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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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When it ain't broken but it's broken

by Rick Baker
On Feb 14, 2017

Sometimes...

Every action, taken on it's own, seems right and feels right.

Yet, when you add all the actions altogether you do not get the result you desired and things no longer feel right or seem right.

That, in a nutshell, is the it-ain't-broken-but-it's-broken problem.

This it-ain't-broken-but-it's-broken problem exists because:

  • The rules are not clear or not enforced,
  • The goals all are either non-existent or ambiguous, and
  • The consequences for failure are either not clear or not taken seriously.
Don't be distracted or dissuaded by that saying, "If it ain't broken, don't fix it".
 
Sometimes appearances are deceiving. Sometimes actions appear to be done to perfection and yet the desired results do not follow. Sometimes actions are done to perfection and they never had a chance to succeed because they were not the right actions.
 
And, sometimes, whether things are broken or not, we just know it's broken
 
That's the beauty of intuition and the value of gut feel. 

Tags:

Beyond Business | Goals - SMARTACRE Goals | Master Rules | Solutions & Opportunities

Favouring a realistic approach to Values, Virtues & Rules

by Rick Baker
On Jan 4, 2017

Values are concepts covering things important and admirable to us (our minds). Values are our perceptions of intrinsically valuable or desirable ways of doing things.

Virtues are concepts about good behavior and character, reflecting how other people think of us…perceptions they carry in their minds about us.

Rules are concepts, which set boundaries on thoughts and action. Rules are determined by our values. Actions are things we do. Actions are governed by our rules.

***

When you have Integrity – I mean when you have Integrity as I define it - your actions are closely aligned with your values. You say what you mean and you mean what you say…and you do what you say. Put another way, when you have Integrity your perceptions of your values closely match other people’s perceptions of your virtues.

When your values and virtues are closely aligned people find it easier to trust you. Trust grows naturally…organically. You feel no need to advertise your Integrity and other people have no need to witness such advertising. They observe the ‘real thing’ when they see the consistency of your behaviour and that’s the way trust is built between people.

There’s a saying, “Rules are made to be broken.” That’s a fair and accurate statement considering the reality of human behavior. All rules get broken…by someone…sooner or later…(and often we don’t have to wait for later). 

Even rules based on our deepest and most-admirable values get broken. As one example – nearly everyone lies…even to the people who mean the most to them. People have their secrets and certain questions defy honest answers. While it is admirable to think people can behave like open-honest books, that expectation is inconsistent with reality. Those who seek perfection in others will find the human condition is laced with imperfections. So, when considering others virtues and drawing conclusions about their personal values and their character it is important to set the bar at a reasonable level.

When people slip up - when people who matter to you clearly illustrate they have broken their own values-rules - 

  • Fight the urge to question their virtues and write them off [as Covey described the reality of human behaviour] by quickly emptying their ‘trust account’,
  • Step back and consider the reality of your own values-rules breaches and try to counteract your natural attribution bias, and
  • Be open and candid with the people, but stop well short of dragging them through the coals or humbling them as if you are blessed to administer that right. 

Driving on the Talent Track

by Rick Baker
On Dec 30, 2016

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Talent as: “a special ability that allows someone to do something well”.

To get on the Talent Track, it is important to understand Talents are not what we do well. Talents are closely linked to why we do things well.

Talents are the 'substances' that define us and make us unique.

As Simon Sinek might say – "Talents are about our Why rather than our How or our What."

We all have the ability to deliver treasures. We just need to find the ways to free up our treasures. Our Talents are our keys. Only when we understand our Talents do we know how to use our keys to unlock our treasures.

When we take the time to investigate and understand our unique set of Talents we gain several advantages.

As examples, when we thoroughly understand our Talents we improve our ability to:

  • clarify and express our personal Values & the Rules that are most sacred to us,
  • ability to clarify and express our Vision...Purpose...Mission [if you like to use that word], and
  • define meaningful Goals

And there's one more extremely important thing: when we thoroughly understand other people's Talents we improve our ability to understand what makes them tick...and that allows us to drive on the Talent Track.

 

About Habits & People & a bit about Bosses

by Rick Baker
On Nov 24, 2016

People only do 3 things: when you get right down to it people only do Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things. People judge themselves continuously…they know right for them, wrong for them…i.e., they know their Good Habits from their Bad Habits. And, everyone knows it is difficult to jump from Bad Habits to Good Habits. When we try to do that, most times we fail. To bridge the gap between Good Habits and Bad Habits people need to do New Things…new actions. To create change: forget the Bad Habit ever existed, introduce the Good Habit, and then focus 100% on the New Things.

Most people do not take the time to understand the most-important things about themselves. Most people do not make a habit of analyzing, I mean really thinking about, their personal values, their personal goals, and the people-things that impress them the most. Most people do not think about how these personal things are intertwined with everything they experience during their workdays. As a result, most people have a much more difficult time at work than is necessary.

Most people enjoy a variety of games: sports games, card games, board games, etc. Most games are governed by many well-defined and detailed rules. Most people embrace rule-laden games. Yet, often people resist the rules of business. Why is that? The answers to this question provide the master keys to converting strategic business thought into successful business action.

Facts about Bosses:

  • in general, bosses do not like it when people bring problems to them and
  • if they have to choose between problems and solutions then bosses much prefer to see and hear solutions.

People should not be annoyed by their problems or afraid to use the word ‘problem’. Instead people should understand, for every problem that visits them they can come up with 2 solutions and, from time to time, they will uncover opportunities where they used to see the problem.

 

10 Thoughts for Firing Good People

by Rick Baker
On Nov 16, 2016
  1. Fire when the cost of presence exceeds its value: that's on the self-serving end of things [...and that is one of the ends]
  2. Fire when bad habits violate master rules: have as few rules as possible; know where lines must be and will be drawn
  3. Fire when troubling attitudes become contagious: protect your Culture
  4. Fire when skills do not keep up with change: not ruthlessly; in planned ways...after training & education have been exhausted, without success
  5. Do it yourself, don't delegate your way out of it: it's about courage and confidence [...these are 'in action', one way or another, for both parties...choose the better course]
  6. Be concise, yet not rushed: no value in prolonging the stress [...and you better experience some stress, otherwise you are too accustomed to firing people and you will not handle it well]
  7. Be calm and clear, and not insensitive: expect emotional reactions and negative feedback and know exactly how you will not react poorly to it
  8. Be kind, and decisive: this is not a time for negotiation
  9. Be overly fair about money
  10. Help the person find a more-suitable job: remember, whenever you are firing people you are firing good people

10 Thoughts on Hiring Good People

by Rick Baker
On Nov 14, 2016
  1. Know how to communicate the essence of the role, seek simple descriptions; avoid lengthy series of tasks and responsibilities
  2. Magnetic job postings - show your difference...less is better than more
  3. Discuss the good, the bad, and a little taste of the ugly; be open and candid, open the door for trust
  4. Share Thoughts about Vision - everybody has dreams of a better future; don't just talk - ask and listen
  5. Talk about Values: courageously paving the path for Culture; again, don't just talk - listen
  6. Talk about money: confidently setting the proper 'money pace'...and listen
  7. Talk about boundaries: introducing master rules, with conviction; consider differences but know where lines must be drawn
  8. Talk about talents: illustrating true curiosity...everyone has talents; few truly understand their talents
  9. Share stories - about best bosses, role models, mentors and heroes, especially heroes
  10. Discuss hobbies - understand how hobbies parallel and/or cross business know-how

Copyright © 2012. W.F.C (Rick) Baker. All Rights Reserved.