Do boomers and millennials seem to be on different planets? Why are so many employees who are new to the job market having trouble adjusting? Are their new companies and managers adjusting to them?
Open for Business – Courageous Leadership
America is open for business, which is a call for courageous leadership. There has never been a more important time for leadership and civic involvement, especially on the part of women.
Why We Must Act Now – Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Together we will continue to progress and pursue the letter and spirit of Dr. King’s call to action to each of us individually, our country, and our world. Overwhelming and moving are words that come to mind when considering how to properly recognize the birthday of someone who changed the course of history.
Dr. King’s writings and quotes are cited frequently, but the occasion of his birthday makes us go deeper. If Dr. King were here today to guide and counsel us, he would tell us that today is an important opportunity to encourage and support others. By looking closely and carefully, we can find out where to start.
Educational progress for the African American community has been tremendous, and continues, according to the Urban League. In spite of these strides, there are persistent and troubling facts which are found in their 2016 report, State of Black America
- 10.8% of white Americans live below the poverty line, compared to 27% of African Americans – both figures are unacceptable
- Unemployment rates are double for African Americans, across time and educational levels
- African American median household income and home ownership is roughly 60% of that of white households
The report goes on to state, “This year, as the National Urban League celebrates the 40th anniversary of the State of Black America report, it continues to interject serious consideration of the social, economic and political issues facing African Americans into the national discourse. While aggregate improvements can be noted across the board for Blacks and whites, unfortunately the findings tell a clear story that significant disparities remain and have not been resolved by any gains, particularly in income and employment.”
According to the Prison Policy Initiative, the United States has the largest prison population in the world, 2.3 million of which 1 million are African American. This does not include the 11 million people who pass through the system every year and are not convicted. While the United States represents about 4.4 percent of the world’s population, it houses around 22 percent of the world’s prisoners.
Naturally these facts, and the feelings they elicit, take you back to Dr. King’s book “Why We Can’t Wait” and his Letter from the Birmingham Jail, written in 1963. His letter is a road map for planning a strategy to make change and have impact.
Dr. King would tell us to celebrate his birthday by living by our principles and commitment to peace and justice. He says in his 1963 letter to be patient and reasonable, but he also implores us to act, and to go where there is injustice, because “injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.” He tells us to ignore our critics, otherwise we will not have time to do our important work. Dr. King reminds us that our discontent is normal and healthy, and we must channel it into nonviolent action. His deep disappointment in 1963 is clear, and he would be disappointed today. But he reminds us that there can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. We may have disappointments about today’s state of affairs, but that is because we care, about our community, our country and our world. Finally, Dr. King recognizes that sublime courage, the willingness to suffer, and amazing discipline are required in the midst of great turmoil.
Dr. King’s non-violent model was designed to encourage and help humankind, but he focused on his community because the largest injustices were there. During his short life and these intervening years, he has been recognized as a great champion for all people. So let us renew the commitment that he asked of all of us so many years ago.
No matter who you are or what you have, you can take action each and every day. Use this day of celebration to remind yourself that you can make a difference in our world. You are unique, special and a life changing spirit. Dr. King’s message of peace and love can be lived by us moment by moment and day by day. We can turn the tide, because it’s not over, until the victory is won.
Leadership: Why We Must Act Now – Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ©Change Create Transform
Savvy & Practical: Quantum Transitions
Based upon the principles of physics, change is ever present. At the quantum level, everything is always changing.
According to Jim Clifton, Chairman and CEO of Gallup, business closures are now outpacing business start-ups. “400,000 new businesses are being born annually nationwide, while 470,000 per year are dying.”
Transition is right around the corner. Everyone is an interim leader. If it has not happened yet, just wait. The status quo is transitory and largely an illusion. Knowing this does little to help us manage the challenge presented by volatility and the business landscape.
Not only are businesses starting and closing, companies are merging, growing, changing and entering new frontiers. Leaders, managers, and professionals are reinventing themselves, changing careers, and innovating in place.
There are steps to be considered.
Five Practical Ideas for Quantum Transitions
1. Design Your Future
Develop a specific written plan that includes your dreams, vision and plan for the future. Your ability to craft an action plan for yourself is in direct correlation to the outcome you can expect. Include in your plans self-development goals that challenge you to grow and learn.
2. Calculate Your Worth
Everyone has a specific, unique contribution to make. Whether or not you capitalize on your strengths, capabilities and gifts is up to you. You have value. Think about and write down your accomplishments, experiences, and talents, starting from the youngest age you can remember. You are worth a great deal.
3. Take One Day at a Time
Multi-tasking is an oxymoron. Getting one thing done at a time is both efficient and effective. We should plan for the future without misdirecting effort. Dedicate most of your energy to specific actions steps that must be taken each day, one day at a time.
4. Take Care of Yourself
Self-care is central to success. In the middle of transition, our self-care routines can become disrupted or disappear. Recommit to caring for yourself through healthy eating, adequate sleep and rest (they are different), physical activity, and engaging in fun. Connecting with community, friends and family is also important.
5. Release Control
Live life fully. Seeking outside control diverts energy from the possibilities of life. Be pleasantly surprised by what the future holds, to minimize stress and maximize focus.
Savvy & Practical: Quantum Transitions ©Change Create Transform
Savvy & Practical: Change the Game Without Trading Players
Sports has become an increasingly complex and interesting industry. The parallels for business are sometimes obvious, at other times subtle. Many lie in how to integrate, develop, manage, and retire players on a team. Stepping into a new leadership role can be a daunting task and often requires a team to return to fundamentals. If you are able to add top draft picks or free agents to a team in transition, it can create a climate of positive anticipation, new energy, and the opportunity to start fresh. More often than not, a team must change their game without trading players. This frequently signals the strength of the back office, as well as the coaches, managers, and players. It is reassuring and refreshing to see a skilled organization revitalize a team that has lost its self-confidence and the loyalty of its fans or customers. Several keys steps are generally undertaken to change your game without trading players.
- Stabilize. Create a climate that reassures and rebuilds the foundation. Lead by example. This is primarily accomplished when leadership puts their “skin in the game.”
- Communicate. There can almost never be too much communication. This requires active listening and a high degree of self-awareness by the team and its leaders. In most cases, facilitation and feedback on a continuing basis are essential.
- Quantify. Develop meaningful and achievable goals and objectives. Utilize a team process to get buy-in from every player.
- Celebrate. Find the accomplishments, and utilize them to spur motivation to move to the next level. Foster an environment that celebrates success and learns from failures and challenges. Motivation comes from within, but is spurred on by recognition from those we respect.
- Dream. Bring the team to the next leveling by tapping into their dreams. No matter how battle worn a team might be, each person underneath it all has dreams and a belief system. It can and should be a springboard to refresh, renew and rebuild.
- Include. Every member of the team has something to contribute. Including each team player in the strategy, as well as the tactics is a sure formula for success. Not doing so is wasted resources.
These principles will lead to measurable financial results and build strong businesses. When failure, challenge, change, or some combination confronts a team, the temptation is to trade players. It takes discipline, savvy and a practical approach to change the game.
Savvy & Practical: Change the Game Without Changing Players ©Change Create Transform
