Posted November 18th, 2008 by Bart Gragg
Facial expressions are a key component in communications. Micro and subtle expressions - facial movements that are both hard to control and to spot, give away our true feelings, even when we try to mask them. These expressions have been found to transcend nations and cultures by experts such as Paul Ekman.
But there are other, more overt signs that people often miss. Actually, it’s not so much that we miss them as we misinterpret them. Little things like which way the eyes move when someone is asked a question tell us if they are thinking or about to lie. Misinterpretation of these expressions can have great consequences in business.
Years ago when I was a demolition superintendent we were taking down buildings in a copper smelter in Utah. The people in the smelter were always looking for ways to embarrass us or generally cause trouble. Immediately after we dropped a four story structure the site manager, whom I had never met, showed up and said his people told him that we had dropped this building on several people and he wanted us to recover the bodies ASAP. There weren’t any bodies as we hadn’t dropped it on any, but the investigation was on. Standing on a snow covered muddy lane we faced off at about 50 feet away from each other. His people, mine and my boss. After things calmed down the manager of the smelter asked that we take further precautions in future drops so that misunderstandings would be minimized and safety maximized.
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Tags: Bart Gragg, microexpressions, Paul Ekman, subtle expressions, telling lies
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Posted November 7th, 2008 by Bart Gragg
I Am From Corporate and I Am Here To Help!
Yeah, right.
Those are the ten most feared words in corporate America.
A piece of advice to the new manager and trouble shooter.
If you ever say “I am from corporate and I am here to help” watch the reactions of the people you are talking to. Their facial expressions will range from the benign poker face through the coughing into their hand as they turn away to the expression of dismay and disbelief.
Be different. Do something different. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Bart Gragg, loyalty, trust
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Posted October 31st, 2008 by Bart Gragg
Authors note: This post is totally revised and updated from the original post ‘Burnt Stick’.
I was discussing the various aspects of management and leadership in non-profit organizations with another consultant this morning. As we talked about it I was reminded of a time not so long ago when I wrote a letter to my church’s leadership concerning taking care of their volunteers. In that letter I said that volunteers are getting burnt out resulting in a prophetic loop that becomes a noose around an organizations neck. Interestingly, non-profits that pay their people have this same challenge.
When a person starts down the path to burnout their performance begins to slip, and they know it. But they are tired. They get frustrated because they are not performing to their standards. And therefore they are not being fulfilled. Yeah, there is that whole touchy, feely thing again. Pay attention to it. Then they begin to have an attitude, either of anger or despair. Attitudes show. Then other potential volunteers and employees thinking of stepping up and joining the team see this attitude and ask themselves “Why would I want to put myself in that position?”
What causes burnout in non-profit and volunteer based organizations? Look at the type of person that volunteers or works for a non-profit. They want to make a difference, to give back and are typically givers at heart. They may be seeking a place to do what they are passionate about, to work the way they want to work. It’s a pretty sure bet that working for a non-profit won’t make you independently wealthy, so it’s not the money that is motivating them.
The people there, for the most part, have a heart and a passion. Sometimes that passion is for the purpose of the organization. Often it can be that they work their because they love what they do and enthusiasm can make up for possible lack of other talents. I know people that volunteer to make websites and do graphic arts and actually volunteer as entertainers because they aren’t allowed to do it at a ‘real job’. I know others that cook for the joy of cooking. Yet others serve on advisory committees because their personal lives may have been impacted by an incident of the type that the organization seeks to prevent, rectify or research. They willingly work for less pay and give of their free time. Even after their work hours are over. They love or need to do what they do they and cannot say ‘No!’ to people that ask for more time.
Because they are givers they are also giving time and energy to other organizations, or individuals. Oh, and another oft disregarded entity, their families. Givers fill their calendars pretty quickly. Givers get a reputation for being there whenever asked. That feeds their souls. When they don’t have the energy to give anymore, because they give more than receive, they begin to burn. It is a slow burn at first, and if not caught early can result in an explosion. What do we do with this knowledge? Read on!
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Tags: behavioral assessments, burnout, burnt stick, DISC, Motivation, non-profit, One Page Business Plan, Planning, Volunteers
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Posted October 29th, 2008 by Bart Gragg
My library is crammed with books on management, people skills, how to be the ‘perfect this’ and the ‘flawless that.’ I read all of the time. I sleep with my head on a book. I eat with a book in my hands. (My Dad used to say he’d buy me books and buy me books and all I’d do is eat them. Not true!)
After a while I get tired of reading the same old dry stuff and need to feed myself with thought provoking humor coupled with substantive information. The books I like the best make me think about my own situation both as a consultant and in the real world. And they don’t necessarily tell me step by step how to do something. They cause me to think and learn and look at things differently.
Those are precisely the elements that make “Freakonomics” a great read. The authors, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, use examples that are often taken as facts and look behind the scenes to show us the real picture.
With chapter titles like “What do Sumo Wrestlers and Schoolteachers Have in Common?” and portions that ask “Why early drug dealers were like Microsoft and why later dealers are more like Pets.com?” you never lose interest. They even have a great section devoted to names - as in, do you have to have the right name to be successful? No, you may say. But read on! It get’s better! They tie this theme back into what makes a great parent and how books are involved.
What the reader ends up with is the solid idea that all is not what it seems. That the myths and legends out there are really just indicators and don’t tell the whole story. We get a fresh look at and reminder that facts aren’t always facts. Keep digging.
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Tags: Book Reviews, books, freakonomics
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Posted October 17th, 2008 by Bart Gragg
The big buzz around the business world is social networking. Most of the events that focus on the use of LinkedIn, Facebook, blogging, and many other facets of networking are attended by professionals, entrepreneurs and people looking for jobs or more work. As in all marketing strategies the key to all of this is exposure, whether it is corporate or personal. Social networking is a place to become known, a place to be found, and a place to become a subject matter expert.
Whether you use social networks for corporate or personal exposure, they do boil down to personal exposure and relationship building. That personal exposure does reflect on the company. In social networks your personal profile is every bit as important as how you present yourself when in public, only it is compounded by a factor of ten at least, and probably a lot more than that. If we agree that first impressions are the most important, your presence on the web is your first impression to the entire world.
To the question of blue collar management and their use of these tools - is there a professional and corporate value in it for them? I believe so. We know that people in any given industry grow a reputation inside that industry that is spread by word of mouth. It takes years to build a reputation as being good in your area, but It spreads like wildfire if you screw up. If we teach blue collar managers the importance of social networking and that it is the face they put on the company and their personal reputation, is it possible that this could cause them to feel more professional? Is it possible that this could cause them to look more professional? Is it possible that this could cause them to become more professional?
Is this something we should incorporate into their unit’s business plan?
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Tags: Blue Collar Management, social networking
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