Business focus

Why HR Often Sucks

Bob and Jed discuss the Top 10 reasons why HR often sucks, and what you can do to begin to fix it.

Watch the ‘Why HR Often Sucks’ Video (14 mins 59 sec):

Download the ‘Why HR Often Sucks’ Video (mp4)

Download the ‘Why HR Often Sucks’ Audio (mp3)

Why HR Often Sucks Podcast Slides (.ppt)

Check out the ‘HR as a Strategic Partner: Why HR Often Sucks’ Cheat Sheet

The SMART Goals Acronym, BHAGs, and Other Silliness

“My goal now: to be the all-being ruler of time, space and dimension…. And then, I want to go to Europe.” – Steve Martin

For the low price of about $5000, you can spend the weekend with some screaming hucksters (who you would run far away from in a normal social setting), who will guide you to the perfect collection of personal and professional goals that will change your life, and provide the happiness that has always alluded you. Your registration also includes a coffee mug, and a handsome leather portfolio for all your hand written notes.

It seems that the SMART acronym (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-phased) is not the stuff of which great goals are based. You can also dispense with BHAGs (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals) made famous by Jim Collins. Nope, the only way to achieve greatness is to pay your $5000, and lose a weekend of your time.

I’m thinking about advertising on the same forum a one-hour seminar on how to avoid rip-offs, but only charging $2500. I would assume I would be marketing to the same clientele.

Don’t get me wrong – I think goals are important. However, I don’t believe their commodification is necessary. You can write your goals in whatever format you wish on the back of a napkin, and get everything out of it your would by paying your $5000. The reason most goals fail to be achieved is because people lack the discipline to follow up on their goals – not because of how they are written.

I do believe everyone should have goals, and I do believe you should write them down. The SMART acronym can help you write higher quality goals, and Jim Collin’s idea of BHAGs can help you to write something inspired. If you don’t buy into either of these, write them as you see fit – just write them.

SMART Goals and HARD Goals

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What are SMART Goals?

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-bound

Why We Like SMART Goals

It forces people to focus on specific things
It is very clear when goals are achieved
They are connected with the overall objectives of the organization

What are HARD Goals?

Heartfelt – My goals will enrich the lives of somebody besides me
Animated – I can vividly picture how great it will feel when I achieve my goals
Required – My goals are absolutely necessary to help this organization
Difficult – I will have to learn new skills and leave my comfort zone to achieve my goals

Why We Like HARD Goals

It takes people beyond normal performance
Encourages discretionary effort
The only way to create a “game-changer”

Project Post Mortems

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What is a Project Post-Mortem?

A “look-back” from a specific project or course of action
Occurs after the fact
Documents lessons-learned for use in similar future circumstances
Compares expected results with actual results

3 Types of Post-Project Mortems

A full, comprehensive project post mortem for the project or action
Bundle the project with other similar ones and debrief together
No post project review will occur, but it will be a conscious decision rather than just not getting it done

Benefits of a Project Post-Mortem

Documents the wisdom gained through experience, and what could be done differently next time
Understand why things went well (or not), and why
A form of structured feedback
Improves communication

How to Conduct a Project Post Mortem

Decide on scope and who should participate
Establish ground rules, and meeting roles
Conduct Gap Analysis
- Review expected performance or results
- Document actual performance or results
Document action items arising as a result of the PPM

Questions to Ask at a Project Post-Mortem

What are the KPIs for this project?
Where the requirements and goals of this project clear at the beginning?
Did we achieve the business objective?
What went better than expected?
What did not go as well as expected?
How were specific problems overcome?
What changes would be made if we were to do this project over?
Which process or methods caused frustration?
What specific tools or techniques were useful on this project?
Next time we need more/better involvement from…?
Does a smaller group need to go offline and evaluate parts of this project further?

Tips for a Successful Project Post Mortem

Do it as soon as possible after the conclusion of the project or action
Do not assign blame, but rather focus the intent on learning
Talk about team performance
Keep the discussion focused, and do not allow digression to related issues
Look for an 80% solution

3 Things to Remember about Project Post Mortems

Don’t let the project post-mortem become bigger than the project it was meant to assess
Take the time to do it well
Make it a learning exercise – don’t make it about personal blame

Leadership Boot Camp

Find out all about the Wily Manager Leadership Boot Camp:

Why bother?
What it’s about
Who should participate
How it works
What’s covered

Listen to the ‘Leadership Boot Camp’ Podcast:

: Download Podcast (MP3)

Leadership Boot Camp Podcast Slides

Download the Leadership Boot Camp Brochure:

Wily Manager Leadership Boot Camp Brochure

The 80/20 Rule and the Office Martyr

As a society, we’ve decided that many behaviours that were acceptable only a few decades ago, are now completely out of the question. A careful viewing of any episode of Mad Men will confirm how much has changed in a relatively short time. Gone are the days of getting completely plastered at lunch, and then driving back to the office to finish up your day. Same goes for smoking, recreational drug use, gambling, gluttony, and virtually all other forms of excessive, self-destructive behaviour.

There is one glaring exception: workoholism. I am often bombarded on Monday mornings with tales of alleged heroism about how someone successfully avoided their family all weekend, so they could work right through to finish some insignificant office project. The same people will drone on about how they get to the office before 7.00am, and work past 6.00pm on a regular basis.

Here’s a newsflash: this is something to be embarrassed about, not something one brags about. Not many people entertain people at the water cooler boasting about their other self destructive vices:

“I spent the weekend gambling away my kids’ tuition money!”

“I ate 12 boxes of Krispy-Kreme’s in one sitting on Saturday. Then I purged, and did it again.”

“I’m pretty sure my eating disorder is serious enough now to warrant medical attention”

All of these sound as ridiculous to me as, “I work 80 hours per week on a regular basis”. Congratulations – you’re completely dysfunctional, and probably need to see a mental health professional – top speed.

Workoholism is the working professional’s last and only chance to be a martyr. These martyrs think the tales of their self-perceived heroics will place them in higher standing amongst their peers and boss. It doesn’t – the only thing your organization cares about is what you get done. Think of how many times in your working life you’ve seen the obsessively hard worker be passed over by someone else, who works significantly less, but gets way more done.

There are only two situations that I could envision someone working an 80 hour week:

1) The exceptional project, event or occurrence that will quickly pass to return to a more reasonable way of working, or

2) You are a farmer – in which case you have my gratitude and respect.

The rest of you need to wake up and realize this self-destructive behaviour for what it is. For thoughts on how to get out of workoholic trap, visit our site this week, where we talk about the 80/20 rule, and how to apply it.

The von Manstein Matrix

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Who Cares About von Manstein?

Career military man who finished his career advising the West German government
He assessed top performers on how they got things done
Provides guidance on how to organize our time

The von Manstein Matrix:

The Pareto Principle:

80% of your results will come from 20% of your efforts
You need to work hard to identify the 20%

How to Get “Lazy”:

Don’t fall into the activity trap. Nobody cares how busy you are, they care what you produce
You need to do more than just work hard
Decide what NOT to do

Applying the Matrix:

Don’t try to keep all people happy all the time
Have a work plan
Practice saying “no”
Assess your direct reports on the matrix
Fire the hardworking, stupid ones

How to Manage Up Without Brown Nosing

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If you want to get ahead, then you need to manage up. But how do you do this without brown nosing?

Learn to manage up the right way:

This is important because….

Your boss is probably your most important stakeholder
Problems often arise from style differences that are easily managed
It’s costly in time, effort and credibility if you get it wrong

Figure out what your boss cares about:

Ask to see your boss’s goals and ask about his/her top priorities
Link them to your own
Set up a recurring meeting if one is not currently in place
Assess your boss’s world-view

Create and manage two-way expectations:

Know what is expected of you – preferably in writing
Communicate what your expectations of your boss are
Ask your boss about his/her style
Never surprise your boss
Make your boss look like a star

Ask for feedback:

Actively seek out feedback from your boss and others
Listen and act on feedback that you get
Give feedback generously to your boss and others

Adjust your style:

You can only control your own behaviour
You are accountable for your relationship with your boss
Communicate in a way that is most meaningfulto your boss
- Media
- Level of detail
- Frequency
Look to complement how your boss operates

The Vision Statement

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Vision helps to define where the organization is headed. The vision should paint a clear and compelling view of the future that helps everyone understand where the organization is headed and perhaps what it will be like once you’ve reached your desired state. It must motivate, be ambitious and should stretch people to achieve more than they thought possible.

A clear vision is one that answers the question …Where are we headed?

Once you have your vision in place, then you can proceed with the strategies, plans and budgets to map out exactly how you will move ahead to realize the vision.

A clear vision has the potential to break through all the forces that support the status quo and encourage a true commitment by:

1. CLARIFYING the general DIRECTION for the organization;

2. MOTIVATING people to take ACTION in the right direction;

What Makes a Vision Great?

Clearly, some visions are better than others. Who can question the success of Bill Gates’ “A computer on every desktop” at Microsoft? This vision was successful because it possessed a set of characteristics shared by all great visions. Great visions are:

Imaginable – they convey a picture of what the future should look like.
Desirable – they appeal to the long-term interests of employees, customers, stockholders, and others who have a stake in the enterprise.
Flexible – they accommodate individual initiative and allow alternative responses in light of changing conditions.
Memorable – they communicate a message easily and are somehow ‘catchy’ or hard to forget?

What Works and What Doesn’t Work

What Works

Trying to see – literally – possible futures
Visions that are so clear they can be articulated in one minute or less
Vision statements that are creative and memorable. It needs to be simple, yet catchy to make it stand out. Think short, fun and to the point.

What Doesn’t

Assuming linear or logical plans and budgets alone adequately guide behavior when you’re trying to leap into the future
Overly analytic, financially based vision exercises
Giving fifty-four logical reasons why our future needs to look different than our past

Get the Complete ‘Strategy Starter Kit’

The Strategy Starter Kit includes:

Strategy Starter Kit Workbook (pdf, 40 pages) – A series of questions and fill-in-the-blanks that result in your completed Business Planning Document, containing aligned Mission, Vision, Strategies, Goals & Objectives, as well as a Sustainment Plan to ensure success.
‘Aligning Vision, Mission & Goals’ Full-Length Video (approx. 15 minutes) – Audio (mp3) and Visual Slides (ppt) can be downloaded separately
‘Aligning Vision, Mission & Goals’ Cheat Sheet (pdf, 1 page)
‘Mission Statements’ Podcast + Podcast Slides (mp3, ppt)
‘Mission Statements’ Cheat Sheet (pdf, 1 page)
‘The Vision Statement’ Podcast & Podcast Slides (mp3, ppt)
‘The Vision Statement’ Cheat Sheet (pdf, 1 page)
‘SMART Goals and HARD Goals’ Podcast & Podcast Slides (mp3, ppt)
‘SMART Goals and HARD Goals’ Cheat Sheet(pdf, 1 page)

Mission Statements

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While the vision statement is future oriented and describes where the organization wants to be in the future, mission statements are firmly grounded in the present, describing what the organization, department or team does. The Mission describes the purpose of your organization, product or service. It answers the question “Why are we here?”

Even if you are working within a larger organization think as though you are in business for yourself as though you are a consultant or contractor with skills and talent the organization needs for a specific purpose. Why do internal or external customers need you? What is your team or department committed to providing to it’s internal or external customers?

Why Create a Mission?

A clear mission provides grounding and purpose to your organization. It communicates the focus of the organization. What the organization does. It’s purpose. A well-written and well-communicated Mission can coordinate the actions of many people in a fast, efficient way.

Without a focused mission statement, the risk is that the organization limps along, attempting to be everything for everyone, with no limits, no parameters, and no focus. Lacking focus the organizations energies and resources may become stretched over more activities than can be properly served with excellence.

Mission statements help clarify what business you are in; with that clarity you are then in a much better position to articulate your strategies and goals.

What Works and What Doesn’t Work

What Works:

Mission statements that are clear statements of the business purpose
Missions that are moving, capturing your heart as well as your head
Focused language that provides guidance in decision-making, clearly explaining what the company or department or team does.

What Doesn’t:

Unfocused statements – we will be successful in everything we do … we will exceed the expectations of our customers.
When the Mission is too confusing. If your mission statement is packed full of technical terminology and business lingo, it loses its effectiveness.
Mission Statements that are too long – trying to cover absolutely everything. Relating fifty-four things the company does.
A Mission that is not grounded in reality. It’s okay to be hopeful, but when hopefulness crosses the line into sheer fantasy … there is a problem.

Get the Complete ‘Strategy Starter Kit’

The Strategy Starter Kit includes:

Strategy Starter Kit Workbook (pdf, 40 pages) – A series of questions and fill-in-the-blanks that result in your completed Business Planning Document, containing aligned Mission, Vision, Strategies, Goals & Objectives, as well as a Sustainment Plan to ensure success.
‘Aligning Vision, Mission & Goals’ Full-Length Video (approx. 15 minutes) – Audio (mp3) and Visual Slides (ppt) can be downloaded separately
‘Aligning Vision, Mission & Goals’ Cheat Sheet (pdf, 1 page)
‘Mission Statements’ Podcast + Podcast Slides (mp3, ppt)
‘Mission Statements’ Cheat Sheet (pdf, 1 page)
‘The Vision Statement’ Podcast & Podcast Slides (mp3, ppt)
‘The Vision Statement’ Cheat Sheet (pdf, 1 page)
‘SMART Goals and HARD Goals’ Podcast & Podcast Slides (mp3, ppt)
‘SMART Goals and HARD Goals’ Cheat Sheet (pdf, 1 page)

Why HR Often Sucks

The SMART Goals Acronym, BHAGs, and Other Silliness

SMART Goals and HARD Goals

Project Post Mortems

Leadership Boot Camp

The 80/20 Rule and the Office Martyr

The von Manstein Matrix

How to Manage Up Without Brown Nosing

The Vision Statement

What Makes a Vision Great?

What Works and What Doesn’t Work

Get the Complete ‘Strategy Starter Kit’

Mission Statements

Why Create a Mission?

What Works and What Doesn’t Work

Get the Complete ‘Strategy Starter Kit’

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Tools For Busy Managers