I enjoyed another productive week. Monday, I attended a cocktail/dinner reception for the Dean of the College of Business for my University. This reception included a small intimate group of staff and alumni. It was fun to catch up with old friends and make some new ones. I spent Tuesday evening with four alumni volunteers discussing ways to move the Atlanta chapter forward. Wednesday, I went Full Hemingway working at a cigar bar. I call it ‘Full Hemingway’ as I imagine Earnest at work, alternating between puffing on his cigar and sipping scotch. Working with a cigar in one hand and a Guinness in the other is my favorite way to read a contract, or to write my blog posts. Also during the week, I had productive discussions about potential assignments and signed a new consultant. Thursday was a bit of a hiccup, however.
At this point in my career, my favorite role is that of a mentor and coach. This style works well for me when interacting with alumni volunteers as well as leading my consulting group. I cannot say it’s always easy as my nature is that of an action oriented, ‘get-it-done-now’ kind of guy. Fortunately, I’m usually able to resist that urge. Sometimes, my coaching style will resemble playing a hand of Poker. Especially if someone tries to dump their perceived problem on me. An issue has been building. It came to a head this week. So, I moved into Poker mode.
It began a couple of months ago when two of my practice group leaders recommended a significant change in strategy for our consulting group. Their recommendation was based on personal beliefs, not data. Without speaking to the merits of their idea, their timing was perfect. We were beginning our strategic review and I needed someone to drive the process. Besides, the analysis would determine the viability of their thinking or not. As they had not presented a well-thought out strategy, and plan, I felt satisfaction by handing the issue back to them to properly evaluate.
Thursday, our leadership team reviewed the findings of the strategic analysis and discussed recommendations for our 2019 plan. It was noteworthy that our clients expressed almost no interest in the concept floated by my colleagues months ago. The data had spoken. My colleagues were silent on the issue so I let it die a natural death.
However, another more important issue had been revealed. I was not surprised by the finding, but it still needed further clarification. I’ve had enough expertise with marketing research to know that a customer’s stated need is often a symptom of some other issue. Reacting to a perceived need without additional analysis can become an expensive waste of resources. However, one of the two practice leaders who floated the other strategic change became agitated that we were not addressing this perceived need to his satisfaction. I did not respond to his comment, nor did anyone else. His outburst gave me pause, however.
Later, in a conversation with this colleague, I asked if he was interested in analyzing the issue; to recommend a course of action and create a plan. I asked if he would like to take the lead on this project. In poker terms, I just called his bluff. His response was, “gee, that’s a lot of work. What’s in it for me?” I thanked him for his honesty and ended the conversation. He had told me everything I needed to know. I realized that I have a coaching issue to address.
Early in my career, I was coached to bring my boss solutions, not problems. That advice served me well as I’ve built my career by analyzing gaps in performance; evaluating alternative solutions; creating plans to realize the optimal solutions and executing those plans. In my world, this is the fundamental role of a professional. This is so natural to me that I feel as if I’m interacting with an alien if I encounter someone who doesn’t live by this concept. If you want to be a professional bring me solutions, not problems.
My friend Faith thought the timing of this topic was interesting as it reminded her of a conversation, she’d had this week. She told me that “clients are looking for the value that solutions generate. It is hard to unseat an incumbent when they have returned value year after year.”
Executives have a lot on their plate. Their time is precious. Spending time listening to someone complain without offering a solution is a waste of time and it’s irritating. In fact, if this behavior persists, it will eventually end one’s
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Author of: Fighting Alligators, Job Search Strategy For The New Normal