Leading Like Joe Paterno

"A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd." --- Max Lucado

You've probably heard that Joe Paterno, the legendary Penn State football coach, died this past weekend. If your only knowledge of him was that he coached and was fired as the result of a scandal involving one of his assistant coaches, then have missed out on some good lessons on developing and leading people.

In a 2010 Sporting News interview, Paterno was asked what it is that he tries to communicate to his recruits, Paterno responded, "It's a great opportunity for a kid. Get a good education, understand what football can do for them, a sense of loyalty, commitment, how as a group you can get some things done, good things. But, most of all, they better go to class." JoePa's coaching style was not winning games at all costs, but using the football program to help kids develop discipline and instill hard work for winning in life.

There are many takeaways that can be gleaned from analyzing JoePa's coaching style we can apply to our businesses, but let's look at four strong ones:

1.) Leading like Joe Paterno requires caring. Joe Paterno and his wife, Sue, used to open up their modest home to tutor players who were falling behind in their studies. Paterno once said that there are many pro football players playing today that sat at his kitchen table every morning to get help from Sue. Paterno cared for his players. He felt a responsibility for them. Not just so they would do well on the football field (not just so your employees will do well on the job), but so they will achieve individual success. Your concern for your team member's success only enhances their potential and their success in your business. Some side benefits include loyalty and dedication to their jobs.

2.) Leading like Joe Paterno requires sharing. Paterno gave not only of his time, but he gave a huge chunk (in the millions) of his income to Penn State. He could not legally give money to his players, but when in want he used his network to get the help his players would need--- whether it was assistance for a player's family or helping a player with gainful employment after graduation. Sharing your resources, including paying top dollar for top performance, increases chances for your team's success.

3.) Leading like Joe Paterno requires sacrificing. When Paterno was coaching Penn State, he would often bench a star player for an infraction. This would often cost the team in terms of performance, but Paterno knew that if a team member wasn't working toward the team goals, that player would eventually act as a cancer destroying morale throughout the team. Paterno was willing to sacrifice in order to mold particular players into the full potential he knew they were capable of. There are times when the player (employee) must be cut free. It is a sacrifice and you may even have to step in and take some of that employee's workload, but the alternative may be too costly.

4.) Leading like Joe Paterno requires patience. Paterno knew he had a foundation of players to work with, but that a championship win would only come if everyone came together as a strong team. He knew that took time. He was willing to work with each team member in order to get them to a level that both he and the player knew they could be. In business, cutting loose an employee too early is costly. If your hiring process is solid, you know the potential of the person you are bringing on board. Don't give up on them until you are certain there is no way they will ever fit on the team. Developing a good team requires patience.

Always Learning

"Miss a meal if you have to, but don't miss a book." --- Jim Rohn

We so often expect our team members to stay abreast of new developments and new trends that affect our business. We may offer trade magazines or email links to various sites and news bulletins and then expect all of that information to be absorbed to be used when the need arises. This is a good thing and may help in some situations. But what about long term? Is there an approach we can take for our employees that will help to build a desire for continual learning?

I may have the answer. While conducting a job analysis for a client, I was interviewing an employee who confessed to me that she has never read a book. This employee was in a key position that required her to stay informed regarding timely information about financial markets.

Now, I know a lot of people who would rather read magazine articles and short snippets on the internet, but this employee was in a sales position that I would have assumed at least read some sales books that could help her in her job. She told me, "I think I would have a difficult time getting through a book and would probably find it boring."

I found this astonishing, so we did a informal survey while continuing with the analysis and found that many more of my client's employees do not read books. It is not that a business cannot succeed without its employees reading books, but I do believe it will help accelerate the success. As a side road to the project I was hired to perform, I suggested to the client that he create a business library for his employees. This suggestion started a discussion that extended for several days and eventually included six of his team members.

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." --- Groucho Marx

We encouraged them to start a book club that can meet twice a month to discuss various business, sales, philosophy, communication, and personal development books. The client wants to create a team that is always learning, always stretching to be more so they can do more and the business and the employees can earn more.

Learn more to earn more... works for me! For some suggested reading, check out the Shelfari bookshelf on the right side of this page.

Natalie Wood Uncovered

"Prepare for the unknown by studying how others in the past have coped with the unforeseeable and the unpredictable." --- George S. Patton

More than thirty years after actress Natalie Wood was found dead, floating in the water near Catalina Island, CA, the case of her death, which was ruled an accident in 1981, has been reopened. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's department wants to review more evidence uncovered by author Margaret Rulli in her book, "Goodbye Natalie Goodbye Splendour."

This is an interesting story not just because of all the glamour that surrounded Wood in her Hollywood heydays, but because of the evidence uncovered and that can be used 30 years later.

In your business, what will your past bring forth that might cause anxiety or pain? Is there an unresolved issue with a disgruntled employee? Were there bridges burned that might now need to be rebuilt? And finally, are there lessons from way back there that you can resurrect that will apply to today's challenges?

Let's explore all three with some tips on how uncovering the past might be a good thing. You might not find Jimmy Hoffa or Spanish medallions, but you will get other nuggets of value.

1.) Is there an employee that made threats or left disgruntled from your organization? If so, blow off the dust from his files and make sure that all of your documentation is up to date. Did he sign for your employee handbook? Did he receive training in areas of his job description? Was his I-9 form properly handled from start to finish?

These are the questions you want to ask yourself or your HR person. Obviously, you need to have all documentation up to date for all employees, but take extra precautions for those employees sending up red flags based on their actions or their reasons for leaving.

This is also a good time to ensure that all documentation is up to date on every team member. You don't want the past to come back to haunt you because you didn't take the time to do the simple things now.

2.) It is never too late to look up old contacts that may have dropped off of your radar because of burned bridges in the past. Perhaps there was a parting with a vendor over pricing issues, deliveries or just plain stubbornness on the part of both parties. Now is the time to look to see if that relationship can be mended. You may both be able to profit from a new beginning.

Maybe there is a prospect you gave up on years ago. Hopefully, you kept a good customer relationship management record and can call on him or her again. There might be a competitor you refused to associate with long ago. Look that business up and find out what they are doing. They might be able to partner with you on a project or perhaps they are under new management and want to send some business your way.

3.) Finally, what mistakes from the past did you learn valuable lessons from that you could apply to your business today? Sometimes, we forget the bumps and bruises along the way and bury them in the past. Those lessons learned the hard way are wasted if left in history. Take time to think about the stumbles you've had and use them to teach your team members. A good story after work or at lunch goes a long way in letting your team know what you've learned, how you learned it, and how it sets the foundation for your company's mission today.

Occupy This

And while the law of competition may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it ensures survival of the fittest in every department. --- Andrew Carnegie

While the media is in a frenzy covering "Occupy Wall Street," and "Occupy Any-Other-City-That-Brings-Attention," businesses are moving forward doing what businesses do... making things and providing services that satisfy a need in the community, that creates jobs for people in that community, and pays taxes for public services rendered to that community.

For all the hoopla surrounding the brouhaha of occupying things, it seems that the interests of the public can bests be served by occupying the workplace. I'm certain that some of the participants of these demonstrations have some real issues that bug them, but as business leaders, perhaps we can help our team members to stay focused on real production by keeping them occupied with their calling of duty.

For example, a good way to keep team members engaged is to find out what it is that keeps them on fire in their work. Hopefully, most of this was accomplished at the interviewing, hiring, and orientation level, but still some employees may find that their reasons for being has changed over time and now it is time to help them find their groove.

If an employee was exceptional at one time, but now his or her performance seems to be going downhill, take the time have a chat with this team member. It may be some personal issues they don't wish to share with you, it may be health issues, or it may be that they are simply getting bored with their jobs.

There are three things you can do today with this person to help them find out what they are best suited for within your organization:

1.) Ask them what it is they really want to do. Communication is the first step in determining is your team members are content in what they are doing. Find out if they understand what the mission of the business is and how what they are doing contributes to the overall success of the company and how that helps them to be successful. Use this interviewing time to see where the hurts are. Jot down key words and phrases they use to describe their work environment and their job satisfaction.

2.) Help them to determine what it is they want to do. It may be a simple lateral move to a new position or it could be as drastic as helping them to find a job with someone else. Using tools such as the DISC profile as well as others can help the employee hone in on what it is that makes them tick and that makes them happy in their job and therefore more productive in their work.

3.) Place them into what it is they want to do. Don't just take the time to interview the employee and then not use that information to make productive changes. Place the employee into a position that is available and that suits their strengths, desires, ability, and knowledge. Again, you may have to cut this employee loose, but do so with understanding and assistance from you. Use this experience as a learning tool for you and the employee. Let this team member know that you want them to be successful and happy in what they do.

These three steps will help to ensure that your employees are occupying positions that propel them and the company forward.

Band of Brothers

"Blessed is the servant who loves his brother as much when he is sick and useless as when he is well and can be of service to him. And blessed is he who loves his brother as well when he is afar off as when he is by his side, and who would say nothing behind his back he might not, in love, say before his face." --- St Francis of Assisi.

There are five boys and one sister in my family. Three of us boys run our own businesses that are in entirely different industries. We have on occasion helped one another when help was needed and it always amazes me how well we work together. We understand each others strengths and weaknesses (though they would say they have no weaknesses--- Ah, the friendly jabs of a brother), and we adjust the task assignments based on our personalities.

The success of our projects depends on the harmony of our work together. Our working together smoothly with great focus and as one unit didn't happen overnight. Nor did it come about because we attended a one-day seminar on team building. No, this type of in-sync workflow happened because of years of developing an understanding of each others personality type, plus years of being taught the importance of hard work by caring parents.

Where one brother may lack a particular personality trait, the other brother picks up the slack and runs with it. If one brother slips, another is there to break the fall, pick up the pieces, or carry him home.

It should work the same in every business. There should be a "Band of Brothers" mentality throughout the company and the good news is that it won't take years to develop that kind of workforce. There are three things that you can start this week to develop a tighter, more harmonious team:

1.) Oh Brother Where Art Thou?- Open the channels of communication between coworkers and allow them to know each other better and learn how they can rely on one another. Shorten communication channels to make this possible. Encourage face-to-face contact whenever possible and drop the texting and emailing unless absolutely necessary.

Share job descriptions of employees working closely together, especially those who are holding another accountable or are accountable to another, so that they can learn how their work processes fit into the scheme of the business.

2.) Brother to Brother- Incorporate a personality test into the hiring process of your business and allow team members to learn who they are as well as who they are working with. Tests such as DISC and Meyers Briggs are good for determining a basis for knowing thyself. They are eye-opening tests that let employees better understand why coworkers act, react, work, and think like they do.

3.) Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?- Finally, challenge team members to seek opportunities for helping a coworker with a task. This is best started using role playing and mock exercises to illustrate the importance of picking up a brother when he (or she) is down. By allowing (empowering) another team member to pick up the slack increases the reliability on that person. Both parties benefit from the action. The helped, because he knows now that he can rely on another and the helper, because he is stretched while at the same time serving another.

They both now know each other through better communication and understanding personalities. The harmonious workflow experienced with my brothers can be duplicated by adopting the above three steps and reinforcing the importance of all three on a regular basis.

Great Expectations

"We tend to live up to our expectations." --- Earl Nightingale

The production factor of an employee shoots skyward when that employee knows what is expected of him. It increases even more when that employee knows how their part in the production process contributes to the overall bottom line of the business.

Here are four steps you can use to make sure that your employees know what is expected of them:

1.) Communicate what -- Whether it is a new hire or a seasoned employee, communicating what needs to be done is a given. It seems too obvious to even list here, but so many employers allow their employees to take off running without giving them direction on what needs to be done. The basic tool to explain the "what" begins with a well-written job description. Beyond that, employees need to have either a fellow employee or supervisor to serve as mentor until the what becomes second nature.

2.) Communicate how -- The "how" of the what can and should also be included in the job description. This too is a critical area that the mentor or trainer can train and educate the employee on the best practices to follow for the best outcome of the job.

3.) Communicate when -- Parameters should be spelled out clearly in the employee handbook as to when the employee is to report to work, the times of breaks and lunch periods, and when the shift will end. Beyond these boundaries, the employee will need precise and clear instructions on the time limits of special projects he or she might be required to complete.

4.) Communicate why -- Probably the most neglected and for sure one of the most important elements of communicating expectations is the "why." Communicating the why is so important because it gives the employees the sense of being a part of the cause. Knowing the why seals the deal for them in that it causes the employee to take ownership of the work process or project. It is the icing on the cake of the what, how, and when.

Remember that when communicating with employees, it is helpful to state your expectations (the what, how, when, and why) several times and in several different ways. I recommend communicating both verbally and in writing and then repeat the communication again over time using different styles.

Uncovering Talent

"A photographer went to a socialite party in New York. As he entered the front door, the host said, "I love your pictures -- they're wonderful; you must have a fantastic camera." He said nothing until dinner was finished, then: "That was a wonderful dinner; you must have a terrific stove." --- Sam Haskins

As the economy continues to heal from its scratches and bruises, we've seen business leaders getting creative in discovering the strengths and skills of their employees and the impact that has on the bottom line. We see the smart players rewarding those employees wearing different hats and saving the business leader from having to hire a new employee. But, we've also seen some leaders let the good ones get away.

It is estimated that a employee departure can cost an organization between 30% to 150% of their salary. That will put quite a dent into the balance sheet, but even more so when you consider the unnoticed and untapped talent that is also walking out the door.

Today we'll address five best practices for recognizing talent, getting them on board, and keeping them:

1.) Recruiting -- A new hire should be someone that has invested in themselves, made good career decisions, understands why they want to be a part of your organization, is an excellent communicator and a team player. Don’t hire quickly based on gut feel, but rather take time in the interviewing process to let the candidate get a feel for your culture and your company. Don't oversell the company and be sure to disclose all the problems and weaknesses of the organization so that the new hire can make a good, sound decision.

2.) Training -- I cannot stress this practice enough: You must conduct ongoing training in order to keep your team seeking the same objectives and working toward the same goals. In order to create a homogeneous culture and to have a continuity of messaging everyone, regardless of experience, needs to go through the same training process. Training and continuing education programs need to be available to encourage and stimulate professional growth. Training programs is one area where you begin to uncover hidden talents.

3.) Leadership -- Leaders can and should serve as mentors. Mentoring can include coaching, troubleshooting, inspiring, motivating and leading an employee to achieve success. Often, poor performance is indicative of poor leadership and can stifle true talents. Good leaders uncover and assist in developing real talent.

4.) Support -- Retaining talented employees is largely an issue of building a platform and culture that positions your employees for success. If your employees are not given the administrative, marketing and leadership support necessary to successfully thrive in their role, then you have set them up to fail. Talented employees, the ones that you want on your team, will not stay with you very long if there is not information sharing as well as the freedom to use their talents in a way that best serves your business.

5.) Recognition -- Recognition includes everything from compensation, working environment, advancement/promotion, ownership, participation, and internal and external awards. If your culture doesn’t reward your employees for their contributions they will close up their talents like a clam and not share their efforts toward your goals. Take time to offer a handshake (sometimes with a $20 or $50 in it!), a genuine "Thank You," a dinner for two, or anything creative that shows how much it means to you that they used their talents for the good of the company. You might be surprised how many other uncovered talents show themselves in the future.