Posts by Steve

Why Is Change So Hard For Some (Most)?

Feb16
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

I have been working with some folks on making some pretty radical changes with how the non-profit I help out with will move forward in the future. Just a short background to set the stage. This non-profit is a small 4 man, part-time outfit, that works hard to provide school choice to Arizona students by helping out private school education. Gathering donations and providing the funding to private school students. Some would think that if you pick private school, then you should fund it yourself. Well, that is the view from many… Education is important, no question. In Arizona, we are very lucky we have everything set up for school choice. This non-profit is only a few years old and is fairly new to the landscape. There are some rather large ones in Arizona (large donation base,  scholarship awarded and some salary payouts). To help set us apart, we are excited about this potential change (can not give away our idea yet). Well, this ideas is being taken to a few to get some initial feedback and is being met with some real optimism, but still way too much hesitation.

So, how do you make a difference in the landscape?

  • Offer more personalized service. The volunteers within this non-profit are doing everything themselves. Everything gets a personal touch with whatever we are doing. Yes, we are taking advantage of as much automation as possible, but when it comes to people – we believe people should interact with people.
  • Understanding the complete landscape of how private schools are funded and how maybe some improvements can come about. Offer something that no one has… We have looked at this from a parent, school administrator and donor standpoint. We are looking for ways to make this a smoother, less manual process (without losing the personal connection).  Feedback has been pretty strong that we are really focusing in the right areas, BUT.

That BUT is where this post is hitting home… Change! Seems like changing the status quo is very difficult. I completely understand that if you think it is working today, why change? Is it really working for everyone? When I evaluate how we as a team are working, change is difficult. We all come from our own set of believes and experiences. How can we do better? We have witnessed fear of changing from the schools. They have done things this way for awhile now, why change? When you point out a value proposition that makes this non-profit standout better than the others, why not take a chance? If administrator productivity will increase easily 30% (and have them focus on additional items) – why not take a chance? Not to say that everything will be perfect if you changed, but it definitely can not be worse than you are already experiencing. Take a chance, make a change…

What is needed for change?

  • Evaluate the current environment with objectivity. I hear all the time, “that this is the way that we have always done it. It works, so leave it alone.” Well, almost every time we really look at the current environment with objectivity, we come out with it is good, but not great. We know we can have it better. So, depending on your situation you need to set a strategy that will give you what you want in the long term. Then you can set your goals and go make it happen. Rather than wandering around trying to achieve something.
  • Focus on Execution… Talk is cheap. It is amazing how many folks get wrapped around the technology of something. You probably have friends that are into the tech geek stuff. They see something and they think this is going to solve all the worlds ills. Or at the very least are ready to charge on the side of something new and shiny. I am a bit of that person at times. The problem is getting to excited around the technology part and not really focusing in on execution of use. Making it work the way you think it can, takes focus! Do you have the right level of focus.
  • Letting go… I see this as a problem almost everywhere. How and when to let go. Sometimes the person with the idea has taken it  to their limits and needs to let go to make execution happen. There are times with the idea person needs to stop with the ideas and get stuff done. How long are you going to spin in idea generation or data analysis before you move? Same goes for a person that is tracking and administering a process today that could easily become replaced – let it go… If this gives you more time to do other (potentially more important tasks), why not give it a try.

When you are dealing with established anything, change is difficult. It takes a well defined strategy  (with the value that the change will bring) to help open the ears. Next is putting the right folks in the right places to help focus on execution. Have to make with you are saying into reality! Along the way, let go when appropriate. Trust your team and let them do the stuff to make the outcome it very best.

Image provided by: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

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Ever Read Something and Just Said “Hum”?

Feb14
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

I was reading some of my email subscription materials (SmartBrief on Leadership) today and was got me thinking. Is that truly this experience today or is it what we hope to be doing? Below is the overall output from those leaders that answered the survey.

What caught my eye was is this way we, as leaders, think we are doing? Leaders did answer the question. When I was interviewing folks, back a few years ago, I would be completely honest as to why they did not get the role.

  • Not qualified – this could be that they really don’t have the minimum requirements or they did not demonstrate to the interviewers that they had the skills.
  • Better candidate was chosen – I know we all like to think we are the best candidate. There will be times when someone is chosen over us.
  • Need more experience – sometimes there are lost of needs within a job opening, some of those needs are higher priority than others. You may meet 90%, but the lacking in that 10% is the key.. Hiring manager really needed that.

Since I have gone back in the job market, I have found that I don’t think I see much of any of the activities… We maybe a combination of some of them. I did get the recruiter call that told me I did not get the job. Reason, “We have a candidate that was better suited for the position.” I know they did! I went onto ask, “was there any feedback that I can get to help me with further openings?” Silence…  Most of the time it is just an simple system generated rejection email. Safer that way, I guess.

Next time, I think the survey needs to add an answer – “We are not allowed to provide feedback”. I bet the percentage on that one, will be the highest.

 

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Went to the Rink – Been Quite Awhile

Feb03
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

The other day, I was asked to attend a ice hockey practice by a parent to watch their son. They asked me to see what he could work on to get better. I used to coach ice hockey for over 20 years. I love the game.  I had not been out to the rink in over a year or so. I was excited to go to the rink. Couple of hip replacements and not being able to really skate – makes going to the rink difficult.  Off I went and sat in the stands. When I walked into the rink, there was that usual rush, smell and sights. Definitely brought back some great memories. My mind was racing for that hour or so. I watched the player and for that matter practice overall. Something jumped out at me right away…

Watching another coaches practice can be an eye opening experience. I have seen a lot of practices on all levels. When you watch another practice, you can always pick up something that you would like to use in your practice. This practice was a pretty good one. There were some very good things going on our there. Almost every player was moving at all times – my mark of a good use of ice time. Teachable moments were being applied to individual players and the team as a whole. What happened next, was the gauntlet drill. Checking in hockey is one of those items that is important to teach the proper technique. For those that don’t know the gauntlet drill is supposed to help the player with puck control while  receiving a body check. It usually is done along the boards with the player with the puck skating with the puck up the line of the other players wait to check the player into the boards.  Most coaches use the drill to get every player used to receiving a check… Getting other players to check more… This particular drill has to be well supervised. Coaches need to insure that proper checking technique is used. What typically happens is not good. Hands start to raise up towards the head. Players move in close to each other (not giving the player time to recover). Hence someone gets hurt. In this case, it was the teams best player that suffered a concussion when the biggest player used his size and improper technique to smash the players head against the glass. It was not the first check that was improper, but the drill ended when one player got hurt. There were a number of opportunities to have a teachable moment before the injury, but every player and coach was excited about the crushing checks that were being delivered.

With all of the focus on concussions in football and hockey, it is time for coaches to make sure that they are protecting their players and teaching proper technique. I used to tell the parents, “checking is a part of the game. It happens. I will do my best to teach each player the proper way to give and receive a check. Realize, the best part of my responsibility is to teach players how to play in a safe environment and have fun doing it!” If we were to use a checking drill, it was in a controlled and safe way. Never will you see my team run a gauntlet drill. We may have a one on one situation like that, but it will have a coach watching and instructing after each check.  I used to get mixed emotions from some parents on that. The gauntlet has been around a very long time (I used to have to run it). Many of the parents remember their experience. My only comment was did anyone ever get hurt? Where the checks always properly delivered? We will check, but we will do it right!

I met the parents after the practice and gave them my observations. I asked them, if they told their son that I was coming to watch him practice. They said “no.” Practice is important. Sacrifice is important. Does he shoot pucks at home? Does he do stick handling drills with a golf ball at home? How much effort do you think he is putting into hockey outside of scheduled practices? They said some, but not a much as he could. I didn’t want the parents to think that he should only be focused on hockey. He is  young and needs to experience life. He should set goals around how much time he will work on shooting, passing, fitness, stickhandling and studying the game – outside of practice. Have him record his time on what he is working on. He then can see if his work is paying off in playing time, effectiveness on the ice or just how he feels about what he is doing. I stayed till the player came out of the locker room. Asked him if he felt that he gave his all in practice? He said, not really. Stressed to him the importance for him to take advantage of the ice time given. Work hard and excel every time you take the ice. Passed along to the player the same things that I told his parents. I felt honored that I was called. I thanked them all for that honor and wished them well.

Now, I am wondering if I need to get back to being involved…

Photo Credit: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Posted in Hockey - Tagged , , , ,

State of the Union – My Take

Jan25
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

I am not one for writing about political matters, as it is one of those hot topics that is normally best left to the political experts. I am just your average US citizen. I like to think that I am informed, but I know that I am not as informed as I should be. I watched President Obama’s State of the Union address last night. The President laid out how he wanted to address the topics that we all think are important. I am not going to debate what  each point was or where I stand on it… I have my views and they are mine. Not going to share them. You have your opinions as well… Those are not the point of this post… The point is going to be my observation of what I heard and saw during the address to the nation.

When I heard – most Americans feel that Washington is broken. Well, that is my opinion. I don’t care which side of the liberal or conservative beliefs you are on… The fact is Washington is broken. There is no what that anyone is going to get anything really done in the current way Washington is working today. When the President was talking to the very simplest ideas of how things could be better. We all got to see that many stood and applauded and others sat and did nothing. There were a lot of examples of this. For me, I wanted to know where my Congressional folks were sitting and to see if they were in support or just sitting idly on their soft spot.  Why? Would let me know if my elected officials were doing the job that “I” want them to do. I was someone sickened by the way the display of the Congress is showing support for making America better.

How I am going to make it better? Well, that is a tough one – as I am only one person. I believe that actions have to start somewhere. I believe that I need to do something on my part to make where I live a better place. I owe it to my kids, grand kids and the future that comes. Back to my question, how am I going to make it better!

  • I have to first educate myself better on the overall reality of what I hear. I know that there is more ways to report out statistics and facts can get shifted a bit. I need to understand reality. I need to know more! Time to be an informed voter…
  • Understand how my elected representatives are doing with their voices and voting on those important topics. I need to see who is doing what, by their actions.  Asking the all important question, “are they acting on my behalf or their own?”
  • When it is time to vote… VOTE. The only way my actions are going to be heard is by voting. Doing my homework on the candidates, their past actions, promises that they make (and have kept) and the stance on “my beliefs”. I am only one vote, but if we all get out their and do our part, then change can happen.
  • Get involved… Spend time meeting with or corresponding with your elected officials. Time for them to hear my voice… If I think they are doing a good job on something – let them know. If I think they are off base – let them know (with options).

I hope to never witness a sight like I saw last night. When we see the party lines being drawn in a State of the Union address. Has this been going on forever? Yes, but it is time to stop. The President used an analogy to the US soldiers and how they must work together to accomplish their mission – or it will fail and people could get killed. He was trying to call out each branch of government on this. We are at a crisis level on almost everything – it is time to really work together to insure that America is the best it can be.

So, I am putting on notice to all of my elected officials: I am going to learn more, review your performance and let you know my thoughts. You want to stay working for me – you better be doing what is in my best interest (I am just like every other 98% of America).

Step up or get out of the way…

Photo: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

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Setting Expectations – How Far?

Jan24
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

The other day, I asked a group of “new” managers, “what is the basic thing or task that you need to do for your employees?” The overwhelming favorite was setting expectations. Why is that? It is almost always the first thing that is taught to managers. You have to provide direction to your employees and the best way to do that is setting goals and expectations. They seemed to listen to that lesson well… What if you were to take it a look at expectations a bit further? Would you see the minimum set needed to be successful? How high of expectations do you give? We all have employees that go much further than the stated expectations. Those could be your raising stars. Do you set higher expectations for them? Do you tell them those expectations? If so, do you tell the other employees as well?  Draws out that do you provide a sliding scale of expectations?

For me, those questions are tough to answer. Why? Couple of things come to mind right off the top. First, when you lay everything out in a nice neat package, you may lose the creativity of those high performing stars on your team. They will not have the freedom to stretch on their own. I have worked in two types of rewards systems. Merit systems would struggle with setting up the higher expectations and having everyone or almost everyone meet those expectations you have set out. You would be basically telling the team here are the expectations, but at the end of year we will not be able to reward all the same. The other was a flat time in grade system. This system sets you have to be in grade for a minimum timeframe before promotion. Depending on where you fall is more important than what you have done (for the most part). As an employee, I wanted to know how I could move up and be extremely successful. Almost all of the employees I have managed wanted the same.

From experience,  I have had managers that have communicated the exceeding expectations set and others that would not. For those that would not, I would simply ask, “Describe what that may look like?” The answers were all over the place. I did get what was felt an honest answer, “I’ll know it when I see it.” When you stop and really think about that you have two simple thoughts. The manager has not clue would probably be the first thing that pops in… Think some. I took it as if I truly want to be a high performer, I have the door open as to what that means. I can do whatever I think is right (of course, within some set of rules) and make it happen. Stand out and be seen! Raising my value (to myself, my team and organization).

What would you do? Those “new” managers really struggled with this question. From the experienced crowd – what would you really do

Photo from: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

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Change… Really?

Jan20
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

I have listened to many a sermon (well, maybe just a call to action) from the leader of an organization that started out the year with a “New year, need for change – an organizational change…” How many times have you seen the new organizational charts come out with some shuffling of the decks, or “new” folks coming in? The call is for organizational change… Can that really happen? My honest opinion is “no!” No matter what you do to shuffle the deck or add a new person to the organizational chart will do nothing. What does it take for “real” organization change? Think about that for  a minute. I think we all have ideas about that. Well, here is my take…

Look at yourself: If you want change you have to be the first one to step up and make the change that you want. How many times have you watched the leader say, “we need to change and here is where I think we need to go”? This is the one area that we can learn from those that have failed in the past. I really feel that the change starts at the top. I used to tell my team, “hold me totally accountable. If I am failing, tell me!” Step up and lead.

It is a two way street: Make sure that you are making it more than just a powerpoint presentation. Have open and honest communications with your team. I know we all have seen the nice slides and gotten some charge out of them, but when you want to go deeper, there was nothing deeper. Make sure you have open lines of communications.

Make that change – obtainable: It is easy to look at something that is so far out there. We all like to have visions of grandeur, but please be realistic. Make sure that everything that you want is something that CAN happen…

Get the troops involved: If you really want change, you better figure out how to include your team. Setting expectations is something we all have to do. There is no question about that. It is important how you include your team in that process. The most successful changes that I have witnessed have one thing in common, everyone was standing together around the vision. Start small and encourage them. The rest will follow, especially if you have done the first 3…

Don’t rush the troops: It is always easy to push for results. Be patient, please. Take your time and encourage your folks. Failure is always just around the corner, especially if you rush everyone. Stand firm, but remember that patient is a virtue.

I bet there is always more that one can do to make sure that the change that they want, will happen. From my experience, these are the things that I need to have to look at. Do you have anything to add?

Photo… Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

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Show Your Stuff. How’s The Value?

Jan16
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

What a day Friday the 13th was. I was running around doing stuff! Lot’s of stuff. For most people it is that time of the year for performance appraisal’s. A few folks were discussing the validity of performance appraisals and how to really measure one’s worth. Throw a question out like that and the creative juices start to really flow.

How do you know that you are providing or increasing your worth to the organization? Here is some of that discussion and some additional thoughts from writing this blog post.

  •  Make sure that your work is part of the bottom line. Make money for the company and you will be valued. Think of it as a return on investment. Think of your work and make sure that you are providing an ROI on everything that you offer (time, skills and so on).
  • An oldie but goodie, time is money. Watch your organization and see is everyone valuing time is money? Spend your time wisely. Would you invest 8 hours doing something that you can deliver in less time with the same results? I think of presentations as an example, putting in way too much time putting pretty charts, pictures and words that add no value to your work. We all can spot fluff when we see it. Make sure you are not producing fluff.
  • Only you can sing your praises. This one is a hard one, sing too loudly and you cause harm. For me, I always made the comment that my work should speak for itself. Well, that is not the case. Make sure that your manager understands the effort you put into the job and the results that were produced. It is a delicate balancing act. If you don’t do it, you will lose out…
  • Learn to say “no!” I used to think that “no” was a bad thing. From my many years of experience, most managers love to heap on the work to those that deliver. Getting on that treadmill will have an overall effect on your work. Start missing deadlines or having quality issues – that will have a bigger effect on your value. Only takes a few mistakes to wipe out your hard work.
  • Listen and learn. If you don’t know what you don’t know, then seek out some knowledgeable advice. Do we all really know everything? We all know people that think they know and dance around it. How does that really look? Saying you don’t know now, but will get the knowledge soon, will be valued over dancing on that topic. Most people dance pretty bad.
  • Everyone needs to know sales. Not sales in the sense of selling a product, but you do need to sell yourself. This is not making yourself better than you are. If you are pitching an idea to your organization, you have to be convincing and sound. You have to know how to talk about the overall value, what is needed and defend your ideas with solid research and passion.
  • Have a life! A couple of items come to mind quickly. I have written about vacations that turn out to be working vacations. As a manager, you set an example that your organization will follow (or at least the expectation has been set). You need your time off.. The other one, sometimes is hard to pinpoint. I have learned a valuable lesson since retiring. I am not measured only by my job and my accomplishments. Life is short and there is so much out there. Getting that life will give you lessons that maybe will apply at work. At the very least, the rest will do you good.

There probably are more, we just ran out of time… Do you have any to add? Please share!

Photo Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

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What To Look For – Next Opportunity

Jan10
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

Copyright (c) <a href='http://www.123rf.com'>123RF Stock Photos</a>

As many know, I have been looking for a “second” career. I heard someone use the term that I was semi-retired. I guess that is true. I really am not ready for “real” retirement. I have way too much to give and learn. Not finished by no means. So, I was thinking about what I would be looking for in that next organization or company. Here are my top three things I hope to encounter on my search.

Organizational Culture: Is it defined? Can I get a sense of what the culture is from looking at the organizations website, social media presence or networking with employee’s both present and past? I really want to understand the culture of the organization. It is extremely important to me that I find something that matches up to my skills and passions when I looking for that second career. When I am being interviewed, I also sit and learn from the interviewer. Get a sense of the teams culture within the larger organizations culture. Is it the same? Gives you some questions later on.

Reviewing the hiring process: There is much to be learned from experiencing the hiring process from the beginning. How difficult was it for you to get into the job req system and apply. Nothing worse than getting in and almost submitting to have the system just fail at the end. I know many companies use an automated system for this work. The question that comes to my mind is, “did they pick one that is user friendly, or just not?” Many larger companies may outsource their recruiting process and only pass on the reqs that they feel fit. This sometimes will frustrate job applicants because everything seems to go into cyberspace. When I get passed all that, I usually am observing how everything goes. Is it smooth? Organized? All of the process is the organizations audition for you. Bad experience there, may kick off a bad experience later on.

Respected Leadership: In this day and age, we get information from many different sources. Finding out about the organizations leadership and how they train their future leaders is pretty simple to find. Do some simple searches. What I am looking for is an organization that has some respected leaders in their industry. Look at the vision of the organization, the people that work there and training for those leaders.

Finding information is easy – you just have to look. Using that information and what you know about yourself – well, that is where you can put yourself in the best situation. When I am sitting down doing my due diligence, I am looking at those three factors. It starts with organization research on culture (fit me, go to apply). Apply and the hiring process should allow you the opportunity to audition the organization. Basically answering #2 and #3. Hopefully all works out…

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Book Review: Patriot Hearts by John Furlong

Jan09
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

A couple of weeks ago, a friend gave me this book Patriot Hearts by John Furlong with Gary Mason. She said, when I heard this guy speak and started reading his book, I thought of you and that you would enjoy it. Without question, I did enjoy reading this one. The general overview of the book takes an account of everything from the bid process, to winning the bid, to building and hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. When I was reading this book, I could easily related to much of what John and his team were doing. I grew up just 1 mile (straight across the St. Lawrence River) from the Canadian border. Most of my youth was spent in Canada. When he was talking about the spirit  and Canadian culture – I could easily recall all of that. Since it was about the Winter Olympics, it had plenty of sports references – another passion of mine (especially – hockey). Lastly, my wife and I were in Vancouver in October 2009, just months before the Olympics. We got to see much of the area. All making this book something to draw me in. To pull of something as large as the Olympics is not a small task. To pull of one of the best Olympic games, even tougher. I watched those games… I enjoyed those games as a fan… Even though I am not Canadian, I was still very proud of what was pulled off. I know many Canadians, I grew up very close. I attend my first outdoor rock concert in Ottawa. I watched my first professional hockey and baseball games in Montreal. I drank my first beer (a Canadian Molson’s) on a Canadian island on the St. Lawrence.  I was really pleased with how the country circled around the games as a whole. This book, let you into the stuff behind the scenes.

My key takeaways – from a leadership perceptive – are setting a very grand vision and not settling for anything less. John and the team want these games to make every Canadian proud. To show the world the Canadian spirit. To host the best possible games that they could. At every turn down that journey, there were potential to compromise or change for  political, social or financial reasons. These created opportunities for new and innovative ways to handle them. John and his team did that without losing sight of their vision. Sure, they had to make some sacrifices, but overall the vision and delivery of that did not change. Keep that vision at the forefront of your decision making!

They had their fair share of problems that they needed to deal with. Weather and the unfortunate tragedy with the luge competitor from Georgia. The team dealt with them the best that they could. The opening ceremony had that faulty arm of the cauldron. They turned that around with the closing ceremony. Turning lemons into lemonade. What they did was keep their vision in mind with everything, everyone did.

There is so much more to take from this book, that I did not write about. Examples of great leadership, motivating and problem solving techniques. Read them for yourself.

Posted in Book Review - Tagged , ,

Emotions in the Workplace?

Jan05
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

One of the most difficult tasks for a manager is dealing with emotions in the workplace. Partly because the organization as a whole, would like to keep emotions, especially negative ones, out of the workplace. I have worked for managers, VP level folks, that would have us all check our emotions (negative ones) at the door, before we walk in. Just not feasible. We all are feeling people. Whatever you see, hear or touch usually gets a reaction or emotion from you. Good or bad emotions – they all happen. A little story telling now. I happened to be in a senior level meeting, when we were discussing morale within the departments. Many of the works that came out were fear, frustration, anger, and dissatisfaction were used. The VP stopped the discussion and told us, “enough about these emotions, I don’t want to hear about them. You need to get morale up. That is your job, make it happen.” I am not one to sit and not say anything. I lightheartedly said, “Beatings will continue to morale goes up.” Some laughed, others sat quietly. I quickly pointed out that we (the leadership team) needed to validate their emotions. We needed to understand what was at the root of the emotion, rather than ignore them. VP looked at me with anger. I quickly added, that I probably sparked an emotion with those statements. Before you punish, let’s think… Defused situation (I just knew, I was going to get killed).  Emotions are there…

How do you as a manager deal with them? As a manager, at least a good manager, you have to be able to see, hear and help. How do you set this up for your people?

  • You need to develop an open, trusting environment. People have to have the ability to speak freely. With no fear of reprimand. Start with the individuals on the team first, then make sure you take it to the complete team. Start small, then go big.
  • Know you people. Think of the fear emotions… Some folks can deal with it themselves, they “fear” they may fail and they buckle down and do whatever is necessary. Others may shutdown. Recognize what works for each person and get to moving forward quickly.
  • Push through the uncomfortable. Sometimes dealing with emotions can be uncomfortable. It happens. You as the manager need to make sure that you deal with the situation as early as possible to lessen the effect long term. Role play that discuss with a mentor, be honest and push through – you will be surprised at the end of it.
  • Be real and yourself. Slow down.. The first thing that most people do is react. Slow down and think it through first. I know this is a broken record when it comes to be a manager. You have to set the example for your team. All eyes are watching you all the time. Make sure that you are being real. If you are having one of those days (like your folks), acknowledge it with them. Maybe they will have some insight for you! Last time I checked, you managers are people too.
  • Ask others if they are feeling the same way. When in the team setting, go ahead and ask for additional information. Some folks are more vocal than others and sometimes we think it is just them. If you ask, you maybe surprised to see that more folks are in the same boat. Just afraid to speak up first. Once on the table, it can be worked.

Don’t think that emotions are not going to play in your teams. Be ready, be prepared and don’t be afraid. The sooner you confront, acknowledge and validate, the quicker moving forward can happen. All negative emotions can true to a positive, if handled properly. Same is true for positive emotions (passion). If you play that one up too much on your “rising star” – the rest of the team will be deflated or be negative toward that person. This is a very tricky subject, probably why that VP wanted nothing to do with it. You have to deal with it…

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