I have often been asked the question, “Given a choice, would you choose the best quality systems in the world or the best people in the world to manage critical quality operations?”  To me, though it is very important to have good quality systems, my choice would be having the very best people.  Even the best quality systems cannot prevent poor judgment, drive for continuous improvement, and ensure that we will work collaboratively with others.  So, how do you choose (or, manage for top performance) those very best employees?  Today, I would like to offer a few tips that I have used for employee selection:

1. Ability to manage under stress – First of all, the very best employees will have demonstrated an ability to manage not only the routine issues that come before us, but have demonstrated the ability to keep their cool and manage well through a crisis.  It is nearly impossible to know how someone will react in a crisis unless they have gone through one.  A prospective employee that has experienced a crisis in work and walked away with learnings from that experience brings a lot to the table.
2. Evidence on how the candidate would treat others – To gauge how the prospective employee might treat others, I often ask myself, “Would I want to work for this individual?  Would I want my wife, or son, or daughter to work for this person?”  When you honestly ask this question, you can often quickly make a selection decision.
3. Ability to add value – I also like to answer this question, “If every employee was exactly like this person, what kind of company would we have?”  In short, you should assess the potential value the individual could add to the company and your team.  When your answer is something other than “terrific”, you might consider whether this is the right individual.
4. How they represent my values – When I hire an individual, they will be representing not only our company, but me personally.  Thus, I want individuals I hire to represent the values I have, the approach to quality/leadership that I have, and be an individual that you feel certain will act professionally in every situation.
5. Ambition and energy – The very best employees will also have a drive to improve, exceed expectations, and learn much more than the specific job might offer.  Ambition is an important indicator of future success.  Certainly, this ambition cannot be solely individual ambition.  The ambition I seek is the kind that seeks the very best, is not satisfied with a so-so result, and is excited about achieving something new and excellent.  If you don’t see this during an interview, you probably won’t see it on the job.
6. Ability to work well with others – Finally, I want to hire individuals that are personable.  Because working with others is so important to quality organizations, individuals in our groups must care for others and honestly want to develop relationships.  These individuals also seek to add value to the lives of others.  Look for these characteristics.

All of us struggle to make those perfect hiring decisions and occasionally fail to hit a home run.  However, by applying these six elements to your search for both internal and external candidates, your chances of make a great decision are much better.

Have a truly quality day.  And, don’t forget to let someone know how you feel about them.  Tell someone that you appreciate them and what they do.

“Teams without trust lead to poor performance”

How many times have you seen sporting events in which the team with the most talent did not win?  I have seen this situation in nearly every sport.  The team that everyone assumed would win because their talent was superior to everyone else did not win.  Conversely, the best “team” can win even when its talent is possibly less than anyone else.  This past October, there was a celebration in Kansas City for the baseball World Series Champion Royals.  One of the players spoke at the event and said the Royals did not have the best pitcher in the league, they did not have the best overall player in the league, they did not have the best rookie in the league, or the best defense in the league.  But, he said, the Royals had the best, most cohesive “team” in the league and that’s why they are the world champions.

It is well known that trust is a key element in team success.  If you cannot trust your teammates, you tend to feel that you have to do key tasks yourself.  And, if everyone feels that same lack of trust, the members do not believe in others and, eventually, that lack of trust results in unexpectedly poor performance of the team.  Imagine a situation in which a team of high performers was chosen to execute a highly complex and important activity for the company.  If the members fail to trust each other, members attempt to work individually, not believing that others are capable of doing the job adequately.  If everyone starts working individually, communication fails, the best ideas are not openly discussed, and the overall quantity and quality of work is inadequate.  And, along the way, the team members end up working longer and harder to overcome the poor performance of the team.  So, you can see that trust is essential for a high-performing team.

What does trust look like on a high-performing team?  Below are a few attributes that come to mind:

1. In a trusting team environment, everyone believes that each teammate is capable of doing work to the same level of quality, quantity, and timeliness as the individual.  Thus, members can each focus on doing their best work with their piece of the effort without feeling the need to double-check everyone else.
2. In a trusting team environment, everyone believes that the sum total of the team’s work is better than anything any individual could do alone.
3. In a trusting team environment, the work is shared.  Thus, no one individual must shoulder an inordinate burden of the work.
4. In a trusting team environment, no one must be told what to do.  Members naturally see the gaps and jump in to ensure the success of the team.
5. In a trusting team environment, members believe that every other member is motivated to seek the very best for the team and its individual members — not seek individual attention, glory, or recognition.
6. In a trusting team environment, members believe in each other, celebrate successes together, and share equally in the challenges faces and the victories that come.  In other words, team members win together as a team or they lose together as a team.  No one stands alone either way.

Indeed, trust is critical and must be nurtured, grown, sought, and encouraged.  Are we intentionally growing trust on our teams?  Can you identify teams that perform less than anticipated as a result of mistrust?  Consider how you and your teams can do this more and better.  Have a fantastic day!

Next, we look at three quotes from Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States.  You may not know that President Roosevelt was a very well-rounded man (in more ways than one).  He was an active outdoorsman, author, soldier, explorer, historian, and conservationist.  He also had great things to say about management, personal responsibility, and life:

1. “In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” –  We cannot always have 100% of the desired information to make a quality decision.  Often, we must make our decisions based on 75% of the needed information.  In these cases, we must simply understand what risks we might assume, how we can mitigate the risks, and move forward.
2. “If you could kick the person responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.” – This one is pretty clear.  We need to consider our own role in addressing problems before we assume that the cause is others.
3. “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” – Hopefully, this quote is familiar to you.  We have probably all known individuals that are geared only to their own needs and concerns.  But, do you allow equal time to others?  Do you know the names of your coworkers’ spouses and kids?  Do you know the birthdates of your friends/coworkers?  Do you routinely ask about the lives of others before you dive into work issues?  Please do not underestimate the value of caring for others.  When you do, they are much more likely to trust you, to desire your success, and to go the extra mile to make things happen.

Does the wisdom of Teddy Roosevelt inspire you to do anything different today?  Why not start by deciding to do something… not something in the realm of finding who to blame for your trouble, but something that shows someone else that you do care for them?  Why not resolve today to learn something new about at least one person around you every day?  By the end of the month, you will have a new appreciation of those individuals.  By the end of the year, you may have developed a new set of relationships that makes a real change in your life and those around you.  Take the challenge!  And…

Have a great “best day yet!”

 

 

Today, we look at another of Aesop’s fables to start the conversation:

The Fox and the Grapes

One hot summer’s day, a Fox was strolling through an orchard till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch.  “Just the thing to quench my thirst,” quoth he.  Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch.  Turning around again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success.  Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but, at last, had to give it up.  Walking away with his nose in the air, he said, “I am sure they are sour.”

The classical moral attributed to this story is: It is easy to despise what you cannot get.  Certainly, the Fox changed his attitude as soon as he realized the grapes were out of reach.  He went from great desire to disdain in a moment.  We certainly assume this attitude at times.  However, I think there is another moral to this story that we often avoid discussing: The facts don’t change simply because we don’t like them.  As much as we would like our favorite team to win the game, our desires don’t change the fact that they lost.  Simply because a politician makes a statement does not make it true.  This is why there are so many “fact checkers” that dispute what is said by these individuals.

We must be cautious about separating fact from fiction… fact from our desires.  This can become a problem in many ways… let’s look at a few examples:

1. “Because my manager does not like bad news, I will ‘spin’ the facts to ensure that he/she only hears the good stuff.”
2. “I don’t like that root cause.  Go back and keep looking until we find something that will allow us to go forward.”
3. “Is there any way to adjust that chart to make our trends look any better.”
4. “Let’s not let the facts get in the way of a good story.”
5. “I know what the numbers say.  But, it just doesn’t feel right.”
6. “This is the number I would like to report.  Can you use that as a start and work the details on the back end?”

Have you ever experienced any of these or anything similar?  Probably, most of us have seen something like this… at another prior company, of course.  When I have heard something like this, it was disappointing.  The person suggesting any of these approaches is either downplaying or ignoring the facts in a way that could be harmful.

So, what do you say when you are faced with a situation like this?  Do you react with boldness and say, “Actually, we need to base our decisions on the facts.  Let’s look at the real numbers/results together and ensure that we’re telling the right story.”  Or, do you simply bow your head and comply?  We need to deal with these situations with courage.

I can give a number of examples during my career where, because someone acted with boldness and based their decisions on facts, the company was spared significant problems or embarrassment or, potentially, the loss of money, reputation, or customers. Here is a new quote seen the first time ever right here today,

“Ignoring the facts for short-term gain will almost always bring long-term pain.”

Let’s not react like the Fox and walk away from the facts, let’s be open and honest and realize that, despite our desires, we need to base our actions on them.

Thanks for all you do.  Have a smashing day!

Today’s edition of Eldon’s Porch looks at some quotes from one of my role models.  John Wooden, former basketball coach of the UCLA Bruins, had terrific success as a coach.  But, his life is measured more by his character than his achievements.  We are looking at only 5 of his quotes today.  Think about these as you strive to achieve individual and corporate success.

1. “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” – Too often, our actions are dictated by what we think others will think or so rather than what is best for your group or our company or our patients.  When you strip away your reputation, what is your true character?

2. “Don’t mistake activity with achievement.” –  I hear individuals say frequently that they have been extremely busy and their plate is full, as though this in itself is worthy of recognition.  In reality, our future is dependent upon actual results, not effort.

3. “Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.” – This one should provoke some self-assessment.  Are our actions reflecting humility, a grateful attitude, or one that is caught up in conceit?

4. “Seek opportunities to show you care. The smallest gestures often make the biggest difference.” –  One of the things I consider during my daily 42 mile commute each way is how I can make a difference to someone that day.  It is amazing to me how a very small comment or act by someone can completely change my day from one of pessimism to one of encouragement.  We need to pass it on which requires that we be intentional about finding those opportunities.

5. “You can’t live a perfect day until you do something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” – Similar to #4 above… the best leaders are those that demonstrate leadership through service.  What can you do for someone today that will not necessarily result in a payback to you?

Think about these quotes today.  They can help drive to that character that differentiates the good from the great, the top from the bottom, and the so-so from the exceptional.  What do these quotes say to you?

Today, we look at three quotes from Benjamin Franklin that deal with our own personal development:

1. “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished” – Some “experts” say that we need to re-invent ourselves every five years in our careers to remain relevant, upgrade our skills, and stay ahead of our competition.  That may actually be true.  When I first began my career, there were no computers, no word processors, no e-mail, no voicemail — essentially, there was nothing electronic.  If you needed to write a memo, you hand-wrote it, gave it to a secretary, and waited.  There were copiers, so you had to maintain hard-copy back-ups for everything you did.  There were never enough filing cabinets in those days.  Everything done in laboratories was by hand.  Nothing was automated.  Yes, I know that you are thinking that I must have been a contemporary with Thomas Edison or Eli Whitney, but you need to understand that technology has changed immensely in just a few decades.  Now, it is almost as important in our laboratories or manufacturing sites that we understand software, control systems, and touch-screen navigation as chemistry basics or equipment operation.  Even in the last five years, a significant amount of change has occurred in what we do and how we do it.  Franklin was right… if we are unable or unwilling to change and modernize our skills – almost constantly – others will surely pass us by.
2. “He was so learned that he could name a horse in nine languages; so ignorant that he bought a cow to ride on” – Often, the key to being effective is possessing the ability to convert knowledge into wisdom.  Taking that which we know and using that to make innovative change.  In other words, because things are not always black or white, we need to be able to operate effective, using the knowledge we have, in those gray areas.  Being practical or pragmatic.  So, how can you do this?  Three things come quickly to mind on this:
   1. Be open to other ideas
   2. Engage with others with similar experience or more experience dealing with these issues or opportunities
   3. Use a tool to help guide your thinking (for example, the “is/is not” tool, or “five why’s” or some other similar system that guides your thinking)
3. “Being ignorant is not so much a shame as being unwilling to learn” – How willing are you to learn something new?  When is the last time you intentionally decided to learn a new skill, such as play a musical instrument, create a work working masterpiece, repair your own plumbing, or learn to swing dance?  In the workplace, those that “get ahead” are those that often are the first to volunteer to learn a new software program or the person willing to take on project no one else wants.  Re-inventing ourselves means that we become something more than what we are today (not necessarily different, but more).  Have you been avoiding or delaying that activity that could expand your skills or knowledge?  Maybe this is the time.

To me, the words of Franklin are an encouragement to consider a next chapter in my life.  What will I do different in the next year than I’ve done this year?  What new skill or ability or experience do I want to have next January that does not exist in my life today?  Benjamin Franklin, I accept your challenge!

It is not too early in the year to begin thinking about our year-end performance review process.  At some point during the year, many of us will be asked to write a self-assessment to describe how we feel we performed during the year.  This self-appraisal covers both our performance against objectives and examples of how we exhibited and exemplified expected behavioral attributes.  So, how important is the self-appraisal and what should be included?  I hope to help you understand this better through today’s edition.

It could be that you are or will be in a job different or have a different supervisor at year-end than what you had at the beginning of the year.  That highlights again the importance of a well-done self-appraisal.  Here are some helpful hints for creating that amazing appraisal:

1. New Supervisor

Many of us will have a new supervisor conducting our final year-end reviews.  So, that makes it even more critical to provide sufficient information for that individual to properly assess our performance.  With a new supervisor that does not know well our job, I would err on the side of providing more rather than fewer details.  Be more specific about how you achieved the results you list.  Your Supervisor will be looking for information that either helps determine the final rating or that will substantiate the opinions he/she has formed.  Look at your review from his/her eyes —- how would you rate yourself and what criteria/details would you use to validate that rating?

2. Details, details, details….

In general, it is better to provide more details than fewer when describing what might have impacted your performance.  Go with fewer details when it is clear that your proposed rating is clear.  For example, when you exceed your objective metric by 50%, simply let the results speak for themselves.

3. Value is King

Nothing supports a strong rating more than demonstrating the overall value that you created.  Anything you can add to your appraisal that shows how you created value – that is, how you made the company better, improved something, reduced waste, corrected a problem, helped an employee grow, etc. – the easier it is for your supervisor to rate you higher.  Always consider what value you provided or what value resulted from your efforts.

4. Ammunition

If you feel that your rating should be “exceeds”, you’ll need to do an excellent job providing ammunition or arming your supervisor with support.  For your supervisor to rate you “exceeds”, he/she will need to convince his/her manager that it is warranted.  It is even possible your supervisor will need to make a presentation to justify your rating.  These ratings are very limited and they are competitive, so it is important to make it easier to demonstrate the case.  So, again, consider your review from the perspective of others.  Does your performance clearly rate that “exceeds” rating considering the information you include in your appraisal?  Give your supervisor enough ammunition to make that strong case for you.

5. Examples

Providing examples of your performance is very important.  Often, your supervisor must consider your performance compared to many others.  Thus, you need to differentiate yourself from others.  Give clear and concise examples to support the claims you make.  The more examples, the better, usually.

6. Behaviors (or “how” you did your job)

Speaking of examples, it is very important to provide examples of your behaviors that led to your success.  Because these are highly subjective, be sure to provide specific times/dates/events that capture how you performance or exhibited these expected behaviors.  One hint is to create a folder labeled with each value, hallmark, or expected behavior category.  Every time you have a good example or feedback from someone else highlighting these, print a copy of the e-mail, etc. and file it in the folder.  At the end of the year, this makes it quite easy to compose a self-appraisal with real and specific examples of your performance.

7. Do not include

Some things should not be included in your appraisal or they add no value:

• Comments about activities that are normally part of your job and would be considered basic duties (e.g., “I did a great job supporting the xyz process by providing needed data.”) – You are paid to do your normal job, so don’t try to differentiate your performance based on this.
• Excuses – Who wants to hear them?
• Plans for the upcoming year – Your appraisal is based only on your performance for this year, so don’t create fog by talking about the future.

8. Dealing with missed objectives

Occasionally, you will be dealing with objectives that you missed or that fell short.  In these cases, you need to deal with the issue directly.  Explain what happened, what you did to attempt to overcome the issue, and include how value was added despite the miss.  Don’t hide the miss, but make a solid effort to show that, despite the miss, value was created nonetheless.

9. Other performance highlights

Some key performance highlights are not really covered by objectives or expected behaviors.  Be sure you include these highlights in the self-appraisal summary.  Again, you are working to make a case for a high performance rating.  Thus, any positive result that reflect your performance for the year is worth considering in your appraisal.

Taking the time to do a good job writing your year-end self-appraisal is a worthwhile effort.  I have seen many self-appraisals for individuals that were on the fence between two possible ratings.  In some cases, the details and examples given in their own appraisal made the difference, whether positive or negative.  Helping your supervisor make the case for you is essential, especially for an “exceeds” rating.  In short, begin thinking now of what you will write, what examples support your case, and how you can best convey the value you added during the year.  You will be glad you did later on as the year closes.

Have a terrific and productive day!

I occasionally look at items submitted on the LinkedIn website.  I noticed the comments and quotes below over this the last few weeks.  As with most sites on the internet, you have to sort through what has value and what does not.  The quotes below all relate to how we lead others.  Most of you reading this now have roles as leaders of people.  Thus, it is helpful to hear from the experiences of others and apply what might be value to their own situation.  Hopefully, we are all committed to a lifelong process of learning and continuous improvement, even in our role as leaders.

1. “Being told you’re appreciated is one of the simplest and most incredible things you can ever hear.” – Unknown
2. “A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected.” – Unknown
3. “Show respect even to those who don’t deserve it; not as a reflection of their character, but as a reflection of yours.” – Dave Willis
4. “Respect is how to treat everyone, not just those you want to impress.” – Richard Branson
5. “Great leaders are grateful people.  They arise every morning thinking of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to give, to serve, to love.” – John E. Michel

Respect and appreciation… these are two things every person desires.  Everyone wants to be treated with respect, even in the hard times.  Feeling that others are truly interested in what you say and who you are is vital to how we work.  When we feel respected, there is little we would not do to satisfy those we work with.

What does it do to your attitude when someone tells you that they appreciate you or your work?  Yes, it is highly motivating!  When you feel your work is appreciated, you want to do more.  When your boss shows you he/she appreciates you, you want to help them succeed!  So simple, really.  If respect and appreciation so clearly motivate those you work with, why is it that these are not exhibited nearly enough?  What is keeping you today from telling someone or showing them in a tangible way that you care, that their work is important, and that you appreciate what they do?

Finally, are you a grateful person?  A grateful leader?   Please, have a “wow” day and consider what you can do to make it so for someone else!

 

Today, we look again at some of the most famous quotes by Lou Holtz and how these relate to what we do.

1. “Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity.” – No one wishes for adversity.  We start every year planning that we’ll have zero batch rejects.  We think our manufacturing lines will run well every day.  We plan on achieving 100% service for every product.  Yet, we all know that things don’t always go as planned.  We face struggles, problems, issues, and stress.  I think this quote simply reminds us that adversity comes to all of us… no one is immune.  But, we do have a choice as to how we react to adversity.  Will we learn from it and use it to makes us stronger and better, or will we let it defeat us?
2. “When people need love and understanding and support the most is when they deserve it the least.” -Likewise, our work colleagues are probably all going through something unexpected and undesirable.  Be considerate of what others might have occurring in their lives.  Things may seem good on the outside, but there may be turmoil on the inside.  Compassion is a gift that we can all share every day.  Think about who you can encourage today — someone you work with needs it!
3. “I think that everybody needs four things in life. Everybody needs something to do regardless of age. Everybody needs someone to love. Everybody needs something to hope for, and, of course, everybody needs someone to believe in.” – Is there someone in your life that gives you hope and that you believe in?  Probably, so.  Have you thanked that person lately?  By the same token, there is probably someone that counts on you every day.  Let’s don’t that those individuals down.
4. “When all is said and done, more is said than done.” – Talk is cheap.  What needs done that you’ve been delaying or avoiding?
5. “I think everyone should experience defeat at least once during their career. You learn a lot from it.” – I hate to be defeated!  I’m competitive and want to win at everything I do.  But, there are important things to learn from defeat.  For example, you should learn how to avoid the same defeat next time.  You should learn humility.  You should learn how to be gracious in defeat.  So, let’s don’t hang our heads and crawl away when defeat comes out way.  Let’s resolve to learn from every experience.

We can learn quite a bit from Lou Holtz.  His lessons apply to us both at work and in our lives away from work.  Have a glorious and productive day!

Have you ever heard the statement a player makes about a coach, “I would run through a brick wall for my coach.”  The individual making this comment usually follows that comment with something like, “He/She is tough and challenging, but I know that he/she only wants the very best for me.  He/She wants me to be the very best I can be.  I would do anything to make him/her successful.”  That is an example of influencing with integrity!

Influence is easy, especially when you manage someone.  You simply tell the person what to do, how to do it, and when it must be done.  You can influence by dictate.  However, a great leader is one that “gets you to do what you don’t necessarily want to do and feel good about it.”  That’s leadership.  And, you can only get to this point if you have integrity.  Integrity cannot be commanded, dictated, or assumed.  It is earned!  Integrity comes over a period of time when you demonstrate in both small and large decisions and actions that you will do the right thing.  Integrity means that you are honest and adhere to a set of moral values.  It means you will always do the right thing even when no one is looking.

When you establish a baseline of integrity in how you act and in what you do, you gain a level of voluntary influence that attracts others.  You become that individual that others seek for advice, that individuals desire to work with… and that others will do anything for to achieve success.  Without integrity, any influence you might have is typically short-term, limited, and will not generate the motivation from others needed to attain that top performance and success we strive to achieve.

If your team is not performing to the level you hope, could it be that you have not established the level of integrity (thus, trust) needed?  Here are some helpful hints that you might consider to enhance your own integrity:

• Meet with your team members one-on-one or in small groups – be vulnerable and allow them to get to know you (that means your personality, likes, desires, concerns, etc.)
• Ask for the advice, opinion, or thoughts from members of your team
• If you know you have done something to hamper your integrity, admit it and ask for a second chance — then, make them glad they allowed a second chance
• Begin spending more “on-the-floor” time with your team members – nothing builds integrity like time together
• Do something special for individuals and/or the team – begin adding value to their individual lives
• Do something intentional to support your team – fix an issue that has plagued the team or individuals
• Begin today —- Do what you say you will do and when you said you would do it!

Have one of your “best days yet”!  Thanks for all you!