Pride of Workmanship

Posted on April 18, 2007 by Toby Lucich

RantI work with contractors and consultants in nearly every aspect of my life. How is it that the idea of “workmanship,” or the pride of a job well done, can vary so greatly among the masses that work as independent contractors and consultants?

I’ve done a few remodels over the last few years, and find that guys that wield hammers can be just as professional as guys that swing keyboards (or calculators, or pica poles). Most often, the qualifier for being an independent is being capable enough to secure commitments (work), and then paddle like mad to deliver. If you do this well, your business grows. Do it poorly, you go back to working for someone else.

When I say “Pride of Workmanship,” I’m meaning that one has understood an assignment, applied their professional judgment to clarify and provide quality control, and taken responsibility for management of the best possible delivery of services.

Unfortunately, I’m seeing a number of snafus that give me pause in my various interactions. As the client, I’m finding that I have to go back and call my contractors (my employees in the effort) to the carpet for a half-assed effort.

  • I asked for a bathroom remodel, but there is no way to access that shiny new toilet wedged between the tub, sink and wall;
  • I asked for technical research, but the examples and conclusion don’t relate to our business, and lack citation;
  • You told me it would be done a week ago, and I’ve still not heard from you.

We all make mistakes (we’ve readily admitted as much). But beyond the occasional oversight, what happened to pride in your work? When did logging the hours or a prescriptive execution of the request become good enough?

Take two minutes and think about this in your practice — I will, and as a consumer of contract services will be a whole lot more likely to refer you to others:

  • Learn To Estimate Your Effort. Start tracking time for projects that you will continue to bid and deliver in the future. Good estimates make you look like an expert, and ensure that you don’t lose your shirt (or my confidence).
  • Manage Your Calendar. I don’t need everything tomorrow, but I want realistic delivery dates 95% of the time. Managing your time helps manage my expectations.
  • Know What You Don’t Know. If you are out of your depth, admit it and do the leg work to close the gap. Be a problem solver.
  • Spell Check. Look at your work one last time before calling it complete. Double check your math, run the spell check, do a once over of the job site. Don’t overlook dumb mistakes that are easy to flag and address as the expert, even if they will take a little extra time to deliver.
  • Think Principles, Not Prescriptive. Think about the intent of what you were asked to deliver, not just the specific language that was used. Most clients don’t have your expertise (hence, you were hired) and may not have a strong grasp of how best to tackle the problem. Be smart, and make sure that you are going to deliver on expectations and not just the work statement.

Be ready to be accountable for what you deliver. This task (however mundane) is part of your portfolio and how the client views your brand. Make this impression count, and give them a good reason to recommend you to others.

Posted in Accountability, Career, Entrepreneur, Execution, Performance, Pride, Reputation | 3 Comments

When did the Prides get that divorce?

Posted on April 18, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Splitting professional and personal prideMaybe I’m just getting old.

I seem to remember a time–well at least I’m pretty sure I do–when Professional Pride and Personal Pride were married. Inseperable and enamoured of one another. Intertwined as one.

Weren’t they?

Not just dating. But actually living with one another as a single unit.

Am I off here? Wasn’t there a time when taking pride in what you did (Professional Pride) translated into pride as an individual (Personal Pride)?

Weren’t they one and the same? A couple of peas in a pod?

I must have been imagining things, because, clearly, these two aren’t even on speaking terms any more. Let alone living in holy matrimony.

And “hating your job” is likely one of the things that caused it. The thing that drove the wedge between the Prides.

People have become so obsessed with disliking what they do, or who employs them, or what they deliver, or what they sell, or how stupid their organization is, that they’ve quit caring.

At all.

They’ve divorced Personal Pride from Professional Pride.

And Personal Pride seems to have come away with custody.

Professional Pride? I don’t even think it’s getting visitation rights.

People are looking for other places to harbor their pride. Personal Pride places. Places that are within their realm of control.

I can just hear it now…

“Oh, sure. I do this for a living, but in reality, I’m a Portland Trail Blazers fan. I can tell you all the stats for the team since its inception. Sure, sure. That last report I delivered was subpar. But I don’t really care about that. I do care about the Blazers, though. This stuff over here doesn’t really matter. It’s just work. The Blazers matter.”

(Of course the Blazers are a ridiculous example. I was trying to drive home the point.)

“Did you see American Idol last night? Here’s how I voted.”

“Did you see my new phone? This defines me.”

“I’m so much smarter than my boss, I’m just going to coast on this one.”

“They’ll never notice if we don’t do it the right way.”

I’ve heard more and more stories–and experienced more and more incidents–where workmanship is subpar. And the reaction by the responsible party?

“Oh well. Not my problem.”

For work, “not quite good enough” is more than good enough. Mediocrity is king. And “job well done” is falling a far second behind simply “done.”

Professional Pride is suddenly some lonely forty-something with a comb over. While Personal Pride is sewing wild oats with, well, everyone.

Can it be fixed? Can Personal Pride and Professional Pride be reconciled?

I don’t know. But I’d sure like to get those two in the same room, again. At least flirting.

And I guess it’s up to me.

Posted in Pride | 4 Comments

Rushing To Work — Missing The Beauty

Posted on April 18, 2007 by Toby Lucich

Missing something?Ask yourself — if you were on your way to work and heard one of the world’s greatest violinists playing on the street, would you notice?

A brilliant piece in the Washington Post called “Pearls Before Breakfast” describes an experiment in which the authors asked Joshua Bell, a world-renowned violinist, to play his Stradivarius for 45 minutes in a commuter Metro station during morning rush hour. Out of the nearly 1,100 people who passed by, only a handful stopped to listen or acknowledge him. A musician who regularly sells out concert halls was simply…ignored.

The saddest part for me are the interviews with the commuters who didn’t notice him — most were government workers and mid-level business people more focused on getting to their jobs, thinking about their upcoming meeting or buying lottery tickets than on the incredibly beautiful music in this unremarkable place.

This article points to something I think is fundamentally wrong with us as a work culture. We focus so much energy and time on our work, planning our days and schedules down to the last minute, that we miss the surprises — the unexpected beauty that can be found in the most unlikely places, the spontaneous opportunities that pull us out of our routine. Innovation and inspiration don’t come from being on time or sitting behind our desks. Art can be found and appreciated in any context, but only if we take a second to stop and look.

I would like to believe I would have stopped and listened to him play, throwing a good tip into his open violin case. But sadly, I’m not so sure.

(Hat Tip to Signals vs. Noise and their post “Subway Stradivarius“)

Posted in Career, Creativity, Perception, Perspective | 3 Comments

Leveraging Millennial Talent – Some Unsolicited Advice

Posted on April 18, 2007 by Toby Lucich

ImprovingI love my daily dose of Systematic HR. A great reflection on millennial talent resonates.

I think that “life indeed is the pursuit, not the fulfillment of one’s work life” is a key point that Gen Xers had to slowly stumble into, whereas Gen Ys have had the advantage of watching their Baby Boomer parents discover in mid-life that accumulation wasn’t providing satisfaction. I think Millennials have done well in understanding this message.

My experience of Gen Ys in the workplace has been positive — they are passionate, eager to learn, and technologically sophisticated. What I think proves to be seen is the willingness (not the capacity) to rough it out during the lows where entertainment value is absent and tedious work is stacking up.

Here’s a bit of unsolicited advice (too late, you’ve read this far) on leveraging the confidence, eagerness, and ability of new professionals entering the workforce.

Managers: A good portion of the responsibility will fall to today’s managers to ensure that the “light at the end of the tunnel” is regularly communicated. Managers will need to recognize that keeping the team focused and oriented is more important than monitoring the delivery of assigned tasks (go figure – managing). Strong managers have always helped put work in context, and this will continue to be a key asset for managers seeking to attract, retain and develop talent. Think “partner,” not administrator.

Co-Workers: There is also a task for older co-workers to understand the difference between mentoring and condescension. No one likes endless advice or know-it-all lectures, and a more mobile generation won’t likely stand for it. Relationship, relationship, relationship — the quality of the interactions will turn on rapport, just like it did for all of us when we were starting out. The big shift seems to be that confident Millennials (and Xers for that matter) have little appreciation for “command and control” styles that went out in the 70s.

Millennials: You know that your degree of satisfaction in your professional life is yours to determine, but be cautious not to undermine yourself. A valuable mid-career lesson learned is that everyone has something they can teach you. Even the guy at the water cooler that goes on and on. Make sure your plate stays full, and speak up when great opportunities are being discussed — ask your way into the next big thing and show them what you know. Regardless of age, everyone appreciates professionals that recognize what they don’t know, and can deliver their work (under-promise, over-deliver). Be accountable for your work, and take pride in your workmanship.

Rick is eager to go to work for you. I’m looking forward to experiencing your story of Why I Love My Job.

Posted in Accountability, Career, Develop, Growth, Management, Mentoring, Performance, Reputation, Talent | Leave a comment

I Love My Job: Rasmussen/Su, Husband & Wife Architects

Posted on April 17, 2007 by Toby Lucich

In the second of a semi-regular interview series on people who love their jobs, I spoke with Kevin Rasmussen and Vivian Su, a husband and wife team running their own small architecture firm. They have worked to create a lifestyle that blends doing what they love, with caring for their two small children in a financially sustainable, professionally and personally fulfilling way.

To learn more about how they did it, I spoke to them from their home office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Continue reading →

Posted in Autonomy, Career, Fulfillment, Meaning, Passion, Work-life balance | 2 Comments

Hello, Crazy

Posted on April 16, 2007 by Toby Lucich

Generation Y versus Generation XMaybe I’m not that dialed in, but clicking through Rick’s post and into “A Unique Generation,” I bumped into KV’s comment and feel my shaking my head – huh uh – wrong focus, gang. I’ve worked across several companies and cultures in my career, and would be among those to call KV “crazy.”

What stirs me is that KV’s predictions for the work world of 20 years into the future already feel dated, if not recycled from (gasp!) past generations. Maybe I’m jaded? Your call:

  • Everyone will have multitude of roles instead of one. Each one different: addressing individual needs or passion. A person [m]ight have four, 2-3 hour jobs. They could work as a software architect, a graphic designer a construction worker, and a middle school teacher, all in the same day.
  • We will all work remotely instead of having desk jobs, since wireless will be the standard. You still might meet with a group on a regular basis, but it might be at conference rooms at Starbucks, or at a park.
  • Instead of having a job, we will all work on a contract/consultant basis. No work, no pay. No performance, no bonus. Everyone will work for everyone based on the need. Social structures will play a much bigger role in how one finds work.
  • Salary/Pay information will be much more accessible which will cause pay scales to become more uniform and more correlated to demand and supply, than the current sy[s]tems which lacks full information and can be different between organizations, societies, cultures, etc.
  • Though corporations will exist, they will be shell entities solely for the purpose of defining the goal and getting people together, but not for managing them.

We Gen-Xers were inspired by words based in the go-go 80s wealth accumulation, instead of the 90s mid-life reflections. Maybe we had something to rebel against, because we were getting messages like “you’ll earn less than your parents” or “jobs security as you’ve observed it will no longer exist.” But I think Gen-X came of age during a time of major transformation, and this doesn’t occur without leaving some powerful, lasting lessons learned.

When I think about the future (colored by my own experience with 10+ years of work experience), I recognize that my views are shaped more by thinkers (Alvin Tofler, Tom Peters, Harry Beckwith, Jim Collins, Dan Pink) than by the technology that will support the next wave. My view of the “Future of Work” isn’t as much about discovering a newly enabled world, as adopting some familiar models (most notably, the flexible expert model used in film production).

My contrary bullets to KV’s above, in looking out the next 20 years:

  • Some people will get very deep and expert at what they do, increasing numbers will be doing very mundane tasks in low paying service businesses, and the era of “generalist” will slowly disappear. Increased transparency means that we now better appreciate the magic of the specialist – the surgeon, the deal maker, the highly paid specialists. Michael Jordan was a great example of specialist – highly paid for basketball, not so much for his baseball and golf endeavors. Increasing your value will mean narrowing your focus and offering services to a wider range of “buyers” of your services.
  • Wired or not, face time is critical to building organizations. Powerful organizations leverage adaptability and time to market, regardless of where the resources are sitting. In large organizations, leading, influencing, inspiring requires more than just dialing in or a weekly chat over coffee. Delivery is not enough, you have to really tune and deliver to do big things.
  • Though the population of successful independent consultants will increase, the vast majority of persons will remain in corporate roles in percentages similar to today’s breakout between employed and employer. The risks are too great for the vast majority to stomach. Few people get that continuous learning and development are the only real security left. In whatever form “security” takes, the vast majority of the population today and 20 years from now will continue to equate security and stability with corporate size instead of adaptability and relevancy of skills.
  • Expect to see greater breadth in the pay scale as individual brands become more pronounced – inside and outside corporations. Flat pay rates exist in commodity markets, assuming the same quality of work, timely delivery, and customer service. But I think these assumptions presume too much. Your brand value will say more about your worth in the future than your job title does today.
  • Future corporations will place greater emphasis on managing the organization of resources toward achieving results, rather than simply identifying goals and building departments. With adjectives like “agile”, “adaptable”, “flexible”, “scalable”, and “fast” coming to mind, I expect the new generation of companies to rely more heavily on who they know and not just who they employ. Why hire deep indefinitely when the need is for 6 months? Much like a production studio, deep talent will be kept on retainer for potential work, brought together as necessary to deliver the results, and then disassembled after the goals have been achieved.

Thanks for the inspiration KV.

Posted in Agility, Experience, Insight | 1 Comment

I, for one, welcome our Gen-Y, Millennial overlords

Posted on April 16, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Leading the wayWe Gen-X types are a sandwich generation, stuck somewhere between the old and the new.

  • Too young to ignore technology, too old to truly understand its potential
  • Too young to have participated in the greed-rush of the ’80s, too old to have missed observing it
  • Too young to have acquired the respect of the previous generation, too old to have acquired the respect of the upcoming generation

We’ll be swept under the carpet before too long. Bypassed on our road to leadership by the young upstarts. The Gen-Y “Millennials” who have seem to have a more clear understanding of their role than we ever will.

But before I drift into some Tyler-Durden-esque speech on the pervading ennui of Gen-X, let me say that I’m quite looking forward to the Gen-Y types taking the helm. Even if I never get the chance to screw things up.

Why?

Because I read things like “A Unique Generation” at Employee Evolution, and I like it. It gives me a warm glow inside.

Maybe, just maybe, this whole thing will get fixed.

To wit (emphasis is mine):

Maybe we were being groomed from birth to change the way things work. Maybe the answer to getting out of working paycheck to paycheck at a dead end job is not to find a new, better job. Maybe the answer is to change the fundamental structure of the corporate world so everyone can enjoy their jobs. Maybe we can achieve this if we make our voices heard.

We have been labeled “America’s next Great Generation,” It is my prediction that by the time we are leading this country, things will be different and eventually we will live up to the title. Why should we wait 20 years to do this? Maybe I’m crazy and maybe these are the same thoughts everyone generation had at 22 years old. But there is one glaring difference, the numbers are in our favor.

Posted in Change, Corporate Culture | 2 Comments

Making mistakes: Assuming your excitement is infectious

Posted on April 16, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Making mistakesA few weeks ago, I mentioned that I would try to take some time to highlight some of the mistakes we’ve made (and maybe are continuing to make) with Kumquat.

Now, there are plenty of mistakes through which to sift, so I was trying to decide where to begin. That took some time. Plus, I wanted to make sure that the discussion of the particular mistake could serve a larger purpose. Meaning, I didn’t want the mistake to be so Kumquat-specific that it had no bearing on the world at large.

I think I found an appropriate mistake with which to start:

Assuming your excitement is infectious.

Too often, people assume that their excitement is palpable, infectious–and intelligible. When, in actuality, leadership, co-workers, vendors, and others often have a very difficult time getting to the same level of excitement as you have. Because they don’t understand it–or love it–as much as you do.

Recognizing this is one thing. Assuming that it is occurring, automatically, when it isn’t occurring, at all, can be disastrous.

When Toby and I began working on Kumquat, we were downright giddy. We had hit upon something that we thought we would enjoy building, we were the target market, we were excited to have the tool for us, and we thought that others would find a great deal of value in it.

And the more we talked about it, the more excited we got. And we talked so much with one another that we tended to internalize the excitement. We began to assume it was completely obvious and immediately understood.

But the problem was that we were only talking to ourselves.

This mistake led us to under-communicate about the excitement, the concept, and the tool we were trying to build. We left out a big chunk of the story.

We were so excited. It was obvious, wasn’t it?

No, it wasn’t.

And because of this, we sat there scratching our heads.

Why aren’t our vendors jumping all over this? They’re getting paid to do this. They should be taking this and running with it. This is the most exciting thing ever.

Not to them.

To them, it was just another project. Because while we took the time to translate our requirements and our ideas, we did a piss-poor job of translating our excitement and energy.

The result? The first coder on the Kumquat project didn’t deliver. It took forever to get anything out of him.

And we found it very demoralizing. We just couldn’t understand why he wasn’t putting this at the top of his list. (We were paying his full rate.)

The reason? It wasn’t exciting. Worse yet, it was probably boring.

So, we cut our losses (which were substantial), and started from scratch. New coder. New code. New team. New process.

This time, we’re trying to be clear about our excitement. We’re working hard to translate our passion. We’re conscious of making our coder more of a partner, less of a vendor.

And it’s been night and day.

He’s involved. He’s contributing. He’s “bought in” to the whole thing.

And it’s made it very rewarding for all of us.

So, don’t assume that people have your passion. Don’t assume that they grok the concept. Spend your time describing, sharing, yelling, screaming, and weeping. Show your passion. Try to make it infectious.

No matter what you’re doing.

You’ll be better for it.

Posted in Kumquat, Mistakes | 5 Comments

Will Past Co-Workers become Current Again?

Posted on April 13, 2007 by Toby Lucich

Keeping in touchRick’s “Hiring decisions, when mistakes keep on giving and giving and giving” really changes the way I think about the hiring process.

  • Is this hire so good that they really grow your brand?
  • Do they enhance your corporate value when they go out and network in the marketplace?
  • Do past co-workers in new companies increase the likelihood that you will be interviewed, given your shared past?

I have worked with some amazing folks, and often wonder how our paths might cross again in the future. I’ve had some fantastic relationships that continue beyond our shared work environment, and value the opinions of these professionals when they talk about new experiences, companies, or professionals they are now working with.

So while I can readily see working with the people again (a relocated community, as it were), I don’t as often see myself returning to an organization I was involved with in the past. This might stem from my insatiable curiousity about new experiences (industries, functional roles, unique cultural challenges), but I also don’t feel that connected after I leave.

I know, duh. I left, so of course not. But this is where I think corporate alumni networks have real value. They keep you in touch with your past, and affirm the value of that affiliation in a way that confirms your good sense to join them in the first place.

I’ve worked with several ex-Big Four auditing and consulting professionals, and always marvel at how well these alum remain connected. They carry (and leverage) the brand promise beyond their work at that employer. While they may not choose to return, they remain very much connected with these past communities.

We’ve talked about how you will likely not retire from your current role. But should an employer work to maintain relationships with former employees, it is possible that you could retire from that employer at some future date in some very different role.

How likely are you to return to a past stomping ground? What is your company doing to lure back high performing talent?

Posted in Branding, Career, Reputation | Leave a comment

Hiring decisions, when mistakes keep on giving and giving and giving

Posted on April 13, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Your hires say something about youI was reading Toby’s post, entitled “Influential HR Grows Talent Management, First and Foremost,” preparing to slap a little bit of artwork on to the top of this article when I stumbled across this passage:

HR is responsible for Human Capital Management, cradle to grave (or hire to separation).

When it dawned on me, that the grave, in this case, isn’t really separation.

This is why hiring is so much more critical than just getting someone to do the job, today.

And I’m not even talking about all of the positive growth and advancement and adding value to the organization stuff. I’m not talking about any of the skipping-down-the-yellow-brick-road-of-happiness, touchy-feely stuff. I’m talking about the dark spectre that we all like to ignore. The “You’re not going to retire from there” factor.

At some point, possibly in the not-too-distant future, that person is going to become your brand message to the market. That person is going to become a shining example of your human capital management. That person is going to become the way that every company from this day forward analyzes your company.

Your company–in hiring–has just added another brand element to its communications package.

Which brings me to another wacky thought: Shouldn’t HR really be responsible for that capital even beyond separation?

I’m serious.

It may sound ridiculous, but think about it.

That person, that former hire, leaving your organization, is still a very real example of your organization in the marketplace. Shouldn’t HR work more like PR? Shouldn’t they focus on reputation management in the marketplace even beyond the separation?

What if the HR department took the time to contact companies that had just hired former employees? What if they took the time to reach out again–90-days, 180-days, years–afterward, and asked some important questions? Is this employee fitting in? What skills are they missing? How could we have done a better job helping this employee improve?

This is why hiring is so *bleeping* important: That person has your company on his/her resume forever. That person is forever a message to the market about your company.

More importantly, as a hiring manager, that hire is a message about you.

That hire is your brand. Forever.

Think about it.

Posted in Branding, Hiring, HR, Human Resources, Perspective | 3 Comments