Tacoma and Pierce County are hard at work to develop resources for local businesses.On Monday, March 16, 2020 the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce (COC) and the Economic Development Board (EDB) for Tacoma-Pierce County co-hosted their first COVID-19 Business Response Webinar. These will be hosted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the foreseeable future to update community and business members of new information and resources available to local businesses. Questions can be sent to alisonb@tacomachamber.org with “COVID-19” in the subject line. COVID-19 Business Response Webinar #1The March 16, 2020 call included:
Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier started the meeting with commendations for Tacoma and Pierce County community members who have been working together to get through this coronavirus situation by helping each other. Bruce shared that he was out delivering donuts to local permit reviewers as he views it as essential to keep construction projects moving forward to keep as many workers working as possible. Bruce signed an order granting temporary suspension of the noise ordinance in unincorporated Pierce County which is important to allowing trucking fleets into the area for restocking of essential supplies. In a moment of humor, he stated it is his personal mission to keep Happy Donuts open after his purchase of 16 dozen donuts. Mayor Victoria Woodards shared that the City of Tacoma is working closely with Pierce County to preserve as much of our economy as we can in these extraordinary times. She promoted the cities MakeItTacoma.org website with particular note of the COVID19 page which will include regular updates on resources from the City of Tacoma. She closed her comments with this admonition, “The Pierce County way is to do it together.” Director of Pierce County Emergency Management Director Jody Ferguson stated that the business community is the heart of the county and her department is committed to supporting ongoing efforts. She noted that efforts are underway to set up a call center to help businesses navigate the SBA assistance process. Gary Wescott, Pierce County Economic Development Department shared about developing resources in partnership with the SBA. Coronavirus Financial Resources for Your Business:
COVID-19 Resources for Managing Employees
Don't Miss The Next Tacoma-Pierce County COVID-19 CallThere was an open format for questions and answers which the group addressed. The next COVID-19 conference call / webinar will include updates regarding state and federal resources for your business on Wednesday, March 18th, 10:30am - 12:00pm. US Representative, WA 6th CD, Derik Kilmer, will be on the call to share about new Washington State Department of Commerce and Small Business Administration resources available to support small businesses. Sign on to the webinar, questions can be emailed or messaged in to the group and will be addressed in the order that they are received. While it is still difficult to get a firm grasp on what the extent of the implications of COVID-19 and what duration we can anticipate, it is helpful to have this level of access from those closest to the solutions. Tacoma and Pierce County representatives, along with business and community leaders, are doing their part to collaborate for solutions. These tri-weekly calls are a great way to keep as many as will participate updated with information and local resources. Stay informed and be a part of the solution.
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Leaders have to make tough decisions, what happens when leaders delegate to someone like Dwight Schrute?As we work together to create common sense responses to the COVID-19 situation, we can take a minute to laugh and learn from relevant situations that play out in the pop culture favorite TV series, The Office. In Health Care (Season 1, Episode 3), Michael Scott, defers his managerial responsibility to choose a health plan for the staff to his right hand man, Dwight Schrute. Dwight turns the opportunity into a power grab and cloisters himself in the conference room, posting a sign “Dwight Schrute Workspace.” Even though Michael is willing to delegate this important decision to Dwight, he will not allow him to call the conference room his office. We like our narratives to have good characters and bad characters as we seem to derive some false sense of comfort in labels. Dwight may be perceived as the bad guy, but at his core he does his best to do what he is asked. In this instance he is being asked to put the company first, cut costs and choose a plan. Jim on the other hand, deflects the opportunity to be of assistance. Dwight goes to the extreme. When his peers review the plan that Mr. Schrute has chosen they are upset, noting that he cut everything. Dwight is proud of his decisiveness, “What did I do? I did my job. I slashed benefits to the bone. I saved this company money. Was I too harsh? Maybe. I don’t believe in coddling people. In the wild, there is no health care. In the wild, health care is, ‘Ow, I hurt my leg. I can’t run. A lion eats me and I’m dead.’ Well, I’m not dead. I’m the lion. You’re dead.” - Dwight Schrute When leaders delegate the tough decisionsPeople in a position of leadership like to use phrases like, “Delegate and elevate,” but as is observed in this episode of The Office, sending your responsibilities downstream does not create a good working environment. To delegate does mean to appoint another as your representative. By this definition Michael Scott, the manager of the office, did act in accordance with the definition. Unfortunately, too often, when someone delegates it’s because they have an assignment they don’t want to complete, such as cutting insurance benefits, and comes with zero preparation. If you process of delegating is to pass the mantle so someone else takes the heat, you are setting everyone up for failure. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who served as a five-star general, commander of Allied Forces in Europe during WWII, and the 34th President of the United States, is credited with a simple system for prioritization. It has been referred to as The Eisenhower Method (see image below), Box or Decision Matrix, but the basic principle is the same. In this matrix any person in a position of leadership must decide how best to use their most limited resources, time management. Author and coach, Lex Sisney adds some value insights in his article When Not to Delegate. His axis includes the decision between level of conviction and degree of consequences. When a situation is of high conviction and low consequence it is a great opportunity for a leader to delegate for the purpose of developing others. Step up to the plate or don’t complainJim Halpert is often viewed as the voice of reason, or that person in the office who has the potential to be a leader, yet in this instance he deflects the responsibility. Obviously, Michael is putting everyone in a bad spot, but it is better to have a seat at the table and a voice in important decisions than it is to allow the Dwight’s of the office to direct the conversation. Dwight becomes the villain and yet the origins of this debacle are handed down from a corporate office that needs to protect profits and their solution is to reduce benefits. The healthcare debacle starts when Michael’s boss, Jan, tells him at the opening of the episode, “You know the whole reason that we’re doing this, is to save money. So you just need to pick a provider and choose the cheapest plan.” Headquarters defers to executives who defer to managers and Michael defers to Dwight. Rather than fix the issue, the elites get the masses to fight among themselves. Jim complains about the result but he also stepped away from the opportunity to be a part of the solution. In our current situation with coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), we face the toilet paper apocalypse of 2020 where citizens are fighting each other to hoard products. There is still time to work together, take care of each other and be a part of the solution process. This isn’t a TV show, it’s real lifeThe Office is fictional and yet so much of what makes comedy work is that there are elements of truth in the characters and the situations. If you watch the COVID-19 coverage or go to the grocery store, you can find Jans, Michaels, Dwights and Jims. Who are you going to be for yourself, your family and your community? What is the government doing to help citizens and businesses impacted by coronavirus?Remember, this is an unfolding situation and we should have some patience while everyone is working to understand and develop an effective response strategy. What have we seen with regards to any relief for the financial impact of coronavirus?
What can businesses do to help employees deal with COVID-19 burdens?With news that schools will be closing in our area as a response to coronavirus, I am thankful that our kids are old enough that they don’t need constant supervision. My heart goes out to those families that will be impacted by their young children unexpectedly having to be at home for an extended period of time. News is unfolding where local communities are helping those most vulnerable with food, childcare and other essential resources. If you are able, contribute to local efforts. If reducing interaction is a common sense approach to reducing exposure and slowing the spread of COVID-19, then working from home measures are one option to help this effort as well as develop business resiliency. Perhaps this situation will force many companies to experiment with remote work and in the long run, this may be a much better system for all involved. Working from home has many upsides. In the instance where an employee has young children who are now being forced to stay at home it may be a means of keeping business running while allowing team members to care for their families. What can we do to help each other navigate this pandemic?A pandemic means that the situation is global, the World Health Organization (WHO) has a chart which outlines the phase descriptions and actions during a pandemic. Their official statement from March 11, 2020, “Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by this virus. It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do.” For those who would question whether this is all being blown out of proportion, one thing to keep in mind is that we are in uncharted territory, “We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus. This is the first pandemic caused by a coronavirus.” The plan is evolving as everyone learns more about what we are dealing with.
Some awesome stories of generosity are emerging:
Most of the information we are receiving include common precautions that we should be doing regardless of this situation, but we are being made acutely aware of the need for measures such as:
Rise above negative leadership examples to live your purpose.You can remember the moment like it was yesterday, maybe it was yesterday. The moment when you made a pledge to yourself, “If I am ever in charge I will never be like that person.” This pledge applies to a variety of arenas including parenting, business, sports, hobbies, politics, etc. The area of application that we will focus on for this exercise is with positions of leadership in business.
Rise above the negative examples of leadershipMore often than not, when you focus on what you don’t want to be, you will limit your development. When you stop to think about the tier of mediocre role models in your life, those who had some good qualities but don’t make the top 10 list of leaders, were they trapped in the shadow of their negative experiences? If your only goal is not to be like someone whom you were harmed by or despised, you allow that person to continue to hold a grasp on your potential. I am not trying to be an armchair psychologist. As such, I am speaking from personal experience with my own pledges as well as those I have heard directly from people in a position of leadership. I remember one manager who was so committed to not being what their former manager was that they fell short of clarifying their own identity and clear purpose as a leader. Embrace your identity and live your purpose as a leaderWhen your vision is to not be like so-and-so you are more likely to become a replica of so-and-so than you are to embrace your identity. Don’t allow negative leadership examples to take residence in your personal and professional development. You are not your former boss and the best way to ensure you don’t become them is to carve out your own purpose.
Stop comparing yourself to others. The pledge is useless. Saying, “At least I am not like so-and-so,” is nowhere near as important as being able to say, “I am learning to embrace my identity and live my purpose.” Build a bridge and get over that terrible boss. Pursue your purpose and if you reach a point of leadership don’t allow them to shape your vision. Leadership development resources from The DYOJO:
Stop asking dumb questions and start doing leadership things.
Step one to being a better leader.While there are those in history that transcend the moments of their time and thereby stand out in our distinctions of strong leadership. Leadership is a daily practice. There are no leaders, only people in a position of leadership. No leader arrives without their own journey of trial, failure and growth. You are a leader, you must be intentional to develop your leadership. Leadership is often placed on a standard that is only approachable by those worthy to wield its magical powers. This is not true.
Two questions to elevate your leadership skills.The question is not, “Am I a leader?” If it wasn’t clear before, the answer is, “Yes, you are a leader.” The question is not even whether you are a good leader. Good leadership is a subjective measure related to abilities, intention and outcomes. Good leaders had their bad moments and bad leaders have their positive qualities. Yet, this is true of any person in a position of leadership at any level. Leadership categories that impact your everyday life include your-self, your roles, your responsibilities and your example to others. You are a leader in each of these key areas and you must be intentional to develop your abilities. Everyday leadership categories of significant consequence include:
Making a difference as a leader.As a leader, if you want to ask an effective question, ask yourself, “Am I on course or off track?” This is important because, in order to answer this basic question, you have to establish some clarity as to what your goals are. If you are clear on your goals, you can develop actions steps and track whether you are consistently moving towards or away from your goal. Questions of substance will require you to look in the mirror and assess measurable results.
The importance of being intentional as a leader.If you are brave enough to ask yourself whether you are on or off course, you are on your way towards progress in the process. There is one more tough question a person in a position of leadership must ask, especially if your roles and responsibilities have you overseeing a team of people. “Am I on track due to intention or coincidence?” The prototypical leader enjoys receiving praise for success and shirks responsibility for failures. Whether things are going well or they are a dumpster fire, the person in a position of leadership must ask if their outcomes have been the result of being intentional or merely coincidental.
Leadership is a daily process.You are a leader. You have a responsibility to lead yourself, master your roles, execute your responsibilities and set a positive example for others. If you want to grow as a person and be effective in your leadership, ask yourself whether you are on course or off course. If you are on track to reach your objectives, have you done everything in your power to be intentional with your efforts and empowering those around you to succeed? If you are off track, move towards being intentional by facing the music and set an example of climbing out of your mess. It’s never too late to take a step in the right direction. Stop asking dumb questions and start doing intentional things. As the process evolves, you will have to adapt, so the development of your leadership skills is never over. If you work through the process of taking ownership of your role as a leader, getting yourself and your team on course and being intentional, it’s not as though the game is over. Repeat daily. |
AuthorThoughts on personal and professional development. Jon Isaacson, The Intentional Restorer, is a contractor, author, and host of The DYOJO Podcast. The goal of The DYOJO is to help growth-minded restoration professionals shorten their DANG learning curve for personal and professional development. You can watch The DYOJO Podcast on YouTube on Thursdays or listen on your favorite podcast platform.
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