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In This Isue
My Left Hand
How Penn State Fumbled
"WHO SAID THIS?" Contest
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Tweets For You
I send 15-20 tweets a week with links to useful articles and research; here are a few of my latest, including links:

See "Honesty in times of crisis is overrated" and my comment in Financial Times - http://FT.com-Management
http://on.ft.com/uXGGfG

Which "confessional" do you favor - your mirror or community? (I'm still an #Emerson fan)  http://lnkd.in/PpNei5

Random statistic: In 1980, average US CEO pay = 42Xs average blue collar pay; in 2010 average CEO pay = 343Xs worker pay

Random statistic: Average professor pay at 44 major public universities up 32% since 1985; average football coach pay up 750%

#Integrity intact for ex-CEO of troubled #American Airlines - bit.ly/u72698 via @AddThis

Another tool for #ethical consumption - Find Out Which #Restaurants Treat Their Employees Right http://su.pr/9AOx1R (@GOOD Stuff)

Employers identify shortage of skilled employees as #2 strategic threat, and bolster in-house #training - http://on.wsj.com/rD3mlT  via @WSJ

See this article on Enron's legacy and my comment in the Financial Times.  http://on.ft.com/sUBPbB

'Want to know more about anger and frustration feeding #Occupy Wall Street? see Prosecuting Wall Street http://bit.ly/sfEtCw via @CBSNews

A favorite from our friend's Wisconsin cabin - so true.  http://pic.twitter.com/f57fKf5y

Kudos to #Arpey at #American Airlines - a rare display of #integrity  http://m.startribune.com/opinion/?id=134820158&c=y

#College trustees accountable for "keeping the main thing the main thing" Where Were #Penn State's Trustees? wsj.com/vcUZAX via @WSJ

Blind spots, #ethical behavior, #Penn State and the Catholic Church - http://tinyurl.com/7j36x58 'Looks like a good read.

As we know, the natural result of any communication is some miscommunication.  http://lnkd.in/ps6VcJ

Research reveals that 28-56% of workers want to quit; here are some tips for not demotivating yours- http://natpo.st/vB6p49 via @financialpost

Yes, to live up to our promise, we must keep our promises. - In S.E.C. Fraud Cases, Banks Make and Break Promises:  http://nyti.ms/umIDfL

How are you building trust, pride and camaraderie? At Best Places to Work, Trust, Pride and Camaraderie Overshadow Pay http://goo.gl/aw2EN

'Great HRD strategy: Reverse Mentoring Cracks Workplace  http://on.wsj.com/sZwsYp via @WSJ

Kudos to #Apple, and ways to practice #ethical consumption - @Boston Review - http://www.bostonreview.net/BR36.6/
ndf_dara_orourke_ethical_consumption.php
via @BostonReview

Once again, as for #education, this shouldn't be an "either / or" - Should #Charities Operate Like Businesses? http://on.wsj.com/uNYDTt via @WSJ

So now we're supposed to believe the market analysts? Chinese Stocks Slump, Analysts Say Buy  http://on.wsj.com/tUguav

inTEgro named among Leadership Excellence 2011 Best in Leadership Development http://lnkd.in/kiTJ3w

Al Watts in Training Magazine - 12 ways that HR can position integrity as a practical business strategy.http://fb.me/Ty7uElwS

@Esquire Magazine, December, on Mark Kelly, American: "Sometimes, the best way out of a bad situation is to hit the gas."
 
Excellent and exhaustive McKinsey survey on #sustainability practices, payoffs and recommendations - http://lnkd.in/p5cDEh

Helpful observations here about crabs, linchpins, #change and #leadership!  http://lnkd.in/MirubW

Practical business advice on Rob Kelly blog -  http://t.co/gQ4hXQc1 See my interview with him on business #integrity, Penn State, BP & more

#Integrity becomes central for #McDonalds - News shar.es/oWb4Q 'Great example of stewardship and genuine effort to be accountable

Don't be a half-wit; to be creative, use both sides of your brain RT @HarvardBiz- Schwartz - Harvard Business Review: http://s.hbr.org/sUUK1p

Three types of bosses that should be fired:  http://bit.ly/u3TiKo via @CBSNews - and I added a fourth.

Excellent read by a friend on how ethical cultures pay. -http://lnkd.in/AJRY9t
If you missed it, below is a copy of my last blog, My Left Hand. Since some may not have seen November's article, How Penn State Fumbled, its introduction follows; you can access the entire article by clicking the link at the end.  Be sure to enter the "Who Said This?" contest at the bottom of this newsletter to win an autographed copy of Navigating Integrity - Transforming Business As Usual Into Business At Its Best.
My Left Hand 

This article is brought to you by my left hand (I'm right-handed) - courtesy of a torn rotator cuff and surgery a few weeks ago. I am a firm believer that almost any hardship, unfamiliar situation or adventure offers lessons for life and leadership, and a few weeks with my right arm in a sling is no exception. Here are some lessons so far:

 

Just because pain is masked doesn't mean that damage isn't being done.  Ibuprofen made me feel better, but an MRI revealed a rotator cuff tear, which never heals and only gets worse without surgery. A cortisone shot helped me engage in some magical thinking about how maybe the problem was going away; it was only after a second cortisone injection began wearing off and some coaching from the doc that I committed to surgery and actually solving the real problem. That got me to thinking about denial of underlying problems and their real causes in organizations; "shots in the arm" like motivational speeches or training here and there might feel good initially, but unpleasant realities always come home to roost. Without surgery my rotator cuff tendon would have eventually given way, or there would come a time when it couldn't be repaired.

Think of organizations you've known or heard of where "surgery" or difficult decisions were put off and led to disaster.  (There have been several notable examples in the news lately.)

 

Are there any tough calls in our organizations that should wait no longer, or root problems that need to be addressed?   

 

Preparation pays.  After research and talking with acquaintances who had the surgery, I prepared myself for a long, painful and frustrating recovery; my mantra became "expect the worst and hope for the best." Most everything has been better than I expected so far, and I was reminded that anticipating unpleasant events is often worse than just getting on with them.  I practiced brushing my teeth, dressing and other tasks one-handed, and got as many things that would require two hands done ahead of time; that made it easier adjusting to things the first few days after surgery.

What personal or professional tasks might we better prepare for?  

Is there anything we need to do where fear is holding us back or we are over-anticipating bad consequences?  

 

Are there upcoming realities in our organizations that we can better prepare for?  

 

Are there potential scenarios for which we should develop contingency plans?

  

Disruption can be positive.  It's good to know that there are more ways to do things than just how we are used to doing them. For me lately those things have been tasks like personal grooming, eating and making coffee one-handed, dressing and computer work. Learning to do things differently increases our flexibility, open-mindedness about others' methods, problem-solving skills and range of capabilities.  Disrupting our patterns and usual routines also gives us the opportunity to examine traditional ways in a new light; we are likely to discover things we otherwise wouldn't, and replace habitual ways with better ones. My world temporarily shrunk and became much quieter; I couldn't drive for a while, I didn't feel like engaging in much phone conversation ('probably not a good idea anyway under medication!) and I had less energy than usual for customary tasks. That wasn't all bad; I had more thinking and reflection time, and opportunities to knock some things off that had been neglected.  

Are there things that we should try doing differently or habits that we should disrupt?  

 

How might we create more thinking and reflection time for ourselves and others we work with?

 

Relationships matter.  Tougher times remind us how important friends are; I am grateful for their cards, support and well-wishes. I was also surprised by the impact of unexpected kind gestures - like good friends who dropped off home-made lasagna on their way out of town, neighbors across the alley who delivered home-made venison stew, a neighbor with his two boys who raked our entire front lawn and my accountant who called the day before surgery to wish me well.  (See my last article: "Random Acts of Kindness.")

Are we investing enough in building relationships and paying sufficient attention to how we can help others in difficult times?  

 

No pain, no gain.  This lesson was of course driven home in post-op physical therapy. For a few days after surgery, it was hard to even imagine using my right arm and hand as before; sure enough though, each day I notice some improvement by disciplining myself to follow the therapist's instructions. PT in my case is mainly stretching and reawakening traumatized tendons, muscles and shoulder parts.

How might we need to stretch or "reawaken" anything to make the gains that we hope for in life or work?  

 

Where / how might more discipline help us make progress?

 

PT offers additional lessons; my therapist is good at providing feedback and reinforcing progress - a reminder of their important role stimulating growth. How can we use feedback and reinforcement to help ourselves or others grow?

 

I chose the title for this article with apologies to makers of the 1989 Academy Award winner "My Left Foot," and to Christy Brown, whose autobiography by the same name the movie was about. Christy Brown was born with cerebral palsy, and despite having control of only his left foot became a renowned painter and writer. I think that above all my temporary condition has gifted me with more empathy.  It is hard for me to imagine what courage and fortitude those with much more serious conditions muster - disabled armed forces vets, those borne with debilitating conditions, victims crippled by accidents or Gabby Giffords. They all deserve our admiration and no doubt have much to teach us.

What hardships have you experienced, and what lessons have they offered?

 

  

Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.

Tori Amos 

 

 

How Penn State Fumbled
 
It is sadly ironic that Penn State University and its leaders, concerned as they were about legacy, will perhaps best be known for their failures. Over fifteen years, at least eight young boys were molested, some at Penn State's athletic facilities, by the defensive coach of its revered football team, Jerry Sandusky. Despite awareness of theIntegrity in stone behavior, no one in charge reported Sandusky to outside authorities, he was kept on staff and more boys were victimized. The fallout continues, but so far Penn State's iconic head coach Joe Paterno, its Athletic Director, VP of Administration and President have lost their jobs over the matter.

I can't help looking at Penn State through the lens of the four integrity pillars in my book Navigating Integrity - Transforming Business As Usual Into Business At Its Best: Identity, Authenticity, Alignment and Accountability.
 
Identity - An institution's mission and values - its stated purpose and principles for governing how work gets accomplished - serve as the foundation for its identity. At one point, Penn State's football program was no doubt considered as means for accomplishing the University's main ends of higher education and character formation. Over time, however, Penn's football program likely became the sun that the rest of the University revolved around. When Penn State is mentioned, its football
                                    

 

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"In this new book, Al Watts does a masterful job articulating how to live with integrity in our organization, on your team and in your life. A highly practical guide for leveraging the power of integrity."
(Kevin Cashman, Senior Partner Korn Ferry)

                                    Look inside here 
 
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All the best,
Al
Al Watts
inTEgro, Inc.
ph: (612) 827-2363