Proud but Promising: Coaching Success

Have you ever had a leader in your organization who, due to his excellent performance and technical expertise, is being considered for promotion, yet significantly lacks people skills?

I work with many clients whose excellent academic record and on-the-job performance indicate that they are bright. The numbers are there. They certainly produce. Energetic and ambitious, they seem to have a good work ethic. They report working long hours, but prefer to work less by working smarter.

Well, one particular client, (we’ll call him Jonathon) was such a high achiever. Often taking on too much, he sometimes found it difficult to prioritize and say “no”. Having a high need for recognition, it is important for Jonathon to uphold a stellar reputation in his industry. But, he also has a high need for novelty. So, he gets bored easily when involved with routine, mundane activities and status quo. This meant that he sometimes lacked focus and follow-through.

Jonathon seemed to give credit to others when it’s due. Some colleagues even reported that he got along with others. However, others claimed that he hurt working relationships with his behavior. Jonathon admitted that he is “a bit direct” and abrasive. In fact, he was downright blunt at times, and he often stressed out his subordinates and co-workers unnecessarily. This frequently alienated people which, in turn,  led to their leaving the organization. Sometimes condescending with those he sees as below his organizational level, Jonathon came across as pompous. Although his co-workers reported that his interpersonal skills have improved significantly, they added that he still needed considerable work.

Some of Jonathon’s co-workers viewed him as egocentric. They said he tends to do what is best for him vs. what is best for others or the organization as a whole. Additionally, I learned that he needed to develop empathy and deal with frustration and anger more calmly. Although his technical expertise and knowledge of the industry was excellent, his leadership skills needed honing.

An “idea-preneur” at heart, Jonathon was a visionary with a very strong interest in the future. He reported that he has a “vision” regarding the future of his organization and its industry. But, some co-workers expressed concern regarding Jonathon’s lack of financial restraint. They concurred that he needed to focus more on the “bottom line”. However, dealing with the “bottom line” didn’t seem to interest him. I found that he needed to maintain tighter control of budgets, staff, and projects to ensure profitability.

Jonathon demonstrated excellent sales and presentation skills. He indicated that he enjoys these activities as well as coaching and developing others. However, Jonathon admitted that he was more “results” than “relationship” oriented in his management style. One co-worker reported that he used threats with employees too readily and viewed staff as assets to “use up” vs. humans with real concerns/needs. Furthermore, his staff claimed that he needed to develop his conflict resolution skills.

On a 360 assessment, this client’s overall self-rating was substantially higher than the overall rating given to him by his co-workers. His highest ratings from others indicated strengths such as enthusiasm, running meetings; self-confidence; motivation; new projects; conducting presentations; and, keeping up with current developments.

His lowest rating by co-workers on the assessment revealed the following areas needing improvement: being respected by others; putting what’s best for the company before what’s best for him; considering staff workload before delegating additional work; clearly explaining expectations; and, showing appropriate concern for others. Here is what we included in Jonathon’s development plan:

• Spend more time on day-to-day operational issues and less time on “visionary” topics as evidenced by keeping then analyzing a time log.

• Develop financial/accounting, administrative, and control competencies via seminars, coaching/mentoring, and on-the-job training.

• Develop greater focus on the “bottom line” and manage/control profitable projects as indicated by using attribute data control charts, variable data control charts, Gannt charts, S.W.O.T. analysis, etc.

• Develop a greater focus on what’s best for the organizations vs. what interests you personally.

• Reduce bluntness and abrasiveness as evidenced by greater tact, empathic listening, and genuine concern for the well-being of others.

• Improve delegation skills by participating in appropriate training. Communicate and monitor work delegated to subordinates’ via monthly reports.

• Improve conflict resolution skills by participating in appropriate training.

After five months of coaching, Jonathon clearly improved his leadership skills. He improved in the areas of time management, project management, and other control functions. Increasing performance in these areas and enhancing his motivation toward meeting organizational goals helped the organization grow. Lastly, developing his listening, conflict resolution, delegation, and feedback skills made Jonathon a much better candidate for promotion. How’s that for a happy ending?

Downtown development is the promotion of development, redevelopment, and revitalization of the central business districts and adjacent areas in a city. Commercial and residential growth in the suburbs has contributed to the decline of downtown. Downtowns traditionally are the centers of both business and culture. Developing downtowns, therefore, involves a range of activities, including marketing for both business and tourist attraction, building or improving infrastructure, clean-up initiatives, property redevelopment and reuse, and retention programs. The purpose of these initiatives is to create an attractive environment to increase the number and variety of businesses downtown and bring in shoppers and tourists.

Since downtown development encompasses multiple activities designed to meet complimentary goals, it requires partnerships among local government, chambers of commerce, and public-private partnerships – such as business improvement districts and convention or tourist bureaus – in order to succeed.

Trends in Downtown Development

Safety and crime prevention encourage downtown visits. Strategies that are used include:

• Security surveillance equipment
• Public advice on using public transportation safely
• Environmental design that deters crime, such as improving street lighting
• Positioning of 911 boxes in the streets and other areas
• Security guards
• Ambassadors, which give people important information, such as directions
• Arts districts – with their galleries, cinemas, opera houses, artist housing, and theaters – are emerging as an important revitalization tool and are continuing to grow in popularity in downtowns of all sizes.
• Mixed-use downtown developments that include retail, residential, and entertainment, create downtowns that are busy around the clock all week long.
• Retailers are showing a renewed interest in central business districts (CBDs), due to the potential size of untapped markets.
• Large scale projects are developed to stimulate lagging areas. For example the new convention center in Washington , DC is expected to generate $14 million in economic stimulus each year.
• Waterfront development utilizes neglected or under-utilized downtown waterfronts to provide recreation, business, commercial, and residential areas. Baltimore ’s once desolate Inner Harbor has been developed into a thriving commercial and tourist area.
• The redevelopment and preservation of railroad stations to attract business near the stations and help to revive surrounding downtown areas.
• Some communities are moving away from developing large projects such as sports stadiums (attracting people only on game days) towards smaller-scale projects.
• Communities develop open space to create improve the quality of life in urban cores.
• Hotel construction in downtown areas meets the growing demand for accommodation from people on business, and also acts as a spur encouraging tourists.
• Integrating transportation and land use in downtown areas produces a more efficient transportation system whilst reducing congestion and pollution:
• Creating and extending cycle routes
• Developing more integrated mass transit systems
• Building pedestrian friendly streetscapes
• Market research has become a key component of downtown developments. Understanding local markets helps to decide which potential projects will meet local demand and receive support.

Information technology businesses are moving into downtown offices with large open plans to nurture team work and collaboration.

Downtowns have also developed fiber optic infrastructures to support IT businesses. Maps of fiber optic cable help businesses locate near to fiber cable in downtown areas.

Funding for downtown projects has become more widely available and easier to obtain, due to public, media and government interest shown in CBDs.

Benchmarking and Evaluating Downtown Development Programs

Downtowns need to be diverse, dynamic, and livable spaces. To evaluate a downtown development initiative means taking all these components into consideration. Downtown redevelopment includes both physical and perceptual changes.

Since downtown development requires many partners and affects many people, neighborhoods, and businesses, evaluators need to look at who is involved and the nature of their relationships, as well as what gets done.

Many cities and towns have established downtown development strategic plans. Since each community has its distinct vision for its downtown, requiring different packages of programs and investments, it will be hard to make direct comparisons between community efforts. Evaluation of such a complex undertaking, therefore, should focus on the degree to which communities have achieved their goals.

Quantitative Measures

• Number of jobs created/retained
• Number of housing units developed
• Cost per job created/retained
• Vacancy rates for retail and office space
• Absorption rates for retail and office space
• Quality of available space (ratio of A, B and C office buildings)
• Crime rates
• Number of positive press hits on downtown activities, improvements
• Tourism rates (number of hotel nights, conference attendance)
• Culture (attendance at performances, museums, special events)
• Private-sector leverage
• Percent of jobs held by local residents/low income persons
• Average salary of jobs created
• Spinoff private investment

Qualitative Measures

• Number of actors involved in the downtown development strategy and the quality of their relationships
• Types and degrees of public-private interaction
• Stated project goals and the degree to which they have been achieved (e.g. crime reduction, increased retail sales or tourism development)
• Community engagement in the process
• Perceptions of downtown (cleanliness, accessibility, safety)

New Adaptive Reuse Opportunities?

Unlike the days when large companies dominated the nation’s commodity production, today’s manufacturing landscape is largely occupied by decentralized networks of small, specialized firms, many of which are hidden in plain sight in America’s urban areas. In fact, in 2007, of the approximately 51,000 manufacturers in the United States employing fewer than 20 people, more than a third were located in the nation’s 10 largest cities. Making everything from cabinets to computer components, these small urban manufacturers (SUMs) are typically part of interdependent, collaborative networks, the synergies between which promote the spillovers and knowledge‐sharing that not only help businesses innovate but in turn help build stronger, more adaptable urban economies. Recent research has shown, for example, that manufacturers in urban areas are more productive than those in less dense areas. They also pay higher median wages than other types of employers in many large cities, while providing opportunities for workers with a wide range of skill levels. Local policymakers and civic organizations, and some states, have increasingly recognized the strengths and potential of SUMs, and have worked to design policies and initiatives to help them overcome the land and building constraints, capital access problems, workforce issues, and other challenges that can hinder their success.

I couldn’t sleep that night, 10 long years ago.  I remember wondering if anyone was sleeping and if so, were they sleeping well?  I too thought back to Pearl Harbor.  I wondered how we would respond.  I hoped we’d learned from our mistakes and the new day and days ahead wouldn’t see the rounding up and internment of people because of nothing other than their country of origin or their religion.  I knew it had been less than 24 hours, just over 15 in fact since the whole nightmare of a day began – but it felt like a lifetime.

I know as I tried to sleep I had no idea what the dawn would bring, but I thought a lot about what the last day had taken … had had stolen.

As I look back now at the changes to air travel and air security, at the new powers given our law enforcement and military, at the searches at sporting events, at a decade of war in two far off countries … at all the life lost both beginning that day 10 years ago and in response to the attacks – I wonder what will come next.

I hope I have learned that life changes on a dime.  That sometimes a day is a lot less than 24 hours.  To not let days just go by … though I’m guilty of not truly living to the truth of the sentiment in such a statement.  I’m striving to truly live it.  To get better at it each day.

Thank you for indulging me today as I’ve relived that day from 10 years ago in detail.  I hope it wasn’t excruciating.  I hope your memories of September 11th are as emotional and deeply-felt as mine are.  I hope you’ve made peace with any ill will  toward anyone you harbored that morning 10 years and 22 and one half hours ago.  I hope it took you a very short space of time to do so.

I hope for the best.  I pray for God’s grace to deal with the worst if it comes.  I think we all do.

How we prayed they were right and there were many waiting to be rescued, somehow somewhat safe and cocooned in pockets within the rubble.  Prayed they would be found before it was too late.

The entire day still had the feel of a big budget Hollywood movie.  Do you remember Irwin Allen?  The Poseidon Adventure?  The Towering Inferno?

This couldn’t really be happening.  But it was.

We all prayed more.  We all hugged our kids tight as we tucked them into bed that night – most of us much later than usual.  Did you peek on yours several times while they were sleeping that long night?  I know I did.  That night and many nights after.  Like after Columbine.  Just to reassure myself and because I could.  Thank God.

6:24: Members of Congress join on the steps of the United States Capitol and sing God Bless America.

My family sang with them from our home.  I think most of us did.

It would be days before planes flew into and out of the US again.  It would be weeks before air flight returned to regular patterns.

Never again would air travel be normal as defined on September 11th 2001 at 6am.   I hate that we have changed so in response to them.  It makes me think of the saying, “when you dance with the Devil, the Devil doesn’t change.  The Devil changes you.”

I know it is “safer” – I still hate it.

4:20:33: 7 World Trade Center, also known as the Salomon Bros. Building, a 47-story building that had sustained damage from falling debris and widespread fires, collapses. The building contained New York’s emergency operations center, operated by the NYC Office of Emergency Management, originally intended to respond to disasters such as the September 11 terrorist attacks. Due to the emergency personnel having more than enough time to evacuate the building since the collapse of the North Tower, there are no injuries or deaths as a result of the collapse.

As I got in my car to head home, I prayed, yet again that day; for no more buildings to come down.  For no more planes to come down.  I thought that even knowing all planes were out of the air.  But what of when they flew again?  I decided to not think of that fear.

After crossing the Fox River and heading toward I-43 to make my way home, I saw a huge line forming at a gas station and noticed the price had skyrocketed by more than $2.50 per gallon since I drove by earlier in the day on my way in to the office. Incredulous, I called my husband asking, “my God!  Has something else happened?!”

It didn’t occur to me that what had happened was a combination of greed and panic.  I thought briefly of stopping to top off and run to the store.  But, I had just at 3/4 of a tank and we’d gone to the store on Sunday and our freezer was full.

I’m glad my better, calmer nature prevailed.  I hope it does again in the future.

No, that’s not true.  I hope I never have need for it to again.

I hope.  I pray.

I remember some reporter saying that on a typical weekday 50,000 people worked in the towers with another 200,000 passing through as visitors – as I listened to Mayor Giuliani, I really really prayed the reporter was incredibly wrong.

Thank God he was.  One dead was too damned many, nearly three thousand was heart-stopping – but those numbers?  Utterly unimaginable.  Thank God, we only had to imagine it.

12:04: President Bush puts the U.S. military on high alert worldwide (known as Force Protection Condition Delta). Taped remarks from the President were aired from Barksdale Air Force Base, stating that “freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward and freedom will be defended.” He also said that the “United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts.” He then leaves for a U.S. Strategic Command bunker located at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska.

Our Aging Task Force meeting started late as we stopped outside to listen to the President’s remarks.  My notes from that day tell me we had a relatively productive planning meeting.  It was then and remains to be a blur to me.

I’m still close to most of the women who sat at that table.  We’ve spoken of that day often.

We all prayed more would climb up through the rubble.  We all hoped many more would be found alive.

11:04: Los Angeles International Airport, the intended destination of Flights 11, 77 and 175, is shut down.

11:15: San Francisco International Airport, the intended destination of Flight 93, is shut down.

11:15 (approximately): The airspace over the 48 contiguous United States is clear of all commercial and private flights.

The air was quiet and empty other than military traffic and the occasional emergency helicopter.