I can remember back to when I first moved to Cincinnati. For the first few years I hated it. The city was nice but I did not have much of a chance to really get to know her. I worked in sales and marketing with some small HR activities built within. This job took me around and about the city. I would get up at 5am head out to my first location about 50 miles away, work ten hours and then head back home. This made for a good 13 hour day depending on traffic. By the time I got home and cleaned up, I only had time to sleep and then replay the entire day over again. The routine was exhausting. For about 2 years I did this. The entire time the only people that I had to connect with were those who worked with me on the job. They were great people. All with their own hobbies and lives…

Our own lives: Sad to say, they were under the same pressures as well. While we were all pretty close and connected, my co-workers all had personal lives and looked forward to getting back home for some rest.

Before I moved to a fortune 500 company to start my work within Human Resources and move away from the unpredictable routine of my previous job in Sales and Marketing, I remember thinking that I hated my job. That I hated the travel, the people and all the seclusion it brought with it. Yet now, when I think back, I didn’t really hate the job, the seclusion or the people I was around. What I hated was the lack of strong relationships.

Always Remember: Relationships are more important than a job.

So Many Complaints: I think back to this as a result of hearing first hand accounts of individuals from all generations, fields and points of entry into their career. As people complain, I think the thing to remember is:

1. How Seriously Are You Taking The LIFE You Have and
2. How Much Time Are You Focusing On the Things that Truly Matter

Regardless of how I felt about the job back then, I know now that what I truly needed was to focus on the potential relationships that I was building, no matter how long or short. I took for granted the connections I made then and lost touch. I wish I had not.

Groups, Cliques and Categories ~ We do it wrong: We as individuals tend to dwell around our usual cliques and groups like flies. That stinks. It stinks because we can become stagnant and routine. Often times we stick to titles, industries and functions. We don’t get out of the box and try to see and share how we could be doing things better. We, as a population don’t do as well as we should in connecting with people that can not only help us become better in our careers and work but also better as people.

Don’t Forget to Connect: So I say all that to say this, never forget to connect with people. A job is there for a while, the project will come and go. You will go through ups and downs, changes and transitions. Your career will grow to new heights. However, without the people, what’s the point.

By now, everyone has watched the historic event that took place this past Sunday. The ups and downs, the emotional outburst, and fantastic inspiration that can only be described as history-making. Oh, you thought I was talking about Super Bowl XLIV. Ummm, no. What I am talking about is the new reality show Undercover Boss (@undercover_cbs & #undercoverboss) on CBS that had its debut right after the Super Bowl.

A brief synopsis of the show:

The new CBS reality series, Undercover Boss follows high-level chief executives as they slip anonymously into the rank and file of their companies. Each week the series, regular Sunday (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) time period on Feb. 14, will have a different executive leave the comfort of their corner office for an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of their company.

While working alongside their employees, they will see the effects their decisions have on others, where the problems lie within their organization and get an up-close look at both the good and the bad while discovering the unsung heroes who make their company run. The first show was with Waste Management CEO Larry O’Donnell.

Great idea right? I think so. However, while there are some great influences and benefits that could come from a show like this, I do think there are ramifications and disadvantages if senior leadership (especially a CEO) were to go rogue in an undercover rotation within the “Real World” of their company. Business and Human Resource Departments and Companies have something to think about.

There are plenty of people that are probably weighing in on this subject. While I don’t have all the answers, in my opinion, here are a few thoughts:

What Would Work

• Listening: One item that I thought the show did a sincere job of was allowing Larry O’Donnell, the CEO, the chance to ask questions, get to know the employees from their perspective and LISTEN. The employees did not have any bias because they did not know he was the CEO. Larry was just some new guy and with that “new guy” perception, Larry was able to listen intently with no filter coming from the employee. If you as a senior executive cannot get your people to be honest with you, then how do you know what will truly work and be implemented from the glass ceiling to the concrete floor?
• From the Ground Level, UP: Building on the listening piece, if you as a CEO cannot relate or understand what your people do, how can you truly help the business? I am not saying that a boss or CEO should work within every position (that would be impossible and ludicrous to suggest). What I am saying is that he/she needs to be WILLING to ask questions and connect the dots to how each role within the company makes an impact to the overall business.Involvement: Any time you have someone shadow and truly get their hands dirty (like Larry O’Donnell actually did) in the day-to-day tasks of a job, it can help that person see what works and what doesn’t. It promotes understanding between front-line employees and senior executives of the company.
• Revamping Policy, Process & Procedure: From the involvement that leadership has in the job, they can help adjust and evaluate the legislation they create. These ACTIONS helps ensure that policy and procedure is not just being created for the sake of creating them. It ensures that those large manuals hidden within someone’s desk are being built in the best interest of the employee culture, supporting the company mission, and driving business viability so that all can stay safe, productive and employed!
• Communication: The CEO of Waste Management communicated to the employees his experiences and let them know that changes would be made. While it is unclear how these changes will truly be implemented within WM’s culture, policy and day-to-day life of the employee – the fact that communication took place is a key part to making the “Undercover Boss” work.

What Doesn’t Work

• Tailoring policy to individual opinion – There is a reason that policies are put in place and processes are set. Some people will gain and others will lose. If you changed policies, procedures and approaches every time someone complained or felt they were wronged then you would never get it right. I feel for people who are in tough situations but those tough situations are subjective and cannot be treated as if they are a mirror of the entire employee population.
• Do it for the right reasons not for PR: If you’re going to go rogue do it because it’s right as a whole, not for a PR image.
• Not all employee opinions are valid: We are all a genius in our own minds. Give respect, Research the situation and then Evaluate what should be done.
• Get the facts from trusted managers: There are times where Larry goes to the supervisors of the employees he has shadowed. His approach, while kind, almost undermines and disrespects the very authority that the CEO has given them. If a supervisor is doing stupid stuff then check them and discuss appropriate alternatives. However, undermining a manager’s authority is not cool. It waters them down and diminishes what credibility they may have had.
• “Can I count on you to get this done” : There is a point where Waste Management’s CEO, Larry O’Donnell goes to the supervisor and ask this question. All well and good but how many people would honestly challenge this question from their CEO. Some of us would but low level front-line managers will rarely ever feel empowered to question this. I mean come on, would you?

What are your thoughts?

• Great concept but how real could it be?
• I have always been a proponent of rotational roles within a company. What is your take?

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This past week I watched Disney/Pixar’s movie – UP. If you have not seen it then you are missing a telling tale of what it means to come to what you think is the apex of your life, only to find out you have more life to live and more life to give.

It made me think to a few years back when I came across a short video called “The Key to Happiness.” It is only a 2 1/2 minute animation but it tells so much of the work of one life and all it did to get to one moment of true happiness. I am very much into inspirational media and at around 2 minutes and 17 seconds into it is where this video holds its depth.

“Key to Happiness” (Click to View Video)

My Point: What are you working towards?

There are many of us that are driven. Driven to do… “things“. For some, these things would be to build buildings or plant memories. For others, they are driven to build a career and maybe even uplift people. At times these things that we build are mediocre things. Other times they can be extraordinary.

Many of us spend our whole lives searching, searching for the right friendships or relationships. We look for the best neighborhoods, the right car… the perfect job. It’s as if there is this black, bottomless whole we are constantly trying to fill. As if we need THINGS to complete us. As if they can somehow make us feel whole. But how many work their whole lives toward one passion; toward one thing that will truly make us whole?

The question I would like to ask to you:

• What is your drive?
• What are you willing to do, as an individual, to achieve your “things”
• What is the drive within you to reach that which is extraordinary, not necessarily in another persons eyes, but within your own?

Learning with a Bird?

There are worlds of research related to how we learn. This research and opinion can even be broken down by groups, individuals and organizations to differences in culture, geographic location and how learning is facilitated. One technology that can help bring all these elusively segregated items together is cloud computing.  Twitter, while loosely connected in definition, is a type of application that happens in the clouds. But the question still remains, how can clouds be used for learning? Ha ha.

Note: Feel free to skip to “Ways to use Twitter for learning” if that is all you want to learn about!

First, define formal and informal learning

Before we go into Twitter as a learning tool I would like to define formal and informal learning.

Formal learning is traditionally within an organized meeting and/or is classroom-based, provided by trained experts, facilitators or teachers. It can also happen within a structure rotational program (experiential learning)

Informal learning happens outside the formalized classroom, learning intervention and/or in between conversations and interactions (i.e. after-hours programs, community-based organizations, museums, libraries, or at home). This informal learning can happen between experts and/or non-experts.

How We Learn

10% of what we READ

20% of what we HEAR

30% of what we SEE

50% of what we SEE and HEAR

70% of what is DISCUSSED with OTHERS

80% of what is EXPERIENCED PERSONALLY

95% of what we TEACH TO SOMEONE ELSE

With informal learning you could be the smartest of smarties or the idioso of idiots. The point is you don’t have to be the know it all, you just have to have something that the other individual wants to learn about. (Well I guess it would be good to have a firm grasp or understanding of the topic, or what’s the point. You could say the same for politics… ok I digress).

Companies don’t always like to spend money on either formal or informal learning, especially in this economy. One thing we know for sure is that companies spend money on these types of learning whether they like to or not.

In order to fathom this idea of Twitter being used within and for learning, it takes a little leap of out-of-the box thinking. First let’s give a brief definition:

Twitter in Plain English

Twitter in a work or learning environment, God No!

There is something about having a conversation over 140 characters or less. I mean how much can you truly say? Added, how much can you truly share? The stereotype and perception for many individuals would be that it is a time-wasting activity only marginalized to those within the Millennial and Y generations. Nothing good is shared over Twitter! When employers hear about it (especially some Organizational Effectiveness, Performance Enhancement and HR departments) the feeling is:

“God NOOOO, No, No, NOOOOOOOOO! We want them working not playing around and wasting company time on the computer!!! – (Actual quote from a beleaguered HR person I know).

Added to this, when you hear about social media and networking sites being used for formal, informal learning and knowledge sharing, a typical response is What? There is no way it can be done. Even if Twitter could be, how would I or anyone else begin?

Finally, Ways to use Twitter for Learning

While Twitter’s popularity has grown, it has taken a while for professionals and companies to start using it for things other than “I’m eating cheese right now.” I only just started using it around November 2009. Yet this tool is beginning to get some traction for learning. ASTD recently had an article on the subject of learning and while they extrapolate on a few ways to learn via twitter, here are some ideas on what you can do to get and do more learning out of twitter

• People use Twitter: We should all learn more about the people we work with. While some personal items could be left to be desired, there are advantages for co-workers and managers understanding what motivates and interest a person.
• Knowledge sharing: People already post thoughts but Twitter is being used more and more to share articles, information, and statistics. Just as the use of Wiki’s, email and list servs were used to share information, twitter is giving people the same opportunity.
• Real-Time Engagement: Hash tags are a good example (i.e. #Communications) and can be a way to follow a conversation via backchannel. DM’s and Direct feedback to an instructor or on a class topic is an option for those who are shy or uncomfortable.
• We learn from constant engagement and reminders: Learning is not only an engagement issue but also a question of routine. We are or know what we constantly do. So a leader or facilitator can post tips of the day, questions and assignments. They can post prompts to keep learning going and periodically check for re-engaging people that were participants within a session.
• Real-Time Relevant Posts: Important, interest and/or industry related studies and articles can be broadcast using hash tags or directly to your followers.
• Corporate communities and micro-blogging – Employees and customers interact with brands that are parts of their lives. So interact!
• Performance Appraisal/Feedback: While this can be touchy, individuals need to feel like they are a part of the process. Engagement and a process are key when using twitter for this purpose.

However used, use it in a way that benefits the people you are working with, the value that needs to be created and the overall action/objective that the individual and business needs!

Additional Info/Resources

An example of Twitter in High School

An example of Twitter @ Work