The Best People...

I returned to the office after a two week hiatus.  I expected to find a ton of issues waiting for my intervention, unsigned invoices, and my team and customers milling around my locked office door anxiously awaiting my arrival.

Instead, there was noone! 

When I opened the door and turned on the light...my desk was barron...

I checked my email, and there was nothing of importance to be had...

No major voice mail...except one...a familar voice...and it said..."We hope you had a great vacation...we did our best to make sure that everything was covered..."

In a way...I felt dumbfounded...in a bigger way...thankful...

So I wrote a thank-you note, to the team for their making my return the most joyous event of my vacation...

and hit send...

Within 5 minutes...the inflow of "Re:Thank You" responses began...

They were not what I expected...

It was as if the team had collaborated, wrote one note and shared it...but I knew better...

"...I appreciate the thank you...We have an issue that YOU need to address quickly...It is with our fellow team members.  Many of them took your vacation time to do nothing!  Some seldom came in to the office.  They would not pick up their share of your workload putting an undue burden on the rest of the team.  It feels like they are behind schedule, making our work fall behind too...and on and on..."

I was shocked...these were my most trusted partners...

No names were specifically noted in the responses...Yet I had an idea who...Even as I thought of them, I concluded that even they would have be the last two individuals that I would have expected to act that way...

"Welcome back!" came another familar voice from just out of sight...

"I got your note...It was a fitting touch to the team...and well deserved, if I say so myself..."

"Rather than writing a note to you...I thought that I would walk down and discuss this in person...you have a major issue brewing..."

"I know," I replied, "It is with..."

"No it is not!" he jumped in...

I was totally confused and sat back and realized that I had jumped to a conclusion without gathering data....

Fill me in...please!

It is not my place to give you my description of what went on...it would be biased and it may lead you to a decision that it not yours, but mine...Go and do some data mining...but be careful...this is a REAL sensitive one...

It is the first time in my life that I heard him say "but..." twice in such a short period of time...in fact he avoided using that word...with about as much passion as one would avoid eating poison or pounding their thumb repeatedly with a hammer!

Since it appeared that I had nothing else to do...I began my old routine of "managing by walking around..."

My first stop was at the "project professionals" and it felt like I was a long lost family member returing after years of absence!  There was a flood of updates...that I carefully noted and complimented...My listening skills were pushed to the limits...and the only tidbit of information that even vaguely resembled what I was looking for was...boy I am so glad that you are back...the team just doesn't function right when you aren't here...because you do not put up with it...

As I walked away I wondered what "it" was...

The next few stops, among them, gave me exactly the same information...and even when I directly asked...these team members had been "way too busy to notice" anything...just that "it" wasn't the same or that "it" changed or that I am glad that your back..."it" doesn't happen when you are around...

 From my perspective..."it" was starting to make me angry...whatever "it" was...and it seemed like everyone that I talked to was avoiding "it" and any mention of the subject!

"How's "it" going?" I heard him say...

""It" is a pretty elusive creature," I laughed...

""It" is," he said...

"No one is going to talk about "it!"  Not that "it" is illegal or immoral or unethical..."

"In fact, "it" is the reason they work with you and "it" is the most important thing to them...they do not want to hurt "it!"

As we walked, he bagan to lag behind...I was on a mission and he was talking...my "mission pace" and his "talking pace" did not match...

"It" in another sense is just a monster that most people are afraid to face!

I have seem "it" at almost every...now that I think about "it"...I have seen "it" in every company that I worked for!

OK...ENOUGH OF THIS "IT" STUFF!  Tell me what "it" is!

I turned to face him so that I could face the truth of "it"...and he was no where to be seen!

"That darn Greek is taking Ninja lessons..." I thought...and snickered...

and I went to the other end of the facility, to meet with the second-third of my group...

The analytical group cloistered in this area away from the others, by their request.  Like personalities migrated to his pod of offices.  They were "heads-down" workers.  They were like machines.  Their emotions were about the same as a machine.  I expected  the welcome to be about as emotional as the greeting that I got from my electric pencil sharpener.  Boy was I wrong!

I was greeted with hugs and hand-shakes!  They dropped everything and pulled their chairs together in an impromptu circle and we talked as a group.  Like proud kids...they showed me what they accomplished and I had to admit that it was way beyond expectations...I told them that and they diverted their success to every other member of the group...there was no mention of any problems or issues and actually shook their heads in disbelief when I asked if the team had any issues while I was gone...

It was close to lunch time so we made our way to the cafeteria and took our regular positions at a large table that we routinely sat around.  The entire group congregated, but this is not unusual.  It is one of the few times that we were together as a single unit and we cherished that time...we coordinated and shared...and helped with eachother's challenges.

I figured that this would be a great time just to observe the dynamics of the group and maybe "it" would become apparent.  There was one part of the team that I hadn't talked with...and this would be a nice way to see if they were the ones who made "it" an issue.

They were no different...they laughed and joked and presented challenges and shared observations and asked eachother for help...not a single thing stuck out..."it" did not rear its ugly head!

I intentionally allowed the lunch to run longer...they always took my queue, to stop, clean up and go to back to work...I was hoping that keeping them together would drive "it" from hiding...but no luck..."it" stayed hidden!  The team only talked more laughed more and shared more...

I gave up...and stood up and jokingly told them that I had to get back to work and clean up the messes that they left and tie up the loose ends that remained...no one laughed.  They got up...as they always do...bid eachother a great day...and off they went!

I stood thinking for a few moments...absolutely dumbfounded...I was certain that "it" would be there...and then he came from the register area...carrying his salad...and an iced tea...

"Just leaving or are just arriving?"  I knew he knew better...and answered that I would sit with him while he ate...He sat and dug in...

"Did you find the problem yet?" he inquired...between bites...

"Not at all...it as if all of you are playing some vicious game with me..."

"Just keep looking...you'll get to it...I really do not think I know what it is either...when you figure it out...please tell me...because I have a feeling that we are going to address this issue many times in our careers...it may be one of the holy grails of management..."

"You know what I found interesting?  While you were out...I made it a point to join your group, every day,  for lunch...they are exciting to be around...when you are here they all show up...when you are gone...only about half of them came to lunch, on any given day...the others worked...what I thought was strang was that they left your chair empty...some of them even pulled a chair from another table so not to sit in your place...that was weird!"

"They are a strange lot," I laughed "there was a mention that some of the team hardly worked...so I checked their timesheets and I see nothing less than 10 hours per day noted and many of them worked the weekends too...that sucks...some of these people lied..."

"No they didn't" he defended..."If they lied it was that they put less hours than actual down...a gift to you..."

Now I was totally confused...and wanted to think through this puzzle...

I had one more group to visit.  They were the "extroverts."  First, I could count on them to not be in their offices.  Second, I could count on them to tell me everything.  Third I always could count on them for an after work party!

Their offices were fittingly located in the middle of the complex.  That was where they wanted and needed to be.  They were always in the middle of everything.  They were trainers and coaches and high energy people...

I arrived and as expected, found a ghost town.  I wandered aimlessly in their area for a few minutes and found one...then two and finally the entire team...as they noticed me...they dropped what they were doing...and came to join me...

We talked and I asked their advice...and their help with this issue...and they looked at me as if I were talking another language!  A good thing came out of this impromptu get together...a welcome back party was for that evening was arranged and even as we spoke...emails were distributed!  All I could do was smile...They absolutely fit the mold...and NEVER let me down!

My other stops gave me a chance to get updates from the individual contributors...and there was no more information gained than at any of the other stops...

I walked back to my office...thinking that I should admit defeat and ask him again to at least give me a hint...

Then, as I walked, I realized that I had been given all of the information that I needed, in the very fact of the absence of information is information too...Now I just had to figure out what that meant...

When I arrived he in my office...he was sitting at my table...working on his stuff...he looked up and smiled...

"I am hiding...and knew that they wouldn't be looking for me here..."

"How can that be?  We trade the role of being each other's stalker!  They know that...This is the first place they'd look!" I laughed...

Did you get it all fixed?

Nope...but I do know that the fact that I have absolutely no information...I am on the right track!

That is very good!  Many people admit defeat based on the fact that they want information...and do not get what they expect...they never to realize that the lack of information is itself great data..."

"WOW!  I wished I had thought of that," I said with a smile...it felt nice to be a few steps ahead of him...

"So...if you know nothing...what is that telling you?"

Let me tell you what I know is telling me...before I get into what I do not know is telling me!

I know that the team achieved more in the past two weeks than was expected...and that they are proud of that!

"That is absolutely right...you have given the a clear short-term and long term vision...but your vision is MUCH larger than what the team knows and they know that...you only disclose what they can handle at any given time!  They appreciate that because it does not confuse them...You are really good at that!  From my perspective...you are one of the best!"

"I know for a fact that the group worked day and night to achieve the short-term visions and goals without me..."

"You are again dead-on...you clearly lay out expectations and leave it them to achieve them...but they know that you will not let them fail if they get into trouble...and they also know that your help comes without a need for an admission of weakness...there are few places where it is this safe to fail and those failures are temporary...and actually learning experiences"

"I know that my team communicates clearly and accurately...what they told me today was exactly the way it was...they are not hiding anything..."

"You are the best I have ever seen at open and fierce conversations...Plato and Socrates would be proud of you...you are so transparent...your team returns that favor by being absolutely transparent with you!"

"Do you know what I think is the coolest thing that I realized today?  My team never has to be reminded what they need to be doing?  That diverse group of personalities does stuff each in their own way...with their own sense of urgency...and it ultimately ties to my sense of urgency...I am nothing more than an urgency controller..."

"I do not know if that is your sense of urgency or your energy!  I think that you have found a way to make the difficult and challenging...perhaps the impossible...fun!  I love that line you use...certainty of death...little chance of success...let's get going!  They are not afraid to challenge the most difficult things because of that..."

"I also know that the team knows exactly what to do and how to do it...I noticed that as each one told me about their last two weeks they focused on the fact that they stuck absolutely to their portion of the methodology and the contribution to the overall strategy!"

"You know...for a chance agent...you have the most rigorous systems in place that I have ever seen!"

"I also stopped by each person that each one of the the team was working with...and all I got was fantastic feedback...If there was one place that I thought I would hear about issues...it would be from their customers...and the exact opposite was the case...in fact many of them told me to stay away...they got more work out of them!"

"If there is one thing that you are known for is customer focus...and the team knows that...they are diligent in meeting and exceeding expectations...and you heard that!"

"I wish that you would stop with all of these compliments!  They are puffing my head up and I will stop thinking...you know as well as I there is a problem here that I have to solve...and by your admission...you do not really know what it is...and you are here to share in my discovery...!"

"You know me well enough to know that I do not pass on hollow or undeserved compliments...your persistence has earned them...so where is your grey matter going on this...?"

"I have searched far and wide to bring this group together...they may seem like a motley crew, but they are the best and the brightest in their areas of expertise...it is delightful to see how different they are and how different each one of them has to be managed..."

"I do not think that even they realize that..."

"I spend most of my time treating each one of the group as an individual..."

"There is no "one-size fits all" management style"

"The greatest injustice that could be done, to any team member, is to expect my self-motivators to follow...or the "good soldiers" to lead...or the introverts to teach...or the extroverts to stay quiet..."

"You know...most of the time...performance issues are not those of the individual...they are the result of bad and narrow management, of those individuals...When I think about it...the wrong person is getting fired! 

I hate that...so and so is not an extrovert...or self motivator...so we have to get rid of him/her...That actually is an admission of incompetent management!  This team is a team of the BEST people because I help them be the best!"  If you can not do that...you have no place in management...

"That is interesting...you know that at lunch...the ones on the team that showed up...like they normally do...talked about how different it would be if you didn't come back...some of them were afraid that you were out interviewing...others that they had let you down...others just sat quiet...but that discussion was a bit creepy!"

"I have given them everything they need to be successful...they do not have to worry about that...look at what they accomplished while I was gone!  It was more than they do when I was here!  They worked day and night...only a handful of them do that routinely..."  If they follw the path I set out for them they will be successful...if they divert...they'll fail...all the right things are there...if they choose otherwise...they are choosing wrong...how simple is that?"

"That's right!"

"So what do I need to teach them...They trust me...they talk with me...they know what I want...they know when I need it...I strive to be appreciative...I listen...They know exaclty how do do it...they focus on the customer..."

"They are some of the highest paid people in the company...they deserve it and earn it...I believe it and put our money where our mouth is...

When I think about it...if they consolidated their resources...they could buy Mount Everest...let alone every one of them could climb it as individuals...each one of them are great...and they know it!"

"I was thinking about what you said...that every company that you worked for, has this problem..."

"I think that "it" is with the management...they do not realize what they are working with...they do not deserve to be in the positions that they have...they expect everyone to be a certain way or they are losers...everyone has to be self-motivated or analytical or precise or...whatever...you know...that is really bad...

"...That is a door slammed shut on their passions...I wish that I could make that behavior a felony and put those poor managers in prison...and then they would get what they deserve for being the way they were..."

"I am so glad that I take the time to teach these people to be great leaders as part of my mission..."

"But have you taught them to be great managers?" And with that he stood up and left...

That is when the light went on...

There is a difference between management and leadership...Everyone on the team was a great leader...they had learned those lessons well...

They had the freedom to manage themselves as individuals...but did not know how to manage between themselves...they thought that their way was the best way...the others on the team had to be like them...or they were not doing their job...

My role has always been to ensure that the air traffic was controlled...I complemented publically, not only as a way of recognition but also as a way to communicate status...and assure each member of the team that we were on track...the humble members of the team...would not talk about their status...when I wasn't there...

Each in their own way killed themselves to exceed the known goals...but they were the their goals...not the consolidated goals...

They hadn't learned how to manage between themselves...They could not recognize eachothers' idiosyncracies and needs...if it wasn't like them...there was something wrong...they were fighting the illusions of self worth and value...they created standards of performance based on their own biases!

The "it" problem was with me...

"It" was really not a problem...but a matter of style...I was not a problem...but "it" was that I did not share how to overcome "it"

It was that I needed to let go of management...

So I got up and started managing by walking around AGAIN...this time I took one of the team with me on my rounds...and did so everytime thereafter...