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“Count Me In” with Adam Larson

I’ve been trying to schedule my blog posts for Mondays, two weeks apart. But, when something unexpected pops up I will make you aware of it immediately.

So……… another one of my podcast interviews was just released! This time with Adam Larson of the Institute of Management Accountants. His program is called “Count Me In”. We covered the major themes and incidents in the book, as well as the square wheels organizational dysfunction concept and what might be done to correct it.

I particularly liked this host. It is only 23 minutes long so I hope that you can find time to listen.

You can find it at https://podcast.imanet.org/190

Stay Courageous,
Gordon

The Dilemma …..

My book, The Intrepid Brotherhood, relates a history or series of events that eventually required me to make a life changing decision.  In fact, although their circumstances may not have been as intense, everyone in the organization was faced with making a similar decision.  That was why we ended up with two distinct groups:  a “brotherhood” made up of individuals who decided to resist the management ethic being imposed on the organization; and a group of sycophants who, at least, tacitly accepted and complied with the soul sucking campaign of one individual.

A podcast host and leadership expert recently reminded me that these types of decisions are usually determined by an individual’s sense of self-preservation.  I say “sense of self-preservation” because that is typically not going to be the same for everyone.  My “sense” may be that if I comply with what I perceive to be the “evil initiative” that I won’t be able to live with myself.  Someone else’ “sense” might be that they stand to lose too much if they don’t comply.  I included a passage in the book that speaks to this dilemma:

                   At some point in your life, you realize that integrity may present an impediment to acquiring some of the things you had always thought you wanted. You become aware that you will need to make some hard decisions regarding ethics and the example you want to set. You probably won’t even feel it at the time, but it is possibly the most distinctive fork in the road that you will come to during your existence. In each of the two possible choices, there are practically no elements of the other. But, when the consequences begin to accrue from the path that you have chosen to take, you will find yourself looking back to identify the time when you came to that point. You will realize that the paths were clearly marked and that you gave each avenue due consideration.

          Lastly, you will realize that where you are now is the result of a conscious decision you made then. You chose this. At that point, you will need to decide if you are comfortable with who you are and the path you took at that fork in the road. I contend that if you shunned casuist ethics and situational integrity and instead turned toward honesty, regardless of the bulk of the cross that you may have to bear, that you will be comfortable with ‘you.’ You may, instead, realize that you took the other fork. You may or may not be satisfied with the results or with ‘you’ as a person. You may have followed someone else down that path with the expectation of some material reward, and the experience may have left you feeling very hollow.

If this is you, I will testify that you can return to that signpost and consider who you want to be. It is never too late.

Such was the conflict of one individual that I mention several times in the book.  For the purposes of this lesson, we will call him “Elwood”.  He was identified in court documents as the person who delivered the materials to the local newspaper that ultimately blew the lid off the project failures and misconduct that permeated the Peoplesoft project.  He was initially a vocal and visible critic of this misconduct and the people responsible for it.  Then, something changed ……… dramatically. 

Elwood had begun his career at Chelan County Public Utility District working in another department.  Eventually, he transferred to my staff and was tagged to participate in the Peoplesoft implementation.  As the book describes, Elwood and other department personnel were frequently in my office making valid observations about project shortcomings and shenanigans.  I did my best to put out these fires, but there was a lingering and growing sense of impending doom that continually hung over our heads. 

We had to create activities to discuss issues and clear the air so we could move forward.  Staff lunch meetings, team building retreats, training opportunities, and simple after hours phone conversations helped.  In addition, beginning in the Spring, my Senior Database Administrator Brian Pyle and I, along with Elwood, played golf on Thursday evenings.  We maintained a calendar entry for the weekly appointment called “continuous improvement”.  These were times to laugh, poke fun, compliment each other and generally to concentrate on mental health.  But, the realities of work always crept in.  We made a habit of stopping afterward to imbibe a little and the discussion always turned to project issues. Brian and I have often reminisced about these evenings.  Once we have exhausted the good-natured ridicule of our respective games, we always end up talking about the transition of Elwood.

As I mentioned, these outings began with all three of us in the same frame of mind:  the project was a mess; there was no communication; we were being diminished; the inmates were running the asylum.  But, we always reaffirmed our commitment to making the project successful and redeeming our reputation and standing within the organization.  As the weeks went by, we began to notice a change in Elwood’s behavior.  He started asking probing questions.  Questions that could have potentially incriminating answers.  Over time, it aroused suspicions that he may have been prepped.  One very interesting circumstance is that he started to cheat …… to shave strokes.  His apparent objective was to beat me in particular, as if this would soothe his conscience and affirm his superiority in whatever strategy he had  decided to pursue.  But the real “tell” was at our final “19th hole” gathering following our last round  before I was terminated.  Brian and I remember watching Elwood staring out the window mumbling to himself about “having a house to pay for” and “kids in college”, etc.  He was literally devouring himself from the inside.  He was the living epitome of an individual who  had arrived at that fork in the road, and his particular “sense of self preservation” was kicking in.

There are a few revelations in the book that make it clear that our perception was that he had decided to comply.  Only he knows for sure, but the evidence is pretty strong.  There was the “ghost contractor” who was hired to search all of our email accounts for evidence of insubordination and/or sabotage.  “Someone” had told management that they could probably find incriminating emails by conducting that search.  Also, when Mark Bolz was demoted for his whistleblowing activities and criticism of the project, Elwood ended up being promoted and absorbing most of Mark’s staff.  Concurrently, Elwood’s girlfriend at the time, an implementation contractor employee, was hired into the HR department at the utility.  Elwood was still a PUD employee when my trial against the utility began five years later.  He was listed as a witness for the defense with an anticipated date for his testimony.  But, when Mark identified him on the stand as the individual who delivered the material documenting project shortcomings to the Wenatchee World, he was immediately removed  from the witness list. 

One intriguing question is: “if Elwood was the one to deliver the explosive documents to the newspaper, how did he survive at the utility?”   Why wasn’t he persecuted like the rest of us?  Our analysis is that his behavior during our golf outings makes it clear that he was aware that he would eventually be identified as the culprit. So, he began to assemble collateral.  He wanted to make it clear that he was not part of the “brotherhood”, so to speak.  He had seen the error of his ways!  He initiated a visible feud with Mark.  That severed that link.  He (most likely) fed management information about conversations that he thought indicated sabotage.  He probably also led them to believe that there was a treasure trove of evidence in the email archives that was there waiting to be harvested.  He made himself available to gather evidence to fit their purposes.  Whatever bargain Elwood struck with management, he was successful in salvaging his career.  Until very recently, he was still with the utility.

I have run into Elwood several times on visits back to the Wenatchee Valley where all of this transpired.  In those times I have been in close proximity to him, he has always wanted to converse.  Although I have been cordial, I have always declined for several reasons.  First, it is the only behavior that I have that can make it clear that I am still displeased with his decision.  Also, I believe that he is reaching out in order to soothe his own conscience and I don’t feel compelled to grant him that.  Lastly, but perhaps most important, I need to think about my own mental health. 

On one of those occasions, Deanna and I were with our middle son and his wife.  He asked me why I did not visit longer with the “guy who waived at me across the room” that I used to work with.  I reminded him of who Elwood was and it immediately became obvious to him.   This particular son has always chided me about being too much of a “boy scout” and instilling those values in my children.  Every time he has  confronted similar over-bearing or underhanded individuals in his very successful career  he has always feigned lamentation that he descended from a moral ethicist.  Actually, I think he is very comfortable with it.  But, as I reminded him of who Elwood was, and we naturally evolved into discussing other characters of that period, he made a bold observation.  He said, “You know dad, 90% of the people in the world would make the same decision he did”.  Unfortunately, he may be right.

Happy Independence Day! Stay Courageous,

Gordon

Sometimes A Wrong Notion

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Several times in my career I was told something like “well, you aren’t really the boss until you have fired someone”. It occurred most frequently during the time period that is covered in my book The Intrepid Brotherhood. I can remember at least three individuals who said something similar to me during those years. They were all in peer positions or higher, and it became fairly obvious that they were parroting someone else. Undoubtedly, the CEO/General Manager at the time was the source for this pearl of wisdom. Depending on who they were my reaction at the time was either utter silence or a response something like “you can’t possibly believe that”. The idea that you are not a true leader until you have removed the majority of hope from the soul of someone that you have collaborated with for some period of time is, well……. preposterous. Termination for cause is unavoidable at times, but becoming a leader should concentrate more on the positive behaviors that can help avoid the circumstances that would require firing someone. I can’t imagine a checklist for leadership qualification that says “now you have to terminate someone before you get your ribbon”. Well ….. you get the idea.

This example is even more incredible. I was newly hired at a completely different employer than is the subject of my book. A short time after I got settled and started to put my plans into motion, my boss told me he wanted me to fire one of my direct reports – for something he had done prior to my arrival! All kinds of stuff should be running through your head right now. Why had they not dealt with this issue in a more timely manner? How can they expect me to terminate someone for circumstances that I have absolutely no knowledge or experience of? Or, maybe, is there some potential liability issue that caused them to wait for the “new guy” to execute this plan? Regardless of the reasoning, it was a very tough situation to navigate. I managed to hold the employee accountable for what he had done before our relationship began, and to satisfy the manager that we had inflicted sufficient punishment so that the employee knew he had transgressed. Hopefully everybody learned from that resolution, including the manager.

Advancing a concept like what we have discussed is like saying “you can’t call yourself a mechanic until you have dropped a pneumatic hoist on your foot”, or “you can’t call yourself a surgeon until a patient has died on the table”. The whole idea is contrary to the type of leadership that builds dedication and respect. If anyone ever says that to you, I recommend that you challenge them to explain how that action makes you a better leader and why that particular act would in any way “punch your ticket” as a leader and manager. It’s a ridiculous notion.

Stay Courageous,

Gordon (www.intrepidbrotherhood.com)

The More Things Change ……

Toward the end of my book, The Intrepid Brotherhood, I made the observation that the company where most of the events of the story occurred had made what I thought was a very positive step.  They had created and filled a Chief Technology Officer position, a move that indicated their recognition of the importance of making sure that the information technology function was present at the strategic planning table.  My sincere hope was that this would minimize the reoccurrence of anything similar to my circumstances from ever happening again.  However ……………… contacts in the community have told me recently that, apparently, old habits die hard. 

The co-conspirator who was the benefactor of my termination occupied my former director position for almost 16 years.  When he retired, several department employees applied to replace him.   Of the three finalists, the individual with the least experience and qualifications was selected for the position.  Admittedly, that’s not the first time that has ever happened in the employment world.  However, immediately following the selection process, the new IT Director approached his boss, the Chief Technology Officer, with an amazing observation.  He claimed his two competitors for the director position were not qualified to occupy the positions they had performed in for years.  On the surface, this at least implies that he wanted those positions vacated so that they could be awarded to other applicants. 

As incredibly transparent as this sounds, the CTO actually gave the new IT Director the green light to open these two positions to the competitive application process, which meant their current occupants had to re-apply for the jobs that they were currently performing and had performed for some time.  In the end, neither of them prevailed in retaining their respective positions.  One of them left and went to work for another utility, while the other took a lower paying position in order to stay and complete his years of service for retirement.

This whole scenario is wrong is so many ways, it is hard to determine where to begin.  But, let’s look at how the real leader, the Chief Technology Officer, should have reacted to such a request.  When approached with such an unorthodox proposal, he should have had a very frank conversation with the new IT Director about what it means to be a truly inspirational leader.  After establishing that there is no accommodation in leadership for retribution, revenge or persecution, the next point should have been to establish what he expected as evidence of leadership capability.  Did this new director have a commitment to focusing on the growth and well-being of the people that he managed?  Did he have a plan to continually “grow himself” as a coach and mentor? 

If he was able to convince the CTO that he understood that his success depended on making his employees successful, the next analysis should have concentrated on the phenomenal contention that two staff members could have gone through many annual performance evaluations and things like 360° reviews and still, at some point, ended up where the requirements of their respective positions exceeded their capabilities. 

Then, given that the analysis was confirmed and these two really did suffer from some performance deficiency that needed remediation, the question should have been: who’s culpable? Them …… or the company?  Did the former IT Director simply ignore the requirement to true up staff capabilities with evolving technology requirements?  Were continuing education and training requests refused or ignored?  Did the CTO not perform any staff resource modeling and skills inventory when he assumed his new position to determine if he had the resources to meet the demands on his department(s)?   How does something like this actually happen in an organization that would like to portray itself as caring, communicative and respectful?

I made the observation in my book that, in my opinion, creating and filing a CTO position at that company was a huge step in the right direction from the perspective of strategically planning how to make the best use of technology resources.  Indeed, the company has made significant positive changes over the last 18 years in order to put the events that were related in my book behind them. However, it appears they need to take a deep look at their leadership practices and, preferably, adopt a servant leadership approach so that the type of questions I conveyed above are automatically asked in similar situations.  Or, better yet, so that those situations do not emerge at all. 

And For My Next Number ….

Well, I don’t know when the rest of the podcasts that I have recorded will be released so …. I have to find other ways to pester all of you! Toward that end, I have started a Blog on my website. This message is actually being sent from the blog builder on my website.

Periodically I will post ……. “stuff”. Some of it will be leadership lessons based on actual events from my career. Some will be content that I will share from sources on LinkedIn and the newsfeeds of leadership experts that I am following. I will feature Dan McConnell’s sketches from time to time (he has done some recently that show he is still the conscience of the community). Hopefully, I can get some other members of the Brotherhood to share experiences. I know that many of them have anecdotes and tales that will make your jaw drop. I don’t think I can commit to a schedule but I will try to make my posts frequent enough so that you do not lose interest, but also don’t feel overwhelmed.

Oh, and the most important thing: Thank you all for your feedback and the reviews you have provided. Please spread the word about my website and this new blog. Obviously, new subscribers are welcomed.

Resilience

I was recently asked by an interviewer:
"What did you hope to accomplish once you decided to sue over your termination? Were there more significant issues at stake other than personal vindication?"
My answer:
"A lot of people look at an experience such as mine and say “ Well, okay. The playground bully stole your ball, so you tried to complain to the principal. But you found out that the principal IS the playground bully. And, not only that, he has a whole gang! So, let them have your ball and stay off the playground. Problem solved”.
"My fear was that many people in the valley thought the experience of myself and key staff members resembled this scenario. I wanted the facts to be publicized so everyone would be able too see that the circumstances were the result of one diabolical individual, and that it was happening company-wide. I wanted the customers of our utility to be able to make their own judgment about who had the best interests of the utility in mind during that time. Unfortunately, the trial arguments were restricted so that most of the information on waste and mismanagement was suppressed. I think the book does a pretty good job of revealing those issues."

Goodreads Giveaway

The Goodreads Giveaway for The Intrepid Brotherhood is over and the winners have been notified. We got 537 entries for the 100 available ebooks! Thank you for your interest, and congratulations to the winners!

If you were drawn to receive a free ebook, please consider posting a photo of yourself with the title page on your Kindle and in your social media. Don’t forget to tag me in the post so that I can share it.

And, above all, please commit to providing a review when you are finished reading. I need all the reviews that I can get. Thank you again for your participation and interest!

Goodreads Giveaway

The Goodreads Giveaway for my book, The Intrepid Brotherhood, is over and the winners have been notified. We got 537 entries for the 100 books! Thank all of you for your interest, and congratulations to the winners!

If you were drawn to receive a free ebook, please consider posting a photo of yourself with the title page on your Kindle and in your social media. Don’t forget to tag me in the post so that I can share it.

And, above all, please commit to providing a review when you are finished reading. I need all the reviews that I can get. Thank you again for your participation and interest!