May 21, 2024
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
April 5, 2024
Technology and Other Human Things
We can cook a turkey in 15 minutes; send a text around the world with the press of a thumb; watch or listen to anything we want on our smartphones. We are so fortunate. And now we can have a computer create everything. Look at us doing stuff and things with gadgets and doohickeys. We are the coolest.
Media are consumed mostly when we're alone. We don't gather around and answer an email and we don't hover over Josh's phone when he's texting Susan. We may binge watch that show on that streaming platform with our partner. Once a year we may gather at a buddy's house to eat too much and watch the Super Bowl. The rest of the time we are on our devices researching, reading, texting, replying, and searching by ourselves.
Technology, they said, would improve our lives.
We can buy a car on the internet, learn about penguins on our mobile device, find the best sushi restaurant in Des Moines, and read about an awesome vacation someone else took while sitting on our couch.
Most of the time we are connecting with each other through all this supposed cool technology while we are by ourselves. I wrote this alone and you're probably reading it while you're alone. I have a friend who hasn't answered his phone in years. He'll respond to my texts almost immediately, but I don't dare suggest an actual conversation.
Technology, they said, would give us choices.
I remember a restaurant experience when the table next to us had six people all staring at their phones. Their meals arrived and phones weren't put away; they were placed beside plates and glanced at often. Their bill arrived and it looked like the dance of the smartphones as each of them transferred their amount to the one guy who tapped the server's machine to pay it in full.
Technology, as it turns out, has created more depression and less human interaction. We are checking our phones yet miss what that guy said about the thing. I got a text; it must be important. I'd better check my email; I may have missed something. What's on my smart device is clearly way more important than any of this human stuff.
I'm sure AI will solve it all.
__________________________________________________________________January 22, 2024
Tell Us a Story
September 17, 2023
The Human App
We climb the ladder, finish the project, attend the meeting, rush to the event, answer that email, respond to that request, get on that conference call, make that flight, make eye contact, smile brightly, and we keep running.
Splash in the face
We get caught in our own race and suddenly run into an old friend and find out what’s going with them. An event, a loss, a choice, and suddenly our challenges don’t seem so unique. Multiple that by the employees of an entire company and suddenly you can see how creating a collaborative culture can be elusive.
Some say we live this life alone – I disagree. We live this life together. It doesn’t mean we can carry each other’s burden but we can certainly lighten each other’s load when we can. A mentor once said we must remember our team members are not cogs in some wheel, they are people with feelings and challenges and dreams and goals.
The human element
Perhaps it's easier to stare at our screens and play with our gadgets, but we are missing an essential piece of life when we do that. I can send you a text and hope the message is clear or we can use the free phone app on our phones to discuss it properly.
We must remember that in order to create a collaborative culture, we can’t forget the element which is far more important than any product or service.
Each other.
__________________________________________________________________
December 25, 2022
Happy Holidays
September 2, 2022
We Are So Cool
August 3, 2022
Share Don't Compare
July 17, 2022
I Don't Want Fries With That
May 23, 2022
Where Are You Right Now?
Busy Being Busy
Years ago, a friend moved to a much larger city. I asked him if he noticed the pace had increased and he said people seemed busier but he was unsure they were getting any more accomplished. A while back, I had a bit of a cold that lasted a few days. I tried to keep up with work but I had one critical realization; the world didn't fall apart because I wasn't answering emails within seconds. I'm not curing world hunger.
April 10, 2022
Changing Gears
February 4, 2022
Bringing Our Work to Life
August 1, 2021
Perspective
March 2, 2021
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Stories give our lives perspective. They offer context to concepts we share. If we present a new idea that resonates with the audience, it holds more credibility. If I share an idea with you, you don’t just digest what I'm saying; your beliefs, perceptions, and point of view come into play. Your experience and bias is always part of the equation.
The same happens with team culture. If you work in an environment that encourages sales at all costs but you prefer building relationships first, your time will be challenged. Those who measure success solely by financial gain may tell you to just make more calls because their perspective is relationships are a numbers game.
That's not how we do it here
If your leadership style is to give a good portion of your time to help the development of your people to in turn grow the bottom line; someone who tells you the best way to motivate people is through fear, will be a recipe for conflict.
The stories we tell ourselves are powerful. They feed our narrative, perspective, and beliefs. They can become our truth regardless of reality or facts. It gets trickier when you have culture comprised of different demographics, psychographics, or points of view.
What's your opinion?
This is not to suggest teams succeed when everyone thinks the same way - just the opposite - but if we become rigid, we can close ourselves off from even better ideas.
If you have a belief embedded deep inside you, it will require enormous energy for me to first convince you another stance and then share my view. Multiple that dynamic by hundreds or even thousands in an organization and you can quickly see how the power of story can morph into complication. The dangerous part is this bias can hide inside what some may mistake as company culture.
If we consider our differing points of view, we both might win.
__________________________________________________________________
December 1, 2020
Bring the New Noise
June 1, 2020
Does This Fit?
In my career, I have overseen the creation of three brand new radio stations from concept to completion, helped a tech start-up build their strategic plan and brand roll out, and worked closely with a real estate firm to triple their revenue in two years. The common element has been aligning a framework to then get creative within it.
Your Way or My Way?
It’s not about telling you your ideas are wrong; it’s about getting to the core of what you are willing to do to achieve them. That’s where I know I get sidetracked. I’m a dreamer, a box crusher, and a ‘what if we tried that’ kind of guy.
We admire those who take chances and seemingly disregard conventional wisdom. But if we look closer, there is a framework within the freedom. The key to great companies, teams, and departments, is the ability to give space to all perspectives then tie them back to the goals.
Widen Your Scope
If you want more sales, telling your team to make more calls is not going to work. If you include them in the process, you allow all perspectives to be included into a much more robust solution. Some reps may prefer to build relationships over time while others might be rock stars at cold calling. This becomes even more complex over time as relationships grow. I’ve seen it far too many times to mention when a leader will be repeatedly frustrated by how an employee approaches their work.
Instead of trying to jam someone into your perspective, take time to examine theirs and you might discover a solution neither of you had ever thought about. I need cautious people around me to keep me grounded. You might require creative people whose ideas seem outrageous at first, around you.
One approach never fits all.
__________________________________________________________________
May 31, 2019
Human Networking
We climb the ladder, finish the project, attend the meeting, rush to the event, answer that email, respond to that request, get on that conference call, make that flight, make eye contact, smile brightly, and we keep running.
Splash in the face
We get caught in our own race and suddenly run into an old friend and find out what’s going with them. An event, a loss, a choice, and suddenly our challenges don’t seem so unique. Multiple that by the employees of an entire company and suddenly you can see how creating a collaborative culture can be elusive.
Some say we live this life alone – I disagree. We live this life together. It doesn’t mean we can carry each other’s burden but we can certainly lighten each other’s load when we can. A mentor once said we must remember our team members are not cogs in some wheel, they are people with feelings and challenges and dreams and goals.
The human element
Perhaps it's easier to stare at our screens and play with our gadgets, but we are missing an essential piece of life when we do that. I can send you a text and hope the message is clear or we can use the free phone app on our phones to discuss it properly.
We must remember that in order to create a collaborative culture, we can’t forget the element which is far more important than any product or service.
One another.
__________________________________________________________________
May 3, 2019
Texting Help
Nancy Lublin shows how teens want to help but often use their mobile devices to reach out. As you watch her talk, imagine how we could harness this for people of all ages.
__________________________________________________________________
November 20, 2018
Widening the Lens
The same happens with team culture. If you work in an environment that encourages sales at all costs but you prefer building relationships first, your time will be challenged. Those who measure success solely by financial gain may tell you to just make more calls because their perspective is relationships are a numbers game.
It’s the way we do it around here
If your leadership style is to give a good portion of your time to help the development of your people to in turn grow the bottom line; someone who tells you the best way to motivate people is through fear, will be a recipe for conflict.
The stories we tell ourselves are powerful. They feed our narrative, perspective, and beliefs. They can become our truth regardless of reality or facts. And it gets even trickier when you have culture comprised of people from different demographics, psychographics, or points of view. This is not to suggest teams succeed when everyone thinks the same way - just the opposite - but if we become rigid, we can close ourselves off from even better ideas.
Turning the camera around
If you have a belief embedded deep inside you, it will require enormous energy for me to first convince you another stance and then share my view. Multiple that dynamic by hundreds or thousands in an organization and you can quickly see how the power of story can morph into complication. But if we accept our differing points of view, we both win.
The stories we tell ourselves can also get in our way.
__________________________________________________________________
November 15, 2018
One Size Not For All
In my career, I have overseen the creation of three brand new radio stations from concept to completion, helped a tech start-up build their strategic plan and brand roll out, and worked closely with a real estate firm to triple their revenue in two years. The common element has been aligning a framework to then get creative within it.
Your Way or My Way?
It’s not about telling you your ideas are wrong; it’s about getting to the core of what you are willing to do to achieve them. That’s where I know I get sidetracked. I’m a dreamer, a box crusher, and a ‘what if we tried that’ kind of guy.
We admire those who take chances and seemingly disregard conventional wisdom. But if we look closer, there is a framework within the freedom. The key to great companies, teams, and departments, is the ability to give space to all perspectives then tie them back to the goals.
Widen Your Scope
If you want more sales, telling your team to make more calls is not going to work. If you include them in the process, you allow all perspectives to be included into a much more robust solution. Some reps may prefer to build relationships over time while others might be rock stars at cold calling. This becomes even more complex over time as relationships grow. I’ve seen it far too many times to mention when a leader will be repeatedly frustrated by how an employee approaches their work.
Instead of trying to jam someone into your box, take the time to examine theirs and you might discover a solution neither of you had ever thought about. I need cautious people around me to keep me grounded. You might require creative people whose ideas seem outrageous at first, around you.
One approach never fits all.
__________________________________________________________________
September 9, 2018
The Human Company
While we see four generations trying to mix cultures in the workplace plus more telecommuting, virtual teaming, technology, and flex time, we are seeing a shift and the process may not be going smoothly in many cases. I’m not a fan of stereotypes but generally older employees are more resistant to change while the younger employees adapt quicker.
This isn't to suggest comfy lounge chairs and basketball nets in the boardroom will create a collaborative culture but blending generations, mixing perspectives, and allowing life to permeate your company will make it personal and that’s a good thing.
Your team will reciprocate.
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