Preparing for the Bus

We all know one, or maybe we are one. You know – the person that plans for all eventualities, including the most unbelievably improbable situations or opportunities.

I like to think I’m that person now, but that wasn’t the case many years ago. For me, this was a lesson presented over and over and over again by one of my favorite bosses. For every new idea, project or policy suggested for implementation, she would ask, “What happens if you get run over by a bus? What happens then? How do we pick up where you left off?”

The Bus; what happens after The Bus?

How do you prepare? How far in advance do you prepare? Where are these instructions kept? Who maintains/updates them? What is the basic plan if Employee A is unable to perform their job unexpectedly? Employee B? Employee Z? How do we mitigate the negative aspects of the loss of a staff member? How do we, as an organization, react publicly and to the family?

These are some the questions that constantly run through the mind of a planner.

The answer to that proverbial question is to write down the procedure, logon/password, instructions, etc., so anyone on the staff could step in if necessary during an emergency situation; even if that staff member is you.

This does not mean that everyone on staff knows every aspect of everyone else’s job. It just creates a starting point for those who need to step in when circumstances require.

Some people are inherently opposed to writing everything down for a variety of reasons. Some like to think they can keep it all in their head and act when necessary using just their knowledge. Others feel like writing it down opens the door to being replaced by a younger, less expensive employee, while some just don’t think it is important for anyone else to know because they like to control access for security (or other) purposes.

On the other hand, there are those who write everything down; what time they went to lunch or on break, and what day and time they spoke to "Mark at Intellimedia" about correcting a flaw in the system. This can be helpful, but in some ways it could also be just a little too much.

Over the past few years my team has been working on a project that took much longer to produce results than we anticipated. In the initial planning stages, several options for success were discussed and plans were devised. Over time it became apparent that success would be achieved when least expected; sure enough, it did.

Were we ready? Yes.

Did everything work out the way we planned? No, but we had Plan B, Plan C, and Plan D to pull from as circumstances quickly changed. Eventually we ended up with a combination of every plan that had been devised, and a significant amount of documentation to fall back on as new challenges appeared.

A leader’s job is to lead (no kidding!).

So, lead!

Sell the idea of documenting the key elements of each role in the organization to your staff so that if The Bus hits your organization, those tasked with ensuring the ship is not circling around rudderless have sufficient information to keep it moving in the right direction.

Perhaps working in teams to identify areas where members depend on others to perform their own work is the best place to start. For instance, if Sam depends on data from Kay, Sam should know how to get the data, where it is normally stored, or to whom he can go for assistance so that he can get what he needs if Kay is unavailable for any length of time.

I know this all sounds so simple, like Management 101, but how many of us actually have this system in place? How many actually have a plan for the eventuality of The Bus?

It’s not something we want to think about, but we should – and plan for.

Dawn is the Deputy Executive Director for the Academy for Eating Disorders in Reston, VA. Before founding her own consulting firm in 2013, she served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and women’s healthcare fields for almost 30 years. As a volunteer, she currently serves as the Past Chair of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine's Women's Council. 

Dawn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Management from Trevecca Nazarene University, as well as a Master of Business Administration degree and a Graduate Certificate in Organizational Management from American Public University, and a Lean/Six-Sigma Green Belt. 

Chasing the Sunset

We’ve all seen it – that perfect sunset imbued with beautifully mixed hues of color, invoking thoughts of relaxation and peace.

The challenge, I’ve found, is getting it on camera.

You wait, watch, wait a bit more for it to change just a smidgen, move to get a better perspective, move again because something else is in the way, and once you are in what you think is the best position, you realize that you missed it. I call this Chasing the Sunset.

Our approach to life, both personal and professional, can be like that as well.

How many times have you felt that where you are now is just simply perfect the way it is? You’re not waiting for anything or see the need to change anything to be exactly where you want to be. I’ve had a few of these.

More often, however, I have found myself waiting for this to happen, or that to take place, or started looking for a different job or project because I just could not get that “perfect” feeling about where I was at the time. Although the situation at the time may have appeared just about perfect, I was convinced that the one thing necessary to make it absolutely perfect (whatever it was at the time), was just around the corner. All I had to do was move just a hair to the left or right, or tweak one or two things so I could capture a picture of the perfect sunset.

Granted, many times something can be improved, but what did I miss along the way chasing that perfection when it was right in front of me all along?

Watching one of those beautiful sunsets recently, I realized that I missed many things simply because I wasn’t looking, or listening to who and what was around me.

The old adage that Life is a Challenge is true, but so is the fact that beauty and peace are all around you; you just have to train yourself to recognize them in the moment; not after.

Before founding her own consulting firm in 2013, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and women’s healthcare fields for over 25 years. As a volunteer, she currently serves as the Past Chair of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Women’s Council.

Dawn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Management from Trevecca Nazarene University, as well as a Masters of Business Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Organizational Management from American Public University.

You Know It's Time to Go When...

We've all seen them.

Maybe at one time or another we've been them.

You know, that guy or gal who has been at the company too long, and really does more harm than good these days. How do you recognize this phenomenon in yourself, or others? In my experience, it sneaks up on you with little or no warning. One day you are not only drinking the organizational Kool-Aid, but guzzling it and happily sharing with others, but the next day you find that you are not that thirsty.

Then, over the next few weeks and months you don’t even think about drinking it anymore. You unconsciously start looking for something new to drink, or loudly bemoan the fact that the taste of the organizational Kool-Aid just isn't the same as it used to be. And yet, you consciously try your hardest to make it taste the same, regardless of whether or not your co-workers agree with you.

I have worked in the nonprofit community for almost 30 years now, and in that time I have known – and at one time was – one of those people who truly needed to find something else to do professionally in order for the organization to thrive. Here are three examples of behavior that literally scream it’s time to go:

Living in the Land of UsedToBe
Believe it or not, the Land of UseToBe has an enormous population, and that’s not good for any business, for- or nonprofit. These people are not only unhappy with changes in the organization, but are absolutely livid about them. They will do whatever they can to show the leadership team that this new idea, structure, policies, or whatever they don’t like coming down will not work; even if it means sabotaging customer service and quality.

I have seen this behavior several times over my career, and each time I have been amazed at how once-fantastic leaders have clearly lost the vision of the mission for which they once had a passion. Their focus is no longer on ensuring the organization provides quality products or services to those they serve, but on preserving their perceived fiefdoms.

Once your focus is no longer on the mission of the organization, but on fighting changes to preserve how you think the organization should operate and how these changes make your work life miserable, it’s time for you to go.

The Work No Longer Excites You
A friend of mine once told me that she knew it was time for her to find a different job when one of her subordinates brought her a fabulous idea that could be a solid stepping stone to help move the organization to the next level. However, my friend did not see the idea in that light until someone else pointed it out to her. She could not see the proverbial forest for the trees because she had lost her excitement for that particular job.

Luckily for her and the organization, my friend was able to see her predicament as soon as it was pointed out to her; many cannot or will not ever see the writing on the wall. If you find yourself continually saying, “No, that won’t work,” or “No, that would be more useful in the XYZ field,” or even worse, “No, that is the worst idea I have heard in years,” then it’s time for you to go.

Major Personality Conflict Escalates
Most people can get along and work with most people. However, at one time or another, everyone has that one person in their work life with which they have a personality conflict. Generally, if you have a personality conflict with a co-worker, you do your best to work with them when you have to and find ways get along that does not escalate the friction.

Once that conflict reaches the point where interaction, or lack of interaction, adversely affects your co-workers and the every-day functioning of the organization, it’s time for you to go. After all, they probably live in the Land of UsedToBe.

Share Your Ideas on Knowing When to Go
There are many other ways to recognize when it’s time for you to go, and I would love to see a discussion on the topic. So, please, share your clues that it’s time for you to go!

Photo Credits: Bing Images

Before founding her own consulting firm in 2013, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and women’s healthcare fields for 25 years. She holds a Masters of Business Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Organizational Management from American Public University, is a contributor on LinkedIn, and the author of the Management in Motion blog.

Dawn currently serves as the Past Chair of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Women’s Council, and volunteers with the American Red Cross. As an infertility survivor she has been a featured speaker within the Fertility Community, and written numerous articles on the topic of childfree living.

End of the Year Management 101

Photo Credit: Bing Images

The end of any given year is always a challenge. Even if your fiscal year runs contrary to the Gregorian calendar, managing time, people, expenses and other resources in December can leave you waiting with bated breath, and perhaps a serious lack of patience, for the New Year holiday.

So, how did the end of the calendar year become such a challenge to manage? After all, you still have staff to do the work, and many of them come to work this time of year in a festive mood. This should translate to more work and less stress, right?

That’s not necessarily true since many employees save a significant amount of time off for the end of the year, and in our undeniably now global society, not everyone celebrates the same holidays, requiring the use of different vacation or PTO days than the traditional Christmas to New Year’s week. Couple that with the increased demand of customers and clients who also want things done before their holidays begin, and you generally end up scrambling even more than usual to make staffing assignments and provide resources to meet that demand.

Don’t get me wrong – this is not a bad thing in any way, shape or form. I, for one, enjoy celebrating the various holiday traditions and exploring those for which I have very little knowledge or experience. I guess it’s the one-time-sociology-major coming out, allowing me to revel in the opportunity to explore different ways of looking at life and business.

Over the years, I have picked up a few tidbits here and there about meeting end of the year management challenges, and have listed three of them.

Make Company Holidays Flexible. As I mentioned earlier, different cultures celebrate different holidays. If your company’s annual holidays include 2 or more days for Christmas, make them floating holidays that can be taken by employees of different faiths when their holidays fall. This provides your company with staff coverage for clients during traditionally slow periods. Global companies staff their offices 24/365 because they recognize the importance of being there for the customer when they are looking for something. Having flexible authorized holidays makes this possible.

Choose and Support a Nonprofit All Year Long. Resource allocation, including staff, is one of the greatest challenges in December. If your company supports a nonprofit by allowing staff to volunteer during work hours, implement a program to encourage staff to do so every month of the year, rather than just December. Having worked in the nonprofit community for almost 30 years, I can tell you that they need your support on a consistent basis; not just on Thanksgiving and Christmas. In fact, the need for those supporting the homeless and less fortunate is often greater in the first quarter of the year once winter really sets in.

Be Flexible in Managing the Generations of Your Workforce. Although I've written about this before, I think it still bears repeating. There are at least four different generations in the current workforce, all with differing needs and means of communication. Yes, you can teach an old dog a new trick, but that doesn't mean he likes it, or embraces it willingly. Likewise, puppies have boundless energy and their own ways of doing things that an older dog can’t fathom. However, that doesn't mean that one way of doing something is better than the other; they are just different. Don’t forget to keep that in mind when confronted with a management decision.

All in all, the end of the calendar year can be an exciting and busy time with its own unique management challenges. Although I've only listed three, I’m sure there are many, many more ideas, so please feel free to share yours.

Editor's Note: This blog post also appears on LinkedIn.

Before founding her own consulting firm in 2013, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and women’s healthcare fields for 25 years. She holds a Masters of Business Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Organizational Management from American Public University, is a contributor on LinkedIn, and the author of the Management in Motion blog.

Dawn currently serves as the Past Chair of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Women’s Council, and teaches health and safety classes for the American Red Cross. As an infertility survivor she has been a featured speaker within the Fertility Community, and written numerous articles on the topic of childfree living. 

The Challenges of New Leadership

Change is a good thing, right?

Businesses and organizations refine and adjust their strategy based on many things, including the changing needs of their client-base and the market place. One of the most significant catalysts for change is new leadership.

Once the announcement of a new leader is made, the change process begins. 

And then, all the people say, “Oh, joy; a new leader who will want to change everything.”

As they say, change is never easy. There are multiple upon multiple studies showing that just the idea of change causes fear and stress for those involved. However, sometimes new leadership is not just necessary, but also vital to organizational growth and, even perhaps its very survival.

New leaders, be they CEOs or mid-level managers, certainly bring their own personality and management style to the top of the table. If they come from outside the organization, the most valuable asset they bring is not their education or years of experience, but a perspective quite different from those on the inside.

Good leaders know that recognizing and utilizing differing perspectives to make decisions about what must be changed is crucial. The difficulty in implementation comes from team members with the “We’ve Always Done It This Way” mentality, and those mired in GroupThink. Without trudging down the rabbit hole discussions of those two issues, I think it is safe to say that they have their own particular challenges which require situation-specific actions to address.

When I began my career in the early 1980’s, organizational leaders based decisions on input from their division or department heads, who gathered data from their subordinates in a very controlled fashion. Employees worked 8am – 5pm (or 9am – 5pm), Monday through Friday, and spent evenings and the weekends with their families.

Thirty years later, more Millennials are moving into positions of leadership, and facing an ever-evolving multi-generational workforce with different, and often competing, demands for engagement and working conditions. The younger generation not only expects, but demands to have a seat at the table and expects to move to another company in a few years to take the next step in their careers. They also don’t want to watch the clock, or be constrained by having to be in an office every day.

Older workers, such as those from the Greatest Generation and my Baby Boomer generation need to feel respected for the knowledge and experience for which we have worked so hard for many years to earn. We also need a seat at the table, or at least know that the new, younger leadership has heard and acknowledged the issues we bring to light. Like the younger crowd, I love working from home, but I also like the idea of having evenings and weekends free.

The leadership challenge with a multi-generational work force is finding a way to meet the differing needs, while building a cohesive and open organizational culture that allows and encourages employees to be passionate about their work and their organization’s success.

In the words of former Secretary of State Colin Powell from his book, My American Journey,

"The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership."  

Stepping into a new leadership role is an exciting experience. It is an opportunity to develop a vision for excellence and innovation, and to share that vision with an actively engaged organization. All leaders face challenges, however, it is their response to those challenges that determines their success.

If you have been a new organizational or business leader, what words of wisdom would you share with those who want to be, and one day will be, a new leader?

NOTE: This post also appears on LinkedIn.

Before founding her own consulting firm in 2013, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and women’s healthcare fields for 25 years. She holds a Masters of Business Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Organizational Management from American Public University, is a contributor on LinkedIn, and the author of the Management in Motion blog.

Dawn currently serves as the Past Chair of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Women’s Council, and teaches health and safety classes for the American Red Cross. As an infertility survivor she has been a featured speaker within the Fertility Community, and written numerous articles on the topic of childfree living. 

What Are You Waiting For?

Last Thursday, October 16^th, I celebrated my 2^nd National Boss’ Day as my own boss. When I opened my own consulting firm in May 2013 I was excited about the possibilities that lay ahead, and began building on that lifelong dream of owning my own company where I could make a difference in the daily lives of others.

It was a daunting goal, with many, many steps along the way, but I knew I could do it; I wanted to do it.

Since that time, there have been many positive steps forward in fulfilling my strategic plan, and a few steps backward. Some steps forward were planned, and others presented themselves unexpectedly. As I came upon those unexpected opportunities, the loudest voice in my head was that of a friend who constantly asks those with whom they come in contact – what are you waiting for?

What are you waiting for, indeed.

Recently, another friend announced that she was taking the same giant leap of forming her own company. As we talked about the courage it takes to make that decision and move forward, I found myself asking her many of the questions that were asked of me almost 2 years ago.

• What products or services are you offering?
• What is your target customer base?
• How will you reach/communicate with them?
• What makes your company different from all of your competitors?
• What will your brand look like?
• Tell me about your strategic plan and goals

Quite honestly, the decision to do something – anything – is the easy part. It’s the strategic planning and then execution that takes all your time, effort, and resources.

This is also the easiest place for you to get bogged down, and eventually question your decision to strike out on your own in the first place (or whatever the decision may be). Getting mired in the minutia can easily provide 101 reasons why you can’t do something today, next week, or next month.

So, how do you guard against the “I can’t do it right now because…” mindset? It’s easier than it seems; really. 

Whether you are your only employee, or you have 1,000+ employees, it is vitally important that you build a team around you that gives you the support to do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done.

You need a team of friends, colleagues, peers, and staff that will ask, “What are you/we waiting for?” You need people who are supportive of your efforts, and are not afraid to let you know that you may have taken an unnecessary or possibly detrimental side trip off the strategic path.

We’ve all heard that nothing worth-while is ever easy. However, that does not mean that every step forward has to be like pulling teeth from a dinosaur.  In truth, sometimes you just have to make yourself take that step. Sometimes you just have to tell yourself, “Today is the Day,” and move forward.

In 26 days I will achieve the half-century mark in age.  I’ll be 50. Whoohoo!!! I’m excited about Life After 50, and all the possibilities ahead. So, in writing this particular blog today, I once again have to ask myself, “What am I waiting for?”

What are you waiting for?

Before founding her own consulting firm in 2013, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and women’s healthcare fields for 25 years. She holds a Masters of Business Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Organizational Management from American Public University, is a contributor on LinkedIn, and the author of the Management in Motion blog.

Dawn currently serves as the Past Chair of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Women’s Council, and teaches health and safety classes for the American Red Cross. As an infertility survivor she has been a featured speaker within the Fertility Community, and written numerous articles on the topic of childfree living. 

Does Friendship Have a Place in Business?

Do you have friends in business?

Photo Credit: Bing Images

I don’t mean your competitors with whom you smile and shake hands when you happen to be in the same place at the same time. I mean those with whom you spend time outside of work, have shared memories and have an affection for.

What about your co-workers? Any friends there, or do you just do your job while they do theirs?

I recently connected with a friend I had not spoken to in over 25 years. Other than the requisite tell-me-about-your-family-and-life-over-the-last-quarter-century, the conversation moved along as if we saw each other just last week. After the conversation, I mentally looked back on other long-term friendships and realized just how much each of those individuals made me who I am today. How much I learned from each and every one of them.

Some of those who have had a significant impact on my life and how I conduct business today were personal friends, while others friendships were forged through business, even though we may have been competitors.

Which brings me to the question – does friendship have a place in business? If so, what is that place?

I believe it does. Granted, ensuring your business makes decisions that take advantage of market conditions or other differentiating circumstances is vital to its success. However, what if choosing an action is detrimental to your friend’s company? Is friendship more important than drawing an ethical line based solely on business concerns, or is it necessary to ensure that humanistic considerations are considered as well?

Yes, universal ethics require that businesses operate in an honest manner, and one in which employees are treated fairly and provided a safe work environment. However, when it comes to business strategy, sometimes the ethical choices are not so crystal clear.

They (whoever ‘they’ are) say that competitors can be friends, and you hear about it quite often in sports; but what about in business? Yes, you get more flies with honey than you do vinegar, but what happens when the bonds of friendship become a barrier to taking the next step in your business strategy?

The reason friendship matters in business, is that friends treat other friends differently than acquaintances. They tend to be more acceptable to working with people and companies they know, rather than those they do not. The costs involved tend to be less, and a sense of trust is already established. It’s a win-win for everyone.

While this seems a silly topic to discuss, I think it goes back to my July 14^th post on why kindness matters in business.

Where do you draw the line? How do you know when you’ve gone too far to back out, and then what do you do? Salvage the friendship, or allow it to cease as a result? Do true friends understand the difference between personal life and business and see your decision for the business tactic that it is, or walk away from the friendship in disappointment?

I suspect that there are several who will read this blog and think that I’ve completely – and finally – lost my mind. However, I would be truly interested in discussing this issue with those of you who have faced this challenge.

Thanks in advance for the discussion!

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and women’s healthcare fields for 25 years. She holds a Masters of Business Administration from American Public University, is a contributor on LinkedIn, and the author of the Management in Motion blog.

Dawn currently serves as the Past Chair of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Women’s Council. She has also been a featured speaker within the Fertility Community, and written numerous articles on the topic of childfree living.