An evening with the colours, originally uploaded by Colin H..

*Each Friday an interesting photo is selected to end the week on.

D a y N i n e t e e n

Originally uploaded by JALD

A leader who is not adept in their position of authority will almost always be thinking of themselves first. Their decisions won’t necessarily have the entire team in mind. Instead their decisions will often be made in the context of making themselves look good. The welfare of the team is an afterthought at best.

Slight A.D.D. moment: Leaders who focus on perception over actual results are the type of leaders who are most prone to putting into practice the SMTP method.

3 Signs of The Me First Manager

• Inconsistency – The Me First Manager will often be inconsistent. This is because the decisions made are being made in the context of what will look best, what buddy can I help, or what boss can I please. When a Me First Manager has a big decision to make, the right decision will typically only be made if it means he will end up on top or free from any negative feedback.
• Steals Credit – When a Me First Manager has a team pumping out great content, coming up with great ideas, or always rising to the occasion she will be the first to take credit. A manager unable to give credit when credit is due or even defer credit to their team is a manager who is looking out for herself first.
• Wastes Talent – You may think this is an odd one, but stay with me here. Because a Me First Manager must be the one out front at all times, will often take credit for himself from his team, and cares most about looking good anyone who may come up the ranks with the potential to outshine him will be perceived as a threat. So the most talented are not promoted. The most talented are not encouraged to excel. The most talented are looked at as threats to his position of authority. The end result of course is a loss of his best talent and a team that will under-perform.

In order to avoid ever becoming a Me First Manager, do three very simple things. Put others first. Put your team first. Place yourself last. If you’re doing it right. If you get it. If you’re a high caliber leader, others will see it. They will notice and you will never have to trample on others to be recognized.

hipsters climbing trees

Originally uploaded by Colin H.

Let’s cut to the chase.

1. Places self above team.
2. Inconsistency.
3. Always needs to get credit.
4. Always takes credit away from the team or individuals.
5. Manages by fear.
6. Rarely listens.
7. Always knows the answer.
8. Likes to remind you who is in charge.
9. Cannot make quick decisions when necessary.
10. Practices selective accountability.
11. Has no clear vision.
12. Rarely rewards excellence, but rewards mediocrity.
13. A record of dishonesty.
14. Does not ask questions.
15. Discourages honest feedback.
16. Lack of loyalty to the team.
17. Rarely admits mistakes.
18. Is more concerned with perception over measurable results.
19. Unteachable.

YOKOHAMA., originally uploaded by ?Hitomi?.

*Each Friday an interesting photo is selected to end the week on.

You Are Not Allowed To Take Photos Here!!

Originally uploaded by Troy Holden

Well, technically speaking, yes.

But, what if that wasn’t part of your talking points? What if you just left that out? Everyone already knows it’s a reality that they could lose their job if they don’t perform. Everyone can look around at the current state of the economy and realize there’s no guarantee when it comes to their job.

So why say, “everyone is replaceable” if everyone already knows that? The answer is simple. Fear.

The best leaders don’t need to use fear to motivate their team. The worst leaders will use it time and again. The best leaders understand that if they want to build a highly productive team that will produce results long term, they will need something more than simple fear. The worst leaders see the temporary spike in productivity when they activate the fear tactic and keep going back to that well time and time again with poor long term results.

If you take anything away from this post, take this: Managing by fear is lazy. It’s what managers turn to when they can’t come up with any other ideas. It’s what shuts up those who dare question their decisions (albeit temporarily) when the going gets tough.

So, is everyone replacable? Yes. Even managers who manage by fear. Think about it.

Juichende jongens bij VSV-DFC / Boys cheering when their favorite team scores

Originally uploaded by Nationaal Archief

In October of last year, I posted Sir Ken Robinson’s presentation at TED on schools killing creativity. As I said back then, I think Sir Ken is one of the more brilliantly entertaining speakers around. I still think that. He can take something as boring as a speech on the education system and make it very enjoyable to listen to. Not only that, his analysis on the state of the education system and the way we teach our children is spot on in my opinion.

In February of this year he spoke at TED again. In a lot of ways he picks up where he left off last time. Should you take a few minutes (18 to be more precise) to watch his second presentation here, I am sure you will not be disappointed. I’ve taken a few highlights and included them in this post, but I highly recommend watching the presentation in its entirety in the video clip below.

The Highlights

I meet all kinds of people who don’t enjoy what they do. They simply go through their lives getting on with it. They get no great pleasure from what they do. They endure it, rather than enjoy it, and wait for the weekend. But I also meet people who love what they do and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. If you said to them, “Don’t do this anymore,” they’d wonder what you were talking about. Because it isn’t what they do, it’s who they are. They say, “But this is me, you know. It would be foolish for me to abandon this, because it speaks to my most authentic self.” And it’s not true of enough people. In fact, on the contrary, I think it’s certainly a minority of people.

… education, in a way, dislocates very many people from their natural talents. And human resources are like natural resources; they’re often buried deep. You have to go looking for them. They’re not just lying around on the surface. You have to create the circumstances where they show themselves. And you might imagine education would be the way that happens. But too often, it’s not. Every education system in the world is being reformed at the moment. And it’s not enough. Reform is no use anymore, because that’s simply improving a broken model. What we need — and the word’s been used many times during the course of the past few days — is not evolution, but a revolution in education. This has to be transformed into something else.

The other big issue is conformity. We have built our education systems on the model of fast food. This is something Jamie Oliver talked about the other day. You know there are two models of quality assurance in catering. One is fast food, where everything is standardized. The other are things like Zagat and Michelin restaurants, where everything is not standardized, they’re customized to local circumstances. And we have sold ourselves into a fast food model of education. And it’s impoverishing our spirit and our energies as much as fast food is depleting our physical bodies.

The Presentation

Funky Dance Floor – DSC00414

Originally uploaded by isdky – Brian Barnett

“A man only learns in two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people.” ~ Will Rogers

When I was a teenager I played a lot of basketball. I always enjoyed playing with players who were better than I was for two reasons. First of all it was challenging and secondly playing with guys who were better than I was made me better.

The thing is, this is true in most areas of life. Who you choose to surround yourself with will have an effect on you both personally and professionally.

Surround yourself with the gossips at work and even if you do not engage in the gossip yourself, you will be branded that way by your co-workers and even worse your boss. Surround yourself with the best, smartest, and hardest working co-workers and your stock will rise.

The best part about associating with the best? Some of their traits and characteristics will rub off on you. You will learn. You will grow.

So who is surrounding you? The best, right?

A moment on the metro, originally uploaded by seanbonner.

*Each Friday an interesting photo is selected to end the week on.

tokyo subway, originally uploaded by Gustty.

Tomorrow is Monday.

Who cares?

You don’t.

Because tomorrow is just another day.

You’ll make the best of it.

Right?

Of course.

Welcome the new work week with open arms.

Dive in with a good attitude.

Kill it.

Two Flight Attendants Rushing Off

Originally uploaded by Imagem Compartilhada

By now most of you have heard of flight attendant Steven Slater and his sliding exit from the airplane he was working on. Consequently he also made a hasty exit from his job for pulling the stunt. Most of the news stories and hype on the Internet have leaned toward him being some sort of working class hero. People have said they identify with his frustrations with rude customers and love the fact that he stuck it to them, and of course the man.

When I first heard the story, I found it humorous. Most people did, I guess. Everyone likes a good train wreck. But, now that I’ve thought about the whole thing some more, the more I think we’re missing the point. Steven Slater is no working class hero. He’s no hero of anything, really. He’s not someone to emulate. He doesn’t represent me and hopefully he doesn’t represent you.

The Facts

Here are the facts of the Steven Slater slide (errr, meltdown), so far as the media has been reporting them.

• A rude passenger and Slater get into an argument after Slater claims the passenger hit him in the head with their bag.
• Slater gets on the intercom and angrily cusses out the passenger.
• Slater grabs two beers (some reports say one).
• Slater deploys the emergency slide on the plane.
• Slater slides down and heads toward the employee parking.
• Slater goes home and is later arrested there.

Why Steven Slater Is No Hero

Bad behavior cannot be excused by pointing to the bad behavior of someone else.

I’ve worked in retail. I know customers can be very rude sometimes. I once had someone curse me out at the customer service desk and then proceed to tell me I should be ashamed of myself for “working for the evil empire.” I was just trying to pay my rent and make ends meet. I wasn’t too concerned about his ideals or his holier than thou lecture. He was creating the scene over the fact that I needed his receipt. That was it. It would have been easy to have a meltdown and run out that night, but I didn’t.

I know it can be tempting to just lose it with customers, but you simply cannot. Ever. You can be firm. You can refuse to do business with them. You can have them removed from the premises. But you absolutely cannot return the favor and be equally as belligerent and cause a scene that outdoes theirs.

Vent to your boss. Vent to your fellow employees, who will most likely understand. Don’t blow your top at the customer. You cannot excuse bad behavior by pointing to the bad behavior of someone else.

Don’t steal from your employer.

I know no one is talking about it. Many would just shrug it off. In fact, Jet Blue has probably shrugged it off. However, at the end of the day Slater stole those two beers from his employer. Am I being a stickler? Maybe, but my working class hero doesn’t steal from his boss. Ever.

Abandoning your job in a fit of rage doesn’t look good on your resume.

Steven Slater is going to have a tough time finding another job with any airline again. He is now saying he wants his old job back. I’ll be surprised if that happens. The thing is, when you burn your bridges with such flair, you’re going to have a tough time getting a job anywhere that hears about it. In Slater’s case (lucky for him), there’s a market in pop culture for potential train wrecks. Don’t believe me? Watch most reality shows for a few minutes. That said, you and I (most likely) aren’t going to garner much fame for leaving our jobs in a blaze of glory.

Working class stiffs like you and I are better off quitting our jobs with class and a little dignity. Sure, it won’t garner much news, but in the long run we’ll be better off than Steven Slater. Think about it. In ten years he’ll go into a job interview and they will see his resume, remember his flair when it came to quitting his job, and it’s very possible his job interview may be over. Very few businesses will want to take a chance on an employee that may meltdown when the going gets tough. No one will look at his resume, remember the incident, and be impressed by his tactics when it came to leaving his job at Jet Blue.

The Takeaway

Steven Slater is certainly not my working class hero. I hope he’s not yours. At the end of the day a little class goes a long way and Steven Slater showed he had none. In the end, he is no better than the rude passenger who supposedly started the whole fiasco.

Akihabara Electric Town, originally uploaded by Lopiccolo.

*Each Friday an interesting photo is selected to end the week on.

Katie

Originally uploaded by drewmaniac

M.I.A.

You may not have noticed, but it’s been a little more quiet here than normal. Don’t worry, this isn’t a “oh wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted” post. The quiet has been purpose. First of all, it’s summer. My blogging always slows naturally in the summer. I like to think it’s because I’m getting out more and enjoying the great weather. I’ve also been focusing more on my photography. As a result I’ve been pretty busy in my free time shooting, editing, and everything in between. I’m sure you all haven’t missed me too much.

365 fAceS i KnOw

One project I’ve started this summer just for fun, kicks, and grins is my 365 Faces I Know project. It’s pretty self explanatory – one year of people I know. Each day for an entire year I’m uploading a photo of someone I know in real life (IRL for those of you who don’t leave your computers very often). So far the response has been very positive. I’ve really enjoyed compiling just the first 50+ faces. You can check it out here on Flickr.

Wrapping It Up

Finally, I’ve taken advantage of my partial hiatus to think about the content here and the direction I want the blog to take in the future. I’m considering a bit of a reboot or change in direction. I have a few details I’m still trying to hash out, but I plan to take things in a better and fresh direction in the fall. In the meantime, I will continue to write, albeit at a slower pace. I’ve got to enjoy the summer while it’s here. In fact, why are you here? Get out and enjoy it too! The Internet will be here waiting when you get back.

Closing Music

Here’s a great song (the video is very cool too) from the band Bishop Allen called Click, Click, Click, Click. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I thought it fit well with this post.