Posts tagged reflections

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

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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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Retired Guy Series Update: Last One for 2011

Dec29
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

The past month, I have been hit by email updates about what am I up to. Someone actually wrote to say, why no update to the Retired Guy series. I am shocked… I really did not think that people actually read those. At least there are a few. Now is the time to update..

From the personal side:

  • The hip replacement has gone as planned. Everything is healing as expected. The physical therapist is happy with the progress. It is looking like I should be able to get back in the gym within a week or two. Just in time for me to work on getting some of the weight off, from sitting around during the holidays.
  • Thanksgiving and Hanukah went well. Getting together with family and friends is something special every time we do it. Watching the grand daughter’s open up their presents is always a delight. Those faces light up!
  • Holiday and birthday parties. Our house was used for Haley Elementary staff holiday party! The weather sucked that day, by Arizona standards. It was rainy and cold, which took the party to the inside. There were 69 or so folks at this one. My wife did an amazing job! The other party was for my grand daughter, Melia, she turned 3. My daughter decided to use our backyard for their party. Both were awesome events.
  • We are in the middle of some projects at home. House painting (inside) is underway. Since I am not able to really do the painting, I am having some amazing people do the painting. They are doing a very nice job (and they are extremely clean about it).

From my other activities:

  • I continue to take care of the Haley Elementary Facebook page. We are starting to really see some traction from the parents and teachers on using this for events. The calendar is working out great. We continue to add photos as well. The other day, one of the local newspapers started to share our information out.
  • We are in the last couple of days left in 2011 and Az4Education is busy working on getting the last bit of charitable donations by the end of the year. So, if you are in Arizona and what to help a student out – check us out!
  • I continue to look for my “second” career. With the end of the year, I am starting to notice more jobs opening up. Some of them have definitely caught my attention. Submitted a few job applications to those. We will see what happens.
  • Got together with some of my old co-workers. I definitely enjoy meeting up and catching up with those people. They are great friends. We talked about everything under the sun. Some of the topics were No Pants, good times, plans for the future, help needed and just general BS. It was all good stuff.

From the Blog side:

  • I am working on changing the theme. It is time. I have narrowed my choices down. I am deciding between the Thesis or Genesis Themes. Anyone have a preference? Remember, I am a novice at making changes…
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New Year, What Are You Going To Do Different?

Dec28
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

It is that time of year where we are start to think about what our new year’s resolutions are going to be. There are those that are personal, like losing weight, exercising more, taking better care of yourself, being nicer to those that you love and smiling more. Those are pretty standard stuff… My list is:

  • Taking care of myself. I know that I need to do this, as I am not getting any younger. My adult children, remind me about all of the new parts I have and I need to do a better job of not needing anymore. They are right!
  • Losing some weight. Goal this time is about 15 pounds. I put on some weight late in this past year, hip surgery and not being able to go to the gym have that effect.
  • Getting back on my gym routine. The middle of January, I should be released from my hip replacement. Physical therapy is going well!
  • Smile more! Do what makes me “happy.” Spending more time with family. Need to get more hugs from my grand daughters.

How many folks make professional resolutions? Do you sit down and focus on what you would like to change? I do… These resolutions are different from the stuff that I have to work on within the job. These are the ones that I want to do better in, for me and my team.  I usually write them up and share them with my team. I want them to help me… Makes me feel more accountable. Here is my list:

  • Continue to focus on my volunteer work with Az4Education, Valley Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Haley Elementary. I would like to add one more to my list – So, searching for that non-profit that I can either volunteer or work for…
  • Start writing my manifesto. I have been talking about this and really need to do it! I have a couple of folks that have asked. Time to stop talking and deliverable. Getting stuff done.
  • There are more coming…

What are you thinking about? Care to share?

 

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Best Week of the Year, Productivity Wise

Dec26
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

When I was working for a large enterprise, I used to love coming into work the week after Christmas. Why? Simply put, there were very few folks around. Seems like everyone loves to take that last week off to spend time with the family or just relax. Me, I went into the office for one thing… To get stuff done! Why? Far fewer distractions. With most of the office staff off, the cube farm was extremely quiet. With most of my team out, I had less to keep up on. Giving more time for me to get manager stuff done. No due dates were ever place on the last week of the year. Sounds silly, but review almost all of the stuff that you ever had to get done. Did it ever fall on the last week of the year? Again, more “free” time to get the other stuff done.

What I used to focus on that last week of the year!

  • Employee performance appraisals. If your company uses a review system, this is the week to really sit down and focus on the overall performance of your employees. Quiet time in the office – is a wonderful time to sit and think, jot down some notes on each employee (accomplishments, strengths and areas to work on).
  • Next years plan in more detail. I used to have to submit my yearly plan around Oct of the year before. Usually by the end of the year, you would receive your budget and such. Use this week to really lay out the upcoming years plans, expectations and goals in a rev. 0 fashion. Once everyone is back, go over the rev 0 plan and firm it up with your teams inputs.
  • Reflect back on the past year. Write done the accomplishments and successes that your team and you have done. Share it with the team with a nice thank-you note (it should be in their inbox when they come in).  I would send off this to my manager, to share what the team has done. Most managers, would copy all and add their thanks to the team as well!

What would you do with this week?

I truly enjoyed going into the office! The stuff that I got done was important to me and my team.

Posted in Leadership, New To Management - Tagged , , , , , ,

Collaborative Problem Solving

Dec07
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

I found a post from a couple of years ago, that I wrote inside of my past employer that I thought would be a good one here. Of course, I have updated it some! When you think about collaborative problem solving you think of trying to herd cats to accomplish fixing something or maybe you welcome the opportunity to get the collective team together to fix something. How well does collective problem solving work for you? For me, early on in my career, I used to get a mixed bag of results. I sometimes welcomed or dreaded using collaborative problem solving. Why? Simply put the barrier of success could be me or you or someone on the team. Think back to the problem – was it really a problem or maybe an individual made it a problem? Add more people into the mix, the problem can really be far from really what is happening. So, what do you do??

Keep the focus on the simply on the problem. Of course, that means that you and the team need to spend sometime truly identifying the problem. Clearly and concisely as possible. Identify the gap on what is happening and what should be happening. Define that desired state! First step in collaborative here is getting agreement on the problem. Once agreed upon, write it down – keep it visible.

Problem must matter! Above you got agreement on the problem, that is a powerful first step. Getting the team to really focus on what the expected outcome will be and how great it will be for them will add a layer of frosting on the teams cake. Some of the team may agree on the problem and just go about doing the same old stuff (status quo), but keep the focused on the why and benefits will keep them from the status quo.

Let team discuss concerns and potential barriers. Giving the team an opportunity to put forth all of the concerns (some of that will be their personal agenda) and desired outcomes gives everyone a clear view. So, create that safe environment to get people talking.  If everyone was just to let the team lead do everything from identifying the problem, why and desired outcome – nothing will change. Get everyone involved, actively involved.

Get everyone on board. I know this seems like just me summarizing what was above. Think about it awhile… If you are the leader of the team, this area is going to be the toughest for you. Your team may say that they are on board. They may even give it a try. Actions speak! Watch closely for individuals that a still posturing or holding out for their solution. Be ready to act on your part quickly. Remember this is the whole team.

Over the years, I have seen better results when I apply the above. Is it completely successful? Not really. Collaborative problem solving is difficult and requires time and effort. When collaborative problem solving is done right, it is a very powerful tool. It also, demonstrates to the complete team that they are a high performing team…

Posted in Leadership, New To Management, Observations - Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

We Have Entered – The Thankful Season

Nov30
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

I truly enjoy this time of the year. It is the holiday season for thinking about the year and what are you truly thankful for. For me, as a manager, I used this time to think back over the year and reflect on everything. I used to write down into three lists (Good, Bad and Just Ugly) how things went, how the team performed, how we learned, how we had grown and who had done an outstanding job. Sitting down reflecting is something that people talk about as a necessity, but rarely really do it (well). Writing it down, makes you really think about those situations. You have to ask questions like was this positive, did it have significant impact, what was learned and so on… For my teams, I usually ask them to do the same thing. It is nice to use, as a team building exercise for a pot luck or team dinner. Everyone gets an opportunity to share their observations.

Looking at the list can be a very eye opening experience. You can see trends for the year, that maybe while you were in the thick of things – just did not notice. I have seen growth within my teams in some areas that I would have guessed were not strengths. I also can notice if my team is slipping. I can notice the folks that really have stepped up and done some pretty incredible things.

“Seeing” is just part of what you should do… Next comes actions – you know the “doing” part. I like to send personal notes to the folks that have really stepped up. Let them know that I am thankful for those actions (spell them out in the note) that they had take. If you noticed, you should say something. From the team’s standpoint – I like to look at those trends and identify training or team building activities that can help our team grow next year. When the team does the same reflection, it is powerful stuff – when we pretty much notice the same areas. Now we have the complete team looking objectively, and we can put in place some solid plans for improvement.

Here is your assignment:

  • Sit in a quiet place. Just you, your paper, pencil (or pen) and your thoughts.
  • Reflect back on your year… What was the good? What was not so good or What could be better? Who really stepped up and did some incredible stuff?
  • Once you feel you have captured everything. Reread them each and look for trends and opportunities that must be taken.
  • Develop your plans for next year!

If you are a manager, if you feel comfortable, ask you team to do the same exercise (for themselves and the team as a whole). As the manager, you can have your team share their thoughts and reflections on the team. Then develop the team plans after all your data is received. I typically have the team use their personal reflection for their performance appraisal and development plans.

Let me know how it goes?

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Posted in Leadership, New To Management, Observations - Tagged , , , , ,

Observation: Generations Are Different

Nov22
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

This week is Thanksgiving. For me, it is time to spend with family and friends. As part of preparations for Thanksgiving, my wife started the self-cleaning setting on the oven. The smell of that working, just drove me out of the house. So, I went to my usual spots that offer free wifi by the house (Starbucks and Basha’s). I had plenty of time to sit and observe people. I enjoy people watching!

Today was an outstanding day for it. At the local Starbucks there were lines both in the drive thru and inside. I just sat and watch the interaction around me. Since the lines were not going down (more people just kept coming in), I went to a different area of the shopping center, Basha Grocery. Another place that was pretty full in the sitting area. I pulled up a spot on the counter and observed there. What I was watching was the different generations and how they go about their morning routine.

Inside Starbucks, they were pretty full with generation X and Y folks. A few boomers were in the house, but very few. Watching the folks interact definitely demonstrates the difference within the generation. Most of the X’ers were busy discussing with each other how long the lines were, how much they were looking forward to Thanksgiving and how bad the economy and the political leadership was doing. There were a few of them busy working away on their laptops. I noticed email mostly.  The Y’s were busy too, they did not share many words with anyone. They were busy using their smart phones to stay on top of things. In fact, one mother said to her daughter, “will you put that thing down, all you ever do is use that thing 24×7.” The reply back was pretty good, “well, you are communicating with your friends and so am I – they are just not here.”

When I was in Basha’s, the crowd was definitely different. The folks that hang out there in the morning are mostly baby boomers. They were drinking their Starbucks and having donuts. They spent most of their time talking with whoever passed by. Many of them were sitting by themselves and were just reading the paper or sitting in silence until someone walked by. It was definitely a gathering place for them. Their conversations were centered on health, family and worries about social security.

When you are out and about, take some time to just observe people. Look at the difference of folks, like age, and how they interact differently. This will help you interact better with them. When I was in Basha’s, I said hello a lot. I needed to be prepared to have discussions with folks that I just did not know. We talked about everything and anything. In Starbucks, it was bit different. For most of the folks, they just looked at me and moved on with their morning routine. For the some of the Y’s, they would see my laptop and smart phone, and would stop to say hi. I just needed to have some of their “toys” to seem to fit in.

Communicating with the different generations is sometimes difficult. When I was with the boomers (my peeps), they settled to hear a bit but their stories were really good. The generation X folks, they were the one group that did not open up. They pretty much kept to themselves. For the generation Y folks, they opened up pretty easy (once they saw my toys) and we had some really good technology discussions. They focused on what I use, what they use and were open to trying new things. Overall, it was a great morning!

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