Time for a Mid-Year Review

It’s already July. Half of the calendar year is gone. You know what that means, don’t you? It's time to assess what you have accomplished at work so far this year, and how you are going to make the most of the next six months. Although the year is only half gone, the time has come to start making plans for 2011 goals and budgets, so you'd better be sure you have 2010 solidly in hand.

Don’t let another month go by before doing the following:

REVIEW SPENDING & REMAINING BUDGET: Figure out whether your expenses are falling into line in comparison to your budget. Determine whether the pace of your spending will keep you on track through to the end of the year. Did you budget major expenses that you do not have a solid plan to spend? Have you earmarked your capital expenditures for action? If your goals changed in a way that affects spending, figure out whether you need to “give back” any approved funds. Remember, although being grossly under budget may come as a nice surprise to someone in your finance department, it reeks of bad planning – just like being over budget. Make whatever adjustments are necessary to put you in line at the end of the year. If approved mandates have pushed you over budget, make adjustments in other categories if possible, or be sure that all the right people are aware of the impact of the coming discrepancy.

ASSESS PROGRESS AGAINST PERFORMANCE GOALS: You committed to achieving specific things this year. Have you kept your eye on the ball? Are you accomplishing the things you must accomplish, or spending too much time on things you find more appealing? Be realistic when analyzing how well you are doing toward meeting your goals. Document proof of what you have achieved. If you need to realign your daily efforts with your goals – do so now, because October/November will be too late. Post your goals somewhere you can’t help but see them every day. If you’re stuck in the mud – find help from a mentor or a supportive colleague.

PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO EMPLOYEES: Your team members deserve structured feedback more than the once a year they get a formal review. Schedule opportunities to touch base with all your direct reports during the middle of the year (assuming you are still several months away from their performance review). Your goal should be to give honest feedback, coaching, advice, and/or direction that allow them to make any necessary adjustments BEFORE their formal review. No one should be blindsided about issues at the end of the year when decisions are being made about performance ratings/rankings and pay increases based on merit.

SEEK FEEDBACK FROM YOUR BOSS: Touch base with your supervisor to be sure his/her expectations are still in line with your plan and goals. This is the time to know if you need to change gears or refocus your energy and efforts.

Dive into the rest of this year armed with a renewed sense of planning. Don’t let the second half of 2010 get away from you!

Wanna Lose Your Job? Here’s How.

Who hasn’t worried about getting fired at one time or another? We suffer over that little mistake that we're just sure will bring on the pink slip and send us packing. In reality (assuming a company follows the letter of employment law), it’s not that easy to terminate someone’s employment. When an employee makes an honest mistake, they usually get an admonishment and another chance. An “attitude problem” isn’t just cause to fire someone either; but may result in some painful coaching sessions and a lack of opportunities to be promoted.

In a world of uncertainty, there is one certainty in employment. Violate specific, documented corporate policies and get caught, and you will find yourself on a road to swift and ignominious termination of employment. Commit one of these “felonies”, and soon you will be saying, “How do I apply for unemployment benefits?”:

EXHIBIT CHRONIC ATTENDANCE ISSUES: Arrive late, leave early, take more than the allotted sick days, return late from vacation – it is measurable and all adds up to unreliability.

STEAL FROM THE COMPANY: Cheat on your expense account, pilfer office supplies, and/or use corporate resources for personal projects.

VIOLATE CORPORATE ETHICS POLICIES: All big companies have written ethics policies. Violating some of them can not only result in loss of your employment, but could land you in jail.

HARRASS YOUR FELLOW EMPLOYEES: Complaints about sexual overtures or any threatening behavior that creates a hostile work environment are dealt with as serious and are not tolerated by any highly-evolved organization. Harassment policies are backed by federal law.

FAIL TO ACHIEVE YOUR PERFORMANCE GOALS: How you perform against your annual goals are a measure of how well you are doing your job. If you miss the mark here, you are in trouble and (at best) will find yourself working an Action Plan to exhibit that you can improve your performance.

The author does not intend to make light of job loss, but to offer a serious review of pitfalls that can lead to termination of employment (so that they can be avoided).

A Bow to Experience

Today is the day after Fathers Day in the U.S.  Fathers Day is particularly poignant for those of us who have lost our dads.  This weekend, many precious memories played like movies in my mind. I also spent some time ruminating on how my father's guidance made me the person and professional that I am.

You can pursue something similar by seeking mentoring relationships in your workplace.  An official program is not required. Is there an experienced person in your organization you particularly admire, whose successful career you would like to emulate?  If so, you can approach that person and explore the possibility of establishing a mentor/protege relationship.  Why not?

Preparation is important before asking for help from a mentor.  Think about what you want from a relationship - and be realistic. (Don't expect to earn a promotion by cozying up to a senior executive.  That's not what mentoring is about.)  Instead, define two or three overarching goals for your professional development.  Think about what sort of information and experience your mentor can share with you that would help you move toward accomplishing your goals.  Focusing in on what you want from the relationship will make the experience mutually rewarding.

Part of the value of a mentor's input is for you to get a perspective that is more objective than yours and your immediate supervisors.  Open your mind.  Examine what is offered from all sides.  Ask questions.  Share your concerns and ideas.  Try new things.  Tell how the help provided has affected your performance.  In short, make the most of the value of the mentoring relationship.  Think about what you can/are giving in return.

Are you hesitant because you think there's nothing in it for the mentor?  That's not true.  Many people in the later stages of their careers find great fulfillment in helping others achieve their goals.  It's part of preparing the next wave of leaders to take the reigns.  Those that have "been there - done that" like knowing that sharing their experience can educate and help others be more effective and successful.

Approach a prospective mentor.  Bow to their experience. Learn and be enriched. Someday you can pay it forward.  

Textbook Service Recovery by Crate & Barrel

It’s not often you have a customer service experience that is SO GOOD you feel compelled to tell people about it, but I had one recently with Crate & Barrel. What they did to recover from a service issue was perfect, and I am one impressed customer (and customer service consultant). Here’s what happened:

I ordered a rug for my vacation home, paying extra for expedited, 2-day delivery. I needed the rug to arrive before I left town to return to my primary residence. I was assured that the 2-day delivery was “guaranteed”. Unfortunately, the rug did not arrive as scheduled.

I called Crate & Barrel Customer service from the airport, on my way home. The agent (I’ll call her Nancy), immediately apologized. She told me she was sure the rug would arrive today. When I explained that I wouldn’t be there, she said, “Oh no!”. (Points given for immediate apology, and for the genuine expression of dismay.)

I explained that my 60-year old neighbor lady planned to watch for the rug to arrive, and get it into the house herself, and expressed concern about her trying to wrestle with a very heavy 8’ X 10’ wool rug. Nancy blurted out another “Oh no!”, and offered to “send someone” to my home to meet my neighbor to move the rug into my house. She also explained that Crate & Barrel takes “full responsibility” for UPS’s failure to deliver as guaranteed. (Points given for the second “Oh no!”, the offer of help for my neighbor, and for taking responsibility for something beyond C & B’s immediate control.)

As it turns out, the rug did show up the next day and my neighbor managed somehow to get it into my house. Nancy from C & B made a follow-up call to me to check up on whether they needed to send help. She also assured me that C & B would refund all delivery charges to me (before I asked). (Points given for follow up call and for doing the right thing regarding delivery charges.)

Now for the icing on the cake, in terms of service recovery… When I explained that my biggest disappointment was inconveniencing my neighbor, Nancy asked if I would provide her with contact information. C & B is sending my neighbor a note of thanks and apology, along with a gift card. (Major points accrued for this!!)

Would I order from Crate & Barrel again? Already have – to the tune of several thousand dollars. This is a company that hires good people for customer service, trains them well, and empowers them to do the right thing. I was so wow’ed, that I had to spread the story around. Thank you, Crate & Barrel.

The Business Travel Talk

Whenever I sent an employee of mine on a business trip for the first time, I always invited them into my office to explain corporate policy and the unwritten rules of representing the company on the road. The following is a genericized version of this talk, which I hope will be helpful for people early in their career. Sometimes no one tells you the unwritten stuff until you get in trouble. I believe in helping people stay out of trouble.

First of all, understand that the opportunity to travel for business is a privilege, not a right. We are putting our trust in you to represent the company appropriately. If you don’t follow travel policies, the privilege will be taken away.

Make your reservations though the travel office. They will apply the policies as far as preferred airlines and prices. You will be flying coach, and may sometimes be booked on connecting flights if the price differential is substantial and the connection time is reasonable.

You have been provided with a corporate credit card to be used exclusively for your business expenses. Use of your corporate card for personal expenses is an offense that would result in termination of your employment. Keep all of your travel receipts, as you will be required to submit them with your expense report at the conclusion of your travel.

The company will reimburse you for the cost of getting to and from the airport. You can take a taxi or use your personal car. (No limos or town cars.) If you choose to use your own car, keep track of your mileage, as you will be compensated at a per mile rate. You will also be reimbursed for airport parking. Rent a car at your destination only if doing so will be cheaper than using a taxi to get where you need to go. Do not drink and drive.

You are entitled to three meals a day. Be reasonable. Don’t eat lobster every night, but I’m not telling you to eat all your meals at McDonalds either. The company does not pay for alcoholic beverages, except in cases where you have been authorized to entertain customers. Your after-hours entertainment (e.g. movies, shows) are not reimbursable. Laundry/valet expenses are not paid by the company, unless the length of your trip exceeds three nights. Use your judgment, and know that I will be reviewing your expense account in detail.

At all times during your trip, you are representing the company (even when traveling outside normal business hours). Your attire should never be overly casual, and you should be well groomed. For work and meetings with clients, dress appropriately for their environment. It’s always better to be over-dressed than under-dressed.

Congratulations. Have fun. Work hard. Make us proud. Don’t get arrested, because I won’t bail you out.

Leadership Lessons Remembered

From discussions and questions that are posted online, it’s clear that there is an unending quest to understand what makes a good leader. Although volumes have been written on the subject, new ones will continue to be written. Why? Because there are so many situations and variables that affect how good managers can be effective leaders, such as the needs of individuals on a team, the work, the environment, etc.

When I look back on my corporate career, here are the most memorable leadership lessons I learned from specific managers and mentors in my life:

Working for Eva, I learned to have a sense of urgency. If I didn’t, a verbal kick in the backside provided the needed motivation. I learned to do good work quickly under the pressure of deadlines.

From Terry, I got guidance without micromanagement. He would articulate his high level perspective on a project or task, and give me lots of room to figure out how to approach and accomplish it myself. He provided advice and resources, and cleared a path for me.

Joe told us how he expected us to operate as a team, and held us to that standard. He had little tolerance for those who were dishonest with or disrespectful of their peers. His personal and professional ethics earned my admiration.

Tim is a creative thinker that always had ideas for me when I was stuck on a problem. He gained my personal loyalty by being unfailingly supportive when I faced treatment for a serious illness.

Who were/are your career mentors, and what facet of leadership did you learn from them? Post a comment and share your experience. Maybe we’ll write our own volume on leadership

Plan B

When you are responsible for devising a plan with specific goals in mind, you are wise to consider multiple options before identifying your preferred approach, or your "Plan A".  And when you have a Plan A, you should always also have a fully-developed Plan B.

Plan B is an alternate approach to achieving your target goals.  Why is Plan B so important?  Because variables beyond your control may make your cherished Plan A suddenly impossible, undesirable, or impractical.  Plan B is a form of risk management.  Your ability to apply proactive analysis in a way that supports flexibility and responsiveness will promote confidence and respect among your stakeholders. When you run into a roadblock, Plan B allows you to take another route, without skipping a beat.

Plan B should evolve organically, as a result of having an open mind and accepting ideas and input from your team, colleagues, mentors, stakeholders, consultants, and your boss.  There is always more than one way to address a challenge - and there are usually several "best" ways.  Assess pros and cons, cost, risk, resources, scope, and projected results.  The best options will become clear.  You and your team together should determine Plan A.

Spend time on preparing a case to support your choice.  What was your thought process?  Why did you make the decisions you did?  Explain why you rejected unformed Plans C, D, and E.  You may want to reserve Plan B in your pocket, in case the decision-makers have an unexpected bad reaction to your Plan A.

This brings to mind an exchange I had with my boss some years ago.  I presented my Plan A for his review.  Upon receiving his approval, I picked up a piece of paper on which I had outlined Plan B and ripped it into small pieces.

BOSS:  What was that?
ME:  That was Plan B.
BOSS:  Why didn't I get to see that?
ME:  Because you approved Plan A.  Trust me; Plan A is a much better solution.

Have a well-conceived Plan A, backed up by a viable Plan B.  Hopefully, you will need to go no farther.