Micro Managing Success...Sitzen Denken

It seemed like a regular routine for him...he would work like if there was no tomorrow...then he would suddenly stop and walk away...as if he had all the time in the world...

For an outsider...it was a confusing behavior...in fact it appeared to make no sense...yet it was that behavior that made him amazingly effective...

It wasn't that he knew when to work and when to stop...it was more than that...

I had an inkling that I knew what it was...but I had to confirm it...

When taken at face value, his behavior would have seemed strange to me too...except that in my youth...my father told me of a mental/physical exercise...better stated...a German discipline called "sitzen denken."

It can be roughly translated to mean...sit thinking...but as translations go...the literal meaning does not begin to touch the full extent of the activity.

When my dad mentioned it...I was intrigued by this kind of discipline! 

My enthusiasm was quelled when I wrongly figured that it was my father's way of getting me to sit still and be quiet...which is something he longed for!

I later found that it was briefly mentioned by Albert Einstein!  My interest was renewed and I hungered for more information about it!  As I searched for information,  I found that very little was specifically written about it...it seemed that the discipline was an oral tradition...passed from father to son...or mentor to understudy...

Although the German's lay claim to it (because of Einstein)...I found that the discipline was centuries old.  Although it was called by many different names, the critical elements of the exercise are mentioned by many of "the great minds" throughout most of history...and it also is stands in the legends and myths of prehistory.

To the "common man," it was often considered mystical or magic...even the prehistoric "shaman" taught the technique to their underlings...it was their secret to advanced wisdom...and success...it was taught by the sensei of martial arts to their highest degree belts...and used often by the greatest generals...leading their armies to victory!

It was a closely guarded secret...revealed only to those who earned the right...to know how to do it...

I was lucky...I had a father who attempted to teach me about it early in my life...I heard but did not listen...then a mentor convinced me of its value...and honed the skill in me by his personal modeling of the behavior and his guidance and refinement...

Some people confuse it with meditation...but the difference between sitzen denken and meditation is as great as is the distance is from east is to west...

Meditation is about mindlessness and relaxation...opening one's mind to serenity...and leading to clarity...

"Sitzen Denken" is extreme concentration on a single issue...it is concentrated and focused thought that totally encompasses your being until whatever one is thinking about has been resolved or exhausted...leading to clarity!

It is interesting that the result is the same with both extremes!

It requires one to have a personal ease with seclusion...but the definition of "seclusion" goes beyond simply physically getting away from people...it includes a mental isolation from all thought but the chosen thought...

It requires strict disciple to concentrate on one thing and one thing only...yet...thinking about nothing...and considering everything a possibility...

It requires looking at the issue from every perspective...every angle...and without definition, biases and prejudices...I have coined it as 4 dimensional thinking...from my perspective...one can not reap the benefits of "Sitzen Denken" until they fully comprehend the tesseract!

It also focuses on a single solution (destination) with multiple roads leading to it...

It looks for the shortest and least complicated (the most elegant) route to the end...

(I would bet that E=MC2 came from that!)

It thinks big and small at the same time...

It never takes on the entire problem on at once...but breaks it into manageable small pieces...and addresses them in a linear fashion until the entire journey has been achieved...so although it works small...it never loses sight of the big picture...

I thought back on our original conversation about this discipline...without letting on that I already had some knowledge of it...

"It seem like what you are doing is micro-managing..." I observed...

As is almost always the case...that comment opened the proverbial "can of worms!"

"Micro-management has gotten a bad name...because the technique has been used on people rather than where it is most effective...on solving problems..."


"I guess when I think about it...if a person has to be micro-managed...that person is a problem...yet most organizations do not recognize that the "people micro-manager" is also a problem...because they do not possess the skills to effectively address the real problem...thinking that they need to micro-manage competent people..."


"If a person really needs to be micro-managed...then they are in the wrong position...if a person has to micro-manage his people...then they too are also in the wrong position..."

"Yet addressing an issue or a problem or a new challenge or goal...requires micro-management...An effective leader does not let anything take control of success...they have grasped the power of micro-managing"

"But I do not micro-manage...I do something called sitzen denken..."


"And what you observe, my friend, is the essence of sitzen denken..."


"It knows when it has found the best path and it stays true to that path..."

"I can teach you this technique," he offered..."but only after you earn the right to possess it..."

"Success is achieved through decomposition and re-composition..."


"Know what you want..."


"and then figure out what it takes to get what you want..."


"You'll discover that this portion of the process unveils an insurmountable challenge..."


"Then you need to decompose the challenge into small manageable and achievable pieces..."


"Then systematically plan each piece..."


"Then execute on that plan..."


"Each time you are successful on your plan...you stop and repeat the process until you are fully successful!"


"If something comes up that stops you...STOP...and rethink the plan..."


"This is a powerful tool...when used properly..."


"For some...it is simply the way they work...after years of use...I do it continuously"


"But it requires a special person..."


"You have to be able to think and act and do both with focus and persistence..."


"It should not be given to anyone who lacks that ability or is looking for a free ride..."

"So where do we start?" I asked...

And with that he walked away and started thinking...

The When, and How of What YOU Say...

We were sitting at his favorite oasis...

We usually had some deep subject to discuss and used this location for uninterrupted seclusion...

To everyone else there...we were faceless...

Our oasis provided a place where we could be alone in a crowd...and we liked it that way...

Today there was a difference in our discussion...it was different because there were no words exchanged...

We listened...not to eachother...but to every conversation going on around us...

I do not think this was the original intent of our meeting there...but it was what became of it...

I found that very interesting...most of the conversations were superficial in content...yet VERY deep when considered in context and inflection...

The words were simply containers of the real meanings which were conveyed through the way they were said...the tones and frequency of use...

Perhaps listening was not the right way to describe it...

After an hour or so of perfect quiet in the chaos...he observed, "Language and communication are  interesting abilities..."

"We have a limited vocabulary...yet the number of things we communicate are infinite..."

"It was said long ago that the tongue (one's words) is a two-edged sword..."

"I believe that this is true in part...but more has to be added to it to make it more meaningful..."

"As I observe these dramas...there really few words being used...and so many messages being communicated..."


"As we sit here...there are six conversations going on that are within intelligible earshot...I have been listening to the words...and found that they are all using the same words...with a few variations depending on the actual subject...what I hear is what I call the common communication set..."


"Yet all six conversations are significantly different...in terms of their subjects"


"What differentiates them is the inflections and tones..."


"If you shift your attention over to that couple...The words are basic...but the lady's tone is condescending and accusatory..."


I have not heard her say anything nice during the entire conversation...because of her tone...yet if you transcribed it and read it...you would say...it isn't a bad conversation..."


"Watch...it will only be a matter of time and the guy in this conversation will walk away...in fact...he already has...figuratively speaking...he doesn't need to take that...and for whatever reason it may be...the lady is clueless to the fact that she is hurting him..."


"Now look over at that group of four...and listen to them..."


"Their words are nearly the same...in fact the conversations are similar...yet the tones are uplifting...compliments preceed any statement that has the slightest hint of hurt...and if any hurt is sensed...an apology quickly follows...


"Now shift your attention to that couple over there...they are barely talking...yet the messages are VERY clear!"


"This is the what I call the messages conveyed by white-space"


"What is important is the meaning...this is conveyed though many sources..."


"I used to say...if you get the message (the words) you can refuse it...if you get the meaning...you'll never lose it..."


"Whales can communicate with each other over great distances...not because they have great messages...but because they know how to listen and what to listen for!"


"We need to take a lesson from them..."


"I once heard it said that a negative comment is three times more destructive than a positive statement is uplifting"


"That means that a good leader (or a good person have you) should say three positive things for every negative comment that they make."


"I believe that a great leader finds and communicates ten positive things for every negative thing that they say...messages must be controlled and tongue bridled...or they will ultimately be destructive..."


"AND like the whales...messages can be conveyed across great distances to those who know how to listen...find an audience who knows how to listen...do not broadcast...talk and only when you have to talk...spend most of your time listening!"


"Why are we doing this?" I asked, "Is there a lesson that I need to learn?"

This conversation seemed to shake my very foundations...

"Have I fallen short of your expectations?"


"You are reading too much into our talk," he smiled, "You are being a good whale!"


"In actuality...we all need constant reminders of what is really important..." 


"I learn as much by observing people doing things wrong as I do those who are doing right...it is all about the lessons learned and from where they come..."


"There are lessons to be learned everywhere...we miss most of the opportunities..." 


"Sit back enjoy the show...and learn something..."

The Recipe for Success

It always seems strange how our contact ebbs and wanes...

He seems to always be present with me...yet there are times that he intentionally leaves me alone to my own demise or success...

Whether I succeeded or failed and learned something...he was always there to celebrate...

Our celebrations always included the "war story" while it was fresh in our minds...

We traded perspectives...and documented them...sometimes literally and other times mentally...

"There is no difference between success and failure," he would always remind me.

"Every event in one's life is the sum total of the inputs..."

"There is no other possible outcome to be had...except for the one that resulted..."

"Remorse is an insane response to any event..."

"Why feel remorseful when it could not have been any different...given the set of circumstances (inputs)?"

"If you wanted a different outcome...you should have used a different recipe!"

"One can not put the ingredients in the oven for a pie and expect a cake to come out!"

Over time, that repeated reminder drove both remorse and elation from me.

Not that I became numb...I still felt sadness and happiness...but I recognized them for what they were in relation to the present...and they were no longer carried (as baggage) into the future and allowed to filter my inputs to the future/present...

"Remember that all future activities are inputs into the present..."

"All plans are inputs into the present..."

"All dreams are inputs into the present..."

"What happens in the future is the recipe for your next present..."

This perspective really messed with my head...

I always thought that the future was related to the present like the present is related to the past...

Quite linear and sequential...

The way he talked actually flipped my perspective 180 degrees...

"It is all about what you have learned and where you live and put your energy," he would confide

""It is about the flow of knowledge...what you remember (learned) and what you forgot..."

"Knowledge and wisdom, from the past and present, flow into the future.  It filters and controls it..."

"The problem with most people is that they always leave one ingredient in their future that (more often than not) ruins the present..."

"You would think that they would learn..."

"Do you know what it is?"

"No I do not'" I responded...

"Actually...you do...just not consciously...I learned it from you..."

"It is so simple that you'll think that I have deceived myself of its significance...but this is not the case!" 

"You do not allow the possibility of failure to exist, as one of your inputs..."

He could see the disappointment on my face.  I was expecting some deep and hidden truth...

Instead...it was all about what I left out...the possibility of failure...

Mixed into the look of disappointment was also a question...that he quickly picked up upon...

"Failure is a dormant and lethal virus...a threat to every present event..."

"In fact the present...always seems to activate failure virus..."

"Allowing for the possibility for failure...injects it into the event...and it resides into the future event...ever so inconspicuously...in VERY small and undetectable quantities..."

"The failure virus is a robust entity...given the opportunity...and the right growing conditions...(Which seems to be any condition)...it will multiply and over-take the host...turning the event into exactly what it wants...rather than what it was intended to be..."

"When did I show you that?" I asked

"Time for a war story!"

"Do you remember when you were put in charge of that HUGE software system migration?"

"How could I forget that one?"

"You were a good project manager...but this was the first time in your career that you did a project that included the migration of an entire software system"

"What you did that taught me this important lesson...was that you broke the overall migration into smaller migrations...manageable pieces...and you scheduled windows for each migration...1 hour in length...around the clock..."

"Your goal for the overall effort was to successfully migrate each sub-application within that window..."

"It was the application manager's responsibility to ensure their part was thoroughly tested and ready for the time that their window opened..."

"I also remember that you were criticized for not having put in time within each window for problem resolution...you were called a fool...and your response was..."

"If I build in time for fixing...someone is going to use it..."

"I loved that..."

"You turned your pager off...because that thing was only used for escalations of problems..."

"If you really believed that problems were not going to occur...why tempt them in by having a path into your effort..."

"They called you naive and stupid...but you held to your plan..."

"You controlled the future by your actions within the present..."

"AND IT WORKED!"

"This taught me that controlling risk was more than having alternative path in the event that something went awry...you only allowed one path to success...and ignored all of the others possible routes..."

"Literally millions of lines of codes migrated in short order without a hitch!"

"It appeared that the odds were against you...but you created a legend!" 

"That legend was not created by what you did...but with what you didn't allow!"

"I DID THAT?!!?"

"Many successful people got that way by not realizing that failure was so imminent!  The consistently successful person is not naive or stupid...but wise to the threat of failure and does not allow it to be an option..."

"Whether you realize it or not...this has been one of your keys to success...that I actually borrowed from your behavior and made it part of mine!  

"I learned early in my career that "failure" is always knocking at one's door!  It is a pervasive entity...constantly looking for an opportunity to contribute to your present..."

"I did not like what it had to offer..."

"It is not that I ignored the threat of failure...but I learned a lesson from Don Quixote!"

"I didn't waste my time...chasing windmills..."

"Many efforts spend more time on averting issues and failure (some highly unlikely ones) than on the effort itself"

"I diverted as much of my energy on making something happen...rather than planning for what I would do WHEN it failed!"

"So you did that intentionally?"

"Yes!"

"You learned that from the story of Don Quixote?"

"Yes!"

"Well done!"

 I seldom heard those words...and knew that it actually meant that I would probably be seeing less of him...

For now...

Talent and Genius

Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.- Arthur Schopenhauer

I was thinking about how I could describe him in one sentence...

This was a challenge that he routinely gave me...

To describe myself in one succinct sentence...

"Describing yourself in one sentence is something you should be prepared to do on an ongoing basis..." he would admonish...

"The unexamined life is not worth living..."

"A clear understanding of yourself is critical..."

"...If you can not do it...you are traveling too generally..."

I had been reveling over being called "Renaissance man" in the latest annual corporate newsletter and in the annual report!  For me it was quite an honor...

That is...until he burst into my office and immediately sat...holding a copy open to the same article...

"What have they done to you?" he declared...

"I have to do something about it...this calls for immediate action..."

"What the heck are you talking about?" I asked, "By the way...do you want my autograph?"

"My friend...this is an insult...You are good...in some aspects...unmatched...but this is an insult..."

"Settle down!" I interrupted, "Let's talk through this and not make a harsh move!"

He stopped mid sentence...took a breath and sat quietly for a few moments...I think he was awaiting a path of questioning...so I obliged him"

"When I read the article...I took it as a major compliment to be recognized as a multi-talented individual...I thought that they didn't see it...Look the quality and process training is recognized...and my work with their computers...and my engineering work with vacuum and lasers...my managerial and leadership skills...man the list is awesome...what is wrong with that?"

"There are too many sentences...a generalist is what I read...someone who can do whatever is needed...but..."

I seldom heard him use the word "but" and it was most often when he was no choosing his words wisely...

He leaned forward in his chair..."This is a matter of passion and capability..."

"You my friend have discovered the interconnectedness of all things...and have been able to connect what you know...with what you do not...this is a rare gift..."

"This organization has misread your ability and talent...you are singly talented and it appears as multiple talents..."

"You may appear as an expert in all of these things and many more...but it simply because you can grasp the essence of any new endeavor and relate it to what you already know..."

"That is passion and talent my friend...not expertise!  You should not allow that to deceive you!"

"If you were an expert...it would be easy...talent is passion + action"

"You work for what you get...and that is not demeaning...it is a compliment...that is what they should be writing about...not a natural expertise...that is all about luck...you are a worker that does not give up...you are persistent and will do whatever is necessery to achieve your goals..."

"If I were to describe you in one sentence...you are a person of passion and capability"

"They could have saved a ton of money on ink...if they would have simply talked to me first..."

For one of the first times in my life...I felt both elated and deflated...

I had aspired to be recognized...but I realized that recognition needs to be in a singularity...not in complexity!

His one sentence personal definition took on a deeper meaning than I ever fathomed possible...and this lead to more questions...all related to the depth of everything that he tried to show me...

Perhaps I need to reflect on all of them...and seek an understanding that is less superficial and...

"You look like you just entered another dimension,"  he snickered...

"I think that I have!" I responded

"I just realized how much depth those things, that we have been talking about, possess...all of them have that in common..."

"And that my friend is what you are good at...connecting everything that I have taught you...by their common elements...you are no Renaissance man...you are more!"

"I love it when you compliment me...you can do that whenever you want!"

"NOPE!  Only when you have earned it!"

"That is many times...the only payment that one receives for passion and capability"

"So what sentence would you describe me with?"

"I was just thinking about that...and I ran out of words!"

Passion and Capability - Chapter 9

As I worked through the myriad of issues within this organization, I found that specific behaviors could easily be put into three separate categories...

Those that were beneficial...

Those that were detrimental...

Those that just didn't make sense!

Categorization was a matter of perspective and driven by the intended goals...

If one was altruistic...the "buckets" looked entirely different from the categorizations driven by self-serving motives.

This was one of those epiphanies of the utterly obvious...and a flag to me that I needed to shift my focus from the issues to those things that drove the behaviors...

This brought back a conversation that we had quite a while back on where a true leader stands in the organization...

"Leadership is not at the head...it is the heart," he told me...

"Many leaders (by nature of their title) misconstrue their place in an organization,"

"They think that they drive the organization from the top...when they should be among the organization..."

"What a leader hopes to achieve must permeate the organization...if a leader thinks that his or her influence can trickle down...they must also believe that when they play the game "telephone" their message is conveyed accurately and without change..."

"That is the crux of change management..."

"An effective change manager identifies two things who the real leaders are...and what needs to change..."

"Leaders who sit in their office...and drive an organization from the security of walnut and velvet...are simply figureheads...they can not effectively influence an organization..."

"This sets the stage for internal strife...and actually a very subtle mutiny..."

"The internal leaders take over...more often than not...they are self-serving...and deceptive..."

These low level leaders subvert the real mission of the organization to keep their position...or make their bonuses"

"The important thing is that it is easy to spot who is really in control...by first looking at the general personality of the organization...and then identifying (matching) the organization's personality with an individual..."

"To change an organization...you have to change that individual..."

"Change takes on many forms...from changing their personal motives...to changing that individual out of the organization..."

He was really good at organizational change...

He fully understood the role he played in the organizational drama...and that many lives hinged on his decisions...organizations trusted his opinions...and more often than not followed his direction...

He worked diligently to first change motives...

If that failed...he had no qualms about suggesting the termination of the relationship...

He was the king of fierce conversations...he up front...told those people that things needed to change...and not just the behaviors...but the foundation upon which they were built...he put everyone on notice...

Some stayed...others left...

He always tried his best...because he knew that few if any of the people that he was working with could get positions like they have if they had to search outside...

What bothered me was not the categorizations of beneficial or detrimental...those were easy to understand...

I had no understanding of those behaviors that just didn't make sense...

Perhaps this is why it didn't make sense...a vicious circle that I needed to understand and rectify...

"Not all information can be gleaned through observation"

"That is one of the basic leadership failures..."

"Sometimes you have to be a part of the data source, to understand the data itself..."

"You are a leader...and perhaps...you are falling prey to the leadership conundrum itself..."

He often spoke to me cryptically...I think he did so that I would think through his statement and really learn and make it part my being...rather than just intellectualizing...it often frustrated me...

"Just tell me what to do...instead of telling me what to think about..." I would say out of frustration...

"He would respond with, "I just told you what to do...and if thinking about it is what you need to do...then think about it!"

He always put me in my place...

I was often impatient...he knew what it took to grow a perfect redwood...and he was will to do what it took...including the time element..."

As I reflected on this conversation...I realized that I already had what I needed to to put this organization on the right track...he had planted the seeds...

If I were to see him for this reason alone...the conversation would just be a replay from the past...

He was that consistent...

He often said, "Didn't we talk about this before? I thought you grasped it...I am not changing my opinion..."

And he was right...

Over time...I learned not to rehash...old topics...but only bring up new challenges...

I thought before I spoke and spoke before I acted...

More often than not...I could apply what I already knew...

In a way...I realized that he was always beside me...

and his thoughts guided me...sometimes I took his advice...other times I went entirely against it...but it was there...and it made a positive difference...

It was at that moment that I learned to enjoy who he was...

I no longer had to bother him with my petty issues...

Now even the "senseless" started to make sense...

It was understanding and real empathy that made the difference...

It was about being "in" and not at...

It was about real engagement and connection...

Leadership is about true passion...that permeates the organization from the inside...not from the head...

They didn't need it...I did...

I called him...and we went fishing...

Passion and Capability - Chapter 8

I hadn't seen him in days and was going into a friendship withdrawal...so I decided that I would stop in at his house and see him on my way home...

I rang his doorbell and heard him yell, "the door is open...come on in..."

I let myself in and found him in his study, working at his PC.

"What are you up to?" I inquired...

"Just updating my resume...there finished!" he declared

The state of the art (at that time), laser printer hummed and spit out a single page.  He reached down took it from the printer and handed it to me.

"What do you think of it?" he asked

Before I looked, I wondered what font it was written in...his resume should cover 20 pages if printed in a readable font...

I looked down and I know that my face conveyed a message that he was not expecting...

The resume simply had his name at the top...

The next three lines...his contact information...

and then a bullet list of ten successful experiences...

at the bottom of the page...the following line...

I am looking to apply, what I have learned from those ten experiences, to your company and take your profitability to a higher level.  Call me if you are interested, and if you are not interested, call me and I will further explain what you are missing.

For anyone but him...I would have to say that this sounded a bit arrogant...

"That is definitely a nontraditional resume," I commented...

"How many are you going to send out?" I asked

"Just one..."

I had to laugh...perhaps at his naivete...perhaps because I knew that was really all he had to do...

"Why did you look like you did?  I was a bit worried that I made some major error."

"I am wondering what you were updating...this doesn't look like the resumes that I am used to..."

"I changed my phone so I put the new number on it.  I also changed my ten experiences to match what I want to do next."

"But let's divert a bit...Traditional resumes are interesting vehicles. They are traditional...and from their use...the best a person can expect...is traditional results..."

"...it is simple supply and demand...if there is more people than jobs...then a resume works poorly...if there are more jobs than people...the resume works well.  The bottom line is that you can tweak them...but traditional methods produce traditional results..."

"Non-traditional resumes work either better or worse than traditional ones...but that depends more on the person than the paper!"


He continued to explain what used to be on his list and how he had leveraged those experiences into his current challenges...

His explanation faded into the background of my consciousness and I mentally traveled back to a discussion that we had many years ago...

"There are two types of people within organizations...people who chase money and position and those who chase experience..."

"My advice to you is that for the next 20 to 30 years you chase the latter...experience..."

"Money and position for those who have not earned the right to it...is for short-sighted individuals who simply need immediate gratification..."

"Experience is an investment...in your future and critical components that help guarantee your success..."

"Some may argue that working in a higher level position gives a person experience...I have really never seen that happen...if a person happens to get a high level job and they are incapable...the experiential part of the job is usually delegated to subordinates..."

"In fact...many of the jobs that you should seek...should be working for people like that...you'll be given and gain more experience than you ever would...if you work for a competent leader!" 

A lot of time has passed and my list of successful experiences has grown...since that conversation...

"Perhaps my resume should start looking like his..." I thought...

"You win some and you lose some...if you learn something from those losses...you win in either case...and both are investments in greater success in your next assignment..."

I liked the way he looked at things...and I was always impressed that he not only talked a good game...it was his game...

"There is a local company that has some problems..." I heard as his voice and it brought me back to the present...

"I have never worked in that industry...So I made this list of experiences that should give the reader the epiphany..."I NEED THIS GUY!  I am going to send it off tomorrow"

"Have you ever done this before?" I asked

"What?  Sought out new experiences...or used a resume like this?" he asked in clarification

"The resume?" I responded

"This is the only way I have sought out the jobs and the experiences I wanted...but that took time..."

"In 10 or so years...you'll be able to do the same...until then...go the traditional route...and use your interviews to direct the obvious conclusions..."

"I want decisions to be simple...complicated documents, lead to complicated decisions...and more often than not...the wrong ones..."

"This is true not only in job searches...but in everything you do...make the documents simple and straight-forward...and let the reader draw the conclusions..."

"...if they can't make the right decision...take the time to work with them..."

 "So how is your half-man doing?" he shifted the conversation without taking a breath...

"He is doing great...Actually, I think he has changed more than his department..."

"His obsession for running really got to my nerves...I wrote him off...because it appeared that he didn't want to be engaged...then I realized that he wanted to be engaged...he just didn't know how..."

"I figured that he didn't start running half-marathons immediately and probably started running a mile or so...and then worked his way up to the 12 miles...so I used the same tactic on him as a manager..."

"I asked for his help in things that he easily could accomplish and built his confidence...then I stretch him little by little...using the techniques that a trainer and a coach would use on a runner..."

"That was when I realized that I was not a professional Process Improvement person...I was a professional manager...aspiring to be a leader...at this point in my career...I am a trainer and a coach...and my goal was to train and coach leaders...I can run their departments...and often have to do that as an interim...but while I am doing that...I am teaching the real leaders how to do that..."

"That is what a professional manager does...I just happen to use the Continuous Improvement Management Methodology as my preferred method of managing people, processes and technology..."

"If I am doing my job correctly...I set the stage for my departure...which I think is getting close..."

"Perhaps I will need to create a resume that sets me up for my next experience..."

"I do not think you'll have to do that...if you do...that organization is absolutely foolish...but if I were you...I would not count on them to recognize who was at the helm...they could get arrogant and make the wrong decisions...thinking that it was their doing...or thinking that they have learned enough..."

"It is sad that organizations tout that they are learning machines...and miss the fact that learning is an infinite journey..." 

"Let's make a list of the challenge that you faced...the successes that you had and what you learned from your failures..."

"An interesting thing about my resume...it is my tactic..."

"For you...I think it is your strategy..."

"Perhaps you are ready to use my resume format...but not like I use it"

"What do you want to experience next?"

"...and let's add a few of the elements that you learned from other experiences..."

"What company do you want to work for next?"

We went entirely through a series of surgical questions that quickly developed a piece of paper that looked like his...but took me down an entirely different path...

"Now what are you talking about with a tactical and a strategic slant to it's use?" I asked...

"Tactically...I send out the short version and keep the traditional resume for the face to face interview..."

"Strategically...you'll do just the opposite.  Send the traditional resume and save the short version for the face to face."

"That is an interesting angle." I observed...

"Until you have made a reputation for yourself...you'll need to use the traditional method...and use contacts to get where you want to go...but you need to know where you want to go...in order to get there!"

"The short version is the map to your destination"

"What a cool thought!" I said in growing excitement
"Perhaps we can mail our next jobs out together..."

"I think that I'll wait on mine...until I know what their decision is," I replied

"Loyalty...that I one of the things that sets you apart my friend...I like that!"  he smiled...

"Have you ever considered teaching that as part of your organizational change package?"

"WOW! talk about shifting gears on me!"

"My opinion is that true loyalty is something that is earned and not taught...and it is a two-way street...with one party making the first move...that's a cliche however..."

"Now that I think about it...loyalty can be taught...my instruction would begin with the real meaning of that cliche...that is the mind set necessery to being loyal...it ends with a behavior set of absolute consistency of behaviors that had the best interests of theirs in mind..."

"Lacking either set...and the effort is fruitless..."

"While we are on the subject of mind sets...let's discuss your resume..."

"A resume...or the CV is a tool that has many purposes...yet most people only use it for marketing..."

"The question that you have to ask yourself is...Am I simply looking for sales...or do I really have something of value to sell?...if you have something specific...then go out there and sell it!  That will differentiate you from the ocean of people who use the traditional vehicle...traditionally...and make your results...non-traditional!"

"Can we print a copy of my short version?"

"I already did!"

Passion and Capability, Chapter 7

Over the few weeks that I had worked to permanently solve the many issues and challenges that this department had, I had grown to appreciate the "lot" that had been given to EVERY person involved...

From management...to the staff...

When they had a chance to stand behind someone...who supported then...things "got better!"

I realized however...that at this point in the effort...if that person left (the one whom they stood behind and depended upon)...the people and the department's performance would revert...

Another realization that I had was that if, by chance...the "simple volume" of the inputs, to the department improved...the true degradation would be masked...and the leadership would be able to claim sustained success...It is hard to describe...but a volume increase could look like success...what really mattered was the percentage of the volume processed successfully...if the percentage stayed at 50% and the volume processed increased...it would look like they are doing better...what this organization didn't realize was that the success rate needed to be improved!

This led me to the need for an additional performance measure...one which would show that the level was not simple getting the same percentage of more...and in the long run creating a customer service death spiral...

So I set out to develop that measure...and prepared for the resistance that its implementation may initiate...

I even started to empathize with the plight of "1/2 Marathon Man" (M and M which he was code named!)

His fixation on marathon running seemed to be a defense mechanism...a safe harbor in which he could psychologically drop anchor and avoid the gale-force winds of reality...it was his "happy place!"

He avoided reality at all costs and hid behind running whenever there was even the slightest chance that he would be see for what he thought he really was...incompetent...he would go back into the past...and revisit some personally amplified success...

He was not however incompetent...he had as many arms, legs, eyes and ears as I had...he could do it...but he lacked the knowledge to do it and was unwilling to admit that he lacked that knowledge (out of fear of being seen for what he really was) and also lacked the initiative to even, on the sly, to learn something...

So he sat in a vicious circle of lying and avoidance!

This was not a place that anyone should be in...and that made me sad...

As I thought about it deeper...it all came down to one thing...courage...

How do you instill courage in someone who totally lacks it...better yet...how do you get him to change?

AND if asked if he had courage...could come up with a thousand of self-disillusioning stories of bravery...that had no more depth and permanence than that of lipstick...

Interesting thoughts and insights...that I had little experience with...

I had near always worked with people who were courageous...and relished the thought of playing on the edge with them...

This was totally different for me...

As I thought...I realized that I may have to "walk the route" counter-clockwise for a while...

"Every-one's path in life is for them and them alone...but it doesn't have to be lonely!  That is what a mentor is for..."  I could hear his voice as if he resided right in my mind...

It was time for me to make a visit and see what he thought...

He was not far from me...only a few minutes drive..."taking a break from the fray" as he sometimes did...

He spent this time, "taking the time to be wise" as he put it...

...and selectively looking for his next experience...he sought experiences...never money...to him money was a side benefit...

I think that he kept me around because I safely expanded his experience horizon...much like a space probe visits other planets without the risk of harming human lives!

He could be living the challenges of his own path...and walking along side me...experiencing my plight...

Double the wisdom...half the risk...

It was nearing 10pm and I knew he would be in bed shortly...I called him and asked if I could bounce some thoughts off of him...tomorrow or the next day...

Much to my surprise, he said he would be over in a minute...

I quelled his enthusiasm and made arrangements to meet him for breakfast at his house...at 5:30am the very next morning...

I went to bed...knowing the morning would come way too quickly...

During the night...I was awakened every hour or so, by the phone ringing...but I refused to answer it...and no message were left...I knew who was calling...and it could wait until 5:30...

Before I could ring the doorbell, he opened the door...we greeted and he invited me in...

"Let me get you breakfast," he said as he led me to the kitchen.

We sat at his table and I immediately noticed three containers of milk placed in the center...

"Liquid diet" I thought...

"I bet you think this is breakfast, didn't you?" he inquired, "Breakfast will be delivered soon."

"I was contemplating milk last night"

"It is interesting"

"There are three different containers.  One plain generic, one regular and one very decorated.  But as they sit there you do not know if the milk inside is any good."

"That is until you open one and pour the milk out and smell it and taste it"

"What comes out of its mouth is what is on the inside...pure and simple."

"If good milk pours out...all of the milk on the inside is good.  If your sample is bad, then all of what is on the inside is bad."

"The container has little to do with the real freshness of the milk.  It may extend its usefulness for a little while, but the bottom-line is that the container has nothing to do with the value of the inside."

"We can take the generic containers and get some artist to turn it into a masterpiece, but the contents are either good or bad...fresh or sour..."

"But you just don't really know until what is on the inside pours out from the mouth of the container."

"People are like that too..."

I did not want to let on, but I was thinking that very thing about halfway through his discussion...

"There are generic and plain looking, people, and those who look VERY good."

"You have no idea what's inside them until they open their mouth and what is on the inside...pours out...in the form of words."

"If what comes out of their mouth is good, you can assume that what is on the inside is also good"

"If what comes out of their mouth is bad...you can expect that the entire inside is bad"

""As one listens and it doesn't take very long...a person can get a pretty good idea of what the inside of a person is like...from the words and the tones that they use..."

"This is not a learned skill, but in our very nature..."

"Some people have observed that babies are very good judges of character."

"Their vocabulary is rather limited...and I dare to say that for at least the first year of their life...nil"

"Yet by listening to people's tones, etc. they are able to judge the inside rather accurately...at least from their perspective...and what serves them"

"I contend that most people are even better judges of character...or at least could be...because they have added the meanings of what was said to how it was spoken..."

"If what pours out of a person is mean, abusive, trash, self-serving...then you know what the inside is like..."

"If what pours out from the inside is altruistic, selfless, kind and generous...then you know what the inside is like"

"It is the combination of words and tones (intent) that is a great indicator of whether the inside is sour or fresh..."

"Another thing that I was thinking about was that tasting one drink of sour milk from a container and then expecting anything but sour from it...is like doing the same things the same way...and expecting different outcomes...it is insanity"

"Hearing self-serving language from someone...and expecting them not to be...is insanity"

"No matter how jaded the words may be"

"Yes there is always a chance of deception...and that in and of itself is an indicator of the inside...deception...lies...this person is a liar...what is the inside like?"

"You have heard it...once a liar...always a liar..."

"The neat thing about people is that they act with integrity...a continuity of behaviour...staying true to what is inside of them...that is integrity..."

"If the inside is bad...they can act with integrity...and be consistently bad..."

"That is a benefit for those who have to be discerning..."

"You do not need a degree in psychology to be able to accurately judge a person's character...just listen to them..."

"Another cool thing is that you can know when the inside has changed...by noting when the person's language has changed"

"Moreover you can change a person's language by changing the inside"

"AND moreover...you can change a person's insides by disciplining their language..."

"It doesn't matter where you start...fixing it is as simple as just plain starting somewhere..."

"So how do you set a person on the road to change?" I asked

The doorbell rang and he scurried off to answer it.

After a few minutes he returned with a feast of a breakfast...and began dishing out enough food to carry this discussion on for days...

He sat back down after pouring the coffee and asked, " What thoughts did you want to bounce off of me?"

I responded, "Let's not leave your thoughts half finished...I want to hear this out to its conclusion"

"That is nice of you!  Where did we leave off?  Oh yes...what is the catalyst of change?"

"You eat and I'll talk..."

"It all has to do with person's value...I have a saying..."

"If it is a cause for shame...there is THE CASE for change..."

"What is important that the drivers for shame are in  place and appropriate..."

"It is interesting...the greatest drivers of action and hunger, fear and guilt..."

"Drivers at a higher level are few and far between..."

"You can not change the individual without a change in ethics and morals..."

"That is the only place that you should focus your energy...it does really have to go back to what is on the inside...but your strategy may be to get the person to intellectually recognize that their words are immoral or unethical and have them strive to change them...or you may take the other path and get them to recognize that their ethics and morality is bad and they change that and there is a subsequent change in their speech"

"Clock-wise or counterclockwise...the path doesn't matter...you'll end up in the same place!"

"You always have to bring up our grocery shopping don't you?"

He laughed and continued,"Change requires a desire to change...lasting change requires a change in desires..."

"Anyone can effect change...but there are few that have effective change..."

"The difference is what that change is built upon..."

"The most important thing is...whenever change is needed...especially in an individual...you have to start and you have to stick with it..."

"The biggest mistake a person can make..."

"I know...is not starting..." I laughed.

"More coffee?"

"Now what were you thinking?"

"I have to admit...it seems like either I have forgotten or you answered it...I can not decide which...perhaps I will have some more coffee...and it will activate the cells that are still sleeping...I didn't have the heart to tell him that he answered my question with three cartons of milk!"

"I do know that I have to start something..."

Passion and Capability - Chapter 6

I was reveling in the performance improvements that we were experiencing...I find that one of the elements that separate great leaders from mediocrity is the ability to honestly celebrate success...

I taught my mentor this...he was often too busy to stop (even for a moment) and enjoy the fleeting aroma of accomplishment...

...Although my project was not yet completely finished...we were at a place that was only a pipe dream...a "stretch goal" as they would have you believe...I didn't like that term..."stretch goal"...if you can achieve it...then it is the goal...if you can't don't attempt it...if they want that then they should tell you that they want it...

Success and achievement...is all about "stretch"...not about idling across the finish line and claiming audacious victories...and taking credit for that which can not be accomplished without "stretch"...

How silly that management method is and how pervasive it is across well meaning organizations...

Enough of that!  It was detracting from my feelings of accomplishment!

In short order, we had exceeded their expectations...and were on a path that would take this organization to being a major contributor of the corporation...not too long ago...it was a proverbial anchor!

The "marathon runner" had seemed to refocus his efforts towards leading rather than running from the problems...

As I reflected on this...I thought about how much my mentor had an impact on the way I worked...and he often admitted that I had changed him too...for the better, I hoped...

People who knew both of us...called us clones!  I took that as a compliment...

That is what happens when a friendship has that much influence...

It was not difficult...knowing him as well as I did...made emulating him easy...

"Imitation is the highest form of flattery..."

...or so I thought...until...

The day I stopped to buy fuel for my car...

I was in a hurry...ran the card through the slot and began pumping...

As I waited (impatiently) I looked around the drive and then over at the store...

He was sitting on the sidewalk...removing one his shoes and dumping what seemed like gravel or sand from them...

His usually perfectly pressed pants were torn...and I could also see that his elbows were scrapped...

His bicycle, carefully laid next to him...

"HEY!" I yelled...

He immediately took notice, tied his shoe, picked up his bike and limped over to me...

"What the heck happened to you?" I asked

"I was riding over to your house to see if you wanted to take a ride...and got off the sidewalk...into some sand...and had a little crash..." he smiled...

"You are too old to do off-roading...look at you...you are a mess" I said in the best fake, concerned voice that I could muster

"You're telling me...I almost swore!  Can you take me to your place to get cleaned up...We should also look at my wheels...I think the front one is a bit out of round!  Then we can go on our trip" 

"I think that I have a bit of your favorite medicine stashed away...perhaps we should forgo the bike ride and just take it easy today!"

As we drove...he asked that we stop by his car dealership so that he can pick up his car...

Things then became clearer to me...

He would have never ridden his bike to my house...when he had the car...

"What's wrong with your car?" I asked...

"Nothing," he replied, "It is just in for a check-up!"

As we drove, I thought about the fact that he has driven 3 cars and all of them are made by the same manufacturer...

From his stories...this was the only brand he ever drove...

"Why do you always buy those cars?"

"In my book...auto is a 3-letter word!"

"All others are imitations..." 

"I would call that quite a compliment for that company...if all of the others are imitations..."

"That is true...if they were true imitators...but they lack substance..."

"But isn't imitation the greatest form of flattery?" I asked

"Only if it is real on no a facade...otherwise it is a total insult!"  He replied

"I hope that you are not insulted when they call us clones"

"Not in the least!  I am complimented...I believe that this observation, by others, is based more on our results than on our behaviors..."

"This characteristic and this characteristic alone is the differentiator...if it provides great (altruistic) results...or at least the intended results with consistency...then it is OK"

"You and I go into organizations...and make differences...you in your way...and I in mine..."

"I know that we are not the same in any way shape or form...but we always seem to end up at the same place..."

My car (or whatever I presumed it to be) came to a stop in front of the Service Center.  The manager came running out like he was greeting an old friend...called him by name and asked him if he could get him a cup of coffee or anything...he totally ignore that he looked like he had just been processed by a food grinder and was still seeping blood from a few wounds!  I just smiled...rolled down the window and asked if I needed to wait...

The duo walked back to my car and the Service Manager introduced himself...and explained that he was so happy to have him bring his car here...he had seen it out on the road and wondered who was servicing it...

"Is this his first time here?" I asked

"Oh YES!  Previously he was taking it to the dealer in the north" the service guy explained

"See why I drive these cars?" he prodded

A few other cordialities were shared and I drove off...

As I drove I mentally planned getting the first-aid kit out...then the rum...no I should get the rum out first...

I decided that it would take a few minutes for him to arrive...so it wouldn't matter which one I got out first...

I pulled into the driveway and looked in the rear-view mirror and he was right behind me!

I got out of my car and he, his...

"I have to say that you drive fast!"

"How long did it take for you to check out?"

"I didn't have to check out...he brought the keys to me and walked me to the car as you left...he explained what they did and had a full set of documents on the seat for me to review...in case I had any questions...I could look at them...and if after that...I could call them...but from my perspective I was good to go...and that is what I have that auto for...to go...I was on the move before you left the lot..."

"NOW THAT'S SERVICE"

"That is not service...it is a part of the auto...a critical component that should be emulated by all of those auto wannabes!"

"I think that you pay for that service and attention to detail in the price of your car..." I observed

"I disagree...the more interactions that I have with this company...the more that I realize that you pay for that service in the next car you purchase from them..."

"They make the initial investment in the relationship...and it pays off with customer loyalty..."

"They only lose money if you are not a repeat customer...and then it most likely something that they did to you and deserve!"

"That is an attitude...OK...a behavior that we should all emulate...A focus on repeat sales...not just on the immediate return...but an eye on the future..."

"That company will be here long after Yugo." he smiled...

"They may never be the biggest...but they easily could become the only one!"  he laughed...

We walked into the house...I gave him a choice of consumable alcohol or topical alcohol...he chose to consume it first...then apply it...

We dressed his wounds...

...found a pair of pants for him...

...checked out his bike...and straightened his front wheel slightly...

As we focused on our somewhat rote tasks...I thought about what he was saying...and suddenly realized that this may be the conundrum that "marathon man may be in...

He runs marathons because he is imitating the behavior of someone that he aspires to be...but will NEVER be...

Now he is emulating me...I AM NOT FLATTERED IN THE LEAST!  In fact...I am insulted!

That man is giving me a bad reputation...I have to do something about that!

The man is simply a photocopier...he can not do anything original...

He throws quotes out like he said them himself...but he never really can integrate them into his own brand...he has no brand...he is a Yugo!

As we worked...I think he was watching my face...

"Murder is not one of your options," he mentioned out of the blue...

"What? Who?" I responded

"Your face looks like you want to kill someone!"

"Remind me to NEVER play poker with you..."

"You don't!"

"I know!  But if I ever consider it..."

"What got you so angry?"

"I was thinking about marathon man"

"You realized that he was simply imitating you huh?"

"Flattering wasn't it?"

 "I now see what you were talking about...if someone we respect emulates us...it is a compliment...if someone we do not respect imitates us...we are insulted..."

"So what part of that equation do you attack...you or him?"

"Hand me that alcohol..."

"Which one?  The one for the outside...or the one for the inside?"

"Are you planning on altering the environment or the behavior?"

When do you Accommodate?

We both needed food, so we decided that we would go shopping together...

Being creatures of habit...we both frequented the same local market...in fact, often enough that we knew it well...but each, in our own way...

Both of us had our lists...his facilitated a counter-clockwise path of efficiency, my list was written in a clockwise path...

I thought it more efficient to go with the flow...and he felt it better to go against it...

Rather than compromising the order of our personal lists and plans...we found carts and parted our ways at the entrance...he traveling right, then left...and me to the left, then right...

"This is going to be an interesting test...we'll see who is right," I thought

Although I had significantly more items on my list, we actually finished at the same time and met at the check-out area...

"An interesting grocery store lesson...Direction is simply a matter of preference...and has no bearing on efficiency...or success" he laughed as we again passed each other...

I guess he was thinking the same thing as I was!  The test proved that it was simply a matter of preference...

He had his favorite cashier and I had mine...between us and freedom from the perils of shopping, a hoard of other buyers...were queued and waiting their turn in the line...

He took his place in his line and I in mine...we moved at the same pace, and we just patiently waited...

...and listened (eavesdropped) to the many different and interesting conversations going on around us...

Some were entertaining and others discomforting...

As something of interest was noted...he would wink and tip his head in the direction that I was supposed to shift my attention...I did the same when I caught the words before him...

One conversation immediately and simultaneously drew both of our attentions...

Two nicely dressed ladies were talking about work...

"I know...but he is the boss...he is just plain weird and has his idiosyncrasies...we just have to accommodate him...and put up with it..."

I knew that this single comment would cause him interject his opinion and guidance to these town people...

"Excuse me...I couldn't help but over hear what you just said..."

"Can I ask you why?"

"Why...what?" One of the two responded in perturbed voice

"Why you would put up with...or accommodate a boss' idiosyncrasies...if it bothers you enough to talk about it...you should do something about it..."

"Being a boss doesn't give a person a right to have idiosyncrasies...in fact it demands just the opposite..."

"Mister...the guy is weird...and he controls the money and we have to put up with him...that is just they way the world is...if we want a job and get paid and buy food..."

"From my perspective...the only people who have a right to have idiosyncrasies...that is to be fringe-dwellers and are people who can not help it...the handicapped or amputees...the mentally retarded people...or psychologically impaired...  These are the only people whose idiosyncrasies should be put up with...and then, as I think deeper about it...only within certain limits..."

"People...especially those who are in leadership positions...should be adaptive and sensitive to the needs of others...they should be constantly scrutinizing their own actions...looking for things they can change...to make it better and easier for the people that they work with and for...not harder..."

"I think that we often think that being weird is just their problem...It is not...many people allow them to get away with it...they do not call them on it...and as a result...they think that it is permission to be weird!"

"No one has permission (or a right) to be weird...or different...or idiosyncratic...when it bothers or hurts or upsets someone...that is just plain wrong...it is selfish and immoral..."

"A person only has a right to have an idiosyncrasy, if that idiosyncrasy is one of uncompromising pursuit of making every day significantly better...for themselves and more importantly...others..."

"I wish you were my boss...our workplace would be so much better..."

"I am the way I am because of people who were not afraid to tell me that I was acting weird...and I was willing to learn and change...but I can tell you that most of it was because they wouldn't quit on me..."

"This important lesson I had to be taught by people who cared...about me and themselves..."

"Perhaps you can teach your boss a thing or two...when you do...just be sure to give him a way out with dignity...don't just go to him with criticism...also give a suggestion for improvement...with it will come success..."

"He'll appreciate that...and you will have done your part to make your, and his, life a bit better..."

Then he went quiet and began unloading his cart...

The two ladies finished their transaction and left...planning on how to talk with the boss.

"THAT WAS SO COOL!" I commented...

"It was nothing more than my advice to a person with a need...all you have to do is open your eyes...everyone in our lines have needs...needs are as numerous as there are people...some you can help...others are beyond your ability...just look for them...and at the first open door...grab that opportunity...and remember sometimes YOU have to open the door..."

As we "checked out" he continued to ramble...

"You know...they've paved paradise and put up a parking lot..." he said in a rather lyrical way... 

"HUH?" I was confused...

"It's an old song that I used to listen to a lot...it was really popular in my country..."

"I think it was popular here too...it just sounded too cliche for me to pay much attention..." I responded

"The message of that song was that most people don't realize what they lost until it is gone..."  I was thinking that most organizations do not ever realize what they have lost either...the problem being being they never realize what they lost..."

"Many GREAT people leave because of politics and idiosyncrasies..."

"As a result...Leadership is a huge burden..."

"Let's look at one of the most important roles of a great leader..."

"1 - Attract Great talent..."
"2 - Engage Great talent..."
"3- Retain Great talent..."

"A leader that can not do that is not meeting one of the most basic and important roles...and their leadership should be questioned...heck they are getting paid to do that...whether or not it is specified in their bonus plan...if they are not attracting, engaging and retaining great people...then they are remiss and failing on one of their basic leadership performance requirements..."

"Let's think a bit deeper..."

"If a leader has idiosyncrasies...they may be able to attract and engage...but retaining a great person nears impossibility..."

"Now...Let's change the thought just a bit...

Leaders are simply representations of the organizations that they lead...

Organizations, too have idiosyncrasies...except those idiosyncrasies are generalized and called...POLITICS..."

"It doesn't take long for people to realize an organization that has unbearable politics...and they leave them or avoid them like the plague...at least the good people...and those organizations end up with a population full of political fools!"

"That is when a vicious circle is created...and the death spiral is inevitable..."

"Great people are lost to organizational idiosyncrasies...Organizational Politics..."

"The bottom line is that you can not pay a person enough...or give them enough perks to make that political garbage worth their while...unless they are incompetent or desperate!"

"An organization only has a right to be political, that is to say to have organizational idiosyncrasies...when those politics ensure an uncompromised pursuit of continuous improvement..."

"Gee...I think that I heard that before," I laughed...
Then his attention was shifted by the cashier...

"That is a unique way of looking at things," I noted, thinking it would spur on more thoughts...but it didn't...

He pushed beyond the end of the check-out line and parked while I finished up...

As we pushed our bounty out to our cars, I stabbed at getting the conversation back on track...

"If I combine what you told those ladies...with what you told me...there is an interesting conclusion..." I prodded...

"What is that?...I think that I was absolutely consistent..."

"You said that the only justified idiosyncrasies are those of physical or mental handicaps...am I correct?"

"Although not a quote...you are pretty close to what I said..."

"I would say that you allow for a plea of insanity...the inability to cope or adapt...otherwise an individual or organization should adapt...right?"

"That is right...the only right the we have is to get better...so making the majority adapt is not a right of leadership..."

"In both the individual and the organizational examples...you used the word idiosyncrasy to describe the situation...right?"

"Yes I did..."

"...And the words politics and organizational idiosyncrasies can be used interchangeably...right?"

"Exactly..."

"So I can conclude that you think that organizational politics could be called an organizational handicap or even organizational insanity..."

"You followed those two conversations perfectly!"

"Organizational Politics are pure insanity! They are self-serving...and immature...it is the behavior of preschoolers, allowed to control an adult world!"

"It may even be worse than individual insanity...because you can not isolate an organization from humanity by secluding them in an asylum."  

"Organizational politics will run rampant for the next decade or two...(this conversation took place in 1981) and then, organizations will slowly realize how destructive it is...those destined to failure will not...and those who survive will take the necessary actions to clean up their environment...but it will be a slow and painful change..."

 "Many organizations attempt to justify the existence of politics by calling it the way they get things done..."

"The essence of it is...that they are saying that it is a process..."

"I agree with the fact that it is a process...but in their context...it is a euphemism..."

"From my perspective...it is actually...a process of compromising great ideas and suggestions through the coddling of tender egos and the incompetence of immature people who are afraid to face facts..."

"As your career grows and you build an organization...stick to data and insight...do not fall into the regressive trap of politics...that is a game for grade schoolers...not adults...you are better than that!"

"Speak the truth clearly, slowly and repetitively...and always based on facts..."

"If they refuse to listen...leave them to their own demise...most will fail...some will grow up"

"Your ice cream is melting" I noted...

"You haven't unloaded your groceries yet...let me help you..." he replied...

As we walked to my car, I quietly pondered what he had just said...

He intuitively knew that he had said more than enough to get me thinking...

We loaded my car and I walked him back to his...

"I have one final question to ask you..."

"Ask away my friend..."

"How do we make organizations see the destructiveness of a political environment?"

"That answer is really easy...perhaps the easiest one of the many questions that you have asked in a long time..."

"There is no efficient route...I'll take the counter-clockwise path...and you take the clockwise path...I'll meet you at the cashier..."

"What matters is choosing a path and sticking to it..."

"If we do not get a move on...our food will spoil and we'll not eat!"

With that he rolled up his window and drove off...leaving me with my list...

He was right!

Passion & Capability, Chapter 5

I couldn't help but feel the sponginess of the running track's surface, as we walked laps.

It felt good on my feet... 

As I pondered this physical experience...I had to laugh at the parallel universes that we unintentionally created by our exercise routine.  My latest challenge was not unlike the track we were on...soft and spongy...clearly marked lanes and absolutely circular...about the time you thought you had finished...you were back at the beginning!

We walked at a gait that made talking nearly impossible...suddenly he slowed...and he began to chatter...

"A person can put on running shoes...but that does not make him a marathon runner..."

"When I was in the army...we used to say that a person could put on a uniform...but that didn't make him a soldier..."

"When I went to college...we used to say...you can put on a helmet and your pads...but that doesn't make you a football player..."

"When I moved into industry...we said...you can have a title...but that doesn't make you a leader!"

"From what I am hearing...you seemed perplexed by the challenges that I am facing," I prodded..."

"I am not perplexed...your challenges are bringing back some interesting experiences and thoughts..."

"It reminds me to always keep, what I claim to be and what I produce, in the forefront of my mind...you can not take that for granted..."


"A person is either a contributor to THE GAME that they are playing...or...they are being carried by the team..."

"...if you are a defensive player...your goal is to stop your opponent from scoring...if you can not specifically point to the number of points that you stopped...then your team is carrying you..."

"...the same holds true for an offensive player...if you can not count the number of points you made...then the team is carrying you..."


"In an individuals' game, like running...putting on a pair of shoes and running is not racing...

"...have you bettered your previous time?"

"...Have you placed higher in the final rankings?"

"...If you can not answer yes...you are letting your team (yourself) down..."


"In leadership...title is just like the uniform...it's permission to play the game...or run in the race...but as with sports...you are a contributor...or the team is carrying you!"


"A leader has many roles...if a leader ever says...that is not my job...it can be an indicator of a leadership weakness...ultimately every job under their control...is their job...if they are not doing themselves...they have found a way to get it done better..."


"I find it distressing when I find a leaders who is being carried by the team...they ultimately are not on their game..."


"It is just like watching a football game and seeing the star just slack-off"


"That game is lost"


"Companies need to develop ways to identify those who they are carrying and address those issues"


"In sports...they do a pretty good job of doing that...

"...When a player is in a kids league...everyone gets playing time..."

"...As the game gets more competitive...more serious...the poor players get less and less playing time...if they play, they are simply placeholders to give the real players a rest..."

"...In invitational sports...bad players do not get invited back...to do what they do...(kind of like consulting, huh?)..."


That is because you either score points or divert points...that is an easy count...or you either place...or win...that is an easy count...if you do not do that...you can't really call yourself a player...you really aren't part of the team...and should delude yourself into believing that you are..."


"Leaders are organizational players...many wrongly think that they are simply team coaches or managers..."


"That is wrong"

"Great leaders recognize the fact that they are fully responsible for every job under their control...and that they have hired others, directly or indirectly, to help them..."

"Normally a leader "washes their hands" of the task...and then becomes a critic...rather than showing the appreciation for the help!"

"A Great leader steps up and works along side those who are on their team..."

"A leader's responsibility is all about Satisfaction...Involvement...Engagement...Promotion..."

"Those things can not be done from behind a desk..."

"But must be seen consistently in the trenches..."

"When I think about it...This is the epiphany that your "half-man" must have..."

"He does not have to see how is department is performing...his department has captured that reality..."

"He needs to capture the true essence of leadership...and how he is falling short...when that happens..."

"Don't you mean IF?" I asked...

"IF is not an option, for you..."

"You need to run in circles around that proverbial "organizational track" until you and him cross the finish-line together..."

"Just remember that he is a marathon man...or at least he thinks he is...he has some endurance...and can hold on to his race longer than most people that you have encountered..."

"I am done with this exercise...are you?"

I agreed...

"Let's go see how you do on the next race..."