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. 

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.

What Are You Doing for the Next 4 Months?

Labor Day Weekend has come and gone. The Summer is over, and now the mad dash to the end of the year begins.

How is your strategic plan for 2014 doing? Have you met many of your goals? Set new ones? Better yet, what is your primary goal for the last 4 months of the year? Be specific.

What is mine, you ask? To actively engage at least four new clients for Dawn Gannon Consulting; in real terms, one per month. While it is good to have goals, they are just goals if you don't have a strategic plan to reach them.

Since it is now September, just about every business leader is in the process of reviewing their strategic plan and making changes for 2015 to better meet the needs of their business and the community it serves. But what about the final months of 2014?

As the outgoing Chair of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine's (ASRM) Women's Council, I am leading the strategic plan review for the Council's next few years. However, we cannot effectively plan for 2015, 2016, and beyond without reviewing where we have been, where we are now, and re-evaluating where we want to be.

In the interest of increasing my knowledge, and that of those who read this post, I ask you:

1. What are the most important considerations in your strategic planning process?
2. Who (what positions or management levels) do you include on your strategic planning committee?
3. What is the one thing anyone devising - or revising - a strategic plan cannot do if they want the plan to be effective?

I thank you in advance for the discussion!

Photo Credit: Bing Images.

Editor’s Note: This post also appears on LinkedIn.

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is a contributor on LinkedIn, the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

Question: Why did the chicken cross the road? 

Answer: To get to the other side of the road, of course.

It’s an old joke that just about everyone had heard, told or modified in some way.

Just recently I was standing on the porch, talking with my sister when suddenly I saw a chicken crossing the road; really, no kidding. It was a real live chicken crossing the road in a small town in Kentucky, but it was a chicken nonetheless.

My sister said I made the oddest facial expression, and then calmly asked her if indeed it was a chicken crossing the road.

I’m sure you can imagine the hilarity that followed, when everyone in the house was brought out to: #1) hear the story, #2) see the chicken, and 3) to send the tweens down the street to take a photo of him. We are so easily amused…

Although this is funny, and I truly enjoy laughing at myself and with others, the experience also allowed me to consider why I make the decisions I do, both personally and in business.

We all know that good decisions are based on accurate information, and used as strategic stepping stones toward the completion of a goal.

Like the question about the chicken, what about the goals? Why did I (or you) choose those particular goals, or set the bar so high (or low)?

Generally, goals are set to achieve a specific end, often in conjunction with one or more others as well. I think the goals we set for ourselves are formed by our personal experiences and perspectives.

Each of us has a slightly different perspective on life, even if we grew up in the same house and shared the same experiences. However, often times those different perspectives between individuals give rise to differing ultimate goals, automatic responses in similar situations, and sometimes drive a wedge of misunderstanding between parties.

This is life. As human beings, it is inevitable that we will disagree with someone on a daily basis; some minor and others as big as an immovable boulder.

In business, you may have personality conflicts with a co-worker, peer, partner, or that very annoying customer that everyone passes off to someone else.

This doesn't mean that you are an awful person. You just have to try a little bit harder to work cohesively with your team and those around you.

Then, like the chicken, you have to decide if you want to stay on that side of the road or walk across it seeking another opportunity.

If you want to stay, then seek a mentor to help you with workplace challenges such as personality conflicts.

If you want to move on, then do so, thereby ensuring that you benefit from a new opportunity to build on your success somewhere else, and the company you leave has an opportunity to hire someone who can better help them fulfill their mission or reach their strategic goals.

So, tell me. Why did your chicken cross the road, and where was it going?

Editor’s Note: This post also appears on LinkedIn.

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is a contributor on LinkedIn, the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.

The Great Escape - Ingenuity & Determination

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

Photo shared from the story
posted on www.breitbart.com

Webster’s Dictionary defines the word Ingenuity as “skill or cleverness that allows someone to solve problems.” 

As the World War II allies celebrated the 70^th anniversary of the D-Day invasion that started the liberation of France over the weekend, an 89 year-old British D Day Veteran living in a care home that was told he could not go to the celebrations used his gift of ingenuity and simply walked away.

His story, now being billed as the “great escape,” speaks volumes about his determination to reunite with his fellow D-Day veterans, and to honor those who gave the ultimate price for freedom. Telling care givers that he was just going for a walk, while accurate, did not convey the totality of his walk about, as Britons would say. He simply didn’t mention he was going to walk to a specific location to catch a bus, and then a ferry, to attend the ceremonies on the beaches of Normandy because “it was the right thing to do.”

I have always been awed by the Greatest Generation, and found myself awed once again while watching Queen Elizabeth II placing a wreath at the Commonwealth War Graves ceremony on Friday, when I realized that most of those attending the event were most likely small children or had not even been born yet when D-Day took place. She, on the other hand, was training and serving as a driver in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II. Even as sheltered as she was as a Royal, she wanted to do her part because “it was the right thing to do.”

What does “the great escape” and Queen Elizabeth’s services during World War II have to do with business, you ask? 

Simply this: at times, true leadership requires ingenuity and determination to motivate a team, enlighten those who don’t yet see the vision clearly, and lead the charge onto the metaphorical business beach their organization is charged with taking to achieve their goals. 

It also requires leading with courage and valor like that shown by the Allied soldiers who participated in the D-Day event, because "it is the right thing to do."

Reflecting once again on the enormity of the ultimate price paid by those on the beaches of Normandy in 1944, I am thankful for not only the freedom their sacrifice provided, but also for the examples of ingenuity and determination that generation still exhibits 70 years on.

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is a contributor on LinkedIn, the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.

I Am Now a Contributor on LinkedIn!

Exciting news! I've been invited to be a contributor on LinkedIn!!

So, instead of a regular post this week here on the Management in Motion blog , I thought I'd share this wonderful news and my first contribution here. 

With the Memorial Day Weekend just a few days away, and Fleet Week beginning in NYC, I chose to write about how great teamwork tackles the logistical challenges faced by our military, and those we face in business and life.

I also talk about the pride I feel in being a US Military Veteran, and acknowledge the sacrifice also willingly made by the families of those who serve.

As you celebrate the holiday weekend, be sure to thank all the veterans and their families that you know; or just thank them as you pass them in the street. If you are in the NYC area, check out all the activities of Fleet Week. Who knows, you might run into me there!

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is a contributor on LinkedIn, the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.

Who Am I?

“Hi! Dawn Gannon. Nice to meet you!”

“Hi, Dawn. I.M. Fulavet. Nice to meet you, too. What brings you here?”

What brings me here – to this moment – to this event? In other words, who am I?

As business men and women, most of us already know the answer to that question, and those who don’t are struggling to find out. 

For those who do know who they are, have you checked in with yourself lately? Are you really who you wanted to be? 

I’m sure Mr. Fulavet believes he is.

I know this blog has a different tone than most of the others I have written, but the Passover and Easter seasons have struck a different chord with me this year. Both holidays represent freedom from captivity, albeit in different ways. 

Reflecting on the meaning of both has led me to ask myself the following questions:

• What if I have unknowingly become captive in a persona I would never have wanted or could believe I could be?
• Is the success of business goals my highest priority? If so, at what cost, both personally and professionally?
• Have I knowingly stepped on and over others to reach my goals? If so, why would I do that when I have been taught all my life that it is unacceptable behavior?
• Do I have my priorities straight? Where do my family, friends, and I myself fall within that list, and why are they in that order?

The answers, for me and anyone else, lie in the answer to the question: Who am I, really?

Granted, in business, the sharks generally consume the little fish and are successful simply because they think only of themselves. As a business leader, thinking and planning for the success of your business is also tremendously important.

However, in the 1998 version of the movie, You’ve Got Mail, Tom Hanks’ character, Joe Fox, tells Meg Ryan’s character, Kathleen Kelly, that the forced closing of her store is just business; that it’s not personal. But it’s Kathleen’s response to that statement that gets me every time. Click the link below to see the scene.

“All that means is that it wasn’t personal to you. But it was personal to me. It was personal to a lot of people. And what’s so wrong with being personal anyway? Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin with being personal.”

In other words, making your business successful is a great accomplishment, as long as you don't forget to be personal as well.

So, who am I? Perhaps I should start with being personal and let Mr. Fulavet take care of himself.

To those who celebrate, Chag Pesach Sameach and Happy Easter!

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected management professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative operations management and strategic planning. She is the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.

Chaos Theory and March Madness

As an ice breaker for the Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED course I taught the other day, I asked about their March Madness brackets. Answers included: 

• Great!
• Ok 
• I don't want to talk about it, and 
• I’m not following it.

While listening to their responses, I was struck by how the progression of a bracket over the life of the NCAA tournament mimics the effect of market place chaos.

Following the analogy of chaos theory to March Madness, business leaders make decisions and adjust strategic plans to either gain or retain an advantage over their competitors. These decisions are based on knowledge of internal circumstances, the current market conditions, past performance, and the risk/probability of other known and unknown factors.

For the NCAA teams, the known factors are their team’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) and a study of what they believe are the same for their opponents. Business is no different. 

In most cases, the higher tournament seeded teams (or larger competitors) spend more time preparing to play other higher seeded teams than the #14, #15, or #16 (smaller competitors). 

After all, the higher the seed, the better the team, and the better the probability of winning, right?

Not always…just ask #3Duke about their loss to #14 Mercer in the first round of the tournament. Now chaos ensues for the other higher seeded teams who had spent more time preparing to face Duke later in the tournament, and less time preparing for the possibility of facing Mercer.

From a business perspective, interacting with competitors is a common occurrence and decisions - or chaos - made by one competitor often affect the others like a ripple on an otherwise smooth stream of water. Other times, the ripple quickly becomes a tidal wave.

For example, the volatility of world markets can have a profound effect on any business, large or small. Consider the level of chaos that ensued during the 2013 financial crisis in Cyprus when the government announced it would tax all Cyprian bank accounts as a means of propping up the banking system, and qualifying for emergency loans from world financial bodies.

Up until then, the thought of a tax on banking accounts insured by federal governments was inconceivable. The possibility, although highly unlikely, now exists and businesses all over the world, regardless of size must include this scenario in their financial crisis management planning.

In short, good business leaders have the innate ability to identify and act on opportunities created by chaos. They are able to do so because they plan well, and take both the conceivable and inconceivable into consideration.

With the chaos caused by all of the Cinderella teams enjoying the Dance this year, only one of my five bracket entries really has any hope left. Interestingly enough, it’s the bracket I thought was the least likely to succeed.

How is your bracket doing?

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected management professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is the author of the Management in Motion blog, and has written a number of articles for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association on the topic of childfree living.

Keeping Your Work Environment Positive Begins Within You

EDITOR’S NOTE: This week, Management in Motion is pleased to welcome a guest blogger, Kristen Darcy, an award-winning author, fertility coach, motivational speaker and expert on the emotional aspects of infertility and other life challenges.

Do you realize that you might spend more time with your work family than your own family? Given that time creates a familial dynamic, do you sometimes wonder how you keep the peace at work without assuming a parental or sibling role?

Creating work place awareness or developing a culture by design begins within.  

Early in my career, I worked with an all women staff at my mother’s nursing home (nepotism and those issues comprise a whole other article). There were moments when the employees acted like sibling rivals. Most of the arguments were about who was going to wear the fancy white hairnets, which everyone originally perceived negatively. Then, employees started complaining when they didn't get that one white fancy hair net. Since we were all teens this made sense. We were all competing for the perceived wanted item. 

What was most disconcerting to me at the time was the "back stabbing" chatter, such as “Can you believe her?” “What’s up with that?” and so on.

Fast forward to when I opened my learning center. Once again, it was an all-women environment, though a more grown up version that still functioned like a family.  The atmosphere was littered with side bar conversations where one person was pitted against another or one faction opposed to another one.

Uniting the workforce, in my humble opinion, begins from the top down. It has to be cared for each and every day by each employee from the inside out.

The intent to do no harm and uplift the environment might be in the mission statement but how do you translate that into your daily interaction with your fellow employees?

Confucius’ statement, “Remember, no matter where you go, there you are” is a perfect mirror to create a work environment of peace.  

What bothers you the most about someone could be making you aware about an opportunity to work on yourself? For example, you might be critical of a coworker who is late, doesn't finish a project on time, or is a complainer instead of a solution provider.

What do these people trigger within you?  Do they trigger judgment, resentment, or frustration?  Ask yourself how you feel, and then follow up with: “What do I need?” Then you can focus on coming from a perspective of peacemaking, and offering solution driven action steps instead of complaining.

Once a well-respected, hard-working and caring teacher came into my office to announce that she just had it!  She was done with the chatter and sniping coming from another teacher.  That day my tolerance level was a bit low. Upon hearing the “same song, different verse” energy, I stopped what I was doing to bring the other well educated, caring, and loving teacher into my office, forcing the two women to have a face to face conversation. I was done with their negative energy.

That day, I learned there are unconscious patterns that trigger life experiences and play out in the work place.  Here’s the kicker. Most are not even aware that an old pattern or script is playing out, and that an autopilot response ripples out, creating unease.

I also learned it’s never about the other person and what they do, e.g., leaving five minutes early, leaving the lunch room a mess, fill in the description of the complaint.  It is the meaning you are assigning to these interactions that creates the lack of peace or positive energy. 

So, what do you need?  What are you feeling?  How do you create peace within so that it vibrates out into the workplace, family life, and world?

Did you hear your answer?  If yes, then what are you doing to nurture that need?

Peaceful working on you and your shadow parts (aka the triggers) creates peace in whatever environment you find yourself. 

So once again, “Remember, no matter where you go, there you are.”

Here’s some homework:

Take time to write down five things you like about your “work” you.  Perhaps it’s your organizational skills, your communication style, or maybe your ability to cut through all the minutia and keep everyone on task?  Write down the five you dig about yourself.

Now write down the five traits that irritate you the most about your co-workers?  What do they have in common? How can you look at the irritants and what can you learn about yourself to create peace?

Peace within ripples outward! 

Kristen Darcy is an award-winning author, fertility coach, motivational speaker and expert on the emotional aspects of infertility and other life challenges. Kristen also consults with fertility providers and organizations, teaching them how to attract and retain clients by emotionally treating patients and providing the ultimate patient experience.

Kristen is the advisor, supporter, and friend infertile women need. Kristen Magnacca was one of the first former patients and fertility survivors who addressed the mental and emotional crisis of infertility. She is the author of the groundbreaking Girlfriend to Girlfriend: A Fertility Companion (First Books Library, 2000) as well as the award-winning Love & Infertility: Survival Strategies for Balancing Infertility, Marriage and Life (LifeLine Press, 2004). Love and Infertility is the inaugural recipient of the Hope Award, Best Book Coping, from RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association and 2014 is the tenth anniversary of its publication.

Kristen testified before the US Senate in the spring of 2000 about the importance of government funding for fertility research and holistic treatment. She has been highlighted in national publications and broadcast media including NBC’s The Today Show,Woman’s World magazine, PBS’ Health Week and The Boston Globe. She also is a former board member and volunteer for RESOLVE of New England. 

Learn more about Kristen at www.kristenmagnacca.com.