#16 Tribute to a Former Co-Worker

For past few days, I have been struggling to find the right approach to a topic that I wanted to write about.  Finally after many stops and starts, I decided what I really needed to write about was a former co-worker who recently passed away.  He showed me and others how to live a life worth living.   

With his passing, I and others acknowledged what knowing him had meant to us.  One who worked closely with him said "he was really something without ever telling anyone he was really something".  Another said that "his legacy would be the kindness that he showed to so many people".  I would agree with both of those sentiments, but he was so much more.   

Although he worked in a remote office hundreds of miles away from me, he managed to stay in touch.  He stayed in touch with others too -- talking about their ailing parents, as he too had older parents.  He was always funny; always was part of a his office's "lunch bunch" and added life and character to the workplace.  But more importantly, he lead by example.  He stood up for what he believed in.  He would not compromise himself or his division just to suit someone else.  He would carefully explain why he felt so passionately about what he did and why the integrity of his work product was so important to the greater whole.     

For over 20 years he headed up a division that hired numerous graduate student assistants.  The students would come for a year or two, get hands on practical experience and be mentored and tutored by someone who knew his business.   More importantly they worked for someone who also cared about them and their well being.  Upon his retirement several years ago, I was amazed at how many of his former students traveled far and wide just to honor him -- he meant that much to them.   I thought at the time that there was no greater tribute -- the idea that he had mentored and meant to much to so many just said it all to me.

He did not need a "core values" statement, he just was.   He was a man of integrity.  He was honest with himself and others, stood up for his values, treated  people fairly and with compassion, and cared about what he did.  He taught us so much, without even knowing it.  He was the real deal and we were all the lucky ones for having known him.

Good bye my friend, thank you for teaching me and others so much -- yours was indeed a life well lived.

#15 "Why Working Stiffs Feel Left Out"

A year ago New York Times writer, David Brooks, wrote an article titled "Why working stiffs feel left out".  He describes a hypothetical Ben, who has tried to do all the right things in his life.  He put himself through college; studied in a field  that led to a degree that could provide him a real job.  He graduated; got the job; worked his way up the ladder; and bought a modest house that he could afford.  He thought he was living an ethos that could be called "earned success".  Wasn't that supposed to be the American way?  Then things changed.   

I know of many employees who are just like Ben.  They got through their course work at college, started in entry level jobs and  slowly worked up the career ladder for ten, fifteen or twenty years honing their skills and gaining knowledge  in their chosen  fields of expertise.  They had an expectation that at some point they would be rewarded for all of their hard work, knowledge, skills and abilities.  They thought they had earned their "stripes" and were achieving their success the American way.  Then things changed. 

Instead, they were pushed aside.  Forced to find other careers, retire -- whatever, no one cared -- just be gone.  Other employees, some without any or very little experience -- certainly without the requisite knowledge and skills sets -- were given promotions.   These undeserved promotions were given  to opportunistic individuals who were willing to do whatever was expected of them without asking any questions or raising concerns -- in other words they were willing to go along to get along.  They have been rewarded for less than admirable behavior and achievements.  Is this " earned success" or is this the new American way?

I certainly hope not.  Is it is any wonder that our governmental institutions are not working well?  Misdeeds and wrong headed decisions are happening daily because most of current mid-level employees do not know enough to know they don't know.  Most of  the institutional knowledge left the buildings when long time workers who knew how to keep the wheels on the train, and who knew the moral, ethical and legal things to do, were replaced.  Just when we all needed them the most -- they are nowhere to be seen and are considered to be irrelevant.  Really? 

This is an injustice to not only those workers who had prepared themselves so well to take over leadership in departments, it is also an injustice to all of us taxpayers.  Is this really how we want  our own hard-earned money spent -- going to reward employees who do not now what what they are doing -- in order to please  narcissistic bosses who are busy decimating our governmental institutions?

Who will teach and train the younger workers coming into the work place?  Will they think that their supposedly "good looks and who they know," will propel them forward to a long, illustrious career?  Can our institutions last that long? 

If this is the new American way, we are all ultimately the losers for these expedient, but very bad decisions.  And is it any wonder that good,  honest "working stiffs" feel left out?  It is because they are!!!  

#14 Management of Human Resources -- Theory X, Y and Z

A long time co-worker and friend used to talk about the only thing he remembered from graduate school was the X,Y theory of human management.  Theory X -- management believes that employees are lazy, dislike work, and need to be closely watched and controlled.  Theory Y -- management trusts and assumes that employees are self-motivated, exercise self-control, and possess the ability for creative problem solving.   My friend was very much a proponent of Theory Y and he was also the one (mentioned in an earlier blog) that made managing his division look so easy that others thought that it ran itself. 

Douglas McGregor, from the MIT Sloan School of Management in the 1960's developed these theories of human motivation and they remain (though modified somewhat) the guiding principle of positive approaches to management, organizational development, and to improving organizational culture.  McGregor is also the reason that the term "human resources" is used today instead of personnel -- the idea that people were assets was unheard of before him.  Theory Z, later developed by William Ouchi, believes that workers can be trusted, so long as management can be trusted to support them and look out for their well being. 

It was always my belief that if you hired good, talented people and treated them well, they would perform well for you.  If you had employees you needed to watch and control, then you probably hired the wrong people.  I still believe that -- I think that rather than being progressive in our management thinking, we have regressed in the past decade-- no one trusts anyone.  It is very hard to have healthy workplaces without trust going both ways.
 
If one researches the best companies, they have strong human resource departments and they also follow some form of Theory Y and Z management practices.  They know that in order to attract talented employees with valuable, out of the box thinking, and who produce good work products, they need happy, healthy employees, who feel appreciated and valued.  Think Google, SAS and more locally, Nugget Markets.

Perhaps our governmental institutions need to re-evaluate their management beliefs and begin to re-institute management practices that are supportive of a productive, happy, healthy and creative work force. Then workers would not need to be watched and controlled so much (easy stuff), and there would be more time for workers and leaders to spend on problem solving (the hard stuff). 

#13 Personal Reflections and Some Comments

I have been at this for the last six weeks and I have enjoyed writing these blogs.  If you ask my friends, they will tell you I can talk about anything, any time, any where, and that is what I have been doing.  Perhaps it is what I do best.  Recently a close friend commented to me that my blogs were thought provoking but tended to be a bit dark and that was unlike me.   I had been thinking the same thing.

I started asking myself why the negativity, because I am typically a positive person.  I was a very effective problem solver.  I  thought there was a solution to every problem -- even if I did not know what it was -- I knew that I could go to my co-workers, or outside sources, to help me out.  Through a collaborative process, solutions were always found.  They proved to be effective because they were well thought out and pros and cons were always evaluated.  This kind of process, involving others and their best thoughts and wise counsel, was personally rewarding to me.  It was empowering to all of us and it was contagious.  It radiated up and down throughout the work place.

It is the lack of this honest, open communication, which is sanctioned by certain leaders/managers and their wanting to "hide the ball" mentality, which is causing our governmental institutions to become dysfunctional.   As Dr. Phil would say, "How's that working for you"?  Apparently not very well.

The question that I want to shout out, is why?  Why does everything have to be so controlled?  Were we not more effective when people were not "commanded and controlled" and could just think for themselves?  Didn't the workplace function better when employees could openly contribute and ask questions, without being put down or shunned?   Weren't we better off when employees were valued for their knowledge, skills and abilities, instead of their blind loyalty?  Since when it is a bad idea to value your employees and teach, train and mentor them?  These questions that I ask repeatedly are what make me cynical and upset.  

Do I think there are answers?  Yes I do -- but as usual, they are quite simple but not easy.  Changing established and entrenched mindsets is never easy,  but not impossible.  One person asked  two compelling questions regarding  the blog "We Need Surgery".  I was asked, who are these surgical teams and does the patient want to be healed"?  I have two short answers  for now:  (1)  I have thoughts of on structures of  surgical teams, and (2) I do not think that the patient wants to be healed.

Before I present my detailed thoughts regarding those two questions, I want to present two to three more blogs.  They will help lay the ground work for my answers to those very important questions.

Stay tuned folks -- I so appreciate that you are reading and commenting on these blogs -- keep the comments coming.

#12 We Need Surgery

Yesterday I read a post by Adriana Huffington.  It really resonated with me so I decided to make it the topic of today's blog.  The following is her post from June 8, 2011:

Reacting to the latest round of depressing jobs numbers, the president said that it is just like "if you got hit by a truck, it's going to take a while for you to mend." Being hit by a truck is not a bad metaphor -- but he left something out. If you get hit by a truck, you are taken to a hospital for major interventions. When you are wheeled through the emergency room doors on a gurney, people react; they move purposefully and quickly; machines are brought out; desperate measures are taken. But that's not at all what happened with the economy. Instead, the economy got hit by a truck, was wheeled into the ER, and those in charge largely left the patient to heal on his own while they went into a back room to talk about the long-term building plan for the hospital. You know what might help speed along the mending? Surgery.

I could not agree more.  We have been fiddling while our governmental institutions are collapsing around us (remember Nero)? 

While I believe that Governor Brown is attempting to do something on the state level -- most of these changes are minor -- reign in cell phones, collect past travel and salary advances (if the employees are still working) hold the line on hiring, and consolidate DPA and SPB.  While all of these are good, we need a much more drastic approach to fixing the total dysfunction inside most governmental organizations.  We need to surgically remove the malignancy that has been eating away at these structures of government for the past decade.

It is the cancerous leadership which has metastasized within the structures of many departments.  This has allowed for patronage hires; the total disregard for established rules or policies; the lack of accountability for those that have committed fraud or have serious conflicts of interest --  or serious ethics violations and major self-dealing.   No one is accountable for anything anymore -- it is truly stunning to me as I spent so much of my adult life working in government and being accountable. 

Adriana Huffington is right -- WE NEED SURGERY!

#11 Who's Zoomin' Who?

In 1990 Aretha Franklin released a song with the above title.  It refers to a man who thinks that he is hustling  her or working her over -- she knows what he is doing and she, in turn, is hustling him (or conning him like he is conning her).  I like the title of this song because it says so much.

A few blogs back I mentioned M. Scott Peck and his thought on the ultimate incivility -- when someone pretends that you are their "new best friend" when in reality they are treating you like a thing to be used, to get what they want from you.  

Well, what about those employees who are always flattering their bosses?  They say things like, "you are so pretty, you are so smart, you are so handsome, love your dress, hair, blah, blah, blah".  You can fill in the blanks.  They offer up flattery in order to score "brownie points" (hence the term brown nosing--well, maybe part of the reason for that term) from the higher ups.  Most people are very susceptible to this type of flattery -- let's face it, it feels good -- until you understand that they want something from you (or the boss) -- a promotion, recognition, being part of the "A" team -- whatever.  Everyone wants something for themselves. 

The problem with these interactions or transactions -- the one who acts like your new best friend, or the one who is offering up the flattery -- neither is based on anything that is real.  There is no honest, true relationship that is formed here; there is no authenticity.  It is all based on someones self-centered need for the other.  When things at work, or in life, get tough and start to fall apart, these false relationships also begin to crumble.  You will find that either party is expendable and can be "thrown under the bus" by the other in order to protect themselves.  There is no loyalty. 

In our very narcissistic world, it is easy to get caught up in all of this falseness -- it surrounds us and it is hard to escape.  Insincerity is modeled for us daily as a way of achieving success; however, always be aware of  "Who's Zoomin' Who?" 



 

#10 Quiet Leaders

Have you ever noticed that there are co-workers of yours who are just busy going about the business of their job?  They work efficiency and effectively.  They take the time to teach and train other employees.  They readily share their knowledge.  Often times these employees are not in any chain of command -- they are the quiet leaders in an organization.

Many highly effective employees are these quiet leaders.  They do not seek recognition and they do not do what they do for recognition or to get ahead.  They are competent within themselves and they do not step on others just to get a promotion. 

These quiet leaders within organizations are often the glue that holds a group together.  While others are off grandstanding, hoarding information and politicking, these employees are keeping the wheels on the train and are busy accomplishing their part of the organization's mission.

The sad part is that unless one really pays attention, most executive leaders to not know that these workers exist or how valuable they are.  When I used to work, there was a Division that was so well managed  --  they were exceedingly productive, had very few personnel issues and all worked well together.  The executive leaders often said that this Division "ran itself".   As the HR Director, I was amazed.  I knew that nothing ran itself.  The fact was that these leaders were focused on their goals, were unassuming, shared with, trained and acknowledged their employees' contributions.  They did it so well that it looked effortless -- but it was not.

Why is it the squeaky wheel gets all attention -- even if negative?   These types of employees are like children, they will get attention one way or the other.  The quietly effective people have no need to get this level of attention -- however, on occasion they do require validation.  

Hopefully your leaders are acknowledging these unsung and unseen quiet leaders.  If they are not occasionally acknowledged for their contributions, they may just take all of their expertise and contributions elsewhere.  Then everyone will soon notice that the wheels are beginning to come off the train....unfortunately, often times it is too late. Take a look around, become aware of those people that help and support you -- maybe you too are one of them --

So here is a big shoot out to all of you quiet leaders -- maybe others do not see you, but I know you exist.  Thank you for all that you do!