A Thanksgiving Proclamation

THANKSGIVING DAY BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - A PROCLAMATION

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor - and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be – That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks – for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation – for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war –for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed – for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions – to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually – to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed – to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord – To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us – and generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

President George Washington

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. May we appreciate our many blessings and never miss an opportunity to share them with others. That's Leader Business!

Got Leadership?

Do you know that expression, "people don't care what you know until they know that you care?" Well...are you a believer? A 2007 study of leadership attributes suggests that this sentiment may be somewhat misleading. Those who ascribe to it, may be doing so at the risk of missing what employees truly value in their leaders.

This often quoted and widely accepted leadership philosophy suggests that what matters most in leadership are the soft skills, things that provide comfort to employees and a belief that their leaders have their best interests in mind. Makes sense, right? It's about the people, isn't it?

So where then do things like listening, encouraging, coaching, and dependability rank in this survey? Important...but not at the top. We value these skills but don't necessarily rank our leaders based on their strengths in these areas.

So what is important? The top 3 leadership attributes, according to this survey, are credibility, trust, and vision. Here's how I interpret them:

-- Credibility (71%). Far and away the #1 component. It suggests that in fact we DO care what our leaders know! Competence -- technically and as a leader -- matters. The ability to deliver, to get the job done, to execute the mission, is vital. Same for our knowledge and understanding of how to set priorities, make decisions, and align resources. Our teammates want leaders with the credibility that comes from a balance of competence and confidence. And not one of these...but both. Confidence without competence is...an obnoxious fool who believes his own press clippings. And competence without confidence is...an engineer! (Ha! I can say that because I am one!). But competence and confidence together, earned every day, not by hype but by results, is the total package and combines to create the credibility as leaders that our employees value.

-- Trusted (58%). People want to know that they can trust their leaders. This means they not only want to believe that their leaders CAN do the job (credibility)...but that they WILL. They want their leader's actions to align with their words. They want them to be values-based, mission-focused, and selfless. People want to trust that their leaders know what they are doing and that they are doing it for the right reasons.

-- Farsighted (54%). We want leaders with vision, to be able to see over the horizon, to steer the team toward goals and objectives while avoiding obstacles along the way. We value leaders who see the big picture, who can put problems in context, and who are leaning forward to see not only the current battles but the ones to come. (Note: this is #3 on the list! We don't want leaders who say, "I'm a big picture guy. Don't bother me with the details." You show me someone who says this and I will show you someone who doesn't understand the business, who freezes when it is time to make difficult decisions, and who lacks the credibility we seek from our leaders. Vision is important but...people want more...and they can see right through this smokescreen!)

Here's the entire list:

-- Credibility (71%)

-- Trusted (58%)

-- Farsighted (54%)

-- Listens well (51%)

-- Encouraging (46%)

-- Dependable (46%)

-- Focused (43%)

-- Good coach (40%)

-- Experienced (36%)

-- Perspective (35%)

Aha, you say. There's the soft stuff -- listening, encouraging, coaching. All important things. But number one, by far, is that we want leaders who can do their jobs, who know the technical underpinnings of the business and who know how to lead. Those whose top line on their resume reads, "I'm experienced" or, "I'm dependable" and not "I know what I am doing and I get the job done" aren't what we are looking for in our leaders.

You see, our teammates DO care what we know! They want us to care, too. But first, they want us to know what the heck we are doing! That makes it Leader Business.

This is the first in a series that I will periodically post on various leadership themes under -- "Got Leadership?" Do you have a relevant hot leadership topic or a challenge at work that I might explore with you? Shoot me a note. I'd love to hear from you. You KNOW that I CARE! Hooah!

Performance Management

It is that time of the year in the federal government. The recently completed fiscal year has set in motion a cycle of documentation, writing appraisals, holding panels to evaluate each appraisal, providing feedback, and ultimately, determining pay and bonuses. It is a convoluted system that most of us hate (and I won’t use this page for my angst against the time killer that this system has become) but it does have great value and in many ways is worth the investment of key leader time and energy.

Previously, our evaluation system was a waste. Most everyone received top marks, the annual appraisal itself (often the only feedback an employee might get in a year) took only a few minutes to complete, and the system did nothing to reward greatness or to identify low performers. Yeah, we all liked the ability to crank out any number of evaluations without having to engage our brains. But the system allowed us to be cowards, never forcing us to deal with real performance issues. And this made it difficult to recognize true greatness, as superstars often received “scores” and financial rewards at the same level as known slugs! That is not good leadership and has a direct impact on employee morale and performance.

Our current system is not without its faults. But when I meet with my senior leaders to evaluate the files of all the supervisors in our organization (a very talented group of about 80 low and mid-level managers), we truly get after some difficult issues:

-- Evaluate performance of each individual against their agreed upon performance objectives…on a scale of 1-5…and where a “3” is a good score.

-- Greatness requires more than just doing a good job. Recognition as such by a broader group of senior leaders (i.e. more than just one’s direct supervisor) requires measurable, appreciable IMPACT.

-- Superstars are identified and considered within our organizational succession plan. If they have gaps (skills or tools) that they might need in order to advance, they are tagged accordingly for future development opportunities.

-- Employees with low scores are considered using the Jim Collins (Good to Great) analogy with these two questions:
- Is the employee on the right bus? Do they fit with our mission, our culture, our values?
- If yes, is the employee on the right seat of the bus? Is there a position where the demands of their job could better align with their strengths?

Most employees are on the right bus. They could -- and usually do -- add value to the team. But many are not cut out for management (and in fact, if asked, might say they prefer the technical work out in the trenches to supervisory duties). Others have extenuating issues in their lives that make it difficult to perform at the high level (personal problems, poor subordinates, difficult mission). For those on the right bus but the wrong seat, senior leaders need to take action to get the correct alignment.

This sort of thing is hard work. Leaders usually love their subordinate managers and fight to see them rewarded for their hard work. That's a good thing. But there must be a check in the system that prevents against grade inflation such that our evaluations have meaning. And true greatness must be allowed to rise to the top…and be recognized as such.

So what about you and your team? Do you have a system to evaluate talent within your ranks? Is it a “check the block” sort of approach or does it force you to make “hard calls” on superior (and inferior) performance? Are you using some sort of peer comparison to move beyond loyalty to one’s team and fairly evaluate the broader contributions of a team member toward the goals and objectives of the organization? Are you having meaningful discussions about placement on the bus…and who needs to get off at the next stop?

I have no doubt, that no matter the pain of the process (hey…we are government so…we have to make everything difficult), the time spent with my senior leadership team on these sorts of discussions was invaluable. High scores have to be earned, contributions have to be measurable, and success has to have an impact that the full leadership team can appreciate. I gained insights both on my senior leaders and those whom we had gathered to evaluate. That made this week’s session in which we measured subordinate leader performance…Leader Business.

Honoring our Vets

In 1918, the "Great War" ended with an armistice at the 11th hour of the 11th day of November. A year later, United States President Woodrow Wilson commemorated the first anniversary of this event with the following proclamation:

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

In 1954, President Eisenhower signed legislation into law changing "Armistice Day" to what we now celebrate as "Veteran's Day." This National holiday serves as an annual remembrance of the sacrifices of our Nation's veterans and their contributions to our current peace and prosperity.

Today, despite the challenges of ongoing wars, and amid the sorrow and heartbreak that we share with the Soldiers and families at Fort Hood, Texas, we pause again to honor those who have served. We thank them for their willingness to put their country above self, to subordinate personal comfort to the cause of freedom, and to serve in the defense of those who often cannot defend themselves. We honor the brave men and women -- and their families -- who have given so much, who have written our history, who have enabled the success which we now enjoy. We honor and thank our Veterans.

I saw the sacrifice of another generation when I walked the battlefield on which my Father had fought in Viet Nam almost 40 years ago. Together with my brothers, we gained an appreciation for the difficulties of a foreign land, a hostile enemy, and a ridiculously challenging climate (hot + humid...UGH!). I saw the sacrifices of the "Greatest Generation" when I followed the trails of the Battle of the Bulge in Eastern France and Luxembourg. And we've all seen the sacrifices of today's generation on difficult battlefields in Iraq, and Afghanistan. The word that unites them all -- sacrifice -- is the source of our pride and admiration.

Today, our Veteran's still need our thanks. They deserve our fullest support for quality education and medical programs. They deserve our consideration for employment and contracting opportunities. And their families equally deserve our appreciation for their sacrifices in support of their loved ones!

Thanks to our Vets! Would you all join me in remembering the sacrifices of those who have worn the uniform and, in some cases, made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of liberty. Would you thank the vets you work with or who you pass on the street? Would you honor them for their service? That's the reason this day is special and why President Wilson said our reflections should be filled with solemn pride. And that is...Leader Business!

Image courtesy of www.history.army.mil.

Leadership Carnival

Dan McCarthy (Great Leadership) has posted another collection of inspirational leadership advice and opinions. He was kind enough to include my discussion of leader development and "Building the Bench" in his most recent Leadership Development Carnival.

I have found this to be a veritable potpourri (oh yeah...I love that phrase!) of leadership topics and hope you will give it a look. Great stuff, all of which fits nicely in the "Leader Business" toolbox!

Rehabilitation

Yep...that's me. Well, not exactly in a cast but I do have a brace on my leg following arthroscopic knee surgery on Friday. So now it's time for some recovery and rehabilitation. I need to spend a few days resting and then gradually start back on the road to full strength.

And since I can only watch so much football (I thought I'd never say that!), I need to have some other goals for this six days of sitting around with my leg elevated. Since some of them involve Leader Business, I thought I'd share them with you here:

-- I have started work on Leader Business -- the book! Our goal is to be done by late spring!

-- I'm trying to strengthen my network of connections through LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. If we are not connected there, would you be my "virtual" friend?

-- I'd like to increase my subscriber base for this blog. For those who already subscribe, you have my sincere appreciation. Would you take a minute and tell me what you like and don't like about my writing? I have the time for some introspection! And could I ask you to share this blog with your friends and ask them to subscribe? I would love to extend the dialogue that we have on these pages to other like-minded leaders!

Thanks to all of you who give me your time when you read these posts. I do not take it for granted and try not to abuse this privelege. And if you have a few minutes and want to drop me a note, I will get right back to you. At least for the next few days of recovery, I've got nothing else to do! That's Leader Business!


Image courtesy of www.arthursclipart.org

Strategic Planning

This week I spent a few days with my key leaders thinking through our strategic plan for this next fiscal year. This is a critical planning event that serves to ensure that our resources are aligned against our priorities, that we understand our mission, and that we affect the sorts of changes that are necessary to avoid complacency and irrelevance.

While I won't drag you through the details of the planning process (you can remind yourself of the key elements in the 5-part Mission Planning series, see Part I here), I do want to share with you how we set the conditions for our discussions. In the decision-making process it is the key first step in which we define the problem. This is the baseline against which strategic plans can be developed. If you haven't defined the problem, you are likely to come up with a pretty plan that won't see the light of day (and how many of us have been a part of those efforts?).

In the military planning process, Step 1 is to conduct Mission Analysis. This is the sort of detailed review that allows leaders to: See yourself; See the Enemy; See the Terrain. Now, before you think this is reserved for the military, think of it as a SWOT Analysis, with which most non-military leaders are comfortable: Analyze Strengths and Weaknesses (See Yourself), Understand your Opportunities (See the Terrain), and Know your Threats (See the Enemy) -- SWOT. This SWOT analysis is the type of review that must be completed before entering into detailed planning steps.

What I thought was worth sharing with you was the information we gathered as part of our SWOT or Mission Analysis. These are the elements that I felt contributed to the development of a plan that addressed our critical needs:

-- Internal workforce survey. What was working and where did we need improvement in issues like culture, values, counseling, and resource alignment? There is nothing like hearing these issues straight from your teammates.

-- Customer surveys. What do our customers think about our services and how we measure against critical issues like cost, schedule, and communication? Continued relevance demands that we have a finger on the pulse of our customers and their needs.

-- Recent After Action Reviews (AARs). We did not put our recently completed fiscal year "to bed" until we had completed a detailed examination of our successes and challenges. The former need sustainment while the latter demands our attention for key improvements that we know we must make.

-- We conducted a detailed analysis of the mission from our higher headquarters. Any plan we put together MUST address the specified and implied requirements from my boss. We reviewed their strategic plan to ensure that anything we might do is aligned with the vertical team.

-- We looked at our current plan. What actions were completed and where were we making progress...or not? Our strategic plan this year is likely to be continued progress toward our shared vision rather than a complete re-write so best to begin with an examination of how we are doing toward those goals.

-- We looked at data. What are revenue projections for the next few years? What are the implications for our workforce? Does any of it suggest a requirement for a different size or shape of the organization or different skills among our team? What are our demographics and does it suggest anything for the future composition of our team (retirement eligibility, grade and skill distribution, diversity, retention, etc.)?

-- We examined any future opportunities that we needed to consider or any threats that might cause problems for our team and its mission.

-- Finally, I gave my read of the terrain as the organizational leader. It was my assessment of those priority actions that needed to be included in our plan. It was my VOTE before break-out sessions that would build a detailed plan. I wanted to shape the future with some key points and emphasize their importance to my leaders.

None of this is transformational. But it certainly helped us put all of our cards on the table before we started shuffling them. Too often, plans are developed without a thorough understanding of the problem. Sure, we can come up with a plan but if it does not address customer needs, if it does not account for challenges within the workforce, and if it does not take advantage of future opportunities, it is likely to be a strategic plan that does like so many -- gathers dust on the shelf. No progress, no alignment, and no likelihood for the sort of impact that we expect from these efforts.

Have you held this sort of detailed, disciplined review session with your leaders lately? If you have, did you gather the necessary planning tools that would lead to realistic and relevant goals and objectives? If you have not, can I help you get started? Drop me a note and let's talk about your strategic planning process.

Our SWOT definitely set the conditions for a great planning session. This may not be a comprehensive list but it gives you an idea of the sorts of things that we needed to consider as part of our mission analysis. I think our leadership team believes that it helped produce a refreshed strategy that is what we need to improve our performance, align our resources, increase market share, and have a successful, relevant future. And that makes this critical first step of the planning process...Leader Business.

Image from www.corbisimages.com

Tolerating Fools

I read recently where a leader whom I admire was said to not tolerate fools. This is a characteristic I aspire to, as well. I would like to think that I am a quick judge and realize very easily whether someone is up to the task, whether they know what they are talking about, and whether they have what it takes to get things done. If they don't, I won't waste my time. I want someone serious about their profession and willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish the mission and won't waste my time with someone who doesn't meet these criteria. Let's agree together that this is the case and that we generally all will not tolerate fools!

But I hope this doesn't mean we can't act like a fool every once in a while. Yes, this is me doing my best (or worst?) Hulk Hogan at the office on Friday. We have a traditional Halloween costume contest at work and this was my outfit for the day. And despite the fact that my team is spread out over dozens of small offices in three different states, we used technology to ensure that everyone could participate. I wanted to make it easy to not be the only fool for the day!

Nope, I don't mind being a fool. Even in government, I think it is still important to laugh, to joke, and to have fun. In fact, I'm not sure I would want to be a part of a team that doesn't. Would you? I don't think we would have much success recruiting new talent or retaining our best and brightest if we didn't allow for the sort of good times that come from a relaxed, casual, fun-loving atmosphere.

This doesn't mean we aren't professional. We still have a culture of discipline, protocol, and standards (I know...try saying "Yes, sir" to a wannabe Hulk Hogan without smirking!). But we try to have fun along the way, build relationships that enable trust, and create the environment where people will work hard -- not because they have to but because they want to.

We are totally focused on mission execution. We have over 800 great people and we have completed over $1B of work in each of the last two years. We have a well-earned reputation for excellence and quality. And as a rule, we don't tolerate fools. But along the way, we are going to have fun. We are going to let down our hair (I wish!) every once in a while and let off some steam. We are going to create the sort of work conditions in which people feel comfortable, where they like what they do and whom they do it with, and where creativity and innovation are let loose.

So, I lost the costume contest -- came in 3rd. But it was fun for me and fun for those who were able to laugh with me (or at me). But I am thinking that next year we will have some sort of cage match instead of just virtual voting. Now that will be fun. I think I could have crushed the little princess who won! Ha! Now I ask you...what fool did you play for Halloween? That's Leader Business!