A Bad Sign

I’m just askin’, mind you, but would you consider it a bad sign if a large carrion bird sat outside your window and stared at you as if… well, as if you were their next meal?

That’s pretty much exactly what I thought the other day when I visited a coworker’s office and was greeted by this somewhat disquieting scene right outside his office window.

Me bein’ me and all, naturally a whole host of great one-liners instantly came to mind:

“I dunno; if I were you I’d check the organization chart for your name.”

“Have you, er, noticed a dramatic drop in your emails, lately?”

… not to mention,

“I see HR is using a new approach for sending out layoff notices.”

Of course, I could always do the time-honored “pull out a tape measure and start checking if all my stuff will fit in his office routine”… but that’s been done to death, don’cha think? (Get it? Carrion birds? Death? Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! Er, sorry.)

Aw, don’t worry; I’m just kidding. I don’t really think he’s got anything to worry about. After all, with today’s economy in the shape it’s in, there’s no reason for anything but optimism, right?

Expect the Unexpected

What was really funny about the whole thing was when I moved closer to capture a good close-up. (Yes, he could see me easily, right through the heavy silvering on the outside of the glass.) As I eased my phone closer for a portrait, he reached out and started tap-tap-tapping on the glass. Good thing it was there or I’d be lunch meat!

Anyway, I just thought this was a rather, um, graphic reminder for all of us: when you’re in the midst of your plans, schemes, etc. – don’t forget to expect the unexpected. I mean, you never know, y’know? Just sayin’.

So… anything unexpected happen to YOU lately?

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You work and you work to accomplish the things you want, right? Twiddle this, jiggle that, make sure those things happen in the right order; it’s just life, y’know?

Experience, though, has taught me that, generally speaking, there’s at least one thing more you’re probably gonna need: patience!

All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go

Our return from Brazil was an exercise in mechanics. We packed up our suitcases, checked out of our hotel, ate a great breakfast, and loaded up the bus. It was time once again to head to the airport and board that big silver bird.

We were nearly the first to arrive at the terminal that morning, and so we very nearly had the entire ticketing area to ourselves. Checking in was the usual semi-controlled chaos; in spite of that it went relatively smoothly. Eventually we finally made it past ticketing and baggage check and headed for the boarding area and gate number 5.

As I approached, though, there was just one little problem. I looked out the window and – there was no plane!

My brain did a quick mental reboot as I considered the various and sundry ramifications of the situation. I mean, we’d done everything we were supposed to do, right? Tickets, luggage, boarding passes – check, check, check. It’s just that, without a plane it was all just an exercise, y’know? Sorta like a fire drill.

It’s All in the Timing

‘Course, once the initial surprise passed, I realized it wasn’t really a problem. We were just a little early, that’s all, and the plane simply hadn’t arrived yet. Still… until I saw our winged chariot waiting there for us, there was always that little niggling concern scratching away at the ol’ subconscious. What if it’s not coming? What if it’s late? What if – well, the list of worries could go on and on, couldn’t it?

The issue, you see, was in the timing. We’d done everything we were supposed to do. But now – ah, now it was out of our hands. The only thing we needed now was a little patience.

Not a bad lesson for life, wouldn’t you say? Sometimes we get so involved in getting things done we forget that not everything is under our direct control, y’know? You might as well face it: there’s times you simply have to wait for that thing you expect to happen… to happen.

The lesson, of course, is simple – have a little patience, friends! Do what you gotta do – but don’t forget to bring along that big ol’ bucket o’ patience. Chances are, you’re gonna need it.

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That Special Time of Year

One thing about the Christmas season; around our house it lasts for quite a while.

For instance, we usually put the Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving. And, since my birthday is at the end of January, I always beg Mrs. MZM to leave it up until after that blessed event is over. The result: we tend to celebrate Christmas around our house for a full 1/6 of the year! Yeehaw!

Then there’s all kinds of fun stuff to do, too, such as celebrating the end of hurricane season (a very big deal down here in the Gulf Coast region of the United States!), or searching for the perfect gift for Mrs. MZM (assuming the finances allow it – something that’s not always true from year to year *sigh*). Or maybe it’s cooking up sweet goodies like, um, pumpkin bread, or even making a big pile o’ delicious Christmas tamales (don’t laugh; that’s a big tradition here in Texas).

Special seasonal events abound as well: Christmas caroling, family get-togethers, and the annual “throwing out the old year’s resolutions to make brand-new ones”. And that doesn’t’ even begin to count events with religious significance as well: Christmas pageants, candlelight services, and all the rest.

But this year – ah, this year ranks right up there at the top of our Holiday experiences! I had the chance to be a king!

King for A Day

It all started when a friend asked me to help her with their school’s chapel time. “It’s easy,” she said. “All you have to do is be one of the three Kings (also known as the Wise Men) for a few minutes.”

Well, I ask ya; how could I turn such an offer down?

I mean, what’s the downside? There’s this really kingly robe to wear, I get to swap my cowboy hat for a shiny gold crown (only temporarily, of course – or maybe I could come up with a ‘Texas’ version?), and best of all, I’m already an experienced Wise Guy! (Yup; I’m a professional – please don’t try it at home!)

Unfortunately, one of the costumes was a mite too tiny to fit the fellow who volunteered (he was a bit too broad-shouldered), so we drafted my friend’s mom to stand in. (Now ordinarily, you’d think this might raise an eyebrow or two. Luckily, though, our audience was relatively indiscriminating, consisting of mainly a herd of about 25 three- and four-year-olds.)

The skit went well. We walked in singing the first verse and chorus of “We Three Kings”. Then each of us shared a little nugget about who we were (I played the second King, Melchior) and where we were from (I’m from out East – ‘waay past Louisiana). We also talked a little about the gifts we brought for the baby Jesus (mine was frankincense – and I challenge you to explain that to a three-year-old!)

I’ll tell ya; there’s nothing like the expression of wonder on a child’s face, is there? Their collective “ooh’s” and “ah’s” when we came in was well worth the effort.

I’ll tell ya; it’s good to be the King!

But Who Should Really BE the King?

Anyway, it was a lot of fun. Sadly, though, after a few minutes we trooped out and *sigh* had to return to the Real World. As I drove home, though, I reflected a bit on what it means to be a King. After all, when you get right down to it, that’s quite a job description, y’know?

Oh sure, the perks are great. Generally there’s a really nice place to live and a big staff of perennially eager beavers working and catering to every wish. There may even be hordes of devoted followers, too, hanging on the King’s every word as though they were, well, gold, frankincense or myrrh.

But bein’ a King ain’t all fun and games. After all, many a king has discovered the truism (sometimes the, um, hard way, if you get my meanin’) that along with great privilege comes great responsibility.

Sometimes, that’s the hardest lesson of all, isn’t it? That when you’re the actual leader – whether it’s of a single person or an entire country – it takes a very special individual who can truly live up to the role. Presidents and Prime Ministers, CEO’s and Supervisors, Captains and Corporals; they all bear a heavy responsibility when it comes to how they lead the folks underneath them in the org chart.

Are they worthy of the job they bear? Well, that’s the question, isn’t it? Sometimes, no matter the apparent qualifications, only time will tell.

Maybe that’s one reason Christians consider Jesus to be our King. I mean, with what we know about human nature (not to mention the not inconsiderable failings of earthly Kings and leaders of all kinds), only someone sent from God would really be qualified to do it right. Just sayin’.

Are You a Leader?

So what about you?

Are you a leader? What would you say are the main things that makes folks want to follow you? (Trust me when I say, if your followers don’t want to follow you, you ain’t a real leader no matter what the title says!) What advice would you give someone moving into a leadership role for the first time?

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And now for something a little different, y’all.

Kay Plantes asked me if I would be willing to post the following article because she felt it was “a story that needed telling”. I have to admit, it’s a pretty good account of how the power of vision can make all the difference to the tale of success. And, in an amazing display of serendipity, it also happens to fit neatly into our What I Learned From Limits groupwrite project this month! Way to go, Kay!

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Seeking: College-town of 20,000+ college students, with 10,000+ year-round residents, active nightlife and eclectic cultural tastes to locate a unique pizza restaurant

Ian Gurfield, an Amherst University college student, created this vision statement during an academic semester in Italy. Following a post-graduation cross-country trip through America’s college towns, he chose Madison, opening Frances Street Ian’s in the heart of UW’s nightlife.

Ten years later Gurfield owns multiple Madison businesses, his vision far more sophisticated, evolving due to his curiosity, willingness to experiment and tenacity. Admirably, he’s held “not knowing” until the right answers emerged.

Gurfield opened a second Ian’s on State Street to retain an ambitious business partner and capture traffic at Madison’s Capitol Square.  He discovered the challenges of multiple businesses and that a winning location is necessary but not sufficient.  By expanding the space to offer eat-in dining, Gurfield found success.  A restaurant on Chicago’s Clark Street also joined the mix.

Ian’s also grew synergistically using new products.  A local, organic frozen yogurt recently joined salads and brownies on the menus.  A staging kitchen will soon open on Willy Street, relieving stores of ingredient preparation. To speed financial payback, the kitchen will run a retail bakery modeled after Portland, Maine’s Standard Bakery.

Through all this, Gurfield struggled with Ian’s longer-term vision. Growth for the sake of growth wasn’t important, but retaining talent is, and that requires growth.  Furthermore, according to Gurfield, “Franchising wouldn’t work as we’d lose the local-owner-as-manager climate critical to creating Ian’s unique taste and experience.”

Ian’s recently completed 2020 Vision is a best-practice example of visioning for a number of reasons. The vision:

• Is specific and unique—not the generic statements so many leaders settle for.  For example, by 2020 Ian’s will have created 16 businesses, with at least 10 retail pizza restaurants, and in at least two geographic areas. A central entity, Ian’s Soul Central, will establish best practices across sites and offer marketing, financial and management services. An internal investment bank (open to employee investment) will fund expansion.
• Is inspiring—capturing what matters most (such as sustainability and good jobs) to the people who will transform reality into vision.
• Is strategic—setting a direction, not merely elusive goals. Gurfield’s vision work solved how Ian’s will grow while still retaining the individual identity and entrepreneurship vital to any one location’s success. Ian’s will be a federation of independently owned companies (at least two per city) that share knowledge and central services to help entrepreneurs overcome an otherwise lonely, challenging journey. Ian’s Soul Central will also convene a board of managing partners, each overseeing a city’s individual operator-owner companies, like State Street Ian’s Pizza that Lexy Frautschy now fully owns.
• Stretches from today. Ian’s hiring and training practices will be recognized nationally, for example.
• Yet, is rooted in the company’s DNA. Ian’s will always focus on exceptional ingredients, expertly prepared – “A business with pizzazz, not pizza” – and a rewarding environment for team players, all Gurfield core values.
• Clarifies what’s in and out. After completing the vision work, Gurfield learned that an associate’s father had unused organic farmland. Immediately he saw a fit, given Ian’s commitment to sustainable business practices and starting new businesses. Yet another federation member is born.

What does your vision statement say about your organization? If it reflects a “check the box, did that” activity, start again.  Defining your vision is at the heart of thinking and leading strategically.

Kay Plantes helps business leaders make better strategy decisions, faster. Her 20-year old firm, Plantes Company, LLC works with leaders to redefine their organization’s business model to secure higher profits and growth. The MIT-trained economist writes a weekly blog on business model innovation, http://www.plantescompany.com/blog and is author of Beyond Price: Differentiate Your Business in Ways that Really Matter (Greenleaf Bookgroup, 2009) http://www.beyondpricebook.com

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Quick question, y’all.

When you assure someone that what you say will happen is actually going to happen – does it make you a bit nervous? I mean, no matter how confident you feel, sooner or later you’re going to have to, y’know, face the music, right?

So when your confidence level prompts you to make a commitment (sound of terrified scream), does it still give you cold sweats? Perhaps a serious case of the heebie-jeebies? Yup; thought so.

But y’know; some situations require nothing less than absolute and total confidence; to state the case in no uncertain terms; to respond to a challenge with supreme fearlessness; to spit in the eye, so to speak, of the oncoming torpedo, y’know?

Give the Man a Chance

Speakin’ of torpedoes – and bein’ a guy and all – that kind of situation inevitably reminds me of a rather poignant moment from one of my favorite “guy” movies of all time, The Hunt for Red October.

The scene I’m thinkin’ of is where our intrepid hero, Jack Ryan, tries to convince the captain of the submarine USS Dallas that the captain of the Russian submarine he is closely shadowing (the Red October) actually wants to defect to the U.S.

(Now bear two things in mind; the American Captain has orders to sink the Red October, and up until this particular moment, the Russians have no idea they were being so closely tailed.)

It’s an edgy scene, to say the least. In the narrow confines of a submarine corridor, they tensely face off against each other – the Captain, because he thinks Ryan is out of his gourd for suggesting such a thing, and Ryan, supremely confident because of his own analysis of the Russian’s motivations (and because he’s the hero of this tale – and he’s never wrong).

Ryan realizes he only has one chance to make his case before being hauled off to the brig.

He finally plays his trump card by claiming he knows the Russian Captain so well he can actually predict the man’s every move – and that his next turn (called a “Crazy Ivan” in submariner’s lingo) will be to starboard. (That’s “to the right” for you landlubbers out there – and if you’re one of those who, like Mrs. MZM, can’t tell your right hand from your left, then please, move over and let ME drive!)

Suddenly, the intercom sounds…

Intercom: Conn, Sonar. Signal to noise ratio’s dropping. Possible aspect change in target. Possible target zig based on bearing rate.

Intercom: Conn, Sonar. Crazy Ivan! Captain. Captain, he’s turning!

Captain: Which way is he turning?

Intercom: To the starboard, sir.

Captain turns sharply to Ryan.

Ryan: Give the man a chance.

Captain (coming to a sudden decision): All back full.

Intercom: Captain, say again.

Captain: I said all back full!

Intercom: Back full. Aye, sir. Engines back full.

The submarine fills with noise as the propeller reverses, bringing the submarine to a sudden and noisy stop.

Intercom: We’re cavitating! He can hear us!

Captain: Conn, aye. All stop.

Intercom: All stop, aye.

Captain (smiling wryly at Ryan): All right, Mr. Ryan; we just unzipped our fly.

Here’s the thing…

At a previous job, our client once asked me to create a big poster listing 10 to 15 critical milestones for the project I’m working on. Now, ordinarily, that’s no big deal; we always had a detailed project schedule with that information available at the drop of a hat (but not my hat, mind you; that would be, y’know, wrong).

But still; there’s something about putting those milestones on a big, honkin’ poster and putting’ it up there for all to see, y’know? In a way, it’s kinda like making a list of your New Year’s resolutions – then publishing it on the front page of the New York Times. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like so much more of a, y’know, commitment that way.

Now, though, if we missed a date, it’s *ulp* right there on the wall for all to see (I could already feel little drops of sweat forming on my troubled brow…). After all, as any experienced project manager will tell you, a schedule is simply a battle plan. (And I emphasize the word plan.)

Oh, sure; we do our best to execute the plan (and no, I don’t mean – much as you’d like to – stand it against a wall, tie a blindfold on it and blow it to Kingdom Come). But still, there’s always, y’know, reality to deal with. As Field Marshall Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke (a bonecrusher of a name if there ever was one) once pointed out, “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.”

Hey, I understand perfectly. The very idea of “puttin’ feets to them words”, if you get my meanin’, can make even the most confident person on Earth tremble a bit inside. Especially when there’s a fair to middlin’ chance that factors outside your control might be at work at play.

But as I said back at the beginning of this little essay, sometimes the situation requires nothing less.

So What About It?

When was the last time you had to make one of those “everything-rests-on-this” type of commitments? What brought it up? What was the result? Do you dare to share a little about it here? C’mon, go ahead; we’re all friends here. (Besides, I need some new blog material. - KIDDING!)

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Have you ever suffered a serious disappointment in life? I’m talkin’ about one of those my-ship-just-came-in sorta things that you coulda swore (if your Momma hadn’t taught you not to) was as good as, well, guaranteed.

Sure you have!

I’ll tell ya what, Bubba; those times ain’t fun, are they? In fact, they’re downright painful – to the point of excruciation.

But speaking on behalf of those of us who have endured such trepidations, we can tell you one thing for certain: No matter how badly you feel, there is life on the other side!

Tough Times

Some years ago, the engineering job market in the U.S. suffered what’cha might call a serious downturn (which is a pathetically mundane euphemism for what it really means, to wit: it tanked, Bubba!). And during that time, yours truly, along with quite a few others, went through a period of extended unemployment. For me, it lasted almost exactly 4 years to the day.

Yep; you read it right, folks! It was a rough time, to say the least. Oh sure, every business cycle has its ups and downs. But never had I experienced such complete and total ineffectiveness at job hunting (other than, you know, odd jobs of various sorts) in my chosen field.

I’m tellin’ ya, Bubba; I tried everything! Alas, all the usual sources of jobs literally dried up before my very eyes. Even though I managed to land several pretty good job interviews during this period, unfortunately they never quite converted into an actual, you know, job.

Well… except for one… (flash of lightning, crash of thunder, sound of terrified scream).

First Contact

So what made this one different? Well, here’s the thing…

First contact for this particular position came from a headhunter. Now, I don’t know about you, but in my vast years of experience in the engineering field (34 and counting), whenever that sorta thing happens, it’s usually good for a yawn or two – at best.

Why, you ask? Well, it’s because headhunters generally contact so many people it’s hard to get too excited about it. (This is not a complaint; it’s just the way it is.) And, as most job-seekers probably know, submitting a resume to a headhunter is about as useful as dropping it into a quantum black hole. (Although dropping your resume into a black hole at least gives you lots of pretty colors as it’s sucked into infinity and transforms itself into gamma ray energy.)

Anyway, at first blush the job appeared to be slightly out of my area of expertise. Oh, don’t get me wrong; I was sure I could do the job. It’s just that I’d never had that particular job description before. And, after everything was said and done, more is usually said than done that sort of thing usually translates into a dramatic, er, lack of interest on the client’s part.

But hey, I was definitely interested, so at least the possibility of a job clicked forward a notch.

Nailed It!

Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather (sound of me, being knocked over with a feather) when the headhunter actually came through and arranged a phone interview. I mean, it had been so long since anyone had indicated an interest in little ol’ me, at first I wasn’t even sure I’d know how to act!

But when it was time to make the call, Bubba, I was ready.

I followed the classic job-seekers’ manual to the letter: I put on nice clothes (even to the point of wearing a tie), stood in front of a mirror (never sit down during a phone interview!), made sure I smiled a lot (believe it or not, they can actually hear a smile over the phone) – well, you know the drill, right? I’m tellin’ ya; I was as prepared as I could possibly be.

All that preparation paid off, too, because by the end of the interview it was obvious I’d pretty much nailed it. By the end of our conversation, the fellow I spoke with (who as it turned out, was the actual hiring authority) was absolutely convinced I was the right person for the job – and said so in no uncertain terms. I was the perfect combination of experience and enthusiasm he’d been looking for (which were pretty much his exact words).

Wonder of wonders, I was hired! Yessir, things were definitely looking up!

Well, we had talked longer than originally planned, so he had to leave for a meeting. So we arranged one more call the following week to discuss particulars (you know; those minor little details like salary, compensation plan, etc.) and signed off.

As you might imagine, by this time I’m pretty much dancin’ on the ceiling. My unemployment period had lasted over two years at this point, and the industry was still not on the recovery yet. Naturally, after such a positive interview, I did what anyone would do – I started to get my hopes up.

Hold on There, Bubba!

I know by now you’re probably way ahead of me. *sigh*

To nobody’s surprise (except, of course, mine), a week went by; then two. By the third week, after trying fruitlessly to contact said hiring manager (who steadfastly refused to return my calls), I finally had to admit to myself that all was not as rosy as it had seemed such a short time before.

All during this time, I was riding an emotional roller coaster, alternating between positive optimism and bouts of despair and frustration. I hope you’ve never been there, my friends, but if you have then you know exactly what I mean. It was a horrible time.

It was, I think, about five or six weeks after that phone interview when I finally managed to contact him again. (It must have been a moment of insanity on his part because he actually, you know, answered the phone.) Well, within approximately 5.92 milliseconds, I could tell my worst fears had been realized.

That’s right; there was no job! (sound of heartfelt sobbing)

The Back Story

So what the heck happened, you ask? Well, here’s the back story.

See, in the time between the actual interview and our planned second phone call (hey, it was only a week – 7 short days – a lousy 168 hours), corporate headquarters had put a freeze on all hiring. Yep; you read it right, ladies and gentlemen: there was to be no more hiring until further notice! (more sobbing, accompanied by occasional blowing of the ol’ schnozola)

Needless to say, I was completely devastated. I mean, there I was, not only fully qualified, but had even been specifically selected for the job! Then, just as I was about to step into my new role, it evaporated right before my very eyes!

I’m tellin’ ya, Bubba; I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to throw something. I wanted to – well, suffice it to say, I was not a happy camper. And I don’t mind admittin’ to y’all; it was probably one of the emotionally toughest things I’ve ever had to face.

Fast Forward

Ever had something like that happen to you? You know; when you were absolutely, positively SURE that ____________ (feel free to fill in the blank here) was really, really going to happen. In fact, you even saw it happening right before your eyes.

But then… it fell apart (sound of your vision shattering into a million pieces).

So, what was your reaction? Hey, if you’re anything like me (and sincere condolences if you are), then most likely you experienced, among other things, the urge to throw something, to climb to the highest tower and rage at the injustice of it all, or perhaps something equally Drama Queen-esque. Or, maybe not.

But here I am, five years later, and I can tell ya one thing for sure: I survived.

Yep; it’s true. At the time, it quite literally felt like the end of the world as I knew it. I mean, if I didn’t get this job – this perfect, wonderful job – well, I’d probably explode into a thousand pieces and turn to dust. Mrs. MZM would have had to get out the ol’ Dust Buster, collect my sorry remains, and dump me into the garden. At least my constituent elements might do the geraniums some good. (Or maybe kill ‘em; whatever.)

But to my complete surprise, I didn’t, in fact, explode. Nope; I picked myself up and, well, moved on. I didn’t know I could. I didn’t even feel like I could.

But (and here’s the amazing part) – I did.

Nothin’ to See Here

See, that’s the thing about big, traumatic disappointments. Oh, they happen, all right. And what’s more, they really, really hurt. Believe me, I understand perfectly.

But one thing I know for sure is that there is always a tomorrow. There will always, as long as we draw breath, be another chance for things to happen. It’s kinda like a big, cosmic Nothin’ to see here; keep movin’ sign up in the heavens.

What’s more; the thing you thought you couldn’t possibly ever get over – well, you may be surprised how what eventually happens can turn out to be even better than what you wished would have happened at the time. As a matter of fact, it’s always been true for me.

So what’s your experience been like? Have you ever faced a crushing disappointment in life, something that turned out totally the opposite of what you had in mind? Maybe you even, like me, had something literally snatched right out of the palm of your hand.

What did you do? How did you handle it? Have you managed to get past it yet – or are you still in the midst of one now? Let us know in the comment box, my friends; maybe even give us a chance to figuratively put our arms around your shoulders and say, “There, there; it’s gonna be all right!”

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Photo Credits:

A Bird in the Hand, by Mr. Hyde

Nuthin to See Here!, by shakti_truffle

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Just for the heck of it, instead of the usual story, I thought I’d drag out my podium and pretend to be a college professor today. (I just want a chance to prove this lump on top of my shoulders ain’t just a hat rack!) Feel free to chew gum, send text messages to your friends, or otherwise sleep while pretending to pay attention.

But I’ll begin by saying this: it’s all the fault of my friend Ellen Weber. Let me explain…

For those of you who hid under a rock during Ike’s rampage across the Texas countryside (not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you), you may remember that September’s WILF groupwrite project was titled What I Learned From My Friends.

In Ellen Weber’s entry, Two-Footed Articles for Ten Friends, she asked me an intriguing question that I feel needs a bit more than a comment box response. (Question: Do the ten of us each represent toes? Which one am I? Uh… never mind.)

Well, it’s a month later now, so here’s my response. (OK; I admit it: I’m sloooow.) Thanks for the question, Ellen! I love the little mind prompts you’re so good at. So here’s the question:

If people were the capital in today’s business world, how would they know that in their current workplaces?

Let’s think about this a bit (sound of grinding gears). For the sake of argument, let’s define capital as existing assets used to produce further assets. Sounds a little circular, I know, but it usually refers to buildings, inventory, and other physical stuff. However, obviously there can be many other types of capital that aren’t physical, yet are extremely critical to business.

For instance, there’s knowledge. The amount of knowledge kept inside the heads of any given organization can amount to a tremendous amount of value. These days, the biggest challenge for most companies is in learning to tap into that knowledge for the good of the organization. Not an easy task, lemme tell ya!

Then there’s a little something called experience. Most businesses depend on using their accumulated experience to convince others to buy a product or be hired to do X, Y or Z. That’s a form of capital, and it’s actually tradable – mergers & acquisitions is big business for that very reason.

I could go on, but my point here is that these forms of capital can only be found in people. Thus, in a very real sense, people are capital in an organization.

So what does that mean, anyway (sound of head scratching)?

Well, lemme ask you this: What do companies do with their capital, anyway? Uh, you in the back with the moustache and the big pink fuzzy slippers on – yes, you. Hey, right you are! It’s the same thing you want your capital to do for you while it’s in the bank – make it work for you!

So, what should someone with money (the most familiar form of capital for us ordinary folk) be doing with it? Well, here’s 5 principles I came up with right off the top of my head (which is the part of me right up there under the hat):

• Protect. The first and foremost thing is to try and keep what you have. I mean, you don’t want some bozo to come along and just lift it out of your hands and run off with it, right? So it stands to reason you wouldn’t want to just leave it lying around the house, or stuffed in a mattress somewhere. No! (he said, banging his fist on the podium) You find a safe place to keep it. That means a bank or something similar where the principal will not be at risk.
• Invest. However, now the money is secured, it needs to start earning its keep. That means some sort of investment, right? Here’s where the risk-level (and the tendency towards, er, hair-pulling) really starts to matter. See, the fact is, some folks are very risk-tolerant, some aren’t. And, to make things more interesting, risk tolerance usually changes over time. Not to mention that it’s constantly influenced by external forces as well. Today’s DJIA is a case in point (sound of hysterical sobbing).
• Grow. So, what’s the point of having the money if you’re not going to do something with it? The fact is we use money as a means (and note – it’s a means, not an end) to live, grow, and prosper – eventually (hopefully) to make our lives, well, sorta ‘bigger’ than they once were, if you get my meanin’. And, if all goes well, your life tomorrow will be “larger” than it is today. Growth is implicit in, well, existence.
• Secure. Securing the future is probably one of the most common uses of money. And that doesn’t necessarily mean chunking an inexhaustible supply somewhere, a la money tree. I mean, who has that kind of resource available? (Although… having a money tree would certainly make life so much simpler, wouldn’t it? Or would it?) No, what I’m talking about here is leveraging present, well, things for future security. Like 401k accounts, for instance. Or burial plots, for that matter. Whatever you do now that makes the future more manageable and secure (in this case defined as “less hassle”).
• Transfer. Finally, once our needs are totally met, we convey the excess on to the next generation. One thing I think we can all agree on is that to date, no one has successfully figured out how to “take it with ‘em”, have they? So what’s the point of accumulating beyond reason? Passing on the surplus to the next ones to come along only makes sense. Just, er, make sure they know what to do with it!

OK, now let’s get back to Ellen’s question. What would these principles mean if you substituted the words “organization” for “someone” and “people” for “capital”? All right, Ellen, let’s do that thing, throw ‘em against the wall, and see what sticks:

• Protect. An organization does its level best to protect the investment it’s made in its people. And we’re talking about a significant sum here, folks! When folks leave, it’s like a big black hole (say, what’s that giant, sucking sound?) that can drain the vitality out of any organization. It is to be avoided whenever possible. Organizations that want to protect their place in the market will do what it takes to let workers know they are important enough to keep.
• Invest. They spend resources so employees are up to speed on job skills needed to do the work. It’s another way companies signal they are worth the extra effort. It’s a risk; sure. Sometimes upgrading employee skills opens the door for them look toward other horizons. But if the nest is safe, maybe they’ll be less likely to jump, don’t ya think?
• Grow. They look for ways to improve job processes; it helps keep the organization on a track to growth. By staying ahead of the curve, organizations can make themselves the “place to be” in their industry. Truth is, everyone likes working for a winner. (You’ve seen those “favorite places to work” lists, haven’t you? Hey, it’s a choice – and there’s a cost to it; but it’s up to the organization to be that winner.
• Secure. Giving their folks the means to secure their futures is a sure-fire way of keeping them for the long haul. Adequate healthcare, retirement and other benefits go a long way to show employees they’re worth it, and that they can be more secure where they are than with someone else.
• Transfer. This one’s a toughie. Making room at the top for new ideas, new visions, and new directions. Every day sees us closer to a brand new world; the more able to see things in new ways, the more likely an organization will still be around for long. Even down in the ranks, room for new is necessary. Cycle of life, and all that.

So the question now is, does that make sense? Does this describe your company? Is it even close? If not, then what could they do to change?

So what do you think? Am I right on track, or should I do like Robert Scoble did and go back to my old job as a crash-test dummy? Thoughts, anyone?

[Note - No actual Robert Scobles were injured during the writing of this article.]

[Further Note - No offense intended, Robert; I just couldn't resist using this silly image (found here). And by the way, I know the feeling well.]

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Bougainvillea blooms

I know that probably seems like an odd title considering the photo here is of a flaming pink bougainvillea. But – uh, bear with me a moment, will ya? I gotta get some things off my chest.

(Pause while your intrepid and generally unflappable editor jumps up screaming, slapping at his chest repeatedly as he attempts to get a couple of bugs off his chest that somehow dropped down from a clear blue sky.)

Eek! Yuck! Whew! I think I’m alright now. Yuck, I hate icky bugs, especially when they land on you unannounced and all…

Don’t worry folks; I’ll be OK. Today I’m braving the elements once again to share another lesson I picked up from our backyard garden.

The Reluctant Bougainvillea

You folks remember Phil and Queenie, right? Well, we also have this hanging plant, a bougainvillea (wow, is that ever hard to spell!) that makes me nuts. (OK; maybe it’s more accurate to say it helps keep me nuts.) I simply can’t figure it out.

See, when we first saw it at the nursery (does it seem strange to you like it does me that the same word is used to describe a place for both newly born humans and for newly grown plants? What are they, Triffids?) it was completely covered in lovely blooms such as the one you see here. It was, to say the least, quite impressive.

Since we wanted something that would provide a splash of color and handle full sun with ease, well, a hanging basket of bougainvillea seemed to be just the ticket. We brought it home (no name yet, but we’re working on it) and hung it on a pole in our garden.

Apparently, though, our back yard must be the equivalent of a radioactive waste to bougainvilleas, because within two weeks, it was nothing but a bunch of sticks. I’m serious; every single bloom and leaf was on the ground below. Sheesh! Was it something I said?

I kept watering it every now and then as instructed (according to the nurseryman, you’re supposed to let it dry out, then flood it), just to see what would happen, and sure enough, a couple of the branches started sprouting a few new leaves again (phew; so much for the radioactive theory). After a few more weeks, it was partially re-leafed (is that a word?), then lo and behold, the bunch of blooms pictured here appeared.

Since then I’ve been waiting see if it comes completely back, but so far, it’s still only a shadow of its former self (see the photo below for its current state). We’ve had other plants that looked like they were going to kick the bucket, so to speak, but they came back even bigger and better than ever, so I guess we’ll just have to see.

Hey, if nothing happens, well, there’s plenty of other things I can try, like repotting it, relocating it to a different spot, assorted fertilizers, and as a last resort, maybe I can plant it next to Phil and Queenie and see if they give it some inspiration. You never know just which technique will be the one that does the trick.

Having just recently wrapped up our Metaphors for Life groupwrite project, it occurred to me this bougainvillea might just be a metaphor for something. Now, if I could just put my finger on exactly what it’s a metaphor, er, for… ah! How about this:

Are You Resilient?

Bougainvillea basket

So I guess the Question of the Day is: Are you resilient?

By that I mean if you were to experience a setback – say, you just found out a project you’ve poured yourself into didn’t get funded, or perhaps you’ve suffered a sudden and unexpected disappointment in a relationship – well, are you the kind of person who can “come back” easily?

It’s not an idle question. As we all know by now, life doesn’t always work out the way we want (please ignore the gasps of surprise from behind you). For that matter, I would venture to say a significant percentage of things we want to happen – usually, um, don’t.

So what’s a body to do? Well, if you’re like me (and once again, sincere condolences if you are), or even like our sad little bougainvillea, there are a few things you can try.

Repotting – OK, so your feet aren’t firmly rooted in soil. Still, you’re probably rooted to something (like that pet project I mentioned earlier). But if you’ve tried everything you know to do, and it just isn’t quite gelling, well, maybe it’s time to, you know, move on to a new one. You gave it your best shot, but it just didn’t work out. No problem; use what you learned to build a brand new opportunity. You might just come back stronger.

Relocating – Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve kinda moved about this ol’ planet a few times. (In fact, as it says up there in the About Yours Truly page, Mrs. MZM and I have moved well over 60 times during the course of our 26-year marriage.) There’s just something exciting about moving to a new place, isn’t there? New scenery, new people, (maybe) new job, new house, new – well you probably know what it’s like. One thing relocating always does is stimulate our interest levels. It’s sorta like restoring the “buzz”, if you get my drift.

Fertilizer – Sometimes the problem with plants is they’re missing an essential element or two in their diet. And likewise, sometimes we’re only missing a couple of elements to really make our ideas click, you know? I was getting frustrated while building a business case the other day, but when a co-worker made a simple suggestion – voila! (which is a French word for well I’ll be doggoned!) it made all the difference! Like our sticken plant, all I needed was one little element to move my case from merely OK – to great!

Inspiration – No matter how creative you happen to be, don’cha find there’s times you just can’t seem to get the ol’ Muse stirred up and earning their keep? I know I do. That’s where it helps to take my eyes off the Center of the Universe (that’s a euphemism for, um, “me”) and look around. Hey, there’s all kinds of inspiration out there, you know? What’s more; there’s an easy-peezy, sure-fire, no-fail method of tapping into it, too: All you need is a change of focus. Yup; if you’ll just begin to notice all the amazing stuff going on around you, well trust me Bubba; there simply aren’t enough books to contain it all!

So What About You?

All right, by now you’re somewhat better educated on the care and feeding of a bougainvillea spectabilis. But the real question is, are you better able to handle setbacks? What about it? Have you experienced a setback recently, and what did you do to manage it (after, you know, throwing a hissy-fit and jumping up and down)?

Take a moment to share your experience here. Add more advice if you have some. Hey, we’re listening!

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Other posts from the backyard garden series: Phil and Queenie: A Love Story

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Photo credits:

Bougainvillea blooms, by Robert Hruzek

Bougainvillea basket, by Robert Hruzek

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Would you willingly take on a project that had all the signs of being a real pain in the tookus? That’s the question fellow Texan and business blogger Laura Spencer asked not long ago in her post, Should You Accept an “Ugly Duckling” Project?

The questions struck a chord for me (sound of F^# major-minor augmented chord) – because I once did exactly that.

You know how, especially during warm summer months – when you see the clouds building, and the breeze freshens up rather suddenly, and off in the distance you can hear the rolling thunder – well, you know pretty soon there’s gonna be a humdinger of a storm, right? Yeah, it was like that.

When my manager and I first heard about this particular project (it was only a potential project at that time), we both recognized immediately there would be serious challenges in store for whoever took it on. If I recall correctly, I think our initial conclusions went something like this: a) it’ll never finish on schedule, b) it’ll go way over budget, c) it’s critical to plant operations (increasing the risk), and what’s more, d) it’s sure to be a high-profile project.

Well as it turned out, a) it didn’t, b) it did, c) it was and d) yes-a-rooni!

The irony (which as you know means made entirely of iron) goes even farther, too. I asked for the project. Yep, sometimes I’m crazy like that.

Now, of Laura’s five reasons to prove your insanity take on an ugly duckling project, that second one, “Your chance to shine” is why I asked for it. I recognized right off it would be an opportunity to manage a “stand out” project. And Bubba, stand out it did!

Warning Signs

Now, it wasn’t a particularly complex project or anything. No new technology, or even anything fancy. At its most basic, it was simply an equipment replacement. But here’s the four main reasons why it was so significant:

Budget – Normally, our particular group managed what’s termed “small projects” – usually up to about $5 million in total installed cost. However, in this case the equipment being replaced was rather expensive, making the estimate at nearly 4 times that amount. Although it was unusual for us to handle one of this size, it said something about the client’s confidence in our capabilities, and we had no intention of letting them down. (In fact, our company handled any-size projects, including multi-billion-dollar ones; it’s just that my particular group focused on these small projects only.)

Schedule – Typically, every project undergoes a scheduling process that first determines its duration, then coordinates a start date with all the other projects going on (usually 60-75 at a time). Sometimes, though, one comes along with a fixed “need date” much earlier than normal, hence the name: “fast track”. Alas, this particular project was not only on the fast track – it was an LGV high-speed express train at that (sound of terrified scream)!

Criticality – One thing that determines the need for a fast track schedule is the criticality of the project. In this case, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, this one was almost an 11! That usually means the existing equipment is about to fail at any moment. The bad news: if it does, the plant shuts down (resulting in several hundred thousand $$$ per day in lost revenues). Needless to say, they needed the new installation, and they needed it now! (Never mind that it should have been started a year or two earlier. But it’s OK; I’m over it now.)

Scrutiny – We handled so many project at any given time, it was unusual for any specific one to be singled out for special attention. Ordinarily the only ones they discussed in the Manager’s meetings were projects that varied from expectations in some shape or form (exceeded budget by a specified percentage, critical delays, etc.; that sort of thing). But this one had a guaranteed front-row seat at every meeting, thanks to its huge size and compressed schedule. Translation: they were watching it – and me – like a flock of hawks at a groundhog convention!

OK, now you know the score; you’re probably wondering how it worked out, right? Uh, right? (Either that or you’ve already moved on to the next blog in your RSS reader.)

The Best Laid Plans…

Well, as I indicated earlier, things didn’t… quite… go as the client had hoped. Sometimes even the best laid plans aren’t worth, as they say in East Texas, a hill o’ beans. I’m telling ya, we swooshed by their original deadline like the Silver Streak on steroids. And the budget – well, suffice it to say their initial estimates turned out to be several years old by the time we got actual, you know, real world pricing.

What kept the local antacid distribution company in business, though, was the onset of winter (the project was located in a north central U.S. state). The old equipment was in pretty bad shape, with a very real possibility that accumulating ice might cause the existing equipment to collapse.

Hey, we did our best, but unfortunately there wasn’t much we could do to speed things up much; at the time, most contractors were pretty much operating at full capacity already. (You know all that faldera you hear on the news about the economy being so terrible? Not true; just look at production - it’s off the charts!)

As things turned out, though, the key to success wasn’t a matter of managing the project. Hey, we had that part pretty well covered, if I do say so myself. I mean, project management is what we do, you know?

The REAL Challenge

No, the real challenge (and what most contributed to that suave, debonair “silver-haired” look you see in my photo) was managing the client’s expectations.

See, the biggest issue was the ridiculously abbreviated schedule. Everyone on the client’s side seemed to think that just because you could make it work on paper, then hey, it’s a done deal. But as we all know, the real world has a way of jumping up and biting you on the, er, brains, you know?

Believe me, the real world had a lot to say! There were unusually heavy rains, for instance, that literally flooded the entire area for several days. (I’m not kidding; it was so deep, the construction crews threw together an impromptu dock for Noah’s Ark, just in case.)

And, as winter deepened, ice accumulations often hindered foundation work as well as material deliveries. (Our contractors even tried to send a special team to northern Canada to see if they could find a few Inuit looking for work. Just kidding; they couldn’t find a dog sled going in the right direction.)

Then there were financing issues. It takes time to release that much money from most companies’ tight little fists, you know. Several times they had to essentially shut down the project until money could be released for the next stage of construction. Sheesh, if I had been a partaker of alcoholic beverages (gave it up 30 years ago), I’d have been a goner!

But still, no matter how capricious Mother Nature acted, the client still seemed to operate on a “perfect world” scenario. Oh, well; that’s how it goes sometimes.

Amazingly enough (and to everyone’s happy surprise) the old installation did NOT fall down under the weight of ice that winter. Spring arrived, and construction finally finished, leaving only the start-up and certification tasks to be completed. After everything was said and done, the project finally managed to creak its way into operation (around the beginning of Summer).

As for me, I managed to get a kudo or two in my record for having had to manage such a difficult project. Even though we didn’t even come close to hitting the original budget or schedule (because they were so unrealistic – and it was acknowledged by the client), it still got chalked up as a success for me personally.

For example, one of our performance indicators is the Total Dollar Value of all projects managed. In my case, this one project alone pushed my tracking numbers way up there; higher than anyone else’s at the time. So, even though the project had its share of difficulties, I was given high marks just for having this project on my record.

And so it went.

So What About You?

But enough about me; let’s talk about you!

Ever faced this kind of problem challenge experience? Yup; I dare say most of us have. Perhaps it’s inevitable that, sooner or later, we’ll all have to have to learn how to deal with unreasonable expectations from a client. (And for the sake of discussion, client can also be interpreted as: boss, spouse, friend, offspring, pet – hey, fill in as appropriate here.) So here’s today’s questions:

When did you last encounter issues with client expectations? Did you end up praying for a miracle, or was there some specific way you managed them? What’s your favorite technique for managing them? How did it turn out? Any techniques that work better than others? In what circumstances are they best? Got any good tips for us here – and care to share ‘em with the rest of us?

[Note from the Proprietor: In case the aliens have only last night returned you to Earth and you missed it, before you proceed I highly recommend you first go here and read Part 1. I'm just sayin'.]

OK, the question before the jury, ladies and gentlemen, is from Brad Shorr’s post, “Try”:

What do you do when you hit a brick wall?

Before going on, let’s quickly review where we ended up at the end of Part 1 (and remember, we’re interchanging the words brick wall with the words problem or challenge): Every time we encounter a challenge, there are two things that usually dictate how we’ll respond:

• Worth - Is the prize worth the struggle?
• Motivation - What’s my motivation?

Alrighty then; now that we’re up to speed, let’s move on. You may recall that Part 1 ended with a call for contributions to that vast repository of information known as the General Body of Knowledge. Well, time’s up (sound of buzzer)! Remember, as is typical in life, generally there’s more than one answer to any question of this nature.

The Readers Speak Up

Let’s pass the microphone over to you guys for a bit and see what you had to say. (Please note this is not a definitive list, it’s just to get the ol’ brain cells to tick over once or twice.)

• Trust Your Feelings. One way Jackie Cameron recognizes a brick wall is when “things don’t feel right”. Very astute, Jackie! Many times, if we’ll tune in to our surroundings we can often sense “something” isn’t right – even if we can’t tell what, exactly it might be (the “drat; I know I’m missing something here” syndrome). Life Lesson: Never underestimate your own intuition! I’ll tell ya; it would take a whole herd of books to catalog all the times I’ve been saved from disaster by stopping to just “feel out” the situation. (OK, let’s be honest here; it was mostly Mrs. MZM’s intuition, not mine, but let’s not quibble details, shall we? Me, I tend to blunder ahead like a brontosaurus.)
• Break It Down. Brad Shorr likes to break the challenge down into smaller pieces and take them one at a time; eventually they get easy enough to solve. It’s the ol’ “start in the middle” technique. This is a good one if the challenge is made up of lots of little things that can be done independently (if you think about it, many challenges may be like this; come to think of it, it’s how I wrote this particular blog post). Life Lesson: Identify the components a challenge is made up of and do the easy parts first. Sometimes a challenge is like a big, tangled knot; once you manage to work loose even a tiny part of it, it’s the key to unraveling the rest! So rather than get all hot n’ bothered about the parts you can’t do, work on the ones you can.
• Leverage Past Successes. Similarly, GL Hoffman leverages his experience to overcome challenges. Hey, you already know it can be done; it’s just a matter of repeating it. Of course, it’s a bit more powerful if you’re the one who did it, but still. Life Lesson: Take advantage of experience whenever you can. You know; you may find that most challenges fall into categories, each of which takes certain techniques to solve. Look for examples you can use to solve them. Why reinvent the wheel, anyway?
• Confront It. Another method is a kindof “look yourself in the mirror” technique. Jackie Cameron also likes to just ask herself, out loud, “OK you – just what is the problem here?” Notwithstanding the talking to herself thing, I’d say this isn’t bad. Have you ever been around someone so negative you just wanted to slap ‘em silly give ‘em a good shake say that to? Yeah, thought so; me too. Life Lesson: Sometimes you have to confront the problem right to its face. There will inevitably be times when it’s good to just point your finger at the problem and ask, “So what’s the problem here?”
• Seek Inspiration. Now here’s an interesting one. When stuck trying to write a poem or a story, Marcus Goodyear seeks inspiration by reading similar material. Can’t say I’ve ever purposefully tried it, but it sorta rings true just the same. I mean, there’s nothing like a good story to inspire another one, you know? (Seriously; just observe a bunch of guys in any gathering as they attempt to “one-up” one another’s stories.) Life Lesson: Good examples can sometimes provide keys to unlocking a challenge. It’s like Amy Palko’s photography: it inspires me to try something similar – and I’m not even a photographer!
• Question Everything. Karen Hanrahan likes to utilize lateral thinking when faced with challenges (yes, that’s what you’re doing, Karen!) By writing it all down in a journal she ends up with a “bird’s eye view” of the problem. It’s sorta like reading out loud – things just sometimes look different once they’re on paper. She finds it often provides the key to solutions. Life Lesson: Try examining the situation in a different way. A fresh look at the challenge may evoke things you may have missed. Asking for input from friends or trusted advisors can be very helpful – they’re not attached to the challenge like you are.

What About Bob?

Along about now you’re probably asking, “OK, Mr. Wisenheimer, so what about you?”

Well, after I’ve done the “run in circles, scream and shout” bit, and before I hit the panic button, I tend to approach challenges like… water.

You remember the water, don’t you? You remember how it behaved when it came up to a barrier of some kind, right? It eventually built itself up until it either went around, over, under or through whatever was in the way.

That’s the way water works. Given enough time (and as long as the water kept building), it simply couldn’t be contained.

In fact, it’s a little like project management: You just keep adding resources until the challenge is met and overcome. Then rinse and repeat for the next one. (Note: “Resources” is a word that includes just about anything you might need to accomplish something. Time, people, money, knowledge, etc. – they’re all resources.)

But what if your resources are limited, you ask? Once again, good question!

Well, I’ll tell ya; it’s hard to imagine you would ever run out of resources as long as you’ve got your friends out here! With the tools we have at our disposal these days, you can pretty much count on finding help for just about any challenge you may face. Why, just the other day I had a simple MS Windows question, and I used Twitter to get a quick and accurate answer (Thanks Chris!). Time expended: less than 5 minutes!

Now that I think about it, I realize that I’ve used most of the methods above at one time or another. And perhaps that’s the best lesson of all: There’s more than one way to do just about anything!

Talk to Me

So what about it, folks; what techniques could you add to this list? (C’mon; you know you want to!) When was the last time you overcame an insurmountable challenge? What did you do?

Typically, when an organization wants to make large, dramatic or fundamental changes in the way they operate, and they have trouble or simply can’t do it themselves (due to lack of available personnel, not enough expertise, or whatever), they usually call in a consultant.

Now, I’m going to go out on a limb here (sound of limb cracking ominously) and say that generally speaking, all consulting engagements consist of the same basic steps. It generally doesn’t matter if it’s a financial institution or a manufacturing facility, a new customer service initiative or an improvement in process throughput; they’re all the same.

So what exactly are these mysterious steps? I thought you’d never ask!

Step 1: Visualize the Future

Most consulting gigs begin when a client identifies some condition they’d like to change, typically followed by a vision of where they’d like to be in relation to it. This vision may be prompted by financial considerations, operational issues, or possibly the CEO’s attack of indigestion. (The truth is, there’s almost always room for improvement.) Whatever the case, the client has presumably given it some thought and decided they want to move from one condition to another.

It’s important to note; that future state is likely a bit nebulous at this point. That’s because it hasn’t been completely thought through yet (hence, the need for help). But at least there’s a vision; that’s the starting point.

Step 2: Perform an Assessment

Once the consultant becomes involved, the first thing they usually do is assess where exactly the client is (in relation to where they want to be). In accordance with the vision as it currently stands, the assessment usually consists of a series of interviews with appropriate personnel, along with the collection of pertinent historical data.

This provides that critical point of reference (the “you are here” spot). See, no improvement is possible without knowing where you are first; it’s just the way it is. This is also where specific elements that must be changed get identified. These are usually called Key Progress Indicators (KPI’s), and will be the means of measuring progress later during the implementation.

Step 3: Conduct a Gap Analysis

OK; once the KPI’s are identified, the idea is to define the differences between the future state of each KPI and the current state. That gives you the “gap”. Now the client knows exactly how much improvement is required, and the consultant can build a plan that will (if they did their job correctly), get them there.

It’s important to identify all the KPIs that are pertinent to the expected change; no more and no less.

Step 4: Create an Implementation Plan

The implementation plan is a detailed list of steps required to move every KPI from point A to point B. Unfortunately, this is where most consulting gigs come to a grinding halt (sound of grinding halt). For instance (assuming the plan is a good one), making the change turns out to be bigger than the client thought at first (a not unusual discovery) and they become nervous about expending that much money, time, or resources.

There may also be other factors at play as well; outside influences, uncertainties in the market, etc. Alas, way too many implementation plans end up as a nice set of binders on a shelf somewhere, gathering dust instead of doing what they’re supposed to do: foster improvement.

Step 5: Implement the Plan

Finally, the plan now created gets put into place. A famous quote comes to mind here: “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.” Although often attributed to Patton or Eisenhower, it was actually Helmuth von Moltke who is first credited with the saying (although I’m sure every commander since time began has had a similar thought!)

In any case, no truer words were ever spoken! The thing to remember about implementation plans is they must be detailed enough for easy execution, but flexible enough for modification when necessary (notice I said when, not if).

Step 6: Monitor and Correct as Needed

Although called a “step” this one is really a continuous action. Once implemented, presumably conditions have improved to match the future envisioned at the beginning and detailed during the project. However, it’s important to keep an eye on things since there are always a few (or many) things that get missed and/or need to be “tweaked” a bit.

Think of it as a “living program” that goes back and constantly compares the KPI’s to make sure the improvement is “permanent”. Eventually, the future state becomes second nature, and then it’s time to start thinking about yet another improvement… and thus, the beat goes on.

C’mon, Make It Personal

You know, what’s really amazing is these steps aren’t just for big corporations; they can be almost universally applied to any growth or improvement, whether you’re dealing with a large organization or (and here is where it really gets good) a single individual (that’s you!)

I know, I know; there’s bound to be a few skeptics out there. And right about now you may be sayin’ to yourself, “OK, Mr. Smarty Pants, can it really be that easy? What if I want to… write a novel? Or learn to fly (an airplane, that is – if you want to learn to fly like Superman, well, you’ll have to check with Jor-El), or otherwise change my life in large, dramatic and/or fundamental ways?”

Well, first of all, please note that I did not say it was easy! Simple – maybe – but in consulting, as in life, execution is everything. Second, I’m here to tell ya; you absolutely can use these steps to accomplish pretty much anything that’s actually, you know, possible. (However, if you want to do something that’s genuinely not possible, it’s like I said: you’re on your own, Bubba!)

About the only prerequisites to move yourself from point A to point B are 1) the desire to make a change, and 2) the motivation you’ll need to stick with it until it’s done.

So how would you implement a major change in your life? How would you translate those steps above into something useful for you? What would you add or change?

(Image credit: A friend of mine dropped this comic on my desk some time ago. It’s from a Dilbert desk calendar, but I have no idea what the date is, although the year appears to be 2003. Or 2005. Or maybe 3002.)

OK, I have kindofa weird question for you. A conversation with a friend got me to thinking about it (that grinding noise you hear). But bear with me, there’s a method to my, er, madness today.

Have you ever considered that you might be a robot?

Apparently there’s a relatively new TV show called The Big Bang Theory (storyline: two nerdy physicists sharing an apartment have their lives disrupted by a beautiful new neighbor) in which this very question comes up. (Extra special bonus points: How many stereotypes can you identify in that show’s storyline?)

First, you may need a little background.

The question above is a reference to a recent and somewhat silly movie I, Robot (starring the amazingly versatile Will Smith). Well actually, to be more accurate (something we always strive for here at the Zone!), it refers to the wonderful series of books and short stories written by sci-fi author extraordinaire, Isaac Asimov.

Oh, I guess the movie was all right as a good non-gory, mildly interesting action/sci-fi thriller. But as is typical with Hollywood, it had very little, if anything, to do with the original book. Ah, well, c’est la vie (which is Hollywoodspeak for don’t bother us with facts!)

The thing is, in this story all robots have built into them something called the Three Laws of Robotics. These laws are hard-wired into every robot, thereby providing complete and utter confidence that robots would never cause harm to anyone, thus:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Anyway, back to the TV show.

Four friends are sitting around one evening when out of the blue, one of them asked another the above question. The response, after a moment of incredulity, was a resounding denial, naturally. But the fellow persisted.

“I don’t know; let’s think about this for a minute,” he said. “Have you ever intentionally harmed a human being?”

“Well, no,” he replied.

“Has there ever been a time when you failed to do something, and someone was hurt?”

“Of course not!” was the indignant answer.

“Have you ever willingly allowed another human being to come to harm?”

The guy looks at him in exasperation. “I would never do that!”

There was silence for a minute. Finally, the other three nodded their heads to each other and said to the guy, “You know, I think you just might be a robot.”

Whereupon the guy gets up, walks over to his questioner, and whacks him on the arm! “Nope,” he says smugly, sitting down again. “Not a robot.”

OK, by now you’re probably asking yourself, “Self, what the heck does all this weird talk of robots and laws and stuff have to do with me?”

Well, first of all, how long have you been doing this “talking to yourself” thing? Maybe you should seriously consider getting professional help!

Anyhoo -

Has anyone ever gotten the wrong impression of you? Was it something you said? (I didn’t mean it – honest!) Something you inadvertently did? (I didn’t mean it – honest!) Maybe it was even something you, um, er, wrote? (Eek! Kinda hard to take that one back, isn’t it?)

Well, my fine feathered friend, if this has ever happened to you, then don’t just sit there and stew about it (forming a sortof, er, you stew – yuk!) No way, Jose! Let Dr. Bob give you the solution to what ails ya!

Hey, this is not the time to sit back and mope around, my friends! Nope, you want to think of it as a call to action! It’s actually quite simple, and can be summed up in only three little words:

Prove them wrong!

Even more extra special bonus points: Has it ever happened to you? What happened, and what did you do to correct the situation?

Speaking of assumptions (click on this link: Too Slow for His Own Good), here’s a great story that illustrates how we all make assumptions, pretty much all the time.

Mrs. MZM’s niece is a rather petite woman who could be described as a self-reliant person with a very can-do attitude. As a matter of fact, I’ve always admired her pragmatic approach to life.

A few years back she and her husband decided to join the countless hoards who have decided they wanted to own and ride motorcycles, so he of course bought a Harley, while she got a Honda Shadow. As I said, she is petite, so even though the Shadow is already somewhat low-slung, she still had to have it lowered 3 inches so she could comfortably hold it up while standing at a stop sign.

As for riding gear, well, they went all out; they bought the leather pants and jackets, three-quarter helmets (thank goodness they weren’t stupid!), riding boots, leather gloves – the whole kit. Adding to this image were their wrap-around sunglasses, the bandannas they wore on their heads under the helmets… oh, and his long beard.

Man, they looked like a couple of real desperadoes by the time they got fully suited up! But overall, I gotta say they made a pretty cool pair.

One fine sunny day she decided to take a quick trip up to College Station, Texas (home of Texas A&M University!) to pay her son a visit and show off the new bike. So she saddled up the Shadow and took off for the day, timing her arrival at her son’s place of work (they build farm trailers) so they could have lunch together.

Her son was inside with some of his co-workers when one of them noted the interesting phenomenon of Small Woman With Big Shadow (it has a sorta Dances With Wolves ring to it, doesn’t it?) pull up and park.

“Man, get a load of the tough-looking chick on this motorcycle,” the fellow called out.

Guys being guys, they all immediately crowded up to the window to check out the, uh, motorcycle.

Her son stepped back in horror as sudden realization sank in, and in a shocked voice cried out, “Hey, that’s no chick – that’s my mom!”

OK, the question we should be asking ourselves is not whether or not we’re making assumptions – and let’s face it, we all do it, all the time. And, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. No, the real question is, what’s the risk? Or, to put it more accurately, what’s the risk of those assumptions?

Huh? How’d we get from assumptions to risk? Hey, glad you asked!

See, in the engineering field, we often talk about controlling risk. There’s always a safety risk of course, but there are plenty of other, sometimes more subtle risks as well, such as construction risk (what if that crane isn’t available?), financial risk (what if market conditions change?) and start-up risk (what if you build something and it flat doesn’t work? Believe me, it’s happened!)

Well, the way we control risk is to identify the underlying assumptions made during the planning phase of the project, and then figure out ways to respond just in case things don’t quite go as planned. That’s basic risk management. And by the way, this is where bringing multiple brains to bear (follow this link: Keep Thinkin’ Y’all…) really comes in handy.

What’s really great is we can do the same thing in our everyday lives! Instead of acting on our assumptions of such-and-such about so-and-so, for instance, what if we learned to manage the risk instead?

What do you think?

Doggone! Aarrgh! Spit! P’tooi! (And what the heck: let’s throw in a Rats! while we’re at it.)

(Insert deep breath here.) OK, I’m better now. Have you ever had one of those days?

I’m an engineering project manager by trade (he said), so managing the zillions of details typically required during the design and construction of a project is pretty much par for the course. You’d think I’d be used to it by now, but there are times when, no matter what, things just seem to go wrong.

Let’s just take ONE example.

On this particular project, one of the tasks is to add a fairly large platform to the top of a pair of existing side-by-side horizontal tanks. Now, our normal procedure would be to find drawings of existing equipment so we know what we’re dealing with, particularly with regards to dimensions, materials of construction, etc.

Naturally, there were no such drawings available for these two tanks. So we did the next best thing – gather information directly from the field. Translation: a field hand goes out and measures the things with a tape (it’s not the most accurate technique – have you ever tried to measure something HUGE with a small ruler? Take it from me, it ain’t easy!)

Luckily, all equipment is required to have a name plate with critical information on it like pressure, temperature, wall thickness, etc. Of course in this case (and you knew this was coming, right?) there was nothing about the material of construction used. So we did the next best thing (actually, by now we’re doing the next, next best thing).

Well, sometimes, ya just gotta guess, you know? In engineering parlance, we did a S.W.A.G., which means scientific wild guess (I’m deliberately leaving out the A-word because this is a G-Rated blog).

Alas, and darn. We guessed wrong. Ah, well…

So what do you do when things just flat go wrong? Are you prone to follow the sage advice commonly known as (although I have no idea why) the Mongolian General Prudential Rule: “When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout”?

Um… perhaps there’s another way to cope.

So, if you find yourself in a pickle because too many things are going wrong and you’re having trouble getting a handle on things, well, here’s a few basic tips to get you started toward a solution. I call it the 7-Up Solution. (Note: feel free to add more of your own tips in the comments.)

1. Own up – First of all, when you’re dealing with clients who are paying you, like, real money, the first thing you absolutely must do is admit there’s a problem! (Sounds like the first step to an AAA meeting, doesn’t it?) Everybody faces challenges every day – some are self-inflicted, but some aren’t, but you gotta get that sucker into the open before any solution can even begin!
2. Open up – (It’s something like “don’t try this alone” .) Break out of the “I’ve got to solve this myself” mindset. The truth is, when a big challenge lands with a thud on your doorstep (sound of resounding thud), the more brains focused on the problem the better. (You might want to read yesterday’s post for a few quick thoughts on synergy and how different viewpoints can help.)
3. Look up – Now, it’s true that as a Christian, I can always ask God for help when things get overwhelming. But what I mean here is that chances are, if you have a boss, mentor, or some such higher-up, they may have possibly been in this exact situation before. It sounds simple, I know, but in the midst of the storm, we sometimes forget to ask them!
4. Tally up – See what resources you have available to solve the problem. By resources, I mean people, but there are also other information sources to tap as well, such as previous projects with similar situations.
5. Divvy up – This works great when you have a team working with you: divide the challenge into sections that can be conquered separately. The “divide and conquer” method works well when there are several pieces to the problem.
6. Giddyap - (Sorry, couldn’t resist that one. Hey, I am a Texan from Texas.) Once you’ve uncovered a few solutions, pick the best and move on! Don’t waste a lot of time feeling sorry for yourself, or looking for someone to blame. Save that for the “lessons learned” session. Time’s a wastin’ friends – get on with it!
7. 7-up – Now that you’ve figured out what to do, and you’re workin’ the solution – give yourself a break, have a seat, and take a load off; heck, fire up the computer and read Middle Zone Musings! Reward yourself with something quick (I personally like diet 7-Up; hence the name of this step). ‘Way to go, pardner, you done good!

There you have it, folks, the 7-Up Solution to problem-solving! Now it’s time for steps 7b-d: Feet up, pull hat over face, and commence the snores!

Cheers!

Have you ever wanted to be so remarkable that people, when searching for someone with your particular expertise, will always think of you? (Like being the first Google search result, but in the person’s mind rather than on the net.)

Last night Mrs. MZM and I watched an old Sherlock Holmes movie (Dressed to Kill, 1946, starring Basil Rathbone as The Man). Three ordinary-looking music boxes were at the center of the plot; they were supposed to be picked up at an auction by the Crook and his beautiful Female Crook accomplice. Unfortunately the Crooks were late and the boxes were purchased separately by three other people. (Don’t you just hate it when that happens?)

Anyway, as the story progresses, the venerable Mr. Holmes (accompanied by the inevitably bumbling Dr. Watson) must track the boxes down before the Crooks do, while at the same time figure out what’s so special about them. It soon becomes apparent that each one contains part of a single message, and all three are needed to decipher it.

One of the boxes was picked up by the young lady proprietor of a gift shop. The Female Crook has already managed to acquire two of the three boxes (by murder, cheating and stealing, oh, my!), and this one contains the remaining piece of the puzzle. But when she arrives at the shop, she is told a gentleman had just purchased it.

A delicate inquiry as to who the gentleman was causes the proprietor to give her a card with the purchaser’s name on it. (Pregnant pause while the audience is left, momentarily, to wonder whose name is on the card - but we know, don’t we?)

What caught my attention about the scene, though, was the card itself. (Heaven knows it certainly wasn’t the *yawn* movie.) The card was plain, white, and had just two words on it: Sherlock Holmes. (Sound of short, dramatic organ riff climax.)

Now, think about that for a minute (no, silly, not my pathetic attempt to render the background music - think about the card). What exactly is supposed to go on a business card anyway? Name, address, contact information, perhaps a web site - all kinds of things find their way onto business cards these days. I wouldn’t be surprised if the danged things don’t start singing jingles before too long! In fact, I can hear it now:

(Sound of player piano with kazoo accompaniment)

Hello! My name is Bob! It may come as no surprise that I’m lookin’ for a job!
Your company and me- we’ll go together like a steak and corn on the cob! (Sound of piano being smashed by angry listeners)

Yikes! Can’t you just see millions of people going on a crusade to stamp these things out? Er, but I digress.

Anyway, as I said, here’s a guy whose card breaks every rule in the book! No address, no phone, just a name. So what could possibly make this card effective? Uh-huh, you know, don’t you?

Well, just the fact that literally everybody knew who he was (THE Sherlock Holmes, famous detective), where he lived (221-B Baker Street, of course - it’s in every single book and movie), and what he could do for you (solve mysteries, don’cha know). Those two words told the entire story.

He was so remarkable a what he did, there was no other identifier necessary!

So there’s the goal, folks. What can you do today that will make you that remarkable?