Coaching

If you read the book Good to Great by Jim Collins he explains how important it is to have the right people on the bus. Recently, I was asked to lead a sales coaching session for a team in a different line of business. The experience was great and I really felt I was making an impact. After the meeting I was asked to come back 2 more times to continue the training that we were developing. Although this is not in my job description it is certainly something I enjoy and am passionate about.

After thinking through this request for a while I began to wonder why there is no one else leading these sessions? I am concerned if the right people are on the bus and if not how will this change? In my expereince as a culture evolves you have to be willing to find the right people and if the model changes you will likely need fresh talent. Very few people will be able to adapt and change to a new enviroment. I am not saying people cannot change but the time it takes to make these changes can sometimes be the difference between success and failure. One of the first things you will every read in a marketing book is about being the first to market and how important it is. The same goes for people if you let your employees lag your culture will not change thus forcing you to lag the competition.

Ohio State Recognition

If you are a sports fan last night was a big night for college football. I am frustrated with the lack of recognition for the Ohio State Buckeyes and what they accomplished in 2007. In 2006 Ohio State lost nearly their entire offensive powerhouse and had little expectations for the 2007 season. Early in 2007 people in the media and college football analysts were not even predicting Ohio State to finish in the top 10 let alone play in their second consecutive National Championship Game. Yesterday's loss to LSU was not acceptable to Buckeye fans but I would argue this was one of the best coaching years Coach Tressel has had at Ohio State.

Over achieving is something that becomes lost in sports and in business. Once you achieve top performance on a regular basis this becomes the new standard for future results. Jim Tressel has raised the bar for the Ohio State program over the past few years and for that he should be rewarded and recognized rather than ridiculed. In business, the same phenomenon takes place every day with top sales people. Rather than rewarding them and thanking them for their hard work we raise their goals and ask them to do more with little appreciation for a job well done. Remember the Rainmakers of an organization will continue to drive forward and reach new heights however if they are not recognized, rewarded and appreciated it might not be for your organization it might be for your competition.

Connections

Keeping in contact with old friends and building a network is an area that few do well. I was reviewing some profiles on linkedin and it is amazing to see how social networking has exploded. Some people do a great job at it while others are terrible. Business is built on relationships, direct or indirect, yet some feel business will come to them regardless if they put in the effort.

I have worked with small businesses over the past few years and one of the major opportunities small businesses have is a detailed business and/or a marketing plan. Sure they had one at one point but for some reason they have forgotten about it or have not revised it. I am not advocating owning a business is easy, actually it is probably the toughest thing you can do. However I would venture to say if small business owners consulted with a coach who could keep them on track, set goals, align strategies their success would increase tremendously. If you do not change behaviors you should not expect a change in results.

Holiday Season

Why do people act so different around the holidays? Is it the relief of completing another year or the celebration of the Christmas season? I find it remarkable how people interact during this time with family, friends and peers. People who do not usually talk inevitably end up conversing and catching up on what has taken place over the past few months.

I think we should all strive for a environment and culture where we do not need a holiday to bring out these emotions. Wouldn't it be great if people were genuinely concerned about each other and showed respect regardless of the time of the year. Of course it is now the day after Christmas and I would argue to continue to the spirit of goodwill, just because Christmas is over does not mean the feeling has to go away.

Mitchell Report

If you are a baseball fan the past couple of days have been shocking to say the least. The use of steroids in baseball is at a level that people could have never imagined. There are potential hall of fame players that are being accused and their reputations are in jeopardy. My question is are they a by product of a culture that demands the pressure to succeed?

In business, like baseball, people are constantly looking for an edge. In business it might mean acquiring a new company, hiring a top executive, or hedging the company's assets for capital. Depending on the culture of the organization all of these are relative and the culture decides how far you should go. I once worked in a culture that was so driven by goals you felt that at any given time you could lose your job if you missed the numbers. Regardless of tenure or experience you miss the goals 2 months in a row and you better get your resume ready. I worked in this environment for 6 years and throughout that time I seen numerous people being fired for compliance/regulation reasons. Yes, these people were jeopardizing their careers in order to keep their careers. It seems strange, right? The answer is no, the culture demanded that you hit your goals but did not demand you have the utmost integrity.

I view the situation with MLB to the situation that happens everyday in business. At an early age people are learning how to beat the system, cheating on tests, staying past curfew, under age drinking. So why do we expect these same people once they are in a leadership positions to change. If you do not like the actions that are taking place take a look at the culture and environment. If you change one person you impact one, if you change the environment and the culture you will impact many!

unintentional destruction

Sometimes leaders do not realize what they are saying might actually be causing distruction in the workplace. In a office enviroment people are bound to discuss today's daily events, yesterday's accomplishments and tomorrows goals. However focus on the uncontrolable leads to distruction.

In my career I have seen managers focus their time and energy on things that are out of their control thus bringing their team's productivity to a stand still. This is rarely intentional and most likely an attempt to deliver results. Nonetheless actions that focus on the uncontrollable lead to destruction.

In today's economy people are focused on what is going to happen to my job, what if the housing market never recovers, what if we are bought out by a competitor? All of these scenarios cannot be controlled by the average employee. An employee can focus on what am I doing to provide results for shareholders, am I building a track record that makes me marketable to other firms, and am I learning what or what not to do next time?

As a leader remember to control your environment and help create an environment that is constructive not deconstructive.

Be Consistent

There is a rule in business that is often over looked, consistency. So many times all an employee, team member, boss is looking for is consistency. It is an outstanding experience when someone delivers extraordinary results but at the end of the day the consistent folks are what truly drives the business.

As a team member all you can do is perform at the best of your ability every day. It is important to focus on being consistent in your approach, delivery and communication style. If you are not consistent people will eventually avoid you with the fear of not knowing what might be coming at them.

Sure some might say the consistent person does not always get the high recognition, praise or advancements. However the consistent person traditionally provides stability, clear vision, and accountability. Companies need consistency.