Category: Coaching

To Blog or Not to Blog

When I spoke to the OWL group last week, there was some conversation around corporate blogging.  The substance of those conversations were mainly around the lack of understanding about blogging-specific to organizations taking the leap . 


In my speech I referenced a study from Forrester Research that I found on Lois Kelley’s blog.  You can look at her post here.  The study brought to light what’s wrong with corporate blogs.  Namely, they’re bad.


Here’s what I think is wrong with many corporate blogs, and how to make them better:

  1. The sites are too institutionalized.  It’s as if risk is the black plague.  If HR (for an internal blog), Communications, and Legal are hovering at every turn, you probably are just writing press releases.  Which, as we know, kills conversation.  My recommendationis to embrace risk and change the world.  Stop playing it safe.  And by the way, your organization will make more money too.
  2. Many corporations are afraid of community.  A consistent refrain in my conversations last week with the OWL folks revealed organizations being fearful of negative comments from employees or customers.  My recommendation is to remember that your organization is already being talked about, so why not be in front of the conversation vs. behind it?  Employees and customers might be inspired by an action like this.
  3. Organizations just want to be hip.  Someone at a conference told the CEO to get into social media, and an edict was formed.  It made for good talking points, but lacked commitment and desire.  My recommendationis to not start something you don’t really want to do.  Stakeholders get real suspicious of fashion.
  4. The wrong person is doing the writing.  Without guidance on the why and how, a blog can be a very stale affair.  My recommendation is to consult with us and take a look at this post from Nina Simosko on communication.  She gives a wonderful example of effective writing in a blog.
  5. No passion.  I’ve been asked by more than a few people about where I find things to write about.  It’s an easy answer to give; I’m very passionate about what I write about.  Therefore, it runs through me like a raging river.  Shouldn’t every organization have a similar state of mind and heart?  My recommendation is to check the pulse, go back (if needed) to where you started, and then reignite the passion.  

Ode to Dr. Mike

It seems appropriate to do one last post on health this week. I’ve given glimpses of my thoughts on good health, but it wouldn’t be complete without giving a nod to my family doctor.  Dr. Mike is an MD, but one who sees healthcare as a partnership between he and the patient.  In other words, he can’t be the fix for everything, I have to manage my eating, my exercise, my stress management.


The most important part of my “partnership” with Dr. Mike, is the learning.


When I first began seeing Dr. Mike in the Fall of 2003 he gave me some radical advice (at least I thought at the time).  He told me to do some type of exercise daily.  It was radical because I was knee deep in the hoopla of my corporate America experience.  I thought I didn’t have that type of time, nor did I find exercise as intriguing as trying to conquer the world.  Fortunately I learned (still learning).


It’s funny how some seeds of advice are planted long before we understand the importance.  I’m fortunate to have a doctor like Mike.


Here are some things I’ve learned from Dr. Mike:

  • Your health is a gift, better take care of it.
  • Your body was designed to move, so you’d better get moving.
  • Some times you need to just tough it out.
  • Start exercise early in life.
  • Laziness is a dangerous habit.
  • Watch what you eat and what’s in what you eat.
  • Talking about better health does nothing to improve your health.

  

Going for the Big, While Missing the Small

Regardless of your endeavor, you probably have at one time or another thought about hitting it big.  Natural as the air you breathe it seems.  In many respects big is a good thing-if it is a part of your destiny.  For example, Nelson Mandela was meant to have worldwide notoriety and focus.  He was the right man for the journey South Africa was in.  It's also quite a statement how he released power, while some of his contemporaries held (and are still holding) on.  See Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe on this.  In an ironic way leadership plays out like this everyday in organizations across the globe.

So as we hear the music playing our tune, it's easy to embrace the big. 

I've been asked about Oprah, about fame, about money, about feeling the love.  But rarely am I asked about the input, the mission, or the pain.  Maybe there's no surprise here, since we are enamored with the output.  If I were not careful, I could easily miss the small while going for the big.  Thankfully, humility is now in my blood work.  Wasn't always this way.

Here's why the small is important:

  1. Hitting the big is very temporal.  Hitting the small refines your soul.
  2. The small people are the biggest people.
  3. Those who are only fascinated by the big will leave you in a heartbeat when the party is over.
  4. The small allows you to serve from a perspective of reality and measurable outcome.
  5. The small will stay with you come good or bad.  The small knows dedication.
  6. The small will pave a way for greatness.
  7. The small reminds you (daily) that life truly is a moment by moment game.
  8. The small will not detour you from your destiny.
  9. Customers are always found and served in the small.

Meet Mr. Greatness

There is much talk today about greatness.  We observe the pro athelete or the Oscar winning actress and proclaim greatness.  Most of the praise lands on skills and performance.  I read an interview with Will Smith where he stated that his talent was slightly above-average, but his work ethic was off the charts.  How refreshing a perspective.  


As you look at your work and life does any of the output reflect greatness?  If you’re quick to say no because you’re not famous or financially well-off, you would be wrong.  For example, Mother Teressa would be a failure in the eyes of some, since she wasn’t full of earthly goods.  It’s all relative to the story (you life) you’ve been given to live out.  Be of good cheer and take the weight off you shoulders.  Greatness is applicable to everyone.


But first there are some tests.


Mr. Greatness (my term) wants to know if you truly are committed to the greatness you express on your lips.  It makes total sense when you consider how our culture tosses words around as if their made of pixie dust. 


So consider the following tests:

  1. When you’ve been asked to do something outside your comfort zone, did you do it?
  2. When asked what you think by someone with more power than you, did you say what you really thought?
  3. When you had a choice between money and another human being (see the DNA here), did you choose the person?
  4. When your customer would have been better suited with a product you didn’t offer, did you part ways for their benefit or did you try to change their mind?
  5. When someone asked you to follow a vision that made no sense, but felt compelling in your very core, did you move forward?

Obviously, there could be more questions Mr. Greatness might ask.  But I think you get the picture.  Greatness is a way of life that doesn’t come easy.  The great thing is Mr. Greatness wants to be your friend.  But he won’t force himself on you, the choice is all yours.

Music That Inspires My Writing

When I write I need music flowing through my ears, to my heart and then to my head.  For example, I listened to a lot of jazz when I wrote Waking Up in Corporate America.  Some have told me that silence works best whey they write, but for me music is the needed writing soundtrack.


The following is a list of some music (artists, individual compositions and complete volumes) that I have used to make my writing soundtrack inspiring:

  1. Pat Metheny – just about anything he does, but especially his work on movie soundtracks
  2. Miles Davis – Miles Ahead, Sketches of Spain and Kind of Blue
  3. Michael Franks – Abandoned Garden
  4. David Sanborn – Closer
  5. Peter Gabriel – Us
  6. Bill Evans – Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby
  7. John McLauglin – Brise De Coeur
  8. Sting – A Thousand Years, The Book of My Life, and the soundtrack to Leaving Las Vegas
  9. Puccini- Madame Butterfly
  10. Larry Carlton – Emotions Wound Us So and For Love Alone

What’s DNA Got To Do With It?

I wrote last week about DNAand leadership.  I got some quizzical looks when I discussed this with a few people.  So in the spirit of better explaining myself, the following outlines what DNA has to do with leading people:

  1. Leading people is sacred.  Therefore, that which makes each person unique (their DNA applies here) cannot be disconnected from the leadership process.  I know some managers might roll their eyes at the idea of seeing every follower as unique.  But reality says you have to see people as they really are.  For too long we've asked employees/followers to "check" their voice at the door.  Most of the time this has been done to make the leader's job easier.  Of course that's never verbalized, but true anyway.  Being a good leader was never designed to be easy. 
  2. Leadership = Responsibility.  You can't get around the fact that to lead, is to be responsible for/to others.  Unfortunately, many leaders take leading too lightly…accepting or seeking positions like shopping for a suit at Nordstrom.  Think about the responsibility before accepting a promotion to lead people.
  3. There's a difference between management and leadership.  When a manager is allowed or incented to manage, not lead, followers will be left in the dust.  Managers who don't lead well embrace tasks, not people.
  4. Leadership creates a stress of soul.  It was said of Winston Churchill that he carried a "stress of soul" throughout WWII.  This stress is rooted in a love of, and a vision for, those following you.  It's not romantic, it's not familial, but it is a deep caring for the well-being of those following.  In our age of quarter-by-quarter vision, it is rare to see this.  Tough times reveal whether we carry this trait in our leadership. 
  5. Legacy is defined by our treatment of people.  Whether you know it or not, history will judge your legacy by how you treated people.  This is especially true for those who lead people.  From my own perspective this is a daunting and powerful reality.  I pray that I have lived up to the standard of each person's unique voice I've led.

True Love

Peggy over at the Career Encouragement blog points us to this great quote:

"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary.  What we need is to love without getting tired." ~ Mother Teresa

Think of the applications (life, work, relationships) and you'll see that Mother Teresa was talking about true love.

What if you redefined love this way?

Why Connect?

If you're going to connect (in your work or life) with someone, make sure you're doing it to help/give.  If you find yourself interested only because of what you can gain, then stop.

True lasting rewords only come to those who seek to give and help.

Think about that the next time you meet a client or when a new relationship is about to be birthed.