The Misfits - The Loose Cannons

The Misfits – The Loose Cannons

 

They (you know – the they everyone talks about) say:  We want creativity and innovation.  They say it – but do they mean it?  My experience has shown that these “they” people actually don’t understand, don’t like and actually fear those of us who don’t quite fit into “the box” – or the mold that they think people ought to fit into.

I mentioned to some women I had known since we were kids that when my nieces came out to visit me I “played Auntie Mame” and took them to nice places, gave them a taste of experiences that they didn’t get at home.  I told them proudly because I really liked what I was able to give the two girls I love so much.  Yet, much to my shock, the phrase was thrown back at me as though I had confessed to being Jake (Jane?) the Ripper.

Remember saying You played Auntie Mame my Florida friend asked with sarcasm and venom in her voice” when I wondered why she and our other friend were being so nasty to me.

Clearly, I didn’t fit her idea of the norm.  I never do!

Think Different:  Apple 1997 Ad:  As black and white images of famous iconoclasts filled the screen (Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Richard Branson, John Lennon, Amelia Earhart, Muhammad Ali, Lucille Ball, Bob Dylan, and others) actor Richard Dreyfuss voiced the narration:

Here’s to the crazy ones.  The misfits.  The rebels.  The trouble-makers.  The round pegs in the square hole.  The ones who see things differently.  They’re not fond of rules.  And they have no respect for the status quo.  You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.  About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.  Because they change things.  The push the human race forward.  And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.  Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.  (From Gallo, Carmine, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs.)

In today’s “politically correct” work environment no one uses the term crazy.  Instead the favorite epithet is ‘loose cannon.”  It’s a name that’s been thrown at me a few times.  Yet, I’m not.  I don’t do outrageous things.  I don’t break the law. 

Enough about me.  I offer you these examples because I haven’t received permission to tell you about some of the ugly things that were said and done to friends of mine and people I know who were outstanding in one way or another. 

Apparently you are allowed to be one stand deviation from the mean – and maybe even two – but for the sake of not scaring others – never be three standard deviations out.

The Mandate: Be Creative be Innovative

The mandate:  Be creative – be innovative.  You have 20 minutes at 3:00 PM Tuesdays and Thursdays to free your mind, free your anxieties and create.

Do you think that’s a good schedule?  Without naming names, I know of school systems that mandated creativity at specific times of day – and I know of companies that allow their key employees (only those specially selected) to be creative only 10% of their time.

I love this quote:  “Leaders who order their employees to be more innovative without first investing in organizational fitness are like casual joggers who order their bodies to run a marathon.  It won’t happen, and the experience is likely to cause a great deal of pain.”    Safi Bahcall, Loonshots:  How to Nurture Crazy Ideas that Win Wars, Cure Diseases and Transform Industries.

We’ve become so rigid in our structure – everything on a timeline.  Kids are mandated to rush from one class to another with almost no time to breathe in between each class period.  I recently visited a high school where the Principal stood out in the hall encouraging the students to run so they wouldn't it be late for their next class.

No time for dreaming.  No time for friendly conversations.  No time for the epiphany to emerge.

The easiest way for new ideas (creativity and innovation) to merge is to have idle time – in the shower, on the toilet, walking in the woods, on the staircase – and/or to be chatting and “what iffing” with others.

Time without the brain doing other seemingly more important things.  But not just time.  Space.  Space to think.  Space to chat with others.  Space to play.

Some organizations are smart enough to create these spaces.  It might be a few coaches and chairs clustered together in a corner space near the elevators.  It might be as one company did it – an extra wide extra spacious staircase so if a couple of people want to step aside and chat they have the run to do so without interrupting the flow of others walking by.

But most do not.  They create boxes called cubicles separating people from each other. Furthermore people are discouraged from “wasting time” by having personal conversations or “fooling around.”

When speaking at a conference about my research on Managing for Creativity, I mentioned that I had been told by several CEOs that their managers stifled good ideas that should have “bubbled up.”   In the audience was a retired C-Level executive at one of our biggest High-Tech Companies.  She said I was being unfair to managers, since they were in the middle of the sandwich having to meet the objectives told to them by those above them – and having to satisfy the needs/wants of their staff.  That’s true.

That’s only one of many reasons why I think encouraging and obtaining creativity in the workplace requires a major cultural change within the organization championed by the CEO him/herself. 

The mandate has to change.  The culture has to change.  The environment has to change.  The timing has to change – and only the C-Suite can bring about that change.

Innovation and Creativity

Innovation and Creativity

The Wall Street Journal has finally caught up with my research and recommendations regarding the process in which good ideas “bubble up” in an organization.

When I conducted the research with approximately 50 C level executives a few years ago, I learned that they all wanted good new creative ideas but that by in large they weren’t getting them and they didn’t have a process in place whereby employees could bring their new ideas to the attention of upper management.

Many of the CEOs I interviewed complained that good ideas were being stifled by their mid-managers, who they believed were threatened by the presumption that their bosses would see them as less competent if one of their staff had a better idea.

Sometime later, when I was giving a speech on this topic, my friend Carolyn Gannon, retired from her executive position at Oracle reminded me that the manager is caught in the middle – having deliverables to deliver and that more than likely that was the reason there was less attention paid to the good ideas that weren’t allowed to “bubble up.”

From the information I learned during the research, I create processes with my clients that enable deliverables to be delivered while at the same time, encouraging and supporting new ideas.

When I think of creativity – I think anywhere in the organization. Creativity is a process. Innovation, on the other hand is the product of creative thinking.
In most cases the new idea cannot merely be implemented on whim but must be vetted, or tested in some way because it no doubt will affect other processes in the organization. Too, many new ideas need a cooperative effort with others to bear fruition and thus they need to have time and resources given to them.

I, and the Wall St. Journal have concluded that there needs to be “specific ways firms can generate ideas and execute new products.” (Managing & Careers, Wall St. Journal, August 29, 2011, by Rachel Emma Sliverman.)

Diamond's to You: November 2010 Newsletter

Newsletter – November 2010

Hi and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
It’s been another crazy month and so here it is Thanksgiving weekend and I am just getting around to writing November’s newsletter. Here in Silicon Valley it is cold and crisp. It actually feels like winter. I’ve been wearing coats I haven’t had the opportunity to wear locally in a long time. Of course, they have been worn in New York and San Francisco. My friend and videographer, Carlos Raphael Cruz (also from New York!) has been putting excerpts of my speeches on both You-Tube and my Facebook account. He is in the process of adding some others and will also post them on my social network sites.

My new Facebook fan page is: ArLyne Diamond, Diamond Associates.

My new You-Tube is: ArLyneDiamond Hope you can find them and view the videos Carlos is in the process of uploading.

Mediation/Conflict Resolution
I recently heard a horror story from a woman who went to her HR representative seeking help with a conflict she was having with her new upper management manager. Instead of HR bringing the two people together to resolve their mis-understandings and mis-communication, the HR rep. went to the executive and told him what the young woman reported. Of course this made things worse for the young woman employee. I’m going to use this example in detail during the next Alternative Dispute Resolution/Conflict Resolution training I offer my clients. It’s an example of the wrong way to do things. Mediation is often misunderstood, so let me give a brief academic lesson here.

Alternative Dispute Resolution includes Arbitration, Conciliation, and Mediation.

Arbitration is the process similar to that of a Judge trial, only more informal. The arbitrator hears both sides of the issue, accepts and reviews evidence, and reaches a decision. This can be binding or non-binding, depending on the prior agreement of the parties. Years ago I was al fee arbitrator for the Santa Clara County Bar Association and an Arbitrator for the Santa Clara County Better Business Bureau. I sometimes arbitrate conflicts for clients as well. I prefer mediation.

Mediation is the process of bringing the parties together and helping them talk about their issues and resolve them themselves. The mediator does not make the decision, she facilitates the process. Really good mediators allow the emotional content of the disagreement to emerge, knowing that the emotional air must be cleared before rationality sets in to lead to healthy resolution.

In mediation, you want the parties to be able to work together in the future. My mediation experience began when I was working with divorcing parents fighting over custody and visitation of their children. You can just imagine the emotions at work. I love to mediate. I’m not at all afraid of the anger, crying, and other emotional reactions of my clients. After all, I was a therapist for many years.

Conciliation is the process of being the go-between between the disputing parties. It is having the parties in separate rooms and acting as translator between them. Although it is sometimes helpful to have a few minutes alone with the different protagonists in mediation, I frankly don’t believe conciliation to be the best approach when dealing with a few people. It might be good when large organizations, such as management v. unions are involved. I still prefer mediation.

I recently was the victim of a poorly trained mediator who, instead of mediating, was afraid that the two parties (me and the Property Manager of my HOA) were going to express strong feelings. Instead of allowing us to continue talking (which was all we were doing) this mediator’s own fears of confrontation led him to separate us and talk for us back and forth. Although the outcome was still in my favor, it wasn’t nearly as good as it might have been had we been allowed to talk the issues through ourselves. All too often I’ve seen poorly trained mediators rush decisions through in a self-protective manner. It’s as though they want a win at all costs and at a minimum of time or stress. This does not lead to good resolutions, but to quick ones. Good resolutions leave both sides of the issue feeling they had created something they could both live with and go back to being good neighbors, good friends, parents of children, or work colleagues.

My vote: Always hire someone who really knows what they are doing.

Conflict Resolution in the Workplace
To continue with my theme – there is often conflict in the workplace. Sometimes it is merely mis-communication, other times there are stylistic or value differences that rub different people the wrong way. My experience with management is that most often they don’t really know how to deal effectively with conflict and so either ignore it, hoping it will go away, or they try to play Solomon (Judge and Jury) to resolve it themselves with limited information.

The process of gathering information is often contaminated by the belief that the person accused of wrongdoing is guilty and the bias is in favor of gathering only that information which would support a finding of guilt. This happens all too often. It is so easy to believe the person issuing the first complaint. Evidence that would disprove the allegations are often described in investigative reports as “denies” or “lies”.

I’ve seen people lose their jobs primarily due to a “rush to judgment” accompanied by a biased investigation. Perceptions differ. What is reported to you might not be exactly what happened. It is only by creating a totally neutral process that you can sometimes find out the facts. Conducting these investigations takes skill and often an outsider to the process.

Too, if the allegations are of silly, teasing, or fairly mild behavior or misunderstandings, instead of conducting an investigation you might consider having expert mediation – bringing the parties together to work out their differences. Quite often, with the proper help, a simple explanation and apology is all that’s needed.

Employment Law Compliance Training
I recently spoke with one of the senior executives of a company consisting of slightly less than 50 employees. She told me that they didn’t need compliance training because of their size. Although she might be correct in terms of the exact letter of the law, she certainly is missing out about the spirit of the law – and her firm’s potential liability.

Whether large or small, it really helps to have your managers (and probably your employees as well) trained and re-trained in understanding the law as it pertains to:
· Hiring and Firing
· Sanctions and Documentation
· Harassment and Discrimination
· Safety and Drug Free Environment
· Americans with Disability (ADA) Requirements.

I’m always surprised when conducting the training to discover some of the mis-perceptions executives have about their responsibility and liability.

Creativity and Innovation
Some companies encourage creativity and innovation, and others discourage it. The buzz words change – today’s include phrases like “disruptive” and “chaos”, but the concepts are the same. In order to create something new, you have to (pardon the cliché) “think outside the box”, “shift the paradigm.” This is best accomplished by having teams consist of people from different backgrounds and disciplines, rather than a group of homogeneous folk.

Years ago, Thomas Kuhn wrote, “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” and talked about the fact that many – most – new developments come from those outside the discipline suggesting an approach that those within the discipline would consider going against reality (as they know it – and as it is defined by their profession.) Sometimes it is necessary to employ games and tools to get people to un-freeze and think about new ways.

I teach many of these tools in the classes I teach in the MBA program at DeVry/Keller University. My friend Ed Ipser, Jr. is developing a software product/service that will incorporate some of these tools from the world of “Quality” and “Team Building” that we who conduct these types of workshops can add to our own tool-kit of ideas. Whether we use computerized tools, the games from the Quality movement, or any other techniques – the most important ingredient to encourage creativity and innovation in the workplace is the climate and values of the company itself. It’s not merely about toys and and massages and great food.

All of these can reduce workplace dissatisfiers – but they don’t free people to experiment, to offer suggestions that go against the norm, or to disagree with those in power. That must be the message from the top down - and must be followed by every level of management throughout the organization. How do you accomplish that? Not only by having it as part of your company values, but by making sure there is on-going and repeated training to all levels of management, making sure they are living the values you mandate.

A Testimonial

I want to share with you one letter received from the Co-Founder, Vice-President and General Manager of GDA Technologies, Inc. This was received a few years ago, and having had lunch with its author, Gopa Periyadan last week, I thought about it and chose to share it with you as we come to the end of this year.

“As a highly specialized Electronic Design Services (EDS) company, we recruit some of the most intelligent and highly educated engineers and technicians from all over the world. In spite of their education, which in many cases includes MBA’s we have difficulty promoting these men and women into positions of management when we identify that they lacked some of the essential “soft skills” required for such enhanced responsibilities.

“Having experienced the quality of her work personally during the three years he attended the CEO Leadership Roundtable she led, our CEO, A.G. Karunakaran brought Dr. ArLyne Diamond into our company to work with all levels of our management team.

“ArLyne Diamond, Ph.D. is a Management and Professional Development Consultant, with a background in both business and psychology. She brings experience, wisdom and practicality in addition to her educational and theoretical background. Her style is direct, friendly, and warm, making it very easy for those she is working with to relate to her, try new techniques under her tutelage, and ask for her help and advice.

“Briefly, Dr. Diamond teaches what is now known as “soft skills.” In other words, she teaches people how to get the best out of themselves and others in the workplace. Her counseling goes far beyond simply teaching communication skills. “… we intend to continue to use her services in a variety of areas. [And, they have]… she worked both individually and in groups with several levels of our managers and potential managers. She guided them how to manage people, projects, processes and programs. “Included in her highly interactive workshops were topics that dealt with diversity, working in a global economy, communication skills, presentation, image, managing meetings, working with your boss, motivating and holding people accountable, persuasion as a tool of project management, styles of learning, management types, and dozens of other topics.

“The feedback from all our employees was outstanding. They liked her personally, respected her work, and wanted to have her return to offer additional workshops. Many of our managers came to her for personal professional development.

“ArLyne gives much more of herself than most consultants. She shows sensitivity, loyalty and concern for the organization she serves. She met with our CEO and members of our senior executive staff as she felt it necessary to help us understand some of the concerns and needs of our staff. She helped us with other projects we had that were outside the scope of our contract with her and behaved at all times as though she herself were a significant and long term member of our senior staff.

“Dr. Diamond is capable of consulting at every level of an organization and across many dimensions. She is experienced in Strategic Planning, Organizational Development, Dealing in a Global Economy, Sales and Customer Relations and Service, Management Training and all aspects of Human Resources, including Interviewing, Performance Appraisals, Sanctions, Motivation, Diversity, Discrimination, Safety, Drug Free Workplace, and Sexual Harassment.

“It is always a great pleasure and privilege for me to be associated with Dr. Diamond. I am positive that your organization will also benefit great improvements with her contributions.”

Signed by: Gopa Periyadan, Co-founder, Vice President & GM SSBU, GDA Technologies, Inc.