moment(s)

As we walked through the gates of the Magic Kingdom on Sunday, my 3-year-old daughter got a surprise; the lady who took her ticket looked her in the eye and said sweetly, "Happy Birthday, Lily". I was slightly impressed; my daughter, however, was amazed. In one fleeting moment, Lily realized that she, on this day, at this place, was special.

Then...it happened again, and again, and again. She was wished a happy birthday over 50 times during our day at Disney, each time with a smile and a moment. Every single 'cast member' that crossed her path, from the cashiers to the ride-runners, from the 'real' characters (i.e., Pluto and Ariel) to the virtual ones (i.e., Crush and Nemo), from the Voices of Liberty to the robot trash can, every one of them called her by name, looked in her eyes, made her feel special. Consumer/parental satisfaction? Check.

However, I was not struck by the 'customer service' or 'user experience', though I probably should have been. No, what kept amazing me was the consistent and total buy-in from the Disney employees. Though hundreds (probably thousands during peak times) of people celebrate their special days within Mickey's walls, I saw no hint of fatigue, no eye-rolling, no ignoring, nothing at all to make me feel like my daughter was one-of-many, instead of one-in-a-million.

She was, to each employee, special, if only for that moment when we crossed their path.

We talk a lot about 'evangelists' these days. We survey our customers, we survey our employees, we survey our management, all in an attempt to classify who the detractors are, who the evangelists are, and who lies somewhere in between. We crunch the numbers, assume that there is Truth in them, and present/spin them to make a statement to the masses, both internally and externally. But to what end? I have yet to find a number that has any special qualities, let alone one that can shift the tide.

Perhaps instead of pointing to numbers, figures based on questions that are less Truthful than vague, we should look to moments. Instead of asking ourselves how many employees fit within a certain fabricated category, we should ask ourselves how many of them feel special, how many of them feel valued, how many of them feel unique.

Numbers, graphs, figures: yes, they all have a place. But so do I, and so do my colleagues, and so do you.

Take a minute to ask yourself how many of your employees are special to you; take a minute to make a moment for one of them; then take a minute to watch what happens.

If we spent more time making moments and less time making surveys, well...maybe we wouldn't need surveys to locate evangelists. My guess is that they would reveal themselves.

shanti,
mjh

humbug

My neighbor's Christmas lights are still up. And they are on. It's 10:30 pm on January 8th, and their holiday decorations are still lighting up my normally-dark piece of the world. It's likely that you are faced with similar sparkling reminders of late 2009, and perhaps you are faced with similar angst. Don't get me wrong; I'm a huge fan of the holiday season, but seriously, it's over, right?

Interestingly, this phenomenon is not relegated to "joyeux noel" (or "bom natal" for my Indian brothers and sisters; at least, I think those are right). It crosses all of our minds when we hear about the TV show that we have long since stopped watching being canceled; the web platform that no one uses anymore finally being shut down; the band that we haven't thought about since our youth that is still touring; the news of the once-famous actor, still using his catch-phrase, who just passed away. We ask ourselves, isn't that, wasn't that, shouldn't that have been over?

This momentary pause begs the question, why do we (and I think we all do in our own way) continue to hang on to a past that has...well...passed?

There is a danger in not recognizing the fleetingness of moments and in holding on too long to an internal, personal definition of 'self'. It is said that you are not who you think you are, but instead, you are who others think you are. In plainspeak: you might think your band still rocks, but take a look at the audience; you might think you are spreading Christmas cheer all year 'round, but take a quick poll of your neighborhood; or more to the point, you might think you are leading, but you try listening to those who are (supposed to be) following.

If you, as a leader, are not adapting, evolving, shifting with the tides, then you are likely not leading at all. If your metaphoric Christmas lights are still up even though the moment has passed, then you need to check your credibility; your team might still be following, but the angst, snickers, or finger-pointing might be following, too. Just because your team is accompanying you does not mean that you are leading them.

Tomorrow morning, I will smile and wave at my neighbor, like I always do. But I will also roll my eyes as I walk back down the driveway, as I always do. Thankfully, he wouldn't care. He has no stake in my opinion of him; you, however, you just might.

shanti,
mjh

weather

It snowed here today in Tennessee; we had less than an inch of accumulation at my house. Yes, that's snow to us. Every school in the area was closed today; several businesses shut down early; medical appointments were canceled; the shelves were bare at the local supermarkets. This phenomenon is part of my culture.

On the other hand, we had numerous tornado warnings in 2009, and no one really blinked. School was not canceled when tornadoes threatened to appear; grocery stores functioned per the status quo. Having survived the devastating F-4 of 1998 in Huntsville, AL, tornadoes do not phase me, nor my kind. 22 people were killed (one of them, my friend's brother), 500 injured, hundreds of homes wrecked. Tornadoes are a fact of life in the South; snow, however, is not.

So, to me, those of you who panic over tornados...well, that's just silly; those who panic over snow, I completely understand. Perhaps, you are the opposite. Maybe an earthquake is no big deal to you, but it would freak the pants off of me. Hurricanes, no problem, but threaten to put me in the path of a wildfire, and I would lose it. Weather, and how we react to it, is a cultural divide; it's one of the only divides, in fact, that seems PC to discuss. It is not about race, religion, age, gender; it is, quite simply, weather. But it says a lot.

If you chuckle at the seeming overreaction of my town at the threat of snow, that is good. That means that you get the point. If you empathize with our snow freak-out, then that is good, as well. You also understand.

Each of our teams, each of our little cultures inside of this monstrous coporate universe, have a culture. Thankfully, that culture is not built on superficialities such as race or gender. The culture is based on empathy and understanding, skill-sets and competencies, experience and survival. Here in CLP (where I work), if you come to me with a customer's complaint about bleedbars, I totally get it. If you do not understand why EdSched is built the way it is, I understand. It's our culture, and, likely, it is a culture that very few "others" would understand. On the contrary, I read posts on our company site about programs and issues that are foreign enough to me that a 23rd-century being could have penned them.

So, what is the point?

It's simple. Cultural acceptance is not a phenomenon only relegated to the obvious classifications. We have rules, laws even, to make sure that we do not discriminate, nor demonize, those of a different creed, sexual orientation, belief system, age, skin color, etc. Too often, however, we fail to accept those who interpret the weather through a different lens than our own. You might not define 'snow' the same as me; I might scoff at your fear of tornadoes. However, the truth is, there is no right or wrong here; there is only culture.

Remind yourself: though you might not agree with, understand, or even care about the priorities or emotional reactions that are coming from parts of the company-culture that you don't fully understand, that those pieces are valid, important, and necessary to our overall, binding existence.

We are who we are, and we are where we are, because we are who we are. Once we learn to accept the differences in our corporate culture, we will be able to connect on levels very few companies have ever achieved. Then, and only then, will we will finally be able to weather any storm that might befall us.

shanti,

mjh

socks

i.hate.socks.

Let's just get that out of the way. The reasons will not be foreign to you: they lose themselves, unmatch themselves, rip themselves, and they fall down. Constantly. I believe wholeheartedly that socks are a necessary evil. However, for the sake of fairness, I will not ask you to agree that they are 'evil'; let's compromise and call them a "necessary nuisance" (NN).

NNs are, by definition, bothersome 'things' or tasks that cannot be avoided. Just as I have never found a decent alternative to socks (though this video has given me some ideas), I have also not found acceptable alternatives to many of my NNs here at work: timecards, PDPs, databases, administration, paperwork, etc.; passwords, login IDs, timeouts, VPNs, etc.; clutter, random long emails, phone calls, customers, etc. (I think you get my point). So what is a person to do when faced regularly with thorny 'stuff' that is unavoidable?

Thankfully, we already have a coping mechanism built in; we learn it from our first days on this earth. Dealing with NNs is not really the issue; all of us do it, with or without complaint. Acknowledging them, however, that is the key.

Take some time this week to do just that; let your team know that you know NNs exist, that you are aware of them, and that you think they suck, too. Genuine empathy can break down walls that no amount of logic can touch. This is not misery-loves-company, however; this is leading by example. If you acknowledge, instead of ignore, NNs, and if you handle, not complain about, them, your team will follow. Your team will follow.

There is peace in true empathy; there is peace in acknowledging nuisances; and there is peace in strong leadership. And if all else fails, come to work wearing only one sock and see how many of your team members understand you better.

shanti,
mjh

presence

First a repost (of a repost):

My 2-year old daughter, like most 2-year-old daughters, has a doll that she has latched onto. she carries it around; it rides in the car with us; she puts it down for naps. this particular doll has limited interaction: touch her cheek, "mama"; tickle her foot: laughter; squeeze her hand: crying. Lily, of course, does not understand the catalyst for her Darla vocalizing. However, her reaction is always the same. she does not sing to Darla, she does not chastise her, she does not try and converse with her, she does not ignore her.

Lily simply touches Darla's head and softly states, "Darla, I am right here. I am right here."

The one and only most important priority in the Lily/Darla relationship is presence; rain or shine, good or bad, light or dark, Lily simply states, "I am right here."

Sure, that is a bit emotionally-tingly, if you are in the right mindspace when you read it. However, there is a truth here that directly resonates within the corporate walls. I spent some time today watching a video (internal to my company) that featured RR-H, MV, and FR. I was impressed with the fact that each speaker, of their own accord, mentioned the importance of saying "thank you". It's a truism often understood outside of the company walls, but it was very uplifting to see it expressed internally.

And it got me thinking: if money is nice, and if expressed gratitude is motivating, then what is necessary?

I keep coming back to the episode above. Presence, it seems to me, is perhaps the most basic, yet imperative factor in a successful work culture. Not your own presence (the importance of that goes without saying), but the presence of those around you, those who support you, those who suffer with you. Without companions, partners, teammates, without a sense of belonging, there would be no "company".

We should all take the time today to remind those who rely on us, those we rely on, those we support and are supported by, that we are here; not merely here, but "right here".

Be present, not only in form but also in function.

shanti,
mjh

bubbles and their makers

A couple of months ago, my friend Jaime and I decided to make a bubble pact, effective January 1, 2010. Essentially, we both agreed that we have been very blessed in this life but that we really weren't living up to the responsibilities of such blessings. In other words, we were very comfortable in our bubbles. To remedy our mostly selfish existence, the bubble pact was agreed upon: once a month (at least), we will leave our cozy little circle and challenge ourselves to participate in (a) something new, (b) something uncomfortable (to us), and (c) something with a hint of "the greater good".

But I don't write this to discuss my personal bubble pact. I bring this topic up simply to ask about your own bubble, professionally speaking. Are you comfortable? Have you added anything new to your professional space lately?

2009 seemed to be a shoring-up year, a year where most teams/groups/decision-makers were afraid to make moves because there was such uncertainty in the market. However, if the fog seems to be lifting, if you think you can see a few feet in front of your face these days, why not adopt a bubble pact of your own for 2010? Adopt a new technology, research the future, befriend a random name from your Enterprise network, try some crazy new processes, write a simple program, and see what happens.

If bubble-bursting became the norm, well, there wouldn't be many bubbles left to contain us, would there?

shanti,
mjh

from LN blog: 1

losing the way

As with many readers/writers/collectors, I have many favorite quotes/passages. One, however, is permanently inscribed on my brain. I think it everyday; I face it everday; I try and live it everyday.

..frightened
I may already have lost
the way: the first step, the Crone
who scried the crystal said, shall be
to lose the way.
-- Galway Kinnell, The Book of Nightmares

Many large companies, many small teams, many promising ideas are lost and paralyzed by the fear of the unknown and the unwillingness to veer from "the way". Our hope should be that there is courage enough within ourselves, our teams, to see past the seemingly logical path ahead and to leap to that unknown. It is a universal truth of youth that a man must lose himself to find himself. I find myself often wondering why, then, this same inspired mantra does not find a home within corporate culture.

Let us remember that without the blind courage of others, we would not be able to see today.

I long for the mantle
of the great wanderers, who lighted
their steps by the lamp
of pure hunger and pure thirst
and whichever way they lurched was the way.

--Galway Kinnell, The Book of Nightmares

shanti,
mjh

crossing channels

I've started a new blog that exists only within the walls of my company. As part of Enterprise 2.0, Lexis has created an internal networking site that I have quickly come to enjoy. Since I can't possibly think of TWO things to blog about, I am going to be posting some writings "out here" as well as "in there". Call it a lazy way to try and keep both blogs going. Or you could view it as a peek into my corporate-tainted brain. Either way, it's cool.

shanti,
mjh