You Aren't Paranoid -- they really don't like you!

I've mentioned in earlier blog posts, and now it's confirmed -- many employees aren't too keen on their managers.

Some results from a recent survey conducted by the Institute for Corporate Productivity; they surveyed 675 workers from all but executive levels, and discovered:

60% said managers have a tough but fulfilling job. We'll keep it "our secret" that it's really a cakewalk, and we're only in it for the dough.

Less than 50% of managers surveyed believe that their organization's management is "above average. This one hurts. Looking around the room at your peers right now, as many as half believe you're "not all that."

Less than 40% of non-managers believe we're above average. But hey -- they aren't "one of us," what do they know??

Almost 20% of non-managers believe their organization's management team is either "barely deserving the name," or "hopeless." Now that's just mean. Clearly, these slugs have no idea of the pressures we're under, and the things we do for them on a regular basis.

Depressed yet? Don't be -- there's some hope in all of this...

According to survey participants, successful managers are those who anticipate things, plan ahead, work towards goals, and balance multiple tasks and priorities with ease. Curiously absent are "leaps tall buildings," "stops locomotives," and anything about wearing tights and a cape.

Employees, of course, want managers with vision. They want leadership.

In fact, when asked to positively describe a manager's role with one word, top answers were leadership, supporting, motivational, inspirational, and accountable. No surprises there, eh? Hell, we want that too!

Finally, in a parting show of intellect well above the norm, and representing real smarts that, frankly, we forgot to exhibit, over 40% surveyed said they didn't want to become a manager. The reasons listed by these Mensa candidates? No/little work-life balance, and too much stress.

Geez... ya think?? If only they knew... wait, maybe they do know, and that's why (a) they don't want the job, and (b) insist we aren't all that good at it.

But you know what? If we put our minds to it, we can get better.

But that's just me...

KB

Kevin Berchelmann
http://www.triangleperformance.com/

Loyalty in Employment -- Where the hell did it go??

I frequently hear a discussion around this topic. Most wail and moan about employers today, about how "they" show no loyalty, about how "they" will lay anyone off at any time...

Personally, I believe too many answer this one-sidedly.

It's not just employers who are not "loyal" anymore; employees seem to always be on the prowl for something new as well. Go to monster.com or careerbuilder.com, and do a search on your current company as employer.

Prepared to be a little surprised. Many -- or most -- have their resume out there, and are trolling for their next better opportunity. This is neither good nor bad, necessarily, but it does bear further investigation.

I'm going to coin a phrase I believe exemplifies the employment relationship today: "synergistic narcissism."

Both parties to this deal want and need each other at some point in time. Both need to find ways to stay attuned to those needs, because "loyalty," as exhibited today by both sides of the equation, is represented by what's best for me now.

It becomes incumbent, then, to make sure that employees and employers alike maintain an environment where the relationship is always At LEAST equal, and preferably slanted (in some measure) to the other's needs and desires.

In short, loyalty isn't dead, it's just evolved. Both parties NEED each other, but only as far as they play a viable role in their success.

Synergistic narcissism.

KB

Kevin Berchelmann
http://www.triangleperformance.com/

My Civic Duty...

Jury duty today. Put it off four times, now figured it was time for my civic duty.

45-minute drive into the courthouse, 20 minutes to park.

Seated in assembly room that could hold about 1,200+, there were probably 150 of us total. Serious people-watching variety, too.

Anyway, by the time I actually arrived, I had psyched myself up for real jury duty. You know, law & order stuff... "Juror #7," ... maybe somebody trying to bribe me or something. I was looking for drama...

Not to be had. I was the first one released. Seems my questionnaire answers didn't resonate.

Kinda bummed. Oh well... it still counted as "jury service.

Picture below was one of the Harris County deputy's trying to take the 65 people selected in first panel and seat them by assigned numbers. Absolutely hilarious to watch -- "who's on first" paled in comparison.

Deputy, obviously, is the dude up front with the cowboy hat...

But that's just me...

KB

Kevin Berchelmann
http://www.triangleperformance.com/

California: Stupid is as stupid does...

Ok, I don't usually obsess with these things, but the morons in charge of California may very easily qualify for idiot(s) of the year.

$26B deficit facing them; handing out "IOUs" like they were playground buddies to responsible vendors, and now patting themselves on the back for finally agreeing to a budget compromise that doesn't fix a damn thing...

Is anyone in charge there. Hello? Bueller? Is this thing on???

First, never mind that through all this hoopla and pseudo-effort, they still didn't do enough (even using their funny math) to eradicate the deficit.

Whaaaat??

And their über-ingenious plan? A proposed $15B in cuts (all who believe that will happen, raise your hand), borrowing $4B from local governments, and early collection of some taxes (aka "borrowing" from taxpayers), and shifting $1B of payroll for state employees into next year (aka "borrowing" from employees).

Lemme see if I got this... You are fixing a shortfall in available funds by borrowing money from constituents whom (a) you already owe money, and (b) are experiencing financial crises of their own. And even with this dumb reasoning, you still come up short??

Someone please stop the madness. this hole isn't just getting deeper, it's getting wider. Wanna be in politics? Go west, young man. Leadership abilities not required...

But that's just me...

KB

Kevin Berchelmann
http://www.triangleperformance.com/

Leading is Easy -- Until it Isn't

Leading successfully in challenging times is harder than when things are rolling along smoothly...

Quite frankly, easy times just don't require as much skill or competency in leadership, as least when aspiring to maintain status quo. No, leadership is only difficult -- it only really matters -- when things are not going so smoothly.

Like when the wheels fall off that damn wagon...

I was facilitating a leadership session in Cedar Rapids not too long ago. Or, more accurately, I was scheduled to facilitate a session. The problem was, the hotel conference room we thought we had scheduled didn't have us on their schedule at all. And, of course, they were booked solid.

It doesn't really matter who did what to cause the issue; either way, I'm in the lobby, milling about with 18 mid-level managers looking to me to find us a home before their whole morning is shot.

In less than 10 minutes, the catering staff reset a room that was set-up and scheduled for someone else's lunch, and got us in there with the agreement we would be gone in about 3.5 hours (originally scheduled for 4). Great session, and the whole thing was, in hindsight, a humorous case-study in organization, customer service, and most importantly, Leadership.

The hotel didn't have to make this work; there was enough "noise" in the scheduling miscommunications that they could have felt that they weren't to blame anyway. But they did, and that decision, made by an empowered staff, reflected on the hotel's general manager -- even though he wasn't on the property then.

Leadership takes little skill when everything is in sync, moving as planned from point A to point B. When the train jumps track, however, real leadership becomes apparent. Or not.

My thanks to the Cedar Rapids Marriott.

But that's just me...

KB

Kevin Berchelmann
http://www.triangleperformance.com/

California or Bust -- Fitting choice of words...

California can't pay its bills. It's begun issuing IOUs to companies who have provided products and services, and to individuals due refunds and payments.

Everyone repeat after me: You've got to be kidding me...!

How does this happen, you ask? The same way every organizational failure occurs: Ineffective, incompetent, or dysfunctional leadership.

You hear crap like "real estate values," and "proposition 13," and "unemployment is high..." It's all subterfuge. Smoke and mirrors at its very best.

Leadership is easy, until it isn't. Leaders don't get paid for simply giving more and more. There's no skill required to always say yes. Leadership is about choices... about decisions. Some of them are easier than others; some are damned hard. All must be made with a vision in mind. A vision-less leader is a false prophet; going nowhere just as bad as going the wrong direction. Both lead to failure.

California is a financial bust because leaders were unable or unwilling to make decisions. I'll go a step further, and say that in reality, California is broke because it has a bankrupt leadership pool. Don't for a second believe this was some unforeseeable force majeuaur, or indiscriminate cosmic event. False prophets runneth amok in Sacramento...

And it will get worse for the golden state (that IS California, isn't it??) before it gets better, since no leader has yet to surface in response to the challenge.

No leadership, no recovery. That. friends, is a guarantee.

But that's just me...

KB

Kevin Berchelmann
http://www.triangleperformance.com/