First, Solve The Problem

This is not really surprising but the plan almost never went like clockwork.  Something always happened. Team members got captured.  People suspected a trap and had members of the team locked up.  Equipment broke.  The weather changed.  Wildcards were thrown at them all of the time. 
What made the team great, however, was their response when things did not go perfectly.  

When plans went awry, the IMF Team focused first on solving the problem, not pointing fingers at who was to blame. 

If Rollin Hand got locked up, the team didn’t waste time trying to explain why they were not at fault for him getting caught.  That would not have been productive.  Instead, they immediately looked to solve the problem first.  “Blame Allocation” was never part of the Mission.

At a later time, after the crisis had passed and the Mission completed, I am sure that Phelps had an after-action review so they could figure out exactly what happened so they might avoid it again down the road, but not in the middle of a crisis.
 
ACTION:  What do you or your staff focus on when bad things happen?  Is your first thought to accomplish the mission or save yourself?

 What about your Team members?  Do they waste time making sure everyone knows who is to blame, rather than just completing your mission?

What are you going to do to change this in not only yourself but in your team as well?

Over-Communicate the Mission

Nearly every Mission: Impossible episode began Phelps briefing them on their mission.  Why was it important to do this?  Jim Phelps cared deeply about his people and knew that the best way to have then be successful in the mission was for them all to know and understand the mission…the whole mission, not just their little sliver of it.  He never knew when he or any one of the other team members might be hurt or arrested during the mission and everyone needed to know and understand the specific missions of everyone else in the team so that they could pick up the slack should one person stumble or fall.

He took the time to go over every detail so that each person was comfortable with what the goal was, how their actions helped ensure victory, what was going on around them and what contingency plans had been made. He answered their questions and stayed with them until everyone was comfortable with their understanding of the larger task at hand.  Hearing this level of planned detail helped assure each Team member that the plan was sound.  It wasn’t enough that Phelps knew the mission… the entire Team needed to see the big picture to ensure success.

At your utility, it’s not enough for you to be the grand puppet master and the only one to know the whole picture.  If you want your entire team to be successful in the long run, they need to understand how their part of the mission supports every other part of the mission.  They must see where they fit into the bigger picture.  How the mission of your utility is NOT to have a maintenance department…or a pump operation.  It’s to serve customers in such a way that they see and deeply appreciate your value over the long haul. 

It is important that your people understand the mechanics of the big picture.  For instance, if they want a pay raise, it is important to know that customers fund this with their bill.  Unhappy customers can raise enough objections to stop a rate increase dead in its tracks and can, therefore, stop the funding mechanism of a pay raise.  This is why remarkable customer service is so important to even the most junior field worker at your utility.  Don’t they deserve to know this important fact?  Have you taken the time to explain this to them or are you just assuming that they know?

If you truly care about your people and truly care about winning, you will take the time to over-communicate the mission in detail with YOUR team.   

ACTION:  Use every opportunity to communicate the big picture to your people.  Ensure that they understand their role in your overall success.

Links to UMC2014 Presentations

I just returned from the Utility Management Conference in Savannah, Georgia where I had a fabulous time presenting to two groups there.  

First was a session on the need for Media Training for utility executives.  The following links will provide you notes on this session:

Media Training Slideshow w/ Notes

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4mvpfhtqd0kspq2/McELROY%20-%20Media%20Training%20-%20Panel%20Discussion%20UMC2014.pdf

Media Training Manuscript

https://www.dropbox.com/s/15a5mdw6oeerwv8/McElroy%20-%20Media%20Training%20-%20UMC2014%20MANUSCRIPT.pdf

The second was a session on performance management entitled "How to Deliver Oscar-Winning Performances at Your Utility".  The following notes will give you an overview of this session:  

Oscar-Winning Performaces Slideshow w/ Notes

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xbnja4u1v2ish35/UMC2014-%20Oscar%20Winning%20Utility%20Performances%20rev%201.pdf

Oscar-Winning Performance Manuscript

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pofrt72g6l1crdu/McElroy%20-How%20to%20Achieve%20Oscar%20Winning%20Performance%20UMC2014%20MANUSCRIPT.pdf

Do you need a dynamic speaker at your next event? I can help!  Here is a link to my Press Kit:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8ahsce4ympox07c/McElroy%20Press%20Kit%20-%20MAR%202014.pdf

CONTACT INFORMATION

Personal Website – www.robmcelroype.com
Company Website – www.daphneutilities.com
LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/in/robmcelroype
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/robmcelroype
Blog – www.goodenough-isnt.com
Email –

Company - rob@daphneutilities.com
Personal - rob@robmcelroype.com

Phone -  wk: (251) 626-2628  - or -   cell: (251) 689-5020

Let Them Do Their Job

One of the things that Jim Phelps did very well was to allow his team to do their jobs without micromanaging them. 

Willy was an expert at logistics.  Phelps didn’t dictate how Willy was going to set up a fake hotel or hospital in the middle of a hostile country.  Willy was an expert at this and Phelps let him do his job.

Barney was an electronics expert and engineer.  Phelps didn’t tell Barney what brand of listening devices to use.  Barney was an expert and he let him do his job.  

Rollin Hand was a master of disguise.  Phelps didn’t dictate to him what brand of disguises to buy or how to apply them.  He was an expert in his field and he let Rollin do his job.

Remember also that there was a lot at stake... on "Mission: Impossible", Phelps was warned that every mission carried with it the risk of being "caught or killed".  On top of this was the fact that a failed mission could have led to the outbreak of war (including nuclear attacks!) Despite this, Phelps was smart enough to let his people do their job every time.  He didn’t dictate their tools or methods.  He judged them for their results. 

The last time I checked, nuclear war has never been the likely result of a water line break or a sewer spill.  If you think about it, you will realize that there really is time to let your people take ownership of their work and do their jobs without excess micromanagement from you.  They need a little time to think through the process, to plan a course of action, to gather the proper materials.  If you make all the decisions for them, then they will never learn on their own.    

What is YOUR job as a manager?  

- To establish what success looks like.  

- To communicate this to your people. 

- To let them do thier job.

- To judge them for results.

- To work with those who can be improved.

- To replace those who fail to deliver results consistently.  

You have PLENTY to do without doing your people's jobs for them. Stick to what is your and leave them to do what is their's.  

ACTION:  Let you people do their jobs and judge only their results.  This is the way to both win and build ownership amongst your team.  

Let Them Know That They're Important

If your people are truly valuable and important to you, you should take active steps to let them know that they are so.  One of the ways we do this is by giving them our time and respecting them while we are meeting with them.  There is nothing that communicates disrespect quite like taking a call on your cell phone or checking email in the middle of meeting with your people.  Don’t do it!  (Unless you really are Jim Phelps and people are calling you regularly asking they should cut the red wire or the green wire to diffuse some time bomb, it is likely that you are not nearly as important as you think you are.)

Your people deserve to meet with you undistracted.  Turn your monitor off on your PC so that you won’t be tempted to glance over at those pesky email pop-up notifications.  If your phone rings, don’t even check it to see if its “important”.  Just reach into your pocket and turn it off.  If your people ask you if you need to take that call, just say, “No, I’m helping you right now…when we are done, I can call them back and help them later.”

If this just seems impossible, then try this cutting edge smartphone app that almost no one seems to know about.  It’s called “voice mail”.  Apparently, if you don’t answer your phone, your phone will answer itself, take a message for you and will play it back to you anytime you want it to!  AMAZING! (You really should try this!) 

ACTION:  Show your people that they are important to you by honoring the time you spend with them.  

Get Them What They Need

GET THEM WHAT THEY NEED –  Imagine you are on the "Impossible Missions Force" from the classic TV show MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE.  Jim Phelps, your team leader, arrives to brief you on the mission.

“Okay, this will be a tough mission but I am sure you’ll pull it off.  The first thing you need to know is that each of you needs to be in Munich in the morning.  Now, if you’ll recall, we’re over budget at the moment so I had to cut out all of the travel funds to keep us in the black… so you won’t be able to buy any plane tickets…but you still need to be in Munich in the morning.

When you get there, you’ll need to show a expertly-made fake IDs with your secret alias names on them at the border.  They had better be perfect or the Immigrations Officer will have you arrested.  Now, I know I cut out a Documents Expert from the staffing budget for this year but I am going to try and plan for one next year…but you still need your new IDs for this trip.

Oh, one final thing… when you get there, the most crucial part of the mission is to precisely measure the distance to the target within less than 12 inches from over 2 miles away.  This is absolutely critical...that's why we always use our laser range finder.  Oh, but if you’ll remember, it broke a few weeks ago and the repairs were going to be over $800!  We’re a little short of funds until we get more in a few months so I haven’t been able to get the range finder repaired.  But you guys have been doing really good estimating (guesstimating?) your ranges lately so I am confident you’ll do find this time, too.  Now get out there and have a great mission!”   

How many of you would think that you were being set up for failure?  You would be absolutely right!

If you fail to get your people what they need at your utility, you are setting them up for failure…and your team knows it.  How do you think that affects morale?

“Getting them what they need” might mean a tool…but it could just as easily mean training…or enough people to do a job right…or it could mean support from upper management when a tough but right decision needs to be made like laying off a bad worker who might be related to someone high up in the company.  Your people deserve the tools to do their job right.  The only thing left to be decided is whether you will provide them…or set your people up for failure. 

ACTION:  Get your people what they need to be successful.  It is the only way for them to attack the mission with the confidence it takes to win.

Listen to the Team's Feedback

LISTEN TO THE TEAM’S FEEDBACK-

The one thing Jim Phelps did during his mission briefings was to listen a lot and let others answer the big questions.  “How will we get out of the prison once we have the General?”  “Well, Cinnamon, that’s where’s Barney comes in…why don’t you brief us on that Barney.” 

Even more than that, the IMF team often asked pointed questions like, “Do you really think you can convince him that you are his father, Jim?” 

They sometimes had to point out facts like, “That’s a time delay door.  It will take three minutes to open once we have input the code.  Your timeline won’t work as is.”  Phelps never got angry with the feedback he received.  He used it to refine the plan and allow others to feel more of a part of the overall success.  In addition to this, the act of listening to his people's concerns helped build faith in the plan as a whole.  This was vitally important in completing the mission because people who feel they are sent out to fail, usually do.  Likewise, people who have confidence in the plan and confidence in the person who scripted the plan, often succeed.

If your staff meetings and company meetings consist mostly with you talking about what you want to talk about, something is wrong.  Are you listening?  Are you sharing the stage?  Are you letting other people own their parts of the mission?

If you get angry when people question your plan, you are stifling valuable input that can make or break your mission.  Is it more important that you never be questioned?  Or is it more important that your mission be a success?

ACTION:  Listen as much as you talk and always be receptive to the feedback you receive.

Lesson #8: Welcome to the TEAM!

Smart coaches never hire great players and just hope that they figure out on their own how to best become part of the team.  This is far too important to leave to chance or luck.  They carefully manage the transition of a new player into a productive team member.  That often means a well-planned and detailed orientation to the team where they learn the history of the team they have joined, what the strengths of the team are and what goals have been set for both the near and long term.   This helps the new player get into the right mindset of the team. 

To help the new player become a productive part of the team in the shortest time possible, they assign the new player a roommate who can help incorporate him into the team and what is expected of him as a part of that team.  This gives the new player a person to learn from and ask questions of.  As part of this process, the roommate often takes the new player to make introductions to the key staffers he will need to know…coaches, trainers, therapist medical staff, payroll staff, etc.  This is never left to chance because there is far too much money on the line to risk having the new player become isolated, a loner or jaded on whether he should have joined this team in the first place.  The team needs him to start “earning his keep” as soon as possible, and this detailed orientations process is the best way to accomplish this. 

In business, it is equally critical to transition from “finding” to “keeping” your great employees. The orientation process helps to introduce your new hire to the company and the company family. Matching new hires to a partner who can look out after them during these first few critical days, weeks and months really helps them start earning their keep much sooner than just handing them a shovel and saying, “Get to work.”  Even little things like “Here’s how to use the time clock,” can help to ease the transition of a new hire from “outsider” to “key team member”.  This is vital to the success of your company and should never be left to chance.   

At my company, we introduce every new hire to everyone in their chain of command in the first day of their employment.  This goes from the supervisor, to the department manager, the operations manager and the general manager.  They also meet critical personnel such as the customer service representatives in the front office as well as the HR and finance managers.  Each person they meet welcomes them and reiterates that they have joined a great, winning team!

Help protect your investment!  Orient your new hires in a carefully planned way.  Marry them up with a steady, reliable worker on your staff so they will very quickly have someone to teach them the ropes.  Introduce them to all your key staff in the first day so that they can feel that everyone in the organization really wants them there.  The money you save will be yours and the team you run will be all the better for the efforts! 

Lesson #7: Workforce Retention Starts on Day One

Earlier in my career, I worked in a major state university and remember being surprised that the university was going to institute a mandatory meal plan for incoming freshmen.  Like a lot of people, my first thought was that this was simply a plan to drive up food sales at the campus cafeteria.  I was intrigued to learn that, in fact, a mandatory meal plan is one of the most effective tools to increase student retention a university can adopt.    

New college freshmen, away from home for the first time and thrust into a whole new social environment, can easily become isolated and alone.  They get up (alone or with at most a single room mate), go to class and sit surrounded by strangers, grab a burger (alone), eat it alone in their dorm room and repeat this pattern day after day.  Many students have difficulty with the transition and lack a support group of friends to socialize or study with.  They get frustrated and their grades suffer.  In a very short while, they are leaving the university to return their homes and friends. 

However, by taking part in group activities such as regular meals in a cafeteria, these same students quickly feel like they belong.  They develop support groups and make friends…all of which result in increased student retention. 

At our company, we adopt this lesson to increase our workforce retention over the long term.  One a new hire’s first day at work, the entire department takes that person out to lunch.  In the casual social environment of a quick lunch break, away from the pressure of learning a new job skill and proving yourself to the team, a new hire can start the process of fitting in very quickly.  It builds on the relationship between the new hire and their supervisor.  It helps the new hire talk about things other than work they may have in common with everyone else at the table. It helps them begin to understand what kind of company they have joined and see the pride that everyone else has for our team.  It’s a great way to form a bond that can last for years…if it is started effectively (and casually) on day one.  What are you doing from day one to ensure that your workforce stays intact over the long term?  I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions!

Lesson #6: Effective and Complete Job Offers

A coach recruiting a great player would never say, “Will you be my running back for a salary of X dollars?”  The problem with this approach is that it bases the entire relationship moving forward solely on money.  This might be great if you will always have more money to throw at them in the future, but we know that this is not the reality in the real world!  If this great player will only join your team for X dollars, then they would be just as open to leave you and join another team for a dollar more than you have offered.  What will you have left to offer if there is no additional money for pay raises or promotions?

To build a better, stronger, more permanent relationship with the player, a smart coach lays out an offer that is much more powerful than just a dollar figure.  Sure, the subject of money comes up, but it does not rule the conversation, and money is certainly not the only thing discussed. 

When we think of “job offers” in the utilities industry, we focus too often on money. An effective offer should focus on FOUR KEY AREAS:

1)      Total Investment – That includes the full compensation package, not just their pay, including vacation, company-paid health benefits, sick leave, and other benefits…every dollar the company will shell out to have them working for you each year.  You should also mention the other costs that the company will bear such as the cost of their work truck, their tools, uniforms, initial training, etc.    It is not uncommon for a company to expend twice the worker’s salary just in year one of his employment to get this new hire outfitted for the job.  The company will often spend greater than 30% over and above each worker’s salary just on the company portion of the benefit package.  This means that a company needing to hire a new worker making $30,000 per year may spend $60,000 in year one of that person’s employment just getting them up to the point that they are fully productive and then spend more than $40,000 in salary and benefit costs every year beyond that.  Most workers are oblivious of this fact.  You might say, “Our company is willing to invest more than $55,000 in salary and benefit costs to have you come make widgets for us. It can be broken down this way…”

2)      Personal Growth – Explain what the company will invest in your personal development.  For example: “We’re going to keep on investing time and money in your professional development every year you work with us because it is good for both you and the company.  We’re going to work with you to build a career, not just have a job.  What we plan for you is this…”

3)      Work Life – What’s the mood or vibe of your company? What kind of events do you participate in at work and after hours? Softball? Bowling? Company outings? “Our company is tight knit like a family.  If you like working on a team where everyone pulls together to win, you’re going to love working for us.”  Whatever you do, BE HONEST about this!  Some companies simply don’t offer “work/life balance”.  Their offer is completely different.  “You are going to work hard and put in some long hours while you are here.  We are doing some cutting edge things and glad that you are going to be a part of it.  It will certainly pay off for you in the long run…but, for now, please know that everyone is putting in long hours and we expect you to as well.” 

4)      Corporate Future – Are company prospects good? Are you in a stable business environment or laying people off? Are you offering a career or just a job?  “We intend on being around for a long time and we intend to keep you around for a long time as well.  Sound business decisions by our top management and Board of Directors have positioned us well to ride out this downturn in the economy and we are poised for big things once the turnaround arrives. ”  What prospect doesn't want to hear that?

If you want to start each new hire relationship off in a strong, effective and powerful way, learn to weave these four points into your job offers.  You will be amazed at the difference they will make!

Lesson #5: Three Magic Words: “I Want You”

When a team is trying to get a great player to sign with them, the coach always makes the offer in person, face to face.  The coach looks the player in the eye and says three magic words: “I want you.”  

They don’t send the human resource manager or the university’s athletic director or anyone else to do it.  It is never as effective that way.  They don’t do it by phone or letter or email.  They make the offer themselves because it’s a deeply personal thing that has a powerful and compelling message behind it. 

Think about it.  “I want you to join my team. Come play for me.  Let’s win together.”  

Is there any doubt in your mind that employment of a new worker would start in a much more powerful way if the supervisor the person was going to actually work for made each offer face-to-face?

“I interviewed a lot of people looking for just the right person to fill this slot.  I think you are the person who can do it.  I want you to join my team and help us win.  Its hard work but you will be part of a great team that has accomplished some incredible things.  I think you will fit in perfectly with us and help us win.  I want you to take this job.”  

What you say can be long or short…flowery or straight to the point…but it needs to contain the magic words, “I want you.” 

Of course you will have HR in the room to go over benefits and cover the paperwork that must be completed, but don’t leave it to your HR representative make the offer and miss this opportunity to start the working relationship off in a powerful direction. 

“I want you.”  Simply magical. 

Lesson #4: Tailor Fit the Job to the Candidate Who Can Help Your Team Win

When a team has a vacancy, does a good coach look only for a player who will fit the jersey he already has?  Does the coach only look for players wearing the same shoe size as the last player wore?   Of course not!  Great coaches will find the player the team needs to become better and then fit the uniform of their team to that player. 

Similarly, if the coach is focused only on finding a certain set of skills for a new player (such as a good passer if a football team needs a quarterback), he remains open to the fact that he may come across such a good running quarterback that it opens up entirely new opportunities for the team to win.  Instead of remaining blindly committed to what he thought he was looking for, a great coach will be open to adapt the position (and perhaps even his entire offense) to make best use of the skills he finds in the new player

Job descriptions are like this in many ways.  You may think you know exactly what you are looking for in a new worker, and there is a outside chance you might even find an exact match to the job description you have.  But more likely, you will find someone who has most of the skills your job description requires but is deficient in some other areas that may or may not be critical.  The best strategy when facing this is to alter the job description slightly to match the abilities of your new hire, emphasizing some areas and de-emphasizing others.   

Remember, job descriptions are not sacred.  Even if you cannot alter your company’s standard job description for a specific position, you should clearly understand that some “required skills” are more important than others.  Your “team” can benefit most when you remain open to minor alterations of the job description to person you actually hire.   A good rule of thumb is to find a candidate that has at least 75% of the skills you are looking for (and adapting to the non-critical weaknesses the person has), and be open to modifying the job description to capture the additional skills the candidate demonstrates as a “windfall”.   If the “total package” still looks good, you are well on your way to building a winning team!

Compete In Order To Win

If any team, even the reigning NFL champs New Orleans Saints, practiced seven days a week but played no real games against opponents, they would inevitably grow weak and slow.  Without regular games against tough opponents, they would have no way to improve and sharpen their individual and team skills.  They could not identify if their game plan was effective, which specific plays worked or which players were truly great.   Even constant practicing in the absence of regular competition would lead a great team to a failure. 

In business, we see the same thing happen.  Showing up every day and doing the same old thing day in / day out will not help us improve.  We must regularly put our company up against tough competition in order for us to learn where we are strong and where we need to improve.  The opponent we select cannot be “internal standards” either since we may likely set a goal that is too low.  (If the Saints played the staff at St. Mary’s Nursing Home, it might technically be called “competition” and the Saints would surely win, but setting themselves up for an easy win would in no way help them improve as a team.) We must look for other great companies to compete against or a set of outrageously high business standards to reach for the competition to show us where we are both strong and weak.   

Competition is vital for any team (or business) trying to get faster, leaner, more efficient, more agile and in this economy, we cannot afford to be anything less than the great in these areas.  Winning motivates people to stretch a little more each time and trophies are important reminders of this feeling.  Find ways for your people to compete and win.  Look especially for hard-to-get awards and trophies. Never underestimate the ability for ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results when challenged effectively.  What this competition will do for you is incredible!  It will show you and everyone on your staff the path to success and greatness.  You can afford to be no less!

Build a Winning Team

The greatest vision or business plan in the world will do you no good without an effective Team to carry it out.  Building an effective Team is a great responsibility and is a fundamental cornerstone of running an effective and successful company, division, department or even group.  The success of the company depends on how well the people you select for key positions do their job and work well with others so that no one fails.   Without a Team attitude, it’s “every man for himself” and this never leads to success for a company (or any sports team either!)  You can either win together or you’ll lose together… but, as a Leader, YOU get to decide which one!  Winners do not allow parts of their team to lose for any reason. They run to back each other up…both on and off the field.  They rise quickly to defend one another.  They encourage one another.  They never brag about their personal accomplishments at the expense of their teammates.

As a Leader (whether you are CEO, Director, VP, Manager, Supervisor, etc) you must assemble the best possible Team and constantly monitor the players to insure they are working well together.  Remember, the Customer always notices whether your people work well together and support one another.  Teams that do not work well together do not operate as efficiently as they could.  This leads to increased costs…and telling your Customer that your costs are higher than they need to be is NOT a way to demonstrate value!  Building a great Team is absolutely critical to business success in any economy!