Month: October 2024

leadership dot #3456a: Venn

October 21, 2024October 20, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

It’s Venn Diagram Week at leadership dots — so I’m re-running this dot from 2021 to set the stage. It becomes increasingly apparent to me that three is the magic number. It’s easy (easier?) to have two components align, but addressing three with one solution is what makes a real impact. So stay tuned for some examples this week.

I think Venn diagrams are one of the most useful visual aids out there. Most people think of issues in terms of two sides, but in reality, there are almost always three or more aspects that intersect. Plotting them in a Venn diagram allows you to see that multiple perspectives can be true simultaneously, even if they are in conflict.

Venn diagrams can be used to describe the serious as well as the humorous. The Ask Amy advice column described divorce in the center with three circles of 1) sadness and grief for the life you had; 2) fear and insecurity about your future, and 3) guilt about not being able to fix it. Author Patrick Lencioni describes the Ideal Team Player as the intersection between 1) Humble, 2) Hungry, and 3) Smart.

On the lighter side, my favorite from the New Yorker portrays three circles of 1) Vegetables, 2) Sports, and 3) Ways to Die — with Squash in the center. A Facebook post from Catholic Memes has 1) a little wine, 2) lots of candles, and 3) mood music — with either Date Night or Catholic Mass in the center!

The next time you want to explain the complexities of a topic, see if you can plot them out in a Venn diagram. I think you’ll find “understanding” in the center.

Originally published in modified form on December 1, 2021

leadership dot #4416: gamification

October 20, 2024October 19, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A library could do a survey or ask its patrons what they are reading, but if you’re the Boston Public Library (BPL) you would find a way to make your input-gathering much more fun. The library ran a BPL Bingo game where people completed Bingo squares by providing information on what they were reading.

Squares included: an Indigenous Author, Book with a Purple Cover, First in a Series, LGBTQ+ Author, Main Character Over 60, Banned or Challenged Book, and Read a Poem.

This simple technique encouraged people to read more, expand the range of their reading, and give insights to the library through their responses. It also helped people understand that the library offers music and art and prompted patrons to read in different locations. Even their center square was a clever way to remind people that BPL is “free to all.”

This program required more forethought than actual resources and yielded valuable input from participants. The next time you want to learn something from your audience, consider making it a game. It’s more fun to play than complete a survey.

leadership dot #4415: Socktober

October 19, 2024October 18, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Among the most requested items by unhomed people are underwear and socks. No one wants to wear used underwear and people usually wear their socks until they are in no condition to be donated, leaving gaps in the supply of these two essentials.

In 2010, Brad Montague was working in a homeless shelter in Tennessee and decided he could do something about socks. He engaged his network and ended up with a carload of foot coverings—and a fun name for his effort: Socktober. Just as the weather was turning cooler and the demand increased, the sock drive began…

…and in the 14 years since, it has spread to every state and several foreign countries. Montague estimates that over a million pairs of socks have been donated to shelters. What a great example of how one person can ignite a movement and make an impact in the world.

If you’re interested in starting your own Socktober, Montague offers tips for spreading the word, but an individual contribution of a few pairs would always be welcome at your local shelter. Your effort doesn’t have to be lofty to make a difference for someone.

leadership dot #4414: must-do

October 18, 2024October 17, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

My Facebook feed has been flooded with “new analog” time management systems — really just fancy index cards to help people prioritize their day. The ad claims that if your calendar or notes are on your phone or computer, when you go to look at them it’s easy to get distracted by email or other apps. They note the simplicity of “analog” (i.e. handwritten) prevents that temptation.

I’ve been using handwritten to-do lists and calendars forever and I agree with their assertion that tactile is better. Simple is better, too.

I’m a fan of having a daily to-do list with one or two “must-do’s” for the day. It’s a given that you’ll be bombarded with other inputs and distractions that pull you away from what you thought you were going to do, and if you allow them, they will have you working sideways all day. To move one step forward, you must be intentional about accomplishing that “must-do” despite the diversions.

Whether you use an actual system, Post-it notes, index cards, or a whiteboard, before you end your day try writing out the top priority for the next day. Having that focus may help you accomplish it.

leadership dot #4413: grounding

October 17, 2024October 16, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I recently heard a speech by Tammie Jo Shultz, the Southwest pilot who successfully landed the plane after the engine exploded, breaking a window, depressurizing the cabin, and partially ejecting a passenger. The vibrations and noise made communication almost impossible, but she was able to contact the tower and receive clearance to land at a nearby airport.

Shultz attributed some of her calmness in the emergency to her daily routine. She practices what she called “bookends of the day”—beginning with a peaceful reflection in the morning and ending with a prayer at night. These practices provide stability in her life, which carries over to her piloting experiences.

Pilots probably don’t like to use the word “grounded” but it’s what the bookends did for Schultz, grounding her in a presence that transcends all the noise of the day and allows her to begin and end her days with intentionality.

If your day begins with a frantic dash after the alarm goes off and ends when Netflix asks if you are still watching, perhaps you could benefit from your own bookends.

leadership dot #4412: boss

October 16, 2024October 15, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Today is National Bosses Day — another contrived holiday where employees feign their dedication and appreciation to their supervisor. I really think a National Employees Day is more merited, but I digress.

Yesterday, a webinar poll asked: “What is your most pressing leadership challenge?” and half of respondents answered “Employee engagement and wellbeing.” Addressing that starts with the boss, as proven by Gallup’s research, which concluded that “70% of the variance in team engagement is determined solely by the manager, and frontline managers in particular are the most crucial level when it comes to engaging an organization’s employees.”

This was on my mind when I read a social media post: “When a leader doesn’t know how to lead, they micro-manage.” Couple that with findings that most managers don’t feel prepared to do their job and with Gallup’s research, you can see why problems arise.

If senior leadership truly wants to do something special for National Bosses Day, provide supervision training for the frontline managers. It’s an investment that leverages itself over and over and provides something actually worth celebrating.

leadership dot #4411: graphics

October 15, 2024October 14, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Design and visual presentation are more prevalent than even a few years ago. Between infographics, memes, social media, websites, electronic billboards, online stores, packaging, and personal branding, the ability to graphically display your message has become as important as the words you use.

To help the next generation enhance their “visual power,” colleges are partnering with Canva software to offer tools to “equip students with visual communication and AI, providing a pivotal link between education and the contemporary workforce.”

The University of California is providing Canva for Campus to its 50,000 students, helping them learn design to more effectively present their messages, reports, and presentations. I think rudimentary graphic skills will become as pervasive as typing — just part of how people communicate, and it’s great that some colleges are emphasizing them.

While there is certainly a vast difference between a Canva amateur and a professional designer, providing access to tools to help with visual presentation is a valuable skill in today’s world. Think about how your messaging could be enhanced with improved design and consider providing the tools and training for your team to access it.

[For those that haven’t used it, Canva is a user-friendly design software, created by a former high school yearbook advisor who wanted to help her students master layouts. There is a free version that is quite robust and a pro version for even more options.]

leadership dot #4410: sister organization

October 14, 2024October 13, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Each military branch has its own identity, as does any multi-unit organization. Fraternities/sororities, service organizations, denominations, schools, teams, and even departments of a business have either implicit or explicit competition and pride.

The Air Force recently set that aside and invited four Marines to contribute to the Force’s professional development program. The Marines created a series of physical and leadership challenges designed to replicate the Marine Corps Fitness Test. The Corps has a far more demanding physical component than the Air Force, and the Fitness Test tested the Air Force’s physical and mental endurance.

I’m sure the Air Force could have utilized its own instructors to design a physical regimen, but having someone from another branch of the service added a new dimension to the training. I suspect that it drove some Air Force members to push themselves further so as not to appear weak in front of the Marines!

Consider inviting someone from a sister organization to contribute to some of your professional development. Understanding the similarities will help them make the training relevant, and bringing in someone from the outside can help your team compare and contrast with your consultant. There’s nothing like a visit from an external source to help internal pride kick in!

leadership dot #4409: reinvent

October 13, 2024October 12, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I’ve written before about libraries, but I continue to be impressed with how they have reinvented themselves. Instead of a stodgy, quiet place with a bunch of dusty, old books, libraries today are vibrant, interactive places for people of all ages. Books aren’t even their centerpiece anymore.

In Boston, a large space is dedicated to a “teen room” where those over a certain age aren’t even allowed to enter (unless you’re from out of town and beg to take a peek!). It features a giant game room where youth can come to play their favorite computer games on the latest equipment and other groups can gather for socializing. It’s colorful, modern, inviting, and well-used — nothing like libraries of yore that only attracted serious scholars.

Instead of asking “How can we better serve our current clients?”, take a page from the library and ask “How can we serve those who aren’t currently our clients?” You may end up with an answer that looks nothing like your present offerings, but it may become a bestselling idea for your organization.

leadership dot #4408: spectacularly fortunate

October 12, 2024October 11, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I am always on the lookout for examples of intentional communication — where someone took the time to go beyond the rote headings of a form, sign, or, in this case, gift card.

We’re all familiar with the “To” and “From” blanks to indicate giver and receiver on gift cards, but on Chipotle’s, their language made me smile. Below “to” it reads (spectacularly fortunate), and below “from” it reads (incredibly thoughtful). It’s a minor thing, to be sure, but why be generic when a small tweak can help you stand out?

The next time you are preparing any document that has standard titles or forms, think of Chipotle and give it an extra dose of attention. Those reading it will be spectacularly fortunate that you were incredibly thoughtful to do so.