Clearly Full of Faith, The Likes of Which I Have Never Seen

Posted on December 13, 2011 by mattgorman

I now begin part two of my journey to Rwanda.  I have returned and this is the part of the trip where I share the amazing experience with you.  Along the way, I will try to be as “matter of fact” as possible. I will try to announce in advance all opinions and views.  In some cases, the awe I felt was so overwhelming, the lines sometimes blurred between the “what is” and my response to it and I might confuse the two.  I request your forgiveness in advance when this happens.
I have made every aim to be as short and concise as possible.  As I began to write, I realized that focusing too much on brevity would greatly devalue my present experience of sharing.  Also, there is a great deal of reference to Catholic services.  My intent is not to  promote a religion, but rather to convey the depth at which the people of Kibeho (and all pilgrims to Kibeho) feel about their faith and the way they celebrate it.  I previously conveyed that my sense of connectedness to the Roman Catholic church is not as strong as it was in my youth when I attended Catholic schools and regularly attended services.  And still, I was very moved by what I witnessed during our visit.  Regardless of where you are in your relationship with your faith or belief in a deity, there would be no denying the power that faith has on the pure joy in the hearts of the people of, and the pilgrims to, Kibeho.  For me the experience was simply magical. One final pre-note: the use of the word poverty herein will refer to material poverty.  In terms of the less tangibles, what I witnessed was anything but poverty.
As a reminder, my trip to Kibeho, Rwanda was for the purpose of assisting a friend of mine working with Immaculee Ilibagiza in the recording of a documentary of the events surrounding the 30th anniversary of the Marian Apparitions in Kibeho, and the celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Kibeho.
On November 28, 1981 the first of several Marian Apparitions occurred that would continue for the remainder of the decade.  Initially there were three visionaries and eventually others. However, not all have been officially approved by the Holy See.  It has only been ten years since the Vatican has recognized the apparitions of the first three visionaries.
After 27 hours of door to door travel we arrived in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda on Saturday evening (local time) November 26.  The following day we were at work.  On Sunday evening there was a vigil service where we got our first real chance to “take it all in”.  And there was much to take in!
When we first arrived on the grounds of The Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows on Sunday evening, we began setting up our equipment and within less than a minute a few dozen people (mostly young and older children) gathered around us to watch what were we doing.   There were already thousands of people on the grounds who had been there for at least a few days and during the service, lightening began to appear with just a short sprinkle of rain (the service was held outdoors).  I became the town lightening rod holding a microphone extension rod high up the air. (See photo below – it extends to nearly ten feet.)
At the conclusion of the service there was a candle procession leading away from the outdoor stage that housed the alter towards the main church.  It was dark by now, and when I say dark, I mean dark.  There is absolutely no light pollution.  Several times the power went out (the grids are understandably less reliable then we might be accustomed to).  When this happened it was like you just closed your eyes.  You could see absolutely nothing in front of, or around you.  We are not accustomed to this, the people of Kibeho apparently are.  Here is why I say that.  I mentioned earlier that while we were setting up the equipment for the first time, we become quite the attraction for those around us.  Throughout the night we developed a small following of children that stuck close by us as we moved around.  A couple young boys offered to carry our equipment bags for us as we moved from place to place.  Once darkness fell upon us and the lights began to go out, our new recruits reached out their hands to grab ours so we would know they were still with us and would not lose us. (Remember, I said is was too dark to see your hand in front of your face.)  It is as if they were saying, “Don’t worry, I am still here, I won’t lose you.”  This is the first moment I realized there was something very special about the people of Kibeho.
As we made our way towards the main church we could see the thousands of people who had been there for days and had travelled as much as 100 miles on foot. Some walked 25 miles a day for four days to be part of this celebration.  If that does not demonstrate faith and devotion, I don’t know what does.   Inside the church another thousand or so were camped out.  These were the early arrivers. They had cover from the rain.  The others spent days outdoors with nothing but the clothes on their backs.  While it never fell much below 70 degrees fahrenheit, it rained a little bit just about every day. Their clothes got wet and then the dried – all while they were being worn.  Being this up close and personal to real material poverty has to be seen and felt to truly appreciated.
Once inside the church we continued to have momentary power outages and yet that did not stop those inside from singing their hymns from the top of the voices – and there was a remarkable sense of harmony among the many voices.  The vigil service had long ended and still their faith inspires them to keep singing.  Yes, it was loud and yes it was breathtaking to listen to.
The main service was on Monday. I am no expert on crowd size estimates and I will still confidently suggest that attendance was in the tens of thousands.  There were people as far as the eye could see.  Some have traveled from around the world. The service was about three and a half hours long.  I won’t get bogged down in the service itself, yet I am compelled to share one part of the service that was very reflective.  If you are familiar with Catholic services (perhaps in other denominations, this is ritualistic too) there is the presentation of the gifts which is the transition from the Liturgy of the Word to the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  For those not familiar, these are the main bifurcations that compose a Roman Catholic Mass.  During a typical service, these ‘gifts’ comprise two small cruets – one with water, the other other with wine, and also a crucible or ‘common cup’ with communion wafers.  However, the gifts presented at this service go far beyond those of a typical service.  Several dozen, if not several hundred people in the congregation brought donations from whatever meager belongings they had as gifts to the community.  Think about this. People who had precious little to sustain themselves still made a point of finding something to offer up to help those less fortunate then themselves! That epitomizes absolute selflessness in my opinion.  Contrast that with a society that is ever striving for riches and wealth seeks to harbor against the unfortunate who are often simply labeled as unwilling.
There is more to the story of our few days in Kibeho and I will continue in a post later this week.  With the Holiday Season upon us, we all have much to do and I appreciate that you took the time to read this.  Soon, I will continue sharing my experience of the people and culture of Rwanda and then share my visits to two Rwanda Genocide Museums.

In this photo I am geared up for the main service on Monday.  The work we did for the documentary was voluntary.  Air travel, lodging and most meals were covered.  The only “pay” I received was the opportunity to be a part of it all.  I was very well compensated!
This link is the first video output from the trip produced by Patrick Dolan of Plymouth Filmworks whom I continue to be grateful for inviting me to assist him.
I look forward to thoughts and comments.  Thanks for reading, Have a Great Day!
Matt G.

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A week in Rwanda – Where do I begin?

Posted on December 7, 2011 by mattgorman

Thank you to everyone who has read my recent post about my trip to Rwanda.  Before leaving, I had promised updates about the experience as often as possible.  Well, it turned out that it was not all that possible given: a) very sporadic internet access and b) we were very busy and so much time and energy went it to simply taking it all in.  I did, however, keep notes from which I will draw as I share my experience with you.

Before I continue, I want to acknowledge that this topic will appear to be a thematic diversion from that which I typically write as I am often inspired by the desire to have an impact on the relationships in the workplace.  And, I know without a doubt that my experience in Rwanda is now forever a part of me and how I see the world going forward and how I show up in the world for others.  It will unavoidably and forever contribute to my thinking and processing when I return to sharing my thoughts on topics more connected to people’s relationships in the workplace.

Readers of my last post will recall that my primary purpose for going on this journey was to assist a friend of mine who is working with Immaculee Ilibagiza in creating a documentary.  The event for which we traveled was the 30th anniversary of the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Kibeho.

For me, two additional and equally powerful purposes emerged either while mentally preparing for the trip or very soon after arriving.  First is the enveloping of myself into the culture of a people whose experience of life is so different from that of us in the West that words are pushed to their limit in trying to be adequately descriptive. The second emerged purpose was to learn more about and ‘feel’ – to the greatest extent possible – the sorrows and suffering brought about by the 1994 genocide of Tutsis at the hands of the Hutus.  All of this while the UN and much of the world turned a blind eye, driven I suspect in large part by the economic insignificance of the region.  Moreover, it was dispiriting to learn that decisions by European governments decades earlier was highly provocative in the tensions that arose between the Hutus and Tutsis. In other words, those who were to a large part responsible for the social design walked away once “it hit the fan”.

It seems that that song is played over and over again in the world.  With the level of suffering –  on both sides – from the Rwandan genocide at the levels they were, we must turn inward to reflect upon what being responsible and accountable truly means.  I do believe that individuals are responsible for their actions and I am not shifting responsibility away from those whose hands actually committed these atrocities.  I do feel that as a collective society we all influencers and for that, we must accept responsibility for the impact we have on others. (Please see my post Be Aware of the Influence You Have posted May 19, 2011.)  I am not attempting to hold the leaders of Europe who left Rwanda in a state high tension responsible for killing the victims. I do, however, believe that it is irresponsible to create a system and then leave it in an unstable state and do absolutely nothing to intervene when such instability turns into mass killings of innocent people.

Five days have passed since I returned and I am still processing the entire experience. As promised, I will be sharing my experience. And, as mentioned above, my experiences were three-fold.  And, as I begin to compile my notes and try to tell a story, I might find it more reader-friendly to trifurcate into three individual blogs. We’ll see where the metaphorical pen leads the hand.

I will take care to craft my story as to share what I witnessed and how I emotionally reacted to it sans opinions.  I will try to share my personal views and editorial comments sparingly.  When I do wish to share my own views about what I witnessed, I will proceed with “In my opinion”, “In my view”,  “I believe” or something similar.

In closing, I do want to convey that while on the surface, this topic might seem to be a diversion from the usual topics of which I write, I firmly believe that sustainable leadership requires full awareness of both self and society.  The former is achieved through inward reflection and the latter though extensive views of the human condition.  The experience I hope to convey goes in both of these directions.

My plan is to have completed my journey of sharing within the next week or two.  I look forward to reading (and responding to) any comments you wish to share.

Thank you for reading, Have a Great Day!

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I am Thankful for a most improbable pilgrimage

Posted on November 22, 2011 by mattgorman

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine extended an opportunity to me to assist him with recording the documentary of a religious celebration in Rwanda. November 28, 2011 will mark the 30th anniversary of Marian apparitions in Kibeho in the early eighties. We will be accompanying Immaculee Ilibagiza, a survivor of the 1994 genocide, and author on books sharing her ordeal during the genocide as well as on the history of Our Lady of Kibeho.

If I found myself pondering for that which I might be especially thankful this Thanksgiving Holiday, I need ponder no more. I am so very thankful for this opportunity. More than just an opportunity to travel to, and experience a very remote part of the world; more than the opportunity to be working on the inside of something on a grand scale, I cherish most the opportunity for my own faith to re-emerge and possibly be fortified.

I was raised in a very Roman Catholic environment. I attended a Roman Catholic elementary school and secondary school. I was also an altar boy for a couple of years. And, while not immediately following secondary school, I did eventually attend a university (undergrad and grad) with its roots in the faith and heritage of St. Augustine. Suffice it to say I had no place to hide from Roman Catholic influences.

In the years that have ensued, the path traveled by my faith and religious inclinations has encountered many twists and turns, ups and downs. It has been over a quarter-century since anyone would rightly peg me as a devoutly practicing Catholic. Since my upbringing was so immersed in it, some parts of that faith will always be apart of me (the guilt component for one).

So, here I found myself handed an amazing opportunity to reconnect with a part of me that has been environmentally recessed. We leave the day after Thanksgiving and we are only in Rwanda for one week. I go with no expectations of becoming the lost sheep that returns to the herd, but rather with the anticipation of enjoying a life-altering experience; and in so doing, visiting a place inside me of which I have not been to in a very long time and. I am certain to come home a different person than when I left. If anyone ever has such an opportunity to make such an inward journey, I might recommend it.

I look forward to providing some updates through this blog throughout the duration of the trip (to the extent the internet connectivity permits).

For more about Ms. Ilibagiza’s amazing story, I invite you to watch this 6o Minutes episode. Her website is www.immaculee.com.

Finally, I thank Patrick Dolan of Plymouth Filmworks for including me in this amazing journey and pilgrimage.

Thank you for reading. Have a Great Day and a Happy Thanksgiving!

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The Knights (and efficiency) of the Round Table

Posted on November 14, 2011 by mattgorman

In the September 2011 issue of The Harvard Business Review, Charalambos Vlachoutsicous recounts a story in “How to Cultivate Engaged Employees” where a CEO for whom he consulted reported significant improvements in engagement and productivity by holding meetings at a round conference table.  We might have heard similar tales where round table settings dampened a hierarchical atmosphere putting people more at ease.  A rectangular table by contrast plays to hierarchy.
Interestingly, we can explore the sensibility of this further with geometrics.  The maximum volume achievable with a given surface area is a sphere.  For example, soup cans are cylindrical since you can’t stack spheres on a shelf without them rolling off.  A cylinder is as close as you can get to sphere allowing for a flat bottom. (Why other liquid containers might not be cylindrical I suspect has more to due with the strength properties of the packaging material vis-à-vis the product it is holding.)
Similar to the sphere, the greatest achievable surface area within a given constraint of a linear boundary (perimeter or circumference) is a circle.  And how might we best fit a circular table into a conference room? Well, if not a round room then a square one – just not rectangular.  A square is, as you might now guess, is the four-sided polygon shape that maximizes area for a given perimeter.
So it seems that King Arthur’s choice of table design not only supports an environment void of hierarchy – promoting collaboration , it is also quite efficient in design.
As always, thoughts and comments are welcome.
Thanks for reading and Have a Great Day!
Matt G.

Posted in Behavioral Influence, Business Communication, Business Relationships, Leadership, thought provocation, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Environmentally Charged "Paradigm Discrimination"

Posted on November 9, 2011 by mattgorman

Just about every element of the human response network is subject to the nature vs. nurture debate. And in almost all cases the answer is that a balance of the two is at play. Sometimes one is dominant and sometimes the other is.   As for prejudice and discrimination, I was convinced that it stands as an excellent example of a character trait in humans that is fully the result of nurture and has nothing to do with nature. Surely we are not wired at birth to discount other human beings based solely on attributes of themselves in which they have no choice (i.e. gender, race, skin color, etc).
I heard a story recently from a woman who once overheard a conversation between two young girls who are cousins.  The first, who I will call Jennifer, (names have been changed) was visiting Julie. Julie lived in a neighborhood that was, ethnically speaking, moderately diverse.  Jennifer on the other hand was born and still lives in a community that is not diverse by comparison.
One day while Jennifer was visiting her cousin Julie, a neighborhood friend of Julie’s (Susan) came over to ask Julie to play.  Susan is a foreigner and has physical attributes different from both Jennifer and Julie. Julie is amiable to the idea but Jennifer pulls her aside and asks her not play with Susan.
The woman sharing this story with me was nearby during this exchange between Julie and Jennifer. She inquired as to Jennifer’s reason for denying Susan the opportunity to join them. Her response was troubling. “Well, she does not look like us.” What makes this so troubling is that Jennifer’s upbringing has to this point been completely void of any exposure to discrimination of any kind.  So what would possibly provoke such a remark? If not nature (we are not born discriminatory) and not nurture (discrimination and prejudice was never demonstrated in the home) then what might have provoked such a remark.  I suggest the environment – apart from either nurture or nature – is at work here.  At some point in our lives, we seem to grow less fascinated with what’s new and begin to feel awkward around things that are different.  It is oft said that people resist change. Yet, as infants, we can’t get enough of it. We marvel at everything. What happens to alter this? When? How?
The way I visualize this is that what we know to be true is neatly packaged and contained in a circle (or sphere for the more 3-D minded).   This is our “paradigm environment”.  Very early in life that circle or sphere is very elastic and designed to stretch and grow. As we absorb the world around us, more is drawn into our circles and spheres and they become larger.  And, that which fills our circles and spheres enters rather unabated since the entire world is new. Possibilities really are endless.  As we age and influences from our very close environment (immediate family) and later a broader environment (school and friends) become more routine and predictable, something happens to our circles and spheres. They become a little more rigid and expansion requires more effort.  In my analogy, what exists inside our circles and spheres is what we have developed the capacity to accept as something known. That which lies outside our circles and spheres are things for which we haven’t the capacity to allow as something known. Our response is usually to dismiss it as incorrect, unusable and without value.
Now back to our story of Jennifer and Julie.  Jennifer, you recall, was not too terribly charmed by the notion of playing with Susan due to noticeable differences in appearance. Also, where Julie has known Susan for a few years, Jennifer has never had the opportunity to be exposed to too much diversity on a regular basis.  The absence of such an experience has indirectly influenced the shaping, and to a certain extent the solidifying of a portion of her sphere. (Jennifer has a sphere – she is very spatially astute.)
Now lets carry this line of thinking into our everyday lives and perhaps with focus on our relationships in the workplace.  As adults, we tend to dichotomize ‘what is’ and ‘what is not’ for us in the world – what’s inside our sphere and what’s outside.  The difference being our sense of what is true and false.  The history of humanity is overflowing with moments when significant impasses become debilitating when we either experience or are told of things that squarely conflict with what is inside our spheres.  By this time, our spheres (the boundaries of our “paradigm environment”) are so rigidly formed, penetration of whole new ways of thinking becomes extremely difficult.
The very essence of collaboration, a topic in the workplace very near and dear to my heart, thrives on our ability and willingness to allow our spheres to be penetrable and have the plasticity to stretch and grow to make more room for what we might not accept as true today and will become what we will accept as true tomorrow.
In my example above, I used a story that is based in large part on experiences that did occur as told to me by a friend.  I found the story very inspiring and thought provoking. It is important for me to note that the both Julie and Jennifer and absolutely wonderful loving children, raised by wonderful loving parents.  When I heard this story, I was reminded of the entire notion of discrimination of not only people but also ideas and the perspectives of others.  I am convinced that when neither nature nor nurture adequately confronts drivers of what I will call “paradigm discrimination”, we learn that our environment – over which we exert some influence, can help us conquer this debilitating form of discrimination.  Knowing this and managing to it are powerful forces not only for effective collaboration but also for our own personal development.
As always, thoughts and comments are welcome.
Thanks for reading. Have a Great Day!
Matt G.

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The Villainous Drive-Through

Posted on October 25, 2011 by mattgorman

The drive-through was first pioneered in the United States in the 1930s according to Wikipedia.  Though the first deployment of the drive-through was at banks, they eventually became a staple of the layout for fast food restaurants.
We all have some experience with drive-through service.  With fast food, the drive-through seems to be commensurate with the notion of a quick transaction.  That is probably the case with banking as well.  I have seen signs at bank drive-up windows requesting patrons come inside if their transaction extends beyond a simple deposit or payment.
Where I feel the drive through is taking the notion of a “quick” out of the experience is with specialty food and beverage outlets like Starbuck’s as an example.  (I must declare that I am very much a fan of Starbucks and the “third place” experience that has become so popularized by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz.)
I have many experiences while in line inside a Starbucks or other specialty food / beverage retailer and listening to an order being taken for a car in the drive-through lane. To my knowledge there is no formal protocol for restricting drive-though orders to the simple and mundane. If there were, very few orders would qualify for it.  In almost all cases, the car pulls up to the window and sits there while each drink of the order is custom prepared.  The cars behind can do nothing but wait – even if all the next person wants is a “quick” cup of coffee or tea.
The problem with drive-throughs in such an environment is that it fails to serve on the idea of being quick.  In the fast food business, nearly every item on the menu is prepared in advance and ready to go (with limited allowances for special orders) or the assembly line is so methodical that by the time you drive around to the pick-up window you order is bagged and ready for you with very little, if any, wait at all.  It is designed for convenience AND expediency.  With a specialty coffee house and the like, nothing is prepared before it is ordered and you sit in your car.  This raises the question of exactly what is it that drive-thoughs aim to achieve in these types of places if they do nothing to expedite the transaction?  The only thing I can think of is perceived convenience.  We now no longer need to get out of our vehicles. If we get stuck behind a car placing a complicated order when all we want is a cup of coffee, well, that happens inside the store too.  Here is where the villainous part comes in.
While sitting in a Starbucks the other day, I saw a small pick-up leave the drive-through window.  The driver was, (how can I be delicate?) noticeably obese.  I know there is no direct connection to drive-through use and obesity.  What did resonate with me is simply another element of our society that exists in support of sedentariness – and with that there is a correlation to obesity.
If I had one wish come true today it would be that we collectively re-evaluate our attachment to solutions we perceive as  more convenient without considering the behaviors such solutions evoke – especially when we realize that the alternative (such as walking 30 – 50 feet from our cars) is not really a huge inconvenience in the scheme of things.
As many of us often feel harried, I understand the desire to take time-saving steps thoughout the day.  And when we stop to notice what is saving us time and what is merely saving us from moving our bodies, we are best served to be wiser in our choices of when to use deployments of new design and when not to.
As always, thoughts and comments are welcome.
Thanks for reading. Have a Great Day!
Matt G.

Posted in Behavioral Influence, Design, Health | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Should I be feeling at least a little guilty about this?

Posted on October 17, 2011 by mattgorman

I recently came to learn of two books that seemed interesting to me. One is “The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs” and the other is “The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs” – both by Carmine Gallo. I consume books from a multitude of sources: iPad (iBook, Kindle, and Nook apps); audio while driving; and actual old-fashion books. These two books came to my attention through an ad on my audible.com account so I put them on my wish list to refer back to later. I then figured, heck, I’ll just swing by Barnes & Noble and purchase the one on presentations since I figured there would be a very low probability that I would not enjoy it and I was very likely to make notes in it and save it for reference.
While in Barnes & Noble, I realized the hardcover retail price was higher than that of the audio version. So there in Barnes & Noble, on my iPad (which I had with me) I looked up Amazon’s Kindle version price. I found that I could get both books on the iPad Kindle app for the same price as the hardcover version of the book on presentations alone in Barnes & Noble.
So, standing in Barnes & Noble, while holding a book that I was a mere minutes away from purchasing, haven been assisted by their staff in locating the book, I downloaded both books onto my iPad from Amazon’s store – Kindle version – using the free WiFi in Barnes & Noble! Should I feel guilty about this? Well, perhaps I did a little so I at least did make one purchase during this visit – a cup of coffee from the in-store Starbucks cafe.
Such is the world of ubiquity in market and commerce.
As always, thoughts and comments are welcome.
Thanks for reading. Have a Great Day!
Matt G.

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Job Roles Say Much More Than Job Titles

Posted on October 12, 2011 by mattgorman

I cannot help but notice the importance people place on titles within an organization. We seem to have a fixation on the use of titles.  Even in my own endeavors of employment searching I have been coached on asserting a title for myself in the opening headline of my resume.  This never sat right with me since I believe the value we contribute comes from the why or perhaps the how of our existence much more than the what.  I believe that focusing on Roles instead of Titles within organizations can vastly improve a sense of engagement with the organization.
I suspect this title-centricity unknowingly contributes to disappointment for many. Either we do not yet hold the title we feel we deserve or we have a title we worked hard for hoping to be on the receiving of some kind of glorification or realizing self-actualization that never materializes (beyond the company email announcing new promotions).  There are four reasons I believe this.

  1. Titles are aspired to for the level of respect that many assume come with them
  2. Titles do not effectively communicate what we do or how we add value for an organization
  3. Titles are not fluid
  4. Titles do not support our desires for autonomy and self-direction

The quest for respect
Titles have with them a sense of receiving something considered deserved. That something is often respect.  We often feel a new title earns us respect within the organization because it demonstrates that someone – of whom we have allowed ourselves to sit in judgment – has assessed us as being successful based on a measuring stick we likely had no part in creating.  And this may indicate some latent insecurity.  Are we doing our job for recognition’s sake alone?   Not entirely, but for many people it is unconsciously the biggest reason.  For some there is a sense of accomplishment, for some it’s all about the money, for most it’s a healthy combination of all three. Where the desire for recognition stands alone, there is potential for damage to self-esteem. (An interesting question would be does the strong desire for recognition stem from self-esteem issues or do self-esteem issue stem from a strong desire for recognition.)
Should we be at all surprised when earning the new title soon leaves us empty?  This, I supose, is at least partly due (and maybe mostly due) to the fact that it leads us not to more responsibility to different responsibility – most notably the responsibility for the productivity of others. We can’t assume that because we excelled in one area that we are best suited to oversee and take on responsibility for the work of others.  Such a transition can be successful but it is never automatic.  Being an effective manger is a discipline in it’s own right and a topic that runs deep and is beyond the scope of this post.
Non-communicative of how we add value
Beyond communicating where we reside within an organizational structure, titles do little to provide insight on how and where we add value.  Titles convey very little, if anything, about our specialties and they say nothing about our strengths.  Conversely, when we share what our roles are two things are likely to happen, the person(s) you are speaking with will have a better sense of what your experience of work is like and you will be more emotionally demonstrative in your response.  This says so much more about you than a simple title.  There are two bonuses offered by this approach: First, each time you hear yourself speak about your role, your own level of confidence and affinity for your job will increase.  (Example: Q: “What do you do?”  A1: “I am District Manager.” Vs. A2: “I lead a team of store managers in creating a positive experience for our customers.”) This example is simplistic but the point is there is more opportunity for an emotive and clearer response when focusing on the role and not the title. The second bonus is that in any given week or month you might feel your role is different than if asked last week or last month.  We are free to talk about whatever role is most prominent at that time which will also evoke more emotion in your response than a simple title.
Fluidity
Titles are bestowed upon us at specific intervals during our careers and within a company’s evolutionary process (re-orgs, etc.).  Once assigned, they remain static until another promotion or re-org.  At the tactical level, roles can change much more frequently and staying bogged down in titles can foster a sentiment that is lethal to collaboration – the “not my job” attitude.  The fluidity of roles also supports the notion of multiple concurrent roles.  Have you have known anyone who held two official titles within the same organization at the same time – and be successful at both?
Autonomy and Self-Direction
This is the most powerful part of my argument for roles over titles.  Titles do little more than convey where in the organizational chart name resides.  Titles are assigned to us in accordance with the organization’s hierarchy whereas roles are often created with much, if not all, input from the person filling the role.  Because of this fact alone, as the person occupying the role, we are much more likely to excel due to our ability to have a say in the role(s) we fill.  Research continues to support the idea that autonomy and self-direction are two of three components of that which intrinsically inspires individual to excel.[i]  In his book, Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman points out: “Wherever people gravitate towards their work role indicates where their real pleasure lies. And that pleasure is itself motivating.”  He further asserts, “Although traditional incentives such as bonuses or recognition can prod people to better performance, no external motivators can get people to perform at their absolute best.”[ii]  (On this second remark, I will continue to share more in the future as it is at the core of the change I hope to impact on the world.)
I do not at all advocate the abolition of titles.  Titles do serve a critical role in defining reporting structure.  My belief is that in a world where trust in the workplace (and the world) has gone into deep deficit and collaboration is a must for our survival (as organizations for commerce and as a species), we must discontinue our hyper-emphasis on what we are in an organization and instead focus on the value we create.
Now, I wish to share with you a story of a colleague of mine for whom I was the reporting manager.  During our tenure working together, Craig’s title was a Government Programs Compliance Associate in the pharmaceuticals industry.  Those in the industry probably have an idea about what his primary tasks involve. But Craig added value in ways that went beyond that which is limited by what his title suggests.  And, his enthusiasm about this role was conspicuous.  I will let Craig share the story in his own words[iii].
“The roles I filled as a Government Pricing Analyst were fun. I got to be an expert in a field that did not have straightforward answers. Clients always had questions, and I always had research to do in order to provide them an answer. On top of the questions, there was a lot of crazy math involved to calculate the average retail price of drugs.
“With my primary role, which was implied by my title, my clients gave me their data and I churned out numbers in a system that was being built to my needs, as well as my other colleagues’ needs. As time went on, a new manager came in to the company with new, fresh ideas to help us handle the system and all of our tasks. Matt, my new manager, sought ways for me (and the rest of my colleagues) to grow beyond the title of Government Pricing Analyst.
“My appreciation and deep understanding of the system allowed me to flow right into the expanded role of being the individual to demo the company’s system. I loved it! The expansion of my role allowed me to show off my knowledge of the system and it allowed my personality to show in front of clients and companies. It made me feel like the big relief pitcher warming up in the bullpen. I was always on call and when I received the email/notification to demo, I would hop up to the mound and be able to pitch the system to some possible clients. Although my title was Government Pricing Analyst, I was able to extend into more than just calculating numbers and preaching compliance.”
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
I wish to give my most sincere thanks to Craig Kubicek for his contribution to this post.  It was truly a privilege for me to have the opportunity to serve as Craig’s reporting manager for eight months.  In that brief time I witnessed a young professional capitalize on a little bit of autonomy and develop the confidence to take ownership of presenting demonstrations of a proprietary client delivery solution. This was a professionally gratifying experience for me as his manager.
Your thoughts and comments are always welcome.
Thank you for reading, have a Great Day!
Matt G.

[i] See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc for a video narrated by Daniel Pink. Author of A Whole New Mind and Drive
[iii] The views implied through the telling of this story belong solely to the authors and are not necessarily the views of any company, client, supplier or any other constituent of either of the two contributing authors, past or present.
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Mistakes are pathways to learning

Posted on September 23, 2011 by mattgorman

In my most recent post of a couple weeks ago I shared my views on the value of job candidates asking powerful questions during interviews to help them assess their own thoughts towards the relationships on which they would potentially embark.  As a follow-up to that, I want to share something that has been on my mind considerably and was substantiated recently while listening to “That Used To Be US[i]” by Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum.
We are living in (and arguably have been living in) an era where the mindset that stewarded the past few generations through their careers and lives is no longer sufficient – and is in many cases damaging – to professional growth and prosperity.  As it relates to the topic of my last post,  Powerful Interviewee Questions, I am moved by comments by Messrs. Friedman and Mandelbaum that suggest declaring our life learnings through mistakes can be – and will increasingly become more so – a very powerful strategy when it comes to employment seeking in world that demands collaboration and innovation.  The authors assert – and I could not agree more – that the craft of developing new professional relationships will be weakened by presenting oneself as having nothing but success in every challenge one has faced.  Selling yourself as being near perfect might have at a time been a wise tactical approach (though it never did sit right with me).  Today, and in the coming decades, the successful candidate will be the one who can speak very positively about the powerful lessons they have learned from the intelligent[ii] mistakes they have made.
In my last post, I shared that I would be less inclined to hire a candidate who “…did not demonstrate the interest and self-confidence to learn more about me and my working and management style.”  Likewise, if a candidate were to try to impress me by pointing only to their successes, I would be left wondering where their true-life lessons came from or are they even aware of them?
When and where I find myself in the other position (i.e. when being interviewed) I feel very uncomfortable sugar coating every experience as if I single handedly was the leading factor in my successes.  First, the environment and circumstances were critical factors and little of which I can claim sole credit.  Second, and more importantly,  of course I have made mistakes in my career – and will continue to do so in the future (it’s the only solid evidence I have that I am human).  And at each turn I am committed to assessing the situation as objectively as possible with input from others.  The two questions I seek to answer are, “What was my mistake?” and “What did I learn?”
Exploring the answers to these two questions, I believe, makes a person much stronger going forward.  Should I find myself in a conversation exploring future opportunities and my approach is viewed as negative or at least underselling myself, then it is best we not engage.  I value what I have learned and continue to learn through the mistakes I make.  And one of my most significant learnings of the recent past has taught me that for a new career to have any chance of success, there absolutely must be a reasonable degree of commonality in value systems between the employee and the company.
As a closing remark, I shall opine on what I feel is appropriate conversation for conducting interviews.  I suggest we engage candidates to share their learnings from life’s missteps.  We all have them and denying this is simply silly.  Let start with the ripe opportunity of the interview for a candidate to know that your organization is serious about innovation and collaboration which are nurtured in part by intelligent mistakes.
Your thoughts and comments are always welcome.
Thank you for reading, have a Great Day!
Matt G.

[i] I highly recommend this book to anyone who looks at the plight of our society today and like the authors, sees a massive elephant in the room.
[ii] The term intelligent mistake is oft used to characterize mistakes made with the best intent and the best information and/or resources available at the time – including one’s own limitations. Intelligent mistakes do not include those resulting from recklessness, negligence or other actions taken in the absence of careful thought and consideration.
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Powerful Interviewee Questions

Posted on September 9, 2011 by mattgorman

I have been in more job interview discussions in my career than I care to count.  The vast majority of them are when I was the one interviewing the candidate.  I always invite the candidate to ask me questions either during the interview (or after by way of email if they wish).  I have also been on the candidate side of the table as well and I am accustomed to being asked if I have any questions.
It occurred to me recently that in nearly every case, the questions that come from candidates are weak by comparison against the questions asked of them during an interview.  Questions posed to candidates come in many flavors and go in many directions – all with the goal of learning as much about the individual as possible.  Makes sense.  The interviewer seeks to learn as much as they can about the person with whom a relationship they are considering investing.  The candidate also must make a decision as to whether the opportunity costs of forging other opportunities are worth the investment in this relationship.[i]  In contrast, questions posed by candidates are often focused on the interviewer’s views and experiences of the organization.  By asking such questions, the candidate does not, in my opinion, learn any real valuable insight about what will likely be a critical success factor for them if they are hired.  The relationship between the prospective employee and the reporting manager is essential to the success of both.  It is no less important for the candidate to learn as much about that person as is learned about them.
For example, common interviewer questions try to uncover how difficult situations have been managed in the past in the hopes of learning behavioral patterns of the candidate. I strongly feel that reciprocation is key to learning if you, as the candidate, will feel that you can be yourself and truly excel without undue stress and anxiety in this new relationship.[ii]  What follows are a few examples of what I believe are powerful and fair questions that can provide the candidate with insight necessary to astutely evaluate whether or not the professional relationship appears to be one that will support them in their pursuit to be optimally contributory.  Before I share my examples, please understand that I do not intend this list to be complete, inclusive or in any way used verbatim in all cases.  My aim is to broaden the candidate’s mindset and provide new thinking in ways that help them assess if the opportunity is really best for them.  I recognize this is indeed delicate – tact is key.  My point is to evoke a desire and willingness to reasonably learn about the person(s) whom the relationship with which, your success and happiness will depend. My advice: synthesis the sentiments below into words you feel comfortable using.

  • How do you handle situations when one of your direct reports has communicated a challenge in meeting a specific expectation? (This question aims to learn how disappointment is managed.)
  • When such challenges arise, how do you prefer the news to be communicated to you?
  • How do you communicate expectations? Do you drive for clarity or do you prefer ambiguity? If ambiguity, how have you managed in the past when deliverables were not completely in alignment with your preconceptions? (This tries to uncover how much autonomy is granted.)
  • Do you consider coaching and/or mentoring as part of your job? (Some candidate’s might not value this. My experience has taught me that managers that do engage in these activities have better overall team performance.)
  • Can you provide examples when you have gone the extra mile to come to the aide of a direct report or the aide of the entire team to help raise the team performance?  (This addresses servant leadership.) 
  • When you give feedback, do you focus the conversation on the person or the issue.  (Honestly, I’d love to ask for copies of past evaluations – sanitized to protect everyone’s anonymity of course – but that might be pushing things.  The point of this question is to assess if feedback is delivered in way that is constructive or is used manipulatively or to assert power.)
  • If you could change one thing about this organization, what would it be? (The interviewer might well hold back on his or her most honest answer. Nonetheless, question seeks to learn just a little more about the the interviewer’s values.)

The first two suggested questions might evoke a response along the lines of “…deadlines are simply not to missed…!” or “… never disappoint the boss…!”  May I politely request we pull our heads from the sand?  Sh…t happens and constituents need to be informed. Success relies not on what happens but rather on what happens next.  I  am merely trying to learn an individual’s preferred style of being informed.
As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, I have been the interviewer far more often than I have been the interviewee.  And I honestly will say I would embrace each and every one of these questions with openness so long as the candidate asked them in an honestly inquisitive manner.  Moreover, I might tend to be somewhat reserved about a candidate who did not demonstrate the interest and self-confidence to learn more about me and my working and management style.
One final note: we cannot ask about family status or situation (or any other personal information over liability concerns about discrimination.)  I understand the logic, yet it is unfortunate to some extent because awareness of common bonds can accelerate the formation of a terrific working relationship.  That level of sharing only happens (if at all) after the candidate has been accepted for the position.
In closing, I share a story that a friend of mine experienced when being interviewed by a large consulting firm. He was dutifully rich with inquiry to learn as much as possible about the relationships into which he would enter if hired.  By his account, the collective response from those who interviewed him were something along the lines of, “..well, if you are asking these questions, you obviously don’t get how much of an honor it is for you that we are considering you as a candidate…”  They saw his inquiry not as wisdom or interest, but as a lack of gratitude for the great opportunity in front of him.  That is woefully egotistical and no other interview experience would convince me more that management, at least the representative group selected for conducting this interview, is quite insecure by their defensive response to thoughtful questions.
The next time you are conducting an interview with a candidate and they ask you insightful questions about your management style, please do not be put off, but rather, embrace the fact that you have in front of you a candidate who truly cares about and appreciates the importance of workplace relationships and is being both diligent and conscientious.
Your thoughts and comments are always welcome.
Thank you for reading, have a Great Day!
Matt G.

[i] Even if the candidate is only presently pursuing or is shortlisted for a single opportunity, there are still unseen future opportunity costs.
[ii] Stress in episodic manageable doses is indeed healthy and good for developing self-confidence. The undue stress I speak of here is that which results from continuous misunderstanding of the intention of others.
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