leadership Archives - 911�Թ�

Falling Through Two-Way Doors – Empowering Employees to Embrace Risk

Jason Beans — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 17:00:38 +0000

We live in a risk-adverse culture. I see this professionally and even at home with one of my young daughters. She’s talented in many areas, but she’s exceptionally hard on herself when she can’t accomplish something right away. In these situations, she becomes discouraged to the point she stops trying.

For a child, FAIL is nothing more than the “First Attempt In Learning.” As her father, it’s my responsibility to help her grow comfortable with failing so she can be the best version of herself.

Likewise, in business, one of the biggest mistakes I see talented people make in their careers is being afraid to fail. The prospect of failing is so intimidating, they pursue goals they are guaranteed to achieve rather than aim for more ambitious outcomes they could miss. They are so motivated to avoid error, they shortchange themselves and their colleagues, sacrificing creativity and ingenuity for the safety of the status quo.

To make any decision is to take a risk. Some percentage of our decisions will fail. According to JP Morgan’s Chief Marketing Officer, , “If you’re not failing, then you’re not learning.”

One of the best ways people can get comfortable making fast decisions is to focus on “two-way door” decisions making, rather than “one-way door” decision making. Jeff Wilke, Senior Vice President of Consumer Business at Amazon, does a great job the critical difference between these two: “A one-way door is a place with a decision if you walk through, and if you don’t like what you see on the other side, you can’t get back. You can’t get back to the initial state. A two-way door, you can walk through and can see what you find, and if you don’t like it, you can walk right back through the door and return to the state you had before.”

Two-way door decisions are reversible and therefore require less vetting. As Wilkes says, “Why would we need anything more than the lightest weight approval process for those two-way doors?” What applies for Amazon as an organization applies to people as well. Why worry too much if you can walk it back?

As a CEO, I encourage my employees to make two-way door decisions. This may take the form of releasing a software enhancement that can be rolled back, or piloting a program within a single department before implementing company-wide.

One-way door decisions require more thought and buy-in since they cannot be undone. Both decision types have the potential to yield great results, but one-way decisions risk greater repercussions if they are wrong and take greater care and vetting.

If fear of failure is hindering your organization’s ability to innovate or your personal ability to take risk in your life, consider using the concept of two-way door decision making. It is a safe, simple, smart way to open up your employees or yourself to the risk of failure, and, more importantly – the risk of success.

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The Paradox of Expertise

Jason Beans — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 16:11:13 +0000

Why did no one in the taxi industry create a phone app to improve the ride ordering process (Uber)? Why didn’t Sear’s dominate online sales (Amazon)? Why didn’t the Big Three auto companies design the first really innovative electric car (Tesla)?

Expertise and experience should be a competitive advantage when it comes to innovation. Yet, the most experienced people are oftentimes blind to new opportunities.

It’s called the “paradox of expertise” – the more closely a person is immersed in an industry, the more successful they’ve been in a company or a profession, the harder it can be to see new patterns, prospects, and possibilities.

In fact, show “experts” are no better at predicting their industry’s future than actuarial tables.

One way to avoid the paradox of expertise is to cultivate new knowledge, drawing inspiration from other industries and collective insights. Leaders who neglect to be learners plateau. The best leaders are almost always insatiable learners.

“” is a question I put to myself daily and one I encourage all leaders, wherever they are in an organization, to ask themselves too.

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10 Bad Habits to Eliminate from Your Daily Life

Jason Beans — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 18:55:16 +0000

A recent cited 10 common bad habits that endanger our health, hamper our productivity, and harm our relationships. Some habits identified are widely acknowledged “no-nos,” such as cigarette smoking and using electronic devices before bed. Other cited habits that I personally struggle with are keeping a cluttered desk and snacking out of stress or boredom. The article is worth a read, but, given both their personal and professional implications, three bad habits really struck a chord with me:

Complaining

Complaining in excess of 30 minutes a day damages a person’s brain, according to research by Stanford University biology/neurology professor . Whether you’re the griper or the listener, persistent exposure to negativity peels back neurons in the hippocampus – the part of the brain used for problem solving and cognitive function. Over time, complaining becomes habitual, and, if you’re surrounded by complainers, you’re more likely to become one.

To keep my brain as sharp as possible, I surround myself with positive people. Chronic complainers who consistently give voice to what’s wrong in their lives or who persist in seeing the world from a “glass half empty” perspective drain my energy and I avoid them. I also strive to practice discernment instead of judgement. Discernment is looking at a situation and saying, “I would have handled it differently.” Judgement is saying, “I can’t believe the fool did that.” Judgement is draining, discernment is not.

Gossiping

“Gossip creates gall, envy, and torture that disrupt digestion and create mal-stress,” Dr. Kathy Dooley. “This stress exacerbates anxiety, tension headaches, and other pre-existing symptoms associated with stress.” On top of the physical maladies a gossiper themselves can experience, their words can hurt others and disrupt otherwise healthy workplace relationships and environments.

When I witness high school level social interactions in a professional world, gossip usually plays a large part. My customary counsel is never to say anything behind a person’s back that you wouldn’t say to their face. Of course, in business, there are times when we have to coach up or part ways with an associate and determining the right course of action requires discussing the person without them present. But if you have your coworkers, clients, and the business’ best interests at heart, the odds are any discussions will be devoid of gossip.

Making Excuses

All of us fall short sometimes. But explaining why we failed doesn’t negate the fact we did. Nor does prefacing a new project with a big disclaimer so we have a ready excuse when we don’t succeed.

“Wisdom stems from personal accountability. We all make mistakes; own them… learn from them. Don’t throw away the lesson by blaming others,” advises behavior scientist and author Steve Maraboli.

Setting (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound) goals at the outset of any project increases the likelihood of repeated success. And embracing failures when they do occur demonstrates maturity and self-awareness. In my experience, people who succeed more than they fail and who own up to their failures are best suited for leadership roles.

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Leadership Navigation: Resourcefulness vs. Process

Jason Beans — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 19:49:00 +0000

I recently went on a long boat ride to the middle of nowhere. The ship was very well run. Because of the tight space, everything had a clear place. Everyone knew their jobs well. Whether pulling into port or fishing, the crew all knew what had to be done to run the process. They fixed broken items. They cleaned, maintained, and kept the ship organized. They prevented and prepared for any future potential issues.

When the boat was running in clear skies and calm waters, it was interesting to watch. Observing the captain, it was amazing how often he appeared to be doing close to nothing. The boat was on autopilot for long periods of time while he just sat there. The process and systems were so solid, he did not need to do much. Over-steering would have just made the ride rougher and less efficient.

When things got rough, it was a different story. When a storm blew in, or the waves were huge, or we hit dangerous waters with rocks and reefs to watch out for, he had to jump in and ensure that everyone was protected. There were rough nights where he and the crew did not sleep, in order to keep the boat and passengers safe.

This struck me as a good analogy for what a leader should be.

When someone is new to a job, or a company takes on new business, there can be periods of intense work. Leaders need to make sure everyone gets through it. However, that should not be the normal state. The goal of a leader should be to set up the process and empower their team so people do not need to work 18-hour days, nor live in a state of “fight or flight.” People will burn out if that state goes on too long. There is always the need for preparation, improvement, and maintenance, and the goal should be smooth sailing most of the time.

Of course there will occasionally be tough times. As a leader, I want to know that my team is WILLING to do whatever it takes to keep our clients happy and the company running smoothly in these times. I want to know that the long days and “do anything to succeed” drive are in someone, but they should strive to not have to use that drive frequently. Our goal should be to get through the tough times, and keep improving our systems so those tough times happen less and less often.

Process and resourcefulness. A leadership needs to navigate both.

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Dealing with Enemies and Conflict

Jason Beans — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:26:00 +0000

I recently read an article on how two Best Buy power players, the Founder and the new CEO, went from enemies to a unified front. The three main points on how the new CEO diffused the situation are as follows.

Show humility

This is the most common error I see. People think “respect” is earned through power, structure, and establishing dominance (i.e. I’m smarter, I’m tougher). The whole Alpha Dog syndrome. The problem is the eventual unproductive outcome when two Alpha Dogs meet, refuse to back down, and ultimately fight it out to see who really is the dominate one. Humility can take the edge off of another party vs. escalating the tensions and entrenching pride.

Tap your relationships to defuse tension

When meeting someone new in a tense situation, mutual acquaintances can add “safety.” Uncomfortable new beginnings happen a lot in work or personal life. For example, if we take over a client, and some of the staff love the previous vendor, finding someone they know and respect who can say “I’ve worked with them and enjoyed the experience” can take some of the edge off. It doesn’t mean they stop liking the competitor or account rep, but they may be more open to the fact we may not be so bad and they might give us a more fair shake.

A little bit of give and take

Negotiation is about trading things that people value more or less so each party feels they received a good deal. If a miner with millions in gold is starving, they may value a piece of gold less than a farmer who has plenty of food, but no long-term security. I can see the Founder valued his legacy greatly and felt it was being diminished. Showing respect for that desire was not hard or costly for the new CEO, and his main goal was to eliminate the hostile take-over so he could unify and run the company. They both won because they traded things they each valued less for something they valued more.

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Growing a Company Montessori-Style

Jason Beans — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:50:00 +0000

I’ve been looking at schools for my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter and I was floored by the quality of education available today.

One school, , really stood out from the rest. It’s fostering a science and culture of learning that is unbelievable. The days I remember of mindless memorization and hours of sitting bored and frustrated listening to lectures are no more. While I wish I could relive my school years, I realize, especially after my recent Montessori school visit, that I’m reliving those years every day alongside our Company’s 200+employees. I discovered that what we’ve been fostering for the past 14 years within the Company’s culture is based heavily on the Montessori method. Here are six common philosophies we share to develop the human potential:
Management Style: “With freedom comes responsibility,” that’s the principle I heard students and teachers state many times. Students are expected to behave in a proper manner in order to continue to have the freedom they love. 911�Թ� employees have freedom, but with that comes responsibility. We foster an objective-based leadership model rather than a task-based management style. We define the top corporate goals, the unit chooses their top goals (aligned to corporate goals) and the individual can set their own goals (aligned to team goals). By defining KPIs (key performance indicators), the teams and individual can find and execute quality improvement projects to improve their KPIs.

Focus on Strengths:  Montessori encourages children to pursue their interests. They have freedom in sports, art, music and even learning topics. Equally impressive was that classes are divided by learning style. Similarly, 911�Թ� is a strengths-based culture. When a new employee arrives, the first thing we do is give them the Strength Finder and Predictive Index assessments to determine their top five strengths and a book to reinforce those strengths. We then design a “flight plan” for each employee to help them find what they love to do and have an aptitude for so everyone can achieve their life goals.

Huddles: Montessori calls it something different, but ultimately the end goal is the same. Kids get together themselves on a daily or weekly basis. They can talk about what is going on, where they are stuck and ask each other for guidance. The team helps each other and holds each other accountable. At 911�Թ�, we get together at the same time every morning in our teams, discuss our daily happenings, gain support if needed, and keep one another on task.

Variable Roles: The kids are put in positions where they need to be comfortable stretching themselves and leaning on others, and in situations where they are leaders, helping other children. Much like life, 911�Թ�’s Situational Leadership training and mentor program also mirror this reality. After all, a person must be comfortable helping others and/or asking for help in order to achieve their maximum potential.

Support: I noticed many systems in place for positive validation.  The children look out and root for each other. They are trying to climb mountains together, not play King of the Hill. Similarly, we have Company “High Fives,” “911�Թ� Rock Stars” and “Catches of the Month” to recognize employees for their professional achievements and milestones.

Ownership: I had the privilege to see some of the 6th–8th grade presentations to prospective parents; they were impressive and spoke volumes about their education. All you had to do was look at the children delivering these presentations to know this method of education is stellar. This is why I’ve always been an advocate for exposing our team to clients, with each unit being responsible for providing their own client tour. People don’t need the CEO or sales person telling them how good we are, they can see it with their own eyes.

911�Թ� has an amazing team and dynamic culture, one that has been written about in business publications and case studies. Over the years, I’ve been a dedicated student to the art of building a thriving Company culture. Yet who knew all I had to do was go to a different kind of school to get what I needed. Had I attended a Montessori school, I would have saved a lot of time, avoided a lot of mistakes, and honed my skills earlier on in life. At least now I can say I recognize the difference and want better for my daughter and for every employee at 911�Թ�.

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Leadership vs. Management

Jason Beans — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:31:00 +0000

Leadership and management are two very different things. Leadership “pulls” people. Management “pushes” people.

Everyone knows traditional management. Check on the team to make sure they are working. Clock breaks and punch out time. If people don’t comply, there are consequences. In bad situations, it can be exhausting and draining for both the person being managed and the person managing. This system was derived from the fact that most people are twice as motivated by fear as by gain. The issue is that it burns people out and makes them less engaged as a whole, requiring more management to keep them efficient.

Leadership is different. Leadership is about creating the common vision and pictures that inspire your team. It assumes the people around you want to do well and through your created vision are inspired to achieve that end though self-management. In this scenario, people are energized working for a goal instead of being drained.

If you are in a leadership role and find a large portion of your time is spent “managing,” sit back and try to think about how you can move towards leading. What can you do to make the team more engaged? Do they know the purpose of the unit and why it helps the company, the client and society? Are they fired up and engaged in the next big improvement you can all make together to improve the unit? Done right, the team is pulling because they are so excited. That is the ultimate objective of a leader.

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What to Expect with Change

Jason Beans — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:28:00 +0000

This is a on the process of change. It takes the “change” process and breaks it into a predictable path for adoption. As technology, society and companies evolve, things change.

The evolution goes like this:

Resistance
Mockery
Usefulness
Habitual
New Standard

I have seen this pattern over and over again throughout the years. I like the clinical aspect of the thought process. When resistance or mockery occurs, it’s easy to get angry or give up on the change. Just knowing it is a normal part of how people deal with change can help you to view each step as part of the process, and not take any of it personally.

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If Aristotle Ran General Motors

Jason Beans — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:05:00 +0000

Centuries ago, Aristotle wrote about the four transcendent virtues — Truth, Beauty, Goodness and Unity. He said these virtues were necessary to achieve good for the individual and society. put Aristotle’s philosophies to the test in his book, “” to see if these four transcendent virtues can be applied to our business world today.

Morris claims that when management keeps secrets and is less than honest with employees, the morale (Truth) of the company is damaged. He also asserts that employees must be made to feel that there is an inherent Goodness and sense of Unity in their daily work in order to inspire them to make their best contribution. Morris also feels that the aesthetics (Beauty) of a workplace need to be accounted for because this enriches the soul and brings out the best in people.

I believe these age-old virtues are critical to the development of a successful company. For years, we’ve been committed to focusing on all of these virtues. First, no matter the circumstances, good times or bad, we maintain an openess with everyone. While sometimes candidness can cause issues to brew, the trust created by truth far outweighs the negative. Second, establishing a pleasant, uplifting work environment fosters employee pride and instills a general sense of tranquility. Both are essential to creating a happy, productive workforce. Third, a “do good” mission gives purpose and meaning to employees’ work. For 911�Թ�, our do good mission is two fold: we help save people’s money, time and health and we help companies stay solvent, which in turn creates jobs. Lastly, it’s human nature to want, or even need, to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. One of our core values, Achieve as a Team, drives a culture of Unity.

As much as we think times have changed in the business world, many of the answers remain the same from Aristotle’s days in 384-322 BC. Truth, Beauty, Goodness and Unity remain evergreen concepts, even in our fast-changing, modern day business world.

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The Path of Least Resistance — It’s Downhill

Jason Beans — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:59:00 +0000

I often see people follow the “easy” path in life. The “path of least resistance.” They avoid hard work. They avoid responsibility. They get by doing as little as they possibly can in every situation. They may survive for a while. They may fool people for a while. They may charm people for a while. Over time, the only steps they seem to take are down. A little one here; a little one there. It adds up. Eventually, their life heads downhill fast and they are “in a hole” and need to climb out.

There’s a reason all the success terms involve climbing and heading up (“climb the mountain,” “climb the ladder,” “reach the pinnacle”) and all failure terms involve heading down.

Success in anything involves hard work. It’s a slow, steady, one step at a time process. Moving up, fighting gravity and exhaustion. Take the classes and study at night to get ahead. Save the money instead of buying a new car to save for retirement. Eat out one night a week instead of two so you can pay some bills. Work extra hard to do an amazing job on a project and get noticed. At some point on the path, you may find a view you like and you can slow down, that’s okay. The fact is, the good views are always somewhere on the way up.

The opposite is also true. Following the path of least resistance can be fun for a while. When I was a kid, I loved running down a hill or mountain; the speed and thrill. I felt so light I was almost flying. But all so soon, it was over. I had to turn around and head back up. Only this time, I had a lot further to go and the people that kept climbing were way ahead of me and really hard to catch. I had to work much, much harder to make up ground.

So remember, when you’re coasting, you can only coast heading in one direction … downhill. When you have a choice to make — easy or hard path — the hard path can seem tough at the time, but over the long haul, it’s usually a lot easier than having to walk the path twice.

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