Just Dewett - the Leadership Blog

One of my favorite topics – did I mention it is not only crucial for your organization but also for the future health of our economy? You asked for a quick take – here you go! Happy Wednesday

Far too often people assume work lacks value. That is simply not true! When relationships at work are positive and leaders take the time to articulate purpose – ANY job can be meaningful. That is your creative challenge as a leader:

No less a giant than Drucker himself once offered this nugget. It has since become commonly accepted as simple fact. It has been further engrained in management lore by the ever growing power of our computing technologies. We exist every day in workplaces awash in data. While in general I agree with Drucker, there are a few serious counter points worth considering.

First, any measurement has a cost with which it is associated. It takes time and it costs money to measure something. One must ask if the value obtained from any given measurement outweighs the costs associated with obtaining it. How much stronger does the upside (management clarity) need to be in order to outweigh the downside (the costs) such that a measure becomes justified? This question is not asked nearly enough. Consequently, most organizations spend far too much time measuring things that add too little value.

Second, there is one area of interest where it rarely helps to measure in order to manage: individual professional development-related feedback. Typically, we quantify our feedback across many scales derived from this competency model or that competency model. A professional is handed a thoughtfully crafted piece of paper (or bit of software) indicating they are a “4” on a five point “communication effectiveness” scale or that they are in the 70th percentile on the “shows initiative” competency. Huh?

Not surprisingly, this approach does not deeply move the recipient. There are at least four huge problems with this dominant approach: understanding the numbers, feeling reduced to a mere number, failing to focus on behaviors that matter, and finally – cost.

Understanding the numbers – do people meaningfully understand what a “3” or a “4” means on a five point scale? Usually not. It is a cold piece of feedback that people have difficulty comprehending.

Feeling reduced to a mere number – does anyone feel small enough that a “3” or “4” adequately captures who they are as a person? It gets worse: over time, no matter how we characteristically think of ourselves, use of this type of feedback reduces the richness of our self view.

Failing to focus on behaviors that matter – all of the time spent understanding the numbers is time not spent thinking productively about specific performance behaviors. It’s the behaviors that matter, the numbers are usually just well intended but distracting indicators.

Those of you who know me know that I feel most evaluation systems should be scrapped. At the very least, keep the numbers to a minimum. What to use instead?

Honest, timely, positive, constructive performance-related conversations. Real people having real conversations at work about issues that matter. A great conversation will trump the most thoughtfully crafted numbers seven days a week and twice on Sunday.

I have a lot of fun talking about values with clients. Some of you who have heard me address the topic might remember the story about the strip club in Mexico… In any event, I thought it would be a great topic for the next video rant. If you like it and the message hits home, send it to someone else who needs to hear it! A special hello to all the nice folks I saw at Oktoberfest at the Dayton Art Institute this weekend. Have a great week .
Todd

A woman approached me after a recent gig and said “You’re doing a great job of targeting the millennials.” I don’t know if she was referring to my jeans, ink, or Harley. I’m no generational expert, but I nonetheless knew what she was talking about. Truth is, I’m not targeting anyone. I just go be me and who ever pays attention – great. I didn’t tell her that, but I’m sharing it with you because even though it is true we are always selling ourselves, you had better be selling who you really are or the pitch will fall on deaf ears. People smell a lack of authenticity and sincerity a mile away. Did I mention my commute in this morning was absolutely fantastic? Happy Tuesday

If I have given a talk at your company or if you have seen me at a conference or other event, you know I use stories to make people laugh and to help people learn. Not too long ago I viewed my stories as sacred intellectual property – property that must be protected! Thus, I resisted putting the stories out on the web for all to see for free…. Until now! Great stories are made to be shared, right?

Here is one of my favorites. It is about motivation, giving people a voice, and about the need to see employees as the amazing individuals they are. I hope you enjoy this fun – and useful – leadership story. If so, pass it along. Happy Monday

I survived the OH Human Resources conference! I met so many wonderful folks. I feel quite lucky to do what I do. When I travel around inevitably my network grows. It is an amazing feeling being connected to so many vibrant people. It compels me to tell you that if you have professional travel opportunities (to see customers, attend conferences, trade shows, etc.) TAKE THEM.

Aside from the obvious networking benefits, there are cognitive benefits as well. One of the true keys to thinking outside the cube (my way of refreshing the tired phrase “thinking outside the box”) is to experience new stimuli. Your world can become quite narrow and very route thanks to sitting in that cube every day. A few days of professional travel breaks the ingrained routines and helps you see your daily challenges in a new light.

Enough philosophizing. Here is what I learned at the OH HR conference this year:

• Jennifer McClure has yet to reach her true audience – she’s full of useful information!

• Steve Browne is nuts full time, not part time. That is clear to me now.

• Making a room full of hundreds of folks laugh NEVER gets old.

• Nothing is funnier than tipsy HR pros dancing – seriously, it’s a treasure (video below).

And finally, the most important thing I learned at the 2010 OH HR conference:

• Human Resources professionals are going to be front and center helping drive leadership thinking in the coming decade!!!

Here are a few hard to see pictures and videos from the dimly lit party ballroom at the conference. Yes, that is Jennifer McClure and Steve Browne with me in the big red inflatable chair!

Last but not least – a funny joke someone sent me about salary negotiation:

Reaching the end of a job interview, the human resources person asked a young applicant fresh out of business school, “And what starting salary are you looking for?”

The applicant said, “In the neighborhood of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package.”

The interviewer said, “Well, what would you say to a package of five weeks’ vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50 percent of your salary, and a company car leased every two years, say, a red Corvette?”

The applicant sat up straight and said, “Wow! Are you kidding?”

And the interviewer replied, “Yeah, but you started it.”

Happy Weekend everyone – see you next time!

Hi all – as promised, I have returned! It has been a long crazy summer, but things are getting back to normal. A huge thank you to the many people who have offered their prayers, comments, and stories as my mother dealt with her fight against cancer. She may no longer be here but I have to tell you, she left an impact. My mother was certainly an outside-the-box thinker. Her ability to see her own unique perspective without having to rely on others’ perspectives was one of her greatest traits. Thankfully, a little of that rubbed off on me! This blog post is dedicated to Judi.

I am working on a new book and speech idea around the theme of “Radical Innovation.” The work is focused on a handful of fun and useful but difficult ideas organizations should seriously consider if they wish to move past creativity and innovation rhetoric and actually get serious about results. Here is one such nugget:

Stop Hiring So Many 4.0 Students!

Earning a 4.0 is a nice achievement. In most high schools and colleges it is a nice distinction. Earning many of them, academic term after academic term, is even more impressive. Well, kind of. It does speak to a few very valuable personal characteristics. People who earn 4.0s tend to be very dedication, intelligent, and mature. Certainly these are traits that have merit.

Having said that, 4.0s are overrated. If your organization overindulges in hiring 4.0 students you had better be a large monopoly. If not, you are under investing in your long-term ability to innovate. The 4.0 folks love to color within the lines. They avoid risk taking. They seek to please. They do not like conflict. As a result of their amazing dedication, they often have underdeveloped social skills. You cannot learn to positively influence someone through conversation while reading your algebra book. You do not build emotional intelligence by skipping the school dance to get a few extra hours of study time. Get the picture?

I had a wonderful couple in class (an MBA elective on creativity and innovation) the other night who understand this topic well. They shared a story about how their son (high school age I believe) came home the other day and reluctantly admitted that he had been given Detention hours at school for misbehaving in class. Much to the young man’s surprise, his parents were ecstatic! They loved his academic achievement (which had been strong), but knew he needed to develop into a multidimensional adult and they viewed his mild deviance as a sign that he was beginning to color outside the lines.

I do not want you to encourage children to seek Detention! However, it makes a great point. Real innovators and mavericks respect the rules, but they do not always follow them. They understand that tomorrow’s success is often predicated on new rules.

I try not to squash my sons’ creativity. I might put a little structure here and a little guidance there, but I want them to explore. Here is one example: Pax was at the store with my yesterday and thought it would be fun to play with the cart, even though everyone looked at him like he was nuts. Then they looked at me like I was nuts. I smiled at them and told Pax to try it again.

In case you have not heard, the Ohio Human Resources conference (http://www.ohioshrm.org/hr_conf/) is this week and yours truly will be speaking Thursday morning. Thanks to the amazing Steve Brown and Fred Eck for putting it all together. I hope to see you there.

Feeling inspired the last few days, so wonderful to be back on campus. Can you imagine working in a place like this?

All for now: see you on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, my blog, and newsletter. I just posted some nice pics of the family to FB and one new great pic of Danny the Devil Duck to the Dr. Dewett Facebook page. Hope to see you there. Enjoy your week!

Danny started a gang!

Hello everyone.  I hope this note finds you well.  You may have noticed a clear decrease in my communications of late.  No blogging, no newsletters, no podcasts, and very few daily tweets.  Ever since I decided to connect with the larger world I have made it my general practice to not shy away from being personal and talking about myself and my family.  It has always felt natural to me.  I see no reason to change that now.

Many of you know about my mother Judi.  For those who do not, here is the briefest of bios:  Judi is 64 years of age, lives happily in Florida, and absolutely loves crocheting blanks for a number of local charities.  She’s the greatest.  Unfortunately, mom has been diagnosed with stage 4a squamous cell carcinoma (basically, late stage throat cancer).  Her odds are decent according to the research.  She has just completed her first week of chemotherapy, and, if all goes well, she will complete nine weeks of chemo and then seven more for radiation.  Of course, at any time things can develop in an unexpected direction.

I know that so many of you have been touched by this disease.  I have heard from more than a few of you.  Thanks for sharing your stories.  I lost my father to a rare form of stomach cancer nine years ago.  Now for the second time I am watching my parent go to battle – and battle she will.  If you have been up close and personal with a loved one while they deal with this disease you know precisely where I am:  working hard each and every day to see the glass half full and working hard to share that perspective with my mother.

I am so blessed and so lucky.  I have so many kind people with whom I have been associated sending warm notes and positive thoughts.  Professionally, I have amazing flexibility compared to many such that I have been able to spend most of the last few weeks with Mom.  I have a wife who has stepped up magically during the days I cannot be there to help with anything that needs to be handled.  I have two amazing boys – just young enough to not really know what Grandma Judi is experiencing and just funny enough to make us smile even in this challenging time.

Finally, I have you:  the few thousand wonderfully crazy folks who follow me.  You listen to my rants on the podcasts, you retweet my tweets, you read the newsletter and blog, and you show the most amazing kindness when we meet at events where I speak and tell my stories.  I have no doubt that this episode with Mom will produce a few more interesting stories to share with others.  Fist, however, I need to spend some time focused on just that – getting through this episode as productively as possible.  While Dr. Dewett has gone global in the last few years, it is still a one man shop!  Thus, aside from a tweet here and there, you are not likely to see much activity from me over the next few months.

Please know that 1) I’ll be back with more energy and insight before you know it, 2) I greatly appreciate your support, and 3) I love my mother!  Go tell your mom you love her.  Stay positive – see you soon

Todd

Ps – the picture below of the little pink rubber duck was taken at the cancer clinic where Mom receives her treatment.  She of course knows all about my mascot Danny the Devil Duck, so she wanted me to snap this picture.  I told her the pink duck likely had horns like Danny, but they fell out during chemo.  Mom cracked up.  The glass is half full.

It seems like just yesterday he was merely my mascot.  My fun little friend who accompanied me on gigs.  Then he got his first dose of stardom and that was it.  Now he runs the show.  I actually heard him refer to me as his mascot.  Jeez.

FYI – more of Danny on my Dr. Dewett Facebook page… 

I have a gig tomorrow and I needed a few new ideas, but hit a wall at some point this afternoon.  Solution?  Harley – always works.  A few minutes in the sun and all is well.  Funny thing is, I don’t think deeply when I ride.   Leadership lesson:  you don’t always have to think deep.  It is sometimes enough to simply breathe deep and enjoy the moment.  If you disengage the brain once in a while, it tends to slip back into gear again on its own.  Happy Monday

(no – I did not film this, my passenger did!)

My (amazing) editor is a bit delayed wrapping up her work on my book.  Only one thing to do.  That’s correct – go to the tattoo parlor. 

Monday means a fresh start, a new beginning.

New striving, new learning, new winning.

It is a time to cut loose the week before.

The very best time to pick yourself up off the floor.

Like a child if you wish you will see things anew.

Possibilities, opportunities, bright sun and sky blue.

If nothing else, Monday means you are alive!

So smile and breathe deep when at work you arrive.

What Monday means is really up to you.

For me, Monday brings the ultimate chance to renew.

Be thankful for Monday.

A bit pithy or cheesy?  Sorry about that.  Too much coffee this morning.  I do not, however, apologize for the sentiment.  Monday is the most misunderstood and overlooked motivational asset we all possess.  It is the perfect time to cut loose old grudges and tackle problems from a new perspective.  It is a beautiful and regularly occurring “do over.”

Guess what – if you are a leader, it is your responsibility to shape how others perceive their day.  Because you know that Mondays can be difficult for some people, try reminding them of the possibilities.  Good luck!