I did nothing wrong. Defensiveness is often the go-to strategy when we are put on the spot. In all honesty, though, we would be more accurate saying I did mean nothing wrong, or even better My intentions were in the right place. When somebody negatively reacts to something we did or said, something clicks in … Continue reading Nothing wrong
Tag: failure
Hide and run
What do you do when you forget to get back to a colleague, when the day ends without you returning that call, when the follow up you promised on that matter does not happen, when you postpone that conversation you were supposed to have? The truth is, most of the time, we just go down … Continue reading Hide and run
Warnings
There is always a warning. There is always a sign. You should be prepared, and yet you are not. Partly because it is easier to think at life as a straight, uninterrupted line. Partly because most warnings are encrypted, unclear, have mixed words, and it is only easy to spot them afterwards. And so, when … Continue reading Warnings
Today and tomorrow
Success is about aligning the actions of today to the desired outcomes of tomorrow. This is where most of us fail. Because the short-term adrenaline rush, the immediate reward, is very attractive when compared to something that might (or not) come at some point in the future. And what if when we are there we … Continue reading Today and tomorrow
The first time
We are rarely as nervous and preoccupied as when we attempt something for the first time. Yet, in principle most of us are ok with the idea of failure when trying something new. The first time is a learning opportunity, a chance to put in practice some of the theory we have read about, a … Continue reading The first time
Urgent and change
Urgent usually comes from one person. It is a way to counter a fear, a discomfort, a stressor. It spreads very fast, it gets things done, and it kills motivation. Change on the other hand is usually a collective action. It is pursued in reaction to a habit, a behaviour, an action, a system. It … Continue reading Urgent and change
The most important moment
There is a time, in every marketing story, when the things you are working on do not deliver the expected results. Perhaps you have overpromised, perhaps the campaign is not effective as you imagined, perhaps a pandemic unexpectedly changed the rules of the game, perhaps your team is not as good as it should be, … Continue reading The most important moment
Two sons
We spend more time being worried about unlikely events than we spend preparing for concrete possibilities. And we spend more time being busy with things that matter little than we spend actually doing work that is important. Worry and busy are two brothers. And they are both sons of resistance. Be aware they are not … Continue reading Two sons
The greatest failure
Sheer logic and numbers struggle to convince people that they need to act. When is the last time you have done something because of a wonderfully illustrated argument? When were you last impressed by the architecture and technology beyond a new piece of software? When have you last felt you belong in a percentage? If … Continue reading The greatest failure
Get to it
The World is not in lack of talent or great ideas. It is in lack of commitment. Commitment to show up even when there's no one cheering. Commitment to dedicate your attention to one thing only. Commitment to pursue your purpose in face of adversity. Commitment to do the work even after a series of … Continue reading Get to it
