Turkey wrapped in bacon-good. Culture wrapped in numbers-bad.

It is common sense for companies to be concerned with sales, profitability and financial targets, and any successful company is concerned with those things. If they weren’t, they’d be out of business. However, the component that most businesses fail to give much credence to is the culture in which their employees find themselves and the fact that the culture directly affects the performance they are so concerned about. Too often, culture and Organizational Behavior are placed on the shelf because they can’t be directly associated with profitability. There is no “culture produced 10 sales this week” report that can be run. And for this reason, culture gets ignored because any effort or investment to build and maintain it is seen as an expense. And businesses are in business to make money, not spend it.

Unfortunately because of this view, most companies don’t have a department specifically responsible for the shaping and maintenance of a culture that can literally enhance productivity, efficiency and employee satisfaction. That’s like having a manufacturing company with no quality control. That would be unheard of, so why is it so common for companies not to really care about capitalizing on the environment in which they work and in which they produce their products or services.

80% of working Americans don’t like their jobs. If you’re one of those people who doesn’t like your job, and chances are you are, think about your work day. You may be generally productive, but how engaged are you? How many times a day do you think about working somewhere else? How often do you extend your breaks or your lunch hour just a little so you don’t have to go back to your desk and do something you don’t like? How often do you find excuses to talk to a colleague or grab a drink; anything to bring a little reprieve from what you do? Everyone who doesn’t like there job falls on this scale somewhere.

Now imagine if you worked for a company that you loved to show up to everyday; a company that made the effort to give you a great experience every day that you showed up to work. What if you had a little humor, a little fun and genuine encouragement throughout the day that actually made you want to be in the office? Would you be more inclined to produce results for a company that cared for you? This is not a leading question. I literally want you to think about whether or not this would make a difference in how you felt about your job and if it would encourage you to be more productive or effective in your role. Think about it…

Wouldn’t you rather work for a company like that? If you own a company, wouldn’t you rather have engaged employees who love their job and work more efficiently and productively because they feel fulfilled, not because they need a paycheck? OK those were leading questions.

New wine in old bottles

Nope, this post is not about bible stories, but the concept of new wine in old bottles rings very true when you look at a lot of companies. If you’re a little rusty on your bible trivia, let me refresh your memory so this post will actually make some sense. The parable of new wine in old bottles was a parallel to introducing new ideas or new doctrine to people who were already so set in their ways and in their traditions and culture that the new ideas and doctrine wreaked havoc on those institutionalized beliefs, essentially bursting the bottle.

This parallel is something that can often be seen in companies, large and small. When things are going poorly, when sales are down, when objectives aren’t being met, the answer is often to bring in a new manager, a new director of such and such, or even a new CEO. What a lot of companies don’t realize is that the problem more than likely lies internally due to poor communication, a destructive culture etc. However, the easy fix seems to be to bring in some new blood. But the question most companies don’t ask is, “Are we ready for the new person (the new wine in our own bottle)?”

If a company’s culture, which is simply a mix of the common beliefs and values of the employees, doesn’t match the personality, management style or ethics of the replacement, something’s gotta give. Either the replacement leaves (is poured out of the bottle), or the bottle breaks and culture, habits, processes and communication must be changed and rebuilt. That process can be as long and painful as trying to pick up broken glass and spilled wine and trying to put it back together.

For a lot of companies, the problem is not fixed by bringing in a new guy, which can often lead to the result above, but rather it’s by fixing what’s going on internally in terms of culture and communication so that if a change is really necessary, the new guy can effect change in an environment where employees are aware of the benefits and limitations of their culture and understand that change means growth and improvement.

Instead of holding fast to the status quo and refusing change, they are moldable, teachable and willing to grow and learn. Either the bottle breaks or it’s strengthened so it can adapt to the new wine.

Till death do us part…or not

Dish Network has missed the boat…

I recently came across a story about Dish Network’s amazing loyalty to its customers. It won’t let them go for any reason…even death. A recently deceased customer was charged a cancellation fee…because she died! The former customer’s son was finally able to escalate the issue high enough to cancel the charge, but was subsequently told that the deceased, yes the person who was no longer living, would get a $25 credit if she signed up again!

Besides the unavoidable humor in the story, we get the chance to dissect Dish Network a little bit. If we look strictly at the policies and procedures listed in Dish Network’s corporate rule books, the employee probably did exactly the right thing. Chances are his boss reinforced the importance of sticking to the rules and had a few disparaging things to say about the customer who caused them such a nuisance. And just like that, the culture of by-the-book decision making at Dish Network was reinforced.

When companies concern themselves more with profits than with people, they hire employees who will perform tasks according to certain rules in order to maximize those profits. Most of these companies don’t realize that this is an extremely short sighted viewpoint that will never allow them to compete on anything but price. Employees who are task oriented, who only do what they’re told, and who do exactly as they’re told are the worst kind of employees. On the other hand, if a company is driven by a vision or a cause that all their people believe in, employees know when and how to make decisions that aren’t exactly by the book because they understand the bigger picture. They understand that providing condolences and waving a meaningless $100 cancellation fee is worth more to the company’s image and brand value than fighting to keep that $100 that will not only have zero effect on profitability, but will turn off a customer and everyone else he tells about his negative, and ridiculous experience.

I mean look; that one dumb decision by a by-the-book, micromanaged employee has spread all over the place. I’m not the only one writing about this and I’m not the only one now less inclined to ever buy Dish Network! If you own a business, run it with purpose and make sure the people working for you understand and live that purpose. If they don’t, you’ll likely never be more than a profit-driven enterprise looking to have a profitable quarter. Good luck with that…

Be careful with your promotion

To most people, a big promotion is an indication that “they made it”….

Unfortunately it’s also often seen as an excuse to stop learning because after all, “they made it”. Smart companies offer promotions based not only on numbers and tenure, but also based on an employee’s awareness of their own need for growth. A promotion, by its definition is a step up to new and greater responsibility. Why would a company want someone in a more demanding position that requires learning and building on existing skills if that person did not recognize their own need to get extra training vs. less training? Doesn’t make sense right?

So why do companies promote people who end up sitting on their butts and collecting more money? We’ve probably all had a boss that’s made us think, “How did this joker get ahead of me on the corporate ladder” right? A promotion should come with not only a higher salary  but a higher expectation and desire to increase learning and capabilities.

So if you’re in position to shell out promotions, think about who you’re promoting and ask yourself if they’re going to see it as a reward they’re entitled to or as a platform to learn and progress and benefit your organization as a whole. On the other end of the scope, if you’re someone who’s hoping and working toward a promotion, think about the opportunity it provides once you get there. We all hope for more money, but that’s a short term reward/consequence of promotion. If you think long term, you’ll think of ways you can scale your talent and abilities to make the company and yourself more profitable.

Just a thought…

What do people notice when you're gone?

Have you ever had a person in your company quit and it took you 3 weeks to notice they were gone? I have…

If you were to leave your company tomorrow, would people notice? I hope the answer is yes, but the more important question is, what would they notice? What kind of void would you leave? Sure, there are the obvious effects of losing a warm body like actual job function and task performance, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I want you to think about the difference you make in your company’s culture. You may have experienced what I’m talking about when you’ve been out sick for a couple of days or when you returned from a vacation. Your first clue as to whether or not you contribute positively to the culture in your company is if, upon your return, people say things like, “Man I’m glad you’re back! Things aren’t the same when you’re not around”.

On the other hand, if you get a simple “Welcome back” or if you get nothing at all, it may be time to make a decision because one of two things is going on. First, you may somehow negatively affect the culture and it feels better when you’re not there. Nobody wants to admit that they negatively affect culture, but remember my last post. We all pee in the shower and we all have our own weaknesses. Often we become “downers” in our organizations for a variety of reasons. Maybe we feel like we don’t have the resources to do our job well and we use it as an excuse to complain, which brings others down. Maybe we don’t get along with someone in our department and we allow that 800 pound gorilla to never get talked about and worked out and it creates tension in our work environment. Whatever it is, if you have a negative effect on your company culture, things are going to feel different (better) when you’re not there.

Second, if people aren’t excited to have you back, maybe you just don’t fit. If that’s the case, you’ve probably noticed already. Not fitting in a company has nothing to do with you being good or bad. Maybe you’re the one with the positive attitude and great ideas, but the rest of the organization just doesn’t seem to care as much as you do. If that’s the case, you need to find a company where you fit or you will ultimately be unhappy.

So, if you haven’t thought about it, take a minute and think what would be missing if you were no longer part of your organization. If you can’t think of anything, decide whether you’re willing to change something about how you contribute or find somewhere you fit better.

Everyone pees in the shower

If anyone tells you they’ve never peed in the shower, they’re lying… So if we’ve all done it, why is it something no one wants to admit?

And more importantly, how exactly does peeing in the shower relate to your personal or business development, which is what this blog is all about? It all comes down to

one

very

important

word…

AUTHENTICITY

OK let’s back up a second. What does being authentic really mean? It is the quality of being trustworthy and genuine. The key word here is genuine. Most people think the most important thing is to be authentic with others. I would suggest that before you can be authentic with others, you must be authentic with yourself. A person or company who is genuine or authentic is not perfect. A person or company who is authentic is fallible. A person or company who is authentic doesn’t succeed at everything, doesn’t make the top of the list every time and most importantly, doesn’t beat themselves up for it.

Being authentic requires confidence in yourself and your abilities. It also requires humility in realizing that you’re not good at everything. This thought links a bit with my last post on passion. Think about it for a minute. If you take an honest look at where you excel and where you are weak and focus only on where you excel, you’ll accomplish more during your day, your week, your life.

Remember, you can only be authentic with others after you have learned to be authentic with yourself. You’re not perfect, neither is your business and that’s what makes you genuine and authentic. Embrace what you do well and admit where you fall short. People and customers will trust you more when they see that you are actually human, just like them.

Passion doesn't equal talent or skill

I’m passionate about a few things, but that doesn’t mean I’m talented at all of them.

I LOVE spending hours editing photos in PhotoShop, building what I consider cool logos in Illustrator and doing graphic design…but I’m not particularly great at those things. OK I get by and I may be able to do it better than the average non-passionate Joe, but my skill doesn’t equal the passion I have for doing it. There’s nothing wrong with being passionate about something. The problem is that a lot of people think their passion is enough to compensate for the skill they actually possess.

I’m not saying that if you’re passionate about something you shouldn’t do it, as long as that “passion + lack of skill” combination is not happening where you work. Your business or your workplace is not the place to launch a marketing campaign based on your passionately crafted  print ad with Papyrus typeface and splashes of low resolution images you pulled off google. Sure, you love it and you had a blast putting it together, but it won’t work and it’s wasting time and resources.

When it comes to business, do what you’re good at and let others do what you’re not good at. But here’s the kicker. Most people that are passionate about something actually fall under the illusion that they are good at that thing. Ever watched the first few weeks of American Idol? The same goes for business. The hard part is to recognize and accept your strengths and weaknesses and then to focus on your strengths…at least while you’re at work.

Most of us don’t work in an environment where we can pass this blog along and have “passion perpetrators” take it to heart. So start with yourself. Take a step back, analyze what you’re really good at when it comes to your career–what has produced positive results, what has made a measurably positive difference–and do more of that. Then, and here’s the hard part, tell other people what you’re not good at and a magical thing will happen…no one will ask you to do those things anymore. All of a sudden you’ll have more time to do what you are really good at.

In short, during your time off, do whatever you’re passionate about. When you’re on the clock, if you really care about your business or the company for which you work, focus on what you do very well (and guess what; you’ll be passionate about that too) and do more of that. Your business, your career and your company will be more successful as a result.

Why birds fly into windows

Thud! Your heart skips a beat and you turn your head toward the kitchen window or sliding glass door to see a dead or temporarily stunned bird lying on the ground. After the initial feeling of pity for the creature, you may think, “How stupid does that bird have to be? Didn’t he see that he was flying into a house?” And that’s where we have to stop to look at perspective. People and companies do the same thing. They fly full speed ahead toward a goal or vision only to crash and burn and have outsiders say, “How stupid are they? Couldn’t they see they were heading for disaster?”

From an outside perspective, it’s easy to see the building or the house in the way. However, from an inside perspective (and we’ve all done this) we see the reflection in the window, focus on it so much and convince ourselves that it’s just more blue sky and trees until WHACK–we get hit with reality and finally step back to realize the bigger picture. So how can individuals and companies prevent a broken beak?

1. Make it a habit to step back and look at the big picture before you start flying. There’s a famous quote by Stephen Covey that says, “Start with the end in mind” I like to finish that quote with an addition a good friend of mine made–”or you’ll end up with your mind in your end.”

2. Seek feedback from people with an outside perspective. There’s a fine line between asking for feedback and asking everyone’s opinion. Another good friend gave me this advice–don’t ask too many people for their advice or you’ll end up actually following it. So first come up with the idea or the plan. Then, instead of asking people how they would do it or what their opinion of it is, ask them why it wouldn’t work the way you’ve laid it out. Asking too many people for their opinion gets you off track and complicates your idea.

3. Do a self check along the way. As you begin to fly, the danger is that you’ll begin to get too focused on that window. Make it a habit to stop and check your scope or range of vision from time to time to make sure you’re not missing the huge building looming in front of you.

We’ve all the hit the window once or twice. When we do, the best thing we can do is learn from our mistakes and take a different approach the next time.

Email makes you stupid

The research is overwhelming. Constant e-mail interruptions make you less productive, less creative and actually dumber. Research from King’s College London University has found “the IQ of those who tried to juggle messages and work fell by 10 points — the equivalent to missing a whole night’s sleep and more than double the 4-point fall seen after smoking marijuana.”

Disguised as instruments of productivity, computers, iPhones, Blackberrys and other gadgets are sapping your productivity. Productivity is money, especially if you’re self-employed. On the corporate side, computer chip giant Intel, for one, has estimated that e-mail overload can cost large companies as much as $1 billion a year in lost employee productivity. The intrusions are constant: each day a typical office employee checks e-mail 50 times and uses instant messaging 77 times, according to RescueTime, a firm that develops time-management software. Such interruptions don’t just sidetrack workers from their jobs, they also undermine their attention spans, increase stress and annoyance and decrease job satisfaction and creativity.

Now back to the entrepreneurs in the room. We can’t afford any loss in productivity. To us, productivity means succeeding in a current venture or building a new one. Constant interruption from email, IM and texts are killing our ability to move forward. Think of it this way: you’re having a conversation with a good friend and you’re really into the story they’re telling you, but every 4 minutes or so you have someone come up and yell in your ear for 2 or 3 minutes. How well do you think you’re going to be able to follow and stay engaged in the conversation with your good friend?

OK so we’ve established that interruptions occur and that they decrease productivity, so what can we do about it? I’ll tell you what I do and you can do whatever works for you. I check email in the morning, at lunch, and at the end of the day. It allows me to stay more focused, I can carry ideas to implementation much more easily, and I can be more creative and innovative because I have the luxury of uninterrupted thought. I turn off my email alerts on my computer and phone. Emails stack up, but think of this: if you are more productive during the day and you’re getting more done, you can spend a good 15-30 minutes at certain times throughout the day to respond to email, again uninterrupted because that’s email time, not trying to get work done while emailing time. Schedule and separation of work and email is the key here.

“But I don’t want people to think I’m avoiding them” you may be thinking. Get over yourself. It’s not all about you. People only expect you to get right back to them if that’s the precedent you’ve set. Set a new one. Set the expectation that you’ll get back to people within 12 hours and they’ll get used to your new MO. Who knows, maybe they’ll try it too and eventually we’ll all be more productive and have less stress!

Try it for a week. I’ll be surprised if you don’t see a difference in your productivity, stress level, and satisfaction with your job or business.

Loyalty–it's your call

I recently received my first billing statement from an auto insurance company I switched to. My only motivation to switch from my previous company, which I really liked, was that they did not offer a policy for the type of coverage I needed after I bought a new car. I see insurance largely as a waste of money, but know I have to have it so in making my decision on a new provider, I was only concerned about price. I shopped around for the cheapest thing I could find that offered the necessary coverage and pulled the trigger. I couldn’t have cared less who the company was as long as I knew the name.

As I looked over my statement, I noticed some text near my name that bothered me a little. It said, “Loyal customer since 2009″. To most people, I’m sure that sounds just fine, and maybe even makes them feel like the company values their business. But stop and think about it for a minute. What does loyalty mean? Where does it come from? And who makes the choice regarding your loyalty? You or the company? What businesses do you buy from regularly even though they’re not the cheapest or the most convenient? Why do you buy from them over and over again even though you could get a better deal somewhere else?

Real loyalty comes from a connection we have with people and businesses. Loyalty means we consciously choose to do business with certain companies. Not only that, but we often choose to display their logo on our cars, we recommend them to family and friends, and we do all kinds of other things that show that we would go out of our way to give that company our business. Often people get loyalty and repeat business mixed up. Repeat business has NOTHING to do with loyalty. If a company offers a cheaper price, they will get people who buy from them more than once. However, the only reason people will come back is because of the cheaper price. As soon as the company realizes it can’t sustain itself by constantly beating the competition’s price, they’ll raise their prices and lose their repeat customers because all of a sudden they’re not the cheapest anymore.

Simon, a good friend of mine (simonsinek.com), tells a story of Southwest airlines after 911. As the airlines were struggling during the period after the attack, Southwest airlines started getting checks in the mail from their customers. Notes attached said things like, “You’ve always been so great to me and my family when we’ve travelled. We know this isn’t much, but we hope it helps.” Now that’s loyalty! Those customers chose Southwest Airlines because it offers something that no other airline offers. And although it is often less expensive, that has more to do with its business model than slashing prices to beat competitors. It’s the experience people get with Southwest that keeps them coming back, even though they may not get the schedule that fits their itinerary best or the comfort of first class or the security of assigned seating; experiences that fall in line with this:

The choice for loyalty is yours, not the company’s. Loyalty is earned. If you own a business, what are you doing to gain loyal customers instead of repeat customers. Understand the difference and run your business in a way that shows your customers what you believe. By doing so, you’ll have more of the type of customers you actually want to do business with because you understand each other and believe in the same things.