Month: December 2022

leadership dot #3809: boxes

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Back in the day, department stores used to provide free gift boxes with all your purchases. Boxes were so plentiful that we tossed them after each holiday, secure in the assumption that we could get another supply next year.

Today, the handy white paper gift box has disappeared, along with many of the department stores that dispensed them. Instead, we are inundated with cardboard boxes from Amazon, USPS, and many other retailers whose holiday tidings are delivered to our doors. The corrugated containers are great for shipping but lack something in the presentation area, even with tissue and wrapping. So, I hunt for my remaining gift boxes and lament the pile of boxes to recycle.

I also have boxes on my mind from reading The Christmas Box holiday tale. Richard Paul Evans writes about how the lowly box plays a significant role in our stories:

“From the inlaid jade-and-coral jewelry boxes of the Orient to the utilitarian salt boxes of the Pennsylvania Dutch, the allure of the box has transcended all cultural and geographical boundaries of the world. The cigar box, the snuff box, the cash box, jewelry boxes more ornate than the treasure they hold, the ice box and the candle box…The human life cycle no less than evolves around a box; from the open topped box called a bassinet, to the pine box we call a coffin, the box is our past and, just as assuredly, our future.”

I’m sure you have a holiday memory that revolves around a box: Dragging the box of ornaments down from the attic, the little box that held an engagement ring, the box Fed Ex delivered on Christmas Eve to rescue Santa the next morning, the box full of parts to be assembled in the wee hours, the box that entertained the toddler more than their gifts, or the box that held the special candy treat reserved only for this occasion.

As you prepare to open more boxes in the coming days, take a moment to reflect on the role they play. We are always wiser when we appreciate the underlying infrastructure instead of taking it for granted.

The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans, 1993, pages 33-34

leadership dot #3808: wonderful

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Over the weekend, I saw It’s a Wonderful Life in the theater. I’ve seen the film countless times but there is always something, well, wonderful, about seeing a movie on the silver screen.

Because it was a classic film presentation there was a special introduction with some trivia and tidbits about the movie. I learned that the film is based on a short story, The Greatest Gift, written by Philip Van Doren Stern. He had tried to sell rights to his tale, and when unsuccessful, self-published a 24-page pamphlet and sent it to 200 friends as his Christmas card in 1943. The story found its way to Cary Grant’s agent and through a circuitous path, to Frank Capra who bought the rights to adapt it. The movie premiered in December 1946.

Not only do I love the story itself, but its origins serve as an encouragement to put your work out into the world. No one wanted to buy Van Doren Stern’s story but he shared it anyway. You don’t need money or a huge audience to use your voice. Keep creating!

It’s a Wonderful Life George Bailey (James Stewart), Mary Bailey (Donna Reed), and their youngest daughter Zuzu (Karolyn Grimes)

leadership dot #3807: made

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We have a nearby store that makes the soap it sells. I happened to be there one day when they were mixing the colors and stirring in the scents — and it was a fascinating process that I had not considered before. How do they make the patterns in the bars and formulate new smells every month? Watching them make the bars captivated my attention for longer than I would have predicted.

It got me thinking about how we could benefit if we understood the complexity associated with many other things. I thought about that old Schoolhouse Rock video about how a bill becomes a law. Would there be more patience if more people really knew how legislation works? Or less waste if people understood what goes into growing crops and getting food to the store? Or more environmental consciousness if people had a tour of the landfill?

Whenever you have the opportunity, take advantage of a behind-the-scenes view — both giving it and learning from it. A wider perspective can increase your understanding and appreciation of everything around you.

leadership dot #3806: soup

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A friend asked if I wanted to join him at a soup luncheon at our local elementary school. It was a benefit to help raise funds for field trips and extra-curricular activities so I went, thinking it would be a low-key affair. Instead, we had a hard time finding a seat! The entire gym was full of tables, groups of children were singing from the stage, there was a silent auction, and the place was decorated to the nines.

What impressed me the most about this affair was that everyone — from kindergarten on — played a role in the event. Students decorated placemats, made thank you cards to hand out as we were leaving, made the table decorations, tied the silverware bundles with yarn, and provided all the entertainment. The students were also the only servers and table-clearers and they did their jobs with gusto! I’ll bet we were asked a dozen times if we wanted anything else to eat.

If the funds had been gained solely through the auction or other donations, it would have raised money but not increased the pride or ownership the students gained by hosting the event themselves. Think about this luncheon the next time you’re involved in sponsoring an event — whether that be a holiday party, retreat, or fundraiser. Those who contribute their time and talent gain more than just treasure through their involvement.

leadership dot #3805: videos

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Hallmark is working to incorporate video into its offerings — I assume in an attempt to bridge the gap between the more old-fashioned paper greetings that have been their staple for decades toward the more modern way of communicating. In this spirit, they introduced video greeting cards — a rather slick technology that allows you to record one video and automatically link it to a code embedded in multiple boxes of cards. Of course, you still need to buy the Hallmark cards and mail them, but it saves you from the logistics of writing and enclosing a letter.

In theory, it’s a great idea but I wonder if people who are likely to mail cards are tech-savvy or even tech-inclined enough to utilize the video enhancement. While I know I could figure out a video, I don’t want to. If I preferred a visual greeting, I would use social media instead of mail.

Think before you connect new technology to traditional processes. Maybe the combination provides an exciting new way to communicate, or maybe it dulls the impact of both the old and new.

leadership dot #3804: chessboard

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In the book The Midnight Library, there is a scenario where two characters are preparing to play a game of chess. “It’s an easy game to play,” Mrs. Elm told Nora. “But a hard one to master. Every move you make opens up a whole new world of possibility.”

She went on to explain: “At the beginning of the game, there are no variations There is only one way to set up a board. There are nine million variations after the first six moves, And after eight moves there are two hundred and eighty-eight billion different positions. And those possibilities keep growing, There are more possible ways to play a game of chess than the amount of atoms in the observable universe. So it gets very messy. And there is no right way to play; there are many ways. In chess, as in life, possibility is the basis of everything. Every hope, every dream, every regret, every moment of living.”

Think about your personal chess board as we approach the new year. January can be a way to reset your board and start a new game, but what you do with those first few moves will influence how the rest of the year plays out. The board is alive with possibility — plan your next moves now to capitalize on them.

Source: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, 2020, page 195. (Highly recommend the book!)

leadership dot #3803: manifest

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I was involved in a conversation about Manifest — the television show where an airplane full of people presumed dead returns alive after five years. The talk turned to parallels between the show’s characters and detainees or prisoners — and how hard it would be for both to reacclimate into the world. At first, people thought “it’s only five years” but when we started listing out things that would have changed in that period, it became a bit more overwhelming to think of having missed most of it.

During the last five years was Covid, of course, but it would also cover an entire political administration, a new Supreme Court, Black Lives Matter and racial justice protests, the overturning of Roe, deaths of the Queen and many prominent people, Brexit, #MeToo, the war in Ukraine, wildfires, and an insurrection on the Capital. The world is a different place.

I’ll bet your organization is different as well. A new cadre of staff. Post-Covid life and more remote work. More apps and software programs than ever. New clients, new needs, and new ways of addressing them. As you turn the calendar to 2023, take a few moments to reflect on how you have evolved over the past half-decade. What would the imaginary plane passengers find that has improved and what would they be dismayed to see is still an issue for you?

We spend a lot of time looking forward and developing strategic plans. Sometimes, it’s good to look back in a longer time frame and see what we can learn from the journey — even an imaginary one.

leadership dot #3802: happy endings

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‘Tis the season — for holiday movies! We all know about the cultish following of the Hallmark Channel Christmas movies but they are not alone. The Samsung channel promotes 1000 titles in its holiday collection and every other streaming service has a catalog of seasonally-themed films. You could watch 24/7 from now until next Christmas.

The problem is that all of these movies have the same ending — a happy one. The constant barrage of fantasy creates unrealistic expectations and adds to the levels of sadness or depression many feel during this time of year. On television, everyone gets the prince or the pony; the business is saved, or it all works out — but as we know, it’s not like that in reality.

Amidst all the holiday cheer, remember that your friends, family, and colleagues aren’t living the movie. Not everyone is happy this season; in fact, some are quite the opposite. Don’t make inferences about holiday plans, assume there is happiness, or pack schedules with yet another joy-sharing occasion. Sometimes, a silent day is as warranted as a Silent Night.

leadership dot #3801: trust

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I participated in a multi-day, long-range planning session with a group of people who did not know each other. The facilitators designed the program to allow ample time for small talk and relationship building — so much, in fact, that at first, it was maddening to some. We had work to do — why dedicate the entire opening dinner simply to conversations instead of getting down to business?

The theme continued with each day’s session beginning with sharing and chatting — dedicating extensive, precious moments to non-work items.

But then, once the “work” began, there was exponential progress as the interactions were being conducted on a foundation of trust and relationships. Looking back, the time spent building connections paid off handsomely. It was one of the key takeaways from the gathering and something that has stayed with me.

I’m a task-oriented person — wanting to jump in and “do” rather than chit chat — but this experience caused me to value slowing down and spending more time on building that initial rapport.

Make a relationship-building component your purpose instead of a distraction. Some ways you can do this include intentionally committing to fostering relationships in meetings when new teams are formed — and honoring the value of spending much (or even all) of the first meeting or class on introductions and learning about each other instead of starting right in on the business agenda. If you adopt this mindset, you may become less antsy on video calls that begin with an icebreaker or check-in, even with people who know each other and actually embrace the exercise. You can build time into all your appointments to have a few moments of conversation before addressing tasks.

It has been said that “work moves at the speed of trust.” Enhancing your trust-building efforts may seem to slow the process at first, but in the end, they accelerate what you are able to accomplish.

leadership dot #3800: boots

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I have a pair of red cowgirl boots that are the cutest things in my closet — and the most uncomfortable. They were tight when I bought them but the clerk assured me that I had to “break them in” and all would be well. The problem is that they are too tight to wear for any extended period of time — thus, several years later they still are painful.

I think organizations have parallels to my boots. Leaders become fixated on something and want to have it, even though it really doesn’t fit their needs. Companies buy fancy software programs that will be great once people really learn to use the features (aka are “broken in”) but the learning curve and resistance are so steep that the program goes unused. Organizations opt for consultants whose recommendations are akin to my spiffy boots — they sound good in theory but never really become part of the daily routine.

It’s great to go outside your comfort zone or to try something new, but if the shoe (boot!) doesn’t fit right in the beginning, think twice before you invest. Practical or comfortable may provide much more joy and utility than unused fancy.