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June,
2009
Welcoming
a New Client
Welcome
to the June edition of Servant-Leadership Solutions Newsletter.
Grab a fresh cup and settle in. I've got more than usual
to tell you about.
Before
getting to the usual information, I want to share some exciting
news with you. Yesterday, I finalized an agreement to work
with my good friends Rick Turner and Barry Pearlman of the
Rick
Turner Guitar Company. I've known Rick for almost fifteen
years, and Barry for more than five, and have been associated
with the company for some time.
Rick
Turner is an icon in the music industry, and is a world-renowned
luthier and designer. He's spent almost his entire adult
life in the field, and his instruments are regarded as some
of the finest on the planet.
With
the new agreement, I will serve as Ambassador-at-Large*,
assisting with sales, service, training, web site content
and outreach - basically, all of my core skill sets and
passions. Technically, I am still an independent contractor
to the company, and I will continue to work from my home
office. In theory, I will operate as a telecommuter who
needs to properly interface with the rest of the team even
though I'm two thousand miles away. (Sounds familiar, doesn't
it?)
For
the remainder of this week and the next, I'll be spending
time familiarizing myself with the company's infrastructure
and processes. (Having played their instruments for many
years, I'm already very familiar with their products.) The
following week I will travel to corporate headquarters in
Santa Cruz, CA, for a week of meetings, interviews and videotaping
for their web site.
Left
to Right - music industry icon Rick Turner, Lane, and Barry
Pearlman, circa 2007.
While
Rick and Barry have been a part of my "family"
for many years, this new step is a very exciting one, for
both myself and the company. We all expect to have a lot
of fun while doing some great business. So, welcome aboard,
Rick and Barry!!
*
- You can blame my penchant for interesting titles on Matt
Weinstein of PlayFair, Inc., who styles himself the Emperor
of PlayFair, and is assisted by a Vice Emperor and Vice
Empress. After seeing their titles, mine isn't so strange,
after all.
Read
the Press Release
A
New Name
Recent
visitors with a keen eye may have already noticed that I
have changed the name of the company to emphasize my focus
on servant-leadership. We will now operate under the name
Lane Baldwin Servant-Leadership Solutions. I believe
that we have entered a unique window of opportunity for
servant-leadership to create real change in our society.
With this name change (expansion?), it is immediately obvious
to each new person I meet that servant-leadership is the
cornerstone upon which I have built my business.
More
people than ever before recognize that it is long past time
to create the "more just" society that Robert
Greenleaf championed, one in which the needs of all are
served by their leaders, so that all may enjoy the prosperity
that our combined efforts create. Like many others in the
field of management, I hope to make use of this window to
spread the message to wider, and more receptive audience.
Web
Site Updates
In
the past month, I've added the following new articles to
the web site:
An
Introduction to Servant-Leadership
Fifteen
Ways to Improve Your Phone Personality
Twelve
Assets of a Successful Telecommuter
In
addition, the site now has a new color scheme which I believe
will make it easier to read.
Helping
Others Succeed
As
managers, we sometimes are faced with the difficult situation
of an employee who is a square peg attempting to fit into
a round hole. It's not that the person isn't smart, or dedicated,
or focused on success. Rather, it's that the job is not
a good fit for the employee.
Of
course, we owe it to our company to ensure that each position
is filled with someone who can do the job well. From that
perspective, the obvious answer is to remove the 'square
peg' and replace it with the round one. But how does this
reconcile with servant-leadership? Former GE leader Jack
Welsh often pointed out that leaving a person in a job in
which they are not succeeding does not serve them at all.
Instead, it corners them into a situation in which they
cannot do well, preventing advancement and fomenting frustration
and even poorer performance.
The
key is to help the person recognize that they do themselves
no favors by maintaining the status quo, then gaining their
cooperation in resolving the issue. Let me offer an example:
While
working with Men's Wearhouse, I managed a young woman who
was working her way up the sales side of the operation.
When we first met, she was a senior sales associate (spelled
h-e-l-p-e-r) and wanted to move up to wardrobe consultant.
We worked together to provide her training and give her
opportunities to gain experience for the new job. Within
months, she was promoted and, in the beginning did rather
well.
The
problem was that she was not comfortable with some aspects
of the position. Let's be honest here: not everyone enjoys
selling. Even in low-key sales organizations, they feel
uncomfortable encouraging others to spend money. Because
of her discomfort, she began a downward performance trend,
accompanied by job dissatisfaction and frustration.
I
know of many organizations that would have solved the problem
by dismissing the employee and moving on. However, that
does nothing to help the individual move forward in a positive
manner. Instead, I had several heart-to-heart talks with
the woman, helping her to understand why she wasn't happy
in her job, and exploring possibilities for change.
It
turned out that my young employee had a real passion for
fashion, and a keen eye for visual displays. She also felt
a call to help others by offering experience and knowledge
that could help them succeed. These skills and traits made
her a perfect candidate for another job within the company.
In her new position, she would travel throughout the region
updating in-store displays and offering training to store
staff.
The
change was remarkable. Her displays received a constant
stream of praise from all levels of the organization, and
her training helped many stores increase sales. She was
supremely happy in her new position, and the entire region
was thrilled to have her as a resource.
The
next time you're faced with a situation in which an employee
or team mate is not performing as expected, ask yourself
if there is a better option than dismissal. By taking time
to explore all options, and consider the person's unique
skills and passions, you may well find a way to move the
employee to another spot on your team in which they - and
the team - thrive.
Remember,
helping another person succeed takes a personal commitment
to that individual. And isn't that what servant-leadership
is all about?
Resource
- Organization
The
Jaycees
Most
towns have a Chamber of Commerce. Many of these have a Junior
Chamber (Jaycees) chapter. Established in 1920, the mission
of the Jaycees is "to provide opportunities to develop
personal and leadership skills through service to others."
Hmmm... sounds a lot like the things servant-leaders do.
If
you're under 40, I strongly suggest you investigate your
local Jaycees chapter. If you have children over 18, the
Jaycees would be an excellent resource as they begin their
business career.
Visit
the US Jaycees web site
Quick
Tip - Be a Servant-Leader in Your Community
Now
more than ever, we need to work together so that everyone
in our community makes it through the current economic crisis.
Remember the old adage, "united we stand, divided we
fall." It's something we should all remember today.
Ask
yourself how you can best serve your community. Take a look
around and see what needs doing, then do it. You don't need
a large group of people; all you need is yourself and a
desire to serve. This was my goal when I created Danville
Foodstock - to serve food - and hope - to those
in need.™ Today, a year and a half later, it is becoming
a national network of local chapters, each of which is operated
by a small group of volunteers (most of them fellow musicians).
Would it surprise you to know that the national "headquarters"
and our local chapter are run by myself with the help of
only two other people?
What
do you get from such service? First and foremost, you get
the strong sense of fulfillment derived from serving others.
Second, you improve your quality of life by improving the
quality of your community. Third, and to me, least important,
you raise awareness in the community of yourself and your
business. That's already three rewards from a single endeavor.
There
is one potential result that I believe is more important
than all - to promote servant-leadership as the most viable
management philosophy today. Yes, I write a lot about servant-leadership,
and I talk about it in virtually every presentation I give.
The best way to promote the philosophy, however, is by walking
the walk. By becoming more active in your community, and
by demonstrating servant-leadership in your daily life,
you can help bring about great change in our society, especially
now, when our country so desperately wants to move in a
better direction.
You've
Got Questions
Q:
I've barely got enough time to get my business done. How
can I find time to volunteer in my community?
A:
If we truly care about our community, there is always a
way to find a few hours a week to help out. One way is to
get up thirty minutes early every day. Another is to turn
off the TV for one hour every night. Either way, you can
use that time to your advantage. The times I mention may
not be the specific times you want to volunteer; if so,
use them to take care of other responsibilities.
One
other thought - Parents who worry they will lose time with
their children should consider involving their children
in their community service. Talk about Quality Time!
Thought
for the Day
Be
the change you wish to see in the world.
Mohandas Gandhi - 1869-1948
End
of Servant-Leadership Solutions V2009, #4, a publication
of:
Lane Baldwin Servant-Leadership Solutions
My business is improving yours.™
Copyright
by Lane Baldwin Servant-Leadership Solutions, 2009. Reprinting
or republication of Servant-Leadership Solutions is prohibited
without prior approval.
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