CYA - The Basic Rule of Leadership

CYA – The Basic Rule of Leadership

While attending Florida Southern College I took a night class entitled “Industrial Psychology.” The teacher was a retired Vice President of Human Resources for a major international heavy equipment manufacturer. The first day of class he walked into the room, went to the blackboard and wrote in large letters “CYA”. He then told us if we did not learn anything else in his class we would learn what CYA meant.

He went on to explain that in the real world of business this is one of the most important and basic rules to success and survival. Whether you find yourself in a positive or negative position, using CYA gives you an advantage over your competition. In all areas of business you needed to CYA or Cover Your Ass.

Every class after that he wrote CYA on the board and left it up for the entire period. Then he taught the fundamentals of industrial psychology while weaving in his own personal experiences. Throughout the class he referred to the board and ask, "How can you apply CYA to this situation?"

When broken down CYA involves two processes.

1. Documentation
 

2. Follow-up

Documentation

Documentation is simply “put it in writing.” Whether it involves communication or an event, write down what was said and/or what happened. Too often not remembering exactly what happened or what was said results in a totally different outcome than what you expected.

In a conversation what was heard by one party may not be what was said by the other. Often the conversation is held in a noisy or busy area with lots of distractions. Other times the conversation is held while one or both parties are in a hurry and there is no true communication occurring.

To help avoid misunderstanding take notes during the conversation or as soon as possible after the conversation write down what was said. I have always carried a little note pad in my pocket to jot down memory notes to be used later to help retain or recap the conversation. Often when I get a few minutes I will send a note by email to the other party summarizing the conversation. This will also serve a record that we had the conversation.

At times I have kept a business journal or log of my daily activities. This is a great tool for keeping notes on the day’s events and important communications. Several months later if you have to review an event you will be glad you have this information documented.

Another good habit to get into is to save all correspondences in a file. You never know when you may need it. This is one of the great things about email. It is a written record and easy to save.
 
Follow-up

One of the phrases I hate to hear from one of my managers is, “I assumed ….” I was taught very early in my business career the old adage that when you assume, you make an “ass-u-me” and I get very upset when it happens to me. This can easily be avoided by learning to follow-up on events you are involved with.

If you make an assignment don’t assume it will be done, follow-up.

If you have assignments don’t assume you have done it correctly, follow-up.

If you are involved in communication with another person don’t assume there is an understanding of what was said, follow-up.

If you do anything, take the time to follow-up to insure it is done correctly. This extra step in your work process can eliminate a lot of wasted steps in the future.

If you write it, proofread it, another form of follow-up. Years ago I asked my assistant to type a letter to the Vice President of Operations of the company I worked for telling him of the production record that was broken the previous night by our second shift team. She typed it up and brought in for me to sign and I did.

Several days later I got a call from the VP asking if I had read the letter I had signed before I sent it. I learned a big lesson on follow-up that day. I pulled out my copy of the letter and read where she wrote, “The second shift set a new production standard for the operations.” The problem was she had left the “f” out of shift. Needless to say I now read what I sign.

It may sound like you are being paranoid by keeping all of these notes and constantly checking up on people, but it is not. It is a valuable tool to help make you a better leader and manager. It will help you evaluate your past performance and help you make plans for future improvements. By applying CYA in all areas of your work you will reap the benefits.

So, everyday “Cover Your Ass.”

(First published April 2011)




 

Interviewing: Asking the Right Questions – When Yes and No Is Not Enough

Have you ever finished an interview and realized you don’t know any more about the person or event than you did before you started. How would you rate the interview, pass or fail?

Before I realized what I was doing wrong, this happened to me all too often. Whether you are interviewing a new employee candidate, a potential client in real estate, a service provider professional or your children, the type of questions you ask will determine the answers you get.

Early on in my career I learned there is a simple solution to this problem. The key to a successful interview is not to ask “yes or no” questions. Simple, but listen to yourself the next time you interview someone.

If you ask only yes or no questions you will only get yes or no answers. When I am on the other side of the table I have been taught not to provide too much information and I love yes and no questions. All I have to do is answer the question and I have provided the interviewer with exactly what he asked, albeit not what he may have wanted.

Never ask a yes and no question, always ask for more information, opinions, descriptions, explanations, etc.

Let’s look at some examples:

A. Have you ever been terminated or laid off from a job?

B. Explain why you left your last 3 places of employment?

 

A. Do you want to sell your house?

B. Why do you want to sell your house?

 

A. Did you see the accident occur?

B. What did you see happen?

 

A. Can you cut down the tree in my yard?

B. How would you cut down this tree hanging over my house?

 

A. Did you kick your brother?

B. Why did you kick you brother?

 

Even though these are simple examples you can see where in each case the “B” question will provide you with a better picture and more information from which you can form an opinion.

Yes this is a simple solution but as I said earlier listen to the questions you ask and I believe you will be amazed at how many are yes and no questions. I still have to watch myself to avoid this trap and practice it every day. When I do it right it makes my job a lot easier and successful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leaders Must Lead: The Three "F's" of Leadership

There comes a point in every relationship, organization, business, and related activity when leaders must lead. The various teams have done their designing. The committees have reviewed it. Management has approved it. Now, it is time for leaders to take control and execute it. This is true whether we are talking about building a rocket ship or selling a house; once plans are made they have to be executed.

Leaders are the people that make it happen. They execute the plans and insure the goals are met. Whether they are leaders of a large group of fellow associates or they are an individual performance leader, such as sales leader, they set the pace and standards of the job to be done.

Leaders accomplish this through other people. A team leader will guide and direct his team insuring all the members maintain their focus on achieving the desired results. A sales leader will work with all parties of a transaction to insure they stay focused on making the transaction. The primary function of leadership in any situation involves working with and through other people to achieve the results of the goal.

Working with and through other people can be challenging but that is why you are the leader. As a leader it is important to learn and apply the three F’s of leadership in all their work relationships and interactions with other people. A leader should treat everyone with respect by being:

1. Fair

2. Firm

3. Frank

Fair

Your reputation is one of the most important assets you have. How people perceive you will determine how willing they are to work with you. As a team leader a positive reputation will make your associates put out the extra effort needed to accomplish any goal. As a sales leader your reputation will bring business and clients to you.

Being fair is simply treating all people the same. If people know they can trust you they will want to work with you. Be honest with all parties and work for a win-win solution to any problems that arise.

Make time for all your associates and business partners. This will go a long way to helping you achieve the reputation of being fair. Showing favoritism in any business relationship can have strong negative consequences.

Even in businesses where professional and corporate guidelines/rules appear to restrict your relationship with one party or the other in a business transaction you can still be fair in your actions. Be honest. If you cannot do something tell the party you cannot. By following the guidelines to the letter you are maintaining your fairness in the business relationship. Simply applying the rules equally to all parties with fairness and honesty helps you achieve your goals.

Firm

In the old days when you said a leader was firm you meant he ruled with an iron fist. There are still times when a leader has to be strict but being firm means more than this. It means being a decisive leader, one who can make a decision and follow through with it.

When being firm you need to stick to your principles and company policies/rules in all your business relationships. Don’t be indecisive when it comes to doing what is right or wrong. Let your principles and policies guide you in your decisions and how you implement actions.

When you make a decision stick with it, don’t be wishy-washy about it. You are not a “yes person” but you are the leader and at times it is your job to make the hard choices that are necessary to accomplish the goal.

Being firm also means when your decision or plans need to be changed you change them. But, you base the need to change on the facts needed to reach your goal. A good leader knows when and how to be flexible and adaptable.

Be open the suggestion, ideas, guidance and advice. A good leader does not make decisions in a vacuum but in the end a good leader makes the decision.

Frank

A good leader is an honest leader. His very principles demand truthfulness and honesty. He shares all the facts that he can with his team and/or clients to help them accomplish the goal.

When working in a team environment a good leader deals with all situations with truthfulness whether with the team or an individual. If praise is justified he gives it honestly and freely. If correction is needed he handles it with the same frankness, dealing with facts.

An individual leader such as a sales leader is frank with his associates and clients. He gives them all the facts, both good and bad, so they can make the best decision for their goals.

By following the three “F’s” of leadership a good leader will find the interaction with fellow associates and clients easier and more rewarding. Developing a reputation of being fair, firm and frank in your business relationships will help move you from being a good leader to being a great leader.

Decision Makers Need to Make it Happen

This is one of my older post which needs to be revisisted from time to time.

Decision Makers Need to Make it Happen

 

In today's business environment teams, groups and committees are all the rage of the modern corporate structure. It is all about empowerment and flattening out the hierarchy and with more acronyms describing how to do it than grains of sand in an hour glass. Every year new gurus come out with their programs, which are just warmed over last year’s programs, but with a few new letters put together to make the latest and greatest acronym ever. Yet, sometimes you have to step back and remember past advice and apply it today.

When I thought of myself as a young corporate ladder climber and the team concept of management was just starting I had a manager who gave me two pieces of advice on how to implement these practices.

1. “A committee of 3 gets more done when 2 people are absent.”


2. “You don't call a committee to kill a rattlesnake, just kill it.”


In our daily business lives there are times we just need to make a decision. Not stand around and wait for others and see which way the wind is blowing. There comes a time when we need a decision maker who can step up and is not afraid to make decisive decisions. True leaders in business are becoming a rarity. I believe this is in part due to the way we are teaching our young people that everyone is equal and everyone deserves a trophy even if they lose. Leaders lead and should be recognized as such.

In the end we are the only ones responsible for our success or failure and as leaders it is time for us to step up and lead in our area of expertise.

Make it Happen Today!

My Leadership Guides are 99¢ for a limited time.

My Leadership Guides are 99¢ for a limited time.

 

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Larry-B.-Gray/e/B006BX9JVG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1 …

 

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Not Politically Correct

Not Politically Correct

The other day I had to prepare a short talk to give at a meeting. It wasn't that difficult to prepare because it was a subject familiar to me.  But the length and time is always a concern.

Many moons ago when I was taking Agriculture 1 as a freshman at Aurora High School in Aurora NC we had a short chapter on public speaking. Our teacher, Finnly Lewis, gave this simple rule which has stuck with me and guided me in every speech I have made:

"A speech should be like a woman's dress, long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep the interest."

Get Your Copy Today at: http://www.amazon.com/I-Have-Give-Speech-ebook/dp/B0068PH6IK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322485409&sr=8-1

CYA - The Basic Rule of Leadership

CYA – The Basic Rule of Leadership

While attending Florida Southern College I took a night class entitled “Industrial Psychology.” The teacher was a retired Vice President of Human Resources for a major international heavy equipment manufacturer. The first day of class he walked into the room, went to the blackboard and wrote in large letters “CYA”. He then told us if we did not learn anything else in his class we would learn what CYA meant.

He went on to explain that in the real world of business this is one of the most important and basic rules to success and survival. Whether you find yourself in a positive or negative position, using CYA gives you an advantage over your competition. In all areas of business you needed to CYA or Cover Your Ass.

Every class after that he wrote CYA on the board and left it up for the entire period. Then he taught the fundamentals of industrial psychology while weaving in his own personal experiences. Throughout the class he referred to the board and ask, "How can you apply CYA to this situation?"

When broken down CYA involves two processes.

1. Documentation
 

2. Follow-up

Documentation

Documentation is simply “put it in writing.” Whether it involves communication or an event, write down what was said and/or what happened. Too often not remembering exactly what happened or what was said results in a totally different outcome than what you expected.

In a conversation what was heard by one party may not be what was said by the other. Often the conversation is held in a noisy or busy area with lots of distractions. Other times the conversation is held while one or both parties are in a hurry and there is no true communication occurring.

To help avoid misunderstanding take notes during the conversation or as soon as possible after the conversation write down what was said. I have always carried a little note pad in my pocket to jot down memory notes to be used later to help retain or recap the conversation. Often when I get a few minutes I will send a note by email to the other party summarizing the conversation. This will also serve a record that we had the conversation.

At times I have kept a business journal or log of my daily activities. This is a great tool for keeping notes on the day’s events and important communications. Several months later if you have to review an event you will be glad you have this information documented.

Another good habit to get into is to save all correspondences in a file. You never know when you may need it. This is one of the great things about email. It is a written record and easy to save.
 
Follow-up

One of the phrases I hate to hear from one of my managers is, “I assumed ….” I was taught very early in my business career the old adage that when you assume, you make an “ass-u-me” and I get very upset when it happens to me. This can easily be avoided by learning to follow-up on events you are involved with.

If you make an assignment don’t assume it will be done, follow-up.

If you have assignments don’t assume you have done it correctly, follow-up.

If you are involved in communication with another person don’t assume there is an understanding of what was said, follow-up.

If you do anything, take the time to follow-up to insure it is done correctly. This extra step in your work process can eliminate a lot of wasted steps in the future.

If you write it, proofread it, another form of follow-up. Years ago I asked my assistant to type a letter to the Vice President of Operations of the company I worked for telling him of the production record that was broken the previous night by our second shift team. She typed it up and brought in for me to sign and I did.

Several days later I got a call from the VP asking if I had read the letter I had signed before I sent it. I learned a big lesson on follow-up that day. I pulled out my copy of the letter and read where she wrote, “The second shift set a new production standard for the operations.” The problem was she had left the “f” out of shift. Needless to say I now read what I sign.

It may sound like you are being paranoid by keeping all of these notes and constantly checking up on people, but it is not. It is a valuable tool to help make you a better leader and manager. It will help you evaluate your past performance and help you make plans for future improvements. By applying CYA in all areas of your work you will reap the benefits.

So, everyday “Cover Your Ass.”

(First published April 2011)

Using Props during a Presentation – The Wow Factor

Using Props during a Presentation – The Wow Factor

(An excerpt from I Have to Give a Speech – Now What by Larry B. Gray)

With the advent of computer generated presentation software such as Microsoft PowerPoint it is now easier to make a professional presentation. Speakers now have the ability to present a lot of information in a format that emphasizes and reinforces their message.

This has also created a phenomenon that I call the “Wow Factor.” It can have a positive or a negative effect on the message. One negative effect can occur when the speaker has added so much “razzle dazzle” to the material being displayed that it distracts the audience from the true message.  When the audience is more interested in the display they tune out the speaker and miss the key points.

Here are a few tips to help improve your next presentation:

Follow the KISS principle, Keep It Simple Stupid. Try not to make it more complicated than it has to be.

Avoid the temptation to WOW.

Keep your presentation slides as simple as possible. 

Use large and legible fonts.

Spell Check!!

Practice with your slides.

Keeping it simple means don’t overdo it. Cover your subject and make your slides interesting but relevant. It is easy to over describe a topic when one or two sentences and/or slides have covered it. Don’t lose your audience by boring them with needless information.

When you over emphasize the “Wow Factor” you run the risk of causing two problems. Your audience may become more interested in your slides than in you and too much “Wow” may be mistaken for a lack of knowledge of the subject. Be sure your slides emphasize the subject of the presentation without distracting from it.

There is also the temptation to put too much data on a single slide. This can make the slide unreadable or confusing.  Remember, your audience is trying to read the data from a distance and too much data will make the slide look jumbled.

Order Your Copy of  I Have to Give a Speech – Now What by Larry B. Gray

Kindle Version - http://www.amazon.com/I-Have-Give-Speech-ebook/dp/B0068PH6IK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1342783975&sr=8-2&keywords=larry+b+gray

All Other Versions - http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/169103

Now Available at Smashword.com in Most Digital Formats

“I Have to Give a Speech - Now What” by Larry B. Gray

“I have to speak in front of how many people?” This realization sends chills through the toughest and smartest people. The fear of public speaking is real and we all face it at one time or another. Here are some simple tips to help you prepare and deliver your message.

Order Your Copy Today:   http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/169103

Never Give Up

Never Give Up

How often does it feel like you can never win and you decide it is not worth your effort. How often does the next challenge end the same way.

There are times when you have to move on but it is important to review all your facts before making a decision. Basing a decision on emotion and frustration can often lead to failure. Worse it can lead to lost opportunities.

The little picture below says it all.




This is one of my favorite motivational pictures. "Never Give Up. Never Surrender." (Do you remember where that came from?)

A Supervisor's Paryer

Thirty years ago mom found a copy of a prayer and stitched a needle point from it. She then framed it and sent it to me. Ever since then I have hung this prayer on the wall directly behind my desk as a reminder of what I need to strive for.

A Supervisor’s Prayer

Dear Lord,Please help me ..........
To accept human beings as they are --
not yearn for perfect creatures,
To recognize ability --
and to encourage it,
To understand shortcomings --
and make allowances for them,
To work patiently for improvement --
and not to expect too much too quickly,
To appreciate what people do right --
not just criticize what they do wrong,
To be slow to anger --
and hard to discourage,
To have the hide of an elephant --
and the patience of Job,
In short, Lord, please help me --
be a better Supervisor.

Wow! What A Sale! FREE!!!

Wow! What a Sale! FREE!!!!  Today March 6, 2012, through Saturday, March 10 I am giving away FREE copies of my book “Problem Solving – Dealing with Employee Issues”. To download your FREE copy go to Amazon.com or click on the button below. 

After you have read the book, if you are so inclined, go back to book page on Amazon.com and write a short review. This will be greatly appreciated. But, no matter what get your FREE copy today.

Reduced Price, Re-edit - "How To Find a Job"

After a complete re-edit and proofing I am re-introducing my booklet “How to Find a Job” at the REDUCED price of $3.99 on Amazon. Get your copy today.

I have been coaching a recent college graduate on how to find a job. It is amazing and frustrating to see how unprepared most college graduates are when it comes to finding a job after graduation. But, looking back, so was I.

With the constant change in the way we exchange information and conduct business today it is hard to keep up with all the new tricks to finding jobs. From massive job sites such as Monster and other electronic job bulletin boards, to social media, the landscape of finding a job is constantly changing. Even with this, the simple basic rules still apply and must be followed.

Let’s discuss some of the basics to conducting a job search and landing that perfect job. Some of the information covered will be:
- How to conduct a job search.
- How to write a resume.
- How to write a cover letter.
- How to handle the interview.
- How to follow-up

Problem Solving - Dealing With Employee Issues

Now Available on Amazon Kindle



Everyone in a leadership position will have to deal with employee issues. Whenever people work together friction occurs. How you deal with these issues will have a major impact on your success as a leader. “Problem Solving – Dealing With Employee Issues” lays out a systematic approach to dealing with employee issues and the associated problems.

Order you copy today.

I Have To Give A Speech - Now What by Larry B. Gray



“I have to speak in front of how many people?” This statement will send chills through the toughest and smartest people. The fear of public speaking is real and we all face it at one time or another. Here are some simple tips to help you prepare and deliver your message.




Get Your Copy Today at:   http://www.amazon.com/I-Have-Give-Speech-ebook/dp/B0068PH6IK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322485409&sr=8-1

Find Your Indispensable Employee and Fire Them

As managers we all have one. You know, that one special employee we go to whenever we want to be sure a job or task is done right. No matter how much potential the rest of our team has we always give the special jobs or best leads to our “go to guy.” Sooner or later this team member becomes indispensable to our operation and to our own leadership success.

When this happens to you there is only one thing to do. Find your indispensable employee and fire him. You may think this is harsh but if you want to be successful in leadership you have to learn how to lead without a “go to person”. Here are six reasons why you should. (A point of clarification, I am not talking about Leadership Development, but I am looking at one aspect of Team Dynamics.)

You Become Dependent

Once you start using someone as a “go to guy” you become dependent on that person to insure your own work is done. If you know that they will get the job done you don’t worry about learning how to accomplish the task yourself. Even worse you stop monitoring the work and don’t follow-up on the results.

If one of your employees is that good they will eventually grow tired of following in your shadow and move on to another job. At this point you are at a loss because you have not learned how to do the job yourself or developed the other members of your team to assist you.

Fail to Recognize the Talents of Your Team

Often by giving the more challenging task to the same person all the time you fail to recognize that there are other members of the team that can do the work. If you have done your job right you should have surrounded yourself with team members who are both qualified and trained to handle any task the team faces. It is a known fact that a lot of people will only rise to the level of expectation you have for them. In most work situation the majority of your team wants to be challenged in their job.

Fail to Develop / Train Other Team Members

Another negative result of depending on a “go to guy” is that you fail to train and develop your team. A key part of being in a leadership position is to offer training and guidance to all team members in order to help them achieve their maximum potential.

One of the most obvious problems with this failure is you will be left without a backup plan when your “go to guy” leaves your team, because eventually he will leave. It is your job to train all your team members so that any one of them could assume any task if another team member leaves.

Strife in the Team

Remember back when you were in school and the teacher had a favorite pupil. What did you think of that teacher and the “Teacher’s Pet”? The same thing can happen in your team if you have a favorite “go to guy.” How do you think the rest of the team feels about the “Boss’s Pet”?

The most common result of favoritism is low morale among the other team members. Unconsciously their work begins to suffer and the team’s productivity begins to drop. The results are that you as the leader of team look bad in your boss’s eyes.

It is also a possible outcome of having a “go to guy” that the other team member may sabotage the work and performance of the “Boss’s Pet.” Once again the result of this is that you, as the leader, look bad to your Boss.

Giving Away Too Much Authority

Another possible problem of you continuing to rely on your “go to guy” is a tendency to give them too much power. If you give away too much of your authority the “go to guy” may become the pseudo leader of the group. The other team members begin to look to him for instructions and answers to work issues. This could result in you not being aware of what is happening within your team.

This would not be problem if your goal is to develop a leader but if you are just relying on him to get the job done it could result in problems for you as the leader. The ultimate problem comes when your boss begins to go to the pseudo leader because he believes he is the one who knows what is going on in the team.

Back Stabbing

Finally, there is the possibility that your “go to guy” and / or the entire team my try to sabotage your work and standing with your boss. This is usually a result of their loss of respect for you as their leader because of the favoritism you show your “go to guy.”

Most often it is your “go to guy” that stabs you in the back. If he is as good as you think eventually he will ask himself, “Why do I need him?” The result of this is he will begin to take steps to insure your boss knows who is actually doing all the work.

If we are good leaders we are working hard to develop and train our entire team. Yes, there will be occasions when a team member shows a higher leadership aptitude than the others and we will focus more effort on their development. But, we cannot do this at the expense of the rest of the team. This is what leadership is about.

Developing a “go to guy” into an indispensable employee will lead to your ultimate failure as a leader. Having a strong, well trained team will help insure your success.

Isn’t it time for you to fire your indispensable employee?