Whingeing Yank Business People – How Much More Can We Endure?

From the land of Ivy League business schools, economic disparity and virtually no social safety net we must hear the incessant moaning of overpaid executives about their fate.  It must be good to know that if the whole free market capitalist system collapses you can live off your wealth.  I love the word used in Australia to describe complaing…….’whingeing’ or better said as ‘wingein’.  The rest of us need to keep working and most of us out here in the ‘rest of the world’ (developed) live in sane societies with social safety nets and without the incredible disparities in income and lifestyle.  We have to compete with companies shielded by the hard and soft power of the United States.  It was not always so.  Globalisation and ‘flat earth’…..maybe but not yet.  I have worked for American companies run by supposedly well educated B school graduates who disappeared into the a**hole of complexity while their organisations were moribund.  Maybe we will all collectively learn from this recent economic cycle, maybe not.  My hope is that at least some folks in the world’s current super power learn that those at the top are not necessarily the most qualified to be there.  I hope we can regain a common sense- quit worshipping business leaders, stop segregating with false classifications based on privilege.  Intelligence is not necessarily reflected in common sense.  Common sense is not a graduate program from Harvard Business School.  Academics are not necessarily ground level participants.   Everybody stop your ‘whingeing’; get real about what is really important in your life and get on with it.  Business is business- like a merchant stall in Damascus.  Love the Bazaar!

Commitment Maker or Breaker?

I have always had a real problem with a growing phenomenon in the business world that is spreading in the common social sphere as well.  This is the pervasive tendency for commitment breaking.  People do not follow through like they used to.  In business this is frustrating but my recent experience working with a client has demonstrated how lack of follow through on commitments is a serious issue.  My client is a fast paced consulting firm that has enjoyed some reasonable growth in the past few years.  They have had the normal teething pains with systems and processes but nothing too serious.  The real problem is that action items from meetings are not done, commitments made in conversations or informal meetings are not followed up or followed through.  The visual clues that raised yellow flags to me was the lack of any note taking in any meeting!  The lack of execution has caused a culture that has little trust and interpersonal relationships are under strain since there is a pervasive belief that you cannot rely on your colleagues.  This has led to territorialism and reduced sharing and collaboration.  This has led to poor enculturation of new employees and on it goes….YIKES!  But why?  I know these guys are not unique.  Are we too bombarded with stuff to do and information to digest?  Or are we unable to discipline ourselves to do our work and execute our plans despite the external bombardment?  The real scary part is that this behaviour creeps out of the organisation and begins to infect client and other stakeholder relationships.  The commitment to call back or ’send some information’ that never gets followed through is a certain precursor to a relationship breakdown and lack of trust.  I know this sounds simple but just once I would like to see my client replace those Blackberries for pads of paper.  I recall seeing many more people taking notes and reminders with a pen than I have ever seen punched into a micro keyboard on a handheld.

Can You Assemble a Team of Rivals?

I look forward each evening for the chance to get back into this book!  I was lucky enough to catch site of this book in Melbourne Airport.  My first copy was left behind in a Sydney cab so I was off to buy a new one when I was on my return trip to Brisbane.  I cannot speak highly enough of this book.  As an American I never had a good feel for Abraham Lincoln as a man or as a President with any great depth.  Doris Kearns Goodwin has made Abraham Lincoln come alive in my imagination.  The lessons in this book are so relevant across so many dimenstions in modern political, business and community life.  Lincoln encouraged his political (and personal) rivals to take senior positions in his government.  He was a master at interpersonal and strategic leadership despite some apparent missteps in the latter early in his tenure.  How many CEOs are able to draw a team of contrarians together to create a dynamic team focused on execution?  How many politicians actively seek to include rivals in a ‘conversation’ on issues to drive resolution as opposed to point scoring.   One thing that really whacks me when I read this book; times may be tough now but they had enormous challenges in Lincoln’s era.  The Civil War is almost beyond description for its bloodshed and the day to day lives of people were always tinged with death whether by war or disease.