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Let’s start with Business Improvements – or doing the work vs. ticking the box!

So, hand to heart, how are you doing with your improvement strategy?

Are you improving much?

What baseline did you set to measure the success of your improvement initiatives?

What did you agree upon when setting out to improve your strategy?

Are you willing to do what it takes to actually improve aka investing time, money and energy for lasting, repeatable and scalable capabilities?

Or are you simply ticking the box on L&D by scratching the surface with 3-day team workshops, 1-day leadership seminars and 90-minute motivational keynotes?

And how tired are you of growing operating costs that are not showing up in your results and in turn create even more friction in your business workflow?

When you look at your market and your competition – are they doing it differently and are they more successful?

“The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers.
The true dangerous thing is asking the wrong question.” - Peter Drucker

Yes, it does take a lot of questions to understand what the challenge is and even more questions to identify the root cause(s) of an issues.

And yes, an analysis must be hard and unemotional to get to the bottom of it all when you are serious about improvements, no matter small or audacious ones.

Let’s set some boundaries right from the beginning, looking for the silver bullet, the magic wand, the next big management book to instantly alleviate all business sorrows and pains is out of the question.

Otherwise please join the search for the holy grail - it is apocryphal, it is the stuff of fairy tales and urban myths and the birthplace of way too many management fads already plaguing small to medium to large companies around the globe.

"It's not that they can't see the solution. They can't see the problem." - G.K. Chesterton

Guilty of reading an overwhelming amount of management improvement books (probably making up only 5% of what is out there in the world), I came up with the following analogy of what the actual outcome and impact of these books are: you buy the latest and greatest book about how to train your dog to follow your every command…and you cannot for the life of you figure out why your cat isn’t changing her behavior…you are puzzled because a pet is a pet, right, and at least something should dramatically change just by absorbing the written words by osmosis.

Well, not so much! And 9 months later, the invested budget is gone, probably some key employees as well (that is if they haven’t been drained off all their energy turning into the working dead) and still no improvements in sight with the next performance review around the corner.

Please don’t get me wrong, there are brilliant books out there that when implementing the essence of their messages can truly make a difference.

However, jumping on these and hastily implementing, almost force feeding, them to employees, actually shows that a company has not taken the time to identify problems and their causes, to listen and understand their current environment, resources and people in their business and to align the current state of the business to future aspirations.

Let me ask you this, would you buy a house without having an inspection done first to make an informed decision on what your next actions are?

What we see happening in businesses though is

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The Bull, The China Shop, and Change

Don’t rock the boat

Don’t burn bridges

Tread carefully, tread lightly

Anyone recognize this type of advice?

Who has been given that type of advice?

And more importantly, how do you feel about this type of “advice”?

For me this type of advice is a trigger point.

A trigger point to ask why and what is happening here.

Hello everyone!

I am Isabella Zaczek and I am an instigator at heart.

And what I want to do today is

Explore the uncomfortable topics and actions around change and the steps we must take to enable change, accept, and implement it.

Expel the myths about change

Extract the essence of change and its success

Without any further ado, let’s see whether the talk holds what the title promises.

The Bull, the China Shop and change.

What is a better way than to start with some historic instigators:

So, I picked the following 3 instigators – anyone recognize them?

MLK – fighting for basic equality and civil rights

Galileo – going against the Catholic church and thus the world with science

The Women Suffragette Movement – standing up for female empowerment and rights

Challenging the status quo - Change processes that have still not been fully implemented centuries and decades later

And are more relevant than ever

So, what do they all have in common…they rocked the boat, they burnt bridges, they did not tread lightly

Going against deeply rooted beliefs, facing mockery, resentment, even death

Here is the very interesting fact about change, I believe, you do want to change for betterment, equality, advancement, and at the same time you must bear with – rejection, resentment and potentially every negative reaction there is – but what if you don’t start change?

Here is an article on Fortune I recently found about political reform:

Both Gehl and Thiry were able to report some recent successes in their reform efforts. But progress is slow and uncertain. Why? Because politicians from both parties, who have benefitted from the existing dysfunctional system, tend to oppose change. They argue business leaders should be champions of the reform.

Granted this is on political reform BUT it is change, nonetheless.

Extract the key message – progress is slow and uncertain and there are those who benefit from existing dysfunctional systems.

Who is your champion and who is your challenger - who has benefitted from no change.

How do we expect change to happen when we do not go where it hurts – it takes a special kind of person to be comfortable with the dark side.

But how many of us are truly and honestly comfortable with the dark, how many of us really believe that it is always darkest before the dawn.

Some years ago, I coined the following quote:

Our uncomfortable truths are the foundation of our permanent (r)evolution!

How do we expect change to be acknowledged, understood, and accepted if we are not willing to rock the boat, lift the rocks, and guide humans through the storm?

Given some personal tragedies over the past 2 years I turned to the Kübler Ross stages of grief to dive deeper into grief itself.

Some

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What is a Quereinsteiger?

Sometimes there just isn't an English equivalent. So, let's go with the lateral entrant, someone who changes into a job or industry without prior experience…or so they say.

Truthfully, it has been quite a while since I entered the application and interview pool, luckily having sat on the other side for most of my career.

Now where to begin with this journey of self-awareness, confidence, and patience…tons of patience.

There are many posts advising job seekers and candidates on how to prepare for the job search and any potential interviews. Most of the advice boils down to overpreparing, being diligent, investing time and energy, and being available for follow-ups.

All good and dandy and something I also expected from the humans I had the pleasure to interview.

But what about the other side – the interviewers and the companies looking for talent?

My mum always used to say, you give, you get.

You Give, You Get!

Exactly this way and not the other way around.

And while there isn't any contract in place (yet) I do believe in a human contract once people meet, converse, and exchange time for a mutually aligned purpose.

What do I mean by that?

I believe that any job application and interview is a two-way street, based on respect, decency, and setting clear expectations.

Should a company expect the candidate to bring their A-game? Absolutely.

Should a candidate expect the company to follow up and provide feedback? Absolutely.

Some of you might have differing opinions when it comes to feedback…especially personal feedback in the age of lawsuits.

It is tough and yet it is crucial, and it is where talent optimization starts…not necessarily for the company providing the feedback but for the overarching development of a talent pool. And who knows when paths cross again in this universe, right?

Especially, with more and more companies out there asking for 'honest' feedback on their recruiting and interviewing process.

Let's pivot to the real world …and the talent that just slips through everyone's fingers.

And nope it is not the pandemic's fault, the pandemic has only emphasized the problems that have existed for as long as companies have complained about a shortage of expertise and lack of talent. What the pandemic has done is ripping off band-aids that have been put over an ever-growing wound over and over again.

The root cause is what I like to call the 'eierlegende Wollmilchsau' phenomenon. (have fun looking it up 😉)

After "extensive research" in the USA as well as Germany it seems to come down to the following:

Automated resume screening – let's jump right into the next point because that is where the hurdles are buried deep (besides the fact that automation lacks the fine art of nuance)

Convoluted job descriptions – I mean seriously.

Having written a multitude of job descriptions over the past 20 years, I am simply baffled by what I am reading. Don't get me wrong, I am all for setting clear expectations and setting the bar high. But seriously…if all job descriptions within the company are asking for blue skies why is there any need for anyone else?

Think about that for a minute.

What makes it even harder is that many times it reads like it is a want ad for all or nothing, hanging on t

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Are you a greater fool?

While watching The Newsroom for the 21st time, 2 words, caught my ears.

Granted, I am not really watching the show anymore but rather enjoy it as background noise. That is why when Olivia Munn explains the meaning of a greater fool to Jeff Daniels, I stopped in my tracks and it gave me the idea for this podcast.

So, what is a greater fool?

According to Aaron Sorkin, the genius behind The West Wing and The Newsroom, it is the following: “The greater fool is actually an economic term. It’s a patsy. For the rest of us to profit, we need a greater fool— someone who will buy long and sell short. Most people spend their life trying not to be the greater fool; we toss him the hot potato, we dive for his seat when the music stops. The greater fool is someone with the perfect blend of self-delusion and ego to think that he can succeed where others have failed. This whole country was made by greater fools.”

When I think about leadership and strategy, about vision, mission and outcomes, are successful companies led by greater fools? Do these companies attract, recruit and retain greater fools?

Would you as a leader call yourself a greater fool? Or let me ask you this, how often have you felt like the literal greater fool without even understanding your true impact and everything you set in motion?

Is this blend of self-delusion and ego not exactly what we need to challenge the status quo, the same old, to make room for creativity, diversity and excellence and to reach the next level and be ready for whatever change is coming our way?

Ok, yes, there could be a downside if this combination is used for evil. But surely, those people would never call themselves greater fools but rather greater goons.

What does it look like for you to be that greater fool in your company, your business and your team?

I believe it takes guts, chutzpah, being grounded as well as skill. As for experience, I am not sure it is essential for being a greater fool.

Actually, I believe it is counter-productive as too much experience, especially the jaded and tainted one, might get in the way of that needed dosage of self-delusion. It definitely requires thick skin for the hits that will come your way, for being doubted and dismissed, perhaps even ridiculed.

And let’s face it, who likes to be called a fool, yet alone a greater one.

And now just imagine what it will feel like once you succeeded where others have failed, when you have left your mark, pioneered new grounds and created your legacy.

I can only hope that I was that greater fool in my former roles and that I continue to be the greater fool, no matter what the situation or challenge will be, to make a lasting impact for the better and to transform change.

And as I venture out into the world, beginning tomorrow, I will be on the lookout for these greater fools.

Isabella Zaczek

isabella@izconsultinggroup.com

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A few years ago, Jay ran away with Cirque du Soleil. At the Cirque-Us, Jay led the design of Cirque’s corporate training and team-building sessions. He literally worked with a bunch of clowns.

Jay’s professional nickname is "The Boss Whisperer." His superpower is the ability to deliver "difficult" feedback to teams and senior leaders in ways they can hear. Jay has had the good great fortune of working with several name-brand companies, including Google, Uber, Mastercard, NHL, Club Med Punta Cana, Kmart Australia, and SAB Miller Brewery Latin America.

As a former and reformed bully boss, Jay has personally experienced the transformative power of leadership training and coaching. Thus, Jay’s goal is to improve the way managers lead and team members interact. His mission is to build a world where work is not just a means to an end but a source of inspiration, transformation, and interpersonal growth.

Jay is the president of CoWorks, a consulting firm offering day-long workshops that increase emotional intelligence, improve feedback, and develop conflict-resolution skills for managers,

Connect with Jay on LinkedIn -- His profile is listed as James Guilford. You can also reach him via email at jay@coworkslead.com.

Shownotes Summary

We will talk about the uncomfortable truth of bullying in at work.

“Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke. -Benjamin Disraeli”

Questions that Jay and I will discuss are:

• Why is the topic an uncomfortable truth and needs to be talked about
• How come, with gazillions of books, workshops, training, and media exposure, we see a rise in toxic workplace cultures?
• Why is bullying so very much linked to management – the more senior the worse, some would say, with the perception that brute and bullish behavior is even rewarded?
• Bullying is gender-neutral!

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As we all know, diversity and inclusion are the latest buzzwords and organizational focus these days. Finally, and fully right so. Though it is rather sad to witness that a company now requires a designated chief executive and a department to implement diversity and inclusion. As a German, I have long struggled with the female quota that was introduced in Germany in 2016 requiring that women hold 30% of top board seats (btw in 2018 it is still less than 30 percent). Part of me says yes, we need it to get a foot into the door that has been closed for oh so long, but the other part of me finds it mortifying that a law must be passed that reduces women to an openly disadvantaged group that needs this type of legislative support.

So, over the years, I made my peace with it.

And yes, as I am living in the United States, I was also happy to see that diversity was a positive outcome of the 2018 midterms.

However, I cannot shake off the question that has been with me for many years and especially due to the current momentum. What truly is diversity?

Reading through tons of research, statistics and articles there seems to be one common thread – diversity must be seen and declared to the outside, it is defined by gender, race, age and openly declared preferences.

But what about the diversity of thoughts and opinions?

How can we proclaim diversity based on superficial attributes to please the eye of the beholder?

I am aware that not everyone will share my views, of course, because in the end these are my views.

Why do we think that visible diversity, or as I like to call it for everyone’s eyes only, is equal to improvements, innovation and performance?

Yes, we have some statistics available, for example in 2018 the Peterson Institute for International Economics completed a survey of 21,980 firms from 91 countries and found that having women at the C-Suite level significantly increases net margins.

“A profitable firm at which 30 percent of leaders are women could expect to add more than 1 percentage point to its net margin compared with an otherwise similar firm with no female leaders,” the report notes.

Again, I am not trying to make a case against diversity, but for me the root causes that need to be acknowledged and resolved to live true inclusion and build diversity into every company’s foundation go way deeper.

When I moved to the US many years ago, I underestimated the power of ‘pc’ (political correctness) but, don’t worry, I was reminded of it almost on a daily basis. Cultural differences were definitely part of the equation and it took me as well as my team probably a year to adjust to each other.

Something I tried to implement with my team as leader was to get rid of being ‘pc’ and being respectful while being vocal instead - respectful to other people’s ideas, approaches, thoughts – as long as these would not intentionally and personally hurt any individual.

So, what is so different about this? Before I moved to the US, I was told to avoid any personal viewpoints or discussion about religion, politics and anything that could possibly be in opposition to anyone’s thought and perspective.

I believe that by quasi mandatory exclusion of life topics that evoke emotional responses in the workplace, you are suppressing diverse thinking and personal connection – both of which are fundamental in creating trust, loyalty and dedication, and ultimately are a cornerstone for progress and innovation.

Isn’t it more about the respect for each other than the opinion itself?

Everyone advocates for authenticity in- and outside of the workplace, but let me ask you, how authentic can you be when

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“As we are, so we do; and as we do, so is it done to us; we are the builders of our fortunes.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Recently, I had a conversation with a friend about our pet peeves, values and what is next for us in our lives. While we have very different personalities and see the world in our own unique ways, we share similar values and, lately and unfortunately, the same experiences when it comes to humans.

More specifically, our experience the lack of responses.

Granted, our experiences are subjective and therefore bias but nonetheless, we came up with a number of examples. We are very good friends, thus having the freedom, permission and courage to call each other out and name BS where it is called for.

Interestingly enough, we covered a range of topics, scenarios and life moments that, truth be told, left us rather deflated and, if I may say so, sad.

And yes, we took and are taking this personal as, well, it happened and happens to us.

However, to not go down the rabbit hole of feeling unworthy, unappreciated or even insulted, we explored the why next – not from the perspective of why us, but why are we experiencing the lack of responses more and more.

Is courtesy truly uncommon and is the decay of decency already among us?

Trying to shift our perspectives to what we are doing in our lives, how often we do not respond to others nor reply to emails or voicemails or simply forget to get stuff done, we pretty quickly agreed that, yes, we live in an era of overwhelm, distractions, information and request overflow. To-do lists, chores, bucket list items and commitments are piling up while making a living and living a fulfilling life itself.

Next up we looked at it through a professional and personal lens, which turned out to be an eclectic mixed bag.

On the personal level, meaning family, friends and loved ones, we were happy to report that we are grateful and blessed and that is really is a give and take. And yes, it is not always 50/50 and a give is not always followed by an instant take, but overall the universe is balanced and, for the most part, reliable while it still comes with its unique challenges.

This left us with courtesy and decency in the professional world, and oh boy, let me set the scene by saying that the balance is far from being in a good shape.

I will not lie, this part was a tough one to discuss as it meant to stay open-minded to feedback, yet vulnerable and, to the best of our efforts, as objective as possible.

“Politeness costs nothing and gains everything.” - Lady Montague

First, we talked about keeping up with our network, former colleagues, clients and acquaintances who you formed relationships with. This was a painful lesson learnt for me last year. Having just started my own business, I set out to contact former colleagues and customers I cared for and respected to share my news and a request to reconnect and have a conversation. If you had asked me to name the top and bottom 10 to reply and to bet my house on it, I would not be living in my house anymore. Here is the thing, did it surprise me, yes, did it hurt me, hell yeah. Why? Because while I did not expect a reply within 24 hours nor 1 week, I was struck by the nothingness. While some might have read my email as a consulting pitch (which it wasn’t meant to be) and did not want to reconnect with a call, a simple, even if overused, ‘Best of luck’ one-liner wasn’t in the cards either.

I fully understand that life happens and that, while having the best intention to reach out to someone, we all simply do forget many times. I am guilty of forgetting myself. But the nothingness continued even after reaching out a second tim

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On this episode let’s start with the following statement:

---- failure is for the privileged, so why is everyone worshiping failure?

As a new entrepreneur, I must’ve probably read close to 100 articles and various books on the concept of failure. And to be honest, I’m getting rather tired of praising failure as the way out and a reason to celebrate the lack of planning and true skills and experience.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not out to shame failure itself. Indeed I believe that failure is part of life. What I have a hard time with is when there is nonchalance about failure and when it is presented as a great learning almost done on purpose to meet expectations by society that only failure makes you better and ready for the next big thing. Especially in the business world when failure affects people around you either directly with your employees or indirectly with customers and vendors.

Let's think about that for a moment and compare the impact of a failure at a construction site with a tech company.

At a construction site, failure can literally cost a person’s life. However, whenever Elon Musk goes out, shredding everyone’s but his own money and continues to fail, we are losing it and celebrate this type of failure as a second coming.

Why is that? Why are we putting people like that up on a pedestal while at the same time knowing really well that failure and mistakes on any lower levels in the hierarchy will not reap applause but most likely the end of a career in a company.

Failure is an action, it comes with a or even many consequences – not just for the person failing but for everyone around that person. Knowing this impact, why would we be so oblivious to holding people accountable?

In Amazon’s 2019 shareholder letter, Jeff Bezos talks so much about failure -- arguing that to invent things like Echo and Alexa, you need the resources to be able to try and fail at big things.

Bingo – the secret sauce is the access to resources – the more you have the grander you may fail and the even greater the attention is.

And yes, it is not about dwelling on past failures but to get up and find a way forward quickly – but also not to celebrate failure as the holy grail and instead to admit failure, accept accountability and then do everything humanly possible to find a solution and turn that failure into success - not just for yourself but for everyone who stayed by your side throughout that journey or should I say rollercoaster!

It is also not about going to extremes, going from worship to zero tolerance. The magic lies in the nuance, not in the generalization.

Careless, ego-driven motives without personal liability vs. blood, sweat, tears with someone risking their personal stakes.

Let’s stop giving failure a celebrity status, I don’t care how many so-called inspirational leaders have proclaimed it as such and written 1001 books about it.

I know, I know it makes for a great hero and overcoming stories and tales – almost making us feel too average for a higher purpose if we haven’t hit rock bottom.

Anyways, let's look at how failure could be approached differently, especially for the sake of innovation.

Is the outcome the same? Yes, because something does not work as planned or expected. Will there be a different reaction to this outcome by making it part of the process and not declare it a miss? I believe that this could indeed be the case.

Why? In my opinion, it feels much more organic to make 'failure' a milestone early on in trialing, testing and prototyping a service, concept or product.

And to invest the time to talk through the action and the respective consequences – no