Month: July 2020

leadership dot #2948: billy

July 11, 2020July 10, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

For the past week or so, a herd of goats has been cleaning the countryside along a road I travel. It is fascinating to watch them performing “sustainable vegetation management” as they munch away on weeds, thistle, grass, ragweed, poison ivy, honeysuckle and more. The “Goats on the Go” business moves their herd to different locations throughout town as an eco-friendly way to clear growth. I love this idea!

Goats have really come into their own lately. What used to be seen as a lowly farm animal is now used for brush-clearing as well as goat yoga classes where the animals help people to de-stress while they stretch. The products from goats – milk and cheese – are in-demand food items, and their coats yield cashmere fiber that can be spun into yarn for knitting. They are so much more than the head-butting animals in the petting zoo trying to nudge their way into your food supply!

Is there an equivalent “goat” in your organization – something that has been underutilized for years but can provide value when applied in new ways? The voracious appetite of the animal has proved to be a lucrative business model instead of a liability. Their desire to climb all over everything has endeared them to a new market of yoga participants. Consider the downside of your resources and reframe them in a way that converts it into an asset.

leadership dot #2947: getting to know you

July 10, 2020July 9, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

When we’re face to face with colleagues, we act as if we’re building connections – a quick hello or “how are you?”/”fine” – but those interactions really aren’t creating the meaningful relationships that we desire. Such exchanges of niceties are merely rote actions without real engagement. The remote environment has highlighted that we don’t always have the connections that we thought we did – and now we’re on screen in full view of having to create them. It’s part of why video meetings are so exhausting.

While it may be tempting to jump right into tasks when starting a Zoom call, it is more important than ever to build connections first. Author and thought leader Shenandoah Chefalo recommends that you flip the usual ratio of meetings to make it 2/3 relationship building and 1/3 task functions. “Connection, connection, connection,” she says. “Build the relationship first, then task.”

It may seem strange to dedicate time toward getting to “know” someone with whom you have previously worked with in person, but chances are there is still much about them that is new to you. What are their current challenges working from home or in the midst of social change? What’s the best part of life today? What have they learned lately?

Or you could reprise a highlight from grade school and take advantage of the opportunity to do “show and tell.” In my classes, I met my students’ children, guinea pig, cat, and dogs as well as saw bookshelves and new décor – none of which would have been possible in person.

Zoom is exhausting! But perhaps not for the reasons you initially thought. Take the time to build more meaningful connections that will last far beyond the virus and help you be more effective with your tasks now.

leadership dot #2946: gatekeeper

July 9, 2020July 8, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

As part of the Aspen Ideas Festival, I heard journalist Maria Ressa reflect on how the information infrastructure has changed. She noted that journalists are no longer the gatekeepers rather, the technology (social media) companies are, but they are not moderating the posted content.

As a result, it has become a vicious circle on both sides of the aisle; lies are targeted to you, thereby people begin to doubt themselves and their own beliefs, and it creates a fake bandwagon approach so others believe it as well. “Exponential attacks on social media have to stop or we will lose democracy,” she warned.

Her talk was still resonating in my mind when I read the following statistic: “The average person will spend a total of approximately 6 years and 8 months on social media over their lifetime!*” If it’s anywhere close to true, it is an astonishing figure and accounts for why the country has become so polarized. If for literally years, you hear one point of view, targeted to you, you are likely to accept it as the only truth even if there is another perspective.

Now more than ever, you own the responsibility to analyze and curate the news that you absorb, and to be intentional about seeking out multiple points of view. Follow thought leaders on social media from different demographics than your own. Seek out reputable sources beyond the easy-access pervasive apps. Question what you hear and consider what is missing from the coverage. If journalists have been replaced by propaganda machines, it’s up to you to be the gatekeeper.

*Source: Snack Fact from Robinhood Snacks, July 6, 2020

leadership dot #2945: sketch

July 8, 2020July 7, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

One of the recurring themes at the Aspen Ideas Festival was, of course, change. Between COVID and the race equity revolution, there was plenty for speakers to discuss.

For me, activist Stacey Abrams succinctly captured the crux of the issue. “There is an amazing tension around what should be and how quickly it should happen,” she said. “We agree that things should change, but to what?”

Defining the details is where the challenges lie for all leaders. People are much more adept at describing what is bad than they are at articulating what the desired state looks like, let alone having agreement on the process to get there. But the more clarity you can achieve about the end goal, the more likely you are to overcome barriers to achieve it. Foster informal conversations about what “it” looks like. Have people write white papers to clarify their thoughts (in their own minds as well). Spend a staff meeting creating vision boards. Make lists of the key characteristics you’re looking for in the solution or objectives you’re trying to meet.

Georgetown Professor Michael Dyson noted that “sudden is not sudden; it is a build-up” with movement that has been out of sight for years finally coming to the surface. Even if the necessary change in your organization isn’t imminent, it’s worth your time now to start sketching what the future looks like. It’s much easier to obtain buy-in when people can help fill in the detail than after you present them with a completed painting.

leadership dot #2944: formula

July 7, 2020July 6, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

As part of the Aspen Ideas Festival, two speakers made comments that stuck with me – and as I later pondered how to incorporate them into my life, I realized that they were in direct opposition with each other!

One idea came from opera director Yuval Sharon who spoke about the concept of “doubling” that he used in the development of his recent production. He literally doubled his core artistic team, hiring two directors, two writers and two composers for his opera Sweet Land, intentionally done to create a dialogue between different points of view.

In contrast to working in pairs, historian and author Erik Larson spoke of how he does not use research assistants for his work. Even though scouring the archives can be extensive and tedious, he is not convinced that someone else would have his instincts and look for the same things so he does all of his research himself.

It was fascinating to me that on this national platform, one person applied the strategy of doubling in the artistic field where individuals are often heralded as the stars for their work, and another advocated the process of working solo in research which is often a team effort.

Maybe the real lesson is that those who shine in their field are the ones who utilize methods outside of the norm; who break the boundaries of what “should” happen and find ways to find new insights – either by including others or excluding them in certain phases. Don’t approach your projects by rote; rather intentionally consider whether your work could benefit from doubling or independence. There is no one formula for innovation.

leadership dot #2943: dandelion

July 6, 2020July 3, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

As part of the Aspen Ideas Festival, author and NPR science reporter LuLu Miller shared her Dandelion Principle. Most people think of the yellow plant as nothing but a stubborn weed, but Miller uses them as an illustration that worth is always subjective.

“To a gardener, a dandelion is a weed that needs to be pulled and thrown away, but to a chef, it provides pepper to spice up a salad; a painter may find it as an artistic subject and a herbalist sees the plant as a soothing digestive ailment,” she said. “There may be value there beyond our comprehension; a deeper connectivity that we cannot see.”

It reminds me of the teachings from the authors of Leadership on the Line. In times of conflict, Heifetz and Linsky encourage people to learn the story of those who have a different point of view from your own. Others are acting rationally based on their values and beliefs; if you can come to understand why they think differently you are more likely to find common ground. In other words, try to learn why they treasure this thing you think is just a weed.

Our reflexive response is to view the totality of an item through our own value lens and not consider that others may see something in an entirely different way. The dandelion can serve as a visual reminder that there are many perspectives for everything.

Leadership on the Line by Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky, 2002

leadership dot #2942: every other

July 5, 2020July 3, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A simple yet effective mind game that I play with myself all the time is that of doing “every other” task that needs to be done.

I write the week’s leadership dots by first writing one for every other day, making it much easier to complete the week by filling in the holes. I’m writing 1000 postcards encouraging people to vote and addressed all first-time voters first, making it seem faster to complete a page of addresses because many of them are already done. I clean my house by doing every other room, and then it seems to finish painlessly when I go through and connect the missing rooms.

I know that I’m doing the same amount of work and spending the same amount of time, but the emotional drain is less. See if you can do some mental gymnastics with yourself and make Swiss cheese out of your next task list. It doesn’t have to be every other one in the literal sense, but alternating your work is far less daunting than facing a big task all at once.

leadership dot #2941: marriage

July 4, 2020July 3, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Without fireworks, cookouts and all the usual trappings of the Fourth of July, it won’t seem like a holiday to some, but it’s still Independence Day with or without pyrotechnics.

It reminds me of times when people are so focused on the big, flashy wedding that they forget that what’s actually important is the marriage. Today, the real reason for celebration isn’t in the night sky rather to commemorate the founding of our country and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Take a moment to appreciate the gifts of democracy, freedom and our never-ending quest for equality. It may be fun to have fireworks or a fancy wedding, but the real value comes from the work you do afterward to sustain it.

leadership dot #2940: only forward

July 3, 2020July 2, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Ah, the turtle. It’s often dismissed as a creature and I’m sure it’s often ridiculed as a college mascot. They seem so slow!

But while turtles may not win any speed records, they have several characteristics to which we should all aspire. In the farewell address of the University of Maryland President Wallace Loh, he talks about the Terrapin turtle (UMD’s mascot) and points out that it only walks forward. “And how does he do this?” Loh rhetorically asks. “One step at a time by sticking its neck out.”

Think of how your life would be different if you only walked forward. Instead of harboring regret, backtracking, reversing decisions or even standing still you could accomplish so much in your life by persisting one step at a time. You don’t have to be fast; you merely must be consistent.

Take a lesson from the misunderstood reptile. Forward, even slowly, is a great way to get ahead.

leadership dot #2939: intentional

July 2, 2020July 1, 2020by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

In my Managerial Communication class, we’ve had four guest speakers: the university president, a public relations professional, the police chief and a manager of internal communications. While they all had varied styles and nuanced messages, they shared these themes:

Connect your messaging to your mission. All of them talked about the importance of linking your communications (internal and external) to the purpose of your organization and the goals you are trying to achieve – meaning you have to know what they are and have them in mind before you start sharing.
Focus and repeat. Once is never enough. You need to share your message multiple times for it to be heard and understood.
Relationships are key. Organizations don’t succeed autonomously. Work to develop partnerships and individual connections with others.
It’s all What you say, what you wear, your remote meeting background, the medium you use, your word choice, how the office lobby looks – it all sends a message so be intentional about what you are trying to say.

The lessons above are all intertwined and can be applied to organizational messaging as well as personal branding. Think about how they apply in your situation and use them to be more intentional in communicating what is important to you.