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Is your data foundation a house of cards?

By Jim Canterucci on May 11, 2012

Is the data you use to make decisions as a leader accurate? You’ve probably had the same experience as I did earlier today. I made a purchase and at the end of the transaction the clerk said, “You will be receiving a survey and ...

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• Is your data foundation a house of cards?

  By Jim Canterucci on May 11, 2012 | No Comments

  Is the data you use to make decisions as a leader accurate?

  You’ve probably had the same experience as I did earlier today. I made a purchase and at the end of the transaction the clerk said, “You will be receiving a survey and the only acceptable answer is ‘excellent’ for all the questions about me. Will you do that for me?”

  I know this was part of a script because I overheard other customers receiving the same spiel. I’ve experienced this at car dealerships, cell phone stores, and even restaurants. Varying amounts of pressure is applied to give the right answer, including pleading that they could lose their job if I answered any questions truthfully but other than the perfect score answer. I have even received phone calls to remind me to answer the survey correctly. No attempts are made to hide the fact that the system is being gamed. Each sales person is instructed to do it.

  OK, what’s happening here?

  1. The survey data is skewed and does not necessarily reflect the actual customer experience.
  2. The customer may develop an affinity with the clerk and may want to stick it to the big bad corporation, becoming part of the bad data conspiracy. (We have to answer the survey or you will torture us for weeks.)
  3. You are paying some outside company exorbitant amounts of money to gather bad data. Did they mention that to you?
  4. You are sharing bad data. (Beautiful PowerPoint decks though.)
  5. You are making decisions based on bad data.
  6. You are paying bonuses and doing performance evaluations based on bad data.
  7. Your people think you are an idiot. (Did I type that out loud?)
  8. Your customers think you are an idiot. We really do. We even reflect on the price of the item we just purchased and how we are paying for this nonsense. See #3 above.

  The purpose of this post is to check in with you to make sure that if you are gathering data, you are actually thinking about the process for gathering the data and ensuring that you are getting the most accurate information possible. Question the source. Your decisions depend upon this data. So does your success as a leader.

  Photo credit: Carlos VanVegas
• Do you back fill for change?

  By Jim Canterucci on May 4, 2012 | No Comments

  Change is constant, blah, blah, blah.

  However, when a large change initiative occurs within your area your people are distracted. They’re busy on change related activities. They are not in a routine. Here are some thoughts for how you can lead during this change window:

  Do less. You’ve heard the phrase – “How do you do more with less? Do less.” While life isn’t so black and white, you have to consider which initiatives you and your team have on the plate and consider which items simply cannot be done. Don’t fully give up though. The key second step is to be creative about how you might get these items done differently. Once you agree on what won’t get done, communicate this up and out and get feedback from all who will be affected by the gap you create. Come back and revise the list as appropriate.

  When you know which initiatives you are going to keep on the list, look at the calendar and project the windows of time that the big change project will make normal day-to-day activities impossible. Plan your normal initiatives around those times. If you know June and July will be end user training for the big project, figure out how to suspend activities on the normal initiatives so you don’t create undue pressure or surprises. In other words, recognize the elephant in the room.

  Lead your project resources. Don’t forget that your representatives on the big change project are just that, your representatives. Continue to lead them. Recognize that they are being thrown into the deep end of an unfamiliar pool. Ensure it is a growth opportunity by continuing your personal leadership. Don’t let them forget their roots. They need information from those on your team not as involved in the big project and also need to begin early knowledge transfer.

  Back fill. If your people are officially or unofficially spending time on a large change initiative how are you back filling to make sure they aren’t overburdened? Magic idea – interns. Interns can take some of the grunt work, cover some of the ‘nice to have’ initiatives that wouldn’t get done otherwise, and provide a needed creativity infusion. Outside consultants can help as well. Job sharing can also help develop people and expand horizons, turning a burden into a growth opportunity for everyone.

  Provide rest “bits”. Any respite from the difficult tasks that a change initiative requires is welcome. A Friday afternoon off, a fun different task, an ability to show off, etc. as appropriate for each individual goes a long way.

  Allow gaps to be visible. Create mechanisms to allow people to identify when day-to-day gaps crop up. People are doing multiple and different jobs. Some things are going to fall through the cracks. Expect it. Create ways for people to sound the alarm. If parts aren’t where they are supposed to be on the factory floor because the person responsible was busy on the big project, be ready to rally to keep the business running. Perhaps an ‘I need HELP’ board in each area that makes these needs visible will diffuse some frustration.

  Manage the boss. Negotiate which metrics will take priority. Communicate constantly and develop a relationship that allows you to push back when the same boss that told you the big change initiative is your number 1 priority asks you to start a new project to get the monthly numbers in line.

  * * *

  Big change initiatives that impact your area challenge your leadership skills. Use your fundamentals with an unwavering attention to lead your team through and you’ll find you are much stronger as a result.

   

  photo credit: permanently scatterbrained
• Vision, Mission, Smishion

  By Jim Canterucci on April 26, 2012 | No Comments

  If you can put your vision statement on a PowerPoint slide, or worse a coffee mug, you’re likely doing it wrong.

  Rather, can you create a vision that tells a story of the future that includes your organization? The narrative story brings components together and your team can see the context of decisions more easily. There is much more to strategic planning, but the future narrative is critical to success and should be the first step in the process. You don’t need an MBA to understand it. You can evaluate if your folks think the vision is possible and it spawns much deeper conversation. You can gauge progress, always resurrecting the narrative in conversation.

  Ari Weinzweig reminded us of this approach in an Inc Magazine article.

  Some questions to answer that will allow you to weave this story.

  • What does the world look like in your future (you define the time frame)?
  • How is the world different because your organization interacts with that world?
  • What are you doing in your future?
  • Who is in the company in your future?
  • What are they doing in your future?
  • What is work like for all of you in your future?
  • Who are your customers in your future?
  • What is your interaction with customers?
  • How are they using your product or service?
  • How do they feel about your organization?
  • How do new clients find you?
  • What do the numbers (all the numbers) look like in your future?

  Here is the vision narrative for ELCircle.com. I didn’t include the financial numbers because they don’t matter much to you. What this does for us? Since we’re relatively new, we stayed with a short horizon (a year). This narrative gives all of our team an idea for what is possible. It’s a stretch but very doable. With all the communicating I do, until we wrote this out people couldn’t see all the pieces. The narrative fuels day-to-day actions because you can envision the end result.

  April 1, 2013Leaders of all levels in a variety of organizations are supplementing their development using video lessons from ELCircle. Smart companies have integrating ELCircle in their approach to develop these critical resources. These leaders and their leadership development executives are telling us exactly what they need and we are fulfilling these needs. There are 5,000 corporate members of ELCircle. These members come from 30 separate clients averaging 167 members from each client. The revenue impact of these members:(numbers not included here but we include revenue, commissions, costs, profit margin, etc.) Members each have a program setup for group lesson review sessions each month and are working individually towards certification. Coaches and managers within these organizations are accessing ELCerticication.com to prepare for these group lesson review sessions. Each corporate client is creating their own individual content in their private channel. A virtual ELCircle staff member with a salary of (not included here) is monitoring all activity, creating dashboard management reports and supporting users as necessary. We have a prolific core group of 10 ELCircle Advisors who are producing five new lessons each month. This is the equivalent of each Advisor creating six new lessons per year. Each month a guest will provide a lesson and a CEO Interview will take place which will provide seven new lessons per month for our community. A full time virtual production assistant for shoots and editing is on staff – salary of (not included here). A full time virtual sales person is on staff – salary and bonus of (not included here). We work from a studio office in a creative part of town for shoots and to provide a great environment for staff to work. Each quarter we will provide live three hour web casts for our community with our ELCircle Advisors speaking to a live audience. Weekly, we will produce a 30 minute web tv show that highlights leadership content, information from our lessons and interviews with guests and commercials for content and to join ELCircle. We are thought of as the Khan Academy of the corporate world. We receive press hits in all the major outlets that can reach leaders. An annual live three day conference (The first one is this year) for members to come and learn from the best live including detailed simulations, group leadership activities and perhaps a visit to a leadership icon company in the city the conference is held. This conference attracts approximately 500 people at (not included here) generating self-sustaining revenue of (not included here).

   
• The 90/10 to 60/40 Equation

  By Jim Canterucci on April 20, 2012 | 1 Comment

  Here is a presentation on one of 7 Essentials for Emerging Leaders. Let me know what you think:
• Are ideas flowing your way?

  By Jim Canterucci on April 12, 2012 | No Comments

  Lack of ideas from an otherwise dynamic team is a symptom that you could do better as a leader. Not sure if this applies to you? Ask yourself these questions:

  1. How many ideas did your team members bring to you today?
  2. Is there silence in your group brainstorming sessions?
  3. Do you feel like you must be the idea person all the time?
  4. Are you feeling that your area is stagnant?

  

  If the light bulb of innovation seems a bit dim for your team, maybe it’s time to examine the light socket:

  • Are you open to receiving new ideas from your staff?
  • Do you listen to input from your team?
  • Do you coach your staff on how to move an idea forward?
  • Do you take the time to explain why an idea doesn’t quite fit the corporate vision? 
  • Have you, through your actions, dampened enthusiasm and engagement?
  • Do you say no more than you say yes?

  Your team is close to the work. Your team has ideas.

  You need these ideas. You lead the team that handles the work. Let them shine.

  Fore more on this topic, see It’s all about the “but”

  Photo credit General Wesc
• The aura of busy

  By Jim Canterucci on April 5, 2012 | 1 Comment

  I had quite a few meetings this week. Two of them stood out because of the stark contrast. Here are the two scenarios. Guess at the best leader.

  The first meeting was with a CEO of a large organization. We’re working on a project together. We scheduled (via email) a 30 minute meeting to discuss status. The email was simply – “Let’s get together next week. Monday at 10 should be good.”

  I showed up at his office. Walked in and said hi.

  We discussed the project. Touched on people we were concerned about and how they are reacting to things. I showed him an ‘in process’ slide presentation that will be backup for some upcoming communication. He had agenda items and so did I. However there wasn’t a list, just a casual conversation. We got a lot done. And, without looking at a clock we both stood up to say goodbye and magically it was 29 minutes after the hour.

  The second meeting was requested by a department leader. We’re helping each other out with a few projects and meet regularly.

  The meeting was scheduled via request from the busy professional person’s online scheduling system link in an email. I selected an available time from the online system. I verified my human-ness by clicking on yet another link and then received a confirmation from the machine for a 10:00 meeting for 90 minutes. I then received an email a few days later changing the time. Then another email came in stating that it was not possible to spend 90 minutes with me, rather he could only allocate one hour to me this month followed by a description of the avalanche of work he was doing. Fine, I suppose, but you wanted to meet with me. Hmm.

  I showed up at the coffee shop ten minutes early. He wasn’t anywhere around. I got myself a cup of coffee and setup my laptop to facilitate our discussion. After 30 minutes and a few emails I gave up and left. After I left, my phone rang and my meeting partner said, “I’m here, but I was on the phone. Did I miss you?”

  Who would you prefer to work with? The actually busy leader, who is relaxed, focused and in the moment, or the frantic leader who appears too busy for you? Which guy do you want to be?

  See last week’s post – Managing YOUR time

  • No matter how busy you really are, realize that everyone you come into contact with is just as busy as you.
  • Think about your audience.
  • Create systems that allow you to be in the moment all the time.
  • Acquire the skill of clock management in a non-rushed way.

  Create the aura of thoughtful leadership rather than the over-stimulated task rat.

  Photo Credit bark
• Managing YOUR time

  By Jim Canterucci on March 29, 2012 | 1 Comment

  Time can’t be managed. However, You can manage yourself and your environment.

  Whenever I talk about leadership and making improvements in this area the first question starts with – “I don’t have time.” This sounds better than what they are really saying – “I am a leader but do not have time to lead.”

  For a leader, it’s the same as a surgeon saying – “I don’t have time to operate.”

  When this “I don’t have time” or “You’re adding more to my plate” comes up, my approach is to weave the “new” leadership activities in with what the leader is already doing. This is where the rubber meets the road.

  For example, if the leadership task involves getting input from your team, I might suggest that when you’re talking to each of your people ask… The discussion screeches to a halt when the leader says something like, I don’t really have an opportunity to do that because I don’t talk to them regularly. We have to stop because, guess what?

  YOU ARE NOT LEADING!

  What are you doing instead? Are you making time for tasks at the expense of your leadership responsibilities?

  Can you weave good leadership in with your task management?

  The answer lies less in what you are doing and how you are doing it. Here’s a scenario to get your wheels turning:

  As a marketing leader you are asked by your boss to research the time it takes to distribute online leads to the sales team and how we might improve the turnaround time. You became a leader because you are a doer. Your first inclination might be to get the numbers and prepare the analysis. Hold on. You’re a leader, remember? Here’s the trick. Every task that is completed should have some positive residual effect on leading your people. Everything you do is dual purpose – the task itself and leadership. This mind set is critical to managing your schedule and performing as an exceptional leader. Two supervisors (Bill and Jessica) touch the process of online leads in your department. Bill and Jessica have very unique stories. Bill is comfortable where he is and loves his job. Jessica is focused on growing beyond her current job and wants to progress up the ranks in marketing and even beyond. You discuss the task with both Bill and Jessica. In this discussion you break the task into two parts – short term and long term. Short term is to get a quick answer to your boss. Long term is to possibly implement changes in the process to speed things up. You take care in explaining the urgency of the task because of the outside view that things are moving too slowly while not passing judgement on the performance of the team. You then ask Bill and Jessica to decide how they will break down the tasks and what each of them will do. You gently guide knowing what each person’s development goals are (you’ve already had those conversations with each) prompting the division of duties to reinforce each person’s growth. The task list starts out something like this: Bill will run the lead turn around report for the last month, a sample month within the last six, and the comparable report for the same period last year to ensure that you have good statistics. Jessica will interview three sales people to get their feedback on the timeliness and quality of the online leads. Jessica will build the presentation spreadsheet that breaks down the trends and seeks to explain the causes. Jessica will check in with you when this step is complete in order to explore next steps. Bill and Jessica will co-facilitate a root cause analysis session with members of their teams included that begins to look at the process flow. Bill will lead a remapping of a new process flow. Jessica will present a five minute update at your managers next staff meeting with the initial findings and overview of the long-term process redesign. Note – in this analysis it was discovered based on conversations with sales people that the timing wasn’t really the problem but that the leads weren’t always solid. In fact they stated that if the marketing group could do more sorting and categorizing of the leads they were fine with the timing.

   

  What’s happened here?

  • You have met your bosses request.
  • You have listened to your customers.
  • You have optimized your department processes.
  • Bill got to improve the process for the area he is so committed to.
  • Jessica was allowed to shine and received valuable experience getting outside her department.
  • Input and engagement was received from everyone in the department.
  • Pride now exists in changing things for the better.
  • And, a ton of work was accomplished while you were off doing other strategic things.

  That’s leadership? Are you sure you don’t have time for that?
• My culture has shifted on me

  By Jim Canterucci on March 22, 2012 | No Comments

  Recently an ELCircle emerging leader posed the following question:

  I’ve been with my company quite awhile. With a top leadership change a couple years ago, the culture has shifted to a financials first mindset and I feel like we’ve lost a great deal of our humanity. Impacts in customer service, layoffs to meet quarterly financial estimates, and giving up development opportunities that will help us grow in the long run. Do I just put my head down and deal with it or is there something I can do?

  Obviously if you feel your organization has lost its way (at least regarding what you signed up for) it may be wise to leave and find a company that is more in line with your values. However, that’s not always possible and the grass isn’t always greener.

  The first question is – Can you continue to grow in this environment? Or, will the new culture take up so much energy that you become stagnant. In other words, is this a challenge you can sink your teeth into in order to balance the seemingly financial only focus with the other components of great leadership?

  Let’s focus on you staying and using all your skills to lead your portion of the organization in the most optimal way.

  Get Local – Yes, decisions come from on high that you must implement but you do control the local message and how your team interprets what’s happening. How? Reconcile the shift yourself first. Use Change Breakthrough Analysis to find out what your team is thinking and feeling. Then, localize the message. The most important part of any change announcement is to get practical fast. What does this mean to us? How will we deal with all the scenarios we encounter? Work through all the scenarios. Put your value system into the mix. Bridge to the culture you want to reinforce.

  Customer Service – Lets say that because of cutbacks you have eliminated some of the customer service benefits you’re used to providing. Perhaps these tools made things easier. But, they’re gone. It’s not necessarily what you do, but rather how you do it. Reengineer. Look for ways to accomplish the same great service feeling for your customers with less. It won’t just happen. When you cut, there is less and the result is less. You can manage things with innovation though to provide the same great service differently. Be creative rather than just giving in to demands that appear to care for our vital customers less.

  Mixed Signals – It’s easy for your team to pick up mixed signals when they hear a direction from above but you act differently. Share your secret plan. Let them know that the focus is on the bottom line but that doesn’t mean for your department that we are cutting corners regarding how we communicate and take care of our business. Open and honest, not just with your frustration but with your desire as a team to get things done in spite of, will go a long way to keep everyone on mission.

  Photo credit: Daveynin
• Using ELCircle as a supplement to your leadership university

  By Jim Canterucci on March 13, 2012 | No Comments

  We have a new mini-white paper on how you can utilize ELCircle leadership lessons as a supplement to your leadership curriculum.

  If we are properly focused on the application of the classroom learning in the work setting, follow-up and reinforcement is much more than a nice-to-have.

  Please download the white paper here – ELCircle as a Supplement to Your Leadership University

  Let us know what you think in the comments here and give us a call to discuss a pilot program.
• New ELCircle Content

  By Jim Canterucci on February 28, 2012 | No Comments

  New content has just been added to ELCircle.com for you – the emerging leader. Click here. These lessons will add 1.5 hours to your ELC Certification efforts.

  You’ll need to be a member to view these lessons. If you’re not already, no problem – use the 14-day trial.

  We are introducing a new series directed specifically to Women in Leadership. Welcome Amy Franko as an ELCircle Advisor. Amy will contribute some great information for women and general leadership content for all emerging leaders as well. Check out Amy’s bio and watch this first lesson in the series – 9 Key Leadership Behaviors. This session adds .25 hours to your ELC Certification efforts.

   

  Patrick Donadio discusses the Fear of Speaking with Jim Canterucci. To communicate with IMPACT the first step is increasing your comfort level in front of a group of hundreds or even a small staff meeting. As a thought leader trying to influence others communication skills are at the forefront of your success. This session adds .5 hours to your ELC Certification efforts.

   

  The great new book from Mark Sanborn – Up, Down, or Sideways is out and Mark discusses the concepts with Jim Canterucci. This lesson discusses the principles that we as leaders should maintain in up times, down times or those sideways times in between. We use an interview format to dig deep into these principles.This session adds .75 hours to your ELC Certification efforts.

   

  Enjoy. Let us know what you think of these new lessons using the lesson follow-up.