Good Intentions Aside, Sometimes Things Go Off The Rails

This post is an abridged version of a story from The Power of Identity, Bill’s latest book which was released in Nov 2019. The full story is found on page 73.

Good intentions aside, sometimes things go off the rails. That certainly was case for Nate McFadden, a newly-minted General Manager for Otis Elevator. The young man, a relative novice in his industry who had worn Marine combat boots only three years earlier, was asked to take over an under-performing region in Central Michigan that had floundered. Contrasted against their North American peer group, the region Nate inherited was statistically dead last in virtually every KPI measure.

Turning around the organization would prove challenging. Yet McFadden, a gifted leader, did so. In twenty four months, his unit went from worst-to-first—a remarkable turnaround. You ask, ‘how did he do it?’. McFadden shared with me, “Our recovery had any number of important ingredients in place but when the concepts and principles from The Power of Professionalism crystallized in my mind our resurgence became rapid and pronounced.”

Professionalism became their central organizing principle. The principles and precepts from The Power of Professionalism became the centerpiece of the leadership team’s development efforts over a concerted twelve-month period. But why the focus on, of all things, professionalism in the first place? “I became convinced that these concepts needed to be central to how people thought about their profession and achievement of our objectives.”, McFadden told me. In evaluating the region’s turnaround, professionalism proved to be McFadden’s X factor.

I’ve found that to be true for both organizations that were floundering (think: needing a turnaround) as well as those that were flourishing (think: seeking ‘next level’ growth). Either way, it’s wonderful to be a part of.

Be A Professional—Kaepernick’s New Aspiration?

By now even the casual football fan is aware of the travails of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. His recent performance (the word abysmal comes to mine) on the football field is a head-scratcher for many of us. His success in earlier years belies the types of disappointing performances we’ve seen from him in 2014. It’s a fall from grace. (Note: the 49ers, in general, are having an extremely disappointing year as well. That said, it is widely acknowledged by football insiders that something is clearly ‘off’ in Kaepernick’s game.)

To add insult to injury, Kaepernick’s on-field performance has shined when compared to how he’s handled the media. In a nutshell it appears that Kaepernick views the media as the enemy (much like his boss—coach Jim Harbaugh—seemingly does).

During a recent press conference, Kaepernick responded to 32 questions with only 87 words. From his demeanor and body language you’d think Kaepernick would rather endure a root-canal than spend another second with the press. Defensive, petulant, aloof, are just a few of the adjectives that come to mind that characterize how Kaepernick comes across with the press. It’s painful to watch. Treat the press as your enemy and they’ll soon become such.

To me, Kaepernick’s act has gotten old (Harbaugh’s too). These two are the primary faces of the organization to the public. They need to positively represent their organization. At the moment, the impression they create leaves a lot to be desired. Sure the media can be a pain to deal with, but ‘media management’ (otherwise known as PR) is an important part of the job—especially for a NFL quarterback.

Hall of Famer Jerry Rice was asked by a Bay Area radio host what advice he’d give Kaepernick. Turns out, Jerry once had a problem with being defensive with the media early in his career as well. At the time he finally realized, “You know, I need to be a better professional.” (click here for more on Jerry’s comments) Simply put, Jerry realized that he wasn’t handling the media as a professional would.

‘Be a professional’…that was Jerry’s advice to Kaepernick. I don’t know if Jerry spoke to Kaepernick after the radio interview or if Kaepernick heard the interview. But what I do know is….

….the very next day after Jerry’s comments Kaepernick was downright charming with the media. He was vulnerable and even empathetic towards many of the ‘media types’ he presumably loathed. All of a sudden the guy ‘shows up’ in a more effective, more helpful way. He puts a more engaging, more upbeat face on the 49ers organization. No doubt, that’s something that the 49ers had long wished would emerge from one of the NFL’s most public personalities.

For everyone involved, undesired behavior in the workplace is maddening. Gazillions of dollars are spent every year in prevention, investigation, and remediation. Yet it’s amazing how effective the admonition—’be a professional’—can remedy undesired behavior in the workplace.

Whether this contributed to Kaepernick’s ‘about-face’ is unknown (at least by me). But I’ve personally seen dozens and dozens of such cases ‘fixed’ with just such an admonition.

A Better Me

Many of you are aware that the West Coast Ultrasound Institute has immersed their students in ‘professional values’ and the mind-sets associated with those values. See my post from Jan 28, 2013.

As part of the student’s learning they were asked to write a 1,800 word essay about professionalism and its impact—current and future. I’m told over 200 papers were produced. I have read over 50 of them, they were fascinating. Several students mentioned how the mind-sets had not only impacted their work-life, but their personal life as well.

Many students at West Coast are transitioning from their current vocation to another (e.g. medical imaging) —they work at their ‘day job’ and attend school at night and on the weekends. Jennifer Fruin is one such student. She’s currently a hair stylist. In her words, Jennifer was hired to, ‘wash, cut, style, repeat’. I was impressed with her paper and thought you would be too.

Jennifer has gone through some remarkable changes, the type that one would reasonably be called transformational. Here are a few snippets from Jennifer’s paper:

Catalyst For Self-Improvement: “…I sure didn’t feel the fulfillment. I felt as though I was just clocking in and cutting hair [as my] complacent role dragged on. I let it seep into my personal life and I did not notice a problem until I read The Power of Professionalism. Cover to cover, the book spoke to me. I made myself a cheat sheet, to show me what I learned in each chapter and how I would apply it to my own life.”

About Mind-Set #7: “This mind-set did away with my secret stash of anxiety, distrust and negativity. It gave me the comfort I so desperately sought out, and helped me lend my trust to other employees and helped me place trust in my family.”

Transformation: “Today my world is different. I’m listening to my clients like they require me to. I am spending quality time with my kids. I’ve released the anger I was holding on to …”

The Book: “The Power of Professionalism to me was more than a book teaching me how to act ‘professional’. This book showed me how to be a better me. It showed me how to succeed in any given area…..Bill Wiersma really broke the mold when he wrote this book.”

It was really gratifying to learn of Jennifer’s growth and how she became a ‘better me’. Gratefully, Jennifer has student colleagues who experienced similar outcomes.

To read Jennifer’s full paper, click here.

Enjoy.

The Professional Mindset

Inspired by “The Power Of Professionalism” by Bill Wiersma

by Jennifer Fruin WCUI 2013

We as society don’t often seize the “dare to be great” moment. The moment that separates the “boys from the men”, the chance to challenge the norm, to go against the grain to prove there is more than one answer or path. We complain of this monotonous, uninventive routine where one person or group of people separate us into groups of white and blue collars. They decide who is a professional, and who is not. They decide who makes millions and who makes minimum wage. All the while, we are never stepping up and out of the box, not only to help ourselves, but others as well. At least that is what I used to think. Cecil Castle once said, “Professionalism is a frame of mind, not a paycheck.” This means that anyone could potentially be a professional. I never gave myself a chance at a self-label of “professional”. I figured some higher up in Regis (or even higher up than that) had already decided I was a guppy instead of a shark (or a whale, or some other big fish in the small pond I found myself swimming in). I was only doing the job I was hired to do; wash, cut, style, repeat. I was not a maintenance person, nor a janitor. I was neither a manager, nor a receptionist. I definitely was not a therapist, and I sure didn’t feel the fulfillment. I felt as though I was just clocking in and cutting hair and when the day was over, this complacent role dragged on. I let it seep into my personal life and I did not notice a problem until I read “The Power of Professionalism”. It made me realize that this “menial” job I attached to the word “stylist” meant more than just being a service provider. Cover to cover, the book spoke to me. Page after page, vital information was written on how to improve every aspect of life. I made myself a cheat sheet, to show me what I learned in each chapter, and how I would apply it to my own life. The rest of this paper is what I came up with.

Mindset 2: Professionals Realize (and Act Like) They’re Part of Something Bigger Than Themselves

Mindset Two really was great for me to see, and I figured this is where I needed to start my changes. This mindset explains that professionals “Commit to the success of the firm, organization, or client, realize that success transcends their own parochial interests and collaborate as an effective team member.” Although I could see the bigger picture, albeit sometimes different than the one actually painted, something was off. I was identifying areas where others were lacking, and I’d put my extra effort in. To me, it didn’t matter who did the work, as long as it was done. However, I was failing. I was so eager to pick up another task and make sure not only that it was done, but done right. I was being taken advantage of because other people around me knew I’d do the task they didn’t feel was important enough for them to do. In all reality, every task, every assignment, every decision is important. While I thought helping out was being an effective team member, the fact that others were not participating meant I was a team of one, unless I could get the others on board.

So there I was, back at square one, and I asked myself, “What can I do to get us all working together, and broadening the scope of our professionalism?” We were all there together for work, but we weren’t working together. At one point, another stylist actually posted a note that read: “I am not your mother, clean up your own damn mess.” Well wait a minute, what if that stylist was exceptionally busy and needed a hand to catch up? I took down the note.

The next shop meeting started out like any other, where no one vocalized their opinions. They were just anxiously staring at the clock waiting to be dismissed. I then took the opportunity to bring up the note and explained that while the mess was not the other stylist’s, I was sure that the mess maker would have appreciated the extra hand. I explained further that, “maybe the clients would be more appreciative of our team work as well.” Having kids at home, I understand after a long day, it’s exhausting to come home and clean up another mess, but as an adult and role model, I want to teach my children the right thing to do in that situation. The same applies to work. If one stylist would step up to help another stylist, or another customer, we would be part of something bigger. We would be enhancing someone else’s experience, by putting their needs and comfort above our own. Once the morale and support was lifted in the shop, other things started to change as well.

Mindset 4: Professionals Have Personal Standards That Often Transcend Organizational Ones

Mindset Four refers to the core values of the individual. A person who follows Mindset Four does what is right, over what is fast. They avoid the needless drama, leaving “high school” behavior behind, and they stay focused. This mindset was easy to read, but difficult to implement.

The hard part about being a stylist is typically the drama and gossip. Stylists tend to bash other stylist’s work and they share private information about their clients. They sometimes even spend the whole appointment talking about the woes of their own lives. I’ll admit I have been guilty of this in the past to some degree as well. The best solution I found to that problem is having a list of things to talk about and I repeat these “scripted” conversations to every client. I make notes on their client cards of what we discussed in the appointment, so when they return, we can pick up on a topic that they are comfortable with. In my personal life, I have simply eliminated the people who aren’t propelling me forward. The only way to become enlightened by this mindset is to diminish the back scatter, those who only bring bad news, and the general “ugly” of negativity. In turn, this brings the focus back to what is important.

Growing up, my mother (and grandmother) did a few things that were annoying at the time, but are appreciated now. She instilled some knowledge-based core values, like an extensive vocabulary and the desire for as much education as I am privy to. She also told me at the “end of the day”; my word is all I have. My honesty, integrity and commitment to improve my quality of life, are the things that will take me places. They will help me to earn the trust of my clients.

The next step was to uphold the letter of the law. I wanted to show that I was dependable to my clients, my staff, and my family. If that meant staying a few minutes late to help a coworker finish cleaning up the shop, or taking a few extra minutes to help with the kids’ homework, that’s what I did. Not only did that keep the morning chaos at work to a minimum, it also showed my kids that whatever they were doing was important to me.

Mindset 7: Professionals Aspire to Reveal Value in Others

The true professional has a bias for results, is part of something bigger, is always prepared, has core values, delivers on their commitments, and doesn’t seek immediate gratification. All of these things are encompassed by the most important mindset. This mindset aspires to lift others up, appreciate what other professionals contribute, and places trust with those who need it.

I have always been a person who needs control. I used to get anxious if I was watching someone complete a task I assigned. I wasn’t open enough to trust them to do the task the right way (my way). I was only concerned about my opinion and my needs. Some people in my circle have said I deserve to be selfish after the things I have been through. Being selfish however, is not only exhausting, it is not me. Some people might think because I like things done my way, I’m being selfish. In all reality, I have been tad “tight-leashed” when I find successful routes. I am becoming a person who puts people first, while showing them (not expecting) how I understand, retain, or complete things. This has made me a little more relaxed when I see people struggling “their way” because I feel comfortable enough to demonstrate other options. “Peter pays for Paul”, in that we only succeed as a team if we are truly all succeeding.

This mindset went in and diminished my secret stash of anxiety, distrust, and negativity. It gave me the comfort I so desperately sought out, and helped me to lend my trust to the other employees (trusting they would perform salon duties to the best of their abilities) and helped me to place trust in my family. While in my head, no one was a better professional than I, and no one was a more suited mother than I, I learned to trust those around me. I felt the weight of a thousand commitments fall off my shoulders.

Today my world is different. I’m listening to my clients like they require me to. I am spending quality time with my kids. I’ve released the anger I was holding on to when I moved to Phoenix. I have completely changed my idea of how things are supposed to be.

What makes me a professional? I’ll do the bottom work, I make sure my coworkers are set and I will make sure my clients are comfortable. If they need anything, I’ll take care of it (within normal limits, allowing others to shine as well). My demeanor has become more successful, thus I am more successful. My clients are happier, my family is happier I am happier. While following Mindset Seven to bring out the value of others, when it is combined with Mindsets Two and Four, a group succession is more than possible, it is guaranteed.

The Power of Professionalism to me, was more than a book teaching me how to act professional. This book showed me how to be a better me. It showed me how to succeed in any given area. It proved to me that I am not professional because of my clothes, or my job title. According to the book, I’m a professional because I’m caring and understanding, I’m a problem solver not a problem maker. I can ease my clients and will go the extra mile to make them happy and my kids as well. Bill Wiersma really broke the mold, when he wrote this book and I plan to continue to implement it in every aspect of life. Julius Irving said it best, “Being a professional is doing the things you love to do, on the days you don’t feel like doing them.”

A Professional Joins the Competition—and Feeling Good About It.

A colleague friend of mine just recently jumped ships–having left one major accounting firm for another. He was very loyal to his former employer, having made significant sacrifices over many years. During his time with his former firm, he clearly had the firm’s best interests at heart—just as a professional would. Think: mind-set two.

Yet, he never made partner—the holy grail for most in these types of firms.

He’s one now! As integral to the offer, his new firm offered him a partnership. He followed his own self-interests, he took the job. Good for him.

As we pointed out in The Power of Professionalism, being a professional doesn’t mean being a door-mat. It doesn’t mean adopting blind, mindless, loyalty.  And it doesn’t mean abandoning your own self-interests.

Keeping balance between your own interests and your organization’s is sometimes tricky—it requires judgment and discipline.  It’s been said that “professionals create more value than they extract”. My colleague friend did just that while at his former firm. I hope he feels good about his decision. As professional, he should.

Credibility Provides The Foundation For Change

Success sometimes extracts a price.  It had for a senior executive I was working with recently.

His problem—among other things—was time. Like most of us, he didn’t have enough of it.  He was the first one at the office in the morning, and the last one out in the evening. As a result, time with his young family suffered. The situation was becoming unacceptable.

In discussing the situation with him it became apparent that he was especially generous in making himself available to his staff (think: open door policy). Naturally, he was trying to do the right thing.        

The staff was appreciative and regularly sought out the executive.  His open door policy, however well-intended, had the unintended consequence of negatively impacting his personal life.  For the staff it had the unintended consequence of making them a bit too dependent on their boss.         

 I suggested (with one big caveat) the executive try limiting his availability to the staff.  In other words, create some dedicated time for himself wherein he could invest time on several longer-term initiatives that had been neglected. He’d be creating some pre-determined ‘quiet time’ when his staff knew not to interrupt him.  This would turn out to be quite a significant change as the open door policy had been something the staff had become quite accustomed to and really enjoyed.      

The tactic surrounding ‘quiet time’ was pretty straight-forward —it wasn’t rocket science and it normally works well.   To me, the most important aspect as to whether this was going to work was whether the executive had credibility with the staff? That was the big caveat.  If the executive had credibility, then I was confident the ‘quiet time’ change would work.  If he didn’t, I’d withdraw the suggestion.        

I became confident that the executive had already built the necessary credibility to pull this off.   And despite the change being somewhat unpopular, the staff supported it. 

The thing that made this work was the credibility the executive had built with the staff.  They trusted him.  They were confident that, as a professional, he had the organization’s best interests at heart.   

Whether it’s a smaller change like ‘quiet time’ or a major initiative like a productivity enhancement, they’re both highly dependent on the credibility of the leader advancing the change.  If the leader doesn’t have credibility, the odds are long against the ‘change’ effort succeeding.        

Turns out, the executive loves the new arrangement.  The staff is very accepting of it—more so than was originally anticipated.  It’s working.  Early on, it has proven to really improve the executive’s quality of life.

Lest you think the main point of this post is about the tactical suggestion I made around ‘quiet time’…it isn’t.  Tactical suggestions are easy.  The hard part is earning the credibility that, when combined with some common-sense tactic, makes the whole thing work. Hats off to this fine executive who had earned his people’s trust and had the courage of his convictions to act.  Bravo!         

Not Now

I recently suggested to a colleague that we begin work on a new initiative we had considered undertaking.   His two word response—‘not now’—-was emphatic.

He wasn’t initiating a power struggle.

He wasn’t dismissing the suggestion out-of-hand.

He wasn’t being belligerent.

He was exercising great judgment.  Turns out, he was right.  The timing for the new initiative wasn’t right—we already had plenty on our plate.

It is great working with people you trust.  Judgment is one leg of trust’s three-legged stool (character and competence being the other two).   See page 80 in The Power of Professionalism for an extensive discussion on this subject.

With heaping ‘to-do’ lists, with demands brought on by the incessant speed-of-change,  with ambiguity being the norm—judgement has never been so critical.  It’s great to work with people who have it.