01-11T18:08:00.006-06:00

It has always been my intention to focus on the actions, thoughts, words, and attitudes of leaders. One that I have been thinking of lately is the question, what motivates a leader to be a great leader?

I remember working in an organization that trained young men with the goal of preparing them for future leadership. It was an intense program with great pressure as well as instruction with strict evaluation. During a graduation one of the father's asked me a profound question, why do you think so many of these young men fail when they return home? I had a quick response but years later realized it was an accurate one.

The reason they failed was a lack of accountability!

Think about it, what was going on in your life when you had a failure? This is an easy answer from my own life experience. Failures usually where proceeded by a period of little or no accountability.

Why does a sport team need a coach? For the most part it to ensure each individual trains beyond their complacency, to push a person into new areas of growth and learning.

So I ask you, where is the accountability for today's leader?

Oh, I know there are production quota's, performance evaluations, and promotion steps that in their own way hold authority accountabile, but where is the accountability of the most important part of real leadership?

I am talking about how a leader treats their most valuable resource. their people.

More to follow in my next post.

A Disappointed USAF Veteran

2009-01-03T20:01:00.003-06:00

Let me open this post with a brief statement: I love the Air Force and thing it is an amazing organization. I highly recommend this branch as a launching site for any young persons career. All organizations have their faults. Please understand that I respect the USAF.

When it comes to taking charge of your life I understand the need to take things into your own hands but I also believe the things I highlighted in RED should be handled by the supervisor.

Please notice the last "red" highlight, even the military needs to learn how to be encouragers.

5 Steps to Improving Your EPR "SCORE"

Although the Air Force Performance Evaluation system is designed to observe and report your performance, there are 5 steps you can take that are virtually guaranteed to improve your evaluations.

Step 1. Start out by reading AIR FORCE INSTRUCTION 36-2406. Understanding how the process works is key to making it work for you. Pay particular attention to appropriate evaluation form for your rank.

Step 2. Communicate. Talk with your evaluator (supervisor) about your performance report. You should go over the form line by line to determine their expectations. Ask your evaluator for their advice on how to improve your EPR and get the highest score possible.

Step 3. Be Opportunistic. Take every opportunity you can to demonstrate the level of performance that your evaluator suggested. Be sure to take the initiative and show that you're committed to performing at the highest level.

Step 4. Record your personal performance. Keep a performance diary, noting the times and situations when you demonstrated the skills, initiative, leadership, and performance your evaluator suggested.

Step 5. Evaluate yourself. Complete your own evaluation report including documentation and support information. After all it is your career, and you are the only one who knows exactly what you have accomplished during the evaluation period. Submit your EPR and documentation to your evaluator.

Your evaluator has a rough job, he or she has to monitor you and your coworkers performance throughout the entire evaluation period. It is nearly impossible for an evaluator to remember every detail about your performance. In fact evaluators tend to remember negative situations more often than the positive ones. By following these 5 steps you will make your evaluators job easier, and when you make their job easier it can't help but to increase your EPR SCORE.

Recession Proof Your Job

2008-12-21T11:52:00.010-06:00

When tough times come, and I believe they are here, cut backs and layoffs are sometimes unavoidable. Many organizations even get to the point of firing people with no indication if they will ever get their job back. Some, I am sure, are told they cannot come back.

It is easy for us to empathize with each and every employee facing this horrible situation today. Every time I watch the news or read the papers there is news of more layoffs, down sizing, and people losing their jobs. I can understand their pain whenever this happens but think I this is probably the worst time of the year. Most people are spending more than they make to meet monthly obligations. Many others spend well over their monthly budget and take nearly the whole next year to pay off these extra bills.

I have been thinking and wondering, have you ever thought about the process of cutting expenses from the business leaders point of view?

Try to envision yourself as the CEO, even better, the CFO, and you face a severe budget shortfall if you don't cut expenses. Where do you start? How deep do you go? Is there any reserves to tap into? Where can I make the deepest cuts without jeopardizing the companies long term sustainability? There are many questions to ask before a devastating procedure like this can start. Unfortunately, many leaders don't even ask. They just start hacking away.

I would start with operations and processes that do not involve people. Of course, many of the so called fringe benefits would have to go first. No matter what their steps are, eventually they will get to their people.

How do you prioritize your people? Do you rank them by their input to the team? How about their output (or dollars)? How about what has already been invested in them by the company? When you think about this, ranking people has always been a part of our society. Look at coaching, a good coach must rank his players in order of ability. This is how a starting lineup is picked.

Any business leader worth their salt can do the exact same thing with their employees. You have top performers, mediocre performers. and poor performers. Who do you think should be cut first? Certainly not the top performers.

So the real question is how to get into the "top performers" ranking?

It's a simple concept. Be the best employee in the company. If asked to work until 5pm, work until 5:30. If you need to accomplish a task in two weeks, make sure it is done in 13 days or less. If a volunteer is needed for a difficult task, be the first to raise your hand.

In other words, be a person of great character. If you are dependable, responsible, trustworthy, diligent, punctual, and thorough, I can promise you one thing. You will not be the first person released. Take a free tour of our character quality library. Click ALERTNESS!

Avoid Causing Anger in Others

2008-12-17T19:03:00.005-06:00

10 Simple Steps

Encourage Harmony - Discord among authorities, though often unseen, will be sensed by employees, creating tension. Maintain unity to prevent frustration caused by divided loyalties.
Maintain One Standard - Have a clearly defined character-based standard for behavior and have an equally clear standard for correction.
Discipline With Consistency - Don't allow personal preferences or emotions to influence correction. You need to focus on attitudes, not just actions.
Admit Wrongdoing and Seek Forgiveness - It takes a strong person to admit weakness. Keep yourself accountable in order to stay focused.
Encourage the Good - We all have a desire to feel needed and appreciated. Employees will react if you constantly criticize but never look for good.
Accept Leadership Responsibilities - Realize that as a leader you will be watched. Demonstrate better character than you expect from others.
Give Priority to Listening - Don't comment, censure, or correct when others are speaking to you. Be an encouraging listener.
Keep Promises - Ask employees if you have ever broken a promise. It is better not to promise than to promise and fail to follow through.
Respect Your Employees - Realize the value of each of your employees. Invest in them as people, not just representatives of the company.
Have Realistic Expectations - Excellence is good; perfectionism is not. Never expect your employees to do anything that you have not already done or will not do with them.

Overcoming Anger!

2008-12-11T14:08:00.006-06:00

Uncontrolled anger is one of the chief factors contributing to the breakdown of families and ultimately the weakening of nations.
In the workplace, it causes accidents, high turnover, and low productivity. When employers express anger toward employees, they destroy the desire to achieve.

What is Anger?
Anger is a strong passion or emotion of displeasure or antagonism. It is excited by a real or supposed injury to one’s self or others, or by the intent to do such injury.
• It is a major destroyer of relationships.
• It has its source in a deep-rooted problem.
• It is often used to control or manipulate.

Anger will never be conquered as long as we justify it, explain it away, or blame others for it.

Ten Leadership Lessons From Ronald Reagan

2008-12-03T21:42:00.004-06:00

“In his lifetime, Ronald Reagan was such a cheerful and invigorating presence that it was easy to forget what daunting historic tasks he set himself. He sought to mend America's wounded spirit, to restore the strength of the free world and to free the slaves of Communism.” That's how Lady Thatcher started her great eulogy of Ronald Reagan, summarizing in one sentence his personal qualities and his great achievements. This combination of highly admirable personality and great accomplishments has made Ronald Reagan the most popular American President in the past half a century and one of the most important American Presidents in history. So what were the leadership qualities that made it possible for Ronald Reagan to achieve such a status in American history and in the hearts of the American people, including his political opponents?

1- The Messenger, Not The Message
A key aspect of leadership that is often forgotten is the fact that people will follow a leader only if they liked him or her personally, before even considering the message, or the mission, that the leader is proclaiming. Reagan was a likable fellow. He was described by people who worked for him as a kind, humble, and decent person who was void of meanness and pettiness. To become an effective leader you must start with yourself, and do the necessary self examination that leads you to refine your personal qualities and strengthen your character. Without this, nothing will work.

2- Have A Great Vision
“America is too great for small dreams,” said Ronald Reagan. And this is also true for great leaders, who won’t be satisfied with small dreams. Instead of trying to get just an edge over the Soviet Union, Reagan went after the total dismantling of the “Evil Empire.” And he succeeded. If you want to be a great leader, ask yourself and your team: What is the greatest dream we can possibly have for this organization?

3- Communicate Your Vision To Gain Followers
Having a vision of what needs to be done is crucial for a leader. But what truly distinguishes a leader from others who might also have the same vision is the ability to communicate this vision in such a compelling way as to attract followers who become excited about the vision and commit to achieving it. Napoleon declared that “The leader is a dealer in hope.” To deal in hope you must be able to package it, describe it, and sell it to others so that it becomes theirs. Communication skills, therefore, is crucial to the effectiveness of leaders. Reagan was not just a good communicator, but was called, “The Great Communicator.” He was able to articulate complex issues in simple, often visual, ways that enable people to understand them and get excited about them. His most famous application of this was his continuous referring to the United States as The Shining City on the Hill. Who can’t actually ‘see’ this vision and feel good about it?

4- Offer Hope, and Act to Achieve It
Reagan was described as an eternal optimist. He offered Americans a positive, uplifting vision of America and its future. Former President George Bush said of him, “Our friend was strong and gentle. Once he called America hopeful, big hearted, idealistic, daring, decent and fair. That was America and, yes, our friend. And next, Ronald Reagan was beloved because of what he believed. He believed in America so he made it his shining city on a hill. He believed in freedom so he acted on behalf of its values and ideals. He believed in tomorrow so the great communicator became the great liberator.” President George Bush observed, “He came to office with great hopes for America. And more than hopes…Ronald Reagan matched an optimistic temperament with bold, persistent action.” It’s important for leaders to hold an optimistic view of the world, so that they can stir the aspiration of people who will then follow with enthusiasm to achieve great accomplishments.

5- Lead, Don’t Micromanage
A key problem many leaders fall into is when they micromanage everything. This inability to delegate not only deprives the work being done from the contributions of the entire team, which are always better than those of one person, but it also de-motivate the talented people working around the leader. By not having the freedom to do things themselves in their own ways, they lose interest in their work and become mere robots doing only what they are told. In dictatorial regimes like the old Soviet Union, the results have been dramatic loss of productivity, quality, initiative, and innovation. The collapse of the Soviet Union was the natural result. A company can suffer the same fate if a leader is too managerial and doesn't create a participatory culture at work.

6- Don’t Become a Prisoner of Your Own Perceptions
Even though Reagan called the Soviet Union the Evil Empire, this did not prevent him from negotiating and dealing openly with the leaders of that Empire, following his policy of Trust But Verify. He proved to be flexible in his thinking and was able to free himself from the limits of a rigid dogma and adjust his views of his enemies, turning them into partners in building world peace. To be an effective leader, be careful not to become a prisoner of your own rigid perceptions of others and the world. Adhere closely to your core human values but open up your mind to different interpretations, views, and possibilities.

7- Admit Mistakes, Change Course, and Move On
Upon facing a devastating blow to his policy of intervention in Lebanon with the attack on the barracks that killed 240 American soldiers, Reagan quickly realized the futility of his policy, ordered the withdrawal of troops from Lebanon, and abandoned his policy of intervention there. Another president, perhaps with less flexibility and more ego, would have possibly started a war there to retaliate the incident and demonstrate America’s strength. America could have been mired in un-necessary fighting there for years, perhaps with thousands of casualties. Reagan’s quick change of course enabled him to move on to achieve greater goals, such as the eventual demise of the Soviet Union. Leaders understand that strength requires restraint. A great leader is one who knows how to manage both his weaknesses and his strengths, and those of the country, or the organization, he is leading.

8- Use Humor
Reagan used humor almost all the time. He used it because he himself was ‘a jolly good fellow’ as the song says, and because he knew that the smile that humor generates is the shortest distance between two minds. And he skillfully used humor to avoid answers that create animosity and problems, as well as to win crucial arguments in difficult public encounters. In attacking the US Congress’ delaying of turning his policies into laws he said, “I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.” Some of his humorous comments reveal how he did not take himself too seriously even as President of the most powerful country on earth. “I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency, even if I'm in a cabinet meeting,” he said.

9- Stay Human
In his eulogy of Ronal Reagan, Former President George Bush relayed the following story, “Days after being shot, weak from wounds, he spilled water from a sink, and entering the hospital room aides saw him on his hands and knees wiping water from the floor. He worried that his nurse would get in trouble. The Good Book says humility goes before honor, and our friend had both, and who could not cherish such a man? Other people who worked closely with Reagan told of how he used to greet everyone he met with respect and generosity of spirit, whether that person was a president of another country or a waitress at a dinner he attended. He was pleasant and gracious to all without regard to rank, title, position, or any other social status. A leader must not feel he is above the people he leads, but that he is their servant. That how Reagan felt and acted. And that’s why people followed him lovingly.

10- Lead a Balanced Life
One of Reagan’s admirable traits was his total devotion to his wife Nancy. In his eulogy of Ronald Reagan, President George W. Bush said, “In a life of good fortune, he valued above all the gracious gift of his life, Nancy. During his career, Ronald Reagan passed through a thousand crowded places, but there was only one person, he said, who could make him lonely by just leaving the room.” Reagan was often accused of not working hard enough as a President, taking a lot of time off to be with his family and his horses at his ranch. Using humor to deflect this accusation, while confirming it, he said, "It's true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?" Reagan was a great example of a leader who kept his life in balance. He did not allow the demands of his work, even at the highest office in the world, to overtake his obligations to his family. In this regard, management consultant Stephen Covey writes of the importance of doing “First Things First.” Leaders who keep a healthy balance between work and play, and have a role for family and friends in their daily lives, not only succeed as great leaders, but also manage to lead a happy life.

What Qualties Make Up a Great Leader?

2008-11-27T11:33:00.009-06:00

I think there are many different views on what makes a great leader
but I do believe there are some core qualities. Some of those are:

Attentiveness vs. Distraction

Showing the worth of a person or task by giving
my undivided concentration
Not just waiting for our turn to talk!

Boldness vs. Fearfulness

Confidence that what I have to say or do is true,
right, and just
No more memos to the entire team just to address one persons failure!

Compassion vs. Indifference

Investing whatever is necessary to heal the hurts
of others
It's not about taking care of number one, YOU!

Decisiveness vs. Procrastination

The ability to recognize key factors and finalize
difficult decisions
When you come to a fork in the road, take it! Yogi Berra

Enthusiasm vs. Apathy

Expressing joy in each task as I give it my
best effort
Stop with the soar faces, please!

Patience vs. Restlessness

Accepting a difficult situation without giving a
deadline to remove it
Stop stressing out people!

Truthfulness vs. Deception

Earning future trust by accurately reporting
past facts
A lie can take a life-time to repair!

Please comment and add your thoughts!

They say that people join companies and leave managers

2008-11-20T22:00:00.006-06:00

This is very much a true fact so it becomes that much more important to ask What makes a great manager?

If you are a manager and you are not asking what makes a great manager, then you are missing out on some key information that will make your job easier and your employees job easier and more fulfilling.

Think of how much easier your job as a manager would be if you could retain key employees and avoid training new employees. If you can win the confidence and respect of your employees by asking and delivering on what makes a great manager you'll have an easier life and your employees will love you for it. So what makes a great manager?

A great manager listens first then responds: Your employees will want to tell you ideas, concerns, information and general day to day chatter. Avoid distractions and interrupting even if you know the answer let your employee have their say. Even if you are prepared to disagree, let your employee finish their communication. People have a natural drive to be heard and allowing employees to finish their statements goes a long way in building respect.

A great manager recognizes positive actions and efforts: When your employees complete something successfully or show initiative recognize it. This take discipline as its easy enough just to see what's been done and say to yourself "good". If you notice that turn it around and thank your employee for that accomplishment. Many who know what makes a great manager know that most employees are not motivated by sheer money. They need recognition even if it is not public. Great managers know that employees feed off acknowledgment that their job is being done well.

A Great Manager Shares The Wealth: Many managers receive bonus compensation based on the efforts of their team members. If as a manager you are compensated based on the efforts of others reward them each time you receive your bonus. Take them to lunch on "you" so they know you appreciate how their efforts contribute to your own paycheck.

A Great Manager Sets Clear Expectations: Employees should always know what you expect of them. One of the easiest ways to do this is to set deliverable milestones for each employee over a set period of time. Then review the employees performance vs. the milestone or deliverable and discuss ways to improve or congratulate them on a job well done and set new goals.

A Great Manager Provides A Road Map To Success: One of the key things a great manager can do is lay out a roadmap for your employee to follow to be a success. In addition to one on one meetings, a great manager should sit down at least six months prior to a performance review to explain where the employee is at and find out where they want to be and work out a way to get there. Some employees may be satisfied with "good" performance, some will want to achieve a performance review that is above average. It is critical to assist those wanting to outperform with a road map to do so. This can be challenging but is key to developing outstanding employees.

FROM GREATMANAGER.NET

Can Managers Really Evaluate Their Leadership Today?

2008-11-15T21:44:00.000-06:00

In today's market place many managers could care less about evaluating their performance as a leader. There are also managers that would like to receive an honest evaluation, they are just not sure how to get an "accurate" picture.
The days of sitting with your people and asking them these types of questions are over. (here are just a few)

are you fulfilled in what you do?
am I helping you to reach your full potential?
do you believe I care about you as a person?
what can I do to your work environment better?

A powerful book titled "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" states that the foundational dysfunction is a "LACK OF TRUST."
People are tired of being burned after sharing what was on their heart.

Character First! has developed a really neat anonymous way to accomplish what we once took for granted. Their survey is a simple and quick way to ask your people some tough questions.

I sure hope you will take time and try this out.

State of Jalisco Planning to Become a City of Character

2008-11-09T14:35:00.007-06:00

Guadalajara is a welcoming city in the state of Jalisco.

We are excited to assist state government in their pursuit of a community of good character.

The architecture is beautiful and the food out of this world.

Government leadership is excited and ready to get started.

Leadership 101

2008-11-03T20:12:00.002-06:00

Well folks, I am back from my Mexico trip and thought I would share a few thoughts that I connected during my trip. I will finish the photo montage in my next post.

Here are the keys to becoming a great leader.

Expect good character from yourself
Fix your faults as soon as you can. We all have character failures (i.e. mistakes) and it is what we do with those failures that makes us a man or woman of integrity. You will also need a solid friend, spouse, or colleague that can share your blind spots,
Learn to appreciate good character in others. Celebrating right choices is a lost art. Typically we share encouraging words after a person dies. Many eulogies are smack full of encouraging stories of a persons character. Sadly, the one needing to hear these words the most is buried under a lot of dirt. We MUST celebrate when they are alive.
Return to number one on a daily basis. Sometimes this is required moment-by-moment.

These key points kept surfacing as I presented in Mexico City, Pachuca, and Guadalajara. I was compelled to share them with you.

Character Communities in Mexico

2008-10-28T10:16:00.010-05:00

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

2008-10-24T11:49:00.005-05:00

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???

2008-10-17T19:48:00.009-05:00

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

2008-10-12T16:46:00.001-05:00

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

2008-10-05T23:11:00.001-05:00

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.

Why Are There So Many Poor Managers & Supervisors?

2008-09-30T13:00:00.001-05:00

... because their leader does not know what they are doing!

So often I find myself talking with, presenting to, emailing, or training leaders that have some of the following issues:

Poor attitudes
Afraid to speak up, especially in a group
Sit in training with arms folded over chest
Poor communications with everyone (even family members)
Do not participate (group discussion, training exercises, etc.)
Not happy to be anywhere

When I come across these managers my thought quickly runs to the question, WHO IS YOUR LEADER?

I am amazed that so-called leaders would select someone to manage people if they are struggling with any of these problems. Here is a quote from an excellent book, "First, Break all the Rules" published by the Gallup organization.

"A manager has got to remember that he is on a stage every day. His people are watching him. Everything he does, everything he says, and the way he says it, sends off clues to his employees. These clues affect performance. So never forget you are on that stage. Talented employees need great managers. They may join a company because of its charismatic leaders, its generous benefits, and its world-class training programs, but how long that employee stays and how productive he is while he is there is determined by his relationship with his immediate supervisor."

What these managers and supervisors need more than anything is a better leader themselves.

The Power of Encouragement

2008-09-23T12:04:00.001-05:00

I am a walking, talking example that encouragement goes a lot farther then we think.

Growing up in a New Jersey State Troopers home my dad rarely, if ever, encouraged me. It was always clean up your room, you throw like a girl, what did I tell you about cutting the grass, shut the refrigerator door, can't you keep a job. Sometimes I hated going home.

My parents divorced when I was 13 and sometimes I would stay out late at night or over a friends house. When I was 19 I decided to join the USAF. Four years into my enlistment I volunteered to become a drill sergeant in boot camp.

You see, my background leans toward discouragement! JUST ASK MY KIDS!

Even knowing how it feels to receive discouragement I still struggle. I have had to work at this on a daily basis, heck, minute-by-minute is more like it. It is so easy to focus on what other people do wrong and what we do right. The very opposite needs to happen in order to build strong relationships.

We must admire the right choices other people make and expect ourselves to make better choices.

Fortunately I have a wife that can point my blind spots out. Oh do I have blind spots! How do I fight the natural tendency to be critical? Is it possible for someone with my background to change?

More to follow!

The Do's and Don'ts - Continued

2008-09-17T21:40:00.000-05:00

Here are somethings that are sure to destroy relationships!

Never say anything encouraging
Always point out what they do wrong
Fail to evaluate their performance (too uncomfortable) or never tell them how to improve
Believe you have all the answers
I have what I need to lead
I don't need help

Be inconsistent in the things you say and do. Here are some critical ways to be INCONSISTENT

Send mixed signals (nasty one day, nice as pie the next)
Treat your friends (buddies) one way and everyone else another way
Try to hide your character flaws
Say one thing and do another

People are attracted to positive people and repelled by negativity. The number one reason people leave jobs is because the do not feel appreciated.

Do you want to know the best way to tell your people, BE PERFECT, what is wrong with you? Always point out what they do wrong.

Now go, tell someone you appreciate them, tell them how much you appreciate their ________. (fill in the blank)

The Do's and Don'ts of Workplace Relationships

2008-09-10T21:21:00.001-05:00

Building strong workplace relationships is hard work. Unfortunately, one wrong move can send your hard work back many months if not years.

Here are some tips to help start the process:

Learn what interests and hobbies they enjoy.
Find out the dynamics of their family (married? children? where they live? etc.

Learn to ask questions:

What are their goals in life?
What do they hope to be doing in 5 years?
What brings them the most enjoyment?
What are their strengths? Weaknesses?

This may take some time but every second is worth it. Once built, a strong relationship can withstand the storms of adversity. Don't think the storms are far away and won't effect you, or you might plan on riding the storm out hoping for minimal damage.

That is not how it works. More to follow!

Typical Managers Today

2008-09-02T13:07:00.000-05:00

There are many managers today that have no clue about building relationships. They are usually the ones with poor communication skills. Here is typical manager and how he deals with a problem.

Bill (picked this name out of a hat) manages 18 people. One of Bill's employees, Mary (another pick), comes to work late just about every other day. Everyone else is punctual and if ever, they are rarely late.

How does Bill deal with Mary? He writes a memo out to the entire team reminding them of the company policy regarding coming to work on time. Bill even cuts and pastes the policy into his memo and sends it out to the group.

Forget what Mary thinks about this memo. How do you think the rest feel when they receive this document? I am willing to bet they are going looking at the local want ads or visiting the online job placement sites.

We are very good at avoiding conflicts. Running towards the battle is not our natural reaction. Not having a good relationship with a person makes facing the problem even harder. If Bill had been developing a solid relationship with Mary he could have avoided upsetting everyone else.

Next post I will share some of the "does and don't s" of building lasting workplace relationships.

Building Strong Relationships

2008-08-23T23:43:00.000-05:00

I have the privilege of training many people around the world. I like to ask them "what are relationships built on?" Almost without fail the response is "trust."

I say yes to building trust but I believe there is something even more foundational to trust. It is a key building block to establishing a trusting relationship.

Communications! Did you know that one of the first targets in war is the communication lines. If you can successfully cut them off it will seriously decrease the enemy's ability to respond to attacks both on the defense and offense. Closer home the source of many troubled marriages is poor communications. Sometimes it is so bad there is no communication.

It's like the husband and wife that are arguing. (None of you reading my blog has ever argued with their spouses, have they?) The husband realizes that he has to wake at 4:30am to catch a flight. He decides to write a note to his wife and leave it on her pillow. It says "please wake me at 4:30am to catch a flight." As morning comes he is awakened to the bright sun, he hops out of bed to find his wife when he sees a note on his night stand. It says, "It's 4:30am, GET UP!

How about "ASAP"? Do you use this acronym? What exactly does this mean? In these same groups I ask this very question. I hear everything from "now" to "sometime this week." There just does not seem to be any explanation as to what this really means.

Well, this post is already too long and I am too tired so come back and read more.

What the World Revolves Around!

2008-08-15T12:29:00.001-05:00

There is something in this world that we cannot escape, it causes the greatest amount of pressure. Sadly it is also the most neglected subject in management circles?

I know, what am I talking about?

"Relationships" They are everywhere! As the heading of this blog clearly states, great leaders MUST build strong relationships. There is no running from this simple fact. Leadership potential is directly proportional to a persons ability to build relationships.

I am not just talking about workplace relationships. Coach John Wooden (Hall of Fame NCAA Basketball Coach) is a great example of this basic human principle. He cared more about what his players did off the court then what they did on the court. His goal? Develop great men!

He desired to see his men as great sons, brothers, neighbors, workers, citizens, and fathers. He knew if the coaching staff accomplished this a powerful by-product would be a great basketball player. More business leaders need to understand this and treat their employees in an entirely different manner. Their goal should be to help their people reach their full potential.

Horribly, many managers today are not only poor relationship builders, they are actually relationship destroyers. For more information on Coach Wooden's philosophy, go to coachwooden.com.

Next? Some workplace relationship building steps that you can start today.

3 Steps of Encouragement

2008-08-12T13:30:00.000-05:00

A foundational corner stone of encouragement should be focusing on good character verses good skill or achievement. Please don't misunderstand, recognizing achievement is fine but that should not be the emphasis. Here is a typical achievement recognition:

“Good job! I’m glad you were able to handle that irate customer. We need the sales volume.”

Here is the same situation but with character emphasized:

“I appreciate your patience in dealing with that irate customer. You took the time to properly resolve a difficult situation. That was a good example to me. I am reminded that it is easier to keep a customer than to find a new one. Thank you!”

Character First! has a saying that I think brings this home.

"Expect good character from yourself and admire it in other people."

Let me share with you the three steps of encouragement that we teach in our Basic Implementation Seminar. In order for our commendation to fulfill its purpose all three steps must be included.

1. Definition - use the character qualities definition. This helps to intentify a specific quality and reinforce the understanding of its meaning. In the above example it was patience. Character First! has written each definition to be simple and yet practical. Take a look at this handy PDF of 49 traits.

2. Illustration - explain the specific way the principle was demonstrated. This is important so others learn what it takes to live out that character quality.

3. Benefit - this is very important. Here you will want to share how their action benefited you, the company, and even the customer. I happen to think this is what makes the recipient feel the best.

We call these three steps the DIB process. Definition, Illustration, Benefit! So go out today and DIB someone. It will revolutionize your relationships.

Improve Morale - Part 2

2008-08-09T21:49:00.000-05:00

Maybe I should spend some time sharing the foundation of effective encouragement. I would like to start with a simple question, what should we be encouraging?

The most effective support we can give others is the positive reinforcement of “good character.” You might want to think of character as right choices. What is good character? Good character is the inward motivation to do the right thing in every circumstance. For a more comprehensive look at what character is click on Character Defined.

Celebrating a successful marketing campaign because it brought in millions in revenue is ok, but it is an achievement based recognition. What if some team members lied or exaggerated some facts? What if they were rude to subcontractors while establishing contract guidelines? We just celebrated poor decisions. We must discern the underlying character qualities that people demonstrating during the process. Someone may have still lied, but at least their conscience has been pricked if truthfulness was pointed out.

Come back as the next post will be about the simple three step process to effective and lasting encouragement. If you master these steps you will revolutionize your workplace, community, and family.

Improve Morale

2008-08-08T14:29:00.001-05:00

How many times have you heard the complaint, "boy, morale sure is low"? I happen to think it is the number one problem plaguing leaders today. Unfortunately, in many organizations the source of the problem is the leader.

At the heart of poor relationships and low morale is the lack of appreciation. Over 70% of all people leaving a job claim the lack of appreciation or encouragement as a major reason.

I remember growing up in New Jersey and my dad (now a retired NJ State Trooper) was extremely good at pointing out everything I did wrong (he did not have to look long or hard) and never focusing on the things done right. This feeds the idea that he wanted me to be "perfect."

I am here to tell you, no one can live under the pressure of perfection. This is why so many young people are counting the days until they turn 18 and plan to leave home. Why do you think gangs are so successful? They encourage their members all the time. "Way to go man, great job, you stole those 10 radar detectors in one night, keep up the good work." Ladies and gentlemen, this is encouragement—unfortunately on the wrong thing: poor character.

A very powerful book on the subject of encouragement is The Carrot Principle written by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton. We have featured this book on our Character Community Network .

I can easily write several more pages on this subject, but long entries might scare you away. I do, however, plan to write more on this subject and many others, so come back soon.

This is my first experiencing blogging, and I really look forward to your comments.