What a Treat! The Leadership Carnival is here!

Consider all the goodies you get from Dan’s Great Leadership blog regularly and then multiply that by 30.  That’s a full bag of candy!  Consider taking the day off just to eat read these treats …

including our own post referring back to Dan’s  Talent Management Challenge … oh my, I think I’ve gone into a sugar coma!

One of my Favorite Books. Free. This week.

I am huge fan of Jason Seiden’s How to Self Destruct.  I read it in July and found it to be funny, insightful, and speaking directly to me as an aspiring leader at Oracle.

Jason is weeks away from unveiling his next book, Super Staying Power (which I have pre-ordered).  In the meantime, he’s giving away as many How to Self Destruct books as he can until this Friday, November 6.

Check it out and get these books for your deserving leaders!

A Couple Things to Learn about Leadership

Emmett Brown - Scientific Leader

Actually, it’s more than a couple … maybe 100 or so according to Lominger.

But just having missed 2 questions on Dan McCarthy’s Talent Management Challenge , I want to talk about those specifically:

(Take the test here and find the answers here.  You are bound to find some surprises!)

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First, What is the most likely outcome of people focusing exclusively on developing their strengths and doing only those jobs that match their strengths?

A. It would only work well for those with the right strengths to begin with
B. People would be happier and more productive because they wouldn’t have to worry about their weaknesses
C. The strengths would get stronger, overwhelming any weaknesses that might get in the way
D. Strengths are likely to be overdone or not balanced, and unaddressed weaknesses would become blind spots
E. More people would become strong performers over time

I should have spotted the word “exclusively” and realized my answer of “E. More people would become strong performers over time” was overly optimistic.  My team recently conducted a Strengthsfinder exercise and we found it to be very valuable.  We learned a lot about ourselves, a lot about each other, and it seeded us with concrete plans on how to grow and get better.   Apparently, I missed Dan’s excellent post on The Perils of Accentuating the Positive in which he reviews the book of the same name.  “In a nutshell …,” he says “the ‘celebrate your strengths’ mantra is a feel-good, lazy way of side-stepping the hard work required to develop and be successful. It’s giving leaders ‘permission to stagnate””.

Ouch.  That one really hurts.  That will teach me to fall behind in my blog reading!  It also gives me a lot to think about.  I used to beat myself up a lot about my weaknesses.  When I discovered “strengths”, it gave me a refreshing attitude adjustment.  I felt more confident and motivated in my ability to be successful as a leader.  And I think that’s good.  What I’m learning is that beating myself up about my weaknesses too is actually good and healthy.  It’s all part of the wacky self-development puzzle.

(The right answer is D. Strengths are likely to be overdone or not balanced, and unaddressed weaknesses would become blind spots)

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Second, How do high performers rate themselves compared to low performers?

A. Rate themselves higher than others rate them
B. Rate themselves the same as others rate them
C. Rate themselves lower than others do
D. Rate themselves lower than others do and lower than low performers
E. Rate themselves at the same level as low performers

I was pretty sure that A & B weren’t right and I got tripped up on the semantics of C & D, so I picked “E. Rate themselves at the same level as low performers.“

The right answer is “D. Rate themselves lower than others do and lower than low performers.” This question, along with another question in Dan’s quiz (“Who is the least accurate judge of a manager’s job performance?”) tells us that self-assessments are meaningless and 360 feedback is a must.  This makes sense and it’s not surprising, but I’m not sure what to do with this information as I look to advise employees, mentees, not to mention myself.  There is other solid evidence out there that we should be marketing and positioning ourselves for more opportunities as well as developing self-awareness of our goodnesses (in addition to our weaknesses).  So I wonder: should I be advising my people to give themselves credit or be overly humble (as a good high performer should …)?

Shiny and Useful – A Software Manifesto

I was reminded, while reading Kris Dunn’s HR Technology ® Shootout rundown, of the traps that we overachieving developers can fall into when creating software.  Namely:

• Bestowing technical wizardry … for technical wizardry sake
• Delivering the perfect solution … for one particular customer
• Fashioning a shiny new widget … for oohs and ahhs in a demo

Thing is, these aren’t easy to do.  They require talent.  It takes conceptual savvy to craft a technological innovation, analytical skills to persevere through a customer’s requirements, and a keen eye to cultivate a visual masterpiece.  We find ourselves congratulating and rewarding ourselves when we make them happen.

And yet, they are traps.  They are not useful to our customers.  Not in isolation.  Yes, we must engage our users with visual appeal.  Yes, we must exploit the power of technology to help our users make better decisions.  Yes, we absolutely must listen to what our customers want.  And, most importantly, we must make what we are building useful to the people we are building it for.

It ain’t easy.  In fact, I’d say it’s nearly impossible.  The Holy Grail of Software Development, so to speak.  Shiny, innovative and useful. That’s what it’s all about.

What does it take? First, it takes time and patience – a realization that many customers must be consulted and several iterations are required.  Second, it takes a diverse set of talents – technical, functional, user experience – working together and appreciating eachothers’ value.  And, third, it takes a whole lot of luck.

photo credit: filmforum.org

the “Gets It Done” competency

What competencies do you track in your library?   Adaptability?  Problem Solving?  Collaboration?  Innovation?

I agree that these are all excellent capabilities to keep mindful of, to develop and nourish, and to call out when you see them in people.  But, what a manager or business leader really wants to know is will this person “get it done”?  Will they make the project successful no matter what? Will they get the deal done with the expected margin?  Will they take care of everything so I don’t have to worry and can spend my time doing something else??

Getting it done is a quality that encompasses several competencies, such as adapting to change, solving problems, and collaborating effectively.  At the same time, it is mutually exclusive.  Just because someone is a good problem solver doesn’t mean they have the tenacity to get the solution executed.

Getting it done is a quality that spans career levels - though it morphs from “doing” to “making things happen.”  The traditional competencies “Results Orientation” and “Driving Results” touch on this quality, but still do not paint the whole picture.  These competencies suggest that the result is the only thing, when in reality, getting it done requires a balance of priorities – knowing when to work relationships, when to plan for catastrophes, and when to put nose to the grindstone.

Managers and Business Leaders actually track this quality today.  They just do so in their memory, not in a system.  Most jobs are found through social networks today because “Mike” remembers that so-and-so could get it done.  Or he trusts so-and-so to tell him who else can get it done.

How about you?  Do you know who gets it done?

Hat tip to Jerri Walker of Oracle Consulting who seeded this idea.  Thanks Jerri!

picture source: cbssports.com

Secrets of a Product Strategist

I spent several years working at customer sites on product implementations, then many more years developing products and managing teams that developed products, and more recently, a bunch of years crafting product strategy vision and managing a team of product strategists.  Over this time, and as a result of these varying perspectives, I have cultivated what I consider to be a rather successful product strategy methodology.   I must caveat that this methodology may not work for everyone as I do believe everyone is different (as my Gallup strength of individualization would suggest).  With that, here are my secrets:

1.  Find amazing customers to work with

2.  Listen to them.  Develop the skill of teasing out their stories.  Fully understand and document their hopes and dreams.

3.  Find as many opportunities for the product team to hear these stories as possible.  Make sure they are hearing the stories directly for maximum impact.

4.  Look for patterns, connect seemingly disparate ideas, filter and prioritize.

5.  Craft a vision, including obvious and not-so-obvious patterns.  Sometimes this is a grand vision that covers a whole release and sometimes it is a smaller “aha” that can make a big impact.

6.  Socialize the vision with excitement, drawing on the stories the product team has already heard.

7.  Don’t get frustrated when your idea doesn’t get built.  Be amazed when it does!

8.  Thank the product team until you cry.

photo credit: Natual History Museum’s Darwin – Big idea big exhibition.

Why there’s hope for Talent Profiles

PeopleSoft introduced the concept of comprehensive profile management in 2005.  Since then it has become a requirement of any integrated talent management platform.  The idea is to provide a full picture of people and jobs (not just competencies) so that organizations can make more effective talent-related decisions.  Everyone agrees it is the right end goal.

Trouble is, right now it is very much an end goal.  Last month, Leighanne Levensaler of Bersin wrote that organizations (even the early-adopting, ahead-of-the-curve kind) have been slow to adopt (and more importantly, profit from) comprehensive profiles.  Leighanne has done mountains of research and has found that there are several reasons for this.  Some are vendor limitations, but the #1 issue is that organizations just aren’t ready. However, I think there’s hope.  And here’s why:

First, we need to re-do the Profile to Competency equation.

The idea with profiles is to provide a fuller picture of people, to capture more information about jobs, etc.  Fuller?  More? To me, that sounds like Profiles > Competencies.  Well, no wonder implementing profiles sounds like an impossible dream!  Very few organizations can get a competency framework identified … and now they have to do more?  So, the first thing we need to do is change the equation to Profiles < Competencies.  Profile Management can include competencies, but it can also include far simpler things that can be extremely beneficial to organizational decision making.  For example, the profile may include past experiences, mobility preferences, and key interest areas.  Just understanding what people are really thinking and doing can get you pretty far in your talent strategy.  Getting that all lined up across organizations and job levels can come later.

So this brings us to our next hurdle.  How do we get people to tell us what they’re thinking and doing?

Second, we need to re-do the Profile to Pronoun equation.

The idea with profiles is to collect as much information as we can about people, so we can use portions of that information to start making decisions about them.  Hey, if I were a “people” I would absolutely want to give you information.  (so that you can start making decisions about me? … hmm maybe not).  That sounds like Profiles = capture information about them to make decisions about their future.  And you wonder why, even if you have notifications and approvals on your self service, the people are not contributing?  So, the second thing we need to do is change the equation to Profiles = share information about me so that I can make decisions about my future.  It’s all about me!  The profile should be considered a mechanism for self-development and advancement first and foremost.  Once you wrap it in sticky, helpful processes, your people will contribute.  Simple information at first.  Then more.

And, voila!  You’ve got yourself a profile management platform.  And, it’s helping you make more effective talent decisions sooner.  Now, you can start insisting it be secured according to your needs.

The Global HR Carnival is Here

Prem Rao over at People at Work & Play has put together a diverse field of enlightening posts. The theme is a global carnival!

Our own witty Brit Louise shares a childhood observation of excellence gone unpracticed.

Take a look at all the posts as there are many gems and new sites to add to your reader!

Nice Reports Finish Last

Back when I was an implementation consultant, we always left reporting to the end.  Often, we’d even Go Live on the transactional system and throw reporting into a Phase II project.   Theory was that we had to first get the data in before we needed to even think about getting it out.

That worked really well.  I still have nightmares of those oh-so-complicated SQR’s I had to write with 12 table joins and performance that would choke a horse.

Fortunately, there’s been an evolution in thinking over the last couple years.  Not only have reports taken on an earlier and more critical role in projects, they are becoming central to applications themselves.  We have been hearing about embedded analytics for some time.  These are reports that appear directly in the transaction, providing users with access to information right when they need it to complete the transaction.  This kind of structure highlights the importance of information when doing our jobs.  But it is still, in many ways, an afterthought.

What we really need are applications that are built as reports first and transactions second. Give people the information that they need to get their job done and then, and only then, give them a spot to make a change, add some thoughts, perform a task.

We should be talking about embedded transactions, not embedded analytics.

Reports, it’s time to lead the way!

photo source: outdoors.webshots.com

Make Yourself Irrelevant

I am currently reading Jason Seiden’s book How to Self-Destruct: Making the Least of What’s Left of Your Career. It’s a hoot! And, what’s more, it’s filled with lots of not-so-obvious morsels of what you might be doing wrong. Like Jason’s blog says, it’s smart, practical advice and I’m looking forward to more.

One of my favorite morsels is “Make Yourself Indispensable.”

Of course, the best way to avoid unwanted promotions in the first place is to convince everyone how important you are in your current position. Clearly articulate all the problems that will beset the organization should you be removed from your role for any reason.

Of course, this isn’t really Jason’s advice. (this book certainly keeps you on your toes). In fact, his real advice is to make yourself dispensable. By hiring, training, and depending on quality people, you are putting yourself in line to take on broader responsibility and eventually a higher role.

I recently practiced self-irrelevancy and it felt great. Though I haven’t been tapped to be CEO, I’m sure I’m on the short list, so I know it was effective. What did I do? I left town. Going on vacation is an excellent way to show everyone how dispensable you are. By releasing any control and letting others shine, I showed how much my team can do and how much more we can do (boy, is my team thanking me now ).

Don’t get me wrong. I haven’t always practiced self-irrelevancy. I used to think I was really important. I am thankful that I got a taste of how well it works and sure appreciate Jason putting it all into perspective.