A leader shares the wealth

Dan Price, the CEO of Gravity Payments, shook up a lot of leaders when he announced that he would slash his 7 figure salary to just $70,000––and distribute the difference with his employees. According to the NY Times:

“Mr. Price surprised his 120-person staff by announcing that he planned over the next three years to raise the salary of even the lowest-paid clerk, customer service representative and salesman to a minimum of $70,000.”

Bold move? Publicity stunt? Calculated strategy?

There is a sound strategic basis for his move––and a healthy measure of compassionate leadership.

First of all, Price is acknowledging the people who helped him through his toughest times …

Dan Price came close to closing up shop himself in 2008 when the recession sent two of his biggest clients into bankruptcy, eliminating 20 percent of his revenue in the space of two weeks. He said the firm managed to struggle through without layoffs or raising prices. His staff, most of them young, stuck with him.

At the same time, he obviously sees the strategic wisdom of rewarding the people who made his business what it is today. On FOX Business News Price said:

I do think over the long term there is an upside. Actually what I think though, is the fact that we’re a values-based business and we make decisions based on what is right, has gotten us to where we are today and I think that will get us to where we’re going to be in 10, 20––30 years from where we are now.

Compassion is about understanding the people you serve as a leader.

Price listened to the people on the front lines …

From his friends, he heard stories of how tough it was to make ends meet even on salaries that were still well-above the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour … “They were walking me through the math of making 40 grand a year,” he said, then describing a surprise rent increase or nagging credit card debt. (NY Times)

He listened––and what he heard is that his people were having trouble making ends meet––the same people that helped him create a profitable company.

One of the key leadership strategies from THE SENSEI LEADER is: “Lead by sharing––not accumulating.”

Studies continually show that financial incentives like bonuses are less motivating than a sense of purpose, autonomy and trust. Don’t use that data to justify behaving like a Scrooge.

Money may not be the most important incentive, but it is still important. The flip side is how demotivating it is when the team pitches in to drive profits and the owner scoops up all the chips.

So yes … when efforts yield profits, share the wealth!

That’s exactly what Price is doing here––and it’s right.

Money is a motivator only to a point, and Price researched that point. Again from the Times:

The happiness research behind Mr. Price’s announcement on Monday came from Angus Deaton and Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel Prize-winning psychologist. They found that what they called emotional well-being — defined as “the emotional quality of an individual’s everyday experience, the frequency and intensity of experiences of joy, stress, sadness, anger, and affection that make one’s life pleasant or unpleasant” — rises with income, but only to a point. And that point turns out to be about $75,000 a year.

In THE SENSEI LEADER I wrote, “Money is a poor incentive only once a person’s basic material expectations are met. Until and unless a person feels he’s treated fairly, money matters—a lot.”

While it’s difficult to motivate people with money alone, it is certainly important to recognize the power of fairness in influencing productivity. That’s why the “wage gap” is getting so much attention. Continuing from THE SENSEI LEADER:

There is nothing more discouraging and de-motivating than to work hard to help the company produce a windfall only to see leadership reward themselves with bonuses while the people at the front lines are cut out of the bounty.

I’m rooting for Dan Price and his company. After hearing him talk, I’m convinced his is a sincere gesture of compassionate leadership.

A final thought from my book:

“… it’s simple; don’t over-complicate it. When the people who work for you help increase your wealth––share it.”

I believe that’s what Price is doing. Give the man a Black Belt!

The ONE thing every leader MUST do before starting the New Year

For just a few minutes forget about the lists…

Forget about the resolutions and goal setting.

Forget about next year’s planning…

Before you decide what you’re going to do next year, decide who you’re going to be…

What you do next year and how you do it is determined mostly by who you decide to be.

The process is not complicated and it doesn’t take a great deal of time. Here’s what works best for me…

First, take a good look in the mirror…

I’m not talking metaphorically- I mean take few minutes and actually look at who it is in your mirror.

Don’t worry about your weight or hair loss or wrinkles. Just take a good hard look at who other people see when you’re standing in front of them. What is your face telling you about who you are?

Step two- take a few steps…again actually not figuratively…

Go take a walk.

Go someplace quiet and choose a route that you know will take you at least an hour. I don’t like time pressure during this experience, so I pick a route that I know will take me an hour or more and I make sure nothing is scheduled the rest of the day, just in case I keep walking.

Some people recommend sitting for this exercise. I recommend the walk so you put some distance between your daily tasks and pressures and can experience some real alone time. Plus, it gets the oxygen flowing to the brain and helps you think clearly.

On your walk, think about who you were over the past year. Were you courageous? Were you compassionate? Were you a little wiser than the year before?

How did these characteristics reveal themselves in your thoughts and actions over the past few months? Were there times when you acted out of character?

Somewhere along your walk, allow yourself a few minutes to think about this most important question:

Did you like who you saw in the mirror? If so, why? If not- why not?

Finally, on your return trip think about who you want to be this year…

Leave any negative thoughts on the trail for now- and it’s still not time for planning and lists and goals. Think about who you want to be, not what you want to do.
It took me some time, but now I think I understand that the old masters weren’t trying to mess with our heads when they said…

…sometimes the most powerful action is no action at all.

The first step in being who you want to be is simply acknowledging who you are. Only then can you decide who you want to become.

Planning, goals, lists…all important, but not as important as understanding who you are and who you want to be. More than any other factor, who you are- your character, determines your thoughts and actions.

For the leader, who you are defines how other people see you and most of all, how you see yourself.

 Now, go look in the mirror…

…and take a walk!

Hillary Clinton and Sun Tzu agree- empathy is a powerful leadership tool

Whether you love or hate Hillary, her recent comments on empathy for one’s enemy struck a nerve…

This post is not a debate on politics. Let’s focus the process of understanding an adversary’s perspective and explore whether or not empathy has any value as a leadership tool.

If you love Hillary, it’s likely that her words appealed to your yearning for peaceful solutions to even the most violent conflicts affecting the world today. It’s likely that you see any violence as an escalating rather than a mitigating factor in any conflict.

If you hate Hillary, it’s likely that her words offended your sense of justice. You likely see her thoughts as naive and a sign of weakness we simply cannot afford in the face of violent aggression.

It’s sometimes your responsibility as a leader to resolve difficult ideological rifts, particularly when those rifts impede the orderly operation, growth and success of your organization or community.

You’re likely to face at least two major obstacles as you seek resolution- and note that I purposely use the term resolution rather than solution.

The first major hurdle, making sure everyone is debating on the same semantic ground…

Semantics are a great obstacle to resolution. The reason I carefully chose the word resolution here is that resolution is defined as the act of choosing a course of action. Solution is the act of solving a particular problem.

A resolution may not, by itself, solve a problem. You can just as easily resolve to ignore the problem, or to examine the situation further.

The semantic problem with Hillary’s remarks, and with the responses her words provoked, expose the semantic problem.

In most of the responses I listened to, both pro and con, responded as if she had used the word sympathy, rather than empathy.

Sympathy refers to agreement with, or a sense of harmony with the thoughts and feelings of someone else.

Empathy is nothing of the kind. Empathy can be sympathetic, but in it’s primary form, it is the act of understanding another person’s thoughts and feelings. Empathy refers to the proverbial act of walking a mile in someone else’s shoes before judging.

You may feel that in the face of a recognized enemy, empathy is unwarranted or inappropriate. That is a valid ideological stand, but it this is your position be sure that what you mean to argue is that it is inappropriate to understand the thoughts and feelings of your enemy.

If you mean to condemn sympathy- a feeling of harmony with or agreement with the feelings of the enemy, that’s an entirely different argument.

Next is the ethnocentric obstacle and our innate tendency to back fill our arguments with data that supports our own position and refutes the other guy’s…

In this regard, we’re prisoners of evolution. Research shows that we do tend to identify with a small group of like-minded people and that by and large, our ethnocentric view is strongly influenced by our culture of birth and later by our peer groups, which we also tend to choose based on our past cultural experiences.

In other words, we seek out the people who think and act most like us. We tend to look at other groups and other people’s perspectives through the lens of our own. It takes a conscious effort to do otherwise.

What’s important to this discussion is that by and large, we hear what we want to hear. If you’re part of the group that loves Hillary, she sounds rational and compassionate. If you’re part of the group that can’t stand her, she sounds naive and obtuse.

Now we can finally talk with some clarity about Sun Tzu and the value of empathy…

No one would accuse Sun Tzu of being a pacifist, yet In The Art of War he teaches us to become “one with the enemy.”

He’s talking about understanding the mind of the enemy- empathy…

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

“If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.

“If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

Not sympathy! Sun Tzu is talking about knowing your enemy as completely as you can.

Empathy can be a very useful quality for a leader seeking resolution…

     • Can you rise above the din of battle and listen to the argument from a detached, more objective vantage point?

     • Can you put aside your personal feelings and emotions long enough to at least listen to different sides?

A more modern sage, Dr. Stephen Covey, put it this way; “Seek first to understand.”

Now don’t confuse my kindness for weakness! In fact, don’t even assume I’m being kind. My empathy may simply be a means to discover and exploit your weakness!

Conflict can stall or even cripple an organization- or a society. Of course, conflict is almost inevitable when you can least afford it, that is when you’re preparing for significant change or facing adversity.

Empathy streamlines resolution. When you understand the other perspective, your response is more informed and your chosen course of action usually more effective…

…whether you sympathize with the other guy’s perspective or not.

Love her or hate her, Hillary is right in one specific area- empathy is the key to peace. It’s also the key to victory should you choose to do battle. Either way, a thorough knowledge of the mind of your adversary is a tremendous advantage for any effective leader.

I’ll leave you with some more wisdom from Sun Tzu. Think about this:



“The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.”

AN EXPERIMENT…

Because you read this far, I’ll let you in on a secret. I chose to exploit this contentious topic to measure the natural tendency of people to respond to a controversial issue without empathy- without first seeking to understand.

Many people are likely to respond to just the headline. I know from past experience that they’ll either condemn me or support me without reading another word. Others will make assumptions about my individual political mindset. Many will not even realize that this article does not present a political opinion at all.

Some will read the article and will refute or validate specific portions based on their political perspective. Again- they may not see that this is not a political piece, but rather simply a commentary on issues facing today’s leader, no matter what your personal politics. Still, I anticipate responses that will attempt to turn this into a political debate.

Responses should indicate what percentage of readers are empathetic- that is seeking to know more before making a judgement as opposed to those who simply use this as a platform to express their predetermined point of view.

I’m going to track the specific responses to this post on social media. If the response is significant, I’ll do a follow-up post with the results.

Leadership and gratitude

Gratitude is not a platitude- it’s an inventory…

A year end inventory is essential for any effective leader. The best method to take a complete inventory of your leadership resources is gratitude.

• You’ve got to analyze what worked and what didn’t.

• You’ve got to assess the people around you. Who helped you move forward, who held you back?

• You’ve got to take stock of your material, emotional and spiritual resources. What do you have plenty of? What needs replenishing?

Be careful. It’s all too easy to get caught up in worry and obsession over what you don’t have at any given time- what you want or areas where you came up short of expectations.

Use gratitude as an inventory basis and you’ll focus on what you have- not what you don’t…

No matter where you want to go in the coming year, you’ve got to start with what you have, right here and right now.

My gratitude practice is extremely simple- anyone can do it. It only takes a few minutes, but I also find it very useful to set aside a few hours one a specific day to really think in depth about the past year.

What better time than near Thanksgiving?

All I do is set aside some time and think about all the things, people and resources in my life. I think about experiences, good and bad. I think about my current circumstances and conditions.

Then I just say, “Thank You.”

For the people in my life that believe in my vision and my mission. For the people who support my efforts, directly and from places I might not even know about…

Thank You.

For a warm place to live and plenty of food to eat…

Thank You- I didn’t always have these things.

For my wonderful, loving and supportive wife and business partner, Alex…

Thank You.

For my friends and family…

Thank You.

For my ability to express myself by writing, speaking and through my other passions…

Thank You.

For my talents, skills and abilities and for the teachers, mentors and coaches that helped me cultivate them…

Thank You.

For my health…

Thank You.

For the material resources I have. I’d like more, but I’ve had far less!

Thank You.

For every experience, good and bad. For every mistake and lesson, however painful. For every challenge, adversity and hardship that will become part of some future achievement…

Thank You.

For my curiosity, sense of wonder and ambition…

Thank You.

For the people who find my work useful…

Thank You.

For my health…

Thank You.

For the blessing of being born an American and to have the freedom to do what I choose…

Thank You.

I just keep going until it gets quiet. I always reach a certain point where it seems I have plenty to be thankful for. This is a good place to start my next year.

I learned to do this just after I quit drugs…

I was living in my old trailer in Maine and as I remember it, it was a cold spring day, May I think.

I remember fighting back tears as I realized I had no money and as happened all too often then, I had run out of heating oil. I was immersed in self-pity thinking about what I had done to myself over the past two years.

I was sick, hungry and worst of all, absolutely disgusted with who I was, where I was and what I was.
I went outside- the sun was burning off an early morning fog it was actually warmer out there.

I remember seriously considering ending it all that day.

I started to think…

I might be cold, but at least I have a place to live. I may be hungry, but at least for today I have enough to eat. I may be sick, but I can get better.

Then I thought- it’s spring. And I’m still here.

The feeling of taking my own life drifted away. I didn’t take that feeling lightly- suicide and I were close friends.

All I could think of to say, was Thank You.

And that’s how this all got started…

Leadership is about many things, but most of all, it’s about knowing yourself and it’s about your commitment to the never-ending process of self-improvement. It’s about embracing life- the full catastrophe.

Leadership is a precious gift. It’s a gift that requires constant reflection, assessment and awareness. It’s a gift that must be cultivated- continually.

For that gift, just say Thank You…

This is an old video- but it still fits…

COMING SOON!

“The book that teaches leadership from a new perspective, and an ancient tradition.”

“This book restores the humanity to leadership…”

Leadership for the Millennial Generation – They’re not looking for anything new!

To effectively lead the new generation of Millennials, you need a very old style of leadership…

“If you’re a manager today, you probably oversee a number of employees from the Millennial generation. But you might not understand how best to recruit, retain, and steer them–and soon they’ll be most of your workforce.” ~Kathryn Dill, Forbes.com

Gen X, Gen Y, now Millennials- every couple of years we hear about how to adapt to the latest generation of employee. Each time one of these groups is surveyed, I see a deep connection to a timeless style of leadership that crosses all generations.

What is it, exactly, that the Millennials are looking for in a leader?

Dill’s report is a commentary on a survey of 16,000 Millennialsl from around the world conducted by Universum and the INSEAD Emerging Markets Institute (EMI). (Read the full article here…)

Dill sees a changing focus away from monetary incentive toward a heavier emphasis on work/life balance:

“Thus far, cash has remained king where compensation is concerned, across the generational board. But according to Universum’s research, 73% of respondents favored work-life balance over a salary bump, and an even-higher 82% placed work-life balance ahead of their place in the company hierarchy.”

This is not new!

The past several generational shifts have taught us that people are placing a greater emphasis on personal life in proportion to professional success.

The Sensei Leader understands that work and personal life are not separate, but simply two parts of the same whole. The more you can address personal needs as part of your ideal of professional success, the more balance you’ll feel.

Many years ago Lao Tzu taught:

“Ambition has one heel nailed in well, though she stretch her fingers to touch the heavens.”

As leaders, you can address this concern by understanding how personal and professional ambitions work together to help an employee derive greater satisfaction in the job.

“Forty-one percent of respondents said taking on a leadership or management role was ‘very’ important to them. The greatest percentage of respondents, 35, said this was because of compensation, but almost as many, 31%, said their motivation was a desire for influence and an equal percentage valued the chance to play a strategic role in an organization.”

Here the Millenials desire to express what I continually highlight as an essential quality of genuine leadership- the need to inspire others and to make a meaningful contribution to the organization.

Not only is it important to cultivate this desire to encourage and develop the next generation of leaders, but it is crucial to “lead by example” in this area and demonstrate that as a leader you are committed to influencing your organization in a meaningful way above and beyond the understandable desire for greater financial rewards.

“Roughly a quarter of respondents said they place value on getting promoted quickly and regularly, but a larger segment of those surveyed–45%–emphasize the importance of continuing to learn and develop new skills.”

The greatest gift the martial arts life gave me is this philosophy:

“Perfection is not a destination- it’s a never-ending process!”

Isn’t that what the Millennials are saying? They want to grow and develop. They want to discover new talents and cultivate new skills.

Provide the opportunity for growth and development and you will engender loyalty from the Millennial generation- and all the other generations you serve too!

The Millennials don’t want anything new. They want something very, very old!

Lao Tzu said this more than 2,500 years ago:

“In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.”

Isn’t that what the Millennials are saying today?

COMING SOON!

“The book that teaches leadership from a new perspective, and an ancient tradition.”

“This book restores the humanity to leadership…”

8 Ancient Qualities for Effective Leadership Today

Excerpt from THE SENSEI LEADER…these strategies are now also available in the pocket guide: 8 STRATEGIES for EFFECTIVE LEADERS. Right now, purchase your signed copy of THE SENSEI LEADER and get the 8 STRATEGIES guide FREE! Click here for details.

These new times require a new type of leader-a new type of leader that understands a very old type of leadership…

Here are 8 key elements to integrate the ancient wisdom of The Sensei Leader in today’s challenging leadership environment:

1. Today’s leader cannot be limited to one leadership style…

He must be articulate in a number of styles and able to adapt to ever faster changing circumstances and conditions.

2. Today’s leader has to be tough- yet compassionate…

Compassionate, not weak. Compassion in the sense of sincere caring for others, but with the strength to do what is right even when it’s not comfortable, convenient, or expedient.

3. Today’s leader has to be a jack of all trades, Master of one or two…

He has to be proficient enough in certain areas to earn the genuine respect of followers, but at the same time must recognize that he needs to cultivate the talents and skills of others to realize the full potential of the organization or community.

4. Today’s leader must be confident, but humble…

… courageous yet sensitive, authoritative without being authoritarian.

5. Today’s leader must be a skilled communicator…

…and his communication must be sincere, honest and transparent…

6. Today’s leader must be tomorrow’s leader…

…able to build on the past yet perceptive- prepared for every possibility and contingency. He must be receptive to the rapid flow of new information and rapidly changing conditions and willing to act quickly to exploit opportunities.

7. Today’s leader must be a skilled teacher, coach and mentor…

He needs to know when to encourage and when to correct. He needs to know how to bring out the best in others and must be absolutely comfortable in training others to surpass him in talent, skill and ability.

8. Today’s leader leads through sharing, not accumulating.

Today’s leader can learn a lot from one of the most ancient leadership traditions…

…be the Sensei.

You can’t fix stupid- or bad leadership

Responding to a question…

What do you do when there is overwhelming resistance to necessary change?

Ron White is right when he says, “You can’t fix stupid.”

Well- I can’t fix bad leadership either. Neither can you.

You can work with those who are willing to change, but if someone is seriously committed to the status quo for selfish reasons, there’s not much you can do.

That’s why I don’t work with bad organizations.

You can’t lead the unwilling…

You can bribe them, coerce them, even scare them into some desired action- in the short term. You can even trick them into some directed performance…

…but you can’t lead them.

What you must do, however, is take a hard look at any hard-line resistance.

Is what you’re seeing really obstinance- or fear?

In many cases, the problem is not as much resistance to change as it is a fear of the unknown. The status quo may not be getting you where you want to go- but unless there is a clear and present danger, the fear of the unknown often subverts any movement toward meaningful change.

Before you chop heads- be sure that what you’re dealing with is genuine resistance. If it’s fear, then deal with it…

People may fear real obstacles you didn’t see in your enthusiasm for a change. Those fears should be respected and considered as you plot exactly how to implement change.

They may simply fear the risk of failing faster- even as you suffer the slow death by a thousand cuts.

Of course- they may also simply be protecting their turf, packing their golden parachute and doing what it takes to get theirs before the ship hits the iceberg. Sorry for the mixed metaphors- but you get the message.

If that is truly the case, then those people need to be put ashore before you set sail for the new world!

The fear associated with change is very often rational. It’s part of our survival mechanism- for an individual or for an organization.

However, these days, more than ever, resistance to change can be fatal. The business environment is changing at light speed. If you don’t change, you’re not likely to survive.

Cultivate people who embrace change- and support them…

• Engage people in the process of change- before you come down with edicts.

• Solicit input from leaders at all levels. How will this change affect their ability to do their jobs?

• Most of all- be enthusiastic and confident about your new course. Show people that you’ve considered all the options…

…that you desire and respect their input,

…that their willingness to support this change is appreciated,

…and that their efforts are essential to the success of your new direction.

COMING SOON!

“The book that teaches leadership from a new perspective, and an ancient tradition.”

“This book restores the humanity to leadership…”

You’re NOT developing leaders at all levels? That’s going to be a problem…

You’re NOT developing leaders at all levels? That’s going to be a problem…

Jacob Morgan writes in Forbes.com…

“It’s no wonder that the majority of employees around the world don’t like their jobs and there is one key reason for that. Work practices, attitudes, values, strategies, technologies, and ways of working are evolving and changing at a rapid pace, whereas organizations remain stagnant when it comes to adapting to these changes.”

Morgan continues…

“Many companies still operate as though employees are expendable, assume that managers are powerful leaders who should control all the information and remain stoic, and that there needs to be a bureaucratic “pecking order” to how things get done.”

If your company believes that leadership is based on command and control- that in itself is a serious disconnect.

People today want autonomy.

They want the opportunity to do their jobs well and express their talents to the fullest.

This can be accomplished two ways…

You can just get out of the way, and Morgan cites several companies that seem to apply that technique effectively. I don’t think it’s any accident that this model seems to work best in highly creative environments where there is little or no functionary work that must be completed on specified deadlines.

The model that struck me was one in which there is a conscious process for developing leaders at all levels- independent of title and authority…

“…how about Whirlpool which recently took a unique approach to leadership by stating that everyone at the company should be a leader and created four categories that every employee in the organization can fit into (leaders self, leading others, leading function, and leading enterprise).”

That’s what I’m talking about!

Leadership should not be restricted to the executive suite and the management team. Peer to peer leadership, and as Morgan describes at Whirlpool, “self” leadership can and should be cultivated to maximize engagement at all levels.

There is, of course, a catch…

When you commit to developing leaders at all levels, you assume an important and challenging responsibility. You’ve got to have the courage to let go of those who do not embrace the concepts of self-directed leadership, peer to peer leadership and bottom-up leadership.

There is nothing more demotivating than to work hard and assume leadership responsibility only to see a slacker tolerated or coddled. It doesn’t take extensive research to show that one disengaged employee can drag down productivity in every person he contacts- though there is plenty of research to validate that point!

Leadership does not necessarily require authority- unless you’re talking about self-authority. That is the willingness of the individual to accept full responsibility for his or her own performance, growth and development.

A leader asks before being asked.

A leader sees what needs to be done and does it- sometimes without waiting for orders.

A leader is a willing mentor and teacher and knows that power- your capacity for effectiveness, only expands through sharing.

You can- and should cultivate that type of leader…

…at all levels.

You can read Jacob Morgan’s entire article on Forbes.com here…

Civility and The 5 Assumptions – How to debate contentious issues respectfully (Even at work!)

Civility and respect may not be dead, but they’re definitely on life support!

With all the highly charged issues facing us today, is there any way we can have a civil conversation-

Is there any way we can have a meaningful debate without killing one another?

Social media makes it even worse. You can be a complete jerk and say things you’d never say face to face…

…after all, nobody can punch you in the mouth through the screen! Yet…

If our society is going to survive, especially with another political cycle coming up, we’ve got to restore some degree of respect and civility to our public conversation.

Nearly every American will tell you it’s OK to have different opinions. What most people really mean is that it’s OK to have a different opinion- as long as your opinion doesn’t conflict with mine!

In other words, you’re free to have an opinion different from mine- even if you’re wrong!

Some say that our diversity makes us stronger.

Bull…

Our differences don’t make us strong; our differences make us interesting. That’s especially true in diversity of opinion and ideology.

The fact that we can usually live and work together despite our differences is what makes us strong.

But- in order to respect one another’s differences, we’ve got to practice civility.

I know the conventional wisdom says never to “assume” anything- because if you do you make an ass out of you and me…

Can’t we all just get along? We can with these 5 Assumptions!

#1: Assume that not everyone shares your point of view.

It doesn’t matter if you’re right or wrong- you can assume not everyone will agree.

#2: Assume the other guy is entitled to his opinion-

because he is!

#3: Assume that the other person has a rational reason for his opinion-

whether he does or not!

Until you listen, you can’t know the rationale of the other person.

#4: Silence does not always confirm agreement.

Don’t assume that because someone is staying quiet that they agree with you.

It’s safer to assume that their mind is not made up.

The other guy is keeping his mouth shut, it may just be he thinks you’re a complete ass and he’s just too polite to point it out!

#5: Assume that everyone IS entitled to two things: Thoughts and their feelings.

And you can’t argue thoughts and feelings, you can only argue facts.

When the debate is over a clear issue of right versus wrong, there usually isn’t a problem sticking to the facts. The problem is that most of our most emotional debates are not a matter of right versus wrong, it’s a matter of right versus right.

Just because I’m right that doesn’t make you wrong…

If we’re going to find some real solutions to our problems, we’ve got to find some answers that respect the values held by both sides.

That’s only going to happen if we can once again learn how to debate with civility.

DOWNLOAD The 5 Assumptions for your bulletin board…

COMING SOON!

“The book that teaches leadership from a new perspective, and an ancient tradition.”

“This book restores the humanity to leadership…”

The Great Workplace Engagement Mystery or- The Sensei vs. The Gallup Q12

It’s not that they’re wrong…

The good people at Gallup did an extensive study to identify the 12 strongest indicators that would reveal an employee’s engagement on the job. I wouldn’t presume to question this research or the validity of these questions.

What I wonder about is why we make this so complicated!

What the Gallup Q12 really shows is how important it is for management to practice sound leadership skills- the skills of the Sensei!

That’s where the Q12 can help. Take a few minutes and study the Gallup Q12:

From “Gallup Business Journal” at http://businessjournal.gallup.com. Click the image for    full article on the Gallup Q12 and how to use this tool in your business.

Now let’s get back to the dojo! If you want to cultivate a high level of engagement in your organization- be the Sensei!

Look at questions 1 through 7, then 11 and 12. They’re all about knowing, understanding and responding to the needs of your employees.

A Sensei has the quality of compassion- not in a patronizing sense or from a position of weakness; but compassion in the sense of true empathy and respect- knowing and responding to the genuine needs of the people you manage and lead.

Questions 8 and 9 relate directly to the Sensei model of leadership.

Sensei literally means “one who went before.”

If you want people to be engaged, be engaged yourself- and be engaged with the people who work for you.

People are always more engaged when they understand and buy-in to a clear sense of purpose. However- if you’re going to talk the talk; you’d better walk the walk!

Encourage leadership at all levels! A leader is not necessarily a manager, executive or supervisor. Front line engagement is often the product of peer to peer leadership- leadership by example in the trenches.

I have to admit that question 9 has me stumped! You can provide opportunities for social interaction, but it’s up to the individual to cultivate friendships.

That may not be something you have much control over, but close friendships at work are usually associated with deeper levels of engagement. A clear Respect Policy that encourages a generally more congenial workplace environment could make a difference. If not encouraging friendship, it can at least mitigate potential conflict and associated stress.

Any Sensei worth his Black Belt knows that the teacher’s success is measured only through the success of his students.

The wise business owner or executive would measure his success the same way!

The Q12 clearly shows that engagement is directly proportional to management’s understanding and response to the individual needs, goals and ambitions of the employee.

You want full engagement in the workplace? Be one with your employees!

Be the Sensei!

COMING SOON!

“The book that teaches leadership from a new perspective, and an ancient tradition.”

“This book restores the humanity to leadership…”