Management Craft

Cool Tool to Focus

I was at a networking gathering - well, it was four women chatting about business, books, and the merits of cheap Trader Joe's champagne, but I digress - when I met an entrepreneur with a cool business called Ninth Moon. Her name is Laron Glover.

Ninth Moon is an online store that specializes in gifts and tools for writers. But many of her products have lots of potential uses. One product in particular caught my attention - it is called the focus frame and it is a very cool thing indeed. Here's a pic from her website:

Here's how Laron describes it: "

It’s a combination tool that embraces time-management (priority setting) and empowerment (you can do this!). It’s simple, and it works.  Julia Childs claimed “anything is edible if chopped small enough.”   Anne Lamott called it a one-inch frame (ours is a little bigger)--but in either case, the principle is the same:   break whatever you need to do into manageable tasks and make a commitment to get it done.  For writers (especially writers!) we’re often faced with huge projects with no end in sight.   List one task, one scene, one whatever in the frame--and that’s your job for today.  It provides focus, but also a sense of balance--you know when you’ve completed your task, you can move forward without guilt hanging over you.  The bottom line is YOU CAN DO ANYTHING, JUST FOR TODAY.

Uses I’ve heard about:

• planning entire books (to keep on target)
• jotting notes for the next scene/character sketch
• cure for writer’s block
• storyboarding/sketching
• marketing (write one query letter; list ten possible agents)
• weight loss (drink 8 glasses of water!  take my vitamin!).   
• studying (college entrance exams)
• other “life” goals (child adoption, going back to college, planning weddings, keeping a house clean, etc).

I love this thing! And I love it because it is functional, but it is also a high-quality piece. And I like that it is low tech. I have no more plugs for battery chargers!

I think the focus frame would be a great tool to help you accomplish one great thing each day (something I recommend trying in Focus Like a Laser Beam). I think it is a cool frame and you can put anything in it to help you focus better. Brilliant! Check out the Focus Frame - a great gift for a friend or for you. hen you buy the focus frame it comes with a supply of cards so you will be all see to focus!

"Best of" My Podcasts

I was checking out the stats for my podcasts, and I thought I would share the top five in terms of downloads in case you missed them (you can find a list of all my podcasts here). These have been downloaded the most. It does not means they are the best, but looking at the list, they are among the best. I have many, many personal favorites that did not make the list, so check out the whole list.

Marcus Buckingham - the most downloaded by far. It must be his charming accent.

Micheal Stallard - Michael has a lot of fans out there!

Rajesh Setty - Raj is such a wise thinker, so these numbers are very well deserved.

Glen Hiemstra - The Futurist is popular!

Perry Devine - This one surprised me. Perry is my brother and we talk about the breakthrough song he wrote for my book launch and motorcycle tour. I would not have expected this one to have such strong numbers, simply because nobody knows my brother! But if you interested in generating breakthroughs, you will enjoy this.

And because people like to see people make a fool of themselves, I have included a rarely heard podcast of me playing the Native American Flute by the river side in Gila, New Mexico (just a few days after buying the flute, mind you, so cut me some slack). I did several podcast recordings while in New Mexico for another blog (the one with hummingbirds and thunder is cool, too).

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I have not done a new podcast in a while... I am working on it!

Be Happy... Or else

I like this post from pal Terry Starbucker called, Clearing the Last Hurdle to Happiness. Check it out. Here is a snippet:

I wonder how many people in this world are truly happy, and I find it hard to really come up with a good estimate. It’s hard to tell just by observing all the people who cross my path every day, and time doesn’t allow me to step up to every one of them and ask “hey, are you happy?” (imagine if a stranger walked up to you and asked that question - would you answer?).

It is a good question and I like how Terry processes it in this post. Here's another question I have. Why, when we can choose any level of happiness, do so many of us choose something less - often much less - than bliss?  Most of us - most of you reading this blog - lived truly charmed lives. And yet we choose other emotions like sadness, frustration, envy, disappointment.

I don't remember where, but I remember seeing a study that said there was very little correlation between money and happiness once one is past covering for basic needs of food, safety, and health.

Terry offers up the option that some of us feel something other than happy because deep down inside we don't feel we deserve to be happy. Perhaps. I think that we learn to be dissatisfied from a young age. If we are truly content, after all, what will motivate us? Our parents and teachers have taught us well when it comes to the virtues of unhappiness.

And this can be a vicious cycle, too. Right now, I am not so happy because I have taken on too much work, when I do not need to and I cannot meet my goals regarding health and non-business writing. So it is my EXCESS work (or EXCESS success) that is causing me pain now. How crazy is that! And you know what, it is all in my control.

So, thanks, Terry, I am enjoying a moment of peace tonight and will ponder how to love (and change, if needed) the abundant life I have created.

There was a great article in National Geographic about Bhutan this month. We were attracted to this issue because we are going to Bhutan in November. As you know, Bhutan is known for their Gross National Happiness. Check out this great feature article that talks about how they continue to explore and struggle with decisions about how to balance tradition with progress.

Perhaps a nice Monday mantra is in order (speak and repeat as neccessary):

I live a charmed life. I am lucky and at peace with my circumstances. Life is good and I am happy.

Employee Engagement Network

We all know that engaging talent is critical to building a great work culture. Fellow blogger (Slacker Manager and others) David Zinger started an Employee Engagement Information and Social Network.

It is very cool indeed. Check it out and join in at: http://employeeengagement.ning.com.

Pay more for being overweight or smoking?

Should we pay higher health care premiums at work if we are obese or smoke? This is a thought that upsets many, but the facts are clear - people who are overweight or who smoke cost more to care for.

What about another twist - should people who do not smoke or who maintain a healthy weight get "healthy living" discounts on health care premiums?

It's the same thing, really, but the second "spin" is likely more palatable.

I think it is only a matter of time until this happens at many workplaces and it already is the policy at some. I support this approach because I think we need to give people compelling reasons to encourage healthy lifestyles. And I think that people who cost more should pay more - that's fair. And depending on the amount of extra weight and number of packs they smoke, perhaps MUCH more, like double the cost for weight that is considered mobidbly obese.

What do you think?

Note: Before you send me nasty notes saying I am insensitive or do not understand the plight of overweight people, those of you who have met me know I have a few pounds to lose myself (but I am working on this). I do understand....

When Things Fail - So Long to Motto Magazine

I have started getting Ode magazine delivered to my home. I did not ask for Ode, but the letter that came with it said that I am getting this as a continuation of my subscription to Motto, which has apparently gone under.

This was the first I heard that Motto magazine went under. I still have an ad for them on one of my blogs. I should probably take that down.

Ode seems like a cool magazine, and I am OK with getting it instead. It just seems odd to me that this is how I would find out that Motto is no more. The motto of Motto seemed counter to this approach. I interviewed Kevin Salwen for a podcast and regard him as a stand up guy. This response seems out of character.

I am sad that Motto is gone - it was a great magazine with a great spirit and intent. I felt a special connection to Motto as they sponsored my motorcycle book tour for the Year of the Breakthrough tour.

Motto's website does not appear to be working any longer. I wonder what happened. Does anyone know?

10 Management Lessons from Ryan Allis

Here is a guest article from Ryan Allis, author of a new book for entrepreneurs (or intrapreneurs) called, Zero to One Million. Great title, don't you think? Based om my last post, you might guess that my favorite on this list is the last one, "consciously build a culture." There are many things leaders can do to build the culture.

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10 Management Lessons
By Ryan Allis, CEO of iContact and author of Zero to One Million

Over the past five years, as iContact and Virante have grown, I've learned a lot about managing people. A business amounts to little without the people behind it. The two most important things I look for when hiring are initiative and work ethic. I cannot overestimate the importance to the eventual success of your business of bringing on good people. But once you have hired these good people, how do you manage them?

I certainly admit that I have much left to learn about leadership and management, but here are a few tips that might be helpful:

• Have a vision and communicate it. Make sure you clearly communicate your vision for the company. No one follows a leader who cannot communicate the way in which the company will succeed. The future of all your employees is tied closely to the success of your company. Make sure they believe in your company, what it stands for, and its products and services, and make sure they know that the hard work they are putting in now will payoff.
• Show respect. Treat people, including your customers, suppliers, partners, and employees, with respect at all times.
• Share your success. Make sure your employees share in the success of your company. As the company is able, provide additional benefits such as health care and dental coverage, a stock options plan, and a 401(k) plan. As your employees' skills and abilities grow, reward them with fair compensation. Finally, consider incentivizing your top employees and managers with ownership in the company. Few things can make a person work harder than a piece of the action.
• Don't be too serious. Make the business environment fun at times. While being professional and taking things seriously is important, nothing can beat the effects of a companywide midnight round of bowling after you reach an important milestone, a lunchtime pizza party once a month, or a spontaneous Nerf-dart duel.
• Work with your employees. Make sure the employees see you there and working with them. No one likes to work hard for someone who doesn't work hard him -- or herself. Especially early on, be the first to arrive and the last to leave whenever possible.
• Keep your door open. Whether or not you have your own office yet, keep your "door" open. Make sure your employees and managers know that you are approachable at any time about any problem they are having.
• Listen. You have built a great team and are paying top dollar for it. Hold meetings with your management team at least every other week. Also have frequent informal ad hoc discussions with your partners, managers, and employees. Get their feedback, discuss the business and its strategy, and inquire every so often if there is anything that is frustrating them that you can help with. A few weeks ago I had a quick spur-of-the-moment meeting with the lead developer for iContact. After inquiring whether he had any job frustrations, it came out that he felt he was working in an environment in which he became distracted too often. We quickly devised a solution whereby he would work at home four hours a day until we could move into a larger office where the development team could work in a separate room, away from the distraction of the sales and support team. This small change has doubled the developer's productivity.
• Build relationships. Without understanding at least the basics of what is occurring in an employee's out-of-office life, it can be hard to connect with the person on a professional level. One tactic I've used successfully to get to know each employee personally is to take the person and his or her significant other to dinner the first evening of their employment. It serves as a way to celebrate the occasion as well as learn a little bit about the employee that would not come out in interviews or through reading a resume.
• Commend more than you criticize. Too many business owners (and I have been guilty of this as well) speak to an employee only when he or she has done something wrong or something that has negatively affected the company. While constructive criticism and appropriate guidance have their place, if you seem to only condemn and never praise, your employees will quickly either dislike you or show apathy toward their jobs. Continual properly placed praises can be as powerful in getting quality results from employees as a large pay raise. Many people thrive on peer and superior recognition just as much as on money. Instituting an employee-of-the-month award and a quarterly performance review can be extremely valuable to your company.
• Consciously build a culture. At iContact, we truly are a family. In fact, we call ourselves the iContact Family. When someone is moving into a new house or needs a ride home from the airport, we're there to help. We believe in building people up, not tearing people down. We put people first and have respect for the individual. We believe that we should work hard and be innovative, yet maintain a balance in our lives. We believe in not letting balls drop, and that we're all working together on the same mission. We have foosball and Ping-Pong tables in our office, free sodas, Bagel Monday, and monthly birthday celebrations and Outstanding Performance Award ceremonies. We have a young, dynamic, fun, and innovative culture. It exists because we have consciously built it.

As a manager and business owner, you are charged with an immense responsibility. You control the activity and purpose that your employees dedicate half of their waking hours to. Make your company's purpose meaningful, communicate your vision, respect and praise your employees, and share your success. If you can succeed in building a team of highly motivated and happy employees who take initiative, have a bias toward action, respect you, and truly care for the business, you will have done much of the work toward building a strong and fast-growing organization.

Are you Hip and Sage?

I am looking for a few smart and interesting folks to interview for a book I am working on called

Hip and Sage: A baby boomer's guide to staying hip in the workplace.
Get nimble and allow your inner sage to shine in new ways.

Hip and Sage - cool title, don't you think?

Hip and sage people are wise and revered by young and old people alike. They actively seek to work with younger generations and welcome change and progress. Heck, they often drive change. They ask lots of questions and are always eager to learn and grow.

Are you hip and sage (be at least 50 years old, please)? If so, would you be willing to answer a few questions? Send me an email (lhaneberg AT gmail DOT com).

Do you know someone who is hip and sage? If so, please share this request with him or her and suggest he or she drop me an email to arrange for an interview (lhaneberg AT gmail DOT com).

I would also like to hear feedback from professionals in their 20s and 30s. Please send me an email (lhaneberg AT gmail DOT com) answering the following questions:

1. What are the biggest mistakes older managers make in the workplace when they try to get the best work out of younger workers?

2. What qualities do you most admire in your older co-workers?

Thanks!

More on How Leaders Shape Culture

A while back, I shared a snippet from an article I wrote called How Leaders Shape Culture. I wrote the article for inclusion in Michael Kroth's e-newsletter. Michael has a great mind for leadership and management trends and science, so his is a newsletter I recommend you check out.

If you would like to read How Leaders Shape Culture, you can read it here. Subscribe to Michael's e-newsletter here. Here is another wee snippet.

Organizational culture is socially constructed—it is created and changed through conversations. Each conversation reinforces, builds upon, or challenges the current cultural norms and beliefs. The concept of social construction of organizational culture is vital for leaders to understand - it offers them a wonderful opportunity and poses two concerns.

Hello, my name is Tony Bennett....

Did you watch the Sunday Morning Show last week on CBS? We always watch the Sunday Morning Show. Love it.

If you saw last week's show, you caught the piece they did on k.d. lang. Here is the part that struck me. They were talking about the album k.d. did with Tony Bennett and how it came about. they interviewed Tony Bennett. Apparently Tony has been a big fan of k.d.'s work. They were both backstage at an awards show and Tony walked up to k.d. and said (I am doing this from memory, so it might not be a perfect quote):

"Hello, I am Tony Bennett, I am a big fan of your work, and I would love to work with you sometime."

This struck me because Tony Bennett does not need to say, "I'm Tony Bennett" backstage at a music awards show where everyone surely knows who he is. What a wonderful and humble approach!

Second, I can only imagine how wonderful k.d. felt to have a legendary crooner walk up to her and tell her he was a fan of her work and that he wanted to work with her.

This got me thinking. Some of you are like Tony Bennett in the workplace - more experienced, perhaps even legendary. When was the last time you humbly walked up to a new talent and told him or her that you admire his or her work and that you would love to work together on a project one day?

What would happen if you did this?