Category: starting

leadership dot #4370: projects

September 4, 2024September 3, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Over the summer, I handwrote 5400 postcards that will be mailed in October to encourage voting. This wasn’t the type of task you could do in an evening, a weekend, or even a week. It took me about 200 hours over three months to write them all.

Three things helped me to accomplish this task:

The names were provided on sheets with 25 names, requiring about an hour to write. It broke the task into manageable pieces and allowed me an instantaneous tally of how far along I was in the project.
I knew I wanted them finished by Labor Day, so it was easy to determine how many pages I needed to write each day. I had clear benchmarks as to whether or not I was on track and could make adjustments accordingly.
I created a system where (on most days) I wrote for an hour in the morning and another in the evening, making writing a part of my daily routine. It wasn’t left to happenstance when/whether I would write.

I’m now engaged in another large project and I bring these lessons forward to help me accomplish it. It’s much more nebulous than the postcards, and I have to do the equivalent of creating the names rather than being handed them, but I know I need to create measurable targets, a benchmark, and a system.

Instead of instantly jumping into your next assignment, take a moment to consider the strategies above. Having a game plan may be just what you need to win the game.

leadership dot #183a: anticipation

August 16, 2024August 14, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

What tasks out there are worse thinking about vs. actually doing?

I think about how I put off gathering my tax receipts and doing taxes — but once I start, it never is as bad as I remembered it to be.

Drinking bottles of “chalk” always makes the anticipation of certain medical tests worse than the procedure itself.

The finger prick before giving blood often hurts more than the actual donation.

Studying for the DMV license test and waiting in the endless line is usually more aggravating than taking the actual examination.

Getting bundled up to go for a walk in the winter always feels like more work than the walk itself.

And thinking about what I should write about as a blog is much more demanding than the actual writing! I still feel clueless until I sit down and open the program, and then words magically appear.

Intellectually, I know all this. But I still allow the procrastination and angst to eat up more energy than it should. I need to move my “butt to seat” (see #124) more quickly so I can remove my butt from seat more quickly too!

Resolve today to spend less time dreading and more time doing!

Originally published in modified form on December 1, 2012

leadership dot #40a: say goodbye

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

It’s a lot easier to get approval/acceptance for change when you frame it as a “pilot”. When people think that something is just being tried out or is temporary, they are more willing to agree to test it.

Most of us have piloted something, even if we didn’t formally label it that way. We’ve said things like: “Let’s give this a go.” or “We’ll see how it works out.” Piloting is how we experiment or test something.

The problem is that mostly we pilot things that we are going to add or start. Try piloting stopping instead. Get off a committee and see if it matters — can you get what you need just from reading the minutes? (If not, you can always go back on the committee!) Stop running X report and see if someone misses it. Pilot a plan to eliminate a form or a process. Does everyone really use all the data you collect and enter?) Test out a bi-weekly meeting/reporting structure instead of weekly and see if productivity suffers. Keep only electronic copies and pilot a “green approach” to no copying/filing of routine work.

Challenge yourself and each staff member to pilot at least one ending strategy. Find something that can be eliminated for “awhile” — and give stopping a try!

Originally published in modified form on July 11, 2012

leadership dot #4320: begin

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

I can’t tell you the number of days I set out to write a dot without knowing what I was going to write about. Once I open up the template and consider my day, a topic often occurs to me. I could ruminate for hours and come up with nothing — the productivity occurs when I actually begin.

In a similar vein, I have a colleague who is interested in writing a book (aren’t we all!) and for months, he has been pondering what to write about. My assignment to him was to list out 25 possible things that he could write about and see what the list inspires. Does one of the topics really resonate? Could two of the topics be combined? What is on the list doesn’t matter — it’s that the list causes him to begin — to put words on paper (screen) instead of having nebulous thoughts rolling around in his mind.

I believe the principle applies to most projects — the hardest part is starting them. We can use writer’s block project manager’s block, painter’s block, what-to-make-for-dinner block, or any excuse you want to come up with — but really, the quest for the perfect idea is just procrastination in disguise. Instead of thinking about something hoping inspiration strikes, begin working on any aspect of it and see if you don’t discover that your idea was there all along.

leadership dot #4151: shoveling

January 10, 2024January 9, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Like much of the country, we were graced with a bundle of snow yesterday. This brings up the age-old question of when to shovel.

My mother was a big proponent of shoveling frequently — her theory being that doing it more often made it less arduous and you were able to “keep on top of it.” Others prefer to do nothing until the precipitation has stopped, and then they go out to tackle the large accumulation. Those of you who are regular dot readers know that I am a proponent of “finishing,” but in the case of snow, I guess I’m my mother’s daughter because I like to get those initial layers off before it becomes too deep.

I think the same philosophy applies to big projects — you could wait until conditions were right but it seems more prudent to begin and have the foundation accomplished rather than waiting. While it may not look like you did anything, in fact, you did, and your efforts will make it easier for the next steps in the process. Don’t wait for inputs to stop before you start your work.

leadership dot #816a: threshold

December 30, 2023December 21, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Last week, a local news story unexpectedly went viral, so the requests for interviews came in. The best person to speak on the topic was someone who is normally not a spokesperson. While she had the most knowledge of the details, she had little experience in being questioned on the radio; thus, she was understandably nervous.

As she was being prepped for a media interview, her boss stopped in with words of encouragement. “You’re building your threshold,” he said. “The next time you have to do this, your threshold will be higher.”

What great words of advice. People often avoid doing challenging things because they are not experts at them, but it is precisely through doing the difficult work that our threshold increases, and our proficiency in doing the hard task is improved. The skills she learns in doing the media interview will translate into making it easier to have difficult conversations in other venues. The confidence she gains by succeeding at something she did not think she could do well will carry over and buoy her in different settings.

Instead of listening to that inner voice that urges us to avoid the difficult tasks, embrace them as a threshold-building workout. Your strength will amaze you.

Originally published in modified form on August 26, 2014

leadership dot #4124: starting

December 4, 2023December 3, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

At 9:00 a.m. yesterday I started on a project that I have been putting off. I told myself that I would work on it for one hour and then move on to something else. I finished at 9:30 — p.m. Once I got started, I was on a roll and I completed the project and then some, not even realizing the time.

I have quoted Susan Power before who said: “The motivation is in the doing.” She is so right. The more you dread something, the sooner you should start. Play mind games with yourself and commit to doing just a short interval. Chances are that you will keep going.

Starting is the hardest part. That first step on a walk. The first sentence in a blog. The first holiday card that you address. The first drawer you clean. The first line on your spreadsheet. Take solace in the fact that it gets easier once you actually begin.

leadership dot #3978: chairperson

June 29, 2023June 27, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I’m volunteering for a community action group and the core committee needed to decide who was going to work in each area. A few hands went up right away to help with the communications and grassroots efforts. It was also easy for those who work in financial areas to volunteer for the money aspects of the project — fundraising, treasurer, etc. And when it came to being chair no one raised their hands — except me. Not by default, but rather because that is my sweet spot and likely why I was asked to be on the committee.

I think the ability to develop comprehensive agendas, run efficient meetings, keep conversations on task, and organize the myriad details that go with a project such as this is a skill set that is undervalued. Anyone can sit at the head of the table, but not everyone is effective there. I happen to love it and was happy that they took a chance on one person’s recommendation and gave me the reins.

We were fortunate that the initial organizers invited people to serve who had a variety of skills and would naturally gravitate to work that was meaningful to them. If you are in a position to assemble a group, you would be wise to do the same. And if your wheelhouse revolves around leading and organizing, embrace that talent. It is far less stressful to run a meeting than to suffer through a bad one.

leadership dot #3955: new

June 6, 2023June 5, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

When I worked on a campus, I found it enlightening to take a class — it gave me a firsthand view of what it was like to register, get books, interpret the schedule, find the classroom, figure out the bill, etc. It led to many service improvements as I had to experience things that just didn’t make sense.

That same perspective is true for those who teach. My sister was just on a trip abroad and shared how her experiences in countries with different languages, currencies, customs, etc. will be helpful in her work as a corporate trainer. It reminded her what it’s like to experience something brand new and to be lost on how to navigate even the basic functions.

My new volunteer stint as an English tutor has also made me more cognizant of language and all the quirks that come with English. Obviously, they have always been there, but having to explain to someone why we say it’s June 6th (sixth) when the calendar only has a 6 (and not a 6th) definitely has me seeing things in a new light.

One of my favorite icebreakers is “What’s the last (most recent) thing you’ve done for the first time?” If you have to think hard about your answer, maybe it’s time to venture out a bit more.

leadership dot #3898: touchdown

April 10, 2023April 9, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

While in Boston, I visited Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. As part of this visit, I learned that Robert Kraft bought the land adjacent to the former stadium where the Patriots played before he owned the team. A few years later, he acquired the stadium during the previous owner’s bankruptcy but still did not own the franchise.

This evolution proved to be fruitful later when the Patriot’s then-owner wanted to move the team out of New England. Kraft refused to let them out of the stadium lease that he controlled, so the team was put up for sale — allowing Kraft to complete the purchase and realize his goal of becoming an NFL owner.

Acquiring land next to an aging stadium doesn’t seem like the most obvious path to buying a franchise, but it is a shrewd one. First land, then stadium, team, coach, and finally, quarterback — and the rest as they say is history.

The next time you have a daunting goal that seems far in the future, think about Robert Kraft and consider whether there is an adjacent step you can take to get started. Small bits of progress, even if not in a direct path, can still help you achieve a touchdown.