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 very first day of class he walked into the room, went up 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 would write CYA on the board and leave it up for the entire period. Then he would teach the fundamentals of industrial psychology while weaving in his own personal experiences. Throughout the class he would refer 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 simply 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.”

The Rattlesnake and the Rabbit - A Lesson in Life and Problem Solving

On the weekends that my 4 year old grandson stays with us it seems like I have a shadow attached to me. Every time I stop he is saying something like, "Papa, let's work in the yard" or "Papa, let's go to the store" or "Papa, let's do this or that." Then it is off we go on another adventure.

This weekend it hit me that he is a lot like I was when I was his age. From as early as I can remember, until I discovered girls, I loved being with my granddaddy. I was lucky that I got to spend a lot of time with him, having fun, learning and gaining wisdom from him. I especially remember riding around in his truck and talking.

Granddaddy was a very quiet man, like all of us Gray men, and did not talk much except when it was just him and I riding in the truck. He was always telling me something about the farm, the old days when he was a young man, nature and wildlife, and about life in general. It was always like show and tell story time when we were in the truck or working on the farm.

There was one event we shared together that stuck in my mind and I still smile and marvel at the wisdom of his explanation. I was around 8 years old and we were riding in his truck on what we called the Swamp Road going to the field we were working at. This was an old sandy dirt road which was typical of most roads in the area.

I was daydreaming as we rode along not really paying attention to anything when Granddaddy suddenly slammed on the brakes and came to a stop in the middle of the road. He then turned off the engine and just sat there. I looked at him questionably and he pointed at the road as he told me to be quiet and watch.

About twenty feet in front of the truck sat a huge rabbit with the biggest rattlesnake I have ever seen coiled loosely around it. The snake was coiled up in a strike position and they were staring at each other, eye to eye. Neither one was moving, not even a twitch.

I asked Granddaddy what they were doing, even though I knew that rabbit would soon be snake food. Granddaddy looked at me and said, "Watch, the rabbit is charming the snake."

I chuckled and replied, "Don't you mean the snake is charming the rabbit."

"Just watch," was all he replied.

We stayed there for what seemed like an eternity watching the drama of life and death play out before us. Even though I knew it was the way of life in nature I could not help but feel sorry for the poor rabbit. It was at this point I learned a valuable life lesson.

After waiting and watching the snake and the rabbit locked in a death stare, neither moving a muscle, the unbelievable happened. In the blink of an eye the rabbit leaped to its freedom and the snake was still sitting in its strike position staring at an empty place.

I remember the shock I felt as I asked Granddaddy what had just happened and him laughing at me and saying, "I told you the rabbit just charmed the snake." He then proceeded to explain several life lessons to be learned from this.

The first lesson he taught me about the rattlesnake and the rabbit is never judge a book by its cover. It is very easy to judge your opponent or a problem as being overwhelming. Even though they form the backbone of our rating system, first impressions are not always the best.

The second lesson is running away from problems will not solve them. The rabbit had tried to run but in the end had found it was trapped and unable to run from its problem. It was at this point the rabbit realized it had to deal with its problem face to face in order to solve it. No longer could he ignore the issue, run from it or dance around the issue at hand.

The third lesson is to never give up. Even when all the odds are against you, you need to keep trying to overcome. The rabbit was obviously trapped in a no-win situation completely surrounded by its enemy, the snake. It did not let fear overcome its desire for life so it turned to the last resort effort of rearing up on its hind legs and staring its enemy in the eye, daring it to blink. If it had shown any fear it would have been killed.

Another lesson to learn is neither the strength of the snake nor the speed of the rabbit determined the outcome. Sometimes it takes finesse to solve an issue. In life we are taught that strength and money can solve most issues. When you get out into the real world you soon learn you have to use your intelligence and experience to overcome most situations.

The last point that Granddaddy made was, when the prize is at hand and you have your enemy where you want them, strike! Don't sit back, waiting and mocking your opponent. How many times has a great victory been lost in history because the perceived victor hesitated and let its victim get away? Do not celebrate until the final whistle is blown.

After he finished explaining all this to me Granddaddy looked me in the eye and said, "The story is not over yet, come with me." We then got out of the truck and he grabbed a shovel from the back and we killed that huge snake.

He then told me, "Never leave a live rattlesnake (problem) if you have the means to kill it." With that he began to teach me about rattlesnakes, their fangs, and their rattles, but that's another story for another time.

Choosing To Be A Winner

As I set here trying to think of something to write about today I am drawn to a plaque I have had on my office wall for the past 20'ish years. I have used this poem as my motivator for all of these years and shared it often. There was even a period of time when I typed it out, enlarged the print, and then posted it on my refrigerator so my boys could see it every morning before they left for school.

Whoever wrote it sum up a lot about business and life. As I have gone through my life and business career I have found that the largest determining factor of my success in life was my attitude about it. I choose whether I am going to win at a task or whether I will lose. I choose if I want to be happy or I want to be miserable.

As you read through the poem decide how you want to live your life.

Winner vs. Loser

The Winner - is always part of the answer;

The Loser - is always part of the problem;

The Winner - always has a program;

The Loser - always has an excuse;

The Winner - says "Let me do it for you;"

The Loser - says "That's not my job;"

The Winner - sees an answer for every problem;

The Loser - sees a problem for every answer;

The Winner - sees a green near every sand trap;

The Loser - sees two or three sand traps near every green;

The Winner - says "It may be difficult but it's possible;"

The Loser - says "It may be possible but it's too difficult."

Anonymous



Let’ start today and be a Winner

The Economy and The Garbage Truck

On the way to work this morning I was listening to two people on the radio go on and on about the economy and unemployment. Their contention was as soon as the economy starts to grow again companies will begin to rehire employees and unemployment will drop. I was just starting to agree with what they were saying when I noticed the garbage truck in front of me.

It was at that point I begin to realize that the garbage truck epitomizes the economy and the state of modern business. I am not talking about our economy being in the trash nor am I saying that business is going to the landfill. That is an argument that has more political overtones to it than I care to debate. For this discussion let’s focus on the garbage truck.

Do you remember your typical garbage truck picking up trash in your residential neighborhood several years ago? In our community it involved a large garbage truck, one driver and two people riding on the back. The two on the back would jump off and empty the trashcans into the back of the truck. One or ten trashcans it did not matter, they got the job done.

Then the economy went through a small downturn and the garbage companies had to make changes to economize and stay profitable. To do this they restructured their organization and downsized which resulted in one of the two trash handlers on the back of the truck going through an economic layoff. To make this new corporate structure succeed they sent notices to all their customers limiting the number of trashcans that could be placed curbside on trash day to two cans.

As the economy continued to stumble and the garbage companies struggled to make a profit for their investors they had to look at other cost cutting measures. The next major change came with the customers receiving notice that the garbage pickup days were being reduced from 2 days per week down to one day per week but the limit of 2 trashcans per pickup remained.

Then the economy collapsed and the garbage company had to take drastic cost cutting steps to continue operation. They supplied each of their customers with a special standardized garbage can which could be picked up by a special automated garbage truck. Now the only person needed on the truck was the driver. The result was the last of the trash handlers being unemployed.

Now as the economy starts its slow change from a failing economy to one that is beginning to show signs of growth do you think the garbage company is going to rehire the trash handlers they laid off? When the garbage company begins showing strong profits will they increase the days of pickup? They have learned to operate more efficiently, doing the same amount of work using less resources and cost.

This same scenario has played itself out throughout the economy and business. Companies and businesses have had to restructure and redesign their organization and operations in order to survive in the harsh economic times of the past several years. Many, by making hard choices, have not only survived but grown during this time period. They have learned to accomplish the same amount of work and an acceptable level of service utilizing less cost, less resources and less waste (no pun intended).

As the economy begins to grow the vast majority of these companies will not replace the people who were downsized. Their job functions have been automated, absorbed by others in the company or eliminated as non-essential.

Yes there will be new jobs created and some laid-off employees being reinstated as the economy grows and demand exceeds supply. This will happened based on the new improved operating plans and staffing structures.

Efficiency, automation and cost savings are great and some of us will reap the benefits of them. But, as we go forward don’t forget about that trash handler who use to work on the back of the garbage truck.

Advice From My Mentor - Make Me Look Good

When I think about the advice I have received from my various mentors one of the earliest was from a first line supervisor at Kraft Foods back in 1972. This is one of those words of advice that I still follow today. His name was Dick and he would tell me every chance he got:

“Your main job at this company is to make me look good.”

I used to laugh at him and continue doing my job, not paying much attention to him. Over time I begin to realize what a golden nugget these words of advice were. I have tried to apply them to every company I have worked for and every position I have held in those companies. No matter how you apply this advice, your job will be made easier and your chances of success improved.

I apply this rule in both directions of the hierarchical chain of command by equally trying to make my boss look good to his boss and making the employees who work for me look good. By applying the rule in both directions I am the one who ultimately looks good.

There are many benefits to be earned by making your boss look good. The most obvious is if your boss looks good to his superiors then he is more likely to get promoted out of your way and you can take his job. Another benefit of this approach is that your boss’s boss may notice your hard work and realize you are carrying the operation and again promote you in recognition of your effort. I have successfully used both of these tactics to gain a promotion on several occasions.

When applying the rule in the other direction to those who report to you and making your direct reports look good there is nothing but positives to be gained. One of the first positive results are that you develop a sense of trust and respect among your employees. Having the trust and respect of your employees is an extremely important aspect of achieving success. I have seen good managers fail by not earning the respect and support of their employees. They can make your life miserable and sabotage all your efforts if they do not feel you support them.

There are many ways to make your employees look good and they are easy to apply. One of the best is to offer training in all aspects of the job and helping prepare them for the next position or level by sharing your knowledge and expertise. Encourage them to share their ideas and motivate them to learn all they can about the operations. Most importantly give your employees the recognition they have earned for their efforts and share it with their fellow workers and to your superiors. Not only do you win the support of the employee being recognized but of all the other members of the team.

Once you make your employees look good your superiors will notice and therefore you look good in their eyes. You will develop a reputation among your superiors as a good trainer and leader. Your employees will work hard to ensure you meet your goals when they know you are supporting them. One of my greatest achievements that I look back on, is the employees that I have helped encourage, train and develop for promotion.

In both of the situations described I have helped create a positive leadership environment for the entire team. By making your boss look good, you look good which makes for a win-win situation. By making your employees look good, they will work to make you look good and once again you have created a win-win situation. This is a sign of true leadership; when all parties can achieve their goals and meet the companies goals together.

Even as I write this advice I am following the words of my mentor because my goal as a leader is to “make you look good.”

Advice From My Mentor – Problems vs. Opportunities

As I continue to reflect on the advice and sayings of various people who have mentored to me over the years I can’t help but notice how their words have helped shape and mold my leadership skills and life in general into what it is today. Tony, the Plant Manager of the Kraft Foods plant I worked at, was one of my earlier mentors I find myself quoting often. One of his favorite sayings was:

“There is no such thing as a problem, only an unsolved opportunity.”

When I would come to him with a problem I can still clearing remember him saying, “Now Larry, you know there is no such thing as a problem only an unsolved opportunity.” Then he would say “What we need to do is work on this opportunity.”

I can remember getting so frustrated with him that one day, in a management meeting, I fired back at him; “No Sir, This is a DAMN problem” He looked at me and said we would deal with it later and continued with the meeting. After the meeting was over he called me to his office and we dealt with it.

Tony was the kind of mentor that you really learned to appreciate. Every moment to him was a teaching moment and his calm demeanor would put you at ease and in a frame of mind to learn. Once again he proceeded to explain to me what he meant by problems vs. opportunities.

A problem is something or someone who presents a difficulty or obstacle for you to overcome. It has a negative connotation and tends to direct your actions to a negative response. Most often this also leads to less than desirable results.

An opportunity offers you a chance to achieve or excel in accomplishing a task. By defining the “problem” as an opportunity you change it from a negative to a positive and you begin to approach the solutions from this positive point of view. Usually this will result in a positive and successful outcome.

So how do you change a problem to an opportunity? As always the first step is to define the issue. You need to break it down to it’s fundamental parts and clearly state each one. This is an important step because you do not want to focus all your efforts solving the symptoms while failing to identify and address the root cause of the issue.

Once you have defined the issues you need to identify the opportunities that are associated with them. By changing your focus from problem solving to opportunity capitalization you change the goal from a negative to a positive solution. Granted, this is not always an easy exercise. This is one of the times when you may need the help of a peer, supervisor, or a mentor. I have often found another person’s viewpoint and/or questions will help me come up with the best course of action.

Once you have developed a plan of action then implement it, emphasizing the positive aspects and outcomes. This can turn what was a “problem” into an opportunity to excel and achieve your goals. If the issue is employee related then you both have the opportunity to grow and achieve by turning a potential win-lose situation into a win-win victory.

This was Tony’s goal in making his problem vs. opportunity statements when you came to him with a “problem”. His plan was to make you dig for the opportunities in every issue and work toward solving them. He was always there with thought provoking questions and directions to help you work through any issue.

This is how I have tried to approach issues throughout my career in management. Usually I have been very successful at turning negatives into positives with the results being recognized as achievements and accomplished goals. As a manager I have tried to apply these same principles when I am working with my team attempting to overcome an obstacle. By teaching them to view “problems” as opportunities they can achieve their goals with a lot less stress and a lot more success.

By focusing on the positive you can easily see how “There is no such thing as a problem, only an unsolved opportunity.”

Advice From My Mentor – Bad Employees

Throughout my career I have had lots of people give me words of advice on how to enhance my career and how to be a better manager. Some of it has gone in one ear and out the other but a lot of the advice has been beneficial and helped my career and management development. Here is one of those great words of wisdom that has stuck with me over the years.

“There is no such thing as a bad employee, only bad supervisors!”

In the 1970’s I was working for Kraft Foods and starting my career in management as a first line supervisor. The plant manager for that facility, Tony, was one of my mentors that I still find myself quoting all the time. This was one of his favorite Tonyism’s, my term for his sayings, that he would tell the supervisors every time they brought up an employee issue.

I remember getting so mad when he said this to me because I had come to him looking for a solution, not to hear how bad of a supervisor I was. Fortunately he was very understanding and would sit and talk me through the issue. I soon came to realize this was his whole point in making the statement, to get me to think and work through the issue.

Over the years I began to understand the deep meaning of the statement and began applying it to my management skill set. There are two broad lessons that can be learned from this statement.

The first is that new employees do not come to work on their first day with the preconceived notion that “I am here to goof-off and cause trouble.” They come to work with high hopes and optimism of doing a fair days work for a fair days wage. They are taught, on the job, how to be a bad employee. No, this is not part of their orientation or part of the supervisor’s training program, but it is there. They learn it from the attitude of other employees and the general work ethic of the facility.

How does this apply to management? When management allows a negative environment to foster in a work place then they are responsible for the outcome, thus it is not due to bad employees but to bad supervision. Address issues and do not let them grow and take root in your organization and you will find you have fewer “bad employees.”

The second lesson to be learned, from this Tonyism, is associated with the first and that is to take action. If an employee starts to have performance issues it is up to the supervisor to address the issue with the employee and not let it continue to grow worse. Most performance issues have a root-cause that may or may not be associated with the job. By addressing the issue early and helping the employee see the problems that are occurring; you may be able to uncover the root-cause and to turn the performance issue around with minimal intervention. One thing I have learned over the years is ignoring issues will not cause them to go away.

Our job as managers is to develop employees and help them achieve their work related goals. By working with our employees we can develop a positive and productive work relationship that will be beneficial to both the employee and the organization. Also, remember it is hard to achieve your goals without the willing and positive support of your staff; they can make or break you.

Throughout the years I have found myself using the same statements that my mentors would say to me in various business situations. Now I have an advantage in that I know they work and have benefits in all areas of business life.