Friday, September 05, 2008
Relaxing the Interviewer
My post on the importance of putting the job interviewer at ease is up at the US News & World Report site.
Barack and Sarah
There is a hidden story in the rise of Barack Obama and Sarah Palin that is often missed by the newspapers but would be recognized by anyone who's looked at organizations. It's simply this: There are many talented people who are not initially considered when the list of "usual suspects" for promotions is assembled.
I've seen this many times. Some middle manager is given an opportunity to handle a larger assignment and the executives are stunned at how well the person performs. "How can this be?" they wonder. "It must be a fluke!"
The truth, of course, is that the lower ranks have a sizable number of highly capable people - as well as duds - that are awaiting the opportunity to show how good they can be. Time will tell whether Senator Obama or Governor Palin will pass the test. Each may be the beneficiary of the "halo effect" that can surround a promising and attractive person at a particular moment. Their rise, however, should be a reminder of the necessity to look beyond the standard circles.
It also illustrates another factor. For every Barack and Sarah, there are legions of other would-be contenders who are all dressed up with no place to go. These people have taken the classes, have read the material, and have prepared for promotions that will never come. This lack of opportunity is not due to any failure on their part, but because organizations only have a certain number of job openings. One of the great organizational challenges is determining how to tap that talent and maintain the morale of those highly skilled individuals. This may be done through special assignments and projects or even by loaning them to community groups who could use their insight. It should not, however, be neglected. We have an ethical obligation to avoid, whenever possible, the squelching of talent. Developing those individuals can also build a much deeper bench for the organization.
Having a team of eagles can be a good problem.
I've seen this many times. Some middle manager is given an opportunity to handle a larger assignment and the executives are stunned at how well the person performs. "How can this be?" they wonder. "It must be a fluke!"
The truth, of course, is that the lower ranks have a sizable number of highly capable people - as well as duds - that are awaiting the opportunity to show how good they can be. Time will tell whether Senator Obama or Governor Palin will pass the test. Each may be the beneficiary of the "halo effect" that can surround a promising and attractive person at a particular moment. Their rise, however, should be a reminder of the necessity to look beyond the standard circles.
It also illustrates another factor. For every Barack and Sarah, there are legions of other would-be contenders who are all dressed up with no place to go. These people have taken the classes, have read the material, and have prepared for promotions that will never come. This lack of opportunity is not due to any failure on their part, but because organizations only have a certain number of job openings. One of the great organizational challenges is determining how to tap that talent and maintain the morale of those highly skilled individuals. This may be done through special assignments and projects or even by loaning them to community groups who could use their insight. It should not, however, be neglected. We have an ethical obligation to avoid, whenever possible, the squelching of talent. Developing those individuals can also build a much deeper bench for the organization.
Having a team of eagles can be a good problem.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Doing Small Things
Two different reactions found in the workplace:
This manager has no sense of priorities. He wastes time on minor matters.
This manager is ineffective. She won't even fix the small things.
Remember the Tom Peters line that if you lower the tray from an airline seat and find that it has coffee stains, you begin to wonder about the condition of the plane engines?
There are some "small" things that spark similar questions.
The challenge is learning which ones.
This manager has no sense of priorities. He wastes time on minor matters.
This manager is ineffective. She won't even fix the small things.
Remember the Tom Peters line that if you lower the tray from an airline seat and find that it has coffee stains, you begin to wonder about the condition of the plane engines?
There are some "small" things that spark similar questions.
The challenge is learning which ones.
George Washington and Us
George Washington was reserved. He studied civility and even wrote a small book on manners.
He was, of course, far from the statue-like figure that is often presented. Washington had been a land surveyor and was no stranger to outdoor life. He had commanded troops in battles in which bullets tore through his jacket and where his height made him a conspicious target as he rode along the front line.
In short, he was not some dandified wimp, but was a gentle man who thought that a code of conduct is important. He didn't subscribe to an "anything goes" attitude nor did he think it was healthy for a society.
On a 1 to 10 scale of behavior, with George Washington being 10 and some hip comedian who uses vulgarities, utters shallow remarks, and mocks virtue being 1, where do we score?
It's a good exercise in introspection and humility.
He was, of course, far from the statue-like figure that is often presented. Washington had been a land surveyor and was no stranger to outdoor life. He had commanded troops in battles in which bullets tore through his jacket and where his height made him a conspicious target as he rode along the front line.
In short, he was not some dandified wimp, but was a gentle man who thought that a code of conduct is important. He didn't subscribe to an "anything goes" attitude nor did he think it was healthy for a society.
On a 1 to 10 scale of behavior, with George Washington being 10 and some hip comedian who uses vulgarities, utters shallow remarks, and mocks virtue being 1, where do we score?
It's a good exercise in introspection and humility.
Media Feeding Frenzy Update
Ross Douthat, writing in The Atlantic, on the Palin coverage:
Judging by my email, a number of readers seem to be under the impression that what we've been witnessing in the media and online over the past couple days is a very serious, nuanced and thoughtful exploration of Sarah Palin's record in Alaska politics, a comparison of that record to the record of her Democratic opponents, and a sober discussion of whether she has sufficient experience to step in and run the country should John McCain, God forbid, die in office. If that's what you seriously, seriously think has been going on lately, then you should probably look elsewhere for analysis of the media's Palin coverage, because you and I are living on very different planets.
[HT: Andrew Sullivan, one of the prime culprits]
Judging by my email, a number of readers seem to be under the impression that what we've been witnessing in the media and online over the past couple days is a very serious, nuanced and thoughtful exploration of Sarah Palin's record in Alaska politics, a comparison of that record to the record of her Democratic opponents, and a sober discussion of whether she has sufficient experience to step in and run the country should John McCain, God forbid, die in office. If that's what you seriously, seriously think has been going on lately, then you should probably look elsewhere for analysis of the media's Palin coverage, because you and I are living on very different planets.
[HT: Andrew Sullivan, one of the prime culprits]
DNA Advance
Last week, the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix said that a team of scientists led by David Craig had developed a method for identifying an individual using only a smidgen of their DNA, even if it is mixed with hundreds of other people's DNA.
Read the rest of the Portfolio article.
Read the rest of the Portfolio article.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Hard Slogging
If you've ever been involved in a situation where gutting it out seems to be the only solution, check out Jim Stroup's post. An excerpt:
What he told me was that some mornings on the way to work he would become so discouraged at the prospect of facing yet another such daunting day, he would have to pull over to the side of the road. He knew he couldn’t let his staff see him like that.
He would stop, set his difficulties up before him in his mind’s eye, face them down one by one, and then continue on to the office, once more grimly determined to pursue his work with force, focus, and integrity.
What he told me was that some mornings on the way to work he would become so discouraged at the prospect of facing yet another such daunting day, he would have to pull over to the side of the road. He knew he couldn’t let his staff see him like that.
He would stop, set his difficulties up before him in his mind’s eye, face them down one by one, and then continue on to the office, once more grimly determined to pursue his work with force, focus, and integrity.
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