Author Archives: Tom Foster

About Tom Foster

Tom Foster spends most of his time talking with managers and business owners. The conversations are about business lives and personal lives, goals, objectives and measuring performance. In short, transforming groups of people into teams working together. Sometimes we make great strides understanding this management stuff, other times it’s measured in very short inches. But in all of this conversation, there are things that we learn. This blog is that part of the conversation I can share. Often, the names are changed to protect the guilty, but this is real life inside of real companies.

Draw a Simple Picture

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“I don’t know,” Denise delayed, mulling things over in her mind. “How do you just make something simpler?”

“It calls for a bit of analysis,” I replied. “Tell me about a simple process that your team does on a repetitive basis, something with several steps that they do over and over.”

Denise nodded and began to describe a system, with thirteen steps. On step number three, I stopped her.

“I want you to draw a simple picture, a series of circle, each circle representing a step in your system. And draw a line between each of the circles.”

I watched as she turned the paper to get all the circles on one page, carefully labeling each of the thirteen steps.

“Now what?” she asked.

“Now, ask which of these steps is necessary to achieve the goal.”

“The goal?”

“Yes, I want you to add one more circle and describe the goal, the quantity we want to produce at the quality standard necessary.”

Denise drew an empty circle and I could see the churn in her mind. As soon as she wrote something in the goal circle, I could see her make mental connections to the other circles.
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Pre-registration for Working Leadership Online ends today. You can still register this week, but you will lose the $50 pre-registration credit after today. Orientation begins next Monday. Pre-register here.

You Can’t Cut Your Way Out

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“You have worked very hard to eliminate things that are no longer (or never were) necessary,” I added.

Denise nodded. She was listening and thinking.

“You cannot cut your way out of this. Your next step is to simplify. Look around you. What methods and processes should be simplified? What happens to methods that become simpler?”

Denise was slow to respond. Her focus had been on eliminating things. “When we simplify something, it takes fewer steps, it can be done quicker,” she replied.

“Business is not too complicated. Find a customer need (that they are willing to pay for). Make sure there is a market large enough to sustain a business. Then find ways to fill that need faster, better and at a lower cost than your competitor. Simplifying a method or process makes it faster and often lowers its cost.” -TF
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Working Leadership Online Schedule
January 26 – Orientation
February 2 – Goal Setting and Time
February 16 – Decision Making
March 2 – Planning
March 16 – Delegation

To find out more about this program and to pre-register, visit www.workingleadership.com.

The Thinking That Got Us Here

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“It’s a lot of change,” Denise concluded. “I know I have to be calm and make my decisions with both my head and my heart.”

“Denise, this is not all sad,” I replied. “I know this is difficult to let go of things we have built, but those are things of the past. Yes, it’s change, but some change is necessary.”

Denise looked up, taking a fresh breath, slowly exhaling.

“Look,” I continued. “I expect massive innovation, and not just in technology. I expect innovation in methods and processes. I expect innovation in business models. You are correct, this will not be business as usual, but business as usual got us into this mess. The thinking that got us here will not be the thinking that takes us to a new place.” -TF
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Working Leadership Online Schedule
January 26 – Orientation
February 2 – Goal Setting and Time
February 16 – Decision Making
March 2 – Planning
March 16 – Delegation

To find out more about this program and to pre-register, visit www.workingleadership.com.

State of Fear

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“I don’t know,” Denise continued. “If we are really going to be down another 20 percent in revenue, we are going to have to take some steps that I don’t want to take. This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do with my company. I can usually take things in stride, but I can tell this is affecting me. I am not a stressed out person, but I can feel this.”

“It is easy to get hung up in this market,” I replied. “You think your business is contracting because you did something wrong. This is no different than adding headcount and buying equipment when the market is growing, except we are having to reduce headcount and idle equipment when the market is contracting.”

“I know, but it feels bad.”

“Feeling bad is not going to help. I know it is difficult to imagine, but think about the worst thing that could possibly happen.”

Denise glanced sideways at me.

“Seriously,” I insisted. “What is the worst thing that could happen? Now, accept it.”

Denise’s stare became intense.

“The stress you feel is because you cannot imagine the worst. It puts you in a state of fear. When you can accept the worst, you can take positive steps to improve your position. Not from a state of fear, but from a state of acceptance.” -TF
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Working Leadership Online Schedule
January 26 – Orientation
February 2 – Goal Setting and Time
February 16 – Decision Making
March 2 – Planning
March 16 – Delegation

To find out more about this program and to pre-register, visit www.workingleadership.com.

Reality Always Wins

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“I know we are supposed to come up with a plan for this year,” Denise explained, “but things are so uncertain, I am having trouble.”

“So, there are questions you don’t have answers for?” I asked.

Denise nodded. “I can’t imagine what things will be like a year from now.”

“Okay, so there are things we don’t know. What things do we know?”

“Well, we’re not like GM or Chrysler, those guys are really in trouble. Our company is solid, doesn’t have a lot of debt, it’s just that our business is really tough right now.”

“So, a year from now, your doors will be open and you will be doing some level of business. And you know your business volume in 2008?”

“Yes, and based on what we know from our customers, we think our volume will be down another 20 percent in 2009,” Denise replied.

“I know it’s difficult to think that business could be down another 20 percent, but that is where you have to start. You have to be prepared. It’s not the plan you want. But remember, your company cannot be bigger than the market. Plans never survive a train wreck with reality.
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Working Leadership Online Schedule
January 26 – Orientation
February 2 – Goal Setting and Time
February 16 – Decision Making
March 2 – Planning
March 16 – Delegation

To find out more about this program and to pre-register, visit www.workingleadership.com.

Uncomfortable

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Question:
I signed up for your program, but I have a concern, related to working with teams within my own company. I don’t anticipate that anyone here will participate with me on any of these projects. I hate to sound negative, but lip service around here is alive and well, and I always wind up being the only one putting a priority on things like planning and budgeting. I hope this course will help me to gain buy-in from my coworkers, but I don’t know if anyone will be willing to participate on my team. If they don’t or won’t, will I be able to complete the program on my own?

Response:
Your question is not about our program. Your question is about you and your role in your company.

And you are not alone.

Many managers face your issue. Last month, you were a team member, maybe even the team leader that everyone looked up to. Then you got promoted to manager and everyone hates you. Or resents you. Or even if the relationship is still positive, it is certainly different.

Working Leadership Online focuses first on you, building your skill set. The interaction with your team is where you apply the skills we talk about. The purpose of this program is to help managers gain the willing cooperation of their team. The short answer to your question is, yes, you will be able to complete the program. The long answer depends on you.

You are right to feel a little uncomfortable about this. It is in the crucible of discomfort that we make the most effective changes in ourselves. -TF
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Working Leadership Online Schedule
January 26 – Orientation
February 2 – Goal Setting and Time
February 16 – Decision Making
March 2 – Planning
March 16 – Delegation

To find out more about this program and to pre-register, visit www.workingleadership.com.

Performance Improvement

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Working Leadership Online Schedule
January 26 – Orientation
February 2 – Goal Setting and Time
February 16 – Decision Making
March 2 – Planning
March 16 – Delegation

To find out more about this program and to pre-register, visit www.workingleadership.com.
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From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:
How can you help someone improve on their writing skills? We use form letters most often in correspondence and there are not a lot of opportunities to write a letter/memo. Do you have any tips on how I as a manager could assist my direct report? (Aside from taking courses, etc.)

Response:
My best recommendation is practice. I would assign short exercises (3-4 sentences in length) on a periodic basis (1-2x per week) and then spend short coaching sessions (10 minutes) reviewing the exercise. My assignments would be verbal expecting a 3-4 sentence written response.

Before you get started, you will need to sit with this person and define the purpose for the weekly exercise. “We need to work on improving your writing skills so you can be more effective in your role. We are not going to beat a dead horse, but we are going to work on short improvement exercises, where there is no risk. As time goes by, we will shift from exercises to the real writing that our customers (or others) read.”

Using exercises in the beginning allows you to establish a performance improvement program without judging “bad work.” Understand, in the exercises, you are definitely judging, as a manager, the writing performance, but it moves the focus from “bad work” to “improvement” in a non-lethal environment.

It does make some sense, early on in the coaching, to ask “How is what we talked about today, influencing your real written communication with customers?”

Let me know how it goes. -TF

The Risk in Uncertainty

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“I truly think we could multiply this business five times over,” Synthia described. “If someone bought our company, now, with the right investment, things would take off.”

“In this economy?” I asked.

“Yes, in this economy. Some sectors are taking it on the chin, but we made a decision to stick in this part of the market,” she replied.

“If that is what you think, why don’t you do it?”

“Well, we don’t, I mean, there is risk, after all,” Synthia backed off.

“When I ask, why don’t you do it? it’s not a dare. I am really looking for the reasons. Let’s say there are six reasons why you don’t want to take the risk. I will bet a dollar, three of the reasons are real and three of the reasons are head trash. I am here to help you identify the head trash, so we can get down to the real reasons to go forward or hold back. When we get the head trash out of the way, we can begin to make progress on stuff that is real.” -TF
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Working Leadership Online Schedule
January 26 – Orientation
February 2 – Goal Setting and Time
February 16 – Decision Making
March 2 – Planning
March 16 – Delegation
To find out more about this program and to pre-register, visit www.workingleadership.com.

All Those Things Abundent Work Denied You

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In response to Monday’s Letter from China, Joe Barnes writes:

Having lived through several deep recessions in the U.S. I found that there are still rewards to be obtained even when you have to redefine your traditional concept of productivity:

Spend your free time wisely. Focus on EDUCATION–learn a useful skill; learn a new language; read things that you previously ignored; reach higher than you thought possible when you were busy with the work that has now fallen by the wayside.

Be PATIENT. Think long term. This situation did not happen suddenly and it will not be cured suddenly. Focus your energies on WELLNESS. Depression and anxiety sicken and kill. Adopt a new regimen of exercise, fitness and healthy food. Grow your own; you have the time.

Focus on SPIRITUAL enrichment. Spend time being involved with and reaching out to those whose lot in life is worse than yours. All the things that abundant work denied you, due to too busy a schedule, will now be possible. REINVENT YOURSELF so that when global circumstances improve you will be ready to prosper.
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Pre-registration continues for Working Leadership Online. This program kicks off with Orientation on Jan 26. For more information, follow this link.

Describe a Manager’s Role

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From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:
I’m a production guy who was given a shot at management but was replaced after a year-and-a-half. You had some keen insight and encouragement for me and I really appreciate you offering your valuable time. I’m hoping you’ll be able to help me again.

I’m ready to pursue another management opportunity but I’ve never crafted a resume specifically for a management position. I’ve read that a resume is usually only skimmed over by the person reading it and you only have about 20 seconds to make an impression. So I have two quick questions for you sir:

1. Do you agree with that 20 second rule?
2. Are there any suggestions you could offer to help me craft the best resume possible?

Response:
Congratulations on your freedom and decision to continue to pursue a management position.

No, I do not agree with the twenty second rule. I think it takes at least thirty seconds to make a good decision about a person 🙂

Seriously, first impressions are important, but not the inflection point for a positive decision, though a negative first impression could be difficult to overcome.

So, for first impressions, I would focus on the non-verbal parts of the contact.
1. Show up on time (thirty minutes early is better than one minute late).
2. Dress one or two levels above the standard dress for the company.
3. Be cordial and smile.

Now, on to the resume.

As you write short descriptions of your work history, focus on those things that relate to the role of a supervisor and the role of a manager.

Supervisory roles – make sure production (product assembly or service delivery) gets done. This is NOT doing production. This is making sure production happens, using schedules, checklists and meetings. The number of people involved and the time span of the production process are important.

Management roles – create, monitor and improve systems. This is NOT doing production, but determining the sequence in which production is done. If there is a problem, the question the manager asks is not “why was there a problem?” but “why didn’t our system detect the problem?” This would include work flow, material procurement, order flow, inventory management, service dispatch, the list goes on. Think system, using work schematics, flow charts, org charts and planning. The number of people involved and the time span of the system cycle are important.

So, take your work history and describe those aspects that align with both supervisory and management roles.

Best of luck in your search. -TF