Robby said, "I used to have those reference documents taped all over my work space. It helped me a lot." I looked that the document I needed. It was open in MS Word. I looked at Robby and said, "Yeah, I really need to print this." And then I sat there. Without printing it. Anytime I say "I need to" do something I can be assured of one thing. I'm not going to do it. I looked at Robby, catching what I just did. I laughed about it. I had everything I needed to meet my need. … [Read more...]
Where’s your resume?
September 21, 2011 by
I work with people to help them manage change. When things go well, they produce results that they weren't able to produce on their own. This is a common outcome. I speak to many clients who want to leave their job. Their obstacle: Their resume isn't ready. They'll wallow in misery rather than write their resume. Meanwhile they deliver "Less than" results for the people they work for. This may last weeks, months or years. Disengagement is contagious. It needs to … [Read more...]
Follow the leader
July 8, 2011 by
I walked down the row of cubes. Someone from my team grabbed me. "They did it again.", they said. We had another team that we worked with. We didn't see eye to eye. We didn't have mutual respect. It seemed each team thought the other team was a bunch of idiots. I got fired up. I'm insulted the other team. I'm sure I "should" all over them. - They should do this, They should do that. I'm damn certain I cursed. I'm sure I poured gasoline on the fire. The fire burned higher. The … [Read more...]
Be smart. Write better.
June 4, 2011 by
The screen flashed the report. It told me that I write at a post-graduate level. It compared my writing to insurance documents. I was proud. I scored high. No one could follow a single 62 word sentence I wrote. But the computer told me I was smart. Truth was I was being dumb. I made things overly complex to feel smarter. I remember teachers coming to ask me what a word I used meant. They didn't know the word (It was "Reify"). I thought I was smart. Truth was I was being dumb. I … [Read more...]
What color is your wristband?
October 27, 2010 by
I see a lot of yellow wristbands everywhere. Then there's the pink ones, the blue ones, the purple ones, etc. So many people are supporting worthy causes. That's pretty cool. Marketers figured out painless ways to sell charitable support. Give a little money, get a wristband. Wear the wristband, show that you're good, kind and giving. For little commitment, we buy belonging while contributing to a cause we think might be important. For a little commitment, a charity just earned a … [Read more...]
Move the Heat Around
October 19, 2010 by
To light a fire, light kindling in different places. This increases the likelihood that the fire will catch. As a fire is lighting, we may reposition the heat. We move the kindling around to expand the reach of the heat. A quick review - Fire requires heat, oxygen and fuel. Your message is the heat. The visibility of the message is your oxygen. People are your fuel. Your kindling is your Innovators and Early Adopters. Identify who they are. Light them with your message. Want to … [Read more...]
Smoke on the Water… Fire in the Sky
October 8, 2010 by
I was sitting near the fire pit. I was excited to start the fire. An hour later I was frustrated. We had wood. Lots of it. But it was not in the condition to light. We struggled to light anything. After 45 minutes of fighting smoke, we gave up. It takes fuel, oxygen and heat to start a fire. The fuel must be the right kind for the job. It must be in the right condition. Not all fuel is in the right condition to light. When the wood is wet, we get smoke. When the gasoline is … [Read more...]
Set People on Fire!
October 1, 2010 by
Basics of fire science tells us we need three things to start a fire: Fuel (Ex.- Wood, Gasoline, Alcohol, etc.) Oxygen Heat You need all three to create a chain reaction. People are our fuel source; our message is our heat; visibility is our oxygen Without people to ignite, you just have a bunch of hot air. … [Read more...]
