Leadership and Texting in a Movie Theater

Posted on January 17, 2014 by chesterman

The shooting that occurred this week in a movie theater between a man who was texting during movie previews and a retired police officer made national news and has generated a lot of discussion. For those of you who have not heard about this event, what has been reported so far is this: A man was texting in the theater before the feature movie began, and an argument ensued between the man and a retired police officer who was seated nearby. The outcome of the argument was that the man who was texting was fatally shot by the other man.

Everyone seems to have a different opinion about what is acceptable behavior in a movie theater. Most people say that talking on cell phones in the theater is distracting and unacceptable. Some feel that any use of a cell phone, including texting or reading emails, inside a theater is rude. Others say that until the feature movie begins, texting is fine – who wants to see previews, anyway? There are dozens of opinions, and while I have seen most theaters include a statement on the movie screen about turning cell phones off, I suspect the policies will become more clearly defined and communicated as a result of this incident.

Apparently this movie theater had a policy of not allowing guns in the theater. Questions are swirling around that policy. Does the policy also apply to law enforcement, retired or active? Was the policy clearly defined and communicated to theatergoers? How is the policy enforced?

Those same types of questions could apply in your business. Do you have written policies and procedures? Have they been clearly communicated to ALL of your employees? What about communication to customers and vendors? How are the policies being enforced? What’s the protocol for disputes or disagreements? Let’s learn from this unfortunate event and make positive changes in our businesses.

Photo by: fd / Foter.com / CC BY-NC

Changes and the New Year

Posted on December 31, 2013 by chesterman

The Bucs fired their head coach and general manager yesterday. While it was no real surprise, it means that the Bucs players will once again be experiencing significant change and a new direction for 2014. I wonder how easily and quickly some of them will adapt to the change. A lot will depend upon who is brought in to lead the team and his style of management and leadership. Sometimes a good house-cleaning is good for an organization. Other times, stability is more effective for long-term success.

What about your organization? Is it time for a good house-cleaning? Are things getting stale and not heading in the direction you desire? Let me clarify: In my opinion, a good house-cleaning doesn’t necessarily mean changing the leadership team. It could just mean doing a thorough analysis of what isn’t working and setting clearly defined goals to turn those problem areas around.

On the other hand, if things are working well and you are achieving your desired results, then perhaps stability should be your focus for 2014. Try to stretch a bit more without making radical changes. Take advantage of your stability and strengths and empower your employees to be all that they can be.

Happy New Year!

Photo by abcnews.go.com

Holiday Season Opportunities To Be a Star

Posted on December 17, 2013 by chesterman

: Be a Star!DaveWilsonPhotography / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

Are you employees distracted at this time of year? Are you? We all have a lot on our plates, between buying gifts, holiday cards and parties galore. And many people try to take some time off at this time of year, both to spend time with families, travel, or to use up that vacation time before it expires. That can put a strain on the employees who are in the office and having to cover for others’ workloads.

So can any work get done in December? Absolutely! It just takes a bit more focus and effort. December is a great time to finalize your planning for 2014, provide feedback to your employees on their performance during the year and communicate goals for next year. And don’t forget to remember and celebrate your achievements during 2013! Reflect back on what worked well so you can replicate it during the coming year.

December can also be a good time for sales. Depending on the type of product or service you sell, many companies have money left in their budget that they want to spend by the end of the year. Additionally, since many people are running errands on their lunch hour, it is often easier to get around the gatekeeper to reach the decision-maker. Your call or visit may be a welcome distraction from the report they are not in the mood to read! Remind your sales people to keep pushing and challenge them to exceed their normal monthly goal this month. See if you can end the year on a high note with your best month of 2013.

Merry Christmas!

Bizarre Headlines and Mixed Messages

Posted on November 15, 2013 by chesterman

Bizarre Headlines

As I was reading the paper this week, I was struck by some bizarre headlines. First, there was the mayor who admitted to using and purchasing illegal drugs and yet insisted that he was a positive role model for kids. Really? How interesting. He was also videotaped threatening to kill someone. He was asked to step down and has refused. He doesn’t sound like someone I’d like my kids to emulate!

Another bizarre headline this week was the announcement by London’s Metropolitan Police that the spy whose body was found stuffed inside a locked gym bag at the bottom of his bathtub, likely died in an accident with no one else involved. Huh? He died accidentally and then locked himself in a gym bag? That’s a trick even Houdini might have found challenging! What does that conclusion say about the judgment of that police department?

These bizarre headlines are just two examples of how we are bombarded with mixed messages from a variety of sources. While these types of stories might make for interesting discussions at the water cooler, they certainly do not increase confidence in the judgment or leadership abilities of the organizations involved.

What are your headlines saying about you? Are you inadvertently sending mixed messages to your employees and customers? If you step away and look at all of your messaging from an objective distance, what does it say about your leadership and judgment? Does it inspire confidence? Or does it just provide additional fodder for those water cooler discussions?

photo by: steve_huison

Veteran’s Day and Battles

Posted on November 11, 2013 by chesterman

: Veteran\’s Day

Have you ever heard someone at work say, “Time to go into battle!”? I’ve heard people say that when they are heading into a particularly challenging negotiation, whether it’s with a customer, vendor or peer. I’ve also heard people say that when they were just talking about going back to work after a short break.

Why do some people use that phrase? Do they really see it as a battle? With most battles in war, there is a clear winner and a clear loser. And of course, as we honor our veterans on Veteran’s Day, many military personnel who head into battle know that they may not come out of it alive. I don’t think most of us in business have that risk with our daily “battles”.

On this Veteran’s Day, I’d like for us to consider a couple of different points. First, if you are one of the people who refer to a negotiation or your work environment as a “battle”, please consider utilizing a different phrase. By telling yourself in advance that it will be a battle, it is more likely to become one! You have just told your brain to expect a battle, and it will oblige. Studies have shown that what you focus on expands. (Have you ever thought about buying a particular make and model of car and then started seeing them everywhere?) Perhaps you could instead say, “Time to have fun!” Even if you don’t really think it will be fun, you have set a different expectation for your brain. It will be looking for the “fun” and you are much more likely to enjoy the experience along the way.

Second, most of us know veterans who have served our country. Please make a point today and every day to thank them for their service. They are the reason we are able to enjoy the level of freedom we have today. And many of even the youngest veterans have already experienced more “battles” and loss than I will in an entire lifetime. That’s quite a sacrifice that they have made for all of us.

Veterans, thank you for your sacrifice and service!

Photo by: B Tal / Foter.com / CC BY-NC

Leader? Or Hamster on a Wheel?

Posted on October 11, 2013 by chesterman


The little blue wheel keeps following me

One of my Vistage groups decided to read the book “The E-Myth Revisited” by Michael E. Gerber. Reading the book had a significant impact on most of the members, helping them to understand why some of them are still working so hard in their business and having less time than they’d like working on their business and having a life outside of work. I had read the book many years ago and realized once again how relevant some of the concepts are to business owners and leaders within companies.

Many business owners and leaders start out as technicians – they are very good at something. They continue to do a good job and, in some cases, decide to start a business that does that very thing. However, they often become trapped, because they have not established the proper vision and systems with which to grow the business. They just continue to work harder and put in more hours thinking that eventually they will reach the point where the business will thrive. They hire positions that they need now, without considering what they will need in the future. They are so busy working in the present, that they are not clearly seeing the future and working toward that vision.

For businesses that are larger and have some systems and processes in place, the book is still a good reminder of how to get your leaders to continue to develop themselves and their leadership skills. And if you are having trouble hiring great people because they cost more than you can justify paying, you may want to consider how you could create better processes, training and systems so you can hire lower level employees and allow them to succeed.

If you feel a bit like a hamster on a wheel, running as fast as you can and not getting anywhere, you may want to consider looking at your business differently by reading a book such as “The E-Myth Revisited”.

Photo by: Zebra Pares / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

Are You Living in a Reactive Mode?

Posted on September 27, 2013 by chesterman

It’s always fascinating to me to observe human behavior. When driving down the interstate, if someone sees a police car driving along, they automatically slow down, even when they were going less than the speed limit originally. This overreaction can cause accidents. The drivers aren’t thinking about what they are doing. And when they are already going lower than the speed limit, it seems a little silly to slow down even more for a police car that’s driving along with traffic.

So how often do we have that type of silly, reactive behavior that can hold us back and may cause unintended consequences for others? When you live in a reactive mode, you are not going to get where you are going very quickly. You could think you are in the fast lane, but if someone ahead of you hits the brakes and slows you down and you haven’t planned for that possibility, you may be stuck.

Have you ever spent a day putting out fires, and then realized at the end of the day that you did not accomplish any of the important things you should have done? How many of those fires could have been prevented or at least anticipated with a little more planning?

One way to get out of reactive mode is to set goals, make them “SMART” goals, look at them daily, and diligently work toward them. Thoughtfully consider what may interfere with those goals, and be prepared to tweak your route so you are still able to get where you want to go. Having goals will help you to determine priorities and to make sure you are spending time on the most important things. It’s much better to take the approach of “Ready, Aim, Fire” than “Ready, Fire, Aim”. If you take time to actually aim at the target, you are more likely to hit it!

People often react too quickly. I’m not suggesting that you delay decisions and slow things down to the point of analysis paralysis. Taking a few minutes to evaluate the situation and consider the alternatives might prevent you from making a big mistake. Getting the right balance between being proactive and reactive is what you should strive to achieve. Why don’t you evaluate your recent performance to see if you are making decisions too quickly or too slowly? Just like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, there is always an approach that is just right.

Photo by: cishore™ / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND

Billboards and Frogs

Posted on September 20, 2013 by chesterman

I used to think that billboards marred the beautiful scenery. However, once I had a small child, I changed my opinion completely. It was very helpful to play the alphabet game using the letters on billboards and signs. My version of the game was where we would start with the letter A and look for something in nature or a word on a sign that started with that letter, then we’d continue our way through the alphabet. If it weren’t for billboards, we never would be able to make it all of the way through the alphabet, since there weren’t too many natural things along the road that started with the letter X! This game kept my daughter engaged for hours at a time (before portable DVD players became available.)

I like digital billboards even more. It’s convenient that they can be changed frequently and quickly and with minimal effort. When I’m stuck in traffic, I appreciate that I do not have to read the same words over and over again, and can see messages from different companies. It helps the time pass more quickly, and helps me stay engaged. And I am quite sure it’s helping those companies gain business.

Sometimes it’s helpful to think of yourself and your company as a billboard. Are you sending the same message in the same manner over and over again? While that can be effective as a form of branding, be careful that your message has not become stale. My suggestion is that you change things up on a regular basis, aligned with your brand image.

You know the old story about the frog – if you put a frog in boiling water, he will immediately jump out. But if you put a frog in lukewarm water and gradually increase the heat, he will remain in the water until he cooks. Marketing messages can have the same impact on humans. If you make them too similar, too boring, and too much the same, no one will pay attention any more. However if you make the messages pop, look different and grab their attention, people will notice and jump into action.

Photo by: ucumari / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND

Unsung Heroes

Posted on August 5, 2013 by chesterman

: Unsung Heroes

Whenever we hear about a major event in the news, there are often stories of people doing heroic things for others. At the Boston Marathon, a runner helped to save the life of another by putting a tourniquet on their wounded leg. Elsewhere, a bystander dove into the water to save a child from drowning. Someone else went into a burning car to rescue its occupants. Every day there are stories of regular people putting their own lives at risk to help others. These are mostly unsung heroes. We expect firefighters, police officers and our military personnel to be heroes, and yet often it’s a normal, everyday citizen who is able to perform amazing, heroic feats in times of need. While some of these heroes receive public recognition and praise on the front page of the news, others are unsung heroes who do not receive the recognition they deserve. Sometimes we don’t even know their names.

Most companies have unsung heroes who do things above and beyond their position and call of duty. Do you know who the unsung heroes are in your organization? Do you have a process to identify them and recognizing them? Why not encourage that behavior by recognizing it and giving public praise for specific situations and accomplishments? Change your culture from having unsung heroes, to front page heroes.

Photo by: Chris Reinhold / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND

Finding My Greatness Zone

Posted on July 18, 2013 by chesterman

In a recent post, I spoke about college graduates and recommended Jay Forte’s book, “The Greatness Zone”. Since then, I’ve been asked about my own experience in finding my greatness zone. I am a prime example of how you can find your greatness zone at any age. A friend of my parents told me that I should go into accounting since I enjoyed math. That’s all it took to get me to take an accounting class in high school and declare that as my major in college. I did enjoy the accounting and business classes I took, yet I also really enjoyed psychology.

Upon graduation, I worked for a public accounting firm, became a CPA and continued my accounting career for over 20 years. I would still be in some type of executive financial role if it were not for a group of my peers. I was a member of a TEC (now known as Vistage) Key Executive program when I was faced with merger that would require relocation to another part of the country. While the opportunity was exciting, we did not want to move. I brought the issue to my TEC group, and two people in the group suggested that I change careers completely and become a Chair of groups such as ours. They saw some traits in me that I had never considered, and when I eventually took their advice and became a Chair, I realized I had finally found my greatness zone.

Unlike some of the people I described in my previous post, I was not unhappy in my executive financial roles. I was very good at what I did, and I enjoyed managing people. I also enjoyed the excitement of the many acquisitions and dispositions with which I was involved. However I found that I became bored easily and always felt that something was missing.

Now I know that what was missing was that I am passionate about helping people and I thrive on challenges and change. I love working with a variety of people and industries, and helping them become better leaders, make better decisions and achieve better results. Just like in the book, it took other people to help me realize how to find my greatness zone. And I am very thankful to be here!

Photo by: Jose Luis Mieza Photography / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

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