Month: February 2013

#262 presidents

February 18, 2013by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Today is President’s Day; for many an excuse to miss school more than it is a day to pay tribute to the nation’s leaders. President’s Day began in 1885 to pay tribute to George Washington’s birthday. Lincoln’s birthday was celebrated this month as well, so the Uniform Monday Holiday Act combined the two in 1971 and declared the third Monday in February as a day to pay tribute to all U.S. presidents.

I would bet that the vast majority of people will not even give our former leaders a second thought today. The markets and banks are closed; mail is not delivered, and the focus on most minds is sleeping in or bargain sales.

It may be an impractical and lofty notion to think of paying tribute to government officials. President Obama has access to invite the four* living former presidents to lunch (as he did in 2009), but most of us are limited in our ways to say “thanks for serving” even if we wanted to.

So, today I propose that you use this as an opportunity to acknowledge the sacrifice that leaders in your world have made, and thank them for having the courage to stand up to the podium. Surely you know a president: of your company or organization, the school board, Little League, church board, professional association, a trade union, neighborhood cooperative or Girl Scout troop. All these presidents have made sacrifices to move your group forward.

It may not be what Congress intended when they declared today a national holiday, but take advantage of their thought to add meaning to those in your circle from whose leadership you have benefited. It’s lonely at the top and your appreciation is sure to go a long way.

— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

* George H. W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton

#261 for sale

February 17, 2013by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I have been thinking about the changing nature of vending machines. For decades, the machines dispensed just beverages and snacks. There was great variance in the array of beverages distributed (for example, in Spain I saw one that sold “cerveza” [beer] in a parking garage of all places!), but pretty much it was limited to pop and chips.

The technology then evolved to allow greater control and security so other items could be sold in this manner. Credit card technology also made bigger purchases possible. Now the tollway oasis and airports sell Apple products and electronics through machines. Clinique, Proactiv and other cosmetic companies cater to those on-the-go with vending kiosks. RedBox has made an industry out of dispensing DVD movies on demand. Now our grocery store has a book vending machine from the library and I have also seen a machine that provides 24/7 access to live fishing bait.

Fast Company magazine recently ran a feature of three new vending evolutions: pizza slices, cupcakes and wine bottles! Let’s Pizza in Atlanta uses infrared rays to custom cook slices; Cupcake ATM offers a dozen flavors in several cities, and, if you scan your ID and pass a Breathalyzer test, you can buy a bottle of vino in Pennsylvania grocery stores!

What’s next? Gallons of milk outside office buildings instead of “stopping on the way home”? Socks at a bowling alley in warm climates where sandals are the norm? Sunscreen outside festivals and sporting events? Umbrellas at subway stations? Treats for Fido at dog parks? Printer cartridges and art supplies in residence halls?

Is there a way for your organization to take advantage of the technology to provide your product to customers in a convenient off-site way? Don’t limit your thinking to what vending used to be. If you can sell it, today you can vend it.

— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Fast Company, February 2013

#260 pick one

February 16, 2013by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

The temperature hit 40 degrees this week, and after our stint of sub-zero wind chill, it has given many people a touch of Spring Fever. One of the symptoms of this ailment is a sudden focus on fitness and interest in appearance.

I think this simple mantra sums up the dilemma that most face:

You can eat what you want
OR
Look how you want —
You pick.

After a winter of choosing comfort foods and wonderful holiday delicacies, for many it is time to reverse where to say yes.

— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#259 a symphony

February 15, 2013by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Earlier this month, the 25 billionth song was downloaded from iTunes. Yes, you read that right. The music service was founded in 2003 (two years after the launch of the iPod) and a decade later has recorded this staggering statistic. Apple reports that an average of 15,000 songs are downloaded every minute.

Just as it is hard to get your head around how many 25 billion really is, it can also be challenging to remember record stores or where we purchased music when we had to leave our homes to get it. I wanted to get someone an actual CD for Valentine’s Day and my first thought was “Amazon”, another from-the-comfort-of-your-living-room vendor.

In addition to the convenience, I like iTunes for what it represents in collaboration. There are more than 26 million songs available on iTunes — representing thousands of artists, record companies, songwriters and producers. After years of lawsuits and attempts to preclude on-line distribution of music, iTunes finally represented a win-win product that allowed consumers to legally obtain music at a reasonable price and artists to be compensated for their work.

Steve Jobs personally pitched the idea to record executives and major artists to gain approval to include their music in the on-line store. It wasn’t easy work — trying to explain why they should sign on to something that, if it resembled anything they knew, was most like what they had been fighting against. But passion, vision and illustrating the shared benefit finally won out.

When you think it is hard getting your project off the ground or getting a few parties together to agree on something, think of the task that Steve Jobs faced in 2000, and then look at where iTunes is today. Even the Beatles joined the party! Surely you can convince some colleagues to join yours.

— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots

leadershipdots@gmail.com

Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/06/tech/mobile/25-billion-itunes
Steve Jobs’ Music Vision by Steve Kopper, Rolling Stone, October 7, 2011

#258 warm my heart

February 14, 2013by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Happy Valentine’s Day! Happy if you are a florist, cashing in on the 110 million roses that are expected to be sold this week.

What is more surprising to me is that, according to the Greeting Card Association, one billion Valentine’s Cards are sent each year. They must be counting every 3×3 perforated salutation that school children exchange in classrooms across the continent!

Long gone are the days of giving valentines only to those you love. Today, children who wish to exchange cards must do so for the entire class. I wonder what is worse for the classroom misfit: being left out of the greetings, or receiving those that are surely insincere.

Instead of distributing superficial cards or feasting on heart-shaped treats, take today to tell one person that they truly have touched you in some way. You’ll make their heart smile in ways far bigger than chocolate or roses ever could.

— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#257 amen

February 13, 2013by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

We have all worked around colleagues who take on the role of martyr. They claim to work too long or too hard; in general doing tasks that cause them duress. It is hard for many of these people to say “no”, so they take on Herculean workloads by default.

I hope these people take a lesson or two from someone who actually knows about real martyrs, Pope Benedict XVI. For the first time in 600 years, the man in his position resigned. He recognized that the health and energy level of his 85-year old body was not sufficient to “adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.” In short, the Pope said “no more”.

I am sure that it was not a decision made lightly. His appointment to the job was as close to an Act of God as it gets in the employment world, and the expectations of the 1.18 billion Catholics were that he would remain in the position until death. But if Pope Benedict could see that the Church would be better served without him in the role, surely your organization can survive if you say no or step back to a more humane pace.

The Vatican and the Pope have not been without controversy in recent times, but acknowledging personal limitations and admitting deteriorating strength are examples from His Holiness that people of all faiths can follow.

— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#256 overflowing

February 12, 2013March 18, 2021by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

The Missouri River flooding in Omaha, Nebraska. That is Interstate 29 underwater. Photo by Larry Geiger.

As you can see in the picture above, the Missouri River flooded in July, 2011.

Today, it is 14 feet below normal. Other rivers throughout the Midwest have similar stories.

At the time of the flood, it was probably inconceivable that there would be drought and prayers for rain. But here we are, tolerating, if not welcoming, snow because it is replenishing the water supply.

While there is little we can do about the whims of Mother Nature, most of our organizations have more opportunity for planning. If we experience largess, it is easy to become complacent and think that it will always be that way. We forget to take the steps that brought us bounty in the first place.

But, like we see with the Missouri River, one year can make a world of difference. Do what you can today to preserve and replicate the treasures you have. The waters can recede quickly.

— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#255 CPR

February 11, 2013by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

One of the most helpful frameworks I have ever learned came from a workshop conducted by Bob Pike. He advocated for deploying a three-step process in training design using the easy-to-remember acronym of CPR. While the steps don’t stand for something that would literally save a life, following them has undoubtedly saved me from numerous missteps throughout the years.

C = Content
FIRST start by figuring out what message you wish to convey. What is the content or objective of your workshop or message?

P = Participation
THEN think about how you can incorporate a participatory element to your presentation. You would be surprised at how often people intuitively want to start with this step. They have a “cool idea” of how they can do things or start putting together a schedule without regard to step one.

R = Review
There are many ways to include this component: a literal review of concepts at the end; a handout for participants to self-review later; a follow-up email, or an exercise at a subsequent meeting to discuss applications of the concept.

Consciously applying these three steps — in this order — will serve you well when developing a workshop, event, retreat, meeting, etc. While I hope you never have to use the Red Cross version of CPR, I do hope you deploy the training version every time you are gathering a group. You’ll be amazed at the congruency that those three little steps bring you.

— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#254 Year of the…

February 10, 2013by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Happy New Year! Chinese New Year that is. I saw it on my calendar, and while my mind was trying to fill in the blank for “Year of the _________”, I came up with several other options before I landed on the correct answer of Snake.

The year of the Snake “is meant for steady progress and attention to detail. Focus and discipline will be necessary for you to achieve what you set out to create.” This sounds like my kind of year!

If you aren’t a believer in the Chinese zodiac, could you adapt the “Year of the…” idea and focus your efforts in a different, yet meaningful way? What if you made it the Year of the Volunteer — and did special recognition for all those who donate time to your organization? The Year of the Legislator — and you focused on informing government officials at all levels of your benefit to their communities? The Year of the Alumni — where you reconnected and acknowledged the foundation that those who came before us contributed to the organization? The Year of the Teenager — to prepare the next generation of leadership and make them aware of the challenges in the world around them? Or the Year of the Neighbor, taking special steps to build community with those who live and work near our organization’s home base?

You may not have kept those resolutions you made on January 1. Here is your chance to start the New Year fresh and make steady progress in one focused area. It could really make a difference for your organization this year.

— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Source: http://www.hanban.com

#253 makes cents

February 9, 2013by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Earlier this month, the Canadian Royal Mint announced that it had ceased distributing pennies. Even though the one-cent coin was a standard denomination for over 150 years, production has stopped. Retailers are expected to round all transactions up and down to the nearest nickel increment.

The move by Canada is expected to save their taxpayers nearly $11 million.

A similar move has been discussed (and discussed, and discussed) in America for years. A West Wing sequence even made fun of the idea in 2001. But, obviously, nothing has happened.

I think the penny debate is symbolic of the kind of thinking that caused our fiscal mess. Even though there is a Super Committee specifically charged with cutting expenses, it failed to abolish a practice that loses money with each coin minting.

In some ways, it is inconceivable to think of our country enacting such a change. We are very “cent-imental” about our way of life and reluctant to have someone (let alone the government) mandate something new.

Yet places like Canada — and Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Israel, Mexico, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Sweden and the United Kingdom — who have all eliminated their lowest denomination coin — seem to have more economic “cents”.

Is your organization holding on to the equivalent of your penny — embracing something that is costly and outdated just because you have been doing it forever? If it seems impossible to change that practice or policy, just look at the list above of countries who impacted every citizen and the economic structure of the nation — and somehow still survived.

What penny can you stop minting today?

— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

sources: www.retirethepenny.org, pennyfreebiz.com and http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/04