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.

Danboise Mechanical’s Impressive ‘Recovery’ Habit

Let’s face it, we all fall short in our attempts to be a professional. Whether it’s a small slip-up or something truly bone-headed, ‘recovery’ is really important. ‘Recovery’ (i.e. apologizing or the equivalent) speaks volumes about the professionalism of the individual and collectively it says a lot about the culture of the organization the person is a part of.  Without some form of ‘recovery’, people typically hold grudges that tend to poison the work environment.  An organization that has successfully created a habit within their people of ‘recovering from professional gaffes’ is to be admired. One of my clients, Danboise Mechanical, has successfully created such a habit.  This admirable habit is just one of the ‘fruits’ Danboise has reaped by adopting ‘professional values’ as their north arrow.

To read more about Danboise Mechanical’s impressive ‘recovery habit’ click here.

Breaking Down Silos

The greatest opportunities for innovation and overall improvement (whether they be tactical or strategic) are typically across departments/functions/disciplines.  Said another way, silos (e.g. departments/functions/disciplines) and the behaviors that accompany a ‘silo mentality’ typically work against innovation and improvement. Disarming a ‘silo mentality’ is a big deal, because virtually every organization suffers in one form or another from it.  One of our clients, Danboise Mechanical, successfully disarmed the ‘silo mentality’ within their organization. They were able to do so because of the emphasis they put on professional values across the enterprise. It was a tremendous accomplishment.  You can read more about it here.

Thank You for Firing Me.

“There is nothing that turns a manager’s stomach in knots more than having to fire an employee.  Imagine my delight when I learned how one of my clients had successfully used the power of professional ideals in making the ‘separation process’ (think: firing) more effective, more tolerable, more humane.  The employee, in fact, thanked the manager for firing them. Yes, you heard right, an employee (one who desperately needed their job) thanking their manager for letting them go.  Read more about this powerful case study.”

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.

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. Read more about that here. 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.

 

Professional Values Under Attack–A Sobering Look At Healthcare

Why Doctors Are Sick of Their Profession is an article that ran recently in the Wall Street Journal.  It’s a sobering look at the human side of the current dysfunction we call healthcare.

The article’s author Sandeep Jauhar MD makes the point that he and many of his physician colleagues are ‘struggling with the loss of their professional values’.  He suggests that in many ways he has become the doctor he never thought he would be: impatient, occasionally indifferent, at times dismissive or paternalistic.  Whether he’s being too hard on himself, I don’t pretend to know.

The causes for the trend are varied and, in many cases, deeply rooted within an industry in need of reform. In many ways the system has beaten down the doctors—imparting cynicism in place of their once noble aspirations.

The doctors are largely part of a system they can’t beat and many don’t want to be a part of.  This article is instructive in two important ways:

***First: it demonstrates how important professionals really are—healthcare just happens to be today’s example.  Absent professional values, things ‘go south’ fast for all stakeholders.  As Jauhar points out, naturally the patient’s experience is negatively impacted when the doctor’s professional values slip.

***Second: to me the answer to having a system ‘beat you down’  is (in part) to remember why you entered the profession in the first place.  In other words, never forget what your purpose is.  Tattoo it on your forehead if you must.  For one’s own mental health, a compelling purpose (on most days) will typically trump a bad system.

It’s interesting to note, from a systemic point of view, that the author suggests emphasizing professional values in the next generation.  That means ‘instilling professional values early on’ in medical school. Couldn’t agree more.  That’s precisely what we’ve helped do at the West Coast Ultrasound Institute. The results are exciting.

Professional values: without them, eventually we’ll all be sick. With them, we’ve got an invaluable  formula for health.

 

‘Passionate Professional’, An Oxymoron?

There are words that seemingly don’t go together. Consider:

Jumbo shrimp
benign neglect
passionate professional

We have funnyman George Carlin to thank for his hilarious parody on jumbo shrimp. It’s perhaps Carlin’s most famous oxymoron. At least for our purposes, let’s call it a oxymoron.

Passionate professional (for many) is another oxymoron. Traditionally professionals are expected to be reserved (even stoic), conservative (in thought), 100% objective (evidence based) , cautious (in decisions/actions), buttoned-down appearance, etc. A more extensive list could be generated…..but you get the idea.

The irony is that for professionals (founders especially) passion is a requirement in living up to professional ideals. After all, the professional 1) creates more value than they extract and 2) subscribe to a higher order of thinking. For founders with a professional’s mind-set, their company has a purpose beyond making money. Simply put, everything starts with purpose—purpose that makes a difference.

Here’s a great clip (only three and a half minutes) that features Ruth Zukerman (founder of New York City-based Flywheel Sports):

The clip is entitled ‘There is No Substitute For Passion’. Check it out.

Does the founding professional need to have passion (and instill that passion in those within the organization)? Should those serving clients have passion for what they do? Do you want passion in your product developers? The answer—in each instance—is yes!

Thanks Ruth for the reminder. Passion…professionals shouldn’t hide it under a bush!

Thanks Funnyman

Yesterday afternoon my thoughts turned to Bridges Restaurant in Danville, California. No, I wasn’t hungry. I was sad.

Bridges is a popular, high-end restaurant in our (San Francisco Bay) area. Some of Mrs. Doubtfire’s most memorable scenes were filmed there. Mrs. Doubtfire helped put Bridges on the map. And it was Robin Williams that put the iconic hit film Mrs. Doubtfire on the map. Now he’s gone. How sad.

My neighbor, Kevin Gin, has been the executive chef at Bridges since Mrs. Doubtfire was released in 1993. Kevin tells me that even today that guests at Bridges want to know at what table Williams was filmed at—even amongst many European travelers on holiday. The worldwide outpouring of emotion surrounding his passing is a testament to the depth as to how deeply he touched us.

Bob Sutton (the Stanford professor and management guru) shared a touching story about Robin Williams yesterday that further illustrates why Williams was so beloved.

That Williams was a first-rate human being (as Sutton reinforces) shouldn’t be much of a surprise. The fact that he is gone is.

Company Limits Bathroom Breaks To Six Minutes a Day

Yes, you heard right. Here’s the reference: Company Limits Bathroom Breaks To Six Minutes a Day

No doubt there was some employee shenanigans (think: excessive Facebooking and texting on mobile devices in the bathroom) that brought this on. And perhaps management did some things that contributed to this outcome as well.

But would the ‘Six Minute Rule’ have been invoked if management genuinely viewed their staff as professionals? Not likely!

Invariably, self-management practices go way up when management treats the staff as professionals. The staff’s ‘best-self’ gets proudly displayed. They’re motivated to do the right thing, and they’ll do it more often. Of course there’s always going to be a few knuckle-heads, but still…..

Who doesn’t want to work in an environment in which ‘professional’ is the organization’s aspiration. And who doesn’t want to work with colleagues who are professionals? Of course, the questions are rhetorical. An organization that centers its organization on professional ideals wouldn’t stoop to this.