Corporate Policies and Chekov's Gun

Are you familiar with Chekov's Gun?  It's a simple literary device.  The idea is that if you introduce something to the story, you better use it; otherwise it's a waste.

Too many corporate policies are just that.  Rules and guidelines hung on the wall to scare us into believing order will be enforced.  But if you're not going to ever fire the thing it's not a threat- it's just clutter.

So before you go putting a new policy in your workplace, here's a few questions you should ask...

1) How are you planning to enforce it?  Where would a violation run into your established corrective action guidelines?  If it's a termination-level offense you better say so up front.  Or if a "3 strikes" system works better, that's fine too.  But you better know or else your gun doesn't have any bullets and that's just decoration.

2) Who is going to enforce it?  Someone has to be responsible to pull the trigger.  Does this need a dispute resolution process?  Or will some manager accountability do just fine?  The point is if no one is holding the gun, once again, it's a decoration

3) Do you really need this one?  Ask any gun collector and they can tell you; sometimes you really do need a specific gun for the job.  You're probably not going bird hunting with a pistol nor would you skeet shoot with a sniper rifle.  But then again, if you're just looking for basic home protection, one good shot gun should do.  So before you go making a new policy ask yourself- "do we really need a specific one, or should we just point what we have in the right direction?"

Look, I'm all for responsible gun ownership.  But Chekov is right- don't own it if you're not going to use it.  And policies are no different.  Having a bunch of them means nothing.  But a few that you're good at using and aren't afraid to pull the trigger on are usually enough to protect you.

Race to the Bottom

So here’s a fun one.  Wal-Mart just announced that they will price-match competitor’s “Black Friday” ads a week before Thanksgiving online.  You’re move Target, Best Buy et al.

But something to consider…

Retail is a race to the bottom.  First it was who could open the earliest on Friday morning (6am, 4am, midnight- now even the day before).  Then it was who’s “doorbuster” was the best.  Now that fight doesn’t even matter much anymore.  Because this is all just commodity competition.  Everyone has a 55” television- who can sell it lowest first to capture the dollars, right?

At some point, someone in the retail space is going to have to figure out how to get out of this race to the bottom.  Because even if you win, you lose. 

I for one won’t go near Black Friday shopping.  It’s a miserable experience.  I’d rather pay more than fight the insanity.  So here’s a challenge for you retailers- how could you change the paradigm to engage more shoppers?  Instead of fighting so hard for people who are only driven by paying the absolute minimum, why not find a way to grow the market by enticing the high-end?  I for one, would probably pay for admission (even just early admission) to a store if I knew what the prices would be and could get a better experience by limiting the attendance for a bit.  Or if price really is the driver- what about pre-orders and pick ups?  You could better control your margins, still scale your shipping to stores, and have a more accurate inventory.  I’m no expert, but these are just ideas.

The point is this- keep racing to the bottom and eventually you’ll get there.  The prices can only go so low.  The store can only be open so many hours.  And we’re quickly getting there.  This year’s prices don’t seem that great.  Everyone’s opening on Thursday afternoon.  We’re on the threshold of the bottom- where everyone is open 24 hours and the prices are all equally low.  And then what?  Hope to get your share of the spending?  Doesn’t sound like a great strategy.

Might be time to consider your work too.  Are you in a constant game of “one-upping” the competition?  Sounds like a race to the bottom.  And in that race, if you win, you lose.  So ask yourself- what are you going to do differently?  How are you going to get a premium for your product or service? 

Rather than try to win a race to the bottom, why not play a different game?

Subject Matter Experts versus Trainers

There is a big difference.  A Trainer might also be a Subject Matter Expert.  But a Subject Matter Expert is not necessarily a Trainer.

Don't make the mistake of putting the person who knows the most at the front of the room.  If they're too technical or too detailed, you'll lose the knowledge transfer.  A Trainer's expertise is in taking a complex subject and making it simple and digestible.  Subject Matter Experts have to be complex.  They deal with nuance and details and fix the things that only someone with intimate knowledge can.

Put it this way... Hank Haney is not the greatest golfer in the world.  But he trains the best golfers in the world.  And the best golfers in the world couldn't do what Hank Haney does.  Teaching and doing are separate skill sets.

So when you're trying to figure out who is best to deliver your content, don't assume it's the person with the most knowledge.  Don't worry about who can do it best; find the one who can explain it best.

He Who Cares the Most, Wins

Just about everyone knows you have to pick your battles.  You're not likely to win them all and even if you could, doing so just makes you a tyrant.  Anyone who's got a good EQ understands that there is a time and a place for compromise.

So how do you decide?  Here's my little rule- The person with the most passion wins.

After all, we both know that passion beats smarts.  So it really won't matter if it's the best idea that wins.  As long as the idea is sound, the results should be the same or better.

So when you reach an impasse with your team on what to do next, rather than try to figure out who's idea is "best" simply ask yourself, "who cares the most that will see this ship?  Who will be bolstered most by the win to take the momentum over the finish line?"  Pick that idea and watch the results happen.

Passion Beats Smarts

Every time.  If you can have them both, so much the better.  But when you have to choose, choose passion.

Smarts may know HOW to cross the finish line, but only passion won't stop until it's crossed.

Who's Driving?

There's a reason only one seat in the car has a steering wheel.  Can you imagine if they all did?  If everyone in the car knew the destination, but had a different opinion of which route was "best" AND had the power to change directions?  That ends one of two ways- A) in the ditch or, B) at a total stand still.  Either way, people are getting hurt and yelling at each other.  That's why a car only has one steering wheel.  Because to get anywhere safely, you ultimately need one person making the decisions on how to operate the vehicle.

It's the same when you have a project team trying to accomplish a goal.  If someone doesn't have a steering wheel, or worse, if everyone does, you're going to end up in a ditch.  There are simply too many good, feasible ideas in a group.  Sure, you could do it lots of ways- but you can't do it every way.  Someone must have the power to decide and that person must have the leadership to be willing to consider the options but still take a stance. Otherwise you get nowhere or worse, you crash.

And by the by, never agree to ride in a car with multiple steering wheels either.  That's just signing up for a bad trip.

Put That On a Rock On Your Desk...

(Editor's Note- This is a repost from earlier this year of my personal favorite piece.  New content will be back this Friday, but enjoy this lost treasure as I enjoy my holiday weekend :)

Years ago (which always sounds weird to me when I say it given my age- but it’s the truth) in my Disney days I stumbled across a really cool piece in an Art of Disney store. It was a collection of quotations by Walt Disney that were etched onto glass which was shaped like a cut rock. There were like 3 or 4 different quotes, but one of them immediately struck me.

“You can dream, create, design, and build the most wonderful place in the world…but it takes people to make the dream a reality.”

Since I’ve always been passionate about training and development, this quote has continually and perfectly captured a piece of my soul- that without great people, nothing else matters. It was a beautiful desk piece with an even more beautiful and profound message.

I should have bought it.

I don’t know why I didn’t right there on the spot- but I didn’t. To this day I cannot remember what ridiculous reasoning would have led me to that dumb decision. But even without the piece, the quote and its spirit have remained with me forever.

And that’s profound- because rarely in life can you find the perfect combination of words that says so much with so little. That ideal phrase that simply and elegantly explains great depths of thought and principle. Like a true work of art- the words are beautiful at a glance and masterful as they are studied. No wonder you would want that sitting on your desk everyday- keeping your mind focused on what’s right.

Which is why for years in my training and coaching when someone says something truly profound I have often responded “put that on a rock on your desk.”

Because when you can find a simple statement that can capture so much and keep you so centered, you want it to feel permanent. And you want it there every time you look up, reminding you of what really matters.

This year my tireless efforts and relentless pursuit of Walt’s words have paid-off as I am now in a job where every day through training and development I am impacting the people I work with to make our company better. That rock on the desk of my mind has kept me focused in my pursuit of my dream and the rewards are really starting to materialize.

And then, last weekend at a charity yard sale, sitting half-covered in bin full of knick-knacks,

I found that rock.

When chasing a dream it’s important to have a constant focus. So ask yourself this question-

What would you put on a rock on your desk?

Back to the Books

I have to admit, I've been slacking.

I've been so busy with so many projects, tasks, and such that I haven't been hitting the books the way I should be.  And the funny thing is, I can feel it.  I notice the dip in my creative energy- really my energy overall.  As someone that Gallup has described as high in "Strategic, Input, and Ideation" I know how much my energy can depend on a constant stream of new ideas.

And yet, because I've been so busy, I've let the flow dry up.  And I notice it.

You probably notice it too when you let your fuel run dry.  The question is, do you know what fuels you?  Personality profiles- like Gallup Strengthsfinder- can help if you need a start.  But no matter what you should know what keeps you fresh, inspired, and motivated and then make sure you are making time to indulge it.  A small investment in your drive will pay huge dividends in your endurance.

So for me, it's back to the books.  If you have any good suggestions, please feel free to send them my way (@JeffreyBWeaver on Twitter, or in the comments).  And for you- figure out what motivates you and make time to indulge it.  You'll be glad you did.

Updates

Just about every morning when I open my iPhone I see a little red badge over the App Store letting me know I have an app with an update.

Sometimes it's a small fix for a bug I never even noticed.  Other times it's an exciting new user interface to dazzle me.  Maybe it's that feature I've always wanted and wrote so much feedback about.  You never know until you open it.  It's like App Christmas.

But it's also a reminder that no matter how much I love my favorite Apps- they're never quite done.  There are always improvements.  They're always getting better.

Walt Disney once said that what he loved about his theme parks more than his movies was that the parks were alive and always changing.  Once a movie was done, it was done.  (George Lucas proved him wrong, but let's not digress...)

The point is this- don't be afraid to update.  And, because of that, don't be afraid to ship.  Quit waiting for it to be right and simply make it "be." 

You can always update later. 

Inspiration

It can come from anywhere.  A quote, a picture, a simple random thought.  And it's happening constantly.  Every moment of every day, you're being bombarded with sensory overload- any one input perhaps holding the key to sparking a fire.

How to you manage that? 

First, you have to be open.  You have to be aware, alert, and accepting of these new ideas and perspectives.  You have to acknowledge them.

Second, you have to be discriminating.  You can't waste time trying to coddle a bad idea.  Let those go- the quicker the better.  Push them out to make room for the new ones that hold more promise.

How will you know when it's the right one?  You'll feel it.  If all you can do is rationalize, if all you can do is analyze- you're doing it wrong.  The best inspiration doesn't hit us rationally.  It hits us emotionally.  It sparks us.  Kindle those fires.  They will burn brightest.

Don't Fight the Current

When you live in Florida, you grow up with rip currents.  Times when the water flow off the beach becomes particularly strong and can easily sweep swimmers away.  Strong, experienced swimmers have lost their lives to rip currents because they try to swim against them.  The fight like a salmon to forge ahead and eventually succumb to exhaustion. 

So you're taught from a young age that if you get caught in a rip current, don't try to swim against it.  Instead, you take an angle and let it move you along while you work your way back to shore.  You may end up many miles from where you started and have to walk back, but your chances of survival are better.

Change can be much the same way.  Sometimes we don't see it coming and we are quickly swept up in a fast moving current.  One that we often cannot control or stop.  And if you try to fight that change head on, you may just exhaust yourself and be done.

Instead, when the change you're facing is too powerful to stop, lean into it and look for way to change course just enough to get back to safety.  Even if you eventually have to walk your way back, it's important to realize when you can't fight the tide.  Don't fight the current.  But don't think you're stuck wherever it leaves you either.

A Very Particular Set of Skills

That’s what you need in today’s job market.  Does a degree help?  Sure.  But it’s not enough on its own.

What employers and customers want are skills.  They want to know you are capable and competent.  Can you get the job done and in a meaningful way?  Do you have a high standard for excellence?  Do you serve well?  Are you passionate?  Do you deliver value?  They won’t care much where or how those skills were acquired.  Be it in formal training or over a very long career. 

But you’re going to have to deliver.  And the better your track record of delivering, the more you’ll be worth.

One more thought- is it better to be a specialist or a generalist?  I hear that a lot, but the answer is actually dependent on a very different question; who do you want to work for?  Large companies, where resources abound, will want specialists.  Their economy of scale makes it possible for them to pay a lot for a narrow task and they will want the best of that breed.  But if you’re sights are set on smaller organizations, go general.  The more you can do, the bigger your value to a company that has limited resources and needs more “bang for the buck.”  That can help you find your place in this job market as well.

Input Sabbatical

I love ideas.  New ideas, new concepts, new perspectives.  Innovation and invention are my drugs and, like any good addict, I've invested a lot of time and energy into getting my fixes.  But also like any drug, too much can do you harm.

Lately, I've found myself in that very position.  For a while I've been riding a great "high" of ideas.  My notebooks are overflowing and it seem as though every project I have has a buffet of new thoughts or directions to choose from.  It's been fun, it's been exciting, but it's become overwhelming- paraylyzing even.  I'm unable to get anything closed out, or move anything forward, because the vision, or the path keeps changing.

So I had to stop.  I had to stop reading my blogs, my Twitter feed, and anything else that I normally turned to for inspiration.  I need to back off the new ideas.  Because the ideas I already had need to ship.  Remember- if you don't ship, you're not accomplishing anything.  Many good ideas have died in wait because we wouldn't ship until it's perfect.

So I took an idea sabbatical.  Instead of finding new ways, new ideas, and new perspectives, I'm focusing on shipping what I have.

Because we can always improve it later.  It can be refined, improved, or polished down the line.  If you wait for perfect to ship, you never will.

So if you're finding youself overwhelmed and falling behind because you keep refining the process, consider an idea sabbatical.  Block out the new ideas just long enough to ship the ones you have.  You have to clean your plate before you go back for more.

(PS- that's not permission to ship something sub-par and clean it up later.  Standards still matter.  This is about how ideas evolve.  Quality still matters.)

I'll be back...

I'm on a much needed vacation this week, so nothing new to post. 

But when I come back, I'd like to take a crack at writing somethings that my followers might suggest.

So if you have an idea for a blog topic you'd like me to write on, leave me a comment, or send me a tweet (@JeffreyBWeaver) and let me know.  I'll pick one to be the new blog when I get back.

See you soon!

(P.S.- if you want to follow my trip, follow my Twitter or Instagram, both @JeffreyBWeaver for the adventure)

Everywhere you go, you'll always take the weather with you...

Stop Trying to Please the Critics

It's thier job to find fault anyway.  Any critic who gave nothing but glowing reviews without picking things apart would be fired.  That's not the job.  The job is to find fault.  The job is point out the alternatives that were passed on.  The job is to critique.  Nothing less than "perfection" (which each critic defines differently anyway) would appease them.  If you're doing your work to please a critic, you've already failed.

Instead, do your work to please your audience.  Know your tribe and do what you do to delight them.  They are who matters.

And even then, realize that sometimes, as the artist, you know best.  Which is why trust matters, too.

But let the critics critique.  It's what they do best.

And create your work anyway.  That's what you do best.

The Case Against Facebook (And what you can learn from it)

Here's a simple mantra- Never let the measurement become your motivation.

It's a great thing to remember when you are leading with "why" and working for a cause, not just a paycheck.

Unfortunately, as the folks over at Facebook have found out, once you IPO, the measurement is inescapable.

(For the sake of disclosure, let me quick say this- I've never liked Facebook.  I didn't start using it until it became a mobile app and I only keep it to stay in-touch with some long-distance friends.  There's a reason you don't see a Facebook page on my profile here and you never would.  I've simply never been a fan.  So perhaps I'm not the target demographic and thus my critiques here are invalid.  Fine.  But the broader points will still hold.)

When Facebook started out, it wasn't about Ad dollars, or "Eyeballs", or any of that.  It started out as connections.  As friends.  As a way to know what was going on with each other.  And that "why" satisfited that need we all have to be connected to the people we know and love.  It drew a lot of attention.  Even some of the early add-ons, games, fan pages, etc, were all about knowledge and connection.  And then a funny thing happened.

Someone came along and said, "Hey, that's quite a crowd you have there.  Mind if we sell to them?  Here's a big pile of money if you say yes."

Now, don't mis-understand, I'm not against profit or capitalism or any of that.  But someone should have said "sure, but only if we can maintain our "why" and keep it about connections."  But no one did.  Instead, Facebook started changing from being about connections to products and promotions.  Highly customized, sure, but the "why" changed.

And then it got worse.  To the point that now my phone's notifications are going off constantly letting me know that businesses- not friends or family- but games and ads are awaiting me on Facebook.

I'm over it.  I shut down all my notifications.  And if my feed keeps being clogged up, I'm going to shut off the app too.  Because that wasn't the deal.  I didn't sign up for marketing; I signed up for connections.  But Facebook changed the "why" and now they're going to lose me.  And I'm sure I'm not the only one.

The lesson is this- you need to know your "why" and you need to protect it.  You need to keep others from taking you away from it and changing it.  You cannot let the measurement (whether money or "eyeballs" or anything else) become what motivates you.  Because it will not motivate your tribe.  They follow a "why"- they won't show up just so you can make your numbers.

Facebook isn't unique here either.  Plenty of noble companies have lost their way and fallen.  MySpace did.  Twitter's on the way now.  Facebook won't be far behind.  But the question for you and your company is- will you be next?

Language & Culture

The two are inexorably linked. 

You could put someone from New Orleans and Paris in the same room.  They might both speak French, but they'll have a hard time communicating.  Dialect is a product of culture.

The nuance matters.  The colloquialisms matter.  Their distinctness is part of the culture.

So if you plan on creating, building, growing, or maintaining a culture; you better think about the language.

It matters.

Compromise

Do it on the unimportant stuff.  That's easy.  If you care less then they do, then cave.  And the more  stuff you can put on the "unimportant" list, the better off you'll be.

Never do it on the important stuff.  The core, the essentials, the things that matter most.  Be passionate, be persuasive, and be firm.  Notice I didn't say stubborn.  Or impossible.  But when it matters, when the soul of the idea is at stake, don't cave.  Especially to win something on the unimportant list.

Now here's the hard part.  What belongs on which list? (*Hint- there's probably too much on the "important" list after the first draft)

Reconnected

Well, I did it.

A whole weekend partially disconnected from my digital life. No work, no social media of any kind, no blogging, no e-books or Angry Birds. No checking-in, no front page, and I didn't "Like" anything.

So how was it? Well...

First up, it was a lot harder than I anticipated. Apparently I've grown much more accustomed to my digital life than I realized. Not having several devices going at once; not being constantly in-touch was weird. And more than once I found myself having pangs of withdraw not knowing what my online friends were up to. And I was bored at first; way more than I expected to be. I had no idea how much I had come to rely on my multitasking ways. It was an eye opener.

But that said, it was great. I felt so much more engaged and present. I played with the dog instead of telling her to get off my lap. I watched a little TV, but it wasn't just background noise- I actually watched. I listened to music more than normal. I got outside, went for a walk, and just relaxed. I was much more mindful of what I was doing and I was much more pleased with myself.

The funny thing was I really didn't think I had a problem. Going into this weekend I really thought I'd just notice it a bit but that wouldn't be a big deal. I had no idea how truly dependent I was on all my distractions until I took them away. I'm glad I did.

So what have I learned? That I need to do this more often. I think more weekends are going to be "e-free" or at least "e-reduced." I'm definitely going to stop the multitasking. It's not good for me. I'm going to be more mindful and more present. And I'm going to try to mix up my life and get out the routine.

Not bad for a weekend experiment.

Disconnect

When was the last time you were unplugged from your devices?

Yeah, I don't remember either.

I recently got the newest iPad and so now I have this incredible Retnia Display to look at.  But I'm having a harder time than ever not looking at it.  To the point that it's making my eyes hurt.  Not good.

And the ADD, oh the ADD.  When I do put my iPad down for a minute, I almost immediately find a reason to pick up my iPhone.  All this while my Mac is compiling a video and the TV is on the background.

It's noisy.

It's straining.

It's harmful.

So I'm going to disconnect.  For the whole weekend.  I'm going to read real books, not e-books.  I'm going to forego the internet.  I'm going to turn off my Twitter feed.  And I'm not going to multitask at all.

I'll let you know how it goes in a special Monday update.  But for now, I'm signing off.  One weekend of disconnecting from my toys and actually living my life. 

Anyone want to join me?