Spectators and Players

  There are many spectators at any given game, but there are only a few players in the participation aspect.
 How many players do you have actively participating on your production floor?

  Spectators put time in, consume payroll, space, and usually with aggregated compliance. Players make better use of your/their time, they hold their own. Proactive players go above and beyond, they score more and make up for the rest of the team. Here it comes...

                                                         The Pareto Experience!

  Does it have to be that way? Some say it will always be that way, some will acknowledge they can tweak the percentages somewhat; but I and a small portion will say we can change that percentage a great deal...IF! we work at it, and know, work, and fix the problems at the beginning of the hire, not the months or even years later.
  Several ideas come to mind.
1. Be up front with your hire.
2. Training and cross-training, wire correctly at the beginning.
3. Having the right fit for the team is more important than the experience.

  We have several different methods to choose from depending on your specific needs. There is no 'one size fits all'. With our "PPP" (progressive production process), clients have come to enjoy the outcome. Their ROI has drastically increased, employee retention, along with glad tidings from managers and supervisors.

  For more information on how we can help you grow your company give us a call and see how we can save you $$$$ on less waste, and make you $$$$ on product.

"BUILDING DREAMS, TEAMS, AND FRIENDS FOR LIFE!"

856-520-1188
b.gibbs-pc@comcast.net
jackarnold-pc@comcast.net

Legacy Extension pt3

   "Legacy Leadership is a process of intentional influence that takes place in the context of a relationship."
     Dr. J. Lee Whittington

1. Leadership is a team effort
2. There is an intentional influence to bring change, growth. They count themselves (considered) among their followers, not above them.
3. Leaving a (your) legacy is a deliberate act, and has a ripple effect.

                                     Measuring leadership effectiveness reality check:
  It's not quarterly metrics as you may have assumed. It's the impact you have on each member and individual who follows. Building their capacity to grow. This comes only thru knowing each individual follower on a more intimate level. With this in the forefront, your quarterly metrics take care of themselves, and in a more momentous way.

   There is no double meaning in the words you say, things you want accomplished with NO hidden agendas on you as the leader. In other words, there is no selfish agenda on the leaders' part.

  Leaders exemplify authenticity, true humility towards their followers. This is what a follower follows...even to the end. It's the leaders' caring and sharing of self. So...BE REAL.

 If we have done our perfect job as leaders what then? Do not our followers show our credentials and/of recommendation to those who are not? Of course! They will be true to you and the cause.

  There are two ways leaders are seen as. We can lead as managers, or lead as honest-to-goodness leaders. It's easy to fall into the manager trap. SORRY! the fact is, managing people, paper, work, bills, etc isn't leading. Leadership is a growing, ever expanding venture between follower and leader.

           [ NOTICE: I put follower before leader, because leaders put their followers first.] 

The Leaderships Imperative: To make law that goes across the board without conflict of interest on all parts. The meaning is that the thing you put into law is able to transfer from one place of use to another without repercussions.

True leaders always lead from the front line, not from the back, the middle, or on some side-line.

 As we wrap up this mini-series I want you all to think about it. Your followers, co-workers, associates are your bread and butter as much as you are. We are all part of the team, and part of the overall big picture.

 This is the last blog of the year, you have been very much appreciated throughout this year, and we look forward to many more.

ARNOLD GROUP

Building dreams, teams, and friends for life, not just clients!

Leadership...Legacy Extension pt2

Legacy Leadership is the extension of ones self. Leadership is having followers work for you and even with you. LL is having them not only with you but thru you.

 They emulate you. Not that's not to say there is an ego crisis going on here, but the pure, simple truth is that you are looked at with a high regard of respect. They gladly take on the extension of your leadership. They do what you would/will do, whether you're there or not. If you're at a meeting down the hall, or visiting a client on the other side of town, they replicate in your absence.

                                         WHY? WHY? WHY? and WHY?

  Simply put, your relationship with those you lead are so close so tight, they wouldn't want it any other way. Take the Navy Seals Teams for instance. They work together for so long so close, training, resting, training, learning, training. They get to know each others next move, almost spontaneously. Like having one body, one mind.

         "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way."

                                                                                                      John C. Maxwell

  Same with the organization you all work for. You want to flow as one organism. The Apostle Paul said it this way, "You know what kind of men we proved ourselves to be among you for YOUR good. And you set yourselves to become imitators of us and through us of the Lord Himself..." Thess: 1:5-6

 NOTICE: Here Paul states that these followers were imitators of himself as he was/is an imitator of the Lord. That they made the mind set to do just that. It was a deliberate act!

  Legacy leaders admonish when need be, but not to the point of your follower feeling persecution. Your leadership should always put your followers needs and growth first in front of your own. This display of humility is so strong  on your behalf, that none of these wonderful followers you have to lead will ever, never dispute your judgement.

  Great leaders should not be "passive-positives" as what political scientist James David Barber calls it. This is when the manager/supervisor enjoys such title, accolades, and privileges, but has no intention of filling the duties in full. They avoid confrontation, have a hard time confronting difficult issues, and find conversation hard to deal with. They aren't emotionally engaged in the work process, some find it hard at home as well.

  I knew a supervisor who dodged the upper management team for two whole months. When they finally caught up to him he was laid-off. They figured if they didn't get what they needed from him, and he was getting paid, "Dump him!" was their final word.

  As a legacy leader you want to be active, not passive. You want your behavior to be transactional and transformational. By transactional you are identifying performance expectations with utmost clarity, and rewarding when those performances are met. Transformational is meaning that you are fully engaged in passing your knowledge to the other person. Followers emulate their leader!

  Also, you as this extraordinary leader that you are, realize that no two people are alike, and you don't treat them as such. Treat your followers as individuals, reach them on each of their levels. No, they don't all move at the same pace, so your patience is sometimes highly required.

Food for thought: Some leaders at this point would throw in the towel, and get rid of those types of followers. But patience is the virtue that overrides this perspective to create a great follower in the end.

Check out the first of this series: Admonish, Nurture, A Legacy Leadership
Also:  Want to be a great leader?

 Here at Arnold Group, we are "Building dreams, teams, and friends for life, not just clients!"

Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It's about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others' success, and then standing back and letting them shine. Chris Hadfield
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/chrishadfi637159.html?src=t_leadership

Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It's about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others' success, and then standing back and letting them shine. Chris Hadfield
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/chrishadfi637159.html?src=t_leadership

Admonish, Nurture, A Legacy Leadership

We've all talked about Leadership, Servant-Leadership (which is a start), but what about a transparent leader? How about...
                                    
                                                        Being a Legacy Leader!

What is a legacy leader, what does it look like, what does it do?

Well, let's start with what they are not, and don't do.

They never lead from behind.
They never ask for anything that CAN'T be done.
They never ask from you what they haven't done themselves. (Within limits, of course)
They never make rules no one can follow, or not follow themselves.
They never gossip about their followers.
They never condemn nor condone bad actions.
They never play the blame game on others.

What legacy leaders do:

They always lead from the front. They are the point men and women.
They always ask from you what you are capable of.
They always push you into a growth zone.
They always build their followers, working on their strengths.
They always admonish and nurture when things go awry.
They take the heat for their followers when it gets down to it.
They give positive affirmation and praise for a job well done.

Think on these questions

 They go with you side by side on any frontier or tread any new waters. Legacy Leaders go above and beyond their call of duty.


                  You are asking your followers to, "Do as I say, and do as I do!"


  You ask why would they do such a thing, why don't they just do their time, make sure everyone did what they should have and call it a day? That's why they are called...
                                                      
                                              "LEGACY LEADERS!"

  What kind of legacy will you leave to the next generation of managers after you retire or are gone. Would your dream be to be remembered as the "jerk that didn't care" That wouldn't last too long. But the guy or gal that went the extra mile, spent that extra minute or hour helping a follower get it right, put her/him on the right path to become perhaps a stellar performer, that's one of the things a legacy leader does.

                                                          AHH, but there's more!

  A Legacy Leader does one giant step greater. That's to live that legacy in the present, not after they've moved on. Followers watch what's done more than hear what's said. That old saying, "I can't hear what you're saying, because your actions are speaking louder!" Don't let that be said of you.

  You can touch them, speak to them any time, almost hear their heart beat. Why? They get up close and personal with their followers. They're not afraid to be vulnerable with those they lead. Napoleon was a leader such as that. He knew the names of his soldiers and knew of their families, Gen. Patten, the same.
You are training the next generation to be great leaders as yourself, to take up the gauntlet in your stead.

   Jesus when he walked the earth did just that. He was and is the ultimate Legacy Leader of all time. He taught his disciples to be just as himself, and after two millennia, his followers still grow.

   Stepping into this kind of leadership is demanding non the doubt, but the rewards are stupendous. Here at Arnold Group, we are "Building dreams, teams, and friends for life, not just clients!"

Culture! Everyone's Talking Culture

   Everybody wants to either create a new culture for their organization or do it from scratch. Which of the two do you declare is your venue? Or maybe you haven't thought of needing one, or more-so never thought of having a culture at all.
 But, now that I put it in front of you, you're thinking, "To have a culture, or not to have?" AHH..the question!

   Cultures play different roles in different organizations. No two cultures are alike! Just as no two people are alike. What one type of culture can do for one may not do the same for another; not that its bad, it just doesn't fit your type of organization.

  "Creating a culture for your company is like picking a suit/dress, or shoes it has to feel, look,  and wear just right or it won't go far."

  Next question to ask yourself is, "What kind of culture do I want for my organization?" Sophisticated, light, cheerful, fun, debonair (to name a few)? Maybe a mix, such as fun yet sophisticated, light yet debonair.

                                                                  Don't go for dark or

                                                    gloomy, you'll chase people away.


   Seriously though, you need to think of the atmosphere you want to portray in your company. Think of it as a stimulus. You want it to perpetrate all the persons involved; to be a part of something bigger than themselves to invade their personage (in a good way).

  The type of business you run plays a major part in the culture type you need to have in order to be successful for years to come. It's not a one size fits all, it has to be true to you and the mission you're on, the end being in mind from the beginning.

  What do clients see when they walk into your respective business, especially new clientele? First time impressions mean everything, whether it's a date, first day at a new career move, a meeting, etc. What does your opening act personify to the client?

  How can culture affect employees, 1. they are eager to start their day, or 2. just another day at the office, blah, blah, blah?

                     Culture is always there, (good or bad) whether we observe it or not.

Your Culture is the very essence of your company, it's the heart and core values wrapped up in everything you and your company stand for.

  A good introduction is the book Corporate Cultures by Terrence Deal and Allan Kennedy.  A more in-depth examination is the book The Cultures of Work Organizations by Harrison Trice and Janice Beyer. These will help you start your "Cultural journey". 

Happy culturing! Cheers, Jack

A Recipe For Your Success

 Here are some simple and practical things to follow when "baking" up your business. You can add as you see fit to baking up your personal brand, but these should be a stand-out and starting point.

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_education.html

   This recipe is for a great Customer/Client relationship. Creating Satisfaction is one of the chief goals you want your client/customer to have. Your first ingredient is a:
Lg dose Great Customer Service. Not just CS but GREAT CS , with no BS. This is the foundation just as flour is to a cake. How does your customer service rate with your clients/customers? 

Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power. Clint Eastwood
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_respect.html

    "Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, That's real power." 
Clint Eastwood

   Having Respect for your clients/customers as well as yourself is very important also. Their needs and yours should be both be met. Don't be afraid to ask questions, that knowledge will further your relationship before you get blindsided. It blends these next few things that are added to our batter.

 Pour in a lot of Honesty & Integrity. These will bring sustenance to the batter holding it together which creates and builds a strong Trust; something that cannot be left out. Without trust your batter will fail; they hold all of these ingredients together.

    "To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved."  George MacDonald  

To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved. George MacDonald
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_trust.html

To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved. George MacDonald
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_trust.html

To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved. George MacDonald
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_trust.html

 
   Loyalty: Do you want their loyalty. The one that stays when others come around they will stick with you; because you already have their best interest at hand. A big cup full of this.


                      "Unity is strength...when there is teamwork and collaboration,
                        wonderful things can be achieved."              Mattie Stepanek
   

Commitment. Your commitment and theirs is a two way street. The commitment to one another to grow a fantastic personal and organizational relationship is what you're looking for. For this lots of sprinkle!


Communication. Once you're engaged in real time communicating, you'll pick up on things in conversation. Almost like finishing the others sentences. You'll pick on things when they're going good, or when they're heading south.

    "The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said."
     Peter Drucker

Delight: You want your clients/customers to be extremely delighted in the fact that your commitment to them is in fact genuine. Bring a smile to their face, pour it on!

     "The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows."
      Sydney J. Harris

What do you Experience while working with your clients/customers, what do they experience when working with you? The whole atmosphere should smell of the aroma of a great experience you and your client/customer share.

Now the icing...

A single mind/motive is having you share this cake with your clients/customers with smiles from ear to ear.Why?
Devotion is holding you all together. Caring for each others business growth and personal growth. When was the last time you celebrated a contractual anniversary with your client/customer. Try it, throw an office party with them, don't over do it (you may scare them), but show your yourself caring about your commitment to them.

This is brought to you from Arnold Group's Sphere-Logic Business Thinking.
Thanks for taking the time for this baking class.
Cheers, Jack

Middle Managers Prospectus

 As managers, we have come to the conclusion that we have to do it all, 'get er done', keep things moving, etc. When in fact (admit it or not) we can not do it all, even in delegation there are times when you are short-handed, low on allotted time on that days' schedule; and you realize it wont be done today. 

What do we do?

 You put your best on the job for each particular position at hand and hope for the best possible outcome... right? Wrong!! There are things we can do to make life a bit less complicated. This is new for some and just a small reminder for the seasoned manager.

Here are 6 steps to help you 'get er done' in some of your most pressing days:


1. Listen! Listen! Listen!
What do you hear the producers saying on the production floor? Does any have a thoughtful strategy? Could be they thought this thru before you; after all, they operate the day to day. Your associates are closest to almost all the situations on the production floor. Feedback is very, very important, listening even more-so.


                               Then you must act on that info!



2. Make each step count.
 Consider each step a stepping stone toward the goal. Well thought out moves are done before you make a move, not during, takes place. Are the right people for the job selected? Look ahead for obstacles that can and will arise. Plan an execution for each.

 Cross-training should be an essential part of any manufacturing culture. A/G specializes in group and one on one training methods to ensure production control.








3. It only works if you work it!
Many a good intentional plans have gone to dust because of poor execution or none at all. Try working the scenarios in your head, with a colleague, on paper, etc first; but do it or it won't get done!
Procrastination is a major production killer for any organization. Thinking things thru is one thing, but letting go, even for a time, is another.



4. Don't drift!
 This happens quite a bit. No one does this deliberately, but you may start out over here doing the right things, someone calls you for one thing or another,

all of a sudden you catch yourself an hour or so later not doing what your main intentions were. You must stick to the point and plan at hand.







5. Don't be afraid to stretch yourself or your team above and beyond!
Growth comes from stretching and building. Muscles don't grow unless you put pressure against them, same thing here applies. Your associates won't get mad or angry with you, they will see it as a measure of trust you put on and in them. (If they see it otherwise, they aren't team members)

Which leads us to:

6. Be immersed in the growth process!
 Leaders lead by example, not from the side-lines. Give it your all, they will follow suit. There's nothing worse than coming up with plans, strategies, and thought processes that never come to fruition.

Arnold Group has been serving businesses, manufacturing companies, career climbing men and women for some time now. "Building dreams, teams, and friends for life, not just clients!"