Elevati Blog

Sat morning.

That means some quality miles in the bicycle saddle, and then a little run afterwards… sometimes I join a group for motivation, and so this morning I hauled my butt out of bed earlier than I care to remember and joined about 30 others for said ride.

There were two routes: one long, one short. Now “long” and “short” are relative, of course. And as the organizer asked who was going “short”, I enthusiastically shot my hand up and smiled. It wasn’t .5 seconds later, that I felt the uncomfortable twinge of guilt, followed shortly by a need to explain why i was only going to ride 40 miles.  Why is that something I, or any one of my fellow “short” riders, should be ashamed of? I knew the hills that awaited me and my race only 14 days away, and thought, “what is my problem?” which I quickly answered with a “I’m doing a run right after this anyway.”  still obviously embarrassed by my  short training day and trying to convince my inner devil that it was okay to be going short.

As I raced along with a group of other triathletes on a bike ride that was supposed to be a “training” ride, I stopped at one intersection to look at my map. As a group of five buzzed by me, they asked if I was going long or short. I had to say again, “short” and as they looked at me quizzically, I (again) followed it with an explanation, “I’m racing in two weeks”. To which I got a knowing nod and “Good luck!”

Okay, so now you’ve learned what you have to say to get out of going on a long, grueling ride with other triathletes. But there’s something else about this experience I found myself giggling about as I painfully pushed the pedals:

Wall Street = think short.

Triathletes= think long. (Even the ones that race short.)

Triathletes - like many other athletes - put in inordinate amounts of time preparing for their event. And the commitment isn’t just physical.  In triathlon, we learn self-discipline, patience and timing; especially in 70 and 140 mile races, nobody wins by racing at the same pace you’d race an 32 mile race. We learn optimism and positive self-talk; when it’s mile 65 and you’ve got another 48 miles in the saddle, plus 26.2 to run after that, you better have some positive self-talk practiced to get you through. And these are just the tip of infamous ice-berg. Going long is our frame of  mind… no matter the distance. The result demands a long-term plan that can simply not be accomplished by “thinking short”.

Now, I have a protein shake to guzzle.

Onward!

Jim Collins had his bus and 3M CEO, George Buckley, has his garden. However you look at it, getting, keeping and growing the right people in your company and on your teams, determines your ultimate success. But then again, didn’t we learn that in grade school?

Remember those days? When we stood in two lines, and the captain was picking fav’s for the dodge ball team, and you knew you weren’t strong enough, big enough, agile enough, or popular enough to get the ‘job’. What the capt’n didn’t know was you had killer instincts, super secret tactics, and inside knowledge that could win you game after game. You knew Jane, and her special strategies for avoiding the ball. And Johnny, how he used to throw games when he didn’t get enough playing time.  Basically, you had an inside edge that wasn’t readily apparent – your ‘resume’ didn’t speak too loudly, and having “King of the Chess club” on it didn’t quite measure up in the line-up for dodge ball team selection.

In Jim Collin’s world, building strategy came second to selecting the right team members. IN George Buckley’s world, it means weeding out the bad, before growing the really good. No matter how you look at it, people choices – and how you develop them – make a world of difference in the game called business.

Problem is, nobody’s really paying attention. And especially now – in a recession.  The competitors who feel like they don’t need to pay attention is exactly the hidden opportunity for those wanting to jump ahead. People development is like an underground competitive strategy that is talked about a lot, but so rarely done - right. It’s hard. It takes time and it goes beyond looking at fancy resumes and cool schools. Done right, it sets up a company for wild success just when everyone else is struggling. (like now)

Your competitive advantage comes when you don’t play by the same rule book everyone else is using. (This isn’t code word for  “be unethical” - for you literal thinkers out there) Finding and developing the best players – whether you use Jim Collin’s bus example, or 3M CEO George Buckley’s philosophy – is the key to building the best dodge-ball team on the world-wide playground.

Some wise thoughts from George Buckley – (for more, please go to: USA Today’s May 18 article):

1. Build respect to build trust. “However hokey it sounds, it works.”
2. On how 3M passed IBM and GE in the ranks of best for leadership development in one year: “{People} hopped from job to job every year or year and a half. When people move too often, there is more thought given to the next place, not to developing people and developing relationships. I didn’t like the merry-go-round.”
3. When asked “Should we be spending money on training? What if these people leave the company?” Buckley’s answer was, “What if we don’t, and they stay?”
4. On maintaining leadership development as you cut costs: “It’s more important to invest to differentiate yourself from the competition. In a 2% recession, you have 98% of the business left…You have to focus on what’s left, not on what’s gone. You’re unlikely to do that well if you back off on training and leadership development.”

It seems easier now to argue that there’s no money in the kitty to help your rock stars be even better players. But when you take your next break, and the teams line up on the court again, don’t be surprised if you’re a few players short – and your best are staring back at you with a big red ball in their hands.

Find more quick thoughts from George at USA Today’s article on 3M CEO George Buckley Focuses on Leadership Training.

Onward!

Okay, this isn’t a plug for the local bar scene. It’s a different kinda story.

So there I was, pedaling away on my bike - (well, really I was on the trainer ON my bike) - and watching the London Marathon. You know these guys were running 4 minute 45 second miles? The women? They’re out their running 5 min 30 second miles. And they manage to string 26.2 of those miles together. And yet, when you watch them running it looks like, as soon as you finish that slice of pizza, you could go out there and do that.

It looks effortless.

Well, up until one of them gets thirsty. Then it turns into a elbow-throwing, get-outta-my-way I need that drink of Gatorade NOW, don’t-make-me-trip-you fest.

Actually, I’m kidding.

It’s quite the opposite. ( to my surprise ) Not only do they politely organize as they get closer to the aid station volunteers serving up nice cold beverages on the fly, but once they get a bottle, they run with it, and offer it around the pack of dudes they are running with. ”Want a swig?” “How about for you?”, as they look around passing the bottle..(meanwhile they’re still traveling at a speed that would tire a cheetah).

Why do I write about that here?

Because in the crazy speed and competitive spirit of business, we forget that to feed our friends and our competitors isn’t such a bad idea. Sharing the bottle, during the race, doesn’t make you less inclined to win. By that time, the work is done.  It’s the preparation to win that determines the winner.

What are you doing to prepare your best people, your up and comers, your starving managers and individual contributors who want to be the best, are showing potential and thirst for more learning, that you care and will ready them for their “A” race when it comes?

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Tanya leads the coaching and strategy efforts of Elevati, Inc. The company’s focus lies in energizing clients to help them develop their most critical leadership skills in business, sport and government today. To learn more, visit www.elevati-inc.com

We really have hit bottom - only it’s not the bottom.  There is a hole in the corner of the bottom big enough for us to see that there is plenty more room for us to go.  And wouldn’t you know it? It’s crowded down there.

On the phone with Wachovia (soon to be part of the digestive system of Wells Fargo) discussing a refi on our home loan. I’m one of I can only guess to be thousands of people experiencing the companies that have found a way to this new “bottom”.

After already experiencing “bottom feeder” customer service and various other disjointed ‘policies and procedures’, I should have been prepared for my next call with Wachovia. In a mix mash of emotions swinging from disbelief and giggles to disgust and the desire to vomit, I thought a blog post was in order.

 This emotional swing mimics my country’s brethren as we experience hope, then disbelief, then hope again, only to be hit once again by another BAM! Like, a bank’s doubling of our credit card’s interest rate, despite paying on time for the life of the card.  And there are, as I’m sure you’ve heard, a whole slew of  other stories about financial institutions figuring out new and fun ways to knock regular credit-card and mortgage-paying folk on their asses to make back the bucks they lost (mismanaged, hedged, bet, you choose) over the last year.

What adds insult to injury in this absolute madness spiral? 

Watching how friends of ours packed up their new little family and left a great house, in a beautiful city, in a great neighborhood, for another COUNTRY. It was something I never thought I’d witness…. I read about it, but it was one of those things “other people did”. Hearing about how people just left houses, so they could buy others more cheaply and avoid the hassle and mind-numbing drama of the banks’ pathetic behavior, was one thing.  Seeing good friends do exactly that, plus go to an entirely different country, was simply another thing all together.

I don’t prescribe to be one of the pundits who have educated thoughts on the “how to fix this mess”. I just know that the new business activities of banks and other financial institutions does nothing to raise their trustworthiness, credibility or even likeability in the eyes of the normies amongst us, of which there is a signficant number.

And therein lies the opportunity. 

Look, our expectations are clearly not that high. Differentiating yourself amongst such company doesn’t take much — especially if the ‘bar’ is the bottom.  Rising up through the hole in the bottom, to reach the “other” bottom, would do it.

The tough form councils.

How did Tom Hanks do it? In Castaway, he extracted one of his own abscessed teeth with the blade of an ice skate, he was a sole hunterer/gatherer, and he managed to live a really long time (you win a free slurpee if you guess how many years)  on a deserted, albeit gorgeous island, while somehow maintaining his sanity and his fighting (and creative) spirit.

I, on the other hand, have been working on the birth of another company - a relataively safe venture comparably. I would argue, though, that on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Tom H. and I share a similar placing…. we’re both bottom feeders in that regard. I just have easier access to an In ‘N Out cheeseburger.

 Anyway, during a moment of weakness, during one of those days when I was wondering was the hell I was doing starting another organization, my friend and mentor said, “You need a council, Tanya. You need help.”

It was in that moment that I had a brief bit o’ clarity. Here  I am, creating an organization that provides the means for others to band together for support in realizing their toughest ambitions, and I was going at it on my own – just solo. Typical.

So, I followed her advice and reached out. And surprisingly, the response was loud and enthusiastic. Even more surprising, and incredible, is that none of these team members are PAID. They are volunteering to help me build this company for nothing. They spend extra hours, working with other women, all of whom are separated by thousands of miles, to create things that will build an even more powerful, influential organization.

I realize now they are getting much in return for their efforts. They’ve had to remind me a thousand times. (Girls, if you’re reading this, i’m working hard to make sure you’re official one day!)

But in this experience, I’m also reminded of the power of engaged and enthusiastic teams.

Leaders can put a list of job descriptions together, list a bunch of necessary skills and behaviors to realize specific business objectives, but without engaged, willing, enthusiastic people, you’ll always settle for mediocrity - at best.

Watch us grow — GOTRIbal(TM).  www.gotribalnow.com

ANd read about us in Triathlete Mag: http://triathlon.competitor.com/features/triathlon-networking-organization-strives-to-empower-women.html

Onward and upward!

Yeah, the ceiling. It’s still there. But there’s plenty of cracks.

On a recent video interview I did for BNET.com, there was one guy that had an interesting way of sharing his opinion on the topic…whilst he patted me on the head and said “Okay little girl”. 

In a nutshell, the guy says women in management are more trouble than they’re worth.

Love it. You have to love the forum of the internet. Where a disgruntled and angry viewer. aka CEO, COO, CFO (as described by said viewer) can shout out like a  fifth grader who was just reprimmanded on the school playground by his PE Teacher (who was a woman) while he was showing off in front of his boys. (Better for this guy though, he had the veil of anonymity)

BNET found this short “interview” and its sensational comments so fun, they decided to publish it on their blasted E-newsletter list (along with two other videos; albeit less ’sensational’).

I figured it was worth it to welcome more comments - good, bad or otherwise. I’m a glutton for punishment … oops, i mean feedback. So let me know what you think…

                                       Confronting an Undermining Boss

Onward and upward!

I wouldn’t be surprised nowadays if people start ending their relationships with other people via Twitter. Couldn’t you just see it? In less than 140 characters.  To those who do it, I wonder if it just becomes more of a challenge than anything else.   “How can I break up with him in less than 140 characters?”

It used to be surprising when you got a “Dear John” letter over email.  I think it still is. I got one of these about a month ago. And i’m still sad for the person who wrote it.

But this post is about a game-day worker at Lincoln Financial Center (Philad. Eagles) who, being a raving fan of his beloved team, posted an emotional comment on his Facebook page that got him fired.

“…he was fired after posting an angry reaction to the news that fan favorite Brian Dawkins had left the Eagles to sign with the Denver Broncos.

Leone, 32, who has been a lifelong Eagles fan and grew up near Veterans Stadium, vented on his Facebook.com page: “Dan is (expletive) devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver. . .Dam Eagles R Retarted!!”

 I’m going to leave the whole issue about the guy not being able to vent his opinions on a social networking site — on his own page — about a team’s hiring or firing decisions alone. That alone is a post for another time.

It’s how he got fired that got me thinking about our general state-of-relationship-building.

He got a call. Yeah. A call.

Now, if you had to list the Top Ten Most Ridiculous Ways to End a Relationship, I’d argue  “Using Twitter - in less than 140 characters” would be right up there. But a call?

Leone’s response was incredulousness. After apologizing profusely for his mistake (which again, I say, is a topic for another post “When did sharing your opinion on facebook become a mistake?”) he shares that he had imagined the incident would’ve been a bit more … personal.

“And they couldn’t even bring me into the office to talk to me? They had to do it over the phone? At least look me in the eye. I’m devastated.”

Given the state of affairs today, please let the practices of one high profile organization be a lesson to those managers out there who are still in the unpleasant place of having to let someone go.  Especially if you’re organization is letting go of the most passionate and engaged of employees.  

And just to add insult to injury (because even spokespeople can learn a lesson or two about relationship-building skills), they close with this ridiculous statement: 

The only information we can share is that Dan was a seasonal game-day employee and not a full-time member of the Eagles staff,” and Eagles spokesman said.

In other words, ‘he really didn’t matter to us’. Well said, Mr. Eagles Spokesman.

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Tanya leads the coaching and strategy efforts of Elevati, Inc. The company’s focus lies in energizing clients to help them develop their most critical leadership skills in business, sport and government today. To learn more, visit www.elevati-inc.com

It was in Lanikai, Hawaii where I did my first triathlon. Not a bad place to start, really.

Lanikai, Hawaii

My first race I stunned my husband. You see, he knew I could swim, but he was surprised to see me finish the first part of the three disciplines (swim, then bike, then run) ahead of every woman, and ahead of a good many of the boys. I was shocked myself. My first thought was I’d simply not swum the whole course. It would be just typical of me to miss a buoy marker somewhere…..especially during that first race. Have you ever jumped in the open ocean with 349 people thrashing about with little regard for the person next to them?

In my case, those 349 other people just happen to be dudes.

The explanation for my surprising swim? In my nervous energy at the start, while hanging out in waist deep water, I had jumped the gun – and shot out of the start with the boys, instead of waiting my turn and swimming with the girls.

This was a sign of things to come. And I can honestly say, I’m still learning how to slow things down.

What does any of this have to do with business?
As usual, plenty. Let’s take a look shall we?

As I embark on my seventh season of training and racing in this incredible sport of triathlon, I have a few nuggets to share that will help you along your leadership journeys: (Most will seem familiar, but so what? A good message is worth repeating.)

1. Even the best athletes have a plan: Yes, they change it. They have to. Body parts stop working, injuries happen, they get sick, their bikes break, it gets icy and cold outside so running 13 miles is out of the question – you get the idea. The point is, they start out with a plan for what’s going to happen each week and each month leading up to a race, with goals that are as intricate as P/E ratios, ROI, net present value, and cost per unit of sales. (I’d argue the stats some athletes track rival the stats in baseball, but that’s another topic for another day). This way, they mentally prepare for what’s coming and what they need to do to be prepared.

2. Don’t jump the gun: This nugget has two elements really. You see, there’s a strong element of self-awareness in this sport. And that is equally important in business – if not life. Learning more about yourself in this sport ensures you keep getting better. Knowing the impact of my nervous energy on my ability to start with my proper “wave” of competitors has ensured I never ‘jump the gun’ again.

But I said this nugget had two elements. Let’s make this 2a.

2a. Steady and according to plan at the start: Any experienced triathlete will tell you going out hard and fast from the start, most especially in the longer events (70+ miles), ensures disaster. The shorter distances, (less than 18 miles, or about an hour of racing), are usually raced at “my-heart-is-going-to-burst” capacities. Except for those, it’s important in triathlon that you work your plan, or your plan won’t work. For example, a 16-week plan for your next race has phases built into it that ensure you have a stronger and more efficient physiological system for racing your best race. Trying to rush that plan, or put in too many hard training sessions too early, breaks that plan – and your race. And let me tell you from experience, it’s not just the physical element that gets messed up – it’s your emotional and mental readiness that goes in the toilet, too.

Only two nuggets this week. But there’s really only one message in both – Be patient. It’s easy to say, hard to practice. It’s just one more lesson that triathlon tries to teach me every day. One that is so hard to practice in business, especially in relationship-building amongst our teams and with our customers, but a lesson when practiced well, always results in high returns.

Like I said, I’m still learning. But I have a plan. And I don’t jump the gun anymore…at least I don’t try to.

Onward and upward!

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Tanya leads the coaching and strategy efforts of Elevati, Inc. The company’s focus lies in energizing clients to help them develop their most critical leadership skills in business, sport and government today. To learn more, visit www.elevati-inc.com

Like any good news reporter, the NBC news lady reporting on President Obama’s ‘brand’ has found a way to slam it. His focus on relationships and doing work together to accomplish big goals may not be enough to achieve the goals in front of us. Her theory? That maybe all the ads (it isn’t just Starbuck’s that’s copying President Obama’s change campaign - see one below for Chevy’s advertisement in France!) may extend President Obama’s “15 minutes of fame”, but when the rubber meets the road, will he deliver? 

Yes We Can. Chevy Billboard in France.

First, how typical of the media to offer up such a dim-wit argument. Not only are they causing a downward spiral of emotional contagion that should cause us all to permanently turn off our tvs, but they find a way to attack the incoming President’s approach that had a majority of the country singing and dancing at the Inauguration. Talk about lame.

My point? I have one really.

It’s so easy for most everybody to doubt the high-road (if someone could tell me where that comes from, I’d love to know) approach. Most especially when it’s filled with soft language like ‘relationship building’ and ‘neighbor-to-neighbor’ and ‘hope’ and ‘yes we can’. But don’t be fooled. The best leaders have a quiet, confidence in their beliefs and trust others to guide them. Yes, they’re smart. Booksmart, and all that jazz. But they know they don’t know it all. They know they need others to get the job done - done right and done well. And for that, they depend on building hope, relationships and confidence in others.

All that soft language again. what a drag.

Any thoughts?

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Tanya leads the coaching and strategy efforts of Elevati, Inc. The company’s focus lies in energizing clients to help them develop their most critical leadership skills in business, sport and government today. To learn more, visit www.elevati-inc.com

When Houston college player Coleman used Arizona’s Chase Budinger’s face as a step during last week’s game, and then high-fived his team mates on the side line before being ejected, I thought: Poor Coleman, I guess he’s never really learned what’s decent - on or off the basketball court.
Then I wondered, what the hell was up with Coach Tom Penders?

The video is gruesome….and it’s all over the place, so feel free to go grab it. I’m most certainly not going to post it here.

What I am interested in hearing about is what people think about Penders. It remains to be seen what will happen to him for allowing such behavior to happen in the first place; first with Coleman, then with his team. But you call this leadership? REALLY? Who’s in charge here? And forget just being in charge.  Who knows what’s important, what’s right and is able to coach those things as well as coach a good basketball game?

All of this craziness seems almost ‘acceptable’ in the leagues of pro-basketball, but college? Isn’t this the sacred place of devout fan-bases, idyllic sportsmanship, and fun-to-watch team rivalries?

When can we start to expect immediate consequences for behavior like this? For not only the player (Cut him off the team!) but the leader of the players? 

Or is this going to be like corporate America, where regardless of performance, the top dogs get rewarded handsomely as their Boards show them the door.