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We are in a time of preparation before the year-end holidays.
When I was a child, I could never wait for the excitement. School holidays, new snow, Christmas gifts, meeting up with family … the anticipation was almost too much to bear!
I’ve had to learn a bit of patience. But this also applies to business and my various volunteering roles.
Read the rest of this entry »I love it when a plan comes together.
But here’s the problem: How often is your perfect plan disrupted by reality? It seems that surprises always come up, whether good or bad.
Your job as the leader is to help your team navigate through that mess in real time.
Read the rest of this entry »What does it mean to truly be committed to something?
In the workplace, we let the concept become very slippery. We ask people to commit to a deadline, and try to hold them “accountable” for that, but despite that many things don’t get done on time or done properly.
So let’s take a moment to step back and look at the concept of making a work commitment.
Read the rest of this entry »Uncertainty is an inherent part of being in business.
Of course, it runs directly counter to what we want to do, which is planning. And in a previous career, I was directly in this dilemma, creating disaster plans and alternative scenarios and backups.
Unfortunately, business results come from doing stuff, not from planning. So how do you deal this this?
Read the rest of this entry »When I do something, paid or volunteer, I want to do it well.
And when I do that, people become dependent on me. Especially if I’m playing a unique role.
I become a single point of failure for the organization. Which means that if something happens to me, things will fall apart. So it can be a trap.
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 had a great conversation recently with a speaker who introduced me to the phrase “Tyranny of How”. It took me a few minutes to get my mind wrapped around the concept, and now I see how it can be very useful.
Like many people, I like to map out all the steps – to have a clear plan – before I get started. It gives me the confidence that I know what I’m doing and can just follow the steps to success.
Unfortunately life doesn’t work this way.
Read the rest of this entry »I’m an analytical guy, and I feel most comfortable when a I have a plan that pulls together. I’d like to think that this is an asset for my various leadership roles.
However.
The absolute best vacation our family ever had was when we had three weeks, a campervan, and no agenda except to show up at the Sydney airport on a specific day. The sense of freedom was unbelievable.
Read the rest of this entry »There are times when we have to explore the possible futures.
Like it or not, we have to ponder both the good and the bad. Today I’ll look at the downside, and next week at the upside.
Some folks are naturally pessimistic. I’ve tried to focus on optimism, but there are times I have to try to balance – especially when making big decisions.
Read the rest of this entry »I don’t know about you, but my business doesn’t seem to be nearly as organized as I’d like.
I have stuff coming at me from all directions all the time, and things that I have a plan for … change anyway.
It feels like I’m just making it up as I go along. And, in fact, that’s a lot of what’s happening.
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The Values-Based Business 