Good morning, Team! Aloha from Kaua’i!

The Michel ‘ohana is making the trek to enjoy a few days of tropical bliss before we nestle into the Winter months.

I had the pleasure of hearing a very experienced negotiator/instructor on Monday. Jack Kaine spoke to my Vistage group and provided a 5 day Stanford course on negotiation in a 3 hour time slot. His story is compelling as his father was a literal horse trader and brought Jack with to witness deal making and would talk to him before and after the deals were done. Clearly, he paid attention.

He was throwing around salient points so fast that I got writer’s cramp. (see below)

He’s a little old school so we didn’t get power points or laminated handouts…he says his clients have done his advertising for him.

We went through an exercise to help us improve our understanding of how to ADD value rather than bargain or create win-lose scenarios. It really is rooted in asking more questions and seeking to understand before seeking to be understood.

I will try to recount the top things he said so you can digest, think about and work to implement these nuggets he has picked up and refined over his extensive years in business.

Out of the gate he started rattling off points important enough to start writing

•Bargaining is competitive and focuses on who’s right
•Negotiating focuses on what’s right

•Any agreement that favors one party won’t last
•Words don’t have meaning, people do
•Negotiation is all about control
•There’s always a better deal with all parties involved
•Never want anything so bad you have to have it
•First you educate, then you negotiate
•win-win = mutual gain, not equal gain
•Persistence is to negotiation as carbon is to steel

Five rules of negotiation
•The person who speaks first sets the tone
•The person who asks the most questions determines the content and direction
•Never argue! No one ever won an argument. Always question for understanding
•People do things for their reasons, not yours
•The person who listens the most will have the greatest effect on the outcome

More guidelines:
-Use promises, not threats
-Time is power, use it
-Do not negotiate with yourself
-Prepare
-Slow down
-Have the courage to set goals high
-Do not underestimate your power
-Ask good questions…”what” not “why” questions
-Business goes where it is invited, it only stays where it is appreciated
and my favorite…
-Prescription before diagnosis is malpractice

This training triggered another phrase for me, “work smarter, not harder”. My dad worked his ass off his entire life and imprinted a socially acceptable but painful characteristic in each of his kids. I feel bad for our spouses. I can say that he was a poor negotiator. He trusted people way too much and ended up with three times used up trucks (tired iron we used to call it), stock in silly shit like fertilizer made from carp grown in barrels by a guy named Ole and fire truck start up companies. Seriously. Get rich quick schemes don’t work and as hard as he worked, he should have been able to keep a little more.

If he would have recognized one of his weaknesses was an inability to negotiate a deal, whether it was buying equipment, a business or selling his product…we all may have prospered just a little more and saved our nose from being ground to the nubbins before we started growing facial hair.

My hope is that you, as leaders, take these points to heart and find the balance where you value who you are, what you do and achieve success in productivity instead of just being insanely busy from dawn to dusk.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning!  It’s Friday!  It’s Veterans Day and the elections are over!

This week I had a reunion with friends, former colleagues, competimates, mentees, mentors, and like-minded people at an industry function where we celebrated the first emerging leader group graduation through the American Council of Engineering Companies – North Dakota.

The venue for the celebration of this deliberate, three-year long investment in the future of solution provider leadership was the Heritage center on the capitol grounds.  What a setting!  What an event!  What a night!

It was clear that this class had bonded, stretched themselves outside of their comfort zone, made themselves vulnerable in front of their competitors and have grown tremendously during the process so they can LEAD the future.

Today we recognize, honor and thank those who served in the US armed forces…sacrificed time, talents, ability to grow their personal fortunes or hug their family daily…so we can all HAVE a future.

Elections are over!  Processes were followed and decisions have been made.  But wait…

•Protests ensued?  Really?!

•Death threats are being made?  Seriously?

Regardless of who you agreed with, supported and voted for to SHAPE our future, we live in a country where a popular vote and an electoral college coexist, where media makes mistakes daily and expects a back page retraction or a 10 second apology will make it all right.

So, what are the protesters protesting?  I’m unsure.

The independence we enjoy is based on brave men and women who raised and continue to raise their voice (and arms) when there is an injustice in the world.  If there is no injustice, then I think it’s just walking and whining.

Time to accept change.  Time to think toward the future and time to get past  sedentary lifestyles and make change instead of complaining to the world that you want things to be different without actually doing something about it.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Self awareness, situational awareness and environmental awareness are three distinct and important parts of leadership.

Self-
How serious is someone going to take you if you’re presenting to a client or board or your boss but you’re wearing a smear on your shirt from your sick child? No one said you shouldn’t nurture your namesake but that’s still no excuse to show up in a professional setting looking like a mess.

•Do leaders dress sharp … or like they’re getting ready to lay sod?
•Do leaders brush their teeth and tongue … or walk around with broccoli sticking between their teeth?

•Do leaders hold their head up, smile and greet people with genuine admiration … or scowl and slouch and cuss under their breath?

Mind the way you show up.

Situation-

I heard a comic recently talk about passing gas on an elevator. I don’t recall the whole joke but you might imagine someone spending a couple of minutes in tight quarters, seeing someone and then smelling something and assigning blame…whether appropriate or not. Since you don’t know when someone gets on or someone gets off, a secluded tight compartment is a highly inappropriate place to relieve pressure. Even if you end up walking funny when you exit, it’s best to keep your “thoughts” to yourself.

Surroundings-

One of my driving instructors first words of advice were, “View the total traffic picture”. That was nearly 40 years ago. I do it subconsciously today but I had to learn it when I started driving. I think the same rules apply for awareness in leadership.
-Know where you are at all times.
-Who is your audience?
-What dangers should you anticipate?
-How fast are you going compared to the posted speed limit?
-Are you carrying passengers and if so, are they safe and secure?

Finally, when someone is distracted, with their attention glued to their cell phone…at work, while walking, while driving…I believe it’s safe to say they are not aware of their surroundings. They don’t realize how silly they look when they veer sharply, brake suddenly, miss a question from a colleague, or walk in front of a light rail train. I witness examples of this every single day. People, pull your head out of your…phone. Stop endangering yourself and the people around you.

Be more respectful
Be more observant
Be more present

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Pardon the dark picture of the river Tyne in New Castle, U.K. The Global Power Leadership Team met to discuss the future of Power and we were treated to dinner in the view box on fifth floor of the BALTIC centre for contemporary art. The Gateshead Millennium bridge, looking a bit like the arch in St. Louis, MO, is a functional piece of art. http://www.gateshead.gov.uk/Leisure%20and%20Culture/attractions/bridge/Home.aspx

Also notice in the upper right hand corner, a lighted structure. It is a small portion of the football stadium for Newcastle United. This night they trounced their competition (6-0). Some 30,000 fans flooded the streets and the hotel we stayed at was directly across the street. Ugh.

Getting to New Castle is a bit harder than flying to London but we came to demonstrate that we are committed to a global presence in Power and New Castle has a significant group that works on Power projects.

What does this have to do with leadership, you might ask…
•Leaders go to great lengths to show support, including flying across the pond, to show our colleagues we haven’t forgotten why we are here.

•Leaders cover an enormous number of bases in a given day and don’t look for recognition but certainly do appreciate being thought of with noble intent.

•Leaders own their forward looking role. They learn by asking good questions and gather opinions then digest, articulate and work to forge a path that anticipates the future client’s needs, the future project work, the correct staffing needs so we position ourselves for success by any measure.

Similar to my respected colleagues in HR and IT, a leader’s performance is inversely proportional to their recognition. When things are going swimmingly, you don’t know they are there. In fact, it is easy to fall into the trap of believing that they aren’t doing anything. Be reassured that clearing hurdles, avoiding business-busting pot holes, pointing the ship in the right direction and influencing the right forward-momentum-forces to give a little more and pash a little harder, at JUST the right time is more than nothing.
It is everything.

We will continue to travel as part of our role. In this circle, we are global and that requires longer trips, bigger sacrifices of time with family and other direct reports. The glass of champagne, the delightful dinner and the stunning views do not replace the time with loved ones, they simply help to pass the time until we return to them.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

This week I have been in Colorado and I must say each time I visit I wonder why we don’t live here. The weather, the natural beauty and the people are all spectacular.

The venue for the conference I am attending is breathtaking as well. I have been blessed to visit the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs once before and it is more spectacular today than it was my first time.

As is typical for the conference, they have quality keynote speakers, this year we heard Erik Weihenmayer speak. He is the blind climber who successfully climbed all seven highest peaks on the globe and took up white water kayaking as an encore. He is articulate, engaging and quite funny. Before he started to speak, he could be seen getting used to the venue with his dog and some of his team members escorting him around. He is a regular guy, no pomp, no circumstance…just a(n overgrown) boy and his dog.

I had a chance to read his first book, The Adversity Advantage and for the long time blog reader, you know I was moved by this book years ago. But to have the highlights shared with the benefit of crystal clear pictures, video and a choked up speaker gave me goosebumps no less than five times during his nearly two hour presentation.

I won’t do it justice but I’d like to capture a few thoughts he shared. First the blog title, as you might imagine, he breaks people down into three categories; quitters, campers and climbers. He said, especially when faced with adversity, it is much easier to become one of the first two. He cited his own experience losing his eyesight before junior high and watching television in the waning days, face pressed up to the tube watching a news story where a young man named Terry Fox, who lost his leg to cancer decided to run across Canada with a prosthetic leg (a far cry from where these appliances have come today). Terry used his loss as potent rocket fuel to raise awareness. His face illustrated exhaustion and exhilaration at the same time. Terry was climbing his personal mountain of challenges and inspired Erik to “climb” as well.

There were so many valuable points Erik made while he was on stage but I’ll select one that he left us with…build a world class rope team. You can imagine that climbing blind requires dependence on people around you. Climbing at all requires that. When things go wrong, the whole Team can get pulled down and if you don’t dig in and support each other, the whole Team can die. Powerful metaphor easily visualized.

Select your Team carefully. Seek to build trust. You need a relentless trust in yourself and the people in your life.

I don’t believe there is a single person who hasn’t faced adversity in their lives. It isn’t a question of whether it will happen, the only question is how you react to it. Erik, big E as his climbing partner calls him, chooses to embrace the adversity. He says he doesn’t want to just survive, he wants to flourish.

How about you?

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

After watching the political circus unfolding to the entire world’s amazement (horror or humor) I wondered why this behavior is acceptable? Why do we allow candidates to talk about their opponents? Shouldn’t they stick to their accomplishments and capabilities and shouldn’t they also be restricted from casting shadows and stones on their rivals?
Shouldn’t the networks do the fact checking before printing or broadcasting?
This isn’t an issue of free speech. It seems to be an issue of expensive TV advertisements and greedy behavior.
With all the negativity, I wonder what good can come from it?

What do voters rely on for basis behind who they choose?
-Debates?
-Newspaper articles?
-Network or cable television coverage?
-Wikileaks?
-Spousal opinion?
-Family history?
-Least offensive behavior or commentary?

What minuscule percentage of the voting population focuses on substantive issues that will absolutely affect the future quality of life, for us and those we care about?

Are we going to allow ourselves to be diverted by hypocritical and misogynistic behavior … the days the obvious candidates are predictable, aka their better days?

Who says a good politician has to be a good person? In fact, maybe they are mutually exclusive. I’ve seen plenty of candidates exhibit good behavior in the past but we, the people, put forward this slate of choices. We created the problem and we will all live with the results of this election so … dig deep enough through the rhetoric, the smear campaigns and locate the facts to make an informed voting decision … or lay in the unresolved muck for four years of political and economic heartache.

Abraham Lincoln was one of the greatest examples of presidential character and leadership that came from our country. Below, he provides some insight on what not to do that ultimately implies what to do.

“You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away people’s initiative and independence.
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.”

Abraham Lincoln

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

As soon as it starts to get cold and wet, critters start looking for a warm, dry spot. Who could blame them? … Maybe me. Remember when you left the door open at home and your mom asked, “Were you born in a barn?” Mr. mouse could respond affirmatively. That is where it should be seeking shelter, not in the laundry room.

I currently spend more time at work and away than at home so it was with mixed emotions that I watched the fuzzy little tenant scamper across the floor when I turned on the lights to leave for work the other morning. My first thought was, “Oh Carole is NOT going to like this.” and “I’m glad I was here to take care of this.” Immediately followed by, “I better catch this thing before I have to go to work” and after shuffling through the furnace room that it ran into, the unsuccessful squash or capture routine became “I better get to work!”
Carole woke up after all the ruckus I was making so I had to come clean. “Honey, we have a non rent paying tenant setting up shop in the laundry room.” I can’t tell you the lengths I go to attempting to avoid the look of disgust that followed.

I called the exterminator later that day and paid someone to spray for bugs and bag the country turned city mouse. Carole said she heard it rustling in a bag when she signed the invoice. Apparently we’re practicing catch and release now? I wonder if they tag it so they know whether we catch the same visitor more than once.

The lesson for me in all of this is a reminder of just how hard it (still) is for me to let go of tasks I used to do to save a buck. My time used to be of less value and I would spend it on miscellaneous things … like catching mice. Now, there are more demands on my time and I paid a few Benjamins to evict Mickey.

Today, peace of mind had a price I can afford.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Ok. I’m officially in Manhattan often enough that people recognize me in the headquarters foyer, at Starbucks, at the hotel and local restaurant.

This latest trip was to discuss our division budget submission for next year. We were promised at the beginning of the meeting it would not be a colonoscopy. Whew! … Wait a minute, at least they put me under for my last procedure. What did he mean? Who cares?
Blood pressure? … normal.

We were asked by the end of the meeting with the pre-submitted numbers to do more, a lot more. I love a challenge. Bring it. At the end of the meeting, with clarity through directive, my boss’ boss sitting next to me said in his hush-toned voice, “We need to grow Power”. I simply responded, “Understood.”
Blood pressure? … still normal.

They had a tragedy in Hoboken Thursday with New Jersey Transit so I decided to take Uber to Newark to get out of town. I didn’t get excited about the phone blowing up with delays from the three different apps telling me to hurry up and wait, didn’t even leave the office until after the original flight was scheduled to leave. Stop-n-go traffic, multiple flight delays, a TSA pre check gate that never opens, incredibly tight quarters in planes. I am fluid, multi-modal.
Blood pressure ?… normal.

Who have I become?!

Numb to the world’s stimulants that normally overwhelm the senses?
Let’s do an inventory-
•The steak, the whiskey, and the mousse still tasted good.
•The honey roasted nuts, the “everything” bagel and the real NY pizza all smell just as good as the subway smells funky.
•The lights are still bright, the rain and breeze still cut through my suit and I can hear every other pedestrian cuss, complain, or some who even scream at the roses in front of the Italian restaurant across from Penn station…not a typo, just another New Yorker.

OK, I still have feelings.

I no longer look up to see how tall the buildings are, I don’t look down at the countless homeless and I don’t make eye contact with the people walking toward me.
The police, ambulance and firetruck sirens are continuous making it difficult to have a cell phone conversation on the street (and sometimes even in the office). I am insulated by my surroundings. I have become acclimated – and remember what old blue eyes sang – “If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere, New York, New York!”

I do feel proud of my growing Team’s resilience. I do look at Freedom tower and unconsciously push out my chest. I do tell myself we will never forget and we won’t be intimidated by … anything.

Have a blessed weekend!

 

 

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Greetings from Montreal! Obvious home of the Montreal Canadiens. I sat at the bar in my hotel for a late and light dinner when I arrived and received a crash course in what sport is important … along with every sport that is not. The bilingual bartender, fluent in French and English, immediately made me feel I should fire up my Rosetta Stone French course previously purchased and summarily ignored. No brownie points for the investment…just a guilt complex now compounded by an unsatisfied opportunity.

I came here with my leadership team to collaborate with our counterparts North of the border. We met in Detroit 6 months ago and this was reciprocation, familiarization and strategic planning, deliberate about what the future will look like.

Conversations were continuous from the time I arrived until we flew out. This demonstrated for me not just the need to get together but the criticality of communication. Sure, some things got hashed over more than once…I’ve heard that it requires seven times in seven different ways before a message is properly absorbed, understood and acted upon. No matter who you are,
•People want to be heard.
•People want to be listened to.
•People want to contribute and be part of something significant.

It also struck me while here conversing with counterparts and corporate leadership that
-Leaders recognize this, facilitate this and develop environments and opportunities to make it a reality.
-Leaders build teams through trust, transparency and clear expectations.
-Leaders don’t look for the spotlight to stand in it, they position themselves to elevate their team to shine in it. (I think this is an element of humility.)

By the time we finished our meetings, we had affirmation that we will continue to meet with intentionality, we will be deliberate about sharing ideas, challenging each other to drive for results, hold each other accountable and grow the business together…collaboratively.

Have a blessed weekend!

 

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Pictured above is an electrical adapter for European application. Symbolic for me:
•This week was the first time I have been to Europe
•As an electrical engineer, it is a small reminder of me engaging contacts and transforming my previous experience to one in a foreign environment (which worked flawlessly with my domestic equipment),
•An indicator that something; time, objects or additional experience is required to convert from one set of conditions to another.

It was a good week, involving more travel, this one internationally and was surprisingly unnerving beforehand. I got over it, slept through some of it, and …adjusted. I joined the leadership as the top 1/2 percent of the company met in Sweden to learn, network, identify hurdles and discuss solutions for the future of the organization as well as how we will approach providing solutions for the globe.

The urbanization of the global population (expected to be 2/3 living in Cities by 2050) makes one think about what future cities will look like and how we will shape those to be livable, sustainable, functional, renewable, beautiful…based on our size, scope and geographical reach, we are well positioned to be actively involved to shape the future.
As solution providers, one of our primary remits is to consider public safety but successful companies don’t just satisfy a set of preordained criteria, we raise the bar, set the trends and show people what is possible.

We stretch our imaginations as designers and solution providers so we can incorporate the newest technologies (like micro grids, high speed rail, and LEED platinum buildings), overcome the negative impacts of previous generations (like brown field remediation), develop efficient ways to preserve our precious resources (like efficient water treatment plants, wind and solar farms and hydroelectric dam refurbishment / recertification), and find new ways to thrive rather than accepting mere survival.

Have a blessed weekend!