The views and opinions expressed in this blog are mine personally and are not necessarily representative of current or former employers.

The Bad Boss

New town. New job. I was stoked over what was essentially a startup within an enterprise. As a visual learner and teacher, I asked the office manager for a whiteboard.

No go. The president wanted to keep corporate operating costs low. No worries. I went to Staples, and for the cost of a Starbucks Grande Red Eye, I bought myself a whiteboard.

Before I had a chance to hang my would-be art piece, my boss stopped in and frowned. “What’s this?” After I explained my reasoning, he said, “Take it out.” He wanted all the offices to have the same minimalist look and feel.

Well, my kids loved it. That whiteboard became central to their homeschool activities. I’ve used it over the years for meetings at home.

Little did I know, the rejected whiteboard was only an omen of the legalistic reign under which I was now employed. I was tempted to pack up and head back south. After all, I had a 90-day “get-out-of-jail-free” card from my former employer who would graciously welcome me back. Our old home had not yet sold.

Tempted as I was to escape, I knew running away was wrong. If I quit now, I would never learn perseverance. I had made a commitment and I would keep it, no matter how aggravating. I knew I would use this challenging experience to prepare for the future. Angry and disillusioned, I stuck it out.

Most of us have had a manager who’s aggravated the heck out of us. National employee engagement scores from Gallup suggest that many are presently in such situations. Web sites such as Really Bad Boss are extremely popular. Numerous best-sellers have been written on the subject. And did you ever ask yourself why The Office and Dilbert are such big hits? Because we can all relate on some level to bad bosses. I suspect all of us will have the opportunity to encounter one along the way. This was mine.

I make an effort to understand these concerns because I don’t want to be a bad boss. And I’m very aware of my potential to become what I hate. We’re all susceptible.

That said, I’ve been blessed to work with predominantly good bosses. So here is what I learned to make the best out of bad-boss situations:

• Honor leadership. Part of my career plan is based on the premise of honoring those in authority over me. This can be tough. Clearly, you should never turn a blind eye to unethical behaviors or abuse. I am solely referencing a difficult and disagreeable boss. Actively give honor to them. It may not change them, but it will change you.
• Make your boss famous. Another toughie. Why would you make a bad boss famous? Because if you can make them better, there’s a chance your situation will improve. Don’t talk up how wonderful your division outcomes are, but give the glory for good things to your boss and take your lumps when things are not so good. Leadership demands humility. “There’s no limit to the amount of good one can do as long has he doesn’t care who gets the credit.” Author unknown
• Take the good. Most bosses are bosses because they have done something good and have the capacity for more. Seek out the good and apply it to your career. My anti-whiteboard boss taught me the importance of having a “kitchen cabinet,” developing key informal relationships that serve as a sounding board and advisory committee. Life is too short to not learn from all circumstances.
• Check the mirror. Take inventory of the bad and look for signs of these traits in yourself. If you find one, pull it out. Guard against bad-boss behaviors creeping into your own style. If your boss is inclined to knee-jerk reactions, don’t start flailing your arms every time you are faced with a challenge. Recognize bad-boss behavior and never replicate.
• Leading up. This might seem impossible, but keep faith that you can influence a change in your boss. Lead by example. Although your voice may not be heard, your actions will be noticed, subconsciously or otherwise.
• Think long term. Look ahead and remind yourself that today’s actions dictate tomorrow’s decisions. If you quit when things are tough, you will become a quitter. Stick things out. Don’t tap out too quickly.
• Speak no ill will. Avoid the trap of complaining about bad boss to other people. This will only exasperate the situation and make it worse than it is. Speak blessing instead.
• Seek first to understand. Figure out the drivers for bad boss behavior. They are likely stress induced. Most bad bosses are well-intentioned leaders who’ve lost their way because of personal and/or professional pressures. Identify the sources of stress and you might help reduce or eliminate it. At the very least, you will sympathize and realize the behavior is not a vendetta against you, albeit it feels like it.
• Avoid a bad boss. Forbes shares five tips to spot a bad boss in an interview. Gather your own references. Call the person who most recently held the position. Call on the other direct reports. If you are well networked, get the internal buzz on your potential boss. Many a bad-boss situation could be avoided if you research diligently and listen to what you hear. Don’t believe things will change because you believe you are better than your references. They won’t.
• Joy in suffering. This is the toughest one for me, but the most important. “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance builds character; and character produces hope.” It’s an upward, spiraling cycle throughout life.

So if you have a bad boss, you have a choice. Life is too short to be in a bad boss situation, but you owe it to yourself, your people, your boss, and your organization to make it work.

I persevered with the anti-whiteboard boss. I established a “kitchen cabinet” as I’d learned from him. I was promoted out of that division and into corporate, where I became CIO. Hope never disappointed me.

And then I purchased the biggest damned whiteboard ever made.

Ed Marx is a CIO currently working for a large integrated health system. Ed encourages your interaction through this blog. Add a comment by clicking the link at the bottom of this post. You can also connect with him directly through his profile pages on social networking sites LinkedIn and Facebook and you can follow him via Twitter — user name marxists.

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The views and opinions expressed in this blog are mine personally and are not necessarily representative of current or former employers.

The Annual Review

They say people fear giving a speech more than death. I say people fear performance reviews more than speech and death combined.

Despite having had some excellent managers over the years, I can’t say that I ever had a review I enjoyed or gained much from. And frankly, I am not sure how many helpful reviews I deal out. Reviews are not a strength for most. They should be.

Admit it. You appreciate the person who lets you know the tag is sticking out on the back of your shirt. Or that you have oatmeal stuck in your braces. If I’m going on a date with my wife, I often ask my teenage daughter, “Do I look hip in this outfit?” Her enthusiastic nod—or more often, her grimace of embarrassment—tells me the truth. She helps me improve.

We want to know these details about ourselves, trivial as they may be. So why does our attitude change in the work setting? Nothing trivial there. In fact, our efforts—and non-effort—can have a serious affect on the department, if not the entire organization. My performance is never self-contained. My conduct, attitude, and effectiveness cascade through the ranks. My subordinates frequently do what I do … and what I do NOT do. Not surprisingly, their people follow their example.

Does your annual review reflect the real you? Do your assessments accurately reveal your staff?

How easy it is to cave in to temptation and give overly optimistic reviews to avoid discomfort. I’ve done it; you’ve done it. We’re all guilty. At the end of the day, I kick myself because I’ve shortchanged everyone. In fact, I’ve undermined my employee and my organization. Worse yet, if I’m not modeling appropriate and accountable reviews, my subordinates will follow my poor example. (Ouch. I feel the pain as I write.)

This post is as much of a kick-in-the-rear encouragement to me as it is to you. Since it’s that time of year again, we the leaders are going to invest the time and energy to make the review honest and meaningful. You with me?

Here are four tips:

1. Spandex. Brutally, honest friend. If you want to know where you stand with weight management, pull on a pair. Someone can tell me I’m fit, but when I see the rolls of fat hanging over the spandex … as Clapton might sing: ♫ “It don’t lie, it don’t lie, it don’t lie … Spandex!” ♫. This sort of accountability keeps me on the right path. We need Spandex feedback in our careers to ensure that our performance remains in check. Give honest feedback even when it’s uncomfortable. Your employee deserves to know the truth no matter how brutal. Nobody likes flab.
2. Satiate the hunger. Deep down, most of us long to improve. If I can give my subordinates one tangible thing to work on, most will clutch it like a pit bull clenching a bone. Imagine if your boss gave you one strength to focus on every year to help you move to the next level and you really did something with it. You might become CEO. That annual performance review might become something to look forward to.
3. Break it down. Several years ago, I switched to doing performance reviews quarterly with several of my directs. This helped make the annual review less dreadful with those who chose this format. When you’re tracking progress, evaluating, and encouraging throughout the year, there are no surprises to contend with. The annual review almost becomes a formality.
4. Abundance of counselors. If I don’t get a bone to chew or my Spandex feels loose, I move on to other senior leaders that I trust. Some of the best feedback for improvement I ever received did not come out of my manager’s review, but rather from the next office over. I encourage my directs to seek the same. The combination of both leads to spectacular outcomes.

For Christmas, I received the latest in athletic gear, compression shorts. Compression shorts are medical grade – Spandex on steroids. While I track my pulse, pressure, Vo2, weight, blood chemistry, and speed, few things let me know where I stand health-wise better than my new shorts. They offer a whole new level of accountability and transparency.

Honest feedback to stimulate improvement is what our people and organizations need the most. That and Spandex.

Ed Marx is a CIO currently working for a large integrated health system. Ed encourages your interaction through this blog. Add a comment by clicking the link at the bottom of this post. You can also connect with him directly through his profile pages on social networking sites LinkedIn and Facebook and you can follow him via Twitter — user name marxists.

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The views and opinions expressed in this blog are mine personally and are not necessarily representative of current or former employers.

The Connecters

For six-year-old Herbert, a train ride was nothing new. But this train was different. Cold. Smelly. No seats. Conductors wore helmets, carried guns, and yelled. Shrouded in darkness and smushed between people’s legs, Herbert clung to his mother and aunt. Passengers wept and prayed. Days later, they disembarked at Gurs.

Horrid scarcely described the inhumane conditions in the “relocation” camp. Herb dug through the trash each day, foraging for crumbs. Six months into the torment, a soldier grabbed him and carried him outside the camp gates. The French Resistance, hiding in the night, whisked Herb into the woods.

Dodging armed patrols, they traversed the countryside and came to a convent near Lyon—Herb’s new home. During routine inspections, the nuns would hide him, the only Jew amongst gentiles. A year later, the Swiss underground led him on foot over the Alps into Switzerland, where he found solace in a group home for Jewish boys.

Herb never saw his family again. While he scaled mountains to freedom, they boarded trains for Auschwitz.

After the war, Red Cross officials connected Herb with relatives that had immigrated to the United States years prior. A young adolescent, fluent in French and German, Herb sailed across the Atlantic. Lady Liberty greeted him in the New York harbor. He learned English. Five years later, Herb returned to Germany as an American soldier.

He fell in love with a young fräulein. They had seven children. I am the youngest

At the end of each year, I reflect and give thanks for many things in my personal and professional life. I’m grateful for what I call The Connecters: the beautiful people who held my dad’s hand. From the German guard at Gurs who led him through freedom’s gate, to the hands of the men and women of the underground. For the nuns who loved a boy of a different faith. For the schoolmasters who hid my father in defiance of the law and for the hands of my immigrant uncle who welcomed him into his New Jersey home. They connected my father to his future. In my heart, I kiss those hands.

This year, my gratitude focuses on my personal Connecters — those who helped enabled my then-future career. While hiring me didn’t affect life or death, I am thankful to those who took a gamble on me. Here are my Connecters and what they taught me:

Pastor Rick Olmstead. In a small but growing church, Pastor Rick invited everyone from the congregation who had an interest in leadership to visit his home for a barbeque. He had hoped for gray heads of wisdom, but ended up with four young-in-their-faith sophomore college students. Trusting in a higher power, Rick pushed forward and invested in us. We eventually became part of the team that enabled multi-year, double-digit growth. His exceptional mentoring and leadership formed the foundation of who I am today.

Major Loomis. The Executive Officer of the 244th Army Reserve Engineer Battalion. This officer’s additional duties involved overseeing the Cadet program. As a nervous nineteen-year-old combat medic, I interviewed with him for one of the few coveted Cadet slots. I knew others had interviewed better than I did, but he took a chance and showed me unmerited favor. I went on to become a combat engineer officer. Upon earning the rank of Captain, I served as the battalion motor officer and battalion movement officer. I learned much about organization, leadership, and process.

Mary Hein. She agreed to interview me because she had misread one of my degrees. She thought I had a Masters in Computer Science when in fact it was a Masters in Consumer Science. When I brought this to her attention, she let it pass and continued the interview. I had very little experience to speak of, yet she offered me my first salaried professional position. I cried (not in front of her, of course.) Mary taught me poise, communication, and brand. She helped hone my leadership.

Mike Gogola. I was interviewing for a director of physician relations position when I realized it was actually an IT position. “You have the wrong person,” I told Mike. While I was good at physician relations and marketing, IT was not my forte. To this day, I’m not sure if he was desperate or sincere, but Mike assured me I had the right stuff for the position. He surrounded me with good technical people and I learned on the go. Mike took me with him to networking opportunities and conferences. He taught me project management and IT.

Kevin Roberts. Kevin believed in me before anyone else saw my executive potential. He took a major risk in supporting my bid to become a CIO at a young age and without requisite experience. He shielded me from naysayers as I learned to walk and then run. He pushed me to become increasingly independent, which grew my confidence. He believed in me.

I’m thankful for those men and women who saved my dad and made my life possible. And I’m thankful for the men and women who connected me, took a risk, and enabled my career.

Who are you thankful for? Take time this holiday to let them know your appreciation. But don’t stop there. Ask yourself who you can help connect. When is the last time you took a risk to help an eager wannabe advance?

Leaders are called to Connect.

Ed Marx is a CIO currently working for a large integrated health system. Ed encourages your interaction through this blog. Add a comment by clicking the link at the bottom of this post. You can also connect with him directly through his profile pages on social networking sites LinkedIn and Facebook and you can follow him via Twitter — user name marxists.

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The views and opinions expressed in this blog are mine personally and are not necessarily representative of current or former employers.

Transformation Through the Written Word

My nephew Jordan, at the time a high schooler, was thinking about careers. Spring Break of 2009 found him shadowing “Uncle Ed,” exploring healthcare. He awoke with me each morning for 5 a.m. workouts and remained engaged until we returned home for 6 p.m. family dinners. Free time was spent developing content for an innovation workshop he would help me lead for one of our hospital leadership teams.

We nailed the workshop. The hospital president was so impressed with Jordan’s facilitation techniques that he offered him a job upon college graduation. We left that Friday session exhausted but high, ready for a Starbucks reward! Immersed all week in healthcare and spending time with physicians and leaders, his career decision crystalized. After graduating as class valedictorian, Jordan began an eight-year journey as a University of Colorado Medical School BA/BS-MD student, one of only ten chosen in the nation.

An elite runner, Jordan serves me humble pie each time we connect. We met up a couple months ago and put in a few hard miles. A college freshman, he asked me for my views on Gawandi’s The Checklist Manifesto and how it has influenced our culture. A month later he asked me about Johansson’s The Medici Effect; What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us about Innovation.

We met up recently in Denver, and, during this run, he wanted to know my views on Johnson’s Fire in the Mind; Science, Faith, and the Search for Order. “Uncle Ed, where does science end and religion begin?” He loses me on the hill. Is this my nineteen-year-old nephew?

The more I learn about his medical school program and curriculum, the more impressed I am. They have something special going down at UC School of Medicine with their focus on stimulating personal and professional growth through book studies. Every other week, these future physicians tackle another book and debate.

Book and debate reinforced my IT department’s approach. I was not a reader in my youth, but as my hunger grew for leadership, I began devouring the written page. A causal correlation emerged. The more I learned, the more effective I became.

I asked my direct reports to read with me, and I observed the same causality. If these book studies were helpful for my teams, then what about my entire organization? Twelve years and counting, my desire to be a continuous learner has not abated. I have seen the transformative impact on my organizations. Hearing about Jordan’s medical school inspired me to continue pressing forward.

Many people stopped learning the day they graduated. Having book studies in the work place carries numerous benefits. Studies remove excuses and make learning convenient. The studies bring a cross-section of individuals together who might not otherwise meet each other. Cohorts ensure accountability, and nobody shows up to class unprepared. Relationships form. Engagement deepens. Leadership is honed. New ideas stimulate innovation. Sometimes we invite our strategic partners. Learning happens. People grow.

How to develop a program in your workplace:

• Charge a modest fee for the class. Return the fee for 80% attendance. Unreturned fees are donated to United Way.
• Lead the first set of classes yourself so you can model the process. Then delegate teaching to your direct reports. Expand to line staff as you find alignment between a person’s passion, ability to teach, and the general need for the topic.
• Classes early in the day have the most traction.
• Books with associated workbooks work especially well.
• Meet weekly and run each class 6-8 sessions for one hour.
• Offer a variety of classes quarterly.

Here is a sample listing of the books we have leveraged through the years. While we have our reliable classics, we always scan for new books. And yes, we have gone digital:

• 17 Irrefutable Laws of Teamwork
• 21 Indispensible Qualities of a Leader
• 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
• 360 Degree Leadership
• 5 Dysfunctions of a Team
• A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society
• A Message to Garcia
• Accounting for Non-Accountants
• Application Stuff for Non Apps
• Axiom
• Blown to Bits
• Built to Last
• Business Etiquette for Dummies
• Checklist Manifesto
• Churchill on Leadership
• Clever: Leading Your Smartest, Most Creative People
• Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning
• Computer Factoids
• CPHIMS Prep Guide
• Creative Whack Pack Deck-Book Set, Success Edition
• Cyber Warfare
• Death By Meeting
• Developing the Leader Within You
• Disintegration
• Drucker on Leadership
• Emotional Intelligence
• Finance for Dummies
• Financial Peace
• First, Break all the Rules
• Fish
• Getting to Plan B: Breaking Through to a Better Business Model
• Good to Great
• Gung Ho!
• Hardwiring Excellence
• Heart of Change
• Here Comes Everybody
• High Five
• Higher Standard of Leadership
• Hospital Management
• Hospitals: What They Are and How They Work
• How to Give a Damn Good Speech
• How to Listen to God
• Human Sigma
• If Disney Ran Your Hospital
• Innovators Dilemma
• Innovators RX
• Inside the Magic Kingdom
• IT Risk
• It’s Your Ship
• Jack; Straight from the Gut
• James and the Giant Peach
• Judgment: How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls
• Kick in the Seat of the Pants: Using Your Explorer, Artist, Judge, & Warrior to Be More Creative
• Lead with Luv
• Leadership (Giuliani)
• Leadership Lessons Learned
• Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun
• Lincoln on Leadership
• Making Teleworking Work: Leading People and Levering Technology for High Impact Results
• Medici Effect: What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us about Innovation
• Now Discover Your Strengths
• Orbiting the Giant Hairball
• Outliers
• Overcoming the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team
• Please Understand Me (Myers-Briggs)
• Raving Fans
• Redefining Global Strategy
• Safe Patients, Smart Hospitals,
• Same Kind of Different as Me
• Servant Leadership
• Social Intelligence
• Strengths Finder 2.0
• Sustained Innovation
• Technical Stuff for Non Techies
• The Art of War
• The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google
• The Black Swan
• The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything
• The Fifth Discipline
• The Five Temptations of a CEO
• The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive
• The Fred Factor
• The Future Arrived Yesterday
• The Future of Management
• The Innovator’s Prescription (Innovator’s RX)
• The Leadership Challenge
• The No Asshole Rule
• The Power of Pull
• The Purpose Driven Life
• The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains
• The World is Flat
• Thinking for a Change
• Today Matters
• True North:  Discover Your Authentic Leadership
• What Difference Do It Make Stories of Hope and Healing
• What Got You Here Wont Get You There
• What Were They Thinking
• Where Good Ideas Come Innovation
• Who Moved my Cheese
• Wikinomics
• Wild at Heart

Our next family reunion is in Seattle during the summer. If I want to keep up with Jordan, I’d better keep reading!

Ed Marx is a CIO currently working for a large integrated health system. Ed encourages your interaction through this blog. Add a comment by clicking the link at the bottom of this post. You can also connect with him directly through his profile pages on social networking sites LinkedIn and Facebook and you can follow him via Twitter — user name marxists.

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The views and opinions expressed in this blog are mine personally and are not necessarily representative of current or former employers.

The No Nice Guy Rule

I interviewed with University Hospitals on November 23, 1998. I recall the date for two reasons. One, it was my birthday. Second, I encountered Zoya (name changed to protect her privacy), an analyst on the employee interview panel.

Zoya embossed herself on my memory with her questions. She pitched hardballs, fastballs, and curveballs while the nice people on the panel tossed softballs. Although professionally polite, Zoya hovered on borderline offensive. I was taken aback by her persona, yet her disruptive approach was about to make me a strong leader.

Let me explain.

My first day on the job, Zoya walked into my office and welcomed me. Before I could hang my coat, she asked if I had time to talk. She was alive with ideas and energy and aspired to transform the IT culture and increase our value to our customers. Although overwhelmed at first, I appreciated her hunger to influence and shape our organization.

The customers loved this analyst. If no one kept watch, some customers would bypass our intake process and go directly to her. She tackled the most difficult assignments and notoriously challenged our processes. Zoya took great pride in consistently delivering results and delighting her customers. A workhorse! And … she was tough to manage.

While the customers loved Zoya, the team did not. One by one, each complained to me about her, and their observations had merit. 

I recall Zoya’s first review. She gave herself a perfect score. In discussing career goals, she stated her expectation to be the best analyst in the world, but agreed she hadn’t reached that goal. Nevertheless, her drive to be the best showed in her outcomes, which inevitably raised the bar for the other analysts.

I invested in Zoya, an immigrant from Russia. She and her husband had packed up their kids one day and sought a better life in the USA. Sympathizing as a person of European descent, I coached her. I pointed her toward specific changes and how to better handle situations. I sent her to a speech pathologist to help her communicate more clearly. She made headway, slowly.

Still exasperated, the team now came into my office as a group to lay out complaints. I listened and then asked: Who can tell me the names of Zoya’s children? Silence. Who can tell me the names of her dogs, whose pictures she had plastered all over her cube? Silence. Who can tell me her passion (Russian folk dance)? Silence. Who can tell me her defining moment? Silence. Who can tell me her background and why she left Russia? Silence. Who can tell me what drives Zoya? Silence.

My response: Once you’re able to answer these questions, we’ll revisit Zoya’s future with us.

I endeavored to kill the notion that every instrument in the band had to be a clarinet. Collegial yes, but as long as behavior did not violate organizational values, every employee had the freedom to express themselves uniquely. Sure, it’s cozy when the team can sing Kumbaya in harmony, but who thrives under constant coziness?

I’d rather work with a team of challenging personalities that adds value to the business than a team who liked one another, but performed with mediocrity. I would argue that the conflicted team—dare I say disruptive and non-complacent—produces superior individual and team performance. Iron sharpens iron.

Better to celebrate individual differences than succumb to the tragedy of nice guys. Which reminds of a scene on conformity from Dead Poets Society. I want people and leaders who walk their own path, even if it’s not nice.

The team never came back with another complaint. Instead, they engaged Zoya on a personal level. Mutual understanding and acceptance grew. They became a team. They gleaned from her, and although she never sang Kumbaya, Zoya did learn to be more collaborative and collegial.

The team developed into the shining star for University Hospitals IT and launched me to where I am today. Thanks to FaceBook, many of us remain connected after all these years.

Not all of my experiences with my teams have been positive. I’ve made mistakes. A couple of times I invested energy into helping a staffer turn the corner and be successful, but that person refused to change.

Before you think I’m endorsing dirty players, let me balance my message. Consider the bestseller, “The No Asshole Rule”, by one of my favorite professors, Stanford’s Robert I. Sutton. You also have to protect your team. Get to know the fine line between a “not nice guy” and an asshole.

Yes, Zoya rocked our world and made us uncomfortable. But it didn’t surprise me when our team rallied around her after she was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. We cried together over her death, for she had left a legacy in her own unique way.

Thanks Zoya, for not being nice, but for being true to yourself.

Update 11/12/11

Thank you for your responses (yes, even “Marxism”).

I don’t mind Marxism’s character attacks, but I would disagree with the implication that excellent leaders work only at the largest organizations. Great leaders can be found in organizations of any size. The size of the organization is not important. The size of the leader’s capabilities is important.

Finally, the story of Zoya is true. For those of you on FaceBook, you can see the positive responses left by some of Zoya’s former team.

Ed Marx is a CIO currently working for a large integrated health system. Ed encourages your interaction through this blog. Add a comment by clicking the link at the bottom of this post. You can also connect with him directly through his profile pages on social networking sites LinkedIn and Facebook and you can follow him via Twitter — user name marxists.

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