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Editor: Dr. Wolf J. Rinke ----- Feel free to forward this eNewsletter to others. ------- IN THIS ISSUE =================================================== =================================================== =================================================== In the previous issue of this eNewsletter (www.WolfRinke.com) we talked
about the first three specific habits of highly unsuccessful leaders: 4. Make poor decisions because they are too successful Leaders who have found a "tried-and-true" method tend to stick with it even when it no longer produces optimum results for them. According to Ram Charan and Jerry Useem, authors of "Why Companies Fail" studies show that people are less likely to make high quality decisions after long periods of success. Enron, Lucent, WorldCom, NASA, and Polaroid are examples of this phenomenon. They all made it to the top and then attempted to continue to replicate what had worked in the past. The reason? The leaders of these organizations are just like the rest of us: they are human. And all people tend to resist surrendering their mental models--their Weltanschauung, especially those that have provided them with dramatic positive results in the past. A textbook example is Bernie Ebbers of WorldCom. He had found a tried-and-true method for "growing" the company primarily through acquisitions. And he continued to do that--instead of managing what he had acquired--at such a frantic pace--75 acquisitions in all--that it finally began to unravel--and the rest as they say . . . is history. 5. Build a "it's my way or it's the highway" organizational culture These leaders squash dissent at any price. And team members who do not want to buy in are shown the door. As a result, they fear the boss more than the competition and refuse to tell the truth with dire consequences. In this rapidly changing highly competitive global market place dissent is good--no wait--it's absolutely essential. No one person, even the boss, has all the answers. Need proof, think of Enron. SMART STEPS Any time you are confronted with an ethical decision--that's the ones
that are in the "gray zone"--ask yourself this question: How
would you feel if this decision were headlined tomorrow morning in your
local paper or The Wall Street Journal? Get yourself a coach or mentor, that's anyone you have given permission to tell you what you don't want to hear. (The people I coach have to put that in writing.) Then listen to your coach carefully and take action. Turn employees into company watchdogs. Have someone from outside your company conduct an employee survey at least once a year. Then act on the findings. To avoid disaster and improve the quality of your decisions appoint a rotating DA, "devils advocate," in all decision-making meetings. It's the DAs job to argue a contrary point of view, especially to any of your proposed decisions. Publicly admit to mistakes you have made. It gives your team members permission to go public with their mistakes. Celebrate--not squash--whistle blowers. Remember, what ever you celebrate you are going to get more of. Aggressively hire minorities and celebrate diversity of opinion. Make working more than 50 hours a week the exception, not the rule, and publicly celebrate employees who demonstrate work-life balance. For example, celebrate individuals who take their vacation, achieve high levels of performance without working over-time, and those who have achieved milestone-wedding anniversaries. Ask yourself: if you got fired, what would your replacement do? Then get busy doing that now. Practice open book management--your employees have to know what's going on if you want them to help make things better. SOURCE: Based in part on Chapter 7 of my book "Don't Oil the Squeaky Wheel and 19 Other Contrarian Ways to Improve Your Leadership Effectiveness," McGraw-Hill, 2004, http://www.WolfRinke.com ================================================== It's a great way to say thanks to all the people who support you all
year long--team members, co-workers, friends and family. This unique perpetual calendar provides words of inspiration and wisdom every day of the year! PLUS easy to apply action steps to help make the message a reality! Best of all at the end of the year, turn it over and use it again, and again. Truly a unique gift that keeps on giving . . . forever! PLUS in the spirit of the holidays I will include my LIVE "Positive Attitude" Audio CD for FREE, with orders of 4 or more calendars. ** 4 Calendars plus my Positive Attitude CD for ONLY $30.00 ** You risk absolutely nothing! If for any reason the perpetual calendars are not everything you expected, send them back to me and I will give you your money back. Log onto www.wolfrinke.com/holiday.html or call 800-828-9653. Mention this ad when ordering by phone! Offer expires 1/15/2006. =================================================== An engineer, a physicist, and a statistician were moose hunting in northern Canada. After a short walk through the marshes they spotted a HUGE moose 150 meters away. The engineer raised his gun and fired at the moose. A puff of dust showed that the bullet landed one meter to the right of the moose. The physicist, realizing that there was a substantial breeze that the engineer did not account for, aimed to the left of the moose and fired. The bullet landed one meter to the left of the moose. The statistician jumped up and down screaming, "We got him! We got him!" =================================================== Achieve Peak Performance by Increasing Your Personal Effectiveness Don't Oil the Squeaky Wheel and Other Contrarian Ways to Improve Your
Leadership Effectiveness. Winning Management: Building a Peak Performance Workplace =================================================== =================================================== If this was forwarded to you and you would like to receive your own
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