I have decided that I am going to apply some principles from “The Four Hour Work Week”.  I find myself being entirely too fractured during the day and I need to limit my distractions and make sure I am most effective for my team.

The first thing I am going to try is not checking email all day, all the time.  I began this process last night.  I have decided to check my email at 11AM and 4PM daily.  This has been an incredible challenge.  I keep wanting to grab my phone.  I am desperate to see what is happening and if I am missing anything.  So far, so good…  nothing groundbreaking has happened that I needed to know about in the last few hours.  I will update in a few days to let everyone know how this is going.  So far this is similar to when I quit smoking.  It feels good, but it still hurts.

Has anyone out there done this successfully?.. and if so- how did it go?

I think that many leaders believe they are good  at leading others because they were made managers.  I would like to leave these people with a couple of thoughts:

• “To lead, one must follow.” Lao Tzu –  SO READ!  Take the time to study other leaders and come to terms that even born leaders study and  hone their craft.
• Don’t beat your team, lead your team.  Leaders are leaders because people FOLLOW them.  If you cannot turn your back on the  team to focus on the future, then you may have a leadership problem.

Do, Reh, Me, So, La, Fa, Tee, Do… or at least that’s how I remember it.  3rd grade music class with Mrs. Peterson.  The first time I was ever introduced to formalized music and singing different parts.  I spent plenty of time in church and understood the concept of “making a joyful noise” with the congregation, but my music teacher was showing me something different.

I grew older and left music classes in middle school  and then came back to them in high school.   Once I was in varsity choir, I learned something incredible.  I learned that when everyone sings their part at the right time and on key, a beautiful cacophony of sound is created. A wall of  emotion in different layers that allows the listener to close their eyes and experience depth and elegance.

What most people understand,  but sometimes forget is the rehearsal and preparation needed in order to create this experience.  It is important to understand how much goes into finding harmony because the same structure can be used to build a world class company.

Harmony is defined by Princeton as:  congruity of parts with one another and with the whole.  Harmony in music allows for there to be multiple people singing different notes at the same time as part of  a greater sound.  Sometime people can be singing different words at the same time, too.  The purpose of a composer is to tie all of it together to create a focused experience for the listener.  In order to tie everything together, a well written plan must be created in the form of sheet music.

Leaders should provide the same type of written plan for their team.  Here is  a quick guide for creating harmony in your team:

• Identify the theme of your piece: What is the goal of your team? What are your values? Write them down.
• Who sings what part: Talk to your team.  See who is a bass or soprano.  Don’t make a tenor into a alto. Put the write singer in the  right place.
• Rehearse!:  Meet with each team member to discuss the plan.  Meet one on one and in groups.  Individual training and rehearsal as well as group training is critical to the success of a team.
• Give everyone their part in writing:  Provide written direction and updates to your team regularly.

I was listening to our local hero, Michael Berry, today.  I often agree with his opinions on tough subjects and I believe his humorous and passionate take on issues is refreshing.  One specific area that I appreciate about his show is his constant push against Sheila Jackson Lee.  There are certain people in life that I am amazed are able to hold a job, let alone power.  Jackson Lee is one of those people.

Berry uncovered a neat speech that Lee produced earlier this week regarding her opinion of the Tea Party.  I was able to find a transcript of the speech on Show Me Progress.  Her speech to the NAACP in Kansas City meanders-  but I wanted to jump in on her opening statements:

“And I thank you professor very much. I’m going to be engaging you with those very powerful numbers that you have offered on what the tea party recognizes, uh, or is recognized as. Might I add my own P.S.? All those who wore sheets a long time ago have now lifted them off and started wearing [applause], uh, clothing, uh, with a name, say, I am part of the tea party.”

Let’s stop right there.  This is sweet!  She is calling people in the tea party- Klansmen!  In case some people in the audience didn’t catch her point…  she then repeats her statement! Check it out…

“Don’t you be fooled.  [voices: "That's right.", applause] Those who used to wear sheets are now being able to walk down the aisle and speak as a patriot because you will not speak loudly about the lack of integrity of this movement. ”

YES!  Tea party members are now being called racists and are no longer considered patriots by incumbent Democrats.  According to Lee their movement does not have “integrity”.  Really?  Integrity is defined as: adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

I would like Lee to consider at least one thing before throwing stones, however inaccurate her accusations may be.  Was there integrity in her making an ass of herself and Houston at Michael Jackson’s funeral?  KPRC in Houston reported on her spending habits in 2009 regarding the trip to the LA funeral.  Here is an excerpt from the interview:

“Who paid for that trip for you to go to that memorial service?” asked KPRC Local 2 anchor Joel Eisenbaum.

“Well uh … that um … those resources are … resources that I have and therefore … they are in a way that does not interfere with anything that has to do with serving the United States Congress,” replied Jackson Lee in a live interview last July.

“Understood,” said Eisenbaum. “So, public funds?”

“Those resources are resources that I have,” answered Jackson Lee.

INTEGRITY!  Seriously-  that is nice.  Nothing like someone who cannot explain how they are spending OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY calling Americans who are exercising their most fundamental freedom, racist hate-mongers.

Does anybody actually remember that Klan members lynched people? That they killed people for being different.  How is that the same as an old lady telling her local congressman that she does not want Obama-care?  How is burning crosses the same as people who rally in a square for Arizona as it tries to defend its own citizens because the federal government will not enforce the LAW?!?

Back to the show…

“Don’t let anybody tell you that those who spit on us as we were walking to vote on a health care bill for all of America or those who said Congresswoman Jackson-Lee’s braids were too tight in her hair had anything to do with justice and equality and empowerment of the American people. Don’t let them fool you on that [applause]….”

I will skip the braid comment..  not sure about that… Let’s focus on the spitting part. Emanuel Cleaver was supposedly spat on during his walk to the halls of congress to vote a massive entitlement program into law known as Healthcare Reform.  After his office made a public statement that he was spit on by members of the Tea Party, he was drilled by a local Fox affiliate about the incident and stated:

“I never, I never reported anything, never a single thing in Washington, not one thing. People assume I went somewhere, never done press conference, never done an interview on it and I’m not going to do it.“

Here is that integrity thing again…  nice!  Must be good to have a job where you can publicly say dumb things and not get fired for years at a time.

So..  According to Lee: Tea Party members do not deserve to be heard because they are racist hate-mongers and empowerment of the American people should not be extended to average Americans unless they are members of a minority group.

It is so sad to see that every few decades America goes on a hunt.  It started in Salem progressed to Eugenics moved to Communism and has now become- Racism.   Our desire to overcome our past has turned into weapon and now people with Microphones are using that weapon.  My theater teacher in high school used to call microphones “Idiot Magnets”. How right he was!

I had to share this!

I'm Not Your Buddy, Pal!

I have had enough.   I have finally gotten to the point where I cannot stand it anymore.  Nancy Pelosi is a joke.  I have questions.  Many questions.  Like-  how does a woman like Pelosi make it this far in politics.  How does a person with no real understanding of the fundamental workings of practical life actually get to be Speaker of the House???

She is now speaking out as a believer and actually feels as if she is carrying out the will of God by making her policy against the will of a majority of the American people.  WHAT?!?!  How does she stay in power?  How is she  not run out of Washington.  The stuff that comes out of her mouth is almost as ridiculous as Hank Johnson, a U.S. Congressman,  who thought the island of Guam would tip over if more Marines were stationed there.   There is a video.

Get this– we are PAYING these people.  Really-  we give them our money to open their mouths and say this stuff.  There is nothing in the constitution that sets a literacy, competency or intelligence standard for serving in office.  We need to do a better  job of voting.  If these people ran a company, they would be fired.  Imagine the PR team that would need to follow them around.  Tom Cruise jumping on a couch has nothing on some of the stuff that comes out of our politician’s mouths.

Here is what has finally ticked me off to the point I had to publish this post, which has been sitting idle for 3 months:

According to CBSNews.com “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says she believes she must pursue public policies “in keeping with the values” of Jesus Christ, ”The Word made Flesh.”"

WHUT????

Seriously- I said what?!??

I have nothing more I can say about her except that she is a total ass clown.

Feel free to post comments and links on other stupid drivel that has come from her mouth.  I am sure the list is long and illustrious.

I closed my eyes last night and had a dream about black smoke.  The smoke came out of air vents and wrapped around the people in the hotel in my dream.  The smoke sounded like an electric snake and crackled with fire.  I scrambled to get into the basement.  I awoke-

I have never had a dream about something I had watched on TV.  It was a little strange.  The truth was that I was very restless last night.  My brain was processing the last year of LOST.  I could not shake the last episode.  The realization that I had just watched something that my brain could chew on for days or weeks was overwhelming.  I am still coming to terms with the details of the last season of one of the most original and interesting shows ever produced.

LOST-Hatch-Numbers

Each Character Showed Their Soul

The most important part of the last season is that it represents a way of dissecting characters that has never been done before.  The characters are able to live an entire season in a world that they construct.  Each person has died and meets again in a world that is created through their love for life, care for one another and their inability to move on.  They are truly LOST in purgatory.

Many other movies and shows will throw a few words on the screen to tell you how a character turns out years after the film is over-  Like the end of Animal House.  But LOST shows characters living in a world that they create after a life of regret, loss and love.  They are living in a metaphysical world.  Their purgatory gives them an opportunity to out live regrets, relive a life without regrets or just muddle through existence as they wait to connect with others.  All of it depends on their personality.

Desmond-  Obtains the highest level of approval from Penny’s father as his right hand man.

Sun and Jin-  Are in love and happy.  They turn their fear of her father to a shared struggle and not Jin’s burden  to bear as his assassin.

Jack-  Gains the approval of a son he never had.  He become the father his father never could be.

Sawyer-  Takes the struggle for the man that destroyed his life and makes a turn for the positive.  He explained it to Charlotte as a cross road- he had to choose and he chose to be a cop.

Hurley-  Used his money to be the greatest philanthropist of his time.  He took the curse of his money and turned it into good.

The list goes on and on.  Each character was allowed to take on the best dreams and the lessons learned from their life and live them in purgatory.

There is No Time

The key to all of this is not to get hung up on when everyone dies.  According to Jack’s father, there is no time in purgatory.  Purgatory is a world all of the characters needed to have in order to find one another.  It was a landing place for them to sort out their life on earth and come to terms with their relationships.  The connections were critical to moving on.  They needed to move on together.  Most of them anyway…

It is important to understand not everyone form the show needed to be at Jack’s church.  Linus was there, but decided he could not move on.  I can assume he is waiting for his daughter.  Michael is trapped on the island in order to pay for his sins and could not be at the church.  Notably- Richard Alpert was there- he found his end after hundreds of years of life.  Again-  the list can go on…

In the End

I do not believe there is a show that has provided such incredible room for interpretation and dissection.  I am very happy to have been a part of such a great show as a viewer.  The meandering, the  flashes and the suspension of disbelief have been tough at times and fun at others.  The bottom line is that LOST will be one of the most important shows ever to have been produced and the season finale will go down as one  of the most defined events in television history.  Great job guys!

Anyone who has seen ‘Office Space’ remembers the scene where Aniston goes off on her boss at Chotchkie’s.   Flair!  It’s an empowering moment.  The kind of moment many of us wish we had the guts to create for ourselves.  There is nothing as empowering as taking the upper hand on a person or group that has been sitting on top of you for months or years. Honestly- this is not the best way to handle a decision to change jobs.

What causes a person to want to change jobs?  Could be many things..  Most of the time a person leaves his or her boss not the company or team. Ever see emails from people to their team when they leave their jobs?  Typically they say things like-  ”I loved working with you guys” or “please contact me if you need anything” or “I value the relationships I have built here”.  Seems as if many people like their team, just not their boss.  People do not tell a company or group of folks these type of positive well wishes if they do not mean them.  Maybe they do-  maybe just to be polite..  but I find that shallow.  I find that most people are not shallow and most people want to do the right thing.   Which is what this whole post is about.

FLAIR!

When it’s time to go-  what happens??  I believe that the onus has been put on employees to provide a heads up to their company.  BUT..  What onus does a company or leader have in regard to an employee who is on his way out?  This is very interesting to me.  I have been so passionate about hiring the right people and developing the talent within my teams, I have not taken the time to understand the obligation of a leader to his team when an employee finds he is ready to move on.

Companies and managers must take the time to understand why the employee is leaving the organization.  It is always the hope of any firm that their employees are not leaving due to internal issues within the company.  Many people I know feel it is OK for someone to leave because of personal reasons like family matters or illness- but a chance to take a promotion or move to a better comp package with a competitor is not OK.  Why the dichotomy?

The feeling that a company is owed something in regard to how their employees quit is wrong.  As a manager or leader, if you have  let your team get into a position where they need to look outside your organization to find opportunity, happiness or fair compensation, then you have failed.  The reason  managers do not feel a team member can happily move to another firm is out of shear frustration with their own inadequacies to keep their team intact.

I hear some of you- BUT!  ”There is more to a company than just the employees!!!” I understand a company has an obligation to many stake holders including employees, clients and shareholders.  These different groups should not over ride a core piece of humanity, which is to take care of one another.  Managers must remember that changing jobs is incredibly difficult on people and the decision to move on was is generally not made lightly.

I believe that managers and companies should remember a few simple rules when a person decides it is time to move on.

• Managers and leaders must take care of their people to the END
• 2 weeks notice is a two way street
• You never know when you may want someone back
• It’s a small world and people talk, post and blog
• Other employees see what you do

Leaders should remember that the road to division has more than one driver and that fairness and equality are critical to building lifelong relationships with employees.  Employers should be quick to recognize that a small bit of generosity during a disruptive time in a person’s life will go a VERY long way.  People will remember how they were treated and will convey that sentiment to people still working at the company, potential hires, the competitions and possible clients.

A recent Houston Chronicle Article discusses 2 weeks notice.  ”Most companies view it as an act of thoughtfulness and consideration by the employee, and they want to encourage that kind of behavior by keeping the worker on the payroll.

If they don’t, he said, it doesn’t take long for word to get around that the company will put its departing employees in a bind.”

With the power of social media, companies should remember that one person can reach thousands.  It is always better to do right by your people even when they are walking out the door-  you never know when you will walk in on them again or who they may be taking with them.

I will be giving away an advanced copy of Tony’s new book: Delivering Happiness,  before it comes out in stores (June 2010).  I am going to have a contest on my blog.  I want to know why you think your company or team needs to build a service centric culture of happiness.  Be as long or as short as you like-  but post a comment here.  Participating with others can help as well.  The person with the most interesting or convincing story will win.

Delivering-Happiness

Looking forward to the responses.  I will  pick a winner with the help of some of my business friends and family next weekend and announce the winner on Monday April 26th.  All entries should be in before Midnight on Saturday- April 24th.  Good Luck!!!

We are walking-  actually we are sprinting….  My step-daughter trips over a case of beer in the street next to a couple of guys who looked like they had walked out of a Lil’ Wayne video.  They growled and then “Hey Girled” her. NICE!  We then side step two pit-bulls on our way past some vomit and  piles of trash on the street.  The air was thick with alcohol, urine and trash.  It was almost 11pm.  We had left the concert portion of the festival early because of the growing masses of drunken nerds and degenerates in the streets surrounding the fair grounds.

This was not the family event I was hoping for.  The Old Towne Spring Crawfish Festival was not a place to have your children after dark or your wife for that matter.

I am a little frustrated.  Not as much as when  I went off on Grey’s Anatomy-  but still frustrated.  I was at the Texas Crawfish Festival yesterday.  Overall I had a good time with the people I went with.  That being said-  we could have  all gone out for pots at Blue Fish and gone to see a good local band at POs for less money and felt safer.

Don’t get me wrong-  I have no problems with walking into the middle of a good old fashioned street party.  People drinking and music pumping.   I sometimes enjoy the energy.  I loved my college days on Sixth Street and Northgate.  I enjoyed the occasional trip to New Orleans as much as anybody.  I have even done New Year’s Eve in  Time’s Square.

The issue I have  is with Spring’s Crawfish Festival and the city/coordinators lack of planning, law enforcement and crowd control.  The event is touted as a family friendly celebration of mud-bugs, beer and great live music.  The fact is the event resembled a disorganized New Orleans Mardi Gras bash.  I saw frighteningly few law enforcement officials for the thousands of people attending the event and there seemed to be no focus on crowd control.

The streets were crowded beyond control with trash, people and vendors acting more like this was a carnival than a family event.  ”Half Price Ritas!” and “Get Your Drink ON!” was chanted loudly from a megaphone in front of a local store front turned bar.  I was reminded of Cancun…  It was sad.

Olde Town Spring is a place that may be commercial, but is rooted in small  town values.  To see this center for crafts, antiques and home cooking turn into a dirty cesspool was sad.  It was apparent that the festival had stopped being about a home town celebration and opening of a community and had turned into a money making frenzy where allowing people and business to run a muck was more important than values.

I will say that Charlie Robison was awesome.  He is always good and should be listened to whenever beer is involved (ANYTIME).

Charlie Robison - Spring Crawfish Festival 2010

So-  we will not be back until Spring decides to clean up the festival and make the party more like a fair and less like a weekend on Bourbon St.