Ted Baumhauer, Ed.D.
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"Take a fish and eat for a day. Learn to fish and you’ll eat for a lifetime."
It now becomes a different lesson of equal or
greater value. Taking a fish is the quick and easy way to solve our immediate problem.
But tomorrow aren't we right back in the same place. If we can get past the immediate and think just a little down
the road we would make a different decision.
Recently I loaned a friend, now an ex-friend, some money. There were the typical promises to pay me back by a certain date.
You know the drill. Well the date came and went and phone numbers were changed. You know the drill but apparently I didn’t.
This was a person who I would bring in on work or recommend for gigs several times a year. The amount of money I loaned him was so small that in the course
of a year I either hire him or recommend him for at least that amount and often more.
Taking the fish (my money) maybe helped get him out of that short term bind he was in, but now he’s out far more
than the value of that money. He has lost multiple opportunities to make money (that he seems to value) and in the process given up on
a viable avenue to earn more. It only makes sense in the short term.
Getting back to the teacher and learner focus, the learner has a responsibility to put in the time and effort to build their capacity to
take care of themself. It is not the teachers job to force feed the lessons. The learner should not expect that someone is going to hand them
anything. If they do, they are lucky not entitled. Wanting the goodies without putting in the time to deserve them might be a natural instinct,
but aren't we supposed to be better than our instincts? Get past the quick and the easy. The world is constantly changing and we are all
continuously learning, or we should be. Put in the time, learn the lessons and don't just take the quick and easy way out and you will
be able to feed, work, and thrive for a life time and not just one day.
Welcome to Ted's Blog. This is where you can find what's been on Ted's mind! This blog
will contain insights on walking the leadership line.
May 2009
Give a man a fish ….
We’ve all heard that Chinese Proverb. The focus is on the teacher but that is only half of the story. What if we change the perspective? What
if the focus shifted to the learner who also certainly has a role in this process of education. Now the quote would be:
March 2009
NOT ASKING FOR PERMISSION
Is there something, some project, you have wanted to do or take on but haven’t? Do you need someone else to give
you the permission to go ahead and start? Why? If it is something that is wrong then you shouldn’t do it.
But, if your idea meets the criteria of being the right thing to do within your job or personal life, what are you waiting for?
A lot of times, I believe, we hold back and don’t follow that idea. It’s safer to just hang back or ask someone for permission
to take action. If we hang back we don’t risk making mistakes. But we’ve both heard the quote -
Assess your idea. What if you moved ahead and put it into action? What’s the worst thing that might happen if it didn’t work? What if it did work? Are you comfortable where you are? If your idea, your project, is really important to you take the next step, assess what might happen. You might find that you can live better with trying and failing then you can with never trying at all. Give yourself permission to live an extra ordinary life.
Accepting Appreciation Published in Juggle Magazine
Hands Before the Mast: Lessons from the Pirates!
Never Say Never Published in Juggle Magazine
One Reason Why I Juggle: Learning how to learn
November 2008
FINDING GOUDEAU
That's me in the middle of Michael Goudeau and Teller.
Goudeau is a writer for Penn & Teller as well as a juggler in the Lance Burton Magic Show in Las Vegas. Teller is the shorter, quieter half of Penn & Teller. Recently I attended a meeting in Vegas where Michael performed at a private dinner.
He did a wonderful job entertaining the group. It struck me that his performance was built around juggling but he never juggled more than three objects. To a non-juggler that probably isn't important, but I am a juggler.
Jugglers can get caught up in putting large numbers of objects in the air and thinking that makes a good performance. It's easy to fall into the mindset that doing more is better and that belief goes beyond juggling. Michael juggled but more importantly he was funny, intelligent, and very entertaining. That's an important lesson!
It's not about doing more, it's about doing better at what is really important. For Michael it's about entertaining the audience it's not about being the best juggler. What is important for you to be successful, however you describe successful? Focus on those few really important things to be successful, instead of trying to do it all.
Put your focus on quality over quantity.
TALKING WITH TELLER
At the same meeting in Vegas, Teller did an excellent presentation on the Science of Magic. Given that he doesn't speak when he performs he had a lot to say! In his presentation he showed us video clips of a floating ball routine that he performs in his show with Penn Jilette at the Rio in Las Vegas. Teller than went on to explain, in detail, how the illusion was created. The premise of his lecture was that knowing the secret behind the magic makes it's performance more beautiful. That is an unusual opinion for a magician but not for Penn & Teller. In fact Teller pointed out that in the show Penn introduces the routine by saying "Here is a trick done with a piece of string."
In my book Little Blue Penguins I wrote about the difference between jugglers and magicians. In short magicians need to hide their skill while jugglers want you to see theirs. Giving away the knowledge of how something is done is like a juggler and a good leader, in my opinion. Being like a magician, I said, and hiding your skill and keeping your employees in the dark is not good leadership.
Tellers talk went right to the heart of the matter. The level of appreciation in watching someone at a high skill level, in any discipline, is increased the more you understand about what they are doing. This reinforces that idea of a leader sharing their power. If they are truly comfortatble with their skills then they have nothing to hide. The more their co-workers understand about what goes into their decision the better appreciation they will have for the art of leadership. Penn & Teller give away magic "secrets" in their show, even though this runs counter to the culture of magic. I think they've done alright and if you're a really good magician or leader, you will too. If you're not, get to work honing your skills!
If I have upset any magician with this, I apologize.
October 9, 2008
WHO WOULD WANT THAT JOB?
Why in the world do McCain and Obama want to be President of the United States? Who ever gets the job is going to inherit a mess with the economy in the tank, global warming, the wars, the health care system and on and on. Who would want to take all that on? Hopefully a leader, a real leader, someone who can think beyond himself and their own self interests. That's what real leaders do, it's in their nature. They don't lead because of prestige, or self interests they lead because they have to, it's who they are.
The first time I became aware of this, as an adult, I was working in a steel mill in Warren, Ohio. Over the summer between my junior and senior year in college I was lucky enough to work for CooperWeld Steel. Early on I heard some of the guys making fun of the foreman and that they made more then he did. Over time as I got to know that foreman I began to appreciate that he could have stayed a mill worker but that he had a need to work with the group and not just be in the group. He needed to be a leader. If that meant he took a cut in pay to be a foreman that was part of the deal. He was using his skills and talents and applying himself to managing and improving his group. He was not just chasing the money and his own self interests.
Even though I don't remember the foreman's name I remember the lesson he taught me about leaders.
September 24, 2008
LOOK IN THE MIRROR
A couple of weeks ago I worked with a small group of manufacturing on the line trainers doing some interactive activities. The goal of this short program was to have the group take a look at themselves and how they were accepting or rejecting new members. After three-hours with the group it was pretty obvious that they were afraid. Alot of their joking around with each other served to set up a barrier to anyone not in their circle. A change was coming, they knew it and they were circling the wagons to protect themselves.
Later I found out that they didn't really like my observations and questioned my opinion. In addition they wanted to know "who did I think I was?" All of this was jusst another defense mechanism. All my observations were validated by the HR Director and she thought that in three-hours I had a pretty good handle on what was happening in the group.
Okay, enough of that, here's the point. When someone gives you feedback, listen to it. They are not your enemy. They don't deserve, probably, to have their credentials, or parentage questioned. They are actually doing you a favor. I'm not saying you have to believe it or act on their opinion. Just listen to it, take it in and consider it. If we react in such a way that we drive them away they may never try to help us again. While it's nice to live in our own little world where we do everything right, it probably isn't reality. I could have been totally wrong about that group, yet to summarily dismiss my observations and attempt to discredit the messanger isn't the way to go.
"It's a rare person who wants to hear what they don't want to hear." Dick Cavet
It might be rare, but if we listen it will make us better people!
September 2008
Part 1 - EQULIBRIUM vs. BALANCE
In Nancy Ortberg's book unleashing the POWER of rubber bands she briefly mentioned there was a difference between balance and equilibrium. I've been thinking about that and she's right there is a difference. Managers strive to keep things in equilibrium while leaders work to move the equilibrium from the lowest level of stability to a higher level while maintaining a balance.
Managers manage, they maintain. That implies they keep things they way they are. In a lot of organizations it is easy for people to adapt to the current situation and to get comfortable. From my perspective that's what a manager would be good at, keeping people comfortable and managing the forces that are trying to pull the current situation out of equilibruium.
Leaders are different in that they take themselves and us to a different place. That means that sometimes they have to make us uncomfortable and upset the equilibrium to push it into a higher place. That's balancing! Balancing the status quo for what we can and need to become; the way we do things with the way we need to start doing things; current infrastructure with new technology, methods, and attitutdes. Raising the standards is risky. It takes constant attention and constant adjustments. To physically balance an object you keep your eye on the top while making adjustments on the bottom. That is what a leader does! The leader keeps their focus on where they want to go while making adjustments in the present. Balance and equilibrium are different! So are managing and leading.
LEAD ON!
Part 2 - TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF PAIN
Last night my oldest daughter had a small medical issue that needed attention. She was, to say the least, extremely apprehensive about anyone touching the area. That got me to thinking about pain. Seems there are two kinds, unnecessary and necessary. One kind is to be avoided the other should not be avoided and in fact should be sought out.All kinds of unnecssary pain should be avoided. It's unnecessary!
Necessary pain whether it is physical, mental, or emotional should be sought out. That's how we get better, learn something new, gain a new perspective. In short it makes us better. Too often, and I'll admit this is just an impression, we try to avoid pain of the necessary variety. We avoid making a hard decision, we don't work out enough, we don't push ourselves to learn something new. We avoid that pain thinking all pain is bad. It isn't! My guess is that the more you learn to lean into the good for you pain the easier it gets. Just like the more you exercise the easier it gets.
Learn to lean into the good pain!
July 2008
It's finally here! Yes, I know this is a shameless plug for my book. AVAILABLE NOW!
From Xlibris Publishing
June 28, 2008
WHAT YOU SAY?
A skill of leadership is creating perception. One way a leader, or anyone, can create a perception about themselves is the way they speak. Speak well and you convey confidence and intelligence, certainly positive leadership qualities. People are more likely to listen to what you say if you speak well. Speak poorly and your words are more likely to be dismissed and it will be more difficult for you convince others that you know what you are talking about.
In the last couple of weeks I’ve began to notice some of my speaking habits. At first I noticed a habit of other people saying certain catch phrases over and over as they talked. Not just the normal “ums” and “ahs” that we all know about, but phrases. I heard several over the past couple of weeks including: “At the end of the day….” and “In the final analysis…” They began to slip into my speaking patterns. When I heard myself saying them as I was teaching a workshop I was concerned. Using these phrases too much becomes a crutch. I was concerned I was beginning to build what I was going to say around one of these phrases. That can’t be good. These catch phrases are just a more complex version of the “ums” and “ahs” and they begin to stand out and tell our audience something about us. Listen to an excellent speaker, you hear them cleanly and intelligently express their thoughts about the topic at hand. I doubt that you will hear them depending on catch phrases to convey their message.
Do a self check. Are you using certain phrases a lot when you speak? Once you notice them they will be easier to work around. You’ve got to notice them first.
June 2008
Okay, it's been a while. Sorry I've been distracted by finishing the book. Little Blue Penquins: Tales for Making the Transition to Leadership. It
should be available in the next 3 to 4 weeks (July 2008). If you are interested in getting a copy email me at TedB@tedbaumhauer.com
and I'll give you a heads up when it has been officially released.
OFFERING TO HELP OR ASKING FOR HELP
This past week I went to a workshop on networking. The instructor, Karen Galvin, did a great job. She used real actors to show us bad and then good networking. One of the points she made that stuck with me was looking for connection or similarities to begin building a relationship, looking for ways to help them.
That got me thinking about offering and asking for help. In the leadership programs I teach I have often used the Samuel Clements quote: "If you want to make an enemy offer help, if you want to make a friend ask for help." This seems to be the opposite from what Karen was teaching. In thinking about it I've come around to that both have their place. The difference is in the relationship between the two parties.
In a networking situation, hopefully, the parties will be on somewhat equal terms. During the first meeting both parties will want to be polite and put their best foot forward. In this case a gesture of good will in helping the other with a connection is a positive thing.
In a leadership situation where there is a clear difference in power it is different. As a leader if you offer someone help you are, in essecence, saying they don't have the skills or knowledge to handle the situation and that you can rescue them. That puts them in the awkward situation of admitting they are not up to the task. That can be embarrasing and more than some would be willing to admit, especially if the relationship between leader and employee isn't that strong. Asking for help, while on the surface, may seem like a sign of weakness, may be a sign of confidence. It is a sign of confidence in yourself in that you feel strong enough to expose a weakness. Asking for help also shows you value the other person's opinion and skills. With a little practice a skilled leader can turn a situation arouind from running in to rescue an employee with an offer to help that may erode their confidence into a request for help that builds confidence.
Offering help and asking for help play on the relationshop between those involved. We all want to be helpbul, but sometimes the best way to do that is to ask for help instead of offering it.
November 2007
Watch this video. I was stunned! It is about six minutes long but it give you a new perspective on the world we live in
and the world that's coming.
SOLAR POWERED LEADERSHIP
Lately I've been thinking and reading alot about accountability, persononal accountability and the skills of holding someone else
accountable as a leader. In short my conclusion is that accountablity has been confused with loyalty. Specifically being
accountable to another person has evolved into loyalty. Once we are accountable in those terms to a person we begin to feel
a sense of loyalty to them. We do our jobs, complete projects and meet deadlines to be accountable to our supervisor. I belive
this thinking leads to a problem when what is right for our supervisor may not be right for the department, organization, or society.
If accountability is not about being accountable to another person but instead to a set of standards or goals then everything can be done in the light of day. Setting those goals and standanrds can be done in the open. Measuring whether those standards are being met or not and to what level can be done in the light of day.
This solar powered leading sheds light on the whole process from beginning to end. It would lead to real accountablity and avoid the traps of loyalty to a person and yield real teams that understand why decisions are being made. This understanding would lead to a greater commitment to work together. Motivation courses everywhere would cease to exist!
Tap into the power of Solar Powered Leadership!
Questions to ponder
- What are the goals and standards that your department is working toward?
- Would everyone in the department list the same top five? Why not?
- What activities or intiatives are there in the department that don't match the public goals of the department/organziation?
- How are those issues being addressed? If they are not being addressed, why not?
October 2007
ORIGIN OF A COMMON WORD
Dried manure packaged in wooden boxes put into the leaky holds of those sailing ships
would get wet and re-hydrate. When that happened it would also create methane gas down
in those dark sealed holds.
Eventually a first sailor was told to go check the cargo. When that sailor put the lantern
down into the hold the open flame and methane created an explosion that would burn the ship
to the water line. When they figured this out the shipping companies began to re-label all
the boxes of dried manure with a special designation: Ship High In Transit. You can guess why
the myth about the origin of the word started.
Groups and organizations need to have the same concerns about creating an explosive situation.
The danger isn’t from methane gas but from all the unattended negative interactions between
employees. This includes rumors, grudges, miscommunications, lack of teamwork, and more.
If these issues are ignored they will fester and create an explosive environment in your group,
just like the manure creates methane gas.
The leader, or anyone else, has to be very careful about shedding light on the situation or
else they will set it off. It is far better to Ship High In Transit and keep all those
issues on the surface to begin with and not let them get a chance to fester.
RUBBER LIPPING
What this term means, in reference to Hearing people is that we can and do, sometimes, say things we don’t believe or intend to do.
It is a reminder to not just “listen” to the words but also watch the actions.
The same thing can be said about leaders. When we are in the leadership role people will constantly
judge what we say and what we do. If the words are not consistent with our actions we are “rubber lipping.”
Our reputation will develop based on that inconsistency. But if what we say and what we do match up, then we can be trusted to be true to our word.
Where are the words inconsistent with the actions in your department? Organization? your own leadership?
Ask for other people’s perspectives on this. Listen without reacting to whatever they tell you because what they tell you is a gift.
It is a gift that, if you use it, can make your organization more consistent and stronger because it will be more worthy of trust (trustworthy).
Becoming a LEADER! The transition to leading can be difficult.
It requires a new and different skill set. My focus is to help
individuals understand this transition, as well as learn and
practice the skills of exceptional leadership.
There is a myth that the origin of a certain word comes from the shipping of manure
back to Europe when North America was in its colony stage. While the origin and use
of this word pre-dates Colonial America the mythical origin does has something to teach
us about leadership.
While I was living in Vermont and working at UVM I took several classes in American Sign Language.
It is a great and expressive language. One of my favorite ASL signs is sometimes used by Deaf people when referring to
Hearing people. It isn’t very complimentary but it makes the point exactly. It is the sign for “Gossip” or “Rubber Lipping.”
Questions to ponder
The Focus!
