You don’t get what you don’t ask for

Someone a lot smarter than me said this to me at my first job and it has stuck with me ever since.  

You never get what you don’t ask for.  Case in point- homeless guy on the street that I met tonight. Here’s the story.

I’m out of town on business.  Salt Lake City to be exact.  My coworker and I are walking down the street and I make eye contact with a homeless guy sitting on the side of the road.  Here’s our dialogue:

HG: “do you have any spare change?”  

Me: “sorry no, but are you hungry?  I’m headed to grab a bite and can bring you a sandwich if you like.”

HG: “I’m starving and would love a hot sandwich.  Turkey please.”

Me: “You got it.  Be back in an hour.”

HG: “thank you. And avocado slices and mayonnaise.”

Me: “sure”

My coworker and I grab a bite, put in a to-go order, and walk back to our hotel.  Along the road is our homeless guy.  I hand him the sandwich, he thanks me, and I turn to walk away.  He then asks “sir, do you mind buying me a soda to go with the sandwich.”  Sure enough- I bought him a his soda.

Case in point, you do not get what you do not ask for.  I offered to buy this guy a sandwich, because he asked, he got the following; 

1. Warmed Turkey sandwich  2.  Avocado slices  3.  Mayo  4.  Soda

I could have easily gotten a sandwich for him and he would have been satisfied.  But he had the audacity to ask for what he wanted.  And…he got want he wanted because asked.

Definition of a Leader

“I’ll tell you what war is all about.  You’ve got to kill people, and when you kill enough of them, they stop fighting.”

WHOA!~  Does that kind of make you squirm a bit?  Yeah…it makes me uncomfortable too.

So you ask, what does that quote have anything to do with leadership?  Well, that’s a quote from Curtis LeMay.  There’s a good chance that unless you’re a historian, you’ve never heard of Curtis LeMay.

Curtis LeMay is a American War hero that was most influential during WW2.  His command dropped the atomic bomb on Japan.  He torched 64 Japanese cities and 16 square miles of Tokyo.  LeMay’s presence in the United States Airforce was a driving factor in why the emperor of Japan ultimately surrendered.

So, again you ask- what does war, torching cities and destruction have anything to do with leadership.  Well check this out.  LeMay’s first mission was against the WW2 powerhouse, Germany.  He was tasked with leading 35 brand new pilots directly into enemy territory.  At a time when most planes flew in a zigzag pattern to avoid being hit by enemy fire, his orders where not to zigzag, but to beeline towards his target.  Literally, these 35 men were so young and new to flying they didn’t think they would be able to cross the Atlantic Ocean successfully, let alone fly directly into enemy territory.

So picture this, you’re 18 years old.  You’re in the midst of World War 2.  No one has ever flown directly towards their target and your leader tells you that you will be first to do so.  You’re in disbelief that your mission can be completed and so are your company-men. The aura in the room is death is imminent.

Now, mind you, LeMay is a Air Force Colonel.  He can command troups from the ground and minimize his risk in combat.  But LeMay chooses otherwise.  Curtis LeMay tells his men that he is going to fly the lead bomber- the first bomber the Germans would target.  

LeMay simply didn’t bark orders and sit from the ground and observe.  He led his folks into the hardest mission of their lives.  He risked being the first shot down in order to make others believe and follow.  He led by example and did not instruct others to take action that he would not.  Now that’s a definition of a leader.

By the way- I read this in the April 30th 2013 edition of Investors Business Daily under the Leaders and Success section.  The article is called “LeMay Won for America.”   Here’s the link to the article; 

http://goo.gl/8gBGj

 

 

  

Culture of Corporate America

Do you wake up and want to go to work everyday?

If you were in Silicon Valley or Silicon Alley, I bet you do!

I spent the week in San Francisco last week.  My best friends girlfriend works for Google.  The 3 of us meet Monday evening for the NCAA Championship Game (Michigan/Louisville).  While there, some of other Googlers joined us.  Now, for me, living in Atlanta and being in technology, Silicon Valley and the companies that make up SV are held on a pedestal.  SV is a role model for all emerging tech markets.  During the game I was able to talk to the Googlers. I asked if the culture was all it is hyped up to be.  Answers were all ubiquitous yeses.  

The reason I chose to write about this topic is because I’m fascinated by “difference.”  Having free catered meals is “different.”  Having a shuttle bus to pick you up in Mission District of San Francisco and shuttle you to Mountain View everyday is “different.” What we’re not used to on a daily basis (we as individuals) is “different.”

Now, I’ve done business on both coasts- East & West.  Doing business on both coasts while living in Atlanta makes me wonder how the difference of culture can impact a person’s life and company success.  This morning while driving into the office, I was listening to NPR.  The program was interviewing Google’s CIO, whom came to Google from Morgan Stanley.  He made a comment of how different the culture between Wall Street and Silicon Valley.

So, what type of culture do you work in?  If you’re a business leader, what type of culture do you create.  Tell you this, the Googler’s I referenced earlier average 11 hour work days.  But they absolutely love their work and don’t view 11 hours as work hours.  This leads me to believe that company culture has a lot to do with company results.  Just look at Googles innovation…..and stock performance.

Measurement of Success according to Tom Hopkins

Great motivator Tom Hopkins measured success based on four areas of fulfillment: 1) financial accomplishments, based on self-image and goals; 2) emotional stability and the ability to control emotional handicaps; 3) physical fitness and feeling good physically; 4) maintaining spiritual awareness and a personal relationship with a higher power. Said Hopkins, “If you can meet all four of these, you’re a successful human being by my measure of success.”

Practice gratitude, empathy and sincerity

(I cant take credit for this post- this came to me from the guys @ Salesloft.  www.salesloft.com  These guys publish brilliance from time to time and this is one of those times!)

This practice may not immediately translate to more inbound leads, sales or efficiency but it will in the future. When you cultivate genuine relationships with your customers you stand to benefit from their referrals, from new business when they change jobs and sustained loyalty to your products.

These qualities also translate into your leadership of the sales team. Give credit often, communicate openly and often with your team about successes and lessons learned and inspire loyalty. These things will create a culture of collaboration which will be able to maneuver past complex deals and multiple degrees of separation.

Positivity

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever read: 

Focus on what it takes to succeed, not on why success is so difficult. Focus, not on the obstacle, but on action needed to overcome the obstacle. Focus on positive words – benefit, beauty, profit – not on negative words (e.g., mistake, poor, wrong). Focus on the reward that will be yours when you succeed. 

Is the US Congress made up of children?

This is a rant about how disgusted I am with US Congressional leaders.  

Did you know that our elected officials take their holiday break on December 18?  That’s right, they dip out for vacation on Dec 18 and they don’t return until the 3rd week in January.  That’s nearly a month of vacation.  What?  Yes, America’s economy is tinkering on the “fiscal cliff,” and these jokers get to take a 30 day break.

Get this- when a deal is reached in the House, lawmakers have 3 days to review it.  That means a deal signed in the House to avert the fiscal cliff has to be reached by Dec 15 and put into law on the 18th to avoid a tax hike of 5% on all tax brackets. Well, ladies and gentlemen, Dec 15 is in 2 days!

I’m not overly concerned about spending measures being revoked, I’m more concerned about my personal well-being. It’s estimated that the cliff will raise taxes on the middle class by $2200.  I’m not in the 2%- and I don’t predict I will be joining them anytime soon. $2200 is money that us “middle-classers” can put to good use. Note to Congress- get a deal done! 

Here’s another thing that will get you riled up.  In 2008, the median income in the US was $45,113.  Do you have any clue what the salary of our elected Federal officials was in 2008?  $169,300.  Yes- that’s right.  $169,300.  Let that sit in for a minute?  That’s almost 4x the amount of the average American.  These guys represent us, but yet they make 4X more money than we do?  How do they relate to us?  There’s a huge indifference in income.  John Boehner- you’re from my home state, but you can not relate to me.

The fact that Congress is not acting bipartisan and in the best interest of their constituents gets me annoyed.  Understanding the pay gap between them and constituents gets me outright mad. I read somewhere about an appeal for a 25% universal tax only on consumption.  Get rid of personal taxes, state taxes, fed taxes, only get taxed at what you consume…at a rate of 25%.  In that same article was a point that there are 125,000 lawmakers that influence fiscal policy.  The author compares this amount of lawmakers to America’s population of 312.8M people.  There are 125,000 people setting policy for 312,800,000 other people.  Reading between the lines- Congress is looking out for their best interests vs the best interests of the American people.  

Child’s play with a great salary, health benefits, and pension.

Improving Employee Performance Through Sharing Appreciation of Co-Workers

Sean Claire  Improving Employee Performance through sharing Appreciation of Co-Workers. (Innovative New Form of Employee Engagement)

Hi everyone-

As of last Friday, I am a new member to SHRM Atlanta. I’m crafting this message in to raise awareness of a new method to motivate employees and enhance culture within the workplace. I’d like to introduce, DueProps.

DueProps’s sole mission is to improve employee engagement by sharing appreciation for co-workers. The idea is when a coworker does something kind for you, you recognize them with a “DueProp.” When that coworker is recognized and felt appreciated, they tend to become more engaged and productive. DueProps uses game mechanics to make sharing appreciation of coworkers fun and competitive.

Think about it. When someone recognizes your efforts and shows appreciation towards you, you feel good, don’t you? Imagine if people competed against one-another for appreciation points. Tie those points into bonuses and/or rewards programs.

The concept is all about implying intrinsic motivation to better workplace morale. DueProps is in start-up mode and would like to offer all SHRM members a free trial account. Test it out and see how it makes a difference in your workplace. Your feedback will be invaluable to us!

Here’s a link to a video that explains the concept of DueProps. http://youtu.be/yHcypCTIRkg
Anyone interested in a trial account can message me with the title: SHRM Atlanta. 

Employees like DueProps bc it makes the work-place fun and mitigates the actual feeling of “work.” HR likes DueProps bc employee morale becomes heightened. Management likes DueProps bc its used to influence behavior and drive results.

Regards,
Sean Claire

sean@dueprops.com

 

One of the many great quotes from “Taking People with you,” by David Novak

“Too many leaders end with just so-so talent on their teams because they dont know how to inspire, how to create a growth environment, or how to invest in their people.  But if you’re one of the leaders who does these things, then you can attract the very best people and expect greatness from them.  Your ability as a leader to attract, develop, and retain people is fundamental to your success.  When you get your team right, you’re going to get results.”

Indra Nooyi on becoming a better leader

“I think the best thing I can do to become a better leader is to keep an open mind to all different points of view, learn and listen to people of other industries, because I think our world is changing so much that first we’ve got to figure out lots of dots and then figure out how to connect the dots.  We need to recognize that there isnt a book on how to run a $40 billion, now going to $60 billion, corporation.  You dont just take the book from the rack and read it and become a leader.  You have to write the book as you go along.  Its the listening and learning that really makes a difference.”  -Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo