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Saturday, December 8, 2012
Your Five Step to US Study- ESL Students
Courtesy: Education USA
daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com
(c) 2009-2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
The #1 Career Mistake Capable People Make
By : Greg McKeown
I recently reviewed a resume from a talented individual. She had terrific experience. And yet, there was a problem: she had done so many good things in so many different fields it was hard to know what was distinctive about her. I know her pretty well and am determined to be useful to her. Yet, based only on her resume it was unclear who in my network to recommend her to.
As we talked through this it became clear the resume was a symptom of a deeper sense she had of being pulled into projects and opportunities that don’t feel like the very best use of her talents. I see this problem frequently where people end up being both overworked and underutilized. It is easy to see how people unintentionally end up in this situation:
Step 1: Capable people are driven to achieve.
Step 2: Other people see they are capable and give them assignments.
Step 3: Capable people gain a reputation as "go to" people. They become "good old [insert name] who is always there when you need him." There is lots right with this, unless or until...
Step 4: We end up doing lots of projects well but are distracted from what would otherwise be our highest point of contribution (see more on this in the Harvard Business Review article The Disciplined Pursuit of Less). Then, both the company and the employee lose out.
Some of the responsibility for this lies with out-of-touch managers but I also think we need to be more deliberate and discerning in navigating our own careers. In the conversation I mentioned above, we took the time to develop a strategy based more closely with my colleague's Highest Point of Contribution.
Using a camping metaphor, there is sometimes a tendency for capable people to add additional poles of the same height to the tent. We end up with 10, 20 or 30 poles of the same height, somehow hoping the tent will go higher. I don't just mean higher on the career ladder either. I mean higher in terms of our ability to contribute.
The slightly painful truth is, at any one time there is only one piece of real estate we can "own" in another person’s mind. People can't think of us as a project manager, professor, attorney, insurance agent, editor and entrepreneur all at exactly the same time. They may all be true about us but people can only think of us as one thing first. At any one time there is only one phrase that can follow our name. Might we be better served by asking, at least occasionally, whether the various commitments and projects we have add up to a longer pole?
I saw this illustrated recently in one of the more distinctive resumes I had seen in a while. It belonged to a Stanford Law School Professor [there it is: the single phrase that follows his name, the longest pole in his career tent]. His resume was clean and concise. For each entry there was one, impressive title/role/company and a single line description of what he had achieved. Each one sentence said more than ten bullet points in many resumes I have seen. When he was at university his single line described how he had been the student body president, under "teaching" he was teacher of the year and so on.
The point here is not primarily about resumes. The point is we can benefit from evaluating career opportunities through the lens of the question, "Will this become the longest pole in the tent?" If the answer is ‘no’ we may well still choose to do it. But at least we do it with greater awareness.
There is always a tension between specialization and generalization
and I am not suggesting we should shift entirely to one side or the other. Being
able to do many things is important in many jobs today. Broad
understanding also is a must. But developing greater discernment about
what is distinctive about us can be a great advantage. Instead of simply doing
more things we need to find our highest point of contribution. Failure to be conscientious
about this represents the #1 mistake, in frequency, I see capable people make in
their careers.
How do we know when too many good things are getting in the way of achieving something truly great in our careers?
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
I recently reviewed a resume from a talented individual. She had terrific experience. And yet, there was a problem: she had done so many good things in so many different fields it was hard to know what was distinctive about her. I know her pretty well and am determined to be useful to her. Yet, based only on her resume it was unclear who in my network to recommend her to.
As we talked through this it became clear the resume was a symptom of a deeper sense she had of being pulled into projects and opportunities that don’t feel like the very best use of her talents. I see this problem frequently where people end up being both overworked and underutilized. It is easy to see how people unintentionally end up in this situation:
Step 1: Capable people are driven to achieve.
Step 2: Other people see they are capable and give them assignments.
Step 3: Capable people gain a reputation as "go to" people. They become "good old [insert name] who is always there when you need him." There is lots right with this, unless or until...
Step 4: We end up doing lots of projects well but are distracted from what would otherwise be our highest point of contribution (see more on this in the Harvard Business Review article The Disciplined Pursuit of Less). Then, both the company and the employee lose out.
Some of the responsibility for this lies with out-of-touch managers but I also think we need to be more deliberate and discerning in navigating our own careers. In the conversation I mentioned above, we took the time to develop a strategy based more closely with my colleague's Highest Point of Contribution.
Using a camping metaphor, there is sometimes a tendency for capable people to add additional poles of the same height to the tent. We end up with 10, 20 or 30 poles of the same height, somehow hoping the tent will go higher. I don't just mean higher on the career ladder either. I mean higher in terms of our ability to contribute.
The slightly painful truth is, at any one time there is only one piece of real estate we can "own" in another person’s mind. People can't think of us as a project manager, professor, attorney, insurance agent, editor and entrepreneur all at exactly the same time. They may all be true about us but people can only think of us as one thing first. At any one time there is only one phrase that can follow our name. Might we be better served by asking, at least occasionally, whether the various commitments and projects we have add up to a longer pole?
I saw this illustrated recently in one of the more distinctive resumes I had seen in a while. It belonged to a Stanford Law School Professor [there it is: the single phrase that follows his name, the longest pole in his career tent]. His resume was clean and concise. For each entry there was one, impressive title/role/company and a single line description of what he had achieved. Each one sentence said more than ten bullet points in many resumes I have seen. When he was at university his single line described how he had been the student body president, under "teaching" he was teacher of the year and so on.
The point here is not primarily about resumes. The point is we can benefit from evaluating career opportunities through the lens of the question, "Will this become the longest pole in the tent?" If the answer is ‘no’ we may well still choose to do it. But at least we do it with greater awareness.
There is always a tension between specialization and generalization
and I am not suggesting we should shift entirely to one side or the other. Being
able to do many things is important in many jobs today. Broad
understanding also is a must. But developing greater discernment about
what is distinctive about us can be a great advantage. Instead of simply doing
more things we need to find our highest point of contribution. Failure to be conscientious
about this represents the #1 mistake, in frequency, I see capable people make in
their careers.How do we know when too many good things are getting in the way of achieving something truly great in our careers?
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Student Exchange and Visitor Program reveals new visa and vacation policies
International students studying at an Intensive English Program(IEP) in the US must now study a minimum of 26 consecutive weeks before taking annual vacation, the federal government’s Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) announced last month. While longer, this federal mandate is consistent with many IEPs which usually require students to study 16 consecutive weeks, the equivalent of a traditional semester. Vacation is interpreted by IEPs as spending approximately 30 days in the US not attending classes. Usually, this time is spent studying for GMAT exams for example, or visiting and applying at universities for conditional admission. Temporary absence on the other hand is when the student leaves the US and can be away for a maximum of five months as long as they have provided the IEP a plane ticket showing their departure from the US and have the 3rd page of their I-20 signed by the IEP's Designated School Official.
International educators learned of the unpopular changes at the fifth annual American Association of Intensive English Programs (AAIEP) advocacy day. During the meeting, educators learned that SEVP will start enforcing federal regulation which doesn’t allow conditional admission for university, common practice in the US, usually in the form of an I-20 being issued contingent on the student completing an IEP or obtaining a minimum IELTS score.
Recently, Education USA announced that for 2012, China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, & Canada were the top five countries sending students to US. For Chinese students, the I-20 to an IEP is contingent if the student has an conditional letter of admission to a university. In the case for these students, the change is highly problematic. Furthermore, in general, Chinese students typically place in the intermediate and advanced proficiency bands at IEPs meaning that they will have completed an IEP or obtained an acceptable IELTS/TOEFL score before the 26 consecutive weeks minimum. This means that the student will spend their time and money idle at the IEP. With no motivation to study at the IEP, only the student's integrity will keep the student attending classes at the IEP. An IEP is force to shorten the student's visa to their last day of attendance allowing the student 60 days from that day to find another school to be transferred to another school if a minimum of 18 hours per week is not logged at the IEP in accordance with SEVP. Saudi students may have a problem with this depending on if the start of their studies is 26 weeks prior to the month-long Ramadan holiday. While it is possible for students to study and partake in the fasting during Ramadan, it is common for students to return home for Ramadan, use their annual vacation, or not maintain their status with poor attendance. Furthermore, many Saudi students spend more than 26 consecutive weeks in an IEP. Lastly, unlike fellow Asian country, China, South Korean students do not need a conditional letter of admission as a prerequisite for F-1 visa to attend an IEP in the US. Like Japan, South Korea has relaxed visa conditions for being in the US. For example, Japanese and South Korean passport holders can be in the US on a 90-day visa waiver as long as they do not engage in employment. On the other hand, Chinese that don't receive a F visa are not eligible for the visa waiver but can be in the US on a B visa.
In layman’s terms, an international student on an F-1 visa who is enrolled at an IEP must complete the IEP or obtain a minimum IELTS/ TOEFL score. Once this has happened, the student has 60-days to leave the US. The new enforcement of old regulation means that once a student finishes their English course; they will have to apply for another I-20 for university. When they return to their home country after completion of the IEP or obtaining the IELTS/TOEFL score, the university that the student applied for will start the admission process and if accepted, the student will receive their initial I-20 at their permanent address in their home country. This I-20 will be taken by the student to the student’s nearest US embassy or consulate where their student visa will be issued/denied. While cumbersome, the new SEVP ruling requires students to do this at least twice since the student had to do this previously for their I-20 to the IEP. It remains to be seen if students that struggle to complete an IEP or obtain an acceptable IELTS/TOEFL score while studying in the US will be affected in obtaining their initial I-20 from the university. Students that return to their home country after brushing up on their English in the US ensuring success due to the rigors at the university will be charged extra fees and required to resubmit financial documents. Bank statements older than six months are invalid.
Previously, the student had 60-days to enroll in the program that they were conditionally admitted to or leave the US within 60 days of completion of the IEP. If the student’s program began within five months of their last day at the IEP, their I-20 could be transferred from the IEP to the university in which the student was conditionally admitted to. The student was to provide the IEP an admission letter issued by the university.
On the other hand, universities that facilitate their own IEPs have been in the practice of issuinf two admissions - the first for our intensive English program with an I-20, and the second for the academic program (admission letter only) for the following term. This has not been an issue with visa applications as long as the applicant can present the academic admission letter as well as the ESL I-20. Once they meet the English proficiency requirement, the international office issues a Change of Level I-20. The only problem we've had is once students meet the English requirement, they want to stop going to ESL classes, even if it is in the middle of the term. International offices are continuously having to educate students on the regulations so that they don't end up out of status for nonattendance.
It remains to be seen if this practice will suffice as the new federal mandate is mandated.
AAIEP opposes SEVP’s decision. They believe that SEVP does not acknowledge their advice in the policies that they make and are in shock of the new vacation and conditional letter policy changes.
SEVP says it does communicate guidance and ask for feedback on new policies through the Study in the States portal, its Facebook page and Twitter account. It is presumed that SEVP will probably post the draft guidance on the “Study in the States” website, and NAFSA has asked them to notify all SEVIS users through a SEVIS broadcast message that the draft guidance has been posted. NAFSA will also post the draft guidance on its website and send out a notification over ISTA.
The picture above was taken at an IEP on a campus in the US. Four of these students went on to matriculate to universities because they had conditional letters of admission. One other student was in need of a conditional letter of admission and was making use of their vacation periods and grace periods in order to obtain those letters as well as preparing for IELTS and GMAT exams. The four remaining students pictured were either business professionals who intended on using their English back in their home countries, a spouse of a F-1 student who was studying English for recreational reasons, or a high school student that was going to matriculate to an international high school in the US. While the IEP industry is shocked and disappointed, it is important to point out that IEPs on college campuses are not just for college-bound students. Lastly, while the picture of nine students is an ideal depiction of IEPs in the 2010s, more and more IEPs are heavily saturated with Saudi and Chinese students with a 70-30 ratio, all intending to move on to a university.
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Six Sigma- The Quality Initiative Above the Rest
The
six sigma, founded by Mikel Harry with Motorola Corporation in the late 1970s
came into being to measure quality by reducing variation, increasing
improvements, and saving costs in the areas of products and services provided
by an organization. This methodology is
implemented by using a set of statistics and management tools geared towards
improvement. For six sigma to take place, it must be implemented in the initial
stages of a project format and key members need to be dedicated to performing various
roles and various times. Six sigma has
an international interpretation known as ‘lean six sigma’ (Dedhia, 2005).
R eferences
Franz,
J. and Liker, J. (2011). The Toyota Way to Continuous
Improvement: Linking Strategy
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
In
implementing the six sigma methodology, it is suggested that it is carried out
in project form and in the research and design stages. Since this methodology is customer-centered,
the focus is around variance reduction.
With total commitment starting with senior management toward six sigma,
with continuous improvement as the goal coupled by accountability at the
individual level, six sigma will yield success.
In problem solving, the following actions are carried out: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and
Control (Dedhia, 2005).
For
six sigma to take place, the environment needs to consist of team members that
are involved in committing resources known as the ‘Executive’, training and
coaching known as the ‘Master Black Belt’ (MBB), leading improvements on
projects known as the ‘Black Belt’ (BB), supporting and running projects known
as ‘Green Belts’ (GB), and being involved in supporting the project known as
champions. The direction of this is
top-down with the MBBs training the Black and Green Belts. Various belt holders
are fully committed to the project and dedicated training is provided over a
certain time period (Dedhia, 2005).
Another
key concepts of the article is lean six sigma developed by Toyota
Corporation. As six sigma was being
rolled out at Motorola, the Japanese were already controlling quality. In the lean version of six sigma, barriers
are eliminated to allow continuous improvement to take place. Lean six sigma focuses on increasing
productivity, asset utilization and quality by going beyond Just-In-Time
(Dedhia, 2005).
To conclude, six sigma is an American concept founded by
Motorola Corporation in the late 1970s.
In Japan, Toyota Corporation developed lean manufacturing which reduces
waste and improves efficiency of a process.
For the best results, six sigma is implemented in the initial stages of
a project format and is carried out by quality professionals known as
executive, master black belts, black belts, green belts, and champions. Problems are solved by carrying out the steps
of define, measure, analyze, improve, and control. These steps loosely follow the steps found in
the quantitative analysis approach. A lack of commitment and inconsistency on
total buy-in can undo all of the benefits that six sigma brings therefore, the
key people mentioned and the support of the entire organization are paramount
to the success of six sigma (Dedhia, 2005).
In reflecting on the reading, General Electric’s approach
to six sigma by not approving promotions unless there was active participation
in the six sigma methodology is an effective way in introducing a high
maintenance and labor intensive program.
However, the extra time and effort is worth it since operations run more
smoothly, production is increased, customer satisfaction is increased,
inventory levels are better maintained, and work centers run more efficiently,
and forecasting is more manageable since jobs are done within a prescribed time
(Dedhia, 2005).
To
substantiate my perspective with situations I have experienced in past work
situations, I have spent seven years in work situations that were managed by
Japanese organizations. Three of those
years were in a public school system and like American government
organizations, were in dire need of quality management. The private enterprise counterparts were
managed more effectively with a version of delivery by doing the
following: Plan, Do, Check and
Action. The planning process in the
Japanese organization was much more time consuming due to the culture of
building group consensus. As a result,
the expectation was to do less with more which made committing to a continuous
improvement approach challenging. It
would be interesting to see how former Japanese organizations that I was
employed with are doing presently with technology that was untapped when I was
employed at their organization (Franz and Liker, 2011).
In
closing, the continuous improvement approach is of great interest to me as a
director of a department that is in dire need of support of the other
departments of the organization. In
asking the question, “If I were guaranteed not to fail, what could I do
differently to garner support from the organization?” The answer could be cultivating a
relationship with the senior management and sell the importance of our
department and how it helps the organization as a whole (Maurer, 2004).
Dedhia,
N. (2005). Six Sigma Basics. Total Quality
Management, Vol. 16, No. 5, 567-574.
and
Operational Excellence to Achieve Superior Performance.
Maurer, R. (2004). One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way.
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Proudly Served...
 |
| (San Diego, CA- February 1997- My dad and I on Tiger Cruise from Hawaii back to homeport.) |
 |
| (USS Independence (CV-62)- My first ship and home as a member of ship's company from 1993-95.) |
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
Monday, October 15, 2012
Saudi- on campus residency requirement/funding
Recently, I was asked the suggested best practice in supporting Saudi Arabian Culture Mission (SACM) scholarship students who recently arrived at a prestigious American university steep in tradition. Duke University has a three-year on campus residency requirement for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. The current issue is that the international scholars aren't allowed to live off campus and are resisting the schools requirements citing limited funds from their scholarship and monthly stipend. Please see below:
I wish that I could say that pulling the student’s I-20 that is on file and referring to the financial information on Page 1 would cure everything, but in the case of Saudis, discussing the matter is the suggested best practice. First, the pricing of on-campus housing and your school’s policy on residency requirements are not negotiable which is the root of the problem in the eyes of the Saudi students, so, why bother in opening the matter to discussion? The students want to have their voice heard. Having said this, it is suggested to have a monthly focus group meeting open to all international students or all resident students allowing the students a chance to voice their concerns.
In my experiences with Saudi students, they are only interested in on-campus housing for a few months then want to move off campus. Same goes if your program has a homestay program. Having said this, if it is possible to adjust the residency requirements for international students, it would prevent this culture conflict. The conflict being on what is viewed as a commitment. However, any adjustments could lead to a slippery slope with everything being kept track of by the students.
Also, any discussions my lead a Saudi student to believe that there is any chance to have their request met. Having said this, preface the conversation from the very beginning that under no circumstances that their request will be met if the likeliness to satisfying the request is the equivalent of moving heaven and earth. Explain that the information gathered at the meeting will be provided to the key members of the school so that maybe in the future the needs of international students will be met.
In terms of threatening to leave, the best way to stay ahead of this is to connect with the student’s advisor at (SACM). These advisors are listed on the student’s Financial Guarantee Letter and are usually in touch with the schools requesting transcripts, etc. The advisor can be used as a go-between to reason with the student to see things your way. Furthermore, if a student is at an institution such as Duke, the likeliness to simply leave and go to another school is not so easy.
If at a language school, the issue to leave is much easier. This is because the student may leave because they have obtained an acceptable TOEFL or IELTS score.
Daniel Stone has established two new schools for international students in South Carolina and Ohio, from fulfillment to investors to delivery of services to stakeholders. In overseeing aspects of these operations from hiring to training staff and from managing financials and day-to-day operations, under Daniel's direction, ELS/Columbus on the campus of Ohio Dominican University successfully received the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET) accreditation upon its initial inspection and successfully rolled out one-of-a-kind standardized testing center in Central Ohio, International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com
(C) 2009-12
Accommodating Muslim (mainly Saudi) students to meet their prayer needs
Recently, I was asked the suggested best practice in accommodate Muslim (mainly Saudi) students to meet their prayer needs. Most of the international students that were under my direction had this need and over the course of time we devised the following:
At the small Midwestern university that I was at, we had designated rooms for students to pray. One was for men, the other was for women. I selected a few members of the student body to ensure that these rooms were acceptable. I chose the members from both genders based off of seniority and who was more vocal. By doing this, the students value your willingness to help them and will help spread the word on the best way to carry out prayers to the rest of the students. The reason you want to get their approval is since the room needs to face a certain direction. If the designated room was not feasible, the students will find a place and make it their own which may not be in the best interest of the others on campus. I had a hall director threaten to take the students prayer rugs and throw them in the trash since they were praying in front of her living quarters, so make sure that you stay ahead of this. I assured the students that these room was theirs to do as they chose between classes any day that classes were in session. Since space comes at a premium, these rooms were classrooms and small offices. Teachers and staff would step out and let students tend to their prayers. The ten minutes between classes was ample enough time to satisfy the student's prayer needs. So, no adjustments to the schedule were needed.
ESL classes on Fridays were done by 12:30 so there was no conflict on visits to the local mosque. Classes in non-ESL programs operate a bit differently so I can't speak from experience on this.
Excused absences are a slippery slope due to SEVIS requirements for F-1 students, therefore, find ways to make prayers work when classes are not in progress. We would only excuse an absense if a doctor's note was in hand and from time to time we were calling the doctor's office to keep everybody honest.
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com
(C) 2009-12
Sunday, September 2, 2012
The six different types of managers and how to work with them
Over a period of several years we have researched the different types of managers in Corporate America, and we have identified the following six types of bosses and their leadership styles. Read through the descriptions below to find your own manager and discover the best strategies for dealing with his/her particular management style. We encourage you to read through all the types, as it is most likely that your boss will be heavily identified with one type, but may have some characteristics and influences of the others.
Things a Control Freak would never dream of doing:
Control Freaks use information as power. As long as he has the information, he has the power. As discussed above, Control Freaks have been known to withhold information that was critical to the success of a project. Asking questions will help you to get a better feel for what he knows. Keep in mind that Control Freaks do not withhold information to make you fail. They do it because it assures them that you will return to them for more information/ assistance, etc. When you return it gives them a sense of importance, being needed, and most importantly, still being in control.
Unfortunately, Control Freaks do not trust anyone easily. They tend to live in fear of “what if”. For example, “What if my boss asks me a question and I don’t know the answer? He might think I’m incompetent” and so forth. So they use manipulative tactics to keep others pandering to them and to ensure that they will be involved in everything that is going on in their department. The trick to keeping your own sanity is to surrender to the knowledge that you can’t change your boss.
However, delivering what they want and gaining their confidence and trust are critical for your success while working with them. Give him his status reports daily, even hourly if that’s what it takes. Send him drafts of your emails and memos. Know that it will take twice as long to complete projects because you will have to wait in line with everyone else to have him review your work. Therefore, keep several projects going concurrently so you can switch back and forth between them while you are waiting to hear back on other projects.
Things an Autocrat would never dream of doing:
You might even be promoted along with him. If not, at least you will have made your life easier while coping with him or her. While there is a lot out of your direct control, such as what your boss’ boss thinks of him, you can demonstrate to your boss that you are a team player (and on “his” team), and as he starts to see you working for his benefit, he will hopefully begin to gain some confidence and respect in you. Just don’t expect him to verbally express as much. You will know that your plan is working when he makes you his “go to” person with any problem that arises.
Autocrats and Control Freaks have a lot in common, but the difference is that Autocrats are usually pretty clear about what they want. Control Freaks are less definate about what they want, so they try to control everything in order to keep their options open if they need to change direction at a later date. That being said, there are many tactics that will work for both, such as keeping them apprised of the status of your projects and clearing any decisions you may be making with them before moving ahead.
One critical difference between the two is that an Autocrat will respect you if you take a clear position on a problem or situation. Even if the Autocrat does not agree with you, they will typically recognize you for your position. However, if you take a position but are not clear or are unsure about yourself look out. The Autocrat will smell your insecurity and crush you for it. Control Freaks, on the other hand, will not appreciate you having your own opinions, unless, of course, it is completely in line with his or hers.
Things a Blame Fixer would never dream of doing:
Blame Fixers will also be the first to point out any potential problems with an idea someone has. Nothing will ever work because any potential solution has problems that the Blame Fixer will say are “insurmountable”.
The important thing to remember is that fixing blame and responsibility does not ever fix the problem. It is easy to get sidetracked by a blame fixer because we all want to take pride in our work and we get offended when someone tries to blame us for something that went wrong. Everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect. The Blame Fixer’s strategy is to get ahead by making everyone else look bad. But the strategy never really works, and the people who get ahead are the ones who actually solve the problems and get the team behind them. So in a situation like this, try fix the problem, not the accusation.
While it isn’t exactly fun to have a Blame Fixer for a boss, we suggest that you do. Make an effort to document everything that occurs between you and your boss, particularly on projects, task, assignments and goals. This way, if your boss screws up his work, you will have your own alibi. Be aware than in the event of an extreme blow up, he or she will try to evade accountability, and may try to blame you. However, if you have documented what you were told to do and how to do it, you will be more likely to come through unscathed.
Things a Soft Heart would never dream of doing
Unfortunately, it is impossible to be a good manager and not piss your employees off every once in a while. Good managers have to make tough decisions, like asking employees to work overtime or to change their behavior. The best way to deal with a Soft Heart is to let them know up front that you would rather they be frank with you instead of telling you what they think you want to hear. Every once in while, challenge his or her praises on you.
Ask why he really believes everything is fine and beautiful. Share your concerns and your perception of reality. Demand that when receiving feedback, he or she also gives you your areas for development and how you can overcome them. Do take note that once you have asked for your boss to be up front and honest with you, you will then need to back up your request by listening to what they have to say and respecting it. If you fail to back up your words by not listening to your boss, you will destroy any chance of having the Soft Heart be honest with you in the future.
Your company’s organizational culture and values weigh heavily on whether these type of individuals can flourish and thrive, but be assured that you will always find one of this kind at any employer. Politicians depend on individuals who are competent to make them look good, then turn on them and make them a scapegoat when the employee gets tired of being used.
Things a Politician would never dream of doing:
Politicians need someone to make them look good. Politicians may never admit to their weak spots but they do know the value of covering their ass with someone who makes them look the part. You need to be that person. The Politician will recognize you for it and take you with them as they get promoted and move through an organization.
The best part about working for a politician is that they know everyone, as well as knowing how to talk to them. Use this opportunity for networking potential. Since you will be the Politician’s right hand man, you will get the chance to meet everyone he/she meets. Get their business cards and get to know them yourself. This network will be invaluable to you in the event your relationship with the politician sours.
Things a Team-Builder would never Dream of Doing
The best way to work with a Team Builder is to be open with them. Don’t hold anything back. Tell them what you want and what you think. Don’t be afraid to share your ideas and creativity. They may not always agree with you, but know that they will respect any idea you bring to the table. Ask them for help when you need it. Don’t expect them to fix your problems for you, but know that they will be there to help you think through problems and provide you with additional resources so that you can solve them.
Be aware that Team Builders delegate and empower their team members, and in exchange they expect commitment and involvement. Like in a football team, they will make sure that a player who isn’t doing his/her part will be addressed. Make sure you understand your role in the team and know what is expected of you. You need to work well with both, if you only focus on your boss and not the team, this type of behavior will bite you back sooner rather than later.
In reality, all of our managers are some combination of all six of the above types. We can never change who they are, but we can adapt the way we work with them in order to be successful. Working with other people is never easy, but it is required for success in corporations today. You cannot be successful if you don’t work with others, especially with your boss. Sorry, it’s just not going to happen.
In addition to identifying your boss’ leadership style, try to understand his/her values and principles. This assessment will allow you to anticipate what you can expect from him or her, and also to draw the line on where you will adapt to his/her style, and when you will need to stand and say No.
The Control Freak
This person needs to have everything that is going on in the palm of her/his hand. She doesn’t like subordinates making any decisions, no matter how small or innocuous, without first consulting his opinion. Control Freaks will also tend to hoard information. They may assign you to work on a task, but then not tell you everything you need to know to complete the task. You could spend hours working on the task only to find out that half the information you needed was sitting on your boss’ desk and that he already knew it.Things a Control Freak would never dream of doing:
- Running into you in the hall and not asking about the status of a project
- Let you enjoy your lunch in peace without interrupting to get the latest update on what you are working on
- Allowing you to make a decision without being involved
- Coaching you on handling a problem independently
- Delegating responsibility
Control Freaks use information as power. As long as he has the information, he has the power. As discussed above, Control Freaks have been known to withhold information that was critical to the success of a project. Asking questions will help you to get a better feel for what he knows. Keep in mind that Control Freaks do not withhold information to make you fail. They do it because it assures them that you will return to them for more information/ assistance, etc. When you return it gives them a sense of importance, being needed, and most importantly, still being in control.
Unfortunately, Control Freaks do not trust anyone easily. They tend to live in fear of “what if”. For example, “What if my boss asks me a question and I don’t know the answer? He might think I’m incompetent” and so forth. So they use manipulative tactics to keep others pandering to them and to ensure that they will be involved in everything that is going on in their department. The trick to keeping your own sanity is to surrender to the knowledge that you can’t change your boss.
However, delivering what they want and gaining their confidence and trust are critical for your success while working with them. Give him his status reports daily, even hourly if that’s what it takes. Send him drafts of your emails and memos. Know that it will take twice as long to complete projects because you will have to wait in line with everyone else to have him review your work. Therefore, keep several projects going concurrently so you can switch back and forth between them while you are waiting to hear back on other projects.
The Autocrat
This manager has one objective, his own. He does not care about his employees, and nothing anyone ever does is good enough to satisfy him. He is impossible to get along with and is convinced that he is the only competent person working in the company.Things an Autocrat would never dream of doing:
- Ask how you think a problem should be solved
- Admit to making a mistake
- Tell you what a great job you did
- Tell you how much he appreciates your efforts
- Empower you to make appropriate decisions at your level
You might even be promoted along with him. If not, at least you will have made your life easier while coping with him or her. While there is a lot out of your direct control, such as what your boss’ boss thinks of him, you can demonstrate to your boss that you are a team player (and on “his” team), and as he starts to see you working for his benefit, he will hopefully begin to gain some confidence and respect in you. Just don’t expect him to verbally express as much. You will know that your plan is working when he makes you his “go to” person with any problem that arises.
Autocrats and Control Freaks have a lot in common, but the difference is that Autocrats are usually pretty clear about what they want. Control Freaks are less definate about what they want, so they try to control everything in order to keep their options open if they need to change direction at a later date. That being said, there are many tactics that will work for both, such as keeping them apprised of the status of your projects and clearing any decisions you may be making with them before moving ahead.
One critical difference between the two is that an Autocrat will respect you if you take a clear position on a problem or situation. Even if the Autocrat does not agree with you, they will typically recognize you for your position. However, if you take a position but are not clear or are unsure about yourself look out. The Autocrat will smell your insecurity and crush you for it. Control Freaks, on the other hand, will not appreciate you having your own opinions, unless, of course, it is completely in line with his or hers.
The Blame Fixer
This type of boss makes it his/her job to make everyone else responsible for fixing his/her problems. He/she takes no responsibility for his own employees, department, or results. He/she is however, the first to take credit for something which went well.Things a Blame Fixer would never dream of doing:
- Standing up at a meeting and accepting full responsibility for a problem
- Accepting responsibility for the mistake of one of his/her employees
- Actually getting something accomplished
- Creating an environment of creativity and openness on his team
- Sharing the credit with his team on a successful project
Blame Fixers will also be the first to point out any potential problems with an idea someone has. Nothing will ever work because any potential solution has problems that the Blame Fixer will say are “insurmountable”.
The important thing to remember is that fixing blame and responsibility does not ever fix the problem. It is easy to get sidetracked by a blame fixer because we all want to take pride in our work and we get offended when someone tries to blame us for something that went wrong. Everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect. The Blame Fixer’s strategy is to get ahead by making everyone else look bad. But the strategy never really works, and the people who get ahead are the ones who actually solve the problems and get the team behind them. So in a situation like this, try fix the problem, not the accusation.
While it isn’t exactly fun to have a Blame Fixer for a boss, we suggest that you do. Make an effort to document everything that occurs between you and your boss, particularly on projects, task, assignments and goals. This way, if your boss screws up his work, you will have your own alibi. Be aware than in the event of an extreme blow up, he or she will try to evade accountability, and may try to blame you. However, if you have documented what you were told to do and how to do it, you will be more likely to come through unscathed.
The Soft Heart
When you first meet this person you will at first think that you have just met the sweetest, most wonderful boss in the world. You will initially get the warm fuzzies and you’ll believe that it’s going to be a great job. Do not be fooled. This person is actually spineless. They will tell you exactly what you want to hear, then turn around and do the exact opposite. He or she will leave you hanging out to dry and will be anything but supportive.Things a Soft Heart would never dream of doing
- Giving you honest and direct feedback
- Being up front and open with you
- Consistently aligning their words and actions
- Being sincere
- Openly vacillate about a decision
- How to get along with a Soft Heart
Unfortunately, it is impossible to be a good manager and not piss your employees off every once in a while. Good managers have to make tough decisions, like asking employees to work overtime or to change their behavior. The best way to deal with a Soft Heart is to let them know up front that you would rather they be frank with you instead of telling you what they think you want to hear. Every once in while, challenge his or her praises on you.
Ask why he really believes everything is fine and beautiful. Share your concerns and your perception of reality. Demand that when receiving feedback, he or she also gives you your areas for development and how you can overcome them. Do take note that once you have asked for your boss to be up front and honest with you, you will then need to back up your request by listening to what they have to say and respecting it. If you fail to back up your words by not listening to your boss, you will destroy any chance of having the Soft Heart be honest with you in the future.
The Politician
This person is charismatic and is always the life of the party. Always fun to be around, the Politican always has something positive to say. The problem is that there is rarely any truth or substance behind it. This person has no real competence, they got to where they are by schmoozing the right people.Your company’s organizational culture and values weigh heavily on whether these type of individuals can flourish and thrive, but be assured that you will always find one of this kind at any employer. Politicians depend on individuals who are competent to make them look good, then turn on them and make them a scapegoat when the employee gets tired of being used.
Things a Politician would never dream of doing:
- Actually being competent at their job
- Telling the whole truth
- Having achievement orientation on their own
- Working their way up the corporate ladder
- Not blaming a problem on a disgruntled employee
Politicians need someone to make them look good. Politicians may never admit to their weak spots but they do know the value of covering their ass with someone who makes them look the part. You need to be that person. The Politician will recognize you for it and take you with them as they get promoted and move through an organization.
The best part about working for a politician is that they know everyone, as well as knowing how to talk to them. Use this opportunity for networking potential. Since you will be the Politician’s right hand man, you will get the chance to meet everyone he/she meets. Get their business cards and get to know them yourself. This network will be invaluable to you in the event your relationship with the politician sours.
The worst part about working for a Politician is that you will never really get the full spotlight for your accomplishments. The Politician will always be center stage. And if he/she does share the spotlight with you, believe us when we tell you that they will make sure you know that its his/her spotlight and that you are only there because they allowed it. Once you get tired of being the brains in the Politician’s organization, put that network to use and find another job or boss within your current company.
The Team-Builder
This is the kind of manager we all want to work for. They are competent at what they do, they know how to be open, and they solicit ideas and creativity from their employees. They are a pleasure to work with. They know how to make the tough decisions, but can do it in a way that is respectful and professional to all involved.The Team-Builder
Things a Team-Builder would never Dream of Doing
- Blocking a subordinate’s promotion/transfer
- Ignoring what an employee had to say
- Not keeping his word on a promise
- Telling a lie or withholding the truth
- Being disrespectful to an employee
- Taking credit for something one of his team members did
The best way to work with a Team Builder is to be open with them. Don’t hold anything back. Tell them what you want and what you think. Don’t be afraid to share your ideas and creativity. They may not always agree with you, but know that they will respect any idea you bring to the table. Ask them for help when you need it. Don’t expect them to fix your problems for you, but know that they will be there to help you think through problems and provide you with additional resources so that you can solve them.
Be aware that Team Builders delegate and empower their team members, and in exchange they expect commitment and involvement. Like in a football team, they will make sure that a player who isn’t doing his/her part will be addressed. Make sure you understand your role in the team and know what is expected of you. You need to work well with both, if you only focus on your boss and not the team, this type of behavior will bite you back sooner rather than later.
In reality, all of our managers are some combination of all six of the above types. We can never change who they are, but we can adapt the way we work with them in order to be successful. Working with other people is never easy, but it is required for success in corporations today. You cannot be successful if you don’t work with others, especially with your boss. Sorry, it’s just not going to happen.
In addition to identifying your boss’ leadership style, try to understand his/her values and principles. This assessment will allow you to anticipate what you can expect from him or her, and also to draw the line on where you will adapt to his/her style, and when you will need to stand and say No.
by Eric Shannon, 12/4/2004
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Feathers flying
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2012/08/conscientious-consumption-and-culture-war?fsrc=nlw|newe|8-8-2012|3026417|96008665|NA
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Expectations not Rules
I've always considered myself a rules-based person but realize that its the rules that cause the problem. This is because it creates limitations. So, to remain true to myself and satisfy the rules-base environment that makes America tick, why don't we just meet and exceed expectations instead? For example, being punctual isn't a rule, it's an expectation. Timeliness translates to priorities and what a person does is important not only to the people around them, but to themselves. It shows that you care and respect what is going on at that particular moment.
Consistency! I'd rather see someone misspell the same word over and over again in an email than to see the word spelled wrong half the time. Furthermore, if you are going to be late, come in at the same time. For example, if you are to be at work at 8am but come in at 8:30, the correction is simple. Leave home 30-45 minutes sooner.
Accountability- What is it when a manager has to do the work of his staff? It is because that manager is unsuccessful in holding his staff accountable and this is because there is an issue with respect and trust. All have job descriptions and those descriptions need to be carried out by those doing the task. Author, Jim Collins, tells us that your staff is like a bus full of riders. Some people need to be moved to other seats on the bus (change their jobs or cross training) and others need to let off at the next stop (termination or resignation). To hire and properly train the people necessary to serve customers in a start-up or with an established organization looking to expand its presence requires one to satisfy stepping from one plateau to the next making sure that everything is done right before moving on.
Lastly, people deserve more than just lip service. Managers who talk out of both sides of their mouth and say things that are just to appease their underlings on the short-term but have not thought the issue through on a sustainable level are setting themselves up for problems. In the end, the underlings loose hope and feel cheated and move on. A good manager doesn't build a positive reputation by discharging people, but rather by developing people.
Keep it simple stupid! To meet my expections, simply be on time, consistent, accountable, trustworthy, and be genuine.
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
Consistency! I'd rather see someone misspell the same word over and over again in an email than to see the word spelled wrong half the time. Furthermore, if you are going to be late, come in at the same time. For example, if you are to be at work at 8am but come in at 8:30, the correction is simple. Leave home 30-45 minutes sooner.
Accountability- What is it when a manager has to do the work of his staff? It is because that manager is unsuccessful in holding his staff accountable and this is because there is an issue with respect and trust. All have job descriptions and those descriptions need to be carried out by those doing the task. Author, Jim Collins, tells us that your staff is like a bus full of riders. Some people need to be moved to other seats on the bus (change their jobs or cross training) and others need to let off at the next stop (termination or resignation). To hire and properly train the people necessary to serve customers in a start-up or with an established organization looking to expand its presence requires one to satisfy stepping from one plateau to the next making sure that everything is done right before moving on.
Lastly, people deserve more than just lip service. Managers who talk out of both sides of their mouth and say things that are just to appease their underlings on the short-term but have not thought the issue through on a sustainable level are setting themselves up for problems. In the end, the underlings loose hope and feel cheated and move on. A good manager doesn't build a positive reputation by discharging people, but rather by developing people.
Keep it simple stupid! To meet my expections, simply be on time, consistent, accountable, trustworthy, and be genuine.
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
Thursday, August 2, 2012
A Way of Life- Eat Mor Chikn'
It's a fact that I've been going to Chick-fil-A since the late 1970s when I would go with my dad and his Furman football chain crew buddies to games in my hometown, Greenville, SC in the back of a station wagon. As I got older, in the 80s, I went to CFA at the Haywood Mall with my teammates wearing my football jersey for the pre-game meal on Friday nights. Going to the mall was a big deal when I was in school and going their with your teammates all wearing the same jersey was like being the big man on campus. In the 90s, I moved away from the South, served two tours in the Persian Gulf in the US Navy and pursued my bachelor's degree in California. My wife, who was my girlfriend at the time would go with me on dates to one of the only CFAs in CA. As I was completing my undergraduate degree, in the '00s, my dad gave me Truit Cathy's first book, "Eat Mor Chikn': Inspire More People". I fell in love with the book as it gave me an inside look to how my grandfather was raised as Mr. Cathy and my grandfather come from the same hometown and grew up during the depression. I was moved to hear how Mr. Cathy would treat his employees, how he would donate money to his causes. I was able to get an inside look to how my parents were as younger adults raising my sister and I in the 1970s and 1980s when the US Dollar went off of the gold standard, there were lines to buy gas, and the interest rate to buy property was 25%. Mr. Cathy was expanding his business at that time and had to go all of 1982 with no salary due to the hard times that people faced at that time. Needless to say, I reference Mr. Cathy's books weekly. In the '10s, I finally met my full potential as a professional, I would try to lift everyone's spirits by treating my teachers and staff to CFA biscuits from time to time. In a way, I guess I'm trying to emulate my hero, the maker of all things comfort, Mr. Truit Cathy. Man, do I have a loooooooooooong ways to go!
Now, something that started out as a childhood outing to see the Purple Palidins at the old Shirine Stadium, one of the cornerstones of me as a person is front and center in the name of traditional values, freedom of speech and tolerance to those that might march to the beat of a different drummer. I seem to fall more and more the harder I try these days and feel like I could do so much better by my fellow man at work and on the street. The world gets in peoples faces and little by little we think, say and do the opposite to how you were raised. If only I could catch myself and say, "What would Truit do?"
I'm so fortunate. I was raised the best you could be with both of my parents working. Had it not been for my upbringing, I would have buckled, quit and gave up a long time ago. It is more than chicken sandwiches, waffle fries and sweet tea. CFA is a way of life in more ways than I can imagine, especially for people from the South.
Chick-Fil-A Appreication Day? I appreciate CFA and its values everyday.
As Truit often has said, "IF IT IS TO BE, IT IS UP TO ME".
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
Now, something that started out as a childhood outing to see the Purple Palidins at the old Shirine Stadium, one of the cornerstones of me as a person is front and center in the name of traditional values, freedom of speech and tolerance to those that might march to the beat of a different drummer. I seem to fall more and more the harder I try these days and feel like I could do so much better by my fellow man at work and on the street. The world gets in peoples faces and little by little we think, say and do the opposite to how you were raised. If only I could catch myself and say, "What would Truit do?"
I'm so fortunate. I was raised the best you could be with both of my parents working. Had it not been for my upbringing, I would have buckled, quit and gave up a long time ago. It is more than chicken sandwiches, waffle fries and sweet tea. CFA is a way of life in more ways than I can imagine, especially for people from the South.
Chick-Fil-A Appreication Day? I appreciate CFA and its values everyday.
As Truit often has said, "IF IT IS TO BE, IT IS UP TO ME".
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Nine Leadership Lessons & Quotes from Truett Cathy, Founder of Chick-fil-A
by Casey Slide
People everywhere love Chick-fil-A, especially where I live, in the suburbs of Atlanta. If we have an occasion to go out to a fast food restaurant for a quick bite to eat, we always go to our local Chick-fil-A. Lunch-goers flock to the restaurant, and the drive-through line makes a complete loop around the building. No matter what time of day I visit Chick-fil-A, the restaurant always seems packed full of customers. In addition to delicious food, Chick-fil-A has become and remained so popular among young and old for a variety of reasons. I believe the roots of the company go a lot deeper than fancy cut fries. This company has a rock-solid foundation in its core values, emulated every time you step inside its restaurant doors. How did Chick-fil-A become so successful and so well-loved? The answer lies with its founder, Truett Cathy, and his truly inspirational leadership. Who exactly is Truett Cathy, and what can we learn from him about leadership?
Who Is Truett Cathy? Truett Cathy is the founder and chairman of Chick-fil-A, the country’s second-largest chicken quick-service restaurant chain, based on annual sales. After growing up in poverty and working hard to help support his family, Cathy opened his first restaurant with his brother in 1946. The Atlanta-area restaurant, called the Dwarf Grill, was later renamed the Dwarf House. As his restaurant grew in popularity, Cathy opened his first Chick-fil-A in 1967 in Atlanta. From there, Chick-fil-A has grown to nearly 1,500 restaurants in 39 states. In addition to Cathy’s natural entrepreneurial and leadership abilities, Cathy is a man of faith and wisdom and has formed a service-oriented business. This has led him to have some out-of-the-ordinary business practices, such as closing on Sunday and choosing high-quality and high-character franchise owners and employees. Cathy has strived to serve the community as well as young people, as evidenced through his scholarship programs. Truett Cathy is the author of several books, including Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People.
Leadership Lessons from Truett Cathy Through the life and leadership of Truett Cathy, we can learn how to have entrepreneurial success. By following these leadership lessons observed in the life of Cathy, we can achieve a more satisfying life and career ourselves. Here are nine leadership lessons to try to live by:
1. Second Mile Is Second Nature
This customer service concept applies to our professional lives, too. Many companies go the first mile to provide good customer service, but going the second mile indicates an effort to do something extra special. Examples of going the second mile include pulling the chair out for a pregnant woman or refilling a customer’s drink at a quick-service restaurant. Chick-fil-A sought to make the second mile second nature, meaning the company taught employees that they should employ these “extra special” services automatically, instead of something they do every now and then. Honestly, I can’t remember going to a Chick-fil-A where they did not have someone walking around refilling drinks and bringing customers extra napkins. The company founder embedded this practice into the company culture, a real example of how to live a life of stewardship. “Being in the food business, you have to remember to do each and every thing right, every time.”
2. Manage Your Household
Cathy has been married for over 60 years. He emphasizes always improving your marriage and never giving up on your relationship. He believes that if you have problems in your marriage or in your household, your problems directly reflect how you run a business. Your family should always come before your business, and if you do not take care of your family, your business suffers. This also explains in part why Cathy decided to stay closed on Sundays. He believes families need Sunday to spend time together, and his restaurants do better because his employees work harder for him the rest of the week, and arrive on Monday refreshed for the new week. Happy employees mean happy customers. “You have to be very careful about what you say. More importantly, you have to be very careful about what you do. You never know how or when you influence people – especially children.”
3. Perseverance
Truett Cathy took a huge step in the restaurant business by opening his second restaurant location, which burned down. However, instead of filing for bankruptcy because he didn’t have his restaurant properly insured, he put up tents with grills and continued to serve customers next to the destroyed building until he was able to pay for repairs. Cathy has perseverance, and the will to never give up, even when the worst happens. Many people might give up after such a devastating loss, but a true leader never gives up just because challenges present themselves. “No goal is too high if we climb with care and confidence.”
4. Remember Your Roots
Cathy believes that growing up in poverty was a blessing. He never takes his wealth for granted and he understands “small town America.” Living in poverty taught him life lessons that he could not have otherwise learned if he had a comfortable childhood. Cathy worked hard to achieve his success, and he can relate to those who now face poverty. As he relates to others, and others relate to him as well. You have to be relatable to lead, and to expect people to follow. “As a kid, I can’t remember having anything to play with except a loose tooth. And that wasn’t mine. It was my brother’s.”
5. Hard Work
When Cathy was a young man, his family opened up their home to boarders, to bring in more income (i.e. renting out a room in your house). At times, their home was home to eight boarders along with his family of nine. During that time, Cathy learned the value of hard work as he helped his family serve those staying in their home. Cathy knew how to work hard, and he knew the benefits of hard work. He continued to work as he opened his restaurants and led his company into expansion and profitability. Fact: Chick-fil-A has a policy that Cathy descendants must work for two years outside of the family business before they can work in the family business. The family doesn’t want their kids assuming that they automatically have a job with Chick-fil-A. They want their children to experience what every other college graduate experiences: finding a job on their own. “It is when we stop doing our best work that our enthusiasm for the job wanes. We must motivate ourselves to do our very best, and by our example lead others to do their best as well.”
6. Learning Ability
Your capacity to learn is more important than what you already know. Cathy freely admits he wasn’t the best student in school. In fact, he even fell behind. None of that mattered to him because he wanted to work hard and continue to learn. Leaders need to embrace a continual state of learning for self-improvement, and to develop new technologies, theories, and thinking. “I wasn’t all that bright. I had difficulty keeping up in class and I had always carried with me a bit of an inferiority complex regarding socializing at school and I never felt confident about dating girls. But I enjoyed my work and I enjoyed the rewards of working. As I read Mr. Hill’s book, I realized I could do anything if I wanted it badly enough. His words motivated me and showed me that I live in a do-it-yourself world.”
7. Respect for Others
Just like people want to go to Chick-fil-A to eat, people want to follow Cathy. He had a great respect for others, evidenced in his service-oriented methodologies as well as in his success. If you respect others, others respect you. You must have the respect of those you lead in order to be a successful leader. “Loyalty of your people is a key to most any business success.”
8. Discipline
Many aspects of Chick-fil-A embody Cathy’s beliefs about discipline. Chick-fil-A’s are closed on Sundays. In the fast-paced society in which we live, it takes discipline to slow down one day every week, and it also takes discipline to sacrifice potential earnings one day every week. Chick-fil-A’s menu also demonstrates Cathy’s discipline. Chick-fil-A has one of the healthier menus when compared to other quick-service restaurants. It takes discipline to eat healthy and live a healthy lifestyle, but leaders make that sacrifice for their benefit and the benefit of others. “Why do we close on Sunday? Well, it started back in 1946 when I opened my first restaurant, a 24-hour coffee shop called The Dwarf Grill. After the first week, I determined that if it took seven days a week to make a living, I should be in some other business. Too, it was my conscience that I had to live with; I just never could come to the idea of dealing with money on the Lord’s Day. I became a Christian at age 12; that’s not to say that everything I’ve done since that time is becoming to a Christian, but I believe the Lord had blessed us because we recognize Him on this special day we call Sunday.”
9. Faith
Faith was at the root of everything that Truett Cathy did. His faith led him to make good decisions for his company and his employees. His faith led him to respect families and to keep the restaurants closed on Sundays. His faith led him to pipe Christian music into the restaurants, and to give his money and resources to many deserving students and young people. Draw from your faith as a way to bring out the best in yourself and your leadership skills. “I believe that you can combine biblical principles and good business practices. I testified before Congress…on how to be honest and successful at the same time.” Final Word If you apply these nine principles to your career and professional life, you can succeed because you put yourself aside and others in front of you. Many people still wrongly believe that they must only look out for themselves in order to succeed and get ahead in their careers. Truett Cathy provides a living example of succeeding by contributing to the success of others, personally and professionally. Follow Cathy’s example of leadership and service to others to find success and satisfaction in your life. What are some of the most important leadership lessons that you can take away from Truett Cathy’s example?
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
People everywhere love Chick-fil-A, especially where I live, in the suburbs of Atlanta. If we have an occasion to go out to a fast food restaurant for a quick bite to eat, we always go to our local Chick-fil-A. Lunch-goers flock to the restaurant, and the drive-through line makes a complete loop around the building. No matter what time of day I visit Chick-fil-A, the restaurant always seems packed full of customers. In addition to delicious food, Chick-fil-A has become and remained so popular among young and old for a variety of reasons. I believe the roots of the company go a lot deeper than fancy cut fries. This company has a rock-solid foundation in its core values, emulated every time you step inside its restaurant doors. How did Chick-fil-A become so successful and so well-loved? The answer lies with its founder, Truett Cathy, and his truly inspirational leadership. Who exactly is Truett Cathy, and what can we learn from him about leadership?
Who Is Truett Cathy? Truett Cathy is the founder and chairman of Chick-fil-A, the country’s second-largest chicken quick-service restaurant chain, based on annual sales. After growing up in poverty and working hard to help support his family, Cathy opened his first restaurant with his brother in 1946. The Atlanta-area restaurant, called the Dwarf Grill, was later renamed the Dwarf House. As his restaurant grew in popularity, Cathy opened his first Chick-fil-A in 1967 in Atlanta. From there, Chick-fil-A has grown to nearly 1,500 restaurants in 39 states. In addition to Cathy’s natural entrepreneurial and leadership abilities, Cathy is a man of faith and wisdom and has formed a service-oriented business. This has led him to have some out-of-the-ordinary business practices, such as closing on Sunday and choosing high-quality and high-character franchise owners and employees. Cathy has strived to serve the community as well as young people, as evidenced through his scholarship programs. Truett Cathy is the author of several books, including Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People.
Leadership Lessons from Truett Cathy Through the life and leadership of Truett Cathy, we can learn how to have entrepreneurial success. By following these leadership lessons observed in the life of Cathy, we can achieve a more satisfying life and career ourselves. Here are nine leadership lessons to try to live by:
1. Second Mile Is Second Nature
This customer service concept applies to our professional lives, too. Many companies go the first mile to provide good customer service, but going the second mile indicates an effort to do something extra special. Examples of going the second mile include pulling the chair out for a pregnant woman or refilling a customer’s drink at a quick-service restaurant. Chick-fil-A sought to make the second mile second nature, meaning the company taught employees that they should employ these “extra special” services automatically, instead of something they do every now and then. Honestly, I can’t remember going to a Chick-fil-A where they did not have someone walking around refilling drinks and bringing customers extra napkins. The company founder embedded this practice into the company culture, a real example of how to live a life of stewardship. “Being in the food business, you have to remember to do each and every thing right, every time.”
2. Manage Your Household
Cathy has been married for over 60 years. He emphasizes always improving your marriage and never giving up on your relationship. He believes that if you have problems in your marriage or in your household, your problems directly reflect how you run a business. Your family should always come before your business, and if you do not take care of your family, your business suffers. This also explains in part why Cathy decided to stay closed on Sundays. He believes families need Sunday to spend time together, and his restaurants do better because his employees work harder for him the rest of the week, and arrive on Monday refreshed for the new week. Happy employees mean happy customers. “You have to be very careful about what you say. More importantly, you have to be very careful about what you do. You never know how or when you influence people – especially children.”
3. Perseverance
Truett Cathy took a huge step in the restaurant business by opening his second restaurant location, which burned down. However, instead of filing for bankruptcy because he didn’t have his restaurant properly insured, he put up tents with grills and continued to serve customers next to the destroyed building until he was able to pay for repairs. Cathy has perseverance, and the will to never give up, even when the worst happens. Many people might give up after such a devastating loss, but a true leader never gives up just because challenges present themselves. “No goal is too high if we climb with care and confidence.”
4. Remember Your Roots
Cathy believes that growing up in poverty was a blessing. He never takes his wealth for granted and he understands “small town America.” Living in poverty taught him life lessons that he could not have otherwise learned if he had a comfortable childhood. Cathy worked hard to achieve his success, and he can relate to those who now face poverty. As he relates to others, and others relate to him as well. You have to be relatable to lead, and to expect people to follow. “As a kid, I can’t remember having anything to play with except a loose tooth. And that wasn’t mine. It was my brother’s.”
5. Hard Work
When Cathy was a young man, his family opened up their home to boarders, to bring in more income (i.e. renting out a room in your house). At times, their home was home to eight boarders along with his family of nine. During that time, Cathy learned the value of hard work as he helped his family serve those staying in their home. Cathy knew how to work hard, and he knew the benefits of hard work. He continued to work as he opened his restaurants and led his company into expansion and profitability. Fact: Chick-fil-A has a policy that Cathy descendants must work for two years outside of the family business before they can work in the family business. The family doesn’t want their kids assuming that they automatically have a job with Chick-fil-A. They want their children to experience what every other college graduate experiences: finding a job on their own. “It is when we stop doing our best work that our enthusiasm for the job wanes. We must motivate ourselves to do our very best, and by our example lead others to do their best as well.”
6. Learning Ability
Your capacity to learn is more important than what you already know. Cathy freely admits he wasn’t the best student in school. In fact, he even fell behind. None of that mattered to him because he wanted to work hard and continue to learn. Leaders need to embrace a continual state of learning for self-improvement, and to develop new technologies, theories, and thinking. “I wasn’t all that bright. I had difficulty keeping up in class and I had always carried with me a bit of an inferiority complex regarding socializing at school and I never felt confident about dating girls. But I enjoyed my work and I enjoyed the rewards of working. As I read Mr. Hill’s book, I realized I could do anything if I wanted it badly enough. His words motivated me and showed me that I live in a do-it-yourself world.”
7. Respect for Others
Just like people want to go to Chick-fil-A to eat, people want to follow Cathy. He had a great respect for others, evidenced in his service-oriented methodologies as well as in his success. If you respect others, others respect you. You must have the respect of those you lead in order to be a successful leader. “Loyalty of your people is a key to most any business success.”
8. Discipline
Many aspects of Chick-fil-A embody Cathy’s beliefs about discipline. Chick-fil-A’s are closed on Sundays. In the fast-paced society in which we live, it takes discipline to slow down one day every week, and it also takes discipline to sacrifice potential earnings one day every week. Chick-fil-A’s menu also demonstrates Cathy’s discipline. Chick-fil-A has one of the healthier menus when compared to other quick-service restaurants. It takes discipline to eat healthy and live a healthy lifestyle, but leaders make that sacrifice for their benefit and the benefit of others. “Why do we close on Sunday? Well, it started back in 1946 when I opened my first restaurant, a 24-hour coffee shop called The Dwarf Grill. After the first week, I determined that if it took seven days a week to make a living, I should be in some other business. Too, it was my conscience that I had to live with; I just never could come to the idea of dealing with money on the Lord’s Day. I became a Christian at age 12; that’s not to say that everything I’ve done since that time is becoming to a Christian, but I believe the Lord had blessed us because we recognize Him on this special day we call Sunday.”
9. Faith
Faith was at the root of everything that Truett Cathy did. His faith led him to make good decisions for his company and his employees. His faith led him to respect families and to keep the restaurants closed on Sundays. His faith led him to pipe Christian music into the restaurants, and to give his money and resources to many deserving students and young people. Draw from your faith as a way to bring out the best in yourself and your leadership skills. “I believe that you can combine biblical principles and good business practices. I testified before Congress…on how to be honest and successful at the same time.” Final Word If you apply these nine principles to your career and professional life, you can succeed because you put yourself aside and others in front of you. Many people still wrongly believe that they must only look out for themselves in order to succeed and get ahead in their careers. Truett Cathy provides a living example of succeeding by contributing to the success of others, personally and professionally. Follow Cathy’s example of leadership and service to others to find success and satisfaction in your life. What are some of the most important leadership lessons that you can take away from Truett Cathy’s example?
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Requester and Promiser Relationship
A request is a specific action. The requester must specify when the deadline is for the action. There should be no unbounded requests.
The promiser is the person receiving the request. The promiser can accept, decline, clarify, or negotiate.
The requester helps the promiser succeed. The promiser helps the requester succeed. The requester needs to be honest with his or herself that the promiser can carry out the specific action. The promiser needs to be honest when asked to carry out a specific action before accepting responsibility.
By following this format, the requester and promiser share accountability 100%.
What happens when the requester goes to the promiser and the promiser cannot produce desired results? The requester goes elsewhere. Are you your organization’s “go-to” person or the person that is hidden from the outside? Do you hide from the outside or do you step out to rise to the occasion? Also, are you the promiser who complains that the requester is too demanding? If it takes more than one time for the promiser to accept the request, then the requester has every right to call on another promiser. If the requester can't go to another promiser, then your department will be the one that is hidden from the outside. Wallflowers may be nice at the dance hall back in high school, but the "go-to" people in the business world are the ones that have job security and get the raise or bonus.
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
What happens when the requester goes to the promiser and the promiser cannot produce desired results? The requester goes elsewhere. Are you your organization’s “go-to” person or the person that is hidden from the outside? Do you hide from the outside or do you step out to rise to the occasion? Also, are you the promiser who complains that the requester is too demanding? If it takes more than one time for the promiser to accept the request, then the requester has every right to call on another promiser. If the requester can't go to another promiser, then your department will be the one that is hidden from the outside. Wallflowers may be nice at the dance hall back in high school, but the "go-to" people in the business world are the ones that have job security and get the raise or bonus.
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
Friday, May 4, 2012
TOEIC: Why It's Bigger than Ever in Japan
Japan was the country where TOEIC tests were first administered and have always been widely used there. Now, however, the world's leading test of English for daily and workplace use is soaring to new heights in the country.
The Daily Yomiuri newspaper reports that the TOEIC test seems poised to replace the national Eiken test as Japan’s most popular test of English. In fiscal year 2011, demand for TOEIC tests in Japan rose 30 percent, and TOEIC tests were taken by 2.27 million people compared with the 2.3 million taking Eiken.
Driving the trend is increased need for assessment of adult English for the workplace. Japanese companies are increasing their activities abroad, while new university graduates are facing a tough job market and see the advantage of adding an internationally recognized credential to their resumes.
While Eiken has tests for a number of different levels, its use is highest with its original audience of middle and high school students. Not widely recognized outside Japan, Eiken is not as useful as TOEIC for typical big picture goals such as those expressed by Takuro Hayashi, a student at Meiji Gakuin University: “I want to find a job which can utilize my English skills. I also want to study abroad. “
An official with the International Institute for Business Communication comments: "Companies are increasingly aware that unless their employees acquire English language skills, they can't survive. Because of the difficult job market, universities also have to put more effort into improving their students' business English skills."
Japan is not alone. The world as a whole is facing similar challenges, while countries such as the Unted States are also seeing an influx of non-native speakers that makes English language assessment important even for domestic employment. Therefore, not surprisingly, we also are seeing TOEIC testing growing bigger and bigger.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Downsizing- The Crystal Ball of Global Competition
Daniel
J. Stone
Ohio
Dominican University
Abstract.
It is debated that downsizing
is good or bad for today’s workforce. Positive
aspects of downsizing are a valuable managerial weapon since it reduces
organizational costs fast and effectively, businesses are allowed to reallocate
resources, and streamline productivity. On
the other hand, negative aspects of downsizing are psychological toll on those
that were eliminated and by those that survived, increase in stress, and a
sullied reputation in the eyes of those in labor and stock market.
In the early 1980s, the
American market became more competitive due to an increase of goods and
services being readily available from international competitors. Japanese auto manufacturers such as Toyota
and Honda, for example, began producing products for the American market within
the US around that time. In doing so, Americans
were exposed to products that were fashionable, could be relied upon, and were
durable. In comparing the “Big Three”
American automakers, to Japanese automakers, the American automakers have been
slow to bring new vehicles to the market, while the Japanese are also
considered the leader at producing smaller, fuel-efficient cars. All of this is being done with a
non-unionized workforce largely found in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas. As a result, the Japanese automakers continue
to enjoy a cost advantage over the Big Three (CBC News, 2009).
Downsizing has been the
legitimate and strategic solution to the increase in competition and complexity
of the global economy. When an
organization is in decline, costs need to be cut, performance needs to be
improved, and downsizing has been the legitimate and strategic solution to this
problem. Payroll is by far the biggest
cost to an employer and by reducing this cost with downsizing, a declining
organization and correct and align itself with the situation and those that
survive the layoff are put in a situation to produce and the highest level (Mellahi,
K. and Wilkinson, A. 2004).An organization that has been downsized takes on a persona of a new organization. Positions are merged, resources are more regarded and buy in to the organization’s plan is evaluated and reemerged with renowned spirit. Downsizing with a well conceived strategy ensures that resources are reallocated and productivity is streamlined. This could be done by the head of an organization also doubling as in another administrative position, multiple levels usually taught individually being taught together to keep hours to a minimum. Another example of this is to centralize equipment and machinery so that only supplies are being used when it is absolutely necessary (Street and Street, 2010).
On the other hand, downsizing takes a psychological toll on those that were eliminated and by those that survived. To have an employer break that trust can be psychologically overwhelming. After all, an employee spends more time at the workplace with co-workers than they do in their homes with their family. Staying committed to make their employer the best that it can be takes total buy-in and dedication (Street and Street, 2010).
Survivors of a reduced workforce experience an increase in stress. Positions were initially created with job descriptions to occupy a regular work week yet positions are merged with the expectation that goods and services will be produced and provided in the same way. Leaders of downsized organizations fail to realize that just because the workforce is reduced doesn’t mean that the work left with the eliminated workforce. Those that stay behind end up doing the work of two people and are expected to continue to put their best foot forward with one of their legs tied behind their back (Street and Street, 2010).
The traditional manufacturing state such as South Carolina has had an unemployment rate that has exceeded the national average since 2001. It was around that time that manufacturing plants operating in the state began to downsize operations by shipping jobs overseas, mainly to China (Wenger, 2008). The backlash throughout the US towards Chinese products sold in the US was intense and as a result, American manufacturers began labeling their products with “China-free” labels. Resentment from unemployed workers towards competitive products from China to be sullied as a result of downsizing (Douaud, 2007).
In conclusion, downsizing is a trend that is here to stay due to global competition, cost reduction and performance improvements, and providing a new start to an organization due to the conceived strategy ensures that resources are reallocated and productivity is streamlined. The downfall of downsizing is psychological repercussions, increased stress from those that survived a downsizing, and negative publicity from the labor and stock markets towards the corporation that has jettisoned a large number of employees. Downsizing is good in maximizing profits but bad in various humanitarian aspects such as psychological tolls, extra stress and anxiety.
In reflecting the consideration the ethical implications of downsizing I have been a casualty and a survivor of downsizing. As a casualty, my initial feeling was one of anger and betrayal. Furthermore, I was embarrassed because I then had my close group of family and friends worried how I was going to make ends meet. As a person who possesses intropunitive characteristics which is to blame myself too harshly when I fail, I found the decision to being downsized personal rather than strategic. For example, I questioned what I did to deserve a lay off, how I could have better protected myself, in comparison to one of my colleagues who survived. As time went on, I later found the layoff as a blessing as it gave me the chance to pursue what my calling and passion really is. Two years later, I was living in a different state leading an organization in a start up branch office. In this situation, I experienced the survivor side of downsizing since I was expected to do so much with so little manpower. Not being one to complain, I bought into the company’s philosophy and gave it my all. In doing so, my shortcomings which everybody has were exposed. On the other hand, other than the psychological issues that came with being baptized by fire by being thrown into the deep end and have found a way to carry on, my spirit was renewed as one of being totally committed to the cause. The issue is dealing with those that do not share the same commitment as I do and how I can process their lack of dedication in a way that doesn’t cause friction.
My personal belief of downsizing is that the trend of letting good people go is inevitable. I do not agree that downsizing is the way forward since more careful considerations need to be made when a job is created, a company expands their services, and adds extra branches. When given a person the work of two people, that person will manage to carry on for the short term but in the end, the person will feel cheated, and no longer put up with the situation and move on. Therefore, downsizing needs to be done away with and solid business practices that minimize the hard feelings, in particular the feeling of being cheated, where humanitarian aspects are the focal point are the norm. People are the most important part of an organization and when they are not treated well, companies that downsize may have to downsize all the way to the point of going out of business.
To substantiate my perspective with facts and research, Southwest Airlines has a positive reputation in the eyes of its employees. This is because Southwest Airlines hires someone based on their attitude and then trains them for the skills needed to do their job. Not only are they trained, they are also empowered. This combination of attitude, training, and empowerment is Southwest Airline’s blueprint to building a confident worker who makes the right decisions (Campbell, 2010).
This approach illustrates the unwritten psychological contract between employer and employee. In the aftermath of 9/11 Southwest Airlines emerged as the only American airline company that remained in the black every quarter and didn’t furlough a single employee. Because of Southwest Airline’s solid business practices there was no need to downsize when nearly all of the other American airline companies were laying off people in droves, filing for bankruptcy, or going out of business. Southwest Airlines has continued to carry on as a leader in domestic air travel in the markets that it serves (Serwer, 2004).
Campbell, S. (2010). How Southwest Airlines Became a Model for
Customer Loyalty.
Retrieved
from: http://www.tmcnet.com/channels/customer-support-software/articles/87080-how-southwest-airlines-became-model-customer-loyalty.htm
121.
Douaud,
C. (2007). ‘China Free’ Labels Stokes Import Debate. Retrieved from:
Mellahi, K. and Wilkinson, A. (2004)
Downsizing and Innovation Output: A Review of
Literature
and Research Propositions, BAM Paper 2004, British Academy of Management.
Richards, T. (2009). The used-to-be Big Three: U.S. automakers struggling with sliding
sales,
Serwer,
A. (2004). Southwest Airlines: The Hottest Thing in
the Sky Through change at the top, through 9/11, in a lousy industry, it keeps
winning Most Admired kudos. How? Retrieved from CNN. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2004/03/08/363700/index.htm
http://daniel-j-stone.blogspot.com (C) 2009-12
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