Tag Archives: leadership

What do you do if your Leaders are Crooked?

Posted in Contribution, Practicing Self Mastery by

mocha momentsWhen I was in the print industry there were some advertising agencies that I could never get work from. Rumors were that the purchasers were taking bribes and the company I worked for was not prepared to do business that way. I never had any proof of same but occasionally such a person would vacate the position and wonders of all wonders – we’d start to get requests for quotes and work again from their replacement.

That was in the early ’90s. Fast forward to today.

A casual conversation with a colleague at DocuCentre about “how’s business?” revealed that he is no longer getting contracts from Government owned businesses because the people in charge are giving the contracts to their friends.

Then there is my client who supplies the construction and oil and gas industries citing numerous cases of unethical business practices. In one instance the purchasing person would only process a particular supplier’s order only when he provided a “reasonable incentive”.

As David Rudder once said to Ellis Chow Lin On – “You have me by the bullocks” I find bullock-holding quite uncomfortable myself. Thanks to the leadership I’ve had in my life – starting with my parents, eldest brother Derek (who always encouraged me to stand for my rights), my friend Freito who always advised keeping everyone at “F-you distance!” (and who was adamant about never bribing custom’s officers to process goods for his company faster) and subsequent bosses in various jobs I’m happy that I learned the right way to do business: honestly, ethically, completely above board and transparent.

Jim Dornan, the leader of Network 21 says “in any country where the government is crooked and the leaders are crooked and selfish, being able to circumvent authority and working the system are seen as virtues.”

Which brings me to the leadership in my country. Last night, at a small class reunion, my friends of various backgrounds – health, the arts, teaching, banking and geoscience all expressed dissatisfaction with the way we were being led as a nation. The on-going lies we are being fed as adults, the double standards, the hypocrisy, the issues not being addressed, the word games and semantics between the number of homicides versus murders and on and on.

A somber mood took over as each person felt ill-equipped to actually DO anything to change the direction of events. Sure we could vote ‘THEM’ out but what guarantees do we have that those that we “VOTE IN” will be any different?

I volunteered that we first accept where we were – awareness – and then move on from there. The conversation changed gears to the very loud background music but the thought stayed with me – what CAN we do to change the course of events?

I believe it is our responsibility to become better leaders, all of us, regardless of the example shown by our present leaders – whether it’s those leading the country or those leading companies. Let us in turn add value to all those who interact with us, sharing our principles and values and what we know to be right. In this way we will all become change agents in this ever evolving twin island Republic and contribute to the future success of our nation and ourselves.

You can choose to become a better leader right where you are – RIGHT NOW!

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Being Childlike Gives us the Right ‘Tude to Living Successfully

Posted in Developing the Possibilities Mindset, Practicing Self Mastery by

 

Last night I went to a village called Hope in Tobago to listen to my friend Marcia Miranda sing. It was a small crowd and the chairs were placed quite a distance from the small stage. As Marcia got on stage she asked the people in the audience to come a little closer – she wanted to feel some energy and warmth as she eased into her performance. Guess who immediately got up and moved their chairs front, centre stage? That’s right! THE CHILDREN.

I watched a couple adults move but none to where the kids sat. As Marcia progressed through her repertoire, I felt the collective energy of each child rocking on their chairs, thoroughly enjoying the moment. And then she asked them to join her on stage! They could not get up there fast enough and with just one simple request, she got them all engaged in an upward hand slapping motion every time “The Tiefin’ Parang Band” made off with something else! :)

‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:2-4).

Did I join the children on stage you ask? Of course not! I was too self conscious as perhaps were the other adults.

But it got me thinking about how much more fun life could be if we could regularly step outside of our comfort zones and just DO things! How would my life be different if I were a little more spontaneous and a little less controlling and structured – wanting things to be perfect?

This morning I stumbled upon an interview with Ani DiFranco aptly titled Out on a Limb by Anil Prasad. I believe I was Googling ‘out on a limb’ and it surfaced….not too important… but Ani’s response here was:

“I’ve had a few conversations in the last few years with younger artists I admire. I guess the situation was mutual. I was hearing from younger people who listened to me coming up that my work emboldened them in some way. They thanked me for my “go-out-on-a-limb-itude” and my push-the-envelope nature. So, I started thinking about the role that I play…”

Ani’s willingness to go out on a limb…her Star Trek nature – to boldly go where no man or woman has gone before through song – her ability to maintain the child like spirit of humility and sincerity, without trying to make an impression, emboldened others.

And she understands the importance of keeping the balance between learning, collaborating and self expression…

“So, we exposed each other to stuff and influenced one another. I really loved that sense of community. But in terms of my relationship with my art, I can get a little lost, because I am such a sponge and so influenceable. Sometimes I get off track with my work and I have to check back in with my solo self to get my music-making grounded again. So, both situations are cool.”

Always check in with the child in you – the expressor, the adventurer, the spontaneity lover, the one who wants to just have some fun and be THAT person!

I did have fun last night but I wonder just how much more the moment would have been had I tapped into the child in me?

Happy Employees = Profitable Business

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The business climate is still a shaky one. Uncertainty reigns supreme. Because of the State of Emergency, many businesses have no choice but to lay off staff because the volume of business just isn’t there to warrant retaining as many employees to serve during the limited operating hours and dwindling customer base.

This decision has come at a price. Those employees who remain on payroll are now being asked to do more for the same compensation. Although unhappy about this arrangement, after seeing their coworkers laid off, these employees accept the unspoken truth: “Be happy that you still have a job at all.”

The happiness level that these remaining employees express regarding having a job in these times does not however transfer to the job they’re actually doing. As glad as most are to still be working, their level of satisfaction and their loyalty to the businesses they work for have eroded. With fears about job security and few prospects for changing jobs in the present economic climate, these employees “soldier on,” – biding their time.

Biding time is not a very good attitude or approach and does not create an environment that will yield profitable results any time soon.

Whenever I am working with a small business towards reinvention there is a questionnaire that I give to all the employees which they answer anonymously. This approach gives me some assurance that they are answering truthfully and not saying things so that they are not singled out or in some cases victimized for their answers.

The Gallup Q12 employee engagement survey starts with the question “Do you know what is expected of you at work?” and ends with “In the last year, have you had opportunities at work to learn and grow?” Once the survey is complete I tally the results and present it to the management team and almost always the team members are shocked by the employee’s responses. They argue, and fret and in some cases feel hurt that their good intentions go unrecognized by the very people that they lead.

There is a definite disconnect between what employers perceive and what employees actually feel. Although the economic climate is a toughie – many employees are actively looking for work and hoping to work elsewhere within the next year. Employers on the other hand, perceive employees to be more loyal than they are.

Business owners need to wake up and pay attention. Employees can get on your best nerve at most times but without good employees where will you be? And when things get better as we know they will – will your business be the kind of business that employees voluntarily choose to remain loyal to, even though the benefits are not as attractive as your competitor who is persistently head hunting in your territory?

There is a reason Gallup’s Q12 employee engagement survey starts with the question “Do you know what is expected of you at work?” It’s because crystal clarity is the single most important factor in determining whether or not you have a workplace that will attract and retain top performers.  Even marginal uncertainty can undermine the focus on an entire organization.

Michael Hyatt of Intentional Leadership recently provided some useful nuggets to providing the kind of work environment where people are happier operating in an environment of accountability:

  1. Spell out key responsibilities in writing and review it again and again. If people don’t know how they are being measured, it is difficult for them to be accountable for delivering results!
  2. You must spell out what new behaviors are expected, who will be measuring them, and how often…and then actually do it! Otherwise, just save yourself the time and frustration of rolling out another new program.
  3. Most training introduces new skills. Terrific! But how many persist after 30 days? Typically few. If you want your training to deliver a lasting impact, translate the learnings into specific behaviors that must change. Prioritize them among existing priorities. Publicize them. Measure whether or not they are done.  Don’t just go through the motions with training and expect things to be different this time.

While this sounds simple enough, pitfalls are common and managers and leaders must focus, think long-term, and seek to eliminate these non-progressive beliefs:

  1. People will work harder only if they get paid more and are given perks
  2. Everyone can excel at anything provided they try hard enough
  3. Master how to treat one employee – master all employees

There is no simple solution. Increase in pay does not mean a corresponding increase in loyalty or the happiness factor amongst your employees. However you need to start really living what most pay lip service to – that “People are an organization’s most valuable asset.”

Your organization is filled with people with varying talents in all different combinations. Start looking at what each person is bringing to the table and quit trying to fix “weaknesses” and perhaps by getting to know the people who work for you better and showing them how to leverage their strengths you will end up with happy employees (the authentic way) – and a more profitable business.

Some will, some won’t – SO WHAT?

Posted in Practicing Self Mastery by

I believe it was Dale Carnegie who said “a man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still.”

I have to remind myself about this OFTEN!

I just want the best for everybody. And I need to believe that each person wants the best for themselves. But you cannot force someone to do something just because you THINK it will be good for them.

We are all at different stages in our growth and development along life’s highway. Some learn what’s best for them sooner rather than later but in most cases it seems that somewhere just past the mid mark on the highway, we begin to understand ourselves a whole lot better and as a result – make better decisions in our favor.

I actually feel sad knowing that there are going to be large numbers of folks who will reach the end of the highway and still have all their potential in them – safely in tact.

Listening to a SUCCESS Cd the other day, leadership guru – John Maxwell reminded me of this story:

When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.  I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.  When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town.  I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.  Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family.  My family and I could have made an impact on our town.  Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.  ~Author Unknown

Today I continue to want the best for all who interact with me directly, who cross my path occasionally, and who because of someone else’s suggestion – may hear about something I wrote or said.

I want what’s best for everyone and so each day I strive to be a better Giselle Hudson. In that way I’m doing my part and doing ALL that is in my control to do – today.

Some will change, some won’t change but so what? That’s not my business as long as I’m changing – that’s all that matters. The Universe will take care of the rest.


Great Teachers are Great Leaders (I’ve had a few in my life)…

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They don’t make teachers like they used to – But then again – I’m no longer in school so what do I know?

What I do know for sure is that at Bishop Anstey Junior School there were three teachers that had a significant impact on my life:

  1. Mrs Massiah
  2. Miss (as far as I can remember :) ) Cumberbatch (who myself, Cecilia Thompson and Jacqueline Morris referred to as Ms. Cumbie)
  3. and Leslie Hoyte

Mrs Massiah saw in me stuff that I didn’t see in myself. She encouraged me to stretch and to grow. She shone a light on my strengths and never hesitated to punish me when I went off track – but punishment of the ‘you can learn from this’ variety. Not beating. But sometimes a long stay up near the board, by yourself, so that you had some time to THINK about what you did. The thing is – once it was over. It was over. She didn’t refer to it ever again. No ‘you remember the time when I had to’ – no – none of that. In that light – I wanted to improve – first for myself. Anything after that was icing on the cake and it came as a broad beam on her face that told me that she was proud of me.

Ms Cumbie on the other hand was the scripture teacher. She had us learn psalm 100 and that popular prayer by St Ignatius of Loyola. At the time I had no clue why we had to memorize these verses yet today not only can I recite them by heart but just these two – have had a significant impact on my life. Psalm 100 is primarily about gratitude and that popular prayer by St I. is like a rule book for life. It’s about focus and what we focus on does expand. Had Ms Cumbie tried to wax philosophical then, she would have lost us. But I guess part of her new that by insisting on us committing it to memory that the words would stay indelibly on our hearts and influence our lives forever.

And finally Leslie Hoyte – the art teacher – who was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy cool and wore black nail polish. She taught me that it is was OK to be different. Here I was, a fat kid, teased and mocked, so self conscious that I stuck to reading and trying to fade into the bland school walls. In art I was able to express. In art class Ms. Hoyte SAW me. I have no memory as to whether she thought my art was good or bad – what I do know is that being seen allowed me to open up in a way that I perhaps never did before.

We can all be Great Leaders but not by trying to be anything. I doubt that any of these teachers fully realized their impact. What each had was a definiteness of purpose, strong values and the intention to bring out the best in EVERY SINGLE CHILD that crossed their paths.

We can build a better world by taking home this one idea: today – why don’t you first bring out your best self and once you have the opportunity – encourage the best in others.

Thank you Mrs Massiah, Ms. Cumbie and Leslie (which she sometimes allowed me to call her although I never abused nor disrespected her :) !) – THANK YOU!!!!!

image from http://www.family.webshots.com

Do you have a high performing team or a group of high performers?

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We’ve heard the acronym before that T-E-A-M means “Together Everyone Achieves More.” The most important word there would be TOGETHER. Team is a word that gets tagged onto other words like work and mate to communicate togetherness, the spirit of the team is described as if describing the spirit of the whole – yet how many teams function as REAL teams?

What do I mean by real? Well, for starters are your team members open, honest, supportive and aware of themselves and each other? And is your team’s collective output greater than each member’s individual contribution? The power of real collaboration is awesome in its ability to guarantee outstanding results. Still, in spite of the possibility of such awesomeness, so much lip service is paid to teamwork and team leadership in business. Most workgroups never reach the level of effectiveness of a real team and few groups actually achieve the promise of real teamwork through a team building effort.

Read the rest here…

Keep the grass closest to you – Green

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Have you ever noticed that many times the grass immediately surrounding a sprinkler head is brown? Laurie Beth Jones calls this the Sprinkler Phenomenon of Management. So much energy and drive is going to the outer reaches of the yard that the grass closes to the source of the water is left dry.

We often ignore the people closest to us. In our personal relationships that might include siblings, parents, children and spouses. In a business setting we may fail to acknowledge those people who we perceive as “little”: the security guard, the receptionist, the parking attendant.  Today it’s even more likely that others close to us will be ignored because we are too busy “berrying” or simply caught up in trying to make sense of the turmoil in our heads.

I read of a case where someone was hired to conduct a series of seminars at an osteopathic hospital in Texas. Apparently 75% of the staff did not know what the term osteopathic meant! This hospital had spent nearly $500,000 educating the public through television and newspaper ads, yet the cooks, clerks, cleaning crew and admitting staff STILL did not know what osteopathic meant. Are you assuming that all your staff are aware of what you are offering? In this same case study, a security guard, upon learning what osteopathic meant, asked enthusiastically for flyers to pass out to his friends. Before when people asked him, he simply said that he did not know. According to research, every person is acquainted with at least 250 people. Each person employed by you is ruling a little empire. Are you leveraging this in your favour? Even if you think that the people “they know” are not your customers, these employees can contribute positively to your company’s influence and reputation which can directly affect your growth positively.

‘Punctuality is non negotiable. Chronic lateness is a form of arrogance – “I’m important enough to make others wait for me” – and it puts other team members in a bind because they have to cover for the tardy person’…so read one of my recent Facebook updates on my business page http://www.facebook.com/WomenInLeadership to which one of my followers responded – “tell that to some doctors, girlfriend.”

Interestingly I came across the top seven reasons patients leave their doctors (none of which included the docs tardiness but I do have a point.) Number one was the inability to trust the physician’s staff. (Number five was outdated magazines in the waiting room, and number seven was disputes over billing.) If a patient does not like or trust the receptionist they may leave and NEVER tell the doctor why. If the doctor does not care to give an explanation for lateness or is ALWAYS late, why should the receptionist care? You have not even seen the patient, and already this “customer” (yes patients are customers) is already feeling disrespected. Why should they stay?

I guess specialists don’t have to worry too much because well, they are in demand. General Practitioners might have a challenge but I am not sure. Even if you aren’t a doctor, you need to pay attention. As the leader, (boss, doctor, manager) everyone will follow what you do. Make sure what you’re doing, is what you wish to be communicated. Remember the ripple is always in effect, starting in small circles and then spreading into much bigger ones.

Just about anybody can figure out how to sell things. But there’s genius in creating customers for life. While there’s terrific income to be had from making sales, wealth is most certain by developing CUSTOMERS FOR LIFE! But there we go again in hot pursuit of new business, taking for granted the business already on our books. In other words, ignoring the ‘grass’ closest to us in search of better ‘grass’ seeds to grow! Most businesses after making the first sale, never try to sell that customer anything else. Car sales executives are masters of this. They are just interested in selling that next new car. But what else is there to sell – you might ask? Well if you kept in touch, you might sell one of your customer’s friends a car. Remember the 250 earlier?

Think about how ludicrous this is. You prefer to spend time, effort and expense trying to convince/persuade potential customers to change their minds and buy from you while you already have customers who have basically said “we trust you, and HAVE bought from you.” Which group is easier to sell to? Stop wasting your money only trying to attract new business.  Doing so is like being a farmer who insists on scattering his seeds on concrete, then complaining when he has nothing to harvest!

You need to manage your business from the inside out. You need to ensure that your staff know about your business and what’s going on at all times. The questions to ask are: “Do I sometimes overlook the people/customers closest to me? If so, what can I do to correct that?” If you keep the grass closest to you green – you will not lose money, nor will you fail!