The notion of intellectual curiosity came up during my keynote last week.   In a brief exercise around culture and values a woman in the audience raised the notion of curiosity as a corporate value (she earned a quick $20 spot for her contribution).

Powerful.

We are living and working in a time of accelerating change.  Discovery.  Reinvention.

Intellectual curiosity and questioning the status quo should be embraced and required among progressive leadership in the approach to business strategy and performance planning.

I used to shudder when I would hear the words, “follow the formula” at work.  It seemed so crystal clear to me this was the mantra of an ending era.  This time around the previous history was no longer going to predict future performance.  This time around there wasn’t a clear pattern.  Trend line.  Process map.  Nope.

We have never been through this before.

We could analyze the previous thirty years of performance against any economic indicator we wanted.  Only to draw the same clear and compelling conclusion:  it doesn’t really matter.

What was good enough to get us here was clearly not going to get us where we needed to go.

Now we had to invent!

That notion is quite exciting to some.  Rather painful to those trying to command and control a compromised position in the marketplace.  The curious among us are required for this task.   It is a brave new world at work.

Curiosity is a core value of mine.  I am naturally drawn to those that question the existing order of things.  I have always done a bit of that myself.  I wanted to know why.  Unfortunately, curiosity runs counter to our conditioning.

We are conditioned at an early age to follow the formula.  Not to talk back.  Read the instructions.  Do what we’re told.  Not ask so many questions.  Hand in our homework (which lead to my 6 month boycott and subsequent F in Trigonometry class in High School – not my best moment as a Change Agent).

We show up at work and do the same.  Don’t talk back.  Wait for the instructions.  Do what we are told.  Don’t ask challenging questions.  Hand in our homework.

Unfortunately that is exactly the kind of conditioning that runs counter to what is so necessary to thrive at work today – change, innovation, category disruption.

It also runs counter to the traditional command and control style of leadership.

Today, more open, collaborative, transparent, relational, risk tolerant, even tempered, experiment oriented, humble leaders are better positioned to stimulate the new ideas and disruptive thinking required to advance.

Are you curious?

The enclosed webinar, recorded last week (Engage. Inspire. Empower.) provides some specific ideas and areas of concentration for today’s progressive leader around employee engagement and work style design. In case you missed it.

Posted in Employee Engagement, Leadership

Tags: Culture, Curiosity, Intellectual Curiousity

I believe in Passion at Work.  There are many things an organization and its leadership can do to make culture a competitive advantage.

I believe it because I have experienced it firsthand. I will talk about it tomorrow.  And I will support my premise with very specific examples and action planning to help accelerate the desired outcome objective.  There will be a To-Do list.

I also know that passion and reality don’t always intersect.  And it’s probable that most people don’t get to live their passion everyday.

People who work on their passion and actually turn it into work are typically people who make big sacrifices, put in the time, take some risks and are willing to endure hardship in pursuit of something they genuinely love.  They would often do it anyway…whatever “it” is.

The professional pursuit of one’s passion typically involves extraordinary commitment over a long period of time.  When that pursuit evolves into real preparation is when opportunity presents itself.  There will be hints, clues, signs and genuine moments of discovery along the way.   Those moments will tell you to keep trying.  They will give you strength.  They will be little silent victories on the journey.

Those are the special moments you get when you give.

When you spot success it typically isn’t luck.  There is usually a story about huge effort evolving into preparation that eventually intersected with an opportunity.

What’s your story?

Posted in Leadership, Sales

Tags: Culture, Passion, Work

I write and speak about Passion Culture.

From my perspective Passion Culture is a movement. A strategic decision. A clear best practice. And the very best chance an organization has to throttle down growth, accelerate value creation and sustain a long term competitive advantage. I am fond of saying, put your people first…and profits follow (yes, you need to make sure they are the right people in the right jobs).

We know it when see it. An energized workplace. Authentic leadership. Open communication. A culture of consistency, connection, camaraderie and caring. Trust. Personal growth and development. Recognition and fun. Customer loyalty and bottom line business results. The kind of place where everyone wants to work and right fit employees thrive.

Doing work on cultural immersion and communication strategy is one of my favorite aspects of the consulting work we do. This week our team spent several days interviewing peak performers of a Fortune 100 Best Company To Work For organization across all functional lines of business. By any and every benchmark this organization is a well respected and established category leader. And culture, leadership and communication is a compelling and clear competitive advantage embedded into their business strategy. From the C Suite down and across all functional lines of business they have extraordinary alignment. Mission is not just a wall placard for this organization. It is top of mind influencing every employee action and decision each and everyday. And it is evident throughout the entire talent lifecycle in candidate experience, selection, oboarding, development, career mobility and mentoring, recognition etc. They function as a team with one common purpose. And they continue to invest to improve and evolve because they know that increasingly talent will remain their key differentiation and opportunity to continue to win big and deliver on their promises. Now is the time to prepare and be resource ready. Fun to watch and support!

I recently did an interview for HR Times on culture as a competitive advantage. You can click through, check it out and consider…how is your organization and its leadership influencing culture to compete and win? Has your corporate culture improved in the last 24 months? As a leader are you acutely aware of the well defined and constantly reinforced strategy to elevate culture, improve experience and align toward one shared purpose? Are you aligned down the line?

I also offer my short definition of Passion Culture in the following keynote clip:

Posted in Brand, Communications, Employee Engagement, Leadership, Recruiting, Sales, Uncategorized

Tags: Best Place to Work, Culture, Human Resources

I am doing several Recruiter Effectiveness Workshops this month.  The primary focus will be on leveraging Sales & Marketing competency into the practice of Talent Acquisition.  I can’t wait because I absolutely love spending time with Recruiters!  They provide the talent that delivers on the business strategy.  And right now, quality talent practices are probably more essential than anything else going on in the organization (TIP:  get the Talent piece right and the client acquisition piece will follow).  The soft economy represents a time to take a progressive and strategic approach to building a talent pipeline, upgrading talent and preparing to throttle down when the moment is right.  Those laser focused will be well positioned to accelerate business performance.  Those that have relentlessly cut and sat this one out to show up with a better quarterly earnings report……well, I suppose they had a better quarterly earnings report….but long term?

Inside a 3 hour workshop on trends, techniques and technology lies an insight that will always and forever be essential to any consulting work I do or recruiting into my own organization.  HIRE ATTITUDE!

Talent and Attitude are not the same.  They are both essential.  One without the other simply isn’t good enough.  And part of my leadership growth was recognizing that talent alone, or even worse, talent with the wrong attitude was simply unacceptable.  Attitude impacts culture.  And culture shapes experience.  And ultimately the quality of the experience you deliver both inside and outside your organization will define your success.  Delivering a quality solution is simply the price of entry today.  HOW you deliver the solution is likely what the customer will remember forever.  HOW starts with ATTITUDE.

The wonderful thing about business is that each new day provides multiple interaction opportunities to deliver an elevated experience.  From leaders to employees.  From employees to customers.

You can hang out in the lobby of an organization between 8-9 and learn a lot about culture and attitude.  How do the employees roll into work?  How do they greet each other?  What is the energy like?  Are people genuinely fired up and ready to make the magic happen together for their customers?  (TIP:  we all have customers.).

The interesting lesson is that Attitude comes down to personal choice.  It has very, very little to do with external circumstances.  Because no matter what happens, the decision for how to respond rests inside of each of us.  Setbacks, conflict, negative people, challenges….they are all part of the game and often exist outside of our control.  What we always control is our response and our attitude.

Talent is imperative.  So is the ability to Choose Your Attitude…

Posted in Employee Engagement, Leadership, Recruiting, Uncategorized

Tags: Culture

Tomorrow morning I am giving a keynote at the Milwaukee Zoo.  A first for me!  I haven’t been in years…my nieces and nephews love the animals and I am actually pretty excited to check it out.

I’ll spend the morning talking about how to build a ‘Passion Culture‘.  Where people give at the office because they genuinely want to…not because they have to.  There is an enormous opportunity for Managers, Leaders and HR Professionals to tap into the passion and potential that lies dormant in so many of our organizations…before it exits the building.  Or perhaps even worse, throws in the towel while still hanging around to collect a check every two weeks.  In an economic environment where The Best Talent Wins making people the priority simply makes sense. Convincing the C Suite to invest appropriately might pose a challenge…..but it shouldn’t…and we’ll talk about it tomorrow.

I look forward to the discussion and as a former Sea World alumnus perhaps checking out the Seal/Sea Lion Show in the afternoon!  Should be a fun day.

Hope the zoo doesn’t mind me bringing The Whistle!

Posted in Employee Engagement, Leadership

Tags: Culture, Human Resources

I am excited to get back on the road this week and spend time with my favorite Association (and client): SHRM…

I head to Madison, WI on Tuesday to deliver my a keynote on winning with corporate culture, Passion on Purpose at the HR NEXT Conference with GMA SHRM. Madison is a great college town and HR Community clearly focused on the evolving trend line in the practice of people. I’ll be followed Tuesday by a keynote from Andrea Gappmayer, speaking on The Carrot Principle who will deliver what I am sure will be a powerful message on leadership effectiveness and the importance of recognition. At an HR event appropriately titled NEXT we’ll both have the opportunity to talk about the current shift in our workplaces and the steps and strategic considerations that are necessary for HR to build more meaning and engagement into the work experience to accelerate performance.

On Thursday I’ll be at the awesome Samoset Resort providing the morning keynote, Employment Branding 2.0, at the Maine State SHRM Conference as part of an outstanding speaker lineup. We’ll spend a little time on the importance and evolution of communication, collaboration, connections and community in our workplace at the appropriately themed event:  If HR Ruled the World.

What if HR Ruled the World? Well, a lofty objective perhaps…although I have some friends that I am sure would agree that the world would be a better place!  While rule the world may be a stretch, it is absolutely time for HR to rule the workplace. TALENT is emerging as the only long term, sustainable competitive advantage in the new economy. There simply has never been a better time for HR to rise to the occasion and significantly impact the strategic considerations and outcomes of the business. Technology, competition, markets and innovation aren’t the ultimate throttle on business growth and success…….it’s people…..the right people….in the right jobs….aligned and delivering on the mission – vision – values and elevating the customer experience that propel a business forward. HR can deliver the talent strategy and workforce readiness that moves the business. Rule the World? Why not….why not now?!

Put your people first…profits follow!

We’ll talk about it all this week and I look forward to being part of the conversation and making new and meaningful connections at these SOLD OUT SHRM events!

And if your SHRM Chapter is looking for relevant professional development and continuing education ask us about our SHRM Discount. Our keynotes and workshops are HRCI STRATEGIC credit approved!

Posted in Brand, Communications

Tags: Culture, Human Resources, SHRM