Two Small Words

During my career at The Coca-Cola Company, I had the chance to work very closely with a wide range of senior executives.  While they all had their unique traits, none did I find as inspiring or motivating as Neville Isdell.  Neville’s career traversed multiple continents, five decades, and culminated as Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company from June 2004 to July 2008.  It was a true honor to have a chance to work on numerous initiatives that brought me in contact with him, always finding those experiences to be filled with learning and growth.  I wrote more about this recently in an entry titled “A teachable Point of View”. 

The cover of a recent issue of  “Business & Finance” magazine featured an article titled “Neville Isdell on recovery, sustainable growth and ethics.”  I was interested on first glance and dove into the article.  While a variety of topics would be appropriate to review, there was a very short paragraph that quickly caught my attention.  He is quoted as saying “that two very important words were left out of corporate strategies in the recent past: ‘over time.’  We forgot those two very important words.  What I was taught was that my role was to maximize shareholder value over time.” 

We are surrounded my so many examples, particularly in the financial sector, where a short-tem orientation has led to disastrous long-term results.  Neville says further “That became disastrous particularly when the banks’ short-term profits were driven by instruments that not many people understood, including the management of the banks.  But it is the ‘over time’ piece that is very important.”

Those two words – “over time” – seem so simple and so obvious...how have they been so easy to forget?  Think about other elements of your life that are valuable to you.  It could be friends, partners, spouses, children, organizations, etc.  Are you only interested in how they are going to do next quarter, or do you have a longer view?  As I reflect on my two children, aged 9 and 11, I am interested in how well they do in school this spring, but my timeline for their “success” spans years and possibly decades.  I want them to do well “over time.”  If we can have that longer view in our personal lives, why can’t we translate that perspective into our work life?

As an action step, take a few moments and pull out your goals for 2010.  For those who might not have anything formal, write out what would success look like to you this year.  With the goals handy, push yourself to think longer term.  Use Neville’s admonition and think about succeeding “over time.”  Try thinking out over the next three years and push yourself to think about initiatives and goals that may seem impossible over the next few months but attainable “over time.” 

As an extra step, try thinking past three years.  What truly long-term objectives lie years over the horizon?  Only by laying out those goals can we reflect back on what actions we need to take over the next three years, and thus this year, to ever achieve those seemingly distant goals.  We can all benefit by remembering Neville’s two simple words, “over time,” and we can all look for ways to turn them into reality today.

Start the year off with a moment of critical self assessment

Earlier this month, I had a dear friend send along a brief article that was sourced from Harvard business Review, dated January 4^th, 2010.  The author reflected on the executives that he had a chance to work with over the past year and organized that group into two categories, those that performed well and those that he wished had done better.  In an expected move, characteristics for both groups were captured.   I was very taken by the list for those executives “performing well” and I want to suggest an approach that will allow all of us to look for, and act on, ways to improve our performance in 2010.

1.)   “They set clear, measurable goals for themselves and their organization.  They       talk about these goals often, and hold themselves to them.”

2.)    “They seek feedback from others on those goals.  I believe that most people are hesitant to ask for help and even find it abrasive or self-centered.  Not these executives.  They recognize the value of seeking out strong mentors and peers.  They are not afraid to ask for help or guidance.”

3.)    “They communicate thoughtfully.  They understand the power of words to motivate, direct and bring clarity, or when used carelessly, to confuse, alienate and misdirect.”

4.)    “The act thoughtfully.  Sure they are opportunistic, but they are not impetuous.  Risks are calculated.”

5.)    “After they are thoughtful, they are decisive.  In short, they can execute and rarely suffer analysis paralysis.”

6.)  “They have integrity, and as a result, people follow them.  They keep their word and care.”

7.)  “They have ego-less confidence.  This is what allows them to be bold and open to feedback at the same time.  It’s critical.”

8.)  “They are smart and they study to get smarter.  They are students of business.  Even the best continue to learn and never think they’ve learned it all.”

 

 As an action item, take a moment to step out of your day-to-day activities and put yourself in the third person.  Many years ago, I suggested to a hard-driving young executive “that a moment in the third person could change your life.”  My thought is that we are all so busy trying to execute in the first person that it’s rare to step back and take a moment of reflection.  With that admonition in mind, take a moment to reread the list above and reflect on your own performance against each of the characteristics.  It would be probably helpful to print this entry, and using it as a worksheet, score yourself 1-5 on each of the eight. (1 for low, 3 for average, and 5 for high.)  Seek input from a trusted friend, peer, mentor or manager (see #2 above) but if you are uncomfortable, score yourself privately.

 

Now, using the back, write your two highest rated characteristics and on one half of the paper then the two lowest rated on the other half..  For the highest-rated characteristics, write at least one action that you WILL do this year to amplify and take advantage of these strengths.  For the lowest-rated characteristics, write at least one action that you WILL do this year to seek improvement in that area. 

As a final step, sign and date the sheet and make two copies.  Keep one for yourself (in your desk, in your briefcase, someplace convenient) and put the other in an envelope that you stamp and address to yourself.  Look for a friend, (a peer, a boss, or a spouse, etc.) and ask them to send you that letter in three months.  While there is no guarantee that these actions will FORCE you to take action, they will continue to remind you that there are a variety of things we all can take action on today to improve our performance now and in the future.

The smallest of small worlds!

What follows is a brief and amazing story that occurred to me a little over a week ago.  Most of the time, I write my blog entries with a lesson in mind, sometimes focusing on business or leadership, and other times the entries are more centered on lessons of life.  As a brief departure from that approach, I  have written this without a clear lesson in mind as of yet.  Take a read and let me know what you think the lesson might be!

I hadn’t been to London for a few years and as my recent trip got closer, I became more and more excited.  While a business opportunity was taking me to that fair city in the midst of a cold and wintry January, my energy and enthusiasm continued to grow.  It was planned to be a quick trip, arriving early Wednesday morning and leaving early Friday.  My business obligations were to take up Wednesday evening and most of Thursday, but I was looking forward to a few hours on my own wandering the streets, doing some “strategic “ gift shopping, uncovering a new pub or two, and just all in all getting reacquainted with an old friend, The city of London.

As I have mentioned in previous entries (most notably in “Act with Intent”), I believe in planning.  With that spirit in mind, I had laid out a bit of a plan, which included not only my non-work hours in London, but also what I hoped to do (sleep/read/write etc.) on each leg of the flights.  Sitting in Atlanta, after arriving early for my departure, I boarded the flight and got ready for an interesting trip across the Atlantic.  My book was pulled, my computer handy, I-Pod fully charged, and I was ready for the 8+ hours ahead.  The seating arrangement had me on the aisle (perfect) with a single seat to my right, which was at the window.   While the flight boarded, the window seat remained open and I stared to have irrational aspirations of an open seat.  A few minutes before the boarding doors closed, someone came up to my row, put down their bags, and said, “Bill Levisay, I can’t believe I’m sitting with you!”  I looked up in alarm, and saw the smiling face of an old work mate from my days at Coke who I hadn’t seen in possibly five years.  Unbelievable!  I quickly bounded up, helped her with her bag, and allowed her into her window seat.  It was good to see her, but I started to think about all my plans for the trip.  My reading time, then dinner, maybe a movie, and then falling asleep listening to music and waking up upon descent into Gatwick airport.  Regretfully, I felt out of sorts rather than excited to see an old friend.  I guess I had hoped for a silent stranger as my travelling companion, not a long lost friend. Regardless, we settled in, caught up on old stories and acquaintances and proceeded to have a wonderful flight.  We talked for a while, had our dinners (the Mark West Pinot Noir was a good call) and while she fell asleep, I read a bit, listened to music and eventually grabbed a couple of hours sleep my self.

As I awoke, my attention was captured by an announcement from the pilot saying that due to heavy snow, Gatwick Airport was closed and he was working on getting re-directed to Heathrow.  Others on the plane began stirring with frustration, wondering how they would rebuild their connecting itineraries.  For me, my London adventure just expanded.  I hadn’t flown into Heathrow for over 30 years and I was ready to work out how to get to my hotel using public transport.  My seatmate also looked on the news a positive, seeing that she lived in central London.  After a few hours circling, we did indeed redirect to Heathrow and landed perfectly in the midst of quite a snowstorm.  De-planning via icy stairs pushed up to the aircraft, packing into busses, we were transported to the terminal heading toward customs.  Upon entering the airport, I said my goodbyes to my old friend, glad to have been with her, wished her well, passed along my business card, and headed into the customs hall.

 

 

As is true in many airports around the world, customs that morning was a bit of a madhouse.   I got into the line (or queue) and stated fishing around in my briefcase for my London Underground map (remember, have a plan!)  As I opened up the map, I looked up and those familiar words rang out in the air…”Bill Levisay, I can’t believe its you!”  While unbelievable the night before on the plane, this was incredible.  It was Nina, one of my oldest friends from my days when I live in Wisconsin, coming toward me in the customs line at Heathrow.  Nina and I first met in 1985 when her husband Steve and I started working for Kimberly-Clark at the same time.  Nina was also a good friend of my dear friend Bruce Paynter, about whom I have written a number of entries.  I last saw Nina this past summer at Bruce’s funeral and now here she is in the customs line at Heathrow, an unlikely spot partly due to the fact that this airport was not even on my itinerary (or in my plan) until an hour before.  Beyond unbelievable!  We hugged and agreed to find each other in baggage claim.  After the normal horsing around with a busy customs hall, I found Nina at her baggage carousel.  She was over for about a week, visiting a cousin and her sister Bess (who I hadn’t seen since 1987) and was heading into the city.  My solo adventure quickly became a partnership and Nina and I caught up on District Line of the underground as we travelled by “tube” into the city.  It really was unbelievable!  Sure the small world moment of having an old work mate seated next to me seemed hard to believe, but this was unimaginable.  Nina and I caught up on the train and as we neared her station, she invited me to tag along to her cousins home in West Kensington (very lovely) and while it seemed a bit crazy (and certainly not “on-plan”), I said “sure!”  We exited the station and who was waiting at the top of the stairs but her sister Bess.  Having no idea of my presence, Bess wondered why a strange man (me) was talking to her sister by name, and asking to help with the bags (very steep and slippery stairs!)  After a moment of complete uncertainty, I “reintroduced” myself and gave her a hug.  Again…unbelievable!

We trudged through the snow to her cousin’s home, retold the story a few times, had a great warming cup of coffee, and relaxed for a few moments.  After a lovely conversation with Nina and Bess’s cousin and Aunt, I headed out, needing to get to my hotel by mid-day.  After a few hurried goodbyes, I gave Nina my card and said that if they were open for dinner Thursday night, they should give me a ring.  Not being too sure what to think with a bit of jet lag settling in, I found my way to the hotel, checked in, ordered a pot of tea and immediately drew a hot bath.  I have developed a habit that when I travel to new time zones, I use a tub, some tea, and a brief nap as a way to transition to the new landscape.  After two hours or so, with fresh clothes, I set out to explore my new surroundings and to insure that I knew how to find the offices for my business obligations.  I set off in the tube, heading from the Embankment station to Black Friars, just a few stops down the line.  As I entered the train, a notice read that Black Friars station was closed and offered to close by alternatives.  No problem, map in hand, I exited at the Temple station and headed forward on-foot.  I had never walked along the Thames in the snow; the buildings and the boats were so beautiful.  I was paying more attention to the sights than the passersby, because as I looked down the sidewalk towards my destination, who was walking straight towards me but Nina and Bess.  I stopped dead in my tracks…Unbelievable!  They were equally blown away; we all thought it was unbelievable.  We were headed in opposite directions but we discussed again the idea of getting together Thursday night.

I won’t go into too many details, Nina and her cousin invited me to their home to have takeout Indian Thursday night and it was delicious!  (Nina, the eggplant was really tasty.)  It was so generous to be invited into someone’s home, and I had the chance to meet Nina and Bess’s two charming five-year-old nephews, Michael and William.   As I sit on the return flight drafting this entry, (yes, the Indian dinner was last night) trying to capture the events of the past few days, I myself am amazed and wondering what the moral of this story could/should be.  As I ponder that question, I will explain the drawing above.  Before dinner, Michael, Nina and Bess’s nephew, drew me a picture.  He didn’t say too much, he just brought it over to me and put it in my hand.  I asked if it was for me and he said yes, and that it was a picture of him and the sofa in the family room. I have no idea what motivated the artwork, but I plan to keep it in my briefcase to remind me of this amazing trip to London.  Maybe more importantly, this little drawing will remind me of the marvelous delights that can come from unexpected encounters.

 

Postscript:  Upon return to Atlanta, my home for 20 years, the customs hall was a madhouse but no one surprisingly called out me name.  Maybe the best-unexpected encounters are found at the start of journeys!

Holiday Wishes

With a view on a snowy Christmas day in West Newbury Vermont, I want to pass along my very best holiday wishes to everyone!  Thinking back to a recent  blog entry where I commented that "the world needs more love,"  here are a few thoughts/inspirations from a variety of sources:

Lyrics from U2's song, "One"

One love 
One blood 
One life 
You got to do what you should 
One life 
With each other 
Sisters 
Brothers 
One life 
But we're not the same 
We get to 
Carry each other 
Carry each other 

"We frail humans are at one time capable of the greatest good and, at the same time, capable of the greatest evil. Change will only come about when each of us takes up the daily struggle ourselves to be more forgiving, compassionate, loving, and above all joyful in the knowledge that, by some miracle of grace, we can change as those around us can change too."

Maíread Corrigan-Maguire

Nobel Peace Prize winner and co-founder of the Community of Peace People in Northern Ireland.

Lyrics from the Beatle's "All you need is Love"

Love, love, love, 

love, love, love, 

love, love, love.

There's nothing you can do that can't be done. 

Nothing you can sing that can't be sung. 

Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game It's easy. 

There's nothing you can make that can't be made. 

No one you can save that can't be saved. 

Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time - It's easy.  

All you need is love, all you need is love, All you need is love, love, 

love is all you need.

Finally, with a nod to my favorite movie,"It's a Wonderful Life," there is a scene in the middle of the movie, where George Bailey is in his office at the building and loan and on the wall, underneath the photograph of his recently deceased father Peter Bailey, there is a framed quote that rings true:

"All you can take with you is that which you've given away."

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

LAX Terminal 5

Thirty years ago as a freshman in college, I read Mircea Eliade’s book, The Sacred and The Profane.  While I won’t try to summarize the book here, its central thesis is that the core of all religions is highlighting and maintaining the distinction between what is sacred and what is profane.  I still remember writing a freshman class paper on that topic, identifying various worldwide sights that had been “sacred” for multiple religions.  Examples included Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, originally a Byzantine cathedral that was transformed into a Muslim mosque, and the temples at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, originally built as Hindu shrines then transforming themselves into Buddhist temples. 

Whether we think about sacred spaces as such grand historic models, or as a simple neighborhood church, synagogue, temple, or mosque, I have always thought of sacred spaces as unique places apart from the daily grind.  For me, there is a chapel at Emory University that stands out, having been the site of my wedding, the wedding of my sister-in-law, the christening of my two children, and the memorial service for another sister-in-law.  There is nothing about that physical space that I find “sacred,” yet every time I enter the chapel I am overwhelmed by the memories and experiences, the smiles and the tears, and the heartbreak and the joy. 

It’s with this background in mind that I fast forward to a recent trip to Los Angeles.  I have been working a lot in Southern California recently and flying regularly through LAX.  On a recent trip, I was at the gate with some time on my hands, waiting to board the flight back home to Atlanta.  In typical fashion, I had my I-Pod on, listening to random songs on a playlist, and writing a draft for a blog entry.  The first song that came on was Johnny Cash’s version of “Hurt,” which instantly reminded me of my friend Bruce.  I remembered sitting by his hospice bed before he died this summer, talking about music and him telling me about this specific song.  The next song that came up on the random shuffle was Jeff Buckley’s version of “Hallelujah,” the song that was played at the graveside of my sister-in-law Carrie.  It was just down the hall here in a men’s room in LAX’s terminal 5, after helping to clean out Carrie’s apartment after her death, that I changed out of my cleaning clothes and threw them away in the trash bin. 

After those two songs, my blog writing had ceased, and I was waiting for what song might be next.  It came from the Indigo Girls, with my sister-in-law and band member Emily singing  “I’ll Change.”   It was a song that I played for Bruce this past spring – in the final chorus of his life – on a ride through the Wisconsin countryside.  It was at this moment, sitting by gate 59B, that I broke down and began to weep.

Without a word, an older woman sitting a few chairs away reached into her handbag, drew out a pack of tissues, reached over to me and mouthed the words, “Keep it, it’s yours.”

 A simple act of kindness to a stranger, offered with grace, received with tears.

I understood then that somehow LAX’s terminal 5 had become “sacred” for me.  Through some amazing combination of random song selections, road weariness, and the kindness of a stranger, I became aware of what this otherwise “profane” place means to me. I’m certainly not suggesting for you to head to LAX’s terminal 5 to seek inspiration.  The walk down the central hall, past McDonald’s, a bookstore and a coffee shop, likely would come off rather generically…just another airport terminal.

What I am suggesting is that for me, that spot has taken on greater meaning.  For me, that hallway, those seats, the one specific men’s room, all evoke a set of memories and feelings that I find truly powerful.  My encouragement is to find the LAX terminal 5 in your life.  Look beyond the historic definitions of “sacred” or “inspirational” spaces and look into your life and history.  Find those spots, those unusual yet everyday locations, that allow you to be connected to your feelings, your experiences, your history, and maybe most importantly, to those who you love or have loved.

I am certain that Eliade was not referring to LAX when he wrote, “the religious symbol translates a human situation into cosmological terms and vice versa …. This means that man does not feel himself ’isolated’ in the cosmos.”  Look for your LAX terminal 5 as a way to allow yourself to be connected to, rather than isolated from, the world and the cosmos.

The Advent "four step"

On a recent Sunday, the pastor of our little Lutheran church, Pastor Bradley, gave a simple yet powerful children’s sermon, obviously not solely targeted at the little ones. He shared a few thoughts about the meaning of Advent, the time of preparation, and he asked the kids to recite with him four key ideas: Worship Fully, Give More, Spend Less, and Love All. Once the kids had the four phrases down, he had them follow him around the altar, repeating the four phrases as they walked, ultimately bringing the entire congregation into the act reciting loudly: Worship Fully, Give More, Spend Less, Love All, Worship Fully, Give More, ……

While moving and poignant at the moment, those four simple ideas have continued to grow for me over the past days and I’ve been thinking a lot about how each phrase connects to my life and me this holiday season. Whether you have a faith tradition (be it Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or another) or not, these four ideas can be helpful and powerful to all of us as we head to the end of 2009.

Worship Fully: The dictionary describes “Worship” as “The feeling and expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.” In this season, it is so easy to become lost in the hectic consumerism of the holiday season. It’s hard to take a step back and remember that the axis of the universe does NOT spin around our individual lives, but that we are all part of a larger cosmological dance. Regardless of tradition, this is a good time to step back and be thankful and appreciative to have the chance to participate in the dance called life.

Give More: As I mentioned in a previous entry titled “The Lens of Success,” it’s important to remember that half of the world’s population of more than 6 billion people live on less that $1.00 a day. We take for granted how much we have, and need a reminder that there are tremendous needs not only half way around the world but in each of our communities every day. Over the years, Jennie and I have hosted an annual holiday party that we’ve titled “Peas on Earth.” As a price of admission everyone is asked to bring canned goods, and we collect, sort, and deliver them to the local food bank. Over the 17 years of holding the party we have collected thousands of pounds of food, yet the need at the food bank continues to grow – not decline – every year. All of us have a few things we can share today, whether it be a few dollars or a few cans of peas.

Spend Less: For those of you who are parents, you likely will relate to my metaphor of an overflowing toy box. My kids’ “toy boxes” are filled with a cornucopia of dolls, games, balls, puzzles, etc. On a somewhat regular basis, my wife will bring out the donation bag and we’ll sit with our children and work our way to the bottom of the “toy box” to see what toys that are not being played with might be still be in good enough shape to donate to those in need. Our lives are like the “toy boxes.” We surround ourselves with stuff and things, needing temporary storage units to store the stuff in until the day comes that we want to downscale and simplify our lives. Then there is a mad rush to find a destination of all the “stuff.” Maybe by spending a little less now, we can work on ways to simplify our “toy boxes.”

Love All: Certainly the most challenging phrase of the four. Pastor Bradley did not encourage us to “love more,” or “love fully,” or “hate less.” His nudge was in the word “all.” How do we love all, especially the ones we don’t want to love? How do we love neighbors or acquaintances who haven’t seemed very nice? How can we possibly love the Taliban, or Al Qaeda, or Hezbollah or some other group seemingly intent on our destruction? There are no simple answers on this one, but a few things are clear to me. The world needs more love and less hate… the world needs more compassion and less indifference… and the world needs more giving and less taking.  

As you find your way through the holiday season, remember these four phrases. Find ways to bring these four ideas to life in your everyday life. Whether by circling the altar at your church/temple/synagogue, walking around your kitchen table at home, or speaking them out loud in your car, look for ways to step out of the rat race and practice these four “steps” in the dance of life.

Thanksgiving notes from MaMa

Thanksgiving Ideas From MaMa