Think of the irony of saving for a rainy day…
when half the nation is experiencing drought.
— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
Month: July 2012
#49 call me
The most desirable phone numbers used to be the ones that “spelled” something. For example, I’m sure Cook Realty was intentional about acquiring 557-COOK and the driving range was excited about 556-GOLF. It served both of them well years ago.
But today’s cell phones don’t recognize “COOK” or “GOLF”. The numbers aren’t linked to the same letter combinations that are on the desktop buttons and so it’s impossible for a cell caller to know that translates to dialing 2665 or 4653. When they only use the words on their signs, they are missing an opportunity for a sale.
Many businesses are oblivious to the gap since it is either so obvious or so ingrained in their thinking. It has always been 557-COOK and 556-GOLF; no one thinks to change it. Or radio commercials for a firm pronounced “hon-camp” don’t bother to spell out “honKamp” when giving a website. They hear “honcamp” and THEY know that it is spelled “honkamp”, but it’s likely that the new clients they are trying to attract don’t know that.
It is hard to look at your own organization with new eyes, but it may be worthwhile to do a “new-media” audit of how your messaging translates to the way today’s clients reach you — or fail at doing so!
— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
leadership dot #48: first draft
The most important lesson that I learned in all of college can be summarized in five words: “Writing is different than editing.” It was the admonishment of a curmudgeonly old journalism professor that we just write, putting unfiltered thoughts out there, and worry about organizing and editing them later.
Because of this simple mantra, I have completed hundreds of proposals, papers, projects and especially a dissertation. Writing and editing utilize different portions of the brain and as we worry about spelling or comma placement we cut off the creative flow that comes from freely expressing thought. Writing without editing also produces far greater quantity of writing – giving the editor a larger selection of work from which to glean some “good stuff”. It makes all the difference in getting something done. A blank page is intimidating, but reviewing something that is already there takes much less effort. We often know what we don’t like, so editing it out comes naturally.
I think this lesson applies for many things beyond the literary world. It is really about starting and worrying about making it better later. START vacation planning and then narrow down specifics later. START planning a menu for your dinner party and then swap out choices later. START making a Christmas gift list and then make changes depending upon what you actually find at the mall. START thinking of all those courses you could take and then pick one or two. START dragging out the box of receipts and sorting them into piles and then determine what is tax deductible later.
We don’t like to begin and we don’t like to have first drafts in life. But a good life is like that – continuously editing to make it better.
#47 mirror mirror
Think of all the parts of your body that you never truly see. From the neck up. Your back. Even parts of your chest. Are you limber enough to see the bottom of your feet? All we know of ourselves is a reflection of what we see in the mirror.
Is this how life is? Much of what we know of our inner self is also a reflection of what we see in ourselves through others. I believe this is why experiencing new environments or travel is so important; it holds up the mirror for us to see new reflections of inner ourselves compared to others — things that we can’t see directly.
If we never look in the physical mirror, we’re apt to leave the house with spinach in our teeth or an untucked shirt. Our appearance is usually better after a glance at our appearance. Our character and thinking ability is probably better off with a little reflection as well.
— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
#46 a moment of silence
I was surprisingly affected when I learned of the passing of Stephen Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” who died yesterday at age 79. I never met the man, but I feel like I did.
I first read the “7 Habits” in 1990 — before some of my staff members were even born! My yellowed copy is full of notes and Post-it flags and dogears. There is hardly a day that goes by when I am not quoting something he wrote in his seminal publication.
My favorite Covey concepts:
— Circle of Influence (focusing on what YOU can influence rather than what is your concern)
— Quadrant 2 in the Time Management Matrix (activities that are important but not urgent, like planning, exercise, relationship building)
— Stewardship Delegation (focusing on results and not methods)
— Writing tickets (letting people know if you note a transgression vs. storing them up before acting)
In my opinion, Stephen Covey was way ahead of his time in his thinking about personal development lessons. So much that is written focuses on what the leader or organization can do, but Covey’s main work was 100% about the individual. Our philosophies were very much in sync about personal responsibility being at the core of where change and growth happens.
A few weeks ago, I was at a dinner where I heard a presentation from two grade school teachers who are utilizing Covey’s 7 Habits to develop character and personal responsibility in their students. I was glad then, and am even more heartened now, to know that Covey’s principles will live on.
— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
#45 listen to that voice
I recently had a candidate ponder a job offer that I made. He was very conflicted about whether to stay at his current position or whether to come join the fun here. While talking to him, I heard my mother’s voice in my head: “when in doubt, leave it out.”
She first spoke those words to me when I was a teen debating about whether or not to buy a piece of clothing. Her belief was that if you weren’t in love with it from the beginning, it was never going to get any better.
That single piece of advice has probably saved me thousands of dollars in unwarranted purchases over the years, but I think that its meaning goes way beyond wardrobes and economy. It can apply to job offers, food decisions (if you aren’t craving that cupcake, don’t eat it); ethical choices, romance and just about anything you can think of.
If there isn’t a compelling reason to say YES, don’t.
— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
#44 mismatch
When they were first built, airports were marvels of modern travel — tributes to the cutting-edge transportation they served. I recently spent some time at O’Hare and was struck as to how behind-the-times the facility has become.
— Why do airlines still use dot-matrix printers to generate pages and pages of the passenger manifestos? Do you know anyone else who still has to rip the perforations off the side of the page? Can’t they send the information via an iPad?
— Why haven’t airports added in new power sources to charge all the electronics people carry with them? Travelers were seated on the floor surrounding all the support pillars — the only place in waiting areas where free outlets are accessible.
— Why haven’t airports figured out that there is revenue to be made from people waiting on the outside of the security gate? There are minimal seating areas and a dearth of restaurants/stores where people in the airport wait for arrivals. It doesn’t make sense that nearly half of those in the facility are unable to access the retail establishments and spend their money.
Just because your facility was a showcase when it was built doesn’t mean that it won’t entropy. Look at your place from a visitor perspective and see what impressions you are making. Does your building match your brand?
— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
#43 old-fashioned advice
At a recent leadership workshop I attended, one of the more profound nuggets came not from the presenters, but from a knitter in a nursing home.
Dorothy Kennedy urges the fellow members of her knitting circle to go back and fix a mistake as soon as they see it. Oftentimes this would involve tearing out rows and rows of carefully placed stitches that followed the mistake. She knew that knitters would be tempted to ignore the error and foolishly believe that they could compensate around it or fix it later. But her advice always proved prescient — waiting just exacerbated the problem and the work to be re-done.
Kennedy’s advice holds true in multiple settings beyond her craft. If you see a mistake — in a report, in hiring, in what you communicated, in how you treated someone — it is best to fix it as soon as you see it. Waiting never makes it better.
— beth triplett (& Yvette Jones)
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
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#42 be brave
Many people today will have paraskevidekatriaphobia — fear of Friday the 13th. It’s the only time it happens this year, so hopefully the discomfort will be short-lived.
The date isn’t the only thing to be afraid of today. Of course there are the usual suspects like fear of spiders, heights, darkness and public speaking. But Phobialist.com lists over 530 phobias that affect people — being afraid of: the color white, otters, garlic, asymmetrical things, beautiful women, snow, your step mother, tyrants and even the great mole rat.
Some people in your organization may be suffering from different kind of phobias like atychiphobia (fear of failure), atelophobia (fear of imperfection), gnosiophobia (fear of knowledge) or gelotoophobia (fear of being laughed at). These phobias are more subtle than some of the others, but they impede action nonetheless.
Make today the day that you are brave. And try to help your staff to overcome their fears too. Everyone has a lot to gain from curing the kainophobias (fear of anything new) that ails them.
— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
#41 organizational gold
I think that supervision is the difference-maker in the best organizations. Other players may get the spotlight, but strong supervisors create the infrastructure for greatness.
With a strong supervisor:
— Good employees will walk through fire for the boss and accomplish amazing things.
— Average employees will receive relevant feedback and coaching to make their performance better.
— Poor employees will be gone — either through their own realization that they aren’t meeting clear expectations, by being coached out or by being fired — thus opening a position to be filled by a better performer.
Strong supervisors are organizational gold: rare and extremely valuable. Treasure yours!
— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com