Today is National Teacher Day, providing an excellent opportunity to reflect on how teaching is an integral part of leadership. The following definitions are all included in my Oxford Dictionary: A teacher is someone who “gives information, enables a person to do something, advocates a principle, communicates, instructs, and inspires by example.” Aren’t all of these essential skills of a good leader?

Food for Thought ~

Personally, I have found that having the mindset of a teacher has helped me cope with the demands of leadership and be more effective at the same time. When I hear requests, complaints, worries or questions, I try to identify the underlying issue that needs attention and consider how the situation might become a learning experience for all of us. Learning is a life-long process; and great teachers and leaders have an appreciation for their own continuous learning as well as others.

Question for the day ~

What situation are you currently involved in that could use your skill as a leader/teacher? Do you embrace your role as teacher as an important part of being a leader? Who have been the influential teachers in your life?

If possible, I highly recommend contacting and thanking the teachers in your life, no matter how recent or long ago. I am quite sure they will appreciate hearing from you.

Mary

This date, May first, holds special meaning for me. On May Day when I was a little girl, my mother would help me gather flowers from her garden and make nosegays in paper cones to hang on neighbors’ front doors. I was thrilled by the idea of our neighbors being surprised by the mysterious little bouquets! You may be familiar with the saying “Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” Did you know the phrase was coined by Anne Herbert, who lives in Marin County, and first wrote those words on a placemat in a Sausalito restaurant thirty years ago?

Food for Thought ~

Although kindness and beauty are not new concepts, this well-turned phrase helps us capture the spirit of generous acts of thoughtfulness and the simple power of beauty. This applies in the workplace as well as in the rest of our lives. Busy leaders often get caught up in the drama, urgency and never-ending accumulation of demands on their time and energy. And for that very reason, leaders must make conscious efforts to stay in touch with the human aspect of work. Try this experiment: think of someone that you appreciate, or perhaps a co-worker who is having a hard time or someone who doesn’t often receive recognition. Then think of a simple act of kindness that you can extend. When we experience the positive two-way impact and the beauty of kindness, it’s likely to become a habit. It doesn’t take much time to be kind.

Question for the day ~

Who would appreciate an act of kindness? What simple things can you do today to practice thoughtfulness and create beauty?

I’d love to hear about your random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty!

Mary

I love synchronicity! I’ve written about the risks of our digital lifestyle the past two weeks and the irony of how our reliance on the “smart” capabilities of our digital devices means we are likely compromising our own “smarts,” particularly our ability to focus and our creative capacities. The synchronistic piece is that last Thursday I attended a talk by Kerry Rego, one of Sonoma County’s leading experts in social media and technology training. Her message was a warning. Here are my notes from what she had to say.

Food for Thought from Kerry Rego ~

Life changed with the PC and then even more so with smart phones. Current technology is too much. Just because we can doesn’t mean we should. We have to set boundaries. Here’s how you can counteract the downside of the digital lifestyle: take care of your health. Put good fuel in your body (eat healthful, nutritious food.) Hand-write personal thank you notes on stationery and mail them. Take time to play. Unplug. Turn off the digital devices. The antidote for technology is nature. Get out in nature. Spend quality time in nature – without your cell phone! I repeat, the antidote is nature.

Question for the day ~

What boundaries do you need to make regarding technology use? Do you have enough time in nature?

The HBR article that I referenced, The Magic of Doing One thing at a Time, continues to be very popular, so for one final time, here’s the link.

A Reminder ~

On another note (yet related in terms of technology use) tomorrow, April 25, is Administrative Professionals Day. These are some of the most capable people I have known. If you have the good fortune to work with one or more, please be sure they are not “unsung heroines/heroes” in your organization. How about a personal, handwritten thank you note? (And be sure they have breaks from their computers.)

Mary

Last week’s post on the perils of being continuously connected seemed to have struck a nerve, as in “ouch.” It appears that many of us are wrestling with these issues. Having written about this, it seemed appropriate that I conduct a self-assessment on the subject. Here’s what I learned: although I don’t have the habit of being always “on” via digital devices, I notice that I have developed the habit of checking my email frequently when I’m working in my office. I feel obliged to get back to people as soon as possible. This is good, to a point. What I also noticed is that my curiosity about what new and interesting things (messages/events/ideas/resources/opportunities) may have come my way is very captivating. Consequently, I have resolved to do my critical thinking, strategic thinking and creative work before I let myself explore the bright shiny objects that show up in my inbox.

Food for Thought ~

Some might say “Why make such an issue of this?” Because, I think the “use it or lose it” axiom applies. If we default to primarily using the type of thinking required for reacting to stimuli, we will diminish our individual and collective powers of concentration and focus, our unique and creative capacities to imagine new horizons and dream big dreams, our ability to dedicate our attention and complete a task, our capacity for generating original work. I am reminded that Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” That pretty well sums it up.

Question for the day ~

How might you find ways to maintain (or increase) your personal creative, generative capacities? How does Einstein’s insight apply to you or your organization?

For those of you who didn’t get a chance to read the very popular HBR article that I referenced last week, The Magic of Doing One thing at a Time, here’s the link.

Please preserve your creative and generative powers! The world needs them.

Mary

Over the past few years I have been observing a workplace phenomenon with growing concern. I see my clients, their co-workers and employees becoming more stressed and feeling less satisfied with their hard work and long hours. Here’s my take on what’s happening: the impacts of the economic recession have generally led to a “do more with less” context, while at the same time, new technology has enabled an “always on” lifestyle. The increasingly sophisticated capabilities (not to mention, marketing) of mobile devices have bred an expectation that it’s good to be continuously connected. This confluence of factors is having some adverse consequences. We’re learning that the price of continuous connection is higher than we might have realized.

Food for Thought ~

Increasingly, thought leaders on this subject are calling attention to this dilemma. One of the best articles I’ve seen is “The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time” by Tony Schwartz in the Harvard Business Review. He makes several very helpful suggestions that I hope you will consider and then discuss with your co-workers. Leaders will want to add this issue to their organizations’ productivity and performance agendas. It will require a cooperative team effort to institute workable policies and practices that support true productivity. Here’s the link. For a more in-depth study of this subject, Leslie Perlow’s new book will be published in May, Sleeping with your Smart Phone.

Question for the day ~

How does continuous connection affect your stress and satisfaction levels? How might you address this issue in your organization?

Tuesday Minute with Mary Wins All Star Award!

TMwM has received an All Star Award from Constant Contact, the email service that I use to format and publish this newsletter/blog. The award is based on readership statistics and I am delighted to report that my readership is twice the industry average! Only 10% of their customers receive this award, and this is the second year TMwM has earned this distinction.

Thanks for being one of my loyal readers!

Mary

Last week I had the pleasure of acknowledging one of the leaders at a client organization for his excellent skills as a supervisor. In reply, he smiled and said, “I like people.” That seemingly simple statement speaks a profound truth about leadership – just genuinely liking people makes a huge difference in our ease and effectiveness as a leader. Why? Because people can be exasperating, foolish, unpleasant, self-centered and so on. And because people can be loyal, hard-working, reliable, trustworthy and more. Great leaders have the capacity to deal appropriately and powerfully with a wide range of human behaviors. They find ways to work that bring out the best in people ~ themselves and others.

Food for Thought ~

Mother Teresa had this to say:
“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.”

Question of the day ~

How might you broaden and deepen your capacity for working with people?

New Article now Available ~

Making a mistake is an opportunity to practice working with people under difficult circumstances. My recent column in the North Bay Business Journal is a story about the larger lessons that can be learned from making a mistake. If you haven’t read it yet, please click here.

With appreciation for the great people I work with,

Mary

One way to think about leadership is as a series of conversations – with individuals, small groups, and large groups. Arguably, what transpires in these conversations is the substance of a leader’s contribution. If all of a leader’s conversations were recorded and transcribed, what would the pattern analysis reveal?

Food for Thought ~

Related to the subject of leadership conversations, Jim Kouzes, one of the authors of the excellent book, The Leadership Challenge, had this to say:

“We have ~ 3 minutes of attention span for the average interaction. To inspire a shared vision, communicate the vision over and over, many times a day, in a way that is compelling and exciting.”

I would add that this does not necessarily mean to repeat the same words, although that may sometimes be appropriate. One of my interpretations is that we must always be clear on our key messages, and be prepared to repeat and restate them as needed throughout our conversations. It also speaks to the importance of the organization’s vision, and how it serves as a touchstone for daily guidance.

Question of the day ~

How do you regard the conversations you have with people? Are you wisely using the time and opportunities presented by these conversations?

New Article now Available ~

My new column in the North Bay Business Journal is a story about the larger lessons that can be learned from making a mistake. If you haven’t read it yet, please click here to read the article.

With a warm welcome to my new subscribers!

Mary

One of my clients told me about a mistake they made. It was handled so beautifully that I used the story as the basis for my new article in the North Bay Business Journal. It is a great illustration of turning a problem into an opportunity. This happens to be a particularly successful, privately held company. Even in a competitive industry and in this economy, they have done well. Indeed, it may be that how they handle this sort of situation is part of the reason for their success. I hope you enjoy the story and the lessons it offers. Click here to read the article.

Food for Thought ~

We have been exploring the subject of mistakes in the past few weeks. We all make them, individually and in our organizations. It’s what we do afterwards that determines the additional ramifications of the error. Sometimes, a mistake triggers a flood of strong emotions. Give yourself a better chance to solve whatever problems the mistake causes by pausing before you react – either for just a moment or even longer, if appropriate. Wait until you can think clearly and then take the action necessary.

Question of the day ~

What was the most recent mistake you or your company made, and how did you handle it? Would you do it differently next time?

Thanks very much to all of you who sent your good wishes for my health and recovery from my recent surgery. They worked! I am quite well, and your kind sentiments were truly appreciated.

Singing songs of Spring,

Mary

This week’s message is just a short personal note to let you know that I had some minor shoulder surgery last Friday. The surgery went beautifully (thanks to a caring and highly skilled medical team) and I am recuperating nicely (thanks to a cadre of close friends) but I need to take a break from my computer for a day or two. I came across this lovely quote a few months ago and this seems a perfectly apropos time to share it with you.

Food for Thought ~

“Take rest ~ for the field that is rested yields a beautiful crop.”
Ovid, Roman poet 43 BC – 17/18 AD

Question of the day ~

How are you at taking the rest you need?

Take good care of yourself. No one else can. It’s one of the things we can’t delegate.

My topic two weeks ago on “The Undercover Boss” brought a great reply from one of my colleagues, Gig Hitao, who described the approach he used with the employees of his market research firm. Gig wrote: “I had a great system to deal with errors. First, I provided extensive training. In addition, I told employees that if they made a mistake to let me know so that we could fix the problem and that I would never be angry with anyone for doing that. I also told them that if they tried to cover up a mistake, they would be fired. And I was true to my word. When an employee did something that went wrong and they told me, I always thanked them and we then immediately worked out a solution, so they felt good about the outcome. They would then adopt this attitude and really care that the job was done right, because they knew how important it was. Sometimes they would tell me about issues just to be sure they handled it in the right way. They knew they wouldn’t get in trouble if I wanted it done differently. Plus, I never had to fire anyone for covering up a mistake.”

Food for Thought ~

Gig’s comments provide a wonderful example of how mistakes can be converted into learning opportunities. It also illustrates the point that how the leader handles the situation can nurture good morale and employee engagement, both of which serve to actually minimize mistakes. Well done!

Question of the day ~

What is your style of dealing with mistakes by people you work with, whether employees or collaborators? Do you have a company “policy,” either implicit or explicit, regarding mistakes?

Gig also mentioned his approach to the other side of the coin, when someone did something especially well or put in extra effort. He gave them a cash “Extra Effort Bonus.” Thanks, Gig, for sharing your “Mistake Management Method.”