Check out this story on my creative writing blog (just a little something I have been messing with, the training wheels are still on it) about how you can help turn older writers into published authors. Me, you ask? Yes, you. If you have the computer skills to read blogs, I bet you could do this.
A big THANKS to Scot over at Cube Rules (and David for chiming in) for the oh-so-sweet review of my book, Two Weeks to a Breakthrough.
Summer is a great time to reinvent. The vitamin D is soaking in (it has been a long time coming in Seattle) and our brain cells are ready to do some interesting work.
We all need the right kind of reminders. I need reminders. Two Weeks is not rocket science (although there is a bit of chaos theory in there) but is it like an IV filled with caffeine and B12. A wwooowweee infusion of energy, focus, and practical ideas.
I think I need to reread the book myself. :-)
Along with the management and OD stuff, I spend a lot of time acting as an HR leader. Managers often ask me how to word things - how they ought to say things (on performance reviews and counseling forms) so that the intent is clear (and more importantly, so they don't put their foots in their mouths).
Here is a trio of books by Paul Falcone that can give you a starting point. I hesitate to share these, because my fear is that someone will copy the verbiage word-for-word. That would not be good, because if you want to improve performance, the last thing you want to do is treat employees like machines and spew generic xeroxed counseling forms at them.
Employee name here, I have asked you to this meeting to discuss your performance related to insert area of poor performance here. On insert date of infraction, explain what happened. According to our performance standards, we expect all employees tell them what you want...
Here are a couple of suggestions for Paul's next book of wordings:
That last one has real promise. Your suggestions?
101 Sample Write-Ups for Documenting Employee Performance Problems by Paul Falcone.
2600 Phrases for Effective Performance Reviews: Ready-to-Use Words and Phrases That Really Get Results by Paul Falcone
96 Great Interview Questions to Ask Before You Hire by Paul Falcone
Did you know that coffee has more aromatics than most other foods? Check out this podcast!
During this 23 minute podcast, I chat with Michaele Weissman, author of God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee. This is another great summer read. If you drink coffee and/or are interested in fine foods, you will enjoy this podcast and the book. Michaele goes deep into the world of the high-end specialty coffee industry - an exploration that takes her to several countries and behind the scenes of a enigmatic slice of the world.
You can listen to my podcast with the Michaele Weissman by clicking here:
You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.
And just a reminder.....
Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series: 
To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog or see the list on my main website here.
You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.
I am happy to tell you that Undo Before You Become Undone is now available! Please pick up a copy today - one for you and one for a pal! It is just $12.50 (about the same as two gallons of gas!).
It is a short, sassy, irreverent, and sometimes funny look at how we work. It challenges us to reinvent, and begs us not to take ourselves too seriously.
This is a self-published book, so you will not see it on the end caps of your local Barnes and Noble. You will not see a review posted in the New York Times Sunday Books Section. You will not see the authors on a jet-setting world book tour. You will not see the book cover on the home page of Amazon.com.
Being self-published means that the book will only get the press and attention that you - my dear readers and fellow bloggers - give it. How do I suck up love thee, let me count the ways.....
I am one of three authors of the book and was joined in this project by my smart and sassy pals Randy Boek and Kathleen Goodman. Here is our author portrait that is on the back cover (I'm on the left, the one with the butterfly wings, and yes, we posed on top of the Space Needle to take this shot - ah, what we do for attention!).
I would like to thank ALL of the readers who graciously volunteered their time and energy to read the book and offer a blurb. Here they are in alphabetical order:
“The thing that strikes me as I read the book is that after the ‘age’ of specialization, it sounds like the ‘Jack of all trades, Master of none’ will again become a valued member of the team. It sounds like the person with many non-specialized skills will have an advantage. They will be better able or more eager to undo because they will better see the ways the undone might be re-combined. I am very interested in this as I'm soon to be undone and looking for ways redo in other ways. I'm turning 60 and have 40 more years to live and I know I need to undo and recombine several more times before the end.” Bob Bennett
“Undone packs a punch. Like being hit on the head by a piece of 4"x2". Not all of it is original. Some of it is not new. But it carries a concise and powerful message for re-thinking the role of consultants, advisers, managers and leaders. You might not agree with all of it. But you will be stirred by it.” Mike Chitty, Progressive Managers' Network, Leeds UK
“Unbelievable! Unparalleled insight! Unmatched intellect! Uncommonly good! What can you undo today?” Michael Fulton, Enterprise Social Butterfly
“Boek, Goodman, and Haneberg make a case for skating on the other side of the ice in Undo Before You Become Undone. If you are preparing for what you thought was going to be a knowledge work career, or even if you don't know that yet, you will find insights and inspirations in UNDO! Of course some of their ideas do not apply to me: Who are they, experts?” Scott Johnson, Illinois Online Network, Online Learning Administrator (a career that didn't exist 15 years ago)
"Thanks for the slap in the face... I desperately need to get un-Bobbed and become part of con-cat-nation!" Nick McCormick, Author, Lead Well and Prosper: 15 Successful Strategies for Becoming a Good Manager
“Undo Before You Become Undone is a quick read but far from shallow; more like a fast, cool dip in the deep end. The authors’ cheeky poke at us consultants in ‘Experts Aren’t’ had me laughing so hard I blew coffee out my nose, until I heard the thermometer in my rear-end pop, and I realized that this turkey was done! Boek, Goodman and Haneberg examine the impact of prevailing market forces driving change and end each of their six chapters in a manner designed to pop some new ideas out of your intellectual toaster.” Patrick J. McKenna, management consultant, founder of Edge International and author of the business bestsellers, Herding Cats and First Among Equals.
"This book reads like a refreshing splash of cold water in the face of our complacent natures." T, improvisational actor and life coach
“The last company I worked for always made me feel like we were doing business in the forties. Everything they did was behind the times and usually made everyone feel more like a resource then a partner in the business. I hope they read this book and realize that by doing business with that kind of mentality, they will become extinct. This book teaches you to be fluid and stay open to what’s coming down the pike. Business is changing every second and only those that can master the art of being open will survive.” Jerry Verno, Inventory Planner
“Undo Before You Become Undone by Boek, Goodman, and Haneberg combines the wisdom of Zen master, Shunryu Suzuki’s statement of ‘In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few’ with a reverse swoosh of ‘Just Undo It.’ It also reminded me of the Guess Who lyrics from She’s Come Undone: ‘She's come undone, She didn't know what she was headed for, And when I found what she was headed for It was too late.’” David Zinger, Founder of the Employee Engagement Network and Blogger for Slacker Manager
We invite YOU to undo before you become undone!
Is an epic journey in your future? Maybe a longer journey separated into smaller chunks? Listen to get inspired.
Note: Dan will be in Seattle, reading from The Cactus Eaters, this coming Thursday at 6:30PM. Details on this and other readings on his blog.
During this 30 minute podcast, I chat with Dan White, author of The Cactus Eaters: How I Lost My Mind- And Almost Found Myself- On The Pacific Crest Trail. This is a bit of a departure from the usual management and leadership podcasts. But as we head into summer, I thought it would be a great time to talk to Dan about pilgrimages, how travel transforms, and how we never seem to leave our work ways out of our leisure lives. I absolutely recommend The Cactus Eaters, it's a great story and very funny. And tragic, at times, too.
You can listen to my podcast with the Dan White by clicking here:
You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.
And just a reminder.....
Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:
To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog or see the list on my main website here.
You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.
Here is a brief excerpt from The Milkshake Moment by Steven S. Little. I like how it focuses on being real and focusing on what's most important - in tasks and in relationships.
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What I've come to learn is that growth leaders are distinctive not only in their actions, but also in their attributes. These specific attributes are more like personality traits than true management skills, and they ultimately build trust:
Timely
Realistic
Unscripted
Sensitive
Transparent
Timely -- Every day I deal with people who say they want to grow their company, community, or association. And I know they truly mean it. Often one of the key factors that impede their progress, however, is how they choose to allocate their time and that of others. When I look at how they actually spend their time, I find that they revert back to their default setting -- what they know best. They fill their days working on the tasks they are most comfortable completing.
In contrast, successful leaders devote the majority of their time to those areas that truly need it. They make timely decisions as often as decisions are needed -- no more and no less.
Time is not something to be filled with activity for activity's sake. Leaders understand the nature of time and are skilled at prioritizing it to make an impact. They understand that being timely does not come from Day-Timers, longer hours, or an increasing workload. For some, this prowess is innate. For others it is a skill that must be honed through experience. Yet make no mistake about it; it is impossible to lead a growth charge without mastering the importance of time.
(Most managers simply get up and do what they want to do. Growth leaders get up and do what needs to be done.)
Realistic -- Many joke that reality is overrated. It certainly is easier to don our rose-colored glasses and see only what we want to see. What distinguishes growth leaders is their unrelenting focus on what really is and what truly can be. While positive thinking has its place, delusions are dangerous.
"Our product is the best." "Our team is superior." "Our customers love us." "Our cause is more important than any other." Really? Let's can the empty slogans, take down the banners, and throwaway the T-shirts. Today, it takes a pragmatic realist to separate the true picture from the conventional groupthink.
Facing reality isn't merely a good idea; it's an imperative. Your organization is depending on someone to challenge the organization's most closely held beliefs today. Why couldn't that be a leader like you? Too often, closely held beliefs are kept on our shelves long past their expiration dates. Growth leaders seek only the truth and welcome any and all reality checks.
Unscripted -- Today our world is filled with skeptics. People are simply jaded, and why shouldn't they be? Over the past 50 years we've lived through disgraced presidents, dubious armed conflicts, pilfered pensions, and "new and improved" products that are clearly neither new nor improved. We live in a world where much of what comes at us from organizations is spin, propaganda, and distorted half-truths. It should be obvious to any twenty-first-century leader that many people are reluctant to believe anything. Everyone's bullshit detector has become finely calibrated.
What we long for is authenticity. We want leaders who speak plainly and from the heart, not from talking points. We want bosses who reject corporate mumbo jumbo. We want professionals who don't cloak themselves in a blanket of CYA-speak.
In order to lead, it is critical to master the authenticity. Reject the tired clichés, lose the latest buzzwords, and say what you mean and mean what you say.
Sensitive -- This is a loaded term. While it has many definitions, here I mean perceptive. Sensitive leaders are acutely aware of their surroundings and are keenly observant. They have an intuitive knack for understanding the motivations of others. They are able to feel the barely perceptible winds of change long before the actual storm. They have the uncanny ability to gain insight from seemingly disparate data.
How well do you read others in complex social situations? How much do you trust your gut feelings? How well do you handle displays of emotion in yourself and others? How easily do you move from perception to action?
Most growth leaders are naturals at these types of skills. Others need to regularly extricate themselves from day-to-day activities to work on them. Either way, being sensitive is an attribute that gives leaders another arrow in their organizational growth quiver.
Transparent -- It's human nature not to trust those who attempt to hide things from us. For instance, when an organization gets into trouble and spirals downward because of a public relations crisis, it nearly always has something to do with not being transparent. Most of the great corporate and political scandals of the modern age have had more to do with cover-ups than with the original act of wrongdoing itself.
In contrast, people and organizations that are transparent in their actions are the ones that consistently grow and come out ahead in the long run. Those who are forthcoming with information -- good and bad -- can more effectively lead a team to accomplish great things.
An organization itself can and should be transparent, but to be so it needs leaders who are transparent in their actions. An active beehive hanging in a tree looks to me as ominous as the Death Star in a Star Wars movie. I definitely don't trust it. But have you ever seen a cross section of a beehive? By placing it behind glass we can see the fascinating inner workings of an efficient organization. Somehow, knowing what each of those busy bees is up to puts my mind at ease.
Employees, customers, vendors, and shareholders know what to expect from transparent leaders. Fostering transparency takes commitment and confidence. It can be tempting to hide problems, but the transparent leader knows that the truth eventually slips out anyway -- and often looks worse than it did originally. As an ancient Eastern adage says, "Three things cannot be hidden forever: the sun, the moon, and the truth."
Which new mantra ought to replace "do more with less?" Listen to find out.
During this 28 minute podcast, I chat with Mike Kanazawa, co-author of Big Ideas to Big Results: Remake and Recharge Your Company, Fast. We have a great conversation about the ways that leaders at all levels can better focus and drive breakthrough growth. What does all this have to do with smoking opium? You will have to listen to find out. Check out Mike's website and blog here.
You can listen to my podcast with the Michael Kanazawa by clicking here:
You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here.
And just a reminder.....
Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:
To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog or see the list on my main website here.
You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.
A couple years ago I told you about a collaborative book project I was involved in that began with a three-day get-away and mini-think-tank-type experience. Well, our book is done! And it is very fun.
It is short - 80 pages with BIG fonts.
It is irreverent - we poke good fun at ourselves and others.
And it is funny and (we hope) provocative.
It is called: Undo Before You Become Undone. It was written by my friends Randy Boek, Kathleen Goodman, and me.
We are looking for a few people who will give the book (a PDF version of it) a quick once over and send us a juicy blurb. If you are interested, send me an email at lhaneberg AT gmail DOT com. I will email you the PDF of the book (a 6.4meg file). I need your blurbs back within one week - May 8th. The best blurbs (the one's that tickle us the most) will be on the back cover. The other wonderful blurbs will be listed at the front of the book. Blurbs must be fit to print (no swearing or offensive words) but can otherwise be sassy, irreverent, and outrageous. Outrageous will gain you extra style points.
It is a quick read! Do you need to step into the BS Deprogrammer 2010? You won't know unless you read the book and give us your blurb!
Here's the Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION 5
CHAPTER 1 – FORCES OF UNDOING 9
CHAPTER 2 - UNSCRIPTED 21
CHAPTER 3 - EXPERTS AREN’T 31
CHAPTER 4 - UNMANAGEMENT 45
CHAPTER 5 - UNMASKED 53
CHAPTER 6 – UNDO BEFORE YOU BECOME UNDONE 69
EPILOGUE 79
ABOUT THE AUTHORS 81
NOTES
Here's the cover
What's your dream job and how do you get it? Listen to find out.
During this 22 minute podcast, I chat with Alexandra Levit, author of How'd You Score That Gig: A Guide to the Coolest Jobs-and How to Get Them. We talk about which jobs her research revealed to be the coolest, how we can get from where we are today to doing our dream job, and how to discover the type of job that will be a great fit for your strengths and interests (your Passion Profile). Alexandra's book highlights 60 cool jobs - including a realistic look at the good, bad, and ugly of each. This is a fun conversation and a must-not-miss for anyone wanting to improve their career happiness. You can find Alexandra's blog here.
Alexandra also has a podcast called, 30/20 Vision, which is a monthly series for the 20-something woman who wishes she had a couple of big sisters to clue her in on the ins and outs of life after college. It features young authors Christine Hassler (20 Something Manifesto), Alexandra Levit (How'd You Score That Gig?), and Lindsey Pollak (Getting From College to Career).
You can listen to my podcast with the Alexandra Levit by clicking here:
You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast here: MP3 Download
And just a reminder.....
Here is the Podcast Feed for the entire Fireside Chat podcast series:
To see the complete list of podcasts in this series, select the Podcasts and Webcasts category on this blog or see the list on my main website here.
You can also find this series on iTunes (and several other podcast sites), just search under my last name for Fireside Chat.
Lisa Haneberg
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