Managing Up …

This phrase has caught my attention.  I’m not quite sure what to make of “managing up”.  

Having been a manager in my career I’m certainly familiar with the phrase “managing down” LOL!  Hopefully, I was reasonable in my approach but I know I was focused on getting my direct reports to get the job done.  

You know what makes leadership?  It is the ability to get men to do what they don’t want to do, and like it. 

Harry S. Truman 

Managing people is challenging and we’ve all worked for “one of those bosses”, true?  I’m sure some of my direct reports would say that of me.  But when I hear the phrase “managing up” and the context it is often used in I wonder if it implies ways of avoiding the work our manager has assigned us to do.  

That said, John G. Miller reminds us there are examples of managing up that are actually a very good thing: 

            It was a beautiful day when I stopped into a Rock Bottom Restaurant for a quick lunch. The place was jammed.  I was happy to grab the one stool they had available at the bar. A few minutes after I sat down, a young man carrying a tray full of dirty dishes hurried by on how ay to the kitchen.  Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed me, stopped, came back, and said, "Sir, have you been helped?" 

     "No, I haven't," I said. "And I'm in a bit of a hurry.  But all I really want is a salad and maybe a couple of rolls." 

     "I can get you that, sir. What would you like to drink?" 

     "I'll have a Diet Coke, please." 

     "Oh, I'm sorry, sir, we have Pepsi products.  Would that be all right?" 

     "Ah, no thanks", I said with a smile. "I'll just have water with lemon, please." 

     "Great, I'll be back."  He disappeared. 

     Moments later he returned with the salad, the rolls, and the water. I thanked him, and he was quickly gone again, leaving me to enjoy my meal, a satisfied customer. 

     Suddenly, there was a blur of activity off to my left, the "wind of enthusiasm" blew behind me, and the, over my right shoulder stretched the "long arm of service" delivering a twenty-ounce, bottle, frosty on the outside, cold on the inside, of - you guessed it - Diet Coke! 

     "Wow!" I said. "Thank you!" 

     "You're welcome", he said with a smile, and hurried off again. 

     My first thought was Hire this man! Talk about going the extra mile!  And the more I thought about the outstanding thing he'd just done, the more I wanted to talk to him.  So, as soon as I could get his attention, I waived him over. 

     "Excuse me, I thought you didn't sell Coke", I said. 

     "That's right, sir, we don't." 

     "Well where did this come from?" 

     "The grocery store around the corner."  I was taken aback. 

     "Who paid for it?"  I asked. 

     "I did, sir; just a dollar." 

     By then I was thinking profound and professional thoughts like cool! But what I said was, "Come on, you've been awfully busy.  How did you have time to get it?" 

  Smiling and seemingly growing taller before my eyes, he said, "I didn't, sir. I sent my manager!" 

Well there you go – from the customer’s perspective they don’t care who is managing who as long as the job gets done. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

High School Sweethearts…

Fall; October; football; high school; Homecoming – do you remember your first high school sweetheart?  High school is a very special and memorable time for teenagers; it certainly was for me.  And I always enjoyed the autumn season when I was in high school – Homecoming; Halloween; dating; parties (most chaperoned, some not). 

Fifty-one years ago, this very time of the year, I asked the prettiest girl in my high school out on a first date.  I guess it went well enough because here we are fifty-one years later, and I’m still awe-struck by the glow of her beauty. 

I hope you enjoy this opening to Chapter XII True North, of my book, The Peace & Power of a Positive Perspective © as much I enjoyed writing it: 

Dedicated to… a crisp night in October; with a slight breeze blowing through bare trees – waiting for the coming winter.   Close your eyes.  Can you smell remnants of autumn leaves burning?  

To winning the homecoming football game.  To being carefree. To a Saturday night party at the teenager’s house whose parents are away.  Can you hear the kids having fun in the kitchen; the basement; and the backyard, all to the beat of the Rolling Stones?  

To couches, blue jeans and sweaters.  To the floor lamp reflecting on her blond hair making it shimmer with silvery streaks of light.  To the nervous small talk of a teenage boy in the presence of a varsity cheerleader.  To the patience of the teenage girl sitting on the couch with the captain of the varsity basketball team.  Can you remember when you could actually hear your heart throbbing? 

To throw pillows, which come in handy when the small talk runs out – what else can a young boy do?  And to playful pillow fights; which lead to gentle wrestling and ultimately to that first kiss. Remember how delicate she felt in your arms – the hint of her perfume – the taste of her lips? 

To first dates – dinner and a movie.  To the movie Catch 22 and the Oriental Theatre in downtown Chicago.  To dating the prettiest girl in your high school; to falling in love; to asking her father’s permission for her hand in marriage.  Were you ever so nervous? 

To the tears welling up in my eyes even as I write this short memoire.  To all those emotions; all the happiness; all those hopes and all those dreams; some fulfilled, some yet to be; and all that I can remember today as if it just happened yesterday – that I will remember everyday, as long as I live.  How can someone be so lucky? 

To 1970 - and that Saturday night in October in Elmhurst where I kissed Debbie for the very first time.  And to the friend’s house whose parents were out – to their couch, their floor lamp, to their throw pillows; and to the Rolling Stones music.  Can you imagine being so young, so infatuated, and so in love?  

I still am.  

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

Columbus Day…

It’s been 10 years since I ventured out into the social media world for the very first time.  I know I wasn’t the original “explorer”, but it was still a big move for me.  In recognition of Columbus Day, permit me to share a re-post of one of my original posts from back then - beginning with:  

People told Columbus the world was flat.  He didn’t insist it was round.  He got in a boat. 

3Com Advertisement 

How cool was that!  No debate; no argument; no headlines; no hype.  They said, “Impossible!” he said, “Get me to a boat!”  Then Columbus got in that boat (funded by the original venture capitalist); and proved his point.  

I know many say today that Columbus spread violence, slavery, and disease as a by-product of his bravery and exploration.  I wonder 500 years from now what they will be saying we spread?  But that’s a different debate for some other time. 

I prefer to celebrate this example of Columbus’ commitment to success!  “Hey Chris, the world is flat you know.  If you go out there, you’ll sail right off the table into oblivion.”  “That’s OK”, he might have said, “I think we’ll be all right.” 

What about you?  What are “they” saying you cannot do?  Do you agree with them?  Are you staying close to shore keeping land in sight to feel secure?  Or are you looking out across the vast ocean and on to your future?  Are you debating – or are you doing?  Where are you turning for the fuel to maintain your positive, can-do attitude?  

It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up. 

Babe Ruth 

If you’re reading this, then you’re in my boat.  Welcome to The Peace & Power of a Positive Perspective©.  The next time you’re having one of “those days”, filled with too much negativity from “them”, come back aboard for a little positive reinforcement. 

I’m using social media as my vessel – it is the 21^st century after all.  Some people today might say, “Gary; Linked In, Face Book, Snapchat, Twitter are fun and all; but a vehicle for ongoing business-to-business, business?  Impossible!”  Well, what do I know?  

I’ve spent decades in my career practicing professional selling skills.  You know – permission-based prospecting; discovering the customer’s goals; presenting solutions; closing the deal?  Remember?  Are any of those skills relevant today?

Best-selling business author Jim Collins wrote: 

The Tyranny of the OR vs the Genius of the AND. 

To me, it’s not social media – OR – the old way.  I think social media is important.

But, I also believe that building trust still plays a key role in the customers’ success; and in turn, our success.  I believe that knowing what you’re doing is still critical to a salesperson’s achievement.  Being a product expert + a technology expert + a competitive expert + a businessperson are the key characteristics our customers value.  But, what do I know? 

Similar to Christopher Columbus, no one can predict ahead of time what changes the online world will bring to the future of the sales profession.  I’m certainly not going to argue about it.  I’m just getting in my social media boat and setting sail – I believe I won’t fall off the face of the earth. 

I hope you join me for the voyage.  Bring a friend!  After all: 

No sense in being pessimistic.  It wouldn’t work anyway. 

Unknown Sage 

Here’s to the New World.  Thanks again Chris! 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

Giving our best…

Football is my favorite sport.  A bit ironic I suppose, because football is the epitome of a time in my life that I did not give my best.  Actually, it was worse than that.  It was the one time in all my competitive pursuits (in athletics or in business) that I quit.  I’ve lost many times; won my share too; quit once.

I quit my high school football team two weeks into the start of my junior year season.  It was the only time in my life that my Mom told me I disappointed her.  I can remember going into the head coach’s office to quit as if it was yesterday.  A bit ironic I suppose, because after being a starter and co-captain my freshman and sophomore years, I was not even planning to play my junior year.  I planned to focus on basketball. 

The coach called and asked me to reconsider.  I agreed, but when I showed up I wasn’t prepared to give my best.  He and his coaches weren’t prepared to coach me up either.  At the age of sixteen, I decided that quitting was the only escape.  I’ve regretted it to this day.  It’s not the not-playing that I regret; it’s the not giving my best.

I bet there have been special coaches and mentors who have had a positive impact on your life.  Coaches come in all shapes and sizes and use a wide variety of styles and techniques.  Some coaches resonate with us; some don’t. 

Here’s a 6 minute video about a high school, an underdog team, and their coach’s expectation about giving our best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3wnK-Cphgs

Probably not a technique that transfers into the business world today - but the message does, true?  Yes, the sporting world is different than the business world.  Nonetheless, we don’t have to go it alone.  Even the best-of-the-best have coaches.

In business, our favorite, Unknown Sage offers this:

Common misconceptions about coaching in the marketplace: 

• “Coaching is primarily for correcting behavior” - If we only coach people when they do something wrong, we have missed the point.  It’s about building not fixing.
• “Coaching requires giving up power and control” – The manager relies more on influence. The person is still accountable.
• “Coaching takes too much time” – Coaching takes too much time if you don’t do enough of it and you don’t do it correctly.
• “Coaching is soft stuff” – The manager who avoids soft stuff usually does so because it is so hard.  The work is easy; people are difficult.
• “Coaching is laissez-faire management” – Freedom in the workplace, actually just about anywhere, is rooted in strict discipline.
• “Coaching is simply being a good cheerleader” – A good manager has the courage and inner strength when needed to tell people the truth.
• “Coaching is like therapy” – To be a good manager and coach one does need a basic understanding of human behavior and motivation, but therapy has no place in your relationship with the people you are leading.

Coaches enjoy occasional accolades, too.  The best I ever heard was a tribute to Bum Phillips, head coach of the then, Houston Oilers.  It was once said of Bum:

He could take his and beat yours - and then he could take yours and beat his. 

As a coach, he was able to get his players to give their best; they had no quit.  Imagine – what could we accomplish today if we just committed to giving our best? 

GAP

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.