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Oct 22 2014

When the Generational Divide Is Just That … Divisive … and the Potential Impact on Business – Part 1

Authors Note: This is the first of a two-part blog article. The second part will be published next week on Thursday, October 30th.

The last blog article entitled “To Text or to Talk … That is the Question” generated a good deal of reader comments. It dealt with the issue of whether or not the latest technology used in the business environment was always better than the ‘old’ way of doing business. What I found interesting was that not all of the comments were related to the specifics of the blog itself. Rather, and as one commenter stated, “technology has brought with it a divide between the younger vs. older members of the organization. Because use of the latest and greatest is second nature to the younger members of the team and not seen as so easy to adopt among the more senior members, they tend to view each other with distain and resentment for what the other doesn’t know”.

Not good and not surprising. The good news is that it made us curious enough to explore the impact of this on the success of the business.

As coaches dealing with many types of organizations, we are witnessing this often. It is not uncommon for us to be in an organization wherein this issue has become ‘big’ enough to disrupt the business and threaten the very results that all are working to achieve.

Some recent examples we have encountered include:

Simply refusing to learn to use the basics of new tools and technology. Think using outlook or equivalent to calendar your appointments instead of yesterday’s ‘Day-Timer’ binder that you tote with you. Think creating and tracking future tasks in an automated calendar rather than writing out your ‘to-do’ lists. The rationale? This is just as fast and more reliable. Really?

Scoffing at the idea of looking for opportunities to have phone or face contact as a beneficial way to do business … especially within the organization. The rationale? “It is just a waste of valuable time when I can email or text whatever I want to say and be done with it”. This is seen as more efficient because you don’t have to wait for call backs or spend time doing the chit-chat that often goes with a phone call or in-person meeting … you know … like “how are you?” or “how was your weekend?” Really!

These are but two examples of what has infiltrated the business environment. It gets more prevalent as the next great bit of technology rolls off the conveyor belt. So what’s the problem you ask? The problem is that the resulting standoff is dividing rather than uniting for maximum effectiveness. It definitely can be fixed and I’ll tell you how next week.

Please stay tuned.
Mike Dorman

Oct 09 2014

To Text or to Talk? … That is the Question

‘Ain’t’ technology grand? In some ways for sure it is and yet, today we are hearing some folks question whether or not all of it is always a benefit, especially in the business environment. Just being faster, evidently, doesn’t guarantee more efficient or more accurate outcomes. As such, more and more people are beginning to get curious.

Think of all that has happened over the past many years and the impact various technological advances have had on our lives … in general … and certainly in the workplace. Some that have really made a difference include the likes of …

The introduction of voicemail allows us to leave messages … rather than continuing to dial … and redial, until we reach the other person

The introduction of email that lets us conveniently send messages that we want or need to convey to a recipient with or without needed attachments … rather than relying on a slow motion mail service or a copy machine that too often needs toner or paper.

Making our notes in an electronic ‘pad’ … one that allows us to transfer and store them in an appropriate file … rather than writing them long-hand on a lined-paper pad and then typing and printing them out to place in the right file folder

Texting and our ability to instantly send a message to a recipient in the blink of an eye … so much more efficient than wasting time with niceties before getting to the heart of our message

Aha! It seems to be the last one … the ‘texting’ … that now has some beginning to question whether or not using this tool is a detrimental cost to those who have enthusiastically made the switch. Is there a possibility that advantages of speed, immediacy, efficiency and distant communication come with a cost? Is it possible that making the text our ‘go-to communication tool …

Wastes time because of the 3 or 4 exchanges between people that takes minutes could be satisfied in a 45 second phone conversation?
Potentially tosses diplomacy to the wind by making people comfortable to express themselves in ways that they would never do if speaking directly and as a result create other issues that need to be dealt with?
Detracts from giving our attention to a key meeting while we respond to an incoming text and as a result, so much time is spent waiting for texter or restating what he or she missed … because they were texting?

What many are beginning to realize is that just because something is developed that is faster or more efficient in one sense does not mean that these ‘improvements’ don’t carry a potentially large cost. What they are questioning and beginning to do is to set guidelines and company rules
as to when and what certain tools may be used to enhance the success that we all strive to achieve … without creating situations that detract from it.

To text or to talk? My guess is that it’s a good and timely topic to raise within your company, your team or group. After raising the issue, look quickly around the room and you can expect to see heads nodding in agreement. Technology is thrilling and will continue to be so. And yet, is it is always better? A question worth exploration!

Mike Dorman

Sep 17 2014

Business Lessons from a 6th Grade Teacher

This particular blog pertains to leading and either defines a role you play now or one day will. So in one way or another your name is written all over this. Please read on.

Good friends relocated from California to Idaho which of course, meant that their children were enrolled in new schools. One, in particular, got my attention and all because of the approach that the teacher of the 6^th graders used in launching the school year. Get this. Day one was a pretty normal day spent getting familiar with the room, the grounds, the agenda for the year and the expectations. However, ‘normal’ ended as the day was almost over when the students were told that the following morning the entire class was going camping for two days. Huh? Tax dollars going for a camping trip? Who ever heard of this as a kickoff for a school year? And why?

The kids were told to bring certain needed supplies, a sleeping bag and the clothes they would need. They also heard that they were going to cook and cleanup for all the meals. And oh yes … they would be doing some school-like learning, however this learning was all about getting to know and collaborate with their new classmates. Innovative thinking? Or, is it time for this teacher to go? His explanation to questioning parents was that he had learned through this kind of investment in the development of the class as a team, the payoff was huge. The children could actually experience what they could and would accomplish collectively and individually as they embarked on the planned curriculum for the 6^th grade.

I thought of all of the ‘teams’ that exist within companies. Teams in the form of a department, a division or one assembled to solve an issue or develop a new product or approach. In the business environment there is a tendency for a team to ‘get to the work’ … immediately. The belief is that over time we’ll all get to know and appreciate one another and in the meantime we have work to do. After all, we’re being paid to be productive and accomplish … right? Head scratcher for sure and I got very curious. What would be the added value if every team took the time at the beginning to know and appreciate other teammates and the leader of that team?

I went in search of commentary on this topic and came across an article published in the Harvard Business Review … “What New Team Leaders Should Do First” by Carolyn O’hara. Some highlights of this article:

What is the purpose of this team?
Whether you’re taking over an existing team or starting a new one, it’s critical to devote time and energy to establishing how you want your team to work, not just what you want them to achieve. The first few weeks are critical as a way to minimize significant problems down the road.

Who are those on the team?
As an initial priority getting to know the team through its’ member is extremely valuable in helping the team to gain appreciation for one another on it by actually learning about them aside from the project at hand.

What does the leader expect and value?
If you are the leader initial interactions with team members are an opportunity to showcase your values. The leader can explain how she/he goes about making decisions, what the priorities are, and how the team’s performance will be evaluated, individually and collectively.
Indoctrinate a new addition to the team from the beginning
When a new team member comes on board, it’s critical that they are indoctrinated into the group culture & norms with a full explanation of how things work and what is expected. Do not presume that other, older team members will fill them in … completely.
Set or clarify goals
Use the full team to establish clearly defined goals. Having their involvement brings with it their buy-in as they will have had a part in formulating that plan.

Something to be learned from the 6^th grade teacher? I think so. Of course we’re being paid to accomplish. And if this makes just a bit of sense to you, maybe, on the way to running forward we should begin by walking. The next team you’re on, maybe you’ll be the one to suggest an overnight camping trip. The sleeping bag may not be your most comfortable bed, however the team bond that is formed just might payoff in spades.

Mike Dorman

Sep 04 2014

Fall Forward

Interesting. During the past two weeks I have heard, no less than a half a dozen times, how …. “now that summer is over I can get back on track”. When I inquired as to what that meant … specifically how did summer take him or her off track? … here’s what I heard:

‘I was distracted with the various weekend trips I took … the planning, the long weekends and then the recovery which impacted the week that followed.”

“Summer is the time when people are on vacation so it was very difficult to meet or even speak with those people I needed to do my work effectively … in my organization or outside of it.”
“Summer is the hardest time for me to stay focused. There are so many distractions of my own making and others doing. I just kind of accepted that this year and didn’t fight it too much or too well.”

Wow. This sounds extremely costly. Three months of veering off course. So it made me curious as to how many of us might give into the same rationale? How many of us can recognize and admit that we lose some steam when there are competitive forces that are creating a magnetic pull in another direction? Oh, to be sure, we all went to work and put in our time. And yes, maybe some people we needed at a given time were ‘on vacation’. And yet when we think about it, how did that absolutely impact us in ways that allowed us to devise the rationale that put us on vacation?

What gave rise to these comments was because we were discussing where the person was in their plan and what they needed and wanted to do in order to ramp it up. The first order of business became one of getting back on track. Nice words and to make them really mean something what are the actions that will actually enable us to do this? What do we need to do to make it happen? Here are some possible suggestions that can help all of us sooner than later:

First and foremost, recognize in what specific ways you’ve fallen behind. Is it in prospecting for business? Perhaps in the completion of a project that is beyond the original due date? Or, could it be that you cancelled group meetings thus impacting needed internal communication … just because some participants were on vacation?
Track three day’s of your work activity as a fast way to determine how you have gotten used to spending your time … some of which are working against your ability to be on track. Even just three days will reveal any off-track patterns.
Get your train moving again by creating a structured plan to return to the actions that you’ve allowed to lag. Reestablish your team meetings by announcing when and where they are to be held and the structure they will follow. Identify were you ‘left off’ on the projects and what you need and commit to do to get them back into serious motion
Identify some ally … on your team, sitting next to you, your boss … telling them what you are working to do as you reclaim control of yourself and ask them to check in with you so you can report as to what you have accomplished in that day or whatever time frame you choose. Nothing like a good ‘friend’ to help us stay the course we’ve chosen.

Taking a three month sabbatical or one-fourth of a year can have a very significant impact on how well we meet expectations … those of our superiors or those of our own. Maybe next year I’ll address this issue say in May … in advance of allowing summer to overwhelm and overtake me. In the meantime I’ve got to fall forward … or is it fly forward … now! Care to join me?

Mike Dorman

Aug 19 2014

Wanted: People Able to Avoid ‘Falling in Line”. Change Resisters Only Need Apply

As I set out to write this blog, I showed the title to a couple of people wanting to get their reaction. Get it I did and it was quite the same … “you’re joking right?” Well I wasn’t, and yet, I did ask them why they presumed this was a joke? Here is the gist of what I was told:

‘In business and especially when change is being considered as desired or needed, the ‘right’ messages that are apparent include …

Be a team player and respect the group/majority opinion
Don’t make unnecessary waves for the sake of being different
Be willing to accept the wisdom of the group and don’t argue for the sake of arguing
Don’t be a hindrance to the progress we all want and need to make

‘We are being encouraged to go along with others so that we can move forward as expeditiously as we can. This title goes against conventional thinking.’

What this implies is that if someone represents a view that differs and one that they believe must be considered in order that we do ‘this’ the right way, they simply must let it be unspoken in the name of efficiency and best use of time. ‘Don’t make waves’ is the order of the day. The message doesn’t consider that the words of a dissenter might be the difference between desired and real success in moving the organization or project where it needs to go.

I recently read an article written by Peter Lawton entitled “Midday in Paris: Vive la Resistance au Changement!” (Long live the resistance to change). I want to summarize his writing because it represents a valuable ‘revised’ perspective. As a consultant working with business entities Lawtonn viewed his job as one that helped his client company push forward to bring about the changes they needed to make. His job was to “make sure that the employees that he worked with got on board with the required changes. Specifically, his mandate was to seek out change resisters and to overcome their resistance to change.

This he did with passion … until he had a personal experience that enabled him to see that resistance to change could be a good thing … and sometimes it is the right thing to do. He came to realize that his work required that he punish people for not accepting changes that his client organization wanted them to accept. Thus, the view was that such dissenters were a problem to be fixed. Suffice to say that he came to realize that resistance took bravery and courage as it’s easier to go along with a change and just comply. What he came to understand is that the term ‘resistance to change’ was a term defined by the person who wanted someone else to give up what was valuable to them and accept something that was valuable to the person spearheading the changing. It had nothing to do with the person being changed!

Does this make sense to you? What happens if …

We actively listened to the resisters among us and heard what they were saying?
We worked to really understand why they are pushing back and why they saw themselves as victims of change rather than architects of it … as well as the importance of this distinction?
We actually modified the project implementation process to accommodate these voices?
We came to recognize and value such voices for the greater success they allow us to achieve because we incorporated these concerns into our project design and plan?

I see the message here as one that dares all of us to be a change resister to the extent that our questioning will lead the organization to change that is built on solid footing. Now perhaps we will all view the change resisters for the value they offer. We will see them for their courage and bravery in their willingness to buck the tide. Let’s see now … could that be you?

Mike Dorman

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