Be A Problem Solver

I’m recently flew from Austin to Seattle. While waiting for us to get past 10,000 feet so I could turn on my IPAD, I picked up the ever-present SkyMall catalog.

If you’ve never seen one of these, they’re really quite amazing.  Everything you can imagine to solve a problem or make life more convenient is offered for sale.  Just scanning through the pages, I found the following “can’t miss” items:

The Thundershirt (a compression garment to put on your dog so they won’t freak out during thunderstorms)

Gravity Defyer – shoes with springs built into the heel so you can stand up longer without hurting your back.

MeshWerx – a small board with spandex straps that holds all of your pens, nail files, keys, etc. and keeps them organized inside your purse or carry-on bag.

LitterKwitter – a system for toilet training your cat

The FastFinger Alphabetical keyboard – for those dinosaurs who still “hunt and peck” when typing.

The Sand-Free Multi-Mat – so you won’t have to deal with sand getting all over your towel at the beach.

What’s interesting about the SkyMall catalog is that somebody somewhere came up with these ideas.  It’s the innovation of it all that really impresses me.  It’s as if somebody is thinking about what annoys me now and what might annoy me in the future.  Powerful stuff.

I wonder if that’s something all of us could do?  If so, wouldn’t it really improve your value and make you irreplaceable at work?  Think about it:

What problems are we facing right now at work that could be solved by something that nobody’s ever thought of before?

What are others doing right now that we could improve on?

What problem isn’t even an issue now but could become one in the next 3-5 years?  What could we do to solve it?

What are we doing really well right now that could be made even better or more relevant?

I’m sure these are the same kinds of questions the innovators who have their products in the SkyMall Catalog have thought of.  If you think everything that can be invented is already done, think again.  After all, the SkyMall Catalog is updated nearly every month and there is always new products in addition to the old ones.

All of us can add value to our organizations by becoming strategic, out-of-the-box problem-solvers.  It just means asking “why” more often and putting ourselves in the minds of those we serve for.

Take some time this week to look at what you’re doing and think of ways to make it better and more efficient.  Creative and more valuable.  Innovative and more affordable.  It’s the best way to build and maintain your place and your job security!

Now if only I could invent a system to automatically smack the person sitting behind you on an airplane that pulls himself up out of the seat by grabbing onto your headrest!

How to Become a Better Leader on the Job

I have been asked by several of my colleagues if I have any advice on how to become a leader, or a more effective leader. After I put some thought to the matter, I came up with several recommendations.

First of all, if you’re aiming for a leadership position, you can’t be shy. Overcome any potential inhibitions, or passivity. You have to have initiative, perseverance and drive.  I don’t remember who said it, but one of my favorite quotes on leadership is: “Leaders don’t wait. They shape their own frontiers.”

I offer these strategies for shaping your own future:

Absorb knowledge. Gain expertise in all business functions of your organization — including procurement, human resources, contracting, information technology, budgeting, and project management— even if these topics don’t interest you. You then will be prepared to make sound  judgments about all operations.

Identify your knowledge gaps and then fill them by seeking appropriate projects, detail assignments and volunteer experience. Exploit training opportunities offered by your agency and professional organizations.

Toughen your skin.  It’s lonely at the top; you have to be prepared for that. Being a strong leader sometimes requires making unpopular decisions, and even sometimes making decisions that you might not necessarily agree with yourself. You must be prepared to take the bull by the horns, and bear criticism and negative responses from others.

Remember the importance of providing a clear, strong rationale for decisions after the fact.  Be prepared to explain the consequences of your actions and inactions.

Listen to the objectors. Try to respond in a positive, professional manner.  Always thank others for their different points of view.

Create a safe environment for colleagues, staffers and others to provide honest feedback — including opposing arguments — on your decisions, speeches and strategies.

Go for the long haul. Don’t let occasional defeats paralyze you. You don’t need a 100 percent success rate to maintain a leadership position.

Leaders, especially political leaders, don’t win every election and might not be on the winning side of every vote. But you have to stay in the game, and have a generally good win-loss record. Most importantly, persistence with integrity pays off.

Get beyond flattery. Get outside of insulated bubbles filled by ego-boosting yes people and aggressively solicit candor from advisers.

Reward others. Part of being a benevolent and popular leader is to publicly thank hard-working staffers for their contributions.

Acknowledge milestones in the lives of your staff. A congratulation   on a staffers promotion, anniversary, or birthday, may make big, lasting impressions on those whose support you need.

What’s your motivation?

I absolutely HATE cleaning house so to motivate myself, I put in my Alice Cooper “The Alice Cooper Show” CD from 1977 and listen to the concert.  While listening to music, I couldn’t help but think about Alice Cooper in his sixties, still out there performing. Interestingly enough, you can watch the same band today and he attacks the stage and with the same energy.   It’s almost as if he’s playing to people who have never seen them live and he wants to make the experience unforgettable, AND to those who’ve seen them many times before.  In both cases, the concerts are outstanding. Alice Cooper plays like it’s the first time anyone has seen them.

It became very clear to me that the music is infectious and my motivation.  What’s yours?  Is there something that you do routinely and are finding yourself getting bored with?  If so, remember, the routine you do might be the first experience somebody has with you.  For them, they would expect to see you performing with the enthusiasm of it being your first time “on stage.”  If people have dealt with your or your organization before, they expect you to top the last performance.

Jimmy Buffet must be absolutely SICK of singing Margaritaville, but it’s his signature song.  He needs to perform it as if the audience has never heard it before.  For them, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see him.  If I ever get to see Alice Cooper in concert, I’ll expect to hear all the classics performed with the energy I see in my 1977 CD, anything less would be a letdown.  You can’t afford any of the people you contact to have a letdown either.  What’s your motivation?

This week, think about what you can do to treat your job, audience, task, or performance as if it’s the first in front of a new audience or in front of someone who’s seen it numerous times.  It will definitely cause you to ramp up your game.  I’m up for it.  Are you?