Archive for the ‘Economy’ Category
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
Recently Jeff Zucker, President and CEO of General Electric Co’s NBC Universal Entertainment, told PBS interviewer Charlie Rose: “It’s the sign of a leader to step up and say you know when something’s not working, and have the guts to reverse it”.
By the end of the interview, it was questionable whether Zucker, like Conan O’Brien, would be fired. That is the way we work. Take risks, win and get the equivalent of an Oscar. Lose, and get the boot!
Is there a better way? Can there be a middle ground where what is learned when risk- taking fails gets dissected, and gives those in the loop a chance to reform their thoughts and actions in a more positive way?
What is so often the case is that the “loser” is so busy defending what has happened and is feeling the heatwaves of being under constant attack, there is no time to learn from what has been going on.
As a culture, we are so addicted to winning, and accept that as the only way. We lose, yes – lose both sight of the value of the down side of risk taking, as well as the human cost of defending, explaining and justifying behavior.
Jeff Zucker may be in a stagnant time in his career. He may be used up in his CEO role. On the other hand, he may well be in a fertile time of learning from the mess and come up with some real and juicy ideas that will get NBC out of the doldrums. If he is fired, he will lose and so will whoever replaces him. There is always backlash where the pendulum often swings to the opposite side. Thus, conservative, risk adverse individuals often follow the risk takers and progress is paralyzed.
So, NBC, a paraphrase from the song “Give peace a chance”, think about it and “Give Jeff a chance”.
Tags: Accountability, Behavioral Patterns, Business, Collaboration, Communication, Conflict, Consulting, Economy, Education, Emotions, Ethics, Executive Teams, Family-Based Patterns, Leadership, Management, Media, Money, pattern aware, Politics, Power, Stress, Transformation, Workplace Relationships
Posted in Accountability, Avoider, Boss, Business, Coaching, Collaboration, Communication, Conflict, Consulting, Diversity, Economy, Education, Employers, Ethics, Executive Teams, Human Resources, Integrity, Leaders, Leadership, leadership development, Management, Media, Money, PatternAware, Patterns, Power, Psychology, Super Achiever, Team Building, The media | No Comments »
Monday, January 4th, 2010
Hope your holidays brought you gobs of joy and heaps of happiness. Did you also get the “stuff” you had hoped for? I have been asking lots of folks the question about how this holiday season differed from past ones where there seemed to be an endless pitcher pouring out the material things money can buy.
Most of the people I talked with, in airport lounges, in restaurants, at parties, were receptive to answering a few pointed questions. While not a scientifically researched survey, there were some patters of responses that were telling.
A majority of my random samples said they had a quieter holiday time between Christmas and New Year’s Day, than in the past. They gave as much, only less frivolous things, and they almost all said that what they received was appreciated more than usual because they knew it was not so easy to find the cash to buy things.
Perhaps the up side of this recession is deeper appreciation. If so, then it has served a good purpose. Many told me they had their youngsters make cards and bake cookies as a way of giving without it breaking the bank.
This all reminded me of the Shania Twain song “Ka-Ching” that has been a representation of our love affair with money that perhaps has lost its luster. Think about the words as you make decisions for this New Year, which should be open to infinite possibilities besides grappling for more and more money.
We live in a greedy little world–
that teaches every little boy and girl
To earn as much as they can possibly–
then turn around and
Spend it foolishly
We’ve created us a credit card mess
We spend the money that we don’t possess
Our religion is to go and blow it all
So it’s shoppin’ every Sunday at the mall
All we ever want is more
A lot more than we had before
So take me to the nearest store
Can you hear it ring
It makes you wanna sing
It’s such a beautiful thing–Ka-ching!
Lots of diamond rings
The happiness it brings
You’ll live like a king
With lots of money and things
When you’re broke go and get a loan
Take out another mortgage on your home
Consolidate so you can afford
To go and spend some more when
you get bored
All we ever want is more
A lot more than we had before
So take me to the nearest store
Let’s swing
Dig deeper in your pocket
Oh, yeah, ha
Come on I know you’ve got it
Dig deeper in your wallet
Oh
All we ever want is more
A lot more than we had before
So take me to the nearest store
Can you hear it ring
It makes you wanna sing
You’ll live like a king
With lots of money and things
Ka-ching!
Let’s make this year one of substance and caring, rather than merely one of more bling and kachink!
Tags: Behavioral Patterns, Bling, Ethics, Greed, Ka-Ching, Living beyond our means, New Year resolutions, Relationships, Shania Twain
Posted in Accountability, Business, Economy, Education, Ethics, Health, Integrity, Leaders, Leadership, leadership development, PatternAware, The media | No Comments »
Monday, December 14th, 2009
In today’s Managing Leadership blog, there are some fascinating thoughts about how everything is connected; who we are, what we do and which elements – physical or psychic – drive our behavior.
These are important concepts that too often are left in the dirt of the road as executive leadership programs zero in on strategies and financials. Once we begin to ask the questions of what connects us, regardless of the type of business we run, the place in the world we live, the secondary customs and traditions we follow, then we can make great progress in looking at the baseline of what work means and why we work.
What we do know is that work is one if the most socially acceptable and constructive ways for people to spend the major portion of the day. Is it merely to pay the mortgage or find ways to fund weekend pleasures?
From observation of employee behavior, along with psychological and sociological research, one human universal becomes clear. Humans do not thrive on mindless and consistent pleasure, which gets boring. What humans thrive on is challenge.
Think about the most successful reality shows. They are about winning the amazing race, creating great recipes, losing tons of weight. In every program, we cheer for those who can overcome obstacles and learn to live a more rewarding life.
It is the same at work. When you hear co-workers engaged and enthused with their day-at-the-office, it is because they have met a challenge, found a creative solution, learned something new about themselves.
All leadership development programs need to include a module on defining and discussing human universals. Since there is ample evidence that individuals, regardless of business title and position, all seek meaningful activities and relationships, then let’s spend time making activities and relationships at work match our basic human needs and desires.
Tags: Behavioral Patterns, Boss, Business, Coaching, Consulting, Economy, Education, Emotions, Executive Teams, Leaders, leadership programs, Power, Relationships, Stress, Team Building
Posted in Business, Coaching, Collaboration, Communication, Economy, Education, Employers, Ethics, Human Resources, Integrity, Leaders, Leadership, leadership development, Management, Team Building, Workplace Relationships | No Comments »
Monday, December 14th, 2009
This end of the first decade of Century 21 is a time of searching more deeply for leadership skills that go beyond simple cookbook “become a great leader in one minute” solutions.
General Electric Chairman and CEO, Jeff Immelt, offered some great suggestions in his speech at the West Point Distinguished Leader Series. What struck me was his comment that we “must become systems thinkers who are comfortable with ambiguity”. You can read the entire speech at the GE web site.
I find it refreshing that someone in Immelt’s position is underlining the ideas that systems’ thinking is critical at this juncture of history. I believe it is a vital aspect of understanding the essence of leadership and problem solving.
However, we spend little time learning to think in a systemic way. In my book, “Don’t Bring It to Work”, there is a plea to move to systems’ thinking that I know would make a difference in how we relate to each other, to work challenges, and to the environment. So here is an excerpt from the book that I hope will stimulate thought about leadership, relationship, and connecting the dots of life.
A system is a collection of parts integrated to accomplish an overall process. The key word here is “integrated”: systems are interactive; everything depends on everything else. For example, the way doctors and nurses behave in a hospital emergency room is a system. If the experienced head nurse calls in sick, all of a sudden there is a shift in how everyone works together, there is a systemic change. Add a patient who causes an uproar and again there will be a change in how everyone works together and how the patients are treated.
Systems are found among work groups, families and even in our own biology. Chinese medicine is based on how all areas of the body work together and a cough, itching and poor sleep habits may well be part of the same illness. Even large networks of friends on web sites such as Facebook constitute a system.
If systems are at the core of how we live, then how come books about workplace issues seldom talk about them? The answer is that business is still largely shaped by analytic thinking, an intellectual orientation marked by a tendency to understand living things not by looking at the organic wholes that they are, but by separating them into their component parts. Most business leaders aren’t trained to think systemically, but rather in dichotomies; when problems occur, we sort and judge, sort and judge.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. After centuries of slumber, the older systems-oriented mode of thinking may well be making a comeback. It is what leadership education programs need now more than ever to help us solve the complex, ambiguous issues of this era. Thanks to Jeff Immelt, perhaps we can begin more rigorous dialogues about how we are all connected and the fact that no one wins unless we all do.
Tags: Dialogue, Executive Teams, GE, Integrated systems, Jeff Immelt, Leadership, Power, Team Building, Work challenges, Workplace Relationships
Posted in Accountability, Business, Coaching, Consulting, Diversity, Economy, Education, Employers, Ethics, Executive Teams, History, Human Resources, Integrity, Leaders, Leadership, leadership development, Management, PatternAware, Patterns, Workplace Relationships | No Comments »
Monday, December 7th, 2009
This week is the beginning of the fast track to the holidays. Everyone, no matter what their religious persuasion, is impacted by the bustle, the songs, the red and green decorations, the deep desire for holiday cheer and the disappointment if the dreams and hopes don’t measure up to the realities.
What to do? First, it is important to breathe! Yes, this is simple, inexpensive, and possible at any moment of the day. Deep breathing is better than cookies, wine, and even a new shiny car. Here is what to do: find a quiet place; even if you go into the bathroom and lock the door for five minutes. Keep your feet on the floor and hands on your lap. Then close your eyes. Take a long deep breath through your mouth and then exhale quickly and forcefully through your mouth. Do this at least 7 times and then sit for a moment to let the oxygen stream through your body.
If at work you see your employees and co-workers getting jittery and moody, take a few minutes and stop by their desk and without going into detail, let them know you are there to support them. Offer the breathing process by telling them it helps you when you feel like the kettle beginning to boil. Just stopping by, acknowledging that this is the toughest time of year, even in a good year, tensions increase, and giving them something simple to help them calm down will definitely make a difference.
No amount of “stuff” will help as much as a hand extended to say “you are not alone” and the corollary “we are all in it together”. Let’s see this difficult economic year end with leaders helping to defuse the stress and tension by being there for staff in a way that transcends even bonus money. Caring on an emotional level will bring dividends into the New Year as we all imagine a healthier economy and a kinder world.
Tags: Economy, Money, Stress
Posted in Beating holiday stress, Economy, Employee burnout, Health, Holiday, Money, Reflections, Workplace Relationships | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
I’m on a roll with wanting to understand economics differently. I must admit, I gave up counting in third grade, never liked numbers, and preferred the messy world of emotions to the precision of math.
However, as I research the impact of money on our lives for my new e-book (soon to be ready “Ka-Ch’ing! How Family Patterns Play with Your Money Mind), I am becoming more and more fascinated with those who have new ideas about how to distribute and divide our global wealth.
I recently happened upon a Cambridge University economist (the U.K. is certainly in my consciousness these days) who has some exciting ideas about what we are doing and what to do about it. Her name is Noreena Hertz and she is a bright light in a complex and often unwieldy academic science.
It may be that her message, one that has been whispered about in organizations, rarely said loudly and boldly, is that markets need to serve the interests of people as much as they serve companies and shareholders. Check out her book “The Silent Takeover” (2001) about how unsustainable laissez-faire capitalism is and the idea that markets are stable.
As I keep a pulse on trends, one that is staying loud and strong, is about radical transparency. It may be because the internet tracks things in the blink of an eye, it may be that enough individuals in the younger generations are asking better questions, it may be that we know we can’t survive with underhanded deals and power struggles as a major form of business transaction.
Hertz is a voice that is bound to become louder and stronger. She makes a case for rights and responsibilities that are part of free trade. Rights and responsibilities; sounds like we are talking ethics here. Maybe, just maybe, we should start teaching about rights and responsibilities in school, from primary through senior high, and perhaps we should have parenting courses that include an ethical component. Then by the time high potentials have entered esteemed leadership development programs around the globe they will have a strong foundation upon which to discuss adaptive business models and financial structures that take both profit and larger social goals into account.
Hopefully we can have a groundswell of bright and competent leaders who know “we are all in it together and no one wins unless we all do”.
Tags: Accountability, Economy, Ethics, leadership programs, Management, Relationships
Posted in Accountability, Business, Coaching, Communication, Economy, Ethics, Executive Teams, Money | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
Yesterday I wrote about a husband and wife who are economists stationed in Afghanistan. Somehow, that set up a stream of connections about the world structure from an economic perspective. The next night, still in London, there was a CNBC show called “House of Cards” about the failures of Wall Street and the mortgage mess. It grabbed my attention.
While riding the Tube, eating fish and chips, window shopping, meeting with clients, talking with friends, my mind had a strong background song repeating and repeating about power, evil and possibilities (or the lack of them!).
One thing that stands out like a broken record is an Alan Greenspan comment made on the CNBC special when he was interviewed about how the house of cards was built and how it tumbled down. He smiled a weary smile and then acknowledged that the essence of the situation was greed and that greed is something that has always been and always will. He indicated that what happened would have happened no matter what structures would have been put in place. He also felt this will happen again and again because people are just greedy. That’s it! Greed always has been and always will be.
I wonder if any of you reading this have a different point of view? Is greed the driving force of business? Is leadership development training about ethics and morals a waste of time? Is it best to protect ourselves, play it close to the chest, and only worry about ourselves and our families? Is having a social conscience naïve and ultimately a way to head for personal disaster? Are there better ways to look at the dilemma of greed so prevalent in our society?
I sure would like to hear from you. Anyone who sends an answer that we can put on the blog will get an autographed copy of my book “Don’t Bring It to Work”. Give hope or say Greenspan is right, just give your perspective why. I look forward to hearing from you.
Posted in Accountability, Business, Economy, Ethics, Executive Teams, Leaders, Leadership, Politics | No Comments »
Friday, October 9th, 2009
What does it mean for the world that President Obama is receiving the Nobel Peace prize? Maybe, just maybe it means we are in a turn the corner place for deeper thinking. Maybe, just maybe, we can find ways to care about each other rather than continue to set up polarizing, frozen perspectives.
My curiosity is peeked. How will the Rush Limbaugh types of the world respond to this news? I expect with their same old rhetoric, their same old blaming, judging, and attacking. It is the pattern of communication that has garnered them millions of dollars, fame, and a place to talk and talk and talk.
What I do not see in these loud and negative folks is a thought, ever, about conciliation, giving the other side credit, new thinking about how to solve old problems. I listen to them to stay in touch with all perspectives. Often, when I turn off the radio or television I have a sour taste in my mouth, a knot in my stomach. It’s not so much what they say; it’s the anger that is at the core of their commentary.
In studying the lives of people who are making big sounds in today’s market place, be they politicians, in the media, in education, or in business I am struck by how so many who are angry, who lash out to hurt, who need to find losers so they can be winners, are those who have had childhoods where the pain still seems evident today.
While Obama did not grow up with a silver spoon, he did the hard work of researching his past and making peace with it the best he could. In my work with leaders I am convinced that those who are able to include others, to show compassion, to create connections rather than dissention, are those who, regardless of where or how they grew up have done the hard work of reclaiming the positive patterns from their past and transforming the negative pattern to their healthy opposites.
Observing, understanding, and transforming patterns is the work of 21st century leaders and maybe we can make this a priority for all of us. Then, we can really begin the task of weaving together our human family and begin to bring everyone together in new creative, proactive and collaborative ways.
In our leadership program we teach, first and foremost,” We’re all in it together and no one wins unless we all do”! Congratulations to President Obama, great work in difficult times!!!
Tags: Accountability, Behavioral Patterns, Communication, Conflict, Economy, Ethics, Leaders, Leadership, leadership programs, Media, Nobel Peace Prize, pattern aware, Patterns, President Obama, Rush Limbaugh, Transformation
Posted in Accountability, Communication, Conflict, Economy, Ethics, Honor, Integrity, Leaders, Leadership, Media, PatternAware, Patterns, Transformation | No Comments »
Friday, October 2nd, 2009
I have been running around the country (actually flying to be really clear) and what I find interesting is that similarities seem more similar than they ever have before. This economic downturn has hit the whole country and I am finding people in Texas, California, Oregon, New York and Boston all using the same words and expressing the same concepts about their work and personal lives.
There is a strong desire to redefine success. It looks and feels different from the high flying last decades of the 20th Century. The word downsizing is being used both in business and in personal settings. We spent time talking with realtors in all these towns and went to see some fabulous homes that were all for sale. In each big, beautiful house, the ones that would have made everyone salivate in the past, there was a story about jobs lost and a need to downsize and other stories about a conscious decision to find smaller, more efficient quarters.
In the past these houses were like badges of honor. They were signs of having made it to the good life. They yelled out “I am here, I am a success”.
Now, I have nothing against large, lush structures. Yet, I have always wondered how a house (or a car, or any type of trophy) can sustain a feeling of unlimited success. Bricks and mortar, even flashy statues with names inscribed can only take us so far in our deeper feelings of self esteem.
So, maybe during these times success is being recalibrated. Maybe it means helping a neighbor in need. Perhaps is means learning how to sew or garden to save money and become a creative artisan at the same time. Maybe success means leaving less of a carbon footprint.
I do sense that this tough time is one that will give us new guidelines about what it means to be human, what it means to share, what it means to be successful. Perhaps we will be happy to have a car to drive no matter its age. Perhaps we can spend time with family and friends just talking and laughing together.
I met some of the folks who are leaving those large McMansions for smaller dwellings. Interestingly, most were relieved to have the burden of caretaking lifted from their shoulders. Most were in a middle place of rethinking life values and what it means to be a success. From our talks I was sure that most will be at the forefront of defining the new meaning of success, less about what is out there to show and more about what is inside to share.
Tags: Accountability, Behavioral Patterns, Business, Collaboration, Communication, Conflict, Diversity, Economy, Emotions, Ethics, Family-Based Patterns, Fear, Leaders, Leadership, leadership programs, Patterns, Resilience, Stress, Transformation
Posted in Accountability, Collaboration, Communication, Conflict, Economy, Ethics, Fear, History, Honor, Integrity, Leaders, Leadership, PatternAware, Patterns, Power, Reflections, Transformation | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
Yesterday I offered free, signed copies of my book “Don’t Bring It to Work: Breaking the Family Patterns that Limit Success” to the first three people who had a life changing story and a sentence that underlined what had happened.
It will be an honor to post them on my blog. In our “Total Leadership Connections” program I have had the privilege of hearing many life changing stories. The second of the program’s four sessions is dedicated to Sankofa mapping. This is a time when business executives, high potential employees, leaders from both the profit and non profit sectors come together and learn about the patterns passed from generation to generation that helped form their inner core. The stories are all of our stories filled with courage, laughter, fear, betrayal, dissention, and transformation. Truth, we know, trumps fiction every time.
Sankofa, a word from Ghana means, “Clear the past to free the present”. When we do this we are able to be better leaders, better stewards of those who are in our employ.
Our stories are needed now, more than ever before. We are all going through a revision of who we are and what really matters. We are being more finely tuned to participate in a world that is being redefined by technology, earth changes, and global connectedness.
If we all begin to tell our life changing stories perhaps we can have an impact on the media. Hollywood, in particular, is losing the war on clichés. They are so intent on financial success there is a need to stay with stories from the past that have worked. They tell only those that are predictable. Most of us can predict the ending before the first third of the film is over.
What our overfed and undernourished culture is wanting are some new insights, some originality of thought that will make us see ourselves and the struggles of the times differently.
Let your story be told. It will help you redesign your thinking and help all those with whom you work and those you love.
Tags: Accountability, Behavioral Patterns, Business, Coaching, Collaboration, Communication, Conflict, Diversity, Economy, Education, Ethics, Executive Teams, family patterns, Family-Based Patterns, History, Leaders, Leadership, leadership programs, Media, pattern aware, Patterns, Power, programs, Sankofa, Stress, Transformation, Workplace Relationships
Posted in Accountability, Business, Coaching, Collaboration, Communication, Conflict, Consulting, Diversity, Economy, Education, Employers, Ethics, Executive Teams, Fear, Health, History, Honor, Integrity, Leaders, Leadership, Management, Media, PatternAware, Patterns, Power, Reflections, Team Building, The media, Transformation, Workplace Relationships | No Comments »
