"Are They Smart?"

 I had a work colleague years ago - lets all him "Bill" - who would always ask me "Is she (or he) smart?" when I talked about interviewing and potentially hiring a new member for our team. There was never any other question - only the query about the person's smarts. 

What I found irritating about this was the lack of definition as to what constituted "smart" in the mind of Bill. And why the infatuation with the candidate's IQ when there was so much more to consider related to their candidacy?

I lost touch with Bill but his question has stuck with me these many years. Every time I think about it, I feel the same feelings of irritation and impatience. 

What are the key things that you want to know when considering candidates for an open position? For me, the biggest driver is the fit with the team. Does their prowess fill a gap on the team and/or provide a complement to another team member's talents?

I also look for a sustained record of results that meet and, hopefully, exceed prior work expectations. Is the candidate proven in their ability to succeed? Have they succeeded in a variety of work environments? Do they have proven success in other endeavors in their life?

Finally - and this is very much an intangible - are they someone that you want to work with? Do they challenge convention? Do they make the team better? Are they fun to be around? Do they motivate me and other team members through the way they think and act and achieve?

Yes, "are they smart?" is an important question. It just isn't the question. 

How the Best Sport Ever Translates to Business

March.

The name of the month alone immediately sparks the associated word of "Madness" for millions of fans and non-fans alike in the U.S.

Every March during the Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments, rabid fans become even more anxious, casual fans become involved ones, and those who profess to know little about the sport begin studying the vagaries of a tournament five seed matchup with a 12 seed. Each year, over 70 million people fill out a March Madness bracket, attempting to correctly pick winners-and-losers in the 68-team field.

The game that engenders this behavior is college basketball. And while it's not the most popular sport in the U.S. - in viewership or participation - it is the game that holds our rapt attention over three weeks in mid-March through early April.

For me, it's three weeks that run the emotional gamut of joy to nervousness to exultation to crushing disappointment. My team is the Kansas Jayhawks and my month of March revolves around when they play in the tournament, who they play against and the outcome of this win-or-go-home tournament format.

The allure of this month runs much deeper than erratic fan behavior--it also showcases the game that I believe is the best in all of sports. Five teammates on the floor at one time, all with roles to play but all with the skill to dribble, cut, pass, block, rebound and, of course, shoot. There are also the hustle plays--helping on defense, diving for a loose ball, screening a defender so that a teammate can score. Then there are the bench players--those who may play only a couple of minutes in a game but whose contributions, during those few minutes, can swing a close contest one way or the other. These bench players are also the ones who practice every day, cheer on their teammates who are on the floor during a game and whose support and buy-in are crucial to a culture of winning.

Basketball is the ultimate team sport. Everyone has a role yet everyone must display the requisite skills mentioned in the prior paragraph. It's a game where everyone is expected to defend and move and assist. While some do these things better than others, everyone is expected to contribute across all facets of the game.

If this description sounds familiar, it's because basketball is - I believe - a metaphor for how we conduct business. We are part of a team and while each member of the team has a specific role and/or task, there typically is an expectation of one's ability to do more and/or to be supportive of others on the team so that the team may "score the ball" (to borrow a well-used broadcast announcing term.)

Just like moving without the ball is an important part of basketball, so too is the ability to observe and anticipate issues in the workplace.

It's no coincidence that some of the best basketball coaches ever in the collegiate game have had their coaching philosophies adopted by businesses and organizations.

John Wooden, who won 10 national championships at UCLA, had a Pyramid of Success for his team that's been featured on Showtime's Billions. His coaching sayings (e.g., "It's amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit") have found their way into the workplace. Mike Krzyzewski, the soon-to-retire coach at Duke and lauded as the greatest ever, has written four books on leadership and has the Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics at Duke.

Basketball - a game invented by a Canadian doctor on an American college campus - has evolved. Players are faster, stronger and more athletic; coaches use data and analytics to prepare a game plan and assess their own team. 

This evolution of the game has not changed that, at its core, basketball is still a game played by a team, all of whom must have skill across a variety of disciplines, who must practice, and who must buy in to what can be achieved together versus as individuals. Ultimately, it's a game where supporting teammates and staff creates success, which leads to the pursuit of the ultimate prize--a national championship.

Enjoy these final two weeks of March Madness. When watching the games, consider how much this team sport mirrors what each of us does with our teams in the workplace.

Taking the Ball Out of Mahomes' Hands

 I find it interesting how many Kansas City Chiefs fans and others are griping about "taking the ball out of Patrick Mahomes' hands" at the end of the Chiefs' loss last night. Let's not let the facts and game situation get in the way of this argument, shall we?

3:14 to play, ball at KC 25: Mahomes passes to Byron Pringle for 23 yards. The ball is at the Baltimore 48. In one pass, the Chiefs have already moved the ball to midfield with more than two minutes left to play. And, keep in mind that the Chiefs' defense had not truly stopped the Ravens all night--that the Ravens stopped themselves with their two turnovers earlier in the game.

2:35 to play, ball at KC 48: Mahomes passes to Travis Kelce for 13 yards. At Baltimore 39 at the two-minute warning. So, the Chiefs are in long field goal range already at the 2:00 mark, meaning that they are in serious danger of scoring too quickly and thus giving the ball back to Baltimore, who has one timeout left.

2:00 to play, ball at Baltimore 39: Mahomes hits Kelce for seven yard gain, putting the ball at the Baltimore 32 yard line. Now the Chiefs are in range for Harrison Butker and a winning field goal.

1:25 to play, ball at Baltimore 32: Mahomes hands off to Clyde Edwards-Helaire who fumbles. Baltimore recovers. The replay shows that Edwards-Helaire never did get the ball tucked away. However, is that "taking the ball out of Mahomes' hands" or is it the prudent play call, given the desire to position for a winning FG while keeping the ball away from Lamar Jackson and the Ravens' offense?

In sum, the call was the right one--the handoff between quarterback and running back wasn't executed properly and, once again, we see the tight margin between winning, and losing, in the National Football League.

Where Were You?

 The headline on my digital news feed this morning read, "Where were you on that fateful day?" I immediately thought of Alan Jackson's song, written days after 9/11/01, with the lyrics "Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?"

Who among us doesn't remember where we were at on the morning of September 11, 2001, when the twin towers in New York went down and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. was in flames? As Jackson's lyrics say, "Were you in the yard with your wife and children or on some stage in L.A.? Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke risin' against that blue sky? Did you shout out in anger in fear for your neighbor? Or did you just sit down and cry?"

The memories of that day for me - and I'm sure for most - are still as vivid as they were a short time after the tragedy of 9/11.

I was working at Sprint on that Tuesday and, like most mornings, was in the office early attending to what I needed to accomplish before the meetings and various demands of that day began. A colleague on my team - another consistent early-to-work person - came in and said "Turn on your TV--I heard that a plane flew into a building in New York." I immediately thought that a small plane must have somehow veered off course and crashed.

I turned on my TV and she and I looked on at a scene of smoke billowing out of the north tower of the World Trade Center. I remember that my immediate reaction was "What the...!?" It was hard to determine what had happened and the news commentary we listened to was equally unsure. 

We stood in my office, watching, and soon others joined as word spread that something was amiss in New York. My office was filled with co-workers--all eyes focused on that TV and the story that was unfolding. All eyes watched as a second plane flew into the south tower and the commentary, both on TV and in my office, shifted to one of shock and terror.

The world forever changed on that day. Now, 20 years later, we once again reflect on that fateful day--of lives lost, of stories of courage, of the forever impact on all of us.

Much has and will be written, said and reported on today, tomorrow and this weekend as the reliving of 9/11 is played out across all media. My suggestion to you is that this be a time to sit, reflect and never forget the lives lost and the forever impact of that act of terrorism. 

"The World's Greatest Metronome"

 The death on Tuesday of Charlie Watts, drummer for The Rolling Stones, has made me reflect on his life and the steady leadership that he provided to the "world's greatest rock-and-roll band." 

Watts joined the Stones in 1963 and never missed a concert during that timespan of numerous tours, albums and appearances. News of his death caused a variety of tributes from fellow entertainers. The Who's lead singer, Roger Daltrey, said Watts was the "perfect gentleman, as sharp in his manner of dress as he was on the drums." And Joan Baez commented that he was "a prince among thieves" and " a gentleman through and through."

It was Questlove's (The Roots) tribute, though, that I found most interesting. 

"He's always been a solid foundational drummer. He was the anti-drummer. He wasn't performative to let you know how hard he was f----ing working. He gave you the basic foundation." 

Quest continued, "Watts became a legend not because of who he was associated with but because he's providing the foundation. Only real drummers know the value of Charlie Watts and the fact that he was the world's greatest metronome. Trust me, his 'less is more' technique is probably some of the most genius playing that you'll ever hear."

There is certainly a lesson in leadership in the way that Watts provided the foundation for a band that has been together for 58 years and which includes two enormous personalities (onstage and off) in Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. One can easily make the case that the Stones would not have been "the Stones" without the talent - and quiet leadership - of Charlie Watts. Watts' place in The Rolling Stones is a lesson for all of us in how we perform, team...and lead.

Road Closed to Thru Traffic

 A week ago, a digital road sign appeared in my neighborhood saying “Street closed, August 12.” 

The notice caused a momentary, mental "hmmm" as I carried on with my mission of wherever I was going in my car. I gave the sign nary a thought after that one flicker of acknowledgment.

The date of August 12 came and I was once again in my car traveling the usual route when I came across a larger, more permanent sign in the road that said "ROAD CLOSED TO THRU TRAFFIC." My muscle memory told me to carry on because this is my normal route, right? I quickly came across another sign, across the entire road, that emphasized "ROAD CLOSED TO THRU TRAFFIC."

I grudgingly turned the car around and found an alternate route to my destination. While longer and less direct, I still arrived at where I needed to go.

Isn't this a metaphor for life these days? Isn't this a metaphor for what businesses and brands and organizations are dealing with as the pandemic hit, seemingly waned, and now is back in its continued disruption of our usual, chosen paths? How many saw an initial sign but carried on believing the challenge to be short-lived? Or, perhaps not believing that it was a challenge at all?

The longer, altered route may be less satisfying during the journey but the end result is often more rewarding given the challenge that's been overcome. While the longer way may not synch up with our desire for instant gratification or our muscle memory, it does satisfy the need to problem solve and to achieve the desired result.

Don't let the longer way get in your way.

It's Election Night

If 2020 couldn't get any more surreal, consider this:

- Today is Election Day and by all reports, the turnout of in-person voting coupled with mail-in, early voting and absentee voting will set a modern-day record. All in an environment where we're COVID-19 restricted and coping with social distancing, staying at home and quarantining.

- The presidential candidates are an incumbent that has called into question any ballots not counted today and a former Vice President whose home state is considered the key to this race.

- State races in places like Montana and Kansas are commanding national attention.

- Texas might actually flip into blue state territory.

- Retail establishments and businesses are proactively boarding up windows in major cities in preparation for the possibility of civil unrest.

- And, media outlets of all types are acknowledging their planned caution in prematurely calling state-by-state winners in the presidential race. 

I've heard more than one colleague today say "this is my Super Bowl." While I understand the sentiment, this actually feels more like the Super Bowl and the former military draft lottery day all rolled into one. This Election Day has the visibility and interest of the Super Bowl with the anxiety created by whether your number would be called for military duty...and a four-year commitment. (Yeah, I know--one has to be of my vintage to remember draft lottery days. But, hopefully, you get the idea.)

What are your plans for the evening? I'm on cocktail number one and a fat Cohiba cigar in anticipation for a very long night and morning of channel surfing with my primary outlet being CBS. 

If tuning in isn't in your plans, may I suggest curling up with a good political book of campaigns past or perhaps a movie about our democratic process?

- The Making of the President 1968, Theodore White

- The Boys on the Bus, Timothy Crouse (1972 campaign)

- Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 1972 (Hunter Thompson)

- The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)

- The Best Man (Henry Fonda; screenplay by Gore Vidal)

- The Candidate (Robert Redford)

- Shampoo (a cop-out given that the movie is set on the day of the '68 election; stars Warren Beatty)

- All the President's Men (Redford, Dustin Hoffman and the late, great Jason Robards)

- The American President (Michael Douglas)

- Primary Colors (John Travolta)

- The Campaign (Will Ferrell)

However this election ends, my hope is that we applaud the democratic process and use this as a turning point toward a more united democracy.