Success With People Daily

A friend of mine, Mauritz, was very excited recently because his company moved their offices so it was farther away from their home.  This gave him an opportunity to write 8 miles to work, and another 8 miles home each day for good exercise.  My question is, why are not more leaders commuting to work by bicycle?

I received an email from REI recently promoting the five benefits of riding bicycles. 

1.  The average Joe loses 13 lbs. by biking

2.  Peddling is better for the planet

3.  You’ll save major cash on gas

4.  Parking is free, so no more tickets

5.  Fresh air is the ultimate rush

I clicked on the link in the REI email and they have all kinds of great information on the benefits of riding bikes.  From my perspective the reasons are fairly simple:  Gas prices are high and they are going to go higher.  Peoples budgets are tight and they may get tighter.  So why not as leaders encourage our people to ride a bike to work?

You can provide space for them to park their bike.  You could provide a company vehicle if employees need to run an errand.  I encourage you to check out the REI for ideas on the benefits of bicycling and ask your employees if there’s anything the company can do to support them commuting by bicycle.

Remember, the desired result Sanctuary of the Success With People system encourages employees to take regular, healthy breaks at work.  Commuting to and from work on a bicycle is a great start.

Have a GREAT week!

Neither Senator McCain nor Senator Obama has a viable plan to restore America’s financial independence.  Apparently they do not believe in Success With People, except when they are the people experiencing success.  So their campaigns are the same political lies we have been told before.  They have both made promises they cannot financially keep.

I encourage you to immediately sign the petition of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.  Here are excerpts of an email from PGPF President & CEO, David Walker.

When our leaders don’t take steps to fix serious and undeniable problems, all Americans pay the price.  As disruptive and damaging as today’s mortgage sub-prime crisis is, we’re looking at a “super sub-prime” crisis that, if left unaddressed, will hurt many more Americans - and hurt much worse.

Our politicians promise neat solutions, but these are convenient myths.  The truth is,

We cannot grow our way out of these problems.  To do so, our economy would have to grow by double digits in real terms for decades.  Even during the relative prosperity of the 1990s, the economy grew at an average rate of 3.2% per year.

We cannot solve the problem simply by eliminating earmarks and pork-barrel spending, cancelling the Bush tax cuts, and ending the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Combined, these actions would get us only 15% of the way to solvency.

McCain and Obama must answer real, hard questions about our financial future.

Here’s what you can do:  Act now to demand answers at the next debate.  Our suggested questions are attached below, but feel free to add your questions when you sign the petition.

Here are our suggested questions for the upcoming debate:

1. How will you make fiscal responsibility and intergenerational equity a priority?

2. How will you slow the rate of growth in health care costs that threaten to bankrupt America?

3. How will you encourage the country to save more and reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign lenders?

4. Will you put everything on the table - statutory budget controls, entitlement reform, and current tax policies - to encourage bipartisan action?

5. Will you support the creation of a bipartisan commission to review everything on the table and make recommendations with a guaranteed up-or-down vote by the next Congress?

We need a President who will tackle these critical issues, help educate the public, and lead a bipartisan effort to make meaningful reforms a reality.  Join 150,000 of your fellow Americans who have expressed their concern at www.pgpf.org.  Tough choices and shared sacrifices will be required, but solutions exist.  Together, we can bail out America - and the time to start is now.

For our future,

Dave Walker, President and CEO
Peter G Peterson Foundation

Yesterday I did the first of 12 Web seminars (proprietary content) we’ve created for Microsoft as a Business Edge series to teach business etiquette and process to recently hired college graduates, and other employees who need a refresher course.

The registrations for the web seminar yesterday were strong and I believe attendees enjoyed the content.  I encourage all Microsoft partners to have your young employees attend the Microsoft Business Edge series Web seminars live or at least view the recorded sessions.  I am doing 3 of these a week for the next 4 weeks (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 11:00 a.m. PST each week).

Microsoft Partners can learn more about the seminars at https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/search_adv.aspx?ssid=7A5A37E3CBE64942ADD116A693BB2506

Today’s session is on how to Identify and Pursue Your Strengths.  I hope you join us to learn more about how you personally and professionally can have more Success With People.

What’s missing instead of That’s WRONG!  This is interesting…

I got this idea from Tony Smith, CEO and Founding Partner of VSA Consulting Group, when I heard him speak at the ConnectWise Partner Summit in September.

When there is a problem, do not tell someone they are wrong but instead say, “I think something is missing…”  You have some choices on how to do this:

1. Do not be specific and just state that you feel like something is missing.  Ask if the other person or people can figure out what is missing. 

2. Give them a hint as to what you think is missing.  Such as, “It seems like something is missing.  Have we taken into account how this is going to affect our legacy customers?” 

3. Specifically refer to the missing process, person, detail or item, but not in a threatening way.  Such as, “This sounds interesting, but it seems like something is missing in regards to whether we have the manpower to complete this project in the time frame you’re promising.”

If you’re practicing active listening, you can precede each of these comments with the statement, “If I understand you correctly” and then summarize what you think you heard.  Then bring up your concern that something is missing.

Success With People is about developing strong relationships with other people in your workplace so your business can grow profitably every year.  Please give this suggestion a try this week.  I think you’ll be pleased with the results.

The House of Representatives turned down the bailout plan of the Bush Administration today and the stock market tanked.  It was one of the most beautiful representations of the power of American democracy that we’ve seen in recent years.

Whether you were in favor of the bailout or not, this was a great example of bipartisan work to stop uncontrolled government spending.  100 Democrats voted with the Republicans to turn down this bailout plan.  So what can we learn as leaders from this experience?

I have a tremendous amount of respect for Hank Paulson who came up with this bailout plan.  I sincerely believe he is trying to do the right thing.  However I think under the stress of the situation, he made a decision between two extremes - bailout or no bailout - and this was his mistake.  It appears there should have been deeper exploration into considering alternatives between the two extremes.

Too often as leaders we are faced with what appears to be a choice between two extremes, yet if we pause and reflect on the situation often alternatives arise.

In the book of 1 Kings 3, the Bible tells the story of King Solomon making a wise ruling between two prostitutes who lived together.  The women came before him to share their story.  One gave birth to a baby and three days later the other also had a child.  Unfortunately one of the baby boys died during the night.  One woman claimed the other had switched her dead baby for her live child.  What was Solomon to do?

He created a situation of two extremes to determine who was telling the truth.  He asked for a sword and commanded that the living child be cut in half, with one half given to each mother.  One woman cried out and begged for the life of the child, while the other agreed with the verdict.  Solomon recognized that the woman who cried out to save the child was its mother and awarded the child to her.

As you face challenges in the months ahead, work with people you trust to consider solutions and opportunities that are in-between the two extremes.  This will enable you not only to experience Success With People because it will build stronger relationships with your key people, but it will also enable you to achieve more profitable results in your business.

TIME Magazine has an article titled, A Sense of Community, in their September 22 issue.  The article is primarily 21 ways to serve America written by their editors and submitted by others.

As leaders we need to consider some of these suggestions very seriously:

Re-think Christmas:  This is an interesting concept to consider promoting to your employees starting in October.  Is there a way you could support and/or contribute to their gifts of time and resources with those less fortunate rather than themselves during the Christmas season?

Get Out!:  This suggestion aligns with your company values if your organization likes outdoor activities.  It recommends getting involved in preserving our natural resources.

Turn Off the Tube:  Virtually everyone who works for your organization does not have enough time to do all that they would like to do each day.  One simple way for them to increase the amount of time available to help others as a volunteer is to simply turn off the television and leave it off.  I have a growing number of friends who have stopped having cable television both to give themselves more free time and to avoid the trashy programming.

Cut Your Hair!:  Why not encourage your employees to grow their hair as a group and then get it cut to donate their ponytails to nonprofits like Blocks of Love and Weeks for Kids?  These groups make wigs and hair pieces for children who lost their hair because of cancer treatments or medical conditions.  The ponytail has to be a least 10 inches long so this might be a long-term project.

Take Off from Work:  Instead of increasing the number of vacation days, why not give people additional days off but only if they use the days to do volunteer work for a recognized nonprofit organization?

At the end of the day we are a community.  As leaders, we can more fully engage our employees and make the work more meaningful by encouraging them to serve our communities for the common good.  That’s an important way to experience Success With People within your organization.

Many leaders are told to expect the unexpected, but if it is unexpected how can you expect it?

Certainly there is value in trying to expect and prepare for worse case scenarios, however great leaders know how to retain their focus on achieving superior results when surprising challenges are setbacks occur.  Results on the outcome of Success With People.

My mother sent me this story today.  I do not know whether it’s true.  The reason I am posting it is not for any spiritual message, but rather to encourage leaders to consider that often times challenges occur to make us stronger, encourage us to consider an alternative approach, or to serve a purpose unknown to us.  Therefore as leaders our primary role is not always to solve the problem, but rather to retain our focus on key priorities as we work our way through the challenge.

Lost Glasses

My mother’s father worked as a carpenter, on this particular day, he was building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to orphanages in China.

On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. When he mentally replayed his earlier actions, he realized what had happened; the glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates, which he had nailed shut.

His brand new glasses were heading for China!  The Great Depression was at its height and Grandpa had six children.  He had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. He was upset by the thought of having to buy another pair.  “It’s not fair,” he told God as he drove home in frustration.  “I’ve been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this.”

Months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the United States.  He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him in China, so he came speak one Sunday at my grandfather’s small church in Chicago. 

The missionary began by thanking the people for their faithfulness in supporting the orphanage.  “But most of all,” he said, “I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year.  You see, the Communists had just swept through the orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses.  I was desperate.  Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses.  Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my coworkers and I were much in prayer about this.  Then your crates arrived.  When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on top.”  The missionary paused long enough to let his words sink in.  Then, still gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued: “Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom made just for me!  I want to thank you for being a part of that.”

The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses.  But the missionary surely must have confused their church with another, they thought.  There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas.

But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.  There are times we want to blame God instead of thanking him!

I have to remember this in these times of trials of my own.  May GOD bless your week!  Look for the perfect mistakes.  “People are like tea bags- - you have to put them in hot water before you know how strong they are.”  Peace is not the absence of trouble.  Peace is the presence of God.

Great leaders are not always those who sit up at the front or stand as the speaker.  This carpenter and father was a leader who knew how to serve others.  He was making a positive difference in the lives of his family, church, clients and community.  Did you notice how he did not stand and seek to be recognized for the gift of his glasses?  Instead he listened, and learned.

Possibly the next time we are faced with a challenge our question should not be, “Why did this happen?”  Instead possibly we should ask, “What am I supposed to learn from this problem?”

This Thursday, August 21st, there will be a live broadcast about American federal government debt.  Every adult American should see this to fully comprehend the FAILURE of our politicians to manage government resources responsibly.  To learn more, go to the I.O.U.S.A. page of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation website.

Our politicians deserve a gold medal for selling us out.  As gasoline, food and health care costs continue to rise, Americans are looking for solutions to the ever-growing financial challenges being faced today and in the future. I.O.U.S.A.: Live with Warren Buffett, Pete Peterson & Dave Walker addresses these challenges while offering solutions in a one-night-only, exclusive in-theatre event on Thursday, August 21st.  Don’t miss it. 

As leaders, we cannot experience Success With People if we fail to manage our resources wisely.

BLR through SHRM reports a California court actually sided with an employer for once.   

The case, Flores v. AutoZone West, Inc. (Cal. Court of Appeals Dist. 4, No. G038322 (2008)) arose out of an altercation at an AutoZone store in Orange County.  A customer was at the store to buy motor oil when he whistled at an employee to get his attention. The employee, a sales manager, took the whistling as an insult.  After a verbal exchange hit the customer with a metal pipe.

Now let me break from this story for a moment.  About 25 years ago I pulled into a gas station and waited to be served, which was before self-service.  The attendant continued to chat with a buddy for what seemed like eternity, but probably was about 5-10 seconds.  I whistled at him to get his attention.  It made him angry.  I apologized, but also told him I did not like waiting while he chatted with his friend.  I later reported his anger to his boss.  Years later I had my car serviced at a local dealership and it came back with a totally unrelated problem.  When I picked it up I noticed the gas station attendant now worked at the dealership.  Now you decide, was that just a coincidence?  Apparently most of us do not like to be whistled at like a dog.

Now back to AutoZone.  The customer filed a lawsuit against AutoZone to hold the company liable for his injuries on the grounds that the sales manager was acting within the scope of his employment when he hit the customer.  The customer also contended that AutoZone was negligent in hiring, retaining, and training the employee, in light of his allegedly violent background.  In particular, the sales manager had a juvenile delinquency record for attempted murder, although AutoZone was unaware of it.  AutoZone had previously given the manager a written warning for raising his voice to a customer.

The appellate court ruled the case can proceed.  Under California law, an employer is vicariously liable for its employees’ wrongdoings that are committed within the scope of the employment, and an employee’s willful, malicious, and even criminal acts may fall within the employment scope.  AutoZone argued that the employee’s attack on the customer, who was an “an older and smaller gentleman,” was “perverse” and far outside the bounds of his employment.  But the court said that an employee’s violent response to a customer interaction could be a predictable risk of retail employment, and it was up to a jury to decide that question in this case.

AutoZone’s appeal won in the appeals court, which rejected the negligence accusations. According to the court, AutoZone had no duty to do a more-thorough background check before hiring the employee—and even had the company done more, it still might not have uncovered the juvenile record.  What’s more, the prior incident in which the manager raised his voice with a customer wasn’t a red flag that he might be violent.

How to Avoid Liability

1 - Do a thorough background check (learn more) that includes a criminal and civil court check in the county the individual resides in addition to the largest adjacent county.  You cannot make a hiring decision based on the civil court check, but you sure want to know if the individual is suing neighbors or past employers, or they are suing him.

2 - Monitor performance AND conduct of all employees.  Document problems and good works.  Consider problems carefully.  AutoZone won the lawsuit, but it cost them tens of thousands of dollars to do so.  It can be better to terminate an employee rather than risk a serious problem.  Sometimes the decisions you have to make as the boss are just tough.

Enjoy Success With People!  Make this year your best year ever.

Sanctuary is one  of the 12 Desired Results of the Success With People system because it gives you perspective.

My friend and pastor, Joe Everly, mentioned this past weekend the example of freshly caught crabs that are offered for sale in a market.  As long as there are multiple crabs for sale, they can be offered in open baskets because if one tries to escape the others drag it back into the basket.  Do you have people stopping you from achieving your key priorities?

Elaine Hahn has some nice paintings of crabs in baskets if you are interested in making this point to your team.  Here is one of them.

All those crabs just crawling around complaining…  It sounds like some offices I’ve been invited to visit. 

Use Sanctuary to break away from the crabs!  Turn off all forms of communication for 1-2 hours a day just to focus on achieving key priorities.  At other times Sanctuary is getting away from the office for a healthy walk/exercise and snack just to clear your mind of the crabs.

Make this next week your best week!  It’s a great life… as long as you can escape the crabs!!!