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In 100 Words: Gift of Kindness

Saturday, December 15th, 2018 by Troy Schrock

Certain seasons or events of our life heighten our awareness of both blessings we enjoy and the needs of others. Caring about someone else more than ourselves sparks kindness. Kindness can be displayed simply – smile and say hello; share encouragement and appreciation; or help someone with an obvious need.

Leaders initiate words and acts of kindness because they realize:

• Kindness is infectious – it’s easy for people to imitate.
• Kindness is relational lubrication – we more easily overlook people’s irritating behaviors.
• Kindness, regularly practiced, strengthens organizational culture.

Kindness is a gift everyone deserves to receive … and a gift everyone can give.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Aesop

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In 100 Words: Success Anomalies

Thursday, November 1st, 2018 by Troy Schrock

Success anomalies are difficult, if not impossible, to replicate. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop leaders from attempting to repeat a success without first verifying a pattern exists. This over-confidence can result in large investments that don’t return. Organizations can have success anomalies and then stumble as leaders try to repeat past performance in important areas such as:

• Entering new markets
• Hiring senior level people
• Making acquisitions (statistically, the majority fail to deliver expected results).

Make significant investments only where there are clear patterns of positive outcomes. In other cases, make guarded resource commitments since you could be building on an anomaly.

“Everything has its limit – iron ore cannot be educated into gold.” Mark Twain

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In 100 Words: Pattern or Anomaly?

Friday, September 14th, 2018 by Troy Schrock

How well do you distinguish between patterns and anomalies when assessing an issue? Sometimes we approach anomalies as if they were patterns and waste resources. Two types of anomalies should give us caution – problem anomalies and success anomalies. Our key risk with problem anomalies is we end up increasing complexity, frustration and cost by adding processes across a broad array of activities in the organization to ensure “X never happens again.” Create process solutions to problems that exhibit a pattern. Train staff to navigate anomalies as they arise – greater freedom and less process.

Success anomalies will be next edition’s topic.

“To understand is to perceive patterns.” Isaiah Berlin

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In 100 Words: Savoring Quiet

Wednesday, August 1st, 2018 by Troy Schrock

Reflection time is a luxury many people find too expensive. Consequently, the skill of quiet thinking can be under-developed. We live in 24/7, visual-rich, noise-saturated, media-stimulated environments. Who dares unplug and go quiet? What might we miss?

Physiologically, our minds don’t function well “always on.” Reflection time is where our minds work subconsciously connecting stored dots of information.

Practice quiet.

• Turn off devices
• Sit or stroll outside – nature is conducive to mental meandering
• Close your eyes – other senses awaken

When we are thirsty we gulp. To savor a drink, we sip and swish. Reflection is savoring quiet.

“The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.” Albert Einstein

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In 100 Words: Be Patient with Pivots

Friday, June 15th, 2018 by Troy Schrock

The pace of market change has many organizations currently in some stage of a business model pivot. To successfully execute the shift leaders should actively:

1. Engage deeply in early conversations and projects with customers. Listen closely and iterate quickly.
2. Shape the “Why and How” message to people inside the organization. Repeat yourself frequently.

It will require patience to see the full pivot… the change will likely take longer than initially anticipated. People need time to adjust their thinking and behaviors. It also takes effort to build new capabilities and the related inter-linking delivery systems. Give the pivot time.

“The strongest of all warriors are these two — Time and Patience.” Leo Tolstoy in War and Peace

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In 100 Words: Hourglass Leaders

Tuesday, May 1st, 2018 by Troy Schrock

No, this message isn’t about using time wisely. The hourglass is a metaphor of something passing through a bottleneck. Specific to leaders, one chokepoint is our need to weigh in on too many different issues and decisions. This desire to review and provide input leads to final approvals stacking up in our inboxes. Speed of execution slows. There is an inverse correlation – the greater the amount of decisions and issues piled up on our desk, the less amount of work our teams are accomplishing. Determine where you can pass on decision authority. This will widen the neck of your hourglass.

“So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.” Peter Drucker

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