Change the Channel

This week's tale of living with people focuses on Caleb, as told to me by his boss. But I suspect you'll think of several folks you know--maybe even yourself--when you read about Caleb.

Caleb works at Dean and Powell. He's married, with a couple of kids. He has a mortgage, his retirement accounts, college savings accounts. (You know where this is going, right?)

The months of depressing economic news have really taken a toll on Caleb. Or, more accurately put, Caleb has let the news depress him.

Here's what Caleb does to himself. He keeps a financial news network on his TV, has several financial news sites open on his computer, and checks the balances in his accounts several times a day.

It's no wonder he is losing it. He is constantly programming his brain with negative information.

He's making himself and everyone around him miserable. The quality of his work is probably tanking, too.

Watch Your Programming

It's the same for folks whose speech is laden with "the problem is…," "I should have gotten more done," "that's how it's supposed to be." It's all mental programming.

For Caleb to get out of the hole he has dug for himself, he needs to get different programming, different messages streaming into his brain. He needs to watch puppies at play. He needs to listen to soothing music. He needs to go outside and experience Mother Nature.

Will that change the state of the economy? No, of course not. But programming his brain with positive, relaxing thoughts and inputs will help Caleb relax some. And that will make Caleb better able to handle whatever challenges the world throws at him.

And remember: Each day, we're one day closer to the eventual turnaround.

My Own Cry for Help

Usually I use this space to offer help for people problems you folks face. Today I'm going to ask you for help--actually beg you for help.

For the last month, I have been dealing with three individuals who won't make decisions. They are driving me nuts! They know they need X, they say they need X, they can afford to get X, but they keep debating in their heads over whether to get X.

Not only that, they can do anything and everything. Just ask them. Do they do anything and everything well? Not the point. From their point of view, they can do whatever needs to be done.

Except give birth. (These 3 are all guys--got 'em on that one!)

Blinding Flash of Insight

One morning this week I woke up with a Blinding Flash of Insight-BFI as one presenter called it. These guys are all the same personality type.

With two of them, I know their Myers Briggs type--they've told me. The other one, I am assuming his type, based on observations and years of experience with type.

They are all the same. People of this personality type have always been tough for me to work with. I like to work with folks who recognize they have a need and will decide to act to address that need.

I've even consulted with psychologists and experts in personality type about how to get these guys to make a decision and move. Usually I've gotten one or two suggestions and a lot of head shaking--as in "I don't know what to do with them."

Can You Help?

The personality type I'm talking about typically is very intelligent, often looking for new ways to do things, and doesn't really need data and facts to make a decision. They often are in leadership positions or the next tier of management. They speak with authority. They often are stubborn. And some of them have been known to annoy people, to put it mildly.

Please share your ideas on how to deal with this type. Post a response to this blog. If you're not comfortable doing that, send me your thoughts at WeKnowEngineers@gmail.com.

I really need your help.

P.S.: The three guys are not members of this online community. So, if you thought I was writing about you, I wasn't. But if the shoe fits . . .

What to Do With Henry

An executive team and I were sitting at their conference table talking about people's communication styles and abilities. Joe chuckled to himself. Fred looked at Joe, smiled, and said, "I know who you're thinking of, right?"

"Yep," said Joe. "Henry."

At that, they all chimed in with stories about how Henry can't communicate. It seems Henry is one of those folks who writes really long emails and apparently believes people read them--all of them, all the way to the end.

Highlight Action Items

Any action points get buried in the middle of paragraphs on pages 4 and 9 of 12. Henry also shares his thoughts and opinions-he does not censor himself in any way.

"Henry's really a great guy," Joe said. "He just doesn't know how to communicate via email."

It's like the case at a utility company a few years ago. A junior staffer needed a specific piece of information from a VP. She wrote him an email asking for that info. He didn't respond. She waited a few days and re-sent the email. The VP still didn't respond. She tried it a third time with the same results.

After the third email, she finally walked into his office and asked why he didn't respond to her email request. "I saw what the email was about, and since it didn't apply to me, I didn't read it all," the VP said.

I couldn't blame the VP when I saw the email. It was long, it was disorganized, and the action item for the VP was buried in the next-to-last paragraph.

More Tips for Effective Email

Here is what I suggested Joe tell Henry, just like I told the junior staffer at the utility company.

1. Think before you write an email. Who does it need to go to and what outcomes do you want?

2. Realize no one will read your email past the first screen. Some folks won't go more than a paragraph or two into the message.

3. Highlight action items at the top of the email. If the message needs to be long, point out at the top that Sue needs to read paragraph 6, Bolly needs to see paragraph 9, and Sam needs to see paragraph 13. If your message is that long, you also need to number items so folks don't have to count paragraphs.

4. Don't use email as a forum to vent or share your thinking. One client received a 15-page single-space email from a very angry and concerned employee. What a rant! That is not the action of a smart professional.

5. Finally, if you're using email to capture minutes of a meeting, just put the important points in the email. Don't write it chronologically, the way minutes are typically written.

With any luck, Henry can apply these tips and save everyone time and help them respond when they need to.

Good Practices to Adopt

This week, instead of talking about problem people, I would like to pass along some great practices that are helping some of my clients be successful.

Doug decided he needed to become a better listener. When one of his staff comes into his office needing to talk, Doug asks for a minute to finish what he’s doing. Once he puts that work aside, he turns his full attention on the staffer. The staffer knows Doug is really listening. It’s a sign of respect and goes a long way toward building trust.

Greg wanted to improve his productivity and effectiveness. Now he sets aside time to answer emails that require thought and saves them as drafts. He lets them sit overnight before sending. The overnight break gives him time to think over his responses and change them if needed. This practice also keeps him focused on one task, rather than diverting his attention to answer each email when it arrives.

Jesse recognized that he needed to improve his approach to building relationships with clients. His usual practice was to start talking about his firm and what the firm could do for clients. He decided to turn the situation around, focusing on the client. Now, he spends a few minutes before a client meeting to prepare questions that are focused on the client, getting the client to open up about his concerns. This is a great way to build client relationships.

Anna kept finding her productivity dropping and her concentration broken by employees popping into her office to chat or ask a quick question. As an introvert, Anna needed chunks of time to concentrate on getting things done. She used the calendar-sharing function on Outlook to block out times when she didn’t want to be interrupted as well as open-office hours. This helped employees save their visits to open-office times and allowed Anna the periods of concentration she needed.

Send me your own best practices so I can share them with others in this online community. Or share them by commenting on this post.

When You're the Problem

Today's meeting with a client yielded some interesting results.

Joseph manages a staff of 35 or so. He's built up his department from scratch. He's a go-getter and problem solver. That's where the problem comes in.

Joseph is able to see problems and a way to fix them immediately, in any given situation, and regardless of whether anyone else thinks there's a problem. He recently was on a Scout trip where the boys were fixing up homes in a very poor neighborhood.

In Joseph's mind, they were there to fix ALL the problems-and he could see plenty. There were broken windows to replace, gutters that had fallen down, doors that didn't close, and lots that needed to be painted.

Four other adults had come on the trip to help out and chaperone the boys, plus the Scoutmaster was there. Technically, it was the Scoutmaster's show. Joseph, like the other four adults, was there as manual labor.

What's Wrong With These People?

Joseph got frustrated because the other adults, including the leader, didn't seem as driven as he was. He saw all the problems, and he knew they were going to be hard-pressed to fix all the problems.

The others, though, took a more laid-back approach. They took breaks. They chatted about sports. They weren't as intense as Joseph was about the project.

As we talked about this situation, Joseph became aware that his intensity and his drive to fix all the problems was his issue. He realized his frustration was that the others didn't see the situation the way he did.

That happens frequently for natural problem-solvers. They see a problem and a way to fix it and off they go. The potential conflict comes when others don't see the situation the same way and they are offended by Joseph's abrupt, directorial style.

The Clouds Begin to Part

"It probably would have helped if I had talked with the others about what we expected to accomplish on this trip," he said. "They would have understood where I was coming from, and I would have understood their thinking."

Joseph is a smart man.

To help him catch himself before he jumps in to solve others' problems, he is going to listen to what he says. He particularly is going to listen for himself saying "the problem is . . ."

When he says that, he has to sit back and take a deep breath. He then will check with others to see if they think there even is a problem. He will also gauge their interest in correcting the situation.

Instead of forcing his solution on others, he is going to respect them and get their opinion. If he still thinks there's a problem he needs to fix, he will ask something like "would anyone object if I worked on this situation so it moves better." He will ask permission to save the world.

Joseph's style and behavior isn't going to change overnight. But at least he is making intellectual progress in understanding himself and how he comes across to others.

Talk About Insanity

This issue came up twice today, so I guess there's a need to deal with it.

I was talking with Howard, CEO of an $8 million company. Howard is frustrated with Peter, his CFO.

"Peter doesn't get me the financial reports I need," Howard complained. That stopped me dead-how can a CFO not produce the financial reports that are inherent to the role?

Howard gave me a little more info. "No, he produces the usual financial reports, but he doesn't give me information that I can use for bigger-picture analyses, for long-term planning. I have to ask him for it every month and then it takes several days before Peter provides what I need."

I asked Howard if Peter knew what Howard wanted in addition to the usual stuff. And does Peter understand why Howard wants the information and what Howard uses it for?

"I haven't really explained that," Howard said. "I know I need to sit down with Peter and go over in writing what I want, when I want it, why I want it and what I'm using the information for."

"I know I need to do that," Howard said. "I just haven't done it."

Yikes!

Just Not Doing It

The second situation came up over lunch with a friend. He mentioned that he knows a CEO who admits that he knows what he's supposed to do. But, like Howard, he doesn't do it.

Something is wrong with this picture. At the same time, this picture is very common. We know what we're supposed to do, but we don't do it.

That leads us to the common definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over and hoping to get different results. Poor Peter can't produce the results Howard wants because Howard hasn't explained what that is. Yet every month, Howard is hoping Peter will produce those reports.

It doesn't work. We can't read minds.

So, how do you make yourself do what you know you need to do to achieve the results you want?
Human beings are motivated by fear or desire, with fear being the greater force. I may say I am motivated by a desire to attain great wealth, but the real motivator is a fear of losing my house or some such thing.

Howard can use this information on motivation to examine why he doesn't sit down with Peter and go over his needs. Howard desires the reports, but he may fear what he will find when he does get them. Those reports may show Howard is off-base in his long-term thinking.

And our unnamed CEO buddy? He knows what he's supposed to do, but doesn't do it. Without getting too heavy here, it's possible that lack of doing is driven by a fear of failure.

Ways to Get Yourself Moving

If you find yourself or someone you work with in this position, try this approach.

1. Adjust your mindset. Recognize that we learn from mistakes. Buckminster Fuller wrote, "Whatever humans have learned had to be learned as a consequence only of trial and error experience. Humans have learned only through mistakes." Make a "lessons learned" session integral to all work that you do.

2. Just DO something. Stop thinking and act. One client and I discussed analysis paralysis-putting off doing something in the guise of "I'm still analyzing it." Some of us can analyze things forever, which means we delay taking action.

3. Don't aim for perfection. Dan Kennedy, a marketing guru, preaches, "Done is better than perfect." Larry the Cable Guy chants "Get 'er done." All the perfectionists are simply delaying a reality check.

4. Once you've taken action, keep on keepin' on. Don't give up. Read "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell for more on this. Often, people try something and when they don't get the expected response the first time, they quit and pronounce that "it doesn't work." This is particularly true with advertising.

5. Recognize that if an idea fails, it isn't that you are a failure. You had an idea, you tried it, and it didn't work. Have a lessons learned session, incorporate what you find, and try again.

As Nike says, "Just do it!"

Take a Deep Breath. . .

This week's call came from Helen. She runs a department with 56 employees, within a very large company. As she said, "I'm starting to lose it."

"When I looked at my calendar for the week, I realized how ridiculous it was. Who am I--Superman? Every day had one thing scheduled after another. Meetings, reports to write, reports to review. Two client lunches. Three performance reviews. It's madness."

Most of us can relate to Helen's situation. Stress is a common factor in our lives. The key is how we react to it.

I have one client, Barry, who is a schedule fanatic. Every minute of his day is scheduled. When someone runs late or something unexpected comes up, Barry freaks. His intensity is visible to those around him. Truth be told, he's not much fun to be around when he's like that.

I suggested that Barry block out two 30-minute periods--one in the morning, one in the afternoon--and leave those times open. Those two periods give him time to accommodate slips in his schedule--a meeting runs over, a client is late, whatever. Those times provide a pressure release for Barry so he can reduce his stress.

Do a Reality Check

I usually keep my Outlook calendar on the monthly view. When I looked at this week's schedule, I almost lost it. What idiot (that being me) had crammed so much into the week? It appeared each day was booked with back to back meetings, presentations, calls, etc.

I needed to get myself grounded in reality. I changed the calendar to the weekly view and what a better view it was. I saw that I actually had some gaps between meetings. I found one meeting I could reschedule for next month. I saw that a couple appointments are with favorite clients, so those are going to be fun. A couple of meetings are to get new clients, which I enjoy.

The bottom line here is that when we lose it, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to get grounded in reality.

Squash That Stress

Here are some other tips for reducing stress.

• Take a walk. Physical activity is a great stress reducer for most people.
• This sounds strange but it works. Schedule worry time. Write your concerns on a piece of paper and put it in an envelope. Write a "worry time" such as 2:15-2:30 on the envelope. Put the envelope aside and don't worry about things until 2:15. After your 15 minutes of worrying, put the paper back in the envelope and put a new worry time on it.
• Another tactic is to write your worries on little pieces of paper. Wad the paper into balls and ceremoniously throw them away.
• If you like organization and are stressed by a lack of it, give yourself 15 minutes to tackle one small area that needs to be cleaned up.
• Practice deep breathing, sometimes called belly breathing. Use your diaphragm to suck in oxygen, which helps you relax.
• Stretch. Your muscles hold the stress you are feeling. Stretching them helps release chemicals produced by the stress.
• Pet a puppy. Smile. Sing a tune. Listen to music. Have fun.

Life is too short to let stress get to you, even in tough times.

Don't Make a Monkey Out of Yourself

Before I get to today's post, I have a request. We are trying to build our online community of engineers. Please forward our blog site to your friends and colleagues so they can join us, too.

* * *

This morning Mark and I were talking about the generation of folks coming out of college and in their 20s. I mentioned some young engineers I talked with at the ACEC/GA conference in June. I was just amazed at their enthusiasm and eagerness to get involved.

Mark repeated what he has said before: We hire them and beat the leadership and enthusiasm out of them over time. We wear them down until they look and act like us.

I would hate to see that happen to the folks I talked with. I would hate to see that happen to ACEC/GA Future Leaders program participants that I get to work with each year.

Our conversation reminded me of this tale.

Subject: Company Policy

Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage,
hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it.
Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb
towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray
all of the other monkeys with cold water. After a while,
another monkey makes an attempt with the same result - all the
other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, when
another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys
will try to prevent it.

Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage
and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana
and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all
of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and
attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will
be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace
it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is
attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment
with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey
with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth.

Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is
attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no
idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why
they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining
monkeys has ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless,
no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the
banana.

Why not?

Because, as far as they know, that's the way it's always been
done around here.

And that, my friends, is how company policy begins.

* * *

The moral of the story: Don't make a monkey out of yourself or those you work with.

Watch Your Wake!

This week's problem from the people corner is how to handle Big Larry--his attitude and the wake he leaves behind.

Susan, manager of a mid-size firm, called exasperated.

"I need help handling Larry, one of my project managers," she said. "He's never been a real upbeat guy, but the current economy really has him down. He exudes pessimism every time he opens his mouth."

"And he doesn't care who is around to hear it," Susan continued. "It's having a negative effect on his staff-well, really on all of us. I need to keep people optimistic and busy. His attitude is making that very difficult for me."

TIME FOR A LITTLE CHAT

Susan needs to take Larry aside and have a frank talk with him. He probably doesn't realize his negativity is having such an impact on his staff, as well as others. One thing he needs to realize is that he leaves a wake wherever he goes.

Just as a motorboat leaves a wake behind it, Larry leaves a wake behind him. His negativity doesn't take up much space when it leaves his mouth, but, like a boat's wake, it spreads far and wide. If you've ever been in a canoe when a power boat comes ripping by, you know how you grip the sides of the canoe and pray you don't end up in the water.

So, the number one thing Susan needs to alert Larry to is that he leaves a wake that shakes up everybody else.

YOU FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR

The second part of the discussion is that Larry needs to keep his mouth shut. A project manager is supposed to provide leadership to his team. Leaders do not go around complaining, fretting, worrying out loud, particularly about things they have no control over. They don't criticize clients or coworkers. They look for solutions and ways to provide better service.

Furthermore, in focusing on the negative, Larry is simply attracting more negativity. What we look for is what we find. If you're only looking for bad news, you only find bad news. You will skip right over any good news that is out there.

Susan also needs to be alert to her own thinking. If she has Larry pegged as a naysayer and complainer, it will be harder for her to see him improve his behavior and his thinking. She needs to keep her eyes open for new and better behaviors.

"Go Play!"

"Go play!" Remember your mother yelling that at you?

Today we are so busy, we say we don't have time to play. There's too much work to be done. Plus now we are anxious about this economy. Just adding to the stress.

This past week I was truly concerned about one client whose stress level is at an all-time high. It's evident in his face, his voice, the way he walks. It's affecting his relationships. While some stress is warranted, he is creating a lot of the stress for himself.

I asked him what he does to unwind. His answer was "pretty much nothing."

He is raising risks of stress-related illnesses such as high blood pressure or a heart attack. But he also is possibly damaging his brain--his cognitive abilities.

Science Says . . .

Roderick Gilkey and Clint Kilts at Emory wrote about how we need to exercise our brain, based on results of the latest in neuroscience research. Their article in Harvard Business Review (11/07) titled "Cognitive Fitness" cites play as a key way to exercise your brain.

Gilkey and Kilts write: "In adult life, play engages the prefrontal cortex, . . . nourishing our highest-level cognitive functions-those related to incentive and reward processing, goal and skill representation, mental imagery, self-knowledge, and memory, just to name a few. Play, therefore, improves your ability to reason and understand the world."

Furthermore, the article says, if play is stifled, "brainpower may actually decrease as it does in children with failure-to-thrive syndrome, a condition created by experientially deprived or abusive environments."

A Play Guide

How do we find time for play in this crazy world? Here's an exercise I found years ago..

Create a table with four columns and 10 rows. Label the table: Ways I Have Fun.

The first column is "2-5 minutes."
The second column is "5-30 minutes."
The third column is "30 minutes to a half day."
The fourth column is "a half day or more."

Here comes the work. Get yourself a cup of coffee; sit in a comfortable, quiet place; and challenge yourself to come up with examples of what play means to you in each column. Aim for at least five options in each column.

Post this near your work space, on your bathroom mirror, anywhere that you will be reminded that you need to play.

Start off small-2-5 minutes of play a day during the work week. Maybe on the weekend you can do a half-hour of something that is play. I mean PLAY, too. Just because you don't mind raking leaves doesn't mean that is play.

If you exercise regularly, just think about this as another form of exercise-this one for your brain.

If you want to learn more about the amazing things neuroscience research is learning about our brains and how we can use that information, check out "Get Out of Your Own Way: The 5 Keys to Surpassing Everyone's Expectations" by Robert K. Cooper.

Fire, Ready, Aim

I was talking with one client this week about the climate in his office. The economic slowdown is having some impact, he said, but they're still doing business and keeping people billable.

"There's some tension, for sure," Fred said. "You listen to all the dire media reports and news of layoffs at other firms--people are wary. On top of all that, it doesn't help when my office manager, Susan, screams at staff when anything goes wrong."

Say more, I said.

"Susan's interpersonal skills are definitely lacking," Fred said. "She sees things only from the financial side. If a project goes over budget, she lights into the project manager (PM). She really adds to the tension around here."

What's Going On

Looking at the situation in a little more detail, we realize Susan doesn't have the same perspective as the PM. She comes from a financial background. She looks at things in black and white-we made money, we lost money.

When they go over-budget on a job, Susan screams at the PM. He or she is the one responsible. And Susan is the one who has to report the bad financial news to the owner. She doesn't like being in that position, either.

Of course, the PM knows it isn't that simple. The PM realizes his success depends on the relationship with the client. Sometimes he'll do something extra to please the client and realize it will hurt the project budget.

At other times, the PM may not have budgeted enough time for tasks in the project.

Regardless of the situation, Susan screams at the PM (which others hear) and huffs back to her office. No communication takes place.
As Fred and I talked, we decided Susan needs some coaching. Her behavior is unprofessional and disruptive. Fred can't let her continue to get away with it.

A Plan for Susan

Here is the plan for Fred coaching Susan.

He confronts her on her behavior and how he wants to see it change. [If Fred is one of those folks who does not like conflict or to confront others, he needs to read Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott (no relation).]

1. Susan needs to learn to ask questions of the PM in a non-threatening manner and in a tone of voice appropriate for the office. Fred will have to give her a conversation opener she can use, such as:

"I saw that Project X ran over budget by $X,000. I am going to have to explain that to the CEO when we take a loss on that job. Would you help me understand what happened here?"

She does not want to say something like "Tell me what went wrong on this job"-too confrontational. She needs to gather information. "Can you help me understand" is one of the strongest forms of questions you can ask.

2. Susan needs to learn the business cycle so she understands engineering firms are in the relationship business. Coming from a financial or operational background, she doesn't really understand what "relationship business" means to Fred-networking, marketing, etc.

She needs to see figures related to repeat business (percentage and actual dollars), referrals, lost clients. Those figures will help her black and white thinking understand the gray world of relationships.

3. Susan also needs to understand how she comes across to others. People who behave like Susan tend to not realize that they leave a wake behind them, as it says in Fierce Conversations. Just like a boat that leaves a wake behind, everything Susan says and does has a ripple effect through the firm.

What other boats is she tipping over with her wake?

Susan needs to change from her "Fire, Ready, Aim" mentality to one where she gets ready mentally, has the conversation with the PM, then realizes she doesn't need to fire at all.

The Hawthorne Effect

Last week a client asked for ideas on how to handle her project team. Her team is working on a high profile project with tight deadlines. My client, the project manager, has to travel routinely for project team meetings at other sites.

She has learned that when she is not there, her staff eases up in their drive to get work done. She isn’t being critical—they work hard and do good work. She was just stymied in why they do that and what she can do about it.

My son, a psych major, equates it to when you have a substitute teacher. Kids act up. The pressure to perform is not as great with a substitute as with their regular teacher.

What’s at play here is the reverse of the Hawthorne Effect. The Hawthorne Effect says that productivity increases when workers know they are being observed. So, when the boss is away, the work pace slows down. It is natural.

Two key learning points come to mind here.

1. Ideas to Keep ‘em Going

If you the boss want to keep the pace going when you aren’t there, designate a second-in-command to check in with folks. The key is for your staff to know that they are being observed even though you aren’t there. You could rotate this role among the staff, so no one appears to be special. This is not micromanaging—it’s simply playing to human behavior. Let's hope you get better results than with a substitute teacher.

Another suggestion is to change your schedule so that you are out of the office on different days, not always the same days. For example, if you routinely meet with clients on Tuesdays and Thursdays, switch your appointments around some. Then staff won’t get lackadaisical about Tuesdays and Thursdays, because you just might be there.

2. Someone at the Top Cares

The Hawthorne Effect studies have documented that people perform better when someone is watching them. People today spend a lot of time at work. They require a sense of belonging, of being something bigger than just themselves. When they are part of something bigger, they are more effective.

While it may sound too warm and fuzzy, realize that when you pay attention to people, they do a better job. That doesn’t give you permission to micromanage them. Just acknowledge and observe them. It won't cost you a dime.

Millennials Managing Boomers

Last week I talked about characteristics of the Millennials, the young people you are hiring today. If you check last week’s post, you will see a great comment and additional info from one of our readers. Thank you, unidentified reader, for contributing.

This week, let’s explore a 24-year-old Millennial who has to manage a 55-year-old Boomer.

GUIDELINES FOR THE MILLENNIAL

• · Respect Boomers’ experience and use it. Ask them about the history of projects and relationships. Rely on their expertise.
• · Don’t worry about being talked down to. It’s hard for me to type that, but I’m sure that Boomers probably come across as patronizing when addressing a Millennial boss. The Boomer’s generation valued experience and time on the job. That won’t change overnight.
• · Prove you can learn. Engage a Boomer as a confidante or mentor in his or her area of expertise. Lead by learning.
• · Use your natural collaborative tendencies and engage Boomers as fellow teammates. Help them work together. Your understanding of teamwork is very different from theirs.
• · Don’t assume their way is like yours. My part-time Millennial staffer just accused me of trying to make something harder than it needs to be. I won’t admit to TRYING to make it harder, but that was the effect. The Millennial is right.

GUIDELINES FOR THE BOOMER

• · Let go of your ego. Think about all the performance reviews you don’t have to deal with because you’re NOT the boss. Think about how much better you can sleep at night, because the Millennial boss has the problems.
• · Stop parenting. If you want to give advice, ask permission first. Something along the line of “Is it OK if I share with you what I’m thinking?” Or “Do you want to hear how I would handle that?”
• · Don’t dig in your heels and refuse to change. Business and life are about constant change these days. Deal with it. Solve problems rather than create them.
• · Offer the benefit of your experience, but do so in private. This is similar to “stop parenting.” Don’t embarrass your Millennial boss by correcting him, based on your experience, in front of others. You may be right, but spectators will think you’re a fill-in-the-blank. And it isn’t good.

JUST FOR FUN

I’d like to do a quick survey of how you use (or don’t) social networking sites. Please take 30 seconds and answer this survey. This one is anonymous. We will share results.

3-question social networking survey or paste into your URL

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=CtQ8DBfhUdpRTgp6Wj74og_3d_3d

Thanks. See you next week.

THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Dealing with the New Kids on the Block-the Millennials, not the revitalized boy band-can be a challenge for managers. I know. My 23-year-old son works with me part-time while he finishes school.

TRAITS OF THE MILLENNIALS

I recently heard this generation, born from 1981 to 2000, referred to as the most affluenced generation. Other people have referred to them as being coddled. I'm guilty. Somebody drove my kids to school every day until they could drive themselves. With Atlanta traffic and child predators out there, I couldn't let them walk to school. The very idea!

These young people are focused on the present: "what can I do now?" At a recent conference, an associate and I were sharing stories about how we had to step up to management roles at the ages of 24 and 26. We bragged (if we're honest) about how we had to manage a dozen or more people, all older than us. A Millennial at our table sighed and said, "I sure wish I had a story like that to tell others." He is itching for an opportunity to make a difference.

I had breakfast with another associate this morning who reminded me of the need to involve and value the Millennials. This associate, who is 60, owns a firm that works in the A/E arena. Of his 9 employees, all but one are Millennials. He was bragging about how smart they are, how involved they are, and how much they want to contribute.

They relish responsibility, demand instant feedback, and expect to accomplish things. They are socially responsible and want to work for companies that are involved in good causes.

And, of course, they are the technology generation. My son didn't know how to fax a document-he had never needed to. But if he has his way, WeKnowEngineers.com will soon be available on YouTube and podcasts.

A column in Newsweek entitled "The Dumbest Generation? Don't Be Dumb" pointed out that the Millennials don't know history, great literature, and other facts that the older generation had to commit to memory. The Millemnials don't have to remember; if they need information, they just search for it on the web.

HOW TO MANAGE MILLENNIALS

Baby Boomers coined the term "continuous learning." What we viewed as novel, the Millennials demand. Just-in-time, continuous learning is expected. One Millennial said, "I would have loved to stay with this company for more than a year or two, but they just didn't have anything left to offer me."

Here are some tips on how to manage your Millennials.
* Create coaching relationships between your experienced staff and the Millennials.

* Give constructive feedback immediately-not once or twice a year.

* Treat them like a colleague or associate, not a subordinate.

* Don't shut down when they ask "why" you do things a certain way. Explain. Turn it into a learning opportunity.

* Teach basic self-management skills, such as planning their time, assigning priorities, etc.

* Work with them to develop a career plan, with goals, timelines, resources, etc.

* Create a database of "go-to" people that can help them with their learning in different subjects.

Next time: How Millennials can manage up. Have a great day.

Pam

P.S. Millennials are also sometimes referred to as Generation Y. "Millennials" is the official term.

See you in Savannah

This is just a short note to let you know I am not writing a blog entry this week. WeKnowEngineers.com is making its debut in Savannah at the annual Georgia Engineering Retreat.

In addition to exhibiting, I am presenting on "Bridging the Leadership Gap." I'm providing a roadmap for finding and filling leadership gaps, along with ways to identify talent and develop it. I'm sure some of that will surface in this blog in the months ahead.

The summer conference is always a great time to connect with old friends, make new friends, and collect lots of good information for engineers. I promise to share.

Take care. I'll talk to you next week.

P.S.: Check out the comment on the last post, about introverts.

Mark is a great example of an introvert who can function successfully in an extraverted world. As he says, you can LEARN how to fit in. And make sure you have alone time to recover afterwards.

Thanks, Mark. You're as brilliant as ever!

The Strong, Silent Type

A few weeks ago, I offered suggestions for how to handle extraverts in the work place: Dealing With "Chatty Cathies." I promised to give some insight into the introverts. That's today's topic.

Many of you know this joke, but I'll repeat it here because it is so fitting.

"How do you tell the extraverted engineer from the introverted engineer?"
"The extraverted engineer is looking at your shoes." (The introverted is looking at his own.)

Joke-telling is definitely not my forte, but I have a lot of experience with introverts. There are extraverted engineers out there, but they are the minority. The bulk of engineers I've met are introverts, and some are what I call raging introverts.

CHARACTERISTICS OF INTROVERTS

Introverts
* keep their energy and ideas inside, thus making it hard to get to know them
* may avoid (or run from) interaction with others
* hesitate before speaking
* thrive on alone time
* go deep on one or two areas of interest
* proceed cautiously in making decisions
* need to be asked for their opinion and input
* don't give much away through facial expressions

HELP FOR INTROVERTS

"The introvert is pressured daily, almost from the moment of awakening, to respond and conform to the outer world," according to Otto Kroeger and Janet Thuesen in their book "Type Talk." If you are working with introverts, here is how you help them be more comfortable in a typical business situation.

* Give them questions and agendas ahead of meetings so they can think about the issues ahead of time. Do NOT ask an introvert a question and expect an immediate answer.

* Help them learn to interrupt others. This sounds very strange to extraverts, who interrupt all the time so that they can get their thoughts out. One introverted client, who is very smart, has been thought of as "not real bright" by an executive in her firm. He wants her to interrupt him, and she simply isn't going to do that. I suggested she let him know that about her. She will wait until he is finished, then she will talk.

* Give them lots of prep time before any presentation. One introvert told me he was OK doing presentations, as long as he felt that he was fully prepared and knew what he was going to do. His version of fully prepared was much more extensive than an extravert's version of fully prepared.

* Since introverts have to interact with others, suggest an introvert select a couple of topics that they are comfortable talking about in social settings or networking events. Again, give them time to prepare and to get comfortable with sharing. For men, this topic often involves sports.

* Allow introverts their alone time. If they don't get this, they will stress out. If you are an introverted manager, close your office door. Let people know when you will take questions and when you want to be left alone.

For lots more great insight and information on introverts, read "The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extravert World" by Marti Olsen Laney.

A SMALL REQUEST

I'm hearing from lots of you that you find these weekly missives helpful and thought-provoking. That is certainly my intent.

You can help us by spreading the word. If you found info in today's piece that was helpful to you, please forward the original email to ONE friend or colleague.

Just ONE. Help spread the word.

Not Everyone Thinks Like You

I don’t need to tell you guys this, but I will say it for those who aren’t engineers: Engineers are problem solvers. They see a problem. They want to fix it. And they tell you how to fix it if you don’t let them do it themselves.

That “fix it now” mentality popped up last week with a client. Here is what happened and how it could have been handled differently. Read, learn, and definitely share with others, particularly young engineers who haven’t learned the lesson yet.

Situation

Tom, a well-meaning principal, saw a problem and told June, the office manager, to deal with it. When Tom came in the next day, the problem hadn’t been fixed. He wanted to know why. That didn’t go over well with June, who now resents Tom and is unlikely to help him in the future.

A Better Way

Tom needs to remember that not everyone thinks like he does. And not everyone is comfortable confronting a situation head on. Tom says he apologized, sort of. I doubt that June would agree.

By telling her what to do, Tom “dissed” her, and June likely feels he doesn’t think she knows how to do her job. She probably also took the “deal with the problem” command as an insult to her intelligence.

Had they had a conversation about the situation, June would have had a chance to admit that she knew the problem existed (saving face) and that she was prepared to address it. She could have offered her solution, which may have been the same as Tom’s. Even if her solution was different, they could have talked it out. She would have felt more respected and probably would work well with Tom in the future.

What’s to Be Done Now?

Bob, the managing partner, needs to sit down with Tom and June. He can educate them about what really happened.

Tom is a problem solver, and he takes action when he sees action is needed. His style is direct and can offend others unintentionally.

June, being female, has a 66% likelihood of being a Feeler, using personality type language. She puts great stock in being respected and considering others’ feelings. Feelers also want to avoid conflict and will take comments personally.

Tom didn’t mean to offend June and didn’t realize how his style would affect her. June also needs to accept Tom’s need to solve problems when he sees them and not take comments so personally.

It’s going to be tough on each of them to change their thinking. Share this article with them to help out. Focus on Communication Styles To Reduce Misunderstanding.html

Characteristics of Leadership

I could use your help identifying the characteristics of leadership. I am presenting at the summer conference for ACEC Georgia next month. The title of my presentation is Identifying and Developing Your Future Leaders.

While I could create the presentation on my own, I thought I would ask my friends (that’s you) for your ideas on leadership. What do you consider the key characteristics of leadership to be? How do you identify your leaders? What makes you a leader?

My Oxford Dictionary defines leadership as a quality of a leader, one who leads. Duh. Among the many definitions of lead (v) are: cause to go with one, especially by guiding or showing the way; direct the actions or opinions of; guide by persuasion, example or argument. I’ll buy those as characteristics of leadership.

How do you define leadership?

But how do you define leadership? What qualities, experience, and skills do you look for in the leaders you follow? And in the leaders you develop?

Please help me out. Take a minute right now and send me an email with your thoughts. Email me to let me know what characteristics of leadership you look for. I will share the results with everyone in a week or two.

You’ll also be helping out by giving me ideas about what to include in our Future Leaders online coaching program, coming up soon. If you haven’t signed up to get details on that, send an email to: futurelead@aweber.com That service sends an email to me to let me know that you want info. You won’t end up on some remote site that sends you tons of spam.

www.WeKnowEngineers.com is live!

I almost forgot: The new website is up! Visit www.WeKnowEngineers.com to see what we have for you. Be sure to check out the Free Stuff page for articles on communication and leadership, historical engineering case studies, and—of course—jokes.

D’oh! I Broke Key Rules

I find it amazing how life reminds us that we are human and subject to the same mistakes other folks make. Please use this example of my own mistakes to help you avoid them in the future.

We recently sent out a 1-question survey to 277 folks, using Survey Monkey, a free online survey site. The response has been fantastic—over 10%—28 of you responded and told us what the two toughest things are that you have had to learn as a CEO or manager. I would love to share the responses with those who responded, but . . .

I was a dummy!

When we set the survey up, I didn’t read the directions. I just ASSUMED I would be able to see who responded. Wrong. You have to format the survey a certain way to capture email addresses of respondents. I didn’t read the directions and ASSUMED things would go the way I thought they would.

KEY RULE: Stop making assumptions!

We all make lots of assumptions every day. And, as I proved, our assumptions are often wrong. Ask questions. Read directions. Get clarity.

So, I’m sitting here with all the great responses we received, and I can’t tell who I need to thank for responding and I can’t share the responses with those who participated. Short of sending another email to 277 people, and we don’t really want to do that. Thus, I broke another key rule of communication.

KEY RULE: If you do a survey, you must share the responses with participants.

You don’t have to share every response, but you do need to tell them collective responses, what percent said what, the response rate, etc. Even if the responses are not what you wanted.

This is actually a key rule for building trust between employers and employees.

If you’re one of the 28 who responded to our survey and are interested in the results, please let us know. Send an email to pam@WeKnowEngineers.com with “Send me survey results” in the subject line.

If you didn’t participate but wish you had, send us an email and we’ll share the results with you as well. But you have to promise to participate next time.

COMING UP

How to get introverts to open up (as promised in last week’s blog).

www.WeKnowEngineers.com is reportedly going live on May 6—my birthday. Check us out.

Watch for news on an online coaching program for your Future Leaders. The survey responses showed a significant need for helping engineers understand the business of the business—how you make money, how you deal with people, and how you market. If you want to be sure you don’t miss news on this program as we pull it together, please email futureleaders@weknowengineers.com and you’ll get the info as soon as we know it.

Whatever form the program takes, it will be very limited in the number who can participate. And it will be on a first come, first serve basis.

Dealing With “Chatty Cathies” and “Flapjaws”

Last week I spent a half day with two of my Future Leader coaching clients. These are the guys the CEO expects will take the helm and lead the firm when the current execs step down very soon.

Ray and William are both extraverts, like me. Extraverts have to talk in order to think. Believe me, the three of us did a lot of talking, and they came up with great ideas and a plan for moving forward. That’s the beauty that comes from extraverts working and talking together.

It’s unlikely they would have made such gains if they had each worked on the problem alone, in their offices.

Ray, William, and I are different from a lot of the engineering population. Statistically, the majority of engineers are introverts. Introverts like working alone. Introverts don’t talk until they have finished their thinking.

Introverts wonder when the extraverts are going to shut up. They call us “Chatty Cathies” and “Flapjaws.”

How do you, as the boss, help these two groups coexist?

FOR THE EXTRAVERTS

Most extraverts don’t realize how much they talk. They also don’t realize how their talking grates on introverts’ nerves. Here’s what you need to do to educate your extraverts.

• Tell them you understand they need to talk to think
• Make them aware that they talk a lot, which is an energy drain for introverts
• Have them identify who they work with, particularly clients, that would appreciate them talking less
• Remind them to ratchet it back, as I told one extravert, before going into meetings with introverts
• Institute the 5-second rule—They have to wait 5 seconds before speaking when someone else finishes.
• Tell them to jot down ideas when they get them, but not to interrupt to share an idea the moment one pops up.. Extraverts are world-class interrupters.

Next week: How to get Introverts to extravert just a bit—and what extraverts call introverts

CAN YOU HELP?

Last week we included a link to a one-question survey we are conducting. If you didn’t have a chance to follow through last week, could you do so now?

Click Here to take survey

We are conducting this simple survey to gather input from you that we are using to design Creating Tomorrow’s Leaders Today, an upcoming Future Leaders online coaching program for engineers. Stay tuned for more details.

Closing Some Communication Gaps

This week’s tale from the human side of business.

I was meeting with Sue, a client who is a principal in a pretty large firm. She and her team are working on a high profile project. Another senior engineer, George, had been recruited to help Sue’s team out. George had a big project of his own.

For the second time, George had failed to finish work when he said he would. Sue’s frustration was that George had set an expectation for Sue that he would be done on Monday. When Monday rolled around, he hadn’t completed the work. Sue was livid.

“Why didn’t he tell me he couldn’t get the work done until Tuesday? I could have lived with that,” a frustrated Sue exclaimed. “As it was, I had to tell the boss that the report wasn’t ready for him to take into his Monday meeting with the client. You can imagine how happy he was at that.”

When I asked if George knew the boss needed the report, Sue said, “No, but he would have known if he would come to team meetings, but he doesn’t.”

Several things are at play here.

• George needs to learn the importance of setting realistic expectations. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver. He needs to understand the logic behind the deadline.
• Sue needs to let George know that the boss needed George’s report for his Monday meeting with the client. She needed to tell WHY the timing was critical.
• George needs to attend team meetings so he knows what’s going on. Even though he has a big project of his own, he is a critical member of Sue’s team and needs to participate that way.
• Sue needs to have one person take notes in team meetings, then write up and circulate the notes. That way, team members who are on vacation, out sick, or meeting with the client can be kept up to speed on what’s happening.

We need a favor

We are putting together material for an online coaching program for future leaders. We always say we take the mystery out of what they didn’t teach in engineering school. As a favor to us, click on the link below and tell us what the two toughest things are that you have had to learn as an owner, CEO, or manager.

Click Here to take survey

Thanks so much for your help. We will share collective responses in a future posting.

Taking Stock in the Future

The emotions in the comments were almost palpable.

“What is wrong with these guys?” bemoaned the 60-year-old exec. “When I was their age, I worked 60 hours a week, raised my family, and still bought into the company. These guys, though—they aren’t stepping up and buying stock. What’s up with that?”

Thus, the generational issue raises its head again--particularly with Boomers eyeing retirement. They are the primary stockholders in their firms, and the firms need staff to step up and buy company stock so the Boomers can leave.

The Boomers see the issue as one of loyalty. Truth be told, some also want to see that stock price go up so they will take home more when they do cash out.

For the staff, though, it’s a leadership issue. I’ve been hearing this from clients for some time. Now Watson Wyatt, an international consulting firm, has documented it. The data is for Canada, but I think it is significant enough that we can use it here.

Let the data speak

Watson Wyatt put employees in groups according to age: Under 30, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60 and over. Here is what they found.

• No. 1 driver for all age groups except 30-39 is Strategic Direction and Leadership. No. 1 driver for ages 30-39 is Rewards (pay and benefits). That’s hardly surprising since this is the group most likely raising young families.
• No. 2 driver for all groups except 30-39 is Rewards (pay and benefits). For the 30-39 group, it’s Strategic Direction and Leadership.
• No. 3 driver for all three groups is Communication.

The message is clear: If you want staff to buy stock, you have to tell them what future they’re buying into. And you’d better be making a profit.

Strategic Direction and Communication

You, company leaders, need to provide and communicate strategic direction for your firm. Putting together an annual strategic plan and handing out copies is not enough. One firm has a schedule for who is going to communicate what strategy-related message, when, to whom, and by what means. They let staff know what progress they’re making on their goals.

Teach Them What You Had to Learn

You need to identify the folks you want to step into leadership roles and educate them about the job. One 40-something client made this point last week: “They keep calling us the future leaders, but we are leading now.” In his case, he’s right. Just like you, they didn’t learn how to run a company in engineering school. Help them learn what you didn’t know.

Share Your Thinking

Once you identify those leaders, you need to get into the financials and history for your firm. These 40-somethings need to understand why you make the financial decisions that you do. They probably don’t have your decades of experience with the firm, so, for example, they need background on why you got out of a particular market 10 years ago. You have 20, 30, maybe 40 years of knowledge about your firm in your head. You need to share it.

Be Creative in Stock-Buying Plans

The 40-somethings are likely raising a family, looking at ever-looming college costs, and starting to deal with their own aging parents. Taking out a sizable loan to buy stock in the company isn’t going to happen. Thus, you need to get creative in offering ways to buy stock. Some firms are giving stock as a bonus. Others encourage staff to use bonuses as a means to buying stock. Another firm has a payment plan.

ON A SIDE NOTE

The exec in this tale talked about how he and his partners all grew up as a family as they built the firm. Thinking out loud, he said maybe the company should have a cookout or some other get-togethers so folks could get to know each other better. That’s typical Boomer thinking.

When I relayed that comment to a 40-something, he said, “I don’t need to get to know those guys any better. I know them well enough.” That’s typical Gen-Xer thinking.

Boomers need to recognize that Gen-Xers are focused on their families, not the company. In our tight labor market, a top-quality engineer can quit in the morning and find another job before the day is out. Their priority is taking care of their families.

What’s a Boomer exec to do? Provide that Strategic Direction they want, demonstrate leadership and grow new leaders. Be creative in ways for the staff to buy stock.

No Group Hugs Required

Yesterday our kids, 20 and 22, ran their first half-marathon, a great accomplishment for anyone, but especially so for these two non-runners. They set their goal. They trained. They even cleaned up their eating habits. And they crossed the finish line.

“One thing that really helped was all the people cheering us along the way,” my son said. “All that encouragement really helped us keep going.”

So easy to give. Too seldom done.

This past week one client was bemoaning how seldom people in his company give “atta-boys” to staff. He included himself in that group—giving praise and positive feedback doesn’t come naturally to him.

Nor is it natural for lots of folks in this business.

Surveys say the No. 1 reason an employee leaves is his or her manager. Employment Source Newsletter cited these top problems with managers:

• Doesn’t give feedback
• Doesn’t appreciate the work I do
• Doesn’t care about me or the other people

We are all familiar with the costs of employees leaving. We are all very aware of the tight labor market. We all like to be told we are doing a good job.

So, why don’t we say “well done,” “good job,” “thanks for your efforts” more often? It just takes a minute and costs nothing.

TRY THIS

A speaker from Vistage, an international CEO organization, shared this great exercise to help CEOs and others remember to give praise daily. I wish I could remember his name, so I could give him credit.

10 Pennies Exercise

Start out each morning with 10 pennies in your left pocket. The goal is to move the 10 pennies to your right pocket by the end of the day. You move a penny each time you praise someone. That’s all there is to it.

It sounds so simple, but everyone I know who has tried the exercise struggled with it. I’ve had a few clients try it with just five pennies and still not succeed.

Here are a few phrases to help you move those pennies.

“I appreciate your work on ….”

“You handled that situation well.”

“Good job on the . . .”

“Thanks for your hard work.”

“The client likes working with you.”

Or simply, “Thank you.”

I DON’T WANT TO HEAR…

A few folks out there will respond to this with “Why do I need to tell them they’ve done a good job? That’s what I pay them for.” That’s true, but get over it.

Human beings like to be valued for their contributions. Particularly in this tight labor market, you need to tell them you appreciate them. Just give ‘em an “atta-boy” and move a penny.

No group hugs required.

----Try the exercise and let us know how you do.

Delegate, Don't Abdicate

TODAY’S SITUATION

Williams Engineering is a midsize firm with three offices. Harry, the CEO, told me about a situation he was facing on a project that was being done by staff in Midville and Genoa City. It seems communications on the project had fallen through the cracks, with each office blaming the other for the problem.

Harry said, “I could just tell them to deal with it. Or I could get involved. I would like the staff to handle these types of issues on their own, but I don’t know if they know how.”

He decided to address the situation then delegate responsibility for future breakdowns, should they occur, to Chuck.

HOORAY FOR HARRY

Harry demonstrated his leadership skill with the decision he made. Too many leaders claim to delegate to staff, but what they really do is abdicate. Take Bill, for example. When staff came to him with a problem, he would just tell them to deal with it. That’s not delegation, that’s abdication. Here’s what true delegation looks like.

HOW TO DELEGATE

When you delegate, you teach others. Learning occurs.

1. Give someone the authority and responsibility to do something that is part of your job.

2. Let them know that you will hold them accountable.

3. Let them know exactly what you expect from them and particular outcomes if you know them.

4. Tell them what resources are available to them.

5. Be clear about all deadlines and why those deadlines count.

6. Establish a schedule for them to check back in with you for follow up.

7. Establish checkpoints to monitor their progress.

8. Sit back and let them prove themselves.

9. Hold them accountable.

10. Praise their good decisions and determine what lessons were learned.

THE DECISION TREE

Another tool that helps staff understand when they need to consult you or make decisions on their own is the Decision Tree.

You establish what a decision is for each level. This is also a great way to deal with those staff who keep coming to you to make every decision. Empower them.

BACK TO OUR FEUDING WHATEVERS

Here’s how Harry solved the situation with Bob and Chuck.

a. He had Bob and Chuck bring in all written communication—i.e., emails—from the dispute.

b. He had them bring pertinent project documents that specified what was needed and when.

c. He sat down with Bob and Chuck to review the facts of the situation.

d. Harry gave each man a chance to express his feelings about what happened.

e. Bob and Chuck, with Harry’s guidance, worked out ways to prevent such things from falling through the cracks again.

f. Harry delegated responsibility to Chuck to handle any future breakdowns.

THE RESULTS

Bob and Chuck have a better working relationship, which is good for the client and good for the company.

As a group, they identified gaps in their communication process that needed to be addressed.

Harry proved his leadership by helping Bob and Chuck address the situation, then delegating responsibility.

Bob and Chuck learned.

What can you delegate today? Get something off of your list and turn it into a learning opportunity for one of your direct reports.

Shooting for Line of Sight

I was meeting with Ming, CEO of a firm with 120 engineers and architects. Ming shared his dismay about staff’s perceptions about recent changes in the business. “We’ve had to make some cutbacks, due to a slowdown in the market. Some of those changes included cutting back on our training costs and requiring staff to strategically plan their trips to minimize travel costs and time away from the office.”

“As always, my staff engineers are questioning the changes. Their target is the business development folks. ‘You’re asking us to make cutbacks, but Don and Janet still play golf, go to ballgames, and more. They’re never in the office. Why are they so special?’

“I don’t know what to do to help the engineers understand why the business development (BD) staff do what they do.”

The situation

Ming’s dilemma is common to all businesses, regardless of size. The troops have tunnel vision. Each employee only knows his or her small piece of the business. They don’t understand that doing business is a long process, and they are each one little point in the process.

Let’s use the alphabet as a simple example. As you know, there are 26 letters that go from A to Z. Say your name begins with S. Then for you, S is the focus of your alphabet. As S, you don’t focus on the other 25 letters. If your name begins with C, C is your focus. As C, you don’t pay much attention to the other 25 letters.

Translating the alphabet into business processes

Staff in any business, not just engineering, only understand their individual role in the business cycle. BD folks don’t focus on the fact that project managers need to deliver on the promises the BD people make. The project managers don’t focus on the BD folks’ need to get repeat business with their clients. I hear it all the time.

We used to experience this in the newspaper business every day. If a reporter didn’t turn his story in on time to the city desk, it caused problems and delays all the way through the production and delivery process. A delay on the front end could easily lead to making the newspaper delivery guy late on his end.

What’s a boss to do?

You have to educate all employees on the entire business process, from the cold calls to get business, to getting the work done on time, to getting paid on time, to doing repeat work for each client. It doesn’t have to be in great detail, just give them an overview. One client has put together a timeline of the entire process and added names to key points in the process to give staff a better understanding of who the players are and where they function in the process.

Get your graphics person to create such a timeline and educate staff in a Lunch and Learn. Include the information in your company newsletter. Post it on a bulletin board that staff will see.

Key Data on This

Studies show that when employees have line of sight—an understanding of how their job fits in with the company’s strategic direction—financial returns are four times higher than otherwise. Sounds to me like it’s worth the cost of a few pizzas.