“Continuous peer learning is the best strategy for long-term improvement.”- Chris Dede, Harvard
“We need to quit trying to be awesome and instead be wise.” - Jen Hatmaker
“Customers rarely buy what the business thinks they are selling.” - Peter Drucker
You may have seen the tweet that has been going around that reads “may the last few months of 2017 be the plot twist you have been waiting for.” When I first heard it, I laughed and thought it perfectly captured what many of us have been feeling. When we reflect on this year, many of us don’t like the plot line. We certainly could use less uncertainty and a bit more “happily ever after.”
Economists Scott Baker (from Northwestern University), Nick Bloom (Stanford), and Steven Davis (University of Chicago) have developed something they call the Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) index to measure the uncertainty that affects how businesses invest. In the US, they measure things like news content showing uncertainty, tax code provisions nearing expiration in the coming period, and disagreements among economists and forecasters. If there is great diversity among what people are saying, what people are seeing, and what people are predicting, the index shows that there is more uncertainty and research shows that uncertainty keeps businesses from investing in new hires, facilities, or equipment. In short, uncertainty keeps people waiting and watching.
But what about uncertainty on a personal level? Here are three ways that you can counter-act the effect of uncertainty to be the change we want to see.
1. Don’t wait to act
If there is policy uncertainty, leadership ambiguity, or unknown results from effort, it is human nature to sit back and wait to see how things play out. It leads to risk aversion. Leaning into ambiguity is messy and can lead to change fatigue. But waiting has huge productivity implications. Waiting not only affects your work output, but how you feel about your work. Not the one should be reckless or act foolish, but we all know that one can lean too far back in these situations and not take actions we know that in any circumstance are beneficial. There is a phrase attributed to Goethe (or an ambitious and free-wheeling translator) which reads: “What you can do, or dream you can, begin it: boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” This phrase sat above my desk for years and I think that is does have power. If you wait to do something you know to know, then that lack of forward action has long-standing ramifications.
2. Commit to investing
In times of uncertainty, a lot of energy is focused on self-protection and survival. But this is precisely the time that you need to look outside yourself and invest in others. Your teammates, colleagues, and friends are feeling the same, or possibly even more, uncertainty than you and some reassurance, encouragement, or direction from you could make all the difference in their productivity and feeling of accomplishment. Don’t neglect your role as a leader, no matter your position, in times of uncertainty. Continue to support the causes close to you. Continue to mentor others. It is precisely in times of uncertainty that others need you more than ever. Be generous with your time and expertise and all the ways you invest in your community.
3. Over-communicate
Closely related to #1 and #2 above, the first casualty in times of uncertainty can be communication. You might simply not know what to say or have answers to the questions that you think people will be asking. But your lack of communication will not keep people from asking questions. They will, in fact, ask more. And human nature will fill in the answers with fear or doubt. No one ever speculates that good is going on behind closed doors. They will assume the worst. Don’t let the reality of uncertainty lead to people feeling with certainty that bad things are going on or about to play out. So, commit to communicate and then rinse and repeat until you feel you are over-communicating. It is at that point, that people might be finally hearing you.
We are in unprecedented times. The perception of political tension, both in our country and abroad, and the social divisions are running high. Our businesses face new and aggressive competition, our customers have more choices than ever, it is getting harder to find and retain key talent, and it is easy to let that uncertainty get the best of us. Stress can run rampant in these times. We are in the final months of a year which has been marked by natural disasters, human tragedies, and upheaval. There are lots of reasons for uncertainty, but also for hope.
I sincerely hope that YOU are the plot twist that we have been waiting for and that we all stop WAITING and do what we know to do, or dream to do, now.
Originally published on LinkedIn Pulse.
“I don’t need a ‘reason’ to be happy. I don’t have to consult the future to know how happy I feel now.” - Hugh Prather
“Truth is the ultimate organizer.” - Mohan Nair
“If you fail, have an interesting failure. Something that informs or transforms.” - Chris Dede, Harvard
“In its essence, leadership is about learning how to shape the future. Leadership exists when people are no longer victims of circumstances, but participate in creating their new circumstances.” - Peter Senge
“Thought creates the world and then says “I didn’t do it.” - David Bohm
As many of you know, I recently moved to Atlanta, Georgia from Portland, Oregon, where I had spent the bulk of my professional career. I am a strong believer that one should build a network before you need one and I did not want to waste time getting to know people in Atlanta. Since moving to Atlanta three months ago, I went from knowing a handful of people to having over 100 LinkedIn contacts and dozens more informal connections. Over time, these will provide mutual value as we refer business, recruit talent, and help each other be successful in Atlanta.
If you find yourself new in a city, or wanting to build a stronger professional network, here are five ways to start that have proven useful for me in these early days in my new city:
1. Start with Who You Know
When I finalized our move plans, I reached out to everyone I knew professionally in Atlanta. These few connections were few, but powerful. That has already lead to a few meet ups and more introductions. Some of these have already proved helpful in our home search and for help recruiting for some new hires in our Atlanta offices.
2. Ask for Introductions
Having spent a lifetime building up relationships in the Oregon business community, I knew I had a base to build from. For instance, some of the local vendor community in Portland also have offices in Atlanta and I am now making those connections. Agencies, management consultants, and even real estate firms with a national or international footprint are a great place to start.
3. Use Your Associations
I leveraged relationships I had with the Technology Association of Oregon (TAO) to get involved with the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). I reached out to the membership team of Avixa, where I serve on the Leadership Search Committee, to be introduced to local contacts in Atlanta (and we have begun planning a networking event for women in AV in the city). I transferred my involvement with the CMO Club to the new city and have already had some insightful meetings and lots of great advice.
4. Put Yourself Out There
Using the recommendations above, I have invested in some events and used those as a chance to get to know more people and learn more about the community and the various industries that call Atlanta home. These have included events by the Atlanta Business Chronicle (which through the American Business Journals has outlets in 43 US cities), the American Marketing Association’s Atlanta chapter (another association with hundreds of chapters), and a group sponsored by Georgia State Robinson College of Business (find the business schools in your community for connections). This has been a sacrifice of time which has resulted in some wonderful conversations, valuable insights, and new connections in the city.
5. Add Value
In Portland, I tried to give back to the community in big and small ways (and encouraged others to do so). I found it personally and professionally fulfilling to be on the board of a non-profit, Marathon Scholars, and to get involved in local groups as a speaker, mentor, or advisor in the local business community. Although I haven’t done this much in Atlanta yet, it is something I am looking forward to doing over time. To get started, we are getting involved with the parents group at our children’s amazing school, I have taken some meetings with some early career marketing professionals, and we have gotten involved in service projects through church. Giving back not only does good in the community, but helps people get to know you (which is more important than who you know as I have written before). How each person chooses to give back is a highly personal decision, but no matter whether you volunteer for a rescue animal shelter or help build houses or serve on a non-profit board in a governance or fund raising capacity, volunteering is key to truly getting connected in a community.
In my case, my move to Atlanta corresponded to a new role at a new company. The same may be true for you, as well. It has, of course, been my top priority to master the new role and to meet colleagues and customers. If you find yourself too busy to build your external network now, just remember that in the day to day work with your colleagues you are also building a mutually beneficial network of folks who know each other well and can advocate for each other in countless ways while you are building business value.
This article was originally published on LinkedIn Pulse.
“Wanderer, there is no path. You lay a path in walking.” - A. Machado, Spanish Poet
Process is like the armor of your business. It needs to be strong enough to protect you from risk, but light enough that you can move quickly and fight the competition.
We sign contracts to buy a home, but only after detailed inspections and an appraisal. We do preventative maintenance on our cars. Our governments have committees drafting legislation and Roberts Rule of Order to keep senate hearings in line. Traditions and habits are the processes of our families and they build identity and security. And our businesses have operating systems that provide structure to our decisions and cadence to our activities. All of this is valuable and has a place. But one has to constantly rethink the design of that armor and whether it fits the purpose.
The medieval armor used in jousting competition was fine, when the rules were understood, the time for the battle was set, and you could see the enemy approaching from a distance. Many businesses enjoyed that kind of competitive stability in the past. Today's business battles are fought and won against unknown and known competitors, working on unpredictable time frames, and coming out of no where. This requires more nimbleness, speed, agility, flexibility, and empowerment.
Process can still protect you and plays a key role in your competitive success. Just not the same processes.
“Our marriage used to suffer from arguments that were too short. Now we argue long enough to find out what the argument is about.” - Hugh Prather
“Gratitude is the first sign of a thinking, rational creature.” -Solanus Casey
“Is it a verb, a noun, or a value?” -Mohan Nair
I overheard the half-time huddle at a soccer game this weekend. The sweaty 11-year-olds were sitting on the grass when their coach gave them two simple pieces of advice:
- “Girls, we always play strong in the second half,” he started. “Let’s go out and do that.”
- “Now that we switched sides at the half, our goal is in the shade. So, let’s try to keep the ball in the shade. We’ll score more and stay cool.”
“Good talk, coach,” I was thinking as I smirked at his no nonsense style and how we matched the length of his speech to the attention span of his pre-teen audience.
But later, I was thinking of the simplicity of his practical advice. He did three things that good leaders should do in any environment, whether it be the soccer pitch or in the board room. He gave them confidence (we always play strong in the back half), he gave them an easy-to-remember strategy to follow (stay in the shade), and he tied it to their own personal objectives (win and stay cool).
If we could all do this in our own businesses and with our own teams, we would end up winning more often.
“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant.” -Max De Pree, former CEO of Herman Miller
Despite the adage that “if you aren’t outraged, you aren’t paying attention” that is true in so many areas of our world today and in the face of ever-increasingly devastation that are afflicting our communities, our national and international relationships, and our families, there are three rational reasons to be optimistic.
1. Character: optimism changes you
The natural world teaches us that living things need hardship to achieve their full potential. Flavorful and sweet grapes are produced only after vine pruning. Tomatoes and peppers need periods of drought to produce fruit. In my experience, we are the same. It is not the periods of prosperity and comfort that define us and shape us as individuals, but our character is refined in the fire of hardship. The idea that what “doesn’t kill us makes us stronger,” can be true if we commit to self-reflection. If you are paying the tuition, think about the education you are getting.
2. Community: optimism fosters helping
Fred Rogers, of Mr. Rogers’ fame, recounted his mother advising him to look for the “helpers” whenever he heard of tragedy or saw scenes on the news. First responders rushing in when others are rushing out. Neighbors helping neighbors. Human kindness on display without regard to the things that can artificially divide us like location, race, creed, or language. This is a reason for optimism. That all of us facing challenges and changes big and small, can assist each other. When we think about humankind, tragedy allows us to be both human and kind.
3. Creativity: optimism unleashes new ideas
A “the sky is falling”, or worst a “the world is out to get me” mentality, shuts down the creative problem solving process. Your creativity engine is closed for business if you blame others or get overwhelmed by circumstances. We are capable of amazing innovation and can create solutions that are simply unimaginable to those who weren’t open to possibility. Sitting amidst the rubble might be the next new building approach that would survive the next storm, unearthed with a fresh perspective and an open mind.
Often in the throes of life’s challenges, it is extremely difficult to remember these benefits of optimism. This is one of the many ways that we can help each other. Not with vague platitudes, but by walking alongside each other in the storm and helping to develop character, community, and creativity.
Originally published on LinkedIn Pulse. The photo was taken at the Spruill Gallery in Dunwoody, GA.
“Vulnerability is absolutely transformative and creates more trust, not less.” - Jen Hatmaker
“It’s not the size of your dream that determines whether or not it comes true, but the magnitude of the actions you take.” - Susan Clark, HeartSpark