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Can HR Drive High Reliability?
Positive thinking is sometimes overrated. In fact, too much positive thinking can be disastrous. While optimism can help people and organizations bounce back from tough times, when allowed to dominate the psyche during good times, it can blind us to the possibility of what could go wrong.
It’s important, periodically, to think creatively about potential doom.
Positive thinking is sometimes overrated. In fact, too much positive thinking can be disastrous. While optimism can help people and organizations bounce back from tough times, when allowed to dominate the psyche during good times, it can blind us to the possibility of what could go wrong.
It’s important, periodically, to think creatively about potential doom.
Such “preoccupation with failure” is one pattern of behavior that helps some organizations have far fewer accidents than we would expect given what they do. For example, plenty could go wrong in a nuclear power plant or aboard a naval aircraft carrier. But few errors devolve into disasters in either, in part because its people explicitly know what failure could look like and catch small problems before they become catastrophes.
These types of organizations are “high-reliability organizations,” and I think there’s something that human resources (HR) departments could learn from them.
In particular, what might happen if we tried to apply the five hallmarks of high reliability to HR practices? This is a topic that I addressed in “High-Reliability HR: Preparing the Organization for Catastrophes,” which appeared in the Winter 2016 issue of People & Strategy.
To summarize some of the key points of that article, consider the following five hallmarks of high reliability:
- Preoccupation with failure: What could go wrong?
- Reluctance to simplify interpretations: What’s the true cause?
- Sensitivity to operations: Are we in touch with the ground-level reality?
- Commitment to resilience: How do we recover?
- Deference to expertise: Who knows best?
I argue that HR could play a pivotal role in helping an organization adopt these principles. For example, HR could help with scenario planning based upon identified risks, developing leaders who promote a climate of healthy questioning, assisting with reporting and analyzing near misses, training employees on actions to take during catastrophes and implementing hiring practices that select employees with the specialized skills needed by the organization.
Some may say that HR has no place in disaster planning or emergency preparedness, suggesting that such efforts need to be solely under the purview of business continuity, security or risk management functions.
But shouldn’t HR be concerned holistically about the human side of the organization’s survival and success? Isn’t HR as a function positioned well to act as custodians of a culture that moves the organization toward high-reliability?
Or maybe we should go back to calling HR the “personnel” department.
Regardless, it’s worth it for us as HR professionals to liberate our thinking as we think about what the HR function is and how it contributes to the overall organization in the 21st Century. My full article on this topic applies the high-reliability HR framework to the topic of an active shooter on a college campus, and it’s meant to provoke a conversation about the potential role of HR in ensuring a secure enterprise.
To download the full article, click here.
Does HR have a role in helping the organization prepare for disasters and bounce back when they occur? Leave a comment below!
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About Ben Baran
Ben Baran, Ph.D., is probably one of the few people in the world who is equally comfortable in a university classroom, a corporate boardroom and in full body armor carrying a U.S. government-issued M4 assault rifle. Visit: www.benbaran.com.
The HR Mindset That Wins Friends and Influences CEOs
During a recent conversation I had with a senior executive, I brought up some of my efforts to promote strategic thinking and using data to guide decision-making among human resources (HR) professionals. She nodded in agreement, but then she interrupted.
“You know, there’s one thing I hate about our HR department,” she said. “They think like gate keepers, when they should be thinking like service providers.”
She went on to describe how
During a recent conversation I had with a senior executive, I brought up some of my efforts to promote strategic thinking and using data to guide decision-making among human resources (HR) professionals. She nodded in agreement, but then she interrupted.
“You know, there’s one thing I hate about our HR department,” she said. “They think like gate keepers, when they should be thinking like service providers.”
She went on to describe how the HR department in her organization tends to always be about forcing compliance, hindering processes and creating administrative obstacles. It was almost, from her perspective, that the HR department was so focused on justifying its own existence that it had institutionalized a “gate-keeper” mindset. HR at this organization seems to be operating on assumptions that communicated to others outside of HR that:
- You don’t know what we know.
- You need us to get what you want.
- You must follow our process.
This mindset is anathema to agility, which is the ability to sense and respond quickly to the needs around us.
Like my executive friend said, we need HR professionals to adopt the mindset of a service provider. (Of course, many do already, but clearly there’s room for improvement.)
A true “service-provider” mindset is one that prizes a focus on customers, both external and internal to the organization. For HR professionals, the customer is often internal: senior executives, hiring managers and, indeed, every current employee. External customers that interact with HR directly or indirectly include job candidates and any potential future employee.
So how might an organization’s HR function adopt—or further enhance—a service mindset?
One area of research that applies here is the literature on “service climate,” which essentially refers to the degree to which employees think their managers and leaders expect, support and reward excellent customer service.
Frankly, top leaders must make service a priority. This means that top HR leaders, should, among other steps:
- Talk about being servants to the rest of the organization
- Publicize good examples of people demonstrating outstanding service to internal and external customers
- Consider building customer service into performance feedback and review processes
- Systematically assess the perceptions that other functions in the organization have of HR
- Promote HR professionals who demonstrate outstanding customer service
Interestingly, research also suggests that HR functions that adopt this mindset may also drive better customer experiences for the organization’s external customers—particularly in service-related businesses. This can happen if HR, for example, helps set high standards for customer service, ensures adequate staffing, reinforces the message that customers are important and helps to ensure that tools and technology for customer service are in place for employees to use. (A quick Google Scholar search of Ben Schneider’s work on service climate will reveal a wealth of related research.)
The HR function does have compliance responsibilities, but enforcing standards does not have to be mutually exclusive with a service mindset. A service mindset is about both the “what” and the “how” of what people see as important. And regarding compliance, HR professionals who see themselves as educators and build healthy, service-oriented relationships with line managers will likely make much more progress than the “gate keepers.”
Leaders in HR and talent management have an increasingly relevant opportunity to be agile leaders, and developing a service mindset is one place to start. I’ll be joining other HR professionals at the 2016 Human Capital Summit in New Orleans, March 29-30. The theme of that conference is “Agile Talent Strategies for Managing Change and Shifting Priorities,” and I’d love to see you there. Click here for more about the conference.
In the meantime, do you see HR as a “gate keeper” or “service provider?” How else can HR adopt a service mindset and be more agile in helping the organization overall? Leave a comment below!
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About Ben Baran
Ben Baran, Ph.D., is probably one of the few people in the world who is equally comfortable in a university classroom, a corporate boardroom and in full body armor carrying a U.S. government-issued M4 assault rifle. Visit: www.benbaran.com.
Leadership to Change the World
Recently, I did something that changed the world. It might have been an encouraging word, a provocative question, a smile.
But honestly, I have no idea what it was.
Recently, you did something that changed the world. It might have been an offer to help, an attentive ear, a cup of coffee.
But you, like me, probably don’t know exactly what you did either.
You see, everything we do can either
Recently, I did something that changed the world. It might have been an encouraging word, a provocative question, a smile.
But honestly, I have no idea what it was.
Recently, you did something that changed the world. It might have been an offer to help, an attentive ear, a cup of coffee.
But you, like me, probably don’t know exactly what you did either.
You see, everything we do can either breathe life or death, hope or despair into the people around us. And when we change the people around us by acting differently, we indeed change the world.
Across my spectrum of professional roles, I work with myriad college students, business executives and military personnel. Most of that deals with the function of human resources or the academic field of organizational behavior.
Regardless, the common element across it all is leadership.
Unfortunately, though, leadership has been over-glorified as something momentous. It’s not. It’s often more about perspiration—empathy-driven hard work—than inspiration. Most of the time, it has to do with “lollipop moments.”
Take a moment to learn about that from Drew Dudley in the video below.
If we’re to change the world—or put a “dent in the universe” as Steve Jobs once said—we must start by examining our interactions with those around us.
Are we using those opportunities to life each other up, to make each other’s universe a little more hospitable?
We spend most of our waking hours at work. So if we really want to make a difference in the world, we should start by focusing on how we ourselves can be positive forces of disruption in our organizations.
And if enough people started thinking that way in an organization—about each other, about their customers, about the work itself—they’d be unstoppable. They’d be able to sense and respond quickly to change, displaying a level of agility that most organizations would find impossible. They'd be engaged, driven by purpose.
Your leadership doesn’t have to be big. It could start with something small—like a lollipop.
What are some little ways in which we can change our world at work? Leave a comment below!
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About Ben Baran
Ben Baran, Ph.D., is probably one of the few people in the world who is equally comfortable in a university classroom, a corporate boardroom and in full body armor carrying a U.S. government-issued M4 assault rifle. Visit: www.benbaran.com.
How a Startup Revolutionized its Meetings
Some parts of life are easy to dislike. World hunger and terrorism come to mind.
For many people, so do workplace meetings.
But the startup Gild Collective—comprised of three cofounders, Jessie Deye, Kelsey Pytlik, and Rachel Bauer McCreary—has realized that meetings can not only be helpful, but they can be essential for driving alignment and productivity.
Some parts of life are easy to dislike. World hunger and terrorism come to mind.
For many people, so do workplace meetings.
But the startup Gild Collective—comprised of three cofounders, Jessie Deye, Kelsey Pytlik, and Rachel Bauer McCreary—has realized that meetings can not only be helpful, but they can be essential for driving alignment and productivity.
Gild Collective cofounders (from left): Rachel Bauer McCreary, Jessie Deye and Kelsey Pytlik
For the past five months, I’ve been following the Gild Collective team by asking them to complete a survey every single week. That survey has included ratings by the team across the 15 capabilities within The AGILE Model®, a recognized best-practice framework for nimble leaders, teams and organizations. It has also included a series of open-ended questions designed to help the three cofounders align their goals and activities, as well as ratings of their perceived levels of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA).
My thought upon starting these surveys was to provide the team with a weekly snapshot that they could use to guide their discussions and help them get on the proverbial same page.
Sometimes they did that, sometimes they didn’t.
But a few weeks ago, the team asked me to meet with them in person to discuss how they could better use their weekly snapshot to revolutionize their weekly meetings. I gladly obliged.
Our conversation seemed to me to last about 15 minutes, but when I looked at my watch, I noticed we’d been talking for almost two hours. During that time, we discussed:
- Why even have meetings, what problem should they solve?
- Prior experiences and lessons learned from attempting to have meetings
- How to use weekly survey feedback to improve as a team
- A template for their weekly meetings that would keep them on track and allow them to discuss items efficiently and effectively
The team has now had the chance to use this new approach a few times, and the results are highly positive. Their meetings have energy and purpose, creating alignment of priorities and goals along with necessary collaboration. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with the Gild Collective team as they hone their teamwork and communication through these meetings.
What might this mean for the rest of us? How can you revolutionize your weekly meetings? A few tips come to mind based upon my work with Gild Collective:
- Obtain a shared understanding of WHY you are meeting. What problem are you trying to solve and what do people need to get out of the meeting?
- Have a mechanism in place for making sure everyone prepares. This could be some sort of shared agenda creation, but with the Gild Collective team, this is the weekly survey I have them complete. I send it to them on Friday mornings, they complete it on Friday or Saturday and I send them their team report on Sunday or Monday. Then, they have time to read through it prior to meeting on Tuesday afternoons.
- Create a template for your meeting structure. This will help you avoid getting in conversations that go nowhere—like going down a cul-de-sac.
- Agree to hold each other accountable and keep a regular schedule. It’s important to note that I’m NOT advocating meeting just for meeting's sake. But when you have a senior-level team in a high-VUCA environment, weekly meetings are probably the bare minimum.
- Periodically check in with each other about your meeting structure and process. Ensure that the meeting is still working well and solicit improvement suggestions.
For startups, this kind of meeting is particularly important for a few reasons.
First, the team is moving at high speed. Startup time is not the same as big-corporation time. What Gild Collective has done in five months is probably equivalent to about five years in many companies.
Second, teams of cofounders—whether they know it or not—are setting in place norms and routines that will ripple throughout their organizations when growth occurs. It’s best to be intentional about those norms and routines so that the culture you get is the one you want.
For any team wanting to get things done, having effective meetings is critical.
I don’t think it’s that everyone actually hates meetings. I think it’s that we hate bad meetings—those ones that waste time and generate more confusion than alignment.
What do you love or hate about meetings? Leave a comment below!
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Also: The Gild Collective team is really excited about its special holiday promotions. For those of you who are crafty or know someone crafty, check out www.gildcollective.com. They’re running a Black Friday through Cyber Monday promotion, so don’t delay!
About Ben Baran
Ben Baran, Ph.D., is probably one of the few people in the world who is equally comfortable in a university classroom, a corporate boardroom and in full body armor carrying a U.S. government-issued M4 assault rifle. Visit: www.benbaran.com.
Why CEOs (Might) Hate HR
In the American television comedy series "The Office," the hostility between Michael Scott, regional manager of the mythical paper company Dunder Mifflin’s branch in Scranton, Pa., and Toby Flenderson, the branch’s human resources director, is a recurring theme.
During one particularly humorous scene, Michael learns suddenly that Toby—who had left the office previously—has returned.
Michael’s reaction?
In the American television comedy series "The Office," the hostility between Michael Scott, regional manager of the mythical paper company Dunder Mifflin’s branch in Scranton, Pa., and Toby Flenderson, the branch’s human resources director, is a recurring theme.
During one particularly humorous scene, Michael learns suddenly that Toby—who had left the office previously—has returned.
Michael’s reaction?
“No! God! No. God, please, no. No. No. No!”
Is that how your CEO reacts to HR?
One reason the conflict between Michael and Toby is funny to most of us is that it plays on a stereotype of HR as a rule-bound, stultifying function that usually only makes life more difficult for the rest of the organization.
I’m pleased that this stereotype is becoming less accurate, as many HR leaders are becoming more aware of how they must continually add value to the overall organization.
But many executives still don’t see that value, hence the continual discussion of how HR can “get a seat at the table.”
From my observations and conversations, one of the biggest reasons CEOs might not recognize the value of HR is straight-forward, yet simultaneously difficult to overcome: CEOs need HR leaders who think strategically.
This is straight-forward because it appears to have a clear solution. Namely, HR leaders need to start thinking about their functions and their organizations from a strategic perspective. This involves understanding how the organization competes and creates value. But this is a difficult issue to overcome because it involves a different way of thinking—and that’s tough to develop.
Regardless, I’ve been on a bit of a mission during the past few months.
That mission is to promote more strategic thinking among professionals in the world of HR and related functions such as training and talent development. I’ve done so through giving a handful of talks outside of the realm of academia, and that’s given me the opportunity not only meet some wonderful people, but also to share an approach toward strategic thinking.
These have included the 2015 HR Indiana Annual Conference and the 2015 Central Indiana Chapter of the Association for Talent Development Learning Summit.
Specifically, my message is about HR and related functions becoming more agile.
From the feedback I’ve received, HR leaders have found this approach thought-provoking and useful. So, what’s my approach? It has five main parts.
- Our world—and our organizations—operate in an environment of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA).
- HR professionals must continually study their environments, both internal and external to their organizations, so that they can anticipate and act quickly. Vigilance trumps complacency.
- In short, HR needs to become more agile—having the capability to sense and respond to the VUCA forces that they and their organizations face.
- Being agile means that HR leaders should proactively anticipate how they can help their organization's people perform optimally given what they face today and what they will face tomorrow.
- When HR leaders can connect their practices to the strategic needs of their organizations, top executives will sit up and take notice. Proactively doing this on a continual basis will move HR leaders into the sphere of being strategic business partners for the organization.
Certainly a great deal can go into making these approaches a reality. But here are a few questions HR professionals can ask about their own work and their functions as a whole:
- Are your workforce planning and talent development plans developed with multiple contingencies and scenario planning in mind?
- In what way and how often are you communicating with your key internal and external stakeholders?
- Are the criteria for identifying and selecting talent aligned with what the organization will need in the future, in addition to what’s needed today?
- How do you or your function stay aware of emerging trends in your organization’s industry as well as your profession (i.e., HR, talent development, etc.)?
- In what way does your work reflect a focus on your customers, both internally and externally
- How can you better align what you provide as HR leaders with your customers’ needs?
- To what degree are your practices and decisions based upon valid data and analysis?
This is clearly a complex topic, but it’s one that HR needs to continue tackling in order to help organizations thrive in the modern world of work. And if it does, HR will in many ways lead the organizations of the future.
But if it does not, everyone in HR risks becoming Toby Flenderson.
Do CEOs hate or love HR? Why or why not?
How can HR become even more agile and drive strategic-level results? Leave a comment below!
Find this thought provoking? Like and share!
About Ben Baran
Ben Baran, Ph.D., is probably one of the few people in the world who is equally comfortable in a university classroom, a corporate boardroom and in full body armor carrying a U.S. government-issued M4 assault rifle. Visit: www.benbaran.com.
Feed Them Radishes! And 3 More Ways to Stifle Change
We are creatures of habit. We continually seek—or create—routines. The structures of our days and our weeks give us predictability, and that makes us comfortable.
None of this is inherently bad. In fact, routines and habits let us free our minds to work on other, more complex problems. If we had to think actively about everything in our day, deliberately evaluating every decision from the time we roll out of bed until we return to the pillow, we’d be overwhelmed.
What does this have to do with agility, human resources, leadership and change?
Everything.
We are creatures of habit. We continually seek—or create—routines. The structures of our days and our weeks give us predictability, and that makes us comfortable.
None of this is inherently bad. In fact, routines and habits let us free our minds to work on other, more complex problems. If we had to think actively about everything in our day, deliberately evaluating every decision from the time we roll out of bed until we return to the pillow, we’d be overwhelmed.
What does this have to do with agility, human resources, leadership and change?
Everything.
When we ask people to change, we’re asking them to focus their energy and make different choices.
We’re asking them to be deliberate about specific aspects of their day—features that used to be routine—and do them differently.
And when we do that too often or throw too many changes at people at one time, it’s exhausting and overwhelming for them. That’s one big reason why change is hard.
And what does that have to do with radishes?
Dan Heath, coauthor of Switch, discusses that below.
To summarize, Heath discusses in that clip an experiment in which one group is allowed to eat radishes while being tempted by cookies. The other group just gets cookies and is allowed to eat them. People from both groups are then asked to complete a puzzle of sorts—but there is no solution to the puzzle.
The main finding is that the radish eaters were much more likely to quit working on the puzzle faster than the cookie eaters, with a possible conclusion being that the self-control they had to exert depleted their ability to keep persisting at the impossible task.
The study is titled, “Ego depletion: Is the active self a limited resource?” Four researchers at Case Western Reserve University published it in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 1998, and more than 2,800 other studies have cited it since then.
Reading this study more closely provides some insight regarding at least four ways to stifle change.
If you really want to stifle change, then:
- Feed people radishes. No one likes radishes. (OK, maybe, if they’re cut in very thin slices.)
- Ensure the old way of doing things is easier than the new way. This will tempt people with the status quo, making change seem overly difficult.
- Change too many things at once. This will also make people tired of exerting effort in new directions, making them less likely to persist in creating new habits.
- Make the change ambiguous and full of choices. This will also deplete people’s resources by forcing them to exert brain power and make decisions.
Regarding agility, it’s important to remember that being agile is about sensing and responding quickly to one’s environment. It’s not about changing for change’s sake; it’s not about bending in every direction whenever the wind blows.
That’d be exhausting, pointless and reckless.
Leaders in human resources often find themselves assisting with change management across the organization. In addition to keeping “radishes” in mind, they should be proactive in educating senior leaders about agility before change becomes necessary. That way, they can help the organization change in systematic ways—not exhausting people with excessive ambiguity and numerous new routines being thrown at employees at once.
In addition to radishes, what else stifles change in your organization? Leave a comment below!
About Ben Baran
Ben Baran, Ph.D., is probably one of the few people in the world who is equally comfortable in a university classroom, a corporate boardroom and in full body armor carrying a U.S. government-issued M4 assault rifle. Visit: www.benbaran.com.
Using the Premortem to Drive HR Agility
When the unexpected strikes, our brains often start working like we’re being chased by a wild animal. Levels of hormones—specifically, adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol—increase, resulting in a range of reactions including increased heartrate, elevated blood pressure and tunnel-vision like focus on the threat.
This is great if you actually are being chased by a lion. The threat is singular, and your immediate actions are likely singular as well (for example, run fast to shelter).
But it’s not so great if you’re facing a complex problem in your organization.
When the unexpected strikes, our brains often start working like we’re being chased by a wild animal. Levels of hormones—specifically, adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol—increase, resulting in a range of reactions including increased heartrate, elevated blood pressure and tunnel-vision like focus on the threat.
This is great if you actually are being chased by a lion. The threat is singular, and your immediate actions are likely singular as well (for example, run fast to shelter).
But it’s not so great if you’re facing a complex problem in your organization.
That’s because solving complex problems often requires the ability to consider many sources of information and to sort through the ambiguity of the situation with other people. It requires a calm mindset and critical thinking to deliver the best solution, not just the first one that comes to mind.
HR leaders can often find themselves in tough, stressful circumstances. These situations demand agility, the ability to sense and respond quickly.
Consider, for example:
- A key executive suddenly announces she is quitting.
- A recently sacked employee files a lawsuit for wrongful termination.
- The CEO decides to begin massive layoffs.
- A sudden surge in demand requires increases in labor.
- A system breach compromises sensitive employee data.
These aren’t unlikely scenarios, and many HR leaders deal with them frequently. But are these situations—and other unexpected events—always handled with the utmost agility? Certainly, there’s room for improvement.
One way in which HR leaders can become more agile is by taking deliberate steps to anticipate change, taking the time to focus on what could go wrong and how prepared they are to deal with those specific issues.
The premortem is a specific tool that can help.
Most of us are familiar with the postmortem, in which a group discusses what went well and what didn’t go well after an event. The premortem, though, takes the idea of thinking about what could have gone wrong—in advance.
The psychologist Gary Klein has written about the premortem within the context of projects, highlighting how premortems can help leaders improve project planning. (I also highly recommend his book Sources of Power.)
Within the HR world, a premortem might look something like this:
- An HR director gathers his team and discusses the plan to address a potential issue, such as the departure of a key executive. He then asks them to imagine that it’s six months (or some other relevant time reference) in the future and the plan has been implemented.
- The HR director then asks everyone to imagine that the plan didn’t work well at all. Each person then takes a few minutes to write down the reasons they think the plan failed.
- Each person shares his or her reasons until all of them are documented.
- Then, the HR director uses that information to strengthen the plan.
This is just one simple example. But the reason a premortem can help drive HR agility is that it can allow the team to think about problems and solutions before the unexpected strikes, before their nervous systems become awash in potentially judgment-clouding stress hormones. It can allow the team to set in place a variety of systems that can help them perform well in a specific situation they may face.
Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist at McGill University, discussed this concept more broadly, suggesting that pre-planned responses can help you stay calm in stressful circumstances.
His TED talk on the topic is below.
HR agility can come in many shapes and sizes, but the premortem is one tool that HR leaders could begin using to create different patterns of thinking for themselves and their teams. It can be a helpful part of anticipating change, allowing them to be more responsive to disruption when it occurs.
Because for so many of the unexpected situations that can unfold, it’s not a matter of if they will occur.
It’s a matter of when.
About Ben Baran
Ben Baran, Ph.D., is probably one of the few people in the world who is equally comfortable in a university classroom, a corporate boardroom and in full body armor carrying a U.S. government-issued M4 assault rifle. Visit: www.benbaran.com.
Strike a match: Agile improvisation in the face of disaster
On August 5, 1949, a team of 15 smokejumpers parachuted into the Mann Gulch near the Missouri River in Montana to fight a fire that had started the previous day. At first appraisal, fighting the fire seemed a simple task. But thus began one of the worst disasters in the modern history of wildfire suppression in which all but two of the team members lost their lives.
Immortalized in Norman Maclean’s book Young Men and Fire[i], in the folk song Cold Missouri Waters by James Keelaghan and in famed organizational scholar Karl Weick’s scholarly analysis[ii], the incident is a tragic-yet-fascinating account of a team attempting to sense and respond to a rapidly evolving environment. It’s a story of improvisation, counter-intuitive action and collapsed team structures.
According to Maclean’s account, the team
"Playing with Matches" by Dennis Wilkinson is licensed under CC BY 2.0
On August 5, 1949, a team of 15 smokejumpers parachuted into the Mann Gulch near the Missouri River in Montana to fight a fire that had started the previous day. At first appraisal, fighting the fire seemed a simple task. But thus began one of the worst disasters in the modern history of wildfire suppression in which all but two of the team members lost their lives.
Immortalized in Norman Maclean’s book Young Men and Fire[i], in the folk song Cold Missouri Waters by James Keelaghan and in famed organizational scholar Karl Weick’s scholarly analysis[ii], the incident is a tragic-yet-fascinating account of a team attempting to sense and respond to a rapidly evolving environment. It’s a story of improvisation, counter-intuitive action and collapsed team structures.
According to Maclean’s account, the team was beginning to evaluate the fire and plan an attack when the team leader, Wagner Dodge, saw that the wildfire had breached the valley and was approaching their direction rapidly. Quickly, the situation devolved into an all-out race to a rocky area at the top of the ridge, with flames chasing them at a rate of approximately 610 feet per minute.
That’s when Dodge took two actions that both highlight extreme moments of agility.
- He ordered his men to drop their tools. Dodge realized that they needed to run faster if they were to have any chance of reaching the top, and that their heavy tools were slowing them down. But this is a strange order to give a group of experienced firefighters—it’s like telling a group of Marines to throw down their rifles.
- Moments later, he took out a match, struck it and threw it into the waist-high dry grass around him. As his own personal fire grew around him, he ordered his men to lie down with him in the area he scorched. None of them did.
Consider the magnitude of creativity Dodge displayed in these moments: (1) casting away his tools, the very physical representations of being a firefighter and (2) starting a fire and climbing into it, when the entire purpose of firefighting is to extinguish flames while avoiding direct contact if possible.
Dodge arose later from the ashes that had provided a barrier between him and the wall of flame that swept the hillside. He soon learned that only he and one other team member survived. All 13 others died.
This story has numerous lessons, one of which is the value of agile improvisation.
Dodge quickly realized that the environment had changed and took novel, dramatic steps to survive.
The story also highlights the value in continually sensing and monitoring one’s environment for subtle signs of danger. Such processes that support anticipating change involve the use of analytics, which is all about making sense of what’s going on, organizing that information and using it to respond appropriately.
How does an organization systematically sense and monitor its environment? We’ve found that it’s through consistently measuring what’s important from every corner of the system, gathering insights from employees across levels, functions and geographies. It’s about establishing an attitude of questioning assumptions and the status quo, making it OK for people to voice ideas and even dissent.
Agile organizations aren’t error-free.
They’re organizations that have embedded the ability to notice small deviations and deal with them quickly. And formal systems for sensing and monitoring set the foundation for such noticing to occur. Coupled with agile responses—like Dodge’s burning match—organizations can begin to thrive in spite of the turbulence around them.
References
[i] Norman Maclean, Young Men and Fire (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993).
[ii] Karl E. Weick, “The Collapse of Sensemaking in Organizations: The Mann Gulch Disaster,” Administrative Science Quarterly 38, no. 4 (December 1993): 628, doi:10.2307/2393339.
About Ben Baran
Ben Baran, Ph.D., is probably one of the few people in the world who is equally comfortable in a university classroom, a corporate boardroom and in full body armor carrying a U.S. government-issued M4 assault rifle. Visit: www.benbaran.com.
The Power We All Have But Rarely Use
“Hey, you did a really great job in a tough situation. They’re lucky to have you.” I heard the gentleman in front of me say these two simple sentences to the United Airlines flight attendant as we exited the plane. It was a flight that normally takes about one hour, but it turned into more than three hours for all of us aboard the aircraft due to weather considerations. The flight attendant’s reaction to this unsolicited positive feedback, as you can imagine, was one of delight and appreciation.
“Hey, you did a really great job in a tough situation. They’re lucky to have you.” I heard the gentleman in front of me say these two simple sentences to the United Airlines flight attendant as we exited the plane. It was a flight that normally takes about one hour, but it turned into more than three hours for all of us aboard the aircraft due to weather considerations. The flight attendant’s reaction to this unsolicited positive feedback, as you can imagine, was one of delight and appreciation.
“I want you each to say something that you appreciate about everyone else on the team. Say it to them directly, not to me.” After a long day of working through a tough problem-solving session, my colleague Mike Richardson (who is also simply a brilliant, wonderful human being) pushed us all into a simple exercise that illuminated our individual strengths and collective appreciation.
“Let’s share our ‘flowers’ and ‘weeds’ for the past year. Let’s be grateful.” A few years ago, my father-in-law, Bill Hawke, started the tradition of sharing our annual highs and lows within the family during New Year’s Eve celebrations. We’ve all found this ritual to be one of our favorites, as it breathes new life into our plans for the future by situating those dreams within the context of where we’ve been.
Regardless of what happens to us—be it a rotten plane ride, a frustrating team session, personal health issues, or anything else—we always have the power to choose how we react. We always have power over our attitudes. And if we react by finding something positive and then sharing that positivity with others, we can exercise a powerful force not only in how we see the world but in how the people around us view themselves, us, and their circumstances.
Try using the power of gratitude and positivity intentionally this week. Find one thing that someone does that helps you, others, or your organization. Then, make a point to tell them that you noticed and that you’re grateful.
I can guarantee that their reaction—you guessed it—will also be one of gratitude.
Stop Wasting Your Time and use Zotero to Organize Research
It seemed like a good idea at the time. And I think it was. Using Excel 2007 to organize all of my research references worked very well during my time in graduate school. But that was in 2009. The world—and its technology—have changed. So now I’m happy to tell anyone and everyone to NOT follow the advice I presented in my 2009 blog post about using Excel to organize all of your research articles.
Instead, use Zotero.
It seemed like a good idea at the time. And I think it was. Using Excel 2007 to organize all of my research references worked very well during my time in graduate school. But that was in 2009. The world—and its technology—have changed. So now I’m happy to tell anyone and everyone to NOT follow the advice I presented in my 2009 blog post about using Excel to organize all of your research articles.
Instead, use Zotero.
Zotero has been around for a few years, but it only recently (in my estimation) reached the point at which it does everything I want it to do. Granted, I wasn’t really paying attention to research and related technologies while I was on my all-expenses paid trip to Afghanistan from December 2012 to December 2013. But let’s just say that since I’ve been back and diving into research again, I’ve been thrilled with Zotero.
To set the stage, understand that I have thousands of PDFs of scholarly journal articles. These are all somehow related to work I’ve done or work I’m still doing. So any technology that helps me manage them has the potential to save me a substantial amount of time. Even more significantly, a well-designed technology has the potential to help me organize my actual thoughts.
I downloaded Zotero a few weeks ago. It’s free to download from www.zotero.org. I have it installed on my home computer and on my work computer. Zotero is free to use up to 300MB of storage; after that, you can buy more space.
I’m not going to outline all of the features of Zotero here, as I probably don’t know all of them yet. But here are a few of my favorites:
1. It automatically syncs what I do on my home computer with the cloud. I worked on research from home today, but when I go to the office tomorrow and fire up that computer, Zotero will look exactly the same as it does at home.
2. It can pull the metadata from PDFs. That means that once you put PDFs into your library, you can have Zotero retrieve the citation information for the article.
3. You can tag, categorize, write notes, and otherwise make sense of your articles. It’s easy.
4. Zotero has a plug-in for Microsoft Word, so that I can use it to manage my citations and reference list when drafting a manuscript.
5. It’s relatively intuitive to use. And if there’s something you’re trying to do and can’t figure it out, simply Google it and you’ll likely find the answer quickly.
I felt compelled to write this quick update given that I still have people contact me and tell me how great my simple Excel 2007 spreadsheet is for organizing references. But it’s now official. I’m urging you to use Zotero for your next project. It’s so much better. I’m not an expert on other systems like EndNote or Mendeley, but Zotero has made such a big impression on me during the past two weeks that I’m confident to recommend it. It's to your benefit, of course, to explore the advantages and disadvantages of various tools. All I'm saying is that Zotero is working quite well for me. I'm thrilled with it.
I suggest getting used to Zotero by using it for one project. For example, use it for one manuscript or research project. That way, you won’t be feeling the need to change your entire system that you’ve been using. You’ll be able to learn the features and benefits of Zotero as you go through your first project.
And then—I’ll wager—you’ll be hooked. I’m pretty sure I am.
Ten Ways to Annoy Professors
Attention all college students: Your professors, like all other people on the planet, form impressions about you based upon your behavior. And yes, we may sometimes talk about the worst of you with each other, shaking our heads in disbelief. We may wonder about your ability to become productive working adults and contributing members of society.
But it gives us no greater joy than to see you thrive and to play a small role in helping you succeed.
Attention all college students: Your professors, like all other people on the planet, form impressions about you based upon your behavior. And yes, we may sometimes talk about the worst of you with each other, shaking our heads in disbelief. We may wonder about your ability to become productive working adults and contributing members of society.
But it gives us no greater joy than to see you thrive and to play a small role in helping you succeed.
If, however, you are determined to annoy your professors this academic term, here are a few tips. And just in case you’d like to avoid making yourself look like a donkey’s hind end, I've included a few ideas about how you might want to act instead. By the way, these bits of advice will also serve you well in your interactions with current and future employers, bosses, co-workers, classmates, and others.
I’ve also included my own classroom policies so that any of my students can know exactly where I stand. Fellow professors, feel free to copy, paste, or otherwise claim any of this that might be helpful to you. Or add your comments below. Or disregard this altogether.
So, students, to annoy your professors this semester …
1. Get too casual with them. Address them by their first names without their prior permission or use an incorrect title when communicating with them either in person or in writing. For example, call them “Mr.,” “Ms.,” or “Mrs.” when he or she has a Ph.D. Better yet, just go with “Bob” or “Hey.” This is a fantastic way to get off on the wrong foot with your professors.
To avoid annoying your professors, err on the side of formality instead of informality. If your professor has “Ph.D.” or “Dr.” listed in reference to him or herself on his or her syllabus, website, or other course materials, use “Dr.” In all other cases of doubt, just ask. Your professor will likely find it impressive that you cared enough to find out.
My policy. On the first day of class, I explicitly discuss with students “what you should call me.” They have four choices: Dr. Baran, Professor Baran, Dr. B., or Professor B. I’ve found that this accomplishes two goals. First, it lets them know what’s appropriate. Second, I’ve found that students are more likely to initiate conversations with you if they have an exact script of how to start that conversation.
2. Send them unprofessional e-mails. This one is quite easy to do, and it takes very little time. Simply send your professor an e-mail that (a) lacks an appropriate subject line, (b) has no salutation or refers to him or her in an inappropriately casual way, (c) uses poor grammar, (d), doesn’t completely describe your question or problem, (e) doesn’t include your first and last name at the end after a proper closing, or (f) any combination of the above. To make your e-mail even more annoying, you could send it from your non-university e-mail account that you set up when you were 15, something like “bieberfever” or “ihatehomework” @ whatever.com.
To avoid annoying your professors, repeat after me, “An e-mail is not a text message. An e-mail is not a text message. An e-mail is not a text message.” Good. Knowing that a fundamental difference exists between the two mediums is a start. Use proper grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. Use your university e-mail. That helps them know that you’re actually a student, and they can verify that you’re enrolled in one of their classes. Use their preferred title (see #1 above), followed by a comma. Then, skip a line. Describe your problem or question politely. (NEVER e-mail something that you wouldn’t feel comfortable reading out loud to your professor in person.) Then, skip a line, type “Sincerely” or some other appropriate closing. Under that, type your first and last name.
Here’s an example:
###
From: j.student@state.edu To: Baran, Benjamin Subject: Meeting availability on Sept. 12
Dr. Baran,
I hope you are well. I understand that your office hours this semester are on Wednesdays from noon to 4 p.m. Unfortunately, I am scheduled to work during that time, and I have a few questions about the class.
Would you possibly be available in the morning on Thursday, Sept. 12? If not, perhaps there is another time that would work for you.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely, Jane Student
###
My policy. Here’s what I include in my syllabi, under the heading of “communication.” I also discuss this during the first day of class.
Your e-mails should include a subject in the subject line, a salutation (either Dr. Baran, Professor Baran, Dr. B., or Professor B.), then you should describe your question or problem completely, and you should sign your e-mail with your first and last name after an appropriate closing (such as “sincerely”). If you send me an e-mail that is not in this format, I will likely respond and request that you use proper e-mail etiquette as listed in the syllabus.
Like many of the points listed here, I describe the reason behind my policy, which is something like this: “I want you to make excellent first impressions with everyone you meet in a professional context. So we’re going to practice that in this class.” I teach in a college of business, but I think this idea applies broadly.
3. Play with your phone in class. You can do this either in the open, with your phone and hands above your desk or you can do it below the desk while staring at your crotch. Either way, your professor WILL notice. And he or she will most certainly be annoyed. You could even simply answer your phone or let it announce its presence with your catchy pop-song ringtone for a while. That’ll do the trick as well.
To avoid annoying your professors, pretend that you’re in a very important business meeting. Put your phone on silent or turn it off. Put it in your pocket, purse, or backpack so that you’re not tempted to play with it. If you have a bona fide need to monitor your personal electronic device—for example, a family member about to give birth or die—discuss this with your professor after the first day of class.
My policy. I include the following in my syllabi: “Be courteous. Please DO NOT use your cell phone during class (including text messaging and e-mail). If you use a laptop computer during class, use it appropriately (e.g., don’t go on Facebook, etc.).” I also discuss this policy during the first few class meetings. If a student violates this policy during class, I stop talking and stare at him or her until the behavior ceases.
4. Talk and giggle with your classmates during their lectures. Your professors probably won’t mind if you quickly and quietly ask a classmate for a pen. So to annoy them properly, you need to get a conversation going. You could even combine this tip with #3 above and pass your phone back and forth. That way, you can both share the hilarity of whatever inappropriate photo you saw on Facebook. And don’t worry, even if you stop your giggling and talking when your professor looks directly at you, he or she probably already noticed it and is annoyed.
To avoid annoying your professors, show some respect by paying attention and being quiet. Save your conversations with classmates for appropriate times in the class, during breaks, or outside of class entirely.
My policy. In my syllabi, I include the following in the “expectations of class members” section: “I expect all students to show respect and consideration for the instructor and other students. This course focuses on class discussion and participation. The ability to show respect and consideration is essential to creating an effective learning environment.” We then talk about what that means during the first class. If someone is being disruptive, I pause and stare at them. If it happens more than twice, I call them out in class and tell them something along the lines of “I need you to please stop talking to each other as it’s distracting to me, and it’s probably distracting to other students. Thank you.”
5. Ask them for special treatment and cite everything other than you as the cause of your woe. Sometime around the end of the academic term, tell them that you need extra time to complete the course project because you have _________ (fill in the blank with “lots of other classes,” “a full-time job,” “an undiagnosed disorder,” or some other excuse). Or tell them that for you the rules of mathematical rounding should be magically suspended to elevate your grade to the next higher level. Claim that the exam has “trick questions,” which is why you performed poorly. It couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that you never came to class and didn’t study, of course. In general, approach your professors with the belief that you are entitled to special treatment—exceptions to the rules of the syllabus, the college, and the universe. Use your imagination! After all, you are … YOU. And you’re very special.
To avoid annoying your professors, don’t ask your professors to change the rules or make exceptions for you. The only exception to this rule might be if some truly extraordinary, unexpected event happens in your life. In that case, try to have some documentation to back your story and discuss it with your professor as soon as possible. Don’t wait. And keep your options open—your professor may not have the same solution in mind as you do.
My policy. I list the following in my syllabi and discuss it—along with related issues of student responsibilities and expectations—in class:
Being able to meet deadlines is essential to your success in your career and life. The class schedule identifies the last date that assignments will be accepted. No late work will be accepted and a zero will be assigned. All assignments are due on the assigned date and time listed on the course schedule. Anything after the due date/time (even just 1 minute) will be considered late and will not be accepted without complete, verifiable, written documentation of the extraordinary event that justifies (in my judgment) why you were late. Circumstances that potentially meet these criteria include your own prolonged hospitalization or the death of an immediate family member.
Amazingly, discussing these issues openly at the beginning of the academic term has not only decreased requests for special treatment, but it also has dramatically reduced the numbers of grandmothers, second cousins, and other distant relatives of my students who have “died” around the dates of final exams.
6. Ask for a letter of recommendation when they hardly know you—or when they know you because you’re a terrible student. This one may take some bravery on your part, but it’s a wonderful way to annoy your professors. To do it right, skip class frequently, earn about a “D+” average on exams, and avoid participation in class at all costs. Then, send your professor an inappropriate e-mail (see #1 above) and demand for a letter of recommendation to be delivered to you in less than 24 hours.
To avoid annoying your professors, only ask for letters of recommendation from professors who know you well. Ideally, earn a high grade in their class. And being a good class participant can’t hurt either. If you’ve accomplished these steps, notify your professor at least four weeks prior to the due date for the letter and provide as many details about the letter requirements as possible.
My policy. Although I don’t currently have a policy about letters of recommendation in my syllabi, I’m considering including one in the future. When approached by students, I typically tell them that I normally only do letters of recommendation for students whom I’ve had for more than one class or otherwise have gotten to know well. I will often require the student to meet with me privately to discuss the letter and its purpose. In addition, asking for the student’s résumé can help in the process.
7. Tell them that you really need a certain grade. Directly after the first class or during the professor’s first office hours, explain to him or her how you will absolutely need an “A” in this class in order to get into graduate school, maintain athletic eligibility, or some other reason. He or she will love to hear this.
To avoid annoying your professors, realize that you’ll get the grade that you earn. Don’t talk about grades with your professors unless there’s some confusion or you think there was a mistake of some kind. Work hard in the class.
My policy. You will get the grade you earn. Period.
8. Don’t read their syllabi. The syllabus is full of all kinds of helpful information for you regarding the class. Professors often spend quite a bit of time ensuring it’s accurate and trying to make it useful. But if you ignore it, you can annoy your professors by asking them all kinds of questions to which the syllabus has the answers. Ask these questions in class, in the hallway, during office hours, via e-mail, or by phone. It’s up to you!
To avoid annoying your professors, read the syllabus. Then read it again. Then, if you have questions about the class, check the syllabus to see if it has the answer. It probably does.
My policy. I review the syllabus thoroughly during the first class period. I also create a graded quiz for online classes that require students to dig answers out of the syllabus. That way, there’s at least some level of common understanding at the beginning of the course. When students ask questions that clearly could have been answered by reviewing the syllabus, I politely invite them to read it again. If questions still remain, I gladly answer them.
9. Show up late or leave early without an explanation. Here’s another easy one—just waltz in or waltz out of the classroom after the class starts or before it’s adjourned. Make some noise with your bag and kick your chair a few times for effect. And start talking on the phone during your transit.
To avoid annoying your professors, arrive five minutes prior to the start of class. Don’t leave until the class is clearly finished. And don’t start packing your things early either.
My policy. I make a promise with all of my classes that I will always start right on time and that the class will always end at or before the time it’s supposed to end. I am unwavering in my commitment to this principle. In return, I request that students respect everyone else in the class by showing up on time and waiting until it’s concluded to leave.
10. Don’t participate in class discussions at all, or dominate all discussions. For this one, you can choose one of two extremes. On one end, you can choose to give your entire class the silent treatment. Just sit there. Say nothing. On the other end of the spectrum, you can raise your hand every two minutes, blurt out your thoughts to every question posed to the class, or pontificate at length about every issue. Either way, you’ll be sure to annoy your professor.
To avoid annoying your professors, participate in class by asking questions, volunteering your thoughts, and offering your perspective. But if you find that you’re talking significantly more than everyone else in the class, that’s probably not a good thing. Let someone else share the “stage” for a minute. This is a fine balance, but it’s one that will serve you well in group interactions of all types throughout your life.
My policy. Mutual respect is a fundamental principle in my classrooms. We talk about what that means with regard to class participation, and we discuss the two extremes. Somewhere in the middle, for most students, is just about right.
In addition to the points listed above, numerous other methods surely exist for annoying your professors. But with some effort and attention to detail, these 10 ways should help you immensely in becoming “that student,” dreaded and talked about by professors across campus. Or, if you prefer, you can avoid these common pitfalls and develop inspiring, developmental relationships with your professors. Either way, you’re in the driver’s seat.
And maybe realizing that is half the battle.
Reflections on Deep Squats, Mobility, and Afghan Toilets
“I f&#$ing love squats,” snarled the bald, 6-foot-3-inch, 240lb-plus, weight-belt wearing U.S. Army soldier, who resembled Shrek minus the green hue. I watched as he then proceeded to balance about 100lbs less than his bodyweight on his big shoulders and … “squat.” Only it wasn’t a squat.
It was what I see about 99 percent of the guys in the gym do when they think they are “squatting.” Instead of lowering himself until his hips descended just below his knees, he maybe came down about 12 inches, making about a 20-degree bend in his knee, before returning to an upright position. Sorry folks, that’s not a squat.
“I f&#$ing love squats,” snarled the bald, 6-foot-3-inch, 240lb-plus, weight-belt wearing U.S. Army soldier, who resembled Shrek minus the green hue. I watched as he then proceeded to balance about 100lbs less than his bodyweight on his big shoulders and … “squat.” Only it wasn’t a squat.
It was what I see about 99 percent of the guys in the gym do when they think they are “squatting.” Instead of lowering himself until his hips descended just below his knees, he maybe came down about 12 inches, making about a 20-degree bend in his knee, before returning to an upright position. Sorry folks, that’s not a squat.
The common reason people like to give for not squatting all the way down—to parallel or below—is that it’s “bad for your knees.” These might be the same people who will likely tell you that drinking Guinness is like “drinking a meal.” The facts are that (a) squatting properly all the way down isn't bad for your knees and (b) Guinness is one of the lighter beers one can drink, with fewer calories than regular Budweiser, Heineken, or Miller Genuine Draft.
I have a theory about the typical American and European aversion to deep squats and the related lack of hip mobility from which they suffer. It has to do with cultural norms that drive lifestyle habits. Those habits, over time, change how our bodies tend to operate. But it has nothing to do with the natural construction of our bodies.
In Afghanistan, local people squat all the time. And these are deep squats—with their buttocks suspended near their heels about an inch above the ground. In this respect, they've retained an ability that comes naturally to small children.
Afghans squat while hanging out on the side of the road.
They squat while heating water for tea.
They squat while selling sunglasses.
They squat while cooking on the sidewalk.
And they squat while fixing bicycles.
Afghans can hold a squat that would make most Americans wince with pain and sweat with effort after just a few moments. I've heard the same is true across many Asian cultures. It could have something to do with their lack of furniture. Or it could have something to do with their toilets.
This is an Afghan toilet. It’s similar to those you might find in other parts of Asia. If you’re looking for a seat, you can keep searching until your eyes fall out. There isn't one.
Using such a toilet, as you can imagine, requires one to hold a deep squat for a few minutes. And using such a toilet from a very young age would almost guarantee a sustained level of hip mobility into adulthood that many fitness gurus would envy. The good news for the rest of us who use toilets that have seats is that we can regain that mobility and learn to squat properly.
Afghans and others who squat naturally aren't born with some freaky musculoskeletal properties that allow them to squat in such a manner. All children do this, so the common lack of hip mobility in adults must be an acquired disability. Learning to perform deep squats properly is good for your joints and your overall ability to move your body in useful ways.
So getting back to our “squat”-loving soldier, what should he do? Well, the first thing he should do is stop spreading his nonsensical bro-science to the smaller guys who follow him around the gym mopping up the “wisdom” he spills ad nauseam about “getting huge.” The second thing he should do is focus on practicing the movement the right way, not “working out” to failure.
What would that practice look like? Here’s a great outline of a series of drills from strength coach Dan John. Following a similar philosophy, here’s what’s worked for me:
- Face-the-wall squats (more info)
- Goblet squats with a kettlebell (a dumbbell would work too)
- Single front squats with a kettlebell
- Double front squats with kettlebells
- Back squats with a barbell, starting with very light weight and using my iPhone to take video selfies for immediate feedback on my form
So get motivated to regain your childhood mobility and start squatting the right way. It’ll take time and practice, but it’s worth it for your overall strength and physical well-being. And by following some of the ideas mentioned and linked to above, you won’t even need to switch to an Afghan toilet.
That’s unless you want to, of course—your call.
Safety disclaimer: Although I went to graduate school for a long time and some people call me “doctor,” I’m not a medical doctor. Always check with your physician prior to starting any kind of physical fitness regimen. That just makes good sense.
Seven Reasons why Kettlebells are my Fitness Weapon of Choice
If you’ve ever wondered what those “funny-looking weights with a handle on top” sitting in the corner of your gym are, here’s a quick introduction. Those are kettlebells. And they’re not funny looking. Kettlebells are the gym-equipment equivalent of an AC/DC rock song. They’re a United States Marine Corp KA-BAR® fighting knife. They’re black coffee; they’re straight whiskey. Kettlebells are bare-bones, stripped-down hunks of cold steel that provide endless opportunities for the user to become stronger physically and tougher mentally.
I’ve been rather active most of my life, but the most prominent exercise to which I’ve devoted myself during most of those years has been running.
If you’ve ever wondered what those “funny-looking weights with a handle on top” sitting in the corner of your gym are, here’s a quick introduction. Those are kettlebells. And they’re not funny looking. Kettlebells are the gym-equipment equivalent of an AC/DC rock song. They’re a United States Marine Corp KA-BAR® fighting knife. They’re black coffee; they’re straight whiskey. Kettlebells are bare-bones, stripped-down hunks of cold steel that provide endless opportunities for the user to become stronger physically and tougher mentally.
I’ve been rather active most of my life, but the most prominent exercise to which I’ve devoted myself during most of those years has been running. I’ve run a marathon and a bunch of half-marathons, along with a handful of other races. I’ve burned through many pairs of shoes. Running has almost always been my go-to workout, along with occasional weightlifting and bodyweight exercises such as pullups and pushups.
But my pursuit of fitness through running took a turn for the worse when I reported for duty in December 2012 at a small, crowded military base in central Kabul, Afghanistan. On the day I checked in, a mixture of slushy snow, mud, and ice covered everything. Regardless of the season, it was crowded. The air is dusty in Kabul. And treadmills are boring. My running prospects were looking dreadful.
Thankfully, my older brother had introduced me to kettlebells a few years ago. I had learned a few basic exercises; however, I wasn’t consistent in my workouts with them. But given the poor running conditions that I faced living in Kabul, I chose to hit the gym. And I headed straight toward the pile of kettlebells.
During the past eight months, I’ve become good friends with these unforgiving chunks of forged iron. By most kettlebell fitness standards—set by those who know far more than I—I’ve made significant progress. For example, I can confidently exceed 200 snatches in 10 minutes with a 24kg kettlebell on any given day.
So, based upon my experience, here are seven reasons I’ve decided that kettlebells are my fitness weapon of choice.
- They’re compact. A kettlebell is just one, solid piece of equipment. It barely takes up any floor space. It doesn’t require a bench, a stool, a bar, or any medieval torture-chamber arrangement of pulleys and cables to make it work. It’s a self-contained tool.
- They’re durable. I have six kettlebells at home. Unless I soak them in a vat of acid for a few months, they’ll always be ready for use. They won’t break. They don’t need maintenance.
- They’re versatile. These compact, handled cannonballs deliver full-body workouts through a variety of tried-and-true movements. Want strong legs? How about shoulders and arms of steel? Want to lose weight? Need to gain hip mobility? Kettlebells can help with all of those goals and more.
- They’re effective. If your goal is to get strong, start with kettlebells. And that strength is the foundation of being an athlete of any sort. When used properly and across a consistent schedule, you’ll find that your entire body will become stronger and your joints will become more mobile. Don’t believe me? Try doing a Turkish getup. You will then know the meaning of “full-body exercise.”
- They’re challenging. Even though I’ve been something of a gym rat for the past eight months, I continue to find new ways to be challenged by the 24kg kettlebell. We don’t have any bigger ones here at my gym, but that’s not a big deal. Once I became very comfortable with some of the basic exercises, I started incorporating them into multi-movement exercises. In kettlebell parlance, those are called complexes. I checked my pulse after one of my favorites the other day—172 beats per minute.
- They’re complementary. No, kettlebells aren’t going to tell you that your hair looks nice. That’s “complimentary.” Rather, kettlebell training goes well with—or complements—other types of training. For example, right now my training consists of both kettlebell exercises and classic “big lifts” using barbells (e.g., squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, and bent-over rows). The kettlebells keep my conditioning up to par while continuing to expand my skill and strength. I’ve also found that yes, it’s true—“kettlebells and deadlifts go together like vodka and pickles.”
- It’s fun to say “pood.” Kettlebells are steeped in history, much of which comes from Russia and the former Soviet Union. They came to the United States largely through the advocacy of Pavel Tsatsouline, a former fitness instructor for the Soviet special forces. If you’re serious about fitness at all, start by reading and doing pretty much everything Pavel suggests. I don’t care if you’re male or female, young or old. But back to “pood,” one of my favorite words. A pood is an old Russian unit of measurement. It’s about 16kg, or 35lbs. Kettlebells are sometimes referred to in poods; for example, the 24kg kettlebell is a “one and a half pood.” Pood. It’s just fun to say.
There are myriad ways to work out and get fit. Kettlebells aren’t magic; they’re just another tool. But they’re a wonderfully helpful tool, and one I greatly enjoy. I highly recommend them for anyone who’s serious about their own well-being. Add them to your arsenal, and you’ll likely find that they also become your fitness weapon of choice.
Where would one start? That’s easy. Buy a copy of Pavel’s book, Enter the Kettlebell! And do what he says to do, following the plans he outlines in the book.
Go get strong!
Safety disclaimer: Although I went to graduate school for a long time and some people call me “doctor,” I’m not a medical doctor. Always check with your physician prior to starting any kind of physical fitness regimen. That just makes good sense.
Response Surface Analysis Spreadsheet: Update
In 2010, my co-authors and I published this paper in the Journal of Business and Psychology: Shanock, L. R., Baran, B. E., Gentry, W. A., Pattison, S. C., & Heggestad, E. D. 2010. Polynomial regression and response surface analysis: A powerful approach for examining moderation and overcoming limitations of difference scores. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25: 543-554.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We recently submitted a correction regarding a few technical details presented in the original article.
In 2010, my co-authors and I published this paper in the Journal of Business and Psychology: Shanock, L. R., Baran, B. E., Gentry, W. A., Pattison, S. C., & Heggestad, E. D. 2010. Polynomial regression and response surface analysis: A powerful approach for examining moderation and overcoming limitations of difference scores. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25: 543-554.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We recently submitted a correction regarding a few technical details presented in the original article. We also revised the helpful spreadsheet for conducting response surface analysis that the article mentions.
Click here for more details regarding the corrected article. Download the corrected spreadsheet here.
Employee Motivation: Expectancy Theory
Expectancy theory is one of the most well-known theories of work motivation. It takes a rational approach toward human behavior, assuming that people make conscious decisions among alternatives. In this clip, I explain the basics of expectancy theory and some of the potential implications it has for managers.
Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy
Derek Sivers is an interesting guy--entrepreneur, speaker, musician, performer, writer, programmer, and more. I first heard him speak at a music business conference in 2004, when he was running CDBaby, the wildly successful online music store that catered to independent musicians. Sivers made a video a few years ago called "Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy." I think it's great. As a management professor, I've used it in class numerous times as a great way to spark discussion about leadership, followership, risk taking, creativity, and other related topics.
Check it out below and see what you think.
Coping with Animal Euthanasia: Strategies for Shelter Workers
It’s the “American dream:” a nice house, white picket fence, two-car garage—and, of course—the family dog. Pets are an almost ubiquitous aspect of American culture. But pet overpopulation in the United States makes the euthanasia of more than 3 million dogs and cats every year a tragic necessity. And conducting animal euthanasia takes its toll on those charged with this gruesome responsibility.
In a special report published July 1 in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, my coauthors and I tackled one part of the animal euthanasia issue.
It’s the “American dream:” a nice house, white picket fence, two-car garage—and, of course—the family dog. Pets are an almost ubiquitous aspect of American culture. But pet overpopulation in the United States makes the euthanasia of more than 3 million dogs and cats every year a tragic necessity. And conducting animal euthanasia takes its toll on those charged with this gruesome responsibility.
In a special report published July 1 in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, my coauthors and I tackled one part of the animal euthanasia issue. Specifically, we analyzed ways in which experienced animal-shelter workers advocate coping with the stress related to the euthanasia task. We focused on 242 workers’ responses to the following question, which we included in a survey of 62 animal shelters across the country: “What recommendations would you give to someone who is just starting out in this career field? That is, what would you tell them to do, or not to do, to deal with the euthanasia-related aspects of this job?”
Through systematic, rigorous qualitative data analysis procedures, we found that these experienced workers suggested eight general types of coping strategies, as listed below.
- Competence or skills strategies. These types of strategies included gaining appropriate education and training and practicing proper techniques when conducting euthanasia.
- Euthanasia behavioral strategies. This category of advice centered on specific practices to follow when conducting euthanasia, such as allowing enough time for the procedure, having someone else euthanize special pets, and keeping the euthanasia room neat.
- Cognitive or self-talk strategies. These pieces of advice were primarily ways in which workers could manage stress through their own patterns of thinking. For examples, workers should realize that euthanasia is sometimes the best option for certain animals, avoid blaming themselves, learn about the reality of sheltered animals and overpopulation, and focus on successful aspects of animal welfare.
- Emotional regulation strategies. These types of strategies involved ways in which workers should deal with the emotional aspects of their work. For example, acknowledging their feelings and venting when appropriate. Another strategy within this category involved workers altering their levels of emotional attachment to animals, striving to maintain a healthy balance between becoming completely detached from the animals and becoming too dependent upon them for their emotional well-being.
- Separation strategies. Respondents suggested that sometimes it’s helpful to find ways to distance themselves from their work. For example, they advocated keeping work separate from non-work activities and seeking diversions through hobbies and reflection.
- Get-help strategies. This category of advice focused on ways to cope with euthanasia-related strain that involve assistance from others, including communicating with management about concerns and seeking counseling from professionals.
- Seek long-term solution strategies. These types of advice involved those aimed toward focusing on ways to reduce the frequency of euthanasia overall. For example, respondents advocated that workers should learn about and promote responsible pet ownership. One way in which this could take place is through participating in various types of community outreach programs.
- Withdrawal strategies. According to respondents, euthanasia is such a tough part of their jobs that sometimes workers should know that the job is not for everyone and, as a last resort, seek a different type of job.
The full report includes more information, including examples of survey respondents’ actual comments in each category of coping strategies. Overall, this study provides valuable insight that could help animal shelter workers, especially newcomers to the job, to deal with the strain caused by having to conduct euthanasia.
With increased public outreach and education—in areas such as spay and neuter programs, animal adoption, and responsible pet ownership—euthanasia should become less necessary as an over-population control measure in the United States. But in the meantime, shelter workers and their managers may find the strategies advocated by respondents in our study to be helpful ways to maintain their psychological well-being despite the threats posed by animal euthanasia.
Reference: Baran, B. E., Allen, J. A., Rogelberg, S. G., Spitzmüller, C., DiGiacomo, N. A., Webb, J. B., et al. (2009). Euthanasia-related strain and coping strategies in animal shelter employees. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 235, 83-88.
Surviving The Next Catastrophe by Reducing Vulnerabilities
If the renowned organizational sociologist Charles Perrow had a classic-rock theme song, it just might be “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet,” the 1974 hit song by Bachman Turner Overdrive. Let me explain. In his classic book, Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies, Perrow discussed the numerous high-risk technologies that pervade modern life and the dangers they pose for society.
First published in 1984 with an updated version released in 1999, Normal Accidents presents an argument for the inevitability of large-scale disasters such as nuclear meltdowns, petrochemical-plant explosions, maritime accidents, and so forth.
If the renowned organizational sociologist Charles Perrow had a classic-rock theme song, it just might be “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet,” the 1974 hit song by Bachman Turner Overdrive. Let me explain. In his classic book, Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies, Perrow discussed the numerous high-risk technologies that pervade modern life and the dangers they pose for society.
First published in 1984 with an updated version released in 1999, Normal Accidents presents an argument for the inevitability of large-scale disasters such as nuclear meltdowns, petrochemical-plant explosions, maritime accidents, and so forth. These accidents are inevitable, or “normal,” because they stem from systems that have specific structural characteristics. Namely, these systems are interactively complex, meaning that different parts of the system are likely to work together in ways that produce unanticipated consequences. Secondly, these systems exhibit tight coupling, meaning that a single change in one part of the system will directly lead to changes in other parts of the system.
This means that over time disasters will become increasingly likely. In other words, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
In his 2007 bookThe Next Catastrophe: Reducing our Vulnerabilities to Natural, Industrial, and Terrorist Disasters, Perrow builds upon the themes presented in Normal Accidents while suggesting a few approaches toward limiting the havoc that such normal accidents will inevitably wreak upon society. In so doing, he also points out three more sources of vulnerability beyond interactive complexity and tight coupling. These three sources are all in the form of high concentrations of the following:
- Energy. In numerous locations around the United States, industrial storage facilities house vast quantities of explosive, toxic, and flammable substances. Because these storage facilities are concentrated in specific locations, an accident in any one of them would be much more disastrous than if storage occurred in smaller quantities at a greater number of separate sites.
- People. High population densities in risky areas make disasters in those locales catastrophic. For example, New Orleans is a vulnerable city—due to its geography and its proximity to high-risk industry. The fact that it is also high in population density makes it particularly vulnerable.
- Economic and political power. Perrow has a knack for drawing our attention to the role of power in organizations, and he argues here that mega-corporations and the political entities with which they interact wield so much power over very real aspects of our daily lives that any failure within them could pose serious risk. One example he cites is the pervasive nature of the Microsoft Windows operating system. If Windows failed—due to a massive computer virus, for example—catastrophic damage to business, government, and personal livelihood would likely result. Another example, although not addressed directly in the book, is the danger posed by financial institutions deemed “too big to fail” that we have witnessed in recent years.
To address these issues, Perrow argues that (a) government should implement wise regulations that limit these concentrations and (b) that leaders should focus on these concentrations as real threats instead of being distracted by other less-likely sources of disaster. In essence, he suggests that the focus should be on “shrinking the targets.” For example, Perrow argues that political interests have overestimated the terrorism threat in the United States while underestimating the threats posed by industrial forces, such as the nuclear power industry.
Overall, Perrow presents a number of examples that suggest the three areas of concentration listed above are indeed sources of vulnerability. His approach toward shrinking those targets, however, appears to focus mostly on policy decisions rather than aspects of human behavior within organizations.
As such, The Next Catastrophe provides an interesting view of disaster and vulnerability at a macro level. Much like “watchdog” groups that illuminate concerns within government agencies and programs, Perrow has been shining a light on the dark side of organizations, business, and government for decades. And his suggestions, when coupled with other viewpoints at the micro level, may provide a way for us to avoid the ominous theme of “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet” that underscores his theories.
SPSS Syntax 102: Recoding and Computing Variables, Calculating Descriptive Statistics
Once you’ve set up your SPSS data file, created variable and value labels to aid in interpretation of future analyses, and cleaned the data as necessary, it might be time to recode and compute new variables. You may also want to calculate some basic descriptive statistics regarding key variables in your data set. All of these tasks are remarkably simple using SPSS syntax. As a reminder, this forum focuses on common analyses performed by researchers and practitioners within organizational behavior, industrial/organizational psychology, and human resource management. An in-depth explanation of everything SPSS syntax can possibly do is far beyond this forum’s scope. The focus here is on practical issues and no-nonsense knowhow to bolster your productivity.
Once you’ve set up your SPSS data file, created variable and value labels to aid in interpretation of future analyses, and cleaned the data as necessary, it might be time to recode and compute new variables. You may also want to calculate some basic descriptive statistics regarding key variables in your data set. All of these tasks are remarkably simple using SPSS syntax. As a reminder, this forum focuses on common analyses performed by researchers and practitioners within organizational behavior, industrial/organizational psychology, and human resource management. An in-depth explanation of everything SPSS syntax can possibly do is far beyond this forum’s scope. The focus here is on practical issues and no-nonsense knowhow to bolster your productivity.
Recoding Variables
Although you may need to recode variables for a variety of reasons, the most common reason by far that I have to conduct this procedure is to deal with “reversed” items. That’s because I deal primarily with survey data about employee’s attitudes, such as job satisfaction, supervisory support, organizational commitment, and other related variables. Reversed items are those items for which the response options mean the exact opposite of the other items in a measure.
Here’s an example. The Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchison, & Sowa, 1986) originally had 36 items designed to assess employees’ global perceptions about how the degree to which the organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being. More recently, researchers (e.g., Roch & Shanock, 2006) used the six-item version of the original measure listed below with satisfactory results. Responses range from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).
1. My work organization is willing to help me when I need a special favor. 2. My work organization shows little concern for me. 3. My work organization takes pride in my accomplishments at work. 4. My work organization values my contributions to its well-being. 5. My work organization strongly considers my goals and values. 6. My work organization really cares about my well-being.
Notice how item number 2 differs from the other items. In responding to this item, an employee who perceived a very high level of organizational support would likely respond “disagree” to item number 2 but “agree” to the other five items. That’s because item number 2 is a reversed item. To properly analyze any measure that uses a reversed item, the analyst must recode that variable. Here’s the syntax to do just that (replacing “VARNAME” with the actual variable name):
recode VARNAME (1=5) (2=4) (3=3) (4=2) (5=1) INTO VARNAME_R. exe.
Running that syntax will create a new variable named “VARNAME_R,” which has been properly recoded. Now, we need to compute a new variable that takes the mean of each respondent’s responses to the items in each measure.
Computing New Variables
To continue the example above, we need to create one variable that represents respondents’ overall perceptions of organizational support, not just their responses to individual items. The process for doing this correctly may vary depending on what you’re measuring; for example, some psychometric scales require summing the responses while others take the items’ mean.
To calculate a composite variable for the measure described above, we take the mean. The syntax to do this is as follows (replacing “VARNAME” with the actual variable name):
compute VARNAMEOVERALL = mean (VARNAME1, VARNAME_R, VARNAME3, VARNAME4, VARNAME5, VARNAME6). exe.
Note that I used VARNAME_R instead of VARNAME2, because that’s the variable created during the recoding process. Running the compute command above will result in a new variable titled “VARNAMEOVERALL,” which is the mean average of the responses given to each of the measure’s six items. Also, the compute command works for all sorts of other transformations (not just taking the mean of other variables). So you can use it in many other instances as well.
Calculating Descriptive Statistics
Finally, you may want to know some basic information about your variables such as the frequency of responses to each of the response options and the items’ maximums, minimums, means, and standard deviations.
To do this, simply run the following syntax (replacing “VARNAME” with the actual variable name):
desc VARNAME1 VARNAME2 VARNAME3. freq VARNAME1 VARNAME2 VARNAME3.
Summary: The Running List of Syntax Discussed Thus Far
So here’s a running list of basic SPSS syntax that I’ve discussed on this forum thus far. Simply replace “VARNAME” with the variable name and make other adjustments as necessary for your specific situation.
Variable and Value Labels
variable labels VARNAME 'description of item or variable' . value labels VARNAME 1 'strongly disagree' 2 'disagree' 3 'neither agree nor disagree' 4 'agree' 5 'strongly agree'.
Compute New Variable
compute VARNAMEOVERALL = mean (VARNAME1, VARNAME_2, VARNAME3, VARNAME, VARNAME5, VARNAME6). exe.
Recode New Variable
recode VARNAME (1=5) (2=4) (3=3) (4=2) (5=1) INTO VARNAME_R. exe.
Descriptive Statistics and Frequencies
desc VARNAME1 VARNAME2 VARNAME3. freq VARNAME1 VARNAME2 VARNAME3.
To tell SPSS to run syntax commands, first copy and paste it into your syntax file. Then, simply highlight it and type CTRL+R on your keyboard. You can also select “run” from the menu at the top of the syntax file or click on the right-facing triangle in the menu bar.
References
Eisenberger, R., Huntington, R., Hutchison, S., & Sowa, D. (1986). Perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71, 500-507.
Roch, S., & Shanock, L. (2006). Organizational justice in an exchange framework: Clarifying organizational justice distinctions. Journal of Management, 32, 299-322.
Using Excel 2007 to Organize Research References
After two years of work toward my Ph.D. in organizational science, I’ve conducted numerous literature searches and downloaded quite a few full-text PDFs of research articles—1,374 of them, to be precise. So it’s fortunate that very early in my graduate school experience, I figured out a way to organize all of those files in a manner that I can easily (a) locate, (b) search, (c) sort, and (d) modify. In this short article, I explain what I did and how it helps me stay organized. Then, I provide a downloadable Excel 2007 workbook that you can use in the same manner. To be fair, a number of software programs designed to catalog and store research references and citations exist. I tried to familiarize myself with EndNote, which seems to be a good program for this purpose.
After two years of work toward my Ph.D. in organizational science, I’ve conducted numerous literature searches and downloaded quite a few full-text PDFs of research articles—1,374 of them, to be precise. So it’s fortunate that very early in my graduate school experience, I figured out a way to organize all of those files in a manner that I can easily (a) locate, (b) search, (c) sort, and (d) modify. In this short article, I explain what I did and how it helps me stay organized. Then, I provide a downloadable Excel 2007 workbook that you can use in the same manner. To be fair, a number of software programs designed to catalog and store research references and citations exist. I tried to familiarize myself with EndNote, which seems to be a good program for this purpose. My problem with EndNote, however, is that I needed more flexibility in how I kept track of all my references. I also wanted to use a program that is portable; that is, I wanted to be able to open and use my reference catalog on whatever computer I chose to work. Most computers can open Excel 2007 files, but that’s not exactly the case with EndNote. So I went with Excel.
What did I do? It’s quite simple. I created a spreadsheet with separate columns for important information pertaining to research articles: topic, author(s), year, citation, abstract, journal, and so forth. But the truly helpful column that I included in the workbook was the “full text” column, in which I inserted hyperlinks to the full-text versions of the article PDFs. That means I can access the full text of any of my references with a simple mouse click.
So now what I have is a large spreadsheet with 1,374 rows. Each row contains information about a research article that I’ve used at some point on a project or for a class, spanning a number of topics from industrial and organizational psychology, organizational sociology, organizational communication, organizational behavior, and the management sciences. In a few short moments, I can easily sort or filter the spreadsheet by any number of meaningful criteria, including the project or class I for which I used the reference, the article’s topic, author, year, and journal name.
Many of my classmates have asked about this spreadsheet and have found using it to be quite helpful. You may find it useful as well. Therefore, I created an example spreadsheet to get you started. Pay special attention to the comments regarding columns G, H, and I. Download the spreadsheet and start getting organized today.
UPDATE (March 20, 2012): It's been a number of years since I came up with this, so be sure to also investigate some of the new (and improved versions) of software out there that could help you with these same issues (e.g., EndNote, Mendeley, etc.).
UPDATE (Jan. 21, 2014): Consider using Zotero for organizing your research, NOT an Excel spreadsheet. Read more.