Panel: "Hiring, Firing, and Board Meltdowns"

Panel:
Henry Cloud
David Ireland
Patrick Lencioni
Carly Fiorina
Bill Hybels

Hiring:

• Do people have "cultural" connection- will they fit in your organization and/or lead within-DI
• "If you haven't had a date in 10 years, everyone looks good"- HC
• People see what they want to see, and many times first impressions are simply wrong- CF
• What are the 2 or 3 behavior things that are critical, if they don't have them, we don't want them- PL
• Interviews can be set-up and practiced.... spend time with them in situations outside of work if possible
• What would other people say about you? PL
• Ask the same question 3 times throughout the interview... open ended, be patient... PL
• Ask conversational questions, not yes/no- DI
• The less you talk, better. Ask them more questions about their answers... - HC
• Clear, strong cultures needed- the people that fit there tend to be drawn to them, people that don't they are repulsed.... look around here, if you're not like this, you're going to hate it... People can self-select themselves in... PL
• Clear job description, competencies, personality, needs... -DI
• Why are we hiring, what we're expecting, what is the result we're looking to achieve communicated upfront. - CF
• Create a process for HR, put the right people with those skills in those roles, and let the process work- HC Do you have a process for hiring with the right people involved?

Boards:

• Board needs to have it's own set of values, tone, behavior on how they'll work together- HC
• Make sure the board agreed to have outsiders to the meeting- DI
• Trust needs to be built within the core team, get to know them, so people can be vulnerable with each other- PL
• Take 10 minutes at the end of each meeting and ask, "how did we do?"- HC
• What does it take for a team to be functional? How do we handle tough conversations? Who is the final decision-maker? - CF
• You got to have the right people on the board- can they help move the ship forward? If not, why are they on the board? - DI
• Term limits recommended- 2-6 years possibly... DI
• Board member "exhaustion", 4 year terms at Willow, step out for a year- BH
• Size of board, 6-14, need to be able to have an immune system with a strong team- DI/HC

Firing:

• When someone is let go, they should not be surprised- CF
• It is not compassionate to be honest with people, be candid with care so they have real feeedback of what's working and not working -CF
• When you approach people with candor, they're either improve or begin to realize it's not a fit- PL
• 3 steps/questions... Have I trained them properly? Could they be repositioned? Then, "retire" them...- DI
• Create a 30-90 day plan of probation, plan, feedback for HR process- DI
• "This isn't working, what can we do to make it work?"- PL
• Willow ranks A, B, C- 2 times a year, feedback on how to get to the next level... - BH
• "The kindness form of management is the truth"- Jack Welch
• "Are you prepared to de-motivate your strong performers by leaving non-performers around?" - PL
• When firing, if I had to be the one let go, how would I want to be treated? Try to put yourself in their shoes- HC
• The more clarity you can give people as they're let go in the process helps people when they're being thrusted into "unclear" waters...- CF
• Work to "honor" people in the process- BH

Session 1: "Leading in a New Reality" Bill Hybels

Rogue waves can be as high as 80 feet tall, captains look ahead to sea forecasts and will not travel if these conditions exist...

• We've been hit by an "economic" rogue wave... we're all leading in a new reality as it's nearly impossible to predict what the future holds
• The "old normal" may not come back for a long time if ever
• Rough patches force new levels of courage and creativity, it's not optional anymore
• Prioritization and resource allocations get very focused
• Leaders were created for times like this, teams can form their strongest bonds in the hardest times
• What is coming out of you in these tough times that calm seas never bring?
• October, 2008, stock market dropped 1800 points, people starting losing their jobs in droves- When the wave hit, strategies had to change on a dime.
• In the hardest of times, what a great opportunity for the church to step up and step in to the crisis. Do we still believe the local church is the hope of the world?
• "Some of you have never been on the receiving side of giving... you may need to humble yourselves and be willing to be served."
• Is your church "being the church"? Are you stepping into this opportunity?
• As individuals and leaders of business, are we rolling our sleeves up to help more now than even?
• Willow has created margin before and after their services to help people relieve the added tension and stress they are feeling through worship, the arts, prayer... an added 5-20 minutes before and after the service
• Financial planning when revenue is going down while needs are rising is tough, the numbers don't add up...
• Jack Welch, "In a crisis, cash is king." All organizations need cash reserves to help buy "time" to make adjustments. 25% of annual needs in long term cash reserves, individuals 6 months of earnings
• Make 3 buckets, A/B/C... C- If your revenue dropped 50%, these would be the initiatives to go, Bucket B- 75% of revenue lost, what would go? Bucket A- The thing we would never stop doing...
• When cuts are made, try to give people to give months notice, not days... be generous in severance packages
• Willow budget standards: 50% of revenue to staff, 10% given away, 10% "wins of the spirit" flexible planning for budget changes mid-course , 15% ministry budgets, 15% facilities/utilities/debt service.... adjust accordingly
• People will still give money to a white hot vision... How's your vision? How are you communicating it?
• People will still be incredibly generous if you teach them, lead them, and cast the vision
• 2 Chronicles 16:9 God is looking for people that are "fully" for Him... He wants to use us and pour out His plan through us
• Are we creating working environments to fully allow our people to soar?
• "How the Mighty Have Fallen"- Jim Collins book..... How many absolute key leadership seat positions in your organization? What % of those key people are filled by those key people? What is our plan for filling the rest of those seats with those key people? Are we developing back-up positions for those key seats for those key people?
• How are you managing this new reality? Are you taking care of you? Can you sustain yourself at the current pace and pressure? How are you replenishing yourself?
• "The pace at which I'm doing the work of God is destroying God's work in me"- BH 20 years ago in his journal
• Romans 8:6 When you're in sync with the Spirit, you're full of life and peace.... Are you filled up?
• The more your tank empties, the more fallout that's happening to the people around you
• Who fills you up? Who depletes you? Fill your tank, hang out with "fillers"....
• "When I listen to God more slowly, he speaks to me more clearly"- BH devotional time
• The best thing you can bring to your team, company, organization, and family is a "filled up bucket"... What are your followers seeing from you these days?
• God is not done. Hold on to Him... he wants to do great things in our day and through your leadership.

We Can Learn From Old People

Last weekend, I had a great opportunity to go on a Boyz Weekend Road Trip to a Tigers/Sox game and the Baseball Hall of Fame for the Induction Ceremony of the greatest player of all time, Jim Rice. OK, I'm biased.

The best part of the trip however was the chance to spend a weekend with three generations of Meyer's, most importantly, my Dad (pictured here named after Mel Ott).

On the way home, we had a chance to talk about what his legacy is, what matters, what he's learned... We all have a lot we can learn from the "experienced"...

• Have a Foundation. My Dad has always been a strong, Bible-believing Christ follower. It's made decisions in his life easier as he's had a consistent guide of Truth. He's quite possibly the most faithful person I know.
• Be Different. My Dad is an odd bird and he owns it (whether he knows it or not)... and it's good. God didn't use a cookie cutter when he created us, quit trying to be like someone else's crumbs.
• Be Rich in the Things Money Can't Buy. I've only heard this 1,232,413 times in my life from my Dad but it's true. He doesn't have much money but he's got a warehouse full of relationships and purpose that is priceless. Choose people over possessions.
• Retire and Expire. "Father" is still preaching and serving a church part time at age 72...his purpose isn't done, he is tracking to be "all used up" until the day he's called home...
• Finish what you Start. Married almost 50 years, he's modeled commitment to his bride. (He did have it pretty easy though marrying the greatest woman in his generation). Whether marriage or sports teams, he's always modeled and taught to stick it out.
• You can live a lifetime and never know who Madonna is. Yes, it's true, I don't think he knows. Along with Lost, Hannah Montana, and 93% of the other top cultural people or shows that exist today. You don't have to know what's up to make a difference...maybe we can spend less time trying to keep up.

My Dad has left his Mark... I hope to extend his lessons to future generations... And quite possibly, his greatest days are still ahead. He's a great man that I love.

"It's Easier to be a Far Right Whacko"

It's easier to be a far right whacko. Whacko in the nicest sense of the word...

For that matter... any belief systems, sets of rules, political bent (whether far right or far left) that gives me my marching orders to live by regardless of the reactions and input around us is an easier road.

• If I alienate people around me, it's OK because my "cause" is bigger than them- it's OK if they think I'm a whacko because they're just wrong
• Slowly the people that disagree with me will gradually fall away and I'll be surrounded with people that think just like me
• If I do enter conversations, it's primarily to "help" people understand why what they believe is wrong with a smile on my face
• It eliminates confusion because EVERYTHING is black and white

What's harder?

• To live in the conversation. Am I creating more conversations or shutting people down when talking about my faith or issues?
• Building a friendship. Am I seeking to understand and learning about a new friend or am I offering premature, drive-by opinions?
• To be silent. Am I willing to process and filter statements made or do I feel the need to always speak my mind?
• Having my actions speak louder than my words. Am I living a life and carrying myself at work in a way that's attracting people or am I repelling people because of my engrained, rigid beliefs?
• Crossing the line and mistakes. Living in the conversation has me on a line at times that I screw up in what I do or say (and regret). Sometimes I can be too loose and managing the edge can be very difficult.
  

I believe we can be strong, bold and effective. I believe I'm forgiven for my mistakes. I want to genuinely love and care for people. But this is the much harder road.

If you're stuck on the word "whacko" still- point made.