Road Rage

I just read a disturbing article about a pizza delivery man in Houston who was assaulted by another driver and killed - apparently due to road rage. Very sad.

While this is very extreme, it can be a reminder to us that when things make us angry today...

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1

Why I Love America

Zig Ziglar writes:

I turned 17 on a Saturday and applied to the Navy the following Monday when World War II was being fought. I was waving the flag then and am waving the flag today.

I’m not as avid a flag waver as third generation flag waver Tom Harken from Beaumont, Texas, and since his son now does the same thing, that makes four generations of Harkens who wave the flag like nobody I’ve ever heard of! He has three flags in front of his corporate offices and one large flag in front of each of his Crazy Jose’s and Casa Ole restaurants. Each of his employees in all of these establishments waves the flag in front of his or her home.

As a boy, Tom had a considerable number of illnesses and fell through the educational cracks. As a result, he did not learn to read until he was 28 years old. Despite this fact, through hard work and persistence, he had done well even before he could read. In 1992 he was recognized as a Horatio Alger Award winner, surely the top recognition anyone receives in America for their “rags to riches” story. Tom shared with me that he never dreamed he would earn as much money as he now contributes to a number of worthwhile charities. He is a strong advocate of literacy and preaches and contributes to it everywhere he goes. Yes, Tom Harken is one reason I love America.

I also love America because of Muggsy Bogues. At age 36, Muggsy has played in the NBA for 14 years... (click here to read the rest).

Witnessing Through Our Actions

I was at a Christian Emphasis Committee meeting yesterday for our local YMCA where I serve on the board. The Christian Emphasis Director for the Y shared this encouraging email that was received from a member at one of the other local branches in our area:

I am not Christian, but I feel the atmosphere at your branch is in the best tradition of Christian values without being obvious about it, Living kindness to others is much more effective than talking about it.

Wouldn't it be great if the same could be said about us?

Your Reflection

I just received this picture in an email. I thought it was pretty cool and wanted to somehow figure out a way to incorporate into a post - so here goes.

Let's use this picture as a reminder to reflect back to those we work with the unconditional love of Christ. Will you commit to that?

Crank It Up

I was in my car stopped at a red light a couple of days ago. The guy next to me had his stereo on very loud with a lot of bass. You know, the kind that makes your chest pound - I love that!

Anyway, I glanced in my rear view mirror and noticed my entire car was vibrating to his music. I have noticed this before in my car when I have my stereo on loud and there is a lot of bass but this was the first time I had ever noticed another person's stereo shaking my car.

This is a pretty close analogy to how we are during our workday. We can either be "shaking the car" next to us or we can not be having an impact at all. Let's let our light shine - let's shake the car next to us - during our workday so that others can see Jesus through us.

The New Crack Berry?

The new iPhone is almost here (click here to read a story about its release). Will you be one of the first buyers?

In my July newsletter, I have written about how I believe technology is actually costing us time - at least time in our meaningful relationships. Technology can be very helpful and is designed to save us time, yet I see people (me included) becoming addicted to it. I regularly see people reaching for their cell phone or their Blackberry while they are in the middle of a conversation which I think tells the person they are with You aren't that important.

James 1:19 says ...Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

How can we listen to other people when we are more focused on our things?

Turning Lemons Into Lemonade

I was at a seminar yesterday and one of the speakers was talking about how most of the really great things that happened in his business came out of tough situations. In other words, he was able to make lemonade out of lemons.

I read an interesting blog entry on Leading Blog which ties into this well. Go here to read more.

Growing in Hard Places

On our trip, we were able to drive down Highway 1 in California down to Big Sur before heading to Lake Tahoe. On the way, we stopped at Pebble Beach. The picture above is of a cypress tree which is the logo of the Pebble Beach Golf Links.

I thought it was cool how this tree (and many others we saw) was flourishing even though it was growing in tough conditions - out of a rock! I was very impressed by the persistence of this tree.

I reflected on how that is like our work environments in many cases. Sometimes it is a hard place to grow. Perhaps you have a tough boss or coworkers who are far from God or you don't like what you do.

Whatever the case, as Christians we need to be like this cypress tree and dedicate ourselves to grow in spite of our circumstances. After all, we may be the only Bible our coworkers will ever read.

TAHOE WEDDING

My wife, Connie and I just returned from an amazing 5 day trip to California. We went there for the wedding of her niece, Jonelle which was in Lake Tahoe. I had never been to Lake Tahoe before and I was not expecting the incredible beauty that is all around there.

The wedding ceremony was on the side of a mountain overlooking the lake (see picture above) - very picturesque. The ceremony was not only memorable because of the setting but because of the fact that one of the guest's dogs (why they had dogs there I don't know, but hey, it's California) walked between the bride and groom while they were reciting their vows.

This may happen frequently out there, but this was a first for me. The cool part of this was the fact that neither Jonelle nor Willie (the bride and groom) were fazed. They kept on and remained calm as though nothing were happening. Very cool.

It reminded me of what an impact we can have on others in our places of work. When we are calm in the midst of chaos, we are set apart - people take notice. They might even ask us how we are able to be so calm. That is an open door to tell them how God is working in our life.

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15

Good Boss, Bad Boss

This appeared in an article in Psychology Today:

Rapport with the boss largely predicts risk for depression and other psychiatric problems in the workplace, says Brad Gilbreath, a researcher at Indiana University-Purdue University in Fort Wayne. In his study of employees across many work sectors, published in the journal Work and Stress, Gilbreath found that a worker's relationship with his boss is nearly equal in importance to his relationship with his spouse when it comes to overall well-being. Even friendly coworkers or a rewarding occupation cannot compensate for a negative relationship with the boss.

Surveys show that up to half of all workers have a shaky, if not downright miserable, relationship with their supervisors. According to a recent Gallup poll, a bad relationship with the boss is the number one reason for quitting a job. Supervisor problems outpace all other areas of worker dissatisfaction, including salary, work hours or day-to-day duties. The Gallup report puts it emphatically, "Employees leave supervisors, not companies."

How workers feel about their managers even affects physical health. Nadia Wager, a psychologist at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College in the U.K., documented what many beleaguered wage slaves already know: Hatred for the boss makes the blood boil.

To read the rest of the article go here.

There are many points that I think are valuable here, but I'll just look at two of them. First, if you are a supervisor, you must realize the incredible influence you have over others' lives (we all have influence, but your position gives even more influence). Are you a positive influence for Christ?

Second, if you work for a boss who is not a positive influence, should you quit? I don't necessarily think so. God may have you there so that you can be a witness to others of how to handle adversity. When they ask, "How can you remain so calm?", you can be ready to answer them. 1 Peter 3:15b says, Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have.

# 5

Over the past several days I have shared the top 4 challenges that leaders will face according to John Maxwell. Here is number 5, the last on his list:

5. Failure

I have seen many leaders with self-sabotaging traits stemming from an unhealthy perspective toward failure.

Some leaders live with a nagging sense of impending failure. They don’t believe they are good enough to succeed, and sooner or later they fulfill their self-expectations of failure.

Other leaders refuse to take risks. By sticking to safe paths, they assure themselves of failing to have significant impact.

Still other leaders allow failures to derail them. They see failure as a personal indictment rather than a step in the ongoing process of their growth as a leader.

How to Profit From Failure

(1) Change Your Vocabulary.
Every good leader I’ve ever met has had the amazing ability to turn a setback into a springboard for greater effectiveness. In his book, Leaders on Leadership: Interviews with Top Executives, Warren Bennis interviewed 70 of our nation’s top performers in numerous fields. None of them used the word “failure” to describe their mistakes. Instead they referred to “learning experiences,” “tuition paid,” “detours” or “opportunities for growth.”


(2) Keep a Sense of Humor.
Give yourself margin to make mistakes. Laugh at your failures rather than languishing in them.

(3) Make Failure a Learning Experience
We should never walk away from failure empty-handed. Each failure comes with lessons attached, and we can learn invaluable principles from them.

The Big 5 Recap:

(1) Everybody Gets Discouraged
(2) Everybody Has Problems
(3) Everybody Resists Change
(4) Everybody Feels Fear
(5) Everybody Experiences Failure

Attitude, the difference maker, is the one thing that enables a leader to rise above these challenges.

The Big 5 Challenges in Life - Part 4

Number 4 on John Maxwell's list of the Big 5 Challenges we will face:

4. Fear

Fear has the ability to exaggerate itself and spread throughout our life. When fear grips us, we are frozen and incapable of action. Worrisome thoughts fill our mind with distractions, and we are powerless to be productive.

How to “Fix” Your Fears

(1) Discover the Foundation of Fear.
Fears are more often based on feelings than facts. To control fear, search for its underlying emotion. More often than not, you’ll find fear has no rational root.

(2) Accept Fear as the Price of Progress.
Whenever we venture into new territory, we are met with the fear of the unknown. We must be willing to step outside of our comfort zone and face the fear of the unfamiliar.

(3) Feed the Right Emotion, Starve the Wrong One.
Many times we cannot hope to avoid the emotion of fear. Despite our best efforts to have courage, fear settles into the pit of our stomach like a rock. We may never eliminate fear, but we can refuse to let it dominate. If we act according to hope and optimism, eventually our action will transform our emotions.

The Big 5 Challenges in Life - Part 3

Part 3 of John Maxwell's Big 5 Challenges in Life is:

3. Change

Change is an unavoidable and often unwelcome part of life. Change pushes us away from comfort by refusing to let us settle. By constantly forcing us to adapt, change sparks growth in our lives.

Coming to Terms with Change

(1) Determine that Change Will Be an Ongoing Part of Life.Years ago, Alfred P. Sloan made the statement that the key to success in management does not lie in your ability to adjust to change; it lies in your ability to anticipate change. When we see change coming we can move along with it rather than being blindsided by it.

(2) Make a Commitment to Pay the Price for Change.Along the journey, a leader must make sacrifices to stay abreast of change. If change doesn’t cost you, it’s not real change.

(3) Decide What You Are Not Willing to Change.Leaders have a general openness to change, but they refuse to be swayed in their convictions such as faith, values, and family.

The Big 5

Yesterday I shared the first of what John Maxwell calls the Big 5 Challenges of Life, discouragement.

Here is his second challenge he says we will all face as leaders:

2. Problems

Just as every leader gets discouraged, so every leader runs into problems. When facing problems, adjusting your attitude can be a precursor to adjusting your situation. Remember: change on the outside always follows the change on the inside.

Principles for Handling Problems

(1) Define What A Problem Is
A problem is something I can do something about. If I cannot do something about a situation, it is a fact of life, not a problem.

(2) Anticipate Problems
A problem anticipated may be an opportunity, but a problem not anticipated is a simply a problem.

(3) Embrace Each Problem as a Potential Opportunity.Problems are wake-up calls for creativity. They sharpen us by testing our reasoning and drawing out our creative juices.

The Big 5 Challenges in Life

John Maxwell wrote the following in a recent "Leadership Wired" email I received:

Successful people do not have less challenging lives than those who do not succeed. In fact, they may go through even greater challenges. What causes the separation? Successful people respond to difficulties differently.

It’s easy to have a great attitude when things are going our way. Attitude doesn’t become the difference maker until challenges arise. In this edition of Leadership Wired, we’ll look at “The Big 5,” a list of the top challenges experienced by leaders, and we’ll discuss steps to develop an appropriate attitude toward each challenge.
THE BIG 5

1. Discouragement

Over the course of my life, I’ve discovered that every leader gets discouraged. Plans fail, dreams drift out of range, or goals suffer setbacks. However, not every leader responds to discouragement the same way. Attitude dictates whether a discouraged leader will give up or get up.

Dealing Effectively With Discouragement

(1) Get the Right Perspective.

Seldom are circumstances as bad as they feel in the darkest moments. Try to put hard times in the proper perspective by distancing from them emotionally.

(2) See the Right People.

Relationships either build us up or tear us down. Leaders surround themselves with encouragers who lend support and lift the load.

(3) Say the Right Words.

Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones, says this in his excellent work, Spiritual Depression, Its Cause and Cure: “Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself rather than talking to yourself.” Thoughts stream into our minds beyond our control. Instead of succumbing to whichever thoughts happen to pop into our heads, we can purposefully fix our minds on the positive.

I'll share the rest of the Big 5 challenges in the coming days.

A Man of Few Words

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19

I think many of us are poor listeners because we talk too much. Do you speak too much? How about in written communications?

Abe Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address a little over 130 years ago. Look at how his words compare:

Gettysburg Address - 272 words
Bag of Lay's Potato Chips - 401 words
IRA Form 1040 EZ - 418 words
Average USA Today cover story - 1,200 words

Rationalized Disobedience

Gerald Chester wrote this article in Christian Business Daily:

Early in 1931 the financial officer for RGL, Inc. reported the results of the previous year to the owner and key managers of the company. The report was glowing—record revenue and a 30 percent profit margin. Robert, the owner, was already very proud of his company and the report emboldened his attitude to the point of hubris.

RGL was a site work contractor, whose future looked bright. The hard work of the past few years was beginning to pay off. The company had already inked two large contracts for 1931, which were forecast to triple the profit performance of the previous year. Despite the depression, business was looking terrific.

As Robert reflected on the financial blessings that his company had enjoyed, he wanted to acknowledge the Lord’s hand of favor by obeying the biblical mandate of Proverbs 3:9–10:Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. (NIV)

As a means to obey this mandate, Robert believed in tithing. So he considered options. For example, should he tithe to his church or his favorite missions program or to something or someone else? Perhaps he should spread the tithe among a number of worthy causes. Then an idea hit him. Given the prospects for the coming year, why not invest the tithe in his own business? Then next year, he would have a much greater tithe, which could bless more people and organizations. The plan sounded good to Robert, so he decided to do just that—but he didn’t bother to ask the Lord.

RGL’s first project in 1931 was a subcontract from General Construction Company to build a six-mile-long road from the construction site for the new Boulder Dam to the nascent Boulder City.

During the early part of the twentieth century, the southwestern region of the United States was arid and desolate. The fourteen-hundred-mile Colorado River was an untapped source of water and energy that could bring life to this region. For nearly thirty years, government officials had pondered how to best utilize the Colorado River. Finally in the late 1920s, the federal government approved a project to realize the potential of the river. Part of this project was a dam to be built near Las Vegas.

The dam location was isolated; the closest housing was thirty miles away in Las Vegas, which was very inconvenient. So the government authorized the construction of Boulder City to provide housing for the workers. Despite Boulder City’s close proximity to the dam construction site, there were still six miles of inhospitable terrain to traverse to transport men, material, and equipment to the construction site.

Work on the dam began in May of 1931, which meant RGL had less than five months to build the six-mile road. At a rate of slightly more than one mile per month, the project did not seem daunting even with the equipment limitations of the day. Furthermore, before RGL had submitted its bid, the company had carefully studied the proposed route and even conducted test bores to ascertain subsoil conditions. The preliminary assessment led the company to believe that its bid, including the construction time frame, was appropriate.

Not long after starting the work, the company encountered unexpected subsurface rock formations. In fact, these formations were the hardest the company has ever encountered on any project. These rock formations had to be penetrated to complete the road as planned.

Committed to completing its projects on time, the company mustered all resources to attack these hidden rock formations. Using explosives, massive manpower, and heavy equipment, the company slowly carved out the road. The company met the May deadline, but at a heavy price. The cost far exceeded the bid price. Upon completion of the project, RGL was virtually bankrupt.

Robert pondered why this had happened. After all, he had carefully assessed this project before submitting his bid. But for some reason, his engineers had totally missed the hidden rock formations. Every test bore they made was in soft rock; not one test bore detected the hidden hard rock formations. Was this just bad luck or misfortune, as we are prone to say?

Deep down Robert was convicted that his situation was not the result of bad luck or misfortune. He acknowledged to his key people that he knew the reason for this predicament. The reason was his own presumption. He knew the principle of honoring God with the firstfruits of his labor, but had rationalized a way to disobey this mandate. He also knew that his disobedience sowed the seeds of judgment. In this case the judgment came in the form of financial disaster.

Sin always extracts a price and frequently our sin impacts others. In this case, Robert’s presumption put his company at risk to fail, which threatened to leave hundreds of his workers unemployed during a time of severe economic depression. Now not only would Robert pay the price for his sin of presumption, but also his workers and their families.Robert learned his lesson. Never again would he presume to countermand Scripture. He understood that his ability and opportunity to profitably work were gifts from God. Hence, any and all success that he enjoyed was due to God’s benevolence. How presumptuous to think that he could have any success in life apart from God!

This experience reshaped Robert’s life. He went on to build a world-class manufacturing company that practiced biblical principles. In the process he became a world-class giver who eventually gave away 90 percent of his income and lived on the remaining 10 percent.

By the way, Robert’s last name was LeTourneau, a name you probably recognize because he became an outstanding Christian businessman. Robert LeTourneau was an example of how great men and women of the Christian faith in the workplace are shaped by dramatic and many times hard lessons.

What is the take-away for you? Consider these questions regarding how presumption may be affecting you.

• What principle of Scripture do you know, but have rationalized disobeying?
• What judgment have you incurred as a result of your disobedience?

THE BRIDGE

Last Friday I took my son Robbie and his friend Jake on a tour of Toledo's Veteran's Glass City Skyway bridge. This project has been under construction for the better part of six years and is the single largest project ever undertaken by the Ohio Department of Transportation. The price tag on the project is over $270 million. It is due to open on June 25th of this year.

Our tour was very cool. We learned that this bridge has set several world records including the fact that this is the only bridge in the world to contain glass. Glass panels are used in the main pylon since Toledo is the "Glass City" and they will be used for LED light shows which will make this quite a sight in the evening.

I found out about this tour when one of my clients wrote me after reading my March Bleedership newsletter where I referred to this project. He mentioned that they had these tours so I thought it would be a good idea to take my son.

In my newsletter I discussed the fact that when this project was announced I thought to myself, Why bother? It's going to take forever to complete this. I then discuss how this can be very similar to our lives. We may have some changes God would like to make in us but we may say, Why bother? It's going to take forever to complete this.

If you have ever felt this way, you might want to read my March newsletter. If you would like this, please send me an email at info@bleedership.com and I will email you a PDF of the newsletter.

Obviously, no matter how far we need to go in certain areas of our lives, it is worth the effort. Just like Toledo's new bridge, if we work on ourselves each day, it will be completed.

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

More Bad Bosses

I just read another article about the affect of bad bosses on organizations. This is some of what they had to say:

If you feel that bad bosses don't have an affect on employees then consider that nearly 40% of American employees feel that have a bad boss. The wide scale of such feelings indicates that there is currently a problem with poor manager to employee relations that exists throughout the American labor force. Many of these problems revolve around people's lack of ability to communicate.

You may be wondering what really constitutes a bad boss. Bullying, incompetence, harassment, discrimination, disregard for the law, poor compensation, rude behavior and invasion of privacy are all signs that a boss isn't doing his/her job well. Such bosses are the result of the Peter Principle where they have been promoted to their complete incompetence.

The Peter Principle is in effect when employees are promoted to supervisory levels without having the skills necessary to effectively do the job. They were promoted because they were good at what they did. However, some people are great employees but terrible managers.

Even worse few employers will take much action against poor employees let alone bosses. According to a survey listed in the Journal Personnel Today 9 out of 10 people in authority do nothing about poor performance of bosses or employees. Thus, these bad bosses continue to stay within organizations year after year with little consequences.

If you have by now recognized that you need to make a few changes in your organization you may be wondering what you can do about it. The easiest solution is to wrap the bosses management skills and effectiveness into the performance appraisal. When poor management becomes wrapped into compensation and employment stability these managers will either improve their performance or be managed out of the organization.

Good advice. If you find yourself with a bad boss or if you think you might have some bad boss in you, check out this site: http://bleedership.com/About.html.

MANAGING UP

Yvonne Ryan, founder of Leaders Edge CA has this to say about managing up:

"Managing up" is all about establishing good relationships with the leaders above you, so you can further your goals and the goals of your group. People deal best with those they like, or at least respect. Overall, you will need to become visible to these people, understand their goals and needs, and be able to express your needs in terms that align with your manager's agenda and vision.

"Managing up" also means making it easy for your manager to manage you. This is accomplished by keeping lines of communication open and by making it easy for your manager to trust you and your word. Be specific in your requests. Give your manager(s) regular reminders. Be aware of your manager's agendas (all of them) and his/her vision for the future. You may have to ferret out your manager's hidden agendas, but the knowledge you gain will be invaluable in garnering your manager's support for your initiatives and projects.

Finally, don't bring your manager problems without bringing a range of possible solutions. You will have more influence with your manager if you bring her/him well-conceived options from which to choose. Otherwise, your manager may begin to see you as a complainer and a whiner. Your manager will begin to avoid you whenever possible; s/he may even ignore some of your requests or assessments at a critical juncture because you are seen as the person who always cries “Wolf!”

Bottom line: Keep your interactions simple, direct, and regular (even when you don't want to); know your manager's agendas and vision and act accordingly; be a problem-solver, not a whiner; and make it easy for your manager to trust and respect you. (Is that all?!?)

BE - DO - HAVE

Zig Ziglar writes this in his book Success for Dummies:

One of my favorite phrases is, "You've got to be before you can do and do before you can have." In short, you have to be a person of character and do the right things, and then you can have the things you really want. To make the "be, do have" theory valid, look at some examples in your own life.

1. Draw two vertical lines to make three columns on a sheet of paper.
2. At the top of the left-hand column, write BE; in the middle column, write DO; and over in the last column, write HAVE.
3. In the right-hand column list all the things you really want in life, whether it's an education, good family relationships, a beautiful new home, a luxury automobile, a trip around the world, to lose weight--you name it.
4. Work your way down the center column identifying the things that you have to do in order to have the things listed in the right-hand column. As an example, let's say you want a successful marriage. To do so, you must be willing to share your innermost thoughts and concerns with your mate. You must carry more than your share of the workload, encourage your mate when he or she is down, and defend your mate against criticism. You need to remember special occasions. Be particularly helpful when your mate is having a bad day or is not feeling well, or has had a tough day at work. Apply the philosophy that "you can have everything you want out of this marriage if you just help your mate get what he or she wants." Everybody's list varies because each of us has unique needs, beliefs, and interests. However, the formula remains the same.
5. Go to the left-hand column and identify what you have to BE in order to DO so that you can HAVE. To have a successful marriage, some of the things that you must be are faithful, attentive, loving, caring, helpful, empathetic, encouraging, persistent, committed, kind, thoughtful, considerate, and responsible. Not having all these qualities at this moment is okay, because they're all skills, and skills can be developed.

You can use this basic formula for whatever it is you want to have. Look at what you have to do in order to accomplish your objectives, and then examine yourself and determine what kind of person you have to BE in order to DO so that you can HAVE.

I highly recommend doing something like this at least once a year - kind of a self-inventory. Stephen Covey calls it "beginning with the end in mind." If you would like tool to help you with this, I would recommend downloading my Bleedership Life Planning Assistant. To download it for free, go here.

Micromanagement

Have you ever had a boss (or a parent) who was a micro-manager? Don't you hate that?

Do you ever wonder if you micromanage? An article by Steve Marr gives some good pointers on when and when not to get involved:

When not to interfere

When the issue is mainly one of preference, we should not become involved. Don was always insisting on font changes, often inconsistently based on his preference on a given day. In reality, any one of several readable fonts would have been fine.

Also, when the issue is not material, we should not get caught up in making changes. One office manager would insist documents be placed in a certain position when being inputted into the computer system. Rather than focusing on the quality and quantity of the work, the focus was on the position of documents. In reality, some worked better using the suggested positioning, while others did not. The insistence on using only one positioning actually reduced productivity rather than improving it.

When to interfere

At times, we do need to become involved in managing staff and changing how work is accomplished. Any time a company policy is violated, we need to step in. Insurance quotations required approval for special rate structures and Don could correctly insist that the required approvals be obtained in advance.

Poor customer service is another instance when we need to step in. The insurance company wanted to produce quotations within 3 business days of receiving all the information required. Again, Don would be correct to step in whenever quotations became delayed. Unfortunately, when Don unnecessarily became involved, he caused many more proposals to fall behind, thus creating a larger problem than the one he thought he was fixing.

Any time ethics are violated we need to take action. When we do step in, we need to explain what was done, what needs to be done differently, and what we expect in the future. Then our colleagues will understand why we need to be involved.When we are clear with staff what we expect and then delegate that work, we can then confidently monitor that work and be drawn in when absolutely necessary.

To read the rest, go here.

Big Blue Makes Cuts

Business Week had an article which had this to say about IBM:

On the surface, IBM seems to be cruising. Its stock is trading near a six-year high, at almost $106, and its overall financial performance has been improving steadily for more than a year. On May 29, the company raised this year's per-share earnings forecast after stepping up a stock repurchase plan.

However, in spite of that rosy outlook, IBM is making cuts to its workforce.

Making cuts like this is no fun; however, it is sometimes necessary. So why is IBM doing this now, when things are seemingly going well? Most companies would wait until things are not going well to make this sort of move.

To me this is a bold statement that they are looking at the long term picture. They are not resting on their laurels.

We can learn from this. I know I typically do a self-assessment only when things are not going the way I would like - you are probably the same way. Let's learn from IBM and do regular self-assessments, even when things are going great. God might show us something we need to know.

Busted, part 3

I'm sure most of you have seen the reports about Lindsay Lohan's recent arrest for drunken driving.

I don't know about you but I am sick and tired of stars (Hollywood as well as athletes) who get in trouble and are glamorized by the press. In spite of this, this recent transgression by Ms. Lohan can teach us something.

While I don't consider Lindsay Lohan to be a role model, as Christians in the workplace, I do consider each of us to be one. As a result, we are held to a higher standard, and we should be. We are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20) so let's act like it!

Angry Horn

I was outside doing yard work this weekend when I heard 4 successive blasts from a car horn. Then I heard 5 more. It's weird, but I could tell there was anger behind the horn blasts. It wasn't a friendly "beep beep" but rather a "honk, honk, honk, honk!"

My next door neighbor's daughter was being picked up by her mother. They are divorced and she gets her daughter on certain weekends. Apparently she wasn't very happy.

I got to thinking about all the ways we communicate. If we can communicate how we're feeling through our car horn, how much more do you think we communicate through our facial expressions or our mannerisms.

One of my family's favorite movies is Disney's Toy Story. In one scene Mrs. Potato Head tells Mr. Potato Head to make sure not to forget his angry eyes. Don't we all have angry eyes?

The Bible tells us throughout to be an encouragement to others. Let's do that not only through our words but also through our non-verbals.

Goals

All of us have goals of one sort. Some of us have specific goals while others have general goals. Some have their goals written down and others have it in their head.

Let me ask you this, which of these goals do you think is more likely to happen?

1. I would like to reduce shipping errors in our company.

2. I would like to reduce shipping errors in our company by 75%.

No question, #2 has a better chance since it is specific. Now if it was written down and shared with others, the degree of success goes way up!

You can see this on TV now. Valerie Bertinelli is now a spokesperson for a weight loss product along with Kirstie Allie (sorry but I can't remember the product). Kirstie Allie says she has lost a lot of weight using this product and now Valerie wants to do the same. But what is cool about this is she has stated her goal on national TV!

Apparently those who watch TV will see progress reports of how she is doing.

Do you think she will lose the weight?

I think she will. First, she stated a specific goal. Second, she made it known to others - a lot of others. She has A LOT of incentive now. She has told a lot of people. Her credibility is on the line.

Is there something holding you back? Set a specific goal, write it down and tell others. It will help give you incentive to put an action plan together to achieve it!

Your Serve

I talked with a good friend of mine yesterday who has been experiencing some difficulties in his marriage. His wife recently had emergency gall bladder surgery and was not to do much for 4-6 weeks. As a result, my friend had to really step up and fill in the gap while she recovered.

I asked him how he and his wife were doing and he said, "It seems like she is a little more tender-hearted toward me as a result of all this." I asked why he thought this was and he said it probably had to do with the way he was serving her.

What a great lesson for each and every one of us to use in all our relationships, especially if you are a leader. The greatest Leader of all time, Jesus said that He "did not come to be served, but to serve."

Who can you serve today? You might find that your service toward that person really improves your relationship.

How to Handle a Bad Boss

I just found a neat quiz that might help you to handle a bad boss. Click here.

Check it out.

If you would like more information about handling a bad boss or not becoming a bad boss go to http://bleedership.com/BookIntercept.html.

Busted, part 2

A few days ago, I wrote about the feeling of being caught red-handed and how I thought I was caught speeding. Thankfully, I was not speeding at the time.

However, over the weekend, I received a surprise in the mail. Apparently my town is now using cameras to catch people speeding and I was one of their victims. They have been using cameras to catch red light violations but this method to catch you speeding was news to me.

I was with my family at an event put on by Impact World Tour (a Christian outreach event) and it was pretty loud. My 10 year-old son has very sensitive ears so he asked if I would run out to get ear plugs for him so I did. I was in a hurry to get back so I wouldn't miss too much. Even though my motives were pure - I was trying to serve my son and we were at a Christian event - I was busted! I guess no matter what your motives, if you violate the rules, you must pay the consequences.

God sure does have a sense of humor and I have learned a $95 lesson.

Gossip

Zig Ziglar comes through again with another great article - this one about gossip:

We frequently hear little jokes about gossip, like the two people who were talking and one said, "I can't tell you any more. I've already told you more than I heard." In that line is much of the tragedy about gossip, which can and often has destroyed a person's reputation. Gossip always damages relationships and specifically with the person you are gossiping about. For example, once you have said something unkind about a person, you will feel uncomfortable around him or her and your relationship will suffer.

Dr. Adrian Rogers wisely points out that before we disseminate information that might be considered gossip, we must carefully ponder three questions:

(1) Is it the truth? If it fails the first test, then it is not repeatable.

(2) Even if it is the truth, do you really need to share it? Will it help anyone? Will it hurt anyone? Would it be better left unsaid? If there are no benefits to anyone, then what possible purpose could repeating it serve?

(3) Is it kind? In our world so full of cynicism and skepticism, will repeating this story be kind? Can it be better left unsaid? Would you really be better off repeating this information?

When you analyze it this way, your chances of being a gossiper are dramatically reduced. When you consider the benefits of stopping gossip in its tracks, you'll discover they're substantial.

First, you do not damage yourself, which means that your reputation and esteem are untarnished. That's good. Second, you won't harm someone else's reputation. This means that your circle of friends will be larger. Since most of us do not have any friends we would like to lose, that's good!

Think about it and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!
This article is adapted from Zig's book, Something Else To Smile About. For more information on all of Zig's books click here.

Not My Job!

Have you ever said, "That's not my job!"?

As Christians, we are commanded to be different, to be set apart. One way to do that is to do more than what you are asked to do.

Busted

I was driving on the highway to a doctor appointment this morning. I came around a bend and saw a state highway patrolman standing next to his car and pointing his radar gun right at me. I immediately had this panicked feeling - a feeling of serious guilt - a feeling of being caught red-handed. I looked at my speedometer and I was going the speed limit.

If I wasn't breaking any laws, why did I have this feeling of guilt? Probably because I don't always go the speed limit. I thought how much less stressful driving would be if I always went the speed limit.

Then I started thinking about the rest of my life and other areas where I am not always doing the right thing.

Are there any areas in your life where you would have the feeling of being caught red-handed should someone notice you? It could be in any area: gossip, pride, judgment, worrying...

Leading Up?

John Maxwell tells us as leaders that we also need to lead up:

The Principles 360° Leaders Practice to Lead Up

Leading up is the 360° leader’s greatest challenge. We’re accustomed to influence flowing from the top down, and, for that reason, leading up feels like running uphill. True enough, leading up requires extra effort. To exert influence upon those in authority above us calls for boldness, respect, and sacrifice. In the long run, the extra effort will distinguish you from the rest of the pack. Jack Welch calls this “getting out of the pile.” The following suggestions are ways to successfully catch the attention of those at the top.

Lighten Your Leader’s Load

To lead up, increase your value by helping to lift your leader’s load. Try to anticipate what your leader needs and wants. Occasionally, you may even approach your leader and ask, “What can I do for you today?” Always remember: when the boss succeeds, the organization succeeds. Ultimately, you can’t succeed if your boss fails.

Being a load lifter has its benefits. It demonstrates your dedication to the team, and displays gratitude for your position on the team. In easing your leader’s burden, you’ll be noticed and valued. At the same time, you’ll be playing a substantial role in helping the organization move forward.

How to Lift Your Leader’s Load

Be sure to do your own job well before you concentrate on lifting your leader’s load. If you drop your personal responsibilities, you’ll drag your leader down rather than propping them up.
When you find a problem, provide a solution. If you only identify what is broken, you look no different than a complainer. Show initiative by repairing the problems you encounter.

Tell your leaders what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. In the words of President Dwight Eisenhower: “A bold heart is half the battle.” Have the courage to speak your mind and confront difficult truths.

Go the second mile. Be willing to arrive early, stay late, and do more than your share of work.
Stand up for your leader whenever you can. Don’t become party to backbiting or criticism. Speak highly of your leaders and diffuse the negativity others may show toward them.

Stand in for your leader whenever you can. In the words of Colin Powell: “When we are debating an issue, loyalty means giving me your honest opinion, whether you think I’ll like it or not.

Disagreement, at this stage, stimulates me. But once a decision has been made, the debate ends. From that point on, loyalty means executing the decision as if it were your own.” There will be instances when you do not see eye to eye with your leader’s decision. Respecting their authority by supporting them, even when you disagree, will give them the confidence to trust you.

The Principles 360° Leaders Practice to Lead Across.

Leading your peers is no simple task. It’s easy for an effective leader to lead followers, but leading across can be difficult—especially for highly productive people who might create feelings of jealousy or resentment among their peers. Effective 360° leaders give their colleagues reasons to respect and follow them. Because they lead across successfully, they are able to assist the people beside them, profit the organization, and advance themselves.Understand, Practice and Complete the Leadership Loop.

Leading peers is not a one-time event. It’s an ongoing process. When leading across, the temptation is to try to take the lead too quickly. Taking shortcuts or cheating the process will erode your respect from others rather than gaining influence with them.

The Leadership Loop (Refer to the picture at the top)

Caring – Take an interest in people. People always move toward anyone who increases them and away from anyone who decreases them.

Learning – Get to know people Invest the time to understand the values that motivate your fellow leaders.

Appreciating – Respect people Find and encourage the strengths unique to each of your colleagues. Assume they have your best interests in mind, and be open to their ideas and concerns.

Contributing – Add value to people Few activities add to a leader’s credibility like the dedication to add value to the people around them – especially when the leader is neither obligated to add value nor receiving direct benefit from doing it. Adding value to peers lets them know that you are on their side and are cheering for them to win.

Verbalizing – Affirm people To affirm signifies to make firm. An affirmation is a statement of truth you make firm by repetition. Affirmations enable others to believe in their dreams. For people to reach their potential, their dreams must become more real than their doubts.

Leading – Influence people Understand, enlarge, and empower those who are leading beside you.

Succeeding – Win with People When you succeed with people, you gain opportunities to influence even more people. The leadership loop completes a cycle and begins anew. As additional people enter your life, you must again choose to take an interest in them, get to know them, etc.

If you would like to read more from John Maxwell, go here.

Happy Mother's Day

This is from Darren Hardy's Blog:

Mother’s Day is upon us. One day where we repent and honor the woman we have agonized, frustrated, bewildered and inflicted excruciating pain upon. Even still she suckled, nurtured, repeatedly forgave and loved us silly. (At least) on this one day be sure to walk through the door with a big bouquet of flowers, long enveloping hugs and wet kisses. Make sure she knows she is special, loved and appreciated – she deserves it.

Now, a few tips for the other 364 days a year ;-)

8 Reasons You Shouldn’t (always) Listen to Your Mother

Momism #1: "Wear clean underwear in case you're in an accident!"

Truth: When emergency-room personnel cut the clothes off trauma patients, Dr. Alexander says, it's done so quickly that they never pay attention to whether the underwear is stained, dirty, or full of holes.

Momism #2: "Don't go out without a coat or you'll get sick!"

Truth: Colds and flu are not caused by catching a chill or by dejectedly walking home from your girlfriend's in the rain without your rubbers. Nonetheless, this myth persists, largely because most people get sick during winter, when these situations commonly occur. Dr. Alexander suggests that it may even be possible to think yourself ill. If you dread damp feet, your brain may depress your immune system when it happens.

Momism #3: "Keep touching yourself, and it'll fall off!"

Truth: There's no evidence that doing “that” will cause your staff to revolt. Such exploration is "a normal part of growing up," says Dr. Alexander.

Momism #4: "Someday your face will freeze like that!"

Truth: No matter how far you stretch the corners of your mouth or how deeply into your nostril you plunge your tongue, facial muscles will never become paralyzed as a result.

Momism #5: "You're gonna fall and crack your head open!"

Truth: Your skull can split like an egg, but it would require a severe impact, such as falling into the corner of a coffee table, says Larry L. Alexander, M.D., an emergency-room physician at Baylor Medical Center. "You're much more likely to fracture your skull."

Momism #6: "You'll poke someone's eye out with that!"

Truth: It's impossible to "poke out" an eyeball with a sharp instrument. What you'll probably do is pierce or rupture it. To actually pop an eyeball out, Dr. Alexander says, you "have to get in there with your fingers and pull it out."

Momism #7: "If you break a leg, don't come running to me!"

Truth: It's unlikely that you'd be able to run with a broken leg, but you could still walk. Dr. Alexander has seen people with broken legs walk into the E.R. "It hurts like crazy," he says, "but the muscles spasm and produce enough support to bear weight."

Momism #8 - "You pick your nose like that you might accidentally pull out your brain"

Truth: Uh, no.

Management and Youth Soccer

I attended a leadership conference last year and heard Patrick Lencioni speak. He had some great things to say about building a team in business. I just read this from him that I found very interesting about how management relates to his experience coaching youth soccer:

Last spring was the big draft. You may have heard about it.

No, I'm not referring to the NFL draft that took place in April, or the NBA edition in June. I'm talking about the Mustang Boys' Under-nine Soccer draft in Danville, California. That's right. As ridiculous as it sounds, I'm talking about eight-year-old boys, third graders, actually getting drafted to play "competitive soccer." And the process by which they're evaluated, rated, and selected is a sight to see.

Imagine a soccer field surrounded by clipboard-toting coaches (myself included) who are taking detailed notes as they watch little boys run and kick and dribble and scrimmage against one another. Afterward, those coaches sit down around a table and take turns selecting twelve players for their respective teams.

Luckily for me, I don't know a great deal about soccer. I played very little of the sport as a grade-schooler, though I've coached my sons' six- and seven-year-old teams. But to be fair, the nature of the game played by my boys' pee wee teams more closely resembled a revolt within a prison than it did a sporting event.

I say that I'm lucky to be ignorant of soccer because it forced me to confront a brutal fact: I was going to be at a distinct competitive disadvantage when it came to assessing the technical skills of the munchkins on my list of draftable players. You see, the other coaches in the league have all played soccer at collegiate, professional, or semi-professional levels, and they appreciate the nuances of the sport the way I do basketball or baseball. They are the type of people who not only understand the offside rule, but actually like it!

Anyway, to mitigate my soccer naiveté, I made a decision that was motivated mostly out of desperation, with a little inspiration mixed in. In essence, I decided to completely change the criteria I would use to evaluate and select players for my team (which, by the way, is called The Swarm).

So, I took the official evaluation form that was given to me before the tryouts and crossed out the provided category descriptions like "speed," "field awareness," "touch," and "power," and replaced them with others like "attitude," "hustle," "skill," and "parents." Of course, that meant I would have to focus on observing different things than my peers would be looking for during the tryouts.

For instance, instead of spending most of my time looking at the players' feet, I tended to watch how they treated one another. I wanted to see how they responded when the instructor asked them to help move one of the portable goals or a bag of soccer balls to the other side of the field. I also watched the way they interacted with their parents during breaks. Were they respectful or inattentive? And I wanted to see how hard they played on the field. Did they only run when the ball came to them, or did they get involved and help out on defense?

During breaks I might slyly approach one of the kids and ask, "Hey there Billy, how do you like school?" or "What's your favorite subject?" And I was looking for someone who would say, "Yeah, I like school a lot," or "I like math, but not spelling so much." What I didn't want was a blank stare or an answer like "Nah, the only thing I like is recess."

Anyway, when the tryouts were over, my assistant coach (who never played or coached soccer before) and I ranked the players from top to bottom, according to our largely attitudinal criteria. When the draft began, we nervously waited our turn. By the time the draft had ended, we had picked more of our top "prospects" than we could have imagined, and assembled a team that we felt had a very high likelihood of being positive and coachable.

Now, don't misunderstand this philosophy of mine for altruism or nobility. I have a competitive streak too, and I wanted our team to be successful. Certainly, I value character-building and fitness more than winning, but I didn't want to field a team full of nice kids who couldn't score goals. And I would be lying if I said we didn't pay any attention to the basic athletic ability of the players we selected. But those skills took a distant back seat to attitude and demeanor.
As the season approached, my assistant coach and I wondered how much talent we had on the team. We hoped we'd have at least one good goalie and a few natural scorers. By the time our first practiced was upon us, we didn't know what to expect. So we crossed our fingers, skimmed through Soccer For Dummies, and began the season.

That was six weeks ago. As of the writing of this article, we've played a little less than half of our games, and a few things have become crystal clear to us.

First, our team is a team. They treat each other well, encourage one another, and seek out collective attention more than individual praise. Second, they're having fun. They don't complain about practices, and they enjoy being together. Third, their parents are having fun. Many of them have approached me and my assistant coach to tell us how pleasantly surprised they are about the positive environment on the team, and how much they enjoy being on the sidelines with the other parents.

What about the soccer? So far, so good. We've only lost three of thirteen games, and we've outscored our opponents 24-7. Of course, that is not near as important as the other factors (I have to keep reminding myself and the other parents about that), but it's a nice confirmation that our attitudinal approach is as viable on the field as it is off of it. It will be interesting to see how the team handles itself when we inevitably lose a few games in a row.

I'd like to say that this early success of the team is a result of great coaching and tactical training. But that just isn't the case. The fact is, as Jim Collins points out in Good to Great, getting the right people on the bus is the first critical step toward building a great organization of any kind.

Once the bus is full, then it's all about getting the right people in the right seats (or in our case, the right players in the right positions). But selecting the people who fit your culture, whether they are eight-year-old soccer players, senior executives, teachers, or church volunteers, is the first critical step.

Why? Because it's a lot easier to teach a humble, hard-working young man how to play goalie than it is to teach a spectacular athlete how to listen and put the team before himself. I'm guessing that applies to the organization where you work. Not the goalie part. Well, you know what I mean.

If you would like to learn more from Patrick, visit http://www.tablegroup.com/.

Just Text Me!

My kids are world class texters. When they send text messages to their friends I am amazed with the speed in which they do this. I just wrote about this topic and the negative impact that technology can have on communication in an upcoming newsletter.

Zig Ziglar also wrote something on this topic:

In America there is growing concern about the dramatic increase in the use of text messaging to communicate with others. Admittedly, in many cases there would be no communication at all if it were not for text messaging. But the reality is we miss a great deal if that’s all we do. To provide specific information about the whereabouts or activities is probably okay, but Charles Osgood, the CBS word merchant, expressed it quite well when he said, “Compared to the spoken word a picture is a pitiful thing indeed.” It’s one thing to tell someone you love him or her in a text message; it’s quite another thing to give that person a call and say, “Just thinking about you…wanted you to know that I admire you a great deal and I love you very much.”

IMPEDERSHIP

I just ran across a new term, Impedership - "the art of demotivation"--the ability to stifle innovation, stamp out ideas, and discourage success among employees. This was discovered at a dispute resolution blog.

In the blog, they refer to a well-done video which captures the qualities of a demotivating boss. Check it out!

Mom Needs a Raise

Launch video

If you are a stay at home mom, you will like this story. If you are married to a stay at home mom, you might want to thank her again for all she does.

Stay-at-home mom’s work worth $138,095
Annual amount she’d earn as a housekeeper, cook and psychologist

NEW YORK - If the typical stay-at-home mother in the United States were paid for her work as a housekeeper, cook and psychologist among other roles, she would earn $138,095 a year, according to research released Wednesday.

This reflected a 3 percent raise from last year’s $134,121, according to Salary.com Inc , Waltham, Massachusetts-based compensation experts.

For the rest of the article go here.

The Strike Out

I receive a magazine each month from Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Les Steckel, who many remember as a coach in the NFL (Minnesota Vikings) is the President of FCA and he wrote this letter in this month's issue:

Picture yourself in this situation. It's Opening Day at Yankee Stadium, and you are up to bat for the home team. It's the bottom of the ninth inning. Your team is down by three, and the bases are loaded. Not only that, but since you were voted the American League MVP last season, you've got a lot to live up to.

Talk about expectations. Everybody in your dugout, the fans in the stands, everyone watching on TV, your family, all the higher-ups in the front office - they all expect you to do something special. Your mind is racing, I need to hit this thing out of the park. My team needs a grand slam. That's what they expect. That's what everyone expects.

Do you ever feel like that - like you've got a lot to live up to? Like you have to meet an unreasonably high level of expectation?

Well, I want to share something with you - something that I've learned from situations like those. If you hit a grand slam, hallelujah! Those grand slams happen from time to time. But in our lives, we can't expect to hit a home run every time we go to the plate.

Every great player strikes out, and so do you and I. But when we strike out, we have to realize that it's not the end of the world. Most likely, a day will come when we will have another chance. It may not be the same exact situation, but there will be another opportunity for great achievement. That's one of the unique things about living the Christian life. Sometimes God wants to see how you handle failures before He gives you victories.

Do you remember watching this year's Super Bowl? Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy went through what seemed like so many personal and professional defeats during his career. But through it all, the world watched as he walked by faith and never took his focus off of Christ. And look what happened! After he endured many trials and defeats, he was blessed with the ultimate NFL victory.

This month, whatever you're facing, whatever expectations are threatening to crush you, I challenge you to turn it all over to the Lord. He has a perfect plan for you. And not matter what the outcome, you can't forget that He's watching. Not only that, but He's cheering you on. He wants you to trust Him and to praise Him, win or lose. And once you learn to do that, He may grant you the victory that you've awaited so long.

Are you up to the challenge? I expect that you are.

"But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

1 Corinthians 15:57

Developing an Abundant Mind

Have you ever been really down? Have you ever felt like things just weren't going your way no matter what you did? Perhaps you feel that way now. Michael Pink had this to say on his blog about an experience he had:

Years ago at a New Year’s Eve celebration, we were part of an intimate gathering of friends in a home. All of us had just come through a difficult year and none of us felt like celebrating. That’s partly why we came together - for support. The host suggested we go around the room and share one significant thing the Lord had done for us that year. As we called to mind the good report and shared it with the group, our bones were made strong! Our faith was lifted! Our hope was restored! Our mind had been filled with abundance. It wasn’t long before it showed up in our natural lives. Whose report are you listening to? Which one will you believe?

To read the rest of his article, go here.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8

Winning the Battle but Losing the War

On leading blog, the following insight was shared about knowing when to not press your position:

In Pearls of Wisdom, Joyce Brothers wrote, “There is a rule in sailing where the more maneuverable ship should give way to the less maneuverable craft. I think this is sometimes a good rule to follow in human relationships as well.” Relationships are what leadership is all about. As the leader we are the more maneuverable ship. Being immovable or stubborn, just because we are right, doesn’t move us closer to our goal. It is up to us to step back, bend, or give way and let the other person pass. Later we might try a different tack if it is really that important to make the point. Hitting a difficult person head on is rarely the appropriate action.

When we come up against conflict, we must ask ourselves if winning this one is really that important. How will winning affect my ability to work with this person? What is motivating me to win? We don’t need to fight every battle. We should choose battles that in the final analysis will strengthen our relationships and improve our effectiveness.

How true - and how difficult this is! As leaders, lets agree to work on this in our workplace - and in our homes!