Blog: Claudia Imhoff

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October 27, 2005

Five Dysfunctions of a Team - How to Tell When You or Your Team is in Trouble

Ever read a book by Patrick Lencioni? He is the President of the Table Group and the author of a book on team building titled "Five Dysfunctions of a Team". I was fortunate enough to hear his keynote address at the second day of the BetterManagement Live conference in Las Vegas. He covered these 5 dysfunctions and what a leader should do to overcome them. Following is the gist of that talk.

First Dysfunction - Absence of the trust. Mr. Lencioni hits a home run with me on this point. He was not talking about "predictive trust" where you have known someone long enough that you can predict what they are going to say, how they will react to a certain situation, what buttons you can press to get a reaction. ( Sounds like an old married couple). No, he was referring to vulnerability trust or the ability to show a weakness without losing something -- esteem, pride, or strength. This includes the leader. Can the team leader demonstrate a vulnerability without the rest of the team serving him or her up for lunch? Simply put, how comfortable are you in saying to your team, "I don't know"?

Second Dysfunction - Fear of Conflict. He believes that productive, ideologic conflict is good. Dialogue in which no one is holding back for fear of reprisal, criticism, or dismissal is healthy for any team. Unaired conflicts have a nasty habit of reappearing again and again -- usually in another form like personal attacks which are just deadly. A "non-confrontational" person is a bomb waiting to go off. The worst situation you can have is a yes man team. The leader of a team must demand debate, welcome it, support it, but also know when to put it to bed. That brings us to the next dysfunction.

Third Dysfunction - Lack of Commitment. He strongly believes that there can be no commitment without debate. How can you actively buy into something when you were not allowed to state your opinions and discuss your thoughts about it? Mr. Lencioni was adamant that there is no such thing as complete consensus... Really a change from the 90's view of garnering 100% consensus before something is accepted. He states that by allowing everyone to voice their opinions, discussing those differing ideas, and finally forcing clarity, you as a leader will get closure on the topic and full commitment. Everyone needs to get to the point where they can say, "I may not agree with your ideas but I understand them and can support them."

Fourth Dysfunction - Avoidance of Accountability. This continues the house that Jack built -- if you don't have debate, you won't get commitment. If you don't have commitment, you won't get people's buy-in and therefore, no accountability from the team members. Commitment leads to the sense of comradery needed in a team effort -- the thought of letting your colleague down is abhorrent to you. The leader must confront the difficult issues that lead to ultimate commitment from everyone and thus accountability.

Fifth Dysfunction - Inattention to Results. If team members are not accountable, then they will take care of only themselves rather than pull for the greater good of the team. The team goals get subverted to the individual's goals. Mr Lencioni ended his talk by asking the audience an interesting question which I will iterate here: What is Team Number 1 in your mind - the team you are on or the team you lead? Which one is most important to you?

His answer and I agree with it is that your most important team should be the one you are on. You must be a good, solid team member before you can be a good, solid team leader.

An interesting talk and an interesting concept. I welcome your comments on team leadership -- what are your tips, techniques, examples of good -- and bad -- team leader traits?

Yours in BI Success.

Claudia

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October 24, 2005

Are You "Interruption-Driven"?

Has this ever happened to you? You get to the office all raring to go on that "To Do" list you made the night before - only to get about 5 minutes into the first task when - WHAMMO -- you get interrupted... and interrupted... and interrupted... AND INTERRUPTED. By the end of the day, you have managed to get nothing finished on your list because of these distractions.

Lots of people complain that this form of office multi-tasking is -- to say the least -- annoying, unproductive, disturbing, and off-putting. If you are one of these, you may want to read an interesting NY Times article sent to me by a friend, titled "Meet the Life Hackers". Here's the gist of the article and what one technology company is doing to help you.

The University of California recently did a study to measure just how nutty we have all become living in our cubicles. The results are not pretty but we knew that -- right?

-- Each of us spends only 11 minutes on any given project before being interrupted to go do something else.
-- Each 11 minute project was itself fragmented even more into about 3 minute tasks such as answering email, performing an Internet search, answering the phone, and so on.
-- And every time we get interrupted, it takes an average of 25 minutes to get going again on the original task!

No wonder we feel like we can't get anything accomplished in a day... Now I know why I love to sit on airplanes -- nothing to distract me except the flight attendants with yummy snacks and tasty drinks for my parched body... The head phones I slap on upon immediately sitting down and strapping in really do knock out passenger chatter. But I interrupt this blog.

The study goes on to say that while interruptions are annoying, many are critical to office work. The people studied admitted that many of the daily disruptions were essential to their jobs. That urgent email that you think you just received -- BUT -- how do you know it is urgent unless you open it and read it? But isn't that an interruption in itself? You get the idea.

All of us "multi-task"; it is the nature of today's workplace. It started with the placement of the first computer on a desk. Instead of working on one thing for hours at a time, we now could work on several different things simultaneously. Life was considered better. Corporations figured out that this was a great way to get workers to be more productive and companies like Microsoft helped them achieve that goal by transforming the computer into the hub for every possible office task. Now add in the Internet, IM, and email, and watch the office workers as they navigate through an astoundingly complex display of spreadsheets, documents, communications, Web browsers all at the same time.

Just as a point of reference, I surveyed my own desk top right now. I currently have open my email, Word, this blog entry, instant messenger, iTunes, and my scheduler -- and I jump from one to the other to the other based on where I am pulled, what catches my eye, or what bubbles to the top of my list of things I want/have to do. Ah -- nothing like Adult-onset Attention Deficit Disorder...

So what are we to do? Ah, that is the multi-billion dollar question being asked by the likes of said Microsoft. Mary Czerwinski, a former NASA astronaut, was hired by Microsoft to study just this problem of information overload. She is apparently a poster child for just such an ADD adult in a cubicle -- she has three enormous computer screens on her desk with about 30 open windows, a stack of email messages, IMs galore, and a gaggle of web pages open. She is a member of MS's Research Labs, a special division that hires such amazing people to conduct basic research into the overall Computer-Human Interface (CHI).

Her task was to "follow" a handful of workers, recording their every key and mouse click to determine how people really used their computers, what was the workflow, how they handled interruptions, etc. She discovered - not surprisingly -- that they are all about as restless as hummingbirds, they spend about 20 seconds looking at one window before flipping to another one.

Why the constant flipping around? Well, that is where Microsoft got interested. Turns out that it is because of the basic way that today's computers are laid out. It is like working at a desk that is so small that you can only lay out one piece of paper at a time. Once you get two or three things going, the desktop becomes hopelessly buried. This is the main contributing factor for why it takes 25 minutes to get back to our original task -- it takes that long to find the darn thing again! Interruptions apparently wreak havoc on our short term memory.

So -- what to do? Here is where the research will start to pay off. What is the one thing that seems ubiquitous in modern workplaces? The one thing we all rely on to help us remember things? The one thing that seems to form a halo around out computer screens? Yep -- you got -- Post-it Notes. It appears that Post-it notes are the jury-rigged memory reminder device that we all use to help us remember what we were doing before we were interrupted.

The researchers are trying to figure out how to engineer our technological world to accommodate these wondrous low-tech items. I will bet that MS is -- right now -- trying to figure out how we can add electronic Post-it notes to our screens. Are there other ways to make our workspaces less distracting? Yes, here are some high tech tips:

-- If you can afford more than one monitor, organize applications on different screens, maybe three. For example, email on one end, Web browser on another, and the main task you are working on in the middle. This makes each one "glance-able".
-- Don't have the bucks for three monitors? Try this. They found that simply going from a 15-inch monitor to a 42-inch screen caused a significant uptick in productivity. In 2 decades of research, Ms. Czerwinski said she had never seen a single tweak to a computer system so significantly improve a user's productivity.

And some low tech ones:

-- Open up a document and use it as an "extra brain". Dump in it everything you need to remember -- to-dos, addresses, deliverables, etc.
-- Try using email to send a reminder to yourself.

Ok -- enough of the self-help section. Here's a final thought for you. Merlin Mann, the founder of a life-hacking site, www.43folders.com, states that we may be bringing some of this chaos on ourselves. "We'd rather die than be bored for a few minutes, so we surround ourselves with distractions. We've got 20,000 digital photos instead of 10 we treasure. We have more TV Tivo'd than we'll ever see... Unless you're working in a Korean missile silo, you don't need to check email every 2 minutes (!)."

Maybe he has a point. But right now, I have two IMs to answer, emails requiring attention, and a document to review...

I leave to you -- what are your tricks to a productive day? Add them to this blog. We could all use the help.

Yours in BI (and distraction) Success,

Claudia

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October 19, 2005

The Top 10 Cars for CEOs

Yes, I said cars – not cares. It must have been a slow month for CEO Magazine because this article was a cover story of October’s magazine (page 53). Is it just me or does this smack of the “excessive exuberance” of the 1990’s when CEOs were judged more by the cars they drove, the nightclubs they visited, or the size of their boats rather than their business prowess?

If you really want to know what car you should drive, Mr. or Ms. CEO read on.

The article starts out by stating “You’ve worked hard for your money. Now it’s time to enjoy it.” I could suggest that a sizable donation to the Red Cross or UNICEF might make a much more lasting impression but I’d be booed out of the blog world…

So, what’s hot this year? Here are the magazine’s car picks for work and play, along with a short blurb about why. The blurbs are just amazing – I swear I am not making them up. I also include the price tag for each little gem, in case you are ready to shop.

Work:

First on the list was the Audi A8 L. Not sure why it is important for a work car but they state that the car will go from 0-60 mph in 6.3 seconds. Guess it becomes mandatory if you have to run from the government if you are not in compliance. The blurb? “A seductive sedan with a superior user interface. Great creature comforts (!) … deliver a great ride.” BI tool vendors, take heed. Not only should you deliver a good user interface but it had better be sexy and contain a porta-potty. $72.090.

Next was the Cadillac CTS-V. Yes, Cadillac, the car my old man wanted all his life. This one is a lot different from the urban assault vehicle of the past. It takes this rocket on wheels only 4.6 seconds to reach 60 mph! And this is for work? You will never be late for meetings ever again. The authors say “Appropriate to drive with customers or business guests…” Only if you want to scare them silly. $53,000

Last car suggested for work is the BMW 330i which will get you to 60 in somewhere between 6.1 and 6.2 seconds. “Really a 5 Series in disguise. [Why the disguise?] Great performance and a solid value. More room makes it practical for business.” Sounds pretty boooooring… $42,865

Now for the really good part of the article: the top 7 cars for CEOs to play with.

Play Sedans

Mercedes CLS 55 which reaches 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. “The CLS is more curvaceous than the typical Mercedes. The supercharged version is the quickest Benz yet, but still fits four comfortably.” Is this a car they are describing or a supermodel off her attention deficit drugs? All that for $85,000.

Bentley Flying Spur – the name alone leaves me giggling. “Yeah, I own a flying spur and it only cost me a mere $185,000…” What the heck is a flying spur – help me out here if you know. The write-up is priceless – “The accent is decidedly upper-class British [for the snobs in the audience]. Offers top speed of 195 mph for the daring… a combination of lordly might and opulent luxury.” OK – this gets the prize from me. 195 mph? Where in the US are you going to try that out? Lordly might and opulent luxury? I give up.

Play Sports cars

Ferrari F430 Spider – now we’re talking! 0-60 in 4 seconds. (I think I left my teeth back in the garage.) “An almost otherworldly experience, with an intoxicating exhaust note…” These guys have been breathing a bit too much of that note, me thinks. And with a price tag of $180,785, you better have more than smoke in your wallet.

Ford GT – my word, a lowly Ford in the rarified air of the Ferrari! And it will beat the socks off the Ferrari (and anything else on the road) by reaching 60 in a mere 3.6 seconds. “This is good old-fashioned American muscle, not Euro refinement. Essentially two seats strapped to an engine, and drop-dead gorgeous, to boot.” I am not making this up. They make it sound like trailer trash finally won the lottery. How much? $153,345 – yeow!

Play Convertibles

Cadillac again! In this category, it is the Cadillac XLR with a 0-60 mph speed of 5.8 seconds and a price tag of $76,650. The write-up states “Beautiful inside and outside, Cadillac got the emotionality and attitude right.” Not sure exactly what emotion or attitude they are talking about – just copping a ‘tude , man…

Porsche 911 Cabriolet Carrera S – “Exotic car performance combined with everyday functionality” Uh huh. Just like my everyday car… 0 to 60 in 4.8 seconds and price tag? $79,100.

OK – last one is the Aston Martin DB9 – a measly $155,000 and getting to 60 in less than 5 seconds. “A four-wheeled work of art with sumptuous hand-stitched leather cabin. Top speed approaches 185 mph…” Perhaps we should just leave it on its pedestal.

There you have it, folks. So now it’s our turn. I want you to help me come up with the top 10 cars for IT. Here’s a suggestion to get you thinking:

IT Car:

Volkswagen Bug: This unassuming vehicle is reliable and trustworthy. Needs minimal maintenance – just add oil and gas and this baby just keeps going and going. Gets to 60 mph sometime today and won’t break your budget.

How’s that?

Can’t wait to read your suggestions for IT cars. The funniest one gets a prize!

Yours in BI Success,

Claudia

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October 18, 2005

Get a free Blog!

The Business Intelligence Network has launched a new Blog site and you’re invited!

So if you've ever wanted to have a voice in our industry here is your chance. The site is free and you can have your blog up and running in less than 5 minutes.

Act fast, space is limited!

To reserve your free blog click here.

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October 13, 2005

A Would-be Burglar in the Buff?

You seemed to like the exploding snake story so much that I have decided to include a few of the strange and weird news stories that I run across every now and then. I even have a new category for them: Weird News Stories. They will most likely have nothing to do with BI or data warehousing but should give you reason to pause and consider how lucky you are... Let me know what you think.

Here goes another one.

Visualize this: Darlington, SC police say that they caught a would-be burglar apparently attired in only his grimace. Police think that he dropped from the ceiling of the cash advance business and was caught when he tried to open the door and leave. Guess he wanted to do an early withdrawal...

Where the heck did he think he could go? Like no one would notice?

When investigators arrived at the Check 'n Go, they noticed tiles, insulation, wires and metal braces hanging from the ceiling and on the floor. They surmised that the suspected burglar took off his clothes so he could squeeze through an air vent in the ceiling. Seems to me he was darn lucky that he was the only thing to get caught...

And the ultimate irony? Police said he was wasting his time -- the cash advance business doesn't even keep money on the premises!

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October 12, 2005

Overstock.com's (Too) Honest CIO?

Here's another good one for you. Overstock.com's CIO, Shawn Schwegman, recently sent a note to the company's key business partners apologizing for a number of problems that these partners have had to endure due to Overstock.com's poorly architected IT systems...

As if that were not bad enough, the CIO's problems were compounded late in August by the revelation that he sold a sizable chunk (about two-thirds) of his Overstock.com stock right before the company disclosed a shortfall in its sales due to the 5-week long inventory software upgrade glitch...

Seems like the CIO's candor upfront was not all it was cracked up to be? Or perhaps he should not have written anything? Was his stock sale just unfortunate timing or some form of insider trading?

I will let the regulators sort that last bit out. Read on to see what was in his letter and the lessons he learned.

The letter did not mince words -- in it, Mr. Schwegman states:

"I'll start by saying that the vast majority of system problems we have are problems related to updates... At the end of the day, all of these problems boil down to Overstock's failure (read, my failure) to architect a system that can handle real-time updates promptly."

The updates involved a new set of Oracle applications and "the ability to send small files containing inventory updates, orders, image data, status changes, etc., back and forth" between the Oracle database and a Vcommerce database -- basically message processing between the two databases. According to the CIO's letter, "The 'fire and forget' approach is killing us. In reality, a file might not send properly, become corrupted in transfer or produce errors when the receiving system attempts to process it... The architecture is horribly architected."

Haven't we been saying for years that the architecture is everything...? But that is an aside. The story goes on.

Needless to say, the five week delay due to the technical glitches had major business implications. Wall Street analysts immediately downgraded Overstock's stock upon hearing of the missed sales figures. The stock was trading around $41/share on the time of the first article containing the CIO's mea culpa. Today it closed at $34.21. Pretty substantial drop.

What does Schwegman say he would do differently if he could do it over again? Start the effort earlier. According to him, you should never underestimate how long it will take to successfully complete a software implementation. "The more you put into the front of a process, the easier the end of that process is." Truer words were never spoken.

As always, I welcome your comments. Should the CIO have issued his letter? What responsibility does IT have to warn its partners of troublesome internal systems? And what will happen to Overstock now that the (hopefully) worst is over?

Yours in BI success,

Claudia

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October 7, 2005

Snake Eats Alligator and Explodes...

Sometimes I run across a story that is just too amazing to pass up. This one had me just shaking my head in disbelief. No, it has nothing to do with BI, data warehousing or even business unless an analogy can be drawn. Be warned though -- If you have a weak stomach, stop reading now.

OK -- here it is. I am calmly reading the Denver Post newspaper when this story pops out (literally) at me. Apparently a 13 foot python exploded when it tried to swallow a LIVE 6 foot alligator -- whole -- in the Florida Everglades recently!

AP / Everglades National Park
The carcass of a six-foot American alligator is protruding from the mid-section of a 13-foot Burmese python Monday, Sept. 26, 2005 in Everglades National Park, Fla., after the snake apparently swallowed the alligator resulting in the deaths of both animals.

Talk about your eating disorders!

Frank Mazzotti, a University of Florida wildlife professor put it succinctly "It means nothing in the Everglades is safe from pythons, a top-down predator."

A top-down predator? Do they really talk like that?

One can't help but wonder if this is an ominous analogy for a large software company who recently gobbled up another large software company. Just thinking out loud...

Yours in BI Success,

Claudia

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