Since my kids were ten, I have been an avid observer of the Little League World Series. It is the official end of summer. As the last out is recorded, my kids have known that school would start the next day. They hoped for extra innings! Both boys played on a District championship team and made it to the Regionals. That experience gave us a sense of the hard work and commitment needed to get to the World Series. What comes across the television and my experience locally is the enthusiasm and intensity. Every pitch has drama-every player, parent and specator are on the edge of their seat. They are uniquely focused on one goal-winning the Little League World Series.
What if your organization had the same enthusiasm toward your goals? Unfortunately, we're not focused on one goal, in fact we're not focused at all. How can a person, team or entire organization generate enthusiasm when each person has five to ten goals and needs the help of others (who also have five to ten goals) to accomplish them. Think of the obstacles the Little Leaguers have in accomplishing this one goal: talent, teamwork, logistics, attitudes, unselfish behaviors. How are those obstacles any different for organizations?
Each player on the team has two goals-one offensive and one defensive. That's it. Think about the power that can be generated if you only had one or two goals. Each person in the organization concentrated profitability or outreach or sales growth. Pick one or two.
We need to simplify the process and focus. Take all the energy and enthusiasm we can muster and complete the goal and achieve the rewards. Simplify and follow the lead of the kids as you complete your planning efforts for 2010. You'll be amazed at what you'll accomplish.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Time Will Tell
I can't resist the topic of Michael Vick coming to the Eagles. Hard as I tried it just kept coming back. I thought I had something on Tuesday night when Jamie Moyer came in after a rain delay and picked up for Pedro Martinez. It's a great story and supports the professionalism of Jamie Moyer who I was critical of last week. He did a great job! Time will tell who pitches and when, but this week if off to a much better start.
Back to Michael Vick. I was shocked when the Eagles announced they had signed him for two years. I hadn't thought much about him after the commissioner gave the conditional approval to play. I never thought about him coming to Philadelphia. His signing has polarized the city in some respects. Without question, what he did was horrible! We have a dog and I can't imagine anyone treating another animal the way he and his cronies did. He claims he was caught up in it and been part of him most of his life. He's got a big PR campaign going which I'm not fond of either. Time will tell if he has turned the page. I hope he has. What has happened is that he paid his "debt to society." He was caught, put on trial and sent to prison. He was not able to earn a living and his extravagant life style was traded for prison garb. He did not lie on his "job application" as the Eagles knew exactly what they're getting. Based on all this, the question is whether he can contribute to this team. Apparently, the Eagles believe this to be the case. Time will tell.
We had an interesting follow up to this story earlier this week. An employee of the Eagles was fired earlier this year for posting to Facebook and being critical of the Eagles. At first blush, it appears that the Eagles have set a double standard. Upon further review, this is not the case. It was clear in the news report I saw that the employee flagrantly went against the Eagles' policy. It sounds like he was warned and continued to post. The Eagles terminated his employment. In my mind, he had a second chance and chose not to change his behaviors.
All we can ask of our employers is that they're fair, communicate policies and be consistent in the application of those policies. I don't know enough about the Eagles organization to know if they fit this fairness standard, but in the two cases mentioned, they have to me. Each organization must define appropriate behavior and hold all employees (especially management) to that standard. This is how a high performance culture is established. The real question for the Eagles is whether the hiring of Michael Vick challenges or enhances the culture. Again, time will tell.
Back to Michael Vick. I was shocked when the Eagles announced they had signed him for two years. I hadn't thought much about him after the commissioner gave the conditional approval to play. I never thought about him coming to Philadelphia. His signing has polarized the city in some respects. Without question, what he did was horrible! We have a dog and I can't imagine anyone treating another animal the way he and his cronies did. He claims he was caught up in it and been part of him most of his life. He's got a big PR campaign going which I'm not fond of either. Time will tell if he has turned the page. I hope he has. What has happened is that he paid his "debt to society." He was caught, put on trial and sent to prison. He was not able to earn a living and his extravagant life style was traded for prison garb. He did not lie on his "job application" as the Eagles knew exactly what they're getting. Based on all this, the question is whether he can contribute to this team. Apparently, the Eagles believe this to be the case. Time will tell.
We had an interesting follow up to this story earlier this week. An employee of the Eagles was fired earlier this year for posting to Facebook and being critical of the Eagles. At first blush, it appears that the Eagles have set a double standard. Upon further review, this is not the case. It was clear in the news report I saw that the employee flagrantly went against the Eagles' policy. It sounds like he was warned and continued to post. The Eagles terminated his employment. In my mind, he had a second chance and chose not to change his behaviors.
All we can ask of our employers is that they're fair, communicate policies and be consistent in the application of those policies. I don't know enough about the Eagles organization to know if they fit this fairness standard, but in the two cases mentioned, they have to me. Each organization must define appropriate behavior and hold all employees (especially management) to that standard. This is how a high performance culture is established. The real question for the Eagles is whether the hiring of Michael Vick challenges or enhances the culture. Again, time will tell.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
There's No Whining in Baseball or the Office!
As we hit the dog days of August, many baseball teams are making decisions on the future of their team. This may be a short term, 2009 view or looking ahead to next year. In Philadelphia, the Phillies made a decision to move veteran pitcher Jamie Moyer to the bullpen in favor of future Hall of Famer, Pedro Martinez. Jamie Moyer has been a great addition to the Phillies over the last 3 years both on the field and in the clubhouse. He was instrumental in the Phillies drive to the World Championship last year recording 16 wins and a 3.71 earned run average (ERA).
During the winter, Jamie signed a two year, $13 million deal. He struggled early on and started the year with a 3 - 5 record and 7.42 ERA. He has improved his record to 10-9 and lowered his ERA to 5.47. The Phillies signed Pedro with the intent of seeing what he can do. Last night was promising. It was a tough decision, but the right one. Jamie took it well the first day it was announced but called an impromptu press conference on Wednesday to say how "disheartened" he is and that he had an agreement to be a starter when he signed his contract. The problem is, he hasn't performed at a level to remain a starter. The Phillies made a decision based on results, not personality. What we predict in the spring may not turn out in August.
For those of you working in an organization, does this sound familiar? Your boss told you at your review in March that they had big plans for you. You started on a key project but there have been some bumps in the road. The results aren't what either of you planned. You're frustrated, angry and upset. The issue is results. What should you be doing differently to get improved results? In most cases, we need to look at ourselves, set goals and achieve at a higher level.
Humans love to blame others for their failings. We blame our boss, the company, our spouses, the kids, traffic, etc. The reality is that we need to take control of our own lives and careers. Yes, we all face disappointment, but how we handle it says volumes about who we are. Jamie Moyer is a great man. He does so much for his team and community. But he let his emotions get in the way on Wednesday. Don't let this happen to you. Stop whining and take charge of your life.
During the winter, Jamie signed a two year, $13 million deal. He struggled early on and started the year with a 3 - 5 record and 7.42 ERA. He has improved his record to 10-9 and lowered his ERA to 5.47. The Phillies signed Pedro with the intent of seeing what he can do. Last night was promising. It was a tough decision, but the right one. Jamie took it well the first day it was announced but called an impromptu press conference on Wednesday to say how "disheartened" he is and that he had an agreement to be a starter when he signed his contract. The problem is, he hasn't performed at a level to remain a starter. The Phillies made a decision based on results, not personality. What we predict in the spring may not turn out in August.
For those of you working in an organization, does this sound familiar? Your boss told you at your review in March that they had big plans for you. You started on a key project but there have been some bumps in the road. The results aren't what either of you planned. You're frustrated, angry and upset. The issue is results. What should you be doing differently to get improved results? In most cases, we need to look at ourselves, set goals and achieve at a higher level.
Humans love to blame others for their failings. We blame our boss, the company, our spouses, the kids, traffic, etc. The reality is that we need to take control of our own lives and careers. Yes, we all face disappointment, but how we handle it says volumes about who we are. Jamie Moyer is a great man. He does so much for his team and community. But he let his emotions get in the way on Wednesday. Don't let this happen to you. Stop whining and take charge of your life.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Training Camps Are Not Just for Football Teams
All over the country, pro football camps have opened. Every team and their fan base is excited with the prospects of a winning season and trip to the playoffs. Bloggers and fantasy fans are preparing for the drafts that will come in early September. Just like the Spring, optimism runs wild.
Here in Philadelphia, all the television stations are running Eagles Training Camp specials. There is a real ebb and flow to the daily sessions. Their first draft pick signs but the middle linebacker is out for the season. McNabb looks good but the defense is struggling. All the reporters are breathless looking for a scoop. All Andy Reid wants to do is prepare his team for the season and take a look at the new players to see who stays and who goes. He is creating the foundation for what he and the team hopes is a successful season.
When do you and your organization work on your fundamentals? When do you have your training camp? My guess is you don't. Some of you have annual retreats that certainly help with team building. Some of you refresh your plans. Some of you start from scratch and claw out a vision, develop a SLOT analysis (Strengths, Limitations, Opportunities and Threats), and goals and objectives for the year. All this is critical to an organization's success. In my experience, less than 10% go to "training camp" each year. This is the time to be thinking about it. Get your team away for a couple of days and take a critical look at your organization. Take the time to prepare now rather than after the first of the year. If you do it right, it will take a couple of months of prep work to ready yourself for 2010 and finish 2009 on a positive note. Think of it as pre-season exhibition games! Time spent now preparing for 2010 will guarantee you'll be ready on January 2nd. Don't leave detail planning to football teams-get your team ready for the season ahead.
Here in Philadelphia, all the television stations are running Eagles Training Camp specials. There is a real ebb and flow to the daily sessions. Their first draft pick signs but the middle linebacker is out for the season. McNabb looks good but the defense is struggling. All the reporters are breathless looking for a scoop. All Andy Reid wants to do is prepare his team for the season and take a look at the new players to see who stays and who goes. He is creating the foundation for what he and the team hopes is a successful season.
When do you and your organization work on your fundamentals? When do you have your training camp? My guess is you don't. Some of you have annual retreats that certainly help with team building. Some of you refresh your plans. Some of you start from scratch and claw out a vision, develop a SLOT analysis (Strengths, Limitations, Opportunities and Threats), and goals and objectives for the year. All this is critical to an organization's success. In my experience, less than 10% go to "training camp" each year. This is the time to be thinking about it. Get your team away for a couple of days and take a critical look at your organization. Take the time to prepare now rather than after the first of the year. If you do it right, it will take a couple of months of prep work to ready yourself for 2010 and finish 2009 on a positive note. Think of it as pre-season exhibition games! Time spent now preparing for 2010 will guarantee you'll be ready on January 2nd. Don't leave detail planning to football teams-get your team ready for the season ahead.
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