iNADCO-MS

Cultures in conflict

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 22:01:00 +0000

Yesterday we talked about the value of reading non-management books. Here’s an example of why that might be helpful:

A good part of Adam Nicolson’s gripping retelling of the great Naval Battle of Trafalgar, “Seize the Fire,” turns out to be an exceptionally insightful depiction of the complex and powerful societal undertows that threw the combatant nations together on that awful day in October of 1805. (And, by the way, if Michael Wade recommends a book, consider putting it on your list.)

On the one hand, the author seems to accept the traditional definitions of individual leadership generally, and of Admiral Nelson as a great individual leader in particular. But on the other, he goes to great pains to explain how essentially inevitable was the outcome of the battle.

This, as he explains thoroughly, engagingly, and convincingly, was due to the confluence of numerous cultural influences into broadly irresistible currents that overwhelmed the contributions of any single individual aboard any specific ship in the fight. Indeed, he seems to make the argument that the individual leadership, not to mention the heroism, that was on display during the battle was itself part of the froth and foam thrown up by the towering waves of national character and power colliding off Trafalgar that day.

As it happens, the management book I’m reading right now, which will be reviewed soon, also notes the depth and expanse of the sources of corporate culture. Thus, it neither originates in individual leaders (beyond, at least, the entrepreneurial stage) nor is it readily manipulated by them. So, he concludes, perhaps the role of the “leader” in this respect is not to pretend to create it and direct its flow, but to attempt to coax and nudge it appropriately as circumstances suggest might be possible.

This mix of history and management reading has certainly provided food for thought that is richer and more rewarding than it would have been otherwise – had it even attracted much notice. So, mix it up yourselves, and see what presents itself to you that you might find surprisingly and productively applicable to problems and opportunities at work. Why not start this weekend?

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Today’s tip: Speaking of drawing important lessons from unexpected quarters, please see what William W. Bowser, at the Delaware Employment Law Blog, has to say about football, the movies, culture, and HR practices.

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If you look at the contents section on the sidebar of the main page of this site, you will see a listing of the article series that have been published here. You can click through to view summaries of the pieces, and then read the full series or selections that are of most interest to you. Enjoy!

And while you are, please also subscribe by email or RSS reader – thanks!

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Technorati Tags: management, Adam Nicolson, Trafalgar, insight, leadership, Admiral Nelson, leader, individual leadership, heroism, character, power, culture, history, William W. Bowser, Michael Wade

DEmotivating Your People

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:42:00 +0000

DEmotivating Your People: "

Post from: MAPpingCompanySuccess

DEmotivating Your People

I received the following email from “Terry” who just started his first job.

“Hi Miki, Basically with my new job, they are really giving their employees the shaft. Peoples’ contracts aren’t being renewed so they can bring in cheaper labor (like me). My manager often says “Hey man! It’s cool! You have a job! The economy is crap!” as though the position with them is the only one that I could get. It’s really infuriating sometimes because I know that when they use an attitude like that, it’s like they feel they can abuse their power. It’s like saying “Hey, you’re worthless, you’re SO lucky you have us… right? Do you feel fortunate that we take you under our roof? Good, because no one else will - now get to work or we’ll kill you!” I don’t feel they see it like that, but I am trying to decipher their motives. What do you think is going on?”

Hi Terry,

There are several obvious things that come to mind; your manager

is nervous;

is trying a poor joke to reduce the stress of layoffs;

doesn’t think and has no idea of the effect of his words;

actually believes what he is saying.

However, there is a not so obvious thought for you to explore.

Perhaps your manager is projecting—voicing his own feelings based on the way he is being treated.

Rather than guessing there are things you can do over the next few months to achieve a much better handle on why he acts this way, mainly through close, objective observation.

I say objective because you need to suspend judgment, scrub the emotional side and dispassionately study what he says and does.

I can almost hear you say ‘why bother’ when it’s much easier to shrug and write it off to his being a jerk or a lousy culture.

The reason it’s worth the effort is that it will give you an edge when working with and for him. It will help you to understand where he’s really coming from and how best to interact with him.

And it will keep you from doing the same things when you become a manager.

I love when readers write or call, so feel free to contact me if you think I can help; contact information is in the right column. I hope to hear from you soon.

Image credit: HikingArtist.com on flickr

The Art of Leadership?

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:26:00 +0000

The Art of Leadership?: "Fred R. Barnard (or Napoleon Bonaparte) once said that “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Or at least something like that which has made its way into our daily lexicon. Well the above image ...

Related posts:Bill Gates: How I’m trying to...

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Newswire: Leaders as Learners and Teachers

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:05:00 +0000

Newswire: Leaders as Learners and Teachers: "

Steven Spear, author of the upcoming book Chasing the Rabbit: How Market Leaders Outdistance the Competition and How Great Companies Can Catch Up and Win (September 2009) writes, 'In a commoditized world, the essence has to be developmental, not transactional. Develop and discover great opportunities and learn to exploit them.'

For me the key word there is 'learn.' As leaders we have to enable others to learn while being eager to learn ourselves. It is an adaptive mentality as opposed to a fixed mentality. It means improving our perception as we tend to see and therefore learn things that fit our view of the world and the future.

Leadership and Innovation in a Commoditized World
by Steven Spear, HBR: Now, New Next Blog

When interviewees at Toyota were asked to describe the best leader they had ever encountered, no one mentioned the leader who was a visionary, the one who made a tough call, the one who out thought everyone else. Instead, there was always a story about some leader who took the time to teach someone else how to learn faster, better, and with more certainty, and to teach others to do the same. One friend described an interaction with Fujio Cho, former head of Toyota, visiting a plant and gently chiding people for too much attention to accomplishments and too little on struggle points. If he didn't know what was difficult for them, he was reported to ask, how would he know where he could be of help?

Then there was Norm Bafunno, who as part of his daily work running Toyota's Indiana plant, visited the many projects being conducted continuously. For all the discussion about what was tried and what was accomplished, he concludes with the quintessential Toyota leader question. Not, 'what did you accomplish?'' but 'what did you learn?'

And that is the essence of what a leader has to do in any innovation driven organization. Not tell people what to do but constantly challenge them to identify challenges and obstacles, investigate their source, develop and test solutions, all the time asking: 'So, what did you learn from the experience and how can we put that learning to good use?'

* * *

BusinessWeek’s Summer Reading ‘09

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:39:00 +0000

BusinessWeek’s Summer Reading ‘09: "

We know summer is already starting to wane, but we haven’t linked to Business Week’s recommending reading for the season. Having recommended quite of few of these, we think this is a great list.

Rubies in the Orchard by Lynda Resnick with Francis Wilkinson

Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging and Outmarketing Your Competition by Guy Kawasaki

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty: Managing in a Downturn by Ram Charan

The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T.J. Stiles

How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer

The Breakthrough Company: How Everyday Companies Become Extraordinary Performers by Keith McFarland

In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules by Stacy Perman

BW also recommends a variety of podcasts including The Small Business Podcast, Get-It-Done Guy, Manager Tools, Help! My Business Sucks!, and SBA Podcasting.

Peter Schwartz on 5-Step Scenario Planning

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:36:00 +0000

Peter Schwartz on 5-Step Scenario Planning: "

Wired Magazine has a great feature in the August 2009 issue they put together with Peter Schwartz, cofounder of the Global Business Network. Schwartz has written some classics on looking ahead like The Art of The Long View, The Long Boom and Inevitable Surprises.

The magazine’s designers deliver a great set of graphic layouts to help people understanding scenario planning in five simple steps.

Another Take on The Wisdom of Peter Drucker

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:58:00 +0000

Another Take on The Wisdom of Peter Drucker: "

Since his death in November 2005, a number of people have written about their experiences with the late Peter Drucker. William Cohen wrote his book A Class with Drucker about his experience as the first graduate of the doctoral program at Claremont under Drucker’s watch. Jeffrey Krames wrote his ode Inside Drucker’s Brain last year and shared the experience of a day-long interview with the management guru.

The latest is Living in More Than One World: How Peter Drucker’s Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life by Bruce Rosenstein, a former business writer for USA Today. In this book, Rosenstein takes a different path, forgoing with well-travelled path of his teachings on management and focuses instead on what Drucker had to say about the individual. He writes in the introduction:

Drucker…wrote about individual self-development and self-management. But these aspects of his thoughts are scattered across a number of his books and articles. In this book, I collect and synthesize his best lessons for knowledge workers into a logical order. For you, the reader, this book is the self-help guide Drucker never wrote, and the next-best thing to being mentored by him.

Rosenstein recorded an interview he did Drucker eight months before he passed away and has posted a trailer on You Tube (see below).

We are going to continue to see books that further examine Drucker’s teachings. I think Rosenstein’s Living In More Than One World makes an interesting companion to Drucker’s The Effective Executive. Rosenstein definitely takes a softer self-help stance than you’ll find in Drucker’s terse writings. These new interpretations allow us to see new meanings and lessons.

***

Social Media University Reading List

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:54:00 +0000

Social Media University Reading List: "

I had the opportunity to speak at Social Media University – Milwaukee a few weeks ago. Some of the follow-up email has been asking for the recommended reading list I gave out during my Blogging For Success session. Here the list and some reasons these are worth your time:

Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky – This is the big idea book; it’s the one that examines social media from a sociological viewpoint with outstanding examples the reduced friction the Internet provides. Here is what we said in our Jack Covert Selects – “Technology allows more loosely formed groups to accomplish more complicated tasks to greater effect, whether sharing tips for hacking new features on iPhones or staging boycotts after complaints go unaddressed. The rules are changing and, as Shirky says, ‘What the group does with that power is a separate question.’”

Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff – There is no question that this is the book to read if you are in a corporate environment. The book was written by two analysts from Forester Research that provides a framework that executives recognize and language that fits the Fortune 500. Download an excerpt of the book to get a feel for the book. There is also a new condensed version of the book called Marketing in the Groundswell which contains a new introduction and three chapters from the original book.

Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin – Seth’s premise is pretty simple: most of the products and services are not designed to be used with the new tools and techniques that are available to marketers. The call for corporate blogs and the creation of viral videos leads to meatball sundaes. Seth wrote a great ChangeThis manifesto based on this idea called Marketing Mismatch: When New Won’t Work With Old (Riffs on Meatball Sundae). I also did a podcast with Seth when the book came out.

Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith – I am recommending this a bit on faith because the book comes out later this month. Chris is certainly one of the leading voices on social media and if you need proof go read this.

Say Everything by Scott Rosenberg – I recommended this specifically for my blogging session. Rosenberg is a journalist and writes about the evolution of blogging. He talks about the players who have shaped the medium (Heather Armstrong, Robert Scoble, Evan Williams, and Dave Winer to name just a few). It is a good book to catch up on what has been happening over the last decade. There are also excerpts from the book available on the book’s website.

The Twitter Book by Tim O’Reilly and Sarah Milstein is a simple book that teaches what you need to know about Twitter and also takes the next step providing tips for using the service to its full extent.

Six Pixels of Separation by Mitch Joel extolls the power of connecting with your customers online. It’s not written for alpha geeks and instead describes uses language business people will understand.

Why "Why?" Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:49:00 +0000

Why "Why?" Matters: "

You ask your four year-old to go put away her toys. The response: 'Why?'

Your eyeballs bulge.

Then, your teenager asks you for $20. You ask, 'Why?' His response: 'I just need it.'

You go into your 'money doesn't grow on trees' routine that you swore you would never do (because your parents did it).

You tell your boss you think you need about $200,000 to beef up your
marketing efforts and $100,000 to outsource the graphics and
production. She leans her head at a 45 degree angle, looks at you, and
utters the magical, 'Uh, why?'

You think to yourself, 'Isn't it obvious given our targets for market-share?'

'Why' Does This Matter?

Purpose and Context. That's why.

The human condition requires context for what's being asked or done.

Idea people fall in love with their ideas.

Action people fall in love with do-ing.

But everyone around them needs to know why the ideas and actions are
important. We talk about 'engagement,' then fail to provide the purpose
and context that people need to become engaged.

I've watched managers bark absolutely appropriate directions at
employees. The response was appropriate as well: 'Why do you want us to
do it this way?'

That's not insubordination, it's an intelligent question. Knowing the purpose
allows people to make good decisions when problems arise. If an action
is going to cost 20% of budget and part of the purpose is to stay
within 10%, employees know how to respond effectively.

'Why' Brings You Clarity and Confidence

If you and I are at all alike, one immediate reaction to 'Why?' is often defensiveness. ('How dare you question my thinking?')

Yet this is the question that will keep you out of trouble--but only
if you are willing to take it as a gift and spend time re-visiting your
answer. If you do, you'll gain the clarity that gives you confident
strength to move ahead boldly.

And engagement--yours and theirs--won't be a buzzword.

Managing Yourself

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:47:00 +0000

Managing Yourself: "

Unlike Wally Bock, I never met Peter Drucker.

Yet he has made a huge difference in my life (as has Wally). I'm discovering that although a generation of managers were raised on Drucker's wisdom and insight and benefited as a result, many who are new to supervision are unfamiliar with the depth and applicability of his work. In the March-April 1999 issue of the Harvard Business Review, Drucker did an article titled 'Managing Oneself'. It's only about a dozen pages and there was a reprint in 2005.

Here is a sampling that I hope will move you to seek out more of his writing and teaching:

For the strengths-based among you:

Excellence

One should waste as
little effort as possible on improving areas of low competence. It
takes far more energy and work to improve from incompetence to
mediocrity than it takes to improve from first-rate performance to
excellence. And yet most people--especially most teachers and most
organizations--concentrate on making incompetent performers into
mediocre ones. Energy, resources, and time should go instead into
making a competent person into a star performer.
___________________________________

Feeling unsettled about a 'final' career decision?

Careers

Most
people, especially highly gifted people, do not really know where they
belong until they are well past their mid-twenties. By that time,
however, they should know the answers to the three questions: What are
my strengths? How do I perform? and, What are my values? And then
they can and should decide where they belong.

Or rather, they should be able to decide where they do not belong...

Equally important, knowing the answers to these questions enables a
person to say to an opportunity, an offer, or an assignment, 'Yes, I
will do that. But this is the way I should be doing it. This is the
way it should be structured. This is the way the relationships should
be. These are the kind of results you should expect from me, and in
this time frame, because this is who I am.'

Successful careers are not planned. They develop when people are
prepared for opportunities because they know their strengths, their
method of work, and their values.
__________________________________

Midlife crisis or boredom?

Second Careers

We
hear a great deal of talk about the midlife crisis of the executive.
It is mostly boredom. At 45, most executives have reached the peak of
their business careers, and they know it. After 20 years of doing very
much the same kind of work, they are very good at their jobs. But they
are not learning or contributing or deriving challenge and satisfaction
from the job... That is why managing oneself increasingly leads one to
begin a second career (typically by moving from one kind of
organization to another; by developing a parellel career, often in a
nonprofit; or by starting a new venture, again often a nonprofit).

No one can expect to live very long without experiencing a serious
setback in his or her life or work... At such times, a second major
interest--not just a hobby--may make all the difference.

In a knowledge society we expect everybody to be a success. This
is clearly an impossibility. For a great many people, there is at best
an absence of failure. Wherever there is success, there has to be
failure. And then it is vitally important for the individual, and
equally for the individual's family, to have an area in which he or she
can contribute, make a difference, and be somebody. That
means finding a second area--whether in a second career, a parallel
career, or a social venture--that offers an opportunity for being a
leader, for being respected, for being a success.
_________________________

Peter Drucker's starting point for successful management was successful self-management. Why not pause and have a look in the mirror before we stick our heads out of the cubicle today?

( 'All Things Workplace' has been selected as one of the 10 finalists for the 2009 Best of Leadership Blogs competition hosted by the Kevin Eikenberry Group. It's an honor to be selected. If you are interested in voting for your favorite, please vote at Best Leadership Blog 2009 by July 31st.)

Kill Change With Too Many Priorities

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:46:00 +0000

Kill Change With Too Many Priorities: "

I read a research study by Pivotal Resources that
concluded the reason why many U.S. businesses are so unsuccessful at
effecting change.

The reason stated?

Managers have so many priority projects at once that they can't tell what's important and what isn't.

Although change projects are given top priority at
most companies, almost half of the more than 500 managers surveyed said that a significant number of such projects failed to meet
the stated goals.

The #1 reason given for failed change initiatives was having too many
'top' priority projects and an inability to coordinate and integrate these across
their organization.

Here's a fascinating factoid: When
asked about the success of these projects, C-level executives were
twice as likely to judge change projects as 'almost always' successful
as non-C-level managers.

Why would the senior execs be so much more positive?

a. Maybe they are better informed about the big picture, are more satisfied, but not getting the message out to the people who are 'making it happen'.

b. Maybe they aren't in touch with what's really happening.

c. Perhaps 'success' is measured differently at different levels in an organization.

Two other key findings:

More
than a third believed there are too many independent or disconnected initiatives in different areas of their organization.

And fewer than 20% thought change 'always succeeded' in their organization.

This really isn't all that surprising to me. First, there's no guarantee that making a change in the way you set out to do it will yield success. However, the 20% figure would indicate that, if universal, managers and employees--over time--could become very wary of the 'change' mantra.

The part that rings most true is the plethora of priorities. Sitting in a conference room not long ago, I watched an executive trying to get guidance from his CEO: 'I've got no less than than twelve initiatives going simultaneously. Which should I really focus on?'

The CEO answered, 'Yes', and sat silently. He thought it was a clever response. We'll see what the results yield.

_________________________

Changes and Changing Talents

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:42:00 +0000

Changes and Changing Talents: "

It's a win for everyone when you find the kind of organization in which your talents can flourish.

But we live in a working-world filled with changes:

1. A CEO may decide it's more profitable to become a
manufacturing-focused company than a sales & marketing-driven
organization.

2. Mergers and acquisitions create new cultures. New cultures lead to new values and priorities.

3. Customers change their technology, causing your company to change it's tech service response.

4. Downsizing. Fewer people, more responsibilities for those remaining.

What Happened to the Talent?

I've watched each of the above grow into a crisis of confidence for employees and employers:

Mysteriously, you don't feel as talented and capable as before.

At the same time, the organization is wondering where it's talented people went.

Fact: no one suddenly got stupid!

Second fact: Something else will now need to change.

You or Them?

When you were hired it was a good fit because of how business
was conducted. Now it doesn't seem that way. Here are some
considerations when companies and employees find themselves in a talent
mismatch as a result of changes:

1. Companies: Take time to assess the breadth of talent that
exists in your employee base. You may not have been using the range of
talents that individuals possess because you (naturally) hired on a
given set of criteria.

Real-life example: In the past few years I've had the
opportunity to assess three executives who were on the 'We've changed,
their role isn't needed, I guess they have to go even though they've
been really effective' list. In two of the three cases a broader
assessment showed that they were gifted in areas that hadn't been
tapped before. Those two remain with their organizations in new roles
and are contributing meaningfully and productively.

2. Individuals. Maybe it isn't such a good fit.The
faster you figure out the reality of the situation the faster you can
make a decision to stay or look elsewhere.

Bonus tip: The longer you hang out in a mismatch the more you will question your adequacy. So, knock it off! You are
talented and you've been performing in a talented way. The situation
changed, not you. Get yourself into another winning situation before
you conclude that the problem is you.

A Final Thought

Our educational and career counseling entities need to become very deliberate in painting an accurate picture of 'careers.'

My take is that the approach is still, 'What will you do when you
grow up?', the assumption being that one will 'become something' and
'do it at a company' for a lifetime. The reality is that a person needs
to find out their range of talents and prepare for a series of
long-term projects in multiple places vs. lifetime employment.

Building awareness of talents, project orientation, and transitions
would go a long way in offering genuine help in accurately preparing
young people for the future.

What do you think?

I'll Change If You Tell Me What You Really Want

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:41:00 +0000

I'll Change If You Tell Me What You Really Want: "

I watched as my client, the new
President of his company's largest business, orchestrated a full day of
presentations with the top 100 managers in the business unit. It was textbook-perfect:

a. He laid out the evidence supporting the need for a change in the corporate culture

b. His direct reports took turns offering their support for each of the proposed elements of change and were clearly genuine in their efforts

c. He invited spontaneous discussion and got it all along the way.

d. And he closed with a clear visual summary of how the culture was supposed to change.

Do Any Of These Sound Familiar?

Here are the first few:

Risks: Take more.

Communicate more: When you have information, err on the side of sharing more with more people across all the businesses.

Decision Making: Think strategically.

These were the first three of eight items. Each was discussed in ways that highlighted how, for example, risk-taking had helped Company X or Strategic Decision Making had helped Company Y. The fact of the matter is, who can argue with the importance of what's listed above?

Which
is why at the end of the session the really important question was
asked from the audience of managers. This is an exact quote.

Manager:
'I really think all of these things we discussed today are important. I
just need to know one thing: 'What, exactly, do you want me to do?'

President: ' ' (yes, that was the response).

As the President's consultant, I learned a lesson that I haven't forgotten: Visionary changes can be captured with images and big picture ideals; Behavioral changes need to be grounded in the specific.

Make your changes specific so that people know what to do and can tell whether or not they got it right.

Things like Risk, Communications, and Strategic Decision-Making are
great topics for philosophical conversation and painting the big
picture. If you want people to change what they are doing, then you
need to tell them what to do in a way that they can act on and know
that they are doing it right.

Here's What That Looks Like

Take more risks.

Example: 'When
you are deciding to open up a new sales territory, go ahead once you've
determined that there is at least a 60% chance of success. Don't wait
until 90%.'

If I'm the individual, now I know what the rules
are and how I can determine whether or not I did it properly.

Communicate more.

Example: 'When
you have new information regarding one of our customers in Sweden, send
it out the same day to all of our business unit Sales Managers in
Europe.'

If I'm the individual, now I know what the rules are and how I can determine whether or not I did it properly.

Decision-Making.

Example: 'When you and your team make decisions, measure the options against the two-year plan and choose the one that moves us closer within the budget allocated.'

Change Management continues to captivate organizational leaders seeking to introduce
'change' with as much acceptance and as little disruption as possible
That's a good thing. There's always something new going on no matter
where you work. Which makes it even more important to be able to do it and not just become captivated by the theories.

What's your experience with change initiatives?

One more time:vMake your changes specific so that people know what to do and can tell whether or not they got it right.

Leadership Lessons Via YouTube EDU

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:38:00 +0000

Leadership Lessons Via YouTube EDU

Posted using ShareThis

Check out this new YouTube service - so far there are over 460 videos on the topic of leadership.

ENJOY!!!

COMO Ed

How Training Failures Cause Cast Aways

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:47:00 +0000

In his thoughtLEADERS blog, Mike Figliuolo wrote a piece recently entitled "How Training Failures Cause Cast Aways."

In that post, he chronicles the frustrating experience of trying to return an item to a retail store, and dealing with an under trained and overwhelmed cashier who gets no support from her manager in any way, shape or form.

"How does that apply to the USCGAUX" you ask? Well, if I understand Mike point (and I think I do), it is the old saw - first impressions are lasting impressions. If the public sees our members as untrained and behaving unprofessionally, that will create a lasting impression (which is often difficult, if not impossible to overcome).

Mike also clearly points out the duty of every manager and leader- to provide support and training to our people!

So as we enter the boating season, where we have the most contact with the public - ask yourself - are you providing your members with the tools they need to accomplish their mission? If not, make a course correction ASAP to ensure we don't have any more cast aways.

COMO Ed

The Importance of Training as a Retention Tool

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Training - it is part of what keeps us SEMPER PARATUS! It is one of the foundations we in the USCGAUX revel in.

But training is what also keeps employees and members interested in the organization they are a part of, and makes them want to stay and contribute to the organization's success.

Train Them Now or Lose Them Later

Mike Figlioulo recently wrote an an article on his thoughtLEADERS blog where he reiterates the importance of training. Mike has some excellent ideas and programs for training people and keeping them engaged and growing.

Why is this important, you ask? Keeping people engaged and helping them grow by adding new skills and knowledge is a fundamental responsibility of a every leader!

So put your thinking cap on, and look for new and innovative ways to engage your members. It is necessary if we are to survive and thrive as an organization.

COMO Ed

The (ever expanding) Coast Guard Official Blogroll: The Auxiliary has climed aboard, too!

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:20:00 +0000

The U.S. Coast Guard has really stepped up their efforts on the web and has an impressive listing of blogs. The iCommandant site recently reported its 200th blog entry, just a few short months after its launch back in 2008.

The (ever expanding) Coast Guard Official Blogroll includes but is not limited to the following, many of which will be of interest to Coast Guard Auxiliarists:

Coast Guard All Hands -- The voice of Master Chief Charles W. Bowen, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, and the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Reserve Force, Jeff Smith.

USCG TRACEN Cape May - The blog of the Coast Guard?s Bootcamp.

iFORCECOM - The website of the United States Coast Guard Force Readiness Command, which is part of the Modernization Effort. The Force Readiness Command (FORCECOM) will become the Coast Guard's first command solely responsible for preparing forces to perform missions and execute them properly. FORCECOM will be charged with the current and future readiness of the Coast Guard's workforce -- Active Duty, Reserve, Auxiliary, Civilian and Contractor -- to ensure they will be ready when called to execute their missions.

Your Great Lakes Coast Guard -- a forum for the Ninth District Commander and members of his staff to share information about the U.S. Coast Guard's efforts as "Guardians of the Great Lakes."

Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach -- an official forum to share information about the U.S. Coast Guard's efforts as Guardians from Morro Bay, California south to Dana Point, California. Sector Los Angeles ? Long Beach is responsible for Coast Guard operations, missions, functions, and responsibilities that include providing search and rescue, marine safety, security, and environmental protection throughout the harbors and waters of California.

USCG Pay and Personnel Center -- Military Pay, Personnel and Travel procedural updates for Coast Guard Servicing Personnel Offices and unit administrative staffs.

USCG Pacific Northwest - D13 - The official blog of the 13th Coast Guard District

USCGAlaska - D17 - The official blog of the 17th Coast Guard District

AMVER -- The official blog of the Coast Guard?s Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System

Coast Guard Auxiliary in the Pacific Northwest

Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 76

Some of my other reads (some official, some not, listed in alphabetical order. We do not endorse everything found on these sites):

An Unofficial CG Blog

BitterEnd

Bryant?s Maritime Blog

Casco Bay Boaters Blog

Christiaan Conover

Coast Guard News

Danger Room

DHS Leadership Journal

Dipnote

DOD Live

Eagle Speak

gCaptain

Hell of a Day at Sea

Information Dissemination

Kennebec Captain

Mad Mariner

Maritime Licensing Blog

Masters of Towing Vessesls Association Forum

The Monitor

National Journal Experts

Navagear

Ocean Lines

Waiting for Ships to Come In

Panbo

Puget Sound Maritime

Sea Fever

Security Debrief

Social Government

TSA

USNI Blog

Weekly Leader

I strongly suggest you review these blogs and subscribe to those (via a feed reader such as Google's Reader) that interest you. After all, information is the lifeblood of any organization, this one included.

ENJOY!

COMO Ed

Partnering and what it means to the USCGAUX

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:09:00 +0000

VADM David Pekoske recently wrote an excellent piece on Partnerships. We in the Coast Guard Auxiliary should also have partnering first and foremost on our minds, especially with National Safe Boating Week coming up. Please take a few minutes to read VADM Pekoske's thoguhts - it will benefit what we do as well.

I believe it is never to late to start, so if you and your Auxiliary shipmates haven't fully thought through your partnering opportunities for National Safe Boating Week, please start TODAY!

COMO Ed

P.S. For great ideas on partnering up for success during NSBW, visit http://www.safeboatingcampaign.com/

USCGA's "Challenge of the Guardian"

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:37:00 +0000

Hi Shipmates,

Check out this interesting post from ADM Allen. As he states, "though the Challenge of the Guardian is going to be carried out this week as an event, the challenge is much more than that; the true Challenge of the Guardian is to live the Guardian Ethos in our daily lives."

Let's all try to live up to that challenge.

COMO Ed

Set Goals & Bulletproof Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:12:00 +0000

We talk a lot about setting goals, accountability, etc. in the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Here is an excellent thought provoking video by Mike Figliuolo, who also produces the thoughtLEADERS blog.

I hope you find this useful in setting your course for 2009.

COMO Ed

Time is limited…… Are you spending it on purpose?

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:39:00 +0000

For today's blog entry, I'm calling your attention to a great article I've found on time management.

Time is limited……was a post from The Practice of Leadership blog back in June of last year. It contains this great quote:

"Time is limited, so I better wake up every morning fresh and know that I have just one chance to live this particular day right, and to string my days together into a life of action, and purpose." – Lance Armstrong.

The article also contains a great graphical representation of the relationship between energy and focus.

What does this mean for you as a Coast Guard Auxiliarist? Since we are volunteers donating what precious time we have (after our family and work commitments), I suggest that we strive to make the most of the time we do contribute to the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Choose to be proactive, rather than reactive, and pursue your goals with vigor. Also, it is important to have fun and derive a sense of satisfaction from what you're doing. If you're not having fun or getting a lot of "psychic income" from a given activity or mission, perhaps it is time to refocus your energy on missions that do give you a sense of accomplishment, while having fun at the same time.

Remember - time is a finite resource - spend it purposefully.

COMO Ed

New Years Message from the Commandant

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 21:22:00 +0000

I am enclosing a link to the Commandant's New Year's Message, posted on iCommandant. It is an excellent brief on what's coming in the next 12-18 months, and I highly encourage you to take the time to read it.

In that message, the Commandant talks about numerous upcoming changes. I know for many people, change is scary. Eric Hoff once said "In times of change, it is the learners who will inherit the earth, while the learned will be beautifully equipped for a world that no longer exists. " What does this mean? In sum, it means that we will need to hone our existing skills, maybe even develop new ones, and not rest on our laurels, and be prepared to constantly adapt to the changing environment. Also, we need to be flexible, so that we are not surprised every time change happens.

The Commandant also talks about the importance of partnering. He runs through the alphabet soup of acronyms - DHS, DOT, DOD, etc. etc. etc., all of whom have a strategic relationship with the Coast Guard. Just as the Coast Guard is focusing on its partnerships with other agencies, so should we. "Who are our partners?" you ask. As the primary promoter of recreational boating safety and the America's Waterway Watch programs,we should be partnering with many state and local agencies (sheriff, fire departments, EMS, etc), the U.S. Power Squadrons, state Boating Law Administrators, Yacht Clubs, marinas, etc. In many parts of the country, where the weather is less than optimal for boating, now would be a great time to develop and strengthen these relationships.

To sum it up, we will need to be more flexible and do a better job of adapting to charges that will inevitably come our way. We should also be strengthening our relationships with our strategic partners, and all grow together so we can better execute our missions.

COMO Ed

Coast Guard announces: 2008 LEADERSHIP VIDEO CONTEST RESULTS

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:53:00 +0000

The Coast Guard has announced the winners of its 2008 Leadership Video Contest:

ALCOAST 629/08
COMDTNOTE 5351
SUBJ: 2008 LEADERSHIP VIDEO CONTEST RESULTS
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 081412Z OCT 08/ALCOAST 501/08
1. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE SECOND ANNUAL LEADERSHIP
VIDEO CONTEST. THIS YEARS SUBMISSIONS HIGHLIGHT ONE OR MORE OF THE
28 LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES.
2. IAW REF A, A SELECTION PANEL WAS CONVENED 26 NOV AT THE
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CENTER AND 9 DEC AT COMDT (CG-133) TO REVIEW
THE VIDEO SUBMISSIONS.
3. THE WINNERS OF THE 2008 LEADERSHIP VIDEO CONTEST ARE:
A. FIRST PLACE: MSU PORT ARTHUR (VIDEO: "WAITING FOR A PETTY
OFFICER" A HUMOUROUS ACCOUNT OF ONE PETTY OFFICERS STRUGGLE WITH
"LEADING SELF")
B. SECOND PLACE: CGC NEAH BAY (VIDEO: "INNOVATIVE DAMAGE CONTROL
KIT" SHOWCASING THE "CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION LEADERSHIP
COMPETENCY")
C. THIRD PLACE: MSU VALDEZ (VIDEO: "A WRENCH IN THE GEARS"
SHOWCASING A STRUGGLE WITH CUSTOMER FOCUS AND HUMAN RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT)
D. HONORABLE MENTION: CG STATION ELIZABETH CITY (VIDEO: "A JUNIOR
MEMBERS LACK OF HUMILITY EFFECTS SELF AWARENESS AND LEARNING") AND
CGC WRANGELL (VIDEO: "THE DAY TO DAY USE OF ALL LEADERSHIP
COMPETENCIES")
4. WINNING VIDEOS WILL BE FEATURED ON THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
CENTER WEBSITE AT THE FOLLOWING LINK:
HTTP://WWW.USCGA.EDU/LDC_DISPLAY1.ASPX?ID(EQUAL_SIGN)10133
A DVD FOR DISTRIBUTION AND USE AS A ULDP RESOURCE WILL ALSO BE
COMPILED. AWARDS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED VIA THE APPROPRIATE CHAIN OF
COMMAND.
5. RDML D.R. MAY, DIRECTOR OF RESERVE AND TRAINING, SENDS.
6. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.

I am hopeful that at sometime in the near future, the Auxiliary can contribute entries to to contest.

COMO Ed

Attention Leaders: There is no success without succession

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:09:00 +0000

One of my favorite quotes from leadership expert John Maxwell is " there is no success without succession." There are countless lessons from business and the sports world where failure to have a succession plan resulted in the downfall of the organization.

Why am I bringing this topic up now, when many of our elected leaders are starting their first day(s) in office? Well, I am a huge believer in the old axiom - "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail." The time to start on succession planning is NOW.

A recent article on Teaching Leadership Skills offers some guidance that may be of use to those currently sitting in the leadership chair.

One of your most crucial jobs as a manager is to help develop your direct reports' leadership capabilities. Action learning can help. Through action learning, individuals work through actual business problems and apply lessons learned to new challenges. How it works:

1. Assign the employee a substantial project that is "in plan" and important, and for which failure would have visible consequences.

2. Deliver some individual performance feedback that's relevant to the employee and the context in which she will be learning.

3. Debrief the experience of tackling the project-reviewing with your direct report the results she achieved and how she achieved them.

4. Articulate the results' business implications.

5. Help her transfer lessons learned to future projects.

The more relevant the challenge and the higher the stakes, the more action learning stretches leaders and the more they learn.

This of course can be applied equally to volunteer organizations such as the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Irregardless of the type of organization, this necessitates trust on the part of the current leader, and also requires a good deal of communication skills. To develop future leaders, we must article our expectations and the consequences of potential failure, not to "scare" our future leaders, but to keep them focused on succeeding, and on learning from their mistakes as they go..

All of this takes time. So now I hope you understand why I suggest you get started now on succession planning for your unit.

Smile and enjoy the ride!

COMO Ed

Make sound and timely decisions

noreply@blogger.com (Commodore Ed Sweeney, NADCO-MS) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 20:18:00 +0000

This post is a follow up to my last one entitled Be Solutions Oriented, not Problem Focused .

I'd like to call your attention to Mike Figliuolo's thoughtLEADERS blog, and specifically his 10th leadership principle - make sound and timely decisions. Check out Mike's article, which builds upon my comments regarding the paralysis of analysis.

Many times, we as leaders in the Coast Guard Auxiliary (or anywhere for that matter), are afraid to make decisions because, if we make the wrong decision, we'll look bad. This is promulgated by fear of failure, and a philosophy I call "not on my watch." So rather than make a decision (and risk being wrong), we make a decision - to make NO DECISION. By doing so, we often settle for mediocrity.

Will we make perfect decisions 100 percent of the time? Of course not - after all, we're human. We will make mistakes - we simply need to learn from them, and keep moving forward. Am I advocating making decisions in a reckless fashion, with a cavalier attitude as to whether the decision is right or wrong? Absolutely NOT!

If you enjoyed Mike's article, please be sure to check out his entire series on Leadership Lessons from West Point. I know that I have benefited from his insights, and I am sure you will too.

COMO Ed