Posts filed under ‘Career Management’
Are You a Victim of Network Inbreeding?
Pat Perry
Are you a victim of inbreeding…network inbreeding, that is?
Herminia Ibarra, a blogger for Harvard Business Review, describes an inbred network like this:
“For the past fifteen years, I have asked the executives I teach to list the people with whom they have discussed important work matters over the past few months. Then, I ask them to fill out a grid in which they identify who knows whom among the people on that list. Invariably, most of the people they talk to also know and talk to each other. This kind of network, while cozy and cohesive, is, simply put, inbred. It also tends to be internal, operational (not strategic), and historical, an artifact of the executive’s past work history and not his or her future possibilities. It turns out that this kind of network is also deadly for collaboration.”
I believe it is a common trap many, if not all, of us fall into quite unconsciously. We are comfortable with our own, we want to relate with others who share the same challenges. But what we are inadvertently doing is narrowing our perspective and the ability to gather different thoughts to forge truly new ideas. According to Ibarra, it’s especially beneficial for us to diversify our thinking by interacting with professional from all levels of experience.
“The research is clear,” she writes. “For a more innovative and profitable result over time you are better off with a mix of newcomers and old-timers.”
I particularly liked her suggestion to spend time with younger professionals because I think we often overlook the value of the emerging leaders among us. Changing our habits could do more than help us become more comfortable with social media; it might help us better prepare our companies for the leaders of tomorrow.
Think about it. What does your network look like? Do you have a well-diversified network, or not? What are some of the surprising professional insights you’ve gained from those outside your usual network?
Pat Perry is President of the NAEM Board of Directors. Follow her on Twitter at @pitterpatperry.
Past presidents’ series: My How Time Changes Things
Dick Pastor
Starting this month, we’re kicking off a new series on the Green Tie, featuring blog posts by the former presidents of NAEM. First up? Dick Pastor, Vice President of Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure Group.
During his term as president of the Board from 2002-2004, Mr. Pastor oversaw the implementation of the Association’s Management Excellence Certificate at Carnegie Mellon University.
Recently I had a chance to reflect on how time changes things. With the arrival of my first granddaughter, I thought about the differences that I have seen since my kids were born.
I started my career in the environmental field in 1969. The same year the Cuyahoga River actually caught fire in my hometown of Cleveland, and just a few years after an inversion caused a four day air pollution incident in which 80 people died in New York.
So what has time changed since then?
- Size and Concentration: Back then regulators were striving to reduce the amount of pollutants being discharged. Primary wastewater treatment was state-of-the-art, but direct untreated discharge was the norm. Today we are fighting to get to part per billion in discharges and have elaborate treatment technologies to ensure the water is of a better quality than drinking water standards. Exotic scrubbers, injection technologies, and continuous monitoring have replaced the smokestack, and modeling now takes into account not only local impacts but regional transport and soon global impacts as well.
- Workforce Composition: In the early days, if there was a woman involved in the environmental field most people thought that she was there to take notes or get coffee. Today some of our most respected professionals are women heading environmental or sustainability departments for major, worldwide corporations.
- Skills Required: It was understood in the early environmental days that you just had to be an engineer to be able to do anything meaningful in environmental work. Most thought that a bachelor’s of science was not enough but you really needed at least a Masters in a specific engineering discipline to lead and make decisions regarding the environment. If you were not an engineer then you were relegated to a sample taker. Today the skills required to be proficient in environmental work not only require technical skills but also business acumen and interpersonal skills. You now not only understand BOD but also the social impacts of your operations.
So time changes things, but does it change everything? I would say that throughout my career, the one most prevalent thing that has not changed has been the dedication and enthusiasm of the professionals in the field. And for my granddaughter’s sake I hope that it never changes. What have you seen change in your career?
Dick Pastor has more than 42 years of experience in the environmental field, including 18 years of government service with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources and 15 years with the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Before joining Shaw he was Director, Environmental Services for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., where he developed the environmental management and services program for the company, going from a staff of 1 to a staff of 27 professionals. He also played a significant role in the early development of the company’s sustainability program.
During the course of Dick’s career he has taken a personal interest in assisting others in the field with their personal and professional growth. Dick has served as President of the National Association for Environmental Management where he was instrumental in developing an executive training program for EHS professions that helped bring the profession into the Board room. Dick also served as Chairman of the Hazardous Waste Treatment Council, a Board of Director of the National Solid Waste Management Association and a Trustee of the Institute for Professional Environmental Practice.
Staying Connected
Megan Lu
Every Friday, I, along with every PG&E employee, receive an e-mail from the CEO. It provides a link to the CEO’s blog in which he shares the issues that are on his mind – issues and challenges facing the company, how we’re going to rise to meet them. He also recognizes employees and teams for their successes.
The title of the e-mails (and the blog) is always the same: “Staying Connected”. When I first joined PG&E I thought that was a clever play on words; after all, we are a utility. It’s our business to help people “stay connected”. Recently, during a particularly busy day at the office, it occurred to me that “staying connected” isn’t something that’s only applicable to the CEO.
During the course of a typical business day, I have interactions with many people.
- Working with my direct reports. We update each other on current hot topics, what progress has been made on projects, what steps were to come next, with whom we had to partner, how we are going to communicate and where we are going as team.
- Meeting my internal business clients. I meet with the leadership teams of my internal client business groups regularly. We talk about their issues, how Environmental Operations can help them face those challenges. I also provide updates on new requirements their team may have to comply with in the near future, and work with them to achieve compliance.
- Working with a cross-departmental team. We were pulled together to address a concern by one of our external customers. Before our initial meeting, there’s a flurry of e-mails to prepare. What message would we send? How do we send it? How do we address their concerns? What do we need to do before we meet?
- Maintaining external/agency relationships. There are meetings coming up with some regulatory agencies to review the work done to date on plans to be submitted for their approval. We confer internally to go over questions, options and expected questions. Then, we make sure we provide open, transparent and clear communications with the agency to demonstrate our commitment to compliance and doing the right thing.
- A former colleague contacts me via LinkedIn. We exchange e-mails and catch up on what’s happened since we worked together. It’s always great to keep in touch; plus those former colleagues are always valuable resources when I’m trying to solve a particularly difficult issue.
As environmental professionals, it’s imperative for us to keep the communication flow going in order for us to be successful at what we do. At the end of the day, it’s clear that “staying connected” is a significant portion of my job. I “stay connected” over the phone, face to face, by e-mail and by social media.
How do you stay connected?
Megan Lum is Manager of Environmental Operations, Shared Facilities for Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
Would you fire your boss?
Alex Pollock
I recently read that 24 percent of employees in the United States would fire their bosses. Does this surprise you?
Well, workplace engagement research supports that if workers feel their supervisor cares about them as a person they aren’t as likely to want to fire them. Is this problem limited to the U.S. workplace? I don’t think so.
Gallup studies of 4.5 million employees in 112 countries indicate that fewer than one in every two employees feels strongly that they have a supervisor who cares about them as a person. With data now showing a link between workplace stress and medical issues such as coronary heart disease, “organizations need to take the workplace environment and the quality of employee/manager relationships seriously, because the health of employees may have an enormous effect on the bottom line in lost productivity, absenteeism and insurance costs’” according to Dr Jim Harter, Chief Scientist in Gallup’s workplace management practice. (From the book “Decade of Change”)
What’s your reaction to this research? Are we just bad at picking good supervisors and managers or is the issue more complex? With all the efforts to appear “green” and globally sensitive to the outside world, do companies now need to dedicate effort at regaining the hearts of their employees? With all the talk recently about reinventing and reinvigorating the American economy it seems to me that upping employee engagement would be a great place to start. What do you think?
A Tale of Two Generations
Stephen Evanoff
I recently participated in a discussion among senior environmental, health and safety (EHS) managers about how to attract recent college graduates and young professionals into the EHS management field. It occurred to me that this discussion, like most others on this topic, consisted exclusively of a bunch of Boomers, whose perspective and assumptions may not reflect those of the Millennial Generation they were discussing.
The careers of the people in the room and the EHS management profession began at the same time and grew in tandem. It as exciting for us. There were new regulations. Public expectations were increasing. We had top management attention and support, and hefty budgets. We were able to build programs, conduct research on and deploy new technologies, and establish new career paths. Boomers have experienced the EHS profession as a growing, dynamic, and prominent discipline within our companies. A career spent in EHS management had great appeal to us.
But, over the past decade, changes in our profession have been much more subtle and incremental. I wonder, now that EHS management is a mature and recognized component of business management, does the Millennial Generation view our field as less exciting and innovative than we did?
Sure, society faces major challenges ranging from loss of biodiversity, global warming, deteriorating ocean ecosystems, deforestation and limited water resources. But, when it comes to core EHS management programs, such as auditing, training, and compliance, have we lost our luster in the eyes of the Millennial Generation?
Should we begin to shift our EHS career paradigm to a model designed around bright, capable, young people who are more interested in mastering the basics of our profession and then moving on to careers in other parts of the business? If so, it would have a profound impact on how we manage our people and programs.
Am I “out in the ozone” in my thinking, as we Boomers used to say when we were kids? What have been your observations and experiences?
Why readers make better leaders
Alex Pollock
“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them” — Mark Twain
Last summer, I attended a two-day meeting focused on improving leadership effectiveness. More than a dozen speakers gave their perspectives on what makes leaders effective. I was struck by the one trait nearly everyone viewed as essential — a ferocious appetite for reading.
I noted the speakers didn’t just target books or articles in their chosen field, but also included works that would broaden their worldview . What these leaders all had in common was a commitment to self-improvement and an interest in translating this insight into value for others.
For me, reading has also shaped how I see the world. In particular, the books that have had a life-altering effect on me include:
“The Power of the Servant Leader” by Robert Greenleaf
“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey
“The Leader of the Future” edited by Frances Hesselbein for the Drucker Foundation
“Bringing Out the Best in People” by Aubrey Daniels
“Leadership by the Book” by Ken Blanchard, Bill Hybels and Phil Hodges
“12: The Elements of Great Managing” by Rodd Wagner and James Harter
“The Leadership Challenge” by James Kouzes and Barry Posner
Through insights from authors like those listed above I came to view leadership as a “relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow.” Effective leadership goes way beyond a title on a business card; it’s about building relationships.
What are some books or articles that were game changers for you? Please take a few moments to share how the authors changed your paradigm. We can all benefit from the journey of others.
A Scot’s guide to a better battle plan
Alex Pollock
In the midst of a cold, snowy Michigan winter I’ve been enjoying rediscovering and reflecting on my Scottish heritage. I’m finding it much more enjoyable now than I did many years ago in my Scottish secondary school. I’m reconnecting with heroes like Robert the Bruce, Bonnie Prince Charlie and of course William Wallace of “Braveheart” fame. (Who can forget the blood chilling cry of Mel Gibson’s Wallace: “All men die but few really live?”)
Scottish history is filled with battles, won and lost, strained relationships, treachery and deceit, martyrdom, amazing acts of patriotism and important legacies to our society beyond kilts, bagpipes, whiskey and golf. ( See “How the Scots Invented the Modern World” by Arthur Herman.)
In the next few blogs I’d like to share my leadership reflections from Scottish history and stir conversation around themes like; the importance of planning, conflict resolution, the importance of a cause and the power of celebration.
When bravado becomes disconnected from brains the results can be devastating. Many battles were lost before they began because actions were initiated before adequate plans were developed.
John Maxwell the leadership expert describes nine simple steps in the leadership planning process:
P: Predetermine your course of action
L: Lay out your goals
A: Adjust your priorities
N: Notify key personnel
A: Allow time for acceptance
H: Head into action
E: Expect problems
A: Always point to your successes
D: Daily review your progress
What are your golden rules for planning? What frustrations have you overcome? How can we better decide when the planning stops and implementation begins? We can learn from your experiences.
NAEM: From professional network to personal friends
As part of our Member Appreciation Week celebration, we asked Ana Fernandez to tell us what NAEM means to her:
Ana Fernandez
I began my journey with NAEM 10 years ago when I was an environmental manager looking for courses to learn more about the topics that were relevant at the time: water, waste, management, etc. Sound familiar? I attended several of the courses offered by NAEM and after about a year of running into the same folks from the Washington, D.C. office I was asked to start the Atlanta Chapter.
Not long after that happened, I was offered a great opportunity to become an environmental director at another company. I continued my participation in, and commitment to, NAEM so much so that I mentioned them during my interview and the importance of my new company participating in the organization as a corporate member. So why all the devotion to this organization?
NAEM was the first professional organization that introduced me to peers in my field of work. The majority of us in the environment, health and safety (EHS) field do not focus on the core competency of the organizations where we work. That’s not to say we don’t contribute to the safety of our associates or the strategy of the firm. What it means is that we are outsiders that work very hard to fit in and contribute to the success of our companies. When the chance comes along to mingle and tell war stories with people that understand what you do and appreciate it at face value…well, who wouldn’t want to be in that club?
The people I’ve met at NAEM are more than just professional colleagues. The annual Forum is like a family reunion where you see what seem like brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles…and without fail, patriarchs and matriarchs that are the cornerstones of the organization.
NAEM didn’t just improve my knowledge as an EHS professional and my proficiency as a manager, it enriched my life, too.
Ana Fernandez is the Corporate Director of Environmental Programs for U.S. Foodservice, Inc. Before joining USF, she worked for Coca-Cola Enterprises in their Corporate Environmental Affairs Department where she brokered the Charter Partnership with EPA’s Smart Way Transport Program. She is President of the Atlanta Chapter of NAEM and a member of Georgia State University’s Advisory Board for Ethics and Social Responsibility.
Sowing the seeds of a new green professional
Luigi Pecoraro
Through my work with environmentally-focused graduate students at the The Stuart School of Business at IIT, I’ve noticed the emergence of a different kind of MBA candidate. Today’s students share a mindset that values creative thinking, purposeful living and championing causes using a professional approach.
Jane recently completed her law degree and passed the bar in July, but is more enamored with the degree she is pursuing in Environmental Management and Sustainability. She plans to start a consulting company that supports the greening of buildings or start a renewable energy company that converts waste to alternative heat sources.
Doug has been an equity trader for almost 20 years, and now he wants to use his agricultural agronomics background and his new studies of sustainable enterprise into shaping and forming environmental policy.
Are these students unique individuals or have the values of sustainability taken root beneath the cultural soil?
I’d love to hear from you. For those of you who are responsible for hiring new talent for your EHS and sustainability programs, what are some of the characteristics of today’s young professionals? Are values playing a bigger role in who enters the field today?
Guest blogger Luigi Pecoraro is the Director of the Career Management Center for IIT’s Stuart School of Business. As principal of Professional Development Programs, he consults on Human Resource and Business Development Issues and is leading the effort to translate the school’s mission into greater opportunities for its students.
It’s hard to be present when you’re “always on”
Alex Pollock
A recent USA Today headline caught my attention…. “2010 The Year We Stopped Talking.” Texting and emailing are now our preferred way of communicating. While being breathlessly, deliriously busy has been equated with commitment and value generation, I sense people are starting to push back against this pressure to be “always on.”
One of the ways people are planning to “take their life back” is by re-evaluating their use and dependence on e-messaging tools. How do these devices affect our workplaces and how well we serve as leaders?
Please allow me to fuel some conversation by sharing some observations:
- As humans we need and thrive on our connections with others. Relationships are built through contact…the spoken word, the tone and the expression are vital. Electronic media can help maintain meaningful relationships but they can’t create them. In the extreme, e-messaging can be a cowardly way of sharing information.
- To be effective leaders we must focus on these people under our sphere of influence. Being all things to all people is a foolish pursuit. We must be available to those we have a responsibility to shepherd.
- Too much information of little or no value is passed around. Break the cycle. Lead the way by cutting your e-messages by at least 50 percent and help others do the same.
- Multi-tasking doesn’t work. Dedicate a portion of the day to exclusively reading and answering e-messages. It’s rude and insulting to have one eye ball on a colleague and the other on your Blackberry.
What do you think about our use of e-messaging tools: Have we mastered these devices or have they mastered us? What are your watch-outs with communication technologies? Please share ways that you have found to harness the power of electronic tools. We can learn from you. Thanks!
