Dancing on the Glass Ceiling – Part II

April 30, 2012 1 Comment

(When we left off last time, our Well-Heeled CEO (a.k.a. me) was having a conversation with the chairman of the board)

“The board has directed me to offer you the position of CEO….” The chairman  was saying,

“…with a six-month trial period to see if it is working out.”

It took me about two seconds to identify and analyze the risks:

Risk 1 – give up my currently well-paid, well-defined executive job for a trial job whereby my success would be based on the whim of a room full of old men. Risk 2 – accept risk 1 while assuming the responsibilities of a turnaround, knowing that significant impact wouldn’t be measurable in six months.

I laughed out loud.

The chairman was shocked. I guess the board figured I would be so honored at the offer that I would throw my common sense out the window. So I posed a question to the chairman: “Just how, exactly, does the board intend to make this six-month determination?” His enlightened expression was enough to show me that he understood my laughter. So I laid down my terms.

“Here’s how we do it. Give me my goals. Get out of my way. Fire me if a screw it up.”

So they did, and they kind of did, and when the time came I left on my own. But that is getting ahead of the story…..

What’s the point? I have no doubt that I received a conditional offer because I am female; I can’t imagine any group of men extending such an insulting offer to another man. A trial CEO position? Really? How on earth could that even work? My apologies if you are tired of hearing this, but there is still a significant amount of gender inequity in corporate America and I think it is criminal for us to pretend otherwise. Ask any woman trying to break the glass in financial services or tech, just to name two particularly notorious industries.

I have lots more stories to tell if you are interested in hearing them. If you’re not, don’t tune in to The Well-Heeled CEO.

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Dancing on the Glass Ceiling – Part I

April 16, 2012 Leave a comment

I had no aspirations about being a CEO. Being the “Inside Guy” was enough for me. Just by being in the building every day I was had impact and influence in all of the key areas of the organization. So I didn’t immediately jump at the chance to be the CEO. My reason for finally throwing my hat in the ring was less than lofty – I wanted to save myself the trouble of having to train yet one more “Big Banker” on the realities of Community Banking.

So into the ring went my hat, along with a list of why I was ridiculously qualified. With the exception of my non-existent golf game, my skill set was unquestionable. I promised to go get a swing, and I was given the nod.

Of maybe half a nod ….

The board chair came to my office after the deliberations and took a seat at my desk. I noticed I was holding my breath.

“The board has directed me to offer you the position of CEO….” he said.

I exhaled.

“…with a six month trial period to see if it is working out.”

I inhaled.

How would you have felt about this officer? What would you have answered?

Stay tuned for Part II.

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Coaching and Leadership in the Boxing Gym

April 4, 2012 1 Comment

I haven’t punched anyone or anything since I was nine years old. And I apologized to my brother, as the full extension of my first into his nose truly was an accident. So imagine my surprise when I discovered just recently that I love boxing.

Not the kind where you hit and get hit; that scares me. No – I love the boxing you do in a one hour circuit training workout that involves various kinds of cardio torture followed by three minute rounds with the bags. Speed bags, uppercut bags, heavy bags, big brown bags – I love them all.

The first time I walked in the boxing gym my fear was twofold. I was out of shape and I didn’t know jack about boxing. Last week my coach told me that my skills were really improving and that I should consider sparring in the ring. Wow! I declined citing my lack of passion for getting hit in the face, yet I couldn’t help but notice that the rest of my workout was way more focused. I kinda felt like a boxer!

As I evaluated my progression from klutz to Championship Belt (ok – a little over the top) I recognized the brilliance of my trainer. Her methodology is a terrific lesson in coaching. She explained the reason for a technique, demonstrated the technique, waited until I got that one down before introducing another, and encouraged me from class to class.

But what was really impressive to me was her lesson in leadership. When she suggested that I spar, she made the next step accessible to me by making it possible in my imagination. When she stepped forward and asked me to follow, she led me to the confidence I needed to elevate my game. Because of her encouragement and skillful guidance, I now work a lot harder every time I am in the gym.

In a nutshell, the coaching steps were explain, demonstrate, correct, add more, and encourage. The leadership was an invitation.

 

 

 

 

 

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Step Back to Move Forward – Five Reasons NOT to Micromanage

March 29, 2012 Leave a comment

Whether you are the owner-operator in your business or an executive with a talented team, your business will be postured to move forward when you consciously move back.

Here are some reasons you should learn how to monitor without having to be “in” all the time:

1. You hired people to do stuff. Let them do it. And let them do it their way. Don’t insist they do it your way if the end result is the same. Who knows – maybe it will even be better.

2. If you insist on things being done your way, no one will be able to make a decision without first consulting you. Depending on how many “consultees” you may have, this could be a 24/7 job. That leaves very little time for strategic thinking and guarantees sluggish growth.

3. Your employees will never grow in their own skill sets because their job is guessing what you would like to see rather than performing or producing.

4. The really great people will leave. They will go to a place that allows them to grow.

5. And then you’ll be stuck doing the day-to-day work while you look to replace your team. See the vicious cycle?

How do you answer this question: What would happen to my business if I were run over by a bus (or won the lotto – your choice)?

Your goal should be able to answer “My business will continue to thrive because I have put the right systems in place and have the right people managing them.”

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Do The !*& Math

March 25, 2012 1 Comment

I just finished judging three business plans submitted to a local university contest. It was great fun to read how these young folks want to make money, create a happy world, and save the environment all at the same time. It was discouraging to evaluate the financial analysis.
Each team of three “founders” had at least one graduate with a BS in finance, business, management, or the like. The other two founders were typically experienced in the craft of the business. Not a one of these contestants produced a financial statement indicating an understanding of cash flow, equity, and (gasp) profitability. In one case, the math was even incorrect.
I know we quit creating winners and losers in our kids’ sporting events in order to be able to teach that everyone is a winner. And I know that winning and losing as an adult often times (rightly or wrongly) is based on the accumulation of money. Did we take the “Everyone is a winner” attitude too far and forget to teach them how to count, hoping perhaps that if we de-emphasize money we can all feel like winners in the real world? Are we too focused on sustainability and community to figure out how to make a living in our businesses? Or have we just quit demanding the basics in our college programs?
Small business is the backbone of the American economy. I have spent over thirty years supporting business owners in their quest to create profits and consequently jobs. They are my heroes, and their contribution to our collective well-being is grand in both scale and social value. Somehow the thought of a business actually making money has become a bad thing, with social considerations touted as more important. But society can’t benefit without a strong economy, and a strong economy comes from thriving, profitable business.
Maybe I am unreasonable to expect that a BS in business would confer an understanding of basic business economics. Maybe I should be more supportive of the young entrepreneur’s dream to make the world a better place by offering their talents despite an inevitable failure. It just becomes confusing to me as to where in that process these young dreamers get their “I’m a winner” trophy.
Let’s do all of our kids a favor and teach them how to do the math. In and of itself, the numbers carry no judgment.

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Illusions from the Red Carpet

March 20, 2012 1 Comment

This is a photo of Lisa Vian Hunter – my friend and client – walking the Red Carpet and Macy’s in NYC. Lisa is a contestant on the new NBC show “Fashion Star” and she invited me to join her for the Premier Party. Of course I said yes! We put on our beautiful custom dresses, hired our makeup and hair done to perfection, and fretted over what this experience would bring.

It wasn’t disappointing in its intensity. More cameras than could be counted, reporters screaming for attention, and microphones dangled just about everywhere.

The interesting part is that this event occurred in a very small room on the 11th floor of Macy’s in Harold Square. An old building whose grandeur hasn’t been polished for a good long time.

Yet the photos would lead one to believe that the surroundings were spacious and inviting – maybe down the middle of one of the fabulous main floor aisles – and definitely lined with adoring fans. Or it could be that is just my imaginings of what a red-carpet walk should be like sneaking into my view of reality.

Perhaps I should be more careful when I watch media presentations, knowing that I am only seeing the good stuff. Or perhaps I should just enjoy it for what it is worth – entertainment meant to titillate.  I suppose since there is nothing at risk in the entertainment realm, I can safely keep questions and cynicism out of the experience.

But I definitely feel a bit wiser to the real world, and expect that my questioning may be deeper when evaluating things that actually matter. Like marketing materials or sales pitches.

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Eat Your Peas

March 15, 2012 Leave a comment

He didn’t stop eating his peas for one minute. Despite the fact that his stroller had just been wheeled into a crowded elevator full of new people, he kept picking them up and moving them from tray to mouth. Obviously prepared for a walk outside, his attempts to look at his fellow riders were thwarted. When he turned his head in curiosity, he found himself looking straight at the inside of his hoodie.

Tray to mouth. Hoodie. Tray to mouth. Hoodie.

A cycle developed that was eventually noticed by one of the taller humans he had brought with him. The tall one reached out and pulled back the hood, exposing the entire panorama of stupid smiles adults can conjure up. With a gaze that was now free to roam about the car, he treated us all to a beaming smile of greetings and appreciation. Then he went back to his peas.

There are two morals to this story.

Don’t stop eating your peas no matter what the circumstances,  and Always travel with someone who will pull back your hoodie when your vision is obscured.

Filed under Life - from my perspective

Local Designer News

March 9, 2012 Leave a comment

Great article about Lisa, and my five short minutes of fame!

https://maryannnelson.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/local-designer-news/

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Strength Based Goal Setting

March 8, 2012 Leave a comment

No need for me to blog when Gallup has said this so well. A must read.

http://http://gmj.gallup.com/content/152981/Strengths-Based-Goal-Setting.aspx?utm_source=email&utm_medium=032012&utm_content=morelink&utm_campaign=newsletter

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Ladies and Gentlemen in the Elevator

March 5, 2012 Leave a comment

When the elevator stopped at the bottom floor, it was a given that all of its occupants would be exiting. I was standing next to a well-hatted gentleman from a generation before me. When the doors opened, he acknowledged me with just the slightest of movements; a barely perceptible sideways-glance followed by a tilting of his head downward.

His following stillness was both his part and my cue.

Charmed and willing, I embraced my role in the ritual. I nodded to him to indicate my “thank you”. Then I walked out Ladies First.

Filed under Life - from my perspective

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