December Thought

Everybody Makes a Difference Every Day

You can read books on how to make a difference.  You have probably heard teachers, pastors, and speakers exhorting their listeners to “make a difference”.  The fact is that everybody is already making a difference every day.  The key question is, “What kind of a difference is each of us making? “

To make a difference means affecting another person, group or situation.  It is nearly impossible to remain neutral as you journey through each day.  Paying attention, giving them the respect they deserve, and politely serving them makes a positive difference.

In contrast, neglecting, criticizing or belittling others, whether intentional or not, produces a negative difference.

The key is to pay attention to the kind of differences you are making.

You shouldn’t be asking, “Did I make a difference today?”  Of course you did!  You undoubtedly affected somebody, maybe slightly, maybe significantly. 

The most important question to ask yourself is, “What kind of a difference did I make?”

Sanborn, M. (2004) The Fred Factor. New York:  Currency Doubleday.

November Thought

The Basic Needs and the Quality World 

On my October visit to the Fox Chapel Area School District, where I have done consulting and training for almost 20 years, part of my emphasis was to help people move from their major emphasis on the Basic Needs to understanding the Quality World of the people they work with.

An emphasis, or at least an awareness, of the basic psychological needs is important for planning instruction, assessment and any systemic change.  However, this is just a starting point.

When working with individuals, it is important to work with Quality World Pictures.  Why?  Needs cannot be accessed directly.  We access the needs through our QW Pictures.   If a person wants to be successful, you can’t just encourage them to Power and Freedom so that they can also increase their Belonging and Fun.  Each person creates pictures of what each need means to them, and it is understanding these pictures that will allow you to help the person truly meet their needs.

To illustrate the point:

Based on an activity that a teacher (Nanci) had developed, I asked her to describe a time when she was successful in school.  The answers are not direct quotes, but are very close to the actual conversation.

Nanci:  I got an “A” in a math class that was difficult and I wasn’t sure I could pass.

Bob:     What did you get by getting the “A”?

Nanci:  My parents were proud of me.

Bob:     And what did that do for you?

Nanci:  I was proud of myself. 

Bob:     Why?

Nanci:  Because I proved I could pass a difficult class.

Bob:     What did that tell you?

Nanci:  That I could pass a difficult class and that I was smart.

Nanci had originally developed the activity to address how Basic Needs are met.  By understanding that her need for Power was met by being successful and feeling smart, she began to see the connection to her Quality World.  She wanted to be intelligent and successful.  The grade of “A” was her perception from the real world that provided the evidence she needed to match (or match most of) that picture.

Pictures are not just visual images.  They are much bigger and deeper than that.  They include the feeling and physiology of happiness.   In this case, the picture is more of a belief about what it means to be successful and intelligent.

Nanci was able to meet her basic Power need, in addition to the others, by accessing her picture of herself as a hard working, smart student, and then used behaviors to match that picture over time.

Bob Hoglund

October Thought

The Power of Results Thinking 

Peter Senge (1990) in his classic work The Fifth Discipline, describes five disciplines of the learning organization, the first of which is “personal mastery.”  Senge writes, “Organizations learn only through individuals who learn.  Individual learning does not guarantee organizational learning.  But without it no organizational occurs” (p. 139).  Personal mastery, Senge writes, “means approaching one’s life as a creative work, living life from a creative as opposed to reactive viewpoint” (p. 141).  Those with high levels of personal mastery regularly spend time reflecting on their vision, skills, and practices.  They clarify what is important to them, and they are clear about the current reality.  They are extremely focused, but in a very particular way: “They focus on the desired result itself, not the process’ or the means they assume necessary to achieve that result” (p. 164).

If we are truly going to transform our schools (*agencies or businesses) into places where each and every student is meeting and exceeding standards, we will first need to shift our thinking to the focus on the results we want, a concept that is quite foreign to most educators.  Schmoker (1999) claims, “We still do not give results the central concern they deserve….We talk as though we want results, but we generally fail to make the kind of systematic, organized effort that produces them” (p. 3).  In our business-as-usual mode, we tend to focus on the strategies, programs, activities and innovations that we hope will lead to improved results.

*  Bob's addition

O’Neill, J &. Conzemius. (2006). The Power of SMART Goals.  Bloominton, IN:  Solution Tree.

September Thought

Motivation, Morale and the Basic Needs

On a recent trip I had a brief conversation the meeting planner of a major software company.  She mentioned that they were organizing a conference that included the topics of motivation and morale.

There were many thoughts that came to mind after our conversation.  Whether working in an agency, business or school it is the job of an effective leader (lead manager) to plan for and monitor the work environment.  One need not look any further than the psychological needs, identified by Dr. Glasser in Choice Theory®, to address motivation and morale.

The descriptors of the needs can be more detailed, but the words listed below are some of the best basic indicators of effectively meeting one’s psychological needs.  Different workers and learners will be motivated by one of these descriptors. 

Are there realistic opportunities for …?

Belonging

• Acceptance

• Connections

• Friendships

Power

• Accomplishment/achievement

• Competence

• Recognition

Freedom

• Express of ideas/opinions

• Creativity

Fun

• Satisfaction of competence, success

• Enjoyment of work

• Enjoyable interaction with colleagues

When the psychological needs are satisfied, people are happy.  W. Edwards Deming consistently spoke of the need to have joy in the workplace. 

Rath (2006) addresses research which supports Dr. Deming's belief.  Based on Gallup research, Rath reports three major findings on friendships in the workplace:

1.  Those people who have friends at work are more likely to be engaged

      with customers. get more done in less time, have fun on the job and

      have a safer workplace with fewer accidents.

 

2.  People with at least three friends at work were 96% more likely to be

     extremely satisfied with their life.

 

3.  There are seven types of friend relationships in the workplace. 

 No one person can fill all of the roles for one friend.  This information provides evidence that motivation and morale cannot be gained through one person, one work experience, etc.  An effective leader recognizes and encourages individuals to build friendships in the workplace.

Builder:  Invests in your development.

Champion:  Your best advocate.

Collaborator:  Similar interests and affiliations.

Companion:  Always there for you.

Connector:  Socialize with them and they introduce you to others.

Energizer:  Fun friends that give you a boost.

Mind Opener:  Expand and challenge your mind.

Navigator:  Gives advice and direction.

The data also states that people are three times more likely to have a close knit workgroup if the physical environment makes it easy to socialize.

With this knowledge, the effective leader will carefully address both system and people issues in their managing of motivation and morale.  The Assessing and Planning Change Diagram (Hoglund, 2000) can be an effective diagnostic tool to help in this endeavor.

Take me to the Assessing and Planning Change Diagram

References:

Crawford, D., Bodine, R., Hoglund, R. (1993) The school for quality learning: managing the school and classroom the Deming way.  Champaign, IL: Research Press

Deming, W.E. (1982) Out of the crisis.  Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Hoglund, R.  (2000) Administration and management. Journal of Reality Therapy, 19(2), 52-55.

Rath, T. (2006). Vital friends. New York: Gallup Press.

Excuses

The contemporary view of accountability tends to emphasize past actions as opposed to current or future efforts.  Just as W. Edwards Deming has been telling business people for decades, most organizations operate on the assumption that the fear of failure will cause people to succeed.  To the contrary, we feel such an assumption only causes people to prepare their explanations of history before the fact.

20 Tried and Tested Excuses

1. That's the way we've always done it.

2. It's not my job.

3. I didn't know you needed it right away.

4. It wasn't my fault that it's late.

5. That's not my department.

6. No one told me what to do.

7. I'm waiting for approval.

8. Someone should have told me not to do that.

9. Don't blame me.  It was the boss's idea.

10. I didn't know. 

11. I forgot.

12. If you had told me it was that important, I would have done it.

13. I'm too busy to do it.

14. Someone told me to do the wrong thing.

15. I thought I told you.

16. Why didn't you ask me?

17. No one invited me to the meeting-I didn't get the memo.

18. My people dropped the ball.

19. Nobody's followed up on me; it can't be that important.

20. I told someone else to take care of this.

This list sounds pretty silly, doesn't it?  Yet in some way or another, people believe these excuses so deeply into the fabric of their lives that they resort to them without really thinking about what they are really saying.  To overcome that impulse, a people must abandon the past-oriented, blame-centered who-done-it definition of accountability.

From:  The OZ Principle (2004)

July Thought

SMART Goals

SIMPLE

MEASURABLE

ALIGNED

REALISTIC

TIME-BOUND

Based on the SMART GOAL, Action Steps need to be identified and written.

Education Example:

I will come to class each day prepared to learn, as demonstrated by being on time and having the necessary supplies.

Action Steps

1.  Arrive to class on time.

• Set alarm the night before

• Get up when the alarm goes off

• Be at bus stop on time

• After arriving at school, go straight to class

Action Steps

2.  Have supplies:

• Keep at least 2 pencils and 1 pen in pencil bag

• Keep pencil bag in backpack

• Keep backpack by door

• Bring backpack to school each day

Personal Example:

I will eat more healthily and exercise regularly this month.

Action Steps:

1.  Eat more healthily:

• I will purchase fruits, vegetables and lean meats.

• I will write down all of the foods that I eat in my journal.

• I will eat five smaller meals and snacks each day.

• I will purchase fruits, vegetables and lean meats.

• I will put junk food in a les accessible place.

2.  Exercise regularly:

• I will exercise 5 times a week.

• I will park at the end of row and walk a little further on each trip.

• I will walk or run four days each week.

• I will lift weights (elastic bands) two days this week.

June Thought

Dr. Glasser has written that all “long-lasting” psychological problems are really relationship problems.  He also identified seven caring (connecting) habits that build relationships and seven deadly habits that destroy them. 

It is important to remember that not everyone sees relationships the same way, nor do we all want the same types of relationships with everyone.  This is especially true in a workplace.  Tom Rath, in his book Vital Friends, identifies the eight vital roles of friends in the workplace.  These eight roles are based on research from the Gallup organization.

According to Gallup research, “People with at least three close friends at work were 96% more likely to be extremely satisfied with their life.”

The Eight Vital Roles are:

• Builder

• Champion

• Collaborator

• Companion

• Connector

• Energizer

• Mind Opener

• Navigator

Why do workplace friends matter?  Happiness.

If you have a best friend at work, you are significantly more likely to:

• Engage your customers

• Get more done in less time

• Have fun on the job

• Have a safe workplace with fewer accidents

• Innovate and share new ideas

• Feel informed and know that your opinions count

• Have the opportunity to focus on your strengths each day

Bob Hoglund

Rath, Tom (2006) Vital Friends:  The People You Can’t Afford To Live Without.  Gallup Press, New York.

May

The following information is taken from a book called Vital Friends by Tom Rath.  The information is based on data collected by the Gallup organization in general and specific surveys.  I highly recommend it.

IF YOU HAVE A BEST FRIEND AT WORK,

YOU ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LIKELY TO:

• Engage your customers

• Get more done in less time

• Have fun on the job

• Have a safe workplace with fewer accidents

• Innovate and share new ideas

• Feel informed and know that your opinions count

• Have the opportunity to focus on your strengths each day

Rath, Tom (2006) Vital Friends:  The People You Can’t Afford To Live Without.  Gallup Press, New

April Thought

This paragraph highlights the importance and benefits of improving communication skills for ourselves, clients, employees and our students.

"If we were to single out one particular skill required of everybody in a process-centered world, it would be communication.  The process-driven approach to work is very interpersonal.  People don't perform individual tasks in solitary, isolated fashion...they work together in teams, performing processes.  They need to be good at getting their ideas across to others.  Orally and in writing. They need to know how to handle conflict.  How to resolve differences.  How to work collaboratively.  They'll be involved in new communication patterns now, because much more of the problem-solving and decision-making will be pushed down to their level."

Managing Sideways

Price Pritchett

www.pritchettnet.com

March Thought

The Importance of What You Do:

A Great Example of Core Values Permeating a System

An excerpt from The Ice Cream Maker by Subir Chowdhury

“The fact is, we're important. We help people with their day-to-day lives.  And because I know I'm helping people, and making a difference, I can't help but enjoy what I'm doing."

"All right," I conceded.  “But the importance of every job isn't always that obvious."

"Trust me," Mike said, "if you have a job, you're needed - or else your job wouldn't exist!  It doesn't matter whether you are a plant manager or a janitor.  But people have to see how valuable their jobs are to those around them.  Do you think Amy grew up dreaming of serving coffee in a café?  Did Jenny, the woman you met yesterday, set her sights on working at an information stand?  Somehow, I don't think so.  But the way they throw themselves into their work, you'd think they did.  And why do they do that?  Because we make it clear how important they are, to our customers and to Natural Foods.  We value their input and opinions.  We make them responsible and encourage their contributions.  And because of that, their jobs really are fun!  Finding ways to foster that kind of motivation is part of our mission at Natural Foods.  On paper, their jobs aren't glamorous.  But you can make any job fun and fulfilling - if you show them how they are contributing."

February Thought

Who Are You?

I was recently giving a speech to an organization of 200 people.  When I got there, about 20 people in the production company introduced themselves to me, told me their titles, and said they were at my disposal to help me in any way I needed.  I immediately knew I was in trouble, because this meeting was totally overproduced.  You just don't need 20 people to put together a meeting for only 200 people.  When I speak at a meeting, I need a table onstage for my props and one at the back of the room to sign my books.  Everyone involved in this meeting knew in advance that I needed both of those tables.  Yet, when I got there, they weren't in place.  I told everyone who introduce themselves to me that my tables weren't there and I needed them to get set up…

…A production company guy suddenly appeared and said, "You don't look happy; what do you need?"  I told him I needed two tables and showed him where I needed them.  He said not to worry, he would take care of it right then.  He immediately set up my tables, and as I thanked him, I asked him what his title was, since everyone else had been so quick to tell me there's.  He said, "I'm just the guy who gets shit done."  That is what we all really want: just a guy who gets shit done.  Become known as that person.

An excerpt from: Larry Winget Its Called Work for a Reason © 2007

January Thought

Data collection is used in all walks of life.  The ability to collect data, and more importantly to analyze it, is a skill that is being expected of those entering the workforce more and more. These excerpts from an article in Fortune magazine illustrate the point. 

Bob

The Best Offense Is a Stubborn Contrarian

Moneyball's Michael Lewis explains how iconoclasts in business-and sports- find new ways to succeed.

The stars of your books typically find ways to capitalize on market inefficiencies.  Is contrariness necessary for greatness?

True greatness requires an ability to respond to challenges and overcome difficulties and suffer and endure - and to think under pressure and act under pressure.  America is built on ambition.  And there are these little arenas of ambition in the country.  There's Hollywood.  There's Wall Street.  There's Silicon Valley.  There's Washington in politics.  There's professional sports.  And those arenas of ambition - they tend to become ossified. When someone walks into one of these arenas and takes it on I find that very appealing and healthy.

After Moneyball, everyone in baseball seems to recognize the value of having egghead computer crunchers.  Yet Billy Beane's A's continue to outperform.  Why?

He is still measuring baseball players value more precisely than any other people and buying the ones where the market price was cheaper than their true value.  When I showed up, the fattest opportunity was on-base percentage.  That inefficiency ended after the book was published, but the A's went looking for other things.  I know they had a proprietary system for measuring defensive ability.  I've never been allowed to see it.

Have you found a common link among the innovators that you have written about?

In all these cases, just about, necessity breeds innovation.  People are put in natural underdog situations where if they can do things the way that everybody else does, they are certain to lose.

Where I have encountered greatness, there is an ability to go a different direction from everyone else while behaving with confidence and assurance as if you're doing it the way things should be done.  It's now very fashionable to be an innovator or to be a change maker.  You get lots of people throwing the terms around.  People think they are more unusual than they are.  Whenever you hear someone say, "I like to think outside the box," you know that they are so deeply in the box that they'll never get out.

You trained as an economist, right?  Why do you write about sports so much?

Both of my last two books, Moneyball and The Blind Side, are, at bottom, about how people get valued.  The Blind Side is all about this kid who went from being worth zero, almost as valueless as a human being can be in America, and stigmatized as valueless, about to drop out of school and headed for a very bad and very quickly - no prospects whatsoever -    to having a rather rich and full life and a pretty big expected earnings stream out of the NFL.  And in watching how it happened, you get a sense of the arbitrariness of the values that are attached to people.  And you know that value in a lot of other people is just completely unrecognized - and not just athletic value. 

Fortune:  The Excellence Issue October 30, 2006

Archived Thoughts