Stuck between mediocrity and excellence

Everyone makes fun of the soft stuff.  Personality assessments.  Psychological profiles. Team building exercises. Ropes courses. Trust falls.  Etc...  But maybe making fun is really nervous laughter because it's the soft stuff that causes self-reflection.  Everybody wants to provide criticism and advice. Nobody wants to receive it.  Guess what?  How people perceive you is reality. How legendary you may think you are is not reality.  Therefore take the soft stuff seriously.  You may actually improve yourself. 

It is common in the management consulting industry to conduct 'assessments' for organizations.  This is usually done for free or as an investment. Inevitably the consulting firm will find "opportunities" for improvement. Hell. As a bonus you'll probably get a roadmap of projects to address those opportunities.  Opportunities turn into SOWs thus turning into billable work.  It's kind of like going to the doctor knowing that he or she will always find something wrong that will end up causing you to spend more money.  The problem with assessments is that not only are they are used as a 'wedge' to get into a client's business, they are used for consultants to understand the client's business.  Every trip to a new doctor requires him to baseline your health.  That visit should always be free.  But unlike doctors whose responsibilities are to make recommendations to keep you alive and healthy, there are some consultants that are like d...

Everyone wants to be part of the in crowd.  In small companies, the in crowd is synonymous with leadership. In professional services firms, this could be synonymous with a Partnership. In listening to a recent HBR Webinar  on office politics, the advice given was to become politically savvy and do what it takes to become part of the in crowd.    Hard work no longer gets you noticed and promoted.  What you need to determine is how much of your soul you are willing to give up to become part of the in crowd. At what point does it become selling out?  Let's say that you don't want to sell out.  The next piece of advice is to create your own in crowd - you just don't want to be in a crowd of one.  When finding or creating an in crowd, you should not have to lose too much of yourself. Find like minded individuals that align with your set of values.  Life becomes so much easier. 

When you are doing something that you truly care about and are passionate about, title shouldn't matter.  Partner, President, EVP, CEO, Ironman  - these invoke a desired perception in others.  It's the perception of power, prestige, and wealth. As Diddy would say, "It's chasing the paper and not the dream."   Take a look at the people around you that are making a difference.  Do you remember their titles or do you remember their names? I'm not going to discount the fact that behind the names, these people are usually a founder or builder of some thing . But maybe that's part of my point. My point is to get people to remember your name. Title only matters when you want to become the head zookeeper. 

When you join a professional services firm, the first thing you should ask is, " How do you do things around here?"  I'm not talking about the administrative tasks like putting in time and expenses, getting your security badge, understanding which internal sites are important to go to on a consistent basis, or any of those other routine activities that you'll eventually figure out with experience.  What I am talking about is:  Delivering quality service and deliverables Delivering customer satisfaction Building client relationships Collaborating with your peers  Growing your personal brand  Growing the firm's brand If your onboarding experience is dominated by finding the bathroom instructions as opposed to living the values of the firm, then you've made a big mistake if you are looking for that organization to add value to you. Once you've realized that you've made a mistake, immediately search for people that have made t...

When calendar invites come out with no purpose or agenda they can induce what I call the Sphincter Effect.  Figuratively what happens is that your anxiety level rises and that aforementioned part of your body tightens up.  You begin to speculate what that meeting is about. You begin to send out emails  to understand what is going on.  Depending on your personality, the thought of what may  happen could consume you.  The Sphincter Effect is not instantaneous- it builds over time as a result of experience.  It requires a few experiences with the same people in the room before the effect starts to take place.  The good news is that there are ways to manage the effect so that your sphincter doesn't stay tight too long.  Decline the meeting. The only problem with this is that you've only delayed the inevitable. The effect will come back stronger the next time a situation calls for it. Change your perspective. There a...

In the project management and change management world, there is a tool commonly used called a stakeholder analysis. It's should be used to identify people that could torpedo your project.  If only that was the case.  Many people use a stakeholder analysis to identify everyone that needs to be informed on the project's status.  I remember sitting in a meeting reviewing a stakeholder analysis and it might as well have been a dump from the HR system listing the entire corporate hierarchy all the way down to the summer intern.  The goal of any manager is to reduce the amount of noise in the system (increase the signal-to-noise ratio). This ultimately means streamlining communication. It kills me when an email goes out with hundreds of people in the To: and even more in the Cc... You are essentially asking for unnecessary noise which leads to decreased productivity.  It kills me when the answer to solving a problem is to insert even more managem...

Management consulting is more of an art than it is a bundle of commoditized service offerings.  There are organizations that may claim that they do management consulting, but the reality is that they have taken a skill set, commoditized it, and that's what they are selling to you. Every client will tell you that their business is unique. And every consultant will tell you that business problems are not unique . Business problems are business problems- only with slight nuances. The key for the management consultant is to make the recommendation unique to that client.  True management consultants are not replaceable. They are either too experienced, too efficient, or too much of an expert. (Taken from Maister ) . True management consultants also know how to build trust and develop strong relationships with their clients.  Unfortunately I think that the word 'consultant' has been diluted by too many people claiming that they are one and by companies claiming that these ...

  There is a big difference between project management and project leadership .  An effective project manager (PM) should be a  good leader.  An ineffective PM can quickly be designated as the PoPo (i.e.,Police for those of you unfamiliar with the term).  There are probably more ineffective PMs than effective ones because many project managers believe project management is a process- one filled with status reports, templates, budgets, checklists, and project plans. If anything, project management can bring out one's inner robot. The problem with that is that teams don't like working with robots.  Project leadership is combining art with a process. It requires a high degree of emotional intelligence. It requires an ability to navigate corporate hierarchies and recognizing who gets things done and neutralizing the Teflon Don's . It requires a hint of executive presence and a personality that is easily liked. The reason it's important to be likable is b...

There are a number of lists out there to serve as career or life checklists. You can go to Inc.  or HBR  and find a number of them. I have referred to a few in my previous posts. For example, there is not only a list of what successful people do, but also what hyper-successful people do!  There's also a lot of content out there about the characteristics of leaders. But what about the followers? Who talks about them? Here's what I think "followers" are thinking about leaders when determining whether they want to follow or not.     Followers (We) / Leader (You) We don't have to like you, but we sure as hell have to respect you. Even if you are an as*hole, at least you have the expertise, experience, and reputation so that we can respect you for what you know.  If we don't respect you, then we  better like you.  Likability goes a long, long way. There are plenty of really nice, incompetent people that go far in life. Be consisten...

Working successfully in middle management requires extreme  patience and tolerance for the inane.  In my experience- I can't count how many times- clients don what's known as "the Teflon suit" and practice the well-known art of denial and deflection.  The Teflon suit is the uniform of many middle managers. You may even find the three-piece version monogrammed with the initials, PMP.  The problem with the Teflon suit is that the crap (i.e., issues) has to go somewhere.  Unfortunately, it lands smack on the leaders and managers that care and hold themselves accountable to a project or initiative's success.  What does that mean if you aren't the lucky one to hit Jos A. Bank during the 10 for 1 sale of Teflon suits? Believe it not, the rise to senior management rests on the ability to shed the Teflon and put on the velcro onesie. The key is to make sure you clean the velcro on a regular  basis.  LIke all things fashion, the Teflon fad do...

In high school, I used to work in a warehouse / retail store. It was good money at the time and I looked forward to the overtime because I would get time and a half. I remember clocking in and clocking out and thinking nothing of it. The more I worked, the more I got paid.  Fast forward a few decades to the billable hour. There are a few more zeros, but the concept is still there. The more you work, the more you get paid. In professions like management consulting and law, you get paid enough not to really think how much you (not the Firm) gets paid per hour because your salary is well above what the general population makes.  In reality, is that the way we should work? I remember reading a post a while back that said we should mimic the schedules (not lifestyle) of rock stars or actors. Work your as* off for a certain period of time and be able to control your down time. If you think about it, having to clock in and clock out does not let you really control your time. Ask ...

There is a lot of advice out there that talks to influencing others without having authority.  You see it in a lot of change management material where a client comes up with some initiative that spans the entire organization and you are responsible for implementing that change . Tactics include- building a coalition, creating the right environment, being all nicey nicey, etc...  But what happens when you're trying to influence your immediate project team without any authority. The people that "report" to you work for one boss. You report to another boss.  On top of that, your clients have managers that are also your boss!  From the outside looking in, you know that it's a complete cluster. The prevailing attitude on the inside is that it's just the way it is.  What do you do? Telling everyone that this structure doesn't make sense gets you in trouble.  Laying down the hammer makes your project team roll their eyes because they don't report to you....

By offering a consultant at a certain rate per hour, you are dictating where in the client food chain you plan to work and sell. The reason why premium consultants are premium is because only top executives at a client can afford them.  The majority of clients would say, "$600/hour for that guy! That's ridiculous." I call them the EDLP clients. (Everyday Low Prices). The clients that understand the value of what that person provides would say,"$600/hour for that guy! Who cares. I have a $5M problem!"  So ask yourself - Are you selling you and your value to the right client?  If you are realistic about your self-worth, you will know which clients to fire and which ones to help. The organization should also be realistic about your worth and find the right clients to sell to. Don't make the mistake of letting a company discount your worth right off the bat.  When you sell to the wrong clients, you end up with headaches, misery, and a lack of motivation- ma...

"Meaning, it seems to me, is the product of caring, not vice versa. What we care about, we value." - Michael Gerber, The E-Myth Revisited I hear a lot of people say, "I just want to do meaningful work." For a year, I nodded my head and empathized without really thinking about what that really means. My reaction was to pile on and say something like, "Yeah.. turning knobs and checking boxes is not my idea of meaningful work! Gripe, gripe gripe.." So what is meaningful work? It's work that you care about. It's not only work that you care about, others have to care about it too. People need to feel significant and be recognized. I would care more about my work if others cared about it too. As an example, if my Manager actually cared that the fries were perfectly salted and crispy, I would be the best guy on fries that McDonald's had ever seen! I think back to when I was traveling and wonder if I did meaningful work. The answer is yes - ...

"When you cannot ask for help without self-judgment, then you cannot give help without judgment."  -Brene Brown In my StandOut profile, my two leader strengths are Pioneer and Advisor.  This explains the profession that I am in.  What gives me the right to give someone any advice?  I never made Partner at a big Firm.  I'm with my 4th company where I have no leadership role whatsoever.  If you read my posts, you would think that all I do is complain about everything.  Those don't sound like very good credentials.  What's the other quote? "Those who can, do; those who can't teach"? That's not really helping my cause either, is it?  But you know what? Every career consultant started out with little to no experience. Over time- through apprenticeship, continuous learning, and a few significant projects here and there- a consultant earns the credibility to give advice. A true consultant never stops learning. Quite frankly, y...

I am a QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) junkie.  In-N-Out Burger. Wendy's. Bojangles. Captain D's. Chick-fil-A. You name it. I'll eat it.  There was a period when I worked in Grand Rapids, MI where I went to Steak 'n Shake every Tuesday and ordered the same thing. If I see a Sonic, forget about it.  For those of you that don't have kids and are annoyed at the play set in these restaurants, just wait until you have kids. You'll appreciate it. Chick-fil-A is a spot that has seen an increase in my patronage simply because my 3-year old loves to play there.  So imagine my surprise when I hit up a CFA and saw a conference room -executive table, widescreen TV, leather chairs -- the whole nine, instead of a play area.  Macklemore's song probably said it best, "This is (bleep) ing awesome"  Despite what you may think about management consultants and how they want to sit in the executive conference room with the table made out of a 1,000 year old oak tr...

In Dan Pink's book, Drive , he describes a  theory of motivation that identifies 3 main drivers - autonomy (our innate need to direct our own lives), mastery (learning and creating new things), and purpose (do better by ourselves and our world).  If I described an environment where you could show up to work when you wanted, leave when you wanted, talk to whoever you wanted (within reason of course), and had no rules or processes to be held accountable to - do you think you would be happy? Before you answer, the best part is that you are getting paid to work there.  I would have to believe that you would say, "Hell yeah! The place you describe sounds awesome!"  The only problem with this is that, as my Ops professor used to repeat in each class, "Structure determines behavior." A lack of structure leads to the proverbial inmates running the asylum- or something worse - inmates getting stuck or lost.  The allure of autonomy is attractive to everyone. But ...

Today is Face Your Fear Day.  At least that what a Realtor told me in a 15 second interaction at Starbucks today.  Her fear was the fear of walking up to random strangers and  talking to them.  She gave me her card.  Did I look her information up?  Absolutely.  Then I forwarded her information to my wife because my wife is a Real Estate Agent too. (I'm sure that wasn't the Realtor's intent).  Did the Realtor accomplish anything by facing her fear?  I believe so.  Find ways to step out of your comfort zone. You may accomplish something that you've never accomplished before. 

The donkey gets a bad rap.  I've probably said the word more time in the last 2 years than I have my entire life.  In 2012, I blogged about it .  I pick up Rich Dad Poor Dad and read this: "It's just like the picture of a donkey dragging a cart with its owner dangling a carrot just in front its nose. The donkey's owner may be going where he wants to, but the donkey is chasing an illusion. Tomorrow there will only be another carrot for the donkey...If the donkey could see the whole picture, it might rethink its choice to chase the carrot."  The "illusion" can be any number of things - social status, power, entitlement, fame, notoriety, wealth - you name it. The point is that once you get it, it may not have been the thing you were looking for.  The only donkey to get a good rap was the Donkey in Shrek. But he could talk, woo a dragon, and his best friend was an ogre.  Unless you have that going for you, try not to be a donkey. 

A friend of mine told me to read True Professionalism by David H. Maister.  You know those guys that articulate what you are thinking in a much better way than you can?  He's that guy. For anyone in the management consulting business- or just professional services in general, I highly recommend reading this book.  In the book, there are 11 mechanisms that he outlines to enforce the values of your organization or Firm. If you are managing a professional services organization or are leading one, replace Throwing the Elephant with this one. Trust me on this. Professionals agree to be coached and managed to strictly enforced, agreed upon standards. There is a lot going on in this first one. A person has to agree to be coached. An organization has to have standards. Personally, you need to have standards as well.  Teamwork is mandatory, not optional.  There's a poster on despair.com that says, "Meetings: None of us is as dumb as all of us." (Everyone laugh)....

A long time ago I read Colin Powell's autobiography . It's easy to argue that he is leadership defined. In his book there are 13 rules that I've written down time and time again. It's time that I post them so that others either become interested in this amazing man and his journey to success or apply these rules to how they lead others-- maybe both. It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning. I had a friend on one of my very first consulting engagements tell me to ask these questions before jumping and screaming about an issue or decision. "Is someone going to die? Is someone going to lose a sh*tload of money? If the answer to each of those is no, then it's really not that bad."  Get mad, then get over it. Getting mad is now amplified because of the multiple ways to express that anger. Email, IM, Twitter, Blogs (guilty as charged), Social Media posts. Maybe it's time to go retro. Maybe it should be, get mad, close your co...

The lesson of the Impressionists is that there are times and places where it is better to be a Big Fish in a Little Pond than a Little Fish in a Big Pond, where the apparent disadvantage of being an outsider in a marginal world turns out not to be a disadvantage at all.  - Malcolm Gladwell, David and Goliath There is a myth that when you leave a big Firm to go to a small company in the same industry, you will be a Big Fish in a Little Pond.  More often that not, the Little Pond turns out to be an Aquarium. The water is different. The talent is different. The standards aren't the same. Everything is just -- different. And not in a good way. The natural feeling is to think that it's you. How can someone that has had success and tenure at a reputable Firm, or just life in general, all of a sudden become an average citizen?  The reality is that the environment -- not 100% of it plays a larger role than you think. In social psychology, this is associated with the spotlig...

To endure a non-ideal existence to let circumstance or others decide life for you, or to amass a fortune while passing through life like a spectator from an office window.  - Tim Ferris, The 4-Hour Workweek  My mom used to tell me all the time that I was lazy. And people wonder why my self-confidence is at an all time high. Keep in mind that she is Asian and her frame of reference is atypical. You could have 10 jobs, be full-time in school, AND be a parent--it still wouldn't be good enough. But she's still amazing and I wouldn't have gotten through life unscathed without her.  Tim Ferris's definition of laziness is a little more palatable than my mom's. To make myself feel better, I'm going to believe that this is what my mom meant when she called me lazy. There are people that really love the grind. Or do they? Maybe they've been programmed to think they loved the grind. When I worked for a Big Firm, my work consumed me. I remember saying that the Fi...