THE TAZIE EFFECT
Turning Life’s Defining Moments Into
Personal and Professional Greatness
Heather Whittaker
Pen – Tech Professional
The Tazie Effect
by Heather Whittaker
Copyright © 2008 Heather Whittaker
ISBN – 978-0-9820962-0-8
Library of Congress Control Number: 2008936899
Pen-Tech Professional
PO Box 7123
Appleton, WI 54912
www.pentechprofessional.com
All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author and publisher, except for brief quotations in a review.
This book includes information from personal experiences and is intended as a general reference. The book is sold with the understanding that the publisher and author claim no liability, directly or indirectly, for advice or information presented within. Although the author and publisher have prepared the manuscript with the utmost care and have made every attempt to ensure accuracy and completeness of information presented, they assume no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or inconsistencies.
Copy Editing/Proofreading: Cheryl Pinno
Cover Design & Illustrations: Rohde Marketing & Design Group Inc.
Page Layout/Design: Shawn Morningstar
Attn: Quantity discounts available to your company or educational institution. For details regarding reselling, volume incentives, gifts or fundraising campaigns,
please contact the publisher at:
Pen-Tech Professional, PO Box 7123,
Appleton, WI 54912 (920/982-5697)
www.pentechprofessional.com
About The Author
Ms. Whittaker has a Masters degree in Organizational Leadership, 15 years management experience, and is an adjunct faculty member for Cardinal Stritch University’s College of Business. She lives in Rural Wisconsin with her partner, Mary, and their 2 Miniature Pinschers, Taz and Tinker.
For more information regarding Tazieroo or to order additional copies of “The Tazie Effect”, please visit www.thetazieeffect.com.
Chapter Listing
PREFACE
#1 – Be an Optimist
Optimism – The Secret to Success
Will I Have A Job?
Lesson Learned
#2 – Put People First
Jumping and Spinning
The First 30 Days
Know What’s Important
Make A Connection
#3 – Be the Boss
Create Some Distance
The Company Comes First
Only “Friends” Welcome
Be Careful of the Dog Sitter
Lessons Learned
#4 – Training, Training, and
More Training
Ready, Set, Go
Sure, I Remember That
I Can Do That Too?
Leader As Trainer
Training is Part of Life
#5 – Provide Plenty of
Positive Feedback
Individual Accomplishments
Individual Recognition Ideas
Team Accomplishments
Team Recognition Ideas
Constructive Feedback
The One Day Push
Keep ‘Em Guessing
#6 – Let Them Have Fun
Goofy Goes a Long Way
Everyone Likes a Challenge
Team Building
#7 – Pay Attention to Detail
Favorite vs. Most Respected
Connect with Your Team
Managing Up
Know What You’re Talking About
Life Goes-on During Vacation
#8 – Think Outside the Box
Find New and Better Ways
Be Creative
#9 – Tenacity
Never Let Them See You Sweat
Tenacity is your Strength
#10 – Be an Optimist
APPENDIX A
Coaching Tips for Leadership
Development and Training Managers
PREFACE
As a manager of people, my career has been filled with what I call “learning opportunities.” Opportunities presented to me by my direct and indirect reports that offered a chance to better myself as a manager. Everyday I was faced with questions and decisions that needed to be made; all of which were defining moments for my career. When I made an effective decision, I walked away a stronger person and better manager. When I made an ineffective decision, I inevitably would be presented that “learning opportunity” again in the future. My mistakes became some of the greatest “learning opportunities” I could imagine.
As a leader, learning opportunities are not necessarily mistakes. In fact, whether an experience is from a positive or negative situation, it results in growth to all those involved. As people grow in their careers aspiring to climb the proverbial corporate ladder, those defining moments or learning opportunities never disappear. The interactions continue presenting themselves for managers to grow, learn, and develop into stronger leaders. This is one of the reasons I enjoy leading people. There is so much to learn from other people and being in a leadership position provides a front row seat.
What happens, however, when managers get burned out? What happens when leaders are de-motivated and stop learning? What happens when individuals become more inclined to take the easy road?
When managing people, there are constant challenges to overcome. Attitude problems, attendance issues, back logs of volumes, missed objectives, outlandish bonus expectations, staffing shortages, technological challenges and any number of other unpredictable issues take their toll on a manager. Over many years, these challenges can result in an ever growing level of pessimism making it hard to motivate and drive the team. Employees will in turn begin to see the decline in management’s dedication to the team, as well as the company vision. Thus, a downward spiral begins which is difficult to turn around in the absence of strong leadership.
So, who motivates the motivator? Who leads the leader? How do people find the original drive and determination that first pointed them in the direction of not just management, but also becoming effective leaders?
This book presents ten principles of leadership for new managers to help them find and keep that very drive and determination when faced with on-going challenges. They are key principles that result in successful leadership and will help managers maintain their focus and motivation.
Ten lessons in leadership learned from my 6 lb. dog.
Yes, that’s right. I said dog. Allow me to introduce you to Taz. A 6-lb, black and tan Miniature Pinscher also affectionately known as Tazie Roo, Baby Woo, Sweet Pea, Pumpkin, My Little Black Jelly Bean, and Tazie Rooper. She is a bundle of energy, and over the course of the last 12 years, she has experienced more challenges than some people will experience over a 40 year career. She has, however, conquered each of those challenges successfully resulting in a great amount of happiness within our household.
Now, I’m sure you’re thinking there is no way you can learn anything about leadership from Taz. Some of you are probably even questioning why you bought this book. I encourage you to read on, however. As I worked through a slump in my own career, it was only then that I realized each of the principles which pushed me to be a leader in the first place are exemplified in how Taz lives her life.
She is 12 years old, 6-lbs strong and still looks like a puppy resulting in her being loved by everyone who meets her. Through everything that has happened to her, she continues to grow and accomplish great things. It’s the Tazie Effect. As leaders we can only hope to be as accomplished in our careers as Taz has been through her life. As a new leader, take these principles as you move forward and build your skills. They will serve you well.
1
Be An Optimist
“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”
--Buddha
Taz was born the runt of the litter. She was small and appeared to be undernourished; however, she was by far the cutest of all her siblings. Although a small dog, she had huge feet and big floppy ears, so we believed she would grow to be a larger miniature pinscher in the 11 – 18 lb range. What we did not realize at the time was Taz had physical challenges that would prevent her growth.
Taz had Legg-Calve-Perthe’s syndrome which we were told meant that she had a problem with her rear legs and hip joints. One of them was set to never develop properly which could eventually result in paralysis. Fortunately, the problem was caught early on when we noticed it was becoming difficult for Taz to get around. To correct the problem, we worked with a naturalist who started Taz on a vitamin program. In addition, we worked with a local therapist who utilized the Feldenkreis technique to stimulate her muscles and the blood flow through her legs. After several months of work, Taz’s legs started to improve. She started building strength in her hind legs, but that was only the beginning.
Taz also began having problems with her joints resulting in her kneecaps dislocating. A condition called Patellar Luxation. We would literally have to pop them back into place which was an extremely painful process… for all of us. This led to surgery where the veterinarian put pins in both rear knees and after Taz recovered, we did additional therapy involving swimming.
The lesson learned… through all of the trauma, this little 6-lb bundle of energy never gave up. She wanted in the worst way to run with her sisters. (We also had two other dogs at the time.) And, run is what she was bound and determined to do. For any of you who have suffered from joint pain, broken bones or any similar challenge, you can imagine the amount of pain this little girl faced everyday. Regardless, she never exhibited any signs of depression. She never cried. She never refused to swim. Instead, her full focus was on being able to run. She was an optimist.
OPTIMISM – THE SECRET TO SUCCESS
As a leader, there will be times when you find the company vision to be a challenge or you are faced with stressful projects and impossible deadlines. There may be directives issued by higher ups which you find easy to pick apart. Whatever the situation, it’s important to remember it is easy to be a pessimist. To be an effective leader, however, optimism is the requirement. Messages of doom and gloom will spread through your team like a wild fire. Cynicism and doubt have no place in business.
Conversely, messages of optimism, success, and achievement will resonate through your team as well. People inherently want to be on the winning team. If the message they receive from their leader is one of optimism and impending success, they will strive to achieve those goals. Set clear and challenging expectations. Focus on the positive. As the leader, you set the tone for your team. If you fail to publicly identify why a plan, change, or challenge will not work, chances are your team will also fail to identify the signs. If you publicly and optimistically support a plan, change, or challenge; your team will also reflect your optimism.
“WILL I HAVE A JOB?”
One prime example of a situation requiring optimism is any type of merger, acquisition, or consolidation a company faces. Successful navigation of a project of this magnitude can involve facilitating best practice sessions, reviewing current strategies and possibly changing direction, consolidating work, and upgrading systems. All of those initiatives can result in a reduced workforce and you may in fact manage yourself out of a job.
Regardless, the company expects you to support the initiative no matter what the end result. They also expect you to publicly support the initiative in front of your team ensuring a continual drive for productivity and employee engagement during a stressful time of change.
When I worked for a local bank, we transitioned through that very scenario consolidating processes due to a merger. The first question that popped into my head as well as the heads of my staff was “Will I have a job?” We were taking on the name of the other organization and all of our processes were duplicated in their Minneapolis, MN office.
We moved through the projects associated with the merger making decisions based on what was best for the bank as a whole, and in the end, processes actually moved from the Minnesota location to our Wisconsin location. Our positive attitudes, commitment to doing what was best for the bank as a whole, and our overall support of the initiative ultimately moved the work our way. (Keep in mind the work easily could have shifted to Minnesota.) We considered ourselves lucky, but professionalism played a part as well.
LESSON LEARNED
What’s best for your organization is not necessarily what’s best for you as an individual. As a leader the company expects you to understand that and also expects you to do what’s best. If it results in new work, there’s a new challenge for you to face. If it results in you losing your job, there’s also a new challenge for you to face. Moving on with optimism is the only option.
For Taz, moving on and conquering the next challenge was her only option. She maintained a positive attitude and was successful as a result of that attitude. As a leader, make your attitude positive regardless of the situation and your team is sure to follow.
2
Put People First
“To get the full value of joy, you must have people
to divide it with.”
--Mark Twain
Most dogs get excited when you arrive home from work, someone new arrives at the house for a visit or a delivery driver arrives with a package. Some pee on the floor because they can’t control their excitement. Some instinctively want to protect their owner and attack the visitor. Someone new at the door can be either a positive or negative experience.
For little Tazie Rooper, it doesn’t matter who you are or why you are visiting, it is ALWAYS a welcome surprise. She starts with a high pitched, shrill bark which is enough to send you searching for ear plugs. When the door finally opens, her little half inch long stub of a tail wiggles so fast you would think it was going to fall off. She then begins a combination of jumping and spinning while continuing to bark. Combine that with her floppy ears and it doesn’t matter who you are, you are compelled to either bend down and start petting her or grab her mid – jump to cuddle. If you choose to bend down and pet her, beware… she will jump up on your arm before you know what happened, and you will find yourself dropping whatever package, purse, or bag you were holding. There is just no two ways about it. Taz LOVES people. And as a result, people LOVE Taz. I have witnessed her win over the hearts of even the most determined of dog haters.
JUMPING AND SPINNING
Now, as a professional, I do not suggest that when someone comes to your office, you greet them by jumping and spinning.
I do, however, suggest…
Smile and show enthusiasm when in the presence of your team.
Get to know your employees along with the issues that impact them and the things that inspire them.
Ask for and provide feedback from all levels of your organization several times a year. Employee’s opinions are important as is your opinion of the employee. Open, honest, two-way communication goes a long way.
Make time to listen whenever an employee needs the time.
Celebrate your employee’s successes and recognize the importance of their contributions.
Say “Thank You”… a lot!
Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, leaders are only as great as their team. Managers are judged by their team’s productivity, quality, sales, and overall performance. Leaders, on the other hand, are judged by all the same criteria with one exception. They are also judged by their effectiveness to inspire and motivate their people. It’s important to recognize as the leader that you are not just the manager of the process but also the cheerleader of the people.
THE FIRST 30 DAYS