U.S. transportation chief Ray LaHood’s recent gaffe has made me wonder why so many leaders in high stakes situations don’t anticipate the obvious question.  You no doubt are aware that LaHood caused a brief panic when he told a congressional panel that owners of 5.3 million Toyota vehicles affected by the recalls should “stop driving” them.

Later, backtracking, LaHood told reporters: ”What I meant to say and what I thought I said was if you own one of these cars or if you’re in doubt, take it to the dealer and they’re going to fix it.”

While there is controversy over whether LaHood is holding Toyota’s feet to the fire because U.S. automakers stand to gain, that seems to negate an obvious issue. Pressuring Toyota is appropriate and apparently long overdue; the car company must correct the issue and make the vehicles safe.  In fact, Toyota’s handling of this has people shaking their heads.  Toyota has a legal and moral obligation to make a swift and effective response.  At least one whistelblower is now suggesting a cover-up.  

But let me bring the focus to what we can learn from Transportation Secretary LaHood’s unfortunate comment. 

I imagine him- standing in the mirror- fixing his tie- heading out the door - thinking about his day.  What questions will the congressional panel ask?  Wouldn’t you think it might have occurred to him that they would wonder what consumers should do?  Surely, surely, someone on  his staff would have talked it through with him.  They would have gone over his testimony and prepared for questions that anyone on the street would ask.  Right? 

Right?

HMMMMM.

Okay, let’s now imagine it’s you.  You’re expecting a tough meeting with your boss, the board, customers or employees.  You want to be prepared.  It’s very simple.  Think the way they do.  

In all the year’s we’ve been coaching and consulting with executives, one thing I know to be true.  You can anticipate 95% of the questions.  And, if you can anticipate the questions, you can prepare solid answers.  It may not be what people want to hear, but it will be truthful and appropriate.  You won’t look evasive and they won’t doubt your credibility if you handle it well.

Every one of us who leads an orgaization, meets customers, talks to boards or executive committees, or manages employees can learn from these gaffes.  You are not prepared until you’ve done what I call “180 thinking.” Imagine you’re in their shoes and think about it from their perspective.  Include a Q & A, starting with the toughest questions first.  You can practically guarantee that’s what they’ll ask.  Better yet, if you know they’re going to ask, put it into the presentation, and avoid getting interrupted or grilled later. 

Here’s a five step process we call the Quick Prep Method to help you prep for tough questions:

1. Sit quietly and think about your audience- if you were in their shoes, what would you ask?  Whether you want to answer or not, they will come.  So, be prepared. This is the time to do a careful audience analysis.  There may be more than one audience within the audience, so think about everybody.

2. Write down every question you can think of - especially the ones that might trip you up.  The act of writing down questions is important because it makes it real.  With that question staring back at you from the page, you can’t ignore it.  You need an answer.

3.  Answer the questions candidly, truthfully and succinctly - I recommend you create bullet points.  This is a must because the average quote is 7 words and the average sound bite is 7 seconds.  Peole have short attention spans and the longer you talk the less they believe you.  P.S.  Always tell the truth.  If it’s a matter of national security or a matter of privacy or strategic business that needs to be quiet for now, it’s fine not to tell everything.  But what you say should be truthful.  Always.

4.  Go back to the drawing board if you don’t have answers - going through this exercise you’ll often discover that you don’t have it all nailed down.  The Quick Prep process gives you time to go back and find the data or reflect on what you really want to say.  Never ever go into a situation not knowing the answers.  Go to the people who know and seek their advice.

5.  Practice out loud - the value of this is undeniable.  When coaching executives, I’ve found they may have their talking points in front of them, but on a difficult question, they appear irritable, frustrated, or impatient because they haven’t rehearsed and confronted these feelings.  Practice out loud also commits it to memory so that in a high pressure situation you recall exactly what you want to say. 

What questions do you have about answering tough questions?  Leave a reply and we’ll start a discussion. 

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“It is so important to keep that communication line open, and it’s difficult when you have that many layers between yourself and the front line.”

-Larry O’Donnell, CEO, Waste Management

If I were a betting woman, I’d put something down on what looks like a winning formula for the new reality series Undercover Boss.  The show, from executive producer Stephen Lambert, follows CEOs from major companies as they go undercover to see how their companies really work. Among the executives taking part are leaders from Waste Management, Hooters, White Castle and 7-Eleven.

Hit Show?

CBS is so confident they have a hit on their hands that they’re launching it right after Super Bowl XLIV. They’re calling it a “docu-narrative” since there’s no host.  I can’t imagine how cheap it is to make, since there is no Jeff Probst (Survivor’s host) and they aren’t paying any of the employees who appear.   Unlike Survivor, there’s no drama or competition - no one gets voted off.   Instead, you have CEOs like Larry O’Donnell of Waste Management, a Fortune 200 company, meeting his own people, taking on jobs like cleaning filthy portable toilets, riding a residential garbage truck and joining a fast-moving sorting line in a recycling facility.

Among the eye-opening moments was garbage truck driver Janice, who has to urinate in a bottle on her rounds because she has no time or place for a proper bathroom break.  O’Donnell gets hit with a lot of those reality checks and the result is a story with humor and heart.  I hear that advertisers and reviewers have been moved to tears.   

How Many CEOs Could Go Undercover?

Ever since viewing the pilot, I’ve been wondering - how many CEOs could go undercover?  Yes, these are gigantic companies with lots of employees.  Yet I’m struck by the fact that O’Donnell is able to put on a phony beard and a company uniform and go unrecognized by any of these folks.  I’ve worked for big corporations including CBS, and I’m trying to think back - yes - if I’m honest I’d have to say I wouldn’t have recognized every boss.  Actually most of them.  Especially if they wore fake beards.  I can’t think of a time when any network president came around to shake hands in a newsroom where I worked.   And back then, we didn’t have video. Al Gore hadn’t yet invented the internet.  Or U Tube.     

For every employee who believes their boss doesn’t have a clue what it is like to work on the lower rungs of the corporate ladder this will be a cathartic experience.  Who isn’t going to enjoy listening in on the conversation where Larry learns that one of his employees works two or three jobs, but gets paid for just one?  What I’m wondering is, what impact will the show have on the bosses of the world?   Will it be a wake-up call?

What’s It Like?

It does make you think about what it’s really like to work in your own company.  Whether you have a team of 6, 60, 600, 6,000 or 60,000, you probably don’t know the half of it.  The view from your perch is always a little rosier, perhaps by necessity, since you have to make tough decisions and your job is to look out for the welfare of the entire organization.  Still, even if you’ve come up through the ranks of your own company, it’s simply inevitable that after a few years away from your post on the front lines, you’re going to lose sight of what it’s like to be on the receiving end of your decisions.

What Every Boss Could Learn

I’m going to wager that even if you don’t have a TV camera following you that you could learn a lot by hitting the road and doing some of the tough jobs people do for you every day.  You don’t need a costume; just walk in the door and work side by side with some of your employees for a few days.  Imagine the reaction you’ll get when you walk in at 8 a.m. and don an apron or work boots; roll up your sleeves and get onto the assembly line or hop into the truck; sit down at a phone bank in the call center and answer customer complaints.  

When I wrote my second book, Motivate Like a CEO, I remember Bill Swanson, CEO of Raytheon, telling me the story of a time when he visited one of his own plants, not because he’d planned it but because at a meeting the day before, an employee had challenged him to come and look at the issues they were having on the assembly line.  Since he’d worked in plants and was an engineer by training, he went over to her station and helped fix the equipment.  The employees gathered around were first dumbstruck; later he got an ovation.  The story became legend.  

Click here to see a video preview of Undercover Boss

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“Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity.”

-Lou Holtz

The economy is still bumping along.  This is a fact.  Unemployment stubbornly sits at 10%.  Businesses are holding back on their decisions. People are delaying their purchases.  I flew back and forth to Florida this week and one third of the seats on both planes were empty.  It all feels so - uncertain.  The business optimism meter looks to me a little like it did between Q 2 and Q 3 of 2009.  

With all that as a given, you still have to close the sale.  You have no choice. Whether you’re selling products or services, or selling ideas to your boss, you need to make forward progress.  

The ability to close the sale is critical to your success.  You have to get those objections on the table, meet them and get people to agree.  However, you can’t close the sale if you don’t open well.  Whatever you do at the end is meaningless if you don’t get off on the right foot.  

An inquiry about your idea, product or service is only the beginning.  When someone asks a question, it doesn’t mean they are ready to buy, or ever will.  No matter how great your products, services or ideas, an inquiry is only an expression of curiosity.  You haven’t established need or desire.  

Here are five steps to open the sale well, and significantly increase your ”closing rate.” 

1.  Ascertain Whether there Really is Pain, Really.  A “nice to have” product, service or idea is simply not going to sell in the current environment.  There are a lot of people out there with time on their hands who get a regular paycheck and find it interesting to talk with you about ideas or products or services that they might be able to use.  If there is no real pain around this issue then you may get down to the goal line and find out they weren’t serious.  

2.  Establish Whether There Really is Urgency, Really:  Once again, there may be pain, but in this environment, if it can wait, then it will.  The man who has a broken arm - has to go to the doctor now or his arm will not heal properly and it will create a lifetime of complications for the poor guy.  But the man who has a sprained ankle - well, in this economy he has time to put up his feet and rest it.     

3.  Differentiate your Solution from the Rest: From the outset of your conversation your boss, client or prospect needs to see something that really wows them.  What you are offering must be cool and uniquely suited to the challenge.  You can’t close if they don’t see that it’s a perfect fit.  Imagine a woman on a budget going in to buy a new dress.  If she thinks she has plenty of money and a good job, she might purchase a dress for an event knowing it may not live in her closet for years.  However, if money is tight, she’ll try on 20 dresses, check the price tag twice, ask when there is a sale, and then walk out of the store if she thinks she has something in her closet she can wear again.   

4.  Connect the Return on Investment to their Highest Priorities:  If you can’t clearly, succinctly wow them with the ROI related to precisely what they need, you’ll never make it to the closing conversation.  Ask great questions so you’re absolutely clear about the return your client, prospect or boss is expecting.  Never accept a vague reference to goals or outcomes.  Keep probing until you have it in plain English and return to that statement as you discuss the options you’re offering.

5.  Make a Strong Personal Connection:  People still want to work with or do business with people that they like and trust.  In this economic environment, people want assurance.  Demonstrate from the start that you’re a person of integrity who they can trust to deliver on the promise and look out for their best interests.  One of the best ways to do this is to ask more questions and listen very carefully between the lines.  People will tell you just about anything if you give them the opportunity, and when they do, that personal connection grows stronger.

I welcome your thoughts on opening the sale and ask that you leave a reply if you have something to add to this conversation.

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Last night on Leno, Scott Brown bantered like a pro with the king of late night TV.  He had Leno at “hello” when he reminded Jay that his dad, an insurance agent, used to call on the Leno family-apparently making such an impression that Leno’s dad named the family dog him. 

If Brown started out a little nervous, he more than overcame the jitters with some great one liners and a self-effacing demeanor.  He owned-up to getting caught by the law stealing records when he was 12; the judge brought him into chambers, asked Brown if he was a good basketball player, if his family loved him, and how they’d feel seeing him play basketball in Jail.  “I haven’t done anything like that since,” he said.

Downtown Scott Brown (a nickname he earned as a high school basketball star)  was cool as a cucumber when Leno Leno showed the 30 year old photo of him posing nude for COSMO.   Brown joked if he might do it again, but it would have to be for AARP magazine.   

Scott Brown is all business on policy matters, but when it comes to himself; he’s seriously funny, which is why so many voters have fallen for him.  How many of our political elite would admit their favorite movie is Rocky, or blush without apology after announcing their daughters were “available.”  A fresh breeze is blowing into Washington and I predict others will try (though few will succeed) to emulate Brown’s patented confident, sincere, authentic persona.  He’s just so real.

Look, a lot of people are gaga - talking about Scott Brown for president.  I have no idea whether he has the right stuff.  But the guy has spent some time figuring himself out.  His truck odometer has clocked 202,000 miles and along the way Scott Brown has discovered who he is.

I hope that every leader will take note of how the new Senator from Massachusetts has connected with voters by sharing some of himself.  It has created a strong, instant bond.  Over the years, as I’ve coached executives and written books, I’ve tried to convey the power of authenticity.  It always stops you in your tracks when you actually see it in action.

This morning, while reviewing the appendix of my first book, Speak Like a CEO, I counted 24 separate references to authenticity and the authenticity gap.  A lot of words on paper and honestly I don’t think it makes it any easier for most people to embrace.  Without authenticity, there is a disconnect between a leader and the audience, and most people would agree the gap is wide in Washington. People don’t like or trust people who they don’t believe to be genuine. 

The simple way to build trust is to be yourself.  It doesn’t hurt to travel a few hundred thousand miles alone in a truck, but it isn’t necessary either.  Don’t be afraid to be you.  Like Dorothy, we’re all longing to meet the real Oz; that guy (or gal) behind the velvet curtain.  As for the who was willing to take it all off - well I guess he can’t have much to hide.

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As I was scanning the dial for news coverage this morning of Mr. Obama’s speech, I must admit feeling some sympathy for Harry Reid.  Somehow, during that a one-hour ten minute speech, the longest of Obama’s presidency, the television cameras caught Reid in the precise 4 second span when he simply couldn’t stifle a yawn.  I had watched the speech in bed, with my husband asleep, and without our usual banter, I too nodded off a few times.  Why don’t they start this thing at 7 or 8? 

In spite of that, I think he gave a good speech.  I’d give it a B-.   If you read today’s analysis, you probably saw little agreement about how well he made his case.  Who knows whether his new found enthusiasm for jobs and small business will ever translate into policy.  At this point, I don’t know how he’s going to regain his footing or make anyone happy.

Just a sample of the widely varied reaction:

The Washington Post says he reframed his agenda around a single, central mission.  The Associated Press said he “checked every box.” Reuters says he needed to dig out from a political hole and “reassurt his leadership.” Politico says he “tacked to the right.”  CNN’s instapoll found 48% of speech watchers had a positive reaction.” However, that is down 20% from the 68% who felt the same way about his prime time address January 24th, 2009 to the joint session of Congress. 

By the way all this is a synopsis of a longer version “roundup” from The Washington Post.

The lesson for all leaders is that no matter how hard you try, your message will be interpreted through a thousand different lenses.  The challenge that remains for Obama is that he has failed to do what  he said he would do, disappointing friend and foe.  The credibility gap remains, and he’ll close it when he starts matching action with rhetoric.

I will say I think Obama certainly commanded the room last night.  After falling victim to teleprompter-itis lately, often mechanically “reading” his speeches, last night he came across as energized and engaged.  There really aren’t many political leaders who have can handle the podium like he can, when he is on his game.

As always I welcome your comments.

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What does Mr. Obama need to do in his State of the Union address tonight? With sinking poll numbers and a widening credibility gap with the American voter, he certainly needs to speak like a leader. Yet, my wish for tonight’s speech is much simpler. Mr. President, why don’t you stop talking about yourself?

The president campaign ended more than a year ago, yet the Presidents speeches and interviews always have a first-person focus. In a speech delivered January 22, 2010, Breitbart TV reports Obama referred to himself 132 times in one speech. No kidding. Click here to watch the video. The number of times he mentioned tax cuts? Two. Remarkably, midway through the speech, he tells the crowd, “This is not about me.”

Really?

If Americans have developed the impression that this president lacks humility, he’s done nothing to dissuade them of that notion. It’s one thing to refer to yourself on the campaign trail. Once you’re in the Oval Office? Time for some inclusive language. What about “Our” country? “Our” hopes? “Our” dreams?” “Our nation?” “Our” taxes?” “Our” way of life?

Some of the blame belongs to his speechwriters, who appear equally clueless. A great speechwriter knows it’s always about the audience. You capture a leader’s best ideas and craft powerful messages that connect with the voter. One of the best books ever written on this topic is the great Peggy Noonan’s “On Speaking Well.” Someday, pick it up and read about how she crafted the speech after the Challenger disaster. Masterful.

Mr. Obama is definitely dependent upon his speechwriters. Or at least we know he is tied at the hip to his Teleprompter. If it were me, I’d fire them all and find a Peggy Noonan. But don’t let the speechwriters take the fall. The “I” word is just as prevalent when the President is “off script” during media interviews. Read the recent transcript of his interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC News and count the number of first person references. His favorites: “Here’s what I said,” “I think,” or “I said,” “I would,” “As I’ve said,” and “One thing I’m clear about.” The only one that didn’t pop up was an old favorite crutch, “As I’ve said before.”

It’s probably too late to rewrite the speech but it isn’t too late to rewrite the script the Obama presidency. The American people are longing to see a President who can mix a dash of humility with all that hubris.

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On Sunday the Obama team fanned out to deliver their talking points - and you have to wonder whether they’d had their coffee- or even glanced at the weekend ”talking points.”  On the topic of jobs “saved or created” (which in and of itself is a ludicrous concept, impossible to prove or substantiate) they simply didn’t have their stories straight.  The Keystone cops look like a well-oiled tactical team by comparison.

By mid day Sunday, the three White House advisers had appeared on the Sunday news programs with three vastly different estimates of how many jobs could be credited to President Obama’s Recovery Act.

Valerie Jarrett: “The Recovery Act saved thousands and thousands of jobs.” (playing it safe)

Robert Gibbs: It…“saved or created 1.5 million jobs.” (the middle guy)

David Axelrod:  It has…”created more than – or saved more than 2 million jobs.” (swinging for the fences)

Read the full scripts of their comments on Politico by clicking here. 

What Went Wrong?

Not only did the three amigos fail to sync up their fairytales and agree on a manufactured number, they further eroded their credibility with the spin.  Is there an American not in a coma who isn’t aware that the “real” unemployment rate is about 15% right now?   Even Obama’s ardent base of supporters must be wondering which planet these folks are living on.  I took this statement off of the Bureau of Labor statistics web site:

“In December, both the number of unemployed persons, at 15.3 million, and the unemployment rate, at 10.0 percent, were unchanged. At the start of the re-cession in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons was 7.7 million, and the unemployment rate was 5.0 percent.”  

The Obama gang is also losing ground trying to persuade Americans that jobs are suddenly ”job one” for the administration.  Two weeks earlier, prior to the seismic shift in politics called Scott Brown, was there any question that health care was “job one.”   Confused?  Or just seeing right through the rhetoric?

Business Leaders Are Also Acting Stupidly

If you read my blog regularly you know that I don’t often comment on politics.  However, there are so many lessons for business that I simply cannot ignore what’s happening now. 

A good friend recently suggested I should actually write a book called “How Stupid Can You Be.”  The more I think about it, the more I like it.  This book could write itself. 

Who can forget the image of the CEOs of the major automakers flying in on private jets, and then putting their hands out for a taxpayer bail out?  

And, what about the four most powerful bankers telling a congressional committee that they were “victims of circumstance”  unable to anticipate the near collapse of our financial system and therefore should not be held responsible for their role in upending the global economy.  I’m not saying there isn’t plenty of blame to go around but these types of answers make your brain hurt.

 . 

So the Obama administration has certainly not cornered the market on stupid pet tricks.  Businesses  make the these mistakes all the time.  And I believe the root of it is that some people are just arrogant enough to think people aren’t paying attention, or don’t care.

 How to Avoid this Stupidity:

• Do what’s important first
• Acknowledge contradictions
• Protect your integrity
• Give an honest analysis
• Don’t make up the facts
• Don’t be tone deaf
• Stop treating people like idiots 

As always, I welcome your thoughts…

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“Be in charge of your own destiny or some one else will.”

-Jack Welch

Your destiny is determined each day by the path you choose.  But just having a goal and putting one step in front of the other each day isn’t enough.  You also need to let other people know what you’re doing.   That means communicating up, around, sideways and down the middle.

Let me give you an example.   A story about guy who had his eyes on the prize, but forgot to let his boss in on it. 

He told the story right before I got up to speak last night in Rye Brook New York to a group of IT leaders.  He had read chapter one of Motivate Like a CEO, realized where dropped the ball, and wanted to share it with everybody.

Turns out he and his technology team had worked feverishly to bring a project in on time and on budget.  He was proud of the fact that he’d been communicating exceptionally well with his team.  They were engaged in the work; in spite of some challenges they were excited and firing on all cylinders.  Trouble was- he forgot to tell the folks upstairs.   

He was so busy making sure those cylinders were firing that he failed to tell the executive team they were taking a trip. When he finally looped them back in, it became clear they didn’t understand what he’d been up to.  “Why are you spending so much time and energy on it?” they asked.  What a shame – a great effort without the applause.  Phase II?  Who knows if it will even happen?

What Went Wrong?

This story must have a familiar ring; I hear it all the time.  Your team loves you, they work hard for you, but somehow you and they aren’t getting the credit or the recognition you deserve.  Nine times out of ten it isn’t because you work for a boss who is a jerk.  It’s because of a simple failure to communicate up.

Communicating “up” is one of the most strategic aspects of the job.  You have to do it - for yourself - for your team - for your organization.  When you don’t, precious time, resources and effort are wasted. 

Ask yourself, this - in an ever changing world, where priorities are shifting, how can you possibly know that your activities are aligned today’s goals?  The only way to know is to have a robust dialogue going with the top of the organization.  

Remember This, When Briefing Top Executives

·         When you go in to give a briefing, be prepared, and be flexible.  Things may have changed.  Week to week, organizations are juggling a host of priorities and business realities.  Sure, in an ideal world, the company sets its sights on a target and focuses like a laser beam.  But we all know how difficult that is in this ultra volatile economy. 

·         That’s why you need to keep people in the loop - formally and informally.  Pick up the phone, send an email, schedule a meeting - be available - and don’t assume they know.

·         Be sure to ask questions and listen between the lines.  You may see heads nodding while the tone is less than enthusiastic.  That’s a signal.  Pay attention.  

·         You can still champion your project or idea if you believe in it.  Just be sure you can make a rock solid case for how it aligns with the company’s priorities.

·         Come in well prepared with facts and information that helps them see it the way you see it.  Your job as a leader is to communicate not just what, but why.

It isn’t Just Up - It’s Around, Sideways, and Down the Middle

I have a client who is living a nightmare right now - after six months of hard work a major project has been scuttled.  She and her team spent months planning, preparing and discussing with the top leaders of the company, only to have the rug pulled out from under them at the 11^th hour. Chaos has ensued.

Her team is not only deflated and demoralized; planned promotions will not take place; people will be moving to other parts of the organization; some may leave the company.  Perhaps most ruinous- it was a pretty good plan- so the benefits to the organization will be lost.

The issue really wasn’t just communicating up.  It appeared the top folks were on board.  Behind the scenes, however, some powerful forces who didn’t like it prevailed.  It all went down in about three hours.  This is what I like to call unpredictably predictable.  The post-mortem will show that the failure was in building alliances around the organization, going sideways and down the middle.

Maybe it would have happened anyway.  We’ll never know.

How To Avoid This Fate

• When you’re working on a major project, I recommend that you create a communications plan. 
• This document should live side by side with the project plan, or better still, inside of it.  
• Make a list of every single individual or group who can influence, touch, derail, question, wonder, doubt or decide something related to the plan. 
• Make a plan to circle around, ask questions,
• Listen between the lines, and be sure that you address head on not only the merits of an idea but the impact on others

As always, leave a reply if you’d like to contribute to these ideas on communicating up, around, sideways and down the middle.

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“Unless commitments are made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans”

-Peter Drucker

Yesterday a client canceled an appointment.  Big deal?  Depends.  Emergencies happen.  But I can predict with 100% accuracy whether a client is floundering or flourishing simply by whether he or she keeps these commitments. 

The flounderers do not call me directly, they have their assistants do it; the conversation usually goes something like this: ”So sorry, something’s come up with Mr. Flounder, we didn’t anticipate it.  I really apologize for the inconvenience.  Can we reschedule?”

When you’re having trouble meeting your commitments there are three reasons: 

1.  Failure to set priorities. 

2.  Activities not aligned with those priorities.

3.  An issue with commitment.

If any of the above sound familiar, read on. 

Failure to Set Priorities

If your issue is setting priorities, then it’s time to get real about what really matters to you.  The quality of your questions determines the quality of your answers.  Questions you might ask yourself are:

• What are my top priorities, really? 
• How will I accomplish these this year? 
• What will be the impact when I’m finished? 
• And how do I know that this is what I should be doing?”

Activities Not Aligned with Priorities

If you suspect that the issue is not priorities, but alignment, then it is time for tough love with your calendar.  Everything should be related to one of your priorities.  Take 10 minutes to spin through the next two months and see whether this is the case.  If not, it explains why you’re getting to the end of your days feeling frustrated.  

If it’s important enough to do, then it is important enough to put on your calendar.  Write in each activity related to a priority. Leave white space for meetings, calls, and emergencies (there will be plenty of those) and don’t allow yourself to fill it up with “nice to do” stuff.  If you aren’t sure, put it in as tentative, and don’t commit.   And, don’t allow anyone access to your calendar unless they are completely apprised of your priorities and you are absolutely assured they will run interference and guard your time like gold bars at Fort Knox.

An Issue with Commitment

If the issue is inability to commit, well, that’s a horse of a different color.  Short of taking up space on a therapists couch for a few years, what can you do to address commitment issues?  Remember there is a difference between interest and commitment.  I’m interested in learning to play golf, and what that means is I will probably do it when circumstances permit- when I’m traveling to a conference at a beautiful resort in Arizona I’ll set up a lesson with a pro.  However, I am committed to writing a third book.  I had a call with my publisher, McGraw Hill two weeks ago.  Last week I scheduled time to brainstorm book outlines and wrote three of them during that two hour period, and I will share those with my agent when we meet on Friday from 2 to 4 pm.  You get the idea.  As the saying goes, when you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, just results.

I’m interested in hearing from you about the challenges of meeting commitments.  It isn’t getting any easier - our companies have fewer resources, the time pressures are greater than ever, and the Blackberry vampires are sucking our time dry.  Hit leave a reply to offer real ideas about meeting commitments.

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I’ve been scanning the internet for 2010 workplace predictions and it’s got me thinking about how all these trends are going to change the way we communicate.  It’s my birthday - and I remember when you needed a carbon copier between two sheets of paper in a typewriter to make two copies of my television scripts.  Since I’m going out on a limb with predictions I’ll expect someone to haul these out next year and see whether I was right. 

1.  Email Overload Revolt - Email inboxes are cluttered, messages are unreadable and email etiquette absolutely unruly.  Last week I received responses from busy executives- two months after I wrote to them.  Our kids “get” brevity because they text.  Boomers must get with the program.  There will be a ”tea party” over email - people will simply stop responding if you don’t send a message that’s brief, clear and actionable. 

2.  Global Communication Mutiny - More managers than ever have dark circles under their eyes as they try to manage global teams.  Workplaces need new practices and policies.  Overdosing on caffeine for extended periods is a recipe for burned out talent.  Companies need to figure out real time communication without killing their best people.   

3.  Remote Access Leaders - Forty-three percent of employers say that in their organizations there will be less business travel in 2010 than in 2009.  By my calculations, that means 57% will do the same or more. Leaders will certainly hit the road more in 2010 as the economy improves to visit customers and do deals that can’t be done with Cisco technology.  Barring another terrorist scare, long distance leadership will remain challenging - you may like working 24/7 but your team will be ducking for cover.

4.  Social Media Manic Depression- The social media world will continue to befuddle most people as they try to figure out the best way to network, market and talk to each other. Should Facebook be for personal use?   Is anybody reading your tweets?  What about your blog?  Look for more experimentation but no less uncertainty about where it’s all going for another couple of years.

5.  Social Networking Hits the Teen Years- CIO.com reports that as the economy plummeted in 2009, Linked In’s  popularity skyrocketed growing to more than 53 million members.  Social networking is moving into the “teen years” meaning people will be hanging out with “groups” llike you did in high school.  You might feel good having 3 million links but it won’t make you homecoming king or queen.     

6. It’s What your Dad Said about the Job Search- Our firm posted an ad for a job and within 15 minutes had 80 applicants.  It’s insane.  Companies are still demanding you apply on line with no promise you’ll hear back one way or another.  Time for a “Back to the Future” approach - call your friends, colleagues, and old boyfriends and girlfriends and find out what’s shaking in their industry.

7.  Communication Breakdowns with Freelancers and Contract Workers- Career-builder.com says 3 in 10 employers anticipate hiring freelancers or contractors in 2010, up slightly from 28 percent in 2009.  This will fill in some gaps in the lean workforce but challenge managers and leaders to bring people on board and make sure they are in the loop.  Note to boss: you’ll need to spend more time, not less, communicating and directing their activities.

8.  E-Readers in the Sky - Consumer Electronics Association predicts 5 million e-reading devices will be shipped this year, up from 2.2 million last year.  Touch navigation, video chat and lower prices will “hook” not just early adopters but people who love packing a library in their briefcase.  Still the trend will mostly “live” in the skies - and book lovers will keep arguing they prefer the feel of the printed page. 

9.  Dialogue is Destiny- Social media isn’t just a scalable publishing boon, it’s transformed broadcasst media monologue into social dialogue (many to many).  Having a dialogue with customers and prospects will be the differentiator - understand what they want, why they buy (or don’t) is empowering consumers and creating mega-expectations so you have to get hip. 

10.  Pay-Up for Your News Fix- Traditional media social media sites won’t survive or certainly thrive if they don’t start charging for news.  Mashable predicts ads on your Twitter page and ”Journalism” bought and paid for.  Look for your favorite outlets to experiment with everything.  Online advertising is predicted to eclipse newspaper ads by 2015 - I think it will be sooner.  News junkies want their stuff free so it will be interesting to watch who wins this epic struggle.

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