Tag Archives: SHRM Strategy Conference

Lessons of strategic planning from a Chicago cabbie

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While leaving the SHRM Strategy Conference last week, Charlie Judy and I decided to share a cab back to our train stations to depart for the suburbs. May I stop to just say that taking a cab in Chicago is like taking your life into your own hands – read more about that here.

Upon entering the cab – we noticed the Cabbie was already in a tizzy and seemed very perturbed and agitated. We told him that Charlie needed to be dropped at Union Station and then he needed to continue taking me to Olgilvee. He mumbled something in response that we tried to interpret as “No, I can’t go that way it’s Oktoberfest.” Or maybe that’s what we understood to be what he said. Then he quickly swerved into another lane to pass another cabbie and get in front of him. I can’t remember what Charlie said to the guy but I think it was something like “Man – take it easy we have plenty of time.” I could be wrong – my stomach was already in my throat and I was about to throw up.

As the guy tried to figure what route he would take to Union Station – Charlie looked at me and said “Why is this guy going this way if he knows there’s traffic?” I shrugged my shoulders thinking after all – it is Oktoberfest – he had already pointed this out to us. I had no idea because I don’t know my way around the city that well.

Needless to say we were stuck, going at a snail’s pace in bumper to bumper traffic, and what usually is a 10 minute drive took about 45 minutes total.

I laughed when Charlie decided it would be easier for him to just get out and walk the rest of the way – so he wouldn’t miss his train.

So with a few more yells from the Cabbie to other Cabbies and pedestrians he continued on -swerving in front of other cars and people on route. I finally made it to my station and paid the guy and said, “Dude, you should totally chill out and relax – next time make a better plan – or quit your job and do something else.” I was hoping he wouldn’t shoot me while walking walked away.

It left me thinking, if this guy knew that Oktoberfest was going on – shouldn’t he have planned an alternative route and could have avoided the congestion, the agitation and stress associated with it all? This would have then created an all-around good experience in getting us from point A to point B. Instead, he chose not to, to go with the rest of the crowd which created chaos and affected all involved.

Come to think of it this is what we do in life, business and the world of work. It truly affects those around us and causes us to stress out majorly. We continue doing the same things because they’re familiar or comfortable – to go in the direction of the crowd and most of the time it is totally ineffective. It makes us difficult to be around and creates chaos in our life and work.

Maybe it’s time to do something different. To take a different approach. To take a different route. Or quit – and go do something else. Just a thought.

Building a Leading Diverse People Culture

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Yesterday I had the privilege of sitting in on the session “Building a Leading People Culture – Flexible and Inclusive Work Environments” presented by Jackie Lillie, Midwest sub-area inclusiveness and flexibility leader and Dot Proux, Ernst & Young, LLP – Chicago. These two chicks were way smarter than me and mostly spoke about things over my head but I did get in on a few things about diversity and inclusion. (look for my take on Flex – next week)

Diversity 

Here are a few things I found interesting. The first being “Diversity is strategy.” I’m sure you already knew that as smart as you are, but to me – it made one of my ears go up and I found myself sounding like Scooby-Doo saying “What’s that Scrappy?” I suppose I knew that myself but had never heard anyone use that word along-side it.

We heard so much about “engagement” this past week but I liked hearing it from the diversity end when I heard “If people feel included they will be engaged.” And that is so true.

If we could somehow do away with all our viewpoints of how we think this world or work place would be so much better if we didn’t have to deal with this particular group of people (be it women, men, blacks, whites, religious, non-religious, gays, non-gays) we could somehow have a mostly drama-free somewhat normal workplace and get rid of our dysfunctional mindset.

I think one of the great points also mentioned that made me really stop and think about the above was that one of the things Dot Proux noticed in her own behavior at work and her feelings against women being in the workforce was this:

“The things we experienced in our childhood or throughout our own life can sometimes cause us to be bias towards hidden things that we have not yet acknowledged.”

This so makes sense – It impacts our decisions even and especially in the workplace and how we engage and relate to our employees.

For instance, she told her own story of when she was 9 years old her mother had to go back into the working world after having been a stay-at-home mom. She explained how this so affected her that she then continued thinking “women shouldn’t work, especially if they have children” into her adult years and into her own practice.

After having been coached on the issues associated with a more diverse strategy at Ernst & Young she realized that she had these viewpoints because of her own experiences and that she needed to put those feelings aside and go forward.

Here are some Initiatives that get to the root of leading with a diverse and inclusive strategy:

  1. Creates Executive accountability to be mentors and champions
  2. Bias education for all levels
  3. We need to teach people to lead inclusively
  4. Increases role models and builds divers leadership teams
  5. It should be embedded in all communication and “people” processes
  6. It challenges our evaluation and development processes for equity
  7. It’s integral to our business operations and growth, which deepens our client relationship
Leverage

Diversity-inclusiveness – really go hand in hand. Diversity is about the mix and inclusivity is about leveraging that mix.

Leveraging diversity through inclusive leadership – is a journey!

I’ll end with these closing high-lights:

*Learn to appreciate differences and attitudes and biases towards (self, others)

*Identify and transform exclusive patterns and behaviors (that you’re not being exclusive)

*Embed and model inclusive practices into the culture (D&I should be looked at in everything you do)

Characteristics of Great Leaders

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Today started off with a bang at the SHRM Strategy Conference in Chicago with several great break-out sessions in which I’ll be writing about later one. I wanted to start off with the keynote of Bill Conaty, former VP of HR for GE.

This session was packed full of information and I won’t try to make you swallow all of it but I do want to give you a few take-aways.

In his “Lessons of Leadership” keynote, Mr. Conaty caused all of us to really see that smart leaders put people before numbers. That of course, is a line from his book “The Talent Masters.” I can’t wait to get that and start reading and I encourage you to go out and get a copy and if you can’t find the extra change to do so, at least go to your library and see if you can check it out.

Here are a few quotes from the maestro that I jotted down and thought I might share.

1. Great leaders balance passionate leadership with compassionate leadership and it takes both to be successful.

2. Great leaders develop and assess talent once they attract them which is how you are going to keep them.

3. Great leaders become problem solvers vs. problem identifiers.

4. Great leaders know that their company and personal values must be compatible.

5. Lighten up. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Go ahead, laugh a little. Even if you must laugh at yourself (okay, I added that last part)

I had the chance to interview a few of my friends IRL after the session and here’s what they had to say.