Cubbies Win, Cubbies Win!

This week's post was written by Scott Peterson.

In the 1989 film, Back to the Future II, the main character, Marty McFly, saw the Cubs winning the World Series in the year 2015. As it turns out, the film was only off by one year! Now, what does the Cubs winning a few baseball games have to do with leadership? Well, more than you might think.

The Journey - 108 Years

In the United States, the average attention span of an individual on a phone is six seconds. Think on this for a moment: one, two, three, four, five six - swipe and move on. The Cubs and their fans waited over 100 years for a World Series title; that's a lot of attention and patience.

The following statistics on the ye1908 may provide additional perspective:

• Theodore Roosevelt was president and we have had less than 20 presidents since;

• Five generations (e.g. parents of the Baby Boomers generation were just born);

• The population of Las Vegas, NV was roughly 30 people;

• New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii were not official states;

• The speed limit in most cities was around 10 mph; and

• The average wage was $0.22 per hour.

We think a long time is days or weeks, when really long time might be a few years. This was more than a century and I still have a hard time contemplating the timeframe.

Leader Moments

Winning the World Series was not an event, it was a quest. Here is the story line:

• In 2009, J. Joseph bought the Cubs and hired Theo Epstein to lead the team as President.  Epstein was the President of the Red Sox when they ended their World Series drought. Epstein, along with several other leaders, set a vision of how the Cubs would win it all. This vision included the culture they wanted, from the front office to the players to the managers to the scouts to their relationship with their minor league teams. This vision was their target and their game plan!

• Between 2009 and 2014, the team made many changes from the manager to players. All of the changes were made with the backdrop of their vision. The entire Cubs organization started to believe in the vision; at least a little.

• Then in 2015 the Cubs had success and made the playoffs. However, they did not make it to the World Series and their vision was truly tested. Would the vision pass the test or would it fail?

• "W" in 2016. The Cubs embraced their destiny and win it all. From the very beginning of the season, they believed 2016 would be the year - their year - the Cubs' year. They had a great start to the season, stayed humble, stayed focused, and embraced their vision.

• Game 7 - what a game! The Cubs had the lead and then lost it; they did not have momentum on their side. Then, a rain delay. During this 17 minute period, the leaders seized the moment.  They could have hung their heads, but instead they leaned on their faith in the vision. After the rain delay, they came back out and did the unimaginable. The Cubs won the World Series. The vision was tested during Game 7 and during the rain delay, just like it was tested in 2015. The team embraced the test. It was their mental toughness, leadership, and passion for the vision that made winning the World Series a reality.

The Cubs winning the World Series is an incredible journey and a fun story to discuss. Just remember that you and your team have that same opportunity to create a vision and achieve great things. That vision will be tested and when it is, make the most of it. Lean in to that test, have patience, be persistent, and encourage your team to let their passion shine. When you succeed, it's time to let the champagne flow and celebrate. That is winning and leading the Interstates (and Cubs) way!

Continue leading the Interstates way!
Scott Peterson

Talent

This week's post was written by Jack Woelber.

I recently had an opportunity to attend a conference that focused on talent. Recruiting, hiring, and retaining good talent can be a challenge. Thirty years ago, companies chose the talent. Today, it appears the talent chooses the company. At the conference, I reflected on some ideas that serve as good reminders when thinking about talent.

Encourage Feedback

Allow constructive and honest feedback from direct reports by allowing that type of dialogue in a safe environment. Encourage others to share feedback and then be an active listener. I remember a quote that has stayed with me: “Listening is different than waiting to speak.” In addition to encouraging feedback, how we respond to that feedback is equally important. Responding negatively or in a way that discourages conversation will likely result in a decrease in constructive feedback.

Accept Feedback

There is great value in having critics around to give feedback. The best critics provide honest feedback and an opportunity to learn. However, a critic is different than a saboteur. Saboteurs are focused on themselves and it is unlikely they will be a good cultural fit. In addition to saboteurs, passive individuals can cause problems. Passive individuals are difficult to understand. When it is unclear if a passive individual is helping or hurting, it can be more challenging than actually knowing. For example, a gas gauge that works intermittently is often worse than a gas gauge that doesn’t work in any capacity.

Mentor

Mentoring has become a big part of assimilating new talent into an organization. A good mentor will encourage others to become engaged and provide an in-depth understanding of the culture. However, if the foundation of the mentor relationship is not strong, it may not be as successful. The conferenced claimed that on a scale of 1 – 10, the relationship score must be higher (stronger) than the issue score on the scale. Typically, if a relationship is weak then the issues and value of the relationship will also be weak. Spending time building relationships is very important. Additionally, it is important to accept that not all relationships will work successfully. Rather than spending time on a relationship that is not working, focus efforts on strengthening relationships that are working well.

The Right Fit

Today, the amount of technical talent a person has is key, but not sufficient. The right fit and attitude are also important. A strong candidate must have as much EQ as IQ. This becomes even more crucial the higher you go in an organization. Keep in mind, EQ does not mean leadership style. There are many different types of leadership styles and many styles can be effective.

For many companies, finding, developing, and retaining talent has become a major key to success. For some, it has evolved from a task strictly dedicated for HR to a strategy for the entire organization. In either case, strong leadership is crucial to success.

Continue leading the Interstates way!

Jack Woelber 

The Tension

This week's post was written by Dave Crumrine.

I recently had the opportunity to work with the current EIL class and travel to my electrical peer group. The primary topic of discussion within this group was 'making change'. During EIL, we discussed the tension between Setting Direction, Aligning and Motivating (SAM) and Planning, Organizing and Controlling (POC). Different initiatives and activities require leaders to utilize different levels of skill. The more SAM is needed, the less POC is effective and vice versa; there is always tension between these ideas.

In my peer group, we talked about the changes we are making and how much we can accomplish at once. Again we discussed the idea of tension between operating well on a daily basis and the need to improve through change and adaptation. Many viewed this idea from the perspective of a team's time. For instance, if operating at 120% of plan, then there is not much capacity to change or improve. A member of my peer group added some valuable and memorable insight arguing that this isn't about time, but rather mind share and priority. Managing time is a fool's errand as we all have the same amount of time; it is a matter of managing individual and corporate priorities. To do so, we must understand our team's commitments, priorities, and mindset.

Ultimately, we concluded that tension will always be present and in a way it serves as a scorecard for leadership. Are we balancing the needs of serving our clients with the needs to get better for our clients? Are we acknowledging that if we don't do something, there is a consequence in the future that we must be aware of? If we wish to impact the priorities of our people and help align their efforts, then we must lead! We must talk about the trade-offs and the consequences. We must help our people make trade-offs and equip them to make the right trade-offs. 

In summary, there is no perfect mix of change and daily execution, there is only a tension. One that will always exist and require us to lead. It is in place specifically to make us choose and to challenge us to be our best each day and as we continue to adapt.

Where does your team need help working through the tension? 

Continue leading the Interstates way!

Dave Crumrine

Leading with Quality

This week's post was written by Doug Post.

We are continuing our focus on the Interstates Core Values.  To date, we have considered:

• Integrity – doing what you say you will do – every time.
• Dependability – ability to be relied upon and trusted.
• Trust - having confidence in another’s character, expertise, abilities, and integrity.

Today we will be focusing on the 4^th core value: Quality. What does quality work look like at Interstates? Good drawings, detailed project plans, superior craftsmanship, great startups? Yes, and much more.

What do you think of when you hear quality?  Maybe some of the words listed in the word picture above?  Interstates defines quality as “providing lasting value in the eyes of our clients.” The client sets the standard for quality! It’s our job to understand the needs of the client and provide results that meet their budget, schedule and performance needs.  What's more, we need to do all this in a way that provides a positive and memorable experience for the client.

In The Fifth Discipline, Peter M. Senge refers to quality as “all things that matter to a customer, such as product quality, service quality, and delivery reliability.”

Product Quality

Product quality is tailoring what we do to meet the client's goals. As professionals and craftsmen, it's important to remember our clients usually care little about our drawing details or the craftsmanship of our electrical gear installation. What they do expect is that their interaction with us will result in a plant that operates per their project and business goals. For us, this means that at times a "napkin sketch" and a functioning MCC on-time is higher quality to our client than waiting for a well-ordered 1-line and a picturesque electric room. Remember, quality to the customer is staying in budget, being on-time, understanding and meeting his needs.

Delivery Reliability

Delivery reliability is getting the right deliverables (Level of Detail) to the right client at the right time, all of the time. Dave Crumrine notes, "93% might be an A in school, but it's a horrible quality record on a design or construction project. Would you be happy if 93% of your vehicle's engine was installed properly?"

Service Quality

Service quality is a topic in itself. We can discuss elements of service such as responsiveness, accessibility, attention, follow-thru,  and recovery.  We might consider great ways to collect client feedback. But let's focus on a servant's heart with the story of two mechanics:

There are two equally busy auto repair shops. The Jones family is anticipating leaving on their summer vacation next Thursday when an unfortunate thing happens… the transmission on their Tahoe breaks down. It’s a week until they head out on vacation. In a panic, Mr. Jones calls mechanic #1 and asks if he can get his Tahoe in for repair because they are heading on vacation. The mechanic says he’s sorry, but he is swamped and can’t take on one more thing. So, Mr. Jones contacts mechanic #2. This mechanic indicates he'd love to do the job even though he feels just as busy. He asks Mr. Jones when he needs the repair done by.  Mr. Jones says next Wed – the day before his vacation. The mechanic says it won't be a problem, while he can’t fix it today, he can get it done before Wednesday. 

Mechanic #1 missed out on serving Mr. Jones simply because he didn’t t ask the customer when he needed the work completed.  Either service shop could have fit the Tahoe in for repair, but only one shop went beyond today to figure out the customer’s time frame and need.

  

Leading with quality does require effort, discipline, planning, and commitment. It is never an accident; it's never simply the result of quality people; it is always the result of intelligent effort. It's an opportunity to lead the Interstates way. I challenge you to be intentional as you work with our clients going forward.  Understand from their point of view what a quality deliverable is and provide that high-level of lasting value to them.

Continue leading the Interstates way!

Doug Post

*The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge, pp. 65-66, 325-335

___________________________

Learning to Land

This week's post was written by David Krahling.

Many years ago, I learned to fly and earned my private pilot license. I was fascinated by the art of flying and drawn to the beauty of the endless blue sky. It took some practice for me to become comfortable controlling airspeed and elevators for take-off and climb, along with blending aileron and rudder to execute a coordinated turn. However, like most student pilots, I mastered the basics of climbing, descending, and turning fairly quickly. Interestingly, we tend to use the expression “learn to fly” when describing this accomplishment. Yet, learning to fly is relatively simple; mastering a safe landing is the real challenge. Unlike flying, landing is an entirely different maneuver and there is a much lower tolerance for error. Successful landings require a high degree of skill and a great deal of practice. Nailing a perfect landing is challenging enough in calm weather conditions, but throw in a crosswind and the difficulty increases significantly. For an ideal landing, the pilot must reach stall speed at the exact moment the wheels touch down with wings level and flight path perfectly aligned to the center of the runway. Pilots refer to a perfect landing as, “greasing the runway.”

Similar to the skill, focus, and practice required of a pilot, athletes must also refine their skills to be safe and successful. The Rio Olympics offered a wonderful opportunity to view some of the world’s greatest athletes compete in various sports. There are many leadership lessons to be found in the stories of the dedicated athletes whose strength, balance, and courage allow them to push the limits of the human body. In gymnastics, for example, there is extraordinary focus on the landing at the very end of the routine. Commentators and spectators alike discuss, in great detail, whether or not the gymnast “stuck the landing.” As I watched gymnasts demonstrate impressively complex maneuvers on the vault, pommel horse, beam, rings and bars, I could sense their disappointment when a landing was disturbed by a slight hop. The path to a perfect ten is determined by the difficulty of the routine and point deductions. Although a slight hop in the landing may seem insignificant, sticking the landing is crucial.

If you hold a leadership role, at Interstates or elsewhere, successfully completing a project may be just as critical as a pilot greasing the runway or a gymnast sticking a landing. This is because how we complete a project can have a significant impact on those we serve. The ending is typically the most important part of a project for Interstates. At the end of a project, we strive to create a memorable experience and positive, lasting impression for each of our clients. This is why we invest a great deal in our check out commissioning and start up processes; we too need to stick our landings. Other leadership activities have a similar need for successful endings. A strong finish is crucial when leading initiatives and executing strategic programs. As leaders, it is often easier to start something new or get distracted in performing the routine, while losing sight of the need to finish something well. Great leaders understand the value of having enough energy to close out initiatives and programs with a strong finish. Therefore, our challenge as leaders is to determine how to get our teams to a successful ending. Some aspects of leadership don’t always feature a clear ending, such as coaching our teams and developing our company culture. These features are an ongoing process where leaders must work to set us on a path in the direction of a strong finish so that eventually we can stick our landing.

Continue leading the Interstates way!

David Krahling

Develops, Coaches, and Motivates

This week's post was written by Scott Peterson.

During most Excellence in Leadership 1 classes, we ask two very telling questions:

1.       Who was the best supervisor/leader you have ever had, and why?

2.       Who was the worst supervisor/leader you have ever had, and why?

The answer to the first question revolves around development, coaching and motivation. Most of the time, the leader that tops the "best" list focused on helping the person grow, elevating their performance, and helping them achieve more than the employee thought was possible. They played the role of a mentor, coach, cheerleader, etc. Their goals were balanced between getting things done and positioning other people to learn and grow. 

The answer to the second question is also interesting. Leaders on the "worst" list are focused on themselves and getting things done.  They treat their people as tools. 

I have had many people from the Interstates family invest their time in me to help me grow. For example:

• Jim Franken - coached and pushed me about leadership and being forward-thinking.

• Darrel Ramhorst - gave me hard feedback, pushed me to have high standards, and encouraged me when I needed it.

• John DeZeeuw - helped me understand the business of construction, engineering and automation. He also inspired me to have a balanced perspective (balancing the needs of the employees, the needs of the clients, and the needs of the business).

•  Larry Den Herder - focuses on providing feedback and direction on how to make a difference for our clients.

• Jack Woelber - provides great feedback and support. He also helps reinforce the desire to build a great culture, live our core values, and provide opportunities for people.

• Dave Crumrine - helps me to think broadly and deeply about our clients and our business.  His ideas, feedback and passion around pursuing a better way have raised the expectations of myself and our team.

• Doug Post - encourages me to be a better systems thinker and to constantly read and look for solutions for our teams and for our clients.

• Kristi Segar and Lori Van Beek - provide great feedback, insight and perspective to help me grow as a leader.

As you think about how to develop, coach and motivate your team, there are two approaches that are effective. If you want to have amazing results, the key is to implement them together. These approaches are:

Planned Development

As a leader, know your team. Know what they want to develop and support that. You should also have open and candid conversations with them about what they need to develop and why. As you get to know them you'll find out what they need (e.g. skill development, experience, self-awareness, confidence, etc.).

Teachable Moments

These moments pop up every day, but many of them go unnoticed. A great leader has the ability to see them and leverage them. They may not see 100% of them; it is more like baseball - hitting 300 is great. They connect the teachable moment with the development that employee needs at that time. When it happens - it is powerful and can really motivate the employee, and the leader. 

Interstates excels at development, both on the technical side and on the leadership side. Your responsibility, your opportunity, your privilege is investing some of yourself into your team, your peers and other leaders to help them reach their potential. When it happens, it's a win/win situation. When you invest in people, you ARE leading The Interstates Way!

Continue leading The Interstates Way!

Scott Peterson

Relates with Others

This week's post was written by Jack Woelber

Let me start with a question. Whose responsibility is it to relate well with others, the leader’s or the “other’s”? I’d like to suggest that, even though both parties have a responsibility, it is up to the leader to take the necessary steps for relating with others. What steps can a leader take to help ensure that they are relating well with others?

Build rapport. It takes time and intentionality to build rapport with someone, but through good listening and being approachable, you can find commonality that allows individuals to connect. Connecting with someone is very helpful in relating to him or her. Through that connection, it is easier to be empathetic when a person is sharing his or her point of view.

Once you have built rapport, a safe environment can be created for people to share their viewpoints, even though they might be different than yours. Seeking out those differing views allows you to think more broadly and possibly achieve a perspective you might not have gotten if you hadn’t tried to understand. I had a customer tell me one time, “Think about it until you agree with me.” While he was just kidding, that kind of attitude creates an unsafe environment and will shut down opportunities to relate well with others.

Phil Quigley, former CEO of Pacific Bell, once said, “I don’t think of leadership as a skill. I think of leadership as a relationship.” This attitude allows everyone you work with to feel important and to know his or her opinion is valued and matters. Thinking of leadership as a relationship magnifies the opportunity to draw out the opinions of others and to glean more candid, honest input and feedback that you would otherwise not get.

As a servant leader, one of your responsibilities is to meet others where they are. You may need to modify your typical approach, or at some level who you are, to be sure to engage others in order to relate well with them. Modifying your typical approach takes humility and emotional intelligence. This self-awareness and ability to adapt is crucial for relating well with others.

When I first came to Interstates, Darrel Ramhorst was my supervisor and mentor. I understood computers and programming, but I didn’t understand PLCs or electricity. Darrel was a master at coming to my level to teach me what I needed to know to be more effective in my role. With his master’s degree in engineering from MIT, it would have been very easy for him to speak well above my head and lose me in the conversation, as well as frustrate me. (He may have been frustrated, but he didn’t show it!) However, Darrel first understood who I was and where I was. He then adjusted so we could relate at an appropriate level for me to learn and grow in my understanding of the industry. He was a great example for me. My hope is that each of us will do what we can to become better at relating well with others.

Continue leading the Interstates Way! Jack Woelber