Vannoy & Ross

No More Fireworks

**ELEPHANT UPDATE**

The blog is moving!  The blog is moving!  As of Monday, July 7th, this blog will live at www.stomptheelephant.com/blog (you can go there now and check out the new look, but please know that it's not "live" until the 7th).  Many loyal readers and subscribers have written wanting even more value and more practical information they can use to immediately create greater results in their lives.

Moving the blog to the Stomp the Elephant website puts it in close proximity to many resources developed to help YOU bring leadership tools and concepts alive in your life - Elephant-Stomping group agendas, excerpts from Stomp the Elephant in the Office, audio clips from radio interviews with Steve and I, tips for the home, a "How Big Is the Elephant in Your Office" quiz, and much more. Enjoy!

Subscribers, no need to lift a finger, you will still receive each posting via email on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Loyal readers, please be sure to bookmark the new site as a favorite so you can still find it when you want it. And if you're considering subscribing to the blog, it's just as easy as ever.  From www.stomptheelephant.com/blog, simply enter your email in the yellow box toward the top of the page and click on the button that reads "Subscribe Me!"

The site here at typepad.com will stay live for a little while after the move, but not forever, so please plan accordingly. Feel free to email Leah at leahv@stomptheelephant.com with any questions you might have.

Thank you! Enjoy the posting below!

No More Fireworks

ELEPHANT ALERT!

July 4th – Independence Day – is approaching in the United States. Besides being a holiday, we can also use this as a benchmark date for more effective leadership.

Psychologist Abraham Maslow said that people whose needs are met become independent of distractions around them. If you’ve visited the average workplace you’ve noticed there are some people who don’t have this independence. And when they don’t, watch out: fireworks!

Here’s the elephant in the office: Some organizations have cultures where distractions – fireworks – are the norm. Explosions of anger light up meetings; rockets of crisis blast off through emails; fire crackers detonate as people snipe and complain.

Fireworks don’t belong in the office.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

You may not be able to stop the explosions around you, but you can limit the “shows” you’re in.

Independence begins by not being attached to, or needing, people and outcomes to be different than they are in the moment. When we insist that events unfold the way we’ve envisioned them, we set ourselves up for debilitating disappointment.

When we are attached to our:

• idea being chosen,
• boss acting a certain way,
• colleagues being smarter than they are,
• children behaving “accordingly,”
• loved ones looking “right,” or
• results being perfect,

we are no longer independent. And when we are no longer independent, that means the circumstances in our life become more powerful than we are. This is when we launch fireworks.

The consequence, then, is that we can’t lead…which ironically means we’ve lost our ability to create the one thing we want: better results moving forward.

How will you celebrate your independence – so the real fireworks are left for the sky?

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

What Flavor This Month?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

Everyone knows the value of teamwork. All of us want communication enhanced. And you’ve got screws loose if you don’t think "trust" is necessary for the success of an organization.

So why do these behaviors – these needs – remain unachievable for many organizations?

Here’s the elephant in the office: Too many organizations take the "fix-it" approach. They wait until there are “behavior issues” or until teamwork doesn’t exist before they do anything to develop desired qualities.

This is like trying to get the kid in the back seat of your car to hush-up by taking him to the ice cream stand and asking, “Which flavor this time?”

How many flavors can you stand before saying, “No thanks”?

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

Lynne works for a global organization that leads their industry – and she’s been doing it for 30+ years. Do you think she’s tasted a few flavors over the years? It would be easy to excuse her from any future initiatives. But that means you don’t know Lynne.

Lynne, along with so many of her colleagues, is taking a rare approach: instead of “fixing” their culture and colleagues, they’re building and developing. They’re not waiting for things to go wrong before launching this strategy – they’re doing it now. And by using tools and a common language, they’re imbedding it into everyday actions.

A focus on culture is never a flavor of the month, because culture is something each of us has to live with every day of every month of every year.

And if you’re lucky, your team has people on it like Lynne, who says “I’ve seen a lot. Things can be awfully tough. And I know it’s my responsibility to contribute, to help move us forward.”

What difference will you make today?

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

Play the Ball – Or the Man?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

In Australian Rules Football there’s an expression: you can play the ball or play the man. This means that when you’re trying to stop your opponent from scoring you can either focus on the ball – or the man carrying the ball.

Your choice reveals a lot about your approach to winning.

Mark, who hails from down under, shares “Some defenders play the man. This means they’re more interested in taking the man out than they are in getting the ball. Which is crazy, because you can’t score without the ball. You should always play the ball.”

Here’s the elephant in the office: Countless “professionals” take the same approach in meetings. When discussing tough issues or contemplating ideas, they attack the person rather than addressing the issue. This leaves a bloody mess and a team designated to the injured reserve.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

Do you have any preconceived notions regarding the people in the meetings you attend? If so, to what extent do those "beliefs" influence your response to their ideas and opinions?

One wants to believe they’re “open-minded” to what others say…but this is frighteningly difficult for some people to do. In business, “playing the ball” means constantly looking for the best ways to move ideas and issues forward – regardless of who’s communicating the idea. Ultimately, this is the only way your team can score.

This week take two steps each time you’re in a meeting where issues and ideas are being discussed.

1. Pause and consider: am I addressing the issue – or reacting to this person?
2. Ask: How can I respond so that we create solutions AND I build stronger relationships?

It’s a new game. How will you play it?

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

Let Your Fingers Do the Leading

ELEPHANT ALERT!

While waiting for a flight, I found a few hours to get caught up on emails. Diving in, I grimaced as I read the “received date” on each email. Back…back…back I went in time.

And then I looked at the content of the delinquent emails. Each email fell into two categories:

1. Someone was waiting for information from me (on a project I didn’t deem as a priority); and
2. Situations where I was determined to share an “oh-my-gosh-I-never-thought-of-that” idea.

This is when it smacked me in the face: I’ve got micro-management tendencies – by thinking I need to respond to every email.

Here’s the elephant in the office: There are people who think their ideas are somehow more important than others. They, therefore, hold onto information and ideas until “the time is right.” This slows everyone – including the perpetrator – down.

The only time is now; and if you miss now, everyone is left wondering, ‘When?’

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

This lesson was underscored a couple years ago when my laptop was stolen. I was devastated. There must have been over 200 emails in my inbox sitting – waiting – for a response. I grimaced considering the countless people who were certain to share their frustration with me as they waited for my thoughts.

No one said a word. Nothing. It’s as if the world couldn’t have cared less that my computer had vanished.

Is it possible we’re not as important as we think we are? Emails are a fact of life; they are how business gets done. Are you leading via your emails? Or are you micro-managing?

How will you demonstrate leadership with your email responses? How will your fingers lead today?

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

Do You Have a Restrictor Plate On?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

NASCAR (auto racing) requires the use of a restrictor plate. This regulates the flow of fuel and oxygen to the engine – which ensures the engine only performs to a certain degree.

Do you know anyone who is underperforming? Research shows this is the case in the majority of workplaces. The reason why might surprise you.

Here’s the elephant in the office: Companies want to hire the “talented, self-starter, who makes good decisions and is reliable.” Then, once they land their coveted employee, they train them to underperform! They do this by telling employees “here’s how we do it here so you have to change.” Additionally, they focus on what the employees do poorly.

Too many companies hire great people and then make them average. These organizations put restrictor plates on their employees. Then the bosses scratch their heads, baffled that they can’t get their team around the track faster.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

The average boss thinks the “problem” lies in the poorly performing employees. The elephant-stomping leader knows the single greatest contributor to a person’s performance is the culture within which he or she operates.

Most people know what creates a strong culture – but few people build it. Take this five-point engine check to see if you are giving maximum fuel and oxygen to your engines…so your team can fly.

1. Are you consistently developing stronger relationships with others?
2. Do members of your team feel connected to a sense of purpose while they work?
3. Is there full, free, two-way information flow on your team?
4. Is everyone receiving constructive feedback from you?
5. Are others’ ideas regularly harvested and used?

Go fast. Today, where will you remove restrictor plates?

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

Go Ahead – Quit

ELEPHANT ALERT!

Are you a quitter? Are there things that you want to do professionally and personally that, over time, are beginning to seem out of reach? Are you tempted to quit?

Would it surprise you to know that the strategies most people and organizations employ to achieve their objectives actually keep them from tasting success?

Here’s the elephant in the office: Too many people think that in order to get ahead, they’re supposed to look behind. In pursuit of prized objectives, some organizations make it a practice to focus on what’s not working, who’s to blame, all their problems and what they don’t like about each other.

It’s no wonder people quit; the relentless analysis of why we’re not good enough dismantles the fortitude of the strongest amongst us.

Maybe quitting – something – is the best option.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

Perhaps it’s surprising: quitting is part of the formula for success. And what we quit is the key.

Here are the top three things you can quit doing to guarantee progress towards your goal:

1. Quit looking for the evidence that you’re not making progress;
2. Quit depending on or allowing external circumstances to determine your emotional state;
3. Here’s the big one. This key has an ironic twist. It’s a step that most people don’t take, but you can: Quit focusing on what you should quit doing and begin focusing on what you should do.

We should never quit pursuing what it is we want to achieve. What we should quit are the practices, behaviors and beliefs that stop us from accomplishing our objectives.

In the name of achieving your dreams today, what will you quit?

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

Where Are You Going This Summer?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

Your summer vacation is almost here. The plans are set. You’re determined to make it special. Yet, there’s work to do, projects to complete, money to be made. How could you possibly enjoy your vacation?

Where are you going this summer – crazy?

Here’s the elephant in the office: Many organizations want healthy, balanced individuals… then they create systems where employees feel as if they’re fighting for their life. “Enjoy your vacation,” is what’s said, while “you’ll be buried upon your return” is what’s heard.

How do you enjoy a vacation under such circumstances?

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

Too often people use half of a vacation fighting to relax. This leaves two or three days to enjoy…before the final day is spent “getting back to reality.”

What if you could begin enjoying your vacation the moment you drove away from the office? Most people attempt to ‘will’ themselves to relaxation. This fighting approach, described above, costs precious time.

Because questions guide focus, what we ask ourselves is extremely powerful. As you leave for your vacation use this ‘Vacation-Bound Framework’ so you can transition into an experience of a lifetime.

1. What’s going well at work right now?
2. How have I added value to the organization in the past six months?
3. What systems and people are in place that ensures consistency during my absence?
4. What is my vision for how I/my family will use this vacation time?
5. What are 2-3 things I will commit to doing to ensure this vision becomes a reality?
6. What are the gifts in this moment, right now, for which I am grateful?

Enjoy your vacation – knowing that the destination isn’t crazy.

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

Who Are You?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

Who you believe you are – your identity – determines your life experience. Remember when you were in school and you couldn’t understand why the dork-guy was so popular with the girls? Because, of course, he thought he was popular…so he acted popular.

The same thing happens with teams. They function out of the identity they have for themselves. Yet, what do most teams do to determine their identity?

Here’s the elephant in the office: Most teams focus on what’s not working and all their problems – which of course creates this identity: We are a team where things don’t work well and where there are a lot of problems. (Ouch.)

It gets worse: Such teams often rely on outside consultants or motivational speakers to create their identity – instead of using tools to create and nurture their own.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

The CFO for the largest bottle maker in the world recently shared, “You can’t outsource your team identity. If you do, you guarantee you’re doing the same thing ten other companies are doing.”

He continues: “An outside speaker or company can’t have your passion. If they do, you’ve got an entirely different issue on your hands.”

The wise parent helps a child create a healthy identity by focusing on and reinforcing what the child does well. This identity serves the child for a lifetime. (“I’m smart,” instead of “I’m stupid.” “I’m creative,” versus “I’m not.” And “I do well in tough situations” rather than “I don’t.”)

The same approach works with teams. Answer this today: How would you like the identity of your team to evolve? Then, make a commitment to focusing on when this quality is exhibited – and watch it become a greater reality.

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

In Vino Veritas

ELEPHANT ALERT!

During a session in France a participant asked his colleagues, “Did anyone notice the type of conversation we had last night? We had a few beers and after that…we discussed what we like about our company.” He smiled. “This is unusual. After a few beers people speak the truth – and that’s when the criticism of the company begins.”

Here’s the elephant in the office: Most companies approach their culture as if it’s an adhesive; they only talk about teamwork when they don’t have it. Wishing or demanding that people work together is not effective. In such cases, pizza and holiday parties turn into additional opportunities for people to b*#&% and moan.

What do your teammates say about the company after they’ve had a beer?

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

‘In vino veritas’ is Latin for “after wine comes the truth.” The truth is a powerful; what people think determines their attitudes. And attitudes create behaviors. And behaviors generate results.

What’s the truth about your organization? And do those around you need vino to share the truth?

Italy is always producing wine; efforts to build your culture, therefore, can never cease. People will always tell the truth; and we must always use that truth to make us stronger.

Here’s an amazing, nearly fail-proof strategy to creating an environment where people tell the truth: begin by telling the truth yourself. Have a conversation about perceptions and opinions. Talk about the ‘tough stuff’ as though you’re an observer. And then take an important next step by asking, “How will we make this better?”

Once these conversations become commonplace you can raise a glass and make a toast. And then breathe easy knowing the conversation won’t change after people have had a drink or two.

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

The “Make-a-Difference” Arena

ELEPHANT ALERT!

I’m sorry. That’s what I’d tell the elderly woman who glanced at her boarding pass, then grimaced at the shuttle – which I was on. She moved hesitantly toward the door. She wasn’t going to make it. The door began to close. It nearly shut on her. With what looked like tears, she backed up.

If I had put my arm out, the door would have re-opened for her. But I hadn’t. Instead, I stood there. And did nothing.

I put my head down; I was in a hurry to deliver a training on how to make a difference in the workplace.

Here’s the elephant in the office: There are people who think a stage is necessary to make a difference. Yet, the idea that making a difference requires an event, such as church or a day of volunteering, robs humanity – us – of revealing our greatest heritage.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

I can assure you your disappointment in me does not eclipse my own. Four years later I remember that woman’s face – and the promise I made when those doors shut: forever more the airport would be my personal “make a difference” arena.

Airports used to be my “get-through-it-as-painlessly-as-you-can” place. But it’s different now. I relax (yet I’m never late). And I seek opportunities to serve – which are never in short supply. Women carrying their infant children, a car seat and two bags; angry customers who are transformed by a “is there anything I can do?”…they are everywhere.

Ironically, I remain selfish: In the end, the greatest gift is mine. By seeking to make a difference my travel experience is dramatically enhanced. And so is my work.

And I wonder: does it take an airport?

Where will you fly today?

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?