Month: April 2025

leadership dot #4597: combination

April 20, 2025April 18, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplett1 Comment

It’s always seemed funny to me how Easter came to be symbolized by rabbits and eggs.

It reminds me of an old exercise to stimulate creative thinking. You write a bunch of words, each on a single index card, and then mix them up. People draw two words and see what new thoughts come from that. For example, Happy + Toaster may equal a toaster that shows you the darkness of the bread before it pops out, so the person is happy. Bird + Notebook may inspire a class or hobby of bird watching. Dandelion + Blog may cause you to think about spreading (seeds and ideas). And Eggs + Rabbit may have led to the commercialization of Easter!

Maybe you can play with this exercise around the holiday table if you’re celebrating today, and have some fun training your mental muscles to see new combinations throughout the year.

Happy Easter!

leadership dot #4596: replacement

April 19, 2025April 18, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

There is a gap in the marketplace created by the closure of most Party City locations and all the JoAnn stores. Michael’s is attempting to capitalize on this void by catering to the former customers of the closed chains. Signs on their shopping carts speak specifically to them, highlighting which aisle the replacement items may be found and noting the other services Michael’s provides that may be of interest. Outside are large banners proclaiming that they now carry balloons and fabric — two of the staples from the shuttered locations.

It makes sense for Michael’s to leverage its similarities to capture the displaced customers, but I hope they don’t do it at the expense of losing their own identity. All the fabric they now carry occupies square footage that used to showcase other things — what has been lost? Stocking balloons and fabric are high-touch products that require human intervention before they can be sold — did they alter staffing patterns to accommodate this?

Serving everyone sounds like a great business plan until it becomes time to actually execute it. No one store will ever carry the depth and variety of three franchises, and spreading yourself too thin may make you third on the bankruptcy list instead of first in profitability. Don’t try to do it all.

Thanks, Meg!

leadership dot #4595: cram

April 18, 2025April 17, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

In the chatter after class, a student lamented that they needed to start on their final project and that they “only had 3 days to work on it” because they were going out of town for the Easter holiday. Another student commiserated that they were in the same situation. Note that this project is worth 20% of their grade and is due next week. I wish I had not heard them.

I wonder if they would say to their boss, “Hey, I haven’t started on that work you gave me weeks ago, but I’ll pull something together in the next day or two.” It doesn’t ring of quality or even respect.

If you are going to slack off or cram on a project, don’t say it in front of the person to whom you are submitting it, as it taints the whole impression of the final product. Even if it turns out “ok,” I’ll be biased knowing that it could have been much better if they had dedicated reasonable time and effort. Bragging about doing something at the last minute isn’t a stellar strategy.

leadership dot #4594: no more

April 17, 2025April 16, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

My Grandma Margaret had a saying: “Can’t do no more than do.” She was way ahead of her time in understanding that there are limits to what people can (should!) accomplish and that some days we just need to say “enough.”

I see a sense of being overwhelmed more these days as the multitude of input channels compete for our attention and response, the to-do list seems daunting, and the pressures of the tyrannical administration weigh on people’s minds. I know of people working long hours after leaving the office in an attempt to fit it all in — but at a cost to their sanity and joy — rather than creating boundaries and accepting limits.

I’m all for extra effort and working hard, but I’m also a big fan of reasonableness. Do — but do no more.

Thanks, Amy!

leadership dot #4593: shipping

April 16, 2025April 15, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I’m a proud alumna of my undergraduate alma mater and wanted to show my pride with a car decal. I put my $4.49 selection in my cart at the online bookstore, only to discover that this item is still subject to the flat $19.95 shipping charge. I love my school, but not to the tune of $25 for a sticker. A flat rate shipping charge makes it easier for the staff but I wonder how many other sales have been lost because of the high fee.

It’s such a missed opportunity. The university should encourage people to promote their school and share their alumni status. In fact, I think they should hand out free stickers with every donation to encourage giving. Not only is name recognition good, but people don’t put decals on their cars for places they don’t love.

It’s time for leadership to revisit the mission of the university bookstore which I believe is to serve the students and to promote the university through the sale of branded spirit items — preferably ones that are actually sold. A decal shouldn’t cost the same to ship as a sweatshirt. One size does not fit all

Maybe I could just cut this out and paste it in my car window!

leadership dot #4592: learn

April 15, 2025April 14, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplett1 Comment

I just wrote an article about competitive disc golf players and when I asked how they honed their skills, the unanimous answer was “YouTube.” It’s the same answer given by my DIY friend when she told me about learning how to connect the plumbing in her claw-foot tub, and it’s what I heard when I asked crochet teachers how they learned their craft.

They aren’t the only ones turning to the video channel for answers. According to Wikipedia, YouTube is the second most visited site in the world (after Google search), with 14.8 billion videos in its collection. It receives over one billion views every day, with 2.7 billion users every month.

I thought of this when reading Bill Gates’ memoir Source Code. He talked about the 24-volume World Book Encyclopedia that he devoured and how it “was like Christmas” when the annual Yearbook arrived to update the information. What he — and all the generations before now — could have done with YouTube.

Most people are visual learners and YouTube makes it possible for someone to show you how to do something. No matter what you’re interested in — a lifetime skill or a quick fix for a problem — the answer is out there. Take advantage of that miracle and learn something new today.

leadership dot #4591: experiment

April 14, 2025April 13, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I wonder how many people experiment with all the choices they have. I wrote yesterday (dot #4590) about the plethora of choices at QuikTrip — which provides a staggering number of drink and condiment options. Does anyone play around and try something new? I know I get the same Diet Coke there as I do everywhere, never even considering adding the flavor bursts or trying a different beverage.

The same is true in my car which came with a dizzying amount of options, including choice about the “ambient lighting” on LED strips inside the vehicle. I set it to “Pacific Coast ” and haven’t looked back. Ditto for my phone settings, computer layout, and most of my electronics. It’s overwhelming at first, but then I pick something and never change it.

It makes me question whether companies provide a wide array of options so that I can have that perfect choice in the beginning, not caring if I ever change it. Or is it simply a marketing gimmick and I’ve given so many choices because it’s easy to add increments and it seems better to have them? Or do people really rotate between selections and are glad they exist?

In any case, since we live in a more-the-merrier world, take the opportunity to try something new. Install a new ringtone on your phone. Change your social media profile picture. Switch to a different radio or Spotify station. Choose “Vegas Strip” for your ambient lighting. Put a new flavoring in your next beverage. Choose to exercise your choice.

leadership dot #4590: multiple choice

April 13, 2025April 11, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I have written before (dot #4489) about QuikTrip’s superiority in customization. Their vast selection of toppings, condiments, smoothies, fountain pops, slushes, and flavor boosters allows customers to have snacks and beverages just how they like them.

QT has now adapted that same philosophy to its Nitro Coffee Bar, offering multiple choices in both hot and cold lattes, complimented by an extensive flavoring bar where customers can create beverages to their exact preferences.

QT consciously chose to go deep into the products it offers, providing many more options than almost anyone else. Where is your organization on the breadth-depth spectrum? You may want to pour yourself a latte and ponder where you should land.

leadership dot #4589: ad hoc

April 12, 2025April 11, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

How to keep an area clear and open, yet also provide seating for those who want or need it? The St. Louis Art Museum solved both issues by providing portable seating. Racks of stools were located throughout the galleries making it convenient for someone to literally pull up a chair and rest or examine the art more closely.

The next time you’ve got a problem to solve, consider what you’re ultimately trying to achieve and whether there is an alternate way to address it. Permanent solutions can be made in an ad hoc or temporary way.

leadership dot #4588: lingering

April 11, 2025April 10, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I had a client who had a project weighing on their mind since they assumed their position a year ago. It was one of those “I should get to this” projects that never seemed to rise to the top of the to-do list. My advice: cross it off the list. If it hasn’t mattered in a year, it doesn’t matter, period.

But if it’s a project that he needs to do (not just should), then by all means block off a day or two on the calendar and get it done. Stop wasting the mental space thinking about it every day for a year. Do it or forget it. Thinking about doing it is a futile exercise.

Blocking off a day — whether at home or work — always sounds impossible but we do it all the time. People get sick. Kids get sick. We go to trainings or conferences. We take vacations. We have all-day retreats…and things still function when we return.

Be ruthless with that lingering project. Create space on your calendar right now, or banish it from your mind forever. To paraphrase Yoda, Do. Or Do Not. There is no trying to get to it.