A631.1.5.RB_RuggerioSteven

Trust and Authenticity in the Outdoors

Every year our church conducts a men’s retreat.  Last month a group of 35 men ventured two hours north to Westmoreland State Park for an overnight camping trip: tents, campfires, and the challenges inherent in manhood.  In Christian circles, the importance of fellowship and authentic relationships cannot be understated.  Two or three hours a week is not nearly enough time to generate the level of trust and vulnerability necessary to guide and mentor men into the fullness of life God promised them. 

I’ve been acting as a spiritual life coach and mentor to men for over a decade and have experienced the good, the bad, and unfortunately too much of the ugly.  In the process I’ve seen men engage in deep, life-changing relationships.  By sharing their lives with other men, by being open and accountable, and by participating in retreats, men have learned to trust and as a result, shared in the enjoyment of a life fully devoted to other people and a purpose beyond themselves.

Historically, men and women have learned to compartmentalize their work lives from their personal lives.  From the hours between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, people pretend, hide, and create a wall of invulnerability around them for protection from backstabbing, gossip, and prejudice.  As a result, they insulate themselves from potential relationships and common visions that aid in synergizing efforts and accomplishing significant goals.  Ironically, the walls meant to protect and preserve a person’s identity are actually preventing them from experiencing a higher purpose.

Bill Watkins, CEO of Seagate Technologies recognizes the importance of bridging the gap between an employee’s professional life and personal life.  By placing people in outdoor settings and creating environments where people have to depend on one another, he has bridged the chasm between “who I am” and “who I pretend to be.”  Many employees are shy about admitting their struggles and insecurities; however, in an outdoor setting like New Zealand, folks are unable to hide and pretend.  Rather, the elements and events draw out the strengths and weaknesses of each person.  Teams are created to help build upon each other’s strengths and shore up one another’s weakness.  Like our men’s retreats, merely getting people outside their comfort zone can bring longstanding insecurities and fears to the surface. 

Do you see value in the EcoSeagate team development process?

            When I opened the men’s retreat last month I said, “If you’re going to become someone you’ve never been, you need to do something you’ve never done.”  Interestingly, in a Bloomberg Businessweek article, Watkins said, “How do you reprogram employees? You ask them to do something they’ve never done before. You put them in an environment where they have to ask for help.”  Whether it is a retreat or an outdoor training lab, one of the first keys to a successful venture is getting people outside of their comfort zones and placing them alongside other men and women with a desire to grow personally and professionally (or in our case, spiritually as well).

            Obviously, I am a firm believer in retreats and outdoor labs.  Office cubicles, Xerox copiers, and all-day email have the tendency to rob individuals of the creativity inherent is humanity and exploration.  Confining employees to cubicles and conference rooms mitigates the importance of intergroup dependence and personal challenges.  Kayaks, cables, and gorges push employees through the mountains and rivers of New Zealand.  Memories are made and relationships are forged that transcend financial reports, weekly meetings, and the imposing pressure of deadlines.

Why would something like this be necessary in a high-performing organization?

I am currently reading Patrick Lencioni’s (2005) best selling book Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.  He opens the book by stating, “I honestly believe in this day and age of informational ubiquity and nanosecond change, teamwork remains the one sustainable competitive advantage that has been largely untapped” (p. 3).  Too many leaders and managers assume teamwork is going to naturally and organically occur without direction and supervision.  While teams will develop and similar chemistry draws people together, it is the intentional integration and purposeful leadership that builds a highly successful and united team from pockets people going in a myriad of directions.

Jeff O’Brien, senior editor of CNN Money.com, quoted an event organizer as saying, “People should not think of Eco Seagate as a reward, but rather as behavior modification.”  That is where our men’s retreats and the outdoor labs differ.  Where the Eco Seagate organizers are seeking to modify an employee’s behavior, we are pursuing a heart transformation.  Changing a person from the inside requires vulnerability and trust that lasts long after the event.  Watkins and the folks at Seagate believe the same follow-up is necessary.  This is accomplished by building upon the revelations and experiences gained along a New Zealand river gorge or a wooded campsite in northern Virginia.

Could your organization benefit from a similar activity?

During a YouTube video of EcoSeagate, one of the event organizer’s said, “Trust is at the cornerstone of everything we do. How we talk to each other and how we depend on each other.  We establish a deep sense of mutual respect.”  In Ten Virtues of Outstanding Leaders, Ginni and Green (2013) said, “Outstanding leaders appreciate the value of truthfulness as the foundation of widespread mutual trust within their organization. They also recognize that, like cancer, deception is malignant” (p. 52).  Every organization benefits from a sense of mutual trust and respect.  As a military contractor, the relationship between active duty military and the contractor can be like a poker game; neither team showing their cards and bluffing for an advantage.  Though the leaders on both sides recognize the importance of trust, the reality is that very few are willing to be the first side to lean in and be transparent.

            With that said, our organization could certainly benefit from this type of event.  However, as long as people are more concerned about the contract stipulations, very little ground can be gained with new ideas, creative innovations, and deep abiding trust.  Rather, folks quote contract references and Air Force regulations at the expense of potential progress.  It’s a fear-based relationship rather than a mutually trust-based relationship.

            Lencioni (2005) also said, “When it comes to teams, trust is all about vulnerability.  Team members who trust one another learn to be comfortable being open, even exposed, to one another around their failures, weaknesses, and even fears” (p. 14).  Participating in outdoor events such as Eco Seagate and men’s retreats are great opportunities to connect on a level much deeper than company goals and bottom line financial reports.

Steve

References

Chao, M. (2008). Eco Seagate. Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCOfOFMiLtE&feature=youtu.be

Ginni, A., & Green, R.M. (2013). Ten Virtues of Outstanding Leaders. Malden, MA: John Wiley

& Sons, Inc.

Lencioni, P. (2005). Overcoming the five dysfunctions of a team. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-

            Bass.

Max, S. (2013). Seagate’s Morale-athon. Retrieved from

http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2006-04-02/seagates-morale-athon

O’Brien, J.M. (2008). Team Building in Paradise. Retrieved from

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/20/technology/obrien_seagate.fortune/

A.630.9.4.RB_RuggerioSteven

Hiring and Recruiting: Google and the NFL

JaMarcus Russell, Ryan Leaf, and Tony Mandarich.  Each of these names causes NFL owners and general managers to shudder.  They are known as three of the NFL’s top draft “busts” to ever occur in professional football lore.  What happened?  They were amazing college athletes; they had the skill, talent, and athleticism to perform at the sport’s highest level.  Yet, each barely played a handful of years and in their unsuccessful wake left recruiters unemployed and general managers penniless.

            Each spring brings hope for National Football league (NFL) teams, especially those that had poor win-loss records in the previous season.  The NFL draft is held in April and is the opportunity for teams to improve their roster by adding those college players considered to be the most talented in the world (Bonsor, 2008).  Because of the impact each member makes on the team as a whole, the NFL draft has become a popular televised event.  Fans and prognosticators alike drink beer and eat hot wings while anticipating the next big name to turn around their franchise.

            At Google, there’s no televised draft, no wings, and little fanfare.  However, the process for recruiting people may be no-less difficult.  NFL personnel directors paste their office walls with potential recruits: speed, strength, experience, and mental fortitude separate one prospect from another.  At Google, company experts measure the “academic qualification, intelligence, intellectual flexibility, passion, and commitment” of potential recruits.  Those measuring the highest are selected to join a team unlike any organization worldwide.  And, from the looks of it, Google is the Bill Belichick (coach of the New England Patriots), of the Internet.

           

 Does Schmidt's description of the Google Culture make sense to you?

            Schmidt said, “At Google, we give the impression of not managing the company because we don’t, really.  It sort of has its own “Borg-like” quality, if you will—it sort of moves forward.”  Google is the brain-child of trendsetting and corporate culture transformation.  Christine Hernandez (2008) from Yahoo said, “Google has one of the most interesting organizational cultures.  They reward their employee’s hard work with an extremely relaxed workplace that encourages creativity through fun activities such as roller hockey and a casual dress code.”  Isn’t Yahoo a competitor? 

            Note to self: How do you know when you’re “good?”

            Answer: When your competitors shout your praise.

            Does the Google culture make sense to me?   It’s hard to argue with success.  In 2007, the New England Patriots drafted Randy Moss.  With nine years in the league and a rap sheet a mile long, the Patriots invested millions into Moss and brought him aboard to join a team with a reserved, conservative feel.  Moss came with baggage: alcohol incidents, drug use, traffic violations, and hundreds of questions surrounding his level of effort. But, one thing was certain.  Moss had amazing talent.  He is known as one of the most athletic men to ever play the game. 

            When Belichick chose Moss, fans gasped.  However, his first year with the Patriots silenced critics.  The team would finish with a record 16-0 only to lose the Super Bowl. However, Moss set numerous reception records and was selected to the Pro Bowl.  Belichick understands culture.  So does Schmidt, Page, and Brin.  Google used to conduct nearly 15 interviews before they made a hiring decision.  Now, they’ve narrowed it down to five.  Google, like the Patriots, know a few things about talent selection.

Is this a reasonable way to view the work that most people are doing in your workplace?

            About employees, Schmidt said, “They don’t need me. They’re going to do it anyway, because they’re driven; they have that passion. They’re going to do it for their whole lives. It’s everything they’ve ever wanted. And, oh yeah, maybe they could use a little help from me.”  Managers get stuck when they have to motivate unmotivated employees.  Trying to “light a fire” and inspire someone who has no focus or purpose is like trying to drive a car with square wheels: no matter the energy exerted, the car isn’t moving.  Google hires the motivated.  This is an ideal situation and in these cases, leaders primarily coach and encourage.  Unfortunately, not everyone loves their job.  Some are working for practical reasons: Pay, pay, and more pay.

            Whether it is football or data entry, finding people with passion AND talent can be difficult.  With that said, my experience has shown me that even if an employee does not live and die their profession, they can still be motivated intrinsically to perform at higher levels without the fear of being benched.  Or worse.  I’ve been doing logistics for nearly thirty years and honestly, I do not LOVE logistics.  It’s a job that allows me to make a difference in people’s lives; it lets me work near state-of-the-art aircraft; and, I’m good at it.  But love? No, not even close.  I love helping people and I love Air Force capability.  This job allows me to do both.

As a leader, does it take courage to have and to implement this point of view?

            I had written a note the other day to one of my colleagues defining delegation. It read: “Leadership 101: Delegation. The art of asking someone to do something you’re worried won’t get done.”   In 10 Virtues of Outstanding Leaders, Gini and Green said, “More relevant to leadership today is “moral courage.” Here one confronts a multitude of things that terrify people: fear of criticism or embarrassment; fear of poverty or job loss; fear of losing friends or being ostracized – even fear of being seen to be in the wrong. Overcoming self-doubt can be an expression of courage. Courageous leaders hold fast to their key purposes when these fears assault them and when there is no certainty that the leader will prevail. Courage thus involves the exercise of good judgment about risks and dangers, followed by the considered willingness to carry on in the face of these dangers. The courageous person lacks the certainty of success but dares to act on the basis of a reasoned assessment of the risks.”

            Whether it’s storming a battlefield or trusting an employee, leaders must have courage.  They must possess courage to believe in people when they doubt themselves and courage to coach men and women to replace them one day.  And, in the case of hiring and recruiting, courage to hire and release people to carry on responsibilities of a company you love.

Could this approach backfire?

            Risk is inevitable.  I do not doubt Google managers occasionally “trim the fat” and dismiss employees that have faltered or those who failed to live up to the expectations when hired.  Yes, Google’s relaxed culture could backfire but only if their leaders get complacent and fail to keep their fingers on the pulse of the industry.  Corporate cultures evolve.  From the traditional sweatshops and assembly lines to work teams and flatter organizations, cultures adapt to the environment.  While I wouldn’t bet that the Google culture will last forever, it certainly has the flair and innovation that has captured an industry and set a new standard.

What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?

I’ve learned that it is better to do the work on the front end than pay later on the back end.  In other words, take the necessary time during the interview process to ensure (as much as possible) that the employee is a right fit.  Moreover, written credentials won’t necessarily ensure the right person.  Bill Hybels identified three characteristics for a good team fit: Character, Competence, and Chemistry.  Lacking any of these elements will inevitably lead to problems down the road.  Ensure these three elements are present and a foundation is established for future success. 

Steve

A630.8.4.RB_RuggerioSteven

Spaghetti Teamwork

According to the site, in this video, “Tom Wujec presents some surprisingly deep research into the 'marshmallow problem' -- a simple team-building exercise that involves dry spaghetti, one yard of tape and a marshmallow.

I’m an avid reader; however, no matter how much I read, it means very little if there is no application, no change, or no difference in my life.  In other words, if I am not applying my reading to my daily existence, it remains merely head knowledge – lost amid thousands of other thoughts. 

I’ve found simply discussing something I’ve read with another person increases my retention rate tremendously (may be a great research topic).  What helps even more is being able to discuss an issue and work through it in real time.  For instance, I’ve read numerous books on teamwork.  I can recite the forming, storming, norming, and performing stages; I can discuss leadership characteristics prevalent in the assertive and passive leader.  Yet, when it comes to teams and teamwork dynamics, nothing works as well as a real time exercise.  Tom Wujec’s marshmallow exercise achieved exactly that and more!  In fact, I’ve already begun to plan its use during our next team meeting at church.

Simple exercises that challenge our interaction can expose great strengths and weaknesses.   Wujec said the marshmallow exercise, “helps identify hidden assumptions and creates shared experiences, common language, and aids prototyping facilitation.”

Who can build the tallest tower with these ingredients? And why does a surprising group always beat the average?”

One of my closest friends is a NASA engineer.  He builds rockets.  Literally.  He built a small hovercraft in his apartment.  I can’t fix a leaking toilet and he’s building hovercrafts.  It doesn’t seem fair.  Anyway, when he speaks of designing and modeling, he breaks down the intricacies inherent with weight and space dimensions.  He talks of linear and nonlinear quadratic formulas.  When Wujec said the engineers and architects can build the tallest towers, I immediately pictured my friend building a spaghetti tower.  While it is extremely important to comprehend triangular formulations, geometric patterns, and prototyping, there must also be an ability to articulate and explain the physics behind the theory.  Otherwise, it becomes a one-person show.

Do you agree with Tom Wujec's analysis of why kindergarteners perform better on the Spaghetti Challenge than MBA students? Can you think of any other reasons why kids might perform better?

Wujec said MBA students fail miserably at this experiment because, “They fight. They cheat. They produce lame structures.”  In short, they don’t work with prototypes throughout the process.  They wait until the end and assume that the structure they created will be strong enough to support the marshmallow rather than testing it throughout the process.  It may be a result of intellectual arrogance that leads them to believe their structure will support the marshmallow only to find it collapsing on the table. 

Wujec said, “Kindergarteners work differently than MBA students. They build a little structure and add the marshmallow throughout the process—testing it.  They play around and add more spaghetti sticks.  Again and again, they build prototypes each step of the way, always keeping the marshmallow on the top.” 

Another reason MBA students may fail to accomplish a higher level of success in the challenge is the battle for power and position.  Throughout the process, each member wants to lead, direct, and supply the best way forward.  Often, in many graduate schools, students are taught to take charge, innovate, and “be the one with the right answer.”  What is not taught (unfortunately) is the value of humility and benefits of allowing others to lead.  In kindergarten, children are working together all day.  They show-off their work and are encouraged by other kids.  They appreciate fun, laughter, and the excitement that accompanies “playtime.”

Spend five minutes in a kindergarten class and you’ll soon find out that some of the children struggle with sharing and playing nice (you’ll see the same thing in an MBA class).  However, generally, the children enjoy each other and welcome new and creative ideas.  Kids are not as concerned with who gets the credit; they just want to have fun.  Too many MBA students do not care if it’s fun; they just want the credit.

In your view, why do CEOs with an executive assistant perform better than a group of CEOs alone?

CEO’s cast vision, set strategy, and direct operations.  They own the strategic functions of an organization.  The mid-level managers are responsible for teaching, training, explaining, and facilitating.  They are the operational function of an organization.  CEOs may struggle with this exercise for many reasons.  One is the ability (or inability) to listen well.  Often, they are the ones telling people what to do.  The four-person exercise would require them to listen to others and acquiesce in certain parts of the building process.  Secondly, much of their day is spent talking and directing.  Little time is spent constructing and creating. 

The executive assistant is a facilitation expert.  They manage all the inbound tasks and have an acute ability to set schedules and facilitate forward movement.  Wujec said of the executive assistant, “It seems that the admin's skills of facilitation make a big difference.  Any team member who pays close attention to the process of work - encouraging timing, improving communication, cross pollinating ideas - increases the team’s performance significantly.”

If you were asked to facilitate a process intervention workshop, how could you relate the video to process intervention skills?

I just returned from a two-day men’s retreat in northern Virginia at Westmoreland State Park.  We started planning the retreat a couple of months back and highlighted many of the responsibilities inherent in leading a camping trip with 35 men.  There were travel and lodging challenges, payment collections, food and drinks to consider, and speakers to contact.  It is an exercise in planning, promotions, and perseverance.  As team leader, I’ve learned a great deal more about communicating, patience, and delegation.  Looking back, I realize I should have brought in three or four more men to help put the retreat together.  And, at the outset, I would like to show them the video or maybe even conduct the exercise.  It would have been a great catalyst to demonstrate the different leadership styles and highlight the ability or inability of team members to work together. 

We have already started discussing the next event – a marriage retreat scheduled for November 1-2.  After seeing this exercise and reviewing the events over the weekend, I am realizing it is time to pull in the “Marriage Retreat Team” and nail down the specifics.  Time is short. 

What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?

Whether I am performing my responsibilities as a Lockheed Martin employee or leading men and women at church-wide functions, the main engine behind the success of any event is the ability for people to work together.  Wujec’s video is a great example of team dynamics and the personalities of its members.  It is a great way to find people’s strengths and weaknesses in a short amount of time.  Before I plan the next big event, I’ll conduct the spaghetti challenge and use it as a Launchpad into the project.

Steve