In a recent post, I talked about how high CEO pay looks to most non-CEOs.  But what about another point of view (though several commenters have already given some insights on the last post)?

After 5 years of coaching high school football, I knew I wanted to be a head coach someday.  I couldn’t get around the thoughts of what I would do different if it were my team.  Three seasons later, that became a reality.  A good friend who coached with me once commented, “I wouldn’t do your job for 10x the salary I get now.”  To him, the thought of parent calls, meetings, administration, legal responsibilities, mean-spirited attacks, physical threats, etc., etc., just wasn’t even remotely appealing.  To me, they were just prices that needed to be paid to perform a role that I loved.

How much more so in business, often with millions of dollars on the line?  Yes, we read about all the posh sides of the compensation, but we rarely read of the pressure, loneliness, isolation, and constant scrutiny that comes with the job.  A couple of those may surprise you, but I know from coaching and from business, that you can’t confuse phony “friendships” with real relationships, and often trying to distinguish between the two is a full-time job when you’re in power.  It is draining and full of disappointments.  After a point, the money is a way to keep score more than a means to live, so “real life” sneaks in regardless of the size of your bank account.

I know enough wealthy people, several from playing in the NFL or coaching at high levels of college or pros, to know that the old saying is true: money can’t buy happiness.  So they still face tons of pressures associated with being held ultimately responsible.  Maybe some get golden parachutes that leave them fat, dumb, and happy regardless of the companies success, but I think most do not.  And a good one — a REALLY good one — how much are they worth?  I believe it’s a mighty big number.

That said, I think the biggest concern today is that too many, effective or not, are collecting mighty big numbers without mighty big results and without having truly earned it with a proven track record.

You read an article like this, and it likely will cause some sort of strong reaction. I mean, if you are not a CEO, then it is really hard to not feel a big of anger and righteous indignation creeping in. But here’s the thing, what if you ARE a CEO, or about to be a CEO? My guess is that you will feel things are just fine. And, once you are in that circle, most everyone else thinks that way as well because, by and large, they are all generally in the same tax bracket. And CEO’s are hired by boards, who are likely comprised of former or current CEOs, or at least those that run in the same circles

Mark Cuban, the iconoclastic owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has some interesting thoughts on this one. Most business folks I know think Cuban is an idiot, and liken him to a spoiled kid who fell bass ackwards into a lot of money. Even if that’s true, we should not commit the logical fallacy of Argumentum ad Hominem, which is basically a rejection of an argument by assaulting someone’s character. As I read his post, I think he has an interesting take when he basically says the gap in compensation exists between CEO and “regular worker” because they are of a different type altogether.

The problem is, the self-feeding machine is now running and many companies have CEO’s with almost no tie to corporate disaster (as seen in the mortgage industry collapse where many CEO’s walked away with 10’s of millions while shareholders and employee 401K’s became worthless). But how do you stop it? Which Board of a high profile company is going to say, “Nah, we’ll go hire on the cheap” and not pay the going rate with the same conditions? Are we going to try and legislate it? I sure hope not, because I just don’t think that has ever worked well in a free-market economy.

More thoughts on this one later, with maybe some perspective from the other side.

Fascinating technology on the horizon.  Live long, and prosper.

Researchers have demonstrated for the first time they were able to cloak three-dimensional objects using artificially engineered materials that redirect light around the objects.

Having friends and a support network is great. The benefits are too many to list in simple blog post. But today I was thinking about the opposite situation. The times when you simply need to be prepared to walk alone.

I’ve often heard folks get very disappointed when nobody “has their back” during a controversial decision or discussion. Just recently, I sent out an email in response to something from our CEO. He initially sent it to about 20 people. I responded to the entire list with my thoughts, and five people supported me. Privately. That is, they responded to me directly with things like, “Way to go, big man!” or “I couldn’t agree more” but nobody posted that to the group. Within a day, I had the exact same thing happen to me again.

My first thoughts on them not backing me publicly were probably pretty typical, but then I realized, hey, it’s OK. In fact, it’s an opportunity. Along with the 1,304,102 other cliche’s coaches use is the one that says “Great accomplishments never come without great adversity.” It is risky to walk alone sometimes, but like most things, that risk can bring great reward — or great failure. Either way, if your convictions are strong, sometimes you can’t worry about who’s willing to do step out there with you.

About five years ago I was coaching against a guy who, quite frankly, I just flat out disliked. I thought he had no class, was living vicariously through his kids, and was teaching his team things that were antithetical to what I wanted to teach our high schoolers. Over time, I projected that same attitude towards his players and fellow coaches. I learned how wrong this was when a week after the game I got a letter from one of their players. He wrote to say that he wished he could play on a team like ours and what a struggle it was to play under his current coach, and that he wasn’t alone. It was humbling. And it was a good lesson.

My three daughters are from China. Through the course of their adoptions, we’ve gotten to know dozens and dozens of Chinese people on a fairly personal level. Trust me when I say that I have my issues with China’s governmental policies on many levels. Some more personal than others. Yet when I got to know the people, I realized again how wrong it was to lump the masses in with the leadership.

I know from experience the same is true in business. It’s easy to label someone as “the same” as their departmental stereotype or their leadership.  Evaluating each person, as a person, and on their own merits is very time consuming and painstaking, but I have been reminded in many times, and many ways, that it is the right thing to do.

I hate teleconferences because I can’t visually read the audience. Recently we opted for a teleconference on an important meeting. One of my coworkers (who also had to present) IM’d me during the call and said, “I think this is great… keeps us focused.” Good thing he wasn’t in smacking distance.

For me, telepresentations are just about the worst-case scenario. But, as I thought it about it more, he had fairly easy news to deliver, whereas mine involved far more challenging topics. Had the roles been reversed, perhaps our reactions would have been as well.

Regardless, sometimes phone presentations are unavoidable. Here are some tactics I have used in the past that seem to be helpful.

1) Pause. A lot. Give folks time to respond. You can’t believe how often you pause in a normal conversation because of visual cues. Without them, you have to force yourself to do it.

2) Use a headset, or handset, if possible. Speakerphones are a nightmare for presentations. I probably don’t even need to elaborate on this one.

3) Don’t ask “can you hear me OK?” Here’s a better approach. Take a minute up front to talk on your handset, and then use the alternative (headset, speaker, whatever) Let them know what you’re doing, then ask them if it’s OK to use your preferred method. They may say, “oh, dude, you NEED to use the handset.” or they’ll say, “nah, you’re fine either way.” I hate handsets too, but bad audio can KILL your presentation.

4) Use personal names. Jot them down and use them often. Instead of asking, “Does that make sense?”, try saying, “Christian, does that make sense to you?” Hearing your name zaps you back into the conversation (and away from email, or blackberry, or Olympic results on the Internet, or whatever). Do it enough, and folks start paying attention.

5) Ask questions that require a thoughtful response (and use someone’s name!). “Everyone OK with that?” is too vague and can be processed way on the back burner by the listener. But, “Andy, do you prefer we do A, or would you like to try B?” Or, you could say, “Andy, what possible downside do you see if we do A?” That requires the person to focus.

By using some of these techniques, you’ll quickly be able to tell how engaged your audience is, and then adapt accordingly.

I received two magazines in the mail today. The first one I thumbed through was one of those trendy, “modern living” type magazines that was largely one big advertorial. In it I saw ads of people with teeth that were whiter than white, with a promise that mine could look that way too. Tummy tucks and yoga for golfers. Younger skin and harder abs. I didn’t think too much of it one way or the other.

Then I picked up the second magazine. It was from an organization that we support that helps impoverished children and families. Pictures there showed the inexhaustible smile of a child … with AIDS. Another showed a family rebuilding what was left of their “house” after an earthquake. Famines. Pestilence. Disease.

I put the two magazines next to each other on the table and it reminded me that once in a while I need to think beyond my work problems, career development, raises, and getting ahead. This isn’t a guilt trip or meant to try and thrust my values on anyone else. This entry is entirely a reminder for me.

Note to self: When I get down and frustrated and upset with my work problems, pick my head up a little higher and get some perspective… then come back to the problem in its proper context. Odds are I’ll find a better solution that way.

Here is something that I both do, and hate, depending on which side of the org chart I happen to be on at the time: the parachute mission. I haven’t been involved with the details of a product for several months and then suddenly, for any number of reasons, I want to use it so I download it and dive in. I immediately have about 500 things I would like to see done differently and I can hear the collective sigh of my team from around the globe. Everyone from developers to PM’s to marketing folks are likely muttering, “here we go again.” Why do I think that? Because I often have that same initial reaction when our CEO packs his chute and descends into something I’m working on!

Here is a great one that you may have already seen by Bill Gates. I’ve tried over the last year especially to not let my first reaction be defensive. I try to look at as if it was direct user feedback, but a user who is not in our typical profile. I find that more often than not, there is something really valuable in the parachute mission.

Lately me and some coworkers have had several conversations around those personality profiling tests (like DISC). I found it interesting that one of the attributes that it listed for my personality type was something to the effect of “gets frustrated when others circumvent or disregard authority.”

That would explain my utter disgust at things like being on an airplane and watching folks totally ignore requests to turn off electronic equipment. Or, just the other day I hit one of my favorites. We landed in Dallas, Tx, and it was 105-degrees. They asked that everyone put down the window shades to keep the plane cool for the next flight. About 60% did. Then they asked AGAIN when they saw how many were still up. Maybe another 10% acted. I reached over people and started closing them myself in the rows I could reach.

OK, so if that’s my personality type, I guess that explains it. But the question I’m asking myself is, “who WOULD be OK with that?” Is there a personality type that says, “This person is OK with everyone doing their own thing and not being civil to each other or obedient to authority.” At first I answered, “well, obviously those people!” However, I’ll bet dollars to donuts (which with today’s weak dollar might not be a bad exchange rate!) that there are things that utterly fry those people who choose not to turn off their equipment or shut the windows.

I do know this, it’s these kinds of differences in people that keep life interesting in the business world as well. Despite the many similarities, this is one area where coaching is different than work. I don’t think many HR departments in most countries would condone responding to a rebellious attitude by running the person until they threw up.

Was listening to an interview with Michael Dell the other day (can’t find the link now) where he was asked about the best advice he had ever received since starting his business in high school.  He said that it was from a college professor who told him, “When you find a problem, fix it right away.”

Sounds pretty simple.  Almost too simple.  But I know from personal experience how difficult it can be.  Recently I’ve had a couple of situations in my personal and professional life that caused me to wonder how things might have been differently had I acted to fix the problems I found immediately.  Of course, there’s no way to know for sure, but all things considered, I think I will win more than I lose by following the advice.

It’s not always easy though, because sometimes fixing problems have ramifications.  Sometimes serious ones.  Fixing a broken door handle and fixing a situation where, say, you know that a friend is being dishonest at work, come with very different sets of baggage.  That’s what makes the choices hard.

In coaching, I fell prey to delayed action many times.  Maybe I liked a kid and didn’t want to yank him from a starting role.  Maybe I didn’t want to hear the gripes of a parent.  Maybe I didn’t want to fight the red tape of the school administration.  There were plenty of things that delayed what I knew deep down to be right.  I’ve recently had to remind myself that they rarely, if ever, end well — in coaching, business, or life.  Take ‘em on as early as possible.