What I learned about life (in business).

When the company I had worked with for twenty-six years was sold, I committed to support the regulatory approval process until the transaction closed. Nobody expected the various approvals to take almost two years. We described the approach to our business as driving in the middle lane - don't pull into the slow lane and stop working, but stay out of the risky fast lane. Capital investments were scrutinized and the good news of major product launches was reserved for the new owners. I had some hope that my role might continue but was under no illusions that big changes were coming. The signals were clear that the new owners would have tough work ahead to deliver efficiencies, and my area was responsible for one of the largest contributors to cost. I knew enough about their culture to know they would aggressively take on this task and go hard on their suppliers. I had some reservations, not about the task, but about the approach. When the letter came to confirm my fate, it was delivered without fanfare and really wasn’t much of a surprise. The newly appointed CEO had put his neck on the line, and he wanted to surround himself with people who would execute his playbook, not challenge it.

It meant I could take a break and catch my breath. Having worked without interruption since I was in high school the idea of having some freedom was very appealing. It also meant I could devote time to some personal housekeeping. Time, that otherwise never seemed to be available to me.

For the first few months I referred to it as a sabbatical, but later I called it retirement. The industry I had grown up in was in upheaval and there was little appeal in going back to it, even if it wanted me. When I’m asked, I can say there are many things I miss, but I keep in mind the wisdom that says, “you can miss something and not want it back”. And that’s how I feel. For some people, it is only after they lose something that they realize how great they had it. I like to think I’m the other type, the type that appreciated things along the way. The people I worked with, the places I got to visit and the experiences that I had. It was a great ride.

Now, nearly two years since that time, I have a more dispassionate perspective looking back on the entirety of my career. It was an arc that would have been difficult to predict. Made possible by the support of some incredible mentors and the good fortune of being in the right place at the right time. That’s not to say I didn’t work hard. The lessons I learned and the advice I took to heart contributed immeasurably. Recalling them comes easy. They are simple and logical. When I heard them, they immediately made sense. Even now, they are of value to me, because they are as applicable to life as they are to business. Here is a selection that I found particularly helpful and still try to live by.

Be what’s needed.

The worst thing anyone can say is “it’s not my job”. I had returned to Toronto from Calgary and a new role was created for me. Then after a few months the President confided in me that the person who had taken on my previous role wasn’t delivering. He was going to move her to another area. He wanted me to come in and sort things out. Another person might have seen it as a demotion, or at best a lateral reassignment. I knew it was critically important to him and that I was the right person to do it. I made the move without reservation. When he later left to head up a new acquisition for the family, I was the one person he brought along. It was a decision that caused a fracturing of his relationship with the CEO. “You should have asked”, he was told. “If I did, you would have said no, and I would have done it anyways”, something which he recognized would have been even worse.

Is the juice worth the squeeze?

A kind of litmus test to validate whether there is adequate return on effort and resources to warrant taking on a project or making an investment. Sorting things into good, bad and neutral allows you prioritize where you spend your time. Which is leads to a related concept.

We can do anything; we can’t do everything.

There is incredible power within an organization when effort is aligned, and everyone is focused on a few well-defined goals. We run into trouble when we chase too many objectives. Attention gets diluted and progress slows down. The idea of “we” is an important qualifier. As smart as any one individual is, they are not smarter than the collective insights and experience of a high-functioning team. I was reminded of that when we discovered an accounting error which had significantly understated our programming amortization. It was the last thing the VP Finance told me on a Friday afternoon before I boarded my flight back to Toronto. All weekend I worked on the problem and then brought it up with the President on Monday when I saw him. It wasn’t interested in my possible solutions. Instead, he asked me, “how long have you known about this?” and then, “why didn’t you call me?” My reply was that I didn’t want to just dump a problem without some sense of solutions. “You didn’t get us into this problem alone, what makes you think you can get out it by yourself?”

Do it, delegate it or dump it.

Advice to follow when you get too busy, and provided you are able to pass it onwards or decide to park it.

Well-defined is half solved.

There is a tendency to dive right in and get to work fixing things. The risk is that you treat the symptoms without getting to the root cause of the issue. Stop and clarify what it is that needs attention and then deal with it.

More Kirk, less Spock.

The best annual performance review I ever heard. Four words. Leadership doesn’t always mean having all the answers. Rely on the team.

There comes a time you have to ask for what you want.

When you reach a certain stage in your career, you'll have to go after what you want. For a while, the next steps on the ladder roll out steadily as if someone is looking our for you. But then, the next step - maybe a big one or into an entirely different area - isn't one others have in mind for you. You'll have to ask for it, and you'll have to be prepared to accept the consequences of failure.

It’s all about people.

These were the last words to me from the CEO when I agreed to move to Calgary and run the operations out west. I would be going from managing a small tight team, to running a group of close to one hundred. “You’ll be fine”, he said, “it’s easy except for the people. Just remember it’s all about people.”

Good things happen face to face.

I give my father some credit for this one. He shared his experience that your success was in direct proportion to the time you spent in front of your customer. Some of our biggest breakthroughs and innovations came when we were sitting down with customers. Being together meant we were engaged and focused. And it was never lost on them that they were important enough for us to make the trip to see them in person. It would result in a deep dialog that allowed us to uncover their big issues and priorities. Only through this kind of insight can we claim to be bringing solutions and not selling products.

Don’t ruin an apology with an excuse.

Sometimes getting face to face isn’t about business building. Sometimes it’s about facing up to your failures. Sure, there are bound to be reasons why something wasn’t successful, but you need to take your lumps before you can get into what you are going to do to make it right and how you plan to avoid the situation in the future.

Leave room for questions.

When reviewing the presentation a team member had prepared, it was immediately evident that it was overkill. The document was ten pages long, when two would have sufficed. It wasn’t that he didn’t know his subject matter or done the research. Every question had been anticipated and answered. It had addressed objections that hadn’t been raised. And might not have been raised. Present recommendations. Provide a framework for your rationale. Be ready to answer objections as they come up. An engaged audience wants to demonstrate their attention by asking questions. Leave some for them. Ones you have the answer ready for. Otherwise, they’ll find something you haven’t prepared for.

Take the blame, share the glory.

This is the more pro-active side of the expression that “failure is an orphan”. No other approach will provide the team with more confidence. They will know that someone has their back in tough times, and recognizes their contribution when things go well. And when things go well, take time to celebrate. Give a word of thanks to those who go above and beyond. Approach discussions about failures as opportunities to learn and then to move forward next time better prepared.

Don’t let it slide.

This was hard-learned lesson for me. I’m naturally sympathetic and tend to give people a lot of rope. It becomes a problem when I end up turning a blind eye to behaviour that undermines projects and causes discontent within teams. My default action was to ignore it and that doesn’t do any good either for the person themselves or those around them. Letting it slide tells everyone else that it’s okay, and they question why they are being called upon to pick up the slack or work around them. They wonder how you can fail to notice, or worse accept, this. Feedback is an obligation. But when nothing changes, then it’s time to force a change. Sometimes that means letting someone go.

Give choices, not ultimatums.

When trying to get to a resolution, providing choices gives others some control over their destiny. I suppose “do it, or you’re fired” is a choice, but it’s one that doesn’t often end well. There’s a place to, and a way of saying no.

Find your champion.

If you are fortunate enough to find a mentor count yourself lucky. When that person becomes a champion and friend you have hit the jackpot.

For most of my career I immeasurably benefited from working with one of the best, Paul Robertson. I was his guy. That’s not to say I didn’t give him a few headaches along the way, but I did my best to be steadfastly loyal and in return he was generous with his support and advice. Many of the maxims I carry forward were on the path he showed me. He passed away too soon, and I miss him. I realize that I am now older than he was when he died, and I wonder how we would have coped with the events of the last decade. I do know that he would have brought a no-nonsense approach to these challenges, and while never one to shy away from the tough decisions, he would have kept sight on the human impact.