Don't Be Confused About Why People Leave

Do you have key employees who, if you lost them, would leave such a hole in your company or team that you're not sure you could ever fill it? Do you know what would make them want to stay with you? Do you know the real reason about why they might leave?

A friend of mine started working for a startup company a few years ago. She managed the operation as the company grew from less than 50 employees to over 200. It's easy to see that she's been critical to the company's growth and financial success. She recently gave her boss two week's notice. She accepted another job and took a large pay cut. 

The Awesomeness...and the Confusion 

First, I'm happy for her because she found the courage to make this difficult decision. She had to conquer her fear that she and her husband would not be able to make ends meet. In the end, they decided the most important influencing factor was her satisfaction in the work she was doing. I want to celebrate their level of faith that fulfilling the human spirit is more important than filling the bank account. You see, they recognize they have a challenging money problem. They also recognize they're capable of finding solutions. BOOM!! (picture a fist bump explosion here)

On the other hand, I also know her boss. He's confused and never saw it coming. Why did she leave? He's concerned about how he's going to make things work, although he won't admit it. I can hear it in his voice. Meanwhile, he's doing what entrepreneurs have a tendency to do, focusing on the best solution to this complex problem. 

My concern for him is this: I'm quite sure he recognized the opportunity that's been lost for him and his company. The future value of the value she'd helped him create in just a few short years instantly turned to zero.

In his rush to fill the vacuum, has he taken the time to understand why that opportunity was lost and how he could have seen it coming? 

Was it About the Money?

When she was hire, in the early days of the company, he pitched her a value-proposition that looked like this: "I can't pay you very much right now. But, if you help me grow this company, your compensation could more than double in the next few years."

He gave her a few small raises along the way. He provided a few perks and she appreciated them. But, as the Company realized the success he envisioned, the ratio between the rewards he promised in relation to the growth and the rewards he provided were miles apart.

It's easy to think this means it was about the money. But, actually, it wasn't. She heard that initial value-proposition, she bought into it, she delivered what she promised. He delivered part of it. But, it was easy for her to see the gap and it caused her to wonder if she could trust him, especially while she watched him spend money on things the company didn't really need.

So, money was a part of the problem, but not the real root cause. It was trust. He offered her more money the minute she told him she was leaving. She turned his offer down. Nobody who takes a job that pays them less money than they're currently making does it because of the money.

Other Key Factors

My two friends think in different ways. 

She knows that you can't make everyone happy so the best you can do is build a structure that creates accountability and be consistent so that people can be satisfied that they are being treated as fairly as is reasonably possible. 

He wants everyone to be happy and have fun at work. He thinks the way to do that is not create cumbersome rules and structure.

She values the personal relationship and puts it in front of the transaction.

He values the things success brings and prioritizes the transaction over the relationship.

Here's how things went down:

• She quickly became dissatisfied when he didn't allow her to create a structure with which she could lead the staff and hold them accountable.
• He became dissatisfied any time he recognized a gap between the things the employees on their staff did and his definition of acceptable professional behavior...a definition that was never documented and never fully communicated.
• Her dissatisfaction turned to frustration as she watched his emotional reactions and suggested solutions which he rejected.
• His dissatisfaction turned to frustration as he failed to solve the same problems over and over again.
• As he continued to react to situations based on emotions, he never felt he could trust his employees.
• Employees became confused about what they were supposed to be doing because no clear expectations were ever given. A lot of turnover in the staff resulted. 
• She became frustrated in her efforts to create the kind of high-performance work environment he said he wanted, and she knew how to deliver, because he wouldn't allow her to create the structure needed. So, she lost trust that she would be able to lead in his company the way she envisioned she could.
• She worked extremely long hours through the growth, the turnover, the shortage of resources, and her personal need to fulfill her responsibilities. No matter how many unplanned problems she had to help solve throughout the day, employees still needed to get their paychecks, invoices still needed to be created and sent to customers, the bills needed to be paid. She arrived at six thirty and often worked until ten at night for weeks and months at a time. He worked a normal work day.
• He failed to recognize the gap between the value-proposition he promised and what he delivered. The loss of trust weakened the connection for her.
• He failed to help her be the leader she really wanted to be. His lack of trust in her abilities further strained the connection.
• He failed to recognize her efforts and to reward them in meaningful ways. It's important to say, "You're doing a great job," but there comes a point where that's just not enough. She felt her efforts were unnoticed, under-valued, and unappreciated. One day she asked herself, "Why should I continue doing this?"  The love was lost.

Could He Have Prevented it?

The simple answer is, yes. But only if he'd seen it coming. 

Could He Have Seen it Coming?

Again, yes. But, only if he was looking...and listening...only if he valued his relationships with all of his key stakeholders more than the transactions that created wealth for his company...only if he were willing and able to measure the strength of the relationship as much as he measured the bottom line.

Business success is based on the value of the transaction. 

The transaction only happens if the relationship is seen as mutually beneficial by all involved. So, which is more important? The transaction or the relationship? Which one sets the conditions for success for the other?

I know you're smart. You know the real answer.

How to Create Mutually Beneficial Relationships

1. Create Connection- Strengthen the attraction!
• Define your value-propositions with every key stakeholder so expectations are in alignment on all sides.
• Employees as well as customers as well as vendors....
2. Create Trust- Strengthen the bonds of connection!
• Build the structure that creates accountability.
• Engage key stakeholders so they can help you identify your greatest opportunities for Innovation, Growth, and Profits.
• See what they see.
• Listen!
3. Create Love- Help them to love working for you!
• Deliver what is promised. 
• Be honest when you can't and about why.
• Show you're willing to do the work to fill the gap.

I use a system I call GPS Theory to create meaningful and lasting mutually beneficial relationships. The system is based on the principles of Connection, Trust, and Love and has allowed me to expand my definition of success so I can create values-driven success for the people with whom I love to spend my personal and professional time! The magic happens for me because I create if for others. I'm able to create if for other because they help me see what I need to see instead of what I want to see. This helps me actually meet their needs instead of trying to convince them that what I'm giving them does. It works in every personal, professional, and organizational situation. My clients see it this way too!

How do you ensure you're creating mutually beneficial relationships based on Connection, Trust, and Love? 

My friend, Peter Beaumont, from ConnXN, and author of The Relationship Roadmap, just published an article on building trust with customers. He's a relationship expert so you may want to check it out.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tom Eakin is the author of Finding Success and the Success Engineer at BoomLife. LEARN MORE ABOUT TOM...

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Influencing Change Through Humility

This one's for the parents who care about being a consistent and loving example so their children can learn to make sound, rational decisions, be positively productive, and live satisfying, happy lives. In other words, parents who want to lead values-driven families (not a parent? Read it anyway...you may be able to apply this concepts to your situation).

Let’s say you have a teenager who’s been partying too much at college. They just showed you their grades from the Fall semester when they came home for the holidays…and, they’re failing…everything!

Your natural reaction, “You need to do better! You should go to class every day! You could stop partying so much and focus on your education!” 

You’re right. They do. They should. They could.

And, they agree with you, in principle, but your answers won’t help them change their behavior. They’ll only make things worse. Everyone will become even more frustrated.

Why Won’t Your Answers Help?

Think about it for a moment. Did anything you say really tell them something they didn't already know? Do you really believe a young adult who is going to college doesn't know that they could get their grades up if they focused on their education instead of partying? Are you some kind of genius? Are they some special kind of idiot who became the first Freshman to party too much at school?

Are you trying to fill the role of the expert in a situation where you can’t be a part of the solution because you aren't a part of the problem?

In my experience, there is only one thing that will get someone to find the solution they really need. They know they have a problem but they don’t want to think about it…so they don’t find a solution.

Who really needs to have the expert power in this conversation? You, or your kid?

Will your answers help them think about the problem and how to solve it?

Is being the expert really what you want? Or, do you want to respond with humility so they can find the solution that is meaningful to them?

What Can You Do to Make Them Think About Their Problem?

What questions can you ask to create an atmosphere of acceptance rather than where they can only focus on self-defense? Is this really a time you want them to dig in? Would you rather see them be the expert in their own situation and attack the problem?

What questions can you ask that will allow your college student to illicit and explore their own reasons for change?

What questions can you ask that will provide them with a safe environment to evaluate so they can decide what values they really want to personify?

What questions can you ask that will help them define the boundaries and the goals they want to set for themselves?

(See what I did there? I didn't give you one "how-to" throughout this entire article, did I? Only questions. You’re the expert in this conversation, my friend, not me!)

Are You A Parent Who Cares?

The past few months, we've been feverishly working on a new program designed to ask parents who want to lead values-driven families the questions that will help them build their own solutions around a simple cultural framework:

Think- Know what you want and the person you want to be (identify and define your core values).

Act- Do things that will reflect the person you want to be as you try to get what you want (Targeted Effort + Values personification = Progress Toward Values-Driven Success ).

Be- Be satisfied with your own efforts at getting what you want while you continuously adapt to an ever changing world.

We ask parent-leaders how they want to apply the principles of kinship, trust, and love and to create an engaged, satisfied, and focused family culture.

If It All Starts With Thinking Then Doesn't the Best Thinking Start With the Best Questions?

Humble parents ask questions about problems so the real experts can find solutions.

It’s a journey…always a journey. If you're not good at putting your expert hat aside then think about it in terms of "Not Yet." Practice. Try new approaches. Get help if you need it.

Our new program is called Finding Family Success and it's based on GPS Theory, the main subject of my new book, Finding Success: Get What You Really Want in which I share some inspiring stories including one about my own experiences as a struggling parent. 

GPS Theory asks a very powerful question: What do you want, success or values-driven success?

Before you answer...consider these points:

• Success is getting what you want. 

• Values-driven success is getting what you want and being the person you want to be. Did you notice the a catch? Can you really get what you want without first being the person you want to be? 

You be the expert! 

We'd love to hear your thoughts. What questions would you ask your college kid to help influence them to think about the solution to their problem? Which is more important: Success or Values-Driven Success?

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FINDING FAMILY SUCCESS PROGRAM

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tom Eakin is the author of Finding Success and the Success Engineer at BoomLife, and helps people achieve values-driven success. Through his writings, workshops and inspirational speaking, Tom helps people find and expand the sweet spot between what they value, what they’re good at, and what their situation requires so they can exceed even their own expectations. Tom is a former U.S. Army Ranger-qualified Combat Engineer officer with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Master’s Certificate in Executive Coaching from Bellevue University and has created stellar performance in teams in a wide range of environments. Originally from the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York, Tom lives in Jefferson, South Dakota, near his three children with his wife, Julie. He is an active and passionate advocate for parents, veterans and entrepreneurs in his community and region.

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Help Real Change Agents Help Themselves

HELP REAL CHANGE AGENTS HELP THEMSELVES

I've observed many leaders say they're looking for a change agent. I believe anyone who wants to hire someone to lead the change they want to see in their organization doesn’t really know what they want. The conviction and tenacity needed to lead change requires three influencing factors:

1. A real vision, based on true passion, of what the organization can accomplish.
2. Belief in the mission and the value-propositions it represents for all stakeholders.
3. A sufficient amount of dissatisfaction in the status quo.

I recently worked with a woman who is a real change agent. She had recently let her frustration get the best of her at work. She had been given a disciplinary warning because her actions were perceived as unacceptable. I was asked to coach her because her behaviors in the incident distracted everyone from her message. No one was quite sure how what to do next to resolve the situation. In other words, the company recognized the value she created for them and wanted her to continue to contribute but they didn't really know what to do with her.

I reviewed the facts that had been gathered before I met with her. Then, I listened to her side of the story. When I first told her I believed she was a change agent, she denied it. She shook her head and said, “I just want to do my job.” I believe this denial was based on the repercussions of the incident and she was losing sight of the big picture.

I asked her, “So, what were you trying to accomplish that day?”

“When I see someone doing something I know is not right, I just want to help them understand what they can do differently. How can we ever get better if no one is willing to listen?” I could tell the incident was caused by the frustration that built up over time due to what she perceived as collective indifference toward continuous improvement. I believe her behavior in the incident was caused by her inability to resolve the conflict created by that indifference.

As she spoke I observed her frustration create energy that needed to expend itself through the change in her voice, the tears in her eyes, and her body language.

“OK, so you say you just want to do your job. When I see and hear the most passion from you, it’s related to making things better. So, what do you think your job is?”

I could tell she was caught between two conflicting thought processes: one was telling her to play it safe like she’d been trying to do so the aftermath of the incident would go away; the other was making the connection between what I was saying and the reason why we were talking in the first place. “Let me ask the question in a different way. You are highly skilled at what you do and the company needs those skills. But, do you really believe your job is only performing tasks requiring those skills? Is that really how you believe you will create real and lasting value for this company?”

She couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face despite the tears, “No.”

“Are you a change agent?”

“Yes. I am.”

“Outstanding! Now, let’s focus on how you can do your job in this organization. The truth is they know they need you but they can’t recognize the value-propositions you present them. You need a plan for how you're going to change that.”

By the way, this woman wasn't even in a leadership position but I knew she could drive positive change if she had the right kind of support.

THE TRUTH ABOUT CHANGE AGENTS

Real change agents are everywhere and they can't be satisfied unless they are helping drive continuous improvement. They are inspired to drive change when they recognize gaps between the value-propositions the organization states it wants to fulfill and current performance. They just can't help themselves. They are compelled. The incremental value their ideas can create for the organization are significant and logical and they believe the only way to communicate the opportunity is to be direct.  The problem is, you're so distracted by how their frustration affects the manner in which they communicate that you can't see the opportunity, you only feel the discomfort their words and actions create for you and the people around you. Your desire to eliminate the discomfort drives you to do something. 

Because it seems easier to silence the wheel that makes the most noise than to change out or re-align the defective parts that make it squeak you miss the real opportunities and sacrifice the improvements that come from incremental change for the illusion of peace you associate with preserving the status quo. Maintaining the status quo in a world that is constantly changing is a recipe for disaster. So, what can you do?

If you want real and lasting success, the key is recognizing real change agents and how to help them manage their frustration as they try to pull people out of their comfort zones.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE A REAL CHANGE AGENT

• They are typically very skilled.
• They tend to learn new jobs very quickly.
• They ask a lot of questions.
• They initially gain credibility quickly then lose it incrementally over time as they challenge the status quo with more and more colleagues.
• They are eventually perceived as pushy and abrasive. Others tend to complain about them and will say things like this about them, “He should just stay in his lane and worry about his own job, not about how I’m doing mine,” or “She doesn't have the experience I have. Besides, this is the way I've been doing it for years.”
• They are often the frustrated ones. They perceive no one else seems to care about the opportunities for improvement. They become impatient with the lack of positive change which drives them to lash out.
• They don't give up. They keep pushing their ideas up the ladder with the hope that someone with authority will lead the changes necessary to improve performance and the culture. They continue to try to make their point because they believe in their message even when they're getting in trouble for the manner in which they've delivered it.

HOW TO HELP A REAL CHANGE AGENT

1. Typically, you will become aware of a change agent who is not effectively working with others in one of two ways: They complain to you about how nobody wants to change or somebody else complains about them. Ask yourself- If I separate their message from the frustrated emotions they express while they're delivering it, do I understand it agree? (I’m asking you to ignore their inappropriate behavior for a moment. We will come back to that)

a. If your answer is yes, go to Step 2.

b. If your answer is no, ask more questions for clarification and repeat Step 1 until one of the following occurs:

• You understand and agree. Go to Step 2.
• You can’t understand and agree no matter how hard you try. You may have a change agent whose values do not align with the organization. Go to Step 2.b.

2. Ask yourself- Has this person violated any organizational policies on acceptable behaviors in the workplace during a specific incident because of their frustration?

          a. If you don’t know, you need to investigate further until you come up with a definitive yes or no answer. Gather more facts from people involved in the incident (who, what, when, where, how).

          b. If your answer is yes, you must address the unacceptable behaviors. Follow your organizations disciplinary process then go to Step 3. This is important if you want to help this change agent learn how to be effective without compromising their position. You must give them the opportunity to recognize their greatest opportunity for creating value is to change the way they react to what they perceive to be wrong.

          c. If your answer is no, go to Step 3.

3. It’s important to not steal the change agent’s initiative. If you want to create a continuous improvement culture you must help them become influential with their colleagues. At this point, whether they've displayed unacceptable behaviors or not, their actions have distracted everyone from the value-proposition and their co-workers will be reluctant to work with them if they don't resolve the conflict. If you try to influence that you will only alienate them further. It’s time to help the change agent define what they really want.

          a. Ask them- Which damaged relationship is most important resolve for you to get back on track and work toward the change you want to realize?

          b. Ask them- What behavior have you displayed in past interactions with them that you’d like to change?

          c. Ask them- What exactly does that person do when you bring up improvement opportunities and which creates an emotional reaction in you?

          d. Ask them- How does their reaction make you feel?

          e. Ask them- What reaction would you like to see in the future?

          f. Ask them- How do you want to work with them from now on?

4. Prepare them for a conversation focused on resolving the conflict. Help the change agent craft a message with their target audience by having them fill in the following statements:

______________(Answer to 3.a.), I recognize my behavior was unacceptable when I ______________(Answer to 3.b.). I’d like to apologize and think it’s important we talk about what happened. Are you willing to talk about it? (We will assume the answer from the other party is yes).

When you ___________________(Answer to 3.c.) it makes me feel _________________(Answer to 3.d.). In the future, I’d appreciate it if you could ______________(Answer to 3.e.) so we can _________________.

5. Prepare them on how to manage the conversation by developing strategies for the following scenarios:

          a. Ask them- How will you proceed if the other party indicates they want to work with you in the manner you’ve asked them to?

          b. Ask them- How will you end the conversation without making things worse if they indicate they do not want to work with you in the manner you’ve asked them to?

6. Give them the assignment- Set a date and time when you will meet with the change agent again. Communicate your expectation that they will have the conversation they prepared for in Steps 3 & 4.

7. Reconvene on the agreed upon date and time from Step 5.

          a. Ask them- What was your plan?

          b. Ask them- Did you get the results you needed?

• If yes, congratulate them on their success! Celebrate! Then, ask them what their next step is. If they need to have a similar conversation with other employees have them repeat Steps 3 through 6 focusing on what worked well and what they can do better as they repeat the process.
• If no, ask them what they believe the next step is and what they need to do differently to get the results they need. Remember, not to take responsibility for resolving the situation for them.  
  

Helping real change agents in your organization can set the conditions for huge leaps toward realizing the changes you'd like to see through continuous improvement. Your role as the leader is to define the objectives and provide the resources required to achieve them. The steps listed above are intended to provide you with  a strategy you can use to provide any real change agent with the resources they need to facilitate change while establishing (or rebuilding) working relationships with the people they need to be successful at helping your organization realize your vision.

BOOM!

Tom Eakin

Success Engineer, BoomLife

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Don't Doom Your Initiative With This Word!

This Word Dooms Change Initiatives

If I told you, "You should know better," does it mean you do?

If I told you, "You should do it the right way," does that mean you can?

If I told you, "We should eliminate the word "should" from the English language," do you think it will happen? 

How many times have you sat in a meeting and heard someone in a leadership position make a "should" statement because they're not happy with the way things are going and they want to initiate changes? They say things like, "That shouldn't happen! We should change this!" Did you notice a lot of heads nodding in agreement? Probably. 

How many times have you seen changes that "should" happen actually become real?

"Should" Misrepresents Reality About What People "Know"

We all have different experiences which have shaped how we think and how we perceive what is going on around us. What seems like common sense to one person is foreign to another. Thinking or, even worse, saying someone else should know something you think you know implies they are perceiving and thinking exactly the same way you are. The guy on the island in the cartoon, below, will think the guy in the boat is an idiot for being so happy to have found land...and vice versa. The problem: At this moment, neither has any perspective on the other's situation.

Source: http://spiritualartwork.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/its-all-about-perspective-humor/

"Should" Assumes The Right Way Is Your Way

Sometimes you realize success. This often translates later into a perception you have achieved some level of expertise as it pertains to that succcess. The problem is, everything changes and you don't always get the results you want when you try the same things in different situations. Saying someone "should" do things the right way, implies the conditions present during past successes exist in the current situation. 

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. --Albert Einstein

"Should" also implies the criteria for success is the same for everyone. The difference between the behaviors you would have expected to observe after reading the article referenced on the cover page of the issue of People Magazine when it was published some years back and Miley Cyrus' current version of "The Right Way," I suspect, is miles-wide. Is Miley wrong? Was Billy Ray Cyrus wrong? Who is right? Who knows? I'm only a human being and therefore not qualified to judge. The purpose here is only to illustrate that one person's version of "The Right Way," the way one "should" behave is, almost invariably, different from anyone else's. It doesn't matter if it "should" be that way, or not. It is that way.

"The right way" 😆😆 pic.twitter.com/b0T2D2BDX2
— Danielle (@Dee_Dee_89) November 27, 2013

"Should" Makes It Optional

If you want to change conditions in your situation, you must "Do" what it takes to make it happen. Change must be led. You must provide, purpose, direction and the appropriate behavioral drivers to accomplish the change you want. Otherwise:

• No one will understand why they need to contribute to the effort.
• No one will understand what they need to do to contribute, or when to do it.
• No criteria for success is communicated and understood. There is nothing to work toward.
• It is an option. Why? It's not a direction. If you're lucky, one person might do something different. Keep hoping for that and that the "something different" is what you had in mind, sport!

Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use. - Wendell Johnson
— Inspiring Quotes (@ThisInspiresUs) November 27, 2013

How To See The Changes You Want Actually Happen

Do you want things to change? Of course you do.  So Stop, Think, Communicate, Plan, Execute, Monitor, Adapt.

• STOP- Don't react and make a "should" statement. It will be meaningless and impotent. Stop. Don't speak yet.
• THINK- Why do you want it? What value will the effort create if it is successful? What do you want? Define your vision. Set clear standards for the results you seek. Take the time to understand what it will really take to cure your pain. Who needs to be involved? What resources are required? Think! Think about whether you are willing to do what it takes to lead the change you seek. If not, don't say another word about it to anyone until you are. You will have more opportunities to think about it, I promise. Why? Because until you commit to leading the change, it won't...even if it "should".
   
• COMMUNICATE- If you believe you are willing, clearly communicate your vision and purpose to the people who can help you plan and execute. Be ready to listen. Be open to changing your vision to something you hear that might make it better.
• PLAN- Identify the things people will (notice the absence of the word "should" there?) do to make it happen. Focus on whether the actions will contribute to your vision. If they do, add them to the plan. If they won't, don't. Task organize (who, what when, where & how).
  
  Communicate, Listen, Listen, Listen. Adjust the plan based on feedback that will improve it's probability of success.
• EXECUTE- You've set the criteria and the conditions for success. Make it happen. Did you notice it yet? You're leading.
• MONITOR- Your people are making it happen with zero "shoulds" and a whole bunch of "will". Pay attention to what's happening. Compare reality to the plan. Are you getting what you want (time, effort, results)? If so, make sure you're handing out high-fives and belly bumps like they're hard candy at an Independence Day parade! They deserve the recognition.
• ADAPT- If you're not getting what you want, Stop & Think! Yes, that's right, you have to go back and change the plan. It's not good enough...even if it "should" be. Then you need to lead the change...again...again...again. 

Julie SHOULD run a brush through

her hair when she gets out of the

wind or it will be tangled. She might.

The word "should" will probably not be removed from the English language. You, however, can lead yourself to change how you misuse it. STOP. THINK of the value such a change could create if you were successful!  

Food for thought: Here is a test to illustrate why "should" is a word to avoid whenever possible: 

Go to http://www.visualthesaurus.com/ and look up "Should". What do you get? Is it what you "Should" get? Interesting, isn't it?  

The Visual Thesaurus is a great tool! I use it all the time to help me understand the relationship between words...especially words that represent values. The words we use are important, they shape the way we think, the way we listen, the way we respond and react to what we hear. What do you hear when the word "should" is used? What did you get when you ran the test on "should" with the Visual Thesaurus? The way I would answer both questions is, "Something else". You don't get what you think you "should," you get "something else".

Disclaimer: I am a human being. I have used "should" inappropriately many times. If you look, I'm sure you will find evidence. It's not important. This is important: I am constantly trying to change and improve. I not only should but will keep trying.

Are you a human being too?

"Should" is for Talkers! pic.twitter.com/rJW4lmjwjb
— Tom Eakin (@goBoomLife) January 24, 2014

Do you want to see changes in your organization? What do you WANT? Do you KNOW what to DO to get it? Will you BE a Leader?

THE GPS THEORY MODEL

BoomLife provides personal, professional, and organizational success engineering services. Our Values-Based, practical, GPS Theory processes will help you:

• Recruit & Select Inspired Employees
• Evaluate Performance- Inspired, Motivated or Coerced?
• Measure Engagement & Create Improvement Strategies
• Develop people who are inspired to be GREAT at their jobs!
• Develop the Organizational Structure to Ensure Core Values Translate Throughout Your Business Processes.

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Need an Inspirational Speaker for Your Next Event? 
Tom Eakin's presentation of "What Do You Want?" is designed to challenge the way you define success and inspire you to engineer your own personal, professional or organizational path to success. tom@goboomlife.com

GET WHAT YOU WANT! 

Getting what you want and being the person you want to be can seem complicated and confusing! Together, we'll define what you want, what it takes to get it and help you realize the kind of success you never been able to achieve before! Sign up for personal one-on-one coaching. You can sign up for a program or a single-session. It's up to you!:

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How to Ruin an Organization While You Keep Making Money

How to Ruin an Organization While You Keep Making Money

The Situation- Doing Things Versus Doing Enough

I once worked with a CEO who tried to convince everyone he cared about creating a great culture. I believe he even thought he was doing what it takes. The problem came from what really drove his decisions and his behaviors.

The company was full of great people. The business had grown over the years to the point where relying on people to figure out what to do was no longer efficient. Departmental barriers started to form based on what key individuals wanted to do instead of the business processes that created the products and services. Gaping holes were left open and waste was created in the form of re-work and "extra" inventory which kept piling up. The great people started pointing fingers at each other.

It was an opportunity to put systems in place that would ensure safety, quality and efficiency were maintained as the company scaled. The CEO stuck to what he knew, the numbers. He made decisions primarily based on revenue and profitability. The conflicts got worse as frustration levels increased with each recurrence of waste-creating incidents. Meanwhile, the CEO kept his head down, crunched the numbers, made decisions based on what the financial statements were telling him and celebrated the company's success at being profitable. A few times a year, he held company events: golf outings, holiday dinners, barbeques. He was going through the motions. He believed he was "Doing" the right things. Meanwhile, people who'd worked closely together for years, people who'd once been the best of friends inside and outside of work, stopped talking to each other altogether. Hourly employees were consistently expected to work 60-hours a week. Everyone was getting burned out. The things the CEO was doing to create the culture he said he wanted weren't wrong, they were just not enough. 

The Company was Making Money. Isn't That Success?

People join organizations as employees or volunteers for one reason: The believe they will realize a net-positive value from the relationship. The form, or combination of forms, the net-positive value is made-up of is different for everyone. From the CEO's point of view, the view from the financial statements, the company was making profits, employees were getting paid a lot of overtime money. He perceived the net-positive value was being satisfied for the employees because of the financial results. Leading an organization with the financial statements as the highest priority for making decision-making is like using the speedometer as the only means to control a car. 

A car can only travel so far with the needle pegged before it runs out of gas or the driver loses control. 

What happens to the car happens to the passengers. What happens to the organization happens to the people.

Sooner, or later, resources reach their limit and things just stop working. Or, the situation changes in such a way that damage is done. The severity of the damage depends on the conditions present in the situation. It's easier for employees to exit the organization than a speeding car, so when some of them realized they were not realizing a net-positive value, some great people left.  As new employees came and went, safety incidents increased, more quality defects created more rework, profits tapered off. 

The company needed a leader more than anything, someone who knew where they wanted to go and were willing to control the speed based on what was going on all around them. The company had a person who was willing let the speedometer control their behavior. 

Organizational Values- More Than Just Financial Transactions

When people join an organization expecting a net-positive value it's not just because of the money. Let's think about this: if everyone viewed money as the only measure of achieving a net-positive value, we'd never see any organizations form. Everyone involved couldn't realize a net-positive value because one party would always give up something. The very best-case scenario would be a net-neutral result where everyone comes out even. There would be no incentive to join, or remain in, such a situation. 

As a Success Engineer, it's frustrating to be in a situation where the person who ultimately leads the organization is unwilling to do what it takes to create the culture they say they want. It makes me sad to think about those great people and how their situation changed for the want of a leader. I wish I could tell you a story about how I was able to help them do great things. I'd prefer to tell you the truth. Yes, I was there. Yes, I got out of the car. I chose to end the

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business relationship. I want to help people achieve Life-Long Success, I couldn't accomplish what I wanted so there was no incentive to remain. The net result was neutral, at best. We can't always get what we want and be the person we want to be. We have to choose sometimes. I chose the latter. I'm certain the business will remain financially salient for some time...their CEO is a smart and capable man. The culture has been severely compromised and until something changes it will continue to degrade. Only one person can lead that change.  

Set the Conditions for Organizational Success

The key to creating an organization that can provide a net-positive value for all stakeholders is creating a value proposition that represents a mutually beneficial relationship for the type of people who can reciprocate based on something they have to offer (leadership, skills, expertise, etc.).  

Organizational Success happens when:

• The Organization Knows What it Values
• Leaders promote Organizational Values
• Employees (including Leaders) align with Organizational Values
• Organizational Values are translated through the business processes that create value for Customers.
• The Organization Does What it Values
• Leaders exemplify Organizational Values
• Employees (including Leaders) live Organizational Values
• People, Processes, & Resources combine to create Products & Services that:
• Reflect Organizational Values 
• Create value for Customers

Only when the organization Knows What it Values & Does What it Values can it Be What it Values.

Are you a leader in an organization? What do you WANT? Do you KNOW what to DO to get it?

THE GPS THEORY MODEL

BoomLife provides personal, professional, and organizational success engineering services. Our Values-Based, practical, GPS Theory processes will help you:

• Recruit & Select Inspired Employees
• Evaluate Performance- Inspired, Motivated or Coerced?
• Measure Engagement & Create Improvement Strategies
• Develop people who are inspired to be GREAT at their jobs!
• Develop the Organizational Structure to Ensure Core Values Translate Throughout Your Business Processes.

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Try our GPS Theory App- www.goboomlife.com

Need an Inspirational Speaker for Your Next Event? 
Tom Eakin's presentation of "What Do You Want?" is designed to challenge the way you define success and inspire you to engineer your own personal, professional or organizational path to success. tom@goboomlife.com

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