Month: April 2021

leadership dot #3221: pinned

April 10, 2021April 9, 2021by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

If you look at these two pins they look identical unless you squint and look closely at the teeny-tiny number at the bottom. The problem is that number should be the whole point of the pin: one represents 3 gallons of blood donations (24 pints) while the other represents 14 gallons (112 pints). The sameness belies the vast differences in what they purport to recognize.

Consider, too, whether a pin is an appropriate recognition at all. The Red Cross has been handing out these same pins for decades but they serve little useful purpose. Why not provide a car decal with the emphasis on the number or something more visible to allow the donor to share pride in their accomplishment?

The Red Cross missed the mark by making their recognition about them (the red cross in the middle) instead of about the donor (the number more prominent). Take a critical look at what you share and ask whether it provides real value to the recipient or it’s just something you do.

leadership dot #3220: prompts

April 9, 2021April 8, 2021by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

As people prepare to return to the office, some reacclimating will be required. Colleagues have been apart for months and during that time new team members may have been added. Don’t discount the value of time spent on relationship-building.

Knowing your colleagues often makes work more enjoyable and provides a sense of belonging. People are more likely to go the extra mile for those they know and to give others the benefit of the doubt. Those relationships also create psychological safety, allowing vulnerability and trust to be present which, in turn, can foster creativity and a healthier culture.

Building relationships is much deeper than just breaking the ice, and helping your team know something about each other beyond job titles is a worthwhile investment of time. These 30 prompts can help facilitate those initial conversations. Even if your staff “knows” each other, I’ll venture that you’ll learn even more by using one or two of these questions to open your meetings.

leadership dot #3219: despite

April 8, 2021April 7, 2021by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A trip to the periodontist is no fun. I know it, you know it — and even the periodontist knows it. From the moment I arrived in the office, all of his staff acknowledged that it was I likely I would rather be anywhere else. From comments like: “How was your day — up until now?” or “Are you excited to see us today? — not!” the staff did their best to empathize with the fact that all of their clientele is there reluctantly.

Yet, even though it was a (literally) painful experience, it also was one of the best service environments that I have seen. There was thorough and helpful pre-appointment communication. The staff had light banter back and forth while doing what they could to make me comfortable. The doctor was personable and took the time to explain things to me, tell funny stories while he was drilling away at my bone, and even gave his cell phone number so that I could “text him or call, even at 2 a.m. if there is a problem.”

A new staff person was shadowing my procedure and commented that she began working there because “the staff genuinely likes each other — and that makes such a difference.” It does — for both the employees as well as the patients.

If the periodontist can create such a positive culture despite providing a service that is inherently expensive, painful, and dreaded, think of what you can do in your environment where the rewards are likely more desirable. You may not have control over your work but you do have the ability to shape how you do it.

leadership dot #3218: checkup

April 7, 2021April 5, 2021by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I just had some oral surgery done on a tooth that wasn’t bothering me. When the dentist recommended that I make an appointment to have the procedure done, I protested, saying “It doesn’t even hurt!”

“That is the whole point,” he replied. So off to the periodontist I went.

Teeth aren’t the only things that need “six-month checkups” so that you can be proactive in addressing issues before they become real problems. Make the time in your organization to conduct regular assessments and tend to warnings before they evolve into trouble.

leadership dot #3217: chicks

April 6, 2021April 4, 2021by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

The farm store had their shipment of chicks on display before people came in to pick them up and the containers became a treat to the other shoppers — many of whom gathered around to listen to the little birds and watch them peck at their food.

The display was deceiving because it made it look so simple to have a few cute little chicks of your own. People forget that those little yellow fuzz-balls will grow up into full-size chickens with additional needs, including an outdoor coop and daily feeding. Two lists helped people see that it quickly becomes an expensive venture with several “must-haves” including a heat lamp, thermometer, waterer, feeder, starter feed, shavings, and hanger. Another list provides “highly recommended” items including amprolium for coccidiosis, food-grade diatomaceous, and hydrated lime — whatever any of that is — and that’s just to get started with the chicks. The lists offset the cuteness with reality.

Sometimes projects are similar to the chicks in that they start out looking so manageable and appealing but end up being a substantial commitment. All we see in the beginning is the upside (cute birds, free eggs) but fail to consider the resources and time that must go into the process to achieve the results. We say yes to the project (buy the chicks) and then must own by default all that goes with it, when had we investigated more thoroughly upfront, we would have reassessed the value of the benefits.

The next time you become entranced with a new idea, do some homework before you jump right in. Create your own “lists” to help you understand what you are truly getting into before you begin. There is no easy way to get a golden egg.

leadership dot #3216: refrigerator

April 5, 2021April 4, 2021by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Over the weekend, I did a deep clean of my house. When I was finished, I couldn’t even tell.

I knew that behind the refrigerator was now free of dust but wasn’t able to see it there before. I knew the baseboards had been wiped but who really pays attention? I washed all the rugs but when I put them back they appeared just as they were before the laundry.

What did I notice? I took the comics off the refrigerator to begin anew. That one visible signal reminded me of the other work that had occurred.

When you do work behind the scenes remember to leave that beacon for yourself and others. Change the color of the header on an updated form. Move the artwork after a deep clean of the lobby. Add a note on the webpage indicating the last update. Put a vase of fresh flowers on the table.

You can enhance your motivation for the next project when there is tangible evidence of your last one.

leadership dot #3215: cheer

April 4, 2021April 4, 2021by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

What do most teens do with their earnings from being a busboy? Not buy a $125 rabbit costume! But a local high school student did just that. He then wears it around town while distributing candy (also purchased with his own money.)

Jason Oyen may be spreading his cheer today to celebrate Easter, but wears his suit on random days as well. He told the newspaper: “I just like making people smile. If I make myself stand out in ridiculous costumes, that seems to work.”

Oyen may be more exuberant than most in his quest to share joy but his intent can become an inspiration to the more timid, too. What small act can you do to make someone smile? Hop to it and spread that cheer.

leadership dot #3214: thematic

April 3, 2021April 2, 2021by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

The library curated a display for March by assembling dozens of books with a green cover. They could have found books about Ireland or St. Patrick; followed a theme of spring or gardening, or gone with Women’s History or Black History but they went outside the norm with green books that crossed a variety of subjects and genres.

Librarians are trained in the rigid Dewey Decimal System yet the staff at our library seems to delight in ignoring that order. I wrote about the Binge Boxes (dot 3193) with thematic assortments of DVDs, and now they’re mixing up books, too.

In every organization, there are those who would stick just with the prescribed patterns (Dewey Decimal) and those who embrace a more creative view of the world (green books). Take a lesson from the library and find pockets and projects where both can flourish. The whole organization doesn’t have to be just one way or the other.

leadership dot #3213: picture

April 2, 2021April 2, 2021by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Outside my office window is a tree that holds several bird feeders. At one point, I had a woodpecker in the suet, a finch in the thistle feeder, and some wrens in the birdseed. Ah, what a great analogy for supervision I thought — different approaches to suit varying styles and temperaments, etc.

So, I went to take a picture and realized that when I was looking out my window all I saw were these beautiful birds. What my camera saw was a window with decals and border strips, a screen, a sidewalk, a road, cars on the street in the background, and a driveway — all of which made the picture a very different perspective indeed!

But the exercise provides the real lesson for today: we see what we become focused on. If you are lasered-in on one point of view, you’re apt to disregard all the competing thoughts around it, even though they are as valid as your notion. (The cars weren’t any less present as the birds — I just didn’t see them.)

Before you become locked in on a narrow perspective, take a moment to approach the issue with a wide-angle lens. You may discover much more than initially is in your mind’s eye.

leadership dot #3212: brief

April 1, 2021March 31, 2021by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

One of the best productivity tips I know is to master the 5-minute task. Too often we fritter away those precious moments when, over time, they really do add up.

Early for a meeting? Have something to read with you at all times. Extra moments while waiting in line? You can reply to an email on your phone. A few minutes before your next Zoom appointment? Toss in some laundry or do a few squats in your office.

You can’t accomplish the big tasks in such a small increment, but you can free your to-do list — and your mind — from some of the mundane items that need to be done. You can’t write a blog but you can locate the picture in advance of the day’s post. Five minutes won’t allow you to do that expense report but you can gather the receipts and put them in date order. You won’t have time to squeeze in a meeting but you might be able to outline the agenda for one.

Instead of “waiting around” or doing something mindless, take advantage of those brief segments to make forward progress on your work. You might be surprised at the big difference capitalizing on little chunks of time can make.