Month: January 2020

leadership dot #2776: autopilot

January 21, 2020March 16, 2021by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Ever since I was a kid and started taking daily showers, I shampooed my hair each time. That’s just what “you” did: Lather, Rinse, Repeat as it said on the bottle. It was as much a part of my morning routine as brushing my teeth; a habit I executed without thought or question.

Then my hairstylist suggested that “intermittent washing” may prolong the life of my coloring and suddenly, whether or not to shampoo became a conscious decision. I skipped a day here and there and found that I had better results. Who knew?

I think the principle applies to other aspects of life. Instead of having tasks or habits on autopilot, it is beneficial to occasionally stop and consider whether your current routine is for the best. Does that report really need to be produced weekly (is anyone looking at it?) or could quarterly suffice? Are you still changing your car oil according to the old guidelines or have you extended the interval based on new technology? Did you consider whether holiday cards are still relevant and worth sending in the era of social media where everyone now knows your day-by-day updates and may not need the annual recap?

It’s easy to “lather, rinse and repeat” without effort, but if you apply some intentionality to your routines you may find you have the capacity and resources to apply to something that really makes a difference.

leadership dot #2775: compelling

January 20, 2020January 19, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

“One of the biggest differentiators between those who are skilled leaders and those who are unskilled leaders, between those who are really leading and those who are leaders in name only, is their effort and ability to craft a compelling vision of where they want to take their groups*.”

I have seen this phenomenon play out over and over – especially with new leaders who are more accustomed to being told the vision instead of having to craft one. I’ve also seen too many leaders who run into problems because they have a vision, but no one else knows what it is. A vision that is not shared does not inspire anyone.

One person who is synonymous with vision is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As you celebrate the holiday today, pause for a few moments to think about his vision for the county. In 1963, King spoke from the March on Washington: “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

How can your vision move your organization forward? What does your dream look like? Share that story with passion to give others a compelling reason to follow.

*Julie Straw, Mike Scullard, Susie Kukkonen, Barry Davis. Work of Leaders: How Vision, Alignment and Execution Will Change the Way You Lead (Wiley, 2013), p. 18 as quoted by Terri Fairchild on LinkedIn.

leadership dot #2774: wonderland

January 19, 2020January 18, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I am struck by how different the attitude toward winter is between people. I can barely tolerate the season whereas others seem to embrace it. I was recently in Minnesota and saw several people who have dedicated their entire front lawn to create a temporary ice rink. My niece’s entire 6^th grade class went on a 4-day overnight outdoor environmental education trip this week. Festivals carry on as if winter were just another season instead of a reason to cancel everything and stay indoors.

I live in the Midwest and while I know that I will have to deal with cold and snow, I spend a lot of energy dreading the end of autumn and hoping for the start of spring. How much better would it be if I had something to look forward to in the winter months.

While I have no plans to construct an ice rink, in the spirit of gratitude, I have made a mental list of things I appreciate about this season. My list includes items like pomegranates, being able to snuggle up in a huge pile of blankets, laughing at my crazy dog as she roots through the snow with her nose digging for balls and cranberry English muffins.

Tonight as you’re transitioning to sleep, consider the things that make this season wonderful for you. Changing your perspective may help you have a warm heart, even if the thermometer says otherwise.

leadership dot #2773: silverware

January 18, 2020January 17, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A novel way to sort people into groups during a workshop or class involves the use of silverware. I purchased a bag of plasticware that came in four colors which allowed me to quickly and easily break the group into several configurations:

By the same color
All forks, all knives, all spoons
One place setting per group (a fork, a knife, a spoon)
Paired with a different utensil
Light blue & dark blue together // reds & yellows together

I have written before about the power of utilizing different methods of group division (see dot 2475). By deploying such tools, it forces people to mix with others they may not have chosen, removes bias from the pairing process and facilitates speedy group formation.

Next time, try silverware – or one of the many other options – to interject some energy into your pairings.

leadership dot #2772: paint

January 17, 2020January 13, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A friend once said that “paint was the coolest invention.” That thought always stuck with me because when you think about it, it really is an amazing tool. Paint has the ability to transform a space – and with relative ease and reasonable cost.

Paint is that elusive item that can create a big impact but requires little effort to implement. Think about what the equivalent of paint is for your organization. What can you do to realize results in the short term without a significant investment? Perhaps it is allowing employees a day to work from home. Maybe it is rearranging your reception area. Or maybe it’s making that call to a partner and finally agreeing to work together on a project. Or it could be literally painting a wall – in your home or office – to make a statement with color.

Another benefit of paint is that it’s not permanent. It can last a long time if you want it to, or you can repaint tomorrow. And so it goes with change. Try something. Experiment. Start. And if it doesn’t work out, you can always apply another coat and try again.

leadership dot #2771: award

January 16, 2020January 13, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Elton John is about as big of a superstar as you can get – over 50 Top 40 hits, sold over 300 million records, 23 gold albums, and 38 platinum hits – and most of his lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin.

So, I was astonished to learn that the duo won their first major award together with a Golden Globe win last weekend, and it was for a song that played over the closing credits for the Rocketman movie.

Taupin wrote the lyrics for John’s hits such as Rocket Man, Crocodile Rock, Honky Cat, Candle in the Wind, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me and Candle in the Wind, which sold 33 million copies alone. Yet, no Grammy.

In fact, Elton himself “only” has five Grammy’s whereas Bruno Mars took home six in 2018 alone.

If you are a musician, winning a Grammy is often idolized as the ultimate prize. But a momentary award – whatever the equivalent is in your field – shouldn’t be your motivation. Even though their mantle is sparse, John and Taupin are both members of the Hall of Fame. They have made millions happy with their music; they have enjoyed decades of friendship, and their legacy will live on for generations.

Don’t pin all your hopes and dreams on receiving external recognition. Take a lesson from Elton and Bernie and concentrate on the internal rewards instead.

leadership dot #2770: more time

January 15, 2020January 13, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

When I first read Carey Nieuwhof’s trends (see dot 2769), the first thing that came to my mind was “delivery.” Have you noticed that everyone either delivers to your door or has modified extensive areas of the store and parking lot to allow for easy pick-up? Even gas stations are offering food delivery!

Our online grocery shopping service ran an ad promoting “Less time shopping. More time snacking.” I wonder what people are doing with all the time they “save” by having delivery to their home or car. I doubt it is eating popcorn, but how are they using it: Binge watching? Social media? Working? Gaming? Running the kiddos to all their organized activities?

Empirically, we all have the same amount of time we have always had, but the way we spend it has changed greatly. Smart homes, delivery services, in-car pickup services, and automatic reordering are all designed to free up a few minutes from our routine, but other activities eat up large chunks, often mindlessly.

Before you pay a premium to have someone else DIFY (“do it for you” as Nieuwhof termed it), take an assessment of how you are spending your time overall. Use those gained moments intentionally, making your world just a little bit better with the “extra” time you have instead of frivoling it away.

leadership dot #2769: themes

January 14, 2020January 13, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Thought leader Carey Nieuwof outlined 5 disruptive leadership trends for 2020. His list:

The Middle is Disappearing (but the high end and low end are thriving).
DIY (do it yourself) is giving way to DIFM (do it for me).
Insight and access have become more valuable than content (because free content is everywhere).
Focus is a new super power (because distractions are everywhere, too).
Freedom and autonomy are the next generation’s currency. (Just ask Prince Harry!)

You can read more detail about these trends here.

His ideas have been rattling around in my head for days as I consider the implications of each of them. I think the list itself shows the power of #3 – that a synthesized list such as his has more power than pages and pages of random content.

It also makes me want to do a list of my own next year – the promise of which will undoubtedly make me more observant and reflective of the commonalities from these dots and that which I see. How about joining me in the challenge to outline a few trends next year? Let 2020 give you the clarity of vision to see some mega-themes for 2021.

Thanks, Brian!

leadership dot #2768: follow through

January 13, 2020January 12, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

The magic of change occurs as a result of follow through.

People are inspired while attending a conference but change only happens if they implement what was learned.
Coaches provide techniques for leaders to enhance their performance but learners must put the tools into practice.
Strategic plans outline great ideas to guide the future but tactics must be executed, not just printed on the page.
Meetings surface actions to move the organization forward but too often people don’t even think about them until it’s time to prepare for the next meeting.
Task forces start out with enthusiasm but fade when momentum isn’t intentionally sustained in between deadlines.
New year’s resolutions start with good intentions but fail without good follow through.

Developing plans is the easy part. If you really want to make something happen you need to follow through on the implementation — over and over again. Change never happens on autopilot.

leadership dot #2767: where

January 12, 2020January 11, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

For a simple warm-up icebreaker, I asked the participants where they would choose to have a gift card from if given one for free. It proved to be a great way to learn something about others in a quick and easy format.

Examples of answers included “DSW – because I’m a shoe nut – it would always be for shoes;” “Aldi – because we’re trying to pay down our debt and then I could use my grocery money to do that;” and “Best Buy – because I’m a techie and like the latest gadgets.” You could definitely get a sense of personality in a light-hearted way.

The next time you’re looking for an opening question for a group, toss out the gift card query. (And if it’s your group, take note of recognition opportunities for the future!) From where would you want yours?