Nothing last forever – not even our troubles. – Arnold H. Glasow

In Bits & Pieces, a story is shared about Somerset Maugham, the English writer who once wrote a story about a janitor at St. Peter’s Church in London. One day a young vicar discovered that the janitor was illiterate and fired him. Jobless, the man invested his meager savings in a tiny tobacco shop, where he prospered, bought another, expanded, and ended up with a chain of tobacco stores worth several hundred thousand dollars.

One day the man’s banker said, “You’ve done well for an illiterate, but where would you be if you could read and write?” “Well,” replied the man, “I’d be janitor of St. Peter’s Church in Neville Square.”

As a leader you will face troubles. In fact, you will probably have more. How you handle the pressures and troubles of life is crucial to your leadership. The truth is no one is immune from troubles, stress, and the pressures that either affect performance at work, or is the source of it at home.

As a leader how you confront those obstacles is what will elevate you as a leader and can be a source of inspiration for those you lead. The choices you make in facing your troubles will define your leadership. Here are three observations to consider.

The troubles that discourage you. The troubles that discourage you are not uncommon. These come as a result of the rough and tumble world in which you live.  They come about as a result of the pressures of work: a deal that didn’t come through, earnings expectations that came up short, low morale, petty office squabbling, etc. These issues and more are things that tend to wear you down and take the edge off of your performance.

Discouragement sets in when you allow these things to shape an unhealthy attitude. Dale Carnegie said, “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” This is great advice to consider going forward. How you see and how you react to the troubles you face will make all the difference. When you choose a good attitude you are in a position to emerge from your troubles stronger and more successful.

The troubles that deny you. The troubles that deny you are those that have a way of getting under your skin and preventing you from being the leader you are meant to be. They are caused by a variety of external factors that eventually take their toll and deny you of the joys of leading and serving. Even the best of leaders are not exempt from the grueling daily demands that eventually wear you down.

Unfortunately, some leaders have to learn the hard way that they are not Superman and that at times their setbacks are self-inflicted. Troubles will only deny you if you allow it. The attitudes you choose and your responses to adversity will demote you or promote you. Troubles will reward you or deny you. The choice is yours.

The troubles that develop you. Every leader faces trouble and every leader will have setbacks. The important thing to remember is that those troubles do not define you; they develop you. Many “famous failures” have overcome great adversity and chose not to be defined by their troubles.

Despite the criticism from a newspaper editor for lacking ideas, Walt Disney succeeded anyway. Although he struck out 1,300 times Babe Ruth is a Hall of Fame baseball legend. He was rejected by the US Military and Naval Academies due to poor eyesight, but everyone remembers President Harry S. Truman. As a boy his teacher told him that he was too stupid to learn, but Thomas Edison proved the teacher wrong. This household name dropped out of high school and applied to attend film school three times but was unsuccessful due to his C grade average- but Steven Spielberg has been entertaining us for years.

As a leader you will face troubles. But they do not have to define you. When armed with the right attitude and perspective your troubles can promote you to something far greater than you could have ever imagined.

© 2013 Doug Dickerson

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Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners – Laurence Sterne

In surveys conducted by Weber Shandwick (http://bit.ly/ieo5oz) in 2011 it revealed what many already know or experience – incivility in the workplace is on the rise and the many place the blame at the feet of workplace leadership.

The online survey was conducted among 1,000 American adults to assess attitudes toward civility online, in the workplace, in the classroom and in politics. Some notable highlights include:

• Over one-half of Americans (55%) believe that civility in the in America in the next few years will get worse.
• Over four in 10 Americans – 43% – have experienced incivility at work. A nearly equal number (38%) believe that the workplace is becoming increasingly uncivil and disrespectful.
• Workplace leadership is blamed for this decline by approximately two-thirds (65%) of those who perceive greater incivility in the workplace.
• After workplace leadership, Americans who perceive greater incivility in the workplace cite employees themselves (59%) for workplace incivility. Other reasons include the economy (46%) and competitiveness in the workplace (44%).

That there are issues that must be addressed by workplace leaders and by employees is an understatement. In addition to the issues of disrespect in the workplace, bullying remains a problem as well.

In a recent TLNT column, (http://bit.ly/14SnSrH) Judy Lindenberger cites statistics from recent studies that she conducted that found more than 50 percent of respondents reported they witnessed or were a victim of bullying at their current workplace, and over 60 percent reported that they witnessed or were a victim of bullying at another company they worked for.

As a consequence of this alarming and growing trend in the workplace, a majority of 67% agreed that there is a critical need for civility training in the workplace.  And with workplace leadership being assigned most of the blame it is imperative that those in leadership lead the way. Here are four small steps leadership can take right away to reclaim a culture of respect and productivity.

Teach it. When your staff has selective definitions over what is or is not disrespectful behavior in the workplace it leads to subjective interpretations of bad behavior. Expectations of positive behavior need to be taught, it needs to be mandatory, and it should be annual. Clearly defined expectations and boundaries helps create a culture of respect and holds everyone accountable. It will also help you weed out those who for whatever reason cannot align themselves with company standards.

Adapt it. Any course on civility, respect, or bullying should be framed within the context of your specific organization. While certain principles are universally accepted such as treating others with respect, communication, and moral behavior, you will be well served to frame your expectations around your company’s unique culture and personality. Be mindful and deliberate about your expectations but not at the expense of destroying the good camaraderie that does exist. A good idea here would be have employees help draft the code of standards and expectations. When they have skin in the game they will be more inclined to live up to it.

Model it. Since the majority believes that workplace leadership is at fault as it relates to a culture of disrespect in the workplace, then those in leadership are going to have to personally step up and take responsibility. While changing a culture of disrespect is a system wide objective it starts at the top. What the leader expects the leader has to model. The leader must also be held to account.

Praise it. Unfortunately, many who experience incivility or bullying at work do so in silence. They feel they have no one to turn to or fear retaliation. Building a culture of respect begins when you teach it, adapt it, and model it. But going forward you must praise the work of your team. Instead of suffering in silence you can create a culture of praising in public. It’s been said what you tolerate you promote. But I also believe what you praise you perpetuate. Lift up the positives of respect, honor, civility, and diversity. These are the strengths of your company and the virtues that make it great.

Building a culture of respect begins with respect, and it begins with you. Are you ready to step up?

© 2013 Doug Dickerson

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Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one. – Hans Selye

Are you stressed at work? If you answered in the affirmative then according to a recent Gallup poll (http://bit.ly/Z1RqTr) you are among 33% of workers who said they were totally dissatisfied with the amount of stress they experienced at work. In fact only 29% were completely satisfied with the amount of stress they deal with at work.

What if there was a proven way that you can be more productive at work and reduce stress at the same time by using the strengths you already have? Would you be interested? Well, good news, there is such a way. In another Gallup poll (http://bit.ly/ScJcPn) the results found that the more hours a day Americans get to use their strengths to do what they do best, the less likely they are to report experiencing worry, stress, anger, sadness, or physical pain.

The findings are based in part from more than a half-century of studying human strengths and more than 7.8 million people who have taken Gallup’s Clifton Strengths Finer assessment, which tests 34 specific, unique strengths since its inception in 1998. Gallup found that the more hours per day adults believe they use their strengths, the more likely they are to report having ample energy, feeling well rested, being happy, smiling or laughing a lot, learning something interesting, and being treated with respect.

A function of good leadership within your business or organization is found in learning how to leverage the strengths of your people for maximum benefit. The study reveals that when employees feel a more personal and meaningful connection with their work the more productive they will be. Gallup data shows that employees who simply learn their own strengths are 7.8% more productive. Developing those strengths motivates employees to learn how to apply themselves and makes them far more likely to care whether their activities are profitable.

Leaders who desire to help their employees can do so by tapping into the strengths and by making sure they are leveraging those strengths at all levels.  Here are three ways to get started.

Create leverage with the right people in the right place. It is a simple revelation of the survey. When your employees are playing to their strengths they will be happier, more energetic, and less stressed. When your team members are properly aligned with their skill sets it creates a dynamic that is effective not just for them but for the company. Square pegs don’t fit in round holes and the same applies to the skill sets of your people. If skills are not properly aligned to the right people then it will be hard for your company to succeed.

Create leverage with respect and dignity. When employees are treated with respect and dignity they performed better. It is no secret that incivility in the workplace is of increased concern for many and bullying remains problematic. Stress rises and productivity falls when workers are disrespected, and if they believe they are not contributing in a meaningful way. When a leader helps to create an environment where respect and civility abounds, trust and camaraderie follows and you can expect to have happier and more productive employees.

Create leverage by creating your workplace culture. The culture of your organization is a created by adapting a shared core of beliefs which are a combination of your vision (where you are going) and your mission (the shared values that guide you). It is up to those in leadership to create a culture where everyone has the potential to succeed, and it is the responsibility of everyone to live up to it.

The strength of your leverage is found by matching the right people to the right tasks, by treating everyone with dignity and respect, and by creating a culture in which everyone can live up to their potential.

Are you playing to your strengths?

© 2013 Doug Dickerson

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The more I get to know people, the more I love my dog – Frederick the Great

Writing in The Book of Business Anecdotes, Peter Hay shares a story that back in the 1950’s, marketing whiz Stanley Arnold was working at Young & Rubicam, where he was asked to come up with a marketing campaign for Remington Rand. The company was among the most conservative in America. Its chairman at the time was a retired General Douglas MacArthur.

Intimidated at first by a company that was so much a part of America, Arnold also found in that phrase the first inspiration for a campaign. After thinking about it, he went to the New York offices of Merrill Lynch, Fenner and Beane, where he told the broker, “I want to purchase one share of every single stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange.”

After a vice president tried to talk him out of it, the order was finally placed. It came to more than $42,000 for one share of the 1098 companies listed at the time. Arnold now took his diversified portfolio into a meeting of Remington Rand’s board of directors, where he argued passionately for a sweepstakes campaign with the top prize called A Share in America.

The old gentlemen shifted around in their seats and discussed the idea for a while.  “But Mr. Arnold,” said one, “we are not in the securities business.” Another said, “We are in the shaver business.”

“I agree that you are not in the securities business,” said Arnold, “but I think you also ought to realize that you are not in the shaver business either. You are in the people business.” The company bought the idea.

As a leader when you grasp and understand this simple but sometimes elusive reality of business it will be a difference maker for you. It’s easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day procedures and maintenance of business (the what) that we forget the why (vision and values) and fail to nurture the who of business – people. Here are three essential reminders to help you stay focused as you enter 2013.

People are the purpose of your business; serve them. At times this is a concept lost on many leaders. Crystalizing a key point on this topic is the former president of Starbucks International, Howard Behar. In his book, It’s Not About The Coffee, he writes, “At Starbucks we’re in the human service business, not the customer service business.” That’s the distinction. Behar adds, “I’ve always said, we’re not in the coffee business serving people, we’re in the people business serving coffee.”

When your focus is serving people and in every way treating them the way you would like to be treated you will be fulfilling the tenants of customer service. But it’s a point so simple we often overlook it. When your focus is on people and not your product the people will take care of your product.

People are the fuel of your business; invest in them. In his book, Up, Down, or Sideways, my friend Mark Sanborn explains, “Selling creates a transaction. Service–how we treat and care for that person-creates a customer. Without the customer, all is lost. Remember: no customers, no profit. Know customers, know profit. So making a connection with the customer becomes vital to the initial transaction and, more important, to the continued loyalty to your organization or brand.”

Smart leaders are all about building relationships. A person’s association to your product will take a backseat to their relationship with you as a person. When you nurture relationships above all else you are placing value where it belongs. Invest in people and they will invest in you.

People are the future of your business; be faithful to them. If not careful, leaders can have a narrow view of loyalty and only see it flowing one way – towards them. But may I remind you that loyalty is a two-way street and the best way to receive it is to give it. Be loyal to your people and they will be loyal to you. It’s that simple.

Og Mandino said, “Always render more and better service than is expected of you, no matter what your task may be.” Leaders who deliver their service with a servant’s heart will never go wrong. Faithfully deliver your best and the people you serve will reward you.

Are you a people person?

© 2013 Doug Dickerson

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The best morale exists when you never hear the word mentioned. When you hear a lot of talk about it, it’s usually lousy. – Dwight D. Eisenhower

Two recent studies have put the spotlight back on employee-employer relations and more specifically the issue of performance and morale. The two separate reports combine to give us a snapshot of some very revealing issues all leaders need to be mindful in the run up to 2013.

First is the release of the 10^th Anniversary edition of MetLife’s annual study of Employee Benefits Trends http://bit.ly/TUjIZw. A key finding this year is that 60 percent of surveyed employers recognize the precarious economic climate, rather than reducing business focus on employee benefits, actually creates opportunity for benefits to drive human capital. In addition, the Study found employees are less committed to employers, but at the same time, highly dependent on their workplace benefits.

The second was a survey released by Manpower Group’s own Right Management http://bit.ly/11N8jix, which revealed that an unprecedented 86 percent of U.S. employees say they intend to look for a new job in 2013. Only 5 percent say they intend to stay in the current position.  Driving this sentiment is booming stress, flight cognition, and the continuous job hunt. This could also be attributed in part to another survey they conducted which revealed that only 12 percent of companies have a fully implemented talent management strategy in place.

Awareness of these new studies should cause you to take pause and reflect on how you are closing this year and what changes you might want to consider in the next. Because you care about your people, here are three simple considerations to help you build morale in your organization. It is not a complete list but it is a start.

Listen to your people. A troubling trend is that most employers are not even aware they have morale problems. This disconnect is disturbing and if not dealt with it can far- reaching consequences. If the disconnect lingers within your organization it will lead to two drastically different interpretations of your corporate identity and direction. Neither outcome will have a happy ending.

As a leader, when you are proactive in listening to your frontline people who are the face of your brand then morale issues can be dealt with swiftly. Smart leaders have their finger on the pulse of the organization and can make better decisions. This happens when you get out from behind your desk and listen to your people.

Encourage your people. The studies reveal that businesses that took their eye off the ball as it relates to human capital issues had employee satisfaction and loyalty problems. When your people know that you believe in them and know they are empowered to do their job, the level of success they can achieve is limitless. And this is where the heart of the leader becomes the tipping point that moves your organization to a more relational and engaged one.

Encouragement is the fuel that energies your business. It is an awareness of the sacrifices your employees make because they have bought-in to the vision and purpose of your company. Encouragement is the expression of your human capital IQ; it is the sharing of common values with like- minded people who also took a risk by following you. Encourage your team!

Respect your people. Herbert Casson said, “In handling men, there are three feelings a man must not possess –fear, dislike, and contempt. If he is afraid of men he cannot handle them. Neither can he influence them in his favor if he dislikes or scorns them. He must neither cringe nor sneer. He must have both self-respect and respect for others.” When team members feel valued, respected, and included it goes a long way in creating a positive work environment.

Many variables come into play as it relates to morale within your organization. When you listen to and encourage your people you will inevitably develop strong morale. Building morale begins with respect for the gifts, talents, and contributions of all the members of your team. Your commitment should be to make it a priority.

How is your morale?

© 2012 Doug Dickerson

Doug’s new book, Great Leaders Wanted!, will make a great present this holiday season. Visit www.dougsmanagementmoment.blogspot.com to order your copy today!

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