Month: September 2014

#831 tossed aside

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Yesterday as I searched on the web for a picture of the “evidence pad”, I came across an entry that explained the history of the legal pad.

As the story goes, in 1888, long before the days of recycling, paper mills used to discard the scraps and sortings that were trimmed away from other print jobs.  An industrious entrepreneur, 24-year-old Thomas Holley, worked at the mill and envisioned a use for what was currently going to waste.  He founded his own company to pad the scraps and sell them at a discounted price.  

A local judge asked that the original margin be added, and thus the name legal pad was born.  The only official requirement to be considered a legal pad is the left margin (called the down line) to be drawn 1.25 inches from the left edge of the paper. 

There is no known reason for how the standard pads became most popular in yellow, but the canary versions outsell their white counterparts by 2 to 1.  Most “legal” pads today are actually made in the 8-1/2 x 11 standard size and legal size documents have been prohibited in federal courts since 1982 due to the additional storage costs for them.

Holley took something that was considered useless and turned it into an icon.  What is around you that has value that others can’t see?  Is there something your organization throws away (or gives away) that actually could become productive in another way?  Try to take a fresh look at your by-products and see if they can’t take on a life of their own.

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


Source:  Old Yeller: The illustrious history of the yellow legal pad by Suzanne Snider in Legal Affairs, May-June 2005.  http:www.legalaffairs.org/issues/May-June-2005




#830 the line

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Have you ever seen a legal pad that lawyers and law students often use?  Instead of the plain legal pad that is found in every office in America, a litigation pad or evidence pad is one with the margin drawn more to the center of the page instead of 1.5 inches from the left.
I have always liked these pads, and whether I have a literal one or just figuratively, they represent how my mind works.  I am present to “what is” on one side of the line, but my mind is also always making connections and notes on the other side of the line.Examples:
> I attend a lecture and make notes on the content, but my mind also makes observations on how the speech is delivered or how I could adapt some of the techniques for my class.

> I watched the “Fan Cam” at the baseball game where they asked fans to demonstrate non-verbal gestures like the first/third base coaches.  I later adopted that to become an icebreaker.

> I read the newspaper and note not only the news of the day, but consider what it means and how it might be crafted into a blog topic.

Try to spend today making notes on both sides of the metaphorical line.  If you only experience events without reflecting on their meaning you could be missing out on a whole dimension.

— beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

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#829 triage

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People often think that coming up with ideas is difficult.  If you put any time into the thought process at all, ideas are the easy part.  Usually, I, and those who work for me, have far more ideas than we can possibly implement.  In reality, the real trick comes in when evaluating the ideas and deciding where to spend your time and resources.

I use a simple method of keeping track of ideas and goals:  Now, Later and Eventually.

There are certain things that can, or should, be done in the very short term.  An idea for a birthday present.  A quick process fix that can be done without much effort.  Something you want to do this week or so.

“Later” is something that doesn’t make your immediate list, but is still relatively short term. You don’t want your thinking to digress at this moment, but the idea is good and should be pursued soon.  Later goals fall into the category of “the next time this comes up, I’ll address it.”  

“Eventually” goals and ideas are things that really are good ideas, but the timing isn’t right to pursue them now.  You don’t want to lose them, or spend time on them now, so you can keep a list of longer term items to revisit occasionally to see if any have moved into the “later” time frame.

This simple triage method may help you keep on track to accomplish what you can do now without distraction, but still allow you to prioritize and manage those good ideas that will make a difference in the future.


#828 because I said so

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One of my favorite things to do on Sunday mornings is to read the newspaper and I always read the column by John Rosemond.  It’s an unlikely pastime as he writes a syndicated column for parenting advice (and I am childless).  

But Rosemond’s columns often have nuggets of wisdom regarding supervision.  I’m not in any way implying that my staff is childish, but there do seem to be some parallels between advice to parents and tips for supervisors.

Some examples:

> His belief that little deals really do grow into big deals and parents should say no to their children.  He writes that many parents give in, not because they agree with what is being asked, but because they want their children to like them.  Because of their fear of being seen as “mean” it teaches kids to give in to their impulses.  “No big deal” may be the case in many situations, but the accumulation of one ‘It’s no big deal’ after another over time is likely to result, eventually, in a Very Big Deal.”*  Supervision translation:  Don’t say yes to something you don’t want just to be “nice”.

> Rosemond believes “the most powerful four words in parenting: [are] “Because I said so.”  Instead of making a decision, explaining it, then arguing whether the explanation was “good enough”, there is a time for an appropriate assertion of authority.  “Obedient children are much happier than disobedient children.  Put even more concisely, arguing is no fun for anyone.”** Supervision translation:  Set out expectations and stick to them.

> “Children need a constant, calm, confident authority.  Authority, properly conveyed, is a form of nurturing, in fact.” In an attempt to be liked, parents often ask their children if they would do something — as if picking up toys was a favor.  Rosemond says that yelling results because parents have to exert more and more energy to get kids things to do that are phrased as requests.  “From a child’s point of view, a parent is mean when the child accepts that the parent means what he or she says, the first time he or she says it.  When you have convinced your child of that, which requires that you stop trying to be so nice, you will stop yelling, and you and your child will have a far more creative relationship.”***  Supervision translation: It’s ok (even good) to outline responsibilities and hold people accountable.

Supervision is an on-going learning process.  Embrace lessons wherever you can find them, even if it is from a newspaper parenting column.

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


Sources:
* “Little Mohawk haircut could grow into ‘Very Big Deal'” by John Rosemond, in the Telegraph Herald, August 10, 2014

** “The power of the words ‘because I said so'”by John Rosemond, in the Telegraph Herald, August 3, 2014.

*** “Are you a yeller?  It’s not good for you or your child” by John Rosemond in the Telegraph Herald, July 21, 2013


#827 22 hours

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I read an article written by a woman whose daughter had to make a piñata for Spanish class.  The girl decided on an overly ambitious design, and by the end of the first hour it was clear that it was going to take far longer to finish than could be reasonably expected for this homework project.

The mom urged her daughter to dump the design and start over with a more simple one, but the daughter persisted.  After 22 more hours, it was done.

This project reminded me of the foundational economics theory of “sunk costs.”  She had already sunk one hour into the project regardless of whether she dumped it or pressed on.  Staying with something that would drain more energy was pointless “just because” she had started.  

Do you have projects in life that you stick with even when the outcome is dubious?  Do you press on and read the book even though you are bored after the first 100 pages?  Are you in a career because you are invested in it, rather than because it brings you joy?  Have you stayed with a project that was a perpetual energy drain when there was another way around it?

Sometimes you’d be better to regroup and start afresh with something entirely different.  May you have the courage and wisdom to know when you should rethink your version of the piñata.

–— beth triplett

leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com


What’s your 22-hour piñata?  by Allison M. Vaillancourt, Chronicle of Higher Education, February 15, 2013, p. A37  

#826 transparent

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My favorite feature in Fortune magazine is a column entitled “How We Got Started.”  Each month a different business leader reflects on their company’s beginnings and then offers a few nuggets of advice to readers.


In May, the column featured John and Bert Jacobs, founders of Life Is Good, the company who produces (mostly) t-shirts that feature rudimentary drawings of people having fun.

Of the advice they shared, the one that stuck with me is this:
“Be transparent.  You don’t have to be right or have all the answers.  You’ve got to be able to tell people what’s happening — good, bad, or ugly.  Then others can help solve the problem.”

How often have you found yourself in a situation where you only heard part of the story from the leader?  Or where those in charge acted as if they had things under control, when really they needed all the help they could get?  

It’s likely that if you are a good leader, you have hired awesome people.  Take advantage of their brain power and focus it on helping you to find the best solution.  Tell them where you stand with the budget, and let them develop ideas on cost savings.  Acknowledge where you are having production issues, and see if they can’t re-engineer the process for you.  Show current figures on where you stand with customer satisfaction, and encourage them to offer suggestions for reform.

Trying to solve your organization’s problems by yourself is a sure path that leads to Life Is Bad.

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

Source:  How We Got Started/Our Advice, John and Bert Jacobs, Fortune, May 19, 2014, p. 42.



#825 blind side

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One final thought on the Ice Bucket Challenge.  As I have written over the past two days, it has brought an amazing amount of recognition and donations to the ALS Association.  I am sure that when the organizers came up with the idea, they had the best of intentions to raise funds for their friend, and it has done just that.

It also has stirred up a fair amount of controversy.  The Ice Bucket Challenge was under the radar for the first few millions, but once the amount began to soar, the concept moved into the public eye.  And there is never unanimity with the masses.

Protests have arisen because it is such a waste of water in an era when the sole purpose of several organizations is to bring clean water to those without it.  Bishops have weighed in against participation due to the embryonic stem cell research involved.  Some Catholic schools have chosen not to participate or to carefully direct their donations to limited aspects of the Association’s work.  As with so many things, there is always a down side to what initially appears to be a great idea.

The idea of having a blind side relates to a concept shared in Thanks for the Feedback*.  Authors Stone and Heen** write that all of us have behavioral blind spots where a gap occurs between our thoughts and feelings and others’ stories about us. 

Their Gap Map:
My thoughts & feelings >lead to> My intentions >lead to> My behavior >lead to> My impacts on them >lead to> Their story about me <leads back to< Their feedback to me

Often there is a gap between how we see ourselves and how others see us.  Thanks for the Feedback offers theories on how this occurs and how we can invite others to enlighten us, but the phenomenon they describe is the same as what I suspect happened with the Ice Bucket.  Good intentions by one are perceived differently by others.

Whether you are designing a fund raiser or just want to become more aware of how you are coming across, soliciting honest feedback from others is a good start.  It may feel like someone is throwing a cold blanket on you, but it is better than being blind sided in the end.

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


*Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen, 2014

**See Blog #818, August 28, 2014

Thanks to Wendy for the observations.

#824 now what?

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Yesterday I wrote about the phenomenal success that the Ice Bucket Challenge has brought to the ALS Association.  They have raised $94.3 million vs. $2.7 million in the same period last year.  They have garnered 1.9 million new donors.  The Challenge is a social network and media sensation.  Whoo Hoo!

Or is it Boo Hoo?

Think of the challenges that the Association now faces.  To be sure, some of them are good, but my bet is that they are no where close to being prepared to handle this massive influx, especially when it occurred unexpectedly, and in a compressed time period.

How can a staff that was geared to handling 60,000 donors (the amount in the database that received the original email) cope with the volume of even thanking 1.8 million more people than usual?  How will they know which of the donors are their real supporters that should be targeted vs. who are the one-time $10 givers that were caught up in the moment?  

Time reports that “many people are questioning what the ALS Association will do with such an extraordinary influx of money.”  They cite new scientists being funded for research and increased interest in R & D by pharmaceutical companies — again, great news, but to make it a reality requires infrastructure, funding protocols and someone(s) to oversee the sheer logistics of making it happen.  

Due to the viral nature of this campaign, it is doubtful that ALS or even the Ice Bucket organizers ever fathomed anything of this magnitude.  No organization can truly be prepared for when something “gains legs” and becomes a sensation, but even if there was a plan, it would have never dreamed this big.

ALS has much work to do to accept the Ice Bucket Challenge that they have been given.  I can’t imagine the decisions that need to be made and the work that lies ahead.

Like many who win the lottery, the windfall can become a nightmare if not handled properly.  Let’s hope that the ALS Association can balance expediency with intentionality to be like Lou Gehrig and turn this fastball into a home run.

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


Source:  The Real Ice Bucket Challenge by Kathy Giusti, Time, September 8-15, 2014, p. 29

Thanks to Mike for the observation.



#823 splash

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From 1966 until 2010, Labor Day was marked by the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon.  It was a whopper too; airing for 20+ hours from Sunday night through Monday, it was as classic as it was annoying.  In the era of limited channels, to dedicate one of them to a fundraiser was revolutionary.  Later in syndication, over 160 channels carried the show.

The first telethon raised over $1 million — remember, this is 1966 — and its success allowed it to continue for the next four decades.  The format was the same; shots of local volunteers listening for the phone to ring, celebrities, testimonials and tug-at-your-heart stories about the great need for more research, and a big board to track the totals.  It fit the times and over many years raised nearly $2.5 billion for medical research.

You probably did not notice the telethon this past weekend.  It has shrunk to a mere two hours; Jerry has not been part of it since 2011, and it was only shown on one network.  In short, it is a format from another time trying to live on in today’s digital world.

Contrast that with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which has currently raised $94.3 million toward finding a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.  Through two friends who wanted to support another friend with ALS and one email to 60,000 people in the ALS database, an international viral phenomenon was launched.  Currently 1.9 million new donors have contributed to this challenge since the end of July.

How is your organization operating?  Hanging on to the tried and true tradition like the telethon and trying to tinker with its format?  Or embracing an entirely new way of thinking about who your audience is and how to reach them?  A douse of cold water should bring you to your senses about which one is more effective.

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


Sources:
MDA Show of Strength 2014, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MDA_Show_of_Strength
The Real Ice Bucket Challenge by Kathy Giusti, Time, September 8-15, 2014, p. 29

#822 strike a cord

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Isn’t it ironic that as more things move to become “wireless”, we have more personal wires and cables than ever?  The permanent infrastructure may no longer be wired, but the portable wires have increased exponentially.  Each time we travel we carry ear buds, 30 pin chargers, USB cords, lightening cords and a host of other digital essentials for our gizmos.

Levenger, the accessory company “for serious readers”, just came out with a new cord roll to allow people to conveniently take their cords and chargers with them or be organized storing them at home.  When you need a case just for the cords, you know you have moved into the digital world.  

What have we really gained in the aggregate?  We traded hardwired for mobility, but the omnipresent phone or radio now must be brought along with each person.  There is individualization, and the burden of tending to your own needs.

The first cords may have been tied to the end of soup cans stretched from window to window.  They got some things right.  Today, take advantage of your holiday and make an effort to extend a metaphorical cord from yourself to another human instead of only to another device.  

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