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Are you fully engaged in what you’re doing?
I find that many people I talk to are just … doing the work. Getting by. Busy.
And there are times you need to be there. Doing my taxes isn’t the most fun thing in the world, but I do them anyway because it’s a commitment I take on. But I have to confess there’s not much passion there.
Read the rest of this entry »When you get down to it, the most important things aren’t complicated.
You have a few things which guide your personal choices. Your organization’s purpose is actually pretty straightforward.
Now, you may DO a lot of things, and follow processes which have a zillion steps which contain many hazards. I get that.
Read the rest of this entry »We’re the absolute best at what we do! In the world!
Is that really true? And more importantly, is that what our customers and stakeholders need from us?
It’s good to step back and ask this kind of question periodically, because it’s easy to fall in the trap of trying to be the absolute best at something people don’t really care about.
Read the rest of this entry »Sometimes I find it hard to see a positive future. Perhaps you also have days where it feels like you’re stuck in problems and drudgework.
I’ve found that it’s really much more about my own attitude than what’s happening outside me. I’m the one who’s stressing myself out.
I suppose this might happen to you as well?
Read the rest of this entry »One of my challenges is being able to constantly flip between the big picture and the detailed picture. And I know others can struggle with this too.
I’ve been neck deep in spreadsheets, which is not exactly my most favorite place to be. And then I get yanked over to dealing with someone who felt ignored. Then over to that email conversation I forgot to reply to yesterday.
Sometimes it feels like I’ve done nothing but look at details.
Read the rest of this entry »I ran across a powerful idea some years ago which has really helped me to get control of certain parts of my life.
The concept is called a “habit trigger”, and is used when you want to develop a new habit but have trouble remembering to do it. It might be exercise, or unloading the dishwasher, or a skin care routine.
Quite simply, the trick is to attach your new habit to something else which is already habitual for you.
Read the rest of this entry »It seems like we’re immersed in noise these days. Audible sounds, sure, but also advertising and media and news and arguments and ….
Here’s the question: Are you adding to it as a leader?
People aren’t productive in noisy environments, unless they’ve found ways to mentally shut it out. That’s why many wear earbuds, or have “focus time”, or crave time away from meetings.
Read the rest of this entry »I love the coaching approach because it tends to look optimistically at the future. In regular life, we all fall into traps of being depressed about how messed up things are, and how impossible it will be to surmount the obstacles in front of us.
What you have to realize is that it’s mostly a story in your head. Sure, there are barriers and challenges ahead. But that’s been true since the day you were born.
And you overcame most of them, right?
Read the rest of this entry »Most businesses are quite complicated. With customers, employees, partners, regulations, financials, industry dynamics … it’s a whole lot to wrap your mind around.
Don’t get me wrong — that’s all necessary.
The problem is that your team can get lost in all that detail. The larger the organization, the smaller each person’s contribution feels. So motivation slowly ebbs and nobody even notices.
Read the rest of this entry »We live in an imperfect world. Which means that things are always less than ideal, less than perfect.
There are three ways to come to peace with this fact: First, to change the world to be what you want it to be. Second, to change your expectations to agree with what the world gives you.
But there’s a surprising alternative:
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The Values-Based Business 