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Work sure feels like a burden many times.
But you have a lot more control over this than you might think. You see, the pressure you’re feeling comes not from the many demands on your time, but on how you respond to those demands.
I’ve learned this lesson when I suddenly had a big life disruption and hand to “check out” from my work tasks. And you know what? The world didn’t fall apart.
Read the rest of this entry »A crucial part of management is solid planning.
But of course, reality rarely goes according to plan. Customer needs shift, people get sick, technical challenges arise, machines break, weather changes, … and on and on.
So the challenge becomes how you adapt to this ever-changing path.
Read the rest of this entry »If you have a boss, then you might think that it’s best to manage the same way that they do. Consistency is good, right?
The problem is that you may not be comfortable – or most effective – adopting another person’s style. In the same way as how you developed into different directions than your siblings did, you’ll start adopting your own unique voice.
That’s a great thing, but not a carte blanche.
Read the rest of this entry »This is a great time to celebrate springtime in the northern hemisphere.
And it makes me realize that I tend to accumulate stress over time. Lots of actions to take, decisions to make … so maybe it’s time to take a fresh look.
That’s what weekends and holidays are for, right?
Read the rest of this entry »There’s an attraction to making things complicated.
I get that. It makes you feel smart and capable. You can feel pride in being the best.
But it surprises me how often it helps to go the other direction – make things as simple as they can be. This is especially true in leadership.
Read the rest of this entry »My mother had a running joke with me: “You’re going to ask if I rebooted, right?”
That’s what happens when you’re tech support for the family, I suppose.
But the concept of “rebooting” is very useful in other situations, especially when you feel like things have gotten too chaotic and unpredictable. Which is happening a lot in business these days.
Read the rest of this entry »I’m an introvert, which means I’m more comfortable building energy by being alone rather than in a group.
I used to think that was a disadvantage for me being in a leadership role, or building my networks, or giving presentations. But it in fact it can give me just as many advantages.
I’ve learned how to come to peace with going out and networking. My trick is to realize that every person is someone I can learn from and has an interesting story. Which is actually true most of the time.
Read the rest of this entry »Last week I had the chance to see a virtual tour through the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
It took me back to when my wife created a quilt much like what you see here. What impressed me was the careful detail and commitment to such a long project.
We don’t tend to do that much anymore, instead focusing on instant gratification.
Read the rest of this entry »I’ve found that this is the kind of attitude you’re trying to nurture in leading a group: Let’s do this!
It captures precisely the kind of energy that we’re going to need to do some hard work while having fun. And it conveys a sense of personal commitment to achieving the group’s result.
Even pride.
Read the rest of this entry »I have to confess that I’ve been cynical about AI. Which is a bit weird, given my tech background and inquisitiveness.
But I’ve seen some demos recently which are pretty interesting. Here’s what I learned: these tools don’t replace human intelligence. But they can simplify drudgery.
There are a couple of places which are particularly useful: Pulling together tons of data, and creating summaries.
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