Most of the pressure we feel is of our own making. When we manage to take a step aside and ask important questions (why do I want this? what do I need? what is the worst thing that could happen?) we find the space to breath. People in our lives are fine with attention and … Continue reading Step aside
Tag: values
Lapse
What do you do when you miss an appointment, forget about something, fail to do what you promised you would? You can hide, delay the difficult conversation until it gets too late to actually have it, never talk about that again, and miss the opportunity to own your lapse and grow. Or you can say … Continue reading Lapse
Third kind
Some companies decide to keep things loose. They have little hierarchy, initiatives can come from a variety of places as a response to a variety of inputs (customers, markets, intuition, experience, data, trials, mistakes, etc.), and the flexibility of the company makes it so it can adapt to changes and decisions fairly quickly without a … Continue reading Third kind
Agree and disagree
Always make an effort to start with what you agree on. We are wired to focus on the negative feedback, on the opposite opinions, on the rejections, on the new ideas. And so, we need intention to spot agreement. Next time you get a difficult email, a new plan, a lengthy piece of feedback, a … Continue reading Agree and disagree
The ruler
We all measure success by some kind of ruler, and this ruler needs to have two characteristics. It needs to be consistent. So that you can measure ups and downs over time, and maintain the course on the same objective (or set of objectives). And it needs to be relevant. To you, and to those … Continue reading The ruler
Raising the bar
Why would I? Wear a mask. Commit to that project. Take the first step to mend a relationship. Respect the rules. Be kind to others. Pay taxes. Give back to the community. Sit down and just listen. Not lie. When nobody else is doing it? It is a way of hiding that lowers the bar. … Continue reading Raising the bar
Broken trust
Trust is given, trust is built, trust is broken. And when it is broken, it needs repairing. A great way to go about this is to start with "I am sorry". And honestly stop there. At the very least until the other party signals that they are ready to move forward, under a tacit agreement … Continue reading Broken trust
Three items
If you draft a list of what is important and you end up with more than three items, that is just a to-do list. You can focus on one item at any single time, and you can allow one or two more for when that single, most important one is giving you a break. That … Continue reading Three items
The time for bad
When a crisis happens, we all want to move on. But if the situation is still bad, just say it is bad, do not try to sell the idea of a positive future that nobody can envision in the moment. Of course, every crisis bears opportunities, tomorrow will be better, we will all get past … Continue reading The time for bad
Where you ought to be
One thing I like about the competing value framework is that it puts the emphasis on intentional choices when it comes to culture. You can foster an environment that focuses on results and delivery, and that means you will probably have to forgo the type of company where people work together in harmony. You can … Continue reading Where you ought to be
