Taking Time to Write

For the past several months I’ve been putting together thoughts for the direction of my next book. To help the process along, I’ve committed this week to writing. Some authors write every day, and some dedicate blocks of time to write. I’m a “blocks of time” writer, so I’m at a cabin on a ranch in the Texas Hill Country.

When I came here, I had an idea of the direction I planned to take with the next book. While I’m still heading in that direction, the act of actually writing has opened my mind to things I hadn’t considered before now. American novelist Joan Didion once said, “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.” I now know what she meant by those words.

Each of us can learn a lot about where we are by taking the time to write. Even if you’re not an author, stop what you’re doing at some point this week and write about what’s on your mind. When you think you’re done, keep writing. I have found this week that it’s when you get past what you think you know that you begin to find out what you’re thinking, what you’re looking at, what you see, and what it means. What you want and what you fear.

The Destruction of Being Right

We need to be right. It feels good, and validates our self worth. We’ll knowingly suffer the negative consequences of broken relationships in order to satisfy our burning need to win the smallest argument. However, this need of ours breeds mistrust and conflict. We alienate ourselves from others and destroy relationships when we insist on always being right.

There are circumstances that require us to stand for what is right, and in those situations, we should never falter. But in most instances, it’s the need to be right with the day-to-day insignificant nothings that damages relationships and reputations. And for that, we need to stop being right all the time. There’s something destructive that happens when you argue your point to the bitter end. You see, every time you have to be right, there’s a good chance someone else has to be wrong. And if you can show me someone you regularly beat in an argument, I’ll show you someone who you’ve made a loser. Because by anybody’s definition, getting knocked down over and over, and never being able to get back up because the other person always has to be right, makes that person a loser.

For much of my life, I always had to be right. After I realized the destruction I caused with the people who meant the most to me, I found that changing my ways was as simple as changing my mind. By choosing to become a better listener, I opened my mind to new perspectives. And something magical happened when I let go of my need to be right. I realized that if I gave up being right, it wasn’t an acknowledgement I was wrong. I simply gave up the need to persuade others I was right. And when I did that, I stopped making losers and started creating winners in my life. At the same time, I began the journey from being right to being happy. I challenge you to join me on that journey.

What will you learn today?

Several years ago I was speaking for a client in Las Vegas. After speaking late in the afternoon, I attended an awards dinner with the employees of the company. After the awards program concluded, I was leaving the ballroom and was stopped by a young lady in the hallway. She said, "I have a quick question for you, Clint." I recognized her from the afternoon session, so I was prepared to answer a question regarding my program.

"What did you learn today?", she asked. Somewhat surprised and confused by her question, I responded, "What do you mean?" She replied, "You gave a great presentation today. While your humor made us laugh, your content challenged us to really think about how we lead. And since you mentioned the importance of learning in the program, I'm curious what you learned today."

I thought about it for a moment, answered her question, and returned to my room for the evening. The rest of the night I thought about her question and how it applies to us all. We're all doing the "teaching". If you're the boss, your employees and co-workers are learning from you. If you're the parent, your children are learning from you. If you find yourself as the one providing direction, who's teaching you? Who's teaching the teacher?

I learned that day that no matter what your role may be, at the end of every day you should be able to answer her simple question. So as you go through your day dealing with the routine challenges, prepare yourself to answer that question --- what did you learn today?

Until things get better …

Just this past week I listened to the leader of an organization (we’ll call him Jason) proudly make the following announcement at a meeting: “To help us survive this downturn in the economy, we’ve put a hiring freeze in place, and we’ve eliminated raises for all employees. We’ve got to get through this downturn together until things get better.”

Let’s look at both aspects of his statement. His first comment was about a hiring freeze. Makes financial sense. No more salaries until things get better. But if he would consider hiring someone, that means the work is there to be done. So who gets to do it? The existing employees, which means they’re doing more work than before. Message to employees: Not only will I expect you to do your job well, I’m going to need you to do extra work because of the hiring freeze.

This leads me to his second comment about eliminating raises for all employees. Again, makes financial sense. No more raises until things get better. But aren’t these the employees who will be required to do more work since there’s a hiring freeze? Message to employees: Not only will we not raise your pay for a job well done on your current responsibilities, we will expect you to do more because of the hiring freeze and won’t be compensating you for the additional work either.

In good times, employee engagement is needed to help an organization thrive. In bad times, employee engagement is required to help an organization survive. If that is the case, how engaged do you think the people are who work for Jason? He is making short-term decisions that will have harmful long-term implications. Will they stay and do the work? Based on today’s job market, probably. But if he’s lucky enough to survive the global economic crisis with disengaged employees, how loyal do you think his employees will be when things get better?

Revealing Mediocrity

Great times allow us to ignore mediocrity. As leaders, we tend to tolerate mediocre employees when the financials of the company are good. Times have been good for so long that we’ve allowed some employees to refine the art of mediocrity. For years, they’ve shown up to work, done the bare minimum to get by, collected a paycheck, and gone home. Times were so good for so many organizations that quite often the mediocre employee was never even challenged to do more.

Tough times expose mediocrity. As leaders struggle to find ways to improve performance, the acceptance of mediocrity is no longer an option. Suddenly the bare minimum is no longer enough. Leaders are turning to productive employees to help get them through the tough times, and improving company financials by eliminating mediocre employees who aren’t contributing to the success of the organization.

It is my hope that leaders will choose to raise the bar for mediocre employees, and that employees will step up to the challenge and contribute at all new levels so we can all get through this recession together. But for those who don’t, the days of accepting mediocrity are numbered. With that in mind, what are you doing to ensure you aren’t a casualty in the War Against Mediocrity?

A Mighty Big Word --- Inherit

It seems you can’t find a news report today that doesn’t address the problems the Obama administration has “inherited”. How can someone who spent two years asking the American people for the opportunity to solve the nation’s problems claim that he “inherited” anything?
The way the media portrays the Obama administration’s inheritance of our nation’s economic challenges makes it sound like he bought a thirty-year-old house and discovered electrical problems after he closed. He knew of the electrical problems in this 233-year-old house before he closed.

Here’s a little something to ponder. Let’s say your house is a disorganized mess, and you decide to hire someone to help you. You have two people to consider, both who knew about your challenges and proactively sought the opportunity to fix the problems. In fact, both claimed to be duly qualified to fix the problems. You agree on a man you trust, and you expect the work to be done. Would you allow him to come to your house every day and repeatedly mention that he “inherited” your disorganized mess? How can you inherit a problem you proactively sought to solve? Obama proactively sought the opportunity to solve our nation’s problems. In fact, he didn’t just ask for the opportunity. He raised and spent $750 million in pursuit of the opportunity.

And by the way, this has nothing to do with Republicans vs. Democrats. This is a leadership issue. I would hold the same opinion and be writing the same blog if John McCain had won and dared to complain that he “inherited” this economic problem.

Sticking My Toe in the Water

This month in my Tell Me Somethin' Good! e-newsletter I encouraged readers to make some commitments in 2009. One of the specific suggestions I made was learning something new. Now, for those of you who wonder if I actually do what I suggest to others, the answer is yes. I'm not perfect at it, but I certainly make an effort. After all, if it makes good enough sense to suggest it to others, I'd be a fool to not give it a shot.

For me, I made a commitment to learn more about social networking. I've had many people ask me why I don't have a Facebook page. I always answered the question with a typical response: I'm too busy. But quite frankly, it probably had to do with the fact I hadn't tried it and needed to learn how the whole process works. So yesterday, I stuck my toe in the water of social networking and created a Facebook page. While a part of me feels like I'm one of the last people to get to the dance, it's been amazing to be able to open a line of communication with people I haven't seen in years.

So that's my effort at learning something new. I still have a few more in 2009, but it's a start. What commitment are you willing to make to learn something new?

The Worst Day of 2009

I have great news! According to some expert who appears to be the keeper of all useless knowledge, we have already experienced the worst day of 2009. Apparently January 19th was the day. According to Cliff Arnall, a former academic at the University of Cardiff in Wales, it was on this date that a series of variables collided to make one really lousy day, including: we began seeing debts from holiday spending gathering in our mailbox, we saw work as boring because there aren’t many events and holidays in the near future, we were down because the weather was bleak, and we felt like losers because we’ve already broken our New Year’s Resolutions. I hadn’t even thought of those things, but now I’m really depressed.

First, let me say I hope that’s the worst it gets all year long. We all should be so lucky. Second, if you’re buried under a mountain of debt from Christmas, be glad you have a job so you can work on eliminating the debt. Third, if you let the weather determine if you have a good or bad day, brace yourself for many more lousy days. And fourth, you’re better off without those silly New Year’s Resolutions because it’s been proven time and time again that the only thing that will change long-term behavior is a change in lifestyle, not a resolution or any other goal driven by a calendar instead of a true resolve.

As you look at 2009, realize that your success is going to be determined by your willingness to be personally accountable for where you are. As for your “worst” days or “best” days, you are ultimately in charge of how you see the things around you and not a mathematical formula created based on doom and gloom.

It is my sincere hope that you do things that enhance your personal and professional life by resolving to have a better future. Even more than that, it is my hope that having to pay a credit card bill, work a job and let go of a New Year’s Resolution is the worst day you have in 2009!