Business Relationships

How were you raised?

I’ve been studying the effect that our parents have on us as adults for more than four years now. What it has done is open my eyes to how people think. How many times do you interact with people where you leave that interaction thinking: Wow, what were they thinking!? What I’ve come to realize is that our parents instilled certain beliefs and expectations. Think of yourself as a computer. The computer is directly affected by the software that is installed into it. There are people who think, “You can’t do that!” While others think, “There’s nothing I can’t do!” The programs of our youth are running alive and strong in our adult person.

Here’s the challenge: We all have programs that enable us and disable us. Life is a journey of discovering which programs we should survive with and which should be shut down. The most successful people in the world are aware of what I’m writing about and have created their own set of beliefs and rules that govern their reality. This is important to understand if we are going to build a society of trust and civility. It’s OK that we don’t think the same, but I challenge you to stop judging another’s programming and instead ask sincere questions to gain clarity.

It’s not our job to know why people think the way they do. However, it is our job to accept and respect that they feel the way they do. I remember the first time I said to my wife, Danica, “You shouldn’t feel that way.” Her response was, “Well I do, so now what are you going to do about that?” We can’t always change the way we feel, but we can change the way we respond to others. It’s all about taking the time to understand and accept. Nobody’s perfect. We are all a bundle of programs passed on to us from generation to generation. Get to know your programming first so you can get to know others.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: If you want to begin your journey of understanding about your internal programming, e-mail me at joek@prophitmarketing.com

It takes great leaders to help us raise our kids!

My son, Alex, recently started his first job as a bagger at Festival Foods. His leader, Mary Kay, just held a three-month review on his performance. When Alex told me he had a three-month review, I thought, Already?  His review lasted about 15 minutes and afterward he found me in the store doing some shopping. He had a smile that said “CONFIDENCE.” I asked him how it went. He said, “I’m a rock star!” and then gave me a broad smile. Later he told me how Mary Kay pointed out specific things he was doing right. She even gave examples from other leaders who noticed positive behavior. After building Alex up, she asked him a very powerful question: “What can I do to help make your employment here more enjoyable?”

This gave Alex an open door to share with Mary Kay how he likes variety and would be interested in learning how to be a cart runner and to be able to do both duties for a healthy variety. Mary Kay said, “I can do that.” She also asked him, “Where do you see where you can improve?” Alex shared his thoughts and Mary Kay made him feel that it was OK to make mistakes as long as we learn from them. I’ve been telling him that for years, but it took Mary Kay to remind him as his leader and direct him on how to improve for it to sink in.

Thank you to all leaders like Mary Kay who not only take the time to coach but take the time to listen. The leaders who have the guts to ask the most powerful Servant Leadership question, “What is it that I can do to help you?” Parents like me are depending on you to join our village and help our teenagers transition into becoming responsible adults.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Seek the feedback you need to help others you care about!

An Inspiring Story!

Tim was a young man who had just started his first real management job at a large electrical contractor in the greater Milwaukee area. Tim had never heard of Servant Leadership as a movement or a practice. Up until this first management assignment, he had been working for other companies and had been married for six years. He married young and he and his wife had two small children and a great relationship. Tim always came to work optimistic and could always see through obstacles as they came his way. The president of the company decided to spend some time with his young manager and began to teach him the philosophies and practices of Servant Leadership.

The president explained that if Tim wanted to lead, he first must serve. Tim’s leadership would not be evaluated by what HE got done, but by what he got done through others. The wise leader went on, “You first must understand yourself, then you must understand and serve one other person, and then you must understand and serve a group!”

  Knowing that Tim had a young family, the president suggested he start by understanding and serving his wife. “Oh,” said Tim, “I’ve been serving her since the day we said, ‘I do.’ “ 

  “How do you serve her?” the president asked.

 “We’ve been married for six years and for six years I’ve kept a journal,” Tim replied. “Everyday I try to find some way to serve my wife. Unexpected flowers. Clean a room, the house or her car. Get up with the crying babies. I only count the service if it’s something she normally does or is responsible for.”

The president’s jaw dropped. The teacher had become the student.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN:  Join us next week Wednesday, Sept. 21, from 3-5 p.m. at The Marq, 3177 French Road, De Pere, to learn about Servant Leadership. Robert Chapman, CEO and chairman of Barry-Wehmiller, will make a presentation about the company’s commitment to people-centric leadership, continuous improvement and disciplined growth that has helped transform it into a well-balanced and financially solid organization. Those interested in attending should RSVP (seating is limited) by contacting me with the number of attendees at joek@prophitmarketing.com

Do you know enough to care and care enough to know?

Corporate culture drives results. Improve the culture and you WILL improve the results. It’s why so many companies are investing in and evaluating their corporate culture. Beginning a culture change or shift is a senior leadership thing, not an HR thing. HR can assist and guide; however, the leadership team must be on the same page to ensure that the desired results from a shift or a change are achieved. When it comes to instilling Servant Leadership in your culture, you’ll want to focus on individuals along with results. Building a culture of accountability requires having measures in place to ensure that responsibilities are being met by each individual.

Building trust with your team is crucial for people to feel confident in making decisions and taking ownership of their individual responsibilities. This is a core element of Servant Leadership, and it begins with a simple understanding. First understand yourself, how you come across to others, and how people may perceive you. Then focus on understanding another person and then understanding a group. When you understand the beliefs and motivations of a team, real understanding can be created which leads to trust.

If the idea of a Servant Culture resonates with you, I invite you to become part of a movement we are starting that is growing across the state. Join Servant Leaders of Wisconsin, Fox River Valley Group, for our free quarterly meetings. On September 21st, Robert Chapman, CEO and chairman of Barry-Wehmiller, will share his people-centric philosophy that he and his team have replicated over and over in the dozens of companies they own across the world. Come to be inspired and meet like-minded people, and we’ll help you get started on your Servant Leadership journey.

E-mail me at joek@prophitmarketing.com to reserve your spot. Space is limited so please let me know how many will be attending. Meredith will send you more information on the event if you’re interested.

Change your culture, change your results!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Join us September 21st from 3-5 p.m. at The Marq. R.S.V.P. is appreciated.

Throne the Customer!

A couple of weeks ago while getting a tour of Zappos (the online shoe and clothing company), Danica and I were placed on a throne in full glory! Oh, don’t worry. It’s nothing we did; they just treat everyone that way! Imagine if your company did that? I know I imagine what it would be like if my company did the same. Why does it seem so impossible? Why are companies like Zappos so rare?

 What if I told you it wasn’t that hard? What if I told you it consisted of a few key elements that any company could implement? Would you? The concepts are really simple. I’m working at getting better myself! Here they are… Servant Leadership companies are 30% more profitable than their competitors. Here is the vision for getting started with this at your company.

 1)      Owners have Core Values that are tested against daily behavior.

2)      Owners have created a clear and concise Vision that can be measured.

3)      Employees are treated as owners who are trusted and held accountable to the vision and values of the company.

4)      Owners inspect what they expect by testing employees’ daily behavior to the values of the company and create supporting systems of checks and balances.

5)      Owners reward behavior that promotes Core Values and they celebrate victories along the way.

There you go! I’m perfecting the magic we have going on at Prophit. To create anything of meaning there must be a purpose and a vision. Start by creating an actionable vision statement. The important thing is to get started!

 Joe Kiedinger

 ACTION PLAN: Create your long-term vision and purpose. Why are you here?

Employee Engagement

While working on a research project on employee engagement, I’ve come across some interesting information I’d like to share with you.

 Jack and Suzy Welch, of GE and Harvard Business Review respectively, said, “…no company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it.”

 Engaged employees are key to the well-being of companies. Research on 71 companies internationally, by a Chicago HR research and consulting firm, found that there was “almost a 52 percent difference in one-year performance improvement in operating income between companies with highly engaged employees as compared to those companies with low engagement scores.”

 So, what makes up an engaged employee? “Engaged people are proud to work for the company. They are committed to stay and put in the extra effort to facilitate the company’s goals,” said Soni Basi, senior project director at ISR. Curt Coffman, co-author of Gallup’s bestselling book on great managers, First Break All the Rules, reveals that, “Engaged employees are builders. They want to know the desired expectations for their role so they can meet and exceed them. They’re naturally curious about their company and their place in it. They perform at consistently high levels. They want to use their talents and strengths at work every day. They work with passion. They have a visceral connection to their company. And they drive innovation and move their organization forward.”

 How can we see that we all become engaged employees? The responsibility lies within us all. Managers must find ways of keeping employees engaged by providing “a strong relationship with, and clear communication from, their manager…Managers also have to challenge employees within their areas of talent, then help them gain the skills and knowledge they need to build their talents into strengths. And managers should help employees develop ownership of their goals, targets, and milestones, so employees can enhance their contributions to the company and increase their impact,” says Coffman. Coffman continues, “Employees who get to do what they do best everyday move toward engagement. And last but not least, catch him doing things right. Recognize him for excellence. Recognition is personally fulfilling, but even more, recognition communicates what an organization values, and it reinforces employee behaviors that reflect those values.”

 Associates also have a responsibility to become an engaged employee.

 Joe Kiedinger

 Action Plan: What do you find particularly stressful at work? Confront the issue and create a solution. This way you make more time to do what truly makes you happy.

My time with Arianna Huffington!

Have you heard of Arianna Huffington? She is a master of using social media. She started an American news content aggregating website in 2005 and sold it to AOL in February of 2011 for $315 million! Not bad! OK, so I led you into thinking I interviewed Arianna with my title for this Wisdom. She actually spoke at a conference I attended. She is a fascinating woman, very funny and very insightful. I would like to share with you some powerful wisdom that she shared with me.

Arianna spoke mostly about engagement. People today want to be understood and heard. It’s so easy to be heard … start a blog! Some of you have your own blog like I do and I applaud you. Arianna discovered in 2005 that there is so much great content, why not direct it to one site called the Huffington Post? Here are three of my favorite quotes (I forgot who she quoted) that I took away from her hour-long presentation:

1. There are so many things that I’ve faced in my life and most never happened.

2. I’ve had such a wonderful life … I wish I would have realized it sooner.

3. How I deal with an issue IS the issue!

The third is the one that I’ve dedicated my life to helping others address, as my life’s journey is focused on teaching. When it comes to teaching and learning, not everyone understands language and style of communication the same way. Some people love it when you’re direct. Some prefer a softer approach to coaching. If you don’t know how a person likes to be communicated with, how do you expect to make an impact?

People think they need to be “fair” to the people they lead so they treat them all the same. That works only if everyone IS the same and we are not. How you resolve issues with one person is often completely the opposite for another if you wish to have a real impact. Understand that Servant Leadership is meeting the legitimate needs of another person. Learn what makes everyone different and unique and be aware of HOW you treat people.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Until Friday you can get a FREE About Me Card and find out what makes you unique. Go to www.aboutmecard.com, create a business account and use the coupon code: SHRM11 to create your About Me Card! The code will no longer be valid after the close of business on Friday!

Traditions are key to belonging!

We have a new intern working at About Me International. His name is Anh (On) Tran (Tron). Anh is from Vietnam and I have known him for two years while working with St. Norbert College, of which he is a recent graduate. Anh spent the July 4th holiday with my family up at our cottage, and it was really healthy for Danica and I and the kids to hear about his world back in Vietnam. I asked him if he and his family have any annual traditions. Like most of you, they do. When he discussed their traditions, he was fully engaged and excited. I get the same way when I talk about the traditions that my family has followed over the years.

In reflecting on this idea of “traditions,” I was reminded of how important traditions are for a family in bringing everyone together and the same goes for a company. Do you have regular traditions where you work? At our company, one of the things that we do is a holiday party that is full of traditions. For example, our guests only have about 60 minutes over the entire evening to chit chat and eat, and then it’s on to the party games! I know, it sounds exhausting but it’s tradition! Our other traditions include quarterly Servant Leadership half-day sessions and when a new client signs up we send around a symbolic “GONG.” It’s a gong like you would see in The Gong Show, except it’s a good thing!

What traditions do you have or what traditions can you start? Everyone wants to feel a part of a family or a group. Traditions help to bring commonality to everyone and are important for a rich culture to endure.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Identify current traditions and start creating new ones!

Oh, What a Brand!

Today is a big day! My quest to understand corporate culture has led me to Zappos. If you are unaware of the Zappos brand, learn about their products at zappos.com. Once you order from them, you will begin to understand customer service. Zappos got started selling shoes online. They have a 365-day return policy. All shipping is free. If the shoes don’t fit, go online and order another pair. They will send those generally next day air. The service is excellent and has gained national recognition. They have been number one on Forbes’ Best Places to Work list for three consecutive years.

 I recently heard Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh (pronounced Shay) speak. He is a regular guy with a simple message: Chase the dream not the paper. His new book, Delivering Happiness, shares his ideas on corporate culture and creating WOW! He noted that we don’t know what will bring us happiness. We often think “as soon as I get that promotion” or “as soon as I lose 20 pounds” then life will be great. When we accomplish these things, we may not be happy because we are off to the next thing.

 He pointed out that whatever you think you want comes down to one desire—happiness. It’s not the goals that make us happy, it’s a higher purpose. True happiness is only generated from knowing you are a part of something greater than yourself. He noted that all companies need to define their purpose. The simpler you can define it, the more income potential you can expect. Tony explained that only two years ago the Zappos purpose became Delivering Happiness. Because of this vision, a new profit center opened up. Today you can do the Zappos experience and attend their culture-building classes. Cool! Our company is meeting in a couple of weeks to begin defining our purpose. Why are we here? Figure that out and watch how engaged your employees will be!

 Joe Kiedinger

 ACTION PLAN: What’s your higher purpose?

Servant Leaders United

This past Monday more than 150 Servant Leaders who are committed to the journey of striving to be better gathered for an event at St. Norbert College. The gathering was inspired by an event this past March that was sponsored by Festival Foods and that featured Servant Leadership coach and international speaker/author Jim Hunter. More than 850 people showed up for this event, which was held at the Meyer Theatre, and they were energized by Hunter’s insights on treating people with respect and dignity. We decided to carry this momentum forward and invited attendees to join our Servant Leadership group on Monday.

Monday’s event was moderated by myself and included topics presented by Ben Coppens, L3 Coach from Barry Wehmiller, the parent company of Paper Converting here in Green Bay; Tom Thibodeau,  Distinguished Master in Servant Leadership Professor at Viterbo University; Chris Elliott, change management expert and Managing Director of About Me International; and Dick Pieper of Pieper Power in Milwaukee. Topics covered Servant Leadership in the area, across our state, across the nation and across the globe.

Bottom line is this: The Servant Leadership box has been opened and people are ready to begin their journey. Everyone’s journey is different. Some want to be better parents, teachers, spouses, co-workers or leaders. Everyone has to take the journey their own way. Servant Leadership is based on mutual respect, meeting legitimate needs and giving proper feedback.

If you would like to explore this journey with us, you can get updates on upcoming events by joining the Servant Leadership Wisconsin LinkedIn group, or you can e-mail me at joek@prophitmarketing.com and I will put you on our e-mail list.

Make a positive impact in the world!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: If you’re ready to join us, please let us know!