If Inspected...Would Our Day Be Blessed?

The prayers of the Puritans have a lot to say to us today! If you've never seen the book "Valley of Vision" by Arthur Bennett, get your hands on a copy. It's a collection of Puritan prayers and it's a great devotional tool.

Now before you think I'm about to start preaching, hang in there. This post starts with a line that is definitely intended as spiritual "food for thought." However, I think it has a practical day to day leadership/life application too.

On page 219 of "Valley" in the midst of a prayer called "Morning Needs" there is a great line that just leaped off the page at me a few Sundays ago: "May I engage in nothing in which I cannot implore they blessing, and in which I cannot invite thy inspection." Whew! That's a high standard for the day. What if we put every action and every interaction up to that standard that Jesus was standing right beside us inspecting our activity? As I reminded myself and my Sunday School class last week: HE IS!

Now, let's apply this to leadership and life. You are bound to have a hero or mentor in your chosen field of endeavor. It may be someone you know or just someone you've read about or seen at a distance but to you they represent the "standard" in what you strive to achieve. Given the opportunity, you'd gladly spend extensive time with them at your side coaching, teaching, and encouraging you from their font of wisdom.

What if you imagined that this hero/mentor was inspecting your interactions and work today, everywhere you went and in every situation you encounter? Stop just a second and imagine that special achiever you admire so much. I'll wait. Got it? Do you see them in your mind's eye? How would you change the way you act and respond if Mr. or Ms. Mentor was watching? How would you alter your actions if you were trying to emulate the good qualities you admire in him or her?

What if they were with you in every meeting and on every phone call? What if you shared your TO DO list for the day and asked their opinion about what to make your top priorities for the day? And what you crossed off the to do list at the end? What about every interaction with each client and co-worker? What would they think about how you responded in a crisis or a challenge?

I suspect we'd all give more thought to each action we take and how we handle it if we measured it against the yardstick of those we hold in high regard as the model of great performance. I'm not suggesting we not be ourselves or trade our unique personal style in for a carbon copy of someone else. But the way we get ahead in life is to learn from the good qualities of others and model those.

So, who will you be taking to work with YOU today? Or on the golf course; or at home with the family? It's an interesting exercise to think about. By the way, (Warning: I'm going back to preaching now!) believers in Christ DO have the ultimate model to carry along with us. And best of all it's not just our imagination. He's here and he HELPS!

John 15:5 says: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

Decisions

Everything we do flows from a decision we make. Though we sometimes fool ourselves into thinking we just won’t make a decision on the question at hand…in reality, we just did. We decided not to decide. And that, in itself, is a decision. And that decision not to decide can cause other people to make their own decisions in ways that can alter the options we had when we decided not to decide. Everything we do flows from a decision we make.

Sometimes we blame things on fate, coincidence, or happenstance that ultimately were a product of decisions we made. Why do I weigh too much? Did I accidentally consume all those bags of Doritos? Was it coincidence or just my lot in life that I never stepped on a treadmill or rode a bicycle? Isn’t it odd that some of us are plagued repeatedly by things that make us late? For some reason outside forces line up in the cosmos every morning to make me late to work. Is that a fact?

Is it possible that I DECIDED to hit the snooze button two or three times? Is it possible that I DECIDED to linger over that second cup of coffee? Can it be that last night I DECIDED to stay up late to watch that TV show. Can it be that I DECIDED to open the Doritos or avoid the gym? Everything we do flows from a decision we make.

Notice I didn’t say everything that HAPPENS to us flows from a decision we make. Of course, unfortunate things beyond our control but within the sovereignty of God occur, independent of a direct decision we made. The car that comes from nowhere and broadsides ours in the intersection is proof that we can be victims of someone else’s careless decision making.

However, regardless of the physical circumstances in life, how we respond to events out of our control and even tragic in nature comes back to our own decision. Jewish psychologist Victor Frank was abused, tortured, and lost his family in the concentration camps at the hands of the Nazi's. Yet he wrote in his book "Man's Search for Meaning":
"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms --- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." Even in the midst of being victimized, we can still decide.

So, what’s the point? Some of us spend more time deciding which club to use on the 18th fairway, or which show to watch on our TIVO, than we do pausing and considering the decisions that have impact for years, decades, a lifetime, even eternity. This illusion of small, misplaced choices and decisions is insidious. Because each one seems so minor we miss the “compounding” nature of each choice until one day our “account” is flush with the sad results of all the poor decisions plus interest!

So what will it be? Are you and I going to drive or give someone else the wheel? Jelly doughnuts or the treadmill…which is it? Are we going to choose whether to waste our time, talents, and influence or invest them? And what about eternity? In Joshua 24:15 Joshua says to the people: “…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Regardless of which way we go, everything we DO flows from a DECISION. The question is not WILL we decide but HOW WILL we decide?

Sunday May 24th we'll talk about "Something to Decide" in Sunday School at First Baptist Woodstock (Building B room 110) at 8:10 a.m. Join us!

Paying the Price for Not Paying Attention

As we learn more from the voice recorder of doomed Continental Connection Flight 3407, (operated by regional carrier Colgan Air) which crashed near Buffalo, the headline of a Wall Street Journal story says it all: “Colgan Air Transcript Shows Lack Of Crew Discipline” The voice recorder reveals casual chit chat between the pilot and first officer. Something that is expressly forbidden for pilots flying under 10,000 feet. The chatter is a mixture of personal conversation including the co-pilot musing about her indecision about her future and comments about the icing they were seeing and her lack of experience with it.

Now we’re hearing that the pilot had not been “hands on” trained in some methods necessary to deal with the conditions presented by the stall of the plane. There is talk that the co-pilot was too exhausted to fly but didn’t tell her employers. The personal conversation (characterized by some as “flirty”), lack of training, and lack of proper rest before flight all point to failure to follow procedures and, in the end, a lack of discipline and alertness that cost them and their passengers dearly. I feel for their families and those of the passengers as this information becomes public.

What a contrast to Captain “Sully” and the Miracle on the Hudson (see blog story on this here)! Sully was meticulously trained and disciplined and did everything “by the book.” More importantly, he was paying attention. He paid attention when he was spending years in gaining the proper training and flight experience. He had paid attention to the landscape and geography of the Hudson so that on a moment’s notice he could find a place to safely put down his damaged plane. More importantly, while flying his plane, He was paying attention when it was damaged and acted swiftly and decisively.
His alertness and attention saved his life and the lives of his passengers. The Colgan crew’s lack of discipline and attention had the tragic, opposite outcome.

What’s the message for leaders? We may not be in “life or death” situations like pilots or doctors. But, the future of organizations and people are impacted by whether or not we are alert or asleep when problems come. And problems always come (John 16:33). Coach John Wooden, leader of the legendary UCLA basketball legacy made “alertness” one of the key elements of his “Pyramid of Success”. He says: “Alertness is a potent weapon for a leader --- a great attribute. An alert leader creates an organization filled with people who pay attention, are open-minded, and strive always for improvement.”

He continues: “Consequently, they see what others aren’t’ even looking for. They are quick to see weaknesses in their organization and correct them and quick to see a weakness in the competition and take advantage of it.” Finally, he bluntly states: “A leader who is sluggish in recognizing what’s going on may soon be out of a job.”*

I don’t know about you, but one of my greatest concerns is missing something and robbing myself of the opportunity to act in a timely fashion. With nine radio markets to oversee it can be a challenge to “know the condition of your flocks” but I strive every day to “pay attention” so I won’t later “pay the price” of a lack of alertness. How ‘bout you?

* Wooden on Leadership pp. 34-35 (McGraw-Hill)

The Truth About John Maxwell (Tongue Firmly In Cheek)

On The Speed of Change in Technology

"Technology is much like the dishes and the laundry; when you think you've caught up, you BLINK and you're behind again." - Allen Power

The 80/20 Rule and Sales Management: Did Pareto Have it Right?

Yesterday I posed the question: If the 80/20 rule is true (80% of revenue from 20% of your sellers & clients) how should a GSM focus time & energy?

John Maxwell summarizes the concept: "The greatest time management tool I ever learned came from the 19th century economist Vilfredo Pareto. The Pareto Principle (which I quote a LOT) states that if we devote our energy, time, and resources to the top 20% of our priorities, we’ll achieve 80% of the results we desire. Use your time log to clarify which activities are important to you. Then focus your schedule on the top 20%."

From the responses so far, you’ll see some excellent discussion and feedback.  It's not too late for others to weigh in via the comments link below.

One Manager Responded: Managers should spend 80% of their time not only with their highest performers but with the 20% of clients who represent 80% of their revenue.

Another posed the question: Or should sales managers spend time with the 80%, that have promise to move into the 20%?

Another dissents somewhat: The key qualifier is “if the 80/20 rule applies” I would say NO! If 80% of your revenue is coming from 20% of your sellers the greatest upside comes from the 80% who are under performing.

Another: Spend the bulk of your time where the money is. (duh!) Part 2: When working with your sales team, neglect is never a good strategy. Most "top performers" weren't when they began their sales career.  Somebody recognized that they had talent and mentored them so that they could become top performers (think John Wooden).

The best sales managers are those who intuitively know who will respond to a teaching opportunity and when to seize the moment and develop a strategy for success.  This is not measured with a clock, but by the value of the trust developed between the seller and the GSM.

Another affirmed that TRUST comment and said: Sellers respond and mimic the habits of good sales leaders.  You can coach and preach all you want, but if you are not in the field, experiencing the real challenges of the street fights that are taking place out there, learning will be hindered.

Another: I think we should be spending 80% or our time teaching our sellers to apply this rule with their accounts.  Today it is all about growth year-to-year.  Up, down, or flat is the question.  The sellers bringing the least can be the ones that provide the biggest upside in growth with good direction and training. I need to better spend 80% of my time teaching spend 80% of their time working on key and target accounts.

Another: The real key, I believe, is to customize your approach for each seller in order to get the best performance possible from each individual. Coaching should be geared to the individual’s personality, organizational abilities, negotiation skills, presentation talents, etc.

Drilling Down & Adding Value

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

The scripture paints a stunning picture of two hard surfaces coming together. Tough enough to cut through but still malleable enough to be honed and sharpened for more effectiveness. It's not a "soft" process. There's friction; heat; pressure all working for the greater good of bringing about a sharper edge that has been dulled by repetitive use.

Over the years I've had the privilege to work for some remarkable people who have added tremendous value to my life and growth as a leader. I've also worked for a couple of "negative examples" from whom I learned how NOT to lead...that's another blog. Today, I want to focus on what I've gleaned from those "iron sharpeners" who have added the needed pressure and expertise to make me better.

Thankfully, I'm working for three such men in my current job who each have done some serious honing as I've reported to them. Each of the three bring decades of knowledge, wisdom, and experience to the process. However, their styles and personalities are very different. There's a mix of focused intensity; persistent curiosity; reasonable autonomy; dry wit; and lots of healthy skepticism. That healthy skepticism is what I want to focus on today. These men know how to ask the tough questions. Socrates had nothing on them!

Though the questions they ask are specific to the subject being reviewed, I have seen some themes emerge that can be useful not only to me but to any leader who wants to "drill down" and add value.

Drilling Down ("Que est Veritas" - What is truth?)
As any good leader should, each of these men start by seeking the facts. When poring through financial data and operational facts one of them will literally say from time to time: "We're just trying to get to truth." Hence my quote in Latin above. Though they don't ask in the exact verbiage below, here are the themes I've seen emerge:

1. Tell me more…specifically - They peel the layers of the onion by asking more questions and seeking specifics until they are satisfied they have found the "core" issues and facts. This is challenging whether or not you've turned over every rock.
   
2. How do you know it is the truth? Remember: “We just need to find truth.” Have you verified the facts? Colin Powell once said: "Never believe the first thing you hear." I would add: "Or what you heard from the last person who gave you their side of the story." Here these men challenge the accuracy of your information.
3. How did you come to that conclusion? - Can you defend what you attest? Are you firm in your convictions? If so, what led you there? They challenge your thought process.

Adding Value

If there were only questions and challenges this would be nothing but an intellectual exercise in debate. Here is where years of wisdom and distance from the problem combine to help you solve the problems.

1. They will ALWAYS ask you something you had not prepared for. Deal with it! Though I subscribe to the 5 "Ps" of "Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance"; the fact is you are always so close to the problem that the proverbial "forest and trees" phenomenon kicks in. Distance from the problem breeds fresh ideas and approaches.
2. They will generally suggest an idea or a twist to your idea that hadn't occurred to you. This is where years of wisdom from their own experiences brings value to the problem. Only time (and past mistakes) can provide this. Years of experience and hard lessons breeds a different perspective.
3. They will ask "why not?" These are questions that lead you from "we can't" to "how can we?"
   

My summary goes back to a term I used above: "healthy skepticism".

The Take Away:

• When approaching a problem with your people ask the questions above in various ways.
• Make it a disciplined part of your routine (print this out and have it handy before that next meeting).
• Don't get so excited about your questioning that you fail to allow for that "reasonable autonomy" I mentioned. Be Socrates not Stalin!
  
• Always think: "Drill Down" and "Add Value"

Salespeople Manning The Front Desk?

From Tom Taylor's newsletter...
In at least one market, Cumulus is assigning salespeople to cover the front desk.

Why? They apparently laid off the front desk/phone wrangler last month as a cost-saving move. This is happening in a top 40 market, by the way – AEs being asked to handle specific hours on the incoming phones. They’re told not to make their own sales calls or do their weekly reports while they’re on the front lines. Also to please make a good first impression for the callers. That might be a bit hard if you’re obsessed with making quota. By the way – I’m hearing more about the mandatory “five-day furlough” requirement that’s effective companywide for these last two months of the second quarter. It doesn’t apply to salespeople. Or to management. Cumulus apparently told the managers-only call Wednesday morning that they’re looking for market execs who can follow orders from Atlanta and execute the company plan without further commentary.