Fixed

“If she would just do the work this way she would be fine.”

“If he would simply listen, we wouldn’t have these issues.”

“The choice is so obvious, right?”

“Trust me, I’ve seen this before and am clear on what we should do next.”

Over the years I’ve struggled with judging others. Maybe you have as well. Part of that is human nature (I think) and part is based on serving in leadership roles for the last 30 years where I’ve been asked to make important decisions about the direction of the organization. 

That can be a heavy burden at times.

Where do we find the balance between judging others and getting caught up in our own hubris? Do we even notice when we’ve crossed that line; or, are we simply so special that the ‘line’ doesn’t apply to us?

It’s a slippery slope, as we all work with bright people who see right through those of us that bullrush their opinions through with little awareness of the impact on the team.

When have you seen leaders go too far…all caught up in their own echo chamber of ‘the right way to do things?’

What was the result?

Thanks for being here.

Jay

Pic

The Philosophical Strife

Philosophical Strife

• “The idea that strife, or the conflict of opposites, is the source of meaning and sense.Gunter Figal, a philosophy professor at the University of Tubingen, argues that strife and freedom are related, and that strife is necessary for the creation of sense and meaning.” 

There’s a lot to unpack here, but perhaps a series of questions that come to mind are enough to get us thinking deeper.

• Is conflict actually necessary to appreciate freedom?
• What might be the opposites in your life that trigger philosophical strife?
• How does the interplay between work strife and personal strife impact your view of things?
• Does faith or meditation play a role in how you manage these conflicts?
• Do you have someone close enough to share the deepest elements of your strife?
• When you’re absolutely hopeless, does understanding this inherent conflict help you focus and allow you to regain your footing?
• What happens when you move through conflict and find freedom?

The premise that our entire sense of meaning comes from how we view these opposites is fascinating. Is it simply moving away from stressors to feel better; or, is there something deeper happening?

Thank you for being here.

Jay

Pic

Working at the Speed of Failure

I read something recently that touched on the concept that in addition to our obsession with being 100% productive 100% of the time (which is completely unrealistic); we have fallen into a trap of working too quickly. 

Literally moving our bodies (and minds) at such a hurried pace that we are actually wearing ourselves out in the name of “being so busy.”

Sound familiar? It sure does to me.

This little paragraph, written almost as an afterthought, hit home. I started paying attention to my physical movements as I worked and asking myself some questions:

- Why am I constantly jumping between screens? (MacBook, iPad, iPhone)

- Am I supposed to react immediately to every email, text, and message?

- When am I actually doing deep thinking about my broad scope of work?

- If all I do is jump around from meeting to meeting and talk about my work, when do I actually have time to do the work?

Let’s level set a bit here. I have a well developed system that organizes every facet of my professional and personal lives. I’m clear on what needs to get done on any given day, and am fortunate to work with a talented team to tackle all of it with me.

And yet…that frantic pace creeps in. Why?

There are no easy answers, at least I can’t find one. I think the best next step for me is a new level of self-awareness as I literally slow down to be even more efficient and effective.

Have you examined your pace of work? What did you learn?

Thanks for being here.

Jay

Pic