We are proud, we are strong, we are united – we are American.

America.  Our country.  Our people.  Our future.  As many of you know by now, I love quotes.  The quote that has me riffing today is the following from Ronald Reagan, “You can go live in France, but you cannot become a Frenchman. You can go live in Germany or Turkey or Japan, but you cannot become a German, a Turk, or a Japanese. But anyone, from any corner of the Earth, can come to live in America and become an American.”  This is what really makes America great.  We are the melting pot.  This country was built on the backs of immigrants.  We are built on innovation and ideas.  We are the United States of America.

I have written about diversity, inclusion, acceptance, etc.  For some reason, this quote resonated with me last night as I was reading a few articles (somewhat mindlessly to be honest).  As I watch the news, as I watch people interact at work, as I hear stories from our school systems, as I listen to my buddies debate – I wonder what is happening to us.  We seem to be focused on finding difference.  We are focused on judging.  We are hesitant to slow down to understand.  We need to be “right”.

How do we “make America great again”?  Well, I think it starts with acceptance and understanding.  My wife wears a semi-colon. Project Semicolon was born from a social media movement in 2013. They describe themselves as a "movement dedicated to presenting hope and love to those who are struggling with depression, suicide, addiction, and self-injury. Project Semicolon exists to encourage, love, and inspire."  But why a semicolon?  "A semicolon is used when an author could've chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your life."

I think our country needs a semi-colon right now.  We need to encourage, love, and inspire each other.  We do NOT need hate, vitriol, and disparagement.  Originally created as a day where people were encouraged to draw a semicolon on their bodies and photograph it, it quickly grew into something greater and more permanent. Today, people all over the world are tattooing the mark as a reminder of their struggle, victory, and survival.

As with any nation, we will struggle, we will have victories and we will survive.  Sitting in the middle of a wonderful next-generation media company, I see, feel and live our nation’s stories every day.  I see the struggles, I hear the rhetoric, I watch the battles, I savor the special moments, I hate the tragedies – but this is life…our life.   So back full circle to Reagan, “…anyone, from any corner of the Earth, can come to live in America and become an American”.  We are proud, we are strong, we are united – we are American.  As much as many of us lament the world we live in today, I would not give back anything.  We will prosper and we CAN prosper if we can find a way to unite.

Dave Harmon

People Division

“Kindness is Currency”

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidharmonhr

Follow Dave and other USA TODAY NETWORK highlights at: Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram,  Facebook, The Muse and Gannett Careers

“If You Are Not Actively Including, You May Be Accidentally Excluding”

“If You Are Not Actively Including, You May Be Accidentally Excluding”, this was a topic today in a session I attended from the NeuroLeadership group (David Rock et al).  It was a great 60 minutes to learn more about the neuroscience of our actions, but also some great reminders about how we approach difference AND how we approach inclusion.  This is apparent not only in our business world, but in our political world, the sports world, and in our own personal lives.  Studies prove that diverse and inclusive teams are smarter, more creative, and make better decisions.  In our increasingly global marketplace, diversity and inclusion are being recognized more and more as imperative for our business success.  Often though, the focus is on diversity and less about inclusion.  Often we want to “be the same” but this view may eclipse the beauty of difference and what that brings for innovation, excitement, change, etc.

While an increasing number of organizations embrace diversity, the practice of inclusion is often overlooked. Being respected, valued, appreciated and welcomed to contribute equates to more than just being nice -  (as David Rock states) “we have a biologically based need to belong—to feel included, supported, and valued by others socially. In fact, research shows that social exclusion can negatively impact performance, productivity, and pro-social behavior, among other consequences. The challenge is, we often make others feel excluded without realizing it. First, the language, nonverbal cues, and subtle interactions we engage in can communicate signals of exclusion. Second, initiatives that focus on minimizing exclusion can increase feelings of out-group. Essentially, if we’re not actively including, chances are we’re accidentally excluding.”

Every day with every interaction we send signals to others which generate feelings of either inclusion or exclusion. Small comments, slight actions or unintentional omissions can trigger a social threat, causing peers to feel excluded or to completely disengage.  To ensure we understand and stay focused on inclusive behaviors, we must actively think about sending positive signals and mitigating threat whenever possible. Three strategies they spoke about to help are:
Finding a common ground - Increase relatedness, build the business case, and get people to care
Lifting people up - Boost status and fairness by making people feel valued and included
Helping to create clarity - Elevate certainty and autonomy by sharing information and helping people choose

The reality is, being self-aware and understanding who you are and how others view you.  In the last month, how many times at work did you feel not included in an important decision, how many Americans feel like they are being included in our current political decisions, or how do you feel on the sports teams you play for, or did your neighbors or college friends do something and not include you?  We all have felt the omission.  We can’t change another person’s behaviors, so how do we try to change OUR own behaviors to ensure we are being inclusive?  If nothing else, those 60 minutes today challenged me to think not only about my actions and how they affect people…but also my inactions.  Self learning never ends….

To learn more – go to https://neuroleadership.com/

Dave Harmon

People Division

“Kindness is Currency”

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidharmonhr

Follow Dave and other USA TODAY NETWORK highlights at: Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram,  Facebook, The Muse and Gannett Careers

Kindness is Currency...Pay it Forward

For many of you who know me, for a few years I have had the quote “kindness is currency” in my email footer.  This is because kindness is the currency which makes everything better.  Recently, I was reminded about why this topic is so important to me when I came across an article in Inc. magazine by Steve Farber.  He cited a book by Jill Lublin called “The Profit of Kindness”.  I was encouraged and intrigued and am glad to see kindness getting more press given all the ugliness our recent political events have stirred up.  Life is too short to be angry or negative. 

Kindness takes on many forms – acts of kindness, words of kindness, thoughts of kindness, and BEING kind.  I think it also has a new take on an old rule we all learned in elementary school -  the “golden rule”.  Yes, we should try to “do unto others, as you would like them to do unto you” …but more importantly we should “do unto others as others would want us to”.  Either way the simple message is to be kind – at home, at play and at work.

At work, if  we are kind, studies show it can generate more customers, quicker feedback, more resources, better connectivity with your teams, new business prospects, better brand image, easier forgiveness of your mistakes, improved employee morale, more fun at work, and even …maybe…this – - we all feel a little better at the end of the day when we go home. 

How we act and react is vitally important.  For example, we all make mistakes, no one is immune to slip ups or errors.  So do you want the Boss who asks “who” made the mistake or the Boss who asks “why” we made the mistake and “how” do we fix it?  One focuses on the person, while the other focuses on the issue.  When you make a mistake at work, how many times do you replay that over in your mind?  Does your Boss focus on replaying the mistake or moving forward with a process fix?    Another example is flexible work.  Does your Boss focus on what time you start and stop or how much work you get accomplished?  Does your Boss focus on where you get the work done or how much work you get done?  We can learn how to be kind AND how to be focused on the right things.  Alert….our Millenial workforce will not stay for managers who are not kind.  They move on and they move on quickly. 

Lublin talks to compassion, flexibility, patience, positivity, generosity, gratitude and connection.  Wow – give me a Boss with those attributes and I am sold. (thankfully I have a wonderful Boss).  Imagine a workplace where we all focused on these simple seven attributes.  Imagine the culture, the comradery, the productivity.  It seems like a simple recipe for success. 

When we, as bosses, treat our employees with kindness, they treat their peers and customers with kindness.  Also, how does your company “treat” your employees?  We are currently embarking on a rewrite of all our “people” policies.  We are writing these with a slant toward “what you SHOULD do” vs “what you SHOULD NOT do”.  A simple twist but it makes a difference. 

Lastly, as noted in the article, how do we GIVE kindness away?  Kindness is not free – it costs time, money, energy.   It requires some sacrifice.  And that sacrifice also has a large payoff.  That payoff is karma.  Pay it forward.

Dave Harmon

People Division

“Kindness is Currency”

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidharmonhr

Follow Dave and other USA TODAY NETWORK highlights at: Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram,  Facebook, The Muse and Gannett Careers

Superbowl Weekend...A Tail of Two Halves

Quite an exciting Superbowl this weekend.  From “Deflategate,” to “Matty Ice,” to “Revenge Season,” to “Greatest of All Time”…..let the debaters debate these monikers.  For me, this game was about perseverance and focus.  Regardless of the outcome, we cannot deny the greatness of the game.  A tail of two halves.  A story about focus and team work.  One man did not win this game – a collection of 22 men on the field did not give up in the face of the LARGEST deficit in Superbowl history.  They had seen this before and come from behind, they had also lost games and understood what they needed to do to move forward.

Much of this can be applied to our work and the companies we work for.  We are all faced with those days of: “This is harder than I thought,” “I feel like I am swimming upstream,” “This is overwhelming,” “We can never win,” or “Why am I trying so hard?”  We all have those days when we just want to give up.  We have companies we want to “turn around.”  We have financials we need to improve.  We have sales quotas we feel we cannot meet.  We have teams that are “down.”  So, what do the best leaders do?  They lead…. they lead in the toughest of times…they show you the future…they inspire confidence.  They make YOU believe.  They SHOW you the way.  They never give up.  So what are their strategies?

I do not know all of their secrets, but there is a long history of success stories with successful leaders.  What do these great leaders do?

They take on the “never give up” mindset.  Break down the challenge into manageable parts (I need to start with one touchdown).  Have a plan on how to succeed (We need a field goal, two touchdowns and then two two-point conversions).  Understand every problem can be solved.  I heard a quote from an older gentleman the other day who said, “We all have 1000 problems in our lifetime…and when I looked back on them most were not problems.”

Learn from others.  Mentors, peers, history, role models, movies.  The movie “Rudy” comes to mind.  Also, the history of Abe Lincoln who failed in business in 1831, lost his bid for state legislature in 1832, failed at business in 1833, watched his fiancé pass away in 1835, suffered a nervous breakdown in 1836, was defeated in Congress in 1843, ran for Congress again in 1848 and suffered another defeat, ran for Senate and lost in 1855, lost Vice-President bid in 1856, lost run for Senate in 1859, was elected President of the United States of America in 1860!

Learn to set your goals.  Put it on paper.  Make progress daily.  Evaluate where you failed, make changes and move forward.  Keep focused on your goals. To make a journey, you need to start with the first step.

Failure is not fun, but we all go through it.  Take failure as a chance to learn.  That down and out route did not work this time so let’s run a hook route.  The great athletes will all tell you they focus on the “next play” and do not harbor on the last play.  We can learn from this in the workplace.  Too often we focus on “who” made the mistake versus “why” the mistake was made and how we can change to ensure it does not happen again.  Often the pains of our failure are less than the build-up and the fear OF failure which paralyze us.

We too often focus on the failures in life, but forget about the simple pleasures of success we see daily.  The difference between success and failure is often “not giving up.”  Falcons fans or Patriots fans (or Packer fans like myself) – a great lesson in perseverance and leadership.  Like them or not, the Patriots came together as a team, had a plan, kept focused on the goal, and closed their deficit one score at a time.

As Calvin Coolidge stated, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

Go Pack!

Dave Harmon

People Division

“Kindness is Currency”

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidharmonhr

Follow Dave and other USA TODAY NETWORK highlights at: Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram,  Facebook, The Muse and Gannett Careers

Own Your Change

Like t-shirts, Harley-Davidsons, and Jeeps….there is not one path that is best.  As the lead person responsible for the 18,000+ employees at Gannett/USA TODAY NETWORK – I am consistently asked about development and like the things I just mentioned, there are many paths each of us can follow to stay at the “top of our game.”  Sure, there are traditional approaches such as coursework, school, projects, mentors, coaches and seminars.  But to develop – we need to “own our change.”

I will break my thoughts down into three or four buckets.  The first bucket is in your head - mindset.  If you feel like you are “owed” development, you are “waiting” for development, or you are “not responsible” for your development…well guess what?  You are already behind.  To grow and learn we must be open to growing and learning.  We need to seek out new adventures – both large and small.  We need to embrace change. We cannot be satisfied that we have “achieved”.  There is always room for improvement.  The key is your MINDSET.

The next bucket is more tactical – do something.  Read a good book, follow a blog, subscribe to an industry publication, search out “white papers”, take a challenge, find a passion or hobby, write a letter with aspirational goals, write down that bucket list, seek mentors who are different from you, quit that vice, start a new habit, take up chess or photography. The key is to START.

The next bucket is to reprogram – change your patterns and habits.  Wake up earlier, start to exercise, challenge your fears, go to sleep earlier, break out of your comfort zone, go after feedback, come to terms with your deficiencies, reduce your “screen time”, offer the “olive branch”, think differently, act differently.  The key is to be BOLD.

The last bucket is you – your psyche.  Be positive (even when you want to be negative), stay away from negative influences, confront your issues, learn from others (peers, bosses, team members, friends), challenge yourself, forget the past, forget the grudges, set two achievable change goals, help others, be kind.  The key is to “FIND THE GOOD”.

Everyone has their own path to follow.  As Robert Frost wrote, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both. And be one traveler, long I stood. And looked down one as far as I could. To where it bent in the undergrowth… I shall be telling this with a sigh. Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”  His poem speaks to someone who habitually wastes energy in regretting their choice: regretting the attractive alternative rejected.

So …..with this said, take on the day.  Define your change, write it down, commit, begin your development today.

Dave Harmon

People Division

“Kindness is Currency”

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidharmonhr

Follow Dave and other USA TODAY NETWORK highlights at: Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram,  Facebook, The Muse and Gannett Careers