2010-03-18T05:19:31Z John Baldoni Copyright 2010, John Baldoni SPHPBLOG



Posted FastCompany.com 2.23.10
]]> http://www.baldoniconsulting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100314-125701 2010-03-14T00:00:00Z 2010-03-14T00:00:00Z
My very first computer was an Apple III, with a CPU and keyboard fused in a heavy plastic box, two 5-1/4 disk drives, and a television for a monitor. There was little cool about it, save that it was a tool that allowed me to write quickly and efficiently, and better yet, revise easily and simply. I was so proud of my Apple III, which was lent to me by my wife's company then a start-up venture that was the first of its kind to apply PC technology to health care, that I used a photograph of it and me as part of my first advertising brochure for my then fledgling scriptwriting business.

A short time later I was invited to Cupertino to work on the promotional launch of Apple's then next big thing - LISA. It was a micro-wave sized device that had a built in screen and keyboard and a hard drive mounted on top. Clunky sure, but not in 1983. The highlight for me was not Lisa; it was the opportunity to interview Steve Jobs about the new product.

Steve was most gracious to me and even got a kick out of my ad brochure featuring me and the Apple III. Really cool, I recall Steve saying. And it was while in Cupertino I heard chatter of the next product, the one that would really change the face of computing forever - Macintosh. Now that was cool!

In the interest of full disclosure I must confess I did not graduate to Lisa or Mac, no, my next computer was an IBM-PC. The reason was simple; the demands of my writing business required me to use more popular DOS-based software programs.

But Steve Jobs remained a business leader I admired. After getting unceremoniously dumped at Apple by the executive he hired, Jobs went on to greater fame at Pixar. I too changed my career as more education and new opportunities led me into the field of leadership development.

Eventually my path crossed Steve's when I did a profile of him for a book of mine, How Great Leaders Get Great Results. My take on his leadership is his ability to leverage his communications with his strong vision of the future to create products that bridged the gap between technology, productivity and entertainment. Jobs is and always will be an icon of how to make vision reality.

And now many computing generations later, I am happy to say that I am once again back in the Apple family. My laptop is a Mac Book Pro II. But my big toy these days is not big in size, only in practicality - iPhone. With its blend of form and function and more apps that one can imagine, iPhone - as I like to tease - is not just a phone, it's a lifestyle.

The personal touch is evident in its retail stores. Not long after getting my iPhone I went to a local Apple store and asked when Apple might introduce an external keyboard. Onscreen key stroking is a challenge for folks of my generation. The young man who worked in the store said, "We are committed to the onscreen keyboard." Note the usage of the word "we." How many times have you inquired about a product not carried by a store, and the clerk answers with the word "we"? Not many times, I'd bet. The Apple clerk owned the issue. He might have sympathized with me, but no. He stated the corporate line and underscored his conviction with the use of the personal pronoun.

Agree or disagree with the answer, you must commend a company whose employees refer to it in the collective we. And you see that's the genius of Apple. It's not them, not you. It's us. And that's very personal.

First posted @ "On Leadership" Washington Post 1.28.10]]> http://www.baldoniconsulting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100309-081035 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z MOJO is also the title of a brand-new book by my friend and pre-eminent executive coach, Marshall Goldsmith. “Mojo,” as Marshall writes, “is that positive spirit toward what we are doing now that starts from the inside and radiates to the outside.”

Consider mojo a form of self-motivation that spurs us onward to achieve for ourselves as well as for others. There four aspects to this positive force, two are focused on the inner self and two are focused on our outer self. That split between what we are inside and how we are perceived makes the concept of mojo useful for anyone seeking to improve as well as to make a positive difference.
Let’s examine the four keys, each of which is defined by a straightforward but evocative question:

Identity: Who you think you are? Self-awareness becomes with an understanding of how you view yourself. The operative word in this question is think; that is, how do you perceive yourself. The book explores four aspects of identity – remembered, reflected, programmed and created. Understanding how each attribute affects your self-understanding provides a good handle on getting to know yourself better.

Achievement: What have you done lately? The book draws sharp distinction between we think we achieve and what others think we achieve. If the two are not in parallel, we feel out of sync. The challenge becomes in finding meaning and satisfaction in what we do and harmonizing it with what we are challenged to do. No easy task.

Reputation: What do other people think you are? A foundation of executive coaching is helping individuals see themselves as others see them. The book postulates that reputation is the combination of identify and achievement as seen by others. Lucky for you if your self image matches your public persona! But if you are like most of us, you have work to do to make certain that who you are and what you think you do matches the impact that you are having on others.

Acceptance: What can you change, and what is beyond your control? Before you can answer this question, make certain as Marshall asserts, you can dispense with the “I’ll be happy when…” statement. That is, I will be satisfied when I am a millionaire, my house is bigger, my weight is less, or my mortgage is paid off. Goals are good, but they can sometimes prevent us from achieving reconciliation with our inner selves. The challenge arises from learning what you can change (your behavior) and what you cannot change (e.g. other people). Acceptance becomes critical; otherwise you will cause yourself (and others around you) much unhappiness.

MOJO is an easy read but don’t be fooled. It is a real head-cracker. Each of the four keys is augmented by a full toolkit that provides roadmaps for readers to follow to develop a stronger identity, achieve more effectively, ensure their reputation, and come to terms with self and life. Throughout the book are questions that challenge readers to reflect on what is important to them and how they can achieve their aims.

For me an important aspect of the book comes together in the story of two rival editors, Lily and Sarah who were both in running to become editor in chief of their publication. Both women were capable and respected and that is why both were considered for the top job. When challenged to produce a new look for the magazine, Lily did it her way – alone; and Sarah did it her way – collegially.

The winner of the contest will be left to readers to discover but what is important to know is that self-help is not just about self. You can enlist the guidance of others to help you become more self-aware and ultimately more effective in what it is you want to achieve.

As we learn throughout MOJO, how you will change your life and how you interact with others as an individual, an employee and/or a leader is your decision. The challenge for all of us remains to become a positive spirit for self and others.

Posted FastCompany.com 2.16.10]]> http://www.baldoniconsulting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100228-162040 2010-02-28T00:00:00Z 2010-02-28T00:00:00Z My Remarkable Journey , that gets to the heart of his gift for getting people to talk about themselves. Not only has this ability made him famous, it serves as inspiration for leaders who must learn how to create rapport with their stakeholders.

King began his radio career in Miami. One night to his great surprise he learned that Frank Sinatra would be a guest on his show. This was a time when King was a nobody outside Miami, and as Sinatra’s PR man explained to King just before airtime Sinatra paid him to keep him off shows like King’s. So as Sinatra settles in, King pops the first question.

Traditionally, as King relates in his book, local radio hosts would play chummy-chummy with big celebrities by pretending to be long-time friends. Not King. He asked Sinatra point blank, “Why are you here?” That got Sinatra to open up about his friendship with Jackie Gleason who had taken a liking to King. And since Sinatra owed Gleason a favor, that favor would be to appear on King’s show.

What King had done with Sinatra, as he has done with thousands of guests from the high and mighty to the people next door, is to shift focus from himself to the guest. This creates a sense of rapport that stimulates further conversation. Or years later as Sinatra once told King (then doing Larry King Live on CNN), “you make the camera disappear.” Bingo! A television conversation becomes just two people talking.

Rapport emerges from asking good questions but it rests on putting people at ease so that they feel comfortable in talking with you. Such talk is vital when speaking to customers, recruiting job candidates, and especially when making small talk with people in more senior position. Your ability to relate to people as people provides a window into your authenticity.

There is another more relevant point from King’s memoir: candor. King is open about his failed marriages and financial difficulties. He acknowledges these problems as ones of his own making and holds himself accountable. Leaders need not confess personal failings to associates at work; life after all is NOT Larry King Live. But when speaking to customers or colleagues about business issues, candor is important. When a customer or a colleague hears an executive own up to an issue that is affecting service or performance, even when he or she did not cause it directly, it radiates character.

Creating rapport with stakeholders is essential for any leader, and when learning how to do so, it might be useful to watch how the masters do it.

Posted FastCompany.com 2.09.10
]]> http://www.baldoniconsulting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100222-102850 2010-02-22T00:00:00Z 2010-02-22T00:00:00Z
Such is the case with vision, mission and values statements. Every organization needs to have one but in trying to craft one we sometimes over shoot the mark and end up writing statements that are so grandiose they seem as if they were crafted by NASA and polished by Mother Theresa – so daring and so caring!

Here’s a test. If you cannot read vision, mission and values aloud with a straight face, you need to revise. [Remember, Enron’s mission statement reads like an ode to the dignity of man; the words were high falutin’ but meant nothing.]

Cynicism aside, the reason organizations need vision, mission and values statements is because they create a sense of organizational purpose as well as continuity in thought, word and deed. Toward that end, here are three ways to define them.

Vision is where you want to go. Vision is an act of becoming. It is intended to be aspirational. Take a cardiac care center. A vision might state that the center is to become the cardiac care center of choice for its region. To a center of choice, you need to create conditions where physicians want to refer, where cardiac specialists want to work, and where patients want to be treated.

Mission is what you do to get there. Mission is the work that your organization performs. To deliver on the care and choice aspirations, you continue to do what you do best: deliver superior cardiac care through diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care and prevention. You do it with a commitment to patient wellness and community need.

Values are what hold you together. Your values are your belief system. They define organizational purpose as well as individual conduct. For example, a cardiac center serves its community. It must communicate its values through words and behaviors. For example, it could say: We treat our patients as we would treat our friends and family. Likewise you reinforce that commitment with values employees must demonstrate toward each other. In other words, we cannot be treating patients well if we don’t treat employees similarly.

From vision, mission and values, you develop your strategies. These are the goals you set to achieve vision and mission. For example, to be number one in cardiac care you will need to recruit more cardiologists, provide improved training for nurses and staff, and improve outpatient facilities. From here flow your tactics, that is, what specific actions you will take related to care, recruitment, training, operations, and the like.

Clearly defined vision, mission and values also can provide an additional benefit. It can help you instill accountability. If you have values concerning behavior, then when someone steps out of line, you can call their attention to the inconsistency. That is, we don’t tolerate that kind of behavior here. Simple, yes! And that’s the beauty of it. You have instilled values and you hold people accountable for living up to them. Conformity to values is critical because it becomes the platform upon which you ensure that people strive toward the vision and work at the mission; that is, people pull together.

Organizations that are successful in this regard integrate their values into performance objectives. That way employees know more than what they are supposed to do; they know how they are supposed to do it with respect for ideas, dignity for colleagues and trust in the system. And when those things are not in sync, you work to fix it.

Vision. Mission. Values. Three words that can help keep people focused on what needs doing as well as mindful of how they do it.

Thank you to my colleague Kathy Macdonald of the Macdonald Group for helping me to think through this essay.

Posted FastCompany.com 2.01.10
]]> http://www.baldoniconsulting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100216-201812 2010-02-17T00:00:00Z 2010-02-17T00:00:00Z Colin Cowherd , use the term, “jerk vision.” He attributed the term to his colleague, David Fisch, who applies it to professional athletes who are so full of themselves they do not realize how others perceive them.

Star athletes are not the only ones suffering from “jerk vision.” Most of us have known, or worse worked for, those who have acted oblivious to others. Such blindness gives them free reign to do what they want to do. Put simply, these folks are profoundly unaware of themselves.

The warning signs of a jerk boss are manifold. These include putting self before all else. That means they speak first, listen seldom, finger point to escape blame, and take credit when it suits them. In short they are jerks.

The challenge for the rest of us is how to deal with them, especially if you happen to work for one. You have two choices. One, you can work elsewhere. In today’s economy few may be interested in this option. Two, you can find ways to work around them. The challenge is how to do it.

Put them first. Jerks crave attention so give it to them. Filter all of your ideas through them. Make certain you keep them in the loop on everything you do. This actually is not as hard as it sounds because a jerk boss is so self-absorbed they notice little, except for what they want to hear.

Cater to their interests. Note what their hot buttons are. For example, if your boss has a thing for quality, or reducing cost, or customer relations, pitch whatever you do as something to do with one of those hot button items.

Get them noticed. Find ways to get your boss noticed, even if it means getting noticed for work that you and your colleagues have done. This will involve swallowing some pride but consider the upside. It may mean your boss spends less time in your office and more time in his boss’s office. He will be out of your hair and free you to do your work.

Get on with your work. Now you can focus on what matters, helping your team do the real work. No gamesmanship. Do your best and find ways to be collaborative with your colleagues. When appropriate work more for “we” instead of “me.”

Now if you think that I am advocating appeasement, or worse, playing politics, you would be correct. And yes, there is an edge of cynicism in what I advise. But listen, your jerk boss will never notice because he’s too much of a jerk to care. That is, he’s so wrapped up in “jerk vision” he can only see images of himself not others.

In the meantime, you will have had the opportunity to do good work and with luck, and some persistence on your part, you will get noticed. That notice will be your ticket out of Jerkville and into a responsible position. Where of course you will NOT be a jerk.


Posted FastCompany.com 1.26.10]]> http://www.baldoniconsulting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100209-095651 2010-02-09T00:00:00Z 2010-02-09T00:00:00Z
Prior to taping, the host of the program took one look at me and said, “We don’t allow jeans.” As I would learn to my chagrin, this show begins with a long shot that reveals host and guest seated on chairs where legs are clearly visible. To make matters worse, I was wearing white athletic socks, a comfortable habit of mine but certainly not suitable for prime time.

What a contrast I presented to the host who was dressed immaculately in a tailored blue suit; she looked totally professional. But with no moments to spare, I was granted a reprieve. The interview was taped as scheduled.

The moral of this tale is something our mothers taught us: Never assume. Assumptions make an ass of you and me! [Even more so when you are wearing white socks!]

Dress code aside, the next time you assume something, you owe it to yourself to check the basis of those assumptions first. And if you are in a leadership position, you owe it to your team to check and re-check all assumptions. To do otherwise could be disastrous.

The history of business is littered with false assumptions. After all, 20th Century Fox assumed the merchandise rights for Star Wars were insignificant so why not let George Lucas have them. IBM assumed it would be fine if Microsoft kept the rights to its new Disk Operating System (DOS); after all the real money was in mainframe computing, “big iron.” And Lehman Brothers assumed that leveraging itself upwards of 20 and 30 times asset was no problem.

Now we know differently, but at the time these assumptions might have seemed like safe bets. Only with the benefit of hindsight do they seem mind-bendingly stupid. And that is the point. Leaders owe to their organizations to question big decisions always. Check and re-check assumptions. Question everything and everyone if the stakes are high. Yes, it’s a pain but better a well-considered decision than a back of the envelope-style calculation.

As the late New York Times columnist William Safire once quipped, “Never assume the obvious is true.” Safire knew the dangers of assuming too much. After all, he once wrote speeches for Richard Nixon who allowed his assumptions about letting his staff handle things instead of owning up to what his administration labeled a “third rate burglary.” That assumption grew to become the affair that brought down his presidency, Watergate.

As for me, you can bet that the next time I am invited to appear on television I will ask about what to wear. Otherwise, I might as well be pinning those white socks on my ears.

Special thanks to Tara Kachaturoff of Michigan Entrepreneur TV for allowing me to appear on her show.

Posted FastCompany.com 1.19.10]]> http://www.baldoniconsulting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100201-135403 2010-02-01T00:00:00Z 2010-02-01T00:00:00Z
College football in college towns is akin to high school football. The town takes a vested almost personal interest in not only the school but the coaches, players and staff. So I was impressed when I learned that Alabama put its national championship trophy on display in two Wal-Mart stores in Tuscaloosa, its hometown.

Not only can visitors see the trophy, they can have their picture taken standing next to it. Believe me, if you are a fan of the Crimson Tide this is a big deal. Alabama has a rich legacy of winning football and Tide tradition runs through generations.

This public gesture of displaying the trophy off campus is also a credit to the university to help bridge the divide between town and gown. It is a way to say thank you to the community which supported it (sometimes grumblingly) through tough times. After all, it wasn’t too long ago when football program was in the dumps that there was a popular witticism floating round town. “Tuscaloosa is a drinking town with a football problem.”

The architect of Alabama’s winning ways is head coach Nick Saban. While I do not favor his peripatetic style of hopping from college to pros and back again, there is no doubt that Saban can coach and he knows how to connect with his players; and I recently learned one way he does this.

Football facilities at Alabama, as they are at many schools, celebrate the legacy of athletes who have played at their school through photographs, awards and trophy. The Bryant-Denny football stadium in Tuscaloosa is named in part for Bear Bryant, the coach who led the school to three national titles in his thirty years at the school.

As reported on ESPN Radio’s The Scott Van Pelt Show, Saban has replaced photos of former players with current ones. Not only does this pay recognition to students still in school, it serves as a recruiting tool. Prospective players are encouraged to imagine themselves in poster size pictures adorning the football facility.

What can leaders learn from Alabama’s example? Recognition matters. Pay attention to the communities in which you work and operate. The Great Recession has exacted a heavy toll on corporate giving but many corporations continue to support local communities through the volunteer efforts of their employees. Also, in our era when green matters more and more, corporate citizenship must embrace environmental stewardship. Careful use of resources as well as reducing carbon footprint is essential.

Recognition extends to employees. Honor them regularly for what they do for the company. Find ways to celebrate their successes. The easy way is via e-communications. A more lasting way is to document success through photographs and wall art. Also, as every university does, look for ways to make your company appealing to the next generation of employees. Position your company as an employer of choice, someplace where people want to come to work.

Recognition does matter. Companies that leverage it to honor their employees are those that have a better chance of success.

Posted FastCompany.com 1.12.10]]> http://www.baldoniconsulting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100124-152115 2010-01-24T00:00:00Z 2010-01-24T00:00:00Z
The old man, then 85, showed the coach a medal he had won as a young track star many decades before. Inscribed on the back of the medal were the words, “Friends. Family. Health.” Then the old man said, “When you are done coaching, make sure you’ve got those three things and that you keep them with you.”

That is a story that Lloyd Carr, now retired after a long and successful career as head football coach at the University of Michigan, told AnnArbor.com about Red Simmons on the occasion of Simmons’ 100th birthday. Simmons is the founding coach of the women’s track program at Michigan and a member of the 1932 U.S. Olympic team. And with traces of red still in his hair, Simmons is still going strong today.

Simmons’ advice is valuable to anyone in a leadership position. The pressures of the moment can and do obfuscate the long view, but it is imperative that leaders do take the time to reflect on what is important to them personally. The words inscribed on the medal are as good as any, and when you think about it, they symbolize how we all should be conducting ourselves.

Friends. Twin concepts underscore friendship: relationship and reciprocity. We want to have relationships who are worthy of giving to and getting from. By that I don’t mean we choose friends because of what they offer in terms of materialism but rather what they bring to the relationship – a story, honest talk, but most of all understanding of us and who we are as people. We reciprocate with our own unique gifts –our stories, our honesty, our understanding.

Family. You can define family as something held together by the twin ideals of love and responsibility. While poets have waxed for millennia about love, for me it comes down to simple respect. Respect for parents may come readily but between husband and wife it is earned. Each must give something to and for the other on a daily basis. Responsibility for family especially when children are involved means making decisions that will benefit others before yourself. The concept of sacrifice holds families together in tough times as well as good ones.

Health. When we speak of health, it may be wise to consider three aspects: physical, mental, and spiritual. Keep yourself fit through exercise and a sensible diet. Take your medicine when required. Mental fitness is essential for your productivity and for that reason you want to exercise your mind through challenge and experience. Spiritual health is the connection to something greater than yourself, however you define it.

Not only do these three words – friends, family, health -- anchor a leader’s life, they provide him or her with a perspective on how to treat others. Leadership is rooted in self awareness but leadership is an outward focused mindset that emphasizes responsibility for others. The words behind the friends, family, health triptych stand for relationship, commitment and responsibility.

Each of these, and all that they encompass, apply when thinking about leading a team, guiding an organization, and holding yourself and others accountable for results. Taken together these principles form a good foundation for thinking about your leadership.

Friends. Family. Health. It’s a good framework for keeping your leadership and your life in perspective.

Posted FastCompany.com 1.05.10]]> http://www.baldoniconsulting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100118-091124 2010-01-18T00:00:00Z 2010-01-18T00:00:00Z Universal Translator , a device that permits fluent two-way communication. Sadly no such device exists between employee and managers.

All too often communication breakdown between boss and direct report because neither is speaking the same language, albeit they are speaking in a language common to each. The problem lies not in words but in expectation. For example, the boss wants an overview but the employee provides granular detail. Or vice versa. So unlike in Star Trek neither is truly communicating with the other.

So here’s a quick way to ensure that you are both meeting each other’s expectations.

One, get on the same wave length. When there is a communication disconnect, have a conversation on the topic, not around it. That is, exchange ideas about how you each other like to receive information. Updates can be handled via email; issues should be handled face to face. Establish a baseline for how often to communicate and about what issues. Managers can show trust for employees by asking for outcomes only on routine matters. Likewise employees can show respect for managers by providing them with timely and meaty updates on significant issues.

Two, tune into the conversation. Listen to what the other says. This is not as easy as it sounds because when boss and employee know each other well the temptation, and exacerbated by the pressure of deadlines, is to leap to conclusions. No, ease up on the schedule and pay attention. You may end up saving a good deal of time.

Three, do a quick brief-back. Put simply, either party, preferably the boss, recaps the conversation in their own words. The other party confirms the details. With a good brief back, a technique practiced by our military, boss and employee gain agreement on next steps.

If you apply these tips, you will in effect be creating your own translator. The only problem is that it is not universal. It is specific to your boss or your employee. You need to “re-program it” for each boss-supervisor relationship you have. But here’s the good news. Once you do it a few times, you’ll become expert and just as in Star Trek be able to communicate with any alien (boss or employee) you encounter!

Posted FastCompany.com 12.29.09]]> http://www.baldoniconsulting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100110-085235 2010-01-10T00:00:00Z 2010-01-10T00:00:00Z