Leadership | It's Worth Noting

The power of 10x problem solving

July 28, 2013

Life in business and at home presents an endless array of problems to solve. Probably due to this relentless volume, it’s easy to get stuck in a routine of implementing solutions that will simply solve the immediate problem. It’s uncommon to routinely take the time and energy to identify good long-term solutions that will be scalable and flexible enough to handle growth and other changes. Unfortunately, the effect of routine short-term problem solving is that problems reoccur and accumulate. As the volume of reoccurring problems increases, it gets harder to have the time and energy to work on long-term solutions. It is a vicious cycle and it’s easy to get stuck. One easy way to either avoid getting into this mess or to claw your way out of it you’re already there is to start solving problems using what I call a 10X test. The next time you have a…

Leadership

I do not trust you

December 18, 2012

You probably trust most of the people around you. You trust their character, morality and ethics. You would leave them alone with the cash register or let them watch your kids. This is what most of us have in mind when we talk about trust. There is another type of trust that is just as important although rarely distinguished or discussed. Where we frequently lack trust is in someone’s competence. We do not have confidence in their skills or abilities. We are not concerned they would steal or act immorally, but we are worried that they would mishandle the task or responsibility. Whether you are the delegator, or the one being delegated to, we owe it to one other to actually talk through why there may be a lack of trust. Unaddressed, the assumption tends to be that there is a lack of trust in character, morality or ethics. If this…

Leadership

Have your team follow people, not plaques

September 19, 2012

You see them everywhere. Plaques up on the wall emblazoned with the company mission and values. They are even in many homes, lists of rules, values or platitudes to live by. There is nothing wrong with the plaques. Most of them look nice and communicate important messages about why a group labors together and invests in relationships. They communicate a set of standards to get everyone on the same page. The plaques are not bad. They are just not very effective on their own. What if instead of plaques, you put up pictures of people, historical or even better, coworkers in the office, with relevant captions to communicate the desired message? An easy example would be a picture of Lincoln with a caption such as, “Be honest like this guy” or “When life required him to fight a war, he went to the library and learned how do it.” A…

Leadership

How to know when you are hiring the wrong people

February 21, 2013

If you sit down for an interview and you, as the employer or hiring manager, have all the leverage, you are hiring the wrong people. When you only attract candidates who need a job, who are focused on saying what you want to hear, who have become professionals at interviewing, you have all the leverage. You are not trying to woo them, they are trying to woo you. You control the selection process, dominate salary negotiations and dictate start dates, job descriptions and other details. You have all the leverage. You are in total control. Unfortunately, you are in total control of a completely broken hiring strategy and process. You may get lucky and one of the candidates is great. The process will work occasionally, but not consistently. You are dependent on luck to deliver your next best employee and build a great team because your strategy and process is…

Leadership

Stop paying for performance

April 22, 2014

It’s a best practice of countless companies and a recommendation from even more consultants, advisors and the like. Identify the key metrics for success in your business, measure them and incentivize your team to hit or exceed those metrics with a reward, usually monetary. Pay for performance. The trouble though with typical pay for performance programs is that they only measure and incentivize outcomes. Sales quotas are a classic example. New revenue is measured and if a salesperson meets or exceeds their revenue quota, they get a reward. The measurement and reward system can be simple or complex, but ultimately it comes down to measuring and incentivizing specific outcomes. The challenge is that this system inevitably create a culture where the end begins to justify the means. The most cunning and sometimes least scrupulous employees get rewarded more than the most admirable and desirable employees since the former are willing to…

Leadership Podcast

Henry Kaestner interview – The advantage of revealing your true motivation

February 10, 2014

Henry Kaestner is a man of deep faith and tremendous success. He is the Chairman, Co-Founder and former CEO of Bandwidth.com, a disruptive telecom start-up that he and his partner David Morken grew from nothing in 1999 to over $140 million a year in revenue and over 350 employees today. More importantly, Henry is a Christian, husband and father, priorities that served as the foundation for Bandwidth.com’s culture and are the focus of a venture capital fund he now leads. In this podcast, Henry shares his perspective on how Bandwidth.com’s culture empowers employees to do amazing work, lead fulfilling lives and want to stick around. Follow-up resources: Simon Sinek’s Ted talk: How Great Leaders Inspire Action Henry Kaestner on Twitter Phonebooth hosted VoIP services from Bandwidth.com Listen below or on other podcast players.

Leadership Productivity

The importance of operating below your capacity

April 27, 2012

How often do you hear, “I’m giving one hundred and ten percent!” It’s said with pride. It communicates dedication, focus and drive. We say it about work, school, relationships and more. But there’s a problem. In many instances we’re committing more time, energy and other resources than we truly have to give. We consistently fall short of unreasonable expectations. Moments out from under the heavy weight of overcommitments are rare and too brief. The problem isn’t just the extra ten percent. The problem is the extra twenty percent. To show others that we’re more dedicated, more productive or can juggle a dizzying amount of obligations, we give up something really important: whitespace or capacity. What if you reoriented your life to only commit ninety percent of your capacity, whether measured in time, resources, energy, etc. What if you intentionally held back ten percent to create space to think, reflect or…

Leadership

The Toxicity of Compromise

June 20, 2012

Compromising has a pleasant connotation in most people’s mind. When compromises are reached, we assume parties with differing opinions made concessions and settled in the middle. It is the civil and selfless way to resolve disagreements. We applaud and pursue it. But should we? Few talk about the unhealthy side effect that develops in environments where compromise reigns. The problem with routine compromise is that people naturally evolve toward advocating extreme positions. You learn that a decision or outcome will always settle out somewhere in the middle of the two positions argued. To adapt and compete, each side advocates a more and more extreme position to ensure the compromise either remains in the middle or more closely aligns with the desired outcome. It is a game we learn to play and play well, but it is subtlety destructive. Consider everyday politics. Politicians and parties are locked in a tug of war,…

Leadership Podcast

Mark McClain interview – “It’s a competitive advantage”

May 2, 2013

Mark McClain is a friend, dedicated family man and experienced leader and entrepreneur in the Austin, Texas tech scene. Mark serves as CEO of his latest co-founded venture, SailPoint Technologies, a leading enterprise identity and access management application. During our time together, Mark shared how lessons learned as a father and leader in other organizations that were less attentive to culture have shaped his leadership philosophy. Today, Mark and his co-founder at SailPoint are committed to maintaining a healthy culture – a competitive advantage in the marketplace for talent and customers. Resources: The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni Listen below or on other podcast players.

Leadership Podcast

Ken Schiller interview – “Because of Me”

April 5, 2013

Quick order and fast food restaurants are not typically known for amazing service. For a variety of reasons, including inexperienced workers, high turnover, quick pace and low profit margin, it is very difficult to operate one of these restaurants in a way that consistently puts a smile on both customers’ and employees’ faces. Ken Schiller, along with his co-founder and co-owner Brian Nolen, have set their restaurants apart by emphasizing culture and creating an exceptional customer and employee experience. After 18 years in the business, their team is continuing to grow, innovate and delight. Enjoy the podcast! Resources: Top Grading by Bradford Smart K&N Management “Cooking Up Excellence Using Baldrige Ingredients” course Listen below or on other podcast players.