Leadership

If you’re in the business world, you’ve been turned down by a customer claiming that your bid just isn’t “competitive.”  What exactly does that mean?

Does it mean:

They can buy it cheaper elsewhere?

Everyone else is cheaper?

That our competitor has better quality than us?

That they deliver faster than us?

That they’re more innovative?

Or, is the criteria something internal to them?

Are they measured by how much money they can save their organization up front, thus they need to find the “best” deal?

Are they measured by total cost – upfront AND cost of quality — and the solution they are choosing is the most valuable?

Or, do they just want a discount because negotiation is a game, and if they don’t get a discount, it most likely means they are losers in the deal?

“You are not competitive” is often a cop-out for one of the above, or something else altogether. It can potentially mean many things, and it is simply not helpful.

What’s helpful are genuine conversations. Information that leads to a better understanding of what the customer is looking for, and how we can get better.

(And we can always get better.)

And one more thing…

I would never use Kohl’s as a “market comparison” to Nordstrom prices, nor would I be allowed to comp home values from an apartment on Lake Shore Drive in hopes of increasing the value of my suburban home.

Why, then, is this acceptable in the B2B world?

So let’s all try to avoid this phrase.  It doesn’t do any of us any good.  Instead, let’s be honest about what we really want.

Most people dread going to meetings. I think this is the case because there is too much wasted time in meetings. So, I will get to the point.

Here are three changes I recently implemented to meetings:

1.  I am cutting the length of every meeting I lead in half. 

Here are the reasons why I doing this: 

It forces me to have an agenda It forces me to stick to the agenda It should keep me to discussing one topic or initiative It is a free way to boost morale (seriously) It is a cost savings to the organization (add the salaries up of the people in the meeting, and calculate how much you are spending for them to be sitting there)It communicates my values to the organization

2. Create Thinking Time

This is going to sound counter-intuitive, but one value of meetings is to bring an issue to light and ask the group to think about it. Real thinking takes time. Therefore, I am not talking about creating thinking time IN the meeting, but rather, asking the group to think about it OUTSIDE the meeting. Then, as the leader, I will setup a follow-up meeting and have more discussion on whatever the subject matter is.  

3.  Decide what you want the implicit outcome(s) to be. 

As a leader, you are always modeling behavior. Therefore, what are the implicit outcomes of the meetings you hold? The changes above aim to have two. First, by cutting meetings in half, I aim for the organization to think about EFFICIENCY. How can we run the organization more efficiently, meetings included? Second, by creating – and practicing – “thinking time,” the aim for the organization is to practice sound decision making, rather than practicing snap decisions. Let’s be honest, we live in a reactionary culture. So one way to counter balance that is to create space for our teammates slow down, think, and make more deliberate decisions.

How can you change your meetings?

What are you communicating to your team by the way your meetings run? 

The above won’t “fix” meetings, but I will continue to work to make meetings better.

Will you? 

The amount of information these days is absolutely staggering. At the risk of completely exposing myself, here are inputs – information of various kinds – that I typically interact with daily.

• Each day starts with the Bible around 515 a.m.
• A business or leadership podcast while I am getting ready.
• LeaderBox book during breakfast (I am taking some time off LeaderBox to read other materials for the time being)
• Occasionally more podcasting on the way to work or home from work.More podcasting in the gym (3 to 4 days per week).
• Various interactions with the Internet.
• Various interactions with Social Media (more on blog posting days).
• Email (I’d guess I receive 250-350 messages per day via work and personal accounts. I’d guess that 80% of these can be easily deleted, but they still add to the overall information overload)
• Unsolicited text messages. I’m referring here to the random messages from well-meaning friends, but also add to the overall noise of the day.
• Phone notifications (related to news and sports, although I have cut these down as well).
• History book or fiction novel I read or listen to in the evenings for my own betterment and enjoyment.

Please understand that this is not a brag, but a confession:

I’m insecure as a leader.

I feel like if I am not working hard enough, reading enough, pushing myself enough, that I will fail.

Worse, I struggle with my self-worth when these things are not happening.

I feel lazy and unworthy.

As of March 29 – the day I am writing this post – I have read 11 books already in 2018.

I still don’t feel adequate.

I even feel enslaved to my own routines.

This is my confession to all still reading.

I am just being real.

Where do we go from here?

I write and speak often about the need to do what is uncomfortable. For many, that means picking up the book they normally would not read, creating time to go to the gym, or deciding before the big meal that they are not going to eat the unhealthy option.

But as I am confessing here, some of us need a counterbalance. We need to give ourselves permission to take the foot off the gas.

To rest.

To have fun.

To slow down and delight.

The pace I have gone in this first quarter is unsustainable on many fronts, inputs being one of them.

I am owning that.

What about you?

Do you need to slow down?

Or, do you need to get started?

That’s inventory only you can take.

So, take it.

Examine where you are, and make the necessary changes to get better.

And in the process, let’s remember that negative self-talk is not going to get either of us anywhere.

So let’s bring it to the light, and call it the liar that it is.

Together.

An article a few years back claimed that Starbucks offers more than 80,000 drink combinations. At Starbucks, you can apparently have your cake, and eat it, too.

But, you can’t negotiate the price of any of those 80,000 variations. In fact, the price for your grande, half calf, no whip, 2% peppermint mocha is not up for debate.

Nor is Starbucks willing to share what their ingredients cost, or the profit % they have added on top of everything. Yet, the local Starbucks I frequently visit is not lacking in customers.

Most aren’t.

How does Starbucks continue to thrive?

They don’t have the cheapest coffee. In fact, they have a reputation for being the most expensive fast-food coffee you can order.

Nor is the coffee the best. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy their dark roast. But I also would not be caught saying “Starbucks has great coffee” in front of a coffee aficionado.

Is it their service?

What about the ambiance? (Remember Caribou? Didn’t they mostly copy Starbucks’ ambiance and still fail?)

Or, what about the value of accepting all walks of people?

None of these are the answer.

The real answer is value.

Please understand, everything listed above matters immensely, because every element of the business leads to the overall perceived value of the product. It is the combination of the above —with every component being done extremely well —that leads to the overall value.

Just think…

At Starbucks you can have your drink 80,000 different ways, made from quality ingredients, and served by Baristas that will not only learn your name, but also will engage with you personally. All this happens in an environment that is open, clean, and accepting to all.

No wonder I don’t bat an eye when they charge me close to $3 for a Venti Dark Roast.

The value is worth it.

If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you probably get tired of me whining about our collective need for encouragement. The fact remains that we all have an inner-critic that does not tire easily, especially when what we are attempting is not easy.

Avid reader of this blog, and friend, Mark, recently sent me this message:

“Your blog keeps me going and recharges me. Don’t ever stop, and please pass along my thanks to your wife for her assistance and guidance. It makes a true difference in my life and I usually read it with my wife as well.”

Encouragement like this is often the kryptonite for the inner-critic.

Thank you for the reminder, Mark!

My goal with the blog is to authentically, and often vulnerably, share leadership stories that empower and inspire others in their leadership. I also hope this blog furthers relationships with others, so that we can be there for each other, as Mark was for me today.

To that end, Mark’s encouragement reminded me that I need to be encouraging to others right now. So instead of spending any more time reading this blog, why don’t you—and I — write a heartfelt note to someone that comes to mind?

It just might mean the world to that person….

Can a team thrive without a designated captain?

My initial response was no until I heard Adam Grant detailing the Butler Way on a recent episode of Work Life.

Most college basketball fans remember Butler University’s miraculous back-to-back final four appearances in 2010 and 2011. These runs were not supposed to happen as Butler was a major underdog against powerhouses like Syracuse, Michigan State, and Florida. Yet somehow, some way, those teams found a way to win until finishing runner-up to two other powerhouses in consecutive National Championship games (Duke and Connecticut).

But did you know that Butler did not have a team captain for any of these runs? “Everyone is a captain,” explained former Butler Head Coach Brad Stevens on the podcast. “Everyone is empowered to make decisions, and everyone is held accountable.”

On the surface, nothing is shocking about this statement. It is something regurgitated in various platforms, and especially in business books. But most organizations have a pecking order. So while the teams may nod in agreement that they’re “one team,” and that “every opinion matters,” in practice this is not so. In fact, most organizations have a leader with a title, and that person’s opinion holds more sway.

The amazing thing is that basketball is the same way! It is a “star’s game.” Arguably, no other team sport can be more impacted by a superstar, which is why we know the biggest stars by their first names: Kareem, Magic, Kobe, Lebron, and Michael. Yet even though this is the prevailing culture for basketball, Stevens implemented the “Butler Way” where everyone was together, and on the same level. There was no star hierarchy: The freshman could call out the senior, and the senior listened instead of silencing the ignorant bench-warmer. Everyone, as Stevens detailed, was held accountable.

Teamwork alone did not get them to back-to-back final four appearances, so I am not arguing that talent is meaningless. After all, Butler’s 2010 team featured Gordon Hayward, a future 2017 NBA

All-Star. Yet even still, the team embraced the “Butler Way,” and by almost every account over-achieved to become back-to-back national runner-ups.

What amazes me about the “Butler Way” is twofold.

For one, Stevens clearly communicated the message to the team, and held everyone accountable. I can say that confidently because of the success the Butler team had each year. If that team was not being held accountable, they simply would not have made it as far as they did.

Second, it is apparent that the team was humble enough to buy-in to Coach Steven’s vision. The lack of a captain would not have worked any other way. Mass chaos would have ensued the first time the team lost a big game.

I do not know if the “Butler Way” makes sense for your organization.

What I do know, however, is that regardless of how you choose to set up your organization, it won’t be successful without you—the leader—holding people accountable, or without your followers buying-in to the structure.

That’s what made the “Butler Way” so special…

Admittedly, this post is a departure from normal. But from time to time, I want to bring some awareness to important issues. More than awareness, I hope these posts challenge conventional thinking and spur some to take action. If we are leaders, we need to use our influence to improve the livelihoods of others.

Catherine Hoke is a leader who gets this.  And her story has recently been challenging me.  She is the founder of Defy Ventures, an organization of volunteers who work to provide leadership training and character development for incarcerated people she calls Entrepreneurs in Training (EITs).  In her book A Second Chance, she tells the story of serving pizza at one of Defy Ventures’ EIT graduations. This, on the surface, is hardly worthy of a story.  But one detail makes the story that follows an unforgettable one.

Hoke had no idea that eating pizza is forbidden in prisons.

Hoke goes on in the book to share the mistake she made (allowing volunteers to eat pizza in front of EITs after the EITs passed the pizza out), the drama of “Pizza Gate” that followed, and an unbelievable display of public accountability and forgiveness. These two chapters, located in the middle of the book, are breathtaking and worth the price of the book.

And at the very beginning of it, is a line that wrecked me: “One of our EITs had not had pizza in 30 years.”

I was listening to the book in the car on Audible when I heard this line and almost drove off the road.

At first I got angry.

What a stupid rule, I thought! They’re human beings! It doesn’t matter what they did in the past. They’ve just worked hard in an Entrepreneurs in Training program and should be allowed to have a piece —ONE FRICKING PIECE—of pizza!

And then I fought back tears.

I didn’t cry—God forbid if Steve saw me me crying when he got out of his car to go into the office last Wednesday morning!

But, I felt the urge.

Do we really live in a world where people go away and don’t eat pizza for 30 plus years?

Really?

Here is the deal…

I am not arguing that some people do not deserve to be behind bars for the mistakes they have made. After all, I believe every action has a consequence. Having said that, I unapologetically believe in the worth of every human being because I believe in a Savior that died for every one of us.

Every. One. Of. Us.

More than that, it is apparent in listening to Hoke’s book, knowing a friend who went away for a time, and reading other books on this subject matter, that our prison system is completely broken. Recidivism —the rate in which individuals return to prison upon release—is alarmingly high.

There are also serious injustices.

At the risk of alienating even more of you, it is apparent that a disparity between races exists in terms of prison sentencing.

It is uncomfortable to write that last statement.

I even have friends who disagree.

But being a leader is about being uncomfortable. Especially, when there is an injustice.

I don’t know what my next move here is. Maybe I need to get involved in our church’s prison ministry? Maybe I need to financially support Defy Ventures?

I don’t know.

But I know this is a big deal.

I know I am not okay with someone not being allowed to have one piece of pizza after 30 years.

I know I am for justice, and advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves.

I also respect your right in this country to disagree with me on this issue.

Unlike our current political debate, I won’t vilify you.

Just know that I felt strongly enough about this to write this post.

Every human being matters.

Every last one of them.

Even the ones behind bars.

(Note: I have written before about the power of language.  Hoke intentionally calls the inmates in her program Entrepreneurs in Training in order to convey her belief in them and to affect the way they see themselves—as human beings with a successful future.  In this post, I intentionally did not use the word “prisoner.”  I dislike using the word because when I say it, it seems to connote a distance between me and that person and even a sense that the incarcerated person is below me.

And frankly speaking, I do not like feeling that way towards others, thus I remind myself of everyone’s dignity by calling them human beings.)

I just finished eating some yogurt on an airplane ride to the Plastic News Executive Forum. Even though I really like this particular brand of yogurt, it will forever be tied to some bittersweet memories for me.

As a sales person a few years ago, I came in runner-up in a project this yogurt company was launching. It was a a difficult loss because we really believed in the project and believed it would take off. Besides the business component, I am a fan of the company and wanted to be part of its supply chain. To make matters worse, we had also recently finished second in another yogurt project with a different brand. It was a rough stretch for my self-confidence.

At about this time, our sales team was undergoing some changes. As the newly appointed hiring manager, I wanted to improve the talent (i.e. get people who were better than me into sales positions!). Enter Tammy. She does not take no for an answer, which makes me feel sorry for her husband and kids. Kidding aside, she lectured me that we were going to continue to pursue the second project that got away. And two years later, she—along with our “change-over team” —had realized that dream.

With growth comes expansion, so it was time to hire again. One of the readers of this blog, Roger, suggested that I talk to Lee. So a few days after New Years Eve, I flew to New Jersey and met with him. I told him that I wanted him to challenge my (and our company’s) assumptions, help us build our proprietary product line, and grow relationships in the pouch space. He has exceeded expectations on all fronts.

Joel is better than most at having crucial conversations with customers. Patricia does things most sales people dread doing, and does them with humility and excellence. Marion is constantly considering ways to push the organization to get better, and his energy tires us all! Pete and Kevin both have unyielding tenacities, and relentlessly pursue new opportunities in difficult markets. Mike very humbly goes about his business, and always brings positive energy to the conversations I have with him.

And Jack…well, he’s just Jack! But, his guidance has deeply impacted me in more ways I can adequately count here.

All of these people are older than I am.  (Sorry!)

All of these people are better at sales than I am.

And I am incredibly grateful for their humility and pursuit of excellence.

Down the path comes Drew, Justin, and possibly some of the entrepreneurial students I spoke to recently at Loyola, or Judson! (When are we getting together again?)

If they have the drive — Drew and Justin do — they, too, will also be better.

This is THE pursuit of leadership.

Always hire up. Always hire people that are better, or can become better.

It is humbling.

And that’s because it is leadership.