The Missing Link. And It's Necessary For Success!

For all of those with large degrees, titles, positions and other measures of achievement? This blog is for you.

For those who run departments, deal with people in a work or a sales environment, or can't seem to get the "team" to work well with each other? This blog is for you.

Hard work, the acquiring of knowledge and personal accomplishments are most admirable, but to be a leader there is a deficit quality in almost every organization, and it's present at every level of the organization.

You can't buy it, you can't learn it. But if you have it, it may make the difference in how successful you will be as a leader at your profession or how successful your organization will be.


The biggest problem is, most people think they have it. Because of their success in a certain vocational field, along with education and associated ego drivers, many people can't recognize they don't have it. But they don't. Believe me, they don't have it.

 What is IT?

Human Discernment and Organizational Discernment

Definition of "DISCERNMENT" is: The quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure: skill in discerning."

For some of my scientific or other analytical friends this may be a hard statement. But either you have it or you don't when it comes to human understanding. Discernment is, in my opinion, a "gift" or a God given talent.

How can you prove or disprove if a person has the gift or possesses discernment of human behavior? Only those who have it will be able to discern if someone else has it. Using the above definition, talented accountants can "discern" accounting issues. Highly educated and practical engineers can discern engineering or process difficulties. I know many HR managers who are great at administration, but don't know human behavior deeply.




 But just because you're a human being, does not mean you can discern human behavior in others. Not at a deep level.

You may know what you like and don't like by the obvious, but seeing the obscure is a gift which has been withheld from many. The frustrating thing for me is that so many people believe that because they have been successful in other areas of life that they also are good at "knowing people."

What happens if human discernment is not present? The list goes on and on but here are just a few. Hiring the wrong people, promoting the wrong people, buying a "bill of goods" which are not helpful for you personally or the organization, implementing plans that are counter productive to the groups success, etc.

So how do you insure that your company or you have access to it?

1. Find someone who HAS it with a proven record who will be honest with you and your team.

2. Don't be put off by those who have power and authority. Remember, everybody thinks they have it and powerful people will try and override the gift with power and position.

3. Find groups of 4 or 5 trusted people who will share openly and honestly with each other about each other and their point of view on "people" issues.

4. Study under someone who understands human behavior at a deep level. This includes many aspects associated with the complexity of human beings.

You can't get IT through a training program or reading your horoscope (which I don't believe in anyway.) Rather, this is an issue that's at the heart of many things I've already discussed on this blog site. It is the MISSING LINK for many in becoming successful. Think about it.

If you have questions or want to know more let me know.

Do you encourage your employees? Are YOU encouraged?

Many years ago there was a popular business book called "Zapp." The book was written like a parable and the premise of the story was that managers and leaders, through the course of their daily actions (or inactions), will either "ZAPP" employees with positive energy which will result in outstanding team work, great attitudes etc., OR they will "SAPP" them, draining them of energy and then produce negative results.

 

As part of my work as a business coach I have the wonderful opportunity to have just plain old conversations with many folks who are employed by my clients. Through these conversations I'm able to really feel the "pulse" of the company and how people are feeling about their work life. In recent months, I've heard a few people tell me how discouraged they are because of one thing. That is, they don't know where they stand with their boss and don't know what the future holds for them. The following are examples of things shared.( The names have been changed to protect the innocent.)

" Ya know Bill, I think Robert likes me and thinks that I'm doing a good job, but to be honest, I just don't know for sure what he thinks of me." My response..."Don't you have performance reviews?" He says "Yeah, sure we do. But really it's just a formality thing we go through once a year...I want to know...what does he REALLY think of me. I like him, I just wonder if he likes me and where am I going with this company."

 

"I've worked for this company for 20 years and I still don't have a clue of where my growth path is and what I need to know or do. I understand where I want to go, but don't know if it's the same direction that my boss thinks I should be going."

" Bill, I think my boss likes me and that I'm safe, but I've watched people who work for this firm who get passed over for advancement because of favoritism or nepotism. We all think were doing a good job and then BAM! We turn around and somebody has passed us by for no other reason other than the fact that somebody at the top likes them better."

One of my favorite questions to ask young people is "What do you want to be when you grow up?" (I even ask older people the same question.) I think people who are going through the performance review process should ask their boss.."What do YOU want me to be when I grow up?" If done correctly it would put a whole new spin on the yearly ritual.

In the mean time, what are you doing to encourage others daily? What actions do you take that "sapp" OUT of the people you work with from enthusiasm for their job and company. I could give you a list of ideas to consider but won't do that for two reasons. 1) The list is too long for a blog and 2) I fear for some, it will be another program to try and implement..

 

But I will say this..If you have high turnover, grumbling among the ranks, people who can't seem to get to work on time and only give minimum effort, then they have been "sapped" over and over again. They have become "zombies" just going through the motions for a paycheck. What a terrible way to live! What a terrible way to run a company. Think about it and find ways to "Zapp" your employees today. After all, it's a big part your job...

The Market, the President....Leadership

If your interested in the future of business and leadership this is worth 5 minutes of your time..click this link... http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/47035911#47035911

Inconvenient Values

  

When living in the South and your school is a member of the SEC conference, football becomes almost like religion for many in Arkansas. It's not a religion for me, but there are few that would be as big a fan as I am..

This week our football coach Bobby Petrino has been suspended from the head "hog's" position while an investigation is in process to determine if he can keep his job.

There seems to be a problem for many because he has brought a winning record to our state the likes of which we have not seen in 30 years. How can they possibly fire a guy who has brought victory on the field and millions of dollars into the athletic program?

 

 

Who cares that he was cheating on his wife, with a 25 year old employee who was promoted to a better job within his department just a few weeks ago? Who cares that he lied to his boss and the public? What does it matter that he has brought embarrassment to the State and our University? Why should parents reconsider sending their son's to play for a guy who has little respect of morale standards? It's about winning right?

Maybe it's just a inconvenient values issue.

 

 

Martin Luther King said that ..."I have a dream. That one day a man will be judged by the content of his character and not the color of his skin." In contrast, in a recent poll 95% of African American's said they would vote for Obama JUST because "he's Black."

 

 

What does it matter that he supports the killing of unborn babies? That his administration has piled more debt on the America people in 3 years than all presidents before him? That he has instructed his own Justice Department to not defend the "Defense of Marriage Act" (1996.) Does it matter that our politicians do not adhere to the oath of office? That they swore to uphold the laws of the land and our constitution? After all, he's our first black president.

 

 

It may just be a an inconvenient values issue..

 

 

When President Clinton humiliated the office of the Presidency, many folks said things like "what does it matter what he does in his personal life?" I could go on and on with other notable indiscretions and flat out disgusting examples but I won't. I think you see where I'm going with this.

 

 

It's discouraging for me to witness the same kind of "inconvenient value" behavior played out in the business world every day in our country.

 

 

Examples....Managers and leaders who drop the "F" bomb word in meetings and in every day hall way language. Unprofessional actions inside and outside the walls of the company. Shading of the expense reports. "Sticking it" to the customer for a little more profit. Contempt for customers and employees. I see it often and I bet you do to.

 

 

Henry Russell Sanders famously said "Winning isn't everything; it’s the only thing" ... REALLY?

 

 

So what can WE do about the apparent deterioration of these inconvenient values and the continued morale decline in our organizations?

 

 

> Well, of course, the first thing is to start with YOU. As I mentioned in my last article, I have a purpose statement supported by a set of Values and Principles to guide me toward that purpose.

 

 

> If you have "Value" Statements hanging on the walls of your company or printed on cards to be handed out as part of "orientation" then insist that they are adhered to.

 

 

> Asking people to regurgitate the Values is less important than asking employees what they mean to them and the future of organization.

> Make organizational values part of your weekly meetings with your employees. Not just the words, but the application.

> Get rid of those who refuse to share the values of the organization and demonstrate their rebellion.

 

 

Companies like "Chick fil A" or people like Tim Tebow might take some tough shots for their stand on values, but they are successful and can sleep at night.

 

 

Business is hard enough as it is, don't put more burden on the organization because you must work around those inconvenient values.

 

 

Do the right things for the right reasons and you will be successful.