Take a look around your office. Look at your desk. Look at your email In-Box. As you look at the various piles of papers and streams of emails, ask yourself, "What am I dodging? What am I trying to delay? What problems, issues, or projects am I finding excuses to avoid? From what am I intentionally (Though I claim it's unintentional) hiding?"
If you're getting nervous by any of the questions above, you're probably avoiding Procrastination Leadership. Procrastination Leadership is a term I've coined to describe that leadership trait that causes effective leaders to address what others fear; to initiate what others avoid; and to complete what others delay. It's that characteristic of overcoming your innate desire to continue to stall, because you've identified those things that are important enough to stay on your To Do list, even though you've been avoiding them. It's that ability to instead tell yourself, "I'm the leader. It's my job to do something about this." Then choosing to forge ahead and do it. It's deciding to bite the bullet and do what needs to be done.

Procrastination Leadership addresses things such as:

• Having Necessary Conversations with under-performing staff
• Holding meetings with antagonistic colleagues to clear the air and achieve understanding
• Reviewing difficult documents, texts, and reports to wade through the heavy material so you can move it to the next person waiting for the information
• Sitting down with team members to layout needed project plans or revamp poorly-performing projects
• Meeting with board members to clarify roles, responsibilities, and boundaries
• Working on tasks expected of a leader instead of working on those that should be handled by staff

Procrastination Leadership is recognizing and then acting upon those various difficult tasks that you, as a leader, are charged with handling; those tasks that you are being paid to address; and those tasks your strong team members have been waiting for you to address.

Don't make them wait any longer. Take on Procrastination Leadership and become the leader others need you to be.

Copyright MMXIII - Liz Weber, CMC, CSP - Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com

Jack Welch indicated some of his keys to Leadership success in his book “Jack – Straight from the Gut”. As the CEO of General Electric, he realized tremendous success.

While reflecting on his ideas, I started to accumulate a list of qualities I see in my clients and others who I believe are successful “leaders”. Just 10 of those qualities are listed here.

Each individual I consider successful:

1. Has a Sense of Purpose – a Vision. These people have a clear picture of where they’re going and a good “road map” to get them there. Their staffs easily follow.
2. Lives by Honor. These individuals keep their word and conduct themselves and their business practices honorably.
3. Regularly Follows-Through. These people get things done. Usually on-time and within budget. You can count on them to deliver – and they do – time and again.
4. Sees Opportunities. They see opportunities while others see headaches. They see opportunities and are open to them.
5. Talks to Anyone & Listens to Everyone. They comfortably talk to anyone and will listen to what others say. They value hearing from everyone who impacts the business.
6. Solves Problems Simply. These individuals have a keen ability to cut away all of the garbage and quickly identify a “clean” and fair solution to problems.
7. Understands the Whole Business. They may not be experts in every element of the business (finance, engineering, etc.), but they know enough about each area, to know how they can be improved to enhance the overall organization.
8. Is Never Satisfied. These individuals are constantly striving to learn something new, develop something new, or improve something. They’re never “done”.
9. Admits Mistakes. The truly successful aren’t afraid to admit when they make mistakes. They know how many mistakes it took before “success” was realized. Each mistake brings them that much closer to another success.
10. Enjoys What They Do. These individuals truly enjoy what they do. They thrive on the challenges and are intrigued with the possibilities.

Given my list, do you have what it takes to be a successful leader?

Copyright MMII - Liz Weber, CMC, CSP - Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com

The Herman Group issued a great report that indicates more and more employees are seeking employment with organizations that value their corporate values. As Roger Herman’s report indicated, “More people, in their work environment, are basing work and life decisions on personal and organizational values. People are talking about values with their co-workers and their employers.” The report also indicated that more employees are no longer seeking employment with organizations that simply offer higher compensation than the competition. Instead, they’re looking to work with – and stay with – organizations that believe in not work-life balance, but life-work balance.

So what is life-work versus work-life balance and how, as employers, do we take note of this trend? Life-work balance is an understanding that to more and more workers in the workplace – and soon entering the workplace – life comes first; work second. To many of us employers this is a stark shift from what we've become accustomed to. For years we've had the luxury of employees who were willing to sacrifice family time to ensure the job got done. Now, trends are indicating that employees are looking to continue to “get the job done”, but in more flexible ways that ensures they don’t miss out on their lives with their children, elderly parents, etc. More employees are seeking employers who offer a more varied benefits package. Packages that offer such things as flex-time, full-family health insurance, day care, elder care, laundry/dry cleaning pick-up, pharmacy drop-off/pick-up, grocery drop-off/pick-up, on-site salons, manicure services, chair massages, and many other services that help employees fulfill their “life” responsibilities, while they get the job done.

In addition to providing benefits most desired by their employees, organizations that are life-work oriented, also firmly believe in living their corporate values day in and day out. From the business owner to the newest hire on the front-line, the corporate values are discussed and projected each day by every employee in the organization. It becomes unmistakable to anyone who visits the organization or interacts with it, what kind of values they hold.

If the values and character of the organization match the values and character of the individual employees, their time together is more balanced, focused, and productive. However, this can only happen if both the company and the employee focus on living good lives and producing good work. Then they’ll be in balance together.

Copyright MMVI - Liz Weber, CMC, CSP - Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com

In this video, Liz shares her 8 step process for creating not only a basic, visual succession plan but also a culture that continually builds depth and talent.
(This video was included as part of the “Creating a Leadership Development Plan” training series by the Dallas County Community Colleges.)

What's a wimpy manager? It's a manager who isn't honest, fair, and clear with her employees on her expectations.  It's a manager who believes she's being nice by not telling her employees when they're under-performing, veering off-track, or flat-out behaving in unacceptable ways. It's a manager who mistakenly believes she's being nice by not telling her employees what they're doing wrong so they have a choice and a chance to change their behaviors. A wimpy manager is someone who equates passiveness with kindness and assertiveness with meanness. A wimpy manager has it wrong.

In a recent training program, a supervisor asked me, "How do I deal with one of my employees who isn't qualified for the job. He doesn't have the skill sets to do the job and he doesn't want to learn them. He shouldn't have been hired in the first place. It's not his fault he can't do the job. He simply doesn't have the right skills."

I almost fell over. Seriously?! This supervisor didn't see anything wrong with the employee accepting a job he wasn't qualified to perform and then refusing to learn the skills necessary to do the job? This supervisor needed to take a step back from being wimpy and look at the reality of the situation. Granted there is obviously something wrong with that company's hiring process, but the employee also bears a good bit of the responsibility for this mess too. Accepting a paycheck for a job he is not doing is wrong. The supervisor needs to clarify that issue with the employee, create an action plan with the employee to outline what skills he will learn, by when and how, and also clarify the consequences for unacceptable or non-performance. And, then the supervisor needs to follow-through.

Another manager asked me, "I've got a great relationship with my team and I don't want to change that. However, I'd like my team to perform to the level I believe they can. What can I do?" Here's another wimpy manager. As I said to him, "If you've got such a great relationship with your team, why don't they already know they're not performing up to your expectations? It doesn't sound as if you've been clear with them."

Wimpy managers aren't fair. They don't speak up. They don't clue employees in on when they're veering off-track. They don't "tee up" employees so they can make choices. They simply withhold information and hold in their frustrations - believing they're being nice - while the employees continue to head down their undesirable paths. Then when an employee makes that one mistake too many, the manager can't take it anymore and moves right into the full blown disciplinary process and starts the path to termination. Is that fair? I don't think so.

Strong managers are fair. They clue in employees that they're starting to veer off-track. They address inappropriate behaviors and under-performance immediately. They view these as situations that require quick, "heads-up," you're-heading-down-the-wrong-path conversations. Strong managers want to clue employees in on what they're doing wrong immediately so the employees have a chance -- and a choice -- to change their behaviors. Strong managers give employees the information and chance to learn the skills to do the jobs they're being paid to do. If the employees choose to learn the skills and behaviors needed to stay with the company - great! If the employee chooses not to learn the new skills - or can't - that's OK too. At least the manager was fair, gave the employee a fair and honest chance to stay with the company. Strong managers enable choices. Wimpy managers don't. Don't be a wimpy manager.

Copyright MMXIII - Liz Weber, CMC, CSP - Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com

Unlike the movie City Slickers in which Billy Crystal's character realizes that "The One Thing" in life that will make you happy is different for everyone, in business, we must make it very clear to all of our employees what The One Thing is we're trying to achieve as an organization.  If we don't, our employees may inadvertently waste tons of time, money, energy, and other resources by working towards other things.

The need to talk about The One Thing (or for those of you familiar with my passion for Strategic Planning - your Vision) struck me head-on again last week.  I was working with several new clients on various issues ranging from Marketing Strategies to Time Management Techniques, and each client's core problem, once properly identified, led to the same issue: these clients’ employees don't know what their respective organization is really trying to achieve, so the employees don't really know how they fit it, so they can't really help as effectively as they should.  However, management didn't see it that way -- they thought the employees really didn't understand their jobs or worse - just didn't care.

Take this simple challenge, walk around and ask five to ten random employees, "What is the number one thing this organization is trying to achieve?"  If you get roughly the same answer from each of the employees, you've done an excellent - and I mean excellent - job of communicating your vision and creating focus for your employees.  If your question is answered with confused looks, "I don't knows", or five to ten different answers, you've not yet done the one thing employees need from you to help them do their jobs well -- direction, focus, a target (i.e., a Vision).

Let your employees know specifically what it is you want your organization to achieve and how their jobs fit in.  Let them know how each job can help move your organization closer to its vision.  Let them know what "The One Thing" is - don't make them figure it out for themselves.  This isn't a movie -- it's your business.

Copyright MMIV - Liz Weber, CMC, CSP - Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com

We've heard over and over "Add value for your customers!" But what does that mean?

According to Webster's Dictionary, VALUE means "Monetary or material worth". Therefore, "Add value for your customers" must mean we have to add some thing (product, service, or other benefit) that adds tangible monetary or material gain for our customers. How do we do that? We need to find out what is valuable - and not merely valued - by our customers.

There's a big difference between providing something that is valuable and something that is valued. Again, according to Webster's Dictionary, VALUABLE means "1. Of high monetary or material value 2. Of great importance, utility, or service". VALUED, on the other hand, means "Highly esteemed". Both terms are impressive. However valuable products, services, and information are what keep customers coming back to you time and again. Valuable items create some type of monetary or material gain for your customers; whereas, a "valued" item is appreciated by your customers, but may not be important enough to them to pay for it. That's the distinction. Do you want to get paid for what you add or do you just want to be appreciated?

To determine how valuable your products, services, and information are to your customers, ask them. What elements of your service do they find valuable? What aspects make their jobs easier, less time-consuming, or more profitable? What would make their jobs even easier, less time-consuming, or more profitable? What do you provide they like, but don't really need? What do they find wasteful or unnecessary? How does the value of your products or services compare to others?

Ask your customers for the answers. They'll tell you. Then you'll know how to add value, because you'll know what is valuable.

Copyright MMIII - Liz Weber, CMC, CSP - Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com

I messed up – big time. I knew deep in my gut something had to be wrong, but for some reason, I didn’t have a frank, direct conversation with Joseph. During our numerous status meetings, I had accepted his rationalizations of a hectic travel schedule, numerous new team members, and uncooperative clients to justify his less-than stellar performance.  I asked myself regularly:  Why wasn’t he performing to the level I knew he could? Why wasn’t he communicating with the other team members? Why was his department falling behind schedule? Even though I had asked myself these questions, I didn’t ask them of him. I allowed my prior work history and knowledge of his expertise and abilities to cloud reality. I allowed myself to glaze over the reality that a star performer wasn’t performing like a star anymore.  In addition, I accepted his rationalizations too long; other team members were now frustrated and their projects were being negatively impacted because of his lack of input on critical issues.

When I did finally sit with him to basically say: “Enough is enough. We need to fix this,” Joseph finally shared with me that his marriage had fallen apart, his wife had left, and he was taking care of his two small children alone. He apologized to me for letting the team down. He apologized for letting me down. He apologized for failing in his key role. I felt like a heel. This man had gone through personal hell for months, and I had no idea – no one did. Even though I had felt in my gut that something was “off” with him, I hadn’t acted on that feeling to ask him directly as a manager – and as a friend – what was really going on.  Instead, I had focused on the work and assumed he’d get himself and the team refocused and back on target.

I apologized to Joseph. I had messed up; not him. As the leader, it is my responsibility to act on behaviors that are not in line with what I know are “normal” for key people. It was my fault for not talking with him weeks ago and alleviating some of the work pressure for him sooner so he could focus on his personal life. I had felt something was “off” with him, and I hadn’t acted on it. When I told him to focus on his family, the rest of the team and I will handle the work, he was relieved and grateful. He’s making progress reshaping his life; and the work is being handled. Everyone is happier. Everyone could have been happier sooner if I’d acted on that gut feeling of “Something being ‘off’.”

What feelings are you burying that may be indicating trouble for one of your key people or teams? It may be nothing. But if it’s something, don’t you want to know about it sooner rather than later? If something feels “off,” it probably is. Do your job: determine what’s “off” and what’s not.

Copyright MMIX - Liz Weber, CMC, CSP - Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com

Here’s good ‘ole Ted.  He’s worked for you for almost 10 years.  He arrives at work each morning between 7:55 and 7:59AM.  He follows the same procedures he helped create years ago.  He does his work the same systematic way each day.  He quietly attends all required meetings and training sessions. He provides reports when asked.  He’s polite, doesn’t challenge his co-workers, and doesn’t get stressed, excited or ruffled by much at all. He usually eats lunch alone.  He never wastes a customer’s time; he answers their requests and quickly ends his interactions with them. He cleans off his desk and shuts his equipment down by 4:58PM. He’s out the door promptly at 5:00PM each night.  Good ‘ole dependable Ted may be killing your business.

Employees like Ted are good, trustworthy people.  However, employees like Ted are not good for businesses that need to dramatically change the way they operate to maintain or regain their competitiveness.  Why?  Because too often, employees like Ted dig their heels deeply into the ground and hope business will return to the way it was.  They tend to focus on the way things were instead of the way things are and the way they need to be in the future.  Economic changes, increased efficiencies, re-engineering, process improvements, new skills, new equipment, new computer programs, new staff, new products, new competitors are all considered nuisances or problems. New opportunities and new risks are dreaded. In fact, employees like Ted get angry when they’re encouraged or ‘pushed’ to take classes to gain new skills and identify areas for improvement. They dig their heels in deeper when they’re challenged by you and others to identify ways to ‘re-invent’ the organization.  They dig deeper and become more withdrawn.  They operate more and more on autopilot and bring less and less excitement, energy, and enthusiasm to the job.  Too many employees like Ted can kill the excitement, energy, and enthusiasm of other employees and your customers – and that can kill a business.

So, should you fire all of your “Teds?”  Absolutely not.  Remember, they’re good, trustworthy people.  Those personality traits alone are gold.  However, given the way the business world operates, those are only some of the qualities you need to support and to develop in your employees.  Your employees need to be told that you value them. However, they also need to be told, specifically, what additional behaviors are needed of them to ensure the organization (and their jobs) survive and prosper.  Most employees like Ted, have never been asked for their input before. So they don’t readily identify opportunities and speak up.  They need to learn this skill.  Help them understand the importance of their job to the organization’s continued success.  Show them with numbers, graphs, charts, or other tangible measures how their individual contribution can add to or detract from the bottom-line. The organization is constantly changing and growing. They need to use their experience and knowledge to support these changes and develop their own skills in the process.

There’s nothing wrong with looking to the past – to learn from it.  The dependable systems and skills used in the past got Ted and your organization to where you are today.  However, new skills and ideas are needed to take you all into the future.

Copyright MMII - Liz Weber, CMC, CSP - Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com

What is leadership? That's a great question because depending upon whom you ask, the answer will vary. Yet each person's answer will swirl around common themes. And the common themes typically make the person providing the answer smile, get a glint in their eye, sit a bit straighter, and act as if they got a jolt of energy infused through them. Just the thought, the memory, or the image of a strong leader causes others to feel stronger, confident, and energized.

So what is leadership? What does it look like? In a recent leadership training session, as I typically do, I asked the participants to: Describe leadership. I heard the standard replies: It's providing a clear picture of the future. It's being a stabilizing force when things get chaotic. It's the person who rallies the troops when their motivation is flagging. It's bringing out the best in people. It's making the tough decisions, as well as I can't describe it but I know it when I see it.

My take on leadership is simple: Leadership isn't a position; it's a mindset. It's a standard of beliefs, values, characteristics, and behaviors. It's being the type of person others want to work with, be challenged by, be accountable to, and succeed with. It's being the type of person others count on to make decisions that are tough, big-picture focused, and have impact. It's being the type of person who first admits his or her own limitations as a leader and continually seeks knowledge to improve and be a better person and leader going forward. It's the type of person who wants to succeed and be successful with others -- not at the cost of others.

Given that, what do organizations with strong leadership look like? Unlike the answer above, "I can't describe it but I know it when I see it," I can and I don't mean to sound pretentious when I say this. I've just seen too many examples of good, bad, and ugly leadership in my 20+ years of business. Organizations with a strong leader or a strong leadership team have a positive energy that exudes the moment you talk on the phone with the receptionist or walk through the front door. It's an organization where the staff easily mix, mingle, talk, debate, collaborate, yet produce, produce, produce. It's an organization, where people laugh when "the boss" is in the room and he or she is, at times, the brunt of jokes. It's an organization, where if put to the test, the "troops" would run through fire to help the leader because the leader has helped them time and time again. It's an organization where the team is happy to spend time, learn, grow, and succeed.

Organizations with weak leadership wallow. They're "quieter." Their physical environment might be beautiful, but there's an emptiness to it. There's a lack of positive energy, instead there's an over-riding tension. The staff work and interact, but their interactions are routine and timeline driven. They do what they have to do to get the job done, while in their minds they're focusing on getting the heck out the door at the end of the day. When "the boss" is in the room, the conversations are stilted, cautious, and limited. There's a underlying current of tension that someone, at some time, will say something incorrect and be lambasted or fired because of it. It's an environment where everyone focuses on protecting themselves and their jobs by doing just enough to get by. It's an environment where, if put to the test, I doubt there'd be many running through fire to help "the boss" or anyone but themselves. The team has been trained to protect themselves.

How would your team answer: What is leadership? What does it look like? Would they describe you and your organization? If not, why not? Do you create an environment where your team feels comfortable challenging, growing, debating, failing, and succeeding? Does your team relax while they do their jobs, or are they constantly "on alert?" Would your team run through fire for you? Have you been there for them?

Copyright MMXIII - Liz Weber, CMC, CSP - Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com