Martin Luther King and The Change we hope will come someday

Today is a day to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a great leader.

http://www.thekingcenter.org/PhotoVideo/Default.aspx

As I reflect upon the changes that have occurred over time, there are reasons to celebrate and reasons to lament.  We have seen significant advances in race relations since the 60s and we now have the first African-American president.  There also exists many more opportunities for non-white people in our country in the area of education, business and politics. I don't think too many of us would like to return to the era of "white" and "colored" bathrooms and water fountains, something I am old enough to remember.

Yet there remains much work to be done. Racism is alive and well.  It is indeed mind-boggling that in 2010 there are people who continue to hate and fear others who are different than themselves. Of course here in America we are no different than many other places around the world--how many countries can we look at which exemplify peaceful collaboration among diverse groups, be it religious, ethnic, racial or tribal?

Why does this phenomenon persist? Why do we continue to devalue others? As a Leadership Consultant, I long for more leadership in this area. Not lip service, but true leadership espousing the value of diversity. I was appalled, and I assume many others are as well, at Pat Robertson's claim that Haiti brought on the earthquake through their "pact with the devil".  During this incredibly sad occasion when we should be rising above politics to help our neighbors to the south, we hear a religious leader instead blame the people for their own devastation.   Some may see Mr. Robertson as a fringe leader, but he has a tremendous following and influences thousands of people.


Yes, there has been much change, but much more is needed.  We are living in highly polarized times where anger, blame, greed and divisiveness seems to reign.  We need moral leaders who will embrace diversity. We need this in our workplaces, communities, educational institutions, the political realm, and our religious organizations.

And we need to speak out ourselves, because after all we are all leaders capable of influencing others.

Resilience: Yes, Despair: No

New Year celebrations are almost here, yet 2009 has been an enormously difficult year and a real challenge for the Resilient Leader. What have you done to ensure your success and that of your company, family, community? It is easy to despair or blame others during difficult times, but out of crisis often comes new opportunities.

Resilience is about bouncing back in the midst of adversity, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability. It's about managing change and not just surviving but thriving. The real danger is to give in to hopelessness or mediocrity, to assume a passive stance in the world.  But these are the times when real leadership is demonstrated. And it starts by making a commitment and taking action.

• What does Leadership mean to you? 

• What steps can you take in 2010 to be a better leader?
  

Am I my Avatar?

My Avatar, Dora Felisimo, has been gradually coming out of the closet. Why has she been so reluctant to announce herself? Shouldn't there be some sort of debutante ball or something? The reason "She", I mean "I", or I guess, "We" are hesitant is because within my circle of family, friends and colleagues, Second Life is still something way too weird. I frequently find myself  being an evangelist for a cause I am not entirely sure I want to embrace. Yet I keep getting drawn back into this virtual world as it seems to  offer interesting opportunities. Or maybe its just fun.

So I find myself flying around, visiting various islands, and walking through walls.  I recently held a meeting of like-mined OD consultants in Second Life and we agreed 3D technology and virtual worlds have interesting applicability for our work...especially for learning and development and collaboration.

However, there is a major stumbling block for most people and as a psychologist I think a primary issue is the difficulty in identifying with your avatar, especially given:  (1)The visuals--the avatar does not realistically look like you, and  (2)The name--you have a fake name.  Of course those are also factors which can add value to the experience in a virtual world--you can be anyone you want to be, including anonymous, which allows for unique learning experiences not possible elsewhere.

But for most people, the silliness of the avatar is going to detract from the seriousness of what you can accomplish in this medium. Am I my avatar? Well, no, I do have a "real life". But I find my alias, Dora, can be quite helpful at times.

Thanks !

Today is Thanksgiving, a holiday I really enjoy because it is centered around two of my favorite things: food and my family. It is traditional to "Give Thanks" on this day and though it may seem a bit hokey, what the heck, why not? So I give thanks for the following things--

• I am healthy and happy
• I am engaged in work I really enjoy
• My kids are not in jail, but are actually gainfully employed, healthy and appear to be happy
• Contrary to popular mythology, the empty nest is a good thing, really, trust me on this one
  
• I have many wonderful friends and family I can count on
• I just had another birthday which means though I am getting older (dread!) it beats the alternative!

 So what are you thankful for?

Stop discriminating against victims of downsizing!

The Boston Globe had an article today which got me fired up, "Amid high unemployment, some positions still hard to fill"

http://xrl.us/bgduqc 

Now, I don't deny that there are highly technical positions which require very specific areas of expertise that are hard to fill with good candidates.  But what irked me about this article was the presumption that laid off employees are Damaged Goods. Not said explicitly, but certainly implied in many of the quotes including:

"...Of course, plenty of high-quality workers have lost their jobs, but recruiters say still being employed suggests stability - and ability"  according to Katie Johnston Chase, author of the article. 

and

'"There is a stigma with people who have been laid off, with good reason or not' Hux said. " (That is, Ben Hux, Director of Legal Recruiting at Boston Group).

When a Strength is no longer a Strength....

I am currently reading the book The Perils of Accentuating the Positive, edited by Robert Kaiser. Now, talking about being "too positive" is not particularly endearing. How does one argue for negativity? And it is clear that Positive Psychology and the Strengths-based Movement have made significant contributions to the management field, especially in clarifying the need to help successful leaders become even more effective through coaching and development programs. But this book puts forth a compelling, research-based argument that too much emphasis on strengths can be a problem and there is a need for greater balance.

Some of the issues they raise--

• Not all strengths are created equally--some matter more than others to the success of individuals and companies;
• Strengths overused become weaknesses;
  
• Weaknesses really do matter--how many people fail or derail because of their strengths?
• Sometimes your personal strengths are not what is needed to get the job done--For example, strengths in one context may be weaknesses in another;
• We are in danger of developing Lopsided Leadership. As the saying goes "If you are a hammer everything looks like a nail".

Today we need well-rounded leaders who are versatile, adaptable and agile. Yes, understanding and fully developing one's strengths is important. But addressing weaknesses as well creates a more balanced approach to leadership and is a greater recipe for success. Positively!

Assessment Challenges Across the Globe

I just returned from the Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Leading Edge Consortium which was on the topic of Global Assessment and Selection. There were many interesting issues raised and the short answer is: There is definitely more work to be done.

The biggest challenge global organizations are facing is coming up with methodologically sound assessment and selection tools and practices that are implementable across cultures. Aside from the obvious need for assessment tools in multiple languages, companies face additional problems in determining whether the translated tools are indeed valid in another language and culture. Other issues include: cultural acceptance of selection and assessment practices, data privacy concerns, legal variability and risks across nations and cultural competency of assessors.

The consortium is SIOP's "practice"oriented conference which provides an interesting mix of professionals from academia, research, HR and consulting practices. One key note speaker, Kristie Wright of Cisco Systems captured the attention of many with the approach that integrates Industrial/Organizational and Clinical Psychology practices, which to some in the audience must have seemed blasphemous given the frequency with which she apologized to her I/O colleagues. However, like many Consulting Psychologists, I found this presentation refreshing and the approach sound. According to Dr. Wright it primarily involves extending their Interviewing Methodology to integrate the I/O Methods of: standardization, volume, norming, and focusing on the "what" with Clinical Methods which emphasize: uniqueness, depth vs. volume, being individually driven and a focus on the "why".

Its nice when two branches of psychology can talk to each other. Maybe more cross-disciplinary collaboration will lead us closer to solving the global assessment and selection issues. As we say in psychology, "Hope springs eternal"!