by CHRC | Sep 16, 2020 | Covid-19, Leadership, Performance Management, Strategy, Work From Home
It’s mid-September, when people should be getting:
- Back from vacations
- Back to school
- Back to work
Except
- Vacations? Very few people took those, certainly not the ones they had anticipated
- The whole school thing—depends
- Back to work … or back to Zoom?
Yet, there is a sense that people feel like they should be getting back into a routine, like there should be some sense of normal to return to … that normal most of us left in mid-March.
We have been collecting articles and prophecies on the post-Covid world, especially the post-Covid workplace since April. Yet we are nowhere near that. Standing in line for an elevator the other day, I was speculating that perhaps printers of large, durable floor stickers are the winners in this Covid-economy.
So how do those at the helm of businesses, be they large or small, attempt to strategize for this new world? You need to have a monocle on one eye and a telescope on the other. Even to survive in the medium term will require innovation, and that requires your best people.
Right now, all your folks are stretched and stressed, so assume your best folks are as well. Your best folks might be the most stressed and stretched because they are probably conscientious at everything they do. So, value those capable of driving the innovation, and be aware of what will make them productive right now. You might never know about the immuno-suppressed partner or parent that prevents that healthy looking employee from coming to work each day. Your employee may have successfully hidden an auto-immune issue for years and does not want to disclose it now. Innovate your management style and develop new management skills in order to retain your key talent.
Really think through who must return to your physical office despite the September instinct we all have. Would you rather Zoom with a trusted, vital resource, or have to start recruiting for their replacement? Read More Here
by CHRC | Sep 2, 2020 | Corporate Culture, Leadership, Strategy
A deflated basketball sat on Coach’s desk to remind every player that basketball glory could be fleeting; they were one injury away from having to pivot from the sport. If they had nothing else, then what?
When I started college, I couldn’t have imagined that one of the greatest teachers would be a professor I never had, nor a subject I never studied. It is easy to forget that in 1982, college basketball was still a local sport. No ESPN, no CBS Sports. All I knew was that Georgetown had a basketball team, and I heard that they had a strong coach.
No talented young man was going to go play for Big John unless they were willing to play by his rules. They were going to be a student-athlete, emphasis on the student. They sat in the front row in class; not always convenient for the rest of us. They didn’t miss class; not unless they wanted a 5:00 am practice the next day! Study hall and tutors were not optional. The discipline he expected off the court could be summed up by why he never wanted his Freshman talking to the press: “[these are] dumb college kids.” Not pejorative, but realistic. In the early to mid-1980s, many outside of the Georgetown community were skeptical of Thompson’s tactics, but Coach Thompson had a longer-term strategy; he was building a culture.
“I don’t coach their team,” Mr. Thompson famously declared, “They play on my team.”
After a sports injury, I saw this culture first-hand in the training rooms of Georgetown Athletics. I observed many examples of how Coach’s expectations of his players meant that they treated others with dignity and respect. One example especially stands out: One day postseason, I witnessed a 7 foot player cower when the 5’ 7” female trainer told him he wasn’t working hard enough. He respected her authority and expertise–and got back to work.
In 1994, Jim Collins and Jerry Porras wrote a book called Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. One aspect that the authors highlighted was that organizations with strong corporate cultures had higher returns. I have seen this time and time again in business, and one of the first places I had seen it work well was with John Thompson’s Hoyas. The management term for this is self-selection. When you create, build, and sustain a strong culture, you typically only attract those that want to be a part of that culture. In turn, they succeed in that culture; and therefore, continue to sustain it.
Coach Thompson built that culture and success followed. Georgetown won an NCAA championship under Big John. While some players made it to the NBA, others went on to successful non-sports related careers and lives. That’s because Coach understood that playing basketball was part of the journey, not always the destination. His job was to accompany the young men along this journey and create success not just on the court, but for the rest of their lives.
In college, I never imagined a career path in Management or Human Resources. I had no idea that these players and coaches I watched would become powerful examples of good leadership. This week, I have been stunned by all the articles and commentary about Coach; it is amazing to see how far and wide his influence stretched. While others continue to herald all that John Thompson, Jr. did for the game, the players, and the hearts (and heart attacks!) of fans, I will personally always hold the coach in high esteem for the management lessons he was teaching me—without me even realizing it.
After all, I was just a dumb college kid, what did I know? Read More Here
by CHRC | Jun 18, 2020 | Leadership
Sixty years ago this fall, two television shows premiered on American screens that featured single fathers. In 1960, of course both fathers were created as widowers.
After you wrap your mind around the fact that Opie is now a senior citizen, it is interesting that American popular culture has had two lasting images of single dads who had to do the mothering and the fathering. Aunt Bee and Uncle Charlie were around for a lot of the after school snack banter, but whether you watched in prime time or reruns, the lingering memories are the heart-to-hearts that these dads had with their sons about life, death, girls, and becoming men.
It’s probably not surprising that one of those TV sons went on to be a pretty good father himself, as well as a prominent director. In turn, he produced another director who has a brand new film debuting: Dads.
This heartwarming interview from last Sunday seems to be a nice way to wish a Happy Father’s Day to all those folks out there who father in oh-so-many-ways. Watch it here
by CHRC | Jun 12, 2020 | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Leadership, Work Place
Obviously that it’s hard.
It all starts with understanding. And understanding begins with listening. We’ve been doing a lot of listening, a lot of reading, a lot of absorbing. There is a lot of listening, reading, and absorbing still to do before this country reaches better understanding.
Here are three articles that we think might be helpful.
The first is from a managing director at Goldman Sachs who has opened up about his experiences as a black man; perhaps because he feels like people are finally listening. In 2011, Frederick Baba had an incident with the police because he “matched the description of an individual who had reportedly stolen from a residence in the area. The description was of a black male in shorts and a T-shirt, with no other details. No color for either article of clothing, and in a city with just under one million black people, I was obviously the culprit.”
The second is an article from the Harvard Business Review about what makes a good listener. Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman describe good listeners being more like trampolines rather than sponges. “[Good listeners] are someone you can bounce ideas off of — and rather than absorbing your ideas and energy, they amplify, energize, and clarify your thinking. They make you feel better not merely passively absorbing, but by actively supporting. This lets you gain energy and height, just like someone jumping on a trampoline.”
The third is a letter from Tim Ryan, US chair and Senior Partner at PwC, outlining the firm’s continued steps to addressing the injustices that too often occur to Black Americans. Ryan states, “It is my responsibility as a leader to not only stand with [Black colleagues] against racism to condemn these killings, but to use my privilege to be a part of the solution and take action – to help dismantle the racism and injustice that has become so pervasive in our society.” From the time Mr. Ryan co-founded the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion, PwC lost an employee, Botham Jean, to mistaken identity and police violence, PwC has gone way beyond a fancy ad campaign and is committing their people and hours—and applying peer pressure to other corporations to do the same.
I can’t help but think of the lyrics to the Nick Lowe song that Elvis Costello made famous. The song asks, “So where are the strong and who are the trusted? And where is this harmony, sweet harmony?” Perhaps if we all do our homework, we can be strong and the trusted for one another and bring some of the much-needed harmony to one another, our workplaces, and our world. Read More Here
by CHRC | Jun 10, 2020 | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Leadership, Work Place
Imagine running a marathon. After crossing the finish line, you’re expected to go straight to the office for the day and lead a meeting or present a new proposal to your company. You’d be exhausted—physically and mentally drained. It sounds crazy not to be able to rest and catch your breath after such a daunting and strenuous task.
And yet, this is exactly what many companies are asking of their Black employees. Already overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted, many are often asked to lead the charge against racism. In a recent Fortune commentary, Najoh Tita-Reid, a senior executive of marketing reinvention at Logitech, urges that “while this is indeed a unique moment, the responsibility of dismantling systemic racism must not be placed solely on black employees by asking them to fully lead diversity and antiracism efforts.”
Tita-Reid encourages non-Black leaders to accept responsibility to lead the charge, rather than asking Black employees and leaders—who might already be burnt out. She suggests a few ideas to protect the emotional wellbeing of Black peers, while actively tackling racism in the workplace. Don’t expect Black co-workers to teach you all about race issues; they carry this burden every day. It is your job, as their coworker/boss/peer, to do some emotional heavy lifting, educating yourself on these issues and how to best become a good ally.
Equally important is being respectful of Black colleagues who don’t want to discuss race issues. Once you’ve completed your marathon for the day, you may have no interest in talking about running for a while. Are you suggesting another 5K at the end of the day, or are you handing out Gatorade at the finish line? Read More Here
by CHRC | May 27, 2020 | Competencies, Leadership, Work Place
Recently, when speaking with another woman of a certain age, we were both lamenting the loss of civility in the workplace. This loss of civility far predates working from home, Covid-19, and Zoom Meetings. As we grappled with this loss and tried to determine just what seems to be missing from the workplace—it came to us: deference.
Our conversation and the death of deference had been sitting in the back of my mind for days. Then enter Memorial Day weekend filled with articles and stories about military heroes.
One piece that appeared in my newsfeed over the weekend was about PT 109, the ship that President Kennedy skippered in WWII. At first I couldn’t understand why there would be a new item about PT 109; when I looked more closely I realized it was a reprint of one penned in 1944, shortly after he had recovered from the injuries sustained in that accident. This piece was written more to educate the readers to the terrors of the war in the Pacific Theatre, than it was to make a hero out of a young lieutenant. But as we all know, the rest is history.
I recently read how much President Obama admired President George H. W. Bush, and visited him just three days before he passed away. I re-watched the remarks and interaction when Number 44 awarded Number 41 the Medal of Freedom, and he began those remarks with “From a decorated Navy pilot who nearly gave his life in World War II …”
It’s history. How can you have deference without history? You might still find deference in families, because in families we tend to know people’s ages and their histories. We used to have it in companies, because people stayed in organizations their entire careers. I once was with a group of Nabisco professionals and one leaned over to me and whispered of another, “He is the guy who got the bubbles out of the Oreo cream”—not only with deference, but with awe! When I was a youngster at Coopers & Lybrand, someone confided about the nicest partner I’d met, “He was the youngest person to ever make partner.”
When people worked together for longer periods of time, folks remembered who had saved your behind—and it didn’t need to be as dramatic as tugging you behind them while swimming three hours in the Pacific. It was the opposite of having to sing your own praises, people sang YOURS because everyone worked together long enough to know your strengths and weaknesses, why you could be counted on, and when you’d been a hero and saved the day.
