This past week I was in Orlando and shared at the IT Nation event hosted by ConnectWise. The topic was “10 Things I Accidentally Learned Along the Path to Growth”. Since I am one of the older folks in the industry, experience is on my side, and there have been some fairly painful learning experiences over the past 25 years. Ten of them stood out as significant – so that is what I shared. I will be writing in much more detail about these on this blog over the next few weeks – but here is the list and highlights for now:
1. Strategy Matters – we have to understand the "why" so we can set our sights on where we are going and know the outcome we pursue.
2. Planning is Key – we need to plan in at least 4 key areas – business, leadership, life and legacy – and the more we plan the luckier we get!
3. Leadership is Required – we have to grow as leaders both in our company and for our clients. We can’t lead people where we have never been.
4. Cash is King – our ability to grow and continue to lead in this industry can happen only when we have managed our cash well.
5. Growth is Hard Work – many think growth just happens. It doesn't. It takes a lot of continual effort and always is harder, slower and longer than expected.
6. Sell is Not a Four Letter Word – Ok - actually it is, but for many years I missed the boat on this one. Nothing happens until someone sells something. We have to become a strong sales organization.
7. Vendors Are Not The Enemy – we must learn to leverage their resources to help drive our business.
8. Success Without Balance is Empty – if we lose track of what matters and do not balance work and life – the results really don’t matter. We must manage our time and focus.
9. Keep Your Eye on the Customer – our marching orders come directly from them, not the latest fad or trend, and we must listen closely and respond quickly.
10. It is All About Relationships – we are in the people business actually helping folks with adapting to change. Boil it all down to this – we are in the change management business.
So that is my list – I probably forgot a few important thoughts along the way. The response has been overwhelming from those who heard it. As I sat down to create this presentation, it occurred to me that there are no items on the list that deal with technology itself. In the last 25 years some rather major changes have occurred. There was no Internet when we started. Cell phones were 20 pounds and not reliable. A portable computer was a luggable that weighed 40 pounds and was the size of your entire desk. IP telephony hadn’t even been thought of. Very little of the technology that we deal with today was even a glimmer in someone’s eye back in 1985. But the reality is that technology without a person using it has little value. It is about people and how they apply what we sell. We are in the people business – we must never forget that – and technology is just a tool we have to serve them. Our success will be measured by how well we keep our eye on that ball. Let’s make sure people are in the center of everything we do!
Showing posts with label management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label management. Show all posts
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Who’s on Your Management Team?
Good friend David Russell of ManagetoWin wrote some great content in his weekly newsletter this week. The focus is on the often neglected power of involving your spouse in the decision making process. He calls it “Spouse Advantage”. He gives examples of Jim Collins, Ray Johnston and Jim Burns and how they are connected with their wives when it comes to making decisions. This is a topic that needs some focus for many of us leading companies.
For many years I fell into the trap believing that I was the one who needed to make all the decisions. After all, I was the bread winner, out in the workplace, making things happen day after day. So not only did I fail to involve my bride in the process, I often didn’t even inform her of the things that were on the table under consideration. Bad decision on my part. That line of decision making works if you are a perfect thinker, strategic planner and have all the answers. None of those things describe me.
So I made some big mistakes along the way. More often than not, my bride knew it was bad news well before I did. Like it or not they often see more clearly than we do being in the middle of the forest. We miss the trees that fall on top of us some days until they have knocked us down. Been there?
When I consult with small business owners I often ask what their spouse thinks of the situation being addressed. Almost without fail, the answer is “deer in the headlights” or a quick “they aren’t part of the decision process”. Both are telling answers and likely are indicators of some of the problems being experienced.
Are you fully leveraging the strengths of your spouse? We involve our business partners when we consider decisions, but what about the most important partner in our earthly lives? David asks “ What is the impact of a good marriage on your career”? I’ll take it a bit further and ask more importantly, what is the cost of a failed marriage because you were too proud or stubborn to seek their counsel?
We celebrated our 33 year anniversary this past July just like David and his bride did. There are lots of days and decisions I wish I could do over. It doesn’t work that way unfortunately. Once a day is gone – we can’t go back and try again. We can only learn and move forward. For me, I learn a little slow sometimes. It wasn’t until about 10 years ago that I finally figured out the greatest asset God had blessed me with – in business and in life – my bride.
I always had the opinion that she would not understand and trying to teach her would just slow me down. That is a good thing – both to teach because we can’t do that if we don’t have things thought out and defined – and to slow down because many decisions get made incorrectly because the alternatives are never considered.
And the reality is that most business decisions are a lot more about people than they are business. Hiring, firing, partnerships and companies – all revolve around people. The products and services are seldom the issue – it always boils down to people and my bride can read them pretty well. That’s a God given gift I don’t expect to ever really have.
David nails the problem that most of us have when it comes to involving our spouse in the decision making process: “You have developed bad habits in how and when you communicate with your spouse about your work”. That is the issue many of us face. We have a lot of things that have sort of just happened in our marriage over time and become the status quo. One area that is very true is around the way we communicate and interact with our spouse. Habits are in place – changing them is hard work. But it can be very valuable and worth the effort.
David gives this guidance to help begin a transition to taking advantage of one of the best kept secrets of success – leveraging the wisdom of your spouse to help guide the ship. Here is his guidance: Consider thinking deeply about this subject this week. This is NOT a conversation to have with coworkers, but rather with people who personally mentor you and whom you respect. Here are some questions to consider:
1. Write down the five biggest mistakes you have made professionally during your career while you have been married.
2. How many of those mistakes could have been avoided if you had worked more closely with your spouse to evaluate the situation and your options prior to taking action?
3. What habit could you develop with your spouse to involve them more in your professional decisions? One option: A regular business meeting that covers both family and professional business. Just be realistic - it takes time to build this habit and you may have to be the driver to make certain in a positive, encouraging way that these meetings occur.
4. How are you going to respond the next time it feels like you have to make a quick decision? How can you build this delaying tactic - verbally and postponing action - into a habit?
5. Consider a commitment to demonstrate your love for your spouse by involving them in all of your important decisions. How will you hold yourself accountable? It will take time and be challenging to develop this habit, but can you afford to operate as a lone ranger?
I encourage you to spend some considering how you can improve the decision making and leadership process you currently use by involving your spouse. It has made all the difference for me. My bride travels with me almost all the time – not just to keep me company – but to keep me balanced and focused and to have input into the day to day activities that impact our lives and business. There is some sacrifice involved by both to truly partner together in this way – but my experience says it is one of the best decisions you can make. Don’t just depend on yourself – that is bound to lead you into the weeds if it hasn’t already!
If you aren’t on David’s mailing list – you just might want to get added. He puts out a weekly newsletter that is always full of great information and thought provoking questions to consider. You can reach him at david@managetowin.com.
For many years I fell into the trap believing that I was the one who needed to make all the decisions. After all, I was the bread winner, out in the workplace, making things happen day after day. So not only did I fail to involve my bride in the process, I often didn’t even inform her of the things that were on the table under consideration. Bad decision on my part. That line of decision making works if you are a perfect thinker, strategic planner and have all the answers. None of those things describe me.
So I made some big mistakes along the way. More often than not, my bride knew it was bad news well before I did. Like it or not they often see more clearly than we do being in the middle of the forest. We miss the trees that fall on top of us some days until they have knocked us down. Been there?
When I consult with small business owners I often ask what their spouse thinks of the situation being addressed. Almost without fail, the answer is “deer in the headlights” or a quick “they aren’t part of the decision process”. Both are telling answers and likely are indicators of some of the problems being experienced.
Are you fully leveraging the strengths of your spouse? We involve our business partners when we consider decisions, but what about the most important partner in our earthly lives? David asks “ What is the impact of a good marriage on your career”? I’ll take it a bit further and ask more importantly, what is the cost of a failed marriage because you were too proud or stubborn to seek their counsel?
We celebrated our 33 year anniversary this past July just like David and his bride did. There are lots of days and decisions I wish I could do over. It doesn’t work that way unfortunately. Once a day is gone – we can’t go back and try again. We can only learn and move forward. For me, I learn a little slow sometimes. It wasn’t until about 10 years ago that I finally figured out the greatest asset God had blessed me with – in business and in life – my bride.
I always had the opinion that she would not understand and trying to teach her would just slow me down. That is a good thing – both to teach because we can’t do that if we don’t have things thought out and defined – and to slow down because many decisions get made incorrectly because the alternatives are never considered.
And the reality is that most business decisions are a lot more about people than they are business. Hiring, firing, partnerships and companies – all revolve around people. The products and services are seldom the issue – it always boils down to people and my bride can read them pretty well. That’s a God given gift I don’t expect to ever really have.
David nails the problem that most of us have when it comes to involving our spouse in the decision making process: “You have developed bad habits in how and when you communicate with your spouse about your work”. That is the issue many of us face. We have a lot of things that have sort of just happened in our marriage over time and become the status quo. One area that is very true is around the way we communicate and interact with our spouse. Habits are in place – changing them is hard work. But it can be very valuable and worth the effort.
David gives this guidance to help begin a transition to taking advantage of one of the best kept secrets of success – leveraging the wisdom of your spouse to help guide the ship. Here is his guidance: Consider thinking deeply about this subject this week. This is NOT a conversation to have with coworkers, but rather with people who personally mentor you and whom you respect. Here are some questions to consider:
1. Write down the five biggest mistakes you have made professionally during your career while you have been married.
2. How many of those mistakes could have been avoided if you had worked more closely with your spouse to evaluate the situation and your options prior to taking action?
3. What habit could you develop with your spouse to involve them more in your professional decisions? One option: A regular business meeting that covers both family and professional business. Just be realistic - it takes time to build this habit and you may have to be the driver to make certain in a positive, encouraging way that these meetings occur.
4. How are you going to respond the next time it feels like you have to make a quick decision? How can you build this delaying tactic - verbally and postponing action - into a habit?
5. Consider a commitment to demonstrate your love for your spouse by involving them in all of your important decisions. How will you hold yourself accountable? It will take time and be challenging to develop this habit, but can you afford to operate as a lone ranger?
I encourage you to spend some considering how you can improve the decision making and leadership process you currently use by involving your spouse. It has made all the difference for me. My bride travels with me almost all the time – not just to keep me company – but to keep me balanced and focused and to have input into the day to day activities that impact our lives and business. There is some sacrifice involved by both to truly partner together in this way – but my experience says it is one of the best decisions you can make. Don’t just depend on yourself – that is bound to lead you into the weeds if it hasn’t already!
If you aren’t on David’s mailing list – you just might want to get added. He puts out a weekly newsletter that is always full of great information and thought provoking questions to consider. You can reach him at david@managetowin.com.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Management or Leadership
This week there was a great post in Harvard Business Review by Robert Sutton entitled “True Leaders Are Also Managers”. This is an age old discussion – what the role is of a CEO vs. President or manager vs. leader. The article includes these comments:
“In my reviews of the writings and research, I kept bumping into an old and popular distinction that has always bugged me: leading versus managing. The brilliant and charming Warren Bennis has likely done more to popularize this distinction than anyone else. He wrote in "Learning to Lead: A Workbook on Becoming a Leader" that "There is a profound difference between management and leadership, and both are important. To manage means to bring about, to accomplish, to have charge of or responsibility for, to conduct. Leading is influencing, guiding in a direction, course, action, opinion. The distinction is crucial." And in one of his most famous lines, he added, "Managers are people who do things right and leaders are people who do the right thing."”
Sutton continues with these words: “Although this distinction is more or less correct, and is useful to a degree, it has unintended negative effects on how some leaders view and do their work. Some leaders now see their job as just coming up with big and vague ideas, and they treat implementing them, or even engaging in conversation and planning about the details of them, as mere "management" work.
Worse still, this distinction seems to be used as a reason for leaders to avoid the hard work of learning about the people that they lead, the technologies their companies use, and the customers they serve. "Big picture only" leaders often make decisions without considering the constraints that affect the cost and time required to implement them, and even when evidence begins mounting that it is impossible or unwise to implement their grand ideas, they often choose to push forward anyway.”
He is right on the money. There has to be balance between the two. Robert Sutton goes on to close with these words: “I am not rejecting the distinction between leadership and management, but I am saying that the best leaders do something that might properly be called a mix of leadership and management. At a minimum, they lead in a way that constantly takes into account the importance of management. Meanwhile, the worst use the distinction between leadership and management as an excuse to avoid the details they really have to master to see the big picture and select the right strategies. Therefore, harking back to the Bennis theorem I quoted above, let me propose a corollary: To do the right thing, a leader needs to understand what it takes to do things right, and to make sure they actually get done. When we glorify leadership too much, and management too little, there is great risk of failing to act on this obvious but powerful message”.
So when we boil down the whole leadership versus management debate – there are a few things that need to be considered:
1. Every company needs someone focused on doing both. There must be someone serving the role of CEO (big picture thinker) and someone filling the role of President/GM (get it executed)
2. These are not mutually exclusive nor do they have to be at odds with each other
3. It is difficult for one person to effectively do both roles consistently
4. Much of the success that can happen when done right centers around effective communication between the roles and with the entire team
5. Execution is still the only thing that truly matters – big pictures that are not executed are just hallucination!
So the guidance is clear. Make sure your company is practicing both roles. Balance them through continual open communication. Lead by assuring execution so you don’t spend your time spinning your wheels and hallucinating about what could be and should be. Determine the course and just get er done!
“In my reviews of the writings and research, I kept bumping into an old and popular distinction that has always bugged me: leading versus managing. The brilliant and charming Warren Bennis has likely done more to popularize this distinction than anyone else. He wrote in "Learning to Lead: A Workbook on Becoming a Leader" that "There is a profound difference between management and leadership, and both are important. To manage means to bring about, to accomplish, to have charge of or responsibility for, to conduct. Leading is influencing, guiding in a direction, course, action, opinion. The distinction is crucial." And in one of his most famous lines, he added, "Managers are people who do things right and leaders are people who do the right thing."”
Sutton continues with these words: “Although this distinction is more or less correct, and is useful to a degree, it has unintended negative effects on how some leaders view and do their work. Some leaders now see their job as just coming up with big and vague ideas, and they treat implementing them, or even engaging in conversation and planning about the details of them, as mere "management" work.
Worse still, this distinction seems to be used as a reason for leaders to avoid the hard work of learning about the people that they lead, the technologies their companies use, and the customers they serve. "Big picture only" leaders often make decisions without considering the constraints that affect the cost and time required to implement them, and even when evidence begins mounting that it is impossible or unwise to implement their grand ideas, they often choose to push forward anyway.”
He is right on the money. There has to be balance between the two. Robert Sutton goes on to close with these words: “I am not rejecting the distinction between leadership and management, but I am saying that the best leaders do something that might properly be called a mix of leadership and management. At a minimum, they lead in a way that constantly takes into account the importance of management. Meanwhile, the worst use the distinction between leadership and management as an excuse to avoid the details they really have to master to see the big picture and select the right strategies. Therefore, harking back to the Bennis theorem I quoted above, let me propose a corollary: To do the right thing, a leader needs to understand what it takes to do things right, and to make sure they actually get done. When we glorify leadership too much, and management too little, there is great risk of failing to act on this obvious but powerful message”.
So when we boil down the whole leadership versus management debate – there are a few things that need to be considered:
1. Every company needs someone focused on doing both. There must be someone serving the role of CEO (big picture thinker) and someone filling the role of President/GM (get it executed)
2. These are not mutually exclusive nor do they have to be at odds with each other
3. It is difficult for one person to effectively do both roles consistently
4. Much of the success that can happen when done right centers around effective communication between the roles and with the entire team
5. Execution is still the only thing that truly matters – big pictures that are not executed are just hallucination!
So the guidance is clear. Make sure your company is practicing both roles. Balance them through continual open communication. Lead by assuring execution so you don’t spend your time spinning your wheels and hallucinating about what could be and should be. Determine the course and just get er done!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)