Tag Archives: hotel management

Because I Said So!

16 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in Management

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Responsibility

It’s likely that every manager has had many of those days where she can barely suppress raising her voice to say, “Because I said so!” Human beings are often baffled by how other human beings behave in situations that, to them, seem like such no-brainers. “Of course you would go the extra mile to make the customer happy.” “There’s no reason not to treat our suppliers with respect.” “I can’t even imagine not returning an email within 24 hours.” The list is endless and leaves managers tempted to think, “What do I have to do to motivate my people to do a good job?”

But is motivation even the point?

We confuse our duty to manage for results with motivating others. If you don’t realize only others can motivate themselves, and if your company doesn’t always create an environment where people can engage in meaningful work and use their talents, and if you don’t remind yourself that your job is to create results; then no wonder you think you need to motivate others in order to, “Get them to do what I want.”

The secret to achieving high levels of performance is to make workers responsible for their work and their results.

Once you’ve established your company’s purpose and vision, communicated your values, recruited talent whose strengths are suited to your team, designed meaningful jobs and measurements, established a track record for rewarding accomplishment, and set the priorities, you’ve taken responsibility for your role as a manager. If you haven’t performed these duties now would be a great time to start.

When one of your workers isn’t performing, the cause is much more likely to be a lack of responsibility for results than a lack of motivation.

Jim

Lucavìa
gojimlucas@lucavia.com
lucavia.com
(925) 980-7871

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© Copyright Jim Lucas 2007-2013 All Rights Reserved

Don’t #@!% the Customer

16 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in Shared values

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Atlassian

Hanging from the ceiling, like world championship banners, are five giant statements of the Atlassian company values. In an earlier post I explained how talking about values improves company culture and competitiveness. It looks like Atlassian might tell you the same thing. Jim Collins, in Good To Great, claimed you don’t need perfect values—you just need values—and that alone is enough to make a difference. Imagine the tone that is set everyday when an employee walks into their office and sees this:

  • Open Company, No Bullshit
  • Build with Heart and Balance
  • Don’t #@!% the Customer
  • Play, as a Team [note the comma!]
  • Be the Change You Seek.

That’s pretty clear and powerful stuff when it comes to explaining the accepted rules of conduct at Atlassian to anyone who works there.

Drucker believed a huge percentage of knowledge workers should be managed as if they were volunteers. Not only did he recognize that volunteers do what they do for meaning, control, achievement, etc., but he also saw that today’s workers are well educated, mobile, and carry with them their own means of production—in other words, they can work anywhere they want. He also argued persuasively that knowledge workers, and organizations, excel when the workers themselves seek responsibility for their own work and it’s impact on the whole.

So, if your workforce consists of highly educated, intelligent, super-mobile people who crave responsibility, you’re off to a fantastic start.

Now it’s your job to build the organization’s values, and constantly reaffirm them, so your people know how to excel within your culture and to learn explicitly why they were attracted to you in the first place.

Jim

Lucavìa
gojimlucas@lucavia.com
lucavia.com
(925) 980-7871

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© Copyright Jim Lucas 2007-2013 All Rights Reserved

Culture Clash

16 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in Shared values

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Put your hands in

When was the last phone call, or face-to-face, with your manager where company culture, common purpose, or company values came up in conversation? How about during your last performance review—or business check point meeting? Maybe the topics came up at your annual planning meeting, offsite, or celebration.

People are every company’s greatest asset. Great companies routinely acknowledge they owe their success to their talented people. Clearly, most knowledge workers are high achieving, smart, motivated, experts who know what to do and how to do it. In an earlier post I discussed why the carrot and stick are no longer effective. All too often I hear how employees feel micro-managed or intimidated by their managers as if fear were some kind of virtuous, effective management principle.

In the 2012 Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement survey 95% of respondents (figure 10) said communication with Senior Management is Important or Very Important. It is virtually self-evident that the type of communication they are referring to is not function specific. What knowledge workers need to hear from their management is:

  • Why do we exist?
  • What do we believe in?
  • Why is the world a better place because of our work?
  • What will it look like when we achieve our goals?
  • How are we performing compared to customer expectations and the competition?
  • Which innovations must we achieve to ensure our future success?
  • Why can I believe in our leadership team?

Every company has a culture whether they plan it or not. Some are toxic. Most are average. And some, maybe yours, can be exceptional if they make a healthy achieving culture a priority and put their plans to achieve it into action.

You can make your company culture a competitive advantage. Don’t leave it to chance.

Jim

Lucavìa
gojimlucas@lucavia.com
lucavia.com
(925) 980-7871

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© Copyright Jim Lucas 2007-2013 All Rights Reserved

Can Innovation Be Scheduled?

15 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by in Innovation

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innovations

In my post about entrepreneurs, I mentioned how they don’t just create something better they create something different. Creating something new and different is innovation. Many might think that most innovations come from a spark of insight or a flash of brilliance (which no doubt they do—as well as repurposed mistakes). But, what we may not understand is that you, I, and entire companies can approach innovation systematically.

  • The first requirement is that people be measured and rewarded to encourage them to value change—not resist it.
  • Second, management must understand how much innovation will be required to sustain the business over a given period—as well as how many of their current products/services will be obsoleted in the same timeframe.
  • Next, a systematic evaluation of the changes in trends, customers, and the environment must be undertaken.
  • At the same time it is imperative that company’s performance as an innovator be measured and that rewards, relationships, job assignments, structural changes, etc. be adjusted accordingly.
  • Innovations should lead to customers being better served or allow them to do something they were previously unable to do.

More important than this abbreviated list for creating systematic innovation is the fact that once an idea is identified, people need to go to work. The old adage that (art, genius, success) is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration certainly applies.

Jim

Lucavìa
gojimlucas@lucavia.com
lucavia.com
(925) 980-7871

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© Copyright Jim Lucas 2007-2013 All Rights Reserved

What Entrepreneurs Do

14 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in Innovation, Management

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Containers

Most start up and small business people call themselves entrepreneurs. But how many understand the term and the power it unleashes?

In 1803 French economist, J. B. Say, coined the term entrepreneur, “The entrepreneur shifts economic resources out of an area of lower and into an area of higher productivity and greater yield.” In 1986 Peter Drucker formulated this theory. First, entrepreneurship sees change as normal and healthy. Second, it does something different than what is already being done. Notice it’s not just about doing something better but doing something different.

By this measure, entrepreneurs make up a minority of new businesses and those who are entrepreneurs understand what is expected of them: To create something different.

Popular culture expects this something to be a visible object, like an iPod, for example. But it can easily be argued the iPod is the direct descendant of Sony’s true innovation the “pocket-able radio.” What was really different about the iPod was iTunes—that’s what completely disrupted the music distribution business. Similarly, forgive us for thinking that Facebook created a breakthrough in the way people engage in relationships. In fact, what they’re doing is turning their users into the product they sell to their real customers: Advertisers.

Entrepreneurs often innovate in unseen ways. They standardize a product, systematize a process, redefine what the customer considers value, change a procedure, recombine things, improve the yield from resources, or change the way resources are used. One of my favorite innovations, cited by Drucker, was the establishment of the entrepreneurial bank by Crédit Mobilier. They were the first to use other people’s money to finance large projects rather than using their own.

So, if you’re starting a new company I hope you do well. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, you’d do well to understand what’s expected.

Jim

Lucavìa
gojimlucas@lucavia.com
lucavia.com
(925) 980-7871

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© Copyright Jim Lucas 2007-2013 All Rights Reserved

Two Lessons for Every Entrepreneur

14 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in Customers, Innovation, Management

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Bassett Ears

In the 1700’s Edmund Burke said something you’ve heard many times, “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.” In my opinion, much of the business press exists to exploit the fact that we learn important lessons—and then quickly forget them. Much is known about management, entrepreneurism, innovation, etc. but we somehow forget in our pursuit of the latest meme or in our rush to be busy instead of creating results.

In the 1800’s J.B. Say defined the entrepreneur as “…Shifting economic resources out of an area of lower and into an area of higher productivity and greater yield.” Starting in 1939, over seven decades, Peter F. Drucker became the most influential management writer and thinker of all time as he codified the practice of management in over 30 books. And yet, we have an insatiable appetite for relearning what we already know.

In my local Sunday paper two articles caught my eye. One quoted Paul Santinelli of North Bridge Venture Partners. When asked the biggest mistake entrepreneurs make he answered, “…I was always enamored with what we were building…Had I listened to our VP of sales and realized, ‘Hey, the market doesn’t want X, they want Y and are willing to pay for it,’ I might have been able to move faster to a more acceptable solution.” In the other article, Curtis Carlson CEO of SRI, a company well known for sustained innovation, says he, “…Preaches, literally to every SRI employee [that]…each researcher must be able to explain the need s/he is trying to fill, why a new method would be better than what’s already available, and what benefit the new idea would bring to a potential customer.”

So, no matter where or when you learn it the two top lessons for entrepreneurs are:

  • Listen to your customers.
  • Discover what they need.

Jim

Lucavìa
gojimlucas@lucavia.com
lucavia.com
(925) 980-7871

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© Copyright Jim Lucas 2007-2013 All Rights Reserved

The Loop of Virtue!

14 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in Developing talent, Management, Shared values

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Mobius

Think of an action movie where our hero is inside a large unfamiliar building trying to find and free a hostage. Meanwhile, there is a super-geek outside (with an amazing array of integrated systems, btw) guiding her through a maze of hallways, elevator shafts, and HVAC ducts as she karate-chops her way toward the prize and past the bad guys. That is, until her earpiece fails. Agghh!

In an earlier post I wrote how workers need feedback from management (coaches) in order to understand their current performance and how to improve it. Without feedback, our hero may eventually achieve the objective but the level of risk is too high and it certainly isn’t sustainable. Yes, she needs to be free to apply her expertise, improvise, and follow through but she also needs someone on the outside to add perspective and context and ensure she gets timely, relevant, and actionable information.

A feedback system must be integrated into the management/worker relationship and it doesn’t have to be complex to be effective. Workers don’t want to be in a “If you don’t know, I’m not going to tell you,” situation. Give them the information they need, tell them how they’re doing compared to others and other groups, and give them the chance to develop new knowledge to do their work. Here’s a loop you can adopt today.

ANNUALLY

  • Formally assess performance from the prior year.
  • Discuss the current company business plans for context and purpose.
  • Revise the job description together.
  • Ask the worker to set goals that you will review, discuss, and finalize together.

QUARTERLY

  • Assess progress against goals from the prior quarter.
  • Revise and adjust.
  • Create and sequence goals for the current quarter.

MONTHLY or WEEKLY

  • Meet 1:1 periodically (frequency based on the need of the worker and the work).
  • Revise and adjust.

DAILY/FREQUENTLY

Nowadays I don’t hear about management-by-walking-around. MBWA is a powerful management tool that creates a dialogue. It shouldn’t be a “Caught you being good/bad” thing but, rather, a sign of a persistent and productive relationship with an endless loop of information, knowledge, and ideas.

Jim

Lucavìa
gojimlucas@lucavia.com
lucavia.com
(925) 980-7871

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© Copyright Jim Lucas 2007-2013 All Rights Reserved

Rotten Carrot, Broken Stick

13 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by in Developing talent, Effectiveness, Management

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Carrot and stick

Recently, I spent my lunch listening to a good friend describe the hell his boss has created at work. I’ve heard countless stories like his—and I’ve told a few myself. Why do some managers still think they can manage through intimidation and fear? Ignorance is the only answer because correct management practices have been documented since, at least, the 1940’s.

Just before your grandparents were born, maybe your great grandparents, most people lived on the margin. Today we think about the hungry and the homeless. But, not long ago most people were in agriculture and their very survival depended on the annual harvest. One missed crop and entire families, sometimes for generations, were fated to abject poverty. When people started migrating to cities to work in factories and organizations, hunger and fear was a potent motivator—and a few more cents per hour was life altering.

But, for some time now the carrot and stick hasn’t worked—in fact it is counterproductive. On the stick side: if you lose your job nowadays you will be mildly, perhaps greatly, upset. It won’t be comfortable and the consequences may be significant. However, you will not starve. So, intimidation just makes workers mad. On the carrot side: we know that it takes a huge amount of money (or %) in modern society to be more than a temporary motivator. The number is so large it isn’t economically feasible to entice workers to better long-term performance using money.

Effective managers understand the great majority of workers want one thing more than anything else: achievement. And, they understand their job is to create the right environment. I’ve explored that environment especially here and here.

Additionally, it is the manager’s job to put process controls in place, create opportunities for continuous learning, involve workers in evolving their own jobs, ensure the organization actively supports their achievement, and makes sure their performance against high standards has consequences. These are the practices that are part of a healthy and high achieving culture. The carrot and stick are dead—it’s time they were buried.

Jim

Lucavìa
gojimlucas@lucavia.com
lucavia.com
(925) 980-7871

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© Copyright Jim Lucas 2007-2013 All Rights Reserved

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The Right Job for You

13 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by in Concentrating effort, Management

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Jobs search

Do you know how to design the right jobs after creating an organization that reinforces and facilitates your focus on customers? Here are the raw materials, and how to combine them, to make sure every job creates maximum value.

Why: Losing contact with why your company exists, getting caught up in the what and how of everyday work life, is a natural trap. It’s an insidious problem second only to losing contact with customers. When you set out to write job descriptions, have your purpose, vision, and mission statements right next to you. Make sure the job you’re about to create has clear and immediate links to why your company exists and its future.

Customers: Every job needs to explicitly create value for customers. It must be plain that every job exists to impact customers, not to support or facilitate some thrice-removed internal process.

Information: As discussed earlier, the work input and output of today’s worker is information. Clearly describe the kinds information the job requires and the information it produces—thereby satisfying others in the organization.

Results/Standards/Measures: Just like resumes, you don’t want to see ones that describe responsibilities. You want to see accomplishments against high standards and the degree to which the results missed or exceeded the goals that were set.

Relationships: Every job is in relationship to others. Describe the social context of this job and the flows of information.

Your People: Workers who do the job are really the only ones who know what the job is and how to do it. Involve them as early as possible in the design and improvement of their jobs. This is especially important to adding the final element: contribution. That is, the specific benefits the individual hired for the job can uniquely provide.

Jim

Lucavìa
gojimlucas@lucavia.com
lucavia.com
(925) 980-7871

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© Copyright Jim Lucas 2007-2013 All Rights Reserved

Form Follows Function

13 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by in Concentrating effort, Management

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Ideal Org Design

Being out of touch with customers is not an ailment that only afflicts mature organizations. It can happen to any company, any size, and at any stage. Sure, big company warning signs are easy; bloated departments, managers with one or two employees, endless meetings focused on internal—or worse yet—political issues. But startups aren’t immune either. Think about what you’re really hearing when the entrepreneur-next-door says something like, “We have zero competition,” or “We have built-in virality.” Equally ominous, is the claim, “We target everyone.”

There are a gazillion reasons why companies don’t establish proper contact, or lose touch, with their customers. One of the most overlooked causes I’ve seen is the way some organizations are designed. Whether unintentional or not, the organization itself can separate those on the inside (coworkers) from those on the outside (customers).

To avoid this I advocate three things in organizational design.

  1. Every employee should be no more than one degree of separation from the customer. This means they can get their hands on customer information directly or, with minimal assistance, be in direct conversation with customers.
  2. No employee has only internal customers. Treating your fellow employees the way you would treat your best customer is a powerful metaphor but it doesn’t substitute for actual outside customers. Everyone in the organization must feel personal responsibility for real customers.
  3. Executives, at all levels, should sponsor at least one outside customer. Like an air vent, a lasting relationship with even a single important customer is an invaluable conduit from the outside that continually refreshes the inside.

We already know that the business of running a business is complex and all consuming so let’s design customer contact into the structure of your business right from the beginning.

Jim

Lucavìa
gojimlucas@lucavia.com
lucavia.com
(925) 980-7871

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© Copyright Jim Lucas 2007-2013 All Rights Reserved