Trick, Treat, Or Complete and Utter Annihilation

I'm always amused by the things that come across my inbox and/or browser on Halloween.  For example Techrepublic is running a special article on their blog about how to build lethal weapons with basic office supplies.  I suppose that would kill boredom, as well as a few annoying co-workers.  I'd be curious how it would be "sold" during performance review objectives time.

Personally, I love the "prank" aspect of this holiday.  I led my students on a discussion of office practical jokes one time (yes, it had academic relevance; we were discussing the elements of corporate culture).  The all-time best practical joke a student shared made me laugh so hard I was almost crying.  He said that a co-worker "tinkered with" the auto-correct feature in Microsoft Word on the computer of a technologically illiterate colleague.  Every time this colleague would type the word "the" Microsoft would automatically change the text to "BITE ME!"  Try sharing this problem with tech support.

Really, your only goal for office trickery is to keep it off your performance appraisal and under the radar of HR.  Otherwise, loosen up and have a little fun today.

Executives Don't Shoot Messengers

OK, I'll try to make this my parting shot on the presidential campaign.  For all of you caught up in the emotional sweep of Obama-ism, you're not going to like this.  An ABC reporter catches Joe Biden off-guard, makes him look like a fool (not too hard to do to Mr. "Gird your Loins"), and the Obama camp "punishes" ABC?  OK, let's step back here a second.  I'd say the same thing if the McCain camp pulled a stunt like this.  The candidate gives a bad answer, and it's the media's fault?  The same media darlings who have been treating Obama like the messiah he thinks he is and have been biasing the campaign against McCain is now being punished because Foot-In-Mouth Biden makes a gaffe?  Can you imagine an Obama Whitehouse Press Conference?  There won't only be gag rules, there will be bound-and-gagged-and-tied-up-and-body-dumped-where-nobody-will-find-them rules.

But because I try to keep this in the arena of organizational behavior, let's bring this back to cubicle-land for a minute.  How many of our executives and managers do the same thing?  Somebody gives a bad answer, and they are pigeon-holed as incompetent.  An employee asks a question at a public forum, and all of a sudden they are shunned as a trouble maker.  We cringe at these behaviors, the same ones that got AIG and Enron and other giants in trouble, the same behaviors that Obama is criticizing as corporate greed and malfeasance.  And yet we'd be willing to tolerate a shoot-the-messenger mentality from the most powerful man in the world?  Obama has touted himself as the anti-Bush, which is moderately wise branding given how unpopular "W" is right now.  But then he turns around and exhibits the same brand of bullying which got the Bush Administration to where they are now.

Maybe I'm missing something.  Maybe Obama isn't really a naked emperor.  Maybe it's all a big misunderstanding.  After all, the only true Messiah was misunderstood as well.

But then again... maybe Joe Biden is right.  Gird your loins, folks.

Walden For The 21st Century

My wife has turned me into a Henry David Thoreau fan.  It's probably my own fault for encouraging her to go to Walden Pond for a week of Transcendentalist Geeking Out, but what I've read of Thoreau so far, he's every bit as relevant now as he was 150 years ago, maybe more so.

In looking at his life and times, he was all about balance, about living with purpose, about talking through the big issues and taking action to make the solutions a reality.  His peers were an amazing think tank of personalities.  My wife was thrilled that I asked for a copy of Walden for my birthday, and I've been savoring about every page.

But that line of thinking didn't end 150 years ago.  There's a new brand of transcendentalist; they're called bloggers.  And I am so grateful that the think tank of living a purposeful life is seeing a rebirth.  Part of this "Thoreauvian Renaissance" is released today in the form of The Age of Conversation 2!  I can't wait to get my copy to see what my fellow authors have contributed.  The theme of the book is dissecting why people don't get it (and "it" takes a lot of different forms) and how we can get them to the point of getting it.  My own essay covers the transition of getting people from conversation to action... a bridge we must all cross to make a difference in our world.

Here's a bigger motivation to purchase a copy:  ALL of the proceeds go to Children's Charities.  Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton want to raise $15,000.  I'd like to challenge my readers to leave that estimate in the dust (personally, I'd love to see a six figure donation before it's all said and done).  Talk about changing the world.

And finally a nod to all of my co-contributors.  I can't wait to see your contribution to our "Virtual Walden":

A   Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi

B   Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich

C   C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Chris Brown, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson

D   Daniel Honigman, Dan Schawbel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Dave Davison, David Armano, David Berkowitz, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner

E   Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller

F   Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson

G   Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming

H   Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber

J   J. Erik Potter, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne & Todd Cabral, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, John Herrington, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Foster

K   Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kristin Gorski

L   Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux

M   Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel

N   Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice

O   Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz

P   Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman

R   Rachel Steiner, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen

S   Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Sreeraj Menon, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood

T   Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tim Brunelle, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman

U   Uwe Hook

V   Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau

W   Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff

Y   Yves Van Landeghem

Return to Sender

About five years ago, I had a spectacular group of students in my graduate organizational management class.  It was a relatively large class for an MBA course (45 students), but this particular group meshed very well, and it never really seemed like teaching.  I would go in, throw out a few "thought grenades" and these students carried the discussion.  Three hours every week for 15 weeks.  It was amazing and energizing.  I've only had one other section of students who collectively fell in that UBER-WOW category since.  It's a rare phenomenon when a class fires on ALL cylinders ALL the time, and a professor knows when it happens.

Anyway, back to five years ago, I had just given the mid-term exam, which was primarily essay.  The grades were really good, and I provided each student with the appropriate feedback.  After class, I had one student linger after longer than she usually did.  When most of the students had cleared out, she came up to me holding her exam, and she had tears in her eyes.  I thought this was strange, because out of a class of 45, I remembered her exam specifically.  Her writing was BEAUTIFUL, and I've had few students who have rivaled her expressiveness and descriptions.  As a matter of fact, I commented that she should consider writing professionally on her exam.

Being the concerned professor, I asked her if anything was wrong or if she had a question.  She choked back the tears as she explained what my comments had meant to her.  She told me that her own husband always criticized her writing and was constantly telling her how bad it was.  The problem was that she believed him.  She heard his negative input too many times, and she had started to accept it as reality.  And one honest comment from a well-meaning professor had completely changed her mindset.  I lost track of that student over the years (darn it).  I'd love to find out what happened to her and her career.  For me, it was just genuine exam feedback.  For her, it was the world.  I look back over my teaching career and there are more blurs now than I care to admit.  But there are moments that shine brighter than any star.  This was one of them.

What about the people around you?  What messages have they been receiving from bad bosses, mean-spirited co-workers, and harsh customers?  And what message are they waiting to hear from you which could erase all of the negative messages?  Sometimes our greatest accomplishment of the moment can be the simple "atta boy" or "good job" we give to others.

Poll Dancing

It seems that "real" politics these days give us a great reflection of their office counterpart.

I've been fascinated by story after story in the papers and on the web that - less than two weeks before the election - the polls may not really reflect a true Obama lead.  One AP Poll had them as close as one point as of Wednesday.  Some polls still predict an Obama landslide, while others are severely pulling back their predictions, a few saying the election is too close to call.

What happened to the commanding lead Obama held a couple of weeks ago?  Is the "liberal elite media" learning their lesson from the 2004 Election Day?  Are the polls really reflecting what's going on?  In this mixed up election year drama, I'd say anything is possible.  It just seems odd that the story is changing so quickly when it appeared a slam dunk.  Were the earlier leads just spin?  Is McCain really going to pull off an upset?  Is the "race card" a factor?  Are the recent gap closures meant to scare people into voting for Obama?  Did Joe Biden scare people with his doomsday scenario that will "test Obama"?  Are Sarah Palin and Tina Fey really separated at birth?  So many questions!

In office politics, we have to watch out for changing stories all the time as well.  Somebody will commit something one day and pretend they never met you the next.  People will say they'll have it done by Friday, only to look surprised when they exclaim, "Oh, you meant THIS Friday?!"  Executives will want something "as soon as possible" only to be shocked when it is shoved to the bottom of the priority pile because it wasn't yet as soon as possible in the underling's schedule.

How can you prevent a blindside when stories change a the last minute?  Here are a few techniques I've used:

• Be clear - don't ask for it by Wednesday.  "I need it by noon CDT on Wednesday, October 29, 2008."  This will leave a lot less ambiguity.  This heightens the visibility and accountability of the task.
• Create checkpoints - rather than waiting until the end just to find out it didn't get done, ask for updates (along with documentation and tangible evidence) a week in advance, 48 hours in advance, 24 hours in advance, and the morning of the due date.  Annoying?  Only if the person is shunning accountability.
• Identify "done" - let them know up front what the criteria to complete the task looks like.  This will prevent the "oh, it's technically done... we just have a little tweaking to do."  A check mark is earned, not given.
• Provide rewards and consequences - if it's a major milestone, I start with positive rewards which should motivate the team.  If I perceive there may be political slackers, I try to make sure there are clear consequences.
• Mitigate - have a Plan B.  "If we miss this milestone, we will have to..."  This prevents a mere communication blindside from becoming a major disaster.

So how do you handle the potential "poll dancing" of public opinion on your projects?

I'd Like To Thank The Academy...

My friend, Adam, likes to be right.  And for good reason.  He's a very sharp executive who knows the IT arena inside and out.  Plus he has a gregarious personality that would put almost anybody at ease.  And he's a very critical analytical thinker who can easily sum up both sides of an argument before making his decision.

Why am I telling you all this?

Well, Adam has nominated this blog in two categories for the Bloggers Choice Awards '09.  And since he likes to be right (and he generally is, from the short time I've known him), I think we should all just cut to the chase and take his side of the argument and cast your votes for my blog.  When you get to the site, just enter "carpefactum.typepad.com" in the search field, log in, and cast your votes.

Then Adam can be right.  And we'll all sleep better.

And for my friends in Chicago, vote early and often.  I accept votes from deceased bloggers as well.

A Cheesy Excuse

"When you're up to your ass in alligators, sometimes it's hard to remember you're supposed to be draining the swamp" - Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit

Last night, my church held the first annual "Ultimate Grilled Cheese Throw Down" where we had a competition to determine the best grilled cheese sandwich.  My "Hellfire Damnation" tied for second place (I'm claiming religious persecution because of the name).  After the competition, the griddles were opened up to all to create whatever combination they desired.  Who knew that brie, chocolate chips, and basil could taste good together?  Don't ask, OK?

The highlight of my evening came when I was sitting next to our pastor's wife.  She was eating her grilled cheese sandwich, laden with a mixture of condiments and meats.  She paused and commented to me that something wasn't right; something was missing.  That's right, folks:  in her desire to accessorize, she forgot to put cheese on her grilled cheese sandwich.  (And she also made the mistake of noting her error sitting next to a blogger who finds application in EVERYTHING.)

How often do we do that with our accomplishments?  We get so caught up in all of the minutiae, that we forget the main purpose of what we need to do.  Often, I will start my projects with one simple question (which could have multiple answers):  "This project will be successful when _____________."  Then I will pull this statement out when people want to throw tons of condiments on my project plan.  It keeps us focused and on track.

Think about your accomplishments.  Your projects.  Your relationships.  Your operations.  Your life.  Are you forgetting the cheese?  I hope not!

Tim's Hellfire Damnation Sandwich Recipe:

• Bread:  Jalapeno Cheese Bread from Uncle Wendell's Bakery
• Cheese:  Shullsburg Extra Spicy Hot Pepper Jack
• Mango Peach Salsa

Preheat griddle or pan to 375 degrees.  Cut bread approximately 1/4" thick.  Slice pepper jack approximately 3/16" thick.  Thinly layer the salsa on one slice of bread.  Butter outsides of bread (works best if butter is room temperature).  Grill until golden brown and cheese is all gooey-melty (technical grilled cheese terminology).

Wordless Wednesday: Love this time of year

Recession-Proofing Your Accomplishments

Massive layoffs and growing unemployment.

Store closings and bankruptcies.

Moody stock markets.

Election uncertainty.

It's a little challenging to talk in terms of seizing accomplishments when my readers are wondering if they'll even have a paycheck or a retirement fund by the time all the dust settles.  If we're looking to our leaders (be they business or political) to save us, we're looking in the wrong places.

What can you personally do to protect yourself from the current economic situation?

• Budget BEFORE you need to - look at how you can trim fat from your spending.  Subscriptions, Starbucks runs, etc. are all things that can take a temporary hiatus.
• Network BEYOND your expertise - Des Moines is a huge financial services center, and there are a lot of very nervous people here.  I'm fortunate to have networked in the pharmacy and manufacturing and publishing arenas.
• Let your boss know what you're working on WHILE you're working on it - when decisions are being made about downsizing, the last thing you want is somebody asking what you're working on or how you're adding value.
• Do your best work ever and fix your prior mistakes... NOW - don't let people question your quality.
• Be creative to think (and act) OUTSIDE the box - challenge yourself to look beyond what is in front of you.  Look for possibilities and leave no stone unturned.
• Focus on what YOU can do - with so many looking for work, don't look to others to solve your economic woes.  Hone in on the things that are still within your control.  Maybe it's making 10 phone calls and sending 20 emails, or perhaps it's just exercising more while you have down time.
• Spend time PLANNING - with so much downtime occurring for so many reasons, take advantage of it and plan out home improvements, upcoming projects, resources and budgets... whatever you claim you don't have time to plan when things are moving forward.
• Get by with a little help from your FRIENDS - create a close network of those who can help you with resources, job leads, babysitting assistance, etc.  We're currently loaning a vehicle to friends of ours who lost the use of a company car due to downsizing.  It's all part of building a sense of community.

We'll all make it through to the other side a little bit stronger.  Just don't lose hope in yourself or faith in your accomplishments. Carpe Factum!

Don't Just Read... Dialogue

It's been another powerful weekend of teaching at Drake University.  One of my goals as an intructor and facilitator is to assign meaningful reading to my students.  (Textbook salespeople hate me.)  Besides, most of my students are busy professionals who don't have time to trudge through deep academic journal articles which takes three readings to absorb 10,000 words which could have been effectively communicated in 1,000.  They want real, honest, take-back-to-their-desk application.

For a class in executive leadership, we covered a lot of ground.  But the highlight of the weekend were two "virtual guest speakers" who conferenced into my class via telephone (not an easy task to address an audience blind).  But I have to say, Joshua Seldman and Kevin Eikenberry were both amazing!  They shared their knowledge and experience and beliefs from the heart, and each allowed my students to bombard him with really tough questions for 90 minutes solid.  It was an amazing dialogue.  I highly recommend their respective books, Remarkable Leadership and Executive Stamina.  My students described their books as relevant, life-changing, and impactful.  They had even kinder words for both Joshua and Kevin.  I feel very fortunate that this "whole blogging thing" has led to relationships that stretch me.

What about you?  When you read a book, do you just set it down when you're done?  Or do you ever try to reach out to the author?  It's one thing to process a page, but it's quite another to have a give-and-take conversation with the author, to ask, "What did you mean by what you wrote on page 47?"  I've been honored and humbled when my readers have reached out to me.  And I love the ability to reach out to the authors who have changed my life.  I'm even more rewarded by introducing these same authors to my students.  It can only get better.

Thanks, Kevin and Joshua!  You guys rock!!!

Decision 2008: Casting Your Vote... FOR SOMETHING

I'm amazed and saddened by the number of people who are planning on staying home from the polls this year on Election Day.  While I can understand their rationale (neither candidate is all that great), we do have an obligation, a duty, and a responsibility to cast our vote.  It's a right which I cherish, even when neither choice is all that cherishable.

Today I'm going to the local library to cast my absentee ballot, since I will be on an airplane the better part of Election Day.  I would encourage everybody to get out and vote, and here's a little incentive.  If you don't like either candidate, don't think of the election as voting FOR either of them; vote AGAINST the one you least like.  Sometimes decisions are about selecting the lesser of evils (rather than just voting "present").  There has been considerable rhetoric from both parties that voting for their candidate is more patriotic.  Really, the only patriotic thing is the act of voting itself.

On another note, it's been interesting to see how many people are looking to the President to bail us out of the economic mess.  It's not the President's job (namely because the President really has very little control over the economy).  I look to the President to facilitate helping "Joe Six Pack" (Palin really needs to get a new phrase) to figure out a way out of his own economic mess without burdening him more.  Looking to the government (or your employer or your mommy) to solve YOUR problems is a dangerous mindset to take.  We founded and developed this country on the principles of personal accountability, and it concerns me to see how many people (from both parties) want their leader to solve it for them.  I'm voting for a leader who will let me solve it for me and those in my circle of influence; not solve it for me.

Finally, Kevin Eikenberry is running a remarkable survey about the presidential candidates.  I encourage you to take it.  Kevin is a remarkable guy, and I'm sure the survey will be very telling!

Remember:  You can't really "seize the accomplishment" if you don't make a decision to do so first.

Looking Back On An Active Week

Amazing... the transition from September to October brought with it many different events and activities.  Besides my birthday the other day, I spoke at a great conference in New Orleans this week, meeting many wonderful people, renewing some friendships, and making one really great new friend (Lisa DiTullio, whom I wrote about in my Iowabiz post).

In addition, I was interviewed for an article in the Leadership Guide Magazine.  Thanks to Linda Hatcher and her crew for an outstanding experience there.

Now it's back to preparing for some upcoming workshops and doing some editing on my next book.  But I'm definitely taking away some fond memories from this past week.

Have a great week, everybody!  Carpe Factum!

Why Don't We Cut Me In Half And Count My Rings?

As most of my blogospheric audience knows by now, October 1st is a very special date in our home.  We have, not one, but two birthdays today.  My daughter, Abby, turned four today.  My birthday had a four embedded in it somewhere.

I'd like to think of myself as a "young 42" but in looking at my students, I do feel old sometimes.  Like this past summer during the Office Politics class, one young woman was presenting on how email communication can trigger office politics situations.  She paused in the middle of her presentation (mid-sentence, actually) to ask me, "So, Professor Johnson, what was the work place like before we had email?"  I didn't miss a beat and responded, "Well, we would unscroll our papyrus, and if that system was down, we would access the back-ups we'd chiseled in stone."  (The Law/MBA student sitting beside me almost passed out from laughing so hard.)  So, OK, I'm maybe not as young as I'd like to believe I am.

Still, as I look at the opportunities I've enjoyed over the past two decades of post-college life, I wouldn't trade off a single experience.  Life really is what you make it... whether you're 24 or 42.

So, every once in a while, get out there and say something stupid, do something silly, think something irreverent, and be something different.  When you get to be really old (like triple digits), you'll be glad you did.