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Leadership topic - partner

with customers and teams to produce world-class results. Manage stakeholders, address issues effectively and practices the fine art of negotiation.  Blends people into teams when needed; Can quickly find common ground and solve problems for the good of all; Can negotiate skillfully in tough situations with both internal and external groups; gains trust quickly of other parties to the negotiations; has a good sense of timing.

Roadblock – Competes first versus sharing responsibility, Optimizes for their team/personal goals first. Delegates pieces and parts; treats people as a collection of individuals not a team.

Different partners

Different partners

Mar 17, 2021 | , ,

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  An interesting day like most modern holidays that has a Different story behind it than you may know.  The day is supposedly the day he died and was buried in his adopted Ireland, and to celebrate that, the Lenten season’s ban on drinking is lifted for this day – and probably why there is so much of it 😉  After 20 days without, and anticipating 20 more days until Easter, it is a day to let it all hang out.  And while the Irish were hated by most Americans when they arrived in the 1840s, we were more than happy to embrace any holiday that allowed a party… 

Are partners Valuable?

Are partners Valuable?

Mar 10, 2021 | , ,

There is a point in every career where it is clear that alone, not only can the work not be accomplished, it will not be nearly as Valuable and rewarding.  For me, it was always that way.  In High School Debate I had a partner.  My first job at Texas Instruments was shared with a partner who handled “business” software while I handled the technical programs.  The remainder of my time there and well into IBM, I shared offices and roles with peers, some easier than others.  Not everyone makes that shift, and there are many singular leaders who give the impression that it is all about “them”, and occasionally their Values of “the cult of personality” can survive and persist… but at what cost? 

partners to Celebrate

partners to Celebrate

Mar 3, 2021 | , ,

Yes, that picture is Faye Dunaway, and no that is not Frank Zappa.  I always enjoy finding odd things to Celebrate about the artists, and try to tease just enough that if you really want to know more, you can.  And with today’s theme being “partner”, this seemed like a perfect place to slot in a story about one of the other major players in the band, and also a short story about partners that I still Celebrate from those days at SMU in the ’70s…

Your Partners in Performing

Your Partners in Performing

Feb 24, 2021 | , ,

The First 90 Days is one of my favorite topics to work with new leaders on.  That time is when they are at their freshest to see things that can really help business change and grow… and also are at the highest risk of stepping into things they are just starting to understand.  As it is early in the year, I have a number that are on day 20-30 of that transition, and are feeling the compelling push to Perform – do SOMETHING… and another of my least favorite management “truisms” that is patently false – “Quick Wins”.  They are rarely either, and most often damage your reputation with at least one partner. 

The renewal of Harmony

The renewal of Harmony

Feb 21, 2021 | , ,

It is appropriate that the week on Harmony ends where my first experiences were:  singing at church.  Growing up around the College Kids, in the early 60’s they would often be playing/singing Peter, Paul, and Mary songs, and watching them blend their voices “in renewal” encouraged me to learn how to do that.  I don’t know exactly what “ear training” is, but there are pictures of me sitting with my Flute-o-phone and those kids where I was playing Harmony.  Hearing the notes, and trying to get your brain/voice to match was a fun challenge, which eventually I mapped into reading music… sorta…

executing with Harmony

executing with Harmony

Feb 20, 2021 | , ,

When teams are at their peak, there are ways of executing together that anyone outside of the team may or may not even be able to observe.  Little looks and phrases become cues for Harmony that is hard to duplicate.  While the reason for being together may be stressful, those hours of work start to build up muscles that become second nature.  In one season, I was in meetings 3 times a day with the same people – 6 days a week.  We got tight enough to really understand how to cover for each other’s faults, and build on the strengths in ways that most teams will never experience.  What causes that Harmony? 

The wonder in Harmony

The wonder in Harmony

Feb 19, 2021 | , ,

Finally, we get to the song that triggered the week.  I have been trying to be more explicit about leadership and management tips lately, and hopefully, you have gotten a few.  Today’s story is so rich that I don’t have space (or the need) to point it out.  So wonder with me …. by this point, The Fifth Dimension is well on their way, having won multiple Grammys with multiple platinum records.  They were in New York City playing a series of concerts when Billy Davis noticed his wallet was missing – having fallen out in the cab he had just stepped out of.  “Well, that’s gone…. “ 

observing Harmony

observing Harmony

Feb 18, 2021 | , ,

We were at the hospital for a procedure, and the nurse couldn’t get the IV started.  Without missing a beat, another one came right over, picked up the work … and the conversation … without even missing a beat.  As a keen observer of teamwork, I perked up and started to chat her up about what it is like to work here?  “It is amazing – from the people who take out the garbage, to the staff that mops the floors, to the administrators who make sure we have what we need, we all come together to provide you with the best care”.  We were then whisked off to another room, with a similar experience…. How does that type of Harmony happen? 

partners for Harmony

partners for Harmony

Feb 17, 2021 | , ,

In watching the Food Network with my wife, there is a catch-phrase:  If You’re Looking, You’re Not Cooking.  Exactly the opposite is true with leadership, particularly now.  Before last year, at least talent was mostly limited to work they could drive to… and now, I know for a fact that people have started preparing for the annual spring job search with a NATIONAL target.  The war for talent is only going to get more intense as you can work from anywhere, and what will they be looking for?  Harmony and partnership – pure and simple.  The number one reason people stay is the relationship with their leader…. And the main reason they leave is … exactly the same. 

Is your management Harmonic?

Is your management Harmonic?

Feb 16, 2021 | , ,

Harmony is distinguished from Unison singing – everyone singing the exact same note together. When men and women sing together, even though they are singing the same note, they are often separated by an octave or more.  But choosing a Harmony requires intensely listening to each other, and you will often see the singers lean in, cover an ear, and then either read a note or more likely, trust their well-trained ear to pick up a note that blends together with the others.  As more singers are involved, you have to be careful to not only hit your note, but stay out of the way of the others… constantly juggling your own musical path with those around you…

engaging with Harmony

engaging with Harmony

Feb 15, 2021 | , ,

A meme popped up last fall pointing out, in February “…a whopping seven planets (the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn, plus asteroid Pallas) will all be clustered together in the sign of Aquarius, creating what’s known as a stellium in astrology.  This intense influx of Aquarius’ fixed air sign energy in February will shift our focus to humanitarian issues, technological advancements, and unconventional innovations.  And these themes will guide the framework of our society throughout all of 2021 and the years ahead.”  But didn’t we hear this already – in 1967 – the dawning of the Age of Aquarius?

partners with Rhythm

partners with Rhythm

Feb 10, 2021 | , ,

In the same spirit as 1-1 meetings, nothing is more important than Rhythmic conversations with peers and partners. It is complicated, as for most of your career you are “competing” with them, imagining that only one of you will get the step up.  There is truth in that, but also that without good relationships, you will become more and more insulated.  To stay with the musical metaphor, without the band, the lead guitarist is flashy… but rarely would be recognized.  So who are your “bandmates”, and how do you sort out how to partner with them?