What is the most important position at your company?

When I was in high school, I applied for my first job as a lifeguard at the local outdoor swimming pool.  Working there carried with it somewhat of an “Elite” status in my hometown.  I’m not sure that is the case anymore, but in my day it was most certainly the most highly coveted place to work in that small Iowa town as a high school student. 

The thing about that job that stands out most, now that I am in the “real” workforce, had nothing to do with the pool hotties, the spectacular tan I came back to school with, or even the rare occasions I felt heroic by rescuing a struggling kid in the deep end.  What stands out most now, is a question the Parks Director asked when I interviewed for the position.  He prefaced the question with, “Now the next question is one I always like to ask just so I know a little more about how you think.  There is no right or wrong answer; I would just like to know your thought process.”  The question was this:

“What do you think is the most important job at Riverview Pool?”

The jobs at Riverview Pool include; Lifeguard, Swim Instructor, Cashier, Concessionaire, and Manager.  At the time, I had no exposure to any type of business.  I had never really had a “big picture” view of any kind of operation.  I would venture to say I was a bit narrow-minded and un-educated.  That being said, I gave him a response I suspect was quite typical of his applicants.  I chose “Manager” as most important and said something along the lines of, “Without a high quality management team, the operations would not run smoothly…blah blah, BS BS, etc. etc.”  Looking back, knowing what I know now about business, I would change my response.  I would tell him that EVERY position is the most important position.  For fear of sounding cliché, I’ll immediately say that the justification for changing my response is NOT “because everyone plays an important role in the organization.”  Rather, if you think about it, every position serves a specific purpose to the patrons.  The most important position within that organization depends on the perspective of the patrons.  To the folks standing in line waiting to get in right when the pool opens, the Cashier is the most important position.  To the little kid struggling in the deep end, perhaps the Lifeguard is most important?  To the mom who has a gripe about paying admission and encountering a sudden downpour, the Manager is likely most important.  To the folks trying to pass the swim test in order to go off the diving board, I’m sure the Swim Instructor is most important, and to the 12-year old in need of his daily sugar fix-Lemonheads and Mountain Dew-the Concessionaire is DEFINITELY the most important position at Riverview Pool.

Think about it.  How many times have you seen some Brand Manager or some Executive walking around like they are the cat’s meow?  How many times have YOU walked around like the cat’s meow?  It may be subtle things, I know I’ve done it.  I'e done it as a Lifeguard at the pool and I've done it in business.  No matter how blatant or subtle the gestures of self-appreciation are, remember you are a part of a TEAM that services MILLIONS of people…you, individually, don’t always matter to them!

If your product isn’t up to your CO’s gold standard, your consumer gets on the phone and the person they talk to is most important.  If a distributor is missing a pallet from their last shipment, the Supply Chain Rep is the most important person in the company.  If a competitor is calling you out, “Your product is 50% less effective than ours!” then the Research and Development Analyst is most important!  Point: Stop and think about where you, as an individual, fit into the big picture.  When it’s your time to shine, SHINE!  When it’s your time to listen, listen.  When it’s your time to be invisible, be invisible…Let others have their moment too!

-@spittk07

The Not-So-Convinced Conspiracy Theorist...

So, Google just came out with a "Death Map" of all the recent clusters of animals that seem to be dropping dead everywhere.  I'm definitely not one of "those guys" but I do think something is a little odd about 4 species across 5 continents literally "falling over dead."  I'm not saying the Apocalypse is coming or anything...but how are people NOT talking about this?

The list of creepy mass deaths is to long too share in it's entirety, but among the list are:

- 5,000 Blackbirds in Arkansas

- 100 Pelicans in Jacksonville, NC

- 300 Doves in Italy

- 70 Bats in Tucson, AZ

- Thousands of fish in SE Asia

- 200 Cows in Sheboygan, WI

Okay...I'm no wildlife expert, but it seems incredibly coincidental that these and more would all occur within weeks of each other.  I don't buy the Plague theory, the UFO theory, the Secret Government Mission theory, or even the It's Been Happening For Years Just Not Reported theory.  But I do think something other than coincidence is going on here.  The question is what?

"If everything is changing, nothing is changing..."

In reading a number of blogs and articles via my new Twitter community: #usguys #smmeasure @socialmedia2day etc.  I have been thinking a lot about success.  Success on an organizational level, stems from any number of values that reflect quality leadership.  You see companies that die, and you see companies that continue to grow.  Have you ever heard a CEO blame a bad economy or a horrible market for a company folding.  If so, then you've likely heard a runner blame poor weather or faulty track conditions for losing a race?  The fact is, all of your competitors are experiencing the same conditions.  Why then did you watch them hit the finish a second and a half ahead of you?  Why in the midst of all that is "changing" did you fall behind?

Success in business, like on the track, depends on the values and beliefs upon which that business was built in the first place.  A number of things contribute to this belief system, both positive and negative and in uncertain, changing times we can lose sight of some of those things that have contributed to our success.  Like an athlete who has experienced great success, a CEO can just as easily tune out from the fundamental values that set the ship asail.  Organizations are changing so much now, that the greatest change that could occur would be to not change at all.  We often fail to remember that Change only occurs with respect to Stasis.  You see, too many executives look at change as a linear process by which people that resist represent something to conquer, an obstacle.  What they forget is that the very resistance they are trying to overcome is required for change to exist.  Successful change is something deeply rooted in the interaction between the changing and the unchanging.  I may have lost you there, so let me reframe my point.

As companies grow and move into the 21st century it is essential for them to remember the fundamental values that got them there in the first place.  Values such as; tradition, loyalty, authenticity, etc. are values that, while many things are changing, should never change.  Companies can and should undergo operational changes as newer and better technology strides forward.  They should be finding ways to optimize efficiency and maintain a competetive advantage in the marketplace without compromising the foundation of the company.  When CEO's find themselves faced with resistence, it is important for them to remember that those who are resisting the change are making an essential contribution to the process.  They are not operating out of stubborness, they are operating out of fear.  Not fear of the unkown; but rather, fear of losing that which is known (the core values the company was built upon).  If that is the case, prior to any change, CEO's should be asking themselves, "What exactly is it that should be preserved by this change?" This question may show those in support of the status quo that you are on there side.  That, ultimately, by proceeding with certain changes, you are really preserving the lifelong values that made your company successful.  Bottom line; Every decision made, be it by a CEO, a runner, a waitor, a telemarketer, should start with this thought process..."I am on their team...we both want the same thing...what do I hope to preserve in making this decision...what changes will allow me to preserve this while moving forward?"

On the Violence...

A lot of folks seem to be crying out with opinions on Gun Control, harsher sentencing, whatever after the recent violence in Tucson...It's so fundamental I wonder why anyone bothers trying to pursuade either side to change their mind...that's about as effective as trying to push an elephant off a cliff...

This topic, while tragic, stirred a lot of response. I'm sorry if I neglect to take sides on the issues of Gun Control, Religion, International Policy, Psychology, or any other hot topic for that matter in this post.  I have but one thing to say, and forgive me if someone has already said it:

"Treat other's the way that you want to be treated..."

I would NEVER say that anyone "deserves" to be shot at, nor would I agree that any kind of violence is the answer to anything.  I certainly don't know the messy details of what happened in Tucson; merely the what and the when...  But I will say this; that shooter CHOSE a horrible reaction to some-thing or some-one.  Nobody is born with the innate desire to murder.  Some external provocation conditioned this response from him.  That does not excuse what he did, nor does it justify people being hurt.  What it does do is offer ALL OF US an opportunity to think about the way that WE treat people.  It’s called “empathy” – putting oneself in one other’s shoes.

I lead a workshop at a leadership conference in college that focused on diversity.  Particularly on the things we do every day that we are unaware of which may have a negative impact on someone else’s world.  A few examples to think about:

When you go to the company cafeteria, think about the person washing your dishes before overloading the ketchup and dressing and leaving your garbage in the salad bowl...

When you are waiting in line at the gas station, remember, they are human and doing the best they can to serve the morning rush...

When you find someones lost wallet and it is stuffed with $300 cash, what if that was all that was left after cashing their paycheck?  What if they still had to get groceries for the family and pay the utility bill?

In a nut shell:  GET OUT OF YOUR OWN LITTLE WORLD!  Yes, you have a life, but we all exist TOGETHER.  I may be a lowly peon in the corporate ladder, but my friend Katie graduated with an HR Degree-maybe she’ll be the one who moves me up some day.  Katie’s brother Joe is an MIS graduate and he’s going to fix mine and Katie’s computers when they go down.  Joes friend Melissa is a Nursing graduate, she’s going to take care of all three of us when we are sick.  WE CAN’T GET THROUGH LIFE ALONE.  The world is an interdependent place.  Just once, stop and think about how OUR actions now can cause an unforeseen, tragic, conditioned response at some point in the future BEFORE you throw someone under the bus…

Where do I fit in?

Okay, so it just occurred to me  that I am on a "need to know basis" at work.  I didn't think that existed anymore!  My friend @tedcoine tells me that "knowledge is power in the 20th century" and that big companies are often too secretive about everything.  Okay, so where do I fit in then?  I was brought in to serve as a Social Media Specialist.  Allthough I am not highly skilled with some SM applications, I do know a great deal about customer service, marketing, influence, brand building, etc.  I thought I was brought in to help develop our currently out-source SM Marketing strategy.  I've been here 3 months, and I have sat in 1 SM meeting with my boss who, essentially picked our brains for ideas and in turn, gave us no feedback on what was taken out of the meeting. 

The "powers that be" just announced a new SM project that this team of "Specialists" had no hand in developing.  I get my jolly's by the work I do in marketing and communications, I love it!  Why, in a fortune 100 company, would you neglect to include a team of 5 millenials that grew up on this stuff in planning such a project?  These people all have 30+ years with the company and treat us like we are at the bottom of the corporate ladder?  They proudly declare themselves "agents of change" but are still stuck in this 20th century idea that "Knowledge is Power" and of course, no one is eager to speak up...we all know how difficult it is to find a job these days... Does that mean I just become a "yes man jellyfish" and watch our company fall behind the competition because we are not keeping up with the times?

-Please Advise

Listen to the Music: Margie's Music



The Doobie Brothers said it best...

...but my girl Margie Clayman is right on the money in her latest blog You Do It Yourself as well.

I saw the Doobie Brothers live two summers ago in Oshkosh, WI at the world's largest air show "EAA Air Venture" and walked away with a powerful message that Margie has evidently learned as well.  It's simple: Listen to the Music!

Do you ever feel, when a song comes on, that there couldn't be a more perfect song to narrate your life at that particular moment?  It happens to me all the time! For example; about two years ago, Bruce Springsteen told me to start Working On a Dream so, on a whim, I decided to introduce myself to the Festival Operations Manager (FOM) of a multi-million dollar country music festival in the area.  It is a lifelong dream of mine to put on concerts - specifically the 50th Anniversary of Woodstock...  Anyhow, I approached this "FOM" during the festival one year.  I told him how much I loved attending his event despite the fact that I was NOT much of a country music fan.  I also asked him if he had any opportunities to volunteer or intern for their organization.  He didn't hesitate to blow me off with a, "Thanks, I'm pretty tied up for the rest of the summer, shoot me an e-mail in the fall." Looking forward all summer to my next communication with the FOM it finally came time to call him and again he blew me off, "Well, we really don't accept volunteers, but get ahold of me again this spring, and maybe I'll have something for you."  I felt like giving up.  A number of things weren't going my way in life as it was, so the Beatles had to remind me that I should just Let it Be.  I shook it off and remembered to myself that all events are neutral, that I had nothing to be afraid of by putting myself out there and being rejected.  But then I also realized that I had not been rejected, the FOM told me to get ahold of him in the spring and that's exactly what I did!  I called him back six months later and again, "I just really don't know what I can do to get you involved here.  Why don't you get ahold of me the first week of June around festival time."  This time, I definitely knew I was cooked, until Journey said to me Don't Stop, Believin'!!!  It wasn't until the first week of June 2010 that I finally made some headway.  I happened to be helping put on a local Irishfest and was at the festival grounds the night prior to opening day watching another concert (Gin Blossoms) when who was standing behind me but the FOM himself!  I turned around and again, re-introduced myself.  He noticed my Irishfest Committee shirt and expressed interest in coming by to check out the festival.  I was able to secure two VIP Passes for the festival through a good friend to give to him and his wife.  After this, the FOM asked me to be a part of the country music festival I had been so persistant in trying to get involved with all year long!  Bruce Springsteen started me on this quest and Toby Keith capped it off reminding me that I could stick my toungue out at those who were calling me crazy and say, "How Do You Like Me Now?"

This is just one example from my life of the music telling me important messages.  Margie, thanks again for showing me that you too are always looking to learn wherever possible.  I know we all Listen to the Music and sometimes it is the only thing that clears out all the noise telling us we can't!

-Kyle