Categories
blog DareToBe Leadership Motivation

Twitter #DareToBe Tweet Chat: Innovation (Tuesday, August 11, 2015)

Every Tuesday evening at 8pm eastern, the #DareToBe tweetchat takes place on Twitter. The #DareToBe tweetchat is hosted by Andrea Sanchez (@asanchez16), an Editor, Writer, Communications Executive.

Every week a different topic. On the evening of August 11, 2015, the topic was Innovation. I could not capture all the twitter based answers to the 10 questions asked by @ASanchez16. However, I present the questions and  my answers (with a bit of amplification). Please enjoy and if you can, please joins us. Look for the #DareToBe hashtag every Tuesday evening.

Innovation

Q1: Innovation is _______________. #DareToBe

My Answer: Innovation is process of bringing something new and exciting into light of day. Make the intangible tangible.

Innovation is CHANGE! Innovation is one aspect of change. Change comes in many forms but where innovation is concerned that form of change is welcomed as it is anticipated (or expected).

Q2: What is the goal of innovation? #DareToBe

My Answer: The goal of innovation should be to make life better than it was yesterday for everyone!

Innovation must serve a purpose and if that purpose is to make life better then innovation is good. However, innovation for the sake of innovation is by far one of the worst things anybody can do.

Q3: Give a characteristic of an innovator. #DareToBe

My Answer: An innovator does not take “NO” for an answer. There is always a work around.

An innovator is an innovator for a reason. That individual cannot stop because someone doesn’t like it or it’s too scratchy or it’s too whatever. A true innovator fights through the dislikes until he an emerge with something so innovative that even more people will criticize or dislike. Then can he/she put his head down and continue to work the problem.

Q4: What are some self-limiting inhibitions that block innovation? #DareToBe

My Answer: Waiting for feedback, especially when we wait to hear from those that do NOT like change (waiting and waiting and waiting).

Those that use the tools created by innovation the most are more than likely the ones that do not like change. They will resist the change almost to the point of sabotage by not providing adequate and suitable feedback to those that need it the most. This lack of information will contribute to the lack of any future development. The innovator will cease proceeding because a mindset of “no new is good news” will take root and thus inhibit any future growth.

Q5: If given the opportunity to disrupt current thinking anywhere, what would you say? How would you do it? #DareToB

My Answer: My old workplace. 5 years out and they still have great problems (same problems). Time for complete restructuring from TOP down not other way around as has been their history.

For 17 years, I worked for an agency for the State of Texas. In the last three years that I worked there the agency got into some trouble for failure to adequately train its staff, mismanagement by the leadership, and  improper activities by certain individuals throughout the agency. The agency never truly recovered from those problems. However, in an effort to restructure, reorganize, and realigned itself it did one thing wrong. It  never got rid of the top tier individuals that ultimately were responsible for ALL the problems. Now, five years after I left, the leadership and management problems continue. It may be time for all members of that agency to re-apply for their jobs not just the line staff.

Q6: What may an innovator do to increase his/her odds of success? #DareToBe

My Answer: Recruit early adopters, solicit feedback from all ranks of the organization, and give them what they want (not what you think they need).

The innovator, unfortunately, must play politician when it comes to selling his wares. This does not mean they have to assume the role of a slimy used car salesman. By no means at all. What it does mean is that for an innovator to be a success, he/she must win people over to his side. They must believe that what is being done is for the better. By engaging the public, the innovator gets a first hand view of what is needed and what is wanted.

Q7: You do not need ________________ to innovate. #DareToBe

My Answer: You do NOT need to be the BOSS to innovate. You just have to have the desire to make change happen!

Anyone, at any level of the organization can be an innovator. They see a problem unique to their place and situation in the organization and at some point they decide enough is enough. They begin working at solving that problem. They do it because change is necessary to make a bad situation better or improve a mediocre one. They become innovators because that is how change (good or bad) happens.

Q8: Tips on how to have an innovative mindset with a culture/person that fears change? #DareToBe

My Answer: Be Braver than the sum of all the fear around you. Someone has to take the first step.

Someone has to be the one to say “enough is enough”. Someone must be tired enough, cold enough, and care so much that doing what others won’t do or are afraid to do is the only thing to do.

Q9: How can a leader make innovation part of his/her staff’s jobs rather than an incentivized gimmick? #daretobe

My Answer: Demand that when they bring problem they also bring a solution to that problem. It keeps them thinking.

By keeping your staff constantly thinking about solving the problems that they confront will not only make their lives better but it will make the workplace better. It will go towards building autonomy among the departments/sections/team while maintaining itself as a strong cohesive member of the organization. Solving problems becomes second nature and not left for one individual to decide.

Q10: What is the one innovative change you can make in the 10 minutes after #DareToBe chat? (Courtesy of @DaveGuerra)

My Answer: Get rid of bad rules in my organization and send staff email asking for new rules or revisions to outdated rules.

I chose this question because it helps move the conversation from the Twitter and into the real world now. It helps continue conversation and isn’t that the premise of the tweetchat?

My answer involved my position within the organization. As I am in a position to enact immediate change with the way we do business, it might be time to review the way we’ve been doing business and see what we can do to bring the business operations to 2015 standards and not 2012. By encouraging others to provide feedback, I am asking for help to make their organization a better place.

Until next week, I Thank you.

David Guerra

I invite you to follow me on Twitter: @daveguerra • visit my website: www.daveguerra.com

To order your copy of Great To Follow: Amazon paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble paperback

To order your copy of The Walking LeaderAmazon Paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble

Categories
blog Change Current Events Decisionmaking In The News Leadership

Leadership In The News: What Happens When What You Say Is Not What Your Boss Says (or Believes)?

Former World Wrestling Champion, Hulk Hogan (Terry Gene Bollea) was dismissed by the WWE after some racial slurs and comments became known. Hulk Hogan, the Hulkster, the architect of Hulkamania was the face of the WWE, since 1977, along with Vince McMahon, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, The Iron Sheik, Andre the Giant, The Undertaker and countless others. Hogan was the one wrestler that helped keep the WWE alive during the lean years. Hogan helped bring it back to the level of popularity that the WWE now so richly deserves and enjoys.

That does not excuse the Hogan’s behavior concerning his thoughts, words or deeds, especially when he is using the moniker that is synonymous with the WWE. Seriously, if you have not been living under a rock since 1977 then you know when one says WWE or its precursor WWF you automatically think Hulk Hogan. Actually, by having such high prestige in American popular culture it discourages any misbehavior whether as the Hulk Hogan or as Terry Bollea.

Hogan was known by all. Young, old, short, tall, American, Japanese, Rich, Poor, White Collar, Blue collar, Black, Brown, White, Red, Purple, whatever everyone knew who Hulk Hogan is or was. His popularity crossed ALL lines of socio-economic statuses. The character known as Hulk Hogan was loved by so many and hated by so few. This guy brought in then all in. He was an equal opportunity wrestler. This is what made the WWE’s popularity soar because the demographics that they were attracting were off the scale. There is no one segment, exclusively, that has bought in to the WWE. They all were brought in. Actually, the majority came willingly while the others came in because that is what their Parents experienced or Big Brother watched. That is a very good thing for business.

However, when the top performer in the WWE or any other organization, does something to undermine what has been built for almost 40 years there can be no room for anything less than complete dismissal. Being Hulk Hogan does not give him carte blanche to do as he pleases nor does it allow the leadership of the organization to overlook any of his questionable actions. The same applies to a “Rock Star” in any organization.

Rules are rules and when those rules are broken consequences follow. When Hulk Hogan’s “racial tirade” came to light what else could the WWE do? Here the organization spent all this time, energy, and money building a brand that has a net worth of $1.6 billion. When someone does something that has to potential to alienate a huge portion of its customer and fan base the organization must do something.

Thus, the WWE acted appropriately when it decided it was best to break ties with Hogan. Here this guy, the voice of the WWE saying and doing things that will splinter the WWE’s audience and alienate a fan-base that took generations to create, cultivate, and empower. The organization’s leadership had no choice but to cut those ties. It had no choice to do so in the way that it did.

Anyone in business would do the exact same thing. The customer is king when it comes to the “entertainment” industry. When you are the only game in town, you cannot rest on your laurels and for one-second think, you got it made. The same applies to any business and that is why it was perfectly acceptable for the leadership to step up the way it did and do what it did.

Of course, it may have taken the Hulkster by surprise but then again, over the course of his long and illustrious career he has seen the exact same thing happen to other professionals (wrestlers and non-wrestlers alike). Thus, it should have come as no surprise when the axe fell on him. Remember, people will eventually forget the man but never the words or actions.

What the public will never forget is how the leadership of an organization handles the tough times and what it does to weather the storm caused by a few or one in order to save the lives and in this case the livelihood of the many.

ref: http://www.rollingstone.com/sports/news/hulk-hogan-fired-by-wwe-over-racial-tirade-20150724

Categories
blog Leadership Motivation Podcast Walking Leader

New Podcast Episode Now Online: The Walking Leader #53

In episode 53 of the Walking Leader Podcast, I talk about those bad leaders that go out of their way to be friends with everyone that she leads or manages. Leaders cannot do the job they must do when they put themselves in a situation they should never have put themselves into. Thus, leaders or managers that cannot do the job they are supposed to be doing (good or bad) are not leaders. They are very ineffective managers at best.

The latest episode can be heard by visiting the podcast page either by clicking here, on the podcast image, or at the Podcast link at the top of the page.
Thank you for listening and for your time,
Dave Guerra