WATCH YOUR DISTANCE

When Leading, Keep the Pack Close

As a bicycle rider, my strength was on the flat or slight decline in the topography. Sure, anyone is strong riding flat or downhill, but my body size made riding in those conditions exceptional. Other riders knew that when the road ahead was flat, it was time for me to take the lead so they could draft and gain greater speed.

When you take the lead, you tend to shift “down” to increase power and speed. A quick glance over the shoulder reveals a line forming to take advantage of the drafting opportunity. The bike speed increases from 16 miles per hour to over 25. It is fun!

This kind of teamwork benefits everyone. The speed is exhilarating and casual observers marvel at the speed the group is generating.

The problem can be the length of the time these “perfect” conditions exist. My strength allows me to continue endlessly for miles; the riders behind me, despite the “easier ride” start to fall back from fatigue. As the distance between me and the next rider lengthens, the draft benefit decreases and soon the group falls apart. If I don’t realize what is happening, I could easily be several hundred yards ahead.

Now this is not a story to create awe-struck kudos. It illustrates what happens when a leader’s vision is too far ahead of the pack. An idea that creates too much change or asks that people just “go along” will create a virtual distance between the leader and those looking for a new solution. This puts the leader too far out in front and little support from those in the rear. The military calls this “outrunning your supply lines.” It is not a situation that has a strong enough foundation to keep going.

As you move forward and try to keep your “pack” together, make sure you haven’t shifted down too fast. Build momentum by accomplishing smaller tasks successfully. Begin to delegate and involve people with greater shares of your vision so their confidence in the vision’s direction continues to grow. People like to stay in their comfort zone and if you don’t make the next level comfortable, they will tend to drift back.

This is really not that difficult for a leader to implement, Check and calibrate your approach and growth regularly to keep people from drifting. Allow others to take the lead; this may slow the project down somewhat but it allows everyone to “catch their breath.” In my example above, if the second and third riders were to take turns leading the line, the pace would slow to a comfortable level allowing everyone to stay together.

The objective in implementing your vision is not to see how fast you can accomplish the tasks or how outstanding you are by working “solo.” It is always going to be about how many people adopt the new strategy and feel successful.

Be a leader by knowing when to step out of the way. The highly successful baseball manager Sparky Anderson was asked during his Hall of Fame induction what his managing approach was in leading the “Big Red Machine” of the 1970’s. His answer: I stayed out their way and let them play.

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GROWTH <> LEADERSHIP <> EXCELLENCE

© 2006 3 Minute Learning LLC

OCTOBER MUSINGS

Perceptions

It is rare for subordinates to get a chance to formerly review their managers. Even though 92 percent of managers rate themselves as good or excellent, only 67 percent of their subordinates agree with the assessment. No manager ranked themselves as “poor”, 10 percent of their subordinates provided that assessment. (source: Hudson National Opinion survey of workers, 2006)

Many companies have tried 360 degree assessments to improve communication and productivity in the workplace. Evaluations tend to become popularity contests and do not always represent feedback that may improve employer-employee relations. Management at any level needs top improve its level of communication with employees. People in the workplace just want an opportunity to be heard.

Regular and informal conversations with employees will vastly improve relations and productivity without any of the expensive gadgets or fads that populate the workplace. The term used to be “work around management” or WAM and it is unfortunate that companies don’t use that simple technique on a daily basis.

Any company that wants to improve its productivity and ultimately its profitability needs to increase its “paying attention to people quotient.” Making the workplace meaningful will yield the kind of results management is seeking.

Wage Info Good News to Colleges

College administrators and recruiters love the kind of earning income reports that came out recently. Adults 18 and older with a bachelor’s degree earn an average of $51,154 in 2004. A high school diploma only earns the person $28,645 and non-high school grads only earn $19,169.

The greatest myth in education is that a college education leads to high paying jobs for all graduates. Using average income data, a college degree easily outpaces a high school graduate and a high school dropout. Yet the trend, measured since 1999, seems to show that the gap is closing.

In 1999, a bachelor’s degree earned over twice the amount of a high school graduate. Looking at the 2004 data, the gap is less than two times greater. Given the recent data that shows the average annual wage in the US is around $40,000, it seems that the gap between degrees has shrunk again.

Add to the supposed college wage advantage the average debt acquired by earning a bachelor’s degree, it could take up to 10 years for many college graduates to actually earn more than the high school graduate. For example, today’s newly hired teacher will most likely earn less than $35,000 in many school districts. After taxes and making loan payments, the difference will be much less than the customer service rep with a high school diploma.

There are some high paying jobs in the marketplace for college graduates, but not enough to justify the extreme emphasis on going to college. While nearly 70 percent of high school graduates try at least two years of college, only 45 percent of adults over 25 actually have a degree. And of those with a college degree, the average yearly income is influenced by the less than 1 percent that is earning millions of dollars per year as a CEO, entertaining or professional athlete.

Healthcare Crisis

There is a tremendous emphasis on healthcare with respect to those persons who do not have insurance. Universal healthcare is often discussed but will not become reality until the current crisis becomes critical.

The irony will be once universal healthcare is available is who will take of us? Retiring healthcare professionals will leave a tremendous void in communities. Just as “baby boomers” will be retiring in record numbers over the next 10 years, so too are people in the medical professions. Over 33 percent of today’s physicians are older than 55.

According to Arthur Garson, Jr, MD, Dean of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, healthcare providers are rapidly moving from providers to consumers. So while everyone may eventually get a ticket to the dance, very few of us will get a chance to hear the music.

Visit www.3MinuteLearning.com

GROWTH <> LEADERSHIP <> EXCELLENCE

© 2006 3 Minute Learning LLC