Posts Tagged 'followership'

Millennials don’t really exist

Published May 23, 2008 authenticity , communication , creativity , followership , leadership 7 Comments
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There is a great amount of creativity and effort that goes into finding ways to sell books. Most of the time the effort is to try, through articles, media or blogs, to create some kind of pain.

Business books are notorious for this. They create more pain in an effort to make a need for their solution. Just run to the bookstore. You will never feel more inadequate in your life…you can’t sell, talk, think, write or manage correctly.

Emerging from the pop-business media dust cloud is a hot, new source of pain for business leaders – the Millennial.

There are organizations devoted to understanding millennials, managing millennials, politics for millenials, conferences devoted to millennials and ideas about how this group is going to rock the political structure of the United States.

My Gawd! It appears they will soon take over the world. Somebody alert Homeland Security.

So, what the H-E-(double hockey sticks) is a Millennial?

According to my trusty “Internet,” a Millennial is someone born between the years 1980 to 2000. Others have ’82 to ’97. Basically, it is anybody right now from the ages of 8 to 28.

I’m sure that if we got all those folks in a room that they would have the same views on politics, religious tolerance and work ethic. Yeah, right. I have a 9-year-old. When all of his friends of the same age get together, they can’t even decide on what movie to watch.

Here are some of the things that were so eloquently (do you speak sarcasm?) outlined about this generation on a recent 60 minutes spot:

  • Tech-savvy. They like their iPods and Facebook. At times, this is associated with a lack of emotional intelligence or face-to-face human interaction. Really? Hasn’t this been true of every generation? Isn’t the next set of whippersnappers a bit irritating because they adopt and use technology? Try this one, though. Go to your local mall or airport. Everybody is on a cell phone, Crackberry or something…most of them are in their 30′s and older – not millennials.
  • Lazy. They want to set their own work schedule and have a family/work balance. They may be pushy in asking for this. They won’t be in the office at 5:30 or looking at emails at 8pm. Really? Good for them. Somebody had to do it. Would we rather them encourage companies that want blind, open-ended allegiance? I thought we were past that. Just because they may not work 60-plus hours a week does not qualify a person as lazy. Have we forgotten about the “slackers?” Didn’t depression-era adults view their kids as lazy? I see a pattern here.
  • Narcissitic or praise-hounds. Blame Mr. Rogers. He told them that they were special. Now, they think everything should be handed to them. They need constant praise and attention. Really? What is more narcissistic than pointing out narcissism in younger people? Young people need immediate feedback, praise and attention. That is the name of the game. If you are not prepared for that, then you should not be in the business of raising children or managing employees. They want to learn the ropes and they need good mentors who understand.
  • Environmentally conscious and religiously tolerant. These folks care as much about how a company or a group does business as much as what it does. The how is important. People need to be authentic and welcoming to all people. Really? This is partially due to the fact that the world has not beaten it out of them yet. Don’t worry. They will lose hope soon if we keep on telling them that they fit into some manufactured generational bucket.

Here’s the problem: They may want your advice on business or life questions, or they may disdain your advice. They may IM their parents in the middle of a meeting, or they may not even know who their parents really are. NEITHER of these situations makes them of a certain generation. All of them make them human and in a Western culture.

Generation Y.2.0 or Millennials or People-Who-Lives-on-the-Interwebs are not unique…not any more so than anybody else in your organization. For the time being, they are one thing – young. People of a certain age have certain concerns in their effort to create happy and productive lives.

Much of my cynicism at the whole division into generations has to do with the fact that every generation in my family falls into some kind of gulf. I was born in ’78. My father was born in ’54. Where is our category? We have nothing with great or boom or x in the title. Maybe I just feel a little cheated. Can I make one for myself?

Here is the best analysis that I have seen of the generations.

Really want to know how to relate to the younger people on your team? Ask yourself these questions:

  • Do you remember what it was like to be young and unsure of things? Who did you turn to?
  • Do you remember when your friends and parents were important? How did that feel?
  • Do you remember the wonder that used to surround your life?
  • Can you understand an individual on an individual basis?

As soon as we look for the ways that we are similar and not how we can separate, I think that we will come to a better place as humans.

HOMEWORK

As I said, there is a great amount of creativity that goes into creating ways to sell books, conferences and other materials. What if you took that same amount of creativity and found ways to understand people on your team as people? They have fears, values, joys, etc. As a leader, your role is to grow in understanding of people, and, not to buy into half-baked ideas on how to neatly categorize them.

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Jeremy Nulik, Creative Energy Officer (CEO), St. Louis Small Business Monthly

Why your organization needs a wienie

Published May 20, 2008 authenticity , business , creativity , customer service , followership , innovation , leadership Leave a Comment
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I was in an airport recently and trying to get some quick lunch before getting onto a connecting flight.

For those who have not flown in the past decade, let me translate that sentence:

I was in an out outer ring of hell with thousands of other disconnected souls, and I decided to get indigestible chunks of preservative-laden, fried stuff on a stick to grant me some release from my misery.

Airports suck, and airport food sucks even more.

I know that there are folks out there that always look for the positive…well, I would encourage you to spend sometime in these way-stations. Travelers are away from their families, in a hurry, and angry about all the security. On top of that, I was nearly unable to get my fatty sustenance because the person at the taco-themed counter hated being there too.

In the midst of this suffering, here is what came to mind:

Airports are an awesome opportunity for a breakthrough approach to doing business. Imagine if you had a fresh idea to offer the most vibrant service. Your only mission would be to make people smile while in something called a terminal…using nearly whatever (reasonable) means possible. Plus, you could charge a fortune and business-class travelers could expense it.

All around me, though, I see managers taking the opposite approach. Instead of empowering employees to think differently and to make their business more approachable, managers punish their employees for exhibiting behavior that is welcoming and magnetic…or just plain human.

Airports desperately need a wienie.

Seth Godin recently posted about Mark Ramsey’s take on the necessity of a wienie.

Mark retells a story about old man Disney working on a draft plan for the 1964 World’s Fair “Carousel of Progress.” The GE executives loved the preview of the show, but Walt wasn’t quite satisfied – “It doesn’t have a wienie. Come back in a few weeks, and I’ll show you,” he said. Upon their return, the executives noticed that Walt added an animatronic dog with a wagging tail.

Here is Mark’s take on the wienie:

It was the “wienie.” The “finishing touch.” The delightful, magnetic bonus. Wienies are extra. Wienies are what you give the audience after they think they’re already satisfied. Wienies are what you add when what you have is good – but not good enough.”

Airport vendors have the awesome opportunity to offer something beyond expectation because really expectations are quite low. There is plenty of room for a wienie.

Your organization needs a wienie.

In the midst of an economy where people are slashing budgets, leaders can make their company stand out by offering that something extra that helps people understand more about you and how you do business. Plus, a wienie helps your customers to understand that you don’t take yourself so seriously.

HOMEWORK:

  • What’s your wienie?
  • What are you doing that no one else can touch in your industry?
  • How are you adding a magnetic bonus?

WARNING:

This is not about wearing an obligatory 15 pieces of flare. This is about a genuine way to engage your customers beyond their expectations in a way that they may not even notice…a subtlety that is authentic to you and your business. Be proud to be a wienie.

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Jeremy Nulik, Creative Energy Officer (CEO), St. Louis Small Business Monthly

 

Are you the boss that sucks?

Published May 12, 2008 business , followership , leadership Leave a Comment
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People like me (who tend to be unemployable) usually have a nice potpourri of work experience.

Over my illustrious career life, I have cut grass, tutored students, shoveled pig manure, written advertising copy, installed flooring, bartended (what literature major hasn’t?), delivered pizza, taught high school classes, sold shoes, gone door-to-door selling restaurant coupons, etc.

As diverse as this “training” has been, one thing has always been true: I hated it. Almost every single minute of every job. It sucked.

Here’s the good news: I was in the majority.

Some studies rank job dissatisfaction as high as 75%, and Gallup estimates the cost of this unhappy workforce at more than $350 billion in lost productivity.

Outside of the lost productivity, these people go home to children, spouses, partners, brothers, friends, fellow freeway drivers and the whole community with a downtrodden outlook.

These costs are quite alarming.

Business leaders bear a great deal of responsibility for this current state of job satisfaction. In fact, most people say that it is their direct manager that has the most influence over their feelings about work. Their manager’s attitude, opinion, outlook and feedback trump pay, health benefits, job perks, etc.

So what makes a job great, and how can we create a sense of satisfaction for our respective teams?

Patrick Lencioni, president of The Table Group (consulting firm), starts by taking the opposite tack. Instead of focusing on good or bad jobs, he looks at what makes jobs “miserable.”

“A miserable job is not the same as a bad one. A bad job lies in the eye of the beholder,” says Lencioni. “One person’s dream job might be another person’s nightmare. But a miserable job is universal.”

Here is a brief synopsis of Lencioni’s 3 signs of a universally miserable job:

  • Anonymity -People are people regardless of their position or authority. They should be treated as equals, and leaders need to learn about and appreciate their team on the level of personhood. They need to know that you genuinely care.
  • Irrelevance -Why does my job matter? Everyone wants to know that. If they don’t know what effect their contribution has, then they can’t love their job.
  • Immeasurement – Everyone on your team needs to be able to gauge their progress outside of your subjective, “atta-boy” comments. What ways can your team objectively analyze their progress?

Why should leaders care?

Because a miserable job is costly for everybody. Fulfilling employment gives people hope and purpose. This leads the way into better communities. So, really, it is nothing outside of our civic duty to provide places of nonmiserable employment.

HOMEWORK

Which signs is your team exhibiting? Since most people are unsatisfied with their work, make certain that the largest hurdle to their personal satisfaction is not you. Find ways to get to know your team. Help them understand that what they do matters and allow them to measure their own progress and improvement.

EXTRA CREDIT

The first time I read this list, I thought, “Well, duh. Of course people need to feel like they matter, their job matters, and they need to know how to measure their progress.” But, 75% of employed folks aren’t happy. So my question for you is: Why aren’t most employers and managers making sure their team is nonmiserable?

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Jeremy Nulik, Creative Energy Officer (CEO), St. Louis Small Business Monthly

Humbly move forward…

Published May 8, 2008 authenticity , business , followership , humility , leadership Leave a Comment
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The press, organizations, sports teams and even faith communities tend to give many accolades to the individual. For some reason, we have confused respect for individual talents and gifts with the idea that we need to hold up individuals as more important than an organization or movement.

While leaders are important and accomplishments should be recognized, I think that this has lead to an ego-feeding sickness. Look no farther than the Kobe Bryant’s or Terrell Owen’s of professional sports.

Leaders and top performers are no more important than any one else in the organization or team.

Here are (failed) attempts at humility on the part of business leaders that I have talked to:

  • “Our receptionist is the most important person in the organization.” No. Simply untrue. An attempt to hold her in high regard is really your way of saying that she actually needs that approval. She is no more or less important than anyone else.
  • “I have an open door policy. I mean, we are all about team here.” If you have to say it, then it is, most likely, not the case. I walk around with this same owner and his employees glare at him with the disdain of a mother-in-law. If you have to do a lot of “team building” rah-rah seminars, then you are probably not working as a team. The major block to that happening could be weak leadership.
  • We care about our employees by giving them birthday cards and throwing holiday parties. These are good things, but they are empty and frothy if a true investment in others is not there. If this is your example of caring and creating a team environment, then such an environment does not exist.

The costs associated with not building leadership are incredible. All of the time and investment required to find new people is not worth it. The tools are there. It takes a leader to recognize strengths and build on them in a way that highlights team success.

Here is a quote from an admired business owner that I think draws the best line between humility and ambition within the context of building team leadership:

You really are working and living for something greater than yourself, for whom selfishness has no place and hope requires strategic action. Behave accordingly. Humbly move forward knowing it is not about you but your impact upon others. Make your impact a positive one wherever possible. Give more than you receive, expecting nothing in return, because others will have to account for their actions or lack thereof. ‘Doing right’ often will not have support from others, but do it anyway. Have vision, share it and move decisively towards it by doing the right things for the right reasons, knowing that every decision has consequences. Seek decisions that result in positive consequences for the long haul.”

—Brenda Newberry, president, The Newberry Group

There are no excuses for not executing vision and doing things right. However, doing things right does not mean forsaking others. By duplicating yourself, you create a group of people ready to be leaders in their own right.

The Newberry Group recently took this to another level when Brenda and Maurice Newberry decided to turn the company over to the employees. Brenda’s wisdom is evident in her decisions and not so much in what she says. She created enough leadership within her organization to trust her creation to the hands of her employees. She knows that it is not about her but her impact upon others that makes her successful.

HOMEWORK

Ask yourself, in what ways am I faking humility to gain favor of others or to manipulate employees? If you can find some, then welcome to the human race. Once it is recognized, understand that you will never be as successful as you hope to be until you can create success for others.

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Jeremy Nulik, Creative Energy Officer (CEO), St. Louis Small Business Monthly

Live for Fun and Personal Bests – Leadership from Al Carius

Published April 23, 2008 followership , leadership Leave a Comment
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It’s 6 a.m. It’s February. It’s Chicago. Two words: cold and gray.

Out of the distant haze, a pack of young runners emerge. An old man waits on the corner, his face is a direct contrast to the conditions. It glows in the gloom.

“Mornin’ boys,” he yells. “Mornin’ Al,” the 30 runners reply in unison.

The runners and the old man continue on their 5 mile route through Naperville, Ill. singing at certain intervals, playing trivia and exchanging philosophies on everything from race day strategy to which dorm room has the best looking women.

This is North Central College Cross Country and Track, which has been synonymous with incredible success: 16 NCAA Div. III National Championships and 420 All-Americans.

Much of this tradition, according to other coaches, alumni and athletes, can be attributed to one man, Allen Carius, who has served as head coach for 42 years.

During his tenure, Carius has been named NCAA Division III Cross Country Coach of the Year five times and Coach of the Century by Sports Illustrated. He has been inducted into the NCAA Division III Coach’s Hall of Fame and the Drake Relay’s Coach’s Hall of Fame.

Even with all these accolades, his real rewards lie in his everyday coaching experiences. The heartaches, accomplishments, pains and successes will hit your senses at once with one trip into his miniature office. The memories are alive, and they continue to inform the new generations of hungry runners that wander in each year.

“Everything boils down to people. I get phone calls constantly from alumni that say what a positive impact this program has been in their lives. That gives me the greatest satisfaction,” says Carius.

Here is an extremely condensed version of some of the life lessons that Carius teaches as part of his program:

No one more important than the other. “We all have different gifts and abilities,” says Carius. “Your value in this program is not based on your performance, but the energy and attitude that you contribute is of most importance. There is no one on the team that is more important than any other.”

Carius’ philosophy of equality extends to those that are injured, parts of the athletic training staff and family members.

(How important does each individual on your team feel?)

Instant evaluation, feedback and encouragement. “If every person can maximize his positive attitude, then he will have a synergistic effect on the rest of the team,” says Carius. “When you see someone doing the best they can, then you can’t help but be inspired.”

After every workout, the runners receive instant feedback on their times with comments of encouragement and observations for improvement. These could range from “keep building on your strength” to “try to back down on the number of intervals.” This immediate reinforcement allows for each athlete to understand where he is at every day.

(How often and in what format are you evaluating your team?)

Play. There is a lot of fun to be had on Carius’ team. His playful nature keeps everyone positive, and his mantra, “Run for Fun and Personal Bests” is an everyday living reality.

“What we are doing is not life or death. There are more important things in life than running. We don’t care about performance. We care about attitude,” says Carius. “However, the fun is in getting better and what you are becoming. There are times that practice is miserable on the outside, but the fun in our program is in the satisfaction of improving.”

(How much fun are you and your team having?)

Creating success for others. “Every Monday, after the meet that weekend, we have the team nominate Athletes of the Week,” says Carius. “It is powerful to see athletes holding up other athletes, and it reinforces the characteristics that we value.”

Through inspiring others and exalting attitudes that will lead to success, he is creating a bunch of mini-Als on the each team. Many of his former runners go on to become successful coaches themselves.

“This is not my team,” says Carius. “Leadership within the team is extremely important. If all of the motivation is coming from me, then we are in trouble.”

(Have you facilitated anyone’s growth lately?)

“All right, boys,” says the old man, turning away from the pack of runners toward the fieldhouse. “Have a G-R-E-A-T…”

“GREAT” the boys answer.

“Have a great day, boys.”

“You too, Al.”

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Jeremy Nulik, Creative Energy Officer (CEO), St. Louis Small Business Monthly

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