Not Fair I Said...

Why is there such an easy connection between the sports world and business?  Well… there are team leaders (in sports there is the team captain, but they do not make all the decisions; in business the best managers do not make all the decisions), there are lanes in which we operate (goalies do not always communicate with the forwards and strategy folks should not manage operational folks), there are times to change the plan in the middle of an event (football is the best sport to see how the team modifies the strategy after every play, the best companies understand their changing organizational or customers’ needs and adapt readily), and matching great talent with great positions leads to great success (your team or structure is only as good as the talent within and how well their position matches their strength – would you put a softball catcher at shortstop?).

And on the other side of the coin, Bill Taylor from Fast Company argues that here’s what’s wrong with making analogies between sports and business: “The logic of competition and success is completely different. What makes football or basketball so exhilarating is that only one team wins at the end of a season”. In the case of the World Series, there is one world champion, and many other MLB teams with crushed dreams and saddened fans – sorry Cleveland. For the Dodgers to win (sorry Astros fans), every other team must lose. The logic of business competition is nothing like this. The most successfully run companies, those that win big and create the most economic value, worry less about crushing the competition than about delighting and amazing their customers - everyday. The very idea of zero-sum competition (for the Dodgers to win, the Astros must lose) feels like a relic from a long-ago era of business. Almost all businesses have room for plenty of different winners, each of which is great at serving a focused piece of the market or a certain set of customers.

I can see both sides of this coin.  Although I lean to the similarities with sports and business, mostly around leadership.  The sports world provides a nice metaphor for business, and there are some similarities.   Focused competition, winning by a slim margin, achieving specific goals and targets {batting average, ERA, OBP, etc.}, establishing long-term and short-term strategies {best fielding team, lowest ERA, winning the division, winning the NLCS, winning the World Series}, hard work, attention to detail, determination, teamwork, dealing with success and rebounding from failure – all of these are key challenges in both business and sports.

Successful managers and successful sports coaches can draw amazing performances from their employees or their players through a balance of individual and overall connections.  A common goal, optimism, creativity, authentic communication and humanity.  As I stated a few weeks back, “Adapt. Become a better version of yourself.  Continuously improve.  Challenge the unknown.  Envision the path to success.  Create possibility for your teams.  Work together.  Communicate openly.  Focus on the path to success not the obstacles in the way.”  Show your team the possibilities.  Even when down by four runs with the best pitcher in baseball on the mound.  Never give up.

…and we lead into the unknown.  Specifically, Sunday night the Dodgers pitched Clayton Kershaw {arguably in the top five pitchers of all-time…with a healthy nod to Pedro Martinez, Walter Johnson, Cy Young, and Sandy Koufax} faced Dallas Kuechel (14-5 this year … pretty darn good) in what should have been a low scoring pitcher duel.  And mid game the Dodgers were up by 4 runs with Kershaw in command.  Then the plan … well there was no longer a plan.  At the end of the game there were 28 hits, 25 runs, 7 home runs, and 85 batters.  13-12 final score (congrats Astros).  Wow.  So much for low scoring.

If you are the leader {manager} of either of these teams, your entire game plan is out the window half-way through the game.  Balls are flying out of the stadium.  14 different players have gone deep in the World Series, a new record.  22 total home runs have been hit in the World Series, a new record.  101 home runs have been hit in the postseason overall, a new record.   Three, three-run home runs hit in Game 5, a new record.  Pitching wins the World Series – yeah right.  The choice is to adjust or get left behind.

Among other things, sports teach us about the importance of performance, goal setting, practice, hard work, skill, passion, discipline, perseverance, concentration, mental attitude and desire.   Success in business does as well.  Through sports, we learn about the importance of team work, team chemistry and everybody being on the same page.  How to overcome adversity – how to win when you are losing.   We also learn about the relationship between mental and physical toughness.  David beats Goliath.   We discover what it takes to be the best and that often times we do not win on talent alone. The best teams on paper at the start of the World Series (Cubs? Cleveland?), for instance, did not compete last night for the World Series.  We learn that life is not fair or just, that being part of a team is not a sometimes thing and that quitting is not an option.   Each person on our team has a role and we can only be successful if everyone comes through.  Together.  We.  Win.

Dave Harmon
People Division
“Kindness is Currency”
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidharmonhr

Look for us on: LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram,  Facebook, The Muse, Glassdoor and Gannett Careers

Are you a Bystander or an Upstander?

I think today I will take a more serious tone – as a male … as someone trying to be better … and as someone trying to understand more.  I will hopefully use the correct words today.  But please know, I am listening.  It's been a full week since a single tweet launched a monumental step in a women's fight for safety and respect in the workplace.  If you are like me – you have read far too many terrible stories from women in regard to the #MeToo hashtag. If you missed it, this is where it started - “If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote “Me too” as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.” (Tarana Burke).

This problem does not get fixed by women, it gets fixed by us… men.  Every man should feel a responsibility to stop behavior that leads to sexual harassment and assault.  Almost every woman has had something bad happen to her (there are other stories, but this is the large majority).  I have been having inquisitive conversations with my coworkers.  Some women I spoke with said they “dealt with it” because it was “part of being a woman”.   Why should they have to?  Listen, not all men are bad – many of us are pretty good, but many have seen something wrong - probably not the extent as to what we are reading about – but wrong nonetheless.  The bigger question for us is, are we complicit?  Is society too complicit?  Are we wondering what we can do?  Are we wondering what we should have done differently?  Are we already thinking about what we can change?  We need to do something internal, something that won’t produce a public show of support, something far more difficult than rote words of encouragement.  It takes courage to step back and make sure we aren’t part of the problem.

Sexual violence and harassment is truly a global problem. But it’s also about deeply personal stories of suffering; many women are left traumatized, wounded, ashamed, hurt, angry, feeling vulnerable, unsafe, ignored, exploited, and silenced. Some spend their lives trying to come to terms with the abuse they have suffered. Many feel deeply betrayed by the complicity of the men and structures that supported their abuse.  Nearly 1 in 5 women report experiencing rape (or attempted rape) - at some time in their lives. 1 in 20 women report sexual violence other than rape, including sexual coercion and harassment. More than 1 in 4 women in Washington DC, have experienced some form of sexual harassment on public transportation (World Health Organization).

Graham Hill, a Provost in Sydney Australia said it best, “…When we stay quiet about sexual harassment; we are complicit. When we ignore everyday sexism and sexual jokes; we are complicit. When we allow other men to treat women and girls with disrespect and disregard; we are complicit. When we protect structures of power that keep women silent and that keep them outside of decision-making and leadership roles; we are complicit. When we allow “boy’s clubs” to thrive, while excluding women and their voices and contributions and stories; we are complicit. When we know males around us are putting sexual pressure on girls and women but we say nothing; we are complicit. When we see men using their power and position to coerce women into sexual and other intimacies and situations against their will, and yet we choose to do nothing; we are complicit. When we normalize violence, and accept or suggest that women and girls must learn to tolerate and live with the behavior of men and boys; we are complicit. When we blame the victims, and exonerate the perpetrators; we are complicit.”  Please read that again.  I did.

The question for us is when/what did you learn and did you start to change?  Are you continuing to learn and change your behavior?  We need to collectively and individually be better.

I read a great piece by Hannah Starks today where she gives us three pieces of advice: understand the context of your actions, teach our sons about the context of their actions, and call out abuse from others. It is a starting point.  If you are like me, you have probably learned a lot this week.  Context matters.  You may have thought you knew, but I challenge you that you did not know the extent.  Think about how the person you are with “feels”.  Put that in context with your actions.  Think of your wife, your daughter, your mother, your sister, your female friends.  Wow.  Do we need to be more aware and thoughtful and understanding and involved and …?

I still like the “grandmother rule” – would you do “XX” in front of your grandmother.  If there is .001% of doubt about your actions – do not do it.   Grandma was usually right.  And be aware of others - our family, our peers, our friends.  Also, especially be aware of our “buds” and their actions – call them out.

Many of us are parents.  We need to have these discussions now with our sons (and our daughters). This is not alright.  And if we have trouble with that concept – think about our daughter, our mother, our sister, our female friends.  It is more than “no means no”.  Our sons need to be more aware, be more understanding, be more communicative. Be more caring and gentle.  Be respectful.  Our daughters need to know this is not alright – do not remain silent – there are people who can help.

And yes, there are “bad” men we work with, play sports with, go to concerts with, are neighbors with.  There are also good men we work with, play sports with, go to concerts with, are neighbors with – but many may not (or chose not to) understand…yet. There are also plenty of good men who “get it” as well.  A broad spectrum.   We need to help educate each other.  We need to speak up when something is not right.  We must choose to be held accountable. We must choose to hold each other accountable. We must choose, together, to treat EVERYONE with dignity, respect, care—and to hold each other accountable for doing so.  One of the articles I read very clearly stated, “either you are stopping it, or you are facilitating it.”  We cannot be a bystander, we need to be an “upstander”.

It is necessary for all of us to engage in productive conversations about sexism – men and women. This is not a women’s issue, or an issue for just parents with daughters.  It is a culture issue, irrespective of our gender identities, we are all responsible for making change.  Together.  We.  Win.

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

Packers or Pack It In?

This is a business blog right?  Today, we will focus on sports and business….and team work … and leadership. 

What caught my eye and passion this week to write about?  The Packers.  More specifically, the Green Bay (football) Packers.  A franchise steeped in tradition and winning.  The underdog of underdogs.  A small-market team who seemingly always win in a city with about 100,000 inhabitants.  This is a city with botanical gardens, railroad museums, an amusement park, a zoo, performing arts, some craft breweries, a football team AND a lot of pride.  It is cold.  It is small town.  It is Titletown USA.

With that pride comes expectations.  Expectations of winning.  Expectations of leadership.  Expectations of the team.  Expectations of management. Those last four expectations could be written about Pepsi, Apple, Macy’s or even your own business. So…what is the point today Dave?  Well the point is, the Packers lost their on-field leader, Aaron Rodgers, on Sunday.  For.  The.  Season.

How do teams respond when they lose a leader?  We all lose leaders in our careers through promotions, attrition, career changes, relocation, personal reasons, and sometimes even sadder circumstances (we all hate Cancer, right?).

I think, (much like in business) watching how the team, how management, how the public responds will be an interesting case study.  Will the team blame their failures on the loss of a leader?  Will they rise to the challenge and bond more tightly and win without their leader?  Will they rally around the new leader to provide encouragement and support?  Will there be dissention in the ranks undermining their success?  Sound familiar?

Leading in the unknown.  How do we do this?  At Gannett, we have partnered with SY Partners to work with our leaders on this.  Our work centers around 4 key areas:  Optimism, Creativity, Authentic Communication and Humanity.  Will the Packers leadership (coaches, upper management, the new QB) see and outline the possibilities for the team which will grab their teammates faith in winning?  Will the Packers leadership lay out a plan on their new way to move forward – even if the road will be bumpy?  Will the Packers leadership communicate authentically – not backing down from the truth of the situation – but using it to build belief in the future?  Will the Packers leadership create an environment allowing the other members of the team to step up and become better at their respective positions to offset what they lost and build success?  Will the team come together or spread apart?

Are these challenges new?  Are they specific to football?  Are they insurmountable?  My view is no, no and no. It takes effort to step up, step in and stabilize your team (and yourself).  It takes leadership.  Will you have all the answers…no.  Will you be able to control everything….no.  Will you be in command of everything … no.  What can you do?

Adapt. Become a better version of yourself.  Continuously improve.  Challenge the unknown.  Envision the path to success.  Create possibility for your teams.  Work together.  Communicate openly.  Focus on the path to success not the obstacles in the way.  Be confident that not all answers are needed today.  Be confident that a team is better than an individual.  Be confident that no one individual (even as much as I love Aaron Rodgers) is bigger than the mission.  Be confident that the team looks to you for leadership.

Will the Packers continue to win or will they pack it in?  Will your team continue to win or will they pack it in?  Through Optimism, Creativity, Authentic Communication and Humanity you can lead your team to better results and loftier goals.  Challenge the unknown WITH your team.  Together.  We.  Win.

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

 

What Motivates You?

So…. I sit here today contemplating “what drives me?”.  It certainly may be overcoming one of the many mistakes I have made in my career.  It may also be inner drive.  It may also be the need to achieve.  It may also be my parents, “do it right the first time”, “never quit”, “be better”.  It may be DNA.  It may be my boss.  It's actually all of the above.

Thus, today will be like a “little journey through Dave’s brain”.

Let us start with my thinking about mistakes (real or imagined).  I hate to make mistakes, I hate to lose, I hate NOT winning.  As I age (I know in my mind I only look 20 years old and 150 pounds), I am becoming more cordial when I lose – but I still hate it.  That said, I think we would be fooling ourselves to think that we never make mistakes in the workplace – or in life.  Where does my list begin?  Well, let me do this somewhat chronologically and share “the voices” in my head:

Every second: Am I good enough? Am I valued? Am I making a difference?

Every minute: Am I balancing my life appropriately (family, friends, work, volunteering, fun)

Every hour:  Am I using my time wisely?  Am I prioritizing the right work, the right meetings,  the right focus, the right conversations?

Every day:  Am I being the best husband, father, friend, peer, boss, subordinate, best example?

Every week: Am I in the right job, the right company, the right career?

Every month: Am I making an impact with my family, my team, my boss, my company (and also – my family and my community)

Every year: Am I living the right life, with the right values, the right balance, the right focus?

If you are like me, you often have these same questions.  It is healthy.  It is natural.  How we deal with these varies by individual.  I do not think there is a right answer – but I do think this is part of what drives our human behavior.  It also motivates us and drives us to “be better”.  Now motivation, that is another topic.  As "Psychology Today" explains how to define motivation:  it is an internal or external drive that prompts a person to action; the ability to initiate and persist at a task; putting 100% of your time, effort, energy, and focus into your work; being able to work hard in the face of obstacles, boredom, fatigue, stress, and the desire to do other things; motivation means doing everything you can to be as productive as you can.

It's one thing to say you are motivated to achieve your goals; it's another entirely different thing to have that motivation translate into actual action toward those goals. Motivation is so important because it impacts every aspect of your business efforts: preparation, persistence, physical health, lifestyle, outcome … the list goes on.

All else being equal, whatever we put into our work efforts is what we will get out of them. Also, if you are among a group of equally capable colleagues or companies, the one who puts in the most time and effort is, generally, the one who is going to be most successful. A problem I see among many employees in our business world these days is a disconnect between our efforts and our goals. There is often a gap between the goals we have and the effort we are putting into those goals. It's easy to say that we want to be a successful businessperson. It is much more difficult to actually make that happen. If you have this kind of disconnect, you have two choices. You can either lower goals to match our effort or we can raise our effort to match our goals. There is no right choice. But if you're truly motivated to be successful, you better make sure you're doing the work necessary to achieve your goals.

How do we harness all of these voices in our minds, understand all these motivators and put it all in a mixing bowl to help us find that drive to succeed?  How do we understand the intrinsic and extrinsic motivators for us as individuals?  Human beings, by the nature of their being human beings, are a mix of drives. We have a biological drive. We eat when we’re hungry, we drink when thirsty. We have a reward and punishment drive, so we do respond very well to rewards and punishments in our environment. Then we have this third drive (as Daniel Pink refers to), that often gets neglected in business, where we do things “because they’re interesting, because they’re fun, because we like them, because they contribute”.

We all know there are a range of motivation theories; you've probably been able to pick out parts of each that apply to you either now or at some point in your past. By recognizing that your behavior reflects these many complex pieces, you can move on to developing your own unique path to change. Whether it's your need to achieve, fear of failure, incentive, self-determination, or self-actualization, understanding the motivation behind your behavior can give you the insights you need to develop your own unique pathway to fulfillment.

Together.  We.  Win.

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

Appreciating What You Have...Before It's Gone

I returned to the basketball court this Sunday morning.  Why is that newsworthy?  Well, me playing basketball is NOT newsworthy.  Returning to something you love - that was taken away from you is newsworthy.  Or at least blogworthy (I am not sure that is a word?!).

For the last 15 years I have been playing basketball 2-4 times per week.  Some games are very competitive, others are just friendly pick up games.   But all of these games provide three important things in my life: fun, exercise and stress relief.   In that order.  So in early summer when I planted my right knee for a jump shot - my entire hoops passion came crashing down (literally and figuratively).   My knee just buckled. 

Coach always asked, "hurt or injured". We all played "hurt".   This time I was injured.   I knew it when I stood up. As fate would have it, five guys (not the burger joint) playing that night were doctors.  They checked my knee out and said, "you should probably go to the ER".   They offered to take me to the hospital, to drive me home, to drive me to work.  Amazing stuff. 

Well, long story short, the entire list of damage was this: tear of lateral meniscus, distal femur fracture, proximal tibia fracture, tear of the iliotibial band, sprain of lateral collateral ligament, and a bunch knee joint fluid build up.  It was not enjoyable to say the least. 

Like many things in life,  we take mobility for granted until it is taken away.  Sleeping was tough, driving was tough, carrying my iPad was work, going through doors on crutches made me really appreciate the ADA.  Putting on my sock, going down stairs ... you get the idea.  

Five decades and I have never been out of commission this long.  I know it happens to all of us in some form or fashion - we lose a loved one (see my blog on losing my dog, Bella), we move to a new town, we lose a job, people lose limbs, we lose our parents, we wreck our car, we lose a college roommate.  These are life altering events.  We make promises to change ... and many times we do.  Usually for the better.   We appreciate the little things more.  We become more empathetic.  We understand.

What was the biggest surprise to me besides missing basketball?   I missed the social interaction.  These are guys who do not care what my job is, how much money I have, what my race or religion is, how much I weigh (ok so there are a few jokes there), or even how old I am.   They care that I can play ball, that I am not a jerk, that I laugh at our foibles, and that I am a team player.  

At least twenty different guys checked in on me while I was out.  Many of these guys I only interact with on the basketball court.  Some for the last 15 years.   I was pleasantly surprised.  They cared about me as a member of their team (loosely defined).  They sent emails, they sent beer, they brought me food.   Wow. 

On the court, we are united in our quest for the better pass, the game winning stop, the surprise steal, the unnoticed pick.  And we are all there to laugh at father time.  We are not twenty anymore in our skills - but we enjoy the game just as much - if not more (especially when it is taken away).  We relish those Thursday nights or Sunday mornings because we are all there together enjoying one of our passions.

United in our passion.  Together.   We.   Win.  

..... and I'm back!!!

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