TEN FLAWS I SAW

I have had experience working closely with over twenty-five CEO's--working from inside the company, not from outside as a consultant. I certainly could have gone the consulting route but I like being 'in' the day to day moments of great achievement and huge messes.
Thinking of the CEO's here are ten flaws I saw:

—not telling the strategic message over and over again using the same language to all levels of the organization

—not being clear enough soon enough with poor performance so that improvement might happen

—not realizing every word and gesture of theirs is watched and put into the company grapevine

—being susceptible to flattery that blinds the ability to see clearly--self and others

—talking prudence and acting with indulgence

—not staying in touch with the grit of the business

—being impulsive about changes and then bored with them so they dwindle and confuse

—managing the Board and Wall St and not the business

—being too protective of people and not demanding enough

—not realizing the need for a trusted confidante--just one or two 

I wrote each one of these with a specific CEO in mind
Next time, I'll share  what they did very right
A competent CEO has flaws and big strengths

RANDOM THOUGHT FROM RANGELEY MAINE

We are 'upta camp' as they say in Maine when you go off into the wood to a cottage.
We usually are able to power Internet from a neighbor. Not this time.
So I am on the porch of a nearby Inn and need to look invisible.
My camouflage is pink and live green pj's!!  All the Deer wear them.

Anyway, I have to be quick.
I want to thank those of you CEO's who run a decent company with good policies and fairness and opportunity. You are the best place to find it. Much of government and formal religion are struggling to embody that.

So thanks. 
I know you know that it is good for your company, but it is also good for the world

OF COURSE, HANNAFORD BROS. CO. IS MY FAVORITE COMPANY

A few weeks back I wrote about a couple of companies I said I loved--as in felt a fondness toward them. One was LL Bean and one was Delhaize, Belgium. Both were family originated with a core set of values that were still alive. In fact it's odd how values permeate a company and won't let go even during times of change and challenge. Often you know the values are active and alive by the pain of the change. They may go underground, but in my experience the values are in the DNA and will stay alive to be prominent again. (That's a topic to explore more.)

But now I want to pledge my troth to the company I grew up in professionally--Hannaford Bros. Co. from 1985-2006 joining with the Delhaize Group in 2000.
How do I love it? Let me count the ways:

—From my first day, the company crackled with competence. It was striking to me after some of my other work experiences. People knew what they were doing, they got it done and expected others to do the same. One characteristic was that people walked fast. I promise. Visiting vendors or consultants were left in the dust trailing behind the Hannaford person. Urgency personified

—It had steady Eddy talent development systems in place. Good talent was brought in with a disciplined (and fun) approach.  Work was actually reviewed. Bonus' were given. A performance problem was addressed. Fairly.

—Innovation happened. There were far reaching experiments and pilots from self-managed
warehouses to home delivery to re-structures of functions to leadership retreats that were
bold in how they were designed.  And all innovation had the HBC approach of prudence and
tight relationship to the consumer i.e.the business

—We laughed. We had energy. We had confidence we could meet the challenge. We were
proud without honking about it.

—People were not fenced in. Talent was put to good use above and beyond formal roles.
As a new OD professional in the HR department I was immediately put to use with a group designing a new warehouse and another that was creating a new store format--while I did all the other parts of my formal role as well. 

—I was never bored. Right, when I might have been, I would be promoted or assigned to something challenging--a downsizing done right, a major strategy retreat, a Board presentation on Diversity. 

—I liked the leaders when they were my bosses and when they became my colleagues. 
We all had flaws, some huge, most laughable, but I liked them as people. I liked going to work.

—All people at all levels were real. We talked about the grit of our lives, the pain of our lives,
funny funny stuff that happened to us, stories at our own expense. No one put on airs, least of all the CEO's. 

—It was a decent company. Analysts joked about HBC being boring--well managed, good profits,
great talent, high integrity (code for boring). I believe they may have said we were like a Scout troop in being wholesome.  

I think I'll stop on that last statement. Wouldn't you like to hear people say that about where they work or about the government?  It is so far from boring. It is extraordinary.

So, for those of you who asked--Hannaford Bros. Co. is my favorite company. 

BE YOUR VERY HIGHLY INDIVIDUAL WEIRD SELF

This article (The Offbeat Habits of 7 Famous Leaders (Infographic)
http://www.lifehack.org/610515/the-offbeat-habits-of-7-famous-leaders-infographic-ap-pinterest-infographic?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=talktokununu&ref=e )  led me to think about the CEO's I worked with and some of their "Offbeat Habits".  My point is to encourage you top leaders to have some quirks and flavor that suit you. If not bizarre or inappropriate (hate to even have to say this) they become a kind of personal hash tag that your associates enjoy. You are a person with your own habits and it makes you real and not role bound.

Here are some that became endearing:

—A CEO of an electric utility ate with the custodial staff everyday when in he office to get away from 'work'. He also insisted on going out with crews during disasters of any kind--like an enthusiastic kid not like a CEO inspecting work. Crews kidded about who would win him in the next hurricane or blizzard. He was one of the smartest CEO's I worked with and was universally loved.

—Another CEO when musing about a big dilemma (and that is mostly what is on a CEO plate) would head for his car and visit his retail businesses and do errands and stay in the car until he saw a clear path. People would say, "Watch out, He's in the car again."

—A CEO with a smoking habit he didn't like took his breaks with all of the other smokers huddled together outside the building. People loved to kid him about it and he sure found out what was going on in his company.  He was charismatic and well-spoken but when passionate about what he was saying, he would accidentally kind of spit. People brought umbrellas to the first row of a large meeting and opened them when he began to speak. Loving teasing.

—Here's one more.  One CEO who hated meetings but had an open door always would manage to get rid of people quickly by standing up and meeting people at the door and talk in the doorway, no matter what the topic. If she stayed seated, then people knew he wanted to chat and laugh and argue baseball teams. People would ask, "Did you get a doorway meeting or a sit down?"  

I snuck in a game of solitaire on the computer either after or before a tough meeting and would play til I won if at all possible. I never closed my door except to do this and so everyone knew, (besides my admin told them). Before a meeting people would ask, "Did you win?"  

So be real. Go ahead and have your unique goofy habit.  PS--I advise this only if you are competent and have a lot of goodwill in your pocket. The right to be eccentric has to be earned. 

ANOTHER NEW INTANGIBLE PRODUCT

I am about to go offline for a week.
There will be no signal available.
(I do live in Maine)
It feels luxurious and, in a sense, forbidden.
Remember, when things actually were forbidden??
Anyway, privacy and solitude will become things people will pay for.
They are now.
What does that mean for your business?

Happy Fourth of July to the world.
A solid Constitution is a great product.
Not to be taken for granted, which can happen when it's doing its work well.

Another invisible product is hope that comes from a world well run.
Leaders--it's on you