PraiseforIgnited

"Managers of theworld, rejoice. There is finally a book for you.Vince'sbookcontainssomeofthebestadviceyou'llevergetongettingthebestoutof people and enduring the constant stress that comes with managinghuman beings. Simple, easy to use, and inspiring. If youmanage people,buy one. If you manage managers, buy a box. In a world of leadershipbooksthatmayormaynotapplytoyoursituation—thisbookwillhityouinthebull's-eye."—TimSanders,authorofLoveIstheKillerApp:HowToWinBusinessandInfluenceFriendsandformerChiefSolutionsOfficeratYahoo!

"Ignited isagroundbreakingleadershipbookthat iffollowedwillunleashany organizations most underutilized resource—Middle Managers. Toolong neglected and too often abused, Vince Thompson lays out how tomaximizethesemanagers'untappedpotential,anditisHUGE!Ifyouneedresultsandneedanenergizedmanagement team, Ignited is theonlybookyouneedtoread."—ChesterElton,co-authoroftheNewYorkTimesbest-sellingInvisible

Employee

"Leadingfromthemiddlehasalwaysbeena toughjob. In today'srapidlychanging environment, it's even harder. With Ignited, Thompson takesmanagers right to the heart of their roles and shows them how they areuniquely positioned to energize their companies. Ignited promises morepower,morepurpose,andmoresuccessandreallydelivers."—LindaA.Livingstone,Ph.D.,Dean,TheGraziadioSchoolofBusiness

andManagement,PepperdineUniversity

"What will make your career hot—or not—is whether you can inspire aburning desire for change and growth in the people around you. VinceThompsonshowshowtodothistogetthesuccessyoudeserve."

—KeithFerrazzi,best-sellingauthorofNeverEatAlone,CEOofFerrazziGreenlight

"Thompson's the real deal and his book on management stands out likenoneother.I'mrecommendingittomyteamandencourageyoutotakehispurpose-filledadviceandtrulybeIgnited!"

—AlanCohen,CMOTVGuide

"Anyone trying to navigate the treacherous shoals of today's middlemanagement dilemmawithout this book does so at his or her own peril.VinceThompsonspellsoutindeliciousdetailhowtostandapartfromthecrowdandactuallygetthingsdone"

—GranvilleToogood,executivecoachandauthorofTheArticulateExecutive—LearntoLook,ActandSoundlikeaLeader

"Ignited is just superb. Rich with terrific insights into the managers'dilemmas, this book delivers on the promise for managers to become"Ignited", energized andpassionate in theirwork.Oneof the experiencesandrecommendationssoresonatedwiththecurrentsituationmyfriendisinthat I pointed it out to him and now he's reading the book as well! I'mcertainI'llberecommendingthisbookforyearstocome."—JanSola,Ph.D.,AssociateDirector,ExecutiveDevelopmentCenter,

LeaveySchoolofBusiness,SantaClaraUniversity

"Ifyouwanttogettothetop,you'vegottomakemeaningfulcontributions.WithIgnited,Thompsonprovidesaframeworkforpurposefulandpowerfulaction."

—JeffreyFox,bestsellingauthorofHowtoBecomeCEOandHowtoGettotheTop:BusinessLessonsLearnedattheDinnerTable

"Thanks to Vince Thompson, we're reminded that we, managers in themiddle,arenotalone!Withentertaininganecdotes,reallifeexamples,andsolid research, you'll find Ignited really connects.You'll laugh, you'll cry,and if you follow the advice you'll find yourself managing your careerrather than beingmanaged by it. Thiswonderful book is amust read foranyoneinmanagement."—LisaTichadou,SalesTrainingManager,EmployeeDevelopment,Los

AngelesTimes

Ignited

Inanincreasinglycompetitiveworld,itisqualityofthinkingthatgives

anedge—anideathatopensnewdoors,atechniquethatsolvesaproblem,oraninsightthatsimplyhelpsmakesenseofitall.

Weworkwithleadingauthorsinthevariousarenasofbusinessand

financetobringcutting-edgethinkingandbest-learningpracticestoaglobalmarket.

Itisourgoaltocreateworld-classprintpublicationsandelectronicproductsthatgivereadersknowledgeandunderstandingthatcanthenbe

applied,whetherstudyingoratwork.

Tofindoutmoreaboutourbusinessproducts,youcanvisitusatwww.ftpress.com.

Ignited

Managers!LightUpYourCompanyandCareerforMorePower,

MorePurpose,andMoreSuccess

VinceThompson

AnImprintofPearsonEducationUpperSaddleRiver,NJ•NewYork•London•SanFrancisco•Toronto•

SydneyTokyo•Singapore•HongKong•CapeTown•Madrid

Paris•Milan•Munich•Amsterdamwww.ftpress.com

VicePresident,Editor-in-Chief:TimMooreAcquisitionsEditor:PaulaSinnott,JenniferSimonEditorialAssistant:SusieAbrahamDevelopmentEditor:RussHallAssociateEditor-in-ChiefandDirectorofMarketing:AmyNeidlingerPublicist:AmyFandreiMarketingCoordinator:MeganColvinCoverDesigner:ChutiPrasertsithManagingEditor:GinaKanouseProjectEditor:TerraDaltonCopyEditor:LisaThibaultIndexer:ErikaMillenCompositor:codeMantraManufacturingBuyer:DanUhrigProofreader:PageOneEditing,Inc.

©2007byVinceThompsonPublishedbyPearsonEducation,Inc.PublishingasFTPressUpperSaddleRiver,NewJersey07458

FTPressoffersexcellentdiscountson thisbookwhenordered inquantityfor bulk purchases or special sales. Formore information, please contactU.S. Corporate and Government Sales, 1-800-382-3419,corpsales@pearsontechgroup.com.ForsalesoutsidetheU.S.,pleasecontactInternationalSalesatinternational@pearsoned.com.Companyandproductnamesmentionedhereinarethetrademarksorregisteredtrademarksoftheirrespectiveowners.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproduced,inanyformorbyanymeans,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmericaFirstPrintingMarch,2007ISBN0-13-149248-9PearsonEducationLTD.PearsonEducationAustraliaPTY,Limited.PearsonEducationSingapore,Pte.Ltd.

PearsonEducationNorthAsia,Ltd.PearsonEducationCanada,Ltd.PearsonEducatióndeMexico,S.A.deC.V.PearsonEducation—JapanPearsonEducationMalaysia,Pte.Ltd.LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataThompson,VincentS.,1963-Ignited:managers,lightupyourcompanyandcareerformorepower,morepurpose,andmoresuccess/VincentS.Thompson.p.cm.Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.ISBN0-13-149248-9(hardback:alk.paper)1.Industrialmanagement.I.Title.HD31.T5232007658.4'09--dc222006019566

Dedication

ToJackie,theloveofmylife,whomakesitallseempossible.

Contents

AcknowledgmentsAbouttheAuthor

Introduction:LivinginQuakeCountryBaseCamp:TheIgnitedQuiz

PartIGetMorePower

1ActionwithTraction2TheManager'sUniverse3LeadershipinLimitedSpace4ManagingYourEmotions5TheDeadlyLackofEmpowermentTrap

PartIIGetMorePurpose

6IgnitionPoint1:TheProcess7IgnitionPoint2:ThePeople8IgnitionPoint3:TheMessage9IgnitionPoint4:TheLandscape10IgnitionPoint5:TheStrategy11IgnitionPoint6:TheStory12IgnitionPoint7:TheSpirit

PartIIIGetMoreSuccess

13SellingfromtheFulcrum14YourOwnSenseofBalanceIndex

Acknowledgments

At the height of the social change defining the Sixties, someone asked theGrateful Dead's Jerry Garcia a simple question: Why? Jerry responded bysaying,"Somebodyhadtodosomething,andit'sjustincrediblypatheticthatithadtobeus."Ican'trepeatJerry's linewithout laughing.Anyofuswhohavefelt thecallofduty can certainly relate. As amanager, I spent far toomany hours hoping agreat and powerful force would hit the Restart button and create a world formanagerswherethingsmadesenseandbusinesscouldbeandmeanallthatwewanteditto.WiththatdaynotappearingtohavebeenscheduledinmyOutlookcalendar,itwastimetotryanddowhatIcould.Havingheardandbelieved thatagood ideadoesnotcarewho itbelongs to, Igave myself the room to explore and began looking at my own Manager'sUniverse for answers. What I found almost instantly was a passionate andthoughtful community who shared the vision andwould give tirelessly to therealizationofthiswork.The initial validation and trigger for the publishing deal came frommy dearfriendandmentorJasonJennings,whosephenomenalsuccessasanauthorandspeakerisa truetestament tothepowerofhispassiontogiveandhelpothers.Jasonlistened to thepremiseofIgnited,addedkey insights,andconnectedmewith Tim Moore and Paula Sinnott at Pearson's FT Press. Tim and Paulachallengedmetogodeeperinmythinkingandthenguidedmeintoabookdealwiththemsupportedbythepoweroftheircompany,oneoftheworld'sleadingpublishers.Soonafter,aresearchteamwasborn.SusannahKim,aPepperdineMBAstudentjoined,alongwithAttilaSzucswholedmuchoftheearlyresearcheffort.Asaformer telecommanager in Hungary and an Accenture consultant, Attila hadcometoLosAngelestofinishhisownMBAandwentdeepintothehistoryofmanagement andmanagement practices for this book. Near the conclusion ofthisfirstyearofresearch,wewerejoinedbyBrianSolonwho,withaJD/MBA,buddingmusicalcareer,andpassionforbusinessbooks,hadjustfinishedasthelead researcher on Jason Jenning's bestselling Think Big, Act Small. Brianchallenged our existing research, took us even deeper, and helped with theoutline, early editing, andwordsmithing.Wewere also fortunate tohaveNick

Morgan, founder of Public Words and editor of the Harvard ManagementCommunicationLetter,asanearlyguide in thebook'sstructure.Nick'spartnerNikkiSmith-Morganplayedakeyroleaswell.Inordertoadministeroursurveyofmanagersandconnectwiththecommunity,weneededagreatWebsite,andwewere thrilledwhenTimSanders setusupwithJackWuofScreamStream.Jacknotonlydesignedagreatsite(www.BeIgnited.com),butalsopowereduphisownnetworktohelpwithourcause.Asyoumayimagine,allofthiseffortwasratherchallenginggiventhatduringmostoftheworkIwasemployedfulltimeasasalesmanager.OurresearchteammetonSaturdays,andmymanagersatAOLwere incrediblysupportiveofmeusingmywhite space during theweekdayswhen needed towork on Ignited.Whenitcametimetodrafttheearlypages,theyevenallowedmeaflexscheduleduringafour-monthperiodthatprovidedmanyweekdaysforwriting.Itwouldbehard tooverestimatewhat that supporthasmeant for thisproject, andwiththanks that'll lasta lifetime, I'd like toacknowledgeKathyKayse, the talentedMichaelBarrettandMikeKelly,whotogetherturnedouradunitatAOLintoarealbusinesswhileatthesametimemakingitagreatplacetowork.Afewchapters into theearlywork, something reallywonderfulhappened.Wewere able to attract Karl Weber to the project. Karl, the former managingdirectorofTimesBusiness(thenadivisionofRandomHouse)andabestsellingauthor himself, joined to help take thework up a notchwith better prose andadditionalinsights.WemightneverhavehadthechancetoworkwithsomeoneofKarl's prestige, but hebelieved that the stories needed to be told, and soonKarlwasmypartner in this. I'mso thankfulforKarl,whotaughtmea lotanddimensionalizedtheworkinwaysfarbeyondwhatwecouldhaveimaginedinthestart.Karlisagreatwriterandagreatfriend.Withthepagesrollingin,RussHall,ourdevelopmenteditorfromFTPress,wastheretokeepusontrackandchallengeustoprovideinsightsoneverypage.AsasuccessfulwriterandTexan,Russusedgreatanecdotesthatentertainedusandat the same time nailed the points. Upon completion of the first draft, PaulaSinnottdecidedtospendmoretimewithhernewborn,andJenniferSimontookover her passion, while adding her own unique and powerful perspective.Jennifer, along with Pearson's Associate Editor-in-Chief and Director ofMarketingAmyNeidlinger,spentanextraordinaryamountoftimenurturingourmessage, helping us connect deeper to our themes, and guiding our effortsthroughthejourneyfromideatomarketplace.Theirexpertise,professionalism,and true care is so appreciated. As Managing Editor, Gina Kanouse and her

team, including Terra Dalton and Dan Knott, made our words a book; ChutiPrasertsithgaveusacoverthatreallypopped.Along the way I also had lots of great help from my wonderful and sharpassistantTinaTrankiem,marketingassistantsAdamFoxandDavidSchlosberg,and our witty transcriber Lynn Colomello. I also benefited greatly from thesanitychecksprovided tomedailyby theAOLMediaNetworksTeam inLosAngeles,whokeptme thinking,keptmemotivated, andalwaysmademe feelpart of something bigger. On the public relations front, Amy Fandrei fromPearsonpartneredwithPamLontosandChrisHollisofPR/PRtoevangelizeourmessage to traditional and online media. Our marketing manager on Ignited,Kenneth Gillett, tapped the expertise of his firm, Target Marketing, andexpandedourmarketinguniverse inreallyexcitingandfunways.Kennethhasbuiltabusinessbyreallyover-delivering,andwe'rethankfulforthat.The support fromother authors that I've admiredwashumbling;TimSanders,KeithFerrazzi,LarryHaughton,ChesterElton,andKeithRosenallwerethereformeandofferedtheirhelpasneeded.I'd also like to thankourbook review team:managersSueBurger fromAOL,GrantEppler fromHeinz,GaryCormier fromBrassRing, andBradSimmonsfromExperian.Theirinsights,aswellasthosewhoareprofiledwithinthisbookand the survey respondents who gave elaborate detail, provided additionalinsightsthatreallyhelpedshapethesolutionsputforth.Imustalsotaketimetothankthosewhotookmyearlymorningandlateeveningcallsandplayedakeyroleinthebook'scontent.Theyaremyboardofadvisors.These folkskeptme sane, inspiredme, andhavebeen there throughwhateverlife brings: Pat Shaughnessy,Mary Furlong,CharlieWarner,MarkChassman,ByronElton,DaveHoover,ShawnCampbell,JonFurie,JeffGordon,andMarcSternberg—youmeantheworldtome.Ofcourse,there'smylifelongboard,myparents.My beloved father,Wade Thompson,who unfortunately passed awaybefore our book's launch, was there throughout the book's development andalways believed so strongly in taking a stand. My mother, Joan MillerThompson,theoriginalsalespersonandcheerleaderinourfamily,is,asyoureadthis,mostlikelyinsomebookstoresneakingcopiesofthisbookfromthebackshelftotheendaisledisplay.Finally,thankstoDilbertandthecastofthetelevisionshow"TheOffice."Thesecharacters,whilemakingmelaugh,regularlydemonstratedthepatheticstateofmanagementandfueledthefrustrationanddiscontentthatledmetoactionandignitedtheteamofwarriorswhojoinedme.Let'shopeadaycomeswhentheir

comedyisbasedonthepast,notthepresent.

AbouttheAuthor

Vince Thompson, principal at Middleshift Consulting, works with Internetcompanies to design world-class online marketing solutions and build salesorganizations.HisclientsincludeNapster,StarStyle.comandBreak.com.Thompson has spent fifteen years as a manager leading teams in challengingindustries and hotbeds for learning: first in restaurants, then in televisionstations,andnowintheInternetbusiness.Hespent sevenyearsasRegionalVicePresidentofSales forAmericaOnline.There, he designed AOL's sales training organization, managed teams in SanFrancisco,LosAngeles,Chicago,andDulles,VA;andservedasRegionalVicePresident of AOL's Southwestern Region, where his teams led AOL's WestCoastEntertainmentandAutorelationships.HeisafeaturedexpertintheQuantumSalesTrainingSeries,hasspokenwidelyon online advertising, and has contributed to the Iowa Press textbookMediaSelling.Thompson holds an undergraduate degree in Communications from theUniversityofSouthernCalifornia'sAnnenbergSchoolofCommunications,andanMBAfromPepperdineUniversity.He lives inLosAngeles,Californiawithhis wife and two daughters. To join Vince and the community of IgnitedManagers, as well as receive special content and tools, sign up now atwww.BeIgnited.com.

Introduction:LivinginQuakeCountry

IsThisYou?

Doyouhaveabosswho'snottheCEO?Doyouhavedirectreports?Doestheirsuccessdependonyouandyoursuccessdependonthem?Welcome to The Middle—perhaps the most crucial location in the world ofbusiness.TheMiddleismoreoftendefinedbythequestionssurroundingitthanbythevalueitcreates.On anydayof theweek and sometimesweekends, your job inTheMiddle istough. Add to that the familiar challenges you face outside of work—thepressuresoffamilylife,akidwhoneedshelpwithmath,adogthatwantstoplaycatch, the new diet to start, eldercare, prescriptions, finances, 401(k)s and529(b)s.Moretodoatwork.Moretodooutsideofwork.Youfeel trappedbytheconfinesoftime.To copewith the new realities, youwork eight hours aweekmore than yourparentsdidandsleeptwohourslessanightthanyourgrandparents.(It'snotyourimagination—wehave the survey figures toprove it.)Everyone is looking forways to save time,collapse time,expand time.Thosewhocan'tdo it sacrificesleep,tothedetrimentoftheirhealth.Otherwise,theyincreasinglyfallbehind.Isthisyou?If so, you're not alone.There are 5.4millionmanagers leading teams inmorethan30,000U.S.firms.Theyspendeachdaypressuredfromaboveandbelow,searchingfortheanswersthatmatter.But for too many managers the existing answers fall far short. In a nationalsurvey of middle managers (Fall 2005), Accenture found that the level ofsatisfactionthatmanagersreportedwiththeircompanieshadcollapsedfrom67percentin2004to48percentin2005.InamorerecentAccenturesurvey(Fall2006)thatincludedmanagersintheUnitedKingdom,France,Germany,Spain,andAustralia, thenumbers remainedunchanged.Managers are at risk and theoutputof thiscollapse is reflected in theiractions.According toAccenture,58percentofU.S.managersareopentochangingjobsand30percentarecurrentlylooking to make a change. In other words, more than half of the managers

leading teams todayare ready towalkout thedoor—leaving their teams, theircompanies,andforsome,ifnecessary,theirhomesandcommunities,behindinhopesofmakingafreshstartelsewhere.Thiscameasshockingnewstosomebusinessleaders.Butmanymanagershadseen it building foryears—years inwhichmanagers inTheMiddlehavebeendisplacedby technology,de-positionedbyconsultants,handcuffedby red tape,distracted by mergers, spoofed in the media, and denigrated as low-valuebureaucrats.Nowondersomanymanagerslosttheirwayand(worse)losttheirdesire.Isthisyou?Ifso,welcometoQuakeCountry.

QuakeCountry

Today's managers no longer live on safe, high ground. Instead, they live inQuakeCountry,wherethelandhasbeeneroded,squeezed,andshiftedliketheground surrounding theSanAndreas fault. It's a placewhere, as onemanagertoldus, "It seemsas if every time I get some forwardmomentum, thegroundfallsoutfromunderme."InQuakeCountry,technology,competition,innovation,andsocialchangeareallinacontinuousstateofhyperdrive.Nowonderthebusinessshocksarecomingwithgreaterfrequencythaneverbefore.WeseetheeffectseachmorninginTheWall Street Journal,with some companies seemingly springing to prominenceovernight,whileothersarepushedintoirrelevancejustasfast.Lookatmyownbusiness: theworldofmedia, information,andentertainment.Injustthepastfiveyears,themusicbusinesshasbeenchangedforeverbyfile-sharing, Internet radio, ring tones, subscription services, and the iPod.Netflixrevolutionized themovie rental landscape.Then, just asBlockbuster andWal-Mart adopt the new rental model, the prospect of releasing theatrical motionpictures online the same day and date as theaters suddenly alters the playingfield again. With DVRs, video online, and user-generated content, what willhappentocommercialsandthefutureofadvertising?Nooneknows.The same sense of uncertainty permeates almost every industry. What aboutmanufacturing—will it all migrate to low-wage sweatshops in the developingnationsofLatinAmerica,Asia,andAfrica?Whatabouthealthcare—where'sthesolution to the looming crisis of 45 million uninsured and soaring healthcarepremiums that threaten to bankrupt big employers? What about the service

economy, the supposed replacement for the old industrial economy—willsoftwaredevelopment and financialmanagement and customer relations all beoutsourcedtoIndia,Singapore,andMalaysia?Whataboutbankingandfinance,roiledbyderegulationandwaveuponwaveofmergersandacquisitions—whichof yesterday's great firms will still be standing three years from today?Whoknows?QuakeCountryisalandofperpetualchange.Aplacewherecompaniesmerge,morph,rise,andfallatanever-acceleratingpace—wheretheonlythingcertainabout the latest management buzz phrases—from "failing fast," "coopetition,"and "cannibalization" to "process commoditization," "productive friction," and"socialnetworking"—isthattheywillbereplacedbynewonestomorrow,eachchangeleavingtheessentialbusinessproblemsunresolved.On the level of CEO firings, corporate bankruptcies, class action suits, andantitrustactions,thenewsmediafollowtheactionintensely,almostobsessively.Butwhattheyrarelydiscussisthelifewithinthesetroubledcompanies.HowarethepeopleinTheMiddledealingwiththechanges?Howaretheyaccomplishingtheworkoftheircompanies?Howaretheirlivesbeingdistorted,theirfamiliesdislocated,theircareersdisrupted?Mostimportant,whatcantheydotosurvive,eventhrive,inthemidstofcorporatechaos?Life inQuakeCountry canbe deeply scary.The fact that this reality is rarelyspoken about outside the office of the career counselor or psychotherapistdoesn'thelpmatters.

Sorry,WeSeemtoHaveaBadConnection

InQuakeCountry,corporatestrategiesarechangingfasterthanever.Theyhaveto.The threats and opportunities are coming faster, and the board of directorsandthebiginvestorswantanswers.Sothesuitsonexecutiverow(whereeveryfloor iscarpeted,everywallpaneled,every lunchcatered,everyvoicehushed)scramblewiththeirconsultantstoserveuptheStrategyduJour,hopingthelatestideawill impress theanalystsonWallStreetandplacate thepensionmanagersandmutualfunds.Unfortunately, at any given time most of the workforce is unaware of, ordisconnectedfrom, thecorporategoals.Arecentpollofalmost8,000full-timeemployeesbyHarrisInteractiveoffersthefollowingsoberingfacts:

Fullyone-thirdofworkersfeeltheyareatadead-endintheircurrentjobs,and42percentsaytheyare"tryingtocopewithfeelingsofburnout."Only37percentbelievethat their"topmanagementdisplaysintegrityandmorality."Only29percentsaythattheir"topmanagementiscommittedtoadvancingtheskillsofemployees."Fewerthanhalfsaythey"reallycareaboutthefateofthisorganization."[1]

[1] "Many U.S. Employees Have Negative Attitudes To Their Jobs, Employers and TopManagers." The Harris Poll #38, May 6, 2005. Harris Interactive. Available online athttp://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=568.

Burnout.Cynicism.Disconnection.Howfuncanthisbe?It'salsoaprovenrecipeforcorporatefailure.Afterall,thekeytosuccessinanylargeorganization is connecting thedots,pluggingpeople into something theycanbelieve inandgiving themaclear andmeaningfulway tocontribute.Thefasterandbetterthisisdone,thefastercompaniesreachtheirgoalsandpoiseforthenextleapforward.Managers inTheMiddle are the connective tissue in theirorganizations.Onlythey have the ground-level expertise required for success, the links to peopleabove and below them in the corporate structure, the insights into customerneeds,competitiverealities,andtheorganization'sstrengthsandweaknesses.AsQuyNguyenHuy put it in theHarvard Business Review, "A new executive'sfresh ideasdon'thaveaprayerof succeedingunless theyaremarriedwith theoperating skills, vast networks, and credibilityof veteranmiddlemanagers."[2]Sadly, this is a truth that many companies have forgotten. They roll out newstrategieswithouttakingthetimetoconsultwithoreveninformthepeoplewhoholdthekeytotheirsuccess...thewomenandmeninTheMiddle.

[2]QuyNguyenHuy, "InPraiseofMiddleManagers."HarvardBusinessReview,September2002,page72.

The research for thisbook involvedanextensiveonline surveyandmore than100in-depthinterviewswithmanagersinarangeofindustriesfromcompanieslikeBankofAmerica,Gateway,ABC,Nordstrom,Harrah's,Intel,Rawlings,andAirbus. This research underscores the troubling facts about how disconnectedmanagersfeelfromthecompaniestheyworkfor.Sixty-five percent of the managers surveyed feel squeezed rather thanempoweredbytheirroles.Theytalkaboutunclearlinesofauthoritywithintheirorganizations, constant turf battles that no one dares tomediate, and frequentencroachments into their relationships with their teams, which diminish their

rolesanderodethetrustthey'veworkedsohardtobuild.Forty-fivepercenthaveproblems navigating big ideas through their organizations—each one anopportunitylostthroughsheerorganizationalinertia,confusion,anddysfunction.The symptoms of corporate disconnection described by the interviewees arenumerous:

Goals that don't align, policies that conflict, and contradictoryinterpretationsofcompanypriorities.HR policies that offend and impede employees rather than support andencouragethem.Arduous reporting requirements that reflecta lackof trust rather thananyrealneedforinformation.Corporate mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and reorganizations thatproducenovaluewhileconsumingvastamountsofemployeeenergy.Turfwars between company fiefdomswhose chieftains concentratemoreonprotectingtheirprerogativesthanonadvancingcorporategoals.Greateffortsmadeandsuccessachievedwithoutrecognition.

MostmanagerscaughtinTheMiddlepaintadismalpictureoftheircurrentrolesandthestrugglestheymustwageeveryday.

SoWhyDoWeDoThis?

If life in TheMiddle is so stressful, frustrating, unrewarding, confusing, anddepressing,whydoesanyonelivethere?Whynotdropoutofthecorporategrindand try tomake a go of it as an entrepreneur, a school-teacher, a carpenter, ashopkeeper,oranurse?Many people have dropped out. The ranks of the self-employed have grownenormously in recent years. For some, self-employment is an ideal solution.Whenyourunyourownshop, theonlyrulesaretheonesyouestablish.Thereare no time-sucking meetings, no paperwork, no command-and-controlhierarchy.All thevalueyoucreategoestoyourbenefit,orthatofyourfamily.Forsomeonewiththerightpersonalityandbusinessskills,thefreelancewayisliberatingandrewarding.Butnoteveryonehasthattemperament.It'struethatself-employmenthasnoredtape, no petty rules, no restrictions on your freedom. It also has no economic

safety net, no colleagues with whom to share problems and triumphs, nofinancial ormanagerial resources to fall back on, no health insurance or paidvacationorpensionplan.Formillionsofpeoplewholikeworkingcloselywithother people every day and enjoy the benefits of being part of a large andpowerful organization, life within a corporation could be deeply satisfying...exceptitisn't.For most managers, the motivation to remain inside the company is prettysimple, really. They want to make a difference. Our interviews and surveysconfirmed just that.Managers are hand raisers. Theywant to participate, gainnewresponsibilities,maketheircompaniesbetter,andmakeapositivedifferenceinthelivesofthepeoplearoundthem.Forsuchpeople,droppingoutisnottheanswer.Changingjobsmaynotbetheanswer,either.Inmanycases,thosewhodochangejobsfindthemselvestradingone unpleasant reality for another equally discouraging one—andworse, mayevenfindthemselvesachievingfarlesssuccess.In 1980, Harvard professor John Kotter shattered some myths aboutmanagementinhisgroundbreakingbookTheGeneralManagers.Kotterargued—contrary to popular belief—that managers need a great deal of specializedinformation and skill in order to be successful. Thus, according toKotter, thebestmanagersdon'treachtheirhighestdegreesofcompetencyuntilthey'vebeenin their jobs for six to ten years. The familiar assumption that someone withgood management skills can rapidly and easily move between companies orevenbetweenindustriesissimplynottrue.Theexpertiseofaveteranmanagerisfundamentallynotportable.We'renotsayingmanagersshouldn'tseeknewopportunities.Butmanagerswhoshiftjobsshouldberunningtosomething,notawayfromsomething.Ignitedisaboutabettersolution—awaytostaywithinthecorporationandbeginmakingthekindofrealdifferencewewanttomake,takingbackourbusinesses,careers,andlivesintheprocess.

GettingIgnited

It really is up to us—themanagers in TheMiddle—tomake the changes weknow are necessary.And despite themany negatives about today'sworkplacethat we've already listed, there are signs that now may be a time when theopportunitytomakemassivechangesintheworldofworkisgreaterthanever

before.WhataretheindicationsthatwemaybeonthevergeofadramaticshiftinthenatureoflifeinTheMiddle—forthebetter?Hereareafew:

Demographicchange.As theBabyBoomers approach 60 and prepare toretire,therewillbeavacuumofleadershipatthetop.Thevacuumwillbeexacerbatedbytheexodusofmanagerswhoabandoncorporatelifefortheentrepreneur's or freelancer's road. (Hence an estimate by BusinessWeekthatsome24percentofallmiddlemanagementpositionswillbevacantinthenextfewyears.)Tomorrow'sleadershippositionsaregoingtobefilledbymanagersof todaywhocan figureouthowbest toprepare themselvesfortheopportunitiesahead.The increasing complexity of the business world. As business becomesincreasinglyglobalized,outsourced,andtechnology-driven,thecomplexityof everyday management challenges grows. Companies must rely onmanagers inTheMiddle to carryout their corporate strategies,whichareoftenbasedoncomplicatednetworkingrelationshipsamongmanufacturers,marketers,distributors,andcustomersinmanycountriesaroundtheworld.ThismeansthatthesophisticationandskillofthemanagersinTheMiddlearemoreimportantthanever—givingthosemanagersgreaterleverageandbargainingpowerthanthey'vepreviouslyenjoyed.Growing corporate flexibility. One positive result of the reengineeringmovementofthe1990swasthesmashingoftheoldmilitary-stylecorporatehierarchy,withitsrigidjobladdersandpayscales.AndwiththefailureofdelayeringhascomeanewappreciationoftheimportanceofmanagersinTheMiddle—and a growing recognition that companiesmust attract andrewardthem.Inthefuture,compensationpackageswillbecustomizedandpersonalized;forthebestmanagers,standardpayscaleswillnotapply.The demand for reinvention. In a world of ever-accelerating change, oldbusinessmodels are becoming obsoletemore quickly than ever. Pressurefromnewtechnologies,newcompetitors,newcustomerrequirements,andnew social and demographic circumstances are forcing great companies,fromGEandGeneralMotors to IBM,KodakandDisney, to rethink theirtried-and-true ways of doing business. No one is immune. Even eBay isworking to reinvent. And when a company does reinvent, making asuccessful transition from one businessmodel to the next, who is it thatgenerally takes the lead? It's the managers in The Middle—those who

understandthecontextoftheirenvironment(internalandexternal)andarepreparedtotakeoverwhentheentrepreneurialinsightsthatfueledthefirstphaseofgrowthareexhausted.

There'sarealwindowofopportunityhereformanagersinTheMiddletoseizethe power, purpose, and success they deserve. And if they do this right, thebenefits will flow to their companies as well. A new, genuinely empoweredgenerationofmanagerscansteertheircompaniesoffthepathsthathaveledsomanyintoscandals,unnecessarylayoffs,catastrophicmisreadingsofthemarket,and other disasters. They can bring about a creative renaissance of Americanbusiness,atimeofrenewedprofitability,sharedvalue,andproductivitythatwillbenefiteveryoneinthecountry.This combination of changes is a perfect platform for Ignition—the comingrebirthofpurposeandpowerthatmanagersinTheMiddlecanexperienceiftheychoosetomakeithappen.It'stimeforanother"greatestgeneration."LetitbeUs.

TheFulcrum

Imaginecorporatevisionononesideandthecompany'sfront-linecontributorsandcustomersontheother.Themanagerresidesbetweenthematacriticalpointwhere leverageandenergycome together.This is the fulcrum, thepowerbasefromwhichthemanageroperates.For too long, toomanymanagershaveallowed their fulcrum to fallbelow thetwo sides, becomingmuch less valuable in the process.They failed to rise upandsatisfytheintensepressureexertedbycorporatevisionononesideandtheneedsofthefront-lineworkersandcustomersontheother.Theyspenttheirdaystackling immediate tasks rather than broader strategic challenges, and therebyfailed to harness all of their potential power. They let opposing forces de-positionthem.The most successful managers' fulcrum point flexes to a place above thecorporatevisionandfront-line/customersides.Thesemanagersenjoytherespectandsupportofboththeirleadersandtheirfollowers.Theyarealsoperceivedbytheir peers as the best people with which to partner. Their elevation of thefulcrumpointtoitshighestpossiblelevelrepresentsthepowerofbeingignitedatitsbest(seeFigureI-1).

FigureI-1.Themanager'sshiftingfulcrum.

GettingIgnited

In this book,we'll be layingout clear andpractical steps thatwill deliveryoumorepower,morepurpose,andmoresuccess starting today.We recognize therealitiesthatyoumustdealwitheverydayasamanagerinTheMiddle—limitedpower, restrictive corporate policies, financial constraints—and will offerconcrete ideas about how to overcome the negatives and even (sometimes)transformthemintopositives.Wealso recognize thatyourgoals in lifearenot identical to thegoalsofyourcompany—that life in The Middle is, in part, about balancing your personalneeds with the often draconian demands of the corporate system. For mostmanagers, a timecomes (sooneror later)when the two things simplycan'tbehappilybalancedany longer—when their incompatibility is such thatapartingofthewaysisnecessary.We'lllookatthisrealityandofferourbestadviceabouthowtomakethoseturningpointsworkforyou,notagainstyou.

Ifallthissoundsappealing,you'vepickeduptherightbook.Here'saroadmapofwhattoexpectaswetravelthefollowingpagestogether.PartI,"GetMorePower,"offerssomebasictoolsforimprovingthethinkingandbehavior of managers in TheMiddle. If you are a seasoned and emotionallyintelligent manager, these principles will speak loudly to you. Much of whatyou've learned from your most successful managerial experiences will bereinforced;lessonsyoumayhavemissedorforgottensomewherealongthewaywill be provided; familiar wisdom will be offered with a new twist that (wehope)willmakeitmorevaluableandpracticalthaneverbefore.Ifyou'rejustgettingsettledinasamanager,wehopethatthissectionwillreallypropelyouforward.We'veseentheideasinPartIenablefirst-yearmanagerstoachievethird-yearlevelsofperformance.Wewishthesameforyou.PartII,"GetMorePurpose,"isaboutsevenIgnitionPoints thatarekeystotheuniquevaluethatmanagersinTheMiddlecancreate.Aswe'venoted,thoseinTheMiddleareuniquelypositionedtotransformbroadcorporatestrategiesintoconcreteprogramsthatproduceprofits;totransformgrandvisionsintospecificactions that improve companies and attract customers; and to transformcollectionsofwell-meaningbut uninvolved andunmotivated employees into aunifiedforceforcreativityandproductivitythatproducesfinancialandpersonalrewardsforeveryone.TheIgnitionPointsarethetoolsyoumustunderstandandusetomakethesechangeshappen.Finally, Part III, "GetMore Success," is aboutmaking a life even as you aremaking a living. Business success is wonderful and important, but achievingbalance among the things that reallymatter is evenmore essential to ultimatehappiness.It'snotalwayseasy,especiallyformanagersstrugglingtosurvivelifeintoday'scorporateQuakeCountry.Inthesechapters,we'llofferinsightsaboutfindingyourownbalance,howeveryoudefineit.Intrigued?Excited?Great—let'sstartgettingignitedtogether.

BaseCamp:TheIgnitedQuiz

Beforewegoanyfurther, takeamoment toreflectonafewsimplequestions.ThepurposeoftheIgnitedQuizishelpyouunderstandwhereyouaretodayinyourcareerandestablishabaseline thatcanbeused tomeasure thevalue thisbookdeliversyou.Foreachofthefollowingstatements,selecttheleveltowhichyouagreeordisagree.

TheIgnitedQuiz

Count the number of "Strongly agree" and "Agree" answers you chose. Thenfindyourownlevelfromamongtheseoptions:

8-10 "Strongly agree" and "Agree" answers: Congratulations! If youranswershavebeenhonestandaccurate,youareprobablyamongthemosteffectiveandempoweredmanagersinTheMiddleinyourcompany.Wesuggestyoufocusontheoneortwostatementsforwhichyoumaynothavebeenabletoofferan"Agree"answer,andreadtherelevantchaptersofthe book that will help you improve those specific skills. Then pass thisbookalongtothosecolleagueswhoneeditmorethanyoudo.(Youknowwhotheyare.)5-7 "Strongly agree" and "Agree" answers: You're likemostmanagers—

effectiveinsomeways,strugglinginothers.Makeanoteofthosestatementsforwhichyoucouldnotchoosean"Agree"answer. These are areas of personal development on which you need tofocus. While you read the rest of this book (as you should), pay closeattention to those topics that will help you address your own areas ofvulnerability.BythetimeyoufinishIgnited,youshouldhavethetoolsyouneedtoturneveryansweronthequizintoapositiveone.0-4 "Strongly agree" and "Agree" answers: You're probably among themillions of managers who are daydreaming about changing jobs ordropping out of the corporate system altogether. That may be the rightchoiceforyou—butmorelikely,yousimplyneedtodeveloptheskillsandinsightsneededtomakeyourjobinTheMiddlemoresatisfying,rewarding,andeffectivethanitistoday.Work yourway through the pages of Ignited. Think through each of themental exercises and experimentswe recommend.Try applying the ideason your job. Then revisit the quiz.We'll bet that the number of "Agree"answersyou'reable tochoosewillhaveshotup—alongwithyouron-the-jobmorale.

PartIGetMorePower

1ActionwithTraction

BangingPots

The time:Almost 25 years ago. Itwasmy second day at a new summer job,workinginthekitchenofalocaldiner.Thedishtankwashotandhumid.Behindme sat a rowof plastic trays filledwithgreasydishes. In front, a busboywasslidinganothertrayontothetable,sloppingdirtydishwaterontomynewtennisshoes and the soggy rubber mats below. After three-and-a-half hours ofscrubbing plates and glasses, my hands were sore, my shirt soaked withdishwater,andmyhairmattedtomyforehead.Ileanedagainstthestainlesssteeltableforaminutetocatchmybreath.Withabangoftheswingingdoor,Rusty,ourcowboycook,cameflyingaroundthecorner, acast ironburner ineachhand. "What'sup,boy? Ididn'thearanynoise, so I thought youweren't working. Take these things and degrease 'em.Andlemmegiveyouawordofadvice.Youwannatakeabreak,youbetterbangsomepots.Youbettersoundbusy.Nonoisefromthedishtankmeansworkain'tgettingdone...yougotit?"Ihadjustlearnedoneofmyfirstlessonsinbusiness:Lookbusy.Actbusy.Soundbusy.Andifyou'renotaccomplishinganything,atleastbangsomepots.Flash forward. I'm selling TV ad time in a cubicle at a large firm on mid-WilshireinLosAngeles.Iamonemorepersoninaseaofblueblazers(standardapparelforassistantswithaspiration).Weknewitwasacompetition:Oneofuswould be getting the promotion.Which one? The onewho paid the dues andlookedthepart.Theonewholookedbusy.Of course, this conflicts with the things we're taught in training programs ontimemanagement and productivity, andwith the slogans tossed around in thelatestbooksonleadership:

"Don'tworkhard,worksmart!""Collapsetime!""Achievebalance!""Focuslikealaseronwhat'sessential!"

Alloftheseideassoundgood...buthowdowedoit?

How do we "collapse time" when, after answering our last six voicemailmessages we find that nine more have piled up in the mailbox? How do we"achievebalance"whenourcompanyisbehindtheeightballandstrugglingtolaunchthatquarter-savingnewproductaheadofschedule?Whathappenswhenthere's a changing of the guard?What happens when sales are off?What dothoseintheexecutivesuitewantandexpect?Weallknow the realanswer.Theywant to seeactivity.Theywantproductionreports,salesreports,andmarketingreports.Theywanttohearphonesringing,keyboardsclicking,printersbuzzing.Theytakecomfortinknowingwe'redoingallwecan.Theywanttohearthesoundofbangingpots.The pressure to join the potbangers is intense. It's one of the big reasons thatsensible concepts like job-sharing and telecommuting have taken so long tocatchoninmostcorporations:"Ican'tworkathome.Ifthebossdoesn'tseemein the office, he'll think I'm not working." Being productive is less importantthanbeingseen tobeproductive.Butweall know,deep inside, that thenoisefromour banging is ultimatelymeaningless.We long to trade the treadmill ofendless,ineffectualactionforthelastingvalueoftraction.Tractioniswhenoureffortsintheworkplacemakeagenuine,measurable,andlastingdifference...whenthethingswetrytodogetdoneandstaydone.Most managers achieve traction, but usually in the form of sporadicbreakthroughs that lurch themforward, then leave themtosit,exhausted,untilthey can build energy, purpose, and focus once again. It's better than nothing.Our goal is to gain real traction, traction that cuts deeper with every move,whichcarvesapathandcarriesmomentumintothefuture.In order to achieve this level of traction, we must create and nurture anenvironment for ourselves and our team members where traction is secondnature.Itstartswithourbosses,theirgoals,theirneeds,andouralignmentwiththem.Withalignmentattained,wecanemployahostoftoolstokeepusonthepathtothetractionwedesire.In the pages that follow, you'll consider the concept of Management ValueAdded, a powerful tool for setting your course. You'll explore the differencebetweentractionandslippage,andhowtobuildaportfolioofprojectsthatstickrather than slip. Building upon these concepts, you'll look at achieving grouptractionandoffersomenewideasforensuringfollow-through.

TheProblemwithTimeManagement

If you've been living in the corporate world for some time, you've probablyattended a training sessionwhere oneof the exerciseswas to conduct a "timespent" analysis in order to increase your efficiency. You cracked open yourcalendar, reviewed howyou spent your time for the pastweek, and identifiedblackholes thatwerewastingyour energy.Maybeyouevenwent so far as tobreak your activities into categories, separating the "urgent" things from the"important"thingsandbothofthesefromthe"insignificant"things.Time management studies like these can be interesting, but the findings arealmost always the same. Virtually every manager who works through theexercises discovers that he or she is spending toomuch time on "putting outfires"—dealingwith thedailydramasandemergencies around theoffice—andnotenoughtimethinkingandplanningforlong-termprojectsthatreallymatter.E-mails,instantmessages,phonecalls,andthatguyfromPurchasingwhodropsin"justforasecond"andchewsthefatfor45minutesundoourbest-laidplans—nottomentiontheendless,interminable,usuallypointlessmeetings.Weknowallthis.Whydoesn'titeverchange?Theproblemliesinourapproach.Timemanagementprogramsusuallyfocusonyourpersonalproductivity,analyzinghowyouchoosetospendyourtime.Thisisall fineanddandy,but itmissesoneessential truth:Inanorganizationthat'sdevotedtobangingpots,youbetterbangpotsorhaveadamngoodreasonfornotbangingthem.That's why, after the PowerPoint presentation had ended and the trainer wenthome, you fell back into your old, unproductive rhythms—not because youdidn't agree with the time management expert's analysis, but because youreturned tonormal life in theworldofTheMiddle...whichmeansdoingwhatyouthinkyourbosswantsyoutodo.Bang!Bang!Bang!

ManagingYourManagers

Inordertotakebackyourtime,yourlife,andyourcareer,youneedtomakeanewkindofchangeinyourapproachtoself-management.Youmuststepintotherealmofmanagingyourmanagersandtherebyalteringtheirexpectationsrelatedto your time. The goal is to achieve complete alignment betweenwhat yourbosses want (and perhaps need) you to do andwhat you believe you reallyshoulddo.InthesamewaythatyoucoordinatethescheduleinyourPDAandyourlaptop

withtheoneinyourdesktopcomputer,youneedtocontinuallycoordinatewithyourbosses toensure thatyouareclear,on track,andworking from the sameplan.All of this startswith having a happy and supportive boss.And thatmeans asuccessfulboss.Yourbosshastobesuccessful.Forifheisnot,hisfailuremaycast a negative light on everyone on his team.Many potentially great careershavebeenstalled,notbecauseof theeffortof the individual,butbecauseofabosswhofailedtomakeanimpact,whofailedtodemonstratehisownvalueandthevalueofthoseonhisteam.Thefirststepinmanagingyourmanageristomovebeyondyourownneedstoexamineyourbosses'needs.Soundsreasonable—butunderstandingthoseneedsandfiguringoutwhat todo tomeet themisn'tusuallystraightforward. In fact,it's a challenge in itself, requiring awhole new set of skillsmost people haveneverthoughtabout.

NeedsExplicitandNeedsImplicit

Let'sstartbydispellingacommonmisunderstanding.Lotsofpeopleinbusinessassumethat"meetingtheboss'sneeds"meansdoingexactlywhatthebosswantsthem todo—accepting theboss's vision anddirectionwholesale.Wrong!Thisassumptionissimple-mindedandinaccurate.ItleadstomanagersinTheMiddlefocusing on aligning their lipswith their boss's backsides rather thanmeetinganyone'sactualneeds.Real"managingupward"demandsamoreseriousandsubtleanalysisofhumanneeds,whichstartswiththerealizationthatneedscomeintwoforms—explicitneedsandimplicitneeds.Explicitneedsareeasiertounderstand.Theymaybestatedinthestrategicplanpromulgatedbythecompanyorthedivision,ortheymaybeannouncedbyyourbosswhenevertheteamgetstogetherfortheusualpeptalk/torturesession.Theymaysoundsomethinglikethis:

"Weneedtoexpandourbusinessinternationally.""We need to create a shipping policy that will save us somemoney andkeep the administrative assistants from running around the office likedecapitatedchickenseveryafternoonat4p.m.whentheFedExguymakeshislastpickup."

"Weneedtocommerce-enableourWebsitebeforeAmazon.comdecidestostart selling the same kinds of widgets we sell and drives us out ofbusiness.""Weneedtohiretwomoredesigners,fast,sowe'llhaveaprayerofgettingthefallproductlineintothestoressometimethisyear."

Explicitneedsarethekindsofthingsthatmakeitintothelistsofgoalsyouwriteevery year at objective-setting time. They're the things you tell people you'reworking on when they ask. They tend to be the things you are proud ofaccomplishing(ifandwhenyouhappentoaccomplishoneofthem).Implicitneedsaremoresubtle.Peopledon'ttalkaboutthem.Sometimesthey'renotevenawareofthem.Mostofthetimetheyarethingsthatpeoplewoulddenyifconfrontedwiththem.Theysoundlikethis:

"Make me look good in front of my boss so that when he gets kickedupstairshe'llrecommendmeforhisjob.""Helpmedemonstratemycreativitybycomingupwithsomeideasfornextyear'smarketingcampaignthatIcantweakalittleandshowoffatthenextdivisionalconferenceasiftheyweremine.""Help me feel more like a leader and less like the kid who was alwayspickedlastintheschoolyardbasketballgames.""FigureoutsomewaytokeepthedepartmentrunningwhenI'mnotaroundso I can go on vacation for ten days in a rowwithout having to call theofficeeverytwohourstomakesurethedamnedplaceisn'tonfire."

While explicit needs tend to run a linear path, implicit needs tendbe random,triggeredbyemotionandcircumstance.Butdon't thinkof themas flightyandcertainlynotasinsignificant.Theyareever-present,tenacious,andcanoverruletheexplicitneedswithaswiftnessandpowerthatcanbeawe-inspiring.It's a funexercise to sitdownwitha sheetofpaperand try listingyourboss'simplicit needs. It's also deadly serious.From the first dayyoumeet your newboss through the last day youwork together, you need to devote a portion ofyourtimeandenergytoscopingouthisorherimplicitneedsanddefiningthemwithasmuchprecisionaspossible.Thenmeasurewhateveryoudoagainstthoseneeds.(Yourbosscertainlywill.)Oneimplicitneedthatvirtuallyeverybosshas(andthereforebelongsontheto-dolistofeveryignitedmanager)istheneedforconfidence.Yourbossmusthaveconfidencethatyouareworkinginhisbestinterestandthatyouarecapableof

deliveringwhat he needs (both explicitly and implicitly). Fail tomaintain thisconfidenceandyourbosswillmostlikelydriveyoucrazy—andwilloftendriveyouout.We'veallbeenthere.Thebosswholastweeksimplysetagoalandgaveusthefreedom to carry it out suddenly wants to micromanage every phone call wemake this week. Sometimes it's because they've lost confidence in us; othertimesit'sbecausetheirbosseshavelostconfidenceinthem,producingasortoftrickle-down anxiety that may end up with you being hypercritical of thedinosaurdioramayournine-year-oldmakesforscienceclass.Givingyourbossasenseofconfidence inyou isperhaps themost fundamentalofall the implicitneedsandtheonewithoutwhichnomanagerialrelationshipcansucceed.Understandingtheimplicitandexplicitneedsofyourbossandhisbossessetsacoursebywhichyoucanalignyourownefforts.When thatalignment isclearand accurate, you're on track to creating an environment in which traction ispossible.

ManagementValueAdded

TheconceptofManagementValueAdded(MVA) isbasedonasimplequestionthatyoushouldaskwheneveryou'remakingadecisionabouthowtoinvestyourtime and energy: "What value does management add?" And how can youractions "add value" to any situation in business? That's right—by helping tomeetyourbosses'needs.OnewaytostartusingtheconceptofMVAisbysittingdownwithyourbosstodiscusshisorherexplicitneeds(theoneswrittendownaspartofthecompany'sstrategyorthedivision'sofficialmandate).Itshouldn'ttakelongforthetwoofyoutoagreeonwhattheyareandtoprioritizethemappropriately.Thenaskyourboss, "How do you feel I can add the most value?" If your boss responds,"Huh?"youcanfleshoutthequestionwithadditionalquestionslikethese:

"WhataretheactivitiesIamengagedinwhenIamcontributingthemost?""Whataretheactivitiesthatyouandthecompanymostneedmetodo?""Whatdoyouconsidertobethebestandmostproductiveuseofmytime?""WhatdoyouthinkisthespecialcontributionthatIambestpositionedtooffertoyouandthecompany?""OfallthethingsthatI'mengagedinonbehalfofthiscompany,whatare

thethreeareaswhereyoubelievethatIcancontributethemost?"

Listencarefullytoyourboss'sanswers.Usingthemasaguide,youcanbegintounderstandexactlyhowyourbossviewsyourcontributions.It'squitelikelythatthe way he or she measures yourMVA is different from the way you mightmeasureit.Here'swhatoneofmybosseshadtosaywhenIaskedhimtodefinemymostimportantareasforMVA:

1. 1."Hiring,nurturing,andguidingtalent;puttingtherightpeopleintherightjobswiththerightgoals."

2. 2. "Building capability; teaching my team members and creating anenvironmentconducivetochallengingthoughtandgrowth."

3. 3. "Staying close to the customers—understanding what's important tothem,what their challenges are, andhowour company canprovide themwithsolutions."

Ofcourse,thisexercisewillrelateonlytoyourboss'sexplicitneeds.(Don'ttrytoengagehiminadiscussionofhisimplicitneeds.There'sagoodreasonwhythey're implicit.) Having these priorities clearly defined is an enormous stepforwardandanadvantagethatsurprisinglyfewmanagersenjoy.ItprovidesyouwithaframeworkyoucansharewithothersonyourteamandallowsyoutousethetestofMVAinyourquesttogetpastpotbanging.YoucanuseMVAtohelpyoudeterminehowtospendyourtime,whichprojectstosupport,andwhichmeetingstoattend.Inmycase,beforecommittingenergyto any new activity, I ask myself: "Will this activity help me achieve mypriorities?Willithelpmeputtherightpeopleintherightjobs?Willithelpmebuildcapability?Willithelpmeknowandconnectwithourcustomers?"Iftheanswer is no, I avoid the activity—even if it sounds otherwise interesting,appealing,orfun.MVA helps youmaintain a focus on the things that matter while earning thesupportofthoseyouserve.Whenyourbossorsomeoneelseintheorganizationasks you to commit time or energy to an area that falls outside of theMVApriorities you've established, you can talk about how new commitment mayaffect your main goals and reach a joint decision as to whether a shift inprioritiesiswarranted.

BridginganUnbridgeableGap

For some of us the priorities are already clear. The priorities are alive inperformanceevaluations,andtheyarewrittenintoourplannersorarepostedonourofficewalls.AllwehavetodoiskeepthedialogueopenanduseMVAasacriterionforplanningourtime.However, forotherpriorities, justcoming toagreementaboutwhat's importantcanbequitedifficult.Considertwomanagers—SarahandRob.Sarahspenteightyears leadinga team in theMidwest foracompany that shereallyloved.Recentlyshe'dbegunreportingtoanewbossontheEastCoast—Rob.EarlyonitbecameclearthatSarahandRobwerenotclicking.Trustwaslow, and they struggled to communicate.Sarah felt thatRobdidn't understandheranddidn'tappreciatewhatshehadaccomplishedwithherteam.RobfeltthatSarahwasquicktojudgeandnotopentoanewapproach.Theretheywere—unhappyandstuck.Sarahcouldhavereactedinoneof thedysfunctionalwaysmanymanagersdo:byblowingupinfrustrationandanger,snippingatRobbehindhisbackuntilabitterconfrontationwasprovoked,orquittingprecipitously to takea less-than-idealjob.Instead,shetookathoughtfulapproach,whichstartedbytakingastepbacktoconsiderherownroleintheimpasse.Reflectingonthesituation,Sarahcametorealizethat,whileRobwasn'taperfectmanager(whois?),sheprobablyhadsomeworkofherowntodo.She'dworkedforalongtimewithoutamentor,achampion,orevenatrustedconfidante,andsheneededsomeoneshecouldtalktoaboutherjobanditschallenges,especiallyduringthisdifficulttime.Sarah decided to hire a personal career coach namedKeithRosen.Keith is aMasterCertifiedCoachandthefounderofProfitBuilders.com,averysuccessfulexecutivecoachingfirmbasedinNewYork.KeithhelpedSarahworkonhercommunicationskills, anarea inwhichSarahrealizedshecoulduseimprovement.However,assheandKeithwalkedthrougha variety of real-life scenarios together, it soon became clear that Sarah alsoneeded help with listening skills. She'd been unable to comprehend Rob'sexplicitneeds,andshecertainlywasn'taccuratelyinterpretinghisimplicitneeds(whichaswe'venotedarealwaysharder toplumb).KeithandSarahponderedandprobedthesituationtogetherandcameupwithaplan.ThefollowingMonday,SarahwenttoRobandsaid,"I'vehiredacareercoachtohelpmebecomeabettermanager.Inworkingwithhim,I'verealizedthatoneof

mymaingoalsistogetinbettersyncwithyou.IreallywanttounderstandwhatyouneedfrommeandhowIcanhelpyoubemoresuccessful."The followingday,Keith calledRob and introducedhimself asSarah's coach.Therewasa longsilence,and thenRobemitteda long,heartfeltsighofrelief.Hebegantotalk,admittingthat,likeSarah,he'dbeenquitefrustratedwiththeirfailure tocommunicate.Hefelt thatSarahwasoutof touchwith thecorporategoals(nottomentionhisownpersonalgoals).Eachtimetheyspoke,hesensedshe was reacting to his needs rather than simply listening to them andcomprehendingthem.Asaresult,sheseemedtovieweverychangeornewideaasathreatratherthananopportunity.As they talked,Keithgainedanew insight into thedynamicbetweenRobandSarah. In Rob's eyes, whenever Sarah challenged or questioned his explicitgoals, shewas also challenging his implicit goals. Conversely, whenever RobchallengedSarah'sexplicitgoals,hewasalsochallengingherimplicitgoals.Theconflictbetweenthemreallyhadlesstodowithcorporatestrategiesorworkdutiesthanthey'dimagined.Itwasmainlyaboutanewbosstryingtolookgoodandalong-timeemployeetryingtomaintainherdignityinthefaceofdisruptive,disconcertingchange.Thankfully, therewas no basis for any fundamental conflict betweenRob andSarah.Robhadnoneed(explicitorimplicit)tosendatalentedveteranmanagerpacking during his firstmonth on the job, and Sarah had no need to end hersuccessfulandhappycareeratthefirm.Bothreallywantedtotrytomaketheirnewpartnershipwork.SoKeithjumpedinandspenttimewitheachoftheminprivate, reviewing theirexplicitneedsandhelping them interpret their implicitneeds.Actingasabridge,heconnectedthemtooneanotherwithaplanthattheycouldeachcommitto,buildon,andmaintain.Sometimesthefitbetweentwomanagersissoskewedorsodamagedbyfailedattemptsatcommunicationthattheobstaclestocontactseeminsurmountable.Insuchcases,a thirdpartymaybeable tohelpyougainneededperspectiveandworkyournegativeemotionsoutoftheway.Heorshecanserveasabridgeontheroadtogreatertraction.Ifyoufindyourselfinsuchadilemma,considerlookingforathird-partybridge.Sometimesan independentcoachcanplay this role,as in thecaseofRobandSarah.Inothercases,thebridgecanbeamanagerfromanotherdepartmentthatbothpartieslikeandtrust,aconflictmanagementcounselororconsultanthiredbythefirm,orasmartandsensitivememberofthecompany'sHumanResourcesdepartment.Thekeyisanopen-mindedattitudeandawillingnesstolistenonthe

partofbothindividuals.Most communication gaps are bridgeable. Sometimes all it takes is a freshperspective and a new voice in the room to change the atmosphere fromconfrontationtocooperation.

KnowingversusDoing—TractionversusSlippage

All too often,whenwe'remost in need of traction atwork—at times of highcompetitive pressure or internal pressure or economic insecurity—we findourselvesexperiencingslippage instead.Wheelsarespinning, lotsofenergy isbeing expended, noise is emitted and sparks fly—but there's no traction and,therefore,noforwardmomentum.Sometimes the difference between traction and slippage is obvious. But othertimes,itcanberathersubtle.Howcanyoumakethedistinctionforsure?Ifyoufindyourselfremovingthesamebarrierstodaythatyouremovedlastyear,lastmonth, or yesterday—you'vegot slippage. Itmaynot feel like slippage toyou,becauseremovingthatrecurringbarrierallowedyou(atleasttemporarily)togetsomethingdoneonbehalfofyourcompany.Butinalongerperspective,it's slippage—aplacewherepeopleneedlessly spin theirwheels timeand timeagain.Every company is filled with mudholes where slippage is the norm. Forexample, think about the many varied approval processes you probably facerelatedtobudgets,routinespendingrequests,projectgo-aheads,hiringorfiringdecisions, and so on. How many of these processes are empty formalities—hurdlesthatyou(andothermanagers)mustrepeatedlyjumpfornogoodreason?Or consider the people problems you've had to "solve" over and over again.There'sthegalinmarketingwhofindsfaultwitheverynewproductlaunchandnever buys into the program until she gets a personal plea to cooperate fromsomeoneattheexecutivelevel.OrtheguyinITwholetsrequestsforcomputerupgradespileuponhisdesk formonthsuntil hisboss laysdown the lawandforces him to act. Or the department that's run like a private fiefdom by amanagerwhohoardsinformationanddeviseshisownstrategicplansthatneverquitemeshwithanyoneelse's,untilavicepresidentpersonallyintervenes.Alloftheseareclassicexamplesofwastedtime,energy,andresources—slippage.In some cases,we're blind to these corporatemudholes. In other cases,we'veacceptedthemasthewaythingsare.Andinstillothercases,we'reawareofthe

problemsbutjustcan'tfindthetimeormotivationtoaddressthem.These kinds of problems aren't confined to the business arena, but crop upconstantly in thepersonal realmaswell.Howmanypeopledoyouknowwhohavequitsmokingorlostthesametenpoundsrepeatedly?(Maybeyouareoneof them.) My own experience with online banking provides another goodexample.ForyearsIwassittingdowntwiceamonthtopaymybillsbyhand,allthe while knowing that online bill paying could save me time, energy, andmoney (nomore stamps to buy). I just didn't commitmyself to setting it up.When I finally did, the rewards were immediate, substantial, and permanent.Whattookmesolong?Behaviorlikeminereflectswhat'sknownastheKnowingversusDoinggap—acommon problem in business (and life) that the highly respected professorsJeffreyPfefferandRobertSuttonhavewrittenandlecturedaboutextensively.Ahandful of companies are aware of these gaps and have created a culture thatattacksthem.Theylookforthegaps,createnewsystemstoclosethegaps,andperiodicallyevaluatetheireffectivenesssothatnecessaryfollow-upchangescanbeinstituted.Sadly, such companies are rare. Most of us work in companies where theexistence of the Knowing versus Doing gap isn't recognized. Consequently,some of our most persistent and debilitating problems are never addressedproactively.Instead,weactonlywhenthepainbecomestoogreat.What'simportantisthatweopenoureyestoseethesegaps,thenbegintoworkontheoneswherethepotentialrewardforasolutionisgreatest.

TheGoodBusinessReason—DesigningYour ProjectPortfolio

When we pursue traction, we're looking for ways to drive our companiesforward.Sometimeswe'restymiedbytheslippagethatwe'vejustdiscussed.Inother cases, the problem is the sheer volumeof demandsonour time, energy,and resources. If you're a manager with even a modicum of intelligence andability, you are probably inundatedwith requests for your help on this or thatproject, team,or taskforce.Narrowingthesedemands to theessential fewthatought to become a part of your personal project portfolio is an ongoingchallenge.Regardlessofhowtheseprojectsmakeitourway,there'salotofpowerinavery

simplequestion:What'sthegoodbusinessreasonfordoingthis?ActuallyIcan'ttakecreditforthequestion.IoweittomyfriendJasonJennings.Anauthor,consultant,andmotivationalspeaker,Jasonhasstudiedthousandsofsuccessfulfirmsandin threebest-sellingbookshasexamined30of thebest—companiesthathavegrownbymorethan20percentperyearformorethan20consecutivequarters.WhenprofilingHerbandMarionSandler,thefoundersandoperating owners ofWorld Savings (one of the nation's 15 largest banks andthrifts), he learned that they attributed their success to a corporate culture thatnevermakesamovewithoutfirstaskingthatsameverysimplequestion:What'sthegoodbusinessreasonfordoingthis?ForWorldSavings,itmeantalotofthingsthatotherbanksconsideredessentialdidn'tgetdone.WorldSavingsdidn'tlaunchanetworkofATMsuntilyearsafterthecompetition.TheteamatWorldSavingsfelttheycouldn'tjustifythecapitalexpensebecausetheirsavingsandtime-depositcustomers(atthetimetheheartof their customer base) didn't havemuch of a need forATMs. It wasn't untilWorldSavingsdecidedtopursuehigh-balancecheckingaccountcustomersthatitmadeeconomicsensetoinstallthemachines.Based on that one simple question, the Sandlers created a culture where thejustification for every decision needed to be demonstrated and, if possible,quantified. The results have been incredible. World Savings beats theircompetitorsinprofitabilityyearafteryear.NowIusethesamequestiontohelpmefocusontheprojectsandactivitiesthatmake the most sense for me and my company. If something is really worthdoing, therewill be a clear and compelling answer to that powerful question,What'sthegoodbusinessreasonfordoingthis?Hereissomeadditionaladviceaboutdevelopingyourpersonalprojectportfolio—thesetofactivitiesandinitiativesonwhichyouwillchoosetofocusandwithwhichtobecomeidentified.Perhapsthemostimportantsuggestionistothinkofyour"to-do"listasjustthat—aportfolioofprojects.Theechofrominvestmentmanagementisnoaccident.Everyprojectyoucommittoshouldbeviewedasapersonalinvestment—notofmoney,butoftimeandenergy,bothofwhicharelimitedandpreciousresources.Just asyou should thinkaboutyour financialportfolio is termsofoverall riskandreward,soshouldyouplanyourportfolioofprojects.Yourpersonalitywillplayaroleintheprojectdecisionsyoumake.Ifyouareahigh-risk player, you'll take on more high-risk projects, recognizing that thelikelihood of failure is significant but that the rewards for success can be

enormous. If you are risk-averse, you may take a safer route by sticking toprojectsyouknowyoucanbringtosuccessfulfruition.Eitherstrategycanleadtosuccessovertime.It'sjustamatterofhowyoufeelcomfortablegettingthere.Ian Beavis, vice president of marketing for Kia Motors (the Korean-basedcompanythatistheworld'sfastest-growingautomaker),toldusthathebuilthiscareerbytakingontheprojectsthatnobodywanted—thetoughchallengesthatoncesolvedreallydefinedhimasawinner.QuanahBonrudfromEnthusian,theWeb-based talent acquisition and management provider, feels the same way,advising,"Dowhatothersarenotwillingtodo,andthendoitwell."Atthesametime,wefoundthatwhilethesemanagersmadetheirnamesontheirhomeruns,theyalsohitalotofsinglesanddoubles—infact,theywereexpertsatgettingonbaseconsistentlyandoften.Clearlytheybalancethemostdifficultassignmentswithmoremanageable ones, which enable them to rack upwinsquarterafterquarter,addingvalueallthewhile.

MakingTeamsWork—ControllingtheCavePeople

Withallof the timewespendworking together in teams,we spendvery littletime learning how to make them work. Sure, we discuss leadership, we talkaboutbuy-in,andwedoourbest todrive towardsclearandmeaningfulgoals.Yet, at the same time, at least half of corporate initiatives nevermake it frommeetingstoimplementation,andmorethan83percentofcorporatefailuresaredriven not by external circumstance, but by simple failure to follow though.Obviouslyourknowledgeofwhatittakestomaketeamseffectiveislacking.Without follow-through, we don't have traction. We're back to spinning ourwheels.Inordertogetfollow-throughwhenworkingwithateaminacorporateenvironment,severalthingsarenecessary:

First,weneedtocreatemomentumearlyonbyestablishinggoalsthataremeaningfulandprocessesthatmakesense.Next,we need to understand the cast of characterswe areworkingwith.What motivates them? How do we activate them to invest time in ourcause?Andhowdowepreventthenaysayersandtheenergy-sappersfromkillingtheproject?Finally, we need to create an environment in which each individual isaccountable not to the leader, but to the team—so that the project and

everyoneinvolvedinitbecomesself-drivingratherthanrequiringconstantSisypheanlabor(pushingtheboulderupthehillthroughsheerbruteforce).

Okay,sothat'stheplan.Nowhowdowemakeithappen?Laurence Haughton has written and lectured extensively about teams,performance,andfollow-through.Inhisbook,It'sNotWhatYouSay...It'sWhatYou Do—How Following Through at Every Level Can Make or Break YourCompany, he warns us about the dangers posed by the cave people. That is,CAVE people:CitizensAgainstVirtually Everything.According toHaughton,thecavepeoplearetheonesineveryorganizationwhogooutoftheirwaytokillbuy-in,spreadnegativity,andcreatefailure:

Just likeourbodieshavean immune system that assaults everythingnewandunfamiliar,organizationshave theirownautoimmune response (a.k.a.theCAVEPeople)thatattackseverynewideaandchangeindirection.So,likedoctorspreparingapatientforatransplant, leadersmusttakestepstooutmaneuvertheseantibodiesinhumanform.

According toHaughton, that plan starts by keeping any cave people off yourprojectuntilafteryouhavegeneratedsomeearlycriticalsuccesses.Havingthemaroundisnotworththerisk,becausekillingprojectsbydestroyingotherpeople'senthusiasmiswhattheydo.Oddlyenough, inhisworkasabusinessconsultant,Haughtonfindsthatmanycompanies allow cave people to kill projects even though they recognize thedangertheypose."Iget invitedintocompaniesafter thingshavegonehorriblywrong,"heexplains, "andmanagement'sgotadead initiativeon itshands—oronethat'smortallywounded.Ican'ttellyouhowmanytimes,asI'mre-creatingwhatwentwrong,Ihear,'Iknewso-and-sowouldkillourbuy-in.''Well,ifyouknewthat,'Ithinkinmyhead,'whyonearthdidyouletthemontheteam?'"Atfirst,itmayseemuncomfortableorawkwardtoworkaroundthecavepeople,butifyou'rereallygoingtocreatechange,gaintraction,andmoveforward,it'sessential.

TheRest of theCast ofCharacters:TheCommittedandtheCompliant

Whatabouttheotherpeoplewhoparticipateinyourteam?Whatdoesittaketounderstandandmotivatethemtogeneratetheenergyandmomentumneededfor

success?Onewaytogetstartedistosortyourteammembersintotwobroadcategories—thecommittedandthecompliant.Supposeyouhavetwoteammembers,eachofwhomhasbeenaskedtodeliveryour team'sbusinessplan to a senior executive.Theexecutivewill review theplananddecidewhetherornottoapproveit.Thecommitted teammemberwalks theplanover to theexec'sofficeandaskstheassistantiftheexecutiveisavailable.Learningthatheorsheisinameetingthat'llendinfiveminutes,thecommittedteammemberdecidestowaituntiltheexecutiveisfree.Whentheexecstrollsoutofthemeeting,thecommittedteammemberputstheplanintotheexec'shandsandsays,"Thanksforreadingthis.Itmeansalottousandwe'rereallylookingforwardtoyourgoodthinkingonthischallenge."Bycontrast,thecompliantteammemberdecidesnottowaitaround.Instead,shesimplypassestheenvelopetotheexec'sassistantandwalksaway.Sheprovidesnocontext,noenthusiasm,notevenapitchtotheassistantforhelp.Committedpeoplearedrivenbytheprojectathand.They'vecaughtthepassion.Theyarecurious.Theywantresponsibility.Compliant people are just going through the motions. They may be presentphysically,buttheyhaven'tboughtinwiththeirheartsandminds.They'lldotheleast amount of work necessary to get credit for participating, but they don'tcontributenewideasorsupporttheoldoneswithenthusiasm.Whenyouknowwhereeveryonesits,compliantorcommitted,youcanbegintoworkonmotivatingthem.Thinkofitinsteps:

1. 1.First,chainupthecavepeople—don'tletthemnearyourproject.2. 2.Next,determinewho'scommittedandwho'scompliant.Thenbuildearly

successeswiththosewhoarecommittedanddemonstratethissuccessbackto those who aren't. Many people in most organizations will be swayedaway from their compliant status toward commitment by evidence ofsuccess. You'll find that the momentum created by their shift towardscommitmentisjusttremendous.

With each success, take time to celebrate and demonstrate how everyone canplayarolecreatingevenmoresuccess.

Using Technology to Assure Accountability andCreateTraction

As a manager, you're often asked to join a cross-divisional team where yourinfluence is supportednot byyour powerbase, title, or role, but rather by thestrength of your ideas and your ability to engage people in a common cause.Often these are ad hoc teams created to support projects initiated by seniormanagerstopursuegoalstheycareabout—goalslikecostreduction,productandprocessinnovation,orresearch.Creatingaccountability in thiskindofsituation,wherethecastofcharacters isunfamiliar and it's hard to know what motivates them, is often challenging.Blogs andWikis, now easier to implement, are beginning to play a powerfulrole.Asyoumayknow, blogs,which reside online, allow their hosts to share theirwords, images,andsoundswhile solicitingadialoguewith their readers.Withblogs, thereadersarewelcometopost responses.WithWikis,anyonecaneditthe page and improve upon the content. Originated by software developersputting their minds together to evolve code and later popularized byWikipedia.com,Wikisfacilitatethewisdomofcrowdsandconsistentlygeneratebetterwork.BothblogsandWikisarebeingusedasbusinesstoolsbysomeoftoday'ssavviestorganizations.10e20,aWebdesignshopinNewYork,decidedto launchablogforeachproject, requiringemployees topostupdateson theirprogresstwiceaday.Withinthefirstsixweeksofthenewsystem,tenprojectswerecompletedearly. (Howoftendoes thathappeninyouroffice?)Theblogsplayedakeyrole.Beingabletoreadabouttheotherparticipants'challengesandsuccesseswasinspiringforthoseinvolved.Blogs help team members sense the momentum, stay connected to thecommunity between meetings, and really think about, see, and enhance oneanother'scontributions.Blogsalsoprovidevisibilityintoprojectsforthosewhohave sponsored them, butmay not be directly involved. The senior executivewhocannotattendeverymeetingcangoonline24/7forastatusreportandjointheongoingconversationwithpersonalthoughtsandencouragement.Theseincreasinglysimpletechnologiesarefacilitatingage-oldpracticesinawaythatisuniquelyconvenientfortheparticipants.

MaintainingTraction

There'snodoubtthatcreatingtractiontakeseffort,buttherewardsaregreat.Weandourcompaniesareatourbestwhenweescapepotbangingtodothethingsthatreallymatter.Whenyouareexposingyourcompany'sKnowingversusDoinggap,reframingyour job usingMVA, findingways to build communications bridges betweenmanagers, or planning a team effort so that the committed can win over thecompliant, you are drilling a layer deeper than those aroundyou.The tractionyoudevelopandmaintainwillenableyoutogofurtherandfasterthanyoueverdreamedpossible.

2TheManager'sUniverse

Relationships—TheSumTotalofAnyBusiness

Asamanager inTheMiddle,what is themost crucial element youmust dealwitheveryday?Some would reply, "Money." Others might say, "Products." Still others,"Strategies," "Business models," "Organizational plans," or "The corporatevision."Allof thesemaybe important.All are tools youneed tounderstandand learnhowtowield inpursuitofyourgoalsand thegoalsof thecompany.Butmoreimportant than any of these tools are the people you work with and yourrelationshipswiththem.After all, to theextent thatyou'vebeenentrustedwithbusiness tools—money,products,services,strategies,andalltherest—it'sbecauseofwhatyou'vedonewith and for the other people in the organization. Something in the way youcommunicate,thewayyoucollaboratetosolveproblems,thewayyoulistenandlearn, theway you direct and coach, theway you disagree constructively, theway you channel your enthusiasm—something in all these personal traits hasconvincedthetopbrassthatyouhavewhatittakestomanage.Andmanagingisall aboutmotivating the people around you towork together for the commongood.So"peopleskills"arenotthe"softstuff"ofmanagement,somethingtobegivenlip service but ultimately less important than the "hard stuff" like financialanalysis, marketing strategy, or corporate law. People skills are the heart ofmanagement,withoutwhicheverythingelseissomuchsoundandfury.It's deeply ironic that, while we in business carefully count our money, ouroutput, our customers, and just about everything else we touch, we fail tomeasurewhatmattersmost—our relationships.Sure,weamasscontacts inourOutlooks orBlackberries orTreos, but dowe really evaluate the relationshipsthey represent? Do we analyze where we stand with them? Do we devoteresourcesoftimeandenergytoimprovingthem?Ignitedmanagersstudytheirrelationshipsthewayastronomersstudythestarsin

thesky.Atanygivenmoment,somearebright,whilesomearedimming.Somearemovingoutofalignment,whileothersaremovingin.Periodicallyastarmayself-destructintheawesomephenomenonknownasasupernova.Othertimesanewstaremerges,onethatmayultimatelyplayacentralroleinyoursystem.In this chapter, you'll learn how to chart the relationships that make up yourbusiness universe. You'll explore how to understand their relative importance,measureyourprogresswiththem,anddiscoverwaystoimproveandstrengthenthem.Thissimplesystemwillhelpyouidentifywhereyourchallengesareanddecidewheretofocusyourenergies.You'lllearnhowtovisualizethestrengthsandweaknesses of your relationship network and, as you apply the lessons inthisbook,you'llbeabletoseethedifferenceasthoserelationshipsimprove.

MapYourUniverseinFiveEasySteps

Thefollowingexercise,whichwecalltheManager'sUniverse,hasmanyuses.Itcanbeused tomap thenetworkofkey relationships involved inyour routine,day-to-day business life. It can also be used for more specific purposes. Forexample,supposeyou'reaskedtojoinaninter-departmentalteamtohelplaunchanimportantnewproduct.YoumightwanttocreateaManager'sUniversemapspecifically tailored to this project, one that you can use to analyze therelationshipsthatwillinfluenceitssuccessorfailure.Here are the five simple steps you can use to create your own Manager'sUniversemap:

1. 1.Atthecenterofapieceofpaper,drawacirclerepresentingyou.(Yes,forthepurposesofthisexerciseyouarethecenteroftheuniverse—congrats!)

2. 2.Thendrawaringofsixtotencirclesonthepaperorbitingthefirstcircle.(Think of a planet and its moons.) Each circle represents an importantstakeholderinyoursuccess—individualsorgroupsofpeopleonwhomyourelyandwhohelptodetermineyoursuccess.(Whysixtoten?Thisisthenumberofkeystakeholderstowhommostmanagersrelate.Ifyouthinkyouhave only two or three, you are probably forgetting about some crucialconnections. If you think you have 12 or 15, you are probably gettingbogged down with some connections that are much less important;eliminatesomeofthemsoastosharpenyourfocus.)

3. 3.Fill intheoutercircleswiththenamesofyourkeystakeholders.You'll

see in the example shown inFigure2-1 that onemanager (we'll call himJoe) included his immediate boss, his boss's boss (the chief operatingofficer),severalexecutiveswithinhiscompany(thedirectorofoperations,thedirectorof information services, and thevicepresidentofmarketing),twodirectreports(hisproductmanagerandhisservicemanager),andtwoimportant outside groups—his customers and a vital supplier (OwensCompany).Why these nine?These are the peoplewhomake the greatestdifferenceinJoe'severydaysuccess—thepeoplewhocontrolaccesstokeyresources, who can provide or withhold the support needed to pursuecrucialgoals,whocanhelporhinderJoe'sprogresstowardthosegoals.Figure2-1TheManager'sUniverse.

4. 4.Nexttoeachstakeholder,ratetheimportanceofthisstakeholdertoyouintermsofyourbusinesssuccessonascalefrom1(leastimportant)to10(mostimportant).Thisisthefirstnumbershownineachstakeholdercircle.InJoe'scase,hisbossandhiscustomersaremostimportant(bothratedat10), while the folks at Owens Company are the least important of thoseshowninthemap(ratedat3).Ifaparticularstakeholdercarriesascoreof1or2,youmightwanttoconsiderdroppingthemfromthemapaltogether.

5. 5.Finally,nexttothenumberindicatingimportance,ratethecurrentqualityofyourworkingrelationshipwiththisstakeholderonthesame1-10scale.

As you can see, Joe has a great relationshipwith the servicemanager (aperfect10)butaverytroubledconnectionwiththeCOO(ratedjust2).

NowthatJoehashisuniversemapped,hecanreallybeginthinkingaboutwhereheneedstofocushisenergiesandaddmorevalue.HerearesomeofthespecificwaysthatJoecanusetheManager'sUniversemapasaself-diagnostictool:

Thinkabout eachof the relationships included in theManager'sUniversemap.Aretheybuiltontrust?Doyouunderstandeachother?Whatwasyourlast interaction like?Whatcanyoudo todelivervalue to this stakeholderandhelphimorherpursuesuccess?Focusonthethreerelationshipsthataremostcrucialtoyou.(InJoe'scase,theyarehisboss,hiscustomers,andthecompany'sdirectorofoperations.)Howmuchtimeareyoudevotingtoeachoftheseconnections?Haveyoubeen short-changing one or more of these key relationships (perhapsbecauseofapersonalaversionorasenseofanxiety)?Haveyouworkedtounderstand the interests, goals, preferences, andmotivations of these keystakeholders?Identifythethreerelationshipsthatareweakestormosttroubled.(ForJoe,thesearetheCOO,thedirectorofoperations,and,inatie—bothrated6—hisbossandhisproductmanager.)Whatreasonsunderlie theproblemsintheserelationships?Whatcanyoudothisweektobeginstrengtheningthetieswith each of these stakeholders?What change in behavior (either ontheirpartoronyourpart)wouldindicatethattheproblemsaresolvedandtherelationshipisonasolidfooting?

Asyousee,youcanusetheManager'sUniversemaptohelpyoudevelopaplanformanagingandimprovingyournetworkofcrucialrelationships.Laterinthisbook,you'llexplorethesevenIgnitionPointsthatwillhelpyouaddsignificant value to your relationships with those around you. Then you canreturntoyourManager'sUniversemapandreevaluateyourrelationships.Overtime, the numbers representing the strengths of those relationships shouldincrease.

HowandWhentoUsetheManager'sUniverseMap

Becauseyour relationships inbusinessarealwayschanging,you'llwant tousetheManager's Universemapping system periodically tomonitor the health ofyournetwork.Youmayalsowanttouseitforspecificpurposes.It'savitaltoolwhenyou

Feellost,overwhelmed,frustrated,orconfusedbytheconflictingdemandsofyourjobAre engaged in strategic planning, budget forecasting, or beginning animportantnewprojectAreimpactedbymajorexternalchange,suchasacompanyreorganization,merger,oracquisitionAredealingwithoneormorenew stakeholders, such as anewbossor anewsetofdirectreportsAre entering a new role, as when you've been promoted, made a lateralshift,orjumpedtoanewcompany

In all of these circumstances, theManager'sUniversemap can be a powerfulway to organize your thinking about the network of relationships that affectsyourwork. It canhelpyouzero inon theconnections that aremost important(and avoidwasting energy on those that are less important), identify themosttroubledrelationships(andhelpyouplanwaystoimprovethem),andkeepyoufromlosingsightofrelationshipsthatareimportantbuteasytotakeforgranted.An hour spentmapping and analyzing your personal universe can give you aclearer perspective about your job and an increased sense ofmastery over itsdisparateelements.Thesamemappingstrategycanalsobeadaptedtothebroaderpurposeofcareerstrategy and life planning. For this purpose, you would create a map thatincludes the main stakeholders with influence over your life as a whole, notsimplyyoursuccessinyourcurrentposition.For example, suppose Joe is considering a new job assignment within hiscompany,whichwill involvemoving fromCalifornia to theEastCoast of theU.S. The network of key stakeholders for this decision-making processmightinclude

Joe'swife(whowouldhavetoleaveherownCalifornia-basedjobifJoeistopursuehisdream)Joe's kids, ages ten and twelve (whose lifestyle and schooling would beaffectedbyJoe'scareerchange)

Colleagueswithinthecompany(withwhomJoemaycontinuetoworkafterthemove,andwhosehelpwillbecrucialtoasuccessfultransition)Joe'sbusinessmentor,Ron(whoseadviceandwisdomJoeprizes)

Before making any final decision about the proposed career change, Joe willwant to think about each of these relationships. Does he know how eachstakeholderwouldreacttothemove?Whatdegreeofsupport(orresistance)canhe expect from each one? Has he invested time to make sure that eachstakeholderknowsabouthisdream,understandsitsprosandcons,andcanoffermeaningfulhelp,advice,orguidance?

Using theManager'sUniverse as aCommunicationsTool

Useful as the Manager's Universe map can be for individual planning andstrategizing,sharingitwithcolleaguesatworkcanbeevenmorepowerful.It'sconsistent with the transparency that I believe in andwill allow you to get adeeperandbroaderperspectiveontheworldinwhichyoumove.One person with whom you can share the map is your boss. Draw up youruniverseashowyoubestunderstanditandthenshowittoyourboss,explainingits purpose andmeaning.Ask him or her to react and comment.Youmay besurprisedbywhatyouhear.Forexample,yourbossmaystronglydisagreewithsome of the people or groups you've listed as stakeholders: "Why are youwastingtimeworryingaboutKathyinIT?Herdepartment'snotanissueforyou.If Iwere you, I'd bemore concerned aboutRajid in Finance.He controls thepursestrings,andIhearhe'slookingforwaystocutourbudgetnextyear."Inothercases,yourbossmayhaveaverydifferentperspective fromyoursonthe strength orweakness of a particular relationship: "Why do you have yourconnectionwithJerryinmarketingratedasa2?Ithinkyoutwogetalonggreat.Sure,he'salwaysgrouchyandfullofcomplaints,butthat'sjustthewayJerryis.Youshouldhearwhathesaysabouttheotherdepartmentheads—hecomplainsabout thema hell of a lotmore than he complains about you!"Dependingonyourrelationshipwithyourboss,youmaychoose toshowyourboss justyourlistofcontactsandhowimportantyoufeeltheyare,andnotshareyourstrength-or-weaknessrankings.Agreatquestiontoaskyourbossis,"HowcanIprovidethegreatestvaluetothe

peopleinmyuniverse?"Fromhisorheruniqueperspective,yourbosscanofferinsightsthatwilldeepenandenrichyourunderstandingofwhatsuccessinyourjob reallyentails—insights suchas, "Given the financialpressureswe'reunderrightnow,thefolksinProductionaren'tthatconcernedaboutperfectingproductquality. Their main goal is to get goods out the door as quickly as possible.Whatever you can do to keep the plant running 24/7 will make them happy,believeme."Conversely, theManager'sUniverseexercise isalsoauseful tool tohelp thosewhoreporttoyou.Whenanewpersonjoinsyourteam,whenoneofyourdirectreportsgetspromotedormovedtoanewassignment,orwhenateammemberisfeelingfrustratedorstuck,sitdownwithhimorherandhavethispersoncreatehisorherownmap.Orbring theexercise intooneofyour teammeetingsandinvitetheentiregrouptodiscusstheirfindings.This exercise is especially helpful after a reorganization.Most companieswillprovide employees with memos describing the new reporting relationships,sometimes including org charts complete with ruled and dotted lines thatsupposedly reveal the crucial connections among individuals and departments.What these charts leave unclear is where the power lies, which informalconnectionswill be important, andwhowill have the greatest impact on yoursuccess. Working through a Manager's Universe mapping exercise with yourteamafterareorganizationwillenableyoutocombineinputfrommanysourcesintoasinglemapofcrucialrelationshipsthateveryonecanworkfromtogether,makingiteasierforyourdepartmenttohitthegroundrunningoncethedustofthereorghassettled.

UnderstandingYourBoss'sUniverse

Somemanagers can't get over their bosses' shortcomings.They count on theirbosses to deliver support for their efforts, answers to their questions, andsolutions to theirproblems.Whenthesearenotforthcoming(orwhentheyaredelivered partially, ineffectively, or too late), themanagers in TheMiddle aredisillusioned,upset,andangry.These expectations and reactions may be understandable. But they're alsounrealistic. In theolddaysof thecommand-and-controlcorporation,managersweretaughttobelieve"Thebossisalwaysright."Today,smartmanagersfollowanewrule:"Thebossisn'talwaysright,buthehastherighttobewrong."Once

youunderstandthisreality,youcanbegintocopewiththeconsequencesofyourboss's shortcomings and figure out ways to manage productively and happilydespitethem.Bycuttingtheirbossessomeslack,wisemanagerscreateanenvironmentwheretheygetsomewiggleroominreturn.Theydon'tfussaboutwhethertheirboss'severypronouncementorpolicyisrightorwrong.Instead,theyfocusonmakingeveryonearoundthem,includingtheirboss,successful.Intheworldofbusiness,there'sreallynosubstituteforahappyboss.Whenthebossishappy,there'smusicplaying,theairsmellsfresher,andfoodtastesbetter.Soitonlymakessensethatoneofthemostimportantthingsanymanagercandoislearnwhatittakestomakethebosssuccessful.However, this is easier said than done. For many of the managers weinterviewed,amajorchallenge isdetermining theirbosses'needs.Someof thebestadviceonthissubjectcomesfromJoeRipp, theformerViceChairmanofAOLandnowPresidentandChiefOperatingOfficerofDendrite,aproviderofcorporate sales andmarketing solutions. Joe says, "If youcanhelp solveyourboss's boss's problems, then your immediate manager will look better and bemoresuccessful.Making lifeeasier for thepeopleup the ladderfromyouwillultimatelymakeyourlifeeasier."Note the key insight in Ripp's observation: Start with your boss, but alsoconsider the perspective of your boss's boss. If you help your boss achievesuccesswithhisorherboss(notbygoingaroundyourboss,butcollaboratively),you're reallyontosomething.You're focusingon the issues thatmattermostatthehighestlevelsofthecompany—theonesthat'llgetyouthemostrecognition,themostpowerwithinthefirm,andpermissiontopursueallyourotherdreamsandgoals.You can probably see where we're going with this. In order to sharpen yourunderstanding of what your boss needs to succeed, try drawing a Manager'sUniversemapfromtheperspectiveofyourboss.Putyourbossinthemiddleandsketch out the network of relationships that are crucial to your boss's success.Rate their importance and the quality of each connection based on yourobservationsoftheinteractionsbetweenthem.Analyzethemapfromyourboss'sperspective:Whichare themost important focalpoints in thenetwork?Whichrelationships are the most troubled? And then relate the answers to yourself:WhatcanIdotostrengthenmyboss'sconnectionswiththekeystakeholdersinhisuniverse?HowcanImakehimlooksmarter,moreefficient,morecreative,morepowerful,moresuccessful?

Everything you do in response to these imperativeswill helpmake your bosshappy,andultimatelyproducedirectbenefitsforyouandyourteammembers.Ifyouhaveabosswhotrulybelievesintransparency,youcanevenshareyourownversionofyourboss'suniversewithhimorherandmakeitthebasisforavaluable discussion about your role in that universe. Have your boss correct,expand,andclarifythemapasheorsheseesit.Ifthisisn'tpossible,nevermind.Use the map you've drawn as your guide. The most important thing is toconstantlyreinforceyourownawarenessofthefactthatmakingyourbosslookand feel good is the smartest (and ultimately most powerfully self-serving)strategyanymanagerinTheMiddlecanpractice.

IgnitingYourNetwork

So far in this chapter, we've talked about the importance of your network ofstakeholderswithoutusingthatmuch-misunderstood(andoften-maligned)wordnetworking. In this section, we're going to talk about networking, hopefullyprovidinganewperspectivethatwillhelpyoumakethiscrucialcareerpracticereallyworkforyou.First,aquickstory.Thesedayseveryonetakese-mailforgranted,andifyou'relikeme,youmaybeoverdue for a cleanup of your inbox. But my friend Brian Tu had his firstexperiencewithe-mailalotearlierthanmostofus—waybackin1990.Brianwasonlyabout14yearsoldat thetime,andhisfather,anearlyadopter,setupane-mailaccountforhim.Forseveralyears,Brianhadonlyhisdadwithwhomtoexchangee-mails.Itwasfuntodo,butsowaswalkingdownthehalland talking to good ol' Dad face-to-face. Brian had no real inkling of theburgeoningpowerofthee-mailmedium.Inhighschool,Brianbeganmeetingotherkidsviae-mail.Witheachnewe-mailfriend,thepowerofthemediumforBriangrew.Friendshadfriends,andgreatjokes and rumors and stories began to circulate around cyberspace. In hissophomoreyear,whenBriangot thee-mail addressof a cutegirl, the Internettookonawholenewlevelofsignificance!Brian was learning a vital truth about networks: Each new addition to anynetworkaddsmore totalvalueforall those involved.Thesamehappenedwithfax machines (more offices equipped with fax machines meant moreopportunitiestousethegadgets)and,acenturyago,withtelephones.

The same truth applies to your personal business network. The bigger andbroaderitgets,themorevaluableitwillbe—notjustforyou,butforeverystarinthegalaxy.The relative handful of stakeholders you identified when you created yourManager'sUniversemap are just a start at defining your business network. Ifyourkeystakeholdersnumbereightorten,thensecondarynodesinthenetworkmaynumber30to50,tertiarynodesafewhundred,andlessernodes—someofthemnomorethanpointsoflightwithwhomyoumaycommunicateonlyonceayearorless—maybealmostinfiniteinnumber.As the sun at the center of this complex, ever-growing network, you play acritical role. It's up to you tomake andmaintain the connections that link allthesemembersintoasingle,livingnetwork.Byputtingastarfromonesegmentof the network in contact with a star from another distant quadrant, you areoffering them both an opportunity to generate light and energy together—toproducenewvaluethatneitheronecouldcreatealone.Whenpeople talk about networking,most think about people trading businesscardsandcallingeachotherforreferrals.That'spartofit,butnetworkingshouldreallybe thoughtofasaddingnodes, then turning themon in away that addsvalue.MyfriendJohnCoulterisamasternetworker.HelivesinChicagoandspent26yearsworkingwithhisbestbuddyfromcollege,JimmydeCastro,building thelargestradiogroupinthecountry.TheirAM/FMgroupboastedmorethan450stations when they finally sold it to Clear Channel in 2000. Today, John is aconsultant spendingmuchofhis timehelpingearly-stagemediaentrepreneurs.OnemeetingwithJohnandyouknowthatheisapowerfulforce,hisoptimismandenergyareinspiring.As you might imagine from the breadth of his business experience, John'snetwork reachesdeep.Callhimforaheadhunter—he'sgot12.Mentionyou'revisitingCincinnati—he'll rattle off the names of three sales reps, a half-dozencontactsatProcter&Gamble, two top restaurants,and thephonenumberofagreatcarservice.John'sgreatmemoryisanasset.ButwhatreallymakesJohnpowerfulisthatheknows what his contacts need and what they are trying to do, and he helpsconnectthemtothepeoplewhocandoit.ForpeoplelikeJohn,networkingisaboutgiving.Whenhemeetssomeonenew,rather than looking for a referral or an equal handoff, John asks himself onequestion:"Whatdoesthispersonneed,andhowcanIhelp?"

Ifsomeonehasabusinessidea,Johndoesn'tplaythecritic.(Heacceptsthefactthatmostpeoplehavenoideawhat'llworkandwhatwon't,atruththatbecomesclearerthelongeryouworkinanybusiness,whetherit'smovies,publishing,orplumbingfixtures.)Instead,hebecomesthisindividual'schampion:"WhocanIintroduceyoutothatmightbeinterestedinyouridea?Hereareafewnames..."Wherever you're trying to go, people like John help you get there faster.Andwitheachinteraction,thelawsofkarmaincreaseJohn'sownvalueandsuccess.

NetworkingasUnderstandingPeople'sNeeds

HowdowebuildrelationshipswithpeoplelikeJohn,becomingvaluednodesonthenetwork?Whatitreallycomesdowntoismeetingpeople'sneeds.Ifwemeetothers'needs—providevalueinwaysthatmattertothem—ourneedswillbemetaswell(ultimatelyifnotimmediately).Peoplewhobelieveinthisphilosophyofnetworkingdon'tworktowardsequal,one-for-oneexchange.Theygivefor the joyofgiving,knowingthat theworldhasawayofsharingrewards.Ofcourse,knowinghowandwhat togive to theotherpeople inyournetworkisn't always so easy.With people who are a permanent part of your network(fixed stars in your universe), you have opportunities to communicate, share,observe, and learn what matters to them. With newcomers or slightacquaintances,itmaytakesomeinsightorintuition.Generally speaking, business people are usually looking for three types ofsolutions.Thefirsttypeissolutionsthat'llmakethemmoney.Forexample,youcan

Introducethemtopotentialcustomers.Introducethemtopotentialteammemberswhocanhelpthemearnmoney.Givethemideasforproductsorservices,orbrainstormwiththem.Help educate them about variant business models—show themwhat cantheylearnfromyourbusiness.Advocateforthem.Maybedropafavorablereferencetothemintoanop-edoralettertotheeditorinanindustrytradejournal.Ormaybejustsendane-mailtotheirbosscomplimentingthegreatworktheydidforyou.

Thesecondtypeissolutionsthat'llsavethemmoney.Youcan

Introducethemtonewvendors.Givethemthebenefitofyourexperienceonbusinesssystems,procedures,and/orprocesses.Helpthemfindwaystocreatenon-monetarycompensation,incentives,andrewardsfortheiremployeesandsuppliers.Offertonegotiatefavorabledealsontheirbehalf.Showthemwaystobemoreproductive,efficient,andeffective.

Finally,therearesolutionsthat'llmaketheirliveseasier.Forinstance,youcan

Teachthemhowtoimplementtechnologybetter.Guidethemintheirshoppingordecision-making.Helpthemplananevent.Clip articles or provide them research relevant to their business; in otherwords,helpthemlearnsomething.Coachthem,motivatethem,andinspirethem.

Once you really get to know your contacts, you'll begin to understand wheretheirneeds liewithin thesecategories. Ifyoudon'tknow,ask them: "What's abigger priority for you right now—finding more customers or trimmingexpenses?Makingmoretimewithyourteammembersormoretimewithyourvendors?Whatissuesarekeepingyouupatnight?AnythingIcandotohelp?"Onceyoubelieve that youunderstand theproblem, clarifyyourunderstandingbyasking,"Isitcorrectthatfindingtalentedemployeesisyourgreatestcurrentconcern?" This is an important step, because any solution you provide ismeaninglessunlessitaddressesagenuineconcern.Igniting your network is about turning people on. If you deliver real value,they'llfeelthepullofreciprocity(it'sahumaninstinct)andultimatelyreturnthatvalueandmorebacktoyouortoothersinthenetwork.

InSearchofNodes

Ifyouneedhelpinbuildingyourpersonalnetwork,checkoutoneofthepopular"social networking" sites now available online. Dan Engel, a successfulentrepreneurinSantaBarbara,California,usesLinkedIn(www.linkedin.com)togather new nodes and light them up.As amember of LinkedIn, you can add

your connections and then gain access through them to their connections. It'shardtooverstatehowuseful thiscanbewhenyouneedaspecificcontact.Forexample, suppose you're a LinkedInmember interested in talking to someoneinvolved inmarketing the Pop Secret product at GeneralMills. You can visitLinkedIn'swebsite, search its listings underGeneralMills, and chances are ifyoubuilt yourownnetwork,you'll find the friendof a friendof a friendwhoworksatGeneralMillsandknowstherelevantmanager.If you're interested, you can even join my network on LinkedIn. Just go towww.linkedin.com,searchforme,andfollowthedirections.I'dlovetohaveyouaspartofmypersonaluniverse.

TheNeedforSpeed

Anetworkofpowerful nodes is pointless if youdon't intend to realize its fullpotential. However, the more nodes you add, the more significant timeconstraintsbecome.Theresimplyaren'tenoughhours in theday tomaintainalarge network by conventional means. Therefore, you need to add anotherdimensiontoyournetworkingprogram—speed.Hollywood studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg has mastered the art of speednetworking.ResponsibleforalargechunkofDisney'ssuccessinthe1980sand90s,hefoundedDreamWorksSKGwithStevenSpielbergandDavidGeffenandlater sold the studio to Paramount.Katzenberg has long been heralded for hiscloserelationshipswiththeHollywoodcreativecommunity.Youmightwonderhow such a busy man is able to build and nurture his constellation ofrelationships (imagine thediagramofhisManager'sUniverse!)while rising toHollywood'shighestranks.Ifyou'veeverseenhimatbreakfast,you'llgainsomeinsight.Inayearwith260businessdays,JeffreyKatzenbergcanfindtimefor750breakfastmeetings.Yes,weknowthatdoesn'tappearpossible,butpeoplelikeKatzenberglivefarbeyondnormallimitations.Here'showitworks.Everymorning,Katzenbergsetsupshop in thecornerofthe dining room at one of LA's posh hotels. There he takes three breakfastappointmentsperhour,20minutesapart.Believeitornot,friendsofminewhohavebeenhisgueststellmetheyneverfeltrushed.Ithappens like this.Youarriveatyourscheduled time(don'tdarebe late)andareescortedtoKatzenberg'stable.Themogulgreetsyouandmakessureyouare

comfortable. The waiter appears. You order. Katzenberg doesn't. The waiterleaves,andKatzenbergasks,"HowcanIhelpyou?"Asyoureply,pitchingyourscreenplay, business plan, or other concept, the waiter returns with yourbreakfast,plusasmallbiteforKatzenberg.After 15 minutes of eating and pitching, you take your last bite, the waiterswoopsintocleanthetable,Katzenbergreplaysyourneedsbacktoyou,offersto dowhat he can, and stands towish you awarm goodbye.As you leave, awaiterquicklyrefreshesthetable,andKatzenberg'snextguestarrives.Ofcourse,Katzenberg'stime-collapsingstrategyproducesconversationsthatarequitedifferentfromtheusualbusinessinterchange.Nosmalltalk.Nolingeringover the choice of omelets.No catching up on the latest gossip. It's all aboutgettingrighttothepoint!Bylimitingmeetingsto20minuteseach,Katzenbergcommunicatestohisgueststhathistimeisvaluable.Theresult:Threeguestsgetto runaroundLAlater thatday,casuallymentioning toanyone interestedwithwhomtheyjusthadbreakfast.Meanwhile,Katzenberghasmaximizedhisowntime and considered three separate business opportunities in the space of timethatmostpeoplewoulddevotetoone!Youprobablycan't implementKatzenberg'sspeednetworkingstrategydirectly.Most people don't have thousands of playerswishing for a 20-minute slice oftheirtime.Someofyourbusinesscolleaguesmighteventakeoffenseifyousentthempackingfromthetableafter17minutesofconversation.Buttheconceptofspeed networking is critical, and easy to implement with appropriatemodificationsforyourparticularcircumstances.Here, in no particular order, is a collection of ideas for speed networking thatyoumaywanttotry:

Nevereatalone.KeithFerrazi's bestseller of the samename is a brilliantguidetonetworking,andwhile thebookgoesmuchdeeper, thetitle itselfremindsusofanimportantlesson.Insteadofmunchingabagelatyourdeskorscarfingdownasandwichatthedelicounter,turnbreakfastsandlunchesinto opportunities to exchange news and ideas with a colleague, client,customer,orsource.There'ssomethingabout"breakingbread"withpeoplethat helps to generate an instant bond of fellowship and empathy, whichmakesmealtimesaperfectopportunitytogettoknowsomeone.Get wired. E-mail, instant messaging, blogging, podcasting—all arepowerfultoolsforaddingvaluetowhatusedtobedown-time(commuting,jogging,waitingforyourflight,thedoctor'swaitingroom,younameit)and

for time-shifting communications into those precious five-and ten-minutesegmentswhenmotiveandopportunitycometogether.Respondrightaway.Whenyougetamessage,phonecall,e-mail,orletterfromsomeoneinyournetwork,respondimmediately,whiletheimpulseisstrongest, themessageclearest, and the relevancehighest.Don't stack the"to-dos" in a pile on the corner of your desk, expecting to find anopportunitytodevoteplentyoftimetoa"proper"reply.Instead,dashoffaquick, top-of-the-head answer now, which contains 90 percent of whatneeds to be said. That's more valuable—and will be more appreciated—thana100percentanswertwoweeksfromnow.Follow the crowds. Take advantage of company gatherings, industryconventions,seminarsandworkshops,andotherspecialeventswheremanyofthekeypeopleinyournetworkwillmeet.Attendtheparties,speeches,andpresentations,andyou'llbeabletogatherinformationandsharenewswith15to20importantpeopleinlesstimethanitwouldtaketoshareonedinnerwith twoof them.Alwaysget in thepathof thecrowd.If theyareheadedtoaseatingarea,haveyourconversationsneartheentrypoint.Neartheendoftheparty,haveyourconversationsnearthedoorandsayapropergoodbye.Createyourowngroups.Wishyouhadanopportunitytominglewithyourcounterpartsinotherdepartmentsorothercompaniesmoreoften?Inviteadozenkeypeople to joinyoufor luncheverymonth.Call it "TheSecondThursdayClub"andholditatagreat,noisy,crowdedrestaurantwheretheserviceisfastandtheconversationsarealwayslively.Ifthatworks,launcha few other such groups—maybe one for people from a range of relatedindustries, another for alumni of the same college or high school, stillanotherforpeoplewhosharenothingexceptapassionforcreativebusinessideas.Gather therightpeopleandyou'llsoonfindthatothersarebeggingforanopportunitytojointheclub.Get your rest. Paradoxically, taking time out to refresh and recuperate iscrucialtokeepingyourefficiencyhigh.Whenyou'reexhausted,yourmindstarts blinking, ideas fade and vanish, and your response rate slows to acrawl.Learnyourownbodychemistryanddeveloparoutinethathelpsyoukeep it in top form. Thismaymean a 20-minute nap between afternoonmeetings, an hour of yoga twice a week, or a three-day weekend at theshoreeverytwomonths.Whateverittakestorechargeyourbatteries,doitreligiouslylestyoufallpreytoburnout.

Don'twaituntilyourschedulebecomesoverwhelmingbeforeyouconsiderhowyou can implement speed networking into your life and your work. Time isprecious, and it is limited.Remember that youmust collapse time in order toexpandyournetwork.

Bosses:Stars,Comets,andthePoweroftheNetwork

Havingawell-litnetworkwillhelpyoupowerupagreatboss'sstar(whichcastsapowerfullightonyouintheprocess),orsurvivethekindofbosswhopassesthroughyourpartof thecosmos likeacomet. (Youknow thekind: fullofhotgasesandveryimpressiveatfirstglance,butquicklyflamingoutintosmokeandcinders.)Ifyou'reluckyenoughtohaveastar-likeboss,youcanconnecthimorherintoyour network and share the power ofwhat you have built. If things really gowell,yournetworkandthatofyourbossmaycombineandincreasetheirvaluesexponentially.Ifyourbossismoreofacomet—someonewhodoesn'tunderstandyouorcareaboutyoursuccess—yournetworkmaybeevenmorecritical.Thebossmaynotlike you, but if the other nodes in your network recognize your value as acontributor,yourbosswillhaveahardtimelettingyougoorholdingyoubackwithoutdamaginghisownplaceinthenetwork.Whentimesaretough,thepowerofyournetworkbecomesmostapparent.

3LeadershipinLimitedSpace

TheLeadershipDilemma

OnedayafriendandIweresittingatanoutdoorcafé infoggyMarinCounty,California, while the sounds of Highway 101 hummed behind us. My friendposedthequestion,"Canyouhaveagreatcareerinacrappycompany?"Itwas a simple question, but one I had never seen addressed in any businessbook.Myfriendcontinued,"Wereadsomuchaboutthegreatcompanies—Intel,GE,Southwest, SAS,FedEx,Microsoft—and thosewith all the heat on them, likeJetBlue,Apple,andGoogle.Whatabouttherestofus?Whataboutthoseofuswhodon'tworkinthebestcompanies?Worse,whataboutthoseofuswhoworkin companies that have been through turmoil, companies that have been tornapart? In the midst of the struggle, is it possible to have a great career in acompanythatisdownrightcrappy?"It's a poignant question because it focuses so acutely on what I call TheLeadershipDilemma:

Howdoyouleadinasituationwhereyouarenotincontrol?During the last tenyears,we'vehad a leadership solutionproposed for almostevery problem facing us. The books and seminars are endless, each with adifferent variation on the leadership theme. We've been inundated withleadership myths, leadership fables, leadership secrets, leadership tips,leadershippractices,andleadershipprayers.Therehasbeensomuchwrittenandspouted about leadership that some of the core tenets have become clichés,deadlyintheirboredom.(Haveyounoticedhoweyesglazeoverwhensomeonesays"win/win"inameeting?)Don'tmisunderstandme—we love leadership.We love thebooks,we love thepeoplewhowritethemandgoontourtotalkaboutthem—ministers, teachers,mayors,footballcoaches,consultants,academics,evenanoccasionalCEO.Theyallhavesomethingtosay,andmuchofitisactuallyworthwhile.Butwhy—withall that we've read andwith all the training programswe've been to—why isleadingpeoplestillsuchachallenge?

Onereasonisthat"leadership,"asdefinedbythebooksandtheconsultants, isoftenbettersuitedforthoseatTheTopthanforthoseinTheMiddle.Somanyofthestoriesofheroicleadershipthataretoldandretoldinconferencesandaroundwater coolers are aboutCEOs—the JackWelches,AndyGroves,BillGateses,andSamWaltonsof theworld.Thesearepeoplewhohave thepower to forcechangesontheorganizationstheyheadandwhodon'tneedanyone'ssign-offorpermissionbeforelaunchinganewinitiative.Cantheprinciplestheyusetoruntheir companies really work for managers in The Middle like us—managerswithout the ability to reshape businesses, redirect strategies, or even (inmanycases)tohire,fire,andrewardemployeesasweseefit?The answer is a qualified no. The "leadership secrets" of CEOs work formanagers at every level, butonlyup to apoint.Andmanagers inTheMiddlefaceuniquechallengesthatCEOsrarelyface.Thechallengeof leadership in a limited space calls for a fresh approach, onethatborrowsthebestapplicableinsightsfromthehundredsofleadershipbooksand redefines them for use by ignited managers. That's the purpose of thischapter.

AuthenticityandTrust

Oneofthebedrocksofleadershipatanylevelisauthenticity.Authenticpeopleare real, refreshing, and comfortable to be around. They don't try to sell yousomethingthattheydon'tbelievein.Theydon'tactdifferentlyarounddifferentpeople.Theyare solid.Theysaywhat theydoanddowhat theysay.Youcantrust them, and you know where they stand even when you don't agree withthem.Inaworldwhereweareconstantlytryingtounderstandwhat'sreal,what'sworthbeing concerned about and what's not, we never have to worry about them.Authenticpeopleprovide the foundations for trust, and forour lives inQuakeCountry, trust is essential. Ifweareauthenticourselves,wecanbeanchors toothersandotherscanrelyonus.Wecanhandletheshockstogetherandrebuildfasterinthefaceofchange.Whileauthenticityservesasthebasisoftrust,buildingtrustisanactiveprocess—onethatisofparamountimportanceinanyrelationship.Without trustwe have nothing.Whenwe don't trust, we are guarded.We arefearful.Wepreparefortheworst-casescenario.Withouttrust,it'simpossibleto

communicate. We're always misinterpreting and being misinterpreted. We'realwayslookingoutfortheotherperson'sagenda.Bycontrast,withtrust,wecanmovefastandgetthingsdone.Insteadoflookingfor double meanings, we finish each other's sentences and move forwardtogethertomeetnewsharedchallenges.Trust isemotional.ZigZiglar (thegreat teacher, leader,author,andmotivator)reallysaysitbest:"Peopledon'tcarehowmuchyouknow,untiltheyknowhowmuchyoucare."InmycareerI'veworkedwithmanypeoplewhoexcelledatbuilding trustandotherswhofailedmiserablytoconnect.What'sthedifference?Inmostcases,thesenseofcaringistheemotionalbasisoftrust.Thinkabout thepeopleyouworkwith.Chancesare, there isonecertain teammember thatpeoplewoulddoanything for.Let's callher "Kelly."Kelly is theteammemberwhoisheldinthegreatestesteem.IfyouhavetroublewithKelly,mostpeopleinthegroupwillautomaticallyassumethattheproblemmusthavestarted with you. Kelly works hard and is uplifted by those around her. Sheshowspeopleshecaresbyaskingabouttheirfamilies,alwaysconsideringtheirneeds, knowing their dreams, and actively trying to help them achieve thosedreams.(AsmusicianDavidByrneonceput it,"Sometimes it'sa formof lovejust to talk to somebody that you have nothing in common with and still befascinatedbytheirpresence.")PeopleareimportanttoKelly,anditshows.Ontheotherendofthespectrumisateammemberwe'llcall"Ray."RayworksashardasKelly,maybeevenharder.Hecaresdeeplyaboutthebusinessandhe'sactually very sharp. But Ray has a problem—in fact, nothing but problems.Ray's days are filledwith fights and frustrations. If you have a problemwithRay,everyoneassumesit'shisfault.WhatisRay'sproblem?Hemayhaveahostofothercareer-limitingissues,buttheforemostproblemisthatRaydoesn'ttakethetimetoshowthepeoplearoundhimthathecares.Whenhetries,hisattemptsseememptyandphony.Hedoesn'tlistenempatheticallyanddemonstratetruecaring.Asaresult,thosearoundRaybelievethatdeepdownhecouldn'tcarelessaboutthem—thatRayisonlyoutforhimself.Isthistrue?IsRayreallyaselfish,uncaringegoist?Maybe,ormaybenot.SomeoftheRaysoftheworldactuallydon'tcareaboutpeople,andtheychoosenottofakeit.ManyRayssubscribetotheoldphilosophythat"Businessisbusiness,"and think itmeans that there's no room for the "soft stuff."They'rewrong, ofcourse. Business is done by people, and disregarding the human element in

business—which means emotion—is a sure way of misjudging, misreading,misunderstanding, miscalculating, and generally messing up any situation,virtually insuring that the projectwill fail, the taskforcewill collapse, and thesalesforcewillfail tomeet itsgoals.Youignorethe"softstuff"ofbusinessatyourperil.In other cases, a Ray may simply be deeply shy, often as a result of somepsychological wound experienced in childhood or adolescence. Sometimespeople who discover that their colleagues and acquaintances consider them"cold,""stand-offish,"or"superior"areshockedandhurt,becausewhatcomesacrossasarroganceinthemisreallyanextremediffidencecausedbyprofoundinsecurity.Ifyou'reinthiscategory,youoweittoyourselftoovercomethefear.Getprofessionalhelpifneeded.Iftheemotionsorinterestsdon'tcomenaturally,justdowhatsomanyofusdowhentakingonchange—fakeituntilyoumakeit.Intheend,mostpeopledocareaboutothers(sociopathsexcluded).It'sahumaninstinctfosteredbytensofthousandsofyearsofnaturalselection:Asthespeciesevolved,familiesandtribalgroupsthatcaredforoneanotherlivedlonger,fuller,moreprosperouslivesandeventuallycametodominateovergroupsguidedbytheattitudeof"Dogeatdog"or, in thewordsofphilosopherThomasHobbes,"Thewarofallagainstall."Expressingthesenseofempathythatissharedbyallnormalhumansisn'tamatterofplay-actingorgamesmanship.It'saboutgivingyourselfpermission tounlock thenatural reservoirsof emotion that liehiddeninsideyouandlettingthemflowonthejob,thewaytheydoinyourfamilyandsociallife.Ifyou'reatypicalmanager,inthenext12monthsyou'llprobablyparticipateinthreetofiveteamswithdozensofteammates.Whetherornotyou'redesignatedas the "leader" of any of these teams is ultimately unimportant. Those whoemerge as the true leaders will be those who connect with their fellowteammates. It starts with being authentic, which provides the basis for trust.Showingyoucarewillbuildthattrust.

TransparencyandConsistency

Oneofthehighestcomplimentsyoucangiveacounterpartinbusinessistosay,"Shehasnohiddenagenda."It'sanotherwayofsayingthatsheistransparent.Transparency and authenticity go hand in hand, and both are essential formanagers in the new middle. The people we lead expect, need, and demand

transparencyfromus—todaymorethanever.Inanagewhentheoldrulesofthemilitary-style,command-and-controlbusinesssystemhavedissolvedandnooneis sure what the new rules are (or even whether there are any hard-and-fastrules), people need to know where they stand with you. They need to knowwhereyourpowerbeginsandends,theboundariesofyourcontrolandinfluence,andtheexplicitandimplicitgoalsyouexpectthemtostrivefor.Noneoftheseparametersareself-evidentanylonger(if,intruth,theyeverwere).Todaypower iswidelydistributed, andpower levels fluctuate formanagersasoften as their checking account balances. Organizations are often eithermatrixed,ordecentralized,ororganizedbycross-functionalteams,andallthesestructures change frequently and unpredictably. So for managers in QuakeCountry,transparencyismoreimportantthanever.Thisfundamentalshiftchangeseverythingabouthowleadersmustleadfromthemiddle.Atonetime,astyleof"playingyourcardsclosetothevest,"hoardinginformation tobedoledout as it suitedyou,wasanarguablyunfair,butofteneffective,meansforgainingcontrol.Todaythisapproachdoesn'twork,andthemanagerwhotriestouseitoftenlosescontrolaswellasthetrustandrespectofhisteammates.The transparent manager is less a "boss" than a coach or mentor. This shiftrequiresgreaterexpertisefromus,aswellasincreasedclosenesstotheworkandtotheneedsofourpeople.Andwhenourpeopleneedmorefromusthanwecangive, we need to help them in pursuit of their needs.We need to help themnavigateourorganizations,selltheirideas,andbuildtheircareers.Managingthiswaymeansdroppingthefaçadeoftheall-powerful,all-knowingleadertobeadmired,feared,andunquestioninglyfollowed.Itmeansoperatingasthefirstamongequals,captainoftheteam,wielding,foreveryone'sbenefit,thepoweryou'vegainedbyvirtueofyourknowledge,skill,andwillingness toserve.And itmeans revealing the real you behind the discardedmask of "theboss"—inotherwords,beingtransparent.Tobetransparent,youmustalsobeconsistent.It's simply not possible to have varying standards (of work quality, ethicalbehavior,orsocialvalues)andremain transparent.Transparencyallowspeopletoknowyourauthenticviewpoint—whatyoureallystandfor—sothattheycananticipateyourattitudes,makedecisionsconsistentwithyoursharedvalues,andoperateautonomouslywithgreaterconfidenceandwithlessfearanduncertainty.Ifyou'reinconsistent,noonecantellwhatyoureallybelieve.(Itdoesn'tmatterwhatyousay—yourinconsistentactionswillbetrayyoueverytime.)Thismakes

youimpossibleto"read"andpreventsyoufrombeingtransparent.Thus, transparencymeans applying the sameprinciples in theworkplace as inyour personal life. Unethical behavior often goes along withcompartmentalization.ThinkofEnron,WorldCom,Adelphia,andadozenotherrecentcorporatescandals.Undoubtedly,mostoftheexecutivesandmiddle-levelmanagers who cooked the books, defrauded customers and investors, andviolated well-known norms of corporate behavior thought of themselves asupstandingcitizens,goodfamilymembers,andthoughtfulfriendsandneighbors.They were able to participate in on-the-job corruption only because theycompartmentalizedtheirvalues,separating"business"or"work"fromtherestoflife. It's a common phenomenon—hence the popularity of sayings like,"Businessisbusiness,"whichareallaboutthenotionthatsomehowtheethicalstandardsofthemarketplacehavenoconnectionwiththoseofordinaryhumanbeings.Insomecircumstances,compartmentalizationisnecessaryformentalhealth.Asoldiermust draw a bright dividing line between the brutal acts of killing hemustperformonthebattlefieldandthewayhemanagesangerinafamily,work,or neighborhood setting once he returns home. But maintained for too long,compartmentalization leads to the condition known as cognitive dissonance, aformofanxiety(oftenunconscious)resultingfrominconsistencybetweenone'sbeliefsandone'sactions.Atitsmostextreme,cognitivedissonancecanevenbeafatalcondition,aswhenthe "pillar of the community" is exposed as a corporate fraud and ends up asuicide—crushedby thepain that resultswhen thewall between two selves isbreachedandthecontradictioncannolongerbemaintained.Nooneisethicallypure.Weallfallshortofourownmoralstandardsfromtimeto time.Thisgapbetween the ideal and the real isnatural andperhapsevenahealthy condition, because it challenges us to grow closer to the ideals wecherish. What's dangerous is trying to deny the existence of this gap bypretending thatdifferent spheresofactivitycansupportgreatlydifferentmoralcodes. Each of us is a single human being and must behave that way to becompletelysane.Thisisthecruciallinkbetweenconsistencyandtransparency.

DefiningHonesty

"All toooftenwehire people forwhat theyknowand fire them forwho they

are"—insightful words that explain a lot about what goes wrong in corporateAmerica.InQuakeCountry,wheretrustisfundamental,businessesconsistentlymakethemistake of hiring people based exclusively on their knowledge, skills, andexperienceratherthanontheircharacter.Whenscrutinizingpotentialnewhires,we analyze their resumes, evaluate their achievements, and note theireducational credentials—but we rarely seek a clear understanding of theirvalues.Conversationsaboutvaluesandhonestywithpeoplewebarelyknowfeelawkward, and today's concerns around employment law and the potential forlitigationon thebasisofdiscriminationmakesmanagersevenmorehesitant toprobesuchpersonalmatters.Yetifwearetotrusteachotheronthejob,wemustarriveatashareddefinitionof honesty. If we don't, we'll be on a collision course toward mutualmisunderstanding,betrayal,andrecriminations.Youmaywonder: Is it really necessary todefine honesty?Don'twe all knowwhatitmeanstobehonest?Notsofast.Fiftyyearsago,inthemorehomogeneous(andmoresociallyrestrictive)worldof mid-century America, colleagues at work generally lived in the sameneighborhoodandoftenwereof thesameraceandreligion,andsharedsimilarvalues.Ifnot,thenitwaslikelythattheywouldgetplentyoftimetoknowoneanother—afterall,inaneraofvirtuallyguaranteedlifetimeemployment,teamsoftenworkedtogetherfordecades.Todaycoworkersarenotsosimilar.InamoremobileandmorediverseAmerica,we work with people from different religions, ethnic groups, and educationalbackgrounds.Wemayworktogetherforjustafewmonthsoryears,notdecades.And,asasociety,wedon'tnecessarilyshareacommondefinitionofhonestyanymore thanweagreeonotherbasicvalues.Asa result, there's ample room formisunderstanding,confusion,andmistrust.Have you ever known someone who believed that responsibility for the truthgoesnofurtherthantheirlips?It'shappenedtome.Severalyearsago,thebusinessIworkedatwasboomingandouroperationwasexpandingquickly,whichmeantthatnewteamswerebeingthrowntogetheratabreakneckpace.IwasassignedanewsalesrepI'llcallTom.Onemorning,Tomaskedmetosignoffonalargeadvertisingprogramhewasputtingtogetherwithaclient. It lookedlucrativeandIwasprettyexcitedabout theopportunity.Butbeforegivingmyapproval,IaskedthequestionsIalwaysaskbeforeacceptinganydeal:"Whyistheclientdoingthis?Whatdoestheclientexpect?"

Tom paused for a minute, then said, "The client is doing this to grow theirbusiness.They'reinarealhurrytosign."Hepushedtheformtowardme,asifsilentlyurgingmetoinitialitwithoutaskinganymorequestions.ButIpersisted."Whyaretheyinsuchahurry?""Well,"Tomansweredreluctantly,"Ididn'ttellthemthis.Butthey'reundertheimpression that if they sign thisdealwithus,wewon't sell anyadvertising totheircompetitors.Sotheywanttomovefastandblockthemout.""That doesn't make any sense!" I responded. "You know we don't offerexclusivities."Tomtriedtoreassureme."Oh,sure,Iagree, thisisn'tanexclusivity.Theyjustthinkitis.Wewon'tputitinthecontract."NowIwasreallyconcerned,andIchallengedhim."So, inotherwords,you'relyingtothem."Tomwastakenback."Absolutelynot!Ineverlied.Idon'tknowhowtheycameto that belief. I didn't say it, but somehow theybelieve it. I just didn't correctthem.Socomeon,let'sget thisdealclosed."TomsincerelyhadnoideawhyIwasmakingthissohard.Of course, this dealwas dead on arrival.When I buy something, I expect thepersonsellingtometo thinkaboutmybest interestsandpointoutanythinginthedeal thatmaynotbeconsistentwith those interests. If I findout later thatcertainthingswerenotdisclosed,Iconsiderthesalesrepaccountable.That'spartofmydefinitionofhonesty,andItrytoapplyitnomatteronwhichsideofthebargainingtableI'msitting.Iexplained this toTomwithoutshaminghimbut ratheraskinghim tosee thisnegotiation fromall sides. I also lethimknow that,whilehemaybelieve thatothers in the business world play the angles, we should aspire to higherstandards.Inthatway,wecanbuildlong-termsuccesswe'llfeelgoodabout.Tomneverbroughtmeasidewaysdealagain.Asthisstoryillustrates,therearemanydefinitionsofhonesty.Smalldistortionsconsidered lies in some cultures don't classify as lies in others. Among someJapanesebusinesspeople,sayingnoisconsideredrude.Toavoidit,theywillusecircumlocutions and demurrals: "What you askwill be very difficult for us todo...Iamnotcertainwhetherthisispossible...Perhapsthismatterissomethingwe need to consider more carefully later on..." and so on. Another Japanesepersonwouldrecognizethisasapoliteno,butmanyaWesternbusinesspersonhasmisinterpretedsuchastatementasamerebargainingployorevenasayeswith a caveat attached. In the subsequent dispute, accusations of dishonesty

often fly despite the fact that the real problem is not dishonesty, but a deepculturalcollide.Evenwithinourculturetherearedoublestandardsthatoftenleadtoconfusion.Whenaman'swifeorgirlfriendasks,"DoI lookfat in thisdress?"he'dbetter"lie"—if that's therightwordtodescribeananswersuchas,"Youalwayslookgreattome!"Andmanyofushaveworkedforbosseswhosendsubtlesignalsabout the kinds of bad news they are and are not willing to hear from asubordinate. There are even entire companies where the word "problem" istacitlyprohibited;whatotherpeoplecallproblemsarereferredtoas"issues"or"concerns"oreven"opportunities."Somewoulddescribethisas"spin"or"tact"or "being political," but others would call it "lying." It's not obvious whichevaluationiscorrect.What'simportantisnotthatwealladheretoonedefinitionofhonesty,butratherthatwetalkabout thesemattersandcometoanunderstandingwith thepeopleweworkwith.Sohowdowetalkaboutthesethings?We'renotsuggestingthateveryinterviewwith a potential new hire include an hour in Starbucks discussing the 50scenarios inwhichtheycouldtakeadvantageofyou.But it's important tofindwaystoprobevalueissuesatthestartofanynewbusinessrelationship.When I'm hiring new sales reps now, I tell them the story about Tom to givethemasenseofwhatIfeelisfairdisclosure.Ialsotellthemastorythatcomesfromthegut(literally).I'musuallyonsometypeofdiet,andmysweetwifeisalwaystryingtohelpbycookingfoodsthatarelow-fat,orlow-carb,orwhateverthe latest diet rage is. This sometimes poses honesty challenges for me. Forexample, suppose that while my wife is driving across town to get low-carbdressingformysalad,IstopoffonmywayhomefromworktohaveaburgeratJohnny Rocket's. Do I owe it to her to say something about my detour?Myanswerisyes.Asaparticipantintheweight-lossprogram,Ioweittohertotellhereverything(andtakemywell-deservedlumpsfordeviatingfromtheplan).Itell newhires this story and let themknow that I expect no less from those Iworkwith.There are other approaches that smart managers have developed. D. ScottKarnedy of XM Satellite Radio has a contract he shares with potential teammembersduringtheinterviewprocess.Thecontractstateswhathisexpectationsareandwhatpeopleshouldexpectofhim, includingtheethicalstandards theywillshare.Foryearsnow,hehasbeenhavinghispeoplesignoffonthiscontracttheir first day on the job, and they appreciate the sense of transparency and

mutualrespectitfosters.Forateamthat'salreadyinplace,werecommenddevotingtimeduringyournextmeetingoroffsiteconferencetoconsideranethicalsituationwithwhichyouorateammemberhavebeenconfrontedandthenreallydiscussingit.Leteveryonesuggest the best ways to handle the situation. Then look at your company'sguiding principles and arrive at a standard of behavior that everyone canunderstandandcommitto.Thiskindofethicalconsistencykeepspeopleontrackandcontinuallyremindsthemaboutwhat is important. In today'sbusinessworld,wecannot talkabouttheseissuestoooften.

PlayingItStraight

Onecommonsinagainsttransparencyisusingtheofficegrapevinetosendback-channel messages rather than delivering the word directly in a privateconversation.ImaginethatyouhaveateammembernamedMarthawhohasbeentakingtwo-hourlunches.PeoplearebeginningtonoticeandcomplainaboutthebigholeinthemiddleofMartha'sworkday,andyouknowyouhavetodosomething.Butwhat?Oneoptionwouldbetoannounceinyournextteammeetingthatlunchesshouldlast no longer than an hour. Another would be to talk withMartha about theproblemone-on-one.Eithersolutionwouldbeacceptable.Butwhatdoesn'tworkistheindirectapproachthatalltoomanymanagersuse:YoukeepaskingwhereMarthaisaroundtwoo'clockintheafternoon.Youwonderaloudwhyshehasn'tfinished her project. Your hope is that Martha will get the message. MaybesomeoneontheteamwillpullMarthaasideandwarnherthatherlonglunchesaremakingherlookbadinfrontoftheboss.It's easy to slip into the indirect approach. In the short run, it avoidsconfrontationandreducesthestressofconflict.But inthelongrun, it tendstocreate more conflict through confusion, uncertainty, and misunderstanding.Team members start gossiping about Martha. They wonder why you haven'tspokenwithherdirectly,andperhapsattributetohersomesortofspecialstatusorpowerthatmakesyou"afraid"toconfronther.Someotherteammembersalsobegintakingtwo-hourlunches,consciouslyorunconsciouslytestingyourabilityto set limits or to establish fair rules that apply to everyone. Next thing you

know, half of your team members are spending their days arguing about thelengthoflunchhoursratherthangettingtheirworkdone.In companieswhere indirect forms of communication are habitually used, thepotentialformisunderstandingandresentmentisenormous.ConsiderwhatShariMcGuire,amanagerwithaFortune500financialinstitutioninMinneapolis,hadto endure as the result of a manager sending a message through indirect,symbolicmeans.Here'sShari'sstory:

"Oneyear,ourmanagerthrewabigpartytocelebratethefirstanniversaryof several employees in the department.We had cake and gifts and eventook photoswhichwere displayed on the bulletin board. Itwas nice andeverybody felt good about it.Until severalweeks later,when a coworkerand I were celebrating long-term anniversaries with the company. She'dbeenwiththecompany20years,andI'dbeenaroundfor10years.Didwegetaparty?Acake?Agift?No—wecametoworktofindamemoandatokengiftonourchairs.Thatwasit!""Needlesstosay,Ilearnedalotabouthownottotreatyouremployeesfromthatmanager."

Shari's manager had probably given little thought to the message she wassending throughherdifferentkindsof celebrations.But it doesn't take long toconclude that heplaced ahighvalueon "newblood"whileholding long-termemployeesindisdain.Thiscertainlyisn'tthepolicyatthebank,andtheindirectmessagebeingsentherewasreallydestructivetomorale.Asamanager,youneedtothinkcontinuallyaboutthemessagesyourwordsanddeedsaresending.Makecertainthatyouknowthemessagesyouwanttoconveyand that you convey them openly and clearly—not in veiled fashion throughsymbols,hints,orgestures.

TheNewGoldenRule

Somuchofwhatwe learnwhenwe study theprinciplesof leadership centersaroundtheso-calledGoldenRule:"Dountoothersasyouwouldhavethemdountoyou."TheGolden Rule is practically universal and can be found in the ethical andreligious teachings of many nations. It has worked well in many settings(including the workplace) for thousands of years, and will continue to work

whenappliedtopeopleofthesameculture.However, in today's increasinglydiverseworldwherea typicalworkplacemayincludepeople fromhalf-dozenethnicand racialbackgrounds,disparate socialclasses, both genders, and a variety of sexual and religious orientations, theunderlying assumption of the Golden Rule is becoming dubious. As diversepeople,wehavediverseneeds,interests,goals,anddesires.Therefore,toassumethatwhatwewantforourselvesiswhatotherswantisoftennolongervalid.This challenge to the Golden Rule applies to simple social questions. Forexample,Ihavegreatrespectandadmirationforitemshand-craftedfromwood.Afineteakdeskset,box,orbowlwouldbeawonderfulgiftforme,somethingIwould deeply appreciate. On the other hand, cultural experts say that mostpeople from the Middle East don't have any deep-rooted fondness for wood.Perhapsit'sbecauseof thelackof treesintheirnativelands,orbecauseof thefact thatwooddoes not hold upwell in their dry climate. Somaybe a classicwoodensculptureisnotthebestgiftideaforacolleaguefromDubai.ThustheneedforaNewGoldenRule:"Dountoothersastheywouldhaveyoudountothem."Inotherwords,strivetoserve,reward,andrespectothers—notinthewaythatyoupreferbutinthewaythattheyprefer.Andhowcanyouknowwhattheyprefer?It'sassimpleasasking.Thisprincipleappliestomuchmorethangift-giving.Itappliestoeveryhumanconnectionbetweenyouandthepeopleyouworkwith.Ifyoustrivetoknowandunderstand the interests, values, and goals of the people you manage, yourcolleagues, and other business associates, you'll be better able to incentivize,reward,help,andbondwiththem.SomeoftheconcretewaystoapplytheNewGoldenRuleincludethefollowing:

Makeadiscussionofcareergoalspartofevery jobappraisalorcoachingsessionwithyourteammembers.RatherthanassumingthatDebandJerrywantaraiseandpromotionnextyear(becausethat'swhatyouareworkingfor), ask them about their dreams and desires. Maybe Deb is moreinterested in exploring a lateral shift to a similar job in a departmentelsewhereinthecompany(amovethatyoucouldhelpfacilitatebymakinga fewphonecalls toyour friends in thatdepartment).MaybeJerrywouldmostappreciatebeingabletoworkfromhometwodaysaweeksothathecanspendmore timewithhisnewbornbabyson (achangeyou'llhave tonegotiateonhisbehalfwiththerule-makersinHumanResources).At the start of every new business partnership, explicitly discuss the

underlyinggoalsofall thepartiesso that thepoliciesandproceduresyouestablishcanhelpeveryonegetclosertotheirrealobjectives.Forexample,supposeyouareestablishingajointventurewithanothercompanyforthedevelopmentofanewproductorservicethatbothcompanieswillmarket.Howwouldeachcompanyrank the importanceofsuchdisparategoalsasspeed to market, initial product quality, cutting-edge design, breadth ofmarketappeal,andeaseofuse?Youmaydiscover that thegoalyourankfirst is lowonyourpartner'spriority list, inwhichcase thewayyoueachmanage the project may need to be seriously adjusted in order to avoidmutualdisappointment.Makeahabitofexploringwithyourbosswhatyoucandotomakehisjobeasier,moreproductive,andmoresuccessful.Don'tassumethatwhatheorshe says is always a completely accurate description of what he or shereally needs. (Like anyone else, bosses often feel constrained by culturaland social norms that make openness and transparency a challenge.)Instead, proactively ask about the biggest challenges and problems yourbossfaces,andthendiscusshowyouandyourteamcanhelpsolvethem.

TheNewGoldenRulealsorelatestooneperennialmanagementchallenge:Howdoyoudealwith theeccentric,egotisticalsuperstaremployee, theworkerwhocontributesalottothecompanybyhisorhersheerbrilliancebutwhorefusestofollowtherulesthatothersreadilyobeyforthegoodoftheteam?The New Golden Rule suggests that everyone deserves to be treated as anindividual rather thanaccording tocookie-cutter standardsof right andwrong.This is true—but at the same time, when one person habitually abuses thisapproachbyviolatinggroupnormsandmakinglifehardfortherestoftheteam,wheredoyouasmanagerdrawtheline?Asamanagerwhohashadtodealwithmorethanonearrogantsuperstarinmyday,I'vefoundthatpeoplewillacceptthenotionthattherulescanbebentforaparticular person, provided they understand the circumstances and accept theideathattherule-bendingservessomegreatergood—andprovidedthattherearelimitstowhatthesuperstarcangetawaywith.Forexample,Iwouldrulethatanextremelyhigh-producingmemberofateammaybepermittedtoskipsomemeetingsthatothersmustattendandperhapsturnin paperwork that is less than thorough—so long as the higher-than-averageproductivity continues to pour in. But the superstarwill not be allowed to beverballyabusivetootheremployees(orofcoursetocustomersandclients),and

theminutehisorherproductivityslips,it'sbacktolivingwithinthenorms.AndIwillbetotallytransparentaboutthesearrangementswitheveryoneontheteam.Theyneedtounderstandthatweareallpayingapriceinflexibilityforthesake of money generated by the superstar. In my experience, the other teammembers will accept the situation if they understand it and if I'm consistentabout it—and if I'mprepared tobe equally flexiblewhenotherpeopleneed it(forexample,whenafemaleteammemberispregnantandneedstomakejob-sharingarrangements).Ultimately,theNewGoldenRuleisaboutlearningtolookattheworldthroughfresh eyes—to see things as others see them. It's an essential skill for anyeffectivemanagertolearn.

MakingtheLittleThingsCount

EliasPlishner,atage30,isfinallystartingtolookalittleolderthan17,whichisagoodthingforElias:Nomorewearingfakeglassestomeetingsorstrugglingtofindahairstylethatwilladdyearstohisage.AstheVicePresidentofOnlineMedia at theUniversalMcCannAdvertisingAgency in LosAngeles, Elias isfinallystartingtofeelasiffolksarelistening,andwhilehe'lltakealittlecredithimself,healsocreditsthewindsoftheInternetrevolutionathisback.Asthe"onlinemediaguy"inabigadvertisingagencyhistoricallyfocusedontheprintandtelevisioncategories,Eliaswaschargedwithtryingtoconvinceclientstocommitagreaterproportionoftheirmediadollarstoonlineadvertising.Thiswasn'taneasyassignment.ThereweresomedarkdaysaftertheinitialvogueforInternetadvertisingfaded.Audienceshatedintrusivepop-upads,andadvertisersthought the little banners that appearednext to people's e-mailmessageswerelame.But eventually consumers began spending so much time online that Internetadvertising became increasingly attractive. The ads themselves got better andbigger.SoonmarketerswereplayingTVspotsonlineandharnessingthepowerofclick-hereshoppingtosellproductsandservicesdirectlytoconsumers.Nowonline advertising is a recognized industry force, and Elias's phone calls aregettingreturnedmoreoftenthannot.During the tough times,Elias learned some important lessons thathe sticks totoday. Like many managers, he had to lead his team through a period ofchallenging(andever-rising)goals,limitedresources,andalackofclearcareer

paths. Lacking final authority over his team members' compensation, Elias'sabilitytomotivatepeoplewaslimited.Whyfollowsomeonewhoattheendofthedaymayormayormaynotbeabletorewardyou?To Elias's credit, he was forthright with his people about what he could andcouldnotdoforthem.Herecallsatimewhenoneofhisteammembersclearlydeserved a pay raise—several months prior to the date when company ruleswouldpermitit.Eliaswenttobatfortheemployee,usedallhisbestnegotiatingskills with Human Resources, and came back with a reasonable compromise.Eliasmetwiththeteammemberandexplainedindetailhowandwhyhe'dbeenabletowinsome,butnotall,ofthenegotiatingpointshe'daskedfor—anearlyraise,but smaller thanEliashadwanted,alongwithsomeadditionalgive-and-takeonotherissues."IwantpeopletoknowI'mfightingforthem,eventhoughIcan'tgetthemeverythingtheymaydeserve."Still,Eliaswantedtofigureouthowhecouldaddmorevaluetothelifeofhisteam.HisinitialanswercamefromhisidentityasacertifiedInternetnerd.Eliashadatruepassionforonlinemedia,andhebegantoseehisroleasthatofcoachand counselor. He taught his reports everything he knew about the Internet,coachedthemonworkingwithclients,helpedthemdevelopsalesandmarketingplansthatwouldboost theirclients'business,andshowedthemhowtoconveytheimportanceandexcitementoftheInternet.Eliasurgedhis teammembers toview learningas theirhighestpriority. "Yourjob is to be a sponge," hewould tell them, "soakingup everything there is toknowaboutonlinemedia."Thenhewouldgivethemanopportunitytoputtheirknowledgeintoaction,bringingthemalongonclientpresentationsandmeetings(including those thatwould normally be considered "inappropriate" for lower-level workers elsewhere at the agency). He explains, "Putting people on thefiring line, learning what keeps clients awake at night and what makes themhappy,makesthemfeelasthoughthey'repartoftheprocess.It'smotivating,andthat'swhyIdoit."Elias'scoachingenhancedthesuccessofhispeople,andtheyrespectedhimforit.Over time, however,Elias began to find thework less than fulfilling.The jobwascomplex:His teamwouldcreateads,buymedia, reviewreports, and thenget bogged down in reconciling the resulting spreadsheets and softwareprograms that tracked results. More and more, Elias's role seemed limited tohoursofnumber-crunchingandenforcingdeadlines. Itwas fun tohelpgrowanew industry and help marketers build their businesses, but there were times

whenthesheervolumeofpaperworkleftEliasfeelingboredanddepressed.AndinevitablythisattitudewasconveyedtoElias'steammembers.Moralefell,andwithitproductivity.ThenEliasgotanidea.Like millions of other people, Elias read the best-selling book by journalistMalcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a BigDifference.Thebook'scentral theme is thatsmallactionscanhaveeffects thatare many magnitudes greater if they happen in just the right time and place.Gladwell recounts how nationwide fashion trends often originate with thechoices made by just a few of the right people ("connectors," who anchor anetwork of people ready to be influenced), and how a series of seeminglyinsignificantactions(suchascrackdownsonsubwaygraffiti,turnstile-jumping,and harassment of motorists by squeegee-wielding windshield washers)launchedachainofeventsthatledtoadramaticreductionofcrimeinNewYorkCity.InspiredbyGladwell'sinsightintothepowerofsmallactions,Eliassensedthismightbethekindofideathatcouldreenergizeandmotivatehisteam.Hethenscheduledanoffsitemeeting.Aspreparation,EliasgavecopiesofTheTippingPointtohisteammembersandaskedeachonetowriteaone-pagepaperaboutsomethingsmallthey'ddoneintheirlivesthathadaseriousimpact.At the offsite meeting, the team members shared their stories. Some weretouching,somewereamazing,andsomewerefunny.Thewayinwhichsharingthese stories solidified the teamwas remarkable. But that wasn't Elias's maingoal.HisrealpurposewastoinstitutetheTippingPointAwards.Eachmonth,amemberofElias'steamwouldbecelebratedforsomethingsmallheorshehaddonethathadabigimpact.MaybeitwascominginonaSaturdaytolookatcompetitors'advertisingandsharingthefindings,whichinturncausedclients to increase their investment. Maybe it was helpfully transferring aninbound call from a stranger who happened to be the CEO of the company'sglobal parent. These were actions that started as fairly ordinary examples ofgood work but ended up having more meaningful results, deserving to becelebrated.Through all of these strategies—coaching team members to share theirspecializedbodiesofknowledgeandtherebyenhancetheirowncareers,fightingon theirbehalfevenwhenhe lacks thepower towineverybattle,andhelpingpeopletoseethebiggervalueinthesmalldailyactionsthatmakeuptheirjobs—Elias helps to connect his team members to their work and gives them a

greatersenseof thevalue theyarecreating.He isauthentic,andhe leadswithtransparency—twotraitsthatareincreasinglyimportantforignitedmanagers.

Resilience,Optimism,andtheLeadershipQuest

AsmanagersinQuakeCountry,weridethesameemotionalandpsychologicalshock waves as our people. While we may absorb the tectonic shifts a littleearlier, the thrill, the fear, the impact are equally powerful. And the ways inwhichweasmanagersreactalmostalwaysaffectourteammembers'response.Thisimposesaseriousresponsibilityonthemanager.Asleaders,wemusthavemoreresilience.Wemustbouncebackfaster.Wemusthaveaviewpointthatisappropriatelypositiveandleadspeopletoabetterplacefaster.Buthow?It's not easy to maintain your equilibrium when the people around you arereacting(oroverreacting) to thelatestwaveofbadnews,unsettlingchange,orcompetitive attack hitting your company. But resilience is more than just aninbornpersonalitytrait.It'saskill thatcanbelearnedandimprovedovertime.Highlyresilientpeopledothreethingsvery,verywellwhenfacedwithchange:

1. 1.First,theyacceptthenewreality.They'vedevelopedanattitudethatsays,"The past is the past. It cannot change. Here is what is real today. Let'sexamine it together, figure out what it means (and doesn't mean), anddiscoversomewaystomakeitworkforus."

2. 2. Second, they are great at improvisation. They pick up the piecesavailable to them right now and make the most of them. Unlike less-resilientpeople,whomaygotopiecesinsituationswherethefamiliarrulesnolongerapply,resilientleaderssay,"Businessasusualdoesn'tseemtobeworkinganymore.Let'sforgetouroldways.Whatnewapproachescanwetry?Whatlessonscanweapplyfromothercompanies,otherbusinesses,orothersituationsoutsideofthebusinessworld?"Andwhenoneattemptfails,theyarereadytomoveontoasecond,andathird,andafourth...untiltheyfindanewsystemthatworksinthechangedlandscape.

3. 3. Finally, in insane times, resilient people draw deep personal strengthfrom their own sane values and beliefs. Regardless of where things areheaded,theyknowwhattheybelieveisrightandtheyworktowardit.

Peoplegetthosedeep-rootedvaluesfrommanysources.Forsome,it'sreligion

—perhapsintheformofachurch,synagogue,mosque,orothercommunityoffaith,orperhapsintheformofabookorasetofteachingstheyfindnourishingandenlightening.Forothers,it'sfamily,friends,oranothergroupofpeoplewhohelp to remind themofwhat's truly important and restore their spirits throughfellowship and good times. For still others, it's a place or an activity thatprovides emotional and psychological comfort—body-surfing at your favoritebeach, paintingwater colors in your neighborhood park, cooking chili for theganginyourbackyard.Discoverwhathelpsyoustayanchoredinyourpersonalvalues and return to that source frequently, especially during times when thegroundbeneathyouandthewallsaroundyouaretrembling.Thepeopleyouworkwithwhodon'thaveaclearandconsistent setofvaluesmayfindlifeinQuakeCountryasourceoffearandconfusion.Butyoucanhelpbylettingthemborrowyours.Ifyouareforthcomingandfreewiththeprinciplesthatyou relyon, it's easier forotherpeople topick themupand try themout.Maybesomedaythey'llinternalizethemastheirown.Whatever thecase,useyouroptimismand inner strength toguideandsupportthem.We'reallattractedtooptimismandthosewhocaninstillitinus.Somuchof leadership is about settingpeople on a course that they feel goodabout, and somuchabout feelinggood is basedon attitude.Buthowcanyoufeel good when you are in the deep valleys, struggling without resources,uncertainwhetherthere'sapayoffahead?Manyofthegreatestleaderssharethenotionarticulatedbythegreatteacherofphilosophy andmythology, JosephCampbell, that each of us is the hero of apersonalquest.Eachofusisthecentralcharacterinasearchforgreatermeaninginwhichaseriesofchallengesmustbeencountered,understood,andovercome.No two people have exactly the same quest; no two people will discover thesamedeepermeaninginlife.Butpeoplecanshareapartoftheirquests,helpingoneanotheralongthewaywhiletheirpathsintersect.Thisperspectiveonourlivesgivesoptimismanewmeaning.Recognizingthatlife is a quest, we begin to see the daily stresses, setbacks, and calamities aswonderful twists in the plot—logs to jump, rivers to cross, andmountains toscale.Eachobstaclewesurmountmakesuswiser,stronger,andmoreenduring.Andknowing that each of our teammembers is on a quest of his or her owndeepens our appreciation of their individual talents, needs, and uncertainties.Whatever the circumstance, we can work together in the knowledge that ourpeopleareprogressingtowardstheirownfulfillment.Wearereachingthepotentialwithinourselvestolead.

SowhatistheanswertothequestionmyfriendaskedthatfoggydayinMarinCounty?Isitpossibletohaveagreatcareerinacrappycompany?Afterachuckleandabitof thought theanswercame tous. It comesdown tohowyouwishtomeasureyourvalue.Doyoumeasureyourvaluebasedsolelyonwhatyoucreateforyourself?Ordoesyourdefinitionincludethevaluethatyouareabletohelpotherscreate?Weallwant tobewinners in the leadershipquest, but for true leaders thebigpayoffisalsointhegrowththatoccursonthejourney.

4ManagingYourEmotions

RoadRageintheMarketingDepartment

Formanyof us, our time in the car is theonly timeweget for ourselves. It'swherewe start and finish ourworkdays, getting a chance to reflect onwherewe'vebeenandwherewehopewe'regoing.The highway is also an amazing place to study human behavior. ComedianGeorgeCarlinwasontosomethingwhenheremarked,"Haveyouevernoticedthatanybodydrivingslower thanyouisan idiot,andanyonegoingfaster thanyouisamaniac?"Ofcourse,Carlin'sobservation is reallymoreofacommentabouthowweperceiveotherpeoplethanabouthowotherpeopledrive:Wealltend to assume that our preferred driving speed is the "correct" one, andtherefore react with intolerance or even anger when someone else chooses adifferentspeed.Think about the last timeyouwere cut offwhile driving.Could anything feelmoreunfair?Someidiotmanagedtocrossfivelanesoftrafficwithoutsignaling,thensqueezedright in frontofyou,missingyourbumperby inches.Youwereforcedtofloorthebrakes,tryingdesperatelytoholdyourlane.Rememberhowyoureacted?—Yourheart raced,yourskingot flushed,andadrenalinepumpedthrough your system, generating the ancient "fight-or-flight" syndrome thatsaved the lives of our cave-dwelling ancestors when confronted by a hungrysabre–toothtiger.You were angry—really angry. But mingled with the anger was a powerfulemotion that triggered it.The emotionwas fear.For a split second, you couldalmost hear the crunch of metal and glass, feel the searing pain as your carslammedintotheembankmentatthesideoftheroadandrolledover,crushingyou... But it never happened. The chemical reaction to the fear flooded yourbody,producingtheroadragethatfollowed.Every day, people get cut off at the office. They suffer surprises, shocks, andassaults,allchallengingthemataprimallevel.Underlyingtheangertheyfeelisfear:fearofloss,fearofembarrassment,fearoffailure.Nowonderthat,onanygiven day, more than a million American workers are out on "stress leave,"

puttingthemselvesonicebecausetheyaresimplytooraw-nervedtofacetheirfearsinaproductivefashion.Others,unsuspectingandtired,choosethewrongresponses.Theylashoutinanger,puttingothersonthedefensiveandturningtheworkplaceintoabattlezone.Ahandful"gopostal,"committingactsofphysicalviolencethatshatterrelationshipsanddestroylives.In this chapter, you'll learn about tackling intense feelings like fear, anger,shame, and despair head on, and about how to keep these powerful emotionsfrom contaminating your decision-making. You'll discover several dangerouspaths down the slippery slope to emotional and psychological imbalance, andlearnabouttechniquesforavoidingthatquicksand.

EmotionalIntelligence

Emotionsare rarely something thatwecancontrol.Wecan'tpreventa suddenunexpectedeventfromstimulatingaprimordialemotionalurge.Butthoughwecan'teliminatetheonsetoffear,wecancontrolthewaywerespondtofear.Inthebattleagainstfear,wehavetwostrongtools.Forthefearthatcatchesusoffguard,wehaveouremotional intelligence—theability to takea stepbackandchoose the appropriate response before leaping ahead and adding to our pain.For the fear that comes from confrontation, hard conversations, or forcedchoices, we need to be supported by aBigger Yes—something that is greaterthanourfear,somethingbigenoughtopowerourcourage.Emotional intelligence, often abbreviated as "E.Q.," stormed the world ofmanagement thinking in the early 1990s, when journalist Daniel Golemanpublishedhisbest-sellingbookEmotionalIntelligence:WhyItCanMatterMoreThanIQ. It spawned a series of spin-offs and copycat books, but the originalworkisstillwellworthreading(Goleman'saclearandpersuasivewriter),sobyallmeanspickupacopyandgleanfromitwhatyoucan.Without trying to summarize all ofGoleman's insights, letme sharewith youoneaspectofemotionalintelligencethatIfindmostcompellinganduseful.It'sthesimpleideathatyouandyouremotionsaretwodifferentthings.Thefeelings,thoughts,reactions, impulses,desires,repulsions,urges,fantasies,andlongingsthatflowthroughyourbrainandbodyatanygivenmomentareinterestingandoften reveal truthsaboutyouandwhat ishappening toyou thatare important.But they are not "you." There is a separate entity—a deeper self—that isfundamentallyunaffectedbythesechangingstatesandremainsconsistentfrom

minutetominute,daytoday,evenyeartoyear.Thisisthereal"you,"thelocusof your existence and the connecting link among all the experiences andmemoriesthatmakeupyourlife.It'simportanttodistinguishthisrealyoufromthemomentaryflowofemotions.Why?Becausewhenweconfusethetwo—whichwe'repronetodoinmomentsof intense feeling—we lose the capacity for objective thinking. Instead, webecomesocaughtupintheinstantaneousemotion,whateveritmaybe,thatweidentifywith it and surrender our sense of self to it.As a result, the emotiontakesover,seizingcontroloverourbehaviors,summoningupideasandimagesthatsupportitandfuelingfurtheremotionalreactions.Ourwholeselfbecomesaslave to the emotion and devotes itself to satisfying whatever craving itgenerates.Iftheemotionisfear,webecomedevotedtofleeing.Iftheemotionisanger,webecomedevotedtoexpressingragethroughviolentwordsordeeds.Iftheemotionisgrief,webecomedevotedtowallowinginmisery.Of course you've experienced this.Whenwe're very young and immature, it'sourdominantmodeofexistence.Ababyexperiencinghungerbecomeshunger,andhisorherwailsofhungerareinconsolableandunceasinguntilthelonged-for mother appears. A little child frustrated by a parental "No!" becomes hisanger, and the result is a tantrum—kicking, screaming, blubbering, biting,howling—that may go on for hours until exhaustion sets in and the child'ssystemsimplyshutsdown.Part of growing up is learning how to separate ourselves from our passingemotions. And most of the time, we're all capable of doing this.When yourstomachgrowlsduringalate-morningmeeting,youdon'tthrowafitanddemandlunchasyoumighthavedonewhenyouwereatoddler;instead,youwaitforadecent break in the conversation and then politely ask, "Anybody else feelingreadyforasandwich?"That'swhatbeingagrown-upisallabout.The problem arises during moments of intense emotion. That's when yourprimitive, animal-like instincts,whichdon't knowhow todistinguishyour selffrom the emotions you experience, try to take over. Chemicals flood yournervoussystem,overwhelmingyouwithpowerfulimpulses.Thenextthingyouknow,youaresayingordoingsomethingyou'lllaterregret—expressingemotionunrestrainedbycivilizedmores,thoughtfulreflection,orevenenlightenedself-interest.Idon'tmean,ofcourse,thatyou'relikelytoflingyourselfontothefloorandstarthowling like a two-year-old. (Though there areCEOswhose behavior isn't allthatdifferent.)Understrongemotionalpressure,youmayfindyourselfsnapping

angrilyatcolleagues,unleashingsarcasm,whiningabouthowhurtorupsetyouare,orevenbreakingdownintears.Itmayfeelgoodforamomentortwo—it'ssucharelieftogivetheemotionachancetoexpressitself.Thereactionsofthosenearby will quickly remind you that uncontrolled behavior is considered"childish,"even"infantile,"andisunlikelytogetyouwhatyouneedorwantinthelongrun.Instead,remembertoseparateyourselffromtheemotion.Thenexttimeyou'refeeling somepowerful emotionatwork, take it asacue toslowdown. Ratherthanexpressing theemotion, takeamoment toobserve it.Shutdown theself-talk that embodies themomentary feeling—inner dialogue like, "That S.O.B.!Howdarehetalktomethatway!?I'mgoingtoteachhimalessononceandforall!"Instead,openupadialoguethatreflectsonwhat ishappening insideyou:"Wow,I'mreallyangry!ItgetsmygoatwhenHarrycriticizesmyworkinfrontofmystaff.Itmakesmefeelembarrassedandupset.Andthistimeitfeelsworsethaneverbefore.Maybeit'sbecauseit'sthesecondtimehediditthismonth."There'saworldofdifferencebetweenthesetworeactions.Thefirststrengthensandreinforces theemotion, increasing the innerpressureyou feel toexpress itforcefully. The second examines and analyzes the emotion, helping you tounderstand its causes. In the process, it tends to cool the emotion, graduallylettingyouachievemasteryoverit.Having experienced whatever emotion you are feeling, and then havingseparatedyourselffromit,youwillbeinapositiontochooseyourresponsetothe situation rather than being controlled by intense feeling. One of DanielGoleman's recent articles describes new research by the consulting firm ofHay/McBerbasedonarandomsampleofalmost4,000executivesfromaroundthe world. This research uncovers six different leadership styles, described inGoleman'sshorthandasCoercive("DowhatI tellyou"),Authoritative("Comewithme"),Affiliative("Peoplecomefirst"),Democratic("Whatdoyouthink?"),Pacesetting("DoasIdo,now"),andCoaching("Trythis").[1]

[1]DanielGoleman,"LeadershipThatGetsResults."HarvardBusinessReview,March-April,2000.

Inaparticularsetting,anyoftheseleadershipstylesmaybeeffective(althoughsome—especiallytheCoercivestyle—canbedangerousandmustbeusedwithcaution).ButthemostnotablefindingcitedinGoleman'sarticleisthateffectiveleadersareabletousemorethanonestyle,dependingonthecircumstancesandthe nature of the problem they are currently facing. In fact, the great leaderchooses the best management style for an occasion the way a great golfer

choosestheperfectclubforaparticularshot.One hallmark of the exceptional leader is the ability to move flexibly andsmoothlyamongstyles—usingtheAuthoritativestyle,forexample,whenacleardirectionfromthetopisrequired,shiftingtotheAffiliativestylewhenit'smoreimportanttohealemotionalriftsamongthemembersofateam,andthenmovingto thePacesettingstylewhen it'scrucial togetquickresults fromamotivated,competentteam.Ofcourse, it'sonlypossibletoachievethislevelofflexibilitywhenyou'vemasteredyouremotionssufficientlytobeincommandofyourself,and therefore able to freely choose themost appropriate way to interact withyourcolleagues.

YourBiggerYes

It'sallwellandgood to talkabout"counting to ten"or"takingadeepbreath"whenemotionsstarttooverwhelmyou.Therearesituationsinlife,andatwork,whenpowerfulstressorssimplycan'tbecontrolledbyanactofwill.Therearetimeswhenyouneedamorepowerfulsourceofinnerstrength.Forme,thebestof such resources is something called "The Bigger Yes," a phrase familiar tomanyfromitsusebyauthorStephenCoveyofSevenHabitsfame.Ambrose Redmond put it this way: "Courage is not the absence of fear, butratherthejudgmentthatsomethingelseismoreimportantthanfear."[2]HavingThe Bigger Yes is having somethingmore important driving you—somethingthatgivesyouthecouragetostandupinthefaceoffear,anxiety,anger,oranyother overwhelming emotion and do what you know is the right thing. YourBiggerYesmaybeyourprinciples,values,or senseof justice. Itmaybeyourknowledgeof abetteropportunity.Whatever it is, yourBiggerYes is strongerthan theemotions thatare trying tocontrolyou,and itgivesyousomething toclingtoratherthanallowingtheemotionstosweepyouaway.

[2] Understanding Panic Disorder, "Understanding Panic Disorder." Available online athttp://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/2669/panic.html

ConsiderthecaseofMichaelDrake.MikelefthisprivatepracticeasanexecutivetalentrecruitertojoinFreddieMac,which as youmayknow is the independent financial corporation charteredbyCongress to improve liquidity in themortgagemarketplace and therefore helpmoreAmericansowntheirownhomes.AlthoughFreddieMacundoubtedlydoesa lotofgoodwork thatbenefitsmillionsofpeople, it's anorganizationwith a

veryconservative,risk-averse,evenrepressiveinternalculture—acultureMikecharacterizes as "based on fear." This atmosphere has been intensified since2003 as a result of public battles over Freddie Mac's accounting practices,especiallyinregardtotheiruseofso-calledderivativehedges,complexfinancialinstrumentsdesignedtomitigateinterest-raterisk.It'sapotentialscandal-in-the-making thathasmade folkswithinFreddieMacunderstandablynervousaboutvirtuallyanydecisiontheymade.LikemanyFreddieMacemployees,Mikewantedthecompanytohaveafresherperspective. Unlike most of the others, however,Mike was given a powerfulopportunitytocreatepositivechange.Inhisnewroleasthepersoninchargeofhiring for the organization, Mike was given the goal of hiring 1,000 newemployees within a year—a huge influx necessitated by the derivativescontroversy and the drive for greater oversight it produced.These newpeoplewould ultimately constitute 20 percent of the 5,000-person Freddie Macworkforce.Mike saw the assignment as an exciting opportunity to do something muchbiggerthanjustrecruitafewemployees.Thiswasachancetohelpchangetheoverlybureaucratic,fear-basedcultureofFreddieMac.However,manyothersatthecompanywantedtomaintainthecomfortablestatusquo. A struggle between the two sides was already in high gear when Mikearrived.Thereweresomanypoliciesholdingpeopleback,andallthesepolicieswerebeingchallengedanddefendedbywarringfactions.Unsurprisingly,Mikesoonfoundhimselfembroiledinthesebattles.Someofthewarshehadtofightwerepurelyadministrative—whichdidn'tmeantheyweresimple.Forexample,inthehiringsystemthatFreddieMachadusedforthepast32years,anewrecruitwouldnotbeassignedanemployeenumberuntilhisorher first day on the job. Unfortunately, routine procedures like buying acomputeroraphoneandassigningofficespacecouldn'tbeginuntilthatnumberwasinplace.Theresult:Newemployeeswouldhavetositaroundinborrowedcubiclesfortwoweekswithnothingtodo,aridiculousandmorale-drainingwayto start their tenure at Freddie Mac. It sent each new employee the deadlymessage,"Hey,aroundhereitdoesn'tmatterwhetheryou'reworkingornot."Youmightthinkthatsolvingthisproblemwouldbeaneasymatteronceitwasidentified.Youdon'tknowFreddieMac."Itwasunbearable,"Mikerecalls."Forthree months, I was banging my head against a stone wall. All I heard wascommentslike,'Itdoesn'tmatter,''Whydoweneedtochange?'Itwasincrediblyfrustrating."

Nothinghappeneduntiloneday thecorporatechiefof information technologycalledMiketoventhispersonalfrustration.Withhisdepartmentinthemidstofitsownrapidexpansion,theCIOhaddiscoveredthathishallswerefilledwithnew-hire refugees—homeless, computer-less, phone-less, and unable to getanythingdone."Whydowehavethisridiculoussystem?"hewantedtoknow.Herewas theopeningMikehadbeenafter."It'sbecause,up tillnow,nobody'swantedtomakefixingthesystemapriority.""Well,itneedstobeapriority.""Iagree,"Mikesaid. "Sopickup thephoneandcallyour techpeopleand tellthemthat."TheCIOmadethecall,andwithinthreedaystheproblemwassolved.Nownewemployees are assigned a number oneweek before they join the company, sotheycanhavetheirpersonalinfrastructureinplacefromdayone.OtherobstaclesMikefacedweremoresubstantive.ThehiringprocessatFreddieMacrequiredthateachcandidatenotonlyreceivetheendorsementofthehiringmanager, but also an endorsement from each of the other team leaders. This"vetopower"made theworkofgettingcandidateswith freshperspectivesandnew ideas into theorganizationverydifficult. If even a single interviewer feltthreatenedbyacandidatewithgame-changingperspectivesor ideas,heorshecouldsimplyshutthecandidatedown—noquestionsasked.After a few candidates (whomMike had really believed in) failed tomake itthrough the process, he decided to take a more aggressive stance. He beganquestioning the managers, forcing them to defend their positions on jobcandidates.ChallengingtheprevailingcultureatFreddieMacinthiswaywasn'taneasythingtodo."Iwasscaredatfirst,butIbelievedthatwhatIwasdoingwasrightforthiscompany.That'swhatgotmethroughthefear."The initial response from the othermanagerswas shock and resentment.Whowas thisnewguywhodared to rock theboatbycriticizing theirdicta?But intime, the managers began to see that Mike's motivations were sincere. Thecandidateshewaspushinghadsmarts,energy,andcommitment,andtheywerein fact the kinds of new workers that Freddie Mac needed to carry out itsprogramofreform.TheotherteamleadersgraduallyacceptedthefactthatMikeknewwhathewasdoing,andlittlebylittle,theystoppedpushingbackagainsthishiringrecommendations.Changing a corporate culture is never an easy task. It takes years of blood,sweat,andtears,andeventhenisoftenonlypartiallysuccessful.ThroughouthistimeatFreddieMac(hehassincemovedon),Mikefoundworkingwithinthat

bureaucraticworldfrustratingattimes.Itwouldhavebeeneasyforhimtoallowemotional reactions like anger, despair, cynicism, and hostility to overwhelmhim.Howdidhecontrolthesefeelings?ItwentbacktoMike'scommitmenttosomethingmoreimportantthanhisday-to-daystrugglesonthejob—hisBiggerYes.Here'showMikeexplainsit:

"Eachday Iwakeup, look atmyself in themirror, and say, 'Today, I amgoingtodowhatIknowisrightforthisorganization.Itdoesn'tmatterwhatanybodyelsesays.Itdoesn'tmatterwhetherImakefriendsorenemies.Itdoesn't even matter if my efforts succeed or fail. If somebody elsesabotageswhatI'mtryingtoaccomplish,sobeit.WhatmattersisthatIdothe right thing. If I do that, I'll feel good aboutmyselfwhen I go to bedtonight."

Mike's fearless commitment to his personal values in the midst of corporateintrigue is greatly strengthened by his career and financial situation. BeforejoiningFreddieMac,Mikehadenjoyedsomesuccessinhispersonalconsultingrole.Beforethat,hehadhadasuccessfulcareeratalargeandgrowingfor-profitcorporationinthetechnologyworld.He'dmanagedhismoneywell,accumulateda nest egg, and had gotten to the pointwhere he knew he couldweather anystorm.Theseexperienceshad leftMikewitha feelingof innerconfidenceandindependencethaton-the-jobconflictcouldn'tshake."Ithelpsalottoknowthat,evenifIweretolosemyjobatFreddieMac,Iwouldbeallright.I'mgoodatmyjob, and I know others who will payme well to do it. I've got somemoneysaved,andI'llbefinenomatterwhathappens.I'mjustnotgoingtobeafraid."There's agreat ironyhere:MikeDrakecandowhat's right forothers—hecanput his company and his team of employees first—because he's already takencareofhimself.Unlikesome"companymen"whoarehelplesslydependentonthe goodwill of their corporate employers and live in terror of the pink slip,Mikecanstandonhisown.Andthisenableshimtobeabetteremployee—morehonest,more independent,more truly loyal.Mike can seewhat's right for thecompanyandstandupforitbecauseofthestrengthprovidedbyhisBiggerYes.Intheend,acompanyfilledwithfrightened"companymen"isfarweakerthanacompanymadeupofstrongindividualslikeMikeDrake—menandwomenwhohaveoptionsfor lifeoutside thecompany.Whenamanager'snot fearfulaboutlosinghisjob,hesitsinamuchhealthierplace.Hecanhelphisteambecausehehasasolidfoundationonwhichtobasehisactions.

YourOwnBiggerYes

BuildingyourownBiggerYescanbedoneinseveralways.Whenitcomestomoral,legal,andethicalissues,yourownvaluesmustserveasyourguide.Whenit comes to your career, having options likeMike's helps support yourBiggerYes. This means building and constantly refreshing your strong network ofpersonalconnections,aswediscussedinChapter2,"TheManager'sUniverse."Itmaymeanhavingalistoftenexecutiverecruiterswithwhomyou'vebuiltandmaintainedrelationshipsover theyears. Itmaymeannurturingyourreputationasanindustryleaderbywritingarticlesfortrademagazines,makingspeechesatconventions,orvolunteeringtoserveontheboardsofindustryorganizations.Management guru Tom Peters recommends freshening up your resume everyquarter, even if you have no intention of looking for a job and regardless ofwhether you are employed by a company or by yourself. Sitting down everyquarter tomeasureyouraccomplishmentsandplanhowyoucanbecomemorevaluable in thequarter ahead is avaluableexercise forhelpingyoukeepyourcareerontrackandmakingsurethatyourBiggerYesiscontinuallygrowing.Finally,likeMikeDrake,makeapointofmanagingyourpersonalfinancessoastobolsteryourrealandpsychologicalindependence.Toomanypeoplegetintothe habit of spending every dollar from their periodic bonuses and salaryincreases on "the good life." "Hey," they think, "What's the point of workinghardandmakinggoodmoneyifI'mnotgoingtoenjoyit?"Sometimestheyusetheirspousesorkidsasanexcuse:"Oh,we'vegottobuythat$2millionhouseinElRitzoCanyon—it'sinthebestschooldistrictinthestate."Theyendupwithscanty retirementsavings,no financialcushion for tough times,andagrowingmountainofcredit-cardandhome-equitydebt,allofwhichmakesthemhostagestotheirjobs,unabletoconsiderwalkingawaywhenthepersonal,professional,orethicalstressesbecomeunbearable.Hollywoodtypes—directors,actors,andsuch—liketotalkabouthaving"ScrewYouMoney"inthebank.It'saspecificamountofsavingsthattheyfeelwouldenablethemtosaytoanymismanagedstudioorover-bearingproducer,"I'mnotgoingtotakeyourabuseanylonger—Iquit."HavingScrewYouMoneyinyourinvestmentaccountisagreatideanomatterwhatindustryyou'rein.Howmuchwould it take?That'sup toyou—your lifestyle,your familyneeds,yourfinancialobligations(likeparentswhoneedhelporchildren'seducations),yourspouse'scareerstatus,andthenatureofjob-shiftinginyourindustry.Somepeoplefeeltheyneedafullyear'sincometohavetheabilitytosay"screwyou"

andwalkawayfromajob;forothers,sixmonthsissufficient.Yes,it'schallengingtosavesixmonths'worthofincome.Mostpeopleneverdoit.Settingthisasagoalwillrequirequiteabitofself-discipline—scalingbackthevacations,eatingoutlessoften,buyinglessextravagantgiftsforholidaysandbirthdays,andsoon.Butbelieveme,onceyouhaveyourScrewYouMoneyinthebankandexperiencethesenseoffreedomandintegritythatonlyyourBiggerYescanprovide,you'll find thatyour levelofon-the-jobfear is ratchetedway,waydown.

Fending Off the Fear-Mongers: Amplification andCompression

Asmuchasyouworktoguardagainstit,theremaystillbetimeswhenfearfindsa way to push you down a slippery slope, potentially damaging yourrelationshipswithyourteam.ThisisespeciallylikelytohappenwhenyouworkwiththekindofpersonIcallaFear-Monger.Haveyoueverhadamanagerwhoseems toenjoy takingapieceofbadnewsand running around the office with it?—Sharing it, fanning the flames,theorizingonallthenegativeimplications?Thisisthem.o.oftheFear-Monger.(Intruth,it'sawayofbehavingweallgetcaughtupinsometimes.)It's easy to see how it occurs. The Fear-Monger gets his buttons pushedsomehow—perhapsbyabadsetofquarterlynumbers,arumoraboutcorporatecutbacks or impending firings, a triumph by some arch-competitor inside oroutside the organization. The Fear-Monger becomes angry, anxious, andconfused.Hewants to talk it over, not just once or twice, but eight or ten ortwentytimes,hopingtomakesenseofitall,tosomehowconquertheadversitybyfindingwordswithwhichtodefineanddelimitit.Meanwhile,everyoneelseis just getting brought down—feeling worse with every rehashing of the badnews.Here'sahideousexampleoffear-mongeringfrommyowncareer.Iwasworkingat a small television station in Monterey, California, when a new generalmanager(I'llcallhimJosh)tookover.Inclassicstyle,hebeganbashingthepriormanagementteam,therebyinsultingeveryonewho'dbeenapartoftheoldteam.Thenhelaidoffaboutone-fifthofthestaff,handlingthefiringsinacold-heartedmanner. Everything he said and did reinforced the same depressing storyline:Thingswerebad,verybad—andonlyJoshcouldsaveus.

Astimepassed,Josh'sprofoundnegativityonlyseemedtogetdeeperanddarker.Heorderedthereceptionisttokeeptheglassentrydoorstothebuildinglocked.If anyonewanted in, she'd have to runoutwith a key to let them in. Imaginebeingoneofourcustomersinthisquiet,idylliccommunity,havingtojumpandwave outside on the sidewalk in a desperate attempt to get the receptionist'sattentionsoyoucouldbeletin.One day, Josh even became convinced that a moving truck parked near thestation contained a bomb. He telephoned the police, leading to incredibleembarrassment for the station when they showed up and, of course, foundnothinginsidethevanexceptmovingpadsandafurnituredolly.Fortunatelyforus,Josh'sworriesaboutthestationwerejustamanifestationofhisowndarkviewof life,nota reflectionof theactual statusofourbusiness.Unfortunately, he managed to drive awaymore than half the staff, ultimatelyforcing us to combine our operations with those of a competitor, so that ourstation no longer functioned as a stand-alone entity. Josh's fear-mongeringactuallydestroyedthebusiness.Okay,sofear-mongeringisclearlyadestructiveforce.Butwhat'stheappropriatewaytodealwithbadnews?Theanswerisnottogototheoppositeextreme,asall toomanymanagersdo.Theyprefer to ignorebadnews, as ifpretending itnever happenedwill make it go away. Troubles are papered over with happytalk, and team members become afraid to speak the truth, sensing that thepsychologyofmanagementistoofragiletocopewithit.Clearlysomepositionbetweentheextremesistherightone.Workerswanttheirmanagers tobeauthenticand transparent,butat thesame time theywant theirmanagerstoliftthemupratherthantowallowinthemireofnegativity.Howcanyoubetransparentandhonestaboutyourcompany'sproblemswhileatthesametime leaving people feeling good about themselves, their company, and theirfuture?Thebestmanagersusethesimpletwo-parttechniqueofamplifyingthebestnewsandcompressing theworst. They don't alter the facts. Instead, they choose toexpanduponthehopefulpossibilitiesinanysituationandavoiddwellingonthenegativeones.In Hollywood, where drama is the order of the day, Marc Sternberg is VicePresident and Group Advertising Director for theHollywood Reporter. Marctriestotakearealisticviewoftheupsanddownsofbusiness."Itiswhatitis,"Marc sayswhenhis teamsuffersa setback. "Now,whatcanwedo tomake itbetter?It'snotthatwedon'ttrytocontroltheoutcomesofourbusinessdealings.

We do that all day, and oftentimes we're quite successful. It's just that whenthingsdon'tgoourway,werefuse toallowtheseoccurrences tobecometrendlines.Instead,wegostraighttoworkonelevatingoursituation."Anothermanager, ChristineWagner, says it this way: "Around here, we havelongweddings and short funerals."Once again: Expand on the positive, eventurnitintoacauseforcelebration;acknowledgethenegative,thenmovequicklyontowardamorehopefulfuture.Thephilosophyhereissimpleyeteasytoforgetintheheatofthemoment.Thenext time significant news comes your way and your people are standing bywaitingforthereport,askyourselfthesequestions:

Is the information true and verifiable? (If not, don't even think aboutbroadcasting it around the company. The last thing companies need is tohavetheirmanagersinTheMiddlecontributingtotherumormillsthattendtoworkovertimeevenwithoutsuchhelp.)Whowillbehelpedbythisnews,andwhowillbehurt?(Thinkaboutwaysto couch the information so that the benefits will be enhanced and thedamagewillbeminimized.Forexample, is itpossible that someone's jobmaybeinjeopardy?Reducetheembarrassmentbygivingthemanadvanceheads-upifyoucan,andbyofferingthemwhatevercontacts,advice,help,andsupportareinyourpower.)What are the positive scenarios that might arise from this news? (Bepreparedtospelltheseoutexplicitlyforyourteammembers.Don'tassumethattheyunderstandtheimplicationsofanydevelopment—what'sobvioustoyoumaynotbetosomeoneelsewhoislesspluggedintothecorporategrapevineandlesscognizantofthebigpicturethanyouare.)Whatare thenegativeconsequences thatcome tomind?Are theyreal? Ifso,whataresomewaystoovercomethem?(Bepreparedtoaddresstheseaswell. If you know that people will react with exaggerated fears, debunktheir paranoia with hard facts. If the negative scenarios are real butavoidable, acknowledge them and be ready to offer a plan: "First thingtomorrowwe'reforminganemergencytaskforcetoaddressthefollowingthreeconcerns...")

Peoplewantinformationandwillneveraskyoutostoptellingthem,regardlessofhowmuchithurtsthem.They'llloveyouifyounotonlygivethemanhonestweatherforecast,butalsoofferaponchofortherainydaysandabeachchairfor

thesunnyones.

Keeping Your Balance between Your Company andYourTeam

AsmanagersinTheMiddle,thefulcrumpointweallliveonisskinnyandsharp,andifwefalloffwe'relikelytogetjabbedinthebacksideaswetumbletotheground.Balancingon thefulcrumisnot justa functionofourplace in theorgchart, it's also what our teams and our leaders expect of us. To lead, we cannever live tilted too far to one side or the other.Wherewe are needed isTheMiddle—thevitalbalancingpoint.Life in The Middle involves a natural tension. When conflicts arise, it takescourage to keep your balance. The Middle is where the peacemakers, thenegotiators, and the connectors live—the ones responsible for making thingsworkdespitetheemotionsthatragearoundthem.Thebalance thatmanagers inTheMiddlemustmaintainhasmany facets, buthere is one of themost important rules to remember:Whenmanagers fall offpoint, they usually tilt either too far towards the company or too far towardstheirteam.The company-tilted manager toes the corporate line at the cost of his ownintegrityandthatofhisteam.EverseethecultmovieOfficeSpace?It'sanewmanagementclassic.Thecompany-tiltedmanager ispersonifiedbyLumbergh,the funny and tragic antagonist of that picture. Lumbergh spends all of hisenergy managing up. His boss is his client, and everyone else is just that—everyone else. When policies are handed down by senior management,Lumberghcommunicatesthemasinalterablefactslikecommandmentschiseledinto stone tablets, with no translation, no context, no enthusiasm, and noadvocacyonbehalfofhisteam.Lumberghisameremouthpiece,theproverbial"empty suit" who has stopped thinking for himself and simply echoes themanagementline.Asaresult,hehasearnednorespectfromhisteammembers,andhegetsexactlytheamounthehasearned.Do you suspect that youmay have become a company-tiltedmanager? Don'tworry,it'snotnecessarilyafatalcondition.Youcanrecover,butit'shardwork.Itstartswithlisteningtoyourpeopleandmakingarealefforttounderstandtheirviewoftheirjobs,theirplaceintheorganization,andtheirexpectationsofyou.Youmust probe themembers on your teamwho aremost honestwith you in

ordertounderstandyourteam'sperceptions.Then you must go out of the way to engage your team members inconversations,allofwhicharelikelytobeeye-openingandsomeofwhichwillprobablybepainful.Ifyou'vescrewedupinthepastbyfailingtorepresenttheconcernsandinterestsofyourteam,you'llhavetospendsometimeaddressingthosefailures.You'llneedtosharewithyourpeoplewhatyourintentionswereandhowyoureachedthedecisionsyoudid.Ifyou'renotproudoftheoutcomesor have regrets about your actions, apologize. Itwon't kill you. In fact, beingtransparent about yourmistakes can be incredibly powerful. Failure to do thiswill just allow the existing gap towiden and accelerate the inevitable, painfulendofyourtenureasleaderoftheteam.On the other side of the spectrum is the team-tilted manager. This kind ofmanager believes that leadership is about serving the team—and they're rightaboutthat.Whattheymiss,however,isthatleadershipisnotaboutservingtheteamtotheextentofsacrificingallelse.TheytilttoofartowardstheirteamsbyignoringothercrucialelementsofleadinginTheMiddle.Thoughwell-meaning,theyendupdamagingtheirteamsratherthanhelpingthem.Team-tiltedmanagersfallintotwocategories:thefightersandthelovers.Thefightersbelievethebusinessworldisatoughplace,andthereforetheymustact aswarriors on behalf of their teams. They challenge outsiders, they resisthighauthority,andtheybullyindefenseofthosetheylead.Fortheirteammates,this is sometimes exciting. "At last!" they say, "We've finally got somebodywho'sonourside!"Andforatime,theproductivityandmoraleoftheteammayskyrocket.Inthelongrun,however,theeffectsareusuallydamagingforallinvolved.Thefighter loses his effectiveness over time. Turned off by the fighter's hostility,alliesgraduallydistancethemselves.Thoseoffendedbythefighterstopofferingtheirsupport.Eventually,theorganization'snegativeviewofthefightercaststhewholeteamintoashadow.Afteronefighterwasremovedfromhisleadershiprole,Ihadoccasiontotalktosome of his former teammembers. I quickly discovered that they had a verynegativeviewof their firm. "Thosepeople at headquartersdon't care aboutusand will blame us for anything and everything that goes wrong," was theirattitude."Weneedsomebodytogotowarforus,orelsewe'llgetnorespect."Iwas reminded of the bizarre world-view that grows up in a cult: The leaderconvinceshis followers to sharehis paranoid attitude about theoutsideworld,depictinghimselfastheirsaviorandtheonlypersonwhotrulycaresabouttheir

well-being.Bycontrast, the loversaremanagerswhoarewillingtosacrificetheirpersonalinterestsforthebenefitoftheirteammembers.Theyworkextrahourscoveringfor team members who go home early, silently fix mistakes made by theirpeople,andgiveeveryonewhoworks for themconsistentlyhigh ratings (evenwhenthequalityoftheirworkisborderline).Unlikethefighter,whooffendseveryone,theloveroffendsnoonebyrefusingtostandupforwhat'sright.Thefighterhasbecomesostronglyaffiliatedwiththeteamthathe'sabdicatedhisrolesascoach,mentor,guide,andfieldgeneral.Hecanleadcheers—buthecan'tcallaplay.Theloverultimatelybecomesaweaklink that threatens to bring everyone down unless he's removed from theleadershippositiontowhichheissoill-suited.Whenyouallowyourselftofalloffcenterineitherdirection,youhurtyourteamandcreateanenvironmentthatfosterspoorresultsbothforthecompanyandforeveryindividual involved.Rememberthehorrificdisaster thatstruckthespaceshuttleColumbia inFebruary2003?It led to thedeathsof theentirecrewandpractically destroyed the space shuttle program. The committee charged withinvestigating its causes found that management at NASA had created anenvironment in which key engineers were afraid to speak up about unsafepractices—andwhenafewdid,theywereignoredandultimatelysilenced.It'sobviousthatcompany-tiltedmanagersatNASAhadabandonedtheirroleasadvocates for the engineering teams. Maybe they hadn't considered the direconsequences of failing to support their teams;maybe theywere afraid to actbecause they didn't have a Bigger Yes in place. Whatever the reasons, theinabilityofthemanagersinTheMiddleatNASAtomaintaintheirbalancemayhavebeenwhatcostsevenastronautstheirlives.

OntheRoadAgain

Sowebeginourchapterwherewestarted.Anothermaniacfliesacrosshighwaylanes. Tires squeal, horns blare, and suddenly the out-of-control vehicle islooming in front of you, dangerously close. But this time your reaction isdifferent. Calmly you apply the brakes, open a space in the road ahead, andchange lanes to pass the cut-off artist. There's no road rage. In fact, you'relaughing.What happened? You changed your point of view, and so set the stage for a

different emotional response.With the tools younowhave to deploy, you canmakethesechangesandsetanewcourse,managingfearandangerbackintothedark,quietrecesses,wheretheybelong.

5TheDeadlyLackofEmpowermentTrap

TheSelf-EmpoweredManager

JeanneBogreismarketingmanagerforDanlyIEM,aCleveland-basedcompanythat is the leadingmanufacturer of die sets, die-making supplies, andmachinecomponentsforindustriesinNorthAmerica.(Thinkaboutthepeoplewhomakemachines for factories. Danly IEM sells products to them.) Jeanne is in achallengingplace.Notonlyisitamale-dominatedindustry(and,yes,Jeannehashadtodealwithhershareofsexistattitudes,usuallyveiledbutnolesspowerfulforthat),butit'salsoanindustryinwhichquiteabitofoutsourcingisgoingon,generatingalotoffearamongrank-and-fileemployeesabouttheirjobsmovingtoAsiaorLatinAmerica.Underthecircumstances,manymanagersinTheMiddlewouldbeparalyzedbyuncertainty.What'sgoingtohappentoourcompany?WillwepackupandmovetoMexicoorSingaporeorKorea?Ifwedon't,willweenduplosingourmarketto cheaper competitors from those lower-wage lands? If the answers to thesequestionsareunclear,howdoImotivatemypeoplewithoutlyingtothem?It'soneofthosetimeswhenlifeinTheMiddlecanbeexcruciating.But JeanneBogre has foundways to turn the anxiety into opportunity.Ratherthanreactingtotheoutsourcingtrendwithdenial("I'mgoingtopretendthisisn'thappening until they cart up my office supplies and ship them overseas") orresistance("I'mgoingtofighttokeepeveryjobintheUSAnomatterhowmuchmoney we lose in the process"), Jeanne is saying, "Let's recognize what'shappeningandfigureouthowtomakeitworkforus."Thatincludesfindingthepotential benefits of outsourcing both for her company and for herself,personally.Jeanne's ability to seize theoutsourcingopportunitybeginswith an attitudeofflexibility—aqualitythatdistinguishesJeannefromsomeothersinherindustry."The guys in upper management obviously tend to be older than middlemanagement," she explains. "Most of themhave families and strong domesticties. So they don't want to travel to the overseas venues where a lot of ourbusinessisstartingtomigrate."Jeannehasnoproblemwithtraveling,andsoshe

hasvolunteeredforforeignassignmentsmoreseniormanagersshiedawayfrom.In the process, she haswalked through doors that otherwisewould have beenclosedtoher."Let's say I'm working on a project in Asia," Jeanne says, "where a lot offactoriesthatneedourproductsarenowbeingbuilt.Thisisabrand-newmarketfor us. Thatmeans I have a lotmore flexibility to set standards and to createbusiness practices than I would in our current market. If I wanted to changesomesystemhereintheStates,everybodywouldwanttoknowwhy.There'dbealotofpush-back.Notinanewmarket.I'vefoundyou'vegotmuchmoreroomtogrowasamanagerifyou'rewillingtotackleanewprojectforyourcompany.IwasabletosetupmyownpricingstructuresandmyowndistributionnetworksinplaceslikeChinaandIndiabecauseIwastheexpertonthosemarkets—justbecauseIwaswillingtogothereandlearnwhatmadethemtick."NowJeanne isusingherknowledgebase to expand theparametersofDanly'sbusiness. "More and more companies are looking to buy products likestampings,carfenders,hoods,whatever,inAsia.Buttheydon'tknowalotabouthow the businessworks over there. That creates an opening forDanly.We'vebuiltupalotofexperienceinAsia,andwehaveaguyrunningourjointventureinChinawhogivesusmoreknowledgeaboutmanufacturinganddistributioninChinathanthemajorityofpeople inour industryhave.Whydon'twesell thatknowledgeasaservice?"JeanneisleadingDanly'snewefforttodojustthat."Wecanhelpourcustomerswithanythingfromlocatingproductstofindingcompaniesthatcanmanufacturestampingsortoolings.WecanhelpU.S.businesspeopleorganizetheir tripstoChina, give them the key contacts they need, and coach them on how tonegotiatesuccessfullyoverthere.Andforeachservicewecanchargeafee."Jeanneandherteamaredevelopingtheprofitmodelforthisnewservice-basedbusinessrightnow.Itspotentialisenormous.Theconceptwouldn'tevenexistifJeanneBogre—managerinTheMiddle—hadn'tgrabbedthebullofoutsourcingbythehornsandasked,"HowcanImakethisworkforme?"Jeanne's story illustrates the special capability of managers in TheMiddle torecognizebusinessopportunitiesthattop-levelexecutives,moredistantfromtheneedsandproblemsofcustomers,mayoverlook.AsmanagementguruRosabethMossKanterhassaid,"Becausemiddlemanagershavetheirfingersonthepulseofoperations,theycanalsoconceive,suggest,andsetinmotionnewideasthattopmanagersmaynot have thought of."[1] It's the power of the fulcrum at itsbest.

[1] Rosabeth Moss Kanter, "The Middle Manager as Innovator."Harvard Business Review,July-August,1982,page95.

Everybody'sFavoriteExcuse

Jeanne Bogre's story also illustrates the (frequent) hollowness of one of thefavoriteexcusescitedbymanagersinTheMiddleforfailingtosolveproblems,seizeopportunities,orfollowthroughoninitiatives—thelackofempowerment.This alibi takesmany forms.Sometimesmanagers complain about the lackofsupport for their ideas from above: "I've proposed solutions for our divisionalproblems dozens of times. They either get shot down by my boss or elsedisappearintosomekindofblackholeandareneverheardfromagain."Other times they blame bureaucracy or red tape: "Around here, you can't getpermission to try something new until three budget directors, two strategicplanners, and five departmental heads sign off. By the time you get thepaperworkdone,nobodyevenrememberswhattheprojectisabout."Other managers say they are hampered by structural problems: "It's obviouswhat we need to do to fix our marketing problems. But it's not in my jobdescription. And if I tried to get involved, I'd have the folks in marketingscreaming bloody murder about my trespassing on their turf. Who needs theaggravation?"Stillothertimes,theyblamealackoftime,energy,orresourcesfortheirfailuretoact:"Sure,Ihaveanideaortwoabouthowtoexpandourbusiness.ButI'malreadyworking60-hourweeks just puttingout fires andmaking the businesswe'vegot work halfway smoothly.When am I supposed to launch somethingnew,between1and3a.m.?"These excusesmay sound valid.And in aminority of cases, theymay hold alittle water. There are companies where bureaucratic rules genuinely hamperinitiatives fromTheMiddle. It's certainly true thatmanymanagers are copingwithbadly-stretchedresources,makingitverychallengingtofindtimeormoneyto launch new programs. If you've tried every strategy we'll outline in thischaptertoseizeandwieldpowerfromTheMiddleandstillfailedtomakeadentin your company's traditionalways of doingbusiness, itmaybe time to thinkaboutmovingon.In reality,whenmanagers blame lack of empowerment, they are often simplycoppingout,coveringupthereal reasonsfortheirfailuretoachievewhatthey

say(andprobablybelieve)theywanttoachieve.Opening upAsianmarkets and creating themodel for a new formof service-based businesswas not part of Jeanne Bogre's job description at Danly IEM.However, she simply volunteered for assignments no one else wanted,discovered the business opportunities lurking there, and started making themhappen. Jeanne understands how to navigate the real power structure of hercompanyratherthanwaitingaroundforsomeonetobestowempowermentuponher.Inmostorganizations,unspoken realitiescounter theoft-spokenexcusesaboutlackofempowerment:

Yes, bossesmay shoot down or ignore good ideas from their underlings.Butthere'swisdomintheoldsaying,"It'salwayseasiertogetforgivenessthanpermission."Manymanagerstrytopursuenewideasthrough"officialchannels"whensuchbureaucratic routine isn't strictlynecessary.Muchofwhat people seek approval for does not need approval.We do it, in part,becausegettingapprovalmakesusfeelgood.Ifyoucanfreeupamodicumof time and money to try something new, why not simply try it—andpresent it to your boss later on, once you have some successes, howevermodest,topointto?Yes,redtapecanbefrustrating.Whenyourunintoashort-termNo,youarebeingcalledtosupplyaBiggerYes.Ifanideayouwanttodevelopistrulymeaningful and important to you—andprovided there is a good businessreason for doing it and it really adds value—then be persistent. Reworkyour proposal and present it again; seek the resources you need throughother channels; scale back the idea and launch it as a "pilot project" orsimplyput the idea into"turnaround,"as the folks inHollywoodsay,andwaitfortherighttimeandplacetotryagain.Yes, business structures (from inter-departmental rivalries to information-hoardingsilos)canmakeithardtotrynewthings.Bringyournetworkingskills to bear. Identify the three people from neighboring business unitswhosehelpyoumusthave tomakeyournewprojectworkandfigureouthow tomake themyour best friends. (Remember to think about diviningtheir explicit and implicit needs and finding ways to help them achievethem.)Maybeyour newprojectwill endupbeing a "joint venture,"withrevenues,profits,andkudossharedamongtheparticipants.Theimportantthingistogetitoffthegroundusingwhateverwall-bustingtechniquesyou

findnecessary.Yes,resourcescanbescarce—especiallythemostpreciousresourceofall,yourowntime.Ifthenewideayouwanttopursuereallymatters,youcancreatethetimetodoit—asKeithRosenexplains.

SeizingtheToolsofEmpowerment

Asyousawearlierinthisbook,KeithRosenisaCertifiedMasterCoachwithaworldofexperienceinhelpingmanagersinTheMiddlebecomemoreeffectiveandempowered.Lackof timeisoneof themostcommoncomplaintshehearsfromhisclients."Somanytimes,"Keithsays,"managerswillcometomeandsay they're inundatedwithwork.Theyhave somuchworkon their plate theydon'tknowhowtogetitdone—letalonefindtimetoexpandtheircreativityintonewareas.Westarthavingaconversationaboutwhattheyhavetodoandaboutthetimeitalltakes.""This leads,"Keithsays,"to thebigquestion:Doyouhaveanyopportunity todelegatesomeofthatworktootherpeople?Theyusuallyadmit,'Well,Idohavesome other people I could delegate this stuff to.' The question then becomes,'Well,whyaren'tyoudelegatingmore?Whatdoyouthinkisholdingyouback?'Andthentheysay,'Well,ofcourse,Keith,ifIwantsomethingdonerightIhavetodoitmyself.'"Suddenlytherealproblemisloominginsight.It'snotthatthemanager'sjobhasbeenpoorlydefinedbythecorporation,givinghimorhertoomuchtodointheallotted time. It's that the peoplewhomake up thework team don't have themanager's confidence, either because of a lack of skills or themanager's ownfailuretotrain,coach,andcommunicatewiththem.Formostmanagers inTheMiddle, then,beingswampedwithworkisnot"theproblem."It'sasymptomoftheproblem—which,onceyoudrillalittledeeper,isrevealedtobeafailuretocreateandleadaneffectiveteamthatcantakeworkoffthemanager'sdeskandgetitdone."Ultimately," Keith says, "the true role of a manager is to make your peoplemore valuable. If you choose the right people and then work to make themcontinuallymore skilled,more autonomous,more independent, andmore self-driven,they'regoingtodowhattheyneedtodointhefirstplace.Therefore,younolongerhavetomanageasmuchasyouusedto,andyoudon'thavetohandle

so much of the work yourself. If you create a team of highly-competent,internally-driven peoplewhowork together towards a shared goal, you'll findyourself spending less timeputtingout firesandmore timebeingcreativeandtrulyproductive."If lack of time is one of your big complaints—and formostmanagers inTheMiddle,itis—don'twaitaroundforthetopbrasstodoublethesizeofyourstaff.It's up to you to seize the tools that can help you empower yourself. Theseinclude

Using the power ofhiring to build a team that'smade up exclusively ofhigh-skill, high-energy, positive-thinking achievers. Can't find the rightcandidateafter20interviews?Tryrewritingthejobdescription,rethinkingthecredentialsyouseek,andreeducatingtheHumanResourcesdepartmentaboutwhatyou'rereallylookingfor.Theninterview20morepeople...and20more if necessary, rather than settling for someonewhowill act as adeadweightontherestoftheteam.Using the power of firing to eliminate people who just don't fit. Themomentyouknowthefitisn'tright,takeaction.Youarenotdoinganyoneafavor when you make excuses to put off the inevitable. Every month inwhich a not-quite-competent or not-quite-appropriate person remains onyour payroll, you are wasting money, diverting your own energy andattention, and sapping everyone else'smorale. Of course, you hate firingpeople—that'sasignthatyou'llprobablydoithumanelyratherthancruelly.Get itoverwithsooner rather than later so thateveryonecanmoveon tobetter things. Chances are the person leaving the party will ultimatelyappreciate itaswell.There'snothingworse than livingwith thepainofapoorfit.Usingthepoweroforganizingtosolvepersistentproblemsonceandforall.(WetalkedaboutthisinChapter1,"ActionwithTraction.")Sitdowntodayandidentifythefivekindsoffiresyoufindyourselfputtingoutweekafterweek.Eachonerepresentsasystemicbreakdown.Drawontheknowledgeofyour teamorothercolleagues to figureouthowthesystemsshouldbechanged tokeep the same fires frombreakingoutagain.Then implementthe new systems. The amount of time you spend on repetitive problemsshouldshrinkfrom50or60percentto10or20percent,freeingupenergyfortheideasthatleadtogrowth.Using the power of choice to focus on high value-added activities rather

thanwheel-spinningexercisesortasksthatyoulikebutthatdon'tgeneratebenefits foryou,your team,yourboss, oryour company.Weall fall intoroutines.Ifyou'vebeeninthesamejobmorethansixmonths,thechancesaregoodthatyouhavefivetotenweeklyactivitiesthatyoudosimplyoutofhabit.Identifythemandeitherdelegatethemtosomeonelessexpensiveormore appropriate (if they reallyought to be done) or simply eliminatethem. (You may well discover that the report you've been spending twohoursoneveryFridaymorningsimplyendedupinsomeoneelse'scircularfile—they'll be relieved not to have to deal with it for 15 seconds everyFridayafternoon.)Repeatthesameexercisesixmonthsfromnow.It'slikemaking your computer run faster by uninstalling the software you neveruse.

Feelingunempowered?LikeJeanneBogre,don'twaitforsomeonetogiveyoupower.Usethetechniqueswe'vehighlightedtofreeupsomeofthepoweryoualreadyhave,mostlikelywithoutevenknowingit.

TheWagonTrainEffect

Thisisnottoimplythatorganizationalbarrierswon'taffectyouruseofpower.Of course they will. One of the most significant barriers, which few peopleconsciouslyrecognize,iswhatwecalltheWagonTrainEffect—thetendencyforeveryprocessinanorganizationtomoveatthesamepace.IfyouwereapioneertravelingWestwithawagontrain,itwouldn'tmatterifthehorseyouhadhitchedtoyourwagoncouldrunlikeaKentuckyDerbywinner;you would move no faster than the slowest horse in the chain. Similarly, nomatterhowagile,creative,andproductiveonedepartmentoronemanagerinacompany may be, the organization's overall speed of response is usuallydeterminedbytheslowestbusinessunit.Itdoesn'tmatterhowgreatasoftwarecompany'smarketingorsalesorserviceteamsmaybe;iftheresearchteamcan'tproducegreatnewproductsfastenough,thecompany'ssalesaregoingtogointothetank.The Wagon Train Effect tends to retard change and enforce a needlessuniformity. It also tends to disempower managers whose skills exceedorganizational norms. In other words, if you have the talent to manage anorganizationthewaySecretariatcouldrun,you'reapttobeprettyfrustratedasa

teamplayerinmostcompanies.It'sequallyfrustratingtobepartofacompanywhere a single department is the equivalent of a broken-downmule, slowingdowntheparadeforeverybodyelse.How can you combat theWagonTrainEffect? It's not always possible for anindividualmanagertosolvethisproblem.Herearesomestrategiesthatwork:

Feed vitamins to the slowest horse. Obviously, you can minimize theWagon Train Effect by jump-starting the performance of the departmentthatismostseriouslydraggingdowntheteam.Sometimesallthat'srequiredis an infusion of resources: more employees, more money, and betterequipment. Sometimes new leadership and a new sense of direction areneeded.Asanindividualmanager,itmaynotbeinyourpowertodoalottohelp theweakesthorseonyour team.However,youcanat leasthighlightthe nature of the problem and encourage the organization to concentrateremedial effortswhere they'remost needed rather than instituting across-the-boardremedies(mostofwhichwillbewasted).Decouple from thewagon train. If you run adepartment that's noticeablyfaster,moreeffective,andmoreproductivethantheothersinyourbusiness,youmay be able to find productiveways to use the excess capacity thatdon't rely on those other departments. For example, suppose you run adesigndepartmentwithcreativecapabilities thatexceed thoserequiredbytherestofthebusiness.Whynotofferdesignservicesonaconsultingbasisto non-competitive outside companies, thereby creating a new source ofrevenuesandprofitsandkeepingyourpeoplebusy,productive,andhappy?Or suppose you manage a super-hot marketing team, but your companycan't produce great products fast enough to keep your people pumping.Consider serving small outside companies that can't support their ownmarketing organizations and that produce goods or services that arecompatibleratherthancompetitivewiththoseyourcompanyoffers.Linkyourhorsetoanothercaravan.Insomecases,youmaybeabletolookforopportunitiestoshiftyourdepartmental linkagestoanotherpartoftheorganizationmore in tunewithyourcapacitiesandneeds.For instance, ifthesalesgroupthatservicesyourdivisionishavingtroublekeepingupwiththeflowofproductofferingsyouarecreating,maybethere'sanother,moredynamicsales teamelsewhereinthecompanythatwouldwelcomeanewsetofchallenges.

TheWagonTrainEffect isoneofthemostdifficultorganizationalproblemstomaster, and one that often produces an effect of disempowering capablemanagers.Ifyoufindyourselfstuckinaslowcaravan,tryoneofthestrategiesdescribedhere—itmayworkforyou.

SourcesofPower

Ah,youmaysay,it'sallwellandgoodtospeakabouttakingpowerratherthanwaiting for it to be handed over—but isn't it true that power is a limitedcommoditythatsomepeopleinthecorporationhavemoreofthanothers?Ican'tachievethepoweroftheCEOjustbyactinglikeaCEO,canI?Ofcourse,that'strue.Theamountofpoweryoucanclaimsimplybytakingitisnot unlimited. (Thank heaven—otherwise, every business would be like alawless tribalnation, inwhichpowerbelongedtowhicheverwarlordwasmostaggressiveaboutseizingit.)That'swhyit'simportantforeverymanagerinTheMiddle to understand something about the true sources of corporate power—whichareabitdifferentfromwhatyouprobablyhavebeenraisedtobelieve.In a classic article written almost 50 years ago but still stunningly applicabletoday,socialtheoristsJohnFrenchandBertramRavenidentifiedsixsourcesofsocialororganizationalpower.Eachhasauniquesource,andeachmustbeusedinparticularwaystobeeffective[2]:

[2]JohnFrenchandBertramRaven,"TheBasesofSocialPower."InStudiesinSocialPower,editedbyD.Cartwright.AnnArbor,MI:InstituteforSocialResearch,1959,pages150-167.

Reward power is based on the perceived ability to provide positiveconsequences or remove negative ones. As a manager, you have rewardpowertotheextentthatyoucontroltheraises,bonuses,workassignments,and other desirable (or not so desirable) consequences meted out to themembersofyourteam.Coercivepowerisbasedontheperceivedabilitytopunishthosewhodonotconformwithyourideasordemands.Youwieldcoercivepowerwheneveryoufiresomeoneorexilethemtoyourpersonal"doghouse"—forexample,by sending them to bleak and snowy Schenectady, New York for aconferenceinthemiddleofthewinter.Legitimate power (also called organizational authority) is based on theperceptionthatsomeonehastherighttoprescribebehaviorduetoelection

orappointmenttoapositionofresponsibility.Yourlegitimatepowercomesfrom the title on your business card and your place on the org chart. It'sgreater if theperceptionexists thatyou"deserve" the jobbecauseofyourtalentsorotherpersonalqualities.Referentpowerisbasedonassociationwithotherswhopossesspower.Thisisan interestingone.Twomanagerswithprecisely thesamejob titlemayhave very different levels of referent power if one is more closelyassociatedwith theCEO.A junior-level staffer atNewsCorporationmayhave significant referent power because her last name happens to beMurdoch. You may also enjoy referent power through association withsomeonepowerfuloutsidetheorganization;that'swhy(forexample)achiefof staff for thePresident of theUnitedStates canget a prestigious job atvirtually any law firmor consulting group after leaving hisWhiteHousejob.Expertpower isbasedonhavingdistinctiveknowledge, expertise, ability,orskills.MostmanagersinTheMiddlerosefromstafforlinepositionsinwhichtheydevelopedandexercisedspecialknowledgeandskills,andtheseabilities give them expert power they can use as managers. Thus, themanagerofagroupofengineersoreditorsorscientistsorsalespeoplegetsrespectanddeference,inpart,becausetheyknowthatshewasonceagreatengineer,editor,scientist,orsalespersoninherownright.Informationpowerisbasedoncontrollingtheinformationneededbyothersinordertoreachanimportantgoal.Informationpowerisderivedprimarilyfromusing the information you obtain to empower and support those onyour team, rather than fromhoarding it in secrecy. Inmostorganizations,managersinTheMiddleserveasconduitsforinformation,data,strategies,goals,andphilosophiesfromtopmanagementtoindividualcontributors,aswell as conduits for news from the front lines to topmanagement. Thus,Middleshiftmanagerscanwieldagreatdealof informationpower, and itflows in at least twodirections—from the topdownand from thebottomup.

This list of power sources is fascinating in itself.ButFrench andRavenwentfurther.Theyalsoexaminedhowpowerderived fromthevariousbasesaffectsbothattraction(thatis,apositivefeelingonthepartoftherecipienttowardstheagentwhousespower)andresistance(thatis,anegativefeelingonthepartoftherecipienttowardtheagentwhousespower).

Theyconcluded that theuseofpower from thevariousbaseshas significantlydifferent consequences. For example, reward power increases attraction whilecreatingminimal levels of resistance. (This explainswhymost people tend tosuckup to theirbossesduring theweeksbeforebonusesaredue.)Bycontrast,coercivepowertypicallydecreasesattractionandcauseshighresistance.(Thinkaboutthecomplaints,bitterness,andangerthateruptinanorganizationafteranupheaval results in firings.) However, French and Raven also noted that "themore legitimate the coercion [is perceived to be], the less it will produceresistance."Thus, coercivepowercombinedwith legitimate power tends to bemoreeffectivethancoercivepoweralone.TheFrenchandRavensystemoffersaninterestingwaytoanalyzepowerinyourorganization.Thinkaboutyourboss.Whatsourcesofpowerdoesheorshedrawupon?Whatpercentageofhisorherpowerisderivedfromeachsource?Doesthischangefromtimetotime?(Whentheteamisworkingtogetherto"crash"amajornew-productdevelopmentproject,thebossmayderivemostpowerfromexpertise—theabilitytocontributebreakthroughideastosolveproblems.Later,when thenewproduct is being launched, his or her powermayderivemainlyfrom the ability to win support from the CEO and the EVP of marketing—referent power, in otherwords.)How do people respond to the boss's uses ofpowerbasedonthevarioussources?Howandwhenisattractiongreatest?Whatuses of power provoke resistance? Could the boss do something different tominimizeresistance—forexample,bytakingstepstoincreasehisorherrelianceonsomeotherpowersource?You can perform the same kind of analysis on others in the organization—onyourself,ofcourse,aswellasonotherkeyplayers,includingtheCEO.Youcanalsoconsider thecompany-widepatterns thatcharacterizepowerflows inyourorganization.Insomefamily-runbusinesses,referentpowerbasedonclosenessto the founders is the dominant form of power. In some technical or creativecompanies (think Intel, Pfizer, or Disney), power is derived mainly fromexpertise—scientificbrillianceormovie-makinggenius.Insomeorganizations,power is based primarily on control of information. For example, during thesecond term of the Clinton White House, those with the greatest perceivedpowertendedtobethosewhoknewthe"insidedirt"abouttheMonicaLewinskyscandal,theassociatedinvestigations,andtheimpeachmentproceedings.Whenanorganizationisabuzzwithgossip,youcanbetthatsomeseriousinformation-basedpower-mongeringisgoingon.If you feel unempowered, clues to the reasonsmay be uncovered through an

analysisoftheFrenchandRavenpowercategoriesatwork.Youmaybetryingtowieldakindofpowerthatisseverelyundervaluedinyourorganization.Ifthepeople inyourcompany tend to recognizeonly legitimatepower, theymaybeunmovedbyyour trulyawesomedisplaysofexpertise.Conversely, ifyoufindyourselfinasetting(suchasaresearchinstitute)whereexpertiseisthecurrencyofpower,you'llprobablygetnowheretryingtoimpresspeoplewithyourfancytitle(legitimatepower)oryourfriendshipwiththedean(referentpower):"Nevermindthat—howmanypatentsdoyouown?"

IgnitingthePowerofChange

Too many managers get frustrated with the perceived obstacles to theirempowerment and simply tune out and give up. They begin treading water,collectingpaychecks,andmaybegettingamodestpromotionfromtimetotime,but nevermake any real difference in the organizations they call home.Overtime, they stop playing the game; they lose their skills, their connections, andtheir self-confidence. They usually end up being relegated to the bench or tomop-upduties.It'ssosad.Andsounnecessary.JoeRipp,along-timeveteranofthecorporatewars,knowsathingortwoabouthow to build careers inside organizations. Asked recently what he'd say to amanagerinTheMiddlewhofeelsdisempowered,Joesaid:

"You'reprobablyrighttofeelthatway.Mostmid-levelmanagersfeel thatsenseof restriction.You'restuck inaboxandyou're told tomanageyourbox.Yetyou'relookingaroundandsaying,'Therearealotofthingsthatweshoulddobetter.'Andit'sfrustratingtobeabletodosolittletomakethingschange."If you're the kind of person who gets his whole team focused on thatquestion—Whatcanwedobetter?—then thatbecomespartof thenormalroutine.Youcanworkwithyourpeopleonthat.Becauseremember,they'restrugglingwiththesamequestion.Justlikeyou,theywanttogetmoreoutoflifethananine-to-fiveroutine.Likeyou,theywantmeaning.Likeyou,theywanttomakeadifference."Don'tjustsay,'I'mnotempowered,'andgiveup.Instead,keepaskingthequestion.Organizationswon't change overnight.Your reporting structureswon'tchangeovernight.Yourdayjobisn'tgoingtogoaway.Youstillneed

to doyour day job—that'swhat youwerehired for.Asking that questionputsyourjobinabiggercontextandpushesyouforwardonthatsearchformeaning."Letme give you an example.While Iwas the chief financial officer ofTime, Inc., I was asked once to give a speech to the Accounts Payabledepartment. And here, in essence, is what I said: 'You're sitting in ouroffices, processing lots of things—papers, columns of numbers,spreadsheets.I'msureitgetsboringattimes.Butthinkaboutthis.Youseemore information about what we spend and therefore what we do thananybody else in the corporation. Maybe you should think about thisquestion: What should we be doing with all this information? Is thereanythingwecandowithitthatcouldaddvaluetothiscompany?'"Iendedmyspeech.Theyapplaudedpolitely.AndIwentaway."Fourmonthslater,IhadasurprisevisitfromthewomanwhoheadedtheAccountsPayabledepartment. 'Remember thequestionyouasked inyourspeech?I'vegotyouranswer.'"She showed me a brochure she'd received in the mail from Dun &Bradstreet.Theyweresellinga service thatwouldconsolidateallofyouraccountspayable,givingyouthecreditfilenumberforeachvendorsothatyoucouldfigureoutwhatpercentageofyourspendingtheywere."Maybethisdoesn'tsoundlikeabigdeal.Butatthetime,Time,Inc.wasadecentralizedorganizationwithabout15differentaccountspayablecenters.And the parent company, TimeWarner, was a much bigger organizationthatwasalsototallydecentralized.Therewasnooneplacewhereyoucouldadd up the spending information and say to a vendor like IBM, 'Do youknow that we spendX hundredmillions of dollars a yearwith you?Weshouldbegettingabetterdiscount.'Logicalandsensibleasthiswas,itwassimplyimpossible."Here was this woman, a supposedly lower-level manager, offering thesolution.SowefollowedhersuggestionandboughttheDun&Bradstreetservice for about $175,000. Overnight we were suddenly able to makesense of the 20-oddbillion dollars of spending for the entire corporation.Andwithinayearwehadtaskforcesorganizedtogoafterspecificlevelsofspendingonpaper,printingservices,trucking—younameit."Weendedupsavingabout5percentonourpurchases,whichamountedtoat least $1 billion. Yeah, with a B. All from this one idea floated by amiddle manager. All because she was focused on that simple question:

'Whatcanwedothatwillmakeadifference?'"AsJoeRipp'sstoryillustrates,empowermentisn'tmainlyaboutorgchartsorjobdescriptions or reporting relationships. Sometimes it's as simple as asking therightquestion...andnotstoppinguntilyoucomeupwithananswer.

ThePowerofRighteousness

Inmostorganizations,powerisusuallytaken,notbestowed.Ifyoudon'tknowhow to wield power, you probably won't getmuch done, even if you are theCEO.Ifyoudoknowhowtowieldpower,youcanaccomplishalotmorethanyour job title alonemight suggest. But there's an important corollary that toomanymanagersforget:Youmusttakepowerforarighteousreason.Otherwise,whatever power you do obtain is likely to be short-lived and ultimatelyineffectual."Righteous"—didwereallysay that?Perhapsour language is soundinga littlelikewhatyou'dhearinasuperheromovie:"Alwaysremember,"intonesthewiseoldmentortohisyoungacolyte,"Youmustuseyourpowersforgood,notevil!"Sobeit.Aswe'vesaid,oneofthekeystofindingmeaninginyourlifeistostartthinkingofitasaquestintheheroicJosephCampbellmode.So,yes—youareasuperheroofsorts,endowedwithuniqueabilities,andyour job is touse thoseabilitiestothefullestintheserviceofaworthycauseofyourownchoosing.Manypeoplehaveonlyavagueideaastowhytheygetupandgotoworkinthemorning. Of course, they need to pay the rent and buy non-fat lattes atStarbucks,buttherearemillionsofwaystomakemoney.Whyworkatthisjob,the one job of all jobs that you hold today and towhich youwill devote thegreatest part of your time, energy, heart, and soul this week, this month, andperhaps for someyears to come?Whatmissiondoes it embody?Whydoyouwantpower?Whatdoyouplantodowithit?Andaboveall,whydoyoudeserveit?Youearlierconsideredlegitimacyasasourceofpower.Inourdemocratictimes,legitimacy isn't so much conferred from above as granted from below. Inpolitics,it'scalled"theconsentofthegoverned,"andit'sconsideredthebasisforany meaningful social structure. In business, it goes by different names,including"credibility,""leadership,"and"charisma."Inanysphere,youcan'tgetitunlessyoudeserveit;andyoudon'tdeserveitunlessyouintendtouseitforthegoodofallratherthanforselfishends.

This is theweaknessof theMachiavellianapproachtomanagement. It focuseson using manipulation, intimidation, and deceit to seize and maintain power,whichisviewedasanendinitself.Machiavelliantacticsoftenworkforatime.In the long run,most people arewilling to lend their support to a leader onlywhentheyrespecthisobjectivesandseesomepotentialbenefittothemselvesinhis purposes. Why should they work hard and zealously contribute theircreativitytoanorganizationiftheendresultissimplytoallowoneleader,orahandfulofleaders,tobuytheirthirdhousesandtheirsixthcars?Youwouldn'tdoit—whywouldanyoneelse?Beforeyouattempt to takeanduseanypowerwithinyourorganization,you'dbetterconsiderseriouslythequestionofpurposes.Doyouwantpowertosatisfyyourego,increaseyourincome,andannoyyourenemies?Ifso,you'renotlikelytoenjoyitforverylong.Ordoyouwantpowersothatyoucanbuildsomethingoflastingvalueforthecompany,itscustomers,itsemployees,andalltheotherswhomittouches?Ifso,youmayfindthatalargeandsteadilygrowingnumberofpeoplewillbewillingtoentrustyouwiththeirtimeandenergy,empoweringyoutomakeyourrighteousdreamscometrue.Imaginethatthismorningabrand-newboss,apersonreputedlyofgreatpowerand wisdom but previously unknown to you, has taken over your company.Promptlyatnineo'clockhewalksintoyouroffice,shakesyourhand,gazesdeepintoyoureyes,andasksthisone-wordquestion:"Why?"Whatisyouranswer?

PartIIGetMorePurpose

6IgnitionPoint1:TheProcess

More Purpose: The Ignition Points forManagers intheMiddle

The first section of this bookwas aboutmore power.We getmore power byperformingthebasicpartsofourjobswell.Wegetpowerthroughperformanceandthroughthegrowthofourownconfidence.PartIwasaboutwhatmanagersneedtodotorecapturethatconfidenceinthemselves.Now,inthesecond,coresectionofthisbook,we'lltalkaboutmorepurpose.ThesevenIgnitionPointswe'lldescribein thechapters thatfollowrepresent thingsthatmanagersinTheMiddlecandobetterthananyoneelseinthecompany.Forit istheignitedmanager,uniquelypositionedandrighteouslyempowered,whocancombinetheelementandcreatethelight.Itishere,attheseignitionpoints,wheremanagerscanachievetheirhighestpurpose.Manymanagers—notjustwomen—runupagainstaglassceilingatsomepointin their careers, an invisible barrier that stalls their upward progress. It'sfrustrating,butinevitable,aresultofthefactthatbusinesshierarchiesareshapedlikepyramids,gettingprogressively smaller thehigheryou rise.Thereare justtoomanyhard-working,smart,andtalentedmanagersinTheMiddlecompetingforafewC-levelpositionstosatisfythemall.Here is where leverage is needed and real purpose must be divided anddemonstrated.TheskillsandtechniquesrepresentedbytheIgnitionPointswillhelpdeliverthatsenseofpurpose.Don'tjusttakeourwordforit;considerwhatresearch into managerial careers has shown. "Unlike middle managers whostalled in middle management," concluded one expert, "successful middlemanagers focused on improving essential skills and establishing performancerecordsduringthefrustratingwaitforadvancement."[1]

[1] Leon E. Wynter, Leon E., Wall Street Journal, August 5, 1999. Online athttp://www.careerjournal.com/myc/diversity/19990805-wynter.html.

Don'tassumethatthevalueoftheskillsrepresentedbytheIgnitionPointswillalways be obvious. Learning often generates value in powerful ways that wecannotalwaysseeandusuallycan'tpredict.Forexample,thinkabouthowSteve

Jobs, the brilliant and creative CEO of Apple, applied unorthodox skills in athoroughly unexpected way. The story begins with reminiscences from Jobs'scollegeyears:

ReedCollege,atthattime,offeredperhapsthebestcalligraphyinstructioninthecountry.Throughout thecampus,everyposter,everylabeloneverydrawer,wasbeautifullyhand-calligraphed.BecauseIhaddroppedoutanddidn'thavetotakethenormalclasses,Idecidedtotakeacalligraphyclasstolearnhowtodothis.Ilearnedaboutserifandsansseriftypefaces,aboutvarying the amount of space between different letter combinations, aboutwhatmakesgreat typographygreat.Itwasbeautiful,historical,artisticallysubtleinawaythatsciencecan'tcapture,andIfounditfascinating.Noneofthishadevenahopeofanypracticalapplicationinmylife.Buttenyears later, when we were designing the firstMacintosh computer, it allcame back to me. And we designed it all into theMac. It was the firstcomputerwithbeautifultypography.IfIhadneverdroppedinonthatsinglecourse in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces orproportionallyspacedfonts.AndbecauseWindowsjustcopiedtheMac,it'slikelythatnopersonalcomputerwouldhavethem.IfIhadneverdroppedout,Iwouldhaveneverdroppedinonthiscalligraphyclass,andpersonalcomputersmightnothavethewonderfultypographythattheydo.Ofcourseit was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was incollege.Butitwasvery,veryclearlookingbackwardstenyearslater.[2]

[2]"'You'vegottofindwhatyoulove,'Jobssays."StanfordReport,June14,2005.InPartIIofthisbook,we'llteachyou—orperhapsremindyou—aboutsomeofthefamiliarandunfamiliarskillsthatmanagerscanapplytobringuniquevaluetotheircompanies.Connectingthedotsisuptoyou.

ThePoweroftheProcessMaster

Ifyourcompany is likemostbusinesses, itengages inmyriadprocesses.Eachcontributestothegreatermissioninwayslargeorsmall.For instance, the conception, design, manufacturing, packaging, shipping,marketing, selling, and servicing of any single product involves dozens ofprocesses. Some are simple and self-contained—for example, the process inwhichSallyinthewarehousereadsanSKUoffanorderprintout,pickstherightboxoffashelf,andplacesitonaconveyorbelttobecarriedtothemailroomfor

shipmenttoacustomer.Others are complicated and complexly interrelated—for example, the web ofprocesses that kicks into gearwhen a customer visits theDell Computer site,choosesandcustomizesalaptopdesign,andorderstheDellfactorytoassembleone for him, pulling together parts frommany suppliers and combining themintoanintricatetechnologicalobjectthatmustworkcorrectlythefirsttime.Manyoftheseprocessesarecustomer-facing;othersarepurelyinternal,butnoless important. (If the process that generates your payroll check stopsfunctioning,howmanymoreweekswillyoukeepshowingupintheoffice?)In some sense, these processes are the company.Without them, there are nogoods,noservices,nosales,nocustomers,norevenues,andnoprofits.Peoplecomeandgo,butprocesses—oncedeveloped,codified,andsetinmotion—tendto perpetuate themselves until someone deliberately changes them (which isofteneasiersaidthandone).Thesumoftheprocessesdefineswhatthecompanydoesanddetermineswhetherornotitissuccessful.Soit'snotsurprisingthatoneofthemostpowerfulwaysforamanagerinTheMiddletoaddvalueisbyknowingtheprocesseshiscompanyengagesin...andknowing them cold. That means knowing each step (what happens and whatdoesn't), who does it (and how and why), the steps that can be skipped orabbreviated,and thesteps thatcan't. Itmeansknowing theconnectionsamongsteps and how amistake or omission at any point in the network is likely toreverberate elsewhere. It also means knowing the individuals who handle theprocesses, along with their quirks, strengths, shortcomings, needs, andvulnerabilities.TheProcessMaster knows all these things and can deliver the backstage tourthatexposeselementsofthebusinessthatnooneelseseesorevenknowsexist.Sheunderstandsbetter thananyoneelsehow toget thingsdone,what'swaste,what'snot,andwherethedisconnectsare.Sheunderstandswhereuniquevalueis created andwhere the cracks exist throughwhich value leaks away. (Thesethings usually happen in places that seniormanagement is scarcely aware of.)When a company is in trouble, the Process Master can help to save it byidentifying where money can be saved, products improved, and servicesenhancedthroughstreamlining,simplifying,andrejiggering.Legendhasitthatonthepirateshipsofyore,themostpowerfulmanwasnotthemanwiththemostdoubloonsorthehardestfistsoreventhebiggestpistol.Themostpowerfulmanwastheonewhoheldthemapand(moreimportant)knewhowtoreadit.Withhishelp,captainandcrewhadachanceofreturninghome

safely—withoutit,nochanceatall.TheProcessMasteroftodayislikethemanwiththemap.Itwould be nice if all theKnowpower thatmakes a ProcessMaster could beeasilycapturedandwrittendownsomewhere.Unfortunately, it's impossible.Inmostcompanies,thefractionofprocessknowledgethatisexplicitandstatedinamanual,workbook,form,orWebsiteisbetween15and25percent.Therestisimplicitandsecretedinthebrainsofcompanyveterans,usuallymanagersinTheMiddlewhohavelearnedtheropesthroughyearsofdailyexperience.It'smadeupofthousandsoffragmentarydatapointssuchas

Who'sthefirstguyyoucallwhentheassemblylineshutsdown?AndwhodoyoucallwhenthefirstguyisonvacationinTuscanyfortwoweeks?What'sthelatestpossibledateforchangingpricesinnextseason'scatalogbeforeitgoestotheprinter?Andinadrop-deademergency,what'sthereallatest possible date we can get away with, without having Lou at theprinter'sshopcomeafteruswithamachete?Howmuchmoneydidthecompanyspendonlimousineservicesforthetopbrass last year?How much?! And if we tried to cut that by 30 percent,wouldwe end up losingmoney because of the time the big shotswouldwastedictatingmemosofcomplaintabout the inconvenienceofhavingtodrivetheirownrentalcarsinstead?Whydowepackageour3-inchlongproductsinplasticbubblecartonsthatare12incheslong?Andwouldreducingthepackagingby50percentbeasmart environmental-and-money-saving ploy or a boneheaded move thatwould make our products invisible on the store shelves alongside thecompetition?

Whoknows thiskindof stuff?Ninetypercentof the time it'sacadreof smartand plugged-in managers in The Middle, without whom the company wouldsoongrind toahalt.The restof the time it's ahandfulof rare,brilliant seniormanagerswhoneverforgotthecrucialimportanceofgrass-rootsknowledge.Bytheearly1870s,JohnD.Rockefeller,theninhisthirties,wasalreadyoneofthe most successful and richest business men in the world. One day whiletouringoneofhisStandardOilplants,hewatchedamachinesolderingcapsontofive-gallon tins of kerosene for export. After a few minutes, he asked themanagerincharge,"Howmanydropsofsolderdoyouuseoneachcan?"Themanagerreplied,"40."Rockefelleraskedwhetherthey'devertried38.The

answerwasNo,soRockefellertoldthemtotryit.Unfortunately,thecansleakedwhen sealed with 38 drops of solder. But not with 39 drops. So Rockefellerorderedthat39dropsofsolderbethenewstandardforsealingkerosenecans.In the firstyear, thechangesaved$2,500.Over timeas thebusinessgrew, thesavingsmultiplied.Decades later, in retirement,Rockefellerbeamedashe toldthestoryandbraggedaboutthehundredsofthousandsofdollarshe'dsavedthecompanywiththatonelittlechange.[3]

[3]RonChernow,Titan:TheLifeofJohnD.Rockefeller,Sr.NewYork:RandomHouse,1999,pages180-181.

NowtherewasaProcessMaster.BeingaProcessMasterisanincrediblewaytomultiplythevalueyouproducefor your company and everybody connected with it. It also multiplies theimportance and value of the role you personally play, which produces, in thelongrun,enormousrewardsforyou.

HarnessingKnowpower

A core part of the Knowpower of the Process Master is to recognize thedifferencebetweenhowthecompany'ssystemsworkintheory(accordingtotheemployeemanual, theorgchart,ortheassumptionsoftheCEO)andhowtheyreally work. The difference is often huge. And when it's ignored, disastrouswastesoftime,energy,andmoneymayoccur.Will McDonald (not his real name) is an IT manager for a major financialservicesfirmwhosecustomersincludebothcorporationsandindividualclients.ABCBankisawell-runorganization,frequentlyhonoredasa"most-respected"company in industry polls andmagazine surveys. But that doesn'tmake themimmunetothemisstepsthatcanoccurwhentheKnowpoweroftheirmanagersinTheMiddlegetsoverlooked.According toWill, ABC has always had an entrepreneurial corporate culture,with topmanagerswho like to delegate asmuch authority as they can and anunderstanding of the need to involve managers in The Middle in most keydecisions.Butovertime,thisnon-hierarchicalspirithasgraduallysubsided.It'sprobably inevitable. Over the past decade, ABC has grown from 3,500employeesto40,000,makingitmuchharder topushdecision-makingdowntothelowerlevelsoftheorganization.Furthermore,ABC'sgrowingdiversificationin the financial services businesses, coupled with the complex demands for

public reporting of financial data imposed by the new Sarbanes-Oxleyregulations, have made the organization more cautious and conservative.Decision-makingisbecomingmorecentralized.As we say, these changes may be inevitable. But the dangers inherent in thetrendtowardcentralizationsurfacedwhenthecompanytooktheenormousstepof implementing a new system of customer relationship management (CRM)softwareacrosstheorganization.Willexplains,"MostofABC'sCRMapplicationshadpreviouslybeendevelopedin-house. This made it relatively quick and easy to develop and implementupgrades andchanges requestedby theoperatingdivisions.Butof course,ourhome-grownsoftwaredidn'tfitanyindustry-widestandard.Sothespecialistsinour IT organizationwere very supportivewhen salespeople froma nationally-knownsuppliercamecallingwiththeirproprietaryCRMsystem."The leaders of the relevant IT department were enthusiastic about the CRMsoftwareandsold theproject toseniormanagement.Butwhenthechangewasannounced, Will and many of his colleagues were concerned. "The outsidesupplieroffersafineproduct,"Willsays,"butwhenweanalyzedwhatitwouldtake to integrate itwithourexistingsystems,we realized itwasgoing tobeamajoreffortthatwouldtakemorethan18months.That'samajordisruptiontoourbusiness."OtherproblemsbecameapparentwhenWilldiscussedthenewsoftwarewithhisinternal clients, the ABC business units. As they analyzed the new program'scapabilities,itbecamecleartheywouldlosesomeofthefunctionalitiesthattheexisting system provided them, as well as the flexibility in implementingupgradesandchangesthatthey'dalwaysenjoyed.Unfortunately, ABC's senior management had failed to include IT middlemanagement in its feasibility analysis before signing on with the outsidesupplier.Theimpracticalityofthenewplanonlybecameapparentlater,whenITmiddle managers like Will met with the business units to discuss itsimplementation.Asaresult,theprojectslowlydied,butnotbeforecostingABCseveralmilliondollars.What'sthelesson?Thatanycompanyconsideringamajorchangetooneofitsprocesses needs to involve managers with Knowpower—the Process Masterswhocanhelpidentifythereal-worldobstaclestomakingthechangesuccessful.And managers in The Middle, like Will, need to step up to volunteer theirexpertise when significant decisions are being contemplated (provided, ofcourse,thattheygetwindofthedecisionsintime).

There'sasilverliningtothisstory.ABC'sinternalprocedureshavebeenchangedto avoid similar situations in the future, including a new system for samplingmiddlemanagers'viewsandopinionswhenevermajordecisionsarebeingmade.Andperhaps theCRM fiascowasnecessary tomake the need for this changeobvious."Ifthishadbeenasmallerproject,itprobablywouldn'thavegeneratedtheawarenessnecessarytodrivechangewithintheorganization,"Willsays.By contrast, a similar change process at a European telecom company—aDeutsche Telekom subsidiary with $3 billion in revenues in 2003 andapproximately10,000employees—wentmuchmoresmoothlypreciselybecauseakeymiddlemanagerhelpedtodesigntheprogram.Pressuredbydecliningrevenuegrowth, thecompany'sseniormanagementhadconcluded that operating costs had to be reduced to meet their parentcorporation's profit expectations. So the CFO enlisted the help of a bigmultinationalconsultingfirmtodevelopacompany-widecost-reductioneffort.Fortunately,thecompanydelegatedagroupoftop-performingmanagersinTheMiddletoworkontheprojectalongsidetheconsultants.One of these managers (we'll call him Henrik) was asked to identify costreductionopportunitiesinthecompany'snetworkoperationsdepartment—byfarthe largest unit in the organization.Henrik had startedwith the company as atechnicianbackinthe1960s,workedinaseriesofleadershippositions,andhadreached a fairly senior position (two levels down from the chief technologyofficer)bythetimeofthisproject.Just like atmost companies, payroll costs at this telecom firm represented thesinglebiggest itemaddressablebycost-reductionefforts. Jitteryaboutpossiblelayoffs,mostpeopleintheorganizationwereunderstandablyhostiletowardstheproject team. But Henrik found a way to significantly reduce costs withoutlayoffs. Thanks to his deep knowledge of the company's internal processes,including the daily routine of technicians in the networking operationsdepartment, he realized that a minor reorganization could enable the techs tohandle a significantly higher workload. So instead of laying off people, heproposedthatthetechnicians'newlyfreed-upcapacitybeusedtoin-sourcemostof theequipment installationandline-activationwork thathadpreviouslybeenhandledbyindependentcontractors.Itdidn'ttakelongforthetopbrasstorecognizethemeritinHenrik'sideas.Theinstallation processes were brought in-house, saving the company as muchmoney as if they'd laid off 200 employees. They also avoided exorbitantseverancepayments(whichwouldhaveconsumedallthecostsavingsinthefirst

year), to say nothing of the incalculable damage to employee morale andproductivitythatlayoffswouldhaveproduced.Is Henrik some kind of management genius? Not at all—just a middlemanagement Process Master applying his detailed, ground-level Knowpowerabouthowcompanyprocessesreallyworktothechallengeofaddingvalue.Inthiscase,withspectacularresults.

HowDoYouFixtheProcesses?TryAsking

Practicallyeverylargecompanyhasitsshareofdysfunctionalprocesses.It'snotdue tomanagement laziness, ignorance, or stupidity (at least not usually), butsimplyanaturaloutcomeofthewayorganizationsgrow.Intheheatofthedailybattle to serve customers and keep the revenue flowing, no onewants to shutdown everything for retooling. It's quicker and easier to patch a process here,throwafewpeopleataproblemthere,shufflesomelinesonanorgchartthere,andhopethatthewholeRubeGoldbergcontraptionjustkeepschugginguntilthenext quarter. As a result, systems tend to get jerry-rigged rather than plannedwiththoughtfulnessandinsightbasedonanall-inclusiveoverviewandanalysis.That'sthebadnews—andit'sthereasonyouprobablyfindyourdailyjobpock-markedwithfrustratingencounterswithbureaucracythatnolongerworks(ifiteverdid).Butit'salsothegoodnews.Itmeansthat,inmostorganizations,therearesignificantopportunities forcostsavingsand improvedefficiencieswaitingtobeseizedbymanagersinTheMiddlewhotakethetimetoapplytheirprocessKnowpowertofixingtheaccumulatedproblems.Wecouldtellmanystoriestoillustratethispowerfultruth.Here'sagreatonethatfeaturesaninspiringmanageryou'vealreadymetinthesepages—JoeRipp.It'saboutaprogramJoehelpedcreatedatAOLthatyieldednearly$600millioninsavings,moneydesperatelyneeded tohelp theonline servicecompany remainprofitableduringatimewhenitsbaseofdial-upcustomerswasshrinking.Joeexplains,"AOLwasaboutan$8billionenterprise,generatingprofitmarginsofbetween$1.5and$2billion.Sowewerespendingabout$6billioneveryyear,and everydollar either generatedor didn't generatevalue.My jobwas to ask,'Arewesurewe'remaximizingthevalueofeverynickelwespend?'Thatmeantlooking at every process and asking why are we doing this? Is this processaddingvalueby attracting customers, improving efficiency, enhancing service,orgeneratingrevenue?Andifnot,whyshouldn'twejustshutitdown?"

When Joe began asking these questions, he encountered initial resistance. Inpart, itwasduetothenatural tendencyofpeopletopushbackagainstchange."The immediate answer to thewhy question is usually, 'That's thewaywe dothings here,'" says Joe. "It takes time for people to realize that it's not a goodenoughanswer."AOL'spasthistoryofbusinesssuccessstrengthenedthepushback."Oursuccessactually blinded us," Joe explains. "Because we were so profitable, we didn'trecognize that some of the decisions we'd made had actually not been veryeffective.Weneededtofindawaytoseparateourrealsuccessfactorsfromthephonyones."For support and guidance, Joe called in a team fromMcKinsey& Company,maybe themost prestigious consultant firm in the world. They helped designwhatcametobecalledtheOperationalEffectivenessProgram(OEP)forAOL.The idea was to find and save value for the organization through costcontainment, revenue improvement, system enhancements—any and everyprocess improvement they could identify. But even more important was thecultural change Joe wanted to introduce to AOL. Joe wanted his pushyquestioningaboutthevalueofspecificprocessestobecomethenormthroughoutAOL.AsOEPbegantotakehold,Joemadeadiscovery."Oncewegotunderneaththecovers,"herecalls,"wediscoveredthatourmanagersweremanagingaverages.In talking about processes, they'd say things like, 'My average salesman isselling X dollars' worth of services.' 'Our average disconnect rate is Y.' 'TheaverageretentionrateisZ.'"Joe began to suspect that something was being missed in all the focus onaverages. For example, suppose the average satisfaction rate for a particularsegmentofcustomerswas85percent.Whatdidthatreallymean?Joerealizeditmeant there were a lot of customers—tens of thousands, perhapsmore—whowereactuallyveryunhappywiththeirservice.TheyrepresentedarealthreattoAOL's future, like a hole in the bottom of a bucket throughwhichwaterwasinexorably leakingaway.Thequestionwaswhy theywereunhappy.Whatwasgoingon?Whatweretheissuesthattroubledcustomers?Howweretheirneedsandexpectationschanging?"Wehadtodoalotofdiggingtogetdeeperthantheaverage,"saysJoe."That'stheonlywaytomovetheaverageup.""Theaveragecustomerdoesn'tcareaboutyouraverage,"Joecontinues.Sheonlycares about her own experience with you. So we spent a lot of time 'de-averaging'AOL.Wegotunderthecoversandasked,'Ifonaveragewe'redoing

X,Y,orZ,whatdoesthedistributionaroundtheaveragelooklike,andhowdowedrivevaluebyimprovingserviceforthepeoplewiththebiggestproblems?'In the end, you can't fix an average. You can only fix things for specificcustomers—individualpeople."DiggingbeneaththesurfacemeasurementsthatAOLhadpreviouslyfocusedonenabled Joe and his people to identify dramatic opportunities to improve thecompany'sinvestmentplanning,shiftingfundsfromprocessesthataddedlittleorno value to others that paid off in terms of customer satisfaction and salesgrowth. "In certain areaswe cut our costs pretty dramatically. In the end, theOEP program yielded more than $800 million of incremental value—$500millioninreducedcostsand$300millioninenhancedrevenues.Allbecausewestarted asking questions about what we were doing and why—and not beingsatisfiedwithhalfwayanswers."Cost-cuttingisn'ttheonlybenefitofrethinkingandstreamliningyourcompany'sprocesses.Everyneedlessstepyoucaneliminatemakesyourteam'sworkeasier,lessstultifying,andmorerewarding.

CollaborationintheMiddle

FixingprocessesasJoeRippdidisapowerfulwaythatmanagersinTheMiddlecanaddvaluetotheircompanies.Anotherisfindingwaystobridgetheprocessgaps that often prevent company departments and divisions from workingtogether. This isn't easy to do. There's a lot of talk about "borderlessorganizations" and "seamless integration." But most companies are stillorganizedintosiloswherework,ideas,andcommunicationsflowupanddown,butnevercrossways.You'llbeinabetterpositiontoovercomethesebarriersifyou took to heart our advice from Chapter 2, "The Manager's Universe,"specificallyabouttheimportanceofnetworking.Ifyouknowyourcounterpartsinotherdepartmentswellenoughtocallthemwhenquestionsorproblemsarise,you'reaheadofthegame—andbetteroffthanalotofmanagerswhoalloworgchartsandofficialreportingrelationshipstolimitthepeopletheytalkto.One company that desperately needed to improve collaboration betweendepartments was Overstock.com, the discount etailer who reported 2005revenues of $804 million. They'd developed a strategy to improve customerretention and increase sales by rethinking the role of the contact center—inreality, four centers staffed by more than 400 agents whose job is to handle

customerrequestsandproblemsusingphone,email,andinstantchatsystems.Assomeotherdirectmerchantshavedone,Overstockwantedtotransformcustomerservicefromacostcenterchargedsimplywithmakingcustomercomplaintsgoawayasefficientlyandcheaplyaspossible,intoarevenuecenterthroughwhichproducts and services could be cross-sold and upsold, customer relationshipsstrengthened,andsatisfactionratesimproved.It's a powerful strategy when it works. But there are dangerous pitfalls.Customers hate getting the hard sell when they're already steamed about aproblemwithapastorder—whichisthechiefreasonwhytheyreachouttothecontactcenterinthefirstplace.AcompanyneedsunusuallyfastandresponsiveITsystemsandinterfacedesignstomakecustomercontactsmoreenjoyablethanfrustrating.(Everdutifullypunchedinyour10-digitphonenumberand12-digitorder number when ordered to do so by a recording—only to be asked by ahumanbeingtorepeatthesameinformationtwominuteslater?)Even the measurement systems for managing the contact center need to bethoughtfully redesigned if thecenter is tobe repurposed.Traditionally, contactcenter personnel are judged on average length of call—the shorter the better.That makes sense if the objective is simply to solve customer problems asquickly as possible. But cross-selling and upselling take time. How do youbalance the new objectives versus the old definition of efficiency? The rightsolutionsaren'tobvious.So Overstock.com was taking on a challenge that called for uniqueunderstanding of company processes and how they connect—not only theprocesses for managing the contact center itself, but processes for sales,marketing,shipping,financialcontrols,informationtechnology,andmore.Likemost companies, Overstock.com didn't have any one person with thecomprehensive, detailed, ground-level knowledge needed to link all thesesystemseffectively.Twomanagers in TheMiddle came up with a counter-intuitive yet brilliantlyeffectiveapproach.TadMartin,vicepresidentofmerchandisingandoperations,andKamilleTwomey,vicepresidentofonlinemarketing,actuallymovedoutoftheir separateoffices and set up shop in anew, shared space—twodesks, twocomputers, and twophones, alongwith file cabinets, family snapshots, andalltheotherparaphernaliaofanofficehome.Whatabouttheprivacythatmostmanagersconsideraperkoftheir jobs?Thatwasgone.Andthatwaspreciselythepoint:

"We hear each other's phone conversations—and we should hear each

other's phone conversations," says Martin of their shared quarters. "Somuchofwhatwedoandthedecisionswebothmakeaffectthecustomer'sexperience. So much knowledge is passed between merchandising andmarketing. It justmade sense todo it in real-time rather thanwaiting foranothermeeting."[4]

[4]LaurenGibbonsPaul,"HubofActivity."CMOmagazine,April1,2005,page34.Martin and Twomey realized that reshaping some of their company's mostcomplexandimportantprocessesmeantdelvingdeeplyintothoseprocessesandsharing their knowledgeof those processes as intimately as possible.Thebestway tomake that happenwas for them to live together (at least duringworkhours)soastocreateaprofound,gut-levelsenseofwhatwashappeninginallthe relevant departments every day—the kinds of problems that arose and thenatureofthesolutionsneeded.Noteverymanagerwillneed(orwant)tomoveinwithacolleague.Butignitedmanagersareuniquelypositionedtobreakdownthesilosthatalltoooftenmakedepartmentsandprocessesinthesamecompanymutuallyincomprehensibleandpreventmeaningfulcollaboration. It'soneof themostpowerful leversyoucanusetoaddvalueinyourmid-levelrole.

ChangeHappensattheIntersections

Revampingacontactcenterisn'ttheonlykindofchallengethatcallsforcross-departmental fertilization.Preciselybecause truecollaborationacross functionsanddepartments is so rare, thecreative results that aregeneratedwhenpeoplewhodon'talwaysworktogetherjoinforcesareoftenunique.Andthemoreyourcompany's organizational structure discourages collaboration, the moreimportantitisformanagerstopushhardtomakeithappen.Sunil Mehrotra, most recently president of consumer media services atHomestore.com,spenteightyearsasamanageratGE,oneoftheworld'smostprofitable and best-managed corporations. It's also huge, complex, andinherently difficult to navigate. Linking people and processes together to letcreativesparksflyisveryhardtodoatGE.Butthesurroundingcompanyissopowerful that, when the juices start the flow, the resulting energies can beawesome."GE was a matrix organization when I was a middle manager there in the1970s,"Sunilexplains."Thatmeantmostoftheworkhappenedinteams,where

youhadtotrytoinfluencepeoplewhomaynotreporttoyou,suchaspeersfromother departments. It was also a process-driven, data-driven, and highlyanalytical company.Andwhenyouhave amatrixorganizationdrivenbyverydetailed processes, the processes can take over and the organization can losesightofthemarketplace,thecustomers,theproductsandservices—allthethingsthattheprocessesexisttoserve."The challenge for managers in The Middle is especially great and middlemanagers, who don't have the authority or the responsibility to change theprocessesontheirown,canfeelhandcuffed."In thiskindof environment,beinga changeagent ishard.ButSunilhasbeenstudyinghowGE'sprocessesworktolearnhowtomakechangehappen.OneofthegreatGEsuccessstoriesthatSunillikestorecountistheSpacemakerlineofproducts. "GEwas lategetting into themicrowaveovenbusiness," sherecalls. "The Japanese were there, the Koreans were coming on strong, andmicrowave ovens was a category that was rapidly growing when GE finallyenteredthemarket."GEhadsomecatchinguptodo.Theyneededabreakthroughconcept.Howdidtheycomeupwithone?Sunilexplains:"Amultifunctionalteamwasformed.Itincluded industrial designers, product managers, and market research peoplewho joined forces to explore new ideas for microwave ovens. Among otherthings,theyspenthourstogethersittingbehindone-waymirrorsandlisteningtofocus groups of consumers talking aboutworking in the kitchen.And as theylistened, they realized that countertop space was a scarce resource, alreadycrowded with toasters, blenders, food processors, and other gadgets. Wherewouldpeoplesticktheirnewmicrowaves?Itwasaproblem."Thedesignersandtheproductmanagersandthemarketerslookedateachother,andlightbulbsswitchedon.Whyshouldthemicrowavehavetositontopofthecounter? Why not raise it above the counter by attaching it underneath thehanging cabinets? "Would that solve the problem?" the designers asked. "Willthe oven still work?" the product managers asked. "Can you do that?" themarketersasked.Yes,yes,andyes.TheSpacemakerbrandwasborn,andwithitthevehicleGEwouldridetodominanceinthemicrowaveovenmarket."Therewasnorevolutionarytechnologyinvolved,"Sunilobserves."Allittookwas a cross-functional approach. The traditional product development processwhere theproductmanagersdefine therequirements formarket researchcouldnothavecreatedthisbreakthroughproduct.Theguysinmarketresearchconductthe research and feed a report to the product managers. And the product

managers,inturn,outlineproductspecsforthedesignerstotrytomatch."What'swrongwiththistraditionalapproach?Onpaper,nothing.Inreality,alot.Eachdisconnectintheprocessrepresentsaholewhereanideacaneasilyvanish.Forexample,whenproductmanagersaren'tdirectlyinvolvedinmarketresearch,theygetnodirectexposuretocustomerneeds.It'spossible that the the lackofcountertopspacemighthavecomethroughinapackagedreport.Butthenagain,it might not. The Spacemaker might never have been conceived—or, morelikely,itmighthaveemergedatsomeothercompany.Sunil spells out the lesson. "The magic happens when middle managers gettogether.They'retheoneswhoareclosesttotheproblems,whethertheproblemsbelong to the customer, the end-user, the distribution channel, or the factory.That'swheremiddlemanagerslive.Andwhenthey'rethrowntogethertosolveabusinessproblem,leavingasideegoinvolvementandfearoffailure,theycantaptheknowledgethatresidesindifferentareasandbringitalltogetherinnewandcreative ways. Change happens at the crossroads, the intersections wheredifferentprocessesanddisciplinesmeet."It almost sounds simple. But there's no formula for making it happen oncommand. Sunil acknowledges that processes are important, especially in alarge, complex organization like GE, but processes can sometimes stiflecreativity.Here'showSunil sumsup theSpacemakerexperience:"Tobeable to increasetheoddsthatyourorganizationiscreativelyconnectedtocustomers,youhavetotranscend your processes. And middle managers are uniquely suited for thatchallenge."

Making Mergers Work through the Insights of theProcessMasters

Maybe thegreatestprocesschallengesarisewhencompaniesmerge.Even twofirms that are fundamentally similar in terms of their spheres of operation,markets, management styles, and cultures often find it daunting to make thenecessary connections among people and systems. And no one knows thesedifficulties likethemanagers inTheMiddlewhoarechargedwithovercomingthem.Ihaveabuddy in thebookpublishingbusinesswho likes to recount thisstory(thenameshavebeenchangedtoprotecttheguilty):

"AcompanyIusedtoworkforhaslatelybeenonanM&Abinge,buyingone small publisher after another toboost their revenues and expand intonewmarkets.Lastyear,IwasstrollingtheflooratanindustryconventionwhenIranintoawomanIknowwho'samiddlemanageratthiscompany.She'sinchargeofbookproductionprocesses—everythingfromhavingrawmanuscripts copy-edited through the shipping of finished books into thecompanywarehouse."AftergreetingBetsy,Iaskedherhowshewascopingwiththelatestroundofacquisitions.Sherolledhereyes.'I'matmywit'send!'shesaid.'IwalkedintotheofficeoneMondayandwasgiven500newbookstopublishnextyear.They'reall invarious stagesofproductionat JonesandCompany—somebeingedited,othersbeingdesigned,othersbeingtypeset,stillothersattheprinter.TheJonespeoplehavebeenusingacompletelydifferentsetofsoftwaretoolstomanagetheprocesses,andit's takingusweeksjust tofigureouthowtotranslatetheirterminologyandprotocolsintoours.Theirpoliciesaredifferent,theireditorialstandardsaredifferent,eventhesizesofthe books they produce are different—whichmatters because the cartonsandpalletsatourwarehouseweredesignedtofitthebookswemake.Thefactthattheirentirestaffis2,000milesawaydoesn'thelpmatters.I'vegotpeople working 14-hour days trying to meet impossible publicationschedules thatwehave tomeet ifwe're going to hit our revenue targets.Frankly,it'sanightmare.""IgaveBetsymycondolencesandresumedmystrollaroundtheconventionfloor.WhoshouldImeethalfanhourlaterbutBetsy'sboss,theexecutivevicepresidentwhoranherdivisionandhadmastermindedthemerger."IgreetedGaryandsaid,'CongratulationsontheJonesacquisition.Iguessyouguyshaveyourhandsfullintegratingthetwocompanies.'"Garyjuststaredatme.'Whatareyoutalkingabout?'hesaid,spreadinghishandswide.'It'salldone!""Istaredback.Foraminute,Ithoughtoneofuswaslosinghismind.ThenIrealizedwhatwasgoingon.Garyfancieshimselfagrandstrategist—notthe type to get his handsdirtywith themessydetails.He leaves those topeople likeBetsy.He sincerely believed that, once the acquisition papersweredrawnupandsignedanda fewdotted lineswerepenciled inon theorgcharts,themergerofthetwocompanieswascomplete!Hehadnoideaabout the problemsBetsy and her teamwerewrestlingwith—whichwastherealworkofintegratingtwocompanies."

Fortunately,noteverytopexecutiveisascluelessasGary.Somehaverealizedthat fitting two companies together is a complex task that requires extensiveconsultation with both organizations' Process Masters—the managers in TheMiddlewhounderstandhowthingsreallyworkandcanfigureouthowtomeshthesystemsandpeopleintoanew,effectivewhole.SteveWallofRightManagementConsultants(RMC)hasbuiltaspecialtyoutoffocusing on the crucial role of middle managers in mergers and acquisitions.Steve and his team at RMC have developed a unique process they callorganizationalduediligence. It'savital supplement to the traditional intensivefinancialanalysisthat'snormallyassociatedwiththeterm"duediligence."RMCmergerexpertswillexaminethecompanytobeacquiredfromthepointofviewof strategy, culture, leadership, competencies, organizational structure, andprocesses.Theideaistodeterminehowwellthetwoorganizationstobemergedwill fit together; to identifycultural, stylistic,andprocessdifferences thatmaycreatebarrierstothesuccessfulexecutionofstrategies;andtodevelopadetailedplanforovercomingthosedifferences—onethatgoesfarbeyondGary'smethodofwavingapencilatthetwocompaniesanddeclaring"It'salldone!"Steve and the RMC consultants involve managers in The Middle in theirorganizationalduediligenceprocess.Itbeginswithextensiveinterviews,groupdiscussions,andsurveysdesignedtoelicitmanagers'feelingsabouttheculturesand the informal, unspoken processes at each company. For example, whenRMC worked with a global hospitality firm (Company A) on a merger withanother, smaller hotel chain (Company B), it discovered dramatic differencesbetween the cultures of the two companies. Company A was cautious,conservative, professional, and highly organized; Company B was people-oriented,social,morerelaxed,andslower-paced.It's easy to imagine the conflicts that would probably ensue if the twoorganizations simply combined their financial, purchasing, hiring, and otherprocesses into a single unplanned lump. Employees accustomed to life atCompanyAwouldprobably accuse their newcolleagues fromCompanyBofbeinglazy,disorganized,careless,andundisciplined.ThefolksfromCompanyBwould consider their counterparts from Company A uptight, anxious,authoritarian, and stuffy. Workers from Company B might (consciously orunconsciously) sabotage the carefully-designed processes from Company A,sending back paperwork half-completed or three weeks late; workers fromCompanyAmightrespondwiththreats,complaints,andpunishments.Inshort,themergercouldquicklyturnintoadisaster.

To prevent this nightmare scenario, RMC arranged formiddle-levelmanagersfrom both companies to meet and spend time together learning one another'sstrengths and weaknesses, coming to understand their varying cultures, anddevelopingideasforanewculturethatcouldbesharedeffectivelybybothpartsof the newlymerged organization. They talked through the processes used bybothcompaniesforvarious tasks,explainedtherationalesbehindtheirvaryingsystems, and drew up plans for combining what was best in each company'sapproach. By the time RMC's culture-merging program was completed,managers fromCompanyAwere talkingappreciativelyaboutwhat theycouldlearnfromtheircounterpartsatCompanyB—andviceversa.You don't need a consulting company to spearhead a similar effort at yourcompany. If a merger or acquisition is in the works, don't react as manymanagersinTheMiddledo.Theygointodefensivemode,spendingtheirdaystracking down the latest rumors about What It All Means—who's up, who'sdown, who's in, who's out, and which executives will emerge from theconsolidationastherealwinners.Instead,realizethatatimeofupheavalisanopportunityforyoutoshine.Talktoyourboss(andperhapsyourboss'sboss)abouthowyourKnowpowercanhelpmake the transition a smooth one. Offer to inventory the processes yourdepartmentruns,maptheconnectionstootherpartsofthefirm,andbepartofateamtoplanandimplementthechangeover.Makingthisofferwillbenefityouinseveralways:

It establishes you as supportive of the new regime rather than as amalcontentandpotentialrebel.It gives you a role in establishing the new order—which may mean anopportunitytoshapeittoyourliking.Itmakesyouallthemoreessentialtoany"newguys"whoenduprunningyour operation—after all, who better to interpret and manage the newsystemthantheonewhocreatedit?It provides youwith a positive outlet for the nervous energies inevitablystimulatedbyacorporateshakeup.And it adds value to the company—which is what they pay you for,remember?

It's yet another advantage to being a true Process Master—the fact that, nomatterwhatkindsofstormsmayrockyourcompany,therewillalwaysbeaneed

forthepersonwhoholdsthemapandknowshowtoreadit.Bethatperson.

7IgnitionPoint2:ThePeople

ThePoweroftheLinkmaker

Picture amass of some 100 billion living cells, each operating like a kind ofon/offswitch,alwayseitherresting(off)orshootinganelectricalimpulsedowna wire-like structure (on). Each of these structures generates a tiny electricalcharge,andfromtheirendstheyspitoutchemicalsthattriggerimpulsesinothernearbycells.Thecells are calledneurons, thewires areaxons, and the triggerchemicals are transmitters with names like epinephrine, norepinephrine, anddopamine.Welcometotheneuralnetworkknownasthehumanbrain.Thecontinualflowof energy from one cell of the network to another is how the brain createsintelligence—by generating new neurological connections, constantly creatingnew connections among cells; in effect, rewiring itself to send information tonew portions of the brainwhere language,memory,motor skills, unconsciousbehavior,emotions,andhundredsofotherfunctionsarecontrolled.The ignited manager does the same thing for the company—transmittinginformationthroughnewpathways.But,ofcourse,therewiringthatthemanagerdoesisn'tbiochemical,becausethenodesbeinglinkedaren'tneuronsinthegreatmassofgraymatterthatmakesupthehumanbrain,butratherindividualpeopleinside (and sometimesoutside) thecompanywhomustwork together tomakethings happen. And instead of being based on the flow of electrical impulsesthrough fluids, the corporate rewiring by which information gets transmitteduses many forms of communication among people, from face-to-faceconversationstoe-mails, letters,memos,formalreports,andnotesscrawledonstickyyellownotes.WecalleffectivemanagerswhodothiskindofrewiringLinkmakers.Theyknowpeople throughout thecompany,knowwhat theyknow,andknowhow to linkonepersontoanothersoastomakenewthingshappen.The Linkmaker may or may not be exceptionally knowledgeable, skilled, orcreative.HeorshemaybeaProcessMaster,forexample—butmaybenot.TheLinkmaker'sspecialtalentdoesn'tgrowoutofanyindividualcapability.Instead,

itgrowsoutoftheabilitytotapknowledgethatresidesintheorganizationandintheconnectionsamong themanypeoplewhomakeup theorganization, ratherthaninanysingleindividual.Atfirstblush,thiskindofknowledgemaysoundvague.Ifitdoesn'texistwithintheheadofaparticularperson,where is it really?Andhowcanitbeaccessedfor the good of the company? In fact, research suggests that organizationalcompetencies are actually more powerful and more crucial to success thanindividualcompetencies.One reason is that organizational competencies are less vulnerable thanindividual competencies to being stolenby competitors.A rival companymaylureawaythisorthatemployee,thinkingitissiphoningawayyourfirm'suniquestrength,onlytodiscoverthatwhatmadetheemployeesoeffectivewasactuallyateamabilitythatmysteriouslyvanisheswhentheindividualisseparatedfromthegroup.Even more important, organizational competencies not only tap individualtalents,butalsocombine those talents inways thathaveuniquepsychological,intellectual, and emotional resonance. Here's how one group of experts onorganizationaldynamicsputsit:

"Understandingmiddlemanagers'perceptions...canrevealvaluablegroup-level competencies that are facilitated by the organization's culture. Forexample, in a corporate video, Herbert D. Kelleher, CEO of SouthwestAirlines,describesthefirm'scompetencyinturningplanesaroundquicklyashavinga'balleticquality,'asallthedifferentworkersperformtheirtasks.[1]"

[1]AdelaideWilcoxKing,SallyW.Fowler, andCarlP.Zeithaml, "ManagingOrganizationalCompetencies for Competitive Advantage: The Middle-Management Edge." The Academy ofManagementExecutive,May2001,page95.

Thinkaboutthatnotion—a"balleticquality"totheworkofairlineemployeesasthey clean the cabin, refill the gas tank, perform safety checks, replenishsupplies,andperformalltheotherjobsthatgointoturningaroundaBoeing737jetbetweenflights.Wheredoesthatqualityreside?Notinthemindofanyoneemployee, or even in the plans and protocols spelled out in the Southwestmanual.Rather, itdescribesaquality thatallof theperceptionsandactionsofthe various workers share as they race through their tasks. Each employee isacutelyawareofwhateachoftheothersisdoingandofhowtheirjobsintersect.Theyknowwhichtasksmustbeperformedfirstandwhichmustbedonelater.Theyknowhowthepathsof thevariousemployeeswillcrossand intersectas

they rush around the plane, andwhere theymay collide if they're not careful.They know what must happen in the event of some unexpected glitch—thediscoveryofacameraleftonboardbyapassenger,forexample,oradisabledsmokedetectorinoneofthelavatories—andtheyhaveinmindthesequenceofstepstheywilltaketodealwithitwithoutdelayingtheotherprocesses.Alloftheseperceptionsandactionsareinterwoveninacomplexfashionthat—when it works right—resembles a carefully choreographed dance. This dancehasbeencreatednotby anyonemanagerialgenius, but ratherbyhundredsofSouthwest employees throughout many years of working together,experimenting,andfiguringoutthebesttechniquesforgettingthingsdonewiththe utmost efficiency and clarity and even a bit of aesthetic pleasure (henceKelleher'sappreciativeword,"balletic").Anditdoesn'tresideinanysinglemindbutratherinthesharedcultureofmanyminds.SowhatistheroleoftheLinkmaker?Heorshehasaspecialsensitivitytoandawareness of this kind of organizational competency. The Linkmaker knowswhereitexists,whatkindsofchallengestendtotriggerit,andhowtotapit.Heor she also understands how it can be disrupted, what it takes to protect andnurture it, and how to transmit it to new hires and to future generations ofemployees.AndtheLinkmakerusesknowledgeofpeople—bothintheabstractsenseofunderstandinghumanpsychologyandintheconcretesenseofknowingandcaringabouttheco-workersheorsheinteractswithdaily—toserveallthesegoals.TheLinkmakeruses the touchstoneofPeoplePower toaccomplish things thatcan't be done by any one individual. Making this happen requires knowingpeople and how to appeal to their higher purpose. The Linkmaker can leadpeople across the company to do what's right, tapping disparate skills,knowledgebases, andpersonal qualities to create a danceof achievement thatcanbebeautifultobehold.The talentsof theLinkmakerarecrucial toorganizational success.NowonderQuyNguyenHuy, after conducting extensive research on the subject, had thefollowing to say: "A new executive's fresh ideas don't have a prayer ofsucceedingunlesstheyaremarriedwiththeoperatingskills,vastnetworks,andcredibilityofveteranmiddlemanagers."[2]

[2]QuyNguyenHuy, "InPraiseofMiddleManagers."HarvardBusinessReview, September2002,page72.

WhattheLinkmakerKnows

Makinglinksisaskillthattakesthought,practice,andcommitment.Linkmakersthoroughlyunderstandwho the rightpeopleare forwhich task,and theybuildpersonalconnectionswithin theirnetworktomatchmanagementneeds to theirproperconnectionpoints.Theycontinuallyworktoidentifynewwaystoapplyresourcesanddirectteams.Intheprocess,theyassumeleadershiproles,identifybestpractices,andcollapsetimetogainproductivity.BeingaLinkmakermeanscombining your knowledge of how things reallyworkwith your network in awaythatreallydrivessuccess.HerearesomeotherspecificskillsthatLinkmakersdevelopovertime:

The Linkmaker can solve in minutes problems that otherwise might takedays. The Linkmaker understands intra-company relationships at a leveldeeper thanwhat's reflected on any org chart. Sowhen a process breaksdown,anewprojectgetsstalled,orachangeinitiativerefusestotakeoff,theLinkmakercanidentifywhichpeoplearelikelytobethesourceofthetrouble andwhichpeople canprovide the remedy.Heor she canprovidesimpleyetpowerfulpeopleinsightslike,"Edinaccountingisthebottleneck—hehatesmakingdecisionsandtendstositonpaperworkratherthansignoffonit.SoanytimeyouhavetorunsomethingbyEd,besuretogivehimadefinitedeadlineandcallhimwithareminderthedaybefore."The Linkmaker understands and can articulate the company's corecompetencies. Every organization has some unique strengths thatmake itspecial andpotentiallyoffer it a competitive edge.Yet surprisingly,manycompanies don't recognize those core competencies. Instead, they like toclaim,"Wepursueexcellenceineverythingwedo,"orevenpointtoareasof weakness as if those were the keys to their success. By contrast,Linkmakersknowthecompany, itspeople,andhowtheir talentscombineinuniqueways.Theyrecognizeandappreciatethose"balletic"abilitiesthatmake a company special, whether they involve turning around a jet,designingafabulousnewproductandgettingitintostoresinrecordtime,squeezing every drop of waste out of a manufacturing process, orenergizing the sales force to reach a seemingly impossible quota as theyear-enddeadlineapproaches.TheLinkmaker knowswhat'spossibleandhow toprioritize inabusiness

world where we are overwhelmed by choice. Because the Linkmakerunderstands the company, its people, and its competencies, he or she canhelp top management make smarter decisions about where to focus andwhat goals to set. When a company needs a quick fix to improve thenumbersfortheupcomingquarter,theLinkmakercanhelpidentifyplacesintheorganizationwherelow-hangingfruitcanbeharvested:"ThefolksincustomerserviceworkatfullcapacityduringJanuary,butthingsslackoffinFebruaryandMarch.Wecanmoveathirdofthemtotemporaryslotsinsales support to clear up the backlog of orders and get that revenuebooked."Andwhenacompanyismakingplansforlong-termgrowth,theLinkmakercansuggestwhichcapacitiesneedtobeupgradedinsupportofthebroaderagenda.TheLinkmakercanquicklyidentifydisconnectsandknowshowtoremedythem.Mostcorporateinitiatives—whetheryou'retalkingaboutnewproductlaunches, market expansions, company acquisitions, or new businessventures—tendtoflounder.Incomparisontotherosyscenarioscreatedbystrategicplanners,theyalmostalwaystakelonger,generatelowerrevenues,amasshighercosts,andproducemoreerrorsthananticipated.Linkmakerscanhelpanticipatesuchproblemsbeforethefactandcanhelpsolvethemafter the fact. They know, for example, when a particular group ofemployees lacks time, energy,motivation, knowledge, skill, or interest totackleanewsetofresponsibilities,andtheycanhelpcraftarealisticplanfor fixing the deficiencies so that the new project will have a prayer ofsucceeding.The Linkmaker knows the truth of the old adage, "In union there isstrength." Linkmakers are attuned to the interpersonal, interdepartmental,interdivisional, and cross-functional relationships that make life in anyorganizationcomplicated.Theyknowwhichpeoplecan'tstandoneanotherandwhichoneshaveamutualadmirationsociety;theyknowwhichgroupshaveareputationforbeingstuck-upandstand-offish,whichareconsideredlazyandsloppy,whicharecrackerjackproblem-solversbutlowonpeopleskills, andwhich are supposed to be the "party crowd" that's fun but notvery reliable. And most important, they know how to find the rightmotivationalbuttonstopushtohelpthesedisparategroupsworkeffectivelytogether.The Linkmaker knows how to operate just below the radar. Most of theknowledge and skills that give the Linkmaker his special power are

unofficial, even subliminal. You'd never write these things down in acompany manual or publish them on your Web site (for one thing, youmightgetsued).Andmanypeopleareuncomfortableevendiscussingthemexplicitly.TheLinkmakerunderstands and respects these sensitivities.Heorsheknowshowtobediscreteinmakingjudgments,tactfulwhensharingthem, and subtle when using them to oh-so-gently manipulate peopletowardproducingtheresultsshedesires.

IgnitingtheNetwork

Aswe'vediscussedearlier,communicatingwithyournetworkisacrucialpartofyour everyday work. It's also a vitally important part of what makes theLinkmaker so powerful. Linkmakers cultivate their networks assiduously andenergizethemfrequently,ignitingthemwithfreshinformation,callsforaction,requests for help, and invitations to participate. If youwant to be a powerfulLinkmaker (and you should), expect to spend the bulk of your time at workmassaging your people connections. In fact, according to one estimate, mostmanagersspend50to80percentoftheirworkdaysin"communicationactivitiesofsometype,"rangingfromface-to-faceconversationsandcoachingsessionstogroupmeetings,e-mails,letter-writing,phoneconversations—younameit.[3]

[3]CharlesKerns,Value-CenteredEthics.Amherst,MA:HRDPress,2004.It's crucial, however, to invest your time and energy in communications thatmatter. One pitfall that manymanagers fall into is wasting time on forms ofcommunication that are content-free and therefore don't contribute either toanyone's individualknowledgebaseor to thecompetenciesof theorganizationasawhole.Perhapsyouknow(orare)someoneafflictedwithinfo-mania.It'saneasytraptofall into. The new technologies of communication—e-mail, instantmessaging,BlackBerrying—are so fast and easy to use. But, looked at objectively, thesymptoms are clear. Staying in touch with your network isn't about trackingmultiple formsof technologyeveryminuteof thedayandnight. It'snotaboutsending or receiving hundreds of e-mails every day. It's especially not aboutsendingone-wordmissiveslike"Thanks"or"Okay."It'saboutconnectingwithpeopleonlywhenyouhavesomethingsignificant to

share.Ifyoudothis,peoplewhoseeyourreturnaddressonane-mailmessagewillopenitfirst.Furthermore, the benefits from communication that is proactive, focused, andpurposeful are far greater than those you get from communication that isreactive, scattershot, and purposeless. Note the description used by thepsychiatristcitedinthestudy:"workersareliterallyaddictedtocheckinge-mailand text messages during meetings, in the evening and at weekends." (Nowonder people sometimes call the popular communications device a"CrackBerry.")Thewordaddictiondescribesbehaviorthatisoutofcontrol—anactivity that drives you rather than vice versa, and that grows in intensity andcompulsiveness even as its originalmotivation fades. (Once a drunk is reallyhookedonbooze,thestuffdoesn'teventastegoodanymore—hejustdrinksittobedrinkingit.)Note,too,thereferenceto"checkinge-mailandtextmessagesduringmeetings,intheeveningandatweekends."You'veexperiencedit—beingouttolunchoratapartyoraballgamewithafriendwhokeepsbreakingofftheconversationtorespondtoabeeporabuzz.It'srude,yes.Butasacommunicationsstrategy,it'salso hopelessly ineffective.When you e-mail during a meeting, youmiss thecontentofthemeetingevenasyousendandreceiveinformationelectronicallywith half or less of your brain. When you interrupt a conversation with acolleague to check out an instantmessage, you disrupt your relationshipwiththatcolleagueandundoubtedlyloseatleast50percentoftheinformationheorshe is trying to communicate—especially the portion that is transmitted non-verballythroughgesture,facialexpression,vocalinflection,andbodylanguage.Asyoumultiplycommunicationschannels,yousubtractvalue.Are you interested inmaking real connectionswith people—the kind that thetrueLinkmakervaluesanddeploys?Here'showit'sdone:

Makethefirstmove.Havingan"open-doorpolicy"isonlyastart.Don'tsitinyourofficeandwait forpeople tocome toyou.Visit themwhere theyliveandwork.Askthemtoexplainwhattheydo,howtheymakedecisions,whattheyvalue,howtheythink.EverysuchencounteraddsanodetoyournetworkandincreasesthePeoplePoweravailableforyoutocallon.Focusononepersonatatime.Thisisaskill thattheworld'sbestleaderscultivate. While in conversation with someone, work on shutting outdistractionssothatyoureallyhearwhattheyhavetosay—andnotjustitssurfacemeaning but also its subtle undertones and emotional resonances.

Few things are as flattering as being listened to with care and attention.Lavishthisonthepeoplethatmattertoyou,andyou'llbeamazedattheirreadinesstofollowyou.Haveapurpose.Whenyoucommunicate,haveagoalinmind.Itcouldbeopen-ended("TogetabetterunderstandingofwhatAndreainFinancedoesalldayandhowsheaffectsmydepartment")orveryconcreteandspecific("TotellAndreaaboutthenewincentiveplanI'mconsideringandfindoutwhat questions she may have about implementing it"). Once you'veachievedthegoal,moveon.Communicationisn'taboutmindlesschit-chat—it'saboutmeaningfulcontact.Turn your channels on and off with deliberate intention. Rather thancontinuallyinterruptingyourself,makeconsciousdecisionsabouthowandwhenyouwillcommunicate.Duringan interview,don'tanswer thephoneor glance at the computer screen. During a conference call, don't flipthroughyourinboxorscanyoure-mails.Andwhenyouknowyouwillbetoo distracted to concentrate, tell people so: "This is a bad time. LetmefinishthisreportandI'llstopbyyourofficetotalkin45minutes,okay?"

HowLinkmakersBuildandUseTheirNetworks

SteveMummolomanagedanin-housedesignteamforUSSearch,afirmthatisa leader in using technology to track down information about people forpurposesasvariedasemploymentbackgroundchecks,screeningofnanniesorbuilding contractors, or searches for someone's long-lost classmate orsweetheart.HeexemplifieshowtheLinkmakerbuildsanadhocnetworktogetthingsdonewhentheexplicitstructureofthecompanyisn'tworking.Steve had a problem. In June 2003, US Search merged with the EnterpriseScreeningdivisionofFirstAmerican to formFirstAdvantage,aFlorida-basedfirm.Themergerexpandedthecompanyandaddedmanynewresources,butitalso threw the firm's internal systems into a temporary state of confusion.Departments like Finance and Human Resources had to devote time toexamining their own processes and figuring out how to unify the twoorganizations.At this inopportune time, anurgentdesignchallengemeant thatSteve had a desperate need formore talent on his staff—and he needed themyesterday.

"Inthewakeofthemerger,"Steverecalls,"theHRpeoplewerereallyunclearastowhat thehiringprocesswouldbe. I tried the logical channels.Ournew in-houseHRrepsaidhedidn'thandlerecruiting.SothenIcalledFloridawhereourparentcompanyisbased.Theysaid,'Well,wecansortofhandleit,butwedon'tknowexactlywhatyouneed.'AndwhenIexplained that Ibadlyneededsomedesignhelp,Iwashandedahugeballofredtapetounravel.Tostartthehiringprocess,youneededtwoweeks'notice,andyouneededtofilloutacollectionofformsandgetapprovalfromexecutivesallthewayuptotheCEO."Thisdoesn'tworkwithadesign team.Whenyouneedhelp forahotproject,youneeditrightaway.Youdon'thavetwoweeks'notice."SoStevetookituponhimselftohandletherecruitingprocess.How?Byusinghis skills as a Linkmaker. "I spoke with people at several different staffingagencies.Ipreferredoneparticularcreativegroupbecausetheypre-screenedanddid all the background checks on everybody. I wound up orchestrating therecruitingprocess,hiringthepeopleIneeded,andthenpluggingtheinformationintoourHRsystems."Theprocesstookalittletimeandpatience."IjustwentandtrackeddownallthepeopleIneededtogetapprovalfrom,"Steveexplains."Forexample,IwenttoLegal and said, 'This is what I'm doing and here are the contracts from theheadhunters. I need you to review them.' My friend in the Legal departmentturneditaroundformeinaday.Intheend,wegotitalldonequickly.I'dbeendancingaroundwithHRformonths.OnceIstartedactingonmyown,IhadacandidatethatIwasmakinganoffertoinlessthan30days."Here is where many managers in The Middle would raise the empowermentissue.How do you get permission to do something like this that is worthwhile butoutside of the company's ordinary procedures? Steve did it by using hisknowledgeofhowtopushhisboss'sbuttons."I'madesigner,basically.Numbersarenotmything.ButIknewthatBob,myboss,wouldwantafinancialjustificationforthis.SoIranthenumbers.IfiguredouthowmuchtimeIandmypeoplewerespendingon trying toget thehiringdone,andIcalculatedhowmuchmoneyall that timewasworth.ThenIcouldshowBobhowmuchmoneywewould save if I couldpush it throughonmyown.Whatcouldhesay?'Thatmakesalotofsense,'hetoldme,andIwasoffandrunning."Creatingandusinganadhocnetworkofoutsiderecruitingfirmsand in-houseadvisorswouldn'thavebeenSteve'sfirstchoice.Hisout-of-the-boxsolutionwas

drivenbysheernecessity."Attheendoftheday,"hesays,"ifmyteam'sworkdoesn'tgetfinishedandwedon'tget tomarketourproductandwestart losingrevenue,Ican'tblamemyproblemsonHR.It'suptometomakeithappen.SoIdidwhatIhadtodo."What are some of the lessons to be learned from Steve's adventure inLinkmaking?

Whenyou'retryingtogetsomethingdone,usetheproperchannelsfirst.Then,iftheofficialproceduresdon'tworkandyoufindyoumustmakeanend run, do it in a politically soundway:Explain your reasons, get yourboss'ssupport,andkeeppeopleinformed.Aboveall,showresults.Ifyoucanmakeyournetworkpayoffintangiblewaysthatbenefitthecompany,you'llbeahero.Ifnot,youwon't.

Steverecalls,"Ididn'ttrytohidewhatIwasdoing.IwouldcallHRalmostdailyandexplainwhat Iwasdoing,who Iwas talking to,andhow theprocesswasunfolding.TheycouldseethatIwasn't tryingtostealanyone's thunder—Iwasjusttryingtogetsomeresults.Ididn'twanttostarttoomanyfiresalongtheway,becauseIknewthatatsomepointIwouldhavetodealwiththesepeopleagain."Today,thehiringprocessatUSSearchisfarmoreefficient,andStevemayneverhavetoresorttoLinkmakingtacticsinthatareaagain.Heviewswhathedidasastopgap measure to bridge a difficult time in the company's evolution. Mostimportant,itworked—becauseoftheLinkmakingprowessSteveemployed.

Leadership, Management, and the Secret of PeoplePower

One key to management is understanding the differences among people andmakingthosedifferencesworkfor,ratherthanagainst,theorganization.Touseour terminology, great managing is largely about Linkmaking—knowing thepeople aroundyou,understandingwhatmakes them tick, andconnecting theirknowledge and skills in ways that will make powerful things happen for theorganization.Brad Edmondson illustrates this lesson. Currently a freelance journalist andconsultant, Brad was formerly a manager and editor-in-chief at AmericanDemographics, amagazine that is nowpart of theAdvertising Age publishing

operationbutthatwasownedbyDowJonesduringBrad'stenurethere.Duringhisyearsasamanager,Braddiscoveredthatunderstandingwhatmakespeopletickandbeingabletoempathizewiththemiscrucialtohavinganetworkthatcanproduceresults.Inhiscase,thepeoplehewassupervisingwerewriterslike himself—which gave him a leg up in terms of understanding how tomotivateandencouragethem:

The only way to really manage writers is to have a personal, first-handunderstandingofwriting.It'sacomplexprocessthatincludesfactfinding,research,rumination,analysis...thencomingupwiththeoutline,comingupwiththelead,figuringouthowtodrawreadersintothestoryyouhavetotell.Reportersneedtodevelopvery,veryquickly,theabilitytozeroinonwhatisthemostimportantfact.Whatmakesthestoryunusual?Andwhatwillmaintain an average person's interest? The bestwriters become veryskilledatdetectingbullshit.ReportershavethebestBSmetersbecausetheyhaveto—andbecausetheyseesomuchBS.Only an experienced journalist can really understand how it allworks. Ifyoudon'tknowwhatagreatleadparagraphisfromhavingwrittenone,it'svery,veryhardtoexplaintosomeoneelse.So managing reporters is a unique challenge. Sometimes being a goodwriterandbeingacompleteegomaniacgotogetherwell.Andyouneedtoknow your team members well enough as people to understand whenthey're working out some sort of personal issue in an office context andneedtobegivenalongleash.Basically,ifyoucanjustkeepthemclosetomeetingtheirdeadlinesandisolatetheir tantrumsandoutbursts—whichispossible—thenyoucankeepgettingproductionoutofthem.Whichmakesitallworthwhileintheend.

Brad also discovered that disciplining these creative egomaniacs, whilesometimesnecessary,involvesanunusualdegreeofsensitivityandtact:

Whensomebodyblowsadeadline—whichistheworstfailinginjournalism—ratherthanjustfiringthatpersonorstickingthemontheobituarydesk,youneedtounderstandwhyithappened.Becausesometimesthereareverygood reasons.Orwhenyougive somebody an assignment andhavehighhopesfor thestoryonly tobedisappointedbywhatgets turned in,what'sreally crucial is to follow upwith thewriter and have a frank talk aboutwhytheyletyoudown.Becausewhenyou'redoingcreativework,therearefrequently reasons that make failure unavoidable. And so, as a manager,you need to understand that sometimes the quality of a creativeworker's

outputisbeyondtheircontrol.Soifyoujustfiresomeonewhodisappointsyouonceorevenafewtimes,youmayendupdiscardingsomebodywhocouldbeagreatsourceofgoodworkforyearstocome.That'swhyyouhavetotakethetimetoreallyknowandunderstandpeoplebeforemakingjudgments.One of the best pieces ofmanagement advice I ever heard came from apublisher I used to work for. He said, "I'll put up with attitude if I getperformance." And sometimes the best reporters have a whole lot ofattitude.It'sbecausetheytendtohaveacompletehatredofbullshit.Unless,ofcourse,it'stheirown!

So, for Brad Edmondson, effective managing is a lot more like chess thancheckers. It's not a gamewith interchangeable pieces to bepushed around theboardwhereverthebosshappenstowantthem.It'saboutpawnsandknightsandbishopsandrooksandqueens—eachwithuniquetalents,vulnerabilities,flaws,skills, and problems, and each ready to contribute when they are placed inexactly the right place at the right time. (RememberwhatHerbKelleher saidabout"theballeticquality"ofturningaroundaplaneatSouthwestAirlines?Hemight just as well have called it a chess game. Both are about the intricate,cunningly-designed flow of objects and forces in space so as to achievespecificallydesiredresults.)LikeBrad,theignitedmanagerhasahistoryofexperienceandsuccesswiththeworkheissupervising.Herememberswhatthechallengesare(whatitmeanstowrite a great lead paragraph) and can empathize with the problems his teammembersface.HealsodevelopshisLinkmakerskillstoahighdegreeandusesthemconstantly.Helearnstosniffoutpeoplewhohavetheinstinctsandthetalentsheneedstomaketheoperationgo.Thenheworkswiththemtomaintaintheirproductivity.Whennecessary,heworksaroundtheirpersonalfoiblessolongastheymeetthemostessentialgoals.Whenproblemsarise,hedoesn'tsimplypunishorhumiliatethe team member—instead, he delves into why. And when problems aregenuinelybeyondpeople'scontrol,herecognizesthatandrespondsappropriatelyratherthanblowingoffpeoplewiththepotentialtocontribute.

TheEssentialIngredient:Trust

Inthischapter,we'vetalkedalotabouttheimportanceofcommunicationandits

crucialrole in theworkof theLinkmaker.Unlesspeoplearereadyandable toshare ideas, insights,data,experiences,objectives,andplanswithoneanother,thenetworkthatconnectsthemisuselessandwillnevergeneratetheenergythatmakesthingshappen.That readiness cannever existwithout the essential ingredient of trust.Peoplewhodon't trustoneanotherwon't talkopenlyaboutwhat theyknowandwhatthey want to do. When trust is absent, information gets hoarded, processesbecome opaque, teams break apart into self-serving units, and, as the flow ofdata through the networks slows to a trickle, the organization as awhole getsstupider.Dan Puckett is Director of Finance and Sales Operations for Affymetrix, abiotechnologycompanywithmorethan$300millioninshares,amarketvalueof$1.3billion,andabout900employees,ofwhomDanmanages14.Dan'schiefvalueofAffymetrixisasaLinkmaker.Onpracticallyadailybasishe findshimself in situationswherehehas tobrokerorbuildbridgesbetweentwogroups.Inpart,hislinkageroleisindicatedbyhistitle,becauseDanhelpsto draw intellectual and information connections between the two (sometimesconflicting)rolesoffinancialmanagementandsalesmanagement.But therolealsogrowsoutofDan'spersonalqualitiesandthehistoryofhispositioninthecompany.When I spokewithDan, he'd been in his job for just sevenmonths.But he'ddevotedthattimetobuildingpositiverelationshipswiththoseinthedepartment,especiallythesalespeople.It'simportantbecauseoneofDan'srolesistoworkthroughthedetailsofsalesagreementsbeforetheyareofficiallyapprovedbythecompany,makingsuretheymakeeconomicsenseanddon'tviolateanycompanypoliciesorstandards.Sometimesthiscanbeatouchyprocess,especiallywhenaparticularsalespersonispushingtomeetatargetandiseagertogetDan'sbuy-inonanagreementthatmightbeborderline."Mostoftherepswillcallmestraightupandtalkthroughdeals,"Danexplains."Wehaveagoodenoughrelationshipnowsothatthey'rewillingtobeveryopenwithmeaboutwhatthey'retryingtoaccomplish.TheyknowI'llsupportthemifthey do the right thing. There are still one or two people in the group I don'tknow that well, so they may not be comfortable coming to me with toughquestionsjustyet.Butthat'llcomewithtimeandjustamatterofworkingwiththepeoplelonger."One of Dan's toughest jobs is dealing with so-called rep letters every threemonths.A rep letter is a disclosure statement that confirms that all aspects of

every sales arrangement are known and have been disclosed. It'sAffymetrix'sway of ensuring that their sales people don't make any side arrangements inordertoclinchadeal—anaspectofsqueaky-cleanmanagementthatDantakesveryseriously."Just this morning," he told us, "we had an issue that came up related to acommitmentwemadetoacustomer.IhadtotalkwithoneoftheVPsofSalesaboutwhywehavethereplettersandwhat'ssoimportantaboutthem,makingsureheunderstandswhycorporatefinancemonitorsthesethingsandwhywe'vegottobesuretheselettersarecompleteandtimely."Why isDan thebest-placedperson tomake sure these commitments aremet?"I'mthepersonthat they'vegotsometrust in.Iworkwiththemeverydayandmakesure the linesofcommunicationarestrong.Andthe trustextendsup theline throughourorganization,which isveryhelpful.TheVPofFinance is thepersontowhomIreport,andwasinmyrolepreviously.Fromherhistory,she'sgotrelationshipswithalotofthesalesreps.Thatmeanstheyhavealotoftrustinmeandmybossandareprettyquicktoopenupaboutanyproblemsthey'rehaving."Without that trust,"Dan concludes, "I couldn't domy job.And itwould alsoimpact the sales team. If theydidn't trustmeormydepartment, theywouldn'treachoutforsupportwithanalysisandmodelingandotherfunctions thatonlyFinancecando.Ourrelationshipwouldbecomeanadversarialoneinsteadofapartnership.We'dbeforcedtoplaygamestotrytofindouttheinformationsaleswouldbehidingfromus,andeverybodywouldwastealotoftimeandenergy.Intheend,saleswouldsufferandwe'dallloseout.Sotrustisthekeytomakingthingswork."Dan'slessonsforotherwould-beLinkmakersareasfollows:

Taketimetodeveloptrust.Makeitaconsciousgoal,especiallyduringyourfirstyearinajob.Be open to questions and communications of any kind. Reward opennessthrough a positive and supportive attitude.This helps build your networkandensures that linesofcontactwillbeopen in timesofcrisis,when theflowofinformationisabsolutelyvital.Buildoffpastrelationships.Whensomeoneelseonyour teamhasearnedthe group's trust (as is the case with Dan's boss), piggyback on thatconnectiontobuildyourownalliances.

In time, your network will be humming with the sound of ideas moving,intelligencebeinggenerated—andthingsgettingaccomplished.

8IgnitionPoint3:TheMessage

ThePoweroftheTranslator

Everlookaroundyourofficeandfindyourselfsaying(oratleastthinking),"It'slike the International Departures lounge at KennedyAirport around here"? Intoday'sdiverseandglobalizedworld,whereaworkplaceislikelytofindWASPsandLatinosandSouthAsianssittingnext topeopleofRussianandItalianandChineseandAfrican-Americandescent,that'snotanuncommonreflection.Andmostofthetimeweconsiderthisagreatthing.Ourgrowingdiversitymeanswecandrawstrengthsfrompeopleofmanypersonalitytypes,lifeexperiences,andphilosophicalandmentalmakeups.Butdiversity(asyoumayalsohavenoticed)sometimes creates challenges.Getting everyone on the same page in terms ofcompanygoals,methods,workhabits,andcommunicationsstylescanbealittleharderwhennotwoteammemberscomefromexactlythesamebackground.JustasattheUnitedNations,thetalentsofaTranslatormaybehelpful.Butinreality,thediversitychallengesofourworkplacesgoevendeeperthantheobviouslevelofethnicandculturaldiversity.Whataboutdiversityofskillsets?Thinkaboutthepeopleyouworkwitheveryday. Do the bean counters in Finance think and talk and plan and judge inexactly thesamewayas thecreative types inProductDesign?Do the folks inMarketing always see eye to eyewith the people inLegal?Do the staffers inHuman Resources, the computer whizzes in Information Technology, and theMBAsinCorporatePlanning—nottomentiontheguysandgalsinthemailroom—allsharethesameworldview?You know they don't. In fact, as we mentioned each of these categories ofworkersfromatypicaloffice,didn'tavisualimageflashacrossyourmind?Isn'titfairlycleartoyouwhichgroupofpeopleismorelikelytoweargraypinstripesandwhich towear jeans?Which group carriesMP3 players andwhich groupcarriestoday'sWallStreetJournal?Whichgroupgoesclubbingandwhichgroupgoestobedearly?Stereotypes? Sure. We all store stereotypes in our brains. They're over-simplifications, and unfair and very dangerous to use when working with

individualpeoplewhohaveawayofdefyingexpectations.But inmanycasestheyalsoencapsulateagrainoftruth.That'swhyweneedTranslatorsinourworkplaces;notprimarilytohelpconnectpeople of different ethnic backgrounds, but to help people of wildly differentviewpoints and values to understand one another and unite behind commoncorporategoals.ThisthirdIgnitionPointisaboutthepoweroftheMessage.Oneofthekeyrolesoftoday'smanagerinTheMiddleistounderstandtopmanagement'svisionforthefutureofthecompanyandthensomehowfindwaystotranslatethatvisionintoactionableideasthatourdiverseworkforcescanallrelateto,buyinto,andsupport.Inaway,it'satwo-partchallenge.Thefirstpartisknowingmanagement'sneeds,goals,andintentions.Thisinitselfisnoteasy,especiallyconsideringhowpoorajobmanyexecutivesdoofformulatingtheircorporatevisionandpresentingitina coherent, understandable fashion to the managers in TheMiddle (let alonethose at deeper layers of the organization). It's not enough to hear what theexecutives are saying; you also need to know the implicit messages, theunspokenmotivations,andwhereyoustandtodayinthelong-termhistoryofthecompany.Understandingwhatthetopbrassreallywantssometimesrequiresalltheanalyticalskillsandpersonalsensitivitywecanmuster.(Insomecases,ofcourse,thereisnotruevisionfromthetop.Manycompaniesstatetheirgoalsas"growingrevenues,reducingcosts,anddeliveringquality"—whichisn'tmuchofavision.Whenthat'sthecase,thejobofthemanagerinTheMiddle is evenmore complicated:He or shemust alsocreate theMessageaswellastranslateit.)Andthat's just thefirstpartof thechallenge.Thesecondpart isconveyingtheMessagetoyourteammembers,usingallthemanylanguagesanddialectstheyspeaktomakethecorporateobjectivesbothunderstandableandacceptable.Yes,it'sabout"What'sinthisforme?"Butthat'snotall.It'salsoabout,"WhyshouldIcare?""Whydoesthisappealtomydeepestpersonalvalues?"and"HowdoesthisfitintothenarrativeI'mconstructingofmypersonallifequest?"This IgnitionPoint isquintessentiallyaboutbeing themanager inTheMiddle.WiththecorporateMessageononesideandourteamsontheother,weneedtofindwaystomakethatMessageactionable.TheTranslator'sroleistogetgroupsworkingtogethertofindacommonlanguageandputthecompany'sgoalsintoacontextthatwillmotivateandevenexcitepeople.

How the Ignited Manager Can Create and Sell aSavingMessage

We've already alluded to the special challenges that arise when one companyacquires another. In today's business world where mergers and takeovers areoccurringmorefrequentlythanever, thetalentsoftheTranslatorwhocanhelppeople from wildly different corporate cultures find a common language andcoalescearoundasharedmessageare incredibly important.Here's thestoryofonesuchmanager—SunilMehrotraatGeneralElectric,whomyoumetearlierinconnectionwiththeSpacemakerstory.In 1985, GE acquired RCA's consumer electronics business, the great oldcompany famous for its radios, TVs, stereos, and other consumer electronicsgear. GE's goal in making the acquisition was to strengthen its position inconsumer electronics, not just by obtaining RCA's customers, but also bypiggybackingontheknowledgeandskillthatRCAhaddevelopedoverdecadesofcreatingproductsforthatmarketplace.(GE'sCEO,thealready-legendaryJackWelch,hadmade itclear thathewanted thefirmtobenumberoneornumbertwoineverymarketitoperatedin—nothinglesswouldsuffice.)Sologicallyenough,GEmergeditsconsumerelectronicsdivisionwithRCA's.RCA,at thetime,hadthenumberonemarketshareinconsumerelectronicsintheUS,whileGEwasfourthorfifth.YetGEhadacquiredRCAandGEwasadominant,highlyprofitablecorporation,whileRCAwasstruggling—despitethefact that, in the consumer electronics business, the acquired company wasstrongerthantheacquiringcompany.Thismadeforacuriousandchallengingmanagerialsituation.Asthemergerandreorganizationshookout,alltheseniormanagersatRCAendedupbeingpeoplewho'dbeenbroughtinfromGEtoruntheorganization,whilethemanagersinTheMiddle were from RCA—almost like the yeoman farmers who suddenlyfind that themanorhouseon thehilltop is nowoccupiedby a set of newandunfamiliarnobles.What'smore,GEandRCAhadcorporatecultures thatwereverydifferent.Sothiswasnotamarriagemadeinheaven.We'llletSunilpickupthestoryfromhere:

I'dbeenwithGEbeforeandwashiredbackfromChaseManhattantoheadupRCA'smarketresearchandcompetitiveanalysisdepartment.Iwassoonpromoted to be the general manager of the RCA brand, responsible fortelevisions, VCRs and camcorders. As the brand manager for these

businesses, I had to make changes and improvements in the mergedorganizationbyworkingthroughtheoldRCAloyalists.Itwasachallengeto figure out how to meld the GE and RCA cultures, break down pastloyalties,andmakechangehappenquickly.RCAdidnothavetheluxuryoftime. Even though RCAwas the market share leader, it was facing stiffcompetitionfromthelikesofSony,Panasonic,andHitachi.Thewaywe initiated changewas through forging a personal relationshipamongthreekeymiddlemanagers: theheadof industrialdesign(anRCAguy), theheadofnationaladvertising (also fromRCA)andmyself, aGEguy.The threeofus sharedone thing.Webelieved that therewasahugeopportunity for the merged companies and that we could grab thatopportunity if we focused on the marketplace and not the internecinestruggles.So we formed an informal team and collaborated on a vision for thecompany that would be market-driven, data-driven, and independent ofeitherGE's or RCA's traditional corporate culture orway of viewing theworld.WegatheredalotofmarketdatatounderstandhowRCAwasperceivedbyconsumers and channel partners in relation toSony, Panasonic, and othercompetitors.Throughmarketanalysis,weidentifiedopportunitiesforRCAtoleverageitspasttocreateanewRCA.WearticulatedawholenewvisionforwhatRCAcouldbecome.Torepresent thisnewRCA,wecameupwith the ideaofChipper.You'reprobably familiar with Nipper, the dog from the old RCA ads—"HisMaster'sVoice,"andallthat.NipperisanAmericanicon.Well,wecreatedChipper,apuprepresentingthefuture;NipperbeingtheoldRCA,Chipperrepresentingthenew.NipperandChipperbecamethesymbolfor thenewRCA,representingthegrandandhistoricpastofRCAaswellasitsvisionandhopeforthefuture.Nipper and Chipper were instant hits, both within the Company andoutside. They were very effective in drawing out the residual goodwilltowards theRCAbrandand in telegraphing thenewvision for thebrand.They were the symbol around which the entire company could rally,transcending theGEorRCA roots.Theywere instrumental in building acoalitionandagroundswellofsupportformovingthebrandforward.Theprocesswascatharticforthecompany.Andwithinashorttime,RCAwasrevitalizedandre-energizedandbecame

asignificantplayerintheconsumerelectronicsmarketagain.Let's think about the challenges Sunil faced and how he used his managerialskillstobecomeaneffectiveTranslator:

LackofMessage.WhenSunilwasput inchargeof the"newRCA,"therereally was no new RCA. Sunil realized that his first challenge was todevelop aMessage that would work for RCA and also fit the long-termgoals and objectives of the parent company—which were focused ongrowthandexcellenceintheconsumerelectronicsmarketplace.Language gap. People at the acquiredRCA felt that their new chieftainsfrom GE had nothing to teach them. After all, hadn't GE lagged behindRCA in consumer electronics? The GE and the RCA corporate cultureswereverydifferent.Would itbepossible for these twogroups to learn toworktogether?Business stresses. Despite its marketplace success, the company was notprofitable, and challengers, especially the Japanese companies like SonyandPanasonic,weregainingonRCA'sturf.

Sunilandhiscolleaguesturnedagainandagaintothedata—thefactsabouttheconsumerelectronicmarketplace,customerattitudes towardRCAandGE,andthe history of both companies—which had been gathered through objectiveresearch and could be accepted as valid by all concerned. Thiswas crucial tobuilding consensus and organizational support. Building the new Messagearound objective facts rather than around opinions or traditional views helpedtranscendemotionalbarriersthatmayhaveotherwisesloweddowntheprocessofgetting thebuy-in and support fromboth theGEandRCA folks,which, inturn, was necessary for mobilizing the organization and rallying it around acommonandsharedvision.Theultimateresultwasalanguage—andaMessage—thateveryonecouldsupport.

TranslatingTribalDialects

Ofcourse, the roleof theTranslator isn't restricted tocompanymergers.Evenpeople who have long worked for the same company or even in the samedivisionordepartmentmayspeakdifferentlanguages.

You remember Steve Mummolo, the Linkmaker from US Search whom weprofiledinthepreviouschapter.SteveisalsocalledupontobeaTranslatorfromtime to time, evenwhen talking topeoplewhoworkonhisowndesign team.Because the design projects Steve's groupworks on are generallyWeb-based,theyrequireat least twoverydistinctsetsofskills:programmingskills,whicharetechnical,scientific,andmath-oriented,anddesignskills,whicharegraphic,esthetic,andimage-oriented.Thesetwosetsofskillsareoccasionallycombinedinasingleperson(astheyhappentobeinSteve'scase).Butmoreoftentheyarehoused in two different people, usually combined with widely varying socialattitudes, personal values, intellectual interests, and business languages. Tomanagebothkindsofpeople,Stevehashadtodevelophislinguisticskillstoahighdegree."We'reseparatedbyacommonlanguage,"ishowStevedescribesit(witharuefullaugh).When talking withmembers of the techie tribe, Steve has learned to be verycarefulabouthowheusesjargon."Youhavetobecarefulnot tothrowaroundtheir terminology unless you know exactly what it means to them," hecomments."Whichmaynotbethesameaswhatitmeanstoyou—orevenwhatitsaysitmeansinabookoradictionary."When he violates this rule, Steve has found, his technical people tend tomisunderstandhim,andoftenrespondtohisquestionsbysaying,"Oh,well,oursystemisn'tdesignedtodothat"—wheninfactthesystemisperfectlycapableofdoingwhatStevehasinmind,exceptthathehasn'tdescribeditaccurately.TheonlysolutionisforStevetogobacktosquareoneandtryexplaining—injargon-free,non-technical language—exactlywhathewould like tohavedoneandlethistechieteammemberfigureoutthejargontodescribeit.Working with techies can be challenging to Steve in other ways. He has oneteam member (call him Jay) who is especially valuable not only for hisprogrammingprowessbutalsoforhisgung-hoattitude.Jaylovesachallenge—thetougherthebetter.Throwhimadifficultassignmentandhe'llworknightanddaytogetitdone.TheproblemisthatsometimesJayloveschallengestoowell."He'll go after the project that's the most interesting and the most difficult,"Steve says, "and stick the day-to-day things that you need to get done on thebackburner."Steve'ssolution?TodevotetimespecificallytotalkingabouttimemanagementwithJay."Wemeetaboutweeklyandgoovertheprioritylist.'Allright,'I'llsay,'This is your numberone, this is your number two.Let's talk aboutwhenyouthinkwe'regoingtohavesomeprogressonthese.'AndthenIcheckinwithhim

periodically to make sure he's staying focused on what matters. Generally itworksoutprettywell."By contrast, the designers Steve works with pose very different translationproblems. "Offering criticism is thebiggest challenge," he says. "Even agreatdesignercansometimescomeupwithadesign that's justhorrible. I'vedone itmyself.And therewere timeswhen amanager tossed a design back ontomydeskandjustsaid,'Thisstinks—redoit.'Ihappentobeverythick-skinned,andovertheyearsI'velearnedhowtoseparatemyworkfrommyartandtoleavemyartinmystudioathome.SoI'mokaywiththebluntcriticism.Butmostcreativepeoplehateit.Talktothemthatwayandyoumaylosethemforever."Steve'stranslationtechniqueisbasedonappealingtoacommongoal—namely,thebusinessobjectiveforwhichthedesignisintended:

Theformhastofollowthefunction.SowhenI'mtalkingwithadesigner,I'llstartbyasking,"Whatareourprioritiesforthisad?What'stheactionwewant theviewer to take?"Basedon that,wecan figureout togetherwhatour priorities are, and that tells uswhat should bemost prominent in thedesign.Oncewe'veagreedonthat,Ihaveanobjectivebasisformycriticisms.Icansaythingslike,"Thisspotmightbehardtoread"or"Themainsellingpointgetslost."Or I can give the designer some principles to work off rather than justvagueartisticpreferences.Icansay,"Herearesomelooseguidelineswe'vedeveloped and some objectives we have to meet. Does this design meetthoseobjectives?"WhenIput it thatway,a lotof times thedesignerwilllookat thepiece again and respond, "Well, I really liked this image, so IguessIgotcarriedawaywithputtingthefocusontheimageratherthanthecaption." In effect, they can find the flaws in their ownwork rather thanrespondingdefensivelytocriticismsfromme.BestofalliswhenIcanpointtoarulethatcanbequantified.Forexample,"We'vetestedafewdifferentWebdesigns,andwhenweputthebuttononthe right rather than the left, our click-through rate isX percent higher."Thismovestheconversationawayfromartisticintegrityorgoodtasteandontoresults,whichisreallyallthatmatters.

NoticetheslightlyironictechniquethatStevehasdevelopedforcommunicatingwithmembersofdifferenttribes.Whentalkingwithtechies,it'sbestforStevetoavoid technical language. Instead, he tries to describe in general, jargon-freetermstheeffecthehopestoachieveandletsthetechiesfigureouthowtoexplain

it.Similarly,whentalkingwithartistictypes,Steveavoidscouchinghisideasinartisticterms.Instead,hefocusesonbusinessissues,practicalfunctionality,andeven quantitative measures of effectiveness (click-through rates), and lets thedesignerfigureoutanartisticsolutiontotheproblem.Perhapswhatthissuggestsisthatonesecrettotalkingwithpeoplefromvariousexotictribes—whethertheybetechies,artists,numberspeople,financial types,marketers,PRorHRexperts,oranyotherkindofspecialist—istosticktoplainEnglishratherthantryingto"talktheirlanguage."AsmartTranslatorlikeSteveMummolosimplyletshislistenersdotheirowntranslating.Andwhynot?Afterall,whoknowstheirlanguagebetterthantheydo?

TranslatingUpthePipeline

Communicationisatwo-waystreet.(Actuallyit'smuchmorecomplexthanthat,but let's leave it at twoways fornow.) It'snotenough for themanager inTheMiddletofigureouthowtotranslatetheneedsandconcernsoftopmanagementtohisteammembersloweronthecorporateladder.ThemanagerinTheMiddlemustalsobeabletotranslateinformationandideasfromhispeopleintotermsthatthetopbrasscanunderstandanduse.Inotherwords,theTranslatormustbeable tosend informationeffectivelyupaswellasdownthecorporatepipeline.Andthatoftenrequiresadifferentsetofskills.Here are some of the circumstances that call for bottom-up translation ofinformation:

Finding and packaging information that management seeks about youroperationoryourpeople.Communicatingthefeelingsandopinionsofyourteammembersaboutnewbusinessinitiatives,strategies,orrestructurings.Presentinganddefendingbusinessproposalsor ideascreatedbymembersofyourteam.Assisting team members when they deal with personnel issues, such asrequestsforraises,promotions,ortransfers.

Inallthesecases,yourroleasTranslatorisnotaboutpassingalongthethoughtsand feelings of your teammemberswithout filtering, as if youwere simply a

neutralconduitforinformation.Rather,it'sabouttranslatingyourteammembers'messagesintoalanguagethatmanagementwillunderstandandrespectandthatwill, inthelongrun,enhanceyourstandingandthatofyourentireteamintheeyesofthecompany'sleadership.Thisisn'talwayseasytodo.Youcanneverbesimplyaneutralconduitofinformationbecause,wheneveryoupassalonganidea,apieceofnews,anopinion,oraproposalfromsomeonewhoreportstoyou,thatconceptimmediatelybecomesweddedtoyou—yourimage,yourcredibility,yourstandingasaleader.Supposethemembersofyourteamareupinarmsoversomecompanypolicy—asetofnewandmuchmorerestrictiverulesabouttravelexpenses,forexample.If you drop in on your boss and simply convey their feelings, the assumptionwill be that you share their attitude... unless you consciously and deliberatelycounterthatassumption.In a case like this, your first responsibility is to knowhowyou feel about thecontroversialpolicy.Isitanecessarycost-cuttingmeasure?Anover-reactiontooneortwocasesofirresponsibleemployeebehavior?Amisguidedactbysomebureaucratwhodoesn'trecognizehowitwillaffectpeople?Agoodideawhosepresentationwasmangledbyatone-deafadministrator?Orsomecombinationoftheabove?Next,youneedtocommunicatetoyourpeopleexactlywhereyoustandontheissueandthedegreetowhichyouagree,disagree,ordifferwiththeirposition.Themorehonestandtransparentyoucanbeaboutthis,thebetter.Finally,youneedtodecideabouthowyoucanmostproductivelytranslateyourteam's concerns for the benefit of management. Much will depend oncircumstances. Is the travel policy carved in stone,with virtually no chance itwill be changed any time soon?Then complaining about itmaybemerely anexerciseinventingthatwillbenefitnoone.Isitpossiblethatthepolicycouldbeadjusted based on a thoughtful critique of its effectiveness? Then marshalingsoundbusinessargumentstosupportcertainsmart,specificchangesmaymakesense. Is the policymerely a symbolic lightning-rod that employees are angryaboutbecauseof ahostof similarproblems thathave left them feelingunder-appreciatedandmisused?Thenaconversationwithyourbossaboutmorale, inwhichthetravelpolicyisnotthefocusbutsimplyExhibitA,maybenecessary.Aboveall,theTranslatorneedstoapplyherknowledgeoftheneeds,goals,andproblemsofherboss to anybottom-upcommunication task.Thinkabouthowthismessagewill sound to the boss.Does it represent yet another unwelcomeheadache?(Ifso,whyhaven'tyoutakencareofit?)Isitanopportunitytosolve

an unrecognized problem and thereby improve some system or process in thecompany? (If so, present the solution along with the problem.) Couching themessage in terms the boss can immediately understand improves the chancesthatthetop-downresponsewillbeonethateveryonecanlivewithhappily.The same general principles apply when the bottom-up communication is inresponsetoatopmanagementrequest.Forexample,supposeyourbossasksyoutoreportaboutaparticularactivityinyourdepartmentaspartofsomecompany-wide surveyor analysis. It couldbeabout anything from travel expenses (thatagain) to new-product initiatives to employee educational activities. Beforeresponding,evaluatetheinformationthroughyourboss'seyes.Askyourself(or,ifnecessary,yourboss)questionssuchas:

Whatisthepurposeoftherequest?Isittolocatepotentialcostsavings,topreparedataforagovernmentreport,toidentifyopportunitiesforrevenuegrowth,ortolookforcorporatedeadwood?What would your boss like the answer to be? If there is flexibility indefiningtheactivitiestobeincludedintheanswer,shouldweleantowardincludingmoreorincludingless?Wouldmore detail be helpful in this case, or detrimental?What kinds ofinformationwillmakeourdepartmentordivision lookgood?Whatkindswillmakeuslookbad?

Don'tmisunderstand—I'mnotadvocatingfalsehoodorconcealmentofmaterialinformation.I'mjustsayingthat,inyourroleasTranslator,yourgoalshouldbeto present the most favorable portrait of yourself, your department, and thepeople it comprises that you can honestly offer. Helping your people presentthemselves in a favorable light to your company's top management is one ofyourresponsibilitiesasaTranslator.

WhentheMessageIsUnwelcome

Many times, themanager in TheMiddlemust convey amessage that no onewantstohear.Sometimes it's a top-downmessage that you knowyour peoplewill dislike: afreezeonsalaryincreases,possiblelayoffs,andamergerthatcreatesuncertainty

about the future.Other times it's abottom-upmessage thatyourboss, andherboss,willbeunhappyabout:asalesorproductionshortfall,lossofakeyclientoraccount,arebelliononthepartofoneorafewkeyemployees.Whenyoufindyourselfinthisposition—notifbutwhen—herearesomeoftherulesyoumustfollowtoplayyourrolesasTranslatorand leaderfaithfullyandwell:

Don't sit on the information. Conveying bad news is so painful that thetemptationtoholdoffisgreat:"MaybesomethinggoodwillhappensothatIwon'thavetoreportthebadnews...oratleastIcanpresentthemtogetherand soften the blow... ormaybe tomorrow or next weekwill be a bettertime."Butifyoudelaydisclosure,you'llprobablybesorry.Anyimportantnews has a way of traveling around organizations very quickly, and ifpeopleget theword from someother sourcebefore theyget it fromyou,they'llstarttowonder:Isheplayingfairwithme?Isheholdingback?Isheeven in the loop?Yourcredibility and reputationwill takeahit, howeversmall.Andoncesuchhitsstarttoland,theytendtoaccumulate.Ifyouhavetoeatcrow,eatitwarmnowratherthancoldlater.Think before you speak. Emotions run high when bad news must bedelivered—andthatincludesyouremotions.Think throughcarefullywhatyouwill say and howyouwill say it. Jot notes or even aword-for-wordpresentationifnecessary.Becertaintheinformationisabsolutelyaccurate,thatyouhaveanswerstoalltheobviousquestionspeoplearelikelytoask,and that you also knowwhat you don't know and are prepared to say ithonestly.Deliverbadnewsinperson.Yes,it'seasiertodropthehammerinamemo,an e-mail message, or even a phone call. Don't do it. A face-to-faceconversationormeetingconveys themessage,"I'mpersonallysorry that Ihavetotellyouthis,butIwantyoutoknowthatIcareandthatIwilldowhatever I can to help you dealwith it." It says you are there for them,literallyaswellasfiguratively.Don'ttrytodeflectblame.Thosewhoreceiveyournewsmayrespondwithanger.Youdon'thavetoaccepttheirangerasfair,just,oraccurate;there'snoneedtoblameyourselfforsomethingthathasgonewrongifyouweren'tactually responsible.But by the same token, don't try to shift blameontosomeone else: your boss, the people who work for you, people in someother department, or the economy at large. Evenwhen such attempts are

subtle, they comeacross as cowardly andclassless.Whenpeople expressdisappointmentoranger,justrespondhonestly:"Iunderstandhowyoufeel.This is very bad news, and I'm disappointed [upset, worried, troubled]myself."Give people time to absorb the news. Many people—especially males, Ithink—areraisedtobe"problem-solvers,"unwillingtoacceptthefactthatsometimesbadthingshappenthatcan'tbeglossedover.Asaresult,whenthe news is bad, they often rush to offer consolation or partial solutions,evenbeforepeoplehavehad anopportunity to fullyunderstandwhat hashappened.Takeyour time.Givepeople a chance to think about thenewsandaskquestionsbeforeyoutrytomoveontosolutions.Don'tsugar-coatit.Peoplecanhandlethetruth.Theyrespectleaderswhoarehonest about theproblems they face rather thanpussy-footing aroundwithwordslike"challenge,""issue,"or"opportunity."Befrankabouthowbad things may be, and you'll retain some credibility for your futureannouncementswhengoodnewsreturns.Offerhope for the future.Oncepeoplehavebeenable to fullyabsorb thebad news, you can and should begin to talk aboutwhat comes next. Letpeople know that you are at least two steps ahead of them—that you'vebegunthinkingaboutwaysofsolvingthecurrentproblemsandgettingtheorganization or department back on the right track.But don't just lay outyour own plans; give people an opportunity to offer their own ideas. Letthem participate in the solution so that it will be as much theirs as it isyours.

AboveAll,Clarity

People talka lotabout thecommunicationstylesofgreat leaders.Allkindsofprescriptionshavebeenoffered.Somesaythataneffectiveleaderisoptimistic;others say he offers a vision; still others recommend humor, story-telling,humility, energy, emotion. All are important. But there's one quality that theTranslatorneedsaboveall,and that isclarity—theability to saywhateveryouare trying to say so that people simply get it rather than walking awaymisunderstanding,apathetic,orconfused.Ofcourse,youcan'thaveclarityunlessyou'vethoughtlongandhardaboutthe

Message,thoroughlymastereditsmeaning,andmadeityourown.

9IgnitionPoint4:TheLandscape

ThePoweroftheScout

One of the most common tendencies of any business is to become inward-focused.It'salsooneofthemostdeadly."Navel-gazing"maybeallrightforZenstudentswhowanttotuneouttheworldandbecomemoreconnectedwiththeirinner, spiritual essence.But companies that spend toomuch timenavel-gazingare so enamoredwith and fascinated by themselves—their brilliantly-designedprocesses, their wonderful corporate culture, their admirable history, theirfabulousproductsandservices—thattheygraduallylosesightofthepurposeofitall:servingcustomers.It'sunderstandablethatthisshouldhappen.Asacompanygrows,anincreasingdegreeofself-consciousnessisnecessaryandimportant.Managersneedtotaketime to reflect on how the company operates, to develop systems that areadaptive and flexible, and to massage the culture so that positive traits areencouraged and negative traits are squashed. All of this requires some self-analysis.Acompanythatcan'tperformsuchinward-focusedanalysisisdoomedto growwilly-nilly, ending upwith structures thatmake little sense and oftendon'twork.Furthermore,with increasingsizecomesgrowingcomplexity,which inevitablyrequiresrules,standardization,andinternalsystemsofcommunication.Whenacompanyhas6or12oreven50employees,ideas,strategies,plans,andmethodscanbesharedbyosmosis.Getmuchbigger,andyouneedwaysofmakingsurethateveryoneisintheloopandonthesamepage.Suchdreadedphenomenaastheweekly staffmeeting, the companynewsletter, theproceduresmanual, andeven(horrors!)theHumanResourcesdepartmentallcomeintobeing.Softwaresystems to organize and link the multiplying parts of the company becomeincreasinglycomplicatedandimportant.Withthesephenomenacomesastaffofpeople—small at first, but growing over time—to create, administer, andmaintainthem.Here is where the risk of navel-gazing arises. As soon as internal systemsbecome important elements in your company's functioning, one or two or a

handfulofyourpeoplewillget themistaken impression that theyare themostimportant elements. These people become "keepers of the systems," theirprimary function enforcing the rules: "You need four copies of that form, notthree.""Youmissedthedeadlinebytwohours.""Wecan'tsolveyourcustomer'sproblembecauseoursystemwon'tpermitit.""Wecan'tfixthatmistakeandsaveaboatloadofmoneybecausethat'snotthewaywedothingsaroundhere!"SometimeswetrysohardtogetpeopletodrinktheKool-Aidthat,afterawhile,allwewantisKool-Aid.You'velookedattherolesoftheProcessMasterandtheLinkmakerinchangingthe systems or, when necessary, working around them to get the right thingsdoneinthecompany.ButanequallyimportantroleisplayedbysomeoneIcalltheScout.TheScout is the ignitedmanagerwhounderstands thepowerof thefourthIgnitionPoint—theLandscape.TheLandscapeistheoutsideworldinwhichourcompaniesoperate—aworldofcustomers, suppliers, competitors, and countless individuals and organizationsthat impinge on our activities in oneway or another. It's a complicated, ever-changingworldthatnoonepersoncancompletelymaster—becauseassoonashedid,somepartofitwouldhavealreadybeguntomorphbeyondrecognition.The best companies devote an extraordinary amount of time and effort tostudying the Landscape. Many others, however, get lost in navel-gazing,sometimes to the point where they actually forget about the needs of thosepeopleintheoutsideworldthatthecompanyactuallyexiststoserve.ThisiswheretheScoutcomesin.TheScoutknowshowtostudytheLandscape,measureitscontours,trackitschanges,andlookfortheopportunities,resources,pathways, andopenings it contains.TheScout knows and cares enough aboutinternalsystems,processes,andcommunicationmethodstobeabletousethemeffectively.But he isn't focused on them, and he never forgetswhy theywereinventedinthefirstplace—notfortheirownsake,buttoenablethecompanytodoabetterjobofservingtheworldatlarge.The Scout's chief way of staying abreast of changes in the Landscape is byconstant interaction with the two outside groups with whommost companieshave the strongest andmost important connections—their customers and theirvendors.Theserelationshipsoffercompaniesanamazingamountofuntappedpower.Andit'suptoignitedmanagerstomakeithappen.Intermsofsheerperson-hours,theconnections with customers and vendors are nurtured primarily by front-lineemployees—salespeople,servicereps,theproductionandstaffpeoplewhouse

thegoodsandservicesvendorsprovideandmakethecallswhenproblemsarise.Butfront-lineemployeesaren'tusuallywell-equippedtoactasScouts.Foronething, they're too busy just getting their routine tasks accomplished to devotesignificanttimetomonitoringtheenvironment,drawingconclusionsfromwhattheyobserve,andputtingthoseconclusionstoworkonbehalfofthecompany.Theyalsogenerally lack thebirds-eyeviewof thebusiness that'snecessary todrawmeaningoutofdiscretebitsofdata.SothemanagerinTheMiddlehastheresponsibility—andtheopportunity—ofmakingsenseoftheLandscapebyoperatingasaScout:servingastheantennaof the company andmaking sure that the rest of the organization never losessightoftherealworldasitshiftsandreshapesaroundthem.

Knowing Why They Buy: Understanding theCustomerLandscape

As Peter Drucker, arguably the most insightful management guru in history,famouslystated,"Thepurposeofbusinessistocreateandkeepacustomer."It'sabrilliantdefinitionbecauseitavoidsthequestion-beggingthatweakensmostofthe alternatives. Is the purpose of business (as somewould have it) to earn aprofit?That leaves unanswered the obvious and crucial question:How? Is thepurpose of business to produce excellent goods and services? That doesn'texplain why. Nor does it define that key word "excellent." Excellent in whatway?Forwhatpurpose?Measuredbywhosestandards?Bycontrast,theDruckerdefinitionputsthefocussquarelywhereitbelongs—onthe customer, the key person in any business person's universe and the mostdynamicforceinthemostimportantLandscapeeveryScoutneedstostudy.TheDrucker definition encompasses what's essential from other definitions ofbusiness.Thus,abusinessthatsucceedsincreatingandkeepingacustomerwillinevitablymakeaprofit(because,bydefinition,acustomerissomeonewhowillpayafairpriceforwhatyouprovideher).Itwillalsoproduceexcellentgoodsandservices(because,otherwise,nocustomerwillbewillingtobuy).Creatingand keeping customers includes, by implication, everything a business does:production, service, sales,marketing,distribution,allcenteredon thecustomerandherneeds.Unfortunately, however, not every company operates in accordance with theDruckerdefinition.Manybehaveasifcustomersareanuisance,amystery,or,at

best, an afterthought.Even companies that pride themselves on their excellentservice betray their real attitudes toward customers in subtle but significantways.For example, they trim the ranksof customer-facingworkers firstwhenthecompanybeltneeds tightening.Or theymeasureandgive incentives to theemployees in their call-in centers based on the speed with which they zoomthroughservicecalls,ratherthanontheskillandaccuracywithwhichtheysolvecustomerproblems.It'suptomanagersinTheMiddletokeepthecompany'seyeonthecrucialroleof the customer—to connect customers to the company and make sure thosebonds remain strong. And this begins with knowing customers: talking withthem, observing them, listening to their concerns, making their problems ourown.Whenitcomestocustomers, theScout is in theknow.Heorshedevotes timeeveryday tounderstanding thecustomers and their environment in away thataddsvalue to theircompany.Heorshemeets themon theirownturf,watchesthem buy and use the company's products and services, and talks with themabout how competing companies differ from his own. Then the Scout sharesknowledge with others in the company via internal white papers, reports,memos,presentations,Webpages,andplentyofelevatortalk.Andheintroduceskey customers to colleagues and counterparts in various divisions of thecompany,makingsurethateveryoneinthefirmhastheopportunitytoactuallyseeandinteractwiththatfabulousbeast—thecustomer—whoremainsforalltoomanyinbusinessaquasi-mythicalcreatureliketheunicornortheyeti.

TheScoutasEducator

BrianMonahan is a vice president and communications director at UniversalMcCann, the global media planning and buying agency. He manages 25employees who share a fascinating challenge—to manage sales of the newinteractive media, such as online advertising, within an organization that is apowerhouseoftraditionalmedia(television,radio,newspapers,magazines,andthelike).ThisassignmentisdesignedtotestBrian'sabilitytoserveasaScoutonbehalfofhiscompany.Heandhis teamare literallypioneers,exploringanewmediaLandscapeaboutwhichrelativelyfewpeopleinadvertisingareknowledgeable.Not only must Brian be effective at understanding how this Landscape is

affectingthecompany'scustomers,buthemustalsofindwaystocommunicatewhathe learns inameaningful,compellingfashion tocolleagueswho lackhiscomfortlevelwiththeworldofnewmedia.Brianusuallydoesnotbringcustomersandclientswhoaredeeply involved inonline marketing into meetings with his agency colleagues as an educationaltool."There'saprettybigculturaldividethere,andIdon'twanttomakeanyonefeeluncomfortableorself-consciousaboutwhattheydoordon'tknow."Instead,Brian,asScout,mustfindwaystocommunicatewhathelearnsabouttheonlineworldtohismoretraditionally-mindedcolleagues.Inpart,thechallengeisgenerational."Topmanagementisolder,"Brianexplains."Thatmeanswedon'thavesharedexperiences.Themusic,themovies,theTVshows,theeconomics,thepoliticians—everythingtheygrewupwithisdifferentfrom the things my teammembers and I grew up with. So if we're going tocommunicateourinsightsaboutnewmediatothemeffectively,ittakesopennessontheirpartandclearexplanationonourpart."In other cases, the gap between some of Brian's colleagues and the ultimatecustomers—theaudiences thatbothBrian's agencyand its clients are trying toreach—isbasedonlifestyles,interests,andvalues.Brianexplains:

Gettingotherpeopleexcitedaboutanewideacanbehardiftheydon'tliveit themselves. One example is Fantasy Football. Our agency spendsmillionsofdollarsonTVspotsthatarerunduringNFLtelecasts.I'vebeenpushingtocarveoffjustasmallshareofthattosponsortheAOLFantasyFootball program. But the reactions from different people here at theagency are all over the map. Upscale, techy males usually get itimmediately.ButotherswhothinkthatFantasyFootballisforgeeksdon'tgetexcitedaboutit.

OnewayBriantranslateswhathediscoversasaScoutintotermseveryonecangraspisbyusingtheuniversallanguageofnumbers:

To educate our older managers about the Internet and the interactiveprogramswe can sponsor there, I tell them about the quantitative resultssomeofourclientshaveobtained.It'sallaboutcustomersandtheirsuccess,whichiseasyforanyonetounderstand.Forexample,I'vemadecasestudiesillustrating the business results some clients have enjoyed through searchmarketing on sites like Google. The numbers prove that it really works,which demonstrates that we need to get really good at this capability orsomeothercompanywillgetthebusiness.

Brian also reaches out to colleagues in many departments at the agency,

spreadinghis insights and ideas around in searchof allies and supporterswhocan help convert potential into reality. For example, when working on apromotionaldealwithTheNewYorkTimesaimedatmarketingtothefansofthepaper'sworld-famousdailycrosswordpuzzle—adevoted,orassomewouldsay,addictedaudience—Brianquicklyrecognizeditscross-disciplinaryimplications."Thisisaconceptthatshouldbeonlinebutinthenewspaper,too.ThatmeansIhavetoreachouttoanothergroup,tapanotherbudget,andgetadifferentsetofpeopleinvolvedinreadingandanalyzingthedataanddevelopingtheprogram."Intheend,theprimarydrivingforcethatBrianandotherScoutsrelyontohelpthemspreadtheirinsightsthroughouttheircompaniesisthepressureexertedbyevolving customer demands. When the Landscape is shifting in fundamentalwaysthattheScoutisthefirsttorecognize,thecompetitiveequationalsoshiftsinwaysthatmayultimatelythreatenacompany'sverysurvival.In Brian's world, the shift is about the increasing difficulty his agency'sadvertising clients are experiencing in reaching their goals. "Thedrum-beat ofclientdissatisfactionwithTVCPMsissteadilyincreasing,"henotes.(CPM,orcostperthousandimpressions,isthemostcommonmeasureoftherelativecostandeffectivenessofvariousadvertisingmedia.)"Thisisforcingagenciestolookforotherwaystohaveanimpact.Soadvertisingandrelationshipmarketinghavebecome more aligned, and there's now a greater emphasis on globalcoordination.Andonlinemarketingplaysabigroleinallofit."This, then, is what gives the Scout his ultimate authority—the all-importantvoiceofthecustomer,whichtheScoutispositionedtohearandinterpretonhiscompany'sbehalf.

MakingCustomersintoPartners

At their best, Scouts are able to forge such close relationshipswith customersthattheyturnintopartners,helpingtodesignandshapecompanystrategiesandprograms for everyone'sbenefit.Here are someof the techniquesmanagers inTheMiddlehavedevelopedtomakethispossible:

Continually tap the insights of your front-line team members. Not everymanager has everyday direct access to customers. If you are not client-facing, make it part of your daily routine to seek the latest customerinformationfromthosewhoare.Thistakestactandskill,becausenotevery

salesreporcustomerserviceagentknowshowtocommunicatethenuancesof client concerns.When seeking customer feedback through your front-line people, avoid yes-or-no questions, which often push respondentstowardparticularexpectedanswers.Instead,askopen-endedquestionsthatpromoteongoingdialogue,andlisten,always,forthe"messagebehindthemessage"—the unspoken concerns that underlie customer dissatisfaction.Forexample,ratherthanasking,"Arecustomersmainlycomplainingaboutthepriceofourproducts,"ask,"Whataresomeofthemainconcernsyouhearcustomerstalkingabout?"Look for opportunities to bring customers in-house. Periodic customerforums, thank-you parties, or open houses can be a great way to givecustomersdirectaccesstothepeopleatyourcompany.MakesurethatthecompanyrepresentationextendsbeyondtheusualsuspectsfromSalesandMarketing. Encourage people from Production, Finance, R&D, HumanResources,andotherdepartmentstoattendaswell.Thereareboundtobesomeeye-openingexchangeswhenevermanagersgetface-to-facewiththereal,livecustomerswhoultimatelypaytheirsalaries.Invite customers to help design your products, services, and client-facingsystems.Don'trelysolelyonyourproductdesignersorITprofessionalstosolicitfeedbackonyourcompany'sofferings.Encouragepeoplethroughouttheorganizationtoinvolveacross-sectionofcustomerswhenevertheyaredevelopinganynewproductor service thatwill affect them.Youmaybestunnedtodiscoverthatsomeofthefancybellsandwhistlesyourengineersare most proud of are irrelevant to customers' real needs—while simple,inexpensive features that no one in-house has considered could addenormouslytoyourofferings'appeal.Spend part of every week out in the "real world." You can't know theLandscapeunlessyouareimmersedinit.Thismeanscontinuallyrefreshingyour awareness ofwhat is happening in the competitive arena fromyourcustomers' point of view.Doyouproduce a consumer product that's soldthrough retail outlets?Try tovisit onenew store everyweek, looking forwhat is unique and different about that particular set of customers andseeking new trends they may represent. Are you in a B2B (business-to-business) industry? Spend time each week with one of your customers,watchinghowheusesyourproductorserviceonthefactoryfloororinhisoffice, noting the features that frustrate or delight him and observing theunsolvedproblemsheisgrapplingwith—whichyourcompanymaybeable

tofix.Cherish complaints. Every letter, call, or e-mail with a gripe about yourcompanyisagift—becauseeachonerepresentsanuntoldnumberofotherpeople who share the same complaint but haven't bothered to express it.Rather than blowoff complainers ("This dope doesn't even knowhow touseourproduct!")orsoft-soapthem("Sendherafewcoupons—that'llshuther up"), take them seriously.Delve intowhy their experience with yourcompanyhasbeenunsatisfactoryand look forwaysyoucanchangeyourproduct,service,systems,orprocesses toeliminate theproblemor (betteryet) turn it into a source of pleasure for the customer. Then tell thecomplainerwhatyou'vedoneandwhy—arespectfulgesturethatinandofitself is likely to transform an unhappy camper into a fan and booster ofyourcompany.Learnfrompeoplewhoarenotyourcustomers.There'softenmoretolearnfromthosewhodon'tbuythanfromthosewhodo.Don'tdismissthemwithlineslike,"Theyjustdon'tgetit."Instead,studytheoptionspeoplechoosewhentheydon'tchooseyou,andmakeanefforttogetinsidethosechoices.That'stheonlyeffectivewaytochangethem.

Youmaybe surprisedat the simpleeleganceof someof thediscoveriesyou'llmake.WhenAM/FMRadio hired a fancy consultant to find out what clientswanted, thefacilitatorwhorandozensof focusgroupsboileddowntheresultsintothesebasicpropositions:1. 1.Runmyspotsasordered.2. 2.Bringmeideas.3. 3.Makemelookgoodinfrontofmyboss.

Most companies like to talk about their closeness to customers. Few reallyachieve it. Those that do have talented and persistent Scouts who devote asignificant chunk of their time to simply being with customers and reallylisteningtowhattheyhavetosay.

LearningfromYourVendors

After customers, the second great constituent group that many companies

neglect is vendors—those people and organizations that sell you goods andservices.Virtuallyeverycompanyreliesonvendorstomakeitsownoperationspossible.Theyincludenotjustthecompaniesthatsellyougoodsyouresellorpartsandcomponents that go into your products, but also the companies that provideservicesofeverykindthatkeepyourunning,fromaccountantsandlawyersandbusiness consultants, to marketing, advertising, and public relations agencies,and from shipping and logistics companies to suppliers of office services,temporaryhelp,andeventhepeoplewhomopyourfloorsandwateryourplants.Vitalasourvendornetworksare,mostcompanieshaveunevolvedrelationshipswiththem,oftenadversarialandprice-centered:"Canyougiveusatwopercentbetterdealnextyearthanlast?Ifnot,we'llbesigningupwithyourcompetitor—thanks for the tenyearsof service,anddon't let thedoorhityouonyourwayout." Some market-dominating firms, like Wal-Mart, are famous for theirwillingnesstosqueezeeverylastcentoutoftheirvendordeals,usingtheirsizeand clout to leverage price concessions that improve their own bottom lineswhilemakingtheirvendorrelationshipsantagonisticatbest.There'snodoubtthatpriceisalwaysimportant.Butifyouthinkaboutvendorspurelyintermsofbeatingthemdownoncost,you'remissingtheboat.Vendorshaveadifferentperspectiveonyourbusinessandhowyoudoit.Inmanycases,theyworkwithyourcompetitorsandhaveinformationaboutthemarket,aboutcustomers,andaboutemergingtrendsthatcouldbedisruptivetoyourcompany.The closer and more positive your vendor relationships are, the better yourchances of learning some of this information early enough to use it for yourbenefit.AmItalkingaboutcorporateespionagehere?Notatall—youdon'twanttoputyour vendors in the awkward position of having to say no to a request forconfidential or proprietary information about another customer of theirs. Butyour vendors have a unique and often valuable point of view about yourcompanybasedontheirexperiences,andyouhavemuchtolearnfromlisteningtothem.TheScoutseesvendorsasavitalpartofhisorhernetwork.Amongotherthings,vendorscanteachyou

Howtosavemoneybystreamliningoreliminatingcomplexprocesses.Howto improveproductsorservicesbyborrowing(andenhancing) ideasdevelopedelsewhere.

Howtosolveproblemsyoufacethatothercompanieshavegrappledwith.Howtothinkdifferentlyaboutyourownbusiness(andavoidthe"drinkingourownKool-Aid"syndrome).Where the most skilled and knowledgeable employees, consultants, andserviceproviderscanbefound.Aboutalternative sources forgoodsandservicesonwhichyourcompanyrelies.

Some vendors create incredible value for their customers in ways that go farbeyond the traditional customer-seller relationship. A shipping company likeUPS can offer remarkable expertise in logistics, warehousing, and customerservice developed through decades of experience serving thousands ofcompanies in every industry around the world. An auto parts supplier likeJohnsonControlsprovidesitscarmakercustomerswithinvaluableinsightsintoautodesigntrendsbasedonitsownintensiveresearchintothehabits,needs,andwishesofdriversandpassengers.Thebest advertisingagenciesare sourcesofenormousvolumesofdataandinsightintoconsumerbehaviorderivedfromtheirextensive research studies. If you don't take full advantage of these kinds ofresources,youarewastinga largeportionof themoneyyourcompanyspendswithitsvendors.

Bose and JIT II—AManager in theMiddleTransformsVendorRelationships

OneofthemostfamousexamplesofaninnovativeandhugelybeneficialvendorrelationshipistheJIT("Just-in-Time")IIsupplymanagementsystemdevelopedin the late 1980s at the Bose Corporation, the maker of high-end audioequipment.Almost20yearslater,JITIIisstillconsideredapowerfulmodelfortappingvendorexpertise.Remarkably,thisbreakthroughprogramwaslaunchedanddesignedbyamanagerinTheMiddle,adirectorofpurchasingandlogisticsforBosenamedLanceDixon.In Dixon's own account, the idea for improving Bose's supply managementprogram originated when he observed something dysfunctional in his role asScout:

The Bose JIT II approach to supplier relations began in 1987 when I

happenedtolookoutmyofficedoorandnoticedatop-notchsalesmanforG&FIndustries,anexcellentmanufacturerofplasticpartsandrelateditemsandamajorsuppliertoBoseCorporation,talkingtooneofourbestbuyers.AndIrealizedwhattheyweredoing.The salesmanwasn't selling. The buyerwasn't buying. These two highlypaid people were talking about day-to-day orders—administering therelationship.AndIthought,"Thatisn'tright."Neitherofthemwereoperatingatthehighendoftheirskillset.[1]

[1] Lance Dixon, "JIT II: A New Approach to SupplyManagement."Center for Quality ofManagementJournal,Autumn1992,page15.

To remedy the problem, Dixon developed a systemwhereby Bose's supplierswerebroughtin-house.JITIIwouldrequirethatkeysuppliersstationafull-timerepresentative at Bose plants to monitor inventory levels and to manage thedemand forecasting, ordering, and replenishment processes between the twocompanies.Dixonselectedplasticsandprinting tobe the first twocommoditygroupsmigratedtothenewpurchasingregime.The planned introduction of JIT II wasn't without controversy. Letting anemployee of your supplier walk unhindered around your plant, observingeverything, andeven readingyourbusinessdocuments,wasunheardof.SomeBoseexecutivesthoughtthatJITIIwouldmakethecompanytotallyreliantonafewselectedsuppliers.ItwasuncertainhowfairnegotiationsandpricescouldbeguaranteedinanarrangementwherethesupplierhadfullaccesstoconfidentialBoseinformation.Dixonhimselfwasn'tsurehowtomakeJITIIattractivetohisselectedvendors—afterall,wasn'tthereadangerthatthesupplierrepresentativestationedatBosewouldbecome"captive"tothecustomer'sinterests?Understandably,Dixonhadatoughjobconvincingtopmanagementthathisplanmade sense.Theyhad the traditionalmentality regardingvendor relationships,which focused on squeezing suppliers on prices. But Dixon realized that thecostsassociatedwithmanagingsuppliers,ordering,andwarehousingparts—nottomentionthelossesincurredwhenBosewasoutofstockonavitalcomponent—faroutweighedthecostsavingsBosecouldreachthroughtoughnegotiations.Dixon pushed ahead. The supplier representatives were brought into Bose'sfacilityinFramingham,Massachusetts.TheyworeBosebadges,satinonBosemeetings, and placed orders for the companies' products using Bose purchaseorders.Basicpurchasesusingstandardparametersrequirednospecialapproval;largerordersoutside theconventional frameworkneeded thesignoffofaBose

purchasingsupervisor.Within five years, seven major suppliers were participating in JIT II. Bosereportedsavingsofabout$1millionayearonoverheadalone.Andwithsomekeyvendors,thenewefficiencieswereenormous.Dixonnoted,"OnpartsfromG&F Industries, moreover, the new system has allowed a reduction ininventories to one-seventh or even one-ninth the already low levels we hadreachedwithourconventionalJust-in-Timeprogram."Soon other companies, from IBM and AT&T to Honeywell, Motorola, andJohnson Wax were adapting JIT II for their own purposes. Current businesstrends, from increased outsourcing to the use of the Internet as a powerfulcommunications medium, have only enhanced the usefulness of this nowvenerableprogram.Forexample,theFoxboroCompany,aMassachusetts-basedmaker of automation systems, has worked with Sun Microsystems and DellComputertocreatecustomizedWebsitesthatallowFoxboroanditssupplierstocommunicate globally in real time about their need for parts and components,current price points and specifications, and other data, all of itmonitored andusedbyin-plantvendorrepresentatives.Closevendor relationships like those facilitatedby the JIT II systemdon't justlead to increased efficiencies (valuable as these are).They also producemanyotherbenefits:

Whenanewproductisbeingdesigned,on-sitevendorrepscanparticipatein thediscussions,offering ideas for theuseof cost-saving standardpartsadaptedforthenewpurpose.Vendor reps can alert their home companies in advance about newcomponents that may be needed, permitting time-saving "concurrentengineering"ofnewproductdesigns.When the transition from drawing board tomanufacturing plant is underway,thevendorrepcananticipateproblemsrelatedtothehandlingofpartsontheassemblylineandsolvetheminadvance.When a vendor firm anticipates supply shortages or heavier-than-normaldemandforakeypart,theon-siterepcanwarnthehostcompanyandmakesurethatadequatesuppliesareavailable.Qualitycontrolandconsistencyproblemsrelated topartsandcomponentscanbefixedmuchmorequicklyandeasily.

JITIIisabrilliantexampleofhowstrongvendorconnectionscanenableaScout

to vastly improve the intelligence level of his company, facilitating smarter,fasterdecisionsandsaving time,money,andenergy.Butyoudon'thave togotheJITIIroutetoenjoymanyofthesebenefits.Justworkinghardtocreateandmaintainclose,positiverelationshipswithvendorsandconstantlymonitoringtheever-changing Landscape in which they operate can yield most of the sameresults.Theseresultsarealotmoremeaningfulthanthesavingsyoucanenjoysimply by beating up your supplierswhen it comes time to negotiate the nextcontract.

Using the Internet to Scan and Master YourLandscape

Asyou'veseen,theScoutaddsvaluetothecompanybythebreadth,depth,andcurrencyofherknowledgeoftheLandscapeinwhichthecompanyoperates—inparticular,thecompetitivearenaswherecustomersandvendorsliveandwork.At one time, Scouts gathered their knowledge of the Landscape primarilythroughpersonal,oftenface-to-facecommunication—breakfasts,lunches,phoneconversations,andgeneral"schmoozing."Allofthesearestillimportant.Soarethe traditional media of mass communication—trade journals, businessmagazines, newspapers, and television and radio broadcasts that focus onbusiness trends.But today, the Internet has takenon enormous importance forthesavvyScout.Whilealwaysabrilliantresearchtool,anexplosionofuser-generatedcontentontheInternetnowavailableinblogs,socialnetworks,andvideosharingtakesustothefrontlineswherewecanlisten,learn,andinteractwithconsumersdirectly.Blogs,originallyknownasweblogs,haveinspiredawholenewbreedofcitizenjournalist,givenplatforms tonewstarssuchascelebritygossiperPerezHiltonandgivenusguides in theformofBoingBoing.com,specializinginwonderfulthings,orTechcrunch,asiteprofilingInternetcompaniesandproducts.SocialnetworkssuchasMySpaceandFacebookhaveallowedpeopletoconnectwith friends, and the friendsof their friends, to share theirpassionsaswell aslikes and dislikes. In social networks, users join groups around their interests.Theseinterestgroupsmightgiveyouinsightintoaparticularmarket,suchasthecouplehundredwhojoinedthe"OnceIstartitchingmyeyeIcan'tstop"group,or you may actually find your own brand being discussed. A quick searchrevealed dozens of groupsmentioningNordstrom's, groups for employees and

customers.OnegroupinparticularsharestheirpassionforNordstrom'sbrandedsaladdressing.Video networks such as YouTube, Metacafe, and Break.com have givenfilmmakers, speechmakers, and aspiring tastemakers a place to share theirpolishedproductionsorwebcamvideos.Humorplaysabigarole,butsodoeseducation.YoucanlearnhowtopayforoneCokebutgetthreefromavendingmachine—somethingthevendingguyneedstoseerightaway—oryoucanalsolearnhowtorunyouriPodfroma9-voltbattery.Theopportunitiestoseeyourconsumers in action with your brand or talking about your industry seemendless. A quick search under customer service featured recorded customerservicecalls fromAppleandAOL.None toocomplimentary.Theconsumer isnow empowered and driving the conversation that ultimately defines what abrandisandhowyou,inyourjob,shouldbeservingthem.All of this threatens the old and traditional rules of corporate communication,which focusonaconsistentmessageanda spin that's approvedat the topandpushed down and out. You've probably encountered the slightly paranoidapproach thatmany traditionalcompanies take towardpubliccommunications:"It'sa reporteron the line?CallourP.R.guy—no,make thatour lawyer—andwhatever you do,don't sayanything!"When this is the prevalent attitude, thewide-openatmosphereoftheblogosphereisunderstandablyfrightening.Occasionalhorrorstoriesaboutconsumer-drivenblogsreinforcetheanxiety.InSeptember2004,amakerofbicyclelocksnamedKryptonitewasblindsidedbyaseriesofpostingsonblogsfrequentedbybikeloversthatclaimedcertainmodelsofKryptonite lockswere vulnerable to picking simply by using a plastic pen.Initially disregarding the furor ("It's just a few techies, so no big deal"),Kryptonite soon found its products being pulled off the shelves of bike storesanditssalesplummeting.The company has since recovered, introducing a new line of locks with thedesignflawremedied.Andtheyhavealsomademonitoringoftheblogosphere—andparticipationinblogforumsaboutbiking—aregularpartoftheirpublic-outreach efforts. Other companies who worry about being hit by a similarnightmareoughttoadoptthesamepolicy.There'snodoubtthatgettinginvolvedinbloggingrequiresamindsetadjustment.Whenacompanyallowsorevenencouragesitsemployeestocreateblogsabouttheir products, services, or industry, it is saying, "We trust you and yourjudgmentenoughtogiveyoufreedom.Webelievethat,inthelongrun,allofus—employees, customers, and the company itself—will benefit from open

communication."Thisisaconfusingtimeformanycompanies,anditnodoubtfeelsabitliketheWildWest.Thatsaid,buryingyourheadinthesandisnoanswertothegrowingpowerofuser-generatedcontentandonlinecommunities.Withover50millionactiveblogs,100millionregisteredusersatMySpace,andover100millionvideosviewedeachdayonYoutube.comalone,we'reinforanew world of communication and a new way for you to gain competitiveadvantage. Ifyou're justbeginning toexplore this,herearesome ideas tohelpyoubecomemoredeeplyengaged:

Find existing blogs that are relevant to your company and industry, andvisitthemoften.It'savirtualcertaintythattherearealreadyblogsfocusedonyourbusiness—andperhapsevenonyourcompany.AtopicalsearchviaTechnorati,a searchenginededicated to theblogosphere,oryour favoritesearchenginewilluncoverafew;eachblogyoufindwillleadyoutoothersvia embedded links, which virtually every blog has in abundance.Bookmarkthemostlivelyblogsyoufind,keepaddingtothelist,andvisitthemoften.Ifyou'vebeguntoexploreRSS(reallysimplesyndication)andhaveanRSS reader setup,youcan subscribe tomultipleblogsandhavethemaggregated intoonedestination forviewing.Regardlessofhowyouorganizeyourblogs,you'll learna lotaboutwhatpeoplearesayingaboutyour industry and your company—including, at times, valuable insideinformationaboutyourcompetitors.Consider participating in blogs, including those aimedat your customersand vendors. Smart businesses are using blogs as a way of talking withpeople who matter to them. Within your industry, there are probably acoupleofcompaniesblogginganddozensofindividualsbloggingoneventhemost seeminglyminor issues.When you have something interesting,relevant,andhonesttosayaboutatopicthatisunderdiscussionononeofthese blogs, log in and comment about it. If you see a partner of yoursdisparaged in a blog, and you can speak up in support of them, considerdoingso.You'llbe representingyourbusiness, reachingout tocustomers,andrespondingtotheirneedsandconcerns—allvitalpartsofyourroleasaScoutforyourcompany.However,beforeyoudoanyofthis,findoutwhatthepoliciesareatyourcompanyandeitherfollowtheirguidelinesorbeginusingyourinfluenceasanignitedmanagertoeducatethosearoundyouandraiseyourcompany'sdialoguewithconsumers.

Consider launchingyourownpublicblogasacompanyrepresentative.Acompany-authorizedblogcanbeausefulpublicrelationstool—aforumforcustomerquestions,abulletinboard fornewsof interest,anexchange fornew ideas about how to use your products and services. Microsoft hasseveral hundred bloggers sharing their work and collectively humanizingtheircompany'scorporateimage.Butbeawarethatittakestimetomaintainagoodblog.Ifyouhopetoattractregularvisitors,youneedtocreatefreshcontent at least once per week. So don't get involved in blogging unlessyou're comfortable with that kind of commitment. When it comes totechnology, companies likeGoogle'sBlogger.commake setting up a blogprettyeasy.Join a social network.We've talked about linkedin.com and that's a no-brainerforbusinessneworking,butFacebook,MySpace,andothersocialnetworkshavethegroups,andthegroupsarewhereyou'llfindconsumersconnecting and sharing their thoughts. As a member you can join thesegroupsandevenstartgroups.Keepinmind,however,thatthespiritinthesecommunitiesis just likethatoftheInternet—open,sharing,andfreefromcommercializationwithinpublic forums.Sure, the last point gets violatedoften,butit'salsoamongthegreatestcomplaintsoftheuserbaseaszealousbands and side-show hucksters over-promote their wares to the wary.Instead, join a community where you've got something to contribute.According tomy friends in this business, the bestmodel for communityinteractionistoseedthediscussionwithinterestingideasandcontributions,listen intently as the conversation evolves, and then demonstrate yourlisteningbyrespondingwithideascraftedfromtheirinput.RegisterataVideoNetwork.Withregistrationyou'llgaintheabilitytotagthevideosofinterestandcollectthemforlaterviewing.Youcanalsoratethe videos, share them with friends, and contact the creators. After theCoke/Mentosvideosthatdazzledusallandgeneratedmillionsofviewings,Coke reached out to the creators, Fritz Grobe and Stephen Voltz ofeepybird.com,andpartneredfor theEepyBirdChallenge.Yourbrandmaybe lucky enough to have a community of users who find great pleasureshootingyourproductintotheairoryoumayhavetotakeituponyourselfto create your own videos to demonstrate, in a less dramatic way I'dimagine,howtouseandenjoywhatyousell.Regardless,thesevideositesempowerthesharingandthesizesoftheiraudiencesmaketheirrolegoingforwardundeniable.

Think through your message before you hit the Enter button. Digitalcommunication is notoriously easy. It takes just a few seconds to type amessageandsenditwheelingthroughcyberspacewhereanyonecanreadit.Before you commit yourself, force yourself to think carefully aboutwhatyouwanttosay,howyouwanttosayit,andwhetheryouwanttopubliclyacknowledgethemessageasarepresentativeofyourfirm.Ifindoubt,holdback!Youcanalwaysrevisittheideainafewhoursortomorrowmorningandsendoutthemessageifitstillmakessensetoyou.

Ofcourse,assavvywebusersandmultitaskers,you'reprobablysurfingthewebtoexploresomeofthisnow.However...knowthatwe'vegotyoucoveredaswellwithalistofInternetresourcesatwww.BeIgnited.com.Today, blogs are among the hottest and most rapidly-evolving forms ofcommunication in theworld. Tomorrow, therewill undoubtedly be some newwayof trackingpeople'schangingattitudes, interests,and ideas,perhapsusingsome technologywecanonly speculate about today.Whatever it is, theScoutwillbeamongthefirsttodiscoveritanddevelopitsfullpotentialforthebenefitofthebusiness,aswellashisorherowncareer.

10IgnitionPoint5:TheStrategy

TheProblemwithStrategy

Strategyisoneofthosebigconceptsthatpeopleinbusinessfeelobligedtopayhomageto.Inpart,it'samatterofhierarchyandpower.Corporationstodaypaymillionstothemenandwomenintheirverytopechelons,thefolkswhobreathethe rarefied air of theC-suite.Andwhat exactly do they do to earn those bigbucks?Theircentralfocusisusuallytheoveralldirectionofthefirm—inotherwords,itsstrategy.But the truth about strategy is that strategy is often more pull than push.Traditionalstrategyisshapedin theboardroom,butrealstrategy—oftencalledemergentstrategy— takes shapeon the street.Youopena cafedecoratedwithgorgeousartandfindthatyourcustomerswouldratherpulltheirchairsoutsidetoeat.Traditionalstrategygetsyoutofirstbase.Emergentstrategygetsyoutohomeplate.Experienceshows that top-downstrategyhasan inherentweakness: It tends tobedivorcedfromtherealitiesontheground.Thesamekindsofproblemsarisein every field of human activity—just ask any historian who has studied themisstepsof"thebestandbrightest"whentheycraftedtop-downstrategyfortheAmericanwarinVietnam...orourmorerecentstrugglesinIraq.The problems with traditional strategic planning are incredibly costly. AuthorandconsultantLaurenceHaughtonreportsthattheaveragebigcompanyspendsasmuch as 25,000 person-days on planning for every billion dollars in sales.Thisamountsto$1.2billiondollars'worthofplanningatacompanylikeFord.[1]"Yet theextraordinary reality is that fewexecutives think this timeconsumingprocess pays off," conclude authors Eric Beinhocker and Sarah Kaplan. Oneexecutive comments, "[It's] like some primitive tribal ritual. There is a lot ofdancing,wavingof feathersandbeatingofdrums.Noone isexactlysurewhywedoit,butthereisanalmostmysticalhopethatsomethinggoodwillcomeoutofit."[2]

[1]J.HopeandR.Fraser,WhoNeedsBudgets.CitedinHaughton,2005.

[2]E.BeinhockerandS.Kaplan,"TiredofStrategicPlanning?"TheMcKinseyQuarterly,citedbyHaughton.

ThePowerofthePilot

Strategicplanning, then,oftenoccurs inanabstractvacuum,whereahands-onknowledgeofthecompany'sreal-worldchallengesandopportunitiesisabsent.That'sthebadnews.Thegoodnewsisthat,atmanycompanies,greatstrategiesgetdevelopedandimplementedanyway—evenwhentheyarenothandeddownfrom the mountaintop. Instead, they take shape in response to ground-levelmarketconditionsandareimplementedbymanagers inTheMiddle.Whenthebehaviorofcustomers,competitors,vendors,regulators,andotherplayersinthearenamake thecompany's "official" strategy ineffective, thesemanagersmakemid-course corrections on the fly. Theymodify product and service offerings,improvisenewmarketingandsalestechniques,assembletaskforcestorespondto unexpected challenges, speed up or slow down or cancel long-plannedinitiatives,andquietlyshelvethecherishedprogramsofthetopbrassinfavorofprojectssuggestedbytheirpeopleinthefrontlines.Often,whenthedustsettlesandthefinancialresultsaretallied,itistheadhoctacticsdevelopedbythemanagersinTheMiddleratherthanthegrandstrategiesof the central planners that spell the differencebetween loss andprofit in anygivenyear.Andoften thoseadhoc tactics become the basis for the followingyear's corporate strategy—if the leaders in the C-suite are smart enough torecognize thevalueof thestrategic thinking that'sgoingon in theircompany'sfield offices, factories, warehouses, showrooms, and departmental meetingrooms.Management experts have long recognized this paradoxical reality aboutbusiness and the importance of emergent strategy. Here's how one of today'sleadingstrategythinkersdescribesit:

HenryMintzberg,authoroftheclassicmanagementtextTheRiseandFallofStrategicPlanning,hasstudiedwhat reallyhappensunder theguideofstrategicdevelopment.Hisfindingsareeye-opening....[F]ully90percentof the results projected in most companies' formal strategic planningprocesses never come to fruition. Instead, they fall by the wayside,vanishingintothelimboof"unrealizedstrategy."...

But what is the source of the other 90 percent of what companies do?Mintzbergcalls it "emergentstrategy."Thisdescribes theseriesofad-hocinitiatives,reactions,decisions,andchoicesthatmanagersmakeinresponseto daily pressures, without guidance from any overarching strategicconcept. Taken together, they amount to the real strategy that mostcompaniesfollow.[3]

[3]WilliePietersen,ReinventingStrategy.NewYork:JohnWiley&Sons,2002,pages44-45.Here, then, is the strategic role of managers in the middle—not simply toexecutethestrategydictatedbythetopexecutivesofthefirm,buttosupplementit with creative ideas, initiatives, and inventions of their own, driven by theirfirst-hand knowledge of developments in the competitive arena, their owncapabilities, and the openings for profit they perceive. The manager whounderstandsthischallengeandrisestomeetitiswhatwecallaPilot—someonewhospotsthepathwayofopportunityandsteersthecompany(orthepartofthecompanyhecontrols)inthatdirection.ThePilotisthemakerofemergentstrategyandtherefore,inaprofoundsense,ashaperofthecompany'sdestiny.Heis,then,theprogenitorandchampionofthefifth Touchstone—the real Strategy that actually drives the future revenues,profit,andgrowthofhisfirm.ThePilotcan:

Identifynewcompetitivethreatsinthemarket,measuretheirstrengthsandweaknesses,andtestresponsesRecognize new trends among customers, vendors, and other players andexperimentwithwaystoturnthosetrendsintoopportunitiesSpot process innovations or creative concepts developed by front-lineworkers, recognize their broader potential, and help disseminate themthroughoutthecompanyLaunch small-scale programs around new products, services, marketingmethods,inter-companypartnerships,andotherinitiativesChangetheentirecourseofacompanybycreatingastrategicbreakthrough

Asanignitedmanager,youneedtospendsomepartofeveryweekfocusingonyourroleasPilot,lookingforthreateningshoalsandpromisingopensealanes,andworkingtosteeryourcompanyawayfromtheformerandtowardthelatter.

UpdatingaLegacyfortheTwenty-FirstCentury

One of the most fascinating strategic challenges that is shared by manyincumbent firms is figuring out how to update a rich corporate legacy,transforming what might be a dead weight of tradition and history into apowerfulcompetitiveadvantagefor today'smarketplace.It'sachallengethat isbeing conquered by one of America's most historic businesses, the RawlingsSportingGoods company, by using its century of experience and expertise incraftinghigh-qualitygearforbaseballandothersportsas thebasisforasetofvaluable tools for twenty-first century athletes.And the processwas launchednotbyastrategicplanningdepartmentoranoutsideconsultant,butbyanignitedmanager named Andy Pawlowski, who saw the potential for a powerfulemergentstrategyandranwithit.AndyjoinedRawlingsin2002intheroleofpromotionsmanager,chargedwithrunning thecompany'sco-opmarketingprogramsanddealingwith theoutsidefirm that managed the Rawlings Web site. Just 26 years old with a freshly-mintedMBA,AndywasabitofamaverickintheRawlingsculture.Foundedin1887,theSt.Louis-basedfirmwasdominatedbymaleex-jocksintheirfortieswho loved sports andweredeeplypassionateabout theRawlingsgloves,bats,and other gear they remembered from their own playing days. For them, theRawlingstraditionofexcellencewasclosetoperfectandneedednoupdatingorimprovement.Andy shared his colleagues' appreciation for Rawlings' history. He wasimpressedbythestoriesheheardaboutthecompany'scontributionstosports—for example, the fact that almost all of the performance features that baseballplayers take for granted in their gloves, from leather fingers topadding to thewebbingusedtosnareballs,wereoriginatedbycraftsmenatRawlings.Buthealsosensedthatthecompanyneededafreshapproachtocompeteinthetwenty-first century. Companies like Nike had entered the baseball marketplace,bringingwiththemahipbrandimageandinnovativeproductdesigns.Rawlingsneededanewstrategyifitwastoremainrelevanttonewgenerationsofathletesandretainitsmarketleadership.Butwheretobegin?MarketresearchgaveAndytheinsightheneeded.Asurveyrevealedthatnearlythree quarters of customers planning to buy new equipment for baseball orsoftballconductedonlineresearchbeforeshopping.TheInternet,then,couldbethe key leverage point for building a newRawlings image, one thatmade the

company's unmatched heritage into a valuable component of its sellingproposition.Andy spentmonthsworkingwith colleagues from throughout the company todevelopauniquearrayofcontentandonlinetoolsfortheRawlingsWebsite.Heresearched the company's history for a remarkable survey of baseball glovesfrom 1906 to today, highlighting the contributions made by Rawlings to theimprovement of sports equipment and of the game itself. Technical expertscreated Web pages designed to answer every conceivable question aboutbaseballgloves,suchasanexplanationofthethirteendifferentkindsofwebbingdesign and the advantagesof each.AndAndyworkedwithRawlings' productand R&D teams to develop an interactive tool to help customers choose theperfectgloveforthemselvesorforachild,basedonaseriesofquestionsaboutage,gender,positionplayed,"feel"desired,budget,andotherfactors.Most impressiveofall, if thetooldoesn'treturnasolutionfor theconsumer, itallows them to e-mail a member of the Rawlings design team to describe aunique need not currently met by the company's product line. "On severaloccasions,we'vemodified our productionplans tomanufacture a newkindofglovetomeetademandwedidn'tknowexisted,"Andysays."Forexample,untilwewerealertedbye-mailrequests,wedidn'trealizethattherewasamarketforleft-handed, youth-sized, fast-pitch softball gloves. Now we're making andselling them. At how many market-leading companies can you contact atechnical expert via e-mail and not only receive a prompt response, but alsoactuallygetanewproductmadetoyourspecifications?"The innovations have won acclaim in the industry. Rawlings' retail partnersreport that customers are visiting their stores armedwith accurate informationand product specs, and are excited about buying the newglove or bat they'veresearched online. Some observers are shocked to find such cutting-edgetechnology coming from a company they'd long viewed as tradition-bound.AbuyeratonemajorretailertoldAndy,"Frankly,Iwouldhaveexpectedthiskindof leadership fromNike or Adidas—not Rawlings." But, as Andy points out,neither Nike nor Adidas nor any other sporting goods company could havecreatedaWebsite likeRawlings', becausenoother companyhas thedepthofhistoryortechnicalexpertiserequired.Sincebeingpromotedtobranddirector,Andyhasdrivenhisemergentbrandingstrategy into other marketing areas as well. For example, there's a newpartnership with Electronic Arts, the leading sports-themed video gamecompany,whichnotonlyfeaturesRawlingsproductsinitsnewcollegebaseball

game,butactuallyintegratesthemintothecompetition.PlayerscanwinvirtualRawlingsgearas theyplay thegame,andwhentheyuse theirnewglovesandbats, their fielding and hitting actually improves—a subtle but powerfulvalidationandreinforcementofthegreatRawlingsbrand.Partly as a result ofAndy's innovations, the venerableRawlings name is nowbeingperceivedascoolbyawholenewgenerationofsportsenthusiasts.Andin2005,Rawlings'salesgrewsignificantly—nomeanfeatinaflatoverallmarket.Andy Pawlowski's creative role in reshaping Rawlings' image illustrates thepositiveimpactthatMiddleshiftmanagerscanhaveontheircompanies'strategy.And you don't have to wait until your boss invites you to join the strategicplanning team. All you need is a great idea and the willingness to make ithappen.

BeingCassandra

Championing emergent strategy sometimes means bucking your company'sestablishment—which,naturally,hasvowedallegiancetothetop-downstrategyformulated by the company's highest leaders. Sometimes this puts you in theawkwardpositionofhavingtoemphasizewhat'swrongwiththecompanyline—forthegreaterlong-termgoodofthecompany,ofcourse.In the classic management memoir Only the Paranoid Survive by Intel'slegendary CEO Andy Grove, he talks about the Cassandras in everyorganization. InGreekmythology,Cassandrawas theTrojan seerwho utteredtruthfulprophecies—includingwarningsofdanger—whichwereneverbelieved.In business, a Cassandra is a bearer of bad tidings—someone within yourcompanywhowarnsyouofanimminentthreat,suchasadangerousnewrival,adisruptive technological innovation, a shift in customer preferences, or agrowinginternalweakness.Inmost companies, Cassandras get short shrift. They're called "pessimists" or"naysayers"or"doom-and-gloomtypes"andthey'retoldto"cutoutthenegativethinking."ButAndyGrovelearnedtolistentoIntel'sCassandras:

Although they can come from anywhere in the company, Cassandras areusually inmiddlemanagement;often theywork in the salesorganization.They usually know more about upcoming change than the seniormanagementbecausetheyspendsomuchtime"outdoors"wherethewindsoftherealworldblowintheirfaces....

Becausetheyareonthefrontlinesofthecompany,theCassandrasalsofeelmore vulnerable to danger than do seniormanagers in theirmore or lessbolstered corporate headquarters. Bad news has a muchmore immediateimpact on them personally. Lost sales affect a salesperson's commission,technology that never makes it to the marketplace disrupts an engineer'scareer.Thereforetheytakethewarningsignsmoreseriously.[4]

[4]AndrewGrove,OnlytheParanoidSurvive.NewYork:Doubleday,1999,pages108-109.One of Intel's CassandraswarnedGrove in the early 1980s about the need tomove the company from manufacturing memory-chips to focusing onmicroprocessors.Itwasaradicalmovethatmanyintheindustryquestioned.Butthis shift positioned Intel to benefit enormously when the personal computerbusinessboomedoverthefollowingdecade.As a Pilot, there may be times when you can't personally bring about thestrategicchangeyourcompanyneeds tomake.Thenecessaryshiftmaybe toolarge-scale,toocostly,ortoodramaticforamanagerinTheMiddletoundertakealone.Whenthishappens,yourresponsibilityistobeaCassandra—amessengerbringingpropheticinsighttothosewhoneedtohearit.Othertimes,yourjobistolistentotheCassandrasaroundyou—thosewhoworkonyourteam,orthosewho come to you because they can't get a hearing elsewhere. Sometimes theworry-wartswillbewrong.But the timeswhen theyare rightmayaffectyourcompany'sfatefordecadestocome.Betterbesurebeforeyouchoosetoignorethem.Nobodylikestohearbadnews.WhenyouplayCassandra, it's important tobepreparedwithplentyofhardfactstosupportyourargumentabouttheneedforstrategicchange—salesfigures,financialestimates,demographicdata,whatever.And unlike the original Cassandra, don't just offer the downside; suggest apositive response your company can make to transform the danger intoopportunity. If appropriate, offer to launch a pilot program to test your idea.Make it clear that you are ready to dowhat you can, personally, to solve theproblemyou'veidentified.Even so, don't expect to be welcomed with open arms. A Cassandra shouldexpectresistance.Ifyou'resureyou'reright,bepersistent.Andifandwhenyourprophecy is proven right, resist the temptation to gloat. But do find ways toclaimcreditforyourprognostication,anduseyournew-foundcredibilitytogainahearingforyourideasastowhatthecompanyoughttodonext.Youwillhaveearnedthatmuch.

MakingthePiecesFit:TheManagerintheMiddleasStrategicLinchpin

You may never have heard of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Because itoperates in the religious non-profit sphere, it flies under the radar of manybusiness people. Yet it's a large, complex organization with a challengingmission and a management structure that gives managers in The Middle anenormously powerful—and difficult—role to play in juggling a range ofconcerns in service to an overall strategy that is only broadly defined at theexecutivelevel.InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA is an evangelical campus ministryservingmore than 32,000 students and faculty onmore than 560 college anduniversity campuses nationwide. (Think of those students and faculty as the"customers" of InterVarsity.) Incorporated in 1941 and headquartered inMadison,Wisconsin,InterVarsityispartofaglobalmovementcurrentlyactiveinsomefourteencountries,aswellas48oftheUnitedStates,withsome1,200employeesintheU.S.OneofthemisGregJao.ThecomplexitiesofGreg'sjobbeginwiththefactthatheisn'tpurelyamanager.He estimates that he spends about one quarter of his time as an individualcontributor,helpingtodevelopcampusministriesatspecificcolleges,speakingatconferencesandmeetings,writingprogramoutlines,andsoon.Therestofhisenergy isdevoted tomanagingfront-linemanagers,a jobhe'sbeen learning todobydoingit.Likemanyorganizations,InterVarsityhasacomplicatedmanagementstructure."InterVarsityexistsatthreelevelssimultaneously,"Gregexplains:

At one level, we're a 501(c)3 organization [the specific not-for-profitdesignation that covers this group in the federal tax code] with twelvehundredemployees, a seventy-two-million-dollarbudget, andall the legaland financial and managerial requirements that any corporation that sizewouldhave.Andthosearetheissuesournationalstaffhastodealwith—things like human resources, insurance, staff training, headquartersoperations,andsoon.Atanotherlevel,we'reamovementofGodamongstudentsandfacultiesatuniversities. At this level, InterVarsity is really thirty-three thousandstudents, fourteen hundred faculty members, and the activities andministriesthey'reallinvolvedin.That'stheworkourfront-linepeopleare

focusedon.Andinthemiddleiswheremanagerslikemeoperate.Atthislevel,we'reacommunity of staff and colleagues, working together and supporting oneanother. Our job is figuring out how all the levels intersect so that theorganization attains its goals, serves the people we're here to serve, andgrowsandmaintainsitselfinastrong,stableway.

The challenges, of course, arise when the interests of the three levels of theorganizationcome intoconflict.Sometimes theneedsof studentsoncampusesclash with the needs of InterVarsity's management—for example, when abelovedorganizerofcampusministriesandcommunity lifegetspulledoff thefrontlinestojointheheadquartersstafforamanagerialteamatthemiddlelevel.Ontheotherhand,sometimesthesalesstaffmayhavetoforgoadesiredbenefitbecauseofaconflictinfundingpriorities,withthestudentworkgettinghigherbilling than internal needs.And on still other occasions, initiatives thatwouldserveboththefront-linestaffandthecampusoperationsmaybevetoedbecauseof issues at the headquarters level, such as insurance, risk management, ornationalbudgetaryconcernsthat,beyondacertainpoint,becomeunbudgeable.These kinds of conflicts aren't unique to InterVarsity—instead, they'recommonplaceinanynationalorglobalorganization.GregseesmanagingthemastheheartofhisroleasPilot:"Middlemanagement,"hesays,"iswherethoserealities intersect the most. And what makes one middle manager successfulwhileanotherisunsuccessfulistheabilitytonegotiatethemsuccessfully."Gregpointsout thatall three levelsneed tobeoutwardlyfocused,consciouslyworkingtocoordinatetheirgoalsandefforts:

Totheextentthatanygroupinsidetheorganizationrefusestoownallthreerealities, we tend to get ourselves in trouble. For example, whenever aparticularstateorlocalunitgetstooself-absorbedandstartssaying,"Forgetaboutwhat'shappeningnationally,we'rejustgoingtofocusonthisexcitingproject we've got going," inevitably they run astray and get into trouble.Whenever the national movement gets a little too obsessed with riskmanagementororganizationalrequirements,thentheentiresystemstartstoseizeup.Andwhenmanagersinthemiddlegettoofocusedonthemselves,thentheworksuffers.Sometimesyouhearamanagersaying,"I'mprimarilyinthisbecauseI'vegotsuchagreatteamofpeopletoworkwith."That'sawarningsign.Whenpeoplearetooconcernedwithenjoyingoneanother,theyoftenstopproducingtheworkthat'sneededandservingthepeoplewe'rehereto

ministerto.ForGreg Jao, then, the job of themanager in TheMiddle is to fit the broadconcerns of topmanagement into a coherentwhole togetherwith the specifictacticalobjectivesofindividualcampusministriesaswellastheorganizationalinterestsofstaffersandmanagersinbetweenthetwo.Onlyifthisjugglingactissuccessfulcantheorganization'soverallstrategybecarriedouteffectivelyatthegrass-rootslevel."Thesuccessfulmiddlemanager,"hesays,"canunderstandtheuniqueconcernsofallthreerealities,figureouthowtointegratethem,andhelppeoplealigntheirintereststogether."Without managers in TheMiddle playing this vital connecting role, top-levelstrategyisnothingbutacollectionofpapersgatheringdustontheshelvesbackatheadquarters.Luckily forGreg Jao, InterVarsity's top leaders recognize this reality. (Not allcorporatechieftainsdo.)Gregobserves:

IfyouweretoaskourpeopleattheCEOorthevice-presidentiallevel,"Doyou feel like you're running things here?" theywould say, "Onlybarely."Theyknowthat thevastmajorityof theworkiswhathappensoncampusandthatalmostalloftheinitiativehastocomefromthere.Infact,whenIwastalkingtooneofourvicepresidentsseveralyearsago,hesaid,"Youknow,I'vefoundIcangetoneissue,oneidea,onemandateacrosseachyear.AndthatoneistheonlychanceI'llgetduringtheyeartomakeanyrealchange in theorganization.So thatmeans if Idon'tchoosemyoneissuecarefully,Icanblowanentireyearreallyquickly."

That's an unusually astute observation by a top executive. Creating majormovementinanybigorganizationisterriblyhard.Onesuchmovementperyearis a lot to accomplish. It means that life at the C-suite level can be prettyfrustrating.Butitalsomeansthatignitedmanagershaveanextraresponsibility.They're theoneswho, as companyPilots, have to launchand shepherd all thedozensorhundredsoflittlechangesthatmakeupacompany'stotalstrategyandthatdeterminewhetheragivenyearwillbearoaringsuccessoradismalfailure.

CreatingBusinessintheWhiteSpace

ParaagLal is aStrategicRelationsManager for themedia, entertainment, andhospitality industry at aFortune500 technology company.Paraaghas found asuccessfulnicheforhimselfdrivingstrategicchangefromhismid-levelposition

by finding and pursuing business opportunities in what many at his firm callwhitespace.The concept of white space originated during a time when his firm wasfinanciallyandstrategicallychallenged.Itwasclearthatbusinessasusualwouldnotbeenoughtorevivethecompany—innovativethinkingwouldberequiredtofindnewbusinessopportunities,expandmarkets,developnewusesforproducts,and increase revenue from existing customers. Therefore, while his companycontinuedtoassignspecific,clearlydefinedareasofresponsibilitytoindividualmanagers and staffers, the companyalso created anew,deliberatelyundefinedresponsibility—the "something more" needed to propel them into a moresuccessful future. This is white space—"Undefined stuff," in Paraag's words,"andit'sourresponsibilitytodefineit."How does white space fit into Paraag's traditional job description? Here's hisexplanation:

Myfirstresponsibilityistomeetwithmycustomersinthehospitalityandentertainmentsectorstoensuretheyareusingourproductsandsolutions,asopposed to the competition's. That's a requirement for any sales job. It'salso,frankly,thebasicresponsibilityofthejob.It'sabouthardwareandit'stalking chips, bits, and bites. White space is something else. It's aboutunderstanding our customers' industry even better than the customersthemselves,toenableustoaddnewvalue.

Paraagisthefirsttoadmitthatunderstandingthecustomers'industrybetterthantheydoisatallorder—"Ourcustomersliveitdayinanddayout,"hesays."Butwetrytobecomeexpertsintheindustriesweserve,andthat'showwefindandgoafterthewhitespace."Asanexample,let'slookatthehospitalityindustry—thebusinessofmanaginghotels.Whywouldahotel chainwant to talk to a company thatmanufacturescomputerchipsandprocessors?Paraagandhisteamcameupwithananswer:

Whenwe studied thehospitality industry,we learned that their success isdeterminedbythenumberofheadsinbeds,whichinturndrivesrevenuesandprofits.Thenweasked,whatcanwedotopromotethisgoal?Whatcanweoffer thatwouldattractcustomerstoaspecifichotelchainandhelpintheirgoalofretainingcustomersandincreasingprofits?We realized that onewaywe could provide hotel customers added valuewaswirelessconnectivity.BusinesstravelersandevenvacationerswanttobeabletosurftheInternetandreadtheiremailfromanywhereinthehotel—not only in their own rooms, but also in the lobby, the pool, or the

restaurant. Therefore, three years ago, we launched a major initiativearound installingwirelesshot spots inpublic areas, coffee shops, and thetoptwoUShotelchains.Asaresult,hotelguestswillhavemorefreedomandbemoreapttochooseourclient'shotelchainoveranother.That's a perfect example of a white space initiative.We found a way tocreatenewvalueforhotelcustomers,whileenhancingrevenuesandprofitsforourclient,andourownfirm. It'snot justdoing thesameoldbusinessbetter;it'screatinganewbusiness.

Onewhite-spaceprojecthasawayofleadingtoothers.Sincethesuccessofthiswireless initiative, many of Paraag's other corporate clients have installedwirelessservicefortheircustomers.Paraag'sotherbigindustryspaceisentertainment.Hereheispursuingadifferentwhite-space initiative, another one he believes has home run potential. But itstarted,assomanyopportunitiesdo,withaproblem:

Five years ago, our companywas payingminimal attention to themediaand entertainment business. Although the potential for increasing ourpresence in entertainment was evident, getting attention paid to theopportunity was very tough in the early years—as the initial revenueopportunity appeared small when compared to other industries, such ashealthcareandfinancialservices.

Thefirm'sfocusonmediaandentertainmentwasfinallygalvanizedbyashockto the system—apainful business loss thatwas actually covered in themediaand entertainment press. One of Paraag's customers, a large movie studio,decidedtopartnerwithacompetitorforitsdigitaltechnology."Itwasawake-upcall,"Paraagadmits."WhileIwishwehadnotlostthiskeyaccount,thelossdidbringaboutpositivechangetoourorganization."Beyond providing standard data center products and solutions, the keyopportunityforthefirminthenewlyburgeoningdigitalentertainmentbusinessbecametheabilitytoprovidetechnologythatallowedeaseofcontentproductionanddistribution,ultimatelyleadingtothesame-daydistributionoffilmtoboththeatersanddirecttoconsumers.Hittingthishomerunrequiresputtingseveralsolutionsinplace,includinganewdigitalmediadeviceforthehomeinadditionto developing trusting relationships with the studios and leading contentproviders.ThisiswhereParaag'sroleasPilotiscrucial:

Ithinkwhatwebringtothetableisrelationships,especiallyinthedigitalmediaandentertainmentspace,whereyourRolodexisyourgoldmine.Next is an understanding of the economics and business models of the

industryandtheabilitytodeciferwheretechnologycanbeappliedtocreatesuccess.We'renow in theprocessof trying toestablishan important rolefor our firm throughout the production pipeline, from development todistribution. In thepast, ourproductswereprimarily relevant in thepost-productionprocess—editingandrendering.Nowthe levelofconversationrevolves around an end-to-end digital pipeline that has huge value forproducersandopensupnewwaystoreachtheconsumer.

Paraag has becomedeeply immersed in the possibilities of this new initiative.Whenweinterviewedhim,hewasworkingwithaproducershootingafilminPrague in the Czech Republic. Thanks to his firm's technology, sharing thedailies(footagefromoneday'sshooting)withhispartnerintheStatesnolongerrequires courier service via air. Instead, the producer is sending the footagedirectlyfromthesetviatheInternetusingawireless-enabledlaptop.Atthetimeofthisinterview,itwasamovie-industryfirst—"andit'llsavethemafortune,"Paraagreports.It's clear that managers in TheMiddle, like Paraag, are doingmore than justselling their firm's products. He's creating new strategies for his company,developingentirelynewlinesofbusiness,openingupnewmarkets,andshiftingtheperceptionofhisfirmfrombeingahigh-techcompanyofinterestonlytoITdepartments,programmers,andmanufacturerstobeingadigitalcompanywhoseunique creative capabilities can empower those inmanywalks of life. This isemergentstrategyatitsbest.It'seasytoseethatParaagisenergizedbythiswayofdoingbusiness.Thenewstreamsof revenue andprofit he is creating for his company arewinninghimnoticeasarisingstarintheindustry.Andhelovestherelationshipsheisforgingwithpeople throughout theworldsofentertainmentandhospitality,whichwillservehim ingoodstead inhis futurecareer,whetherhestayswithhis firmormoveson to another company. "White space,"he says, "is about fulfillingmycompany'sgoalsandobjectivesaswellasmyown."

CreatingYourOwnStrategicSpace

Hisfirm's"whitespace"philosophygivesmanagerslikeParaagplentyofroomto follow strategic opportunities wherever they appear. That's not the case ateverycompany.Manymanagers inTheMiddlefeel theyaresohemmedinbyjob descriptions and the demands of their stakeholders that they probably

wouldn'tevenrecognizeanemergentstrategy,letalonehavetimeandenergytopursueit.However, smartmanagers can findways to overcome these obstacles. In theirarticle "The Trap of Overwhelming Demands," authors Heike Bruch andSumantra Ghoshal tell the story of Thomas Sattelberger, a human resourcesmanageratLufthansawhosomehow—despitetheusualarrayofhorrificday-to-daybusinesschallenges—managedtorealizehispersonaldreambycreatingthefirstcorporateuniversityinGermany.[5]

[5] Heike Bruch and Sumantra Ghoshal, "The Trap of Overwhelming Demands." HarvardBusiness School Working Knowledge, May 17, 2004. Online at http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item.jhtml?id=4128&t=career_effectiveness&noseek=one.

Circumstanceswere far from ideal for suchanambitiousconcept.Sattelbergerdescribes joining Lufthansa: "I thought that I would enter an intact HRdepartmentandwouldhavewonderfulconditionstostartbuildingthepillarsofthetemplethatwouldbecomethecorporateuniversity....WhatIactuallyfoundwasacompletemess."He spent two years cleaning up his dysfunctional department, reorganizinginefficient systems, speedingup the response time toemployeequeries (whichhadstretchedouttoasmuchassixmonths),andevencorrectingtypingerrorsincontracts.Itwasanarduoustaskthattooknearlyallofhistime,forcinghimtodelay implementationof thebiggeropportunityhesaw—LufthansaUniversity.Butheknewthatdoingasuperlativejobatfixingtheproblemswasanessentialfirststep:

"I cleaned thepigpen,"he recalls. "Nobodyanticipated that Iwould copewiththesedrainingissues.Theywereobviouslysurprised,andthatwasthemoment for me to suggest new standards and new ideas. I wanted totransformtheHRroleand transfer it toa level thatwashigher thanwhattheyhadeverimagined.ItwasatrueinnovationbecausenoothercompanyinGermanyhadsuchcomprehensivebusiness-drivenHRprocesses."Hadhe instead tried to present his ideas before doing the dirty work—andgainingmanagement'sappreciation—noonewouldhaveacceptedhisideas.Asitwas,Sattelberger'sbossesbegantoseeandtreathimastheexpertandbelieved in his commitment to create something really special. "Idemonstrated to them that I would develop a means to support theirbusinessstrategy,developingcorporateentrepreneurshipinaformerstate-owned company and maintaining change momentum after the crisis hadeasedoff,"Sattelbergersaid."Iaddressedtheirconcernsandshowedthem

howwecouldjointlycreatenewwaysofsolvingtheirproblems."Thus,thefirstthingSattelbergerhadtodotowinpermissiontostepoutsidetheboxofhisjobwastoexceedexpectationsinsidethebox.FixingtheHRsystems,ofcourse,alsobenefitedSattelbergerbygraduallyfreeinguphistimetopursuehislong-rangegoal;afterall,thelesstimeheandhisstaffmembershadtospendtrackingdownmisfiledpapersorplacatingangryemployees,themoretimetheycoulddevotetoplanningtheuniversity.Sattelbergeralsomaintainedhisownmotivationby squeezingout time forhisstrategicvision,eveninthemidstofthedailygrind:

"SometimesIfeltguiltywhenIblockedabouthalfadayeverymonthforwork on the corporate university," he recalls. "But I needed the time tomake myself believe that my agenda was still valid, and that I was notbeingdrownedintheoperationalHRwork—althoughitoccupiedmemorethan99percentoftime."

Sattelberger's dream has come true:Not only is LufthansaUniversity a goingconcern, ithaswonawards for its innovativecollaborativestrategiesandbeennamedEurope'sbestcorporateuniversity.Ifyou'dliketoplaythePilotroleinyourorganizationbutstillneedalittlemoreinspiration,considerthestoryofGaryThompson.In a glamorous industry—casino gambling—Gary Thompson started out withoneofthelessglamorousjobs.HewasdirectorofcommunicationsforHarrah'sEntertainment, which meant that he spent his time editing the annual report,writingpressreleases,andansweringquestionsfromnewspaperreportersaboutthecompany'squarterlyearnings.Itwasn'talwaysexciting,buthelikedhisjob,andheenjoyedworkingwiththepeopleatHarrah's.Butwhenhelefttheoffice,Garyhadanotherlove.Itwasthegameofpoker—inparticular, thevariationknownasTexasHold'emthatGaryhadfirst learnedtoplayintheearly1980sandwhichhadgraduallybecome,intheearlyyearsofthetwenty-firstcentury,amajorobsessionformillionsofAmericans.YoumightthinkthatpokerandGary'sjobatHarrah'sfittogethernaturally.Butpoker actually played little or no role inHarrah's casino business, whichwasbuilt around other games (craps, blackjack, roulette), and especially its highlylucrativeslotmachines.SowhenGaryshelledouthisownmoneytoplayinthefamousWorldSeriesofPokerstartinginthemid-1980s,hefigureditwasjustafun,fascinatingexperience—notonewithparticularrelevancetohiscareer.That changed one Saturday morning in January, 2004. Gary opened up thenewspapertolearnthatNevadastategamingregulatorshadmovedtoshutdown

Binion'sHorseshoeCasinothenightbefore,asaresultofadisputeoverrequiredpaymentstocertainunionpensionfunds.Gary'seyesgotwide.Binion'sownedthe rights to theWorldSeries of Poker,which had been played at theGoldenHorseshoeeveryyearsince its inception in1970.WithBinion's in trouble, therights to the World Series were up for grabs. And Gary instantly knew thisrepresentedanemergentstrategyopportunityforHarrah's.As the company's corporate communications guy, Gary wouldn't normally beinvolvedinlaunchingstrategicconversations.Butthistimewasdifferent.Asapokerloverwho'dactuallyplayedintheWorldSeriesofPoker,heknewhewasin a better position to appreciate the allure of the brand than anyone else atHarrah's.Garypickedup thephone and calledChuckAtwood,Harrah'sCFO.He explained the situation and the opportunity it represented, and Atwoodimmediatelygot it.Atwoodandhis team lost no time in enteringnegotiationswiththeownersofBinion's,andwithinfourdaystheyhadmadeadealtobuytheWorldSeriesofPoker.The next threemonthswere a blur.With the nextWorld Series scheduled forApril, Harrah's moved quickly (prodded by Gary) to announce that thetournamentwould go off as planned in its traditional venue at theHorseshoe,whichhadbeenpurchasedbyathirdpartycalledMTRGaming,butwasbeingmanagedbyHarrah's.Inaperiodoftwentydays,HowardGreenbaum,Harrah'svice president of specialty gaming, pulled together a team to organize andmanagethedealers,infosystems,surveillance,security,andfinancialpersonnelrequired to runa tournament involving some15,000players—andmake itnotonlyafunandexcitingeventfortheparticipants,butalsoacolorful,highlyratedspectacleforESPN,whichownedtheTVrights.Asthismassiveeffortwasbeingpulledtogether,GaryThompsonfoundhimselfdeeplyinvolved.Atfirst,hefeltalittlehesitant."IalmostfeltthatIwasstickingmy nose in where it wasn't needed. After all, Howard and his team wereinvolvedinoperationalandmarketing issues,whicharenowherenearmyareaofexpertise."ButGary'sbackgroundasaplayermadehimauniquesourceofinformationastothenatureofthestrategicopportunityrepresentedbytheWorldSeriesofPoker.Heknewwhatmotivated theparticipants—"theopportunity towinalotofmoney,andthechancetocompeteonESPN,justlikethejocksweallgrewupwatchingonTV."Andheknewthekindsofmarketing,advertising,andpublicitythatwouldattracttheattentionofpokerfanslikehimself.Howardand the restofHarrah's teampulledGary intomostof theirmeetings, andhissuggestionshelpedshapethesuccessfuloutcome.

The payoff for Harrah's has been big, and it's still building. The super-fasttransferofthetournamentandthebrandnamefromBinion'stoHarrah'sin2004culminated in a highly popular and profitable tournament that April. By thefollowingyear,thenumberofparticipantsinthefinaleventhadactuallytripled.ThetelevisioncontractwithESPN,whichHarrah'shadinheritedfromBinion's,was renewed at a significant increase in value.And awhole new audience ofgamers—the millions of avid poker players around the country—had beenintroducedtoHarrah's,acasinocompanytheyhadformerlyspentlittleoftheirtimeormoneyin.As for Gary Thompson, he has an impressive new job title: Director ofTournamentOperations.Modestly,hecalls it "kindofmisleading,"saying thathe leaves the gaming details to the experts—people likeHowardGreenbaum,Ken Lambert, and others with years of experience running such operations.Gary'sjobistocoordinatebrandstrategyforHarrah'sinthepokerarena,makingthemostofthepublicity,marketing,andlicensingopportunitiesthatcomewithhostingtheworld'smostfamouscard-playingtournament.That'saprettyexcitingoutcomeforamanagerinTheMiddlewhojusthappenedtobeintherightplaceattherighttime—withtherightstrategicidea.NoteverycorporationwillmakeiteasyformanagersinTheMiddletoplaytheroleofstrategicPilot.Insomeplaces,managersmustbattletocreatetheirownstrategicspaces.Butifyouseeanopportunitytobenefityourcompanythatnooneelsesees—thewayGaryThompsondid—thebattleiswellworthwaging.

11IgnitionPoint6:TheStory

ThePoweroftheBard

Inancienttimes,theBardwasthepoet,storyteller,andhistorianofthetribe.TheBardentertainedthepeoplewithtalesoftheolddayswhiletheyweregatheredaround the fire at night orduring long journeys to thenext huntinggroundorsettlement.But theBard's talesweren'tmerely forentertainment. In theBard'skeeping were the traditions of the tribe, the stories of its great leaders, thetriumphsandtragediesofthepast,andthevaluesthatunitedthetribeintoonepeople.Today,formanyofus,thecompanyisthetribe—thefocusofourdaysandthecenterofourdreamsandstruggles.Yetthetraditionsandvaluesofthecorporatetribeareoftenunclear.HereisthewheretheBardcomesin.ThecontemporaryBardisthemanagerinTheMiddlewhoactsasguardianandtransmitterofoursixthTouchstone—thecompany'sStory.Wise managers don't view their company's past as a mere collection of oldstoriesthatareirrelevanttotoday,orasthedeadhandoftraditionthatmustbeshruggedoffinthenameofprogress.Theyunderstandthatwhatisvaluableinacompany'scorevaluesmustbepreservedevenasnewinsights,innovations,andimprovementsarebeingcreatedandasnewpeoplejointhetribe.Theyknowandact on thewisdom in historianGeorge Santayana's oft-quoted dictum, "Thosewhocannotrememberthepastarecondemnedtorepeatit."Youprobablyhaven'tthoughtofyourselfasaBard,ahistorian,orastoryteller.Butifyouthinkaboutthepeopleyou'veworkedwithovertheyears—especiallythose you found most inspiring as mentors, guides, and advisors—you canprobably identify theoneswhoplayed theBard's role.ThecontemporaryBardusesmethodsalittledifferentfromhisancientcounterpart.Ratherthansingingsongsbythecampfire,thecorporateBardsharesanecdotesaboutthecompany'shistoryonairplaneflightstothenextsalescall,inthecorporatehospitalitysuiteduringaconvention,overlunchinthecompanycafeteria,orduringtheannualholidayparty.WhenyouheartheBard'sstories,youmaynoteventhinkofthemasfragments

ofcompanyhistory.Theyjustsoundlikegreatstories—memorable,surprising,andoftenfunny.Youknowthekind.Theystartsomethinglikethis:

"Thatremindsmeof the timegoodoldJoecameupwithabright idea tosalvagea$2milliondealjustbeforeitwentsouth.Wethoughthewasnutsatfirst,butbyGoditworked.Ithappenedlikethis...""Youthinkwe'reworkinghardtoday?Thisisnothing.Backintheolddays,we sometimes worked around the clock—no exaggeration—to finish acustomer'sorderbydeadline.Why,Irememberonetime...""Didyouknowthiscompanyalmostwentbankrupttenyearsago?BobandSue actually took out a secondmortgage on their house tomeet payroll.And the very next day, their first really big contract came through. It allstartedwiththisphonecall..."

As a younger employee, youmay have rolled your eyes when the old-timersstartedswappingtaleslikethese.Butyoulistened.Andconsciouslyornot,youabsorbedlessonsaboutyourcompanyintheprocess—howitgotstarted,grew,faltered, recovered, and triumphed; what drives the people there, what makesthemtick;andwhat'suniqueaboutyourcompanyanditsspirit.Eventually,youmay have caught yourself retelling some of those same stories to new teammembers,andperhapsaddingacouplefromyourownexperiences.Guesswhat?You'vebecomeaBard.

ChangefortheSakeofChange

Thepast sometimesgetsabad rap—especially inAmerica, the landofeternaloptimismandendlessnewbeginnings.TurnontheTV,surftheInternet,oropenanymagazine,andthecultofnewnessismuchinevidence:"Thetennewideasthatarerevolutionizingbusiness!""Hotnewopportunitiesthatwillchangeyourworldforever!""Thenewthinkerswhoareoverturningconventionalwisdom!"Whenwewanttocriticizesomething,ourfavoritesluristocallitold-fashioned:"Ho-hum,""Sameoldsameold,""Beenthere,donethat,""TellmesomethingIdon'talreadyknow."We liveby theassumption thatchange isconstant, rapid,unpredictable,andessentiallygood—andthatourgreatestimperative,especiallyinthebusinessworld,istokeepup:tochangeasfastastheworldaroundus,ifnotfaster.Butchangealwayscarriesaprice.Whenwediscardtheoldways,wediscardnotonly the outmoded and outgrown, but also the tried-and-true, the tested, the

reliable. In our eagerness to explore the uncharted brave new worlds of thefuture,wetossoverboardthecompassofexperienceandhard-earnedwisdom.During the dot-com years, many managers believed that the way to moveforward was to throw out the rules of the past and start from scratch. Youremember those days. Traditional management concepts and real-worldexperience were viewed as liabilities rather than assets. Twenty-two-year-oldswere running huge companies. (As I write these pages, it's happening again.)Familiarmeasurements of corporate success such as customers, revenues, andprofitwerederidedas"old-think,"andanyonewhoexpresseddoubtsaboutnewvalues such as "eyeballs" and "click-throughs" and "network advantages"wasdismissedwiththevaguebutdevastatingsneer,"Hejustdoesn'tgetit!"Eagertoprove that theygot it, big corporations investedbillions to buyor launchdot-comsoftheirown.AndWallStreetrespondedbyassigningthedigitalupstartsstreetvaluesfargreaterthantheirbricks-and-mortarcounterparts,evenwhenthe"old-fashioned" companies had actual customers, revenues, and profits, whiletheupstartsdidn't.Thisradicalrejectionofthepastledtoafewgreatnewideas—eBay,Amazon,AOL,nottomentionfoosball—butitalsocausedcountlesscatastrophicfailures.Did someone sayPets.com?Turns out that, even in the digital age, a realisticbusinessplanwithanactualprofitmodelisstillanicethingtohave.The dot-com frenzy, of course, was unique. But even in less chaotic times,companiesofteninvoke"change"asifitwereamantrawithmagicpowers.Asmanagements turn over and market conditions evolve, companies are oftenlookingtoescapetheirpastandredefinethemselves.Sometimesitmakesgreatsense;othertimescompaniessimplylosetheirway.Wesee theseefforts at corporate redefinition inever-changingpublic relationsand advertising campaigns. Just recently, Visa shifted its slogan from "It'severywhereyouwanttobe"to"LifeTakesVisa."OtherrecentexamplesincludeNikeputtinglessfocuson"JustDoIt"andVWmovingpast"DriversWanted."AndhowmanyslogansforCoke,McDonald's,andGapcanyourecall?They'vebeen turning over so quickly in recent years that few, if any, have gainedtraction.Manyofthesereinventionsaredrivenbyinternalcompanydynamicsratherthancustomerneeds.AnewCEOwantstoputhisstampontheorganization;anewad agency is determined to prove it's smarter than its predecessor; a newmarketingdirectordecideshispeopleneedashake-up.Thefastestwaytomakeit happen (and get publicity and attention, at least inside the industry) is to

announce,withmuchfanfare,"TheNewCompanyX!"Ironically,theeffectonmostcustomersisnegligible.Thetruthisthatnooneoutin the realworld pays asmuch attention to our ads, PR efforts, and corporateannouncementsaswedo.(Whyshouldthey?Theyhavelives,afterall.)Soevenifacompany'sCEOandmarketingdirectorareboredtotearsbythecurrenttwo-year-oldadcampaign,thatdoesn'tmeantheworldatlargeisalsobored.Infact,theworldat largehasprobablybarelygottenaroundtonoticing thecampaign.Sochangefor thesakeofchange isusuallyacostly,pointlessdistractionfromyourcompany'srealneeds.TheAmericancultofnewnessisalsorelatedtothecultofyouth—theingrainedassumptionthatpeopleunder30haveaccesstosomeinvisiblesourceofpower(energy?hipness?sexappeal?) towhichallmustbow.Ifchange is inexorable,thensurelyyoungpeople,whoarenaturallypluggedintothespiritofthefuture,mustbeourleaders.Whichmeansourolderpeoplearefitfornothingexcepttobegentlyputouttopasture.Of course, it wasn't always this way in American business. The Wall StreetJournalcolumnistJonathanKaufmanaccuratelycapturestheshift:

Turning50hasalwaysbeentoughformanagers.Itistheagemostofthemplateau. But a generation ago, most managers in their 50s had security.Theywere seenasa company's institutionalmemory,mentors toyoungerworkers.Theseweretheyearsmanymanagersspentmoretimewiththeirfamilies and, with the company's blessing, became more involved incommunityactivities.Nolonger.Middle-agemanagersarestillplateauing,butthereisnoresting.They must keep changing—reinventing themselves, learning new skills,masteringnewtechnologies—evenasnothingmuchchangesforthem.[1]

[1]JonathanKaufman,"GrayExpectations:AMiddleManager,54andInsecure,Struggles toAdapttotheTimes."TheWallStreetJournal,May5,1997,pageA1.

Youngpeoplearegreat—idealistic,hopeful,fulloffreshperspective,andfuntobearound.Changeisinevitable—andoftengood.Butwhencrunchtimecomes—when a company is facing a financial crisis, a toughmarketing dilemma, adevastatingaccident, theadventofascarynewcompetitor,oranyof theotherchallengesthatarepartofdailybusinesslife—it'snicetohavesomeonearoundwho has lived through such challenges in the past and learned a thing or twofromthem.Youth and change are necessary. But so are experience and continuity. That'swheretheBardcomesin.

TheValueofMemory

The Bard is an ignited manager with the ability to record and pass alongorganizationalhistory—occasionallyinaformal,writtenfashionbutmoreofteninformally, embodied in "campfire stories" and the evocation of relevant factsand comparisons from past events when current decisions are beingweighed.Institutional memory makes possible a future empowered by its history. Acompany gifted with such memory doesn't have to continually reinvent thewheel.Instead,itcanbuildonthewisdomofthepastwhileavoidingtheerrorsofthepast.Understandingyourcompany'srootscanhelpyou

Recognize its strengths and weaknesses, making it easier to identifypotentialbumpsintheroadaheadaswellasopportunitiestobuildonyourcorecapabilitiesTracetheevolutionarypaththathasbroughtyoutoyourcurrentsituation,whichmaysuggestnewoptionsforfuturegrowththatwouldotherwisebeeasytooverlookCelebrate and reinforce its central values, helping current and futureemployees make the right decisions to benefit the company and itscustomersthroughtheinspirationtheyderivefromthepastNavigate hard timesby rememberinghow the companyhas survived andreboundedfromsimilarchallengesinthepastDiscoveroldideas(fromonce-discardedprojectconceptstolong-forgottenresearch reports) that may suggest new applications that are moreappropriatetodaythantheywereyesterday

Inthisbook,I'vetalkedalotabouttheimportanceofescapingtheinfluenceofgroupthink and really connectingwith new ideas and concepts. In that effort,historycanplayavital role.Historymaynotbenew,but the lessons ithas toofferareeasytoforget.Anepisodefromyourcompany'spastmaywellcontaina seed of insight that can help you solve a current dilemma in a fresh andpowerfulway.Somecompanieswithparticularlyrichhistoriesmakeadeliberateefforttodrawon the lessons of the past when facing new challenges. When Johnson &

Johnsonwashitwiththemostseriouscrisisinitshistory—theTylenolpoisoningcases in 1980—the company management deliberately turned to the firm'sdecades-oldcredoforguidance.Followingthevaluesmandatedinthathistoricdocument—putpatients first,donothing to jeopardizepublic safety,beutterlytransparent—Johnson & Johnson handled the crisis brilliantly, saving itsthreatenedTylenolbrandandemergingwithitscorporatereputationgreaterthanever.By contrast, companies that forget their history often make serious missteps.Hershey Foods, maker of the classic chocolate bar and other candies, wasfounded by a deeply religious entrepreneur named Milton S. Hershey, whoenvisioneda companydedicated to serving its community andparticularly thestudentsofaschoolfororphansthathefounded(andtowhichhededicatedtheproceedsofatrustthatmanagedpracticallyallhisHersheystock).Fordecades,thecompany'smanagementremainedtrue to thefounder'svision.But in2002,the firm got a black eye when it suddenly revealed secret plans to sell thecompany, potentially threatening the future of Hershey, Pennsylvania, and thefounder'sbelovedschool.Sogreatwasthepublicoutcrythatthecompanyhadtobackawayfromitsplansandisnowtryingtorelearnthelessonsofitsownpast.DuringmyyearsatAOL,Ifoundthatcompanyhistoryplayedanimportantroleinkeepingmanagers focusedon the important things.Thismaybe surprising,since AOL, founded in 1985 as Quantum Computer Services, is a relativelyyoungcompany.ButAOLpredatesthefrenziedInternetboomofthemid-1990sand,bydot-comstandards, isavenerablefirm.Wheneverwefacedsignificantmarketingorgrowthdecisions,founderSteveCase—stillyouthful(hewasbornin1958)butaheroofthe"earlydays"ofcomputingtomanyyoungermanagers—wouldrecapthecompany'sstoryandconcludewiththecrucialreminder,"It'snot a sprint, it's a marathon." The lesson: Make choices for the benefit ofcustomersandforthecompany'slong-termhealth,notforanimmediatespikeinsalesorstockprice.Itwasanhistoricaltruthallofusneededtoremember.

UsingStoriestoMotivateandInspire

Here'sanotheranecdotefrommytimeatAOLthatillustratesadifferentuseofstorytelling.InAugust2002, JonMillerwasnamed thenewCEOofAOL. Itwasa toughtimetobetakingoverthebusiness.Twoyearsbefore,AOLhadacquiredTime

Warner inoneof themostcontroversialmergers inhistory. In themonths thatfollowed,thestockhadtakenabeating,hurtingnotonlycompanyshareholdersbut the pension plans in whichmuch of the managers' retirement funds wereinvested. So by the timeMiller took over, employees of the oldTimeWarnercompanies (such as Time Inc. and CNN) were feeling resentful and bitter, areaction worsened by their perception that AOL's previous management hadbeenarrogantandunconcerned.Inthischargedatmosphere,Millerwascalledontoaddressthesemanagers.Asthe crowd assembled in a large conference room, speculationwas high.WhatcouldMillersay toalleviate theirangerandstart therelationshiponapositivenote?Would he apologize?Defend the company? Promise reform? Lay out astrategicvision?Askforreneweddedication?Therewereseriousrisksineachofthesealternatives.Millerdecidedtostarthisspeechwith...astory.Butnotjustanoff-the-rackjokelike those used by many speakers to break the ice. Instead, he told a storyartfullydesignedtosendexactly therightcombinationofmessages tohisnewteam.Basedon the recollectionsof thosewhowere there, here iswhatMillersaid:

Ever have your car towed here in New York City? Let's see a show ofhands. [A few people ruefully responded.] If you have, you know it's ahideous experience. You go to get your car from a parking spot on thesidewalkandyoudiscoverit'sgone.Allkindsofemotionshityou—anger,anxiety, rage, frustration.But then you realize that your car has probablynotbeenstolenbut instead towed,becauseyouwereparked in thewrongplaceatthewrongtime.So you call the police department and listen to a recording that tells youwhattodo.Youhavetogototheplacewheretheytakeimpoundedcars—adreary warehouse way out on the end of a pier in a godforsakenneighborhood on the farwest side ofManhattan.This kills half a day ormore.Andwhenyougetthere,youfindalineof50peoplejust likeyou,waitingtopickuptheircars.Yousighandgetontheline.Itmovesreallyslowly,whichgivesyouplentyoftimetogetmoreandmoresteamedabouttheunfairnessofitall,andespeciallyaboutthehugefineyouknowyou'regoingtohavetopayjusttogetyourdamnedcarback.Andallthewhile,asyoucreepslowlytowardthefrontoftheline,you'relookingupatthislittleboothwithalittleguysittinginit,theguywhohasthepoweroveryouandyourcar,andyou'regettingmoreandmoreupset.

Bythetimeyoureachthebooth,you'rereadytoletthisguyhaveapieceofyourmind.Butwhatdoyousee tapedto thechickenwireonthefrontofthe booth? You see a little slip of paper with the following handwrittenmessage: "'THE PERSON HERE DID NOT TOW YOUR CAR, HE ISHERE TO HELP YOU GET IT BACK. IF YOU COOPERATE, YOUWILLGETYOURCARBACKSOONER."

Naturally, the execs in the room burst out laughing. Miller let the laughtersubside.Thenhecontinued:

AsIlookoutacrossthisaudiencetoday,IwantyoutoknowthatIamtheguy in thebooth.Ourcompanyhasbeen throughsome reallyhard times.ButIamheretohelpyougetitback.Sopleasebenicetome.

Justlikethat,MillerhadtheTimeWarnermanagersinhiscorner.WhatisitaboutMiller'sstorythatmadeitsoeffective?

Itenabledtheaudiencetoidentifywiththespeaker.Noteveryonehashadtheir car towed. But everyone has had the experience of dealing with afaceless bureaucracy.Miller's story was one that everyone could identifywith,whichinstantlymadeeverylistenercareabouthimandaboutwhathewentthrough.It expressed the speaker's empathy for the emotions of the audience. Bycomparing the Time Warner managers to a person who has had his cartowed—an experience thatMiller himself had faced—Miller was saying,indirectly, "You feel as if you've gotten screwed, and I understand thatfeeling.Igetit."Itdistancedthespeakerfromthemistakesofthepast.Millerwasinatrickyposition.AsanewCEO,hedoesn'twanttostarthistenurebydenouncinghis predecessor—that would stir up old controversies, anger too manypeopleneedlessly,andcreateacombativemoodrather thanaconciliatoryone. Yet Miller wanted to send a signal that he knew that change wasneeded and that hewasn'twedded to old policies.The car-tow story sentthat signal. Miller was telling his audience, "I didn't tow away yourcompany.I'msorryithappened.Nowlet'smoveforwardtogetherandmakethingsbetter."It told the audience members that the speaker shared their goals, andappealedfortheirhelpandsupport.Thehandwrittennotetapedtothecar-towboothspokeforMiller:"I'mheretohelpyougetyourcompanyback—thegreatoldTimeWarnerthatyourememberandmiss.Pleaseworkwith

me,notagainstme,andtogetherwecanmakeithappen."It achieved all this with a light touch. If Miller had straightforwardlyexpressedthesamemessagewithoutusingastory,hisspeechwouldhavebeenmuch less effective.His funny,mildly self-deprecating anecdote setjust the right tone: "We're facinga situation that isvery frustrating, and Iunderstandwhat you'vebeengoing through. I'mhere to help.But I don'ttake myself or our problems too seriously. Let's put the situation inperspectiveandrealizethat,ifwepulltogether,wecangetthroughthisallright.Andmaybesomedaywe'llevenlookbackonitandchuckle."

Asthisepisodeillustrates,awell-chosenstorycanachievemanygoalsatonce.It's theworld'smostpowerfulmethodof communication.This iswhymostofthegreat leadersof historyhavebeen skilled storytellers.Lincolnwas famousfor using homespun frontier yarns to persuade juries and win the support ofvoters. Ronald Reagan told tales drawn from Hollywood pictures and hisboyhoodinIllinoistoconveythebasicAmericanvalueshestoodfor.EvenJesusreliedonstories—wecallthemparables—toteachtheologicalandethicaltruths,andthemovementhebuiltonthosestoriesendedupspreadingacrosstheglobe.After a four-year run,Miller has departedAOL.He has beenwidely creditedwithputtingthecompanyonawinningtrack.

MuscleMemoryandThinkinginTime

Understanding and connectingwith your company's story is also an importantelementofsounddecision-making.Musclememory is the ability to do something automatically,without thinkingaboutitconsciously.Allofushavemusclememoryinregardtosucheverydayactivitiesaswalking,eating,andgettingdressed(although,ofcourse,itmustberedeveloped in people who suffer strokes or other debilitating medicalconditions). And skilled athletes, artists, craftsmen, and performers developmuscle memory for many highly advanced activities. An excellent baseballplayeratthetopofhisgamedoesn'thavetoconsciouslythinkabouthisbattingstance,hisgrip,thepositionofhisfeet,orthetimingofhisswing—it'sjust,"Seetheball,hittheball."Somethingsimilarhappenswithconcertviolinists,masterpainters,andexpertdiamondcutters.Companiesalsodevelopakindofmusclememory.Certainpatternsofbehavior

become so familiar and so deeply ingrained in their people that they becomesecondnatureandareperformedalmostunconsciously,withoutmucheffortorawareness. At a company with a great tradition of customer service (like theretailerNordstromor theFourSeasons hotel chain, for example), experiencedemployeesdon'tneedtoberemindedtobendoverbackwardtosolvecustomerproblems—theydoitasautomaticallyastheybrushtheirteethinthemorning.Atothercompanies,musclememorydrivesdeeplyingrainedbehaviorsinareassuch as process efficiency (think back to SouthwestAirlines and its "balletic"turnarounds at the gate), product quality, sales, and evenbudgeting.There arecompanieswherethemanagerspracticallydospreadsheetsintheirsleep.Musclememory can be a powerful ally. It'swonderful to know, deep in yourbones,thatyouandyourteamarecapablenotmerelyofpullingoffaparticulartaskbutofacingit—andwhat'smore,ofdoingitwithoutasecondthought.Butitcanalsobedangerous.Thingsdonewithoutconsiderationmaybeill-timedorinappropriate. There's a constant temptation to revert to the easy and familiar,evenwhenitmaynotbethebestsolutiontoanewproblem.Incompanieswherethemanagersdospreadsheetsintheirsleep,theysometimespullouttheirExceltemplatesattimeswhencreativebrainstormingmightbemoreeffective.Asthesayinggoes,tothepersonwhoseonlytoolisahammer,everythinglookslikeanail.That'swhymusclememorymust be supplemented byconsciousmemory, andwhyimportantdecisionsmustbetackleddeliberatelyandhead-on,withthehelpof data, analogies, case studies, and reference points drawn from companyhistory.It'shardtomakesmartdecisionsunlessyouknowwhatHollywoodcallsthe backstory—the sequence of events that led you to the current moment,togetherwith the assumptions,wishes, aversions, fears, and desires that droveyourpastchoices.Themoreconsciousalloftheseelementscanbe,thesmarteryourcurrentdecision-makingprocess.HistorianRichardNeustadt teachesthis lessoninhisbrilliantbookThinkinginTime: TheUses ofHistory forDecision-Makers. Although aimed primarily atgovernment policymakers, the book applies equally well to business leaders.Neustadtshowshowthebestdecisionsgenerallygetmadewhen thepeople inthe room followcertainprinciples for understanding andusinghistory, andheillustrates these principles with reference to some remarkable episodes—forexample,theCubanmissilecrisis,whichNeustadt(likemosthistorians)regardsashighlysuccessfulbecausePresidentKennedymanagedtoaverttheimminentthreatofnuclearwar.

Neustadt'sprinciplesinclude

Consider historical comparisons—but examine them closely rather thantaking themat facevalue.For example,during theCubancrisis, someofKennedy'sadvisorssaidthatanunannouncedattackonCubawouldbelike"PearlHarborinreverse."FormersecretaryofstateDeanAchesonthoughtthis analogy was absurd, and explained the differences between PearlHarbor and Cuba at length. But in the end, the group decided against a"sneak attack" for different historical reasons—because it wouldn't be inkeeping with American traditions, as revealed in two centuries of U.S.wars.Put today's problem in historic context. Kennedy made sure to includeforeign policy veterans with long experience in dealing with Cuba andRussia on his working team—including two members of the oppositionRepublican party. He repeatedly asked them to compare the immediatecrisiswithpast crises and todiscusshowRussiamight respondbasedontheirpreviousexperiences.Heneverassumedthatthefuturewouldbethesameasthepast—buthewantedtoconsiderthepossibilityandprepareforit.Testassumptionsagainsthistoricalprecedents.Whensomemembersofthetask force urged "surgical air strikes" against themissile bases,Kennedychallenged the assumption that such strikes would work by turning toformerdefensesecretaryRobertLovett,whohadbeeninchargeofU.S.airforcesduringWorldWar II.Lovett said thathisobservationsshowed thatsurgicalstrikesrarelyworkedandcalledforanavalblockadeinstead—theoptionKennedyultimatelychose.Think about the historical impact of your decisions. In the end,Kennedychose the conservative, cautious path of a naval blockade rather than aninvasion or attack on Cuba in part because of his concern over how hisadministrationwouldlooktofuturehistorians.Hewantedtobesurethathewouldberememberedashavingtriedeverythingpossibletoavertanuclearwar.

This lastprinciple isworthapplying toanymajorbusinessdecision.Howwillyourdecisionaffect thecompany'sreputationtenyearsorfiftyyearsdowntheroad?Willitupholdthebestelementsofyourcompany'straditionsorunderminethem?Will it be viewed as a proud moment in your company's history, or a

momenttobeforgottenorhidden?Takinganhistoricalperspectivewillhelpyoumakechoicesyoucanlivewith,bothindividuallyandasanorganization.Deploying history to informandguide decisions is an important aspect of theroleoftheBard.

ReconnectingtheThreadsofHistory

Not every company has a series of intact links from its founding days to thepresent. Particularly in today's world, where mergers and acquisitions are acommon fact of life, many companies have gone through a series ofincarnations, taking on fresh names, identities, and business missions. Afterseveral such reinventions, even the peoplewhowork at the companymay beuncertainwhatitstandsfor,whatitsvaluesare,and"howwedothingsaroundhere." Insuchcases, theroleof theBard inpreserving institutionalmemory isespecially important. The Bard can help to make sure that the companybackstoryisn'tforgottenaltogether,andwithitthecruciallessonsofhistory.This problem may sound abstract and high-minded, but its implications aresurprisingly concrete. Consider, for example, the nuts-and-bolts exercise ofdevelopinganannualbudgetforacompanyoroneofitsdivisions.Abudgetisusually based on an extrapolation from the previous year's numbers. But howcanthatbemeaningfullydonewhenthethreadofcontinuityfromoneyeartothenext has been broken due to the reshuffling of business units, mergers orspinoffs,profitandlossrestatements,orchangesinthefiscalyear?Furthermore, how often do themanagers chargedwith developing next year'sbudgetground theirdiscussions inananalysisofhistoryand its lessons?Howoftendotheyaskquestionslike,"Howclosedidwecometomakingourrevenuenumberseachofthelastthreeyears?Ifwefellshort,whathappenedandwhy?Havewegottenintothehabitofpre-bookingsaleslateintheyearsoastomeetthebudgetnumbers?Ifso,whatimpactisthathavingonthefirstquarterofthefollowing year? Which members of our team are consistently over budget?Whichmembersareunderbudget?"andsoon.Questions like these could uncover historical information that would informmorerealistic,accurate,andeffectivebudgetingforthefuture.Unfortunately,intoomanycompaniesit'salmostimpossibleeventotrackdownthedataneededtoanswerthesequestions.HereiswherethemanagerinTheMiddlemuststepup to speak on behalf of the institutionalmemory.After all, the onlyway an

individualcangetbetteratataskisbylearningfromexperience—andthesameappliestoanorganization.In April 2005, Time Warner and Comcast jointly purchased AdelphiaCommunications,oneofthenation'slargestcableoperators.The$17billiondealcreatedashuffledleadershiplineupthatthreatenedtoseverthehistoricalthreadsthatmadethebudgetnumbersmeaningful.During subsequent discussions about the following year's projections, TimYoung,TimeWarner'sregionalsalesVPinLosAngeles,toldmeaboutworkingon budgets with Adelphia's marketing team. After reviewing the figures theysubmitted,hedecidedtoaskaratherprobing,indelicate,yetvitalquestion."I'mcurious about something," he said. "We all know that over the past couple ofyears,yourcompanywasgettingdressedforsale.Underthecircumstances,howmuchdidtheyaskyoutocutyourspendingbudget,andwhathastheeffectbeenonyourdepartment?"The leader of the Adelphia unit was startled by the question. But she wasobviously pleased that a reality checkwas being invited. "Wow," she replied,"I'msogladyouaskedthat.Wehadtomakesomebigcuts,spreadoutoverthelastseveralquarters.It'sbeenreallytoughonallofus."The Time Warner manager pushed a little harder. "Did the cuts hurt youreffectiveness?""Well, Ihate tocomplain.Naturally,weadjusted.Weevencame toaccept thereducedspendingasthe'newnormal.'Butthere'sbeenalotofbusiness-buildingthatwecouldn'tdobecausewejustdidn'thavetheresources."Inmostcompanies,thisexchangewouldneverhaveoccurred.TheTimeWarnermanagerwouldhavetakentheAdelphiabudgetatfacevalue,andthemarketingdivision of the newly-merged companywould have limped into the next yearwithout the tools it needed.Butwith thebackstoryon the table, bothof thesemanagersinTheMiddlecouldhavearealisticdiscussionaboutwhatmarketingreallyneeded to fuelgrowth.Soon theyagreedonanewbudget that reset thedepartmentonapathtoprosperity.

WhatKindofMovieAreYouIn?

Notice that I've described themanager in TheMiddlewho uses the power ofstoriesnot as ahistorianordatakeeperbut as aBard—apoetorminstrelwhoentertains the tribeevenashe reminds themof theirdeepestvalues.Thegreat

storytellersbringatouchofpoetrytothetalestheytell—meaningnotrhymeorrhythmortheothertechnicalqualitiesofpoetry,butrathertheabilityofpoetryto touch the emotions of an audience. JonMiller's story about having his cartowed exemplifies the power of the Bard because it evoked feelings offrustration,sympathy,anger,and,ultimately,forgivenessandreconciliationfromhisaudience.ThatkindofemotionalconnectioniswhattheartoftheBardisallabout.Miller'sstoryalsoclearly (if indirectly)conveyed tohisaudiencehisvisionofthestoryofAOLTimeWarnerandwheretheyallwereintheunfoldingofthatstory."Yourcompanyhasbeentakenawayfromyoubymindlessforcesbeyondyourcontrol,"hewassaying."Nowwehavetheopportunitytotakeitbackandrestorethenaturalorderofthings.Let'sdoit!"ThisisanotherpowerfulattributeofthecompanyBard:theabilitytoconveyaclearvisionofthecorporatestoryandhelpothersunderstandwheretheyfitintothatstory.Onewayto thinkabout thischallenge is toaskyourself,"Whatkindofmovieare you in?" As you probably know from a lifetime of watching movies intheatresoronTV, thereare justa relativelysmallhandfulofclassicstorylinesthatskilledauthors,playwrights,scriptwriters,anddirectorshavereworkedandmodified over the years, creating from these basic plots a seemingly endlessseries of fascinating and compelling variations. Four hundred years ago,Shakespearetooktheclassicstorylineof"TheHeroDoomedbyHisExcessiveAmbition" and turned it into Macbeth. In the 20th century, movie makerstransformedthesamebasicstorylineintosuchfilmsasCitizenKane,WallStreet,andScarface.Thesameistrueofthestorylinesthatunderliethebusinessesweworkfor.Mostfollow specific, often familiar patterns. Understanding the story of yourcompanyincludesrecognizingthekindofmovieitmightmake.Hereareafewexamples:

ABoyandHisDream.ThisisthestorybehindsuchcompaniesasDisney,Virgin, andMicrosoft. If you've ever worked for a firm built around thecreative vision of a young entrepreneur, you've lived the Boy and HisDreamstory.TheTaleofEducation.Inthisstory,acompanymustpassthroughaseriesof changes as it learns from experience, ultimately emerging wiser andstronger at the end, yet with its fundamental nature intact. IBM, forexample,hasgonethroughseveralincarnations,itsmostrecentbeingasa

providerof information services,while remainingahigh-tech firmdrivenbyintelligenceanddiscipline.Today,BPisreinventingitselffromanold-fashionedoilcompanyintoanenvironmentally-friendlyenergycompany—anotherkindofeducationtale.The Tale of Redemption. This story describes a company that has beenthroughanear-deathexperience,perhapsbecauseofaseriousmistake,buthasrecoveredbyreturningtothevaluesthatoriginallymadeitgreat.Applehas gone through a redemption drama, its share of the computermarketplacehavingshrunkduetoinsularityandarrogance,onlytoreboundthankstoaninfusionofnewcreativeenergyintheformoftheiPodmusicplayer.Stranger inaStrangeLand.This iswhat's sometimescalledapicaresquedrama, in which the hero passes through a series of disconnected, oftencolorful and amazing, sometimes mysterious adventures in a weird,unknown country (think Easy Rider, Planet of the Apes, or Being JohnMalkovich, for example). Some companies that go through a series ofincarnationsandflitfrommarkettomarketlivethroughthiskindofmovie.TheTaleofRevenge.Sometimesacompany isdrivenby thedesireof itsfounders to outcompete another organization that is viewed, for somereason,as"theenemy."Somecompaniesgrowforyearsfueledbythisformof energy.Some independentHollywoodproducers, for example, revel inthinkingof themselvesas feistyupstartschallenging thehegemonyof thebigstudios.TheActionAdventure.Justassomemoviesarebuiltaroundaseriesofhair-raisingescapes,eachmoreexcitingthanthelast,somecompaniesseemtolurch from one business crisis to the next, living off the adrenalinegenerated by sheer danger. We see this pattern in the software industry,wherecompaniesarerepeatedlybettingtheirbusinessoncreatingthe"nextbigidea"andhopingthe"badguys"(i.e., thecompetition)won'tgettherefirst.The Tale of Testing. Some companies, especially those created by high-minded founders, go through repeated periods of testing, in which theiradherence to high standards of ethics and professionalism is challenged.Johnson& Johnson lived through thismoviewhen theTylenolpoisoningcrisistesteditsmoralvalues—andthecompanypassedwithflyingcolors,achievingbothethicalgreatnessandbusinesssuccessasaresult.

Of course, this isn't an exhaustive list of the master storylines that definebusinesses.Maybeyourcompanyfitssomeothernarrativepattern.(Some,liketheEnronsoftheworld,embodytragictalesthatendindestructionanddespair.Hopefully that's not the kind of story you are living through.) The importantthing is to begin thinking about the shapeof your company's story andwhereyoufitintoit.Askyourselfquestionslikethese:

What kind of movie is my company in? Who is the hero? Who is thevillain?Whatisthecentralconflict?Whatstageofthestoryarewenowexperiencing?Areweintheearlydaysof the company's story, in the midst of a crisis, or approaching thedenouement?Isanewstory(asequel)abouttobelaunched?What role do I play? Am I the rising hero, the loyal sidekick, themisunderstoodprophet,thegadfly,theunexpectedhero,thecomforter,theredeemer,thesecretagent,themysteriousstranger?WhatactionsaremyteamandIbeingcalledontoperformtoadvancetheplot?Whatdothenextfewpagesofthescriptdictate?Canwedoanythingtorewritethescripttomaketheendingmoresatisfying?

Oneofyourjobsasanignitedmanageristounderstandthemovieyouandyourcompany are living through and convey that understanding to the people youworkwith—notnecessarilyinthoseexactwords,butthroughthestoriesyoutell,thecomparisonsyoudraw,thechallengesyouset,andthefeelingsyouevoke.

FindingYourRoots

Ifyou'vebeenwith thesamecompanyforanumberofyears,you'veprobablyabsorbeda lotofhistorybyosmosis—through thestoriespeopleswapand theanecdotesrecountedinspeechesbythetopbrass.Ifnot,youmayneedtogooutofyourwaytolearnaboutyourcompanyanditsbackstory.Sometimes company history is captured in documents: old sales materials,company presentations, annual reports. If your company has a library or anarchive, spend an afternoon browsing there. (Whoever is in charge will bethrilledwiththeattentionandwillprobablybecomeanallyandhelperwheneveryou need to research some obscure bit of company data.) In other cases, the

Internet may be a trove of historical materials. Eye-opening discoveries arepossible. Some companies are actually reviving old slogans, ads, or historicalimagesfortheirinspirationalvalue.Forexample,BankofAmericahasfocusedin recent televisioncommercialson thebank'shistorical roleasa supporteroffemaleinvestorsandentrepreneurs—includingMaryPickford,the1920smoviestarwhohelpedfoundUnitedArtists.Moreoften,historyiscapturedinstoriesthatexpressthecentralvalues,mission,goals,andaspirationsof thecompanyand itspeople.Often thesestoriesaren'twritten down anywhere. Discovering them is a matter of asking questions—especiallyofyourfirm'sveterans,thosewhomayberetiring,andpeopleleavingthecompany—andlisteningcloselytotheanswers.Olderemployeescanbealittle-usedsourceofsurprisingwisdom.Connectwiththemand turn them intomentors.Meet regularlywith them,keep themup-to-date on what you are learning, and share with them the challenges you arefacing.Manytimesthey'llhavebeenthroughthesameproblemsbeforeandhaveinsightstosharewithrealpracticalvalue.If you consciously play the important role of Bard—company historian,storyteller, and keeper of values—you'll find yourself eventually acting asmentor to ayoungergenerationof employeeswhowill appreciate thewisdomandinsightyou'vedeveloped.

12IgnitionPoint7:TheSpirit

ThePoweroftheHealer

Bad managers ignore the emotional dynamics of their teams. They try to fixmostproblemsbyemployingfear ("Get thisprojectdoneon timeorelse!")orincentives that are simplistic and ham-handed ("Get this project done on timeandyou'llearnabunchofbrowniepoints!").Amanagerlikethisinducesspasmsofeye-rollingandbehind-the-backjokingfromhisteammembers—asyouknowifyou'veeverhadthemisfortuneofworkingforone.Bycontrast,smartmanagerstreateverysituationasauniquecircumstance—notjust from a business standpoint, but also from a personal standpoint. Theyrecognize that business problems can't be defined solely in terms of profit orloss,salesorinventory,salariesorbonusesorproductivity.Theyunderstandtheemotional,psychological,andevenspiritualsidesoftheissuestheirpeoplearegrapplingwith,andtheyrecognizetheimpactthese"soft"elementshaveonthehardresultstheyachieve.Ratherthantreatingpeoplelikeanonymouscogsinamachine,smartmanagersempathizewiththestrugglesandaspirationsoftheirteammembers.Theyrealizethat each one is an individual with strengths, weaknesses, and emotions thatmustbeunderstoodfully.ThisisthepoweroftheHealer—theignitedmanagerwhoknows thatmotivating people is, in part, about nurturing their hearts andminds.Understandingtheemotionalcurrentsatworkgivesamanagerenormouspower.Emotionsareinformative.Ifweknowwhatdrivespeopleemotionally,weknowhowtomotivate,inspire,guide,strengthen,andsupportthem.TheHealeruseshissensitivitytotheorganization'semotionalclimateto

Guide the company in establishingwise, productive policies in regard tocompensation, training, scheduling, workplace conditions, and other"people"issuesCoaxhighperformancefromhispeoplewhenothersfailbecauseofmoraleproblems, life/work imbalance, perceived problems with fairness, or the

inabilityofteammemberstounderstandorcommittocorporateobjectivesInform management about what is actually possible and impossible toachieve,shapingstrategicplansandoperationaltargetsthatarerealisticandappropriateAnticipatepeopleproblemsbefore theythreatenproductivity,anddevelopmethodsforavoidingorminimizingthemAttractandretainthesmartestandmostcapablepeople,andfindgentlebuteffectivewaysofmovingpeopleoutofjobswheretheydon'tbelongHelpmaketheorganizationaplacewherepeoplecangrowandthrive,notjustfinanciallyandprofessionally,butalsoinpersonalandhumanterms

Developing these skills takes more than managerial know-how. It also takessensitivity,maturity,andthecouragerequiredtocommunicateopenly.

GettingSeriousAboutMotivation

TheHealerunderstandsthesoftsideofleadership—theemotionalandspiritualelementsofmotivationandcommitmentwithoutwhichnocompanycanachievelastingsuccess.Noneof this is to say thathard factors—things likesalary,bonuses, titles,andperks—aren't important. They're very important. But they don't substitute forbeingchallenged,acknowledged,recognized,andnurturedastheindividualsweare. Though often ignored ormisunderstood, these softmotivators are just asimportant.Knowing how to combine the various kinds ofmotivation can be tricky.Andwhenyoumessitup,youcanpayabigprice—bothintermsofmoraleandintermsofpureeconomicloss.Remember Michael Drake from Freddie Mac? (We told part of his story inChapter 4, "Managing Your Emotions.") When we interviewed Michael, herecounted a clash with his superiors over what it would take to reward andmotivatesomeofhismostvaluableemployees.Michaelwenttohisbossatthetimeandsaid,"IhaveacoupleofpeopleIreallywant toreward—peoplewho'vebeenworkingnightanddayforweeks tohelpcleanupsomeofthesystemicproblemsweinheritedfrompastmanagement.Iwanttoshowthemthatweappreciatetheirextraeffortsandrecognizewhattheymean."

"Fine,"saidhisboss."Howaboutthrowingthemanicecreamsocial?""Awhat?"Michaelresponded."Youknow,make-your-ownsundaesandsodasandsuch.It'sfunandtellspeopleyoureallycare."Michaelwassilentforafewlongseconds."Uh,thatisn'texactlywhatIhadinmind.Iwasthinkingmorealongthelinesofacashbonus.""Howmuch?""Fifteenthousanddollars.Apiece."Now it was his boss's turn to be silent. Finally he choked out, "Did you say$15,000?""That'sright.""Noway.Wecan'tdothat.It'sjusttoodarnmuch."Andhewalkedaway,leavingMichaelspeechless.There'snodoubtthat$15,000isalotofmoney.ButMichaelhaddonethemath.Thepeoplehewanted tohonorwere earning$50,000or$60,000ayear each.Andduring thispainful timeofretooling,FreddieMacwasdraining themdry,soaking up their energy, emotion, intellect, and talent. If these key employeesleft—whichtheywouldsoondo,ifconditionsdidn'timprove—theywouldhavetobereplacedintheshortrunwithindependentconsultantswhowouldprobablycosttheequivalentof$1millionayear.Andinthelongrun,hiringpermanentreplacements—factoringinrecruitmentcosts,training,andlosttimeasthenewpeoplegotuptospeed—mightcostdoubletheirsalariesduringyearone."Iwantedtosaveusallthat,"Michaelsays."Butthecompanybalkedspendingat$15,000."The alternative suggested by Michael's boss—an ice-cream social—was thewrong ideaat thewrong time. It'snota simplematterof "money talks."Non-financialrewardscanbeverymeaningfulwhentheybuildonanexistingbasisofmutual trust, respect, and commitment. (I've written heartfelt thank-you notesand seen them posted in people's offices weeks later because they meantsomethingtothosewhoreceivedthem.)Inanorganizationwherepeoplehaveasenseofcamaraderieandsharedgoals,thenaspontaneousice-creamsocialonaFridayafternoon—orequivalentgestureslikeabeerblast,pokerparty,ormovieouting—canbeagreatwaytoblowoffsteamandthanktheteamforaweekofhard work. But when people have been putting in long hours for uncertainrewards and with little clear sense that the organization understands theirsacrifice, a small act likean ice-creamsocial feels condescending.Theyknowtheir work is worth millions to the company; to be rewarded with pennies is

insulting.This was a case of being dollar-wise and heart-foolish. Freddie Mac is stillstruggling to learn how to constructively use the personal understanding thatmanagerslikeMichaelDrakebringtotheirjobs.Untiltheydo,theywillexpendmoney needlessly and unproductively, struggling to overcome the problemscaused by excessive turnover and plummeting employee morale—all in thenameofeconomy.ThemanagerinTheMiddleusuallyhasalimitedabilitytocontrolthefinancialrewards his team members receive. Salary increases and bonuses must beapproved by those higher in the chain of command, and strict guidelines areusually established at the C-suite level. But the Healer owes it to himself orherself and to the people he or she leads to be extremely sensitive to theimportanceofsuchrewardsandtobeastrong,vocaladvocateforfairness.Ifthecompensationprogramatyourfirmisinequitableorfailstoprovidewhatittakestotrulymotivateyourpeople,fighttochangeit—nottoprovethatyouare a "nice guy" but because it's one of the prerequisites for building a high-performingteam.Andifgettingtofairnessprovestobealong-termprocess,tellyour people the truth about where you are in that process. They'll appreciateknowingthatyou"getit"andthatyouarepushingforwhat'sright.

MakingPositivesOutofNegatives

In the workplace, money is certainly a sensitive, emotional button. But otherfactors can be equally powerful—and equally problematic for managers. Onemanagerwhohasdevelopedathoughtfulsensitivitytotheemotionalclimateofthe workplace and the leadership challenges it can pose is John Sherrard,associate director of vendor contracts at SBC, the long-distance, Internet, andcommunicationscompanyrecentlypurchasedbyAT&T.In his 20 years as a manager, Sherrard has led people through some toughcorporate times—periods of downsizing, for example. "Many say that middlemanagement is hit the hardest" at such times, he acknowledges. Sherrard hassurvived, andhelpedhispeople toadapt,byusinghis communication skills—lessasatransmitterthanasareceiver:

Actually, I find you have to be prepared for a lot of venting during hardtimes.AndI invite it.WhenIknowpeopleareworriedorsuffering,Igettogether with my team and ask them to tell me what's on their minds.

Ventingcanbeverytherapeutic.SometimesIcanaffectthesituationinaconcreteway—forexample,whenthecompanyisstruggling,Imaybeabletoconvincethefirmtoreducethenumber of layoffs or shift people into other jobs. Other times, there'snothing I can do except help ease people's transitions by giving themreferencesandcontacts.ButIcanalwaysexpressempathyforwhatthey'regoingthrough.IcantalkaboutwhatI'vedonetotrytofixtheproblem.AndI can show them how the pain is being spread around, at least to somedegree.Mostimportant,Icanmakesuretoprovideventingsessionsthatareasafeenvironmentformypeople,wherethey'llneverhavetofaceretributionforspeaking out. And it's not only the people who are directly affected thathave to vent. It's also the peoplewhose jobs aren't touched butwhowillnowhavetodotwiceasmuchworkasbefore,andwithgreateruncertaintyhangingovertheirheads.The fact that I let them get their feelings off their chests makes a bigdifferencetotheemotionalclimatehere.Afteraventingsession,peoplecansay, "Okay,youknowhowwe feel.Now,howdowenowmove forwardand deal with reality?" Just the fact that they see that you share theirconcerns and care about their problems may help them cope with thesituation.

"I'm trying to be a leader," Sherrard says. "But you can't be a leaderwithoutfollowers.AndIfindthatpeoplearemorewillingtofollowyouifyougivethemthe opportunity to talk about their feelings, their concerns, and their needs."Leadership, as Sherrard has found, isn't about exalting the leader—it's aboutcaringforallthepeople.The need for emotional sensitivity may be extreme in times of corporateupheaval,butit'simportanteveryweekoftheyear.Forexample,nothingcouldbemoremundanethanthetraditionalperformanceappraisal.Butmanybusinessleadersfindthatdeliveringhonest,sometimesnegative,performancefeedbackisprofoundlystressful—perhapsevenmoresothanreceivingnegativefeedback.Here,too,JohnSherrardhasdevelopedanapproachthatworksforhimandhispeople:

Havinghadtwentyyears'practicenow,Ireallydon'tfinditdifficulttohavetogive feedback topeople.Of course, I always try tomakemycriticismconstructive—to tell peoplewhat they can do to improve rather than justtellthemwhattheyaredoingwrong.Butoneofthekeystodoingitwell,in

mymind, is tobe justasquickaboutprovidingpositive reinforcementasyouareinprovidingcriticism.Managerstendtoassumethat,ifpeopledosomething well, there's nothing to talk about—isn't that what they'resupposedtodo?Ithinkthat'sabigmistake.Instead,Itrytosticktoaratiooffour-to-one.Youneedfourpositivesforeverynegativeinorderforpeopletofeellikeyourcommentsarebalanced.If it's one-to-one, people will feel that you're being too negative. It'sbecausepeopletendtoremembernegativefeedbackmuchmore.SowhenIsticktoafour-to-oneratio,peopleactuallyhearwhatI'msayingratherthanover-reacting.

Sherrardalsoworkshardtomakesurethatpeopleunderstandthereasonsbehindhisfeedback,positiveornegative:

WhenI'mdoingthefirstevaluationforanewpersononmyteam,Itrytomake it clear that I amhere tohelp thembemore successful.Toachievethis,Iamgoingtoprovidethemwithpositivefeedbackand,ifneeded,withcriticismaswell.And I literally ask for their permission toprovide themwithconstructivecriticismifneeded.Inasense,thisisjustaformality.Whataretheygoingtosay?Theyarenotgoing tosayno!But I think theyappreciatebeingasked. It'sagestureofrespect for them, their dignity, and their feelings—all of which areimportanttome.Sowhensomethingdoesn'tgowellonthejob,Iask,"Whatcanwelearnfromthis?"AndI think that I'vebeenable tocreateaculturearound thatkindofquestionamongourteammembers.

Finally, Sherrardmakes sure that the scheduled performance appraisal sessionisn'ttheonlytimehisteammembersgetfeedback:

Wehavefourformalfeedbacksessionsayear,butItalkaboutperformancewith my team every week. Once you create that culture, then it's just anatural part of how you do business. When people get both positivefeedbackandcriticismoften,it'smoreacceptabletothem.And,ofcourse,when I see signs that they've managed to turn around or improve on aweakness,I'mveryquicktopraisethat.

Maybe themost important thingJohnSherrardhas to teachuscomesfromhisuseoftheword"culture."Asamanager,Sherrardiskeenlyawareoftheimpactofhiswordsandbehaviorontheemotionsofthepeoplearoundhim.Praiseorcriticism fromaboss carries a lotmoreweight than the samecomments fromsomeoneoflesserstature.Andtheemotionalovertonesgeneratedbytheboss's

words, actions, gestures—even his facial expressions and body language—produceripplesthataffecttheentireoffice,sometimesfordaystocome.Thus,the tone the boss sets by his demeanor and his communication style creates aculturethatinfluenceseverythingthathappensintheorganization.Ifyoucreateacultureofmutualrespectandcaring,thepeoplewhoworkwithyouwill imbibe it and imitate it.The resultwillbeaworkplacewherepeoplepulltogetherinpursuitofcommongoalsandwherepeoplestayonanevenkeelnomatterhowtoughtheobstacles.Businessistoughenough.We'veallgottenwoundedonthejob.TheroleoftheHealer is to minimize the inevitable hurts that come with working in today'sultra-competitiveenvironmentandhelppeoplepressforward.

InsightandCourage

An ignitedmanager like John Sherrard illustrates the kind of intelligence andsensitivityrequiredtoplaytheroleofHealer.Butthosearen'ttheonlyqualitiesneeded. Two others are equally important: street-smart insight into the impactthat organizational constraints can have on the emotional climate, and thecouragetobuckthoseconstraints,evenwhenthatmeanschallengingthepowerstructureinapotentiallyself-threateningway.AuthorandconsultantHaroldJ.Leavitt tellsa story thatvividly illustrates thekinds of psychological binds in which managers in The Middle often findthemselves. It involves an off-site sensitivity training workshop Leavittconducted that includedmembersof five levelsofmanagement fromthesamecompany—first-line supervisors who had risen from the ranks of blue-collarworkers right on up to the CEO, including several layers of management inbetween.Thegrouphadbeenselectedwithsensitivitytotheproblemofhavingdirectreportsinteractinginsuchapotentiallychargedenvironment;almostnoneof the lower-levelmanagers had their bosses in the room.However, avoidingsuchconflictswasimpossibleatthenarrowtopofthecorporatepyramid,sotwovicepresidentswithdirectreportingtiestotheCEOwerepresent.Thesessionbegansmoothly.Leavittmoderatedageneraldiscussionofbusinessissues, including the current economic climate, strategic challenges facing thecompany,andchangesinmarketconditions.Everyoneparticipatedeagerly,fromthe CEO on down through the vice presidents, divisional managers, and thefront-linesupervisors.Butthen,withLeavitt'sguidance,theconversationbegan

to shift gears.More sensitive topics surfaced: allegedmistreatmentofworkersbymanagers, ethical lapses, and accusations of cover-ups.With the emotionaltemperature in the room rising, Leavitt noticed a curious change in theconversationalpattern:

As these more sensitive topics entered the discussion, the decibel leveldecreased.ThosejustbelowtheCEOwereamongthefirsttodropintonearsilence, followed by the next level down and so on, until the meetingbecameprettymuchatwo-waytalkfest,withfirst-linesupervisorslayingiton the lineand theCEOresponding.Theothers, sandwichedbetween thetwoends,satmostlysilent,almostfrozenintheirseats.

Later,Leavitt reviewed thesessionwith theCEO,whowasdelightedwith theexperience."Hewasfeelingheroic,"Leavitt recalls."Hehadshownhimself tobeoneof thegood-oldboys,duking itoutwith the realworking folks. Itwasfun,likedoffinghissuitandtieandclimbingintoagray(notpink!)jumpsuit—foroneafternoon."AsforthemanagersinTheMiddlewho'dbasicallystoppedparticipating,whatwastheCEO'sdiagnosisoftheirsilence?Hewasdismissive.AsfarastheCEOwas concerned, they'd revealed themselves to be timid, "ivory-tower" paper-shufflers,unabletocomprehendthefeelingsandattitudesofthe"real"peopleatthebottomof thehierarchy,whilealsobeing tooprotectiveof theirownperksand privileges to speak boldly and honestly in the presence of the big boss."Theycovertheirtails,"theCEOsaidscornfully.Viewingthescenefromthemoreobjectivepositionofanoutsider,Leavittoffersaverydifferentanalysis:

[The CEO] was certainly right about one thing. Those middle levels,especiallytheuppermiddles,werecoveringtheirtails—forgoodreason.Ithoughtthemiddlefolkshadshutupbecausetheywerejustplainscaredbythepresenceof their closebosses, especially theCEO. If the in-betweenshad argued with first-line supervisors, they would probably have beencalled to the boss's office the next morning. The first-line supervisors,however,didn'tneedtofeelafraid.TheCEOwastoodistant,toofarupthehierarchytoscarethem.Thechiefexecutiveofalargeorganizationwasn'tlikely to go after a veteran foreman, four levels down the hierarchy.Besides, if theseold-timerspointed to things thatweregoingwrong,whowas likely to be held responsible? Certainly not the top boss! That wasmiddlemanagers'territory.[1]

[1] Harold J. Leavitt, "The Plight of Middle Managers."Harvard Business School Working

Knowledge,December13,2004.Onlineathttp://hbswk.hbs.edu/item.jhtml?id=4537&t=leadership.TheCEOinthisstorywaswell-meaning.Hiswillingnesstotalkopenlywiththefront-line managers was admirable, and it's likely he learned some valuabletruthsfromhisinteractionwiththetroops.Buthisattitudetowardthemanagersin The Middle of his organization showed a fundamental blindness to therealities of life in corporate America. It's scary to challenge your boss—especially the boss youworkwith every day, the onewho doles out your jobassignments,handsoutperks(likethattrainingprogramonaCaribbeanislandinFebruary)andboobyprizes(likethatmid-summersalestriptoruralwestTexas),appraisesyourperformance, and recommends salary increasesandend-of-yearbonuses.AnditwasunrealisticoftheCEOtoexpecthisdirectreportstoviolateorignorethisironlawoforganizationallife.Leavitt'sstoryisfarfromunique.Infact,it'susefulmainlybecausethedynamicit describes is so typical—one that most experienced managers can replicatefromtheirownworkhistories.SowhatarethelessonsaboutleadershipandlifethattheaspiringHealercantakeawayfromthissmallbutrevealinganecdote?First, always be aware of the powerful emotional constraints that everyone inbusiness is operating under at virtually all times. Working people areextraordinarily dependent on the organizations that employ them—not just fortheir livelihoodsbut for their social status, their senseof self-esteem, even (tolarge measure) for the meaning of their daily lives. And being so dependentinducesinmostpeopleahighlevelofvulnerabilityandsensitivity.Inthiskindof environment, either giving or receiving any kind of negative message isdeeplystressful—somethingthatmostpeoplewilldoalmostanythingtoavoid.This is one reason bad news takes so long to migrate up the corporatecommunicationladder(if iteverdoes)—it's just toodarnfrighteningtodeliveranunwelcomemessagetothepersonwhoholdsyourfateinhishands.All kinds of business communications labor under the limitations imposed bytheseconstraints.Soformanagersateverylevelintheorganization,findingoutwhatisreallygoingonistremendouslydifficult.What can the ignited manager do about it? In his role as Healer, he canconstantlybeawareoftheemotionalbarrierstoopennessandhonesty,andworktohelpteammembersovercomethemwhentoughcorporatechallengesdemandclearcommunication.Necessarytacticstoachievethisinclude

Acknowledging the constraints. ("Hey, I know it's hard to talk about thisstuffwithyourboss.Ifeelthesamewaywithmyboss.")

Establishinganimportantbusinesscontextandpurpose.("We'vegottogetto the bottom of this problem. Otherwise there's no way we'll make oursalestargetsforthisyear.")Recognizingthecrucialroleoftheteammember.("Wecan'tfixthiswithoutyourhelp.")Creatingaseparatespacewhereit'ssafetobeopen.("Let'sgogetacupofcoffeeandhash thisout,oneonone.And let's agree thatnothingwe saywillbesharedwithanyoneelsewithouttheotherperson'spermission.")Rigorouslyavoidingany formof recriminationor retribution fornegativeor"politicallyincorrect"statements.("Iappreciateyourhonesty.Therearenohardfeelings.Nowlet'sfigureouthowtosolvetheproblemtogether.")

Second, thewould-beHealer needs tomodel open communication in times ofstress—includingthekindofupwardcommunicationofnegatives thatrequiresspecialcourage(which themanagers inTheMiddle inLeavitt'sanecdotewereunabletomuster).Thismeanstakingsuchboldstepsas:

Speaking frankly about problems in the company when no one else iswillingtodosoAdmitting your own mistakes without trying to blame other people oroutsidecircumstancesRecognizingtheflawsandweaknessesof theorganizationasawholeandhonestlydiscussingwhat'srequiredtofixthemAcknowledging the role that morale, emotions, motivation, and other"people"factsplayinthecompany'sperformanceBeing willing to say, "I don't know," "I don't think it's possible," "Wegoofed,""Thatwouldbeamistake,"andothersuchoften-tabooutterances

Ifoneof themanagers inTheMiddle inLeavitt's accounthadbeenwilling toplay this role, thestorymighthaveendedverydifferently.Emboldenedby theexampleof theirHealercolleague,othermanagersmighthavesteppedupwiththeir own honest statements. The front-line supervisors would have heard theperspectiveofmid-levelmanagerson theproblems theyweregriping about—andperhapswouldhavediscovered that theproblemsweremorecomplexandmore intractable than they'd realized.TheCEOmighthaverecognized thathismanagementteamwascapableofmuchmorethanmerely"coveringtheirtails."And theorganizationasawholemighthavebegun togetahandleon therealsensitivityproblemsthathadbeenholdingthemback.

Isthiseasytodo?Noway.(That'swhyit'scalledcourage—becauseit'ssohardtodo.)Thehelpof anoutsider likeLeavitt canbe important, both to read theorganization'semotionalclimateobjectivelyandtoprovidea"safetyvalve"byexpressinguncomfortabletruthsthatothersintheroomwouldliketorevealbutcan't.YetsomeonemustbewillingtoplaytheroleofHealer—torecognizetheimpactof emotional cross-currents on life inside the organization and take the stepsneeded to prevent those cross-currents from making the company absolutelydysfunctional.When thisdoesn'thappen, theresultscanbecatastrophic—evengenuinelytragic—asthemanagersatNASAdiscovered.

WhenEmotionalDeafnessCanKill

On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentryintotheEarth'satmosphere,killingtheentireseven-membercrew.Theaccidentwascausedbydamagesustainedduringlaunchwhenalargepieceoffoambrokeoffthemainpropellanttankandstrucktheleadingedgeoftheorbiter'sleftwing.Athermalprotectionsystempanelonthewingwasdamaged,whichallowedthehot gasses of reentry to penetrate and weaken the wing structure, ultimatelycausingittofail.Thevehiclethenbecameuncontrollableandwasdestroyedbytheextremeheatofreentry.Thisterriblehumantragedywasatechnicalfailure,ofcourse.Butitwasanevengreater management failure—one that was precipitated by the inability of themanagers in The Middle at NASA to recognize and effectively manage theemotional constraints within the organization. In the end, the dysfunctionalcultureatNASAhelpedtokilltheastronauts.Similarchunksoffoamhadfallenoffonat least threepreviousshuttle flights,but those incidents had caused no serious damage. The euphemism used byNASAmanagementtorefertothisphenomenonwas"foamshedding."AswiththeO-ringerosionsthathaddoomedtheChallengershuttlebackin1986,NASAmanagementseemedtogrowcomplacentwhennoseriousconsequencesresultedfromtheseearlierepisodes.VideotakenduringColumbia'sliftoffwasroutinelyreviewedtwohoursafterthelaunch and revealed nothing unusual. However, the following day, higher-resolution film that had been processed overnight revealed that a piece ofinsulation foam fell from the external fuel tank 81.9 seconds after launch and

appeared to strike the shuttle's left wing, potentially damaging the shuttle'sthermalprotection.Theexactlocationwherethefoamstruckthewingcouldnotbedeterminedduetothelowresolutionofthetrackingcamerafootage.Hereiswherethemanagerialmisstepsbegantoaccumulate,asNASAfailedtorecognizetherelevanceofengineeringconcernsforsafety.Engineers made three separate requests for higher-resolution Department ofDefense (DoD) imaging of the shuttle in orbit to more precisely determinedamage. But NASA management did not honor the requests and actuallyintervenedtostopDoDfromassisting.NASA'schiefthermalprotectionsystemengineer was also concerned about left-wing TPS damage and asked NASAmanagement whether an astronaut would visually inspect it. NASAmanagersneverresponded.Throughouttheriskassessmentprocess,seniorNASAmanagerswereinfluencedbytheirbeliefnothingcouldbedoneevenifdamagewasdetected.Asaresult,they decided to conduct a what-if study more suited to determine riskprobabilities of future events rather than inspecting and assessing the actualdamage.In the wake of the Columbia tragedy, two managers at NASA named BillParsonsandWayneHalebegantolookinwardat theculturethathadspawnedthe accident. They recognized that the agency's militaristic, macho mindset,whichdidn'ttoleratedoubtor"negativity,"haddiscouragedengineersandothersfrom speaking upwhen theywere uncertain orworried about possible designflawsormechanicalproblemsthatcouldscuttleamission.Nowthey'reworkingtotransformtheculturejustenoughtopreventsuchtragediesinthefuture.Theydon't want to lose the gung-ho, high-achievement orientation that has alwayscharacterizedNASA and led to some of the space agency's greatest triumphs.But they want to temper it with a greater encouragement of opencommunication,evenwhenthemessageisoneofuncertaintyandconfusion.Making such change happen in a proud agency with a tradition ofaccomplishmentisn'teasy,asreporterMarciaDunnexplains:

TheflightdirectorwhoguidedtheApollo11moonlandingandtheApollo13rescuefindsthespaceagency'snew,soft,mushyapproachdistasteful—andflat-outwrong."Look, these people are professionals. They're being paid a professionalwage. If they have a problem, I expect them to stand up and speak up.Period," says Gene Kranz, the subject of the recent History Channeldocumentary, "Failure Is Not anOption." The title is borrowed from his

2000autobiography."We'vegot19-and20-and21-year-oldsoverinIraqrightnowwhohavetomake daily decisions. It's no ambiguity. I don't think we should expectanything lessof thepeoplewhoareworking in the spaceprogram.Dailydecisions,noambiguity,"the70-year-oldKranzsays,hiswordsclippedasshortashislifelongcrewcut.Kranzisn'ttheonlyold-timercomplainingabouttheNewAgeNASA.Retired space program veterans from the 1960s and '70s are askingHalehowhe,aschairmanofthemissionmanagementteamforallfutureshuttleflights,willmakepotential life-and-deathdecisionsif thereisanoverloadofopinion,gutfeelingsandhunches—andnoconsensus.Dowhatwedid,theytellhim.Haleshuddersatthethought."Theywere dealingwith all-whitemales, and therewas a lot of in-your-face,militaristicalmost(communication),"saysHale,49,aformershuttleflightdirector.Soft-spoken and baldwith a storyteller's voice and a fondness for space-motif and stars-and-stripes ties, he says: "I'm still a student at this, but ifyouwanttoinhibitcommunication,that'sagoodwaytodoitthesedays."[2]

[2] Marcia Dunn, "Post-Columbia NASA Managers are Sensitive Guys." Associated Press,October13,2003.

Kranz's old-style management technique wasn't all wrong. He understood theimportanceofmanagersinTheMiddletomakingcrucialdecisionscorrectly:

The opinions of technicians and engineers, no matter how low on theladder, were not only respected, but sought by flight directors like thelegendary Kranz. He practiced "defense in depth," so that if a technicalproblemslippedpastonegroup,itwouldbecaughtbythenext,orthenext.Hedemandedtoughness,competence,confidence.HecontendstheNASAofyesteryearwouldnothaveallowedtheColumbiaaccident. The system would have fixed the recurring launch problem ofbreakawayfuel-tankfoam,hesays.Midlevelmanagement—guttedduringthe1990stosavemoney—iswhereKranz would turn to hear about workers' gut feelings. If two or threeworkershad the samehunch—evenwithoutdata toback it up—then thatwould be enough for Kranz to call a halt and investigate, and to collectmoredata.The framed plaque from that era still hangs in the Mission Evaluation

RoomatJohnsonSpaceCenter,downstairsfromMissionControl:"InGodwetrust,allothersbringdata."With Columbia, engineers had no data, just a sick, sinking feelingwhenthey saw the video and film images of the chunk of foam smacking theship's left wing during liftoff in January. Their repeated requests for spysatellitepictureswereignoredoroverruled,sonooneknewColumbiahada mortal gash that would let in scorching atmospheric gases when thespacecraftheadedhome.

It'spossibletodiagnosesomeoftheproblemsthatledtotheColumbiadisasterby reading between the lines of this account. Kranz professed (no doubtsincerely)arespectforthe"gutfeelings"ofhismanagersinTheMiddle,andhereliedonthemtoexpressthosenaggingdoubtsforcefully.Butovertime,Kranz'sothermantra—"InGodWeTrust,AllOthersBringData"—seemstohavetakenpre-eminence. It seems that NASA engineers came to feel that they shouldn'texpresstheirdoubtsunlessthesecouldbebackedupby"data"—hardfactsthatwould prove the validity of those doubts. This sense led to silence about thedamage to Columbia's exterior, and in turn to the deaths of the astronauts onboard.ThelessonoftheColumbiadisasterisclear:It'snotenoughtorespecttheideasof your people. You also need to respect their feelings, even when they'reinchoate,unclear,andseeminglybasedonverylittle—andencouragethemtodothesame.It'sespeciallytruewhencrucialdecisionsthataffectlives,orthefutureofyourcompany,arebeingmade.

LeadingwiththeHeart

Unfortunately,toomanycompaniestodaystillmanagetofollowold-fashioned,emotionally tone-deaf leadership styles. InAugust 2006, newspaper headlinestold theworld thatRadioShack laidoff400employees... andhadnotified theunlucky ones via email! Talk about an embarrassing corporate black eye. Itseems likely that Radio Shack is in desperate need of managers with Healerskills.Managers likeNASA'sBill Parsons andWayneHale—aswell asCBC's JohnSherrardandMichaelDrakeofFreddieMac—represent thechallengesandthepromise ofHealer leadership.Middleshiftmanagerswho respect the power ofemotionsembodytheenlightenedfutureofbusiness...aworldinwhichfeelings

aren'tsuppressedor liedabout,butrecognizedasourmostpowerfuldriversofachievement.Reforming organizations in which a macho-style, emotionally deaf, quasi-militarymodelofleadershipstilldominateswon'tbeeasy.Eachofthemanagerswe'vetalkedaboutinthischapterhasfacedenormouschallenges.Butinthelongrun,they'llsucceed—becausetheymustsucceediftomorrow'sorganizationsaretosurviveandthriveintheever-escalatingcompetitionforhumantalent,energy,andcommitment.

PartIIIGetMoreSuccess

13SellingfromtheFulcrum

ShiftHappens

Congratulations!Whether you've realized it or not, by getting solidwith yourteamandstyleinthefirstpartofthisbook("GetMorePower")andbyaddinguniqueandclearvaluetoyourcompanybyworkingtheIgnitionPointsinPartII("GetMorePurpose"),you'vecreatedashift—ashiftthathastakenthefulcrumpointyouliveonbetweenmanagement'svisionandthedemandsofthefieldandelevatedittoanewandhigherplatform.You'vebecomeanignitedmanager.To confirm the change, simply redraw yourManager's Universe and consideryour portfolio of projects. Have you expanded your universe and made yourrelationshipsmoremeaningful?Haveyougainedtractionagainstseriousissuesthatonlyyou,withyouruniquevantagepointandskill set,have theability tosolve?Theseareindicationsofthekindofchangeyou'vebeguntomake.Part III of this book is about more success. In this chapter, you'll discover asystemforgettingyourideassoldandensuringthatyouachievethesuccessandrecognition you've earned. In the next chapter, you'll examine themeaning ofsuccess and learn about tools that will help you discover and pursue it foryourself.

SuccessIsaVerb

As an ignited manager, your job is to add value by uncovering and solvingproblems. In some cases, everything will fall into place in support of thesolution.However,mostproblemsthatarereallyworthsolvingrequirepeopletochangetheirideas,theirbehaviors,andtheirwaysofworking,andcreatingthatchangeisquitechallenging.Hereiswheretheimportanceofsellingbecomesevident.Theignitedmanagerneedstobeskilledatsellingbecausecreatingchangedependsontheabilitytosuccessfully convince other people of a new point of view.And this, in turn,

requiresthatyoubringtothetableapersonaandastylethathavecredibilityandcanattractfollowers.Let'sbeginwithsomehonestself-evaluation.Whoareyoutoday?And,equallyimportant,howareyouperceived?WhatisthemeaningoftheBrandofYouintheeyesofyourcolleagues,yourteammembers,your boss, theC-level executives, and even the people in your companywhomayknowyouonlybyrumorandreputation?Weallknowthatpeopletendtogettaggedandlabeled.It'sterriblyunfair,butithappens.Thetagyouwearmaybebasedonfirstimpressions,thethingsyoudidor said during your first crucial days with the company or in your firstmanagerialposition.Oritmaybebasedonyourbehaviorduringsomemomentoftruth:thebigpresentationattheannualmeeting,themake-or-breaksalespitchbeforeamajorclient,the60-secondinterviewonCNN.Maybe you pulled it off beautifully—you appeared smart, articulate, upbeat,passionate,funny,andlikeable.Nowyouare taggedforawhileasawinner,areputationthatwillhelpyousurvivefuturemistakesandmissteps(uptoapoint).Butmaybeyoustumbled,sayingordoingsomethingthatyourealized(instantlyor days later) was cocky, thoughtless, or just plain off-base. Now you arecarrying theburdenofamixedreputation—astereotypehardforpeople togetpast.Firstthinkofthefollowinglabelsassignedtoyourpeers.Thenthinkabouthowyoumaybeperceived.Doesoneoftheseimagessounduncomfortablyfamiliar?

Thewhiner, who sees only the dark side of any situation and is foreverspoutingvisionsofdoomandgloom.Thewhiner thinkshe isdoinggoodbyonlypointingoutthebad.Somehowhebelievespullingthefirealarmisenough.However,afterawhile,peoplestoplisteningtothecomplaintsofthe whiner, even when they are dead-on accurate. (Tennis great JohnMcEnroewas a classic whiner. Ironically, a recent review of close shotsfrom his matches reveals that McEnroe's complaints about judges wereoftenright!Perhapsifhe'dwhinedless,he'dhavewonmorearguments.Ofcourse,hewasprettyfuntowatch.)Thepolitician,alwayslookingforanangle,suckingupto thepowersthatbe,jumpingonbandwagonsanddesertingsinkingships.Thepoliticianmayjustthinkheisbeingopportunistic,butwithoutanacknowledgmentofthecurrent reality and a connection to all involved, politicians leave peoplefeeling that behind any idea that they propose is nothing but selfish

motivation.Thevictim, thepassive,helpless,suck-it-all-inguy,whotakeseverybody'scrap and never complains. The victim is simply trying to stay the coursewithout rocking the boat.However, the victim often gets passed over forpromotionsandplumassignmentsbecausepeopleconsiderhimweakandineffectual. As Malcolm Forbes once said, "If you don't ask Why oftenenough,peoplewillaskWhyYou?"Thewiseguy,whoistoocleverforhisowngood—constantlysoundingoffwith"greatideas"and"brilliantinsights"thatareinvariablyhalf-bakedandnot-quite-ready-for-prime-time.Thewiseguymay in factbebrilliant, butwithoutaclearplanandbuy-in,thewiseguygetsdismissed.The schmoozer, inevitably charming, attractive, and oozing sincerity,believes that being liked is the clearest path to success. The problem,however,isthattheschmoozerspendsallofhistimeonthepersonalissuesandnoneofhis timeonthework.Agreat lunchdatedoesn'tmakeupformissing thedeadline.Sowhile the schmoozer ispleasant tohavearound,peoplequicklylearnnottocountonhim.

Ifyou'veeversufferedfromoneoftheselabels,it'sbecauseyoursalespitchhasfailed. Whether you realized it or not, you were selling—and they weren'tbuying.Insteadofseeingthevalueofyouandyouroffer,thelabelersfocusedonyourlackofsubstanceandtaggedyou.Irememberattendingameetingwithoneofmymentors.Wewereworkingonproblems,andIfoundmyselfjumpinginandofferingsolutionstoeverything.Ifeltinspired,bangingoutsolutionsasfastasFederer'sserve.Afterthemeeting,Iturnedtomymentorandsaid,"Wow—Ithoughtthatwasagreatmeeting!"Heturnedtomeandsaid,"Ofcourseyoudid.Youtalkedthewholetime."Itwasasimpleyethard-hittingcommentthatmadeitimmediatelyobvioustomehowobliviousI'dbeentomyfailuretoconnectwiththosearoundme.Maybeyou'vehadawake-upcall like theonemymentorgaveme.Thegoodnewsisthatyourfailuretoconnectwithothersdoesn'thavetobepermanent.Ifyou'vebecometrappedinalosingstereotype,theprocesswewillexplaininthischapterwillhelpyouescape.Butfairwarning:It'snotaboutputtingonafreshfaçadeordeployingabetterspin.It'saboutdoingtheworkthatisnecessarytobuildsubstanceandgenuinelychangingthebehaviorthathasputyouintheboxyou'reintoday.

First,ExamineYourMotives

Every business has thousands of problems to solve. Some are mundane andrelativelystraightforward(thebrokendoorintherestroom,thecrummyqualityof theprintoutsproducedbythebrand-newphotocopier),othersaresignificantand complex (the flawed revenue-tracking system, the inaccurate informationbeingprovidedbysomeof thecustomerservicestaff), andstillothersmaybebigandhairyenoughtothreatentheentirecompany(theill-conceivedmarketingstrategy,thequestionableethicsofsomeofthemembersofthesalesforce).Whenyouapplyyourtimeandtalentstosolvingtheproblemsthatplagueyourcompanyanditspeople—especiallythosethatarecomplexandsignificant—youarepotentiallyoperatingattheveryhighestlevelavailabletoamanagerinTheMiddle.Youmaywellbetheonepersoninyourorganizationbestpositionedtonotice,understand,andaddressaparticularproblem,andinsodoingyoumaybeabletosaveyourcompanythousandsorevenmillionsofdollars,tosaynothingofincredibleheadachesandheartaches.Butbeforeyoujumpinwithbothfeet,alittleself-examinationisinorder—startingwithyourmotivesforacting.Formany of us in business, half the time we're bent out of shape. It's just afunction of our roles. As managers in The Middle, we catch grief from alldirections—fromcustomers,front-linestaffers,suppliers,partners,andofcoursefrom thosewho are higher up the chain of command.We have our fingers indozens of processes and have to make connections with divisions anddepartmentsthroughoutthecompany.Sowhenthingsgowrong,we'rethefirstto know it and feel it. The internal results include stress, anxiety, confusion,resentment,andanger.Whenpeopleandprocessesthrowusforaloop,wewanttostrikeback.Wewanttoexposetheinjustice,correcttheerrors,challengethestupidity.Fromourcentralvantagepoint,whatneedstobedoneseemssoobvious that'sit's hard to understandwhy everyone else can't see it, too.We find ourselvesquestioning their good intentions: "The only reason for such a monumentalscrew-upmustbethatthey'redeliberatelytryingtoundermineus!Nobodycouldbethatdumb!"Yourinitialimpulseistojumponyourwhitehorseandcharge.Butslowdown.Remember the lesson from Chapter 4, "Managing Your Emotions"—when

strong emotionsdriveyour actions, you are likely to lose control,with resultsthataretheoppositeoftheonesyouseek.Withangerandself-righteousnessasmotive, you're casting yourself as part of the problem, not the solution. Youremotional involvement undermines what you are trying to do. Yes, it seemsunfair that trying to fix a problem should create a downdraft. But sometimesstatingthenegative—evenwhenthenegativeshouldbeobvioustoall,andwhenyourultimategoal is tochangethenegativetoapositive—oftenmakespeopleregardyouasathreat,notahelper.Before you take any problem-solving action, you must really examine yourmotives.Are you looking to expose (and perhaps humiliate) those behind thefailure,ordoyouwanttoworkwiththemtodevelopabettersolution?Areyoujumpingup topull the firealarm justbecauseyou like theexcitementand theattention,ordoyouhaveawellthought-outplanforfixingtheemergency?Areyoueagertoprovehowcleveryouare(andmakethosearoundyoulookfoolishand ignorant by comparison), or are you genuinely focused on improving theway your company serves customers, enriches shareholders, and createsopportunitiesforemployees?Ifyourmotivesareself-serving,yourproblem-solvingventure is likely to fail.People will sense what is driving you and they will avoid getting involved.Others with equally selfish motives will align themselves against you,transformingaproblem-solvingmission into awarover turf, power, authority,andreputation.Start by looking at yourself in the mirror. If powerful, negative emotions aredrivingyou, takeadeepbreath.Applyyouremotional intelligence.Don't startdeveloping plans until you can strip away the raw intensity, distance yourselffromit,andrefocusonthegoodofthecompanyandallthoseassociatedwithit.Bring your boss into the loop.Make sure he or she shares your concern andagreeswithyourpriority.Getconfirmationthatyourbossseesyourintentionsassoundandhonorable,andiswillingtobackyouinyourquestforasolutiontothe problem. This goes a longway toward establishing that yourmotives aregood and that your effort will truly deserve the support of others in theorganization.Onceyouconfirm thatyourmotivesarepureanddedicated toa real solution,youcangettowork.

Problem-SolvingMode:BeinganInternalConsultant

One key to successfully solving problems and building a new and higherplatformforyourselfistoleaveyourperspectiveinTheMiddleandriseinyourthinkinghighenough toviewtheorganizationasawhole.This ischallenging.We often have a hard time separatingwhat's good for us and our teams fromwhat'sgoodforother teamswithin thecompanyandfor thecompanyat large.Butlearninghowtodothisisessentialforanyonewhoaspiresto"thinklikeaCEO" and develop the 30,000-foot perspective that goes with a broad-based,aerialviewofcorporaterealities.Thefirststeptowarddevelopinganobjectivetakeonanyproblemistogointoan information-gatheringmode. Take a step back from your personal point ofview and think about the problem with fresh eyes. Begin asking some basicquestionsaboutthenatureoftheproblemyouperceive:

Whoisinvolvedintheproblem?(ConsidercreatingaManager'sUniversechart,liketheoneswelookedatinChapter2,"TheManager'sUniverse,"tomapthekeyrelationshipsthataffecttheproblem.)Whoisdrivingtheproblem—thatis,whoisinchargeofthebusinessareawithinwhichtheproblemresides?Howdidwegettothispoint?Whatisthehistorybehindthisproblem?Whatarethegoals,interests,fears,andaspirationsofthepeopleinvolved?Dotheyhavereasonstofeelthreatenedbyanefforttoexamine,expose,orresolvetheproblem?Whatwouldasolutiontotheprobleminvolve?Whosebehaviormightneedtochange?Whowouldbenefitfromasolutiontotheproblem?Whomightsuffer?Is there a way to solve the problem while allowing those involved toachievetheirgoalsaswell?Ifyourtentativesolutioncreatessomelosers,isthereawaytohelpthemfindawin?

Theanswerstosomeofthesequestionsmaybeunclear,especiallyatthestartofthe process. To find answers, you need to assume the role of consultant. Thismeans coming to the problem as an outsider, temporarily abandoning yourpersonalandprofessionalagendasandsimplylistening.GinnyShanks, a senior vicepresident atHarrah's, talks about the "TallPoppySyndrome." In most business workshops or problem-solvingmeetings, there'sonepersonintheroomwhoistheTallPoppy—someonewhokeepsraisinghishand or jumping to his feet to offer answers and solutions, even before the

problem has been clearly and thoroughly defined. (Does this remind you ofsomeone?) The Tall Poppy's conclusions may be good or bad, but they areusually incomplete and rarely win the needed support from the entireorganization.Bydriving thegroup towardclosureprematurely, theTallPoppystiflesexploration,limitsthegroup'screativity,anddiscouragesteam-building.If you tend to play the role of Tall Poppy, work on breaking the habit. Slowdown and give the group a chance to work before offering answers. Makeparticipationbyeveryonethegoal.WhenfacedwithaTallPoppy,don'tletthemdrivetoaprematuresolution.Tablethegoodideasandkeepthinking.ManyofusraisedintheU.S.schoolsystemwereledtobelievethatthereisalwaysonerightanswer,andwhenweget itweneedtomoveon.Inreality, theremaybeseveral right answers, and true success comes by fully exploring them andcombiningtheirbestfeatures.WithyourTallPoppyundercontrol,you'rereadytobeginexploringthenatureoftheproblemindepth.Whenyoustartworkingonacomplexproblem,beginbyarrangingone-on-onevisitswith thepeople involved (includinganyonewhoappearson the relevantManager'sUniversemap).Askthemtoexplaintheproblemastheyseeit.(Youmight start with the list of questions we provided a page or two ago.) Thensimply listen. If theydefine theproblemdifferently thanyoudo, don't correctthemorarguewith them.Just followupeachanswerwithanotherquestion toget greater detail. Probe with questions like: "How exactly does the processwork?""Whospecificallyisaffected?""Howoftendoesthishappen?""Canyougivemeanexample?""Canyoushowmewhathappens?"Yourgoalshouldbetounderstandtheproblematagranularlevelofdetail,sothatthesolutionyoudevelopwillbepracticalandgroundedinreality.As you go through this information-gathering process, keep your ownperspective and interests at bay. Avoid suggesting solutions prematurely. Andwhentheconversationevokesemotionalreactions,don'tletyourselfgetcarriedaway. Ifyou findyourself listening topeopleoffer complaints, accusations,oranger, be empathic—but not sympathetic. In other words, use language thatshowsyouare listening to and absorbing themessage ("I canunderstandhowthatwouldbeaproblemforyou,"or"Itsoundsasifyou'vespentalotoftimeworkingon that") rather than takingsides ("Youwerewronged,"or"Thatwastotallyunfair").Remainasneutralaspossible.Only after devoting time togathering all the relevant information for asmanypointsofviewaspossibleareyouready todevelopaproposedsolution to the

problem.

WorkingthePlan

Working the plan means developing a solution that is solidly grounded ineverything you've learned while in information-gathering mode and that youhave a reasonable chance of selling to the key decision-makers in yourorganization.Tomakethishappen,Irecommendafour-stepprocess:

1. 1.Definetheproblem.2. 2.Explorethecostsoffailure.3. 3.Explorethebenefitsofsuccess.4. 4.Outlineasolution.

Beforewejumpintothesesteps,however,let'sexamineaprojectthatspunintoa complete disaster and then look at how the four-step process could haveenabledmanagerstofindapathtosuccess.With the passage of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act(HIPAA) in 1996, states around the Union began working to upgrade theirMedicaidsystems,firsttocomplywiththenewrulesgoverningpatientprivacyand then to upgrade to Web-based services that would enable better claimsprocessing.Theultimatepayoffwouldbemoreefficientsystems,benefitingthemedicalprovidersandhelping thestates toremain incompliancewithrapidly-changingMedicaidpolicies.The State of Maine knew this would be no small task. With nearly 120,000Medicaidclaimsperweek, thestatehadbeenusing1970s-eramainframesthatwerenotuptothenewdemands.After several years of analysis and planning, in April 2001, Maine issued arequest for proposals (RFP) and received twobids—onepriced at $30millionfroma company that had someexperienceworkingonMedicaid systems, andanotherat$15millionfromacompanywithoutsuchexperience.Maineselectedthelowerbidderandsettowork.In January 2005, Maine's healthcare department cut the ribbon on its newsystem.Within a fewdays, theworkers there found themselves facing seriousproblems. The system began rejecting claims for no clear reason and putting

them into a "Suspend" file. The phones started to ring. By March, 300,000claimshadbeen suspended, and someofMaine's262,000Medicaid recipientswere being turned away from their doctors. In fact, several dentists andtherapistswere forced to close their doorswhile some physicians had to seekloansinordertostayafloat.WithMedicaidrepresentingnearly30percentofthestate'sbudget,Maine'sfinanceswereinshambles.Meanwhile, fourdozen contractorswereworkingdouble time to try to fix thebugs, and the state's director of information technology was manning phoneshimself.Despitetheeffort,theyjustcouldn'tcatchup.Thedemandwascrushingandemotionswereboiling.Fingers were being pointed everywhere. The contractors claimed that whenbuilding the system they'd been forced to follow the initial Medicaid specsbecause they couldn't get the time they needed with Maine's state healthofficials.Could itbe that theRFPspecshadbeenunachievable tobeginwith?Otherspointedtothegreatdiscrepancybetweenthebidsandthefactthattherewereonlytwo.Stillothersblamedthefact that, in therushtomakedeadlines,thesystemhadn'tbeenproperlytested.A year and a half later, the project failure had cost Maine an additional $30million, and the problem had yet to be solved.Key players resigned, and thefailureemergedasanissuein thegovernor'srace.MaineisnowtheonlystatenotcompliantwiththeruleslaidoutbyHIPAA.ThestoryofMaine'sHIPAAdisasteroffersaclearwarningaboutthepriceyouandyourorganizationmaypayifyoutrytotackleaproblemwithouttheproperfoundation.Thisistheimportanceofourfour-stepplan.Eachstepisimportant,andeachrequiresyoutodrilldeep.Otherwise,you'llprobablybelackingakeyelementthatyou'llneedtoputthesolutionoverthetop.Let's consider how this processmightwork in relation to a smaller andmoretypicalmanagerialdilemma.Supposeyourcompanyhaslaunchedaprograminwhichyou'veagreedtohelpmanage inventory of your products for severalmajor clients.Maybe they arelargemanufacturerswhoseproductsincorporatepartsthatyoumake,andyou'veoffered tomonitor their inventory levelsandalert themwhenever theyneed toreplenishtheirsuppliestoavoidout-of-stocksituationsandfactorydowntimes.It's avaluable service that should strengthen the connectionbetweenyour twocompaniesandencourageclientstothinkofyouasthesupplierofchoice.Sofar,sogood.Buthereistheproblem:Asmanagerofsales,you'vebeguntoget feedback from amajor customer (say,AcmeMachines) that the inventory

controlsystemisn'tworking.They'vesufferedacoupleofstockoutageswithoutbeing notified in a timely fashion, which forced them to shut down theirassemblylineswhilewaitingforparts.Asaresult,Acme'spurchasingmanager'shairisonfire.Here'showyoumightapplythefour-stepprocesstothisproblem:

1. 1.Definetheproblem.Startwithathoroughinformation-gatheringprocess.Speak with all the people involved: your key contacts at Acme; thesalesperson in chargeof theAcmeaccount; thepersonor people chargedwithmonitoringAcme's parts inventories; the personwho is supposed tocommunicatewithAcmewheneverinventoriesarelow;andanycustomerservicerep,warehousemanager,orderhandler,orotherpersonwhomightbepartofthechainthatlinksAcmetoyourcompany.Armedwiththefactsyou gather, try to identify what exactly is going wrong and where theproblemislocalized.AreyourpeoplefailingtomonitorAcme'sinventorylevelsfrequentlyenough?Istheresomeuncertaintyabouthowtocountorrecordinventorylevels?Arepartsbeingusedupinanirregularpatternsothataseeminglyamplesupplyofpartsmaydisappearinjustadayortwo?Is there a communication breakdown at a specific link in the chain?Themoreaccuratelyyoucananswerquestionslikethese,themorelikelyyou'llhavepinpointedtherealdefinitionoftheproblem.

2. 2. Explore the costs of failure. Understand clearly with the help of allinvolvedwhatfailureis.Defineitinbothquantitativeandqualitativeterms,and lay out the specific negative impacts that the problem is producing.Thesemightincludecoststhataffectyourcompanyandthepeoplewithinitaswellasotherpeopleandorganizations.Inthiscase,thecostscreatedbythe inventory control problem include the financial losses Acme hassufferedduetodowntimeontheirassemblylines;thefrustrationandwasteoftimeandenergyexperiencedbyAcme'smanagers,yoursalesandservicestaff, and others who have been struggling to rectify the problem; thepotentialcosttoyourcompanyifyoulosetheAcmeaccountasaresultofcontinuingsnafus;andthepossiblelossofsalescommissions,bonuses,andevenjobsbyyourteammembersiftheAcmebusinessdisappears.Clearlyidentifying all of these costs is an important step in marshalling theattentionyou'llneedtogettheproblemtakenseriouslyandconvincepeopletoinvestenergyandmoneyinsolvingit.

3. 3.Explorethebenefitsofsuccess.Nowfocusattentionontheothersideof

the coin—the concrete benefits that will result from solving the problemonce and for all. Thesemight include improving the satisfaction level ofAcme and itsmanagers, thereby retaining the company as your client foryears to come; saving the time and energy of the service staffwho havebeentryingtosolvetheproblemwithoutsuccess;increasedlevelsofsalesand profits from theAcme account, and consequent improvements in thesalescommissions,bonuses,andotherrewardsearnedbyyoursalesteam;and, perhaps best of all, the development of a foolproof system forinventory control that can be offered as a benefit to other potentialcustomers, thereby attracting them to your firm and away from yourcompetitors. Success is why we work, but without an examination andvision of success our work has less meaning. This is especially crucialduringtoughtimes.

4. 4.Outlinethesolution.Finally,listthespecificstepsthatneedtobetakentosolvetheproblem.Naturally,thesestepswilldependontheexactnatureoftheproblemasyou'vedefinedit,basedonthefactsyougathered.Iftheproblemwascausedbyunpredictableburstsofdemandforyourpartsfromthe assembly lines at Acme, your solution might include assigning anemployeetocheckinwiththeAcmeplantmanageronceadaytofindouthow their production plans for the next two shifts will affect partsinventories. If the problemwas caused by a communications breakdown,youmightneedtoshiftresponsibilityforsendingthecruciale-mailfromaparticularoverworkedstaffertoanotherpersonwithmoretimeandabetterunderstandingoftheimportanceofthetask.

Outlining thesolution isobviously themost importantstep in theprocess,andthe most challenging. Don't feel you have to solve everything on your own.Checkwith the realexperts—thepeopleon thegroundwhowillhave tocarryoutwhateverstepsyouareenvisioning.Anddon'tassumethatyouknowwhatisfeasible,impossible,easy,ordifficult.Quiteoften,tasksthatseemsimplefromanoutsider'sperspectiveturnouttobealmostimpossible—andviceversa.This was clearly the issue in regard toMaine'sMedicaid system.With 20/20hindsight,it'sobvioustheydidn'tunderstandthescaleoftheproblemtheyweredealingwith.Think about your proposed solution from the point of view of everyoneinvolved. Whose life will be made simpler? Whose will be made morecomplicated? Who might feel upset over having the boundaries of their job

redefined?Whoseworkloadwillchange?The best possible solution, of course, is one that turns all of today's losers—thosewhoaresufferingfromtheimpactoftheexistingproblem—intowinners,without imposing unacceptable costs on anyone else. In the real world,unfortunately, it's not always possible to devise such a solution. Sometimes,someonehastopayapricetheywon'tbehappywith.Whenthat'sthecase,youneed to creatively explore your ability to offer alternative forms of payback,reward,orrecognition.One manager found herself pushing for a solution to a problem that wouldunfortunately define a clear and specific loser. She strongly favoreddecentralizing a centralized marketing team that was led by a friend in thecorporateoffice.Centralizationhadbeenagoodway to start thebusiness,butafterseveralyearsofgrowth,thetalentwasreallyneededinthefieldandunderregionalleadership.This plan was opposed—understandably—by the manager who headed thecentralizedteam.Ourmanagerhadgreatrespectfortheleaderofthecentralizedteam,buttheydisagreedaboutwhatwasbestforthecompany.After a year, ourmanager's planprevailed, to the ultimate benefit of the firm.But it made the centralized marketing manager into a "loser," which did notmake her happy at all. Fortunately, she and her manager kept their lines ofcommunication open, and by championing the centralized manager on otherinitiatives, she made certain that everyone understood and recognized andappreciated her talents. Within weeks, the displaced manager from thecentralized teamwas put into a new role with equal scope.What could havedeveloped into an unfortunate battle with long-term scars remained on highgroundandsetthestageforawin/winresult.

SellingthePlan

Uptothispoint,you'vebeentheinvestigator, theproblem-definer, thesolutionseeker.Now it's time to sellyourplan—to leverageyourpersonalbrandvalueand communications skills into an effective process for winning approval foryoursolutionandhopefullybenefitingeveryoneaffected.There's that word: sell. It's a word that I've found many managers areuncomfortable with. I think they feel this way because of themany common

misconceptionsaboutselling.Iwanttotakeamomenttoaddressthose.As it happens, I have an extensive sales background. Sometimes when newacquaintanceshearaboutthis,onewillsay,"Oh,Icouldneverbeinsales."Hereis the first misconception. The fact is that if you work in business, you areselling all the time.Whenever you present information in a way people findinterestingandconvincing,wheneveryoumakeasuggestionotherpeopleagreewith,wheneveryoumakeanofferpeopleaccept,wheneveryoulayoutaplanpeople follow—whenever you do any of these things, you are selling. Youcouldn't have a job in management unless you have some degree of salesexperienceandexpertise—perhapswithoutrealizingit.Other times,whenI talkabout the importanceofsellingskills in theeverydayworkofmanagement,peoplerespond,"IguessIcansellsomethingIbelievein.ButIcan'tsellsomethingIdon't."Theythinkofthetypicalsalesmanasbeingahuckster, trying to pawn off worthless goods on unsuspecting suckers, andnaturallytheydon'twanttohaveanythingtodowiththis.Fortunately,asanignitedmanager,there'snoreasonwhyyoushouldeverhavetosellaproductyoudon'tbelievein.Inthesituationwe'readdressing—tryingtosellyoursolution toaproblemthatplaguesyourcompany—you'vefollowedaprocess that has helped you understand the problem in depth, figure out itsimplications, anddevelopa solution thatmaximizes thebenefits for everyone.Sonowyouare trying tosell thesolutionbecause itwillmakewinnersoutofeveryone—notjustyou.Isn'tthisaproductthat'seasytobelievein?Finally,therearemanagerswhotellme,"IsupposeIcansell.ButIhatetheideaofclosing.Ifeelsouncomfortableaskingforacommitment."Thisisthethirdbigmisconceptionaboutselling.Inthefirstplace,closingisthewrongwordtouse.It implies that thedeal isdoneandover.Intruth,anydealworthdoingcreatesarelationship, inwhich therewill arise a natural cycleofattention,reconsideration,andreselling.Makinganinitialcommitmentissimplypartofthatcycle—thepartinwhichbothpartiessay,"Wewanttoworktogether,andwe'rereadytogetstarted.Let'sseehowthingsdevelop."Thesamethinkingappliestosellingabusinesssolution.Askingforcommitmentisjustamatterofsaying,"Canwegetstartedonthissolution?"Ifyourideahasbeenwell researched, carefully planned, and clearly presented, it should seemunnaturalnottomakethatkindofcommitment.

TheWrongandRightWaystoSell

None of this is to say that having to sell something isn't intimidating. Everysalespersonhasacoupleofstoriestoillustratehowchallengingitcanbe—andminehelptofuelme.In1993,ItookajobsellingadvertisingtimeatatelevisionstationinMonterey,California.Formyfirstsalescall,IwenttovisitasmallnurserycalledGraeberGardensoutonHighway68.IfoundTomGraeber,theownerofthenursery,inthebackofhisshoparrangingsomeflowerpots.Igreetedhim,"Hi,Tom.I'mVinceThompsonfromKCCN-TV. I came by to talk to you about television advertising. Did you know thetelevisionistheperfectwaytoexposeyourbusinesstolocalconsumers?"Tom gazed back atme, blank-faced and silent. A little puzzled, I pressed on."Yousee,Tom,withatelevisioncommercial,youcaneducatepeopleaboutthegreatofferingsyouhaveanddemonstrate thatyouaredifferent from theothernurseriesintown."StillIgotnoresponsefromTom.IbabbledonaboutTVadvertisingforafewmoreminutesuntilIfinallygaveup.Wearingabig,fakesmile,IshookTom'shand."Well,thankssomuchforlistening.I'llcomebyagainsoonandbringyousome research that shows how television can grow the business for localnurseries."Iwas halfway back tomy car,wonderingwhat I'd said or donewrong,whensomethingamazinghappened.Tomcalledoutmyname.Thrilled,Ihurriedback."HowcanIhelpyou?"Iasked."You forgot to ask me something," Tom said. "Ask me if I have any co-opdollars available for advertising." (That'smoneyprovidedbymanufacturers tohelplocaldistributorsadvertisetheirgoods.)Well,Iwasgame."Okay.Doyouhaveanyco-opdollarsavailable?""Nope."Finally,Tomwassmiling."Ijustdidn'twantyoucomingbackheretoaskthatquestionlater."Inaninstant,IsawtheworldthewayTomGraebersawit.Besiegedbymediasalespeople, hewas fed upwith people interrupting hiswork to try to get hismoney rather than finding outwhathewanted or needed.And I had been nodifferent—justanotherguytryingtoearnacommission.Itwasmyfirstlessoninhownottosell.Afewdayslater,IwenttocallonagentlemannamedMr.Z.,ajewelerwhowasabigbuyeroflocalTVtime."Hi,Mr.Z.I'mVinceThompsonwithKCCN-TV."

Mr.Z.'s responsewasbriefandsarcastic: "Congratulations."Themessagewasveryclear:ThelocaltelevisionstationIrepresentedmeantabsolutelynothingtohim.Onceagain, if Ihoped toearnanyofhisvaluable timeandattention, I'dbetterlearnsomethingabouthisbusinessandfigureouthowtomeetsomeofhisneeds,notmyown.WhatIlearnedisthis:

Asolutionisnotasolutionuntilitaddressesaproblemthatsomeonecarestosolve.

IfIweregoingtocallonMr.Z.today,Iwoulddothefollowing:I would start by trying to understand the problems that Mr. Z was facing. Iassumedhewantedtosellmorejewelry,andthatbaseassumptionwasprobablycorrect.Butbusinessesdon'tgettooexcitedaboutbasesolutions,becausetheyare generally focused on the many little problems that challenge their bigmission.Mr.Z'sproblemscouldhavebeen specifically related to sellingmoresilver in the run-up toValentine'sDay.Goldwaswhere the demandwas, butsilverhadthemargin.Howcouldhegetmoreconsiderationforsilverduringhisbiggest sales day?A smart salesmanwould have dug to uncover that specificproblem,thenofferedarealsolutionforit.Tom and Mr. Z. taught me an invaluable lesson about selling. Prospects areworriedabouttheirproblems,notmine,andthoseproblemsarespecific.Tobesuccessful, a salespersonmustbeperceivedas someoneofferingsolutions thatarebackedbyexpertiseandideas,notabagofproducts.Thisapproach—oftencalledconsultativeselling—takes a lotmorework.But it pays off in valuableways.AfterIadoptedtheconsultativemodel,Iachievedarecord-settinglevelofnewbusiness during my first year selling television time in theMonterey Salinasmarket. I alsogainedpride inmy role, as Iwasn't just selling stuff,but ratherhelpingpeoplesolvetheirproblems.Tryingtosellwhenyoudon'thaveatruesolutiontoofferisnotaverysatisfyingexperience.Andit'snotlikelytobeverysuccessful.Fortunately,asamanagerinTheMiddlesellingsolutionstobusinessproblemstoyourcolleaguesandyourboss,youneverneedtobeinthatposition.

BuildingValuefortheSolution

Inordertosellyourplan, it's important tounderstandwherethevalueliesandhow to bring it forth. You've already explored the implications of failure orsuccess,whichserveasgreatmotivators.Buttheydon'texplainhowtotellthestoryofvalue.Valueisallaboutbenefitsversuscosts.Let'sfaceit,mostbusinesssolutionsarecostly.They require an investmentofmoney, time, or energy—often all three.That'swhystirringpeopletoaction—gettingthemtoacceptandimplementyoursolution—isn'teasy.Tomake ithappen,youhave toshowpeople thevalueofthesolution—itsquality,itsutility,andtheserviceitprovides.TheValueEquationcapturesthisbasicrelationship:

Translation:Theperceivedvalue(PV)ofanythingisitsperceivedquality(PQ)plus itsperceivedutility(PU)plus theperceivedservice(PS) itoffers,dividedbytheprice.Asasolutionseller,yourjobistobuildthetoplineintheValueEquationtothepointwherethepriceinthebottomlineseemsfairorevenlow.Themorevalueyoucandemonstrate for thequality, utility, and serviceyouareproviding, themoreyourcustomerwillbewillingtopay.Let's consider a simple example. Suppose you have a problem getting high-quality, inexpensive, timely color copies for your work in the marketingdepartment.Thecurrentsystemistosendcopyworkouttoanearbycopycentervia e-mail. Every afternoon, Susan, who works in the front office and is inchargeoftheblack-and-whitecopiersthere,takesawalktopickupthefinishedcolor copies. Under this system, itmay take several hours to get a couple ofcopiesforanimportantclientpresentation.Your solution is tobuyacolor copierofyourown.You'reconvinced that thiswouldproduceaseriesofbenefits.Itwillhelpyougetcopiesfaster,allowyoutousecolormore frequently, andhelpyoucreatebetterpresentations foryourcustomersandvendors.But this plan has to be approved by Susan in the front office and her friendBecky inFinance.Theyare convinced that a colorphotocopier is a ridiculousexpense. What's more, Susan expresses concern that the new copier will benoisy,willcreateextraheatinthesummer,andwillgiveheronemoremachinetobuysuppliesforandtofixwhenitjams.Now, getting color copies for presentations is only 1 percent of your job.Butmakingcopiesis50percentofSusan's.Clearlythecostsofgettingacolorcopier

willloomlargeinhermind,givingherastrongincentivetofightyou.To sell the concept, you need to build up the top-line value of your solution.You'll need todemonstratePQ (perceivedquality) by showing that theoverallappearanceandprofessionalismofyourclientpresentationswillincrease.You'llneedtodemonstratePU(perceivedutility)byshowingthathavinghigh-qualitycolorcopiesavailablequicklyandeasilywillofferproductivitybenefitstoyourdepartment.Andyou'llneedtodemonstratePS(perceivedservice)byshowingthat Susan will have less work to do—no more daily trips to the local copycenter,becausemarketingfolkswillbeabletomaketheirowncolorcopies.Finally, you'll talk about the price difference of in-house versus outsourcedcopying. Ifyou'vereallybuilt the top-linevalue, then thepriceof themachinewillseemnominalgiventhehighlevelofquality,utility,andserviceitprovides.Now, youmay be saying, "All this is well and good. And Becky in FinancemightbeimpressedbytheValueEquation.ButSusaninthefrontofficestillhasherreasonsforfightingtoothandnailagainstthecolorcopier."Trueenough.Wehavetorememberanotherofoursellingprinciples:Findwaystomakethelosersintowinners.Let'salleviateSusan'sfearsbyofficiallyputtingher in charge of the new machine. She'll choose it, meet the vendors, andmonitor usage. This may not be a complete win for her, but at least we canacknowledgethatsheisstillrunningtheworldofcopying.AndmaybewecanfindafewbucksinthetrainingbudgettosendSusanoffforanall-dayseminarondigitalcolorimaging,helpingherdevelopabitofmarketableexpertisewhileincreasinghervaluetothecompanyatthesametime.Suddenlyoursolutionislookinglikeawinforallinvolved.Let's not forget the team inMaine who failed to make a case for the higherbidderoranentirelydifferentMedicaidsystem.Had they fullyunderstood thecostof failureanddemonstrated theutility,quality,andservice inherent in thebestsolution,theywouldhavelikelyraisedthevaluetoapointwhereawinningoptionwould have gained support. In the absence of perceived value, the lowbidderalwayswins.Herearesomeothertipsformanagingthesellingprocess:

RemembertheCAVEpeoplefromChapter1,"ActionwithTraction"—theCitizens Against Virtually Everything? These are the people who can becountedontoopposeanynewinitiative.Yoursellingstrategy:Avoidthem.If youdon't engage theCAVEpeople, theyusually rant and rave in theirown quiet corner, ignored bymost other people (who have learned over

timetotaketheircomplaintswithagreatbiggrainofsalt).Gofirst toyoursupport faction—thepeoplewhoare likely tobeonyourside.ExplaintheValueEquationinputsandelaborateonboththecostsoffailureandthebenefitsofsuccess.Youwillbegivingyoursupporterstheammunitiontheyneedtojointheargumentonyourside.Thengo to the probable detractors.You've alreadymetwith themduringyourinformation-gatheringprocess.Nowpaythemthecourtesyofavisit,tellthemaboutyourproposal,andexplainhowyouproposetomakethemwinners (even if you can only offer half a loaf). Seek their buy-in. Butunderstand that somewill choose to oppose you. Somemay immediatelystartworkingagainstyou.Bepreparedforthis.Givepeople anopportunity toparticipate in shaping the solution.Legendhasitthat,backinthe1950s,theBettyCrockercompanyfoundsalesofitsnewinstantcakemixlagging.Asitturnedout,they'dmadetheprocesstooeasy.Whentheychangedtheformulatorequirecustomerstoaddaneggtothe mix, sales improved. People like to feel they've contributed to theprocess—so let your customers "crack an egg in the cake" andwatch astheirbuy-inandcommitmentincreases.

Onceagain,ithelpsmattersifyourmotivesareright.Iftheyare,youwillbelesslikelytoreactwithangerordefensiveness.Instead,youwillbeabletopushyoursolutionwhole-heartedly for thegoodof thecompany,defining thebest in thebest terms. If you encounter evil motives—and sometimes you will—don'tignorethem.Atthesametime,don'tstooptothatlevel.Therewillbeatimeandplace when you are asked about your detractors' comments. You can dismissthem by simply saying, "Consider the source." If they are truly out to causetrouble,thosewhohearyourwordswillunderstandthemandfollowyourlead.Willyouwineverybattle?Ofcoursenot.Butyouwillendupfeelinggoodaboutyourself, nomatter what happens. Fighting for what's right is somuch betterthanlyingtopeopleinthehallwayaboutwhatyouaredoingandwhy.

SellingtotheTop

If you are tackling a complex problem, the last step in the selling process islikely to be seeking buy-in from your company's senior-level or C-suiteexecutives. It'susually themost intimidatingpartof theprocess.But itdoesn't

havetobe.Startbyrealizingthataseniorexecutiveisfundamentallyahumanbeinglikeyouoryourcolleagues,andthatthesamekindsofappealsthatworkwith you probably work with him or her. If you've mastered the facts andthoughtthroughyourproposalaswerecommend,youwillprobablyfindthattheseniorexecutivesareresponsive to its inherentstrengthsandto thebenefits itsoffersthecompany.However,seniorexecutivesdohavesomespecialcharacteristicsthatyououghttobeawareofwhenyoucommunicatewiththem.First, remember that these are very, very busy people. Swamped by toomanydecisions,theyrelishsimplicity.SobeforeyouapproachaC-levelexec,mastertheelevatorversionofyourstory—the30-seconddescriptionoftheproblem,thecostsandbenefitsassociatedwithit,andyourproposedsolution.Theexecutiveislikelytowantmoredetailsafterhearingtheelevatorversion,buthecanaskforthosespecifically.Don'tlaythemontobeginwith—keepitsimple.Hereareacoupleofexamplesofelevatorpresentations,eachonebuiltaroundthesamebasicstructure—problem,costsandbenefits,solution:

"Wehaveaproblemwithourmarketingpresentations.Only20percentarein color. Thework is good, but the appearance is poor. For 500 bucks amonthinadditionalexpense,wecangetallourcopiesincolor.It'llmakeuslook more professional and upscale when we're competing against othercompanies."

Orlikethis:"Our system for monitoring client inventories is broken. The clients aremad,andoursalesaresuffering.Ifwehireaspecialisttofocusontrackinginventories and keeping customers informed, we can retainmore clients,increaseoursalestothem,andattractadditionalcustomersbecauseofourfirst-classservice."

Orlikethis:"We can turn outsourcing into a big win with our employees and thecommunity by outsourcing a phone room to a local charity that providesjobstothehomeless.ThequalitywillbeasgoodasIndia,thecostswillbeonly20percentmore,andwe'llgetpositivecoverageinlocalmediainsteadofbeingcriticized."

Do you notice anything unusual about the vocabulary used in thesepresentations?That'sright—there'snothingunusualaboutitatall.Oneofthebigmistakesmanagersmakewhentalkingtoseniorexecsistryingtoimpressthemwithconsultant-speak,businessschoolterminology,technicallingo,andsimilar

forms of BS. Don't scatter your sentences with buzz phrases from the latestHarvardBusinessReview article. Just say itplainly,which ishowmostCEOsthemselvesprefertotalk.Andifyou'recalleduptomakeaformalpresentationaboutyouridea,don'tover-prepare.Noonewantstoseea40-slidePowerPointpresentationorastackof15graphsandchartstodemonstrateyourpoint.Again,thosedetailscanalwaysbeprovidedlaterifaspecificquestionarises.If possible, try to talk face-to-face rather than making your pitch via phone,memo, or e-mail. If you've built a relationship with the person and with hisassistant, thiswillbepossible.Youdon'tneed tobegolfingbuddies,but if theexecutivevicepresidentoffinanceormarketingatleastknowsyourname,youwillbeabletocallhisassistantandsay,"IneedtenminuteswithMr.Harrisonsometimetomorrow.Canyoupencilmein?"ItalsohelpsifyouhaveonetruefanontheC-levelteam.Thisiswhereastrongandpositivementoringrelationshipcanbeinvaluable.Ifyou'venurturedarealconnectionwithanyonememberofthetopexecutiveteam,theotherswillusehimforcheck-inwheneveryournamecomesupinconversation:"WhatdoyouknowaboutthisguyVince?Isheontheball?"Thisiswhyitpaystomeettheneeds of the senior executives. They will become your supporters when youneedthem.Finally, when a problem is complicated and has not yet hit the radar of theexecutivedecision-maker,considerpresenting it in stages. It'sveryhard togetsomeonetobecomeawareofaproblem,itsimplications,andapotentialsolutionallinasinglemeeting.It'sjusttoomuchformostpeopletoabsorb.Instead,trytopresenttheproblemanditsimplicationsinonemeeting,sayyouareworkingon a solution, and then come back a few days later with the solution. In theinterim, theexecwillhavemulled theproblem,perhapsgottenabitof furtherinformationabout it,andwillbefullypreparedtoevaluateyoursolutionwhenyoureturn.Above all, don't be afraid to talk to your senior execs. The smartest ones arewell-awarethatagoodideadoesn'tcarewhoitbelongsto,andthey'reeagertogetinsightsfromanyoneandeveryone.DavidO'Reilly,CEOofthebigMidwesternretailerO'ReillyAutoParts,saysitwell:"Ifanymanagerhasanidea,I'mtotallyopentothemjustbouncingitoffme.Idon'texpectthemtohaveall theanswers.Iknowthey'vegotjobstodo,andIcertainlydon'twantthemknockingthemselvesoutonanideabeforeitgetsvetted.SoI'dratherhearanidea,evenifit'shalf-baked.Then,ifit'sworthwhile,Icanencouragethemtogoforit."

That's the attitude most CEOs have. After all, they didn't get to the top byrefusingtolistentogoodideas.Followthetipsinthischapter,andyou'llfindthatyourreputationamongyourfellowmanagers—all thewayup to theC-suite—is thatofasmartcontributorandapositiveproblem-solver—notawhiner,apolitician,avictim,awise-guy,or a schmoozer.You'll also find that the power andpurpose you've developedthroughthisbookismanifestingitselfinwaysthatyouknowarerightandcanfeelgreatabout.

14YourOwnSenseofBalance

What'sItAllFor?

AcorporateexecutiveonholidayinasmallGreekseacoastvillagewasstrollingbythedocksanddrinkinginthelocalcolor.Hecomplimentedonefishermanonthe quality of his catch. "How long did it take you to get all those fish?" hewondered."Notverylong,"answeredtheGreek."Anhourortwo.""Thenwhydidn'tyoustayoutlongertocatchmore?"Shrugging, theGreekexplained thathiscatchwassufficient tomeethisneedsandthoseofhisfamily.Theexecutiveasked,"Butwhatdoyoudowiththerestofyourtime?""Isleeplate,fishalittle,playwithmychildren,andtakeanapwithmywife.Inthe evening, I go to the village to see my friends, dance a little, play thebouzouki,andsingsongs.Ihaveafulllife."Theexecutivesaid,"IhaveanMBAfromHarvard.Icanhelpyou.Youshouldstartbyfishinglongereveryday.You'llcatchextrafishthatyoucansell.Withtherevenue,youcanbuyabiggerboat.Withtheextramoneythelargerboatwillbringyou,youcanbuyasecondboatandathirdone,andsoon,untilyouhaveanentirefleetoftrawlers.Insteadofsellingyourfishtoamiddleman,youcanthen negotiate directly with the processing plants andmaybe even open yourownplant.Youcanshipfishtomarketsallaroundtheworld.Intime,youcanthenmovetoNewYorkCitytodirectyourhugeenterprise.""Howlongwouldthattake?"askedtheGreek."Twenty,perhapstwenty-fiveyears,"repliedtheexecutive."Andafterthat?""When your business gets really big, you can sell stock and make millions!"exclaimedtheexecutivewithzeal."Millions?Really?Andafterthat?""After that you'll be able to retire, live in a small villagenear the coast, sleeplate,playwithyourgrandchildren,catchafewfish,takeanapwithyourwife,andspendyoureveningssinging,dancing,andplayingthebouzoukiwithyour

friends."Achievingatruesenseofbalanceisn'teasyinaworldwherebalanceistalkedaboutbutnotrewarded.Welivewiththebangingpots,fillingslotsincommand-and-control hierarchieswhere goals likemaking the boss look good, coveringour collective asses, and acting busy too often take precedence over realaccomplishments—tosaynothingoflivingarichandmeaningfullife.LivinginQuakeCountry,underpressure24/7,wetendtothinkofexistenceasaseries of steps in a process—graduating from college, landing the first job,earningthefirstpromotion,gettingthebigbonus,makingVP,makingSVP...Attimestheprocessbecomesitsownjustification,asitdidforthebusinessmanonholiday.Andinthemidstofthedailygrind,sometimesit'sallwecandotofocusononeyear,oneweek,onedayatatime—thenextmeeting,thenextreport,thenext quarter's sales figures. A kind of myopia sets in, as if we are wearingblindersthatonlyletusseeonemomentatatime.It'sridiculousandironic.ConsiderLilyTomlin'stake:"Thetroublewiththeratraceisthat,evenifyouwin,you'restillarat."The context inwhichweoperate is certainlypart of theproblem.But even intoday's imperfect, frustrating business environment, where it's hard to thinkabout long-termhappiness, you need to focus periodically on the end game—yourultimatepurpose.Otherwise,likethatbusinessman,you'llfailtorecognizethegoodlifeevenwhenit'sstaringyouintheface.Andthismeansfindingyourowndefinitionofsuccessandbuildingarounditalifeandcareerthatyoucanbeproudof,regardlessofwhetherornotyouevermakeVP,attainthecorneroffice,ortakeacompanypublic.IonceheardaspeechbyTedTurner, theflamboyantandbrilliantentrepreneurwhofoundedCNN.Here'swhathesaidaboutsuccess:

I'vegotgreatkids,and for that I'mverygrateful.And Ican tellyou this:Youmay be really successful in your career, but if you don't have goodkids,youwon'tfeelverysuccessful.Butyoucanbemoderatelysuccessfulinyourcareer,andifyou'vegotgreatkids,you'llfeelreallysuccessful.

Sure,weallknowfamilyisimportant.WhatmakesTed'sstatementpowerfulishisconceptofchoice.We'dallclearlychoosegreatkidsovermaterialandego-basedsuccess,butarewereallydoingthat?Doourdreamsforourfamiliestakeprecedenceovereverythingelse,ordowebehaveasifwethinkthatthehaloofourmaterialsuccesswillsomehowhelpourkidsbebetterpeople?Money, status, and the other trappings of conventional success may beimportant. But in the end, the old wisdom is correct—they don't bring you

happiness.Thecorporateworldmaynevergiveyoucreditfordevelopingandpursuingyourown definition of the good life. And if impressing other people is the mostimportantthinginyourlife,youmaywanttoskiptherestofthischapter.Butifimpressingyourselfiswhatultimatelymatterstoyou,readon.

TheKeystoTrueBalance

Inmyroleasasalesmanager,I'vemanagedadrummer,ascreenwriter,asinger,anactor,abookpublisher,aracecardriver,amarathoner,andasharpshooter—noneofwhomeverimaginedthatthey'dfindthemselvessellingadvertising.Let'sfaceit:Ifmostofuspursuedourdreamjobs,wewouldn'tbedoingwhatwe'redoing.We'dbebartendinginabeachshackinCostaRica,coachingaprobaseballteam,orgreenlightingfilmsinHollywood.Thefactisthatsomewherealongthewaywedecidedweneededtopaytherentandkeepthelightson,andthecareerswe'reinseemedeithercomplementaryorameanstoanend.Atthesametime,nooneisgettinganyyounger,andtheconceptthatwe'llworkfor a few years until we cash out our millions and pursue our dreams is notrealistic formostofus. Instead,weneed to fillour soulswhileputting familyfirstandmovingtowardthebalancewesodesire.We'vetalkedaboutwhitespaceanddemonstratedhowyourpassionscanplayarole inyourbusiness life.SteveJobsfoundaplaceforhis loveofcalligraphy,andGaryThompsonmadehispokerdreamscometrue.Thekeytocreatingtheenvironment for these kinds of successes is your own personal plan to worktowardsasenseofbalancethatfulfillsallyourneeds.Hereisafive-stepprogramthatcanhelpyougetstarted.Thefirststepinachievingtruebalanceistoknowwhatyourgoalis.Wheredoyouwanttogo?Whatdoyouwanttoaccomplishinyourlifeandwork?Doyouwanttomasteraccountingandthenmoveintooperations?DoyouwanttorisetotheC-levelwithinyourcompany?Doyouwanttostartyourownfirm,builditup,and thensell it?Doyouwant togofreelanceandwork independently?Orwouldyoubecontent to findacomfortable,productivenicheasaMiddleshiftmanagerdrivingyourcompanythroughyouruniqueideasandtrainingthefuturegeneration?There'snoonerightanswer to thisquestion.Thosewhoarehyper-competitiveandthosewithmoremodestaspirationscanbothbeequallyhappy(orunhappy).

Thekeyisknowingwhatyoureallywant—notwhatyourspouseoryourparentsoryourmentororyourbestfriendmightwant—andpursuingitwithgusto.Yourgoalshouldalsoincludelifeobjectivesbeyondwork.Trytodefinewhatabalancedlifemeansforyou.Isitgettinghomefromworkbysixo'clockeverynight? Is it havingweekends free to coachyour kids' soccer team? Is it beingabletotakeamonthoffinthesummertosailtheMediterranean?Isitworkingwithinfiveminutesofyourfavoritegymsoyouneverhavetomissyourdailyworkout? Is it restricting your time on the road to nomore than twoweeks ayear?Again,there'snosinglerightanswertothisquestion.Onlyyoucandefinewhat constitutes balance for you—perhaps in consultation with the people inyourlifewhomattermosttoyou.Which leads us to the second step in achieving balance: develop a plan forreachingyourgoal.Thinkrealisticallyaboutwhatitwilltaketogettothelevelof accomplishment you are dreaming about. Do you need more formaleducation? If so, think about classes at night or on the weekend, or considerwhetheryoucan take timeoff topursue that advanceddegree.Doyouneedabroaderrangeofexperienceoutsideyourcurrentjobdescription?Askaboutthepossibilityofalateraltransferor,ifneedbe,considerchangingcompaniestogetthe background you need. Does a different industry hold greater promise forachieving the career growth you seek? If so, use your networking skills toidentifycontacts in that industrywhomaybeable toadviseyouabouthowtogetafootholdinthatarena.Understandthattherearealotofwaystogettobingo.Beflexibleinpursuingyourplan.Alwayslookfornewandfasterpaths.Andwhenyoufindyourselfinarut(whichalmosteveryoneeventuallydoes),don'tkvetch—fixitorclimbout.Third, develop a scale of measurement that is yours alone. If you measureyourselfbyothers'standards,you're likely tofail. It'shumannature that,whenwe pick people against which to measure ourselves, we focus on the mostvisible,admired,accomplished,andsuccessfulpeopleweknow.Ifyoumeasureyourownsuccessorfailurebythiskindofcomparison,you'llprobablyalwaysfeelslightlyinadequate.What'smore, the fact thatwe judge other people by exterior signs of successmeans that our judgments are always somewhat misleading. We see the bighouse on the hill;we don't see the jumbomortgage and themaxed-out creditcards.Wesee thewell-dressedspouseand the threekidsattendingIvyLeagueschools;wedon'tseethelate-nighttiradesorlittleSusie'sproblemwithcocaine.Get away frommeasuring yourself against the Joneses, Gonzales's, or Patels.

Instead,gaugeyourprogresstowardyourpersonalgoal.Andintheshortterm,set intermediate goals for yourself and pat yourself on the back when youachieve them.For example, youmight decide, "This year, Iwant to launch atleastoneinitiativefrommyprojectportfolio...IwanttoincreasethevalueoftherelationshipsinmyManager'sUniverse...IwanttotakeacourseinWebdesignsoIcancreateaninteractivesiteforourbusinessnextyear...Iwanttogettwoofmybestpeoplepromoted."Itdoesn'tmatterwhatanyoneelsewouldthinkaboutthesebenchmarks—ifyoubelieveinthem,thentheyaretherightonesforyou.You'llfindthatmovementtowardsyourowngoalsisacalmingforce.Taketimetoappreciateyourworkandbethankful.Fourth, create and work with your personal board of directors—an informalguidingcouncilofpeopleyourespectandtrusttohelpyoustayoncourse.Theymayormaynotmeet as agroup;whatmatters is thatyoukeep in touchwitheachmemberofyourboard,sharehonestlywiththemeverythingsignificantthathappens in your career, and take their advice seriously. Your board membersshouldincludeyourmentor(s),oneortwogoodfriendswhoknowyouwellandarepreparedtotalkfranklywithyouaboutyourstrengthsandweaknesses,andperhaps a couple of professional acquaintances who can provide an objectiveperspectiveonyourindustry,yourcompany,andyourrole.Thethird-partypointofviewthatyourboardofdirectorsbringstothetablecanserveasavaluablecorrectivewhenyougetoutofbalance.Fifth, care for yourself as needed to stay on track. Many managers are soconsumedwith their responsibilities—to their teammembers, their companies,theirfamilies—thatself-carebecomesanafterthought,usuallyneglected.Don'tmakethismistake.Ifyoudon'tcareforyourself,intimeyou'llbecomeunabletocareforanyoneelse.Thismeansnurturingbothyourphysicalandyourpsychologicalwell-being.Onthephysicalside,youknowthedrill:Eatright,exercise,getenoughsleep,visityourdoctor,andtakehisadviceseriously.Don'tfallintothetrapofabusingyourbodyassomekindofmachoproofofhowtoughandvaluableyouare:"Hey,Iwork80-hourweeksandhaven't takenany timeoffsince1989!"Somepeoplemaybe impressed,but thatdoesn't include thepeoplewhoknowyouand loveyou the best—and how impressive will it be when you drop dead of a heartattackatage49?Onthepsychologicalside,therearemanypathstobalance.Somemanagersuseprayer ormeditation; others recharge their batteries bywalking in thewoods,doingpaintingorsculpture,orpracticingyoga,taichi,orpilates.Whatmatters

isthatyouperiodicallyclearyourbrainofinformationandyourheartofstress,sothatbothcanbefilledandrefreshedwithsilenceandlight.Otherwise,you'lleventuallydriveyourselfcrazy,either literallyorfiguratively.Andnocareer isworththatkindofprice.IlikewhatmotivationalspeakerandtrainingconsultantJimSchafferhastosay.Jimrecommendsfourpracticesforthosedayswhenyoucanbarelyhearyourselfthink(whichformanyofusmeanspracticallyeverydayonthejob):

1. 1.Begrateful.Startyourbusinessdaywithanexpressionofgratitude, inwhateverformit takes.Trythisforamonthortwo,andyou'llbefloatingonacloud.Tryitforacoupleofyears,anditwillpermanentlytransformyourcareerand,indeed,yourentirelife.

2. 2.Bequiet.Notice Ididn't say"silent"—thatmightbringyourcareer toascreechinghalt.Imeaninternallyquiet,withadeeplyexperiencedsenseofspaciousnessandabilitytolistenandseethingsclearlyastheyare.

3. 3.Surrender. Again, I'm not suggesting that you hide in your office re-reading old issues of Rolling Stone magazine. But most of us becamesuccessfulbybeinggoodcontrolfreaks.Maybeit'stimetoloosenourgripandletgoofourfears, judgments, ideasofhowtheworldshouldbe,andelaboratestoriesweweaveaboutevents thatoccur.It's timetostayin thepresentmomentandremainopentowhatarises.

4. 4. This too shall pass. Know that whether you're struggling with aparticularlynaggingproblemorenjoyingtheadrenalinerushofsuccess,thesituationhasalreadybeguntochange.You'llbemuchmoreeffectiveifyoucanlearnhowtowatchitevolve.Themoreyouclingtopleasureandtrytoavoidpain,thelessenergyyou'llhaveforactingskillfullyasthingsunfold.

Jim'ssuggestionsaresomeof thebest Iknowforhelpingyoustayonbalancewhentheworldistryingdesperatelytopushyouoff-center.Here is another. It comes fromBobSherman, a legendarymediamanager andentrepreneur. When Bob was working in the Midwest, he found the sight offarmersendingtheirworkdaysintheeveningdeeplyinspirational:

Think about the farmer in his field, looking over the acreage he's justplowedwithprideandsurveyingthebeautyofagoodday'swork.Afterafewminutes he calls it a day to be with family and his passions. Everymanagerneeds tohave thesamekindofwrap-upritual for theendof theday.Lookatyourfield.Reflectonwhatyou'veaccomplished.Feelsatisfied

aboutyourwork.ThenturnofftheBlackberryforthenightandmoveontorestoflife.Enjoywhatyou'veworkedsohardfor.

There'swisdominBob'sadvice.Theurgentalwaysseemssoimportantuntil itsitsafewhoursandsettlesintoitsrightfulplace.Thekeyisknowingwhenit'stimetodisconnect.

BalancefortheLongHaul

Understand that balance does not happen in any given hour, day, or week. Ithappensoverlongerperiods.Thebalancedlifedoesn'tmeanthatyouneverhavecrunchtimesorall-nightersorfrenziedweekendsinpursuitofabigaccountoran insanedeadline. It doesmean that youdon'twork to the exclusionof yourlife.Everyweekendshouldn'tbeaworkingweekend;everyvacationshouldn'tbeaccompaniedbycellphoneappointmentsandmarathone-mailsessions.Youshouldbe able to schedule the things thatmatter toyouand thoseyou love—yourkid'sschoolplay,aspecialdinnerout—withouthavingthemcancelledforwork(exceptonveryrareoccasions).The same long-haulperspectiveapplies tobeinghappywith theworkyoudo.Everyjobhasitsdrudgery,andpracticallyeveryonehastodosomethingsthatheorshecan'tstand.Acceptingafewsuchjobswithgoodgraceispartofbeingmature.Butwhenyourwork life isdominated byhateful chores, it's a signoftrouble.Doyoureallyenjoyyourworkorhaveyoujustgottengoodatactingasifyoulikeit—wearingthemaskofhappinessbecauseyouknowthatyouneedtoputyour best foot forward? Is it hard for you to remember the last time you feltexcited about a project? Have you started counting the days until your nextvacationandthemonthsuntilyouretire?Ifso,youshouldn'tjustswallowyourunhappiness.Today'sbusinessworldoffersabroadenoughrangeofmanagerialopportunitiesforanyonewithleadershipinhisDNAtobereasonablyfulfilled...not necessarilyworking at your dream job, but at least notdreading the dailysoundofthealarmclock.Periodically,applytheTurn-OnTesttoyourjob.Whileworkingonaproject,doyoueverfeelenergized?Doyoubegintofantasizeabouttheoutcome?Doyougetgoosebumpsabout it? Isworkingon theproject justplain fun?Ifyoucanansweryes, thenyouare turnedon. If the answer is a consistentno, thenyouneed to figure out why—and begin to connect more deeply with your own

projectportfolioorstartlookingforfreshopportunitieselsewhere.Youwon'tfeelturnedonallthetime.Butyoushouldfeelturnedonsometimes.

YouGetMoreWhenYouGiveMore

Finally, I have to say a word about giving back. Deliberately practicinggenerosity of spirit is one of the best ways to create andmaintain a sense ofbalanceandfulfillmentinyourlife.Youdon'tneedmetoteachyouwhatthisisallabout.Ifyouhaveanyquestions,thegreatspiritualteachersofalltimecananswerthem.Soletmejustofferafewremindersofthingsyoualreadyknowyoushoulddo:

Givetothosewhohavenothingtogiveinreturn.Shareeverythingyoucan.Becharitablewithyourtimeandenergy.Beamentor—coach,inspire,andlistentopeople.Commit topeople.Try to takeresponsibilityfor theirdreams—helpmakethemcometrue.Dowhatyousayyou'lldo.Don'tknockpeopledown—liftpeopleup.

Here's an example that is silly, but very real.Mywifewas on herway to thedermatologist the other day when she got into the elevator with RichardSimmons.Yes, thatRichard Simmons, theTV exercise and fitness guru—andno,hewasn'twearingdolphinshortsandatanktop.(Iasked.)Anyway,Richard tooka lookatmywifeand immediatelysaid,"Wow, lookatyou!Thosearms,thatwaist!Youmustworkoutallthetime."Naturally, she was flattered, and she excitedly shared the story with me thatevening."Howcool,"Isaid,"Whatacompliment!"Andmywifereplied,"Yeah, itmademefeelgreat.Youknowwhat it isabouthim?He'sagiver.Hegoesoutofhiswaytomakepeoplefeelgood.Wecouldalllearnsomethingfromhim."

Conclusion

Research tells us thatmanagers are unhappy and stressed, and our interviewsconfirmedmuchofthis.Buttherewasagreaterthemethatweneverlosttrackof. Today'smanagers are also hopeful, committed, and driven to findways tocontribute more. They want to get deeper into solutions and to takeresponsibilityforsuccess.It'sthedreamofthismanagerthatwecanelevateourindividualpositionswithincompanies and collectively change the businessworld. Changing the businessworldisauniquecalltoeachofus.Wearetheonesonthefulcrumandtheoneswhomuststandforthecallofduty.As forme, I'm notworried at all. I've seen your grace, your talent, and yourenergy. I know that together we will make this right. Together, we will beignited!

Index

A

accountability,ensuringwithblogsactionversustractionadhoctacticsAffiliativeleadershipstyleAffymetrixcasestudyamplifyinggoodnewsAOL

casestudyOEP(OperationalEffectivenessProgram)Apple

authenticityAuthoritativeleadershipstyle

B

backstoriesbadnews

communicatingreactingto

balance,achievingcaringforyourselfcreatingandworkingwithpersonalboardofdirectorsdevelopingpersonal

scale of measurement developing plans to reach goals generosity and givingback

importanceoffamilyknowingyourgoalslong-termperspectivetipsandguidelines

Bards,middlemanagersaspowerof

story-telling(corporatehistory)applyingtodecision-makingmotivatingandinspiringwithpreservingcorporatehistoryresearchingcorporatehistorytypesofstorylinesvalueofinstitutionalmemory

Beavis,IanBeinhocker,EricbenefitsofsuccessTheBiggerYesblogsBogre,JeanneBonrud,Quanahbosses

alteringexpectationsofcommunicatingmessagestoeducatingaboutcustomersneedsconfidenceexplicitneedsimplicitneedsunderstanding

sellingsolutionstounderstandingneedsof

bottom-upcommunicationBruch,Heikebuildingtrustbusinessreasons,identifyingByrne,David

C

careerbaseline,determiningcareercoachescaringforyourselfCase,SteveCassandras

CAVE(CitizensAgainstVirtuallyEverything)changechangeforthesakeofchangepowerof

choice,powerofclarityincommunicationCoerciveleadershipstylecoercivepowercognitivedissonancecollaborationbetweendepartmentsColumbiaspaceshuttlecasestudycommitted

teammemberscommunication

blogsbridginggapsdirectcommunicationManager'sUniversemapmessagesadjustingfordifferentteams/departmentsclaritycommunicatingtobosses/executivescreatingandsellingpowerofTranslatorsunwelcomemessages

problems,communicatingcompany-tiltedmanagerscomplaints,investigatingcomplexity of business world impact on middle management compliant team

memberscompressingbadnewsconfidence,needsforconsciousmemoryconsistencyconstructivecriticism,providingconsultativesellingcorecompetenciescorporatechangecorporatedisconnectioncorporatehistory

applyingtodecision-makingchangeforthesakeofchangemotivatingandinspiringwith

powerofpreservingresearchingtypesofstorylinesvalueofinstitutionalmemory

corporatelegacies,updatingCoulter,JohncourageCovery,Stephencriticism,offeringcustomers

educatingcolleaguesaboutturningintopartnersunderstanding

D

DanlyIEMdecision-making,guidingwithcorporatehistorydefiningproblemsDemocraticleadershipstyledemographicchange,impactonmiddlemanagementdepartments,collaboration

betweendesigningpersonalprojectportfoliosdirectcommunicationDixon,Lancedoingversusknowingdot-comsDrake,MichaelDrucker,PeterDunn,Marcia

E

E.Q.(emotionalintelligence)Edmondson,Brademergentstrategyemotionaldynamics

consequencesofignoringemotionalsensitivityfeedback,givinginsightandcourageleadingwiththeheartmakingpositivesoutofnegativesmotivationpowerof

emotionalintelligenceEmotionalIntelligence:WhyItCanMatterMoreThanIQemotionalsensitivityemotions,managing

badnews,reactingtoTheBiggerYesemotionalintelligencemaintainingbalancebetweencompanyandteamemployeesemployeesatisfactionmotivating

empowermentcoercivepowerexample of self-empowered manager excuses for lack of empowerment

expertpowerinformationpowerlegitimatepowerpowerofchangepowerofrighteousnessreferentpowerrewardpowerseizingtoolsofempowermentsourcesofpowerWagonTrainEffect

Engel,DanEnthusianexpertpowerexplicitneeds

F

failure,costoffamily,importanceoffear-mongeringfeedback,givingFerrazi,Keithfightersfiring,powerofFrench,Johnfulcrum(powerbase)

G

GE/RCAmergercasestudyTheGeneralManagersgenerosityandgivingbackGhoshal,SumantragivingbacktoothersGladwell,Malcolmgoals

developingplanstoreachidentifying

GoldenRuleGoleman,Danielgoodbusinessreasons,identifyingGraeber,TomgratitudeGrove,Andy

H

Hale,WayneHarrah'sEntertainmentcasestudyHaughton,LaurenceHealers,middlemanagersas

emotionalsensitivityfeedback,givinginsightandcourage

leadingwiththeheartmakingpositivesoutofnegativesmotivationpowerofHealers

Hershey,MiltonS.hiring,powerofhistory(corporate)

applyingtodecision-makingchangeforthesakeofchangemotivatingandinspiringwithpowerofpreservingresearchingtypesofstorylinesvalueofinstitutionalmemory

Hobbes,ThomashonestyHuy,QuyNguyen

I

implicitneedsindirectcommunication,problemswithinformationgatheringinformationpowerinsightinspiringcolleagueswithstories(corporatehistory)institutionalmemory

consciousmemorypreservingvalueof

interpersonal relationships. See Linkmakers InterVarsity ChristianFellowship/USAcase study It'sNotWhat You Say... It'sWhat YouDo:How Following Through at Every Level Can Make or Break YourCompany

J

Jao,GregJennings,JasonJIT("Just-in-Time")IIsupplymanagementsystemjobsatisfaction

employeesmanagers

Jobs,Steve

K

Kanter,RosabethMossKaplan,SarahKarnedy,D.ScottKatzenberg,JeffreyKaufman,JonathanKelleher,HerbertD.KiaMotorKitter,JohnknowingversusdoingKranz,Gene

L

labels/stereotypeslackofempowermentLal,ParaagLandscape

blogscustomerseducatingcolleaguesaboutturningintopartnersunderstanding

definitionofpowerofScoutsvendorslearningfrom

relationshipswithleadership

authenticityandtrustconsistencydirectcommunicationhonestyTheLeadershipDilemmaleadinginsituationswhereyouarenotincontrolleadingwiththeheartmakinglittlethingscountNewGoldenRuleoptimismresiliencestylestransparency

Leavitt,HaroldJ.legitimatepowerLinkedInLinkmakers,middlemanagersas

buildingandusingnetworkscommunicationdefinitionofimportanceofpeopleskillspowerofroleofskillstipsforcreatingconnectionswithpeopletrust

lovers

M

MaineMedicaidcasestudymaintainingbalancebetweencompanyandteammakinglittlethingscountmakingpositivesoutofnegativesManagementValueAdded(MVA)Manager'sUniversemap

ascommunicationstoolcreating

howandwhentouseillustratedasself-diagnostictool

managingemotionsbadnews,reactingtoTheBiggerYesemotionalintelligencemaintainingbalancebetweencompanyandteamyourmanagers

mappingrelationshipsMartin,TadMcGuire,Sharimeetingpeople'sneedsMehrotra,Sunilmemory

consciousmemorypreservingvalueof

mergersmessages,communicating

adjustingcommunicationfordifferentteams/departmentsclaritycommunicating tobosses/executivescommunicatingunwelcomemessages

creatingandsellingcreatingandsellingmessagespowerofTranslators

middlemanagersbalance,achievingcaringforyourselfcreating and working with personal board of directors developing

personal scaleofmeasurementdevelopingplans to reachgoalsgenerosity andgivingback

importanceoffamilyknowingyourgoalslong-termperspectivetipsandguidelines

careerbaseline,determiningchallengesof

corporatechangeandfulcrum(powerbase)futureofimpactoncorporatestrategyHarrah's Entertainment case study identifying and communicating

problemsInterVarsityChristianFellowship/USAcasestudymiddlemanagersasstrategiclinchpinsRawlingsSportingGoodscasestudystrategicspace,creating

whitespace,creatingbusinessinimportanceofjobsatisfactionleadershipauthenticityandtrustconsistencydirectcommunicationhonestyTheLeadershipDilemmaleading in situations where you are not in controlmaking little things

countNewGoldenRuleoptimismresiliencestylestransparency

maintainingbalancebetweencompanyandteammanagingyourmanagersMiddleshiftQuizmotivationofnetworkingimportanceofmeetingpeople'sneedspowerofsocialnetworkingwebsitesspeednetworking

relationshipsimportanceofManager'sUniversemapmapping

self-empowermentcoercivepower

exampleofself-empoweredmanagerexcuses for lackof empowermentexpertpower

informationpowerlegitimatepowerpowerofchangepowerofrighteousnessreferentpowerrewardpowerseizingtoolsofempowermentsourcesofpowerWagonTrainEffect

senseofcorporatedisconnectiontimemanagement,problemswithMiddleshiftQuizMiller,JonMintzberg,HenryMonahan,Brianmotivatingcolleagues

makinglittlethingscountwithstories(corporatehistory)motives,examining

Mummolo,StevemusclememoryMVA(ManagementValueAdded)

N

NASAcasestudyneeds

boss'sneeds,understandingconfidenceexplicitneedsimplicitneeds

negativefeedback,givingnetworking

buildingandusingnetworkscommunicationimportanceof

importanceofpeopleskillsmeetingpeople'sneedspowerofskillsofsuccessfulnetworkerssocialnetworkingwebsitesspeednetworkingtipsforcreatingconnectionswithpeopletrust

Neustadt,RichardNewGoldenRule

O

OEP(OperationalEffectivenessProgram)O'Reilly,DavidOnlytheParanoidSurviveOperationalEffectivenessProgram(OEP)optimismorganization

organizationauthorityorganizationalduediligencepowerof

outliningsolutionsOverstock.com

P

PacesettingleadershipstyleParsons,Billpartners,turningcustomersintoPawlowski,Andypeople,linkingwithoneanotherbuildingandusingnetworks

communicationdefinitionofLinkmakersimportanceofpeopleskillspowerofLinkmakersroleofLinkmakersskillsofLinkmakerstipsforcreatingconnectionswithpeopletrust

personalprojectportfoliosdesigningPeters,Tom

Pfeffer,JeffreyPilots,middlemanagersas

definitionofimpactoncorporatestrategyInterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA case study middle managers as

strategiclinchpinsRawlingscasestudystrategicspace,creating

problems,identifyingandcommunicatingplans,sellingcommonmisconceptionsconsultativesellingsellingtoseniorexecutives

plans,workingPlishner,Eliaspoliticianspower.Seeempowermentpreservingcorporatehistoryproblem-solving

buildingvalueforsolutionsdefiningproblemexploringbenefitsofsuccessexploringcostsoffailureidentifyingandcommunicatingproblemsinformationgatheringoutliningsolutionssellingtheplancommonmisconceptionsconsultativesellingsellingtoseniorexecutives

workingtheplanProcessMastersprocesses

collaborationbetweendepartmentsharnessingknowledgeofmergersProcessMastersquestioningstreamlining

ProfitBuilders.comprojectportfolios,designingpublicblogs

Puckett,Dan

Q-R

questioningprocessesRaven,BertramRawlingsSportingGoodscasestudyRCA/GEmergercasestudyRedmond,Ambroseredtapereferentpowerrelationships

importanceofManager'sUniversemapascommunicationstoolcreatinghowandwhentouseillustratedasself-diagnostictool

mappingnetworkingimportanceofmeetingpeople'sneedspowerofsocialnetworkingwebsitesspeednetworking

researchingcorporatehistoryresiliencerewardpowerRightManagementConsultants(RMC)righteousness,powerofRipp,JoeTheRiseandFallofStrategicPlanningRMC(RightManagementConsultants)Rockefeller,JohnD.Rosen,Keith

S

Sandler,HerbSandler,MarionSattelberger,Thomasscaleofmeasurement,developingSchaffer,JimschmoozersScouts,middlemanagersas

blogscustomerseducatingcolleaguesaboutturningintopartnersunderstanding

aseducatorspowerofvendorslearningfromrelationshipswith

seizingtoolsofempowermentself-empowerment

coercivepowerexampleofself-empoweredmanagerexcusesforlackofempowermentexpertpowerinformationpowerlegitimatepowerpowerofchangepowerofrighteousnessreferentpowerrewardpowerseizingtoolsofempowermentsourcesofpowerWagonTrainEffect

self-evaluationsellingtheplan

commonmisconceptionsconsultativesellingsellingtoseniorexecutives

Shanks,Ginny

Sherman,BobSherrard,Johnslippageversustractionsocialnetworkingwebsitessolvingproblems

buildingvalueforsolutionsdefiningproblemexploringbenefitsofsuccessexploringcostsoffailureinformationgatheringoutliningsolutionssellingtheplancommonmisconceptionsconsultativesellingsellingtoseniorexecutives

workingtheplanSouthwestAirlinesspeednetworkingspirit.SeeemotionaldynamicsstereotypesSternberg,Marcstories(corporatehistory)

applyingtodecision-makingchangeforthesakeofchangemotivatingandinspiringwithpowerofpreservingresearchingtypesofstorylinesvalueofinstitutionalmemory

strategicspace,creatingstrategy

adhoctacticsemergentstrategyimpactofmiddlemanagersonHarrah's Entertainment case study identifying and communicating

problemsInterVarsityChristianFellowship/USAcasestudymiddlemanagersasstrategiclinchpinsRawlingsSportingGoodscasestudystrategicspace,creating

whitespace,creatingbusinessintop-downstrategytraditionalstrategicplanningupdatingcorporatelegacies

streamliningprocessessuccess.Seealsobalance,achievingbenefitsof

measuringmotivesproblem-solvingbuildingvalueforsolutionsdefiningproblemexploringbenefitsofsuccessexploringcostsoffailureinformationgatheringoutliningsolutionssellingtheplanworkingtheplan

self-evaluationSutton,Robert

T

TallPoppySyndrometeam-tiltedmanagersteams

CAVE(CitizensAgainstVirtuallyEverything)committedteammemberscompliantteammembersmotivatingtipsforsuccess

technicalteammembers,communicatingwith10e20ThinkinginTime:TheUsesofHistoryforDecision-MakerThompson,Garytimemanagement,problemswithTheTippingPoint:HowLittleThingsCanMakeaBigDifferencetop-downstrategyTouchstones

Landscape

blogscustomersdefinitionofpowerofScoutsvendors

messagesadjustingfordifferentteams/departmentsclaritycommunicating to bosses/executives communicating unwelcome

messagescreatingandsellingpowerofTranslators

peoplebuildingandusingnetworkscommunicationdefinitionofLinkmakersimportanceofpeopleskillspowerofLinkmakersroleofLinkmakersskillsofLinkmakerstipsforcreatingconnectionswithpeopletrust

processescollaborationbetweendepartmentsharnessingknowledgeofmergersProcessMastersquestioningstreamlining

spirit(emotionaldynamics)consequencesofignoringemotionalsensitivityfeedback,givinginsightandcourageleadingwiththeheartmakingpositivesoutofnegativesmotivationpowerof

storiesapplyingtodecision-makingchangeforthesakeofchangemotivatingandinspiringwithpowerofpreserving

researchingtypesofstorylinesvalueofinstitutionalmemory

strategyadhoctacticsemergentstrategyimpactofmiddlemanagersonmiddlemanagersasstrategiclinchpinsstrategicspace,creatingtop-downstrategytraditionalstrategicplanningupdatingcorporatelegacieswhitespace,creatingbusinessintraction

achievingwithblogsachievingwithManagementValueAdded(MVA)

definitionofeffectiveteamsandCAVE(CitizensAgainstVirtuallyEverything)committedteammemberscompliantteammembersmotivatingteams

maintainingpersonalprojectportfoliosdesigning

versusslippagetraditionalstrategicplanningTranslators,middlemanagersasmessages

adjustingfordifferentteams/departmentsclaritycommunicating to bosses/executives communicating unwelcome

messagescreatingandsellingpowerof

transparencytrust

buildingimportanceof

Tu,BrianTwomey,Kamile

U

UniversalMcCanncasestudyunwelcomemessages,communicatingupdatingcorporatelegaciesUSSearchcasestudy

V

ValueEquationvalue,buildingforsolutionsvendors

learningfromrelationshipswith

ventingsessions,providingvictims

W-X-Y-Z

Wagner,ChristineWagonTrainEffectWall,Steveweblogswebsites,socialnetworkingwebsiteswhinerswhitespace,creatingbusinessinwiseguysworkingtheplanWorldSavingsYoung,TimZiglar,Zig