Things Money Can't Buy

Management and the Creative Scientist by Dr. William B. McLean (1960)

The Moral Bedrock of Management by Tom Peters (19 June 2014)

Here's a great article (downloadable in PDF format) from Tom Peters called The Moral  Bedrock of  Management.  Peters makes the same argument I have been making for years that the purpose of business and management is to serve others and profit comes as a natural result of serving others.

8 Core Beliefs of Extraordinary Bosses

8 Core Beliefs of Extraordinary Bosses

 BY GEOFFREY JAMES   (2012)  

The best managers have a fundamentally different understanding of workplace, company, and team dynamics. See what they get right.

This post is in partnership with Inc., which offers useful advice, resources, and insights to entrepreneurs and business owners. The article below was originally published at Inc.com.

A few years back, I interviewed some of the most successful CEOs in the world in order to discover their management secrets. I learned that the "best of the best" tend to share the following eight core beliefs.

1. Business is an ecosystem, not a battlefield.

Average bosses see business as a conflict between companies, departments and groups. They build huge armies of "troops" to order about, demonize competitors as "enemies," and treat customers as "territory" to be conquered.

Extraordinary bosses see business as a symbiosis where the most diverse firm is most likely to survive and thrive. They naturally create teams that adapt easily to new markets and can quickly form partnerships with other companies, customers ... and even competitors.

2. A company is a community, not a machine.

Average bosses consider their company to be a machine with employees as cogs. They create rigid structures with rigid rules and then try to maintain control by "pulling levers" and "steering the ship."

Extraordinary bosses see their company as a collection of individual hopes and dreams, all connected to a higher purpose. They inspire employees to dedicate themselves to the success of their peers and therefore to the community–and company–at large.

3. Management is service, not control.

Average bosses want employees to do exactly what they're told. They're hyper-aware of anything that smacks of insubordination and create environments where individual initiative is squelched by the "wait and see what the boss says" mentality.

Extraordinary bosses set a general direction and then commit themselves to obtaining the resources that their employees need to get the job done. They push decision making downward, allowing teams form their own rules and intervening only in emergencies.

4. My employees are my peers, not my children.

Average bosses see employees as inferior, immature beings who simply can't be trusted if not overseen by a patriarchal management. Employees take their cues from this attitude, expend energy on looking busy and covering their behinds.

Extraordinary bosses treat every employee as if he or she were the most important person in the firm. Excellence is expected everywhere, from the loading dock to the boardroom. As a result, employees at all levels take charge of their own destinies.

5. Motivation comes from vision, not from fear.

Average bosses see fear--of getting fired, of ridicule, of loss of privilege--as a crucial way to motivate people.  As a result, employees and managers alike become paralyzed and unable to make risky decisions.

Extraordinary bosses inspire people to see a better future and how they'll be a part of it.  As a result, employees work harder because they believe in the organization's goals, truly enjoy what they're doing and (of course) know they'll share in the rewards.

6. Change equals growth, not pain.

Average bosses see change as both complicated and threatening, something to be endured only when a firm is in desperate shape. They subconsciously torpedo change ... until it's too late.

Extraordinary bosses see change as an inevitable part of life. While they don't value change for its own sake, they know that success is only possible if employees and organization embrace new ideas and new ways of doing business.

7. Technology offers empowerment, not automation.

Average bosses adhere to the old IT-centric view that technology is primarily a way to strengthen management control and increase predictability. They install centralized computer systems that dehumanize and antagonize employees.

Extraordinary bosses see technology as a way to free human beings to be creative and to build better relationships. They adapt their back-office systems to the tools, like smartphones and tablets, that people actually want to use.

8. Work should be fun, not mere toil.

Average bosses buy into the notion that work is, at best, a necessary evil. They fully expect employees to resent having to work, and therefore tend to subconsciously define themselves as oppressors and their employees as victims. Everyone then behaves accordingly.

Extraordinary bosses see work as something that should be inherently enjoyable–and believe therefore that the most important job of manager is, as far as possible, to put people in jobs that can and will make them truly happy.

9 Core Beliefs of Truly Horrible Bosses

The worst managers have a fundamentally broken understanding of workplace, company, and team dynamics. Don't make these mistakes.

By Geoffrey JamesApril 01, 2013

This post is in partnership with Inc., which offers useful advice, resources, and insights to entrepreneurs and business owners. The article below was originally published at Inc.com.

A year ago, in 8 Core Beliefs of Extraordinary Bosses, I contrasted the great bosses with average ones. Many readers commented that what I described as an “average” boss was actually an awful boss.

Not so! Truly horrible bosses have beliefs about work and management that are so dysfunctional that they can’t even be measured on that scale. Based upon my experience and observation, the absolute worst bosses believe the following:

1. Management is command and control.

Horrible bosses think their job is to order employees to do things and make certain that they do them.

Smart bosses know that the job of managing is mostly helping employees be more successful and making difficult decision that employees can’t make on their own.

2. Employees should WANT to work long hours.

Horrible bosses are convinced that employees who don’t want to work 60-hour work weeks are slackers and goldbricks.

Smart bosses know that numerous studies have shown that any attempt to consistently work more than 40 hours a week reduces productivity.

3. I manage numbers rather than people.

Horrible bosses put all their energy into making certain that the numbers come up right, even if it means changing the numbers.

Smart bosses know that the only real way to get good numbers is to help your people make their numbers.

4. If I really need something done, I do it myself.

Horrible bosses think of themselves as the star performer who can fix any problem by yanking back authority and responsibility.

Smart bosses realize that true leadership entails motivating people to own their own successes and failures.

5. I don’t decide until I have ALL the data.

Horrible bosses are so risk averse that they require mountains of information before making any important decision.

Smart bosses understand that there’s a point (and it usually comes fairly quick) that additional information merely muddies the waters.

6. I own the success and you own the failure.

Horrible bosses take the credit when things go well and point the finger when things go poorly.

Smart bosses know that their real job is to 1) fix the failures before they happen and 2) publicize the wins that employees achieve.

7. I like to keep them guessing.

Horrible bosses play their cards close to the chest and never let employees into the decision-making process.

Smart bosses know that decisions are more successful when those tasked with the implementation of them are involved from the start.

8. The salary review is the perfect time to coach.

Horrible bosses sandbag their complaints, criticisms, and advice until the employee’s performance review.

Smart bosses realize that employees panic when they’re bushwhacked and can only change behavior when they’re coached gradually and regularly.

9. I’m so important I don’t have to be polite.

Horrible bosses are so puffed up with grandiosity that they can’t be bothered to control themselves.

Smart bosses know that corporate bullies eventually get what they deserve–a staff of lickspittles whose lack of talent destroys the company.

Geoffrey James writes the Sales Source column on Inc.com, the world’s most visited sales-oriented blog. His newly published book is Business to Business Selling: Power Words and Strategies From the World’s Top Sales Experts.

Never leave a Man Behind!

Part of the U.S. Army Soldier's Creed says, "I will never leave a fallen comrade."  And when I was in the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps School back in the early 1980s, this concept of not leaving an injured Sailor or Marine on the battlefield was ingrained in us.  (In fact, U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsmen are the most decorated in the entire Navy and Marine Corps with dozens winning the Medal of Honor.)  In Corps School we used to constantly hear the old cliche, "There are worse things in life than dying!" In other words, we only really live when we face life fearlessly and courageously and put ourselves on the line for others.  This doesn't mean being fool-hardy, but weighing all our options, mitigating risk, and then stepping out into the unknown. Jesus taught this concept too when he constantly reminded his disciples to not be afraid.  He taught that you'll only truly find your life when you lose it.

On the night Jesus was betrayed he even told his disciples, "The hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone.  But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.  I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.  In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world." (John 16:32-33).  And in fact, with the exception of the young teenager St. John, they all left Jesus behind when He needed them the most.  They abandoned their friend, confidant, mentor, Lord, and Savior out of fear for their own miserable lives.  St. Peter even denied he knew him three times!  Out of the twelve disciples of Jesus, one betrayed him and committed suicide, ten abandoned him and all died martyrs deaths, and the one who stuck by him, St. John, lived to be an old man and died a natural death.  

On our life's journey, how many family, friends, acquaintances, and co-workers have we left behind on the battlefield of life when it was no longer convenient or expedient to stick by them?  How many have we betrayed for a lousy "thirty pieces of silver?" And how often have others abandoned us or betrayed us in our hour of need?  People will disappoint us and let us down when we need them the most.  No wonder we all have a hard time letting others into our lives.  No wonder we build up self-defenses to keep people from emotionally hurting us.  No wonder so many people treat others so badly. We don't want to get hurt.  Emotional pain can be far more painful than any physical pain.  Loving others makes us vulnerable so it's just easier to give into hate.

In a sense, when we abandon our brothers and sisters on the battlefield of life, we're abandoning Jesus.  You know, there are worse things in life than dying and that is never really living.  Jesus taught there's no greater love than to lay down your life for another, and He lived this when He laid down his life to save us all.  Helping to save others throughout life's battles is what we'll be remembered for.  So never leave a man behind!  

  

John Wayne on Courage (Memorial Day 5/26/14)

Worshiping The Golden Calf

God's Will by St. Alphonsus de Liguori (1696 - 1787)

Who knows perhaps if God had given us greater talent, better health, a more personable appearance, we might have lost our souls!  Great talent and knowledge have caused many to be puffed up with the idea of their own importance and in their pride they have despised others.  How easily those who have gifts fall into grave danger to their salvation!  How many on account of physical beauty or robust health have plunged headlong into a life of debauchery!  How many, on the contrary, who by reason of poverty, infirmity, or physical deformity, have become saints and have saved their souls; who if given health, wealth, or physical attractiveness had else lost their souls?  Let us then be content with what God has given us.  But one thing is necessary and it is not beauty, not health, not talent, [and I might add: profit, power, pride, prestige, popularity, or pleasure].  It is the salvation of our immortal souls.

Our Response to Life

My little brother Todd recently posted an article on his blog at Neva Story. Here's a small excerpt from the article I thought was exceptionally poignant: 

"After an ALS diagnosis, we need to grieve, and not worry about where it’s going to take us. Grief is a process, not just an emotion. Grieving is something that we need to do, something that requires action. One of those actions is that, eventually, we need to gain perspective, that life is out of our control and the only thing we can control is a response.

We tell them that one of the perspectives that can be gained is that we have the blessing of time.

Reading from our book Heavy, I said, “Every one of us will die, some much sooner than others, and some more tragically than others. Some will have their lives snatched from them, leaving their family shocked. I, however, am on notice. I have time.”

Kristin told them that the only thing that we can control is our response.

Again, reading from our book, she said, “We can’t control this disease, but we can control our response to it. Todd has chosen joy instead of anger and bitterness, and that makes it easier for me. If I am stressed, melting down and falling apart, that will be the reaction my kids will see, and they will follow my lead. We need to grieve, but we also need to be thankful for today’s joys.”

Kristin encouraged them to keep seeking God, even in anger and sadness.

“He’s God. He can handle our emotions. He understands our pain. Jesus was in emotional anguish when he went to the cross for us.” And she said, “As ALS keeps on robbing Todd of functionality, I keep crying out to God, sometimes in tears, sometimes in anger. He doesn’t always erase our pain, but He is with us.”"