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Make Them "Ful"

One of my favorite thinkers and futurists is Erwin McManus. Erwin is a pastor in Los Angeles with a freaky good ability to take simple thoughts and communicate them with wow! I am reading his new book, Wide Awake and the following blurb resonates with my belief on what we should be doing with our human capital:

The word resource is not one of those instantaneously compelling words. Actually it is a really boring word. It just means stuff, supply, things, materials.

But the word resourceful is a very exciting word. When you look at the word resourceful, it means ingenious, creative, imaginative, quick-witted.When you stop at resource, you're at best a human container of gifts and talents and intellect, passions and abilities, but you do nothing with that resource, essentially you are boring. When you become resourceFUL and start really pulling out the stuff God has placed inside of you and start drawing on that creativity, intellect, talent, and experience that God stored within you and start becoming resourceful, then you become extraordinary..."

As I rushed through this and allowed my own inspirations to move, I began to think in terms of the human resources of a business. We are at a stage in organizational design where a sweeping change is required. Too many have relegated their Human Resources to just that -- bodies! I bet most people think of an HR "department" when they think of "Human Resources" and not the actual humans doing the push-ups throughout the business every day.

Corporations must go from monitoring and supporting their Human Resources to creating Resourceful Humans. If we just have our people punch in - do a job - and punch out, then we have made them a resource, and merely a resource that will decay unless developed.

Your organization is "FUL" of people with unique gifts and talents that can likely generate great things for your business. I could unpack this whole idea over several pages...keeping it to just one post is too confining.

For now, just really let this settle with you. Are you viewing your people as resources or are you developing them to be "FUL?"

Take a Leadership Vacation

In my last post, I mentioned Catalyst. I am asking you to check it out and really consider attending this event. I can promise you this: It is the best leadership event for young and older that the country has to offer. I am stoked to be attending my 6th consecutive Catalyst.

Many of us have experiences in our lives where our calling and purpose becomes vividly clear to us. Mine happened @ Catalyst in 2003. I can factually say it changed my life and continues to challenge me, my faith walk and my business leadership.

If you are involved in Church Ministry, Non-Profit or the amazing Marketplace...this is a leadership vacation for you. Get your company behind it and your likely to not even have to use vacation days. Even if you must take personal time, please consider.

For business leaders, Catalyst 2008 has the best business speaker line-up yet. Come hear Jim Collins, Tim Sanders, Seth Godin, Dave Ramsey and Andy Stanley(speaker link) along with other ministry leaders. When you need help with your ticket order call my friend Mr. Catalyst Chad Johnson (a positive experience in itself). You can reach him @ 678.225.3505.

If you are single, you may even get as lucky as I did. I met my captivatingly gorgeous wife Sara Grace @ Catalyst!!!

If you see us there in October, say hello!

watch this promo video:

Join us for Catalyst 2008! from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Make your teaching land well

So many times what happens with leadership development initiatives is they do not last. Much of the fault of this shortfall comes from those at the top who started it. Of course it was not their desire for it to hit a dull point and eventually lose all sharpness.

What happened?

Too often the top level leaders get exposed to a new idea that they may have received from a thought leader (Writer, speaker, mentor, etc). Then they take that idea just the way they understood and it try and transfer it verbatim to the levels below them. That rush to transfer it verbatim is where the first misfire happens.

What should be done is an assessment of that new idea or initiative? Ask yourself, those at the top with you AND a few of your mid-level audience (Feedback group) how can we best package this to where a lower level of experience and intellect might understand this and get as inspired as we are. It is about what is in it for them and how they best get it.

Always be sure that the ears of your audience are receptively comprehending your message.

Take a peak at this video where I explained this to my friends @ Catalyst when their rocking roadtrip came to hang with me and Sara Grace in West Palm Beach.

 

Catalyst Voices - Ryan Wall, Communicating Leadership Lessons from Catalyst on Vimeo.">

Jump On A Good Bus

I know that many of you like to be involved with all things good. Here is a chance to be a part of a super move with my friend Tim Sanders' upcoming book. Tim's message on saving the world at work promises to put a sizeable dent and more into the overall quality of human life and commerce.

If you have the desire and the talents he is looking for, here is a chance to really get involved as a "Saver Soldier" this fall and maybe a spin a few bucks into your pockets. Click here to check it out.

Cheers!

Scrape Your Knees - Not Your Face

Go for that mountain why don'tchya. Go at it as fast as you can with reckless abandon. You start your decent with Full vigor and "Holy Face Plant Batman!" - you kiss the crags and come up with a gear box grin. The outcome of such a spill is painful and takes too long for recovery - not to mention all the funny looks you will get from your audience.

This is the way in which many approach change. They see something that needs to be changed, they get a few good strategic nuggets to implement and off they go. They try and take the mountain in one heave of energy, only to scrape their face when a few Knee scrapes would lend a more effective result for everyone.

Change will be messy, but it does not have to be excruciating and taint your biz appearance. A knee scrape here and there is expected when climbing the mountain, but that's better for you and your brand than the detriment of a face plant.

Keep the climb of change as simple as you can:

Know what you foresee the top of the mountain to look like. For example, (1) a total re-design of your sales approach (2) creating an entirely new experience for your new hires (3) re-design of a race tire.

Pick a reasonable amount of phases or break points to accommodate your journey. Avoid more than 5 phases (any more than that will overwhelm your team and sound absurd to the big cheese). You must be discerning and wise as to what needs to be accomplished in each phase so they can subsequently build upon each other (reaching new altitudes).

Celebrate on the completion of each phase and keep climbing while the momentum is hot. The higher you go, the harder it will get, but people will be inspired to get it done when they know they are gradually ticking off the ascent.

Once you reach the top of your mountain and someone asks, "How did you do this?" You can easily walk them through it.

The wisdom of calculated change will save your face.

Be the Benefactor

I am not yet familiar with the lunch options around my new office. I do know there is no Chipotle which I much prefer over Moe's, however; yesterday Moe's had to do it for me. I am thankful for my visit to Moe's because it helped my thinking on a recent inquisition.

The young man that took my order and prepared my lunch was outstanding. I immediately had an appreciation for him due to the fact that he did not look old enough to be working and I can relate to being 14-18 and people telling me, "sonny you do not look old enough to work. (When I was 14 my employer had someone call child labor on them...for real!). Well, this dude let his professionalism, likeability and efficiency speak for him. I was trying to think of any job I might be able to give him, connect him to or perhaps create for him. He was a young Eagle for sure.

Here is where he helped me and you. I am a student of Buckingham's Strength-finder, the DISC profile and any other testing that provides a snapshot as to what people are good at and subsequently like to do. I am a fanatic for connecting people to their dreams and linking them to career exuberance. While I know this mentality is an asset to my leadership, it is almost became a small liability.

Let's just say I ran the mentioned Moe's and I interviewed the mentioned young man (call him Danny). In the interview Danny tells me that he wants to be an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) and has wanted to do so his whole life. So knowing this about Danny, I encourage him to go work somewhere more related to his ultimate professional desire (becoming an EMT). I do not hire him and he goes somewhere else, perhaps to my competitor and spreads his little eagle wings there for the next 2 years before pursuing his EMT goals. This would be a goof on my part and my tunneled focus on his "ultimate desires" leads me to miss out on being his benefactor for a few short years. My focus on connecting strengths, passions and desires became a small liability.

Many are reading this thinking, well what about when you hire him only to lose him 6 months to 3 years later? I tell you that I would rather have a brief visit from this young star, create great experiences for our customer and play a positive role in his life WHILE I have him. Adopt this level of thinking.

Being the benefactor of someone's talent even if brief is becoming more important than ever. The new generations are not wired to think LONG TERM related to tenure with your biz. Capitalize on their talent and let them help you soar before they one day flee your flock. The absence of having them can hurt you. The presence of having them may save you.

Take The Survey

There are a myriad of things you are involved in that set you up to be surveyed. Companies that you have given your email to are likely to survey you on something. How do you feel about getting surveyed by companies you deal with?

I admit that there have been times where I have neglected to participate when it pops up in my in-box, but I am making the commitment to be thankful and participate. Why? The people requesting my time are trying to improve their business and that is not to be taken lightly. Knowing that I can do my little part for 5 minutes to help someone improve their service, product, process, etc is noble.

Improving our businesses is not just about helping someone create a better customer experience, gain profits or the like. It is so much bigger than that. I promise you that businesses have the greatest platform of influence in the world. Businesses can improve society, change lives, heal the sick far better than any entity on earth. From the way they treat people, communities and profits, Businesses have a lot of bang in their love cannon. Some that I share this with do not agree, but the reality lies that people, power and money can move a lot more than a mountain.

The companies that survey you are likely trying to do good for you. Take 5 and give them more than just your money. Give them feedback. Be honest and make yourself available to talk live to someone about your experience regardless of how good or bad it was. Your praise and/or criticism is a gift to good companies.

Thank you Southwest Airlines for surveying me today and teaching me that:

- A good survey only needs to be 6-8 questions.

- It should not take the recipient longer than 7 minutes to complete. Mine from SWA took 2mins.

- Southwest shows care well after I got off a great plane ride (again).

When you need to survey your customers, audience or community group. You can find cost effective options @ survey monkey or zoomerang. Hopefully people will respond to you as you have for them. May the law of reciprocity work for you.