​The yellow and grey tread of a tiny shoe waves at me, moved by a child sitting across from me at a local coffee shop. His (presumed) dad and sister are nearby at a table, but he and I apparently share the same appreciation for well-worn leather armchairs.

He can’t be more than 4 or 5 years old. He holds an iPad encased in thick, bright blue rubber intended to protect the device he clearly takes just about everywhere with him. Whatever is on the screen elicits smiles, jerks of his hands and little body, and activates more waves of the yellow tread foot.

After a brief glance up, he catches my eye and blushes. I say hello and offer a big smile. Mr. Yellow Tread smiles back, says hi and goes back to the screen.

​“Are you playing a game?” I ask, trying to be friendly. “Yuh huh,” he says, with an exaggerated head nod that somehow involves every inch of his two and a half foot tall frame.

​​(Gulp)

It came so naturally. It just slipped out. I didn’t mean anything by it, yet here I was, making conversation with a child and inadvertently emphasizing what I work hard to intentionally de-emphasize with my clients: process is just as important as outcome.

In a culture that praises productivity and embraces efficiency at all costs as an acceptable approach to business success, time spent in the process of being successful is synonymous with lost time and money, and is to be avoided as often as is possible.

New perspectives that seem forced and awkward initially, bring fresh insight. Dry spells reveal distractions and provide singularity of focus. Breakthroughs are reminders that problems indeed have solutions and are worth our effort to find. There is rich learning to be had during the process...and here I was, reflexively privileging the outcome again.

Mr. Yellow Tread is gone now, as I write these final lines. Another young guest has come to armchair land and taken up temporary residence.

“Look what I can do!” he says to me, balancing on the edge of the armrest recently vacated by Mr. Yellow Tread. His mom is in line to order some snacks, looking on with a smile.  Mr. Armchair Acrobat is friendly and clearly up for a chat.

Determined NOT to make the same misstep again with my new friend, I try again.

“What are you doing?” I ask, offering another big smile. He flips over, belly up, doing a backbend over the armrest and replies, “this.”

​“Cool,” I say. “Keep it up, little man.”

​ Questions:

• How does your organization privilege outcome over process?
• What process are you in the middle of that you have labeled a waste of money and time? What learning exists in that very process that is being undervalued?

While updating a colleague I haven’t seen in awhile about the work I’m currently doing, I wrote the following:

I don't think I'll be stepping off of this roller coaster any time soon. 

For what cause would you step inside the car, pull the lap bar down, buckle your seat belt and let a machine toss, twirl and throw you around for awhile? For me, it’s resourcing deep transformation.  In people,  teams, organizations.  
​
I’m fortunate to have found the work I know I am born to do ... but it’s one heck of a ride. If you’re thinking about joining me on the entrepreneurial roller coaster, keep reading.

Rules of the Ride:

1. Screams are 100% allowed.
2. Fear is 100% allowed.
3. Laughter is 1000000% allowed.
4. Give lots of high-fives to the person sitting next to you.
5. Put your hands up if you dare, or white knuckle it all the way – you’ll do both at one time or another.
6. Just. Get. On.

So, are you in? (high-five!)
Let's do this.                                                                                                                
Click.   Click.   Click, click, clickclickclick ....
​

No company sets out to let resources sit untouched and unused. Yet so many consistently do just that. Below are the most common ways I’ve seen clients waste resources that could be used to further their core business or mission: 

#1 – Sidestep Difficult Issues
Instead of addressing difficult issues directly, people use their time, meetings, emails, decision-making structures, etc. to craft workarounds and unnecessary compromises to avoid having critical conversations. Address difficult issues head on, with respect and good will. Time and energy diverted to workarounds takes away from time tapping into the collective intelligence of your workforce.
 
#2 – Promote Silos
Remove the myth that we work in isolation. Keeping information rigidly separate from context, background and vision always – ALWAYS – backfires. Integrate. Demonstrate the domino effect that occurs between teams in the situations you regularly encounter. Put a spotlight on points of overlap and connectivity.
 
#3 – Shutdown Curiosity
Innovation arises from times when a person wonders if another, better way might be possible. Many managers assign tasks and expect their employees to do nothing more than maintain, maintain, maintain. By putting these blinders on your people, opportunities to streamline, cut costs and improve effectiveness are gone before you even knew they existed. Prioritize curiosity or you’ll maintain your way out of business.
 
#4 – Sideline Dissenters
Giving air-time only to those with whom you agree is a missed opportunity and a company culture liability. Those with dissenting opinions have different perspectives and therefore, have access to different solutions. By keeping dissenters in the shadows you miss the chance to create a richer, more holistic solution.

 #5 – Hoard Power and Information
Limiting employee decision-making and access to information teaches them to think and act small. How can you expect workers to produce comprehensive, sustainable business solutions when you’ve essentially dealt your employees three cards but you’re asking them to play Rummy?
 
#6– Have Low Expectations
My volleyball coach used to always remind us to “play to the level of the competition.” Without having the bar set high by someone else, some people will not stretch themselves and grow in ways that are within their capabilities. Set reasonable expectations, but with an intentional stretch.
 
#7 – Stop Asking Questions
Remember, leaders are in the (real or perceived) power position, and that can inhibit some from sharing ideas. When directly asked, however, ideas abound and innovation has a chance at implementation. Ask questions often of those around you, especially the high performers. “What problems have we eliminated in the last quarter? What new ones have popped up? If you could dedicate one day a week to working on an issue that is significant in your estimation, what would it be and what would you need to get started?”
 
#8 – Forget Your Humanity
Work can provide you with many things. Things like security, purpose, impact, financial and creative sustenance, challenge and ways to make meaningful contributions to the world around you. People on your payroll seek these as well. By ignoring these motivators, you’re missing out on engaging people at a level deeper than simply getting the next paycheck.


Questions:

• In which of these areas is your company leaving money on the table?
• How do organizational routines, mechanisms and practices keep your company in these patterns?

There’s something in my fridge that has been alive for over 80 years. 

It is a sourdough bread starter and it requires regular attention. To be more specific, it is the yeast that is alive and needs nourishment and regular use to maintain longevity and flavor.
​
A friend with a particularly old and rare yeast strain gets frequent requests to share his starter. His reply is consistent and predictable, “Sure, if you’re willing to sign the adoption papers.”

​Building human capacity within organizations functions in much the same way as a bread starter - it requires attention, nutrients and regular opportunities to produce in order to stay fresh and vibrant.

Neglected or underutilized workforces get lethargic and can quickly become unable to express their full potential. Cultivating human capacity is a significant responsibility that must be enduring, flexible and sincere.
​
Healthy yeast effortlessly yields flavor, texture and loft when cared for properly. In fact, it’s difficult to get it to do anything else when it is thriving. It's the same way with human beings.

Are you helping your workforce do what they are naturally wired to do? Is each person on your payroll so well nourished that you literally cannot keep them from innovating, solving problems and making critical business contributions?

I wish every CEO signed adoption papers. Heck, I wish every executive in the C-Suite signed adoption papers. Workforces need nourishment, and responsibility resides with the leaders if theirs starts to languish.

​Questions:

• How do you know that your people are being nourished? What are the indicators?
• Are you providing your employees with identical, generic training and development opportunities regardless of their role, temperament and interests?  Does this really help them thrive?

​This card sits front and center on my desk. Though I read it daily, the words caught my attention today just as they did when I saw it for the first time a few years ago.