What's Wrong with Work?

If you ask, do you receive?

We've recently done a little office experiment. 

We wrote a short letter to no one in particular and posted it on the noticeboard. 

It asks for 3 specific outcomes (I won't share the details here but things like £X of new business by Y date, a particular project to get brilliant feedback and a piece of news we are waiting for to come in before Christmas). We kept to outcomes we really wanted and needed. We weren't greedy. And we were realistic in the sense that we knew there was a real possibility that we would get these outcomes. They weren't random or plucked out of thin air.

We've all put our names to it. 

What is interesting is that some of the outcomes are starting to be realised. I have given some thought to why this might be and here are my short-listed theories so are - 

1. Magic/God/The Universe

2. It focused the mind and we took actions we might not have taken because we wanted the letter to work

3. Our intentions were in our energy so that, without even realising, other people picked up on that energy and were influenced by it

4. These things would have happened anyway, with or without the letter. It was our hard graft in previous weeks and months which started to pay off. 

Of course, it doesn't much matter why it seems to be working (although understanding what works means you can replicate it). But it brings to mind Rule 4 for Taming Tigers - It's all in the mind. 

By putting in the hard graft and also putting our wishes, hopes, dreams on paper and putting it where we could see it every day we shifted our mindset. The voices in our heads left us alone and we could go about our business with a clear mind, knowing what success looked like. 

I would love to know whether you've ever tried anything like this, what effect it had (if any) and what explanation you give. 

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What did you do today?

OK, it's only 11.45 on a Monday morning and I am already asking you what you've done. 

But there are only 6 or 7 hours left of the day and then one-fifth of your working week is gone. What will you have to show for it? 

A really tidy Inbox? A shorter to do list? Fewer people waiting for stuff from you?

Or will you have made a real contribution to the success of your organisation?

It is entirely possible to get to the end of a day, or a week, and feel that you have not really accomplished much, even though you have been frantically busy constantly. Rule 8 for Taming Tigers is very deliberately worded -

Understand AND control your time (we talked about this last time) - Do you know where your time goes and do you control it, or it is controlled by other people's demands and therefore by your Tiger?

To create change - You aren't just understanding and controlling your time so you can stay on top of your to do list. You are understanding and controlling time to Create Change. Do you know what change you want/need to create this week? 

If your CEO was watching, what change would he/she expect you to be part of this week? 

If you were looking back on this week with the benefit of hindsight, what story would you like to have been part of? 

You still have 6 or 7 hours to make an impact on the day, to write the story. Shake up Monday and create some change. 

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Know-it-all

If you are the boss it can feel like you have to know it all. 

Of course, you've recruited or promoted people who are experts in their field. But perhaps you still feel that you should know a little more about everything than they do. Otherwise, what is your job? 

If you can't add value by dropping in that "I thought of that earlier" or "Yes, I've heard of that" or "Well I just downloaded the updated version of that" then why do they need you? 

Well, clearly this is all nonsense. You aren't the boss because you know more about everything. I can't tell you why you are the boss (only you know how you got there!) but I can tell you why you aren't there. 

You aren't there to have all the answers.

You aren't there to be the smartest person in the room. 

You aren't there to get it right more than anyone else. 

The way I think of it is that you hold all the strings. Everyone else has a defined role but without a hub at the centre which ties everything together, everyone is just working in isolation. 

In a sense it isn't very rewarding. But, as we put it at Taming Tigers - "The tools for Taming Tigers are all around you" and, if you don't mind me saying, you are the biggest tool in the team. 

Today, let others be right, be clever, be the subject matter expert. All you need to do is hold the strings. 

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On a need to know basis...

Giving feedback or just speaking honestly in front of someone who may receive what you say as a form of feedback is rarely comfortable. 

And many people don't take feedback well. 

So if you are concerned about telling people what you think you may have some justification.

But is that a good enough reason to avoid doing it?

In my life many people have been very direct with me. Sometimes I have ignored what they've said because of a sense inside me that it wasn't meant with a pure heart. People will sometimes give feedback as a way of punishing you or avoiding their own issues. Equally feedback is always subjective. It is impossible, in my view, to strip away all your preconceptions and assumptions. You always view the world through your own eyes no matter how much you try to see things from another person's perspective so feedback is never "reality". And, of course, I have sometimes ignored important messages because I wasn't ready to hear them. 

But there are times when the subjectivity of feedback is completely valid, for instance, when it comes to leadership. You aren't doing your best leadership if no one is following. There is no argument that "It doesn't make me a bad leader just because no one listens to me". 

The bottom line is that leadership is all in the eye of the beholder. And, given that, it makes sense to be open-minded about what people think of you. It doesn't mean you have to take what they say on board completely but it does mean a conversation can begin between you where misunderstandings, mistakes and opportunities to grow can be explored.

And that's why I am always determined to hear even the most difficult of messages. It is often the ones that are hardest the hear that make the most difference in the long run.

When you are considering whether to share your truth with someone, remember that although they may not like it, they may appreciate it. And if they don't you can console yourself with the fact that you did it with a pure heart...as far as you know. 

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GOAL!

Professional sportspeople have it simple. Not easy, but simple. 

There are any number of goals out there to aim for and any number of milestones along the way. 

If you have the talent and the will it's just a matter of focusing on the straight line ahead of you and off you go. 

I realise it isn't quite as obvious as I make it sound. And I certainly don't envy them. 

At school my PE teacher wrote in my report "Blaire keeps a positive attitude despite her obvious disabilities in this subject". Ah well. An international sporting career was never on the agenda really. 

But when it comes to business, I love to have a goal. It's just not as simple because, although there are competitions to win and awards to collect, that's not really the point of business. Most business people have to set their own goal and their own milestones. 

It's not easy to do, which is why we end up with so many goals which mean nothing and could be transferred to any business you care to mention and fit, kinda, with what that business wants to achieve. "Be the number one in our market" is the fall back position of most organisations and "Be the best team in our field" is the fall back for most teams. What's your team or organisational goal? Could it apply to any function like yours in any business or any organisation in any field, pretty much? Probably. 

We've been doing a lot of work with teams recently on just this - setting the Goal and defining the roadmap to get there. And there were no "Be Number One in Our Market" type goals. Instead we heard words like "Simple", "Brave", "Shape", "Brilliant", even the odd expletive to express what these teams really wanted to achieve, what would really get them out of bed on a bad day. I'm afraid I can't share them here as they are so exciting and ground-breaking that you would steal them. 

Anyway, they only mean so much because of the work that went in to creating them. The whole point is they can't be transferred to another team or another business and mean something. They had to come from the people in the room. 

There is nothing stopping you creating a team goal which really inspires your people, except perhaps the belief that it is possible. Well, I can tell you it is possible. Now, what's it going to be?

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Cause and effect

An article by Guy Kawasaki in the latest issue of Wired magazine got me thinking about cause and effect. 

Kawasaki writes about Steve Jobs and advises wannabe super-entrepreneurs to interpret Jobs' success not try to impersonate it. 

So - Jobs wears jeans to work. But is that why he's successful? Will you be more successful if you wear jeans too? Probably not.

But will you give better presentations if, like Jobs, you use slides with pictures rather than slides packed with text? Probably yes. 

It can be a powerful exercise to observe people we admire and notice what the causes of their success might be. But we'll end up with the wrong answers if we simply reverse engineer and assume "These are all the qualities of a successful person, therefore, that's why they are successful".

Remember - successful people achieve success because of a number of qualities but also in spite of a number of qualities. Just make sure you don't confuse one with the other. 

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My next Quest...

At Taming Tigers we talk a lot about Quests. For us, the Quest (the journey) is more important than the goal. It is through going on this journey, facing up to your Tiger (that voice inside you that roars and says "Don't!") and acting boldly that you grow as a person and strengthen your ability to achieve any goal you want. 

For the past few months my Quest has been very much around the business. Growing at the pace we are growing with the ambitions we have makes my Tiger roar, no doubt about it. But I imagine that is true for anyone who wants to grow their business. 

It is time to add a more personal Quest alongside that. And, because it makes my Tiger roar to even think about it, I am going to tell you. One way of getting the momentum you need to act boldly is to tell people what you are going to do. For most of us, letting other people down is a far worse prospect than letting yourself down so it is very motivating!

For many years I have had bouts of psoriasis. Lately this condition has got worse (working hard to achieve the business Quest above is probably part of the equation). My Rulebook says it isn't possible to get rid of it, the best I can do is reduce it a little. However, that Rulebook has stopped me taking any action until now other than buying vats of moisturizer and applying twice daily. 

So, my Quest is to get rid of it. I believe you can't be cured of psoriasis - it can come back if you are prone to it. But I plan to get rid of the external symptoms by addressing the causes. I don't plan to resort to steroids as this just treats the symptoms and has unpleasant side effects. My Quest is, through natural means including diet, complimentary medicine, hypnosis, therapy, whatever it takes, to be psoriasis free. 

I am open to suggestions about treatments. I have already booked an appointment with a homeopathic doctor on my return from holiday. I am drinking 2 litres of water a day (which is tough for me). I am make-up free when I can get away with it. I plan to relax on my upcoming holiday (also tough for me!).

Any other ideas?

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Puppy update...again

Some of you are very keen on an update about my dog, Humphrey, who is fast approaching his first birthday.

What has this got to do with work? I will reveal all as we go. 

You may remember that we were determined to approach training our puppy using "natural" methods - we communicate with the dog like a dog rather than a human, being clear about the status hierarchy in our pack and reinforcing that every day. The idea was that he would take a low status place in the family meaning he would not bark excessively, jump on the furniture, mess in the house, steal shoes, dig up the garden or pull on his lead. 

I can tell you that the strategy has been partially successful although we have also reverted to more conventional ways to train him such as treats. The garden looks like the site of a Roman excavation, the sofa is torn (hidden under delightful throws) and he sometimes steals shoes. In other respects he is fabulous. 

Maybe I am making excuses here, but I think what we've done right is that we have adapted to the dog we've got (and the family we are) rather than adhering to a set of principles which make perfect sense but don't actually work for us. We are vigilant about some things (not pulling on the lead, not jumping on people for instance), and we have found a variety of methods for dealing with the occasional bark and jumping on the sofa (mainly involving bursting out at him unexpectedly and shouting "no"!). We've mixed and matched to get the right solution for us.

Today (and here is the link) leaders need to be adaptive to the needs of their people. You may read about the latest leadership theory in Harvard Business Review or the secrets of success by a famous businessperson. But in the end, how you lead is about who you are and who the people are that work alongside you. 

What matters isn't whether you comply with current trends but whether what you are doing works in the short and long term. Mixing and matching until you find the right combination for you, your people and the situation you are in is likely to be far more achievable and productive than looking for "the right answer" when, chances are, no such thing exists.

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Re-writing the Rules

As you know this blog is really about work and, specifically, what is wrong with it and how to fix it.

However, what I was really trying to do in the book and now in this blog is to reconsider what work is. In other words, I think we need to re-write the rules of work. The ones we have today largely don't work.

Today I watched a fantastic film on Ted.com presented by a married couple intent on doing that same with Parenthood. They have set about challenging the rules of parenting, in particular the lies parents tell one another which actually get in the way of enjoying being a parent (and, I imagine, get in the way of enjoying being a kid!).

Whether you have children or not, you may enjoy this film simply because it destroys the myths of parenthood and replaces them with common sense...which as we all know is not that common.

Imagine if we could do the same with the workplace? I would love to know what you consider are the lies or myths about the workplace and how we might start re-writing the rules, just as this couple are doing in their world. Click here.

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Spotted

I've been travelling a lot recently, which basically involves taking things out and putting things in your suitcase repeatedly and figuring out how the hotel room television works. However, on the plus side I did see copies of my new book, What's Wrong with Work? in a number of airport WHSmiths stores.

  

This is great for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it means that the book is out there for anyone to see and, hopefully, be inspired by.

Secondly, it gives me a sense of pride. 

We often work with teams who are achieving extraordinary things (and are capable of even more). Yet they don't recognise what they are and what they do. I am talking about very senior people who run huge organisations who forget that they have influence, experience, ideas and the power to do something with it.

Perhaps it is cultural but it seems in this country we have forgotten how special we are. A reminder - a simple photograph of some books on a book shelf, a thank you from a colleague, a thoughtful gift or a memento of a special moment - may seem unnecessary for adults who, presumably are above needing a pat on the back.

But given how critical and, I go so far as to say, ignorant most people are about how talented, special and worthy they are, maybe these little reminders are more powerful than we give them credit for.

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