Going The Extra Mile

I have seen and experienced a shift in today’s professional human capital.

Throughout the tenure of my career, I have had the privilege of interfacing with various levels of people across multiple industries.  Only recently, have I seen and experienced a shift in today’s professional human capital.

When I say “professional human capital,” I am referring to the current workforce in the “traditional” American industries of law, finance, engineering and healthcare.

A societal shift takes place each time man evolves.  At the turn of the 20^th century, for example, society transcended from the Victorian Era to the Industrial Revolution with the introduction of machinery.  Today, we are being transported from the Industrial Era to the ever-changing, fast-paced Technology Revolution. And, just as machinery played a major role in changing the way people worked then, technology is impacting our day-to-day operations.

Through many years of research with individuals and members from small and large companies, I have found that not only has the technology revolution shifted the way we work, it has shifted our beliefs, beginning with the employee all the way up to the leader.

A change in our workforce has been taking place over the last decade. We have become, what I like to term, a “coddled” workforce. I often ask an individual why they are pursuing a particular career and, 8 times out of 10, I am told, “I want to make money and have a nice life.”  Rarely am I told that a particular career path is something they believe in, or is an interest they have always wanted to pursue.

I have seen how the culture of companies is being affected by the new mantra of “It’s a job,” or, “It is not what I can do for the company it is what it the company can do for me.”

This shift influences the ethics and integrity of the core values of a company— from leaders with a lack of vision and mission to team members with a lack of belief and pride in their work.  There is an epidemic of people not willing to go the extra mile on a project— to take on an ownership role or to create a solution for a challenge. 

Most people today seem to have lost the zest of ingenuity that has been the foundational rock of our most successful companies of all time.  To have the attitude of “It is not my responsibility,” indicates that some people have lost their way in pursuing what they believe in. To carry this belief into a company, through all the various life cycles of a project, is detrimental.

So, I encourage many of my clients to step back for a moment when I give them the assignment to ask themselves these questions:  “Why am I doing what I do for my career?”  And,  “Is this something I dream about and am I willing to go the extra mile to pursue?”

If you are doing something with your career that you truly believe in, 

there are no limits as to where it may grow.

Withstanding Challenges

Civilization, companies, ideas and trends come and go. Yet a person, business or organization with a solid foundation of conviction and beliefs will make the commitment to stay fresh and grow without losing site of core values. They will withstand the challenges of an ever-changing world—and often grow to be better. 

Growth in Business: Build a Strong Foundation First

I often reflect upon historic touch points as a reference for my research when developing new projects. One need only to study post-WWII companies and leaders in the fields of entertainment, oil, aerospace and finance, for example, to see the definition of successful navigation over the long term. Sure there were some bumps along the way, but these companies are known for revisiting their core values regularly and for making sure they are always in check.

When working with a client, I like to interview key team members, owners and principals of a company or organization to understand their structure and truly know their core values. As I go through this process on an on-going/regular basis, I have discovered that, more often than not, we lose sight of the core values of the company—what I like to call the foundation. Left ignored, weaknesses in the structure compound and things begin to crumble—in work ethics, integrity and communications.

When a shift from the foundational core values begins to take place in an organization, it is often looked upon as growth, new opportunities or thinking outside the box, which can be looked upon as an economic benefit for the company—at first. Yet as time goes on, and the company goes through a restructuring, unless the new ideas and concepts are built upon the foundational core values of the company, the positive impact of the new concepts will actually falter and ultimately weaken the structure rather than strengthen it.

I am not saying that we should stop being innovative or stop being creative. I believe we must continuously build upon the original foundation of the company’s core values to foster its future economic wellness.

“Civilization, companies, ideas and trends come and go. Yet a person, business or organization with a solid foundation of conviction and beliefs, will make the commitment to stay fresh and grow without losing site of core values. They will withstand the challenges of an ever-changing world—and often grow to be better.”

Will your company be able to withstand the uncertainties of a global economy?

Avoid Falling into Old Habits: How to Stay Energized Long After the New Year

Stepping into the New Year often comes with that list of promising new resolutions to ourselves, full of excitement and vigor that blossom out of the following questions: How can I improve at work? How can I improve at home? With exercising and eating? The list goes on. 

We purchase a stack of business leadership books, download apps, bookmark blogs and articles online--ready reading to give us the “ultimate” tools on how to make our day-to-day lives more innovative and productive in “just ten easy steps.”

Yet, in time, the euphoria of our resolutions fades away as the demands of our day-to-day work operations mount. Suddenly, we fall into old habits.  This process happens in our work life just as it does with a new exercise or diet regimen. We start with great commitment, begin to see changes, feel more energy, then, when the effort becomes more of a routine, enthusiasm becomes boredom from doing the same thing over and over again. Slowly, our new habits feel only like more work and we stop trying. We go back to old habits – because those habits are comfortable, not to mention easy. 

I recently shared my observations of this cycle with a client who I had worked with for several years.  We created and implemented several organizational processes and tools with his team to improve communications and enhance productivity for his department. In our conversation, he shared that he was having several challenges with his department in the coordination and collaboration of work and productivity.  We tried to determine what could be the root cause of the shift in the once-collaborative working environment we had developed the year before.  I asked him if his department was still using the tools we had implemented.  Sure enough, after a long pause, he quietly answered, “No.”  He explained that everyone was so busy catching up after the holidays on projects that they hadn’t had time to implement the tools. As we concluded our conversation, I encouraged my client to get off the fast moving treadmill and take the time to pull the team together and reintroduce the tools because I know that these tools would help them grow and be more productive in the long run.  

Just like a workout regimen or a change in diet, it takes work to apply the practical tools we create. We are made to keep moving forward in our professional and personal lives and there is always room for improvement. Let go of the tools that have outlived their usefulness and concentrate on those that improve process or productivity in order to keep moving forward. Tools should be revisited on a regular basis for improvements and efficiencies in order to empower continued growth in the individual and the organization as a whole.  

Working at new ideas and solutions builds upon enriched core values and supports the growth of wellness of any group, business or organization. 

HELP: The Four Virtues of Business

Humor

Fear not the journey of change. Look upon change as a joyous and uplifting experience.

Esteem

The esteem of a company is based on the depths of a vision created by strong leadership and openness to change.
Maintain the esteem of a company's core values to sustain wellness for the future.

Listen

By choosing to listen today, external distractions that surround us will fade to the background.  In choosing to listen, the vision and overall mission of a company will awaken -- and flourish.

Praise 

Praise goes a long way. Praise the successes as well as the failures, for many failures are the foundation for innovative breakthroughs and success.

Ssusan Forte O'Neill

Can We "Teach" Leadership?

In my last post entitled “Thoughts on Change,” I wrote about change in one’s behavior as one’s own choice. I related this topic to the 21st Century trend of teaching “leadership” to members of companies, small and large, in the hopes that their human capital would prosper as productive engines for the future well-being of a company. 

Over the last couple of decades, we have seen the leadership development industry blossom into an array of classes, seminars, Outward Bound excursions, life-coaching, life management training—programs and experiences designed to improve the way one leads in day-to-day operations.  Yet, with the availability of these programs and their use throughout a variety of sectors, we still seeing a dearth of leadership in today’s society. Why? 

1. Are we trying to develop leaders, or are we trying to teach people to take on ownership?

2. More importantly, does the individual “believe” in what they are doing? 

Answers:

1.    I have had the privilege of working with many people from all walks of life. Over the years, after a vast number of interviews and much research,  I have found that you cannot teach someone how to be a leader or “entrepreneur. ” This is a characteristic trait that is within one’s very soul and spirit. I believe you can teach people “ownership” skills and tools such as accountability, collaboration and communication—skills that have been lost in the shuffle of our technology revolution.

2.    I have found that most people today really do not “believe” in what they are doing.  I often say they were sold a “lie” when they went to college—many were being taught that all they had to do was get a degree, get a job, make money and the gift of “happiness” would appear. Now, many college students are being encouraged to take classes that they “like” and that make them “happy”, with no thought to whether a chosen degree will have any use in today’s marketplace.  Both scenarios have created a new workforce with no direction or purpose and lacking ownership. This phenomenon is impacting the work ethic and integrity of a company’s human capital foundation. I call this the “Oh, well,” “Not my mistake,” “I don’t care,” “It’s just a job” syndrome.

This nuance of a non-committal workforce has the possibility for negative impact on the well-being and future of any organization or company.  This is why I don’t teach people leadership skills, I teach people ownership skills and the tools to build upon a company’s core values so they are encouraged and inspired to innovate and grow.

Thoughts on Change

Change.

What is change?

Is it an action?

Is it a reaction?

Is it a habit?

Is it a behavior?

What is change?

Change is a constant movement in time and space that we endure in all aspects of our daily lives.  A question I often ask my clients is,“Are yo­u willing to embrace change or resist the movement of change?”

At any given point, a leader must make a critical decision about a particular change, whether it  be a staffing issue, design change or production increase. During this decision-making time, I ask, "How are you going to implement this change?" As my client reflects upon their answer, I begin to share this story. Imagine yourself preparing for a boating venture on a local river for the day. As you stand on the river’s edge, about to launch your boat, with your paddles in hand, you have to make a directional decision for your journey. Are you going to paddle with the flow of the river to move more easily to the new destination, or are you going to row against the tide and slow down progress?

In recent conversations with some of my business friends about how they are leading their companies through the ever-changing landscape of technology revolution and globalization, I have learned that they have been mostly incorporating new processes and tools to enhance human behavioral changes in the work place.  Like me, they understand the ongoing need to grow technology skills of individuals in order to streamline current processes, grow productivity and efficiencies to be competitive in today’s global market.

Yet, I have found through research and many years of working with the development of human capital on various levels for both large and small companies in vast array of industries, that unless you address the conviction of the human heart and the person’s professional beliefs, none of the latest or greatest technological tools and skills will change the behavior of the person. Which leads me to ask, “How can one change one's behaviors, if one does not change the compass of one’s heart?”

I often reflect upon one of my favorite sayings inspired from the Book of Proverbs, “Like water reflects a face, so the heart reflects the person.” I like to cite this quote when working with clients on their developmental journey to grow their leadership foundation. I challenge my clients by asking, “What do you believe in?” “Why did you pursue this career path?” “Where does your courage to grow and lead others come from?” “What are your core values and beliefs that made you the leader you are today?”  “How do you empower others to follow your mission for the well being of the team and company?”

I often conclude this stream of questions with one final question:“How can you answer any of the questions, unless you believe --  from your heart --  in what you are doing from day to day, as a person and as a leader?”

I believe it is the heart that guides one to be their true self.  Our heart teaches us to believe and stand steadfast for what we believe in. Our heart gives us the courage to know when to go with the flow of the running river or against it, for the betterment of ourselves and those around us.

“The heart acts as our compass of understanding to help us determine what is right or wrong.”

Although we are equipped internally with one of the greatest compasses to guide us, I often find that it is the heart that most people shut off first when confronted with changes, challenges or adversity in their day-to-day lives. Throughout the years, I have seen the impact that turning off  the “heart factor” has on many companies. I believe that many of today’s leaders are struggling to maintain good core values, a healthy culture and a positive work environment. 

Over the last ten years,  many companies have invested much of their time and money in a variety of technological tools, training programs, outdoor adventures and community activities with the hopes of solving challenges and impacting behavioral habits in their team members. These tools and programs prove beneficial for the individual and team in the short term, yet the gains fade away within months of implementation. Why? You cannot change a person's behavior through technology or training tools. I believe that a courageous and inspirational leader, who leads from the heart with the desire to serve others, can empower individuals and team members to grow and choose to change their behaviors.  In turn, these leaders encourage their team members to join them as "owners" on a mission with a strategic plan in place for the betterment of the company. 

I often share with clients that I am not here to change them or change their hearts. "Your heart," I tell them, "is a gift created just for you from the Heavens above."

I am here to encourage you to follow your courageous heart in order to change your behavioral habits and grow to be a greater person—a "servant leader"—in any and every aspect of your life."“If you choose to change, things around you will change.”

To change, one must choose to let go of one’s pride/ego and trust the true heart. It is up to you to discover your courageous heart, to create the type of life that you choose to lead.