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I know this edition (as promised in the last report) should deal with corporate training and the lack thereof. But given the upcoming holiday, I thought I'd set that diatribe on the shelf for a week or so. It will keep and I doubt that management skill education will transform itself in the next ten days. So I'm taking pause to thank you this Sunday night before the Thursday when we celebrate the rescue of civilized, educated immigrants by some generous, illiterate natives (who at least knew a bit about food storage). And perhaps answer a couple of your questions, as well as offer a holiday suggestion. First, thank you for your kind responses to these reports. Many of you have taken the time to drop me a line of encouragement. Some have been kind enough to publish one or two reports in their own company or organization newsletters. And a few of you have asked on more than one occasion, just who am I and what am I up to. I want you to know I am grateful for your comments and most, for your time. I know in a world engulfed in data that your attention is most precious. I do not take it lightly. I do not take it for granted. I deeply appreciate your time and your attention. For, as human beings, it is all we ultimately have to give one another. Thank you. To answer some questions.... My friends call me Russ. In my dim past I've gathered a degree in English and Drama with a minor in Psych. A masters in Philosophy. Licenses in real estate, insurance and stock brokerage. Certifications in more management skill and sales trainings than I care to remember. And recently, one Master's Certification in NLP which I truly respect. For someone who has been among many people in sales, management and training/coaching for the past twenty-five years, I'm still much of a loner. I prefer sequoia'ed mountains or sailing a small boat on empty bays and lakes to the busyness in Silicon Valley hi-tech or corporate headquarters in any-major-city, USA where I find myself plying my craft in executive coaching, corporate training and public speaking. I suppose nothing bugs me more than seeing somebody spend a bunch of time and effort at their business simply because they don't have more options in their approach to getting things done with other humans. Frankly, I'd like to see us all work a great deal less and play, study or spirit more. Being continually fascinated by how humans communicate and work together, I've become a bit of an expert at business conversations between people in stressful situations where those people have different or separate agendas. My psychiatrist friend, David, informs me that covers all of human interaction. But I limit my work to job interviews, high level sales and customer focus management, performance reviews and most executive "staff motivation" interactions. A few years ago, I noticed something missing in most customer service and sales talks. Then it occurred to me that the same thing was missing in most manager and employee conversations. It may be argued that sometimes we hear less than authentic Thank You's from our vendors, service providers, coworkers, and bosses. Often we feel outright ignored. Beyond any doubt, we all--customers, employees, managers, execs, friends, spouses, children, and parents--feel less appreciated. While appreciation training is not one of my offerings (yet), I'd sure like to find a way to put it in every school and business curriculum. I've already suggested in past reports that gratitude is thanking someone for a result. But gratitude is not appreciation. Appreciation is deeper, more meaningful and more often deflected. Perhaps because we do not often want to deal with detailed truth. Appreciation is an expressed sensitivity for the effort and struggle any result requires. Just as we appreciate the individual brushstrokes of a Van Gogh, the time spent mixing colors, the perception of the light, the boldness of the creative spark; we can also appreciate all the myriad tasks any accomplished task requires in our daily lives. So in the next few days preceding our celebration of Thanksgiving Day, I request you try a formula for appreciation. (This will not require you to increase salaries, bonuses or upgrade stock options.) First, think of one person you deal with regularly. Perhaps a coworker, an assistant, your spouse or child, maybe a regular customer. Second, take out a piece of paper and jot down something they produce--a "to-do" they complete often or perhaps continually. Third, list out every little task they have to accomplish in order to achieve the result they produce. Fourth, add to the list everything they have to put up with in order to achieve whatever they do. Consider the traffic, the countless voicemail messages, the abuse of the hurried crowds at shopping malls or business halls, the interruptions, the technology breakdowns, the easy rejection of "just too busy workers" or prospective customers jaded by too many dinnertime telemarketing calls. When you are finished, put the list away for a day. Then revisit and study what you jotted down in those few notes. Then, since it is the week of giving thanks, write a thank you card or make a thank you call. But in this case, thank that someone for each of the little details they did and apologize for all the barriers, breakdowns, put-off's and put-up-with's they had to tolerate along the way. Do not say you are sorry as if you caused the problems. You probably didn't. Just say you're sorry that they happened or that they "go with the territory". Such a letter may take some doing on your part. The phone call will take a great deal more. You'll not only have to push through your own resistance to "being overly sensitive" and perhaps trivial, but also the pooh-pooh of another who may become a bit embarrassed by someone else noticing their efforts rather than only their results. And on Thursday, remember what those pilgrims might have forgotten. I'm sure they offered copious thanks for the turkey, venison, squash, and forest greens: the results of the Indians' labor. I'm just as sure that in their hunger and gratitude they probably failed to consider the crafting of the snares, the tedious stick-digging-gathering of roots, the quiet patience of the stalking hunter and the years of practiced expertise required to knock down that feathered tom. If they had, perhaps they would not have been so cavalier in their "civilizing of the aboriginal population". In your haste and need for reports, for profits, for results "two minutes ago", don't you forget to appreciate loudly what all that requires of your employees, vendors and customers. And also, don't you forget what it takes day in and day out from yourself. It just might be your executive edge. Happy Holidays, P.S. Elizabeth, Jim & Anna, Frank, Laura, Ric, Mary, Jim, Debra, Dennis, Sarah, Carl & Bob, Deborah, Allyson, Robert, Nico, and all. I speak in the space you create for me and I am continually and forever in your debt. (NOTE: Allies Consulting offers a menu of programs that can help you become masterful at your performance skills, or your staff to do so. They will meet or exceed your expectations: they are designed to deliver real results. They also leverage our other programs, magnifying your ROI!)
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