Europe Day 1

Day 1 in Europe was filled with culture from the beggining. After a long flight from the states we began our trip promptly at 8am Belgium time. Although the majority of the group was extremely tired we began at a local military museum. This was an oustanding experience and make you really think about how new our culture in the U.S is.

Although all of us would like to think we full of culture and open to change it is amazing what happens when you are forced to adjust. There is something very powerless being in a country in which they speak a different language and you look like a tourist simply by the way that you dress. Although the people have been extemely nice it is our responsibilty to understand we are guests in their world. I think it is imperative for leaders to encounter situations like this as they will grow horizontally as much as vertically.

Who is that?

In business sometimes people forget who they are. I do not mean who they are today but who they used to be and who others around them might think they are. Recently at a local wine tasting event a few of my peers and I worked to help out a local organization. The focus of the event was to raise money for a local YMCA. Although the event was a huge success it was the people who were in attendance who I found interesting.

Since the event was a wine tasting event the demographic was very specific. A quick scan would say median age 51, white, professionals, who were in attendance. There were people from very different professions, Lawn Care Owners, Attorneys, Stockbrokers, Bankers, CPAs, etc. However what I found to be interesting was the attention and thoughtlessness some of the patrons had. Some the the guests were very demanding, rude and to a point almost degrading. While others were extremely friendly willing to converse share stories and enjoy the event.

As a leader it is important to think about each time you have an experience with someone. These experiences will be the lasting impressions that people will judge you by. Sure some are fortunate to have extreme amounts of wealth however this does not by any means they are better than the person who is working the afternoon shift at the local mill. One of the problems when people interact in a way that is less than respectful is the immediate loss of credibility. Although these people might think they will never need help these are the ones that are likely to live a life that is full of material goods but is missing the true meaning of life.

If you treat everyone equally you will likely build relationships that are everlasting which translates into greater rewards than monetary gain.

International Experience

Today I am embarking on an international experience with a few colleagues from my MBA program. Although the experience will be unique for many of us the relationships that will be build through this experience will last a life time. These are times professionals need to enjoy the experience for what it is and remove any feelings they might have had going into the experience.

It will be very interesting to watch the dynamics of the group and how groups will split up. Good, bad or indifferent it will be interesting and it is likely some will not enjoy the experience which is unfortunate. Some of my peers travel internationally very often while others including myself do not. As a leader matures into their role they must think about the global impact of business or they will be left behind.

Lastly it will be the responsibility of the professors to engage the class into this outstanding learning experience. At this point in every one has a career and responsibility, some greater than others but the professors will need to understand this. If the professors do not demonstrate professional coaching and leadership during this experience they will have failed as leaders.

Relationships

In a recent study performed by our MBA program we were responsible for reviewing different cultures. In this analysis we were looking for common themes, like eating habits, work hours, management styles, etc. Although across the board these were very different there was one common them that had direct correlation.

Ability to take your time and build a relationship was apparent. In every culture people wanted to deal with people that they liked and who they trusted. This does not mean that you have to be the life of the party but you certainly need to be in attendance. So many times in business and leadership we forget about this factor and how truly important these relationships are. As a leader you have to be willing to adapt and mold to different circumstances and some of these are going to be tough to adjust to. I am by no mean saying you should change your core values however I am saying you should attempt to try things you might not be willing to accept as normal.

I remember being in Mexico recently and the clubhouse asking if I would like to play golf with someone who I did not know. 10 years ago I would have refused the offer and it is unlikely I would have even thought about playing golf by myself. In this situation I took them up on the offer and was able to play golf with some local citizens. Although we did not speak due to language differences the rules were the same and we could acknowledge each other after a successful hole.

Build relationships and try something new and you will break barriers you did not even know existed.

Remove the Emotion

Leaders need to make sure they leave their emotions at the door. If a leader is having a bad day the team should not be negatively impacted by these emotions. Although this is hard balance to achieve it is important to create this balance. As a leader it is likely you will not have enough time to repair the damage you might cause by having a knee jerk reaction or an emotional day. Leaders are viewed as the most stable person in the organization and if their stability is in question the vision of the company will also be in question.

Emotion should not be confused with passion although they are similar in this context they are very different. A leader can still have passion while controlling his/her emotions. When making decisions you have to be willing to take emotion out of the decision by reviewing the data. Although not all businesses are equipped with the data to make all the decisions, however if you are willing to look for the data you will likely think critically through the decision process. Emotions are part of the human element however managing these emotions is something a leader has to be able to manage to become successful.

Know Your Surroundings

As a leader you have to Know Your Surroundings at all times. There are times that people are going to be watching you, judging you and making political decisions about you. If you do not know these surroundings you might find yourself in a hole you cannot dig out of. In large corporations people traditionally carry their own agendas when making decisions. These decisions might include promotions, team alignment, or compensation analysis.

The question that some might ask is how do you handle these situations. This is a question I do not have all the answers to but I have come up with a couple solutions that might work:

• Communicate to each person as if they were your boss, they might be
• Build a network of people you can trust that are not affiliated with your organization share ideas and concerns
• Identify who is on who's team
• Know what is going on with the grapevine but do not get distracted by it
• Control what you can control, no sense in worrying about things you have no control over

Unfortunately any one who is in a large corporation this will become part of their task as a leader. Knowing your surroundings makes you aware of what might be happening in the future and who can impact your career today.

Selection

The selection process for hiring new people is always crucial. For some managers the approach might be I need to fill the spot so I will take any one. Although this might fill a short term need you will likely be kicking your self later for not taking your time. If the person does not gel with the team, causes internal office conflict, or cannot be counted you will be trying to figure out a way to remove this person as fast as you might have hired them.

The best approach to think about is, am I hiring the best or am I hiring the best available? It is not uncommon for companies to quantify how much it costs to hire someone before they even start. The fixed costs like advertising, recruiting fees, time to interview, and backgrounds checks can all be calculated very easily. If you hire the right people the company will certainly take the leap to higher results. However if you hire the wrong person you will likely be thinking about how you can move on and start the process over.