New Rules - Old Rules - Our Rules

It is always nice to get a call from a major news network asking you to appear on one of their programs and to comment on a subject about which they apprently think you have some level of expertise. The one this past week however, turned into an unexpected and very interesting experience.

I should quickly add however that having to get there for a live interview at 7:00 in the morning which translated into getting up at 4:00 added nothing to enhance the experience, although it does give one much more respect for those folks like Matt, Merideth, et al who do it every day. Not something I would look forward to for sure.

Anyway, the program is called Money for Breakfast and the segment is what Fox calls The C-Suite Sit Down which is a regular feature on the show.

The unexpected experience came about when I discovered they have a particular question that they always use to close these interviews. They call it Three Rules. I had never heard of it before, but once they told me about it, it reminded me of the monologue that Bill Maher does at the end of his show each week and calls "New Rules as well what they do to close James Lipton's wonderful show Inside the Actors Studio when they ask each guest the same set of questions at the end like "what's your favorite word" etc.

Fox's variation on this theme is to ask the guest to share what they feel are three things that are really important to them when it comes to their business. I have to say, it gives you a funny feeling in your stomach when someone asks you something that important and you are limited in both time and number in terms of responding. The fact that it is on national television doesn't add much to your comfort level either.

Since all of this came up late in the day before the show, it gave me essentially the night before the interview to think about it, something which I can tell you is definitely not conducive to a good night's sleep, especially when you have to get up at 4:00 in the bargain.

The point of the exercise, of course, is to get their guests to share with the audience what at ExecuNet we sometimes characterize as "key learnings" in the hope that they might be of some help or interest to others.

I have no idea if what follows will or won't be of some help or interest to others, but I offer it in spirit of sharing; not the sharing of advice, but of one person's perspective. What I came up were not "rules" so much as they are beliefs:

1. Any relationship that we have, either inside or outside of our business, is based on TRUST.

2. An organization's culture should be about a feeling of working "WITH" not "FOR."

3. Everything that we say or do reflects on us all both individually and collectively.

If others have "three rules" of their own, I would love to see them and others probably would too.

If you wanted to see the entire interview you can click here. It runs around five minutes.

Where Have You Gone Joe DiMaggio?

I guess with the title of this post I am showing my age, but what the heck, if you didn't see the movie (i.e. The Graduate for those who might not recognize the line) , it's well worth it no matter what your age.

I picked the line from the Simon and Garfunkel song because it is a line that laments the loss of ideals and values and seeks guideance from a "leader." Even in the context of the movie, it isn't that much of a stretch to translate the message to the corporate and/or political arena and the headlines we unfortunately see all too often.

If you asked around our office here at ExecuNet, anyone will tell you that I am not a Yankee fan, but when our days become as filled with Bear Stearns and Spitizer as they have recently, it is understandable that there are indeed lots of folks who are wondering where Joe D went.

With all that in mind, maybe that is part of the reason I was so struck by a quote attributed to Jeff Immelt of GE that I have had tacked up on my bulletin board ever since I found it.

When I see it, especially after hearing about some other CEO taking a "perp" walk, it helps to remind me that as disappointing as all that stuff is, there are far more leaders who understand what Immelt is saying and do all they can to build organizations where what he suggests represents the cultures they believe in.

If you have not seen this quote before, if it resonates with your value system, maybe you'll find a spot for it on your bulletin board too.

Manage by setting boundaries with freedom in the middle.

“The boundaries are commitment, passion, trust and teamwork. Within those guidelines, there’s plenty of freedom. But no one can cross those four boundaries.”
Jeff Immelt, CEO, General Electric

Organizational Potential: Real or Imagined?

One of my favorite parts of the day is when I get my summary of what discussions are taking place in our member executive roundtables. The roundtables were set up to provide with members another channel to exchange ideas and information on business issues and challenges and get to know each other better in the process. In reading over the exchanges, not only do I always learn something, but I am also reminded of just how powerful the sharing of ideas and experience really is.

Over the past week or so, there has been a fascinating discussion going on started by George Bradt, founder of Prime Genesis and author of The New Leaders 100-Day Action Plan. He began by saying:

My working premise is that transformational leadership is about inspiring and enabling people to do their absolute best, together, to realize a meaningful and rewarding shared purpose...So, how have you done that? What advice do you have for others seeking to turn their organization's potential into something meaningful and rewarding?

George clearly touched a nerve as the responses poured in from all points of the compass and as you might expect with observations and comments ranging across a broad spectrum. One of those who put in his two cents was member Kerry Bensman. I thought what he had to say was not just powerful, but powerfully put, so I asked him if I could pass it along and he generously said I could. For the sake of space, here are a couple of the highlights from Kerry's post:

Your question presupposes a couple of basic assumptions. One is that the organization has unrealized potential. Another which is more important is that it has the ability, experience, and expertise to embrace a vision and drive towards it. (Of course, how often have any of us listened to the newest twist on a vision statement only to have the organization driven in a different direction.)

Working harder and smarter is not always the answer. In the computer business, we had this saying: "It always works well in Powerpoint"

There is real buy-in and there is "fake" buy-in. Your top performers know the difference and they also know where the weak links are. Unless the organization believes you are being realistic and is not being set up for failure,the entire effort is DOA.

I worked for a general manager who had an interesting philosophy. He set the goals so we could over achieve. Why, I queried? "We all feel better being 102% of goal rather than 98% of goal. Does wonders for everybody." he responded.

I have never forgotten that. No one likes to feel they are pulling an oar they are chained to in the galley along with Ben Hur.

Both George and Kerry are right of course, but I was particularly struck and with Kerry's reminder that what "works well in PowerPoint" really doesn't matter unless those who are tasked with making the vision come alive are committed to and led by leaders who understand that while words can inspire, they need to come with the investment in the training and tools to really make it happen.