I just read an article that made me smile!
The police busted one of the most elaborate and efficient meth-labs to date...
The real owners are still at large...but they did arrest and charge the lab guy...
His defense...he was afraid to be unemployed!
He took the job...
Did his work...
Never asked any questions...
Got paid a salary...
Made the place what it is (improved the processes)...into the efficient place that it was!
He claims that he was just an employee...afraid to not have a job!
Yes...he knew what they were making...
Yes...he knew it was illegal...immoral...and unethical...
But he was just an employee...who needed a job...so he just went about his lab duties and...drew his pay...
Do you think that he is guilty?
Is he going to get a lighter sentence?
The article actually stated that the prosecution "laughed!" and will seek maximum sentences...
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That made me think...
Although this is an extreme...we need to be constantly on the look-out for activities within our organizations...that are illegal, immoral and/or unethical!
If we do not or we look the other way...we are aiding and abetting...or are a direct accomplice...a co-conspirator!
Pretty harsh thoughts...
In this instance...there is no "in it...but not of it!"
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RENEWAL
The 21st century will (hopefully) see a renewal of the importance of morality and ethics...
Our society cannot afford to make every moral and ethical standard a law...
This was tried in the past with laws like the Prohibition...and you know what that got us!
It is the individual's obligation (OK...Quantum Obligation) to act and support the highest moral and ethical standards...and not burden our legal system with "policing" us from that perspective...
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Leaders set the standard...
,,,and...
Whether one leads or aspires to lead...
...or...
Whether the leader is an individual or an organization...
The bar is established by leadership...
If that bar is low...the rest of society simply jumps it...and moves forward...
Leaderships' behavior condones the acts...
Where have you set the bar?
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The REAL wages
The "lab guy's" future is pretty well established by his behavior...and his fears...
He will have a roof over his head and meals...and entertainment...
He doesn't have to fear "not having a job" any longer!
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Do the RIGHT thing...
It is important for us to put aside our fears...
and...
Look up...
Look around...
and...
Ask the hard questions...
That is what leaders do!
That is what makes REAL leaders successful!
Liars and thieves do the opposite!
Are the activities illegal...(not just to the letter of the law...but in the Spirit of its intent)?
Are the activities immoral?
Are the activities unethical?
Are you the "lab guy?"
Enough Said!
What it takes to be a real 21st Century Leader and how to meet those challenges.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The Criminal Pursuit of Profits
I have...and I bet you too...have heard or read about this one!
The guy (referring to a leader) is a miracle worker...
The guy (referring to a leader) is a miracle worker...
He makes money where others can't...
He is an alchemist...
He is worth every penny of his salary and bonus...
or...it he?
If it seems to be too good to be true...it probably is!
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The frequency of "late-breaking" news reports, about companies breaking the law...in pursuit of increased profits...is increasing at an alarming rate!
As of late...Murdoch and his empire is on the brink of toppling... simply because of the emphasis on "the BIG story" and the relentless pursuit of money...
The good news is that these people are getting caught...
The bad news is that many of our leaders think that it is OK to act like this...and many continue to get away with it...
Organizational Leadership has at its core two simple objectives...
1 - To make a company profitable
and...
2 - Prove that the organization's success (every dollar obtained) was not ill-gotten...EVERY DOLLAR!
Leaders need to drive their organization towards "air-tight" income...not "iffy"...and definitely not illegally gotten gains!
"Whoops!"...or..."I didn't know!" just doesn't cut it in the 21st century!
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Think about it...if a company breaks the law to make money...it is conspiracy...it is racketeering...it is organized crime!
If laws are broken...it is the responsible ones who should pay for the crimes...
AND...
That begs the question...
What should the penalty be?
Someone will pay for the crime...either the guilty...or society...
If they aren't getting caught...it is us that is paying for their crime...think about it!
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The White-Collar Criminal
White-collar crime is treated less harshly than others...I do not believe that this should be the case...
In fact...I believe that it should be as harsh as the most heinous crimes against our society...
Why?
Because their acts are actually acts against our society and what we (as Americans) stand for!
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Who should be punished?
The answers are rather simple...
The highest level answer is...
The ones actually committing the crimes...
AND...
The ones who are responsible for overseeing the organization's integrity...and are called to ensure that every dollar is obtained with complete integrity...and honesty...
Sorting through the "responsibility" side of guilt can be daunting...but it doesn't need to be...
It can simply be a Title search across the company's organization chart...
The CEO...The CFO...actually anyone with a "C" in their title!
They use plausible deniability as an excuse...but the fact of the matter is...it is (or should be) part of their job description!
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A Deeper Dive into Responsibility
Responsibility falls into 2 simple categories...
- Direct Responsibility
- Indirect Responsibility
Direct Responsibility is a "no-brainer" in most cases...but it is deeper than we normally accept...
The easiest one to identify is when an individual is directly responsible for the activity...which means...he or she does it...
In this instance...all of the EASY money obtained through their activity, is undeserved and all of the income; that of the organization and their personal income...including their salaries and bonuses should be seized and return to the public...(remember...this is a crime against the public)...
The individual should also serve jail time...because they have proved through their actions that they are a threat to our society...
WOW...THAT IS HARSH...BUT WAIT!
The second "Direct Responsibility" is also rather easy to identify...Activities that were conducted under the individual's direction and guidance!
In this instance...all of the EASY money obtained through their activity, is undeserved and all of the income; that of the organization and their personal income...including their salaries and bonuses should be seized and return to the public...
Hmmmmm...I am seeing a pattern here,,,are you?
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Indirect Responsibility...
At this point the responsibility gets more difficult...however...it is just as simple when we look at it for what it is?
"C-Level" leaders should know what is going on within their organization...
Good and bad...
They should be asking..."Why is this division doing so well?"...as well as...."Why is this division doing so poorly?"
I have sat in many "C-Level" meetings where great quarterly reviews were lauded...rather than questioned!
If a leader is doing better than the norm...it should be questioned and scrutinized...not let-off the hook!
A Great Leader Scrutinizes growth with as much attention as they push for answers about sub-standard performance...
Looking the other way or not asking those questions is condoning or authorizing the activity...this makes the leader an accessory to the crime
In this instance...all of the EASY money obtained through their activity, is undeserved and all of the income; that of the organization and their personal income...including their salaries and bonuses should be seized and returned to the public...
The individual should also serve jail time...because they have proved through their actions that they are a threat to our society...
This takes away the "I wasn't unaware" excuse...
By definition...they should have been!
Another criminal activity of poor leadership comes from the "Bottom-line" driven beast...
The leader whose relentless drive pushes his or her people to profitability...under the threat of termination...
Mr. "You're Fired!...if you don't perform..."
He or she may not know how their underlings achieved their success...but anything obtained through threat or coercion...is anti-liberty...anti-American! It is an act against the constitution!
You may recall that "Liberty" is the ability to act without threat or coercion...
It is a MAJOR breach of our American foundation...
In this instance...all of the EASY money obtained through their activity, is undeserved and all of the income; that of the organization and their personal income...including their salaries and bonuses should be seized and returned to the public...
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A Call to Accountability...
Ultimately our 21st century system needs to provide no ways out for illegal activity...
White-collar crime is what put the US in the place that it is in...
It is the reason behind the unemployment rate...
It is why our home prices fell...
It is the reason for every negative economic situation I can think of!
We need to make the consequences drastic for illegal and anti-American behavior...
These consequences are the risk that leaders have to take in order to hold their position...
Leaders draw HUGE incomes and...
There needs to be a HUGE risk associated with it...
If they are not held accountable...and pay for their crimes...it is us who are criminal...
We are just as guilty as the leader who doesn't question how someone made so much money!
It is us who pay for it by our "looking the other way...and not asking..."How did they make so much money?"
We may not serve jail time...but ask anyone who is unemployed and wants to work...if it is not a punishment...
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The biggest mistake that we can make is not starting!
It is time for us to push our government to hold organizational leadership accountable for their activities...
They should not be allowed to run businesses like criminals and walk away with a slap on the hand...and HUGE bank accounts or trusts in other people's names...
White-collar crime is a MAJOR crime...it is happening all around us!
And many of the C-Level individuals continue to sleep well at night because they believe that we are too dumb to catch them!
Make no mistake...the 21st Century is different!
We are not dumb...
This century will go down in history as the century of Organizational Karma!
Enough said!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Motivation and Success
The role of motivation in success cannot be overemphasized...
It is a given...that successful people are motivated...
To the achievement of success...
But how does it fit into the entire equation?
There are other critical components...
Intelligence...
Knowledge...
Action...
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So let's quickly look at each...
Let's start in the middle with knowledge...
Knowledge is simply acquired and retained information...Either through observation or experience...
Although it plays a big role...knowledge is the storage of a valuable asset...
Unapplied knowledge is like burying money...and going back to the cache 10 years later and expecting more than you hid! There is no "interest" for that which in not working...
Intelligence is a step up from knowledge...it is applied knowledge...
Animals that "learn" something and apply that knowledge for "gain" are considered intelligent...
Like a certain species of bird that has learned to use a "sticky" twig...that it pokes down ant tunnels...the insects adhere to the twig...the bird pulls it from the tunnel...covered with ants...and feasts on insects that it couldn't reach with its beak!
That is intelligence!
This leads us to the last component of the equation...ACTION...
If you notice that knowledge is valueless without application...ACTION...
Intelligence does not exist without ACTION...
The question arises...where does consistent action arise from?
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What catalyzes action?
I know that you have already answered it...MOTIVATION...
There is no proof that knowledge or intelligence exists without action...
Action does not exist without motivation...
If I have heard it once...I have heard it a thousand times...
He or she is really intelligent...just not motivated...
I disagree...
There is no knowledge there...that can be proved...
There is no intelligence...that has been applied
The fact of the matter is...
He or she is no different than those who lack knowledge or intelligence...
He or she is just plain stupid...perhaps even worse...
Ponder this logic...next time you lack motivation...
Enough Said!
It is a given...that successful people are motivated...
To the achievement of success...
But how does it fit into the entire equation?
There are other critical components...
Intelligence...
Knowledge...
Action...
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So let's quickly look at each...
Let's start in the middle with knowledge...
Knowledge is simply acquired and retained information...Either through observation or experience...
Although it plays a big role...knowledge is the storage of a valuable asset...
Unapplied knowledge is like burying money...and going back to the cache 10 years later and expecting more than you hid! There is no "interest" for that which in not working...
Intelligence is a step up from knowledge...it is applied knowledge...
Animals that "learn" something and apply that knowledge for "gain" are considered intelligent...
Like a certain species of bird that has learned to use a "sticky" twig...that it pokes down ant tunnels...the insects adhere to the twig...the bird pulls it from the tunnel...covered with ants...and feasts on insects that it couldn't reach with its beak!
That is intelligence!
This leads us to the last component of the equation...ACTION...
If you notice that knowledge is valueless without application...ACTION...
Intelligence does not exist without ACTION...
The question arises...where does consistent action arise from?
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What catalyzes action?
I know that you have already answered it...MOTIVATION...
There is no proof that knowledge or intelligence exists without action...
Action does not exist without motivation...
If I have heard it once...I have heard it a thousand times...
He or she is really intelligent...just not motivated...
I disagree...
There is no knowledge there...that can be proved...
There is no intelligence...that has been applied
The fact of the matter is...
He or she is no different than those who lack knowledge or intelligence...
He or she is just plain stupid...perhaps even worse...
Ponder this logic...next time you lack motivation...
Enough Said!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
An Excerpt From "My Mentor" Meaningful Performance Evaluations
I started to open my mouth to respond in disbelief…and he immediately told me to stop and listen!
Your boss does not have the right to evaluate your performance…unless…you give that to him!
Most people are too stupid or lazy to realize that!
The only right that your boss has is to agree or disagree with you!
Your performance is yours and yours alone...
Do you realize that…?
I nodded in agreement…but it was a jump for me…because I too had been brainwashed by traditional management theories such as MBO…
You have something in your possession that will change the entire face of your evaluation…do you realize that?
I shook my head…I had no idea of what he was taking about…
Your notebook!
The light went on!
Yet he went on to confirm it!
Every time he gave you an assignment…you wrote down his expectations…I thought that was brilliant and began doing that my self!
You have a chronicle of exactly what he expected from you over the past year don’t you?
AND you know exactly how you did in relation to each of those expectations…right?
Perhaps you should make a list of everything that he assigned to you and ask him if he missed anything…
Then when that list is agreed upon…send him another column that lists what he told you he expected…
Then when that list is agreed upon…send him a list of how you performed in relation to those expectations…
Then when that list is agreed upon…send him your assessment of the expectations versus actual…
OR…
You could just leave it up to him to remember all that stuff…and gamble that you are at the top of his list!
He smiled and walked out…he knew that my evaluation was in 5 minutes and that my definition for being at a meeting on-time was 5 minutes early!
I walked down the hallway and just before I turned the corner...I looked back and he was standing in the doorway of his office...smiling...I smiled back...took a deep breath...and...
"Come on in Phil…I see you have your notebook…no assignments today…its all about you and last year’s performance…let me see…you had a pretty good year…wouldn’t you agree?"
I smiled and said…”Boss…we have a few weeks before the final reviews are due…what would you think if we stepped back and really worked this through?” “Rather than spending an hour today…let’s just take a few minutes and look at what I was assigned and make sure that we have captured everything that mattered! “Besides…I have 12 impromptu "one on ones" that I just came up! ”
Your boss does not have the right to evaluate your performance…unless…you give that to him!
Most people are too stupid or lazy to realize that!
The only right that your boss has is to agree or disagree with you!
Your performance is yours and yours alone...
Do you realize that…?
I nodded in agreement…but it was a jump for me…because I too had been brainwashed by traditional management theories such as MBO…
You have something in your possession that will change the entire face of your evaluation…do you realize that?
I shook my head…I had no idea of what he was taking about…
Your notebook!
The light went on!
Yet he went on to confirm it!
Every time he gave you an assignment…you wrote down his expectations…I thought that was brilliant and began doing that my self!
You have a chronicle of exactly what he expected from you over the past year don’t you?
AND you know exactly how you did in relation to each of those expectations…right?
Perhaps you should make a list of everything that he assigned to you and ask him if he missed anything…
Then when that list is agreed upon…send him another column that lists what he told you he expected…
Then when that list is agreed upon…send him a list of how you performed in relation to those expectations…
Then when that list is agreed upon…send him your assessment of the expectations versus actual…
OR…
You could just leave it up to him to remember all that stuff…and gamble that you are at the top of his list!
He smiled and walked out…he knew that my evaluation was in 5 minutes and that my definition for being at a meeting on-time was 5 minutes early!
I walked down the hallway and just before I turned the corner...I looked back and he was standing in the doorway of his office...smiling...I smiled back...took a deep breath...and...
"Come on in Phil…I see you have your notebook…no assignments today…its all about you and last year’s performance…let me see…you had a pretty good year…wouldn’t you agree?"
I smiled and said…”Boss…we have a few weeks before the final reviews are due…what would you think if we stepped back and really worked this through?” “Rather than spending an hour today…let’s just take a few minutes and look at what I was assigned and make sure that we have captured everything that mattered! “Besides…I have 12 impromptu "one on ones" that I just came up! ”
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