Month: July 2024

leadership dot #3017a: rum

July 31, 2024July 30, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I’m on vacation for a few days, so you can enjoy some of my past musings while I’m away…..

During a particularly stressful project at work, a colleague gave me a tiny bottle of rum for moral support. The joke was that if it got too bad, I could always pour the rum into my Diet Coke as stress relief. The bottle stayed (discretely) in my office for nearly a decade until I returned it to the giver during a particularly rough patch for him.

I never opened the rum but it was comforting to know that it was there. The same principle applied to pain medicine after my periodontist’s handiwork and to a friend’s pain pills after surgery. Neither of us used more than one pill but it was reassuring to know that we had relief available.

Was it ever so bad that I felt I needed the rum or more drugs? No, but I was glad that I was the one deciding that. People are able to accept hardship when they believe they are able to set the limits of what is tolerable for them.

Whenever possible, give your team a relief valve over which they have jurisdiction. Unlock the thermostat and allow people to regulate the temperature. Provide spontaneous flex days when a mental health break is needed. Create an emergency fund that your staff can borrow from. Let people opt out or leave early without question when they’ve reached a breaking point.

Most people won’t gulp down all the pills in the bottle but the pain will feel less just because the medicine is available to them. Trust your staff enough to give them that control.

Originally published in modified form on September 18, 2020

leadership dot #4353: driven

July 30, 2024July 29, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

What do a credit union and the humane society have in common? Well, in our area both have added a mobile component to their work. The credit union now has a mobile branch complete with an ATM that makes appearances at festivals and other gatherings. The humane society has a trailer that allows them to take about a dozen animals out into the community where they have a greater likelihood of adoption.

It’s not just food trucks that are taking their services to the people. People may be too busy to come to you but can you modify what you offer so that you go to them? Your inconvenience to provide your customer with convenience may drive your success.

leadership dot #4352: biscuit

July 29, 2024July 28, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

There used to be a Hardee’s within walking distance of my house. I rarely went there as it was nothing special — something I passed every day. Apparently, not many others went there either and the Hardee’s closed. Now, even though the closest one is on the far side of town, I have regular cravings for their breakfast biscuit and make the trek.

I share this as a reminder — to myself as well as others — not to take for granted the goodness that is part of our daily lives. There is joy all around us if we actually see it instead of letting the ordinary blend into the background as a blur.

Hardee’s Bacon, Egg, and Cheese biscuit — my very favorite fast food breakfast treat!

leadership dot #4351: salvaged

July 28, 2024July 27, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Through the manufacturing process and customer handling, many bath bombs are no longer perfectly circular. Instead of tossing all the chips and deformed pieces, one company repackaged them and sold them as “pop rocks.” I’m sure the net effect in the bathtub is the same but no one would buy the scraps without the different presentation.

Other companies have found ways to do the same thing. Donut holes are sold separately instead of wasting the dough from the center of the donut, and lumber yards turn scraps into mulch. A company also rebranded imperfect fruit, making it an appealing product instead of waste.

Before you dismiss a seemingly worthless product in your organization, pause and consider whether giving it a new package could give it a new life.

Thanks, Amy!

leadership dot #4350: labels

July 27, 2024July 26, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplett1 Comment

I have been dismayed by the language being used in this presidential election cycle.

Why did “swing states” become “battleground states”?

When did the GOP nominee become the “Savior” instead of the “candidate”?

Why is it “Kamala” instead of “Harris”? Shouldn’t it be Harris vs Trump or Donald vs Kamala?

We are polarized enough without adding to it with casual use of language that does more to inflame than describe. Watch your words.

leadership dot #4349: starting point

July 26, 2024July 25, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I recently facilitated a retreat that included a component about systems thinking. Participants drew out the process for some common tasks and then we compared where others started and ended the process. Did they assume they had all the ingredients or did their drawings include procurement? Did they end after doing the bare minimum or did their process continue?

This exercise was a prelude to the question: “Where does your job begin?” The answer determines the amount of outreach or “upstream” activities in which you engage and the amount of time you invest in collaboration about processes that impact yours, both before and after you interact with your customer.

Several of the participants said their job consisted of a multitude of projects and it was an ever-evolving list that really did not have a beginning. I would challenge those who think that way to revisit the core purpose of their job. For example, are you hired to teach four classes or to prepare the next generation of those in your profession? The answer would determine whether middle school career days would make it onto your project list or not. Is your job to hire someone to fill the next vacancy or to create an equitable hiring system for your organization? Do you see your role as issuing credit cards and loans or is it helping people become financially stable?

Where does your job begin? And end? How you define the system can have a profound impact on your work.

leadership dot #4348: guest

July 25, 2024July 24, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

We had a guest speaker in class and doing so reminds me of the importance of outside voices. Our speaker is an innovation manager for a local manufacturing firm, and I couldn’t have scripted her conversation to more clearly articulate the principles we have been discussing. She validated most things we have covered and gave the students an understanding of how the theories, readings, and exercises from class are applied in “the real world.”

It’s always nice when, as a teacher, I learn from class, too. The same can be true in your organization by inviting others in — or going to them — to learn about your work from a different perspective. Ask questions to understand how what you offer is being used or what gaps exist. Learn what is practical and what is fluff. See how different people apply the tools you supply and what value they get from them.

It’s not just the classroom that can benefit from a guest speaker. Be intentional with your invitations and learn from others who are often so generous in sharing their wisdom.

leadership dot #4347: the fair

July 24, 2024July 23, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Yesterday, I attended the county fair. I go every year — for about two hours — but would miss the ritual if I did not go. I get the same things to drink and eat as in past years and I have the same routine of what I see — and then mixed in are the new attractions at this year’s fair. It’s comfortable and the same, while simultaneously exciting and new.

It reminded me of the lesson from the classic book Built to Last which discovered that the most enduring companies have the yin/yang of Preserving the Core while Stimulating Progress. The county fair, now in its 71st year, is a good example of this dichotomy. There are so many elements that remain the same from year to year, but they are infused with new vendors, shows, and activities to keep it fresh.

Have you identified the components of your organization that are like beloved elements of the fair that remain for generations? And at the same time, do you engage others to determine what should be added to reflect changing desires? Walk around your county or state fair with new eyes and find examples of the core that is preserved and the additions to stimulate progress. There are many lessons to be learned at the fair (and yummy treats to be had as well).

Source: Built to Last by Jerry I. Porras and Jim Collins, updated 2011

leadership dot #4346: upended

July 23, 2024July 22, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I can’t imagine what it’s like being in Washington, DC this week. Oh, the chaos that must have ensued.

Think about the convention: the signs, buttons, videos, speeches, and campaign paraphernalia that will all have to be redone, not to mention the procedures and agenda. The campaign and its schedule are topsy-turvey, the transition planning has to begin in earnest, and some person will have their life turned upside down the second they are named to the ticket. The paperwork, transfer of funds, realignment of staff, fundraising efforts, debate prep, messaging — every single aspect of the Democratic effort has to be retooled almost immediately. Not to mention the revision of GOP strategy, ads, and messaging since they are facing a whole new candidate. It is nuts! I would love to be a fly in the room to witness the wheels turning.

It reminds me of the Come From Away story of how Gander, Newfoundland prepped for 7,000 stranded visitors within hours (see dot #2008). It could have taken them months of planning to host them, just as the major political parties have no doubt spent months on the details — but extenuating circumstances have a way of cutting out the extraneous and focusing on what needs to get done.

Remember this week the next time you’re involved in a project. Sometimes things do work out when you spend less time planning and more time doing.

leadership dot #4345: much ado

July 22, 2024July 20, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

In dot #4313, I wrote about the local arts organization ending its 32-year-old concert series at the park. There was an announcement that this was the “final season” and many people who loved this Sunday night ritual were vocal and upset. There were several articles in the newspaper and much buzz amongst the audience.

And it turned out that it was much ado about nothing.

Well, maybe a little something, but the series isn’t ending; it’s just moving. Next year is already booked with the same lineup as this year — all the favorites are back, just in a different location.

Think of how different it could have been if the announcement was originally positioned that way: “We’ve got a new home that we’re excited about, and don’t worry, the acts you love will be there, too.” It could have saved a lot of angst.

We can get caught up in the emotion, make statements prematurely, or want to provide answers when we would be better off being silent. Your message should reflect what you want it to be in the long term, not just in the moment.