DREAMS TO DESTINY

Some people sleep without dreaming and awaken rested. Others dream while sleeping and awaken inspired. We must dream what we wish to accomplish before we can expect anything to happen. What kind of life could be based on the premise that what “is” will never change – that bringing the beliefs, values, ideals and accomplishments of several together would serve only to advance each individually rather than collectively enhance the group’s abilities?

People have said that setting low expectations will keep you from ever being disappointed. If we set no expectations – fearing the pain of failure more than anticipating the rewards of success – we may survive but will rarely thrive. We de-energize our relationships when we focus upon shortcomings or why something failed. Rather, we should use failure as a springboard towards implementing a solution. Believing that the “light at the end of a tunnel” is actually an opportunity not yet realized rather than a train heading towards us on a collision course reflects the assimilation of dreams into daily reality.

Destiny is a result of how effectively we balance our dreams with our abilities as we travel an unfamiliar path paved with not-yet-realized thoughts and ideas. Sadly, truth can often keep us from accomplishing our dreams. Far too often we allow our present reality – the knowledge we have about the world in which we live – to stop us from trying new things and entering into situations.

Accepting that our own (or another individual’s) weaknesses are insurmountable results in our believing failure is a probability. If, however, we merely acknowledge deficiencies as bumps in the road, relentlessly moving forward as we seek to accomplish our dreams, we will invariably find a way to make things happen. Destiny becomes reality only when we truly believe that “the things dreamed of” can become as much “probability” as they are “possibility” – when they become the things we anticipate and expect rather than simply things held tightly within the privacy of our individual hearts.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS BENEATH THE SURFACE...until you look...

A Human Resource professional was recently reviewing his organization’s turnover report at a Board of Directors meeting. One of the group’s divisions had experienced an increase in turnover (from 15 to 20 employees representing more than a 5% increase). The turnover, attributed to unreasonable work schedules and a non-competitive pay structure, had many on the Board concerned that a continued exodus of good people might cripple the Organization in the middle of its transition to a new business model. While the “surface” seemed to be turbulent based on his summary analysis, the answers to several questions helped still the waters a bit:

• How many of the 20 individuals leaving were “truly valued” employees? (Answer: 5)
• What was the average tenure of those leaving? (Answer: 7 Years)
• Did the switch in business model have anything to do with increased turnover? (Answer: We DO expect more from our employees and put more pay at risk than ever before but they have not complained much about it.)
• Have you compared your BENEFITS and PERSONAL TIME OFF POLICIES with the organizations to which your employees went? (Answer: We cannot compete with (fill in the blank) organization. They pay whatever it takes so we do not have the slightest chance to retain people.)

Unmitigated turnover can cripple an organization BUT the insidious problems caused by “wrongful hiring” can poison an organization from the inside. Pay is often the easiest thing to blame for turnover BUT working conditions, management/supervisory leadership style, work schedules and even a shift from “stable income” to “pay at risk” often causes more turnover than does pay. A high turnover rate among employees having 7 years service should focus us more on what is different with where we have been than on the bright promise of where we might be going.

It is amazing how many “negative” issues have a positive aspect – how many dark clouds have a silver lining. Never take issues at face value without first seeking clarification or expansion. We can usually find the “cause” for any “effect” – but we must first seek or we will never find!

OVERCOMING FIRST IMPRESSIONS AND MISCONCEPTIONS

When working with people, our “first impressions” often inaccurately influence the way we react to others UNLESS we take time to identify their origins. I have found that:

Unfounded perceptions can negatively influence thoughts and actions. I once worked with the owner of a small machine shop that was struggling financially. A 76-year old machinist became a “source of conflict” within the shop. The owner wished all his employees were as loyal and undemanding – seeing him as a great role model for others. Employees “did not want to end up working until they died because they could not afford to retire,” viewing him as great motivation to seek other employment. Perceptions, however, not reality as the worker in question told me he really did not have to work NOR was he particularly loyal – but that “if I ever met his wife I’d know why he was still working!” Often our perceptions can taint our thinking…always learn all the facts before making a judgment.

We miss much in life when we assume what another is thinking or doing – or limit what we feel they can contribute. One of the most critical components in the development of a Compensation Program is to ask employees what they actually do (rather than assuming we know what their job entails). An hourly employee once told me that the purpose of his job was to “bring to fruition the dreams of the owner so that we can share in his rewards.” While this answer did nothing to define job responsibilities, it DID speak volumes to the owner about how employees viewed their work. He began to pose questions to employees and include them in decisions he would not have discussed when thinking that they “did only what they were told” rather than believing they could “contribute positively to his dream.” Once he began to view employees more as partners than as workers his company began to grow and prosper exponentially – with increased efficiency and a reduced turnover rate.

People (and our thoughts about them) can contribute positively to us OR weigh us down. If we take the time to verify our perceptions before we pass judgment we can often avoid making assumptions that could lead us down the wrong path. If we ask for help and opinions from others before acting they can often make our journey easier. If we listen to what others say, we often find we are not so alone in the world – which support and affirmation can come from unexpected sources. People will always say (and do) the strangest things. Make sure you pay enough attention to what they are saying or doing (and sometimes what they are NOT saying or doing) that they can truly make a difference in your life!

ARE YOU PLANNING (OR HOPING) FOR YOUR FUTURE?

People used to work hard for most of their lives before stepping aside to enjoy the fruits of their labor in a seemingly short period of retirement. They gladly left others to fill the void their absence created – seeking the time to do what they wanted to do rather than what they had to do. Health insurance, an inexpensive benefit meant to prevent financial disaster caused by a serious health condition, was readily available at a reasonable cost upon retirement. Designed to provide a source of income that would “give back” the money workers put into it to augment the responsibilities families shared with their aging relatives, Social Security became the primary resource for many aging individuals. Employees fortunate enough to receive a pension while working often entered retirement with the thought of “living high” rather than of simply “getting by.” Others planned to fund their golden years using equity from their home. People focused more on “when” retirement was going to happen than “if” it could ever occur.

Today, things have changed. More workers are leaving the workforce than are entering it. Family is taking a diminished role in caring for its aging members, often relying upon facilities that can provide appropriate medical care rather than putting their life on hold to help a relative in need. Healthcare Insurance provides cradle to grave coverage for all conditions (or potential conditions – or lifestyle choices made to improve their perceived quality of life). Our social welfare system takes care of individuals in ways that family and/or churches once did – with the responsibility to finance these services resting upon a minority of the population to support an ever-increasing majority. Our safety net is no longer sustainable yet most solutions disqualify those that contributed most to its formation while providing for those that contributed least. People COGNITIVELY understand that saving early in life for retirement makes sense yet few young people have the PRACTICAL ABILITY to begin saving when they really should.

Are YOU planning (and saving) for retirement or are you expecting a system that faces bankruptcy to care for you? A recent survey found that the average retirement-aged American worker has savings of less than $50,000. Mortgages are upside-down for many that refinanced (or over-bought) their homes so anticipated equity is not available to help fund retirement. The cost of living continues to escalate – led by energy and healthcare. While one might be able to drive less, the cost of heating a home is unavoidable and it now costs nearly $800 per month to insure a single individual IF they are healthy enough to be medically underwritten for coverage (i.e., healthy enough that they will probably do not really need the insurance). Are you planning now to handle retirement expenses and healthcare costs on your own or are you waiting for the government to print more money to provide such programs?

What color is YOUR parachute? What are you relying upon to help cushion your landing should you choose to escape the regularity of your work world and venture into the unchartered waters of retirement? If we were to declare a “fiscal responsibility week,” would you join in to prepare for the future or sit passively on the sidelines waiting for life to happen? Make an open comment so that others might be able to learn what they can do to prepare for the future by learning from your planning today.

LOOK (AND LEARN) BEFORE YOU LEAP

We often lose sight of where we are going because we focus on what we think we know. We make assumptions within relationships that tend to establish their depth and direction (whether they are personal, professional or parental). Some actions are nearly impossible to alter once set into motion so it might be wise to avoid forming opinions or setting sail upon a specific course without first thinking about what COULD BE rather than focusing only upon what we think IS or SHOULD BE.

Acting on available information without asking for clarification can often lead to disaster. Many years ago, my son found himself in a bit of trouble (after his first day of kindergarten). He had been sent to the principal’s office for “hitting another child with leaves” on his way to the school. My wife and he were discussing the issue as I came home. She could not understand why he had to go to the office for throwing leaves at someone, and he could not figure out why she kept asking him about the situation after he had clearly and concisely answered her specific questions. Her questions (and increasing frustration) focused upon the information she had available – that he had hit someone with leaves. My son was answering her questions without offering any more than asked – trying not to provide any more information than was requested. After listening for a couple of minutes to their exchange I looked at my son and asked him, “How big a stick were the leaves attached to?” Upon hearing the “right” question he brightened and made a circle with his fingers and said, “Oh, about this big, Dad…nobody asked me that!”

We often seek opinions meant only to validate our own thinking rather than trying to test and improve our thoughts. We assume that the information available to us is sufficient without seeking “the rest of the story.” We leap before we look – believing that any action is better than inaction – and find ourselves taking many wrong turns before arriving at our final destination. We could still much of life’s turbulence by digging deeper to understand more about what we think we know prior to acting – and by allowing the experience of others who already tested (and survived) our waters to guide our actions. Much can be accomplished through the collective reasoning of an invested group of friends!

WINTER THOUGHTS

OK…we have had winter for the snowmobilers, skiers and ice skaters. It was beautiful to see the earth covered with its blanket of pristine white snow, with a rare day of sunshine creating a blindingly stark contrast to our normal grey days of February. I said that I wanted one good storm before we moved on – and we had it! Let us move forward into spring and summer!

The groundhog (if he was smart) decided to stay underground rather than burrowing up through three feet of snow SO he did not see his shadow. I would guess that even the photographer’s floodlights could not penetrate the snow-covered surface. We can look forward to an early spring (which is it, winter is going to end in six weeks or spring is going to begin in six weeks – I could never figure out just what the groundhog had to do with anything!)

Birds are fluttering frantically around feeders. Do they not know that spring is just around the corner so they should not depend on us humans to feed them (since our storm has passed)? Cars seem to be nesting in mounds of snow piled up along the roadway. Do people not know that nesting is for the birds (now that spring is on the way) rather than for their cars?

Should we not begin to dream thoughts of summer now that we have had our winter storm? Is it too early to put the boat in the water? Can you build a sandcastle from snow or will the water freezing within its moat serve as a reminder we have once again rushed the seasons? Maybe I should go out to the storage barn to start the convertible! One never knows when winter will let go so we can drive through the countryside with the top down (without the heater on!).

Perhaps I will refuse to acknowledge the radio and its warnings of coming snow. After all, when have weather forecasters been right? What do they know about arctic cold fronts approaching our shores? Oh, that is right! We have no shores right now. Some foreign white substance seems to be blanketing our beautiful sandy beaches!

All kidding aside, how did YOU survive this month’s reminder that our state provides us with four beautiful seasons? Let me know what you like most (and least) about winter (now that we seem settled to have six more weeks of it!). It will give you something to do (between cleaning off the driveway and unburying the deck!).

WHAT MAKES A LEADER EXCEPTIONAL?

If someone could develop a “one size fits all” leadership style that was “guaranteed to produce positive results” they would make a fortune. We all bring unique and individual characteristics to the leadership party so such an approach could not work. To maximize results we must identify and accentuate strengths, meld them into the fabric and culture of our workplace, then find ways to make up for their inevitable weaknesses. While this might prove to be a big challenge, I have found consistent differences between strong leaders and those who wish they could lead.

• Leaders who struggle to gain respect often “deliver” news as being “from Management” rather than “owning it” and seek credit for things that “go right” while assigning blame for things that “go wrong.”

• True leaders leave their reservations about communications in the meeting room – expressing opinions and concerns behind closed doors – then take ownership for the news they deliver. They also “own” their department’s failures while deferring the ownership of success to others.

• Leaders who struggle to make a difference often wait for direction and guidance (so they do not do something that might be “wrong”) then openly express resentment that decisions are made without their input or suggestions.

• Strong leaders make decisions based on the information they have at their disposal (recognizing that if the information changes, so might their decision). They then take action, guiding employees AND informing top management (not necessarily seeking permission) before they are surprised to hear about it from someone else.

• Ineffective leaders tend to ask, “Why am I not part of the management team?” Strong leaders step forward to make themselves an invaluable part of it by learning as much about the organization as possible and leveraging this knowledge to make significant, profitable decisions.

Everyone has his or her own idea about what makes an individual effective at pulling others along the right path rather than pushing them (kicking and fighting) up it. My two most significant observations are:

• There is no limit as to how much can be done IF we do not care whom receives the credit for doing it.

• People (both in the workplace AND within society) contribute more if they WANT to do something than if they HAVE to do something. Great leaders put more effort into selling than they do into telling – into securing “buy-in” and sharing ownership than they do making excuses or assigning blame.

What are YOUR observations about leaders? Add your thoughts through comments to this posting!